Because I Love Fairytales

I'm just a little in love with fairytales.  So I decided to share some fairytale pictures I found on Photobucket.

 

 

 

 





 



 

 

 

 

 

Various Stories

On June 30th, I did a post about my writing projects.  Now here we are, almost two months later, and I think I've greatly decreased the amount of projects I have.  Ready to see another list?  This time, I'm only doing the books I'm actively working on and the dormant ones. :)

Actively Worked On
Competition
Cursed
Dancing in the Rain
Diary of a Homeschooler-Cassie
Sixteen (it's active until I know it's officially done)

Dormant
Diary of a Homeschooler-Jocelyn
MDBC fanfiction
New Hope (Warriors fanfiction)
Jane by Design fanfiction

I like that my fanfictions aren't first priority, since those can never be published.  And I'm thinking these lists looks a lot better than the ones in June!  What are your thoughts?

Chillaxing at Home

Well, today has turned out to be the perfect day to post this outfit!  It's still pretty warm here in Illinois, but it's a cloudy and rainy afternoon, and I'm relaxing in yoga pants and a tank.  So without further ado, Rainy Day Comfy!

Ready for the prices?
T-shirt=$17 at ladyfootlocker.com
Lounge pants=$15 at kohls.com
Fashion glasses=$13 at debenhams.com
Journal=$16 at teneues.com

Lunch With the Gal Pals

So for today's fashion, I'm doing not one, but four, outfits!  After all, why just do one of the girls out to lunch when I could do four? :)

Here's the first!

Tank=$25 at hollisterco.com
Blouse=$48 at welikefashion.com
Jeans=$120 at allsaints.com
Shoes=$33 at modcloth.com
Bag=$385 at stylebop.com

Outfit number two coming up!

Tank (under the shirt)=$28 at buckle.com
Top=$23 at alloy.com
Shorts=$23 at tillys.com
Sandals=$30 at asos.com
Bag=$295 at footcandyshoes.com

Ready for the third outfit?  Brace yourself, because the purse is seriously expensive. (Seriously, I didn't realize it was so pricey when I put it in the outfit!)

Dress=$90 at modcloth.com
Shoes=$26 at maurices.com
Bag=$1,195 at marcjacobs.com

Told ya that price on the bag was killer.

And now the fourth and final outfit. :)

Dress=$53 at modcloth.com
Sweater/Jacket/Wrap-thing (xD)=$14 at janenorman.co.uk
Sandals=$9.99 at amazon.com
Bangles=$18 at diva.net.au

Also, if you're interested in any outfit pieces-in previous outfits, ones in this post, or ones in the future outfits-(like interested in looking into buying them), just comment and let me know, and I can grab the design name for you so you can hopefully find the item. :) (Or I can try to link to the site.)

Date Night, Part Deux and More!

So, I decided to do another date night outfit, but first, I went on Hannah the Banana's blog to check out her Polyvore outfits, and I saw I was tagged for her blog award, and this was a month ago!  I feel so bad, Hannah. :( I'll answer those questions right now!

1. If you could go to any country, where would you go? France!!!!

2. Have you ever seen Downton Abbey? Nope, but I've heard of it. :)

3. What's your favorite book? The Mother-Daughter Book Club series, Princess Academy, Palace of Stone, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, To Kill a Mockingbird...okay, I'll stop now. xD

4. What's your favorite season? Spring!  But I like summer if it's not too swelteringly hot. :P

5. What's your biggest fear? Oh, gosh....probably going underwater.  There are so many times I'll try and force myself to go underwater (I'll even get so far as closing my eyes, closing my mouth, and plugging my nose) but I just cannot willfully get myself to go under.  That or bugs.  I'll literally freeze when I see most insects or spiders.

6. Do you have any pets? Yup!  A dog named Sunny.  He's appeared on my blog before. :)

7. What's your favorite sport? I love equestrian stuff.  Gymnastics are cool, too.

8. What's your favorite food? Hands down, bagels.

9. Have you ever been kayaking? Nope.

10. Which do you prefer? Fingers or toes? Um...fingers, I guess, since my toes are annoying me right now. :P (Don't ask.)

 

Now for the outfit!

 

 

The dress is another Modcloth beauty (I created close to probably twenty outfits alone with dresses from Modcloth).  The name of the design is Wing of Beauty, and it costs $90.

Bracelet=$26 at etsy.com

Shoes=$112 at endless.com

Earrings=$45 at endless.com

 

Tomorrow, like I said earlier, is Lunch With the Gal Pals day, and I'll have a special treat for all of you. ;)

 

Date Night!

Now we're onto a lovely date night outfit!  I actually had so many slightly formal outfits already made that I had the hardest time choosing which to share with y'all!  But let's get right to it, shall we?

 

So, prices!

Dress=$60 on modcloth.com (Y'all should seriously check out this website.  They have a lot of AMAZING dresses.)

Shoes=$158 at bloomingdales.com

Purse=$75 at topshop.com

Necklace=$8.90 at agacistore.com

 

Thoughts?  Would you like me to post another date night outfit today, or are you content with waiting for Saturday's "Lunch With the Gal Pals" ensemble? :)

Day in the City

Today's outfit is all about classy city-wear, what a sophisticated urban-dweller might wear.  The expensive prices of this outfit fit the theme (but there's nary a Burberry, Louboutin, or Birkin in sight!).  It's shocking to see how much clothing can cost when you're used to less-than-designer stores and lots of coupons and sales, lol.  But without further ado, here's the City Girl outfit!

This was actually the first outfit I created on Polyvore, so I'm pretty proud of it.  But let's get to those prices, shall we?

Blouse=$199 at calypsostbarth.com
Jeans=$102 at my-wardrobe.com
Trench coat=$630 at farfetch.com
Shoes=$250 at stylebop.com
Hat=$25 at amazon.com
Bag=$44 at etsy.com
Bracelet=$40 at mango.com

Have a great day, everyone! (Once you've recovered from the sticker shock, that is!)

The Athletic yet Feminine Girl

That's the theme for today's outfit.  I wanted to get an outfit that wasn't super girly.  This girl could probably wear it in a pick-up game of various sports (well, minus the bag).  Please feel free to share your thoughts!

 

 

Top=$39 at fatface.com

Hoodie=$66 at fatface.com

Jeans=$135 at johnlewis.com

Sneakers=$71 at bankfashion.co.uk

Messenger bag=$149 at endless.com

Budget Outfits

Today, I'm going to be talking all about budget outfits.  I was able to create two outfits-one under $75 and the other just over $50.  In real life, I think I could probably create an entire outfit for under $50, but that's because there's always sales, and we have coupons, and the stores I go to have different options.  Let's start with the $75 outfit.

So this is an outfit I could picture wearing out to dinner.  Maybe to high school, if you're on TV, lol.  Wearing it to work might be okay, depending on your job.  Let me get the prices for you.

Sweater=$16 at hm.com
Tank top=$13 at buckle.com
Skirt=$24 at hm.com
Tights=$7.85 at uktights.com
Shoes=$13 at stylemetv.com
Total=$73.85

And now for the second budget outfit!

This one is a bit more casual.  You could wear it to the mall or while hanging out with friends.  Ready for the prices?

T-shirt=$13 at delias.com
Jeans=$15 at allyfashion.com
Shoes=$26 at maurices.com

So, thoughts on these less expensive outfits?  Does anyone have any outfits to share during our own little Fashion Week?

Writing Trick

Two blog posts in one day, gasp!  I tried to resist but decided I couldn't.  I decided to share with y'all something I use to help me flesh out a character and really get to know who they are.  I don't include it in the book, of course-that would be weird-but I can really imagine the character afterward!  It's something I got off a thread on this forum website I go on, and while I filled it out myself, it's now something I use for my characters.  It's called Sixty Questions and Answers.  With your characters, basically you'll have to choose a random day in their life to fill it out from.  Maybe start with a day in your book, or start prior to when the first chapter begins.  Below is the blank form, and I'll also share one for my newest character.

1. What time did you get up this morning?
2. Diamonds or pearls?
3. What was the last film you saw at the movies?
4. What is your favorite TV show?

5. What do you usually have for breakfast?
6. Favorite fruit?
7. Do you play any instruments?
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
9. What kind of car do you drive?
10. Favorite sandwich?
11. Aeropostale or Hollister?
12. Favorite item of clothing?
13. If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation, where would you go?
14. What color is your bathroom?
15. Favorite brand of clothing?
16. Where would you retire?
17. When was the last time you got a happy meal?
18. Favorite sport to watch?
19. Do you care if your socks are dirty?
20. Favorite kind of pie?
21. Where is the weirdest place you have slept?
22. Favorite saying?
23. When is your birthday?
24. Are you a morning person or a night person?
25. Favorite store?
26. Pets?
27. What did you want to be when you were little?
28. How are you today?
29. Carebears or Hello Kitty?
30. What is your favorite flower?
31. What's the next day on the calendar you are looking forward to?
32. Ice Cream or Frozen Custard?
33. Favorite Actor?
34. What was the last thing you ate?
36. Do you believe in Bigfoot?
37. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
38. Giraffes or Llamas?
39. McDonalds or Burger King?
41. Favorite candy?
42. Last book you read?
43. Favorite Color?
44. Siblings?
45. Favorite day of the year?
46. What was your favorite toy as a child?
47. Summer or winter?
48. Coke or Pepsi?
49. Chocolate or vanilla?
50. Where do you keep your spare change?
51. When was the last time you cried?
52. What is under your bed?
53. Who is the friend you've had the longest?
54. What did you do last night?
55. Favorite smell?
56. What are you afraid of?
57. What makes you laugh?
58. How many years at your current job?
59. Favorite day of the week?
60. Favorite book?

This is for Eleanora (I'm pronouncing it El-ee-uh-nor-uh) Baker, or as she's nicknamed, Lea.  She's in my short story "Dancing in the Rain".

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:30 AM (I had ballet!)
2. Diamonds or pearls? diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the movies? The Amazing Spider-Man
4. What is your favorite TV show? Say Yes to the Dress and Once Upon a Time

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? fruit, toast, eggs
6. Favorite fruit? cherries
7. Do you play any instruments? nope.
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? All Things Bright and Beautiful ~ Owl City
9. What kind of car do you drive? Can’t drive yet.
10. Favorite sandwich? Grilled cheese
11. Aeropostale or Hollister? Aeropostale
12. Favorite item of clothing? My toe shoes
13. If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation, where would you go? London, England
14. What color is your bathroom? Um…pale green
15. Favorite brand of clothing? dELiA*s
16. Where would you retire? Someplace where I have regular access to ballet performances.
17. When was the last time you got a happy meal? Not sure.  It’s been awhile since we’re not supposed to eat junk food.
18. Favorite sport to watch? Gymnastics, swimming, and equestrian in the Olympics.
19. Do you care if your socks are dirty? Yes
20. Favorite kind of pie? Dutch apple
21. Where is the weirdest place you have slept? The trunk area of my family’s mini-van
22. Favorite saying? “Someday my prince will come.”
23. When is your birthday? August 3
24. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night person
25. Favorite store? dELiA*s
26. Pets? A cat named Charlie
27. What did you want to be when you were little? A ballerina, just like I do now.
28. How are you today? Tired.
29. Carebears or Hello Kitty? Neither, really, but I guess I’d have to say Hello Kitty.
30. What is your favorite flower? Iris
31. What's the next day on the calendar you are looking forward to? The dance at the performing arts festival on April 15
32. Ice Cream or Frozen Custard? Frozen custard
33. Favorite Actor? Emma Stone
34. What was the last thing you ate? Soup, a grilled cheese, and an apple for lunch.
36. Do you believe in Bigfoot? No way.
37. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Red.
38. Giraffes or Llamas? giraffes
39. McDonalds or Burger King? Burger King
41. Favorite candy? Kit-Kats
42. Last book you read? The Scarlet Letter for school and Sense and Sensibility for enjoyment
43. Favorite Color? red
44. Siblings? A younger brother (he’s 13) and an older sister (she’s 17)
45. Favorite day of the year? I love, love, love the first day of school.
46. What was your favorite toy as a child? My ballerina Barbies
47. Summer or winter? winter
48. Coke or Pepsi? Coke
49. Chocolate or vanilla? chocolate
50. Where do you keep your spare change? I’m not saying!
51. When was the last time you cried? When I watched A Walk to Remember with my big sister
52. What is under your bed? Under-the-bed boxes, mostly, but also some old newspapers, I’m betting and then also my box with extra toe shoes
53. Who is the friend you've had the longest? I met Avalon and Bailey on the same day
54. What did you do last night? Read, worked a little on homework, called and chatted with my cousin in Massachusetts
55. Favorite smell? My favorite lotion which smells like vanilla and sugar
56. What are you afraid of? Rejection, people who judge, roller coasters
57. What makes you laugh? My friends, a good sitcom, a good book
58. How many years at your current job? Just a couple weeks
59. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
60. Favorite book? Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Back To School

So, no matter how much we're all dreading it, school is about to start (or has started).  My first outfit is perfect for back to school, whether you go to a public school, a private school (that doesn't require uniforms), or are homeschooled.  It is definitely my own personal style, but you can maybe blend elements of it with your own style. ;)

Thoughts?  I'll even list the prices for each individual piece, if Polyvore had the price available. ;) But prepare to keel over in shock because most of the pieces are pretty expensive.

Hoodie-$66 at fatface.com

Blouse-$35 at johnlewis.com

Jeans-$75 at oasis-stores.com

Ballet flats-$395 at saksfifthavenue.com (they're Ralph Lauren)

Messenger bag-$40 at etsy.com

Earrings-$4.70 at mango.com

Enjoy, and I'll be back tomorrow with a much less expensive outfit!

Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week is coming up soon, and this fashionista is tres excited.  But before that...I'm going to have my very own fashion week here.  I am just slightly obsessed with Polyvore (a website where you can put together outfits).  So, for a whole week-seven days, starting this coming Monday-I'm going to post outfits for various occasions, including school.  Most of these outfits will probably be out of your price range (heck, they're out of my price range) so hopefully they'll just give you a general idea of what you can do yourself!  If you're on Polyvore, too, I'd love to see your creations in the comments. :) Here are the 7 themes for my seven outfits:

Day One: Back to School
Day Two: Budget Friendly (an outfit I'll try to keep under $75 at the most)
Day Three: The Athletic yet Feminine Girl
Day Four: Day in the City
Day Five: Date Night!
Day Six: Lunch With the Gal Pals
Day Seven: Chillaxing at Home

Contest Winner

So I finally got around to choosing a winner. :) It's at least getting me in the right direction, even though I still have to completely fulfill the two entrants' prizes.

The first place winner is....Lily!  And here's her story. :)

Bell’s Story
                                                                      By: Lily

In the land which was once called Europe many, many seasonsago there lived four kingdoms. Riparian on the bank of a river, Fidelitysurrounded by lush meadows, Scintilla by the shore, and Mythannor on themarshes. Each kingdom is led by either a Queen or a King, Fidelity andScintilla are led by a Queen and Riparian and Mythannor are led by a King.
              Every fiveyears, six names are drawn from a large, wooden ball and those apprenticeswould become the next Ladies in Waiting or Servants. When the Queen or King ofa kingdom becomes too old to lead, the Queen or King chooses the most skilledand gifted Lady in Waiting or Servant to become the next leader of the kingdom.Those not picked became Maids of Honor or Castle Workers until the next Queenor King was named.
              Today wewill be hearing Bell’s story and how she became one of the most rememberedQueens in all the kingdoms.
             

“But miss, you must wear a dress.” A timid Maid ofHonor tells me.
“Well, I am becoming the Queen and I say that I maywear a blouse and a skirt.” The Maid of Honor looks flustered. “It is thetradition.” She insisted. I sighed and allowed myself to be hassled into adress and boarded the carriage next to my mother. Who just happened to be thecurrent Queen of the kingdom of Scintilla.
              Iwould have never guessed that my mother, the Queen, would have picked me tobecome the next Queen. I suppose the other Ladies in Waiting thought it wasunfair. My mother signaled them to board the carriage and while most of themignored me, Flower whom I had grown closest to, squeezed my hand. “You’ll dogreat.” She whispered to me. “I hope.” I said as I squeezed back.
              Ibarely had time to take a breath, as soon as I stepped out of the carriage Iwas whisked away onto the stage next to my mother who was just about to addressthe kingdom. The crowd fell silent.
“Today is the celebration of a Lady in Waiting tobecome the Queen.” The kingdom roared so loud I could swear the kingdom ofRiparian, all the way past the river could hear it.
“Do you promise to uphold all the principles of aQueen and care and fight for your kingdom with your life?” My mother asked me.You could practically hear the whole kingdom holding its breath.
“I do.” I said finally understanding the excitement ofbeing the Queen.
“Then I giveyou your Queen,” my mother said to the kingdom. “Queen Bell of
Bird’s Call.”
The celebration of a newQueen is huge. H-U-G-E. As
soon as I was off the stage I got hauled into a chairin front of
line of citizens who all wanted to shake my hand ortalk to me or get
advice from me. I tried to be polite and charming and,well, like a Queen but after talking to hundreds or even thousands of people,it gets tiring. Next
up on the listwas a dance. I got put into a frilly dress and danced
with hundredsor young men. Some of them were charming but most of them
were not.After the dancing my mother came rushing toward me. “You have
to do theLadies in Waiting ceremony.” She hissed in my ear. Oh my gosh she
was right, ithad been five years from mine. It was a wonder how five years
had gone by soquickly.
              Iwalked up to the stage and took a deep breath. As I got on the stage the kingdomfell silent again in moments. I cleared my throat and swallowed. “Citizens ofScintilla, as my first duty as Queen we gather here today to bestow newresponsibilities to six apprentices.” I stuck my hand in the wooden ball andcalled. “Love Destine.” I spotted a girl with long blond hair dashing up to thestage.
I called more names, SunshineDarington and Skye Riversteen, and stuck my hand into the ball again. “SeaGarnet.” Halfway done.
I called three more names, Ivy Hallagorn and MarieCandyway, then I dismissed the kingdom.
              “Atyour service, Queen Bell.” Flower whispered to me on the carriage ride back tothe castle. “Thank you Maid Flower, you may go fetch me a glass of water.” Isaid. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. We would have laughed if not theLadies in Waiting were seated in the back. I’m sure it would not have made agood impression if the Queen started laughing with her Maid of Honor.
              Ipassed the Ladies in Waiting to Petal, a Maid of Honor, as I had seen my motherpass us onto one of her Maids of Honor. I went up to my night chamber andcollapsed onto the bed. It was the most tiring day of my life and I still had anaming ceremony to get through.
              Aftersupper the Ladies in Waiting were called up on the stage for the namingceremony.
“I call upon my kingdom to allow these apprentices tobecome Ladies in Waiting and provide their responsibilities and comfort totheir kingdom.” I spoke the traditional words. “Apprentices, do you promise toprovide your kingdom with endless comforts and necessities?” I asked.
“I do.” My Ladies in Waiting replied.
“Then it is time for you to become true Ladies inWaiting. Love you will become Lady Heart of Endless Kindness.” I said to Heartas she curtsied in respect. I felt a glow of pride in myself. “Sunshine youwill become Lady Rainbow of Shining Sun and you, Skye will become Lady Star ofGlimmering Skies.” They both curtsied.
“Sea, you will become Lady Shell of …” I drew a blank.This was really bad. “You will become Lady Shell of Sandy Beaches.” I lookedinto the crowd and saw my mother frowning disapprovingly at me. Doesn’t she ever make a mistake?
“Ivy, you will become Lady Willow of Tall Trees andMarie, you will become Lady Candy or Amazing Sweetness.” They curtsied. “Mayyou be bright to the future of our kingdom.”
More than a moon has passed since the day my Ladies inWaiting got their new names. Every day was tiring, but rewarding and my Maidsof Honor were proving to be very helpful. Even the ones who had ignored me fora while after I had just become Queen. The Ladies in Waiting are making such greatprogress and I feel that Rainbow may be making the most progress, I also likeher spunk.
              Wewill be heading to my first Assemblage as a Queen tonight and I think I am asexcited as my Ladies in Waiting are. The Assemblage is when all four kingdomsmeet in peace every moon and a half at a huge stage at the border of everyone’sland.
              Weset off at moonrise, I am leading my Ladies in Waiting to the Assemblage and Ican almost feel the excitement in the air. When we arrive at the Assemblage,Riparian is already there. I turn to face my Ladies in Waiting.
“Go talk with other kingdoms but do not grow to attachedto them or give away any weaknesses of our kingdom. You may meet these peoplesomewhere else then at an Assemblage and it might be a problem cause by them.”I dismiss them and go talk to the Riparian King.
              Henods at me and walk toward him.
“Is this your first Assemblage as a Queen?” he asksme. I nod. “Same with me,” he says. We talk for a little bit and then I go togreet the Fidelity Queen. It is still Queen Ivy. She looks at me and gasps.
“You can’t be Bell, can you?” she asks and I nod. “Oh,so you became the Queen, congratulations.” She says.
“Thank you.” I reply.
              “Letthis Assemblage come to a start.” King Night from Mythannor announced as QueenIvy and I quickly stepped onto the stage. “Tonight we will be introducingourselves and reporting what has been going on in our kingdom.” The RiparianKing said. “I am King Pebble of Small Rocks.”
I stepped forward. “I am Queen Bell of Bird’s Call.” Isaid and turned to King Night. “I am King Night of Darkening Sky.” He said.Lastly Queen Ivy spoke.
“I am Queen Ivy of Tangling Vines.”
We all stood in a moment of silence until King Nightbroke it.
“Mythannor will report first.” I nodded. “Things havebeen well and another set of Servants came in a moon and a half ago. They arelearning quickly and our old ones are also improving.”His servants raised theirchins and looked proud.
“Scintilla will report next.” I said. “Our first sixLadies in Waiting are training hard to understand what it takes to be the Queenof Scintilla. They are quick learners and look bright for the future of ourkingdom.”
King Pebble cleared his throat. “There is a smallsickness in our kingdom but we are recovering quickly. The Servants aretraining hard and learning lots.”
Queen Ivy stepped forward. “Weather is good and wewill be soon harvesting crops. Our new Ladies in Waiting are learning quicklyand our old ones have the knowledge already to lead a kingdom.” Her old Ladiesin Waiting beamed. “This Assemblage is at its end.” I announced and we left.
              Nearlya year has passed since my first Assemblage as a Queen. The Ladies in Waitingare intelligent and training hard and the future seems bright for Scintilla. Iwas sitting on my bed at in my night chamber when I heard a knock. I opened thedoor to see Honey.
“Bell, I mean Queen Bell, I was up in the tower and Isaw Queen Ivy and her Ladies in Waiting marching toward our castle.” Shereported to me.
“What!” I gasped. “They crossed the border?” I ranpast Honey to the tower and saw them myself. My heart sank. What could theypossibly want?
I raced down again and rang the bell to call all myMaids of Honor. They came in moments. “Honey has reported Queen Ivy and herLadies in Waiting walking toward the castle.” They all gasped and lookedshocked. “Flower, I want you to round up all the Ladies in Waiting. And I wantSun, Honey and Petal to go escort them to the castle.” I watched them take off.“Clover I need you to stay here with me and the Ladies in Waiting to see whatthey want.” She nodded.
              Momentslater Flower came back with the Ladies in Waiting whom were all lookingworried. I positioned the Ladies in Waiting so they were on either side of theMaids of Honor and myself in the middle. The door opened. Sun, Honey and Petalwere surrounding them as they came into the castle. Trying my best to soundfriendly but firm I asked them. “What do you want?” Queen Ivy stepped forward. “Mythannoris tearing up our kingdom.” I gasped. “They are convinced that we have theirapprentice. They say that we are the only kingdom that would take their apprentice.Please help us stop them.” Her voice was nothing like I heard before from her.It was pleading. “Of course we will help.” I said firmly.
“Is that wise?” Sun asked me but I ignored her.
“Sun and Honey, stay here with two of the Ladies inWaiting and send one if Mythannor or Riparian come.” They nodded.
I looked at the Ladies in Waiting. “I will take LadyWillow, Lady Rainbow, Lady Star and Lady Heart.” I told them and turned to theMaids of Honor who were coming. “Let’s go.”
              Aswe reached Fidelity the whole place was a mess.” Queen Ivy looked thunderstruck.I turned to my Maids of Honor and Ladies in Waiting. “Don’t do anythingdangerous and don’t get into any fights you can stop. Report back to me ifsomething happens.” They dash off and I exchange a glance with Queen Ivy beforerunning into the mess myself. I quickly smell something and I gasp. I smelledsmoke. I quickly locate the fire which is dangerously close to the castle. “Water!”I gasp “Throw water on the fires!” I shouted. Then a Fidelity apprentice staredat me. “Intruders!” he shouted. Many of the Fidelity adults looked up in horrorat me. I wanted to reassure them that I was on their side, but Queen Ivy did itfor me.
“No, she’s not. Fidelity is helping us!” She said tothe apprentice and adults. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Fidelity, grab anything that can hold water and go tothe river to fill it! Throw it at the fire.” I shouted. I located a bucket andran to the river. Rainbow ran beside me and filled her bucket along with me. Weran to the fire and I threw the water onto the fire. It crackled loudly.
              AsI ran back to the river I saw Star and Willow working together to carry a largetub of water to the fire. That must have been pretty heavy for twothirteen-year olds. “Rainbow!” I shouted, “Go help Star and Willow.” She noddedand rushed toward them.
Soon the fire was out andthe only thing to worry about was Mythannor.
“Scintilla” I shouted. “Come to me.”
Queen Ivy ran up beside me and shouted the samecommand for her kingdom. “What is your plan?” She asked me.
“Charge at them with buckets of water and throw it atthem and hope they flee.” Queen Ivy stared at me like I lost my mind and slowlynodded. She relayed the plan to her kingdom and I relayed the plan to mine.
“I want ten buckets for each kingdom.” I said to themall.”Go!”
After many trips to the river most of us were armedwith buckets of water.
“When I give the signal.” Queen Ivy hissed. “One, two,three. Now!” she shouted as a mob of Fidelity and Scintilla raced towardMythannor. I think that alone could get them fleeing but once they got wet KingNight shouted.
“Mythannor, retreat!”
              QueenIvy turned to me. “Fidelity is in your debt.” She said and turned back to thecastle to try and repair the damage.
“Scintilla” I shouted once more. “We’re going back.”
I had gotten my kingdom through one of the mosttoughest times in seasons and because of that I was proud of both myself and mykingdom. And because of that I had decided to hold a celebration for all ofScintilla, even those who didn’t help with Fidelity’s problem. “To those whoworked together to help Fidelity. To those who are training to be the nextQueen and to those who are in my kingdom!” I made a toast on the stage.  “Go have fun.” I told my Ladies in Waitingand Maids of Honor. “You all deserved it.” Rainbow and Star rush off togetherand I hear them whisper, “Look at that, two celebrations in less than twomoons, that has to be some kind of record. One that’s going to be rememberedfor a long time.”  And it was remembered.

Happy Blog-iversary!

So with everything else going on, I forgot to blog about one very special occasion.  A year ago, July 17, I started this blog.  A year ago today, I probably had six followers, tops.  Now I have twenty-three.  Yeah, that's not a lot, but I'm glad to have each and every one of you, along with those of you who are just casual readers.

I start school in a few weeks, probably the twentieth, I think.  I'll be starting Bible, physical fitness, French III, and fashion design then.  The rest of my subjects (algebra II, Shakespeare, world history, and excellence in writing C) are through my co-op, so they won't start until the Friday after Labor Day.  When you do you start school?

The Olympics

The Olympics.  Yup, you can just say those two words and so many things can spring to mind.  It is perhaps one of the few events that can inspire national pride.  This is one of the first years I’ve really paid attention to the festivities and such.  I watched the women’s figure skating back in 2006, and the gymnastics in 2008 (I was actually in NYC at the time, so we watched the Olympics almost every night at our hotel!  I remember cheering for Shawn Johnson; even though I had never met her, I was so proud of her.), and the opening ceremonies at Vancouver.  But this is the first year I’ve made a committed effort to watch a lot more.  Last night [I wrote this on Saturday while I was at my grandparents' without Internet], my cousin and I watched almost the entire opening ceremonies (we missed the first few countries).  I loved how the copper leaves formed the giant torch, but I am still confused on who the final torch bearer was.  Wasn’t it Wayne Gretzsky who carried the torch the final distance in Vancouver?  I couldn’t tell, at the London games, and it just didn't seem as fantastic.  I just saw the U.S. women’s team qualify in the swimming relay.  They had the second best time!  What I’m really looking forward to are women’s gymnastics and any of the equestrian events (horse freak right here, thanks to Canterwood Crest).  So, even if we disagree with the way our country is being run right now, or the economy, or we’re still mourning the Aurora, CO theater shooting, we have to be proud of the American athletes competing in the Olympics.  Athletes that work their behinds off are terrific role models for kids and teens.  They inspire hard work and show how exercise and playing sports can pay off.  A great majority of youth look up to celebrities—actors, singers, etc.  I’d rather have my children, some day, find role models in their parents, athletes, and politicians (depending on the politician…).  But every moment of watching the Olympics, my heart beats proudly (and sometimes way too quickly when my cousin decides to scare me out of my mind…) for the American Olympians.

Afternote #1: We saw Ryan Lochte almost beat Michael Phelps’s world record in the 400-meter men’s swimming.  Almost.  He was so close!

Afternote #2: I just watched Ye Shiwen beat the world record in women’s 400-meter.  She’s sixteen years old!

Afternote #3: Muffat and Schmitt just took first and second in women’s 400-meter freestyle, representing France and the U.S.  That makes me very happy, lol.  I may be loyal to my nation, but I’m rooting on the French athletes, too, since I’m such a—as my mother puts it—Francophile.

Afternote #4: Watching the women’s team gymnastics finals.  Seeing McKayla stick that landing on the vault and how the entire team did…I’ll be honest, I teared up a bit when they won and then when they got their gold medals.

Afternote #5: Men’s swimming relay…wow, just wow.  That lead was insane and then seeing Michael Phelps get his nineteenth Olympic medal.