Tuesday — June 30, 2009
Happy Birthday Max Paisely!!!

Today is a fabulous day. Still cloudy out (I’m starting to think that the sun has seriously gone into hibernation). But even though I’m left with gray skies I’m still in a fantastic mood. I leave for Miami tomorrow and am beyond excited!

Ohh, I spoke too soon. The sun has finally come out from hiding! I hope it stays out and keeps on shining bright!

Monday — June 29, 2009
this and that

Packing. What to take? What to leave behind? So much to do, but I don’t feel too good. I’m kind of tired and a little out of it. Ate too much chocolate last night. It’s raining out. I long for sunshine. Have yet to start reading a new book. Illustrating and drawing, but I really feel like painting. Now I’m kind of hungry. Craving Cuban coffee. Had a weird dream the other night, and woke up glad it wasn’t true. Last night I dreamt I was lost in a foreign country; not a very good experience at all. I knew where I was trying to go, but just couldn’t get there. Thinking about wishes and what it would be like to find a magic lamp. Palm trees and cerulean water is what I long for.

Oh, and by the way, in regards to my rant yesterday…”I might be paranoid.” – J.B. (haha loves it!!!)

Sunday — June 28, 2009
Oh, LFO… how I miss thee

In the words of the great 90’s boy band, LFO, "Life is good, life is great, life is unbelievable." I’m happy. Life really is amazing. I’d be on top of the world but a shadow hangs over my almost perfect mood. It probably is nothing, as it usually is, but I still have a slight fear that what I dread may come true. It’s nothing serious, just paranoia setting in. I may be over-reacting. I do have an incredibly active imagination that often gets the best of me. Either way, I will feel best tonight when I lay my head down and close my eyes for the day and put everything in the past. I welcome the dawn of tomorrow with open arms and cannot wait to rejoice in the fresh sunlight that is too come.

I will inform you soon if my fears were real or just mere figments of my overly active imagination.
All I can say is, I think I feel sick.

Saturday — June 27, 2009
puzzles

In one week and I will a year older, perhaps I’ll be a little wiser as well. The pieces are beginning to fit. I feel as though I am decoding a great mystery, but it really isn’t that big of a secret. I am now just starting to make sense of it all. Everything in life happens for a reason (and I mean everything). It shapes you into the person you are today. I have always believed in fate and the magic of life but it was only in the last few weeks that I have actually began to see how it all comes together.

Currently I am taking a writing class and it really has opened my eyes. I see things much differently now. I look at everything through the eyes of a storyteller. I try and make tales in my head based on actual events. I try and zero in on the characteristics in people that would make them interesting and engaging characters to read about. I am also now beginning to view my life as though it were literally a story. It’s funny actually, when you really start to think about what makes a great tale so remarkable, you can picture your own life and mirror the similarities to the literary requirements. It’s fun and it keeps my mind churning.

Friday — June 26, 2009
the attraction of oppositions

I’ve been thinking a lot about contradictions lately. Every great story needs at least one. Most engaging protagonists are full of surprises and often have some sort of mysterious characteristic about them that makes them alluring and different from the rest. What is a contradiction? A disagreement or inconsistency that is shocking in nature because it disagrees with previous statements or behavior.

Wednesday — June 24, 2009
What a feeling...

Today I appear to be channeling aerobics Barbie, circa the 1980’s. Hot pink “dance” shorts, extra-large splatter paint tee with neck cut out (revealing a white tank underneath), sky-high ponytail, green headband, and gray legwarmers… very stylish! Haha. Sadly I didn’t do much today (due in part to the lovely weather we have been having... still dreary out, still raining!), so no one got to see my Barbie-esque ensemble (but then again, maybe that’s a good thing!). I've been in a spectacular mood all day and had an amazing workout at the gym... it's kind of hard not to when one is wearing pink! =)

Tuesday — June 23, 2009
*star peOple*

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli is one of my favorite books… ever! It is a beautiful tale about conformity and being true to oneself. I have reaad it at least a dozen times. Summer cannot officially begin until I have devoured it cover to cover (I’m halfway through it right now). I never get sick of the story, which is why I read it every year. The sequel, Love, Stargirl, is equally enjoyable but I still prefer the first installment. It just is the type of book that makes you feel good. The ending is sad, at least I think it is, but it provides you with hope and a sense of wonder. And book 2 answers most questions one may be left with. I really enjoy how Love, Stargirl is written. It is in the form a letter. Stargirl (that is the main character's name) writes it to Leo, her love, and it is claimed to be the longest letter ever written.

I also am drawn to the simplicity of the cover of both books. I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I am guilty of doing just that quite often. I am not saying I won’t read a book if the cover is bad, it just helps set it apart in my mind if the cover excites me and speaks to me. The cover of both of these books does just that. Stargirl is a bright teal with a simple stick drawing of a girl on it in lime green and yellow star. Graphically it is perfect. The back of the cover is the same bright yellow and the text is written in a large green font. Typographically, it is very interesting and eye pleasing. The inside flaps are yellow, which serves as a great contrast to the front cover. Even the actual hard cover of the book is yellow with a lime green spine. Love, Stargirl has a lime green cover with the same simple stick drawings on it. I just love it, as I love the story.

Everyone should read Stargirl and then Love, Stargirl. Both are amazing YA novels that anyone can relate to. Oh, and fabulous news, they are currently making book one into a major motion picture! I cannot wait to see how they bring the tale to life!

Monday — June 22, 2009
randomness, say what?!?!

Endless lists. Keep crossing things off. Bees are busy and I haven’t seen one in weeks (not since I frolicked in the hills of the Swiss countryside). It keeps raining, but I’m rather glad (yes, I actually am! Lot’s to do that requires me to be indoors, otherwise if it were sunny I’d be tempted to sneak out and take a dip in the pool!). Listening to a great little country song right now… and before that I was on a heavy rap rotation! I like all types of music! I am in a positively glorious mood. I love words and looking up the meanings to ones I am not familiar with (also I’m a dear fan of the thesaurus… it really helps when writing because it provides you with synonyms to use so that your literary piece is more diverse…who likes reading the same adjectives and verbs all the time? Not I). I finished the book I was reading by Anne Brashares (it was a fun and light read… perfect for summer!) and have yet to start something new. I have a pile of books, I plan to read in the coming months, in my room that is quite high. I need to start to tackle that soon. My mind draws a blank…. I bite my lip. Should I end this post? Perhaps in a minute, I’m feeling lazy and don’t want to move onto another task just yet! I’m obsessed with sesame sticks (but not the original ones. I’m more partial to the honey-flavored and find that I pick through the container just to get the sweet little sticks, leaving the banal tasting ones behind). Sitting. Staring. That is me. Waiting. Hoping. Dreaming. Me, me, me. Why is my mind at a blank? So weird!

Sunday — June 21, 2009
Stars, summer, and inclement weather!

A year ago, today, I started something. Something amazing. Something I always wanted to do, but never had done before. This little “project,” as I will call it, consumed my life. I spent the whole summer working on it. And I enjoyed every minute. The project soon took on a life of it's own and therefore I spent more time on it than I ever imagined. As I spent my days working, I became so excited because I couldn’t believe how much I had accomplished in a matter of a few weeks. I felt as though I had moved a mountain. It was an incredible feeling, and the high still has not worn off yet. I planned on being done by the beginning of fall, but I just couldn’t stop. The project wasn’t done and I knew I had to keep working on it until it was completely finished. I never would have thought, that a year later I would still be working on it, still enjoying myself completely, but I am =)

What is it exactly that has consumed me whole? I can’t say, not yet, at least. I will wait until I am done, which will be soon. All I will say is that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and reach for the stars.

As I’m sure you know, today is Father’s day, but did you know that it is also the first day of summer?!?! Well, if you didn’t, now you do! It really doesn’t feel like summer at all. The weather is back to being dreary! It cleared up on Friday and the sun shone bright the rest of day, but it hasn’t made a single appearance once today!

Friday — June 19, 2009
The Blahs have overtaken me!!!

I need some sunshine! The last few days it has been cloudy and rainy and slightly cold out! I normally love the rain and welcome storms with open arms, but the rain up here in New England is just very unpleasant! It rains almost everyday in Miami in the summer but usually it doesn’t stay nasty out for too long. And the storms are different there. I enjoy them. I just desperately want a warm day. Sunshine makes me beyond happy. Summer is the most incredible season. I can’t get enough of it. The lazy day afternoons spent out in the sun by the pool. Living in a swimsuit. Getting to wear cute sundresses and barely there shorts and skirts (which actually are year-round staples in Miami). Becoming a sweaty mess as you bike by the ocean in the humid air of south Florida. Eating mangos grown from your backyard. I enjoy it all... and I will soon be getting to experience it once again. I cannot wait!!! But until then I must endure this torture. It is like I am being punished for some unseen thing. But I shan’t let it bring me down. Because the beautiful thing about rain is that the sun always comes out after a storm and shines brighter than ever before! So I will tough it up, smile and make the most of what the world has dealt and sooner or later I know the sinister clouds that blanket the sky will break apart and reveal the bright blue hue I love!

Thursday — June 18, 2009
Hot like WOW!!!

I had written a very lovely poem about the weather on this day and posted it, but decided to take it down. If we ever meet, perhaps I will share it with you! I'm quite the little poet, indeed! ;-)

Wednesday — June 17, 2009
Everlasting

The Natalie Babbit fantasy tale Tuck Everlasting is one of my favorite stories. The 2002 Disney adaptation starring Alexis Bledel and Jonathan Jackson is also pretty amazing, in my opinion. I’ve been thinking about the story lately and have had a strong urge to watch the movie. I haven’t seen it in years. I would probably plop it in right now but my DVD copy is in Miami (along with the book), go figure?!

The last time I watched it was with my grandma. My parents were at the hospital because mom was having chemotherapy, so that left us alone to spend an afternoon watching movies. We first started to watch Titanic but within the first 20 or so minutes I quickly took it out of the player because Nonnie got quite emotional. All of the people on the Titantic, traveling to America from Europe, reminded her of how she and my mother came to this country from Italy. They came alone because my grandpa was still stationed in the army and would therefore be joining them later. I suppose they were bittersweet memories for Nonnie (she was remembering a time years ago when both her and her daughter were just beginning a new life; and then flash forward to the present and the same daughter who she once held in her arms was fighting for her life). I hated to see her cry, so I decided to try and lift her spirits (and stay away from any DVD that dealt with heavy content). The next movie I put in was Tuck Everlasting and she enjoyed it thouroughly (she also thought that Jonathan Jackson was a qt!)

It’s a great story that appeals to everyone. It has romance, adventure, loss, magic, and mystery. It’s a classic tale. Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Girls loves boy back. Boy has secret (you have to read the book or see the movie to dicover what that is — I don't want to give too much away!). Boy leaves girl. When he finally comes around it’s too late… girl has passed away. The ending usually always has me in tears because the two lovers never are reunited in this life (and more than likely ever!). Boy took his time and was too late. What I’ve realized though, is that it really isn’t a sad tale at all. Girl eventually gets over said boy and meets someone new, someone who she grows to love and ultimately marries and has a family with. Who knows how long it took her to get over boy, but the important thing is, she ultimately does, whereas he never gets over her. Boy never finds someone else to love the way he loved her and he has to go on for eternity knowing this and how if he had only come around sooner she could have been and would have been his (even just for a short period of time... you'll have to read the story in order to understand). Imagine the suffering and torture that he must endure? I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Now some may argue that the boy that the girl marries may not have been her true love or even her soul mate, and they may also say that she may not have even been incandescently happy with him at all. Who really knows if she was or wasn't. But the uplifting element of the story is that she does not end up alone like the boy does.

As you can see, it’s a great read. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy!

Tuesday — June 16, 2009
It's a secret I'll NEVER tell!!!

There exists a place more beautiful then words could ever describe. It is a place where miracles happen and magic, real magic believed to only be true in storybooks, exists all around. Creatures that are not human yet are not quite animal live in peace without the fear of being disturbed. If, by some incredible force, the location is discovered, which it has and ultimately will be again, caution needs to be taken. The secrets that inhabit this truly remarkable locale can cause far greater harm than good. They can turn sane men into loveless beasts. Rip families apart never to be put back together. And twist young lovers in every which way so that they will be put against each other. Such place does exist, and it will be found again… it’s just a matter of time.

By the way, I know exactly where it is!

(on another note....)
Dizzy. In need of rest. Happy. Confused? Why, yes.
The days pass. The years fly by. Drifting into a stream of time…

Do I make sense? More than likely, not. Words ramble and wheels turn. Everything comes back, full circle.

Get it? Got it? Good...if not, whateva!
But do take comfort in knowing that, like Oscar Wilde, I too can become quite perplexed by the thoughts and speakings that spill out from deep within myself. With that, I will end this post with one of my favorite qoutes by Mr. Wilde. One that I think is very much appropriate for the given subject matter. Enjoy!

I like to hear myself talk, it's one of my greatest pleasures.
I often have long conversations with myself.
Sometimes I'm so clever,
I don't understand a single word of what I'm saying.
— Oscar Wilde

Monday — June 15, 2009
green rain...

On the verge. Waiting. I dare you to make a move. Words. Lies. Nothing more. Breaking free. Never caged. Holding back. Diving in. I wonder what the secret is. Guilt. Love. Hate. Revenge. Every story needs an end. Black and white. Forever lost. Torn apart. Miles away. Can it be? I will not stay.

Meadows. Breezes. A warm embrace. Flying high. Scared to fall. Clouds of white. Sea of blue. In this world everything is true. Be a friend. Be a foe. Sing aloud. Dance alone. What is the meaning? I do not know. Joy. Anguish. Slightly confused. Dreams of houses. Terrified of you.

Sunday — June 14, 2009
fallen...

As I mentioned yesterday, I have started illustrating a new book! I’m super excited! I have not created a new book since I finished Escape to Paradise a few months ago. That particular book took about a year to complete. It probably would have taken far less time if I had worked on it non-stop, but I took the summer off (I was working on another project, which I still have yet to finish, but I know I will in a few weeks! Trust me, it’s going to be amazing! I have never felt so good about a project before! It makes me smile profusely when I think of it!), and then it was rather difficult to illustrate the pages when I was going to school. But when I finally finished my so-called “bird-book” it was a great feeling.

Like Escape to Paradise, my new book is based on a story I wrote. The only main difference between the two tales is the current one is not fictitious, as my Kiwi & and Koko tale was. This story is somewhat autobiographical. I based the tale on an incident, involving a great fall, that occurred when I was much younger. I took the series of events that actually happened and sprinkled them with fictional elements in order to create a tale that I thought was far more exciting than the way things actually happened. Also, the main character in my story is a girl who I like to consider my “alter-ego,” so she acts a tad different than I would and she handles situations in a different manner. But at the end of the day, said alter ego is I, and therefore there are enormous similarities between us. Writing about her, I can alter my reality so that everything is how I want it to be (or how I think it should be)! Life is good when you hold the pen!

Saturday — June 13, 2009
what's going on...

Summertime...I love it! Bridezillas is one of the funniest shows on TV!!! The sun came out today. I woke up at 5:40 this morning for no reason (apparently I am still on Swiss time). My summer reading list keeps growing and growing (yay!). I started illustrating a new book, which I am very excited about (more on that later)! I ate French toast for breakfast (sadly, it wasn’t homemade). I have fully embraced the bed-head look today but am happy to report it doesn’t look too bad (or so I think). The best mangoes in the world come from Miami and our grown in my backyard (seriously, no lie) and I am desperately craving one. I still need a tan. I love it when my ipod is on shuffle and the exact song I am thinking about and wanting to listen to magically starts to play. That happened several times today — the last was a few minutes ago when my all-time favorite Rancid song came on. It was a perfect moment.

Friday — June 12, 2009
I'm back!!!

Did you miss me??? I am back in the states from my trip to Switzerland. I had the most amazing time imaginable! Geneva was gorgeous….so was the view from our hotel room (we looked right out onto the lake and the Jet d'Eau…breathtaking!!!). I ate way too much cheese and chocolate….but who could resist?!? We traveled to France one day and visited the French Alps and Mont Blanc (it was really cloudy that day so the view from the top of the mountain wasn’t that great, but it was still an incredible feeling being up so high in the clouds). Another day we visited the far end of Lake Geneva, near Montreux, and toured Château de Chillon, which is this really old castle located right on the shore. It was like something out of a fairy-tale!

Tuesday — June 2, 2009
Have Book, Will Travel.

I leave for Geneva day after tomorrow! I’ve never been there before so I’m super excited. I like to see new places (great oppertunity to take pictures, which I love! I never travel without my cameras...I am obsessed with snapping photos and capturing the moment on video). I feel as though I am in desperate need of a vacation! There’s something about getting away that always recharges my inner batteries and makes my worries and stresses go away while enabling me to feel on top of the world! I still have to pack! I keep procrastinating because I really hate packing. It takes me forever to do so… I can’t help it; I never know what to take! And I always end up taking way more than I need to, because well, you never know what exactly you may need (Swim suit? Umbrella? In my sister's case, three identical looking pairs of black pumps! She explained that each pair was completely different, but I didn't see it)!

It’s sunny right now and incredibly gorgeous outside! Too bad it wasn’t like this a few hours ago when I was lounging by the pool! I was only out about 45 minutes before I ventured back into my casa. It was far too cold out for me! The sun was hidden behind a dark blanket of gray and the breeze was like a whip of ice on my almost bare body. Perhaps tomorrow the weather will be more agreeable for my outside pleasure.

I just finished an incredible book! My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. It was a great read. The last few chapters were so completely unexpected! I was told I was going to be blown away by the ending and I totally was. I thought I was going to be able to predict the outcome, boy was I ever wrong! It’s not a light read, it deals with some pretty heavy topics (death, cancer, and lost love to name a few) but it is completely worth it. I love getting lost in a book that opens you up and makes you feel emotions that you normally wouldn’t feel. The same goes for movies. It’s a very personal experience to just loose yourself completely to the fictional characters you are engrossed with. Every once in a while I love a good cry. It makes you more human to feel things so deeply and purely.

Due to the heavy nature of My Sister’s Keeper, the book I am currently reading is a fun light read by Anne Brashares. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Monday — June 1, 2009
The ULTIMATE rule to live by!!!

As Justin Timberlake so appropriately sings, “what goes around, goes around, comes all the way back around.” Be careful how you treat others, because one day it’ll all come back to you. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, it may not even be in several years, but eventually it’ll catch up to you. Every action has a consequence, regardless whether or not it is seen just yet and chances are when it does come back to you it’s going to be worse the second time around. That’s why it’s important to always rise above and never act out irrationally. You’ll regret it one day, trust me you will, and when you do, it’s going to be too late to make amends. Life is far too short to play silly games and be anything other then yourself.

Past Posts:
May 2009 | June 2009 | July 2009 | August 2009 | September 2009 | October 2009 | November 2009 | December 2009 | January 2010 | February 2010