Music that Moves Me: Odd One

"Odd one, you're never alone
I'm here and I will reflect you
Both of us basically unattached
To anything or anyone unless we're pretending
You live your life in your head
Some call it imagination
I'd rather focus instead on anything except
What I'm feeling
What I'm feeling
Odd one...

Hey, it's gonna be okay
Hey, we're gonna laugh at this one day

Odd one, I wish I was you
You're never concerned with acceptance
We are all desperately seeking out,
And fitting in with anyone
Who will accept us
But not you, odd one

Hey, it's gonna be okay
Hey, we're gonna laugh at this one day (x3)

Don't let someone tell you you're no-one"

I love this song, a song of empowerment for the outcast. It sounds a little melancholy at first, but the chorus is really strong and positive. It just has a great message, much like Maybe (also by the Sick Puppies, which is where the line 'maybe I'm a dreamer' in my signature comes from… I might post about that song soon). Anyway, this one's for all of you who are unique and proud, for all the outcasts and the 'odd ones'-aka, all the awesome people. Don't ever let anyone put you down, because you freakin' rock (unless you're a close minded judgmental hypocrite who doesn't show other views any respect. Then I probably wouldn't like you). Hope you all enjoy the song :).

Music that Moves Me: Background

"Lord you’ve been so good to me, and this is why I praise you, this is why I love you
You’ve been there through my tears and through my pain
Over and over again
(Chorus)
You bless me over and over again
Even when I’m not deserving"-Over and Over, Trin-i-tee 5:7

My cup floweth over as of late, and I've been so blessed, yet all I see is that my mom keeps nagging me over getting rid of things. I've screamed into my pillows to release the frustration, instead of reminding myself I need to purge because I'm GOING TO COLLEGE, something I never thought possible. God has blessed me with a scholarship, with a future, with an amazing few weeks of being a part of something I'd always wanted to, a film. He's blessed me with wonderful friends, including YOU, with my sister… with a lot of things. And I needed the reminder today.

"I don't need my name in lights, I don't need a starring role
Why gain the whole wide world, If I'm just going lose my soul
And my ways ain't purified, don't live according to Your Word
I can't endure this life without Your wisdom being heard
So word to every dance, a foe, a pop star
'Cause we all play the background, but mine's a rockstar
Yeah, so if you need me I'll be stage right
Praying the whole world will start embracing stage fright
So let me fall back, stop giving my suggestions
'Cause when I follow my obsessions, I end up confessing
That I'm not that impressive, matter of fact
I'm who I are, a trail of stardust leading to the superstar"

Woke up really early this morning, thanks to dreams about saving my grandpa from spiders, and on a whim flipped it over to GMC. Heard Over and Over, and then Background. Over and Over is really, really repetitive, but I guess if it's repeating something good, I can't really slam it. And Lecrae is just awesome, what little of their stuff I've heard anyway :D. I don't feel like explaining this, other than to say that my life is all about me, me, me, and all the things I've accomplished and earned and gotten, and it's WRONG. And I'm tired of being the focus of my own life, because honestly I'm not that deserving, I'm just fortunate. Started this post this morning when I was in a good mood, and now I'm kind of tired and stressed and depressed, so I'm keeping it brief. Hope you like the song.

Music that Moves Me: Rabbit Heart

"Here I am, a rabbit hearted girl
Frozen in the headlights
It seems I've made the final sacrifice

We raise it up, this offering
We raise it up

This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight

I look around, but I can't find you (raise it up)
If only I could see your face (raise it up)
Instead of rushing towards the skyline (raise it up)
I wish that I could just be brave

I must become a lion hearted girl
Ready for a fight
Before I make the final sacrifice"

I'm back from the beach, fyi ;)! This song just might be my summer song… I can't stop wanting to hear it. It's so beautiful, and the lyrics are great… and I know I must become a lion hearted girl :).



Plus, Florence and the Machine is generally awesome :D. Thoughts?

I'm In La La Love (with 4 songs!)

Just some songs that keep getting stuck in my head… hope you enjoy!

Death Cab for Cutie-You Are a Tourist:



That video was recorded and streamed online LIVE, in a single take! Is that amazing or what? Next song's just a fun love song-the opening lines are my favorite:

"Oh you in particular
Read me like literature
You know my thoughts, you know my heart
You feel my downs when we're apart
And girl you know my middle name
You're old enough to not play games
Cutest girl I've ever seen
Like the cover of a magazine

But you keep me on my toes
To guess your thoughts I won't fa sho
But you keep me on my toes
To guess your thoughts I'll never know"

Taylor Thrash-La La Love:



THIS song is actually pretty lyrically horrible (not that it wasn't well written, it's just about someone on a killing spree is all). And it's also ridiculously catchy, and sounds positive and is easy listening, even though the words AREN'T-which I think is quite a feat!

Foster the People-Pumped up Kicks:



And lastly, a song I've loved for a while (ever since Steph made me listen to MCR :D)… it's pretty epic, actually xD. If you only listen to one song, PICK THIS ONE... and in second place is You Are a Tourist :).

My Chemical Romance-The Only Hope for Me is You:



So, did you enjoy any of them? Are any of them stuck in your head? Cause I don't wanna suffer alone ;).

A Music Lovers' Tag

Scroll no further!



This wonderful tag came from Bleah, and has 1 rule: List ten musical artists below, before reading the questions. If you read the questions it won't just ruin it for the readers, but for yourself too! Well, here I go...

1. Muse
2. Queen
3. Pink
4. Flyleaf
5. Emily Osment
6. Cage the Elephant
7. Florence and the Machine
8. Skillet
9. Owl City
10. And...Foreigner






what was the first song that you ever heard by number six?




Probably Ain't No Rest for the Wicked :).





what is your favorite song by number eight?




Oh wow… that is way too hard. Right now... Awake and Alive? Or maybe Fingernails (that's an older fav)! Yeah, Fingernails is great :).





what kind of impact has number one had on your life?




a;lsdkfjlaksjdf. Love. Love love love. I fell in love with number 1. Muse on my mp3 player helped me survive the insane drives with my dad during 10&11th grades. Beyond that, their songs are incredibly beautiful and really speak to my soul… they're really empowering!





"And how can we win,
When fools can be kings,
Don't waste your time,
Or time will waste you,..

No one's gonna take me alive,
The time has come to make things right,
You and I must fight for our rights,
You and I must fight to survive,"-Knights of Cydonia




And the love songs are the strongest most beautiful and encouraging love songs I've heard... here is part of Invincible:




"Follow through
Make your dreams come true
Don't give up the fight
You will be alright
'Cause there's no one like you in the universe

Don't be afraid
What your mind conceives
You should make a stand
Stand up for what you believe
And tonight
We can truly say
Together we're invincible"





what is your favorite lyric by number five?




"Little short skirt with a big attitude
She wants to be a model, wants to be on the tube
Yeah, it's one thing or another
She's trouble trouble
Watch out, if you're near
She could bring you to tears
She's got two boyfriends and three wannabe's
They follow her around like she's Aphrodite
She's number one rated but she's already jaded
She's following the trends in her Mercedes Benz
Everyone wants to know her name
Walking down the hall, she's every guy's dream

I hate the homecoming queen
I'm pretty damn sure she can't stand me
She thinks she's on the cover of a magazine
I hate the homecoming queen tonight, that's right" I Hate the Homecoming Queen-Emily Osment





how many times have you seen number four live in concert?





Never :/





what is your favourite song by number seven?




Ooh… Rabbit Heart, probably, but Kiss With a Fist gets stuck in my head most... I also love Cosmic Love (and pretty much Lungs in entirety), all thanks to Leanna :).





is there any song by number three that makes you sad?




I really love Family Portrait and Conversations With My 13 Year Old Self, because I can relate to them, and they are both on the sad side(Conversations made me cry the first time I really listened to it). I highly recommend listening to them, but if you don't want to, here are SOME of the lyrics (I majorly chopped up Family Portrait to get in certain parts without quoting the whole song):





"Mama please stop cryin'
I can't stand the sound
Your pain is painful
And it's tearin' me down
I hear glasses breakin'
As I sit up in my bed
I told Dad you didn't mean
Those nasty things you said
You fight about money
'Bout me and my brother
And this I come home to
This is my shelter

It ain't easy, growin' up in World War III
Never knowin' what love could be
You'll see, I don't want love to destroy me
Like it has done my family

Can we work it out?
Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better
Mommy, I'll do anything
Daddy, please don't leave

Daddy please stop yelling
I can't stand the sound
Make Mama stop cryin'
'Cause I need you around

I ran away today
Ran from the noise, ran away
Don't wanna go back to that place
But don't have no choice, no way

In our family portrait
We look pretty happy
Let's play pretend
Act like it goes naturally" -Family Portrait







"You're angry
I know this
The world couldn't care less
You're lonely
I feel this
And you wish you were the best
No teachers
Or guidance
And you always walk alone
You're crying
At night when
Nobody else is home

Come over here and let me hold your hand and hug you darling
I promise you that it won't always feel this bad
There are so many things I want to say to you
You're the girl I used to be
You little heartbroken thirteen year old me"-Conversations With My 13 Year Old Self






what is your favourite song by number nine?




Fireflies and Saltwater Room are close, with Fireflies winning out (because of the meaning it holds for me-not all Owl City songs mean that much to me, they're just fun listening, but Fireflies made me cry at night a couple times… you probably won't get that, but try and look up different meanings and see what you think about it yourself-I'm in favor of the memories theory).





how did you first discover number two?




It's QUEEN! Like, I was born! Haha, my mom has always had awesome taste in music, and I learned the great artists pretty young. Always been a Queen fan, always will be :).





how did you first discover number three?




I honestly don't know… Stupid Girls* is the song that made me pay attention and want all of her music, which I did wind up with. She's just a really real talent, you know?





what is your favorite song by number four?




Breathe Today was my old favorite, but right now I think it is Tiny Heart.





is there a song by number eight that makes you sad? After re-listening to the two Pink songs listed above, I've had enough sad music. I might fill this back in later, but don't feel like thinking about it now.






how many times have you seen number six live?




I haven't.





what is your favorite song by number one?




Wow that's hard… Unnatural Selection is my main ringtone, because I LOVE it, but Uprising, Resistance, Assassin, Starlight, and New Born are all loves too. I love everything by them (except Take a Bow, which is just a little too negative for my taste, but they still rock it).





how did you become a fan of number ten?




Again, I was raised by a woman who loves music :). She introduced me to Foreigner, and Queen, and Styx, and ELO, and other awesome groups :).








I tag the 41 awesome people who follow my blog. Thank you Jane Doe for following! Please comment if you choose to do it-I'd love to see what you guys wind up with!

Music that Moves Me: I'm So Sick

Lately, I've been really physically sick, and I know I'm not the only one. As a result, I've been getting sickness related songs stuck in my head, including Candle by White Tie Affair and I'm So Sick by Flyleaf. So this post is for all of you who could really use some healing right about now-I feel your pain...

"I took a ride on a February morning,
Just getting over it and dealing with the mourning,
I started thinking out loud: I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired,
My baby's flying off the edge of the road,
She's saying, "I'm so sorry about that note",
That left me all alone,
But I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired

Somebody turn the lights on,
Somebody tell me what's wrong,
I'd be lying if I told you,
Losing you was something I could handle,
Somebody turn the lights on,
Somebody tell me how long,
All this darkness will surround you,
Cuz I'm burning for you,
Burning like a candle"

There are many different interpretations for this song, some involving coming to God after a friend/love commits suicide, and some as generic as loving someone who doesn't love you. One of the best things about music is how open to interpretation it is, how everyone can add their unique story to the same song. I, personally, tend to lean toward a suicidal theme-I think she's planning on committing suicide (or is battling severe depression), and he finds the note, and he's begging her to help him understand. It's a sad song to me, but the candle analogy and his willingness to wait on her to come around lend it a hopeful element. At least, that's what I think about it-what about you?

"I will break into your thoughts
With what's written on my heart
I will break, break

I'm so sick,
Infected with where I live
Let me live without this
Empty bliss,
Selfishness
I'm so sick
I'm so sick"

To me, this song is about being sick of the way that you, and the people around you, are living...sick of selfishness and superficiality. Standing up and telling those who refuse to listen to shut up and hear 'my screaming in your itching ears'. And I'm most definitely sick of the mindsets of so many around me, of the selfishness and the hypocrisy. This song is empowering-it slams what's wrong in your face so that you have to deal with it. I love the music, and Lacey's voice, and the lyrics (though Breathe Today is probably my favorite song from their self titled album). The video is below, but for those of you who don't like Flyleaf or Lacey's screaming, at least check out the lyrics here.



So, what makes you sick?

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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(¸.· Elizabeth *´¨)
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(¸.·´*


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

Music That Moved Me + Comments + a Photo

Just a couple tracks that I needed to hear the other day, and wound up playing on the way home. Thoughtful, softer songs. I was mostly listening to Cage the Elephant, Coldplay, and Dashboard Confessional, plus random ones that I wanted to hear, BUT I'll limit myself to... 4 songs, and what they mean to me.

"In my life, I have seen,
People walk into the sea,
Just to find memories,
Plagued by constant misery,
Their eyes cast down,
Fixed upon the ground,
Their eyes cast down

I'll keep my eyes fixed on the sun"

To me, this song is about pulling through the toughest of times, and not living in the past, but looking toward a brighter future... even on a cloudy day, I'll keep my eyes fixed on the sun. The video tells its own special story, and is pretty powerful. If you don't have time to watch, at least listen-it's a great song.



"Just because I'm losing
Doesn't mean I'm lost...

Just because I'm hurting
Doesn't mean I'm hurt...

You might be a big fish
In a little pond
Doesn't mean you've won
'Cause along may come
A bigger one

And you'll be lost"

Beautiful song, and well named. To me it is about being hurt, and feeling lost, and being looked down upon by someone who doesn't understand. It isn't angry, but quietly defiant in a patient way. It explains itself better than any words I could ever string together:




"Vindicated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I'm right
Swear I knew it all along
And I am flawed
But I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now
The things you swore you saw yourself"

Vindicate:
-to afford justification for; justify
-to claim for oneself or another

Vindicated. Justified. Claimed. Being flawed, but loved anyway... a beautifully confusing way to be.




"Here in this crowd I'm feeling all alone
Turn me around and point me back to home
I'm getting lost more every day
And I can't tear myself away...

Life on the moon couldn't be any stranger
Life on the moon wouldn't feel this far away
The life that I knew, it's through
And I'm gonna need you more than ever
I'm alone in this crowded room
It's like life on the moon"

A feeling I've had in the past, and my fear for the near future...



And a bonus song, for those of you who, like me, could stare out the window for days...



And if you're still reading, and looking for something else to listen to, check out my new youtube channel. Because I just got an account it is kind of empty so far, but I'm gonna work on it :). Which songs listed above did you like?

In response to your wonderful comments...

Shaynie, thank you SO MUCH for your prayers(and the hug)! Things are still crazy, but I'm trying not to lose it. And yes, it was quite a scare... I still don't know what actually IS wrong, which is frustrating, but the doctor is experimenting with prescriptions to see what helps.

Amanda, you don't like reptiles? Haha, my mom LOVES alligators... once they're made into boots and purses, that is :D. Personally, I'm a lizard lover; partly because they make such wonderful models, and partly because I have two pet leopard geckos :). And since I haven't much more time here, I'm going to comment on your posts in my post... which is weird, but whatever. LOVED Julianne Hough's and Crystal Bowersox's dresses, and actually didn't like Natasha Bedingfield's... it just seemed a bit too much, with her hair and then the contrast between the top and the bottom of the dress. I thought Jewel's was very sweet and flattering (it wasn't amazing or particularly memorable, but it seems like many women do NOT know how to dress when pregnant, and I thought this look was just perfect). I also liked Janelle Monae and Nicki Minaj (she's crazy, but it was just so HER XD Not saying anyone SHOULD wear that, but she totally pulls it off IMO). Bieber looked like he was drowning in his suit. Anddd.... Miley looked decent. I'll stop now :). I can't wait to hear what's up with you!

Max-I'm an east coast girl, but I do hope to see the west coast soon, and I'll definitely keep In & Out in mind! A HEALTHY burger sounds like guilt free paradise... sigh. I'm glad the trip went well and you're all back safe and sound! I can definitely relate when it comes to missing photo ops... it used to drive me crazy, but this post helped me to not get too frustrated. I actually did manage to get one decent snow shot this past winter... found it:

I think it turned out pretty good, but no picture I could take would have shown what the snow looked like that morning... every snowflake sparkled like glitter, and it was almost hard to look at it was so blindingly beautiful.

Anyway, for anyone who actually read this monster of a post, thank you. For reading, and commenting, and sticking with me even when I'm just not able to be here... I love you guys :). Also, thanks to Ashley and Jan (of the amazing Creative Instigation-seriously people, check it out) for following! I hope you enjoy what you find here :). Until next time,

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(¸.· Elizabeth *´¨)
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Want a Laugh?

This is a song by my friend and I's all time FAVORITE New Zealand folk parody duo! It's all about the issues facing society today, and is pretty awesome :D.



If you watched it, did it you enjoy it? :D I hope so! Now, could somebody please remove these cutleries from mah knees?

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(¸.· Elizabeth *´¨)
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Stolen: A Book Review (+Music That Moves Me)

"You saw me before I saw you.
A girl: Gemma, at the airport,
on her way to a family vacation.
You had that look in your eyes.
A guy: Ty, rugged, tan, too old,
oddly familiar, eyes blue as ice.
Like you wanted me.
She steps away. For just a second.
He pays for her drink. And drugs it.
Wanted me for a long time.
He takes her, before she
even knows what's happening.
To sand and heat.
To emptiness and isolation.
To nowhere.
And expects her to love him.

Written as a letter from a victim to her captor, this is Gemma's desperate story of survival. Ty has Stolen her body. Against every instinct screaming inside her, will he also steal Gemma's heart?" -taken from the jacket-Stolen, by Lucy Christopher

Gemma, Ty, and the beautiful land Ty takes Gemma to, are truly the three main characters. The descriptions of the desert bring it to life again and again, and Ty's relationship with the land is something truly beautiful. Gemma's first view of the desert transports you to that other world:

"I brought my hand up to shield my eyes and tried to stop squinting. I was blinded by all that whiteness. It was like I'd stepped out into an afterlife. Only there were no angels…
I made a sort of choking noise. As far as I could see, there was nothing. There was only flat, continuous brown land leading out to the horizon. Sand and more sand, with tussocks of small scrubby bushes standing up like surprises and the occasional leafless tree. The land was dead and thirsty. I was in nowhere… Just emptiness. Just heat and horizon. I dug my fingernails into the palm of my hand, and waited for the pain that told me I wasn't in a nightmare. I knew as soon as I set off that it was hopeless. Where would I run to? Everywhere looked the same. I could see why you hadn't locked the doors, why you hadn't tied me up. There was nothing and no one out there.
Only us."

The situation that Gemma finds herself in is horrible-kidnapped, taken from all she knows, by a man who seems too familiar, into a place with no hope of escape… Stolen. Her terror in scenes made me want to scream, and the humor in others made me laugh aloud. Yes, humor… this is not a horror story, it is almost a poetic character sketch, one which slowly shows you the complicated natures of the two hearts at play. But beyond learning of the hearts of the characters, it is fascinating to peer into their minds. A much more appropriate label for this book is psychological thriller-and that label tells me why I love Stolen so much.

Many people have used the term Stockholm syndrome in reference to this book, partly because of the captor-captive relationship and the use of the term within the book itself, but I don't believe it fits. Stockholm syndrome is defined as "an emotional attachment to a captor formed by a hostage as a result of continuous stress, dependence, and a need to cooperate for survival." Yes, Gemma begins to develop an emotional attachment to Ty, and yes she is dependent on him and needs to cooperate to survive in the desert-but a correlation in this case does not mean causality. Gemma beginning to fall for Ty, I believe, is not because he is her captor or a survival tactic-and she fights him repeatedly attempting to escape. Her beginning to fall for him is because of who he is, and I admit I came to love Ty's character much sooner than Gemma did.

Objectionable Content: One complaint I've heard in regard to this book is that it glorifies the nature of kidnapping-that young women will romanticize the horrible situation-that they will only see Ty as a hot Australian guy and hope they get kidnapped by one themselves. As a young woman, I can say that what makes this book work for me is that there is conflict, that things are not black and white at all. Yes, I grew to love Ty's character-but he still drugged a teenage girl in an airport, still took her against her will and refused to let her go. That is WRONG, no matter what his reasons. As long as the individual reading the book has the maturity to look beyond the surface, which I would find difficult NOT to do in a book that delves so deep beyond it, that should not be an issue. The only objectionable elements are some language (not very often, but it is the f-bomb-I hate the use of that word, but understood its use within context) and nudity (as in 'I'm walking in the desert about to die of heatstroke when I take my clothes off'-not in a sexual context). Gemma believes she is brought there for him to take advantage of, and expresses her fear of rape, but that subject is handled expertly-her fears are clear, but not described in graphic detail or dwelt upon. All in all, I thought that Stolen struck its balance extremely well, and the way that certain elements were handled was delicate and mature.

Bottom Line: Stolen is hauntingly beautiful, and one of the best books I've read in a very long time. I recommend it without hesitation to mature readers-if you love a quiet psychological thriller, it'll steal your heart. My rating:

5/5 Stolen Butterflies

I've decided to combine this review with music, because I was listening to a mix while reading and a couple songs played that couldn't have been more perfectly timed. Three which fit the story and characters all too well…

Always-This one reminds me of Gemma's feelings about Ty, and some of the lines seem more like his perspective… almost like the song is a conversation. From Stolen:

"I lashed out, catching your chin. I used all my strength to push you away.
"I hate you!" I screamed. "I...hate you!"
You moved your hand away immediately, as if I'd suddenly burned it.
"Maybe that'll change," you said quietly.
You took the lantern with you, leaving me huddled against a bookshelf in the dark."

Say You'll Haunt Me-I cannot hear this song without thinking of Ty. I've loved it for a while, but even more so now. Every word in every verse relates to him-the soft pulses in the dead of his beloved desert, the little souvenirs he once gave her… and of course he wants Gemma to stay with him forever. Completely and utterly perfect-the song which best embodies him.

Stockholm Syndrome-This song played as the book was coming to an end, and made me cry like an even bigger baby. If you've read it-you'd have cried too, right? Regardless of whether or not you've read it, this song is AMAZING (well, I think so ;) ).

Thanks for reading and listening-drop me a comment and let me know you think! Thanks a million,

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Music That Moves Me: SING

"Sing it out,
Boy, you got to see what tomorrow brings.
Sing it out,
Girl, you got to be what tomorrow needs.

For every time
that they want to count you out,
Use your voice
every single time you open up your mouth

Sing it for the boys, sing it for the girls
every time that you lose it sing it for the world
Sing it from the heart
Sing it till you're nuts
Sing it out for the ones that'll hate your guts"
-Sing-My Chemical Romance

Who will I be? I don't really know. But I know I want to make an impact, to help people, to change the world. I know I want to be what tomorrow needs, and make a difference where it is needed. And I can't do that biting my tongue and playing along, going with the flow and ignoring all of the problems around me. I can't do that being just another face in the crowd, just another member of generation nothing. In order for change to occur, someone has to stand up and demand it! I need to raise my voice every single time they try and shut my mouth, and that is exactly what I'm going to do. I… am going to SING. Not with my voice set to the music someone else has crafted, but with a sound all my own. My words will come from my heart, and I will dance to the music I find there. I will not back down, and I will raise my voice. I encourage you to do the same. Anyway, here is the song... it is empowering and beautiful, though the video has a typo-it is 'sing it out', not 'sing it up'.

Let me know what you think :).

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Music That Moves Me: One Day Like This

"Cause holy cow, I love your eyes
And only now I see you like
Yeah, lying with me half-awake
Stumbling over what to say
Well, anyway, it's looking like a beautiful day"
One Day Like This - Elbow

I hadn't heard this song before Leanna's post on Elbow, so thanks to you for sharing, Leanna :). I'm posting it today because yesterday... it was a beautiful day ^_^. Thanks to you, Henry, for making it so wonderful.



Let me know what you guys think! Also, I'd like to thank 'Piper Heartlock' :D, jackie housel, and GiGi for following-logging in and seeing that you found my blog worth reading was a wonderful surprise :). Sorry for not posting everyone... so much has happened lately, and I'm still figuring out what to share and how to share it. I might not post again until after the new year has begun, so I'm gonna go ahead and say HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I hope that your celebrations are lots of fun, and that you all stay safe from the crazies on the roads :D. Until next time,


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Music That Moves Us: Life Starts Now (my first guest post!)

Hello everyone! I'll post more about what happened later, but the bottom line is my wisdom teeth removal did not go well. I'm really swollen, and dizzy from the medicine, and was talking to my wonderful friend Henry about my music that moves me post-I had a great song picked out, but was struggling with writing anything decent because I'm so messed up right now(I'll post on that song another time). Then, I asked if he'd like to guest post! He has great taste in music, and is a great writer, and I'm honored that he is willing to do this for me! Thanks Henry-you're a life saver :). Without further ado, his post:

"You say you feel so down
Every time I turn around
And you say you should've been gone by now
And you, you think that everything's wrong
You ask me how to carry on
We'll make it through another day just hold on.

Cause life starts now.
You've done all the things that could kill you somehow
And you're so far down
But you will survive it somehow because life starts now"
Life Starts Now-Three Days Grace

I like this song because the singer encourages us that we will survive "it" somehow. When we're feeling down, sometimes it's so hard to see the bigger picture. Life doesn't end when we fail to do the thing we attempt; life starts NOW, when we make these decisions that will alter our attitudes and worldview. You can choose to remain down, and fix nothing, or you can get help from a friend, or parent or adult who has struggled with the same things you are going through (btw, if you don't feel like you have someone to talk to about your problems, I would urge you to talk to Elizabeth. She is a great encourager and sympathizer, and she will listen to you =) I'll let her give you her contact info). I guess one thing I'm trying to say is that you need someone to help you gain perspective over the situation. That's what the singer does for his friend in this song:

"All this pain,
Take this life and make it yours!
All this hate!
Take your heart and let it love again,
You will survive this somehow!!!"

When we lose perspective of what life means and what our purpose is, it's easy to feel like it's all over if we mess up. It is so important that you have a friend who can keep you focused, a friend who you can confide in with your decisions.

I hope the song helps you to keep perspective about life =) And I hope you enjoy! Take care,

-Henry

Thank you so much for this, Henry... great post :). And because I know how hard it can be sometimes to stay in perspective, and I know the value of encouragement and support and simply having someone to listen, I have no problem with talking any of you who need to let it out. My new email address is acollectionofreflections(at)gmail(dot)com, and don't hesitate to send me an email. I hope that you enjoyed this post, and the wonderful song! Also, thanks to Aaron/Nihil for following! Welcome to my bit of the blogosphere :). Thanks for reading everyone,


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"You're an Enigma, Wrapped in a Mystery..." (Music Tag from Antonia and Bleah!)

I got tagged with the same tag twice! Once by Bleah, from With Love and Kisses, and then by Antonia from Outside Into Life and Inside the Movies! Here are the rules:

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag 20 friends.
5. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.
6. Have Fun!
Because this tag is so long, I'm going to copy Antonia's brilliant idea of making the funny/interesting answers a different color, and I'm going with purple because it is easy to read and... purple and black is my favorite color combo :D. I'm also linking to the ones I really love, so if you check them out let me know what you think!


And finally, here are the questions:

If someone says 'are you okay?' you say?
"My Paper Heart" - All American Rejects

What would best describe your personality?
"Renegade" - Styx (YES)

How would you describe yourself?
"25 Minutes To Go" - Pearl Jam (SERIOUSLY?!?! LOL For those who don't know, it is originally by Johnny Cash, and is about being hung…)

What do you like in a guy/girl?
"Brand New Lover" - Dead or Alive (Windows Media Player officially hates me)

How do you feel today?
"Magic Carpet Ride" - KSM (okay?)

What is your life's purpose?
"Life After Death and Taxes" - Relient K (thank you!!!!!)

What's your motto?
"God Don't Make Lonely Girls" - The Wallflowers

What do your friends think of you?
"Spirit of the Radio" - Rush (I really, really like this one ^_^)

What do your parents think of you?
"Help Me Remember" - Rascal Flatts (please, please, don't be an omen…)

What do you think about very often?
"Runaway" - Del Shannon (awesome!)

What is 2+2?
"I Don't Regret(Acoustic)" - BarlowGirl


What do you think of your best friend?
"Stay Home" - Self (not at all… but the song is still one of my old favorites)

What do you think of the person you like?
"Dark Blue" - Jack's Mannequin

What is your life story?
"You Are The One" - Elliot Yamin (not even sure if I've listened to this one, and I don't have the time now… LOL)

What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Zombie" - The Cranberries (THE CRANBERRIES ROCK!!! Oh, and yeah, I'd rather not be a Zombie… but I LOVE this song! Which is why I'm going to link to it!)

What do you think when you see the person you like?
"If No One Will Listen" - Kelly Clarkson (this song is truly beautiful, so I'm linking to it as well)

What will you do at your wedding?
"Catch Me" - Demi Lovato (apparently, I'm going to jump off of something… JK lol)

What will they play at your funeral?
"Don't Wait" - Dashboard Confessional (Surprisingly appropriate… at least if I die young. "The lights will flash and fade away/The days will pass you by/Don't wait/To lay your armor down")

What is your hobby/interest?
"Spanish Lady" - Celtic Woman (RFLOL!!!! No, just, no…. XD)

What is your biggest fear?
"Side Effects" - Mariah Carey Feat. Young Jeezy (decent fit… "Kept my tears inside/'cause I knew if I started I'd keep crying/For the rest of my life with you/I finally built up the strength to walk away/Don't regret it but I still live with the side effects/...Still little depressed inside, I fake a smile and deal with the side effects")

What is your biggest secret?
"17 Again" - Eurythmics (This title makes me laugh because of the Sammy Keyes books… cause my 18th birthday is coming up… LOL, glad my mom is NOTHING like Lady Lana)

What do you want right now?
"Bling (Confessions of a King)" - The Killers (LOL, okay… guess a little bling wouldn't hurt anything ;) )

What do you think of your friends?
"Big Casino (v2)" - Jimmy Eat World

What's the worst thing that could happen?
"Keep The Faith" - Bon Jovi (LOL, try BEST thing that could happen!)

What is the one thing you regret?
"Table For Glasses" - Jimmy Eat World

What makes you laugh?
"I Will Believe It" - Cascada (ouch?)

What makes you cry?
"6th Avenue Heartache" - The Wallflowers

Will you ever get married?
"Here(In Your Arms)" - HelloGoodbye (:D :D :D)

What scares you the most?
"I Got Money Now" - Pink (try the opposite!)

Does anyone like you?
"Come Together" - The Beatles

If you could go back in time, what would you change?
"One Step Closer" - Linkin Park (this is definitely about That Day for me, when I almost gave up… wow… "Cause I'm one step closer to the edge/I'm about to break" Linking to the song, because it rocks)

What hurts right now?
"Miami Vice Theme" - Jan Hammer (the last instrumental to top the Billboard Hot 100, and no lyrics to try and dissect and transform into something painful… bummer)

What would you want to say to the person who tagged you?
"No Surprise" - DAUGHTRY (Not true, Bleah! I actually clicked my name to see if I was the Elizabeth you were talking about, not expecting to be, and was really pleasantly surprised to see my profile come up! I might have let out a tiny squeal, actually… XD. And thanks Antonia for tagging me as well!)

WHAT WILL YOU NAME THIS NOTE?
"Energy" - Skillet \m/

Thanks Antonia and Bleah!


I tag:
Everyone reading this! You're supposed to tag 20 people, and though I have 27 followers, I'm guessing you're not ALL reading it, so everyone who is-consider yourself tagged! Tell me in a comment if you choose to do it :D. I'd love to see your answers!

P.S. I own three Muse albums, and didn't get a single Muse answer! I thought the odds were in my favor, but apparently they weren't... rather disappointing. For those of you who do it, may the odds be ever in YOUR favor! (Capitol accent ;) ).

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Music That Moves Me: Savior

This song, simply put, rocks. I've heard it on the radio a lot recently, love it every time, and the day after Thanksgiving had way too much fun dancing to it at a redlight (see details in next post... lol).

What do you guys think? Have you heard it before? Love it, hate it?

P.S. Sorry this is so short, the post was deleted, then I retyped the whole thing, then it got deleted again, then got deleted halfway through me retyping it... so I decided to keep it brief before I broke something.

Music That Moves Me: < 3

Hello Everyone! First off, huge thanks to those who commented with their favorite love songs-I really appreciated it! Unfortunately, I was not able to find them all on playlist.com (the site didn't have a SINGLE Switchfoot song, and not much Underoath! How wrong is THAT?!?!), but I did find some by the same artists to add to the playlist and also some youtube videos to go with the post! Without further ado-your favorites :).

Enough to Let Go-Switchfoot:

You Had Me At Hello-A Day To Remember:

Speak To Me Gently-Future of Forestry:


And lastly, the playlist itself!!!

I think I'll let the playlist be one that keeps on growing, so if one day driving down the road you hear a love song that takes your breath away-you can still comment on the original post and I'll add it if I can :).

P.S. Thanks Tunafish(Jesus love you too! :D) and Toyin O. for stopping by!


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"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..."


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Elizabeth the Human, What's Your Favorite Love Song?

"I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it!!!!!"-Buddy the Elf... and yeah, I'm serious :). Plus, Elf is just one of the most amazing Christmas movies EVER!!!

"Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"

Anyway, I've been working on a favorite love songs playlist for several weeks, and Henry was a huge help. Then, the other day, when I saw Camellia Day's post with a couple of her favorite love songs, I realized Guardian Angel was perfect for my playlist-I just hadn't thought of it. Which got me to thinking (very dangerous), and what I've decided to do is ask YOU, fellow bloggers, to share your favorite love songs, and then next Tuesday I'll find them on all playlist and add them, and Wednesday I'll post the finished playlist here as my Music That Moves Me post! You can comment, email me at acollectionofreflections@gmail.com, or comment on the playlist's page here, and send your favorite music lovers over here to contribute as well :). The more people get on board, the bigger the playlist and more varied the songs! Any genre, any style, will be accepted, I'm only a nazi when it comes to lyrics :) (though I have to admit, the playlist is currently too pop-heavy... some deleting will probably take place, unless I get a lot of rock balads suggested to balance it out). I think it would amazing for us to work together and make an ultimate love songs playlist!

Also, I'm leaving tomorrow to go visit a college in Virginia, and will be gone all weekend. So this is goodbye for now, but I'll be back soon, and consider the post on Wednesday my official return to regular blogging and my weekly music post :).

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Music that Moves Me: Look Around

"Keep on running,
Never get to feel the moment,
It's like you're sleeping,
Cause you don't take the time to take it in line,
Like a train wreck,
You're on a mission,
Tunnel vision got you blinded,
Better slow down,
Before you lose ground,
It'll happen anyway...
When you close your eyes to see the view,
You miss everything surrounding you,
Stop and just look around, get up and look around,
get up and look around, get up and look around"
Look Around-David Archuleta

For everyone who, like me, sometimes gets so caught up in the future that they forget to live in the present:



Also, I have a question: Which album cover do you like more:

The cover to his first album
Or the cover to his second album?

For those of you who aren't familiar with David Archuleta, he is a very happy smiley sweet kind of person. Until I saw the cover of his first album, I didn't know just how UNHAPPY he could look. I personally hated that album cover, just because it wasn't HIM. So I'm voting for the second one (though I'm not completely in love with his shoes or the position); just look at his smile! :D

Comment and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading,

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"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..."


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Music that Moves Me: Welcome to the Masquerade

"We've got the fire, who's got the matches?
Take a look around at the sea of masks
Come one, come all, welcome to the grand ball
Where the strong run for cover and the weak stand tall

I'm not one to scatter ashes
But there's some things that melt the plastic
Try and dig down deeper if you can

I'm not afraid, I'm not ashamed
I'm not to blame, welcome to the masquerade
I'm not ashamed, I'm not afraid
I'm not okay, welcome to the masquerade
Welcome to the masquerade"
Welcome to the Masquerade-Thousand Foot Krutch

I absolutely love this song. For all the people who feel surrounded by masks, and those who know they're wearing one. I used to pretend to be okay when I wasn't, full on fake happy, and now I'm not hiding anything. I'm not spilling my life's story to everyone who asks how I am, but I can still be honest about how I feel :). And the fact that I've chosen to be free from that act actually makes me free to feel happy for real sometimes :D. I love "the strong run for cover and the weak stand tall", because it is so true to my life. This whole song rings true. I hope you enjoy it, and let me know what you think either way!

Thanks for reading people, and sorry for my horribly inconsisent posting. Life comes at you fast...

--
"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..."


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Music that Moves Me: Keep Passing the Open Windows

"Do you know how it feels when you don't have a friend
Without a job and no money to spend?
You're a stranger
All you think about is suicide
One of these days you're gonna lose the fight
You'd better keep out of danger - yeah!
That same old feeling just keeps burning deep inside
Keep telling yourself it's gonna be the end
Oh get yourself together
Things are looking better everyday

Just believe - just keep passing the open windows
Just believe - just keep passing the open windows

This is the only life for me
Surround myself around my own fantasy
You just gotta be strong and believe in yourself
Forget all the sadness 'cause love is all you need
Love is all you need"
Keep Passing the Open Windows-Queen

I've been at that point, where all I wanted was to die. Almost caused that to happen, too. But He stopped me, and I was mad about it for a long while, then eventually grateful. I just have to believe that I can make it through this. And now I know, more than ever before, that I am loved. And that makes all the difference in the world :). I will make it, I just need to refocus and find some direction. Work hard and not waste the opportunities I've been given. I just have to be strong and believe in myself, forget all the sadness, because love is all I need...

P.S. My dad has made it so that my laptop doesn't get Internet at night. I haven't figured out the exact hours yet, but I know it doesn't work at 10:49pm, and am worried he has made it so it doesn't work at 10pm, which is way too early for someone who works the morning/afternoon shift and then does homework and is nocturnal. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to post this sooner, I didn't realize that he had done that until I'd tried Wednesday and Thursday nights to get on here and post, and it wasn't working, and I pumped my mom for information. Not having Internet is not cool.

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..."


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