My Week In Pics ~10/20 - 10/28~

Yes, I am aware that it is the 28th, but the 26th I spent mostly in town, or sleeping. I was tired after running 20 hrs on 4 hrs of sleep! I can't do that every day! I never really could, honestly, not without getting super psycho and sick!

Anywho, I had a pretty good week last week, in which I continued to find Mighty in my room. I still do, actually. During my nap on the 26th, he was under my bed. I could hear him, but I had no idea where he was!

But onto the pics!

 

 

Made some chicken fajitas for my fam! They were super delish!

Check the recipe here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chicken-fajitas-4

 

 

 

I FOUND IT!!! Remember this little amazing travel-sized bottle of wonderful hair-fixer? I lost it! I pulled it out for this blog post (http://lorienlobrien.blogspot.com/2013/07/july-favorites-2013.html) but it disappeared! Well, I vacuumed while marinating the chicken meat, and I FOUND IT!!! OMG, I'm super happy! I'll def be using this, this week for Halloween!

 

 

 

Came into my room and look who decided to fall asleep just in the weirdest spot ever! He's so strange...

 

 

 

...Seriously strange! He just comes into my room and lays where ever. Then again, I guess that's what cats do. But he's never liked my room...until now.

 

 

 

My savoir after randomly waking up 4 hrs before my alarm was supposed to go off. I guess it was all the diet Dr. Pepper the day before... o.o'

 

That was my past week, and Halloween couldn't come fast enough! Just got my decorations up today, and tried out my makeup look for the big night!

...during which I will be home, dressed up all fancy, watching Halloween movies with my besties! Am I crazy? Probably. Do I care? Nope!

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My Week in Pics ~10/13 - 10/19~

YES! I am BACK! And I've remembered to snap some pics!

(Don't mind the blurry one, I only had a few secs, and I had the camera on the wrong setting...)

Here's what I've been up to this week, after getting (mostly) over my cold/flu/whatever illness!

 

My Thankful Journal is officially FULL! I now have a new one, that's a little bigger, but is still small and blue

 

 

 

Here it is (this is really close, didn't want to put it on the floor. Yes, I'm that lazy :)

 

 

 

It always makes my day when a youtuber with millions of subcribers replies to me. And Kandee's awesome! Proud to be a fan!

 

 

 

On the same day, an answer I left on Yahoo! Answers was favorited! It told me to brag, so I am :)

 

 

 

While running some errands I decided to buy a Pumpkin Spice Frap. First of all, it has coffee, and I don't drink coffee. I turn into a four year old who can't stop talking or moving (it's scarily hilarious). And then it gives me a two day migrain. Boo.

Second, it was just plain nasty. Waste of 4 dollars :(

 

 

 

But the four dollars I spent on these wasn't wasted! Both compliment my skin tone very nicely, and blend very well. And they have lasting power, not coming off completely when I scrubbed and ran my hand under the water. Yay!

 

 

 

To get the nasty taste of bad coffee out of my mouth, I ate these. The whole thing. Only a dollar, and they're so good! Not as strong as Nutella, but the filling complimented the cookie quite well!

Yeah, I watch too much Food Network and Cooking Channel...

 

 

 

Wednesday was my Bro's birthday, and we celebrated tonight! My mom made her amazing steaks, and this was the leftovers, which will probably be gone by the time I wake up tomorrow...

 

 

 

Happy Birthday David!

(Don't mind the blurriness, the camera was on the wrong setting...)

 

 

 

Not a bad cake (though I make them better, but I've been sick, soooo) and the ice cream was delicious. Yeah, my diet went out the window today.

 

 

That was my week! Oh, and Happy Birthday again to my cousin Jennifer! She's a new mommy with twins!

 

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W.i.t.c.h. The Full Story: Part II Chapter 3 - Yan Lin

Hey guys!

Sorry for not uploading last week, this is the first time in over a week that I've felt healthy enough to work at ALL. I've been battling the flu, or a super cold, but it tastes like the flu. Ugh! *shudders* Anyway, I've gotten better a tiny bit each day, and today I've felt my best yet! Barely coughed at all!

So tonight, I decided to just work a little. I managed to get a chap of this done, although I'm stuck on Warrior (go figure). It's a short chapter, but I think it's good! Let me know what you think!!!

Chapter 3

Yan Lin

Earth

 

Yan Lin’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she felt the pull. She’d been describing their house lo mein to an elderly couple from out of town when she’d felt a tug on her heart, and a soft voice whispering over and over to come up the stairs. Recognizing it as the Heart, Yan flagged a waiter over to finish taking their orders, and then headed upstairs again. After tossing out some underwear and ancient clothes that’d hid the glowing jewel from her family, she gently removed the tiny, pink gem from the elegant box that kept it safe. Just before the whispering stopped and the vision began, she laid on her bed. Then darkness came and took her away.

 

           The last time she’d seen the young man, he was daring an angry customer to continue to push him. But he was daring no more. Slumped in the dark, full of too much pain to move, he watched the outline of the Passling as it sniffed here and there, wondering if there was anything to eat, rotten or not. Through the power of the Heart, she was able to see the terrible marks that covered him, and the farseeing stare that revealed he’d been tortured, and tortured extensively. He cradled his right arm carefully against his chest. Yan saw that it was a compound fracture, with part of the bone sticking out. If that wound remained untreated, he’d be disfigured for life.

This is a Bringer of Light.

The voice boomed from the center of the vision, deep in Yan’s mind. She knew that voice. She trusted it.

His world will fade and die in Darkness without him. They cannot help him. They cannot win without him.

She knew the rest before it even began. The new Guardians could never be convinced of their powers, their duty, in time. He’d die from thirst long before the girls would be strong enough to dive into the palace dungeons and get him.

But you can. You have powers still, and will until the new generation is ready. He must be saved.

He slipped into unconsciousness, hoping to never wake again.

 

Yan woke up feeling sick to her stomach. When she sat up, a drop of water on her hand startled her. That’s when she realized she was crying, had since she’d seen him in the dungeon. She knew that place. Knew it, and hated it. Too many close friends and good people had died there in the dark beneath Phobos’s palace.

Feeling emotionally drained, Yan got to her feet. She headed to the bathroom to wash the tears from her face, then almost jumped when she saw her reflection. The moment the Heart had called to her, she thought she was only nineteen again, since it hadn’t spoken to her in over fifty years. But her young face had lost its elasticity; her silky black hair had become wispy and gray. The Guardian of Air was nineteen no longer—she was seventy-four.

Unbeknownst to her, the Heart had placed itself around her neck. She stared at it for a second, and then whispered aloud.

“How can I do this?” Her Mandarin came out harsh, no longer the musical song it used to be. “I am not young. I have no strength. I can’t do this.”

The Heart simply glowed. The light and warmth that poured from the jewel into her chest comforted her in a way that nothing else could have. Yan gripped it tightly. Suddenly the warmth covered all of her body, and a purple light filled her vision. The aches from old wounds and living for far too long faded away, and the strength of youth swelled up from a long-forgotten life. Her crooked back straightened, her hair thickened, the arthritis dissipated, the ignored pains of old healed.

And then it was gone. The warmth had completely evaporated.

But Yan still felt incredibly strong. She’d clamped her eyes tightly shut to save her eyesight. Now, panting, feeling a deep fear, and an even deeper hope, the former Guardian opened her eyes.

It’d been a shock to see herself as an old woman. And yet it seemed only natural for her to look in the mirror and see herself as she had appeared so many years ago. She wore the purple and blue of the Guardians of Meridian in the style of a male changshan. Her high-necked, purple top had long, flowing sleeves and the blue, cropped pants had billowy, wide legs. The snow-white hair was no longer down to her knees; it was cut short and was now the same blue-black that Hay Lin had inherited. And on her back was a pair of glittering, green wings.

After studying her reflection for a few moments, the current Guardian of Air took a deep breath.

“You better still be alive, boy,” Yan sang out in her native tongue, gripping the Heart again.

Then she did something she hadn’t in a very long time. She flew.

My Months in Pics

Hey ya'll!

Sorry I haven't been posting this! And I know I promised one, but I was sick! I'm still sick :( BOO!

Anywho, I don't have many pics, since my hand was messed up, so taking photos wasn't possible for 2-3 weeks of this. But here's some!

 

 

I made a toy for the cats! Mighty really liked it. This is him after playing with it for about 15 minutes straight!

 

 

 

It was crazy hair day at work. So my dad's normally nice hair was like this when he came home. lol!

 

 

 

October 4th was Silly Socks for Jessica day. Three years ago on 10/4, my good friend Jessica passed away. She loved silly socks, and was terrified of never being remembered, so on this day, and her birthday, every year friends and family wear silly socks. The top pic is mine; then LA Knight, who was Jessica's sister-in-law; and the bottom is IK Scott.

 

RIP Jess, you'll never be forgotten, babe!

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So, remember how I told you Mighty loved my toy? Well, so did Strider. Look how he destroyed it! He really liked it! Oh well. At least it was well loved

 

Well!

 

That's it!

 

Except for...

 

 

 

LA Knight and I have a new project!!!

 

Do you know what it is???

 

 

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August/September Monthly Favorites

Hey Guys!

I know, it's been forever since I've done a Week in Pics post, as well as a Monthly Favorites, but as  you know from all my other posts, things have been nuts!

But!

I have list (a long one) and pics for all of them! This will be a double monthly favorites, with a return to your regularly programmed blogging schedule from here on out, I promise! I'll probably post the weekly pics late Thursday night, since Fridays are now my work day, where me and LA Knight come together to hang, watch tv and movies, and edit until we're done, which lately has been about 3-4 AM. We don't leave things half done (except watching stuff, we often only see a tiny bit of what we want to) so that our work is done and available for your viewing pleasure ASAP!

Anywho, onto the favorites!

 

BOOKS

 

August

 

 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

 

OMG, all of August, I started and finished this series. The first one was blah, I only read it because I love the movie (yes, I love the movie and dislike the book). But it gets better with each book! Totally a great series

 

September

 

 

The Heroes of Olympus Series

 

Percy Jackson's sequel series. OMG, this series. Absolutely amazing. Each book is better than the last, and I can't wait to read the next one, House of Hades. I'm getting this series from the library, and I'm on the waiting list for it!

 

MOVIES

 

August

 

 

Star Trek: Into Darkness

 

THIS. MOVIE.

Wow. Just...wow. I didn't think it could top the first one in the new movies, and it totally did. Benedict Cumberbatch was absolutely awesome, the plot is great. Just, WOW!

 

September

 

 

Man of Steel

 

I literally watched Star Trek one week, and this the next. I went with LA Knight and IK Scott to see Star Trek, but it was out of theaters, so we saw this instead. And this movie is AMAZING! Love it! Although I'm miffed about the new Batman choice, because this movie rocks, I'll watch it. Because of this movie!!!

 

TV SHOW

 

September

 

 

Agents of Shield

 

August was pretty dead, but several shows came back this fall, and this one is brand new. And I gotta say, this is beats Legend of Korra. Korra hasn't matured, and while Coulson's return is kinda dumb, I love the team's dynamic. Loving this show!

 

YOUTUBERS

 

August

 

 

AprilAthena7

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/AprilAthena7

 

Currently watching a vid as I'm writing this right now. She's so upbeat and funny, cute and her tips are great. Love her!

 

September

 

 

 bubzbeauty

 Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/bubzbeauty

 

Her Sleeping Beauty video is hilarious! I was hooked, just from that vid. She's super sweet, and I love her accent! Check her out!

 

VIDEOS

 

August

 

 

This is a commercial in Thailand. I've seen it on Facebook and Tumblr (check out my Tumblr here: http://llobrien13.tumblr.com/). I get chocked up just talking about it, because it's so amazing and beautiful. A must watch!

 

September

 

 

In case you weren't aware, I'm LDS, and this past weekend was our General Conference. This was Elder Jeffrey R Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, his talk called Broken Vessels. In case you didn't know from this post here: http://lorienlobrien.blogspot.com/2012/08/ptsd-explanation.html I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which includes several anxiety disorders and depression. So this talk really touched me. I've never heard a leader of my church talk admit suffering from it, nor mention of any previous leaders dealing with it. I think any one dealing with these kind of problems should watch this, because it's simply beautiful.

 

SHOES

 

 

I bought these boots from Forever21 last year during Black Friday, and I've been obsessed ever since. No, they're not leather, but they're holding up really well. I also injured my foot Thursday, and these have been holding my foot very well while it returns to normal (almost there!).

 

FOOD

 

 

Loft House Pumpkin Mini Cookies

 

This is a recent love, as in the past two days. But DUDE! So yummy! Too bad they're terrible for you... o.o'

 

RANDOM

 

 

Bath and Body Works Candle in Pumpkin Cupcake

 

DUDE! Amazing scent. It smell EXACTLY as what it says. I haven't burned mine at all, since it is a mini, not a large, 3 wick one. But I don't really need to! I keep it by my bed, and I smell it as I fall sleep, and it's so relaxing.

 

MUSIC

 

Okay, this is not my top 3, it's my top six, in order, not by month

 

1

 

 

Waiting for Superman by Daughtry

 

I don't know if this is for the movie, because I don't know anything about the movie, but this song totally speaks to me. I love it!

 

2

 

 

Young & Beautiful by Lana Del Rey

 

I haven't seen the movie The Great Gatsby, and I'm probably not going to, but this song! There are two versions, and I love them both! When LA and I were working, this came on my music player in an ad, and we had to hear it. We both stopped working and just listened, because it's so haunting and stunning. It's on a bunch of my playlists now. Beautiful

 

3

 

 

In Your Arms by Kina Grannis

 

First of all, have you seen the video? It's amazing! Check it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOu0DuxFAT0

But the song is addicting and super cute. Love it!

 

4

 

 

Just to Get High by Nickelback

 

This song has so much heart and is so personal. The passion in this song just speaks to me. And the message is wonderful! A must hear!

 

5

 

 

Unsinkable (Never Giving Up) by Sam Tsui and Elle Winter

 

This song was written for the Music is Medicine campaign for a 16 year old girl battling cancer. Watch the video here for more information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6DYX-RpGNA

But if you can, buy it! All profit goes to benefit pediatric oncology research at Mount Sinai, where Cindy, the girl, goes. And it's just a great song about never giving up!

 

6

 

 

Amphetamine by I Can't Go On, I'll Go On from Bandslam

 

This song is so awesome. In fact, ALL the songs by this band in the movie is amazing! But this one has been on repeat lately! Check out the soundtrack, and the movie. So good!

 

So, that was kinda HUGE! But I hope you enjoy it, and I *PROMISE* that it won't be this long between posts, and the posts will be a little smaller.

 

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W.i.t.c.h. The Full Story Part II Chapter 2 - Cornelia

WOW! I've written 3, yes, 3 poems today, AND a chapter!

BOOYAH!

And my hand isn't bugging me at ALL! YAY!

My right foot is, but that's because I twisted it while working out. But that's another story.

ONTO MY CHAPTER!

It's much shorter than the first one, that one was kinda huge. Oh well. This one has more plot development :)

Oh, and one more thing! The reason Part II is called The War Resumes is because episode 2 of the show is "It Resumes". And episode 1? "It Begins". The first book is called "The Power of Five". So going after the "Begins, Resumes" ideas, I called Part 1 It Begins, and Part 2 The War Resumes. :)

So, here it is! Enjoy!!!

Chapter 2

Cornelia

Heatherfield

Wednesday, Cornelia told the girls to meet at her place to plan their costumes for the dance Friday. She was determined to outlook the Grumper Sisters no matter what. Come Friday, Bess and Courtney wouldn’t know what hit them!

Taranee and Will seemed impressed with Cornelia’s house. It wasn’t a mansion—okay, it was. Cornelia’s dad owned a local Credit Union that had seriously expanded during the recession. She didn’t think it was all that impressive, not compared to the Grumper Sisters’s manor on the outskirts of town, anyway.

"So, Cornelia," Will said as she followed the blonde up a beautiful staircase. "Why the need to beat the Grumper Sisters, anyway?"

"Because she has to be first in the world," Irma answered for her. "At everything."

"Those two have had it coming for a long time," Cornelia told Will, ignoring Irma.

"Yeah, because they wore the same shirt in kindergarten," Hay Lin laughed.

"It’s pathetic, really."

Cornelia froze, trying not to grind her teeth.

Her baby sister, Lillian was standing there, her arms folded. She was eight years old, with her blonde cut in a bob, and wearing her favorite color, pink, as usual. Her favorite thing to do was follow Cornelia around and bug her. Or play pranks on her. Cornelia couldn’t stand her, and it looked like the little brat was going to try to follow them.

"Go away, Lillian," Cornelia said coldly.

"Who’re they?" She was pointing to Will and Taranee. They opened their mouths, probably to introduce themselves, but Cornelia quickly said, "None of your business, so buzz off!"

She grabbed her sisters arm and pushed her away.

"Fine! I’m telling mom you’re failing math!"

As she rush down the stairs Cornelia called, "She’s not here, so NEH!" She stuck her tongue out at her.

Hay Lin and Elyon cracked up.

"Very mature, Cornelia," Elyon giggled. "Sticking your tongue out and all."

"You really showed her who’s boss," Irma said, rolling her eyes.

"You don’t have to live with her," Cornelia muttered, trying to hide her blush.

"Geez, Cornelia!" Will exclaimed with they entered her room.

"You know, I think you should go shopping again," Irma told her.

"Why?" Cornelia turned to her walk in closet that her father had built for her custom last summer. It was larger than anyone else’s at school, even the Grumper Sisters. Well, at least one of the Grumper Sisters. Cornelia had made sure of it. She had to drop fifty bucks of her own to find out, but it was worth it.

 

Too bad Mrs. Grumper’s a model, she thought. That’s the only reason they have more designer things than I do.

 

"Yeah, doesn’t she have enough?" Taranee squeaked.

"I think there’s at least one top in the city that Cornelia doesn’t own," Irma said. She threw her arm over her forehead and pretended to choke out, "What a tragedy!"

Everyone laughed again. Cornelia even grinned, especially when the pillow she threw knocked Irma off her bed. After an impromptu pillow fight, they changed out of their uniforms and into some clothes. Will and Taranee had, once again, forgotten to bring street clothes, but Cornelia had more than enough for them to borrow.

"So, what should we wear to the dance Friday?" Will asked. "And PLEASE don’t say dresses. I…just…no."

"OOH!" Elyon cried, clapping her hands. "We should go as fairies!"

Everyone in the room froze at the word "fairies", as if she’d yelled a curse word. Elyon looked around, confused by her friends’ reaction. "What?"

"I dreamed I was a fairy," Taranee said. "The same dream, for the past couple of nights."

"Really? Me, too!" Hay Lin said. "I could fly, and I wasn’t small or anything, but I could control the air."

"No way, I could control fire!" Taranee said.

The hair on the back of Cornelia’s neck stood up. Before she could say anything, though, Irma said, "I could control water. And fly. But I could make water fly too. It was so cool!"

"I could control earth," Cornelia made herself say. "Every dream. Lillian woke me up both nights, and every time I fell asleep, I dreamed the same thing. I was an earth fairy, except—"

"You were older?" Will asked.

"No way, you had these dreams too?" Elyon gasped. When Will nodded, she frowned. "Why haven’t I?"

"I have no idea, but it wasn’t all magical," Will told her. "In every dream, there was this necklace that was guiding me, and there were monsters chasing me."

"Me, too!" Hay Lin said.

"So the five of us all had the same dream?" Cornelia clarified. She slid down the wall and sat on the floor.

"Yup."

"Sounds like it."

"Pretty much."

"Except for me!" Elyon cried. "I wish I dreamed about being a fairy! I’ve always wanted to fly."

"So, I guess being fairies are out?" Taranee asked.

"No kidding," Irma replied. "We’re fairies way too much already."

　

Everyone grabbed a bite to eat, then headed home via the bus. After waiting with them for a bit, Cornelia headed home, but didn’t go inside. When she wanted think there was only one place for her to go, her garden.

It really was a small garden just off of the huge one that surrounded her house a landscaping company took care off for her parents. But this little corner was entirely her own; the company wasn’t allowed to do more than water and weed there. All plants were her choice, and she handled her own pruning and trimming. As she wandered among her babies, as she privately called them, she noticed a weed here, and random shoot there. She tidied some things up, and while she checked on one that caterpillars had been eating up over the past month, she thought about what she hadn’t told her friends.

There were more than just dreams.

Cornelia had powers.

She couldn’t fly, and didn’t have wings, and certainly wasn’t older. But as she studied the plant, the chewed up stems healed, its color brightened, and the entire thing started growing. Same with the flowers she checked on next, and the little bonsai tree she’d begged her parents to buy off a salesmen on the side of the road a couple years back. She really did have the powers of her dreams, making plants grow. Perhaps she really could summon giant vines or move the earth like she had in her dreams. Whenever a monster had gotten too close to her, BOOM! The ground split and down they went. The ones that survived had been tangled in monster plants that smothered them or held them prisoner.

Cornelia frowned at the gravel beneath her feet and will it to move, shift, something! But nothing happened. Then her cell was going off, and it was time to go back to the real world, where plants didn’t grow twice their size in a few seconds, and the ground stand where it belonged.

It was Irma. Cornelia wondered what Irma was going to make fun of her for this time, but she still answered.

"Hey, Cornelia?"

"What’s up?"

"Um…Remember when I told you I could make water fly? I-in my dreams?"

Cornelia frowned. "Yeah?"

"Well, I’m doing it. Right now."

Once Upon a Dream (Poem)

And yet ANOTHER poem! I couldn't help it! I wanted to write something more uplifting, hopeful.

This is it!

Hope you enjoy! ;)


I know you
At least,
I knew you
Once upon a dream

Oh, wait,
That’s Sleeping Beauty
Whoops!

But I knew you.
And I loved you
And you loved me

It was different back then
Because we knew who we were
And where we were

No questions were unanswered
No obscure path
We knew our place
And we were satisfied

But now we’re lost
Trying to find our other half
And our names
And places
And faces

We look in a mirror
But can’t really see
We walk the world
But don’t know
Or understand

But I knew you
And you knew me
We were in love
Once upon a dream