May Highlights

I don't know about y'all, but my May just flew by! It was an awesome, eventful month that makes me smile every time I think about it.

I finally made myself a budget. I've been working on finding on that works for me for awhile, and this month I finally sat down and made one. I actually stuck to it, which was hard, but really satisfying!

I got to read outside while watching firefly's and listening to a whippoorwill. It was awesome.

I was mentioned in the dedication of a book for the first time ever.  Still in shock over here. That was probably the coolest thing to discover when I opened the book!

My sister and I had a silly string war. It was short but fun. =)

My survey on here was a success. Thank you to everyone who took it!

Jessica Grayson was at our house (She's my favorite author and an all around awesome person), and she just randomly asked me if I wanted to take selfies. So that's what we did for a long time, trying filters and laughed until my sides hurt. She's awesome. <3

I finished editing my story Andrea's Star that I wrote in November. I really love how this turned out. I've just got one small plot hole that I remembered that I need to smooth out, and then its done!

I got a yellow jacket sting that swelled and itched for three days. It wasn't fun, but it did look impressive. ;)

I chased the sunset with my dog.

I got computer glasses to cut down on the blue light from the screen. It's cut down on the eye ache caused by late night work and it doesn't look to bad in the process. ;)

I signed up for Beathny House's review program and I got my first book from them!

I got two new kittens Gray and Rani. They are adorable.

My jury duty was canceled.

My brother was giving me a driving lesson and we stopped at the top of a hill to watch the full moon as it rose pink.

S'mores. 'nuff said. 

Best book of the month is a tie between Kate's Dilemma by Sarah Holman and Kiera by Kate Willis. They were both incredible. I cannot wait until Kiera comes out and y'all can read it to! 

And my least favorite was Flipped. While the book had a great point, it had a lot of bad content.

Faithfullness Brin Lael 

Writers are like Plants The Left-Handed Typist 

The Problem with Grey Morality Writing is Life

Redefine and be Redefined A Purpose and a Promise 

Passion Planner Review Autumn's Reading's and Writings 

Don't Leave Change to Chance & Holes in the Literature World  Adventure Awaits

What is one fun thing you did this month?

Interview with Maddy

Sorry there was no Thoughtful post today but I was having trouble writing one. I think editing has temporarily taking the writing powers from me. ;P 

Anyway, I've got an interview with Maddy from Maddy's Digital Diary! 

Enjoy!

Hello Maddy, Welcome to The Bubblegum Ballerina!

Thank you so much! I'm glad to be here!

Could you tell us a bit about yourself? 

Sure! My name is Maddy and I'm a homeschooled 13 year old who loves to dance, bake, read, and of course... Take pictures. :) I'm the second

oldest of seven and I dance at Steps of Faith in Catersville GA.

How long have you been Blogging?

Two months. I'm new to the blogging world!

Why did you begin Blogging?

Well, my sister had a  blog ( Which I thought was cool) Also, I love taking pictures so I decided to start a photography blog :)

How did you choose your blog title?

Well, I really didn't know of any good name so I looked up names for a photography blog and second I saw Digital Diary, I knew that was the name I wanted.

Whats your favorite blog?

That's so hard to answers! A few that I really like are Precious Moments, Writing For His Glory, Trusting in the Lord, So Sophia, Uniquely You, Country Christian Girls,

Tombot in a Tiered skirt, The Short End of Things, Loving Our Creator, and Lilies of Grace, Sorry! That was more then a few...

What are some of your hobbies?

Dancing, photography, make crafts, and I'm trying to learn how to crochet.

What five words describe you best?

Fun, Crazy, Shy, Unique, Loving.

Whats your favorite book?

Any missionary stories!

Whats your favorite movie?

The Sound of Music!

Whats your favorite TV series?

I Love Lucy!!

What is your favorite color?

Green and light blue.

Whats your favorite animal?

Turtles and Rabbits.

Whats your favorite word?

Either Awesome or Fantistic.

Which do you prefer, email or phones?

Email! Definitely email!

Do you have a Pintrest account

No...

If you could meet one person who would you meet?

Either a friend of mine named Ashley or my two penpals :)

Who is your favorite fictional character?

I don't know!? I like them all!

Thanks for giving up your time so we could get to know you!

It was my pleasure! Thanks for asking me!

-Mikayla-

Interveiw

'Ello, first off, I want to apologize. You won't be getting a 'My Life' post this week because I wasn't able to upload the photos. =P I'll try not to miss next week! So, instead of a my life post I'll be sharing an interveiw with a good friend of mine, Micaiah! =D I hope you enjoy getting to know her and I hope you'll cheack out her blog http://adventuresbeyondthehorizon.blogspot.com/. =) 

The little guy is her nephew. =) 

Hello and welcome to The Bubblegum Ballerina, I'm so glad you have you here!

Hi! Thank you for having me! I’m happy to be here.

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a fourteen-year-old teenager, a Christian, a writer, a singer, an aunt to six, a sister to five, and a daughter and friend of Christ Jesus.

How long have you been Blogging? 

I have only been blogging since June of this year, but I love it!

Why did you begin Blogging? 

So I could talk about all the books, music, and movies that I love...without talking the ears off of my family members!

How did you choose your blog title? 

I love adventure fiction – or just adventure, period -  and I think that there are tons of adventures out there if you go and look. Hence the title ‘Adventures Beyond the Horizon.’

What’s your favorite blog?

Hmm...I would probably say Word Painters. My favorite author writes on Word Painters and there is a ton of good advice for aspiring writers!

What are some of your hobbies? 

I love reading, writing, singing, photography, rollerblading, and, recently, I’ve been interested in baking!

What three words describe you best? 

I’d say: Dramatic, creative, and adventurous. And that’s not just me talking...my family came up with those words! I had to ask. =) Oh, I can also be very bubbly.

What’s your favorite book? 

Brothers at Arms by John J. Horn is one, or To Birmingham Castle by Alicia A. Willis is another. They’re both amazing stories!

What’s your favorite movie? 

That’s a hard question! I don’t know! My favorite Disney movie is Tangled, and I’d say another movie that I like is The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

What’s your favorite TV series? 

Signed, Sealed, Delivered or When Calls the Heart from Hallmark! How could I pick? They’re both heartwarming and hilarious.

What is your favorite color? 

Blue/Turquoise.

What’s your favorite animal?

I love horses, polar bears, and my dog. =) I honestly wish I could own my own horse!

What’s your favorite word?

It may sound funny, but I like the words ‘fjord’ and ‘adventure.’

Do you write? If so, what’s your favorite genre?

I do, and I love writing historical adventure fiction - which happens to be the genre I enjoy reading!

Which do you prefer, email or phones? 

Email, definitely. I am kind of awkward on the phone...trust me!

Do you have a Pinterest account? If so, attach the link.

I do! I am new to Pinterest, but I love it! I could (and do!) spend hours on there... http://www.pinterest.com/micaiahkeough1/

If you could meet one person, who would you meet? 

Only one? =) Well, besides Jesus, I think I’d say either John J. Horn or Braden Russell!

Who is your favorite fictional character? 

Another hard question... I love both Lawrence and Chester Stoning from Brothers at Arms and Secret of the Lost Settlement by John Horn, but, if I had to pick just one, I think I’d say Millie Keith from the A Life of Faith: Millie Keith series by Martha Finley.

Thanks for giving up your time so we could get to know you!

Thank you! I had fun. =)

-Mikayla-

Interview with Jessica Joy

Hey everyone I've got an interview with one of my favorite bloggers, Jessica Joy over at (Almost ) Perfectly Pink!!

Hello and welcome to The Bubblegum Ballerina, I'm so glad you have you here!

            I'm glad to be here, Mikayla!  I'm so glad you asked me to do this! =)

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

            I can!  My name is Jessica, and I am 15 years old.  I am a home schooler, I have 3 siblings and I love to write.  I also enjoy driving (Got my permit in January!) and crocheting.  And I love my LORD Jesus. =)

How long have you been Blogging? 

            I started the blog I currently have last October.  I did have a couple of blogs when I was younger, but they were on a different website, and do not exist now. =)

Why did you begin Blogging? 

            To be honest, Mikayla, it was because of you!  I saw your (Mikayla's) account on NaNoWriMo.com and it said that she had a blog on Blogger.  I checked it out and thought that it would be fun to start blogging again!  I'm so glad the LORD lead me to her blog; both it and my own blog readers have been such an encouragement! =D  It's really as simple as that. =) 

How did you choose your blog title? 

            Haha.  Well, to start, I am absolutely TERRIBLE at choosing a name for anything.  So, at first, my blog name changed A LOT!  But a new clothing store came into town called “Almost Pink”  Well, it got me thinking about how God called us to be perfect, but we can't because we fall short.  But in Christ, he is perfect so we can just try our hardest.  We will never be perfect, but in Christ we can try our best, and hide behind His perfection.  Anyway, I love pink, and so the name “Almost Perfectly Pink” arose from that.  =)

Whats your favorite blog?

            Oooh, this is a toughy.  I follow so many wonderful blogs.  Mikayla's is one! =)  Also I really like Emalee's blog: http://according-toem.blogspot.com/  She is a wonderful blogger. =)  Jaime's blog at: http://diligentlywaiting.blogspot.com/ is a good one too.  Jaime is so funny!  I have a friend named Julia who also as a wonderful blog at: http://writingforhisgloryblog.blogspot.com/ and she has two sisters who also have blogs; Bree at: http://www.coverupforchrist.com/ and Sarah at: http://trustinginthelorddaybyday.blogspot.com/  I could go on and on!  =D

What are some of your hobbies? 

            Writing, driving (Squee!), swinging, crocheting, reading, watching movies, doing school, sketching with my sister, riding my bike, playing with my dog, visiting neighbors, baking, talking to elderly, going to church, laughing, and sleeping.

What three words describe you best? 

            Oh.  I love words, so I could probably come up with a couple that you've never heard of! ;)  Well, I suppose:  Responsible, Talkative, and Intimate 

Whats your favorite book? 

            Oh, this has got to be the toughest...I don't know.  The Bible, of course, but...ooh, I don't know.  LOL  Well, as far as non-fiction I really liked the book: I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris.  I also like the Nancy Drew novels.  But I have read SO many good books!

Whats your favorite movie? 

            And this is probably the easiest!  =D  Beauty and the Beast; the Disney movie.  I love that movie so much.  Course, there are a lot of other movies I like, but that one takes the cake. =)

Whats your favorite TV series? 

            Well, my family does not get TV, so I don't know any current shows.  But with my grandparents I really enjoy watching Perry Mason, and Colombo.  My family also enjoys Get Smart.  Old black-and-white shows. =)

What is your favorite color? 

            Well, this goes with my blog title, but pink!  I also like all pastel colors, so soft yellow, green, pink, blue, etc.  

Whats your favorite animal?

            Domestic wise, probably dogs.  I love goats, too.  As far as animals from the wild, my all-time favorite is the girraffe!  I love them so much!  I also love lions! =)

Whats your favorite word?

            Oh no...I love all words...Well, I can't decide on a favorite, so how about ones that are interesting?  Trichotillomania is an abnormal desire to pull out one's hair.  A sitzmark is a depression left in the snow by a skier falling backwards.  And a thank-you-ma'am is a bump or depression is a road.

Which do you prefer, email or phones? 

            It depends.  I like phones, but email is good because you can “talk” even if you aren't both available.  =)

Do you have a Pintrest account?

            I do.  The link to mine is: www.pinterest.com/dogs4jj or there is a link to it on my blog.  =)

If you could meet one person who would you meet? 

            Living or dead? Haha!  I guess I don't really care about meeting famous people so much as finding peoples story out.  I would much rather spend the afternoon crocheting at an elderly lady's home, or visiting an hospital then meeting the President. =)  As far as dead people, I think I would want to talk to some founders of our country, like George Washington.  =)

Who is your favorite fictional character? 

            I've always liked Nancy Drew. I could write a whole paragraph about other people but I guess I'll just leave it at that. =)

Thanks for giving up your time so we could get to know you!

            Thank you for letting me do this, it's been wonderful.  I enjoyed filling this out very much! =)  God Bless!

-Mikayla-

Interview with Michaela

Hey everyone I've got an interview with Michaela over at Stepping Toward The Son!

Hello and welcome to The Bubblegum Ballerina, I'm so glad you have you here!

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi, I'm Michaela *smiles and waves*. I am a child of the Almighty God and King, a reader, a blogger, a musician, a student, and a writer. I have a big family and our pets include two chickens. :)

How long have you been Blogging? 

I've been blogging since August 27, 2013.

Why did you begin Blogging? 

You're probably expecting me to say that I wanted to add another hobby to the already steep list; however, I kind-of wanted to have one because two of my other sister (one my younger sister) already had a blog, and it looked really fun so I was all like, "I really want to do this. I wonder what I could blog about. I wonder if my dad would say if I can." Anyway, I thought that the best thing to blog about would be God's truths found in Scripture with some other occasional posts about other things, too. So I asked my dad, and after a minute, he agreed. It was late at night, and after he told me yes and I told him thanks, I ran to my room, and honestly, I could have danced all night. I was so excited. LOL! :)

How did you choose your blog title? 

Well, I had recently bought a book called Stepping Heavenward, and I really liked the idea of a blog title that kind-of gave that same title. So I chose the name Stepping Toward the Son.

Whats your favorite blog?

My favorite blog has got to be Lianne Taimenlore. I love Kiri Liz and her blog - she's so sweet! :)

What are some of your hobbies? 

I love playing the guitar and singing with my sisters (we have a band); reading is a wonderful pastime as well; I love history class in school; and Pinterest is one of the greatest inventions the world has ever made. :)

What three words describe you best? 

Well, I always find these questions hard, but I asked my sisters, and they said that I'm: hilarious (actually they chose the terms goofy and silly, but hilarious means just the same thing), determined (they said obstinate, but determined sounds nicer), and dramatic (they said over-dramatic). LOL! XD

Whats your favorite book? 

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - it's amazing.

Whats your favorite movie? 

My favorite movie... I love several: Tangled, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and a bunch of others that I simply cannot remember right now! :)

Whats your favorite TV series? 

Don't watch TV.

What is your favorite color? 

Yellow.

Whats your favorite animal?

Pandas - they are so cute!

Whats your favorite word?

Seriously? I don't know! (Maybe dessert!)

Which do you prefer, email or phones? 

Email - I do not like talking on the telephone. 

Do you have a Pintrest account?

Yup, and I love it! http://www.pinterest.com/mostlyjustme/

If you could meet one person who would you meet? 

Um, I really don't know. 

Who is your favorite fictional character? 

This is so hard for me, since I love Anne of Green Gables, but I must say Elinor Dashwood of the novel Sense and Sensibility. :)

Thanks for giving up your time so we could get to know you!

*In a sing-song voice* Getting to know you, getting to know all about you... Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me... LOL! XD

-Mikayla-

Interveiw with Mikayla L.

Hey everybody! This post is part of a series I'm starting that's interviews with young bloggers. I hope you enjoy them!

Today I have Mikayla L. from a private blog. =) 

Hello and welcome to The Bubblegum Ballerina, I'm so glad you have you here!

Thanks for having me, Mikayla!

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Mikayla L, and I am 14 years old.I love to read and write. My favorite book is the Bible. I like to finish what I start, put on plays, blog, email my friends, hang out with friends, be with my family, go horseback riding, read about horses, look at pictures of horses, have parties, be loud, watch movies, play card games, enjoy each day, drink hot tea curled up on a chair with a good book, and have fun. And I can't seem to stop talking... like ever!

How long have you been Blogging? 

About two years now. My first blog is like my online diary. I write about everything awesome that happens to me =) My second blog is all about baking, and I post my favorite recipes there.

Why did you begin Blogging? 

I started my blog after my family took an awesome trip to Branson, Missouri, and I wanted to write it down so that I would never forget it. Then I started a new blog and turned my old one into a baking blog.

How did you choose your blog title? 

My personal blog is titled ' Moments with Mikayla' because I post about all the fun moments in my life. My other blog, ' The Cookin' Cowgirl'  was named after the fact that I am just that – a cookin' cowgirl!

Whats your favorite blog?

Hmm... I have so many favorite blogs! Some of them are The Bubblegum Ballerina, Future Homeschool Authors, Homeschool Authors, and Bits 'n' Spurs.

What are some of your hobbies? 

Writing and horseback riding. And does shopping count as a hobbie?

What three words describe you best? 

I had to ask my mom about this one ;) So she said she thinks I am intelligent, caring, and extroverted.

Whats your favorite book? 

Ember Flame by Kaycee Browning.

Whats your favorite movie? 

Disney Frozen

Whats your favorite TV series? 

Robin Hood by BBC

What is your favorite color? 

Light blue.

Whats your favorite animal?

Horses!!

Whats your favorite word?

Catastrophe. Pretty much because it is the longest word I know how to spell.

Which do you prefer, email or phones? 

I can't pick! As long as I am in touch with a friend, both are awesome.

Do you have a Pintrest account?

No. Maybe someday I will get one, though.

If you could meet one person who would you meet? 

Jesus.

Who is your favorite fictional character? 

Ember from Ember Flame. She has a big mouth and knows how to use it.

Thanks for giving up your time so we could get to know you!

Thanks again for having me!

-Mikayla-