Strive, Don't Deprive

(The picture above is the thumbnail for YouTube artist Emily Artful)

Lots of thoughts today.
At first I was going to share about another YouTuber I discovered yesterday whom I'm absolutely loving. I'll get to that in a minute because there was also something more serious that caught my attention yesterday.
I've been clashing with a coworker recently. This person is constantly critical, always find things that are wrong or could have been better, and does not acknowledge when things are done correctly or how well other things are doing. This person cannot be impressed. I know this because another coworker who has worked with them for far longer than I have has tried and now knows better. But this coworker I'm clashing with, their anger is not usually toward one specific person. Usually it is to some other circumstance that is completely out of our control, but my coworker cannot focus her anger, so she ends up lashing out at the people around her. This lashing out because of something she cannot control only amplifies her anger, causing her to have extremely poor relations with everyone around her. Everyone. It increases her critical nature. I'm normally a glass half full kind of person, a realistic optimist, if you will. Naturally her and I haven't gotten along at all over the past several weeks. As I was discussing this person with my mom, who also knows and works with my coworker, my mom kind of laughed and said, "Well, they're Italian."
I stopped in my tracks because that sounded dangerously familiar. They're Italian. To me that is far too close to the phrase boys will be boys. And I decided in that moment to refuse someone's heritage or genetic makeup as an excuse for their poor behavior. Someone is Italian and that automatically means their eccentricities and tempers should be excused?
No. Absolutely not.
I'm not exempt from this categorizing, either. I remember a few months ago while in class I made a remark somewhere along the lines of, "They're Italian, don't they all have tempers?" And I realized immediately after saying it how incredibly douchey that was. The categorizing goes beyond people with bad tempers, as well. Isn't it a stereotype that all Americans are stupid and lazy? According to a study done in recent years (sorry, but I can't remember which one), Americans are one of the hardest working nations in the world. Not all Asians are good at martial arts, math, and piano. Not all Hispanics speak Spanish. Not all Blacks are violent. Not all Christians are anti-LGBTQIA+. Not all atheists hate Christians. We desperately need to get out of this mindset of stereotyping because of a certain heritage, religion, societal class, etc. It's toxic.
I will say that people with conditions that alter their chemical makeup/brain activity (i.e. depression, anxiety) are exempt from this. I don't have a thorough understanding of conditions of the mind, therefore I don't feel comfortable having an opinion on them.
I was overwhelmed with this realization yesterday and retreated to my room to let my brain sort itself out. As usual, I turned to YouTube, as that is normally the place I go when I need to zone out or just be encouraged. (That or Pinterest.) In my browsing, I stumbled upon a channel run by a user named Emily Artful. She tells stories while sketching and doing watercolor, and in addition to her art being totally AWESOME, I loved her storytelling style, the way she was able to manifest her thoughts into a painting. It reminded me of writing and how often the characters or the situations they're facing in some way mimic my own state of mind. One of the things she said that stuck with me is "Strive, Don't Deprive." I love this saying because I think it speaks volumes about how we beat ourselves down so often and deprive ourselves of the nurturing our brain and creativity needs. It's okay to not be the best at something; that is why you practice, you strive for it. You always try to improve because in the world of art and creativity, there is always room for improvement and there is always something to learn. Binge watching her channel inspired me to create. It rekindled a love I've had for art my entire life, and I'm hoping I'll be able to get back into it, because creation is...indescribable. It's organic and pure. It's a high. And I wonder whenever I'm coloring, painting, building, or writing, as I'm building these words and characters, is this how God felt whenever he created us?
I'm diving into a world of dreams and color, a world I have been away from for far too long.

-Grace

Nerdforge

You guys...
YOU GUYS!
You have got to check out this woman on YouTube. Her channel name is Nerdforge and I just watched her make a freaking SPELLBOOK with real freaking leather! The nerd in me is going absolutely crazy right now. I love her setup, I love the way she just goes at it with a few tools and some tutorials by her side. And she's just like, "Yeah, I didn't have the proper book binding tools to do this part, but I YouTubed it and just followed that instead." Badass.
Just go watch her. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8MrqRHu2Es

-Grace

30 Day Writing Challenge: Fave Three Actors

Okay, here's one I'm more comfortable with. Three actors I admire. Well, probably in my top three would be Richard Armitage, and no, not because he was Thorin Oakenshield. I've seen some of his other stuff too and I honestly think he's a very good actor. He seems like a good guy.

Next is Mary Kate Wiles. She's a young actress who I saw on the YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, which is a modern take on Pride and Prejudice. Mary Kate played Lydia Bennet, and the way the character was written, the trials she has to go through, and the way she is portrayed really turned my head. I've watched a few of Miss Wiles's vlog posts and I like how down-to-earth she is, very open and very in-depth when addressing questions to her. She's talked about her struggles with Celiac Disease and how it has effected her, and she seems like someone you would like to get to know, have as a friend, watching your back.

And to round off the trio would have to be Jared Padalecki. The first time I saw him was on Gilmore Girls (I know, throwback) but then I saw him on the show Supernatural. Now, although I'm not a dedicated follower of the show (I've only seen a few episodes, out of order) I have come to admire both Jared and his co-star Jensen Ackles. Both guys are devoted actors and an absolute riot together. They truly have a brotherly bond, but what stands out to me about Jared is the way he overcomes his personal struggles. It is no secret to anyone in the Supernatural fanbase that Mr. Padalecki suffers from depression. This is not something you just get over, and it's not just extreme sadness. Depression gets into the heart of you, almost to your roots, and it has been the cause of many people choosing to take their own life rather than try and fight it. Sometimes it can stem from wanting to please everyone all the time and just feeling inadequate, having the world press down on you so you have this impossible weight on your shoulders. I have known people who battle depression. That's what it can become. A battle. But Jared, with support from his family, his co-stars, his followers and fans, fights his depression everyday, appearing to see the best in a day and being able to genuinely smile and be a good dad and a great actor.
If you haven't heard of these actors, I hope you'll give their work a gander, because I think it's worth looking at.

-Grace

30 Day Writing Challenge: 30 Random Facts

Day 18's writing challenge is to post thirty facts about yourself. I have to say, I kind of like making all these lists. It makes me feel so organized.

1. I am a student attending Community College.
2. I have strong opinions about what people say regarding Community College; it's not a place for slackers. You can receive just as good an education there as you can anywhere else. Don't mess with us college peeps.
3. My wardrobe is comprised mostly of blue and black, with a healthy smattering of geek-oriented stuff.
4. As far as fandoms go, I would say I am in a good many. However, I'm probably most invested in Harry Potter. I find myself referencing that the most, although Disney, Sherlock, and any classic literature fall in close behind.
5. I have my own box shaped like the Monster Book of Monsters from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, although I have not found anything worthy enough to put in it. Suggestions?
6. When I was little, I wanted to be a fairy when I grew up. Not much has changed, except when I die, I hope I'll be surrounded by Heavenly angels instead of fairies.
7. Wherever I am going, I always have either a book(s), a notebook and pen(s), or all of the above on hand. The reason I don't have one of those pretty clutch purses for weddings and stuff is because I can't fit all that into one.
8. One of my absolute favorite topics to study is mythology. It doesn't matter which part of the world it originates, I want to study it.
9. When I was a kid, a brick fell on my head. This was partly my fault. As I was climbing the tree in our backyard one day, I wished there were a shelf to keep my books on so when I was reading in the tree and had to go in for lunch, I could just leave the book on the shelf and come back out when I was finished. I started to work shortly after constructing a shelf out of blue rope woven from silk threads. Well, of course I needed to test it, and there happened to be a brick laying nearby. I tested my shelf with the brick, and it worked beautifully. Unfortunately, I forgot about it. A couple of days later while I was playing under the tree, the brick fell on my head and actually bounced off of it. I don't think I ever screamed that much. Mostly I remember my parents carefully pulling away bloody strands of hair to see if I needed stitches. Apparently I was just shy of needing stitches, but what I took away from that was my experiment succeeded! My shelf was functional! And so was gravity.
10. My favorite food is Taco Dip. It is a delicious layered concoction where you spread refried beans on the bottom of a pan, then taco meat, salsa, and finally Velveeta and chopped chili peppers. You cook it in the oven for about forty-five minutes to an hour and eat it with tortilla chips. There is absolutely nothing healthy about it, but it is so good!
11. Baking is one of my favorite hobbies. Cookies are probably my special-ity, although I've been getting into making my own versions of popular candy bars. My homemade Almond Joys? To die for.
12. I love spoiling my nieces and nephew! I will slap down an obscene amount of money for a stuffed animal or a nightgown if I know they will love it.
13. I was enjoying this whole list-making thing, but now it's getting kind of hard. Thirty facts? What is this, speed dating?
14. I love the TV show Sherlock, though one of my favorite Disney movies remains The Little Mermaid. Beauty and the Beast follows at a close second. I also miss the usage of choirs in movies like Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. If you listen to those songs, you'll know exactly the sound I'm talking about.
15. I've read The Screwtape Letters at least three times.
16. In one year of high school, I read the Twilight Saga more than thought. (Shut up, I was fifteen, single, and hormonal.)
17. I loved the first season of Once Upon A Time on ABC, but now I feel like it's getting really weird. They brought in the Wicked Witch of the West, then they jumped on the Frozen wagon, then they brought in Cruella DeVil, and I know they've thrown in some Greek mythology in there. Stick with a realm, Kitsis and Horowitz. Disney was good, Grimm's was a really good move, but now you seem to be going on a Lost sort of path. But I will admit, Captain Hook is one of my favorite characters. Also, Belle cries, like, a lot. Is her weeping face a selling point? Miss the old Belle and Rumple.
18. Sorry, back on track. Random fact number eighteen, if I keep on the same track I've been going, I should be able to finish my degree in three years. Yay!
19. If I could have superpowers, which powers would I want? I think I would want the ability to control water, turn invisible, and fly.
20. If I had to choose one? I don't know why, but I think I would want to control water. Although being able to heal came to mind, if I had that ability, and just healed my family whenever they needed it, I wonder if I would become less faith-dependent. I've seen a lot of family members on hospital beds. Let me tell you, having faith during those times, when there are tubes down there throats, in their arms, and when they writhe in pain but you can't do anything but hold them, those are some of the moments where your faith is tested, and in some cases strengthened.
21. If I could go back in time and do something different, I think I would spend more time with my Pap Pap. He knew so much and spoke so little, his wisdom was sometimes in what he didn't say, or just the look he gave you.
22. I was homeschooled my entire life until I graduated high school. I loved being homeschooled, but I wish I had spent more being involved in theater productions. Not that I was social repressed, but I just didn't know they existed. I thought all actors were professionals, even the kids.
23. When the time comes that I am on an extreme budget and can only afford a few groceries, I have narrowed down what I personally would want for essentials, food-wise. If I had only $30 to spend on food, my entire pantry would consist of coffee, sugar, peanut butter, whole wheat bread, apples, and chocolate chips. Not including the coffee maker and filters, I can go without creamer in my coffee, so long as there's sugar. So my breakfast would be coffee with an apple or coffee with toast and peanut butter. Lunch would consist of a peanut butter sandwich or an apple cut into wedges with a side of melted peanut butter dip. For dinner, any combination thereof, except I would add chocolate chips for a treat. And that is my entire meal plan for when I inevitably will need to budget my food. There was actually a time not long ago where this pretty much was all that I ate, and I wasn't even buying the food. But I know that I can survive on these things. For a time.
24. I would LOVE to work on a movie set. Whether it's building sets, making costumes, doing interviews, working in make-up, making props, being the designated coffee-runner, or just being someone's personal assistant, just to be in that environment and seeing all of that stuff being created would be totally awesome!
25. When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be a fairy.
26. At the same time, I was convinced I was half-mermaid.
27. My favorite directors are Joss Whedon, Peter Jackson, and Andrew Adamson.
28. I have read The Screwtape Letters at least three times.
29. I am a YouTube and Pinterest junkie!
30. It took me a good two weeks to come up with this list.

I hope you enjoyed this because it took me forever to write. I started writing it two days after my last post and it has taken me this long to finish it. Coming up with thirty facts about yourself is hard. Anyway, I'm trying to cluster the rest of the writing challenges to at least fit them in before the official end of the year. We'll see how it goes.

-Grace

-Grace

30 Day Writing Challenge: Capricorn

(Photo courtesy of http://klairedelys.deviantart.com)

For today's challenge, I had to do a little research on my zodiac sign and whether I thought it fit me or not. My sign is Capricorn, and while reading up on this, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. According to some sources, a Capricorn's strengths include ambition, loyalty, responsible, patient, and resourceful. I can tell you right now that I am fiercely loyal. But some of their weaknesses include being dictatorial, "inhibited," conceited, distrusting, and unimaginative. There's another word for that. It's on the tip of my tongue... Oh yeah! Military! Aside from those things, though, Capricorns are strong friends with a mind for leadership. They often seem melancholy and stern, but it's not because they're angry; their minds are always turning over something. That I can relate with. But I've also read that Capricorns see things as either black or white, "one way or the highway" type mindset, which I know is inaccurate for me. What I've basically gathered from my browsing Capricorn topics is that they are very cautious and can be control freaks, they like structure and come off as introverted. But ambitious? Unimaginative? Hello, have you read my blog? I write fantasy! Why don't you tell me to my face how "unimaginative" I am.
I guess with these horoscope things you have to take what you want and leave the rest, like a buffet. I wonder what the history behind the zodiacs originates from. I know they're based off constellations, but after looking at the constellations, I have to ask myself, "How does that look like a goat? Or a half-breed fish-mammal thing?" I do not understand the zodiac signs, but it was interesting researching mine. Also, if you want a somewhat different perspective, the YouTube artist Klaire De Lys did an entire makeup series on the zodiacs, and they are awesome! Check out her YouTube channels below:
https://www.youtube.com/user/KlairedelysArt
https://www.youtube.com/user/KlairedeLysdotcom
https://www.youtube.com/user/MalumiOfficial

-Grace

30 Day Writing Challenge: Something You Miss

Hi guys. You guessed it: today's writing challenge is about something that you miss. Now, when I hear this, it makes me reflect on certain memories with sadness, and because I feel like a lot of my posts have been melodramatic lately, I want this one to be something happy and uplifting. So I am altering the challenge to "Something you miss and how you plan to fix it."
Number 1. I knew in high school that I wanted to be a writer, and so during those four years, I wrote my butt off, spending hours in front of the computer, not watching YouTube but actually writing. I remember the joy I got from that. While my activity hasn't really increased or decreased since high school, I would love to get back to writing with the intensity I had just a few years ago. At one point I had a notebook which I literally took with me everywhere and was writing in all the time. Maybe a new notebook is something I should invest in. Thus far I've been using old composition notebooks or mini notepads, but it's not the same. So I guess I need to get myself a notebook and also work on getting the story info in my head down on paper.
Number 2. I've been dancing since I was five-years-old, and when I decided to take a break from my studio, I was at first relieved. It had gotten to the point where I wasn't that thrilled to go to dance; it felt like a chore. Getting out of my studio was nice at first, but the love I still had for dance, despite taking a break, was still there. When going to the gym, I would spend the majority of my time doing ballet stretches or claiming one of the racquet ball courts to practice turns and going down the floor. This past semester has been awesome because I was finally able to take a dance class at my college, and I loved it! I know now that dancing isn't something I can really go without. It's a part of me, and even if it's in an informal location, like the gym, I need to make time for it.
Number 3. A clean room. How can my room go from Pine-Sol clean to where's my carpet in less than two days? I used to be so good at keeping my room clean. Now I seriously considering rearranging my entire room just so I'll have the chance to put everything away eventually. Right now I've shoved all of the clutter to the center of my room so I can sort it out and deal with it tomorrow. But there are a disturbing amount of spider webs on my walls, and as cool as I find spiders, my room is not an Arachnid halfway house. Sorry, Charlotte.
Number 4. You know what I really miss? Picking up a good book because I know I will be engrossed in it. There are books I would reread in a heartbeat; I've reread some of the Harry Potter books multiple times, and there was a phase in my life where I was devoted to all things Twilight. I'm over that now. I would willingly go back and read something like Wizard's First Rule or The Screwtape Letters again, but I kind of want something different. Don't you just hate it when you read a book you thought was going to be good, and then it's just... just? I hate that. I stopped reading the Lorien Legacies series because it got pretty meh. I'm considering starting the Outlander books, or maybe Inkheart. Are there any good standalone books? It doesn't have to be a series.

-Grace

30 Day Writing Challenge: My Day in Bullets (points)

Hi everyone. I'm sort of squeezing this in between assignments, but it actually works out perfectly because the challenge for today is to bullet point your entire day.

• 7:51 -Awoke from a text sent by my sister. Was instantaneously happy.
• Went downstairs to find Mom awake.
• Discussed needing to buy more melting chocolate, a new toaster, as well as sorting out some other Christmas present stuff.
• Began getting ready to leave.
• Maverick visions promptly dashed when I realized I still had an assignment due by midnight tonight, and aside from doing the shopping and going to work, I was also helping my sister with her dress rehearsal.
• Mental note to brew extra coffee.
• Drove to bank. Deposited a check.
• Went to JoAnn Fabrics. Wilson's melting chocolate two for six dollars, plus a twenty percent off entire purchase coupon! Win!
• 9:51 am -Went to mall to finish Christmas shopping. Store in mall was closed until 5:15 pm. Drat!
• Went to Kohl's to find Steeler's merchandise. Nada.
• Braved the hallowed bulwarks of Wal-Mart for groceries.
• 11:41 am -Made it home without killing anyone.
• Realized I forgot to buy cat food.
• Fed the cat some lunch meat.
• Ham and cheese on pita for lunch.
• Talked with Mom before work.
• On way to work, realized I had an eighth of a tank of gas. Once at work, had a scintillating conversation with coworker about how far I could get on a quarter tank of gas. She asked what kind of car I had. How many cylinders? When I stepped on the gas was it more of a VVROOOMM or a vvvvroom? Told her it was more like a vvvroom.
• 12:53 pm -Punch in, started running racks.
• 4:54 pm -Punch out. Start car.
• Listened to new Cinderella soundtrack on my way to the church where the recital is going to be at, periodically glancing at the fuel gage and trying to remember along the road where each gas station was.
• 5:47 pm -Arrived safely at church with still an eighth of a tank. Parked under a non-functioning streetlamp.
• Upon entering I was almost immediately handed one of my nieces. Changed her into tights and a leotard. Tried to keep her from running on stage when it wasn't her turn. Several near misfires.
• Helped both nieces change into new costumes.
• Watched their dances.
• Helped the oldest out of her costume into something more comfortable.
• "Potty time!"
• Changed into first costume because it had a pretty tutu and we didn't pack the "Belle" dress.
• 7:54 -Left church.
• 7:59 -Got gas.
• 8:41 -Arrived home. Ate a late dinner. Watched the practice video with Mom, Dad, and Grandma. Yep. Rachael's still got it. You can tell she still loves dancing.
• 9:10 -Went upstairs to work on paper, due in three hours.
• Checked Blackboard. Paper not due until tomorrow.
• Binge watched YouTube.
• Decided to start paper anyway.
• Three questions in, remembered I still needed to blog for today.

The end.
This is day fifteen for this writing challenge. I'm halfway done.
Still not sure how I feel about that.

-Grace

30 Day Writing Challenge: Day 10

Hey. As often happens, I turned on my computer to start this post, like, thirty minutes ago, but got sidetracked on Twitter. But I'm here now, and today's topic is... let me see... Minimize, Start, Pictures, 30 Day Writing Challenge, double-click.... Aw man. "Write about something for which you feel strongly." Seriously? I have to wake up in the morning, I don't want to get into detail about something. Ugh. Fine. As a matter of fact, I can think of something I feel strongly about.
It sometimes aggravates me to hear about how other countries view America and the people who live/grew up here. Of course there's the classic "Americans are overweight." We get it. We're working on it. There are more fitness centers in America than I think there are in the rest of the world. You know why? Because people here are aware that they're not as healthy as they want to be, so we're trying to get to that better place. Segueing into the food genre, I've heard through a few sources that some countries feel it is an insult when you finish all of the food on your plate because, to them, it means they didn't feed you enough and you are still hungry. I don't know how the rest of America operates, but I was raised to finish all of the food on my plate. When I didn't, it told my parents that I was ungrateful for the food they had cooked for me. To not eat it was wasteful. There are also people from around the world who say bread in America is "sweet." I've only every travelled to El Salvador, but the bread there tasted the same as it does here, so I can't really weigh in on that.
I hate pickles, but apparently the rest of the country has a secret obsession with them: putting them on sandwiches, hotdogs, potato salad, chicken salad, deep-fried... I never noticed that one before, but I guess America does have a thing for pickles.
Here's a popular one. Public bathroom stalls. People (keep in mind I'm getting the majority of my information from various YouTubers, but people nonetheless) have restated that our bathroom stalls have huge gaps in them and that other people can see into the stalls if they wanted. First of all, the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor is so you can see someone's feet and know that the stall is occupied. Therefore, why would you go looking into an occupied stall? It also keeps you from looking like an idiot by knocking on each individual door. Look at the floor. Look for the feet. It's not rocket science.
Well, I guess that's all the demeaning things much of the world thinks about America. There are some good things too, like the fact you can take your leftovers home from the restaurant, or free refills. I guess a lot of countries don't do that. But anyway, I have performed my duties for this post. Have a good evening. See you tomorrow.

-Grace

My Top Fave Songs

Hey, check it out! I'm blogging during daylight hours. What kind of madness is this?
Today's topic is the top ten songs I'm loving right now (in no particular order).

1. I recently got into the band 2Cellos, which is a duo of guys who do rock songs on their cellos. It sounds kind of weird, but they are seriously cool! I would recommend listening to their versions of "Welcome to the Jungle" or "Highway to Hell."
2. Another artist I really like is Sam Tsui. He's a YouTube music star who works with his friend Kurt Schneider to produce covers of popular songs. "Locked Away" is good, as well as "Just Give Me a Reason," "Just A Dream," and "Demons."
3. There's this song on a BBC show called Poldark sung by one of the characters, Demelza. First of all, can we just appreciate the name? Come on. Second of all, she does sing very well. The only way I can find it is to type in "Demelza's Song" into YouTube. Pretty distinguishing. Not many people have that name. :) It has a really nice folk lullaby feel to it, very soft of deep.
4. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" is a song from the TV show Smash. Unfortunately Smash was cancelled, but I still like the song.
5. Another song from a movie, the new Cinderella has a lovely song called "Lavender's Blue" which I find just captivating. It's not included on the soundtrack but I have found covers for it. Lily James sings it in the movie, and I was surprised by what a nice voice she has.
6. "Demons" by Imagine Dragons.
7. "Legend of Zelda Medley" by Lindsey Stirling.
8. "Mi Mancherai" by Josh Groban.
9. "Wildest Dreams" cover by Rachel Talbott.
10. "So Close" by Jon Maclaughlin.

Come back tomorrow for our next topic.

-Grace

Journal Entry #10

Hello everybody! I felt a jolt of excitement this week as I was thinking about what to post and realized, since this whole journal entry thing was pretty much about posting whatever was on my mind, I could talk about celebrities, too. So today I will be reverting back to one of my favorite type of posts: celebrity look-alikes! You may remember from a while back I did a whole slew of celebrity look-alikes, from Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Morgan to Dina Meyer and Erin Richards.
For once I did not stumble upon this pairing on YouTube. I was actually watching regular T.V. when I first noticed the similarities.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Anna Maxwell Martin...

(Anna Maxwell Martin in BBC's The Bletchley Circle)

...and Shelly Cole.

(Shelly Cole)

 



You may recognize Miss Martin as Susan from The Bletchley Circle, Elizabeth Darcy in Death Comes to Pemberley, or Bessy Higgins in North and South.
Miss Cole, on the other hand, is someone I vividly remember from her days on Gilmore Girls as Connecticut's version of a Valley Girl, Madeline Lynn. She also guest starred on NCIS as a drug mule's junkie sister, as well as in the horror film Dark House.
I don't know if it's the general face-shape or if it's just the way they stare at you, but when I saw these lovely ladies, the similarities were abundant.
What do you think? Am I stretching it a bit here, or am I on to something?

Journal Entry #1

So last night I was lying in bed thinking about what I wanted to write. Normally that's not how it goes -I think about my stories all day, pine for the time to write, browse Pinterest or YouTube for a few hours, think about how much writing I should have gotten in, read my Bible, and then fall asleep.
But last night I had that wonderful spark of tenacity urging me to write something. But I needed help. A prompt. Thankfully I had kept my textbook from my Creative Writing course last year, and it's filled with some of the most beautiful writing prompts. As I scanned it, I noticed the first prompt was about keeping a journal. The objective was to write in it three to five times a week, whatever was in my head at the time. Lists, poems, list poems, excerpts, questions, lyrics, etc. The journal collects and culminates over the semester, ending in  a grade and a hearty "Great job!" I have no real set end date at this time, so we'll just role with it. Anyway, last night I was about to write my first new journal entry when I realized... isn't that what the blog is for?
All this to say, yeah, I going to start using my blog for my journal entries. Hopefully it will spur me to finish some of the other tags on this blog I've meant to finish, like the Darker Human Nature. I had a great one lined up and then just lost my momentum. Oh well. Guess I'll get to that tomorrow or Friday.
So here it is, my "first" journal entry until... I finish a book.
Wish me luck!
This could take a while.

-Grace

Backlash for Stephenie Meyer

 

 



Let me just take this moment to apologize. Yes, this is going to be one of those kind of posts. The kind where I voice my opinion on a controversial topic. I know I'm going to get some hate for this, but it's something I've been thinking about. Don't worry. Next time I'll be back to my procrastinating, story-posting, YouTubing, Pinteresting self.

The topic of the Twilight Saga arose in a discussion with my brother the other day. He is ardently against anything casting Twilight in a positive light. He wondered what the appeal to the books was. I said it was probably the prospect of eternal youth. He smirked and said eternal teenage angst was more likely. It's hard to carry on an argument with my brother because he is usually -and I say this with the utmost respect and delicacy- so convinced in his argument that it is almost impossible to make him see something in a different light. It didn't occur to him that he was at one point an angsty teenager as well. But his response made me ponder the many postings I've seen that have placed Twilight in a category of cheesy books with underwhelming, unrealistic characters.
It's true, Meyer is no Tolkien.
But guess what? She wrote four books. Four whole books. And a novella. All for a single series. That's more books than most people have written. Every writer, novice or seasoned, knows that writing itself is hard. Sitting yourself down and putting pen to paper or curser to screen and then staying there is one of the hardest things a writer must do. But Stephenie Meyer, like all the blessed authors we know and love, did this.
But just because someone wrote a book doesn't mean every element in that book is going to be pristine. I suppose that's one thing my brother and I can agree on in regards to the subject. Yes, now that I look on Twilight now, I can see flaws that I didn't notice before. But the same could be said about The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments, or Pretty Little Liars. I also see more backlash for Twilight than I do for Fifty Shades of Grey, which seems pretty messed up.
Stephenie Meyer found the will to sit down and write a bunch of books carrying on a universe that she enjoyed living in. She fleshed out characters, introduced us to new places, put a spin on mythology, and taught us some three-dollar vocabulary. You know James Patterson only writes a rough draft of his books? The co-author whose name is in the smaller-embossed font did most of the leg-work. Ever wonder why no one ever asks him for writing advice?
Stephenie Meyer did the work. She reaped some benefits. And some people don't like what she wrote. Get over it.

-Grace

Blame Web Development

It feels like a vital piece of me has been missing. For over two weeks there's been this significantly empty space, something lacking.
I miss it.
My laptop.
Several months ago it started acting weird. I blame the Web Development course I was trying to take, which had me download certain software in order to check the pages I was making for any errors. I ended up withdrawing from the course because the professor was teaching about three other classes in addition to mine, and he didn't have time to answer my questions before the assignments were due. Which meant deleting the software so it wasn't taking up extra memory. Well I don't know what I did, but as soon as I pressed "Delete," tings started going wrong.
I started getting these annoying pop-ups that would say there was an error on the webpage (they usually came up when I was on YouTube or just a site with a lot of multimedia content on it).
I also noticed more frequent reports about viruses and nasty little web-bugs. Then I noticed the fan was really loud and laboring a lot more than it usually was. Cut to me taking about the bottom half of my laptop just to blow into the fan for ten minutes trying to dislodge some of the dirt caked onto the blades.
The final straw was when the audio on streamed videos just stopped working. No matter how I tried to adjust the settings, either with YouTube or my computer panel, nothing was working. Luckily my dad works with a guy who majored in this stuff in college. He's been in possession of my laptop for over two weeks now.
On the upside, it has forced me to focus on other things. Not that my writing has taken off or anything, but I'm spending a dash more time outside or with my sketchbook.
Thankfully there have been other computers to check my email and such, so I haven't been completely cut off. I'm discovering some new blogs and YouTubers, such as Byron Talbott, a chef, and Rachel Talbott, who vlogs about beauty products and health. And they're Christians! WIN!!!
And this is how I'm spending my summer.
Have any of you guys had computer problems like that? Any suggestions?
Who are some of your favorite bloggers/vloggers?

-Grace

PS: I've also gotten myself a little Inkitt page. Inkitt is a website for writers where they can post their stuff and all the copyrights remain with them. People can post reviews or enter to win contests... Pretty sweet stuff. I've posted two stories, different and much longer than the snippets I've posted here. If you want, check it out!
http://inkitt.com (my username is graceyee)

http://www.byrontalbott.com/
https://instagram.com/byrontalbott/
https://twitter.com/byrontalbott
https://www.youtube.com/user/ByronTalbott
http://racheltalbott.com/
https://instagram.com/racheltalbott/
https://twitter.com/racheltalbott
https://www.youtube.com/user/CheckInTheMirror

"Klaire De Lys" Website

(Four Horsemen series, "Conquest" by Klaire de Lys)

  

(Klaire De Lys)

Here is a wonderful new website that I would highly recommend following if your into art/design, makeup, sketches, and lots of DIYs. Klaire De Lys is actually a YouTuber who I discovered a long time ago because of her fabulous makeup tutorials. I really don't know why I didn't start following her sooner. She does wonderful character studies with her tutorials, exploring either a different side of a concept (such as Envy in her Seven Deadly Sins makeup series) or meshing a bit of ancient and modern ideas to create something completely unique. But aside from being a makeup artist, Klaire has cemented herself in virtually every other kind of "art" there is, from drawing, painting, and sculpting to Photoshop, music videos, and singing. Last night I was on another YouTube binge and ended up watching a ton of DIY stuff from her channels. (Dangerous territory after midnight, seeing a mason jar turned into a dragon and thinking, "I can do that.") While I run to the store to get some play-dough for a rose candle holder made out of the lid of a candle, here's the link to her blog. Seriously, give it a gander. There's so much to look at you'll be amazed.
http://www.klairedelys.com/

Also, check out her YouTube channels:
https://www.youtube.com/user/KlairedelysArt
https://www.youtube.com/user/KlairedeLysdotcom
https://www.youtube.com/user/MalumiOfficial

-Grace

Celebrity Look-Alikes: Jennifer Ehle VS Meryl Streep

So I was watching this video montage of period drama couples (courtesy of YouTube). By period dramas, I mean movies like Pride and Prejudice, North and South, and Tess of the D'Ubervilles, although the genre could extend to include many Renaissance-y movies like Ever After, or even Phantom of the Opera. Anyway, I stumbled across one such video and noticed the woman who played Elizabeth Bennet in the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice looked a lot like Meryl Streep. However, as some of you will probably know, it was actually the very talented Jennifer Ehle who portrayed the spunky Bennet girl. There is a twenty year age difference between the woman, and I personally believe they could play relatives in a movie someday. What do you think?

(Picture of Jennifer Ehle from http://imdb.com)

(Picture of Meryl Streep from the Indiana University Cinema website http://cinema.indiana.edu)

 

Yeah. Totally mother-daughter material.

 

-Grace

Celebrity Look-Alikes: Emma Rigby VS Dove Cameron

 

Welcome back! Here we are again, examining two stunning actresses who share similar physical traits. I noticed the similarities while watching clips of The Mentalist on YouTube (because evidently I never watch real TV anymore), during the episode "Devil's Cherry" in season 5, episode 2, I think. The actress playing Patrick Jane's daughter bore a startling resemblance to Anastasia/The Red Queen from Once Upon A Time in Wonderland. At first I wondered if they were the same girl, but as you can see, they are, in fact, two separate people.

(Picture of Dove Cameron from http://livandmaddie.wikia.com)

(Picture of Emma Rigby from http://measurementsub.com)

You wouldn't believe how frightfully difficult it is to find photos of these two making the same face. Most of Miss Cameron's photos sport similar sweet-as-candy smiles while Miss Rigby has mastered the art of the Pout and the Intense Stare. I say these with no malice whatsoever, but it was a chore finding a balance between the two actresses pictures. However, the blonde hair, blue eyes, and possibly even the complexion speak for themselves.

What do you think? Agree or disagree? Can you think of any other celebrity look-alikes, or better matches than what I've found?

 

-Grace

 

Celebrity Look-Alikes: Kimberley Nixon VS Ariel Winter

This is what I do at night between dinner and shlumping up to bed. I go on YouTube or Pinterest and find whatever it is I've been thinking about that day, and occasionally I will come across a face of someone who looks like someone else. A look-alike. My last post was also about celebrity look-alikes (Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Morgan) and last night I came across another pair that I felt like sharing. I wonder if this is going to become a thing now. Me posting celebrity look-alikes. Sounds kind of creepy if you think about it.... Anyway, our contestants for today are...

Kimberley Nixon


And...

Ariel Winter




Last night I found a list of actors who consistently die in their movies. Catchy, right? Totally alluring. Among the list of actors was Sean Bean. He dies in so many movies he ought to be called the Jet Li of Scotland, minus the martial arts as far as I'm aware, and of course with ginger hair. Anyway, the reel they showed in the video was of a movie called Black Death. Miss Kimberely Nixon starred in it alongside Mr. Bean and Eddie Redmayne. When her picture came up I literally did a double-take. Can you see why?

-Grace

Celebrity Almost-Look-Alikes: Colin Morgan VS Benedict Cumberbatch

This is totally random, but I feel like doing it anyway.
During one of my YouTube binges, I stumbled across the BBC's Merlin clips... and I could help noticing... Merlin (played by Colin Morgan) looks a bit like Benedict Cumberbatch.
 
(Colin Morgan on set of Merlin)


(Benedict Cumberbatch)

Well, maybe it's harder to tell between these pictures, but what about these ones?


[Colin Morgan on set of Merlin (picture enlarged because when it was resized, it looked all stretched-out)]


(Benedict Cumberbatch at the 2014 Oscars)

...Well, I think they could play relatives or something. Watch a few Merlin clips and you will see. You will be like, "Hey, he kind of does look like Benedict Cumberbatch in that scene."

Photos courtesy of www.fanpop.com (top photo, Morgan), insidemovies.ew.com (top photo, Cumberbatch), www.scifi.about.com (bottom photo, Morgan), and www.popsugar.com (bottom photo, Cumberbatch).

-Grace

Postscript: Mr. Cumberbatch's top photo was taken I believe by Jason Merritt of Getty Images.

We Want What We Can't Have... Gorram Netflix Queue

I don't know what it is, but I seem to have an unhealthy obsession with television shows that have been canceled. Perhaps I should really explain that more. I spend an embarrassing amount of time on YouTube and find clips from TV shows I've never seen or heard of. My first introduction to cancelled shows several years ago was Joss Whedon's "Firefly." After that I sort of spiraled in this path of thinking, "What else have I missed?" and "Why was this canceled?" Also among those thoughts was "FOX cannot be trusted!" But moving on... I remember I went through a brief "Buffy" phase (this was when I first discovered Hulu.com) and even enjoyed "Legend of the Seeker" before it got polished off, although the last episode I remember of that series was the one with the fever. CREEPY!!! What else has there been? "X-Men: Evolutions" was one although I still have yet to finish that series. I loved "Leverage" while it lasted, though technically that doesn't count as being cancelled since the series reached a pretty natural closing point (for everyone except Eliot, but I suppose we can all dream). Stumbling upon "Being Human" on the BBC was quite a treat. My first awareness of Aidan Turner before he got all Dwarfed-up. Actually, wasn't he a werewolf in "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" before he was a Dwarf? Hmm... No, I'm quite sure Ireland native was a Dwarf before he was a werewolf... and a vampire before he was a Dwarf. What were we talking about? Scroll, scroll, scrolling through the conversation, oh, yeah! Canceled TV shows. "Being Human." My most recent obsession has been "Pushing Daisies" starring Lee Pace and Anna Friel. It's actually quite quirky and fun. Lots of comedy, color, romance... it has the feel of a modern fairy tale. If you're more into the zombie scene, then let me summarize the show for you: Ned is a pie maker with the unique ability of bringing something dead back to life for sixty seconds, after which time the person must either be put back to rest via Ned's second touch, or someone in proximity take their place. Thus the universe remains in balance. The Pie Maker and Private Investigator Emerson Cod team up to solve specific homicide cases. Specific meaning those that offer a reward for finding the murder victim's killer. Ned touches the victim, bringing them temporarily back to life, he asks them how they die, touches them again, and the pair split the reward money. All is good and well-to-do until the day Ned brings his childhood sweetheart (Anna Friel) back to life... and keeps her alive. The circumstances surrounding their friendship and the long separation since childhood certainly create for an interesting dynamic, especially since Ned cannot touch his friend, because doing so a second time would kill her permanently. Add to this the blatant stylings of Chi McBride and wonderfully talented Kristin Chenoweth and you've got yourself the vibrant cast of "Pushing Daisies."
...
Well I like the show. I may focus on the BBC's "Robin Hood" next, that looks promising. Of course I could always just read some Wiki synopsis and spoil the entire thing, but that ruins the whole experience of sitting down and watching the show (as if we don't do enough of that). So yeah, "Robin Hood" is probably next. What TV shows do you usually watch? My brother is really into "The Walking Dead," I like "Castle" and "Once Upon a Time," my sister and brother-in-law are "NCIS" diehards. Are you a more "Pretty Little Liars" or "Master Chef" kind of person?

-Grace