I'm so sorry for my lack of posts, I've had a really rough week. High school can be tough, people can be fake, and sometimes you have no where to turn except for your mom, your dog, or a big bowl of neopolitan ice cream (the low fat kind, of course!) Anywho, I found this photo on a random xanga graphics page when I was searching for tumblr inspiration. I think I'm going to order the book on Amazon. It would be greatly appreciated at a time like now, where I'm feeling rather down.
Hope your week was better than mine! Looking forward to updating more as this week progresses. xx
Healthy eating update: I'm feeling good, choosing fruit and low fat foods over the usual stuff! I think bananas and rye toast are now my breakfast of choice! xoxo
This week is a busy week! The original one act play I've been writing with 9 other kids at school is going up on Wednesday night! It's been a long process, tiring and stressful, and many days I've just wanted to quit, but I'm glad we're going up. It's been a really interesting experience, to say the least. I know I'll be out late every night, with the show and all, and with my mountains of homework, I don't know how I'll be able to get any exercise in. So, to keep my energy up and my spirits high, I'm taking a break from junk food and sweets, and trying to eat exceptionally healthy this week! I started off today with a lovely bowl of strawberries and a banana, and toasted a small piece of rye bread with a bit of butter. Jasmine tea was my beverage of choice, as it makes me feel awfully smart and relaxed. I sat down and did my chapter reading and essay questions for history, and felt sufficiently full and content. After an hour and forty-five minutes of reading and writing, I took Maizie, my fluff monster of a Goldendoodle, on a 40 minute hike. It's been rather brisk, due to the excess rain we've been getting, so it was nice getting out. Came home, did some cleaning, and Mom left to pick up Dad at the airport, so I offered to make something for them to eat when they got home. For the next half an hour, I carefully prepared my ingredients and made my absolute favorite snack - homemade guacamole!
Well, Mom and Dad came home and were surprised! Now, Mom's at the stove making little quesadillas with sautéed veggies to go along with my guac. Yummy :)
One of my new years' resolutions was to learn how to cook, and slowly but surely, I am becoming better at preparing and creating my own masterpieces!
Oh, and do you know what I'm obsessed with? Those little Babel cheese things in the red wax - I bought a bag of the "Light" kind, and they are only 90 calories, such a yummy snack!
I'm going to see how my week goes, and hopefully record my further adventures in the healthy eating!
What have you been cooking up in your kitchen lately? Any healthy eating tips?
I've been listening to The Winner Is by Devotchka & Michael Danna on repeat all morning. It's from one of my favorite comedies, Little Miss Sunshine. It's the perfect song for a rainy day like today, with the piano in sync with the rain falling on my rooftop.
Scans from Vain Style's article, "Diddy's Brief Encounter in Vogue"
You can never go wrong with the incomparable Grace Coddington and Annie Leibovitz working with the handsome Diddy and the gorgeous Natalia Vodianova! Being the theater buff I am, I was so pleased to see a Vogue fashion spread that reminded me of Noel Coward's Brief Encounter, one of my favorite plays. I learned from this spread that Diddy's new album, set to release in April, is coincidentally entitled, "Last Train to Paris." The concept of a railway romance appears in the songs throughout his album!
Falling in love on a train sounds so utterly romantic! Where would you like to fall in love?
I have decided that my outfit is not complete without Laura Mercier's Creme Lip Colour in Audrey and Shimmer Lip Color in Seduction! As my mom always says, "I feel naked without my lipstick!"
Outfit shown: LC Lauren Conrad for Kohl's striped boatneck top, Urban Outfitters scarf, black light down jacket
"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." ~ Dr. Martin Luther King
Ever wonder how Taylor Swift and the like get such gorgeous, bright eyes on the red carpet that instantly pop? Glamour.com's "Instant Eye-Opening Beauty Trick" taught me exactly how to get that bright face! Often times in the morning, I feel like my eyes look a little dull, even with mascara, eyeliner and shadow, but now I know to put a little extra "V" of light powder on the corners of my eyelids. I'm so happy it works!
Just a bunch of instant film from the past month. Basically describes my winter adventures! Something is so special about this kind of photography. You only have one shot, so you better make it count, you know? And the feeling when a photo is developing is like none other - it's a moment of suspense and mystery! You can't erase and take another one. It's like delving into the unknown, and that's why I love it.
December's come and gone, but here's a video of my best friend and I covering Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles' Winter Song! The pianist accidentally switched two pages of the music, so the chords she plays are kind of awkward at one point, but overall I think it went pretty well! Let me know what you think, and watch Black Coffee as well :)
"I like when I get facebook notifications from you - it makes me feel special!" (Photo found on tumblr)
As great as social networking and new internet-based ways of communication may seem, sometimes I wonder whether I really need to have a facebook profile, or a twitter account, or even a blog! We all know (and have experienced) that the internet can take over our day... one minute you're on facebook, an hour later you are wondering, "Where did all the time go?" But I'm talking about something different - I'm rethinking using all this "new" technology because I feel like it's too easy to share my life with other people. I mean, I love writing here and sharing the things I love with all of you, but with facebook status updates and the creepy "wall to wall" feature, anyone can read any conversation I've had or find out what I did today.
I've thought about deleting a lot of my facebook friends - I've met them all, I'm just not familiar enough with some of them to let them into my life. But using the facebook privacy features makes me feel bad... I feel guilty that I am friends with someone that I don't feel comfortable sharing my life with. Today was just an example of why I am seriously considering not having a facebook profile!
In the past, adults I've been friends with on facebook have reported to my mother what I've been posting! I feel like that is a breach of privacy, but I don't want to block them from my facebook all together. If I accepted their request the first time, I should stick with that... right?
So here's the deal: I received a facebook inbox message from a very good family friend, who also happens to be the adult chaperone of my church leadership group. We've been friends on the site for a long time, but in past months, she's been commenting on my status' more than anyone else, "liking" my posts, and making comments on my photos. Now, I guess that's the point of facebook... but I didn't feel comfortable with her reading everything. When I posted something that contained a cuss word, she left a comment on it, and called me on it later. I felt quite embarrassed, and apologized, but it made me feel funny. I decided to put her on a limited profile, so she could not view my wall posts. Her message to me asked if I was mad at her, or if she had done something wrong. Immediately I knew she was asking about why I put her on limited profile, so she could not see my wall. I asked her what she was talking about, and she told me exactly that, and said that she had gone on my profile because she was reading a conversation I was having with someone else, but could not see what they had posted on my wall.
I first felt terrible, because I didn't want her to think I blocked her because I didn't like her! Then, I felt violated. Why would she tell me she had been reading my long conversation thread, and then ask why she couldn't see it? If I feel like blocking someone, I have that right, don't I? I don't want to delete her as a friend, because I feel that's rude. But I don't want her to be able to see everything I'm doing and be able to make comments about it!
I ended up giving in, unblocking her and asking her if she could now see my full profile. I played dumb, I guess I could say I lied. But I didn't want to hurt her feelings. I feel strange, knowing that now she could be viewing all my wall posts from the past month since I blocked her...
This, ladies and gentlemen, is a dilemma! I don't know what the proper facebook etiquette is - I don't want to be rude, but I don't want this kind of situation to happen again (someone asking me why I blocked them!)
What would you have done in my situation? Do you think we should reconsider how much we share with others online, and who we share it with?
I want 2010 to be a successful year. Wait - who doesn't? Instead of dwelling on the past and mistakes I've made and things I wish I had done, I'm going to attempt to keep a positive outlook on life and enjoy myself more. I'm entering my last semester as a junior, and next year will be my senior year... I want to make the most of my high school experience. After all, it's the only one I'll get!
I dug up my New Years Resolutions from last year... I stayed pretty true to most of them:
1) Challenge myself to spend more time learning outside of school
In 2009, I finally learned how to use my Canon EOS 20D camera... I sat down with the manual and actually learned about all the settings. The camera has been a great blessing - photography is one of my favorite things, and I can't wait to keep on snapping photos in 2010!
2) Think positive more often
This resolution is always a hard one... because it's easy to forget about when you're stressed and upset. I think I stayed pretty true to this last year. Everyone has their ups and downs, but I feel like for the most part, I stayed extremely level-headed and calm in the toughest of situations, and for that, I am proud of myself!
3) Tap into my creative side more often
2009 was a great year in school for me, because I applied to and was admitted onto my school newspaper staff! We're a Pacemaker winning paper, and I'm so lucky to be involved with such a great publication! My favorite part of the paper, besides the freedom to write fun, upbeat articles, is the layout and design aspect. Let's just say that Photoshop, InDesign and I are buddies! I had a lot of fun last semester as Assistant Lifestyles editor, laying out pages and exploring new and innovative design layouts for every issue. This upcoming semester, I'm taking on the Review editor position... I'm so excited!
4) Be more grateful for everything around me
The summer of 2009 held an awesome opportunity for me. I got to travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and help with flood relief work with the national teen leadership group I am apart of. After seeing the damage the floods of Summer 2008 had on the Iowa community, and helping restore their neighborhoods by doing yard work and construction work, I realized how lucky I am to never have been affected by such a devastating tragedy in my own community. The people we worked with were so grateful for our help - we worked in a neighborhood where most of the homes had been abandoned after water had destroyed everything. I consider myself lucky to be so blessed where I live, and also grateful for the opportunity I had to touch the lives of other people.
5) Try to think before saying things out loud
Hmmm.... I can't really remember if I stuck with this resolution or not! All I know is that I didn't mess up big time this year, by saying something I shouldn't have... so I think I accomplished this goal!
6) Work out more
Ha. Ha. Well, I have to say that even though I didn't work out all the time, I did get much use out of my electra townie bike, Baby Wasabi. Baby W and I have become great pals, and not even a flat tire can get in the way of our friendship! I love riding my bike, it's one of the most enjoyable outdoor activities I've ever done. It helps that Baby W is super cute and easy to ride :) Oh - and I felt very accomplished after I came home from backpacking in Colorado this summer and weighed myself - I had lost 15 pounds! My jeans have felt a little less snug, which is nice! I'm excited to tell you guys about my new exercise adventures in Zumba classes, which I took up this holiday break. Hopefully, I'll continue to work towards a healthier, more active lifestyle in 2010!
7) Be more adventurous and take risks
I'm happy with the outcome of this resolution! I tried a lot of new things this year, and found that I loved most of them! I've learned to be more of a go-getter, and be self-sufficient. I also have become more social, branching out and becoming friends with people I would have never even considered talking to a year ago. The activities like newspaper and cabaret in San Francisco that I started in 2009 have led me to greater opportunities. Now I love the thrill of trying new things!
That being out of the way... I've decided to stick to the idea of obtainable goals. Without further ado, my resolutions for 2010 are as follows:
1) Write in my new journal often
I've acquired a daily Moleskine planner, which I've decided to convert into a daily journal/inspiration book. I just started my first page! I'm so excited to see if I can keep up with writing every day... that's definitely going to be a challenge!
2) Learn to cook
I'm going to college in a year and half (OMIGOSH!) so I better learn how to become a master chef like my dear mother! I'm obsessed with good food - the Barefoot Contessa, the fabulous Ms. Ina Garten, is my idol! I read her cookbooks religiously, but unfortunately the only food I am currently able to make includes toast, grilled cheese, and salad. I hopefully will pull a Julie Powell and blog about some of the creations I make this year with my mom... I can't wait to start making yummy food!
3) Enjoy working out (and work out more)
Very similar to last year's goal, I'm planning on keeping up the biking routine and using my gym membership more often. Going to the gym more will also give me a reason to buy myself cute workout clothes from Lululemon! You can never be too stylish when you work out (I think it makes the whole experience way more fun!)
4) Have fun
Sounds simple, right? As I said at the beginning of this post, I'm coming upon my last years as a teenager. I definitely don't want those to go to waste.
