What's on My Bookshelf?

What's on my bookshelf this week?

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 

(Currently rereading this one)

Women Who Run With the Wolves:

Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph. D.

And above is a picture of my late night book purchase for the week, which consists of:

Women Who Run With the Wolves

The Four Agreements:

A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)

by Don Miguel Ruiz

Warrior Goddess Training:

Become the Woman You Are Meant To Be

by HeatherAsh Amara

What is on your bookshelf?

Happy Reading!

~ Hannah ♥

My Literary Bucket List!

I've finally done it! I started writing a list of all of the literary works I want to read. I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to get around to writing one, considering how much I love reading, but no more excuses. 

I now have a page on this blog dedicated to books I want to read (or have read), and I plan on checking them all off. For now, it's just a short list of classics I was able to jot down quickly, but I will be adding to it as I go. 

Let the Adventure Begin!

~Hannah ♥

Bucketlist Item: Learn to Make a Croissant. Check!

As of yesterday, I can officialy cross "Making a Croissant" off of my bucketlist!

I had actually forgotten this item was on there when I first started working at the bakery, and it wasn't until I was able to look my list over this last week that I realized I had almost accomplished it. Making these takes four days of mixing, shaping, freezing, thawing, sheeting, folding butter in, then finally cutting, shaping, and baking. 

For the last month I've been doing all but the last three steps of this process, but I was finally taught how to cut and shape them yesterday, and above is the finished product. 

So that is one item down, many more to go!

Lets see which ones I can complete next. 

~ Hannah ❤

Photo Challenge

Hello All!

I know I haven't updated my blog in FOREVER, but between my computer breaking a few months ago, and transitioning to a new job, it's been hard to write anything on here.

So. Updates....

I started working in a local bakery last month as a baker/pastry chef, and I absolutely love it! It's hard work, and going to work at 2am is somewhat hard to get used to, but I feel that I am learning fast, and I feel myself getting stronger every day.

Day 1 - My 23rd Birthday!

 

 



My birthday was last month, and I decided that this year I would challenge myself to take a picture of myself every day. Now, this doesn't sound overly exciting, and possibly vaguely narcissistic, but I have my reasons.

First, I want to see how I change throughout the year, since we are not often aware of any changes that occur to ourselves throughout the year, it's only in looking back that we actually see them.

Second, although I know that so far my pictures have consisted of quite a few "selfies", I want to be able to document experiences I have throughout the year, and I am hoping that this will also inspire me to make new memories, and take part in more exciting  experiences.

And, thirdly, I see this as an art project of sorts, documenting both my good and bad days. I have already had a few photos where I am half awake (and look it), several without any sort of makeup, and I am ok with that. I feel that too often we only post the "good" pictures of ourselves, that have been prepared for and edited, and I feel that we lose our humanness through these pictures.
I know for a fact, that most of the time I don't look like that gorgeous picture I posted three weeks ago, after a half hour of trying to get my winged eyeliner just right, followed by 20 snapshots to get the lighting just right, and another 5-10 minutes spent choosing the perfect filter.

And you know why I don't look like that 24/7?

I AM HUMAN

I have scars. My left eye turns in, and up until my teens I was considered legally blind in that eye, because my eyesight was 20/200 and worse. I have flat feet. I am 23 and already am getting grey hair. I have anxiety. I have cellulite and stretch marks, and my boobs sag a little bit. I will never have a "thigh gap", and I am more than ok with that.

But in spite of all of these "flaws" that society makes us think we have to feel sorry for having, I know I am beautiful. So my left eye isn't great? My eyes are both beautiful, and the vision in that eye has improved over the years, and it's better than perfect in my other eye.

Cellulite? Grey Hair? Stretchmarks? Boob saggage? I have two beautiful six year olds to thank for that, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Lack of thigh gap? My thighs are muscular and strong, and I know I can count on them to get me to where I need to be.

I look at my body, and my existence as a work of art. Every scar tells a story and every experience I've had, has made me the woman I am today.

So this is why I am really participating in this challenge. I want to share all of those moments, good and bad, to show how very human I am.

That's all for tonight folks!

See you soon!

~ Hannah ♥

30 Days

I loooove TED talks. So many interesting topics, and people, and you end up walking away feeling inspired, or more intelligent. They are awesome!

This one, titled "Try something new for 30 days", popped up in my Facebook newsfeed, and I ended up watching it and feeling inspired to try a 30 day challenge of my own.

My first challenge?

Studying Italian for an hour every day for the next 30 days.

Here's to day 1. Let's see how much I can learn by February 15th. :)

~ Hannah ♥

Postmodern Jukebox

I just discovered the band Postmodern Jukebox, and I just love them. They take popular songs, give them a makeover, with a jazzy edge, and the results are amazing. Above is a remake of Sam Smith's 'Stay With Me", that I thought I'd share. It's beautiful. Enjoy!

~Hannah ♥

Making Dreams Reality

[Source]

I just read an article on Elephantjournal.com (which is one of my favorite websites to visit) titled How to Say Screw It & Live Brilliantly, that inspired me to write a post.

I am a dreamer. A big dreamer. Always have been, always will be. I have plans and goals for my life that many people think will never happen; maybe in the movies, but not real life.

Yes, they haven't happened yet, but I have had no doubt that they will, someday, somehow.

I have come to the realization though that there is a problem with the way I have been thinking about these dreams of mine. This whole time I have been waiting for everything to come together; waiting for money to fall in my lap; waiting until my children are older; waiting until I'm not so busy.

I can't just keep waiting for my dreams to come true though. I have to MAKE them happen. I have to be more proactive about what I want. I am not going to learn that new language or instrument if I keep waiting until I have the time to devote to it. I am not going to take my dream trip to Italy (or anywhere else for that matter), unless I actually start saving money and planning a trip. I won't publish a book if I don't start writing. And I won't own a bakery or restaurant if I don't start writing a business plan and looking for funding.

I realize now that, although I am happy to call myself a dreamer, that is all I will ever be if I don't start really living and taking action. I am done waiting around, living a normal, boring life, while drooling over pictures of foreign cities and forgotten places. I always felt so out of place growing up, longing for adventure and wanting more than the simple lives I saw functioning around me. I wanted to learn, and travel, and have great adventures like the ones I read about in my books... Maybe that's why I have always loved Beauty and the Beast so much and could always relate to Belle... I am done longingly waiting for everything to come together, and continually putting my goals and dreams on the backburner, while dealing with "life". From now on my life will be the adventure I have always wanted, no longer settling for second best, and always pushing for the things I deserve, without being afraid of failure and the unknown.

I am doing this for myself, but also for my children. I want them to see me as an example of what life can be like if you pursue your dreams, and don't listen to the naysayers and "realists" who are always there to remind you that you could fail, and to question why you would try something that might not work out. Well, I would much rather try and fail at something extraordinary, that I love, than try and fail at something "safe", out of the fear of "what if".

So I am saying goodbye now to my old normal, everyday life, and hello to the new adventure I am beginning.

Wish me luck.

~Hannah ♥