Winter’s Not Summer…But…

Winter is my least favorite season for many reasons.  I absolutely loathe the cold weather, I am not a fan of snow, I don’t like that the sun sets so early, and let’s be honest, the holidays are hectic.  I’m a summer baby, and a lover of summer: sunshine, trips to the beach, short shorts, flip flops, etc.  However, to get me through this season I’ve made a list of some things I do enjoy during Winter because it can’t be all bad.  So maybe you’ll agree with me on some!

 

1.  The cold weather practically insists hot cocoa becomes one’s drink of choice.  When done right, the chocolatey beverage tastes like irresistable melted chocolate.  And I love adding little marshmallows or candy canes or Hershey’s kisses to the sweet drink.

ivstatic.com

 

2.  As much as I despise the cold, I don’t mind certain winter garb, such as, scarves and hats and sweatshirts. I love the excuse to walk outside in leggings, my Uggs, and an oversized hoodie, plus a skull cap on my head. Nothing beats comfy clothing.

skreened.com I’d so wear this.

 

3.  The holiday season of course brings families together and that’s why Christmas and Thanksgiving are up there on my list for favorite holidays (Halloween is pretty sweet..no pun intended).  I’m glad to be home for the holidays and I can’t get enough of my family.  Our conversations are hysterical, serious, and fun and then we always joke with each other and when we finally play board games after eating, the laughter next ceases.  Plus this time of year is extra special because my uncle who resides in California usually comes to visit for a week, and I only get to see him this time of year.  I just love when everyone is together.

 

4.  The cold weather keeps me inside.  I like to run in the mornings but with the temperature nearing zero, I just can’t leave the house.  I have to stay inside and work out, but the cold air and blustery winds and snow are the perfect excuse to stay inside and watch movies.  This is the perfect time of year to watch films like Elf, The Polar Express, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and chick flicks galore.

indulgy.net

 

5.  Speaking of movies, ABC Family shows their 25 Days of Christmas, and religiously I watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  I don’t know what it is about the animated movie: the message, the rhyming, the colors, but I adore this movie and I love watching it.

magazine.uc.edu

 

6.  I’m really not a fan of snow but when you get that hefty first snowfall and you get inches, maybe even close to a foot, the winter wonderland that your town becomes is simply breathtaking.  All draped in white, no footprints interrupting the crisp new fallen snow; it’s such a sight, and I haven’t seen it in a while.  I hear we’ll be having a white Christmas, though.

nordiclandscapes.com

 

7.  Rudolph the Red Nosed reindeer is played on repeat in my house.  My brother and I sing along to this song in obnoxious voices, in our best attempts at opera, and extremely loud, and in this way we bond during the holidays.  I have memories of he and I decorating the Christmas tree and we’re just singing our hearts out to this song.  I can’t wait to hear it.

 

8.  Gifts and cards.  My favorite thing is when you find the “perfect” gift for someone and you watch he or she unwrap it.  I just love making holiday cards for friends and families, making homemade gifts for people, and buying gifts for the people I love.  This is the time for giving, and I go all out.  I already know what I’m getting one of my friends.

blogs.scientificamerican.com

 

9.  I know I already said that I don’t like snow.  I don’t like that I can’t drive in it and once people step in it, it becomes discolored and gross.  I don’t like putting on layers to fight through the snow if I must leave the house.  BUT, I don’t mind shoveling.  I know this sounds crazy because no one enjoys shoveling snow, but I actually enjoy the workout.  I feel so buff as I haul snow over my shoulder, and to top top it off my driveway is huge, so it’s not an easy job.  Plus, I’m not as cold shoveling snow because I’m breaking a sweat.  It’s the best winter workout!

 

10.  Lastly I like the Christmas lights that people place outside their houses.  At night the neighborhood looks amazing, decked out in reds, greens, blues, whites, reindeers, icicles, trees galore.  It’s such a pretty sight, and I enjoy driving by the houses that choose to decorate.

mediaty.com

 

Happy holidays everyone, and enjoy this winter!

 

 

‘Tis the Season for Clothes

I’m about to commit the one thing that bugs me: skipping Thanksgiving and heading straight to Christmas.  I love Thanksgiving, I do, the food, family, football.  But, everyone knows we start our Christmas lists well in advanced before December even arrives.  Mine is already in the works: purple and yellow sunglasses, speakers, and Ellen Hopkins’ most recent release, Smoke.  So, for those who are writing the drafts of your Christmas list, here’s some online clothing stores to check out because one can never have too many clothes, and chic clothes at that!

1.  Drop Dead Clothing:  Two reasons this brand is on my list: (1) Oli Sykes, the singer of Bring Me the Horizon started the company, and I adore that man, and (2) I want something from the shop.  Drop Dead clothing has an attitude, bold prints, edgy images, and intimidating language.  Oli’s art is exactly what you’d expect from the frontman of a screamo band, powerful and dynamic.

http://www.freeappalliance.com

2.  So So Happy:  On a different note, this brand is fun, cute, and complete with bright, neon colors.  With different characters and lil monsters, one cannot help but smile upon wearing this garb.  And not only does So So Happy sell clothing, but keychains, plush animals, stickers, backpacks, and much more.  You can completely deck yourself out in a So So Happy lifestyle.

twitter.com

3.  Out of Print:  I desperately want something from Out of Print, anything Great Gatsby would be marvelous (hint, hint).  This unique shoppe sells T-shirts, sweatshirts, and bags with iconic book covers on them.  From Alice in Wonderland, to Dracula, to Goodnight Moon, to Native Son, to Song of Solomon, and many more.  For all you book lovers and librarians, definitely check out the site.

allison-wheeler.com

4.  To Write Love On Her Arms:  This non-profit movement exists to create hope and find help for those struggling with self-injury, depression, addiction, and suicide.  To Write Love On Her Arms specifically means a lot to me and sends inspirational messages out into the world.  Their store sells T-shirts and hoodies all emblazoned with encouraging and optimistic words.  Also, if you’re interested in the story behind the movement, pick up the book Purpose for the Pain.  It’s an emotional read written by the girl who inspired the movement and all about her struggles.

blogspot.com

5.  Spread Some Love:  Spread Some Love is a new project and they serve as a fundraising tool for people and groups that are helping others.  Their shirts spread messages of love, kindness, and making a difference.  Their vision is to show people that we can all make an impact on someone in a positive way.  So, add one of their T-shirts to your list and spread some love this holiday season.

shopify.com

6.  Indie Merch Store:  Because we all love our bands.  This vast online store offers merchandise for over 2000 different bands from 3OH!3, to Pierce the Veil, to Versa Emerge, to so many more.  Find T-shirts, posters, accessories, and plenty of other paraphernalia.  I could scour this site for hours because I can never have too many band tees.

slam-zine.com

Eating Disorders

I recently read an article that highly offended me.  I don’t want to “support” the article in a sense, so I’m not going to supply any link to it, but I’ll briefly summarize.  The Article was called 5 Reasons To Date a Girl With An Eating Disorder.  If you’re not already offended, it gets worse.  The five reasons included: (1) her obsession over her body will improve her overall look, (2) she’ll cost less money, (3) she’s fragile and vulnerable, (4) she probably has money of her own, and (5) she’s better in bed.  Not only were the reasons inaccurate but the reasoning behind each point was cruel, superficial, and nonsensical.  And not only does the article offend women who do in fact have the specific eating disorder that’s referred to, Anorexia, but the article bashed, trivialized, and considered binge eating inadequate and gross.  The article also bashes confident girls, and in a sense, this article should be upsetting to men because t’s shocking that a male would be so cold-hearted to write something so offensive about the opposite sex.

I could go on and on correcting the article’s false information with regards to Anorexia, and I could continue to rant; rather, I’d like to discuss eating disorders and insist that they should not be taken lightly.  Much like a friend discussing suicide, eating disorders are a cry for help.  I find eating disorders very interesting to learn bout because, especially Anorexia, the mind and body are essentially at war.  I’ve mostly read about Anorexia, but Bulimia, and any type of over eating needs to be addressed because though the media insists women should be skinny, every woman is different and should love and embrace her body and strive for a healthy life style.

Just so everyone is informed, below are a list of symptoms/warning signs of certain eating disorders, and if you know anyone who embodies the below criteria, I urge you to get them help because ultimately eating disorders can cause severe bodily harm and possibly even death.

Anorexia: resistance to maintain body weight, denial of hunger, dramatic weight loss, preoccupation with food, calories, grams, weight, etc; excessive rigid exercise regime, development of food rituals, withdrawal from friends and usual activities.

 

Bulimia: regular intake of large amounts of food accompanied by a sense of loss of control over eating behavior; regular use of laxatives, self induced vomiting, fasting and/or obsessive exercising; discolored or stained teeth; withdrawal from friends and usual activities.

 

Binge Eating: frequent episodes of eating large amounts of food in short periods of time; feeling of loss of control over eating behavior during such episodes; feelings of depression, guilt, or disgust.

 

 

 

Some Needed Inspiration

Finals week is here.  Do you know what that means?  A Psychology test.  A Psychology paper.  A final portfolio in which I edit the three stories I was assigned for Fiction.  A memoir in Nonfiction.  A revised piece for Nonfiction.  Stress.  Packing to go home.  And more stress.  Little to no sleep.  And more stress.  Plus, I’m sick, so it’s even worse.  With so much to do, I need some inspiration when I work.  So here’s a list of ten songs that keep me going and remind me that all the work is worth it.

 

1.  Machine Gun Kelly featuring Kellin Quinn singing “Swing Life Away.”  This powerful rap song includes Rise Against’s original chorus and opening, but the lyrics are now about Machine Gun Kelly’s difficult life and earning his fame as a rapper.  Honesty and pride ring true in the lyrics: “Had a vision as a kid that one day I would change the world with my song/Several years have passed and now that vision came to life that boy’s a fucking icon.”

 

2.  Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ upbeat jam “Can’t Hold Us,” which features Ray Dalton.  The chorus urges listeners to break free: “Tonight is the night, we’ll fight ’til it’s over/So we put our hands up like the ceiling can’t hold us/Like the ceiling can’t hold us.”  And again, Macklemore describes his ambition and dream and how he achieved his success.

 

3.  A pop song with a good message, The Summer Set’s “Jukebox (Life Goes On).”  Like the title mentions, life goes on, and this song reminds folks just that.

 

4.  30 Seconds to Mars’ intense hit, “Closer to the Edge.”  The song’s continuous buildup and explosive choral moments offer the listener freeing moments.  Plus, the music video shows the power of a crowd, and makes you want to be a part of this seeming movement of togetherness that the band’s created.

 

5.  Yellowcard’s classic frothy, pop punk, genuine style seen in their song, “Here I Am Alive.”  Discussing how haters are gonna hate and how you’ll come across nonbelievers in your dream, the chorus is a reminder to keep your wits, don’t give up, and keep going: “They say you don’t grow up/You just grow old/It’s safe to say I haven’t done both /I made mistakes, I know, I know/But here I am alive.”

 

6.  Mexicore screamo beauty, Pierce the Veil’s raging song, “King for a Day,” featuring Kellin Quinn.  My favorite band created an explosive, emotion fueled, addictive, thrilling song about turning nothing into something with an anthem-like lyric: “We’ll start a new revolution now,” and a chorus to keep you fighting: “You told me think about it, well I did/Now I don’t wanna feel a thing anymore/I’m tired of begging for the things that I want/I’m over sleeping like a dog on the floor.”

 

7.  Blink-182’s fast paced song, “Natives.”  Personally, this song captures our spectrum of feelings and emotions as singer, Mark Hoppus spits them out: “I’m like a cat in a cage, locked up and battered and bruised/I am the prodigal son, a shameful prodigy too/I am the love of your life, battering ram and confused.”  The song reminds me that nothing can pigeonhole me and I encompass various adjectives and jobs and I’m not just one thing.

 

8.  All Time’s low more rock-esque song, “So Long Soldier.”  Apparently about the band’s own rise to fame and following their dreams, this guitar and drums heavy gem inspires one to take a chance.

 

9.  Bowling For Soup’s chill self-esteem booster, “Star Song.”  With endearing lyrics: “Don’t try to change, yeah/Everybody’s got their scars/No matter what they tell you you’re beautiful the way you are,” the moral of the song is to be who you are, and sometimes we all need a reminder of that.

 

10.  A Day to Remeber’s aggressive, monstrous song “All Signs Point to Lauderdale.”  All about not being tied down and breaking free of where you come from because nothing should come between you and your dreams.

 

 

12 Points of Writing & Life

Senior year I took a Creative Writing class and my teacher shared with us 12 points of writing.  I still have the notebook, I still talk to the teacher, and I think the information can correlate to our own lives.

1.  Credibility, or ethos.  We believe who we respect and thusly an author has to establish that he or she knows their topic, or the character must seem believable.  Whether it be an interview, a conversation amongst friends, or a paper you’re writing, do your research and know your subject.  In life we should be tuned into the world and know what’s happening.

2.  Intrigue.  This term’s a little harder to define, but it reels us in to a story.  Likewise, we’re all interesting people, so embrace that about yourself.  We’ve all got our own stories to tell, so don’t ignore or talk down about yourself because people won’t be interested if you’re not interested in yourself.

3.  Richness of detail.  In writing, we need descriptions of the physical and tangible, objective characteristics, such as, the humidity in the air clung to my clothes.  In life we’re surrounded by an overload of details, there is so much to be noticed.  So, take the time to gaze at the sky or listen to traffic or inhale the aroma of the ocean.  We exist in richness of detail, so learn to appreciate it.

4.  Richness of dimension.  On the other hand, this means the metaphysical, the subjective, the intangible.  For example, I feel stretched thin over my to-do list.  Much like richness of detail, embrace the dimension of this world, the feelings and thoughts and ideas you have are important; take notice of them, share them, write them down.

5.  Economy.  This is so important in writing: don’t overwrite, say what needs to be said in the fewest number of words to deliver the most meaningful impact.  Basically less is more, and we all know this is true in life.  Don’t get greedy!

6.  Speakability (dialogue).  Going along with credibility, this means the character speaks credible words of the character, the words must sound organic and flow naturally when coming from the character.  This translates into the simple life lesson of being yourself.  Don’t pretend to be something you’re not because it won’t feel natural to you and people who know you well, won’t believe you, either.

7.  Gravity.  This term means the importance and impact the piece of writing makes, basically its lasting significance and what the reader takes away from it.  This could be taken in many different directions in life, but we’ll go with this one: first impressions.  Those are important and you want to leave people with a good feeling after they meet you, and you never want to burn bridges.  When people walk away after meeting you or spending time with you, what will they say about you when you’re not in the room?

8.  Pertinence.  In writing this means urgency, in the moment, immediacy.  I know this sounds incredibly vague, but to help define it, basically think of a Nancy Drew novel.  When there was suspense and action was occuring, you as the reader were captured by it and felt the moment with Nancy.  You believed the action was happening in your now, as opposed to feeling removed from the “now” in Nancy’s world.  Pertinence literally, by definition, means relating directly or significantly to the matter at hand.  So in life, pay attention to both the big picture and the little things.  If a friend is stressed take care of them for a few moments, even if you have a lot to do.  Space out a project so you have time to complete them instead of waiting until the last minute.  Basically, balance your life and try to realize what details deserve your immediate attention.

9.  Compression.  This means fitting the story in the single narrative frame and chopping off unneccesary information that’s not paramount to the story.  In a nutshell, it would’ve been weird in Harry Potter if we had learned of Oliver Wood’s back story and how he finally became captain of the quidditch team.  Sure, it would have been interesting, but Oliver’s not the main character, and his childhood would do nothing to help Potter defeat Lord Voldemort.  In life, don’t waste your time with those that don’t matter.  If you have someone in your life who puts you down and only criticizes you, cut that person from your narrative frame because he or she isn’t helping with your character development in life.

10.  Flow.  In writing there must be logical order of how the character gets from point A to point B; it should make sense as well as be realistic.  Likewise in life, there’s a certain way of progressing, and we have to accept that.  As a college student, I’m constantly being told that when I graduate I’ll have to be okay with working at a small business, but I can work my way up to becoming a professor or becoming an editor at Vogue.  Even in life, there’s a certain flow, and we have to accept it.  It wouldn’t make sense if a high school graduate suddenly became the editor in chief at Rolling Stone; that’s illogical and we wouldn’t believe it in a story nor we would allow it or even accept it happening in life.

11.  Intensity.  This refers to the emotional consistency and support.  As a writer, one needs to provide the reader with a reason to care.  A writer must choose the right words to bring forth the ‘correct’ emotion.  Readers need to feel for the character in some way.  This may sound cheesy, but embrace the spectrum of feelings we have.  If you’re mad, be mad, don’t try to hide it or bottle it up; it’s not healthy.  If you’re sad, cry; if you’re ecstatic, smile.  Let it out and don’t be afraid to share your emotions with others and learn to empathize.

12.  Celebration.  This means take pride in what you’re doing, love it, care about it.  As you can tell, from reading this post, I appreciate writing and wanted to share with you my knowledge; I love it.  In whatever you pursue, love it, share it, care about it.  And if you don’t, then find something you’re passionate about because you gotta love what you do and do what you love, ultimately to be happy.

But a Best Friend Will…

blogspot.com

 

What’s the difference between a good friend and a best friend?  I’d say there’s no concrete, absolute answer, but we all know there is a difference.  A good friend is someone who, when your good news eventually comes up in conversation, is legitimately happy for you and congratulates you.  But, a best friend is the first person you call with your good news and he or she will insist on celebrating either by getting frozen yogurt or going to dinner to gush about it.  A good friend will send you a text or maybe call on your birthday.  But, a best friend will text you multiple times that day, sing to you, and have gotten you the best birthday gift and is probably there blowing out the candles with you.  We all knows there’s a difference between your good friends and your best friends, so here’s some more examples.  You know your besties are going to pop in your head while you’re reading this, so feel free to share this post!

 

A good friend, when you’re sick, will text you to get well soon.

A best friend will come by, tissue box in hand, hot soup in the other, and a bag filled with your favorite movies to pass the time.

 

A good friend, when a relationship doesn’t work out, will console you and help you move on.

A best friend will be there with two spoons and ice cream and explain why that person wasn’t good enough for you and even call that person out if your best friend ever sees them in public because your best friend knows any guy or girl would be lucky to have you.

 

A good friend will occasionally post on your Facebook wall and like your profile pictures.

A best friend will embrace the the title of Facebook stalker, posting on your wall everyday, maintaining Facebook messaging, liking every single one of your pictures, and commenting on every single picture you post.

 

A good friend is polite to your parents, referring to them as “sir” or m’am” or Mr. and Mrs. so-and-so.

A best friend is comfortable around your parents, to the point where your bestie asks about your family, has inside jokes with them, and even has your parents’ cell phone numbers.

 

A good friend politely asks you for a drink of water while at your house.

A best friend thinks nothing of rummaging through your cupboards, finishing the milk, doing dishes, even starting your grocery list.

 

chobirdokan.files.wordpress.com

 

A good friend might mention that you should check out a particular band.

A best friend has your entire iTunes library in their iTunes library 

 

A good friend wants to know what’s going on in your life.

A best friend fills you in on every single detail of their life, from what they had for breakfast, to what they’re doing at noon, to what they thought of the movie they just watched.

 

A good friend can go a couple of days without hearing from you.

A best friend can’t go a day without hearing or seeing from you.

 

 

Fear of the Future

When people ask me in ten years what I think I’ll be doing or where I’ll be, I honestly draw a blank.  Sure, I have a dream that one day I’ll lounge on a beach, sand between my toes, furiously typing the next great novel, or maybe I’ll happily sit at a sleek desk telling 11th graders what it means to use economy in one’s writing, or maybe I’ll listen to Pierce the Veil’s fifth album, trying to choose just the right adjective to describe the fourth track because I’ll be employed by Rolling Stone and diehard fans will want to know.  But, the future and my dreams don’t necessarily go hand in hand or exist together.  I don’t know if every other undergrad is as worried about the future as I am, but people, professors, peers, parents always stress and ask what you want to do with your life and your career.

 

Just today in my Nonfiction class, we discussed how it’s always better to start sooner rather than later on building your career.  As a writer this means getting published, trying to get an internship with a local magazine or writing for your university’s newspaper, and constantly critiquing your own work and writing in your spare time.  We need to have experience because my professor stressed, you don’t go from a college graduate to writing for Vanity Fair; you have to work your way to the top.

 

However, I’m worried that I’m not doing enough to gain my potential career.  As of now, in about 4 hours I’m going to a session to learn more about an internship this summer teaching 2nd – 12th graders.  Over my break I’m trying to substitute teach in the local area.  I have this blog and I write poetry in my spare time.  However, there’s a girl in my Nonfiction class who already has an internship with a local magazine, and another girl in my class started her own zine.  And then I think, well what am I doing?  I always feel as if I could be doing more to advance my career: I could have an internship right now, I could send my work to various publications, I could have started writing a book, etc.

 

I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels inadequate, but when people bring up the idea of a paycheck and paying bills and one’s future career, you cannot help but fret.  The mysteriousness of the future is terrifying in itself, but when a professor stresses that you can’t prepare for your career too much, and your parents insist that you need to get a good job to pay off your debt, and your peers upon first meeting you wonder what you want to do with your major; it can be overwhelming.  I don’t have everything figured out; I won’t even in ten years because life will present itself in some way that I cannot prepare for or expect.  I guess for now, the best thing to do is turn my worries and fears into motivation to work hard.  Hard work pays off and that’s the ultimate goal.

Let’s Think a Little

Let me pose a question: when was the last time you simply sat and thought?  Most likely you either can’t remember or you’re making a conjecture and rationalizing why you haven’t done so recently.  We live in a world in which hectic schedules, being busy, and always having something to do is essential.  Boredom is a long lost word to me; I’m never bored anymore, simply busy.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; however, we must all make time to think and ponder and reflect.  It’s really a lost art.  When was the last time you saw someone sitting outside simply being?  This is a rare site for me and usually if someone is doing so; it’s considered an oddity.

 

We live in a world where connection is everything.  If you’re riding the bus somewhere, you shouldn’t just sit there: you should be reading emails on your iPhone, texting people, checking Facebook, instagramming, scrolling through Twitter, playing a game, or utilizing one of your various apps.  When you’re home alone at night, you shouldn’t just shift through your thoughts, you need to be messaging folks on Facebook, wasting time on the internet: finding ridiculous videos on youtube and cracking up over pictures of cats.  We have this need to stay connected to others; rather than connecting with ourselves.  We’re conditioned to remove boredom from our lives and thusly conditioned to spend less time thinking.

 

rounds.com

 

If you were to watch people, you’d notice that we all act as if we have somewhere to be, something to do, someone to see.  People who walk by me on the street, walk with a purpose, their strides quick.  Peers in my classes rush out of the room to take phone calls and sit there and text because they just have to be connected to others while learning.  Even when I’m with certain friends, all I can do is sit and think about what I have to get done and sometimes I’m so bad that I watch the clock because I’ve got things to do.  We’re all guilty of focusing more on our actions and schedules as opposed to involving ourselves in the moment and thinking about what’s happening around us or what has happened, or simply letting our minds wander.  We live in a world of distractions that not only encourage but make it cool to multi-task and connect.  No wonder this line of thinking has spilled from technology into our everyday lives.

 

wp.appadvice.com

 

I challenge everyone, including myself, to take time and think.  Stop and the smell roses and appreciate life, relive memories, think about someone, let your imagination wander, analyze something, and just be in the moment and don’t do anything else: just think.  I’m sure it’ll be difficult, because at first you’ll feel silly, you’ll want to check your phone to know what time it is, your to-do list will race through your mind, you’ll think about some meeting you have, which friend you’re seeing tonight, when you should call so-and-so back, what you should have for dinner, etc.  Don’t think about these things.  Don’t get distracted by the distractions that disrupt tranquil thoughts. Try to appreciate life, listen to what’s going on around you, take in the smells, try to see something you never knew was there before; think, be, live in the moment.