Rae's playlist-as of now.

 Um, why am I listening to dance music?!

Most people have boundaries on music. Say, they love country and hate rap. Then there are the rap-worshipers that despise pop. Some love indie and nothing else. Me, I love everything. I'll listen to country, pop, soft pop, show tunes, rap, hip-hop, electronica, dance, a little bit of indie, a little bit of rock, soundtrack, so on and so on. I love EVERYTHING. That being said, here's some of my picks as of now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LupeGtJ3a3E

Selena Gomez and the Scene-Love You Like a Love Song

Haters gonna hate. This song is way too catchy, even if the lyrics are kinda cheesy. Who's gonna listen to every single song on her new album when it hits iTunes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zuviud2HHQ

Cascada-Every Time We Touch

So, it's kinda old. I don't give a rip. NOTE-Most versions of this song are dance or radio edits. The first time I heard it, I heard Yanou's Candlelight Mix, which is slower, and might just make you cry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajRMeQxtirY

(Yes, it's a Titanic tribute vid. Deal with it.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLMCVsa_-Wc

Bianca Ryan-I Will

Also kinda old, and most people don't know who she is. Bianca won the premiere season of America's Got Talent at 11 years old-and no wonder. I love her music and even her covers. In fact, let's have a little more Bianca....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvm1HRm3tWg

Bianca Ryan-I Wish That

I dare you not to cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPUJIbXN0WY

Michael Bublé-Everything

The first Michael Bublé song I ever heard. So darling. <3

Dare I do more later, loves? Maybe, maybe.

What love is.

 When I was younger, I had a crush on a guy named Steven. Brown hair, freckles, cocky, rugged, loud. I adored him. When I found out he liked me too, an interesting feeling hit me-the feeling of having someone like you back. I tried to define love, but it was hard.

 Now, obviously, this whole post is not about Steven of the Cute Freckles. That was years ago, when I was 8 or so. I lost touch with him, and haven't talked to him in years. Oh no, this is really about love.

One of my guy friends once asked me, "What's your definition of love?" It freaked me out. I had had a pretty loose definition of love for a while. On me asking him the same question, he replied, "The amount of care for a person that compels one to accept them fully for who they are and gives them the strength of character to deal with issues and solve things instead of giving up."

Well, wow.

That'll take the freaking cake.

But I've spent the past year or so trying to grow into a mature person, and I think love can be construed a lot of different ways now. It would be far-fetched to say I LOVED Steven, even if I liked him a lot. Love takes a lot, and when you're 8, you're not ready to be in love.

Technically, part of a definition of true love, for me, is to be willing to stay with that person, and ONLY that person, all your life. I'm in love, but not love that deep. It's unfair to ask that of anyone at 16, or even a couple years older. It's not easy to reach that level of love until you're talking marriage.

Also, it appears to me that love can mature, if helped. I've heard so many times that older couples love each other now more than the day they were married. Maybe it was going through life together. I guess they may know the secret.

Love is a deep affection for one person, and it's also actions. I, admittedly, still have to work on this. The reason I've been working on being more mature is for, um, love reasons. You might have to change just a little bit for that person, and if you love them, you can do it.

That's another thing. If you love someone-and this applies to friends too-then it's almost your duty to help them, not only through hard times, but through their faults. I'm not saying when you fall in love with someone, you have to make them perfect. You don't have to make them stop biting their nails or dress better. But if they have major faults or problems, it's your job to help them with that, but not to take them over.

Ah, borne of a Sunday afternoon with naught to do. I'm not saying all these things are things you need to do. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe your definition is better. But I think these are ways love can be construed. Pardon my musings.

~Rae <3

Adventures of an Irresponsible Sophomore.

 I must admit it. These past couple years haven't been the best for my schooling.


I guess it started around March 2008 or so. Sarah was going to fly to Florida to visit the grandparents, and for some reason, my school started slipping. Bad stuff, but no big deal, eh?


VERY big deal.


It kept slipping and slipping and slipping until I really wasn't sure how far behind I was anymore. I was behind for literally MONTHS. Dad punished me severely, but really, I wasn't about to do anything until I could get up the mindset to do it. Eventually, I did. The end, right?


Wrong.


Ever since then, it's been a habit of mine to let my school get behind. I'm bright, don't get me wrong. I'm rather good in Algebra and music. But I just don't feel like doing it yet. Bad idea. I rejoice when I keep it up, and you know what? It feels really, really good. But for some reason, I can never keep it up. Unfortunately, NOW it's starting to really matter, because I'm in high school and these grades will affect my life. Groan.


Pick up the pencil, open the book. And fall asleep with boredom.


Hopefully it'll get better.

2010, in 12 Nutshells.

I credit the brainchild of this post to Emily Clifton(http://emilyclifton.tumblr.com/), for her end-of-year blog post about 2010. I was like, "Well, why shouldn't I do that?" except I'll take things a bit differently. I'm going to list the alphabet, and words that they stand for that have something to do with my year. Fun eh?! Tally-ho!


A-My new-found guy friends, Adam and Aaron. They're the best.
B-Baptism. My little sister joined the church this year.
C-Callie, LeAnna, and Katie...friends <3
D-Doctors, who took care of our massive and horribly-timed outbreak of strep throat.
E-Sweet Ethan Landreman, who lived for minutes and will be remembered forever.
F-Fiddler on the Roof, which I miss!!!
G-Grandpa Brown, who finally gets to be with his wife, whom he loved deeply.
H-HELP, my homeschool co-op which I so adore.
I-iPod, which I used so much during the year it's surprising it isn't broken.
J-Job, which Dad and I seriously talked about me getting :D
K-Kitten, Abby's new baby that we got in July or so.
L-Lady GaGa, whom I decided I loved. Her music is way too catchy.
M-Mornings. They're so much more satisfactory in the summertime.
N-Never Say Never...I have Bieber Fever <3
O-Oklahoma, which I watched for the first time this year!
P-Pierced-my little sister had her ears pierced :D
Q-Quiet, which we never got at Cedar Creek this year, due to the rain on the roof.
R-Room. I'm moving downstairs soon babayy!
S-Surgery, which some of the people I'm closest to had this year. Not fun.
T-Titanic, my new-found favorite movie.
U-Underdog, best superhero theme song ever.
V-Vaida and Titus-twin's friends came to OH for a while :)
W-Weekend meeting in TN-first year going, had so much fun!
X-Xactly why does everyone think Ke$ha's so hot?!
Y-Year, Sarah's senior year.....
Z-Zoom-wait, where'd the year go?!

 Me in January 2010...

And January 2011.

The Epic Music Series-Love Songs (Pop)

Mercy sakes alive, I've been away too long. Not that there's more than like 3 people who read this blog, but oh well. Here goes, pop love themes. Tally-ho, off we go.


1- We'll Be Together (Ashley Tisdale)-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lrVU5Or2do

I used to listen to this all the time. It still makes me want to sing it to an audience of many.


Music or lyrics-Music.


iTunes avaliability-Available.


2-I Still Believe (Hayden Panettiere)-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmMiANOTSZM

Even my older sister likes this one. It's atypical, waltz-y, absolutely irresistible.


Music or Lyrics-Lyrics.


iTunes availability-Unfortunately, this is a bonus track for Princess Disneymania, so unless you buy the whole album, you can't get it. I was not happy.


3-Ever Ever After (Carrie Underwood)-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD1cadVwJqE

Um, duh. This is also atypical, happy, and still retains pop strains. And hey, it's Carrie. You gotta love it.


Music or Lyrics-Music...maybe...


iTunes availability-Unfortunately, just like I Still Believe, this is a bonus track for the Enchanted album. However, I found a version by Jordan Pruitt that's pretty good as well.


4-She Will Be Loved (Maroon 5)-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUVxaYdgS_Q

I just discovered this like yesterday, and I absolutely love it.


Music or Lyrics-Music.


iTunes availability-I THINK so.


5-Never Had A Dream Come True-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cSz2PEck1I

I found this on a Titanic tribute, and again, it was an amazing find.


Music or Lyrics-Lyrics.


iTunes availability-I believe so.


This may be edited later, we'll see.......tally-ho, folks!

Green Stuff.

 I actually like vegetables. LOVE them, more like it.


I was born in Hidden Valley. Well, practically. And you know those Chef Boyardee ads, "Behold the mythical vegetable-loving kid"?


He exists, baby. That's me.


When I was younger, my parents had to make me eat a cookie before I had more broccoli. I've just always liked vegetables. I seriously enjoy grossing people out by eating every vegetable they hate in front of them. Squash? Beautiful. Asparagus, broccoli, cucumbers? Delish. Brussel sprouts? Favorite.


Cucumbers are a special thing about this house, because Mom hates me going and eating the gourmet cucumbers. (Yes, I can put away half a cucumber by myself. Got a problem with that?) But it is bliss to cut up a cucumber and pour on the dressing and act all vegetarian. MMM. 


I love it.


I am supposed to cut carrots into little pieces when I eat them, because of my braces. No way, yo. If my brackets wanna break, so be it. And so far, it's been pretty much fine. SO THERE.


I'm totally stark raving mad, I know.

'Tis the Season

I hate cold. I just hate it.


It's days like this, when I wake up, stumble out of bed to the window-and OH SNAP WHERE'D THE DRIVEWAY GO TO!?-when I remember summer with a fond gleam in my eye. Summer, where you wear short sleeves (my favorite) and no shoes...summer, where it's warmer outside than it is inside...Summer, where I go outside on the tree swing, plug in my iPod and lose myself in music and daydreams...summer, that feels made of dreams. I've always been able to put up with heat a lot more than my family.


But UGH. You go outside, and you freeze your ears off. Wind slashes through you, trying to make you quit breathing. Slippery slush, icky ice, days of no shoes are swept away by the wind. I think I'll pull a lazy and stay inside watching Titanic, Letters to Juliet, and Cats all day. 


Admittedly, now I sound like a grump. Unfortunately, that's who I am sometimes. Oh yeah, Rachel's a grump. Either that, or she's spazzing out and cracking rude jokes. Yep, that's my girl. Sigh.


There are some things I like about the season, this crazy winter. I went to the store a few days ago to buy presents for our version of Christmas (don't judge, my dad will explain every bit of it to you-he's the one who has us say "no" to Santa Claus.). We get presents and goof around and have a very good time, thank you very much. 


So. Anyway. Shopping. I hadn't had a lot of money in a while, since I hadn't done my job to receive the moolah. I had CASH, baby. Ooh, buy presents. You mean for me? Good on ya, mate. Tally-ho! And it's off to the junior department I sail. Cute clothes, big sales, and while I'm standing there, I hear a woman crooning over the loudspeaker "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...". Something about that song is just so cozy. *Grin*


Off to buy twin presents. While shopping, I hear again "Baby, it's cold outside..." I love seasonal music. I also hear the to-be-expected Sugar Plum Fairy theme twinkling down through the speakers. I adore a good instrumental.


I get the backseat all to myself and I see a snowflake land on the window. I am sitting right next to one of those giant lights they have in store parking lots, and I center myself so I can see the snowflake right in front of the light. It's an intricate pattern. It's hard to believe something that perfect could just fall from the sky. I smile. God is good.


So, okay. Maybe I hate cold. Maybe I wish for summer. But winter has its good points too. 


I refuse to wear winter clothes, though. Deal with THAT.

This was back in August...*sigh*