Merry Christmas to All!

Christmas is my favorite time of year, and how could it not be? It's the perfect time of year - exams are over, all the beautiful lights, winter weather is finally here, Sufjan Stevens' Christmas albums and other indie Christmas songs are on reel in my head (ahem, Ho Ho Hopefully by the Maine). Aside from the stress (self-imposed, I'm sure) that they feel from getting all their shopping done, people are generally happier and more receptive to pleasantness. But despite popular belief, the holiday season is not correlated with gifts - giving, receiving, wrapping, or shopping. Christmas has nothing to do with these things. Christmas is, of course, centered around Jesus and His birth, but what I think a lot of people overlook is that it is also about family. Think about it: the only things Jesus had with him at the first Christmas were his parents and the occasional goat lingering about the manger. The gift presentation (you know, frankincense, myrrh, and gold) is secondary to the real gift: Christ.

But not to go off about that for too long. I don't mean to discount the traditional trappings of the holiday. I personally adore giving gifts to the people I love. Just remember that a gift isn't a symbol of how much money you're willing to spend on someone and therefore how much you love them. If they're with you on Christmas, they love you regardless.

Now to almost completely change the subject to something a tad less serious.... my favorite Christmas songs right now (the ones you won't find on the radio)!

1. "Santa Stole My Girlfriend" - The Maine
2. "Wish List" - Neon Trees
3. "Tiny Christmas Tree" - Guster
4. "Christmas in the Room" - Sufjan Stevens
5. "Snow Will Fall Tonight" - Peter Bradley Adams
6. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - Coldplay
7. "Just Like Christmas" - Snow Patrol
8. "Snow Day" - Matt Pond PA
9. "Winter Song" - Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles
10. "All That I Want" - The Weepies

Merry Christmas!

DIY? Yes, Please!

Lately, I've been feeling really crafty. I made two outfits for a Project Runway type thing at my college; for one of the outfits - a dress - I knitted twenty-two flowers to make up the bodice. I might post pictures at some point. Then I made a halo for my halloween costume (a cop-out costume, yes, but the halo was rockin'!). And then last week I made a wreath made out of book pages, an idea I found here. And I LOVE it! I might actually make another one. And the thing is all this crafting just makes me want to do more. It's like my hot glue gun is calling to me, "Come on, you know you want to burn your fingers."

Anyway, here are some pictures (and by that I mean two) of the end result of my book wreath.

Do You Smell Burning?

Here is the latest comic by yours truly that I just haven't been able to upload here yet. You know, until now.

We Need to Talk...

About Hygiene.

Since having been in college, I've observed (quite anthropologically, I think) the hygiene habits of those in my surroundings, and to be honest, I've found a few things lacking. Now, yes I can be a bit of a germaphobe, but I don't think that asking you to wash your hands is exactly equivalent to demanding that you do so 497 times a day using only the purple hand soap (but not the antibacterial kind) because using the clear kind is like washing your hands with hand sanitizer. You know, for example.

So, I've taken it upon myself to provide you with what I think are essential health facts - hygiene lifehacks if you will.

1. When buying hand soap, most people generally reach for anything with "Antibacterial" printed on the label. HOWEVER, antibacterial soaps are no more effective than regular hand soaps but can sometimes even be more expensive. Also, triclosan (a chemical and active ingredient in these antibacterial products) can screw with your sex hormones.
   
2. While we're on the topic of handwashing, doing so can prevent the spread of foodborne disease (because it is most often spread by way of contaminated hands).
   
3. Before you jump into the pool next summer, remember this: each swimmer in the pool contributes about .14 grams of fecal matter (fancy phrase for poopy particles) into the pool within the first 15 minutes. The CDC recommends showering with soap before getting into the pool in order to prevent this nastiness. And don't forget about all the kiddies who literally use the pool as a toilet.
   
4. The kitchen sink has 100,000 times more germs and bacteria than a bathroom or a toilet. You might think about using a fresh sponge every now and then. Maybe washing your hands before you cook and stuff. Especially since food poisoning originates more often from the home than a restaurant.
   
5. When using public restrooms, you might be accustomed to using a particular stall, but studies show that the stall closest to the door of the restroom is overall the cleanest.
6. Let's talk about dust mites. There are millions (sometimes even tens of millions of them) of them. In your bed. Yep, it's sick. And it gets worse! They feed on your dead skin cells that you shed when you sleep. Dust mites can also cause allergies and asthma or make these conditions worse. If you've used the same pillow for more than two years, consider this: 10% of the weight of that pillow is composed of dust mites and their droppings (yes, their poopy particles). Also, it's important to note that during the fall and winter, this problem tends to worsen due to being indoors so much and in a closed space. To remedy this, wash your sheets regularly (it's suggested that you do so once a week) in hot water and then either hang to dry or dry in the dryer. Since dust mites can also be in your carpets and other upholstery, vacuum regularly.
7. Money: it's nice, green, and you know, useful. But the germs on money... Considering how many people don't wash their hands after using the restroom, it makes sense that there are so many fecal germs on money. So next time you go to a coffee shop and get that yummy looking muffin, maybe wash your hands before you devour it.
   

Especially during cold and flu season, i.e. NOW, in order to prevent getting these viruses or to avoid giving them to others, wash your hands properly and keep your hands away from your face. By properly, I mean with soap and lathering for at least 10 seconds before washing off the soap. Otherwise, all you're doing is getting your hands wet. And if you touch the handle of the bathroom door on the way out, you might as well have just licked the floor of a public bathroom.

I'm aware that I probably sound pretty neurotic with all of this hygiene talk, but I have to be if I ever want to not be sick. Maybe you have a good immune system and that's great. But that doesn't mean you should skip regular hygiene. That would be like having a great alarm system in your house with guard dogs, a gate, and a security tower, and then just leaving the front door open with a billboard in your yard that says "If you can carry it, it's yours."

And hey if you don't believe me, check it out for yourself. I'm gonna go wash my hands.

Sometimes I Hate Technology

Here's the story: I need to make a halo for Halloween (because I'm too cheap to buy something that I can make myself). Hence, I mapquested my craft store destination and set out with a plan. And after my last class today, I ventured into the unknown (i.e. traffic) to Hobby Lobby. After 40 minutes traveling to another town entirely, I realized Monsieur Mapquest had led me to some strange string of delivery warehouses next to the interstate. Frustrated, I quickly i-Phoned (according to my friends this is a verb) another close craft store and found that a Michael's was nearby. Thus, with renewed hope, I put my blinker on and pressed my foot on the gas. Two miles later I found myself not in the shopping complex you would assume, but another series of businesses and warehouses. Feeling defeated and impatient, I abandoned my quest for craft supplies for another day and journeyed home.

The moral of the story: I'm buying an atlas and a Zagat.

More Humorousity

Here's another installment of Awkward: Party of One. This one is more about my experience at my college so far, so if you don't get it, don't feel... well, awkward.

Awkward: Party of One

A few weeks ago I did a comic for my college's newspaper, and the editor told me that I could do one every other week, which excites me because it means that there are probably at least 4 people on campus that think I'm funny. Well, relatively speaking. Ok, maybe not, but still, it's exciting! IRRegardless, I figured I'd post my submissions on el bloggo for your possible enjoyment. Hopefully you'll like them. :)

I appreciate you, Grooveshark

****Update: I have a twin. We're also married, but that's a separate story. So, the author of this awesome blog and I were both enamored with Grooveshark's site maintenance message and blogged about it. At the exact same time. And then told the other about it. It's freaky sometimes how alike we think.

A few minutes ago, I'm trying to load Grooveshark to listen to some gnarly grooves, when I get this message. If more companies gave messages like this when their sites are down for maintenance, I'd get less annoyed.

Bear With Us

Going down for a bit.

To those of you who were redirected here, we apologize.

In an attempt to befriend Asian investors and increase office morale, we here at Grooveshark established some connections with the Chinese black market and imported our very own black-and-white Giant Panda (hereby known as "Pickles"). Unfortunately, due to circumstances no one could have foreseen, Pickles became agitated at the fluorescent lights and near-constant belly rubs and began clawing at our computers.

Pickles is currently thrashing about in the server room, causing the technical difficulties and temporary outage you just experienced. As soon as our interns return from Pier 1 with synthetic bamboo, a picnic basket and an oversized net, we will be able to return the servers back to normal and, if we can, rescue the coder that Pickles has taken as a prize.

Thank you for your patience.

This is Completely Random...

BUT I had a thought the other night when I was trying to go to sleep (this isn't the random part).

Have you ever imagined if musicians or actresses listened to or watched their own work? I've been fascinated with this question, quite honestly, for about a week, and I have a theory. I think the reason stars are so self-obsessed is they hear their music on the radio or maybe even on their iTunes or watch their movies on Netflix, and they think, "How awesome am I?!" Really, that's the only explanation I can come up with, but if you have another one feel free to share.

But seriously give it a think: Cher singing If I Could Turn Back Time on the drive to Wally World and thinking, "Damn, that's catchy."

And you know Brad Pitt has watched himself in a movie and thought "Well, who's that handsome devil?" Answer: not him. Seriously, not cute. Sorry to burst that bubble.

I'm Sorry, Who?

Name five actors or actresses. I'll wait.




...





Time's up. So who'd you come up with? Did George Clooney, Gerard Butler, Orlando Bloom, Angelina Jolie, or Jennifer Aniston make your list? Most likely they did, and even if not, the people who did are big names too.

But what about the "others"? I don't mean in any kind of sci-fi way. I mean, what about the actors and actresses who get nothing but supporting roles as the quirky best friend or the asshole boyfriend and yet are still exceptional actors?

Take for example Judy Greer (pictured at left). She's performed in a number of top movies like 13 going on 30, 27 dresses, The Wedding Planner, and What Women Want, as well as a number of guest spots on TV, but if I were to drop her name in a conversation about actors, I would probably be accosted with a response such as "Oh, I think you mean Judy Blume."







Another good example of an overlooked talent is Emily Blunt. She's probably most known for her role as the snarky and starving secretary in The Devil Wears Prada, but she has also been featured in Sunshine Cleaning, The Jane Austen Book Club, and Dan in Real Life. Now, she is rising up in the world. In 2009, Blunt played the title role in The Young Victoria. She also recently married my true love, John Krasinski (don't think I've gotten over that yet). But this young talent's career is only just beginning.




And my last example, though there are so many of them (including guys - sorry, didn't mean to exclude the guys) is Sasha Alexander. She played Kate on NCIS which I think was her first big role before landing some minor roles in Yes Man and He's Just Not That Into You. Now she's on the apparently hit new series Rizzoli and Isles. I don't know about it. I haven't seen it or anything but it sounds like a pasta dish to me. Ohh, pasta.

Judging a Book by Its Cover

I'm quite familiar, as is the rest of literate and illiterate humanity with the adage "Don't judge a book by its cover." However, when actually talking about books, this might not be the rule to follow. Think about it: if the typeface is ugly and illegible and the illustration is bad or nonexistent, then most likely, the book won't sell. But if the title is witty and eye-catching, the illustration vibrant, and the overall cover concept innovative, it's going to sell in a fashion similar to hotcakes (apparently they are quite the bestseller).

Personally, I only buy pretty books. When I'm in B&N, I get tired of reading the book summaries on the back covers and the authors' blurbs, so sometimes I find the prettiest book with the coolest or most meaningful title (to me) and I buy it. And most of the time this method proves very effective. I bought my favorite book, The Devil in the Details, this way (cover art here).

So, when I found bookcoverarchive.com I was so overwhelmed, and so was my Amazon shopping cart. This website features some of the most gorgeous and some of the weirdest book covers I've ever seen, but all of them are unique. To save you some time, though you should absolutely check it out for yourself, I've picked a couple of my favorites.

A Really Beautiful Take on a Classic



I'm fascinated; it's a contents page as a cover page. Mind-blowing.



I am so reading this book.



I adore Elie Wiesel and vintage photos so I would totally pick this book up.


There are no words. Well, clearly there are because it's a cover to a book, but you get the point.

Trust Me: I'm An Expert

I'm a chick flick connoisseur. I'm a rom-com movie maven. I'm that girl. And I figured I'd make a list of my favorites. Keep in mind, that these are my favorites, and while I do have very discerning tastes when it comes to a girl meets boy type of scenario, you don't have to agree with me. It's likely you won't, considering how contentious we hopeless romantics can be about our movies. Nevertheless...

1. Garden State
2. While You Were Sleeping
3. Sense and Sensibility
4. Return to Me
5. The Proposal
6. Ever After

Now, while most of the recent attempts at romantic comedies have been wanting at best, these are classics. If you haven't seen them yet, you have to at least once. And if you don't like them, don't complain about it to me.

But Don't Get Crazy...

Most people who have mingled at least a few times with other human beings over the past three years are very familiar with Bon Qui Qui of MadTv fame, known to her mom as Anjelah Johnson. She's become a household name and one of the most quoted videos .... ever. However, what's unknown to a surprising number of people, she is actually an accomplished comedian outside of the King Burger Franchise.

Here is the video that made "Rude" my sister's favorite comeback.

And here is some of her stand-up:

Braid Crusade

Lately, I have been obsessed beyond comprehension with braids. And it doesn't help that there are so many different types of braids: traditional, French, lace, fishtail, Dutch, twist, etc. The fun is endless. There's only one problem: I have never really mastered French braiding, and my "patience quota" only goes so far when I'm trying to learn new braids.

But alas, I shall not give up. Why? Because they are so freaking pretty, and I will rock the braid.

Here are some of my favorite hairstyles that feature this gorgeous style!

Dutch Braids

Cascade Braid (ha, it rhymes)

Lace Braid
(Click here for a how-to on Lace Braiding)

A Must(ache) for the Puppy in Your Life

Find it here.

Why does nothing please you?!

Twilight sucks. No pun intended. If you agree, welcome to sanity! If not, you might not want to keep reading - this is your one warning.

In case you didn't know, I hate twilight. Hopefully you do too. Alex Day certainly does. He was a simple guy (or bloke, as he would probably say in that ridiculously adorable British accent) with a mission: to figure out what all of this Twilight mania was all about. So, he decided to read the now international sensation cover to cover with this mission in mind. And to video blog about it along the way. The result? The funniest commentary on any book you or I will ever come across.

The best part is that he embarked on this sometimes treacherous mission with a completely open mind, but after reading a few pages of this not-even-fit-for-bathroom-reading excuse for literature, he was convinced. Twilight sucks. And he's ready to tell you why.

Here is the first in his series of "Alex Reads Twilight" which he covers chapter by chapter.



If you enjoyed that as much as I think you did, visit his YouTube channel for even more hilarity.

MIA Google Logos

I know I'm not the only one that loves all of the cute Google logos, especially the working Pacman logo from a little while back. They're so innovative and cute! Even the really random ones.

This one is from friendship day. Who knew?

Here is a list of Google logos you've probably never seen celebrating holidays that no one has ever heard of. Enjoy!

A Vital Life Question

How Many Justin Biebers could you take in a fight?

Confession Time

Hi my name is Olivia, and I spend an egregious amount of time on Etsy.

Not to say I buy everything I love because we all know I would be tripping over vintage suitcases and cufflinks shaped like octupuses... octupi?

But the addiction is there. It's the homemade-handcrafted monkey on my back. And now that I have my job back, I'm only being enabled. I should give in, right? It's all so pretty, and it wants to come home with me! I'm like 82% sure.

Anyway, here are my top favorites of the moment. (Check back with me in an hour for a refreshed list of favorites)

The designer of this headband has it in so many colors and styles. Check out the item's page!

What? Don't judge me.

SO Beautiful!

It's so sad how much I love shoes compared to how infrequently I can find them in my size and how infrequently I can actually afford the pretty ones.

Viva La Polaroid!

I don't pretend to know anything about photography. I leave that to my uber-talented friend and author of Word of Mouth. However, I've always loved polaroids - even the ones me and my sister used to take when we were bored during long summer days.

Here are some stunning examples of beautiful polaroid photography that give me chills!

Florence and the Machine

Some of the best and most innovative music I've heard in years. An absolute must!

English is Stupid

Sometimes, yes, it is.

I don't know who wrote this poem but they certainly got it right.

There is no egg in the eggplant,
No ham in the hamburger
And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.
English muffins were not invented in England,
French fries were not invented in France.

We sometimes take English for granted, but if we examine its paradoxes we find that:
Quicksand takes you down slowly,
Boxing rings are square,
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

If writers write, how come fingers don’t fing?
If the plural of tooth is teeth,
Shouldn’t the plural of phone booth be phone beeth?
If the teacher taught,
Why hasn’t the preacher praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables,
What the heck does a humanitarian eat?
Why do people recite at a play,
Yet play at a recital?
Park on driveways and
Drive on parkways?
How can the weather be as hot as hell on one day
And as cold as hell on another?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language where a house can burn up as it burns down,
And in which you fill in a form
By filling it out
And a bell is only heard once it goes!

English was invented by people, not computers,
And it reflects the creativity of the human race
(Which of course isn’t a race at all.)

That is why:
When the stars are out they are visible,
But when the lights are out they are invisible.
And why it is that when I wind up my watch
It starts,
But when I wind up this poem
It ends.

And A Pickle...

"I'll have a club sandwich without tomato, Zapp's chips for my side, and a pickle."

I'll bet this dialogue would strike you as a little strange. So, let's break it down.

"A club sandwich without tomato" - That's normal. Maybe the person just doesn't like round, red fruit.
"Zapp's chips" - Perhaps you haven't yet heard about the deliciousness of the Zapp potato chip. Understandable but not forgivable.
"And a pickle." I'm sorry.... What?

Whenever you order a sandwich, you will most likely have reign over the following areas regarding your sandwich's preparation and presentation: types of ingredients, quantities and quality of ingredients, side items, etc. However, what ALWAYS comes with your sandwich is the one item which is just as often never eaten: the pickle. Not even a whole pickle. It's a fourth of a pickle. If I wanted a pickle quad, I do believe I would have ordered it with my ham sandwich, light mayo.

What's worse: when you try to rid yourself, your plate, and your life from this wretched, unwanted excuse for a side item, no one else wants it either!

I'm waiting for the day I have three other people at lunch with me who have also ordered sandwiches so that I can tape our pickle quads back together and restore the pickle to its former pickle glory (which, surprisingly, for a pickle, isn't that much).

Mrs. Jim Halpert/John Krasinski

In case it's never come up before, I'm going to marry Jim Halpert. Don't know who that is? Well let me tell you. He's the most gorgeous man to grace the planet earth, he's one of the funniest people on television, and I love him. Even though he's engaged, engaged ain't married. Look at his face. Who could not love that face?

Hence, I love him and will be wed to him one fine day.



Going to the chapel, and we're gonna get married...
Going to the chapel, and we're gonna get married...
Gee I really love you and we're gonna get married...

We all have them....

Bad dates. Although I don't consider any of my experiences to be "dates," they definitely sucked. And I'm realizing more and more that everybody has them. In fact, I'm anticipating one this weekend at prom. But it'll be a whole lot better than some of these bad dates. The awful things that these people have been through give me the confidence to believe that my experiences will never be that bad. Granted, some of these stories are perpetuated by bad decisions, alcohol, or some combination of the two, but the result is the same: The Very Worst Dates ever.

T Minus 28 Days

As I'm addressing and stuffing and prepping all of my graduation announcements, I'm beginning to realize how quickly the end of high school is approaching. Despite all the crap that I've had to go through to get here, overall, it's been worth it. I'm actually not looking that forward to the day that I will put on my cap and gown, hear my name called, walk across a stage in uncomfortable heels, and relish the diploma in my hands. It sounds like heaven on earth, but I'm actually pretty scared. Especially since I'm not staying at home for college.

So if you are still looking at a few more years in high school or haven't even begun yet, appreciate it while it lasts because it'll be over sooner than you will ever be able to imagine.

And If I Can't Afford It, Then I Guess I'm Gonna Steal It

You've probably heard or at least seen the latest segment of What's Wrong with America Volume 2078, otherwise known as Maury. If not, take a gander at this beauty:



I would say more but..... it speaks for itself.

ROLLER DERBY!!

So ever since I went to the sneak preview of Whip It back in .... some month, I have been completely in love with the whole concept of roller derby. It's so badass! I even have a name picked out and everything, but I know that it's so good that people will want to steal it, so I'm gonna kept it to myself for now :P

Anywho, it's such an amazing sport that most people don't even realize is a sport. Therefore, if you haven't seen the movie, shame on you.

To remedy this problem:

Step 1: Go to your Netflix queue.

Step 2: Put Whip It at the top of your list.

Step 3: Wait anxiously by the mailbox for it to arrive.


In the meantime, enjoy this:

You won't even believe this

Today, my AP European History teacher pulled a dead mole in a ziploc bag out of her purse. She tried to get us to pet it. Who does that?!

AP Exams

I'm under the impression that CollegeBoard is trying to piss me off. I mean, if I'm going to spend 90 dollars each on four of those exams, they can at least give me practice work that I don't have to pay for. I understand that they're "valuable" but paying 25 dollars for a test that everyone has already taken? That's just agitating.

Lolz

I love lolcats. The real ones, I can definitely do with out, but the lol species is so cute! I have a "greatest hits" folder on my computer of all of my favorite lolcats, and I figured they might be appreciated here. Enjoy!

How fairy tales REALLY end

Don't get me wrong... I am a huge fan of the fairy tale. Pretty tiaras and ball gowns were a critical part of my childhood dreams. However, it's nice to have a reality check every once and a while to slap you in the face and say: "Hey, stupid! You have a great life, so be happy."

http://dailyshite.com/2010/03/how-fairy-tales-really-end/

One Month Anniversary....

...Of the last time I posted. Oops!

Anyway, nothing much has really been happening here. However, today marks the day of one of my good friends' birthday, leaving me as the last person in our friend group that is still under 18. This sucks. Especially when you want to go to concerts and things but can't because you're TOO YOUNG. I don't even look my age either, which only adds to my frustration.

But give me a month and a half and I'll have joined the ranks of my fellow legal adults. If only I didn't have to act like one....

Wetness is the Essence of Beauty... So Someone Please Clean Up Gaga

We all know (except for the select and special few) that Zoolander is possibly one of the most quoted movies of all time. I watched it last week, and now I find myself quoting it constantly. And then I start to wonder why... When you take it for what it really is, Zoolander is a pretty stupid movie. Funny, yes. Serious, absolutely not. And yet it's so addictingly funny. My theory is that the reason it's so popular is because it's so stupid. Needless to say, I also apply this theory to the Twilight and Lady Gaga epidemics, two other things I also don't understand, but different from Zoolander I just don't like either one of these. To tell the truth, it scares me a little bit to look at Lady Gaga for more than a millisecond because she makes my spine crawl so much. And to think how much the American population adores her... it's as disturbing as she is.

Semi-Formal, Pseudo-Casual Up-Dos?

So, Winter Formal at my school is next week and I actually found a dress (shock surprise #1) but now I can't figure out how I want to do my hair (shock surprise #2). I don't really love up-dos because I'm always afraid they'll fall out, but they look so pretty! I would also love to do something with braids; however my lack of skill in that department limits the plausibility of that happening. So, considering all of these limitations, I'm thinking I'll go with something like a half up-down do that's kind of messy and maybe have a braid thrown in there somewhere. This should definitely be interesting...

But then again I love the classics (like in the picture), so I really have no idea what I'll do.