"life goes on...."

Wellsies.  How have y'all been?  My life has been just a little short of crazy lately, but still pretty awesome.  : )

I did a photo shoot of this little cutie pie the other day.  Care to see more?

Lately, I've been studying for my first CLEP test with CollegePlus - Analyzing and Interpreting Literature.  I've been studying for it for literally months - partially because I could never get it scheduled, partially because I had to take a month off so we could work on our basement (it looks FAB!!), and partially just cuz.  Life, y'all.

Anywhoz, I fiiiiiiinally took it today.  And I PASSED!!  WOOT!!!  I am now in BEACH MODE.  We're leaving on Monday, and I'm sooooo excited.  I got a million books at the library, so, combined with a few I'm re-reading (or, in the case of The Living Room by Robert Whitlow, bought about a month ago, but haven't been able to read yet cuz of school), I'm going to have a LOT of fun.  We're also planning several movie marathons - ALL of the Lord of the Rings movies (extended, of course), plus a few new ones, including Patriot Games, starring Harrison Ford and Sean Bean.  Can't wait!  We've been listening to the soundtrack for several months now, and if the movie is anything like the soundtrack, it's going to be AWESOME.

During my vacation at the beach, I'm hopefully going to have a lot of time to blog, so you should see at least two NYC-related posts next week.  One will be for Day Two, and one is... well, that's for me to know and you to find out.  : )

As I type this, I'm half-watching Melody Time.  I was doing research for my new novel (eep... so excited about the way it's heading!), and found out that it came out in 1948, which is the year the novel starts in.  I needed a movie for two main characters to go see, and picked Melody Time.  Remembering it was in our collection of movies in the newly-finished basement, I took it upstairs and have tried to watch it for a while now.  So far, Nut-Nut is enjoying it.  As the opening credits rolled, I found out that Roy Rogers is in it!  YAY!!  Can't wait to hear him!

Speaking of my new novel....  : )  I'm really enjoying doing research for it.  It's so much fun to watch movies, find pictures of people dressed in just the cutest outfits, and listen to music - all set in the late 40's.  I enjoyed researching ice dancing for Becoming Nikki, but I think researching for this novel is going to be even more fun!!  A lot of Arwen's favorite singers and actors were alive and in movies during this time period - Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, etc - so she's more than happy to watch and listen along with me.  : )

I've also found a lot of blogs lately that I'm really enjoying reading!  However, if you guys know of any writer blogs that you've enjoyed reading, I'd love to hear about them!  I can always use more inspiration.  : )

Ooh.  Nearly forgot.  My sister, Arwen, is turning twenty in September (sooooo oooold....), and, after much deliberation, has decided to have a Jane Austen Murder Mystery Tea Party.  *nods*  It's true.  She's inviting about fifteen people, but there are only ten characters, so she had some trouble deciding who should be who for a while.  We've got it all sorted out now, though.  Can't wait to tell you guys how it goes!  I'm playing Mrs. Bennet.....  So that'll be interesting......  *wink*  There's also Mr. Bennet (duuuuuuh), Lizzie, Darcy, Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine de Bourgh (who Arwen is portraying, cuz she's the host), Emma Woodhouse, Frank Churchill (heehee...), Marianne Dashwood, and Willoughby (heehee.....).  Everybody is going to be dressed up in period attire, so it's definitely going to be interesting.  I can post pictures, if you want!

I've also been listening to a lot of great music on YouTube lately - studying, y'all, studying - but I don't think I'll post any cuz I have a little something in the works.  : )  It's been interesting trying to find videos the actors who were in the musicals I saw on Broadway.  I found out that the annual Broadway in Bryant Park show was the week after I was there....  Figures....  *sniff*  With each video I watch from it, though, I'm like, "I WAS THERE!!!"  : )

Well, I think that's all I wanted to talk about.  I should have called this another Random Post, but I like the title I have.  Cuz it's from this song.

(Speaking of!!  I heard Aaron's character, Mike, got shot in one of the latest Graceland episodes!!  Noooooooo!!  Is he okay?  People who have seen it, PLEASE TELL ME HE'S OKAY!!)

I guess that's it.  I'll tell y'all a random quote that's been making me laugh for the past few weeks (thanks, Kate!), and let you go back to your normal lives.

"You illiterate twit!"
"I am not illiterate!  My parents were married!!!"

~Eowyn~

i <3 fridays

(Random Fact About Eowyn:  I didn't find out that the texting symbol "<3" meant a heart until about a month ago.  I always thought it was kissing lips, so I never used it.  [Doesn't it look like puckering lips?!])

 

I love Fridays.  They are, without a doubt, my favorite day of the week, with Sundays coming in as a close second.

 

Fridays are awesome.  They're the end of something awful (the school week – ick) and the promise of something awesome (THE WEEKEND!!  WOOT!!!).

 

On Fridays, I usually have more patience with my schoolwork.  More resolve to Get. It. Done. so that I can move on to the three days of freedom ahead of me.

 

Every Friday, we hold our annual Friday Family Fun Night – chock full of movies, popcorn, ice cream, and laughter.  I love it to death.  Recently, however, Mom and Dad have been going to their Growing Kids God's Way class on Friday nights, so Friday now means Friday Sibling Awesome PAR-TAY!!! Night.  : )

 

Today, I took a holiday from school.  (For multiple reasons, the chief of which being the fact that I was supposed to take a CLEP test today, but it didn't work out, so I'm taking a break from studying so hard and enjoying some me-time.)  Today, I'm working on my new novel while listening to Josh Groban.  (I have all of his albums except the Christmas one, so it's a long playlist.  PERFECT for writing.)

 

I haven't written anything in SO. LONG, so it's really, really nice to be writing again.  The novel is coming along well.  It's extremely character-driven (much like Cranford, except a lot less death.... *cough*), so it's a bit of a challenge, but I'm enjoying it.  : )  Plus, I've got an amazing cast of actors backing me up by letting me use their faces for my characters, so that's awesome.  We're talking Aaron Tveit (I've finally found a character worthy of him!), Eddie Redmayne, a very young Debbie Reynolds, Kiera Knightley, Ashley Clements, and I think Liam Hemsworth just stepped in to star as Aaron's character's older brother.  It's coming along great.  : )

 

Well, I think Josh is calling me back.  ('Hush now, baby, don't you cry....  Rest your wings, my butterfly.  Peace will come to you in time, and I will sing this lullaby.  Know, though, I must leave, my child, but I would stay here by your side...  And if you wake before I'm gone, remember this sweet lullaby....'  Sighhhh....  Yups.)  I'll leave y'all with a paragraph I just finished.

 

"He had that sort of boyish charm that she had always liked, but there was something different this time – something that made this boy different from all of the other boys she'd ever met. He wore shorts, a green t-shirt with an half-buttoned, checkered button-up shirt over it with the sleeves rolled up, and a brown baseball cap. His face was ordinary, with ordinary freckles peppered all over his face, and reddish-brown hair peeked out from under the cap. What struck Lou, however, were his eyes. They were a mixture of brown and green, and they delved deep into Lou's soul. Within moments, she knew that her life would never be the same. She was in love."

 

~Eowyn~

NYC: Day One

(Heehee....  I can hear you guys squealing....  "Pictures!!"  Yes.  Now hush.)

This is the account of my recent trip to NYC.  I hope you all enjoy.  (And comment lots.)  I'll try to refrain from squealing and giggling, but I have no doubt that when I get to Days Two and Three (when I saw Wicked and Cinderella, respectively) I won't be able to contain the fangirlish randomly-pounding-the-keyboard-while-the-caps-lock-is-on.  (If you catch my drift.)

Onwards.


Pre-Trip Stuffs

I think it goes without say that I was excited for about a month before my trip - from the day I graduated to the day we got home.  We're talking non-stop talking about the trip, complete with watching videos, reading musical synopsises (synopsi?), and searching for the perfect bag - a big one with a zipper on the top and no outside pockets.  (I eventually found the bag, by the way.  It'll make it's appearance later on.)




Beforehand (literally the night before we left), my dad and I printed out a huge map of Manhattan and plotted out everything we wanted to see, then wrote out our itinerary on the back.  The thing became as dear to us as.... the holy grail.  Or something extremely necessary.

My awesome suitcase I got for my graduation, plus the "Go Places and See Stuff" luggage tag and bag that I got from my parents, both hints before they told me where we were going.

My Day One outfit, all set out!

My suitcase and its contents.  Take notice of how empty it is, keep that image in the back of your mind, and compare it with the picture of how full my suitcase is upon my arrival at home.

Day One: Welcome to New York

Looking out the window at our plane, TOTALLY EXCITED!!  : D  I'd never been on a plane before, either, so I was more than a little nervous.  (Heehee....  On the plane, I experienced what it was like to be in constant prayer.)

Y'all can't believe how excited I was to see Lady Liberty.  Not only did it mean that my two-hour ride of pain and agony (and the Penderwick family) was almost over, it also meant that I HAD ARRIVED.

YAY!!!

 I'd received some very good advice from a friend that you shouldn't try to look like a tourist when you go to NYC.  I thought that was brilliant advice and decided to follow it.  However, once we'd entered the airport....  I took out my camera.



iPads, y'all.  This country girl from the sticks was astonished to see iPads with menus at a restaurant.  Seriously.  You picked what you wanted, then played with the apps while you waited.  Minor culture shock ensued.

Yes, we ate at a bar and it was delicious.  Your point is?
(Totally recommend, by the by.  If ever any of you are in NYC....)

My cheeseburger and mashed potatoes from that night.  (Minus the bun.)  Yummmm......

The post office near our hotel - awesome!!  We went inside the next day.

At the very top of our first hotel - the twentieth floor - and sitting as far away from the edge as possible.  : )

The view from the top of the hotel, with Freedom Tower in the background.  SO PRETTY!!

Another view down to the street from the hotel.  : )

After a few phone calls, texts, and a half hour with the Penderwicks, I fell asleep.  In New York City.  Totally excited, hyped, and ready for DAY TWO!!!

Sneak peek:

 

So excited to share more pictures and stories with all y'all!!!

~Eowyn~



three letters: nyc

My dad and I with the Statue of Liberty behind us

: )

I have been smiling since....  well, since I can't remember.  My thoughts right now are much like Rapunzel's from Tangled - "I can't believe I did this!"

It's still kind of surreal that I went to New York and saw a Broadway play - two, to be precise!  SO much happened while we were there - memories I'd love to share with all y'all!

The thing is, I have no idea how to do it.  As some of you know, I did a blog series about the time I went to see Les Miserables on stage, but that got very drawn out and took almost a year.  I'm not sure how long the New York Trip Series would take if I tried to do it, but....

Would y'all want a blog series?  Or just the highlights?  Cuz I have so many pictures I want to share....  So. Many. Pictures.  All involving much explaining and giggling and all that.  : )

I think I'll do a blog series.  Except it'll just be like my vacation series - with one post per day we spent in the city that never sleeps.  (Literally.  It never slept.  Nor did the people who lived there.  [Except my dad and I, cuz we were so tired from all of the walking we did.])

What say ye?

~Eowyn~