Sometimes...

Sometimes it is just one of those days. It's one of those nights when the best thing for you is to do is exactly anything but what you should be doing. When your room can just stay messy, your writing can be procrastinated just a little but longer, and you shouldn't bother putting the duvet cover back on your bed. Sometimes it's one of those nights when what you need is a bowl of brownie/ice cream mix, sweats and One Tree Hill on DVD. Room, you will still need to be picked up tomorrow morning, because me? Well, I have a date with Nathan and Haley.

It's (almost) the most wonderful time of the year

Without a doubt, Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I try to refrain from listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, but it's a challenge. I love the music, the decor, the food and the sweaters. Receiving gifts is great, but I really love choosing a gift for each person on my list. I pretty much have everyone I need to buy for dialed in, but for those who haven't been thinking of Christmas since September... I found an awesome website! Gifts.com. Seriously people, scroll down, browse around, and find a bajillion gifts for everyone on the list.

Pet Peeves. Article 1 of ?

I have a lot of pet peeves and most of them are, to me at least, different than most. One of my pet peeves is births on television. I hate it, and when I have the option, I fast forward.

In reality shows (i.e. teen mom, sister wives, etc.) it is way too personal. And it seems so... real. It creeps me out. Oh, and when the baby comes out you can see the umbilical cord. Nothing makes me gag more than a greyish- purple feeding tube being cut.

In scripted movies/ shows, the whole thing seems so exaggerated and unnecessary. And why show that part? Roll 'em into the hospital, then show them holding the baby. We get it; she pushed, she screamed, they all cried. He cut the *gag* umbilical cord. Ugh, just get it over with and move on Hollywood.

I'm nervous

I am currently waiting for my hair to process the color I put in it--from a box-- two minutes ago. I have eight minutes to go, so what do I do? 1. text Selena so that she knows I'm nervous (prompt response, thanks... "a crucial mistake made by first time box dyers, especially blondes, is they do not leave it on long enough." Noted.) 2. Blog, because I have nothing else to do for the now... 15 minutes (since I am now leaving it in longer thanks to Selena's pearls of wisdom)

I have my tried and true hair lady, Mindy, whom I absolutely love. I feel like I am cheating on her right now, that's how great she is. But let's be honest, my roots are dark and need constant touch ups which get a little pricey. So when I saw a box dye on the end-shelf at Target I thought, why not? In retrospect, I probably should have bought the full priced box.

A few things to note when reading this, as to why I am nervous; I have been dying my hair since I was 13, so I don't even know what color my natural hair is anymore, but it seems pretty dark. Also, I stick to the same thing every time, with the only variations being "really blonde" (for summer) and "more honey blonde" (for winter... Mindy knows the difference) The one time I did branch out and try to do low-lights for my hair to transition to brown, which I later re-thought, the guy dyed my hair PURPLE. That's right, purple... the week before *gasp* prom.

So wish me luck, I'm about it rinse it out with my packaged hair-dye gloves and conditioning creme.

I had a moment... but not in a good way

There was a certain writing contest that I was very excited to enter. I found out about it right before summer, clipped the announcement from my favorite magazine and went to deciding what to write about. For the last few weeks I have been editing my piece on and off so that I could know that I did my best. The winner got their writing published in the magazine, got to meet with a literary agent and a "possible" $5,000. (Which was not my motive, but "possible"? Why was the money not certain?)The due date was tonight, at 11:59pm. I wrote it on the calender in my room and put it in my phone: SEPTEMBER 15 11:59- CONTEST ESSAY DUE! So I read my final draft just a few minutes ago, and went to find the link. It wasn't there. I had been on it earlier, so I found it through my computer's history. I went to submit it, but unfortunately, it was due at 8:59pm. That's right folks, it was due at 11:59 EST. Why would it not also say the Pacific Standard Time? That's the time that counts! That's when everything cool and important happens! Who cares about Eastern Standard Time? Of course it's the website's fault, not mine.

To make me feel better, Brad reminded me that when he went to board his flight to Europe a few years back, he was denied. His ticket was for July 7 2008. It was 2007. That did make me feel better. At least my moment didn't have financial repercussions.

Here's a fun picture to remind myself if no one else, that at least CSULB thinks I'm smart. (p.s. I' m mid-wink in this photo... in case you were wondering)

Unleashed

There's a pretty sweet new online magazine. It's called Unleashed Beauty and it is a fashion magazine for girls who want a one stop shop for fashion tips, make-up, books, etc. It was created by the uber-fab Hannah, and the concept is awesome. You've got all the makings of a magazine, where style is on the front page, but if you want to dig a little deeper, you can. It's all Christian based and puts an emphasis on your real beauty (you on the inside, duh).

P.s. I'm now writing for it. Holla! So check it out.

http://unleashedbeauty.com/

Waiter Rant

This guy knows what's up. He had a blog for X amount of years, then was picked up by a publisher, and turned his blog into a book. Every words he writes is relatable to any server, and 90% is dripping with sarcasm (which is the only way to deal with being a server).

I feel like any server could write an entire book based on their own experiences. If anyone works, has worked, or has eaten in a restaurant, you HAVE to read this. And here's the most recent rant of my own.

The scene: Elephant Bar, early afternoon. Table 31.

"Miss, miss!" A table (not my own) waves me down like a second grader who needs permission to go to the bathroom. Out of obligation, I stop.

"Yes?" I ask.

"Is this the Lunch Stir Fry with Chicken?"

"Yes it is. Is everything Ok?"

"Oh, well I just wanted to make sure, because I was thrown off by these" she says, holding up a wonton.

"The wontons?"

"Oh is that what that is?" (Her 85 year old friend looks on to incredulously examine the supposed wonton) "I thought, well, because our waitress is Hispanic, that they might be tortilla chips."

Side note, their waitress was not Hispanic. And if you do come in, fear not, our Mexican waitress will not put tortilla chips on your food as an homage to her culture. And our Jewish server won't litter your artichoke dip with matzah balls. I could go on...

Fresh Meat

This girl is awesome. Her name is Kirsten Holine and I found her whilst perusing Youtube and fell in love. I then bought her EP and did not regret it.

FACT:

Bears eat beets. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Gallactica.

Wait, what is going on?

(Just had to throw in an Office reference to offset a serious tone)

The real fact is the there is a secret world of slavery that most people are not even aware of. A world where women and children are promised a new life in another country that offers a new job, stability, and a better life for their families and themselves. In reality, these women are beaten, threatened, and forced in to a modern world of sexual slavery and given nothing to call their own.

Human Trafficking is a low risk, high profit business that is often overlooked because on the outside, it looks all too similar to prostitution.

Slavery is more rampant than ever before in history. Between two and four million women will be sold in to prostitution during the next twelve months, where many will be as young as five and sold for as little as $10. During the Tans-Atlantic slave trade, a young male could be bought and owned for $3,000 (equivalent to $40,000). Today, that same person could be bought or sold for $300.

The average world cost for a slave is only $90, and approximately 27 million people are enslaved globally—have of which are under age 18.

These slave traders are making an average of $32 billion dollars per year. That’s more annual income than Nike, Google, and Starbucks—COMBINED.

Action needs to be taken, but the first step is awareness.

Book Review: Love the One You're With

I swear when I set out to blog I had a bunch of ideas for posts and now, not so much. Not a whole lot happens around here, so I read... and summertime is the perfect time to do a little light reading. I spent the last two years pouring over the greatest authors of all time; everyone from Carver to Voltaire, Hemingway to Kincaid, I analyzed, critiqued and absorbed the works of the literary masterminds that produced what we call "great" writing. Well, in honor of summer and graduation I decided to ditch these guys and hit the pool with a little Emily Griffin (Of the "Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue" fame, if that tells you anything).

First off, the title will tell you all you need to know. "Love the One You're With" is not going to be anything other than what you expect. It is great for beachside/poolside reading, but past that... meh. It's obviously predictable, and I have a hard time with cheesy. I think for what it is, not bad, but I want to get back to my "Big White Book of Weddings" by David Tutera. That's good stuff.

At least I'm honest

I blog stalk. And Facebook stalk. 

If you have a blog, I have looked at it. If it is interesting or you update frequently, you might even be bookmarked under my "blogs" folder (because I have one). 

If you post updates that pop in my Newsfeed, I just might click on it. If you wear fun clothing, do interesting things or just post pictures I might peruse your page. Did you recently get engaged? Married? Attend or host a bridal shower? Oh man, watch out because you just put a bull's-eye on your forehead my friend. It doesn't matter if I know you well or we've only met once, no one is safe from the click of my mouse. 

But hey, who are you to judge? You are the one posting all this stuff for me to see, and other people probably stalk you too, you just don't know. At least I'm honest. 

Wait, What?

Music often evokes emotions that cannot be expressed by words alone. The synchronization of melody and harmony communicate a different feeling than any stand alone prose or poem ever would however, words might not always be the focal point of the song if it has a jammin tune. There are songs that are defined by the music alone, be it an insane guitar solo or composition of woodwind instruments that blows your mind. Then there are some songs that just make you say, “Wait, what?”

Here are a few current songs that really befuddle me. I have outlined the offenders below:

1a. From Ke$ha’s “Tik Tock” (which, by the way, since when are spelling errors an artistic quality? What?)- “Wake up in the mornin feeling like P. Diddy…”

What does this mean? Is this a metaphor for feeling particularly hardcore in the morning? Feeling rich? Feeling black? I have never once awoken feeling like P. Diddy or any other rap artist. This song is not universal.

1b. Also from “Tik Tock” “Brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack…”

            This is awful dental hygiene, and does not make sense as any kind of metaphor. What, are you teething?

2. From Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A”- “Hopped off the plane at LAX… look to my right and I see the Hollywood sign...”

            Okay, anyone who knows me at all knows I cannot stand Miley Cyrus (But that’s another post) and knows that I love this song. It’s totally the beat-- it’s just super catchy. But, I have a problem with the geographic coordinates of these lines… they do not match up. Excuse me, but you cannot see the Hollywood sign from LAX. It is not to your right.

 

I do, however understand Travie Mccoy’s Lyrics “I wanna be a Billionaire so freaking bad”. That is relatable to many, who do not wake up feeling like P. Diddy. 

Happy 4th of July

Just a shout out to America for being so great.

Along those lines, Brad and I were in Barnes & Noble not too long ago just perusing as we often do. Brad led us in to the History section  where I came across Mein Kampf. It got me thinking, how great is our country? I mean, one of the most nefarious men in history writes a book that starts as a biography and morphs in to the propaganda of his "solution" that manipulates millions of people, and this book is sitting happily on the shelves of Barnes & Noble for anyone to buy. We have the freedom to buy a book that started a revolution that killed millions of innocent people. America seriously is the best. 

Megan's Unbirthday

Before I decided that I wanted to write for a living (and thus not make a living and therefore still be on a quest for a paying job that does not involve serving lunch specials to the elderly) I wanted to be a photographer. I still LOVE photography and adore taking pictures, I just realized it wasn't for me as a job. When Megan asked me to shoot a few pictures for her 19th birthday, I happily obliged and dusted off the ol' Rebel XTi (Glad I didn't put the 5D on my credit card since I would need it some day, might as well buy it now... Thanks mom for the rationalization!) Well, a few pics turned in to a million; when you are working with a model this awesome, It's hard not to snap a ton. Without further adieu... Megan's very happy Unbirthday:




Her precious pups also made a cameo

awesome.

Back to Chocolate Cake

So now that I am done with school FOREVER (hopefully) I actually have time to read whatever I want, yay! Being an English major is like being that fat kid from the movie Matilda in the scene where the principal gives him an entire cake to eat. At first he’s stoked. Cake, alright! He thinks, much like an English major is excited to be given their first novel to read for homework (ok maybe not excited, but at least pleased that the assigned reading was not from a text book, yuck.) Then little by little, the kid is full, and the hook nosed principal is staring at him, forcing him to chew every last bit of the giant chocolate cake. By the week before graduation, I never wanted to open another book again; I was full. 

To no one's surprise, my appetite for reading returned, and the first book I chose as a college graduate was The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I know this book is so 2003, but I don’t like to read books in the height of their fame. I prefer to read them before or after everyone else. I’m such a rebel.

             Fortunately I knew nothing about this book whatsoever going in to it. I love surprises so I don’t want to say much about it except what you may already know (that it received outstanding reviews, was a #1 New York Times bestseller, and it is based on an Afghani boy). The writing is absolutely beautiful—Housseini is so talented. Every sentence in this novel has a purpose and the story unravels flawlessly. Not to mention I felt like I learned a thing or two so, bonus points! I feel like nothing I say can accurately express the wonder that is this book, so if you are a reader and are late on the bandwagon like yours truly, then check it out.

Between the Bars

I’m on an Elliott Smith kick. If you haven’t heard of him, here is your golden opportunity.

Like many amazing artists, he was a raging alcoholic and a drug user. He died young, at age 34, from suicide/possible homicide right as he was reaching mainstream fame. Nearly half of the Good Will Hunting album is comprised of his music and as a result he was nominated for an Academy Award in 1998. (Youtube the video of him playing at the Oscars… he looks so uncomfortable and out of place, which is weird to see at the Oscars where everyone is so well put together)

This song is called Between the Bars, and it was written to personify a conversation with a bottle of alcohol. It took me awhile to fully appreciate it but after listening to the lyrics a few times and understanding them, it makes the music so much better.

Drink up baby stay up all night

with the things you could do, you won’t but you might

the potential you’ll be that you’ll never see

the promises you’ll only make

Drink up with me now and forget all about

the pressure of days, do what I say

and I’ll make you okay and drive them away

the images stuck in your head

People you’ve been before that you

don’t want around anymore

that push and shove and won’t bend to your will

I’ll keep them still

Drink up, baby, look at the stars

I’ll kiss you again, between the bars

where I’m seeing you there, with your hands in the air

waiting to finally be caught

 

Drink up one more time, and I’ll make you mine

keep you apart, deep in my heart

separate from the rest, where I like you the best

and keep the things you forgot

 

People you’ve seen before that you

don’t want around anymore

that push and shove and won’t bend to your will

I’ll keep them still

Relating to Anna Kendrick

So I am taking the liberty of welcoming myself to the blogging world. I never thought I would actually get into this, but low and behold, here I am- typing with a purpose.

 

For those of you who have not seen the movie "Up in the Air" go see it. Now.

For those of you who have seen it thumbs up for you, because you get the reference. When George Clooney is sitting next to Anna Kendrick in the plane, he asks why she is typing so hard. She replies “I type with a purpose”.

I love this line because I relate. I too, slam on my computer keys like I’m mad at them. More importantly, I have a purpose to my typing. Writing is my purpose. When I don't write I miss it. It is what I want to do, and the reason why I have a blog in the first place.