A few months ago, I made a change to my body that many of my friends became vocal about - for better or for worse. I got inked.
For the most part, friends have been overwhelmingly supportive of me making this decision for myself, esp. as they recognize the time and energy that went into choosing the specific design, the colors, the style, the shop, the artist... It was all with an intent to be highly symbolic and therefore, needed to be specific.
I've wanted to get a Phoenix tattoo since last Fall. 2015 was a pretty difficult year for me, and in all honesty, the last few years have been hugely life-changing with many directional switches. In late 2013 I began lifting and clean eating. I began to switch my body's routines and the way I looked at overall health. From that choice, the other parts of my body began to show their issues. In two years time I had completed four major surgeries - gallbladder, knee, shoulder, and ending with brain. Additionally, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in March of 2015. Brain surgery was perhaps one of the most difficult surgeries for many around me, and yet the easiest for me... I knew when they found the aneurysm it would probably equal a surgery, and instead of fear, for the first time I fully embraced TRUST. It probably helped that I had been through the other three surgeries, so perhaps they were blessings in disguise. I just KNEW Heavenly Father was going to take care of me... I knew I was suppose to do the surgery, and I knew God wasn't done with me here on earth. I knew I was going to be okay.
Some know this story... About 10 minutes before the surgery happened the doctor came in and told me he needed me to sign an extra paper. My brain was shaped differently than any other brain he had worked on in his 17 (I think that was the number...) years practicing and he wasn't sure how the procedure would react with my brain. It could mean another surgery, or even more severe issues (like paralyzed limbs) if it went poorly... or everything could be fine. I signed without a second thought and when asked how it was so easy or didn't I want to think about it, I said I already knew what the right choice was for me. I had prayed about it and God had been clear... This was the surgery I needed to become the healthiest and happiest me. Six months later at the post-op check-in, I was cleared of any sign there had been an aneurysm. I know I am meant to share that story and encourage others to fully trust in their Lord even when scared or unsure as to what will happen. It's also often a much needed reminder for me....
I wish I could say this was all the tattoo was about, however, there are SO many other things that happened during that year, and some of them I'm not ready to share publicly... some I'm just become brave enough to talk about out loud. A few weeks after my brain surgery, I had an incident where I was sexually assaulted. I have a hard time saying rape, and sexual assault feels safer... even though the incident itself wasn't safe. Weird how our brain thinks the way it does - almost self-preserves and protects you emotionally. However, sometimes, I believe my brain OVER does this protection... and I'm just now in life learning the power of letting it out. I experienced rape, and it was terrifying, traumatic, a little devastating, and demoralizing. I felt guilty - you'll never understand fully, but you question over and over again if it really IS your fault... and if this means you're a weak person. After the experience, you question your worth, your independence, your intelligence, your gut... you question EVERYTHING.
It's awful, and it's really hard to come back from... but completely do-able. It just takes a little emotional and spiritual rebuild.
Each experience of 2015 made me stronger and forced me to rebuild. I am not the person I was these few short years ago, and though I am grateful for the changes and new strength, I can not deny the happenings in life did indeed burn me and cause need for rebirth. Thus, the need for my phoenix.
"From the ash I am born again, forever safe in the Savior's hand..."
I feel like through some choices, and some happenings, I was burned. I was buried in my ash. I was, indeed, reborn. THAT is why I choose the phoenix. It stands as a permanent reminder that I CAN do hard things... that I have the ability to make it thorough anything.
We joke, "If Britney Spears could survive 2007, I can survive anything." I'm here in all seriousness to say, if I can survive 2015, I can survive and do anything... and so can you.
*muah*
Song of the Day: "Alive" by Hillsong United... singing it in church on the 19th and a little bit of my inspiration for today's post. :)
Showing posts with label Singing and Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Singing and Music. Show all posts
Monday, February 6, 2017
Friday, May 6, 2016
Expectations
Expectations are the death of a happy soul.
I was speaking with a friend the other day about my experience in Prague, and I realized something... I had the MOST amazing time and fell in love with that city for one reason - I had NO expectations about the city and the trip. I arrived solo, taking a night train from Koln to Prague city center, found my hostel and checked out local surroundings for a bit before a friend arrived and hiked around the city with me for a day and a half. We ate amazing food, saw the famous castle and city sights, and even went to a Czeck Musical! After that, I spent another two days just taking in the city and wondering around wherever I wanted to go, ate at random places, and watched a lot of street performers... It was lovely, and made all the better because I had NO expectation of how things "should" go on the trip or what I "should" do with my time. Sure, I had a list of the different sights I wanted to potentially see, list of foods to taste while there... however, there was no expectation of the "perfect trip."
After this chat, I read an article in Entrepreneur.com and it said the following:
"What did Epictetus, the great Stoic philosopher, say way back in the first century AD?
- 'People are disturbed not by things, but by the views they take of them.'
What did Shakespeare write in "Hamlet"?
- 'There's nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.'
How about the Buddha?
- 'We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.'"
They are all so spot on... WE create our perceptions and therefore, the feelings we are having of frustration about the way an event turned out, or how an individual is acting. We have a view of how things "should" go, and it ruins our ability to live in the moment and be okay with how things really ARE going.
Expectations rarely give us happiness, and therefore... I'm giving up on expectations. There are some key things I shall request/demand in my life if someone wants to stay in my life, however, expecting someone to acting exactly the way I imagine it in my mind is only going to lead to disappointment when people make a different choice or mess-up. We're all human - we don't handle situations perfectly every time. Therefore, if I allow myself to experience a situation and react accordingly, I feel as though I can live with a lot less disappointment and unfulfilled desires.
When it comes to things in my life coming to fruition, I work hard to make them happen - I don't expect them to happen because I have talent or an opportunity. I will allow myself to be in the moment and feel the genuine emotions of that experience... not what I believe I "should" feel or want to feel. That's putting your happiness in the hands of a specific situation or person... and I want to choose my happiness and let it be genuinely present. And, how much more real is that?! I'm not anticipating an emotional reaction or response - I'm letting it naturally come forth. Healthier and happier approach in my mind...
There's a difference between advocating for high results with jobs, events, friends, dating, etc.... However, I'm digging this idea of letting life be what it is and having zero expectations. I've read "always have hope, though never expect." I can live by that rule. :)
*muah*
Song of the Day: Love this song, even if it's over-played to some... and it kinda goes with the topic - "Let It Go" by James Bay, and covered by yours truly. :) Enjoy!
Sidenote: I'm halfway to 31 today! :) AND, guess what my fortune said this morning...? "As soon as you feel too old to do a thing, do it." DONE.
I was speaking with a friend the other day about my experience in Prague, and I realized something... I had the MOST amazing time and fell in love with that city for one reason - I had NO expectations about the city and the trip. I arrived solo, taking a night train from Koln to Prague city center, found my hostel and checked out local surroundings for a bit before a friend arrived and hiked around the city with me for a day and a half. We ate amazing food, saw the famous castle and city sights, and even went to a Czeck Musical! After that, I spent another two days just taking in the city and wondering around wherever I wanted to go, ate at random places, and watched a lot of street performers... It was lovely, and made all the better because I had NO expectation of how things "should" go on the trip or what I "should" do with my time. Sure, I had a list of the different sights I wanted to potentially see, list of foods to taste while there... however, there was no expectation of the "perfect trip."
After this chat, I read an article in Entrepreneur.com and it said the following:
"What did Epictetus, the great Stoic philosopher, say way back in the first century AD?
- 'People are disturbed not by things, but by the views they take of them.'
What did Shakespeare write in "Hamlet"?
- 'There's nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.'
How about the Buddha?
- 'We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.'"
They are all so spot on... WE create our perceptions and therefore, the feelings we are having of frustration about the way an event turned out, or how an individual is acting. We have a view of how things "should" go, and it ruins our ability to live in the moment and be okay with how things really ARE going.
Expectations rarely give us happiness, and therefore... I'm giving up on expectations. There are some key things I shall request/demand in my life if someone wants to stay in my life, however, expecting someone to acting exactly the way I imagine it in my mind is only going to lead to disappointment when people make a different choice or mess-up. We're all human - we don't handle situations perfectly every time. Therefore, if I allow myself to experience a situation and react accordingly, I feel as though I can live with a lot less disappointment and unfulfilled desires.
When it comes to things in my life coming to fruition, I work hard to make them happen - I don't expect them to happen because I have talent or an opportunity. I will allow myself to be in the moment and feel the genuine emotions of that experience... not what I believe I "should" feel or want to feel. That's putting your happiness in the hands of a specific situation or person... and I want to choose my happiness and let it be genuinely present. And, how much more real is that?! I'm not anticipating an emotional reaction or response - I'm letting it naturally come forth. Healthier and happier approach in my mind...
There's a difference between advocating for high results with jobs, events, friends, dating, etc.... However, I'm digging this idea of letting life be what it is and having zero expectations. I've read "always have hope, though never expect." I can live by that rule. :)
*muah*
Song of the Day: Love this song, even if it's over-played to some... and it kinda goes with the topic - "Let It Go" by James Bay, and covered by yours truly. :) Enjoy!
Sidenote: I'm halfway to 31 today! :) AND, guess what my fortune said this morning...? "As soon as you feel too old to do a thing, do it." DONE.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Angiograms and Happy Dances!
Today, I learned what an Angiogram is, and how in-depth it can be... WHY did I learn this you ask?
Today, I had an Angiogram.
Now, your next question may or may not be the same as mine.... What the HELL is an angiogram and WHY did you have to have one? Good question.
If you did not/do not know what an angiogram is, don't feel ashamed... I had one today and I STILL didn't understand fully until I was actually IN the procedure. An angiogram is (dictionary definition), "an imaging test that uses x-rays to view your body's blood vessels. Physicians often use this test to study narrow, blocked, enlarged, or malformed arteries or veins in many parts of your body, including your brain, heart, abdomen, and legs." In fifth grade terms, they hook me up to a bunch of machines by running a cord into me to my brain through my thigh and inject dye to see the different parts of my brain. I was fully awake during the tests and they put all the videos and pictures in front of me right after to explain options and what each picture meant - it was awesome! The worst part about the whole thing was when the stent in my thigh didn't catch and they had to push down and put pressure on the wound sight for 20 MINUTES afterward! I thought I would die for a minute - saw the blinding light and did NOT go to it - but it was fine. :) Thank the Lord above for a high pain tolerance!
For those who do not recall from a few entries back, I was diagnosed in March with a brain aneurysm in my carotid artery. I've felt symptoms that somewhat tie to this for the past few weeks, but mostly I just have to deal with "taking things slow and light" and focus on killing the Lyme in my body. So, today they did this test in order to determine the exact procedure and next steps we can and will take to get rid of and defend against this aneurysm. The doctor I worked with today (amazing doctor!) came out before the procedure to talk options he already was considering and what he felt was the best route. I knew I liked him immediately when he stated that he thought monitoring was a dumb option too.... I wanna live a full-go-get-em life, and background worry about an aneurysm bursting could harness that greatly. He suggested a pipeline stent, and after testing, that's what we've decided to do.
The best part about this news... No open brain surgery! That's a lot safer and less potential for infection. Also......
........ I get to keep my hair!!! Call me shallow. Call me stupid for thinking about this. I really don't give a flying... I love my hair. I've spent a LONG time getting it to the wondrous flowing locks it's at now... Therefore, I was not wanting to cut/shave any section of it. Now, if this was life or death and they needed to, I'm all in! However, since they don't have too, I'm allowed to do a slight celebratory dance in my heart. I'm not allowed to actually dance for a few days while I recover from the stent they put in my thigh today post testing. So, heart dance it is!!!
*moment of silence for my dance to occur*
Moving onward, I'm happy to have answers and a more definitive direction to move with getting to optimal health and body. I'm excited to take care of these issues and no longer struggle with brain and memory issues. I'm killing Lyme, and we're taking control of this aneurysm... and today, I am SO grateful for the gift of modern medicine to aide in this process. I am grateful for the support of friends and family, pushing me to look into my health and take care of myself. I am thankful for my body, and the amazing things it can do...
Happy dance, carry on. Linze, carry on.
*muah*
Song of the Day: For those not aware, I am really chasing the music thing as of late. I've started a thing on YouTube called #newmusicmonday where I post a new cover every Monday and encourage friends and family to like, listen, and share. So, in honor of #newmusicmonday and my working vocal chords (my therapy the past two months), here is this week's cover - a Sia song, "Soon We'll Be Found." Enjoy!
Today, I had an Angiogram.
Now, your next question may or may not be the same as mine.... What the HELL is an angiogram and WHY did you have to have one? Good question.
If you did not/do not know what an angiogram is, don't feel ashamed... I had one today and I STILL didn't understand fully until I was actually IN the procedure. An angiogram is (dictionary definition), "an imaging test that uses x-rays to view your body's blood vessels. Physicians often use this test to study narrow, blocked, enlarged, or malformed arteries or veins in many parts of your body, including your brain, heart, abdomen, and legs." In fifth grade terms, they hook me up to a bunch of machines by running a cord into me to my brain through my thigh and inject dye to see the different parts of my brain. I was fully awake during the tests and they put all the videos and pictures in front of me right after to explain options and what each picture meant - it was awesome! The worst part about the whole thing was when the stent in my thigh didn't catch and they had to push down and put pressure on the wound sight for 20 MINUTES afterward! I thought I would die for a minute - saw the blinding light and did NOT go to it - but it was fine. :) Thank the Lord above for a high pain tolerance!
For those who do not recall from a few entries back, I was diagnosed in March with a brain aneurysm in my carotid artery. I've felt symptoms that somewhat tie to this for the past few weeks, but mostly I just have to deal with "taking things slow and light" and focus on killing the Lyme in my body. So, today they did this test in order to determine the exact procedure and next steps we can and will take to get rid of and defend against this aneurysm. The doctor I worked with today (amazing doctor!) came out before the procedure to talk options he already was considering and what he felt was the best route. I knew I liked him immediately when he stated that he thought monitoring was a dumb option too.... I wanna live a full-go-get-em life, and background worry about an aneurysm bursting could harness that greatly. He suggested a pipeline stent, and after testing, that's what we've decided to do.
The best part about this news... No open brain surgery! That's a lot safer and less potential for infection. Also......
........ I get to keep my hair!!! Call me shallow. Call me stupid for thinking about this. I really don't give a flying... I love my hair. I've spent a LONG time getting it to the wondrous flowing locks it's at now... Therefore, I was not wanting to cut/shave any section of it. Now, if this was life or death and they needed to, I'm all in! However, since they don't have too, I'm allowed to do a slight celebratory dance in my heart. I'm not allowed to actually dance for a few days while I recover from the stent they put in my thigh today post testing. So, heart dance it is!!!
*moment of silence for my dance to occur*
Moving onward, I'm happy to have answers and a more definitive direction to move with getting to optimal health and body. I'm excited to take care of these issues and no longer struggle with brain and memory issues. I'm killing Lyme, and we're taking control of this aneurysm... and today, I am SO grateful for the gift of modern medicine to aide in this process. I am grateful for the support of friends and family, pushing me to look into my health and take care of myself. I am thankful for my body, and the amazing things it can do...
Happy dance, carry on. Linze, carry on.
*muah*
Song of the Day: For those not aware, I am really chasing the music thing as of late. I've started a thing on YouTube called #newmusicmonday where I post a new cover every Monday and encourage friends and family to like, listen, and share. So, in honor of #newmusicmonday and my working vocal chords (my therapy the past two months), here is this week's cover - a Sia song, "Soon We'll Be Found." Enjoy!
Monday, March 23, 2015
Life Lemons = Damn Good Fish.
When life gives you lemons... Slice them up real nice and thin, place them on some fresh salmon with some roasted garlic, and bake for a half hour on 350. I mean, why not, right? :) When life gives you lemons, make some damn good fish.
Life has it's fair share of ups and downs, but what's interesting is learning how powerful the mind can be during these roller coaster rides. I had my fair share or bad moments last week, but I also took some time to relish in the sweetness of where my life is right now. I have a fantastic job at a school I love, with kids I adore, and was blessed enough to win our Region Theatre Competition after a few weeks of hard-work and dedication. So proud...
I can drive in my fully-paid-off Escape with the windows and sunroof down, because the weather is glorious and the sun is shining. Well, today there is rain, but thank goodness for moisture and future greeness, right?! I can smell the flowers and see the tress blossoming with Spring - it's gorgeous.
I have the ability to make music and do what I love by singing, learning to record, and growing in my craft. God has given me a voice and I have the ability to use it and share it with others... Life is good.
As an update to my "conditions," I've had bad days... days where the meds make me exhausted and I have the shakes or trouble holding objects. I've had days where half of my body falls numb and my headaches increase. I've had days where no one can seems to give me answers, and I all I can do it turn to God for comfort... but at least He's there for me.
I am a blessed girl. In the midst of it all, I find that gratitude and taking time to smile is what gets me through. Take the time to make someone smile today - it'll help you out too.
*muah*
Song of the Day: So, I've got a new computer and equipment and plan to sign up for a sound mixing class this summer... I'm ready to do this! Here is my most recent cover for #newmusicmonday - "I Can't Make You Love Me," by Bonnie Raitt. Enjoy!!!
Monday, January 26, 2015
Riding With Fear: It's Time to Replace Fear with Faith
It’s quite amazing how life
recycles itself if you let it. It’s
like a really great, or really terrible, fashion trend. Every few decades it recycles and becomes a
“new fad” or “hip fashion.” Like life,
if we allow it, our situations recycle themselves and come back into play. This can be a great thing… Or a debilitating
road-block.
I was re-reading some of my old blog entries, attempting to find
something for a class, and saw a few things that made me smile just a bit…. The
first was this entry from 2008:
It boils down to this. I cannot seem to gain a new future or let go of the past. I cannot seem to live for tomorrow, but am constantly in the future or the past... I am filled with worry and doubt, and that is not a very "Linze" thing to feel. Everyone turns to me for strength and understanding... Not this time. Who do I turn to?
Heavenly Father, of course...
and yet, I feel as though he has given me the reins on this one and now I am
lost in the desert with only a dying horse to guide me back... I have to choose
the paths, and he wants me to learn from each dead end and round-about I encounter.
One day I will look back and be overwhelmingly grateful for these experiences and emotions, but for now I remain in a level of pain. Yes, that's the way to describe the state I am in: One of pain. I thought that was an exaggeration, and it may be, but I am hurting right now and can't seem to find the treatment or medication to numb the pain and heal the wound. Perhaps, tomorrow?”
One day I will look back and be overwhelmingly grateful for these experiences and emotions, but for now I remain in a level of pain. Yes, that's the way to describe the state I am in: One of pain. I thought that was an exaggeration, and it may be, but I am hurting right now and can't seem to find the treatment or medication to numb the pain and heal the wound. Perhaps, tomorrow?”
Now, I have NOT felt in a lot of pain this past year – on the contrary,
I have been relieving that pain in so many ways over the past year. What’s interesting is the feelings of
confusion and the middle of this entry (which, in retrospective, I have
realized is highly dramatic to put on social media…). I say, “. I cannot seem to gain a new future
or let go of the past. I cannot seem to live for tomorrow, but am constantly in
the future or the past... I am filled with worry and doubt, and that is not a
very "Linze" thing to feel.”
Well, truth be told this HAS been a very “Linze” thing to feel. Looking
back at my life, I have allowed myself to be filled with worry and doubt over
every little thing instead of trusting myself and my Heavenly Father a lot
more. I know “it’s a process”
sometimes, but why make everything so complicated? Why
when I know deep down what I want, do I fight it because I’m scared it “might
be the wrong choice?” I do this a
lot, and thus, bring on a lot of worry and unneeded stress – and waste a lot of
valuable time. I’m not saying I’ve got
the perfect answer to not worrying ever again, but I’m starting to see the true
benefit in self-trust and really
trusting my Father in Heaven. I’ve seen
the benefit in letting go of what you can’t control and taking charge of what
you can while having faith in yourself.
Another interesting article I wrote in 2008 was my personal goals and
mission statement:
“Next Year: I would ideally like to be working
for a company I enjoy being involved with and making at least $40, 000 a year.
I would like to be heading back to school to complete my Master's Degree,
either in Comms or getting my MPA. I would also like to have paid off all of
all of my undergraduate loans, live outside of my home again, and own my first
car.
Three Years: Be graduated with my Master's Degree and be working in an established events planning/PR job that is making $60,000+ a year. Spend at least a few months living in LA or DC!
Five Years: Have moved up in the company and be in established position, in a significant leadership role. Married; This could happen around the three year mark as well, but I don't know that it will. We'll see.
Ten Years: Married with a few children. Working from home for an events business and improving in my knowledge of event and social trends. Preparing to fund my and open my own events planning business!
From there, who knows if I will be in events or education... I enjoy both, and we will see where life leads me. Of course, a few things will change my time-line... One) If I go on a mission 2) If/when I have my own family they will be numero uno on my list of priorities. So, that will fit in more and more to my list as I get married and have children... I wish I could plot that on my time-line. Haha! I would love to be secure enough with my husband's income to not have to work, but still get to work - if your know what I mean. I really LOVE working and staying busy, so I would love to still be doing a little something... Even if it is simply aiding in my child's Kindergarten class! Haha...
Now, enough of life planning for now. I still have yet to make a Mission Statement for my life... So, I shall give it a shot, but probably do a lot of revising over the course of the week to perfect it:
Three Years: Be graduated with my Master's Degree and be working in an established events planning/PR job that is making $60,000+ a year. Spend at least a few months living in LA or DC!
Five Years: Have moved up in the company and be in established position, in a significant leadership role. Married; This could happen around the three year mark as well, but I don't know that it will. We'll see.
Ten Years: Married with a few children. Working from home for an events business and improving in my knowledge of event and social trends. Preparing to fund my and open my own events planning business!
From there, who knows if I will be in events or education... I enjoy both, and we will see where life leads me. Of course, a few things will change my time-line... One) If I go on a mission 2) If/when I have my own family they will be numero uno on my list of priorities. So, that will fit in more and more to my list as I get married and have children... I wish I could plot that on my time-line. Haha! I would love to be secure enough with my husband's income to not have to work, but still get to work - if your know what I mean. I really LOVE working and staying busy, so I would love to still be doing a little something... Even if it is simply aiding in my child's Kindergarten class! Haha...
Now, enough of life planning for now. I still have yet to make a Mission Statement for my life... So, I shall give it a shot, but probably do a lot of revising over the course of the week to perfect it:
MISSION STATEMENT: MY
LIFE
The mission of Linze Struiksma is to grow and progress
toward perfection in pursuit for eternal life. I will live a life full of
intensive learning and development as I surround myself with motivating and
positive settings and individuals. My commitment to excellence will be
shown through my service to others, especially my family. I will maintain
a balanced life by being a well-rounded individual – educated in the arts,
sports, the political arena, history, current events around the world, and of
course, the gospel of Jesus Christ. I will teach my family and friends to
do the same within their lives.
To succeed in this mission, I will not fear change and
progression within the workplace, church or internally. I will be kind and
understanding of all those I come in contact with, as I strive to continually
improve my networking abilities and relationships with others. Effective
communication, open honesty, and genuine trust will be the foundation for any
established relationship. I will always remember to be open-minded and
understanding to new ideas or cultures. I will maintain flexibility and
patience as new situations are placed in front of me.
My life will be lived to experience true happiness and help
others enjoy each day! I will show gratitude to those around me, and tell
those close to me how much I love and appreciate them each day. My
positive attitude and genuine concern for the individual are to be shared
openly with others. I will use my drive, passions, and talents to bless my
family and the lives of others – I will share the gift of music and
communication with the world. I will teach others to fight for what they
believe in, and chase their truest desires by doing so for myself.
I will strive to be a constant example of truth and light to
all those I come in contact with, and share my testimony through my actions. I
will raise my family to have integrity and live in correspondence with these
eternal truths. My educational, occupational, and personal goals are to be
centered on my desire to grow closer to my Savior, and become who I was meant
to be. Personal responsibilities must always lie in serving others in each
project I undertake and decision that I make; doing so will bring me closer to
Christ. I will make every effort to convey happiness in my home and social
situations, and bring strength to those around me.”
WOW. Can I just say…
life has changed. Life has NOT gone to
plan… and for that I am SO grateful. I
could have been “fine,” in a PR job – I would have been great at it!
I wouldn't have been as happy. I have made certain choices in my life that
led me down other paths, and I’m not sad about that at all. Germany through a wrench into everything I
had planned, and it was the best detour I could have asked for in my life. I grew and developed there, and become a
fuller version of myself. Upon returning
to the USA, I have loved teaching and my Master’s Program at Westminster was an
AMAZING choice for me. I met incredible
people, had amazing experiences, learned a lot about social and political
structures, formed more clear opinions, and grow in understanding myself more
fully. Teaching has been fun, and hard,
and a time for personal reflection.
But, my goals were completely shattered with those
choices. My one, three, five, and ten
year plans, changed and developed into a better plan. Goals are fabulous, but sometimes, you have
to reevaluate and close certain doors so you can walk through another
door. Sometimes, you have to be honest with yourself and let go of a sub-par
plan because you want something more, something BEST, for yourself…
I have other dreams
that have always been screaming at me from the field, as I slowly walk along
the sidelines. These dreams are begging
me to finally give in and play the game – gear up and run with it! I've been scared. I've recycled all that fear and the previous
years of my life and let it ride with me in my journey… Well, this past year, I
started to slowly drop it off where it belongs – the dump. I wish I had just opened the car door at 60
mph and pushed it out of “the journey mobile,” but it was already riding with
me… and so I was scared to let go of the fear.
Promise, this sounds clear in my head.
Here’s the hoping it works on paper too.
Well, yesterday I had a little epiphany. After a slow drive with the music turned down
and talking to God, I realized, I have to close some doors. I have to do what’s best for ME and what I
want from this life (and the next)… I have to move forward and push fear out
the window – and just like that, it disappeared. I’m not saying it’ll never try and slide back
into the passenger seat, but I’m actively filling that seat and all the other
seats in my “journey mobile” with other things so there’s no room for it… That
seat will be filled with Faith, Trust, Self-Worth, Belief, Confidence,
Determination, Hard-work, and Passion.
As for the MOST fascinating part, my goals may have been thrown for a loop, but my personal mission
statement is the same. Read it
again. In honesty, I am still the same
ME. I am just a more developed, better
version, TRUER version, of myself. I
still want to be a great person and leader who will make a difference, who has
a strong relationship and focus on Christ, and uses my talents in music and
character to grow and develop myself and others. I still want to have a great family and let
others know they are loved by being open-minded and happy. I simply have new passengers with me on the
journey and my ride is already feeling much more optimistic and
progressive.
Moral of the
ten-year-in-the-making story: Don’t wait to close the door on fear... In
fact, don’t wait.
*muah*
Song of the Day: My most recent cover is here, so I’m going to
share it! Here is a song called "Anyway," from a new musical, Tales From the Bad Years. I'm a huge fan of Kerrigan-Lowdermilk's work and encourage you to look up some of their other songs. Please take a listen and enjoy!
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Find Your Passion, Find Your Love
I started this entry a few months back, but I'm finally finishing it... Enjoy.
I spent the afternoon grading and listening to inspirational speeches while I did so... I find that personal development during grading helps me focus in a weird way. It helps the time pass with the possibility of maintaining sanity. See, I don't love grading papers.... I love teaching - a lot. However, very few teachers love grading papers. I love grading scenes and theatre projects (thus, being a full-time theatre teacher next year (see I started this awhile back) is going to be heaven), but not papers... Eh.
The point of this entry, however, is not to discuss my like or dislike of grading. This is about inspiration and motivation. This is about finding time in your day, every day, to really give moments to personal development and inner-growth. My life has dramatically changed over the past year as I have redirected and again redirected myself because of personal development in many areas. One area, is the development of my mind and intellect. I have found that as I read more, listen to speeches or talks, and study on words of motivational value, I am a more full and driven individual.
One speech I was recently listening to was a speech from a few years back, given by Steve Jobs at a college graduation ceremony. I know Jobs can be hyped, but I really do love a lot of his advice and think his unique approach and path are emulatable - yes, I made up that word - in certain circumstances. I love this advice he gives, which can apply to our lives in school, professions, friends, love, religion, and personal growth:
I spent the afternoon grading and listening to inspirational speeches while I did so... I find that personal development during grading helps me focus in a weird way. It helps the time pass with the possibility of maintaining sanity. See, I don't love grading papers.... I love teaching - a lot. However, very few teachers love grading papers. I love grading scenes and theatre projects (thus, being a full-time theatre teacher next year (see I started this awhile back) is going to be heaven), but not papers... Eh.
The point of this entry, however, is not to discuss my like or dislike of grading. This is about inspiration and motivation. This is about finding time in your day, every day, to really give moments to personal development and inner-growth. My life has dramatically changed over the past year as I have redirected and again redirected myself because of personal development in many areas. One area, is the development of my mind and intellect. I have found that as I read more, listen to speeches or talks, and study on words of motivational value, I am a more full and driven individual.
One speech I was recently listening to was a speech from a few years back, given by Steve Jobs at a college graduation ceremony. I know Jobs can be hyped, but I really do love a lot of his advice and think his unique approach and path are emulatable - yes, I made up that word - in certain circumstances. I love this advice he gives, which can apply to our lives in school, professions, friends, love, religion, and personal growth:
"You can't connect the dots looking forward you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path."
- Steve Jobs
He goes on to talk about truly loving what you do and in a way, who you are becoming and can become:
"You've got to find what you love... Do what you believe is great work. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking... you'll know when you find it. Keep looking - don't settle."
- Steve Jobs
I love this. Too often we find ourselves stuck in positions of life where we are unhappy or discontent. These feelings can be a breeding means for two things --> complaint or change. We can find ourselves growing more negative as we allow the discontent we feel and experience to overrun our lives and thoughts, or we can work to "change our stars." We can notice these feelings or unhappiness as a call to move. We are not meant to be stationary creatures, and we are given desires in our hearts to lead us where we need to go in life. I truly believe we should not settle to settle.
Now, I'm not saying allow discontent to run your life and never find your happiness so you're constantly running from opportunities or using this as an excuse. You know, deep down, when you have found yourself in a place you're suppose to be. You also know, deep down when you should be chasing a different dream or goal. You know, deep down when a person isn't right for you or when being with someone is a good option to try and pursue. Sometimes we walk a little more in faith than knowledge, but we feel promptings or even gut-guidance no matter what religious beliefs you harbor. Don't settle - follow your heart till you arrive at the place YOU should be or with the person YOU should be with because love is present. Start to genuinely trust yourself.
Here's some real advice to put into action... In the words of Robin Roberts, when fear knocks, let faith answer the door. Find what you love, embrace that God puts passion into our lives for a reason, take a scary (but necessary) step in the direction of what you love, and have faith when that fear starts knocking... There is soon to be another blog entry on this very topic, so for now, I'll say, to be continued...
*muah*
Here's some real advice to put into action... In the words of Robin Roberts, when fear knocks, let faith answer the door. Find what you love, embrace that God puts passion into our lives for a reason, take a scary (but necessary) step in the direction of what you love, and have faith when that fear starts knocking... There is soon to be another blog entry on this very topic, so for now, I'll say, to be continued...
*muah*
Ps Here is a site with some great speeches, some of which have the quotes I found for this article: http://elitedaily.com/life/motivation/5-of-the-most-inspirational-speeches-of-our-time-motivate/
Song of the Day: In the spirit of Christmas, which it is, I recnetly recorded a cover of "Grown-up Christmas List," that I wouldlove you to check out! Enjoy and remember, reaching out to serve others is the greatest gift we can give this season... :)
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Passion: What Are You Living For?
As of late, the following statement has been said, texted to, sent to, or simply "found" me over again and again:
Passion. I am an individual overflowing with passion, indulging in the taste of my passions. I find joy in little things - joy in most things. However, PASSION is different... Passion overcomes a person's being and there is almost a physical change when they speak with that passion.
I want to experience MORE passion in my life... Sharing what I love brings out a side of me that makes me more fulfilled as a person. There are a few places that I find passion in my life...
1. I find passion in teaching. I find that when I am teaching someone else something new or further developing their minds/thought-process, I feel excited. I feel that energy and want to keep going and going! I love teaching and personal development. I feel passionate when I HELP someone else... PEOPLE bring me a sense of passion and teaching allows me to tape into that passion to help others grow and develop. Teaching THEATRE allows me to help others find passion within an arena I love and cherish... It's the biggest blessing that I'll be teaching full-time theatre next year.
2. I find passion in my Savior. Above all, I know my Savior lives, and that He died for me because He loves me. I know that I have a Heavenly Father who sent my Savior to this earth to live and die for me, then live again. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I can be the BEST version of myself and truly learn to live righteously. I can truly be happy through living like Him and accepting His gift on my behalf... and that's beautiful. What is there not to be passionate about in a man who loves me enough to DIE for me and take on all my imperfections, simply because He wants me to be ultimately happy? I am passionate about Christ.
3. I am passionate about music. There is nothing I love to do more than singing... nothing. I feel my happiest, healthiest, and most intelligent when singing and experiencing music. I learn through song and from melodies... I teach through them as well. I feel like everything I do in life is creating a personal soundtrack and I hear the melodies playing, feel the rhythms pumping, and see the pictures each lyric creates. I live in song, and if you were inside my head you would probably think I was slightly crazy. How many literally (and I'm not misusing the word here) think of parts in their day as actual music videos or think in song as response to others? I do. How many hear melodies and song in a walk outside, a car-ride home, or a typing keyboard late at night? I do. Music makes me alive... music is true passion.
I don't believe I have been giving my all to my passions... Some of them - here and there. However, I feel like over the past few years I've become wrapped up in what the world or society thinks I should become, or what feels safe and easy. I'm happy... but I truly believe I am happier when giving my all to my PASSIONS. Is anything really worth doing if there isn't passion within the action?
*muah*
Song of the Day: I recently decided to start doing covers in an attempt to feel more confident in putting my voice out there again and just to sing more... I LOVE singing, in case you missed that, and so I'm going to make an effort each way to share that love and passion with others. Thus, here is my first cover. I sang Sara Bareilles's song, "Gravity."
Find your passion and figure out how to get paid for it...
Passion. I am an individual overflowing with passion, indulging in the taste of my passions. I find joy in little things - joy in most things. However, PASSION is different... Passion overcomes a person's being and there is almost a physical change when they speak with that passion.
"Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you." - Oprah Winfrey
I want to experience MORE passion in my life... Sharing what I love brings out a side of me that makes me more fulfilled as a person. There are a few places that I find passion in my life...
1. I find passion in teaching. I find that when I am teaching someone else something new or further developing their minds/thought-process, I feel excited. I feel that energy and want to keep going and going! I love teaching and personal development. I feel passionate when I HELP someone else... PEOPLE bring me a sense of passion and teaching allows me to tape into that passion to help others grow and develop. Teaching THEATRE allows me to help others find passion within an arena I love and cherish... It's the biggest blessing that I'll be teaching full-time theatre next year.
2. I find passion in my Savior. Above all, I know my Savior lives, and that He died for me because He loves me. I know that I have a Heavenly Father who sent my Savior to this earth to live and die for me, then live again. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I can be the BEST version of myself and truly learn to live righteously. I can truly be happy through living like Him and accepting His gift on my behalf... and that's beautiful. What is there not to be passionate about in a man who loves me enough to DIE for me and take on all my imperfections, simply because He wants me to be ultimately happy? I am passionate about Christ.
3. I am passionate about music. There is nothing I love to do more than singing... nothing. I feel my happiest, healthiest, and most intelligent when singing and experiencing music. I learn through song and from melodies... I teach through them as well. I feel like everything I do in life is creating a personal soundtrack and I hear the melodies playing, feel the rhythms pumping, and see the pictures each lyric creates. I live in song, and if you were inside my head you would probably think I was slightly crazy. How many literally (and I'm not misusing the word here) think of parts in their day as actual music videos or think in song as response to others? I do. How many hear melodies and song in a walk outside, a car-ride home, or a typing keyboard late at night? I do. Music makes me alive... music is true passion.
"Nothing separates the generations more than music. By the time a child is eight or nine, he has developed a passion for his own music that is even stronger than his passions for procrastination and weird clothes." - Bill Crosby
I don't believe I have been giving my all to my passions... Some of them - here and there. However, I feel like over the past few years I've become wrapped up in what the world or society thinks I should become, or what feels safe and easy. I'm happy... but I truly believe I am happier when giving my all to my PASSIONS. Is anything really worth doing if there isn't passion within the action?
“Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping... waiting... and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir... open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us... guides us. Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank. Without passion, we'd be truly dead.” - Joss Whedon
Passion IS Life. Life IS NOT Passion... but a FULFILLED and FULL life IS Passion.
I'm ready to step into a life only filled with passion. If you want to do the same, you're more than welcome to walk beside me.
*muah*
Song of the Day: I recently decided to start doing covers in an attempt to feel more confident in putting my voice out there again and just to sing more... I LOVE singing, in case you missed that, and so I'm going to make an effort each way to share that love and passion with others. Thus, here is my first cover. I sang Sara Bareilles's song, "Gravity."
Saturday, February 9, 2013
ED SHEERAN.
Be still my aching heart.... I saw Ed Sheeran live in concert this Wednesday.
He was amazing - insanely, awesomely, incredibly amazing. I was struck by how good he was live - even better than his CD! He played with melodies, added verses and rap into his songs, and really entertained us as an audience. I loved his music before (seriously, he's one of my top 5 faves), but now I'm even more a lover of his melodic messages.... I adore Ed Sheeran.
Highlights:
- "Grade 8" - probably because it's my favorite, but he also added a new verse and linked his guitar, mics, and loop pedals to the back screen to visually show what he was playing. It was awesome.
- "The Parting Glass" - seriously gorgeous and haunting.... It's always been a fave of mine.
- Singing "U & I" at the top of my lungs with Courtney! It was pretty epic.
- "Small Bump" = SO moving... It's about an unborn baby on it's way and then there's a miscarriage. He had a heart monitor beeping in time with his song on the big screen, which was way creative and moving. Loved that one.
- Going with three of my favorite girls to see a man whose voice I adore! It was super fun and made me walk around in dream-land for at least a day...
Some great quote moments from the night:
"Is this all about milk?" - Steph
"You don't need Shazam when you're sitting next to Sha-Linze." - Yours truly.
Oh, and as an added note, he had two great openers. First, a guy named Foy Vance from Ireland who I really enjoyed through MOST of his songs. He had a great voice. PLUS, a group I had NO idea was opening for who have been no my running playlist for quite a bit now - Rizzle Kicks! They came out and I was thinkin' "They sound familiar," but couldn't place it. We looked em' up and discovered it was them singing (they still hadn't said their names yet) I realized I needed to listen to the rest of their CD! Haha... They were SUPER entertaining! Not the best voices in the world perhaps, but really fun to watch. You should probably check out their song "Mama Do the Hump" and the dance they have with it - so classic. Also, see their song "Down With the Trumpets" below.
Thanks girls for a great night! Thanks Ed for making my month.
Who needs a Valentine when I have Ed's voice to sing to me??? Okay, okay - I'll take a Valentine listening to Ed with me. :)
*muah*
Song of the Day: Here is a good, tender one... "Small Bump" LIVE in SLC, by Ed Sheeran!
He was amazing - insanely, awesomely, incredibly amazing. I was struck by how good he was live - even better than his CD! He played with melodies, added verses and rap into his songs, and really entertained us as an audience. I loved his music before (seriously, he's one of my top 5 faves), but now I'm even more a lover of his melodic messages.... I adore Ed Sheeran.
Highlights:
- "Grade 8" - probably because it's my favorite, but he also added a new verse and linked his guitar, mics, and loop pedals to the back screen to visually show what he was playing. It was awesome.
- "The Parting Glass" - seriously gorgeous and haunting.... It's always been a fave of mine.
- Singing "U & I" at the top of my lungs with Courtney! It was pretty epic.
- "Small Bump" = SO moving... It's about an unborn baby on it's way and then there's a miscarriage. He had a heart monitor beeping in time with his song on the big screen, which was way creative and moving. Loved that one.
- Going with three of my favorite girls to see a man whose voice I adore! It was super fun and made me walk around in dream-land for at least a day...
"Is this all about milk?" - Steph
"You don't need Shazam when you're sitting next to Sha-Linze." - Yours truly.
Oh, and as an added note, he had two great openers. First, a guy named Foy Vance from Ireland who I really enjoyed through MOST of his songs. He had a great voice. PLUS, a group I had NO idea was opening for who have been no my running playlist for quite a bit now - Rizzle Kicks! They came out and I was thinkin' "They sound familiar," but couldn't place it. We looked em' up and discovered it was them singing (they still hadn't said their names yet) I realized I needed to listen to the rest of their CD! Haha... They were SUPER entertaining! Not the best voices in the world perhaps, but really fun to watch. You should probably check out their song "Mama Do the Hump" and the dance they have with it - so classic. Also, see their song "Down With the Trumpets" below.
Thanks girls for a great night! Thanks Ed for making my month.
Who needs a Valentine when I have Ed's voice to sing to me??? Okay, okay - I'll take a Valentine listening to Ed with me. :)
*muah*
Song of the Day: Here is a good, tender one... "Small Bump" LIVE in SLC, by Ed Sheeran!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Why I Cry...
I can say that I'm not emotional person, but that's a flat-out lie. I don't mean to lie, but when I say that it just comes out. Truth is, I'm VERY emotional. However, my emotional is not a crying fest. If yours is there is NO judgement here - it's probably a little bit sad that I have so much trouble crying in front of others. I mean, I should be able to show that form of emotion, but unless I'm on a stage or by myself... It's typically a dry faucet.
However...
... There are moments I let the water-works loose. Why, you ask? Well, there are a few categories and one major one is film. If there is a moment in film that really moves me, I will often let it rain. It IS usually in a dark theater, so... Haha!
Here is the recent explanation for my outward display of emotion - three times, each time. Did that not make sense? It's about to. On Christmas Day I went with my family to see the film version of the musical Les Miserables. A few days later I went with my friend, Amber, to see the movie again. The following Monday for FHE, I went yet again to see this amazing film. Yep, I went three times in two weeks. Haha! I regret nothing.
I know there were imperfections. I know that Russell Crowe was NOT up to par for this film - not his voice, nor his acting in all reality. I know that some people really hated all the up-close action - and though I didn't love it all the time, I did appreciate the emotions evoked from some of those shots and the way you could see the work behind the actors. I know that usually you want acting to look natural, and I did feel like a lot of it was natural (well, as natural as you can be when singing your daily dialogue - haha!). However, I appreciated that there was emotional effort so often put forth from the actors, and that we could really see that in them.
So, there were imperfections, I truly loved Les Mis. For me, it was the therapeutic outlet I needed in my life after recent events. What events you might ask? Well, I was debating if I should put it in the open or not, but I decided that not only will this be a further form of therapy, but it might help someone else who falls into a similar situation in ANY way.
A few months ago I started "dating" a boy who I met at church after he got up and bore his testimony. He was cute, sweet-talkin', and into a lot of the same things as I am... Or, so he said he was. We began as friends for a few weeks and spent time getting to know one another just as friends. After a short time, we began "dating" for about a month and a half - I put it into quotations because we both SAID we were dating, and we were going out on dates, but that was 100% not his intention. After about a month and a half of dating he had borrowed a LOT of stuff from me and was really avoiding giving things back to me. Also, he was showing some interesting colors. He hit on another girl in front of me. He took off and left me in a club after I cooked him dinner. He wasn't into taking pictures with me or ANYONE (you can hate pictures, but this was weird). His stories began to have inconsistencies He said his wallet was stolen, and after I got him a new one in Nicaragua, he was suddenly using the old one again... Don't think I didn't call him out on all of these things either. We fought enough to the point that I was prepared to break up with him, but just wanted my stuff back first.
In honesty, looking back he was saying and doing shady things from the BEGINNING. I should have had two eyes open, but I didn't.
Really, what it comes down to is I felt off. I felt off from the beginning. I knew right away that something was off and I felt no peace in being with him. Why did I continue on? Well, I felt like I must have been having trust issues or just be being scared. Honest to goodness - I have NEVER had trust issues or been scared in a relationship. Nope, never. However, here I was second guessing myself constantly. I can finally say I know what a "stupor-of-thought" feels like and what a "Martin Harris" moment is like... No disrespect to him, but it's a good way to describe this situation.
Anyway, getting to the brunt of this tale, this boy was not who I thought he was in the least. His name is Cory Kellogg. Yep, I'm writing his name in here - you can click on the name for a picture too. I do it not to be malicious but to warn any other girl who come into contact with him that he has some serious issues and is not a good person. I know people can change, but hear me out. Cory (who had given me a different spelling to his name, by the way) is a convicted felon MANY times over with a history of forgery and theft. He creates "alternate identities" and "forged stories" to gain respect, trust, and establish relationships with people. His main targets are girlfriends and family members, but it doesn't end there. He goes after many people. He had created an ENTIRELY different identity with me and my friends... He doesn't go to BYU; doesn't play basketball. He didn't serve the mission he said he did... He doesn't work in marketing and is not traveling when he says he is (Mr. can't leave the state). He is a COMPLETELY different person than who he said he was originally...
I saw the signs. I didn't listen. It's like Taylor Swift's new song, "I Knew You Were Trouble." I knew... and I ignored.
Now, how does this all tie into Les Miserables. Well, that movie is what has truly helped to lock in the healing process. When I found out everything about Cory, how he had fully lied to me and stolen money and things from me... I was angry. I'm talking so livid I was shaking and in literal defined shock. I walked into a room and knelt down right away and just prayed... Prayed for the power to forgive. I prayed for the ability to move on and know what to do in this situation. I prayed for comfort and feelings of love. Those feelings came immediately, but it had been hard at time to keep them in my heart. I feel like just in the past few weeks I've started to let go of all that anger because I'm talking openly about how I felt/feel. Sometimes putting on a happy face is genuinely not the best avenue to take... talk about things openly.
Les Mis - promised I'd get there! Les Miserables is all about love and forgiveness. It's all about moving forward in life and realizing what "side" you're on in life. In the final scene, Jean Valjean tells Cosette the truth about his past through a letter and says he never really learned forgiveness and love till she was in his life. You see the priest in the end still carrying such a place in Valjean's life because he forgave Valjean for stealing his silver and let him know God would forgive all his other sins. This movie/story is all about forgiveness, redemption, and standing up for what's right. In the very final moments of the film you see all those who have passed on at the barricade. They talk about the power in coming into the "light" and being on the side of the Lord in the end - it has a veiled message of worrying about yourself and letting go of others choices...
Do you hear the people sing?
Lost in the valley of the night
It is the music of a people who are climbing to the light
For the wretched of the earth
There is a flame that never dies
Even the darkest nights will end and the sun will rise
They will live again in freedom in the garden of the lord
They will walk behind the plough-share
They will put away the sword
The chain will be broken and all men will have their reward!
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see?
Do you hear the people sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that they bring when tomorrow comes!
I don't know what it was, but when I heard them talk about the darkest night ending, I realized that the feelings I was having because of Cory would fade and end. Truth is, they have now - I'm completely free. When they talked about all men having their own reward I thought of the choices I am making in my life and how I can improve - how can I gain the reward I desire and be on the side of the Lord in the end? I thought about the world I long to see that's past the insignificant crap I was feeling because of current situations and the promise of a bright future when tomorrow is here - meaning, not just the next life, but the next situations in my life now. I can't fully explain it, but I just felt free. I felt relief and compassion. I felt forgiveness in my heart and a realization that I had learned new things about myself and life from this experience - in some ways, it was a blessing in disguise.
I know that forgiveness can be hard - really hard - but we can receive great blessings and relief in our life as we just let go of things and as we forgive others. I know that we are blessed in our forgiveness. Grudges are like splinters that stay under your skin and fester - they only hurt you more and more. Let go and move on.... and love.
I'm thankful for the film version of Les Mis - really, I am. For whatever reason, this adaptation struck me differently than the story has before. I've seen the musical twice and listened to the CD recordings over 200 times in my life. I even sang some of the songs for competitions or recitals in High School - it wasn't as cliche then, promise. I have always loved Les Mis, but this time things struck me differently. This time, I was healed from the words and music.
And so, I cry... and I'm oddly okay with tears.
*muah*
Song of the Day: DUH. Here is the finale sequence of Les Mis's finale with the 10th Anniversary Cast. Enjoy!!!
However...
... There are moments I let the water-works loose. Why, you ask? Well, there are a few categories and one major one is film. If there is a moment in film that really moves me, I will often let it rain. It IS usually in a dark theater, so... Haha!
Here is the recent explanation for my outward display of emotion - three times, each time. Did that not make sense? It's about to. On Christmas Day I went with my family to see the film version of the musical Les Miserables. A few days later I went with my friend, Amber, to see the movie again. The following Monday for FHE, I went yet again to see this amazing film. Yep, I went three times in two weeks. Haha! I regret nothing.
I know there were imperfections. I know that Russell Crowe was NOT up to par for this film - not his voice, nor his acting in all reality. I know that some people really hated all the up-close action - and though I didn't love it all the time, I did appreciate the emotions evoked from some of those shots and the way you could see the work behind the actors. I know that usually you want acting to look natural, and I did feel like a lot of it was natural (well, as natural as you can be when singing your daily dialogue - haha!). However, I appreciated that there was emotional effort so often put forth from the actors, and that we could really see that in them.
So, there were imperfections, I truly loved Les Mis. For me, it was the therapeutic outlet I needed in my life after recent events. What events you might ask? Well, I was debating if I should put it in the open or not, but I decided that not only will this be a further form of therapy, but it might help someone else who falls into a similar situation in ANY way.
A few months ago I started "dating" a boy who I met at church after he got up and bore his testimony. He was cute, sweet-talkin', and into a lot of the same things as I am... Or, so he said he was. We began as friends for a few weeks and spent time getting to know one another just as friends. After a short time, we began "dating" for about a month and a half - I put it into quotations because we both SAID we were dating, and we were going out on dates, but that was 100% not his intention. After about a month and a half of dating he had borrowed a LOT of stuff from me and was really avoiding giving things back to me. Also, he was showing some interesting colors. He hit on another girl in front of me. He took off and left me in a club after I cooked him dinner. He wasn't into taking pictures with me or ANYONE (you can hate pictures, but this was weird). His stories began to have inconsistencies He said his wallet was stolen, and after I got him a new one in Nicaragua, he was suddenly using the old one again... Don't think I didn't call him out on all of these things either. We fought enough to the point that I was prepared to break up with him, but just wanted my stuff back first.
In honesty, looking back he was saying and doing shady things from the BEGINNING. I should have had two eyes open, but I didn't.
Really, what it comes down to is I felt off. I felt off from the beginning. I knew right away that something was off and I felt no peace in being with him. Why did I continue on? Well, I felt like I must have been having trust issues or just be being scared. Honest to goodness - I have NEVER had trust issues or been scared in a relationship. Nope, never. However, here I was second guessing myself constantly. I can finally say I know what a "stupor-of-thought" feels like and what a "Martin Harris" moment is like... No disrespect to him, but it's a good way to describe this situation.
Anyway, getting to the brunt of this tale, this boy was not who I thought he was in the least. His name is Cory Kellogg. Yep, I'm writing his name in here - you can click on the name for a picture too. I do it not to be malicious but to warn any other girl who come into contact with him that he has some serious issues and is not a good person. I know people can change, but hear me out. Cory (who had given me a different spelling to his name, by the way) is a convicted felon MANY times over with a history of forgery and theft. He creates "alternate identities" and "forged stories" to gain respect, trust, and establish relationships with people. His main targets are girlfriends and family members, but it doesn't end there. He goes after many people. He had created an ENTIRELY different identity with me and my friends... He doesn't go to BYU; doesn't play basketball. He didn't serve the mission he said he did... He doesn't work in marketing and is not traveling when he says he is (Mr. can't leave the state). He is a COMPLETELY different person than who he said he was originally...
I saw the signs. I didn't listen. It's like Taylor Swift's new song, "I Knew You Were Trouble." I knew... and I ignored.
Now, how does this all tie into Les Miserables. Well, that movie is what has truly helped to lock in the healing process. When I found out everything about Cory, how he had fully lied to me and stolen money and things from me... I was angry. I'm talking so livid I was shaking and in literal defined shock. I walked into a room and knelt down right away and just prayed... Prayed for the power to forgive. I prayed for the ability to move on and know what to do in this situation. I prayed for comfort and feelings of love. Those feelings came immediately, but it had been hard at time to keep them in my heart. I feel like just in the past few weeks I've started to let go of all that anger because I'm talking openly about how I felt/feel. Sometimes putting on a happy face is genuinely not the best avenue to take... talk about things openly.
Les Mis - promised I'd get there! Les Miserables is all about love and forgiveness. It's all about moving forward in life and realizing what "side" you're on in life. In the final scene, Jean Valjean tells Cosette the truth about his past through a letter and says he never really learned forgiveness and love till she was in his life. You see the priest in the end still carrying such a place in Valjean's life because he forgave Valjean for stealing his silver and let him know God would forgive all his other sins. This movie/story is all about forgiveness, redemption, and standing up for what's right. In the very final moments of the film you see all those who have passed on at the barricade. They talk about the power in coming into the "light" and being on the side of the Lord in the end - it has a veiled message of worrying about yourself and letting go of others choices...
Do you hear the people sing?
Lost in the valley of the night
It is the music of a people who are climbing to the light
For the wretched of the earth
There is a flame that never dies
Even the darkest nights will end and the sun will rise
They will live again in freedom in the garden of the lord
They will walk behind the plough-share
They will put away the sword
The chain will be broken and all men will have their reward!
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see?
Do you hear the people sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that they bring when tomorrow comes!
I don't know what it was, but when I heard them talk about the darkest night ending, I realized that the feelings I was having because of Cory would fade and end. Truth is, they have now - I'm completely free. When they talked about all men having their own reward I thought of the choices I am making in my life and how I can improve - how can I gain the reward I desire and be on the side of the Lord in the end? I thought about the world I long to see that's past the insignificant crap I was feeling because of current situations and the promise of a bright future when tomorrow is here - meaning, not just the next life, but the next situations in my life now. I can't fully explain it, but I just felt free. I felt relief and compassion. I felt forgiveness in my heart and a realization that I had learned new things about myself and life from this experience - in some ways, it was a blessing in disguise.
I know that forgiveness can be hard - really hard - but we can receive great blessings and relief in our life as we just let go of things and as we forgive others. I know that we are blessed in our forgiveness. Grudges are like splinters that stay under your skin and fester - they only hurt you more and more. Let go and move on.... and love.
"To love another person is to see the face of God."
I'm thankful for the film version of Les Mis - really, I am. For whatever reason, this adaptation struck me differently than the story has before. I've seen the musical twice and listened to the CD recordings over 200 times in my life. I even sang some of the songs for competitions or recitals in High School - it wasn't as cliche then, promise. I have always loved Les Mis, but this time things struck me differently. This time, I was healed from the words and music.
And so, I cry... and I'm oddly okay with tears.
*muah*
Song of the Day: DUH. Here is the finale sequence of Les Mis's finale with the 10th Anniversary Cast. Enjoy!!!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
WICKED
So, the other weekend my friend Spencer had the brilliant idea to try and win the Wicked lottery. If you don't know what the Wicked lottery, let me clear it up for you. It is not an extremely evil gambling system... On the contrary, it is nothing but pure goodness.
One of my favorite musicals, Wicked, is currently on tour here in SLC for July-August at the Capitol Theater. The lottery system allows us less financially inclined individuals to try and "win" two tickets to see the musical for $25 each. You head to the theater 2 1/2 hours before show-time and enter your name (free to enter) into a drawing that takes place exactly 2 hours before show-time. They usually pull around 10 names (20 tickets), but it depends on the number of access tickets they have for any given show. If you win (which is often a long-shot with how many names are typically in the bowl), you have to pay right there in cash and you get the two tickets for ridiculously cheap! It's a fairly incredible opportunity if you win... and I did just that - I won!
We put out names into the Saturday morning lottery and my name was the second name they pulled! I could hardly believe it... I screamed. I ran to the front. I gave a "mini-speech" to the crowd ("I've never won anything before! Sorry I yelled - I'm just so excited! Good luck, everyone - good luck!"). I walked through the doors. I bought two third row tickets to Wicked. Two hours later, Amber and I walked into the theater and saw an AMAZING production of one of my favorite musicals.
Now did you catch that I said this was Spencer's idea and yet I entered the theater with Amber? Yea. There were four of us going for tickets and the luck took a break for our group after my name was called. However, the luck did return... a few hours later, in fact, when Amber's name was called for the evening show and Spencer and Mark were able to get into the 8pm show. Yea... It was awesome - REALLY awesome.
Moral of the story: Sometimes, gambling your time can be quite well worth it.
Song of the Day: My friend Darell posted this video of a mash-up of "Bust Your Windows/Why You Don't You Love Me." It's a fabulous cover by Scott Hoying (from Pentatonix) and Rozzi Crane (AMAZING voice)... Enjoy!
One of my favorite musicals, Wicked, is currently on tour here in SLC for July-August at the Capitol Theater. The lottery system allows us less financially inclined individuals to try and "win" two tickets to see the musical for $25 each. You head to the theater 2 1/2 hours before show-time and enter your name (free to enter) into a drawing that takes place exactly 2 hours before show-time. They usually pull around 10 names (20 tickets), but it depends on the number of access tickets they have for any given show. If you win (which is often a long-shot with how many names are typically in the bowl), you have to pay right there in cash and you get the two tickets for ridiculously cheap! It's a fairly incredible opportunity if you win... and I did just that - I won!
Now did you catch that I said this was Spencer's idea and yet I entered the theater with Amber? Yea. There were four of us going for tickets and the luck took a break for our group after my name was called. However, the luck did return... a few hours later, in fact, when Amber's name was called for the evening show and Spencer and Mark were able to get into the 8pm show. Yea... It was awesome - REALLY awesome.
Moral of the story: Sometimes, gambling your time can be quite well worth it.
*muah*
Song of the Day: My friend Darell posted this video of a mash-up of "Bust Your Windows/Why You Don't You Love Me." It's a fabulous cover by Scott Hoying (from Pentatonix) and Rozzi Crane (AMAZING voice)... Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Savior, Redeemer of My Soul...
The friend I was talking about yesterday, Nicole, arranged this amazing song and asked me and Liz to sing for her farewell! I sincerely felt highly honored, and was excited to see what harmonies we could come up with and how to put it together. Then, we added her cousins playing violins!!! It just fell into place and sounded AMAZING! Take a listen... You won't regret these five minutes of your life.
"Savior, Redeemer of My Soul/Called to Serve Medley"
Arranged by: Nicole Skousen
Vocals: Liz Gainer, Nicole Skousen, Linze Struiksma
Video: Kira B!
I first heard this song when my friend, Megan, sang it on our ward for church and was in shock at how amazing it was - I think I talked about it for a whole week at home. Haha! Meg is an incredible singer, and this song is SUCH a powerful piece... Now, a few months later, I'm grateful I had the chance to sing this song. I know that my Savior lives and loves me... and that He will always be there for me. This song is pretty much my musical testimony in a nutshell... so, go enjoy it again.
"Savior, Redeemer of My Soul/Called to Serve Medley"
Arranged by: Nicole Skousen
Vocals: Liz Gainer, Nicole Skousen, Linze Struiksma
Video: Kira B!
I first heard this song when my friend, Megan, sang it on our ward for church and was in shock at how amazing it was - I think I talked about it for a whole week at home. Haha! Meg is an incredible singer, and this song is SUCH a powerful piece... Now, a few months later, I'm grateful I had the chance to sing this song. I know that my Savior lives and loves me... and that He will always be there for me. This song is pretty much my musical testimony in a nutshell... so, go enjoy it again.
*muah*
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Tuesday Ten: Can You Believe I'm Still Writing These?!
Here I am... It's another Tuesday and I am posting my favorite things for the week. I'll continue this trend for at least a few more weeks and then evaluate if I wanna keep it up... I kind of like being able to keep track of all of my favorite things in one space. I KNOW that's what pinterest is for, but still... This is like my journal right now, and I like it!
So, here is this week's Tuesday Ten, written & created with love! Haha:
1 - Pumped Up Kicks DUBSTEP. This dancer is LEGIT! I am not kidding when I say that he can move so smooth you feel like he's not putting any effort behind it - which we know ain't true. He is the real deal. The song is decent - love the remix - and the dancing is sublime.
2 - The Londoner Blog. I found this blog because it was a post called "The Anti Diet," which is an AMAZING post and clicking on the blog name will take you to that specific entry. However, the entire blog is awesome, with gorgeous pictures, fun stories and trip descriptions, and cute fashion looks. I love it!
3 -Chris Brown's "Turn Up the Music." The video is a bit weird & trippy, but I ended up really liking it a lot! The dancing in the video is AMAZING, the song is SO much fun (whether when driving in the car or working out), and I love Chris Brown's music - a lot. P.S. The remix with Rihanna is SICK!
4 - Ten Thousand Haiku. I love Haiku poems and poetry in general... Thus, I love this site. FYI - a Haiku is a 5-7-5 syllable poem. Click on the name to take you there, but here are some examples below:
5 - Karmin's "Brokenhearted." I LOVE this song! It makes me SO happy every time I hear it and I love singing along. Plus, I adore Karmin and where they came from... Music majors gone YouTube and getting a recording deal out of it = awesome. They are original and unique in many ways and homegirl can rap really well for a white girl! I wanna do what she does... Rap and Belt. Done. Here they are on SNL:
6 - Say Yes to the Dress. I've had so many (I mean, SOOOOOOO many) friends get married or recently engaged that I started looking at different types of dresses with/for some of them and over the past few months. Somewhere along the line, I fell into watching this show... Now, I'm obsessed. I think it's crazy how much a girl will spend on a dress for a day and I love watching all the crazy styles go on them. I'm a MUCH simpler girl, but it's a guilty pleasure to watch and better than most other trashy, reality TV.
7 - One Direction's "One Thing" and the VIDEO! I love these boys and they're fun pop-music! It's just FUN. Plus, I think the lyrics to this song are adorable - "Get out of my head, and fall into my arms instead..." Story of my life (well, everyone's life!) and I think it's cute! :) PLUS, the video is shot in the streets of London and on a double-Decker bus! Be still my heart... I'm London obsessed!
8 - Pretzels. Perhaps I've said this before, but I can't get enough of pretzels... Plain, salted, chocolate or yogurt-covered, soft or hard... I love pretzels. The way into this woman's heart might just be pretzels...?
9 - My mom. I have the best mom in the world. Really... I know that most people believe this about your mom and you might be right - FOR YOU. However, FOR ME, my mom is the best mom (hands down) that I could ever have. She cares about me and what makes me happy. She allows me free expression and loves me for who I am, no matter if that correlates of contradicts what she thinks or feels. She is supportive of me and knows what I need, when I need it. She believes in me and helps me through all my problems. She listens. Also, she loves the things that I love and is passionate about similar things... When I called her today after class just to tell her about my day and how excited I was about teaching someday, she was excited with me. She really is my best friend and I only pray that I continue to let her know how special she is to me because I was/am SO blessed to have her in my life and eternity.
10 - Sam & Ashley's Videos on "Mornings With Matt." My friend, Ashley, married her husband, Sam, a few years back. Four weeks after their first child he got into a snowboarding accident and became a paraplegic. Ashley has ALWAYS been a strong woman - even at age 14 I remember specific example of how she led and befriended others with Christ-like love. She's a powerhouse and these video give a taste of what they've been through as a couple and where they are now. She is currently pregnant with their second child and I am SO happy they'll be parents again - what a lucky kid! :) Take 4 minutes to watch one of their videos:
So, here is this week's Tuesday Ten, written & created with love! Haha:
1 - Pumped Up Kicks DUBSTEP. This dancer is LEGIT! I am not kidding when I say that he can move so smooth you feel like he's not putting any effort behind it - which we know ain't true. He is the real deal. The song is decent - love the remix - and the dancing is sublime.
2 - The Londoner Blog. I found this blog because it was a post called "The Anti Diet," which is an AMAZING post and clicking on the blog name will take you to that specific entry. However, the entire blog is awesome, with gorgeous pictures, fun stories and trip descriptions, and cute fashion looks. I love it!
3 -Chris Brown's "Turn Up the Music." The video is a bit weird & trippy, but I ended up really liking it a lot! The dancing in the video is AMAZING, the song is SO much fun (whether when driving in the car or working out), and I love Chris Brown's music - a lot. P.S. The remix with Rihanna is SICK!
4 - Ten Thousand Haiku. I love Haiku poems and poetry in general... Thus, I love this site. FYI - a Haiku is a 5-7-5 syllable poem. Click on the name to take you there, but here are some examples below:
"Quiet in the room
Stacks of dark light on the floor
Nothing in the room"
Stacks of dark light on the floor
Nothing in the room"
"This has become work:
The sun setting behind me,
Calendar on fire"
5 - Karmin's "Brokenhearted." I LOVE this song! It makes me SO happy every time I hear it and I love singing along. Plus, I adore Karmin and where they came from... Music majors gone YouTube and getting a recording deal out of it = awesome. They are original and unique in many ways and homegirl can rap really well for a white girl! I wanna do what she does... Rap and Belt. Done. Here they are on SNL:
6 - Say Yes to the Dress. I've had so many (I mean, SOOOOOOO many) friends get married or recently engaged that I started looking at different types of dresses with/for some of them and over the past few months. Somewhere along the line, I fell into watching this show... Now, I'm obsessed. I think it's crazy how much a girl will spend on a dress for a day and I love watching all the crazy styles go on them. I'm a MUCH simpler girl, but it's a guilty pleasure to watch and better than most other trashy, reality TV.
7 - One Direction's "One Thing" and the VIDEO! I love these boys and they're fun pop-music! It's just FUN. Plus, I think the lyrics to this song are adorable - "Get out of my head, and fall into my arms instead..." Story of my life (well, everyone's life!) and I think it's cute! :) PLUS, the video is shot in the streets of London and on a double-Decker bus! Be still my heart... I'm London obsessed!
8 - Pretzels. Perhaps I've said this before, but I can't get enough of pretzels... Plain, salted, chocolate or yogurt-covered, soft or hard... I love pretzels. The way into this woman's heart might just be pretzels...?
9 - My mom. I have the best mom in the world. Really... I know that most people believe this about your mom and you might be right - FOR YOU. However, FOR ME, my mom is the best mom (hands down) that I could ever have. She cares about me and what makes me happy. She allows me free expression and loves me for who I am, no matter if that correlates of contradicts what she thinks or feels. She is supportive of me and knows what I need, when I need it. She believes in me and helps me through all my problems. She listens. Also, she loves the things that I love and is passionate about similar things... When I called her today after class just to tell her about my day and how excited I was about teaching someday, she was excited with me. She really is my best friend and I only pray that I continue to let her know how special she is to me because I was/am SO blessed to have her in my life and eternity.
10 - Sam & Ashley's Videos on "Mornings With Matt." My friend, Ashley, married her husband, Sam, a few years back. Four weeks after their first child he got into a snowboarding accident and became a paraplegic. Ashley has ALWAYS been a strong woman - even at age 14 I remember specific example of how she led and befriended others with Christ-like love. She's a powerhouse and these video give a taste of what they've been through as a couple and where they are now. She is currently pregnant with their second child and I am SO happy they'll be parents again - what a lucky kid! :) Take 4 minutes to watch one of their videos:
*muah*
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Tuesday Ten: Marching On...
1 - "I Like You" video... I know. It's cheesy as all get out. However, I like it. It's endearing and cute... I "like" it... a lot.
2 - Healthy = Happy Blog. I am now of this calorie counting kick and have been looking up low-cal ideas, and motivational blogs. Yep - I admit it freely. It's been great and I stumbled onto this blog and fell in love with the organized chaos. It's funny, motivational, give ideas/picture, quirky - everything I want. Enjoy by clicking on the link in the name above...
3 - JFK on Mormons. JFK is one of my favorite political figures of all time for many reasons. I recently discovered this speech excerpt he gave at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah on September 26, 1963. I think it really neat and shows a great respect level for a religion he was not a part of, but supported in the right to be free to choose.
4- Awkwardness. Yep... I love awkwardness and how awkward I often am in my DAILY life. Charlie Brown also loves awkwardness, as displayed below:
5 - Greensleeves otamatone??? I have NO clue what these little noise-makers with faces are, but I was laughing so hard watching this... Only the Japanese could create these - love it. They sound like a really musical duck... The duck might be more pleasant. Haha!
6 - DJ Earworm - United State of Pop 2012 (Mashup - World Go Boom). I love all of DJ Earworm's yearly mash-ups! Check out his one from past year too if you haven't before... He does a great job of mashing things up and then allows you to download them free on his site. LOVE this!
7 - Nail Polish! I just love being able to change the colors of my finger and toe nails as often as I'd like and give myself a whole new look. I like to do crazy designs too... I love nail polish - a lot!
8 - Angry Birds+Scriptures = PURE AWESOMENESS.
9 - Why I Work Out Poster. I don't really work out because of what the poster below says, but after I read it, I've thought it a few times while running. Dang... I would have died FAST in those Hunger Games! While we're on the Hunger Games topic... 3 WEEKS! EEK!!! :)
10 - "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen - Feat. Justin Bieber, Selena, Ashley Tisdale & MORE! Haha... I posted this on facebook too... I'm obsessed with the song and these random celebs dancing around to it! The fact that Carly's real video is even better and down from You Tube right now makes me a bit sad. I was gonna past that one too... Oh well! Here ya go! Sidenote: I've probably watched this about 14 times... really.
2 - Healthy = Happy Blog. I am now of this calorie counting kick and have been looking up low-cal ideas, and motivational blogs. Yep - I admit it freely. It's been great and I stumbled onto this blog and fell in love with the organized chaos. It's funny, motivational, give ideas/picture, quirky - everything I want. Enjoy by clicking on the link in the name above...
3 - JFK on Mormons. JFK is one of my favorite political figures of all time for many reasons. I recently discovered this speech excerpt he gave at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah on September 26, 1963. I think it really neat and shows a great respect level for a religion he was not a part of, but supported in the right to be free to choose.
4- Awkwardness. Yep... I love awkwardness and how awkward I often am in my DAILY life. Charlie Brown also loves awkwardness, as displayed below:
5 - Greensleeves otamatone??? I have NO clue what these little noise-makers with faces are, but I was laughing so hard watching this... Only the Japanese could create these - love it. They sound like a really musical duck... The duck might be more pleasant. Haha!
6 - DJ Earworm - United State of Pop 2012 (Mashup - World Go Boom). I love all of DJ Earworm's yearly mash-ups! Check out his one from past year too if you haven't before... He does a great job of mashing things up and then allows you to download them free on his site. LOVE this!
7 - Nail Polish! I just love being able to change the colors of my finger and toe nails as often as I'd like and give myself a whole new look. I like to do crazy designs too... I love nail polish - a lot!
8 - Angry Birds+Scriptures = PURE AWESOMENESS.
9 - Why I Work Out Poster. I don't really work out because of what the poster below says, but after I read it, I've thought it a few times while running. Dang... I would have died FAST in those Hunger Games! While we're on the Hunger Games topic... 3 WEEKS! EEK!!! :)
10 - "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen - Feat. Justin Bieber, Selena, Ashley Tisdale & MORE! Haha... I posted this on facebook too... I'm obsessed with the song and these random celebs dancing around to it! The fact that Carly's real video is even better and down from You Tube right now makes me a bit sad. I was gonna past that one too... Oh well! Here ya go! Sidenote: I've probably watched this about 14 times... really.
*muah*
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Tuesday Ten
1 - "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction. I know they are cheesy, and young, but I kinda love them and their hit song! The just won a Brit award for this song as #1 single, and they have a cool story of how they all came together - hand-picked by Simon Cowell. I love them and I love this song!
2 - Invincible Summer quote... (and even the way the picture looks):
3 - Pneumonia Pronunciation. I laughed SO hard when I watched this... and the many other videos on this guys station. He is HILARIOUS and his pronunciations are CLASSIC. Enjoy the best 0:08 seconds ever - and then, enjoy again!
4 - J.K. Rowling's future adult novel! I am SO stoked to read more of her writing and can not wait to see what she has up her sleeve! :) Click on the link above to see the announcement on her website about it!
5 - Sophie Grace and Rosie go to the Grammys! I am in love with these two little girls and am enjoying watching Rosie get more talkative. Sophie Grace is insane talented for an eight year old, and I have no doubt will do big things as she gets older. I know that Sophie is a bit annoying at times, but she's a LOT like me at her age - just FULL of energy and song! I love these girls and all their Ellen videos.
6 - Modern-day Shakespeare Sayings! We say a LOT of stuff in our common, everyday language. You probably didn't even know that half of the things on the poster below... check it out and I'm willing to bet you'll be surprised. Sidenote: I want this for my future classroom!!!
7 - Clumsy Thumbsy! Ellen has started this new segment every once and a while on her show where she reads "auto-correct" text mess-ups... I LOVE text mess-ups... a lot. "Did you write that on your 'smart phone?'" I'm posting two of these vids because they are THAT good....
9 - Drew Ryniewicz's cover of "Bound to You" (originally by Christina Aguilera). This girl has a great voice and mad talent for a fifteen year old... or any age for that matter. I'm a huge fan since her X-Factor debut and am kinda shocked she has yet to be signed after. I love her... just press play and listen while you search the web or lay back and chill.
10 - So You Think You Can Dance - SLC Style! I was able to go with a large group of friends to watch the SYTYCD Auditions that were taking place on Saturday in SLC. It was SO much fun! I freaked out a little bit when Nigel Lythgoe got out of his car, and even more so when Adam Shankman got out of his. Haha! I did the "woot woot" train noise when Mary Murphy walked out and cheered my lungs for all the dancers. There were some AMAZING dancers there today! One bigger guy started breakin' and we all thought, "He's really good," until his did a back hand-spring onto his elbows and a power slide. After that we thought, "This guy is freaking amazing!" Haha... There were a handful of really great guys (Charlie and Adrian to name a few) and two or three girls (Merrisa? Was that the red-haired girl's name?) I really liked... It was just cool to see it all go down and get the unedited version. LOVED IT!!!
*muah*
2 - Invincible Summer quote... (and even the way the picture looks):
3 - Pneumonia Pronunciation. I laughed SO hard when I watched this... and the many other videos on this guys station. He is HILARIOUS and his pronunciations are CLASSIC. Enjoy the best 0:08 seconds ever - and then, enjoy again!
4 - J.K. Rowling's future adult novel! I am SO stoked to read more of her writing and can not wait to see what she has up her sleeve! :) Click on the link above to see the announcement on her website about it!
5 - Sophie Grace and Rosie go to the Grammys! I am in love with these two little girls and am enjoying watching Rosie get more talkative. Sophie Grace is insane talented for an eight year old, and I have no doubt will do big things as she gets older. I know that Sophie is a bit annoying at times, but she's a LOT like me at her age - just FULL of energy and song! I love these girls and all their Ellen videos.
6 - Modern-day Shakespeare Sayings! We say a LOT of stuff in our common, everyday language. You probably didn't even know that half of the things on the poster below... check it out and I'm willing to bet you'll be surprised. Sidenote: I want this for my future classroom!!!
7 - Clumsy Thumbsy! Ellen has started this new segment every once and a while on her show where she reads "auto-correct" text mess-ups... I LOVE text mess-ups... a lot. "Did you write that on your 'smart phone?'" I'm posting two of these vids because they are THAT good....
8 -
"Dear optimist, pessimist and realist,
While you argued about how much water was in the glass, I drank it.
Sincerely, the opportunist"
9 - Drew Ryniewicz's cover of "Bound to You" (originally by Christina Aguilera). This girl has a great voice and mad talent for a fifteen year old... or any age for that matter. I'm a huge fan since her X-Factor debut and am kinda shocked she has yet to be signed after. I love her... just press play and listen while you search the web or lay back and chill.
10 - So You Think You Can Dance - SLC Style! I was able to go with a large group of friends to watch the SYTYCD Auditions that were taking place on Saturday in SLC. It was SO much fun! I freaked out a little bit when Nigel Lythgoe got out of his car, and even more so when Adam Shankman got out of his. Haha! I did the "woot woot" train noise when Mary Murphy walked out and cheered my lungs for all the dancers. There were some AMAZING dancers there today! One bigger guy started breakin' and we all thought, "He's really good," until his did a back hand-spring onto his elbows and a power slide. After that we thought, "This guy is freaking amazing!" Haha... There were a handful of really great guys (Charlie and Adrian to name a few) and two or three girls (Merrisa? Was that the red-haired girl's name?) I really liked... It was just cool to see it all go down and get the unedited version. LOVED IT!!!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Tuesday Ten: It's Already February!?
I feel like every week I barely have time to fit in school, work, and a little bit of socialization... but I MAKE time to blog a little bit and at least do my weekly Tuesday Ten. It's a nice little break for me and I really enjoy leaving a bookmark for my favorite videos or sites, discussing favorite things with my friends/family, and just writing things that keep me going throughout the week... which is kinda funny when I'm sometimes talking about eyeliner of videos of 6 year-old science experts. Eh!
So, with out further adieu, here are my week's Top Ten things!
1 - Little Kid's Inspirational Speech About Bike Riding. This video if a past favorite that has been recently rediscovered. THEN, they showed a short excerpt from the video after the Superbowl and I had to laugh because it was already on my "top ten" list for the week. I am just so in-sync with the media... Wait, is that a good thing, or...?
2 - The Voice. The show is back and I am ECSTATIC! I love this show... I love the judges and the concept. I am ready for it to be back... What would I love more? If I was on it. Haha! No, but really.
3 - Aerial Views. There's a blog that I found that has a bunch of random aerial view shots that I LOVE. There's one example below, but click on the words "Aerial Views" above for a link to the blog and to see all the other shots in the entry. There are MANY other ones across the internet, but there are a few that I love on this blog.
4 - "Today Was a Fairytale" (By: Taylor Swift) Fan-Made Video. This is ELIZA'S favorite thing of the past TWO weeks... If she had a choice, she would watch it everyday, all day... I'm not exaggerating. She just BEAMS when she hears the song, and more so when she sees the video. She gets all blushy and giggly when the little boy turns into a prince... Cutest thing EVER. So, this video is kind of a favorite, but more so it's E's reaction.
5 - "I Miss You" Cover by Alex Lambert, Andrew Garcia, and Josh... something. This cover is better than the original in my opinion... I am in love with it and LOVE Alex Lambert. It's too bad he hasn't used his connection to Idol as a real platform... He has SO much potential to me... I REALLY like his voice and chill style. This cover = GORGEOUS.
6 - Hunger Games T-Shirts! In preparation for the Hunger Games premier (I'm going a day early!), I have been checking out where I can get the proper attire for the occasion. That's right, ladies and gents... I need a HG T-shirt! Haha... Here are a few I like - thoughts? Which one should I get?
7 - 1988 Crystal Light Aerobics Competition. Oh my word... this video is THAT good. Haha! During last weekend's "girl's night in," we were looking up funny videos and THIS one was presented to me. I was DYING laughing... The outfits, the cheesy moves and grins, the tacky music... Oh - I love the 80s.
8 - Brittney Snyder. I found this girl's music a few months back, but have recently really listened to all of it and love her. I think she has a lot of talent and potential... I would buy her album! Haha... Check out her music and site by clicking on her name (or listen to the link below) - it all loads fast, so check out a few songs. Below is her most recent, but check out her first song - a duet with JB Ahfua from Am. Idol.
9- Play, Create, Explore. This website gives a million and one ideas for parents, babysitters, siblings, or nannies (hint, hint) to use for entertaining their kids and helping them learn to create projects, be innovative, explore ideas, and have fun with experimentation - which Eliza loves! Thus, I adore this site. Click on the words to check it out.
10 - "Break Again" by Charlie and Emily. My friend, Kate, posted about these guys she found on YouTube that did an amazing cover of "Someone Like You," by Adele. However, I love THIS song - "Break Again," which is an original piece. They blend well together and the girl's voice really is out of this world. Check out Charlie Puth and Emily Luther!
So, with out further adieu, here are my week's Top Ten things!
1 - Little Kid's Inspirational Speech About Bike Riding. This video if a past favorite that has been recently rediscovered. THEN, they showed a short excerpt from the video after the Superbowl and I had to laugh because it was already on my "top ten" list for the week. I am just so in-sync with the media... Wait, is that a good thing, or...?
2 - The Voice. The show is back and I am ECSTATIC! I love this show... I love the judges and the concept. I am ready for it to be back... What would I love more? If I was on it. Haha! No, but really.
3 - Aerial Views. There's a blog that I found that has a bunch of random aerial view shots that I LOVE. There's one example below, but click on the words "Aerial Views" above for a link to the blog and to see all the other shots in the entry. There are MANY other ones across the internet, but there are a few that I love on this blog.
4 - "Today Was a Fairytale" (By: Taylor Swift) Fan-Made Video. This is ELIZA'S favorite thing of the past TWO weeks... If she had a choice, she would watch it everyday, all day... I'm not exaggerating. She just BEAMS when she hears the song, and more so when she sees the video. She gets all blushy and giggly when the little boy turns into a prince... Cutest thing EVER. So, this video is kind of a favorite, but more so it's E's reaction.
5 - "I Miss You" Cover by Alex Lambert, Andrew Garcia, and Josh... something. This cover is better than the original in my opinion... I am in love with it and LOVE Alex Lambert. It's too bad he hasn't used his connection to Idol as a real platform... He has SO much potential to me... I REALLY like his voice and chill style. This cover = GORGEOUS.
6 - Hunger Games T-Shirts! In preparation for the Hunger Games premier (I'm going a day early!), I have been checking out where I can get the proper attire for the occasion. That's right, ladies and gents... I need a HG T-shirt! Haha... Here are a few I like - thoughts? Which one should I get?
7 - 1988 Crystal Light Aerobics Competition. Oh my word... this video is THAT good. Haha! During last weekend's "girl's night in," we were looking up funny videos and THIS one was presented to me. I was DYING laughing... The outfits, the cheesy moves and grins, the tacky music... Oh - I love the 80s.
8 - Brittney Snyder. I found this girl's music a few months back, but have recently really listened to all of it and love her. I think she has a lot of talent and potential... I would buy her album! Haha... Check out her music and site by clicking on her name (or listen to the link below) - it all loads fast, so check out a few songs. Below is her most recent, but check out her first song - a duet with JB Ahfua from Am. Idol.
9- Play, Create, Explore. This website gives a million and one ideas for parents, babysitters, siblings, or nannies (hint, hint) to use for entertaining their kids and helping them learn to create projects, be innovative, explore ideas, and have fun with experimentation - which Eliza loves! Thus, I adore this site. Click on the words to check it out.
10 - "Break Again" by Charlie and Emily. My friend, Kate, posted about these guys she found on YouTube that did an amazing cover of "Someone Like You," by Adele. However, I love THIS song - "Break Again," which is an original piece. They blend well together and the girl's voice really is out of this world. Check out Charlie Puth and Emily Luther!
*muah*
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