WARNING!

I'm going to be at camp for the next week, and I won't be home most of the following week. You'll have to look elsewhere for your occasional literary and/or geeky fix.


I guess that means it's time to say goodbye, eh?

By the way, I am totally capable of making non-Doctor Who related references. For some reason they are simply the ones that first come to mind. Plus, the fandom makes the gifs and images so goshdarn accessible... You want something else!? *sigh* Fine.

Now stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Oh, what a beautiful morning!

If you really must know, I had the pleasure of seeing Ally, Marlene, and Athena from Charlie and Me over the weekend. As you can imagine, much silliness ensued. There may or may not have been light saber fights involved.

Anywho, Ally gave me a lovely idea! She told me she had gotten up early, made herself a cup of tea, and given herself some time to write. I decided to do the same. I gathered up my favorite Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati mug, the ingredients for a perfect cup of Earl Grey, as well as Ally's graduation gift to me. (This is my cue to gush about how AWESOME my present is.)

Ally got me some "unblockers", or "inspiration dice for writers and storytellers" by Palimpsestic. According to the tag, "these dice feature words and phrases torn directly from a used and abused 1962 copy of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen". Let me just tell you, these things are so cool. They're covered with all sorts of great, story-worthy words ("influence", "horrid man", "young ladies", "conjecture", "evening", etc.)! I tried rolling them all at once, then tried a single roll. I got the word "listen", and next thing I knew I was jotting down character and story ideas at light speed! If you want your own pair, go to http://palimpsestic.etsy.com. (No worries -- I didn't peek, Ally!)

Also, I found a webpage that said this at the top while searching for some background info for my writing.

• Is there a novel in every person?
• Are there stories that have never been told because they seemed unimportant?
• What is the value of the lives of people who will never be famous or have their biographies written?

 BIG QUESTIONS. Questions that maybe I'll answer some day.

So! Moral of the story: Writing in the morning is great, and it's even better with tea.

"Super-heated infusion of free-radicals and tannin, just the thing for healing the synapses..."

My mug. <3

Seasonal Confusion

My sister and I are recovering from a bout of what we'll call seasonal confusion. See, we just spent three days at the beach, and it was COLD. Now I see why the place was practically deserted... Nobody goes to the beach in early June. The ocean is almost as cold as Steven Moffat's heart.

The man DRINKS our TEARS, people. He's cold.

Due to this aforementioned seasonal confusion, I found myself lacking the typical summer cravings (watermelon, strawberries, hamburgers, ice cream, etc.) So when we visited The Bookend Cafe, I did not order a summery drink. Oh no. I ordered an iced pumpkin spice latte. And let me tell you, it was delicious. Totally worth the caffeine headache.

This place was adorable. If you ever visit Delaware, I would highly encourage you to drop in. The combination of coffee, tea, and used books had me on Cloud Nine. The place is super cute and I would love to hang out there every morning, sipping a beverage while I write a best-seller. Unfortunately, I didn't end up purchasing a book, although a few volumes were highly tempting.(HIGHLY tempting. But with college coming, I'm minding my funds and hoarding my Barnes & Noble gift cards.)

Isn't this display *darling*!?

I did my best to read and write while I was at the beach. I got some in, but not as much as I had hoped. Lots of time was spent on the town and at church. The time I did get to myself, I found incredibly hard to write during. I really am stuck this time, guys. So stuck that I'm beginning to fear I'll never get unstuck. I'm Pooh Bear stuck. I'm throwing words at a wall and they aren't sticking. I'm desperate. I need an idea so badly I could cry. Oh bother!

Poor Pooh. :(

I just can't seem to find the story I want to tell. Believe me, I'm praying about it. When I find it, I'll be sure to let you know. Until then, I'll keep writing sweet nothings and wishing for rain (more specifically, brainstorm-induced rain, a.k.a. ideas).

Another summer reading suggestion for you guys. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy. Super adorable and perfectly refreshing as a summer read. Take it to the beach with you --- Maybe you'll experience clearer skies and warmer waters!

Welcome, Summer

Ladies n' gents, I just graduated on Friday. *cue the fanfare* So much has happened that would be of interest to you readers out there. For example, I won the Great Expectations Award at valediction. My English teacher gave the most amazing speech, wherein I was compared to Austen heroines and presented with so much Pride & Prejudice merchandise I nearly imploded with joy. There was another Darcy encounter (see here and here). It will probably be the last. (Maybe there will be other Austen hero encounters in the future?) We had to sit next to each other for extended periods of time, and I attempted conversation, and... Well, it went something like this conversation, minus the sexual tension. It was just full of AWKWARD.

I also failed epically at defending Matt Smiths' portrayal of the Doctor within the same time frame. Eleven, I am sorry... so sorry.

The night after my graduation, I had this moment with my mom:

 

Since then, I've been alright. Lots of partying, eating, dancing, running around, swimming, being generally crazy. Summer is lovely, and I had forgotten just how wonderful it is. I've been going on my daily walks and making plenty of fun plans, and I'm even leaving for the beach tomorrow! Doesn't that sound like fun!? 

The beach is going to mean lots of writing time, as well as reading time, which I am looking forward to. I have no project to speak of. I intend to join my friend Ally over at Charlie and Me with her plans to having a Write Cleanse experience. Other than that, I'm winging it!

Please pardon my online absence; I've been veryvery busy and I had a lot to do, and I didn't have a minute to explain it all to you. I hope to have plenty of fresh, summery stories to share with you when I get back from vacation! Until then, enjoy the start of this magical season. Read at every chance you get. (In case you're wondering, I'm enjoying a borrowed copy of Percy Wynn: Or Making a Boy of Him.) My first summer recommendation for you all would have to be In the Kingdom of the Fairies: A Memoir of a Magical Summer and a Remarkable Friendship (find it here). My mother read it to my sisters and I when we were young and we devoured it.

I'll let you know when I'm back from vacation. There is a possibility of going to a used book/coffee/tea shop, so wish me luck!!!