An Open Letter to My Sister the Freshman

Dear Little Sis,

So, you are now officially a freshman in high school. As the older, cooler, more experienced sister, I feel obligated to give you some advice, as much as you say you don't want to hear it. ;) Feel free to thank me later.

First of all, no matter what anyone tells you, bring a jacket, at least a light one. Our school is notorious for being indecisive when it comes to A.C. and heating. One room could be ninety degrees and the room next to it could be -30. (That's an exaggeration, but it doesn't feel like it when you're shivering and sweating through it.)

Also, ask questions. It's not dumb or stupid, so don't feel like you're above it. You'll be the one laughing when you don't have to sit through test retakes at 8 o'clock in the morning because you asked 37 questions BEFORE the test. ;)

On another note, I know you're worried about memorizing the layout of the school, and I could try explaining it in words but I think we both know how that's going to turn out so I'm just going to save my breath and say you will get used to it by the end of the first month, don't worry. 

As a high schooler in a school that thoughtfully employs teachers that seem to have just gotten out of college, it is totally okay to have a crush on a teacher and - gasp - think one or two of them are hot. What's not okay is to act on it in any way other than gossiping about it with your friends. That's when you start getting into illegal territory. If you think I'm crazy, just wait. I give it a week before you start liking that science teacher of yours.

Lockers are only useful if you want them to be. I know a ton of people that didn't use their lockers once, and instead carried around as little amount of stuff as possible but still had everything they needed. I don't know how they did it, because I used my locker religiously between every single class, so you're going to have to figure that one out on your own.

Don't forget, there's a whole other school of kids that are joining you this year, (that's why there's freakin' 700 of you,) so branch out and expand your group of friends. A great way to do this (other than basketball, cough cough,) is through clubs. There are clubs that look good on college applications, and there are clubs that are actually fun. I suggest a mixture of both. (German club is kind of stupid though, just so you know.)

Finally, listen to the song "Brave" by Sara Bareilles. Listen, and pay attention. That's my final piece of advice for you. Good luck, dork. <3

Love, Your Big Sis

P.S. - I'm always available, if you can find me, for help if you need it. So are all of my friends.

P.P.S. - NEVER be the first one in the cafeteria. If you have to hide out in the stall of a bathroom for an extra five minutes, do it. Never be the one sitting at a table alone.

Revlon Lip Butter HEAVEN!

Revlon Lip Butters in
Wild Watermelon #063 (left)
& Sorbet #053

Today, I made one of my proudest beauty investments of all time. I was shopping with my mom and I was picking up a few essentials for back to school, (i.e.- the 902-page September issue of Vogue, a HUGE bottle of hairspray, Tresemmé Heat Protectant spray, Revlon Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Finale #095, and the-subject-of-this-post-to-be-identified-shortly,) and I came across a product I've been meaning to try out for a long time. Revlon Lip Butters have always appealed to me aesthetically, meaning: the packaging was really, really pretty. (Whoever designed that deserves a hearty high five and an extra twenty dollars, just saying.) But anyway, my longing for them was only solidified when I saw a vlog by YouTuber Zoella280390, in which she's talking about buying nearly all of the available colors of the Lip Butters while in Florida this past March for the Playlist Live convention. I usually trust her opinion when it comes to all things beauty/fashion related, and this was no different. If Zoe likes them, surely I would too! So, as soon as I got to the Revlon section, I picked out the brightest colors I could find, Wild Watermelon #063 and Sorbet #053, and bought them without a second thought. I generally enjoy lip products, and find myself buying products in pretty colors, though ones I would never wear to school. These up the ante though, in terms of wear-ability. I tried them on as soon as I got home, and I was amazed, I was shocked, I was in love. The Revlon Lip Butters are exquisite! They glide on smoothly like Chapstick, yet are just as colorful as any lipstick. They aren't as heavily pigmented, though, so it makes for a look that's softer and more relaxed than that of a lipstick. I absolutely adore both of the colors I bought, and I feel just as tempted as Zoe to go back and buy them in every color, even if I will never wear grape or mocha colored lip products! I am so excited to wear these to school. I feel like they are easier to pull off than even the Revlon Lip Stains or Clinique Chubby Sticks. They also feel very moisturizing and lotion-y, if that makes sense. I think they have some sort of shea butter or cocoa butter in them, (hence the name,) because the texture is smooth and they have that slight scent to them. Wild Watermelon #063 is a bright, vibrant watermelon-shade of red that looks great for summer and will transition excellently into fall. Sorbet #053 is my favorite of the two; it's the girliest shade of pink that will look great with black clothing or other brights. Despite it being hot pink, it's super versatile, especially given the texture of the product. I literally cannot wait to have an occasion to wear these, (one of the only good things about going back to school next week!)

OMG WTF BTS!!!

For many of us, especially those of us in my generation, it's THAT time of year again. The time to start buying no. 2 pencils and spiral notebooks, the time to start getting up at unholy hours and socialize with people we don't like, the time to go back to school. When I was little, I loved this time of year. I still do, but for different reasons. When I was younger, the school year was the only time I was able to consistently see my friends for any length of time. It was just easier to hang out at school than try to arrange a play-date, (mind you, this was before the social networking, cellular age). Now, I like going back to school, not necessarily because it's the only time to see my friends, (because it's not, I can drive now, thankyouverymuch,) but because the social aspect of fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love going to football games on Friday nights and looking forward to homecoming week and the homecoming dance, and even the academics are easier to manage in the fall. That's what I'm looking forward to.

Despite the fact that I've had to do summer assignments for honors classes the past 3 years, summer hasn't been that bad, though. We've gone to beaches and taken day trips and spent time with family and friends. But every year, halfway through August, I start to get bored of the meaningless days that bleed one into the next. Sure, there are anomalies here and there where I actually find the motivation to make my day count, but most of the time I end up wasting the day, and while this depresses me to think about, I find no reason to change it if there's nothing better to do. (I procrastinated those summer assignments until the very end of summer, so those don't count as something to do.) This year, though, I got a job. I mentioned it in a previous post, but this past week was my last day there. I ended up working 102 hours at $12.50 per hour, totaling out to a lump sum of $1,275. I'm proud of myself for earning this much money, but I am beyond relieved that I'm done working that job. I'm not denying that it made good money and I was lucky to find it, but the futility and pointlessness of my job was incredibly discouraging, never mind the fact that I worked from 9 AM to about 5 PM every day on average. I'm still a student, so I'm not used to working like that, and I missed hanging out with my friends and doing nothing. I guess you can't have it both ways, but that job is another reason why I can't wait to get back to school. I'm ready for some normalcy, a schedule, and having my social life back. I miss the days where I looked forward to every aspect of "Back to School," but right now I'm just grateful to be getting back to the life I know and am used to. Even if it means a crap-ton of homework and "self-righteous pawns in a losing game," (as Hayley Williams so eloquently put it in the song "Grow Up." )

My Mother and Her Aversion to Concerts

Alright, well, let me start off this post by saying that I will NOT be going to the Backstreet Boys concert I mentioned in an earlier post. The reason being my mother was supposed to be the one to take my sister and I, as she doesn't want me driving to the venue alone, and she decided TODAY that she didn't want to go. From the way she kept delaying getting the tickets, I had a feeling that she didn't really want to go from the start, but I kept reminding her to get the tickets anyway, even offering to pay for them. The only thing she would  have to do is drive us, and my dad offered to drop us off and pick us up if we wanted, so she wouldn't even have to do that. And yet, she still bailed. She really disappointed me in this way because we made plans to go to this concert a month ago, and she was excited to go. Or so I thought. I wish she had just told me upfront that she didn't want to go instead of leading me on for weeks and dropping the bomb at the last minute. And the worst part is that this isn't the first time she's flaked on me like this. We were supposed to go to a concert for my birthday, and never did. I know I sound like a spoiled kid who throws a fit whenever she doesn't get what she wants, but I promise you, it's not that. We made plans to go to a concert, (as we have many times before,) and nearly every time those plans fall through. I know my mom doesn't always like live music, especially if it goes late because she likes to go to bed early, but she knows it's important to me, and she gave me her word. Not being able to go to the concert is disappointing, but it's even more upsetting that my mom lead me on like this. I still love her, of course, but she disappointed me tonight.

As an Honorary Member of the Breakfast Club

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Breakfast Club. As I've mentioned before in my post about Ferris Beuller, John Hughes is one of my career idols, and his movies never fail to impress me. In accordance to The Breakfast Club, there is so much subtle cleverness contained within that one movie, I pick up on something new every time I watch it, and because of that, I want to share my findings and opinions with you.

First, I found a connection to the name "The Breakfast Club" and the actual plot line. Near the beginning of the movie, John Bender (played by Judd Nelson) is talking to Claire and Andrew (played by Molly Ringwald and Emilio Estevez, respectively,) about clubs and the difference between social clubs and academic clubs. It's basically a metaphor for high schoolers' struggle to find their place. Then, at the end, during the voice-over of the final letter to Mr. Vernon, Anthony Michael Hall's character, Brian, describes their random assembly of awkward new friends as "The Breakfast Club." I take this to mean, in a very literal sense, they are now a club of people with something in common, having spent the morning (the time for "breakfast,") and afternoon together. They didn't know each other, at least not in the way that counts, before that Saturday morning, and now they were friends because they shared an unspoken bond with each other. Within that short time, they found their place.

Second, I recognized the connection between the five teens. Andrew, the athlete, "can't think for himself," and therefore deems it easier to just do what people expect of him than to act like his own person. It's his defense mechanism because he's afraid people won't like the real him. Claire, the princess, admittedly "hates going along with everything her friends say" and is also therefore not her own person. But again, she's also afraid of branching out because then she wouldn't be popular and accepted, and she's scared of that, because clearly the only attention she gets is from her peers, seeing as her parents apparently couldn't care less about her. Brian, the brain, is so driven to get perfect grades because he has such high expectations for himself and he knows his parents do, as well. He took wood shop for the easy A, to keep his GPA up. When he realized that it was actually not as easy as he thought, and got an F on a project, he couldn't handle it. He doesn't know what to think of himself when he fails, and doesn't know how to keep going from that point. He's so driven by the expectations of himself and other people that he can't learn from his mistakes and failures because he thinks he shouldn't have made those mistakes or failed in the first place. In a way, he's not in control of his own life. Allison, the basket case, would rather people assume she's a weirdo than have them judge her as a real person. She, as well, uses a facade to protect herself against the judgement of her peers. And finally, Bender, the criminal, acts up and gets in trouble because after a certain point, people started expecting that from him. He comes from a troubled home, and is always being punished for things that aren't his fault, so in a sad sort of way, he's used to being in trouble. He uses this label to protect himself, because he would rather have people think he's scary, a criminal, or troubled, than have them know that he's actually upset and insecure. He reminds me in a way of Heath Ledger's character, Patrick Verona, in the movie "10 Things I Hate About You," (another favorite of mine). They both put up a front because it's easier than explaining themselves to others who wouldn't understand. In my opinion, the reason why the Breakfast Club works is because underneath all the stereotypes and labels, they all have a common insecurity with themselves and their lives, and once they open up to each other about these thoughts and fears, they bond on a level most teens can't even comprehend. If more teens opened up to each other about their insecurities and worries, I think it would make us realize that we have more in common than we usually like to admit. If we could just recognize this, it would help us better understand and eventually help each other.

Another thing I realized while watching this movie for the umpteenth time was Mr. Vernon's attitude towards John Bender. It really got to me once I understood it. Mr. Vernon treats Bender like a low-life scum that's just going to end up in jail. He doesn't once try to understand Bender or his situation at home, nor does he seem to care to even try. He would rather label him and be done with the punishment than try and help him. I think this is another reason that Bender really believes he is a criminal and won't achieve anything in life. His peers tell him it wouldn't matter if he disappeared tomorrow because no one would notice or care. His parents treat him like utter shit (excuse my language,) and even his teachers have given up on him. It explains why he's so angry and defensive and full of angst. Anyone would be, if they were constantly being ripped on the way Bender was. In a way, he's a victim of stereotyping, and as a result, a victim of bullying as well. Once you understand why Bender is the way he is, it's hard not to feel bad for him.

Overall, this movie is one of my favorites because every time I watch it, I pick up on something new. There's always a new aspect of the movie to fall in love with. I adore the characters and the story line, and the fact that it all takes place in one single day. It's so simple at first glance, but so complex once you take a deeper look. It's absolute cinematic genius. John Hughes, in my opinion, was a revolutionary, and I can only hope my aspiring film career produces such projects that really stick with people, and make them feel. I want my future movies to be just as timeless as his.

P.S.- The Breakfast Club and 2 otherJohn Hughes movies, Pretty in Pink, and Ferris Beuller's Day Off, are on Netflix instant. I highly suggest you watch all of them if you haven't already.

I Should've Gotten Over Them and Yet...

Right this very second, I'm listening to the new Backstreet Boys album, "In A World Like This" to prepare myself for their concert next week. Admittedly, I have NOT grown out of my boy band phase, and I can't tell you if I ever will. There is just something about the dynamic of a band of boys, even if that something is simply me with an excess amount of hormones. That being said, the new BSB album is actually really good. It still has, in essence, the classic feel of their old albums, but they're all older, with more mature voices and the influence of a 10 year hiatus. They've adjusted to the changing times, but they're still singing about the same kind of things they sang about back in the day, i.e. - Girls, Love, and That Sort of Thing. That doesn't mean the appeal has lessened one bit. ;)Plus, if anything it's amusing hearing five 30-something men singing the same type of songs they did when they were teens, yet... We all know we still love them. Some of my favorite songs so far are "In A World Like This," "Breathe," "Madeleine," and "Trust Me." I appreciate this album because while they still sound like the typical boy band with the synchronized harmonies, I like the fact that they tried out different sounds with each song. "Feels Like Home" starts out with a country vibe, and "Madeleine" sounds very Jack Johnson-meets-John Mayer. Overall, I give it a 9.3 out of 10.

On another note, I also recently acquired two other boy band CDs - Emblem3's "Nothing to Lose" and *NSYNC's "Greatest Hits." Emblem3 are considered rap on iTunes, but they sound more like if Bob Marley and Blink-182 had a baby and it was raised by One Direction on the beaches of California. In other words, it's kind of awesome. And *NSYNC's "Greatest Hits" speaks for itself if you lived in the general public within the past two decades. No commentary necessary. ;)

  

Updates, Updates, Updates!

So within the past few hours, I've pretty much stalked Zoe Sugg, better known by her YouTube name as Zoella. It's pretty much because of her and my other favorite YouTubers that I'm making this crazy attempt at blogging and vlogging. I really want my voice to be heard, and as I stated in my FIRST EVER YOUTUBE VIDEO, I feel like the internet in general is a good place to put myself out there. I read through Zoe's FAQs, and she really inspired me when she mentioned that you should blog for yourself before you start blogging for others, because if you're passionate about it, others will pick up on your enthusiasm. So, I guess this is just my vow to always post things I believe in, whether it be a "My Brother Did My Makeup" video, (which I plan to do!) or a post about Katy Perry's contribution to modern feminism, (which I also plan to do). I just wanted to take the time to say that I'm going to take this blogging/vlogging experience seriously. I'm willing to open up my life a little bit to the outside world, if for no other reason than because I think it'll be fun. I want this to be my gateway to the world, because I'm part of a generation in which my new best friend could be a girl from Singapore that I met through YouTube. It's possible. And that's why I'm so excited to get started. :)

P.S. I made an account for this blog on the website Bloglovin'. Just in case anyone wants to check that out, it's pretty cool, actually. :)

Ignore this, it's for Bloglovin' :)

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10195177/?claim=5ffn9xevcvj">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

HEAR YE HEAR YE!!!!

QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT: My first YouTube video is almost live. Give me about an hour of editing and uploading time, and I'll release another post with the details. So excited!

The Woes of a Working Girl

Seeing as it's the summer, and I'm a teenager, what better way to spend my time than by getting a job! **she said sarcastically.** Initially, I was kind of into it, especially at the prospect of being paid. But unfortunately, I started working two different jobs working for each of my parents. And each job was a temp job, basically shuffling, filing, and destapling papers. I'm pretty much finished with all there is to do at my mom's office, but there is a CRAP TON of papers to take staples out of at my dad's office. It's a job that pays well, but I can't help resenting it, because it's long hours filled with monotonous, static scenery, and no one my own age, (obviously, because I'm the only teen stupid enough to take not one, but TWO office jobs for a summer job.) This post isn't much more than a rant, of sorts, but I just had to get that out there. Maybe tomorrow or sometime this week I'll post something actually worth reading. ;) 

P.S. - Don't think I didn't at least TRY to get another job; I applied to Banana Republic, like, a month ago tomorrow, and they haven't gotten back to me. My friend works there, and he told me they take three to four weeks to reply to applicants, but I have a very strong feeling that I won't be getting that job. :(