New Blog!

I am very excited to announce that I have begun a new blog!  Live, Laugh, Lyrics will still exist, so do not fret.  My new blog, which I encourage you to visit and please support: http://alliterationavenue.wordpress.com will contain my poetry.  I am in the midst of writing a poetry compilation, and would like to share my work thus far with others, receive feedback, explore certain subject matter, and Alliteration Avenue will provide me just that.

I plan on posting to Alliteration Avenue at least once a week.  I’ll share new content, poems I’ve never let anyone read before, and old ones that I’m still proud of.  I hope you enjoy my writing, and please tell your friends and family.

With Love,

Brianna

Tattoos & Music

Way back when, tattoos were synonymous with punk rock.  A sleeve tattoo and other bodily adornments were meant to outrage people and rebel against the norm.  For a long time, and even today still, a stigma, exists against those who are covered in the body art.  This stigma is tied to how we judge a person’s appearance but also because, historically, tattoos are attached to the idea of social deviancy, ideal in the punk rock subculture.  However, it’s not just punk rockers or hardcore band members that sport their tattoos proudly.  All over the music industry, artists display their tattoos, and in a sense, we are breaking barriers and diminishing the existence of such a stigma.  Here are some famous singers, bassists, guitarists, and drummers in all genres that are proud of their ink!

Hardcore/Screamo/Metal:

Oli Sykes of Bring Me the Horizon

Chris Rubey of The Devil Wears Prada

Ronnie Radke of Falling In Reverse

Mike Fuentes of Pierce the Veil

Justin Hills of Sleeping With Sirens

Jason Aalon Butler of Letlive.

 

Pop/Pop-Punk:

Avril Lavigne

Hayley Williams of Paramore

Ryan Key of Yellowcard

Justin Bieber

Katy Perry

Travis Barker of Blink-182

 

 

Country:

Tim McGraw

Keith Urban

Kellie Pickler

Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line

 

Rock:

Aaron Lewis of Staind

Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Tommy Lee of Motley Crue

Xavier Muriel of Buckcherry

Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day

 

Rap/R&B:

Lil Wayne

Kid Ink

Wiz Khalifa

Eminem

YG

Rihanna

Flo Rida

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compliments

I’ve seen it.  That rare moment when an absolute stranger goes over to another stranger, says something nice, and the stranger who just received those kind words instantly lights up.  I have a friend who I admire because she has the ability to make anyone feel special simply by dishing out a compliment.  And not just age-old compliments, but sincere unique compliments for each individual.  I should dole out more compliments, because sometimes I want to tell someone that I love their boots or I think their hair looks nice, but I don’t.

In my opinion, there are three distinct types of compliments.

1.  There’s the “like” compliment.  I think this one is typical between strangers in which upon meeting someone or when passing a friend you remark, “Oh I like your tattoo,” or “Wow you’re earrings are so pretty.”  They’re sincere, but usually these are based on the material.  These usually help initiate a conversation or break that awkward silence.  These are the ones I wish I spoke more often.  But, being the introvert that I am, that little step of extroversion seems monumental.  Slowly but surely!

2.  There’s the sincere meaningful compliment.  This form of compliment ranges in what people say , but nonetheless the words come from the heart and are only given after you get to know someone very well.  These can be off the wall, heartfelt, cute, or a plethora of other adjectives.  These tend to make people feel the best because they reach the heart of someone’s personality and who they really are as a person.  The best compliment I ever received was when a close friend of mine told me I had a high vocabulary.  As a writer, I was honored that someone had noticed let alone said anything to me.  These types of compliments I tend to say more often because once I become close with someone I let them know how I feel.  That same friend confessed that in a class when he was asked the best compliment he’d ever received, he repeated the compliment I had given him, that his name sounds like a movie star’s name.

3.  This last type of compliment feigns interest and tends to be vague.  This can be similar to the “like” compliment, because it’s so easy to dish out an insincere compliment about someone’s appearance.  But, these compliments often come with an ulterior motive.  Maybe you’re trying to butter someone up before asking a huge favor, so you say you love their outfit today.  Or do you ever receive a compliment from someone and then feel the need to reciprocate so you quickly give one back, yeah that falls under this category.  My favorite is the word “pretty.”  When a guy tells a girl that she’s pretty, in my opinion, he’s demeaning her.  Pretty is so vague and tells nothing about a girl’s personality.  A girl is so much more than pretty, and if no guy can come up with something better he’s not worth it.  Drapes can be pretty, a piece of artwork can be pretty, a girl’s face is not merely pretty.  Another form of this fake compliment also includes any cheesy pick-up line.

The point of defining the compliments?  Be honest, say what you feel, and don’t bullshit people.

swimmingwithelephants.com

Cheers to a New Year

A New Year means resolutions, self-assesments, utter joy, maybe some sadness, and new beginnings.  Along with accidentally writing 2013 on papers because we’re still not quite used to that 4 replacing the 3.  May everyone’s 2014 be filled with good health, happiness, and great people.  I begin the New Year hard and fast: applications for possible careers with my college, seven goals to hopefully better me as a person, and a yearning to start my classes and excel.  2014 here we go!

 

As promised earlier in December in a previous post, here’s a poem I finished while on winter break.  Hope you enjoy it:

 

How To Mend a Broken Heart

 

Staggered ribs and mangled sentences.

Wheezing lungs and lousy adverbs.

I’m crying paragraphs tonight.

My bones have liquefied into

sunken, damned black ink.

 

Wasted.  Words.

 

Is love a mere noun tossed,

around like a baseball?

I don’t know.

 

The rhythmic enunciation of my heart

jarringly stutters and heaves.

Much like my breathing

and my language.

Ignited.

Then hushed.

Just to burn again.

And scream.

 

I’ll keep my tears in jars for inspiration.

And with horizontal precision

I’ll pen lines across my wrists.

Across my knees.

Across my stomach.

My lower back.

My chest.

My neck.

Beautifully bleeding words.

Staining the white parchment.

I’ll write my heart

back

together

again.

 

Change and Tradition

One of my biggest flaws would be that I don’t like change.  I know I should be more open minded when it comes to change because going to college was a huge change, but it’s been a wonderful change. I’m a girl of routine and I’m pretty big into tradition.  And my entire holiday season was thrown off and shifted and utterly changed, and for a while it honestly didn’t sit well with me.

Typically, there’s a magic that arrives with the Christmas season, but this year I refused to see it because of the interruptions to my family’s tradition.  First, usually my parents, my brother, and I set aside a a day to go Christmas tree hunting, we then spend the evening decorating the entire house: stockings get hung over the fireplace, tinsel is thrown on the tree, and little knick-knack Santas are placed on almost every table.  This year, we caved and bought our first fake tree and we decorated in pieces, and most of the decorations remained in the attic.  Usually my mom bakes dozens and dozens and dozens of cookies of all types, but she and I made one batch of chocolate chip cookies this year.  Traditionally, I throw a Christmas PJ party for all my friends and we enjoy loud laughter, raunchy hilarity, crazy conversations, and plenty of games, but not this year.  On Christmas Eve, usually my mom cooks prime rib and vegetables and the whole family comes over to play games and enjoy each other’s company until we reconvene on Christmas Day.  This year, though, only one family member came over this Christmas Eve.  And to top it off, instead of waking up early Christmas morning and opening gifts, my family and I will be on the road heading to Florida for a soccer tournament.  We opened gifts today, before I had to call-in to see if I had to work.  Usually each holiday season, my uncle who now resides in LA comes home, but this year he’s spending Christmas with his fiancé’s family.  And to finish the holiday season, typically my friends and I enjoy our New Year’s Eve together, but this year I’ll be with my family, again in Florida.

But, change is part of life, and nothing stays the same forever.  If it did, every New Year my grandparents would come over and we’d all play games and order food from Outback Steakhouse.  Traditions have to grow and shift to fit everyone’s differing, ever-changing lives.  And though this holiday season the change was great and I didn’t nor will I get to see everyone in the family and celebrate with all my friends, it’s growing on me.  My family and I spent the holidays with certain family members separately.  Though we didn’t go all out with decorations, at least we doused the house in the holiday spirit.  And we will all be together this Christmas squished in a cramped car.  But it’ll be nice considering that we’re rarely ever together now because of our busy lives.  Change takes some getting used to.

May everyone have a very merry Christmas and a spectacular New Year!

Worthwhile Workout

On these cool Winter mornings, do you ever wake up and just think how toasty you are wrapped in your blankets?  It looks miserable outside with the gray skies and piles of snow; not too inspiring.  It’s not bikini season, and driving to the gym in the cold seems torturous because of the weather.  And then you persuade yourself that more time in bed will do you good, and plus the free weights are downstairs, and then the excuses snowball until you’re positive it’s best, in fact, if you put on a few pounds so you can survive the freezing temperatures.  No more excuses!

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I work out in the morning, but whenever you can, you should make time to workout.  Working out is not only essential to your health but it metaphorically symbolizes so much and that’s what this blog post is about.

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Part of the reason, I think, people skip out on workouts or don’t bother with them is because people view them as “difficult” or something that takes up too much time.  Which in itself is the wrong mindset, you should never refuse to do something because it’s out of your comfort zone or because it’s challenging.  That’s a life lesson every poster in middle school classrooms preaches.  Those who consider a workout too hard or not worth the time are thinking negatively.

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I know I’m bombarding this blog post with images of inspirational words, but there’s a method to my madness.  Such uplifting phrases motivate me to work out each morning.  And everyone needs to find their own motivation for working out.  Exercising and keeping your body fit and healthy shouldn’t be a chore.  After all, the continuous goal is good health, so striving for your goal should be worthwhile and rewarding.  You should find at least one (or more) positive aspects to exercising and that should help drive you to continue working out.  For me, I think about the end result, and how invincible and strong I feel after a workout.  Knowing I can achieve that feeling each morning gets me hyped and excited to do crunches, push ups, bicep curls, chest press, etc.

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And working out should be competitive.  I’m not saying you need a friend and you two should go head to head on who can run the fastest mile.  You should compete with yourself, because that drive to do better and “win” can motivate you even more.  I’m always competing with myself when I exercise.  If I did 20 incline crunches, then the next week I’m going to aim for 30.  I used to curl 15 pound weights, now I’m up to 20 and the next goal is 25.  Plus you can casually slip your accomplishments into conversation, and brag a little about your success.  That’s another motivating factor for me to workout.  When people ask what I did today, I always say, “Oh I went to the gym this morning,” or “I jogged four miles today.”  I’m proud of myself for working out, as you should be too.

wendywillblog.com

 

You should never cheat on a workout, because ultimately you’re just cheating yourself.  If you’re not pushing yourself, then you’re not getting leaner or building muscle or increasing your stamina.  My favorite part of my workout is when my abs are burning while I’m doing a bicycle kick because I know my abs are working hard and I’m pushing myself. Do another rep, jog for another few minutes, feel the burn.

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It’s a choice to exercise that everyone must make.  I’ve gotten to the point where if I don’t work out first thing in the morning, I’m tired all day and my appetite is off, and I just feel bad.  And personally, it boggles my mind when people tell me they don’t work out regularly.  This is the only body you have and you should treat it right and ultimately earn it.  If you look in the mirror and you’re unhappy with your muffin top, or wobbly arms, or maybe you wish your abs were a tad more toned, or you calf muscles were more defined, do something about it.  You have the power to change and change your mindset on working out.  Working out should be an integral part of everyone’s daily lifestyle.  So next time you wake up and you’re comfortably underneath your comforter, think about sweating, the triumph in completing a rep, the feeling of fat melting off your body, sculpting your body, and how incredible you’ll feel after you exercise.  There’s no downside to working out.

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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.

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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!

 

 

But a Best Friend Will…

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.