#title inspired by the song “parking lots” by plums

[litany-writes]

parking-lot plum-tree

[toddcowrd]

do,,, aLL of the aesthetic asks

how,, how could you do this 2 me

flower crown: when did you last sing to yourself?

like two minutes ago :))

fairy lights: if a crystal ball could tell you the truth about anything, what would you want to know?

if the career i want to pursue is going to work out for me

daisies: what is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

i’ve done nothing noteworthy ever

but i was #1 rally champ in my region for soap box derby and i also won my local race and went to the world championships in ohio :))

1975: what is the first happy memory that comes to mind, recent or otherwise?

uuhhh i got a disney pass recently and have just been going to disney a lot which makes me v happy

matte: if you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living?

yeah man i would tell my crush that i have a crush on them, i would go get all the tattoos, all the piercings, i would prob go to a bunch of protests, and really just speak my mind all the time

black nail polish: do you have a bucket list? if so, what are the top three things?

perform in an original broadway musical as a lead role

meet daveed diggs

write and record a song 

pantone: describe a person close to your life in detail.

uhhhhhhhhhh shit man idk my friend carlos is super funny, has really bad eyesight, has just like the worst fashion sense, is sarcastic and mean af but watches all the same youtubers i do and we have so many inside jokes it’s crazy

moodboard: do you feel you had a happy childhood?

yeah, i think so. it wasn’t like super great but my parents supported the things i wanted to do and pushed me to succeed 

stars: when did you last cry in front of another person?

like a few months ago probably

plants: pick a person to stargaze with you and explain why you picked them.

my crush cause they’re super nice and i’m sure they would love to stargaze 

converse: would you ever have a deep conversation with a stranger and open up to them?

yeah man i overshare all the time :))

lace: when was your last 3am conversation with someone, and who were they to you?

one of my best friends jaque and i have 3 am conversations literally all the time 

handwriting: if you were about to die, and you could only say one more sentence to one person, what would you say and to whom?

i would tell my brother that i love him cause i can’t remember when the last time i said it was and i want him to know

cactus: what is your opinion on brown eyes?

i lov ‘em, i lov any color eye

sunrise: pick a quote and describe what it means to you personally.

“where you ought to go depends on where you want to get to” is a paraphrased quote that the cheshire cat says to alice and i’ve always interpreted it meaning if you want to get somewhere, you have to make it happen, and where you go and what you do should be what you want

oil paints: what would you title the autobiography of your life so far?

‘almost 16 years of bullshit’

overalls: what would you do with one billion dollars?

probably buy a bunch of makeup and theatre tickets, and i would buy my friends anything they wanted :)

combat boots: are you a very forgiving person? do you like being this way?

yeah i’m a really forgiving person and i like it but i also kind of hate it bc i fall for the same thing over and over bc i give so many chances to people that don’t deserve it

(see when: i dated a guy like 5 times bc he kept leaving me but then apologizing and promising to change)

winged eyeliner: write a hundred word letter to your twelve year old self.

i’m not going to do that, i’m sorry :((

my memory is really bad so idk what i was like or what i was doing and honestly this ask is long enough lmaoo

pastel: would you describe yourself as more punk or pastel?

punk

tattoos: how do you feel about tattoos and piercings? explain.

i love them with all my heart i’m gonna be covered in them one day but for now i just have my septum pierced

piercings: do you wear a lot of makeup? why/why not?

it depends, sometimes i’ll wake up and not want to do makeup, sometimes i’ll wake up and spend half an hour doing it

i also have to do heavy makeup for shows sometimes

bands: talk about a song/band/lyric that has affected your life in some way.

the entire american idiot album by greenday really affected me a few years ago and really pushed me to like,, be who i wanted to be? idk why but it made me care less what other people thought 

messy bun: the world is listening. pick one sentence you would tell them.

you have the right to your opinion unless it is condemning some one for something that is out of their control 

cry baby: list the concerts you have been to and talk about how they make you feel.

0 concerts :(

grunge: who in the world would you most like to receive a letter from and what would you want it to say?

uhh probably lin-manuel miranda and i’d probably just want some generic speech about never giving up and working hard so i could hang it somewhere and it would inspire me 

space: do you have a desk/workspace and how is it organised/not organised?

i do not have one but if i did it would wildly fluctuate between tidy and unruly 

white bed sheets: what is your night time routine?

i remove any makeup i wore that day, wash my face, slap some products on it, change for bed, get a glass of water, play some music, then get in bed

old books: what’s one thing you don’t want your parents to know?

uhh i really don’t keep secrets from my mom? she doesn’t know i’m bi but that’s just more of me not being ready to tell her rather than not wanting her to know

beaches: if you had to dye your hair how would you dye/style it and why?

it would be like deep blue with bangs bc that’s cute af

eyes: pick five people to go on an excursion with you. who would you pick and where would you go/what would you do?

my three best friends (jocsan, carlos, and jaque), em, and my friend kiara 

we would go to a theme park cause they’re fun and i love them 

11:11: name three wishes and why you wish for them.

to have clear skin cause my skin is horrid atm

to have the courage to tell someone that i think they’re attractive or that i have a crush on them cause i’m shy and nervous all the time

to be able to travel somewhere i’ve never been for fun cause i’ve only ever traveled for other reasons

painting: what is the best halloween costume you have ever put together? if none, make one up.

i wanted to be luna lovegood one year and i was going to get some ravenclaw robes, make Dirigible plum-shaped earrings (to keep away the nargles), get/make a copy of the quibbler, and make her glasses but no one sells ravenclaw robes :(

lightning: what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done while drunk or high?

i mean i’m under age so

psst i may have had ‘a few’ coolers once and then proceeded to kick ass in beer pong with my friend christian (though the cups were filled with water lmao we didn’t drink any beer) it wasn’t regrettable but it was frustrating for everyone else lmaoo

thunder: what’s one thing you would never do for one million dollars?

idk probably like eat someone

storms: you on only listen to one song for the rest of your life, or only see one person for the rest of your life. which and why?

i’d listen to fireflies by owl city cause i’ll never get tired of it

love: have you ever fallen in love? describe what it feels like to realize you’re in love.

i mean, for me it’s like an oh shit feeling followed by happiness and nervousness

clouds: if you’re a boy, would you ever rock black nail polish? if you’re a girl, would you ever rock really really short hair?

i probably wouldn’t cut my own hair short bc i love my long hair but anyone who wants to do either of those things is rad af 

coffee: what’s your starbucks order, and who would you trust to order for you, if anyone?

i would trust anyone it’s simple af i either get a vanilla bean with no coffee or a passion fruit iced tea lemonade sweetened

marble: what is the most important thing to you in your life right now?

uhh probably my friends and my choir class

[josie-wales]

As many of you may recall, I totally suck tail at finishing reading challenges. I have gone bust on every one I’ve attempted the past couple of years.

I’ve fallen behind on my Goodreads challenge for 2018 by 23 books thus far! LOL! I have to laugh to keep from crying!

At least I have a good excuse for failing miserably at the challenges for which I did sign up this year – I’ve been through a LOT of shitty – and amazing – changes lately.

Anyhow, I’m giving POPSUGAR’s 2019 Reading Challenge another shot – I adore the categories!

This coming year, I’ve decided that instead of simply cramming books onto a list to fill category requirements, I’m picking books based on what I want to read anyway.

This beyond brilliant technique will undoubtedly make it easier for me to at least partially complete 2019’s challenge!

A book becoming a movie in 2019…I was so happy when I stumbled across the fact that Nicola Yoon’s The Sun is Also a Star will be adapted for the big screen, releasing May 17, 2019.

I’ve loved this book since simply laying eyes on its cover. From what I’ve heard and read, I shall not be disappointed.

A book that makes me nostalgic…as a child I absolutely adored Laura Ingalls Wilder’s autobiographical Little House series.

I began rereading the books this year and up next is number four in the series, On the Banks of Plum Creek.

I’m thrilled to have begun rereading the Little House books – they truly transport me back into the throes of reading in my grade school’s library.

A book written by a musician…the Red Hot Chili Peppers are among my favorite bands; they’re seemingly ageless – the band members themselves as well as their songs.

As I’ve followed his band since at least middle school, I’ve wanted to read lead singer Anthony Kiedis’ memoir Scar Tissue ever since I stumbled across it a few years ago.

A book I think should be turned into a movie…This is a really tough one for me – I’m such a weirdo about books becoming movies so close to books’ original release dates.

OK, I’ve made an amazing – in my own mind – decision – the graphic novel series, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan is genius and should definitely be adapted into either a TV miniseries or movie.

Currently, I’m poised to read Vol. 7; however, I plan to read Vol. 8  and Vol. 9 as well in 2019. I’ve got to catch up with this amazing series!

A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads…I had to do some painstaking research – not really – into locating a book fitting this category.

As expected, classics and Harry Potter are the highest rated books on Goodreads. With over two million ratings, George Orwell’s 1984 is my choice!

A book with a plant in the title or on the cover…At first, I thought of doing – attempting – a reread of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, but, since I wasn’t too fond of the book the first time around, I’ve decided to take a different route with this category.

I’ve chosen a book that has been withering away on my TBR list for years, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

A reread of a favorite book…John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men has been special to me since reading it in middle school.

I’ve wanted to reread Steinbeck’s tale for a long time – I want to revisit the feelings the book elicited when I first read it.

A book about a hobby…As a perennial book lover, I was so excited to find out that there are seriously books ABOUT books out there!

Hence my choice to read Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson. Why haven’t I written a book about reading?!

A book I meant to read in 2018…Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell is the top book I really wanted to read this year; however, it wasn’t in the cards for 2018.

A book with “pop, “sugar,” or “challenge” in the title…I’m really looking forward to reading the first installment of the Dork Diaries series by Rachel Renee Russell – I have put it on library hold seemingly 5000 times!

So, I’ve decided to read the first two Dork Diaries tales and then read book three,Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star!

A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover…The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean was gifted to me by a blog swap buddy a couple of years ago and now I have a reason to read it! LOL!

I’ve been curious about it since receiving it and am excited to finally dive between its covers.

A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore…I will finally be delving into the first in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, The Lightning Thief, in 2019!

In the midst of reading two of Riordan’s other series, the Kane Chronicles and Magnus Chase, I’m looking forward to meeting another of the epic writer’s characters.

A book published posthumously…As much as I loved Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, it’s only natural that I should be interested in the author’s posthumously published Dragon Teeth!

What I find so interesting about Dragon Teeth is the fact that it’s not part of the Jurassic Park series. Although its subject matter appears to regard dinosaurs as well, I’m looking forward to a different take on the topic.

A book I’ve seen someone reading on TV or in a movie…Another tough category for me, I decided to go the easy route and choose a popular book discussed on the PBS limited series, The Great American Read!

I’ve never watched The Gilmore Girls, so I felt weird picking a book from Rory’s list. However, I do plan to undertake the reading challenge based on the show, so stay tuned!

Anyhow, I’ve chosen Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White.

Honestly, I can’t remember if I’ve ever read White’s children’s classic! I know the basics of the story, but will be glad to get the full experience of the emotional tale.

A retelling of a classic…I am so damn silly! I totally thought Hunted by Meagan Spooner is a retelling of Snow White! I just discovered that the book is, in fact, a twist on aanother tale as old as time, Beauty and the Beast, making me even more excited to devour it!

While I love a good retelling, especially of a fairy tale, I have never read one based on Beauty and the Beast, so this should be entertaining and different at the very least!

A book with a question in the title…I reread Caroline B. Cooney’s The Face on the Milk Carton this year and imagine my surprise and delight when I found that its sequel,Whatever Happened to Janie?, fits right into this challenge!

A book set on a college or university campus…I was astonished to find that I already want to read a college campus-based book, The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach.

Initially attracted by its cover and title, I’ve wanted to read The Art of Fielding for quite a while!

A book about someone with a superpower…G. Willow Wilson quickly became a favorite author when I was first introduced to her amazing Ms. Marvel series.

I’m thrilled about this category and have elected to read Wilson’s Ms. Marvel, Vol. 5: Super Famous!

A book told from multiple character POVs…I’ve never before been compelled to read Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells…until tonight, November 20.

I’m surprisingly excited about reading Wells’ novel, especially after seeing the cute cover – of course!

A book set in space…Yay for this category! I’ve been about to explode to read Arthur C. Clarke’s sci-fi wonder, 3001: The Final Odyssey.

I loved the first three books in Clarke’s series and can’t wait to find out how it ends!

A book by two female authors…I received a gorgeous copy of These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner via a now-forgotten-which bookish surprise box.

I’ve read Amie Kaufman’s writing with Jay Kristoff; however, have never read the work that is solely hers…I must do that.

A book with a title that contains “salty,” “sweet,” “bitter,” or “spicy”…I’m mixing it up just a tad for this category – by dropping the ‘y’ in “salty”!

So, I’m going for Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, which has also been on my TBR list for ages.

A book set in Scandinavia…this pick seems sort of obvious – at least to me! Anyway, I’ve chosen to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

Yet another book already on my TBR list and that I own [YAY], I’ve been really curious about it for a long time.

A book that takes place in a single day…I have only read J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, but, I’ve been curious for a while about the author’s Franny & Zooey.

Clocking in at just over 200 pages, maybe this one-day tale will take a single day to read!

A debut novel…Kara McDowell is the 2019 debut author I plan to read, as her first release, Just For Clicks, looks like it has grand potential to be adorable!

I love that the book gives credence to the wonderful world of blogging, drawing me in even further!

A book published in 2019…Angie Thomas has very quickly become one of my favorite authors.

Her debut novel, the incredibly powerful The Hate U Give resonates with my heart and soul very much, to my initial surprise.

I’ve chosen the sure-to-be-amazing-as-well On the Come Up, also by Thomas to fill this category. On the Come Up releases February 5, 2019.

A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature…While I believe I’d call the serpent Apophis mythological rather than totally imaginary, I’m still going with – another Rick Riordan book – The Serpent’s Shadow, the finale to the Kane Chronicles trilogy.

A book recommended by a celebrity I admire…At first, I was stumped by this category…there honestly aren’t many celebrities I admire anymore and I just don’t keep up with pop culture the way I did in the past.

Luckily, I found a recommendation by Prince Harry’s duchess, Meghan Markle!

Markle suggests reading The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I’ve wanted to read this book for ages, and finally I don’t have an excuse not to do so!

A book with “love” in the title…I am so stoked to read From Twinkle with, Love by Sandhya Menon!

I adored When Dimple Met Rishi, so my expectations are pretty high for this one!

A book featuring an amateur detective…it’s no secret that I’m still in love with Carolyn Keene’s beyond classic Nancy Drew books!

Since it’s so tough to choose which of Nancy’s adventures to read, I’m just going to pull a title out of my proverbial hat! And…I’m going with…The Witch Tree Symbol!

A book about a family…I read what seemed at the time like a TON of Shakespeare throughout high school English classes.

Among my top three favorite plays by the famous writer is King Lear, which follows the tragic saga of the play’s eponymous ruler and his daughters.

I have the full-cast play on Audible and definitely plan to listen to the performance!

A book written by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America…I’ve been really curious about Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, a Nigerian-American author, ever since its release.

This book seamlessly slides right into the challenge and is a must-read, so no-brainer here!

A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title…After perusing a Goodreads list regarding this topic, I chose Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races.

I’m really excited to have discovered this title on another challenge participant’s list. It’s really so obvious, it’s silly that I blanked on this category!

A book that includes a wedding…I’m finally at number 12 on my library’s waiting list to read Morgan Matson’s Save the Date and I couldn’t be more excited!

I have yet to read Matson’s work, so unless I get to something else by her before my official checkout date, this will [obviously] be my first!

A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter…Francis Scott Fitzgerald, legendary author of The Great Gatsby, is the one whose work I have chosen to be entertained by for this category.

This will be a rare reread for me, as, probably like many of you, I originally read the book as a sophomore in high school.

I vividly remember writing essay after essay about the symbolism and foreshadowing in Fitzgerald’s novel. My study of The Great Gatsby as a teen truly helped to expand my reading horizons.

A ghost story…The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is a tale with which I am unfamiliar, but have heard of, especially whenever the movie rendition was released.

I absolutely love to scare myself – via safe methods – and I’m excited to get to this one!

A book with a two-word title…The Pearl by John Steinbeck is yet another little, yet powerful, book I was assigned to read in grade school.

At the time of my initial reading of the story, I hated every word. Here’s to hoping that I will be able to appreciate Steinbeck’s work as an adult reader!

A novel based on a true story…Who in the world would have thought Agatha Christie’s mystery classic,  Murder on the Orient Express, was literally inspired by the kidnapping of Charles Lindburgh’s infant son, of which news had broken a few years prior to Christie’s drafting of the novel?

This fact simply blows my mind! I researched a tiny bit and found that the Lindburgh kidnapping was still hot news, more than likely serving as a muse for Christie when she wrote the story

A book revolving around a puzzle or game…A book I read in probably seventh grade, once again, of course, in English class,The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell, is one of those tales of yore that completely sticks out in my mind.

My favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR reading challenge…Because I love a good graphic novel, I’ve chosen to use the 2016 prompt to read one!

I’ve owned – and have been meaning to read – Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie M. Liu forever, so, no more excuses!

A “cli-fi” [climate fiction] book…I honestly rolled the hell out of my eyes when I saw this category, I mean seriously. But, these are the days in which we live – LOL!

I was beyond thrilled to find that Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake falls into this category. As I already have Oryx and Crake on my TBR list, I don’t have to frantically search for a filler book!

A choose-your-own-adventure book…All right – I can’t seem to find a book to fit into this category anywhere, so, stay tuned for this one!

An “own voices” book…I was so thrilled to see that Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is an own voices book!

I’ve been dying to start Han’s trilogy, but I am determined to get to it in 2019!

Read a book during the season in which it is set…I’ve picked another Maggie Stiefvater tale for this category, Shiver, the first in Stiefvater’s Wolves of Mercy Falls series.

I’ve never read a book revolving around werewolves, so this should be a cool step in a different direction.

A LitRPG book…I really didn’t want to read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. However, I shall bend for the category and read it!

A book with no chapters/unusual chapter headings/unconventionally numbered chapters…I am totally picking Dune by Frank Herbert for this one!

Two books sharing the same title…I find this category to be very interesting; I never would have dreamed of multiple books sharing titles – that’s something new to think about!

I have chosen to read The Lost World by Michael Crichton as well as The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom…Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll originated the saying “mad as a hatter”, making this age-old tale, which I have never actually read, fit perfectly here.

A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent…Since I am not fond of reading full synopses of books, I’m not totally sure that my pick exactly fits into this category; however, the priesthood and the Vatican are involved!

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough is a novel I’ve wanted to read ever since my mom recommended it to me many years ago – really excited about this one!

And there you have it, people – my proposed list for my self-induced relaxing, laid back attempt at completing POPSUGAR’s 2019 Reading Challenge!

I’m really excited about this year’s challenge categories, as well as about the books I’m seriously hoping – and wanting – to read!

Love, Maggie

Sweet Reads 2019 As many of you may recall, I totally suck tail at finishing reading challenges. I have gone bust on every one I've attempted the past couple of years.