Goodbye 2017


This year has been quite the year. I have completed grade 11 and am almost halfway done with grade 12! I have been to some pretty amazing places, read some really great books, watched some amazing TV shows and movies, listened to some great new music, and just enjoyed this year in general. I have lots to share with you so if you want to see my year, then keep reading!


1) Goodreads Reading Challenge:
I set my reading goal to 45 books since I read 45 books last year and believed I could do it again. I'm happy to report that I sure did! In fact I read 49 books, exceeding my goal! I am so pleased. I have read some incredible books this year and I'll always be thankful for books for how they take me out of reality and enjoy life a little more. If you want to see my year in reading you can click here. Have you read any books this year? If so, leave them in the comments! Also, if you have a reading goal for next year, let me know! I'm very curious and love converting non-readers into readers.

2) Doing my own hair:
I have been attempting to go natural for 3 years now. I have tried and failed every summer and have gone back to heat styling again and again. This year July I stopped using heat tools on my hair and have started my natural journey. I have serious heat damage but after almost 6 months of no heat my hair has grown and I am beyond happy. I also could never do my own hair. I found it to be such a struggle so my Aunt Gi has been doing my hair since I was young. This year I started learning my own natural hair and with the help of natural hair videos I have been getting better and better. I am so happy with the hair I have and it's definitely thanking me for giving it a long-awaited break. I can't wait to see how it looks next year July as that will be my one year anniversary! I am excited to see how my natural hair will look in the future and just wearing and appreciating the hair God gave me. 

Vacation:



This is hands down one of--if not the best--vacation I've ever had. Going to St. Maarten with my Aunt Gi was such a great experience. I went to the beach for the first time in years, explored both the Dutch and French side, ate great food, met a little kitten we named Luke, met some great people, and even went on a speedboat across the ocean to Anguilla. I still think about it to this day and would definitely go back. It was relaxing and fun, exactly what a vacation should be! If you want to learn more about my vacation I made a blog post which you can view here.

Books:



Bring on the books! I have read some really great books this year but these 7 really stand out. I also added a couple to my all-time favourite books. All of these are 5 star books for me and have made me felt so many emotions. I can't recommend these enough. If you want to learn about these books and see my thoughts on them then click the titles below! The ones with an asterisk (*) are a part of a series so if you haven't read the previous books then do not read the summary or my review. 

1) Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett (review)
2) I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (review)
3) Always and Forever, Lara Jean* by Jenny Han (review)
4) Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley (review)
5) Lord of Shadows* by Cassandra Clare (I didn't make a review for this one because I was completely and utterly speechless).
6) Tower of Dawn* by Sarah J. Maas (review)
7) Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (review

Music:


Music changes with the times and not all of it sounds very good. This causes me to miss the previous years and how good music used to be. These albums are an exception and will make you fall back in love with music. I was very surprised by Demi Lovato's, Tell Me You Love Me, and Maren Morris's, Hero, because I only like a few songs off Demi's previous albums and I had never heard of Maren Morris before. I am so happy that these albums exist because they were a part of my soundtrack of 2017. If you want to find out which songs specifically are my favourites from each album, click on the titles below!

1) Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato
2) Melodrama by Lorde
3) Hero by Maren Morris
4) Divide by Ed Sheeran
5) Dua Lipa by Dua Lipa 
6) reputation by Taylor Swift

TV Shows:


I started a few TV shows and said goodbye to some TV shows this year. I watched incredible shows this year that I love/enjoyed so much that I had to include them in this post. To watch the trailer, click the titles below!

Shows I started:
1) Jane the Virgin
2) Home Town 

Continued series:
1) Outlander season 3 (the other half of my heart 💓)
2) Stranger Things season 2
3) Bachelorette season 13

Finished series 😭:
1) Baby Daddy season 6 (I'm going to miss this show so much)

Movies:


I have watched 21 new movies this year (I rewatched 5 of my favourite movies so technically 26) and these 5 are my favourite. I enjoyed a wonderful classic (Dirty Dancing), two incredible comic franchise movies (Spiderman: Homecoming and Wonder Woman), a spunky teen rom-com (10 Things I Hate About You), and a spiritual movie filled with wanderlust, food, and love (Eat, Pray, Love). 


I hope you all had a wonderful year in 2017 and I hope 2018 treats you well. Have a wonderful day, incredible week, and overall amazing new year! Thank you for reading my blog and commenting on my posts. This blog is work but it's super fun and rewarding. See you in 2018!


love xena


6 comments:

  1. Happy new year my darling Xe. I'm so proud of you and all your accomplishments in 2017 (and throughout all these years). I'm seen you grown from a little girl to a young adult and developed the simply best qualities ever!! I admire your determination to pursue all your goals (school, hair journey and reading like crazy). You are truly a gem. I wish for you the best 2018 ever. I know you will always succeed at whatever you put your mind to. I love you to pieces xo xo xo 😘❤️💕
    Gi Gi

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  2. Hi Xe:

    Happy New Year!! I love your reviews of the books that have read. They are so short and yet give much information about the books that entice people to want to read these books. I enjoyed watching Eat Pray Love.

    I also enjoyed watching Wonder Woman. I hope there will be a sequel.

    Looking forward to your posts for 2018.

    I love you to the moon and back.
    xoxo.

    Mama Dan

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    1. Thank you very much Momma! I'm glad you like them and read them. There will be more Wonder Woman movies. You and me girl! I love you!!

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  3. I waited as long as I could and now just have to. Kudos on meeting your reading goal and then some! :) Happy new year babes and have a fabu 2018 year ahead and beyond too. I've watched Eat Pray Love at least 3x - love it, especially when she met with the Medicine Man and touched the elephant. They are the real deal in those parts of the world. Geez, where have the years gone Xeens; still feels like yesterday that you were buckled into your car seat and ready to spend the day with me in my classroom (for learning) haha. Amazing! And your hair(!) Just awesome! Love, you xx

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    1. Thanks Sue! Happy New Year to you too! It is one of the best movies I've watched. So inspiring. I know right?! It's crazy how time flies. Love you Sutz.

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