BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND TWITTER BACKGROUNDS

Monday, December 6, 2010

Catching Up

My oh my. It is very late.
I made a goal to finish my online training courses tonight and I DID IT! Hello, Raise! My name is Minimum Wage! Lets elope.

I turned the big one-eight over the weekend. I found that the best way to celebrate is not by doing something illegal, but spending time with my closest friends and family. My best friend Evan came to visit and we had a ball. He and I made a delicious vegetarian lasagna. And the best part of the entire night? I got a zebra-striped snuggie out of it.

I love my friends.

I've struggled with writing about my life lately. Can you tell? I haven't blogged in ages. Sometimes when I go through a rough patch in my life, I shut down and don't share much. Well readers, Its been a while. And I'm all about the sharing.

I came across a mister Johnny Strat on Facebook. His sound is my music moment of the week. Give him a chance if you're into the singer songwriter stuff like yours truly.

Happy Holidays.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

I Think I'll Be Brave...

Brave - Tawgs Salter
This song touched my soul. I heard it the other day and have spent every spare moment since then searching for the name. Its not often that I find a piece of music as beautifully written as this, but when I do, its magical.
I. Love. Music.
Its as simple as that.

I wish I could describe the thoughts that run through my head when I hear this song. One thing is for sure, there is always a montage of memories that run through my mind when I hear things like this.

Down - Jason Walker
You Fill My Heart - Jason Walker
Another stroke of genius I stumbled upon as I began writing this blog. Its as if musicians tap into my dreams every night and steal my memories for their own personal writings. Haa I can only wish it was that way.
Its nights like this when I pray for my Ipod to come back to life. I need my music.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Experience the Red Cross

I can cross off something on my bucket list today.


Thats right.


I donated blood today.


I won't lie, I was very nervous when I walked into the room for my appointment today. When I finished the paperwork and went to sit down in the chair, I almost passed out. Thanks to Red Cross guy Ryan, I calmed down and had a great time with it. We chatted about our life goals and how his wife was a crazy vegetarian. It was a fun experience. I plan on donating every chance I get.




Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Observe the Inside of a Federal Prison

That's right boys and girls! I went to federal prison today! No I did not commit a murder or grand theft auto, I simply sat before a panel of inmates and asked questions for who knows how long. I'm not going to lie, they made prison sound fun. Its not supposed to be fun and games behind those big fences and bricked buildings. Is that where the average American's tax dollars are going each year? For prison inmates to have "happy circle" and play "duck duck goose" all day? It happens.
That gives me so much more confidence about where my money is going when I pay taxes.
Haa NOT!

I'm dreading the idea of returning to a normal school schedule. I've missed four days from school in the last week and I am sure my teachers are less than thrilled. Trust me, if I had a choice, I would skip the rest of high school and go straight on to college. My friends that graduated last year constantly tell me that senior year is the highlight of all schooling. So far, I am not loving it.

There was something on my mind that I was going to write about in this paragraph, but it has left my mind. I believe it was something of importance, but I can't remember for the life of me.

Have you ever had one of those days where everything you see or do reminds you of a particular memory? Today I was coming home from my long trip and my mind began a montage of memories dealing with a certain friend. It was nice to relive the best moments of my friendship with that person and it made me want to better our relationship. I can't help but smile every time I think of the places we've been or the things we've seen. I think of all the times we met up for ice-skating or a movie we both wanted to see for the longest time. Remembering these moments reminds me of what great people I have in my life.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Pause for a Music Moment

St. Augustine - Band of Horses
Story of a Boy - Between the Trees
Hello, I'm Delaware - City and Colour
You and Me - Lifehouse
Hazy - Rosi Golan feat. William Fitzsimmons

I've had so much on my mind these past few days. Time seems to be flying by at a million miles an hour. I hate it.

Imagine this situation for me for just a minute. You have a best friend of sorts, a friend closer than most. One day this friend tells you that you've changed. They say that you put your work before your friends and they hate what you've become. What do you say to that? That one person is so close to you, maybe they are right? This happened to me weeks ago, but its been on my mind ever since.
Have I turned into that person?

Monday, October 18, 2010

Things I do to make a quick buck...

So as many of you may have heard, I spent Saturday dancing on a sidewalk for four hours straight.

Best. Experience. Ever.

(Me, My Co-Worker Jessie)

If I was paid to dance on the street in that costume every day, I would totally do it. I would love that kind of job. The downside to that whole experience: Under that happy little sandwich costume was a full body spandex suit. That part I did not enjoy. It got very hot very fast.

So a post or two ago, I mentioned that lemony herbal blah blah drink. Its great watered down, but I decided to put on my big-girl pants and drink it all at once. I mixed it with 64 oz. of water, put together a giant straw, and started drinking as I began this blog. That way, I'm not thinking about the weird taste. Mucho better this way!

Fall Leadership for FBLA is this week! I can't wait to go and learn how to be a proper leader! ;) That trip will be a good one and I promise to post all about it!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Its Alllllll Natural

My dad always says, "If you starve in this house, its your own dang fault!"

Naturally, I learned to cook at a very young age. I was making Chicken Stir Fry at the age of 10, creating my own cookie recipes at fifteen, and creating all natural breakfast feasts just this morning. When I say all natural I mean fresh egg whites, apples and tomato picked straight from the garden, and whole wheat organic bagels. One word: Delicious.

Next on my list of things i want to make: Carmel Apple Cupcakes.

Have a wonderful day, Readers! You are the best. :)

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Watery Lemon Herbal Mineral Water.


"you are my brightest star and i'm lost without your love."

who do i love? Between the Trees. new favorite band? absolutely.


my dad and i are trying this new herbal mineral drink. lets just say, healthy in a bottle is nasty. if i were to drink this stuff full strength, i might just pass out. i like to water it down. a lot. my mix of choice: one part lemon mix, five parts water. it is much more bearable that way. does anyone know how many ounces are in a gallon? somehow i've managed to drink 92 oz. of this watery lemon herbal mineral stuff today.


1 gallon = 128 fluid ounces.

36 oz. to go...

i feel like a fish. :p

a lemon fish to be exact.

and i like it.

we can try - between the trees.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Experience Paying It Forward

tonight was a long night at work.
where i work, we get free subs every time we work a shift. the night crew usually starts mid afternoon and works up until nine or ten, so the free food and breaks are needed. tonight was a different story. i got a call from my co-worker on the way to work and she told me that we aren't allowed to get breaks or free subs for a while ( :/ ). we were not too stoked about this change. the girls and i had a hard night. we had a rush that you would not believe. so what i decided to do is buy the girls dinner. their faces were priceless. "are you sure?" "i feel bad that you are doing this." is all they kept saying.
i was sure.
and i did it.
i bought everyone dinner at work and the mood seemed to lighten immediately. soon after, a couple came in and ordered dinner. i made their subs and as one of the girls was sliding their credit card, it declined. she tried again and it declined once more. "its all we have." the woman said. "don't worry, i've got it covered." i said with a smile. i think they were in shock. they didn't want to believe what had happened. "have a nice night." i said with a smile and i handed them their food.

it feels so great to do something nice for people. i love to see their smiles.
pay it forward. the change starts there.

Observing A Change

i tend to listen to some form of music while i get ready in the mornings. yesterday as i was listening to different things on youtube, i stumbled upon a certain song that made me smile.

one at a time - travis mccoy
(yes, this is travie mccoy, mr. billionaire lol)

i've always heard that change starts with one person. this song really inspired me. if everyone would go into the world with a goal to change at least one life, the world would be a better place. i am making this my personal goal: i will change a life. i don't know when or how, but if it makes someones life better, i'm all for it. and trust me, once i do this, i'm going to blog about it.

i challenge all of you reading this to do the same. change starts here.
lets make history and help those in need. ;)

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Experience Excitement

i am stoked about fall break. 5 days of pure bliss arriving shortly. its like christmas in the fall time!
today i stumbled upon a brilliant creation as i browsed the aisles at wal-mart -- MINI BAGELS! they are all the delicious of a regular bagel, but in mini size! i was so excited that i bought some. hellloooo breakfast for the next week!

my sweet puppy Kisses loves to sit on my lap and help me with my blogs. i adore her. she always gets in the way though because she licks my hands as i type. :/ i'd add pictures, but they are currently on my other computer...

Monday, October 11, 2010

Experience Busy Weeks and Writers Block

i just love how busy my schedual is now days.
its a bit overwhelming sometimes, but i am enjoying every second of it. due to the fact that i have so much on my plate, i can't seem to find any clever expressions or words to describe how great things have been lately.

with everything going on, its nice to have a friendly text from my favorite person. i've had some moments this week where i've felt ill or a little sad, and your texts have rocked my world (you know who you are ;] .)

thats it for today. maybe i will have more to say at a later time.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Much On My Mind.

the only time i ever post more than once a day is if i have too much on my mind.


tonight is one of those nights.



situation one:

a very dear friend of mind sent me a text tonight that brought tears to my eyes. all he said was "you looked very nice today." the reason i got so emotional: he never compliments me like that. ironically, today was my sweat shirt and ponytail day -- the day that i put little to no effort into getting ready.



situation two:

i had a rehearsal with my friend casey tonight. she is playing the piano for me when i sing in church this sunday. we ran through it the first time and in my mind, i sounded awful. as soon as the song ended, she looked at me and said,"wow. you have an amazing voice." it means so much to me when people say things like that. when it comes to self esteem, i have occasional issues.



i love my friends. they mean the world to me. whenever i am down, i know i can count on them to bring me back up again.

...one particular friend brings out my best. hopefully you are reading. hopefully you know how much you really mean to me.

Experience the First Amendment

what. a. week.
i'm up to my neck in math homework again, surprise surprise. i find that when i don't understand the material, i tend to procrastinate. a lot. so after my busy busy day tomorrow, i plan on catching up on all of my homework. everyone cross your fingers and hope that i can accomplish that goal of mine.

in one of my earlier posts, i talked a lot about prejudice, racism, and all of that fun stuff. today in my american government class, we were going over the 27 amendments and what each example would classify as. we had the example of "publicly criticizing the president of the united states" and had to decide if it would be protected by the first amendment or not. one boy in the class commented rather loudly, "he's such a fag.." you could hear every person in the room gasp. we all stared at miss moulton to see her reaction. you could hear a pin drop because it was so quiet. all of the sudden, she exploded.
never before have i seen her get so upset.
when she returned to the room after taking the boy to the front office, she sat down in here chair, facing the entire class. the silence seemed to last for minutes. "no one on this earth deserves to be called that name." she said to us all after she had calmed down. i absolutely agree with her. those kind of insults and comments frustrate me. i don't understand why people say things to that extent. sure, you're welcome to express your opinion, but can you at least do it in a respectful fashion? ironically, we were discussing freedom of speech. i really don't think he could have gotten in trouble for that. but around my school, miss moulton is queen. her word is law.

i am extrememly addicted to Journey this week. songs like 'faithfully' and 'forever young.' in my opinion, those songs will always be classic. my other addictions this week include:

only exception - paramore
need you - travie mccoy
sarah - travis
be calm - fun
bruno mars - just the way you are
hey little mama - frazey ford

if you get a chance, give them a listen. they are wonderful.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Observing Prejudice

today in my government class we watched a film on prejudice and racism throughout history.
it had a big effect on me.
seeing photos and different situations in that film gave me a better understanding of what really happened in history. racism/prejudice is what led to the holocaust. its what led to the many hate crimes against african americans. against chinese americans. against mexican americans. horrible things happened to people of different races.....with legal american citizenship.

five minutes after i had walked out of class, i hear a kid yell across the school, "you stupid mexican......" (i'm not even finishing this sentence. it disgusts me)
i don't understand how people can be so cruel. i see people say things like that and it really frustrates me.
eight hours later, i am still fuming mad.
has the world not learned a lesson from all of the mistakes people have made before us due to racism/prejudice? no matter the color of our skin, the religions we believe, or the way we are,
we are all human.
nothing will ever change that.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Experience Graphic Arts and College Math

i receive multiple complaints about the yearbook class from my fellow peers. the truth is, i don't know what they are talking about. i love that class! i've learned so many things i never dreamed of learning. one of my friends once said, "All we do is learn, learn, learn. I want to get to the fun stuff!"
well isn't school supposed to be about learning?
i enjoy the classes i am taking this trimester. i'm not very fond of my college math class, but it is helping me understand different concepts of math that i wouldn't have known otherwise. big test tomorrow. piece-wise functions are not my forte, nor will they ever be.

personal goal: 80% or better on tomorrow's test.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Sunday Afternoons.

there's nothing better than spending my sunday afternoon doing what i love best -- listening to music and painting. they go hand in hand in my mind. in fact, most of my paintings are inspired by the music i listen to.

forecast for the week: chance of rain and thunderstorms all week.
i. am. excited.

so many things have been rolling around in my mind lately. i've been thinking a lot about college and where i want to go. more importantly, i've been thinking about how i am going to pay for it all. there are scholarship applications and so many resources everywhere i turn; its a bit overwhelming. i'm excited about where i'm going in life, i'm just not excited about the process of getting there. all of my life things have been done for me. now its coming to the point where i won't have my mom to help me fill out an application, or my dad to help me change my battery.
i'm terrified.
but isn't everyone else when they get to this point?
the idea of what i want to be can change in an instant. but i'm going to do something extraordinary with my life, and that's a fact.

so many have asked me what i am going to do about my "love life."
frankly, i don't care.
i don't need to be dating someone in high school to be happy. i don't need someone else in my life to make things better. i am happy just the way i am. if that special person comes along, then great. if not, i don't mind. but i am not going to change just to improve a social image.

good bye, sunday. i'll see you again next week.
monday -- i'm coming for you.

Experience Early Mornings.

its very late.
i realize this now after spending an hour or so talking to a wonderful friend of mine. when i look back on this moment later tonight, i will realize that it was totally worth it.

can i just say the new additions to my playlist add to this quite nicely?
sky sailing - blue and red
one republic - all this time
ashes & wine - a fine frenzy
bruno mars - just the way you are
a perfect combination for such a lovely night. i haven't smiled like this in ages. its nice.

october is turning out to be a busy month for me. i've got sadies, FBLA fall leadership, the ACT, a prison trip....and a few other things that i can't seem to remember at the moment. loading my schedual with events and appointments may keep me busy, but i love every second of it. my life is changing and i notice it more and more each day. i believe it's because i've realized the person i want to be and where i'll go.

i love my life.

confined spaces with too many people stress me out. i sing in the shower. i love little house on the prarie. i stay up way too late and fall asleep in math the next day. i may not be perfect, but i am happy. that is all that matters.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

its late.

i really don't understand why i am awake at this hour. usually i am up late when i have things on my mind...
but tonight, there's not really much to think about.
i've been sitting on my bed for the past few hours contemplating what needs to be done with my life. i arrived at the conclusion that i need a change. and a big one at that.
it starts tomorrow. i'll let you know how it goes.
until then, happy reading.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Music Addiction.

chase coy. william fitzsimmons. coldplay. rosi golan.
I've spent the last few days sitting outside and listening to these four, hoping for some sort of inspiration to write about. Nothing comes to mind. The lyrics tend to get in the way and I feel myself singing along and ignoring my thoughts.
but there is one particular song that puts my thoughts to lyrics. Jar of Hearts. Yes it is on the playlist at the bottom of this blog.
And who do you think you are
Running around leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You’re gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don’t come back for me
Who do you think you are

When beautiful lyrics are put to a soft selection of piano, perfection results. The more I listen to it, the more I love it. If you haven't listened to it, give it a chance.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Experience Girls Night.

Nothing brings me greater joy then spending time with my dear friends.

When you pair a girls night with frozen yogurt and park swings, you get perfection. Trust me, nights like this are absolutely necessary, especially when you are like me and have been gone all summer. There have been so many things I have missed! I'm just glad I'm home.

Senior year is fast approaching. There are so many things to look forward to. Senior Sunset, senior pictures, getting to sit in the senior section of the auditorium-- I honestly can't wait for this year!
39 days till it all begins.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Introduction.

I have found that joy and inspiration can come from simple things in life.


Music


As I have went about this summer, music has been the thing to keep me grounded. I've spent most of my days away from home, missing out on the important people in my life. Music has been the thing that keeps me connected. Hard moments are turned aroundby sweet lyrics and strong melodies.


Dance

Humanities: The Study of Art. That class opened my eyes to the beauty and artform of Dance. My favorite style would definitely have to be contemporary. I have found that alot of raw emotion is incorporated into contemporary dance. I have witnessed many pieces that were choreorgraphed with true inspiration. Inspiration that rubs off on me.


Peaceful Silence

In company of a peaceful silence, great ideas are born. I spend my greatest moments lying under a tree, thinking in the silence. Its very calming.

Try it sometime.