Hallow-green!

The spookiest holiday of the year is coming up....what's not to love?  Candy? Costume? Time with friends? Who can resist? The only way this special day (night?) could get any better is if it can love the earth too! So here are some festive holiday decoration tips:

-Compostable

Make your external decoration even more authentic with branches, leaves, even mud! A classy touch would be to make an autumn wreath. Collect large leaves and bendable branches from around your neighborhood and local parks. Weave them around a large wooden hoop, (an embroidery hoop will work well, a couple bucks art Wal-Mart). Hang them on your door, maybe with a little pine sprig for fragrance, and BOOM you have a perfect holiday touch that can help fertilize your garden right after.

-Energy Efficient

Strings of lights aren't  just for Christmas anymore. Orange, purple, and even black lights have become very popular. However, no one wants a power outage on Halloween. Places like Lowe's and Home Depot should carry strings of energy efficient LED's that will look great. They'll also make a perfectly lit path for every candy seeking superhero, princess, or monster that comes to your door

-Money Saving
I can understand not wearing the same costume every year, but, honestly, what's wrong with your candy bucket from last year? Pull it out from under the cabinet and carry it proudly! And if you simply must change your candy receptacle every year, buy a cute, matching bag that can be thrown into the recycle bin after the candy is gone. It saves money and resources.

Well, now it's up to you to make this holiday fun and green-tabulous!

High Class Chick

Who doesn't like something expensive? It feels heavier, prettier, more meaningful. It doesn't make me dirty, it just makes me a little more normal (hate that word!!).

This post is on a definite tangent, but I felt like talking about it. Money, clothes, all that jazz. I'm no gold digger, but if there's a nugget on the sidewalk, you better bet I'll pick it up! I don't even have to be genuinely expensive to feel famous. I feel it when I walk across campus in my Betsey Johnson sunglasses, my iPod plugged in, Avril Lavigne blasting through my brain. I feel like some sort of celebrity.

I want to feel like all eyes are on me, so I can bask in it. Feeling famous and having confidence go hand in hand. The way I see it, you can either think everyone is talking behind your back, or you can demand that they say it to your face....and just take it!

I said, 'Even the time on my hands cost me an arm and a leg. Can't find this in the States, had it flown in from Madrid'. ~ PCD "Whatchamacallit"

Going Back To School Earth-friendly!!

Earlier this month, I received my first ACE Earth Ambassador assignment: how do you go back to school eco friendly?
I came up with this tip that is great for the environment and fun, too!

Before the era of BYOB, more earth conscious shoppers would choose paper over plastic. But since earth warriors everywhere now have their own ways of carrying groceries home, you may have some paper bags laying around. Here's a fun way to get rid of the bags and cover your books.

You'll need a textbook, a paper bag, tape, and a pair of scissors.

First, take the bag and cut down the thinner side panels to make the bag look like a giant plus sign, kind of like this.

Second, take your book and place it in the middle of the thicker panel of your "plus sign". Open your book to the front cover and press it flat against the bag. Then, fold the paper over, maybe halfway onto the cover and tape it down.

Flip to the back cover and repeat. Now, you can cut off the thinner panels, because you won't need them anymore!

After that, you can fix the sloppy edges by folding them towards the inner cover and taping them down, like so:

Repeat for any "sloppy edges" you may have. And voila! You have a clean slate to decorate with pens, stickers, markers, even glitter!!!

A quick tip: a great place to order reusable bags for every aspect of your life is from Mixed Bag Designs. They have all sorts of colors and patterns for lunchboxes, tote bags, even  iPhone covers. I bought a bag from them and now by school books always have a place to be.

Happy Earth Saving!!

Achingly Beautiful

Recently, the first season of Switched At Birth, a show on ABC Family, ended. The whole show is very dramatic and soap opera-ish, but that's what makes it entertaining. But outside of the breakups and makeups, there is some great music featured.
One of my favorites is Stranger by Katie Costello. It is haunting and uses an effective amount of whisper-y and whiny tones. I think it's beautiful in it's own unique way. The song is so inspiring to me that I've decided to write a story with characteristics like the song.

My favorite line is : I found you, lost, with a compass in the fog.


The Possible's slow fuse is lit
By the imagination
~Emily Dickinson

Voices

Sometimes, all you need is a sweet sound. A murmur, a tickle of joy, just barely audible, but just enough for you. All I want to hear is what you say, all I want to say is speak to me. I know what you are, who you are, and it's enchanting. Something I never thought could exist has been embodied in you. And I found you. How amazing is that? How amazing is it that we were brought together.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think we're drifting, I think we're going deaf. So just to check, I want to hear your honey-gold voice. And soon.

Not So Mainstream

Recently, through Pandora, friends, and Youtube, I have discovered all sorts of new music that I really like. It's not as popular as, say Britney Spears or Rihanna, but that's ok. I enjoy knowing about artists that aren't in the spotlight as much. I love the feeling of knowing a song that others may not. It's not that I feel better, it's just that I like the unique knowledge.
The artists, like Nine Days, The Cranberries, Passion Pit, and more are great. There is a lot of emotion in the music and I feel that I can relate to most of the songs.
They may not be as popular, but they are every bit as good.

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ~ Berthold Auerbach

Some Things Blow My Mind...

WARNING!! SLIGHT SPOILER!!!

I just finished watching Final Destination 5, and I must say, it was great. I am a pretty big FD fan and this really astonished me. The end was incredible and I think it will be great for anyone who really enjoys Final Destination.
The deaths themselves are not very remarkable, however the ring that is created within the movie, and the series is perfect. I don't think it will win any awards, but it definitely adds a different take from all the other FD movies.

All in all, I would certainly watch it again!