an update + pretty pictures

 I have not blogged in 27 days. That is horrifying. You know what else is horrifying? I just realized that every time I have said PIN number, I've been saying personal identification number number. If I ever say that again I think I am going to snap myself on the wrist with my hair tie. If you have ever made this mistake, or mispronounced  words like facade, epitome, or hyperbole, I suggest you watch Hank Green's video Stop Embarrassing Yourself.

I seem to be developing an addiction to Arizona Tea's Arnold Palmer Half and Half drinks. Half lemonade and half iced tea. 50 calories in a serving. Unfortunately I don't think Dr. Phil would approve.

I am including pictures in between every paragraph not because they are relevant, but because I have a surplus of pretty pictures that I think the world should see.

I threw away seven of my old journals. They were all from about seventh and eighth grade and today I realized they were crap. They content was crap, the physical condition was crap, and the person I was then, or at least wrote about being, was crap. They were simply taking up space and the few times I would reread them, it would just make me unhappy. I did keep two journals though, from freshman and sophomore year. These ones I actually read. I feel like by this time, I was finally figuring out who I am.

my morning routine

I am a morning person, but to me, morning means about 8 am. To make it to the bus on time though, I need to be up 5:50 every day. I try to keep my routine very simple and accomplish as much as I can the night before.

The night before

-Wash face

-Lay out outfit

-Shower

-Style hair—straighten or scrunch with mousse

Morning

-Wash face

            Makeup

            -yellow NYC concealer under eyes

-Lorac foundation mixed with moisturizer

-brown Covergirl eyeliner, smudged

            -Revlon lipstick

-Touch up hair

-Eat breakfast

-Take multivitamin

-Brush teeth

-Chill for a few minutes or race out the door

I am blessed with hair that is very easy to take care of, so I don’t even have to brush it. Every night I wash it and then usually I style it with some mousse (Curls Rock by Bed Head) before I go to sleep.  When I wake up, I have some really pretty loose waves. I understand that not everyone can do this, but for me it is a huge timesaver.

Usually I don’t bother with eye shadow, because I am lazy, or blush, because I feel like it highlights my acne. Also I recently discovered yellow concealer, which is pretty much a lifesaver because I have an incurable case of dark under eye circles. I just rub it in with my fingers and put tinted moisturizer over it.

Tinted moisturizer is a great way to combine the steps of moisturizing and applying foundation, as long as you aren’t looking for full coverage. And if you don’t want to go out and buy new products, all that you have to do is mix the foundation and moisturizer you already own. I just apply it with my fingers, though you can use whatever application method you prefer.

In conclusion: If you have a hard time getting up in the morning, the key to being ready on time is simplicity and preparation.

Sometimes others say it better than you do—Lemon Soda has a great article called Looking Decent On No Sleep that also has great tips. 

the list

I finally finished my 101 list. Actually, I finished it a few days ago, but that is beside the point. My challenge began August 22 and is due to be finished on May 19, 2013. Right now that seems pretty far away, but I think it might come sooner than I think.

Strikethrough=completed    Bold=work in progress

1. Go to a concert.

2. Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years.

3. Learn to drive.

4. Get a job.

5. Go for a walk in the rain.

6. Be kissed.

7. Stop drinking soda.

8. Plant an herb garden.

9. Become an organ donor.

10. Learn to cook 10 new recipes.

11. Go bowling. 8/22/10

12. Read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

13. Go to a restaurant by myself.

14. Take my parents out to dinner.

15. Go for a walk in the rain.

16. Learn to make sushi.

17. Give myself a henna tattoo.

18. Buy a pair of good heels.

19. Leave an inspirational note in a library book.

20. Become a registered voter.

21. Complete the 50 Book Challenge.

22. Buy 10 new pairs of earrings.

23. Spend a day shopping with my mom & sister.

24. Complete a coloring book.

25. Get something other than my ears pierced.

26. Write a good poem.

27. Improve my memory.

28. Go swimming.

29. Buy a copy of Wreck This Journal. Wreck it.

30. Donate clothes every six months.

31. Continue blogging until 1001 days are up.

32. Buy a pair of Doc Martens.

33. Create a wardrobe of only clothes I love.

34. Go to the zoo.

35. Pass every AP test I take.

36. Find a way to organize external hard drive.

37. Back up computers once a week.

38. Start using my bank account again.

39. Make a playlist of my 101 favorite songs.

40. Eat a pomegranate.

41. Get my eyebrows waxed.

42. Put bright red streaks in my hair.

43. Turn my computer off every night for six months.

44. Drink only water for one month.

45. Write 30 blogs about topics.

46. Celebrate my birthday.

47. Write a list of my favorite things & seal it. Open it in 10 years.

48. Fill a notebook with inspiring quotes & leave it for someone else to find.

49. Buy one purse I absolutely love.

50. Re-learn cursive.

51. Write something for The F Bomb.

52. Get followers on my blog.

53. Fill my new journal cover to cover.

54. Keep my bed made for a month.

55. Get rid of my acne.

56. Spend a day riding the bus around town.

57. Buy nice perfume.

58. Write someone a handwritten thank you note.

59. Subscribe to a magazine.

60. Learn to paint my own fingernails.

61. Sleep under the stars.

62. Bake cookies.

63. Enter an essay contest.

64. Start listening to 10 new bands.

65. Comment on 1 blog every week for a month.

66. Learn 5 inspirational quotes by heart.

67. Make a pie from scratch—crust & all.

68. Dance in the rain.

69. Make a new friend.

70. Send a letter to an old friend.

71. Graduate.

72. Tie a note to a balloon & let it go.

73. Write my fears on a piece of paper & burn it afterwards.

74. Learn 50 new words.

75. Get a new hobby.

76. Delete my MySpace account. 8/22/10

77. See a movie by myself.

78. Plant a flower.

79. Write a six-word memoir.

80. Start a journal of quotes.

81. Go without tv for a week.

82. Find a cause I am passionate about.

83. See the sunrise.

84. See the sunset.

85. Watch every episode of Freaks & Geeks and My So-Called Life.

86. Leave a ‘you are beautiful’ note somewhere.

87. Try to like tea.

88. List 25 things I like about myself.

89. Smile at a stranger every day for a month.

90. Identify 100 things that make me happy.

91. Learn to ride my bike.

92. Go to the park and have a picnic.

93. Buy good makeup.

94. Develop my own clothing style.

95. Buy 10 new cds.

96. Make my family a nice dinner.

97. Buy myself flowers.

98. Start saving for college.

99. Take a bubble bath.

100. Lose at least one jeans size.

101. Make another list of 101 things.

ikea & my barbie dream house

Today I got an Ikea catalog in the mail and given my crappy first day of school, it was the highlight of my day. I immediately grabbed a stack of sticky notes and sat down to mark all of the amazing items, spreads, and general awesomeness that I found. The whole book is now littered with florescent orange post its. I confess, I could live in Ikea. It is such an amazing store, plus they have plenty of food.  Anyway, flipping through my catalog inspiring me to create a list of all of the features I would have in my dream house, so here it goes.

General:

I envision it being sort of a small house, but with spacious rooms. I don’t need 4 bedrooms, but I do like white space. It also has lots of windows because natural light rocks. The color scheme is pretty simple, just lots of white with black accents and stainless steel. I don’t need tons of color. The carpets would be white. Also, most of the furniture. Last but not least, I would have a kitten. Adopted from the animal shelter of course.

Kitchen:

Firstly, all of the appliances are brand new and stainless steel. There is a magnetic knife rack . . . somewhere. I don’t know where, but this is very important to me. I’ve always wanted one, plus it makes a cool sound when you take the knives off of it. Also, I want a small window box with herbs above the sink. I’m terrible at keeping plants alive, but hopefully this would be the exception.

Living Room:

Books are amazing. I have a lot of them, but not nearly enough. Someday I am going to have black bookshelves covering an entire wall in my living room, along with a rad world map. Also, because I take my entertainment every seriously, there would be a stereo system, a tv & dvd player, and a large dvd rack.

Bedroom:

The most important part of any bedroom is of course the bed. Mine would be a queen size bed with a white comforter set. On the wall opposite my bed would be a small tv, probably a 22”. I think that would be big enough. I also want to have a Jackson Pollack print on one of the walls and a desk with my computer and lots of storage area next to it. Last, my closet. Maybe this should be in its own category, because I have a lot of requirements. I want a walk in closet with lots of room for my shoes and shelves for folded items. I also want space to put a full length mirror inside so that I can lock myself in there and play dress up. Even when I am a grown woman, I am sure that I will still enjoy doing this.

Bathroom:

This is for the master bath, which would hopefully be right off of the main bedroom. I would like a large vanity with a big mirror and lots of storage for the expensive makeup I hope I will someday own. Also, I want a large shower and tub with a really fancy shower head. Maybe one of those ones that sprays water 8 different ways and feels like you are getting a massage.

See, I am really not asking for much. Anyway, this is just what my dream house would be like.

Your turn: What would your Barbie dream house look like? Do you already have it?

my rainy day list

• Bake chocolate chip cookies.
• Curl up under a blanket & watch your favorite tv show for a few hours.
• Look for pretty pictures on We Heart It.
• Create your dream outfit on Polyvore. Maybe you’ll never be able to buy it (most of the clothes are designer) but the items sure is beautiful.
• Try a new recipe.
• Clean your whole house. Vacuum out the bottom of your closet, do all of your laundry, dust every surface, and clean your sink.
• Go for a drive with a great cd and no destination in mind.
• Drink a cup of coffee or tea and read something from your To Be Read shelf.

Your turn:  What do you do on a rainy day?

post less, write more

I've written 12 posts and 9 days. I am not okay with that. There is a reason most bloggers only post one or two times a week--they aim for quality instead of quantity. Because of this, I am going to try to slow down on the blogging, write fuller posts, and publish instead of just posting. By that I mean going to go through the whole writing process--editing and rewriting included.

What I'm working on:

• Compiling a list for the 50 Book Challenge. Basically, you have one year to read 50 books. I used to practically devour books, but now I have the attention span of a goldfish, so this will really be a challenge for me.
• The 1001 Day Project. This is the new bucket list. You make a list of 101 tasks to complete. Then you try to do all of them in 1001 days. Right now I'm just creating my list, but as soon as I finish writing it I will begin working on it and blog as I go.
• Some people fantasize about their dream wedding. I fantasize about my dream house. Soon, I'm hoping to post a blog about mine.

wish list

-A 15" MacBook Pro with 2 gigs of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. $2000 base price. Hey, if I'm going to dream, I might as well dream big.

-The Unusuals: The Complete Series. A completely bizarre-in-a-good-way cop show that ABC cancelled after only 10 episodes. $30 on Amazon but I can't find it in any stores.

-Urban Decay Naked Palette. $44 and full of gorgeous neutral colors. As much as I love eyeshadow, I think I could just own this palette and be set for life. Until it ran out of course.

-Diva Darcie 8 Eye Boots. Only $115 (the same price as classic Docs!!!), these are absolutely amazing. I need them in my life.

back to school haul

I know YouTubers love their haul videos, so I thought I would do a sort of haul blog of my back to school supplies. Maybe a back to school wardrobe blog will follow. I'm a total school supply nerd and I have to have very specific items. After 12 years of school (including pre-k and kindergarten) I know what I like.

1: Mead binders. These ones are really snazzy because they fold over like a notebook, making it easier to take notes. I usually use plastic binders that I end up destroying after a month, so I'm hoping these will last longer.
2: Loose leaf paper. Maybe calling it loose leaf is an east coast thing, because here in Utah people look at me like I'm mad when I say that. However, I'm talking about that loose paper that comes in giant packs. I bought four, which will probably last me about two months--no joke.
3: Giant erasers. My love of these probably stems from all of my time designing posters in 7th grade Publications class, but they really do come in handy. Now, though, I use them for erasing paragraphs out of my essays.
4: Planner. According to my friends, the school I am switching to does not provide them. As soon as I heard this, I know it would be absolutely necessary to buy one of my own. I don't really write down important dates or my extensive social calender (because I don't have one), but it works out well for keeping track of homework.
5: Black & White Bic Pencils. These are the perfect example of knowing what I like. It has taken me a several years to find the perfect pencil, but I am pretty darn sure this is it. They are the only mechanical pencils I've ever found that can withstand all of my fidgeting,.
6: Lead for Mechanical Pencils. In high school, everyone wants your gum and pencil lead. It's good to be prepared.
7: Zebra Pens. These are the ultimate pen. I am in love with them. When I had to take AP tests, I bought 6. No joke.,
8: Dakine Backpack. I bought this a TJ Maxx just a few days ago. It's pretty. I always use some sort of messenger bag or backpack, and I'm hoping this one will work out,

links i love

On Nasa’s website, they post an Astronomy Photo of the Day along with a brief explanation of the photo. They include some absolutely stunning photos of space along with some beautiful scenes from down here looking up.

I just discovered that one of my favorite movies, Dr. Strangelove (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) is posted on YouTube. Part one can be found here.  So prepare your grain alcohol & rain water and get ready to protect your precious bodily fluids.

EricaLeeXO has a new post titled Turning Fear Into Love. It’s got some great advice that I know I personally need to work on. The most important for me to work on—break your addiction to sadness. Ch-ch-check it out.

Levi’s & JC Penney’s are offering 2 $50,000 scholarships. This is a great thing for any high school students. I know that I definitely want one.

back to school

Ten more days until I start school. This is a very stressful time for me. It might even be more stressful than the madness of the first few weeks of school. I'm shy. & starting at a new school. To say that I am nervous would be an understatement. Anxious, restless, and terrified are much better adjectives. However pragmatic everyone thinks I am, it's not entirely true. Under all of that, I am a jumbled mess of nerves and beginning school just amplifies that.

To counteract it and keep myself calm, I'm trying to focus on facts. Fact: I got my class schedule and it all works out. Fact: I got some new clothes for school. Fact: It is terribly unlikely that everyone will hate me and if worst comes to worst, at least I'm pretty comfortable being left alone. So maybe the last one isn't a good fact to focus on. Maybe I'll just stick to the first two.

First semester schedule:
Mythology
AP Calculus AB
AP Literature & Composition
MultiMedia Design
Chemistry
German 1
Journalism
AP US History

My new school wardrobe:
5 pairs of skinny jeans from JC Penney
6 t-shirts from JC Penney
2 Wet Seal dresses
4 Old Navy cardigans
2 new pairs of Converse, 2 pairs that are new to me
1 very nice Dakine backpack

And then there's my to-do list & schedule for before school starts:
Doctor's appointment
Hair appointment
Find out bus schedule
Read a book--cover to cover
Buy binders
Fill journal so I can start writing in the new one
Laundry
Clean bedroom

Focusing on all of these lists helps keep me calm--as long as I accomplish pretty much everything. When I don't, I just start to stress about what I haven't done. Perhaps I should stop writing this post and go accomplish something?

someday i

...won't stay up until 1 am watching Joan of Arcadia and Life.
...will get my attention span back so I can actually finish reading a novel.
...will remember to check the bus schedule.
...will write a new blog post and journal entry every day.

But today I

...didn't eat a single cream puff. (Big achievement.)
...finally got some school clothes.
...got to wash the perm solution out of my hair.
...bought a new journal.
...wrote this blog instead of sleeping. (Not a good idea.)

At least I'm making progress.

thrifting 101

I don't usually like thrift stores. It isn't because I think they're gross or anything like that, it's just because my mother loves them. LOVES them. And growing up we always went to Goodwill, St. Vincent's, Savers, and Salvation Army. Now that I'm a little older though, I actually have an appreciation for thrift stores.

• REASON ONE: Rad t-shirts. I usually look in the men's section for these and usually they're just a few bucks. I'm a t-shirt girl. I love a good dress or skirt, but I'm most comfortable in a t and jeans. And believe me, there are some awesome ones at thrift stores.
• REASON TWO: Books. Dude. I love books. And I've gotten most of mine from the DI. They have a lot of classics that people have gotten rid of, especially high school kids who buy them for their English classes. Also sometimes you can find newer books that are pretty cheap.
• REASON THREE: Shoes. I love shoes even more than I love books. I am a shoe slut. Last week I got two pairs of Converse for $5 each. They were a little beat up, but in a good way. I've gotten loads of shoes from thrift stores (probably more than I needed) and most of them have been priced very well.

Obviously when you buy used clothing, you do want to wash it before wearing. This is just a basic fact. Also, you should inspect for holes, stains, and any other signs of wear before you purchase. If the store has dressing rooms, try stuff on. Just know that this isn't always an option.

Happy thrifting.

bucket list

I had never really thought about making a bucket list until some little freshpeople in my art class starting talking about theirs. Freshpeople are making bucket lists and I'm not? What am I doing with my life? Okay, that was my initial thought. Then I told myself to get a grip. I never really sat down to make one until last night when I couldn't sleep. It certainly isn't finished, but I've got the beginnings of one. None of these goals are particularly adventurous or crazy. I don't want to jump out of an airplane when I am 80-years-old. I'm pretty terrified of heights. However, they are endeavors that under normal circumstances would terrify me or that I would stop myself from doing because of their reckless and impulsive nature.

-Take Amtrak or a Greyhound bus anywhere. In the middle of the night. Just because I can.
-Get over my adolescent obsession with black.
-Race golf carts in the middle of the night.
-Live in a crappy apartment in a big city.
-Fall in love.
-Take the train and explore Europe.
-Destroy something when I am really angry.
-Learn to make my anger constructive.
-Cut my hair short and donate it.
-Become friends with my sister.

introverts anonymous

Hi everyone, my name is Katie and I [sob] am and introvert. Hi Katie. So maybe the situation isn't that dramatic. And I am comfortable with my personality type. For reals. But it wasn't until I read this brilliant post called How to Rock the Party Scene for Introverts that I really began to understand that so much of my social behavior was because of my personality type.

"Contrary to popular belief, introverts are not necessarily shy in the traditional sense. Introverts just re-charge differently than extroverts. Introverts need time & space alone to create, think & explore their own minds in order to feel full & energized. Extroverts, on the other hand, seek out outside experiences–namely, other people–to recharge their batteries. They like to talk & engage with others in order to feel more alive."

Those first two sentences completely explain me. Yeah, people are great, but sometimes they are just honestly and truly exhausting. I used to come home from school and blow off important homework to take a nap because people made me so tired. Whenever I do something with my (extended) family and we all have our big gatherings, I often wander off my myself, usually to the bathroom or kitchen, so that I can be left alone to recharge for a few minutes. It's just draining to be around people. I recommend reading the post regardless of your personality type, because I think it is pretty enlightening. Even if you are an extrovert who thrives on the energy of other people, maybe you'll learn a little something about your peers.

this is madness

Take a good hard look at that picture, because it is 100% legit. I am usually a pretty organized person. I honestly am. Lately my room has been a mess though. It matches my head. So maybe, by cleaning up in my room, my head will follow suit. It is still a work in progress, but after 2 cds and a bowl of chili, this is how it looks now. And yes, that is a hammer. I still haven't made it outside to put it away. However, my cds are in a neat little stack and my reading material (Don't Step In the Leadership: A Dilbert Book, How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot, a University of Oregon flyer, and Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld) are all together next to my bed. I am strangely proud of this.

And yeah, the hammer is still sitting front and center so that maybe one day I'll remember to return it to my dad's shed. Maybe.

quick hit: jane austen's fight club

Despite the fact that I already had one post today that was almost entirely videos, I had to add this as well. I know it went viral a few weeks ago so most everyone has probably already seen it, but if you haven't watch it. If you have, watch it again. This is one of the few things in life I would actually describe as epic.

new and notable

And I'm not just talking about myself. Really though, I mean upcoming movies that I am excited about.


Easy A
Firstly, there's Easy A with Emma Stone (Zombieland) and Penn Badgley (Gossip Girl). I want to see how the pull everything together and conclude the movie. Will they make Olive become totally repentant and pure or will she accept her reputation and move on? These are the things my inner-feminist wonders about. Trailer:



Vampires Suck
I have a confession to make: I used to like Twilight. Granted, I was about 12 at the time, but I got pretty into the books. Now they kind of disgust me and I see how flat of a character Bella is, how manipulative Jacob and Edward act throughout the whole series, and how generally lame some aspects are. If you like Twilight, that's fine with me, but this is my opinion. Because of my feelings about this, I got really excited when I first saw the trailer for Vampires Suck. Usually I don't like parody movies, but this one looks rad. Trailer:



The Adjustment Bureau
This last one is certainly in a different genre group than vampire parodies or fake sluts (though I must admit, I really hate the word slut), but it looks incredible. I hope in will be the kind of movie that screws with your head and makes you question everything in it like Inception, even though the two have very different plots. I think the trailer pretty much speaks for itself, so here it goes. Trailer: