Swing Dance 2013

So, on the first Friday in February, my school's music department held the winter annual Swing Dance! It's where the music department kids and jazz groups (jazz bands, vocal jazz, etc.) come together and make music and actually swing dance. It's a ton of fun because it's a bit of a departure from the normal Homecoming, Turnabout, etc., and the jazz is awesome and everyone looks classy.

But the one thing that could have ruined it this year....DID.

Our school's weekly production show, Wildcat Weekly, decided to do a segment on Swing Dance, exposing this amazing, private event to the public, who already have their Homecomings and their Turnabouts, etc. I was like, "What, NOT COOL." But, you can't always get what you want. So, we would have to *sigh* SHARE the dance. But it was fine; I would concentrate on me and my friends and we would have a great time!

So, I go home that Friday and get ready: take a shower, dry my hair, curl it, do my makeup all nice and fancy, and put on my dress, tights and flats. Me and my sister both looked awesome and mod and classy.

So we get there and we meet up with our friends and mill around in the common area for a bit, then at 7 pm, the gym doors open and this whole crowd of kids heads in to get our swing dancing lesson! It was a lot of fun, and I was able to brush up on my swing skills a bit; turns out, I had been doing it wrong for a whole year....whoops!

After an hour long dance lesson, we were shepherded into the cafeteria, where the jazz bands proceeded to set up for the first set and we awkwardly hung out and talked with our friends. But once the music got going, we were on fire! I don't think I stopped dancing once with all of my friends, I was having too much fun! The music changes were flawless and the music itself was great: a lot of upbeat, big band numbers, with no slow dances (a crisis averted for single pringles, like myself).

At the end of the night, it started to snow. I collected my jacket, purse, and my sister. We said goodbye to our friends as the last jazz number ended and we left the school, smiling, because this dance was an awesome break from the hectic start to the 3rd Quarter.  I just love Swing Dance so much because it's different, fun, and unique, and I know it's a memory I will look back on fondly from my high school years.

  Me and my sister before Swing Dance! On me: Dress: Forever 21. Belt: Forever 21. On Jill: Shirt: Forever 21. Skirt: Forever 21.

Interval

Hello blog readers,

I know it has been a while since I last posted

But I have been busy

With auditions and callbacks and private lessons and homework and projects and shopping and Downton Abbey and stalking celebrities.

So everything's typical, but it's too busy at the same time

I promise promise PROMISE I will write something this weekend, I have missed you all.

There will be pictures

And rants

So the usual, but be prepared

Bisous





P.S. I READ THE FAULT IN OUR STARS AND OMG

AP Euro Struggles and Successes

Around this time last year, I was a freshman in high school, ready to complete my course selections for my upcoming sophomore year. I was totally set in all of my core subjects except for one, my Social Studies course. I was taking a freshman accelerated history course, Honors World History, and I loved it and knew I wanted to continue down that path, but I just didn't know what to do. That was when my teacher recommended me to take AP European History.

AP European History is a 10-12th grade level course, but most sophomores take it. It is notorious as one of Neuqua Valley's hardest classes to take, but it's a ton of fun too! We do plenty of skits & group projects, watch movies, and eat a ton of food, since we have Wednesday Treat Day every week.  

My year in AP Euro started off pretty successful: turning in all my summer work and getting good marks for it and receiving a fair grade on the first test of the year. I met a ton of new people through the class, and reconnected with some old faces, and we all bonded! I thought with these grades, and this kind of support system, I knew what to expect, but was I wrong. 

Because marching band took over, I struggled in this class for a while. I failed or received D's on three tests in a row, wasted tons of time on my note taking when really I was just copying my textbook word for word, and got too caught up in the social aspect of the class with the mentality "It's a college level course. Of course it's hard and of course I'm going to struggle. If I get a B in the class, whatever, I won't care.". 

But I smartened up a bit after the class got very intense and my schedule started to get even crazier in October. I went in for help, developed a new studying habit (flashcards!), made my two textbooks become my best friends, and emailed my old teacher to tell him about my progress. While it was tedious, receiving high marks for homework assignments, class projects, and an essay here or there, but receiving low grades on tests (the biggest part of my grade category), all the hard work paid off in November. My test scores started to improve to high C's and B's (the average in the class), and my overall grade was an 86% by the end of November, something that is usually unheard of in the class. It felt awesome to be doing above average (well, almost) and to be understanding the level of material given to me. 

But, all of my work really paid off when I got an 82% on the final exam, and with curved points, got a final grade on the exam of an 89%. I screamed and ran and danced around my house like there was no tomorrow!! 

So, at the tail end of the first semester, my final grade was a mid-range 87%. But with the HUGE opportunity of 3% extra credit, I received a 90.52% as my final grade, an extremely low, but still there A. 

It was, and is, gratifying to know that all the hard work, long nights, and immeasurable ink stains paid off for something. I can now go into the second semester confidently, and I am confident that I can go into junior year AP U.S. History with high expectations for myself with a great work ethic and understanding of what is expected of me. 

I know that if I try really hard again, maybe I could swing another A in the class for second semester. But an A in this kind of class is like a shooting star: hard to find, but the gratification when you spot one is amazing. I am just content I surpassed my own standards for myself and I am ready to beat the new ones for myself!! 

Plain Girly Things

If I could divide how I spent my time over winter break, it would have been: 

-5% eating 
-10% sleeping 
-10% watching TV/movies 
-10% listening to music 
-And 65% shopping online or in person, doing my nails, hair or makeup, planning outfits, etc. etc.  

Since I have very specific clothing tastes, which have driven my parents crazy since the day I could make my opinions known, I usually only get gift cards for Christmas, birthdays, etc., or I point out something extremely specific that I would like (for example: American Eagle Classic Utility Shirt in Light Blue, size medium, found at three areas in the surrounding fifty mile radius of Naperville).  

It is only then that I am happy. 

But, over the past three months or so, I have started to like more clothing brands and more styles, so I only asked my mom for gift cards for Christmas, so I COULD buy the things I wanted. And she happily obliged! 

With these lovely gift cards and much Christmas cash, I went out to both new and old stores to pick out what I wanted to dress to impress for the new year at school. 

                                         Shopping In Downtown Naperville w/ the Fam.     

   

Orange Sweater: Debbie Morgan via Macys. Jeans: American Eagle.com. Boot Socks: Sonoma via Kohls. Boots: American Eagle.com. Necklace: Body Central.   

Doing Errands and Friend's Party

Navy Sweater: Topshop via Nordstroms. Black Leggings: Forever 21. TOMS: Nordstoms.  

I also took the initiative over break and went on some beauty blogging websites and found out different and interesting ways to do my hair and nails! While the most complicated thing I learned how to do was French Braid my hair, I learned how to do my nails in a really cool way! Just go onto Google and search "tape nails". It's super easy and took me fifteen minutes max!

Tape Nails

I did my nails using two nail polishes from The Gap: a navy called Neptune and a metallic silver called Silver Bullet.  

Besides the beauty orientated part of my break, I spent a very quiet break here, at home, with mainly my family. But trust me, I am NOT complaining in the slightest. A quiet break alone, at home, was just what I needed to relax and recharge after the extremely hectic 2012 I had! 

I spent my last day of break, unfortunately, doing my extra credit for AP European History! I had to watch a movie on the revolutionary age in American and France. So I chose The Scarlet Pimpernel with Merle Oberon and I sat in my room with my mom's iPad, coffee, and Skinny Pop popcorn and spent a relaxing, quiet afternoon to myself. The perfect way, I would say, to end my break and start off the new year on the right foot at school: relaxed, recharged, and ready to go!  

Just a quick visual for how I spent my last day of break. VERY cozy! 

Les Misérables

On Boxing Day, after much anticipation on Christmas Day, my sister and I did our chores like the good teenage daughters we are, and then we went to go and see the movie we had been waiting for: Les Misérables!!! 

My sister and I are musical junkies: we have seen them live, acted in them, read the books some are adapted from, have most soundtracks on our iPods, and I plan to make a career out of it, if that tells you anything. Les Misérables is one of our absolute FAVORITES and when we heard there was going to be a movie adaptation earlier this year......well, of course we had to go! 

Our original plan, before the opening days were changed for the film, was to go and see the midnight showing on the day it was originally supposed to open, December 7th. Then it got moved to December 14th, and our plans still didn't change, but then The Hobbit had to ruin our plans and Les Mis got pushed to Christmas Day. Now, of course we weren't going to see it on the holiday, that would be silly! So we settled for the next best thing, the day after. 

We got to the movie theater forty minutes early, got our tickets, then had to wait in line to enter the theater as the previous showing was just leaving and there were TONS of people. Once we got into the actual theater, my sister and I headed to the back row, where we could quietly deal with our emotions as the movie went on, as to not distract other moviegoers. But, in typical fashion, the movie started and we were squished in next to a woman who was on her phone throughout the movie and a couple who was, shall we say, very affectionate with each other as the trailers started and the movie started.  

Well, the movie started and my sister and I grabbed each other and started shrieking like the fangirls we are. We were just so excited!! 

As to not ruin it for anyone, here are my pros and cons of the movie, based on my standards: 

Pros  
-Hugh Jackman (for the most part) 
-Anne Hathaway 
-Samantha Barks (I've always though she was a wonderful Éponine, since I saw her in the 25th Anniversary Concert) 
-Amanda Seyfried (for the most part) 
-Colm freakin' Wilkinson (as the Bishop of Digne!!!) 
-EDDIE REDMAYNE 
-EDDIE REDMAYNE 
-EDDIE REDMAYNE 
-Aaron Tveit (the quintessential Enjolras. He was literally perfect and acted the heck out of his role. My other two favorites are Ramin Karimloo and Jeremy Hays.) 
-Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter (they were bawdy, crude, and perfect. Sacha Baron Cohen exceeded my expectations and went above and beyond). 
-THE FRIENDS OF THE ABC (HOLY LORD SOMEBODY HOLD ME) 
-Daniel Huttlestone (He embodies the word 'precious'. Aaron Tveit is quoted as saying, "I want to grow up and be like Daniel".) 
-The sets and visual effects, they were amazing!! 
-The finale!!!  
-Hadley Fraser (the Easter egg of the movie. He shines bright like the diamond he is).
-Hadley Fraser's mustache. (what contributed to the whole Easter egg factor). 


Cons 
-Russell Crowe (it should have been Norm Lewis. SHOULD HAVE BEEN. However, his death was quite epic.) 
-Hugh Jackman during Bring Him Home. He was definitely struggling. 
-They decided to omit some parts of songs to have less screen time in the movie. I thought this was an entirely stupid decision on the whole. 



As the movie ended and the lights went up, you would have thought I needed to be carted off to the mental ward, based on my actions. I was shaking and crying into my sleeve and my sister was a mess: sobbing into her hands and not being able to talk, so much that people were asking if she was okay. 

As we walked out of the theater, all I could say was "Wow". The movie was really, really, really great. I don't really think I would have loved it any more than I do now if it had been done any other way. It exceeded expectations, thanks to the vision of Tom Hooper, and he did not disappoint the millions of Les Mis fans around the world. 

Cheers to him, and hopefully, this movie will have a successful awards season. As it should!!! 

Happy New Year! (one day more.....)

Book List

Since I spent about two hours today in my local Barnes and Noble and I am a satisfied customer and member there (plus its closing. wah.), I decided to look back into the teen section on their website and give you guys a list of books that I REALLY want to read for the New Year!

1. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

2. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

3. The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

4. Matched by Ally Condie  

5. Crossed by Ally Condie

6. Reached by Ally Condie

7. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Funny how my sister has had this book since summer of 2012, but I can't read it yet and she finished with it in August. Humph.)

8. Amy And Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

9. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

10. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

11. It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

12. We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

13. I Like Him, He Likes Her by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

14. It's Not Like I Planned It This Way by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

15. Please Don't Be True by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

16. Alice In Charge by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

17. Incredibly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

18. Alice On Board by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

19. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

OK, so thats my list. If you guys have any recommendations for me, please comment in the actual post or on Google+.

Thanks, and in the words of Tyler Oakley, have a nice life!

Update, For the Time Being

Hello, Google plussers, blog readers, and people of the world who enjoy viewing this blog!

I know, I know, it has been a while since I posted something. But I was busy with my school's holiday concert and homework and finals start THIS WEEK and I was Christmas present shopping and baking my butt off. I swear, this new Hersey Kiss cookie recipe I found is so easy, I make them at least once a week and my jeans are not fitting because of them.

BUT ANYWAY, I thought I would just give you a little update on what's going on with moi.

As you know from my last post, I participated in my school's holiday concert called the Crystal Concert, and it was stressful and exhausting, but beautiful and joyful too. It was such an amazing sight, to see the auditorium of my school decked out in white and pretty lights and to sing and play for a packed house every night. I can not WAIT for the holiday season of the next two years to do this again! To commemorate the concert, I took a picture of myself in my concert wear, which you can see above.

In addition, I had several projects due in some of my classes and a test almost everyday for the past two weeks so I have been pulling my hair every night asking myself why I keep going to school. VERY stressful.

But, finals are this week. "Oh whoops, I said the F word!" as my math teacher would say. But yes, finals are this week and then they will be over Friday and I will have a glorious, social Christmas break with some rollerskating outings, movie nights, and, hopefully, trips into Chicago.

I will give another update once the burden that are finals are lifted from my shoulders.
Peace out, and see y'alls in a bit!