Saturday, December 17, 2011

Packing

Or
Things I learned about myself while packing for Christmas Break

    So I've been packing for break for a few hours now and I've found myself really lost as to what I'll actually need. I mean, I'll only be away from school for three weeks, and I plan to be away from home with my friends and what not for at least 50% of that time, so I've found myself thinking, like, how much stuff do I actually need? I mean, somehow with the way my brain is reacting to my finals sleep schedule, no socks and 12 pairs of sunglasses seems like a totally logical way to pack for DECEMBER. Sure, Larra, yeah, whatever. 
    SO anyway, the good news is, packing has caused me to actually do some cleaning. My floor still needs swept, and if you're my Facebook friend, you may have seen that I discovered that between me and Morgan (my roommate from Freshman year) I was definitely the messy one. On another note, I'm hopped up on enough coffee that I'm basically tweaking out and nothing is making very much sense except, oddly enough, JennaMarbles videos, of all things. Basically I'm running around my room at 3:30 AM in a state of OMG WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY LIFE RIGHT NOW I NEED TO STUDY BUT I ALSO NEED TO PACK BUT I ALSO NEED TO CLEAN AND IM NOT SURE HOW TO PRIORITIZE ALL THIS. 
    But as I was saying, actually the truth is, I have no idea what I was saying and I'm way too lazy to read over everything I just typed, so I'll leave you with this:



Sunday, December 11, 2011

Bangin' tesshirt-to-racerback tank tutorial.

So instead of sorting my laundry this afternoon, I started exploring DIY teeshirt recon.
This link from teresadoesit.com showed me how to turn a regular teeshirt into this bangin' tank top:


Fabulous, right? And I love that it's racerback, because I have such narrow shoulders that regular tank tops slide off all the time! Check it, out, it's great!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Happy Birthday to Me.

    Okay, so as I'm writing this it's not technically my birthday, not yet anyway. But it will be in 2 hours and 44 minutes, and I'm not totally sure how I feel about it. I feel like there's so much left to do, and 2 hours and change is not enough time to do it in. Tomorrow I won't have the "crazy teenager" excuse. Tomorrow I will have successfully avoided being a teen parent. Tomorrow I will go from  being a Teen to being a Twentysomething. It's all a little weird, I guess. 
    Birthdays in college are highly anticlimactic. You go to work and you go to class and if you're lucky you go out with some friends to get cheap food and talk about how old you feel. I remember so vividly being 7 or 8 or 9, thinking about how 13 seemed so old, and that 16 was practically an adult. 21 seemed forever away, and now it's right around the corner. Now I look back on thirteen and think, "I was just a baby." I look back on sixteen and think, "If only I knew then what I know now." I look back just a year and a half ago. I was eighteen, just starting college, thinking I was grown up, out "on my own." Oh, how little did I know.
    So now I'm staring twenty in the face, and it looks good. Twenty looks like losing weight and finding myself. Twenty looks like a summer full of music festivals and bare feet and happiness. Twenty look good, and while I'll miss Nineteen, I can't wait to see what's coming.
    2 hours and 19 minutes. Hello, Twenty.

Monday, November 28, 2011

How To....Turn a tote bag into a drawstring back pack.

    Let me start this tutorial by explaining what inspired it: I have a generally small frame which comes with inconveniently narrow shoulders. Because of this, tote bags, purses, or anything else worn on one shoulder constantly falls off of them, especially annoying when I'm running to class and I have to stop seven times to re-position it. I much prefer those light-weight drawstring backpacks that are popular with teens and twentysomethings. So, I decided to figure out how to convert my favorite tote bags into more functional drawstring backpacks!

You will need:
  • A tote bag 
  • Scissors (I used Fiskars Razor Edge, they're spring loaded, and amazing for crafting)
  • A small knife (I used an X-acto) or a seam ripper
  • A needle
  • Thread in your choice of color
  • Straight pins
  • A safety pin, no more than 1 to 1 1/2 inches
  • 3 to 4 feet of shoestring or other cord (I used the drawstring salvaged from some discarded sweats)
  • Clear nail polish
Step one: 
Take your tote bag and remove the straps...SAVE THEM
So now you have this:
Step two:
Take the straps you just cut off, pin them to the bottom corners on the back of your bag:

Step three:
Take the loose ends of the straps and pin them about 2 inches apart on the inside of the bag (the closeness will prevent the straps from falling off of your shoulders):


So now you should have this:
Step four:
Stitch in a square where the straps are attached to the bottom of the bag. Small, close, tight stitches are the key to a strong seam.
Step five:
Stitch two lines on each strap where the straps are pinned to the top of the bag, one at the edge of the strap and one at the top of the bag. DO NOT stitch the lines vertically or you will not be able to put in the drawstring!
Step six:
Cut two slits in the front of the hem of the tote, about an inch apart, then apply clear nail polish to the cuts to prevent fraying.
Step seven:
Take the cord/shoestring and put the safety pin in one end.
Step eight:
Thread the cord through the hem of the bag.

Step nine: 
Put your stuff in your bag, put your bag on, be awesome.




Hope you enjoyed! 
-Larra


Thursday, November 3, 2011

Chapped Lips and Melancholy

    Do you ever feel like you're all alone? I've been struggling with that lately. I have friends here, but the truth is, I don't really have a "best friend" at school. And now that I have a double single, it is all too easy to just lock myself in my room and watch TV or read a book. It's not that I don't want to be social, because I'm a very social person. Sitting alone in my room makes me sad. The problem is, whenever I text someone to see if they want to hang out, they're usually busy doing something else: be it work, homework, hanging out with other friends, etc. Then there's the ever nagging feeling of "I want to hang out with _____, but I don't want to seem annoying or invite myself somewhere I'm not wanted." Being at a small college doesn't help, where if you're not a part of the group, you never will be.
    Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but a lot changed over the summer. Many of my friends aren't here anymore and I'll admit that I'm not doing the best job of adjusting. I've honestly thought more than once about transferring to P-Land or the U of I at the semester break just so I could go back where I have people. 
     I guess I just need to pray a lot about what God wants for me, because I don't feel like I'm done at Blackburn, but I know that I'm not supposed to feel all alone.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

A letter to high school seniors:

Dear Seniors:
    It's crazy to think that I was you just two short years ago. I know you feel so old, getting ready to graduate (hopefully!), realizing that you may never see your friends again after this year, freaking out about college, thinking about jobs after graduation; but the truth is, you are so young. There will never be another time in your life when you have as many options ahead of you as you do right now. This is the year of you. In that spirit, I have a few bits of advice to share with you.
  • Don't sell yourself short college-wise. Apply everywhere you want to go. Have reach schools, have realistic schools, and plan for a fallback school as well. If you don't know if you want a big campus, small campus, close to home, or far away, apply to a variety. When you're making cuts and you have lots of options you will thank yourself for not tying yourself to one school that gave you crap for financial aid, has terrible dorms, or is in a town you hate.
  • On that note, after you receive your letters, visit several schools that you were accepted to. I only visited one and I had been to another, and while I feel like Blackburn was a good choice for me, I also wonder if I would have felt differently after seeing other campuses.
  • If you haven't picked a school by March, April, or even *gulp* May, DO NOT PANIC. Many schools don't require you to send in your acceptance of admission until mid to late May or June. I waited on word from my first choice school (where they ultimately had to close the waiting list) until just a couple weeks before I graduated. It was nerve-wracking, yes, but I would have been upset had I jumped to a choice and then gotten in to my first choice because I was too stressed to wait.
  • ENJOY THIS. This is the last year where your education is free (or paid for by someone else). This is probably the last year you will be with most of your friends. This is your SENIOR YEAR.
  • Get involved. Go to the stupid pep rallies and the sports events you never went to. Join the musical, get up stupid early for show choir, go to homecoming, go to the prom.
  • Don't slack off on your classes. Seriously. I know how tempting "Senioritis" can be, but take it from me: had my GPA been .08 points higher, I could have qualified for a full-ride scholarship to my college.
  • It's never to early to start networking in the field you want to go into. That guy who is in graphic design that you meet on the train could be your future boss.
    That's about all I've got for now, except for just one last thing: Don't ever be afraid to ask questions. At a point in your life when so much is changing, now more than ever you should be taking advantage of all the wisdom around you!
Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease,
Larra

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Lessons

    This is going to be pretty short, but I feel the need to spit something out due to my woeful blog-inactivity lately. There will probably be at least one or two significantly more profound posts this evening, but for now...
    Most of us learned a thing or two from our moms growing up, for those of you who didn't, I'm sorry. My mom and I don't always get along (I know how shocked you are right now), but sometimes we do and every now and then she tells me something that I actually end up using, some things more than others. 
    The piece of advice that I use most often, as in every single day, came when I was about 17 and watching my mom get ready for a date night with my dad. As she was finishing up, she sprayed her perfume on her neck, wrists and.... on the top of her head. That's right, the Top. Of. Her. Head. I was as confused as you are, and when I asked her why she did it, she replied, "Think about it, Larra. We're short women, most of the people who walk past us and or are near us are at least a few inches taller, and therefore, their noses are above our heads."
    Genius.

Monday, August 29, 2011

HELP! Or: An art project involving community and inner thought.

    Here's the deal, I'm thinking about doing a project involving stickers, but I need your help. Yes, you. The one at your computer thinking "Other people will help. She'll have plenty of help. She doesn't need me." Trust me, I do. It's really very easy. All I need you to do is fill in a blank:

And then ______.


   For example: And then he completed his bucket list. And then you took control of your own life. And then there was no more hate.
    All that I ask is that your replies not be crude and that they not be written in first person. (No I, Me, or My). Then just send your fill in the blank to LarraKyleen@Facebook.com

Thanks in advance to everyone for your help!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Why BINGO at Blackburn is like Crack and WWE Rolled into One.

    The first thing most people think of when they hear the word "Bingo" is either little old ladies gathered in the community rec center or possibly that old B-I-N-G-O Was His Name-o song if you have toddlers. The last thing they think of is a common building full of pajama clad college students who have been there for hours, staking out prime spots, tweaking on Mountain Dew, and waiting in line to get a Bingo card. Those people have never been to Blackburn College on Bingo night, because that is exactly what you will see. 
    "Baby Bingo," the first few Bingo nights of the semester are comparatively tame, all is in good fun, and there are actually spots where you can see the floor. People clap for the winners and nobody steals your sofa when you go to the restroom. However, the prizes get  bigger and better as the semester goes on until you reach "Platinum Bingo" where students play for prizes such as flat screen TVs, iPods, or digital video cameras. On Platinum Bingo night students arrive two, three, and even four hours early. They come armed with snacks, coffee, and blankets. As the winnings progress from gift cards to the bigger prizes, calls of "She doesn't even go here!" and "This is bull!" begin to call out. Campus Security is a present force, there to squelch any unruly or excessively unsporting students. Last year a student swore and shouted at a girl who won an iPod.
    The college continues to evolve the rules and conditions surrounding Bingo nights in order to keep them fun and safe for everyone, but as you can see and despite all assumptions, this is not your Grandma's Bingo.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

How to Be Branded an "Indie-Hipster" at Your Liberal Arts College


    Allow me to preface this by saying I'm not mocking "hipsters" or whatever, I post these things because I'm generally regarded as an "Indie-Hipster-Artist" around here, and many of the following things I do and/or have done. So, without further ado....
  1. Be an Art major. Because apparently nobody just loves art, everyone has some ironic back story about how they hate their step dad and art is their form of passive aggressive rebellion. On that note...
  2. Hate your step dad. You don't really have to have a step dad, just hate him anyway.
  3. Wear glasses. Even if you actually have crap for vision, wearing glasses is seen as incredibly "hipster."
  4. Don't sleep. Ever. It's so overrated. Sleep when you're dead.
  5. Talk a lot about your "vision." It doesn't matter what your "vision" is for: art, music, poetry, psychology, just talk about it. All. The. Time.
  6. Drink completely unreasonable amounts of coffee. I'm talking at least a pot a day.
  7. Make/refashion/repurpose your own clothes. Because nothing is cooler/more hipster/more ironic than wearing something you made.
  8. Wear TOMS shoes. Also, hate BOBS for the sheer fact that Sketchers are money-grubbing attention ^!*%$s.
  9. Ironically hate half the people you spend time with on a daily basis. Tell no one who it is that you actually like.
  10. Drink tons of Peace Tea. Obviously when you aren't consuming unreasonable amounts of coffee.
  11. Gripe about how there isn't a Starbucks on campus or even withing walking distance.
  12. Date a Computer Science major. They're geeky cute and not as pretentious as, say, Math majors.
  13. Read poetry. You don't have to understand it, just read it anyway.
    Expect a part two at some point in the near future, probably soon following a post about Choir Retreat 2011. That's pretty much all I've got for now. Nap time, homework, and Bingo to follow. XO<3

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

One Day At a Time

    Today I practically danced around my house, which is really not unusual in any way, but today it was because I managed to fit into one of my old pairs of size 10 jeans! That might not sound all that amazing, but as many of you know, I have been struggling with my weight all year, and at times getting very frustrated with my lack of progress. When I came home for Spring break I was weighing in at 172 pounds, well over the recommended "healthy weight" for a 5'2" woman, in fact, many physicians consider anything over 169 pounds (at my height) obese. I am happy to say that, at 159 pounds, I am now 13 lbs lighter and well on my way to my goal. I still have almost 40 lbs to lose in order to be firmly back in the "healthy" range of 101 to 136 pounds and to reach my goal of 120.
    I a having to constantly remind myself to set small, short term goals, and to celebrate every step of the way. I hope to be all the way to my weight loss goal by next summer. I know that this will mean sacrificing a lot of the sweets and junk food that I so often enjoy. I believe that God has answered my prayers for help as I find myself frequently without a taste for sugary treats, and drinking a lot of Peace Tea and much less soda. So, in order to keep myself accountable and so that I have clear goals, I'm going to set them here, online.
By Midterm:
145-148 lbs
By Fall Finals:
135-140 lbs
Size 7-9 jeans/dress

    There I have it: set, reasonable goals for myself. I'm also working on a plan to reach them, and I believe that I will with discipline and help from God and the people who love me enough to confiscate that chocolate bar. :)


Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Falling Apart at the Seams

    Do you ever feel like stress is coming at you from every possible direction, none of it is going away or being fixed, and all you can possibly do is curl up in a ball and hope nothing hits you hard enough to break anything? Me too. Between the stress of preparing for another school year, family issues, emotional woes, and far too many personal frustrations, I feel like I'm falling apart. 
    What makes it even worse is when someone has caused you pain, whether intentional or not, and it feels like they don't even care, like your emotions don't matter. So you just find yourself spitting out "I'm happy for you" after mindless "I'm happy for you" until you don't even remember what your real smile looks like.
    Every now and then I think about what would happen if I just didn't go back to school. What if I were to just quit, get a job, get an apartment, and just never go back? Would it even matter? Would I be missed or would everyone just go on and smooth over the small space that I occupied in their lives?
     I pray every day for grace and serenity and calm, but more and more it seems like all I get is additional crap thrown at me until I just crawl in a hole and hide. At this point I'm just holding on with all I have left (which isn't much) and praying that things calm down once I get back to school. Here's hoping...

Monday, July 18, 2011

One of Those Days

    Have you ever found yourself just totally exhausted with your life? That's kind of where I'm at right now. I've been praying constantly for strength, wisdom, and patience as I move forward. As anyone who has ever moved back home after going to school knows, this summer has been difficult. Not because I don't love my family, but because the adjustments have been hard to make. After 9 months of almost total independence and freedom to make my own choices, it is difficult to come back home where my parents still view me and their kid, the same person they lived with while I was in high school.
    One of the hardest parts of coming back home is just that, I'm not the same person I was in high school, and while many of my friends and family members have grown and changed right along with me, many have not. Figuring how and where they fit into the life I am growing into is incredibly challenging. Especially as I face a very busy Sophomore year and the prospect of living on my own or with friends outside my home next summer. College is a time where my whole life s changing very fast all the time, whether I can keep up or not.
    I've also been struggling a lot with feeling frustrated and hopeless. I was wrongly fired from my job mid-summer, so I have no money and no car, thus no way of getting around on my own. I have, as previously mentioned, struggled with independence versus being controlled and lead by parents. I have missed my friends and haven't seen them nearly as much as I would like. My biggest struggle is feeling totally powerless to control my own life. 
    I'm a free spirit at best. I'm spontaneous and weird and I like being able to just go out at 3am with my friends just because we want to. I like absurd ideas and laughing a lot. I love the fact that I'm usually a really calm person, even in the face of heavy course loads and money problems. What I don't like is the person all this stress and frustration turns me into. I don't like fighting with my family and feeling angry and bitter. I don't like the moody, frustrated, cranky person I am right now.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

My dearest friend, if you don't mind...

    Have you ever stopped for a minute to think about how awesome your friends are? I do, all the time. One such occasion was this afternoon while I was riding in the car, the soundtrack to my life (also known as my iPod) blasting away in my ears.
    My friends are some truly incredible people. We can spend months apart, and come back together like we saw each other yesterday. I am blessed with a wide variety of friends from many races, cultures, locations, and lifestyles, and each and every one of them means so much to me.
    This has already been an amazing summer for me. My friends and I have shared drinks, clothes, experiences, laughs, homes, eyeliners, cameras, music, and lives. We are joined at the hip, no matter how far we wander. I have been to so many great shows, fun parties, and spent time just hanging out with the people who love me. I've learned a lot about myself, including who is worth holding on to. Tomorrow I head off on another adventure with Belinda and Anthony, my first Warped Tour (hopefully of many to come)! I'm sure there will be another blog post swiftly following my return.
    In short, my friends are amazing people. They keep me on my feet and haul me along for some of the best adventures I've ever been on. I can't wait to see where life takes us this summer, this school year, next summer, and in the years to come.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Next Summer

This summer thusfar has taught me many things: most of all it has taught me what I want next summer to be.

Next summer I want to do whatever I want to do. I want "work" to be what I do when I'm not playing. I want to pay my rent and maybe buy some food and then buy art supplies. I want to go to Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza and every other show and make a million friends. I want to spend more time in my friends' houses than in my own. I want to sell my art. I want to learn guitar and ukulele and maybe electric violin. I want to lose weight before then. I want to disover over and over not only my own beauty, but also the undeniable beauty of those around me. I want to go to parties and stay out too late. I want to take pictures of everything. I want to go out on a date or two or twenty. I want to go to the drive-in. I want to get a tattoo (though I'll probably chicken out). I want to live my life, not the life anyone else wants me to live. Next summer I want to make as many memories as I can, travel as much as I can, and live and love as big and bold as I can. And do you want to know the best part? I want to do all of it with you...

Sunday, June 5, 2011

She's a Word Nerd

     ...And by "she" I mean me. I love words, almost as much as I love art and music. Words like saccharine, audacious, ambiguous, emphatically, triskaidekaphobia, and antidisestablishmentarianism. Even made-up words like skrumphulogophas (That's a Larra and Ashley Original). I love how they sound, how the work, and how they make us feel. Sometimes I'll learn a word so great that I'll have to text my friend Ashley, fellow Word Nerd and verbal enthusiast, and tell her about this great word that I have just learned.
     Many people have asked me how I did so well in school for my whole life without ever having to put forth more effort than I wanted to. The truth is: I read. I taught myself to read at the young age of three. I have loved books ever since I learned to read them. Now you (or your kid) may not love to read, but well, tough it out. Having such an above-average reading level put me years ahead of my peers when it comes to comprehension: the part of reading that means you remember and understand what you have read. This helped me in everything from Chemistry text books to Advanced Lit novels to Choir sheet music to toothpaste tubes and soda bottles. To put it as simply as I know how: knowing how to read means knowing how to understand.
     So, get out there and grab a book! Learn to love words! I promise (Why, yes, that is italicized, bold, and underlined. This is serious stuff.) that there is at least one book in this world for each and every person. Look at Borders, look on Amazon, look at a used book store, look at a flea market. Find out what you love to read about and then keep reading!
Go find a book!
Love, kisses, and vintage pages,
Larra

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The Genderless Child

     I don't know how many of you have heard about the parents in Toronto, Kathy Witterick and David Stocker, who recently had a beautiful, healthy, and generally normal baby that they named Storm. The name is a little quirky, but that isn't what is truly insane here. The parents have decided not to tell anyone (including the child's grandparents) his/her gender. There is nothing questionable about Storm's gender. He/she was not born a hermaphrodite; Storm's parents have simply chosen not to tell.

See the Yahoo News story here:

     Now don't get me wrong, I've got a little feminist in me and I'm the last person who is going to cram a child into a "gender" roll and tell my son that he can't be a cook because that's women's work, or tell my daughter not to play sports because people might think she's "butch." However, there is a line between allowing your child to have a free spirit and be them self and just not parenting the child. In our society of acceptance and tolerance gender rolls are nearly non-existent; people are free to be themselves and generally suffer very little harassment or ridicule because of it. So why have Witterick and Stocker taken such extreme measures to prevent their children from being gender identified by those around them?

     This couple has two older sons, age 2 and 5, whom they allow to pick their own clothes in stores -often they choose clothing geared toward girls- and to pick whether they will let their hair grow out or keep it short. 

     The parents reportedly came to choose this somewhat radical style of parenting when, during Witterick's pregnancy with Storm, their five year old son Jazz was "having some 'intense' experiences with his gender." Okay, I'm not going to down-play a child's feelings, but how intensely can a five year old actually feel about his own gender? Is it possible that the child was just naturally curious about his body and gender and what that means and his parents, as so many do, over-interpreted his feelings and in this case turned curiosity into a gender crisis?

     In addition, the five year old -who reportedly prefers to wear girl's clothes- has asked his mother to notify others of his gender because it upsets him when he is mistaken for a girl due to his long hair and clothing. I'm all for free spirits, but there is a point at which giving a child too much freedom can do them more harm than good, and sadly, I think Witterick and Stocker may have found it.

     So, tell me, how do you feel about these parents' radial approach to gender identity? Would you ever consider this for your own kids? Maybe a milder form? Comment below!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Who am I?

I've recently been thinking about how much a person can change over a year or two or four or ten. Contemplating job hunting and interviews has left me dwelling on that omnipresent job interview prompt: "So tell me a little about yourself." I mean, how does one really tell someone else "a little" about themselves? I know that being concise is a nearly impossible mission for me. I'm wordy, enthusiastic, and creative. I spew ideas, color, and a little bit of chaos everywhere I go. I like to cause at least one person to think in a new way every day. I guess if I had to type a mini-bio about myself for an event program or a dating site it would go something like this:
Larra Brogdon is a recently blonde art student from central Illinois. She loves art, music, being active for good causes, and most of all her friends and family. Larra loves going to local shows with her best friends and hates having nothing to do. Her greatest strengths are her ability to love people and her compassion for others; her greatest flaws are impatience and trusting the wrong people, which usually leads to heartache. Larra recently completed her freshman year of college and aspires to be a professional photographer. She drinks entirely too much caffeine, talks a lot, has a tendency to ramble, and loves watching movies. Larra loves bubbles and adventures in the wee hours of the morning, she hates the words 'moist' and 'crease' because she thinks they sound pornographic. She also has a penchant for useless information.


See?! Even that isn't all that short! I don't know how to only give people just a "little" piece of me. I'm a giving, enthusiastic person and when I trust and love someone, I throw my whole heart and soul into it. That's me, take it or leave it for someone else who will appreciate it.

Operation Freshman Year: Complete!

Wow! I made it! My last final of Freshman year is complete! It's kind of a dizzying feeling. It seems like just yesterday I was a lost newcomer, joining clubs, diving into classes, trying to discover how I was going to make my mark on Backburn. 8 (shockingly short!) months later, I have one more week of work and choir commitments until I head home for the summer. This year has been amazing in so many ways. I have been pushed beyond what I thought my limits were, discovered new interests, found out some things I don't like. I have made so many awesome friends that have helped me get through this emotional rollercoaster of a year. Friends who have stood up for me, been there for me, dragged me out to parties when all I wanted to do was stay in and feel sorry for myself, friends who have gone adventuring at 3am, blown bubbles on the quad at midnight, helped me sidewalk chalk in the freezing cold, lent me clothes, helped me study, given me rides. As I find my group of friends expanding, I find that I am so blessed to know not only the new friends I have made this year, but the old ones that have stuck with me from childhood, church groups, high school, summer camps, and more. I am the luckiest girl in the world when it comes to the people who love me. So, as I head into my first college summer, looking for a job, road tripping, and hanging out with friends, I feel like I have to much to look forward to. Despite all the bad things: heart break, anxiety attacks, frustration, and fights; this year has truley taught me who I can always depend on. So, Sophomore year, here I come!

Things I like

I decided to make a list of things I like, so that if I'm having a day in which I don't feel particularly grateful for anything, I can look at it and realize how blessed I am.

I like...
  • Warm weather.
  • Thunderstorms.
  • Edgar Allen Poe.
  • Poetry in general.
  • Those days when they sky is the most perfect shade of blue.
  • Crayons.
  • Trampolines.
  • Inside jokes.
  • Art classes.
  • My windowsill garden.
  • Pizza.
  • Eccentric make-up.
  • Nutty old people.
  • Texts from my friends.
  • The sound of my camera's shutter.
  • Purple things.
  • Getting mail. 
  • Music of many kinds.
  • Making really great art.
  • Funny stories.
  • Stumbleupon.
  • The smell of Sharpie markers.
  • Random dancing.
  • Random bursts of inspiration.
  • My closet: organized by color.
  • The view out my window.
  • Boyfriend smell.
  • Audrey Hepburn movies.
  • Tim Burton movies.
  • Hulu.
  • Tiny umbrellas.
  • New sketchbooks.
  • Dying my hair.
  • My job.
  • My friends. Every. Single. One.
  • Big holiday dinners with my family.
  • Useful advice.
  • Watching photos appear in the developer.
  • My sea monkeys.
  • Penguins.
  • The Oatmeal.
  • Dear Girls Above Me.
  • Going barefoot on warm pavement.
  • Free movie night at school.
  • Books.
  • Nice guys who still believe in wooing women.
  • Bass players.
  • Redheads. Honestly, I'm jealous of them. I think gingers are awesome.
  • My iPod.
  • Mediocre Films and Mediocre Films 2 on YouTube.
  • The word triskaidekaphobia.
  • Local bands.
  • Concerts at the IMC in Urbana.
  • Aviator shades.
  • Pens that write really well.
  • Planning parties.
  • Glow sticks.
  • V-neck teeshirts.
  • TOMS shoes.
  • To Write Love On Her Arms.
  • Catchy songs. 
  • Pomegranites and pomegranite scented stuff.
  • Random adventuring with my friends.
  • The way that I share a brain with my closest friends.
  • Hugs.
  • When boys sing to me.
  • Editing photos.
  • When I get the first drink of my soda before Lyndie steals it.
  • The first day of flip-flop weather in the Spring.
  • Drive-in movies.
  • Hanging out with my little sister.
  • My weird cat.
  • The puppy store in the mall.
  • Platypussen.
I'll add more stuff if/when I think about it.
  • Turtles.
  • COFFEECOFFEECOFFEE

Goodbye, 2010

Wow! Another year is on it's way out. Wasn't it just yesterday that we were in show choir with Mrs Woolwine, talking about prom and graduation? Now I'm done with my first semester as a college student, catching up with friends from high school, and looking ahead at one great year: a year I can only hope is as amazing as 2010 has been for me. I would love to thank everyone who made this such a great year: Cornjerkers, classes of 2008-2013, I consider myself lucky to have gone to school with such awesome people. You all made me feel so at home the moment I got to HAHS, and I know you're all going to do great things. To all my friends and family, both near and far, thank you so much for being there for me every time I needed you and standing beside me when it was time to celebrate. Every single person listed here and everyone I forgot has been such an important part of my life and I thank you all so much. In 2010 I discovered so much amazing music, and so many great bands. I tried new things and I grew on so many ways. I love you all.