This. Is. War.

Fine Arts Festival. This Monday.

Before I start, I have to tell you about yesterday's (unexpected) showcase.

In Youth, the worship team starts the service. That's just the way it is. Well, last night, I sat in the foyer thingy on the couch, and Josh (you know who I'm talking about) said that we were performing tonight. First he said I was leading, but luckily that wasn't true.

I freaked out mentally when I heard that, because I thought he was talking about the worship team, and well, you know why I'm not on the worship team. So I was like, "what? No, you have got to be kidding". But he wasn't kidding, and luckily, he was talking about the FAF band, not the worship team. Huge sigh of relief.

But once again, the week is almost over and the only day I practiced on was Sunday, which doesn't even count because EVERYONE practiced on Sunday. So I was not expecting a showcase, let alone prepared for one. Let me tell you one thing:

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS.

First of all, my facial expression onstage was awful... I'd describe my facial expression as no smile, no eye contact, and stoic. Marvin (some kid I know) said I was too quiet, and I'm working on that. Then, back to the whole "pay attention" thing.

You see, I was standing right by a guitar when I sang and you're supposed to move around when you're in a band, you know? Well, I moved around (but only a little bit... disappointing, I know) and kinda, um, brushed against the guitar and tripped over the chord that leads to its microphone. The microphone is this thing that is put on top of the sound hole, and I made it move a little.

I felt SO bad about it throughout the whole service and I was gonna write an "I'm sorry" blog post about it. Why? Well, you see, that guitar had to be used for the worship team. And Nathan (kid that told me about the best band in the world, Deas Vail) spent like, two or five minutes fixing it behind the stage, so I felt really bad. When I finally said something about it, he said it wasn't a big deal, but still. I felt bad about messing up the guitar thing.

So yeah. Here's the REAL business: This is the last you'll be hearing from me for a few days. I'll be in town, yes, and even when I'm in Phoenix I will be sure to post on here, but I really need to practice and that's something I haven't really been doing lately. I have band practice tonight and tomorrow night, but in between I really have to practice.

And I have already started packing because I don't want to forget ANYTHING, plus I've been spending most of my days on the computer and I just need to sit back, finish all my books, get done with "Unspoken" part two so I can use a newer notebook, and sometimes, I just need some time to chow down on a pigload of food. 

So, I should be seeing you on Monday.

Walking Through an Airport...

Walking through an airport will never feel the same. Especially once you've seen "Inception".

I told you before, this song is too good to be real. Maybe someone has incepted my mind (I have had some weird dreams lately with people I know but don't talk to have been in) and planted this song in a dream.

Another thing I once told you is that 2:01 is what really gets me. Since I play guitar now (I don't count myself as a guitar player yet. And "Better Than Revenge" is a really hard song), that part is definitely my inspiration to play.

In the movie, when Cobb wakes up, this song begins. And when he walks through the airport, the guitar starts. When I walk through the airport in Dayton (where I live, before I get on the plane to Denver), Denver (my layover), and Phoenix (the final destination!), I'll have this song playing every time.

Let the memories begin. Phoenix, here we come!

Got Cash?

Fireflight. Owl City. Two of the best in music, eh? Well, they both love you.

Reach into your wallet. What do you pull out? Five dollars? Ten dollars? Fifteen, maybe? Well, forget about how you were going to spend it, because you're definitely gonna want this.

If you only have five dollars...

Search all around your house for some loose change (that'll pay the tax). Then, since you already have five dollars, you need to find the nearest Family Christian Stores location in your area. Why? Fireflight's album For Those Who Wait is only five dollars today! Today and until August 4th. You have time. Go buy it.

If you only have ten dollars...

Again, you need loose change because of taxes. Now, go to that exact same store. Why? Owl City's new album All Things Bright And Beautiful is ten dollars today and until August 4th. Go. Buy. This. Album.

If you have fifteen dollars...

You're in luck! You can buy both albums!

Two amazing artists. One low price.

Fireflight is one of my absolute favorite bands, so when I found out the newest album was that cheap, I rushed my family to the store to get it. I got what I wanted, and now I'm jamming out to "Desperate", "For Those Who Wait", "Name", "New Perspective", and much much more. That's ten more songs to listen to on the way to Phoenix!

Now, I still can't forget Owl City! He blew me away with "Dental Care", and I fell in love with "Fireflies" all because of Adam Young. He's my honeybunch of oats (is that a bad thing?)!

If you have money, this is how you want to spend it.

The Many Emotions About Phoenix 2011

Today marks one week until the National Youth Convention and Fine Arts Festival! Honestly? I'm both nervous, excited, and upset about this. I'll tell you why I'm upset in a little bit. Let's explain these multiple emotions:

Nervous.

My stage presence used to suck. Sorry if you don't like the word "suck", but there's no other way to describe it, really. Now, it's getting better one day at a time, and it's all good. At the beginning of practice yesterday, before we began actual practice, Mrs. Sandy (our manager or womanager, you choose which title you like best) said our sound was great, we just had to work on stage presence. And right then and there, everyone's eyes slowly gravitated towards me. Come on, I'm not the only one with work to do on that.

I didn't want to be the person with the worst presence anymore, so I decided to try, really. Sure, I still have work to do, but don't we all.

I'm nervous, because what if I get nervous and have even worse presence than I've had recently? What if I can't do the high harmonies/harmonics and end up coughing up a storm mid-chorus? What if?

But, if there's one thing that Hot Chelle Rae taught me, it's "La la la, whatever. La la la, it doesn't matter. La la la, oh well"-ing my problems. Stop the what-if-ing, and start getting "at it tonight! Tonight! There's a party on the rooftop on top of the world". They also taught me how to dance "on the edge of the Hollywood sign."

Excited.

I decided to change up my singing (but only for "Excuses"!) a little bit. I normally do the low harmonies in the chorus, but for:

"On and on, we run and we run..."

AND

"It's time we chase the smoke of our guns..."

I changed it to high. Why? Well, that's how they do it in the original song, and I was like, "Why not?" so I practiced and practiced it. Before I knew it, I was able to do a part my range was once too low for! Yay!

Then, I'm also excited for the plane ride. I'm leaving Ohio for the first time in a year and I'm flying on a plane for the second time. If you count layovers and such, this will be my fifth ride. I'm-I'm-I'm so excited, I'm so excited, Phoenix is gonna be awesome! Most of the kids going it will be their first plane ride, all except for me, Drew, Mark, and Mariah (but she's not flying with us). My friend Lauren is a little scared about it, while others are like, "YEAHHHH BABBBYYY!!" Don't worry, Lauren. No terrorists will be on the plane (let's hope).

Upset.

Ooh, this is the fun part! You won't believe how early our flight takes off! Only one word can describe it: All-nighter.

Our flight takes off at 6:30 AM, so you know what that means? We should be there around 4 AM (according to Mrs. Sandy). And you know what that means? We should leave our houses around 3 AM. And you know what that means? We should be awake at around 2 AM.

So, we might as well stay up all night, right? Josh (haven't I mentioned him before? Yep, he's the kid that said girls can only play piano and vocals) said we should all just have an all-nighter/sleepover-ish thing. Probably might not happen, but it should.

When the band (there's two other kids going... can't wait to break the news to them) found out, all the guys were like "YEAH!" and I was like, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!" It's gonna be a long, long, day one week from now.

And thus concludes the blog post.

Long Live the Guitar! (PLUS: Who's "Mean" to Taylor Swift?)

GREAT GREAT news! I'm learning my first two songs on guitar: "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele (it's so easy, but impressive... it's gonna sound so sweet when it's done!) and "Better Than Revenge" by Taylor Swift. I've been working on the Adele song the longest.

Who would've thought my first song would be "Rolling in the Deep"? I expected it to be a Relient K or Deas Vail song, because I'm a way bigger fan of them, but my dad was teaching me how to fret and tune (with still only five strings) when I held a note that was the exact same one that begins "Rolling in the Deep"! I freaked out and decided to learn the whole song! But I am soooo not gonna look at the chords--- I wanna figure this one out myself. I'll be playing my own originals soon enough (I'm turning my poetry into songs). This is bloody awesome!

~~~~

"All you are is mean." Huh? "All you are is mean."

Ever wondered... who is Taylor Swift calling mean (sorry, if I've talked about her a lot lately)? A boyfriend again? Bullies? Technically, none of the above.

It was a critic. Bob Lefsetz, to be exact. He once was a big fan, but then switched sides ("You, and your switching sides..." Sound familiar?) and wrote a harsh review of Swift's 2010 Grammy performance, saying her career was over. At first, I was like, "What an immature reaction to a bad review". But then I realized, there was this one girl who used to be my friend (but we didn't get into a fight, we just don't talk anymore), and I was talking to her about how I plan to publish three books before college.

Her reaction? "Well, do you really think you're gonna get a book published?"

You can only imagine how mad I was. I can see her years from now at Harvard, talking at the Science Olympics, with that same big loud opinion but nobody's listening, pounds gained and yapping about the same old bitter things. Fat and grumbling on about how I can't write. But all she is is mean.

All she is is mean. And snobby. And pathetic. And will have a tough time making friends and mean. And mean. And mean. And mean.

But someday, I'll be living in New York City, and all she's ever gonna be is mean. YEAH! Someday, I'll be big enough so she can't insult me, and all she's ever gonna be is mean. Why she gotta be so mean? I'll be editor of "Seventeen", and all she's ever gonna be is mean. Why she gotta be so mean? I'll be big enough so she can't insult me, and all she's ever gonna be is mean.

Why you gotta be so MEAN?

My Summer Playlist

When you hear me say "playlist", you probably automatically think of the iPod on this blog (doesn't it look so cool?). I've been using it for two years now.

Well, here's what I've been listening to this summer (including some not-so-Christian songs).

1. "Chap Stick, Chapped Lips, And Things Like Chemistry" by Relient K. I've loved that song since I was eight years old.
2. "Closer" by Shawn McDonald. This song is the catchy-est Christian song I've ever heard, and it kinda reminds me of something Bruno Mars would do.
3. "Again" by Flyleaf. It's my favorite Flyleaf song, and one of my most-listened-to songs this summer! It's just awesome! I listen to it when I'm mad and it makes me happy AGAIN. I also love the meaning behind it. Watch... there just might be a lyric post of it coming from me soon!
4. "Better Than Revenge" by Taylor Swift. This is probably her best song, although I really like the lyrics to "Long Live". This is my favorite Taylor Swift song ever... WHOA OH!
5. "Desperate" by Fireflight. I love the guitar, and Dawn's voice is just incredible. It's impossible to sing that high for me! How does she do it? My favorite Fireflight member is Wendy, because she has awesome hair and plays bass (just like my dad does and I'm learning)!
6. "Fixed At Zero" by VersaEmerge. I used the video to this in "Operation: Stage Presence" last month, because not only do they have good presence, but Sierra's voice is awesome (and too high for my range)! I also love the guitar at 2:46 and 2:51. I don't know why, but it always gets me right there. Why isn't this song on my iPod? Don't ask me!
7. "For Those Who Wait" by Fireflight. I listened to that song a lot at the beginning of summer, so that explains why I'm kinda sick of it.
8. "Emergency" by Paramore. This song is sorta sad, but "It's really not your fault, when no one cares to talk about it..." I posted this in "Operation: Fun Fun Fun FUN!" Because my stage presence "Is an emergency".
9. "Best Love Song" by CIMORELLI. I like it better than the original, and Even though it's not the best love song, it was good enough for me to post it, and it sure is the "Crunkest"!
10. "Must Have Done Something Right" by Relient K. I once had this song on repeat for like, an hour! Okay, maybe not that long. But I'm "racking my brain for a new improved way" to listen to this song, because a stereo isn't good enough! If I knew Matt (both Thiessen and Hoopes), we'd be best friends. Matt Thiessen, "We should get jerseys cuz we make a good team. But yours would look better than mine, cuz you're outta my league". Stay tuned for a lyric post.
11. "Summer Forgets Me" by Deas Vail. I love the entire band, so I can't decide on a favorite! But if I have to have one, it'd be either Wes because he's the lead singer, Laura because she's awesome, or the bassist (forgot his name) because his stage presence is so awesome, it's almost funny! Stay tuned for a lyric post of "Summer Forgets Me".
12. Okay, I can't help myself... I have to tell you what the new Deas Vail song is. It's called "Gone". I love all the "oh"-ing in it. I'm kinda mad at Deas Vail right now because although it made it onto the Split EP with Farewell Flight, it won't be on the album I pre-ordered. But I'll get over it. All that matters is the meaning behind this song. Stay tuned for a lyric post of it.
13. "Baby" by Relient K. It's the best cover I've ever heard... I instantly fell in love with it.

"Here you are, down on your knees AGAIN. Trying to find air to breathe AGAIN. And only surrender will help you now. I love you, please see and believe AGAIN."

-Flyleaf, "Again", my song pick of today. Stay tuned for a lyric post.

10 Short Reasons Bullying Sucks!

1. Bringing someone down only makes you the loser.
2. Bringing someone down may temporarily make you feel good, but is it worth it?
3. Every seventeen minutes, someone commits suicide.
4. Using the word "Retard" is like saying "You're not good enough".
5. How would you feel if someone said rude things to YOUR face?
6. People should be able to get on Facebook without having to worry what other people think about them.
7. Shooting someone's ideas down shoots down something more: Their confidence.
8. You don't want to be responsible for somebody's suicide, do you?
9. You're the bully, you're the jerk. You're the one being bullied, you're the one who's successful and the bully is one of your biggest fans (you'll never know, it could happen).
10. Words can hurt.

Music Update!

I haven't talked to you much about the upcoming Fine Arts Festival lately, have I? Nope. Well, here's a small update on guitar, vocals, and the band.

Guitar Princess Became the Queen!

I'm not the queen... yet. But, I learned how to use chords (the little dots mark them, I think...) so now I just gotta find out their names. Like, I know the names (C minor, etc.), and I know that dots mark them, but I don't know how to match up the names with the dots, like, which specific dot is that specific thing. That explains it well.

That one string is still broken. So I've been self-teaching, and it's working fine. My next things to learn are:

• What the chords are called
• Do I have to use a pick? (Because I lost all of them.)
• How do I change my strings by myself, not with my dad's help?
• How do I tune my guitar by myself, and not with Daddy's help? (It may be obvious that Daddy did most of the maintenance work for my guitar.)

I've got a lot to learn in that area.

All Good Vocalists Have a Great Plan.

I'm a good vocalist, but "NO! I never meant to brag..." I'm just being nice to myself. But I will say that I'm not a great vocalist. So that's why I have a plan.

August is right around the corner, and you know what that means? National Youth Convention month is right around the corner! That also means Fine Arts is right around the corner, too.

By August, a.k.a. Less than two weeks from now, I expect to get out of my comfort zone onstage. I'm too shy (me? Shy? Unbelievably, yes), and that needs to change. I also expect a slightly wider range by the time we perform at Fine Arts.

I have a meter from myself showing where I am right now, who's level I'm on, and where I need to be, and you're so important to me that I wanna show you, so:

• Right now: Dani Cimorelli (not very good, young voice)
• August 2011: Amy Cimorelli (wider range)
• April 2012: Wes Blaylock (REALLY WIDE range--- have you heard him sing? Yes you have--- he's Deas Vail's lead vocalist)
• April 2013: Lisa Cimorelli (great tone quality)
• April 2014: Regina Spektor (great range and breathing, I also must be able to make on-the-spot harmonies)
• April 2015: Find my unique voice, keep my voice articulate.
• April 2016 (senior year!): Nail the most impressive song I can find and sing it at Fine Arts. I am expected to reach Nationals as well. Aim for District Merit--- SERIOUSLY! Once I reach Nationals, I will try to get called back. If I'm not, that's alright. I will practice my song a maximum of nine times with no lyrics before District Fine Arts. I'm expected to be able to perform most genres of music. I'm expected to have a very strong and loud voice. I'm expected to have a music scholarship by the end of the year. Good luck.

 Yep. Ya think I can do it???

Fine Arts Festival Band

We're the real cool kids on the block. We're amazing. Everywhere we look around, people are screaming our names:

"MARIAH! BRIAN! NATHAN! MARK! CHRIS! JOSH! HOPE!" (In order of age.)

That's our dream. This is our reality: The audience has better stage presence than us, we get distracted VERY easily by some of the craziest things, some of us (*COUGH* me and Mark *COUGH*) are always quoting Yoga Farm, some of us (*COUGH* me and Nathan *COUGH*) are in love with Deas Vail, the background vocalist (too embarrassed to say who) was clapping off beat at callbacks at DFAF, and somehow Justin Bieber has to do with all this.

And that's just an average band practice.

It's hard to believe ("So hard to believe you're here with me now..." Love that song, it's "Hard To Believe" by VOTA) that the festival is less than two weeks away and we haven't squeezed enough practice in, and WE ALL have crappy stage presence (except for Mariah, maybe).

I really hate "Excuses" by Deas Vail now. It's our song, and every member basically hates that song. Every time I hear it, I just wanna throw my iPod out the window and destroy it for good. Now, Nathan says he loves this song, so he must be a bigger fan of Deas Vail than I am. You didn't think that was possible, did you?

Pray for us. We could definitely use it.

"You know that I could use somebody... someone like you... someone like you, somebody..."

-Kings Of Leon, "Use Somebody"

Leave Your Shell Behind THIS SUMMER!

One thing I am: Outgoing. One thing I'm not: A natural born leader.

I don't lead. Yes, I've lead cheers, but cheerleading doesn't count at all in this case. I'm the kind of girl who will talk to you and possibly annoy you, but when it comes to giving a speech or performing in front of an audience, I'd rather take a step back. It's okay to not be a leader, but sometimes it makes you miss out on incredible friendships and opportunities.

Reason #1 to leave your shell behind: You're gifted.

Do you have a talent or spiritual gift? Do you want to use it, but you're afraid? I can relate. I discovered that I have an ability to sing well last year, and I've been singing my heart out ever since. It was at a Wednesday night church service that it suddenly struck me: I could use my gift to lead ThExperience (our church youth group) in worship! I believe it was a calling, and I was so excited to actually use one of my talents to reach out and help other people grow in their faith. But something kept holding me back.

I'll be honest here. Public speaking is one of my biggest fears. You might be thinking: "Singing and speaking? They're the same, but they're completely different, Hope". Now, I'll tell you why I mentioned that, just keep reading and promise not to laugh or something like that.

Blogger's Revenge

It all started in 1999.
Before Tumblr, before Facebook, MySpace, Twitter...
All of that.
It's almost as if the entire world decided that if the website is good, it must be called a "blog".
The world was ours for years and years,
But then they came along, and stole our glory before we could say, "sabotage".
Tumblr here, Tumblr there, Tumblr everywhere
And the BlogSpot nearly vanished.
It's like then and there, the world forgot what a blog was and left it behind.
Tumblr users may say they have a blog, but do they really?
Most Tumblr blogs are just a shade.
Used like a social network.
Reblogging, photographs, GIFs... show me what's original about that.
Remember when bloggers once ruled the world?
We started the rumors, they just added fuel to the fire.
We wrote about the best rock stars, they just posted pictures of them.
We wrote the reviews, they reblogged them.
We earned our followers, they received them like a Christmas present.
But no matter how hard we try, they're still more popular.
They still have the most followers.
They still get more book deals.
People keep saying we should just make a compromise, but NO!
Let the flames begin.
The internet is rightfully ours.
Remember when we were the kings and queens?
So we shall be again,
And we'll come back for what they've stolen.
The world was ours,
And so it will be again,

Because there is nothing we do better than revenge.

Everybody wants to rule the world,

But only one company can: BLOGGER.

Relient K is for KaraoKe!

If there's one band that loves the letter "K", it's Relient K.

A is for Apple
B is for Ball
C is for Chap-Stick
D is for Dog
E is for England (couldn't think of anything better!)
F is for Forgiven
G is for God
H is for HOPE!
I is for Igloo
J is for Jell-O
K is for KaraoKe!

I was upset when I found out Relient K was coming out with a cover album (and not originals) as I mentioned in my letter to Matt recently. But then I actually heard the covers, and I was like, "Never mind! This is good!"

The members are all grown up, have kids, and Matt [Thiessen] is helping Adam Young (from Owl City) with his tour and such, so we the fans are lucky that they're even coming out with a new album.

2:54 is my Matt being a little nerd :) But that's just his personality... Who else would wear a sweater and khaki pants to the Sadie Hawkins Dance?

I mentally cracked up when I heard "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"--- I mean, zero girls in Relient K! Maybe I would have actually laughed if I weren't watching Switched at Birth (love that show!) the first time I saw it, and not wearing a tight facial mask the second time. But hey, who said you had to be a girl to have fun? Relient K just wants to have fun, too!

You probably laughed when you heard "Baby", Relient K style. Since the album is out now, you get to hear it full version! I know, you love me for posting it, don'tcha?

Only Relient K could take a Justin Bieber song and do it better than he did! Well actually, a lot of people can do that. BUT! I think this is the best Justin Bieber cover anyone has done! Is it me or does this version sound kind of... sad?

But whatever. I hope you had fun with the listening party and following me on my journey to being a HUGE Relient K fan!

P.S. I've been watching a lot of TV lately, and I've found some amazing shows on ABC Family! The Secret Life is addictive, but if ANY OF YOU end up like ANY OF THOSE TEENAGERS, I'm gonna show up at your house and you're not gonna like it. But, a great show to watch is Switched At Birth! I give it five stars because it hardly ever uses bad language and the show is completely appropriate for anyone ages 12 and up. It's on ABC Family, 8/7 Central (I think--- check out the channel to make sure), so go check it out--- you'll love it, GUARANTEED.

P.P.S. Deas Vail has a new song, but ssshhh! I can't tell you about it yet! Wait until fall... unless the title slips out of my mouth (or hands... I'm typing)!

Amazing Lips In Minutes!

What have YOU been doing? This started out as a YOUR BLOG, and so it continues as one, asking what YOU'VE been doing to keep your style ahead of your schedule.

Well, here's what I've been doing: On Wednesdays, I pull off my best outfit. With extremely short hair, it is quite difficult to try something new when you don't have much hair to work with. So I've been trying new things, adding funky beach hats (although someone said something really mean about my hat today, which is stupid--- floppy hats are in style, so what's wrong with wearing them?), adding a little bit of color every so often, and experimenting.

Here's what I'm NOT: A destined scientist. But here's what I AM: A girl who loves her beauty products and fashion blogs. Although I don't have my own fashion blog, I did welcome Eighth Graders Anonymous to the YOUR BLOGS. That's a school blog full of humor and the hatred of homework (that I have yet to receive).

I was on Victoria's blog (she's an old friend and still a very good one) and she had a post on how to make your own lipstick out of household items. I love anything that is applied to the lips!

The original recipe is Vaseline (petroleum jelly) and eyeshadow, but since I didn't really have either of the products handy (my mom's bathroom doors were locked and that holds all the makeup on the planet), I made up my own recipe for amazing lips. You're gonna love your lipstick when it's done! It will moisturize and protect like a balm, shine and feel like a gloss, and strut bold and long-lasting color like a lipstick. What's better than this?

3-in-1 Balm, Gloss, and Stick.

• First, you're gonna need Vaseline, or any petroleum-based product in your house. Take a little bit out of the container with a spoon or butter/plastic knife, then put it in a microwaveable bowl, preferably the smallest one you can find.
• Now, find yourself some food coloring (originally it is supposed to be eyeshadow--- your choice of which you want to do). Pick your favorite color that describes your personality and put six squirts in or mix in a whole bunch with a toothpick.
• Once the concoction is all mixed up and the color is spread even, stick it in the microwave. If your microwave cooks quickly or is new, give it 45-50 seconds. If your microwave cooks slow or is old, give it 60-90 seconds, which is enough--- guaranteed.
• Stick it in a small container! (Get creative on this one.)
• Freeze it for about 10 minutes.
• Wear it proudly! (After you've prepared your lips as you'll learn how to do below.)

Now that you've given 15 minutes of your time creating it, it's time to prepare your lips for the best day ever! A great beauty product takes some getting used to, so make sure your lips are up to the challenge!

Here's some Chap-Stick for your chapped lips--- It's almost like chemistry!

• Get the wettest lip medication you can find. And when I say wet, I mean wet. Find yourself some NIVEA or ChapIce (you can find ChapIce at DollarTree--- it works just as well as NIVEA).
• Now, simply get a lip oil treatment. These are a little difficult to find, but if you go all out for it, you'll find some. It works REALLY REALLY well. But if you can't find any, it's not the end of the world. Olive oil will work just fine.
• Your lips are ready! Now, apply your homemade lipstick--- it will top it off!

Looking for some ACTION?

• A shimmery gloss should be applied in the Cupid's Bow of your upper lip (that's the top-center). This will make a marvelous finishing touch.
• A powder will look great if you use it lightly on the sides of your lower lip (this is where you can use eyeshadow if you haven't already).
• Use an Outlast Lipstain (CoverGirl) BEFORE you apply the lipstick. Use it as a liner to give your look the extra oomph (if the lipstain dries out, simply fill the cap with water and put it back on it, and that will bring back the color).
• A clear gloss will be great to attract attention and turn an unusual look (my homemade lipstick is green) glamorous!

Use this in YOUR beauty routine and see your lips like you haven't seen them before! Not only because you're sealing moisture in and you'll be thanking me in the windy winter, but you're avoiding all the gross beauty nasties that not even makeup artists can pronounce!

Why You Gotta Be So MEAN???

Yes, I am a little bit of a Taylor Swift fan. This post is somewhat a sequel to "Spread the Word to END the Word".

I don't think anyone likes to be bullied, just stating the obvious. That's why I had my HEROES week earlier this year. I thought long and hard about saving this post for the next HEROES week, but no. I decided this shouldn't have to wait.

Do YOU think heroes are only in movies? What about villains?

I don't exactly agree with the bridge of ^^^"Mean"^^^, mainly I don't like the whole "I can see you years from now in a bar..." I mean, gosh... don't bring the person down that brought you down! Also I just don't like bars (obviously). I also don't like "All you are is mean. And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life..." NO ONE is alone in life, no matter how mean they are, Miss Swift.

I posted this post because there is a movie premiering on ABC Family on Sunday called "Cyberbu//y". So why do people do it? Why are there cyberbullies?

My guess is that people can't see you on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace (if anyone still uses that), BlogSpot, Tumblr, or WordPress. When no one can hear your words or see you saying them, you feel less bad about it because you don't see the reactions. It's not just that. I'm not a mean person, let alone a bully, and I feel comfortable saying anything and everything on my blog. I'm not afraid to say that I basically cried at the end of "Inception" and "Letters To God". I'm not afraid to even tell you some of my secrets. But if I were speaking to you in real life, you wouldn't know much about me at all. I tell my fellow bloggies things that I haven't even told my closest friends. Honestly, I think my followers know more about me than my besties.

So, since people are more comfortable on the computer when they don't have to face their opponent face-to-face, they feel free to say it and don't always think about the end result.

They don't always think that the person could be crying right now.
They don't always think that the person might be cutting their wrists right now.
They don't always think that the person has developed an eating disorder.
They don't always think that the person is having suicidal thoughts.
They don't always think that the person might not be alive tomorrow.

They think that the person will get over it eventually.
They think it doesn't really matter.
They think that their words won't be taken seriously.
They DON'T think about how fate could be just around the corner.

They know that their words wouldn't have been said out loud (most likely).

"You keep telling yourself what you know. But what do you believe?"

-Mal, "Inception".

I believe that bullying probably won't be stopped, but you'll never know. Even though it is impossible to completely erase something out of this world of billions of people, you have to have faith.You have to believe that anything is possible.

"It's not faith if you're using your eyes... I've gone for too long living like I'm not alive, so I'm gonna start over tonight, beginning with you and I..."

-Paramore, "Miracle"

Guitar Princess!

All hail the queen of guitar.

Okay, let's not put me on a pedestal, but I've got some amazing news! I'm learning guitar--- starting today! I have owned a guitar for nearly five years now, but quit on the first lesson. I'm not gonna let difficulty get the best of me now, haha!

I've got a few motivations that make me more than excited to finally learn how to play an instrument!

1. Josh (he's in the FAF band, just in case you don't know me in real life) said that girls are only good at piano and vocals. So, I am going to prove that girls can be good at guitar and bass, also! I'm not a feminist or anything, but you can never underestimate the things a girl can do!
2. My guitar was my favorite Christmas present when I was eight. I could have been REALLY REALLY good at playing it by now, but hey, I'm twelve. I've still got a lot of years ahead of me so I can still get really good at it... I'm still young. Yes, I'm twelve, although it doesn't look like it at all.
3. I've always wanted to learn how to play an instrument, not including vocals! When I was little, since my dad can play acoustic, electric, and bass guitar, I always wanted to follow in his footsteps and play on a worship team someday. Now I actually have a chance to do it! It's gonna take a lot of practice, though. No problem with that... I need something to fill up my summer days.
4. My guitar is pink! It's really cute! I'd love to be on a worship team and like, everybody has a tan guitar and then there's a random pink one!
5. I'll have something to hold whenever I sing. Stage presence won't be that hard to achieve.

So yep! Special thanks to my daddy for finally changing my guitar strings, offering (okay... maybe I am a little demanding) to teach me, and going out and buying the guitar in the first place! And it's pink AND a lefty guitar... that's the best part :).

Good evening, bloggas!

***UPDATE: I just broke my first guitar string today! Oh, progress...***

Spread the Word to END the Word

Ever posted a comment on this blog? If not, now would be a good time to look at the comment form. In my message I have above it, it mentions the words you can't say, "Retarded" being one of them.

No one has called me a retard, but I know people that have been called that, and it hurts--- especially if the word is targetted towards someone with a learning disability.

I know that the ^^^VIDEO^^^ was really long, but it's important that you watch it.

Think about it like this: Most Americans know people or have friends who are disabled (mentally or physically). So, if you know someone who is disabled, imagine saying "You're such a retard" to their face. That'd be snobby, that'd be rude, that'd be ignorant, and most of all, that'd be disrespectful.

Although the "R" word is not a cuss word, it still needs to be taken out of your vocabulary. So, please. Don't call anyone retarded. That's a word that needs to be crossed out, also.

Tweet about this. Facebook about this. Blog about this. Do something about this.

Together, we can spread the word... to end the word.

"Heroes are made when you make a choice..."

-Superchick, "Hero"

Dream a Little Bigger, Darling

Here are the best scores you'll EVER find! Featuring Hans Zimmer, Trevor Rabin, and Harry Gregson-Williams!

What should you do while writing? Ask young author Victoria Kasten any day! She's completely open to interviews, and she's so easy to talk to, as you may or may not have seen here.

She once said (and I was there!) that while writing, you should listen to music. A fun fact about her is that she's musically talented, too; PLUS she also hates math! Now, Victoria Kasten-Tecken, Matthew Thiessen, and me are in the same club!

Although she's all for listening to music while writing, here's what she's NOT for: Music with lyrics. "I accidentally wrote the lyrics [in a book] once," she said back in April. She loves music with lyrics, but no, not while writing.

And I have to say I'd agree. Since I've been listening to more music than the amount of TV I watch, my titles have become less original and my sentences have become familiar--- the I-heard-that-somewhere kind of familiar.

So, here are some scores to help you write well from the best composers (that are still alive) known to man and woman kind!

<3 Harry Gregson-Williams <3

That song was my Level 4 gymnastics floor exercise music which introduced me to this man who is well-known for his impressive Narnia scores.

<3 Trevor Rabin <3

Last but not least...

<3 Hans Zimmer <3

These are just three of Hollywood's best (and my favorite) composers. Listen to them responsibly... you just might get addicted!

Operation: Fun Fun Fun FUN!

Operation: Stage Presence obviously was not enough. My presence still sucks... just not as badly. So, here are some more videos to (hopefully) help my presence, and maybe even yours if this applies to you.

I love the violins at 3:02, but my favorite part is 3:08 when afterwards, everybody kicks in and it gets loud again! Check out my lyric post "For Those Who Wait". Doesn't this song "Set your heart on fire"? Doesn't "It set you free"?

This song doesn't help me completely (when it comes to movement), but it sure does set my heart on fire, and Dawn (lead vocalist) shows some amazing facial expression. Wendy (bassist with the amazing red/black hair) is always doing something when they show her. It doesn't matter that she headbangs. She's doing SOMETHING. And the guitar guys (one of which is named Glenn whom is married to Wendy) show that you need to LOOK UP!!! Don't stare at your guitar the whole time! And you can even learn from the young actress--- show expression. That's it.

Do you see Hayley's emotion at 3:01? Doesn't she look so much younger at 2:58?

Show emotion. But this video is mainly for you guitar players. See how Josh, Jeremy, and the other guy are jumping around like there's no tomorrow? Simply just... have fun.

Christina, HEY! Katherine. Lisa! Amy. LAUREN! Dani.

I love the guitar at 2:59. I especially love Lisa's voice at 3:12 through to 3:15 when she's like, "Oh, oh, oh oh oh, oh oh".

This video shows that you should just have FUN! CIMORELLI has a song for that, too... check out their "Friday" cover I posted back in May. This has a lot to do with sound, too. They use a lot of autotune now, so their wonderful voices don't make me feel like nothing because I know they had extra help. See how they're in almost perfect harmony, though? Yeah.

Also, you see how much fun they're having? Katherine having a ball at 0:32. Lauren hugging herself at 0:39. Christina jamming to the beat at 0:44. Lisa waving her hands at 1:29. Dani dancing at 1:36. Katherine throwing her hands up at 1:44. They're all one big happy family, yes, but they're having SO MUCH FUN! If they're not having a good time, they're good at faking. I know I wouldn't like having to sing with my sisters (again).

Don't be afraid to look silly! It'll put the audience in a GREAT mood!

Just. Have. FUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNN!

PS: Our church has some new worship interns that have been here for about a month now... I think they're awesome and I hope they stay here forever! I know forever is a long time, yes. Just thought I should say something. I know it was random and weird to bring up, but Taylor Swift says you should speak now, and John Mayer says you should say what you need to say. So that was what I needed to say.

Is It Real Or Is It... INCEPTION?

Inception. Planting an idea in someone's mind.

If you listen closely, at 2:03, you will hear an electric guitar. Doesn't it sound so cool? Although my favorite composer is Harry Gregson-Williams (the "X-Men" and {Disney/Walden} "Narnia" composer), I must admit I am impressed with this guy. I thought that this piece ("Time") was just beautiful. I loved the way "Inception" ended... especially when Arthur chuckled after he woke up.

Well, here's something more: Me and Matt Thiessen (Relient K's lead vocalist) have three things in common:

1. Chap-stick
2. Chapped lips
3. And things like chemistry.

"Chap-stick, Chapped Lips, and Things Like Chemistry" used to be on my mp3 when I was younger, but now I have an iPod. So now I've got three CDs with Relient K songs on them to hunt down.

That song is too funny. I love it when Matt is crowd surfing on top of the old people. Hilarious.

You see, I really like lip gloss, but not chap-stick. I don't know if Matt really likes chap-stick or he just really needs it.

As for chapped lips, I have really badly chapped lips most of the time. I really need chap-stick, but I don't want some right now.

Things like chemistry. I think I see where this dude is going. He must hate science, math, geography, calculus, biology, physics... all that crazy stuff. Welcome to my world.

I've never exactly lost my phone on a Batman ride, but me and Matt are both from Ohio. Even though I wasn't born there, and I doubt he lives there anymore, we're even.We also both listen to Deas Vail... he's just a few steps ahead of me but only because he toured with them and sang with them. That's it. We're both Christians. Both love music. Both have naturally curly hair. Similar vocal ranges (except that I'm a girl). Both are awesome peeps!
~~~~~~
So Matt,
If you're out there, I just wanna say hi. I think you're awesome. I love your hair. You may not be on my blog's best hair list, but you're on MY best hair list, and that's all that matters. "I must have done something right"... in fact, I know I did... I found "the best thing"--- Relient K! I heard you're coming out with a cover album soon, but I'm a little upset that they're covers and not originals. But you're forgiven. Besides, you do know that I'd take you to the "Sadie Hawkins dance" any day, right? But one question...

Do you like my sweater?
-Hope!
~~~~~
Great news, y'all! You're gonna be SOOOO jealous of me--- I just pre-ordered Deas Vail's upcoming self-titled album off of their merch site! I'm so excited! And what's even BETTER? Well, not only is it my first time pre-ordering anything (I never pre-order things because I usually just wait for it to come out in stores, so you know I really like this band if I'll pre-order!), but I also have a chance at receiving a free wristband and autographed poster! I just might be a part of the one hundred!

It's gonna be hard to not get my hopes up... the meesley two Deas Vail songs on my iPod are about to turn into fourteen--- in September.

It's gonna be a long wait, but...

"Remember that it's hard, because it's worthwhile."

-Deas Vail, Sixteen

All That Glitters

I figured that I might as well give you an update on all things me: My favorite bands, books I'm writing, poetry, the FAF band, and more news about my favorite bands.

The best bands on earth are signed to "Mono Vs. Stereo".
I just figured out today about "Sadie Hawkin's Dance", a Relient K song--- a really old one at that. It used to be on my mp3 when I was little and I didn't even know it was by Relient K! So, I've been listening to them since I was eight, actually. And by coinsidence, in the springtime of this year, they toured with Paramore. Paramore is mainstream, Relient K is Christian. They both sound great... I'd kill to be at that concert. Turns out "Chap Stick, Chapped Lips, And Things Like Chemistry" is by them, too. That used to be on my mp3, also! Wow, I used to be a Relient K fan and didn't even know I was.

^^^I LOOOOVVVVEEEE this song by Relient K! The pickup line ("we should get jerseys... cuz we make a good team") is awesome. It kinda makes me laugh.^^^

Then, another great band signed to the same label is the legendary, I blog about them too often, Deas Vail.

And no wonder that this band is so good, they've toured with both Relient K and Owl City. They sound amazing, and it upsets me that they have less than 10,000 views so far for this song. Their most popular one hasn't even reached 100,000 yet. I kinda wish I was the only person in the whole world that had heard of this band, but, if I were the only one, I'd still be a ParaHolic because Nathan E. is the one that introduced me to Deas Vail. That's a major pro that came out of joining ThExperience FAF Christian Band. (Please visit their Tumblr blog. It's an exceptional blog.)

On the paper side of things...
I've been trying to finish "Unspoken" and all these ideas have been popping into my mind!

"Viva Las Vegas" is now called "Fourteen", because the number matches up with the murder timings and amounts.

"Never Say Never" has been changed back to the title "Loser!"

"A New Perspective" has been changed back to the title "The Interstate".

"Bury The Castle" is now called "On Death's Edge" because that title sounds WAAAYYY more unique.

BRAND NEW AND IMPORTANT: I'm working on a book called "Yellow Ribbons", which is about a girl who's fiance or husband has been deployed to Iraq. I might enter a chapter of it into the District Fine Arts Festival. I'm trying to find out if he should be her hubby or fiance.

"The poet and the beat..."
I love music (just stating the obvious). I love writing. So:

Music lover + Poetry + Putting it to music = Perfect combination.

One problem: Putting it to music. My songs always end up... um... quite bogus. BUT! I can still write poetry and dream up music to put with it! You should see more poems from me soon.

Everything? Temporarily falling apart.
Band has been great lately. Absolutely awesome. Wonderful. But far from perfect, which is okay with me but... this describes our practice on Sunday:

FIRST RUNTHROUGH
Amazing!

MIDDLE
Brian: Drums off beat.
Mariah: Forgetting the next chorus again.
Mark: Piano player absent for his brother's graduation.
Hope (me): Not even saying lyrics on some parts... kinda mumbling.
Nathan: Already ending the song!

The others (Josh and Chris) did fine though, but we were all quite lost.

END
We ended on a high note at least.

Yeah. Not our finest practice. We're each working on our stage presence, so hopefully we'll do good in Phoenix. And hopefully that mini dust bowl there clears up so we can fly down there.

That's a great deal!
Deas Vail is the best band in the world and they want to show you the LOOOOOVVVVEEEE. First of all, their 2009 album, "Birds and Cages", is only $5 for the rest of July. AND! If you pre-order the upcoming album, "Deas Vail", they will ship it to your house on September 2nd and if your apart of the first 100 customers (you probably will be because they're not a popular band at all), you'll get a wristband for free with an autographed poster. Come on! You can't resist! If you're excited about this, Wes will give you the details.

See ya later!

Some Things I'll Never Figure Out...

Okay, so after showing you Yoga Farm, you may have noticed that I watch some over-the-top videos.

This is Mark, being Mark. Now ^^^THAT^^^ is real stage presence, what our band needs. Mark, you better show that presence onstage at FAF... I mean it.

I already showed you this... I know.

Just look at their facial expressions! Prism blogged this awhile ago and said that she loves the way the man hits the phone that one last time.

I used to have DIRECTV... now I wish I hadn't switched to U-Verse. I'm not lying... "That's the truth, Truth!"

And make sure you view Chicken Hawk. It's just too hilarious. I was watching Looney Tunes the other day, and this song just randomly came on. And there's a BASSET HOUND SINGING IT??? Come on, that's just weird. That was un-called for.

Just thought I'd have fun today. Don't forget to watch "Summer Forgets me"!

Don't Let Summer Forget You!

^^^Deas Vail's new music video filmed about a week ago. Love it. It's important for you to know that YouTube only counted MY views. I feel so important.^^^

Special thanks to Nathan E.! Thanks for telling me to look up this song! Now, you better have kept your promise... you better have viewed Yoga Farm.

I really hope you listened to that video I posted. It's an amazing song and video, and I'm-I'm-I'm so excited, I'm so excited for September 6th! Deas Vail's new album comes out that day! This song means so much to me... I think I might cry I'm so excited for this album. If I could have this entire band to myself...

Everything is wonderful (except that this band has a Tumblr blog--- I'm anti-Tumblr). The vocals (and Wesley's "inhuman vocal range"). The piano. The bass. The guitar. The drums--- although I admit I don't pay much attention to drums. This band is even more talented than--- than---Oh, this is too hard to say---Deas Vail is better than Paramore. I'm sorry. I had to say it.

And they're growing up. Wesley's voice is a little different, Laura looks a lot more mature and pretty--- she was pretty before also, but you know what I mean. And those two are married... they're the perfect two for each other!

So! Are you having a good summer? I decided to post more tips for you (and myself)! If you're having a good summer, then that's great! But let's change our blogs for the better... we can make a Blogger revolution--- Tumblr users NOT included! So here's what we all need to work on so we can make sure summer doesn't forget us.

1. Copyright is what it is. I'm working on this one, honestly. It's so easy to get caught in the photos and videos and everything blogging has to offer, but remember to mention that you don't own any copyrighted material (unless it's really yours). Let's stay out of lawsuits this year, okay?
2. Tell 'em what you know. I know, it's fun to talk about the things you love. So, why not blog about them? Love makeup? Blog about your favorite products. Love fashion? Blog fashion tips. Love music? Blog about the music industry and what you know--- what'd ya think of "Mono Vs. Stereo"? 
3. Hear it from a new perspective. A really fun thing that comes along with blogging and journalism is interviewing. If you have no experience, interview interesting people you know will answer your questions like a friend or cousin. I started out that way and moved my way up to meteorologists and authors!
4. Write it in quotations. Got a favorite quote? Post it, girl (or boy)! Use it in replace of a blog description or end a post with a quote you like. You can find a good quote anywhere--- a song, a movie, a book, a magazine, etc.
5. The Blogger's Diaries. Going to camp this summer? If not, are you going on vacation? Or maybe you're going on a trip with a whole bunch of kids from church on a trip like the National Fine Arts Festival--- I'm excited for it, except, well... six guys and only two other girls. Yikes. If you're going anywhere, keep a diary no matter what gender you are! Then, you can blog about it when you get back with ease because you don't have to brainstorm for memories! Summer may not forget you, but make sure you don't forget summer!
6. Stay positive. No one likes to read a blog that puts them in a bad mood, and a lot of the Tumblr blogs are like that... just saying. Make sure your blog makes people happy and want to come back.
7. Everyone loves a giveaway! This is one major thing I love about reviewing books. It makes it affordable to giveaway your gently used books. I've got four free books at home, but one got marker on it, the one I'm currently reading is peeling (yes, peeling), one has writing in it, and the other is "Departures", but I loved it and am sure I'd regret giving it away!
8. What do they think? You might have an "Ask Me" page on your blog, but you should ask THEM. Polls are always fun to make, and they're fun to see--- especially seeing the votes pile up!
9. This one's for the bands. Got a favorite band? Do them a favor and make them known! Blog about them! You know and I know that I am in love with Deas Vail, Fireflight, Relient K, Paramore, and it might surprise you that I'm a OneRepublic fan, too. This is the exact order of my favorite bands--- as unrealistic as it is, Paramore really is in fourth place. A few months ago, they would have placed first.
10. Repeat! Do you like these tips? Why don't you make your own?
11. Don't be afraid of non-successful posts. We're mostly all bloggers here (not Tumblrs), so we've all had a few posts that didn't go... anywhere. That's okay. Try to find out why the post didn't succeed, find out what your insecurities about the post are, and the next post is guaranteed to be better, you have my word for it.
12. Make yourself known. Review for book companies, and blog updates about stories you're working on so that people know you're out there by the time you're finally on the market.
13. Seal it with a smile or a kiss--- either will suffice! Make your blog so unique it will blow people's minds away. Make people think the internet's "about to BLO-O-O-O-O-O-O-OW".

Have a good rest-of-summer! Don't let summer forget you, and don't let the internet forget the REAL BLOGGERS--- the Blogspot bloggers!

"You said the words and You didn't even speak... I see the tide is coming to get me. I don't know who You wanted me to be, I gave a lot, but never what You need. Winter comes, and summer forgets me."

-Deas Vail, "Summer Forgets Me". Their newest and best song.... so far!

UPDATE: If you like "Summer Forgets Me" at all, and you can't get enough of it (it's Deas Vail... I don't blame you), please go to this site when you view it. If everyone views it on this site at least five times, I could be listed on the video as one of the first referrals to the video. So please, help a girl out. I'm begging you.