Nicole, Where Have You Been???? // my first monthly wrap-up in forever!
December 01, 2019*steps inside the blogosphere* *dusts off blog* *coughs from dust clouds*
Um.
Hello.
*shy wave*
It's been a while, hasn't it?
I know in my hiatus announcement I said that I'd be back in the first few weeks of November. And . . . that clearly didn't happen. XD
But I THINK I'm here to stay now. Things have really died down (kind of) (sort of) (okay not really but I really wanted to get back to blogging).
But we'll get into that in a second. We've got three months to cover in this wrap-up. XD I really hope you like reading my wrap-ups, because here we goooooo . . .
It was a bittersweet ending, for sure, and I may or may not have cried a lot. But it was totally worth it, and I would highly recommend doing a play or musical at least once.
Work. I also started a job at our local library! *cue bookish me screaming into oblivion* While I don't work directly with the books, I do get to walk past them every single shift and just stare at them. XD No regrets, guys.
oh yeah, also the people I work with are really nice and I work really short shifts and overall it's been great. :D
Also, my physical health hasn't been that great either. Yayyyyyy. *rolls eyes* For instance, I had a really long season of coughing, I hurt my arm, and almost lost my voice at least three times. (Someday ask me how I hurt my arm. It's a great story. XD) I AM feeling a lot better now, thank goodness.
Honestly, most of the past few months have just been a blur. It's been a lot of late nights and chocolate and stress, but also a lot of music and storytelling and fun. :)
Keeper of the Lost Cities. GUYS. LEGACY CAME OUT. AND IT WAS AMAZING AND I SCREAMED 294754 TIMES AND I NEED THERAPY NOW.
*deep breath* Okay, if I say anything more I'll spoil it for you, so just. read. the. series. It's worth it.
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| me @ Legacy - credit giphy |
The Secret Series. I never hear this series talked about, which is really sad, because it's so funny and clever! Its narrator is deliciously funny (and is also obsessed with chocolate . . . I relate), and the plot is twisty. Plus, it's middle-grade, and I've been finding that middle-grade has TONS of hidden gems that the YA book community looks over. It's sad. :(
*I will say, though, that there is an aspect of this series that I don't really approve of and, as such, I can't completely recommend it. If you're curious what this aspect is, just message me. :)
Macbeth.
My Hero Academia. My friend
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| THIS KID IS BASICALLY PRINCE ZUKO AND I LOVE HIM - credit giphy |
Artemis. This is the first album that Lindsey Stirling has released since I've discovered her, and it was incredible. <3 My favorite tracks are Darksoul, Artemis, The Upside, and Underground. (And I've even created a story idea based around this album. ;) )
Ambient tracks. I've found that these white-noise songs help me focus whenever I have to study. There's really not much I have to say about this. XD
I'll be talking more about my writing, especially NaNo, in my next post, but here's a quick summary of what I've been doing in regards to stories:
- dabbled in some flash fiction :D
- sent off The Inhumans #1 to my first alpha reader (!!!)
- began two rough drafts of stories you all have never heard of before but maybe will in the future XD
To be honest, my creativity was pretty low these last couple months - musicals take a lot out of you. XD But, again, this will be covered in next week's post, so stay tuned until then!
Until now.
I cannot WAIT to begin blogging again. I've got post ideas and a whole lot of tags to cover. (That's another thing I did - organize all the tags I've received. YIKES, there are tons.)
But, in case you've forgotten what I've posted, or you missed a day, here are all the posts from September through November:
Rest assured, I am BACK - hopefully for a looooong time. XD I can't wait to get back to reading and commenting and writing posts and talking with you guys and just all the bloggy routines!
Aaaaannnnd, you might have noticed something different about this blog: I changed my profile picture! And it's actually a picture of me! *mind-blowing*
One more "announcement" thingy: Remember a few months ago, when I said I miiiiiight be getting Instagram?
So. I actually did it. XD It's about time. You can find me @nicoledustwriter! (Although I'm not promising impressive aesthetics - I fail pretty miserably in that department. XD)
I will talk with you in the comments - but until then, enjoy this last month of 2019! (HOW IS IT ALREADY ALMOST 2020. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.)
-Nicole <3
HOW HAVE YOU ALL BEEN? What's been going on in the blogosphere lately? What have you guys been up to the past few months? It's so good to talk to you again! :)
48 comments
Nicole! So good to see that you're back. :) Your last few months do sound busy! I'm sorry that you had a cough, but being in a musical sounds terrific!
ReplyDeleteThat's it, I'm going to have to read Keeper of the Lost Cities now.
MACBETH. When I first heard of it I thought that it was going to be creepy, and it is. When I saw it it was intense but WOW. Really good! That is so cool that you got to read Lady Macbeth's part in class!
Hello!! *waves* So good to hear from you! XD yeah, they definitely were. And yes, it was really fun!
DeleteREAD IT. IT'S SO GOOD. :D
ACK, YES. *nods* It's so cool to find another fan!! (Yeah, that was pretty fun - especially when she went on morbid rants about washing blood off her hands. XD)
NICCOOOOOOLLLLEEEEEE I missed you so much!!!! I'm so glad to see you back! And of course that we stayed in touch during your hiatus ;) I can't wait to see allllll the future posts!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFAIIIIIIIIIIIIIITH Same to you!!!! XD I can't wait for you to read them!!!
DeleteOh my gosh.. I relate to you so much xD I also am a huge musical theatre kid!! I totally understand about bittersweet endings. I did a musical a couple of years ago that honestly was just the best experience EVER and I sobbed so much that night that it was over. We were backstage waiting to begin, and I literally just started crying. It was so sad, but I'm so glad that that it happened. :) I'm also in a musical right now, but I do nooooooooot like it HAHAHA. Ask ME that story sometime, it's an interesting story XD
ReplyDeletehttp://accordingtoisabellakate.blogspot.com
-Izzy
Musical theatre kids unite!! *high-fives* Aw, I feel you. It's such a good time that you can't bear to see it finish. I'm so happy that it was amazing, though!
DeleteOh, NO. That's so sad! I hope you can power through it and finish strong. :) (and I will definitely keep that in mind for any future Q&As. ;) )
CONGRATS ON SENDING YOUR BABY WIP OFF TO AN ALPHA READER!
ReplyDeleteTHE ARM STORY THO? TELL ME
AAAHHH THANK YOU MARY KATE :)
Deleteokay, okay . . . so we were practicing choreography for our musical, and the choreography required that we stand on tables and chairs. And the chairs we had selected weren't entirely stable. And I was hesitant on a dance move, so I shifted my weight in an odd way and the chair flipped over, with me on it. And I landed on my arm and bruised it badly for about three weeks. Even now it's still pretty weak. XD go me.
YAYYYYY you're back. I relate so hard on the part about being murdered by school. also SHAKESPEARE IS THE BEST. and so happy you're on ig!! I'm sure you'll slay the aesthetics!! your blog is so adorable ^.^
ReplyDeletehave a lovely december dear!!!
Aw, THANK YOU, Lisa! XD School is notorious for killing students, sadly. YES, HE MOST DEFINITELY IS. Aaaahhh, thank you!! And I'll try - thank you for the vote of confidence!
DeleteI hope your December is amazing, too! :)
EEEEK! Nicole!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAlso yay - that weirdo on Insta was me. xD
Aaaaand... we get to see a PHOTO of YOU!!! (Hehehe I've already seen photos of you on other people's blogs from Realmakers(??) though!)And no, I'm definitely not creepy... xD
HELLO DANIELLE!!!!
DeleteXD Don't worry, I knew who you were. (not a stalker, I promise)
YES!(Haha, yeah, that's true, but now you get to see it on a regular basis!) XD You're fine!
NICOLE!!! You're back!!!! *cries happy tears* Ahhh...I'm so glad that musical went well, and your job sounds FABULOUS! XD
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about your health :( *grumbles about homework* I MUST READ KOTLC ASAP it sounds amazing XDDDD Also, asdfghjkl you got Instagram?!! I wish I could follow you but don't have it yet *wails*
I'm SO SO SO glad that you're back...I didn't realize how much I missed your posts, girl! Can't wait for your next one! <33333333
ASH!! It's so nice to see your comment! *cries with you* Thank you - they've both been really great!
DeleteI'm doing a lot better now, but thank you. :) *moans* YES YOU MUST IT IS AMAZING XD Yessss, I did! (You should totally get it - your pictures would be so aesthetic and pretty. :) )
THANK YOU! And it should be up . . . soon! (I'm so behind on answering comments, yikes)
NICOLE'S BACK. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH THIS IS INCREDIBLY EXCITING!!!! *flails forever*
ReplyDeleteI feel you on the homework and the stress, ugh. Senioritis is strong here. But WE'LL MAKE IT THROUGH.
I love your posts so much, Nicole, and I'm SO EXCITED to have them pop into my feed more frequentlyyyyy. <3 IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME
AAAAAAAHHHHHH THANK YOU LILA!!!! *lots of hugs*
DeleteOof, senioritis is ROUGH. I'm just now starting to feel its effects - not a fan. XD WE GOT THIS, THOUGH.
Aw, thank you so much! <3 <3 That means a lot to me. and YES, I HOPE SO. :)
YAY YOU'RE BACK. I'm so excited for your posts!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've had a CRAZY year-- and can't we all relate. *shakes head*
Ohhh, I can totally relate to the health thing; it's rough. I'll definitely be praying for you. As for schoolwork... ugh. It's been crazy and stressful but all in an unexpected way. UGH.
ALSO I'M SUPEREXCITED ABOUT YOUR BOOKSTAGRAM DID YOU KNOW?? In fact, I'm *trying* out bookstagram but am finding it quite difficult to get a good hold on-- we can blindly figure out this thing together! lol
Also I love Artemis, too-- well technically I love almost anything by Lindsey Stirling. My two favorites in the album are "Between Twilight" (OH THE MYSTIQUE) and "Guardian" (can I just talk about how perfect a finale it is for any story?? it makes me want to write adventuresome fantastical happily-ever-afters every time I listen to it!).
<3 Always be a happy camper!
YES I AM BACK. XD Thank you!
DeleteMy word, 2019 has been insane and I want a break. *nods*
Aw, thank you. <3 And I feel your pain - school stress levels are always way higher than they should be. BUT YOU GOT THIS.
AAAHHH THANK YOU!!!! I was so excited to see that you had one, too. I have no idea what I'm doing, so yes to fumbling through Instagram together! *high-fives*
Artemis is so good! *flails* Guardian is AMAZING and PERFECT and WHY DID I NOT MENTION IT IN THIS POST. :)
<3 <3 <3
HELLO BEAUTIFUL -- YOU ARE BACK YES! I've missed your posts. <3
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!! I'm looking forward to catching up on all your posts that I've missed. <3
DeleteYay, welcome back! <3
ReplyDeleteAND OH MY WORD YES YOU'RE WATCHING MY HERO ACADEMIA!!! :D I watch it with my siblings. :) Do you watch any other anime?
Thank you, Jenna! <3
DeleteANOTHER MY HERO ACADEMIA FAN??? YESSSS!!!!!!! Who's your favorite character?
I am not watching any other anime, but I'm considering Your Lie in April. Do you watch any others?
NICOLE NICOLE NICOLE HEYYY welcome backk
ReplyDeletesaw ur new pfp the other day and freaked out a little haha it's so pretty <3
tell the arm story tell the arm story o-o
MUSICAL YESSS aw that's so funn
a job at the library what yes yes i'm so happy for you :DDD
kotlc ripping people's hearts out with no regrets *sits on hands waiting for legacy to be ready for me to pick up at the library*
ISABEL ISABEL HI HI HI!!!!
DeleteHaha, thanks! XD <3
(I just told it to Mary Kate, so scroll up a little bit and you'll find it XD
MUSICALS ARE GREAT. Have you been in any?
Thank youuuuuu :D
If that isn't an accurate description of KOTLC I don't know what is. (also when you finish Legacy message me because you're going to want to have therapy by the end XD)
J+M+J
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree, musicals are a complete drain of time and energy, but they are sooo worth it! I've been in quite a few, and have another coming up at the end of the school year, and though I didn't really give it justice before, I'm not sure how I'll manage without drama around to let off my dramatic-side....
Congrats on the job!
And yes, last year was nothing compared to this year, which means (according to popular opinion, which we all know is so reliable and always correct.... *glares quizzically at the previous sentence*) that I either did last year incredibly wrong, or I'm going about this year with twice the amount of stress as need be! Last year didn't even come close....
And don't feel bad about your long absence, at least you warned people, I've just up and left off posting for more then a month with no warning and I feel terrible about it!
The Doorman.
They really are! Ooo, which ones have you been in? (And I feel your pain - this was my last musical, and I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do next year either . . .)
DeleteThank you!
*nods vigorously* I'm exactly the same way! (Who knows, maybe we're both doing this year wrong . . . and I also didn't realize that we were about the same age! *facepalm*)
Haha, either way works. Sometimes an unexplained break is the best way to go about things. :) Don't worry about it too much!
J+M+J
DeleteAs far as Musicals go, My Fair Lady, Hello Dolly, The Music Man, and (upcoming) Beauty and the Beast are the only ones worth mentioning. (Yes, my sincere condolences! I can commiserate with that... (or will be able to))
(Maybe so, and I had no inclination either, so no worries.)
The Doorman.
Oh, wow - that’s an awesome list of musicals! Good luck with Beauty and the Beast! :) (*nods* It’ll be an adjustment, for sure....)
Delete(�� I don’t know if we’ll ever find out what the "proper" way to do a school year is, so oh well.)
You're back!!! Working at the library sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteHello, Skye!! *waves* And it's been really awesome so far
DeleteAHHHHH YOU READ THE BLADES OF ACKTARRRRRR AHHHHHHH *flails* THE BEST EVER
ReplyDeleteI need to know ALL THE THOUGHTS
YES I DID AND THEY WERE AMAZING AND I LOVE THEM AND I DIED INSIDE APPROXIMATELY 2938 TIMES. *screams*
DeleteThoughts I can pull together off the top of my head:
-Leith is amazing and I want to meet him in real life
-Brandi is #sistergoals
-In fact all the girls in this series are #friendgoals
-Shad grew on me and now I love him to death
-JAMIE THOUGH <333
-and IS THERE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ANOTHER BOOK OR IS IT JUST RUMOR
WELCOME BAAAACK! And ahhh I'm so glad we have a picture of your face now! xD *sounds like a creepy weirdo*
ReplyDeleteYAY TO ALL THE GOOD THINGS IN THIS POST because if I try to comment on everything I'll be here until tomorrow. xD I'm glad you're back! Can't wait to read your upcoming posts :D
theonesthatreallymatter.blogspot.com
THANK YOUUUUUU! Haha, it's fine - I sound like a creepy weirdo alllll the time when commenting XD.
DeleteTHANK YOU and yeah, I totally get that. XD I hope you like the next posts! <3
Seriously so glad you're back! And that the musical was so fun ;)
ReplyDeleteMB> keturahskorner.blogspot.com
PB> thegirlwhodoesntexist.com
Thank you, Keturah! It's awesome to talk to you again! :D
DeleteWelcome back, Nicole!! Sounds like you've been up to some fun things! (okay, minus the homework and not feeling great...what happened to your arm? :o).
ReplyDeleteI LOVE MACBETH. Just read it for the second time this year and it was even better than the first time! :D
Thank you, Kathryn! (XD yeah, except for those parts. You can read the arm story in my response to Mary Kate up above. XD)
DeleteMACBETH IS AMAZING. okay, it's official, next year I need to reread it and revel in the awesomeness :D
NICOLE, YOU'RE BACK! *tackle hug*
ReplyDelete*clears throat* Anyway, I'm sooooo happy that you're back. The point is, I'm looking forward to all of your future posts.
MCKAYLA, HI!!! *tackle hugs*
DeleteThank you! I can't wait to begin writing posts again - it's been far too long.
HI!!
DeleteNo problem! We all need to take a hiatus at some point.
Also, you were in a musical. What musical?
I've been in a few musicals [all originals from my theater teacher] but my dream role would be Karen Smith or Regina George in Mean Girls [and, yes, because of the songs].
NICOOOOLE! I've missed your posts! So, so happy to see you back! But I TOTALLY understand you needing a break. Sounds like life has been CRAZY. That's so exciting about being in a musical and it going well! :D And AAAHHHH! A job at the library? YESSS. SO PERFECT.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry your health has been acting up! Ugh. I know firsthand how hard it is to do ANYTHING with health problems. I'm so glad you're doing better. I hope it stays that way. *all the hugs*
CHRISTINE, HELLO!! I've missed talking to you these past couple months! But yeah, life has been insane and I think 2020 needs to be 500% calmer. XD And YES, IT HAS BEEN GREAT SO FAR! (I know you work in a bookstore, so you understand. XD)
DeleteAw, thank you! <3 And yes, it has been doing better, and hopefully 2020 starts off in good health! *hugs back*
Hay Nicole, glad your back!
ReplyDeleteI love the Secret series soo good!
Hope your December is awesome!
astordetective.blogspot.com b
Hey Rakayle!! (also I popped on sometime in the past few weeks and YOU DID A Q&A VLOG???? Day = made.)
DeleteYesss, the Secret Series is so good!
Thank you! I hope you have a great December, too!
I need to read Macbeth.
ReplyDeleteI love your hat in your profile picture! I'm glad you're back from hiatus! Good luck with all your homework. <3
Yesssss, you should - I think you'll really like it.
DeleteThank you! I'll do my best now to drown under it all. <3
WOW, that was a bad typo. I meant to say "I'll do my best not to drown under it all." *facepalm*
DeleteWelcome to the comment section! I love hearing what you guys think and seeing you guys talk. Just remember to keep it clean, and as always, check back for my replies! <3
-Nicole