Summer Bucket List of 2016

LET'S SCREAM AND SHOUT BECAUSE OH MY GOSH IT'S SUMMER!

     It has become a tradition of mine to every summer put together a list of spontaneous to-do's.  It's in an attempt to never have a day of boredom and to always have infinite memories to one day smile back on.  It's a cheery little challenge to cross off every item on the list while convincing as many friends as possible to join me for the ride.  I think it's beautiful.

(You can read what happened last year...here ...here...and...here)

*drum roll please*

The Summer Bucket List of 2016!

Do something that scares me

Tie dye

Go hiking

Grow an avocado tree

Fly a kite

Ride horses and make an adventure out of it

Make butter beer

Go to an amusement park

Sneak out

Go stargazing

Read a book a day for a week

Watch a really scary movie

Go to the drive-in movies

Watch the sun set

Watch the sunrise

Go to a baseball game

Play tennis 

Finger paint on a canvas

Paint with balloon darts

Pull an all-nighter

Chalk up an entire driveway

Send a YouTuber mail

Slip-n-slide

Go fishing

Break a law

Watch The Lord of the Rings movies

Go skinny dipping

See a shooting star

Spend an entire day with my little brother

Have a campfire

Watch the Harry Potter movies

Dance under the stars

Go camping

Turn 18

Give out 100 compliments

Go to a midnight premiere

Catch fireflies

Go putt-putt golfing

Go an entire day without technology

Send my best friend a card on her birthday

Take a picture everyday

Make caramel apples

Go kayaking

Go on an adventure in Indiana

- James Dean

- World's largest paint ball

- Giant indian

- Giant ice cream man

Go to the highest point in my state

Go to the Ohio Caverns

Go on an adventure in Kentucky

Eat KFC with Colonel Sanders

Go to a museum

Explore the town next door

Bike on the Ohio and Erie Canal

Flip a penny at every turn, get lost

Make herbal lemonade

Play baseball

Go to the zoo

Go canoeing

Ride a tandem bike

Go Geocaching

Eat an entire pizza

Go to Ikea with my best friend

Steal something

Go to Tawawa Park

Go paddleboarding

"What happened last night?"

Leave a note in a library book

Dance with a complete stranger

Share some secrets in the dark

Visit my fantastic relative

BE SPONTANEOUS

If you're interested in creating your own summer bucket list, here's some tips that have helped me connect with my inner creative summertime genius!

Read Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Watch the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Visit the blog Gone With The Summer

Listen to loud music that gives you summer vibes

(I listen to Spotify's playlist "Have a Great Day!" and Twenty One Pilots' Blurryface album)

Look up "Summer bucket lists" on Tumblr

Look up "Summer bucket lists" on Pinterest

Write your list on notebook paper so it's easy to take it on the go

Make a decked out version of your list to hang in your room.

(This year, I wrote mine on black slips of paper with a silver marker.  I'm going to tape them on my wall and every time one is accomplished, the slip will be removed and placed in a scrapbook or taped in my journal.)

Get your friends involved.

(This usually helps you accomplish everything on your list and prevents you from chickening out of anything that makes you step out of your comfort zone.)

And also, I give you permission to steal from my list.  Now go have fun and go wild (while being somewhat realistic) with your list and your summer! <-- I'd LOVE to hear about it!!

Dream big, Darlings!

A Lovely Green Lively Thing

     There's something about a plant that gives me so much joy.  Yes, they're adorable but there's more to it than just that.  It's the happiness that overcomes me when I buy a new plant, the relaxing feeling I get when I watch it drink up water, and the abundant love that overcomes me when I see it blossom and grow.  It's as if it becomes a part of me.  I want to see it thrive in life almost as if it was my own child.  Do I sound like a crazy plant lady yet?  Probably yes!  I will admit to it too!  In my room, I have two peace lilies, four bamboo plants, and one cactus.  My love for them is infinite!

And guess what?!  The purpose of this post is to turn you into a crazy plant lady too! 

 *evil laughter*

Why you should become a crazy plant lady:

It's like having a pet but less work and a child but less everything.  

It's been scientifically proved that plants help people mentally and physically.  They fight bacteria and boost one's mood and self esteem.

I don't have a green thumb and my plants are still living which means that if you don't have a green thumb as well, there is hope for you not being a plant killer!

The majority of them are inexpensive.  Ikea has a fantastic selection of small house plants.  I bought my lucky bamboo and cactus there for each under $3. 

They de-stress your life.

 They give a calming effect to yourself and whichever room they're in.  It's magic.

They're chic and exquisitely eye catching.

They give your room that "Tumblr look".

And my personal favorite...you can creep out your friends and have them question your sanity by giving your plants names and then by introducing your friends to your plants.  (friend's name here), this is my cactus, Stewart Livingston, and this is my peace lily, Baby, and my bamboo plant, Leyla!

They make you happy.

Buy a plant!

+++++

And that, folks, is the end of my you-should-buy-a-plant rant!  If I convinced you, please let me know because it'd make my day! :)

Dream big, Darlings!

Art of Appreciation

     

     

 

"Dwell on the beauty of life.  Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them."

-Marcus Aurelius 

     An elderly, liberal, and art enthusiastic woman named Anne once taught me how to appreciate.  Together on her couch amidst her quaint art filled home, we read books on the lives of the world's most famous artists from Vincent Van Gogh to Roy Litchenstein.  We discussed poetry and its infinite hidden meanings.  She defined the importance of having a broad vocabulary.  She talked about the places and countries she wanted me to visit like the world was small and everything was possible.  Phenomenal woman she is.

     +++++

     Hello, friends!  How are you?  It's been longer than it should have been since last seeing you but in my defense, I've been suffering from major anxiety (which is all new to me), so imagine wanting to post, but your brain keeps telling you that nothing's good enough and you're going to fail.  Oh, yes.  It is as dreadful as it sounds! 

     So as you've read above, I met Anne, this extraordinary retired art teacher, who gave me art lessons for six weeks.  My sessions with her have since ended a few months ago and I've been missing them and her dearly.  Luckily, I have this cool cousin who I share the same interests with.  Kayla and I have made a plan to, in a way, continue from where I left off with Anne.  You're more than welcome to join us!

The plan:  

Choose an artist.

Study their life and art.

Watch a film based off their life if there is one.

Paint at least one painting based off or inspired by the chosen artist.

Discuss.

    +++++

     My time with Anne has changed my perception of many things in my life.  Not once does the thought, Wow, this looks like something I drew when I was five, ever cross my mind anymore when I walk into an art museum.  I actually appreciate poetry too, which is not something I was very good at.  Lastly, words, baby.  I have always loved them but Anne's taught me to use them in public more.  It's actually a very satisfying feeling to see someone stare back at you with a puzzled look because they have no idea what you just said nor what it means.  I'll say it again, join us.  Start at art, move to poetry, and then study a dictionary.  Just kidding, that last one is optional.  

     Just remember, there is the art to create and the art to appreciate.  It makes all the difference.

Dream big, Darlings!

I Once Rode A Mechanical Bull

      One time, I had a wild moment of terror on a turning, bucking, fuzzy piece of mechanical equipment...

     I was standing on the other side of white plastic fence at my local county fair, being entertained by giddy teenage girls, arrogant teenage boys, and drunk 300 lb. men.  I watched them one by one step onto the cushioned platform, straddle the bull, spin faster and faster and faster, and, one by one, get tossed off like they were nothing more than a sack of potatoes.  One rather large man was even flung through the fence!  After that incident, I wasn't at all feeling any strong urges to give the bull a ride myself.

     As life would have it though, my buddy came up to me and dared me to give it a go with him.  I will admit, I very much wanted to talk my way out of the situation but you know that feeling you get when you don't want to do something, but you know you'll regret it later?  Yup, I had one of those moments. So there I found myself waiting in line with a friend beside me.  A lady eventually handed us a pen and a clipboard with a paper on top where we had to mark our signatures.  It stated that we held ourselves responsible to any injuries that could happen during the ride.  Intriguing, right?  From there, K and I slid our gloves on that were given to us at the gate.  We stepped onto the platform, straddled the bull, locked hands, laughed nervously, and felt the object beneath us turn alive.

     Upside down on that thing, it did cross my mind...I'm going to fly off of this thing, snap my neck, and die!...But guess what?!  I didn't die!  In fact, after we fell off, we got a standing ovation!  When I was dizzily making my way to the exit, a little girl even came up to me and said, "THAT WAS AWESOME!"  For the rest of the night, I felt pretty proud of myself.

     No matter how much we might detest it in the moment, when it's over, it almost ALWAYS makes for a good story.  As Eleanor Roosevelt once said,  "Do one thing every day that scares you."  Could you imagine how different our lives would be if we took up the challenge?  We'd be fearless.

Dream big, Darlings!

An Essential Reintroduction

      Maybe you know me personally; or maybe we were once active followers on each other's blog; or maybe we both disappeared when I changed my link, title, and design to something entirely different.  I'm going to guess that most of you relate to option c) I disappeared entirely.  It seems to happen annually and with each time I think that this one will be the one.  There will be no more title/blog changes.  This is the one.  But to those of you who know me personally, you understand that I'm not a person who can make commitments.

     Here in 2016, I've spent my hours recreating and re-imagining the blog of my dreams.  The blog that will forever be what it is.  I think I've found it.  I think this is the one.  How do I know?  My mom has told me countless times that things just happen when the time is right and meant to be.  In the last few weeks, things have just happened.  Codes simply appear, words jump out at me, and designs that I have always dreamed of become a reality.  So let us cheer to my...third fresh start?

     With me turning a new leaf, an essential reintroduction feels like a must.  Sip some tea and let me tell you a little about myself so we can stand up and leave the room feeling like we've both made a new friend.

     - My name is Sarah.  I have never cared for my name for I don't feel any connection toward it nor do I feel that it expresses me, but it is what it is so I must accept it.

     - At this moment, I am seventeen years of age.

     - I'm a junior in high school and have been home schooled from day one.  It's an extraordinary experience with its many pros and fewer cons.

     - I live in a tiny town with surrounding tiny towns where everyone knows everyone and you have to drive a decent distance in order to find yourself surrounded by anything but corn fields.  It's peaceful but most of the time it's a little too slow for me.

     - I long for the life of someone who never stops seeing new places, learning new things, and meeting new people.

     - I have, what I call, ratchet hazel eyes (nobody knows what color they are), long brown hair, and lean odd limbs.  Random fact: When I was younger, I used to think I had cancer because my hands were larger than my face.

     - I buy more books than I can read, but it is a passion that will never cease.  Books and reading will be a guaranteed life of happiness and contentment.

     - I write a lot.  If my mom ever finds one of my journals, I'll be grounded for life.

     - I have a deep appreciation for art.  The art of painting, the art of photography, the art of music, the art of conversation, the art of loving, and the art of living.

     - I smile a lot without realizing that I'm smiling.  I just simply enjoy smiling.

     - I love the color red.  The red that is deeper than a ruby but nearly the same shade as blood.  I'd paint my walls in it if my mom wasn't so worried about it being one day impossible to paint over.

      - I wear a thick silver ring on my thumb because I don't feel like me when it's not on my finger.

     - I have a very large variety of music that I love to listen to.  A boy once stared at me and told me that he always tries to find a common pattern between the songs on my shuffle, but he simply cannot.  Every song that comes next is as different as the one before.

     - I absolutely adore cats because they're so odd and shopping because it's an addicting challenge to create an outfit that no one has ever seen before.

     - I don't eat gluten or carbonated beverages. (Yes, that means no pizza!)

     - I like drinking my water out of wine glasses because it makes me feel sophisticated.

     - I believe that everything happens for a reason.  Everything.

   

     *stands up, smiles*  I made a new friend today.

Dream big, Darlings!

   

My Messed Up Teenage Romance

     *strokes chin and questions if this is a good idea*

Take a risk, Sarah!  Okay!

     Life tends to be hilariously ironic sometimes.  As an example, since I was a little girl, I've always told myself that I would only be with men who are a) taller than me, and b) older than me.  The irony of this is that the only boy to ever really catch my eye was a) the exact (and I mean EXACT) same height as me, and b) a little over two weeks younger than me.  Irony. 

     So let's rewind the clock to last summer.  Free time was endless, the days were hot, and something was out there.  That something being, of course, feelings that I never knew, quite frankly, I possessed.  They came when a boy and yes, I mean "The Boy" from this post and this post, caught my attention.   He was different from the others, suave, confident, funny, and was so...individual and strong and himself.  He was very much himself.  If I could tell you his name, I would, but I don't trust the internet that much.  Oh, and we also had a LOT in common.  To the point where I still think we're the same person, just opposite genders...if that makes sense.

     So there began my mission to win this boy over and, let me tell you, I was and still am clueless when it comes to trying to catch a male's full attention.  The only thing I know how to do is friendzone 'em.  But this ended up working to my advantage because first, I discovered he liked one of my very close friends.  Second, I told myself that if I couldn't be his girlfriend, I'd be his best friend so guess what happened?  My close friend didn't return his feelings and tada!  One day, he discovered how oddly alike we were and we changed best friends to boyfriend-girlfriend.  

     Dating is weird.  It's fun but it's weird.  Weird, weird, weird.  It's fun in a way that you discover a person who you can connect with, become best friends with, and create new memories with.  And trust me, there were a few.  From awkward confrontations with cops to awkward family weddings to everything awkward that comes with a first relationship.  A lot of memories.  But through the fun, I discovered a very important factor about myself.  I was not made for relationships.  I don't mean in any form or way that every relationship is like this, of course.  This is all just my personal weird opinion.  

     It began to bother me when I couldn't go anywhere alone without someone asking me where he was or why he wasn't with me.  It perturbed me when people asked how we were even together when we didn't text or see each other 24/7.  If you aren't each others #1 bestfriend on SnapChat, are you really dating?  I began to cower away from him.  It was like the whole world thought we were supposed to be one and all I wanted was an easygoing high school relationship.  Every time I was with him, I could no longer see what I saw the first time I saw him.  I saw only our future and that, itself, was nonexistent.  My dreams outgrew his by infinity.  Looking at it now, it was all so very sad.  I secretly despised his compliments that he'd give me.  I even stopped laughing as much because he once told me his favorite thing was my smile.  I wanted him to like me but I didn't want him to like me and I wanted to like him but I was too afraid to grow close in case I began to like him.  It wasn't healthy and I see that now.

  

     But this isn't supposed to be my depressing life lesson, to wait until I'm ready with what comes with a relationship.  Yes, I did break it off on New Years Eve morning because I'm a savage human being and yes, I might of smiled and laughed through my entire speech that I ended up forgetting when the time came, which makes me an even more savage human being.  But two months later, we're great friends.  He actually comes over to my house a lot because he happens to get along really well with my little brother.  We still talk, we still joke and pick on each other,  and, yeah, there's always the elephant in the room that likes to remind us that we once were more than friends, but we're happy and that's what matters.  Everything's for the best now, I've resurfaced from my metaphorical coma, and I'm finally starting to feel like me again. 

     My lesson here, is that you should never get into something you're not ready to put your time into.  I do NOT regret my first relationship at all because I've learned a lot about myself and it actually was really fun most of the time, but I think I jumped into it too quickly without really thinking it through.  Just be careful, think before you do, and if you think he/she's the one, love fearlessly.  He deserved to be loved and appreciated, but in my case, I could only do that by being just friends with him.  Know what you want.  It's important.

P.S.  Still the queen of friendzoning and I might of also broken up with him because I have major commitment issues and just really missed being single. And, boy, does it feel good.  (<--Savage)

Dream big, Darlings!