Quick post/recommendation

Alright.  This should be a pretty quick post.  Every once in a while I check in on my friend/old baby sitter's blog and her music.  Ashley is obviously quite a bit older than me so we never got to know each other too well, but I have always respected her artistic abilities and choice of music.  She is a wonderful artist in many varieties, especially musically.  Not only do I love this song, but her voice is amazing.  Here is one of her newest videos:



Her Youtube channel: ashweebrooke

Rodarte

I have loved the Mulleavy sister's clothing since the first time I saw it.  The first I had every heard of Kate and Laura was in the Teen Vogue Career Handbook.  I love this book! It has first hand accounts from designers like Marc Jacobs as well as photographers, make up and hair artists, bloggers and more.  You would never guess from their clothing (well maybe this video) that they grew up in a small town in rural California.  Their clothing is so different (for lack of a better word) and interesting.  Some looks are so complex and dark and others bright and whimsical.  They are so diverse.  See for yourself!

(reblogged video from theglitterguide)

Take a deep breath, and move on.

Playlist (August)

• Dido - White Flag
• Regina Spektor - Samson
• The Beatles - Blackbird
• Sia - I'm in Here
• He is We- Everything You Do
• The Cure - Just Like Heaven
• Foster The People -  Helena Beat
• A Fine Frenzy - You Picked Me
• Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
• Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body
• Audioslave - Like a Stone
• The Raconteurs - Steady as She Goes
• Weezer - Island in the Sun
• Broken Bells - Vaporize
• MGMT - Electric Feel
• Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed
• Two Door Cinema Club - What You Know
• Katy B - Katy on a Mission
• Ximena Sarinana - Echo Park
• Beautiful Small Machines - Counting Back to 1
• Sia - Stop Trying
• The Zombies - She's Not There
• Office - Nobody Knows You
• Marina and the Diamonds - Numb

Here is my play list for this month!  It's a combination of old and new songs that stuck out to me this month.  I hope you guys like them as much as I do!

 

I would just like to ask people to please think about what you are saying before you comment.  Even if what you say is intended as a compliment it can come off as really rude.  A girl in one of my classes today told me I was wearing "strange" clothes again.  I don't know what she meant to get across by letting me know, but I was kind of offended.  Only say things to others that you would want said to you! -Megan

A rant just for you. Your welcome.

This is going to be a pretty random post, so bear with me. 

1) Hannah:  Ollo! I didn't get to properly tell you how much your comment about my blog meant/means to me.  It means a lot to me that you like my blog.  Seriously, you're the coolest ever.  So thanks! If your reading this and your not Hannah and you know Hannah go say high to her, and tell her she's cool, because she is :).

2) I read THIS post today, probably three times actually, and I just want to comment how much respect I have for Lauren.  I doubt she'll ever read this, but just in case! :  I seriously read every post of hers.  Every one.  I check in to her blog before my own, or my email, or Facebook.  That's weird isn't it?  Anyway,  this post just makes me realize how much I appreciate her beautiful photos, witty comments, and creative style.  Keep her in your prayers, even if you do not regularly read her blog.  Thanks!

3) First week of school inspiration:  This inspiration post is kind of spur of the moment.  It doesn't have a theme like some of my others (yet) so it may be kind of weird.  We'll see.  This past week was my first week of high school and was totally nerve racking, scary, interesting, inspiring, strange.... too many words! I actually found that I really loved it though.  It definitely made me go outside of my comfort zone, but it all ended up being for the best.  I can't wait to see where this next week takes me!

1)

2)

3)

4)
5)

6)

7)

"Well explain it Brian"
[1] All of the pictures from my inspiration this week are from Busybeelauren's tumblr (here).  I guess this picture will serve as outfit inspiration sometime this week or maybe the next.  It's beautiful in an untypical way.  I would have used creepy, but I think that's pretty closed minded.  Really though, if you get yourself past the stereotype of a goth person, isn't it beautiful?  I wish I new what that book was too.

[2] I'm pretty sure this one speaks for itself.  The sky is capable of such amazing things. 

[3] I love drawing trees, but what other way is there besides on paper?

[4] This water color reminds me of my Grandma's kitchen.  I used to think it was tacky, isn't that sad?  But when I look at it now, I just see the intricate styles and colors of the 70's.  Yellow/greens, pale oranges and yellows, it's very different from the styles we have now.  Random thought:  my Mom and I were in Saver's the other day just looking around and we found these amazing thick pottery-ish style jars.  They were glazed over in a peach/orange color with a latch at the top.  It kind of looked like a cookie jar I guess. I seriously cannot imagine how some people bring themselves to donate this stuff!  It was probably from the 70's or early 80's.  Enough with my rant, lets move onto number 5.

[5] Again, this one speaks for itself.  I love what is actually says, but the old signage is what attracted my attention.  I love that stuff.  Yesterday I went to the theater and saw The Help.  It was amazing.  Several times during the movie I found myself diverting my attention from the screen to the crowd around me.  The theater was almost entirely full all the way from the back to the second row(people tend to stay away from the front row for obvious reasons :) People were laughing, crying, and sharing in the overwhelming emotion of being back in the incredibly racist and sometimes humiliating shoes of the help.  The movie wasn't all sad.  There was most definitely room for laughter and joy amongst the sorrow.   I have one complaint.  There was a lot of swearing.  Anyway, what actually brought this up was a thought I had about the work it took to take Jackson, Mississippi back to the 60's.  They film people actually brought in a huge crew of people to work on the actual town of Jackson and turn it back to the time period.  Some people witnessing the transformation actually said they remembered what it was like in the 60's and that it was amazing to see it portrayed again here. I wish I could have seen it!  Unfortunately it was only up for six hours before they took it down again!  Crazy, I would say keep it all up!

[6] This reminds me of a show my Dad loves to watch called Whale Wars.  These guys (and ladies) go out on a ship and do everything they can to stop whaling ships or slow them down.  Though it is a wonderful cause, I like this because of the cool water color look :)

[7] "They are just as afraid of you as you are of them!"



     

I think every girl should read this quote

Weekly Music # 12 (Ximena Sarinana - Echo Park)

Weekly Music # 12)  This week's song is Echo Park by Ximena Sarinana.  It is the fourth track on her first English album titled Ximena Sarinana.  The beats and overall sound of the song, and whole album really are so different from American culture.  Just find the video for Different, and you'll see that quickly.  It's not a bad kind of different though.  I'm taking a Spanish class this year, and I'm finding that I love the Spanish culture more and more the more I learn.





Previous Videos

Helena Beat by Foster The People
Daylight by Matt & Kim
Uberlin by R.E.M.
Uncharted by Sara Barielles
Spaceman by The Killers
The Funeral by Band of Horses (this cover by Elizabeth Lee)
Magic by Ladyhawke
Winter Song by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson
Cosmic Love by Florence + The Machine
My Delirium by Ladyhawke
Paparazzi by Greyson Chance (Lady Gaga cover)

Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, and today is a gift. That's why they call it the present.

Today in my language arts class we presented our "shoe box get to know you".  Our assignment was bringing in three or more things specifically about our past, present, and future.  There were a lot of interesting things shown, and I think mine were probably pretty average comparably speaking, but I'm going to share them anyway. 

1) Past:  My Tamogotchi.  Chances are, if your my age, you had one in fourth or fifth grade.  They were THE thing to have.  Seriously, bigger than Silly Bandz if you can believe that.  Mine is pink with a rainbow pattern on the back, and though it is missing the star on the antena, it still works.  What is funny is the reaction it got when I pulled it out as the first item to show the class.  I think everyone in the room withdrew breath, because they could not believe they had forgotten about their beloved Tamogotchi's.  Blast from the past right!?

2) Present: My EFY wrist band.  EFY last July made a much bigger impact on me than I every could have imagined.  I had heard great things going in, but it really was an amazing experience, spiritual and otherwise.  I will carry the things I learned there through the rest of my life.  Lucky for me, we have facebook so I can carry the people with me too.  Whenever the kid behind me won't stop swearing, or the girl at the front of the classroom has decided to wear those barely there shorts again I can remember how important EFY was to me, and realize that even though it's is obviously really common among students, I don't need to/want to take part. 

3) Present/future: My capo.  Whether you pronounce it Cay-Po or Cap-O it is definitely useful.  Though I would have loved to bring in my actual guitar, I figured my capo would suffice for today.  There actually were a lot of kids who brought in picks to show that they also play the guitar.  My guitar playing is both a part of my present and my future.  Oh!  I just remembered.  I'm currently learning a new song called "Advice" by Christina Grimmie, and I loved the lyrics enough to share some of them on my blog.  (I actually share a lot of stuff on my blog, so that's not huge news, but still)

"Don’t let go of good times
    
And let the bad ones know you’ll feel fine
 
And wear your heart out on your sleeve

Love is all, love is all you need

Don’t be rushed
  
Cause hurrying causes mistakes
    
And make sure to give more than take
   
And know when you must take it slower"

Clothes Encounters Back To School

    
Clothes Encounters has been one of my favorite YouTube channels for about a year now.  They always have creative ways to wear things that I probably wouldn't even consider on a store rack.  Grandma sweaters and maxi dresses?  Not necessarily for me.  But it's amazing all of the things you can do to make something like that more "you". Sometimes things like this even turn into our favorite things to wear.   At the end of last school year for example, I found a black shapeless dress that hit just below my knees.  The things that stood out about it 1) blue sleeve lining 2) versatility/easy to match  3) long enough.  I tried it on and realized that I could wear it a bunch of ways (belt, tie, etc.) I actually ended up wearing it to the end of school dance. 
-Anyway, I need to get back on track.  Last year Clothes Encounters put out a school clothes video pretty similar to this one that I loved.  It just seemed spot on.  I started looking for it when this school year started approaching though, and it was nowhere to be found.  Thank you Clothes Encounters for making another one!

PS) As much as I think this video is great, sometimes I wonder how the other kids at their school must dress if that's their idea of casual! 

Isn't this great?!

I think so.  Kind of random, but you know.  Anyway, I just want to say that I am working on actual posts.  These all picture posts I've been doing aren't the usual, just what I've been doing lately.  (unless you love them, then I do them all the time ;)  I've got some photographs I took on a trip to Utah this summer, a play list for August, and hopefully some more poetry coming up to post.  I thought you should know. (by the way, who are you?  I have no idea who/ if anyone reads this blog.  Actually I don't really mind if no one reads this.  My blog is more for me than anything else.  If you don't have a blog I really recommend you get one.  They are a great way to keep things straight.  You can post poetry, photography, art, etc.  You can even use it as a private journal if you'd like.
        On another note, this morning I went to the Deer Valley freshman back to school tours with my Mom.  It's crazy how nervous I've been about the new school year.  Being a freshman and everything that comes with it (new school, new classes, new people) can be/ is very scary to me.  It was nice though to be able to walk around and run through my classes.  After several weeks of pure stress, coming to the tours was the last thing I thought could help me feel more calm about high school.  When I showed up though, I went through the tour, walked through my classes, and was even able to see some people I hadn't seen all summer.  After I figured up that our building numbers were actually lined up pretty simply I realized I don't have much to be afraid of.  Except maybe being run over while walking to seminary, or eating alone in a corner.  Just kidding.  I'm actually pretty lucky to have friends in school that I can do both of those things with.  OK weird half story:  My Mom and I were walking through the halls in the 100 building trying to find my Algebra 1-2 Honers class when this guy (college age-ish) stopped us and asked what we were looking for.  We told him we were looking for my Algebra class and he told us where it was.  He continued to talk to us about how he had been a student at Deer Valley and was now teaching Physics.  Later when we were going through my schedule one last time we were walking down the hallway again and he looked up and was like, "your back?!" Haha. Kind of random.  We also met these two guys who also used to go to Deer Valley and were now teaching Social Studies, Girls Golf, and Football.  I think I've already said this a thousand times, but really, after being so nervous about this new situation, it was kind of a relief to just have random teachers in the hallways so willing to just say hello and have a random conversation with us when I'm sure they had things to do.  
       Alright, one more thing.  At mutual last night the Miamaides from our ward were combined with the Miamaides from the Bellaire ward.  You have to understand that all I knew coming into mutual yesterday was that we were having a birthday party.  Yeah.  Lets just say I wasn't totally looking forward to it, especially because I still have tons of work to do on my summer Health class.  Long story short I actually ended up having a lot of fun.  I just want to thank (I don't know if you read this) Hannah and Jenetta.  I'm so lucky to have them as friends.  I honestly don't know what I would do without them.  (I guess if I didn't know them I wouldn't know any better, but you know what I mean) Welp, that's all I have to say for today. 

<3

Megan Stimpson

sometimes you have to pick and choose when it comes to your battles.

(image from hyperboleandahalf)

"Why is music important? It gives you happiness, and happiness is important." - Andrew Vanwyngarden (MGMT)

(from busybeelauren)


(from busybeelauren reblogged from sophieeerenee)


(from busybeelauren reblogged from ashleymseat)


(from busybeelauren reblogged from littlebluepolicebox)


(from busybeelauren reblogged from poppylillysunshine)

 
(from poppylillysunshine)

( from busybeelauren reblogged from blindedbysecrets)

Think about it for a minute.

I love it when people follow my pinterest!

This post from www.onepearlbutton.com is really great!  I'll definitely be using some of these ideas for the new school year. 

1) Daily List Making: keep a notebook close by to take notes and jot down things you need to remember.  Each night make a list of the need to do things for the next day and cross them off the next night.  I like to have a wall calendar, but lately I've been using a book version.  It's great to be able to pack it around, and write down thoughts and dates so I won't forget them. 

2) Use Sticky Notes:  When sticky notes are posted somewhere you are, you'll see them often and remember to do things.  (It's also nice to take them down and know you've finished them :)

3) Use A Calendar:  Whether it is a wall calendar or a book like the one I use,  it is very helpful to have things lined out in front of you.  When I can look at a list of things I know I need to do for the day, it is much easier to get them done/ remember them.

4) Set Goals:  Long or short term goals are great.  I've found that (#1) if I make a list of the things I need to get done to accomplish each goal, it will get done faster.  Setting goals is a great way to get things done and be able to hold yourself to it.  Have a clear date set that it should be finished, and make sure your goal is measurable. 

PS.

so...

   

(images from sharingmachine, tumblr, thingsweforget.blogspot, etsy,  yes-butno.tumblr)

Free Crappy Portraits!

While reading through busybeelauren today I found a post featuring her very own "free crappy portrait".  I almost died when I found out I could get my own!  Here's how: 

1) go to http://www.freecrappyportraits.com/
2) click on "get yours" on the right hand side
3) enter your image, email, and message. 
4) wait to get an email or if you didn't enter an email, look for it on the website.

I'm hoping to find mine on the website sometime soon because I didn't put an email address in.  Hopefully you'll see it here soon. 

Here is an example of one: 

the picture they sent in

the awesome portrait they got