It's Time.

Time to turn over a new leaf - in fashion.

I was reading a couple of old blog posts on Bethany Joy's blog, one of which being a guest editorial on fashion choices. The author wrote about her love of fashion, how she found joy in picking out new outfits and putting together pieces that she wouldn't have normally chosen to put together. And she talked about how that came to be - how she used to "dress like I was in my 50s (my usual outfit was boot cut jeans and a solid colored top sometimes with a scarf for “flare”)." Upon reading this, I realized that my favorite outfit is a pair of skinny jeans with a tank top, cardigan, and scarf. And it is time to mix things up!

I love this! It's from a blog called Kendi Everyday and she writes about this outfit, "I'm not a particularly loud person. But when I put this outfit on I immediately felt like the combo was yelling, 'Can you see me? I'm over here!! Pass the ball!!' (Okay, not 'pass the ball.' Sorry, that was left over from my past life as a 7th grade basketball star.)" 

I mean, if I don't do it now, when am I going to? When I turn 50, it's not like I'm going to want to wear crop tops and tiny leather skirts and oversized sweaters. It's now! I'm about to go to college, and I vowed to myself that I would do a few things differently than I did in high school. I'm not going to be so scared, for instance, to have a voice in large groups. I'm not going to stay in my safe little bubble of safe, crazy friends. It's time to branch out, and what better way to do it than revamp my wardrobe!

This is one of the outfits Joy put together on her blog, and I think it's so classy!

So I'm doing some research to try and figure out exactly what I want, but I'll keep you updated. In the meantime, if you need some fashion blogs, let me know. I've found about a million!

Summer Travels

July promises to be a month of adventures!

There are so many things I am looking forward to, the first of which being...

THE DAVE MATTHEWS BAND CARAVAN!

I am so excited for this event. All my men are going to be there. Not just Dave Matthews himself, but also Michael Franti, Amos Lee, Ray LaMontagne...I cannot wait. This is also a momentous occasion because it's my first official, real-live concert. Ever. And I can't think of a better way to do it than going to a three day festival in Chicago by myself. 

Now, some people have questioned why I'm going by myself. But music is sort of like going to the movie theatre for me - I don't like going to the movies with people because I need time to take in everything for myself, form my own opinion, and then go out into the world with the information fully processed. It's the same way with music. I don't want other peoples' opinions until my own is fully formed. 

Besides DMB Caravan, we're also taking our annual trip to Minnesota.

This is the view from our cabin. We've gone here every year since I was a baby, and it is my second home. I can't imagine not coming here every year. I recently did an oil painting (see this picture - it's on the desk!) of the view from the balcony of the cabin with a quote that reads "Somebody once told me that this is the place where everything is better, and everything is safe." I can't sum up how I feel about it any better than that. 

We're also taking a trip to Montana - who knew I could rough it in the mountains? I can't wait for the long road trip and the beautiful scenery - plus, I've never been further west than Lincoln, so it should be an adventure. 

In honor of all the travel, here's one of my favorite roadtrip songs. Hope your summer is going wonderfully!

Summer Reading

One of my summer goals was to read a book week, and though I got started a little late, I've followed through the last two weeks!

The first book I picked up was "Reviving Ophelia" by Mary Pipher, a therapist from Nebraska. The book was all about Pipher's experiences with adolescent girls and how they deal with pressure - the pressure the date, have sex, do drugs, drink, live, learn, have a plan, and succeed. I thought it was really interesting how she discussed these issues without sounding preachy or condescending. I worried, when I picked it up, that it was going to merely be her thoughts on why these girls were so messed up. But the majority of the book was her finding the strength in each of the girls she studied. And that made me proud.

Then, last week, I read "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers. It is the story of a Muslim family living in New Orleans pre-Hurricane Katrina. Midway through the book, the hurricane hits and the family is split up as Kathy and her children leave her husband, Zeitoun, to relocate temporarily in Baton Rouge. Zeitoun and Kathy continue to keep in contact in hopes that he will soon join them, but before they can make a plan, Zeitoun is arrested and taken to a FEMA-run prison, beaten, tortured, and left without contact. The book progresses and provides a lot of great insight on how President Bush managed to handle (or, not handle, in this case) the disaster that was Hurricane Katrina. I was so surprised that Bush couldn't even send in the National Guard effectively, and only managed to make a bad situation a hundred times worse.

These were both great books, so if you're looking for a good read, there's a couple!

This week I picked up a couple new titles:

Cutting for Stone

and Jamrach's Menagerie

Hope everyone's June is going really well!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

When I turned 16, I filled a little red Moleskine notebook with two separate lists. First, one hundred things I love, and secondly, my bucket list. I just thought I'd share a couple of the things on my lists. I've collected these little treasures over time and they remind me of everything good in my life.

12. Driving on the freeway

16. "Sugar Blue" by Jeff Finlin

48. Bikes with wicker baskets

74. Jumping into the water

100. "Myself and the life I've built. Because

even if I can't quite remember it in times of 

misery, I was once filled with a passion: for life, 

for food, for the world. And if I can't remember that time, 

then it's time to begin anew."

A few of my favorite things!

I also encourage you to check out the Moleskine company. I use their little cahiers for everything: lists, sketches, ideas. I dedicate one cahier to whatever novel I'm currently working on. During National Novel Writing Month, it was a lifesaver having all of my writing ideas in one place.

Hope your June has been just s'wonderful so far.

Love,

Adrienne

Summer!

Ahh, summer. Hot, sticky, humid summer, filled with bonfires and parties and swimming. Summer is my favorite time of year, and finally it is here!

I suppose big things have been happening, things that I should report on! Graduation for example...

Here I am in my cute little cap and my National Honor Society/International Thespian Society medallions. Graduation was a great day! Cake, ceremonies, grad parties galore. I am so glad to be done with high school. 

My best friend, Bailey (the blonde one in the middle), gave a beautiful graduation speech about what we take with us - humility, grace, the ability to win without losing friends, and lose without falling apart.

Graduation was such an exciting time, and I am glad to have experienced it, but it was such a relief once it was over! The real fun could begin then: Graduation parties, dinners, pool parties, fire pits.

I am also taking up oil painting! Yesterday, a good friend of mine took me to Hobby Lobby and helped me pick out the paints and canvases and palettes that I would need.

I am so excited to get started. I want to paint a canvas to put in my dorm room, with a beautiful lanscape that fades into a neutral background so I can put a quote on the canvas. I'm also doing some shopping for posters and wall art for my dorm next year!

Summer is such an exciting time. There are finally enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do - paint, play the ukulele, go to the gym, cook. I am so ready to really delve in to everything I've been wanting to do.

In the meantime, here's a couple of my favorite summer songs! Hope you enjoy!

Have a great June, everyone!

Stage Fright

One of the things I promised myself I would do is get back to the things I love before I start college. Writing, reading, traveling, and equally importantly, music.

Music is something I've done since I was little. Both of my parents are musicians, and by the age of four I had learned to play the piano. I picked up the guitar when I was in fifth grade, and in sixth grade, I began writing music with one of my best friends. This music progressed and suddenly, we were performing at open mic nights and local concerts around town. I hated this. My best friend was the girl who could absorb the spotlight and spit it back out of her in the form of greatness. I pretty much just cowered in the corner.

However, we did this all the way until I got to high school, and by that point, I had even started to love performing. Stage fright still haunted me every time I got on stage, though. No matter how much I loved it, the thrill of a crowd, I still had the pre and post-performance nerves.

But this year, I decided it was time to buck up the nerve and just do it. So I tried out for my school's annual benefit night, "Night of Knights" and I got in. Last night was opening night, and it went so well! I loved being on stage, I loved the audience, and I loved the people I got to work with.

I guess the point of all this is as follows: Sometimes our friends drag us kicking and screaming into things we don't want to do. Living, taking risks, being great. And we have to know the difference between peer pressure and our friends being brave when we can't.

Thanks, Sophia. For all you've done for me and for all you've taught me to do. You are forever a great friend, and I am so proud of you.

Now, there are a million songs that remind me of you. Countless songs by Ben Folds, Jack's Mannequin, Green Day, AC/DC. But this song always reminds me of what we did and how we used to be. Happy graduating!

What I've Been Doing

So many things!

On Friday, I had the opportunity to record the song that I'm performing for Night of Knights ("Vienna" by Billy Joel), so I spent a couple hours at UNL with a great guy who was willing to do whatever to get the job done. I like nice people, have I mentioned that? I came out of the recording studio beaming - I've been trying to get back to my music lately because it used to make me happy, and who doesn't need a little dose of happiness in their life? So as soon as he puts the link up, I'll get it up for you to hear!

Then yesterday was the big event in every high school girl's life: PROM.

 Me and the bestie.

 The crazy speech kids.

My women in blue! Kiley, Sarah, et moi.

Prom is fantastic. I am a big fan of getting all dressed up and going to dinner and being with people who love you. Our group was big - 22 people, in fact - and I know for a fact that every one of them would do anything to make me laugh. I am so blessed by the friends that I have. 

OH! And Treading on Trafficking started today! I got a good three miles in at Zumba with Raul today. Is it bad that I love Zumba because it's the one place where I can feel confident in my poor dancing abilities? Read my first blog post to hear about Tread on Trafficking, and if you'd like to donate, go HERE. As always, any donation is much appreciated.

This week is Night of Knights, so I'll keep you updated on that, but here's a little bit of what's going on in my life! And to start your week off right, here's some great music to get you going. Have a great week!