WHAT'S UP IN MAY

Enjoying.... 

Spring weather. It's my FAVE.

Listening to....

A TON of new music. I have been thoroughly enjoying The Last Bison, Flannel Graph, Tow'rs, some of

The Oh Hello's,  and *ahem* Disney soundtracks. I may or may not have made a Spotify playlist for Disney/Pixar songs alone. Also enjoying Switchfoot's new song and there's never ever a 

time I'm not listening to NEEDTOBREATHE. ;)

Oh, and this playlist. (whoever made this, bless your heart)

Watching...

i. The Cosby Show. I found season two at our local library recently and I 'bout cried.

Anticipating...

My baby sister's arrival! My mom is a week and two days overdue. Which is normal

for her.

Reading...

Son by Lois Lowry. It's the fourth book in The Giver quartet and lemme tell you. It is so sad.

It is absolutely heart-wrenching! And especially if you've read the other books. I can't even

begin to explain this book. I just finished it a couple nights ago and it is a new favorite. 

Although my heart is torn to pieces, it is an amazing book.

Wearing...

Still tunics upon tunics, and still black gladiator sandals.

Wow.

Fangirling over...

Um.... Son.....

Drinking...

Still Earl Grey. WHY DO I NEVER CHANGE??! Well, Becca did tell me to try honey in it and I did. 

So  technically I did change it up a bit. And it was life-changing. Hehe

Missing...

People.  Places I've never been. You know, the usual ;)

Craving...

You know what sounds good.... BUFFALO DIP

*random fangirling starts here*

Jo: *obnoxious grin* "Are you shocked?!"

Laurie: "Very."

Playing...

*ahem* Disney songs and NTB. I really never change, do I?

THEY ARE JUST SO GREAT TO PLAY ON EVERYTHING!

Hoping...

Summer is a blast and I find things to do with my ridiculous amount of free time.

TEAM PANCAKE VS TEAM WAFFLE

So once upon a time, there was a Twitter war between Rachel, Abbie, Katie, and Olivia over pancakes vs waffles. Which turned into an Instagram war which I got involved in. Very much involved in. Now everyone has their team name in their bio and we even made a group chat with Rachel, Grace, Mary Shelley, Abbie, Olivia and I where we continued to rant but also talk about totally irrelevant things BUT YOU GET THE POINT. I am #TeamPancake. I stand proud. I will always be here to give support to my team. My destiny is to prove that PANCAKES ARE LITERALLY SO MUCH BETTER THAN WAFFLES. i mean waffles are amazing and all but i just really prefer pancakes ok

So Rachel made this AWESOME tag and of course, as a proud #TeamPancake member, I will participate.

SO LET'S GO!

RULES:

i. Thank/link the person who tagged you.

ii. Answer the questions.

iii. Tag 5 people. (obviously to make this war even more legendary)

iv. Include your favorite waffle or pancake recipe. (Optional)

QUESTIONS:

i. Describe your ideal pancake/waffle in three words.

ii. If you could eat pancakes/waffles with anyone in the world, living or dead, fictional or real, who would you want to eat with?

iii. Top three condiments to put on your pancakes/waffles?

iv. Describe why you think pancakes/waffles are better than the other option?

v. If you could make your pancakes/waffles into any shape or size, how would you make them?

MY ANSWERS:

i. Light, golden brown, and very fluffy. (isn't this everyone's pancake wish though..?)

ii. Ummm... Wow... Maybe like the whole NEEDTOBREATHE band?? Okay, that's more than one person. Maybe Elizabeth Bennet?? I feel like we would be best friends. We both got sass and we both got wit. ;)

iii. Syrup (obvs), Peanut butter (for sure), and chocolate chips (always). RACHEL, WE LITERALLY HAVE THE SAME ANSWERS AND I'M NOT EVEN TRYING *laughing emojis*

iv. Pancakes are easier to cut (#priorites), the condiments are easy to spread (unlike waffles where you have these ridiculous boxes where everything gets trapped in), and if you put things inside the pancakes like blueberries or chocolate chips, they don't burn.

v. umm... well... OH I'D MAKE IT INTO A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT OR SOMETHING! LIKE A GUITAR! PIANO! UKULELE! BANJO! ANYTHING! yes. that's what I'd do.

(and um about that pancake recipe... i'm with rachel and i don't have one and i suggest the boxed stuff just like brownies)

I TAG:

JACYRAYN

MARY SHELLEY

AVA

 AND YOU!
(yes I totally broke the rules, I know)

#TEAMPANCAKE WILL PREVAIL! ONWARD! -a xx

UPDATE (A.K.A RANTS)

Heyyy, you guys!

Terrible Blogger Award goes to moi.

I haven't been posting much of anything except my #growingtolive segments and poetry Wednesday.

I'm sorry.

I have been working on two very lengthy posts for you all that are both dear to my heart, so I guess 

that's what's been taking up my blogging time. And also the fact that my mom is three days overdue, 

my friend is staying with me over the summer, and just normal business as well. Shew!

I have, however, have just submitted a post at Argonaut Nation!

It's an iPod only, spring photo booklet. So you can go enjoy that while I cook up those posts!

I also dip-dyed my hair last night and it turned a really weird teal-grey. It's cool-looking but weird.

Pictures maybe? Would you like that? Okay.

ALSO MY BEATS HEADPHONES COME TODAY AND I'M RIDICULOUSLY EXCITED.

Okay, there's not really much else to say, to be honest. I'm really boring. I don't do much. Music and

watercolor are what I do with my life. And I occasionally decide to be a decent person and actually blog.

It's a problem, by hobbies are. The dining room table is my best friend. I eat here, do school here, play

music here, watercolor here, blog here, do everything here. It's a problem. At least I'm productive, I 

guess. I mean at least I'm not a typical teenager and just sit and watch Netflix all day. I actually never

watch any Netflix... Partially because the scarcity of good, clean shows and partially because I don't

know why. I just don't. I MEAN COME ON, I HAVEN'T EVEN FINISHED DOWNTON YET 

BECAUSE I LITERALLY NEVER WATCH T.V. I really should finish Downton. I really should. Really.

I am sitting at the dining room table (as always) and looking into the kitchen and seeing how messy it is

when I literally just cleaned it ten minutes ago. Big family problem #455839693639263792263836294.

THAT, my friend, is the real problem. Not my dining room table habits. snd hlp plz.

TALK TO MEH.

What do you think I should do with my life? Is my dining room table habit bad? Do you share my

 kitchen struggle? Am I a ridiculous, terrible blogger? What are your views on Netflix? Am I the 

only one who laughs every time I see Donald Trump's face? Justify me??????

k so bye fellow martians

i come in peace i guess

-a

POETRY WEDNESDAY

This is an extremely famous poem and I'm sure you've all heard it, but it's fantastic nonetheless :)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, 

And sorry I could not travel both 

And be one traveler, long I stood 

And looked down one as far as I could 

To where it bent in the undergrowth; 

Then took the other, as just as fair, 

And having perhaps the better claim, 

Because it was grassy and wanted wear; 

Though as for that the passing there 

Had worn them really about the same, 

And both that morning equally lay 

In leaves no step had trodden black. 

Oh, I kept the first for another day! 

Yet knowing how way leads on to way, 

I doubted if I should ever come back. 

I shall be telling this with a sigh 

Somewhere ages and ages hence: 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— 

I took the one less traveled by, 

And that has made all the difference.

"The Road Not Taken"

-ROBERT FROST-

#GROWINGTOLIVE V

Yayayyyayay! We're back! I am so, so sorry I didn't manage to post a segment last week.

I was really busy and there wasn't much to post anyways. And I also missed the April playlist.
I stink. BUT I AM WORKING ON MAY'S SO IT'S ALL GOOD!

Let's get into it!

This week's quote is:

"You have to be the person who can make the best out of a Tuesday. You know those

people who live for the weekends? They're wishing their life away. You have to find 

something worth living for or else you'll look back and realize you've wasted your 

life away."

-DREW MARVIN-

 NINA:
// blog // ig post //

(Nina posted a video but I'm in a rush, so I'll just tell you to click the link^ and go watch it! It was FAB!)

Make art, be art.

#vangogh #art #hipster #growingtolive

(Nina, I love this so much it's unreal.)

 ME:

sometimes you just need to sit on a hammock and draw messy crystals.

#growingtolive #theartofslowliving #watercolor

You know the drill. Use the hashtag. I'll post it.

much love guys,
aaliyah xx

POETRY WEDNESDAY

I taught myself to live simply and wisely,

to look at the sky and pray to God,

and to wander long before evening

to tire my superfluous worries.

When the burdocks rustle in the ravine

and the yellow-red rowanberry cluster droops

I compose happy verses

about life's decay, decay and beauty.

I come back. The fluffy cat

licks my palm, purrs so sweetly

and the fire flares bright

on the saw-mill turret by the lake.

Only the cry of a stork landing on the roof

occasionally breaks the silence.

If you knock on my door

I may not even hear.

"I Taught Myself to Live Simply"

-ANNA AKHMATOVA-

MY LIST OF HAPPY

Things that make me ridiculously happy:

 

music that sends chills through my body

indigo

constellations

really good chocolate

quotes

newborn babies

snail mail

laughing so hard your ribs grow sore

vintage milk bottles

records

brush fonts

inside jokes

period dramas

concerts

gelato

books so good you could cry

iced caramel macchiatos

downtown

really good headphones

murals

folk dances

vans and converses

sunsets

vintage prints

history

big words

random, sweet texts

hole in the wall shops

polaroids

journaling

cacti

black and white graphic tees

bonfires

introvert time

road trips

POETRY WEDNESDAY

When despair for the world grows in me 

and I wake in the night at the least sound 

in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, 

I go and lie down where the wood drake 

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. 

I come into the peace of wild things 

who do not tax their lives with forethought 

of grief. I come into the presence of still water. 

And I feel above me the day-blind stars 

waiting with their light. For a time 

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

-WENDELL BERRY-

"The Peace of Wild Things"

#GROWINGTOLIVE IV

I'm back with the fourth segment of #growingtolive!

It's so exciting to have things to share with you every week.

A big thank you to everyone who participates!

This week's quote is:

Wake up early. Drink coffee. Work hard. Be ambitious.

Keep your priorities straight, your mind right, and your head up.

Do well, live well, dress really well.

Do what you love, love what you do.

It's time to start living.

AVA:

// blog //

Inspired by lyrics from Etta James' song, "At Last"

#watercolor #growingtolive #heart #clover

VERONICA:

Exploring old buildings with @growinginhisimage 

#growingtolive

ME:

I don't think I've ever had so many goosebumps in my life.

#nataliegrant #growingtolive #WEWININTHEEND! #beonetour

 As always, email me at growinginhisimage@yahoo.com or DM me on 

Instagram (@growinginhisimage) to be feautured!

HELLO MAY | GOALS

My momma, very much pregnant! She has gotten much bigger since this picture was taken!

Hey, you beautiful people!

April was a fabulous month. I'm sure May will be too :)

This month we will be welcoming my new baby sister into the world!

I don't think this month could possibly get any better than that.

Let's grade my goals and set some more!

i. Finish Death Comes to Pemberley.

A+! I finished not only this book but another, and started a new one!

So happy that I'm reading so much.

ii. Continue practicing music every day.

A+! I honestly don't see why this is a goal, though.

I can't go a single day without music! 

iii. Keep on keeping on with my Hebrew.

A+. I am learning more of the alphabet and a few words!

iv. Get the Multiplied picking pattern down pat.

Eh.. I'll give it an A. I have the pattern down, but I'm still not very fast yet.

GOALS FOR MAY:

i. Finish Son (from The Giver quartet)

ii. Learn more banjo and hopefully, get the gist of clawhammer.

iii. Hebrew, Hebrew, Hebrew.