Life is Sweet/Happy New Year

Hey everyone! I just wanted to wish you all a very happy new year, and share with you the highlights of my 2011 and my goals and wishes for 2012.

2011 was a very eventful year for me, and a year in which I was very blessed. I got to spend more time with my sister than I have in ages, got to be an extra in the movie of my dreams as well as a TV show, became a National Merit Finalist, received an amazing scholarship to a great school, started my first year at college, and made some amazing new friends. I also got to celebrate the coming of the new year with one of my best friends from back in the fourth grade, and it reminded me that celebration of the new doesn't mean a complete abandon of the old. Just because I'm looking forward to and celebrating having a fresh start in 2012, doesn't mean I need to celebrate the ending of 2011. Because all in all, 2011 was a VERY good year. Sure, a lot went wrong. My cancer scare, my mom's various bouts of illness, and my craptastic grades last semester… but the fact is, the good outweighed the bad, big time. What can I say--life is sweet.

Dear God, thank you! Thank you for the year two thousand and eleven. Thank you for the opportunities you've given me. I'm sorry for not taking the chances I've been given and making the most of them--but I hope not to repeat that mistake this year. Thank you for Sarah. Thank you for all of my friends at school. Thank you for the people I love and the people who love me, at home, at school, and even those I only know through my little ol' blog. Just… thank you for everything. All of it. Both the good, and the bad which helps me appreciate the good all the more. Thank you for loving me even though I don't deserve it. I'm sorry for having such difficulty accepting it, accepting YOU. But thank you for it nonetheless.

2012 is the year in which the world will supposedly end. I don't know if that's happening or not, I don't know anything about the future for certain, but I do know that I'm going to make the most of what I can. This past year's blessings won't go to waste. My resolution? To do my best. To do my best to abandon my fear of failure. To do my best to trust. To do my best to love. To do my best to have faith. Because my best is really all I can do.

Happy new year, everyone, and God bless,

Thnks Fr Th Mmrs

I was recently informed that someone who was once my closest friend no longer wishes to speak with me, for various reasons, and sadly I understand. He's ready to move on, and if that is what is best for him, then that's okay… I made an effort, and I guess that's the best I can do. I still have a handful of happy memories from our time together, even though they are outnumbered. I think that the phrase 'all good things must come to an end' proved true over a long and painful amount of time, and a part of me… a small part, but still a part… is relieved that we're both now free from our strained relationship. Thanks for the memories, even though they weren't so great, I guess. But I'm not posting to pout, I'm posting just because it is a part of my life I'm letting go, and wanted to share that with you. Now, I'm off to make more happy memories in my new world, my new home, even though I'll never forget the people who helped make me who I am, him included. That's been my mission since I arrived at college, a mission I share with select friends… the phrase 'ah, memories' is in frequent use between one friend and myself :). I've witnessed a spider weaving its web, stood by while a friend swung my purse over his head to mess with bats, sat in a creek for hours talking, watched the sunrise with a friend from the roof, ridden around walmart in a buggy, ridden on bicycle handlebars, went to a Lebanese food festival, went to a haunted house (actually, a haunted FURNACE--more on that later), got primer in my hair that's STILL there, and of course, slept in various places other than my room (including the roof, in a bikini… we're not supposed to go out there, but I needed sun! xD). Haha, I'm an Olympic sleeper and champion memory maker xD. I guess that despite all of my constant stresses about my (to quote a friend of mine) 'metric shit ton' of homework, I really am learning to love life while I'm here. I'm happier than I've ever been, and that's good enough for me :). Talk to y'all later,

Life IS Sweet DANGIT!

Hey everyone! Been at war with myself lately, because I've been swinging between 'so stressed I'm losing it' and 'having the best summer ever'. I realized I haven't done a life is sweet post this month, so I've decided to do it even though it is late-or rather, really overdue. So here it comes, the ten things sweetening up my life lately(ignoring all the crappy things, this is a pretty impressive list! :D):

1. Spending time with my sister. She, my dad and I recently went to the US National Whitewater Center, and spent our time climbing their adventure courses, a little ziplining, flatwater kayaking, and whitewater rafting. It was a pretty amazing day :). AND, my sister is totally beast at EVERYTHING, including the rock wall and flatboarding (I didn't even try that one-looked like too much work to be fun). She and I both bought season passes so we can hang there whenever :D.
2. Spending time with friends. I got to hang out with my filming family, Megan and Caroline, a couple weeks ago, and it was a lot of fun :). I'm also planning on seeing Deathly Hallows part 2 with my bestie Kels, which I am BEYOND psyched about :D :D :D. I'm going to wear…
3. ...my Solemnly Swear Necklace! I just bought this epic necklace, and while I haven't received it yet, I'm in love with it. I've been wanting to buy it for weeks, but didn't want to splurge… then totally gave in :D.

4. I. officially. have. a. DORM :D. And a roomie, who has friended me on facebook! :D.
5. I finally was able to schedule a college move in day! YES :D. August 20th, I'm officially at my new home… hard to believe I'll finally be free ^_^.
6. I survived the previously griped over math test from hell. I didn't even almost finish it, because we weren't allowed to use calculators and I had SERIOUS summer-math-brain, but I did what I could and got my result, which was the math class they recommend I start with. Looks like I'll be taking a simpler math (which originally really, really bothered me), but oh well, like my mom said, better than starting off with something crazy hard :).
7. My TWLOHA Shirt!!! :D :D :D. I LOVE this shirt I got from To Write Love on Her Arms, SO much :D. And it fits perfectly! Pic from their site:



8. Reading. I've recently read Divergent (HIGHLY recommend-I really, really enjoyed it), Rot and Ruin (Tom was my favorite, with his katana and everything, but Benny eventually became tolerable when he stopped hating on the poor zoms), and Carpe Diem (I LOVED HANKS, and Grandma Gerd, and eventually Vassar :D. Great story! Thanks for reviewing it Shaynie!). I have a couple books from the library, but am unsure of what to read next, and was thinking about buying Delirium on my Kindle. Have any of you read Delirium? Thoughts? And here are the titles I've gotten from the library:

• Warped by Maurissa Guibord


• Teenie by Christopher Grant


• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys


• The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge


• The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson

Any thoughts on any of those?
9. The monetary rewards of filming-EG, my paychecks! They have finally started to arrive, and I am so glad. My bank account was running empty, but now it is running about half full (half of my ideal balance), which is a lot better.
10. And… my dad just baked cookies, so I think I better split ;).

What's been sweetening up YOUR life lately? I hope a lot :). Talk to y'all later,

YAYAYAYAYAY!!!!! (INTERVIEW)

MY INTERVIEW WENT GREAT, AND I'M IN THE _____ PROGRAM (FOR MY COLLEGE OF CHOICE)!!!!! YES!!!! Haha, sorry everyone, but I'm FREAKIN' HAPPY! :D :D :D. I just got off the phone with the head of the ____ program, and after talking for about 20 minutes he said 'welcome to the ___ family, you'll get an official acceptance letter in the mail sometime in the upcoming week'!!! He said I looked great on paper, and had a really strong application, and that talking with me in person only confirmed what my application led them to believe, that I'm just the kind of student they want! And he found my essay on the growth of organs fascinating! THANK YOU LORD! I almost broke my ankle jumping up and down!!! LOL :D. Okay, getting off before I make an even bigger idiot of myself xD. YES!

Life is Sweet!

I'm once again joining up with the Life is Sweet meme over at Shilah, a monthly post of ten things that are making your life sweet! Things definitely aren't perfect right now, but there are always things to be grateful for, and focusing on them is a great exercise for a positive mindset :)

Here they are, ten things that are sweetening up my little corner of the universe:

1. I'm in the process of scheduling an interview for the academic society I keep blathering about, and I'm nervous and psyched!


2. The other day, I over drafted on my bank account, but my mom was there for me while I bawled like a baby and helped me move some funds from a different account, and got me back in the black right before midnight (at which point I would have been hit with some serious over drafting fees). I was completely freaking, and am now going to not spend money, but I'm really fortunate that she was there for me and my accounts are in order again.


3. PROM being completely awesome! (posted on it, but it's gone for now)


4. I'm only 1 month and two weeks away from graduation!!!!


5. [Lauren] got into the great high school she wanted!!! I know, it isn't my life, but the news really brought me joy for her :D. WAY TO GO LAUREN! :D.


6. I had therapy on Wednesday, which was long overdue... she gave me some great tips about how to avoid conflicts with my mom without being a doormat, and helped me to realize that constantly supporting my mom and emotionally carrying her on my shoulders(even when I think she's wrong) is doing me more harm than good. She also helped me to feel better about college, which is great :).


7. My dad and I are getting along fairly well. Civil. Couple days ago I had to run around and get blood drawn and a CT scan, which meant hanging around the city for hours, and he was still willing to take me. Then he got me a mocha frappe, which was nice, and we hung out at a local park for two hours in between the two cups of Kool-Aid and contrast dye I had to drink. He was on his laptop, and I was reading, but we did talk all about Celebrity Apprentice and other things, and the weather was beautiful in the park, so it was kind of surreal. For a day full of doctors and pain, it was pretty great :). I love being outside :).


8. My converse (did I mention them last time?). I am just so completely in love with my shoes. They're so durable and awesome and comfortable and PERFECT. I'm so glad I decided to splurge and get them for myself!
   
   And Peanut likes them too!xD lol
   


9. My trashy rock radio station :D. Haha, they're having a 'M.I.L.F' contest: 'Mom's I'd like to ,uh, feel good about knowing' as the commercial says. ANYWAY, despite some of the crap that winds up there sometimes, that station really does the have the best music ever. I woke up this morning to I Will Not Bow (jeesh, now I'm hearing BB everywhere! :D lol), and got to hear Avenged Sevenfold and Red Hot Chili Peppers… it introduced me to Cage the Elephant, and plays some of my favorites like Flyleaf and Linkin Park. Just a solid station overall (oh, and plays a surprising amount of Christian rock-which I think is awesome of them, because they just play great music, regardless, you know? Skillet and Flyleaf and I think I heard TFK once!). AAAHHH, THEY JUST STARTED PLAYING SHAKE ME DOWN! DAS MAH JAMM!!!


10. The weather starting toward amazing-it's insanely bipolar, with storms and coldness followed by temperatures in the 80's, but I am so ready for 'real' spring it is maddening. What tastes of it I've had have been so wonderful it's cruel! I snagged a couple pictures of the first flowers I saw several weeks ago, and here they are now:

And, as you may or may not have noticed, I've decided to go ahead and put up my spring look (I meant to do it ages ago, but then the weather went wacko and I was thinking about waiting for my new signature, but I know I'll get that soon enough and really want to set it up! Click on over and tell me what you think? And if you don't like it as much as the old one, say so-I'm game for anything :). So, what's making YOUR life sweet right now? If you can't think of anything, try making a list-like I said at the top, it's a great exercise :). Well, I've gotta run-talk to you all later! :D

Life is Sweet :)

I'm finally joining up with the Life is Sweet meme over at Shilah, a monthly post of ten things that are making your life sweet! Truth be told, there's a lot going on right now that I'm not happy about, but what a perfect time for me to refocus on the (insanely)positive?

Here they are, ten things that are sweetening up my little corner of the universe:

1. My mom, for trying her hardest to make things work, and helping me stay sane, and even making me LAUGH. She had it rough this past week, and it was one of the most stressful weeks I've had in a while, but Sunday we agreed to completely take the day off, and do nothing productive-so we took turns with our Zelda: Twilight Princess accounts on the Wii we got for Christmas! We walked each other through stuff and it was awesome fun seeing my mom using the Wiimote as a sword xD. Plus, it was great seeing the ties to the 64 Ocarina of Time (the 64 is the only other console I've owned). Best Sunday I've had in ages. Slashing creatures of darkness and goblins and shooting down monsters and using force fields… now THAT is therapy! (note to HG fans: I named my character Finnick, and whenever I see his name want to cry… WHY HIM?!?!?)

Bottom line: even though we don't always agree, and definitely have our problems, my mom totally rocks...

and really loves to fish!

2. Music: It's in every beat of my heart and makes me dance like a complete moron. Plus, I got some free music off of Purevolume.com's list of Top Unsigned Bands of 2010, and a lot of it is pretty awesome! AND, my mom found my MP3 player under my dad's bed after many months of me trying to live without it, but both of my pairs of earbuds had been broken for even longer than my mp3 player was missing. I tried them out for the heck of it(after digging them out of a junk drawer), and one of them is now working just fine! I can finally use my little baby! YAY :D.

3. Our puppy, Peanut, turned around in a circle five times before settling on my lap. He's actually sleeping in the sun right now, warming up after a bath. Cute little booger. If only he had better bladder control when excited…

4. Wonderful people: My siblings, friends I've known for years(thanks Ali and Henry for letting me dump on you-and sorry I've been such a storm cloud lately), and the amazing people I've been fortunate enough to get to know through blogger. This really is an online community, and it feels great to be a part of it. For all of you, thanks for being awesome and all the support! Your comments really bring me joy-I may be biased, but I personally think I have the best followers ever :D.

5. Do Nothing For 2 Minutes. Jan posted this site on her blog, and it was much needed during a stressful night of homework and applications. It's on my favorites now-thank you!

6. Finishing the Honors College Application for the current college of my choice! I was struggling with the essay, because I wrote one I was actually really proud of, but it was too long. The sucker had to be 2,000 characters, and that's including spaces and punctuation! After removing about 500 characters through tedious rephrasing and punctuating, it was still a little over 100 characters over, and I had my sister look at it and help me shorten it. She. was. a. lifesaver. (edit-I found out that I've been accepted into the Honors College! YES!)

7. Moonlight Path lotion from Bath & Body Works. My FAVORITE fragrance :D (though I normally don't use 'smelly stuff', this accursed cold is drying out my skin, and it just smells sooo good. And you hafta love the new label :D).

8. Things sweetening other people's lives; my sister's brilliant grades, Laurea getting an interview for entrance to a great highschool, Kendra getting her permit, etc! I'm really happy for all of the happiness in YOUR lives, and hope you know that :).

9. Closure-I made a difficult VERY difficult phone call a couple days ago, and even though I didn't hear what I wanted to, I'm still very glad I called. I think I'll do a post on it in the semi-distant future-if I get the chance, I'll definitely tell you guys :).

10. ….and, for my FINAL bit of sweetness…. I received word I'm a National Merit Finalist :). Thank you God…. Thank you, thank you, thank you… This means I get the financial aid I needed-housing for four years-from my current college of choice-also, as a Finalist, that means I'm entered for a National Merit Scholarship, but even if I don't get one, the title is a HUGE blessing as it is. I can hardly comprehend what a huge blessing this is-it is just too big for my little brain...

...and I'm adding one more-a combination of my mom and music: she bought me LUNGS, the Florence and the Machine album that I've been listening to online since Leanna's post on it a while back!!!


Plus, she half bought it because she loves it herself-when she heard me listening she asked two questions: Do we own that? and Why don't we own that?!?! I wasn't going to spend the money, but I'm sure glad she did! :D Thanks momma!

Phew... you know what? Taking the time to write out these blessings, especially the college related ones, has helped me to feel more at peace. Just sitting here, I feel... like I have a slightly altered view of my world, in a good way :). If any of you want to do it as well, comment and let me know, and head on over to Shilah to link up (clicking the button up top is the simplest way to find the posts, in my opinion) :). Wishing you all the sweetest things life has to offer,


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The places from which I got pictures of...
Link
Link Fishing
Moonlight Path
LUNGS Album Art