a bite of allison

90's Kid

2012-01-17T22:52:00.001-08:00

You know those weird moments where you see something that you haven't seen in YEARS and everything just comes rushing back?

And you didn't even remember that you had forgotten it, it had literally just been so long that it been erased from your memory... or so you thought?

That happened to me yesterday night.

I was just scrolling down tumblr, perfectly content, when I saw this gif:

I stared at it a couple of minutes, just thinking, "WHY IS THIS SO FAMILIAR?"
Why do I even know what this is, and why do I remember wanting so badly to be able to do it??

Thank heavens for the ease of the internet; I found out straightaway that it came from The Big Comfy Couch, a TV show that apparently I watched when I was younger.

And then it all came back.
The dust bunnies, Molly's clock stretch, her story time...

Somehow this picture (that should be rather frightening) was comforting.

I guess I'm a true 90's kid.

Do you remember this?! What have you forgotten from your childhood?

Maybe It's Just Me...

2012-01-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

But does anyone else's hair have a mind of its own?

Because really, how does hair escape like this?

I'm not a bad braider or anything.
My hair isn't horribly layered.
I don't constantly touch it.

I think it just likes being free.

Oh, well.

(Note: This was taken at home. I'm back at school as of yesterday.)

Better Than Snuggies.

2012-01-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

While I was still recovering from my wisdom teeth extraction, Karina and Darian, my favorite brother and sister duo, came over to visit me in my hour of need!

(Even though it was really just more of a hang out session... Like I said before, my mouth didn't hurt that bad.)

We kept ourselves busy by powering through The Office season 5 in our just-bought footsie pajamas.
Seriously, though.
I could lounge around in those things for days.

Because Darian wanted no part in our fuzzy-snuggling madness, he offered to play photographer... often from very strange positions (like the one pictured).
His choice of attire leaned more toward the glow-in-the-dark biker outfit than the footsie-pajamas.

And, because we were so happy to show these babies off-

- the footsies in their full glory.
The best part? We found them at Target in the kid's section for $10.
Not bad for cupcakes (Karina's, from the girl's) and spaceships (Mine, from the boy's)!

All in all, a pretty good use of our time.

Say Good-bye to Wisdom!

2012-01-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I got my last two wisdom teeth taken out.

The upper two are the less painful ones, according to my dentist/doctor/teeth-extractor, and seeing as I didn't have any problems with my bottom two I had high hopes for these!

My mom took a rather frightening picture of me while I was still sedated, puffy cheeks and all.
Not gonna lie- it kinda looks like a black-mail picture, so I guess I should show it to the world before it can be used against me.

I have never been a fan of the oxygen tubes.
I mean, I get that they're essential, but they tickle to the point where my eyes water because they're so uncomfortable.
They also just look scary.

I was also lucky enough to have veins that didn't want to cooperate, so for the first time ever, I had my general anesthesia given to me through the back of my hand.
I didn't even know that they did that.

After I slept for about 3 hours and wore off the last of the drugs, I was up and ready to go!
Technically, I was told to take it easy and sit around for most of the day, but three hours was enough rest for me.
So I called up Lena!

Lena was babysitting the most adorable girl, Sophia, so the two of them came over to visit me.
We colored.
A lot.

It was the perfect distraction!
I had met Sophia before and we had become fast friends, so I was glad she was so comfortable around me in the short time they visited.

Sophia was really into drawing families, so we drew mommy, daddy, and baby strawberries, carrots, mermaids (a TON of them), and snowmen!

And the most perfect surprise came when we were putting on Sophia's shoes to go home....

The coolest sunset-cloud ever!
What a beautiful end to the day.

I guess my experiences with wisdom teeth extraction haven't been too bad at all.

Yes, It's Really Me.

2011-12-27T22:20:00.000-08:00

Gosh, I haven't done this in so long it feels a little foreign.

It's been over two months, by my count, and even before that it was pretty sparse.

Well, I have a New Year's resolution about this blog, we'll just see how it goes.

So, I guess- hello?

It's good to be back.

And might I just say, I hope you all had the most wonderful Christmas. I know I did!

If you don't celebrate Christmas, well, I hope you enjoyed your holiday time (if you have one) or just had some fun during your school/work break!

One of my favorite holiday traditions is baking cookies, and even though the 25th is over, I'm still loving our homemade sweets.

We just have plates of the stuff!
Chocolate Andes Mint cookies, Chocolate Chip cookies, Mexican Wedding cookies (my mom's project), Peanut Butter Kiss cookies...

I think I'm more in danger of the Christmas 15 than the Freshman 15!

They're just so beautiful and soft and yummy... who can resist?
My flab could sure vouch for me that I can't resist at all!

My absolute favorite of all is the Chocolate Andes Mint cookies, though.
They come out of the oven all piping hot, and are each quickly covered with an Andes mint that melts until it can be spread in creamy goodness all over the cookie.
My mouth is watering just thinking about it...

Oh, and yes, we keep our tree.
Until mid-January. Or late January.
Or really, whenever we can bother to do it!

My 15 Minutes (Err.. Two Seconds) of Fame.

2011-10-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

Some of you may already know (as I ecstatically texted around when it happened), but two Fridays ago, I got to be an extra (sorry, "background artist") on Modern Family.

You see, they started filming at UCLA at noon, right when I was walking back from class to the dorms, and I happened to pass the sign for "Extras Check-in". Being the curious person I am, I followed the arrows towards a covered tent, filled out a few forms (after figuring out what was happening) and I was in!

We filmed 3 scenes for about 6 hours (thankfully I had finished all my classes for the day)- and we even got bussed to a frat house for Haley's "party"!

We started out just chilling in the grass, waiting for Ty Burrell, Sarah Hyland, and the crew to show up for the scene.
The cheerleaders (and the football players) were the only extras who got costumed- thankfully, I passed by the wardrobe artist without having to change a thing of my "college outfit".

As we were waiting, UCLA was transformed into Bulldog territory before our eyes...

And then Ty Burrell (decked out in Bullfrog-sorry-dog gear) showed up on set!

The first scene we filmed was Phil running through the cheerleaders.
I was in a group of students sitting in a circle behind the cheer team, studying and chatting.
(Although we weren't actually allowed to make noises because the mics picked up everything.)

And... that's what you can see of me in that scene.
I was wearing a scarf on my head that day; I assumed before I watched the scene that it would be pretty easy to see where I was. Well, the only reason I can pick out myself is because I remember where I was in relation to the scene.

The second scene we filmed (although it was the opening shot of the episode) was in front of the Glorya Kaufman Center, aka, the Bulldog's library.

I was a student late to class, walking quickly from the library to wherever I needed to be.

And oh, a quick shot of me and my backpack right as the camera zoomed in (and I walked out).

The final scene we shot was at the frat house we were bussed out to, "Pi Chi", as the show called it.
This was probably the most time consuming scene because we had to have an entire party in silence to allow for the dialogue to be heard. All the music was added in post-production.

And alas, the only part of me visible is my back.
But at least I was right next to Phil?

I'm not gonna lie, I was expecting the episode to be a little different, but it was seriously one of the funnest (and most informative) experiences of my life.
Ty Burrell was such an inspiration- he improvised so many of those funny lines we love, and in between each take, he would take the time to talk with all the extras.
When else could I have had the opportunity to chat about dorky dancing with such a hilarious actor?

The other reason that I enjoyed this so much is because the show means quite a bit to me now. It was something I watched with my family every week, and now in college, we still discuss via Skype. I called my mom right after I got in (and once before for her help in filling out the form), and we spent our Skype date that night dissecting all the reactions of the actors and everything I did.

I miss my family a bunch, but this was something exciting I could tell them about my time in college.
Make that "LA Moment" number 3.

I Always Wanted a Pet...

2011-10-12T17:26:00.000-07:00

... and now I have three!

Sort of.

You see, the Westwood Farmer's Market came to UCLA today, offering fruits and baked goods and snacks and botanical pretties.
I had just gotten out of class, it was 96 degrees outside (No lie! And in October!) and all I really wanted to do was walk the quarter of a mile back to my dorm, crank up the AC, and take a break.

But really, who can do that when the calls of the vendors are swirling in the air, people are gathering around stalls and walking away with bags of goodies, and there's the promise of a good bargain waiting for you?

Only problem: I didn't have my wallet.
So I ran back to my dorm, grabbed my wallet, ran back to the market (sweating buckets, mind you) and shopped.

The one stand that really caught my eye was the succulents.
I had been planning for a while to get a plant for my dorm room, and these ones were just gorgeous (and so well priced!) that I had to give in.

So, meet my new pets: (from left, clockwise) Lenny, Penny, and Gertrude.
Lenny, short for Leonore, Penny, short for Penelope, and Gertrude.

I like to think that I'm a pretty responsible owner!
(But thank goodness I only have to water them once every 10 days!)

Do you have any pets?
(Or any "pets"?)

Not Your Typical Saturday Night!

2011-10-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

As my 18th birthday is coming up (on the 20th!), my aunt gave me a spectacular present- a limo ride and dinner at The Crustacean in Beverly Hills.

(Get ready for a picture overload!)

My roommates, friends, and I got all gussied up and had a blast!
Just warning- there will be no shortage of exclamation points in this post... brace yourself.

Goofy faces in the limo before dinner.

Alexa and me.
It kind of looks like I'm holding her in place... but I'm really just attempting to hug her or something.

Toasting my adulthood with the classiest drink of all- water!

The view out of the limo at sunset (on Sunset Boulevard).

At our destination!

First glimpse of the restaurant as you walk in...

... with a real, live, Koi pond under foot!

The girls!

Mouthwatering dishes.
No lie, I'm drooling a bit just looking at the pictures.

A picture with my wonderful aunt and uncle- what a lovely night out!

Blowing the candle out of my birthday dish!

And a completely random shot Joanna took of me while we were walking back to the limo- the exposure wacked out and we ended up with a crazy exorcist picture!
What a way to end the evening!

We spent the next hour or so in the limo, cruising around Hollywood and watching the tourists streaming around the Kodak Theatre and Madame Tussaud's.
Maybe it was the full, satisfied stomach, or the long week before, but I basically fell asleep in the car ride back. Who knew limos could be so soothing?

Coming soon... I have an exciting "LA Story" coming up. This may or may not have to do with this article and an episode coming to your televisions on October 19th...

Discovery of the Week!

2011-10-03T18:09:00.002-07:00

I'm a little embarrassed to say that I had never checked out iTunes' free music until this week.

Because, like, oh my goodness, the music is good.

And it's free.

My favorite band this week, who (I'm not gonna lie) looks kind of frightening in its press pictures, is The Dear Hunter.

Their song, "She's Always Singing (Yellow)", from their upcoming album, The Color Spectrum, has such an amazing variety of instrumentals, and (like most the songs I post) has an extremely danceable beat!

There's even a bit of maraca shaking, and my favorite, nonsensical harmonizing!

And, just because it was also free and amazing, make sure to check out Elizaveta's Dreamer!

Free Works For Me!

2011-09-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

Today as I was walking out of my Linguistics class, I spotted a tent in the middle of campus swarming with girls.

"I'm a girl," I thought to myself, "Should I, too, be milling about that attraction?"
Somewhat warily, I walked over.

And I was in.
Turns out, Seventeen and Cosmopolitan magazines had paired with Mary Kay cosmetics to give UCLA students some free goodies and makeovers!

Being the non-makeup wearer I am, I asked very nicely for the "most natural look" they could possibly give me. No, not the blue eyeliner or the smokey eyes.
It was only 11:00 in the morning!

I like to think it turned out pretty well.
Nothing gaudy at all, just a bit of daytime glam to get me through the rest of my classes!

Oh, and addition to that makeover, the ladies at the counter gave each girl a generous goody bag- consisting of over $50 in Mary Kay merchandise!
(Including an eyelash curler, "Lash Love" mascara, eye gel, makeup remover, hand cream, and moisturizer!)

The clutch that everything came in was pretty cute, too!

Boy, sometimes it pays off to go to a large school in LA!

Just Because We're In College...

2011-09-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

... doesn't mean we can't act like kids every once in a while!

And what better way to let out our inner-child than to roll down a couple of hills?

I guess it really started when we were walking down The Hill (where all the UCLA dorms are) towards Westwood, and the guy in front of us- completely obliviously, I'm assuming- was singing along to his iPod rather loudly.
In fact, so much so that I took a picture of him and put him on this blog.
Good job, singer walking boy.

Anyways, on our walk back, we passed by a delightful hill (not to be confused with The Hill), perfect for rolling down.
It took a little convincing to get Alexa and Christian to agree to roll with me, but oh, what loads of fun we had!

Gearing myself up to roll for the second time- and cheesin' it up!

Our rather wobbly walk back up the hill after a successful roll down!

Looking far off into our future college careers... looks promising!
(And a tad surprising, if you ask me.)

If you must know, about an hour after our escapade, we realized how itchy we had become.
As of now, I'm not sure if this adventure will be repeated while I have the memory of the scratching still in my head!

Owls in Urban Outfitters

2011-09-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day of classes, and you know what that means-

first day of school pictures!

Alexa, my roommate, snapped a quick one of me in our dorm's courtyard right before we went out to stroll about Westwood Village after our day's classes.

On our walk about the Village, we ran into a lazy bear!
Being just as tired and lethargic as he, I felt very empathetic and took a second to mope about with him on the little rocking chair next to his.

And of course we couldn't pass by Urban Outfitters without popping in for a window-shopping session!

Because who doesn't love trying on the bajillion glasses on the rack and choosing the ones most unflattering for your face?
Christian, thank goodness, had just as much fun as I did being goofy.

I really have to give the prize to Alexa, however.
We agreed that those feather hair clips and huge glasses make her look like the friendliest owl ever- isn't my roommate amazing?

That's LA For You!

2011-09-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

I guess I got my first taste of "LA" this week.

I put LA in quotations because people seem to treat Los Angeles as this city swarming with celebrities and film locations, and honestly, it's just another city.
Except when you do run into those celebrities and places that you recognize from TV and you say to yourself, "Oh my goodness, it's LA."

I had two of these realizations in the past three days.

The first one was when I went to church Sunday morning.
Reality LA is held in the theater of Helen Bernstein High School, and I made no connection to the name of the school until I walked out of the service towards the parking lot, and saw this:

Recognize it?
No?

How about now?
That's right- it's the lunch area on the set of Glee!

The second was when I went to UCLA's pre-screening of the movie "50/50".

I thought seeing the movie early (and for free!) was cool enough, but that wasn't all.
Right before the movie started, I heard "... and we have some special people to announce the movie, today: 50/50 actor, Seth Rogen and director, Jonathan Levine."

I guess I made the right choice to sit in the fourth row!

Picnic, Anyone?

2011-09-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

So I was just browsing Etsy the other day (because who doesn't, right?) and I came across the cutest vintage thermos set ever:

Adorable with plaid thermoses, different sized caps, a sandwich box, and a plaid carrying case!

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I'm kind of having a craving for a good ol' fashioned picnic right now..

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DIY Roundup - Lights.

2011-09-07T20:01:00.001-07:00

Can someone tell me why people are so darn creative?

Because it's amazing.

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Lights made from teacups and saucers- I don't know how much porcelain I would break before accomplishing this, but they're just darling!
Can't you just imagine a Alice and Wonderland themed party with these dangling from the ceiling?

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I so badly wanted to make a few of these sans-light to hang in my dorm room.
Anyone have some extra wallpaper glue I can borrow so I don't have to buy in bulk?

{via}

Magical fairy lights made from egg cartons!
The best way to recycle!

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Granted, for this one, you need to start out with a chandelier of some sort...
but it's so pretty!

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Fluffy!
Perfect for a picnic or a hot day!

Little Guy, Big Voice.

2011-09-05T18:46:00.000-07:00

So I'm sure everyone at one point was familiar with that boy who did a cover of Lady Gaga's paparazzi, became viral on Youtube, and then made it to Ellen.

Well, he's back.
As cute as ever, his first album already released- just 14 years old.
Ridiculous, right?

Emily introduced me to one of his new songs, "Stranded", and I am HOOKED.

I mean, look at him!
3 years younger than I am, a beautiful voice, and such a catchy song!

So if you don't mind me, I'm off to dance in my room.
By myself.
To this song.
For the thousandth time in a row.

When the Lights Go Down in the City

2011-08-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

Just this past weekend my family went to go see our favorite San Francisco Giants.

I guess the last time I went to a "real" baseball game was last year, but man, I remember it like it was yesterday.

Funny, I was expecting it to be warm and sunny like California is supposed to be in the summer, but instead I got this foggy mess.
Darn San Francisco.

And to start out so deceptively gorgeous, too!

My dad and brother have that infuriating male talent of never being cold, so they had grins the entire game.

And my mom was wearing my dad's extra coat on top of her jacket, so really, I was the only shivering body in the family.
Figures, right?

I do have to admit though, I took a special liking to the "Sing-Along Inning", in which all the spectators amuse themselves for a portion of the eighth inning by humming, crooning, and harmonizing along to Journey's "Lights".

You know I love me a good sing!

Songs Named After Girls.

2011-08-29T15:59:00.001-07:00

Has anyone ever wondered that?

Why there are so many songs named after girls, and really not that many after guys?
I mean, it's not like female performers aren't singing about their male counterparts, it's just that (how I like to think of it) they're a little more discreet about crooning a certain name to the entire world.
Or maybe guys are just more bold.

Well,
It's Monday.
And you know what that means.
(Except that most of you probably forgot considering the number of weeks I've skipped. Shh!)

So, most people have heard of Mumford and Sons, mostly because the band is awesome.
What they don't know (and I'm putting myself into this "they" category, too, because I didn't find out until this week!) is that there's this other awesome band called The Wedding Band, composed of Mumford and Sons & Friends.

That's right.

Awesome band + Awesome band's friends = Nothing can go wrong.

Plus, how cute is the album title?

The Wedding Band pays tribute to that Mumford and Sons style that we all love, but is also surprisingly cheesy (and lovable!) with country style infused songs like the high-spirited "I Take Your Hand", "Thumper"and "She Said Yes".

Being a sucker for the slower songs, I took a special liking to this song, "Susie", a soul-filled ballad with beautiful lyrics.

"Susie, Susie, lead me home
My misguided feet have driven me wrong
I'm a long lost lover and I stand alone
So Susie, Susie, lead me home"

Did Someone Say "Free"?

2011-08-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

So about a month ago, when Lauren first posted on Twitter the hilarity that is FC P, I just about peed in my pants out of joy.

Hand-drawn portraits? Done by a random, awkwardly talented artist?
And the real winner here- FOR FREE?!?
(How was that for an almost-college student?)

So I hurriedly typed up an e-mail with Karina and we twiddled our thumbs for about 2 weeks as we waited (in giddy anticipation!) for our portrait.

"Karina (right) and I, Allison (left) are two best friends about to go off to two separate colleges (her- Willamette, me- UCLA) and this portrait would just about be the bee's knees to commemorate our friendship! When it comes to loving things, it's most always: princesses and vintage. Her favorite is Pocahontas and mine is Snow White. So if we could be some sort of 50's-attired Disney princesses, that would be amazing. We also enjoy romping around, preferably in ice cream sundae lands, and if there could be baby hedgehogs (my favorite animal) and an orange sunset (Karina's favorite color) we would be the two happiest girls in the world."

Lo and behold, look what we got!

We even made it to the website- click here for the page and our bio.

Meet Velma.

2011-08-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

So Lizzy and I and a bunch of girls were crafting before college- you know, picture holders, notebooks- all the things that you absolutely need to take... right?

There was glitter involved, lots of it.
And ice cream.

We were cutting out pictures from magazines for our notebook collages when I saw this foxy lady- I knew that she would be perfect for my book.
Who else would be so surprised and interested to hear all my day's stories?

She was originally in complete sepia, but I got out my Crayola markers and colored away at her lips and stripes....

... glued her onto the notebook....

... added some "vintage" touches, including ripping and roughing up edges...

... and proceeded to decorate the rest of the book with a Sharpie.

So, meet Velma.
I think she's my new best friend.

Big Hair and Polka Dots.

2011-08-08T22:42:00.001-07:00

So, it seems like just yesterday that I was at the Grease sing-along, but I'm seriously SUCH a sucker for these shows...

... so I went to another one.

This time it was Hairspray, baby!
If you have never seen this, you need to get your butt over to the nearest TV or Blockbuster or whatever, and watch. It is literally one of the best movies ever.
At least, in my humble opinion.

So I got myself all geared up to try out Elsie's Beehive, covered loofah and all,
but it turned out to be really, really tricky and I kind of got too frustrated to continue documenting my efforts.
One day I will conquer that darn hairstyle! For now, you can see the eh-attempt I had.

Oh, yes.

Me and the girls, Karina and Lena, decked out in our polka dots.
Coincidentally, these dresses are all old stuff- my dress was first used in our 7th grade production of "12 o'clock Rock"- a 1950's Cinderella, Karina's dress was one that I thrifted from Goodwill, and Lena's is one that she wore at our 8th grade graduation!

You can also see my attempt at the beehive...

Just like last time, we got legit props.
We waved our picket signs for TV integration during "I Know Where I've Been", we rang little bells during (you guessed it!) "I Can Hear the Bells", we sucked lollipops along with Penny, and my personal favorite:

Our twist tie "rings" signifying our marriage to the one, the only,
Link Larkin.

In all seriousness though, who can resist this kid?

So I decided, for today's Monday Melody, to give us some Zac Efron lovin' in the Hairspray song "It Takes Two".
You actually only hear about two seconds of it in the movie, right before he tells the kids to cut class to come to the audition, but the song itself is such a sweet ballad!

Awkward Confession: In 2007, when this movie came out, I vowed that someday I would be serenaded by someone singing this song...

Nope, hasn't happened yet.

And being the froyo lovers we are, we couldn't resist the urge to go out for a treat after the movie.
I mean, they were handing out Hello Kitty spoons- that's incentive enough!

We Put the "Yo" in "Fro-Yo"

2011-07-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm not really sure where I was going with that title, but it sounded cool when I was typing it.
(HA! COOL! Get it?! Because it's frozen yogurt, and it's cold!?)

Oh man.
And that, folks, is what heat does to an already addled brain.

ANYWAYS,
Lizzy and I went out for froyo yesterday, because (if you hadn't inferred already) it's kinda hot outside! There are seriously SO many frozen yogurt joints in California, it's not even funny, but we headed over to Orange Tree (and who names them?) for some creamy goodness!

You see, I'm totally onto all the tricks of these places.
They give you the hugest cups ever and you think, "I'll just fill it halfway and that should be about right" - WRONG.
The trick is to fill it up a quarter and then go for the toppings. Or, if you want to cut down the cost, don't go for toppings at all because those are what weigh the most.
(But seriously, who doesn't want toppings?!)

I'm definitely a toppings kind of girl.
Lizzy thought I was crazy when I told her this, but I like to have a piece of topping with every bite, for the texture!
I pretty much stick to fruits and mochi- can someone tell me why little pieces of glutinous rice covered in flour are SO appetizing? I don't even know...

Enjoyin' our treats!

What do you put in your froyo?

Grease is the Word!

2011-07-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

Because we are incredibly cool for our age, and quite possibly living in the wrong era (at least, I know I am!), Emily and I went to go see "Grease: The Sing-Along Experience!" at The Retro Dome.

The Retro Dome is without a doubt, my FAVORITE cinema in the world.

I mean, where else is it cool to watch movies from 30 years ago, to actually SING out loud in the theatre without anyone yelling at you?
And lemme tell you- we did more than just sing.

We were each given a goodie bag filled with all kinds of things:

1) A pin that we could put on our shirts to show which group- Pink Ladies or the T-Birds- we would sing with (like on "Summer Nights")

2) A twinkie and a cup for dessert wine (it was really just apple cider) during the slumber party.
3) A toothbrush to sing along with the "Brusha-brusha-brusha" commercial at the slumber party (possibly the most annoying, and most hilarious, moments in the movie)
4) A candy bracelet to munch on during the carnival scene!

We also had balloons that we blew up and threw in the air at the prom so we could have our very own "balloon drop".

And bubbles to blow in the air during the dream sequence.
They even called up people to dress up and dance on the stage in front of everyone!

We sung our hearts out,

posed in the bathroom as usual,

it was SUCH an amazing experience- I had no idea so many people (a sold out theater full!) could enjoy singing and dancing and just being silly to an 80's movie.

Ha! I'm not as lame as some people say...
(or if I am, there are many other AWESOMELY lame people with me!)

So Long, Class of 2011!

2011-07-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

So maybe it will surprise some of you,

but somehow (just somehow!) I graduated high school.

I KNOW, right?
Breaking news... of about a month ago.

But since I've been a world traveler as of late, I'll have to share my pre-Europe experiences with you now, and then we'll start on Salzburg, Vienna, Prague...
(oh my!)

Graduation was a lot of sitting around on the bleachers facing the sun waiting for our names to be called. Somehow we kept ourselves entertained (or maybe it was because the four of us were together) but the 70-80 minutes it took to have speeches, roll calling, and the national anthem sung went by without a hitch.

From left to right: Anne, Allison, Lena, Karina

Oh, and did you know our school colors are purple and gold?
Poor boys, they got stuck with the purple gowns.

I appeared to be so ecstatic to finally get that diploma in my hands that the vein in my neck was sticking out like no other... or maybe that's just my smile?

And then the pictures.
SO.
MANY.
PICTURES.

Pictures with parents,

pictures with grandpas,

but we smiled photo after photo, because hey- how often can you graduate high school?
That's a once-in-a-lifetime deal right there.

And besides, who says we can't use silly faces every once in a while?

Pictures accumulated from Neha, Anne, Karina, and Allison

Life and a Song.

2011-06-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

Has it really been a whole MONTH since I last posted?

Man, time flies by fast when you're a second-semester senior!

Or should I say... a graduated high schooler?
Because apparently, as of today, my paperwork is all signed.
Graduation's on Thursday, cap and gown are in my room.

Where did the time go?

What happened in the last month? Well, my school's production of Tom Sawyer, finals, Glee Live!, prom, my solo recital/benefit concert for Japan... and a ton more. (Stay tuned the next week or so while I try and cover all the huge landmarks you missed in my life!)

And funny, all I want to do is sleep!

Well, I couldn't post a Monday without giving you one good song.

So here it is, Camera Obscura's "Razzle Dazzle Rose" from the album Let's Get Out of This Country.

Can I first off just say that this band's album seriously can do no wrong? It's amazing. I listen to it while I'm going to sleep, while I'm cleaning my room- it makes me feel so contemplative and kind of airy (Not in the bubble-brained way, but in the way that your heart feels lighter and you take deep, deep breaths).

Isn't it beautiful?

The Lifelong Dilemma: The Dress

2011-05-02T22:13:00.001-07:00

And by lifelong, I mean this year, of course.

And by dilemma, I mean prom dresses.
Because seriously, how hard is it to find a dress that's awesome and wonderful that you actually look good in? Pretty darn hard, if you ask me.

And so, lovely readers (if you're still around after my two-week hiatus), I need YOU to help me decide.
Which dress gets the "yes"?

Here goes!
(A disclaimer: these are not ordered by my preferences)

DRESS 1
"The Wrap"- Look at the colors below to get a better idea of color choice.

DRESS 2
"The Watermark"- awesomely placed, right?

DRESS 3
"The Goddess"- cool beading details!

DRESS 4
"The Mother of the Bride"- No joke, that's what it's called. So is it too matronly for me?

(Imagine me as an air hostess)
Please be directed to the voting poll located on your left, and be sure to choose your favorite dress in the chances that Allison might choose YOUR choice as her dress for Senior Prom!

Fangirl Central.

2011-04-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

Lemme just say, picture and talking overload ahead.

And lots of virtual squealing. And possibly some pants-peeing.
(But you won't hear about the latter from me.)

So this weekend- Saturday night to be exact- I went to go see my first ever concert, classical concerts not counting.
I know you're probably thinking, "Wow, she's 17 and this is her FIRST concert?" and to that I really have nothing to say... I'm just busy? I guess?
The band that was playing was Bonnie Dune, a band that would probably have a bigger impact on you if I told you its drummer.
The one, the only,
Cory Monteith.
And if you don't know who that is, well, I don't really know what to say. Watch some Glee?
And that, sadly, was the reason that most the fans were there- but seriously, the band is GOOD. Their melodies are legit, they're catchy, and they sound great live. And that's really how you can tell whether or not a band is good.
But back to the story.

So we got to the sketchy (but very cool) little San Francisco bar, Bottom of the Hill, at 6:00-ish.
We were attempting to be in the first 50 because we thought there might be a meet and greet afterward.. it turned out there wasn't a formal one- but more on that later.
We kind of hoped that we would be able to get in when we got there, but to no avail- doors opened promptly at 8:30 pm.
You might be able to tell a tad from the differences in light outside in the pictures.

There was something good that came out of waiting at such an early time though-

Maybe 30 minutes after we had jumped around in the cold trying to get warm, a little dark green vintage car pulled right up to the front of the place (there is only one entrance) and, just glancing at it, we realized- that was Cory in the passenger seat.
Yes, his head is turned away in the pictures (as they assessed the crowd and then pulled out of the spot to zoom around the corner) but seriously- our hearts stopped for a second.
It was just so strange, so surreal to see someone you see on your screen in real life.

Our lovely X'd out hands, signifying our under-21-ness and inability to drink.

The inside (while others were still in line and we had JUST stepped in)- it maybe even looks bigger in this picture than in real life. I'm telling you, this place is SMALL. I was pressed up against the mini-stage to take it.
(The girl in the picture is one of the crazy sorority fan girls who sang the same song non-stop while we were in line... over and over and over.)

Justin Wilcxynski, their lead singer, who I believe is a model.
Man, this guy is good looking- like, I took a TON of pictures of him while they were onstage (because he was literally a foot away from me) and none of them were bad.
That's more than I can say for my candids...
OH! And Kristen and I chatted it up with him for, like, 5 minutes straight. We talked music, college (which was a tad awkward because he was a dropout)... we're basically BFFs now.
And during one of the opening acts, Lite Brite, I was showing my new-to-concert side because I couldn't stand the loudness (we were right in front of the speakers) and he helped me find some earplugs! So sweet!

Guitar/Back-up vocalist Seth Roberts (who we got a picture with afterward, and who is in an awesome band Lakes) and Bassist Josh Kerr- both super nice. Although they didn't get nearly as much attention as the other two guys and for that, I really felt bad.

Um, yes. That is Cory Monteith, standing literally less than 10 feet in front of me.
He was basically just like I expected him to be- he was funny, he cracked silly jokes in between songs, he was nice.
Funny though, I would almost say that Justin was nicer than Cory to fans, if that's possible... I do understand it though- if I had thousands of girls screaming at me every day like Cory does, I'd feel pretty wary.

Oh, and the back of Mark Salling's head! He came to support Cory, and his distinctive mohawk was as prominent as ever.

The boys posing for pictures afterward.
We were kind of upset that we didn't a group shot, but seriously- these girls were RABID. They pushed, pulled, elbowed... it was scary. And the band's manager was extremely diligent at pulling them out of the room... sigh.

Our picture with Seth! (From left to right: Me, Seth, Kristen, Mariel)
Excuse the rather lethargic expression on my face- it was about 1 o'clock in the morning and I was definitely feeling the effects of both sleep deprivation and chill- and loud noises.
Thankfully I took out my oh-so-attractive orange ear plugs before the picture.

PS: My favorite song from the night, Strange Ways. They don't have a record deal yet so most their stuff isn't easy to find.

{pictures taken by me and Kristen. Mostly Kristen}

Gettin' in the Swing of Things!

2011-04-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

This post is a little late in coming considering that the actual event was last-last Friday night... but hey, I've been gone on a mission trip this entire week!

More to come about that in a bit, but I'll try and get things down chronologically here so I don't come back to visit in 20 years and forget the order in which things happened in my oh-so-eventful life.

SO.
Blue Pearl.
It's essentially a swing dance that my school holds once a year, and is (in theory) my favorite dance because it's the only one that I'll actually dance at. This year is also the first time I've been able to go out of the two years that the school has done it, and since it's my senior year, I was going to make it amazing.

Emily and I went together with our prospective dates (Of whom there are not that many pictures... but Emily's was Darian. Whoot! Mine was a friend from my Jazz class- I figured he'd know how to appreciate the swing music!) and we enjoyed some classy food served by our school's Gov Team.

Our awesomely matching character shoes- all the better for dancing in!
I had the nude, she had the black.

And an INCREDIBLY blurry picture (though I'm still grateful to Emily's iPhone) of our swing dancing prowess. Note the popped feet.

Of course, our professional photo.
Eugene (Like Tangled. YES.), me, Emily, and Darian.
There is just so much hidden in this picture it's hilarious, but my favorites- Emily's hand just peeking out on my back, and her elbow stuck in Darian's suspenders. Classic.

We were GOING to get some awesome Photobooth strips at our local mall, but the darn things were closed due to malfunctions. So we took our own.
Can I ask- what is Darian doing?

And seriously- nothing like a little wind in your hair while driving those attractive kiddie convertibles. I want to thank whoever invented them- 50 cents for the ride of the lifetime?
So worth it.

And, what happens whenever I put make-up on, some shameless Myspace posing.
I am only slightly embarrassed.

Oh, what a night!

Some Keyboard Gibberish.

2011-03-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

By now, I'm guessing you kind of know what my style is.
At least, the kinds of songs that move me the most, and therefore are featured on this blog.
I love a good pop beat, I love a catchy chorus, but a piano and some soul singing will get me every time.

This Monday's melody is brought to you by KT Tunstall, a singer that I knew (embarrassingly enough) through DDR's rendition of her "Suddenly I See" and was later re-introduced to through my friend with the amazing musical taste, Emily.

Like that style I was mentioning earlier, this song has it all: the gentle piano melody, the lovely untouched voice, and above all- the soul.
It's called "Through the Dark" and I've practically listened to it non-stop the past week.

sa;djeofisujf;lsdkfjs;dlfkjsd;flksd
(The equivalent of sped-up heart palpitations and awkward blubbering through the keyboard, in case you were wondering.)

It's beautiful.

No Alcohol for Me, Mister!

2011-03-16T18:04:00.001-07:00

The closest thing to alcohol I'll ever encounter in all my high school years?

Root Beer!

Say what you want, laugh all you like, but good ol' fashioned Sarsaparilla (I learned that term reading E.B.White's Stuart Little) is the way to go.

And what better way to drink it than in a glass bottle ?
Because everyone knows- soda (modeled by the lovely Anne) tastes miles better when it's in a glass bottle.

So, drink up!

Ghost Town.

2011-03-14T20:42:00.001-07:00

I think this song's title perfectly sums up the atmosphere of the band.

Well, not really in the sense of the "ghost town" as an abandoned, creepy town ... but in the ethereal, almost haunting sound of their harmonies and sweet, sweet voices.

Also, they have a funny band name: First Aid Kit.
Not quite sure what that's supposed to mean, but I do love me some quirky titles!

Isn't it kind of creepy and cool at the same time?
And the video, gosh, is absolutely gorgeous.

PS- They made their debut on the internet with their cover of Fleet Foxes' Tiger Mountain Peasant Song (which is also pretty amazing- check it out!)

Some Modcloth Lovin'

2011-03-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

I don't know anyone who doesn't love the clothes and accessories at Modcloth.
I mean- bird nest salt and pepper shakers? Lovely retro-esque dresses? It's amazing.
There are only two things I kind of detest:

1) that it's a solely online shop.
2) that the prices can be incredibly high.

Which is why I was so ecstatic when they held their annual "Cabin Fever" sale, with tons of things up to 70% off! I'm a huge fan of sales.
So, nervous and excited, I made my first ever Modcloth purchase...

...and a week later, I recieved a very special box.

It was kind of beat up on the sides, but it had the unmistakable label of my favorite store.

And I practically swooned when I saw the adorable detailing on the inside of the box.

I think I'm majorly in love with this "Dot Just a Pretty Dress".
(And did I mention that I loved their punny dress names? Because I do.)

And YES. Those are pockets.

The top part of the back is covered in a black sheer fabric that matches the sleeve cuffs!

I am rather content.

Surprisingly So.

2011-03-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

This song, by Amy Seeley, has probably got to be one of my most favorite songs.

(I know, I say it about every song, but hey- there are a lot of good songs out there!)

One of the reasons I am so in love with it is because it's a love song without it being about a specific person, a song about true love with friends.
And that, my friends, is some powerful stuff.

An excerpt:

"And when you smile.. you smile... you smile at me
you have no idea just how sweet it can be

so the band marches on and we will sing along
there's comfort in knowing our similarities
we are captured in time, space and degrees of caution .. wonder .. and awe

like pirouettes drifting
ike chocolate
like saccharine
you're unaware .. appealing
like our friendship, I'll be content."

Another thing that I like about her is that she has no music videos, no fancy-pancy studio recordings, it's just her. And her piano.
And I think that her clear voice and emotion just shines through and makes the world of auto-tune seem so silly...

Gah. It's beautiful.

Don't you agree?

A Night of Fun and Babies.

2011-03-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

Meet my new cousin, Ryan.
He's basically adorable to the max, and for a few 15-minute intervals last night, he was all mine.
(I would've kept him for longer but Mathew forced me to share.)

So, he was born less than 2 weeks ago (I want to say 12 days- but don't quote me on that), and of those 2 weeks, I've seen him twice. Lucky me!
If I keep this up, I'll basically be his favorite cousin ever.

We went over to visit and eat dinner (and some mighty delicious Special Edition Girl Scout Cookie ice cream) and there was plenty of fun to go around!

I revisited some childhood games with my two younger cousins, Addison and Nathaniel, and marveled at how packaging changes!
Man, can't kids be happy with plain old Chutes and Ladders instead of more colors and more shapes and more people? I remember it being rather nondescript...

There were plenty of silly faces and giggles.

And I do believe that Mathew was extremely taken with Nathaniel's light saber set.
They had plenty-a duel together, although Nathaniel may have ended up with two black eyes- one from a thrown pillow (ahem, Mathew) and one from a lightsaber (cough, Mathew).

Oh, and of course. There was plenty and plenty of holding!

Can I hear a "whoot whoot" for newborns?
Goodness, I love 'em.

(And yes, I admit sheepishly, there are no pictures of the happy parents. I had a couple awkward ones on my camera, but I figured I'd better not show any at all than show some really unflattering camera angles... my bad. There are attractive people, take it from me.)

Whoot!

2011-03-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

Picking a number...

Finding corresponding number to said number....

The winner of the CSN giveaway is the lovely Sam of The Married Couple!
Whoohoo!

Just drop me a line (or a word?) at

abiteofallison {at} gmail {dot} com

and I'll get you all hooked up!

PS: Haha, I love that you think I look like the girl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pOC29Dv894) in this commercial! I hope I'm at least a better actor than her though...

A Weather Fail (And a Song!)

2011-02-28T22:05:00.000-08:00

So remember how I was so excited just a few days ago?

When I actually thought there might be snow in California, in my sunny town?

That was a COMPLETE fail.
I looked out the window in the morning, hoping to see big clouds just ready to pour snow on us (or sprinkle- I'd be okay with that, too) and I saw this:

Really, California, really?
And the weathermen- I personally blame you. Because I wouldn't have put this little idea in my head by myself, YOU gave me the illusion of hope.

Ah well, at least we had a nice Sunday after-church walk from it.

And a song:

My sweet and hilarious Calculus buddy, Sandia, introduced me to this band less than a week ago, and goodness, I'm in LOVE.

They're called Young the Giant (as you can probably infer from the cover art) and they're just so rock-y and fun without being "mainstream and stupid".
(in quotes because sometimes those things go hand in hand- sometimes, not always)

This song is called "My Body" and I think I've listened to it about 6 times on repeat just sitting here writing this post. It's that good.

The best part? There's none of that overly-autotuned poop.
They have genuinely catchy voices, fun chord changes, and head-bobbing songs.

Can it be?

2011-02-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

Really, truly, be?

Can there actually be- wait for it- snow in California?

If it happens, we will have broken a THIRTY FIVE year curse!

Please, don't taunt me with this talk of "snow chance".

I want it, darnit, and I want it now!

A CSN Giveaway!

2011-02-21T16:32:00.000-08:00

Now, I don't know if it's just me, but I've been seeing these CSN giveaways popping everywhere.

MAN, they move fast.
Let me just start out by saying though, the CSN network is crazy. It's like the Target of the internet or something, but it has over two hundred stores. That's a lot of stores.
And naturally, with those two hundred or so stores, it sells a LOT of stuff- everything from a swing set complete with turrets and slides to a ridiculously chic wine-holding dog bed!
Crazy, I tell you.

Anyways, they e-mailed me a few days ago asking if I'd like to participate in a giveaway, and of course I had an emphatic "Yes."

Because, please.
Vintage-styled clocks for under $15?

Chandeliers for under $30?

And- can it really be- Barbie guitars?
Oh, be still my beating heart.

If you'd like to win $15 to spend at any one of these 200-something CSN stores, just comment below telling me your favorite childhood toy!
Giveaway ends next Monday, February 29th.

GAH. It's All I Can Say.

2011-02-17T20:28:00.001-08:00

Okay, this post is probably going to sound incredibly cliche and canned... and for that I apologize.
Sometimes when I get really excited about something, I tend to drone on and on about it, and the occasional lines such as "power of love" and "vitality of spirit" and stuff spring forth from my mouth before I can keep it shut.
So I apologize beforehand.

What I DO hope, though, is that you actually take the time to watch this video.
I know that while reading people's blogs it's really easy to skip past the videos they post (I admit it, I have done this before) but I'm sincerely asking you to see this.

Also because this is what I want my future child to be like... and hope that's not weird at all coming from a 17 year old.

Okay, what's so ridiculous about this is that this boy, Jonathan, is THREE YEARS OLD.
I was just learning how to tie my shoes then!
You all know that I love me some music. And as a musician and piano teacher, and basically overall lover of music- seeing the (here comes the cliched statements) passion in this boy, the excitement for CLASSICAL MUSIC makes me cry.
Yeah... kind of sad, but I actually cried at the end of the video when he dropped his baton and then started laughing hysterically. Because that (to me) showed me that he's not just some random prodigy whose parents pushed music into, he's a KID still, and an amazing one at that.

GAH.
Can I please have a kid like this?
Please?

Poster Child

2011-02-15T21:40:00.000-08:00

You probably THINK you know me...

I bet you believe I'm some sweet innocent little girl who laughs a lot and makes silly jokes.
Too bad you're basically in the company of a cold-blooded killer.

I was caught-

dun dun dun....

- on camera.

So here I was, posing with the innocent little styrofoam case.
Little did it know it would soon be destroyed.
Little did I know that I would be caught.

It began with random scratch marks.
Actually, I believe that those cross-hatchings were in reaction to Karina who attempted to write my full name and phone number on the box to be shipped out to the unknown.
Stranger danger, people, stranger danger.

Pretty soon though, the soundtrack for "Psycho" was playing in my head and the poor little styrofoam container gained some holes.
(I look at this picture and my blurry hand and just think that "ER ER ER" stabbing sound. I would link to the clip or something if I could, but I'm too scared to go through the Youtube videos. So just picture me making the noise- I do it very well, actually.)

AND NOW I'M A SCARY KILLER!

Yeah. I'm like creepy Leighton Meester in "The Roommate" poster. Except I'm also too scared to post that picture, because her eyes look really scary.

The moral of this story essentially is that you don't want to see the scary side of me.
Because it's really scary.

The end.

Lovey Dovey Day.

2011-02-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

In other words, the day on which every couple brings their mushy level to just under "intolerable", everyone eats piles and mountains of candy (whether that action is induced by infatuation or frustration), and we listen to songs about love all day long.

No wonder everyone loves Valentine's Day!
Okay, maybe that's just a BIT sarcastic coming from me, but I do think that it's a good day to celebrate. Love is important, people, and although we should be sharing it every day, today's our one day to really... commercialize it.
Yeah, that's the spirit.

Well, it's a tradition at my high school to deliver "Singing Valentines"- one minute songs sung by our very own choir- to your loved ones, friends, and people that you want to embarrass. Statistically speaking, since there are only 300 delivered, and there are around 2,600 students at the school, less than 1/6 of the school will receive them.
Actually, even LESS than less than 1/6, because the couples usually buy multiple cards for their significant other... I guess it's romantic and cute to be sung to every single period of your day? Who am I kidding. It's cute.
And I'll be honest with you. If I got 6 each year, I probably wouldn't be grumpy. If I got one each year I'd probably not be grumpy... old maid, that's me.

A few pictures of the embarrassing goodness that is a Singing Valentine. Whether it's a group of boys dressed in slightly questionable boxer shorts, or a group of "nerds" (and there were some girl groups too, I just didn't get any pictures!), the experience is fun for the whole class.

If you'd like to experience your own SV, one of the groups kindly made them accessible to the general public!
Here.

BUT-
Valentine's Day isn't just about sweets and boyfriends and girlfriends and Singing Valentines, no matter what image Hollywood and consumerism puts in our heads.

It's about love.
REAL love.

I see love in the heart-shaped balloons that my dad buys for me and my brother every single Valentine's Day that I can remember.
I see love in the stew that my mom spends all day preparing for us to eat as a family for dinner.
I see love in my family and my friends every day- true love.

Make every day (not just Valentine's Day) worth it.
Show your loved ones that you love them, and hold them dear.

Goodwillin'

2011-02-12T19:52:00.000-08:00

So a few days ago I went onto Goodwill's website to find- well actually, I don't remember what I was looking for- something, and I saw that a new Goodwill had opened.

Of course, the grass is always greener on the other side (or whatever that saying is), and those pictures looked mighty more interesting than my Goodwill, so I decided to investigate.

Emily and I drove in her Christmas present to the great unknown.
Even more unknown to me was her gift- this was my first time driving in any convertible on the freeway, and I have to admit, I was rather squeal-y. And many heads may have turned while we were driving on the streets on account of me putting my hands up roller-coaster style and screaming- but hey. It's a CONVERTIBLE.
I think it's practically the rule to scream and play obnoxiously loud music, right?

We got a little over excited with what we were finding and our shopping cart was piled high with clothes within the hour.

I pulled a Vanna White and attempted to showcase our overflowing cart. Unfortunately, the sequined tube-top thingy that I was modeling at the time gave me the awkward appearance of love handles.

Even more awkward, however, was this picture that was captured right before I was about to pop a foot. Seriously. Worst of both worlds.
I could either have chosen [smile + bulges] or [maniacal face + long hair].... I guess I just chose to show you both.

And last but not least, our hottest item of the day....

Oh yeah. It even rivals the black suspender skirt of last trip.
How I didn't walk away with that beauty still confounds me!

PS: I realize that I never post anything GOOD that I have gotten at Goodwill... and for that, I apologize. You probably think that all there is is a bunch of ill-fitting jumpsuits and sequined tube-top dresses.
Fear not, my friends. Photo evidence is on the way...

Nothing Bundt Love!

2011-02-10T20:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, you know I have a bit of a sweet tooth.

In fact, that's probably a bit of an understatement seeing how much I crave chocolate and just how many trips to the ice-cream machine I can make at a buffet. But yes.
Sweets rock.
My mom recently bought a bunch of mini cakes from "Nothing Bundt Cakes", a chain of shops that specialize in Bundt cakes- lemme tell you- they're AMAZING.

First of all- they're miniature. You don't have to feel too bad about how much you've eaten because it's nothing compared to an entire cake, right?
(Thankfully, I split this one with Mathew yesterday night.)

This cake was a "White White Chocolate" with an amazing cream cheese type icing.
My favorite part of the entire cake (well, of any cake with icing and a hole in the middle, really) is the very center where all the icing has dripped and it's like a fiesta for your taste buds.

GAH. It was not dry at all, and I'm literally salivating right now writing about it.
I hope that's not TMI. Because it was really really good.

The state of the poor cake after about 30 seconds.

The saddest part of my day. Literally.
And don't fret- despite all my training throughout my child, I went against all teachings and licked the knife. It was a butter knife, for crying out loud!
And that was some fine icing....

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I hear the lemon cake calling my name...

I'm a Woman, Phenomenally.

2011-02-09T21:22:00.001-08:00

Lovely Kate over at Kismet & Kate proposed a challenge to herself: to "study and memorize some poetry this year", induced by her recent reading of Matched.
Well, Kate- I am ALL for this.
Today, in my lit class, yes, that lit class, we read a poem by Maya Angelou.
And guys? I'm in love with it. Head over heels.
It's called Phenomenal Woman, and I have never read a poem that is so strong, so bold, so proud to be a woman.

I'm a woman, phenomenally.

A snippet:

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

{via}

It's Muddy Brilliant!

2011-02-08T22:08:00.000-08:00

So maybe I'm a little strange.

I'm sure that if you're reading this blog right now, you probably already know that. And hopefully love me despite- or because?- of it.

I'm not usually one to stick to social norms just because they're socially accepted. If I think there's no reason why NOT to do something (and I don't have bad judgment, really!), I'll probably try it out. Just to see.
That being said, I've eaten dog food before. And grass.
I digress...

Yesterday in my lit class, we walked in to find little piles of dirt on our desks. Our teacher told us to just "play with the dirt".
Most of us stared blankly for a couple of seconds. Some of us tentatively patted the dirt, careful not to get our fingernails dirty.

Me? I asked Emily for her water bottle, poured it on my dirt covered desk, and played happily for the next 10 minutes with my homemade mud. People probably thought I was crazy, people definitely laughed at me- but I had the funnest time ever.

My landscape of mud (mostly dried now) including a forest, a sun, clouds, and rain.
(The little mound of dirt on the left was the teacher's gift to the next class since I had essentially ruined the chances of the next student playing with some normal dirt.)

This is the after-washing up picture. My hands, fingernails, and arms were COVERED in mud.
Oh, the wonders of indoor plumbing.

Monday Melodies: Isbells

2011-02-07T22:11:00.000-08:00

I hope you've gotten a little taste of what I like in music these past weeks.

I love harmonies, I love beautiful voices, I love soul, I love LOVE.
There's nothing more amazing to listen to, I think, than an artist who truly believes and loves what he/she is singing about.

This song, "As Long As It Takes", by the Isabells, is a reflective song, I think.
It's a story about the future generations and where this Earth and humanity has gone- and how it'll be humanity's job to hold Earth until it's mended.
Until WE mend it.

Listening to this song makes me want to cry a little bit (partially because of the lovely harmonies) because of its message, and the video montage really captures the heart and the longing that I feel in the song.
It's so beautiful!

A Mother's Love.

2011-02-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

Just yesterday I got to skip school for an all-day field trip with my Physiology class (so I guess it's not technically still skipping... ) to the Tech Museum to see the infamous "Body World" exhibit!

I had seen it before, and was all prepared to ask questions about their supposed misuse of executed Chinese prisoners, but to my surprise, all the bodies were white! Who would've guessed?

We weren't actually allowed to take pictures in the exhibit (and I was way too chicken to try- I mean, those bodies were TOTALLY eyeballing us), so the only pictures we have are of the interesting events before...

One of the stations the Tech Museum has- I guess to attract kids and teach them more about the fields of science- was the DNA "lab".
Karina and I were given what we thought were pink lollipops (and we got really excited) but it turned out they were sponges that we wiped the insides of our cheeks with to grab the free-floatin' DNA.

We sponged the DNA onto our labeled slides....

.... and dyed the slides so that the DNA would be visible under the microscope.

Apparently I am a legit microscope-ist because I can focus under the largest magnification on cells in less than 30 seconds.

And the picture of my magnified nuclei! I felt strangely like a first time mother looking at her baby's ultrasound... it was very disconcerting.
(Those two blobs with darker spots in them are my DNA cells with their nuclei!)

Proud parents.

Monday Melodies: Lulu and the Lampshades.

2011-01-31T20:34:00.000-08:00

For me, a clear indication of a band's awesomeness is by their name.

I know, I know, don't judge a book by it's cover and all that- but seriously.
Here's my formula:

NAME + and the + RANDOM [PLURAL] NOUN = WIN.

You know, Matthew and the Atlas, Vincent Vincent and the Villains, and all that jazz.

Anyways, this Monday Melodies has been brought to you by my new quirky favorite, Lulu and the Lampshades. Their two main singers are not afraid to have their pure, clear voices heard- and for good reason- they have no need for autotune or any of that technology junk!

This picture is totally reminiscent of their style- they're a little strange, a lot gorgeous, and so REAL.

They recorded themselves using only a webcam and two cups and it seriously shows their funky vibe and AMAZING voices. They took that cup rhythm pattern that we have all learned at some point in our elementary school careers, an old folk/campfire chorus, and added their lyrics- Voila!

It's SO Dreamy!

2011-01-30T18:57:00.001-08:00

Okay, that's literally something I say on a daily basis.

Like, when I see pictures of Flynn Rider's smolder face, when I hear "Rhythm of Love", when I see every single dress at Modcloth... yup. I do the whole "hands clasped together, head tilted dramatically to the side, foot popped Princess Diaries style" deal. It's awesome.
Seeing these pictures was like me on a broken record. "It's so dreamy, it's so dreamy, it's SOO dreamy!"
And you'll see why.
Okay, picture this little run-down shack in the middle of nowhere. It's like, the size of one tall room. Put into the mix one Sandra Foster, crazy carpenter amazing woman, and this is what you get:

Okay, it's TEENY, right? So quaint. So cute. SO DREAMY.

It is a mini-Victorian house. Complete with front porch, gorgeously styled columns and all.
But wait- there's more.

Cue the jaw drop. This looks like it belongs on the pages of Anthropologie's catalogue or something, not an actual HOUSE. I couldn't even imagine the minuscule house being this big!

Seriously, the white/cream/rose scheme is to DIE for. Not literally, but you know what I mean. The sandpapered cabinets, the flowy curtains, the plants and plates....

And this.
A loft with an amazingly fluffy bed, vintage chandelier, flowers, and books.

Um... can I live here, too?

{via}

Where I Realized I Will Never Get Bangs.

2011-01-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

I always sort of imagined myself one day looking like Zooey Deschanel- I mean, she's so timeless, so lovely, so VINTAGE. Yes, I do realize that I don't have blue eyes, and that I'm half-Chinese, and that I don't have that beautiful voice, but a girl can pretend!

I came to realize the sad, sad truth a few days ago in Drama when I was assigned the job of taking pictures of myself in wigs for inventory. Hello, that is like, the best job known to man.
Well, to woman.

Here's a quick intro on "how to put a wig on" if you didn't know already.

Braid your hair.

Put the wig cap on, and take a picture looking like a crazed lunch lady.

Attempt to put the first wig on, and realize that there's too much hair gathered in one area.

So french braid into two sections, and pin those up. And wig cap it.

It's wig time!
DISCLAIMER: I had a cough, sore throat, and runny AND stuffy nose at the same time while taking these pictures. How does that even happen? Shouldn't the nose either completely stuff up and stay stuck, or be runny and free? (Ignore that imagery.) Anyways, I look kind of strange. Forgive me, I'm sick.

The thing that I like about these wigs is that they're so pretty. I mean, it's like you don't even have to do anything with your hair!

Kind of tangly, but long and the closest thing to Rapunzel I'll ever get!

And now, the voice of reason. It is this picture that makes me realize that I will never, EVER, look like Zooey. I cannot pull off bangs. Maybe from the profile/side view... but I feel like I look absolutely ridiculous from the front.
Woe is me, never to have the hair of my dreams!

And They Say, "She's So Lucky."

2011-01-26T17:27:00.000-08:00

Name that Britney Spears tune?

So apparently I'm a very lucky girl, because this (what I'm about to talk about in a second...) has definitely occurred more than once in my life.
What can I say? I guess the stars are just aligned perfectly for me.

The stars... or the birds.
Yeah. I got pooped on today, on my head. It was a very lovely experience- I was just relaxing with my friends at lunch, enjoying my food, and I felt a little splat on my head.
Freezing, I asked my friends, "Was that what I thought it was?" and sadly, they nodded their heads.

The top view (or bird's eye view, haha, get it?) of the feces.
I guess the bird really was letting it go while he was flying, because it dropped in a perfect line on my hair. And yes, I posed for this picture before I ran to the bathroom to wash it out- is that a little crazy-blogger of me?

And if you wanted to see a picture of my lovely face after this happened, here you go.
Aren't I just attractive?

Note: The poop that also landed on my shoulder. A speck, yes, but scat all the same.

Monday Melodies: Lover's Carvings

2011-01-24T22:23:00.000-08:00

We can all admit that commercials are a pain in the behind- especially when they show up RIGHT at the crucial moment in the show you're watching.

(Which, at the moment for us, was "Winter Wipeout" but hey, no judging.)
The awesome thing about commercials, though, is that they're trying to attract you- so obviously they have the funniest lines, the most attractive people, the things that stick... for me, that means the best music.
This song (or rather the latter half of it) was featured on the new Kindle commercial and I literally ran from the couch to the computer and typed in "new kindle commercial song". After a bit of searching and listening, I came across this gem.

This monday's melody is called "Lover's Carvings" by Biblio, and is seriously the most calming and uplifting song I have ever heard. Which sounds strange, because those are two totally paradoxical terms, but the first half and latter half are so different that it's like two awesome songs in one.

(I LOVE the CD cover design.)

Skip to 1:25 if you're impatient for the fun part!

The Greatest Plan Known to Man.

2011-01-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

And yes. It's so epic that it even rhymes.
(Insert Keanu Reeves "whoa" here.)

Four words.

Studying with ice cream.

Something About Purple...

2011-01-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's that it's purple. Maybe it's that it's a pastel.
Or maybe it's just that it's on my nails.
Whatever the reason may be, I love this nail polish.

(Please excuse the bump on my ring finger. It's one of those calluses that form from a mixture of gripping the pencil too tight and using the ring finger instead of the middle finger to support the pencil. Shh! I guess I never learned properly in Kindergarten.)

This amazing color is made by "Avon" (or should I write AVON) and unfortunately does not even belong to me. I spotted it on the fingernails of my lovely friend, Anne, and literally begged her for a few days to bring it for me to try.... not that I was desperate or anything....

Four Reasons Why Purple Rocks.

1. It's way funner designing dresses when the hand drawing the designs is pretty in purple.
And yes, in case you were wondering, it's a wedding dress... that's not strange, right?

2. Do you have trouble paying attention to the keys while you play? Not anymore!
(And props to you if you can guess what 7th chord I'm playing!)

3. Edamame in itself is awesome. But eating it with purple nails? It's like double-awesomeness. Like a root beer float.

4. Maybe it's just me, but I feel much more sophisticated playing around with my vintage costume jewelry when my nails match my character.

How do painted nails make YOU feel?

Wigalicious!

2011-01-19T16:38:00.000-08:00

So I've mentioned before that I'm involved with the Drama department at my school. And occasionally I get to be onstage... unfortunately my incredibly busy schedule doesn't lend itself kindly to late night rehearsals every day and thus, I don't really get to act in the mainstage productions.

However, I do make it a point to participate in these shows- I want to be a part of the production and have made the play (whatever it may be) possible!
So, for this season's "Pride and Prejudice", I'm designing/playing with the wigs.

Which first involved cleaning them, using Woolite as a shampoo substitute.... and then letting them dry in the warm sun!

Which obviously led to me arranging the wigs rainbow-style by hair color.

And creeping out half the school with the wig-heads' creepy styrofoam faces.

I think I may have formed an unhealthy obsession with these guys....

Pictures taken by the lovely Stella.

Sometimes it's Good to be Melancholy.

2011-01-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

Maybe this is kind of a weird thing to do, but I make playlists by moods.

Like, I have a CD called "Pump it up!" (Word for word. Even the exclamation point.) that I listen to in my room and dance around for hours on end.
I also listen to it while I practice driving stick shift (Ask my dad, he's heard it enough times!)

BUT, I figured that most the songs I have here on Monday Melodies are happy pumping-up songs because those are the funnest for me. However, even though this will sound really lame, I also have a sad playlist for when I want to mope.
Because really, when you want to mope, you want to be good and sad and MOPEY.

So, if you're in a good and mopey mood, here are two songs that I guarantee will make you cry (and are actually quite- I mean really- similar in style, now that I think about it). At least, when I listen to them, that's what happens.

This song is called "Porcelain Doll" by Megan McCauley, and even though the singer's appearance really doesn't fit the attitude of the song (at least in my mind), she's got a unique voice and lovely red hair.

As of now, this is my most favorite melancholy song.
It's called "Almost Lover" by A Fine Frenzy and is just the most heart-wrenching thing ever. I even got the sheet music for it so I can tap it out on the piano and sing along.

Do you make organized-themed playlists, too?

Some (Late) Holiday Cheer

2011-01-02T16:56:00.000-08:00

The hardware store up by my Grandpa's house got it right:

Who doesn't want a little penny-saving around the holidays?
(And it doesn't hurt that I love a good rhyme & pun!)

Here's to You, 2010.

2011-01-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

I'm not really one to write hugely mushy-gushy posts about how much I loved 2010, and how much I'm excited for 2011, but here it is, in my own little way:

2010 was a tough year.
It was the year of SAT's, the second semester of Junior year and the first of Senior year, it was college applications, college applications, and more college applications.

BUT-

It was also my first prom; granted, it was dateless, but an "important high school experience" never the less.

It was the year I got my driver's license.

It was the year I had my ever-so-fun photoshoot with Karina.

And, yes, visited many colleges.

Gosh, it was stressful, and I'm kind of glad it's over, but it had some amazing times.
Also- I'm kind of nervous for 2011. I mean, sure I did all that stuff in 2010 but they were all preparing me for the big C-O-L-L-E-G-E.

So, I guess I can say that 2011 is the next big stepping stone of my life.
Well, here's to hoping it's a good one!

How to: Braid It Like a Headband

2010-12-28T21:09:00.000-08:00

I'm never really a hair-down kind of girl.
Even if I think it's pretty sometimes, it always is a nuisance and usually leads to me looking in the mirror way more than is necessary to make sure my hair has "the right amount of messiness" or has "enough volume on the top" to make it look nice.

The braid headband started out as a project modeled after Angela Martin (from The Office) and her stuffy hairdos. I was able to do it on other people, but as it involved a half-french braid trailing around the head starting from the nape of the neck, I wasn't able to replicate it on myself. Darn the fact that I don't have elastic arms!

So, this headband is WAY simple and is kind of a modification of the ever popular Heidi hairstyle that's been going around!

DISCLAIMER: The following pictures are gonna be awkward, camera-in-the-photo, looking at yourself in the mirror kinds of pictures. Be warned.

Step 1
Girl, let your hair hang loose!

Step 2
Gather a small section of hair from the nape of your neck; the amount that you grab will determine how big your braid will be!

Step 3
Braid it!

Step 4

Take the braided section up over your head and secure it with several bobby pins. It's better to keep the pins hidden, but don't fret if they're not; your loose hair will cover them!

Step 5
Repeat steps 2-4 with the other side of your head.

And voila!
Excuse the startled expression, it's my "WOW, who knew something could be so simple?!" face.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2010-12-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

But if you decide to stay, I guess I'll just whip out my handy-dandy umbrella hat.

It's not mine, actually, but I find it amazing all the same!

I mean, seriously. What else provides the same utility as an umbrella that you don't have to hold?
It's like BLUETOOTH, for UMBRELLAS.

And best of all, it didn't even mess up Ab's hair when he took it off!

Really guys, this thing is priceless.
(And I'm sure the looks you get when you wear it are, too.)

What do you do for the rain?
Do you run for cover in a cute pair of rainboots? Splash about in puddles?
OR- do you actually own one of these umbrella-hats?

It's MADNESS!

2010-12-20T21:38:00.001-08:00

Why, hello!

You may not remember me. Probably because I haven't posted in the last... uh, I dunno... TWO PLUS WEEKS.
Don't worry, I am slapping myself for you right now 'cause you can't really do it through the screen.
I've been up to what every Senior in High School is up to- college apps. more college apps. lots of schoolwork and finals. homework. college apps. college apps.
I think you get it.

BUT, what better way to come back than with a super fun Monday Melody??
Okay, I know you don't judge and that's why I'm going to tell you about this song. It's a relatively old song (it was written before I was born) but I'm absolutely in love with it.
The embarrassing part- it's kind of on repeat in my room when I wake up and before I go to sleep and I literally will listen to it over and over with my door closed and jump around.
And possibly make "cool" faces in the mirror while I'm doing so.
You know you love me for it.

This week's melody is "Our House" by Madness.
Apparently it's in a Verizon commercial right now? So if you've been inspired and ran to your computer right after hearing the ad, I don't blame you one bit.
Okay, my dad calls this a silly song, and it kind of is, but what better to dance to, right?
And all those key changes? Perfect for introducing new levels of dance.
And by levels I mean, dancing on your bed, then on the floor, then on the chairs....

PS: Keep your fingers crossed for me! Man, applications are hard to get through and waiting for decisions is TORTURE!

Olive Juice!

2010-12-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

Did you ever have that strange trend/joke running around your middle school where someone would mouth the words "olive juice" at another person and laugh hysterically while the recipient of the message thought they were being told "I love you"?
A totally random thought tangent, but that's what comes to mind if you ask me to use a phrase with "olive" in it.
That, and "I love olives"- because who doesn't?

I was at my friend Emily's house today, working on a Lit project (about Wuthering Heights) with a group of 3 girls, and of course we stopped for lunch in the middle of our rigorous studying. And what better to eat than pizza?
Emily and I share a mutual love for olives, and decided that a spinach and cheese pizza, however tasty it might be, just wouldn't cut it for us. We needed OLIVES.
We sprinkled the little slices of goodness over the dough (stopping when the other girls protested our antics) and decided that we would go back to our elementary school roots, drawing an imaginary line for "their side" and "our side".

Our finished product:

Mmm, I'm salivating just looking at it!

According to our group mates, Emily and I went overboard, but in reality?
PSH, you can never have too many olives!

Oh, Family!

2010-11-27T15:53:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love Thanksgiving.

It's the time of the year when my cousins (who we don't see too often) come up and we all gather at my Grandpa's house for food and fun! We are kind of a stereotypical group:

We have the girls, posing for pictures, and the guys... one of whom is smiling (Go, Mathew!), one of whom is blurred because he moved his head at the last minute (Nick), and one of whom is blatantly not smiling for the camera (Patrick). Oh, boys.

The other fun part about Thanksgiving is the gingerbread houses, remember?

For the girls, it was a huge ordeal- perfect lines of icing, the right colors of candy for each window, door, and shingle!

For the little ones, it was more about ingesting candy. And LOTS of it.
(I can say without hesitation that Lilly ate more than one tube of icing- and the green around her face and hands proves it!)

The finished products:

Mostly all cheerful, except for Patrick who had some sort of massacre on his house (the second closest to the camera), I believe he named it "The Silence of the Gingerbread Men".
Creative one, he is!

And the obligatory posing smiling with the completed houses:

What traditions do you have for the holiday season?

Be Friendly & Control Your Hyperness.

2010-11-21T13:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is ridiculous and ADORABLE.

Little 9-year-old Alec Greven is a published author of the book, How to Talk to Girls- and this kid is completely serious! He is too cute, and this video about how to get a girlfriend in elementary school ("...and then once you're in high school you can take them out on dates, and who knows? Maybe you'll get married!") is so precious.

My favorite quotes:

"And, she might figure out that you love her- your secret is to make sure that nobody finds out that you love her."

"You have to be able to get over [your crush] 'cause if you can't, it'll be sure to ruin your life and it will haunt you forever..."

"I always say: Life is hard, move on."

"Be friendly, be clean, control your hyperness."

{via}

Is he cute, or what?

Katniss is My Homegirl...

2010-11-18T17:42:00.000-08:00

... and Economics is (right now) my new favorite subject.

Why, you ask?

Well, in the middle of a long discussion about the Federal Reserve Bank, and how it regulates inflation and is the "bank for banks" etc, etc, we learned about the twelve District Branches (who make up a committee that makes decisions) and where they were located.

At first, I looked at the map and was like, "Really? We have the least say in the meetings? We have a huge district!"
And then....

OH EM GEE.
WE ARE IN DISTRICT TWELVE.

Yeah, that's right. I'm Katniss status right here in California.
And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, get yourself over here right now. And READ.

{via}

I knew there was a reason I lived on the West Coast.

Sometimes I Play with My Food.

2010-11-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

I'm not very good at finishing things.

I have a half-finished yarn quilt thing that I started when I was in second grade.... and never completed. I have various notebooks that are scribbled in for the first three pages and then tucked into a convenient corner in my room.

But if there's one thing that I can say about myself, it's that I'm creative.

I guess my stomach is kind of small, but it seems like I can NEVER finish my ice-cream cups. Crazy, right? Especially since I can eat half a carton in no time at all... but that's a different story.
I believe it's a mental problem.
I make up for this deficiency in common sense (Because who refuses to finish ice cream? It's barbaric!) by sculpting my leftovers, usually into the roundest shapes I can possibly make.

Voila,
what was left of a Sweet Cream and cookie dough-infused Coldstone Love it.

I call it The Orb of Indefinite Indulgence.
It's a masterpiece.

Pack Up!

2010-11-15T19:11:00.000-08:00

I think I have got to be one of the most sporadic writers in the history of blogging... and it's kind of giving me whiplash. (Yes, whenever I hear "whiplash" I think Twilight "Your mood swings are kind of giving me whiplash"... don't judge.)

ANYWAYS, I'm trying to return to whatever schedule I might have had (Monday Melodies, ahem.) with an awesomely cool song that my friend Emily showed me.

It's a real pick-me-up song by Eliza Doolittle called "Pack Up", and it's been in my CD player on repeat for the last two weeks. It's that good.

Amazing, right? I got to love that man's rich voice and her quirky style! Her voice is totally not what I'd expect first looking at her, but boy do I enjoy it!

{via}

PS: Can I just say, first college application submitted? WHOOT!

Don't Mean to be Gleeful, but....

2010-11-12T22:44:00.000-08:00

... this has got to be the cutest thing I have ever seen.
Yes, I know my last post (which was a while ago... I've been a bad blogger and a busy student) was about Glee too- but there are just so many adorable things going on in these pictures!

Look at those little guys compared to these big ones!
Isn't it adorable how little Finn is the smallest of the littlun's when big Finn is the biggest of the bigun's?

SO. FULL. OF. ADORABLE.
Kurt and Kurt with matching hats? Mike and Mike with matching Flannel? Finn and Finn with matching vests? Rachel and Rachel with matching animal sweaters??
I think I'm going crazy.

And behind the scenes, too?

Favorite Mini-Gleek quotes:
Mini-Finn: "My name is Finn and I like Rachel Berry!"
Mini-Puck: (kiss, kiss) "These ones are fully loaded!"
Mini-Mercedes: "Mr. Schuester, I think you feelin' a little green!"

Remember When....

2010-11-09T18:08:00.000-08:00

... I posted about this guy? Darren Criss? And said that great things were heading his way?
Well, those great things are here.

Hello, Dalton Academy!

Inspiration: Leah & Jon

2010-11-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

It's probably strange for me, a 17 year old girl, to admit this, but I secretly love weddings.

I mean, everyone loves going to weddings, but I take the next step and bookmark wedding sites and peruse them to my heart's desire- for inspiration, for the happy stories, for the beauty!

I came across this gorgeous wedding here and I realized- I really admire all the creativity that's put into people's "big day". So much of a wedding reflects the couple's personal style, and this whimsical wedding is no exception!

Does anyone else get a Sound of Music Maria-running-across-the-mountains feel with this picture? LOVE the saturation.

Okay, the floral dresses are just too cute. I love how it looks so effortless- the mismatched shoes, the all-floral-but-all-different dresses; the wedding party really had a chance to show their inner selves too!

That wedding arch? BEAUTIFUL.
Can I just say that I'm in love with their color scheme? It's just so cheerful! Nothing's perfect because it's so different, but at the same time everything's perfect in the brightness and colors!

Running through the vineyards waving streamers? Yay! We're back at musical status!

Even the decor has the same whimsical feel- the vintage jars on the beams, the bright paper flowers, the streamers...

Handwriting love! Now why can't I paint like that at home?
And how cute is the beanbag toss through the sign? Perfect for kids and adults alike!

His socks = AMAZING.

Look at that.
So different, so similar, so mismatched, so perfect!

I don't even know that many flowers. I feel bad using the word "love" over and over again when describing this wedding, but that's the only word that comes to mind!
I LOVE IT.

So beautiful.

{click here for more pictures and details}

The Rocky Horror Glee Show.

2010-10-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

So I should probably say first that I've never seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show... and that maybe makes me sound like a weirdo for wanting Glee to do it so badly, but really, this post is about TRADITION.
You see, last summer (The summer before this summer, just in case that wasn't completely clear. I know that I get confused when people say "last __" because you never know exactly, and... and this was a rant.) I went on a tour with my orchestra to New York. On that tour, we went on a dinner cruise that had dancing, which was good and fun and all, but I realized that our generation has no dances.
You see, they were playing older songs like Thriller and Time Warp and all the "older people" were getting up and doing the move-by-move that they had learned when they were kids! And it made me think- we have nothing like that. We have no specific dance that everyone knows that is special for our generation-
what are our kids going to laugh at us about??

So the reason I love that Glee is doing a remake of the Rocky Horror Picture Show is because it's an important piece of culture that we are MISSING OUT on. We have no "Time Warp", and it's really pathetic when I dance to it by myself and no one gets the reference!

... and here's Glee's version of Time Warp- it's catchy, fun, and just a great song to dance to. (If you're creeped out by the beginning, skip to 0:23)
Want to see the original? Find it HERE.

I mean, don't you want something that brings your whole generation together?
Sorry, but I'm not really proud of being tied together by "Soulja Boy".

PS: if you're still having doubts about this Halloween episode, can I just say that Finn's playing Brad Majors?

I thought that would convince you!

Oh, the Joys of Birthdays.

2010-10-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

Birthdays are like holidays.

They only come once a year (or twice if you're Chuck Norris, as a friend tells me) and are filled with fun and games.
Minus the games, because it was on Wednesday, a school day. And minus half the fun, because I had to stay up until 12:00 finishing my homework.

But it was still epic.

I was sash-ed "the Birthday Girl" for the day by Mahsa (the beauty in the purple shirt with yellow writing) and felt very regal as people turned their heads to stare at my queenly presence.
I enjoyed wonderful cupcakes and a cake baked for me by some great friends, and in all just felt loved.
(Not to mention, this was my first "Facebook birthday". Who knew I knew that many people?)

However, Lawrence Tech University has to take the prize for most awesome present.
First of all, it's a college- and it knew my birthday!
No, I wasn't considering applying, and yes, they got my e-mail and birth date off of the PSAT... but it was still cool.

I "clicked here" for my special birthday message, and out popped a little hamster on a new tab.

That's cute, I though to myself.
I don't really get why it's a hamster, but it's adorable! And pink!

And then, out of the corner of my eye, I spied a random creepy face poking out at me. And it loomed into the shot.
WHAT IS IT? I thought, frantically.

Um.. this is just scary.
Where did the hamster go?
Did the scary man kill him? Why is he creeping on me??
WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?

And thus, Lawrence Tech University gave me a birthday that I will never forget. Go Blue Devils!

Meet My New Love, Sam.

2010-10-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been a slacker blogger for a bit... all I can say is that life is majorly in the way.

And by life, I mean school. I'm currently reading both Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights for my AP Literature class, finished a 7 page essay on My Antonia, and had a Calculus and French test on the same day- not to mention the looming college apps.
Oh, and trying to have a social life? Yeah. Kind of hard.

It's just- busy.

This Monday Melody is brought to you by the (kind of) famous Sam Tsui, a Youtube phenomenon who is an AMAZING singer and has some great covers out there- Love the Way You Lie Mashup (my personal favorite), For Good (from Wicked- makes me cry every time.)
Oh, and did I mention he's going to be in a movie?

This song is one that he wrote himself, and has an extremely cliche- but so adorable- video.
I'm in love!

"Don't Want an Ending"

You're swooning too? Yeah, I thought so.

Bad Boys Donate Blood.

2010-10-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

So apparently October is the time for donating blood, because the posters are back up at our school. Yes. At first I was a little apprehensive- I mean, last year's posters were pretty gory- but now I'm just a little confused.

And I'm assuming the theme for the drive is "bad boys"... at least that's what I'm going to infer from these posters:

Is this really true? Are we going to insinuate that bad boys are the ones to donate blood?

I was especially confused at this one.
Are they waiting at the drive to prey on young, unsuspecting "good" girls? Are they actually donating blood? Are they going to steal the blood or something?
And most importantly- if I can truly find myself a greaser at this drive, please direct me there right away... kaythanks.

I'm also going to assume that this is for the ladies. Because no self-respecting man is going to go to a blood drive to meet his fictional enemy in the flesh.
Haha, I think my favorite part is that the poster doesn't say "Edward Cullen wants you to donate", no, it's way more direct. Edward wants YOU.
(And your blood, I'm assuming.)

Last but certainly not least-
What IN THE WORLD is this supposed to be?
Um, was I not well informed by this drive, which is in actuality a KISSING BOOTH?
Okay then.

What would YOU do to get people to donate blood?
Me? Just tell me there are cookies and I'll be there. Seriously.

Hi! I'm ________.

2010-10-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

It's come to my knowledge that I'm not super familiar with everyone reading my blog.

And that sort of bugs me.
NOT because I think you're a 50 year old man creepin' on me, but because I love to make friends and it stinks knowing that you may know me, but I don't know you!

Here's my little metaphor that will probably bomb and burn into flames (In the bad sense of the word. Not Katniss fire.)

Right now, I'm like Ross. Partially because he's awesome and dorky, partially because he can (apparently) lift one eyebrow and I'm jealous.
YOU, my lovely reader, are like Phoebe. See, we're essentially friends. We read the same blogs, drink the same milkshakes, etc.
But we're not sitting next to each other Monica-Ross-Rachel friends... yet.
(Yes, I understand that Monica and Ross are sister and brother. They're still close- who else would live within a 100 foot radius of their sibling for 10 years? Oh, I also understand that Rachel and Ross are an item. That's not really what I'm looking for either... just to clarify.)

Please excuse that verbal diarrhea.

What I'm trying to say is....

Hi.
(sticking out hand)
My name is Allison.
I like dancing when it's not called for, grammar (because it's always called for), music- all of it, and family and friends and school and everything mostly.

What's your name?

PS- Please please try and help me not look like a lame-o. Say hello! I truly want to get to know your beautiful self!

Einstein Had a Heart, Too.

2010-10-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

To give some background behind today's post, I'll just say that I took the SAT's (for the very last time) this Saturday. And that when you're stuck in a room from 7:50 am to 1:00 pm, you start to analyze every little thing about the room- from the handwriting on the board to the posters up in the class.

This quote was on a poster next to the teacher's desk, and it just stuck with me. Perhaps because it's poetic, perhaps because it's about love, perhaps because the genius Albert Einstein came up with it and it totally shows that he wasn't just a brainiac.

It's just so witty and sweet!
I love how the big science-y word of "gravitation" juxtaposes the "falling in love", and how no one would really ever expect Einstein to be quoted about love.
I also love that he doesn't try and explain or calculate love, like he knows that there's no scientific equation that will prove correctly each time someone will love another!

I guess I just like that he realizes the spontaneity of love.
Who would've thought?

One of These Days...

2010-10-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

... I'm gonna get one of those writer planes (or become friends with someone who's a pilot, because apparently renting a plane like that is really expensive) and write "gullible" in the sky.

And it will be the time for those people who always look up when their friends say "Hey look! Gullible's written on the ceiling!" to redeem themselves.
Not that I'm one of those gullible people... well, not usually... but I think it shall be very amusing.

Everyone will be tapping their friend to tell them about the phenomenon in the sky, but their friend won't believe them! Why not? Well, remember the boy who cried wolf? By the time the person's friend actually looks up to see "gullible" in the sky, it will be too late- the word would have dissipated already! And maybe it shall be the cause of many arguments between people....

... and I shall have been the cause!

*cue evil laughter*

Built for Two.

2010-10-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

When I was young, my family went to see a dinner show, none of which I really remember except for one song:

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do,
I'm half crazy all for the love of you,
it won't be a stylish marriage,
I can't afford a carriage,
but you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two!

Apparently it's actually a really classic song called "Daisy Bell", but I'd always hum it and sing along (and still do sometimes- actually, that's what inspired this post!)
Anyway, it's the line "a bicycle built for two" that had me in stitches- my little 5 year old mind thought the concept of a bike for two was hilarious, and I didn't really get what it meant. Now, of course, I understand it to be a tandem bike:

{via}

Although, of course, that's not really as fun as saying "bicycle built for two", right?

I took it upon myself to find some other "built for two" things they have on the market these days- I mean, if it's for two people, it's gotta be pretty cute, right?

{via}
Smittens. I think the name is incredibly clever, and essentially says it all. Just think- you're walking with your boyfriend/husband/(or in my case) best friend, and it's super cold outside. But you want to hold hands!
Why would you want to be lame, and hold hands in separate mittens? Now you can hold real hands, and still be warm!
Plus I bet it looks pretty spiffy.

{via}

And this is priceless. The "umbrella built for two". Maybe it's just the models, but this looks adorable beyond belief. Plus, you don't have to worry about getting wet with too small of an umbrella, or getting separated in the crowds- you're always connected!

So is it just me? Is this cute, or is it cute?

License to... Do Something.

2010-10-04T17:51:00.001-07:00

So remember that time that happened a few months ago that we shall call "The Great Disappointment"? That time when the DMV made it impossible for me to get my driver's license and to be socially acceptable for my age?
Well- fear not, good people, I have defeated the monster that is the DMV.
It took 2 incredibly long hours, only 7 minutes of which were actually spent driving, and a lot a lot of standing around.

But I did it.

The victorious knightess, after being crowned "She-who-got-her-license-a-year-late-but-at-least-she-got-it".

It actually wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. Perhaps I just got lucky, but after the first awkward minutes of the proctor lady checking all the "pre-drive checklist" while I was in the car (and she was walking around it), it was essentially a breeze!
She happened to see my copy of My Antonia, a book that we're reading in AP Lit, and it sparked a conversation about school and colleges and siblings that lasted the entire drive. It was awesome. The only thing that really confuzzled me was this:

Why did she not fill out that top part? I mean, she handed it to me with a "Congratulations, you passed!" but now I want to know what I did wrong! I can make no sense out of these scribbles... can you?

So maybe it's not as cool as having a license to kill....

...but I still think that you shouldn't want to be on my bad side.

PS- Best birthday wishes to the most wonderful mommy in the world, who turned an extremely young age this weekend on the First of October!

In One of Those Moods...

2010-09-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

Or maybe not mood, per-say, but that borderline hysteria that accompanies the lack of sleep and an overdose of stress?
I'm pretty sure you know what I'm talking about- that weird giddy feeling you get when something seems extremely funny to you in your twisted head because you are just so tired that you need to get out those stress jitters? I'm definitely in one of those "moods" right now.
I just called my brother into my room, and the following conversation ensued:

Me: Hey Mathew, knock knock!
Mathew: (rolling eyes because he knows I'm going to say something probably not that funny) Who's there?
Me: I eat mop.
Mathew: I eat mop who?
Me: (laughing hysterically) BAHAHAHAHA!! YOU EAT YOUR POO??

And I am still laughing hysterically as I type this.
For those of you who don't understand, I'm not completely deranged, mop + who without great enunciation (because most people don't have it) = ma poo.
GET IT?

Oh dear. Well, if you want to get my mind of my lack of rest and humor me even more, give me your best knock knock. Or pun. I love those, too.

Goodbye Darren, Hello Mister Bigshot!

2010-09-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I had been planning to post this song and artist in a couple of weeks seeing as I had some other fun ones on my mind, but a change of plans has been made... due to some reasons I'll explain in a jiffy.

This, as you may be able to tell, is Darren Criss.
The singer about-to-be-phenomenon who starred in A Very Potter Musical (and its sequel!) Remember that?
Well, Mr. Criss is an extremely talented guy, like, no joke. He has a beautiful voice, a crazy-good composing ability (he wrote every. single. song. in AVPM) and a wonderfully lovely mop of curly hair.
The reason that I moved this post up to today is because he's about to....
(drum roll please)
... STAR ON GLEE!
You heard me right, folks, this guy is going to be up there with all our favorite stars- who knows where he's going next?

This Monday Melody is a tribute to his awesomeness as a small town performer before he became too famous, in a song he wrote when he was just 15 titled "Human".

Sigh. Congrats, Darren.
I'll be missing those days when Karina and I could squeal over you without everyone in the entire world knowing who you were. But things are looking better for you, so I wish you the best of luck.
You deserve it.

The One in Which Darian is Sneaky.

2010-09-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

We all need a little bit more Darian in our lives...

like that time when he thought caterpillar ended in an "eir" or that time when he wore a dirty helmet that we found on the ground... sigh.
Good times.

Well, I have another Darian story for us.

This is Darian.
Darian appears to be wearing completely normal clothes while biking to school: a t-shirt, jeans, possibly a long sleeved shirt underneath the t-shirt so that it doesn't get too cold biking at 7:00 in the morning.

This is Darian.
He, apparently, doesn't know what a long sleeved t-shirt is.
Because although he has the appearance of wearing something completely normal, his undershirt is in fact, just sleeves.

Sneaky, Darian, sneaky!

PS: I find these sleeves absolutely hilarious and laugh every time I see his arm showing. Maybe if they were gloves I'd understand... but they're just tubes of cloth! Practical, maybe, but very funny.

PPS: I stole a little FRIENDS copyrighted goodness on the title there. Good stuff, FRIENDS is.

Ginormously Immense Fabulousness.

2010-09-23T22:36:00.001-07:00

That, in my mind, is what "gif" stands for.

I don't care what the real computer term is, (actually, I was kind of wondering. It's "graphics interchange format", if anyone wanted to know) all I know is that gifs are
GINORMOUSLY IMMENSE FABULOUSNESS.

Vintage raspberry eating- did anyone else stick them on their fingers to suck them off? Because I definitely did...

Awesome dancing in technicolor, sort of a classy pop-lock-n-drop-it.

Heehee, the waggling villain eyebrows.

And, our favorite, Archie. And his awkward hand-raise.
Which I definitely do all the time, especially when you're TRYING to talk, but the teacher keeps going on so it's like up, whoops! not really...

{via}

Seniors Are What? Dynamite!

2010-09-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

"Seniors are what? Dynamite!

Seniors are what? Dynamite!
Seniors are tick, tick, tick, tick- BOOM! DYNAMITE!"

Powderpuff this year was essentially the most awesome Powderpuff of all.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm finally a senior, or maybe it's just 'cause my class rocked....
But it was awesome.
Powderpuff, for those of you who aren't familiar with the term, is a class vs. class football game that high schools do for fun, with the girls playing and the guys cheering.
As you can imagine, it's extremely fun to watch-
especially the cheering part.

To start out with, the stands were PACKED. Everyone and their mother (well, not really their mother, because it was during lunch) was in the stands, cheering their hearts out for their favorite team.
We were all decked out in Purple and Gold (the school's colors, and the senior's colors- the freshmen were pink) and there was this great buzz of energy- Seniors vs. Freshmen!

Poor freshmen, I mean, it's hard enough to be the first year, but to have to go against the seniors? When you don't even know what's coming? Sad.

Our guys pulled the big moves- kick lines....

... throws in the air, amazing dancing.... the freshmen didn't stand a chance.

We won the game a whopping 21 - 0.

I was pretty ecstatic, as you might be able to tell by my crazed grin.
And why is my second thumb up, too? I don't even understand myself sometimes...

SIDE NOTE:
Apparently I don't even look like a senior. I was at the bike racks, minding my own business, when I heard a sophomore talking about how "the seniors whupped the freshmen" at the Powderpuff game. I was feeling generous, so I interrupted, and the following conversation ensued.
----
Allison: Don't be mean, it's their first year!
Sophomore Boy: Whatever, even WE were better than that. The seniors are just awesome.
Allison: Darn right we are!
Sophomore: Wait, you think you're a senior?
Allison: Um... I am one.
Sophomore: There's no way you're a senior.
Allison: What are you talking about? That guy (pointing at another senior) can vouch for me!
Sophomore: Okay, look. I don't even know you and I know you're not one.
Allison: (jaw drops, wheels bike away)
----

Well, you look like an EIGHTH grader, mister "Sophomore"! Take that!

Cheesy Like Velveeta.

2010-09-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

I'd like to start this Monday Melodies off by saying that I had originally picked this song to poke fun at the late 90's in the UK... but now it's stuck in my head.

And so is the dance.
And the obnoxious smiles and running and twirling in the grass.
So if you're looking for me anytime soon, don't go any further than the nearest meadow- that's where you'll find me in my denim ensemble and dyed hair.

This Monday's song is from the UK band B*Witched and is called "C'est La Vie".
Yes, it's incredibly corny.
Yes, you want to laugh until you cry.
Yes, it will get stuck in your head and people will laugh at you for singing it in public.

What did I say?
In the words of my orchestra wind coach, this song is so cheesy "it has Velveeta spread all over it".
It's priceless.

So priceless, in fact, that me and B*Witched are basically BFFLs right now.

He's a Lion. Who can Talk.

2010-09-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

You know your school is nerdy and cool at the same time when you see a sign-up sheet for "Dumbledore's Army" posted on the wall where everyone can see it.
And then everyone signs it with the names of characters, with their own names, and with made up names.

Well, of course we couldn't be like everyone else. Psh. Conformity is overrated.
Biting, however, is not, because that's what I did.
Although, technically, when you're a biter as awesome as I am... it cancels the bad out.

Rumbleroar = Awesome.
Just who is Rumbleroar, are you asking yourself? Well, he's a lion. WHO CAN TALK.
He's also the headmaster of Pigfarts, the greatest Wizarding school in the galaxy- it's on Mars.

If you're still scratching your head, watch this.
Right now, preferably, and then let's fangirl over it together, kay? DEAL.

Oh, and then people started being more-biter and less-awesome than us, and there were signs everywhere. For Death Eaters, the Order of the Pheonix, and our great sign was lost in the scuffle....

But it will remain in our hearts forever.

THE END.

I Heart It.

2010-09-15T18:18:00.001-07:00

I love how easily you can find beautiful things with the help of the Internet.

You can peruse to your heart's content and always end up satisfied with something that you find, whether it be a great blog, a wonderful quote, or amazing pictures.
I'm thinking about starting an "I Heart It" feature on my blog- mainly because there are SO many things that I love that I find via We♥It.
Here are some gorgeous prints that just captivate me:

How people are so creative, I have no idea.

Babies + Lemons

2010-09-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. More babies.

I just can't get over how darn tootin' cute these kids are!

And might I say- I think I look JUST as cute eating lemons as they do... well, almost as cute.

How to: Go Gaga

2010-09-11T12:04:00.001-07:00

I've never been a huge fan of Lady Gaga- I mean, yes, she's insanely talented and obviously is a world phenomenon right now, but I think she could put her gorgeous voice to more appropriate use.

But that's just me.
I DO, however, think her style is outrageous. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way...

Frankly, she frightens me.
But that, of course, doesn't stop me from trying out her hairstyles!

HOW TO: GO GAGA- The Bow-style.

1. Take your hair out from its ponytail/braid/bun/etc.

2. Comb or brush it until your hair is nice and fluffy...

3. Like this!

4. Stick all that hair into a ponytail on the top of your head.
Hint: It's easiest to do this if you tilt your head towards the ground and arrange it into a ponytail in that position. Especially when you have long hair and it's too heavy to put up there without some of gravity's help.

5. Tie a floppy bun from that ponytail, making sure to leave some extra hair, the "tail" sticking out in the direction of your face (not facing the back).
Hint: In my vocabulary, there are two types of buns. Twisty buns, in which you twist your hair until it naturally turns into a bun-like shape, and the floppy bun, in which you just take a ponytail and "fold" it in half and tie it that way.

6. Separate the bun into 2 equal sections (these will be the loops of the bow) and try and make them as perky as possible. Fluff them with your fingers, spray them with hairspray (I didn't do that in this tutorial), etc.

7. Take the "tail" left over from the floppy bun and smooth it out with your fingers. You can gently comb through it an extra time, as this will be the middle of the bow.

8. Flip that tail over the center of your two ribbon-sides, and stick the hairs into the rubberband holding the bun together. You can also use bobby pins to secure stray hairs that bug you.

9. BE FIERCE!!

10. Or not fierce!

If you prefer this style better, you can use the above tutorial, using only the top half of your hair as opposed to all of it.

Kind of like this!
(Except not as ugly. This was a rush job.)

What are you waiting for?
GO GAGA!

YOU Can Make a Masterpiece!

2010-09-10T15:48:00.001-07:00

But just warning you... it's really hard.

And here's the evidence:

I'm usually a pretty artistic, creative person- so this is probably saying something. Also, it's just really hard to make things out of sand, which is why this lady is so... unappealing.

In order to make myself feel a little bit better about the picture, I've told myself that she kind of sort of looks like the dripping matchmaker from Mulan.

See the resemblance?? No?
That's okay.

Anyways, my whole point of this post was to introduce this site:
http://thisissand.com/
It's pretty much like playing with those colored sand bottled things that we all did in elementary school, except BETTER, because you can choose your colors and design things, and we're older and more experienced!
All you have to do is click on the little square on the top left corner, and it tells you how to start!

And if you're afraid you're pictures will turn out like mine, take heart. Some people with WAY too much time on their hands made these:

Crazy, right?

My personal favorite.

So, try it out! It's super fun, and I'd LOVE to see your masterpieces!
(So post those gallery links below!)

Just- Don't Hate.

2010-09-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

You know, I hear much too often about bloggers being hurt because of "haters". The sweetest people that I am so blessed to be friends with, hurt, because of readers who insult their face, their bodies, their actions, anything they wish.

And you know what? That's not okay.
Everyone is a person, and all people have feelings. I don't care if they think a purple shirt someone is wearing is unflattering, it's just not nice to say it.
I would think that, all of us being respectable adults and such, it would not be such a problem in our community but it really is.
So here is an illustration that we did in our "Body Image" unit of Physiology, meant to hopefully show what insults do to someone.

The Crumpled Man.

Here is you. You are a beautiful person, inside and out.
You are flawless, your soul is unharmed, and you are content with yourself.

But what happens after someone carelessly drops an insult? What happens after someone tells you to your face that you are not good enough?

Each of those comments puts a crinkle in you. Each of those blows crumple your confidence, cripple you, make it so that you are ashamed to show yourself.
You are broken.

Everyone has these scars. But it's up to each individual to flatten out those crumples, to try and scratch out those insults.
You will always have the marks and they will always be with you, no matter how confident you are at a point in your life- but who are we to hurt you?
Who are we to write on your perfect self, to scar you?

We have no right to do that.
Haters, don't hate.

Monday Melodies V- That 70's Song.

2010-09-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

So basically, I owe Karina everything for this song, because I had never heard it until two days ago in her car. But lemme just say, it is another dancey-dancey feel good song... and you know how I love those. :)

This beautiful school and work-free Monday's song is called "That 70's Song" by The Cab.
(And a word of advice- the title has nothing to do with the lyrics or song. If I had to title it, I'd probably call it "We Belong Alone" or something.)

PS- doesn't it bother you a little when such happy songs have such not-happy lyrics?
It's so paradoxical...

"Snakes... I Hate Snakes."

2010-09-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

In my town, we have the regular movie theaters like AMC, Spotlight Cinemas, and whatnot, and then we have the RETRO DOME.
I think it was made a while ago back when domed theaters were all the rage, but it didn't really attract that much attention in these modern times... so they revamped it in garish orange and blue and dubbed it "THE RETRO DOME". I'd never been there before today, but my youth group went to go see a double feature of Indiana Jones for split price, and opportunity struck!

I wasn't a huge fan of the colors on the outside, but I decided to give the theater a break and just enjoy myself with my friends... and enjoy I did. Lemme just say, two movies back to back is DIFFICULT. Especially when it's Indiana Jones.
(Not that I dislike Indie, it's just a lot to have packed into 4 hours. And it's four hours!!)

I think the theater design just grew on me. I mean, the colors were bright. There were lime greens and purples and oranges- it was a lot to take in.

Then there were the comfy chairs around the lobby, the lava lamps in strategic places on counters, and the lovely bulb-chandeliers.

Man, that thing is attractive.

Then there were the restrooms- BRIGHT PINK.
Not even bubble gum pink, it was straight-off-the-bottle Pepto-bismol pink.

Vintage posters everywhere.

And more everywhere-ness.

The theater itself was surprisingly big for how small the dome looked from the outside, but I just loved the whole vibe with the colored bulbs on the side and draped curtains around the screen.
It took a while, but I really warmed up to the decor. Really really.

Oh, and the movies were okay too. In case you were wondering.

Why I Go to the Library.

2010-09-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

I used to go to the library for the sole purpose of reading books. Every two weeks my brother and I would stack up as many books as we could in our arms and stumble to the car with our goodies, stocked and prepared for the weeks to come.

Today, I still love reading books, but there's a way more awesome reason to go-
the checkout.

Okay, I know that sounds really lame, but believe me, it is awesome.
It used to be that you'd have to wait forever in line for one of the self-automated checkouts, and then you would take forever to scan each book under the red line until the books were all yours.

Now, however....

You enter your library code (or show your card) and password.

Scatter your books around on the glass table so a bit of the cover of each is showing.

BAM. It checks them all out simultaneously.
You're done.
This happens in less than 30 seconds, no joke, and I almost peed of excitement the first time I tried it out.

It is basically the most awesome thing since sliced bread.

Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle

2010-09-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

I'd like to start this post about by saying how much it STINKS to be allergic to animals. Even more so that I didn't use to be.

It just started out one day that I got really sneezy and watery-eyed around cats, so I figured that I was allergic to them. Now, apparently, I may be allergic to dogs, too.
Of course, this doesn't stop me from playing with animals, but REALLY? I love animals, and to not be able to hold them is just silly.

And I was really upset, until...
I FOUND HEDGEHOGS!!

{via}

Yes, the idea of hedgehogs might be foreign to some people, and it definitely was to me just a few weeks ago, but I never realized people actually kept them as pets.

{via}

I did some research, and found out that hedgehogs actually like humans if they're brought up around them, and that they're DARN cute!

{via}

They don't even grow up to be that big, as seen in the picture above. You can fit a grown hedgehog in your hands with no problem, and since they're used to you- no spikes!

{via}

Maybe it's kind of silly, but I'm starting to get really attached to these little creatures...

{via}

ESPECIALLY when I see pictures like this!

This is probably just wishful thinking, but say I did get one...
what should I name it??

You are 17 Going on 18...

2010-08-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

This one is for you, Karina, my beautiful and AMAZING friend who just turned 17. And now can only sing Rolf's part for "16 going on 17" (MWAHAHA).

I love singing with you, dancing with you, being goofy with you, complaining with you, crying with you, being Penelope with you, working with you, pretending to work with you, eating crepes with you, taking pictures with you, and just about everything else.

You make me want to SHOUT!
(in a good, fun, dancing way)

Imma pretend you're the guy with the 'fro. I'm gonna be the guy with the sombrero thing and poncho.
And the rest of the other guys are our back-up dancers. Okey dokey?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KA-KA!

Monday Melodies IV

2010-08-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Just this last Saturday, I went to the wedding of my former youth leader, Amy- the sweetest, most beautiful woman ever who is just perfect with her new husband Matt.
The wedding was wonderful, and the reception was just GORGEOUS. They had the cutest ideas ever for the party, and it looked like something out of Once Wed!

(an example of the cuteness explosion that was happening in the outdoor reception)

Because every great party has amazing music, all the guests were dancing and having a fabulous time- Amy and Matt even choreographed a swing dance routine that they showed us on the dance floor!
So. Cute.

This brings me to the point of this week's Monday Melody- wedding songs.
I know I'm only 16 going on 17 and should hardly be thinking about that right now, but sometimes it just comes up, you know?
Amy and Matt's first slow song was to Etta James' "At Last" and this week's choice is a tribute to them.
(Also, it's just an AMAZING song.)

Without further ado,
Etta James.

What song would YOU have (or did you have) for your wedding?

Yes, We Are Twins.

2010-08-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

A while back, when I was entering 8th grade, everyone told me how much my best friend (Anne) and I looked alike. We wore the same clothes for the first day, looked the same...

This year, when I showed up to school, my best friend Karina was wearing this:

I'm definitely having a deja vu.

Tuesday, without any planning whatsoever, we showed up wearing this:

(and our this-is-what-we-do-on-a-regular-basis faces:)

And on Wednesday showed up wearing this:

Man, you know what they say about great minds thinking alike...