New Feature: Artist of the Week

  After much consideration, I have decided to make a blog series devoted to two of my favorite things: Music and Art! So each week I will feature a new recording artist that I've fallen in love with and a visual artist who inspires me! 
      This week's recording artist may not be well known in some areas, but when I found him, he was automatically a winner. I know what I like as soon as I hear it. So without further ado, I introduce the first featured "Artist of the Week": 
                          Jesse Ruben


Genre: Acoustic/Pop/Rock
Why I like him: He has natural talent, a raw sound and his music is filled with personality and honesty. 

Self Portrait by Alfons Mucha

The second artist I would like to feature in Alfons Mucha. He is definitely one of my favorite artists! He is a Czech artist who lived between 1860-1938. He is considered the father of  the style  Arte Nouveau! Arte Nouveau is my favorite style of art because it depicts the beauty of nature with lots of flowing lines and complex, detailed designs. 
Here are a few of his paintings that I love! However, don't hesitate to do a little more research on him because there are SO much more of his artwork!

Summer by Alfons Mucha

Moet et Chandon

           

Coping Mechanisms: An End of Semester Reflection

      The past few years have been filled with numerous changes and adjustments for me. This year in particular has brought the most change I've had in awhile. Looking back on it, I am surprised with my ability to cope with such changes! When I left PBA for GSU I was terrified to go to a large, secular/public university. There would be "wild, libidinous college boys walking around like rabid animals", boisterous, animalistic parties and worst of all......co-ed dorms! 
Not surprisingly, GSU is the home to all of the aforementioned things....... perhaps that's an understatement. Although those things are pretty normal to like, 90% of all college students, I had not yet been exposed to such...behaviors. I didn't think I could cope with leaving my friends who had been so dear to me or the sunsets that I loved watching so much. 
I don't know why I thought the entire transition would be so traumatizing, but I did. Not that it has been a picnic. I said I was coping...not adjusting, remember? This has definitely been one of my hardest semesters ever. As the semester closes, I am forced to look back over the last few months. I had a lot of alone time. Too much probably. I have succeeded in some areas, failed in others, met new people, and learned new things. All in all,  this 3 month stint at GSU was sucked up, and finished with victory. I think it's time I go home now....

I Don't Think I Was Prepared for This: Part II

     Last week was a hard week for reasons I will not explain in this post. Needless to say, because of last week's...issues...this week was looking pretty dim. 
   All of last week I had been checking the status on an application I sent in (see "I don't think I was ready for this"). I've been checking everyday since I applied. But somehow I knew this was the week.
    I woke up Monday morning feeling like a bag of rocks! I didn't even get out of the bed for my class. I slept in for awhile, eventually getting out of bed like some pathetic, helpless rag doll. The first thing I did was check my email. 
Nothing. 
I went about my day, riding my bike and going to the rest of my classes. When I got home I checked my email again. There was a message waiting for me that said,
 "Welcome Future Bulldog!"
 I was in!!! 
      Part of me couldn't believe it! I mean, I had been praying about it for weeks! Don't get me wrong, I believed that God would come through, but there was a part of me that felt that it was still too good to be true. See, I have this  idea that the universe automatically works against me. Sad. True. It's probably because I play these twisted games in my head that basically gamble on whether or not the universe will work against me. For example, if I'm riding my bike, I gamble on whether or not a car will drive by as as soon as I decide to cross the street. It gets worse. I gamble on whether or not I'll miss a quiz, lose a game or if my plans fall will through. Most bad things that happen I blame on the universe- not myself. So imagine my surprise when I actually got in! 
The whole time I was was so scared that the universe would intervene once again, leaving me on the losing end! (Yes, I understand that that is NOT a good mentality to have). Granted, I'm still on egg shells about whether or not something will fall through and I won't be able to go to school at all....but that's another story.
      All in all, God came through! There are so many reasons why I needed to be closer to home and He knows every one (even though my prayers were a full list of reasons why He should let me go to UGA) <----Not Smart. I'm so excited about next year and SUPER thankful that I serve a God that makes things happen!

I Don't Know Why I'm Still Laughing About This!

Scene takes place in the corridors of the art building. Discussion about arachnophobia suddenly emerges. Enter characters.....

Classmate 1: If you think about it, arachnophobia is pretty irrational.

Me: No its not!

Classmate 2: Well,  they're bigger than you.

Teacher: Yeah, but some spiders can kill you.

Classmate 2: Yeah, that's true

Me: I once heard of this spider in Iraq that if it bites you... you're dead!

Teacher: There's no antidote?

Me: Nope

Classmate 1: I once heard about these ants in the jungle that carried off an entire baby...

Me: *pauses*...what?

                                                  (cue eruption of laughter)

                                                           Scene Close

And The Best Proposal EVER Award Goes to.......

                                                  Edward Rochester to Jane Eyre!!!!! 

Maybe I'm a little too sentimental, but wow, when I heard this proposal I 'bout jumped out of my seat! I won't lie...a few girly squeals did escape.And perhaps an "Awww!" or a "You get yo man girl!". It was Precious! TOO precious!

       The proposal takes place in the garden at night ( did someone say perfect scene? ) Jane thinks Mr. Rochester is about to marry someone else when he finally reveals his love for her! Which is as follows (more or less): 


       Edward Rochester:  I offer you my heart, my hand and a share of all my possessions.
I ask you to pass through life at my side, to be my second self and best earthly companion.
 My bride is here, because my equal is here and my likeness. Jane, will you marry me? 


       I love you as my own flesh!  I beg of you to marry me!  Say, "Edward, give me my name." Say,"Edward, I will marry you." 
 Jane, I must have you as my own, entirely as my own. Will you be mine? Accept me. Marry me....Make my happiness, I will make yours. 


If I get proposed to, someone's gotta step up their game. 






                                                    The standard has been set.....

Just The Way You Are

      Have you ever met those people who are completely beautiful? Not just outwardly beautiful, but most importantly, inwardly beautiful! I know this girl who is just beautiful! She has a great personality, radiates joy to those around her, is super talented and when she talks- people listen. Yet she is always complaining about how beautiful she isn't . I'm probably such a hypocrite for writing this blog, but hey, who said I was perfect?  
     I used to think that shallowness was just an American issue. But it's not. It's an everywhere issue. It's a human issue. I could probably enlighten the world about how we should value ourselves because we are made in the image of God. And that might make you feel good for a second. But I'm wasting my time unless you really believe it's true. I won't pretend like it is not hard. I know it is. People are always trying to figure out ways to create standards that no one can actually reach. What gets upsets me the most is how everyone says beauty is on the inside, yet they seem to contradict themselves at EVERY SINGLE TIME! Its like people all of a sudden become a better people once they look attractive or something. The sad part is that people buy in to it and wouldn't depart from the lie even if you revealed the truth.
     Any who, I wish people could see how beautiful and precious they truly are. And stop waiting for others to validate their beauty. Because honestly, people LOVE to validate others appearance. To rank people in order from "best created" to "worst created"- how sick is that? And when you walk around like you don't have value, people will take advantage of that. Even sicker. 
    Basically what I'm trying to say is stop waiting for people's approval and be brave enough to love you. Not in a cliche Mary J. Blige way (although Mary is on point sometimes). Simply be okay with you. Stop striving to be what you already are. The world is always going to be the way it is; to smile in the face of it all not only makes you victorious- it makes you even more beautiful! 

Red Bull Smoothie- Just What the Doctor Ordered

Okay, so I just found a new recipe that could be just what the doctor ordered (if doctors actually recommended that you drink Red Bull )! It is healthy, full of fruits, full of energy and 100% delicious! 



Red Bull Smoothie:


1/2 can (8.3 fl oz) Sugar Free Red Bull energy drink
4 fresh strawberries (sliced)
1 banana (sliced into smaller pieces and frozen)
1 mango (sliced into smaller pieces)
1 cup orange juice or fruit juice of your choice (a little lemon juice might be nice)
 *Add ice cubes if needed
Put all the ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth, serve immediately for best taste!