Due to being extremely busy, I am posting a video from February of my freshman year. I participated in the Miss UCF pageant, and this was one of the first times I'd performed at UCF. I'd performed original songs before, mostly at my mom's store, but this was sort of different. I was being "judged" on my talent (how does one "judge" talent?) as a part of the competition. I wished I'd been able to sing the whole song, but had to cut it short to meet the time limit. I was pretty nervous. 

The audience started "the clap" (which also happened to me at graduation when I played an original song as part of my speech, and my guitar was totally out of tune...) I feel like the clap always happens when people don't really like the music, to encourage the musician/band to keep going to finish the song or something. Another reason (which makes more sense) to start the clap would be if encouraged by the singer/band to clap. In this case, I was not encouraging anyone, nor was I in need of encouragement...but people started clapping. I already have issues with staying on tempo, so I think the clap threw me off more. However, I didn't really care that it was happening. A line in my song right before the chorus "can it wait 'til I'm done" seemed to be misinterpreted by the audience. They thought I was asking them to stop clapping until I was done! A friend of mine told me this after the performance, and I personally thought it was hilarious.

Well enough blabbing, here it is! :) 11/11 posted on 8/8 ;P I love repeating numbers...

I went home for the weekend and decided to write a short poem about it!

I rarely go home
I'd rather just roam
Around alone
On ground that's my own
---however---
I do like to see
Friends and family
And spend some time
To relax and unwind

I saw my older sister, and I never get to see her
I saw my little brother, and he's truly like no other

My mom and stepdad, well they weren't so bad...

Sometimes it's nice to look back on what we had

Well, I know it wasn't the best poem, but it's what was going on in my head...Anyway, I made a cover video while I was at home, and I wanted my sister to be in it with me, but there wasn't enough time and she didn't really want to (although we did make some "rough run" videos...maybe I'll post them in the near future?)

Without further ado, here's the latest video, "Untouchable" by Taylor Swift!

Also, I'm posting a pretty happy/smiley video of my original song, "With You" to further counteract the normal negative/scary connotations of "Friday the 13th".  The harmonies I recorded over could be considered "haunting" (since they're a little weird, maybe minor at some parts), but other than that, it's a really light song with a nice, joyful message.  I hope you can relate to the words and I hope you enjoy this video!  Thank you for watching & reading.  You rock :D

I am a huge fan of Kina Grannis.  And about a week ago she started a photo contest for her new album, Elements.  She said she would post the winning photo every day for a week, and that the winner would receive a surprise in the mail.  We were instructed to take nature photos and put lyrics of her songs on the photo and then post them to Twitter/Instagram.  I didn't really use Twitter or Instagram before this contest, but I have been using the crap out of them this past week, and spamming the few followers I have on them with lots of pictures.  Kina commented on 3 of my photos on Twitter and I was ecstatic!  But just when I thought the contest was over and I'd given up on trying to win...Kina extended the deadline!

So yesterday I made a bunch more photos (see below for ALL of the photos I entered)...

And Kina picked the last photo I entered!  It was pretty late and I was watching New Girl, and then I started writing, and as I was writing a song/poem thing...I got some notifications on my phone...

So naturally, I started freaking out...But I thought this was so exciting and so cool I just had to blog about it!  This whole contest was so much fun, and I think it's so amazing that Kina looked at the photos people were posting and connected to them and even commented and liked a lot of them!  She is the best and such an inspiration to so many (especially me!)

Well the holidays are coming up, and Thanksgiving just passed. So I thought now might be a good time to write a blog post. And I skipped a month of blogging...But, no worries, I am still here!  (for whoever is out there reading these).

Right around this time of year, if you're in college like me, you're probably stressing out about finals.  Your life right now might be going something like this: http://www.buzzfeed.com/spenceralthouse/the-33-stages-of-finals-week-a078. Lol I love buzzfeed.

And for pretty much everyone out there...holiday shopping is probably on your mind. Maybe you went Black Friday shopping, or maybe you are Cyber Monday shopping as I am typing this post.  I am more of a browser than a buyer, but I do enjoy a good deal.  I am also pretty weird and enjoy watching/listening to commercials; when everyone else is changing the channel, I am paying attention to how the ads are crafted, who they are targeting, and whether or not I think they are effective.  Speaking of ads, I wrote TV and radio ads for a lawn mower as an assignment, and although I knew nothing about lawn mowers when I started, I think it came out pretty good!  Who knows? Maybe it'll convince you to buy one! If so, I should be getting paid for this :P Anyway, let me know what you think.

Some recent events in my life have lead me to write this poem.

What is reality
Is it what's real to me
Do you see the same real I see
Do you feel what real can be
Through realization by experimentation
or 
Through recommendation by explanation

Sometimes it hurts
To accept and admit truth
At times it's hard
To escape from your youth
Growing means knowing more than you did before
Showing you're ready for what life has in store

Reality can help put you back on track
What's real is real, recognize it as fact
No more fantasy lands or helping hands
Reality hits you hard in the face
You're alone, no track to trace
To pave your own path is your only choice

Realize all you have is your one voice
Versus everyone else in existence
or
Join together for resistance
Against the system and reality's ways of bringing down
Gain wisdom and turn everything around

I thought I would start off my blog with some random things I contemplated while at the pool the other day...a glimpse inside my journal and mind...really simple concepts at face value, but quite complex when you really delve into them.  Also, they are very broad topics.  The writing flow is a little choppy, but it signifies how my mind flip flopped and questioned.

Thoughts about...
Living life...How does one do so?
Chase after things
Seek success
Long to be loved
Have unfulfilled expectations,
Hopes, dreams
As well as fears, limitations
Talk, but no action

or

Exist simply
Worry-free
Leading and learning
Loving
Enjoying the environment
Capturing the moment in mind
Seizing civilization in spirit

Love...What does it mean?
To love, to be loved, to give love, to take love, to make love, to have love?
Do you need to love yourself before you can love others?
How does one love oneself?
Can you love someone who doesn't love his/herself? Will he/she love you back?
Can love fade? What happens if love fades?
Are there different shades of love?
Degrees, conditions, restrictions, rules
How do you love?
How do you show love?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What are your thoughts?