Milestones

   This past weekend I reached a milestone; I graduated from high school. It's sort of surreal in that I can't believe I'm really this old.

                                                           

    My family, grandparents and beau traveled into Erie for the commencement. I was home schooled, so the ceremony was made up of homeschooled graduates in the Erie area. It was very nice!

That confounded tassel would not stay on right!

   Afterward we visited Presque Isle, the Peninsula that has sweet beaches right on Lake Erie.

I built the house and trees. Boyfriend made the cliffs behind them :)

   The day was wonderful. It was a blessed, memorable time with those dearest to me, which makes for the best kind of graduation day. Because, after all, these are the people that helped me become who I am. Without them I wouldn't be graduating! 

Cheers!

Hanneli

                                          

    

Pure, Blissful Ecstasy

   I don't usually get excited about things. I mean, I might be internally excited, but not usually enough to whoop and dance and run about. It's just not me. And while I'm not whooping and dancing and running about because of this, I am pretty excited. This Christmas the movie version of Les Miserables is coming out, and I am beyond excited! Which is funny, because usually with movies I'm only moderately excited. Les Mis is just something special, I guess.
   Anyhoo, here is one minute and thirty seconds of pure, blissful ecstasy that is the teaser trailer for Les Miserables. I've probably watched it almost ten times, and get goosebumps every time. You will too!

Can anyone else simply not wait until this comes out? Please let me know I'm not alone in my obsession! :)

Cheers!

Hanneli

Summertime Bucket List

Summer is finally here! And with it comes all the ambitions, optimism, and fun that it can bring.

And I'm in the new-leaf-turning mood, because I have finally graduated high school! How awesome is that?

So I've decided to make a bucket list of things to do in what promises to be a most exciting summer:

1. Read, read, read! 

My awesome friends Maria and Rose got me a Kindle touch for my 18th birthday... 

...And I have about sixty classics on it so far, so my reading list is extensive. I'm almost done with A Girl of the Limberlost, an awesome book I remember reading when I was like six, but I barely recalled any of it. :}

2. Cook

I like to be in the kitchen, but I often don't have the time or inspiration. So I'm going to tackle some cooking projects this summer. My beau and I will be taking a picnic sometime soon, so hopefully that'll give me the chance to make these: 

Or maybe this:

(pictures complements of Pinterest)

3. Sew more, get discouraged at it less.

I love to sew. I love making clothes: figuring out which seams to make, altering what I already have, and fantasizing about all the gorgeous stitches I will make. Unfortunately, I am also easily discouraged. Thus I have a huge list of projects I started but haven't (and probably never will) finish. 

    (I once had a burning ambition to make and sell these clippies.)

...which just adds to my discouragement. But this summer I am bound and determined to sew myself some...stuff. I don't care what it is; as long as I feel like I accomplished something I shall be happy. :)

4.Write!!!!

I'm a writer. I love to construct sentences, to create worlds, and to engage people in the thoughts and emotions conveyed on the printed page. It is one of the most awesome and precious things in the world. I love it so much that next year I'm going to college for journalism. I'll be up to my ears in grammar and papers and thesauruses... 'twill be so fun! But my outlet is story writing. I love using the world around me to give reality to the worlds I create. And this summer I hope to be doing just that... a lot. :)

5. Be active

It's summer, for heaven's sake. No more sitting around inside for me! I will be perfecting my golf skills, swimming in the sunshine, and hopefully learning some soccer from my very adept significant other. He says with some practice I could be really good, which... will hopefully be the case.

(Me and my sister facing off :)

And being active will definitely help with item #2 of the bucket list, especially if I end up eating too much (which is bound to happen, if the Pinterest photos are any indication. ;)

     So what do you have planned this summer? Any bucket list items I should add? Please let me know! 5 items for a bucket list isn't very much!!

 Cheers,

Hanneli