Blog Featurette: I Wrote This For You

I have yet another blog to share with you! I seem to be on some sort of blog-promoting kick.

This one is called I Wrote This For You. Basically, what it is, is that every day a story is posted with a picture. The stories are short, many times only a couple sentences, and they are always very general, using the pronouns me and you. This allows readers to place themselves in the center of the story. Iain Thomas, co-creator and author of I Wrote This For You says that "There’s no story [he] can tell you that is as powerful as the story you can tell yourself." This means that, by making the stories vague, people are able to fill in their own experiences and make the story apply to them.
Iain also explains why the stories are so short: “The point of a story is, more often than not, a single sentence. I try to write that sentence.” In each entry for I Wrote This For You, Iain tries to explain a single human experience or emotion as concisely as possible. In doing so, he achieves everything from power, to truth, to poetry. What Tyler Knott did for love stories with his haiku, Iain Thomas has done for just about every other life situation with his words.

If you like poetry, profound quotes about life, or reading statements that really hit home, I suggest checking out I Wrote This For You. If you're not into that stuff...well, I still suggest checking it out. It's a pretty interesting concept, and the stories are short, so it wouldn't even take you a minute to read a couple. I'm really into this kind of stuff (and by "this kind of stuff," I guess I mean profound, "deep" stuff), but maybe I'm the only one. If you do check it out, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! I love hearing other people's opinions on things.

Google Overload?

Thanks to the fact that I follow TIME on twitter,
I came across this video:




I admit, I was really excited about Google Wave when I first heard about it. I watched the demo video, and thought, "This is awesome! Wave looks so useful! Look at all the cool stuff you can do with it!" Upon finally receiving an invite and setting up my account, however, I quickly realized I had absolutely no idea what I was going to use it for. Now, my "super exclusive," invite only Wave account has gone unused for the past 3 or 4 months (however long it's been).

Now, don't get me wrong, Google has created some pretty useful tools. I love how easy it is to keep track of all my favorite blogs using Google Reader. I'm currently working on overhauling my current e-mail system and forwarding it all into my new Gmail account. But I have to agree with this video that, while I appreciate Google's attempt to be everything to everyone, they've gotten a little out of control.

What do you think? Have you tried/found use for any of Google's newest creations? Let me know! Because as much as I love being on the cutting-edge of these things, there comes a point when is enough. We can only handle so many ways to communicate/stay in contact with people before we totally go crazy. It just makes me think if that scene in He's Just Not That Into You when Drew Barrymore is talking about leaving a voicemail on a guys phone, which he responded to with a text, which she responded to with an e-mail, etc. (that's not the exact order of events, but you get the idea). Thanks to Google , there are now three or four more modes of communication we can use.

An Awesome Thing: A Good Haircut

Inspired by the blog 1000 Awesome Things (which I have mentioned before), I just had to write an entry about something I am way too excited about: my new haircut. BEWARE: This entry was written after midnight, meaning that I cannot account for what late-night giddiness and/or half-asleep-ness may be fanning the flames of my already extremely vain feelings about my hair.

About a week ago, I got approximately 6.5 inches of hair cut off. For me, that is a pretty significant amount. Not only have I had relatively long hair for a good 4ish years, when I did get it trimmed, it was usually just that - a trim, an inch or two off, just to make the ends look nice again.


Now, I know how vain/shallow/conceited this will make me sound, but for a long time, I was very attached to my long hair. I'm not kidding you when I say it took about a week of mental preparation leading to what I like to call "The Big Chop." Yes, I realize that some people, usually participating in Locks of Love or a similar program, will get 10+ inches cut off at a time, but for me, over 6 was a pretty big deal.

All this to say, I could not be happier with the result of my hair cut! A week later, and I am still excited about it (that's how you know it's good). After having to manage that long, thick, wavy mane of mine for so long, it is so freeing to have half as much hair. Anyone out there who has had a good haircut knows what I'm talking about. It's easier to style, it looks good, it feels good – I know you know.

For those of you out there who have not yet experienced the pure bliss of the perfect haircut, have faith. One day, when you least expect it, you will walk out of the salon feeling like a changed person, and at that moment, you'll just know. Until then...well, I'm not really sure what to tell you to do, I just felt the need to say until then.

I apologize for this post. I'll try not to write blog posts at such late hours in the future. I can't make any promises though.

The beauty of language

I have always enjoyed reading, at writing poetry. To be honest, I never got that into the haiku thing, but I just came across this guy Tyler Knott, who writes some of the most beautiful haiku I have ever read. He is doing a series called "Daily Haiku on Love," and maybe it's just me, but I find the poems absolutely breathtaking (which is not a word I would usually associated with a written work). Here are a few examples:

You are sewn from the
fabric of my dreams and the
thread of my wishes.
-Daily Haiku on Love by Tyler Knott Gregson-

I watch the smile grow
across your lips, up your cheeks
and into your eyes.

-Daily Haiku on Love by Tyler Knott Gregson-

I will rest my ear
directly above your heart
and miss not a beat.
-Daily Haiku on Love by Tyler Knott Gregson-

They are so simple, yet so powerful. I suppose that is the point of a haiku. I highly suggest you check out his site and read some more of them, because they are absolutely wonderful!

Google it!

I often say I am addicted to the internet, but more specifically, I am addicted to Google. I use the handy Google search bar in Firefox probably hundreds of times a day (I should try and keep a tally sometime). I often try to remember what my life was like before I had a laptop/iPod touch/phone with texting capabilities at my disposal 24/7 allowing me to look up things at a moment's notice. Then I found this comic:(via twentythree)

I'm still alive!

So, I am fully aware that I have not updated in over a month. This is mostly due to the fact that I haven't had much to say (hard to believe, I know), but also due to the fact that I have been extremely lethargic lately. The seasonal depression has definitely set in hard-core and I find myself sitting around listening to music about summer and hoping that spring will come sooner rather than later.

That said, I realize that almost anyone else living in snow-country (which is actually most of the US right now, apparently there is snow on the ground in 49 states) is probably feeling the same way. Therefore, I would like to share a blog that has certainly been a ray of sunshine for me throughout this dreadful Michigan winter. It's called 1000 Awesome Things. Basically every weekday they post one "awesome thing." Some examples of previous posts include:

#572 Learning a new keyboard shortcut
#585 Figuring out the plot twist just before they reveal it
#916 The sound of scissors cutting construction paper
#921 Snow days
#937 The smell of rain on a hot sidewalk

As a person who tends to get really excited about little things like this, I find myself nodding in agreement every time I read the newest post. If you are like me and you enjoy trivial things, I highly suggest adding this blog to your Google Reader or RSS feed of choice. It's definitely a spirit-lifter.

Just for Fun

I know a lot of people hate these things, but I love them. Not only do I love reading other people's responses and learning more about them, I love thinking about my own answers to the questions and learning a little bit more about myself (as cheesy and weird as that sounds). I'm in a talky mood, so I'm sorry if my answers get long-winded! (Note: I took some questions out, so that is why there are numbers missing!)

1. what is your current obsession?
Making lists and pondering my future. And being nerdy. I am actually really looking forward to the start of a new semester!

2. what are you wearing today?
Jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt

3. what’s for dinner?
Um, I think I ate broccoli...oh yeah, and a PB&J!

4. what’s the last thing you bought?
Boots on Target.com

5. what are you listening to right now?
Nothing, and it's way too quiet. I will be starting up some music promptly. What it will be, I have no idea! Probably the (500) Days of Summer soundtrack. Or something on Pandora. Yeah, probably Pandora.

7. if you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
That's tough. How about if I could have many houses? I would have to say Colorado, Washington (the state), South Carolina, NYC, and Boston. And Chicago. And California. I think that's it.

8. one thing you wanna change about yourself?
Be more outgoing.

9. if you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
California...the beach specifically.

10. which language do you want to learn?
French

11. what’s your favourite quote?
"I'm just what I am, that's all." - Death of a Salesman

14. what are you afraid of the most?
Settling.

15. who do you want to meet right now?
A (single) millionaire! (Missy, that one is for you!)

16. what is your favourite color?
Um, green, I think. I don't really have a favorite color. It may be pink, but I'm kind of in denial about that.

18. what is your dream job?
Performer.

19. what’s your favorite magazine?
TIME

20. if you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
I would probably save it. But if I HAD to spend it, it would be on clothes.

22. who according to you is the most over-rated writer?
Stephenie Meyer. Twilight may be insanely successful, but I think we all know teenage girls are probably not the best judges of literary merit.

23. what brings a smile on your face instantly?
Hmmm. I'm not sure. Probably my friends.

24. a word that you say a lot?
Crap. Or some synonym of that.

25. what kind of haircut do you prefer?
One that is flattering on the person wearing it. I hate when people have bad hair.

26. what are you going to do after this?
Read or watch a movie. It is 12:21 PM after all.

27. what do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Listen to music of the depressing, emo variety.

28. what makes you go wild?
Pretty much everything. Good things, bad things. I'm very excitable. haha.

29. what are your favourite movies?
The Notebook, The Family Stone, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Lord of the Rings, Breakfast at Tiffany's...to name a few.

30. what inspires you?
Pictures, movies, books, music, watching behind-the-scenes featurettes.

31. what do your friends call you most commonly?
Becky, Becks, Beck.

32. would you prefer coffee or tea?
Coffee. Tea freaks me out, but I won't go into that now.

33. which other blogs do you love visiting?
A lot of them. My friends blogs of course, and various others.

34. favorite dessert/sweet?
Cheesecake. I don't think I've ever said no to cheesecake.

35. how many tabs are turned on in your browser right now?
I LOVE TABS! I only have 8 right now, which is pretty low for me.

36. when you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
"What's cookin', good lookin'?" Not really. I have no idea! Maybe "good morning."

37. favorite season?
Spring.

38. one wish that you really want to see it come true?
Hmmm. Um. Marrying a millionaire, DUH! But in all honesty, I want to have my own apartment/house at some point. I love the idea of having my own space to decorate all cute and such!

39. what breaks your heart?
Invisible Children

40. what's one thing you really want to do in life?
Make a lot of money then give it all away.

This looks fun!

I love Times Square, and I love large amounts of snow (well, for about a month, then it can disappear as far as I'm concerned). This snowball fight in Times Square looks epic!

Nothing like a smack in the face to wake you up...

I saw this picture on a blog I follow called notebook doodles. As soon as I read it, I thought "HELLO! DUH!" I love when simple things like artsy pictures on random blogs just totally bombard me with truth. It immediately made me think about all the things I complain about not having (new boots, jeans that fit, a digital camera that works, a boyfriend, to name a few), and how stupid it is when I have so many other things to be thankful for (millions of pairs of shoes and plenty of clothes, half of which I don't even wear, amazing friends, the chance to go to college). I think about it and realize, man, I'm really ungrateful sometimes. Actually, I'm really ungrateful a lot of the time. And even when I seem like I'm being grateful, I'm probably still, in some corner of my mind, thinking about all the other things I could get that would make me "more" grateful.

So yeah, that's my thought for the day. What thing that you don't have gets in the way of your appreciation for the things you do have? I think it's a phenomena that goes unnoticed, until a nice little ditty like this comes along to awaken us to the fact that we are totally caught up in our greed. Darn you American dream! But in all seriousness, we can't really place the blame on anyone or anything but ourselves. I guess you can add that to my list of non-new year's resolutions resolutions. Stop being greedy and start being grateful!

New Year's Resolutions

I have never been one to make new year's resolutions. Most people are lucky if they can even stick with them through the end of January. For that reason, I usually don't bother. But this blog post by Donald Miller gave me a new perspective on the whole thing. He suggests, rather than making the usual list of items like "lose ten pounds," we should think of our goals in a story-oriented way. For example, his goal is to be able to climb Mt. Hood with some of his friends. The idea of standing at the top of an 11,000+ foot mountain is definitely a more appealing goal than just trying to lose weight. It also helps that he has other people counting on him to be there to climb the mountain with him. With your pride on the line, you may be a little more motivated to get to work and get in shape.

I highly suggest reading the whole post. It definitely changed the way I think about setting goals, and I'm definitely planning on putting his advice to use in my own life.

Also, here is another little snippet about goal setting from one of the pastors at Riverview:




Do you make new year's resolutions? Have you ever been successful in accomplishing one (or more than one)? Leave a comment and let me know!