Music That Moves Me: I Want You To

"So much pain,
May come our way,
There may come a day
when we have nothing left to say…
When the conversation stops,
And we're facing our defeat,
I'll be next to you and you'll be right there next to me,
And I'll say "Girl!
If you're wondering,
If I want you to,
I want you to,
I swear it's true,
Without you,
My heart is blue" "

I Want You To-Weezer


The other night we were watching dancing with the stars, and it was the first time I'd seen the show. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, when through the wall I heard I Want You To, by Weezer. The song literally moved me, since I ran into the main room and was jumping around and dancing like a total idiot. My left knee cap slid (which happens to me sometimes and hurts horribly), and I just danced around on my right leg and completely ignored the pain because IT WAS MAH JAM!!! When the song ended, I realized my mouth was still full of toothpaste so went back into the bathroom and spit it out, then was limping around all night :-P.

Anyway, I love this song, because it tells a very real, sweet story. My sister calls it 'the meatloaf song' because of this section "I took you to best buy, you took me home to meet your mom and dad… your mom cooked meatloaf, even though I don't eat meat… I dug you so much, I took some for the team… your dad was silent, his eyes were fixed on what was on tv…" The song tells a realistic humorous story, and what makes me love it so much is the part I quoted at the top. He knows that things will get hard, but he also knows they'll be there for each other through it all. You can listen to this fun upbeat story of a song here (even though this vid isn't that great... listen is the key word):



Also, the official music video isn't in sync with the lyrics of the song AT ALL, which is why I didn't post it. Most fans were disappointed, and I'm among them :(. Anyway, did any of you enjoy the song? :D Love it, hate it, want to date it? Can you tell I'm hyper? Anything? :D Comment if you like :),

--
"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨)*´¨)
(¸.·´¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.· Elizabeth *´¨)
¸.·´ ¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.·´*

Come Again Another Day...

Just an update, on Friday I started feeling a lot better, with the headaches gone and the amazing ability to breathe back. Cleaned house all day. And on Saturday, the vacation officially began! I'll be posting The Vacation Log in day increments, exactly a week after they happened, to give me time to edit the posts and add pictures. Not to mention have internet! I can only get wifi in the office building and activities center (which is where I am now), and there's too much else fun stuff to be done for my family to want to spend the day there. We've been fishing (which I've done a lot more of lately than normal, since my mom loves it so much), and I got the single deepest most even reddest sunburn EVER. I'm a total lobster, and one random woman said 'you look like you're glowing!' lol. Right now, it is pouring rain, so we're in the office building's activities room watching TV and using the internet. Later tonight: my Music that Moves Me post! For now:


A low quality pic of rain on a window pane, through which you can see the back pool :D. Thanks for reading,

--
"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨)*´¨)
(¸.·´¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.· Elizabeth *´¨)
¸.·´ ¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.·´*

Giveaway + Kendra's Scavenger Hunt + Some Books!

Hey everybody! Stephanie from Stephanie's Saga is having a giveaway! The prize? Any item $11 and under from Violet Reaction! (that is over 72 items to choose from!). It is really easy to enter, and if you DO choose to enter (or even if you don't), please head on over to her blog and let her know in a comment I sent you :).


The scavenger hunt (created by Kendra of Carpe Diem) has now passed, and my searching for clues all though the night payed off! I managed to get 1st place!


Bleah from With Love and Kisses created this, and I think she did a wonderful job :).


In other news, while I was volunteering at the library book sale (mentioned briefly here) I bought some new (for me) books! The hardbacks were 50¢, and the paperbacks and children's books were only 25¢, and after 2pm you could get as many books as you could stuff in a grocery bag for $2! I ended up with a nice 12 books, and while I could have gotten more, I was in a hurry to get home and change for work :-P. I read the summaries of all of these, and they sounded decent, so I'll see!

The one I'm most interested in reading right now is Ambergate, by Patricia Elliot. The snippet on the back gave me goosebumps and sucked me right in!




Plus, I love this cover :). The other book I'm interested in is The Graveyard Book, which I've heard positive things about :). Most of these were snagged from the juvenile fiction section, but the bottom two are different. I loved taking philosophy last year, and two years before that, and so when I saw a book on Neitzche I was very intrigued. It is fiction mixed with some facts, and is a blend of philosophy and psychoanalysis.
Also, one of the colleges I'm currently considering is Wake Forest University, so when I saw a book on the development of the medical school, I had to get it :D. The only problem with having all these books is WAITING to read them. I have lots of homework and we're about to leave for vacation and I'm feeling sick... really sick. I had to call out of work this morning :(. However, once I'm done with cleaning house and packing and get some homework done, I think I'll actually get to read for fun!!! And now, I have some books to choose from :). Can't wait to dig in! Are any of you familiar with any of these books? And what about those prices? :D.

Thanks for reading,

--
"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨)*´¨)
(¸.·´¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.· Elizabeth *´¨)
¸.·´ ¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.·´*

Music that Moves Me: My Sacrifice

My friend recently shared this song with me, and I'm so grateful for it. It is a perfect description of how he makes me feel...

"When you are with me,
I'm free,
I'm careless,
I believe,
Above all the others,
We'll fly,
This brings tears,
To my eyes..."
My Sacrifice-Creed

This song captures that feeling, of knowing that someone else is there for you no matter what and loves you for you are, so perfectly. (Thanks for being a true friend, Henry ;)). Listen here:



What do you guys think? Has anyone ever made you feel so free?

Thanks for reading,

--
"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨)*´¨)
(¸.·´¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.· Elizabeth *´¨)
¸.·´ ¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.·´*

Good News... Life is Insane... And I'm Really Sorry X-| (in reverse)

Before I start rambling, I'd like to apologize to everyone whose blog I follow. I promise I'm reading your posts, I just haven't had time to breathe much less comment! Also, thanks and sorry to those who have taken the time to comment, I really appreciate it and will respond asap. And fyi, Leanna from Violet Reaction is currently running a September special at her Etsy! She sells some beautiful handmade jewelry, and you can see the details on >this< post. And this beautiful jewelry can make a great gifts, so you males might be interested as well :).

A while ago I received some great news, but wasn't allowed to share until the 15th (then didn't have time!), so in a moment I'll spill the beans on that. This week has been, and will continue to be, crazy. Thursday, I was gone all day (went to the doctors, running errands, eating way too much at Red Lobster, etc.). Friday, I worked a 9-4, which was insanely busy. Lines of customers to the door, all day long. I'm glad for the hours, and was shown trust by my manager (I drove to a local school to deliver a teachers lunch, because it was missing from their weekly order, and ran like a crazy person) and a supervisor (she told another worker she wasn't needed, because she wanted me on the line instead, though I was off the clock. I stayed an hour later than scheduled to help out, and it was actually greatly appreciated :D). I didn't get to eat until 4:30, when I was home, then a couple hours later got online for the first time for over a day (gasp!). I had 22 unread items in google reader, and I actually took the time to read them all, so if I follow your blog I'm sorry I haven't been commenting, but I have most definitely been reading! Today, I had a store meeting at 7:30am (which I attended with wet hair, but afterward I went to our bathroom and used the super powerful hand dryer to blow dry my hair. Boss man laughed at me... lol), then I volunteered at a library book sale from 9-3 (came home with tons of books, respect for a woman I never knew before, and a smile on my face, which is miraculous). When I got home, I ate and changed, then worked a 4:30-9... so insanity. I haven't touched my homework, and I have to have an essay written this week for an application for finalist standing in the National Merit Scholarship competition... which is my good news!

The National Merit Scholarship Program is open to high school juniors taking the PSAT, which is why I took it during Junior year along with the SAT. My dad's rule was 'one test a year', but I begged for him to let me take two in Junior year, and he relented. (Freshman: PSAT. Sophomore: SAT. Junior: PSAT and SAT. Senior(aka THIS year): SAT). I made the top 16,000 (out of the 1.5 million juniors who took the test), which makes me a semi-finalist. Basically, once I fill out the application for finalist standing, I SHOULD become a finalist (fingers crossed! It is mostly based on grades, and mine are decent, so I should be okay). After that, it is a scholarship competition. I'll just see if I get anything :). Tomorrow night I work, then I have Monday off (so I guess I'll be doing an entire week's worth of homework in a day..... JOY TO THE WORLD!). Next weekend I'm taking off on vacation, so I might write my Music that Moves Me post ahead of time and schedule it, then just keep you updated on the trip when I can. I'll figure it out when I'm not as brain dead. I just wanted to let the world know I'm alive and... (well, not quite well, I'm on the verge of being sick)... so I'll just leave it at alive.
Also, I'd like to thank YOU Eldarwen, Kendra, and Camellia Dayla for following! It was such a wonderful surprise to log on and see you're following, and I hope that you enjoy what you read here!

P.S. Camellia, I saw on your profile that you'd like to go into suicide prevention. You might be interested in (if you're not already familiar with) To Write Love on Her Arms, a charity with a similar goal which I greatly admire :).

--
"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨)*´¨)
(¸.·´¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.· Elizabeth *´¨)
¸.·´ ¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.·´*

Music that Moves Me: Exogenesis Symphony Part 3 (Redemption)

Exogenesis Symphony (Part Three) is so truly beautiful... it is primarily instrumental, with a slow start, but it changes directions a few times throughout. One of my favorite songs to just listen to and absorb and feel the emotion of. It is actually the third part of 'Exogenesis Symphony', and all three pieces are beautiful together.

You can listen to parts one and part two by following the links. Part One, Overture, speaks of feeling trapped by God's program, asks why, and states "I can't forgive you, and I can't forget". Part Two, Cross Pollination, cries out for rescue, and tells someone that everything is up to them. In Part Three, the struggle for resolution stops, and Mathew Bellamy (the singer and composer) tells us:

"Let's start over again
Why can't we start it over again
Just let us start it over again
And we'll be good
This time we'll get it, get it right
It's our last chance to forgive ourselves"

This final section is called Redemption. I hope you enjoy it :).

Any thoughts? Thanks for reading (and I hope, some of you, listening. I love how it starts to pick up pace and change theme at 1:30... how about you?) :)

x = God's Forgiveness. Problem 31, Solve for x.

On Wednesday, I was running on empty, and didn't have my homework done, and was very confused about where the week went. I mean, honestly, it's like I just left the classroom and went to work, fished for a day, then went back to school the next morning. So I was in the car in the parking lot working on a Physics test which was supposed to be completed and graded by class, then turned in. My Physics teacher pulls up beside us (my dad drove that day), and he sees what I'm working on. And smiles and nods at me, says hey to my dad, and goes inside. I'm making a great impression this school year, aren't I? If I hadn't been completely emotionally detached (which happens when I'm stressed or would/should be upset), I'd have been embarrassed and wanted to curl up and die. And looking back on it, yeah that would've been appropriate. Instead I just thought to myself Congratulations Elizabeth, you've just disappointed someone you respect. Again. I ended up running out of time, not finishing it, and having to tell my teacher I didn't complete it, though he saw me working on it. I apologized for not completing my homework, and he said "It's okay. Just get caught up" with another smile.

I'm honestly baffled. I don't understand... mercy, I suppose, is the word I'm looking for. I deserved to be reprimanded, at the very least. A lowered grade perhaps. And it frustrates me that I screwed up that bad, and didn't get punished in any way, shape, or form. And this is probably my biggest problem when it comes to my faith, I don't understand how someone can forgive and show mercy like that. It isn't logical or normal in this world. I've been raised with a punishment-and-reward type mindset, and most people I know operate in that manner. So when I make mistakes, I fully expect the worst. And then, I'm almost disappointed to find myself forgiven. And, without intending to, punish myself by dwelling on it.

I can't even fathom God's forgiveness, it is so completely beyond my comprehension... to send His only Son to die on the cross for ALL of our sins and screwups and murders, to pay the price for it all, so that we don't have to... that love amazes me, in so many ways for so many reasons. I'm a disappointment to myself, because I fear becoming a disappointment to others and failure in general, and it causes me to hesitate and procrastinate. I hate it, and I hate that I'm a disappointment to God. But He forgives me...I don't deserve it. I can't earn it, no matter how hard I work to make myself perfect. I can't get rid of it, no matter how bad a mistake I make and no matter how many times I mess up, He won't stop. And I'm honestly tired of punishing myself all the time with self-loathing, so I've decided to cut it out already. To stop dwelling on my lack of understanding. My human mind cannot compute God's forgiveness into an equation, it is pure and beautiful and infinite, and I need to do just one thing: accept it. It will never be balanced. The best thing I can do is to try and use the gifts God has given me, my mind and heart and potential, for His glory, to the very best of my ability. And that is exactly what I'm going to do.


P.S. I was planning on doing a post about my school day, which was actually fairly interesting. I know this kind of went off on a tangent, but it is where my heart and mind took me, and I followed, and here it ends. Thanks for reading,

--
"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨)*´¨)
(¸.·´¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.· Elizabeth *´¨)
¸.·´ ¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.·´*

I've renamed Labor Day, apparently...

Monday was LABOR DAY. And I knew that. Truly, I did. But somehow, in my last post, I called it Memorial Day. Several times. And somehow, all of you were too kind to make fun of me... LOL. I. am. amazed. And kicking myself while thinking how the heck did you manage that? So, I'm going to correct my errors in the previous post, but wanted to let those of you who noticed know that I did indeed know what day it was. And I've got to ask, who noticed? Please forgive me... lol

Fishing on Labor Day :)

Hello all! This past Labor Day, my family and I went fishing at a local, private pond (we know the owners, and have permission ;). On the ride there, Mr. Blue Sky played over the radio, and the sky actually was an incredible blue that day:

When we first showed up, I was doing homework in the car for a while, just because it needed to be done, but when I couldn't stand it anymore I went out onto the quaint pier where my mom was, and started fishing myself :D

After catching a lot of brim and warmouths, my mom accidentally snagged this poor little sucker, right in the stomach :(

My sister said that he could live, because she could survive being impaled, and my mom said "You're not a fish." I mentioned that the fish's doctor might not be as good as hers :-P lol. Because he was obviously going to die, momma decided to leave him on there as bait, and THIS is the one she caught with it :D

Nice, isn't it? We were all bringing in warmouths and brim, and similar fish :). This is an average fish, one I caught:

After fishing off the pier a while, I walked around the lake, and took a few more pictures I think are worth sharing :)

My mom kept telling me not to fall in, because I was hanging off the bank a bit to try and get a good shot, but I kept my balance and love the picture :D.
Also, while I was walking around, this caught my eye:

Spooky, isn't it? :)

When we got home, my mom grilled burgers (HOLLALUYA), which were SO GOOD. Overall, my Labor Day was a lot of fun, mostly because I was outside in that beautiful weather making memories :). What about you guys? Did you enjoy Labor Day? And while I'm interrogating you, which is your favorite picture? XD

*it wasn't Memorial Day, in case you were wondering.

Music that Moves Me: More Than a Feeling

Hey everyone! I hope you had a great Labor Day Monday! I'm planning on posting some pictures from mine tomorrow. I went fishing with my family, and got some great laughs and a few pretty pictures :). Last night, I decided not to do my Music that Moves Me post, because I was absolutely exhausted and couldn't walk without bumping into walls... I went to sleep at 8, believe it or not. Sorry if by some chance any of you were waiting on it, but here it is now!

"I looked out this morning,
and the sun was gone
Turned on some music to start my day
Then lost myself in a familiar song
I closed my eyes, and I slipped away...
It's more than a feeling
When I hear that old song they used to play
And I begin dreamin'"
More Than a Feeling-Boston

Have you ever heard a song, only to be taken completely away, to another place, another time? It is absolutely amazing how music can bring back memories, clearer than any picture, as if you were still there :). That happened to me a couple days ago, and when I heard this Boston favorite on the radio today I found myself smiling at how true it was.

Have you ever found yourself completely taken away by a song? Have memories ever seemed more real than what's around you?

P.S. Thanks sam and CupcakeSniper for following, and Samwise, Shaynie, and Kendra for the comments!

--
"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨)*´¨)
(¸.·´¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.· Elizabeth *´¨)
¸.·´ ¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.·´*

Tagged by Shaynie! Crazy 8s

Shaynie over at The Book Blog tagged me! And here are my answers:

8 Books I've Read Recently...

Mockingjay
Catching Fire
The Hunger Games
The Last Apprentice (series, can't remember individual titles that well…. lol)
The Last Dragon
Rogue's Home (a Knight and Rogue novel)
A college application I was mailed (which was big enough to BE a book)
My mom (a closed book, for the most part)

8 Songs or Albums I Listen to All the Time...(Recently :))

Animal-Neon Trees
Starlight-Muse
The Only Exception-Paramore
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked-Cage the Elephant
Go On- B. Reith
Comatose-Skillet
Runaway-Bon Jovi
Mess of Me-Switchfoot

8 Things I Love...


My best friend
My family
Music
Books
Converse
Boots
Staring at the stars
Not feeling so alone...

8 Things I've Learned This Year...

-Patience. I tend to have a sharp tongue and little patience with anyone. Getting told I'm a moron and cussed out and asked what rock I crawled out from under because I dared to ask a woman "Would you like this sub toasted?" while at work… I didn't know I could stand there and smile -while she insulted my every breath for ten minutes. YAY ME 0.0
-That FTW means "For the win!". I thought it meant something else entirely until… two days ago? NICE TO KNOW.
-I've got a support team I didn't expect. I was so worried about making it through the college application process alone, but unexpected allies, women I consider friends who were once my teachers, have leapt to my aid. It warms my heart to know that they care that much about my future… and it makes me emotional, and grateful and uplifted… hard to explain :).
-Not eating for a day because you are lazy and don't feel like it is stupid. You will feel sick and weak. Trust me.
-Blogging isn't near as intimidating as I thought it would be (the many months I put off starting it!).
-That I might actually not be a terrible artist… when I was younger I took art class and drew a lot, and was good at it, but then at some point I stopped. Everything has inspired me to try again :).
-My friend (let's call him Henry, shall we?) is absolutely amazing. I've known that for longer than THIS year of course, but this has been an important year in my life and he's been there for me in ways no one else can. He and my mom are both my anchors, but having someone to really talk to about what is going on with my family and life and heart and soul… it is a wonderful feeling. Thanks for being there, through it all. You mean the world to me :).
-Muse is one of the most amazing bands of all time, on their albums AND LIVE (which means they have REAL talent).

8 New Recipes I Want to Try and Make by the End of the Year...
*
Cinnamon toast.
Garlic toast.
Cheese covered toast.
That isall I think I can manage… not a wizard in the kitchen, to say the very least. I'm actually kind of a hazard...

8 Favorite Online Hangouts...

iGoogle
Google Reader
Gmail
Blogger
Playlist.com
Pearls Before Swine (on Comics.com)
Youtube
Imdb

8 Projects I Need To Work On...

Filling out the Common Application
Writing my college essayS (as in there are many…)
Being a better blogger
Cleaning and organizing my room
Actually doing my homework
Finishing a new playlist
DEEP cleaning my closet and purging my clothes… ("I'm not buying you anymore clothes until you get rid of the ones that don't fit anymore")
Transferring my music to my laptop and adding/removing my pictures (organizing digital media… that sounds nerdy XD)

8 Other People I Think Should Do This...

Jinnyd
Jade
Amanda
Sammy4ever
Guinevere
Emma
Leanna
Mackenzie


Thanks Logan, Leanna, and Mackenzie for following! I hope you enjoy what you find here :). And I LOVE comments everyone, my posts are up for discussion, so don't hesitate to voice your opinions!

*toast image from here


--
"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨)*´¨)
(¸.·´¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.· Elizabeth *´¨)
¸.·´ ¸.·*´¨) *
(¸.·´*

Music that Moves Me: Antidote

"She used to be an optimist
But now she sees the obvious
She's running out of places to call home
At night time she cries out
The skylights be her audience
Cuz no one else will listen to
Her silent lonely soul"

                       Antidote-B. Reith

 

This song is so beautiful, and speaks so clearly about the way I used to (and sometimes do) feel.  I suggest listening to this song with an open heart, all the way through the last verse. 

I hope that this song touches you as much as it touched me... Comment if you want :)
--
"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


     ´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨)*´¨)
(¸.·´¸.·*´¨) *
  (¸.· Elizabeth *´¨)
             ¸.·´ ¸.·*´¨) *
             (¸.·´*