The Ichthus Experience

Wednesday morning I got up at 6:30, grabbed my bags and headed to church to have a short Bible study, then drove to Lexington, KY for the Creation Ichthus Music Festival. Little did I know how much fun I was going to have and how much I was going to grow.

Day 1

Day 4

On the first day, my group got there around 10, after talking to the most random people and getting lost several times. I didn't really know the people I was with because I only moved to the church a couple of months ago, so making new friends was really good for me.

If you've ever been to a camp of any sort, you know it's pretty common to connect with people extremely fast and be able to mess around and still get to know each other through deep conversations. I really enjoyed being able to do that.

Newsboys Concert

The concerts were crazy! I saw a whole range of artists from rap, to indy, from heavy metal to contemporary pop and hymns. I loved all of it, and got 2 albums. My favorites were a band called Author and a singer/songwriter named Abe Parker.

I also got a whole bunch of free stuff, but aside from that I bought 2 t-shirts that I love and really want to show you!

On the second and third days it rained really hard and since the festival was held in a horse park, everyone got muddy and gross and smelled of something quite similar to animal poo.
I had to give up my poor green flip flops which did me no good anyway, and battled the rain head on.
Everyone was stationed at a canopy pole in our camp ground during the storm so we wouldn't blow away. I secretly enjoyed the rain because it was cold like back home, instead of hot and disgusting.

God's promise after the storm :)

Saturday was a gorgeous last day. We played Frisbee with strangers and tied dental floss to the legs of one of thousands of June bugs. I couldn't believe that it was already over, and how much I had learned about God through talking to others and hearing music.

A henna tattoo I got for free (before it dried and peeled)

 :) I'm sorry to bore you all to death, so I'll wrap it up. Thank you for reading and hopefully you all have had a blast this week too!

Have you ever been to a music festival?

6 Hilarious (Not Quite New) TV Shows

I've become quite a teenager this summer, and one of my "hobbies" are TV shows that aren't very new. I never liked Gossip Girl and didn't get wrapped into Switched at Birth. But I do very much enjoy some older ones, that I would love to share with you! Just a warning, most of these are PG-13 so for the younger readers, check with your parents before watching all of them. Also, these are in no particular order

Gilmore Girls

Scrubs

Parks and Recreation

Friends

The IT Crowd

Family Ties

Some of these are a LOT older than others, but I love all of them. I know, I know, I need to stop watching so much TV, which is why I'm asking you guys for writing prompts. I really want to write a story, but I can't think of any genius story ideas, so if you have one and are kind enough to share it, please PLEASE drop it in the comments (or email me if it is super secret and amazing). Hopefully you all enjoyed this post and I didn't accidentally hook you on one of these shows. Have a great day!

(40 things to do this summer)

Today was my last day of middle school! I am really psyched for this summer! Kentucky summers are so much different than Washington, and this year, I'll actually have friends :) Here are some ways I'm going to try to spice up my break from school.

1. Spend a ridiculous amount of time with God
2. have a bonfire. I'm pretty sure this is on everyone's list
3. catch lightning bugs
4. pull an all-nighter
5. get frozen-yogurt or ice cream!
6. disney marathon
7. read A LOT
8. make a succulent terrarium (cactus collection) <3
9. ¿reach 50 followers maybe?
10. build myself a new wardrobe
11. get into a new genre of music
12. do my makeup and do it RIGHT
13. re-decorate my room!
14. henna tattoos
15. doodle every day
16. spend quality time with my friends
17. fill a whole entire notebook with thoughts, quotes, ideas and prayers
18. rock a smokey eye, OUTSIDE my bedroom
19. learn how to take good pictures
20. jump off a diving board
21. tan, just a little
22. ROAD TRIP
23. drink good coffee
24. sing every single day
25. play in the rain like a good Washington girl
26. take one good selfie
27. up cycle a t-shirt
28. get hyped for high school!
29. be happy and healthy :)
30. have fun with my little sisters
31. LEARN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE OMG 
32. get a cute haircut
33. sew one thing.
34. find a best blogging friend! email me your application por favor
35. mail letters a lot!!!!!!!
36. go to a concert
37. blow GIANT bubbles
38. make a new good friend
39. do a diy face scrub post WITH pictures
40. wade in some sort of creek with some sort of friend ;)

THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE TODAY FOLKS If you think I missed something vitally important for this list PLEASE tell me this is special to me 

>>also if YOU want to be my blogging bff then EMAIL/TWEET me so we can chat!<< 

Have a great summer and I'll be back soon! 

We're Sorry Dollar Tree

A couple weeks ago, I went to a Reborn Retreat with some great new friends of mine. We needed some princess-wear for our fabtastic youth pastor and ourselves so we stopped by the #1 Princess-Wear Outfitter in the Country. Dollar Tree. 

One of the wonderful employees was not in a happy mood and there may have been a tiara left on the floor by one of my teammates. 

We apologize, dear Dollar Tree man. You are a local hero. WE WERE TRYING TO SAY SORRY but noooooooooo. This guy distinctly muttered a little something like "you aren't at home you are at a store you need to act like it" to himself. We understand that, we were going to apologize, sir but SAY IT A LITTLE QUIETER I THINK WE GOT IT

 at Kroger looking royal

A certain fabtastic youth pastor

Don't forget about the contest!!!! See rules here, and please enter!

Popular by Maya van Wagenen (vintage wisdom for a modern geek)

One of my friends let me borrow this spectacular memoir by Maya van Wagenen, who was reeeeeaaally young when she wrote it! Like 15 or something. Anyways, it's about her doing a social experiment of sorts. The summer before eighth grade she finds the book Betty Cornell's Teenage Popularity Guide. Written in the 1950's by a teen model, she gives tips on becoming more socially acceptable and things like that. Though some of it is out-dated and you'll hardly find a 14 year old girl wearing a girdle, straw hat and pearl necklace at the same time anymore, Ms. Cornell also gives tips on simple dieting, tasteful makeup and how to talk to people around you. Maya decides to dedicate each month of eighth grade to a chapter of her book. The response she gets at first is not what she wanted, but she powers through, and at the end, her results are amazing! 

I hear you thinking. Being popular is overrated! They are all terrible people! She's fine just how she is! But in this book, Maya learns very valuable lessons and shows some serious gutsiness. I would never have been able to do what she did. And it really worked for her. Following the book pushed Maya out of her shell and her school's atmosphere was enormously improved by her, just one person! I also really loved the fact that the "vintage wisdom" is still mostly applicable today.

I'd recommend this for any teen girl, popular or shy, rich or poor. It was a great eye opener on how you don't have to look like a  paper doll to make friends. If you read it, please let me know what you thought of it!

Before

After