January Appreciation Post

It's always good to be grateful! Here's why I'm grateful for January (yes, I know it's February now...actually, it's almost March...!).

Rainbows at colleges I've been accepted to!!!

Nature!

Tapestry!

Road trips with family & books!

Scoooot...!

Chapstick & <3s!

Crochet hearts

Fruit tarts w/ Mom!

Starbird w/ Dad!

Thanks! See you soon!

-Finn

More SNL Videos to Watch (Part 4)

Are you bored? Here are some more of my favorite SNL skits:

1. Beep Beep

Men compete for space for their dishes at a Christmas dinner party.

2. Pregnant Coworker

At her baby shower, the pregnant coworker reveals something that changes everything.

3. Girl at a Bar

Many men take a shot at flirting with a woman at a bar, but it doesn't go to plan.

4. Little Orphan Cassidy

Little Orphan Cassidy wonders why nobody wants her.

5. Make Your Own Kind of Music

A record company is thrilled to hear Mama Cass's new song.

6. Tiny Horse

A boy must say goodbye to his best friend.

7. Washington's Dream

Washington tries to boost the morale of his men by describing his dream for the future.

8. 1920's Party

A woman is "forced" to sing at a holiday party.

9. Flight Announcement

Two flight attendants do their best to calm the passengers in an emergency.

10. Hamm & Bublé

Two men describe their incredible new restaurant and how it came to be.

That's it for now! Please check these out! See you later <3

November Appreciation Post

Hi! November has been crazy! Here are some things I'm super grateful for (I'm super grateful for finishing you-know-what but I don't want to jinx anything so I'm not going to mention you-know-what until you-know-when when you-know-what hopefully happens...)

What I loved about this 2023 November:

Really, really, really good books.

More really, really, really good books.

Kitties that love to model.

The freedom of crocheting!

Trying new food with family.

Sweaters on pets!

I'm also grateful for:

-Photos will family acting weird

-Thanksgiving cookies

-Thanksgiving spice cake

-Thanksgiving roasted brussel sprouts & asparagus

-Family

& much more...

Thanks for visiting!! See you again soon.

October Appreciation Post

Gratitude is very important. Expressing our gratitude of others lets them know that we appreciate them. It is also important because it helps US! If we stay more in the present and appreciate the spices in our food, the type of clouds in the sky, and the jacket on our back, we teach ourselves to appreciate even more of the little things in every day life.

Here are a few things I’m grateful for this month of October!

Great books!

Beach parties with friends!

Racing strong!

Mochi baby! ❤️

Friends and ☀️

Senior Picnic go-kart racing!

Neurons with myelin sheaths 🙏

My last HOCO ever! #2024

Thanks for visiting! See you again soon. ❤️

September Appreciation Post

First of all, I know it's October. Anyways...

Here are some of my September highlights!

Spooky season!

Half-price books!

Racing in SF!

Jack's Urban Eats!

Little kitties!

Glass noodles!

SO GOOD

Weighted stuffed animals!

Once Upon a Broken Heart <3

(I review books on my Instagram! @shelbys_shelff

What are you grateful for?

Thanks for visiting! See you again soon!

My Favorite Quotes (Part 1)

I hope that one of these quotes will stick with you.

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." 

-Dr. Seuss

"Be there for others, but never leave yourself behind."

-Dodinsky

"Empathy is...communicating the incredibly healing message of, 'You are not alone.'"

-Brené Brown

"Work hard at work worth doing."

-Theodore Roosevelt

"Once she stopped rushing through life, she was amazed how much more life she had time for."

-Unknown

"Friendship is the golden thread that ties the heart of all the world."

-John Evelyn

"Be brave enough to be bad at something new."

-Unknown

"I exist as I am, that is enough."

-Walt Whitman

Thanks! See you later!

Little Fun Things (Part 1)

Little Fun Things (Part 1)

    When I finish listening to the good part of a song, I change it and pick a new song. When I finish listening to the good part of that song, I change it again and start the next song. It's the same with books. If the book grows boring, I stop reading and pick another. And it's the same with art. I used to try to draw realistic pictures with colored pencils, but after a while, I would grow tired of it and switch to another drawing. Right now, I'm painting myself as someone with little patience. However, I actually don't think of myself like that. In many aspects of my life, I am incredibly patient. Often, when I decide to do something, I will stick with it, like with schoolwork and hobbies like crocheting. But what makes crochet different from something like drawing? Why am I willing to put more time and effort into it? It's quite simple. I love it! 

    As cheesy as it sounds (it's true, though), I've learned that life is too short to do things that make you unhappy. You might think that if you put 10,000 hours into learning how to sew, for example, you'll finally master it and be happy. But if the learning process of sewing feels tedious and boring, why stick with it? Why continue if the journey doesn't make you happy, too?

    In short, I like to try new things. I want to expand and grow, but if I try something for a little bit and I don't really connect with it, I'm going to set it aside and try something new instead. A patient person does not need to be patient with every part of their life. It's okay to decide, "I don't want to do this anymore," and pick up something else that will make you excited to do it. 

    It's like using a tiny magnet to pick up heavier pieces of metal. The magnet will not pick up most of the metal, but it might pick up a few shards. As I try new things in my search for new hobbies, I don't expect I'll stick with most of them. But it's likely I'll find a few that really hit deep if that makes sense. 

    It's all about experimenting. When I see cool crafts on Tik Tok, Instagram, or YouTube, I save them and come back to try them when I have some extra free time. 

    Here are some little fun things to try! Maybe one of them will become your new hobby. Or maybe you'll think all of them are SUPER boring. Regardless, you might as well try one of them out! Who knows what you'll discover...

1. Mini Books

I love to read, but I don't like to spend money. And books are very expensive. Many of the books I read are not physical copies; I might download them from Libby onto my Kindle, or from Anna's Archive onto my phone. If you read digital copies but still want a physical one like me, you can make mini books. 

How do I make mine?

1) Save pictures of your book's front cover, spine, and back and insert them into a blank template on Canva.

2) Arrange the inserted pictures next to each other. From left to right: back, spine, front cover.

3) Download it, print it, and cut it out. 

4) Fold the paper along the seams of the spine to create a "book shape."

5) Cut a piece of cardboard. The size will depend on how large the book cover is.

6) Glue the cover to the cardboard. Do not glue the spine to the edge of the cardboard.

Note: There are many free YouTube tutorials!

from Glowforge Owners Forum

2. Macramé Beaded Bracelet/Necklace

How to make a macrame bracelet with beads by Angeera Creations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqvuaBTJsXw

3. Paint by Numbers Kit

from Amazon

4. Collage with Magazines

from FeltMagnet

5. Book Nook

from Etsy

Thanks for visiting! See you soon!

June Appreciation Post

It's officially summer, so I'm trying to slow down even more. Even though I'm quite busy with summer running in the mornings, a job at an animal hospital in the afternoons, and crochet pattern designing (in hopes of launching my own small business in the future!) every other part of every day, I'm trying to appreciate everything I don't need to do now that it's break (wake up before 7am every morning, take pages and pages of notes, and study for Pre-Calc tests ;D).

Here's what I'm especially grateful for this month (the first month of SUMMER!):

Quiet reading time.

Blank canvases.

Time with family.

New feline friends.

Bike rides with friends.

More quiet reading time ;)

My cow socks, my protective scrubs, and my comfortable Crocs.

Thanks for visiting! Hope to see you again soon!