Last Night of September

It seems like this month came and went in a flash. I view September as a month of newness. School starts and the weather begins to change. As a student and someone who is very close to school age students I feel like this is kind of like a new year. You set new goals, you have new books to read and blank pages to fill, new teachers, and new classes. It's all very exciting. Everything is brand new and it's a sign of how far you've come.

I get excited when this time of year comes around. I love all the fall holidays, going back to school and watching students go back makes me very happy, and I'm so grateful for the cooler weather that's coming.

I started working towards my Masters degree this September and the nerves and excitement are still here. I haven't been in school since last December so this is a very interesting change for me. I'm still getting the hang of being back in school. A new month begins tomorrow so we'll see what October brings me. Every day brings its gifts and I hope that some of these October days can find me a cure for procrastination.

I had to put this song here because it makes me so happy. So in case you needed to dance your way out of September, here's the perfect jam for you!



Be well♥

Mid-week Motivation

"I deserve to take time to enjoy the little things that make me happy."

Like:

• Getting to the bus stop just in time to catch the bus
• Enjoying a cup of something hot and delicious at the end of the day
• Hearing a song I love on the radio
• When a favorite episode of a show I like comes on
• When a movie I love comes on TV
• When I don't get caught in the rain
• When my hair comes out the way I wanted it to
• Smiles with hellos and goodbyes 
• and hugs
• :)  ♥

Feel Good Friday!

Happy Friday!

Well Suited Wednesday

Mack Wilds
Grammy Nominated Recording Artist & Actor
1989 - 

 "Some things come with time and patience. You can grow within your craft, especially if you stay at it."

-Mack Wilds

---
Recommended Watching:

• The Wire
• Red Tails
• 90210
• The Secret Life of Bees
• Miracle's Boys
• Michael Lee: The Wire
• I Will Not Lose
• The Truth With Elliot Wilson
• BHL Next
• First Time Grammy Nominee Vlog
• Black and Latino
• Mack's Story 
• Complex: Mack Wilds Talks Growth 
• Public Schools, Rap Music, and Black America 
• Speak Dreams into Existence

Listen/Watch:

• Own It
• New York: A Love Story (iTunes)
• Cold
• Freestyle on Toca Tuesday

Recommended Reading:

• Beats, Rhymes, and Classroom Life by Marc Lamont Hill
• Staten Island's Mack Wilds Scores Grammy Nomination
• New Music to Know
• On His Move From Acting to Singing
• The End of The Wire

Anthems!

Check out these songs that have been keeping me going lately. I call them my anthems. I feel like you need different anthems for different moments and situations. There have been songs that were an anthem in a different part of my life when my experiences and challenges were different but they still sound perfect to me now. They still fit because they are reminders of my life and of the challenges I've overcome and the happy moments that I will cherish forever.


Fun- Some Nights

• This is my current anthem. It describes how I'm feeling right now. I'm stuck between the things I want to do to chase after what I'm passionate about and doing the things I need to do in order to graduate. This song can be interpreted in so many ways. I think that anyone can find an anthem in this. It really speaks to you.

India Arie- Beautiful Flower

•  This song is my forever anthem. I don't think that I'll ever grow out of it. The words are so beautiful. The song gives me power. It lifts me up. It reminds me that I am beautiful and special. I am important and I deserve to be here. I can't forget how important it is to believe in myself. Believe in yourself! There is nothing that you cannot do when you believe in yourself.

Nine Days- Absolutely(story of a girl) 

• This song never gets old. It was my anthem when I graduated from high school and was trying to heal. I had stop cutting for a while and things were looking up for me. I thought that depression was in the past. I know now that depression is much more than something I can just let go because I moved to another town. This song makes me smile.

These are just a few of the songs that have become my anthems. What songs speak to you? What songs make you feel special?

songs I love

These are all songs are songs that I love that mean a lot to me. I love the lyrics and I can just listen to them when my heart needs to smile or when my mind is going crazy and I just need to relaaaaxxxx.

may 7th reasons to smile.

• Today is friday! I actually kept forgetting that but I am so happy that I've reached friday, the week that was blessed with two AP tests for me. Happy Friday!!
• I'm about to make popcorn with my little brother and sister and we're going to watch a movie of their choice. It should be totally awesome. I'm wearing my micky mouse pajamas, my sister is going to wear her princess and the frog pajamas and my brother is probably going to wear mickey pajamas also. we're a very disney loving household.
• I voted for a graduation song today, I voted for the very awesome Green Day song that you can watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PK2R0IwCiY
• I laughed a lot today. that's always a good thing.
• again...it's FRIDAY!!!
• They played "Hey Mickey" in the cafeteria today. It was awesome
• I listened to a ton of old and awesome songs on youtube, including "It's Tricky" by Run DMC which I played multiple times and it will probably be stuck in my head all weekend. =]

Now I have to go get into my mickey mouse pajamas and make some popcorn. The kids have decided to watch alvin and the chimpmunks! Happy Friday!!

you can be a HERO!

I love this song! It really means a lot to me. Sometimes it's so hard to keep wanting to go on when you can't find any support from anyone like the people in these songs. If we could just show kindness to people, then maybe they wouldn't feel so alone. I know what it's like to feel really alone. I know what it's like to feel hopeless and like no one cares. We need heroes to help us see that we are loved and we're not alone.

To all girls everywhere,

here are some songs that we should all listen to.
when we feel week or inadequate. when we think that it'll rain on us forever. Here are some songs to remind us how strong, brillant, and beautiful we are.

It can't rain forever.

=)

My Get Up and Go Playlist.

To go along with my new room and my happiness list, I've decided to make a series of CDs to play as I get ready in the morning. I've chosen upbeat songs that will hopefully pave the way for a great day. It's like a confidence boost in music form. I'm not finished yet. There are still some songs that I want to buy from iTunes like "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John and Tom Cochrane's "Life Is A Highway" among others. I'm also taking suggestions. I think that any upbeat, feel good songs like these will really determine someone's outlook on the day ahead. Happy songs make people happy and happy people won't let negativity get to them.

"Before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who cannot speak."

some of my reasons to smile (:

I'll be starting my senior year in 4 days so I think that it's time I start my reasons to smile list. I'm going to take it to school with me everyday so I can look at it when I need a little pick up. I'll post a small portion of it here. (:

• Open Up Through Secrets 2.0 on facebook
  
• seeing Honor Society walk about 5 inches infront of me
  
• the tweets from http://twitter.com/projectbeauty
  
• Jonas Concerts =D
  
• The picture I took of Kevin Jonas and Christa Black(two of my favorite people)
  
• Seeing Jordin Sparks
  
• Seeing Demi Lovato
  
• Seeing Honor Society
  
• my awesomely decorated room
  
• a blog to vent

I would post a couple pictures but the internet hates me at the moment.

=D

here are some pictures that I took myself in Tampa. I haven't done anything to them....

Hope.

When I thought I had lost all hope and told myself that I should stop letting hope in, I turned on my iPod and listened to these two songs. They're both on my iPod but I rarely ever listen to them. Something made me listen to them and I am so glad that I did. I almost gave up on myself but these two songs brought me back. Hope is real. I cannot believe I almost forgot that.

ps. Coach Carter is one of my favorite movies ever<3

music = therapy.

I love music. It's like therapy to me. When I listen to music it's like I can escape whatever else is going on and just feel the beat. It's so amazing! I don't think it should matter who sings a song or what label they're on or what they look like. Music is to be enjoyed and we should thank all musicians for bringing that joy to so many people especially since they don't even know the full effect their music has on their fans. It's truly amazing. The lyrics to these songs are so much more than just enough lines that rhymes to take up 5 minutes. A lot of these lyrics decribe the lives of so many people. They can change a gloomy day to a brighter one. They can sum up the story of your relationship, good or bad. They can give you confidence. They can just make you happier than you've ever been before. They can say everything that you thought was impossible to say. Please don't judge people on the kind of music they like because you never know how much their music may mean to them.

not that this needs to be plugged....

http://www.christablack.blogspot.com/
she's one of the greatest people.
read her story
:)

Quite Possibly The Coolest Person Ever.

This is Christa Black. If you don't know who she is you must get on myspace and listen to her music at http://myspace.com/christablack! It should be mandatory and if you like something you should share it right?

Christa Black is very beautiful. Inside and out. Her songs are amazing! I don't know her personally but based on her tweets on twitter, she seems to enjoy life and we all know how important that is. She seriously has enough talent for a small army. A talent that the whole world should see and enjoy. Everything about Christa Black reminds me of the song Bottle of Sunshine by Milkshake. (listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PHGVJ-DaSA ) The lyrics in Christa Black's songs are powerful. She makes the kinds of songs that you feel were written just for you. I fell in love with each song the moment I heard it.

She's touring with the Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, and Honor Society this summer playing in their band. I'm lucky to be going to them all and I'm super excited for it!

Basically, Christa Black inspires me so thank you Christa Black!!!

read her blog. she's such an inspiration! Her blog is more proof that we all need to know her. She's so special!!!

http://christablack.blogspot.com