I decided to make the best of my jetlag and revisit my ever so faithful xanga
I just finished watching Julie & Julia for the second time. So charming! I love love charming, inspirational and oh so cute movies that leave you with an extra boost of feel good hope afterwards. As my Christmas present to you, here are plenty of examples: Amelie, Chocolat, Catch and Release, The Holiday, P.S. I Love You ... oh and of course When Harry Met Sally. Actually I can add in 500 Days of Summer too. Sounds like I just listed a bunch of chic flicks but they're so much more than that!
There's wit... there's charm... there's faith and sometimes, there can be love. Aww. No I'm not going to apologize for writing a sentimental somewhat sappy entry. It's the holidays! Lighten up!
Back to Julie & Julia. I first watched it on the flight to my recent Taiwan/Asia trip. It came at such a good time because I needed a story like that. Two stories to be exact. Two true stories of ordinary women who started off living ordinary lives, working ordinary jobs and just weren't satisfied with being.. ordinary. So they decided to pursue their hobby of cooking as an escapism and somehow weaved their way into their destinies. Destinies that exceeded anything and everything they could have ever hoped for.
If you don't already know, I'm a firm believer in "meant to be's." I live by the saying there's a reason for everything. Fate. Absolutely. Not to say we don't make our own choices in life but I do believe there's a universal dance we're all doing together.
I've always wondered about the truly significant people throughout our history. Did they know they were meant for greatness? Even in their wildest dreams, could they believe that their contributions would change the world forever? I'm positive they all had their pitfalls and moments where they were just about to give it all up. But what kept them going? How did they know it was the right path to continue on? Gut instinct? Perseverance? Higher Being? ... And .. why them? Why not someone else?
And then I read The Alchemist and everything changed. Perhaps WE'RE all meant for greatness. Perhaps all our personal destinies call for us to change the world in our own ways. Which I'm sure we've tapped into a bit or else we wouldn't be here. However, in order for us to reach .. Oprah, Einstein, MJ status... there has to be a customized mixture of faith, courage and strength. And when our paths, hearts and minds are finally all aligned in the right place (aka timing) then ... it begins. Everything fantastical, amazing and truly challenging.
Man talk about looking at the BIG picture Good stuff! Now can you see why films like that make me smile? Two words: LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES!!
Every time I make the mistake of believing that life can't get any better than it already is, God creatively finds new ways to surprise me. In just three months time, things have changed in ways I never thought possible. A good example: I'm currently sitting at Starbucks writing my business plan for the craft business I'm going to open with my mom! How surreal is that?! I never thought I would have the courage to take such a risk, not only financially but also creatively.
Every realistic reason/excuse I could think of had prevented me in the past from even entertaining such an idea. But here I am in the beginning stages of this wondrous journey! I wake up excited to get my day started! I can hardly sleep at night because my mind is running wild with plans and ideas for the next day! It's both astoundingly perplexing and fantastically ironic. I spent most of my teenage and adult years searching for my purpose and passion in life... never realizing it was right in front of me all along!
As a child, I grew up watching my mom being in her element as she expressed herself through sewing, stitching, clay figures, drawings... etc. I used to love turning the pages of one of her many art books and taking a deep breath of that distinct sweet scent that only art materials have. I admired her greatly for finding an outlet for her imagination to take a tangible form. Along the way I must have taken a subconscious note because I slowly began to realize I felt the most free while I was making something with my own hands. Whether it be a school craft project, writing, baking, coloring or whatever else. I often became so engrossed in the project that I lost all sense of time and .. myself. Truly one of the best feelings in this world
There is indeed a lot of work to be done, classes to be taken and practice time to dedicate before I get to the stage I want to be at. But I now fully understand that honestly nothing I dream of is impossible. Really, anything can happen as long as I keep moving forward by taking things one step at a time, one day at a time, one moment at a time.
Christine's USEFUL Tips of FUN (for wisdom teeth extractions)
Being that I was the ultimate procrastinator when it came to pulling out the wisdom teeth, I acquired many years worth of stories, tips and information regarding this procedure from friends, well wishers, strangers and people I don't remember. And I can now state as a fact that they all proved to be (one word): USELESS.
I mean, who cares about which dentist to go to? Or how to procedure will go. Really Jon? Was that helpful? NO. I think not. Try to be less of a jerk in the future please.
I, on the other hand will tell you EVERYTHING you need to know in five very easy to remember tips.
1. It can get super awkward when the dentist is staring straight down at your face in a very concentrated manner. You have two options: A.) Be super creepy and gaze into his/her eyes throughout the entire time Or B.) Avert your eyes to either the left or the right. It helps to alternate every 2 mins. I chose to do both. What can I say.. being a creeper is what I do best. Refer to the pictures below
2. Blasting songs like I'm Every Woman on my ipod did help to drown out the scraping noise of the wisdom tooth against the molar while the dentist attempted to yank it loose. (Ok I lied. It helped somewhat)
3. The instructional after care paper they provide you can also serve as a paper airplane while you're waiting for the Novocaine shot to take effect. I would recommend practicing the art of folding prior to the procedure. Allows you more time to test out the airplane versus trying to remember how your little brother used to fold them as a kid.
4. Painkillers are liars. LIARS! They don't kill any pain. They actually ADD to the pain. People hyped this drug up wayyy too much. All it did for me was give me a headache. What a jerk. Tylenol extra strength proved to be a much better friend to the pain and .. my head.
5. Finally the best perk of forcing out useless teeth is... ::drum roll please:: .... YOGURTLAND!!! All the Yogurtland my little heart can desire. All day, everyday. Well ok. Perhaps only 2 days because I'm pretty much back to normal now. And.. well also I get Yo-land almost every single day anyways. So really, it's not so much a perk as it is a normal part of my daily routine.
So there you have it. Hands down best info you can get about wisdom teeth extractions. So helpful in fact that I recommend printing this entry out and using it as a reference. If not for you, then for your friend, bartender, grandma, boss... whoever. Trust me, they'll thank you like you are thanking me now.
Now please excuse me. I must finish Season 5 of The Office. Which by the way is the most fantastical show with the most fantastical bloopers:
I love songs that promote that strong independent side all the ladies possess but have either forgotten about or yet to tap into its full potential.
Based on my past experiences, here's my two cents about the fellas.
If he's not treating you like you know you deserve and giving you everything and more, cut your losses and walk away.
You are one of a kind. You are special. And there is NO other lady out there who can ever be YOU. Because when you truly realize that yourself, you will without a doubt find someone who fully understands that HE'S the lucky one to be with YOU.
Above all else, trust your instincts.
So yes, please take that advice from this single lady. hahaha But honestly, I am the happiest I've ever been being completely single these past 2 going on 3 years. Though technically I've been single for over 5 years now. Hey... like I always say: you live and you learn. Now I'm all about 2009 [keeping the faith] DH all the way!
And for all my fellow single ladies... own that single girl swag Own it and work it!
140 characters on twitter just wouldn't do it for me. This topic always gets me so worked up that it requires (if not demands) a whole blog entry!
One of the things I have very little patience and understanding for is the baffling notion of bad quality products on high demand. Entertainment nowadays is a perfect example. Music, movies, tv, tabloids, Paris Hilton... I mean what the heck is going on?
It's one thing to be putting awful creations on youtube. No one is paying to watch it. BUT when there's a huge fuss over horrible material with high profits to be made or spent by any party, I find that a terrible waste of energy, time and $$. To think that so many deserving independent art is being pushed aside to make way for the ... CRAP that's on the big screen, radio, tv, and in magazines gets me all worked up again just thinking about it!!
I believe I'm extra critical when it comes to entertainment only because it both directly and indirectly shapes our society. We have such a powerful tool when it comes to the media, why not use it to send out positive messages in the world? Same with high profile people. Why not use your status to support something cause worthy vs doing... nothing. Or worse yet, half assing a job and showing today's youth that not only is it alright to produce inadequate results but one can possibly be unbelievably successful doing so. Which would explain why today's teens are unwilling to put in their dues to truly learn good work ethics. I blame shows like The Hills. It's a "reality" show depicting a fantasy life. Only the kids don't know that yet. Pretty sad... for all of us.
Just another reason why I'm such a strong supporter and believer in independent and AA artists like Wong Fu, Magnetic North, David Choi, Kaba, Daniel Henney, Mike & RuSoul Isberto, Bryan Keith and countless others. They might not be high profile or reached their full potentials yet. However they understand the fundamental basis of the constant perfection of one's craft. That's the type of example and motivation that benefits the future of everyone not only themselves.
Well ultimately it all comes down to the consumers... us basically. As long as we keep creating a demand for unacceptable works then that's all that will be made available to us. There's only one solution which actually is easier to do with today's state of economy. Stop spending your hard earned $$ on the trash that manifests itself in movies, dvds, albums, tabloids, tv shows...etc. Just stop. You deserve better than that!! We all do! And we will get better that will lead to the best by taking the first step of saying NO!
[AJA AJA FIGHTING!]
On a somewhat related note, here's a sweet example of what hard work, talent, unique creativity and art can look like in a commercial:
Good stuff!
