Spring Break

My spring break has officially started! Well, kind of...I mean, the Sunday after the coming Sunday, I have a piano test, so I am preparing for several hours of practice and piano theory and scales and sight reading...*shudders*
Not that I dislike piano or anything... well, no. I do dislike piano--playing it, that is. Piano music is usually very beautiful. Playing the flute is much more enjoyable for me.

Usually my family goes on vacations...we do like our travels :)  But my dad is really busy, so until school starts on April 8th, I get to stay home and read all the books that I've been planning to read but never got around to actually reading.
Speaking of reading books...has anyone read Divergent by Veronica Roth? I've heard a lot about it but haven't read it yet. And has anyone read Legend by Marie Lu? I've heard a lot about that book, too... and also related to books are all the reviews that I haven't done. So instead I'm going to do a quick little gloss-over about the books I've been reading.

Matched by Ally Condie (book 1 of the Matched trilogy):
This is a dystopian book set in the future, with a Society similar to Lois Lowry's Community in The Giver. Except there's more romance, so if you like romance books, then I would recommend it. Cassia, the main character (17 years old), is "matched" with her future husband. Each person is only supposed to have one match, but Cassia is given 2. There isn't really anything very inappropriate in this book, in my opinion...though there is one sentence that possibly just might have suggested something a tad mature, but it isn't a big deal.

The Quest Begins by Erin Hunter (book 1 of the Seekers series):
I. Loved. This. Book. In fact, I'm already on the third book in the series. It's about three bears (and one shapeshifter that is normally in the shape of a bear) that go on a journey following the North Star. A grizzly bear, a polar bear, and a black bear take turns narrating the story. At first they start off separately, but they meet later on. Awesome book, dare I say even better than Warriors?

The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman (book 1 in the Land of Elyon series):
I actually read this in fifth grade, and it was rather boring, but I saw this book again and I felt like I just had to reread it. And I don't know how I thought it was boring before because when I read this book again, it was witty, interesting, and definitely left me wanting to read the 2nd book. Alexa Daley, the 12 year old daughter of a mayor, escapes the walled city during the summer and ends up discovering magic, talking animals, and of course, a criminal conspiracy planning to overthrow her hometown.


Wellll, there are more books that I've read, but those were the three best. So. Anyway. I attempted to bake lemon cupcakes with my friend Madeline, and they actually turned out better than I expected. I found the recipe in the description of a YouTube video...here's the actual video:

and here's the link so you can see the recipes in the description:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jZcnfi5iCc
Made by a woman named Rosanna Pansino, who bakes the most amazing things ever. You should see some of her other videos...mind blowing.


--Audrey

Guest Post: er, Anonymous

My friend, who doesn't want to be named, and is a ballet dancer, is going to guest post today! :) Which is good because I really have nothing else to blog about.



       There's something about the stage that gets me. Captivates me. Mesmerizes me. But it's not just the actual performance that's exciting. There's more to it than that. It's when I'm in the dance studio in March one afternoon and my ballet instructor finally starts to choreograph our summer showcase. It's when I'm backstage before the final dress rehearsal, putting on my stage makeup, unwrinkling my costumes, and setting up my costume changes in the wings.
       Some people hate performing in front of others, and some people just get really nervous, but I love performing. (I do get nervous, though). Of course, there's that glorious moment when you're doing the bows and your cheeks hurt from smiling like a ninny (mm, yes, I do smile like a ninny onstage so the audience can see), and the audience is just cheering and clapping on and on and on and on... I also happen to adore quick-changes. For those of you that don't know, it's when a performer has to change costumes really quickly to go from one scene/dance to the next. Quick-changes aren't supposed to be fun, they're supposed to be stressful and a bit panicky. But I love the quick flurry of movement, transforming from a party girl to a Christmas Light to a reindeer in less than a minute. (anyone get my Nutcracker reference?)
       And the dressing rooms have to be the best place in the world. There's nothing like nervous-silly teenagers all cramped into one little room with fifty costumes bursting with ruffles, sequins, and layers upon layers colorful tulle to raise my spirits. I especially love opening night--panicked girls trying to curl their hair in five minutes, first-time pas de deux performers freaking out, girls with new pointe shoes nervously trying to pirouette... Nervousness, panic, and worry are all there, but beneath it is a sense of overwhelming excitement.
       Yup, performing ballet is what I live for right now. I highly doubt I could be a professional, but as of today, I can't get enough of the stage. Whether I'm a snowflake in the Nutcracker (which, btw, I was in the 2012 production...totally. Awesome.) or a mermaid in a magical themed show, or simply in leggings and a tunic performing a contemporary ballet piece, I love the stage, backstage, the dressing rooms...all of it. It's too wonderful.


--Audrey

Just Some News

I doubt anyone really cares about my news, but as I have nothing else to post until my friend finishes her guest post, I'll  just be reporting some randomness today.

Books that I will review soon:
Matched by Allie Condie
Mary, Queen of Scots: Queen Without A Country by Kathryn Lasky
The Quest Begins by Erin Hunter
The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman

Books that I am reading or planning to read:
Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars by Sheri Holman
Jahanara: Princess of Princesses by Kathryn Lasky
Crossed by Allie Condie
Great Bear Lake by Erin Hunter
Beyond the Valley of Thorns by Patrick Carman
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
(and more)

My to-read list is getting very long, so I only showed part of it. In other news, well, I'm going to take part in the April session of Camp NaNoWriMo!! Yay! I'm considering writing a series of blog posts or diary entries instead of a story...is that a good idea?

Short post today, sorry. And a boring post, too. But I felt like I had to post something...

--Audrey

A Recipe for an Unnamed Dish

Actually, this dish might have a name, but if so I don't know it. I probably won't post too many recipes...I'm not very good at cooking or baking XD but this is really easy. And I don't have any pictures, but here is one that resembles the dish...

Source

So, enough with the babbling...

Ingredients
--fresh (very important that they're fresh!) black mushrooms (can be found in nearly all Asian grocery stores)
--salt and pepper to taste
--shredded cheese (any kind works, typically those mixes of several cheeses looks more appealing with the yellow and white)
--cooked bacon bits (you can just cut up a strip of bacon)
--dried basil flakes (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 380 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Rinse the fresh black mushrooms and cut off the stems. Lay the mushrooms so that the flat side (where the stem was) is facing up.

3. Put a dash of salt on each mushroom, and a sprinkle of pepper if you wish.

4. Lay one layer of shredded cheese on each mushroom. Scatter the bacon bits over the cheese.

5. Bake the mushrooms for 20 minutes in the preheated oven.

6. Optional: After baking, sprinkle the dried basil flakes over the mushrooms


When I tried this, the mushrooms turned out delicious :) If anyone tries this, tell me how it turned out!

--Audrey

Liebster Award (yes, again)

I've done the Liebster Award recently, but I actually like doing these tags and awards, so, get ready for an extremely boring post all about me.

The Rules:

- Thank the person who nominated you
- List 11 facts about yourself
- Create 11 questions for your nominees
- Nominate 11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers
- Answer the questions left for you by the previous blogger

Thank you, Seana who didn't actually nominate me specifically, but said that anyone could do it and also allowed me to do this award when I asked. (Hmm, think that was a run-on sentence. Oh well).

 

 

Facts:

1. I love butter cookies. In fact, I'm eating one right now. (Right now as in when I'm typing this, of course. Although based on how many butter cookies I have and how much I love them, probably as you're reading this, too.)

 

2. Although I am taking Mandarin Chinese classes, I am extremely, extremely bad at speaking the language. My tongue was not made for speaking Chinese.

 

3. I have about an inch and a half of split ends at the end of my hair. Which I just happened to notice now. (again, now as in when I'm typing this.)

 

4. I'm allergic to cat dander, but only the dander in their saliva and not their fur. Which is weird.

 

5. I have never painted my nails in my life. (granted, I haven't lived very long).

 

Mmm, you know, I can't think of anything else and I can't imagine anyone would want to hear anything else, so I'm going to stop at five. Five is a nice number, isn't it?

 

Answering questions:

1. Where in the world are you?

Okay, I get what this question means, as in like where do I live, but the way it's worded sounds very odd to me. I live in California, if that's specific enough? Which is in the United States of America which is in North America, in case anybody didn't know.

 

2. How old are you?

14. (yup, haven't lived very long).

 

3. Do you have a best friend?

Um, yes, but I have two, I think. Can I have two?

 

4. What are your hobbies?

reading, writing, gymnastics, playing the flute, blogging, discovering delicious foods (like butter cookies)

 

5. List 10 of your favourite blogs

Not exactly a question, is it? I would word it more like "what are 10 of your favourite blogs" but whatever. Hmm....

Fira Marine

Written Paintings

July A. Emmance

The Totally Insane Writer

Hilda Leticia Dominguez

Everything Hermione
Er, I'll just leave it at that.

6. Who is your favourite designer?
I don't even think I can name a designer...so I guess I won't answer this question.

7. Do you wear makeup?
This is a bit of a tricky question. Do I regularly wear makeup? No. Have I ever worn makeup? Yes. I hope I answered correctly.

8. Are you allowed to date?
Allowed meaning by my parents? If so, I haven't asked.

9. What is your view on dating before 18?
Well, theoretically we have free will, so I don't know what kind of a view I'm supposed to have. As long as your parents allow, I suppose?

10. What is your religion?
What classifies a religion, exactly? I do not go to any churches or temples of synagogues, nor have I read any holy book or pray to any God. I do believe in some things though, like karma.

11. Are you nice in real life?
Am I really the best judge of my own niceness? (niceness isn't a word in the English language, is it?) Er, I hope I'm nice, I try to be nice, I've never been told I'm not nice...

I don't really see the point in running around to people's blogs and posting comment after comment and making tons of links, so if you're reading this and have a blog, yay! You've been nominated for the Liebster Award. And since the questions I just answered are better than anything I could come up with, just answer those :)

--Audrey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Little Weird Reflections

When basketball fans see a basketball game, they would see something like an exciting match of athletes working together on two teams to shoot hoops and stuff like that. (excuse the horrible description, I know next to nothing about basketball).
But here's what I see: sweaty people running back and forth while patting dirty orange balls and throwing said dirty orange balls into plastic hoops with strings hanging off of it.
Yes, basketball is probably much more meaningful than what I just described, but imagine if aliens came and watched a game of basketball. That's probably what they'd see.
And then there's ballet. I personally like ballet much better than basketball, but anyway, ballet is full of grace and balance and strength and flexibility. (again, excuse the terrible description, as I know next to nothing about ballet as well).
If those aliens watched a ballet, though, what would they see? People with ridiculous amounts of makeup and hair products (yes, I know this is only to keep hair off the face and the heavy makeup is so the audience can see clearly) jumping and twirling around in shiny tights and lavish costumes, I suppose.

So why is it, exactly, that when we see a fun basketball match or a beautiful ballet performance, all we're really seeing is people sprinting back and forth like high-speed field plowers or extravagantly dressed people prancing around on a stage? It's almost kind of funny.

Quote Post: Integrity and Loyalty

My sincerest apologies for not posting in awhile. I really have no ideas for a post, so my dear friend Madeline suggested that I do a post on quotes. So, as you may be able to tell, today I will be posting quotes on integrity and loyalty.


"If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters."
--Alan Simpson

"A little integrity is better than any career."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Honor your commitments with integrity."
--Les Brown

"Integrity is the essence of everything sucessful."
--Richard Buckminster Fuller

"A single lie destroys a whole reputation of integrity."
--Baltasar Gracian

"Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not."
--Oprah Winfrey

"The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home."
--Confucius

"Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful."
--Samuel Johnson

"Leaders are leaders only as long as they have the respect and loyalty of their followers."
--Hans Selye

"An ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness."
--Elbert Hubbard

"Wherever there is a grain of loyalty there is a glimpse of freedom."
--Algernon Charles Swinburne

"Loyalty is the pledge of truth to oneself and others."
--Ada Velez-Boardley

"The scholar does not consider gold and jade to be precious treasures, but loyalty and good faith."
--Confucius

"I'll take fifty percent efficieny to get one hundred percent loyalty."
--Samuel Goldwyn


Yes, I know, that was an extremely boring post. Sorry. I'll have a few book reviews up soon.

--Audrey

Rebirth of the Renaissance

Back in the olden days, a.k.a. approximately 1400--1600 AD, I believe there was a European Renaissance in which Europe started recovering classical art/architecture, humanism started, and Europe basically caught up with the rest of the world after a few hundred years of war and disease. Forgive me if I'm wrong, I've never been very good at memorizing history stuff.
And yes, I know that if translated, the title of my post means "rebirth of the rebirth." My post doesn't really have much to do with the Renaissance...I just kind of like the word.

I was just thinking about how many cool things there are to do that I've never tried, and frankly know almost nothing about. Like astronomy, horseback riding, quilting, etc., I mean, there are a lot of things for people to do out there, and I've tried none of them.
So I had this thought, around December-ish last year, and I thought it would be cool if I would spent 2013 trying a bunch of things I've never done before. But it's already March, which means one-sixth of the year is over, and I haven't done anything yet.
Which is why I thought I might start now, except I don't have any idea how to start since it isn't like I can just go join a bunch of classes randomly and try them out. I have always wanted to try quilting, but I don't think my mom would let me go out and buy a ton of fabric and cotton all of a sudden. Especially since my sewing skills are not very impressive. And I have about twenty quilting patterns that I just cannot understand. So maybe quilting isn't a good place to start.
Any ideas for something that I could try to learn that wouldn't cost a lot of money (or require something big, like a horse or a swimming pool)?
My weird, kind of impossible-ish idea reminded me of the Renaissance, when people strived to be talented in many areas. I'm not talented in many areas, nor do I really know things in many areas, so I thought it would be nice to change that. Do something useful with my life, maybe?

--Audrey

(oh, and do you like the St. Patrick's Day background? The flowers on the side are kind of fake/cheesy looking, now that I look at them...)