Monthly Archives: January 2015

My Hug Bucket List

January 29, 2015Geek OutsFangirling, HugsAbby Wolff

Alright, time to put on my fangirl hat.

Everyone has at least one person that they want to meet. Whether it’s an actor, musician, author, or famous juggler of pies, we have someone that we would love to bump into. So I have devised a list of ten people that I would love to hug someday. Granted, there’s about a 0.01% chance that I’ll meet any of these people, but you never know!

Here we go.

10) Lopti

There’s a young woman who cosplays and models and posts her pictures on Facebook that I really enjoy following. She’s very humble, hilarious, and come to find out, my Sister in Christ! When I was younger, I even drew fanart of her 😛 It would be super cool to meet her and just tell her that I love her sweeteness and constant awesomeness on the internet.

9) Chris Hemsworth

He’s Thor. And he’s a big teddy bear. Who wouldn’t want a hug from this guy?

8) Tara Strong

You’ve probably heard Tara Strong’s voice hundreds of times without even knowing it. She’s a very talented voice actress who has created the voices of characters such as Timmy Turner, Harley Quinn, and Twilight Sparkle. Really cool lady.

7) John Green

John Green makes me cry, yet I still would love to meet him. I throughly enjoyed “The Fault in our Star”, and I watch his and Hank’s videos week to week on the Vlogbrothers channel. I also wouldn’t mind getting some writing tips from him.

6) Jenna Fischer

Oh Jenna ^_^ “The Office” is by far one of my favorite TV shows, and Pam was always my favorite character. I felt like I related to her the most, and I was always cheering her on as she grew as a person over the course of the show. I just wanna hug her and thank her for inspiring me, even though I know she really isn’t Pam ;P

5) Benedict Cumberbatch

British actors are my kryptonite. I very much enjoy Cumberbatch’s work, and I really like that he doesn’t take himself too seriously. I feel that it would be fun to have a conversation with him, as long as I could keep from giggling 😛

4) Taylor Swift

Yep, mock if you will. I adore Taylor Swift, and I wanna give her a hug and thank her for writing the songs that I belt on long, lonely car rides.

3) Tom Hiddleston

I feel as though he was my first real celebrity crush. He can be such a goober, but if you watch his classical acting, you will melt inside. Plus, I will forever be a Loki fangirl.

2) Tina Fey

This woman. Oh my goodness. I hope to be as funny as her someday. She has definitely been an inspiration for me as I continue to do improv through my theater group, and I just wanna hug her and watch her perform live. She’s so awesome.

1) Matt Smith

I feel that Doctor Who appeals to many people because they want to go on an extraordinary adventure. Matt Smith has been and probably always will be my favorite Doctor. My favorite episodes aired when he was playing the character (the all time favorite being the Van Goph one. Artist feels), and if I could only pick one person to meet in the whole world, he would be the first person that would come to mind.

I know I’m not the only one who has a list like this in the back of their heads. Comment below who you would want to meet the most! Dead or alive, it deosn’t matter! I would love to hear who you would want to hug 🙂

I hope that you enjoyed this sappy little post 😛 Have a great weekend, folks. Remember to share lots of hugs with the people you love 🙂

Until next time,

Abby

Reasons Why I Want An Office At Pixar Someday

January 27, 2015Geek Outs, It's a Colorful WorldDreams, Extraordinary, Geek Rants, PixarAbby Wolff

I am not ashamed to admit that I am and always will be a Disney child, but all of my favorite movies are from a very specific part of the magical kingdom of stories: Pixar. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to grow up to be a writer, but as I’ve grown older, I as narrowed down that dream. Someday, I would love to move out to California and work everyday as a concept artist and story-writer for my favorite animation studio, and I have the reasons why they should start clearing a space for me.

I am obsessed.

No, seriously, it might be a problem. I have seen each Pixar movie at least 5 times, but I’ve seen my favorites, UP, THE INCREDIBLES, and TOY STORY, more than I can count. I always get all the questions right on those Facebook quizzes that are called stupid things like, “Hardest Pixar Quiz in Existence”. I’ve watched every behind the scenes documentary and read every book about Pixar that could get my hands on. I love their stories, and they haven’t disappointed me with one of their films.

I have ideas for films to fill in “The Pixar Theory”.

Okay, so a guy who loves Pixar even more than me came up with this incredible thing called The Pixar Theory. According to this theory, all 14 films take place in the same universe, just in different points in time. It’s super interesting. If you want to hear the theory, check out this video right here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0OTZo3-K5s

Anyway, I have many ideas for stories that could fill in some gaps in this theory. I would post them here, but just in case Pixar people are reading this right now, I don’t want them to hear my ideas in this format. I also don’t want smucks stealing my ideas 😛 Maybe someday you all will see a movie inspired by one of my scribbles in my notebook!

I wanna be part of the world changers.

Pixar is constantly pushing boundaries of technology. Just look back to the first Toy Story and compare it to the visual awesomeness that was Monster’s University. THEIR FILMS ARE BEAUITFUL! One of my favorite quotes is, “Art challenges technology; technology inspires art.” (John Lassetar) With every new project, animators have to figure out how to make thing look better, and sometimes advances in computer technology are made, all because of an animated movie! I just think that would be so cool to be a part of.

Story Telling is extremely important to me.

I once had a conversation with a girl who said:

“Animated movies don’t really matter, why would anyone spend their time making them?”

Now, instead of decking her like I wanted to, I explained it to her that stories matter. A lot. Think about it this way: All of us are born with creativity. Some of us use it in a business setting, others in a classroom, and others use it in a studio. Story telling is a way to preserve a culture. Can you imagine not having the fairytales that you read as a kid? I sure can’t! Some day, people will look back on films like the ones that Pixar makes and learn things about our culture through the stories that we told. We are blessed with the gift of being able to come up with new, fantastic ideas. Not using that gift is a waste! The people at Pixar are a great example of using the gift of creativity. Their stories are brilliant, and the art makes my heart so happy. I want to be able to help bring that same joy to another kid with wild dreams.

Every now and then I think that I’m over my dream of working at Pixar. I think that it’s too ridiculous and that I’ll never leave my hometown to go pursue a crazy dream. But then I remember how much their stories mean to me. I often go to them when I’m sad, because I know that they’ll cheer me up, or when I just want to have a good laugh and appreciate life. I hope that someday I can at least meet John Lassester (one of the first people to work for Pixar who now oversees all the creativity that goes on their) and thank him for the work that he put into the movies that helped make my childhood awesome. Who knows? Maybe someday I’ll be able to look back at this post while I’m sitting in an office at Pixar and remember my once far-fetched dream.

Don’t give up on what you love. Extraordinary dreams are the best kinds to have 🙂

Until next time,

Abby

Beware The Writer

January 23, 2015Geek OutswriterAbby Wolff

You wouldn’t think a mild-mannered, bespectacled, nerd sitting in the corner with a laptop, a pile of notes and their eighth cup of coffee wouldn’t be someone to think twice about, but that might be a mistake on your part.

Writers can be dangerous.

Why you ask?

Well I’ll tell ya.

1) They read.

You can’t be a good writer without being a reader first. At some point, a writer was a reader, even if they don’t do it as often as they used to, but I feel that the most dangerous ones are those who continue to read into their writing career. Books give you knowledge, and knowledge is powerful, which leads me to my next point.

2) They use the mightiest weapon

And laptops too. They enjoy laptops as well.

You’ve heard the phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword” before I’m sure. Writers fight with words, and if you ever read a quality writer’s “angry writing”, you’ll know what I mean. Words are extremely powerful, and those who know how to craft them into beautiful collections can bring you to tears, warm your heart, or break it in two.

3) They are constantly thinking and plotting.

Alright, embarrassing story time. I, as a writer, am always listening and thinking about ideas that could be great sparks for a new story. A group of friends and I often go to McDonald’s after our theater classes on Monday night to hang out and talk. A friend of mine, who is very dramatic on and off stage, says every now and then that he’ll one day take over the world. At one point, I finally asked, “How exactly will you take over the world?” He of course didn’t reveal his plans, but that didn’t stop me from thinking about it. I got to the point where I had thought up what would happen if I started a resistance against him and who our friends would end up siding with. My friend Tori kept catching me laughing to myself as I was coming up with new “plot points”.This was Monday night, and I’m still thinking about new details four days later. I even got mad at my friend Wesley when he said that he would side with Zach instead of me because I was invested in the story that was forming in my head.

Yeah, I talk to myself. Don’t act like you don’t.

Writers often never leave the house without a notebook. Ideas come from everywhere: over hearing strangers’ conversations, silly signs, and situations that pop up during everyday life can spark a flame that might turn into a best seller someday. If you ever see one of you friends who enjoys writing zoned out and possibly giggling, they’re probably plotting something new for a future project.

4) You might end up in one of their stories.

This is the most dangerous of all. Do. Not. Wrong. A. Writer. Creative people often tap into deep emotions that they’ve experienced to better their art or writing. Now, people could end up in a writer’s story in a good way, but it is very possible that someone that has hurt the author might end up being hated villain, a pathetic character, or meet a horrible end in the most brutal way. Just keep that in mind. Besides, you should be kind to your friends anyway without the threat of looking like an idiot in a novel.

The writers I’ve met at college are some of the most creative, amazing, and diabolical people I’ve ever met. If you have the pleasure of being friends with one, appreciate their weirdness. And watch your back. You never know when they will use you as a muse.

Until next time,

Abby

Words of Wisdom from Dr. King

January 20, 2015College Times, Learn Something Newbeing awesome, MLKAbby Wolff

Today marks the 29^th Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Many people spent the day at home, enjoying a day off. Many others though participated the in National Day of Service. This is the first year that I didn’t just stay at home. Being part of a leadership club at school, I spent the day serving the community alongside my peers. While sleeping in would been nice, I think it’s really cool that I got the opportunity to serve others. We worked in a huge cave that is used as a storage unit and my team sorted out Christmas lights. The copper from them will be used to pay the rent of the homes that the charity owns to house the homeless. It was really cool to spend the time team building with some really awesome people.

I spent a lot of time thinking about what I was going to write today. I wondered if I should just pick a topic off the list I have already, or do something to talk this day. So, I went to the place where I get many a question answered: Google. I started looking for information about Dr. King, and I found some facts that I had never known before, like:

George Washington is the only other American to have had his birthday observed as a national holiday.
King entered college at the age of 15 after skipping 9^th and 12^th
Today over 700 streets in the Unites States are named after Martin Luther King Jr., with one such street in almost every major city.
King is to date the youngest male to win a Nobel Peace Prize, winning it in 1964 at the age of 35.

I remember as a kid learning about Dr. King in school. We would do word searches, watch movies, read books and get homework. But then the week would pass, and we would move on to other things. Yes, I knew that he was a great man. Yes, I knew that he led the fight towards equality. Yes, I knew that he caused people to think. But I didn’t really stop to think until now.

I found a website that had a list of quotes from some of his speeches, these few really stuck out to me:

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

To be completely candid, I am in a constant battle with myself. The teenage years are rough. (From what I’ve heard, the adult years aren’t easy either.) I’ve made mistakes and said things that I regret. I struggle with the fact that I want people to like me and I constantly want to please people. I sometimes feel as though I am a bother to those around me.

But over this weekend, I had a revelation that I’ve been needing to have for a while now: I am who I am, and I can’t change. Granted, I will always be going through stages of being refined and constantly learning new lessons, but I am stuck with the fact that I am Abby. And that a great thing.

It is my life’s mission to love others. I am, as one friend called me, a “Jesus Freak”, or as my bible says, a Child of God. As a Child of God, I am not asked, but I am commanded to serve and love others. Dr. King knew this too. He knew that his life was constantly in danger. “I’ve Been To The Mountain Top”, his last speech, was given the night before his assassination. It was almost as if he knew he was going to die the next day. Go read it. It’s very inspiring. But even though he knew that he was in constant danger, Martin still actively spoke out against segregation and called everyone out for tearing each other down.

Many Christians today are living comfortably. Loving some people is hard. It can be risky. You could get your reputation tarnished. In some places, there’s a chance you could get hurt. Being zealous like the early Christians is a taboo in our culture, so we just coast through life. We love people that are easy to love. We serve when it’s convenient. We zone out in church and don’t apply the teaching we hear when we walk out the doors.

I’m done coasting. I want to soar.

Dr. King didn’t live to see the change that happened in our country. While I don’t plan to start a national movement to change horrible laws, I want to make a difference. Whether it’s serving others full heartedly, loving people (even if they’ve hurt me), or just learning to love the person that God made me to be, I was to make changes happen that matter. If Martin could keep up his fight after being threatened, scoffed at, and arrested 29 times, I can work to make a difference in the lives of those around me.

Until Next Time,

Abby

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

How Not To Suck At Art (Or Anything Else in Life)

January 15, 2015It's a Colorful World, Learn Something Newart, being a better human, being awesome, learningAbby Wolff

One of my biggest pet peeves is people saying, “Aw man, I could never draw like that. I have no artistic ability.” Yeah, that drives me bonkers. It sounds mean, but this is why: I hate it when people put themselves down, especially when they say they could never do something like drawing. Now, I love drawing. I know that not everyone is an art major like me. I know that other people have other talents.

But there is a difference between “talent” and “skill”.

You are born with talents. I am a firm believer that everyone has a special combination of talents, and that no one is talentless. Some people are gifted with the ability to keep moving for a long time, like at a soccer practice. Other people have an eye for seeing things in different ways and coming up with ideas for creative projects, like in an art studio.

Skill is something you have to develop. While I have been doing art for a long time, I don’t feel that I was necessarily talented when I took art classes at age 6. Now, I was pretty creative, but I wasn’t an art prodigy. It wasn’t until 6^th grade that I started to really work on developing drawing and painting skills, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop refining those skills I’ve picked up.

But I’m not just gonna throw a pencil at you and tell you to start drawing. Here are some tips on how to get better at art:

1) PRACTICE

You can’t not practice. You have to keep working. I have filled about 12 sketchbooks in the past 4 years with drawings and doodles and scribbles. If you want to get better at drawing hands, start drawing them. Over and over again.

2) LEARN TO TAKE CRITICISM

This is really hard for me, because I always think I’m right. You have to learn to take critiques from people who are observing your work, especially from people who have been at it longer that you have. I got feedback from a girl named Amanda who I thought was crazy amazing in my Drawing class last spring and I was over the moon that she cared enough to tell me how I could improve. Push the pride aside and learn!

3) REALIZE THAT IT TAKES TIME

This is the most important step. 99% of people who start working at art don’t become artistic geniuses over night. It could take years for you to get really good at anything involving art, and that’s okay! You learn from others and yourself how to make things look awesome, and it can build other life skills like patience, dedication and persistence.

These three things can be applied to anything you do in life. Whether it’s sports, theater, school or even in your relationships, you aren’t born knowing everything. Anything worth doing takes work, but in the end, it really can be worth your while! I tried sports when I was younger, and I didn’t stick with them. I realized that I wasn’t the best suit for athletics, but I still enjoy being active and pretending that I’m sporty. I do believe that if I had stuck with sports and had practiced at them, I could have been pretty good, but I didn’t want to put in the effort. Now, I’m not saying that I wish I was a soccer star. I’m very happy with what I’m doing with my life. But I do know that it is an example in my life where I chose to not put in the effort to get better. Same with any relationship. I have to practice listening to people. I have to take criticism when I screw up and upset someone. I have to put in the time to build a friendship, and it takes time to do that. Whether it’s with a sibling, a boyfriend/girlfriend/best friend or an adult, relationships of all kinds take work, and a lot of people don’t get that.

All of the art through out this post are pieces I’ve done over the past year. I’m very thankful that I’ve had teachers and fellow students who have encouraged me to keep working and practicing at art. I’m nowhere near where I want to be, but I’m working on it 🙂 So before you decide that you’re never going to try something, like art, give it a second thought. Who knows? You might find a new hobby, or a hidden passion.

Until next time,

Abby

How Abby Got To College

January 12, 2015College TimesAbby Wolff

“Wait, you’re only 16?”

“How is that possible?”

“So, like, how does that work?”

“You know, you’re the third homeschooler I’ve met that didn’t freak me out.”

Yes, all of these are things I’ve heard more than once while at school (except for that last one. That was a one time thing :P). I thought in honor of the start 4^th semester of community college, I would write up the story of how I ended up where I am now. But to do that, we have to go back to elementary school.

I’ve always loved school. I really enjoy learning and I got pretty good grades easily. School was fun. I was usually one of the teacher’s favorites because I really didn’t get in trouble and I wanted to be there, learning everything that I could. My one problem was that I didn’t test well. I was tested a few times to get into the gifted program, which had accelerated curriculum, but I was always just a few points off from getting in. It didn’t bother me too much, until I hit middle school, but we’ll get to that later.

Middle school is rough for everyone, and I was not an exception. Girls that I had grown up with started drifting away and became popular, while I was left trailing behind and soon forgotten. I had no care for clothes and was having trouble keeping my hair clean (stupid, thin, blonde hair), so having to go through 6^th and 7^th grade while dealing with my awkward phase wasn’t super fun. I was never openly bullied, but I felt different. I didn’t want to hang out with the kids that were “geeky”, because they got made fun of, but I felt left out when I tried to sit with the popular crowd. Another issue that was happening was that I was bored out of my mind. Remember the gifted program that I couldn’t get into? Well, I was watching kids who slacked off get to have harder work while I was very bored in the classroom. I often would get my work done in about 10 minutes and then read or draw for the rest of the period. In 7^th grade, I started thinking about homeschooling. I made multiple lists of pros and cons of leaving public school, and I confided in some of my teachers, who surprisingly encouraged me to do what I thought was best, even if it meant leaving.

During my second half of 7^th grade, my mom pulled my little brother out of school to start homeschooling. He is the polar opposite of me: he was super behind in school and needed one on one teaching, while I was an extremely independent learner. I decided around April that I would end my time at public school and start homeschooling as well. The hardest thing for me was saying good bye to my amazing teachers. Some of the best teachers I had were in 7^th grade, and to this day I still remember the time and effort they poured into me. But, I had made up my mind. On the first day of 8^th grade, I woke up to the sound of kids getting on the bus. It was great.

I spent the next few years homeschooling, and there are many times where I wished I had started sooner. I thrived working independently, and I got to do a lot of extra-curricular activities (including writing two rough drafts of novels and improve on my art). But I really missed the classroom setting. I sure as heck didn’t want to go to public high school, and I started thinking about community college. After a lot of begging and long talks, I took my COMPASS placement test at 15, and started my first semester of college.

During my first semester, I only took 6 credits (English and Speech), just to see if I could handle the college setting. My “brother” Grant and I sat together and learned that the back was not the best place to be, so we moved to the front. There, we met some really cool people, some of who I still see around campus. That first semester, I learned a lot of things about myself and gained more confidence. I continued in the spring, now going full time, and I fell in love with the art program. I got to do my first college level art show and I felt like I was finally really learning in school again.

My third semester was even better. No braces, and I was finally driving myself to school. I joined Art Club, and even though we got super robbed by the other club with our Homecoming Castle, I got to do some really cool projects with them and make good friends. Later in the semester, I also joined CAB, the Colligate Activity Board. The club plans events for students around campus. Through this program, I’ve met amazing people and learned how to be a better leader. But while sitting in a meeting one day, it finally hit me how weird it was that I was there, in the college, doing classes and in a leadership position. I thought about how far I had come, and it’s hard to remember what it was like in public school. It seems like it was a life time ago.

I’m very excited to be starting this Spring semester. Thank you to those who have made the past year and a half really awesome! I’m glad that I’ve been warmly excepted by my peers and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me over the next few months 🙂

Until Next Time,

Abby

Special Thanks to some amazing teachers:

Mrs. Fischer, the best elementary teacher ever (5^th Grade)

Mrs. DiBlasi, the coolest librarian ever (Elementary School)

Mr. Sheriff, for challenging me and making me a better artist (6^th Grade)

Miss Conklin, for encouraging me to write (7^th Grade)

Miss Warner, for telling me to keep pursuing art (7^th Grade)

Mr. Kalis, for making math fun (7^th Grade)

Mike W., for being a wonderful first-college-class-teacher (1^st semester)

Carlos, for being the coolest art professor and bringing pizza (2^nd Semester)

Raechel F., for challenging me to learn and to dig, and for causing me to strengthen my faith (3^rd Semester)

Mom, for always being there, and being an amazing, life time teacher.

Let’s Talk About Hogwarts Houses

January 9, 2015Geek Outs, Me Myself and AbbyGeek Rants, Harry Potter, Hogwarts Houses, Personality Traits, Sorting HatAbby Wolff

Alright, before we dive into this, let me give you some background knowledge of my experience in the Harry Potter fandom. I didn’t read these books until 7^th grade, and when I finally read them, I devoured them in about 2 ½ weeks. While I was not involved in this fandom from a young age like many of my friends were, I still love the stories. In fact, good old J.K. is one of the people who inspires me to be an author.

Thanks J.K. 🙂

Debate about which Hogwarts House people would be in is always fun. Every now and then, my friends and I will try and decide where our favorite Disney characters or famous actors would end up. But it’s always the most fun to imagine which house you would be in. I asked some of my friends what they thought about themselves, and here’s what I got back:

Katelynn: I’m technically in Ravenclaw because I’m academically motivated and like to challenge myself. I’m pretty organized and focused over all. But ideally, I would be in Hogwarts and just be Hermione Granger.
Michael: Probably Slytherin. That’s what I got on Pottermore. Lol they are smart and cunning if I remember right. I wouldn’t be a bad one.
Marri: Ravenclaw: I believe that I belong in the Ravenclaw house, because of how much I value knowledge and the use of knowledge in relationships. I show I care about people by remembering thing I learn about them and learning more about the the things they love so I can understand them more. I also use things I learn to help my friends and family when things get rough. Being a Ravenclaw is much more than being smart, it’s about how you use the knowledge you have.
Zach: Slytherin. I’m evil and I enjoy manipulation. I’m very conceited and hold myself highly over everyone else. I am powerful.
Suz: Hufflepuff! I’m a HUFFLEPUFF through and through because I’m a freakishly hard worker who is a total dork.

Now, according to the Hogwarts Wikia, these are the recognizable traits in each house.

Gryffindor: Bravery, Nerve, Chivalry, Courage, Daring and Strong of Will
Ravenclaw: Intelligence, Wit, Wisdom, Creativity, Originality, Individuality and Acceptance
Hufflepuff: Dedication, Hard Work, Fair play, Patience, Kindness, Tolerance, and Unafraid of Toil
Slytherin: Traditionalism, Resourcefulness, Cunning, Ambition, Leadership qualities, Self-Preservation, Determination, Cleverness, Fraternity, and Power

I used to take every Hogwarts quiz I could find to figure out what house I would be in. When I was younger, I always wanted to be a Gryffindor. I mean, who didn’t? Gryffindors were so cool. They’re the brave ones. They got the spotlight throughout the series. And to be quite honest, I got Gryffindor more often than not, but I always picked red as my favorite color and a lion as my favorite animal. But, I did get sorted there when I joined Pottermore.

But over the past year, I’ve changed as a person. I’ve hit some awesome highs and horrible lows, and the experiences I’ve had have started to shape me into the young adult I’m growing into (though I will probably refuse to be called an adult when the time comes). It’s hard to just pick one house. I’m a pretty smart and creative person, I’m an extremely dedicated and hard working person (and apparently a good finder according to Zach), and I have a lot of ambition and I’m a natural leader. How do you only fall into one?

Well, 1, that’s how Rowling set up her universe, and 2, you can’t spilt yourself into four people to be in four different places. You have traits that outweigh the others.

Gryffindors are daring. They’re brash. They’re strong willed. The house is often associated with fire. I know that I’m a very brash person, so I relate to the fiery traits of the Gryffindors. The problem with this house is that it’s the most popular, so you’re always wondering whether or not you just want to be in the house because it’s super cool, or if you actually belong there.

Ravenclaws are the smart ones. I like to consider myself a smart human. I mean, I started college when I was 15. While I have always gotten good grades and was “good” at school, I don’t consider myself an academic person. I dunno, I guess I am, but I don’t enjoy homework. Even with writing assignments, which are my favorite to do, I don’t really get joy from doing school work (unless it’s a creative project).

Hufflepuffs are often the end of jokes, which sucks because there are some awesome qualities in this house. I definitely relate to the hard-working aspect of this house, and I try to be kind to others. But I am by no means a patient person. I guess it’s part of my fiery personality, but I really need to be right. Like, all the time. And I don’t have a huge amount of patience for stupid people, which leads me to the final house.

Ah the Slytherins. It’s weird to admit that I relate a lot to the traits in this house. I’ve had to become very resourceful over the past few years with in activities that I’ve done when problems that have popped up. I’m often placed in leadership rolls, I have a lot of determination, and I’d like to think that I’m pretty clever. I would even go as far as saying that I enjoy power. Leadership is something that I really enjoy. I like being in charge, which is why I have to add on that I know that I’m a bossy person. I often think that I am right, so I want others to be doing the same thing as me, because why wouldn’t they want to be right too? I often work hard to prove myself. I want people to think that I’m important, or worthy of recognition. My pride is something I constantly battle. But I don’t feel like self-preservation is a big issue for me. I have stuck up for my friends in the past, even though it has gotten me into trouble. If you go with the thinking that all Slytherins are evil, I don’t think I would fit into that category.

Because I couldn’t make up my own mind, I let the internet do it for me. I looked around trying to find a quiz that I hadn’t done before, and I found a comprehensive test that I hadn’t taken before (link at the end of this post). I liked this one a lot because it didn’t ask for a favorite color, favorite animal, or something obvious that would link you to a certain house. I also liked that even when it asked which house you would prefer to be in,it didn’t effect your quiz results too drasticly.

My final results were ranked:

1)Gryffindor 2) Slythrien 3) Hufflepuff 4) Ravenclaw.

The description that the quiz gave me said:

“Gryffindor’s cardinal traits are bravery, pride, stubbornness and impulsiveness. Most people in the house of Gryffindor will be extroverted. (Remember, introversion is different than being shy: you can be a shy extrovert.) Gryffindors gain energy and life by being around people, grain strength from friends and enjoy working with those close to them. However, they are also emotionally volatile and can experience a wide range of feelings in a short amount of time, from unbridled happiness to deep depression to unrestrained rage. They are less emotionally stable than some of the other houses (such as Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff); Gryffindors are also impulsive. They’re also generally good-hearted and trusting, and for the most part like people at first sight unless they are given a reason not to. Gryffindors are Prideful, bad at taking criticism and easily get into conflicts with others—this is the main trait that would bring their overall level of agreeableness from high to average. A Gryffindor’s prideful nature coupled with their sense of justice and stubborn behavior causes them to be extremely set in their ways. They have a difficult time backing down from a fight or admitting that they are wrong. It’s also very hard for them to get over a bad first impression or change their opinion on someone.”

To me, this described me pretty well. While I do relate to all the other houses in different ways (some more than I thought I ever would), I still take pride in the Gryffindor House.

If you like the Harry Potter universe, I encourage you to take the quiz! It’s very well done, and you might be surprised by your results! Feel free tom comment below with your results! I’d love to see what other people think.

Until Next Time,

Abby

Link to the Hogwarts Quiz I took: http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/the-sorting-hat-a-comprehensive-harry-potter-personality-assessment-testquiz

Link to my results: http://www.helloquizzy.com/results/the-sorting-hat-a-comprehensive-harry-potter-personality-assessment-testquiz/?var_Gryffindor=88&var_Ravenclaw=56&var_Slytherin=71&fromCGI=1&var_Hufflepuff=59

Lessons I’ve Learned From My Dog

January 6, 2015Learn Something NewDoggie Love, Lessons from a dog, Man's Best FriendAbby Wolff

Dogs are wonderful. I have a very sweet Golden Retriever/ Chow mix named Toby Jack, and I love him so very much. While he can’t talk and doesn’t go hang out with me like my other friends, I have learned a few things from my precious puppy that I feel that we all need to be reminded of every now and then.

1) Persistence is a good quality

And it can get you treats. Toby is a very good beggar, and he doesn’t give up until he gets a snack. If I were as persistent as my dog, I probably would get a lot more done during the day. I have so many things that I want to do, but I give up easily when things get tough. Toby has stared at me for a good 45 minutes just to get to lick my plate. That’s commitment. If my dog can sit still for that long for scraps, I can get my act together and get stuff done.

2) You can still act like a puppy when you grow up

Toby is about 7 or 8 now, but he still acts like a puppy all the time. A lot of people feel that when they are a certain age, they have to stop having fun and be serious all the time. But having fun is a gift from God. He didn’t have to make things for us to enjoy, but He did. So roll around in the grass. Play catch with your friends. Chase squirrels up a tree! Growing up is inevitable, but losing your inner child is optional.

3) Unconditional Love

Dogs love you no matter what. It’s so nice to have my furry friend waiting for me at the door every day when I come home from school or work. The past few months especially I’ve been having a hard time loving people. I’ve been hurt, felt stepped on and unwanted. But in this new year, I want to gain back my love of people. Toby still loves me, even if I forget to let him out or don’t give him a treat. God puts up with all of my short comings and junk, yet He still loves me and doesn’t leave me.

4) Wearing a seat belt helps a lot

I took Toby for a ride today and he kept slipping on the seats. If he had had a seat belt on, it might not have been as rough in the back. Then again, if he had thumbs and didn’t want to sniff everything, that might have helped as well.

If you are lucky enough to have a pet, cherish them. I find it so awesome that we are able to have companionship with God’s creation. Even though our animals can’t teach us about history or help up with math homework, they can show us glimpses of God’s love, and I find that really neat.

Until Next Time,

Abby

Shout out to Toby for putting up with me and Photo Booth. He was looking up at Mom hoping for help 😛

New Beginnings

January 2, 2015College Times, Me Myself and AbbyNew Beginnings, New Years, New Years ResolutionsAbby Wolff

To be honest, this post is mostly for my benefit. I need a way to hold myself to my New Year’s goals, because I have stuff that I really want to improve upon. So, here’s my list, out on the interwebs for all to see.

READ FUN BOOKS.

I have not read a book for fun since July, and it’s killing me. I love reading, and all I’ve read the past seven months have been non-fiction, depressing history books for my Civil War and biology classes. So, to fix this horrible problem, I found a pretty cool reading challenge to work to complete this new year.

LET THEATER BE FUN AGAIN

There was a time in when I didn’t care too much about what part I got. Younger Abby was just happy to be on stage. But Younger Abby got older, and she started to worry about leads. Because of this change, theater has become a little bit harder to enjoy. This needs to change. To be thoroughly honest, I let not getting a certain part almost ruin a show for me. A friend of mine had to call me out for me to finally start to get over it, and that was half way through the runs of actual performances. It really sucked to have to hear out loud from another person, but it was dumb for me to be so angry about a part in a show. For this year, I just want to enjoy my musical theater experience again like I did when I was a little kid.

LEARN HOW TO MATH

I have to take two math classes at college before I can take College Algebra in the spring of 2016. I hate doing math. While homeschooling, I developed sort of a mental block with math, because I could not figure it out. I want to keep my GPA up, so I have to learn how to do well in math class. Fingers crossed on this one. It’s gonna be hard.

GET PUBLISHED

I have so many projects in rough draft form. I really, really need to finish one. I would love to have something in print by December. It would be a huge dream come true, and it’s something I’ve been working towards for a very long time. The biggest thing that I think is holding me back is the fear that people won’t like the words that I have to say, which is a dumb reason to keep me from getting published. I’m done being scared! Let’s get stuff done!

STEREOTYPICAL WORK OUT GOAL

Yeah, I have a workout goal. I got a free membership to our school gym, and I need to use it. The job that I currently have involves a lot of heavy lifting and requires a lot of endurance, so it would be nice to get in better shape. Which involves putting in the effort to get stronger. And sweat. Good thing I’m not a girly girl and enjoy baseball caps, because I will be a hot mess before and/or after class.

STRENGTHEN MY FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS

This is always a goal for me. Strengthening any relationship takes a lot of work, and important ones that you want to keep for a long time take a life time. The last few months have been extra rough, and I’ve had days where all I can do is sob and literally cry out to God for strength to get though the day. Sometimes, life is really hard, but I’m thankful to have Jesus to help bear my burdens. I let myself drift away a bit over the past six months, but I’m very excited to get back in shape with my relationship with God.

It’s important to have things to work towards, whether they’re huge goals, like moving to Timbuktu by the end of the year, or little ones like just learning out to keep your bedroom clean. I hope that you all are able to stick to your New Year’s goals! I know that mine are gonna take a lot of work 😛

Until Next Time,

Abby

II Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old has pasted away, therefore the new has come!”

Though She Is Little, She Is Fierce

College student trying to figure out life while following Jesus every step of the journey

Monthly Archives: January 2015

My Hug Bucket List

Reasons Why I Want An Office At Pixar Someday

Beware The Writer

Words of Wisdom from Dr. King

How Not To Suck At Art (Or Anything Else in Life)

How Abby Got To College

Let’s Talk About Hogwarts Houses

Lessons I’ve Learned From My Dog

New Beginnings