Mini Blog- Quote/Picture of the Day
Quote of the Day: Dogs have masters. Cats have staff.
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Mini Blog- Quote/Picture of the Day
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Weddings, Weddings, WEDDINGS!!!
Weddings, Weddings, WEDDINGS!!!
Whether you're a fan of the movies based off Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries series, Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, or of 27 Dresses starring Katherine Heigl, you must acknowledge the resourcefulness of each of the weddings in these films. From the dresses to the flowers to the choice of scenery, I fell in love with the way these movies developed a beautiful ceremony. Even though, I'm not a personal fan of the Twilight books or movies, I really liked the dress Bella Swan wore and was delighted further when my favorite bridal store started selling the dress as well as many themed dresses after the movie franchise (for more info, check out the Alfred Angelo website).
I have always been a fan of Alfred Angelo's gowns since the day my sister wore one of his gowns and all the bridesmaids (include myself) wore one of his bridesmaids gowns. While the dresses themselves were simple in design, they were elegant, and from that day one I fell in love with the idea of wearing one of these gowns myself on my special day. The discovery of the Romantic Vampire themed gowns (mainly prom dresses, I will add) came to me with mixed emotion. I liked the gown from the movie, but I've never been a fan of vampire movies or those of a similar Gothic nature. These types of movie with depressing, dark themes have always reminded me of the dark ages of humanity, and while a Tim Burton movie is cool to watch or a vampire costume is always fun to wear at Halloween, I don't always agree with such gloom settings being present at the happiest day of a woman's life (though I do respect that the interpretation of said "happiness" is in the eyes of the girl, not the beholder). That was till I saw it.
"It" was style #: 4035 of the Alfred Angelo collection: a strapless, sweetheart neckline, ballgown adorned with embroidery, metallic accents, and sequins giving it the look of feathers. Seeing as it was part of their prom collection, I started to picture some of my friends in it (since my prom has came and gone) and then I started to consider, what if someday I used something like this gorgeous dress as a bridesmaids dress. Then the prospect of the Vampire inspired wedding apparel didn't seem quite as dark. So I then started collaborating other gowns, flowers, and themes around its color to come up with a cohesive theme. While tea rose, light pink, and pink lace aren't always a popular color for, say, the grooms' side of a wedding, it did make me smile and remember the days when pink was my favorite color, princesses were still in fashion (dress-up-wise), and I wanted to be a ballerina. Obviously, times have changed since then but it did make me giddy thinking of how my younger self would've loved my grown-up counterpart having a pink wedding.
Now don't misunderstand me. I'm not the next girl from "Bridezillas" or the next "Wedding Planner" ("You saved... my shoe..." Jennifer Lopez proclaims.) who has her wedding planned to the par before she's even engaged (which I am not), but I've always been a planner in liking to get some basic ideas down ahead of schedule to lower stress. It's why I buy my prepaid cell phone airtime cards a month before they expire, buy twice as much party supplies than I need before the birthday, and am constantly doing a head count of my finances before and after I make a transaction. I like to stay on top of things, and knowing that I can sigh in relief at having a few stressful details out of the way is a big help, considering I've made myself sick from stressing out too much. Also since I can be rather indecisive when put on the spot, this helps give the people around me a little less of a challenge reading my confusing mind.
And while there is no guarantee, even now, that a dress like this will be included in my future groom's and my special day, dreams, like brush fires, spread much farther than conscious thought limits. One spark can start a blaze, just as one idea as simple as a dress can create a vision. Someday I may walk down that aisle "pretty in pink" or I may not, but the excitement of inspiration is what makes this day so much fun to imagine planning, and once it does come, I can only hope that God wills it to be whatever he wills it to be. I also hope that not only will He allow my love and I to have the day of our dreams, but also every bride out there. Happy planning, girls, and don't become Bridezillas, okay?
~Brushfire1412
Photo URLs in order from 27 Dresses photo to Alfred Angelo dress:
Saturday, June 30, 2012
No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk
No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk
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Everyone has their thing. That one thing they wish they could change about themselves. And while I'm no expert in assuming people as a whole, you'd have to be pretty self-confident (or self-absorbed) to not have one tiny smidget about yourself that you'd like to get over. Whether it's a bad habit (like biting your nails or sucking your thumb), an irrational fear of something (such as germs, unicycles, and ladybugs; no offense to anyone who's actually afraid of any of these), or whatever, human's tend to acknowledge the fact that we are not perfect, and being as we aren't, we tend to search for these imperfection in the attempt to correct ourselves or at least try to keep them to a minimal encounter.
Mine, while I do have more than one (hey, I am only human here), has always been my clumsiness. People from my childhood used to joke that I didn't learn to walk right or something. I ran into walls numerous times as a child (and sadly, kinda still do on occasion... *Teehee*). I've fall down different sets of stairs 5 times only within the last 5-6 years. I fell up the stairs (people who have shared this pain can really grasp this concept) on my graduation day and sprained my ring finger. It swelled and within a day was almost completely purple on the palm side. Within a week or so, it was back to normal, and while it's a little stiff, it's pretty much healed.
Almost every year since fifth grade I had the pleasure (oh, yeah, so fun! :P) of becoming reacquainted with the crutches. While some thought I'd enjoy the uniqueness of them, I hated the chaffing they did to my poor underarms. I wrapped those things in bandages and covered them with cushion but it did no good.
And while not all of the aftermath of my clumsiness resulted in injury (such as today when I literally knocked a bowl full of cereal and milk into my lap), more likely than none, it did. The hardest part of it though wasn't the physical injury. It was psychological trauma that came with it. I know some might think I'm exaggerating but for a girl as independent as myself having to ask for help just to get a drink of water or to get the zipper on the back of a dress, it was embarrassing. I thank the Lord for compassionate people during these times, especially my mom, because believe me, not everyone is that way. While nothing is more frustrating that seeing someone's face of pity when your in that much pain, the harder faces is from the ones who have no heart. I don't know how many times people would laugh at the fact that clumsy little me hurt herself again, like it was some sick gag. Or worse those who looked at me like, "Why should I feel sorry for you? You do this every year... I bet you do it on purpose to get attention."
You'd think that there would be fewer numbers of these kinds of people, but when you went to a school or lived in an area where people really just don't care about anyone but themselves, jerks like these exist by the hundreds. The worst was the time I tore a tendon in the bottom of my left foot and had to commute to class by wheelchair. As if that wasn't degrading enough, a girl had to add, "My mom is paralyzed in her leg but she still uses crutches. She's used them for years; so why do you deserve a wheelchair?" I played it off like it was just another stupid statement from a clueless person, but those types of things don't leave your mind.
Teens, I know you go through a lot. Believe me; take it from one herself: life is not easy for us. But there is nothing, not a single thing that has ever happened to you or to me that justifies us treating others like they are worthless and meaningless. There is no justification for it regardless of what a court, therapist, counselor, teacher, parent, or friend may say. Even if you are defending yourself (or think you are), words can rip through the heart better and deeper than any knife or bullet. So be careful how you use them.
~Brushfire1412
Mine, while I do have more than one (hey, I am only human here), has always been my clumsiness. People from my childhood used to joke that I didn't learn to walk right or something. I ran into walls numerous times as a child (and sadly, kinda still do on occasion... *Teehee*). I've fall down different sets of stairs 5 times only within the last 5-6 years. I fell up the stairs (people who have shared this pain can really grasp this concept) on my graduation day and sprained my ring finger. It swelled and within a day was almost completely purple on the palm side. Within a week or so, it was back to normal, and while it's a little stiff, it's pretty much healed.
Almost every year since fifth grade I had the pleasure (oh, yeah, so fun! :P) of becoming reacquainted with the crutches. While some thought I'd enjoy the uniqueness of them, I hated the chaffing they did to my poor underarms. I wrapped those things in bandages and covered them with cushion but it did no good.
And while not all of the aftermath of my clumsiness resulted in injury (such as today when I literally knocked a bowl full of cereal and milk into my lap), more likely than none, it did. The hardest part of it though wasn't the physical injury. It was psychological trauma that came with it. I know some might think I'm exaggerating but for a girl as independent as myself having to ask for help just to get a drink of water or to get the zipper on the back of a dress, it was embarrassing. I thank the Lord for compassionate people during these times, especially my mom, because believe me, not everyone is that way. While nothing is more frustrating that seeing someone's face of pity when your in that much pain, the harder faces is from the ones who have no heart. I don't know how many times people would laugh at the fact that clumsy little me hurt herself again, like it was some sick gag. Or worse those who looked at me like, "Why should I feel sorry for you? You do this every year... I bet you do it on purpose to get attention."
You'd think that there would be fewer numbers of these kinds of people, but when you went to a school or lived in an area where people really just don't care about anyone but themselves, jerks like these exist by the hundreds. The worst was the time I tore a tendon in the bottom of my left foot and had to commute to class by wheelchair. As if that wasn't degrading enough, a girl had to add, "My mom is paralyzed in her leg but she still uses crutches. She's used them for years; so why do you deserve a wheelchair?" I played it off like it was just another stupid statement from a clueless person, but those types of things don't leave your mind.
Teens, I know you go through a lot. Believe me; take it from one herself: life is not easy for us. But there is nothing, not a single thing that has ever happened to you or to me that justifies us treating others like they are worthless and meaningless. There is no justification for it regardless of what a court, therapist, counselor, teacher, parent, or friend may say. Even if you are defending yourself (or think you are), words can rip through the heart better and deeper than any knife or bullet. So be careful how you use them.
~Brushfire1412
The Thrifty Cheapskate
The Thrifty Cheapskate
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Everyone has their hobbies from sports to drawing to collecting priceless (some more priceless than others -_-;) objects, but one of my guilty pleasures in life when the chance is right is (drum-roll please): thrift store shopping. While others go to department stores and fancy mall hotspots bragging names like Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, and such, I go to second-hand stores, swap meets, consignment boutiques, and just plain Ma and Pop thrift stores. The one I went to continuously, back when California was my home, was one that donated the money to a homeless community cupboard. I loved that store because one, I got great stuff at cheap prices, and two, I was helping out a good cause at the same time.
It became widely known of my love of secondhand items within my circle of friends to the point that anytime someone complimented my clothing choice, another would add, jokingly, "Let me guess... you got it from the thrift store."
Ironically, most of the time, the joke reined true. Everything from my prom dress (a David's Bridal: Michelangelo Special Edition dress in a silvery blue color which I got for: $1.00)
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| The Prom Dress in Question |
to my VCR player (Which I got for: $12.50) came from thrift stores. I even got a possible reception dress for my own dream wedding for only $12.50. If it weren't for the reason that I want to pick an actual new dress, fitting my own personality for my ceremony, that this dress could have been my wedding dress because of its gently used quality (I doubt it was used more than once). And I personally thought it was as pretty as my own sister's gown on her big day.
I could even see myself someday when I'm much older and retired, maybe volunteering (or working, I guess) in a thrift store. I wouldn't want to own one because of all the taxes, paperwork, and basic interference from the great ol' Uncle Sam, but actually working in one and seeing how someone's past junk becomes another's treasure would be fun. I know it's not realistic now to work for one in the thought of making ends meet. But who knows; when supporting myself isn't as much of an issue someday, I might have my fun at seeing what comes and leaves through those doors.
So I wonder if anyone else has the same guilty pleasure as myself, and also, I must address that I am greatly impressed by Tennessee's constant thrift store siting. In Cali, you had to Google some of these babies, but Tennessee, you turn onto any street with shops and there seems to be one somewhere. I've seen 5-6 just within a 5-mile radius once I got into town. I can't wait to explore this part of Tennessee and hope that I can find even more the longer I'm here.
Also, believe me when I say that if there is a thrift store to be found, I shall find it. On a cruise vacation for my sixteenth birthday, we went to Catalina, and I still managed to find one thrift store behind all the tourist traps and residential area. So if anyone's to find these specialty stores, it will be moi. ;)
Happy, shopping to all that love the art that it actually is (lol) and just don't spend yourselves out of house and home.
~Brushfire1412
So I wonder if anyone else has the same guilty pleasure as myself, and also, I must address that I am greatly impressed by Tennessee's constant thrift store siting. In Cali, you had to Google some of these babies, but Tennessee, you turn onto any street with shops and there seems to be one somewhere. I've seen 5-6 just within a 5-mile radius once I got into town. I can't wait to explore this part of Tennessee and hope that I can find even more the longer I'm here.
Also, believe me when I say that if there is a thrift store to be found, I shall find it. On a cruise vacation for my sixteenth birthday, we went to Catalina, and I still managed to find one thrift store behind all the tourist traps and residential area. So if anyone's to find these specialty stores, it will be moi. ;)
Happy, shopping to all that love the art that it actually is (lol) and just don't spend yourselves out of house and home.
~Brushfire1412
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Mini Blog- Quote/Photo of the Day
Mini Blog- Quote/Photo of the Day
Quote of the Day: Turning off the downstairs lights and running upstairs so no one kills you…
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Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The Best Day... (cue the Taylor Swift music)
The Best Day...
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Now, it's become a common idea that most children at some point in their life have made the emotional decision that they like one or the other of their parents more (even if they love both parents very much). Some it's their Mom they adore. Some it's their dad that they wanna be just like, but either way that person can often be the most important person to that child. I can't count the numbers of times new teachers would assign us a "Get to Know You" paper, including the infamous "Who's your hero" line or "Who do you look up to most," only to be answered with "My mom" or "My dad."
For me, both parents mean the world to me for different reasons, but I've always gotten along the best with my mom. My dad and I are so similar in personality that sometimes we conflict and repel each other like magnets. But my mom, while seemingly my polar opposite in appearance, was always the person I could tell anything to. So that being said, today was no different from one of those beloved days where I was able to spend the day with one of my best friends, my mom.
We started it out by going to a movie. Having just moved to Tennessee, we were happy to discover there was one theater in the town which we were now calling home. So with a tub of buttered popcorn in hand (Yum ^-^) and a bottled water, we watched "Disney Pixar's Brave." And since this isn't a review, I will just sum it up that the movie was very cute and humorous with a tear-jerking moment towards the end (a task Pixar has magically seemed to achieve with each new CGI motion picture that hits the screen). Mom liked it, as did I, and we left the theater with something new to talk about.
Following our cinematic adventure, we went to Sonic's for a burger, fries, slushies, and Sonic Blasts. I also had an experience I'd never had before; the cashier over the intercom, heard me wrong when I asked for a cheeseburger, no tomatoes, no sauce. I was greeted with a burger with no tomatoes and no bun O_o. But it made me giggle as I reminisced about Inn-n-out's protein-styled burgers (aka, a burger wrapped in lettuce, no buns). We talked, ate the food, and drove to the library to apply for a library card. Mom was so comical how she was eyeing my Reese's Sonic Blast, but wouldn't ask for some. Halfway through the dessert, I got full, and upon stating this, the frozen treat was gone from my hands within a millisecond. We both burst into laughter at Mom's sweet tooth tendencies.
Things at the library went well. We explored the two story library complete with a used bookstore, cafe, dvd library which took up four full walls, a young adult section that practically took up half a floor, and more. I ended up buying a couple books at the bookstore and checked out a non-fiction cat-themed audiobook called, "Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat," which I then proceeded to listen to as soon as we were in the car.
Finally after a full day, we drove home, listening to the tales of Homer the Blind Wonder Cat, and trying to figure out which road was Miller and which road was Main (the signs here are so hard to find). It's days like this that I thank the Lord that not only do I have both parents in my life, but that we love each other so much. We may not always like each other, but just having someone to hug and kiss each night "goodnight" and talk to when I'm down is such a blessing. So teens who have both parents around in your life, don't neglect them. We may not always agree with what they do or tell us to do, but we have something that so many children in the world never got the chance to have. You don't need it to be Mother's or Father's Day to show them that you care and are grateful for all they do. So show them your love, and thank them the next time they make you dinner, clean up a mess you made, or just take the time to help you through a tough time. I love you, Mom! And thanks for The Best Day ;)
Monday, June 25, 2012
The Great Move...
The Great Move...
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It had been seven days at this point after parting with some of the people who made my life so much more worth living. Saying bye to my friends, my relatives, my own brother, my childhood cat of 12 years (I love you, Cypress) and even my boyfriend of a year and one month (but who is counting) was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Still, for other Cali gals and dude, you probably understand why living by yourself with no job and a desire to attend college just doesn't work.
It does still amaze me the difference of the cost of living out here in the so-called "Volunteer State." When I left the state of Disneyland, Inn-n-out (I will miss you so much, Double-Double T-T), and Starbucks on every street corner, I soon was greeted with gas prices under three dollars. I know, unthinkable, right, Cali fans? I saw apartments with full one bed, one bath, kitchen, living room, and what-not under 500 dollars. You can't find a studio apartment where I was from for less than 700 dollars. And renting a house there... You could rent 3 room, 2 bathrooms for 700-800 dollars. In California, the same house would go for $1500 a month if you were lucky. Plus, these houses come with some actual land (as in acres) instead of the millimeter from your neighbor residential tracks we had were I was from. And while Tennessee has a slightly higher sales tax (9.75% on everything from groceries to gas), it doesn't have state income tax. It does however also have no state minimum wage law, only federal, making the minimum wage out here $7.25 per hour, noticeably lower than California's $8.50 average. So like all things in life, there are pros and cons to the area. (Don't even get me started on college costs. -_-)
However, as most of you do realize, there is more to life than money. It's now been two weeks since I saw the desert scenery (basically dirt and brush) of California, but how I miss it. I've tried to keep a smile throughout all of it, but it is starting to take it's toll. I want stability again, and if any of you readers are from Tennessee (esp. Cumberland County) please suggest some teenage hangout spots around here. I would so greatly appreciate it. And to my friends, I miss you and can't wait till I get to see you guys again. Till then, eat tons of Thrifty's ice cream and Double-Doubles in my place, okay?
With Love,
Brushfire1412
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