It’s Just How It Is (according to me)…

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Everyone is dazzled by a French accent.  It’s just how it is.

Just ask Brigitte Bardot.

If you don’t believe me, just ask Brigitte Bardot.

You may find yourself appreciating things like stewed meat, beets, capers, meatloaf, fiber supplements, etc. after reaching the age of 30.  It’s just how it is.

If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would willfully eat a beet salad I would've said you'd gone cray cray.

If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would willfully eat a beet salad I would’ve said you’d gone cray cray.

Most people think they’re smarter, more talented, better looking, funnier, etc. than they actually are.  It’s just how it is.

Said most people.

Unfortunately said by most people.  If you disagree, you’re probably one of ‘em.  Sorry to break it to ya.

Cancer really, really sucks.  It’s just how it is.

Everyone already knows it.

Enough said.

One day you might realize that Hall and Oats is a highly underrated band that makes you want to bust a groove.  You might come to this conclusion at a wedding reception when the band is playing Rich Girl, or maybe it might occur to you while listening to the radio in your car, but it will most definitely not happen until after the age of at least 25.  It’s just how it is.

Hall and Oats

Love the handlebar mustache.

Listen here to:  Rich Girl

Mixed tapes are highly underrated.  It’s just how it is.

Screen shot 2013-03-30 at 6.13.41 PM

Charlie from Perks of Being a Wallflower would back me up on this (if he were a real, living human being.)

Taylor Swift dates too many dudes and writes too many songs about them.  It’s just how it is.

I'm not hating, though, Tay-Tay. I still heart your music very much.

I’m not hating, though, Tay-Tay. I still heart your music very much.

Everyone has a mirror face and it’s awkward for everyone else witnessing it, except for the person making the mirror face.  It’s just how it is.

Kim K. is a perfect example. Naturally.

Kim K. is naturally a perfect example.

Detroit (my hometown) is so much cooler than anyone gives it credit for.  It’s just how it is.

The D

Period.

Teenage drama is and will always be the worst kind of drama no matter how old you get.  It’s just how it is.

See what I mean?

See what I mean?

The accordion is an extremely annoying instrument that is not at all pleasing to the ear. It’s just how it is.

Sorry all you accordion lovers...

Sorry all you accordion lovers…

Everybody wants to rule the world.  It’s just how it is.

Right? Right.

Right? Right.

Every girl born in the 80′s tried to form their own Babysitters Club when they were a tween.  It’s just it is (or was).

How it all began...

You know you all did it.

No one really knows who coined the term “catfish” or what it has to do with being a scumbag online.  It’s just how it is.

He's looking at you, Mante Teo.

He’s looking at you, Manti Te’o.

~The End

Photos by http://solo-vintage.tumblr.com/post/30864230906/hoodoothatvoodoo-brigitte-bardot-photo-by, http://tastefoodblog.com/2011/06/26/roasted-beets-with-feta-mint-and-pistachios/, http://awakeningcounseling.com/blog_01/hello-world/, http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1790330, http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/one%20winter, http://www.hollyscoop.com/taylor-swift/complete-guide-taylor-swifts-boyfriends.html, http://weheartit.com/entry/35517184/via/joy_sandra#,
http://detroitlives.org/2011/01/14/friday-photo-run-long-live-detroit/
, http://i.imgur.com/s7aMEw8.png, http://media-cache-is0.pinimg.com/originals/47/12/22/471222d7b0bcd02fda31b5c90d5ca3e6.jpg, www.monsterpop.com.br

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Hello, HelloGiggles…

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So, I think I’ve mentioned my love for the blog HelloGiggles on here before.  It’s the popular blog for girls founded by Zooey Deschanel, Sophia Rossi, and Molly McAleer.  The idea behind it is to empower young women and be a place to rant and rave about beauty, friendship, relationships, pop culture, pets, television, movies, fandom, etc.

Long story short, they’re really great about giving other writer’s a chance to contribute, and I thought about submitting something on more than a few occasions.  I’ve heard it’s a tough gig to get, but I knew I had to try.  This blog couldn’t have been a more appropriate place for me to get involved; there were other nostalgic posts about the old teen series Sweet Valley High (which I love by the way), Judy Blume (who I also love) is a contributor, and I could go on and on about all the reasons I wanted to be a part of it.

Then, I wrote an essay for a creative writing class I’m taking, and I knew it was the perfect post to submit.  It was one of those pieces that was written in about fifteen minutes, and one that I didn’t have to think too much about it. 

I felt like I had nothing to lose so I went ahead and sent it in.  By the next morning there was a response in my email.  I thought it was going to be an automated response, like, “Thank you so much for submitting and blah, blah, blah,” but it wasn’t!  They were asking me for pictures to go with the post because they wanted to use it!

So, I’m pleased to announce you can see my featured writing on HelloGiggles.  Can you tell I’m super thrilled about it?  Because I am!  Check it out at:

http://hellogiggles.com/my-grandmothers-lipstick.

~The End.

How Much is That Doggy in the Window?

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This past weekend Matt and I made a trip out to Pennsylvania to visit a Shiba Inu dog breeder.  In Brooklyn there are tons of Shiba Inu’s walking around, and each time I see one, I squeal with delight at their cuteness.  They look like little foxes with their fluffy, flouncy hair.  Maybe my affinity for the breed dates back to one of my favorite middle grade books, Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl, or maybe it’s simply because these pups are just so darn adorable!  Either way, all I know is that when I walked into the breeder’s home and four or five Shiba’s greeted me, I fell head over heels in love!

See what I mean?

See what I mean?  Cuuuuuuuuuuuute!

Now don’t get too excited, Matt and I aren’t the proud owners of one of these pups yet.  The breeders are very serious about their dogs and they won’t sell them to just anybody.  There is an interview process before you can take one of these guys home.  We’re keeping our fingers and toes crossed that we are chosen, and in the meantime, we’ll be mulling over puppy names.

How about you?  Do you have a dog?  If so, what’s the breed and what’s his/her name?

~The End

 

I Don’t Care If It’s A Hallmark Holiday, I’ve Got A Valentine…

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I Don't Care If It's A Hallmark Holiday, I've Got A Valentine...

“Our dreams, and they are made out of real things, like a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned lovin
Love is the answer for at least for most of the questions of my heart
Like, Why are we here? And where do we go? And how come it’s so hard?
It’s not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving
I’ll tell you one thing, it’s always better when we’re together.”

 

To the Poor Sap Whose Screenplay is Not Getting Picked Up…

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Screen shot 2013-02-07 at 12.50.22 PM

Dear Poor, Unfortunate Writer,

Today I spied your screenplay being read by a woman sitting next to me on the subway.  She read it off of an iPad, page by page, scrolling down every thirty seconds or so.  She seemed to read your writing diligently and carefully, never skimming passed the boring parts (if there were any.)

For a second I thought she might be an actress, but generally when actresses read screenplays, they read them from hard copies with scribbled notes in the margins, and they quietly recite their lines.  Occasionally they purse their lips and admire their reflection in the windows located across from them, causing random men to think they’re flirting.  The woman reading your screenplay didn’t do any of those things.  She was all business as she read with furrowed brow skepticism, a few times shaking her head back and forth (in a good way or bad way, I couldn’t tell.)

I was dying to know what she was thinking, so when she whipped out her iPhone, I knew I had to discover the truth.  I couldn’t help but peak as she furiously punched letters into a text message.  She wrote, “It’s boring…who cares about a wannabe monster who shows people his heating bills?”  Whoever she was texting agreed, and they went on back and forth about how they didn’t like it.

As simple as that, you were out.

In your defense, I actually thought your story sounded kind of interesting.  A wannabe mobster who runs around showing people his heating bills?  I’ve never seen anything like it that’s for sure.  Was it a comedy?  A drama?  I was already invested in your story and I had never even read it.

So, there’s that…

I guess I felt a little defensive on your behalf, because I’m getting ready to have my screenplay critiqued by my classmates next Wednesday night.  All of the potential writers in my class (all of which are really talented) sit in a circle and analyze each others screenplays.  The feedback isn’t all rainbows and lollipops, either.  It’s brutally honest, and I can definitively say that I’ve never sat in on a class where everyone agreed that someone’s creation was simply amazing and that there was nothing negative to say about it.  So, Poor Sap, I understand what it’s like to put your stuff out there only to receive feedback like:

“Your main character didn’t grab me…”

“Your story is too quiet.”  (Whatever that means…)

“Too much wordy dialogue.” (But I like wordy dialogue…)

“Why are we supposed to care about this character and their journey?” (Because I wrote it, and I care!!)

Getting a negative response after you’ve worked so hard is tough, but it’s part of the process.  Poor Sap, I hope you sent the wannabe mobster story to lots of other agents, and that someone ends up loving it, and if they don’t…

Keep writing.

Photo by http://yaherd.tumblr.com/post/22070322260/collectingaesthetics-thanks-but-no-thanks.

Five (out of many) Things I’d Like to do Before I Croak…

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1.  Participate in a Dance Flash Mob

Look at Mitch go.

Dance it out, Mitch.

Did anyone see when Mitchell from Modern Family danced in a flash mob to “Free Your Mind” by En Vogue?  I knew in that moment that someday and at some point, I would have to dance in a flash mob.  I have no idea how these things are arranged or orchestrated, but it’s something that I simply have to do in my life.  In terms of a song I’m not really sure what I’d like to dance to…okay, I lied, I know exactly what I want to dance to:  “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston.  Don’t judge me.

2. Reform a Bully

Screen shot 2013-01-31 at 11.16.21 PMMy heart breaks when I read stories in the news about kids bullying each other.   I haven’t talked much about it in the past, but I was bullied a little in middle school and high school.  Nothing super crazy, but when I was a very tiny sixth grader there was a much bigger eighth grader who used to scream in my face every time she saw me in the hall.  But the worst of it was probably in high school when a girl twice my size and weight threatened to beat me up.  She never laid a hand on me, and in the end everything turned out okay, but all it takes is a news flash across the television screen about a new bullying incident to bring it all back.

That’s why I’d like to reform a bully.  Maybe I’ll get involved in a local outreach program, I’ve heard of them popping up around the city.  I’d like to make the bullies understand that putting someone else down, no matter how much you feel validated, doesn’t make you better.  It makes you mean-spirited.  I’d like to find out what they’re so angry about.  I’d like to find out why picking on someone else makes them feel good?  But most of all, I’d like to ask them if they’re someone their parents would be proud to call a son or daughter?

3. Give a Really Good Speech.

Hang in there, Colin.

Hang in there, Colin.

Does anyone remember this scene from The King’s Speech when Colin Firth gets up to give a speech and stutters profoundly?  I do, because I can totally identify with it.  In fact, I’m scarred from that scene because  I also Hate. Public. Speaking.  I hate it I hate it I hate it.  It’s horrible for me.  It’s weird because I could get up and perform in a stage play with no problem, but to get up and speak off the cuff is simply torturous.  That’s why my hope is that at some point I will master the art of speech giving, because it really is an art.  I better see if Geoffrey Rush is available for training…

4.  See Paul Simon in Concert

Paul, would you please play in New York already?

Paul, would you please play in New York already?

I can definitively say that Paul Simon is my favorite artist ever.  His album “Graceland” pretty much changed my life, and I could never get sick of listening to it.  Throughout my life I’ve been to tons of concerts, but I’ve never seen my favorite singer!  What’s up with that?  I can’t say I haven’t tried to see Paul Simon.  I regularly look up his tour dates only to find excessive concerts scheduled overseas.  Ugh.  I think I have to face the fact that if I want to see him bad enough, and have the religious experience that I’m sure I’ll have, than I might just have to travel (perhaps very far) to do that.  I know it sounds dramatic, but if I don’t, I’m worried that my life won’t be complete.

5.  Take a Gondola Ride Through Venice, Italy

If you've done this, I'm jeal.

If you’ve done this, I’m jeal.

I’ve never been to Italy, but I’m dying to go.  The one thing I’d love to do is take a gondola ride through Venice, Italy.  I’ve heard mixed reviews, with some people saying that the experience is overrated, that the water kind of smells like sewage, etc., but I don’t care!  I want to do it anyway and I want to do it soon.  I think I might have to win the lottery first…

What are some of the things you’d like to do before you croak?

~The End

Sarah Smiles Awhile 2012…

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I thought some of my loyal readers might get a kick out of this.  It’s been a good year for Sarah Smiles Awhile, and I’d just like to say that I really do appreciate all of my readers and the comments.  A special shout out to Prenin, Pink Ninjabi, Barry Sullivan, cravesadventure, and of course my mom and dad (heehee) for being my top commenters this year!  Thank you again for all of your support and Happy New Year!

Sarah Smiles Awhile will be back in January…I’ve been busy enjoying Christmas cookies, time with family, and finishing my novel.

Talk to you all soon

xoxo

Here’s an excerpt:

19,000 people fit into the new Barclays Center to see Jay-Z perform. This blog was viewed about 110,000 times in 2012. If it were a concert at the Barclays Center, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.