10 Fall Essentials

10 Fall Essentials by audreyryan on polyvore.com

Natural Color: 5 Easy Makeup Looks

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Book Review! Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Genre: Historical Fiction (1960's)

Age: 13+
Content Rating: PG
My Rating: ****

(summary from the back of the book)

I’m not your average hero. I actually wasn’t your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.

It all started with the curse. And the frog-napping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I’ve ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades. 

Don’t believe me? I didn’t believe it either. But you’ll see. Because I knew it all was true, the  second I got CLOAKED

I picked this book up at my school library because I was really tired of just reading for literary value. I really just wanted to read something that was fun and light, and also wouldn't take ages to read. I LOVED this book. I think that the author has amazing characterization and organized the plot really well. I also love that it was intense and exciting from the first page to the last page. Often, the climax of a book only spans through one or two chapters but this book did a fantastic job on tying the events together. I also love that it's a romance story told from a guy's perspective. That is a rarity indeed! Good job Alex Flinn. :)

Six Ways to Conquer Writers Block

Hello my awesome amigos!!

Can you just not seem to think straight? Is organizing thoughts becoming a bore? Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. At one point or another, I am positive that this horrible, tragic fate will befall you. It's deadly if you don't treat it in time. It slowly eats away your brain until you no longer have the ability to think creative thoughts.Yes. Writers block.

Never fear, I am here to help you cure this insufferable condition. Here are five ways to rejuvenate the mind and refresh the soul so you can return to your former state of creative awesomeness.

1. Gather Inspiration. I really like Pinterest and Tumblr for doing this. Look for pictures, read poetry, do something that will expose you to somebody else's life or culture. Get insight on other people's points of views on matters close to your heart. Chances are that if you find something that you enjoy, it will spark a creative flame inside of you.
2. Break outside of your comfort zone. I know that it's hard, but start small. Change up something that has been the same for a long time. I think that it's fun to switch up your bedroom decorations when you are in a rut. If you're brave, go extreme. Do something that you're afraid of. 
3. Meet new people. Talk to somebody that looks interesting. There is a high likelihood that a really great story will come out of it. If not, at least you got to talk to someone new and possibly, make a friend. I highly doubt that you will not think of something to write about when you talk to someone you've never met before.
4. Bring a notebook with you EVERYWHERE. You never know when you could have an epiphany. Some of my best ideas come when I'm in the shower, on a walk, or slipping between consciousness and sub-consciousness.
5. Visit somewhere you've never been before. To get the creative juices flowing, it can be really helpful to take yourself to an environment that you aren't used to. See something that you've always wanted to see. It can also be helpful to visit a place that is similar to the place that you are writing about. You can never really give a real down to earth description of something if you've never seen it, smelled it, felt it, etc.
6. Bust out the old pen and paper. There is nothing quite like letting your thoughts flow through your hands and onto your paper. It often provides opportunities for new ideas to emerge since writing is slower than typing. I 

Book Review: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Hi Guys!

It feels like I haven't done a book review in FOREVER so today, I will be reviewing for you!!! I had to read this book for English and I really liked it and recommend it to anybody looking for a slow but good read.

Genre: Historical Fiction (1960's)

Age: 13+
Content Rating: PG 13, for ideas and themes expressed even though it is a totally clean book.
My Rating: ****

(summary from the back of the book)

The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it—from garden seeds to Scripture—is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in post-colonial Africa.

The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. 

I really enjoyed this book because:

A. It's entertaining without being cheesy.
B. It's a new take on a plot that is the base of every chick-lit ever written.

I love it because it has all the parts of a chick-lit (love with an obstacle, sisters trying to be better than each other, adaptations to awkward situations) but Kingsolver approaches it totally differently than one would expect. I have what some may call an obsession with historical fiction and the fact that this book brought historical fiction and modern day ideas into one book, is absolutely genius. I would highly recommend this to anybody.

Fall Playlist

I haven't done one of these in a couple months and I'm SO SORRY!!! Here's an overall Fall Playlist:
Imagine Dragons – On Top Of The World
Sara Bareilles – Gonna Get over You
Michael Franti & Spearhead – I’m Alive (Life Sounds Like)
Karmin – Brokenhearted
Walk Off the Earth – Gang of Rhythm
OneRepublic – Good Life
Fall Out Boy – Centuries
Walk the Moon – Anna Sun
Sara Bareilles – I Choose You
Ingrid Michaelson – The Way I Am
Train – Bruises
Sara Bareilles – Uncharted
Colbie Caillat – I Do
V V Brown – Shark In The Water
Taylor Swift – Shake It Off
Chris Wallace – Remember When (Push Rewind)
Ingrid Michaelson – You and I
Christina Perri – distance - feat. Jason Mraz [Bonus Track]

The Most Epic Rope Swing on the Face of the Earth

Hi Guys!

I wrote this little nonfiction narrative for my writing class. Feedback would be awesome because I have to turn something in on Tuesday. Love you all! <3/Audrey

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                This is a story about three girls and the most epic swing on the face of the earth. It all began on a warm day in early June after the end of sixth grade. The leaves were just beginning to peek out and baby chicks squawked for their mothers to bring them food. We were inside that day, bored out of our minds, with only their dog to keep us company. My two best friends are twins as a matter of fact so when we get together, we are always together. We sat in silence for a while, not quite sure what to say.

                “Hey Jackie.” I said.

                “Yes?”

                “Do you have any rope?”

                “Rope?”

                “Yes rope! Let’s go find some; I have an idea.” We got up from the couch and went out to the garage to look for rope. It was fun to hear them guess what the heck I could want with rope. By the time we finally found some hiding in a bucket by the back door, I was laughing so hard that I had almost forgotten why we needed rope in the first place.

                “Okay here’s the rope.” By her tone of voice, I could tell that Jane was still confused.

                “Okay great. Do you have a board?”

                “Yes I think so. What kind of board do you need?” She gestured to a pile of scrap wood of all shapes and sizes in the back corner of the garage.

                “A wooden one?”

                “Duh silly. I mean how strong do you need it to be.”

                “Strong enough to hold my weight.” My final statement clicked a light on in their brains and I could tell that they were sort of starting to see my vision. We found a board about two and a half feet long and just wide enough to sit on, and went outside.

                Jane and Jackie have a lake in their backyard. Surrounding the lake were hundreds and hundreds of trees so thick, that you almost had to push them aside to get anywhere. We found a tree with a sturdy branch that was about twelve feet of the ground: just high enough for my plan to work but not so high that we couldn't easily throw something over it.

                “Hold this.” I handed Jane the board and I wrapped the rope into a loop. With a few tries, I got one end on each side of the branch.

                “Can I see the board again?” Jane handed it to me with a smile on her face. I could tell that she now knew exactly what I was doing.” We wrapped the rope around the wood creating a seat. With a few minor adjustments, we made it high enough to sit on. Our faces bubbled with excitement.

                We must have played out there for hours that day, casting our cares far away from that perfect moment. We soared over the lake and laughed on our way back to reality. Those moments above the lake, far away from anyone else, were perfect.

@joyhappinessandfun.wordpress.com @tennisshoesandpromdresses.wordpress.com

School Daze, Halloween Plans, and Luuuuunch (ADD #45)

Hello people of the internet!
I am sitting at lunch right now. I'm alone because nobody has gotten here yet. B, Jackie, and Juliet have lunch today. Juliet and Jackie just got here. (They say hi) B got here to along with Clara. (They also say hi) hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm TJ is also here. We've got the whole crew at our table now!!!! I just realized how corny I sound today. I apologize but I'm kind of brain dead today.

I have a physics test next period that I'm "so super duper pumped for!!!" (not really) Physics is okay but I think that tests in general are not fun. I have a good teacher though which always makes things easier. The end of the term is approaching which means finals week!!! Yay!!! (not really, again) Typing right now is really strange because B is staring over my shoulder. Okay then, "next" to my shoulder.

School has honestly just been a daze recently. It seems like all the days just blur together, or maybe it's just my really, really bad memory. I can't believe that Halloween is only like 9 days away! I still don't have a costume. I was going to be a pineapple but then my mom said it was stupid so scratch that idea. :)

ttyl!!!!!
<3/ Audrey

tXt #11

Soooooo borrrrreeeedddd. (Bert says hi)

😜😜😜😜😜😜😋😋😋😋😋😋😋

tXt #10

My entire school smells like pumpkin spice. Mmmmm

tXt #10

My entire school smells like pumpkin spice. Mmmmm

Class doodles

tXt #9

Chilling in seminary. www.mormon.org 

What are you guys up to? Comment down below and I'll "text" you back! 

<3/ Audrey

Mary Poppins Halloween Costume

****Hello Internet!
Today I bring you my very first Halloween post. I know that I'm a little late but hey, better late then never. Here is a really fun costume idea that I'm sure you guys will love!!!
<3/ Audrey****


The Skirt: I found this tutorial from thisbigoaktree.blogspot.com  and I think that it would work really well for this costume if you used a black cotton fabric. You could also use any black skirt that you may have in your closet. (you could also buy it here)
The Blouse: There are tons of white blouses at places like the thrift store but if you want to get exactly what you need, this tutorial is great! (rufflesandrosescrafts.blogspot.com) OR you could buy it here.
The Hat: The hat is probably the trickiest part of this whole costume. I recommend finding a hat from the thrift store and vamping it up a bit with some fake daisies and berries from the dollar store. (or here)


The Jacket: The jacket is also kind of tricky. In the movie, Mary wears a blue trench coat with white stripes down the front. You could literally use any blue jacket and glue white ribbon down the front to get the same effect. Or, you can just buy it here.
The Bow-tie: Take a red bow and attach it to any old necklace. This adds the final touch to the outfit and it's super easy. If you really REALLY don't want to make anything, you can buy one here. (and it's on sale right now!!!)
The Shoes: You can really wear any black shoes with this outfit but I have found that black converse are super comfortable and look way cute peeking out from the skirt.

Misc Tips:

• If your skirt is on the shorter side, I would recommend wearing tights to prevent getting chilly while partying the Halloween night away.
• Don't buy a super expensive umbrella. This is just a costume so you can literally use a broken one. Also, a broken umbrella will keep you grounded :)
• Get creative!! Add your own personal touch to your costume. 

tXt #8

I don't want to go to sleep!!!! I am afraid that I have severe insomnia. Good night y'all in the western US! <3/Julie 

#QOTD 

Improved Graphic Design Project

Thanks for all the great input on my first draft. I fixed it up and here it is! I am pretty sure it is done unless there is something horribly wrong that I notice in the first few days. Leave me comments/constructive criticism down below!

Graphic Design Project

I've been working on this for my graphic design class. It's almost finished but I think that it's missing something.
Any thoughts/suggestions/constructive criticism? Leave me comments.

QOTD

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Made me smile :)

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tXt #7

I think that I've finally accepted the fact that I can't sleep. It is 11:28 right now and I'm starting to go a little loopy. I know I should get some sleep but I just can't bring myself to actually shut my eyes. <3/ Audrey

tXt #6

sitting in play practice right now. I'm not in this scene so for the moment, I am really REALLY bored. School was okay today. Nothing super awesome and crazy happened so sorry to bore you with this ramble. What are you guys up to?

My Story

I wrote this for my creative writing class today. Hope you like this little chunk of my soul.

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Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to be a writer. I have always loved the idea of writing all my secrets where nobody would ever hear them; the idea of writing what I could never say out loud. Hearts can leak but books can never be broken. Hearts can be robbed, but books keep fighting and fighting until there is nothing left to steal.  I developed a sense of “trust” in my notebooks. I loved thought that my words mattered to them.

It’s this constant battle you see, one that often throws me amidst the knights and the warlords, and their bloody misunderstandings. That’s all that war is really: just a bunch of people misunderstanding each other. There is a rare case or two of people fighting just to kill time, but for all of the other times, there is always a reason. My reason just happens to define me an introvert.

I hated my definition.

I was shy, I was sad, and worst of all: I knew it. My notebooks were my prized possession. Each one had its own personality and when I needed a friend, I knew that I would always have one. I have not always been the most well liked at school and at there was a time when I had absolutely no friends and nobody to turn to other than my notebooks, and my mom.

I eventually did make some friends but I’ve always had this strange feeling that I’m just a little bit different then everyone else. I know that no matter how hard I try, I’ll never quite fit in perfectly but I’m probably the closest puzzle piece to the one needed to fill the very oddly shaped hole in their hearts.

Sometimes, writing is the only way to get something that you want, but know you can never have. It’s easier to stay ignorant than risk everything to go after something that is so far out of reach. Even in daydreams though, it is impossible to ever achieve any sort of satisfaction with your accomplishments because they aren’t real.

Over time, and as technology evolved, those notebooks turned into files and those files turned into folders and then I realized that the internet existed. I could not only write whatever I wanted, but I could share it with the world. I could do anything; I could be anyone. And that’s how I changed my definition. I still had my notebooks but I had changed. I no longer wanted to forever keep to myself, but I wanted to share the world that I had created. I wanted to give others some of the joy that I’ve found while writing. I went from this pathetic, introverted girl sitting in the corner, to a confident well-spoken individual with her own strong opinions. And that's how you guys came along.

My readers give me the strength to keep doing what I'm doing. They give me the courage to fight back against all of the mean rotten things that the world throws my way. And for that, I thank you. :)

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Thanks for helping me hit the 9,000 pageview mark. It really means a lot to me. :) 

<3/ Audrey