12:15pm – Making Green Bean Casserole + Lizzie McGuire 👩🏻🍳
S1E20 continued!
I have no idea why it took me THREE HOURS to finish one episode. 🙄
12:30pm – Editing + Lizzie McGuire 💻
S1E21 – Lizzie Strikes Out
S1E22 – Untitled Stan Jansen Project
2pm – Thanksgiving Meal 🦃
5pm – Editing + Gotta Kick It Up 💻
Sí, Se Puede!
Since Marshall Middle School is located in a mostly Hispanic neighborhood, I want to highlight a few of the lead actresses:
America Ferrera is Honduran 🇭🇳
Camille Guaty is Cuban & Puerto Rican 🇨🇺 🇵🇷
Sabrina Wiener is Peruvian 🇵🇪
👁 Spotted: Susan Egan | She is the voice of Megara from Hercules, one of my favorite Disney characters & one of my favorite Disney movies. She’s also the original Belle from Beauty and the Beast on Broadway.
7pm – Editing + Jump In 💻
👁 Spotted: Corbin Bleu | Of course you know Mr. Bleu from the High School Musical trilogy, but you may also remember him as Coltrane from Phineas & Ferb or Johnny Collins from Hannah Montana. He also made the *GASP* crossover to Nickelodeon; he made an appearance on The Amanda Show & Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.
👁 Spotted: Keke Palmer | Another Disney/Nickelodeon crossover actress! Keke cameoed in Degrassi: The Next Generation & Just Jordan and starred in True Jackson VP & Winx Club. For her Disney resume, it’s worth mentioning that she was Cinderella on Broadway; it was the Rodgers & Hammerstein version, but that doesn’t make her any less of a Disney princess. 👑
👁 Spotted: Shanica Knowles | You might recognize her as Amber Addison from Hannah Montana. She also cameoed on Unfabulous which completes the Disney/Nickelodeon crossover trio!
🎶 This song is still a J A M, & the entire soundtrack is still perfection. 🎶
Final thoughts for the day: Even though I had to work on the computer, it was still a nice, cozy day watching childhood favorites on Disney Plus & eating yummy food with my family. 🧡 I hope you had a wonderful holiday. I’m off to bed because I have an alarm set for 4:30am. Oh the joys of working in retail on Black Friday! 😭 Good night! 🌙
I didn’t win the Disney+ Dream Job contest, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have my own 30-day marathon. Whether or not you have Disney’s new streaming service, I hope you’re ready to hang out with me for one month. 😊👍
12am – Disney+ is live! One episode of Bonkers! before bed. 🌛
*Note: The streaming service actually went live at 10pm PST. 🌴
S1E1 – In the Bag
Has anyone else noticed how much Bonkers D. Bobcat resembles Chester Cheetah?? An interesting mystery. We deserve answers!
Mad Hatter & March Hare spotted! Such a cool pair of cameos & an easter egg for eagle-eyed Disney fans. ☕️
*Note: I wanted to start with my favorite Disney movie Tarzan, but it isn’t available yet so I watched my number 2 movie. 👍
I sobbed my way through the ENTIRE movie. 😭 I wasn’t allowed to watch Aladdin as a child so my only exposure was the Disney sing along songs VHS tapes & the TV series. One of the songs I grew up learning was You Ain’t Never Had A Friend Like Me so Genie has meant a lot to me for a very long time. I’m extremely emotional every time I watch the film, especially following Robin William’s passing. Gone but never forgotten! 💙
5:45pm – Blogging + Disney’s Hercules: The Animated Series
S1E1 – Hercules and the Apollo Mission
S1E2 – Hercules and the King of Thessaly
S1E3 – Hercules and the Secret Weapon
I don’t think I’ve watched this show since grandma’s house in the late 90s & early 2000s. What a blast from the past! 😮
8:30pm – Blogging + Hercules 💻
Of course I had to complete my top 3 favorite Disney films of all time! Tarzan. Aladdin. Hercules. I’ve always loved the heroes. 💥😊💥
Final thoughts for the day: I didn’t experience an annoying amount of bugs on Disney+ aside from the occasional loading issue or touchscreen controls not responding properly through my iPad. As a MEGA Disney fan, this streaming service is worth the money. Films & shows I’ve wanted to watch again for years & years are finally available to me, some that I haven’t seen since I was a child. It was a blast reliving my childhood, & this is only DAY ONE. I got through 12 TV episodes & 2 movies. Not bad for a Tuesday!
This is a bit of a mouthful so please be patient with me. I’ve been inactive in all creative aspects of my life so don’t feel like I abandoned this blog for something else. I have been in not just a creative slump but also what I would call a life slump. We are nearing the end of a decade, & I feel like I’m going through a personal crisis, questioning my purpose in life & what I’m meant to be doing. At the end of the day, I am an artist at heart so none of this will be going away anytime soon. Writing keeps me sane, especially at times like this. That brings me to the next part of this saga.
A little less than two weeks ago, my dad drove himself to the emergency room. Three days later, he had open heart surgery. The next day he woke up with amnesia; it isn’t an extreme case but serious enough to require slow, detailed sentences & repetition. One week later he was able to come home, still showing signs of memory loss. To say my family is emotionally drained & physically exhausted is an understatement, but we are walking hand in hand through this journey & taking it one day at a time. Every day he shows signs of improvement, & I cling to those glimmers of hope because the lowest moments have brought me to my knees sobbing in prayer. Perhaps that’s where God wants me to be more often. I am so grateful for the overwhelming amount of prayers & outpouring of love. I know my dad is the best so I’m glad other people think so too. 😉 Onto the last part of this update!
I know this is a change of tone, but hear me out before you roll your eyes. Disney & reviews.orgare offering $1,000 in exchange for watching 30 Disney movies in 30 days on their new streaming service Disney+. First of all, this would be a bright spot in my life after a sad ending to the month of October. Second, I am a Disney fanatic & binge-watcher extraordinaire, the perfect candidate for this “dream job.” Third, that money would be an amazing gift to me & my family. This is where I need Y O U R help so pay close attention. The application process includes social media following & a video reviewing my favorite Disney movie. The video is not on Youtube yet, but you can start clicking on each of my links & following me. What are you waiting for?? GO GO GO!!
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading everything I had to say. I appreciate everyone who has supported this blog. It means the world to me. 🌍 I promise it won’t be long before I’m back with a new post. Keep an eye out! 👁
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It is time to say goodbye to the past year and look ahead to a brand new chapter. Out with the old & in with the new! I know this has not been a great year of consistency on my blog, and for that I am deeply sorry. I can only promise to try my very best to do better in 2019 and move on. Walk with me down memory lane & see what my year looked like:
Farewell to Anita Shreve (author of “Stella Bain”), Aretha Franklin (singer), Barbara Bush (former First Lady), Billy Graham (evangelist), Burt Reynolds (actor), Charles Lazarus (founder of Toys “R” Us), Dorcas Reilly (creator of green bean casserole), George H.W. Bush (41st president of the United States), Jerry Maren (Wizard of Oz), John Mahoney (Frasier), John McCain (politician & Vietnam War veteran), Kate Spade (designer), Ken Berry (actor), Ed King (co-writer of “Sweet Home Alabama”), Luis Valbuena (baseball player, former Los Angeles Angel), Mike Taylor (Walk Off the Earth), Nanette Fabray (actress), Penny Marshall (Laverne & Shirley), Scott Wilson (Walking Dead), Sigi Schmid (former LA Galaxy coach), Stan Lee (comic book editor, publisher, & writer, co-created Dr. Strange & Spider-Man with Steve Ditko), Stephen Hillenburg (creator of Spongebob Squarepants), Steve Ditko (comic book artist & writer, co-created Dr. Strange & Spider-Man with Stan Lee), & Verne Troyer (Austin Powers movies, Jingle All the Way, & Men in Black).
Let’s take a look at some numbers as inspiration for the coming year: I ended 2018 with 431 art blog followers (up from 357), 420 lifestyle blog followers (up from 346), & 244 Youtube subscribers / 88,153 views (up from 188 & 72,815). I look forward to growing my internet family in 2019. Onward & upward! ➡️ ⬆️
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“This is a story that I have never told. I gotta get this off my chest to let it go. I need to take back the light inside you stole.”
A few years ago I choreographed a dance routine to “Warrior” for a talent show. I hadn’t danced in awhile so it wasn’t my best performance ever, but something inside me needed an outlet. After I finished, I had to run to the bathroom because I was shaking so bad & sobbing. I’m not open about things in my past because I don’t think it’s something the public needs to know. However, if you are someone who is still healing, you are not alone. Middle school and high school were hell for me, but college was even worse. I suffered for so long and then turned around and made my precious family suffer because of my anger. I was angry at myself for being weak & at God for abandoning me. I hope my mom doesn’t mind me sharing this, but she has told me that she thought she would lose me in college because I was so close to the edge without caring. There is no sugar coating this: I wanted to die.
Tomorrow I turn 25 years old. The broken little girl in middle school didn’t think she would make it this far. The angry college student didn’t want to make it this far. God brought me this far, and He isn’t done yet.
“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” – Psalm 40:1-3
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It’s been awhile since we last talked so why not do something that will likely rip us apart. 😂 We are in the midst of March Madness so naturally a Disney bracket is making the rounds on social media. I have very strong opinions when it comes to all things Mickey Mouse, but it was extremely difficult to make these “life-altering” decisions. I felt like I was choosing between children. I allow me to walk you through each category so I can relive the pain.
Brave vs Up – This was hard because I really like both movies, but I had to listen to my wee Scottish heart. 🏴🇬🇧
Toy Story vs Toy Story 2 – I absolutely adore this entire trilogy so my answer to this category is WHY WOULD YOU MAKE ME CHOOSE?!? In the end, I went with Toy Story because it’s the classic that started it all.
Cars 3 vs Coco – I haven’t seen either, but I went with Cars 3 because it’s the only one I’m interested in.
The Good Dinosaur vs Toy Story 3 – The Good Dinosaur is good, but it never had a chance against Toy Story 3 which makes me weep with little more than a thought.
A Bug’s Life vs Ratatouille – This is another tough choice. I would drop everything & watch either right now. I ultimately went with A Bug’s Life because I’ve always loved the concept & characters . . . which is also true about Ratatouille. UGH!!
Inside Out vs Finding Nemo – Why has Pixar made so many great movies?? 😡 I chose Inside Out, but both reduce me to tears so it could be a different answer on a different day.
Cars vs Monsters, Inc. – Cars is really good, but Monsters, Inc. is my favorite Pixar movie so this choice was easy.
The Incredibles vs Wall • E – I’ve never seen Wall • E so The Incredibles won by default, but I probably would’ve chosen it anyway.
Right side is complete! Moving on . . . to the left, to the left!! ⬅️ ⬅️ 😂
The Lion KingvsTarzan – I love The Lion King, but I chose Tarzan because it’s my favorite Disney movie. Duh!
Lilo & StitchvsThe Princess and the Frog – I chose Lilo & Stitch because it’s in my Disney top 10. Also, I’m not a big fan of The Princess And The Frog. Sorry (but not really).
Tangled vs Big Hero 6 – I’ve seen Big Hero 6 once, and it was okay but not very memorable. Tangled, however, is amazing. Flynn Rider has my heart. 💘
Frozen vs Moana –Frozen wins by default because *gasp* I haven’t seen Moana. 😭
Aladdin vs Hercules – My babies!! This category ripped my heart out of my chest, broke it, & stuffed it back into my body so I could relive the pain all over again. 💔 The only reason I was able to make a decision is because I have a set Disney trinity: Tarzan, Aladdin, & Hercules. That being said, Aladdin is pretty much interchangeable with Hercules.
The Little Mermaid vs Pocahontas – Ariel was one of my favorite princesses growing up but not so much anymore. These days Pocahontas is #3 behind Mulan & Jasmine therefore her movie wins this battle & my heart. 🍂 🍃 🍂 🍃 🍂 🍃
Mulan vs Zootopia– I love Zootopia, but as I’ve already mentioned Mulan is my favorite princess. 💚
Beauty & The Beast vs The Nightmare Before Christmas – I’ve tried to get into Nightmare Before Christmas, but it just isn’t happening. Beauty And The Beast will always hold a special place in my heart. 🌹
The time has come to choose between Tarzan, my favorite Disney movie, & Monsters Inc., my favorite Pixar film. I love both, but the choice is easy . . .
🍃 🌳 🐵 🌳 🍃T A R Z A N • F O R E V E R ! ! ! 🍃 🌳 🐵 🌳 🍃
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I tried dry brushing for the first time last year, and the following is my review posted on amazon.com:
⚠ Disclaimer: Minamul contacted me to review their product, and I chose to do so because I was genuinely interested. This is an unpaid & honest review.
📝 Note: I have yet to use the konjac sponge therefore I have no thoughts regarding that product.
Information – There is a helpful chart that demonstrates what directions to brush in; it also has instructions for using the konjac sponge. Other than that, there is no information on what each brush is for or the benefits of dry brushing. I had to do outside research to fill in those gaps. It would be beneficial for the company and convenient for the customers if that information was provided in the bundle.
Brushes – I have sensitive skin, and the brushes, surprisingly, did not cause any irritation. With even pressure, you should feel a tingling sensation, not pain.
Side Effect – Not long into the process, I developed a painful breakout on my legs, specifically my thighs, which forced me to stop dry brushing below the waist. Because this product is meant to clean out the body, I don’t fault the company in any way. I just want future customers to be aware.
Results – After each dry brushing session, my skin felt softer and rejuvenated, and my mood was calm and relaxed. Even though the breakout on my legs was painful, it proved that the dry brushes work efficiently to clean out the body. It’s difficult to define the results because most of what is expected to happen is internal, not external. However, what I experienced is enough to know that these products are effective.
My main issue with this product has to do with the lack of educational information. Also, I am less likely to make another purchase from Minamul because I don’t need the entire bundle again, just some of the individual products. However, I assume that over time they will expand their product line so I will definitely be checking for updates. Overall, I think this bundle is great quality and perfect for first-time dry brushers.
It has been a rough few days in my household. After my cheerful blog post on Tuesday, things went downhill. My mom got really sick & went to Urgent Care which turned into an emergency room visit. She used to be a nurse so sickness rarely affects her unbelievable threshold for discomfort & illness. I knew the pain was serious when she sought treatment from a doctor. Approximately fourteen hours later, all tests had come back negative, and my very tired parents were back home. I was worried sick about what the illness might be, but nothing major appears to be wrong. My mom is strong & healthy, and I have no doubt she’s going to make a speedy recovery. I swear she is a living, breathing superwoman. The day she got sick, she bought groceries & dinner despite the pain. After everything was unloaded from the car, she said the following to me: “Here’s the food. Please fill this container with dish soap. I’m going to Urgent Care. I’ll be back.” If you think that sounds nonchalant, you are correct. She might as well have said “I’m going to the nail salon. I’ll be back.” I want to be her when I grow up! 💪🏻
In the midst of being concerned for my mom, I received a distressing email early Wednesday morning from YouTube. According to their new standards, I am no longer eligible for their YouTube Partner Program. This means I lose out on making money from my videos as well as helpful features such as creating my own thumbnails & scheduling upload times. I wouldn’t still be a YouTuber if money was my main motivation, but what little I do make helps me to continue creating content. It is so motivating to watch my monthly income increase month by month thanks to increased viewership & support. Right now the news feels like a punch to the gut, but I refuse to let this stop me. I am here to stay for as long as I feel inspired to make videos. If you want to support my channel, thank you from the bottom of my heart! <3
The cherry on top of this emotionally draining week is a bit more humorous. Thanks to the amount of clothing I have jammed into my teeny tiny closet, the right pole flange (look it up) broke. I had to remove one of my hanging shelf organizers on the other side of the closet, no easy task when you’re angry & tired, and make space for some of the clothes about to fall to the floor. Just what I needed to cheer me up! 🙄
With twelve minutes to spare in 2017, I completed my Goodreads goal of reading 50 books. Thanks to the diversity of those books, I also completed the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge. Let’s recap the categories accompanied by detailed & extensive lists:
📚 A Book you Chose for the Cover – Before we dive into the list, I want to clarify that I define a cover buy as a book I picked up because the cover caught my eye, which doesn’t mean I didn’t look at the synopsis:
📖 My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Ally Carter, David Levithan, Gayle Forman, Holly Black, Jenny Han, Kelly Link, Kiersten White, Laini Taylor, Matt De La Peña, Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, & Stephanie Perkins | I almost didn’t buy this book, but I couldn’t get the cover out of my head.
📚 A Book in a Genre You Usually Avoid – These aren’t all genres I avoid on purpose; I just don’t reach for them often:
📖 My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Ally Carter, David Levithan, Gayle Forman, Holly Black, Jenny Han, Kelly Link, Kiersten White, Laini Taylor, Matt De La Peña, Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, & Stephanie Perkins ( contemporary )
📖 Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff ( science fiction )
📚 A Book You Were Excited to Borrow or Buy but Haven’t Read Yet – Though I’m excited about every book I purchase, this list includes the titles I’d been dying to read but had yet to do so:
📖 My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Ally Carter, David Levithan, Gayle Forman, Holly Black, Jenny Han, Kelly Link, Kiersten White, Laini Taylor, Matt De La Peña, Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, & Stephanie Perkins ( the holidays )
Due to reading fatigue, I am not officially committing to the 2018 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge. However, I’m not giving up completely. I may join at any point during the year so I’m leaving the categories here for reference.
📚 A Classic You’ve Been Meaning to Read – A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
📚 A Book Recommended by Someone With Great Taste – TBD
📚 A Book in Translation – The Time in Between by Maria Duenas
📚 A Book Nominated for an Award in 2018 – TBD
📚 A Book Of Poetry, a Play, or an Essay Collection – Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
📚 A Book You Can Read in a Day – Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
📚 A Book That’s More Than 500 Pages – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
📚 A Book by a Favorite Author – Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
📚 A Book Recommended by a Librarian or Indie Bookseller – The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
📚 A Banned Book – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
📚 A Memoir, Biography, or Book of Creative Nonfiction – Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham
📚 A Book by an Author of a Different Race, Ethnicity, or Religion Than Your Own – Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar
Last but not least, I pledged to read 55 books on Goodreads. I’m not going to push myself because reading should be fun, not a competition. Regardless of whether or not I read a certain number of books, I’m doing something I love. Happy reading!
I need you to sit down & settle in for part two of my blog post from yesterday. About 15 minutes after it was published, my phone rang. Thanks to caller i.d., I knew it was one of the managers from my retail job. Forgetting that my phone was charging, I grabbed it only to have it ripped from my hands. While the ringing continued, I frantically searched my room on hands & knees. I finally found it on my bed (hold your laughter), but the ringing had already been replaced by a voicemail. I will now take you back to about one hour earlier. While eating dinner, my mom implied that I had to work that evening. I replied that she was thinking of my closing shift on Friday. I was 100% sure that I had two days off before my two weekend shifts so I didn’t even bother to check my schedule, which is something I do religiously. Fast forward to my manager’s voicemail. I was 15 minutes late for my closing shift, and she was wondering if I was ok & still coming in to work. In an outright panic, I called the store to let her know I would be there as soon as I could to replace a fellow associate who couldn’t stay much longer. Feeling like a horrible person, I got ready as fast as humanly possible, which is no easy task when you’re shaking like a leaf and clumsy. It would’ve been much easier if I hadn’t had a ton of coconut oil in my hair. I didn’t want to look like a greasy mess at work so I had to wash my hair, two shampoos required. I put on as little makeup as I was comfortable with and braided my hair, all of which looked as effortless as it actually was. A hoodie, jeans, and boots completed the look, and I was out the door. I received the call around 5:15 and made it to work right before 6. For the first hour my body was shaking uncontrollably, but I eventually settled down. It wasn’t the restful night I had planned, but everything turned out ok in the end. On the bright side, I am free as a bird today. Go ahead & laugh now. I am.
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Lauren Michele ❤️ 