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.

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!

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. 

Mono Vs. Stereo

Do you listen to Deas Vail? I bet a song by them is playing on this blog right this moment. Do you listen to Relient K? If you do, then you probably know that the bands have two things in common: Birds (Matt from Relient K sang the bridge with Wes in that song) and their label, Mono Vs. Stereo.

This might bring you to wonder: What exactly is "mono"? What does that have to do with a stereo?

You can listen to a song in two different ways: Mono or Stereo. Ever tried listening to a song with only one earbud? I bet you a hug that it didn't sound half as good as if you had the buds in both ears. That's because if that's happened to you, you were listening to Stereo. Stereo is when certain speakers play certain instruments, like if there's this killer guitar riff, most likely it will only play in one ear. Stereo is separated.

So, we know what Stereo is. Now what's Mono? Well, that killer guitar riff I told you about? If you're listening in Mono, you'll hear an equal sound in both ears--- Guitar riff times two. Mono is balanced.

Yet still, Stereo is better if you want the best out of you music.

Just throwing that out there for ya! Be sure to pick Stereo this summer!

June's Perfect Ending

Ah... I used to think that my life is boring, but I think it's anything but! My life has always been fun, but it's getting more interesting day after day.

Yesterday was the TATTOO festival, which is like a one-day fair on WPAFB. My family has made it a tradition to go, and we've been going since we've lived in this area. I didn't go last year because I was at camp and I didn't go the year before that either.

This year I expected TATTOO to be very boring because I always sit in the car with my parents, listen to the bands, and wait for the fireworks ("Baby you're a FIIIIIIREWORK!"). This year, me and my siblings got a blanket and sat on the lawn instead.

I suddenly heard voices approaching our blanket from behind. At first, I thought it was someone I strongly dislike (*COUGH* hate *COUGH*), but no--- it was my friends Brittany and Baileigh, and their aunt, Mrs. Amy!

So, Baileigh spent the [approximately] five hours with me and my sisters and it was so much fun! Cartwheeling, somewhat-frisbee-ing, talking (duh!), reading while daylight was still there, eating, eating some more, and watching the FIIIIIIREWORKS!! There's more I can add.

After having to convince our parents, they let me and my sisters spend the night at Brit and Bai's house. It was... we are some pretty interesting kids.

A few rounds of me singing and playing bass on "Rock Band"...

(I was a little pitchy singing ^^^THAT SONG^^^ this morning because, well, it was morning!)

Believe it or not, we played with flash cards. Our arithmetic (yes, all of us) sucks badly. Probably just because it was midnight, we had walked back to the Base housing after five hours at the festival, and we were so tired that we got 5 x 5 wrong. Okay, I'm the only one that got that wrong for embarrassing reasons.

And one weird thing is that I kept waking up in the middle of the night. Well, Baileigh had a really repetitive radio station on the radio, and every time I woke up "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele was on. Bruno Mars and Nicki Minaj kept getting overplayed, too.

And back to the "Rock Band" thing: Okay, so if you get a woman who can play clarinet and a man who is a semi-pro on bass, their youngest daughter sings??? It makes no sense. I was born with rhythm, a voice, and the ability to learn songs on bass and piano by ear. That's it. However, when it comes to pressing buttons on "Rock Band", I have to do Easy mode (believe it or not, that's difficult for me, too). How is it that my dad plays bass all the time and I can't even play a video game??? Well, if there's one thing I'm good at on "Rock Band", it's the vocals. I can do Expert mode on that.

And one reason guitar and bass are really hard for me could be that I'm usually on the right side of the screen, so the buttons I see on there are in reverse on the actual guitar. And it's hard for me to control the guitar with the whole Lefty Mode thing, and when you'd normally go down while finding a character, I'd have to strum up to go down or vice versa. Yeah.

ANYWAY! Do you know how off-topic I've gotten? I was SUPPOSED to be blogging about today's bikeride. I guess I'll have to save that for another day...

Hope's Declassified: Blog Survival Guide

Along with summer comes no school, which is the main perk of it, eh? For bloggers, that can be the main problem. Not only is summer one of the most incredibly boring seasons, but no school means no education. And no education means no reason to capitalize, use correct punctuation, and correct spelling. Why no reason? Because you're not getting a grade.

My first tip is use your smarts! Don't lose them! Treat your blog like a school assignment. I know what you're about to say: It's summer. BUT! Summer does not mean you have to back off all you know and make your blog look like you're in first grade. Even though you gotta be careful, that doesn't mean you can't have fun--- that just means have a safe blogging summer!

The rewards for great grammar this summer are limitless. Whenever you apply for college (if you're an adult and are done with college, well... sorry), the same people who will be checking out your supposedly "deleted" posts on Facebook will be checking out your blog. When they see how good your grammar is, that'll be a red flag that they should accept you. That's also a warning not to post anything you don't want your grandma seeing. I understand if you don't want your parents seeing it, though... I understand. But, just think. Before you post a photo of yourself, remember that a fifty-year-old guy will be seeing it, so make it appropriate. Before you openly cuss, remember that scholars twice your age are seeing it and are frowning upon it.

So, here are my tips for a safe, fun blogging summer!

1. Be original. If you see something you like that's received a lot of publicity on a friend's (or wish you were friends with) blog, it's okay to get the gadget, but don't copy their title or something crazy like that. And when I say be original, that also means don't cover a topic that's already been blogged... that's just not cool, okay?
2. Get plugged in. If you love reading, I encourage you to apply/sign up for a reviewing program with any publisher. I do it for Thomas Nelson and Multnomah, and not only does it make my blog more popular with my posts about their books, but I get FREE BOOKS--- and all they want in exchange is a blog post! You gotta admit, that's legit.
3. Find a new blog to read. Are you bored with the blogs you're currently following? Simply check out what your fellow bloggers are reading. Finding a new blog through a mutual friend is always a great experience, and it will do a lot for you--- by reading other amazing blogs, I learned about reviewing, (free books, baby!) got introduced to another design website, and found some really cool gadgets! So, go find a new blog to read this summer!
4. Give yourself a break. It is nearly impossible to keep up with a blog everyday---for both the blogger and the reader---without getting completely stressed. Readers don't like to read blogs that they have to worry about what they missed out on because they didn't get on one day. Bloggers don't like surrendering everything to blog. So, just take time to check out the blog and not post anything, no matter what the urge to post is. Just give yourself a pat on the back for what you've already worked so hard on.
5. Be unpredictable. Just like viewers don't like movies that have obvious endings, readers don't like blogs that are predictable. What I mean is, spread out the times when you post. Don't always post on Wednesdays and Fridays. Change the lineup every so often, sometimes post on Tuesdays, sometimes Sundays, etc. I know it can be hard, ESPECIALLY when you're the host of a blog hop. But try to change up the times you post. If you can't change, simply schedule your posts to be on a different day, which is something that always works when you're going on vacation or a trip.
6. Let the music move you. Do you love music? Welcome to the club. There's so much you can do in this area. Post the lyrics of your favorite songs, (my favorite lyric posts I made are "Sixteen" and "Forgiven...") make a playlist of your favorite genre or artist, or simply listen to iTunes/Windows Media Player while blogging.
7. Get real. Is what I'm about to say cliché??? You bet. Be yourself. Please. People will absolutely love you--- they'll ADORE YOU if you'd just be true to yourself. Why? Because you're amazing... just the way you are.

Endless Possibilities...

Ahh... summer. You're back, just in time.

Summer arrived a little too quickly, this year. I barely have raised any money for my NFAF trip, but I'm working on it. My friend Natalie (our band's lead singer's sister) is raising money to go to Missions Extreme by selling pies. I have my own special pie recipe... any competition, Natalie? Just kidding, I've got leftover duct tape items to sell.

Well, along with summer comes some rowdy reviews. I agreed to review "The Seraph Seal" from Tommy Nelson, and gosh... like, 600 or more pages to read. Oh well, because it's a very interesting book. Then, I am reviewing "Praying For Your Future Husband" from Multnomah. Exciting, because:

1. I received the last available copy, so I will be the last blogger reviewing that book.
2. Robin Jones Gunn co-wrote it--- she is the author of Departures!
3. I started reading and it's far from boring!

Plus, I will be posting some of my blogging secrets! But before that, I need to reach 30 followers! I'll still do it if I don't, but that's my goal. I got two followers in the past week, Leah (my friend from before I was five) and Monsmons (I know her from Gymnastics IS Life!) !

Be sure to visit GIL because we're keeping up with two very interesting asthletes--- Bruce and Kendall Jenner!

My blogging bestie CoCo is having her follower appreciation week! Sweet of her, because I'm her follower! PLEASE, go give Coco more followers and follow her! She has a great blog.

Oh, life.

What Time Is It? Summertime!

Tumblr Challenge Day 9: two emoticons that describe your life right now.

1. ;P
2. :!
~~~~~~
what time is it? Summertime! Yep, I'm finally done with school for the year. Done with homeschool and entering public school. And then next year, I'll be done with middle school and into high school. Oh, life.

Enjoy your summer and I'll be sure to post often!