My Magical Wardrobe

There are always things which are good for you but you don't particularly enjoy. For example, there's vegetables (though that doesn't apply to me; I'll eat almost any of them), homework, and maths (which I also like). On the weekend, I made an important discovery, thanks to something I really don't like- cleaning. But I don't think I would've been able to make this discovery in any other way.

In short, I discovered that my wardrobe is magical. Narnia crossed with Harry Potter magical. It is honestly a wardrobe with magical powers. It has the power to return things to me that I lost ages ago or never even knew I had. And the stuff inside it takes me to another place.

The first thing I found was a necklace. I'd been pondering its whereabouts for several years, and I finally found it. I got it from two of my gorgeous cousins for Christmas one year. They always get the most amazing presents. It's got heaps of dangly, pretty things on it. It's a lot girlier than most of the jewellery I wear nowadays, but I love it anyway. It reminds me of Paris somehow.

I found a whole box of Shrinkies shortly after that discovery. A whole box full!! Those of you who aren't familiar with Shrinkies- they're sort of like overhead projector sheets with colouring-in pictures on them. Once you've coloured them in, you stick them in a hot oven and they shrink before your eyes. They bake in the oven for a bit and when you take them out, they're tiny! So very, very cool! You can make necklaces and keyrings and stuff with them.

A whole stack of jewellery boxes fell on me then, so I picked them up (obviously!). It was pretty chancy that I decided to look in them though, because I found a pair of earrings! They're not flashy and I doubt they were very expensive; just a simple pair of gold sleepers. They're handy to have though- they're the only pair of earrings I own that I can sleep comfortably in- and, like with the necklace, I'd been questioning their whereabouts for years. Except that this time, I actually remember putting them in the box now.

I never forgot about these, either- a box of little flower fairy lights I've had (but never put up) since I was eight. My mum was inspired to buy me them for one birthday after seeing the way they were decorating one of our relative's bedrooms. I still haven't put them up yet (because my attempt to do so resulted in snapping of part of my Venetian blinds; not good!) but when I do, I will upload a photo!!

I found heaps of my old notebooks where I used to write all my old stories when I was in Kindergarten up until now. I keep them all because I like looking back over them every so often. I found my old Winnie the Pooh exercise book that I've had since Kindergarten, which was my first ever writing book. I wrote this one story that I distinctly remember, called What A Bad Baby! when I was five. Mum thought that it was very cute, particularly because I wrote "an overdue apple" without realising that apples are never actually "overdue."

Yes, I know I have been a very lazy blogger and I am so sorry! I've been preparing for the exchange, which starts on Saturday! I'm very excited to be meeting my sister (who I'm not actually related to, just to set the record straight!), and I've had to get the house ready for her to move in! So, sorry in advance if I don't post regularly!

Sayonara, fellow ninjas! xoxo

I Love My Alternative Bands....

Sorry about the lack of posting lately, guys! I’ve been at parties, doing assignments and researching the hottest unsigned guy bands around!

To start with, though, I’d like to mention that my favourite band of at least three years now, Short Stack, have finally released their latest music video to accompany a song off This Is Bat Country [their latest album], Heartbreak Made Me a Killer at 9am on Friday (just to annoy their school-aged fans, haha)! I like the new video, apart from the lack of Bradie's face and that he cut his hair. I liked how Planets and We Dance to a Different Disco, Honey were connected by the alien girl, as were the older ones by the rabbit costumes, craziness and immaturity; this one was very different and much more mature. Not my absolute favourite, but it was still awesome. 5 ninja stars!!

And now for the latest unsigned talent I’ve come across...

Firstly, there’s the epic band, Take This To Heart, who are my favourite right now! They’ve been playing together since late 2007 but switched drummers just last year. The best part? They’re a Sunny Coast band of the best genre!! Their five track demo is up on Facebook, if you have an account, as well as their amazing cover of the Blink-182 song, Stay Together for the Kids. You can find them on their Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and one of my favourite websites ever, Triple J Unearthed. A couple of my friends that have heard and appreciate their talent want to go to one of their gigs sometime next month, but I’ll have to wait and see!

Then, because I’ve been trawling through the Triple J Unearthed website constantly, I came across the punk-pop band, Cupidfalls. They would have to be the best band I’ve found on that website so far. They’ve got some free songs for download on the Triple J site, which you’ll find here - no excuses for not knowing who they are when they come up in conversation sometime soon! I love all their influences- Queen, Story of the Year and FACT. They’ve only been around for about a year, and it shouldn’t be long before they take the punk-pop music scene by storm!!

Last, but certainly not least- look up Meaning In Masterpiece. They’re a Californian band (the only non-Aussie band I’ve mentioned, haha) who’ve been around since mid 2009. If you’re into bands like Never Shout Never, Dashboard Confessional and Kisschasy, you’ll love them. Lots of acoustic guitar and soft male vocals are what set them apart from other bands. They have a six song EP called Someone Else out on iTunes right now, which you should hear, stat!

Well, that’s all, folks! I will try to get back to regular posting as soon as I possibly can, I promise. This week’s crunch week for all my assignments and everything, so it might be another couple of weeks before I can really get back into it.

I love you all, and thanks for supporting my dreams thus far!

Sayonara, fellow ninjas! xoxo



Pool Party Playlist!

In honour of neighbour most fabulous's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I LOVE YOU!!) I would like to dedicate today's post to parties with my babes- in other words, my best mates.

 

If you've ever been to a party with me and my mates, you'll know that nothing short of crazy happens. Ever. Instead, there's a lot of soft drink, junk food, adrenaline and loud music. That's at the birthday parties anyway, namely mine. We don't drink, and I'm glad of that. Weird enough stuff happens without it, and then with actual alcohol, there's a lot more worries, like all the health risks!

 

I mention parties tonight because this Saturday afternoon, the awesome cat-fairy-next-door, is having a birthday pool-party!! Very exciting, seeing as it's the first party of the year! Blondie and the hottest red-head we've ever seen are already planning a combined party for the end of the year, for their sixteenth, but unfortunately there's a bit of waiting involved!

 

I've been assigned the honourable task of making up the ultimate party playlist for her! I have heaps of music that we both love, but what song do you guys think sets the scene for the ultimate pool party? Leave your answers in the comments box!

 

I'm really tired right now, so I should probably go now...

 

Sayonara, fellow ninjas! xoxo

Thinking Onto Paper: The Justin Bieber Debate

Everyone and anyone it seems knows who Justin Bieber is, and has heard the song 'Baby' at some point in time. And everyone has one of two opinions on him- they either love or hate him. There's not really any neutral position on him anymore, seeing as he's become very well known.

This is a typical conversation with me and anyone I've ever spoken to:

Me: Soo, what kind of music do you like?

Person: Oh, I like.................................................

Me (If I like them): Oh my gosh; I love their music!! What's your favourite song?? *goes all fangirl on them*

Me (If I don't like them): Oh, ok; I'm not really a big fan. Do you like.....

Person: *responds in some way*

Me: So, what's your stance on Justin Bieber?

Person: *gives their answer*

 Known them for ages or a second; face to face or on Facebook, it doesn't matter- I will always ask what music they're into if I'm nervous, getting to know them or can't think of what to say but don't want the conversation to die. And whenever I ask about music, I ask about Justin Bieber. I honestly don't know why I do that. I guess I just like to get people talking and sharing their opinions, and I just like to listen and then chip in with a spiel of my own.

Whoever I happen to be talking to will answer in one of three ways:

First up, we have the response of the typical fan girl; the Justin Bieber lover: OMG!! I LOVE JUSTIN BIEBER; HE'S SO HOTT!! I WANT TO GO TO HIS CONCERT!! I HAVE ALL HIS SONGS!! AND HIS HAIR...*fangirling continues*. And I say fangirl because, to this day, I don't know a single guy who likes Justin Bieber. If you're one of them, let me know!

Then, there's the fence sitters- sort of. They generally don't like Justin Bieber, but they're not die hard haters- I have named them the 'meh-ers': Yeah, some of his songs are ok, but I think he's a *insert inappropriate noun here*.

And last, but not at all least (there's more of them that I know than any other group)- the die hard haters. Nothing good to say about him except that he's alive... until murder is legalised, anyway: OMG, THERE IS NO *BEEP* WAY I'M EVER LISTENING TO JUSTIN BIEBER; MY EARS CANNOT REGISTER A SOUND OF THAT FREQUENCY!! HE'S AWFUL!! I CAN'T BELIEVE ANYONE WOULD LISTEN TO THAT VOLUNTARILY!!

And of course, that's not all of it; that's just their opinion on the music... just wait until they get started on him:

*INSERT CAPITALISED STRING OF INAPPROPRIATE NOUNS, VERBS AND ADJECTIVES HERE*

I guess my point is that everyone has an opinion on him, as they do many other things. Most other things, in fact. For example, I heard Lemur and Blondie arguing over whether netball is a sport (Blondie) or an activity (Lemur). They couldn't agree (at all) so they decided to survey everyone in their homeroom. If anyone would like to shed some light on that for their sake- and the sake of my *already low level of* sanity!!- you can vote on the new poll I've added.

MY OPINION ON JUSTIN BIEBER: I'm in between hater and fence sitter, really. I mean, I don't see what's so special about a singing sixteen year old. Good looking? Yeah, well so is Gerard Way but no one makes that big a deal out of him!! He's no more talented than Jesse McCartney, Aaron Carter (ok, well maybe!!) or Nikki Webster were in their time, and they didn't last forever!! Some of his songs- I said some!- are ok, but I wouldn't go buy his albums. That would require listening to him sing them, and I'm not a fan- at all. I'm not like the insane hater that threw a waterbottle at him during a show though. My thought on that is: If you hate him that much, then why go to his concert? That's a lot of money that you'll never get back for going somewhere you never wanted to be!

If you are a passionate lover/hater/meh-er of Justin Bieber, feel free to share your opinion!

Sayonara, fellow ninjas! xoxo

Thanks For The Memories

It's funny the things memories can be attached to. Today it was almost like going back in time to when I lived in NSW, with all the old songs and photos I've heard/seen today.

It all started in the car ride to school this morning. I love the car ride to school; dad and I make a game out of listening to the radio. Every morning, we get in dad's car, turn on the radio and turn it to Mix FM. There's a mix of the new stuff like Bruno Mars, Katy Perry and P!nk; as well as older stuff like ACDC, Queen, INXS, etc. Dad and I basically compete to say the name of the song and the artist who sings it. I love that game. Like Bryan Adams says in the song 'Summer Of '69'- "These are the best days of my life."

Anyway, just before we got to my school, a song came on that brang back weeks worth of memories- Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) by Robert Palmer. Yes, memories can definitely be attached to songs. Ever since I was four, I have loved to dance. Starting then until I was eight and moved to Queensland, I took dancing lessons. Every year, we would put on a concert. Every class would do a dance to one song. Doctor, Doctor was mine one year. I still have the costume for it too- white dress with a big sequined + on it; and a matching head piece. I still know the words to that song, and I think I have the dance on DVD.

Then there were all the comments on my photos on Facebook. They remember things that trigger some of your memories, and you just reminisce about everything. I remember all the McDonald's parties I went to; my sixth birthday party with a big jumping castle; the distinctive hats of preschool- my hat was navy blue with a giant yellow flower on the top of it and one of my friends had a hat that was completely rainbow sequins. Then there was the good ol' days before Wii- Eye Toy... so many memories, all in different years, just from one photo when we were eight.

Then there was the latest incident- I don't think this has ever happened before; not to anyone I know anyway- a gecko fell from my ceiling and landed on me. Yes, that really did happen. I went out to feed my dog, Rookie, and out of nowhere a gecko falls onto my hand. It shocked me so I screamed- my neighbour could hear me. They live two houses down. Technically, they're not my neighbours, but they're close enough.

Now, I've never had a gecko land on me before tonight, but it still triggers memories. Of the time we spent on the beach when I was a little kid. It took hours and hours to get to the beach from where I used to live, so it was a treat- even if it was a very long car trip. We'd have Macca's in the car on the way and go straight to bed when we got to my grandparent's beach house. The next day, and for the whole time we stayed there, we'd go to the beach.

The connection I have with the gecko relates to one visit in particular: we went to the beach, as we always did. It was pretty quiet. We decided to bury dad in the sand, just for fun. So mum, my sisters and I were all picking up handfuls of wet sand and throwing them onto dad's back. I picked up and handful and, just as I got back to dad, something jumped out of my hand. It was a prawn. Now, I don't like seafood and I'd never, ever seen a live prawn before (or since, for that matter) so it spooked me a fair bit. Needless to say, everyone but me was amused.

And then there was the car trip... we went to go pick up Macca's one night- me, dad and the girls. As I got in the car, I felt something wet on my arm. I thought nothing of it, because it was raining. We drove down the street, and I felt it again.

'Hey, dad?'

'Yeah?'

'Is the car leaking?'

'No; it shouldn't be, it's a new car.'

We started listening to Bohemian Rhapsody then and I completely forgot about it. Then I felt it for the third time, and I let out a high pitched scream.

'Stop being silly!'

'I'm not; I felt something and I don't know what it was...'

Well, I definitely wasn't being silly, because the car then swerved with dad's yell. He felt it too. We pulled over the car and sitting on dad's leg was...

A frog. I love frogs. We get a fair few at our place- brown stripeys and big, bright green treefrogs. But I'd never touched one. I was worried it might've burnt its skin (to touch/pick up a frog your hands are supposed to be wet; the acid in human skin burns them) but it appeared fine; it sat on dad's leg the whole drive.

Those are just some of the memories I have. I recall plenty more, and I'll have a gazillion more in the future. Some of them are and will be beautiful, others I'll wish I could forget. But these ones, I'll treasure forever, and I'm glad I have them. What are some of your favourite memories?

Sayonara, fellow ninjas! xoxo

Thinking Onto Paper: 158 Friends

158 friends. That's what I see. I guess it's the first thing anyone sees. How many friends they have. They meet someone for the first time, say, at a party. They talk to them and, stuff getting their number. In this day and age, they just find out their name. Then they log onto Facebook and search and add them.

This is something I sometimes do, but I only press 'Send Friend Request' if I've met them on numerous occasions. Otherwise, in reply to the request, should they choose to accept it, you get the incredibly awkward wall post saying 'Hey, thanks for the add, do I know you?' and you have to go and explain how you know them, and you have two possible answers: 'Ohh, that's right, heyy!!' or 'Don't remember, sorry :S.' And if it's the latter, you explain some more and they still don't remember and then you just give up and all hope is lost.

Or, to put it simply, they don't add you at all.

I like to think I'm smart about who I add, but the truth is I'm not really. I don't think many people are these days. I mean, I don't go around adding random people, but I can easily name people who would. People who I see around all the time but don't necessarily talk to... that's the majority of my friend's list. At my school, I only talk to the people I hang around with. You tend not to hang outside your stereotype. That's just how high school works, whether you're conscious of it or not.

158 friends- but are they really friends? A friend is supposed to be 'a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.' Most of the people on my friends list, and on most other people's, don't fit this criteria. 

I suppose it's all for image. Everyone wants to look good to their peers; to seem desirable. They want to have the best clothes, best make-up, popularity- in the form of their Facebook profile.

But what is popularity, really? In movies, it's always the petite, blonde, head cheerleader who everyone secretly hates. According to the dictionary, popularity is 'being popular- regarded with great favour, approval or affection, especially by the general public.' Somehow, this doesn't fit with the stereotype of popular people you see in movies or on TV shows.

Somewhere along the line, someone's gotten it wrong. Real life can't be defined by something straight-forward, like a dictionary, however much this displeases me. For instance, love- it's defined as 'a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.' But it's a lot more complicated than that. I couldn't begin to explain it if I tried.

How can this be so? How could Google ever be wrong*?

This is the question that haunts me- why are 'popular people' never really popular at all? Why is it the ones who are truly popular by definition that are deemed 'uncool' or 'unpopular'?

It is a twisted world we live in...

*Well, technically, Google could never be wrong as it is merely a search provider and does not provide answers. It simply gives you sources to find the answers you seek.

The Latest And Greatest!

Hey guys, I have some new bands, as usual.

• Allstar Weekend: I first saw them on Disney channel during the ads when my sister was watching Hannah Montana or one of those shows. I rarely watch TV, so I'm pretty sure it was an omen that I was watching it at that instant. Then a video clip came on for Allstar Weekend. Yeah, go ahead and groan about those typical Disney bands- but you'd be wrong. Not all Disney is... well, Disney. Just look at Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez (who are, by far, the ultimate Disney girls). But Allstar Weekend- I've never, ever seen a better boy band on Disney. Sure, there was the Jonas Brothers, and yes, I admit, I do have a CD of theirs, but Allstar Weekend suits my tastes more. And I like to think I have a really good taste in music. They have three songs on iTunes thus far: A Different Side Of Me (which featured on The Last Song- the book was really good, even if I did get laughed at for reading it), Dance Forever (which sounds like a boppier, poppier version of TMGR!) and Come Down With Love (which I listen to all. The. Time.). Look up, listen and love.
• Sparks The Rescue: I've already admitted to my weakness for Fearless Records. All their bands are ah-ma-zing. We Love Like Vampires and Autumn are the two I've heard. They went through my head again and again. My sister, who thinks I don't listen to enough popular, well known stuff, actually sings along with me to these songs. Their sound is a bit more difficult to explain. It's not as heavy as some of the stuff I listen to, and they're not really electronic or pop. They're alternative, but that still doesn't pin point why I adore these guys. You should definitely look them up.
• Party At Her Place!: They're electronic and unsigned, but they should be! I'm generally not a really big fan of electronic, but I've found the exception. I found out they existed through Facebook friend requests, got curious and loved what I heard! Their five songs on iTunes are on an album called The Invite. I love the fact that it's all themed, party style! And the songs definitely make you want to party. They're recent; the album only came out in 2010, so they've got plenty of chance to dominate the music scene, and I hope they do!

A couple of other mentions: I started up a second blog; if you love my entertainment (and hopefully, entertainING!) posts, the other one's a more serious side of me, called Dreamer's Place and more about my life. I've tried a different style of writing- if it sucks really badly, please let me know so I can change it! Please follow!

Also, last time I was at my neighbour's place, we were listening to the amazing New Perspective by the talented Panic At The Disco, when out of the blue, she suggested we start a band. Turns out B2 was thinking what B1 was thinking (yeah, don't know why I just made a reference to Bananas In Pyjamas), because I thought that idea was awesome- and I'd been thinkking similarly. We want to write our own songs, but we want to be similar to our favourite bands like Paramore, My Chemical Romance, Evanescence and everything else fabulous. Only catch is, we're not quite sure what to name it! I made two suggestions, both beginning with 'Forbidden' and she came up with another four. I've put up a poll, so have your say- what should we be called? Feel free to comment to give any other suggestions too!

Sayonara, fellow ninjas! xoxo