The Beauty of Life

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

- Maya Angelou

Her song

is a lullaby.

her slender hands reaching the low ebony keys

of a piano,

slowly and drawn out 

at first.

melody.

crescendo. 

now in this dimly light room

her hands pound keys on the piano

faster and louder

expressively yet...

harsh.

faster

and louder

louder

and faster.

 she travels through the piece 

at last reaching the finale

but abruptly stops.

 her blurred figure begins to move freely

to the achingly slow

yet painful melody

that she had visited in the beginning.

but this time 

she does not want to leave.

with the final glide of her fingers

a mere teardrop hits the ebony black. 

her song

a story.

Waiting to Be Found

beneath those amber eyes

there are secrets

unspoken words.

behind that tinted glass

there are things

they haven't heard.

within the mirror

lies another world

facing the future

uncertain, unsure.

and yet we still lay our promises

right on the ground

hoping, praying

waiting to be found

Vampires and a Lock & Key

With summer, I've had more time to catch up on all the books I've been meaning to read (or usually just the books I've promised people I would read... :P)but anyhow, that means...book review time! I haven't done this in a while (actually, just kidding, I haven't reviewed a book on my blog ever, with the exception of Harry Potter) but hopefully my style of reviewing is enjoyable. Oh, and ---wait-- one more thing...what could be better than a book review? hm? what about a...double book review? ahaha anyways, here goes (:

"I didn’t even believe in vampires before I was one." ~ Bree Tanner

So, first up, I finally got myself to finish the Second Short Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer and was...mildly surprised. Okay, actually I'm lying, I was very surprised. I picked up

the book expecting another romance novella with a small but cliche element of danger and... just that. To be honest, I really didn't expect very much, thinking that Meyer had just written another nice little addition to the series, something that she could have to nicely stack with her other books on her desk. The Second Short Life, however went beyond that and specifically made me understand the mindset of newborn vampires- which is briefly touched on in Breaking Dawn-but other than that, isn't really thoroughly explained in the other Twilight books. To those of you who are wondering what in the world I'm talking about (or more specifically, those of you who refuse to give Twilight a chance...oh trust me, I know who you are ;)), this short novel is told from the perspective of a newborn vampire named Bree Tanner who is briefly introduced in Breaking Dawn. She fights on the side with Victoria & Riley and the rest of the newborn vampires that opposes the Cullens (with Bella and Edward). What was captivating about this novel (and striking in comparison into the rest of the books) is that the novel goes into detail on how it really felt to be preparing for battle against the Cullens as well as the overarching experience of how it was to be a newborn vampire, period. Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn are forever told in the black and white perspective of Bella and therefore, you never really get to see things from another's point of view (except for those chapters in the final book that are told from Jacob's perspective). It was just refreshing and very interesting to see things from Bree's point of view...not only because it was, well...just different, but because she was on the "evil side" as well. For those of you who have read Breaking Dawn, you know that Bree's fate ends up not being the best (yes, I'm going to spoil it for you...she dies), but do you know what exactly was going through her head those final minutes of her life? I'm not going to spoil that for you because I highly encourage you to read the book...It just puts a whole new perspective on things. Normally, when we think of the Twilight Saga we think of Edward & Bella romance lalalala but after reading this, I felt more strongly about the element of danger that is always present in Meyer's books...I actually really liked it. (:

Alright so that's that, but another book that I finished this summer (and decided would be perfect for reviewing) was Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen.

"It’s never something huge that changes everything, but instead the tiniest of details, irrevocably tweaking the balance of the universe while you’re busy focusing on the big picture." ~ Ruby

Go ahead, make all the assumptions you want that all Sarah Dessen books are about cliche romances, and that's fine with me, but I still encourage you to give it a chance...I'll just let you know that if I were to summarize Lock and Key in a few words, that would most definitely not be one of the first things that comes to mind. The novel is more about finding yourself in this big world and creating an identity (I know, I know...nostalgia of an entire seventh grade unit in LA about 'Creating an Identity') and throughout the novel, the main character Ruby changes phenomenally in her attitude towards life, in the way that she approaches the world, and just her entire character as a person. The book starts out with a girl by the name of Ruby who is 18--no scratch that--17 and a few months from turning 18. Those few months make all the difference

in her life, though. After her mom abandoned her and she was forced to make her way living in the old yellow house by herself for months, the Social Services finally figured out about her living situation and sent her to live with her sister Cora. Ruby hasn't had contact with her sister in years, ever since Cora moved out of the house, determined to get an education and start her own life. Ruby struggles and is frustrated by the world around, unable to figure out who she is and what she is doing in Cora's prestigious, prim world. The only thing that keeps her in touch with her old life is the key to her old yellow house that she wears as a necklace around her neck. After a few incidents, however she begins to feel herself change, and develops a unique bond with the boy next door, Nate. She grows closer to people around her and actually cares about them-something new for her. Things keep on coming back from her "old life" and it's hard to let go...but Lock and Key beautifully illustrates how growing up, finding your place in the world, and having a fresh start are things that can be done...I will be completely honest...I enjoyed this book very much. (:

On My Bookshelf

I just wanted to share something really quick that I thought was interesting, but I guess I'll start by telling a story (haha you know me, I can't help it...) So anyways, Once upon a time...

haha just kidding, no fairy tales here (: Anyways, back to the story. Usually, you can look at someone's bookshelf and learn a lot about them. For example, if you were to find...adventure book about sailors and pirates and things of that sort, well...you might conclude that they are one who indulges in such types of things. Then, let's say, if you were to look at another's shelf and find...murder mysteries, well, you could make your own assumptions thereof (not saying anything about that, of course, I myself used to be addicted to Agatha Christie :)). To be honest, if you were to look at my bookshelf, though, you might be a tad bit confused. I myself will admit that I have a quite odd selection of books...Yes, you'll find Twilight but right next to it you'll see...The Jungle Book (right after the MLA Handbook of course :P) I guess that part of this is because I've collected books over time and often each book has a back story to it, making them very disparate, but at the same time, it reflects me pretty well.

Anyhow, I was going through my bookshelf and found a book is completely hot pink, no kidding. And I've really never taken a look at it...I think that it was from a book exchanged at our school about five or six years ago and I happened to pick it up. Anyhow...it's an approximately twenty page book written by a girl named Ashley Rice (and titled Girls Rule.) Yes, go ahead, ask me why this book is sitting on my bookshelf and I honestly have no clue, but yesterday I picked it up anyways and read it, interested in what it was about. Despite the fact that the title is quite cliche and it was written by a child, I was surprised to find that there actually were some words with quite a lot of impact in it...[about bringing your aspirations and hopes for your future to life...dreaming big doesn't do any good unless you're willing to strive to achieve those dreams.]

pretty powerful words for a child, hm?

Teardrops of Violet

let me fall freely

fall

back into those times.

peel away the black and white layers

and see the color hidden right behind.

let me turn the page

turn

to a blank face.

free of stray marks

of memories I'd cast away.

let me dance

dance

to the rhythm of the rain.

which perhaps never even existed

but echoes in my head

complicated

yet plain.

but most of all...

just let me cry

cry

cry my tears.

my teardrops of violet-

never to disappear.

Until The Very End

Harry. Potter.

As most of you know, this week is the final week before the series that has gotten the hearts of so many readers finally comes to an official end. Although I wouldn't exactly called myself a fanatic, Harry Potter means so much to me and I guess that you could say that I'll always have a special place in my heart for Ron, Hermione, and of course Harry (in addition to a few other random characters that for some reason I've grown to adore...Luna for example :)). I really can't put into words how amazed I am with J.K. Rowling, who had this entire enthralling plot line and world all made up simply from her ideas and head. There are a million emotions that come with knowing that the last movie will be released this Friday (excitement, joy, but then of course sadness and dread that it is all coming to an end.) To those of you who are reading this thinking *wow...she's crazy...* that's okay, the magic of HP is something that maybe only crazy people like me get (; haha just kidding, but anyhow, I'll keep this short. I'm unbelievably excited for Friday and I'm sure that the movie will be the most unimaginably perfect ending. I can't believe that I'm saying goodbye to fictional characters, but you know what? It's so much more than that. After years and years of watching the movies, reading the books, and continuing with Harry, Ron, and Hermione on their journey, I guess this is finally it. <3

For now, here are a few of my personal HP favorites (: (most of these I found randomly online or stumbled across...enjoy!)

Oh Starbucks...

if only Geometry was like this (:

Oh Ron and Hermione...

(:

ahaha this one just made me smile :)

until the very end. <3

A Few Tidbits

For those of you who're looking for things to cure you of boredom during the summer (just kidding :)), here are a few things to take a look at. A lot of them were recommended by friends, but a few are just random things I came across:

-A cover of "Firework" by Cimorelli (these sisters are really talented, check out their other videos)

-Airplanes Medley Mash-Up by Megan Nicole

-Another Mash Up (Black Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift, etc.)

-Just a Kiss ~Lady Antebellum, Cover by Madilyn Bailey

-Enchanted ~ Taylor Swift, Cover by Megan & Liz (these girls are great as well, check out their Youtube channel)

Each Ending is a New Beginning

"You don't get another chance. Life is no Nintendo game." -Eminem

oh, Eminem. As much as I love your music, this quote made me stop for a moment and go "wait, whattt?" I agree that our lives are about as close to Mario Kart as black is to white (if only you could pick up Question Blocks in life that would give you extra powers :)) but does that mean that we can't have second chances? No way. I actually sort of understand where this quote is coming from, considering that he's probably had a hard life and is just sharing his personal experiences, but I don't think that that's necessarily true.

Well, now that we're talking a bit about music, let me quote from what used to be one of my favorite songs (let me apologize in advance if you disapprove of my music taste...anyhow, that's not what's relevant right now):"sometimes goodbye is a second chance" [bonus points if you can guess what song!... because I'm not telling ;P] Anyways, this particular line spoke out for me because most of us, when approaching our life, see the "end" of things as...well, the end. Is it possible that we can actually see these ends as the beginning of something new, though? Sure, it's not like the whole Nintendo "okay, you lost one life? oh well that's okay, moving on to your next brand new sparkly life" thing, and I understand that everything won't be perfect, but maybe sometimes the end of one "chance" is the opportunity to start on an even better one.

Unwritten

She remembers when you used to blend into the faces of a crowd

just one among many others.

There,

but really not.

She remembers really seeing you for the first time,

as you walked into that door

hopeful,

but doubtful.
She remembers when there used to be a glass door between you and her,

standing like the unwritten rules of your friendship,

open,
except not.
She remembers the countless painful days of ignorance,
when silence spoke more than words...
when really all you both wanted most
was it to end.
But most of all she remembers that one special day
that you finally opened up...
"hello."

Summer & Sunshine

You might be wondering why there is a lovely blank space over there-- but, to be honest, I really don't know. All I know is that Blogger has been extremely...uncooperative, and therefore, you might have to grow close with that blank space, because it doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon :/ For that same reason, well...there goes all the tabs that used to be on the toolbar to your right. I apologize for the possible inconvenience, hopefully everything gets back to normal soon.

Haha anyhow, I guess that I didn't get the chance to officially wish you all happy summer (or Sun Ultimately Makes Most Everything Right, that is) (: To those of you who have been dedicated readers of my blog throughout this school year, thanks, you guys are what makes posting on here worthwhile (: Our weather, which has been acting just a tad bit bipolar seems to be getting into the summer mode though, because looking out the window right now I see...sun! The last weeks of school seemed to pass by in a breeze with end-of-the-year projects and finals and here we are, the fourth of July. I'll admit that I feel slightly bad for not posting as regularly that I hoped, however, in the midst of traveling, hanging out w/ friends & just plain enjoying summer, I'll try to check back here frequently. (last year I tried the one-post-per-day challenge...let's just say that that didn't work out the best :)).

Anyhow, have an absolutely wonderful Fourth of July and enjoy the sun (while it lasts!) Sidenote: I fell in love with that cupcake the minute I saw it...doesn't it make the 4th of July seem so much more appetizing? Just kidding (;