To me there is nothing worse, nothing more tragic, nothing more disappointing than not being able to eat the food I love. Exaggeration....maybe? But even so, the life of a dieter is not an easy one and I've given into temptation several times. And then my diet is ruined, my plans for a healthier self are thrown in the trash and after a few months of gorging my favorite snacks, candies, fast foods, I decide to start from square one.
This time, however, I tried to devise a plan that would work for me and help transform my lifestyle, not just my physical appearance. I've been slowly (very slowly) expelling bad foods from my diet and after this weekend, plan on eradicating them altogether. My plan consists of these few things:
1) Cooking meals on the weekend to eat during the week
2) Research healthy recipes
3) Eating only veggies and fruits as snacks between meals
4) Eating consistently every day
The first "doctrine" of my plan is self explanatory. I used to do this on my previous diets and cooking large meals once a week and then eating them each day works for me. The second is quite easy as well, since I have a few websites I turn to for recipes with nutritional values and serving sizes documented. A few places I recommend are Pinterest (because it's practically a photo-site encyclopedia), Skinnytaste.com (which I may have mentioned prior) and Ziplist (which is linked to Skinnytaste). Skinnytaste recipes can be downloaded and then viewed on the Ziplist app, so you can save the recipes which interest you and look them up later on when you plan on making them. Also, Ziplist is great because plenty of other recipe sites use the app as well. You can browse through categories of recipes on Ziplist and save them to your personalized page. It will then show you what you need to buy at the grocery store for each recipe.
My snacks vary throughout the day and often I'm just shoving a protein bar down my throat or stuffing my face with low calorie chips, crackers, etc. First of all, I want to lessen my carb intake and believe that cutting out super carb snacks would do it. Second, I rarely eat veggies or fruits with my meals, so in order to get that nutrition, in a naturally low calorie food, it's great to cut up some peppers and eat them for a snack before lunch instead of 10 Ritz crackers and two cheese sticks (because I'm never satisfied with just crackers). And last, but not least, eating consistently everyday is a true struggle for me. Almost always I eat breakfast around the same time in the morning, but after that, who even knows! There are times when I don't eat until 3pm or 4pm. There are other times when I eat breakfast at 8:30am, then a snack at 10am then another snack at 11:30am, then lunch at 1pm, then another snack at 3pm and then dinner. Eating too often and eating barely anything are two extremes that I jump back and forth between unintentionally. I believe if I remain consistent and eat my snacks, lunch and dinner around the same time each day, my metabolism and body would very much appreciate it.
So, wish me luck! My advice to anyone trying to diet is that you should set yourself parameters, be strict about them and if you put in the effort, you will most definitely see a difference!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Literary Conference
Hey All!
So this weekend I attended Slice Literary Conference in Brooklyn. To be honest, it was one of my first literary conferences. I attended plenty of writing workshops, but never a conference which held panel discussions with agents, editors and authors. It was a great experience and I learned MUCH about the publishing world. Here are the top three pieces of advice the professionals gave us:
1) Be involved in social media: Whether it's a blog (such as this), a Facebook page, a Twitter account, a Tumblr, etc., it's important to have an active Internet presence. In this way a writer can build a readership or at least a following prior to publishing their novel.
2) Envision your own goal or idea of success: There was a specific panel about what "success" means to writers, but I found that this message was brought up throughout the entire conference. Success is truly subjective and it always helps that writers set goals for themselves and do all they can to accomplish them. Don't look to the agent or the editor to make your dream happen. Instead, view them as helpful appendages and continue striving for your vision of success. For instance, my dream would be to complete and publish the novel I am currently working on. In order to do this I will need the assistance from professionals, but I won't strictly depend on them to tell me how I need to be successful and I let anyone force changes to (meaning HUGE transformations, not edits) my work or my goals.
3) Be willing to adapt: In each panel, everyone discussed the editing process. Some beginning writers fail to realize that the editing process prior to publication is in fact quite constant. If you have an agent, they will more than likely send you edits before approaching editors. In turn, once an editor picks up your novel for publication they will also send edits. This could be anything from further character development to complete overhauls of structure. Writers must accept that these edits are in the interest of them as well as the books they care so much about. Not everything must or should be changed, but to be open minded about suggestions and changes is very important when getting ready to publish a novel or book of any kind.
Here are a few pictures of what the attendees were given by Slice:
If you're a writer of any kind I definitely suggest finding groups, conferences, workshops to attend that will allow you to meet people, gain knowledge and hone your work. Every time I attend workshops or conferences my writing improves and my drive to be a legitimate author increases.
So this weekend I attended Slice Literary Conference in Brooklyn. To be honest, it was one of my first literary conferences. I attended plenty of writing workshops, but never a conference which held panel discussions with agents, editors and authors. It was a great experience and I learned MUCH about the publishing world. Here are the top three pieces of advice the professionals gave us:
1) Be involved in social media: Whether it's a blog (such as this), a Facebook page, a Twitter account, a Tumblr, etc., it's important to have an active Internet presence. In this way a writer can build a readership or at least a following prior to publishing their novel.
2) Envision your own goal or idea of success: There was a specific panel about what "success" means to writers, but I found that this message was brought up throughout the entire conference. Success is truly subjective and it always helps that writers set goals for themselves and do all they can to accomplish them. Don't look to the agent or the editor to make your dream happen. Instead, view them as helpful appendages and continue striving for your vision of success. For instance, my dream would be to complete and publish the novel I am currently working on. In order to do this I will need the assistance from professionals, but I won't strictly depend on them to tell me how I need to be successful and I let anyone force changes to (meaning HUGE transformations, not edits) my work or my goals.
3) Be willing to adapt: In each panel, everyone discussed the editing process. Some beginning writers fail to realize that the editing process prior to publication is in fact quite constant. If you have an agent, they will more than likely send you edits before approaching editors. In turn, once an editor picks up your novel for publication they will also send edits. This could be anything from further character development to complete overhauls of structure. Writers must accept that these edits are in the interest of them as well as the books they care so much about. Not everything must or should be changed, but to be open minded about suggestions and changes is very important when getting ready to publish a novel or book of any kind.
Here are a few pictures of what the attendees were given by Slice:
The first day attendees were given this great canvas bag.
Inside was a hard cover copy of Patricia Engel's new novel, which I am very excited to read! I never thought that I would be given a free brand new novel just because I attended a literary conference. I attended a two week long summer intensive workshop at NYU and the coordinators had us buy the books of the authors to be instructing us (even after paying the thousands of dollars to attend)!
Along with the novel, Slice gave us a free copy of their literary journal as well as a copy of Poets & Writers magazine. I am quite excited to read Slice's issue, since I'm sure it contains many talented writers. I am familiar with Poets & Writers, having subscribed before, so it will be nice to delve into their articles about authors and updates about the publishing industry.
If you're a writer of any kind I definitely suggest finding groups, conferences, workshops to attend that will allow you to meet people, gain knowledge and hone your work. Every time I attend workshops or conferences my writing improves and my drive to be a legitimate author increases.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Sunday Fun
The summer for me has been intolerable with the heat that New York has been slammed by. For the past two months I've been running to the nearest air conditioned building, blasting the A/C in my car and literally sweating bullets every time I sat in the heat for more than five minutes. Previously, I loved the heat, my body could handle it and the warmness soothed my skin. I think the change in my temperment had to do with the Accutane medication I am currently taking. But, enough about that! With the weather cooling down a bit (to about 80 degrees instead of 95!) I've been taking full advantage.
Today I enjoyed my usual morning workout on a bridge near where I live.
Then, I decided to lay out a blanket on my lawn, relax and read.
I pray the Jeanette Winterson continues writing for another twenty years, because she is above all the most skilled and entertaining writer I have ever read. The Battle of the Sun, although a bit different than what I'm used to reading from her is just as epic!
A truly gorgeous day!
Happy Sunday!!
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Reality T.V......Really Now?
I've had this argument with many people now and although I never seem to win, I can't help but blab my opinions all over the Internet. With this being said, I hate reality television. Hate; being the strongest word to describe my passionate stance on the subject.
I'm only twenty-three, but in a time of rapidly changing technology, commercialism, marketing and television transitions, I feel pretty old. I and I'm sure anyone else my age or older remember the old Nickelodeon, the old Disney Channel, the old MTV for crying out loud. We recall the entertainment, the music, the music videos of all different genres that splashed across our television screens. There were sitcoms and cartoons oh and don't forget when TLC actually used to stand for "The (legitimate) Learning Channel" and when the Discovery Channel provided more than just the typical adventure "Man vs. Nature," shows.
The first reality shows I ever remember watching were "The Real World" and "Survivor." I remember watching Cora and Mike from "Real World New York" argue about race and gender in their shared kitchen. I remember sitting beside my father every Thursday night watching "Survivor" and debating over who would be kicked off that evening. I'm sure I watched more than that here and there, like the celebrity diaries show MTV provided with the famous quote, "You think you know me, but you have no idea." They were scattered throughout television and in their debut, we were all captivated. "These were real people, living their lives. I could connect with them without even knowing them," I thought, "Or, these people are REALLY doing these crazy things, and it's REALLY REAL."
Well, weren't we all deceived?
I remember the day "TRL" ("Total Request Live") aired its last episode on MTV. It was after school, I sat in my living room and something of an epiphany overwhelmed me, "This is the last music related show on MTV." It was nonsense and a stupid decision. Kids watched, teens watched. It exposed us to new music, to good music, to the music videos we all hungrily craved. And just like that a big corporation comes through and cancels it, in order to do what, create a station with more trash reality shows than any other (maybe TLC beats this)??
Don't get me wrong, I watched a few seasons of "16& Pregnant" and "Teen Moms." At first, it was interesting and in a way informative. But then, season after season, it became less about the pregnancy and more about the drama between the baby momma and the baby daddy. Is that really all you can provide us, drama drama drama? That, ladies and gents, is one big reason why I have grown to HATE reality shows: the exacerbated hostility. They have watchers choosing sides and have people entertained with mind numbing bull crap (literally). For instance, the "Real Wives of Orange County," or of "New York," or of "Atlanta" or of "New Jersey." It's all fighting between catty women that aren't house wives, but rich snobs that are greedily grabbing a few more dollars and some television fame. Disgusting.
And what about "Honey Boo Boo," "Bridezillas," "Say Yes to the Dress," "Jersey Shore," "The Bachelor/ Bachelorette," etc. etc. etc. First of all, they all portray values that in the ACTUAL real world, most of us would pretty much find rude, offensive and down right nasty. But yet again, people watch because the drama is just sooo entertaining, but I'm pretty sure watching dumb doesn't do well for the watcher's brain cells.
Secondly, my biggest beef with Reality T.V. is that....duhn duhn duhn...It isn't REAL. Most of the time it is what could be called, "scripted reality." Sure real people with "similar" situations are taken, but their placed in a fictional setting which producers and directors over see. The moment I found out that "Survivor" had reenacted one of its scenes because the camera men missed the shot, I stopped watching the show. Also, last year when it was leaked and the hurriedly spread that "House Hunters" was not real and in most cases fictional, I stopped watching that as well. It may seem petty, but I am a stickler for truth. The one aspect lacking in Reality T.V. is truth. These shows are produced and directed in order to get an audience and nine out of ten times, reality just isn't as exciting as they need it to be. I mean really, crab fishing and Alaskan truckers?? Only pure imagination could create more than a handful of entertaining episodes from those topics....And so, it blatantly enrages me that these shows claim to be "reality," when indeed they are nothing more than handful of people who aren't necessarily "actors" playing themselves in different (mostly scripted) situations for us to watch. It's not real and it's not quality and it most definitely is not truth.
I guess I'll finish with this: My mother and I have had this discussion a few times and each time she throws her hands up in the air and says, "I like it because I don't have to think while watching it." And every time I shake my head and sigh. Because that's really it. We don't need to think about our lives or our worries or our "to do" lists when watching other people play out their dramatic, albeit fictional (or vaguely fictional, however you like to see it), life predicaments. That's the problem: there are too many of us not thinking, too many of us choosing not to think, too many of us hidden behind "Gypsy Weddings," "The Apprentice," "Sister Wives," "Toddlers and Tiaras," and "The Kardashians," to care one bit.
This may read disjointed, so I apologize. Rant over.
I'm only twenty-three, but in a time of rapidly changing technology, commercialism, marketing and television transitions, I feel pretty old. I and I'm sure anyone else my age or older remember the old Nickelodeon, the old Disney Channel, the old MTV for crying out loud. We recall the entertainment, the music, the music videos of all different genres that splashed across our television screens. There were sitcoms and cartoons oh and don't forget when TLC actually used to stand for "The (legitimate) Learning Channel" and when the Discovery Channel provided more than just the typical adventure "Man vs. Nature," shows.
The first reality shows I ever remember watching were "The Real World" and "Survivor." I remember watching Cora and Mike from "Real World New York" argue about race and gender in their shared kitchen. I remember sitting beside my father every Thursday night watching "Survivor" and debating over who would be kicked off that evening. I'm sure I watched more than that here and there, like the celebrity diaries show MTV provided with the famous quote, "You think you know me, but you have no idea." They were scattered throughout television and in their debut, we were all captivated. "These were real people, living their lives. I could connect with them without even knowing them," I thought, "Or, these people are REALLY doing these crazy things, and it's REALLY REAL."
Well, weren't we all deceived?
I remember the day "TRL" ("Total Request Live") aired its last episode on MTV. It was after school, I sat in my living room and something of an epiphany overwhelmed me, "This is the last music related show on MTV." It was nonsense and a stupid decision. Kids watched, teens watched. It exposed us to new music, to good music, to the music videos we all hungrily craved. And just like that a big corporation comes through and cancels it, in order to do what, create a station with more trash reality shows than any other (maybe TLC beats this)??
Don't get me wrong, I watched a few seasons of "16& Pregnant" and "Teen Moms." At first, it was interesting and in a way informative. But then, season after season, it became less about the pregnancy and more about the drama between the baby momma and the baby daddy. Is that really all you can provide us, drama drama drama? That, ladies and gents, is one big reason why I have grown to HATE reality shows: the exacerbated hostility. They have watchers choosing sides and have people entertained with mind numbing bull crap (literally). For instance, the "Real Wives of Orange County," or of "New York," or of "Atlanta" or of "New Jersey." It's all fighting between catty women that aren't house wives, but rich snobs that are greedily grabbing a few more dollars and some television fame. Disgusting.
And what about "Honey Boo Boo," "Bridezillas," "Say Yes to the Dress," "Jersey Shore," "The Bachelor/ Bachelorette," etc. etc. etc. First of all, they all portray values that in the ACTUAL real world, most of us would pretty much find rude, offensive and down right nasty. But yet again, people watch because the drama is just sooo entertaining, but I'm pretty sure watching dumb doesn't do well for the watcher's brain cells.
Secondly, my biggest beef with Reality T.V. is that....duhn duhn duhn...It isn't REAL. Most of the time it is what could be called, "scripted reality." Sure real people with "similar" situations are taken, but their placed in a fictional setting which producers and directors over see. The moment I found out that "Survivor" had reenacted one of its scenes because the camera men missed the shot, I stopped watching the show. Also, last year when it was leaked and the hurriedly spread that "House Hunters" was not real and in most cases fictional, I stopped watching that as well. It may seem petty, but I am a stickler for truth. The one aspect lacking in Reality T.V. is truth. These shows are produced and directed in order to get an audience and nine out of ten times, reality just isn't as exciting as they need it to be. I mean really, crab fishing and Alaskan truckers?? Only pure imagination could create more than a handful of entertaining episodes from those topics....And so, it blatantly enrages me that these shows claim to be "reality," when indeed they are nothing more than handful of people who aren't necessarily "actors" playing themselves in different (mostly scripted) situations for us to watch. It's not real and it's not quality and it most definitely is not truth.
I guess I'll finish with this: My mother and I have had this discussion a few times and each time she throws her hands up in the air and says, "I like it because I don't have to think while watching it." And every time I shake my head and sigh. Because that's really it. We don't need to think about our lives or our worries or our "to do" lists when watching other people play out their dramatic, albeit fictional (or vaguely fictional, however you like to see it), life predicaments. That's the problem: there are too many of us not thinking, too many of us choosing not to think, too many of us hidden behind "Gypsy Weddings," "The Apprentice," "Sister Wives," "Toddlers and Tiaras," and "The Kardashians," to care one bit.
This may read disjointed, so I apologize. Rant over.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Here is an excerpt from my first chapter of my novel-in-progress...The Biography of a Real Man. I hate posting my work on the internet, but in order to give some sort of attention to my writing, I guess it's a must. I hope you enjoy!! Tell me what you think please!
The wind lashed icy pebbles against my cheeks and lips as I stood on the broken, hole ridden porch. I shivered beneath my faux leather jacket, under prepared for the bitter morning chill. The house was surrounded by large trees. Overbearing pines hung above the roof, knocking their branches against loose shingles. Others, the barren ash, oak and maple trees scattered the yard as thin icicles hung from their cold, stiff and outstretched limbs. Narrow streams of light rose through the dense surrounding forest. To the west of the house and down a steep hill, the Stillaguamish River meandered toward Skagit Bay. After hundreds of miles and many changes of the tide that dark blue water would cross the Canadian border and disappear into the Pacific Ocean.
For years, on summer evenings, before the sun had set, my grandfather and I would sit by the river heating marshmallows in our handmade fire pit and talking until the sky blackened. We carried lawn chairs down the hill and arranged them on a tiny stretch of pebbles, sand and dirt that the water splashed against when the tide was high. He told me stories about the history of the land, our family and made up his own fantasies about the constellations. He spoke of the Pacific Ocean and the ancient Indian tribes that for centuries ruled these lands. When I was a child, I saw the excitement in his eyes, the glossy shimmer, as he acted out scenes and I chewed on burnt marshmallows. But as I grew older, into my teens and a young adult, I noticed the somberness in his voice, his chuckle of regret as he finished a tale, how his eyes concentrated on the river’s westward movement toward the ocean he never saw. Maybe he wished he lived during that earlier age as a tribesman free to roam the wilderness instead of growing up in Seattle confined to the expectations of an Irish Catholic man.
He told me once, “Avery, never move to the city. There’s just too much hassle for the heart to bear.” I never understood his meaning, but I knew that was why, after marrying, he moved to Stanwood with my grandmother and built this home. The small town, seclusion and privacy suited him. My grandfather enjoyed the freedom of rural life and found it easier to be alone than among the urban chaos and concrete. My grandmother in all ways opposed him, especially when it came to living in Stanwood. From the day my mother, my brother, Paul, and I moved in, her complaints about living in “the woods” were daily reminders of her misery. “The birds sing too damn loud,” she would say while pouring her morning coffee. “I can’t stand the scent of the buds outside. It’s like a funeral home!” I was sorry that any peace my grandfather had from this home was interrupted by her persistent depression. I never fathomed how he convinced her to move to begin with.
Frost stuck to the aged plywood under my feet. A layer of snow covered the porch’s surface and I tripped over the wood’s concealed splinters and cracks. The past seven days I imagined a much different scenario than what I was confronted with. I had not expected the home’s ruinous transformation, the sad dilapidation of its former self. The windows, covered with heavy drapes, hid its cavernous insides from view.
The wind lashed icy pebbles against my cheeks and lips as I stood on the broken, hole ridden porch. I shivered beneath my faux leather jacket, under prepared for the bitter morning chill. The house was surrounded by large trees. Overbearing pines hung above the roof, knocking their branches against loose shingles. Others, the barren ash, oak and maple trees scattered the yard as thin icicles hung from their cold, stiff and outstretched limbs. Narrow streams of light rose through the dense surrounding forest. To the west of the house and down a steep hill, the Stillaguamish River meandered toward Skagit Bay. After hundreds of miles and many changes of the tide that dark blue water would cross the Canadian border and disappear into the Pacific Ocean.
For years, on summer evenings, before the sun had set, my grandfather and I would sit by the river heating marshmallows in our handmade fire pit and talking until the sky blackened. We carried lawn chairs down the hill and arranged them on a tiny stretch of pebbles, sand and dirt that the water splashed against when the tide was high. He told me stories about the history of the land, our family and made up his own fantasies about the constellations. He spoke of the Pacific Ocean and the ancient Indian tribes that for centuries ruled these lands. When I was a child, I saw the excitement in his eyes, the glossy shimmer, as he acted out scenes and I chewed on burnt marshmallows. But as I grew older, into my teens and a young adult, I noticed the somberness in his voice, his chuckle of regret as he finished a tale, how his eyes concentrated on the river’s westward movement toward the ocean he never saw. Maybe he wished he lived during that earlier age as a tribesman free to roam the wilderness instead of growing up in Seattle confined to the expectations of an Irish Catholic man.
He told me once, “Avery, never move to the city. There’s just too much hassle for the heart to bear.” I never understood his meaning, but I knew that was why, after marrying, he moved to Stanwood with my grandmother and built this home. The small town, seclusion and privacy suited him. My grandfather enjoyed the freedom of rural life and found it easier to be alone than among the urban chaos and concrete. My grandmother in all ways opposed him, especially when it came to living in Stanwood. From the day my mother, my brother, Paul, and I moved in, her complaints about living in “the woods” were daily reminders of her misery. “The birds sing too damn loud,” she would say while pouring her morning coffee. “I can’t stand the scent of the buds outside. It’s like a funeral home!” I was sorry that any peace my grandfather had from this home was interrupted by her persistent depression. I never fathomed how he convinced her to move to begin with.
Frost stuck to the aged plywood under my feet. A layer of snow covered the porch’s surface and I tripped over the wood’s concealed splinters and cracks. The past seven days I imagined a much different scenario than what I was confronted with. I had not expected the home’s ruinous transformation, the sad dilapidation of its former self. The windows, covered with heavy drapes, hid its cavernous insides from view.
Fall Shows!
August ends next weekend and in just a few weeks all of our favorite shows will once again be on air. Here are the top 5 shows that I'm looking forward to most this fall!
1: ONCE UPON A TIME
If you enjoy fantasy, fairy tales, plot twists and exciting drama, this show is for you! I've watched it since season one and I have to say it has really impressed me. Introducing viewers to such a unique and original world slowed down season one a bit, but I loved everything about season two. The drama is all encompassing and flies way past typical fairy tales. I believe this show will be a success for years to come. Plus, it's pretty amazing that the actors who play Snow White and Prince Charming are an actual couple in real life! Season three premieres on Sunday September 29 on ABC at 8pm!!
2: GREYS ANATOMY
One of my all time favorite shows that I've been addicted to for over a year now. Last summer I literally watched all of the seasons available on Netflix and then searched the internet for the previous season. I never missed an episode last fall. The drama is juicy, the acting is great, and of course, who doesn't like seeing some hot doctors having fun in the on call rooms? Just having heard that Sandra Oh will be leaving the cast after the completion of this season is devastating. She was by far my favorite character. I wonder what could happen to the show if the rest of the original cast follows suit? Greys Anatomy will premiere on September 26 on ABC at 9pm!
3: THE MINDY PROJECT
I don't care what anyone says...or the reviews of the show...or the statistics. I am going off the rails and making a purely judgmental and biased statement by saying this is one of the best comedies I've seen on television. The writing is witty, original and does share a bit of the spunk from "The Office." I read Mindy's autobiography: Is Everyone Hanging out with me? That really got me pumped for Mindy's show. What I love about her, is that she's intelligent and beautiful, but never giving in to Hollywood standards. The characters are not cookie cutter versions, taped together from other shows. These are great stories and the show literally makes me laugh out loud. Plus, the show hasn't cemented itself into one story line. For a comedy, there is constant change in the storyline and the fast pace keeps the hilarity alive. The Mindy Project will premiere on September 17 on Fox at 9:30pm!
4: BONES
Last summer it was Greys Anatomy, this summer it was Bones. I'm not sure how I never watched this show previously. It is funny, personal and yet very different from the typical medical/crime fighting dramas scattered across television channels. The characters' personal lives greatly influence the show, which I think is great. The show applauds the intellect of a human being and is actually as scientifically accurate as possible, even though it's just a show serving entertainment purposes. There is drama and there is, obviously, death and violence; but what I find interesting is that the drama isn't overplayed. For example, the season finale (spoiler) ends with Booth revoking his "acceptance" to Bones' marriage proposal (for good reason though). Of course, this is devastating. However, unlike other television dramas, it does not end in death, or mortal accidents, or traveling to another world. It ends with a human dilemma, which we can all be sympathetic too. Bones airs on September 16 on Fox at 8pm!
5: ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND
When I found out that there would be a spin off show of Once Upon a Time, I was thrilled and hesitant. I've never been a fan of spin offs, usually because they are never fully capture the zeal and quality of the original. However, when I saw the trailer to this show, I wanted to see the first episode immediately. Just as in the original, the writers have figured ways to mesh the "real world" with fantasy and in the trailer, it made perfect sense. I have no doubts this show will be a winner and am excited for its upcoming debut! Once Upon a Time in Wonderland airs its first show on October 10 on ABC at 8pm!
Here's the link to the trailer: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland Trailer
Monday, August 19, 2013
A Little Vulnerability from the West
It has been a few weeks since I've posted, being a lazy bum yet again! And although I have plenty ideas for postings, I feel this one, so prevalent in my life at the moment, should precede the rest. I am not usually vulnerable, especially on the internet, and there are very very few people who do know my deepest feelings and thoughts. This is hard for me, as for possibly many others to speak about but, let me begin:
These past few months have been some of the most difficult for me emotionally. As of yet, I do not have a "real job" and therefore, during the week, the few hours I do work doesn't necessarily occupy my time. On and off I delve into my novel-in-progress, but then remove myself (again because of the laziness) and find much of my days empty and even lonesome. I have jumped into exercising, having it occupy a few hours of my mornings, I read plenty and do other things from time to time. But, this feeling, unshakeable and persistent, continues and musters itself at my weakest moments. I know the reason of course: I am alone. For much of my life, being an only child, I was alone often. But recently, the feeling has become overpowering and hard to bear. Don't get me wrong, I smile every day, go places, do things and make sure that this shadowy haunting feeling does not consume me while laying in bed in a catatonic woeful state.
Without becoming melodramatic, let me explain my point. There are many people similar to me, seeking companionship in either friends, romantic lovers, coworkers, family, even strangers. In the NY Times the other day, I skimmed an article about people in today's era becoming too narcissistic. I thought to myself, "Why is this an article? Obviously people are more self-interested now." I've thought about this a lot for the past few years and believe that in Western Culture and specifically in the United States, people are more concerned with their own problems rather than anyone else's. These concerns fly past financial crises, medical conditions, severe living conditions, etc. and land straight into the pile of self-esteem issues, therapist visits and "my life is so awful" statements with heads plunged into tear stained pillows. Believe me, I am guilty of the tear stained pillow, but no one can deny that there are plenty more people feeling the need to "vent" about their parents refusal to send them to a certain school, their inability to get a BMW at age sixteen, their unachievable ideal weight. I want to make clear that I'm not talking about medical, legitimate depression, but a much less, more selfish, pitiful version (and I can say this because I am one of those people).
In our own misery, we rarely recall those starving across the planet, the lack of freedom in countries, government injustices, wrongly convicted people, those with terminal diseases, miscarriages, rapes, torture, and so much more. Then, when I look in the mirror, I am ashamed of myself. How can I feel so low about my life when there are people in the world suffering more than I could ever possibly understand? How can I shed tears for myself without shedding them for those more deserving? I am privileged for all that I have, as well as many other people, yet we constantly find aspects of ourselves and our lives "sub-par." I have come to the conclusion that humanity in general will never be satisfied. We will always want more, will always be searching for our "missing puzzle piece" (whatever that may be). I believe that in American culture "more" and "bigger" are the two main words of our vocabulary when it comes personal desires.
This is scattered, I know. But basically my point is that our constant desire to have more leads us with an empty feeling, a sensation that we are not complete because we have not yet attained "the house," "the job," "the weight," "the clothes," "the look," "the breasts," "the muscles," "the romance," "the best friends." We obsess over what we don't have instead of being grateful for all that we do have.
Realizing that I have fallen victim to this disgusting trait, I am ardent about changing. I must. There is no question about it. I think everyone should always work to improve themselves and in my case, this is one of my faults that is necessary for me to overcome in order to grow as a person. If being alone is the worst of my ills, then I should be thankful for the rest of my life and instead pay more attention to helping others in more need.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Summer Reading!
With the beginning of August and the passing of my birthday, it's a heads up that summer is winding down. For the past two months I have been reading like never before. I've read anything from non-fiction to classic Russian literature. Here are just a few of my favorites that I've read this summer. Number one of course is my favorite!
1) Gut Symmetries by Jeanette Winterson: Why read 50 Shades of Grey when Jeanette Winterson exists in this world? Her writing explains the depth of passion, sensuality, sexual desire and the many complicated depictions of love that I don't believe any other author has been able to do before. Simply put, her writing is beautiful and in this novel it is top notch. This fiction book revolves around a "love triangle," a love between a husband and his adulteress and his wife and his adulteress. It is most definitely different, but nothing short of amazing. Anything written by Jeanette Winterson is worthy to be read, but this novel in particular is a gem. Her writing is pure inspiration for me.
2) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: I should have read this novel ages ago and it was a shame I didn't. When I asked my boss, also a Russian history professor, about Russian literature he handed me a fat hard cover; Crime and Punishment was the first novel in this 1,000 page book and so I began with that. Written in the late 1800's, this novel is surprisingly simple to read (possibly because of the translator). It was a bit longer than perhaps it needed to be, but still, it was thought provoking and really did give insight as to the Russian lifestyle of the low and middle class in Russian society at that time. The author also gave plenty for the reader to think about in terms of the philosophy behind guilt, who deserves to be considered criminals and catching a perpetrator.
3) The Himmler Brothers by Katrin Himmler: Do you know anything about WWII, the Nazi party and the Holocaust? Belonging to a Jewish family, that did lose decedents in this genocide, I was practically raised with the knowledge of the Holocaust. When I saw that Katrin Himmler had written a book about her great uncle, Heinrich Himmler and her family, I immediately bought the novel. The translation (since she wrote originally in German) is a bit botched at times, but nonetheless this is a fascinating read. It forces the reader to realize how "normal" of a family such as the Himmlers decades before the war, could have grown into such Nazi promoters. Also, Katrin Himmler wrote about the aftermath of WWII and how many Nazi's, such as her grandmother, had only concerned themselves about their rough road and the detriments of being defeated. They seemed to ignore the fact that they certainly assisted in and loved a man who deliberately found ways to torture and kill six million defenseless human beings.
Below is the author, Katrin Himmler and her great uncle, Heinrich Himmler.
Below is the author, Katrin Himmler and her great uncle, Heinrich Himmler.
4) What is this thing Called Love by Kim Addonizio: This book of poetry that I found not only beautiful in language but also beautiful in detail. My favorite aspect of poetry is the use of imagery and this author definitely took advantage of the tool. Her poems at the very beginning were strong, powerful and yet intricately simple (if there is such a thing). It is a must read, not only for writers, but for anyone. Her writing is easy to understand and her message is direct and heartfelt.
5) Last but not least....Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling: I debated even putting the series on the list, but really, I could not resist. After letting dust collect on the series as they sat atop my book shelf, I finally decided to reread them all. It has been one of the most enjoyable experiences, truthfully. It may sound corny, but it's almost as if I'm reading them for the first time. Although the writing isn't as "grand" as the other books on this list or that I've read this summer, I commend anyone able to create an entire world that gives millions of readers pure excitement. Laugh if you want, but J.K. Rowling has taught me a lot about various useful writing techniques and her writing is much more than a children's fantasy.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Straight Vs. Curled
As mentioned on a previous post, I've been dealing with the hair dilemma all my life. From actually managing my hair to making it look decent, my battle has been an uphill one. But, in the past few years, I've juggled between curly and straight. Since letting my curls go natural, I have absolutely loved their easy to manage look. But, it seems that when I straighten my hair every month or so, EVERYONE loves it. I don't get it. Straight is just...well straight. There's no body, no motion, no sway. And when it gets oily...beware. I look like a wet Goth cat. Plus, straightening my hair takes up to an hour and lasts two weeks tops.
So why bother right? Four reasons. My hair is longer when straightened, and I love having it fall so far down my back. The colors in my hair pop, are more noticeable and the dead ends don't have an orange colored tinge because I need another dye job. I don't have to wash it, which may sound gross, but my hair is so oily, that if I wash my hair more than once a week product builds up on my scalp. Using a shower cap and keeping it dry at all times actually repels any build up. If I tried to keep my hair dry with it curly, I wouldn't even be able to style it in the morning. And last but not least, it's always nice to be able to have a different hairstyle without having to go to the salon every month. I can interchange between two basic hair styles without dropping a dime, and that is pretty nice.
But judge for yourself: Curls or Straightened? I'm sure everyone has a preference, especially when it comes to their own hair!
So why bother right? Four reasons. My hair is longer when straightened, and I love having it fall so far down my back. The colors in my hair pop, are more noticeable and the dead ends don't have an orange colored tinge because I need another dye job. I don't have to wash it, which may sound gross, but my hair is so oily, that if I wash my hair more than once a week product builds up on my scalp. Using a shower cap and keeping it dry at all times actually repels any build up. If I tried to keep my hair dry with it curly, I wouldn't even be able to style it in the morning. And last but not least, it's always nice to be able to have a different hairstyle without having to go to the salon every month. I can interchange between two basic hair styles without dropping a dime, and that is pretty nice.
But judge for yourself: Curls or Straightened? I'm sure everyone has a preference, especially when it comes to their own hair!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Maybe your Professors ARE Smarter than you Think!
Have you ever had a professor, sat through their class for an entire semester, critiqued their teaching style and judged them when it came to...well, almost anything? Because I am that type of person. I judge. And I especially judge my professors, holding them to a higher degree than most, since it is them I am supposed to learn from. Since high school I have done this. I love learning and believe it is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. To me, in order to learn, everyone must have a teacher who knows. I've had my fair share of cruddy teachers who didn't know squat and didn't care about teaching anything but their personal lives. But, because of my previous bad experiences I've judged too harshly, especially with regards to my graduate professors.
Since I am a creative writing major my professors are also concentrated in that area. I have the opportunity to read their published work. For about a year into my graduate program reading my professors' publications never occurred to me before. Then I read one of my poetry professor's book of poetry this past winter break and now I am reading a professor's non-fiction novel.
As I swipe (on my kindle) through the pages of this book, I am disappointed in myself for being so judgemental when it comes to my professors. Emily Raboteau was a fiction workshop professor of mine last fall. Prior to taking her class I was enrolled in fiction workshops with other professors and expected their teaching style. It took me quite a long time to adjust to her way of teaching; not because it was unique or odd, just because I was used to something a bit different. Instead of adapting I grew quiet in her class and chose not to participate as much in order to avoid my discomfort. I judged. And I stewed in my judgement.
Her non-fiction book, Searching for Zion: The Quest for Home in the African Diaspora, is an amazing accomplishment. I am only half way through, so I cannot give a complete review, but Emily is quite brilliant. She shares personal, vulnerable feelings with the world in order to connect with readers and pull them into her story with unique details. I won't spoil it, so in general I'll just state that although she and I aren't and haven't been in too many similar circumstances, I still sense the importance of her cause and share the general sentiments that she writes of. Also, she travels quite a bit and to locations that I don't have the guts to visit. I admire her passion for the truth, for her devotion to herself and her courage throughout. She is inspirational, while maintaining a realistic view of the world. The use of language, simple and yet precise and strong structure has greatly impacted my own writing. By reading this book, I have gained more knowledge about religions and regions in the world that I had known little about prior. I am shamed that I didn't take advantage of her expertise while in her class. I wish I spent more time speaking with her about my own novel, her opinions and her own writings.
So the moral of the story? Don't judge a book by it's cover. So lame, I know. But in this case most definitely true. Teachers have lives outside the classrooms, their creativity extending further than my own talent, and in my naivety I presumed incorrectly. I ordered three other books written by professors in my program and hope to write reviews for each. I can never stop learning and I am grateful that my program and speciality allows me to simply order from a bookstore my professors' novel or book of poetry and have them guide me even when not in class.
Below is a link to Emily's website and to Amazon where you can order her book.
Emily's Website
Buy Her Book on Amazon
Since I am a creative writing major my professors are also concentrated in that area. I have the opportunity to read their published work. For about a year into my graduate program reading my professors' publications never occurred to me before. Then I read one of my poetry professor's book of poetry this past winter break and now I am reading a professor's non-fiction novel.
As I swipe (on my kindle) through the pages of this book, I am disappointed in myself for being so judgemental when it comes to my professors. Emily Raboteau was a fiction workshop professor of mine last fall. Prior to taking her class I was enrolled in fiction workshops with other professors and expected their teaching style. It took me quite a long time to adjust to her way of teaching; not because it was unique or odd, just because I was used to something a bit different. Instead of adapting I grew quiet in her class and chose not to participate as much in order to avoid my discomfort. I judged. And I stewed in my judgement.
Her non-fiction book, Searching for Zion: The Quest for Home in the African Diaspora, is an amazing accomplishment. I am only half way through, so I cannot give a complete review, but Emily is quite brilliant. She shares personal, vulnerable feelings with the world in order to connect with readers and pull them into her story with unique details. I won't spoil it, so in general I'll just state that although she and I aren't and haven't been in too many similar circumstances, I still sense the importance of her cause and share the general sentiments that she writes of. Also, she travels quite a bit and to locations that I don't have the guts to visit. I admire her passion for the truth, for her devotion to herself and her courage throughout. She is inspirational, while maintaining a realistic view of the world. The use of language, simple and yet precise and strong structure has greatly impacted my own writing. By reading this book, I have gained more knowledge about religions and regions in the world that I had known little about prior. I am shamed that I didn't take advantage of her expertise while in her class. I wish I spent more time speaking with her about my own novel, her opinions and her own writings.
So the moral of the story? Don't judge a book by it's cover. So lame, I know. But in this case most definitely true. Teachers have lives outside the classrooms, their creativity extending further than my own talent, and in my naivety I presumed incorrectly. I ordered three other books written by professors in my program and hope to write reviews for each. I can never stop learning and I am grateful that my program and speciality allows me to simply order from a bookstore my professors' novel or book of poetry and have them guide me even when not in class.
Below is a link to Emily's website and to Amazon where you can order her book.
Emily's Website
Buy Her Book on Amazon
Monday, July 22, 2013
Want Healthy Hair??
My hair troubles began in third grade. What started as a usual hair cut ended in one of the most horrific hair moments of my life (drama intended). You see, before this hair cut, my hair was relatively straight, with a little bit of body, but not much. After my hair recouped from the third grade cut from hell, it was the curliest and most untamable hair to deal with. The hair dresser cut it short, like, a mushroom poof on top of my chubby round head. Imagine that. I wish I could burn all the pictures taken at that stage of my life.
But after it grew out, for three years I was obsessed with the bun, again, a very bad look. And after that I took years exploring products that would tame, straighten, soften, un-kink these curls I had no idea what to do with. It wasn't until a year ago when I decided to throw out all the crappy hair products and go natural.
You think doing that would be the end of the dilemma right? Wrong. Well, turns out my hair becomes incredibly dry without product. My hair gets even dryer while taking my acne medication. So, for the past few months I've been researching different ways to hydrate and hold my hair without it being a gel or mousse.
What I've discovered works for my hair are two products. The first is tea tree oil, which I had been using on my face for years. But after reading about the oil's benefits for hair, I decided to give it a go. The oil holds my curls without having the hardness of gels and mousses and without the product buildup on my scalp. My hair is quite thick, but I don't need to use too much of this on my hair in order for it to work. This you can find anywhere. I get the tea tree oil at Walmart. It's in the beauty products area and comes in a relatively small bottle, but looks similar to cooking oils.
The second product from, It's a 10, is another Pinterest discovery. It's a 10 has tons of products, but I've only tried the miracle leave in. This leave in comes with or without keratin. I bought it with keratin because I'm trying to grow out my hair, and I have to say I am extremely satisfied. The product is sold special in salons but if you google it, there are tons of stores like Target, Amazon and Walgreens that sell It's a 10 products. Fortunately, I found the product on Amazon for twenty-eight dollars and free shipping. Now, the directions say to spray the product all over your hair and then comb through. However, after showering in the morning, I typically don't comb my hair, because without product, it poofs like a cotton ball. Even with this product, if I comb through afterwards, then my hair balloons into frizz. So what I do is spray this product, then use the tea tree oil to hold the curls as I run my fingers through my hair.
It works pretty well and I've noticed hair growth. The only negativity about this product is possible over use. The keratin can make my roots stiff, as if I have product build up. So I usually wash out as much as I can everyday in the morning and I don't use either products on the weekends. It seems to help with how much my scalps builds up. It's a 10 is a great line and I recommend their products for all hair types.
These are the 10 things the products of It's a 10 are supposed to help with.
This is the exact product I use. (P.S. it's made in the U.S.)
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Those Who Cannnot Help Themselves
Since regaining my determination to keep up this blog, I've been thinking, quite often, of the various topics I could write about for whoever reads what I have to say. Many blogs tend to review and promote products. Since I have done so (and will do so) I have nothing against such postings. But constantly I think, "what will make what I have to say different, unique?" Which leads me to my topic of today, Crate Escape. This post may not be "unique," but I'm hoping maybe someone who reads this will have a different reaction afterwards.
Crate Escape is a non-profit dog and puppy rescue organization. Its organizational presence is strongly set in the Hudson Valley of New York state, (where I am from) but its rescue activity extends all the way South, to the Carolinas. Crate Escape is purely made up of volunteers devoted to saving the lives of stray, abandoned or given up dogs. Currently I create, form and write their monthly newsletter. I do this, like everyone else, on a volunteer basis, for two reasons.
One, the more selfish and less becoming reason: because this experience looks great on a resume. Plain and simple.
Two, the more complicated, version: because volunteering for such an organization adds goodness to the world and every little bit helps. As I sat at my desk a few hours ago, beginning the newsletter for August, it occured to me how little certain things matter in the grand scheme of the world (depressing, I know, but let me explain). History books, television shows, documentaries, songs and novels immortalize those memorable people- and occasional animals- that have died hundreds or even thousands of years ago. But what about everyone else? What about that young English man forced to hide his religion under a Catholic Queen or the other young English man forced to hide his religion under a Protestant King? What about that one mother forced to watch her children starve during the famine in Ireland, Bengal, Russia, China? What about those bodies, hacked, gassed, or shot to death in history's numerous genocides? Or how about that moment when a boy swims too far out into the ocean and drowns, alone, helpless? And the people who starved, who were beaten, who were ridiculed throughout history? Why have the masses, those people without "clout" in society been ignored in life and in death? Why have their actions mattered much less in "the grand scheme?"
Unfortunately, no matter what the answer may be, the fact is, just like the people before us our lives and our deaths, will one day be forgetten, swept under the earth's muddy rug. Perhaps 100 or 1,000 years from now, we will be nothing more than the highlighted news, the wars, the groundbreaking events which affected our generation. But we will never again be individuals, with personal pains, fears and ambitions.
So, after that slightly downtrodden, bleak outlook on the world, present and past, what am I even trying to tell you? Well, I guess this is it: That since those in the future may not remember who we are, we as a people should take the years we have and do some good. In the "grand scheme," our actions may matter little, but in the present, these actions can mean so much. Let's take advantage and contribute to the memories of those ignored masses, those people and animals history will undoubtedly forget. Through social media and all this technology, it's easy to ignore that there are problems around us that we can solve or assist in solving. Someone once told me, "Charity begins in the home," which is great and truthful to an extent, but what about all those who do not have a home?
It may seem like I'm doing so little for these dogs by creating a newsletter each month, but I'm doing it because these dogs, these defenseless animals, do not have a home. I am doing what I can to help those who cannot help themselves, to help those who history will forget. As I get older, I plan on doing more for those (animals and people) who need the help others neglect to give. I know I will one day be forgotten, that my good deeds won't be engraved on some pillar or bronze statue and my portrait won't be hung in a museum. But, regardless, what I do now, what we do now, is more important than any history textbook, more important than any interpreter of events. I want to live my life doing what I can to be a successful person and that means helping myself and helping others. We have however many decades of life to make a difference, to make an impact on our surroundings, so I say: Let's try and make these years count. Children may not learn about us saving a person's life or an animal's life in school. That doesn't mean our contribution is any less.
Did that make sense? I ramble too much. I hope what I wrote doesn't sound like some "romantic" version of "We are the World." I only mean that our years are numbered, so why not spend a little time doing some good. Anyway, Crate Escape is just one way to help somehow and in case you're interested I posted their website and their facebook page below. Those in charge of the organization are wonderful to work with, and if I was able, I would help foster the dogs and puppies they rescue. There are pictures of a few dogs below that have stolen my heart!
Crate Escape Rescue Website
Crate Escape Facebook Page
Crate Escape is a non-profit dog and puppy rescue organization. Its organizational presence is strongly set in the Hudson Valley of New York state, (where I am from) but its rescue activity extends all the way South, to the Carolinas. Crate Escape is purely made up of volunteers devoted to saving the lives of stray, abandoned or given up dogs. Currently I create, form and write their monthly newsletter. I do this, like everyone else, on a volunteer basis, for two reasons.
One, the more selfish and less becoming reason: because this experience looks great on a resume. Plain and simple.
Two, the more complicated, version: because volunteering for such an organization adds goodness to the world and every little bit helps. As I sat at my desk a few hours ago, beginning the newsletter for August, it occured to me how little certain things matter in the grand scheme of the world (depressing, I know, but let me explain). History books, television shows, documentaries, songs and novels immortalize those memorable people- and occasional animals- that have died hundreds or even thousands of years ago. But what about everyone else? What about that young English man forced to hide his religion under a Catholic Queen or the other young English man forced to hide his religion under a Protestant King? What about that one mother forced to watch her children starve during the famine in Ireland, Bengal, Russia, China? What about those bodies, hacked, gassed, or shot to death in history's numerous genocides? Or how about that moment when a boy swims too far out into the ocean and drowns, alone, helpless? And the people who starved, who were beaten, who were ridiculed throughout history? Why have the masses, those people without "clout" in society been ignored in life and in death? Why have their actions mattered much less in "the grand scheme?"
Unfortunately, no matter what the answer may be, the fact is, just like the people before us our lives and our deaths, will one day be forgetten, swept under the earth's muddy rug. Perhaps 100 or 1,000 years from now, we will be nothing more than the highlighted news, the wars, the groundbreaking events which affected our generation. But we will never again be individuals, with personal pains, fears and ambitions.
So, after that slightly downtrodden, bleak outlook on the world, present and past, what am I even trying to tell you? Well, I guess this is it: That since those in the future may not remember who we are, we as a people should take the years we have and do some good. In the "grand scheme," our actions may matter little, but in the present, these actions can mean so much. Let's take advantage and contribute to the memories of those ignored masses, those people and animals history will undoubtedly forget. Through social media and all this technology, it's easy to ignore that there are problems around us that we can solve or assist in solving. Someone once told me, "Charity begins in the home," which is great and truthful to an extent, but what about all those who do not have a home?
It may seem like I'm doing so little for these dogs by creating a newsletter each month, but I'm doing it because these dogs, these defenseless animals, do not have a home. I am doing what I can to help those who cannot help themselves, to help those who history will forget. As I get older, I plan on doing more for those (animals and people) who need the help others neglect to give. I know I will one day be forgotten, that my good deeds won't be engraved on some pillar or bronze statue and my portrait won't be hung in a museum. But, regardless, what I do now, what we do now, is more important than any history textbook, more important than any interpreter of events. I want to live my life doing what I can to be a successful person and that means helping myself and helping others. We have however many decades of life to make a difference, to make an impact on our surroundings, so I say: Let's try and make these years count. Children may not learn about us saving a person's life or an animal's life in school. That doesn't mean our contribution is any less.
Did that make sense? I ramble too much. I hope what I wrote doesn't sound like some "romantic" version of "We are the World." I only mean that our years are numbered, so why not spend a little time doing some good. Anyway, Crate Escape is just one way to help somehow and in case you're interested I posted their website and their facebook page below. Those in charge of the organization are wonderful to work with, and if I was able, I would help foster the dogs and puppies they rescue. There are pictures of a few dogs below that have stolen my heart!
Crate Escape Rescue Website
Crate Escape Facebook Page
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
A Happy Return and Beauty Products!
I admit it. I have been that absentee blogger. The "I have so many other things to do," and puts the blog on the back burner. Well...no more! I'm back and I'm staying. I'll be posting on here regularly, at LEAST once every week. Neglecting this blog has saddened me over the last few months. I've been concerned about my novel, about writing short stories for possible contests, about reading more often, that I haven't been able to write, simply for the sake of enjoyable writing. This blog is like a cool bubble bath after hours of running in the hot sun. I've been running in the hot sun without a nice break for months.
Today I would like to talk about two new "skin care products" that I've come across in the last few months. One, actually a prescribed medication, is more than just a skin care product, hence the quotations. The second is a skin care product, called Serious Serum, that is supposed to be amazing (yet I have not experienced such "amazing" results as of yet).
Accutane, as mostly everybody knows it as, is a prescribed medication used to eliminate acne after all other less "serious" products and medications do not work. I have been on Accutane (but the generic versions) for four months and it has truly changed my appearance and my self-esteem. Since my junior year in college I had acne and every year the pimples persisted, becoming worse as time went on. When I lost weight, they tended to disappear, but the second I gained the weight back, the acne returned. After trying to lose weight again, the acne never budged, deciding for whatever reason, that my face be cursed with the nasty white, and painful, bumps all over my skin. I was hesitant at first to try Accutane, primarily because of the extreme side effects, especially the possibility of emotional changes and depression. But the acne on my face got so bad that I decided to take the jump and go for it. I cannot explain how happy I am to have taken the medication. The first two months were pretty awful in terms of acne, because I had an awful flare up as the Accutane attempted to purge the pimples. But since the third month I have been pretty clear and the scarring is fading away as well (although slowly). I have no before and after pictures, because I deleted all the "before" pictures- I just don't like keeping photos of myself that aren't flattering at all. But I do want to make clear that I have almost none of the side effects warned about. The most extensive side effect that I've had to deal with is the ache in my shoulders every now and then, but that is probably due to my newly found dedication to working out. I feel great and I think people should really look further into Accutane prior to freaking out about the side effects.
Now on to Serious Serum. I discovered this product on Pinterest and many people were raving about it. It is known as an "AHA Ingrown Hair Eliminator and Skin Exfoliant." Many woman that get waxed have found it to be really useful against red bump irritation and those nasty ingrown hairs that return. I looked up where the product was available and ordered it from a store in NYC, Apothecarie, which is actually the only store in all of New York State (that I found) to sell Serious Serum online. A one ounce bottle cost me between $35-$38. After a few weeks, I have seen the red bumps on my thighs and ingrown hairs ease up and become infrequent. But, I haven't been using it as consistently as I should, which is my fault. I have been using the serum on my face every night before bed and haven't seen that much of a difference. I'm not sure how well the "skin exfoliant" side of the product actually works. It may just be that the Accutane shows more difference on my face than the serum. But I'm still hopeful. The bottle may only be one ounce, but it can last a long time. The liquid it not thick at all and a little really goes a longggg way. One tiny drop, smaller than the tip of my pinkie finger can be spread on at least half my face.
So, if you're having skin issues, whether it be extreme acne, ingrown hairs or just want to lessen the redness of your skin and have a nice feeling exfoliant, I suggest you to look into these two products. I would say, although I don't think the Serious Serum has been particularly AMAZING as of yet, it is still definitely worth the money. The link to Apothecarie is below and definitely check out the product reviews on Pinterest!
Apothecarie Store
Today I would like to talk about two new "skin care products" that I've come across in the last few months. One, actually a prescribed medication, is more than just a skin care product, hence the quotations. The second is a skin care product, called Serious Serum, that is supposed to be amazing (yet I have not experienced such "amazing" results as of yet).
Accutane, as mostly everybody knows it as, is a prescribed medication used to eliminate acne after all other less "serious" products and medications do not work. I have been on Accutane (but the generic versions) for four months and it has truly changed my appearance and my self-esteem. Since my junior year in college I had acne and every year the pimples persisted, becoming worse as time went on. When I lost weight, they tended to disappear, but the second I gained the weight back, the acne returned. After trying to lose weight again, the acne never budged, deciding for whatever reason, that my face be cursed with the nasty white, and painful, bumps all over my skin. I was hesitant at first to try Accutane, primarily because of the extreme side effects, especially the possibility of emotional changes and depression. But the acne on my face got so bad that I decided to take the jump and go for it. I cannot explain how happy I am to have taken the medication. The first two months were pretty awful in terms of acne, because I had an awful flare up as the Accutane attempted to purge the pimples. But since the third month I have been pretty clear and the scarring is fading away as well (although slowly). I have no before and after pictures, because I deleted all the "before" pictures- I just don't like keeping photos of myself that aren't flattering at all. But I do want to make clear that I have almost none of the side effects warned about. The most extensive side effect that I've had to deal with is the ache in my shoulders every now and then, but that is probably due to my newly found dedication to working out. I feel great and I think people should really look further into Accutane prior to freaking out about the side effects.
Now on to Serious Serum. I discovered this product on Pinterest and many people were raving about it. It is known as an "AHA Ingrown Hair Eliminator and Skin Exfoliant." Many woman that get waxed have found it to be really useful against red bump irritation and those nasty ingrown hairs that return. I looked up where the product was available and ordered it from a store in NYC, Apothecarie, which is actually the only store in all of New York State (that I found) to sell Serious Serum online. A one ounce bottle cost me between $35-$38. After a few weeks, I have seen the red bumps on my thighs and ingrown hairs ease up and become infrequent. But, I haven't been using it as consistently as I should, which is my fault. I have been using the serum on my face every night before bed and haven't seen that much of a difference. I'm not sure how well the "skin exfoliant" side of the product actually works. It may just be that the Accutane shows more difference on my face than the serum. But I'm still hopeful. The bottle may only be one ounce, but it can last a long time. The liquid it not thick at all and a little really goes a longggg way. One tiny drop, smaller than the tip of my pinkie finger can be spread on at least half my face.
So, if you're having skin issues, whether it be extreme acne, ingrown hairs or just want to lessen the redness of your skin and have a nice feeling exfoliant, I suggest you to look into these two products. I would say, although I don't think the Serious Serum has been particularly AMAZING as of yet, it is still definitely worth the money. The link to Apothecarie is below and definitely check out the product reviews on Pinterest!
Apothecarie Store
Thursday, April 4, 2013
The Woes of a Writer
As I writer I guess I should be accustomed to deleted files and accidentally erased words, but I just wrote an entire blog entry and it was completely deleted :( Which, my friends, is just another complaint I can add to my list for this entry. As I previously wrote in the post flying in invisible particles throughout the cyber sphere, I have been completely overwhelmed these past two months and that is my excuse for not writing as often as I wished I could. But, putting a very long story short, I am hoping to pay more attention to this blog and engaging and entertaining readers (if any).
With that being said, I'll start my rant by saying I had an interview this Monday, that in my opinion, went pretty awful. "Why?" you ask. Well, because I spoke about my writing, about my novel, about graduate school too much. My passion and excitement overwhelmed the interviewer, in my opinion at least. He mentioned one of the reasons to not hiring me was because he thinks it best I concentrate on my novel (which is also my senior thesis) for the last semester of my master's degree and not have a demanding job get in the way.....
Things running through my mind at the very moment I heard his words spit across the phone line: Do you think I'm incapable of writing a novel as well as working a full time job? Who are you to judge what I can handle? But, instead, I smiled and laughed through the phone saying, "no problem" and "thanks so much" and that was that.
I am a writer.
But does that mean I should not have a well paying job, with benefits and support as well as being a writer. I have two jobs and I feel as if only writers and other artists could possibly understand this. We write and then we have a job that pays the bills. Having my writing career as my main focus does not mean that whatever other employment I obtain will be met with any less passion. I love to work, and I am passionate about all projects, whether they pay or not.
Non-writers may assume two things: that as a writer I devote all of my time staring at blank pages on a desk in order to come up with the next "Great American Novel" or that writing is so simple that I should be spouting books from my mouth and handing them to a publisher like some manufacturing company.
And once you tell someone you're a writer, that's it. You've been labeled. The starving artist, the creative mind, the avid, know all of literature, the expert of publishing, the "person writing that book." Everyone wants to read it. But when you give them a copy, they won't. They ask every week, "how's the writing going?" And what does one say to that? They don't want to hear the dilemmas of structure, your debate of present and past tense, the difficulty of explaining a character, and so on.
I made the mistake of labeling my myself in an interview and when speaking about my novel off hand, I became "The Writer." And although my writing, he said, was great, I didn't have enough marketing experience as he would have wanted. But that may be because once being labeled the writer, the experience I did have in marketing wasn't compelling enough, and when talking about my novel, I became more passionate about that than the essentials of the interview.
Writers are multi-versed. We know politics, media, government, literature, news, Internet, advertising, production, editing, and much more. Because in order to survive as a writer, one must apply their talents to more than just simply writing. So we must over compensate for our passion, we must combine it with other knowledge and we must always have two jobs (or so I see it, unless you become Stephen King, J.K. Rowling or John Grisham).
So, yes, rant over. My sympathies with other writers expanding their expertise to other employment sectors. Maybe with some experience, or perhaps a "Julie and Julia" incident in my life, I can land a truly awesome writing job that not only captures the heart of my passion but also gives me the benefits and pay necessary in order to live in this realistically harsh world.
Until next time Ladies and Gentleman!
-Rachel
With that being said, I'll start my rant by saying I had an interview this Monday, that in my opinion, went pretty awful. "Why?" you ask. Well, because I spoke about my writing, about my novel, about graduate school too much. My passion and excitement overwhelmed the interviewer, in my opinion at least. He mentioned one of the reasons to not hiring me was because he thinks it best I concentrate on my novel (which is also my senior thesis) for the last semester of my master's degree and not have a demanding job get in the way.....
Things running through my mind at the very moment I heard his words spit across the phone line: Do you think I'm incapable of writing a novel as well as working a full time job? Who are you to judge what I can handle? But, instead, I smiled and laughed through the phone saying, "no problem" and "thanks so much" and that was that.
I am a writer.
But does that mean I should not have a well paying job, with benefits and support as well as being a writer. I have two jobs and I feel as if only writers and other artists could possibly understand this. We write and then we have a job that pays the bills. Having my writing career as my main focus does not mean that whatever other employment I obtain will be met with any less passion. I love to work, and I am passionate about all projects, whether they pay or not.
Non-writers may assume two things: that as a writer I devote all of my time staring at blank pages on a desk in order to come up with the next "Great American Novel" or that writing is so simple that I should be spouting books from my mouth and handing them to a publisher like some manufacturing company.
And once you tell someone you're a writer, that's it. You've been labeled. The starving artist, the creative mind, the avid, know all of literature, the expert of publishing, the "person writing that book." Everyone wants to read it. But when you give them a copy, they won't. They ask every week, "how's the writing going?" And what does one say to that? They don't want to hear the dilemmas of structure, your debate of present and past tense, the difficulty of explaining a character, and so on.
I made the mistake of labeling my myself in an interview and when speaking about my novel off hand, I became "The Writer." And although my writing, he said, was great, I didn't have enough marketing experience as he would have wanted. But that may be because once being labeled the writer, the experience I did have in marketing wasn't compelling enough, and when talking about my novel, I became more passionate about that than the essentials of the interview.
Writers are multi-versed. We know politics, media, government, literature, news, Internet, advertising, production, editing, and much more. Because in order to survive as a writer, one must apply their talents to more than just simply writing. So we must over compensate for our passion, we must combine it with other knowledge and we must always have two jobs (or so I see it, unless you become Stephen King, J.K. Rowling or John Grisham).
So, yes, rant over. My sympathies with other writers expanding their expertise to other employment sectors. Maybe with some experience, or perhaps a "Julie and Julia" incident in my life, I can land a truly awesome writing job that not only captures the heart of my passion but also gives me the benefits and pay necessary in order to live in this realistically harsh world.
Until next time Ladies and Gentleman!
-Rachel
Sunday, February 24, 2013
That Ever Present Weight
Hey All!
For the past month and a half I have been working quite hard to lose weight. I wasn't "large" per say, but the weight gain made me feel extremely uncomfortable and not being able to fit into any of my clothes wasn't a plus either. But this morning, as I stepped onto the scale, I finally reached my goal weight! Exciting is an understatement.
Since I was eight, I had weight issues. In elementary school, I was the fat and ugly girl. In middle school I wasn't much better and in high school, I was skinnier, but not fit in any sense of the word. About a year or so after graduation a I noticed a weight gain and from then on it's been an up and down cycle of gain and loss. Last spring I began my first super diet and it went great! I worked out, ate right and felt on top of the world. I was three pounds away from my ultimate weight goal and then boooommmm. I went to Europe, where I ate whatever I wanted, didn't work out and let myself completely go. But in two weeks, I didn't gain much weight because of all the walking around and busy schedule. However, when I came home, I stuck to my Europe lifestyle instead of returning to exercise and healthy food I binged on ice cream, burgers, fast food and ceased exercise all together. I not only gained what I lost back, but also gained even more. Feeling like a balloon, with more and more acne on my face as my weight increased, and with only one pair of jeans fitting me, I couldn't handle it anymore.
Weight loss is such a struggle. And it cannot be accomplished without determination. Three weeks ago I went to Florida for a few days, where I yet again, hopped off the diet. When I returned, I said to myself, "Monday you need to start working out and eating right." Monday came along and suddenly I was "too tired" to work out. Next Monday arrived and I was just "so hungry" I couldn't help but eat the delicious fatty foods. But really, I was just feeding myself excuses and now it's even harder to jump back into my healthy lifestyle.
I look at myself every morning in the mirror and have begun to see little changes here and there: my stomach getting larger, my cheeks looking chubbier, the skin on my arms sagging a bit more. When thinking how great I felt about my appearance three weeks ago as opposed to now, my will to work out is slowly returning.
Today will be the first day back on the treadmill in almost a month and although I don't want to leave the comfort of my bed, I have to push myself to get back to where I want to be. That's all exercise and dieting involves: the determination to take action. I could say I want to lose weight all I want, but at the end of the day saying doesn't really help. It's all about action. So anyone else sharing the same difficulties I feel your pain, but work through it and you'll become what you've always wanted to be!
Thanks for reading All. Until next time!
-Rachel
For the past month and a half I have been working quite hard to lose weight. I wasn't "large" per say, but the weight gain made me feel extremely uncomfortable and not being able to fit into any of my clothes wasn't a plus either. But this morning, as I stepped onto the scale, I finally reached my goal weight! Exciting is an understatement.
Since I was eight, I had weight issues. In elementary school, I was the fat and ugly girl. In middle school I wasn't much better and in high school, I was skinnier, but not fit in any sense of the word. About a year or so after graduation a I noticed a weight gain and from then on it's been an up and down cycle of gain and loss. Last spring I began my first super diet and it went great! I worked out, ate right and felt on top of the world. I was three pounds away from my ultimate weight goal and then boooommmm. I went to Europe, where I ate whatever I wanted, didn't work out and let myself completely go. But in two weeks, I didn't gain much weight because of all the walking around and busy schedule. However, when I came home, I stuck to my Europe lifestyle instead of returning to exercise and healthy food I binged on ice cream, burgers, fast food and ceased exercise all together. I not only gained what I lost back, but also gained even more. Feeling like a balloon, with more and more acne on my face as my weight increased, and with only one pair of jeans fitting me, I couldn't handle it anymore.
Weight loss is such a struggle. And it cannot be accomplished without determination. Three weeks ago I went to Florida for a few days, where I yet again, hopped off the diet. When I returned, I said to myself, "Monday you need to start working out and eating right." Monday came along and suddenly I was "too tired" to work out. Next Monday arrived and I was just "so hungry" I couldn't help but eat the delicious fatty foods. But really, I was just feeding myself excuses and now it's even harder to jump back into my healthy lifestyle.
I look at myself every morning in the mirror and have begun to see little changes here and there: my stomach getting larger, my cheeks looking chubbier, the skin on my arms sagging a bit more. When thinking how great I felt about my appearance three weeks ago as opposed to now, my will to work out is slowly returning.
Today will be the first day back on the treadmill in almost a month and although I don't want to leave the comfort of my bed, I have to push myself to get back to where I want to be. That's all exercise and dieting involves: the determination to take action. I could say I want to lose weight all I want, but at the end of the day saying doesn't really help. It's all about action. So anyone else sharing the same difficulties I feel your pain, but work through it and you'll become what you've always wanted to be!
Thanks for reading All. Until next time!
-Rachel
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Let's go Fashion: CHEAP!
Hey All,
Today I had a bit of fun shopping through all of the left over sales from President's Weekend. Commercialism was at its finest this past week or so, smashing us over the head with corny Abraham Lincoln and George Washington clips of them driving Honda's, shopping bags strung upon their arms, dancing to crazy music that never even existed while they lived. I practically risked my life driving to the mall on Sunday and Monday. All I needed were two things (one which I forgot on Sunday unfortunately and had to drive back for the next day). Let me just say that walking into a mall on a commercialized holiday that represents how materialistic our nation actually is, really is mind boggling. Literally everyone goes to the mall: to eat, to shop, to stare, to walk (sloowwwww) and to hang out. What is so amazing to us Americans about a mall? Why on earth would you bring your children there to just pass time? Bring them to a museum or read them a good book. These people, the various shopping fanatics, slow stroller pushers, window shopping wanderers, are a huge deterrent to people who have a simple plan in mind. As I made my way from one end of the mall to the next, I had to strategically walk around a family striding through as if they were at the zoo, around couples who argued about whether or not to go into Sephora, and around those great great people who loved to stop at each food vendor to get a free sample or buy a "little" snack. I cringed.
So what did I do today? Oh, I decided, "why not go shopping and look through the weekend left overs?" And actually, my plan wasn't regrettable. With everyone back to work, with children back at school, the stores were decent and only entrenched with the mini-van moms, elderly couples and people like me who just have free time on their hands to spend money they absolutely do not have. The sales weren't fantastic, but there was a good amount to search through. I stayed clear of the mall, after the traumatizing last two days, I didn't think it was necessary to go back there again. I went to Marshalls and Kohls. Kohls has always been a hit or miss for me. I tend to find their clothes pricey, unnecessarily so. But Marshalls, that has been my heaven for many years!
Granted, I found a lot of items I could've bought today if they didn't have a hole in the seam or a rip by the zipper, but that's the whole point of Marshalls; you have to search until you land in that gold mine. Now that I sound just as materialistic as the mall people I just complained about, I'm going to be honest. I am materialistic to an extent. But I'm materialistically smart, if that makes sense. I buy things when I need to or sparingly and yet I love every second of searching for clothes, trying them on and of course purchasing those winners I absolutely cannot let go of. I love fashion. Most importantly I love buying new clothes that are smaller sizes. I have been losing weight and recently lost seven pounds. It was a great excuse to spend some time and cash on myself.
What did I come out with? A new pair of jeans and an AWESOME purse. I know I know, what does the purse have to do with losing weight? Well, nothing at all, but hey, a girl's gotta have a few nice bags! But anyway, my point is, to be a strategic shopper, it's smart to look for the cheapest items at the easiest time, which is usually AFTER the holiday. Black Friday and Christmas season has some great sales, but the truly amazing mark downs don't really occur until after Christmas or even after New Year's. In the span of a day or so after the holidays, that's really the best time to drag yourself out and get everything you want for cheap. My day out was definitely worth it, and I will never EVER be as naive as to shop on holiday again (except Black Friday...because well, that's just an experience within itself).
Hope you all have enjoyed my ranting and raving. My new purse is down below :) Nine West Felicity Handbag. Shop Smart. Until next time!
-Rachel
Today I had a bit of fun shopping through all of the left over sales from President's Weekend. Commercialism was at its finest this past week or so, smashing us over the head with corny Abraham Lincoln and George Washington clips of them driving Honda's, shopping bags strung upon their arms, dancing to crazy music that never even existed while they lived. I practically risked my life driving to the mall on Sunday and Monday. All I needed were two things (one which I forgot on Sunday unfortunately and had to drive back for the next day). Let me just say that walking into a mall on a commercialized holiday that represents how materialistic our nation actually is, really is mind boggling. Literally everyone goes to the mall: to eat, to shop, to stare, to walk (sloowwwww) and to hang out. What is so amazing to us Americans about a mall? Why on earth would you bring your children there to just pass time? Bring them to a museum or read them a good book. These people, the various shopping fanatics, slow stroller pushers, window shopping wanderers, are a huge deterrent to people who have a simple plan in mind. As I made my way from one end of the mall to the next, I had to strategically walk around a family striding through as if they were at the zoo, around couples who argued about whether or not to go into Sephora, and around those great great people who loved to stop at each food vendor to get a free sample or buy a "little" snack. I cringed.
So what did I do today? Oh, I decided, "why not go shopping and look through the weekend left overs?" And actually, my plan wasn't regrettable. With everyone back to work, with children back at school, the stores were decent and only entrenched with the mini-van moms, elderly couples and people like me who just have free time on their hands to spend money they absolutely do not have. The sales weren't fantastic, but there was a good amount to search through. I stayed clear of the mall, after the traumatizing last two days, I didn't think it was necessary to go back there again. I went to Marshalls and Kohls. Kohls has always been a hit or miss for me. I tend to find their clothes pricey, unnecessarily so. But Marshalls, that has been my heaven for many years!
Granted, I found a lot of items I could've bought today if they didn't have a hole in the seam or a rip by the zipper, but that's the whole point of Marshalls; you have to search until you land in that gold mine. Now that I sound just as materialistic as the mall people I just complained about, I'm going to be honest. I am materialistic to an extent. But I'm materialistically smart, if that makes sense. I buy things when I need to or sparingly and yet I love every second of searching for clothes, trying them on and of course purchasing those winners I absolutely cannot let go of. I love fashion. Most importantly I love buying new clothes that are smaller sizes. I have been losing weight and recently lost seven pounds. It was a great excuse to spend some time and cash on myself.
What did I come out with? A new pair of jeans and an AWESOME purse. I know I know, what does the purse have to do with losing weight? Well, nothing at all, but hey, a girl's gotta have a few nice bags! But anyway, my point is, to be a strategic shopper, it's smart to look for the cheapest items at the easiest time, which is usually AFTER the holiday. Black Friday and Christmas season has some great sales, but the truly amazing mark downs don't really occur until after Christmas or even after New Year's. In the span of a day or so after the holidays, that's really the best time to drag yourself out and get everything you want for cheap. My day out was definitely worth it, and I will never EVER be as naive as to shop on holiday again (except Black Friday...because well, that's just an experience within itself).
Hope you all have enjoyed my ranting and raving. My new purse is down below :) Nine West Felicity Handbag. Shop Smart. Until next time!
-Rachel
Monday, February 18, 2013
The First
Hey All,
Even though there's actually no one to speak to at the moment, but hopefully I'll get a following after a few posts! This blog is intended to be about everything and anything in my life; from books, to authors, to fashion, movies, employment (always a biggie in my life) and whatever else I come up with.
Sooo, a little bit about myself: I'm a 22 year old graduate student attempting to achieve a Master's in Fine Arts with a concentration on creative writing. I received my undergraduate degree at Marist College and it was there that I decided to change my ultimate career goal from lawyer to writer. My undergrad was a roller coaster for me and to make a long story short, I hated it. This past year and a half as a student of creative writing has been wonderful and amazing. I know I've chosen the right decision for my future.
But where does that leave me now? Basically I'm in my last full semester of the M.F.A. and next fall the two classes I take will solely concentrate on my thesis, which is a real publishable novel with a minimum of 150 pages. Now, I know some people may think: WHAT THE HECK?! 150 PAGES? Honestly, I'm not sweating the amount I have to write; it's all about the content for me. My novel is on my mind at all times. Writing has sincerely become my life. There's never a time I don't think about it, I don't itch for it. When I have a bad, like a crying, I hate the world type of day, all I need to do is open my laptop get to Microsoft Word and open document holding my novel. After a few hours of writing, I truly feel as if nothing can stop me, as if everything that I was upset about prior to writing means nothing at all. I think, that if I had to live alone for the rest of my life with only my pen and paper, I could be happy, or create my own happiness. Now, believe me, I'd rather not live the rest of my life with only my writing to sustain my happiness, but I know I could do it if I had to.
In a nut shell, this is me. I'm obsessed with reading and writing, especially now that school has began, I'm going into overdrive. But please, don't think this is going to be some stuffy nerd blog updated with thoughts of Shakespeare and Plato. Because it won't.On top of reading and writing, I like looking my best, feeling amazing about myself debating politics and many more things. People are complex with many different likes and dislikes. You'll be finding out all of mine and hopefully be entertained as you read it all.
Thanks for reading!
-Rachel
Even though there's actually no one to speak to at the moment, but hopefully I'll get a following after a few posts! This blog is intended to be about everything and anything in my life; from books, to authors, to fashion, movies, employment (always a biggie in my life) and whatever else I come up with.
Sooo, a little bit about myself: I'm a 22 year old graduate student attempting to achieve a Master's in Fine Arts with a concentration on creative writing. I received my undergraduate degree at Marist College and it was there that I decided to change my ultimate career goal from lawyer to writer. My undergrad was a roller coaster for me and to make a long story short, I hated it. This past year and a half as a student of creative writing has been wonderful and amazing. I know I've chosen the right decision for my future.
But where does that leave me now? Basically I'm in my last full semester of the M.F.A. and next fall the two classes I take will solely concentrate on my thesis, which is a real publishable novel with a minimum of 150 pages. Now, I know some people may think: WHAT THE HECK?! 150 PAGES? Honestly, I'm not sweating the amount I have to write; it's all about the content for me. My novel is on my mind at all times. Writing has sincerely become my life. There's never a time I don't think about it, I don't itch for it. When I have a bad, like a crying, I hate the world type of day, all I need to do is open my laptop get to Microsoft Word and open document holding my novel. After a few hours of writing, I truly feel as if nothing can stop me, as if everything that I was upset about prior to writing means nothing at all. I think, that if I had to live alone for the rest of my life with only my pen and paper, I could be happy, or create my own happiness. Now, believe me, I'd rather not live the rest of my life with only my writing to sustain my happiness, but I know I could do it if I had to.
In a nut shell, this is me. I'm obsessed with reading and writing, especially now that school has began, I'm going into overdrive. But please, don't think this is going to be some stuffy nerd blog updated with thoughts of Shakespeare and Plato. Because it won't.On top of reading and writing, I like looking my best, feeling amazing about myself debating politics and many more things. People are complex with many different likes and dislikes. You'll be finding out all of mine and hopefully be entertained as you read it all.
Thanks for reading!
-Rachel
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