20 Things I've Learned From My Sister

There's just something about having a sister that makes the world a little bit better. 

Today, my sister turns seventeen. She has made me laugh and cry and try to figure out how to be a better person. She inspires me to be better than I am. I couldn't be more thankful that God has given me a sister that has also become my best friend. 

Today I wanted to share with you 20 things my sister has taught me.

1. It's okay to be bold. 
2. Dancing around like a lunatic in public is okay...and very fun.
3. Taking risks is something that everyone needs to do sometimes.
4. You can still have a kind heart and stand up for yourself.
5. Not everyone is the same, and that's a wonderful part of life.
6. Anything can become an adventure.
7. Following your dreams is something that everyone should be allowed to do.
8. Happiness is determined by you, not what you have or the circumstances that you're in.
9. Everybody deserves a chance to be a friend.
10. The world is just waiting to be explored.
11. It's okay to indulge in doughnuts sometimes.
12. Dying your hair crazy colors is definitely rad. 
13. Having a creative spirit is good...utilizing it is better.
14. Even young people can make a difference in this world.
15. Being a friend is hard and it takes work. 
16. Apologies are necessary––sometimes even when you don't feel like you did something wrong.
17. Those boys who weren't here to stay aren't worth your time anymore.
18. And how to gracefully let go of them, even if it hurts a little bit. 
19. Friends come and go, and that's okay.
20. And most importantly: nobody will ever be able to compete with the friendship that I've found in her for the past 17 years (jeez) and in all of the years to come. 

Happy, happy birthday Merci! Thank you for all that you've taught me. I can only hope that I've taught you some things along the way too.

-Shi.

6 Books I'm Excited to Read in 2015

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A new year means more opportunities to read more books. (And hopefully meet my goodreads goal this year.) 

With that being said, I thought I would share with you some of the books that I'm looking forward to reading this year/plan to read this year. If you're looking for some new books to read this year, maybe this list can help you out, too!

1. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. This is the number 1 book that I'm looking forward to this year. It comes out in October! Eepp! I absolutely cannot wait to read this one. 

2. P.S I Stil Love You by Jenny Han. This is the sequel to To All The Boys I've Loved Before and I'm so excited to continue on with this story. It comes out in June and I am so excited to see what else has happened to Lara Jean since we left her in the first book. 

3. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs. This is the sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and I actually have it on my bookshelf right now. I've been putting off reading it because when I first started it I couldn't really get into it. Hopefully, when I try again it'll come better. I loved the first, and hopefully the second will be just as good!

4. Shatter Me (Series) by Taherah Mafi. Again, I already have the first book, Shatter Me, on my shelf waiting to be read. I've started it twice, but haven't been able to really get into it yet. Hopefully this will be the year, and I will finally understand why everyone loves it so much.

5. Landline by Rainbow Rowell. I LOVE RAINBOW ROWELL and I've been trying to get my hands on a copy of Landline for m o n t h s now. This will be the year.

6. My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga. I've not heard a lot about this book, but one of the girls I watch on youtube (whittynovels) talked about it a bit, and now I just want to read it so bad. It's due to release on February 10! Hopefully, I'll be able to get my hands on it quick!

If you'd like to keep up with me and bookish things you can follow me on goodreads to stay in the loop. (I'll follow you back :))

Also––another shameless plug––if you'd like to order a copy of my very first book, Coffee Colored, you can do so here.

Let me know what you are looking forward to reading this year!

Blessings,
Shi.

Just A Little Reminder That We're All Human

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There's just a couple of things that I want to address after being on tumblr today.

1.  Just because someone's opinion is different from yours doesn't mean that they are "trash."
2.  If you want to call someone out for a comment you disagree with, telling them that they are "trash that needs to die" is not the best way to do so.
3.  If you want to be passionate about a social issue, be passionate about that social issue. Don't just be passionate about bashing people who are on the other side of that issue.
4. People who are in the spotlight (celebrities, families of celebrities, etc) are people too. They are people with opinions and thoughts and, most importantly, feelings. Don't hold them up to a standard that you aren't going to hold the people you actually know up to. They aren't perfect. Let them live their lives.
5. Remember––I'm begging you––that you are also a human. You are not perfect, just as I'm not perfect and the person you're bashing isn't perfect. Being human is okay. Remember that. Please. 
6. And just to reenforce this: opinions are opinions. They aren't right or wrong. No two people are going to view the world the same way; no two people are going to look at an issue the same way. That absolutely does not make one better than the other. Nobody is "trash."

Basically what happened in France is breaking my heart. Remember that what is most important right now is to send out love and understanding to all those that were affected by this tragedy, no matter what caused it. Terrorism is real. The world needs love. It needs Jesus.

I love you all and I hope that you are safe and blessed.
Shi.

11 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Writing

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I've been writing for about forever. 

For as long as I can remember, I've been dreaming up stories in my head and trying to put them into words. It's just who I am. 

It wasn't until about two years ago, though, that I decided to really pursue this as a career. 

It's not like writing is that easy, I realized. There's a lot more to it than just what I assumed when I started. Over the past two years of doing my "serious writing" I've learned a lot. 

Here are 11 things I wish I knew before I started writing:

1. Not everything you write is going to be good. I'm a perfectionist and, unfortunately, not everything that I write is perfect. (Actually, none of it really is.) Some of it will be good, and some if it will not. That's just the nature of it.
2. Coming up with stories isn't that easy. Trying to come up with different, unique plot lines and characters is a lot harder than I thought it would be. 
3. You won't finish everything you start. There have been many projects that I've given up halfway through. Maybe I'll get back to them one day, and maybe I won't. It's okay either way.
4. Your first draft isn't going to be what you send to publishers. Editing is a necessary evil in this business. The thing about writing is that it takes time for it to be good. You could write and rewrite a hundred times before it's where you want it. That's okay too.
5. You have to be careful which publishers you let have your book. I got a call from a publisher about Coffee Colored in September-ish last year, and was so ecstatic. But then they asked me for $2,000 and I looked into reviews of them and found some shady stuff. Needless to say, they don't own the rights to my book. Be careful not to be deceived. 
6. Your first book isn't likely to get picked up by a publisher. It's probably not likely that your first book will get published (it could, don't get me wrong), it's just that usually, your first book isn't up to "publisher standards." Writing takes a lot of practice. 
7. Self-publishing is awesome. I never thought that I would self-publish. I thought I would just take my time trying to make my books perfect and exactly what publishers were looking for so that I could end up in the rows of Barnes & Noble. And while that is still definitely something I am pursing, I have also found self-publsihing to be very rewarding in the meantime. ((Shameless plug) You can buy Coffee Colored here, if you'd like.)
8. It's okay if you write fan fiction. Personally, I don't, but I do read it. And let me tell you: I've read some fic that is better than some published novels that I've read. Don't let people discourage you from writing fic if that's what you want to write. It's totally a totally valid genre.
9. Reading a ton is the key to good writing. The more you read, the more you will learn about how to write. It's been so helpful for me to read other books and study how those authors write. It's helped me improve my writing so much. (It's even okay to read fic, especially good fic, because that can help you improve as well.) 
10. NaNoWriMo is an excellent motivator. I wouldn't have finished either of my two books if it weren't for NaNoWriMo, honestly. Coffee Colored was mostly written in November 2013 (although I didn't finish completely until January 2014), and Scavenger Hearts (which will hopefully be available soon) I wrote completely in November 2014. (I'm working on editing it right now.) ((p.s. don't forget that it's okay if you don't reach 50,000 words. 50,000 words does not a make or break a novel. As long as you're happy with where it ended, then you've done it.))
11. The most important thing to do when you are a writer is to write. This seems like a no duh type of thing to say, I know. But the fact is that writing is really, really hard. It seems glamorous and oh yeah, I can totally write a book, but it's not that simple. Writing takes time and dedication and discipline. Set aside time everyday to write, and you will reach your goals much quicker.

If you have anything that you wish you would have known when you started writing, let me know in the comments below! I'd love to hear how you've all grown as writers. :)

Blessings,

Shi.

Apps That Every College Student Should Have

When I started college in August, I did a lot of research on which apps other college students thought were a necessity. Since then, I've tried out a lot of them to figure out which ones I would use and which ones I wouldn't. So today I thought I would share that list with you.

These are my 9 essential apps for school:

1. MyWater (free // iPhone) 

––This app is perfect for keeping track of how much water you are drinking. If you're like me, then you don't drink nearly as much as you need to. So this app really helps keep you disciplined in actually drinking water.

2. Sleep Cycle ($0.99 // iPhone, Android)

––Sleep Cycle is amazing. It keeps track of your sleeping patterns so that it wakes you up when you're in your lightest stage of sleep. It is an app that really helps me wake up pleasantly in the mornings.
3. Mint (free // iPhone, Android)

––Mint is great for keeping track of your finances. I know, at least for myself, that college is living on a budget. This app keeps track of where you spend your money and how much money you should spend on certain things. It's a great way to help you plan your budget.
4. Shopkick (free // iPhone, Android) 

––Who doesn't love free gift cards? That's right, nobody. This app allows you to earn points by walking into stores and scanning certain items. With those points, you win free gift cards. It's wonderful.
5. Pocket (free // iPhone, Android)

––Pocket is a great way to save articles and other interesting things you find online without cluttering up your computer. It's very useful if you have classes that you read a lot of articles in!
6. Dropbox (free // iPhone, Android, Website)

––I'm an English major, so I write a ton of papers. One of my biggest fears is losing those papers if my computer crashes or something. This app is great for keeping your work (and pictures, etc) safe from computer crashes.
7. iStudiez Pro ( $2.99 // iPhone)

––iStudiez is a little bit more expensive than what I would usually purchase from the app store, but let me tell you it's a life saver. iStudiez keeps track of the classes you have for a semester, your homework, and your grade. You can put in all of your info about a class, even the professor. It is so easy to use and keeps everything so organized. I recommend this app to everyone. If I had to pick one of these, it would probably be this one.
8. paypal (free // iPhone, Android, Website)

––PayPal is great if your going to shop online. It keeps all of your information more secure and you can send and receive money to and from friends. It's a great app to have.
9. SheReadsTruth (free // iPhone, Android, Website)

––This is definitely my second favorite out of all of these apps. This one has everything on it. It has the entire Bible, plus reading plans to keep you motivated and reminders to read. It is a fantastic way of staying motivated to read your Bible. Right now they are even doing a (free) plan to help you read through the Bible in a year. I love this app!

If any of you are in college (or even high school) and have any apps that I didn't mention that you absolutely love, feel free to leave them in the comments. I'm always up for checking out new apps!

Blessings,

Shi.

8 Things I Want My Future Husband To Know About Me

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The older I get the more my heart longs to be in love. It's something that I've wanted since I was a little girl, but now it's becoming more prominent within me than ever. There is a fire in my soul that longs to love and to be loved. It's a matter of waiting for the right man to come along at this point, the one that God has so carefully prepared just for me. Hopefully one day he'll see this post. Here are 8 things I want my future husband to know about me:

1. I'm a little bit disorganized. I'm trying to get better at it, I swear. Just please be patient if things are a little messy sometimes.
2. I've struggled with depression for many years and more than likely will continue to struggle with it for many more. You don't have to try to fix me; I'll be okay. When things get too hard, just hold me and tell me that you love me and that it's okay for me to feel the way I do. That's all I need.
3. I quite like puns. Seriously, if you want to make me laugh, just tell me puns. 
4. I want Jesus to be the center of our relationship. It's very important for me to have a Christ-centered relationship. If he's not in the middle of it all, it won't work. 
5. I like to sing at the top of my lungs a lot. You can sing with me in the car, in the kitchen, wherever really. 
6. I collect books. I'll likely want a library in our house. I'm sorry.
7. I'm really shy at first. I don't like meeting people for the first time; it freaks me out. So please, just have patience with me. I'll eventually talk your ear off.
8. I'm waiting for you. With every ounce of my heart, I'm waiting. In every way that you can think of, I'm waiting. I'm saving all of myself for you. I love you. I can't wait to meet you. Please get here soon. 

Blessings.

My Favorite Books: Part 2 | HelloShiloh

So, almost a year ago I wrote a post about my favorite books. Obviously, I've read quite a few books since then, so I figured I should update that list. (I bet you all know where this is going.) If you'd like to read my original post before you read this one, you can find it here. 

First of all, I wanted to let you all know that Saving Elliot has been finished! The ending was as amazing as the rest of the book. If you were holding off on reading it because it wasn't finished, you should wait no more. You can find this amazing book right here. (Also, I wrote a short one-shot for a contest that Rose was hosting based on SE. If you'd like to read that, you can do so here. (It would mean a ton to me :)))

Now, on to the books that I've fallen in love with this year:

• So, obviously the first book I have to talk about is Fangirl. This book is my absolute favorite book that I've ever read (sorry, TFIOS.) Rainbow Rowell just writes her characters in a way that makes you fall so in love with all of them. I also wrote a Booking It review of Fangirl, if you'd like to read it. 
• The next book that was added to my favorites this year was Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I'm not usually the type of gal that goes for books that are more adventure than romance, but I loved this one. I think it was because it sort of reminded me of The Series of Unfortunate Events. Whatever the reason was, I loved it and you should go check it out if you haven't yet. 
• Next up: Paper Towns by the wonderful John Green. I loved this books so much. It was actually the first book I read in 2014, and it was an excellent start to the year. If you haven't picked up this book yet, you need to. (The movie comes out in June–in case you were wondering.)
• The Beginning of Everything by Robin Schneider is another one that I really loved this year. It had a Looking for Alaska feel to it, and it was brilliant. This one is definitely in my top 10 favorites, ever. I wrote a review of it also. 
• To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han definitely made the list. I absolutely loved this book. You can read my review of it here. It was absolutely hilarious and one of the more unique books that I've read recently. I recommend it!

So there you have it. Five more books to add to my favorites list. I hope to find many more books that I love in this new year. 

P.S. Some really exciting news that I haven't mentioned on this blog yet is that Coffee Colored paperbacks are available for purchase! If you'd like to support me in my writing endeavors (which would basically mean that I love you forever) you can buy a book here. I'm also trying to come up with a contest maybe to win my new book (that I'm editing right now) for free. Let me know if that is something that you'd be interested in. 

Have a happy Sunday!

-Shi

8 Reasons Adventuring Is Good For Your Soul

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If you know anything about me, it's that I love myself a good adventure. Here are 8 reasons why adventuring is good for your soul:

1. it's entertaining. When you're a teenager who's looking for something to do, there is nothing better than getting out of the house and driving around with your friends until you find a perfect adventure spot. (They are everywhere––keep your eyes open!) It kills a lot of time and can be so much fun!
2. the world is awfully beautiful. My favorite type of adventures are the ones that are outside, exploring the world that God has given to us. There is a place in the town I live in called Flat Rock, and I never wanted to go because it was such a popular hang out for the kids at school. This summer, we finally went down there to explore, and it is magnificent. I could spend hours upon hours there, just soaking in the beauty of the world. 
3. it allows you create memories. My favorite memories are the times that I've spent with my best friends adventuring. Especially when the adventures weren't too planned out.
4. the world is a book and those who do not travel only read one page. -St. Augustine.
5. there's nothing better than a good road trip playlist. Whether you're going somewhere that's five minutes away or five days away, a good road trip playlist can always lift my spirits. 
6. it creates fearlessness. When you adventure, it forces you to try new things. I have a love for being fearless; for trying new things even when they scare me. Adventuring is the perfect way to create that character in yourself. 
7. they make you look at things differently. I always see the world a little bit differently after I experience something new, after I take in a new little pocket of the world. It makes everything seem clearer in my head.
8. it encourages happiness. As some of you probably know, I have been struggling with depression for the past couple of years. One of the ways that I've learned to cope with that, is to go out and make adventures for myself. They seem to help put me in a little bubble of happiness.

Grace Upon Grace | What 2014 Taught Me

Yesterday, I wrote about all of the things I want to accomplish in this new year. So today, I thought I would write about what I learned in 2014 (in more detail, of course.) 

2014 was a year of trials and overcoming and learning to be free. It was a year of mistakes and regrets and crying myself to sleep some nights. It was a year when I learned that depression is real and mental illnesses need to be taken seriously and the world is so very broken. 

It was a year of realizing that I'm going to change as I age and that it's okay. 

2014 taught me that all I need is to love better. Love boldly and fearlessly and with the love of Jesus. I need to love everyone that God puts in my life, no matter what they're going through. 

2014 taught me that everyone is a little bit broken and a little bit in need of a friend.

2014 taught me that once high school ends, you realize that some of your friends were only your friends because you saw them five days a week. 

2014 taught me that not everyone is meant to stay in your life forever. That's okay.

2014 taught me to never judge someone by their appearance. Looks can be deceiving. 

2014 taught me that college is really freaking awesome. 

2014 taught me that stepping out of my comfort zone is good. (Talking in front of my 400+ student class at orientation was a bit terrifying, but it was something that I learned from.)

2014 taught me that it's okay not to be okay some days.

2014 taught me that dancing your heart out at concerts is more fun than you could ever imagine. Who cares if people stare?

2014 taught me that taking chances can be a wonderful, wonderful thing.

2014 taught me that I'm not perfect, and I can't please everyone all the time. That's okay, too.

2014 taught me that no matter what, God will still love me and forgive me and let me run back into his arms. It taught me that my God is an awesome, loving, graceful God. And I'm so thankful.

2014 taught me that I'm learning to be free.

Blessings,

Shi.

"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." -1 Peter 5:10

Hello, 2015!

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Well, some how the year has come and gone; we're moving on to bigger and better (hopefully). 

So much happened in 2014, and overall, it was an okay year for me. I know that a lot of people had a pretty bad year. I think that what a lot of people are failing to acknowledge is that there will always be bad days, and we have to choose not to let them all blend together to make a whole year "bad." The way I see it, we have to learn from those moments. The good, the bad, the ugly. 

2014 was a year of change for me. I graduated high-school. I got my drivers license. I started college. I've started to grow up and figure out who I am, and who I want to be. I'm learning that not everything I do is okay, and I have to be willing to change and work on myself. I've learned that not everything that the people you love say and do is okay, either, and it's alright to have different opinions. What's starting to matter to me the most is that I do what God wants me to do, not what people want me to do. 

I thought that today I would share with you some of my 2015 goals. They aren't really "resolutions" and this isn't one of those "New year, New me" posts, because, really, that stuff never works for me. These are the things that I want to focus on working on in myself this year, because it's important to take care of yourself. I'm a work in progress; I always will be. And that's okay. 

This year I want to:

• be less stressed. I want to take time for myself; I want to understand that just because I get a bad grade, the world won't end; I want to always remind myself that my happiness doesn't depend on how well I do on one assignment. It's okay to be okay with less than perfect.
• cry less and laugh more. I want to say "I don't have to let my depression win" and save the tears for the moments when I'm laughing so hard I cry; I want to save the tears for the moments that I'm so in awe of God and his grace that I can't help but sob. I don't want to waste my tears because an illness I have is telling me it's a "bad day." I want to wake up, and look at the sky, and fall so in love with being alive that there is no way the day can be "bad." 
• work on making my body healthy––physically and mentally. I want to remember to drink water and stay hydrated and go to the gym. I also want to remember that mental health is just as important as all of that. I want to remember to read my Bible and listen to music that makes me want to dance and write out every feeling that I can possibly feel. 
• truly learn who I am and who I want and need to be. I want to see myself the way that God sees me. I want to figure out what it means to be Shiloh in every way that I can. I want to learn about my desires and my hopes and my talents. I want to learn to be comfortable in my skin and my mind. 
• take new risks. I want to make new friends and try new things and go on new adventures. I want to spend countless hours at concerts and in the woods and basking in the sun. I want to go to karaoke nights with my friends and I want to join new clubs at school. I want to experience everything that the world has to offer me right now.
• read more. I want to read anything and everything. I want to read more than just crappy fan fictions. I want to read and reread classics, and poetry, and new genres, and old genres, and everything.
• thrive. 

Here's to 2015.

Blessings,

Shi.