Sailor Moon and Storytelling

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I was messing around on Facebook today and saw something on my feed that got me very excited.

Sailor Moon - an anime series I'd loved since childhood - had been remade over the past year, and the first episode officially premiered today. I watched it and loved it, and it brought back so many memories.

It got me thinking about how I got into Sailor Moon in the first place.

When I was younger, I was interested in tons of things. I was into Barbies, but I was also into Legos, for example. I was encouraged to really explore these interests, and I think this helped me figure out what my favorite hobbies were.

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Then, I somehow started watching Sailor Moon when it was on Cartoon Network. It was a game-changer. I was totally engrossed by the idea of superheroes who were girls. Not only were they pretty, they were tough, and they helped others. Plus, I loved the story because there was so much to it. It was a story about love, friendship, and just how good beats evil always.

Eventually, pretty soon after I started watching the show, I started to get into drawing. My drawings were very much inspired by Sailor Moon, but I began to develop my own characters, plots, and even comics as I went along. Then, I began to experiment with putting those adventures to paper.

Sailor Moon didn't just get me into drawing. It got me into storytelling.

Years later, I would draw on and off, get into art school, transfer out, decide that I wanted to be a writer, graduate with an English degree, and begin brainstorming for my writing samples to send to potential graduate schools. It's crazy how my creative ventures have changed over the years, but rewatching Sailor Moon reminded me that going back to your roots can be a really, really fun and inspiring thing. :)

Is there something from your childhood - be it a show, a book, or a memory in general - that inspires you?

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth, y'all! :)

This holiday has so many wonderful memories for me. I absolutely love spending the day with family, whether we're home or somewhere further away. Also, I'm so thankful to celebrate the blessing we have living here, and I'm thankful for the brave men and women who serve to protect our nation.

Today, I'm going to celebrate the 4th with my family with dinner, then watch some fireworks at my church. :)

Hope y'all have a wonderful and safe day!

Apps I've Been Loving Lately

I love playing with new apps. I really, really do - especially photo apps.

Whenever I see an interesting app crop up, I get excited. Sometimes these new apps are good, some are meh, and some I just can't see myself using on the regular. However, I've found a few new apps that I've really enjoyed.

Litely

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This app boasts simple, film-like filters that lightly edit photos (lightly...get it? haha!).

I love it for its subtle editing. I use this when I don't really feel like heavily editing photos, and I can directly import photos into Whitagram (or any other photo cropping app) for further tweaking before I post them to Instagram. I'd also compare this to VSCO cam, too, but with more subtle editing and easier features (at least in my opinion).

Little Moments

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This is a newbie to my collection. However, after playing with this app some, I can tell you right now that it's a favorite.

The stickers and phrases you can use are fabulous and adorable, the color options are great, the filters are surprisingly extensive (especially compared to A Beautiful Mess - an all-time favorite of mine), and - this is the best part - the have photo prompts built into the app. Ever wanted to try those monthly photo challenges? Now you have them at your fingertips!

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Crop Video Square

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I'm aware that there are other apps like this, but I really love this video cropping app just because 1) the colors are easier to pick from, 2) you don't have to have it be 15 seconds if you don't want to, and 3) you can tilt the video, which adds interest to your feed. 

Here's what I mean:

Instaplace

Have you seen me tag photos on my Instagram with places? I've been using this app to do it.

My mom introduced this app to me. It uses your location - via wifi or cell tower - to tag your location and create an overlay with it to use on your photos. It's fun to make these at different locations. :)

Monogram It

I'm a fan of monograms. Maybe it's just the South in me, or maybe it's just the fact that I honestly get excited when I see my name on things - Savannah was an uncommon name back when I was little. But I digress.

This app is a great way to make your own monogram wallpapers right on your phone. You have so many options in fonts, backgrounds, and colors, and you can also use your own images. It's honestly the best monogram app I've ever used. Plus, it's compatible for iPads, too!

Here are some I've made:

Bloglovin'

Of course, a blog-related app is on this list. ;)

I didn't think that this app would be used as much as my other social media - especially since I prefer reading my favorite blogs on a desktop - but I actually really love it. It's fabulous for travel and catching up on blogs on the go.

What apps have you been loving lately?

My Classic Literature Favorites

I was an English major in college. That came with reading a ton of books - as one would probably expect. Some of these were good, some were bad, and some were just...eh.

However, I do have some favorite classic lit, and I'd love to share it with you. I personally want to get into classics again - along with YA fiction/fantasy/adventure/whatever strikes my fancy at the moment - now that I'm a postgrad and can select whatever books I want to read. I hope that my list of classic literature recommendations gets you into classics again, too. :)

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

This one's a favorite on so many levels. I appreciate this story a lot more now than when I first read it in high school, just because as I've gotten older, I've realized how awesome it is to be book-smart and have common sense (like Elizabeth) and how generosity and adoration really pay off in romance (as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy shows us).

I love the spin-off's, too. My favorites are Bride and Prejudice, Austenland, and the Lizzie Bennett Diaries.

Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare

I decided to do a research project on this play in high school, and wound up really getting into this story. I don't really love the story itself - I mean, who wants the main characters to meet an untimely end? In spite of that, though, the story is timeless and the idea of star-crossed lovers has been present in literature - and media - for such a long time. Also, this play had me interested in reading a ton of Shakespeare while in high school and college.


The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis

I saved the best for last again - this is my all-time favorite classic. It's a huge part of my life for many reasons (and its significance will have to have its own post at some point), but it was one of my childhood favorites for its fantasy, its characters, its plot, and especially its allegory.

I was able to read the entire series back in middle school (it was assigned reading). The rest of the series is good, but LWW is my favorite. I recommend the whole series, too, but please, please start with this book, then read The Magician's Nephew. It makes the twist at the end of that one AMAZING. :)

(All images from this post are from listings on Amazon.)

Want to see what I've been reading/what I want to read? Follow me on Goodreads here. 

Hope you liked this list! What are your favorite literary classics?

Mason Jar Candles

On a recent trip to Bath & Body Works, I discovered something that I'd never really seen before (and I'm probably late to the party for): mason jar candles. The semi-annual sale was still going on, so I was able to get a good deal on three of them. They come in a ton of scents, and they are changed out with the seasons, and I'm so happy with the scents I chose.

Also, mason jars are so southern to me, and I love it. Being from the South, I adore the classic "southern" things: screened porches, sweet iced tea, biscuits, and being able to use a mason jar - plain or painted - for anything. :)

Here are the mason jar candles I picked out and absolutely love. Please note one of these is available online, and others I found in-store, but couldn't find them to purchase on the website:

Garden Strawberry

Simple and pure, sun ripened strawberries are highlighted by mango nectar and soft peach blossoms.

Fruity and sweet scents are my favorite, so it's no surprise that this wound up being one of the candles I picked out. It's not too overwhelming, and it's a fabulous scent for summer.

Pink Lemonade Pound Cake

A delicious combination of two classic bakery treats includes notes of freshly squeezed lemon, rich cake, and ripe raspberries.

This scent and the next are the ones I was the most excited about, as pastry-related anything makes me super happy. I heard about this one through YouTube, and I was so happy that this smelled as good as it sounds. It smells just like a lemon pound cake, and I love it. 

Red Velvet Cupcake

Treat yourself to the most popular cupcake in the bakery - scrumptious red velvet cake topped with rich, creamy vanilla frosting.

I'm totally saving the best for last here. Red velvet cake has a special place in my heart in general - I first had one made for me for a birthday back when I was homeschooled (in my elementary/middle school years) and I've been hooked ever since. It's amazing how it smells exactly like a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting.

Have you seen mason jar candles at B&BW? Do you like them? If so, what scents do you like?