October Favorites

Ah, October. The most wonderful month of the year. Okay, I kind of have to say that because my birthday is in October. I might like November just a little bit more ;) But this month really is one of my favorites, and there's so much I'm looking forward to already.

Watching...

Once Upon A Time. This is the only on-air show I keep up with and I’m so glad it’s finally back! I’m also more excited for this season than any of the previous because Emma (the main character and hero of the show) has gone dark, and it’s a fascinating thing to watch. If you’ve never heard of OUAT, it’s basically a crazy, amazing combination of every fairy-tale story you can think of set in both present day America and an enchanted forest. Pretty much the recipe for convoluted plots and complex characters. Every now and then this show will get a little too predictable for me (because I get frustrated at all the potential! I am a fantasy writer...) but right now I believe it’s at its best, and I can’t wait to see what this season will bring.

Reading…

Nothing currently, but awaiting three spectacular fiction books in the mail. I ordered Narnia's The Magician's Nephew, Lauren Oliver’s Delirium, and Anne of Green Gables for only $12 the other day (yes, including shipping and taxes. Thriftbooks.com is a godsend) and can’t wait to get started reading them. The only hard part is going to be deciding which to read first. With Nanowrimo quickly approaching, I want to use this month to read more because I’ve found that my writing flows better when I’ve been reading. I’ll let you know what I think about these novels as soon as I’m done with them. :)

Following...

The Shine Project on Instagram. This account is run by Ashley Lemieux, mom of two lovely kids and creator of an amazing nonprofit (called, you guessed it, The Shine Project). I've always loved nonprofits in general but after studying business I absolutely adore nonprofit organizations that create amazing quality products and market them well (I am such an obvious business student, but oh well). The Shine Project does both of these things excellently. This organization employs inner city youth to make stunning, delicate jewelry whose proceeds go to helping the kids financially and with scholarships. Did I mention the jewelry is absolutely beautiful? Go check out their shop to see more.

Looking Forward To...

So many things this month. But a big one is A21's Walk for Freedom, which I will take part of in my city. A21 is seriously an amazing organization. There are a lot of charities that are doing such important and necessary work, but A21 is one of those whose mission is literally life and death, and it's making a huge impact. Human trafficking is such a horrible, ugly thing, and I remember being so shocked that it was real and so big when I first learned about it. That's why I love supporting organizations that are fighting it, and I'm excited to do it in this new, unique way. The Walk for Freedom will take place this Saturday, October 17th, and if you're interested you still have until Wednesday to find one in your city!

Working On...

Balancing my idealism with my often not-so-perfect reality- especially when it comes to social situations. I have a habit of creating all these expectations for events or meetings I'm going to attend, only to get there and have it turn out nothing like I hoped. Part of it is because when I'm at home, it's easy to imagine me saying all the things I want to say- me being vulnerable and open and reaching out to others. But in reality, social situations can be very overwhelming and complex for me. So it's easy to come out of them feeling like the whole experience was a failure. But I'm learning. First to lower my crazy, idealistic expectations, and second to be kinder with myself about the results. No, things won't always go as perfectly as I envisioned them. Sometimes they'll be nowhere near as good. But that doesn't mean they were a waste of my time, and just the fact that I put myself out there is enough to be proud of. This could be a whole other blog post honestly, so I'll leave it at that for now ;)

What's your October looking like?

#2015 #favorites #life