What I Want to Accomplish in 2014

Sounds a bit better than "resolutions." Everyone does "resolutions." The difference between what everyone else does and what I do, is that I'm going to stick it out. This is what I'm going to do in 2014

1. Write on my blog twice a month (at least)

I love my blog and if I ever want it to take off, I need to keep writing and have a consistant flow of posts. I want to post more pictures. This leads into the next one. . .

2. Take more photos

I love my camera! Photography is such an important part of my life that I don't do as often as I would like. I plan on doing a few monthly challenges like take a photo for an entire month. I worry too much about the content of my photography or that I don't have suitable subjects, but what I will learn is that I just need to show the world from my perspective. That means, I 'm buying a tripod. Today, hopefully.

3. Run

I hate running. My little legs and chubby thighs think it is murderous. But I'm going to start out slow then build my way up. I do about a 12 minute mile on the track and I'd like to get that down to 7 minutes. Also, there is a Color Run in Richmond in September. I've always wanted to do a color run and I'm setting that as my goal to reach. Hopefully, if I get into VCU, I'll already be there and maybe have some friends who will do it with me. Im going to be healthy this year, so becoming Vegan on top of running, I'll end up a skinny little bitch.

4. Be Kind to Myself

I've been an emotional wreck the past few months. I've had such a hard time with college applications: it's been a swirl of self doubt. The past few weeks have been some of the worst and a lot of faith in myself has been lost. 2014 is going to be a year where I remind myself that I am lovely, beautiful, fabulous, and all the other things that describe me. I'm searching for things I can do to help with more self love, I'l make a post about what it is when ever I find it.

5. Be Fearless

My personal mantra is "Fine, Fresh, and Fierce" but I don't believe I always embody it. This year, I want to focus on just "doing"things. Experimenting with fashion, art, and writing without give a shit. I put myself up to high standards and I'm always worried that the things I create or do won't meet them. This year, I'm letting go and running free.

Best of luck with the New Year <3

Saturday in Town

Saturday in Town by lumoslillie featuring a blue purse

White pullover
target.com

H&M boyfriend jeans
$49 - hm.com

Merona flat shoes
target.com

Modalu blue purse
$320 - johnlewis.com

Betsey Johnson earrings
betseyjohnson.com

What's Up and Coming

Being a middle class white girl, there have always been some level of expectations for me. I do have to say that I am one of the lucky ones to have the kind of parents I do. They have always encouraged me to make my own choices, make my own mistakes, and decided for myself what makes me happy. I am 17 years old and have always imagined myself going to college. Once my sister left for college, I couldn't wait to have the same experiences in my own college community. I imagined myself walking along the sides walks with the ancient brownstone university buildings as my backdrop. I anticipated dorm life and making friends based off of common interest. But now. . . I am not so sure.
It is entirely unrealistic for anyone, especially the education system, to give teenagers the idea that they must know what they want to do with their lives at 17, 18. This is what they expect from us:
Think of profession you are interested in> go to college to major in chosen profession> get a job in chosen profession when you graduate> live your live with in this profession that you spent 4+ years majoring in.
I don't know about you, but if this suppose to be my life plan I'd sooner die.
It wasn't until a week ago that it even occurred to me that I never have to go to a college or university. The mere thought had never even been considered. (Talk about American education brainwash) This moment of clarity was brought on by a large break down caused by stress from grades and school. I was on my way to track practice, but my sobbing was so overwhelming that I pulled into a church parking lot. After crying for another 15 minutes, I noticed this truck pull up in the field next to the church. I didn't really pay much attention to it until I heard a leaf blower like noise. I pulled my car around to have a better look and I saw a man getting his parasailing equipment up. I watched, mesmerized, for 20 minutes at the man who eventually got up into the air. And what I realized as I watched the parasailer was that he was doing something completely for himself and his own happiness. He didn't major in parasailing and I doubted this was his actual profession. He was doing something for his own personal benefit, something he took time to do because it was for him.
Maybe it was some sign from God, but as a parked in that churches parking lot, watching the parasailer, I felt better. Aleavedated. I talked to my parents that afternoon and they agreed that I could do what I wanted and that college was not my only choice. Honestly, I'm lucky to have parents that supportive.

So college might not be my thing, what is?
 I made a list of things I want to do, and not going to college wouldn't stop me to do those things

• Get a job downtown
• Learn French
• Travel Europe
• Write a blog
• Write a book
• Have an online store
• Studies things I am actually interested in
• Learn how to cook and bake
• Learn how to use Photoshop
• Actually create art
• Take more photos

These are things I've always wanted to do but never had the time and going to college wouldn't help it financially.  It won't be easy but at least I'd be living the way I'd want. There is so much stigma to go to college. i mentioned the idea of not going to college to a friend and they thought I was crazy. "Lillie is talking about not going to college!"

It hurt but it made me feel the full extent of peoples expectations. Yeah, overall I might not get as much money through out my life without a college degree, but I'm not saying I'll never go. Right now, I just believe I don't need a college degree and 100k in debt to do what I want with my life.

This blog will be active because it's something I want. I'm tired of doing and making this to impress a college. I want to do things for myself. Starting now.

working on it.

I have a 143 days till I have to apply to my dream college, with a art portfolio that includes 12-16 pieces of original artwork showing my talent, ability, and amount of potential. So far, I have 1 piece. It is a picture of myself I drew. It can only go up from here.

After recent grade reports as well as ap exam score, the fire as been well lit under my ass to get into college. And not just any college but quite literally my one and only. I mean, it's my only choice and its top compared to any other I've seen. The thing is, it's a rather competitive school to get into and my grades don't exactly inspire. So, I'm riding on all the extracurriculars, awards, and excellent recommendations. As well as a stellar and kick ass art portfolio. I've been going in the right direction as far as planning my portfolio out, taking art classes at the community college, and making sure all the specifics are covered. The only thing I'm missing now are some supplies and the right time. 

The right time for what? Is this just a veil to cover up that I'm are a procrastinating bitch? Maybe. I'm considering getting "don't put off tomorrow what you can do today" on my arm as a constant reminded to better myself along with "less is more" and "tights are not pants." 

Today, a family friend stopped over and I asked her about what her and her daughters experience was for getting into this school. The main message she told me was to do what you know and do the best you can. You can't make this school accept you, just put your best work out there with confidence and let everything else fall in place. I found this to be what I needed to hear; all I do is stress as to whether or not this school will except me because I have no idea and that uncertainty scares me. There is nothing more I can do but show them work I'm proud of and be my true self. I'm not competing against every other potential art student when I'm creating pieces, I'm not even competing against myself, I'm simply putting myself out there.

Until next time,
Lillie
x

{5/12} The Update: More like the up-LATE

It's almost the end of my Junior year, which means a lot of things.

• For starters, I have my AP Us History exam on Wednesday. I need to score at least a 3 to get actual college credit, so that's sort of a big deal.
• I'm nearing the start of post season for track. I'm not sure if I ever mentioned that I came back. Well I'm back and going strong. It was the right decision to have left when i did and it was the right decision to come back. I've improved so much this year, region qualifying on Friday. My goal is to place in states. 
• I have my first Prom night on the 25th. my dress is fantastic (and so was the price.) I have no definite plans for the night, but the group I'm going with will figure out something. It's important to not make the Prom into anything that it's not. Basically, it's a night where I can get into a dress and dance my ass off. Anything after that is just a bonus.
• SAT on the June 1st. I'm sure I'll retake this but I'm pretty confident. I scored fairly well on my PSAT and that was with minimal studying, so I picked up an SAT book from the Mercy House. I'll start studying after the APUSH exam. This test is a very important part of getting into college. Yay.
• June 7th, I will no longer be an underclassman. And that is when I start my year long video project, documenting my senior year of high school. With this project, I will make a video a week just about my life.
• The Yearbook has to be finished. Oh Lord.
• A piece of really excited news that I was going to talk about originally is that I leave for Belgium, France, and Switzerland on June 10th for 9 days. Going over-seas is a dream of mine, especially going to Paris (as the readers of my blog would know.) Basically, my parents kick major ass. Their will be so many pictures and travel journals I'll post after the trip.
• A few days after I get back into the country, I'll be heading to Branson, Missouri for this extended family gathering of sorts. Basically, I get to stay in this nice lodge for a week, reading, updating my blog, and hanging in my eno. It should be a nice, relaxing time. Plus, this lodge they're renting is pretty big, meaning plenty of places for me to hide. :)

Though I feel I'll be relieved that the end of this school year will come to a close, I know it's just the beginning. 

Until next time,

Lillie

x

Favorites of the Week {4/14}

I'm not so good with "Lets do something everyday!" I can hardly have a consistent bedtime let alone update a blog everyday, or at this point every week. To make up for this I have some really awesome favorites of the week to share as well as an update/checking in post that will be up tomorrow.

Favorites for the week of April 14th:

37 People Who Are Worse At Cooking Than You: My sister posted this on facebook and I nearly pissed myself. Three pictures in and I was dying. What's really hilarious about these food fails is that most of these are things seen on pintrest or something like #1 with the rainbow cake jars. You tried.

Gollum covers Taylor Swift: I follow 473 blogs on Tumblr, meaning the BEST THINGS show up on my dash on a regular basis. The title really explains it all. You'll be singing along by the end. 

Infographic- Get More out of Google: Google is ma search engine. I don't deal with Yahoo or god forbid Bing. SO I was surprised all the ways I can improve me search. This infographic is visually interesting as well as being very informative. I'm sure this will help me next year when I have loads of papers to write.

Brooklyn Craigslist Ad Offers the Complete Girls Living Experience: I know being 16 doesn't make me the target age for HBO's Girls but I love the show immensely. 

18 Microwave Snacks You can Cook in a Mug: I'm so lazy. I'm soooo lazy. I'm the kind of the person who will take the time to boil water and make pasta but won't make the sauce. This happened yesterday. So the possibility of making DESSERTS in a MUG in the MICROWAVE is the THE COOLEST THING EVER. Will you make me one?

Same Love feat Mary Lambert- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: After listing to Thrift Shop 54 times, I ventured through their album The Heist and I really like it. This song has been on repeat for awhile because it is such a beautiful as well as having a great message. Really amazing music video as well.

39 People With Watercolor Paintings Tattooed To Their Bodies: Another one from from Buzzfeed (because I'm obsessed with the website) Watercolor tattoos are sort of mind-blowing. I understand how other tattoos work, but with watercolor ones, the design is just so beautiful. I would certainly get one of these. It's such a unique was of displaying art on your body.

Music Videos Without Music- Thirft Shop: Another internet gem. Thank you CollegeHumor.

My Canon 50mm 1.8  lens: I had a photo shoot/ senior portraits of sorts with one of my best friends yesterday and the pictures turned out excellent. He needed some legit head shots so the lens really helped get great pictures that were solely focused on him. I found the lens on Best Buy online for $108 so we went into the store and they honored the online price, SCORE!

I'm really excited to do more photo shoots with people to build up my portfolio so I'm currently doing free sessions for people I know to get more experience. Hopefully, I will also have some portrait pictures to use for portfolio when I apply to college.

I'm sure I'll share many shoots on my blog is my lovely subjects allow (Thanks Tyler!)

Until next time,

Lillie

x

BEDA #4 Puppy Girls

Today, my Dad took our two, 14 year old dogs to put them down. Honestly, we are very lucky to have had them this long. They are Shepard-Lab mixes and they usually don't live very long. And these too dogs were especially lucky to be alive this long.

 Lucky was the extra dog we got, so that's why she has her name. He named became really ironic because this dog was lucky to be alive. She has hit a car, broken her leg, and other miscellaneous accidents. Bless her heart.

Our other is Brooke, who was named after Brooke Shields because she had more brown on he face like having voluptuous eyebrows.

I knew that this was coming. Lucky has had a tumor growing for probably a month or two and Brooke's joints have really deteriorated to the point where she could hardly get around. It was their time. Dad is on Spring Break so he took them on some walks, feed them a can of food each, and a whole box of Milkbone bones. They did not eat all the bones as that was quite a large box, but he wanted to make sure they would not be hungry. 

It's been rough and even though we knew this day was approaching, you're never ready for the impact. I write this through tears but I fight to finish because they deserve this. They lived a good 14 and a half years and I regret we didn't make it better. I will miss hearing barking in the back yard and seeing them through the kitchen window in the mornings. I will always expect them to come out of their houses to greet me when I walk out the back door. 

They will be missed.

Brooke is on the left and Lucky is on the right

Lucky

Brooke

Until next time,

Lillie

x

*all photos are mine*

BEDA #2-3 Oops... & Pottery!

Unlike my rather rant-y and honest first BEDA post, my other ones should be less like that. 

Somes days just aren't ment for blogging. Yesterday was, obviously, one of those days. It was crazy and horrible until I went to pottery. I just had my 4th time in the Pottery studio at the local community college and it's one of my favourite things. 

• Firstly, I am the youngest in the class by at least 15 years. 
• Secondly, I'm picking it up really quickly.
• Thirdly, you can think of nothing else besides trying to center your clay on the wheel. So it's a great thought distraction.

When I have finished pieces, I will certainly post some pictures of them. There is also a summer session I plan on taking to create higher quality pieces for my art portfolio. The instructor even told me that we can work on hand building to create nicer 3D pieces. 

Also, I redownloaded Spotify. I've been listening to a lot of Imagine Dragons and Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis. I shamelessly sing to Thrift Shop and the soundtrack to Les Mis.

Until next time, 

Lillie

x

BEDA #1: Adding to the Pile

I'm not positive as to what has happened to my time. Last thing I remember is going to football games in October. Now it's April and I'm FREAKING THE HELL OUT. 

Before now, I had time to do everything, but as of today I have 49 days left of my junior year. Within theses 49 days, the list of things I must accomplish is practically infinite. It feels like my entire future is riding on these next 49 days because I have to plan my summer to prepare me to get into college. Taking the SAT, APUSH exam, SOL testing, and making my time line for summer are just some of the wonderful things I have to accomplish along with having to help finish the yearbook, sign up for as many art classes as I can, get a job, plan for next years yearbook. 

I think my biggest fear is not getting into my college because I know no other place I want to go. I want to have so much faith in the work I produce, but I don't because I feel like I don't produce enough. Do I really have talent? Am I cut out to do what I want to do? I'm scared that my school of choice won't want me or not see potential. And what may scare me the most is that they'll see the lack of faith I have in myself. 

I will be applying to the top public art school in the country. I only took Art 1 my freshman year and didn't continue because I really didn't like the teacher. I can't tell if I regret that now. Instead of taking art, I took Speech class and creative writing. At this point, I can only see those things as time taken away from doing art but I have to pull back. I don't know if those art classes would have benefited me. I don't know if I would have been happy.

Another thing that scares me is this "lack of consistency" in activities. When I write it all down, I guess there are a lot of activities and extracurricular I was involved in, maybe more than others. But I never was super super involved in things. I was never a leader in a club nor have I had an activity that I've been involved in all 4 years of high school. I've dropped out and quit so many things and I'm so afraid that a school is only going to see me as a quitter. I always feel like I should have stayed in something, found my niche and I guess with yearbook I have. I just don't think I can adequately express whats happened with all these things.

I competed at State Level public speaking my freshman year. A huge deal. My sophomore year, I go to do it again, but the day before Districts my partners creates this elaborate and extremely hurtful lie so she couldn't go compete. I did not get to compete. Junior year I planned on doing a solo event, but quit for track.

I've done outdoor track since 8th grade. I just finished my 3rd indoor season and at the end, shit hit the fan. I did not return for my 4th outdoor season after trying to make it work. I can not even describe how unhappy I was. And being in the position that I am, it still affects my life. My family members are the only ones who completely understand why I quit because the situation involves my family, but I can't describe how painful it is for people to tell me how great I am at it and that they think "I should really reconsider." I have my completely justified reasons and even after explaining the situation to them, they don't get it. I don't owe them an explanation but the way I get treated because of my choices hurts. Someone from the track team passes by and will say "Quitter" to me. I'm so upset that the entire situation had to happen and now I get to deal with the aftermath.

How do I explain all this to a college admissions office?

People tell me I'm liked. That they appreciate me. That I'm fabulous. It's really nice of them, but I don't think I can put "well liked" under school involvement. Do you put "great personality" under volunteer service or extracurricular? These are things I think I offer but not things I could easily show a college at a first glance. Who knows, maybe I could. I'd like to say I was an amazing student, but honestly I'm average at best. I worked extremely hard in some classes but feel short in others. I regret that and I don't know how a school will see that.

I didn't expect this to turn into a rapid fire rant but after the day I had, it feels nice. Feelings just kept coming up and I needed to get them out. A friend told me that reading my blog was almost like reading my Diary and in a sense, it is. I don't find the point of being dishonest with my feelings when I talk about experiences I've had. There is a way of being honest without having to tell every single detail. 

Until next time,

Lillie

x

Favorites of the Week {3/29}

Here are some of my favorite things for the week of March 29th:

YOU'RE ALLOWED TO SAY NO: I've been a huge fan of HayleyGHoover for years. I mean, she is the reason I streaked my hair with pink the summer after 8th grade. But with all the shit that has been going on with the Steubenville trial, I love that youtubers are speaking about it and providing information for viewers. Youtubers have an interesting relationship with an audience that is much different than a television show. It is personally produced material, so whatever they want to talk about they can. They also have great communication with their audience. That being said, Youtubers have a lot of power to influence and educate, which is a really wonderful thing considering how censored things have become in schools and how screwed up things are shown in the media. Hayley makes her points clear and understandable with no confusion. If it's not a yes, it's a no.

14 Shopping Problems That Totally Stress Us Out (GIFS): I hate shopping for clothes. It gives me a headache and low self esteem for the rest of the day. So here are 14 problems by the Huffington post with gifs to express the horrors of shopping which I can totally relate to. It's hilarious that I want to be a fashion blogger of sorts and yet I hate clothes shopping. I haven't been in the best mind set when ever I go shopping. I'll need to fix that soon.

Icona Pop - I Love It (feat. Charli XCX): First heard this song on the HBO series "Girls"( highly recommend) This song is just so much fun to listen to. This would be a really awesome workout song. I LOVE IT.

"Where is Matt Damon": This is a link I found on CollegeFashion but I had to share this. Basically, Erin Faulk found Matt Damon in morocco by asking people "Where is Matt Damon?" She recounts this story on twitter during the snow storm. It's excellent. Read the whole thing. 

The End- Ep. 100 of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: It's sad to see this project come to an end, but it was certainly amazing while it was going on. I came in at episode 80 (caught up in two days) and has been watching it religiously since. If you are just now hearing about the Lizzie Bennet Diaries (where have you been?), here is the link to the entire playlist to watch from the beginning.

Actresses Without Teeth: I can't even. This Tumblr wins.

33 Unusual Tips to Being a Better Writer: From Though Catalog. As a blogger who wants to expand their blog, these tips are very helpful. Luckily, I'm in the early stages of my blog so I have time to find my blogging voice. I try very hard in every post to not over use "amazing", "exciting", "absolutely", or anything that is me blatantly stating my opinion like "I think" or "I feel." It's obvious that's what I think, it's my blog. I also need to use I less and less. Most of the best blogs do this very well. I'm working on it.

Downton Abbey: I've know about this show for awhile and I got the chance to watch it over Spring Break. I just started season two and the story has completely engulfed me. The characters are wonderful, Maggie Smith is fabulous of course, and sweet jesus Matthew Crowley is smokin'. If you are in need of good British television until Doctor Who, Sherlock, and My Mad Fat Diary comes back, starting watching it.

Life with the Hijab: Found this on Tumblr and reblogged it immediately. People assume that women who choose to wear a Hijab are oppressed but these women are fantastic examples that they are strong and independent.

International Geek Girl Pen Pals Club: I already have a post talking about this but I wanted to put it on my favorites anyway. I've always wanted a pen pal and tried to get one through tumblr but it was too sketch for me. Plus, it could be hard to tell someone no if you really didn't want to correspond with them. Through IGGPPC, I feel it safer in a way because other girls just like me are looking for the same thing. I will be getting my pen pal match up next week and I already have postcards to send to her, who ever she is! Hopefully we are the same age or close and maybe they'll be from abroad. Either way it will be an exciting experience.

Until next time,

Lillie

x

Why Today is Awesome

I don't like making new years resolutions because I literally forget about them the next week. If I want to insight change in my life, I should just go ahead and do it not wait till a "New Year." This year I made a decision. To become more positive and have a better look out on life, I've kept a list on my phone and every day I write why that day was awesome. I thought about keeping it in a real journal or a moleskin but I knew that the idea would have died a week later. I originally got the idea from TheFiveAwesomeGirls on Youtube. Some of the girls (Kayley) have also talked about how they've kept why today is awesome journal a few years now. So I have mine in Notes on my iPhone and everyday I worry that I will delete it by accident but it's nice to just scroll up the list and see what positive things I could pull from my day. The past month and a half has been very stressful and hard on me personally, and I know there were days when I found it really hard to find something good at the end of the day but I did. So I would like to share a few of my days:

January 8th: Having fried ice cream, just because.

-I was with my Dad at our favorite Mexican restaurant and he decided to order fried ice cream (which is amazing if you've never had it) It's just those little things.

January 21st: The possibility of snow!

- I can tell when I found it hard to find something for that day but it's something positive none the less.

January 26th: Reading again

-With being in my Junior year of High School, I find it so hard to find time to read for fun. I'm pretty sure this was when I read The Name of the Stars. I practically read that book in a day.

February 9th: Time Cafe

-This was my AMAZING experience at this cafe in Astoria. Some of the best
 food I've ever had. Read my Saturday in New York blog post that includes my reaction to it right after I came home.

February 21st: #3B cupcakes

-I take AP US history and at my school, normal classes last about an hour and a half but with APUSH, it is an year long class but is only 45 minutes long each day. There are two groups, 3A and 3B, that split the block time. It is common knowledge that our teacher hates the class before ours (3A) so one day before a test, I brought in cupcakes that had things like "3A SUCKS" "3B SWAG" and other infamous phrases our class says. My cupcakes are amazing and everyone loved them. It was a good day.

February 25th: Mud Mask and bath

- If I've had a day where I was all "I'm done with this bullshit" That was February 25th. I put on a mud mask and layed in the bath tub while I tried to forget that people suck. Treat yo' self.

March 1st: Easy A

When in doubt, watch a movie that has Emma Stone in it. Love her. Love this movie. Nice way to spend a night in.

March 9th: The Everything

-I had a really great day with my mom. I bought a lot of exciting books, ate macarons for the first time, looked around for local art classes, and had an awesome lunch. It was just a really awesome day with her because we don't always get to spend much time together.

March 11th: Relief

-I quit track after almost 4 years. It's been a hard decision until recently where it has just caused so much emotion stress in my life. It has made me so unhappy. I quit for myself and I only see that as a good thing. Just so many events lead up to my decision, it was nice to know that it was all over. I did something for myself.

March 26th: Pottery

-In efforts to build up a portfolio for the art school I wish to attend, my mom signed me up for a pottery class. I just had my 3rd class, but that day, my instructor wasn't there so I stayed for 3 hours working and making new pieces. I'm really loving it and I want to continue making pottery after this.

Until next time

Lillie

x

ps. Thanks to International Geek Girls Pen Pal Club for reblogging my blog post about them on Tumblr. It means a lot. :)

Penpals? Penpals!

Praise the sweet lord baby Jesus  internet is back! I'll pick up on my normal schedule on Thursday with Thoughtful Thursday but today I have a fun post about this new thing I just found out about.

It's called the International Geek Girls Pen Pal Club. 

It's basically a website where geeky girls can sign up for another geeky pen pal. Girls who submit the form are matched up with someone with similar geeky interests and boom, new friend! I've always wanted a pen pal and this is a really awesome opportunity to get matched up with another girl who I will have common interests with. The two ladies running this production have also set up a Facebook page, Tumblr, and Twitter hashtag (#iggppc) for the project (Links down below). I definietly recomend you check it out if it's something that would interest you. They are currently having round 2 sign ups to get a pen pal, but the deadline is April 10th. So make sure you sign up before then because as of now, less than 500 spots are open!

This is what they put on the Facebook About Page as a description of the Project:

"We want ladies who love to write & send letters (and maybe the odd wee gift) who love all things geek and want to share that love.

This is a new project for us and we are figuring it out as we go along. We are just two nerdy dames reaching out into the vast, tangled web to see if we can find some new friends and help others find new friends too. The basic idea is you fill the form in, then we will collate everyone's info and we then we'll match you up with someone in the same age range with similar interests to you. Then you can swap addresses and get putting pens to paper!

Of which, why just write? Why not add a little Doctor Who decoupage, throw on some Pokemon stickers or do a little Star Wars doodle. Or better yet send some local candy, because candy! The list of things you could do is endless, have fun with it and create something wondrous!

Any lady over 13 can join up so add your name, location (please include city and country so we aren't pairing you up with someone two towns over!), email and your top five geek loves (these can be anything from film, TV, comics, books, anime etc) and we will pair you up so you can start writing and hopefully make some sweet new friends!"

I found out about the International Geek Girls Pen Pal Club by Kristina Horners "Things I'm Into: March!" video. The whole thing sounds really exciting, so I'm looking forward to getting a pen pal! I think it's going to create an awesome community of women who want to make friends and enjoy their nerdy interest together. I've sent my submission in; including Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Sherlock, the Vlogbrothers, and Young Adult novels as my interests. The links for everything will be down below. In the comments or on Tumblr, tell me what your 5 favorite geeky interests are! I know I have too many so I couldn't include ones like The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Benedict Cumberbatch's Face. Getting a pen pal also means I need to stock up on some kick ass stationary. Wonder if I can find my Lisa Frank set...

International Geeky Girls Pen Pal Club:

Website

Tumblr

Facebook

Twitter Hashtag

Until next time

Lillie

x

No Internet, No Posts

My wifi has been down for quite a few days. I had a really busy week last week then when I was going to post something new, my Internet quit. I'm not sure when my next new post will be but it will be ASAP. Thanks!

Lillie
x

Stumbleupon Sunday {3/17}

These are some of my favorite links that I found on Stumbleupon this week:

31 Insanely Easy and Clever DIY Projects: Who doesn't need more crafts to make? Certainly not me or anyone for that matter. DIY FOR ALL!

Simple Ideas That Are Borderline Crafty: Here is some more DIY, I really love the food color and Elmers glue that creates a sea glass look on clear glass. Just more projects I need to add to my to do list for the summer.

Best Teen Movies of All Time: Can't decide what to watch? Here is the list of the best teen movies; starting the list off with The Breakfast Club. Half the movies on this list are some of my favorites like #5 Easy A, #7 Back to the Future, or #14 She's the Man. I hear plans of a movie night in the near future.

Throwback Thursday: Betchiest Trends of the 90s: This whole website in general is pretty awesome, which I've come to find out. But all these awesome trends from the 90s like tamagotchis and Polly Pockets kicks my nostalgia in the ass.

Paris for the Indie Traveler: The only thing stopping me is the amount of money it takes to buy a  ticket. Get me a ticket and I'm gone.

Strasbourg's Cutst Neighnourhood- La Petite France: It looks like it's a small world, without the creepy dolls.

Belle of the Ball Polyvore: Beautiful and fashionable outfits inspired by iconic Disney characters. As a Disney and fashion lover, I thoroughly appreciate this.

6 Super-Weird Beauty Tricks that Work Wonders: What we do for beauty. The one about acne and eye drops is really awesome and something worth trying, especially for big days or events where pictures will be taken.

How to Travel Full-Time for $17,000 a Year or Less: I feel like I frequently tell my parents that all I want to do with my life is either sleep or travel the world. I think the second one sounds more exciting and this website shows you how to possibly do it. Maybe this is what I'll do after I graduate high school, take a gap year. I can hear my parents now, "Like hell you will." We shall see.

Tulip Fields, Wind Turbines and Canal, Holland: Gorgeous photo of tulip fields, wind turbine and canal, obviously. Tulips make beautiful ground rainbows. Holland is definitely on my list of places I want to visit.

How to Travel: 14 Travel Myths Debunked (Part 2): I like that experienced travelers can really give an insight on some common misconceptions with traveling. Might make you think twice about many places, in a positive and negative way. This couple runs a pretty awesome blog so I recommend checking it out and learning about their traveling experiences. Here is Part 1.

Until next time,

Lillie

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More Macarons: Raspberry and Chocolate ❤

Macarons are my new favorite thing, basically. This week, the pastry shop had raspberry and chocolate macarons which rocked my world. I enjoyed them as I sipped some Constant Comment and watched the rain. Great Saturday.

 

Until next time,

Lillie

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Favorites of the Week {3/16}

Sorry this is a day late, I spend last night working on yearbook and didn't want to post this at such a late hour.

These are a few of my favorite things for the week of March 16th:

CHRACHEL COOKS: french ass macarons: Rachel and Chris are adorable and they make things. *sexy hand washing*

Transgender Awareness with Kassie King: I thought this article was very interesting and helpful for clearing up confusion about Transgendered individuals, as well as commenting on the fact that information like this isn't well spread out. We are use to things being black or white, boy or girl, but never being educated that it would be other wise. 

Hating Stuff is Dumb: I'm a high school student, so I am blessed to be surround by my peers, who hate everything. So many of them a negative and it;s really hard not to bitch slap them, to be perfectly honest. Hopefully people watch this video by Emilythebravee and learn that, hating stuff IS dumb.

Cupcakes In A Can: Found this on Tumblr and thought that this looks amazing

 

THAT JUST HAPPENED: Finally, Kassie King uploaded a new video. Very exciting! It's sort of hilarious because I was using the bathroom while I watched this video, which was kind of the point Kassie was making, that she doesn't know what people are doing when we watch her videos. 

StarKid's 'A Very Potter Senior Year':  I've been watching Very Potter Musicals since they came out, so this being the 3rd and last installment of a great series, it's a bit bitter sweet. This is where I saw Darren Criss before he was ever on Glee, so it's been awesome watching his career rocket from starting as Harry Freakin Potter. My texting signature was "I<3 Darren" for a week in middle school. How romantic.

Bad Ass Prostitute/ Pirate: another gem I found on Tumblr. This girl is pretty bad ass. The link is to the Wikipedia page for more information.

My Mad Fat Diary: I've been seeing gifs and posts about this show on my dash for about a month now and I had been meaning to watch it but never got around to it. Well, I knocked out all 6 episodes in one night and left my homework for the next morning. I. Have. No. Regrets. Here is the synopsis: Set in Lincolnshire in 1996, My Mad Fat Diary follows the story of 16 year old, 16 stone Rae, who has just left a psychiatric hospital, where she has spent four months. She begins to reconnect with her best friend, Chloe, who is unaware of Rae's mental health and body image problems, believing she was in Paris for the past four months. Rae attempts to keep this information from her while also trying to impress Chloe's friends Izzy, Archie, Chop and Finn. In some ways, I really can relate to the show and have lovable characters makes it that much better. I've never reacted and became so attached to television show characters, ever. Every time something exciting happened: I stopped breathing or was breathing in reverse. My fangirl was glowing. The show really reminded me that being yourself will draw people in. You don't have to change your appearance or pretend that you don't actually like your interests. Just be yourself. Please go watch this show; it is brilliant. *The link is for the first episode but this is the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. These are all on Youtube. Enjoy* 

This gif:

Until next time

Lillie

x

#CurvyDoesntCutIt

I received my edition of the 2013 April Seventeen Magazine and to be honest, I was pissed. I was pissed that:

1. The magazine YET AGAIN showcases clothes and accsessories that are way over the budget of the average teen girl. 

2. There are no plus size girls.

Promptly after recieving  my magazine I tweeted:

 "I want @seventeenmag to have "big ass, thighs, and stomach" as a body type. It's just so hard to relate to the magazine. #curvydoesntcutit"

I mean, it's not like Seventeen tweeted back saying the next issue will feature larger girls nor did they tell me to sit my fat ass down. But I've been thinking about it all week. I mean, is this really what I 'm paying money for? For a "relatable teenage magazine" that only features clothes and accessories for girls that are 5'7, size 4, and that have long hair. These girls are their target and yet, so are other teen girls who do not fit that mold. So whats up? As I look through the magazine, it starts to remind me more and more of Teen Vogue, but not nearly as high end. It seems that Seventeen is trying to get the message across that "You can be beautiful, chic, and stylish WITH OUT paying the designer cost." Seventeen, you're killing me. I want a magazine that is not bombarded with Ads and skinny people. I don't need to know how to LOOK HOTTER IN MY JEANS but rather HOW TO CONFIDENTLY SHOW OFF YOUR THIGHS WITH OUT FEELING BAD ABOUT YOUR BODY IMAGE. Not every teenage girl watches Pretty Little Liars nor did I need to be informed as to WHICH HOT GUY PANELIST SHOULD I DATE? Give me a magazine that has large inspirational girls, DIY, and Benedict Cumberbatch. I guess that's why I have a Tumblr. 

Normally I like to use these magazines as "inspiration" for things I want to do for my personal wardrobe and life style but it's gotten to a point where it has a negative affect on my life. It seems that the magazine is serving as a constate reminder that I can't wear the things these girls wear, my hair won't look like those girls, and those shoes would never fit my feet. Know why? Because I have a size 16 (14 on a good day) ass, hair to my shoulders that never manages to do anything but lay atop my head in a bun, and because I have size 8 feet that are as wide as my hand. And I'm ok with this because: It's me.

 I don't need to see pages filled with girls who look so much better in clothes I can't dream of ever finding in my size. Then I step back and wonder, "Why would I want to look like them. They don't look like me!" Seventeen has turned into a magazine that seems to understand teenage girls from what they see on Twitter. They understand what we "want" but they are not giving us what we need. For me, I need a magazine that understands I need other inspirational women and girls who have stories to share and who share the same feelings that I do. Not some girl that is a star of a popular TV show or a music artist that wakes up "feelin' like P. Diddy." I just can't relate. I wake up in the morning feeling like Lillie. Someone who has interests and passions but also someone who has insecurities and self-image issues. I feel that many others could relate and the reason I feel this way is that not every girl is like those in the magazine. And let me go out on a limb and say some can relate more to this blog post rather than an article about 17 SWEET KISSES TO TRY! Give me an article about 17 WAYS TO GET OVER A FICTIONAL CHARACTER.

As every issue comes out, the magazine becomes more like pages for the Popular girls. The girls who are more concerned about how they look, about their hair, and about boys. And if those their interests, then who am I to judge them. But here's the thing, a magazine for teen girls should not just include general information to what they think teenage girls want. I wonder if they ever stopped to consider, "Hey, not everyone that we feature in our magazines looks like our readers. Maybe we should fix that." 

I assume not.

I am a plus size girl.

I like the internet.

I don't have a lot of money to spend on trendy things.

This is not an attack at skinny or other girls that are not plus sized. The best way I can describe this is that you go to a fruit market and all they have are apples. There is no variety. I would also say that they lack in showing a variety of other body types and personalities of teen girls. After I posted that tweet, I had a petite friend of mine who agreed and said Seventeen needed more styles for short hair, because she has short hair and can't relate. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who understands there is more that just a few body types or a few hair styles that covers the entire population of teenage girls in America.

I want a magazine that will inspire girls into not changing for others or to feel pressure that they have to wear certain clothes or have a certain "Style." Am I glam-punk or am I rocker-chic? There needs to be a magazine that helps girls be comfortable with themselves. To let them know that it's ok that we make mistakes because other awesome women have made mistakes and they turned out, well, awesome. I don't need to do anything for people to like me. This magazine needs to find a more genuine way to say "Be Yourself." Because how its "trying" to now, just seems like it's all one big marketing ploy.

  

I'm excited for my Friday Favorites of the Week. Expect it to feature some plus size friendly links. I may even do another post talking about plus sized women on the internet and media.

Until next time

Lillie

x

Ten Favorite Books + {other honorable mentions}

When I was in the 1st grade, I hated reading. My grandmother was concerned that I would NEVER learn to read, so much so that she bought Hooked on Phonics from a TV advert to aid her granddaughter. My main problem when I was younger was that I thought of reading to be more of a punishment than something fun. In a way, I'm still like that but about assigned reading or people telling me to read a certain book NOW. I don't want people pushing me in directions, even if its the direction I'm going. I need to live on my own pace and discover things at my own time. Everything works outs one way or another. My most predominant memory of my first love of books was when I read the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickets. The books are wonderful and I recommend them to any age. From then on, my love of books only grew.

Now here I am, a sixteen year old girl with over 200 books in my possession, most I have yet to read. For awhile, it was a mad obsession. I just kept buying books! I am most fortunate to live, literally, 10 minutes away from this massive book fair that opens for two week periods multiple times a year. It's probably where I've bought most of my books. So really, the majority of my books have cost $6 or less. One can also never underestimate the power of a thrift store. You will be amazed at the books people donate, so instead of paying $15, you pay 50 cent. I find it truly unbelievable that there are so many ways to sustain a ridiculous reading habit.

I always said that I wouldn't buy an e-reader until I was able to put books I already have on them because so many of my books were already bought at a discounted price. But, a couple years ago, I gave in and bought one. (Kassie King's video was the last straw) I LOVE my Kindle. I can not sing its praise enough. One of the biggest things is that I can get newly released, hard back books, half the price than what it would be at Books-A-Million or Barnes&Noble. E-books do not replace paper books in the slightest, but they help take some of the space from your book shelf. When you want to go anywhere and have a book, it's so easy to just have an e-reader Plus, Kindle being amazons product, you have the WONDERFUL advantage of having your books being sent right to your kindle when you purchase them. The Kindle also last quite a long time with having to be charged. For me, I don't consider it a big deal to "charge my books". The Kindle is just another why for me to get my reading fix.  Amazons staff is also very good with getting back with emails, from my experience.

If you avoided the paragraphs above, I do not judge you, but the gist is "I LOVE BOOKS". So here, lovely people who have stumbled upon this blog, is my top ten books in order (for the most part):

1. The Fault in Our Stars: John Green

 I waited for almost a year after I pre-ordered this book. It was truly worth the wait. John Green is my Peter VanHouten in the way that I would read his groceries list. John created a most wonderfully flawed love interest and a wonderfully emotional story. I had never cried at a book before, nor had I read a book in 5 hours (minus an hour of crying) until I read The Fault in our Stars. Honestly, I still get emotional about this book. If you have not read it yet, please do yourself justice and do it now. John is such a fantastic writer and being part of Nerdfighteria for so long, it as awesome to see all the praise he received for his book. 

 

2. The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins

I was lucky enough to find this book before it was popular, at my book fair for $5. Now, I am sort of particular when it comes to reading. I don't like reading outside. With this book, I found NO PROBLEM reading it any where. Suzanne Collins rips you into the arena of the Hunger Games. I don't want to say "Action pact" because that is one hell of a cliche. But really, the book is written so excellently and the characters are so great. I found it refreshing to read a book that sounds as if the main character would be a boy, but Katniss is a strong independent women who, really, doesn't need a man to complete her life. I also enjoyed the movie and thought it was a really good adaptation.

3. The Princess Diaries series: Meg Cabot

I read this entire series in middle school. If you liked the movie, I promise these books are so much better. Anne Hathaway plays a wonderful Mia. When I was younger (and now) I always wanted to find out I was a secret princess. mostly so I would have a reason to travel. Anyway, Meg Cabot is the queen. The books take place in New York and I found Mia super relatable. She is just a normal girl who end up being a princess. I loved how the books semingly never end. There are about 14 books (10 main ones) that will last you awhile. The books are also in diary format which is another awesome thing about the books. Basically: these books are FAB.

4. Paper Towns: John Green

Just like every John Green book, it's awesome. I do believe this was my first John Green book. I remember watching Vlogbrother videos leading up to it's release. If you have never felt the urge to leave everything behind and go on an insane road trip before you graduate high school, read this an you will. John's style of writing is one of my favorites because it's hilarious, smart, and witty.

I believe people benefit from reading his novels. This was my favorite Book my John before TFIOS. We all know how I feel about TFIOS.

 

5. Looking for Alaska: John Green

I started reading this book at 10pm and continued till 3am. I woke up the next morning and finished it. There is just something eclectic about reading in the dark, under the covers, with a flashlight. I found that it only enhanced the reading experience. The problem when I read this book was that I read it in a short amount of time. I basically took in the entire book I and I believe that I didn't fully appreciate it. It was also pretty young when I read this, which I don't think is ever a bad thing for younger readers. I loved Alaska and the shenanigans the group of teenagers go through. It's an absolutely outstanding book that really is a tie with Paper towns. It was Johns first novel and really one of his best. Obviously. Because he is amazing.

6. Thirteen Reasons Why: Jay Asher

I had never read a book about suicide before this, and to think of it, I hadn't since. Thirteen Reasons Why is a fantastically written book that makes it feel as if you are personally affected by the death. Afterwards, it made me feel very thoughtful about death. I certainly wasn't suicidal but the book had me thinking about death and how it affects everyone when you're gone. I would recommend this book to anyone just because it is so well written. It's certainly a book I would like to read again. 

7. Anna and the French Kiss: Stephanie Perkins

To quote John Green, "Holy Snood, do I love this book." Holy Snood indeed. I found out about this flawless ass book from, (guess who) John when he mentioned how he had found this book in his possession. I feel like this book has everything I want in life. A hot British boy who speaks french and crepes. This was Stephanie Perkins first book, and just. Wow. Her writing is super funny, yet wonderfully believable. As a writer for young adults, she understands a teenager girls emotions accurately as well has knowing what her audience wants, an American-British-French speaking boy with excellent hair. I just re-read this book and it leaves me wanting more from Etienne St. Clair. Luckily, her other book Lola and the Boy Next Door is a compaction book to Anna, so the readers get to see a bit on Anna and St. Clair with it still being Lola's story. Just. Go. Read. This.

8. 13 Little Blue Envelopes: Maureen Johnson

This, incendtly, is another book I am currently re-reading (This blog post has taken me 3 days to finish). I love books that include a teenage girl much like myself, traveling to Europe and having all these amazing experiences. I think the main reason is that I get to live through the characters because they do all these things I want to do. The main character gets 13 blue envelopes from her dead aunt with instructions on what to do. All expense paid. Maureen is one of my favorite authors so any book she writes is amazing, but when it's one that I only wish I could live through, it makes it that much better.

9. A Great and Terrible Beauty: Libba Bray

This is another fantastic book that I read a few years back. It's sort of funny because I saw this book in one of our yard sale boxes for our own yard sale, but I saved it because it looked promising. I really ended up loving it. It's so interesting and I love that it takes place during the Victorian age. There are 2 other books after this one. Rebel Angels is the 2nd and The Sweet Far Thing is the 3rd. I had the chance to buy the 3rd one years ago, but didn't and then never got around to reading it. Though I've heard it wasn't as good as the others, it is currently on my Kindle so I might have to do a re-read of the other two then do a review!

10. The Name of the Stars: Maureen Johnson

This book had such a cool twist that I really didn't know about before I read it. Again, Maureen is fab and I love all the things she publishes. I tore through this book with out ever looking back. IT'S JUST REALLY GREAT I'M EXCITED TO READ THE SECOND THAT I PRE-ORDED AND I HAVE IT IN MY ROOM AND the cover doesn't match with the first one, which pisses off the little OCD reader inside me. Either way, the book was awesome and entertaining to read.

Honorable Mentions:

• Harry Potter series:J.K. Rowling I just love everything about Harry Potter. I did want to take up a spot on my list because loving Harry Potter is just so... obvious. 
• Lola and the Boy Next Door: Stephanie Perkins
• Blue Bloods series: Melissa De La Cruz Love, love, love these books. It's great having vampires, good plot and writing because it's so rare.
• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks: E. Lockhart
• Girl at Sea: Maureen Johnson
• Uglies: Scott Westerfield
• I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You: Ally Carter I know we all want to go to spie school. Just read this series. 
• The Bermudez Triangle: Maureen Johnson
• Suite Scarlette: Maureen Johnson

Favorite Authors: 

These lovely people write my favorite books. I love them. I want to hug them and eat cupcakes with them. Read all of their books. Then re-read them. Their books will improve your life. I also have the links to their website.

• John Green
• Maureen Johnson
• Stephanie Perkins
• Meg Cabot

I hope this helps with someones search for great books. I am always looking for new books to read. you can add me as a friend on Goodreads to see what I'm reading or what I plan to read.

Until then

Lillie

x

Stumbleupon Sunday {3/10}

Stumbleupon is simply one of favorite websites, because it's not just one website. You sign up, fill in your interest and hit Stumble. You are then whisked away to places of the internet you would have never gone before. Magical. Stumbleupon is a great way to kill time but also insight creativity. These are some of the best websites I've found this week:

Dancers Among Us: Stunning pictures of dancers in everyday life

100 French Food/Drink Words and Phrases: This makes me what to set up a really nice, white table cloth dinner and dress very nicely as I serve guests le vol-au-vent et rôti les pommes de terre. How Fancy.

22 Artworks with Clever Use of Negative Space: Lovely and very artistically inspiring.

14 Places to Fall in Love with France: I thought it was hilarious that this showed up since I've been on a French kick all week. The pictures make me want to find the next plane leaving out of Dullas to Paris and peace out!

Who What Wear: This website is basically a really awesome online fashion magazine.

Songza: Music for any time of day. Literally. Do you need music for a Sunday afternoon read? Or how about Thursday night for working, but with no lyrics. It's more specific then Pandora could ever be.

calm.com: Lord knows I need this on a daily bases. You can chose from a 2, 10, or 20 minutes of relaxation while a soothing voice talks you through relaxing your body. I think we all need to remember to do this everyday, if even for a few minutes. It changes how the entire rest of your day does and that matters.

Most Gawked All-Time:  Craft Gawker is DIY HEAVEN. I have never been so inspired to MAKE THINGS. So go! GO MAKE THINGS

Useful Life Hacks: I never tire from seeing different life hacks. Many of these are actually very useful.They make it feel like I'm cheating everyday life.

The Hunt: Every seen something on the internet that you wanted but had no idea where to find said item? Its a daily occurrence in my life. With The Hunt, you join a huge community of others in search for the things they've seen and want. You post a picture and others help in the search to find that item or items online.

Hope you enjoyed this first Stumbleupon Sunday!

Until next time

Lillie

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