Summer Fitness Plans

Hi everyone!

Recently, I found something that might explain my crazy love of exercising: INTJ's (according to studies) were found to be the biggest lovers of exercise--the most INTJ's have been found to sit in front of a TV is three hours! While I do believe that people are people, I also believe that personality types can help one person understand another is amazing ways--they're kinda like a template to everything! (for people)

Today, though, I went out for my first run. I did the 10-sec run, 10-sec walk, 20-sec run, 10-sec walk pattern up until 60 seconds, and then ran the rest of the way home (just two blocks). While it was a little hard because it was humid and hilly, it was nice. Kinda makes my mind a little dizzy, and gives me less to think about. Because thinking about more than one thing would probably make my mind explode.

For a while, I've had this planned out. Over the summer, I would do a six-days a week exercise routine and post results on this blog as I did them. I would do as I'd like everyday, just making sure to keep to x minutes cardio, x minutes sitting stuff, standing, walking, running (weather permitting). I hope to go back to school looking h-o-t-t-!. And, if not, just a bit skinnier.

I'll keep a running post of my measurements from Day 1 to Day Whatever in August, when school starts again, and keep everyone updated on what I'm doing day-to-day. (but will I be posting measurements as I go? No. No,no, no no no no no. Too much judgement........) I hope to be 31-34-31 by the end of summer.

HA!

I'm actually not able to be like that. I'm not one of those "thick-boned" people (I'm medium boned, thank you), but it's not physically possible for me to be 31 around my rib cage. There's only so much I can do, people. Only so much...

Anyway, prepare for this starting June 1! Our summer-kick-off Get Healthy or Die plans begin then! I hope some of you do some exercising with me.(:

Cheers!
Jenn

Writing Essentials

Hi everyone!

I decided to write this post on writing essentials. Do ya'll remember way back when in April when I attempted NaNoWriMo? Well, I always wanted to do this post, but never did. I'll list what I keep on me at all times, what I use just for writing, and what I keep in my writing bag. Here's a picture of all of it:


Now, a break-down (please don't mind the pictures--had to use flash indoors and everyone knows how that works out.).

Here's a picture of the self-maintenance stuff that I have. I keep an EOS sphere (this one is strawberry sorbet), some Be Enchanted had lotion, and a nail file. Ever since I started keeping the nail file, my nails have been really healthy and long, so I consider it a good-luck-with-nails-charm.

Here's my electronic stuff. On the bottom are my spare headphones (two for $14--my dad said get two so I can have an extra, 'cause I run through them like crazy), and I love the sound from them. There's my pink iPod from when I detassled, bought with my own money. I was so excited I cried when I got it. HAHAHA, just kidding, I was too dehydrated to do that. The blue thing is my flashdrive, and there's my current pair of headphones.(: Without music, I couldn't write. And without my flashdrive, I couldn't save my writing. YAY TECHNOLOGY! 

 Here's two pictures of my favourite books--Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, and my journal. Whenever I need a break or some time to sit back and think for myself, I like to read or write. And writing makes me happy, and journaling makes the world a better place.(:

Whoooo! And finally, here's the essentials for life: writing utensils and chocolate! I've got led, erasers, pens, a mechanical pencil, and a bar of chocolate.

Purse Essentials: 

• Pen and/or pencil 
• Journal 
• Flashdrive 
• iPod and headphones 
• Camera 
• Pads/tampons
• EOS/Chapstick 
• Hand lotion 
• Nail file 
• Hand sanitizer  

Writing Bag Essentials: 

• Sketchbook (that black thing under everything)
• Baby (my netbook I've currently typing on) 
• Pencils and/or pens 
• Book/reading material 

I hope some of you found that inspirational! What are your writing must-haves? What pieces of technology do you think a blogger can't live without? I'll try to do a purse-must-have post soon, because there's so many things that must be discussed! 

Cheers! 

Jenn

Prayer Request?

Hi everyone!

First, I want to take a moment to just say that I'm extremely grateful for all of the veterans that served--willingly or unwillingly. Our country thanks you, as do I. And thank you to the loved ones that have watched their sons and daughters leave into a war, you're all so loving and kind to share your children with us like that. None are forgotten. <3

(I was going to post a picture, but... trust me, Google's images seem a tad bit gaudy and disrespectful. so I'll just let you picture something)

And next, I want to take a brief moment to request some prayer for a job I'm attempting to get. Applications are filled out, and my fingers are crossed. I would greatly appreciate some extra prayer!

Cheers & thank you,
Jenn

Let's Talk: Teen Validation

Hi everyone!

Let's talk about some things that are actually bothering me. I don't me somewhat bothering me, but actually getting under my skin. Like, instant gratification. It's a thing of our generation--and maybe we just need to accept it. But the thing is, it's not just us. Let me elaborate.

First off, I want us all to take a moment to acknowledge what is causing this instant gratification. That's right--Facebook (duh-nuh-nuh). Facebook has this power that lets you instantly share tons of stuff with people who will "like" and comment on it to their hearts content. To illustrate this, I have a story.

A while ago on Facebook, I was talking to a penpal about a haircut I had just got. I hacked off 9 inches of my hair (sadly, too sickly [thyroid issues] to donate) so I could start regrowing it to donate. She requested a picture, so I quickly snapped a shot and uploaded it. I tagged her, and said in the caption: "HA NEW FLUFFY HAIRCUT EAT THAT!!!:P" I wasn't exactly expecting anyone else to comment, like, or care because I didn't post it for them. I posted it for my penpal who can't see me everyday at school.

To this day that picture has the most likes and comments, and they're all from girls saying "Wow you're so pretty!"s (my face was bloated from my period) and "Oh my gosh, great hair!"s (it was a fluffy mess).  I'm not complaining that people complimented me. I mean, it was really nice. But I really wish they were a bit more honest--like, and acne-ridden period-bloatey face isn't worth complimenting. Especially when the next day at school everyone complained that I shouldn't have gotten it cut.

Now I'm especially careful. Because I don't like people dishonestly commenting on my pictures.

And yes, I do blame my generation for poorly trying to raise my self-esteem. (INTJ here, just chill your faces, I'm not being mean--chocolate could have had a better effect)

But while my generation does that, guess who else is doing the exact same thing? 

Adults. Adults that post pictures demeaning to other people (and for my news feed, especially teenagers), they post horrible statuses that I thought I would escape by defriending all of my teenage friends, they rant and have to comment on everything. I'm not trying to point out all of the flaws that adults have on social media sites, but they're the same as what teenagers have started throwing off. While teens as a majority are starting to move on, adults are stuck in the same passive-aggressive, post a billion selfies rut. And I know my word is hard to believe, so you can just check this out.

I don't believe that pointing fingers on who is the most passive-aggressive, selfie-addicted generation is a cure. I also don't think banning them would be fair. Because out of both generations, there is an amazing group of intellectuals that should be allowed to have their voice. And for right now, we need to quit calling my generation a generation of failures. Because we aren't. And the next time some adult tells me that, I'd love to enlighten them on how I can kick their butt in both blacksmithing and ballet, and a lot of my friends can do so much more than that.

And maybe this is a horrible rant, but I know this is not just me. I really hope that some people agree with me, and that my anger isn't over-done. (I'm not actually angry, just aggravated.)

Anyway, night, everyone.

Cheers!
Jenn

Headers

Hi everyone!

Currently working on some newish looks for the blog--because typical blogs are typical. A while ago, I posted on how to get your blog people-ready, but I never posted on how to actually write the interesting information that I suggested you write. I'm no expert on this--my content isn't so exciting, but it's basically about writing and getting emotion across, right? RIGHT? OH MY GOODNESS THE WORLD IS ENDING! (so that's not what we're going to talk about right now.) 

Anyway, like, I thought I would share some helpful knowledge to save the lot of you from heartache and trouble. Anyway, here's a brief tutorial using Pic Monkey to make a header.

Header 

First, you need to find a picture that might be appropriate for your header. You want a picture that would look good shrunken, enlarged, and would fit your theme. Remember, your theme is what you have to keep to (ah... don't look at my header for inspiration, please and thanks). I chose, for the meantime, this picture to fiddle around with: 

Then, you might want to change it up. I tinted it to match my background and added my blog's title to the picture. 

Because this part is super simple, I'll skip over what steps exactly I used in the photo editor. But, eventually I added a border. And loved it.(: 

Now, the thing is, if you notice, both the photos for the header are the same size. This is where you need to pay attention. Edit as much as you like, but before adding it to your blog, make the header 820x191. If you don't do that, your header will either look HUGE and add an extra three inches to your page, or it will be so tiny that you can't do anything with it. Save it in a file that you can easily find. 

Next, go to your Blogger home page. Click on the blog that has the header that you would like to change, and go down to the Layout tab. (I know there's a way to do this in code, but trust me, this is easier.) Next, click on the section with your blog's title on it. Then, you'll find the "Upload Image" bullet point, click on it, find your photo, click "Upload" and ta-da! You should be all good once you click save. 

The same process is fairly easy. You just have to have patience, and at the very least, be able to resize your picture. And if you're accessing my blog, you can probably access Pic Monkey. I have no idea about your internet restrictions, though, so... yeah...

Anyway, hope that helped some? Yes? No? 

Cheers peeps! 

Jenn

How to Get Your Blog People-Ready
Blogging a Blog pt. 1--Writing Daily 
Blogging a Blog pt. 2--Writing What?

HEY! Did I Mention?

Hi everyone!

NEWS TIME! Hugely exciting news all around! Ready?:

1. We've reached 1,000 Pageviews! Thank you: 

Lauren, over at The Life of and Army Band Girlfriend--huge thank you! 

Spam sites!

Various Googelers that happen to stumble upon my blog!(:

Everyone, huge thanks for being amazing people full of amazingness. For all of the comments and all of the love, I cannot thank you all enough! 

2. So many cool sites! Because none of you may have an idea of what's on my Ship List, here's a brief description of what they're all like (in order of top to bottom of my Ship List when this post was written):

Bake at 350--An amazing blog full of baking (mainly cookies!). This was one of the first blogs I had ever looked and am addicted to her awesomeness! 

It Just Gets Stranger--A humour blog written by a Mormon that has some amazing posts! There is so much love on that blog, and I enjoy reading every post. You will not regret reading that one! 

The Life of an Army Band Girlfriend--A blog detailing the life of a girl who's guy is in the Army. A fun blog full of awesome girl-nerd-awesomeness, and a good read for anyone who's missing their guy (military or otherwise).

Refashionista--A sewing blog for those who need some refashion inspiration! I love her blog for ideas on what to do with old clothes that could still be worn, but just need a bit of love.(: My sewing outlet!

A Day in this Amazing Life!--A blog written by a young lady, detailing her life and adventures in a positive way. If you need some positiveness (or hope for humankind!), I'd direct you her way!

The Muses--A few young ladies got together to create this blog, that is so inspirational for young woman looking for some artistic understanding in God's world. Uplifting, artistic, spiritually educational--a fantastic group of girls adding to God's awe and power.(: 

If you visit these blogs, don't forget to comment! Seriously, the comment=love is so powerful!(: Please, please, please, for me??

3. INTERVIEWS ARE COMING BACK! Maybe it's just me that's excited? Yes? Oh well.... 

Night, everyone!(:
Cheers!
Jenn

Standardized Tests

Hi everyone!

Today, we're going to talk about something inspired by a post by Shannon Hale--sadly, it was on Facebook, so I can't link it directly to that. I will link this over to Squeetus, her blog, and hope ya'll know who I'm talking about. ;)

Shannon had posted (and I quote):

"After 7 hours in school, another hour of homework each night is too much for elementary kids. They need time to think, play, run, read."

That sparked many comments on the standardized tests--which were very interesting to read, and I enjoy Shannon's posts a lot. She's intelligent and funny, and really gets her readers thinking. If there was any author I suggested stalking, she's my top pick!

Anyway, Shannon has tons of great commenters, too. And reading them reminded me of my luck with the standardized tests--it was a weird luck, anyway. Every time I took a standardized test, I always had my period. And as one of my fellow Bloggers and I have discussed on a different post, I'm 99% sure I have PMDD. It is pretty much the worst thing ever and makes me so moody that I hate the entire world--and then some. So much, that when I grow up, I will live alone with cats because everyone will believe that I hate them.

One of the standardized tests is the (state initial)SAT. It's an elementary-middle school test that I don't think actually accounts for anything, and is one of the stupider tests because it doesn't count for anything. And when you get a chica who already is not happy to be anywhere near the planet and force her to take a test that doesn't count for anything, then you get a few really terrible scores.

And, luckily, it was a competition that only happened with the students.

Other students: Oh my gosh, I should have studied more!

Me: UGH I should have just taken a nap!

See, they grade them with numbers--1, 2, 3, and 4. And:
 1 means that you did terrible--wrote in a different language or didn't have readable handwriting or wrote something totally unrelated.
2 means that you stayed on topic and your handwriting was readable, but you were totally off so we have to give you a better score than a 1 but we didn't like it. At all.
3 means that you did okay! You stayed on topic and had really good points! So yay! Let's try just a tad harder next time! ;)
4 means that you're perfect(ly good at taking tests that don't count for anything). 

So, let's back up to when the tests were going down. There's this huge preparation at the school, the teachers running about and drilling their students. There's no way to know what's on the tests before hand, so they were guessing and just trying to get us to a point where we would be somewhat okay. These tests are pretty stupid.

And when we were hearded into small rooms for two hours at a time to take a test that doesn't count for anything, why yes, I did get grumpy. I did start getting sassy with my answers, and  I even started writing patterns into my answer sheet. It was pretty cool, and I loved it with all my heart. Sadly, they said I couldn't take it home, so no pictures here. :(

But, the English extended response was fairly interesting. It was an evolution-based question, and I'm a creationist. The text had implied a lot of things, but it didn't have anything I could quote to make them happy. And, it was just a test that doesn't count for anything, so I thought:

Why bother?

I then continued to write them four pages on how there's a lot of proof against evolution, and there's a lot of iffy-ness in the universe in general. I'm pretty sure I told them to stop teaching that to us as fact because it really isn't. It's stupid. We haven't seen it, we haven't any video footage of it happening, all we have are these theories, not facts.

And honestly, I love talking about evolution. I don't have a problem with it. I just don't like when it's treated like fact on a test that doesn't count for anything. And through a lot of scientific fact and evidence from their text, I told them that.

That, and on the math portion, I knew a triangle was a 3-4-5, so I remember putting down: "BITE ME FOR NOT SHOWING MY WORK WHEN THAT'S OBVIOUS, SUCKERS!"

On both, I got a 2.

I was a sassy tweenager.

Cheers!
Jenn

Updating the Inspirations

Hi everyone!

I edited some pics for the Inspirations page. To see more inspirational quotes, click on the top page under "Inspirations". These pictures will be added later.(:

Both of these are quotes from my currents writings, and I liked them and this is my blog sodon'tjudgemeomg!

Night! 

Cheers! 

Jenn

Goals

Hi everyone!

Quickly, I want to just write down my goals. These are important to me--the reason I'm sticking it out in high school.

As many of you know, I want to grow up and major in Blacksmithing. Because for some reason, getting coal dust in my hair and dying in the heat sounds like fun. (actually, I plan on moving somewhere cold in order to beat the heat--but we'll see, college first) My dream college is Tennessee Tech. (I don't actually live in Tennessee, guys.) I want to go away from home, and that's far enough to be happy, but close enough that if I needed to run home, I probably could at a lower cost.

Thing is, though, we're pretty poor. I'd be using loans and (hopefully) working to get myself through college, and I don't know if that's possible or allowed yet. And I'm not exactly worried just yet. But I still like having a rough idea of what I want to do and where I want to go.

So I'm not freaking out about something that won't happen for a while. I'm just typing my goal. And the big question: how much does that goal cost?

$15,000 per. year.

Is it worth it?

Cheers!
Jenn

Midnight Sighing

Hi everyone!

So guess what I'm doing? I'm procrastinating! It's probably not a good thing I'm doing it, too.

See, we have a ton of English homework due tomorrow on Catcher in the Rye. And I'm sorry to those that actually like the book--I'm just not that big of a fan! *sob sob sob* It's just been a long year and, no, I don't want to read anymore! But I need to read this book and do this homework. Because otherwise, I might get a C in the class. And that would suck.

And it's that way for some of my other classes, too. I did take a nap, and I'm grateful I did, but now, it's time to work. Ahhhhhhhh! 

Just kidding. Actually, it's just been a long night and my cycle is coming again and I just need to sleep. More sleep. Otherwise I'll start going cross-eyed tomorrow during blacksmithing. And then I'll accidentally stab someone with hot metal because I was too tired to think straight--hard decisions, right? Public safety or my grades? (not really--I plan on getting to school early, looking up summaries, and doing the writing assignment like a good procrastinating student)

Procrastinating sometimes causes huge amounts of stress, which is a shame. But (gentlemen look away... AWAY! I MEAN AWAY YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!), like, when my period comes around I usually get so stressed out that I start sobbing hysterically when I don't procrastinate. In fact, I just can't win. There is no win. I've woken my mom up at one in the morning because I was sobbing hysterically for no good reason. When this happens, she administers drugs that put me out like a light. I swear, all the homework that I've missed this year is because of my period.

Not complaining.

In fact, I kind of go with it. It's just that my grade is low--but, I'll get most of it done and hope that my monthly comes to pass soon so I can take my finals at 110%!

Eight more days!

Cheers,
Jenn

Hives and God's World

Hi everyone!

I'm currently sitting outside with hives up my arms and the grass that was touching my legs is gone. (as in uprooted) This is what happens when you're allergic to grass and hate the hives you get from it. *sigh* It's really bad this time. Hives. Everything. This sucks. Especially on a Saturday.

Good news, though?

I'm currently sitting in front of the fire pit I made myself, with a fire I made myself, being cooled off by the breeze God made himself. (ahhh, see what I did there?) I'm also finally putting that marshmallow stick to good use! *smiles* It's good to be out here, just thinking to myself in the quiet, eating a marshmallow and trying not to itch my newly made hives. *dies*

Those red dots? Hives. Ew, hives. 

Quick story: This dude just drove up to me ('cause I'm kinda writing on my laptop) and asked:

Are you sitting there with all your friends?

Me: What?

Him: Are you sitting there with all your friends?(:

Me: ALL of them! (I totally thought that he meant the absence of people, but... I have internet and am on my baby.)

That made it worth being out here by myself.(: I should blog in public more often.

Moving onward, it's really cool to be out here by myself. Not just because strangers drive up and ask me questions, but because I get to think. Recently, I've obtained some unsettling news that I know will drive me insane. And it will suck. And maybe I need some time to just sit and observe how beautiful God's world is.

Life hasn't been kind of late. People at school have been rude and mean, and life in general has just gotten hard to manage. Sometimes I get lonely because I don't really have anyone to turn to. Sometimes, I think I need like a boyfriend or something. (not saying boyfriends are bad--just, when they're only there to fix something, yes, they are bad.) 

But then, I get moments like these where I had been previously given tools and made some pretty neat things. Most of it, God just provided the tools through coincidence or accident--I think, for most of my life, God has provided. Everything I have isn't mine, it's been given to me by Him, and therefore, is His. And getting to enjoy those things that I've made by hand in this setting is awesome.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! *kills more grass, realizes the irony of destroying God's creation while being grateful for it* I should be an English teacher...

Anyway, through enjoying those tools, it's made me realize again that I am a person that God made and don't need people to make me feel special or self-sufficient. I'm perfectly awesome all by myself--well, not counting God. But we should always count God. So, I'm a perfect human all by myself. Because I was blessed with two hands that made some amazing things.(:

Roasting ze marshmallow~!!!

And now, I'll upload some pictures and we'll have an awesome post!!!(:

Cheers!
Jenn

Mmmm, marshmallow... 

Let's Talk: Love

Hi everyone!

It's 11:06pm. And honestly, that means that we're not going to go in-depth on "love" or any subject touching down on it that Christians look down upon unless you're married or the brotherly type that everyone preaches on always. Instead, we're going to do the over-looked type of love that I haven't heard any sermon on. There needs to be a sermon, though. So, I'm writing a quick "Agh I'm so tired I'm crazy!" post on this love.

And honestly, there's no good way to illustrate this love. This love is a P-A-I-N. This love is:

Stalkerly Love. 

I mean, you probably haven't even heard of it. But thanks to our recurring couple, Brutus and Emma, I can show you what this means. First, I'll tell you that Brutus was invented in the middle of our Julius Caesar unit and English, and every time I write his name, "Et tu Brute?" will resound in my brain. 

My poor brain. 

Anyway, so, Brutus is our male who will be portraying our stalkerly love. Emma is our female, who will be portraying our stalkedly love. That is a thing. (also: if you don't like their genders, you can change them in your brain. But their genders are fixed. They are book characters that I maliciously stole because they will not be breaking laws because they aren't a thing like their characters from their original stories)

Every time I move my wrist it pops--ouch! 

Um, anyway, so let's have Brutus and Emma meet up. They meet in school, outside of Emma's locker, where she's casually putting her books away. *romantic music cue* Brutus comes up beside her, and bumps into her, causing Emma to drop her books. Brutus bends over to help her, and as they stand, Brutus and Emma share a gaze. The following happens: 

Brutus: Wow, didn't meet to bump into you. You okay? 

Emma: Yeah, I'm fine. *giggles, looks down shyly* 

Brutus: Well, I'll see you around? *smiles, walks away* 

Emma's Friend: Who was that hot~~tay? 

Emma: *turns back into normal person* Some guy? No idea. Calling him "hot~~tay" is very creepy, too. What is that "~", anyway? *friend shrugs* Anyway, math homework!!! 

Later, Emma is walking to the girl's locker rooms for gym, and notices someone behind her. She turns, and doesn't see anyone. She continues on her day, feeling stalked. This goes on for a few weeks, and she starts bringing pepper spray and a whistle to school (as all responsible females/males/people should). One day, Brutus walks up to her. 

Emma: *screams* OMIGOD HAVE YOU BEEN STALKING ME?! *grabs spray* 

Brutus: What? I thought we had a connection, babe! I WANT YOU! AHHHH WE WERE MEANT TO BE! 

Emma: *administers spray* 

See? Stalkerly love is sometimes considered infatuation. But is it really infatuation? I mean, if you're being stalked, then there is a huge possibility it is infatuation and you should be clear to let other people know that is NOT okay behaviour but at the same time, isn't that how some high school relationships work out? The girl/guy will stalk the love interest until something happens. And that is very creepy. 

Life is creepy. 

That kind of had no real meat, except that I think that love needs to be officially in our daily language. Because stalkers do love you. Just way. too. much. 

Hey, check this out! I promise it'll make your day!(: And you should totally read Eli's blog regularly if you aren't already! 

Anyway, good night everyone! I hope that was somewhat entertaining to someone out there. 

Cheers! 

Jenn

Update: Also, huge thanks to my fifth stalker, Shelby Lee! I would link you, but I couldn't find a blog, so that's normal text.(: Thanks so much! 

Love, Strangers, and Lovely Strange Words

Hi everyone!

I always have something nom-alicious to nom on because I get hungry and feel the need to nom. *noms on crackers* In school, it’s hard to stay focused when you’re like “OMG I WISH I COULD NOM ON SOMETHING RIGHT ABOUT NOW!” My history teacher likes to tell us to nom on things as much as possible, if we feel the need—he doesn’t want us getting that dazed over hunger look when he’s talking. He’s a pretty cool guy. And, he totally made me think about always having food on me, which I now do.

Food isn’t always a good thing, but I’m not a *constant* nommer. I nom on things every now and then, just as I get hungry. It’s never a boredom thing. I make sure of that. (ugh! I just got down to being a medium I’m not going back up because of nomming!) But recently (actually, while I writing this post on a word document because SOMEONE DECIDED TO BAN BLOGGER IN OUR SCHOOL), I decided to look up the definition of “nom.”

My usage of nom started back when I began to sit and hang out with guys at my school. Apparently not liking real-life girls is a problem (okay, I like real-life girls—hanging out with females is FUN! Just not all females do I enjoy hanging out with…). But, I make do with my guy friends—one of whom likes to use the word “nom” to describe eating. At first, I was like “Okay, that’s weird.” But after a while, you start to pick up on their slang, and eventually you use it as much as they do. Half of what comes out of my mouth these days is thanks to them. Luckily, though, I blog so I get to keep my awesome “I talk like a total snob” dialect. And yes, I’m well aware that I sound like a snob, and no, I don’t really care.

Which just makes me that much more of a snob. Ugh.

Anyway, nom is quite the interesting little phrase. It’s not actually in the dictionary. It’s just a word. IT’S JUST A WORD. But, I’m 99% sure it stemmed off of a Japanese anime-watcher who then was like “DUDE I CAN TOTALLY USE THIS ALL OVER THE INTERNETS!” and he/she did. And, of course, the internet loved it and started using it on a regular basis. *high-fives the internet* And my guys, like total weirdos, picked up on it to.

And peeps, I know I call them weirdos and creeps and strangers, but honestly, I care about them. They are my guys. Even if I do think they’re creeps, I still think they are my besties. And I accept them. Because you can think that someone is a creep, weirdo, and stranger and still be besties with them. Only, they don’t know we’re besties. I do…

Moving onward, thank you CAROLINA WREN for becoming my fourth follower!(: When I get my blogging abilities back, I will totally stalk you! (dear school: why weebly and not blogger? WHY???)

Everyone else: If you want an interesting thing to do in your free time, head over to dictionary.com! It’s becoming one of my favourite sites to frequent.(: Maybe because I’m a nerd… (or because I want to expand my snobbish dialect more? The world may never know!)

Cheers!

Jenn

News!

Hi everyone!

Did I ever mention that I feel like I'm talking to myself? Cause I do. But, pretty soon ya'll will see who I've really been talking to--only 150 more pageviews to 1,000, and then I will throw a celebratory post together! Partay?

Anyway, June is coming up very quickly, which means summer will be here soon, which means that I have a request for anyone who is a blogger! Please email me at: jen.leahy.smiles@gmail.com for more information. ( jen (dot) leahy (dot) smiles (at) gmail (dot) com) I promise it will be quick, easy, and painless! (well, depending on you, really)

Thanks so much if you email me, or even if you just read my blog.(: If you're a reader, please stay with me until mid-June, and I'll post another News! update that I would love to have you respond to!

Cheers!
Jenn

Let's Talk: Forgiveness

Hi everyone!

Ah! Blog changes have been made! Now I just need a new picture... but all in due time!(:

Being an insomniac, though, I've been given a lot of time to stay up and think. I like thinking, and it's nice when I can read blogs or watch vlogs to think (I think it's common knowledge not to let me think on my own!). Recently, though, I was inspired by another person's blog to blog--specifically, about forgiveness. Because it's a lot more complicated than we give credit to.

When man fell in the garden, it was because of pride. That's what it boils down to; just pride. And pride is really the center of all sin, especially in certain lights. Our mindset, our ideas, it's all pride. And that's man's downfall. But one aspect that has only just come to light for me is how holding grudges is also pride. I mean, just think about it: you were wronged, and that person who did you wrong deserves to be punished. And so, you hold that against them because it feels right.

Can we just hold the phone?

*holds phone* 

Something that I've had to learn is forgiveness. People call me naive, but I disagree--it's a choice I've made to trust people. I trust people because I kind of have to. Even if they do me wrong, I have to trust them. I have to forgive them. Because we're all screw ups and holding grudges only got me a billion dollar life. *snorts* But seriously, if a person wrongs you, look back at your history with them. They've probably been wronged by you. If not, you've messed up relationships with other people, I can guarantee it.

Going back to someone that hurt you, that afflicted you, that changed your outlook on life is hard. I know, we've all been there--some of us to more extreme degrees than others. And forgiving and rekindling the bond that was there can be a huge weight. It's often worth it, though, especially if you pray and work it through with them. But to feel entitled enough to believe that you have the right to stay mad at someone is just wrong. 

Jesus left us an example when Judas betrayed him for some cash. Even when Judas had brought the guards and kissed Jesus' cheek, Jesus still forgave him, still loved him. Goodness--where in the Bible does it state to hold grudges forever? Even when his friend gave him up for money so he could be KILLED Jesus still loved him. And sometimes you have to just know that people are screw ups, and that you can't hold things against them because if we did that than the world would just hate each other forever.

Yes, I'm calling you to be a drugless, fully clothed hippy. And forgive me for doing so. But it's better to forgive than hold grudges. I'm not judging anyone, either--this is a reminder to me just as much as it is to you (hopefully). If Jesus can forgive when facing death, surely we can forgive when someone forgets our birthday.

Have a good night! (and scriptures will be added tomorrow when the sun's out)

Sante!
Jenn

Awkward! (with a capital A)

Hi everyone!

Today, I'm going to tell a story that hopefully some of you may find amusing. If anyone remembers, a while back I started a series under "High School Mishaps". If you also remember, there was only 3 posts under that title/tag/label. So with this one, I give you FOUR!

For those of you that don't know, my brother does announcements for our high school. He's got a super-deep amazing voice and everyone begged him to do it! I'm proud of him.(: He also comes on when I'm in Criminal Law, one of my favourite classes, where my teacher's son had heart surgery and has been out a long time on account of it. Every once and a while, she has to miss school to tend to her son. This was one of those days, and we had a new sub.

It was the beginning of class, and my bro's voice came over the intercom. He started talking, blah blah blah, and the sub interrupted with:

"Wow! His voice is so good, who does this?"

Immediately, my class turned and pointed at me and stated: "That's her brother!" I smiled, nodded. She asked: "Is his voice really that deep?" I nodded again, saying: "Yup! Has been since he was eleven and we're soooo proud of him!"

We all went back to our work, and a few people got up to get homework and stuff. I then felt the need to pee, and got up to use the bathroom. I walked over to her, and the conversation went something like this:

Me: Hello! Can I go use the bathroom?

Sub: Only if you tell me if he's as gorgeous as his voice sounds!(:

Me: . . . . . Um....

Sub: Omigosh he's still in high school, isn't he?!

Me: Yeah...

Sub: Please, don't tell anyone I said that! I just meant that, um, ya know... Because ya know, you hear guys on the radio and you think 'Wow! they must be gorgeous!' and then you meet them and they're just ugly. I was... but, I guess you wouldn't know because you're biased./:

Me: *laughing awkwardly* Oh yeah, I totally get what you're saying! If you're asking if his voice and face correspond with each other, yes, they do.(: Not my personal opinion, but girls around the school tell me things. -.-

Sub: Oh gosh, I guess I should've asked that instead!

Me: Yeah, don't worry about it!

Sub: Again, please don't tell anyone!

As walking out of the classroom, one of my classmates: Don't worry, we're going to tell every.one.

And everyone, please don't all freak out. It was funny for me, and my bro is still single.(: And not being hit on by older ladies. So, let's just chillax!

Cheers, all!
~Jenn

Let's Talk: Dance

Hi everyone!

I just got done performing at our high school's variety show--a collection of (mostly) singing that is done live by students for band equipment. And I did a dance number! Because I'm a dancer?

See, I had my mom video tape it. And I watched it afterwards. It's not a big deal, really, no one knows how to dance so it wasn't a big thing if I failed or not. But because it was video taped, I got to watch myself dance it, right. after. I. danced. And it wasn't exactly pretty, graceful, or what I thought it looked like. And my technique was on--it was just me.

For starters, I have pretty crummy self-esteem to begin with. I don't like dancing unless it's in a group, and especially if it's one of those dance styles where it's preferable that you have skinny muscles--which I don't have. Like, you're supposed to have:

See? Sleek muscles that add a graceful, fluid movement to everything.

But really, I have:

See her bulk? Her HUGE GIGANTIC MUSCLES PERFECT FOR IRISH DANCING?

And I'm not complaining. I've impressed many a person with my big, bulky, awesome for Irish dancing muscles. But I just don't think it's right anymore for my career--I'm built as an Irish dancer. I'm built as anything but graceful, fluid, fun. I'm just... an awkward turtle.

Maybe I'm being super hard on myself? Maybe this is a horrible decision--especially after one video. But that video--even the parts that were good were just bad. I just feel bad. I feel embarrassed. I've never been embarrassed about dancing before, but I was with that. I felt embarrassed over every dance I've ever done, every time I've done something worthwhile that involved dancing--I felt so. embarrassed. And yeah, it broke my heart, but no, I don't care anymore.

So, I'm turning in my "dancer resignation." I don't think it's right anymore. I don't want to be forever awkward, especially when I'm not built for it. I made it to pointe, though, so kudos!

But, smithing. I can deal with that.

Cheers?/:
~Jenn

Busy!

Hi everyone!

Sorry, it's been super busy! Four more weeks of school and today... well, maybe this explains it! ;)

That's right! My brother totally went to prom, and I got to do all the pictures! He's such a great guy, it was super cool getting to take pictures and hang out with him before his big night. :') 

Soon, posts on organizing! My room is in need of a redo. >:) 

Cheers! 

Jenn