We Want More: Real-Life Young Adult

A couple of months ago, I saw The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It had been less than a year since I read the iconic book. I don’t know what took me so long to read it, but I was especially fearful of how the movie would turn out. But knowing that it was in the hands of the author Stephen Chbosky, from writing to directing, I had a lot more faith.

Whether or not I had read the book, I really enjoyed the movie. It struck a cord with me and I bought it less than a week after seeing it. I’ve been wanting to watch it again so bad. I was trying to think about what I liked about the movie so much so instantly. I mean, I love plenty of movies and books for plenty of reasons. The acting was good, the story was obviously good…but there was something else.

And then it hit me. For the first time in what feels like forever, there was no supernatural romance. There was no dystopian future. There was no Facebook, cell phones, or even CDs. There was living life, going to school, dealing with complicated feelings (from closeted homosexuality to first love to drugs to suicide). There was humor and sadness in the most relatable of ways. And I feel like that’s something that has been sorely missing from the Young Adult genre for quite some time.

Don’t get me wrong…I absolutely love me some Hunger Games, some Twilight, etc.
But there’s something about exploring the feelings of being a teenager without the hunky love triangle, impending threat of violence and death, or the possibility of an immortal life that is necessary right now. It reminds us of what life really is ACTUALLY LIKE. I so admire the book and the movie for doing that. And it reminded me of why I love the author John Green so dang much.

He, too, is an author who explores love and loss and growing up in the most human way possible. There are some extraordinary things that happen within his novels, but they are of the ordinary variety. The extraordinary beauty of falling in love for the first time, the extraordinary devastation of losing someone important in your life…he has covered it all. And with no threat of vampire armies, war, or even cellular distractions. It’s not like his books don’t take place in the here and now (Chbosky’s shouldn’t technically count since the book and movie take place in the early 90s and Facebook and iPhones weren’t even a thought yet), or that he avoids technology.
But they don’t dominate the characters in the books.

I’ve missed watching movies and reading books about growing up that didn’t involve meeting an immortal soul mate or panned out like a predictable romantic comedy. There’s a time and a place for these things, and I love them for their mindless entertainment, but they don’t stick with me the way Stephen Chbosky and John Green have. It’s so wonderful to have these books and movies to remind us…but we most definitely need more. If you have suggestions on something I’m missing out on, let me know!

Some Little Things From My Life Lately…

I hope I’m not alone in lacking inspiration at the moment. Now that the weather is finally warming up, I think things are going to turn around. But after the lingering cold weather and the defeating flu from last week, I’m feeling kind of…boring. Still, there are some nice little things that keep life interesting, and some things to look forward to as well. Here are some photos of the good stuff.

A new mug to add to my ever growing collection…Bloomingdales love!

Most recent nail purchases: Julep’s Georgia and Daisy, Topshop’s Mermaid, China Glaze’s Fade Into Hue, and Sally Hansen’s Mermaid’s Tale.

Tried both new Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee flavors…Mint Chocolate Chip and Butter Pecan (BP wins!).

I never win anything, but I won this awesome Incoco Instagram contest. I get the GIRLS DVD (Okay, so I already have that) and nail strips that are based on each character from the show. SO EXCITED. Can’t wait to try them…especially the cute bows on Shoshanna!

Snagged this book I was lusting after for 5 dollars at Target. Now to use it…

Crocuses in bloom. So excited to see colors again.

The Weekend

I had a positively lovely weekend. I hope you did too! Spring has finally sprung around these parts. Brad and I went for a walk to the library and ended up wandering a lot farther and longer than that. On Sunday, we had a a little cookout with Brad’s cousin Shawn and his wife Rebecca…LOVE THEM. Here is a Vine video I took of it. Do you use Vine? It’s the best.
Anyway, here are some of photos from the weekend.

Obviously I was having some fun with the Instant Film edits on Afterlight!
The last picture is from a little project I worked on for the blog.
Keep your eyes peeled for that in the near future!

Hoping for a good week…Brad’s doing work in California this week and I have to work my first Saturday shift in a month this coming weekend.
Borrrrring. But I’m going to be catching up with a friend from the West Coast when the weekend does come, and as long as I survive Monday, the rest of the week seems like a breeze. Just hope that’s true.

Recent Reads: Spin (Book #12 of 2013)

A couple of days ago, I finished book #12 of my challenge. It took longer than I had intended, but I guess that’s to be expected when it’s nearly 400 pages, I’m not completely invested, and then I end up getting a stomach bug in the process.

Spin, written by Catherine McKenzie, was brought to my attention by Amazon recommendations. I did some research on Goodreads and it got higher than 3.5 in reviews (5 is the highest) so I figured I’d give it a go.

Our narrator is Katie, a 30 year old who works as a freelance writer and spends most of her time scrounging for food and drinks at university mixers. Because of this, a few of her friends think she’s 25. And she feels that way…she has yet to lock down a solid job and is stuck in a rut. Until a job opportunity at one of her favorite music magazines arrives. The day before her 30th birthday, she is called in for an interview the next day. She is over-the-moon, and decides to join her friend out for a few drinks to celebrate her birthday and the beginning of an exciting life. The only problem is…a few drinks is not where she stops. When she shows up at the interview the next morning, she is still drunk. She makes a terrible impression, excusing herself to go vomit. She’s hit rock bottom and missed out on her dream job…so she goes into a wine-drinking and couch-squatting tailspin. Suddenly, she’s given a second chance by offering to enter rehab for 30 days to snoop on Hollywood’s It Girl, Amber Sheppard and write a killer exposé at the end of it all. 
She goes and…well, I’d just be ruining the whole thing.

I was kind of excited about this book. I loved the idea of a woman stuck in an ambition-less life, going to rehab thinking she doesn’t need it but gaining something from it. I think this book had a lot of potential to explore some of the deeper issues Katie is dealing with. Instead, it sort of turns into the usual chick-lit with a romantic twist. I was bummed.

I don’t regret reading it, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it. Instead of being satisfied, it left me wanting more.

Recently…

Eating:
Strawberry Jell-O! Come on, I was sick! I haven’t had much of an appetite, but this gelatin dessert hit the spot without upsetting my tummy.
Drinking:
Gatorade. Again. Replenishment. I like it diluted with water and some ice.
Reading:
I am currently 2 books behind schedule, according to Goodreads. I am almost finished with my 12th book.
Watching:
Awkward. which you can stream until the 3rd season begins on 4/16 on MTV. I know, you’re probably rolling your eyes and scoffing, I did at first. But when the second season began last year, I got hooked. It’s super funny and smart and, at a short 20 minutes, easy to watch.
Listening:
Step, Vampire Weekend’s latest song. SO good.
Lusting:
Dunkin’ Donuts has new flavors of iced coffee…Mint Chocolate Chip and Butter Pecan…MUST HAVE SOON!

Easter Weekend

For those who celebrate, I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend! Sometimes, it can be difficult to split time between my family and Brad’s, but some of my family celebrated on Saturday and some of Brad’s celebrated on Sunday. We got to split time up perfectly between the two, and it was an excellent time. Good food and family…I got to see my cousin’s baby boy Niall for the first time since September!

The only unfortunate thing is that, including myself, a whole bunch of my family got a stomach bug. Not sure where it came from but at least 4 of us are sick. I’ve spent the last two days in bed. It’s not fun to get sick at all, and I haven’t had the puke-y kind of sick that came with this in a very long time. How very draining and discouraging. I am getting better, but I still feel positively BLAH. What can you do?

All photos above taken with my iPhone and edited with Afterlight.

March Photo a Day Challenge Completed

March is over, can you believe it? It feels like an April Fools joke…
For one of the longer months in the year, March sure did fly by.
And with the end of the month, comes the end of another Fat Mum Slim challenge…

Here we go…

1. L is for little things that make me happy.
2. I made this buffalo chicken mac and cheese for dinner one night…it was pretty great.
3. I can never find the key I want on this cluttered ring.
4. I didn’t win a single dollar on any of these Five Times Lucky scratch offs.
5. Loved the shadow projecting under these plants in the office.
6. The pink chair we all fight for at home.
7. Eleanor talks about one of her brother’s fears in Eleanor & Park.
8. My favorite boy holding my favorite pizza.
9. My faceless self-portrait is accurate because I’m always looking at my phone anyway.
10. I want more time in the day and on the weekend to do whatever I please.
11. It’s important that I have at least one cup of coffee a day.
12. A man walking with his umbrella in the distance.
13. The sound of “Happy Birthday to You” and blowing candles out to make wishes.
14. Super tasty pasta with vodka and alfredo sauce, sprinkles with crushed red pepper.
15. Birds warming up on a line before they fly off to explore some more.
16. I did two photos this day: 9 o clock AM is coffee time. 9 o clock PM is beer time!
17. Yuengling Lager comes in green bottles.
18. Old shoes I wear in snowy weather.
19. A faded stop sign spotted on a walk.
20. Squeaky clean out of the shower after a workout.
21. Working hard or hardly working? Reading on my downtime at work. (It’s allowed.)
22. A list of some things about me.
23. What I Do For Fun: Wear bright lipstick, watching movies, buy and use nail polish, and enjoy a brewski or two.
24. Going up the stairs.
25. It’s a mess in my drawer at Brad’s. Lots of lip balms and jewelry.
26. A total of four exercises from these two DVDs is something I did.
27. My trust pair of glasses.
28. In the mirror a few times.
29. Beer and friends make for a good night.
30. Brad and I relax with a cleansing clay mask and a scary movie.
31. A bunch of nail polish stuff in a Ziploc bag for touch ups and changes when I’m at Brad’s house.

And that’s the list for now! As always, I use Instagram and the occasional frame on Afterlight for these pics!
Can’t wait to share April with you…I just hope it doesn’t go too fast!!!