Where I've Been

Ah.

Yes.

Hello.

It's been a while.

Where've I been?

Well, here's a short list.

• Trying to puzzle out my science homework.
• Reading a book.
• Gallavanting on NaNoWriMo and Tumblr.
• Dancing.
• Singing loudly and probably off-key to Imagine Dragons.
• Watching Supernatural.
• Watching My Little Pony.
• Fangirling over the Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
• Painting my nails.
• Knitting hats.
• Trying to plan out a new writing project.
• Getting distracted from said writing project, and doodling on my whiteboards.
• (Not) Cleaning my room.
• Lying in a patch of sunlight on my living room floor.
• Working on French.
• Wishing it was summertime again.
• Going through my pictures from summer, and sighing loudly.
• Listening to songs that remind me of summer.
• Wishing it wasn't February and it was (surprise, surprise) summer.
• Excitedly planning out my makeup for comic con.
• Trying to find a pair of socks that matches.
• Sewing a pterodactyl. (I still refuse to believe that I was lied to my entire life, and that they didn't actually exist.)
• Wandering around Ravelry and trying to find something easy to knit.
• Jabbering with my friends.
• Doodling in the margins of my papers.
• Procuring a nasty cold.
• Setting up my fairy lights again.
• Playing with my dog.
• Wishing I was travelling.
• Starting a new semester.
• Tearing my room apart in search of a t-shirt.
• Carrying wood for my dad's work.
• Watching Doctor Who.

So that's where I've been.

The Dandy Lioness

Quick Summer Update

Hello all!  As you can see, I updated the blog a bit for Summer.  I don't know how long it'll stay like this-- in the summer, my decisions get a bit flighty, and I may change it around a bit.  Do you like it?

Also, you've seen that I got a new header.  Do you like it?  I couldn't quite decide between the one I've currently got up, and  this one here:

Thoughts?

Also, my eighth grade promotion is today, and I got nominated for an award, so... yay!

Really, this post is pointless, just telling you that I updated the background (which you can see).  And that I'm ready for summer.

I'm just going to post this pointless little post now.

The Dandy Lioness

This and That, Just Some Stuff

Hello, lovelies!  Long time no see!

{Via}

First off, just some randomness.  This post is entirely random and just kind of me rambling and updating you guys on my life.

I want to wish the lovely Mirriam a happy early birthday, as I know it's in the next few days.  So happy birthday Mirriam!  I hope it's wonderful.

Now, I don't have much I actually want to talk about.  I just realized it had been almost a week, and I figured I should post.  No, this has nothing to do with the fact that I don't want to study for my social studies test tomorrow.  Nothing at all.  *whistles*

I'm off spring break now, sadly.  Though this week has been a tad wonky, as we went on a field trip yesterday, and had a two hour early release today.  The next two weeks are standardized testing weeks, meaning my entire school schedule will be wonky for two weeks, and then I'm going on a trip for a week, meaning that my school schedule won't be back to normal for three and a half weeks.  Yikes.  That's close to half the amount of school I have left.  (I have eight weeks, if you're wondering.  We get out on the 22nd of June.  Yes, I realize it's late.  But we also don't start until about a week into September, so we get out way later than most schools.)

I haven't been writing much lately, though my wish to write a spy novel was renewed last night, when I read Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter last night-- it's the fifth Gallagher Girls book, and was very good.  I don't know what it is, but the idea of spies, and boarding schools are two of my favorite things, and teenage girl spies who go to boarding school are just amazing.  Of course, I already have a project I've started, but I think I might have room for a boarding school/spy novel.  Seriously, I don't know what it is about boarding schools, but I just seriously think they're awesome.  Especially when they're in old mansions, and filled with teenage spies.

I actually got the chance to meet Ally Carter, when she went on tour this year, which was very exciting.  That makes my total number of authors seen this school year go up to five.  Which is a number I'm very proud of.  Sadly, I didn't get a signature, as I (shockingly) realized I didn't own any books by her.

I've been reading quite a lot lately-- my final total of books read over spring break was six, which was a number I was very proud of, and for the first six days or so, I managed to read a book a day.  But then I ran out of reading material, and was thrown off my schedule, and started reading Harry Potter again, until I was able to get a new book.

Oh!  I had my birthday party on Saturday, which was very fun.  We made pizza and played capture the flag, and had ice cream sundaes, and watched a movie.  I got a sonic screwdriver from one of my friends, as well, which was very awesome.  It's Eleven's, so it's got the green light, rather than the blue one.  One of my friends was baffled as to why it was called a screwdriver, if it wasn't a screwdriver, and just lit up at the end, and I told her that she had to watch the show, which she just generally thinks is crazy. Which it is, a bit.  But also very good.  The TV show I'm talking about (if you don't already know) is Doctor Who, which is one of my current TV obsessions, and I love very much.  You'll hear me talking about it quite a bit here.

I've gotten quite off track here.  Not that I had a track originally.  It was really just a me-sitting-down-and-writing-something-down kind of post.  Anyways, I'll talk to you soon, lovelies.

The Dandy Lioness

On Birthdays, Doctor Who, and Delicious Food

Yesterday was my Golden Birthday.  Fourteen on the Fourteenth.  And in true me fashion, I spent the entire day reading Divergent by Veronica Roth.  Yes, it's a 500 page book, and yes, I finished it yesterday.  It was really quite good.  And guess what?  Those of you who know how much I dislike dystopian novels, will be interested to know, that I found one I liked, and that didn't follow my formula.  Actually, I really liked this book.  It was fabulous.  I can't wait to read the second one.

And on Friday, my dear friend Luna baked me brownies, which were delicious, even if we all felt rather sick afterward, from eating too many brownies.  It was fun, though.  And we managed to stop from getting mobbed at lunch, because we hid the brownies until the people who would mob us had left the lunch room.

I also got two other books, (Cinder, by Marissa Meyer, and Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey), a t-shirt, and a pair of Doctor Who wind-up toys.  They're the TARDIS and a Dalek.  I had a really fun time yesterday, even if I did just lounge around the house most of the day, doing basically nothing.  It was gorgeous outside, though, so I did spend some time outside as well.

But then my parents took me down to this quirky neighborhood in my city, and we walked along the canal, and got Thai food at one of our favorite restaurants.  It was fun.  :)  And then we came home and watched Midnight in Paris (which to be honest, I've seen before, and didn't love,) and ate a TARDIS cake that my dad made me.  I had no idea he could bake.  Cook, yes, bake, no.

Also, I'm on spring break, so hopefully that means I'll post more.  ;)  Though in the last few days, I have been posting more than usual.

Oh, and for those of you who've seen Doctor Who, I watched one of the first surviving episodes of it today.  It was from the "Aztecs" disc.  And... it was hilarious.  The grainy, out of focus, shaky camera work, the paper hats, the miniature TARDIS at the beginning, the super slow, terribly entertaining fight scene...  I had fun watching it.  It came out in the sixties, and my parents, who were watching it with me, were laughing, and talking about sixties television.  My mom said the Doctor Who episode was camp.

Anyways.  This has probably just been a bit of a boring, update-y post, and really rather random, but I had fun writing it, and you know, sometimes just update-y posts are needed.

The Dandy Lioness

Just Stuff

Hello!

I'm past 28k on NaNoWriMo-- closer to 29, actually. Now I'm on the couch, watching Community with my dad.  Did you hear that they're cancelling Community?  Well, we're all pretty sure they are.  It's not on the mid-season roster.  Which, basically has made Community fans cry.  A lot.  *sniffles*  Anyone else wanting to save Community?

Again, sorry for the lack of posts-- it's hard to find time.

Have any of you read A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah?  It's... tragic.  And graphic.  I'm reading it for class, and it's a memoir about his life as a boy soldier.  It's... just... so sad, and really quite graphic.

On Saturday, my friends and I threw our other friend a surprise party at the mall, where we had a scavenger hunt.  It was really fun.  :)

Anyways, that's about it.  Night!

~The Dandy Lioness

NaNoWriMo Update

Hello all!  I'm sorry I neglected you for a week.  It's just, NaNoWriMo started.  And I had to switch my blog-writing out for novel-writing.  But today, I am about a thousand words higher than I need to be.  So, I thought I'd give you guys a post-- because I've been neglecting you.

My NaNoWriMo is going pretty well.  I've been combing Pinterest for ideas for clothing, hair, appearances... I hadn't realized two of my characters were redheads until I found a picture of one of them.  I would show it to you, but I just can't find it, and I'm on the other email that I sent it to, so I can't access it.  Sorry.

http://pinterest.com/bjcollins/clothing-dreams/  This pinboard, seriously makes me happy.  It has a bunch of old-fashioned/vintage dresses that would totally work in my NaNo.  YAY.

The internet hates me.  I think it's because my computer is on low battery.  Going to plug it in...  Nevermind.  That plug wasn't a plug.  Grr...

Anyways, I'll leave this short and sweet.  But here's a (very small) novel excerpt for you, since I have been neglectful.


Hugo drew back. “Well, come along then,” he said, and led Ria down a single, twisting path. A small tent would be on the side of the path every once in a while, and between them there were popcorn stands, and caramel apple stands. They were going in a spiral, Ria noted. They reached the largest tent, a huge, red and gold striped ensemble, and Hugo took Ria’s hand and led her inside. He took her all the way across the tent, and then they turned into a series of rooms, that made up the performer’s quarters. But still, they walked on. Finally, they exited the giant tent, and emerged in a small circle of grass. Trailers were placed in an awkward circle. Lights shone in the window of one trailer. Hugo crossed the circle, and headed up the steps of that trailer. “Well, come on, then,” he said to Ria. She followed him up the steps, and into the trailer.

P.S.  Anyone know how to make the white background go away behind things that you copy/paste into Blogger?  I made it lavender because the white bugged me too much and I couldn't figure out how to make the white go away altogether.

The Dandy Lioness

Tamora Pierce, Movies, and NaNoWriMo Lost It's Pants?

Hello all!

Thank you to all the lovely commenters and followers on my Casting Call Bloghop post (follow the link, or it's below, if you're looking for it!).  I appreciate all of you.

My friend E and I filmed our TV Production movie today.  The basis for this project is "sad story... if you bring a tear to my eye, you get an A".  Four of my friends came over after school today, as it was an early dismissal, and E and I used them in our movie.  We had a blast filming it, and Luna Lovegood, I wish you could have come-- you mom called me back when we were in the grocery store on the way home.

Now, I have to leave for gymnastics in half an hour, and I'm squeezing a blog post into this limited time.

Did anyone else freak our when NaNoWriMo lost its pants (style sheet for all you techies) last night?  I freaked out, and thought my internet had gone haywire.  But then I hopped back onto the forums and found the post in the bugs forum and posted my complaints there.  And as for more complaints-- Blogger, why are you killing the internet today/last night????  I've used ctrl. alt. delete more times in the last 24 hours than I have in the last month.  Grrrr.

In book news, is anyone else totally psyched that Masiff by Tamora Pierce came out yesterday?  And seriously-- look at what a beautiful cover it has.  I cannot wait to get my copy from the library.  And yes, I am a shameless Tamora Pierce fan.  They are some of my favorite books-- ever.

Sorry for the rambling post-- I don't have anything specific to post about today.  Eagle, I applaud you for participating in NaBloWriMo-- I don't think I could win.  Now, I'm off to get ready for gymnastics and read my book.

The Dandy Lioness


P.S.  Does anyone else ever accidentally post their post without giving it a title?  Because I do that like, 50% of the time.  /Fail.

A Word Used High and Low

There's a word in every language

A word that you should know

A word that means you're friendly

A word used high and low.

Though the way to say it varies.

Most everywhere you go.

Its meaning never changes

And that word is...

...Hello!

Hello!  Sorry I've been MIA-- life's been a bit crazy around here.

Yesterday I hung out with one of my friends (E.  Well.  One of the Es.  I have... three?  Four?  I think three.  So,  yes, one of the Es.) yesterday, and L, and we filmed our TV Production movie.  It was kind of crazy.  Especially the random clip of the three of us singing Mamma Mia songs...

My sister and I made delicious apple cider cookies stuffed with caramel, and she made an apple pie, and so we've had lots of delicious deserts around here.  I love it when my sister is home, because we have real food, and homemade baked goods.

I've been researching airships for my (hopeful) NaNoWriMo.  Sadly, out of our twenty-seven public libraries, only one of them has any books about airships, and you can only actually check out two, out of about fifteen. But I got both of those on hold, and hopefully they'll get here soon.  Actually, I just checked my account, and they're there now.  Which makes me happy.  I'll probably end up copying a bunch of pages out of them and pinning them up around my room and frantically checking them for airship anatomy (anatomy?  Is that the right word?)  I'm super excited about this (hopeful) project-- anything with airships makes me super excited.  Props to Evergreena (Rachel) for introducing me to Airborn by Kenneth Oppel, who wrote the first airship book I ever read.

It was a four-day week this week, so I'm done for the week.  Now all I have is dance in 45 minutes, and possibly going to E's house with a bunch of friends, and I'm done for the day.  Oh, and the Thursday Night Lineup.  (Which is Community and the Office.  We used to watch the other shows, but really that's all I like now.)

So, yes.  Hello.  I have returned.  I'm going to go watch Vlogbrothers videos now.  And yes.  I'm a Nerdfighter.  DFTBA.

Lyrics at the top are from the Hello song.