Dazzling Colors

The sky was set ablaze, and every color imaginable flashed across the sky. Wondrous eyes peered up to the heavens while embers descended gracefully with a soft, flickering glow. It was one of the biggest parties that my family has ever hosted, and it made my heart so happy to see everyone gathered together on such a special day. My family gets pretty wild on this annual celebration, but this one was even bigger than the last… Each year, our wonderful community of neighbors pitch in to compile a massive firework collection that leaves the whole crowd in awe, and the show is always breathtaking. Bounce-houses, incredible food, sparklers, and smiles filled our yard as all the families came together for one huge party.

It was an extra special year for me because my grandparents were able to come celebrate too! I am so grateful that I was able to be home with my family again this summer because there is nowhere that I would have rather been on my second favorite day of the year. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for such an amazing night. I had an absolute blast, and I love you both so much!

What did you do to celebrate? Do you enjoy fireworks too? What is your biggest party of the year? I hope that you all had a safe, fun, and Happy 4th of July! 

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Playlist 4 July

The fourth of July is right around the corner, and it is time to add the finishing touches to the 2019 celebratory playlist. This is the biggest annual event that my family hosts, and we are expecting over fifty guests this year. I am typically in charge of constructing the playlists for most of our gatherings, and I try to make them as large as possible to avoid the annoyance of song repetition. I have searched all over the place for independence-themed songs, and I want to give you a small glimpse into this year’s bunch… Not all of these songs have the intensity for the firework show, but they will certainly be played during the party. I hope you enjoy, and let me know your thoughts in the comments.

• It’s America by Rodney Atkins
• Fire by Barns Courtney
• All American Mutt by Jamie Kent
• Fight for You by Shawn McDonald
• Freedom by Pharrell Williams
• Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue by Toby Keith
• American Woman by Lenny Kravitz
• Smoke Clears by Andy Grammer
• Alive by Pearl Jam
• All-American Girl by Carrie Underwood

Have you heard any of these before? Did you like this post? What are your song recommendations for me?

*Also, I accidentally set a backdate on my previous post, “Dryads & Shades,” so it did not show up as a recent post WordPress… That was my mistake, but be sure to go check it out here if you missed it. Thanks for reading!

au revoir

It is so bittersweet to say goodbye to people after graduation and watch as they begin a new chapter in life… My friends have proven to me, time and time again, the true outcome of hard work as they receive job offers, college letters, and other opportunities that lead them to their dreams. I want to congratulate everyone in Class 2019 who has reached this milestone, and I wish you the best of luck as you go off to make a future for yourself.

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~Thanks, Tiff, for inviting me to your graduation party last night. It has been so neat to watch you grow throughout the years, and I wont forget all of the memories that we made. I cannot wait to see what your future holds, and I hope that you have an awesome experience next year. Congrats, and good luck with everything!

au revoir.

Prom Number 2!

Thanks to my best friend, I had the most amazing opportunity to experience prom for the second time this year! She was able to get me into this event for her school, and I am overjoyed that I was able to go because I had so much fun.

From spinning in the field to singing/screaming so loud that I lost my voice for days, it honestly couldn’t have gone any better. The DJ got the whole venue thumping with good beats as glow sticks flew in the air and dramatic lighting swirled across the crowded dance floor. My wild-party spirit was released that night as I was able to truly let go of all my stress and just have fun. That rarely ever happens, so I couldn’t possibly thank her enough for the invitation!

I never imagined that I would be at another prom so soon, and I wish I could just go back and do it all over again. This is certainly one that I will remember for a very long time, and this awesome group of people really made it special. Thanks again, girly!

Embarrassing Moments

We have all had those moments where our faces turned bright red, and all we wanted to do was hide in a corner and pretend like nothing ever happened. After some time, though, our embarrassing moments become quite amusing and are quickly developed into stories that we laughingly share. I am constantly embarrassing myself, and I have more embarrassing stories that I can even count. However, for the sake of your reading (and my reputation) I have narrowed it down to 4 embarrassing moments that I will share today, so I hope you enjoy…

“Maybe a hundred bad days made a hundred good stories
A hundred good stories make me interesting at parties”

“100 Bad Days” song by AJR

/Parking Problem/  

It was only the first or second week of school, and I did an absolutely terrible parking job (crooked and literally on the line) right in front of the building. Then, another car came and parked on the other side of me which completely pinned my car in. I got dangerously close to the cars with every attempt that I made to move, and the driver of the other car paid no attention to me. I hollered out my window to get some random kid to help because I was desperate and had to get to class. Considering how big our campus is, I thought I would never see him again, but he happens to be in my English class this semester. We are actually really good friends now, but it is never ideal to be remembered by lack of parking skills when you formally meet someone for the first time.

“Oh, I remember you…” 

“Yeeeeah”

“Walking” on a Red Carpet

I made a grand entrance to my first prom by nearly face planting and tripping twice on the red carpet… I will admit that I constantly trip in the hallways at school, stores, and pretty much everywhere else, but who trips going into prom?

Direct Flight

I was at lunch with a group of people that I had just met, and we didn’t know each other very well. We decided to eat outside, and less than 10 minutes passed before a bug flew directly into my eye. I didn’t make a very big deal as I tried to handle it myself, but everyone was at the table started freaking out as they caught sight of my eye. All I will say is that it was a big bug. The waitress even ran over to see why they were all so upset as I quickly/embarrassingly fled to the bathroom to wash out my eye. It was swollen, red, and burning for the remainder of the day... Talk about embarrassing! Honestly, I still cringe at this memory.

Where Is All The Popcorn?

Please tell me that I am not the only one who almost always drops popcorn down my shirt at the movie theater…

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Can you relate to any of these? Which moment did you find the most amusing? Feel free to drop some of YOUR embarrassing memories in the comments below (if you would like to). Also, photo credits to my friend, Claire! I know this has nothing to do with the theme of the post, but I still thought I would share because it is a pretty neat capture of my rehearsal. Have a fantastic week, and thanks for reading this lengthy post!

Something about 17…

Now, it is official. I had been anticipating this day for weeks, so I am very happy that I can finally say that I am seventeen years old. As much as I don’t want my childhood to end, this is a super exciting milestone because it is the perfect balance between the youth of sweet sixteen and the maturity of adulthood. I was literally counting down the days, and I can’t even tell you how happy I am that it is finally here. Some people are still confused why this is such a big deal for me, and I honestly don’t exactly know either. There is just something about 17…

Confetti flew as I made a wish, blew out the candles, got a little wild, and turned another year older. I had a fantastic party on Saturday, and I was so thankful to celebrate with everyone. I even got a super cute cup that made me feel extra special (thanks, mom). I had a blast, and I will never forget that one moment where everything was perfect. I looked around the table at all of the smiling faces, and I remember wishing the clock would freeze at that exact moment in time. Family and friends were all gathered together, and I just wanted it to last forever… Every single one of those amazing people are so special to me, and I don’t think I could ever fully explain how much they have changed my life. My heart is so full, and I can’t thank everyone enough for everything.

I also want to make it very clear that I was not drinking under age, and soda was the only thing that filled that glass. I am not that bad you guys!

ANYWAYS, Cheers to 17!

Autumn Thoughts…

“October gave a party; The leaves by hundreds came- The Ashes, Oaks, and Maples, And leaves of every name. The sunshine spread a carpet, And every thing was grand; Miss Weather led the dancing; Professor Wind, the band…”

~George Cooper

October is inching closer by the day, and the Autumn season has officially begun! I never fail to see the magic of this season, and I love watching the vibrant leaves transform before my eyes. Here is to the apple cider sipping, pumpkin carving, homemade pie season that always brings happy memories…

Enjoy your first day of fall!

After 2 Years…

Water balloons began the celebration with a splash as we raced across the yard, drenched in colorful rubber pieces.

A delicious buffet of home cooked food followed this refreshing amusement.

Then, bets were placed as cardboard “soldiers” were sent flying high in the air after being released from a small firework. Wind carried them off as people shouted in hope that their parachute would land nearest to the chalk marked X.

The sky was suddenly glittering with hundreds of patriotic fireworks that exploded in the night. My face lit up. I was so happy to be home.

This was the first 4th of July that I spent with my family in two years, so it was definitely a special treat to be home. The afternoon was absolutely spectacular, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Thank you so much, Mom & Dad! I love you both so much! 🙂

Celebrations!

A HUGE congrats to Sarah, Rose, Mandy, Christine, Grace, Sophia, Anna Jean, and Gwendolyn on graduation! Wishing you all the best as you begin this new, exciting chapter of your lives. I know that you will all accomplish great things, and I am thrilled for each of you… Congratulations! 🙂

Sweet 16 celebration. ‘End of the Year’ party. Graduation parties.

It was a great week, and I am so glad to have spent it with such an awesome group of people. I am so thankful for everyone who invited me to celebrate with them, because I had an absolute blast (and I even got to reunite with a really close friend!)

Thank you for all of the memories… Thank you for all of the smiles… Thank you for always being there for me… I love you all!