Friday, May 21, 2010

Graduation Reflection

So it's a Friday night, and I'm home sick, so I figured now is as good a time as any to post a new blog. I know, it's been like, a century and a half since I wrote anything, but I haven't really had any inspiration strike me. I'm not very inspired as of right now, but we'll see how this goes. Just in case you're ignorant, I'm graduating in exactly two weeks from today. That's right: the big end to high school. D: I've gotta say that I'm not worried or scared, though. I made up my mind a long time ago that high school just isn't my favorite thing in life. Don't get me wrong- I love the experiences and opportunities that I've had and the wonderful friends I've made! However, I'm definitely at the point where I need something different. I can't wait to finally start my own life. It's not looking like that exciting of a life: Working and then attending BYU-I in January (and NOT marrying a farmer), but at least it's something that I want to do, not that the state requires me to do.

While I'm really excited to move on with my life and become my own person, there are a lot of things I'll miss from high school. I'll really miss just being with my friends every day. I'm not disappointed at all with how my senior year turned out, and there are several people who were a gigantic part of making it fantastic. This year I really learned how to be a good friend, who is learning not to be so selfish. I learned not to discount the people who are always around to support you. I broke past my ideas of what people were like, and learned to really get to know them. I allowed myself to trust people, and to show people the true Alora. I learned that I don't care what people think of me, and that I love the people who still stick by me despite seeing my true colors. There are some people who I won't be very sad about never seeing again (sad, but true), but there are those few people who I want to be in my life forever because of the impact they've made on my life. I really hope high school won't be the end for our friendship.

This year was definitely a year of change for me. I started out the year miserably, hating every minute of school. Reflecting back on that now, things are so much better. The situation I'm in definitely isn't better, but I have a better outlook on things. I'm not bitter at life anymore, but am open to change. My testimony in the gospel of Jesus Christ has grown immensely. I've been able to see God's hand in so many things throughout my life and have come to trust him in guiding me. Like I said earlier, I learned to not care what people think about me. This year my life became less about doing what I though other people wanted, but what I expected of myself. I've discovered that music is what I love more than anything. I started writing songs, and it's become a lot easier for me to express myself through them, not that they're really all that good yet. I'm not so scared to sing in front of people anymore. This year I learned to trust people. That might seem so cliche or what not, but it's true. Those of you who know me well know that I'm secretly really shy, and I guard my emotions like they're the Sorcerer's Stone and Voldemort is trying to steal it to ruin the world. (Wow, nerdy moment there. I blame my illness) This year I opened myself up to those I care about, still not as much as a normal person would, but I'm slowly becoming more normal. I learned that it's not that bad. Some people deserved my trust and helped me through a lot of things and made me feel better about myself.... and some people didn't give two cents and completely let me down. I don't really regret anything from this year or my high school experience, because they've made me into the person I am today, and I think she's pretty okay. :)

There really aren't that many teachers who I will miss, but there are a few. The teachers I loved the most were definitely Madame Baigue, Dr. Pearce, and Mr. Brusatto (Shh.. don't tell him!) They all taught me so much, and I plan on visiting them all sometime after graduation (maybe).

I have so many favorite memories from my high school experience, but here are just a few:

Totally weirding Emerson out on the first day of Sophomore year by yelling "Hey! I'm Alora! Remember me?" across the room.

Forming the FHB

Having a toga party

Getting anonymous sing-a-grams on Valentine's Day

Going to football games with my face painted. And winning region championships.

All the inside jokes I've made with people.

Singing in Mads over Christmas. Our carpools were always... interesting.

Singing in the seminary talent show with Emily and Braden this year.

Telling everyone about Ken and Katie and their elbows.

When Katie fell down at the DI.

Being "late" to every play practice this year.

Singing "Going to the Chapel" with Mary in French

All of the dates I've gone on.

All of the concerts I've gone to.

All of the pictures Jonathan drew for me.

Pulling the all-nighter with Mary.

English and Aerobics last year.

Conquering.

Most of the dances I went to.

Proving Sorine's existence

All the musicals I was in

Gosh, there are just so many things I really liked about high school, but you're probably tired of reading about them, so I'll stop. :) High school was good, and I'm definitely looking forward to having more adventures in my new life out of school. Hopefully sometime before I go up to Idaho, I can learn how to drive. That'd be good. haha June, 4, here I come! :D

I don't even know what the song of the blog should be today. I've just been in kind of a free-for-all mood when it comes to music lately. I guess I'll go with "My Baby's Better Than Yours" by Meg & Dia. The lyrics of this song are so great - I'm absolutely in love with them! This is one of their really old, lesser-known songs, but it's absolutely great! I like their old stuff best anyways. "Step over, step over that clever line-gotta figure out which side is right. Choose a destiny to live for - if you wanna live, or die, or fight. And only one side wins, and what I think of this I don't know. It's not that I'm afraid of dying, it's just I'm so afraid to live." I think that's very suiting for a blog about moving on from high school. Give this song a listen, you'll love it! :D

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Top 10 Favorite Songs!

Awhile ago I promised I would compile a list of my top ten favorite songs. I'm not kidding, this was nearly impossible. I got started and I would think of a song and then compare it with another, and I couldn't. I love all music for different reasons and it's not fair to compare- it's impossible, actually. I thought of all kinds of top ten categories I could put songs in to make this easier, and then I realized that I'd probably have a billion categories on the list when all was said and done. So, here are the top ten songs that I chose. Some of them I chose because of sentimental value and some I chose because of musical value. These are ten songs that I cannot imagine living without (I literally went through this long list I wrote down and said "What songs would I die without?"), and most of them have helped me through many a hard time in my life. I don't care if you love them or hate them or agree with their positions on my list- these songs are my favorites because they mean something to me. However, I really hope that you readers can relate to one of my song choices or maybe converted to be a lover of some of them. ;) Well, here goes!

1. "Deathbed" by Relient K
So, this song has every right to be number one on the list. I really don't think there is a more epic song anywhere. This song is around 11 minutes long, but it's worth every single second. The song is basically a man laying on his deathbed reviewing his life and all the things he regrets and the hardships he had to face - this man led a very hard life. But, the event that sticks out most in his life is the night he gave up and turned himself over to Christ. I believe everyone who has become converted to the love and teachings of Christ can identify with the lyrics:
"You cried wolf, the tears, they soaked your fur. The blood dripped from your fangs. You said 'What have I done?' You loved that lamb with every sinful bone, and there you wept alone. Your heart was so contrite. You said 'Jesus, please forgive me of my crimes, and sanctify this withered heart of mine. Be with me until my life is through, and on that day, please take me home with you.'"
Jon Foreman's outro sums it all up by saying "I am the way" and "I am love". This song is purely incredible!

2. "Konstantine" by Something Corporate
This is definitely the second most epic song ever. This one's about 10 minutes long, but again, every second is meaningful. I think that everyone can relate to this song in one way or another. I know that the meaning changes for me each time I listen to it, and each time new people or situations come come into my life. I sincerely believe that this is the only song I've ever heard that uses the "F" and it just belongs there for artistic value. Some of my favorite lyrics of all time come from this song, my favorite being:
"This is to Jimmy Eat World and those nights in my car, 'When the first star you see may not be a star'. I'm not your star. Isn't that what you said? What you thought this song meant?"
One of the phrases that hits me the hardest every time I listen to this song is "They'll never hurt you like I do." I think everyone can relate to this on some level. I think that's maybe why Andrew chose to repeat it more than any other words in the song.
The most amazing thing about this song is that Andrew McMahon wrote it when he was 17. If you have not heard this song, I promise you, it is worth your time to give it a listen!

3. "For the Moment I Feel Faint" by Relient K
This song has helped me through so many hard times in my life. My faith in the Savior is the most important thing in my life, and this song sums it all up so easily. "Never underestimate my Jesus, cuz when the world around you crumbles, he will be strong." No matter what inadequacies we posses, Christ will always make up for them through his love. There is nothing more powerful than the simple testimony given in this song.

4. "I Want to Save You" by Something Corporate (The acoustic version)
Hahaha notice a pattern? This just proves Relient K and Something Corporate are amazing. I guess my love for this song is my inner teenage girl coming out, but I believe everyone (Not just teenage girls) is looking for someone to save them from whatever they're facing, whether it's themselves , their circumstances, or situations they've put themselves in. Despite how corny it sounds, this song always gives me hope for my future. Hope that one day I will meet someone who cares about me enough to save me from reality, and that my reality will be better because of them. The acoustic version of this song is so amazingly beautiful, it just hits the spot each time I listen to it.

5. "Hallelujah"
So there's no artist on this song, because there's not one artist's interpretation that I particularly love. My favorite version is the version I sing at my piano and express how it makes me feel myself. This song is the epitome of beauty. The melody and accompaniment hit you right in the soul every time. But, the words are my favorite part. The lyrics to this song are pure poetry. They're absolutely classic. If the music hits your soul, the lyrics pierce right through it; they're completely heartfelt. My favorite line from this song will always be "I've seen your flag on the marble arch, but love is not a victory march. It's a cold and a broken Hallelujah." My mom wants this song played at her funeral, and I don't blame her. This song is music at some of its finest.

6. "Hold On" by Good Charlotte
So before you criticize me for having Good Charlotte on this list, hear me out: this song has helped me through so many hard times in my life. I know it's so cliche emo, but it's true. Sometimes all you need from life is someone to tell you "Hold On". I seriously cry almost every time I listen to this song. And the music video (which I posted awhile back) is absolutely amazing. It's about suicide awareness, and this is an issue that hits very close to home to me. This song always seems to bring everything in my life back into perspective. So, judge me as you will, but I firmly believe this song deserves its place on this list.

7. "Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World
What can I say about this song? This is one of the first songs that really started my love of music. I also get really emotional every time I listen to this song. I believe it's a good song for missing people, deceased or not. This was the favorite song of someone very close to me, who I ended up growing apart from. I listened to this song a lot when I started to miss them, because it connected us in a way. (Corny, I know, but it was comforting to me). I think that the third verse is incredibly beautiful:
"And if you were with me tonight, I'd sing to you just one more time a song for a heart so big, God wouldn't let it live."
I definitely wouldn't mind having this song played at my funeral, it's that great.

8. "Let it Be" from the Across the Universe Soundtrack
"Let it Be"- it's a Beatles classic. The Beatles were a huge part of my childhood, including this song with it's powerful lyrics. However, this version of the song puts it in a whole new perspective. I'm awestruck after every time I listen to this song- the vocal ability and raw emotion presented are incredible. This is one instance where I believe the cover is better than the original version. If you have not seen Across the Universe, please at least listen to this song. You won't regret it.

9. "When Doves Cry" by Quindon Tarver
I think it's funny that this song is on the list after everything I've put before it is emotional and makes me reflect upon myself and deep things such as that. This song, however, is on here simply for its musical content. The first time I ever saw Romeo + Juliet, I watched the scene where they sing this song, and I remember thinking that it was the most amazing thing I had ever heard. I am absolutely in love with Quindon's silky smooth, soulful voice, and could listen to it for hours. His voice hooks you into the song instantly, but then as the song transitions into this fantastic beat, you become addicted. I have always thought this song was just extremely well-done, and I could definitely not live with myself it wasn't on the list.


10. "This Ride" by The Starting Line
The tenth song was the hardest to decide on, but this song stood out among all my other options as the song I would have a very hard time living without. I don't remember when the first time I heard this song was (it was several years ago, I know that), but it was the song that got me hooked on TSL. It's an extremely catchy song, and I've found that no matter what's going on in my life, this song always seems to fit it. The line that made me fall in love with this song is "When happiness is based on lies, it's so hard, it's too hard to tell the truth." It's such a simple phrase, but that's what makes it so great. It's absolutely true, and we've all experienced situations where our happiness is based on lies, but it's too hard to face reality. Also, I don't know about you, but when I write songs or listen to certain songs, my real intent is to say "Here's the things I meant, but I never said."

So that concludes my list. I'm pretty pleased with it for the moment being, and I hope I don't think of revisions I could've made, because it'll drive me crazy. It's probably best if I don't give it much more thought. Ha ha. I hope that maybe you'll agree with some of my song choices, and maybe you got introduced to some great new music, or at least got reacquainted with some. :)

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Guilty Pleasures

, So, everyone has guilty pleasures: those things that you secretly love but won't admit to anyone. Well, here are a few of mine:

Music: The first thing that comes to mind is Britney classics. Yes, I am a huge fan of ...Baby One More Time. It was the first CD I ever bought, and I still hold it dear to my heart. Some of my favorite Britney hits include "...Baby One More Time", "Oops! I Did it Again", "Everytime", and "Lucky". I also have a problem with listening to music that a white girl like me has no place listening to and pretending I'm a gangster. My top horrible fake gangster songs are "Lean Like a Cholo" by Down AKA Kilo, "Drink 'n My 2 Step" by Cassidy, and "Hustler's Anthem" by Busta Rhymes ft. T Pain. Lastly, I have a deep, passionate love for John Denver. My dad owns "John Denver's Greatest Hits" ( a three disc collection!), and I am guilty of frequently listening to all of it and singing along to most of it. I have so many more music guilty pleasures, basically because I have no shame when it comes to music. I just don't want you people to discredit me anymore than you already are.

Food: Well, I can't think of anything really too bad that I eat... my favorite thing ever is semi-sweet chocolate chips in a cup of milk. I eat it with a spoon, and it's fantastic cuz the chocolate is all hard and cold, and not dry! :D I guess another thing that I am actually embarrassed to admit is that my family likes Spam... a lot. I don't love it or anything, but I'll eat for breakfast it if it's cooked in a pan like bacon. Childhood memories, I guess? (Yeah, I know, judge me.)

Movies: Well, according to my sister, I have horrible taste in movies, and I don't exactly disagree with her. I'll watch mostly anything. However, I would say that Drive Me Crazy is definitely a guilty pleasure. Not only does it have a title derived from a Britney classic (I forgot to add that I love this one!), the acting's not that great, the plot is cliche, and it has an awkward ending. Regardless of all of this, Drive Me Crazy is one of my top five favorite movies ever. (Also, Adrian Grenier is incredibly hot in this movie.)

Books: Those of you who know me well know that I'm in love with Twilight. Don't ask me why: I know the writing's bad, and a lot of times Edward/Bella/Jacob are all incredibly creepy - what with wanting to suck each other's blood and having vampire babies and stalking into your girlfriend's bedroom and being a teenage werewolf...Still there's something about the series that has made me read it more than once and endure through the terrible movies. Another guilty pleasure of mine is the Confessions of Georgia Nicolsson series, or the "Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging" one. This series has absolutely no point and is about the most annoying fifteen-year-old girl in the world, but I read all 10 (yeah, TEN) books, and loved them. Don't ask me why, cuz I can't tell you.

Celebrities: I am a girl of many celebrity crushes, but I believe that most of them are in good taste. However, there are a few that I'll admit aren't attractive, but I still find them oddly hot. First of all, when I was younger, I had the biggest crush ever on Yu-Gi-Oh. Yep, a cartoon. I still think he's a little bit of a cutie, but don't worry, I don't want cartoon babies. The rest are all real people, I promise. Also carrying over from my childhood is a crush on Elijah Wood. I know he's really short and relatively unattractive, but there's just something about him, I don't know. Next is Matthew Broderick, but only in Ferris Beuller. He's not my type at all (I think he has a weird face and bad hair), but every time I watch the movie, I just want to jump on him! If it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't enjoy the movie nearly as much. Lastly, is Nate Ruess, the singer of The Format and fun. I saw him live once, and there was just something oddly alluring about him. He has very charismatic stage presence and was also wearing a very cute striped cardigan. That could've been it, but I secretly think he's oddly attractive as well.

Clothes: I only have two clothes guilty pleasures: wearing black and navy together and pantyhose. One of the basic fashion rules is never wear black and navy together-you'll look like a bruise. However, I really like them together and wear them all the time (with reasonable moderation). I also REALLY love pantyhose. You know, the ugly tan things with control top that business people and grandmas wear constantly? I love them! I'm constantly wearing them under jeans or wearing them instead of socks. I think they're super comfortable, and they keep you really warm.

TV: I don't watch TV... like, ever. But, I guess I have a guilty pleasure in The Bachelor. I love The Bachelor, and didn't miss an episode last season. I guess my love for The Secret Life of the American Teenager is a very guilty pleasure. It's honestly a really crappy show, but I can't stop watching it, I haven't missed an episode of this either. Lastly, I have a deep, fiery passion for Sabrina. You know, that show from the '90's with Melissa Joan Hart? I will proudly admit I've seen every episode at least twice, and am on the lookout for all the seasons on DVD.


So now you know my deep, dark secrets and have full right to judge me. But, before you do, think of your own guilty pleasures. Yeah, you're not so innocent yourself, are you? ;)

The song of the blog (unofficially) has to be "Guilty Pleasure" by Cobra Starship. However, the song I really wanted to share with you is "On Your Porch" by The Format. Everything by them is fantastic, and they've been my music obsession this week, but this is definitely my favorite song by them. The lyrics are great, and I love anything acoustic (and don't forget my secret crush on Nate. I love his voice!)

Sunday, March 28, 2010

I *heart* Sweden!

I promised Jonathan I would write a blog about this, despite his begging me not to disclose his lameness to the world. :) Last night I went with my good friend Jonathan and his family to a Swedish soup festival. I have obviously never been to one of these before (or known of their existence), but it was fun! When we walked in, the lady who was greeting everyone was like "Someone smells really good!" and looked at me and said "Hey! Who are you? I think it's you." I told her I was a friend of Jonathan's and she asked if she could smell me. I stood there while she smelled me, and it turns out I really do smell good. (Hahaha now I can say I don't fail at life!) We went into the soup festival, and it was full of old people! (Jonathan warned me beforehand of this, don't worry!) We ate bread and cheese and it was amazingly delicious! Mmm. :) Then we went to the plethora of soups, and we both tried this celery potato soup (Not very Swedish, I know), which was actually pretty good. In case you are wondering why we only ate one type of soup, after we had finished with our soup and were going to get more, the old people started a round of singing Swedish songs about spring, and we were slightly terrified to get up. There was this nice old lady sitting next to Jonathan who kept shushing us and butting into our conversations and scooting closer and closer to him. I was convinced she had a tiny crush on him! haha After the singing and a slideshow of this lady's trip to Sweden (I officially want to visit there now... it's amazingly beautiful!), we ate these super delicious pastries. It was sort of a giant cream puff with marzipan in the middle. Mmm. :) When Jonathan's brother, Spencer, tried to steal some of his cream, he covered Spencer's hand in cream, and this was sort of the start of a cream fight (which was kind of immature, but highly entertaining. I'm not judging! :D ) As we were leaving, Jonathan left me alone and his nice old girlfriend came and talked to me. This is, no joke, how our conversation went:

Her: Wow! You're a lot taller than I would've thought.
Me: Yeah...
Her: I mean, you almost look like a normal person when you're sitting down. Most of your height is below your waist huh?
Me: Yeah, I can barely see over the steering wheel, actually. I'm really short on top.
Her. (Feels my hip) Well, I used to teach modeling, and unusual proportions are kind of good.
Me: Uh, thanks...

It was very interesting... and it's nice to know that sometimes I look almost normal. They had a little Swedish store where you could buy food, so I bought some jelly rats (My sister has a particular liking towards rodents of the gummy candy variety), and Jonathan and his dad convinced me to buy this Swedish soda called JulMust. The jelly rats are okay, they really grow on you, and I just tried the soda. I didn't really like it... it kind of tastes like eggnog, except weirder... and soda. On the way home, I was talking about my general fear of hobos (I have good reason to fear them), and Jonathan's baby sister, Lily, joined into our conversation and said "I like hobos! Hobos are silly!" That made me laugh so hard! (Even though it has nothing to do with the Swedish, I thought I'd throw that story in here) So, while the Swedish soup festival was definitely interesting on all grounds, and certainly an unusual way to spend a Saturday night, I really liked it! I had fun, and I love getting new cultural experiences, so that was cool. (Plus, how many people can say they've been to a Swedish soup festival?! :D)

The song of the blog is "When I'm Gone" by Eminem, because it was stuck in my head during the entire festival. This was mostly due to the fact that it has the line "But baby we're in Sweden! How did you get to Sweden?" This is also my favorite Eminem song of all time. (Yes, I have a really intense secret love of Eminem, don't judge me!) Well, I'm off to do my French project, so goodbye for now! <3

Friday, March 26, 2010

My Beauty TIps!

I thought I would share some of my beauty tips and tricks with you fine people. I'm not an expert or anything, (obviously) but I do have a few effective secrets to keep me looking semi-decent. :)

1. Let your hair air-dry as much as possible. Your hair will love you for it. :)
2. Dry-end serum and shine spray work miracles!
3. Good posture is the number one way to automatically look better. Nobody likes a hunchback.
4. Eyeshadow brushes are a good investment.
5. If your hair is feeling dry, condition it twice in the shower.
6. Wearing clothes that acutally look good on you is so much better than buying your clothes for vanity sizing. (Buying a smaller size because you don't want to admit you need a bigger size)
7. There are very few circumstances when brown and black can be worn at the same time.
8. Doing a steam treatment on your face (holding your face over steaming water for 10 minutes, washing, and rinsing with icy water) like once a month does wonders for your complexion.
9. Wash, tone, and moisturize twice a day. :)
10. You don't have to have your entire body hanging out of your clothes to be sexy.
11. Walking in heels should feel like walking in any other shoes. It should be comfortable. (If you are having trouble waking in heels, refer to tip 3)
12. Brushing your teeth with baking soda about once a month really does make them whiter.
13. Blush automatically makes your face look more defined if done right.
14. Mousse foundation is incredible!
15. Confidence is key to looking good. If you don't believe you're great, nobody else will.
16. Wear what you want, despite what people say. If you like it and feel hot in it, more power to you! Dressing yourself is a form of self-expression and should be fun. :)
17.Liquid eyeliner on your top eyelid, and only the outer corner of your bottom lashes really makes your eyes pop!
18. Dark red nail polish is not only classic, but makes your fingers look really long and slender.
19. Choose a perfume that expresses what kind of a person you are. Also, please don't wear too much... :)
20. Being daring with your look once in awhile is worth it.
21. If you want to wear lipstick, but don't want to look like your mom, put a little bit of clear lipgloss on top. (If you want color, but not as bold as lipstick, go for a really bright colored lipgloss)
22. Always buy sunglasses and get haircuts that suit your face shape.
23. Buy clothes that acutally work for your body type. Everyone has their fantastic features, why not accentuate them?
24. Get educated about cool and warm makeup colors. It will change your life!
25. The most important thing about looking/feeling good is knowing who you are.
26. Strawberry ChapStick should be your best friend.
27. Your smile only looks dorkier if you are self-conscious about it.
28. Not all trends are trends because they look good, unfortunately.
29. God took a lot of time to create you the way you are, so don't hate on yourself. :)
30. Everybody looks better when they wear mascara... it's a fact.


And now for the song of the blog... "Annie" by Safetysuit. If you have not heard this song, please please please go listen to it. It will change your life with its cuteness. It's definitely on my top ten favorite songs of all time. <3

Monday, March 22, 2010

March 22 Resolutions

Hello blog readers! Life is fantastic! Or, as my dad likes to say, the situation I'm in really really sucks, but life is absolutely beautiful. C'est vrai- it is possible to be joyously happy even if life decides to be a little beezy. Or a big beezy... Proof: I am eating dino nuggets right now. I firmly believe dino nuggets could bring world peace... except, maybe we'd have to make vegetarian dino nuggets too. (And anyone who takes offense at eating things shaped like dinosaurs...they can just not be a part of world peace.) I am also a firm believer in making resolutions any day of the year they're needed. As I've been doing some self-reflection (a LOT of it, actually), I've realized the things that cause me to feel like crap and the things that make me feel like I've just won a lifetime supply of dino nuggets. (With honey, of course. :D) So today, March 22, (I thought it was the 21 till just barely. I marked all my papers at school wrong. Oops!) I am going to make some resolutions to help me have a better life. :)

I resolve to drink more water and eat more fruit.
I resolve to not let my emotions control my life.
I resolve to be a less-stressed person.
I resolve to spend more time being creative. (AKA writing music)
I resolve to be a better friend.
I resolve to waste less time. (I'm not counting my blog as a waste of time, don't worry. I know how you'd all be distraught if I quit. ;D)
I resolve to be better at saving money.
I resolve to avoid drama as best as I can. (AKA the male gender)


So there you have it- my March 22 resolutions! I encourage you all to make some as well, because who doesn't benefit from a little self-reflection and goal setting? It'll do ya good, I promise! :D

The band of the blog for today is The Brobecks. They're a local band, and actually toured with Panic At the Disco last year. It was love at first listen for me. I heard "Love at First Sight" late at night on the radio once, and have fallen head over heels for this band. Just a warning though: they're not for everyone. They're a bit dark and very eccentric. I think if I had to specifically define them, I'd say goth pop... (if you're a genre nazi, please don't hate me. I'm not that strict when it comes to classifying music) Some songs I recommend are "Love at First Sight", "2nd Boys Will Be 1st Choice", "Small Cuts", and "Goodnight Socialite". I hope you are all having a fantastic day! Thanks for reading, it makes my life. :)

Thursday, March 18, 2010

The Jerk Song

So here's a really stupid song I wrote awhile ago, but everyone seems to like it... If you're in the mood for entertainment, ask me to play it for you sometime! :D



And what was I?
Was I just another girl on your list
Of girls you think that you can mess with?
But I'm through

And you're a jerk
You're a first-class moron
You're a jerk
The source of all my problems
You're a jerk
You should go back to nice school
Cuz you're a jerk

You took me out
And you didn't even call
And I did nothing wrong at all
Except for you, yeah, you

Cuz you're a jerk
You're a first-class moron
You're a jerk
The source of all my problems
You're a jerk
You should go back to nice school
Cuz you're a jerk

You should be slapped
Right across the face
If not by me, another girl will take my place
It's what you deserve

Cuz you're a jerk
You're a first-class moron
You're a jerk
The source of all my problems
You're a jerk
You should go back to nice school
Where all the other kids will know how to play fair except for you
I bet you'll probably flunk out fourty-three times or more
Or maybe not pass at all
Cuz you're a jerk

Faith in Me

So here's some lyrics to a song I wrote about a year ago. It's not my favorite, but oh well.

Faith in Me

Do you ever feel like you're alone?
And do you you ever lift your hands and pray
To God who is up above
Hoping that he will send you love?
Do you feel you'll never be okay?

Do you laugh when you're not happy?
Do you ever smile to hide the pain
You feel inside
But you'll never show it to anyone?
I'm always here have a little faith in me

And we will fly to the highest point in the world
We will scream at the top of our lungs
We won't look back,
They've had their chance
All you gotta do is have a little faith in me

Do you feel like life isn't worth it?
Are you in a race you know you can't win?
Just take my hand, I understand
I know you're gonna go far kid

And we will fly to the highest point in the world
We will scream at the top of our lungs
We won't look back,
They've had their chance
All you gotta do is have a little faith in me

We will fly to the highest point in the world
We will scream at the top of our lungs
We won't look back,
They've had their chance
All you gotta do is have a little faith in me

And we will fly to the highest point in the world
We will scream at the top of our lungs
We won't look back,
they've had their chance

We won't look back
They've had their chance
All you gotta do is have a little faith in me

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Blue Star Coffee

So last night my cousin Lowery and I went to see her friend Eddie play a solo set at Blue Star Coffee. I was very excited as you can imagine, seeing as how I'm sort of obsessed with the musical community and such. I got home from shopping at 5:30 and Lowery was coming to pick me up at 6:00. However, I looked like a whoricane (as Katie and I like to say) so I had to hurry to try and fix that. When Lowery and I finally set out, it was snowing hardcore so Lowery didn't want to take the freeway. We had to take the round-about way and couldn't see any street signs A: because we're blind, and B:because there was a blizzard outside, so we ended up getting lost and taking the freeway by accident and just basically drove around for a half hour trying to look for the place. When we finally found it, there was absolutely NO parking! We had to park up the street and walk down a giant hill. While this might seem a little unfortunate, let me remind you that it was snowing outside, the road was entirely covered in slush, and we were both wearing very inappropriate snow-trekking footwear for the sake of looking cute. NOT FUN! :(

When we finally got to Blue Star, everything got ten times better. I don't know if you've ever been there (this was my first time) but you must! It's a cute little eccentric coffee shop that serves what looks like incredibly delicious food. They have a room in the back with bicycles hanging from the ceiling where local bands get the opportunity to play. When we arrived the band Solar Euphoria (I think that's what they were called at least) was playing. I liked them. My favorite was a song called "Sex Rocks" well, because it was a little funny when you saw the band. The singer looked like either Ben Folds or a grown up version of my little brother (if you know my little brother, this is a very funny image of someone who fronts a band), and the rest of the band was just as nerdy. However, I think the image really worked for them, and they were really talented. We met up with Eddie and he was super nice, and looks like a really cool guy. We watched him play next as AKA The Badger. He was very fun to watch, and he's really good too. I especially loved one of his songs that he said was brand new. (Sorry, I don't remember what it was called) The last band we watched was a punk band called The Hung Ups. I really liked them seeing as how I really like punk. The bassist was very entertaining to watch because he was this really lurpy kid who just went all out; he was out of breath after every song. I really think he must take speed or something before he plays. Ha ha Ben Folds Jr. even got up and danced to the music, which really completed the experience. I had so much fun, and definitely hope to visit again, and maybe even try some food. :)

I've officially decided that I really need to be a musician. That'd be cool if the band Ben, Tanis, and I are in actually was successful. (We don't have a name right now, so any suggestions would be tres appreciated! :D) I'd also be okay if I just got really good by myself. However, my songwriting ability is sub-par at the moment, so we'll see how that goes. I'm really inspired to get better though. Playing a gig is something I've always wanted to do, and, seeing as how I'm not going to school till January next year, maybe I'll be able to get to that point before I move up to the land of the Arctic. My friend Courtney and I are scheduled to jam together next weekend, so maybe that will inspire me even more. Ha ha I think it's funny how a couple of blogs ago I decided that I shouldn't write so much about music, but yet here I am writing about it again. :) I will try to come up with something exciting in my life that is non-music related... which isn't likely, as my life is not exciting. (However, I am attending a sushi party tonight, which should be quite interesting. Maybe I will tell you guys about it.)

Alright, the song of the blog is City and Colour's cover of Alexisonfire's "Boiled Frogs". Acutally, I recommend you listen to both of them because they're both great. They're entirely different, so it's cool to see how versatile music can be. I absolutely love cover songs for that reason. My favorite thing to do in my spare time is arranging songs to be sung by white girls at the piano that were originally the total opposite. Feel free to comment, and I hope you are all having fabulous lives! :)

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Alice and Other Things

Hey! Be prepared for a long blog today, I have a TON on my mind! So first off is Alice in Wonderland. :) I went to see it on Friday night instead of going to prom (and it was a lot better than having to suffer through a dance) with Sorine, Katie, Julia (Sorine's sister), and Kendra (one of Sorine's friends). We decided that we were going to dress up even though we didn't even go to the midnight showing. Sorine and I were Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dee, Katie was Alice, Kendra was the Queen of Hearts, and Julia was the Mad Hatter. It was really funny to see people's reactions, and one kid even asked if we would take a pictures with him! It was like we worked at Disneyland or something! You can view pictures of our costumes as well as some very... interesting pictures of our entire weekend of adventure on Katie's Facebook. As for the movie, I really liked it. The scenery and costuming and character casting were all absolutely incredible! I felt like they did an amazing job at portraying Wonderland, and I now officially want to visit someday. :D The only complaint I have is the same as everyone else, the plot was lacking. I felt like it was more of a Disney movie and less of something Lewis Carrol would have dreamed up. There was, indeed too much action and not enough of the witty dialogue that makes the story of Alice so fun. Also, I just felt like there was too much of a plot. This movie was much too structured and didn't have enough free-spiritedness to be legitimately Alice in Wonderland. The visual aspects of the movie as well as the acting really saved it from being a fail. Nonetheless, I'll still probably go see it again. :) Also, Sorine is currently reading Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and absolutely loves them. I think I will reenact our childhood and copy her. I think reading will do me good.

Hmm... next up is an experience I had today. I didn't feel like I could make it through church today, so I had my dad take me home after Sacrament Meeting. Except we just sat out in the car and talked for the remaining two hours of church. Even though I've lived with my parents my whole life (duh), I realized today that I've never really taken the time to get to know them. I think today was one of the first days I actually saw my dad as a person and not as someone who's indestructible. I guess that's part of growing up, but I really regret not taking the opportunity to get closer to my parents sooner.

I also want to get it out there that I really really really REALLY want it to be summer already! If you know me well, you know that I hate everything about winter-the cold, the wet nasty snow, the short days. I really want warm weather again. I want to be able to lay out in my grass at night and spend all day at the park and go tanning. I am dying to go to Lagoon, and have barbecue chicken with Kool-Aid, and sleep in all day if I feel like it. I'm so sick of school and the constant stress it brings to my life. Not gonna lie, Sunday nights when I remember I have to wake up and start a new week of school the next day is the worst feeling ever! I have an amazing road trip planned with Sorine and Katie this summer, and I can't wait! (Also, I have to make a playlist of my senior year for the road trip, so any suggestions would be fantastic! :D) Mmm. Is there anywhere where it's eternally summer? If so, I will definitely move there.

Another love of mine that I need to get out there is that I'm absolutely in love with animals! In case you have never met my dog, her name is KC and she is a daschund and she is very old and very fat and very cute. We visited the pet store yesterday and it was adoption day, and I wanted to take all the animals home with me. I'm thinking I'll maybe start volunteering at the Humane Society. First of all, I have nothing better to do with my time at the moment. Second of all, I probably won't be able to have my own pet until I move in with Lowery and we buy our great dane Buford Beauford, which is when we're 24 (or is it 26?) Anyways, I won't be able to have a pet besides KC for a long time, and I won't even live here next year. Haha I'm sure my depression about my pet situation is very interesting to everyone. (NOT)

Gosh, this is really turning into a long blog...and it's probably not very interesting. I'd better stop before it turns into a boring long-winded journal entry or something. So.... The song of the blog is "The Runaway" by Something Corporate (Andrew! :D) This is one of their lesser-known songs. It's off of North, the last album they put out. I just really really love this song, the lyrics are perfect. Like I told someone once, I'm terrible with words, but I'm good with music, so I really love songs that are able to say exactly what I want to say, but can't. Haha it's really getting long-winded now, sorry! I hope you're having a fabulous day! :D