oh look, it's 2020


this was meant to go up last year, but I'm a bit late. so. pardon my tardiness. hope you don't mind reading another recap xD

the yearly recap posts are my absolute favorites. favorites to read, favorites to write. I love looking back and counting all the blessings. so here we are again, another year over. another recap due. LET'S GET INTO IT.

[BLOGGING] to be fair, my blogging has slowed down quite a bit this year. not that I regret it, exactly. it's been a year of trying to figure out where I'm going with this, what I want from this, how to continue this in the best way possible. how to GROW this. how to let this grow along with me, because it's hard. it's tempting to want to leave it just as it began, but that is not my purpose.

some of my better posts:

more on this whole blogging thing next year. we'll see where it takes me.

[WRITING] I did not start new books, I did not finish old books, I did not achieve anything significant. yes, I wrote. no, not obsessively, like in the past. I think one of my greater achievements in this field was writing for oh beloved one. I learned so much more than I ever expected, mostly about how amazing it is to write nonfiction. I learned from the actual act of writing an article about a subject I hadn't thought about much before. Most significantly :

/ there are many ways one can discover their purpose, and you can learn from other people's lives; in this case, how they discovered their PURPOSE may give you some hidden insights on how to look for yours
/ you are meant to be VICTORIOUS. it's not a maybe. it's a fact.
/ your IDENTITY may not depend on what you do, but what you do makes up part of your identity. 
/ we are not enough and that's okay because God is, which is why we DEPEND on him. and this how we get to know him better.
/ why we are asked to LOVE others.
[BOOKS] a recap isn't a recap without recapping WHAT I READ. I read 53 book this year, which is so much less that the 80+ I've been reading the past few years. BUT IT'S OKAY. who really needs to read that much as long as the books you read are worth it??


best new titles :

/ do hard things (alex and brett harris)
/ the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society (mary ann shaffer)
/ bakuman (tsugumi oba)
/ love, henri (henri nouwen)
/ small damages (beth kephart)
/ the cruel prince & the rest of the trilogy (holly black)
/ romanov (nadine brandes)
/ harry potter and the philosopher's stone (j. k. rowling)
/ 100 days of sunlight (abbie emmons)
/ the mark of the raven (morgan l. busse)
/ with the fire on high (elizabeth acevedo)
/ honorary mention goes to the kids books my mom read aloud to my siblings that I also listened to and liked way too much for my own good - namely, The Imagination Station, Castle Glower, and Tom Austen mysteries.
[ON SCREEN] might as well continue with this list, since movies are a big thing for all of us. I learned this year that I don't like watching movies by myself... laughing about it isn't the same.

/ lego movies. most notably lego ninjago: masters of spinjitsu and lego batman. yes, I'm secretly still a child.
/ how to train your dragon: the hidden world. waited for this one for years and it was beautiful and it was amazing.
/ the lion king. there's no feeling like watching a movie you already know and ADORE for the first time ... contradictory, I know.
/ the incredibles 2. yes this appears to be the year of sequels and remakes.
/ the peanut movie. far more adorable than I expected.
/ foyle's war. a historical mystery series we were far too invested in in the beginning of the year.
/ tolkien. while I was slightly disappointed at the lack of C. S. Lewis and how short a timeline this covered, it was a very emotional biography. I think I'm into these biographical films.
/ abominable. saw this like three hours before 2020.
/ the help. the aesthetic of this movie was gorgeous.
/ star wars: a new hope. I was slightly worried it would be too old for me, but despite the obvious age in the visual effects, the story and characters were as brilliant as anything they could have written today.
[IN MY HEADPHONES] still listening to spotify regularly, even though not as much as last year according to my stats (but maybe that's just because my sister wasn't sharing my account anymore). (also maybe it's because for one month I abandoned spotify and listened to downloaded music instead. 200+ songs on repeat.) ccm and pop still top my charts but I was happy to see that indie acoustic is now my third top genre. I love it. it fits my book and it fits the weather over here. 

TOP 100 SONGS OF THE YEAR, by spotify.

other loves:

/ entire inspired by true events album by tori kelly
/ hymns vol. 1 and hymns vol. 2 by shane and shane
/ ptx. everything by ptx. but especially waving through a window.
/ linsey stirling's new album artemis
/ 1000 nights
/ live it well
/ you'll never be alone
/ someone to you
/ shoulders back
/ fools marching
/ kaleidoscope
/ wonders
/ all in
/ till I found you
/ wake up
/ ghosts
/ must have been the wind
/ saved
/ coastlines

[LIFE STUFF THAT HAPPENED]

JANUARY // skating / smoothies / christian nonfiction / a very bad flu / snow storms / science exam. FEBRUARY // still sick / started making travel videos / started taking a lot of photos / got into using brush pens / lego movies. MARCH // coffee / marsh mellow roasts / hand lettering / brush pens / manga / watercolors / still sick. APRIL // recovering / camp nanowrimo / watercolor florals / going to parks / some sewing / a new penpal. MAY // table tennis / photography / hair braiding / more painting / salad/ / summer weather. JUNE // picnics / tennis / lakes / seaside / hiking / exploring local places / taking too many photos and making too many videos. JULY // embroidery / thrift stores / slept in a tent / httyd 3 / more day trips. AUGUST // peaches / abbie's book / altered a dress / precalculus / trip planning. SEPTEMBER // quit my job / packing / a 24 hour trip to the other side of the world. OCTOBER // overseas / visiting relatives / time of my life / my birthday. NOVEMBER // ghibli movies / making an album / new courses / getting back into art. DECEMBER // a reading spree / skating / made about 30 christmas cards / rereading the year's journal / reflecting and setting goals / chocolate / lights.

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AND NOW, well, it's 2020. and I don't have anything big to say about my plans or anything of that sort. we'll see where the year takes me. but whatever it is, I'm going to live to the fullest and enjoy every moment. and hopefully share some of it with yall. ;))

happy new year.

21 comments:

  1. Happy New Year, Lisa! <3 I hope 2020 is just as good for you!

    Okay, but A New Hope is so good and I'm so happy you enjoyed it! (who's your favorite character?) And YES, ARTEMIS WAS GREAT AND I STILL LOVE IT.

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    1. THANK YOU NICOLE!! same to you, dear girl!!

      ahhh a fellow fan!! I liked it so much :)) (well, Luke is a darling and Princess Leia is quite admirable but HAN SOLO, MY DUDE ... can't beat him if you ask me xD)

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  2. AAAAAHHHHH THE AESTHETIC OF THIS BLOG POST IS AMAZING I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

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  3. i love how aesthetic your posts are. <3 <3 YES PTX IS AMAZING.

    happy new year! <3

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    1. you're so kind, my word, thank you <3

      you too, girl!!

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  4. HAPPY NEW YEAR, LISA!!! first of all, your new blog design is stunning! *heart eyes*
    "you are meant to be VICTORIOUS. it's not a maybe. it's a fact." < oh my goodness, this is so empowering, I love it!
    i definitely agree about not reading hundreds of books but only reading the ones that are worth it, and i'm so you enjoyed 100 DOS and the first HP book! also, i totally get what you're trying to say about The Lion King, XD (i loved it too). your life recap is beautiful and i'll have to check out your favorite songs...
    this was a beautiful post, and i hope you have a lovely 2020! <3333

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    1. OMW ASHHH THANKS SO MUCH !!! :')) that means a lot to me! I'm so glad you could relate and enjoyed reading!

      ahhh PLS ENJOY YOUR NEW YEAR TOO! you're gonna slay it, I'm sure :))

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  5. I lOVE reading yearly recaps from people: I get to see at a glance what they've been up to and also live vicariously through them. Your year in review was so aesthetic and i loved it!!!

    Happy 2020, Lisa!!!

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    1. THANK YOU HANNE, glad you enjoyed!! I feel the same way ahh :))

      Happy new year to you too <333

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  6. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!
    *lots of squeals and virtual hugs*
    Also WHAT A GREAT POST *fangirls over alllllll the books* (the ones I know, anyway xD)

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    1. THANK YOU DANIELLE!! *virtual hugs back* yess, ALL THE BOOKS!! they were so great!! I think you'd enjoy Mark of the Raven if you haven't read it yet :))

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  7. Your recap was so much fun! Here's to an epic 2020!

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  8. Happy 2020, sweet friend! You are such a light and encouragement to me. <33

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    1. you're such an inspiration to me too, dear Gray, thank you <3 it means a lot to me!!

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  9. So...have you not seen any Star Wars before? Just the way you had that comment about A New Hope made me wonder...

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    1. EXACTLY!! IM DIVING INTO STAR WARS FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!! AHHHHH!!!

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  10. This is so beautiful!! Here's to a 2020 with just as many (actually even more) sweet memories, spiritual growths, and awesome entertainments!

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    1. *high five* YESS THANK U sm Lila SAME TO YOU TOO DEAR!! ALL THE GROWTH AND EPIC MEMORIES!!

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  11. Love the way you formatted this! Great post!

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