Greetings from Clarissa!

Me at the Vatican this last summer!

Hey International BFF's! My name is Clarissa Skipworth and I come in peace.

Noelle's asked me a couple times before to join in on blogging, but I've always declined because I'm so horrible at being consistent with posting. I apologize if I'm inconsistent; but, nevertheless, I'm finally here!

I live in Belleville, Illinois currently, and my family and I have moved around 11 times, usually bouncing back and forth between the west and east coasts. (My dad works in the Air Force. In case that wasn't apparent.) Some of the other places we've lived include South Carolina, Virginia, Washington state, Oregon, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania. Plus, we will be moving this upcoming summer to who knows where. Hurrah! xD

A little about me: I'm 16, I'm in 11th grade and I'm in Mother of Divine Grace, an online Catholic high
school. This year I'm also attending a nearby community college, SWIC, for two classes (Spanish and Caluclus). I love the flexibility that being homeschooled provides, and I love being around my family. I have two younger sisters and two little brothers- Ella (12), Audrey (9), Peter (5), and David (1). I've grown up Catholic and both my parents grew up with at least one Catholic parent, which I consider an extreme blessing. I have an absolute passion for our amazing Catholic faith! In fact, I hope to go into Catholic apologetics once I graduate college. (New to apologetics? Look up Scott Hahn, Tim Staples, Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, or Jimmy Akin. All of them are amazing apologists.)

Oh boy, I mentioned colleges. The question of what college I want to go to has always intimidated me, but I think my list is narrowing down to Franciscan University of Steubenville, Benedictine, Thomas Aquinas College (in CA), or possibly University of Portland, where my parents met and graduated. Yep. Ok. Enough of all that official "what I want to do with my life" stuff.

I love playing piano, and I've played since I was... four? I like playing a variety of genres: "romantic era" pieces, such as Clair De Lune by Debussy; classical music, which is mostly for refining and practicing; themes from my favorite movies/T.V. shows; and Christian music or free style lead sheet music.
I also love reading, writing, animated/superhero movies, and art.

My favorite books include the Ascendance Trilogy, Peter and the Starcatchers series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians (both series), Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, the Tale of Desperaux, the Dragons in Our Midst series... I could go on and on.

As for art, I love painting with acrylics and pallet knives, although I don't get the opportunity to do so very often. I mostly sketch people and characters, and I enjoy shading- I mean, "adding value." :P

My favorite super hero movie was Captain America: The First Avenger, but now it's definitely Captain America: Civil War. I have a feeling that Spiderman: Homecoming will become my new favorite, though. I'm super psyched about the actor they've chosen for the role of Spidey this time, Tom Holland. Noelle can attest to my excitement. xD I love a ton of Disney and Dreamworks movies, including but not limited to Kung Fu Panda, Wreck-it Ralph, Tangled, (excited about Moana and Dr. Strange!) Atlantas: The Lost Empire, Big Hero 6, Mulan.... and again, I could go on and on.

My favorite T.V. shows are The Flash and Avatar: The Last Airbender, and I used to really love Ultimate Spiderman and LEGO Ninjago. Update: Sherlock is my new favorite fandom. The finale is absolutely beautifully epic; you should totally watch it ASAP if you're a Sherlock fangirl.

I've been pretty interested in animating and I've even taken an animating class, but I don't think that's what my vocation will be.

I'm excited to see what you all have to share, and what we can learn about each other! Comment below if you share a favorite interest, book, or movie with me!

~Clarissa Skipworth~