Category: About me

March Highlights – Moving Forward

On By hannahloviisawriterIn Highlights2 Comments

These past two months have been a whirlwind of a ride, from the Philippines to New York City to coming back home to beautiful Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and finding that life as I had known it had been totally changed.

Trying to get some of my geography homework out of the way in our Airbnb.

Upon returning home from NYC, my classmates and I were quarantined in an Airbnb not far from our college campus. There we spent two weeks working endlessly on our school magazine. I’m not kidding it was literally wake up, eat, work on the magazine, eat, work on the magazine, eat, go to bed. (I love getting tasks complete so I’m a bit of a workaholic and was cracking down on all the staff.)

Our Airbnb newsroom.

You can imagine that such a repetitive daily routine gets a bit overwhelming. I have to admit this extrovert was going a little crazy, especially during the last two days. Overall, I thought it was quite interesting to see the effect that isolation would have upon me. To sum it up, I think I went brain dead in terms of socialization and wound up mentally exhausted from the overload of schoolwork.

I think I put on jeans twice during quarantine…maybe twice

As our quarantine lifted, my classmate and I got security to unlock the newsroom on campus so we could each grab a Mac to take back to our homes for continued work on the school magazine. We probably looked like regular thieves loading all that equipment up into my little black Ford Focus.

It was a sad day driving back to my CDA home and packing everything up there and loading that on top of my stuff from the Airbnb. I moved from two houses in one day back to my own little apartment up north to be closer to family.

My new home office.

After a day of recovery (plus some spring cleaning), I am back to work in my “new” home. My plan for the upcoming week is to get as much homework that’s possible out of the way so I have the rest of my semester cleared to work on finishing up my next book! (Did I mention I was a workaholic?!) What better time than now to finally get it done!

I also got a lot of planning for the next semester completed. I have one class for my photography degree that isn’t offered again until next spring, so I decided to just go to school for one more full year and study music theory. I also put in an application to run for student government. My friend Melissa helped me film a campaign video since everything has to be online and let’s just say it’s….well, not ideal.

Looking forward, I really hope that the skies clear up ahead! But until then, I hope I’ll be able to make the best of it and give some much-needed attention to tasks at hand. I pray you all are keeping sane through these wild times. At least the memes are good.

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Thoughts with Hannah

On By hannahloviisawriterIn About me, Christian Walk, The All For Jesus Gang, The Summer of Our LivesLeave a comment

Hi my dear friends!

It’s been a while since I’ve shared something like this (and it pains me to think that as it is the most important thing in my life). As I sit here trying to get through my homework load at my newly arranged yet already cluttered workspace (much like my newly transitioned but already disorderly life), I realize that all too often when times are good, I tend to stick these serious issues in the backseat while I enjoy the drive. It’s not a new thought! But sometimes it takes a change to help me remember and reflect once again on to Whom I owe my joy, and why life is worth the living. And that’s what I’m here to share.  I’d like to talk about the greatest love story in history, and that starts with creation.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen. 1:1. God created us in His own image and breathed in us life. But we sinned against him because we were not satisfied with what He had given us, and our unity with God was broken. But from the very beginning, God created a way for sinners to be reconciled, and that Way was Jesus. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Tim. 2:5.

Jesus was God’s only begotten Son, fully God yet fully Man, and the only One who had lived a perfect and undefiled life, therefore the only One who could lift the curse we had brought on ourselves. “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” Isa. 53:5. Jesus suffered a painful and humiliating death on a cross to pay for the salvation of His people. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Rom. 10:9.

Salvation is a free gift. We didn’t earn it, we couldn’t, and all we have to do to receive it is to believe and confess. While everything in the world we see seems to be changing so drastically, this Truth never changes. Jesus is way to eternal life. Don’t take that lightly! “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28. Jesus is the reason that we can rejoice in the midst of suffering because He is Enough. He will never leave us nor forsake us!

 “I hadn’t asked Him to forgive me of all the sin in my life, and I realized all along that I had just been depending on my good works, and maybe my parent’s faith, to get to heaven.

And boy is that a joke, ’cause when I was on the brink of death, I realized that nothing I ever did was enough to pay for what I had done.

It had taken me all of just a minute then to recognize that the only thing that stood between me and eternal damnation . . . was the cross. So while I was lying there in that coffin, I asked Jesus to save me and make me His forever, because I don’t think I took it seriously before, but a close brush with death can make you rethink your life all over, and I knew right then that I didn’t want to live anymore without living for Jesus.”

-Excerpt from “The Summer of Our Lives,” some book that will start in existence if this old self will ever get around to finishing it.

21 and Here’s what I’ve Done

On By hannahloviisawriterIn About me, Uncategorized3 Comments

02/10/20 – Tried not to get sick.

02/11/20 – Got sick anyways.

02/12/20 – Started my birthday in the DMV. Sat next to a flight attendant on the plane ride to Seattle. Watched him eat about a dozen Oreos on a half-hour flight.

Plane ride from Spokane to Seattle

02/13/20 – Realized carrying a laptop and five school books gets pretty heavy, and deodorant is probably still a good idea even if you’re packing light.

Airport in Korea

02/14/20 – Landed in Manila, the Philippines.

Streets of Manilla

02/16/20 – Told my cousin to chuck a roast bird across the room during my grandpa’s 90th birthday celebration. She questioned my sanity. Passed out in the middle of taking pictures.

02/17/20 – Went to a cool restaurant in Antipolo City with some of the cousin gang. Ate fried squid and watched live performers.

Swipe right to hear the live performers.

02/18/20 – Got my hair highlighted for cheap. Realized why it was cheap.

02/20/20 – Rode a pedi cab. Drank coconut juice from the coconut like a real local.

Pedi Cab in Manilla

02/21/20 – Got serenaded by two guys in the restroom. That was weird.

02/22/20 – Had the best sushi in my life. Hung out on the beach.

Beach in Manilla

02/23/20 – Bought deodorant.

02/24/20 – Landed in Korea after a 14 hour flight. Couldn’t feel my ankles due to extreme swelling. I guess I’m old now.

02/25/20 – Home, Sweet Home.

Seattle to Spokane Flight

02/28/20 – Got my hair fixed.

03/01/20 – Helped my friend push her vehicle out of the police parking spot on campus. It wouldn’t shift to reverse. I told her parking there for a minute was a bad idea.

03/02/20 – Bought compression socks for my trip to New York City.

✌️Cheers y’all! I guess this is my travel year.

P.S: I promise more pics of the Philippines to follow 🙂

January/February Highlights

On By hannahloviisawriterIn Highlights2 Comments

and Boom,

school started. But that’s okay because I needed something to keep busy anyway.

I’m taking 19 credits this semester! So that will be fun 🙂

But before all that:

I went ice skating with friends!

and learned to turn correctly on a snowboard….kinda, I’m still pretty bad at it. I’m looking forward to getting more boarding in next year!

Right now I’m enjoying some town life living closer to the college. It’s so much easier being closer to school. I’m a short drive from my office and now I can actually go to more school events like the sports games.

I’ve also been looking into local theater :). Now that the commute is shorter, I’m hoping I’ll finally be able to pursue my dreams of being involved in theater.

02/17/20

And now it’s February.

My past weeks have been crazy trying to prep for one of the biggest trips of my life. Full disclosure in my next post 🙂

But before then…

I got my second concussion after going off a jump while sledding…but not before some seriously sweet air time.

I’ve been enjoying my photojournalism class…even though it’s crazy hard. Or maybe not too much but since I overthink everything it is. Also, since it’s journalism, you’re not allowed to edit any of your pictures or set up shots unless it’s a portrait. However, it’s been super fun. I love trying to capture people’s personalities in pictures.

Here’s two of my favorites that I took for the class:

Haha, yeah, I’m also involved in the music department.

As always, you can follow my photography journey on Facebook and Instagram.

I also had a good time celebrating my birthday with friends….twice! Good thing Denny’s is open at 1 a.m!

Last note: It’s weird being an adult.

November/December Highlights

On By hannahloviisawriterIn Highlights2 Comments

I feel like I’m always behind writing these posts! Life is just so busy! The semester ended so now I have a bit of a break to get some stuff done before school starts up again.

It was quite a hustling semester! I was the social media editor for the school paper, The Sentinel. The team also publishes a magazine once a semester, which was a lot of fun but a lot of work!

yeah, those are my feet 🙂

Besides that, I’ve been working on photography a lot. I took a class this semester and added getting a photography degree to my list of want-to-dos. I also bought Lightroom, a photo editing software, and made a Facebook page and Instagram for my photography if you’d like to follow my adventure. Here’s also a few pictures from my last two sessions:

Besides taking photos, I’ve been enjoying voice lessons through NIC. I also had fun working as an elf at the resort for a few days over the holiday season.

And now that school is out, skiing and snowboarding are on! Looking forward to having some fun over the break, and prepping for the new semester.

October Highlights

On By hannahloviisawriterIn Highlights1 Comment

I should really be doing homework…but I’ve had brain fog for the last couple days, compliments of a cold plus my wisdom teeth getting pulled out (which by the way, laughing gas is like the funnest thing ever just saying. And my dentist [yeah, dentist, not oral surgeon] was super cool and let me look at my holes mid procedure).

So here’s my October highlights.

I had a super fun sister date with my lil’ sis for her b-day. We had sushi and watched the new Spider-man. This picture was taken at the harvest carnival where we helped run games.

I also got to help a friend cook for another harvest carnival in Montana. That was a lot of fun, and gave me another opportunity to wear my prairie dress and sport my camera. I’ve also been able to play with studio lighting at my college.

Here’s one of my favorite studio shots

The Sentinel’s fall magazine is almost ready for print (just like our semester is coming close to an end, yay!) and that’s super great especially because I’m so done with going to coffee shops. What started out as a super fun project had turned into a dreaded chore, but I’ve successfully been acquainted with every coffee shop within 2 miles of campus so mission achieved.

The school hosted a roller skating night

And I know I did other things but maybe this brain fog is just too strong for me to think. There was also a concert, a couple dances and plays, Panda Express runs, and most likely mad librarians in there somewhere. Probably the best memory is my friend tearing across the Student Union Building at the mention of free cookies.

Hope you all have a happy, happy fall!

House pictures, as promised

On By hannahloviisawriterIn About me1 Comment

Here are some house pictures, as I promised a couple months ago. Hehe. It’s been fun getting to do a little interior decorating. Currently, the kitchen is a complete disaster because of the canning season, so no pics of that. Well, not a complete disaster, but my sister is working her way through 1 million apples so the peels are coming out of our ears.

Here’s the living room.

Before:

(sorry for the bad cellphone pic)

After:

I painted the walls Cloud Cover, a slightly grayish-white. The tables came from Facebook yardsale and the couch from a secondhand store. I decided to go with a slight beach and travel theme.

I found the matching anchor pillows at Goodwill for $2.99 each.

The lighthouse coasters were also from Goodwill.

This old wine box serves as a shoeholder.

And, yeah, I love indoor plants.

Here’s the dining room before picture:

Sorry, another phone picture.

And after:

And there’s my laptop and camera junk….and a hammer…on the table

I tried to add light by putting in the little mirrors but they sort of do nothing but look cute.

And here’s a few pictures of the tidier parts of the kitchen.

  • Coffee bar
  • Kitchen window
  • Smoothie bar

And of course, the bathroom. Sorry, I have no good before pictures.

Yes, that’s a real plant.
I found that little message in a bottle at a thrift shop last year.
I’m an Anne of Green Gables fan 🙂

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

August/September Highlights

On By hannahloviisawriterIn HighlightsLeave a comment

Sometime towards the end of August

I feel like I begin every highlight post with “the month has just flown by,” but that’s how I feel every month!

School started! I’m taking a lot of fun classes this semester including voice, a journalism class in which I’m an editor for the school paper (and I get part of tuition paid through that!), and a photography class. It’s a new season once again, fall is making its entrance. . . we’ve even had snow already!

As I look back on this summer, honestly, I didn’t do that much. I mean I did a lot, but nothing memorable. (Isn’t that sad?!) Mostly just worked and crammed in two college courses (which was super hard). So that was fun, NOT! But I made it! (And I’d probably do it again next year just to finish up.) I’m hoping to make this fall season a little more exciting and try to work on my book again if the rest of my schedule would just calm itself down a bit.

10/07/19…..oh geez

But for now, I am loving my photography class! I have learned so much about operating a camera this past month. I love photographing people especially and recently did a newborn shoot which was super fun.

And hey, I did another fun thing! I went to Lake Moraine and Lake Louise up in Canada….gotta use that ol’ passport again.

That beautiful blue just soothes the soul.

And besides that, I’ve just been working on my place a bit. Pictures will come soon, I promise.

P.S: Take me to a pumpkin patch and we can be friends forever.

June/July Highlights

On By hannahloviisawriterIn Highlights1 Comment

Hi all,

It’s been quite a summer so far, as in I’ve been soooooo busy!

But I just finished my summer semester and got my 4.0 so that’s all good. I also had to complete a bunch of extra summer jobs. Now I’m busy trying to get everything ready for school in fall and finish redecorating the house. (I’ve found that I love indoor plants.) Pics coming soon!

I’ve also been working on my new business, hannah’s honeybees. I’ll share a link with you all once my website is up so you can check out my products.

For the fun part though, I had a great visit with my cousin.

Looking forward to the fair! I’ll be entering some of my pictures.

Hannah

May Highlights

On By hannahloviisawriterIn Highlights1 Comment

Currently smiling ’cause school’s out and I got my 4.0 GPA. Booyah! ✌

The month has been pretty jam packed with finishing up school and finals. (It’s weird how you get so lazy at the end of the semester. I start calculating how many points I can afford to miss before I lose my A.)

But I did some cool stuff, too.

For one, I went to Canada! Finally got to use my passport that I spent some buck$ on! (And there definitely will be more use put into that!)

Nelson, Canada
And here I am on the ferry boat #supercoolstuff 😂 ik I’m so rad, right?

And I got to dress up for work for the annual Lost in the 50’s car show.

50’s outfit for work. Kinda ended up looking more like Rosie the Riveter, though, haha!

Lame pic, but yanno, it’s all I got. P.S: I worked a double shift . . . backstory for the Rockstar. Another fun fact, I found my entire outfit like the day before at the thrift shop, so how’s that for awesome….also my terrible last minute planning is showing, but just being honest here, folks.

And I took my good friend and her sister camping since I’m missing her bachelorette party. Let’s just say after forgetting the keys and having to run back for them, almost wrecking my car by driving over a cement post, and then getting the keys but lacking the skills to unlock the camper for the first 10 minutes, we knew it was going to be a awesome party.

That frog, man. I found that frog at the lake 🤣

I got to try out my photography skills (or lack thereof) on a super fun trip through Washington looking for old barns and other cool stuff. We found an old farmhouse with letters dated back in the early 1900s. (Haha, they were like from Virginia’s time.)

That also brought on another fit of allergies (I developed an allergic reaction to mold last spring) and let’s just say I spent last night feeling like I was going to puke, and crawling down the stairs at 4:10 a.m. to head out for lifeguarding was pretty rough.

However, it was worth it! Below you may view my official portfolio. 😊

Currently, I’m looking forward to boating time on the lake, the last four days before summer semester starts (ahhhhh, why so fast, pleaz stop), and living off of something other than Mexican food at work or the box of granola bars from Costco in the trunk of my car (which are currently melting as the weather gets warmer). #thecollegelife

I actually baked a bit today! (Ha, and I’m that girl that used to bake all the family’s bread from age 11 on up. I learned that not using these skills can make you start losing them. Starting to understand why so many girls get married out of college without knowing how to cook.)

Currently making biscotti for those awesome guys at the local tire shop who constantly patched my tires and kept me running to school and work on time.🙌 Cuz for real, sometimes I’m just that helpless…

But I sincerely believe I’m living my best life.

So until we chat again, keep your powder dry.

Much love,

~Hannah

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

James 1:17 ESV