Welcome to Night Vale

Have you ever listened to a song or a podcast and just fallen in love? I have, and I can't keep this newfound love to myself any more. I recently started listening to a podcast called Welcome to Night Vale and I can't stop. This bi-monthly podcast is a radio show for the fictional desert town of Night Vale. The show is hosted by a guy named Cecil Baldwin, who is perfect. His velvety voice is eerie yet soothing, I recommend listening to it in the dark under lots of blankets. The pilot episode begins with a new scientist moving to town. His name is Carlos, he is beautiful and perfect, and Cecil is in love with him. There is also an old woman, Josie, who talks to angels, a racist white guy who dresses like a native american called the Apache tracker, an intern named Dana, the mayor, Pamela Winchell, a cat named Khoshekh who hovers next to the sink in the men's bathroom, and you. You play a recurring role on the show. Yes indeed, the listener is referenced in several podcasts including an episode called "A story about you"which is actually a story about you.

(From left to right: Station management, Cecil, Khoshekh, Carlos, Dana, the Apache Tracker, mayor Pamela Winchell,Old woman Josie and the angel Erika, You)

The drawing above is only what I believe the characters to look like, as it is a radio show there is not really any solid descriptions of any of them. Anyways, the show is very creepy and very funny. there are a lot of really poignant undertones, and many relevant issues are addressed. the show is also very representative of the American population. The main two characters are queer, there's a discriminatory douche, and several ethnic personalities. And just in case you need another incentive, the show plays really cool music during the weather section (trust me, it's as weird as it sounds). It is also 100% free! So if you want to laugh, cry, tremble in fear, and gain a new and interesting perspective on life, listen to this podcast. If you want to do more research before starting this potentially terrifying journey, i recommend surfing the #wtnv tag on tumblr. It's full of super great fan art and theories about the show. 

I promise that this podcast doesn't disappoint. It's full of mystery, romance and general weirdness. It's beautifully written and produced, I can't get enough of it. Dare I say that it is my favorite addiction ever? I do. So please please check them out at http://commonplacebooks.com/welcome-to-night-vale/# and if you like the show, donate donate donate! Until next time, dear readers.

♡

(End of) Summertime Sadness

All good things must come to an end, and summer break is no exception. Over the past 9 weeks there have been concerts, beach trips, long work days, resort weekends and slumber parties. Unfortunately, the start of school eliminates most of a teenager's free time and such adventures can be difficult to have. But the warm memories of these sweltering days can always be reflected upon fondly until next year rolls around and the time for summer comes yet again. So as a permanent record of my most eventful summer ever, I thought I would make a master post of my holiday. So without further ado, I present to you the Best and Worst of Summer 2013...

Best:

- Disneyland with Sophia and Zach. This day was so so much fun. Despite the heat and the lines, we managed to have a great time and it was a great excuse to escape reality for a day.

- The southern photo shoot with Lily and Maisie. Using Maisie's super nice camera and ample amounts of ironic clothing, we created a redneck family and photographed their life in Maisie's backyard. The photos are super embarrassing but they were so much fun to shoot.

- CAMP!!!! Working at my old arts camp was one of the highlights of my summer. I love the counselors, I love the kids, and I love the boba . I can't wait until next year to reprise the experience.

- Thrifting with Eden and Little Tokyo with Maisie. I won't elaborate as much on these two as there are individual posts on them.

- My cousin, Sammy, coming to town. Although there were some rough patches, we really bonded and had a great time. The OC fair with him and Jesse was definitely a highlight.

- Welcome to Night Vale. This creepy, funny, philosophical podcast is #1 in America. Focusing on the imaginary desert town of Night Vale and narrated by Cecil Baldwin, the podcast is a mixture of horror and comedy. One of the best parts is the budding romance between Cecil and hot scientist, Carlos. If you haven't already been converted, I highly suggest listening to it.

- The short vacation my family took to Ojai, where we stayed at the idyllic resort. The sweeping green lawns, whitewashed villas, spa and pool are what make the place so great. Our three days there were filled with morning yoga classes, evening meditation, great food and hours spent by the poolside. It was, without a doubt, the most relaxing vacation I've ever taken. Wandering amongst the fragrant lavender and sunbathing in the noon sun really helped me calm down and reflect upon my imminent return to school. 

- The golden trio's (Maisie, Eden and I) last sleepover. As Eden leaves for boarding school soon, last weekend was our last chance for a slumber party. We built a pillow fort on my bed, in which we watched ironic movies and blogged into the wee hours of the morning. The next morning we went to a vintage festival where we each bought something. I plan on wearing my new dress to the first day of school tomorrow. Although I am sad that Eden is leaving, I know that our friendship can survive the miles and the time difference. 

Worst:

- My facial expressions in those redneck photos.

- Having to say goodbye to my camp kids.

- Having to say goodbye to Eden.

- My lobster red sunburn from those long hours spent by the pool. Whenever you guys go outside, please please please put on sunscreen. This will protect you from cancerous damage and massive amounts of pain.

- Falling off of my bike and skidding downhill. This little incident earned me several battle scars and gross scabs that I shall be proudly sporting tomorrow at school (woopie). 

Overall, this summer was really fantastic. As much as I would like it to go on longer, I do feel ready for school tomorrow. School certainly provides enough room for adventure and excitement. Freshman year, no matter how tough things get, will surely be lively. For those of you who still have summer left: enjoy every last minute of it. And for those who have school in the morning: you are beautiful and strong and can handle anything, have a wonderful day.

♡

Summer nights

If there is one thing summer nights were meant for, it's concerts. With the warm night air on your face and the thrilling energy of 15,000 people packed into one massive stadium, summer concerts are the best of the year. When Lily, Maisie and I heard that Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes were coming into town, we had to buy tickets. So last night we all piled into a car and made our way to the Hollywood bowl. Of course, parking in the lot would have been too mainstream so we decided to find the most remote space we could. After driving in circles for what felt like hours and a rather tense moment between Lily and her mom (Ellen), we finally found a secluded side street on which to park. Naturally, we got lost trying to find our way back to the bowl and by the time we got there with our picnic baskets, the opening acts had already started. Ellen's friend, Sam, met us on the picnic terrace and we all had a lovely meal and took a couple photos before entering the theatre for the concert.

(ootn: dress - Gap | flower crown - SerenityCrystal)

It was around 9:00 when the concert actually started, but the show was every bit worth the long wait. Alexander was so oddly charming (and very cute) and Jade was simply adorable. They sang and danced their way through the audience, grabbing patrons and giving them the mic or spinning them around. They opened with Man on Fire which was so lovely and proceeded to do numbers such as 40 day dream and Better days. Alexander sang a beautiful ballad to Jade, and by the end she and half the audience were in tears. And of course, what Edward Sharpe concert would be complete without Home? They chose to sing their most famous song as their grand finale. As soon as the whistling started, the entire audience erupted into cheers. And the band was drowned out by the masses singing along. "Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my ma and pa. Not the way that I do love you..." I can safely say that it was one of the most charming and awe inspiring things I've ever seen. 

(a polaroid taken by Maisie)

But perhaps the most exciting part of the evening happened as we were exiting the stadium. We were slowly making our way downhill when Maisie whispered to me "turn around." Curious to see what she was so anxious about, I quickly glanced behind my shoulder and HOLY HOLY HOLY HOLY! Less than a foot behind me was the beautiful, stunning, talented ZACHARY QUINTO*!! Out of the thousands of people at that concert, I ended up sharing air with my favorite actor. Needless to say, I freaked out. But Maisie and I decided not to approach him or ask for a photo as he was with his friends and it would have been invasive. No matter how fabulous he is, he is still just a person like you or me. 

The thing about Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes is that they're so happy. There is so much joy radiating from their music. I'd like to be more like that. I'd like to not care what others think or say, I'd like to just be happy. To dance barefoot with strangers and love as freely as Jade and Alexander do. And by realizing this desire, I'm already half way there. 

*For those who don't know Zachary Quinto is the actor who portrays Spock in the Star Trek reboots and Sylar in Heroes. In addition to being a wonderful actor, he also does fantastic charity work. He's pretty great.

♡

The youth

It's the end of another sizzling summer in California. The sun gleams against the cerulean sky, the eucalyptus leaves rustle in the light breeze and... I'm lying in bed, swaddled in blankets and mourning the start of my free time. Most teenage girls would be thrilled to have time to go to the beach and snap hipster photos of their iced froofy blah-blah-blahs from Starbucks. But for me, the free time brings a sense of emptiness that cannot be quelled by Starbucks or hang-out time with friends. This melancholy was not brought on by the impending school year nor the fact that I won't look good in my swim team suit, but by the end of summer camp and my stint as a CIT.
For the past six weeks I have spent my days chasing small children, hot gluing costumes and supervising art projects. I complained ceaselessly about how tired I was or how obstinate the kids were, but no matter how loudly they screamed or how irritated I was, I really did love them. Those kids brought me immeasurable amounts of joy and now that camp is over, I find that my life seems meaningless without them.

I became one of those annoying mothers who posts photos of their kids on Facebook and brags about them to their friends and family. Watching them dance and sing themselves into shining stars was such a wonderful experience. Whenever they would hug me or smile at me, it was like the whole world glowed and everything was a little bit brighter. The thing about little kids is that they aren't superficial. As we grow older we tend to care more and more about things like looks and the way other people think about us. But kids don't care, you don't have to do your makeup or shave your legs for 5-year-olds. You don't have to try to hard or regret what you say. By surrounding myself with these children I learned about the things that were really important. Your eyeliner and dress size won't gain you any friends. In the end, kindness and compassion are the only things that matter. You should do things that make you happy and feel free to be yourself. If you do, you are sure to find that people are much more drawn to you than they ever were before. 

♡

Meet me at the Fair

Nothing screams adventure like deep fried chocolate-covered bacon or a 2-foot-long corn dog. And at the Orange County fair, such dishes are a commonality. When my mom propositioned me with the idea of taking my new-in-town cousin to the fair, I was delighted. I'd heard of the fair before but I'd never had the chance to go, it was sure to be an adventure. Of course, all adventurers need companions so I asked the one and only Jesse if she'd like to accompany me. We departed from her house at around eleven in the morning, car full of people and the sounds of bad radio music. Although the drive there was long, it felt like no time at all.

(My brother Enzo, my cousin Sam, Jesse and I)

As we steered our way through the hordes of people, we caught brief glimpses of some of the food that was being sold. Our reactions were generally that of mutual hilarity and disgust. After all, who really wants to eat bacon and Nutella? No, instead of struggling to find edible food we opted to take on some of the rides. The first ride we tried was, for lack of a better phrase, a ball buster. The colorful, spinning contraption took the rider high up into the air and flipped them round and round until they were weak at the knees and purple in the face. The second ride we braved was the ferris wheel. We must have been on that rickety old thing for at least 20 minutes before they let us off. 

(Jesse and I infront of a booth that sold deep-fried Oreo sundaes)

As terrifying as the rides were, the food was the most intimidating part of the fair. For lunch, Jesse and I settled for a pulled pork sandwich so big that the two of us couldn't even finish it. And there's no better way to cool off in the Cali heat than slurping away at a cool Icee. We took a ski-lift from one part of the park to the other, where we rode two more rides. The logging ride left us all water-logged and the swings were delightful and didn't last long enough. 

(shameless selfies and slushies with Jesse)

Finally, with our caramel apples in hand, we decided to set off for home. The whole experience was so new and so much fun. Today could have been just another Sunday spent at home in my air-conditioned room, but instead it was transformed a wonderful adventure. But the friends we travel with are just as important as where we ultimately go. And I am so thrilled to have been able to share this wonderful day with four of the people I love most. Next time a fair roles around your hometown, grab a couple of your closest friends and ample amounts of sunscreen and have yourselves an adventure. 

Until next time...

♡

Laptop Lovin'

This is a very special post for me as it is the first post published from my brand new laptop! After months of groveling and pleading, my parents agreed to get me one for graduation. But in my household, nothing ever runs on time. I graduated in early June and I just got the computer today. Unbelievable. But good things come to those wait, and after several long months I finally have the computer of my dreams.

Everybody meet Mr. Spock of Nazareth, the love of my life. His handsome, sleek, silver exterior is only one of the many reasons that I love him. But the best thing about him is that he's all mine. For many years I shared a large desktop with my younger brother (ugh) and there were constant disputes over things like the desktop image and what made the bookmark bar. Now that I have my very own computer I have complete control over everything from my desktop to how many hours I can binge watch my favorite television shows. 

Above is the image I chose to use for my desktop. This beautiful drawing is of my role model, Jehan Prouvaire, and was made by the beautiful Liv. For the rest of my appliances I am choosing a more muted and subtle color pallet with lots of olive and gold. For this I used the app CandyBar which has been marvelous so far. 

Anyways, that's enough bragging for one day. I promise that my blog will be less dead next week than it has been lately. Have a lovely, lovely weekend everyone!

♡

Bromances aren't just for boys

Everybody has that one friend. A person who knows them better than anyone, who's just as good for profound moments as they are for a laugh. This person hasn't necessarily known them the longest, but it certainly feels like they do. For me, this friend is Jesse. I've known Jesse my entire life, literally. Only six weeks older than me, she has been my friend since the day I was born. Weekends were spent in each other's yards and I was never absent from her annual Halloween and Easter parties. Throughout my entire life, she has been there. For fourteen years, I have had a wonderful companion to share my adventures with. And I couldn't be more grateful for it.

(Jesse and I at Oxnard)

I don't see Jesse as often as I did when I was younger, but we still maintain a close friendship. Even if we go for weeks and weeks without seeing each other, we can still easily slip back into out old patterns. It is immensely reassuring to have such a stable friend. It is safe to say that in my entire life I have never had any other best friend. It's like having a sister but without the fighting and competition. In ways, it is the best kind of relationship to have. If there is one thing that I am sure of, it is that I will never lose touch with Jesse. We could be on opposite sides of the world, but no amount of sea or sky could ever breach our friendship. 

I hope that all of you have a friend like her, someone to support you and love you for who you are. 

♡