rating: 4 out of 5
rave: deeper than you would have thought & you would have NEVER guessed what secret she's hiding.
synop: Parker was the queen-bee of her private school: cheerleading squad captain, popular, beautiful boyfriend.
but out of nowhere, she dumps her boyfriend, quits the squad, and gave up being not only a popular girl, but a good girl too.
she comes to school drunk, hung-over, and her academic career is basically down the toilet.
her parents have her on suicide watch.
her counselors have her on probation.
her principle is itching to kick her out of school.
but her ex doesn't give up on her.
too bad she won't crack.
then came the new boy. Jake.
thing is, Jake is persistent.
very persistent.
but will Jake finally make Parker spill? or is he in over his head?
rave: i would have NEVER guessed what secret Parker was hiding. i seriously never saw it coming.
at first i thought that this would be another preppy, private school girl book, but it's not.
it's not shallow at all.
i'm suprized that it's actually a very heart-felt, touching book.
i LOVE Parker's attitude: her personality, how prickly she is, her retorts--she's sassy, saucy, and she's basically a very well-rounded, beautifully created character.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
review: books... "Willow" by Julia Hoban
rating: 5 out of 5
rave: unexpectedly beautiful. not sappy-emo at all!
synop: Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, Willow's professor parents drank a little too much, so she drove. And killed them both. now willow lives as a self-tried, convicted murderer of her own parents and as a burden in her brother's life.
even though he never says it, Willow knows.
she's just an extra mouth to feed at the table.
when he looks at her, she reminds them of their parents. how she killed them.
but he never says it out loud.
just like how they don't talk about anything anymore.
cutting was her escape. killing herself was never the intent.
this is all put into jeopardy when Guy stumbles upon her dirty little secret and threatens to tell her brother.
It was just a small little lie. at first. "if he finds out [i'm cutting], it would kill him."
he was supposed to be easy to brush off. he didn't know her.
but Guy is persistent, and it buds into a romance, an introspective journey to the past, and blossoms.
will he be the one?
rant: This is an unforgettable book.
just beautiful in so many ways.
and a surprisingly deep, un-emo, un-sappy read.
it was supposed to be a casual friendship. fine. nothing special.
they feel in love. fine. still nothing extraordinary.
but it was more than just that. it was a self-journey that Willow takes him on.
sorry--there are just simply no words to describe this book.
rave: unexpectedly beautiful. not sappy-emo at all!
synop: Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, Willow's professor parents drank a little too much, so she drove. And killed them both. now willow lives as a self-tried, convicted murderer of her own parents and as a burden in her brother's life.
even though he never says it, Willow knows.
she's just an extra mouth to feed at the table.
when he looks at her, she reminds them of their parents. how she killed them.
but he never says it out loud.
just like how they don't talk about anything anymore.
cutting was her escape. killing herself was never the intent.
this is all put into jeopardy when Guy stumbles upon her dirty little secret and threatens to tell her brother.
It was just a small little lie. at first. "if he finds out [i'm cutting], it would kill him."
he was supposed to be easy to brush off. he didn't know her.
but Guy is persistent, and it buds into a romance, an introspective journey to the past, and blossoms.
will he be the one?
rant: This is an unforgettable book.
just beautiful in so many ways.
and a surprisingly deep, un-emo, un-sappy read.
it was supposed to be a casual friendship. fine. nothing special.
they feel in love. fine. still nothing extraordinary.
but it was more than just that. it was a self-journey that Willow takes him on.
sorry--there are just simply no words to describe this book.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
review: "The Breakable Vow" by Kathryn Anne Clarke
rating: 6 out of 5
rave: breath-taking, stunning, suspenseful, & the most memeorable book you will ever read. b/c there is nothing like it out there.
it will keep you on your toes & on the edge of your chair.
b/c in a way, Annie's life is just ike a horror movie.
synop: Annie, 18, gets accidentally pregnant.
stop right there. i know what you are thinking. that this is another book on teen-age pregnancies. you could not be more wrong.
Annie is your average girl w. her football star boyfriend. but thing is, Annie & Keven deeply love each other. so the decide to keep the baby, get married, and move away from Chicago to Texas for him to get an education while she would be the stay-at-home mom.
and that's when it all goes out of control.
Kevin controlls every aspect of her life.
he hides her mail sent by her family,
he controls the finances.
and she is never allowed to leave the house (?) (sorry, it has been a while since i read it, but i read it twice, and i'm already planning to read it again--yup, it's that good, and it's that memorable.)
and most of all, kevin gets violent. he hits her, threatens her, and controls every aspect of her being. but he loves her. and she loves him.
and she loves him too. that's why. that is why this novel is amazing.
if you think that this novel is about the strength of love, you are wrong again.
here's the twist: kevin loosens up a bit. he lets her have a job, the violence stops.
when will Annie finally break free from Kevin? Will she ever?
it all comes down to a suspenseful, dramatic, epic last straw for her to finally break free, wake up to smell the coffee.
rant: THIS IS AN AMAZING MUST READ.
the atmosphere of the entire book is just amazing. pure literary genius.
every page of the book, you can cut through the tension in the air: the horrific beauty of it is just incredibly captivating.
you can feel Annie. you're practically right there the entire time, seeing her stuck in Kevin's web of manipulation & abuse.
you're right there with her everytime she gets reeled back in by his gestures of love.
you're right there when Kevin sweet-talks the cops into believing that there's no problem,
when Annie can't convince her neighbors, Kevin's fans too, that he's dangerous,
you're with her when she feels joy in spending money to buy a notebook. that's the kind of control Kevin had over her--she felt so naughty when she bought something behind Kevin's back--a notebook!
you're in the car with her when Kevin goes on a tirade, driving erratically, smashing her head into the dash,
and you're there when her plan falls through right at the moment she needed it the most. it was just a slip of the mouth. when she finally realized that she needed to escape, but has no power to.
it's just beautiful. with the right amount of blood, violence & gore, more than enough suspense and tension.
this book GETS YOUR HEART PUMPING, YOUR ADRENALINE RUSHING! it's better than a good scary movie--it's "Breakable Vow" by Kathryn A. Clarke.
rave: breath-taking, stunning, suspenseful, & the most memeorable book you will ever read. b/c there is nothing like it out there.
it will keep you on your toes & on the edge of your chair.
b/c in a way, Annie's life is just ike a horror movie.
synop: Annie, 18, gets accidentally pregnant.
stop right there. i know what you are thinking. that this is another book on teen-age pregnancies. you could not be more wrong.
Annie is your average girl w. her football star boyfriend. but thing is, Annie & Keven deeply love each other. so the decide to keep the baby, get married, and move away from Chicago to Texas for him to get an education while she would be the stay-at-home mom.
and that's when it all goes out of control.
Kevin controlls every aspect of her life.
he hides her mail sent by her family,
he controls the finances.
and she is never allowed to leave the house (?) (sorry, it has been a while since i read it, but i read it twice, and i'm already planning to read it again--yup, it's that good, and it's that memorable.)
and most of all, kevin gets violent. he hits her, threatens her, and controls every aspect of her being. but he loves her. and she loves him.
and she loves him too. that's why. that is why this novel is amazing.
if you think that this novel is about the strength of love, you are wrong again.
here's the twist: kevin loosens up a bit. he lets her have a job, the violence stops.
when will Annie finally break free from Kevin? Will she ever?
it all comes down to a suspenseful, dramatic, epic last straw for her to finally break free, wake up to smell the coffee.
rant: THIS IS AN AMAZING MUST READ.
the atmosphere of the entire book is just amazing. pure literary genius.
every page of the book, you can cut through the tension in the air: the horrific beauty of it is just incredibly captivating.
you can feel Annie. you're practically right there the entire time, seeing her stuck in Kevin's web of manipulation & abuse.
you're right there with her everytime she gets reeled back in by his gestures of love.
you're right there when Kevin sweet-talks the cops into believing that there's no problem,
when Annie can't convince her neighbors, Kevin's fans too, that he's dangerous,
you're with her when she feels joy in spending money to buy a notebook. that's the kind of control Kevin had over her--she felt so naughty when she bought something behind Kevin's back--a notebook!
you're in the car with her when Kevin goes on a tirade, driving erratically, smashing her head into the dash,
and you're there when her plan falls through right at the moment she needed it the most. it was just a slip of the mouth. when she finally realized that she needed to escape, but has no power to.
it's just beautiful. with the right amount of blood, violence & gore, more than enough suspense and tension.
this book GETS YOUR HEART PUMPING, YOUR ADRENALINE RUSHING! it's better than a good scary movie--it's "Breakable Vow" by Kathryn A. Clarke.
review: books... "The Summer I Turned Pretty" by Jenny Han
rating: 4 out of 5
rave: it's a good summer read. captures perfectly the essence of summer and fun under the sun.
bottom line: ehhhh.... i say.... read it.
synop: Belly's life revolves around the summers she spends in Cousins beach. The other 10 months of school is just a count-down until the next summer.
Every year every since the dawn of time, she spends her summers in the beach house with her mother's best friend whose children are her best friends too: Jeremiah and Conrad.
Belly has had a crush on Conrad ever since she was little, but will he ever see her as a girl, and not a playmate?
This summer, things will change. The boys will see her for who she is: not as her older brother's sister, but as a girl.
Rant: i think that this was a ehhh read... i'm really right down the middle: i mean, the beginning & middle were very well-writtten, but i did not like the end.
when i first read the synop, i thought that it would be another shallow teen romance, but i gotta say that it wasn't: there was depth to the novel.
and i think that what set it apart from those other books is that there is change in it:
Jeremiah's father is getting estranged from the family (divorce?),
the guys see her as a girl (!),
her brother is going off to college (!),
and she has a summer fling, which sort of got me mad b/c of how.... i don't know.
on top of that, Conrad was a total ass this summer: he would get drunk all the time, he stayed locked up in his room 99% of the vacation, he also had a summer fling with another girl (not that Belly didn't do the same thing, but hey...) i mean, it would have been fine if he didn't end up w. her.
thing is, i don't think that he deserved Belly's love.
even though he had a good reason to act like an ass, i still felt that it was unacceptable. Jeremiah was going through the same thing, and he wasn't an ass to Belly the entire summer. Maybe it was b/c of different personalities, ways of seeing the world, or watev, but i don't find that as a valid excuse.
Belly had pined her entire life for Conrad, and he was an ass that summer. a total ass. he alienated himself from the rest of the family, and he didn't deserve her.
especially since Jeremiah loves her. the cute younger brother who has always been there for her. but apparently, she doens't feel the same way.
maybe Han is trying to show that you fall in love with who you may, and he may not be perfect, but you're in love with him anyway, but i felt that Jeremiah deserved better than Belly's rejection for a guy that didn't show any interest and on top of that was out-right ignoring her.
rave: it's a good summer read. captures perfectly the essence of summer and fun under the sun.
bottom line: ehhhh.... i say.... read it.
synop: Belly's life revolves around the summers she spends in Cousins beach. The other 10 months of school is just a count-down until the next summer.
Every year every since the dawn of time, she spends her summers in the beach house with her mother's best friend whose children are her best friends too: Jeremiah and Conrad.
Belly has had a crush on Conrad ever since she was little, but will he ever see her as a girl, and not a playmate?
This summer, things will change. The boys will see her for who she is: not as her older brother's sister, but as a girl.
Rant: i think that this was a ehhh read... i'm really right down the middle: i mean, the beginning & middle were very well-writtten, but i did not like the end.
when i first read the synop, i thought that it would be another shallow teen romance, but i gotta say that it wasn't: there was depth to the novel.
and i think that what set it apart from those other books is that there is change in it:
Jeremiah's father is getting estranged from the family (divorce?),
the guys see her as a girl (!),
her brother is going off to college (!),
and she has a summer fling, which sort of got me mad b/c of how.... i don't know.
on top of that, Conrad was a total ass this summer: he would get drunk all the time, he stayed locked up in his room 99% of the vacation, he also had a summer fling with another girl (not that Belly didn't do the same thing, but hey...) i mean, it would have been fine if he didn't end up w. her.
thing is, i don't think that he deserved Belly's love.
even though he had a good reason to act like an ass, i still felt that it was unacceptable. Jeremiah was going through the same thing, and he wasn't an ass to Belly the entire summer. Maybe it was b/c of different personalities, ways of seeing the world, or watev, but i don't find that as a valid excuse.
Belly had pined her entire life for Conrad, and he was an ass that summer. a total ass. he alienated himself from the rest of the family, and he didn't deserve her.
especially since Jeremiah loves her. the cute younger brother who has always been there for her. but apparently, she doens't feel the same way.
maybe Han is trying to show that you fall in love with who you may, and he may not be perfect, but you're in love with him anyway, but i felt that Jeremiah deserved better than Belly's rejection for a guy that didn't show any interest and on top of that was out-right ignoring her.
review: books... "Very LeFreak" by Rachel Cohn
rating: 2 out of 5
bottom line: a disappointment.
synop: Very is a techie in college that suffers from too-much-good-time syndrome: she excessively parties, buys stuff online with her maxxed out cards, gets drunk every night, and is promiscuous. In addition to that, Very is addicted to her iPhone, her playlists, her precious laptop, and El Virus, a guy she met online, that haunts her every thought and dream.
With her scholarship on the line, her friends decide to intervene: they take away her laptop, iPod, and send her off to tech camp. 28 days of electronics-free hell. No iPod, no iPhone, no IMing, no cell-phones, laptops, nothing.
Does Very have the strength to resist? or will she relapse?
Review: the synop sounds good. they all do. otherwise i wouldn't read them, now would i?
but i gotta say that this was a flopper.
the idea was really nice, and the beginning of the book was okay--i kept hoping that she would fall in love with Brian (her best bud that's also a [cute] techie). i mean he has feelings for her, she knows he does, but El Virus haunts her thoughts.
but the thing i'm not happy about is the ending of the book.
**SPOILER ALERT!!**
she ends up w. her roomate of all people. [we all knew that she was bi, but come on?! everyone loves a good best-friends fall in love book!]
the ending just left too much hanging: all the problems she had to deal with--her credit cards, school, ect. it was all ignored.
i mean, sure, you don't have to explicitly say it out loud and just imply it, but this implication-filled ending was unsatisfying.
bottom line: a disappointment.
synop: Very is a techie in college that suffers from too-much-good-time syndrome: she excessively parties, buys stuff online with her maxxed out cards, gets drunk every night, and is promiscuous. In addition to that, Very is addicted to her iPhone, her playlists, her precious laptop, and El Virus, a guy she met online, that haunts her every thought and dream.
With her scholarship on the line, her friends decide to intervene: they take away her laptop, iPod, and send her off to tech camp. 28 days of electronics-free hell. No iPod, no iPhone, no IMing, no cell-phones, laptops, nothing.
Does Very have the strength to resist? or will she relapse?
Review: the synop sounds good. they all do. otherwise i wouldn't read them, now would i?
but i gotta say that this was a flopper.
the idea was really nice, and the beginning of the book was okay--i kept hoping that she would fall in love with Brian (her best bud that's also a [cute] techie). i mean he has feelings for her, she knows he does, but El Virus haunts her thoughts.
but the thing i'm not happy about is the ending of the book.
**SPOILER ALERT!!**
she ends up w. her roomate of all people. [we all knew that she was bi, but come on?! everyone loves a good best-friends fall in love book!]
the ending just left too much hanging: all the problems she had to deal with--her credit cards, school, ect. it was all ignored.
i mean, sure, you don't have to explicitly say it out loud and just imply it, but this implication-filled ending was unsatisfying.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
review: books... "love sick" by jake coburn
rating: 3 out of 5
bottom line: read it.
synop: one day out of the blue, a wealthy man makes jake a proposition: he will pay for Jake's college at Ivy League in exchange for keeping an eye out for his daughter, Erica.
why?
well, Erica here has an eating disorder. she is bulimic. she gorges herself on a dozen of doughnuts one night, then proceedes to barf them all right back out.
simple enough. at this point, you would think that it would be a stalker-like book, but read on:
but.
he did not expect to fall in love.
is Jake strong enough to keep lieing to Erica?
or will Erica doubt his feelings for her once she finds out?
review: i think that this was a pretty well-written novel.
20% of america's teenage girls have an eating disorder: whether they're anorexic (don't eat), or bulimic (eat too much to only barf it out again).
and i like the fact that this book adresses that--Erica isn't a druggie, or socially-inept.
bottom line: read it.
synop: one day out of the blue, a wealthy man makes jake a proposition: he will pay for Jake's college at Ivy League in exchange for keeping an eye out for his daughter, Erica.
why?
well, Erica here has an eating disorder. she is bulimic. she gorges herself on a dozen of doughnuts one night, then proceedes to barf them all right back out.
simple enough. at this point, you would think that it would be a stalker-like book, but read on:
but.
he did not expect to fall in love.
is Jake strong enough to keep lieing to Erica?
or will Erica doubt his feelings for her once she finds out?
review: i think that this was a pretty well-written novel.
20% of america's teenage girls have an eating disorder: whether they're anorexic (don't eat), or bulimic (eat too much to only barf it out again).
and i like the fact that this book adresses that--Erica isn't a druggie, or socially-inept.
review: books... "before i die" by jenny downham
rating: 4 out of 5
rant: beautiful novel.
synop: Tessa, 15, is a girl diagnosed with cancer, and she is determined to do 10 things before she dies.
which includes having sex, doing drugs, & shoplifting.
but she unexpectedly falls in love with her next-door neighbor Adam, who has to choose between his mother and Tessa. Adam is all his mother has, but is he all Tessa has? will he make the right choice?
review: it's about experimentation, love, and living life for what it's worth: the tiny moments.
bottom line: read it.
Friday, July 30, 2010
music: chinese.... part 1. eason chan. 陳奕迅
i learned about my chinese musaq from my parents, so all i listen to is Andy Lau, Sammi Cheng, Fei Wong, Eason Chan... yea..
so here it is.
陳奕迅
富士山下 ("Under Mount Fuji")
K歌之王 ("King of Karaoke")
單車 ("Bicycle")
人來人往 ("People Come People Go")
明年今日 ("Next Year")
1874
孤兒仔 ("Orphan")
so here it is.
陳奕迅
富士山下 ("Under Mount Fuji")
K歌之王 ("King of Karaoke")
單車 ("Bicycle")
人來人往 ("People Come People Go")
明年今日 ("Next Year")
1874
孤兒仔 ("Orphan")
life: PREAKIN OUT
so... now that july is rollin out, i'm phreaking out about summur hmwk.
here's the horrid list:
1. read a chapter The Black Death
2. take notes
3. read the ENTIRE A World Lit Only By Fire
4. write an ESSAY on the both of them
5. read the ENTIRE Frankenstein novel
6. read the ENTIRE How to Read Literature Like a Professor (even tho my phresh lit teacher really liked it & claims it to be an amazing book)
7. watch the Matrix (i'm serious!)
8. ID all the countries on Europe (all of them! who the frigg is able to tell Yugoslavia & Czechoslovakia apart?!!)
it's just horrendous. it's phreaking me out. i mean, i have to read 3 WHOLE books (one of which is nonfiction), write an ESSAY when my brain's writing cells have been dead for weeks, AND be able to i.d. all those teeny countries on europe that nobody has even herd of!
nice.
good job.
cause i was the one to choose these A.P. classes.
i thought that AP Euro would be exciting, but rite now i'm just dreading it.
like, really, really, dreading it b/c it's something completely new--they don't teach european history in elementary school! it's going to be a LOT of history--all those countries, revolutions, kings, dukes, oh god.
so i'm starting now.
so far, frankenstein is okaaayyy i guess. the letters were soooo boring.
here's the horrid list:
1. read a chapter The Black Death
2. take notes
3. read the ENTIRE A World Lit Only By Fire
4. write an ESSAY on the both of them
5. read the ENTIRE Frankenstein novel
6. read the ENTIRE How to Read Literature Like a Professor (even tho my phresh lit teacher really liked it & claims it to be an amazing book)
7. watch the Matrix (i'm serious!)
8. ID all the countries on Europe (all of them! who the frigg is able to tell Yugoslavia & Czechoslovakia apart?!!)
it's just horrendous. it's phreaking me out. i mean, i have to read 3 WHOLE books (one of which is nonfiction), write an ESSAY when my brain's writing cells have been dead for weeks, AND be able to i.d. all those teeny countries on europe that nobody has even herd of!
nice.
good job.
cause i was the one to choose these A.P. classes.
i thought that AP Euro would be exciting, but rite now i'm just dreading it.
like, really, really, dreading it b/c it's something completely new--they don't teach european history in elementary school! it's going to be a LOT of history--all those countries, revolutions, kings, dukes, oh god.
so i'm starting now.
so far, frankenstein is okaaayyy i guess. the letters were soooo boring.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
review: CDs worth your money
every week, there's a new hit.
but does that make a CD worth the $17? especially since you can download them for free? no.
so here's a list of CDs worth every penny b/c every track on it is worth it. these are all 5 out of 5's:
LADY GAGA - THE FAME
1. Just Dance ft. Colby O'Donis
2. LoveGame
3. Paparazzi
4. Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
5. Eh, Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)
6. Poker Face
7. The Fame
8. Money Honey
9. Again Again
10. Boys Boys Boys
11. Brown Eyes
12. Summerboy
13. I Like It Rough
LADY GAGA - THE FAME MONSTER
1. Bad Romance
2. Alejandro
3. Monster
4. Speechless
5. Dance in the Dark
6. Telephone ft. Beyonce
7. So Happy I Could Die
8. Teeth
3OH!3 - STREETS OF GOLD
1. Beaumont
2. I Can Do Anything
3. My First Kiss ft. Ke$ha
4. Deja Vu
5. We Are Young
6. Touchin' On My
7. House Party
8. R.I.P.
9. I Know How to Say
10. Double Vision
11. I'm Not the One
12. Streets of Gold
13. See You Go
14. Love 2012
3OH!3 - WANT
1. Tapp
2. Punkbitch
3. Don't Trust Me
4. Chokechain
5. I'm Not Your Boyfriend Baby
6. I Can't Do It Alone
7. Starstrukk
8. Richman
9. Photofinish
10. Still Around - an unexpectedly heartfelt slow song
11. Holler 'til You Pass Out
12. Colorado Sunrise - another unexpected that is worth the 5,000 times i've listened to it
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE - FutureSex/LoveSounds
1. FutureSex/LoveSounds
2. Sexy Back
3. Sexy Ladies ("Let Me Talk To You" Prelude)
4. My Love featuring T.I.
5. LoveStoned ("I Think She Knows" Interlude)
6. What Goes Around... Comes Around
7. Chop Me Up featuring Three 6 Mafia & Timbaland
8. Damn Girl featuring Will.I.Am
9. Summer Love
10. Until the End of Time
11. Loosing My Way
12. (Another Song) All Over Again
TIMBALAND - SHOCK VALUE II
1. Intro ft. DJ Felli Fel
2. Carry Out ft. Justin Timberlake
3. Loose Control ft. JoJo
4. Meet In tha Middle ft. Bran' Nu
5. Say Something ft. Drake
6. Tomorrow In the Bottle ft. Chad Kroeger & Sebastian
7. We Belong to the Music ft. Miley Cyrus
8. Morning After Dark ft. Nely furtado & SoShy
9. If We Ever Meet Again ft. Katy Perry
10. Can You Feel It ft. Esthero & Sebastion
11. Ease Off the Liquor
12. Undertow ft. The Fray & Esthero
13. Timothy Where You Been ft. Jet
RIHANNA - GOOD GIRL GONE BAD
1. Umbrella ft. Jay-Z
2. Push Up on Me
3. Don't Stop the Music
4. Breakin' Dishes
5. Shut up and Drive
6. Hate that I Love You ft. Ne-Yo
7. Say It
8. Sell Me Candy
9. Lemme Get That
10. Rehab
11. Question Existing
12. Good Girl Gone Bad
METRO STATION - METRO STATION
1. Seventeen Forever
2. Control
3. Kelsey
4. Shake It
5. Wish We Were Older
6. Now That We're Done
7. True to Me
8. Tell Me What to Do
9. California
10. Disco
but does that make a CD worth the $17? especially since you can download them for free? no.
so here's a list of CDs worth every penny b/c every track on it is worth it. these are all 5 out of 5's:
LADY GAGA - THE FAME
1. Just Dance ft. Colby O'Donis
2. LoveGame
3. Paparazzi
4. Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
5. Eh, Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)
6. Poker Face
7. The Fame
8. Money Honey
9. Again Again
10. Boys Boys Boys
11. Brown Eyes
12. Summerboy
13. I Like It Rough
LADY GAGA - THE FAME MONSTER
1. Bad Romance
2. Alejandro
3. Monster
4. Speechless
5. Dance in the Dark
6. Telephone ft. Beyonce
7. So Happy I Could Die
8. Teeth
3OH!3 - STREETS OF GOLD
1. Beaumont
2. I Can Do Anything
3. My First Kiss ft. Ke$ha
4. Deja Vu
5. We Are Young
6. Touchin' On My
7. House Party
8. R.I.P.
9. I Know How to Say
10. Double Vision
11. I'm Not the One
12. Streets of Gold
13. See You Go
14. Love 2012
3OH!3 - WANT
1. Tapp
2. Punkbitch
3. Don't Trust Me
4. Chokechain
5. I'm Not Your Boyfriend Baby
6. I Can't Do It Alone
7. Starstrukk
8. Richman
9. Photofinish
10. Still Around - an unexpectedly heartfelt slow song
11. Holler 'til You Pass Out
12. Colorado Sunrise - another unexpected that is worth the 5,000 times i've listened to it
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE - FutureSex/LoveSounds
1. FutureSex/LoveSounds
2. Sexy Back
3. Sexy Ladies ("Let Me Talk To You" Prelude)
4. My Love featuring T.I.
5. LoveStoned ("I Think She Knows" Interlude)
6. What Goes Around... Comes Around
7. Chop Me Up featuring Three 6 Mafia & Timbaland
8. Damn Girl featuring Will.I.Am
9. Summer Love
10. Until the End of Time
11. Loosing My Way
12. (Another Song) All Over Again
TIMBALAND - SHOCK VALUE II
1. Intro ft. DJ Felli Fel
2. Carry Out ft. Justin Timberlake
3. Loose Control ft. JoJo
4. Meet In tha Middle ft. Bran' Nu
5. Say Something ft. Drake
6. Tomorrow In the Bottle ft. Chad Kroeger & Sebastian
7. We Belong to the Music ft. Miley Cyrus
8. Morning After Dark ft. Nely furtado & SoShy
9. If We Ever Meet Again ft. Katy Perry
10. Can You Feel It ft. Esthero & Sebastion
11. Ease Off the Liquor
12. Undertow ft. The Fray & Esthero
13. Timothy Where You Been ft. Jet
RIHANNA - GOOD GIRL GONE BAD
1. Umbrella ft. Jay-Z
2. Push Up on Me
3. Don't Stop the Music
4. Breakin' Dishes
5. Shut up and Drive
6. Hate that I Love You ft. Ne-Yo
7. Say It
8. Sell Me Candy
9. Lemme Get That
10. Rehab
11. Question Existing
12. Good Girl Gone Bad
METRO STATION - METRO STATION
1. Seventeen Forever
2. Control
3. Kelsey
4. Shake It
5. Wish We Were Older
6. Now That We're Done
7. True to Me
8. Tell Me What to Do
9. California
10. Disco
Review: books... "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
Rating: 5 out of 5
Bottom Line: if you haven't ever read it, then YOU ARE SO MISSING OUT!
Synop: Mia has always been different. She grew up in a family of post-youth punk-rockers as a cello player. A celloist. In a family of punks. Her father played in a band. Her mother was his biggest fan. She was the odd little egg.
Then she meets Adam. Adam who also plays in a band, Shooting Star. And they're making it. They're going to go on tour, he's going to put college on hold.
But will she? Will she stay true to herself and go to Julliard? or will she follow the love of her life across the country?
But one snowy day in Oregon takes everything away. Suddenly, they're is only one question left: should she stay?
Rave: you HAVE to read this, even if it's THE. LAST. BOOK. you'll EVER read.
the characters are not only realistic, but heart-felt. they were love-able. they weren't only believable, but someone you fell in love with. they found a cozy spot in your heart. i'll never forget this book. that's for sure.
now, i have to tell you this: i NEVER buy books. i borrow, literally, a dozen books every week. books come and books go.
i don't have the money to buy books. BUT THIS BOOK IS WORTH IT. EVERY. PENNY.
this is one of those books where you'll read over and over. and you'll cry. every time, no matter how many times you read it.
it will never grow old.
Bottom Line: if you haven't ever read it, then YOU ARE SO MISSING OUT!
Synop: Mia has always been different. She grew up in a family of post-youth punk-rockers as a cello player. A celloist. In a family of punks. Her father played in a band. Her mother was his biggest fan. She was the odd little egg.
Then she meets Adam. Adam who also plays in a band, Shooting Star. And they're making it. They're going to go on tour, he's going to put college on hold.
But will she? Will she stay true to herself and go to Julliard? or will she follow the love of her life across the country?
But one snowy day in Oregon takes everything away. Suddenly, they're is only one question left: should she stay?
Rave: you HAVE to read this, even if it's THE. LAST. BOOK. you'll EVER read.
the characters are not only realistic, but heart-felt. they were love-able. they weren't only believable, but someone you fell in love with. they found a cozy spot in your heart. i'll never forget this book. that's for sure.
now, i have to tell you this: i NEVER buy books. i borrow, literally, a dozen books every week. books come and books go.
i don't have the money to buy books. BUT THIS BOOK IS WORTH IT. EVERY. PENNY.
this is one of those books where you'll read over and over. and you'll cry. every time, no matter how many times you read it.
it will never grow old.
Review: books... "Rush" by Jonathan Friesen
Rating: 4 out of 5
Bottom Line: A Must Read
Synop: Jake King grew up in a small mountain town, not known for being Daddy's son, but rather as an adrenaline-junkie. He was never his father's favorite son--that was his older brother, a renowned ex-fire-fighter. He, on the other hand, is not only a disappointment, but a problem. After one too many adventures to get his adrenaline fix, Jake is given a choice: to join the local prestigious fire-fighting crew, RUSH.
Oh, but Jake DOES have another addiction: not drugs. Salome. Beautiful, next-door neighbor, Salome. Salome, who is focused on college. Salome, who begs Jake not to join the RUSH club.
But to join, future-members have to accomplish a task.
RUSH is more then an a bunch of adrenaline-junkies: they're an elite crew of fire-fighters. More than one person has died trying to join. More than one detective is hot on their case, trying to pin them for the deaths.
But it's personal: Salome's brother died trying to join. Friends have died trying to join the elite group of RUSH members who call themselves the 'Immortals'
Rave: it's an amazingly well-written book.
But the entire time, i had a feeling of dread: that one day, Salome would wake up and move on, leaving poor Jake hanging, ready to kill himself.
the adrenaline in the book is amazing--it might have a better punch if i was a junkie too, so i could connect better, but it was a good book, i have to admit.
the characters were heart-felt, real, and when i found out about the REAL reason behind the elite group, i was touched.
but i was disappointed that Jake decided to cheat.
Bottom Line: A Must Read
Synop: Jake King grew up in a small mountain town, not known for being Daddy's son, but rather as an adrenaline-junkie. He was never his father's favorite son--that was his older brother, a renowned ex-fire-fighter. He, on the other hand, is not only a disappointment, but a problem. After one too many adventures to get his adrenaline fix, Jake is given a choice: to join the local prestigious fire-fighting crew, RUSH.
Oh, but Jake DOES have another addiction: not drugs. Salome. Beautiful, next-door neighbor, Salome. Salome, who is focused on college. Salome, who begs Jake not to join the RUSH club.
But to join, future-members have to accomplish a task.
RUSH is more then an a bunch of adrenaline-junkies: they're an elite crew of fire-fighters. More than one person has died trying to join. More than one detective is hot on their case, trying to pin them for the deaths.
But it's personal: Salome's brother died trying to join. Friends have died trying to join the elite group of RUSH members who call themselves the 'Immortals'
Rave: it's an amazingly well-written book.
But the entire time, i had a feeling of dread: that one day, Salome would wake up and move on, leaving poor Jake hanging, ready to kill himself.
the adrenaline in the book is amazing--it might have a better punch if i was a junkie too, so i could connect better, but it was a good book, i have to admit.
the characters were heart-felt, real, and when i found out about the REAL reason behind the elite group, i was touched.
but i was disappointed that Jake decided to cheat.
review: books... "Things I Know About Love" by Kate le Vann
Rating: 2 out of 5
Bottom Line: Skip It
Synop: This British gal, Livia Stowe, is on the way to America to visit her big bro who is studying @ Princeton after finally being free from leukemia's grips for a year. Her goal is to have a fling over the summer--leukemia has kept her from socializing, being a normal gal, and developing relationship experience. She falls for Adam, her brother's mate, but will it last once he knows about her condition?
Rave: It's a book w. a good plot--so many of them have good plots, but such terrible writing.
I mean, i LOVED "If I Stay" (Gayle Forman), which was something similar--a sad, good weapy book about falling in love when death looms by.
But this character is... lacking. She's well-developed, but... i don't know. here. let's try to figure this out together.
her personality is okay. situation: realistic.
thing is this: her brother, Jeff, falls in love with this gal Krystina, whom he's had a crush on forever, and a couple pages later, they're history. mistake #1.
and le Vann (author) let Krystina and Livia become SUCH good friends--they were like sisters, practically--(mistake #2) and then, later, when Livia bumps into Krystina, Krystina just runs the other way (mistake #3).
i mean, if they weren't going to work out anyway, why bother? why make them BFFs, and then turn their relationship into such a pickle??
the reader LIKES Krystina. she's cute, she's nice, she's the big sis figure. but then she suddenly turns all slutty and dumps Jeff (Livia's big bro). And all they had was ONE make-out session.
i mean, COME ON! Jeff has PINED for Krystina, Krystina became SUCH good friends with Livia, and then it all goes wrong.
le Vann (author) manages to give Adam his own blog to share his point of view and feelings, which i liked--it was quirky, funny, real.
but when Livia suddenly has a cancer relapse (realistic), and DIES from pneumonia (UNrealistic b/c the reader still hasn't let the feeling of sorrow sink in and she's already dead.)
i mean, it was not weepy at all. the sadness was not sinking in at all. and then, bam! she's dead. wow. and then Adam is sad, yea, but... there's no real sadness the reader can feel from the book, there's no moving on, growth, ... nothing.
Bottom Line: Skip It
Synop: This British gal, Livia Stowe, is on the way to America to visit her big bro who is studying @ Princeton after finally being free from leukemia's grips for a year. Her goal is to have a fling over the summer--leukemia has kept her from socializing, being a normal gal, and developing relationship experience. She falls for Adam, her brother's mate, but will it last once he knows about her condition?
Rave: It's a book w. a good plot--so many of them have good plots, but such terrible writing.
I mean, i LOVED "If I Stay" (Gayle Forman), which was something similar--a sad, good weapy book about falling in love when death looms by.
But this character is... lacking. She's well-developed, but... i don't know. here. let's try to figure this out together.
her personality is okay. situation: realistic.
thing is this: her brother, Jeff, falls in love with this gal Krystina, whom he's had a crush on forever, and a couple pages later, they're history. mistake #1.
and le Vann (author) let Krystina and Livia become SUCH good friends--they were like sisters, practically--(mistake #2) and then, later, when Livia bumps into Krystina, Krystina just runs the other way (mistake #3).
i mean, if they weren't going to work out anyway, why bother? why make them BFFs, and then turn their relationship into such a pickle??
the reader LIKES Krystina. she's cute, she's nice, she's the big sis figure. but then she suddenly turns all slutty and dumps Jeff (Livia's big bro). And all they had was ONE make-out session.
i mean, COME ON! Jeff has PINED for Krystina, Krystina became SUCH good friends with Livia, and then it all goes wrong.
le Vann (author) manages to give Adam his own blog to share his point of view and feelings, which i liked--it was quirky, funny, real.
but when Livia suddenly has a cancer relapse (realistic), and DIES from pneumonia (UNrealistic b/c the reader still hasn't let the feeling of sorrow sink in and she's already dead.)
i mean, it was not weepy at all. the sadness was not sinking in at all. and then, bam! she's dead. wow. and then Adam is sad, yea, but... there's no real sadness the reader can feel from the book, there's no moving on, growth, ... nothing.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Giveaway: Alex & Ani Spice Ring
Syle Symmetry is giving away an awesome Designer Apparel ring!
To enter, go here.
Contest ends 7-25-2010.
To enter, go here.
Contest ends 7-25-2010.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
review: series worth your time
over the years, as a bookworm, i've read many, many books.
so if i rec them, trust me on this. b/c after all these days (hey, if a book is good, i can polish it off in a day), they're still memorable.
...BLUE BLOODS...
breakdown: Gossip Girl meets Vampire Dairies. Every moment is purely delish.
there is one word, and one word only that would do this book justice: suspense. suspense. suspense. the characters are mysterious, feelingsare hidden, true intentions never revealed
Synopsis: let me intro Schuyler van Alen, a rich girl in Manhattan--you know the drill--rich, old money, private school (catholic).
but what you didn't expect was adding vampires to the mix. and Schuyler isn't a blonde-goddess: she's goth. she isn't the captain of the cheerleading squad: she's an outcast w. long-time bud, Oliver.
but she falls in love with the golden pair's boy: Jack. but Jack & Mimi have been together since forever. the dawn of time. literally.even though they're brother & sisters in this life.
rave: there is nothing like this. de la Cruz's interpretation is simply breath-taking. it has the suspense of gossip girl, and the doomed vampire love from twilight.
this is simply a new breed of vampire books.
i love the series because this is bigger then Jack & Shuyler's feelings for each other.
...EVERNIGHT...
quick rave: "romance+suspense with forbidden love = evernight"
synop: this gal, "Bianca, has just left the small town where she's spent her whole life. She's a new student at Evernight Academy, a creepily Gothic boarding school where her classmates are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek and almost predatory.
Then she meets Lucas, another loner, who seems fiercely determined not to be the "Evernight type." There's a connection between Bianca and Lucas that can't be denied. She would risk anything to be with him—but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart... and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed to be true."
rave: i think that this book is special because of the suspense, suprizes, and unsuspecting turns the novel takes--there are just so many instances where you never saw it coming.
and it's not like any other shallow teen romance novel--it has depth--it's more than just a love story: it's a journey of self-discovery & hidden secrets.
claudia gray really puts the forbidden in forbidden love. the journeys they go on together--the lies, the blood--i devour these books.
...GENERATION DEAD...
synopsis: Phoebe is your average goth gal. She was always a misfit, but she takes it a step further by befriending the "differently biotic". The differently biotic are teens that come back to life after death--it is an unexplained phenomena that has scientists puzzled, people scared, suspicious, families ripped apart again, parents refusing to love their "differently biotic" kids...
Enter Tommy Williams, a differently biotic boy at Oakvalle High, who takes the lead for the differently biotic community, giving them a voice, asking for the world's attention when he joins the football team to prove that differently biotic should be given equal opportunity.
Twist: Phoebe's best-friend since forever and next-door neighbor, Adam crushes on Phoebe. Adam is your all-American boy: football player, handsome, next-door kinda guy that doesn't have the guts to tell Phoebe his feelings.
People don't have answers, parents don't have the love, and the law doesn't know how to deal with them--are they citizens? Do they have rights? What happens when they're accused of murder sprees in Oakvalle? What happens when Tommy joins the football team? What will Phoebe do if Adam dies trying to save her?
rave: readers come in looking for a teen romance--but they get so much more. because this is more than that.
call me a nerd, but what i like about this book is the real-ness of it all:
i can see so many paralells to the KKK, anti-semites, racists--it's about haters that hate on others--it's about organized violence, terrorism, and equality.
you can see a MLK persona in Tommy.
you can see the all-american boy in Adam.
you can see the average jane in Phoebe.
...SHIVER...
synopsis: Grace, your average teenage gal in Mercy Falls, has observed the pack of wolves in the woods behind her house for a long time. They've been there since her earliest memories, but one wolf sticks: her yellow-eyed wolf. And one summer, she meets Sam, a boy with the same mysterious yellow eyes as her wolf. Can it be? Who is this boy?
rave: I think that this series is ok... well, it's been SUCH a long time since i read the first book (Shiver), so i guess my feelings on it is based off of the second book, which i just devoured yesterday in a couple hours.
I don't think that the second book (linger) was well-written all the way through. don't mistake me, there were huge chunks of the book that i ABSOLUTELY LOVED, such as the addition of Cole, his point of view with Isabel's... but i do have to say that her constantly switching point of views shredded my nerves in the beginning. I wanted to get down to business, and details (important details from the first book) were fuzzy, so I couldn't really connect to Sam's yearning in the second book.
...VAMPIRE DIARIES...
i really like the books. the TV show... not so much. i didn't really give it a chance, i admit, but i don't like other people's interpretation. I like to keep Elena's face true to what I think she looks like, not how the actress looks b/c no such person that matches the book's description exists.
synopsis: Stefan comes to the little town of Fell's Church and falls in love with Elena, the golden girl: blonde, popular, but most of all, pretty. But when Stefan refuses to even glance her way, much less fall helplessly in love with her, Elena is determined to win his heart. Onto the scene comes Damon, Stefan's older, more powerful brother, who has set his sights on Elena. Unlike Stefan, Damon will do whatever it takes to make her his queen of darkness. Will Stefan rise up to the challenge?
rave: i think that the series is just delicious. it's perfect for a TV show/motion-picture, but i hate it.
this is just a classic, well-written forbidden romance between a vampire and a human that over come so many obsticles just to be together: the third wheel, dark influences, demons, vampires.
=
TWILIGHT!
y'all know what this is gonna be about, so i won't really other. i know thousands of ppl would disagree with me, and i shouldn't say this, but i am a team Edward fan, and also a team Taylor.
the book + the movie are two different entities.
one: the book rocks.
two: the movie sucks.
three: robert pattison is... not worth a second look
four: taylor lautner on the other hand...
so you see?
but the books are worth waaaaay more than the movies.
my fave book in the series: the last one, breaking dawn (pic) & eclipse.
so if i rec them, trust me on this. b/c after all these days (hey, if a book is good, i can polish it off in a day), they're still memorable.
...BLUE BLOODS...
breakdown: Gossip Girl meets Vampire Dairies. Every moment is purely delish.
there is one word, and one word only that would do this book justice: suspense. suspense. suspense. the characters are mysterious, feelingsare hidden, true intentions never revealed
Synopsis: let me intro Schuyler van Alen, a rich girl in Manhattan--you know the drill--rich, old money, private school (catholic).
but what you didn't expect was adding vampires to the mix. and Schuyler isn't a blonde-goddess: she's goth. she isn't the captain of the cheerleading squad: she's an outcast w. long-time bud, Oliver.
but she falls in love with the golden pair's boy: Jack. but Jack & Mimi have been together since forever. the dawn of time. literally.even though they're brother & sisters in this life.
rave: there is nothing like this. de la Cruz's interpretation is simply breath-taking. it has the suspense of gossip girl, and the doomed vampire love from twilight.
this is simply a new breed of vampire books.
i love the series because this is bigger then Jack & Shuyler's feelings for each other.
...EVERNIGHT...
quick rave: "romance+suspense with forbidden love = evernight"
synop: this gal, "Bianca, has just left the small town where she's spent her whole life. She's a new student at Evernight Academy, a creepily Gothic boarding school where her classmates are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek and almost predatory.
Then she meets Lucas, another loner, who seems fiercely determined not to be the "Evernight type." There's a connection between Bianca and Lucas that can't be denied. She would risk anything to be with him—but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart... and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed to be true."
rave: i think that this book is special because of the suspense, suprizes, and unsuspecting turns the novel takes--there are just so many instances where you never saw it coming.
and it's not like any other shallow teen romance novel--it has depth--it's more than just a love story: it's a journey of self-discovery & hidden secrets.
claudia gray really puts the forbidden in forbidden love. the journeys they go on together--the lies, the blood--i devour these books.
...GENERATION DEAD...
synopsis: Phoebe is your average goth gal. She was always a misfit, but she takes it a step further by befriending the "differently biotic". The differently biotic are teens that come back to life after death--it is an unexplained phenomena that has scientists puzzled, people scared, suspicious, families ripped apart again, parents refusing to love their "differently biotic" kids...
Enter Tommy Williams, a differently biotic boy at Oakvalle High, who takes the lead for the differently biotic community, giving them a voice, asking for the world's attention when he joins the football team to prove that differently biotic should be given equal opportunity.
Twist: Phoebe's best-friend since forever and next-door neighbor, Adam crushes on Phoebe. Adam is your all-American boy: football player, handsome, next-door kinda guy that doesn't have the guts to tell Phoebe his feelings.
People don't have answers, parents don't have the love, and the law doesn't know how to deal with them--are they citizens? Do they have rights? What happens when they're accused of murder sprees in Oakvalle? What happens when Tommy joins the football team? What will Phoebe do if Adam dies trying to save her?
rave: readers come in looking for a teen romance--but they get so much more. because this is more than that.
call me a nerd, but what i like about this book is the real-ness of it all:
i can see so many paralells to the KKK, anti-semites, racists--it's about haters that hate on others--it's about organized violence, terrorism, and equality.
you can see a MLK persona in Tommy.
you can see the all-american boy in Adam.
you can see the average jane in Phoebe.
...SHIVER...
synopsis: Grace, your average teenage gal in Mercy Falls, has observed the pack of wolves in the woods behind her house for a long time. They've been there since her earliest memories, but one wolf sticks: her yellow-eyed wolf. And one summer, she meets Sam, a boy with the same mysterious yellow eyes as her wolf. Can it be? Who is this boy?
rave: I think that this series is ok... well, it's been SUCH a long time since i read the first book (Shiver), so i guess my feelings on it is based off of the second book, which i just devoured yesterday in a couple hours.
I don't think that the second book (linger) was well-written all the way through. don't mistake me, there were huge chunks of the book that i ABSOLUTELY LOVED, such as the addition of Cole, his point of view with Isabel's... but i do have to say that her constantly switching point of views shredded my nerves in the beginning. I wanted to get down to business, and details (important details from the first book) were fuzzy, so I couldn't really connect to Sam's yearning in the second book.
...VAMPIRE DIARIES...
i really like the books. the TV show... not so much. i didn't really give it a chance, i admit, but i don't like other people's interpretation. I like to keep Elena's face true to what I think she looks like, not how the actress looks b/c no such person that matches the book's description exists.
synopsis: Stefan comes to the little town of Fell's Church and falls in love with Elena, the golden girl: blonde, popular, but most of all, pretty. But when Stefan refuses to even glance her way, much less fall helplessly in love with her, Elena is determined to win his heart. Onto the scene comes Damon, Stefan's older, more powerful brother, who has set his sights on Elena. Unlike Stefan, Damon will do whatever it takes to make her his queen of darkness. Will Stefan rise up to the challenge?
rave: i think that the series is just delicious. it's perfect for a TV show/motion-picture, but i hate it.
this is just a classic, well-written forbidden romance between a vampire and a human that over come so many obsticles just to be together: the third wheel, dark influences, demons, vampires.
=
TWILIGHT!
y'all know what this is gonna be about, so i won't really other. i know thousands of ppl would disagree with me, and i shouldn't say this, but i am a team Edward fan, and also a team Taylor.
the book + the movie are two different entities.
one: the book rocks.
two: the movie sucks.
three: robert pattison is... not worth a second look
four: taylor lautner on the other hand...
so you see?
but the books are worth waaaaay more than the movies.
my fave book in the series: the last one, breaking dawn (pic) & eclipse.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
coupns. a compilation.
a list of brands, coupons, and samples alphabetically.
Air Wick
Always
Braun
Aussie
Bounce
Caress
Cascade
Charmin
Cheer
Clairol
CoverGirl
Crest
Dawn
Downy
Duracell
Febreze
Foldgers
Gain
Gillette
Head & Shoulders
Herbal Essenses
Iams – money back guarantee
Infusium 23
Ivory
Joy
Luvs – money back guarantee
Max Factor – no longer available after 2009
Metamucil
Mr. Clean
Nice n Easy
NyQuil
Olay
Old Spice
Pampers
Pantene – money back guarantee
Pepto-Bismol
Prilosec OTC
Pringles
Puffs
PUR
Scope
Secret
SK-II
Swiffer
Tampax
Tide
Venus
Vicks
Vidal Sassoon
Zest
Air Wick
Always
Braun
Aussie
Bounce
Caress
Cascade
Charmin
Cheer
Clairol
CoverGirl
Crest
Dawn
Downy
Duracell
Febreze
Foldgers
Gain
Gillette
Head & Shoulders
Herbal Essenses
Iams – money back guarantee
Infusium 23
Ivory
Joy
Luvs – money back guarantee
Max Factor – no longer available after 2009
Metamucil
Mr. Clean
Nice n Easy
NyQuil
Olay
Old Spice
Pampers
Pantene – money back guarantee
Pepto-Bismol
Prilosec OTC
Pringles
Puffs
PUR
Scope
Secret
SK-II
Swiffer
Tampax
Tide
Venus
Vicks
Vidal Sassoon
Zest
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
life: 2010 vay-cay @ the dells. day 1.
we've been back from the dells for a week now almost, but i'm only blogging now... i don't kno why.
but here goes.
so this time, we were gonna go 2 the dells. again. for the 6-gazillionth time. @ the same hotel. playing in the same waterpark.
except this time, keni+jim aren't going cause of stupid high school stuff. ah... to b a freshman again.
but it's beyond stupid: jim has 2 go 2 summer school 2 get credit into higher math & skip health class and keni has this UN-mandatory freshman connection thing @ young.
but keni's mom still "made" him go while kate got 2 come w. us.
LINE UP FOR THIS YEAR: filled w. many firsts (jim's mom, both his grandparents, dan+ivy, anthony's family....lack of jim, ken, alice (as always), rest of kate's family)
-JIM'S FAMILY (BOTH his parents--surprise surprise! his mom could actually get 2 days off!, his grandmother, AND his grandpa. wow. his grandpa doesn't go any-where. like mine. but 3rd grandma convinced him 2 go, so he did.)
-KATE by herself. her family is additionally going 2 a cruise since dan, ivy + nate already went earlier in the year, and they got pretty cheap tix. kate's ma was convincing us all 2 go, but my ma+grandma sincerely hate cruises.
-DAN+IVY. another first. they actually were able 2 go this year. w. nate.
PLAN: stay in dells for 2 days, 1 nite.
the car ride wouldn't be really pleasant since nate will probably cry for getting stuck in the car for 4 hours, and dan will most likely short circuit from that, or the fact that grandma will nag him about something.
but it was surprisingly not so. grandma+ivy agreed over a lot of things and they caught up on gossip.
we met up @ a McD's off 90/94 and had breakfast. i ate like i was starved even though i made sure 2 eat a cup of strawberry yoplait w. blueberries b4 we left.....
================================================================
when we got there, the condo wasn't ready yet, so we went 2 play in the water park. as always. we left our stuff w. the adults, and went on our merry way.
after a little while, nita decided to go 2 the other waterpark that was supposedly only 5 min. away by foot (as told by the help desk). she had been pining 2 go 2 the other 2 water parks since we thought that we only went 2 one of them. but truth was, we've been to both already. we just didn't kno it.
so we decided 2 leave (we told the old ppl, who told us 2 be back in half an hour.) (they also brought sew lapp this time 4 food.... roast duck [decent], bbq pork [which was too salty], and roasted pig [none was left when i came]....but it didn't really matter how the food tasted. we were ravenous.
so we left. and walked across the hotel, past the parking lot, barefoot, and in our bikinis.
did u actually know that thin black stuff they use 2 fill up cracks on the road is actually quite soft? it's actually quite like moosh. it was fun stepping on them...
thank gosh the black paved lot wasn't too hot. it was bearable.
so we found it, and we found out that we've been there before. so we played. i told them half an hour has probably been up by now [whenever "now" was], but they ignored me, so we kept playing till they gave in, and we walked back.
but we couldn't find them!!
they abandoned us!!
so we were still in shock [no one was hyperventilating, so i guess we were in disbelief].
we asked this couple at the [now old-ppl-less table where they used 2 sit @] 2 borrow their phone. i mean EVERYBODY there had a phone. not only b/c i know it, but i SAW it. EVERYWHERE you looked, someone was texting on their phone.
so we called. and called. and no one picked up, so we had 2 give the phone back before we used it for longer than polite.
so we looked. all over the place. and it did not help that all 4 of us [kate, blendi, nita, and i] were wandering around looking for someone we knew when all 4 of us digbats needed glasses. which the adults had.
niiice right?
so we continued 2 look. i mean, i am NOT stupid. i could call front desk. but would they give us ivy's room? all i knew was that the condo was under ivy's name (it was pouring when we arrived, and the assistant out in the lot checked us in, and directed us). i mean, if they DID give it 2 me, i would be mad.
i could be a serial killer! or a stalker! so we gave up on that idea. i mean i had it when we first made calls, but i doubted it would work.
so this was our plan:
1. call them. [phail]
2. look [phail: all 4 of us needed, but didn't have, glasses!]
3. go 2 front desk [last resort]
so now that steps 2&3 were proven phails, we went 2 the lobby.
so i of course right off the bat asked 4 the room #, which, 2 the receptionist's credit, denied me.
i didn't kno whether 2 be happy or mad. or frustrated.
i gave her ivy's name.
i asked did she check in yet.
she said yes.
i asked her when.
she said she could not tell me that.
so we asked 2 use the phone.
she asked 4 an ID, which i of course wouldn't have either way even if i did have one (#1--i'm underage; #2--i would have left it w. the adults, which they would have then taken w. them)
i mean, all we had was the bikini on our backs.
but either way, i told her, it didn't matter b/c [we had different last names, and] i didn't kno her address, but she lived in ___e, IL. [which was still a stretch, b/c i didn't kno if she technically live in lin____. the one thing i'm sure of--she lived in IL...]
it was a match [thank josh], so she happily gave us a room number AND a key. AND offered us a shuttle 2 the condo. [how nice of her!]
[but i'm still sorta mad @ her... all i knew was ivy's name and the city where she lived. i mean, yea, we were 4 teens w. only our bikinis on [sorta helpless?], but still! we could be doing some serial killer's work for him!]
but she finally got around 2 calling the room, and they were actually there!
[i would have bet $50 they went out; the many times we've been there, we didn't spend much time actually IN the condo. it was only a place 2 wash properly and sleep.]
so ivy picked up, and we told them we were in the lobby, and dan was coming 2 pick us up.
in 30 seconds, dan was there, and he said, "now we have 2 find ur [my] dad."
we were like, "he was looking for us?! we didn't see him."
so we sat in the lobby. i dunno how long we waited, but it was fairly quick. dan came back w. my dad in tow, and we left for the house.
we washed up, and ate. it would be the only dinner we would eat there, and we decided to shabu shabu.
the old ppl, as expected, brought a rice cooker, and some lap yukk, & lapp cherng.
but here goes.
so this time, we were gonna go 2 the dells. again. for the 6-gazillionth time. @ the same hotel. playing in the same waterpark.
except this time, keni+jim aren't going cause of stupid high school stuff. ah... to b a freshman again.
but it's beyond stupid: jim has 2 go 2 summer school 2 get credit into higher math & skip health class and keni has this UN-mandatory freshman connection thing @ young.
but keni's mom still "made" him go while kate got 2 come w. us.
LINE UP FOR THIS YEAR: filled w. many firsts (jim's mom, both his grandparents, dan+ivy, anthony's family....lack of jim, ken, alice (as always), rest of kate's family)
-JIM'S FAMILY (BOTH his parents--surprise surprise! his mom could actually get 2 days off!, his grandmother, AND his grandpa. wow. his grandpa doesn't go any-where. like mine. but 3rd grandma convinced him 2 go, so he did.)
-KATE by herself. her family is additionally going 2 a cruise since dan, ivy + nate already went earlier in the year, and they got pretty cheap tix. kate's ma was convincing us all 2 go, but my ma+grandma sincerely hate cruises.
-DAN+IVY. another first. they actually were able 2 go this year. w. nate.
PLAN: stay in dells for 2 days, 1 nite.
the car ride wouldn't be really pleasant since nate will probably cry for getting stuck in the car for 4 hours, and dan will most likely short circuit from that, or the fact that grandma will nag him about something.
but it was surprisingly not so. grandma+ivy agreed over a lot of things and they caught up on gossip.
we met up @ a McD's off 90/94 and had breakfast. i ate like i was starved even though i made sure 2 eat a cup of strawberry yoplait w. blueberries b4 we left.....
================================================================
when we got there, the condo wasn't ready yet, so we went 2 play in the water park. as always. we left our stuff w. the adults, and went on our merry way.
after a little while, nita decided to go 2 the other waterpark that was supposedly only 5 min. away by foot (as told by the help desk). she had been pining 2 go 2 the other 2 water parks since we thought that we only went 2 one of them. but truth was, we've been to both already. we just didn't kno it.
so we decided 2 leave (we told the old ppl, who told us 2 be back in half an hour.) (they also brought sew lapp this time 4 food.... roast duck [decent], bbq pork [which was too salty], and roasted pig [none was left when i came]....but it didn't really matter how the food tasted. we were ravenous.
so we left. and walked across the hotel, past the parking lot, barefoot, and in our bikinis.
did u actually know that thin black stuff they use 2 fill up cracks on the road is actually quite soft? it's actually quite like moosh. it was fun stepping on them...
thank gosh the black paved lot wasn't too hot. it was bearable.
so we found it, and we found out that we've been there before. so we played. i told them half an hour has probably been up by now [whenever "now" was], but they ignored me, so we kept playing till they gave in, and we walked back.
but we couldn't find them!!
they abandoned us!!
so we were still in shock [no one was hyperventilating, so i guess we were in disbelief].
we asked this couple at the [now old-ppl-less table where they used 2 sit @] 2 borrow their phone. i mean EVERYBODY there had a phone. not only b/c i know it, but i SAW it. EVERYWHERE you looked, someone was texting on their phone.
so we called. and called. and no one picked up, so we had 2 give the phone back before we used it for longer than polite.
so we looked. all over the place. and it did not help that all 4 of us [kate, blendi, nita, and i] were wandering around looking for someone we knew when all 4 of us digbats needed glasses. which the adults had.
niiice right?
so we continued 2 look. i mean, i am NOT stupid. i could call front desk. but would they give us ivy's room? all i knew was that the condo was under ivy's name (it was pouring when we arrived, and the assistant out in the lot checked us in, and directed us). i mean, if they DID give it 2 me, i would be mad.
i could be a serial killer! or a stalker! so we gave up on that idea. i mean i had it when we first made calls, but i doubted it would work.
so this was our plan:
1. call them. [phail]
2. look [phail: all 4 of us needed, but didn't have, glasses!]
3. go 2 front desk [last resort]
so now that steps 2&3 were proven phails, we went 2 the lobby.
so i of course right off the bat asked 4 the room #, which, 2 the receptionist's credit, denied me.
i didn't kno whether 2 be happy or mad. or frustrated.
i gave her ivy's name.
i asked did she check in yet.
she said yes.
i asked her when.
she said she could not tell me that.
so we asked 2 use the phone.
she asked 4 an ID, which i of course wouldn't have either way even if i did have one (#1--i'm underage; #2--i would have left it w. the adults, which they would have then taken w. them)
i mean, all we had was the bikini on our backs.
but either way, i told her, it didn't matter b/c [we had different last names, and] i didn't kno her address, but she lived in ___e, IL. [which was still a stretch, b/c i didn't kno if she technically live in lin____. the one thing i'm sure of--she lived in IL...]
it was a match [thank josh], so she happily gave us a room number AND a key. AND offered us a shuttle 2 the condo. [how nice of her!]
[but i'm still sorta mad @ her... all i knew was ivy's name and the city where she lived. i mean, yea, we were 4 teens w. only our bikinis on [sorta helpless?], but still! we could be doing some serial killer's work for him!]
but she finally got around 2 calling the room, and they were actually there!
[i would have bet $50 they went out; the many times we've been there, we didn't spend much time actually IN the condo. it was only a place 2 wash properly and sleep.]
so ivy picked up, and we told them we were in the lobby, and dan was coming 2 pick us up.
in 30 seconds, dan was there, and he said, "now we have 2 find ur [my] dad."
we were like, "he was looking for us?! we didn't see him."
so we sat in the lobby. i dunno how long we waited, but it was fairly quick. dan came back w. my dad in tow, and we left for the house.
we washed up, and ate. it would be the only dinner we would eat there, and we decided to shabu shabu.
the old ppl, as expected, brought a rice cooker, and some lap yukk, & lapp cherng.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
life: acne. the cure.
**disclaimer: i am not claiming for ANY of this stuff to be miracle water passed to me by the Almighty. i am not saying that this stuff works miracles on that sad little face that needs to be "fixed". this is just what, from my experience, works. give it a try, and give it some time.**
THE KEY IS A THREE-STEP REGIMEN. pro-activ has it. clinique has it. clean&clear has it. the key is the three-step program. make sure you get a good face wash, a good toner, and a nice moisturizer to make sure you don't dry out your skin (even if you have oily skin, it's important to keep your skin from drying out and making more oil, causing you to break out)
to do all of this, you have to see what skin you have:
to determine your skin type, go here or here.
if you have sensitive skin (allergic to ingredients), look for the "sensitive" lines of washes and products. they're always displayed on the front of products.
if you have dry skin, make sure that you get a good moisturizer. if you have oily or combo, just follow the stuff below.
DO THIS 2-3x A DAY, EVERYDAY.
......................ONE..................WASH.........................................................
KEY: 2% SALICYLIC ACID (or benzoyl peroxide) 2% is the normal dosage. for all-over face use, like washes, toners, or moisturizers. ($6-8)
tip: flip the bottle over, and it should be the first thing, listed as
"active ingredient: Salicylic Acid 2%.............................................. Acne Medication"
don't see it? put it back on the shelf.
my personal fave is neutrogena b/c their scrubs are to die for. (i would recommend the grapefruit one; pictured--it foams, which i love, AND it has enough scrubbing beads to clean, but not too many so that it's hard to wash off.)
johnson+johnson's washes are really creamy, which i don't really like b/c of the lack of scrubbing beads that neutrogena scrubs have.
clean&clear: i've used their acne kit, and i honestly have to say that it's horrid.
........................TWO............TONE.......................................................
KEY: 2% SALICYLIC ACID
it's the salicylic acid that does the trick. THAT'S what fights acne. all the toners pictured above all have salylic acid. ($6-8 @ drugstores)
for all the first-timers: you want to drip some on a piece of cotton (squares or circles are best; cotton balls are too fluffy for me, but you can always try)
and scrub your face with it. (dermatologists say to do it in circles, but i don't really see a difference)
if you see that your skin is peeling or flaking, or if you have dry/sensitive skin skip over them, or use toner on that area less often.
.........................TWO. POINT FIVE.............................CREME......................
KEY: 10% BENZOYL PEROXIDE
you want to up the acne medication because this stuff you're gonna only use it on the spots you have acne/feel a pimple coming.
if you do use it on your entire face, you will probably dry it out.
again: if you have dry areas, you want to avoid them, but if you break out, just apply some on there, just less often.
RECOMMENDATIONS: CLEARASIL ULTRA'S ACNE CREAM.
the only other option i know of out there is NEUTROGENA'S RAPID CLEAR (also has 10%)
dermatologists recommend that you use a variety of ingredients, and since face wash+toner had salicylic acid, this should help. (i've very rarely seen a face wash w. benzoyl peroxide, never seen a toner w. it either.)
....................................THREE.......................MOISTURIZE!...................................
KEY: OIL-FREE or NON-COMEDOGENIC (it will not clog your pores or cause breakouts)
SPF IS A HUGE PLUS b/c skin protection is important to reduce scar appearances and to prevent early aging.
I just saw this on Allure magazine: you can just substitute sunscreen for a moisturizer so you don't have to wear both. nice!
if you have dry skin, you're in a hard place: oil-free will sort of skim you of your needed moisture b/c it's the oils in moisturizers that make them rich; but if you get the oil, then you risk clogging your pores...figure out what works for you and e-mail me! (fongyukyuu[at]gmail[.]com)
i've only tried three moisturizers: ~H2O+, neutrogena and clinique.
(~H20+ and Clinique are higher-end moisturizers, but i love them b/c they're gel --much lighter--great for summer. but if you have dry skin, opt for the heavier lotion-like moisturizers, like neutrogena)
w. clinique, i use the GEL b/c i have oily skin. if you have dry skin and want to use clinique, go for the lotion, which isn't oil-free, but allergy tested, fragrance free, dye-free. that's why i like clinique. ALL of their products are good for sensitive-skin people.
w. ~H2O+, i really LOVE their face oasis moisturizer. now they have a mattifying one that reduces shine!! (AWESOME FOR OILY SKINNED PEOPLE LIKE ME! i would still be using H20 if not for the fact that the h20 store @ my local mall closed) the picture of it is not above, but go here to order/see it.
w. neutrogena: i love their face-wash and toner to death, but their moisturizer is too creamy for me. it's really thick. but i guess it's good if you have dry skin. and neutrogena is the only company i know of that has SPF.
......................................................MISC....................................................
BIORE PORE STRIPS ARE TO DIE FOR. they work miracles!! if you have oily skin, it's a MUST have!! They unclog even your worst backed-up pores. ($9-11)
if you MUST WEAR MAKE-UP, WEAR THIS. This is neutrogena's salicylic-acid (2%) concealer, which would help w. your breakouts, but i would probably not recommend this if you have sensitive or dry skin. ($11-14)
if you have oily skin, CLEAN&CLEAR'S OIL SHEETS ARE A MUST B/C THEY ARE INEXPENSIVE, and INSTANTLY ABSORB SHINE! they are just life-savers. ($5-7)
i have not used the acne kits before besides Clean&Clear's, and i HATE it. pro-activ is $20 (+8 shipping), which lasts for about a month. but this will last you waaay longer than a month. i've used the same bottle of toner for more than a year. the facewash & moisturizer will last you about a few months.
i HAVE used toothpaste before, and it dried out my skin completely. but maybe that was b/c i used it over-night. made my skin peel from dryness for days.
THE KEY IS A THREE-STEP REGIMEN. pro-activ has it. clinique has it. clean&clear has it. the key is the three-step program. make sure you get a good face wash, a good toner, and a nice moisturizer to make sure you don't dry out your skin (even if you have oily skin, it's important to keep your skin from drying out and making more oil, causing you to break out)
to do all of this, you have to see what skin you have:
to determine your skin type, go here or here.
if you have sensitive skin (allergic to ingredients), look for the "sensitive" lines of washes and products. they're always displayed on the front of products.
if you have dry skin, make sure that you get a good moisturizer. if you have oily or combo, just follow the stuff below.
DO THIS 2-3x A DAY, EVERYDAY.
......................ONE..................WASH.........................................................
KEY: 2% SALICYLIC ACID (or benzoyl peroxide) 2% is the normal dosage. for all-over face use, like washes, toners, or moisturizers. ($6-8)
tip: flip the bottle over, and it should be the first thing, listed as
"active ingredient: Salicylic Acid 2%.............................................. Acne Medication"
don't see it? put it back on the shelf.
my personal fave is neutrogena b/c their scrubs are to die for. (i would recommend the grapefruit one; pictured--it foams, which i love, AND it has enough scrubbing beads to clean, but not too many so that it's hard to wash off.)
johnson+johnson's washes are really creamy, which i don't really like b/c of the lack of scrubbing beads that neutrogena scrubs have.
clean&clear: i've used their acne kit, and i honestly have to say that it's horrid.
........................TWO............TONE.......................................................
KEY: 2% SALICYLIC ACID
it's the salicylic acid that does the trick. THAT'S what fights acne. all the toners pictured above all have salylic acid. ($6-8 @ drugstores)
for all the first-timers: you want to drip some on a piece of cotton (squares or circles are best; cotton balls are too fluffy for me, but you can always try)
and scrub your face with it. (dermatologists say to do it in circles, but i don't really see a difference)
if you see that your skin is peeling or flaking, or if you have dry/sensitive skin skip over them, or use toner on that area less often.
.........................TWO. POINT FIVE.............................CREME......................
KEY: 10% BENZOYL PEROXIDE
you want to up the acne medication because this stuff you're gonna only use it on the spots you have acne/feel a pimple coming.
if you do use it on your entire face, you will probably dry it out.
again: if you have dry areas, you want to avoid them, but if you break out, just apply some on there, just less often.
RECOMMENDATIONS: CLEARASIL ULTRA'S ACNE CREAM.
the only other option i know of out there is NEUTROGENA'S RAPID CLEAR (also has 10%)
dermatologists recommend that you use a variety of ingredients, and since face wash+toner had salicylic acid, this should help. (i've very rarely seen a face wash w. benzoyl peroxide, never seen a toner w. it either.)
....................................THREE.......................MOISTURIZE!...................................
KEY: OIL-FREE or NON-COMEDOGENIC (it will not clog your pores or cause breakouts)
SPF IS A HUGE PLUS b/c skin protection is important to reduce scar appearances and to prevent early aging.
I just saw this on Allure magazine: you can just substitute sunscreen for a moisturizer so you don't have to wear both. nice!
if you have dry skin, you're in a hard place: oil-free will sort of skim you of your needed moisture b/c it's the oils in moisturizers that make them rich; but if you get the oil, then you risk clogging your pores...figure out what works for you and e-mail me! (fongyukyuu[at]gmail[.]com)
i've only tried three moisturizers: ~H2O+, neutrogena and clinique.
(~H20+ and Clinique are higher-end moisturizers, but i love them b/c they're gel --much lighter--great for summer. but if you have dry skin, opt for the heavier lotion-like moisturizers, like neutrogena)
w. clinique, i use the GEL b/c i have oily skin. if you have dry skin and want to use clinique, go for the lotion, which isn't oil-free, but allergy tested, fragrance free, dye-free. that's why i like clinique. ALL of their products are good for sensitive-skin people.
w. ~H2O+, i really LOVE their face oasis moisturizer. now they have a mattifying one that reduces shine!! (AWESOME FOR OILY SKINNED PEOPLE LIKE ME! i would still be using H20 if not for the fact that the h20 store @ my local mall closed) the picture of it is not above, but go here to order/see it.
w. neutrogena: i love their face-wash and toner to death, but their moisturizer is too creamy for me. it's really thick. but i guess it's good if you have dry skin. and neutrogena is the only company i know of that has SPF.
......................................................MISC....................................................
BIORE PORE STRIPS ARE TO DIE FOR. they work miracles!! if you have oily skin, it's a MUST have!! They unclog even your worst backed-up pores. ($9-11)
if you MUST WEAR MAKE-UP, WEAR THIS. This is neutrogena's salicylic-acid (2%) concealer, which would help w. your breakouts, but i would probably not recommend this if you have sensitive or dry skin. ($11-14)
if you have oily skin, CLEAN&CLEAR'S OIL SHEETS ARE A MUST B/C THEY ARE INEXPENSIVE, and INSTANTLY ABSORB SHINE! they are just life-savers. ($5-7)
i have not used the acne kits before besides Clean&Clear's, and i HATE it. pro-activ is $20 (+8 shipping), which lasts for about a month. but this will last you waaay longer than a month. i've used the same bottle of toner for more than a year. the facewash & moisturizer will last you about a few months.
i HAVE used toothpaste before, and it dried out my skin completely. but maybe that was b/c i used it over-night. made my skin peel from dryness for days.
life: acne.
my dearest friends, mis-guided miserable souls of the world, i know that this entry is long. but i also know that every single word is important. i thank you SO much for reading, and please, please finish it.
i'm sure you've been on the beach before, hon.
you've seen those obese women on the beach. the ones you ignore because they don't belong there. so you avert your eyes.
but u know what?
they don't give a f*ck what you think about them.
they don't give a d*mn what their stupid little scale reads, they don't count every single french fry they eat, and they couldn't be happier.
while you're stuck here. counting every, single, miserable calorie in that non-existent salad you just forced yourself to eat.
which you will burn off running like a lunatic on the treadmill AFTER you've calculated in your little shallow brain how long it will take to burn off running at 15 mph.
BE THAT GIRL ON THE BEACH!!
don't mistake me. i'm not encouraging you to run down to your nearest mcdonald's and scarf down two big macs plus a large soda.
honey, listen to a teenage girl that's been through it all. i've been overweight, had acne (which is now under control), and now am currently in the process of getting braces. in sophomore year of high school. meaning they will NOT be off by senior year.
but i'm fine w. that b/c i'm confident w. who i am.
let's talk about YOU.
you need 2 stop obsessing. the pimple did not ruin your chances w. the football team's captain. it did not ruin your perfect date. your extra flab did not keep you off the beach. it did not keep you from fitting into the perfect prom dress.
you did.
you said freaked out, like you do every single morning, and said to yourself, "oh god. look at my acne. look at my face! i gained weight! he would never ask me out!"
you can keep on staring at the mirror, asking yourself, "why am i so ugly?"
you can keep looking at the numbers on the scale, but they won't budge. maybe it's broken. why don't you try a few more times? go ask to borrow your neighbor's scale maybe?
by the time you've lost the two pounds, you'll want to loose two more, and two more until you're nothing but a sad little toothpick with only ONE goal in life: to loose two more pounds. those numbers don't bite, and they don't ruin dates either. surprise surprise!
cause you know what? those stupid little numbers on the scale are so friggin important! they ruin your entire life!
so go! hide in a closet. and don't come out. don't come out until you've lost every single pound.
until you pass puberty.
until that face fixes itself.
all you care about is that stupid little face.
and those numbers on the puny little tag that goes on your shirt.
the truth is, your world only consists of a little bubble filled with a scale, a mirror, and a plastic surgeon.
let me remind you hon, of reality.
WHAT GETS YOU THROUGH LIFE IS YOUR ATTITUDE. IT's not your face. it's not your bust. not those stupid little numbers on the scale that hold so much power over your life.
when you loose your job, when you go through a break up, when a loved one passes away, your acne-free face does make it hurt less. your size zero waist does not comfort you. your DD breasts will not get you a man that loves you for who you really are.
YOU CAN DO ALL THE PLASTIC SURGERY YOU WANT. go ahead and be the botoxed grandma at 67.
for all i care, you're doing the economy good, and keep plastic surgeons in business.
new york.
i have a distant aunt (that's two) in n.y. her name is kae.
my grandmother visited her, and she asked her, "kae, why do you drink less milk now?"
she replied, "because milk makes me fat. my tummy is too fat."
my grandma thought it was cute. my mom thought it was cute. i thought it was horrid. being a two year old little girl, being told you're fat. she has 3 older sisters, who are all teens now. they exposed her way to early. beauty is cruel. but so is reality. when it hits you upside the head.
when you all of a sudden realize that size 6 is too big. that your face needs fixing. when you realize that you don't "belong" in a swim suit.
you shouldn't be told when you're a little girl not even in kindergarten yet that you are too fat. that you need to stop eating.
this is the way the future will be.
little girls barely out of their cribs, told they are too fat.
too fat to be pretty.
too ugly to ever have a boyfriend.
i'm seeing a good future for all those cosmetic sergeons out there.
i'm seeing a race of puny humans that are more shallow than little puddles on the sidewalk. their small little worlds only consists of a mirror, and a scale.
they NEED other people. they NEED to be loved. by others. they NEED to be told they are beautiful. by strangers.
because their OWN OPINIONS ARE NOT IMPORTANT. because what they think about themselves is irrelevant.
but what about a little something called self-esteem?
what about the one thing you can't see in the mirror, looking back at you: your self-image?
once upon a time, there was a little girl that was over-weight in elementary school. she had no fashion sense, refused to wear jeans, and wore stretchy yoga pants to school, and always wore her hair in a pony tail even though it did not flatter her face.
she had horrible acne, and she was me.
i remember being at a distant relative's party one time: "that's her daughter. the fat one."
even my own aunts that i knew did not mean it, said it to me: "____, you gained weight!"
my parents cared more about my acne-ridden face than me: "wow, ____, look at your forehead!" "you grew a new crop!"
my mother would spend hours fussing over my acne, caring more than i did about it.
now, i'm crippling shy in school. i've always been called "quiet" by teachers. my parents ask me why i don't talk.
but ever since i got into high school, i've been surrounded by lots of out-goingfriends classmates. i don't call them friends b/c i don't have a close connection. to any of them. if i did not talk to them about school, there would be nothing else in to talk about. it's them that helped me come out of my shell. just a little bit. i'm still very much a wallflower; a mouse. part-time nerd, full-time geek.
flash back to me, post-acne:
my cousin in 6th grade asks me every. single. time she sees me: "____, how did you do it?"
"do what? loose weight?"
"yeah."
"kate. stop obsessing. you're not even pass puberty yet! i honestly don't know. i had a growth spurt, and i just did. i stopped with the excuses i kept feeding myself about why i didn't exercise.
i stopped eating out of boredom. i noticed i would eat whenever just because. because there was nothing to do, because i knew the food was good, but you know what? the food is always good. that doesn't mean that i have to eat it. i'm not gonna miss out."
[my parents own a restaurant, and ever since i was a little girl, i would ask for food, and i would get it. i was surrounded by food, and i didn't know how to curb my eating. i ate when i was full, i ate when i was bored, i ate when i wasn't hungry...i ate just because i knew that the food my dad made looked good]
her mother would call her fat. she would say that she needed to loose a few pounds. she would ALWAYS criticize her hair.
i know that she doesn't mean any harm, but i know that it hurts.
it hurts when your own mother calls you fat.
it hurts when your mother tells all her friends that her daughter is fat. "yeah, look at our kate. she's like your son and needs to loose weight too!"
i'm sure you've been on the beach before, hon.
you've seen those obese women on the beach. the ones you ignore because they don't belong there. so you avert your eyes.
but u know what?
they don't give a f*ck what you think about them.
they don't give a d*mn what their stupid little scale reads, they don't count every single french fry they eat, and they couldn't be happier.
while you're stuck here. counting every, single, miserable calorie in that non-existent salad you just forced yourself to eat.
which you will burn off running like a lunatic on the treadmill AFTER you've calculated in your little shallow brain how long it will take to burn off running at 15 mph.
BE THAT GIRL ON THE BEACH!!
don't mistake me. i'm not encouraging you to run down to your nearest mcdonald's and scarf down two big macs plus a large soda.
honey, listen to a teenage girl that's been through it all. i've been overweight, had acne (which is now under control), and now am currently in the process of getting braces. in sophomore year of high school. meaning they will NOT be off by senior year.
but i'm fine w. that b/c i'm confident w. who i am.
let's talk about YOU.
you need 2 stop obsessing. the pimple did not ruin your chances w. the football team's captain. it did not ruin your perfect date. your extra flab did not keep you off the beach. it did not keep you from fitting into the perfect prom dress.
you did.
you said freaked out, like you do every single morning, and said to yourself, "oh god. look at my acne. look at my face! i gained weight! he would never ask me out!"
you can keep on staring at the mirror, asking yourself, "why am i so ugly?"
you can keep looking at the numbers on the scale, but they won't budge. maybe it's broken. why don't you try a few more times? go ask to borrow your neighbor's scale maybe?
by the time you've lost the two pounds, you'll want to loose two more, and two more until you're nothing but a sad little toothpick with only ONE goal in life: to loose two more pounds. those numbers don't bite, and they don't ruin dates either. surprise surprise!
cause you know what? those stupid little numbers on the scale are so friggin important! they ruin your entire life!
so go! hide in a closet. and don't come out. don't come out until you've lost every single pound.
until you pass puberty.
until that face fixes itself.
all you care about is that stupid little face.
and those numbers on the puny little tag that goes on your shirt.
the truth is, your world only consists of a little bubble filled with a scale, a mirror, and a plastic surgeon.
let me remind you hon, of reality.
WHAT GETS YOU THROUGH LIFE IS YOUR ATTITUDE. IT's not your face. it's not your bust. not those stupid little numbers on the scale that hold so much power over your life.
when you loose your job, when you go through a break up, when a loved one passes away, your acne-free face does make it hurt less. your size zero waist does not comfort you. your DD breasts will not get you a man that loves you for who you really are.
YOU CAN DO ALL THE PLASTIC SURGERY YOU WANT. go ahead and be the botoxed grandma at 67.
for all i care, you're doing the economy good, and keep plastic surgeons in business.
new york.
i have a distant aunt (that's two) in n.y. her name is kae.
my grandmother visited her, and she asked her, "kae, why do you drink less milk now?"
she replied, "because milk makes me fat. my tummy is too fat."
my grandma thought it was cute. my mom thought it was cute. i thought it was horrid. being a two year old little girl, being told you're fat. she has 3 older sisters, who are all teens now. they exposed her way to early. beauty is cruel. but so is reality. when it hits you upside the head.
when you all of a sudden realize that size 6 is too big. that your face needs fixing. when you realize that you don't "belong" in a swim suit.
you shouldn't be told when you're a little girl not even in kindergarten yet that you are too fat. that you need to stop eating.
this is the way the future will be.
little girls barely out of their cribs, told they are too fat.
too fat to be pretty.
too ugly to ever have a boyfriend.
i'm seeing a good future for all those cosmetic sergeons out there.
i'm seeing a race of puny humans that are more shallow than little puddles on the sidewalk. their small little worlds only consists of a mirror, and a scale.
they NEED other people. they NEED to be loved. by others. they NEED to be told they are beautiful. by strangers.
because their OWN OPINIONS ARE NOT IMPORTANT. because what they think about themselves is irrelevant.
but what about a little something called self-esteem?
what about the one thing you can't see in the mirror, looking back at you: your self-image?
once upon a time, there was a little girl that was over-weight in elementary school. she had no fashion sense, refused to wear jeans, and wore stretchy yoga pants to school, and always wore her hair in a pony tail even though it did not flatter her face.
she had horrible acne, and she was me.
i remember being at a distant relative's party one time: "that's her daughter. the fat one."
even my own aunts that i knew did not mean it, said it to me: "____, you gained weight!"
my parents cared more about my acne-ridden face than me: "wow, ____, look at your forehead!" "you grew a new crop!"
my mother would spend hours fussing over my acne, caring more than i did about it.
now, i'm crippling shy in school. i've always been called "quiet" by teachers. my parents ask me why i don't talk.
but ever since i got into high school, i've been surrounded by lots of out-going
flash back to me, post-acne:
my cousin in 6th grade asks me every. single. time she sees me: "____, how did you do it?"
"do what? loose weight?"
"yeah."
"kate. stop obsessing. you're not even pass puberty yet! i honestly don't know. i had a growth spurt, and i just did. i stopped with the excuses i kept feeding myself about why i didn't exercise.
i stopped eating out of boredom. i noticed i would eat whenever just because. because there was nothing to do, because i knew the food was good, but you know what? the food is always good. that doesn't mean that i have to eat it. i'm not gonna miss out."
[my parents own a restaurant, and ever since i was a little girl, i would ask for food, and i would get it. i was surrounded by food, and i didn't know how to curb my eating. i ate when i was full, i ate when i was bored, i ate when i wasn't hungry...i ate just because i knew that the food my dad made looked good]
her mother would call her fat. she would say that she needed to loose a few pounds. she would ALWAYS criticize her hair.
i know that she doesn't mean any harm, but i know that it hurts.
it hurts when your own mother calls you fat.
it hurts when your mother tells all her friends that her daughter is fat. "yeah, look at our kate. she's like your son and needs to loose weight too!"
life: frustration
ok.
so recently, w. my root canal, i had to watch what i was eating: i can't have lots of things like pizza, corn, or ribs b/c i can' use my front teeth to eat.
but that's sorta not really true since i can cut it up to eat. i just have to eat spare ribs + pizza w. a fork and knife.
fun.
but yea. so i've lost 24 lbs. so far. from 128--114. i mean, i would/should be happy, but i'm not b/c i know that i didn't do anything to justify this weight loss, therefore it's unhealthy.
but i don't know what i'm doing wrong!
i mean school's out. i shouldn't have stress. but i sorta do b/c i've been looking 4 a job, applying to seven thousand different places. seeing hours i can do, making a resume, transportation, ect.
but i still haven't herd back from any of them yet, and it's been about a week by now.
but it's also not really a stress since i don't really need the extra money--i mean, it would be nice u know. buy a nice set of speakers for my new iPod nano. new earbuds. but i don't need it. so it's not really stressful; i just had my hopes up--it was my first time actually seriously considering a summer job, and i was naive. i mean, in this economy? with my non-existant work history, my age, my hours? i mean, i'm only asking for minimum wage, but still. i'm only available on the slowest days, unable to work the entire business day, no work history, poor references....
but yea.
and then i broke out for no reason. huh.
but i recently went back 2 the dentist, and he originally said i had 2 keep the brace on 4 six months, but now, i can take it off next month, meaning i've only had it on for 2 months. but hey--the sooner, the better. at this rate, it's guaranteed that i will not get my braces off by senior year.
but i just brush it off. i mean, i know several people who did their braces in their 40s, and are very happy w. it.
the thing that i'm sorta scared of is that i can't do braces after this b/c my tooth would have attached completely with my skull, making it impossible to correct my overbite with braces. that happens when you do a root canal. originally, your teeth aren't attached to your skull, enabling braces to move them; but when you break off the root, or do a root canal, there's a chance the tooth will grow back, and completely attach to the skull.
so recently, w. my root canal, i had to watch what i was eating: i can't have lots of things like pizza, corn, or ribs b/c i can' use my front teeth to eat.
but that's sorta not really true since i can cut it up to eat. i just have to eat spare ribs + pizza w. a fork and knife.
fun.
but yea. so i've lost 24 lbs. so far. from 128--114. i mean, i would/should be happy, but i'm not b/c i know that i didn't do anything to justify this weight loss, therefore it's unhealthy.
but i don't know what i'm doing wrong!
i mean school's out. i shouldn't have stress. but i sorta do b/c i've been looking 4 a job, applying to seven thousand different places. seeing hours i can do, making a resume, transportation, ect.
but i still haven't herd back from any of them yet, and it's been about a week by now.
but it's also not really a stress since i don't really need the extra money--i mean, it would be nice u know. buy a nice set of speakers for my new iPod nano. new earbuds. but i don't need it. so it's not really stressful; i just had my hopes up--it was my first time actually seriously considering a summer job, and i was naive. i mean, in this economy? with my non-existant work history, my age, my hours? i mean, i'm only asking for minimum wage, but still. i'm only available on the slowest days, unable to work the entire business day, no work history, poor references....
but yea.
and then i broke out for no reason. huh.
but i recently went back 2 the dentist, and he originally said i had 2 keep the brace on 4 six months, but now, i can take it off next month, meaning i've only had it on for 2 months. but hey--the sooner, the better. at this rate, it's guaranteed that i will not get my braces off by senior year.
but i just brush it off. i mean, i know several people who did their braces in their 40s, and are very happy w. it.
the thing that i'm sorta scared of is that i can't do braces after this b/c my tooth would have attached completely with my skull, making it impossible to correct my overbite with braces. that happens when you do a root canal. originally, your teeth aren't attached to your skull, enabling braces to move them; but when you break off the root, or do a root canal, there's a chance the tooth will grow back, and completely attach to the skull.
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