Some Favorite (Bluegrass) Tunes

There are some that you just have to crank up and sing at the top of the your lungs. Some that make you weepy and sad and remind you of your ex. Others are ones you can listen to over and over again without getting tired. Some introduce you to an entirely new genre, new outlook, new perspective.

Music speaks to everyone in different ways. There are so many versions, variations, interpretations, emotions associated with notes and chords.

I love all kinds most kinds of music. I go through phases of genres. Once I go through the phase though, it sticks with me forever.

I get asked what kind of music I listen to quite often. And the answer isn't simple. I listen to a lot of different things dependent on my mood, the time of day, the number of people in the room.

But there are some that I can listen to again and again. Here are some of my favorite blue/bluegrass songs.

Erick Baker - Crazy 

John Fullbright - Satan and St. Paul 

Josh Ritter - Harrisburg 

Robert Earl Keen - I Gotta Go 

Max Stalling - The Pila Song

Turnpike Troubadours - Before the Devil Knows We're Dead

And lastly, 

Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers ft. Edie Brickell - Pretty Little One 

If you liked any of these, let me know. And if you have any suggestions based on these, I'd love to hear it. 

Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese with Bacon

With hatch chiles cheap and in season I've been putting them in everything this past week. From omelettes to the tops of my chalupas there really is no going wrong with them. So, when I came across this recipe from A Cozy Kitchen for Hatch Mac and Cheese I knew I had to give it a try.

I did make a few alterations to her original, the biggest one being I added some bacon. But I also used whole wheat elbow macaroni.

It took about me about 20 mintues of prep time and then another 20 to cook. But John and Mum both liked it.

Also, because I used bacon I subbed the butter for the bacon fat, but I used the same amounts.

The recipe called for putting the mac and cheese under the broiler for five minutes after it sits in the oven but I found that this was far too long.

My panko crumbs ended up completely burnt. I just scooped them off with a spoon and all was well. But if you do make this recipe, check on the broiler every minute or so, especially if your broiler is on the bottom like mine. 

Even though you could taste the cheesy, bacony, hatch goodness in the mac and cheese I found that it was still lacking something. It tasted a bit bland. There needs to be some acidity or seasoning to cut through the creaminess and cheesiness of it all. Next time I make it, and there will be a next time, I'm going to add a bit of vinegar or wine to the roux. I'm hoping that will brighten it up just a bit. 

Anyway, as you can see the recipe made a lot so we had some leftovers to take to lunch during the week. 

Is It Time to Cut the Friendship Cord?

When you're young the only requirement you need in a friend is that they'll share their Gushers with you. When you get a bit older, the requirements can get a bit more sophisticated and a bit more complicated. In any natural life, friends come and go. Sometimes you lose touch, sometimes they are on a different path than you are. 

But what if that separation doesn't happen naturally? What if you're holding onto someone who just may not be considered a friend anymore? When do you know it's time to call it quits on the friend? And if you do, are you giving up on them? 

For years I've had some friends come and go. And always one that was always there. We may not talk all the time but we'd make plans to hang out every few months or so. We'd keep in touch on Facebook and social media. 

But for months now we haven't spoken. The person hasn't even tried. And when you don't even try in the friendship anymore, there is nothing left. 

I really don't have all that many friends, especially not enough to be getting rid of some, but there is nothing worse than always being the person who is called upon when someone else is bored. I am not a toy to be used when the person needs a distraction. 

There was also a lot of broken plans. A lot of vague promises of "We'll have to hang out soon" that just didn't end up being sincere. I'm not going to always be the one asking, asking, asking. 

Friendships are supposed to be a give and take. A relationship based on compromises, understanding, and a mutual like of the other person. Sometimes one criteria is weighs more than the rest, other times one is severely lacking but when they are all in desperate need of rejuvenation, maybe it's just time to let it go.

Friendships can not only become a burden but can become toxic. 

So, as immature and catty as it sounds I Unfriended this person on Facebook and it was actually a relief. I no longer had to pretend to be interested in their life or upset when I noticed how long ago our last chat session was. I may not have many friends but I'm definitely not going to force something that was obviously over a while ago.

Don't be afraid to end things that are no longer good for you. Things that hold you back or make you rethink your life as it is. Sometimes friendships dissolve and ending it isn't something you should apologize for. 

Sunday Social # 17

1. What are you most looking forward to about Fall?
The weather!!! Oohh to have breezes that actually feel good and not like an open oven. 

I can't wait until it's in the lower 90s. 

2. What is your favorite sports team?
No! I hate all sports. 

Via The IT Crowd

3. If you could go back to college is there one thing you would change?
Haha. I would...not go to college. 

4. What was your favorite class you ever took?
Media Lit in high school was probably one of the best classes I've ever taken. 

5. Reach into your purse what is the first thing you grab?
My Hello Kitty flashdrive! 

It's kind of fun taking her head off and putting it in the USB port. 

The ABCs of Me

I saw this post on Diana's blog, Life in German and I thought I would give it a go.

A – Available or married? 
Neither. Haha. I'm taken.

B- Book?
Yes. I love reading. It's the best. Right now I'm reading The Wife, The Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon.

C- Cake or Pie?
I love sweets. So...white cake without frosting. Or Kahlua chocolate cake also without frosting. Or apple pie...without a top crust.

D- Drink of Choice?
Coffee.

E- Essential Item?
Lipstick and my phone.

F- Favorite Color?
I love lime green, teal, and other bright obnoxious colors.

G- Game to play or watch?
I like video games. The Bioshock series was really awesome. Now, I'm waiting for my brother to finish The Last of Us so I can play.

H- Hometown?
San Antonio, TX.

I- Indulgence?
Chocolate. Cookies. Ice Cream. CEREAL!

J- Job?
I work in TV.

K- Kids and names?
Our dog is named BoyBoy. 

L- Life is incomplete without?
Oxygen. Nah just kidding...internet!

M- Music group or singer?
I like a lot of different types of music and mostly on Pandora so the artists change a lot. Some of my most listened to stations on Pandora are: Portugal. The Man, Blues, and I just started listening to Wax.

N- Number of siblings?
One brother.

O- Oranges or apples?
Apples. I'm not a big fan of oranges. Unless they're Clementines because they are seedless and easy to peel.

P- Phobias/Fears?
Heights and frogs.

Q- Favorite Quote?
Oh! I have so many.

R- Reason to Smile?
Jokes, comedians, Tumblr fan fics, the fact that Dean is now Sam and even though he wasn't sexy as Dean the more you watch the sexier he becomes and you're glad he left Rory because she obviously belongs with Jess.

S- Season?
FALL. Which to other people is probably like summer.

T- Tattoos?
9.

U- Unknown fact about me?
Um...I dunno. I don't like talking about things.

V- Vegetable you love?
I love cucumbers, Mexican style with lime and chile. I also love anything oiled and roasted.

W- Worst habit?
Nail biting, watching Netflix when I should be cleaning, not being competitive, eye-rolling, daydreaming about other things when someone bores me.

X- X-Rays you’ve had?
Teeth and spine.

Y- Your favorite food?
Cereal. Popcorn.

Z- Zodiac?
Sagittarius.

The Giver Movie - A rushed, half-hearted attempt

The Giver (2014)
Directed by: Phillip Noyce 
Edited by: Barry Alexander BrownScreenplay by: Michael Mitnick & Robert B. Weide
Based on the book by: Lowis Lowry

*This post contains spoilers to both the book and the movie.* 

The movie starts off in black and white, showing the audience the perfect little community in which Sameness is prevalent. Here nothing has any distinguishing characteristics. Everyone is polite, forced to talk about their feelings with the utmost "precision of language" and are selected into their professions by the town elders. 

Jonas (Brenton Thwaite), along with his best friends Fiona (Odeya Rush) and Ash (Cameron Monaghan) are about to be selected into their life-long careers when we meet them. Jonas nervously fears he has been overlooked when he learns that instead of being selected to a job, he has been chosen to become the next Receiver of Memory. He will receive the memories of the past - the entire history of humankind. 

Upon receiving memories such as color, warmth, music, and love, Jonas feels that all the memories he and The Giver have must be shared with the community at large so that they may fully understand what it is to be human. With a half-baked plan, Jonas and The Giver attempt to share their memories, both good and bad, with the community. 

The movie deviated from the book in what, to me, are very crucial areas. 

1. In the book, Jonas is only 12 when he is chosen to take on the memories of humankind. In the movie, he is aged six years. One may argue that in this world of sameness, their ages do not matter too much but that is simply not true. Even if they are both naive and sheltered, their ages differ greatly in maturity. Each time Book Jonas receives a memory he is aged tremendously. Each one being almost too much for him to handle. Movie Jonas is almost an adult, still sheltered and clueless but with a better grasp on his mentality, maturity, and self-awareness. At 12, Book Jonas is barely old enough to understand the world of Sameness he lives in; to have him receive memories like war, starvation, and famine from a world unknown to him is intensely more traumatic. 

2. In the movie, Jonas is able to share his gifts with Fiona and others. This really annoys me because we know that Jonas isn't allowed to do share his gift. Being The Receiver is a job solely for him. He must handle the pain alone. He must endure the memories himself so that others won't. It's not only about the good but more about the bad. He is selflessly receiving these memories so that everyone else may live free from pain, hunger, confusion, and fear. The people of the community do not have the capacity to "see beyond" or "hear beyond" unless they are to be the next Receiver. By being able to share his gift, his position is no longer as important or direly needed.

3. The friendship between Jonas, Fiona, and Ash in the movie completely negates and subverts the laws of Sameness in the book. In the beginning, it may seem as if they are friends who chose each other to be loyal to by a fondness and understanding but we know that isn't true. They are drawn together for reasons that are superficial. Their friendship is not real in the true sense of the word.

4. Which brings me to the love angle they made between Jonas and Fiona. In the movie, Fiona is able to resist taking her medicine and starts to get feelings for Jonas even though she cannot name them. This makes the The Giver and The Receiver's jobs completely worthless. It's saying that with a little talking, some laughing, these people can become fully aware to emotions that have long ago been banished. But these people have been modified their entire lives. They cannot understand love unless they experience it. And there is no way for them to experience it without the memories. There is no reason to add a love story. Not everything in life turns out the way you want it to. You can't solve everything with a kiss and a lingering glance. Sometimes, the person you love doesn't feel the same way for you. That doesn't make the story a bad one, it gives the emptiness you feel a purpose. 

The entire movie felt so rushed that you don't have much time to invest in any of the characters, which is the complete opposite of the novel. The novel is completely about Jonas and even without a kiss and a motorcycle chase scene, you're invested in his story. The movie felt as if they were scared they wouldn't keep the ADD audiences of today captivated for so long. Which is a complete shame because I would have sat through two, two and a half hours, of film if it showed what Lowry accomplished in her slow, careful composition. 

Two things I did like about the movie: Jeff Bridges and the way they play with color and black and white within the world. That's about it. 

If you haven't seen the movie, do yourself a favor and keep your 10$. Read the book instead. 

I give this movie 1 out of 5 popcorn. 

My Favorite e.l.f Products

e.l.f. stands for Eyes Lips Face and at first I had never heard of them. When I came across them on someone's blog I was sure they couldn't be that great because most of their products were less than 5$. But when I noticed that Target had a small selection of their products I decided to give them a try. And I was pretty much blown away. Now I use e.l.f products in my daily makeup routine. Their products, though inexpensive have proved that they are up to the task of keeping you beautiful all day long.  

I went crazy when they had a 50% off sitewide sale and bought Mum and me some essentials. 

So here are some of my favorite products. Click on the caption below each to be taken straight to the corresponding webpage. 

I use Golden Honey. 

The Mineral Foundation with SPF 15. I don't use a liquid foundation because in this Texas heat I don't need something so heavy weighing down my face. So I just sweep this over my entire face and neck. I love the fact that it evens out my skin tone, rids me of shine, and has SPF 15 because I usually forget to put some on. 

Go here to buy. 

I use the Kabuki brush to put the mineral powder on. It's got great coverage and is really soft. I was actually surprised by the softness and durability of it when I first ordered it. I've had it a couple of months now and I haven't had a problem with any of the hairs falling out. 

I've used both Diva and Superstar.

I really love this blush because a little goes a loooong way. The first time I put it on I had to actually go and wash my face because I had put on waaay too much. The color is very saturated and nicely pigmented. Even though it is a liquid I didn't find that it made my face any oilier or that it rubs off quicker. The one thing you have to be careful about is to make sure you shake it really well before putting it on. Sometimes it separates and you'll squirt nothing but water out. 

Go here to buy. 

I use this stipple brush to put on the HD blush and any other powder blush I may use. I love that it gives me more control over the liquid blush. Very soft and I haven't seen it go bald yet. 

I use Rich Red.

This is my ab.so.lute favorite red lipstick. It stays amazingly well. I put it on in the morning and I'll still have some after I've eaten a few hours later. The red is very bright which suits me fine but some may find it too bold. Mum puts it on underneath another lipstick color so that when the first one rubs off she'll know that at least this one will still be there. That's how long-lasting it is. It does dry out your lips a bit.  I don't mind that at all but if you want you can always add some gloss or chapstick on top. 

I use Movie Star.

When it's the end of the day I use this lip gloss pencil. It's more like a chapstick than a lip gloss. It's only slightly shimmery and not very glossy, because it's not very glossy you don't have to worry about your hair getting stuck to your lips. At the end of the day it adds some much needed moisture and tint to my lips.

I use Medium.

I have some pretty good, full eyebrows but I do shape and fill them a tiny bit every morning. This kit is perfect because it has the gel and the powder together. Plus you can mix them up and get the prefect color. The kit has a little two sided brush and a mirror which comes in handy. 

I use black. 

I haven't been using this cream liner lately but I do like it. It is creamy and smooth. If you use a good brush it will flow right onto your eyelid without catching. It can take a few tries to get the hang of it but it's definitely worth the 3$. You have to be sure that you close it very tightly every time you use it. It does tend to dry out pretty quickly otherwise. 

Go here to buy. 

I use this brush when I use the cream liner. I love this brush for doing my eyeliner. The angle makes it easier to get to your lids without making your hands contorted. The brush is small and with practice you can get the perfect cateye with it. 

I use Translucent. 

I carry this compact in my backpack and purse for when I'm out and about. There's a mirror in the lid so you can see what your'e doing which comes in handy. I use the sponge it comes with to dust my oily bits with the powder to mattify my entire face. You can use it only in certain areas or on your entire face. It's not heavy and it really does blend in. 

Go here to buy.

When John and I are going to go out and I want my eyes to pop I'll put these on. I love how natural they look on and how they also make my eyes bigger. I've actually never tried the glue that is provided, I use Duo. But I love the look of the lashes and will continue to buy.


I'm always on the lookout for some top-notch e.l.f products. So if you use something that I didn't mention, leave a comment and the next time I order a big haul I'll grab it and give it a try.

Literary Junkies # 6

If you want to join in, click the button! 

 

1. What are you reading? Tell us about it!
I just finished Cress, the third book in the Lunar Chronicles. I liked it more than Scarlet but less than Cinder. Finally getting around to some good action. 

I'm just about to start reading, The General in His Labyrinth by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This will actually be my first read by Garcia Marquez so I'm kind of excited. 

2. Do you read one book at a time, or read multiple books at once?
I definitely read only one book at a time. 

3. What is the first book that made you fall in love with reading?
I wouldn't even know. I've ALWAYS read. Hop on Pop, Go Dog Go, Are You My Mother? 

4. Do you prefer a physical copy of the book or an electronic version?
I love buying physical copies of books. I can't get over paying two dollars less for a book that I can't even feel. That being said, if it's free or if I'm borrowing it - I don't mind an eBook. But if I like it that much, I'll go buy it. It is easier to read while eating when you have an eBook. But I think all together I've only read 3 books on an eReader. 

5. What are three books currently on your To Be Read list?
One of my co-workers just told me about this book called Enter Night by Michael Rowe. It sounds interesting so I'll probably read that one next. 

I do want to read Divergent because I watched the movie and I can't help but feel that the book would be better. 

And lastly, The Handmaid's Tale. A friend of mine told me to read it a looong time ago and I just haven't gotten around to it. 

I'm always looking  for new books to read. If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments and I'll add them to my ever-growing To Be Read list. Also, I'm on Goodreads! 

Most Embarrassing Moment - High School Edition

It's the last week of Spanish class so of course the teacher is making us watch a movie in Espanol instead of even trying to get us to work. I'm sitting in the back of the class, as always, when HE walks in. The guy I've been crushing on since the first day I learned we were destined to sit together all year because of our last names. He takes the empty seat next to me, looking excited.

"What are we watching today, amiga?" he asks me.
"Scooby Doo." I say. Even though I can talk to him without tripping over all my words I still find that the less I say, the better.
"Oh good. I have something to show you."
"What is it?" I ask him instantly curious.
"Wait until the lights go down. I don't want everyone to see."

Because I have something to look forward to the teacher goes on and on about who knows what. She keeps talking for another ten minutes before she plays the DVD and turns down the lights.

"What is it? Can I see it now?" I ask him barely containing my excitement.
"I don't know now. Maybe I shouldn't. You're not going to freak out are you?" he asks me with scrunched up eyebrows.
"No? I dunno. Why? What are you going to show me?"
"Well, I wanted to show you but you can hold it if you want."
"Hold it? What is it? Why would I freak out about it?"
"Because it's my snake."

As soon as he says it, I freeze. His snake? Here? In 5th period Spanish? I know that he probably knows I've had a puppy-dog crush on him since forever but he can't honestly think I'm going to...what? Perform some sort of sexual act in the back of the classroom, in the middle of the day, with Scooby Doo in the background does he?

I start to panic. My face goes into horrified mode and he catches it.

"See. I knew you would freak out. I thought you were cool but I guess not."

Oh my god. Now he thinks I'm some sort of prude. I have no idea what to do. I should probably yell at him and call him something horrible but my mind is still trying to catch up.

"Look," I start, "I - I like you. But I guess you already knew that. And I'm, uh, super, uh...flattered? that you would want me to um...But the thing is that I don't do that, you know? I mean, we only talk in class. And. Um. Maybe if we get to know each other better. And, um well, we're actually in class," I gesture around at the other students,"so I'm not going to...you know...here."

I trail off not looking at him. He doesn't say anything for a few seconds so I turn to see if he was even paying attention. I'm stunned to find him trying to stifle his laugh, his eyes watering from the effort.

With gasping breath, he reaches down to the backpack at his feet and opens up one of the zippers. He gently reaches in and pulls out a long, writhing, definitely real, brown and black snake.

Then he throw his head back and laughs and laughs and laughs.

Sunday Social # 16

1. One item you wish you could splurge on right now?
Oh man. There are so many things. I would love an entirely new wardrobe but...I think I'd actually buy some bookcases because our house just cannot look put together until all my books stay off the floor and tables. We need AT LEAST two of these babies.

Hemnes by Ikea

 2. If you had an entire weekend of no plans what would you do? 
This usually describes the weekends I have off anyway. I mostly just sit at home, watching Netflix, think about washing dishes, and complaining about the heat.

3. Next place you are visiting outside of your current city? 
Since we just came back from San Diego, we don't have any current vacation plans. Though we really are set on visiting San Francisco one day!

Download this wallpaper!

4. Are you a neat freak or a clutterbug? 
Definitely a clutterbug.

5. Favorite Summer purchase?
I guess I would have to say the black and white striped dress I bought from Target.

By Merona at Target