hony

I'd just like to bring to everyone's attention a website that I think deserves so so so much attention right now: Humans of New York (HONY). It's a blog run by 29-year-old Brandon Stanton, who lives in New York City and photographs its residents for his photography website. He was recently added to Time Magazine's '30 Under 30' list, which basically means he's a super cool person under the age of 30. He also just came out with a book of all his best/favorite photographs/interviews/quotes he's collected over the years, and it is available here (I already put it on my Christmas list!). I'm sure it will be as amazing as his blog is. - Alex 

Humans of New York book by Brandon Stanton

you got to lose to know how to win

Every time that I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone
It went by like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay

Yeah, I know nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know it's everybody's sin
You got to lose to know how to win

- Aerosmith, "Dream On," June 1973


"Dream On" has always been one of my favorite songs. The line, "You got to lose to know how to win" has always been my favorite line from the song. It makes so much sense...how can someone be successful in anything or even have substantial knowledge of it if they've never failed, or lost? The answer is that you can't. My Saturday thoughts aren't much: don't be discouraged if something doesn't work or if someone hurts you. Know that now, you are really the one with the upper hand. You've been hurt, or something hasn't gone right - but now, you know what you don't want. Who you don't want to be. 

"Dream On" can also be used to demonstrate the theme of losing/winning. In my opinion, it is one of the greatest songs of all time. However, Rolling Stone magazine listed it as #173 on its '500 Greatest Songs of All Time' list...not that being listed at all is a loss, but #173? Really, Rolling Stone? The Beach Boys were listed several times before Aerosmith was even mentioned. Not that there's anything wrong with the Beach Boys (I'm actually rather fond of them), but listing many of their songs before any Aerosmith song, especially before "Dream On"? Oh, Rolling Stone. You really have lost it.

Well, now I need to run to the grocery store because, well, I guess I have to eat. And, as always, homework is calling. But in case you were wondering more about "Dream On", you can read all about it here. And if you wanted to read Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, you can check that out here. - Alex

let it be

Sometimes I think that high school should come with a disclaimer of some kind. "Warning: may agitate, cause anxiety/depression/high stress levels, and introduce you to people you'd rather not be introduced to. And then we're going to trap you with these people for four years and you can't leave because we got the law involved." 

I mean, doesn't it make sense to at least warn people of what they're about to be forced into?

That being said, high school (and your teenage years in general) don't come with disclaimers or warnings. Sometimes, it's hard to stay positive in the great pool of hormones, caffeine, all-nighters, backstabbing friends, and endless piles of homework that seem to consume the lives of every twenty-first century teenager. That's why I've taken time to browse around the internet and compile some inspiring quotes and pictures to help you make it through your crappiest of days. Sometimes, one single quote can hit home for me and turn my entire day around. I hope one (or several) of these will do the same for you. 

It isn't always your fault, no matter how you feel. Love is great and love is strong. It is the simplest thing you'll ever encounter. If love hasn't worked out for you, know that you can't give up on love itself - sometimes you have to give up on the person involved. Love isn't complicated...people are.

Abe was on point with this one. You can't change who you are, and you shouldn't bother trying. Whatever, whoever you are - be the best one you can be. 

Listen to yourself. Sometimes, you may be your only cheerleader, and that's okay. Just keep going, keep living, keep pushing yourself. Be who you want to be, not who those around you want you to be. Live only for yourself and for no one else.

You're not alone.

Take every chance. Drop every fear. Live every day. Love every chance you're given.

And don't be afraid to do it.

Let it be.

And to end, one of my favorite quotes ever. Above everything, always stand up for what you believe in, and know what you believe in. If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.

I hope someone out there found these quotes to be inspiring in some way, shape, or form. Also, I do realize that this is my first post in like six months, and I do apologize. Life does have a funny way of intervening. -Alex 

new blog & uneventful summer

The past few days have been relatively uneventful in my life. Nothing much has happened...a trip to the flat lands of Texas and some time spent with friends here and there. 

I did however just help my little sister, Abbi, and her friend, Olivia, create their first blog. It's called "Notes From Abbi and Olivia" and since I pretty much made it for them I'd have to say that it's kind of amazing. So y'all should follow it here. Oh, and just to get a feel for what they looks like (they're both 11 years old) here's a picture of them I took today:

And that's about it. Have a good summer y'all. 

it's a beautiful day

You're on the road
But you've got no destination
You're in the mud
In the maze of her imagination

You're lovin' this town
Even if that doesn't ring true

You've been all over
And it's been all over you


It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
It's a beautiful day


- U2, "Beautiful Day", 2000


Maybe the title of this post is a little irrelevant considering it rained on this summer day, but maybe it's not because the grass is greener, I had a peaceful escape from my little sister today (although I do love her dearly), I'm finally living in my beloved Texas again, I ate at one of my favorite restaurants in town for lunch, and George W. Bush's positive approval ratings are about to climb higher than Obama's - what's not to love? 

As I sit in my kitchen and gaze out the wide, tall glass windows and watch my one-year-old boxer puppy play with the grass and sniff the neighbor's dog through the fence, I just can't help but smile. We're still in the process of moving back into our old home in Texas. We've been here about a week and a half. We've repainted my sister's room a bright coral color and within the next few days I'm painting mine a light aqua color, not much different from what I have now (I'm basically only repainting it because it needs a fresh coat of paint). 


So far, I've already had several movie nights, pool parties, cookouts, and even played soccer with my friends and, unfortunately, only babysat once and already spent the money at the mall with my friend (oops?). In less than two weeks, the movies I've watched with a variety of friends include:
- Casino Royale
- Sixteen Candles
- Breakfast At Tiffany's 
- When A Stranger Calls
- Urban Legend 
- Sweeney Todd
- Titanic
- Amityville Horror
- Moulin Rouge
So, mostly chick flicks and horror movies with a few random ones thrown in there, all of which I'd already seen a million times except for Casino Royale, Amityville Horror, and Moulin Rouge. Most of my friends aren't into most of my favorite movies (Interview With The Vampire, The Lost Boys, Breakfast At Tiffany's (maybe that one), Jane Eyre, Sweeney Todd (I made my friends watch that one, but no one seemed very impressed...heh), The Phantom of the Opera, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, etc.). 

So far, this is shaping up to being a pretty good summer. I start public school again in the fall, thank goodness, and one of my good friends from Catholic school is transferring, so I won't be the only one who doesn't know her way around (our school is so big, I probably wouldn't be the only one anyways.) I've been at a small Catholic school for the past two years and, finally...I'm back in my natural habitat. Miss me? (That thought may or may not strike horror in some people's minds.)

Also, side note: if you're looking for a good, humorous, fashion-forward and light summer read, allow me to recommend White Girl Problems by Babe Walker. It's great, even if you're not a white girl and you don't have problems (who are you, then?!). Trust me. Also, Babe Walker is basically my alter ego, which totally works since we even share a last name. Guess you'll have to read the book to discover how terrifying/wonderful that realization of mine is.

Lest we forget the picture of the day, here is a photograph I took back in October 2012 in a small country town in Pennsylvania. Let's call it "Eyes To The Sun,"  because I really like that name (it's appropriate for me to begin to title my photos, right?). 

  

life goes on long after the thrill of living is gone

Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone.

- "Jack and Diane" by John Mellencamp, 1982

I was listening to that song as I attempted to think of a blog title, so I just decided to make the title some lyrics. Why not? Besides, I grew up with Jack and Diane. My father always used to sing it (and still does, really). It really reminds me of my parents, since they've been together since about age 13 and were married at age 21 and are still together today. My parents are the cutest. :)

About my day:

- woke up, attended school for approximately 3 hours

- felt sick, went home

- relaxed, took medicine

- began to feel better

- got my hair trimmed

- purchased some new brunette dry shampoo that I can't wait to try

- ordered a boutonniere for prom

...and that's about it. I'm feeling much better now and I'll be attending school tomorrow, thank goodness. I hate being sick.

Yesterday after school, I "ran" out to the mall in search of lipstick for prom and maybe some jewelry to match my dress. That's all I had intended to purchase.

**Side note: I'm a severe shopaholic. I don't think I've ever put this on my blog before, but so let it be known now. 

Anyways, I go to the mall, hoping to not spend too much. I will spare you the painful details of exactly how much money is now missing from my bank account, but it's not pretty. Let's just say I found the perfect earrings and necklace for prom, two lipsticks (because I couldn't decide which one), two nail polishes (they were on sale!!), a dress for a "business casual" event I have coming up (that obviously calls for a new dress), and a new jacket just because I saw it and had to have it. And then today there is the "professional specialized formula brunette dry shampoo" that my hair dresser talked me into (thanks a lot, Cassidy). AND my membership at Bib + Tuck was recently confirmed. All in all, I've been on a major shopping binge lately. Not good. 

On to our photo of the day. Here is a photograph of my best friend, Savannah, taking a photograph of me:

Also, y'all should totally check out this guy. He's kind of awesome. That's all.

closing night, bib + tuck

This weekend was an extremely busy one for me. Friday night was opening night of Godspell, my high school's annual musical. I don't sing or act, but I am the stage manager and I also work the lights. We had shows Friday, Saturday, and today, Sunday, was closing night. It was sad to see the seniors take their final senior bow. Everyone was emotional, but we still have to worry about Ray of Lights, a televised award show we were invited to, next weekend. I can't wait! 

Today I also discovered a website called Bib and Tuck that I'm instantly in love with. I filled out a profile and requested an invitation and then harassed them on Twitter (love y'all!) until they sent me an invitation. At first, I questioned the chicness of such a site, but once I browsed some of the items, there is no question on my mind that I will be a long-term user. 

Now, for the first time in a while, I have a little bit of time to relax, lay in my bed, online shop, sip some sweet tea, and listen to some songs from the soundtrack of one of my favorite movies, The Lost Boys. Blind boys don't lie...

Let's not forget our daily random picture from the archives of my external hard drive. Today's picture is a beautiful landscape of the Pennsylvania countryside from back in October that I took at a pumpkin patch. Enjoy!

balloons and godspell

So far, today has been a relatively good day for me. I drove a lot with my mom and sister (I will hopefully get my license in July, although I was supposed to get it this month - it's a long story). I went to rehearsal for my school's musical, Godspell (I'm the stage manager because singing and dancing isn't exactly my thing). We rehearsed with the band for the first time and things went alright. My mom and I made a short trip to the grocery store where we picked up items such as hummus, Swiss cheese, a baguette, sweet tea (of course), limes, and tomato soup, to name a few of my favorites. I parallel parked for the first time and I actually did okay. I wish I could take my driver's test sooner - I can't wait to have my license and my own car. 

Anyways, enough of the boring details of my day. I've decided to try to post a picture a day (or however often I can) that I've taken (we'll see how long that lasts). Most of the time the picture will be somewhat recent (probably never older than a year or two, but who knows what I'll dig up on the old external hard drive?). So, in light of that statement, here's today's picture of the day:

I took this picture last October. It is my sister holding up birthday balloons to the Texas sky. I really like this picture and I'm not entirely sure why. But that is today's picture of the day. Now I guess I'm off to do my AP Government homework which is kinda stressing me out. Goodbye for now. 

about me

I'm awkward at starting posts so I'll just go right into what I'm going to say: I'm Alex and this is my blog. I'm not new at blogging. I create and delete blogs left and right, but hopefully this one will stay. So hold on tight and don't look back.

I quote song lyrics and movies a lot. I love music, fashion, photography, and writing. I love sweet tea and summertime in East Texas. However I'd give it all up to move to New York City, which is my ultimate goal. I just want to live and explore. Unfortunately there's only so much to explore in small town Texas. 

As much as I'd like to say I'm the "peaceful" type, I only am about 56% of the time. It's just who I am. I get in fights sometimes defending myself, my friends and family, and my beliefs, and I'm not going to let anyone trample over any of those things for the sake of "keeping the peace." I'm not sorry.

Here's some basic things about me:
-I'm a vegetarian.
-I'm a Republican.
-I'm a Christian.
-No matter where I live, I'm a Texas girl at heart.
-I'll go to extremes to defend my friends and family and I do a little thing some of my friends like to call "scheming." I'm not sorry. 
-Throw the movies Confessions of a Shopaholic and The Devil Wears Prada into one and that's where I see myself in 10 years.
-I love attending concerts and I love music. 
-If I attack you with my camera it only mean I love you.
-I use the word "love" a lot and I think I do that because there needs to be more love in the world (or I just really like the word...whatever).

Oh, and by the way, the picture you're looking at in this post in one of my favorite places ever, Wildwood Lake. Go there on a breezy summer day with your ipod and some sweet tea and lay on top of a picnic table with your eyes closed and do nothing else. You're welcome.