Sunday, December 29, 2013

Just Ranting

Warning: This post contains nothing but complaints and whining. Do not read if you do not care. If you do care, by all means, read on. Just keep in mind that this post is really just to get out my frustrations. Carry on. 
I thought senior year was supposed to be fun? 
Earlier today I was mentally going through my schedule for next semester, and it nearly brought me to tears. The realization struck me that I'm going to be busy all. the. time. I'm dual-enrolled in five classes at my local community college, plus I'm taking a western literature class with a few fellow homeschoolers, plus I'm working two part-time jobs, plus I'm rehearsing for a show I'm in (that part I'm super duper excited about, though!), plus I'm trying to remember to breathe in the meantime...
Needless to say, I’m both terrified and kind of sad. My social life is going to be nonexistent. I’m barely going to have time to hang out with the people I actually enjoy in between my classes. I’m not going to have a single available day for a sleepover throughout the entire semester. My last bit of senior year is going to be a big ole pile of busy and I hate it. Honestly, thinking about it earlier began to stress me out, and I haven't even started the semester yet. 
I love dual-enrolling, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like I’ve bitten off far more than I can chew. When I first started taking college classes in 10th grade, my goal was to graduate high school with my AA degree. Due to some setbacks junior year regarding math classes, it became evident that that goal was not going to be reached. So, I formulated a new goal; graduate high school with as much college under my belt as possible, stay at my local community college for one more semester so that I could finish up whatever credits I had left, and then transfer to the 4-year college of my choice in the Spring of 2015. It seemed fool-proof until just a few weeks ago. 
I was gallivanting around Walt Disney World with a large group of friends when one of my good friends and I started (for whatever strange reason) talking about growing up. We got on the topic of school, and she asked me a question I had never thought to ask myself: “so, why are you working so far ahead and taking so many college classes?” I knew I had a problem once I realized I had no good answer. “Umm, well, like, to get my AA degree soon, and like, have a chance to, like, go to graduate school, and, um, finish sooner, I guess, and, um….” Literally, THAT WAS MY ANSWER. I felt so stupid. Then I realized, why the heck am I wasting my childhood away, just to get my degree a year or two sooner than my peers?
I have looooved not having to go to a traditional high school. I tried private school for a couple of years, but it wasn't my cup of tea. The mere thought of public school makes me want to vomit. (Disclaimer: I have nothing against the public education system in and of itself. It’s just most definitely not for me.) Not many people take homeschoolers seriously, so I made it my mission to prove them all wrong. Also, I wanted to prove to myself that I was smart. But the pressure I have put on myself to do as much work as possible and get as far ahead as possible is really catching up to me. I’m starting to crack. It’s not even that I’m worried about the workload… a lead role in a play, four college classes, an in-depth homeschool course, and two part-time jobs? Bring it on. Rather, what I’m worried about is the time span. It’s too much for the short amount of time I have in a week. 
I want to do my best during this last semester of senior year, but I want to enjoy myself, too. My desire is to look back at this time in my life and say “wow, I’m so glad I was able to surround myself with the the people I love. I’m so happy I got to spend time with the ones who lift me up and help make me a better person. I’m overjoyed that I got to go to as many social events as possible to expand my knowledge of what I was learning. I’m so glad I got to do what I love.” 
I do not want to say “wow, I worked a lot.” 
I’m a responsible person. I don’t want to go out and party every night, or hang out with friends every single day, or have sleepovers every weekend. However, I want to take advantage of the time I have left to just be a kid, because once my childhood is gone… it’s gone. 

Monday, December 23, 2013

Saving Mr. Banks

Sometimes spontaneous plans are the best plans. 

After a very long day of entertaining my cousins (aged 10 and 4) and an evening of dinner and Christmas gift-exchanges, I was beat. Seriously, I just did not want to do anything or see anyone or go anywhere. Quick side note: my mom and I have been talking about going to see Saving Mr. Banks since it recently came to theaters, but we were never really sure when we would be able to go seeing as we're both so busy all the time. Well, in spite of the fact that I was ready to shut out the world, cuddle under my covers, and call it a night, we decided to bolt out of the house at 7:35 to try and make the 7:40 showing at our local theater...and I am so glad we did. 

I was sure Saving Mr. Banks would be the type of movie I'd enjoy, even though I knew very little about it. I didn't exactly get the chance to "over-prepare myself" for this movie by reading articles, reviews, and plot summaries. I was in for a complete surprise. I did know the general idea of the story: Walt Disney, along with his production team, struggle with author P. L. Travers as they try to convince her to share her beloved Mary Poppins with the world via the silver screen. I figured this would just be an interesting film about the whole process of making a movie out of Travers' classic book--which it was, however, there was a much deeper level to this movie. It had substance, it had quality, and it had me crying multiple times. 

This movie taught me so much. Saving Mr. Banks is about so much more than you would think; it's about helping a woman release the tension which her past had been giving her for so many years. It is about the complications which often accompany family life, and how misunderstood good people often are. It is about letting one's regrets go and opening up to what the future holds. It's about escaping from whatever cages hold a person prisoner. It's about singing your way through life, letting your imagination assist you in moving on.  I am so glad I got to see this movie with my mom, because I was an absolute sobbing mess. It was okay, though, because she was crying just as much! 

Saving Mr. Banks is a work of art. I want to go into every detail about the film, but I want everyone to be blessed with the same privilege I had whilst going into the theater: unknowingness. We're often touched emotionally when we least expect it--it's a spontaneous occurrence. But like I said before...sometimes being spontaneous is the best way to go. 




Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Frozen

Do you want to build a snowman? 

I saw Frozen tonight, and now I want to build a snowman! I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, but I have to say, it really surprised me. I went into it with quite a few expectations. Now I know not to do that anymore because this movie was absolutely nothing like I thought it would be. That's not a bad thing, though! Let me explain... 

SPOILER ALERT! | I thought about keeping this post spoiler-free, but then I thought hey...that's no fun. I'll be going into detail about everything because this is my blog and I can do that. Consider yourselves warned! 

Feeling and tone: The movie had an overall different feeling than what I was expecting. Seeing as the animation greatly resembles that of Tangled, I was expecting the movie to give me the same feeling Tangled did as well. This was not so, however the vibe I got was still very interesting. I'm going to try and describe this next part as best as I can: Frozen did not necessarily have a "classic Disney" feel, but it definitely had an old-timey Disney vibe. Hahaha, not very coherent, but whatever. My cousin/friend, Brianna, (I LOVE having a relative who's also my best friend and fellow Disney geek!) compared it to Brother Bear as far as tone goes, and I couldn't agree more! Both Brother Bear & this movie had a sense of culture, family, and what it means to truly love someone. Now, in spite of Frozen's "old-timey" feel, it was very contemporary. The music style is more Broadway than most Disney movies--but hey, I'm not complaining about that! 

Characters: The characters were so on-point. I'll probably leave someone out by mistake, but I'm going to talk about each of them individually. 

Okay, so Anna is obviously the main protagonist of the movie. It's common for everyone to love the main character simply because they're the main character. They're designed to make you fall in love with them. But here's what I love about Anna: she's so real. Yes, she's your stereotypical animated Disney princess in terms of her looks: big doe eyes, teeny tiny waist, hair that every real life girl dreams about having--all of it. However, her personality is different. 
She is an adventurer who is also a bit clueless, a beautiful girl who is also really clumsy, and a lonely girl who just wants to love and be loved in return. In the beginning of the film, Anna was very naive and desperate. Throughout the film, though, she develops into a strong, confident woman who knows what is truly important and does what she can to make things right. She cares about her family (especially Elsa) soooo much, and she would do anything for them. Honestly, anything. 
Sure, Anna sometimes (okay, often times) acts impulsively and doesn't always think about potential consequences which may follow her actions, but she does everything with the desire and intention to put someone else's needs above her own. Anna is selfless and brave and I admire her so much. (Even though she is a little bit crazy.) 

Elsa
We love Elsa. Here's the thing...she's not a misunderstood villain; she's not a suppressed genius; she's a girl who grew up thinking there was something wrong with her and so she felt the need to shut everyone out and hide a huge part of herself. 
Conceal, don't feel, put on a show... 
She was so ashamed of what she did to Anna when they were kids--even though it was only an accident and she actually helped keep Anna alive long enough to get her help. But because she felt she had done this awful thing to her sister, she shut her out. She shut everybody out. Throughout the beginning of the movie she was just scared and lonely. It wasn't until after her coronation that she let it go. 
She left Arendale because she didn't want to hurt Anna, but also because she just wanted to be free. It wasn't until she realized that shutting everyone out and isolating herself wouldn't make her free, but the love she has for her sister and her people would. 

This guy. I like this guy. He's kind of a weirdo, but maybe that's why I like him so much. He's definitely no Prince Charming...not even a Flynn Rider...but he's so dorky and adorable that you just want to give him a big hug. Also, he was a really cute little kid. Anyways, moving on! 
Kristoff obviously had a weird childhood considering he was raised by trolls and his lifelong best friend is a reindeer. But, just like each of the characters in this movie, he learned and he grew as a person. He realized that, while animals and mythical creatures (seriously though, I can't get past the trolls) make great companions, we, as humans, need relations with other humans as well. He may have a song called Reindeers Are Better Than People, but he comes a long way. He, probably learning from Anna, discovers how to put other people's needs and well-being above his own. It is evident by the end of the movie that he truly does know how to love. 

Hans is the reason I don't trust pretty men.
This guy swoops into the story like the suave prince that he is. He's attractive, poised, has great hair, and he's voiced by Santino Fontana. Could he get any more perfect??
Well, here's where the spoilers I mentioned earlier come into play: Sorry to break it to you, ladies, but HANS IS THE BAD GUY. SERIOUSLY. 
He was just a power-thirsty, selfish, cruel person who manipulated and took advantage of Anna just so he could be one step closer to the crown. This guy has some serious underlying issues, and let me tell you, I did not see his personal plot twist coming. Even though Hans was the villain, he was a very well written character. I mean, I had no idea he even was the villain. THAT'S GOOD WRITING RIGHT THERE.

Olaf: 
COULD THIS SNOWMAN GET ANY CUTER??? 
I adore Olaf. He's so ridiculous and dumb and honestly just kind of a wacko but this frozen guy completely warmed my heart. Immediately after the movie, I wanted to go to the Disney store and buy a stuffed Olaf and take him home. He was a great comedic character, and such a sweetheart.
"Some people are worth melting for." AWWWWWWWWWW!

Sven
Yes, Sven is a reindeer. Yes, he was one of my favorite characters. 
While watching the previews for Frozen, I was afraid that Sven was going to be exactly like Maximus from Tangled. This movie proved me wrong yet again! Sven, while he did resemble Max with some of his mannerisms and his overall animation, was totally his own character. He was Kristoff's loyal sidekick who always stayed by his side. He was also just a big ole cutie pie who liked to catch snowflakes on his tongue and attempt eating Olaf's nose. (It was a carrot, don't freak out.) 

There you have it. I loved these characters sooooo much! 

Plot: Right after the movie finished, I was very uncertain about how I felt about all the different plot lines and mini stories which occurred throughout the course of the film. However, as I sat here and tried to explain what bugged me about it, I came up with nothing. Naturally, I started wondering why I couldn't think of anything. I finally came to the conclusion that I actually liked all the crazy stuff that happened! Even though in the moment it seemed like it was just a whole bunch of story line all thrown into one movie, all the sub-plots were leading to the one end goal: to reunite Elsa and Anna. 

My only complaint at this point is that I feel Anna and Kristoff (spoiler alert: they end up together, and boy oh boy are they adorable!) didn't have very good character development. They kind of just met--and I don't recall them ever officially introducing themselves to one another--and Anna talked him into accompanying her on her journey to find Elsa and talk her into coming home. Not much happens on this journey for Anna and Kristoff's romance; they talk briefly about how Anna is engaged to Hans, whom she had just met (laaaaame), and Kristoff barely opens up to Anna about his own personal life. The movie goes on, they go through adventures together, and by the end of the film they're in love!? I don't know, it just seemed a bit lacking to me. I probably missed a lot of Kristoff/Anna bonding because I was focusing on everything else that was happening in the movie, so I'll have to see the movie again. Not complaining. ;) 
In spite of my nit-pickiness over Kristoff and Anna's road to romance, I firmly believe the character development for all the characters was overall really well done. Everyone started off one way and, although they did not necessarily change, they evolved into a stronger version of themselves. 
Side note: I normally don't trust Wikipedia, but I found this entry on Frozen and it really is nicely written. Check it out for a good overview of the plot, plus some awesome info! <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_(2013_film)> 
 All in all, I give Frozen two thumbs up! It was a heartwarming story that had me laughing throughout. The music will forever be stuck in my head, but that's okay because it's beautiful. I can't wait until I can see it again; when I can really just sit back and enjoy every little thing that happens. I love all the detail in this film. 

Well done, Disney. Well done.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

The Little Things

Get woken up by alarm. Hit snooze. Get re-woken up by alarm. Hit snooze again. Alarm goes off a third time. Reluctantly get out of bed. Make coffee. Get dressed. Drink coffee. Put on makeup. Refill on coffee. Do your hair. Get more coffee. Rush out the door. School. Work. Meetings. Squeeze in lunch. More school. More work. More meetings. Busy busy busy.

Stop. Just stop.

We as human beings complain about being busy so often, yet we seem to take some sick pride in it nonetheless. One of our most natural responses to a question is that we're busy.

"Can you hang out this weekend?"
"I don't know; I'm really busy."

"Do you have a minute to talk?"
"Not right now; I'm super busy."

"Are you remembering to breathe?"
"Not really, I'm just so busy."

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Why do we do this to ourselves? What is it about always being occupied that's so addictive? We get so caught up in what we need to do that we don't take the time to appreciate the minor gifts in life. When is the last time you had a real family dinner; you know, the kind where everyone sits down at the table together and catches up? Or how about the last time you and a friend just got coffee together, as in just the two of you; where you actually converse with each other instead of having your eyes glued to your mini-computers (aka life-ruiners disguised as SmartPhones) in your hand. We get so distracted by keeping up with the world that we end up missing out on the greatest moments in life. It's okay to set aside fifteen minutes--just fifteen--to do absolutely nothing.



Go outside. Read a fun book underneath a tree. Play fetch with your dog in the backyard. Take a nature walk. Pray while you hike. Enjoy the sound of the wind rustling the leaves. Watch birds fly around in the sky. Lay down in the grass, close your eyes, and just breathe. Enjoy the little things.

When you've grown old, you're not going to look back on your life and say "man, I wish I worked more." Allow yourself time to take a break; a real break. Don't check up on your twitter or facebook feeds. Don't watch stupid cat videos on youtube. Remove yourself from all of that. Take the toxins out of your life.

Just breathe. Just be.



Sunday, September 15, 2013

Divergent Thinking


     Who says that you can’t have fun while learning? Typically when I think of fun and the classroom, I do not associate the two at all. In fact, they seem like two completely different concepts. However, a few weeks ago in ethics class we had a fun activity in which we had to trade out cards with other classmates. Each of the four cards in our hands represented our personality traits and--as we later found out--our dominant mode of thinking. Each person has a dominant mode of thinking, and some modes are in harmony with each other while others tend to clash and object. As there are four main modes of thinking as represented in the F.I.R.E. model (factual, insightful, rational, and evaluative), no person truly fits into just one category. 

     Each group of people which makes up the F.I.R.E. model have their own particular ways of thinking. Factual thinkers gather all information necessary to solve whatever problem is at hand, and are typically extremely honest, blunt, and sometimes impatient. They usually like to work alone, striving to get from one task to the next as efficiently as possible. Factual thinkers often have a one-track mind. In contrary, insightful thinkers are the least likely to be understood as their minds are constantly looping around in different areas, essentially coming up with different ideas. These thinkers typically work best by bouncing their ideas off of each other in groups and assist each other in problem-solving and expanding in knowledge. 

     Much like the insightful thinkers, evaluative thinkers usually excel when working in groups. Evaluative thinkers are very people-oriented and engage in constant evaluation to insure a solution which most improves life. In comparison to evaluative thinkers often making decisions based off of their emotional drive, rational thinkers think absolutely everything through and utilize their 3D perspective to come to a conclusion. They believe that it is not about who is right, but rather what is right. 

     Some people may find it very easy to determine which mode of thinking is their dominant, while others go back and forth between two, three, or even all four ways of thinking, trying to see which best suits them. For example, when I was faced with the task of determining which group I fit in best, I kept changing my mind. I ended up going with evaluative, seeing as I often make up my mind based off of how I am feeling about a person, place, thing, etc. However, during discussion which our groups, I realized that maybe I was more of an insightful thinker. I then requested to transfer over to the “insightful group,” and began my journey on finding what mode of thinker I am. 

     I eventually came to the conclusion that I am not an insightful thinker; nor am I an evaluative thinker. In contrast, I am neither a rational nor factual thinker. I am none yet I am all. In a way, I am a divergent thinker. I work well with each mode of thinking, yet cannot accomplish a task with only that one. I must utilize what I can from each category in order to come to a proper and hearty conclusion. I firmly believe that everyone works this way, some more intensely than others. One may come to the conclusion that they are a factual, insightful, rational, or evaluative thinker. However, he or she is most certainly not confined to that one particular mode. 

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

How Ariel and I are Alike

Earlier tonight I was feeling nostalgic and--at my friend Sarah's very wise suggestion--decided to watch my childhood favorite Disney movie, the Little Mermaid. Being the analytical and comparative thinker that I am, I decided to start listing differing ways that Ariel and I are, in fact, alike. This is what I eventually came up with....a list of 35 ways that I am like Ariel! 

I do hope you enjoy it! 

~~~ 



I like to make new discoveries and I'm easily interested.


I'm usually way more intrigued by something than my friends.


Like I said, easily interested. 


I tend to be forgetful. 


I use my cuteness to my advantage when arguing with people. 


When cuteness doesn't work? Sass. So much sass.


Look at all the bothers I give.
"But who cares? No big deal."


I enjoy tanning and being all "warm on the sand."


More sass.


I love books. 


I love the arts.


I'm very dramatic. 


I'm a dreamer.


My fancy is immediately caught by attractive men.


Ariel may have invented this gaze, but I perfected it.


I like to stare at people when they're unconscious. 
(TOTALLY KIDDING!)


I like to pretend I'm this pretty when I sing.


I don't take people's shenanigans. 


Sometimes I just really need a good cry.


I don't always enjoy meeting new people...or eels.


This is just uncanny.


I get this excited when a cute boy is friendly with me.


I like bubbles. 


I adore balconies. 


I don't like puppets.


I'm not exactly the world's greatest driver.


I get embarrassed. 
A LOT.


I fiddle with my hair all the time. 


I often play clueless.


I get annoyed with guys when they don't show their real feelings.


I look about this awkward when I try to flirt. 


I like to admire people from afar. 


I look pretty dazzling in a blue dress.


I love my daddy. 
(Well, and my mom, too!)


I like to blow kisses teehee xoxo


~~~ 

So there you have it! 35 ways that I am like Ariel! What do you have in common with this little mermaid? Let me know in the comments! 

I love you all. Thanks for reading. 



Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Changing Education Paradigms

As I was preparing to write my ethics paper on education, I looked up a video that my professor had mentioned on the first day of class. I heard it was a very brilliant talk set to super cool animation, so I decided to give it a try. It was very enlightening, and everyone should set aside the eleven minutes and forty-one seconds that it takes to watch this video. 


Prepare to truly educate yourself. 

Video by: RSA Animate 
Talk by: Sir Ken Robinson 
Video found on: 



Saturday, August 17, 2013

Amoré

Sometimes I feel so smart. You know that feeling? The one where you're convinced that when God created you, He spilled the entire bottle of "genius" into the recipe? Yeah, that's how I feel almost all the time. Except for those moments of weakness where I let myself fall for a guy. 

Then I feel so incredibly stupid. 

Don't get me wrong; I love love. To put it simply, love is one of the most incredible gifts that God has given us. After all, 

"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 
Love never fails." 
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love rocks. However, the stuff leading up to love can sometimes get really messy and--you guessed it--painful. Allow me to elaborate. 

It doesn't take much for me to develop a small attraction for someone. Chances are, if you say "hi" and/or smile in my general direction, I will claim to have a crush on you. This is only true about 87% of the time. (Actually, I don't know how often it's accurate. I totally guessed on that percentage. Moving on...) 

My point is, I like to like people. I love having someone to think about, wonder about, and learn about. But sometimes I grow to like certain people a LOT. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's strong. Also, more often than I'd like to admit, I get hurt. It's not like it's intentional. I mean, I highly doubt that the few guys I've reeeeeeally liked woke up one morning and thought to themselves "hmm, today would be a great day to break Lauren's heart!" Not everybody is that heartless, after all. Even so, I still tend to get hurt. 

I've never been the girl who's the "first pick." Sure, I've had people of the male species (ba ha ha) like me before, but as far as my knowledge goes, I've never been #1. There's either already someone else, or someone else comes along all too soon. It's the same old story every single time. 

Very recently, I let myself fall for this guy I hadn't known very long. He was--and still is, honestly--seemingly perfect. Everyone who knew him had nothing but kind words to say about him. He was always so kind to me, making it easy to fall for him but difficult to tell if he was falling for me or not. After all, sometimes it's really hard to tell if someone's interested or if he's just being extremely friendly. Well, it appears that he's extremely friendly with someone else. Someone else. Wow, big shocker, I know. (Can you feel the sarcasm?)

Aaaaaand now we're back to feeling stupid. It's not like anybody knew that I liked him. Honestly, next to nobody knew. Even so, that doesn't mean that I don't feel like an absolute idiot. I'm mortified that I didn't see this coming. I'm humiliated that I didn't really look before I leapt. If my suspicions about him and this particular "someone else" are true, then I couldn't be happier for them. Honestly, they are both great people whom I care for dearly and I'd be happy that they would be happy. (But part of me would always be like "GEEZ, YOU'RE KIND OF DUMB.") 

I know it doesn't seem like it, but there is a point to this post! Yes, it was partly for me to get out my angst, but it's also to touch on your frustrations. This is for all those ladies and gents who feel like they're unloved, undesired, or unwanted. As awful as most of my crush experiences have been and as crappy as they've made me feel, I've learned from them, I've grown stronger from them, and I've become the person I am today because of them. There's a lesson in all of the trials that life sends our way. You're not alone, and it will get better. The next time you feel embarrassed, awkward, or uncomfortable because of an awful experience with a crush, just remember that this happens to everyone--literally everyone--at one point or another in their lives. 

Every failure allows us to be one step closer to a great victory. Real, pure, honest love is a triumph; and it's worth waiting for. 


Wednesday, August 14, 2013

I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie

Hi, world. My name is Lauren and I like books. No. I mean, I reeeeeeeally like books.

Whether I'm happy, sad, angry, passive, content, anxious, lonely, or surrounded by people I love, books are always there. They are more to me than just a collection of words used to pass the time. Books are like a portal; a passage to another realm. I can escape my own reality and dive into the reality of someone else. Sounds like a wonderful thing, right? Wrong. (Well, partly wrong anyways.)

Let me set this straight: authors will break your heart and crush your soul. They don't feel bad about it, either. In fact, they love it. They thrive on it. They make their money off of it. The worst part? A sick part of me actually enjoys the pain through which writers put me. I subject myself to it over and over and over again because--regardless of the fact that I may cry when my favorite character dies--I just have to find out what happens to the rest of the lot.

Ahh, characters. They can either make or break a story. They are people who did not even exist until the writers created them. They are people whom we feel we actually know. Yet, in spite of the fact that they...well, aren't real (ducks and hides from crazy character fanatics), I love them. Sometimes, I love them more than I love actual people. Harsh? Nah. True? Absolutely. Authors have a way of making some characters so perfect, even with their character flaws. 

Look at Percy Jackson, for example. I would gladly fight Titans with him any day, even though he can be completely irrational and he often makes stupid decisions without thinking first. Regardless, he is such a brave human being who always puts the well-being of his friends and family before his own. Moment of silent appreciation for the writing talents of Rick Riordan. 

Now let's take a look at Jace (SPOILER ALERT!) Herondale. He's rude. He's snarky. He has absolutely no value of personal space or privacy unless it's his own. He can kill demons like nobody's business, yet he's terrified of ducks. But you know what? I. Love. Him. Brava, Cassandra Clare, for writing one of the greatest and most complex characters in modern literature. Regardless of the fact that Jace shows his nasty tough-guy exterior all too often, he has a giant heart and loves so many people with all of his being. Even though it sometimes seems as though he's just looking out for himself, in retrospect, everything he does is for the well-being of someone he cares about. That's what love is, folks. 

Moving on. Who else can we fangirl over other than one miss Katniss Everdeen?! I'm not going to lie, Katniss drove me crazy for about 2 1/2 books in the esteemed Hunger Games trilogy. I mean, come on, for a majority of the series all that goes on in her head is "I choose Gale and the rebellion. NO, I CHANGED MY MIND! I choose pretending to love Peeta and keeping my family safe. Lol jk, that failed, so I choose fighting back and rebelling again. Wait, never mind, I actually might love Peeta for realz and I want to do everything I can to protect him." BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND FORTH. However, in spite of the fact that Katniss' indecisiveness annoyed the living daylights out of me, I loved it. Why on earth is that? Because it's so relatable. Take a look at every teenager that you know. I guarantee that not a single one of them knows exactly who they are or exactly what they want. They are confused, lost, and constantly changing their minds. Katniss is the literary embodiment of every real-life adolescent.

I could ramble on and on about different books and characters and plots and whatnot, but I'll stop here. Point is, books are my not-so-guilty pleasure! Seeing as I read so much, I'm always looking for new stories. Comment below with your favorite books, and I'll check them out!

Stay nerdy, my friends.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

This is Me

Hi, my name is Lauren, and this is my first blog post.

To start off this beautiful blog of mine, I thought I would give y'all a little bit of insight into my life! I'm not going to tell you all of my personal details, but I think it's important for a reader to know a bit about the author; who they are, where they've been, and what they love. Let's begin!

✿ I love God with my whole heart, soul, and strength.
✿ My nickname is Loie.
✿ I'm currently seventeen (and a half, hahaha) years old.
✿ My goal in life is to be this generation's Audrey Hepburn.
✿ I love youtube. I'm subscribed to vloggers from all over the world, and I love hearing what they have to say.
✿ I believe that so long as you use your gifts and talents to the best of your ability and all for the glory of the One who blessed you with them, you can do great things.
✿ I sometimes fall in love with fictional characters.
✿ I claim to hate being around cats, but I really do enjoy them. (Just don't tell anyone I said that.)
✿ I'm a proud Disney enthusiast.
✿ The majority of music that you will find in my iTunes library are show tunes. No shame!

So that's me! There's always something new to discover with me, so stay tuned to find out what goes on in this silly mind of mine.