Inspiring Quotes to Get You Through Quarantine

Hey everyone! Emma here. I know we’re all still suck in quarantine, and for Communications class, we were given a choice board of assignments to choose from for this week. I decided to make a quote collage, with seven inspiring quotes to help you get through quarantine. Thanks to this article and a little misadventure my class had back during week 1 of the 2019 Student Blogging Challenge (you can read about it here), I knew how to put the slideshow into my post. Most of the quotes in the slideshow are from musicals, but they’re still really inspiring, even outside the context of the show. I also highly recommend these musicals, the songs are really good! I really like all of these quotes, and I hope they can give you that little extra boost to get you through the day.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I hope these quotes helped cheer you up. Do you have any inspiring quotes you like? I would love to hear them! If you have any questions, comments, or just something to say, I would love if you could leave me a comment and a link to your blog.

Life: Then and Now

Hey everyone! Emma here. Over the past month, everyone’s lives have been flipped upside down. We’re all trying to adjust to the quarantine, and everyday life as been very different. I’m here to share what my life was like before the quarantine, and what it’s like now.

Then:

Before the quarantine, my life was pretty normal. I went to school and did my homework. I took dance classes three times a week, and listened to show tunes and drew in my free time. I walked home with my friends on sunny days when I didn’t have dance, and probably spent too much time looking at memes on Pinterest.

Now:

These days, I come downstairs at 10:00 Am and start my schoolwork for the day. I eat lunch around 1:00, and I still draw and listen to musicals when I’m done. I’ve been watching way too much YouTube. If you’re looking for recommendations, check out Overly Sarcastic Productions (warning: some cursing) and Hilariously Scary (I have plenty more, so ask and ye shall receive). I haven’t gotten properly dressed since school let out, so I mostly sit around in my pajamas. Every once and a while me and my friends video chat, so at least I can hear people’s voices and see their faces.

Overall, I really miss school, seeing all my teachers and friends, even the people I don’t like very much. Although I miss school, I’m so glad we can still talk to each other through video chats, and I think the state made the right choice shutting everything down.

Thanks for stopping by! This was a bit of a shorter post, but I wanted to post something, given how inactive I’ve been. How do you feel about the quarantine? Are you doing school at home? If you have any questions, comments, or just want to tell me anything, I would love if you could leave me a comment and a link to your blog!

7 Things I’ve Learned in 8th Grade

Hey everyone! Emma here. Sorry about how inactive I’ve been. With the Student Blogging Challenge over, I haven’t been posting much. My class plans on participating in the Spring Challenge, so I’ll be posting weekly when that starts. Today in class, we were given the assignment to write a 7- 9- or 11-point listicle (odd numbers catch the attention of viewers) about what we learned in 8th grade.

  1. How to Art
    • In the past year, I’ve used my drawing tablet and computer more often than I used to. I’ve learned how to make clipping masks, use different shading and coloring techniques. I’ve also tried different mediums traditionally, like alcohol markers. I’ve really expanded my knowledge and skill in the art world.
  2. Pointe
    • Throughout 8th grade, I’ve gotten a lot stronger on pointe in ballet, and I’m a lot more comfortable than I used to be. There are a few things I’m not so good at quite yet (ex: I still cannot pirouette on pointe), but I’m getting better and am very excited for the spring recital, where I will perform my first dance on pointe.
  3. Broadway
    • I was introduced to the Broadway musicals Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical the summer before 8th grade. Throughout the year, I’ve been exposed to other musicals, such as Newsies, Beetlejuice and Mean Girls. I have been sucked very deep into the rabbit hole of musical theater. I also learned that Broadway merchandise is incredibly expensive (looking at you, $70 Hamilton hoodie).
  4. Random History Facts
    • This year, I’ve spent a lot of time scrolling through Pinterest, and along the way I’ve discovered some pretty ridiculous (and possibly untrue) facts about history. For example, did you know that Thomas Jefferson invented Macaroni and Cheese, and popularized the swivel chair? Also, Aaron Burr set himself on fire (twice!) when he tried to light a candle  with a gun. One of my personal favorites is that Peggy Schuyler once got an axe thrown at her head while she was saving a baby (that’s a long story, please ask me to elaborate!).
  5. Studying
    • This past year, I have learned a lot about studying. At my school, the 8th graders take Civics instead of History. Civics is one class that you must study for. You cannot be there, get the notes, and walk in on test day ready to talk your way through it. Whenever I have a test or quiz in Civics, I spend at least two days studying before it.
  6. Spirit Week
    • Over the past year, I’ve learned that my classmate Nature Nerd (check out her blog here) has the most colorful wardrobe of the entire grade. Nobody out spirit-week’s her. Need to wear yellow for spirit day? She’s got gold lipstick, eye shadow and blush, a yellow tutu, shirt, leggings and some yellow jewelry. Forgot to wear your blue? I’m sure she has some blue makeup on hand. Wait, we were supposed to wear green? Take her scarf! She’s got enough green to spare. It’s really fun to watch people try to beat her in the extreme sport of spirit-weeking!
  7. Writing
    • I’ve always had story ideas floating in my head, but I first really started writing in 4th grade. Over the past years, especially 8th grade, I’ve learned a lot about how to, as Jack Kelly puts it in Newsies, “write good.” I’ve started, restarted and deleted so many stories, and the one I’ve still stuck with has been edited, rewritten, and cringed at a lot over the past three years. I’ve learned how to write well, describe a setting or experience, and how to structure a story (plan, plan, PLAN), through Communications class, as well as trial and error.

Thanks for checking out my blog! I hope you enjoyed reading about what I’ve learned in 8th grade, and I hope you learned something, too! If you enjoyed it, I would love it if you left me a comment and a link to your blog so I can return the favor.