WOO HOOO! :D GO JOSH! Oops, on to the post.
They celebrated Christmas by putting Christmas trees on the stage.
Filler, filler, Pepsi, commercial, filler.
Josh Krajcik: He was off during the beginning of the song. It was a weird song choice and then they introduced Alanis Morissette and she sang with him. WHAT?!?! I didn't get any of it. :/ It was better at the end, but it was really confusing.
Someone cut a rectangle in Nicole's shirt. Who the heck is choosing her outfits?!?!
Chris Rene: He was really off. Avril Lavigne came out in the middle of it. I don't like the whole celebrity singing with the contestants thing. It's confusing and weird. And for the record, Avril Lavigne sounds way better on soundtracks than when she does live. So if you're thinking about buying tickets to her concert, save your money. It was fun, but even she was off at some parts. The only part I really liked was when Chris rapped.
A video started playing after the song and random people were yelling support from the Santa Cruz nightclub where Chris used to sing. It was a little odd to hear Chris's next door neighbor yell, "I love you!" The baker was a little crazy, too. She even baked a cake with his face on it.
Melanie Amaro: She has the best voice in the competition, but she's not my favorite. R. Kelly came out during, "I Believe I Can Fly." Really good. There's not much more to say.
They should really get rid of the confetti. Melanie had to pick confetti out of her mouth so she could sing.
Melanie definitely won round 1 in my opinion if we're talking about being on key.
The judges argued about stupid little things. I say, "Blah. Get on with the show."
Hey crowd, how about you SHUT UP so the judges can talk?!?! Golly . . .
After the commercial break, giant knights came stomping out on the stage to advertise the cirque du soleil Michael Jackson thing. I have no idea what it is. Then the contestants came out to sing (excuse me, chant) while the knights started dancing like little kids that really had to go to the bathroom.
Josh Krajcik: I LOVE his voice! :D I can't say that enough. I LOVE his voice! :D I LOVE his voice! :D I LOVE his voice! :D I LOVE his voice! :D OK, maybe I can say it enough. ;)
I really like it when he has his guitar. It was awesome. AWESOME! :D SO much better than the weird duet he did earlier.
Nicole had a dead bird wrapped around her arm. :P
Chris Rene: YOUNG HOMIE!!! :D :D :D I would TOTALLY buy this song. Again he wrote it. It's really catchy, really fun, and really well written. Simon was even dancing a little in his chair and L.A. was singing along! :D It's really inspirational, too. I would buy Chris's album. I think he might win.
Paula went crazy! :D She stood up and started yelling like crazy about how good it was.
I love Chris's energy, too. I've changed my mind. I think he's going to win and I want him to win! :D
Melanie Amaro: She seemed to be wearing a mermaid tail or something.
She's amazing, but she sounds like a lot of other people. I've never once heard her hit a bad note, though. Not once. BEST PERFORMANCE YET. That was the best I've ever heard her sing. She was in tears afterwards.
Her "god-sister" (???) and the mayor of Sunrise, Florida are CRAZY. They were screaming about how good she was and how they know she's going to win.
Prediction: I don't care who wins. They're all good! :D I am kind of rooting for Chris, though. ;)
Comments: I hope Nicole wears pants for the finale. xD
Thursday, December 22, 2011
X Factor: Finals!!! :D :D :D
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
CONTEST!!! :D :D:D
My friend, Emily, has a blog and she always puts contest on her blog for people to do and send in to her e-mail. Sometimes it's a drawing contest, sometimes it's a story contest, one time you had to do a scavenger hunt and take pictures with your camera! :D Then she picks one that she thinks is the best and posts the winner on her blog. So I'm going to start doing that. Once in a while I'll post a post with the contest rules on it.
Here's the contest:
To enter, you must draw a creative Christmas-themed picture. Not a winter theme, a Christmas theme. Then, take a picture with your camera of your picture and send it in to my e-mail address. If you don't have my e-mail, you can ask my mom for it. :D You must send your picture in by the 31st of this month. Have fun! :D
Here's the contest:
To enter, you must draw a creative Christmas-themed picture. Not a winter theme, a Christmas theme. Then, take a picture with your camera of your picture and send it in to my e-mail address. If you don't have my e-mail, you can ask my mom for it. :D You must send your picture in by the 31st of this month. Have fun! :D
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
X Factor: Five Remain
I am SO mad. I'm mad at America for not keeping Astro, I'm mad at them for getting rid of Drew, I'm mad at Simon for picking slow songs for Drew EVERY STINKIN' TIME, and I'm mad at the judges for not keeping Drew. In short, I'm mad at everyone.
This week was dance music. Bleh. Five people remain. The contestants are singing two songs.
Melanie Amaro: This time, during her song, alien dancers accompanied her.
AGAIN with the confetti! This show is all about the dramatic effects, dancers, and music. Even the announcer is dramatic! Again, every time a contestant is announced, I just have to yell out, "KIRBY!"
They ruined an Adele song with an annoying dance beat. But she did sing the song very well. Good, but boring.
Marcus Canty: I like Marcus, but he should've gone home instead of Drew. Urgh. Oh well . . . :P
His dancers weren't as annoying, but he just had to have strobe lights. :P BOOM boom BOOM. This beat stinks.
He got better as the song went on. Eh. It was just OK.
TWITTER TWITTER TWITTER!!!! X(
Rachel Crow: She's incredible for her age. I still don't like the annoying beat. Or the dancer. Or Twitter. Oh wait, that wasn't part of the song. ;) She was the best out of the first three in my opinion. She's so cute and always looks surprised when she gets complimented! :D
Josh Krajcik: LOVE his voice! :D
Eww, some of the male dancers didn't have shirts on. :P I wouldn't dance near ANY of these people.
He's amazing. Amazing. His dance song wasn't NEARLY as annoying with its beat. He made it his own.
Chris Rene: Nicole's dress looked like something an alien-robot would wear.
He was a little off, but he's different, and it looked so cool when he danced on a conveyor belt! :D AND he added his own lyrics! I love it when he writes his own lyrics.
Melanie Amaro: All of the contestants were going to sing a song that America voted on online. They had been practicing for a week, but there was a problem with something online, so they had to practice a different song and perform it in 24 hours.
I liked this song WAY better than the first song she sang. The song totally fits her. She did GREAT. PLUS, she didn't have very long to practice it and she still pulled it off.
Marcus Canty: These songs are SO much better than the dance songs. He was really good. Way better than the past couple of weeks. I do think he should've done something a little different, though.
Drew: OH WAIT. SHE'S NOT ON ANY MORE.
Astro: Sigh . . .
Rachel Crow: She was a little off at first, but it got better. Her voice is so big and strong. AND she sang a Michael Jackson song. It was VERY good. She said her mission is to, "Inspire the kids." SHE'S SO CUTE! :D
Josh Krajcik: The crowd started cheering as soon as he started to sing. He sang a Beatles song and he sounded AWESOME! :D Nicole was crying. It was that good. He got a Standing O from Paula and Nicole.
Chris Rene: He sang a song that he wrote that NO ONE heard before. Risky . . .
HE PLAYS GUITAR, TOO?!?!
It was AWESOME. His song sounded like something you would hear on the radio. It was a slow song, which was cool and different for him. The crowd was going CRAZY! :D There was NO WAY he was going home after that. He was the best out of the five when they sang the second time.
Prediction: I thought Marcus was going home, but NOOOOOOO. RACHEL had to go home. X( She was BAWLING when she heard. And so was Nicole. I was crying, too. And my mom. She was one of my favorite ones left. :( One of my friends, Emily, was really sad, too, because Rachel was her favorite. Now Josh is my favorite one that's still in it.
This week was dance music. Bleh. Five people remain. The contestants are singing two songs.
Melanie Amaro: This time, during her song, alien dancers accompanied her.
AGAIN with the confetti! This show is all about the dramatic effects, dancers, and music. Even the announcer is dramatic! Again, every time a contestant is announced, I just have to yell out, "KIRBY!"
They ruined an Adele song with an annoying dance beat. But she did sing the song very well. Good, but boring.
Marcus Canty: I like Marcus, but he should've gone home instead of Drew. Urgh. Oh well . . . :P
His dancers weren't as annoying, but he just had to have strobe lights. :P BOOM boom BOOM. This beat stinks.
He got better as the song went on. Eh. It was just OK.
TWITTER TWITTER TWITTER!!!! X(
Rachel Crow: She's incredible for her age. I still don't like the annoying beat. Or the dancer. Or Twitter. Oh wait, that wasn't part of the song. ;) She was the best out of the first three in my opinion. She's so cute and always looks surprised when she gets complimented! :D
Josh Krajcik: LOVE his voice! :D
Eww, some of the male dancers didn't have shirts on. :P I wouldn't dance near ANY of these people.
He's amazing. Amazing. His dance song wasn't NEARLY as annoying with its beat. He made it his own.
Chris Rene: Nicole's dress looked like something an alien-robot would wear.
He was a little off, but he's different, and it looked so cool when he danced on a conveyor belt! :D AND he added his own lyrics! I love it when he writes his own lyrics.
Melanie Amaro: All of the contestants were going to sing a song that America voted on online. They had been practicing for a week, but there was a problem with something online, so they had to practice a different song and perform it in 24 hours.
I liked this song WAY better than the first song she sang. The song totally fits her. She did GREAT. PLUS, she didn't have very long to practice it and she still pulled it off.
Marcus Canty: These songs are SO much better than the dance songs. He was really good. Way better than the past couple of weeks. I do think he should've done something a little different, though.
Drew: OH WAIT. SHE'S NOT ON ANY MORE.
Astro: Sigh . . .
Rachel Crow: She was a little off at first, but it got better. Her voice is so big and strong. AND she sang a Michael Jackson song. It was VERY good. She said her mission is to, "Inspire the kids." SHE'S SO CUTE! :D
Josh Krajcik: The crowd started cheering as soon as he started to sing. He sang a Beatles song and he sounded AWESOME! :D Nicole was crying. It was that good. He got a Standing O from Paula and Nicole.
Chris Rene: He sang a song that he wrote that NO ONE heard before. Risky . . .
HE PLAYS GUITAR, TOO?!?!
It was AWESOME. His song sounded like something you would hear on the radio. It was a slow song, which was cool and different for him. The crowd was going CRAZY! :D There was NO WAY he was going home after that. He was the best out of the five when they sang the second time.
Prediction: I thought Marcus was going home, but NOOOOOOO. RACHEL had to go home. X( She was BAWLING when she heard. And so was Nicole. I was crying, too. And my mom. She was one of my favorite ones left. :( One of my friends, Emily, was really sad, too, because Rachel was her favorite. Now Josh is my favorite one that's still in it.
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Muppet Movie
We just (literally just) got back from the movies. We watched . . . (drum roll please) (*Maxim walks in with a drum set and drumsticks*) (*Drum roll . . . chhhhhhhhhhh!*) (*Begins gnawing on the drumsticks*) (Me: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?! I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T EAT YOUR DRUMSTICKS!!!!") (Maxim: "Whoops.") Anyway, we watched . . . THE MUPPET MOVIE!!! :D
It was hilarious! :D In the movie, there's a person named Walter (who is a Muppet) that loves the Muppet show. When Walter's brother (Gary), Gary's girlfriend (Mary), and Walter go to Los Angeles, Walter finds out that an evil person named Richman is planning to destroy Muppet Studios and drill for oil. Walter, Gary, and Mary decide to help Kermit the Frog get The Muppets back together and put on a show to raise ten million dollars in order to save Muppet Studios. Will they do it? (Da da daaaaaaaaaaa).
It was hilarious! :D In the movie, there's a person named Walter (who is a Muppet) that loves the Muppet show. When Walter's brother (Gary), Gary's girlfriend (Mary), and Walter go to Los Angeles, Walter finds out that an evil person named Richman is planning to destroy Muppet Studios and drill for oil. Walter, Gary, and Mary decide to help Kermit the Frog get The Muppets back together and put on a show to raise ten million dollars in order to save Muppet Studios. Will they do it? (Da da daaaaaaaaaaa).
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
X Factor: Michael Jackson Week
We got a surprise when the host announced that it was Michael Jackson week. Then we got an even bigger surprise when he said that the Jackson brothers, their mom, and MJ's kids (Prince, Paris, and Blanket) were in the crowd. Everyone went wild. (Finally something to cheer at besides the judges' comments).
Paula is "out" of the competition. She's the only impartial judge, now. She said, "If I were you, Simon, I would be nice." That's right he'd better be nice.
Nicole forgot her pants again.
Twitter has got to be paying BIG bucks to be mentioned this often. They rush the judges to talk about that?!?! This host is insane.
Josh Krajcik: He plays guitar too?!?! He keeps surprising us. He said that he was really nervous (he looked it) to be singing Michael Jackson, but he felt more comfortable that he was going to play his guitar. He's been playing guitar since he was twelve.
So he started off the song with zombies dancing at his feet. He did GREAT for a song that he wasn't comfortable with. He also did an awesome guitar solo. It was crazy! His fingers were flying everywhere. It wasn't my favorite performance by him, but it was great.
I don't really like all of Nicole's outfits. (Or Paula's, for that matter).
Astro: We learned yesterday that he's been rapping since the age of nine.
He chose "Black and White" and was able to rap really well to it. Nice! :D He writes all of his own music, which is even cooler! :D At one point he said, "I look at the world like a crayola box." Sweet. Besides the ninja-bagpipe dancers, it was awesome. It was better than last week's performance. He's very creative.
Drew: We keep learning new things about these singers! :D Drew was shy as a kid. But now she's on live television performing in front of millions of people?!?! That's awesome.
She put her own twist on "Billie Jean". It was really cool. She's amazing. Her voice is completely unique. She was better than the previous two, in my opinion. L.A. actually liked it this time. I did too, but she needs to do something different. Nicole thinks Simon is playing it safe with her, and I agree. Drew even wants to do something upbeat.
Rachel Crow: She's always wanted to be a star, even when she was little.
Her shoes looked like astronaut boots. She was slightly pitchy in parts, but overall, it was really good for a girl her age singing an MJ song. Not her best though. In parts, she was great, at others, she was not. She didn't seem to have as great a time as she usually does.
Marcus Canty: He fell in love with MJ's music from the first time he heard him. No big shocker there. :P
There were a couple parts where he didn't quite hit the notes, but most of the time he was good. He's not been doing as well as usual. It was pretty boring until he surprised us with a BACK FLIP!!! :D That was awesome! :D Nicole was on her feet with her mouth open when he did the back flip.
I-HATE-CRAZY-DANCERS.
Nicole and Paula wouldn't stop talking over Simon when he criticized Marcus.
Chris Rene: His grandfather wrote "Rockin' Robin" which the Jackson 5 sang! :D L.A. kept saying how cool that was. And it is pretty cool.
MJ was a real challenge for him. It's not his style at all.
Ouch. It was not very good, but he managed to make it his own. Not my favorite by him. It was only OK.
Over TEN MILLION people downloaded a song Chris wrote when he auditioned called, "Young Homie." Whoa. If you have an MP3 player of some sort and can find that song, I completely recommend it. It's awesome! :D
Melanie Amaro: Melanie all of of sudden was speaking in an island accent. We figured out that Paula had told her to be herself, so now she's speaking like herself. She used to have to force herself to speak American because people would make fun of her and not be able to understand her.
AGH!!! TOO MANY STROBE LIGHTS!!!
She's amazing. She's closed the show twice now, too. She's that good. Paula was totally grooving during the whole thing. I didn't recognize the song, though. She was great. I felt like a bomb went off when she sang. Just all of a sudden . . . BOOM!!!
Paula is so cute when she gets excited! :D
Prediction: I have NO IDEA who's going home. Maybe Marcus. (Ok, so I do have some idea of who's going home).
Comments: Rachel wasn't as good as she usually was. That surprises me.
Paula is "out" of the competition. She's the only impartial judge, now. She said, "If I were you, Simon, I would be nice." That's right he'd better be nice.
Nicole forgot her pants again.
Twitter has got to be paying BIG bucks to be mentioned this often. They rush the judges to talk about that?!?! This host is insane.
Josh Krajcik: He plays guitar too?!?! He keeps surprising us. He said that he was really nervous (he looked it) to be singing Michael Jackson, but he felt more comfortable that he was going to play his guitar. He's been playing guitar since he was twelve.
So he started off the song with zombies dancing at his feet. He did GREAT for a song that he wasn't comfortable with. He also did an awesome guitar solo. It was crazy! His fingers were flying everywhere. It wasn't my favorite performance by him, but it was great.
I don't really like all of Nicole's outfits. (Or Paula's, for that matter).
Astro: We learned yesterday that he's been rapping since the age of nine.
He chose "Black and White" and was able to rap really well to it. Nice! :D He writes all of his own music, which is even cooler! :D At one point he said, "I look at the world like a crayola box." Sweet. Besides the ninja-bagpipe dancers, it was awesome. It was better than last week's performance. He's very creative.
Drew: We keep learning new things about these singers! :D Drew was shy as a kid. But now she's on live television performing in front of millions of people?!?! That's awesome.
She put her own twist on "Billie Jean". It was really cool. She's amazing. Her voice is completely unique. She was better than the previous two, in my opinion. L.A. actually liked it this time. I did too, but she needs to do something different. Nicole thinks Simon is playing it safe with her, and I agree. Drew even wants to do something upbeat.
Rachel Crow: She's always wanted to be a star, even when she was little.
Her shoes looked like astronaut boots. She was slightly pitchy in parts, but overall, it was really good for a girl her age singing an MJ song. Not her best though. In parts, she was great, at others, she was not. She didn't seem to have as great a time as she usually does.
Marcus Canty: He fell in love with MJ's music from the first time he heard him. No big shocker there. :P
There were a couple parts where he didn't quite hit the notes, but most of the time he was good. He's not been doing as well as usual. It was pretty boring until he surprised us with a BACK FLIP!!! :D That was awesome! :D Nicole was on her feet with her mouth open when he did the back flip.
I-HATE-CRAZY-DANCERS.
Nicole and Paula wouldn't stop talking over Simon when he criticized Marcus.
Chris Rene: His grandfather wrote "Rockin' Robin" which the Jackson 5 sang! :D L.A. kept saying how cool that was. And it is pretty cool.
MJ was a real challenge for him. It's not his style at all.
Ouch. It was not very good, but he managed to make it his own. Not my favorite by him. It was only OK.
Over TEN MILLION people downloaded a song Chris wrote when he auditioned called, "Young Homie." Whoa. If you have an MP3 player of some sort and can find that song, I completely recommend it. It's awesome! :D
Melanie Amaro: Melanie all of of sudden was speaking in an island accent. We figured out that Paula had told her to be herself, so now she's speaking like herself. She used to have to force herself to speak American because people would make fun of her and not be able to understand her.
AGH!!! TOO MANY STROBE LIGHTS!!!
She's amazing. She's closed the show twice now, too. She's that good. Paula was totally grooving during the whole thing. I didn't recognize the song, though. She was great. I felt like a bomb went off when she sang. Just all of a sudden . . . BOOM!!!
Paula is so cute when she gets excited! :D
Prediction: I have NO IDEA who's going home. Maybe Marcus. (Ok, so I do have some idea of who's going home).
Comments: Rachel wasn't as good as she usually was. That surprises me.
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
I Don't Think I'll Ever Eat Strawberry Pop-Tarts Again
My mom showed us something that was very interesting on 60 Minutes today. It was all about flavorings in foods. How they make it so people will be addicted to it, how to make the perfect mixture so it will smell and taste good, etc. Anyway, I learned a fact that will either make you say, "Awesome!" (if you happen to like gross things) or vomit (if you have a queasy stomach).
Some strawberry and vanilla flavoring have "all natural flavors". What they don't tell you is what's so natural about them. You see "natural flavors" on a strawberry pop-tart box or vanilla wafers and think "Oh yeah, they actually use strawberries and vanilla". In some cases that's true, in others that's not.
I learned that some "natural" strawberry and vanilla flavors are made from the glands of a beaver's backside. I said it. Feel free to tell all of your friends or vomit. Goodbye! :D
Some strawberry and vanilla flavoring have "all natural flavors". What they don't tell you is what's so natural about them. You see "natural flavors" on a strawberry pop-tart box or vanilla wafers and think "Oh yeah, they actually use strawberries and vanilla". In some cases that's true, in others that's not.
I learned that some "natural" strawberry and vanilla flavors are made from the glands of a beaver's backside. I said it. Feel free to tell all of your friends or vomit. Goodbye! :D
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Unjournaling Again
I LOVE THIS BOOK! :D Here are some more exercises.
Write a paragraph that starts with this sentence: Why don't you learn how to talk to a rooster? and ends with this one: She slugged him.
"Why don't you learn how to talk to a rooster?" Sheila's friend Albert asked.
Shelia shrugged.
"What's the point?"
"What's the point? Sheila, the point is so you can figure out what roosters are thinking! Didn't you ever wonder what your rooster thinks about?"
Sheila's rooster, Cluck, never really did anything except go, "Cockadoodledoo!" in the morning.
"Not really," She said. "They don't do much, and it's impossible to talk to one."
"It is not!" Albert protested. "You're just too dumb to figure out how to talk to one!"
She slugged him.
You are a farmer who wants personalized license plates. You aren't allowed to use more than seven letters and one hyphen or space. Come up with at least three ideas for your plates.
LVTOFRM
FRMRJOE
TRACTOR
Olivia has been criticized by her boyfriend for not expressing her feelings enough. "I never know what you think about anything!" he says. "You never give me any details. You shut me out of your thoughts and your life!"
Olivia decides to teach him a lesson. When he comes to pick her up one night, she shares, completely, every detail and thought in her head from the time the leave the house until they get out of the car and shut the door. What does she say?
"While I was getting out of bed this morning, I wondered, 'What do dogs think about when they see a squirrel? Your watch looks really cheap. Did you get it out of a toy machine? Do you think my hair looks nice? Your car needs a wash. It's really dirty. Boy, Mrs. Henderson needs to lose a little weight. My mother says that I need to take better care of my room if I want my own car. I can't believe your mother let you get a car when your room always looks like a garbage dump! I love your hair today. What did you do to it? I hope the restaurant we're going to isn't like the one we went to last time! I could've sworn the cheese they used was molding!"
Thanks for reading! :D
Write a paragraph that starts with this sentence: Why don't you learn how to talk to a rooster? and ends with this one: She slugged him.
"Why don't you learn how to talk to a rooster?" Sheila's friend Albert asked.
Shelia shrugged.
"What's the point?"
"What's the point? Sheila, the point is so you can figure out what roosters are thinking! Didn't you ever wonder what your rooster thinks about?"
Sheila's rooster, Cluck, never really did anything except go, "Cockadoodledoo!" in the morning.
"Not really," She said. "They don't do much, and it's impossible to talk to one."
"It is not!" Albert protested. "You're just too dumb to figure out how to talk to one!"
She slugged him.
You are a farmer who wants personalized license plates. You aren't allowed to use more than seven letters and one hyphen or space. Come up with at least three ideas for your plates.
LVTOFRM
FRMRJOE
TRACTOR
Olivia has been criticized by her boyfriend for not expressing her feelings enough. "I never know what you think about anything!" he says. "You never give me any details. You shut me out of your thoughts and your life!"
Olivia decides to teach him a lesson. When he comes to pick her up one night, she shares, completely, every detail and thought in her head from the time the leave the house until they get out of the car and shut the door. What does she say?
"While I was getting out of bed this morning, I wondered, 'What do dogs think about when they see a squirrel? Your watch looks really cheap. Did you get it out of a toy machine? Do you think my hair looks nice? Your car needs a wash. It's really dirty. Boy, Mrs. Henderson needs to lose a little weight. My mother says that I need to take better care of my room if I want my own car. I can't believe your mother let you get a car when your room always looks like a garbage dump! I love your hair today. What did you do to it? I hope the restaurant we're going to isn't like the one we went to last time! I could've sworn the cheese they used was molding!"
Thanks for reading! :D
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
X Factor: Thanksgiving Dedication Week
Sorry for the delay in the review. :P With NaNoWriMo (Which we all won, by the way!!! :D), the holidays, relatives, etc, we've been pretty busy.
So, I was right about Stacy Francis going. I'm not really upset about it. She had an attitude and she didn't sing very well. And after that nice post about Astro last time, he gives an attitude at the elimination show when he was put in the bottom two! He said that he didn't want to sing to people who didn't want him there. You can look it up; you'll find it. I do feel badly for him a little bit though, since he's only a kid. He also apologized on the news about it.
The theme was Thanksgiving Dedication Week. The contestants could pick any song they wanted and dedicate it to someone. They also announced that it was going to be a double elimination.
Nicole's dress looked like she forgot to put on some pants. It was so short, it could've been a shirt.
Rachel Crow: She gave thanks to her family that adopted her. She got beat up when she was little and her birth mother was addicted to drugs. We also learned that Rachel has a sister named Hannah who was also adopted.
I can't stop saying how cute Rachel is! :DI didn't like the outfit, though. She was wearing some kind of cape that was taller than she was. She didn't move around a whole lot, either. Probably because she would trip and fall over that thing. It wasn't my favorite performance by her. It didn't help that she sang a song I doubt anybody knows. Then they dropped confetti on her. Really? There are still seven people left (after the elimination). Save it for the finale, people!
Oh-my-gosh, this crowd needs to shut up!
Marcus Canty: He gave thanks to his mom. They seem really close. His mom was single. They lived in a tough neighborhood where they could see the police arresting murderers across the street.
He sang an unrecognizable song just like Rachel did. It was slow and forgettable. His mom got emotional though. He cried after he sang and hugged his mom. L.A. said that he was as good as any singer he's worked with. It was just OK for me.
Melanie Amaro: She gave thanks to God for never letting her down. She was AMAZING! :D She was better than the previous two. She looked like she felt awesome and got all fired up afterward and said how happy she was to be there. She looked great and Simon LOVED it. The only thing I didn't like was the twenty backup singers crowding around her while she sang.
Chris Rene: He gave thanks to Tim, his guidance counselor. He helped him get out of drugs and alcohol. Apparently, Chris was in a horrible car crash after being so high on drugs and almost died.
At the beginning of his song, he was slightly off and it was only OK. It was pretty boring until the second half of the song when he put in some of his own lyrics. He's a nice guy. The second part was WAY better than the first.
This crowd is a bunch of LEMMINGS! :O They boo and cheer at EVERYTHING. If one person boos, the rest boo, one person cheers, the rest cheer. (If you haven't heard of lemmings, look them up. They are SO CUTE but they follow whatever the other does. Sometimes, one lemming jumps off of a cliff, and the rest of the pack jumps off too just because one of them did. So whenever someone does something just because someone else does it, I have to yell out, "LEMMINGS!")
Lakoda Rayne: They gave thanks to people who have shaped them into who they are today; dads, boyfriends, grandmas, etc.
They sang a TAYLOR SWIFT SONG!!! :D (Taylor Swift is one of my FAVORITE singers). It was awesome. They have lots of potential. I hope they make it in the music career. They keep getting better and better as they go on. Paula was a wreck. It was their best performance yet.
Leroy Bell: He gave thanks to his mom. She passed away almost two years ago. I LOVE his voice. He managed to keep it together during his performance. He got a Standing O from almost all of the judges. He's awesome. It was probably his best song. L.A. really dumps on him. Simon loved it. He thought it was a, "fantastic tribute to his mum." Both Paula and Nicole were in tears over his song.
Filler, filler, tweets, blah. :P
Astro: He gave thanks to his supporters, otherwise known as his "Astronauts". He apologized. He said he was hurt, but he promises that there will be no more tantrums. He wrote an apology song. He's so talented. He's awesome, but he's not my favorite out of all of the singers. I definitely think he'll make it in the music industry no matter what. His song was sort of repetitive. He's had better songs. He apologizes again after he sings. He accepted that he didn't act well.
Drew: She gave thanks to her best friend Shelby. They seem like SUCH good friends! :D They're so sweet.
Her voice is incredible. She's amazing. Shelby was in the crowd grinning from ear to ear the entire time. She could win the ENTIRE THING. L.A. is a dope. He said she doesn't do age appropriate songs. Whatever. She was so sweet and complimented Shelby the whole time. I love her. Simon really nailed L.A. for his, "stupid , pointless, comments" in his words. Good for him. L.A. really picks on Leroy and Drew and I'm SO TIRED of it.
Josh Krajcik: He gave thanks to his daughter, Rowen. She looks sort of like my best friend's (Kirsten) sister, Samantha at times. Rowen and Josh seem really close. Apparently Josh plays piano! :D He's the first to play an instrument on this show. I LOVE his voice! :D He's awesome. One word: W-O-W. Just him + a piano= incredible. Nicole got emotional afterward.
My Prediction: It was going to be Marcus because he was forgettable and one of the first people to sing and then I didn't know who the other person would be. Sadly, Leroy and Lakoda Rayne went. :P
Comments: I feel bad for Paula. :(
So, I was right about Stacy Francis going. I'm not really upset about it. She had an attitude and she didn't sing very well. And after that nice post about Astro last time, he gives an attitude at the elimination show when he was put in the bottom two! He said that he didn't want to sing to people who didn't want him there. You can look it up; you'll find it. I do feel badly for him a little bit though, since he's only a kid. He also apologized on the news about it.
The theme was Thanksgiving Dedication Week. The contestants could pick any song they wanted and dedicate it to someone. They also announced that it was going to be a double elimination.
Nicole's dress looked like she forgot to put on some pants. It was so short, it could've been a shirt.
Rachel Crow: She gave thanks to her family that adopted her. She got beat up when she was little and her birth mother was addicted to drugs. We also learned that Rachel has a sister named Hannah who was also adopted.
I can't stop saying how cute Rachel is! :DI didn't like the outfit, though. She was wearing some kind of cape that was taller than she was. She didn't move around a whole lot, either. Probably because she would trip and fall over that thing. It wasn't my favorite performance by her. It didn't help that she sang a song I doubt anybody knows. Then they dropped confetti on her. Really? There are still seven people left (after the elimination). Save it for the finale, people!
Oh-my-gosh, this crowd needs to shut up!
Marcus Canty: He gave thanks to his mom. They seem really close. His mom was single. They lived in a tough neighborhood where they could see the police arresting murderers across the street.
He sang an unrecognizable song just like Rachel did. It was slow and forgettable. His mom got emotional though. He cried after he sang and hugged his mom. L.A. said that he was as good as any singer he's worked with. It was just OK for me.
Melanie Amaro: She gave thanks to God for never letting her down. She was AMAZING! :D She was better than the previous two. She looked like she felt awesome and got all fired up afterward and said how happy she was to be there. She looked great and Simon LOVED it. The only thing I didn't like was the twenty backup singers crowding around her while she sang.
Chris Rene: He gave thanks to Tim, his guidance counselor. He helped him get out of drugs and alcohol. Apparently, Chris was in a horrible car crash after being so high on drugs and almost died.
At the beginning of his song, he was slightly off and it was only OK. It was pretty boring until the second half of the song when he put in some of his own lyrics. He's a nice guy. The second part was WAY better than the first.
This crowd is a bunch of LEMMINGS! :O They boo and cheer at EVERYTHING. If one person boos, the rest boo, one person cheers, the rest cheer. (If you haven't heard of lemmings, look them up. They are SO CUTE but they follow whatever the other does. Sometimes, one lemming jumps off of a cliff, and the rest of the pack jumps off too just because one of them did. So whenever someone does something just because someone else does it, I have to yell out, "LEMMINGS!")
Lakoda Rayne: They gave thanks to people who have shaped them into who they are today; dads, boyfriends, grandmas, etc.
They sang a TAYLOR SWIFT SONG!!! :D (Taylor Swift is one of my FAVORITE singers). It was awesome. They have lots of potential. I hope they make it in the music career. They keep getting better and better as they go on. Paula was a wreck. It was their best performance yet.
Leroy Bell: He gave thanks to his mom. She passed away almost two years ago. I LOVE his voice. He managed to keep it together during his performance. He got a Standing O from almost all of the judges. He's awesome. It was probably his best song. L.A. really dumps on him. Simon loved it. He thought it was a, "fantastic tribute to his mum." Both Paula and Nicole were in tears over his song.
Filler, filler, tweets, blah. :P
Astro: He gave thanks to his supporters, otherwise known as his "Astronauts". He apologized. He said he was hurt, but he promises that there will be no more tantrums. He wrote an apology song. He's so talented. He's awesome, but he's not my favorite out of all of the singers. I definitely think he'll make it in the music industry no matter what. His song was sort of repetitive. He's had better songs. He apologizes again after he sings. He accepted that he didn't act well.
Drew: She gave thanks to her best friend Shelby. They seem like SUCH good friends! :D They're so sweet.
Her voice is incredible. She's amazing. Shelby was in the crowd grinning from ear to ear the entire time. She could win the ENTIRE THING. L.A. is a dope. He said she doesn't do age appropriate songs. Whatever. She was so sweet and complimented Shelby the whole time. I love her. Simon really nailed L.A. for his, "stupid , pointless, comments" in his words. Good for him. L.A. really picks on Leroy and Drew and I'm SO TIRED of it.
Josh Krajcik: He gave thanks to his daughter, Rowen. She looks sort of like my best friend's (Kirsten) sister, Samantha at times. Rowen and Josh seem really close. Apparently Josh plays piano! :D He's the first to play an instrument on this show. I LOVE his voice! :D He's awesome. One word: W-O-W. Just him + a piano= incredible. Nicole got emotional afterward.
My Prediction: It was going to be Marcus because he was forgettable and one of the first people to sing and then I didn't know who the other person would be. Sadly, Leroy and Lakoda Rayne went. :P
Comments: I feel bad for Paula. :(
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
X Factor Review
So, my mom does American Idol Reviews. Simon Cowell left American Idol to make a new show called X Factor, which I personally like way better than American Idol. (For one thing, they actually have people who can sing, not just impress the judges with their sparkly outfits and distracting hairdos). Since my mom already does American Idol reviews, I'm doing X Factor Reviews.
Rock Week
So like I said in my last post, I really hate the dancers and flashing lights. It's bad enough that they have to have 20 on stage with all of the contestants, but now the host comes out to dancers in ballerina outfits that someone attacked with a chainsaw?!?! They've gone too far.
I feel bad for poor Paula. Two of her groups have gone home in a row now, and both times she had to decide between them. At least now she can focus on her one group and not have a situation like that again. After the host was surrounded by creepy dancers, he got annoyed in a sarcastic way for Nicole taking a while to get to her seat. And then she announced that Leroy Bell would go first.
Leroy Bell:
They do the montage things and show clips of rehearsals, and then, of course, L.A. makes a snotty comment. He said that he thinks Leroy is, "B-O-R-I-N-G," which, he is not. Sure, he does a slow song every time, but he sings well and doesn't need dancers from Mars, strobe lights, or fog machines. On the other hand, all of L.A.'s kind of singers use that stuff all the time. After the video, they announce his name like he's a player on Super Smash Brothers. I feel like yelling out, "Kirby!" every time they do that. I liked that Nicole had a simple stage with hardly anything more than him and a mic stand. He's such a cool dude. I love his hats that he wears, not everyone could pull that off. He has a great voice. I still can't believe he's 60. L.A. can eat his words. He was awesome. L.A. had better watch out because people who like Leroy aren't going to agree with L.A. or vote for him on Twitter. (L.A. was still in second place, though, but I know why. Simon mentioned he got a Twitter account that day. I have no idea if he's allowed to vote for himself though). This audience is so annoying. They boo and cheer at EVERYTHING.
Simon said, "It's rock week. You should have been like a shark, but instead, you were a dolphin." Sorry for that insult, dolphin lovers. (Cough, Kirsten, cough). I'm worried for him. L.A. really hit him hard and he went first which never helps.
Rachel Crow: Apparently, Mead, Colorado is a funny name. Simon could barely contain himself when he announced Rachel's home town. Simon really likes her. I do too. I love her bubbly energy and she's so cute. Nicole keeps on saying that age doesn't matter when it comes to singing. (Duh, she has Leroy to mentor and he's awesome), but she thought that Rachel's young age was going to hold her back. How does that work? If it doesn't matter that Leroy's older, it shouldn't matter that Rachel's young. Really? Dancers with tambourines? Why must they torture us? I guess the judges didn't care though, since she got a Standing O from all of the judges.
Random Comment: Nicole looked like she was about to fall asleep with her black clothing and purple eyeshadow.
Chris Rene: He's not my favorite contestant, but he's fun. He's a cool, rappish, hip-hoppish sort of guy. He did a cool rap twist on a reggae song. Simon had JUST said to Leroy to change up the songs he does, but he didn't like that Chris made it different. L.A.'s argument was that Chris took a reggae song by Bob Marley, who is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and made it his own. In fact, he even said to Simon, "Oh yeah? Let's do a hip-hop week and sees what Drew does." It was a good argument. I just think that Simon was being Simon.
This host is quickly becoming very annoying. He keeps cutting the judges off!
MORE @$!#*& TWEETS!!! x(
Stacy Francis: She was way off key. Nicole said she could soar with this song, or fail. She did neither. Instead, she dropped like a dead bird. This audience needs to be bound and gagged. So does the host, as a matter of fact. He REALLY needs to shut up when the judges are talking.
Stacy looked grumpy the entire time. Simon, L.A., and Nicole gave her criticism that would help her, and she scowled. Nicole gave her a compliment, and she still scowled. She needs to go.
Oh and another thing, she calls her fans the "Franatics." Really?
Melanie Amaro: In the video, L.A. said, "MelODY and edgy? Forget about it. How can you even say Melanie and Edgy in the same sentence?" Apparently HE can't. She has a great voice and seems like a really sweet girl. I like that the stage wasn't on fire and crowded by dancers from the future. I wish she were more unique, though. L.A. was really getting on my nerves. He needs to keep quiet when it's not his turn.
Josh Krajcik: He's a cool, normal guy and I like that. Like I said, rough around the edges, raspy voice, and so unique. He's awesome. I like Nicole. She's so sincere and doesn't hold back. She really gets into it, like Paula does. In fact, they're a lot alike and seem to get along well. She's like a little ball of fire. I like the slower songs on him better than when he's rocking out, but he was still incredible! In the video, Nicole said she'd have a hard time not getting up and head banging when he sang that song. And guess what? She head banged. It was that good. Standing O from all four judges and got a "that was bloody fantastic," from Simon.
Astro: When he talks, it seems like he wears himself out after all of that rapping. It's sweet to see the relationship between him and his mom. He's really nice and polite. The song was sweet and emotional. It was probably my favorite performance by him. He dedicated it to all of the rappers that died from drugs and smoking and other stuff. It was a love song to hip-hop which was so cool. He's the best rapper I've ever seen, and that includes professional rappers that I see on TV and featured rappers in songs by singers like Selena Gomez. He always says, "Thank you, sir," and is very polite. And he says happy birthday to his little sister on live television. He's great.
Lakoda Rayne: One of the singers, Hayley, is home schooled! :D They seem so nice. They're lucky to have Paula as a mentor. This was one of their better nights, but I didn't like the rotating images of lips in the background. It was kind of random (Ok, kind of is an understatement). Overall, though, it was really good and was a fun performance. Simon thought it was a mess. I disagree.
I hate it when the contestants hold up their fingers to show what number they are and try to get you to vote for them. It's so stupid.
Drew: She's cute and has a good attitude. L-O-V-E her voice! :D She's phenomenal. I like that Simon has a personal relationship with the girls. It's nice to see his sentimental side once in a while. It would be nice to see her do something a little different, maybe Taylor Swift or something, but even if she doesn't, she's still great.
Marcus Canty: He's a really nice, conservative, church kid. He didn't want to do anything inappropriate. Of course, after telling L.A. he was uncomfortable, L.A. made him do it anyway (after apologizing and telling him he'd do better next time). The stage dancers were crazy. They had skimpy, inappropriate, dresses on, and Marcus was scooting under their legs. He was good, VERY good, but he seemed uncomfortable. It was gross. He ignored them completely. It wasn't cool. Marcus stood up for himself, and L.A. made him do it anyway. Not cool at all.
Prediction: Stacy is going home. She needs to go. She wasn't good and she has an attitude problem.
Comments: L.A. is my least favorite judge. He' s being really mean and snotty.
Rock Week
So like I said in my last post, I really hate the dancers and flashing lights. It's bad enough that they have to have 20 on stage with all of the contestants, but now the host comes out to dancers in ballerina outfits that someone attacked with a chainsaw?!?! They've gone too far.
I feel bad for poor Paula. Two of her groups have gone home in a row now, and both times she had to decide between them. At least now she can focus on her one group and not have a situation like that again. After the host was surrounded by creepy dancers, he got annoyed in a sarcastic way for Nicole taking a while to get to her seat. And then she announced that Leroy Bell would go first.
Leroy Bell:
They do the montage things and show clips of rehearsals, and then, of course, L.A. makes a snotty comment. He said that he thinks Leroy is, "B-O-R-I-N-G," which, he is not. Sure, he does a slow song every time, but he sings well and doesn't need dancers from Mars, strobe lights, or fog machines. On the other hand, all of L.A.'s kind of singers use that stuff all the time. After the video, they announce his name like he's a player on Super Smash Brothers. I feel like yelling out, "Kirby!" every time they do that. I liked that Nicole had a simple stage with hardly anything more than him and a mic stand. He's such a cool dude. I love his hats that he wears, not everyone could pull that off. He has a great voice. I still can't believe he's 60. L.A. can eat his words. He was awesome. L.A. had better watch out because people who like Leroy aren't going to agree with L.A. or vote for him on Twitter. (L.A. was still in second place, though, but I know why. Simon mentioned he got a Twitter account that day. I have no idea if he's allowed to vote for himself though). This audience is so annoying. They boo and cheer at EVERYTHING.
Simon said, "It's rock week. You should have been like a shark, but instead, you were a dolphin." Sorry for that insult, dolphin lovers. (Cough, Kirsten, cough). I'm worried for him. L.A. really hit him hard and he went first which never helps.
Rachel Crow: Apparently, Mead, Colorado is a funny name. Simon could barely contain himself when he announced Rachel's home town. Simon really likes her. I do too. I love her bubbly energy and she's so cute. Nicole keeps on saying that age doesn't matter when it comes to singing. (Duh, she has Leroy to mentor and he's awesome), but she thought that Rachel's young age was going to hold her back. How does that work? If it doesn't matter that Leroy's older, it shouldn't matter that Rachel's young. Really? Dancers with tambourines? Why must they torture us? I guess the judges didn't care though, since she got a Standing O from all of the judges.
Random Comment: Nicole looked like she was about to fall asleep with her black clothing and purple eyeshadow.
Chris Rene: He's not my favorite contestant, but he's fun. He's a cool, rappish, hip-hoppish sort of guy. He did a cool rap twist on a reggae song. Simon had JUST said to Leroy to change up the songs he does, but he didn't like that Chris made it different. L.A.'s argument was that Chris took a reggae song by Bob Marley, who is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and made it his own. In fact, he even said to Simon, "Oh yeah? Let's do a hip-hop week and sees what Drew does." It was a good argument. I just think that Simon was being Simon.
This host is quickly becoming very annoying. He keeps cutting the judges off!
MORE @$!#*& TWEETS!!! x(
Stacy Francis: She was way off key. Nicole said she could soar with this song, or fail. She did neither. Instead, she dropped like a dead bird. This audience needs to be bound and gagged. So does the host, as a matter of fact. He REALLY needs to shut up when the judges are talking.
Stacy looked grumpy the entire time. Simon, L.A., and Nicole gave her criticism that would help her, and she scowled. Nicole gave her a compliment, and she still scowled. She needs to go.
Oh and another thing, she calls her fans the "Franatics." Really?
Melanie Amaro: In the video, L.A. said, "MelODY and edgy? Forget about it. How can you even say Melanie and Edgy in the same sentence?" Apparently HE can't. She has a great voice and seems like a really sweet girl. I like that the stage wasn't on fire and crowded by dancers from the future. I wish she were more unique, though. L.A. was really getting on my nerves. He needs to keep quiet when it's not his turn.
Josh Krajcik: He's a cool, normal guy and I like that. Like I said, rough around the edges, raspy voice, and so unique. He's awesome. I like Nicole. She's so sincere and doesn't hold back. She really gets into it, like Paula does. In fact, they're a lot alike and seem to get along well. She's like a little ball of fire. I like the slower songs on him better than when he's rocking out, but he was still incredible! In the video, Nicole said she'd have a hard time not getting up and head banging when he sang that song. And guess what? She head banged. It was that good. Standing O from all four judges and got a "that was bloody fantastic," from Simon.
Astro: When he talks, it seems like he wears himself out after all of that rapping. It's sweet to see the relationship between him and his mom. He's really nice and polite. The song was sweet and emotional. It was probably my favorite performance by him. He dedicated it to all of the rappers that died from drugs and smoking and other stuff. It was a love song to hip-hop which was so cool. He's the best rapper I've ever seen, and that includes professional rappers that I see on TV and featured rappers in songs by singers like Selena Gomez. He always says, "Thank you, sir," and is very polite. And he says happy birthday to his little sister on live television. He's great.
Lakoda Rayne: One of the singers, Hayley, is home schooled! :D They seem so nice. They're lucky to have Paula as a mentor. This was one of their better nights, but I didn't like the rotating images of lips in the background. It was kind of random (Ok, kind of is an understatement). Overall, though, it was really good and was a fun performance. Simon thought it was a mess. I disagree.
I hate it when the contestants hold up their fingers to show what number they are and try to get you to vote for them. It's so stupid.
Drew: She's cute and has a good attitude. L-O-V-E her voice! :D She's phenomenal. I like that Simon has a personal relationship with the girls. It's nice to see his sentimental side once in a while. It would be nice to see her do something a little different, maybe Taylor Swift or something, but even if she doesn't, she's still great.
Marcus Canty: He's a really nice, conservative, church kid. He didn't want to do anything inappropriate. Of course, after telling L.A. he was uncomfortable, L.A. made him do it anyway (after apologizing and telling him he'd do better next time). The stage dancers were crazy. They had skimpy, inappropriate, dresses on, and Marcus was scooting under their legs. He was good, VERY good, but he seemed uncomfortable. It was gross. He ignored them completely. It wasn't cool. Marcus stood up for himself, and L.A. made him do it anyway. Not cool at all.
Prediction: Stacy is going home. She needs to go. She wasn't good and she has an attitude problem.
Comments: L.A. is my least favorite judge. He' s being really mean and snotty.
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
X Factor
I am hooked.
This is way better than American Idol. The singers are awesome, I love the competition between the judges, I like how the singers get mentors, the host is better than Ryan, although he is starting to get annoying. Paula or one of the other judges tries to make a comment and he cuts them off because they are running out of time.
"I just want you to know that I love you both, but I can only pick one, you both are so great and you have definitely grown over time-" (Paula)
"I need a name, Paula." (Host)
Earlier . . .
"And now you can vote on Twitter! You can vote for your favorite contestant and which judge you agree with tonight! Oh and look at that, over 3,000,235 people have tweeted about X Factor! That's 913 tweets a minutes. And it looks like most people disagree with Simon Cowell. Most people agree with L.A. . . ." (Host)
I hate fluff.
Personally, I think Simon has the best group. Three amazingly talented girls. Here's what I think of each contestant:
Rachel Crow: SO SO SO CUTE! :D Thirteen and she can sing like that?!?! She's so serious when she sings and then she's all smiles at the end of the song! :D Bubbly, happy, polite, all the personality traits a singer should have.
Drew: So unique. Again, fourteen but seems way older when she sings. She is also very cute and happy. Simon seems starstruck by her. (She is one of my mom's favorites).
Melanie Amaro: Very very good, but she doesn't sound very different. I am glad that Simon had the sense to bring her back. I'd much rather have her than Thia or Simone. (Simone is pronounced Si-mon-ee to Simon).
Lakoda Rayne: Off key sometimes, but an all girl group that sings country-pop? They could definitely improve and go places.
Stacey Francis: Great voice, stupid song choices. I agree with Simon though, she sounds very good when she's singing more gospel music.
Leroy Bell: He seems like Nicole's favorite. I still can't believe he's 60. He looks and sounds much, much younger. He's awesome.
Josh Krajcik: He's so cool. Normal guy that used to sling burritos. He's rough around the edges and I like that. (So does my mom). He's unique and has a great voice.
Astro: I don't like rap. It's just not my kind of music. But this kid makes me enjoy it when he sings. He writes and memorizes his own music in a week, then he has to perform it. He's so talented for his age. (Did I mention he's 14)?
Chris Rene: I feel like he's up and down. Some weeks he's good, others he's just off. Not my favorite contestant, but he isn't bad.
Marcus: He's awesome! :D He dances and sings and I think it's cool that his mom gave him two years and this was his last chance, and he made it! :D So cool.
I love this show and look forward to it every week! :D
This is way better than American Idol. The singers are awesome, I love the competition between the judges, I like how the singers get mentors, the host is better than Ryan, although he is starting to get annoying. Paula or one of the other judges tries to make a comment and he cuts them off because they are running out of time.
"I just want you to know that I love you both, but I can only pick one, you both are so great and you have definitely grown over time-" (Paula)
"I need a name, Paula." (Host)
Earlier . . .
"And now you can vote on Twitter! You can vote for your favorite contestant and which judge you agree with tonight! Oh and look at that, over 3,000,235 people have tweeted about X Factor! That's 913 tweets a minutes. And it looks like most people disagree with Simon Cowell. Most people agree with L.A. . . ." (Host)
I hate fluff.
Personally, I think Simon has the best group. Three amazingly talented girls. Here's what I think of each contestant:
Rachel Crow: SO SO SO CUTE! :D Thirteen and she can sing like that?!?! She's so serious when she sings and then she's all smiles at the end of the song! :D Bubbly, happy, polite, all the personality traits a singer should have.
Drew: So unique. Again, fourteen but seems way older when she sings. She is also very cute and happy. Simon seems starstruck by her. (She is one of my mom's favorites).
Melanie Amaro: Very very good, but she doesn't sound very different. I am glad that Simon had the sense to bring her back. I'd much rather have her than Thia or Simone. (Simone is pronounced Si-mon-ee to Simon).
Lakoda Rayne: Off key sometimes, but an all girl group that sings country-pop? They could definitely improve and go places.
Stacey Francis: Great voice, stupid song choices. I agree with Simon though, she sounds very good when she's singing more gospel music.
Leroy Bell: He seems like Nicole's favorite. I still can't believe he's 60. He looks and sounds much, much younger. He's awesome.
Josh Krajcik: He's so cool. Normal guy that used to sling burritos. He's rough around the edges and I like that. (So does my mom). He's unique and has a great voice.
Astro: I don't like rap. It's just not my kind of music. But this kid makes me enjoy it when he sings. He writes and memorizes his own music in a week, then he has to perform it. He's so talented for his age. (Did I mention he's 14)?
Chris Rene: I feel like he's up and down. Some weeks he's good, others he's just off. Not my favorite contestant, but he isn't bad.
Marcus: He's awesome! :D He dances and sings and I think it's cool that his mom gave him two years and this was his last chance, and he made it! :D So cool.
I love this show and look forward to it every week! :D
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Randomness . . . AGAIN! :D
-I'm doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) for the THIRD year in a row! :D My word goal is 35,000 words. Last year was 20,000 (but I wrote a 40,000 word sequel) and the year before that was 10,000. Right now I am at 16,262 words! :D
-My BFF just had a birthday on Friday. She turned twelve. If you want to check out what she did and wish her a happy birthday, go to her blog, Tacos, Dolphins, and Friends.
-My first thought when I woke up a couple days ago: It's 9:00 in the morning and I haven't even gotten up yet. Most kids would be in their first or second class by now in public school. Ah, I love homeschooling! :D
-Speaking of homeschooling, I'm sitting here in my pajamas at 9:50 in the morning. I haven't even had breakfast yet! :D But I have spent the past hour and a half writing my NaNoWriMo novel! :D I'll post an excerpt on here later.
-Ok, I lied. I'll put an excerpt on here now! :D My book is called "A Cherry Pie, an Iguana, a Silver Dollar, and a Spitball Fight". Here's the first chapter.
Who knew that a cherry pie, an iguana, a silver dollar, and a spitball fight could change the fate of the world?
My name is Stephanie Finkle, and yes, I am the reason that the world is now doomed. Well, unless my best friend, Ivy, and I do something about it.
Ivy and I were walking home from school (we’re neighbors and the school is only a couple blocks from home).
“Hey,” Ivy said. “Want to come to my house? My mom just baked a cherry pie. We could each have a slice and watch a movie or something.”
“Didn’t you buy Tangled on DVD?” I asked. Tangled was one of my favorite movies, but my mom said we couldn’t afford ‘extras’ right now.
“Yes!” Ivy said excitedly. She bounced up and down slightly, showing her enthusiasm. “We just got it, like, two days ago. It’s still in the plastic, we’d be the first to watch it!”
“Ok,” I said. “My mom doesn’t get home till nine. But I should get back home around five so I could eat dinner.” My mom works as a real estate agent, and she’s been needing to stay later than usual recently.
“You could stay for dinner,” Ivy said, waving a hand. “My mom always makes more than she needs to whenever she cooks, and she loves you. You’re like a second daughter to her.”
She’s like a second mom to me. I thought. But I didn’t say it out loud. I didn’t want to embarrass Ivy.
“Thanks!” I said. “What are your brothers up to?”
“Max and Charlie? Who knows what they’re up to. Max is probably playing some RPG computer game and Charlie is probably playing with his Star Wars doll collection.”
They were really Star Wars action figures, but Ivy loved to make fun of his collection. She was just jealous because he collected something and she didn’t.
We came to the big farmhouse that Ivy lived in. Ivy turned the doorknob and walked in. The Smith’s always leave their door unlocked. I don’t know why.
“I’m home, Mom!” Ivy called. I followed her into the living room.
“Hi, Sweetie!” I heard Mrs. Smith’s voice coming from the kitchen. “I’m making enchilada soup.”
I did a silent cheer inside my head. Enchilada soup was one of my favorite foods.
We walked into the kitchen.
“Awesome!” Ivy said. “That’s Stephanie’s favorite.”
Mrs. Smith was dumping multiple chicken pieces into a pot of boiling hot water. She turned her head at the mention of my name.
“Oh, Stephanie!” She said excitedly. “How are you?”
She came over and gave me a hug. We were very comfortable with each other. Ivy’s family was practically part of my family.
“Good. Thanks.”
“Did Ivy tell you we just got Tangled on DVD?” She asked.
I smiled.
“Yeah, she did. I can’t wait to see it again.”
“I can’t believe you’re not sick of it yet!” Ivy said. “You’ve been to it in the movies about five times.”
That was partly true. I had seen it three maybe four times. But I did keep spending my allowance to see it over and over.
“I made a cherry pie last night,” She said. “Feel free to have a slice.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Ivy was already getting out two plates and two forks.
“You can go ahead to my room,” Ivy said. “You know it’s down the hall, right?” She joked. I had been going to her house since I was in preschool.
I started down the hall. Each kid had their own room right next to each other. Charlie’s room was across from Max’s room and Ivy’s room was next to Charlie’s.
I couldn’t resist peeking into Max’s room. The door was slightly opened. I peered into the crack.
Max was talking into a walkie-talkie. There was a straw lying next to him on the hardwood flooring.
“So, a spitball fight in an hour?” Max said. Charlie’s voice came out a second later.
“Yeah,” Charlie said. “That’ll give us time to train and find paper to use.”
“Roger that.”
Max stood up and walked towards the door. I walked quickly into Ivy’s room and leaned the door shut.
“Hey, Iggy,” I said in a baby voice. Iggy was Ivy’s pet iguana. He was currently in his tank, but I lifted the lid to pet him. Iggy didn’t do much, but Ivy loved him just the same.
The door banged open. I turned around, thinking it was Max trying to make as much noise as possible, but it was Ivy. She had kicked the door open with her foot since she wasn’t able to, with her hands full.
“Pie’s ready!"
I replaced Iggy’s tank lid and Ivy handed me my slice of warm cherry pie with whipped cream. I took a bit and sighed. Ivy’s mom was such a good cook. I wished my mom had that sort of time. Instead, I was stuck eating TV dinners. That’s why I loved dinner at Ivy’s house so much.
Ivy popped in the disc and the movie started. We watched for about an hour, and then we heard nails scratching on wood flooring and the fork on my plate being moved.
I turned around and gave a squeal.
“How-tank-Iggy?”
Iggy was on the ground, eating the remains of my cherry pie. Ivy had noticed too. We were both too stunned to do anything. Iggy had never gotten out of his tank before. He must’ve smelled the pie and wanted to eat it. But how he got out was a mystery.
“How did he get out?” Ivy’s voice was high pitched and nervous. “We need to figure this out. Because if he can get out, that’s not good. He could hurt himself!”
I could imagine someone switching a light bulb on in my brain.
“I was petting Iggy earlier,” I said. “Before you got the pie. Maybe I didn’t put the lid back on right.”
Ivy let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness. That’s probably how he got out.”
“Um, we should probably chase him now,” I suggested as Iggy took off down the hallway.
“Right.”
Ivy jumped up and I followed her. Iggy was already in the kitchen. Man, could that iguana move! Ivy slipped on one of Max’s socks on the kitchen floor (he was such a slob) but got right back up. Iggy was out of sight.
“Iggy,” I called. “Iggy, where are you?”
Max and Charlie ran out of their rooms, each armed with a straw and a handful of small paper balls. They started sucking them and loading them into the straw, shooting them at each other. The spitball fight had begun.
“There’s Iggy!” Ivy said. Iggy had tried to hide under the table in the living room, where Max and Charlie were mercilessly shooting spitballs at each other.
Ivy ran and dived for Iggy, but tripped over a book that Max left out. (Max!) The whole scene slowed down to slow motion right before my very eyes. Ivy fell sideways, toppling into Charlie. Charlie fell backwards into the bookshelf behind him and their mom’s special silver dollar resting on the top shelf rocked back and forth on the edge of the shelf procariously. There was a sharp intake of breath. It stopped rocking and we let out a breath. Then it fell.
The silver dollar fell and hit the ground, at the exact moment Mrs. Smith walked in the room, and broke in two.
Four heads (including mine) swiveled to face Mrs. Smith. Her face was frozen in a look of shock, her mouth hanging open.
“I’m so sorry, Mom!” Ivy said. “It was my fault. I know that silver dollar was special to you.” Ivy’s great-grandmother had given the silver dollar to Mrs. Smith when she was a little girl.
“I’m sure you didn’t do it on purpose, Honey,” Mrs. Smith said. “But it’s not just a special token I got from my grandmother.”
Ivy looked puzzled. I was definitely confused. It was just an ordinary silver dollar.
“What do you mean?” Ivy asked.
Mrs. Smith walked over and sat down on the couch.
“Everyone sit down,” She said. “This is going to take a while.”
I sat down on the chair next to the couch. Ivy sat next to her mom while Charlie and Max sat down on the couch opposite of Mrs. Smith.
“There’s really no other way to explain this,” She said. “So I’ll just come right out with it.” She took a deep breath and said. “I’m a wizard.”
“What?” Ivy, Charlie, Max, and I said at the same time.
“I am a wizard,” She repeated.
“Why didn’t you ever tell us?” Ivy asked.
“Well, kids aren’t normally supposed to know if their parents are wizards, because it’s easier to let the secret slip to someone else when you’re younger. And you can’t let a secret like this slip to anyone outside the family.”
I blushed and shrank back in my seat.
“Oh no!” She said hurriedly. “It’s ok for you to know, I trust you.”
I didn’t say anything but I smiled.
“Anyway,” She said. “That silver dollar was entrusted to me by my grandmother. My grandmother was also a wizard. I got the magic from her. A long time ago, back when my grandmother was a little girl, there was an evil wizard named Wizatar. His plan was to take over the world. But one day, he was defeated by another wizard by the name of Merlin.”
“What?” Charlie exclaimed. “He exists?”
“Existed,” Mrs. Smith corrected him. “He was very old when he defeated Wizatar. 612 to be exact. Wizards can live to be very old since they are magical, but look not a day older than 40. I myself am a 150.”
“No wonder you look so good,” I blurted out. I immediately wished I hadn’t. That was a little embarrassing.
Mrs. Smith smiled.
“You flatter me,” She said honestly. “But we are getting off the subject. Anyway, Merlin defeated Wizatar. Wizatar didn’t die, but his powers were sealed away in this silver dollar. It has been passed down for generations, and I was the most recent one to get it.”
“So, you’re related to Merlin?” Max asked.
“Yes,” She said.
“Sweet!” Charlie pumped his fist in the air. “I’m related to Merlin!”
“Does this mean we’re wizards?” Ivy asked excitedly.
“I don’t know for sure,” Mrs. Smith said. “But it is always possible for the children of a wizard to have magical powers, too.”
“I still don’t understand everything,” I said. “Why is it such a big deal that the silver dollar broke?”
“Well, since Wizatar’s powers were being stored in there, and it broke, the powers have been returned back to him.”
Ivy gasped.
“So that means-?”
Mrs. Smith nodded.
“Wizatar is going to try to take over the world again.”
“Is there any way we can stop it?” I asked hopefully.
“There is one way,” She said. “The only way it can be fixed is to get the magic glue. But that is nearly impossible. Even though Merlin put a spell on it so Wizatar wouldn’t be able to destroy it, it’s going to be very hard for anyone to get it.”
“Where is it?” Max asked.
“On the top of the empire state building.”
“In New York?” Max asked with a strained look on his face as though he was thinking hard.
“No, Max,” Ivy said. “It’s in Minnesota. Of course it’s in New York!”
“Why is it going to be so hard to get?” I wondered.
“Because Wizatar has hundreds of wizard servants working for him. They will know immediately that some wizard is going to try and get it.”
“Couldn’t we get it?” I asked. “Ivy and I could try and get it. If Ivy is possibly a wizard, it would be really easy. She’d have magical powers and everything!”
Mrs. Smith laughed.
“You underestimate our abilities,” She said. “Learning spells and using magic takes years of training and practice. Ivy has had no experience whatsoever in magic. Even if she was a wizard, she wouldn’t know how to cast any spells.”
I hung my head in disappointment.
“But,” Mrs. Smith second-guessed herself. “Wizatar would never guess that two thirteen-year-old girls would go and try to get the magic glue. And I have to alert the wizard world anyway. I could have different wizards meet you along the way.”
She looked back and forth between Ivy and me.
“Ok,” She said. “You two can go and get the glue.”
“Yes!” I cheered.
“What about us?” Charlie demanded, standing up. Max copied him and stood up, his arms crossed.
“Yeah. What about us?”
“You’re too young,” Mrs. Smith said. “Even if you are possibly wizards.”
“How am I going to figure out if I’m a wizard or not?” Ivy asked.
“At some point in your life if you are a wizard, magic will show itself,” Mrs. Smith said.
“You said you would get different wizards to meet us along the way,” I said to Mrs. Smith.
“Yes?”
“How are you going to do that, how are the wizards going to know what we look like, and how will we know if different people we see are wizards or not?”
“Very good questions,” She said. “There’s a website online that only wizards can access by typing in a password in on the computer. I’ll put a post there explaining the situation and I’ll put pictures of both of you on there so wizards will know what you look like. Then, if a wizard sees you, they’ll do the special wizard sign for ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’.”
“What’s the wizard sign?” Ivy asked.
Mrs. Smith held up three fingers.
“That’s it?” Max said. “I was expecting something more exciting.”
“Well if it were very exciting, it would be very obvious, and wizards need to be subtle so the secret doesn’t spread. That could be a disaster. You can’t have too many non-magical folk meddling in magic. Anyway, if a wizard sees you, they’ll do the wizard sign. Then they can give you some advice, or help you along your journey.”
“How are we going to get to New York?” I asked.
“I’ll give you two my credit card. You can use it to get cab rides, hotel rooms, and food. Nothing more,” She said with finality in her voice, eyeing Ivy’s malicious grin.
The microwave timer beeped.
“Oh!” Mrs. Smith jumped up from the couch. “The soup is ready. Ivy, go get your father. He’s taking a nap in our room.”
··········
After eating dinner with the Smith’s, Ivy and I talked in her room and made matching necklaces. We finished our movie, and before we knew it, it was time for me to go home.
“Thanks for dinner, Mrs. Smith,” I said as I walked out the door, lifting my backpack higher.
“My pleasure,” She assured us. “By the way, let your mom know that you’re going to go on vacation with us in New York for about a week.”
She winked at me. I winked back.
“See you tomorrow, Ivy,” I called.
I waved an Ivy waved back. I walked five steps down the sidewalk and up the front walk of my house. My mom wasn’t home yet, so I used my spare key.
Exhausted, I trudged down the hall into my room, flopped down onto my bed fully clothed, and fell asleep.
-I'm taking a six week horse class! :D I know how to ride a horse all by myself. I can steer it, walk it, trot it, stop it, groom it, and tack it! :D Kirsten (my BFF) is my horse partner. We both ride a brown and white horse called Rain. She's a trouble maker, but she's SUPER sweet! :D Next week is the last week. :( But we get to go on a trail ride! :D
-I'm trying to turn my NaNoWriMo book from last year, "Fantasya: A Giant Problem", into a play. SUPER tricky! I'm used to dialogue and detail, not shortening a book. Plus, I have a LOT of characters.
-I dressed up as Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter for Halloween. Hermione's my favorite character, but I already dressed up as her. I had spectra specs, a wig, radish earrings, robes, a wand, a tote bag, a Quibbler magazine (I made it! :D ), a butterbeer cork necklace, and I even had new sneakers that looked sort of like the Converse they wear in the movies! :D
-Our home school group has an art class we take every two weeks. A month ago I painted a scene with trees in it that can go in and out of a plastic mug. Yesterday, I painted a leaf on a coaster to go with it! :D
-I've been working on drawing Anime. None of them have turned out half as well as the ones my friend, Emily, has drawn.
-Oh yeah, my brother Maxim has been trying too. :)
-We have 20 Things Club tonight. It's research club my mom set up for our home school group. We pick a topic (sometimes it's a certain topic, like an animal or an author), then we look up 20 facts about that topic. Sometimes we share five or ten facts with the group, sometimes all of the facts! :D The topic for this month is a place we'd like to visit. (My friend Jake was going to do 20 things about a street we drive on to get to the park, but he's not sure if he'll be able to pull it off). I have to do a report on Italy for a Cultural Studies project I'm doing with my BFF, Kirsten, and her sister, Avery, so I'm doing 20 things on Italy! :D I do want to go there. All that yummy food . . . *drools*. I'm also making Pesto Pasta for the food to share and Kirsten and Avery are making Ziti.
-My BFF just had a birthday on Friday. She turned twelve. If you want to check out what she did and wish her a happy birthday, go to her blog, Tacos, Dolphins, and Friends.
-My first thought when I woke up a couple days ago: It's 9:00 in the morning and I haven't even gotten up yet. Most kids would be in their first or second class by now in public school. Ah, I love homeschooling! :D
-Speaking of homeschooling, I'm sitting here in my pajamas at 9:50 in the morning. I haven't even had breakfast yet! :D But I have spent the past hour and a half writing my NaNoWriMo novel! :D I'll post an excerpt on here later.
-Ok, I lied. I'll put an excerpt on here now! :D My book is called "A Cherry Pie, an Iguana, a Silver Dollar, and a Spitball Fight". Here's the first chapter.
Who knew that a cherry pie, an iguana, a silver dollar, and a spitball fight could change the fate of the world?
My name is Stephanie Finkle, and yes, I am the reason that the world is now doomed. Well, unless my best friend, Ivy, and I do something about it.
Ivy and I were walking home from school (we’re neighbors and the school is only a couple blocks from home).
“Hey,” Ivy said. “Want to come to my house? My mom just baked a cherry pie. We could each have a slice and watch a movie or something.”
“Didn’t you buy Tangled on DVD?” I asked. Tangled was one of my favorite movies, but my mom said we couldn’t afford ‘extras’ right now.
“Yes!” Ivy said excitedly. She bounced up and down slightly, showing her enthusiasm. “We just got it, like, two days ago. It’s still in the plastic, we’d be the first to watch it!”
“Ok,” I said. “My mom doesn’t get home till nine. But I should get back home around five so I could eat dinner.” My mom works as a real estate agent, and she’s been needing to stay later than usual recently.
“You could stay for dinner,” Ivy said, waving a hand. “My mom always makes more than she needs to whenever she cooks, and she loves you. You’re like a second daughter to her.”
She’s like a second mom to me. I thought. But I didn’t say it out loud. I didn’t want to embarrass Ivy.
“Thanks!” I said. “What are your brothers up to?”
“Max and Charlie? Who knows what they’re up to. Max is probably playing some RPG computer game and Charlie is probably playing with his Star Wars doll collection.”
They were really Star Wars action figures, but Ivy loved to make fun of his collection. She was just jealous because he collected something and she didn’t.
We came to the big farmhouse that Ivy lived in. Ivy turned the doorknob and walked in. The Smith’s always leave their door unlocked. I don’t know why.
“I’m home, Mom!” Ivy called. I followed her into the living room.
“Hi, Sweetie!” I heard Mrs. Smith’s voice coming from the kitchen. “I’m making enchilada soup.”
I did a silent cheer inside my head. Enchilada soup was one of my favorite foods.
We walked into the kitchen.
“Awesome!” Ivy said. “That’s Stephanie’s favorite.”
Mrs. Smith was dumping multiple chicken pieces into a pot of boiling hot water. She turned her head at the mention of my name.
“Oh, Stephanie!” She said excitedly. “How are you?”
She came over and gave me a hug. We were very comfortable with each other. Ivy’s family was practically part of my family.
“Good. Thanks.”
“Did Ivy tell you we just got Tangled on DVD?” She asked.
I smiled.
“Yeah, she did. I can’t wait to see it again.”
“I can’t believe you’re not sick of it yet!” Ivy said. “You’ve been to it in the movies about five times.”
That was partly true. I had seen it three maybe four times. But I did keep spending my allowance to see it over and over.
“I made a cherry pie last night,” She said. “Feel free to have a slice.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Ivy was already getting out two plates and two forks.
“You can go ahead to my room,” Ivy said. “You know it’s down the hall, right?” She joked. I had been going to her house since I was in preschool.
I started down the hall. Each kid had their own room right next to each other. Charlie’s room was across from Max’s room and Ivy’s room was next to Charlie’s.
I couldn’t resist peeking into Max’s room. The door was slightly opened. I peered into the crack.
Max was talking into a walkie-talkie. There was a straw lying next to him on the hardwood flooring.
“So, a spitball fight in an hour?” Max said. Charlie’s voice came out a second later.
“Yeah,” Charlie said. “That’ll give us time to train and find paper to use.”
“Roger that.”
Max stood up and walked towards the door. I walked quickly into Ivy’s room and leaned the door shut.
“Hey, Iggy,” I said in a baby voice. Iggy was Ivy’s pet iguana. He was currently in his tank, but I lifted the lid to pet him. Iggy didn’t do much, but Ivy loved him just the same.
The door banged open. I turned around, thinking it was Max trying to make as much noise as possible, but it was Ivy. She had kicked the door open with her foot since she wasn’t able to, with her hands full.
“Pie’s ready!"
I replaced Iggy’s tank lid and Ivy handed me my slice of warm cherry pie with whipped cream. I took a bit and sighed. Ivy’s mom was such a good cook. I wished my mom had that sort of time. Instead, I was stuck eating TV dinners. That’s why I loved dinner at Ivy’s house so much.
Ivy popped in the disc and the movie started. We watched for about an hour, and then we heard nails scratching on wood flooring and the fork on my plate being moved.
I turned around and gave a squeal.
“How-tank-Iggy?”
Iggy was on the ground, eating the remains of my cherry pie. Ivy had noticed too. We were both too stunned to do anything. Iggy had never gotten out of his tank before. He must’ve smelled the pie and wanted to eat it. But how he got out was a mystery.
“How did he get out?” Ivy’s voice was high pitched and nervous. “We need to figure this out. Because if he can get out, that’s not good. He could hurt himself!”
I could imagine someone switching a light bulb on in my brain.
“I was petting Iggy earlier,” I said. “Before you got the pie. Maybe I didn’t put the lid back on right.”
Ivy let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness. That’s probably how he got out.”
“Um, we should probably chase him now,” I suggested as Iggy took off down the hallway.
“Right.”
Ivy jumped up and I followed her. Iggy was already in the kitchen. Man, could that iguana move! Ivy slipped on one of Max’s socks on the kitchen floor (he was such a slob) but got right back up. Iggy was out of sight.
“Iggy,” I called. “Iggy, where are you?”
Max and Charlie ran out of their rooms, each armed with a straw and a handful of small paper balls. They started sucking them and loading them into the straw, shooting them at each other. The spitball fight had begun.
“There’s Iggy!” Ivy said. Iggy had tried to hide under the table in the living room, where Max and Charlie were mercilessly shooting spitballs at each other.
Ivy ran and dived for Iggy, but tripped over a book that Max left out. (Max!) The whole scene slowed down to slow motion right before my very eyes. Ivy fell sideways, toppling into Charlie. Charlie fell backwards into the bookshelf behind him and their mom’s special silver dollar resting on the top shelf rocked back and forth on the edge of the shelf procariously. There was a sharp intake of breath. It stopped rocking and we let out a breath. Then it fell.
The silver dollar fell and hit the ground, at the exact moment Mrs. Smith walked in the room, and broke in two.
Four heads (including mine) swiveled to face Mrs. Smith. Her face was frozen in a look of shock, her mouth hanging open.
“I’m so sorry, Mom!” Ivy said. “It was my fault. I know that silver dollar was special to you.” Ivy’s great-grandmother had given the silver dollar to Mrs. Smith when she was a little girl.
“I’m sure you didn’t do it on purpose, Honey,” Mrs. Smith said. “But it’s not just a special token I got from my grandmother.”
Ivy looked puzzled. I was definitely confused. It was just an ordinary silver dollar.
“What do you mean?” Ivy asked.
Mrs. Smith walked over and sat down on the couch.
“Everyone sit down,” She said. “This is going to take a while.”
I sat down on the chair next to the couch. Ivy sat next to her mom while Charlie and Max sat down on the couch opposite of Mrs. Smith.
“There’s really no other way to explain this,” She said. “So I’ll just come right out with it.” She took a deep breath and said. “I’m a wizard.”
“What?” Ivy, Charlie, Max, and I said at the same time.
“I am a wizard,” She repeated.
“Why didn’t you ever tell us?” Ivy asked.
“Well, kids aren’t normally supposed to know if their parents are wizards, because it’s easier to let the secret slip to someone else when you’re younger. And you can’t let a secret like this slip to anyone outside the family.”
I blushed and shrank back in my seat.
“Oh no!” She said hurriedly. “It’s ok for you to know, I trust you.”
I didn’t say anything but I smiled.
“Anyway,” She said. “That silver dollar was entrusted to me by my grandmother. My grandmother was also a wizard. I got the magic from her. A long time ago, back when my grandmother was a little girl, there was an evil wizard named Wizatar. His plan was to take over the world. But one day, he was defeated by another wizard by the name of Merlin.”
“What?” Charlie exclaimed. “He exists?”
“Existed,” Mrs. Smith corrected him. “He was very old when he defeated Wizatar. 612 to be exact. Wizards can live to be very old since they are magical, but look not a day older than 40. I myself am a 150.”
“No wonder you look so good,” I blurted out. I immediately wished I hadn’t. That was a little embarrassing.
Mrs. Smith smiled.
“You flatter me,” She said honestly. “But we are getting off the subject. Anyway, Merlin defeated Wizatar. Wizatar didn’t die, but his powers were sealed away in this silver dollar. It has been passed down for generations, and I was the most recent one to get it.”
“So, you’re related to Merlin?” Max asked.
“Yes,” She said.
“Sweet!” Charlie pumped his fist in the air. “I’m related to Merlin!”
“Does this mean we’re wizards?” Ivy asked excitedly.
“I don’t know for sure,” Mrs. Smith said. “But it is always possible for the children of a wizard to have magical powers, too.”
“I still don’t understand everything,” I said. “Why is it such a big deal that the silver dollar broke?”
“Well, since Wizatar’s powers were being stored in there, and it broke, the powers have been returned back to him.”
Ivy gasped.
“So that means-?”
Mrs. Smith nodded.
“Wizatar is going to try to take over the world again.”
“Is there any way we can stop it?” I asked hopefully.
“There is one way,” She said. “The only way it can be fixed is to get the magic glue. But that is nearly impossible. Even though Merlin put a spell on it so Wizatar wouldn’t be able to destroy it, it’s going to be very hard for anyone to get it.”
“Where is it?” Max asked.
“On the top of the empire state building.”
“In New York?” Max asked with a strained look on his face as though he was thinking hard.
“No, Max,” Ivy said. “It’s in Minnesota. Of course it’s in New York!”
“Why is it going to be so hard to get?” I wondered.
“Because Wizatar has hundreds of wizard servants working for him. They will know immediately that some wizard is going to try and get it.”
“Couldn’t we get it?” I asked. “Ivy and I could try and get it. If Ivy is possibly a wizard, it would be really easy. She’d have magical powers and everything!”
Mrs. Smith laughed.
“You underestimate our abilities,” She said. “Learning spells and using magic takes years of training and practice. Ivy has had no experience whatsoever in magic. Even if she was a wizard, she wouldn’t know how to cast any spells.”
I hung my head in disappointment.
“But,” Mrs. Smith second-guessed herself. “Wizatar would never guess that two thirteen-year-old girls would go and try to get the magic glue. And I have to alert the wizard world anyway. I could have different wizards meet you along the way.”
She looked back and forth between Ivy and me.
“Ok,” She said. “You two can go and get the glue.”
“Yes!” I cheered.
“What about us?” Charlie demanded, standing up. Max copied him and stood up, his arms crossed.
“Yeah. What about us?”
“You’re too young,” Mrs. Smith said. “Even if you are possibly wizards.”
“How am I going to figure out if I’m a wizard or not?” Ivy asked.
“At some point in your life if you are a wizard, magic will show itself,” Mrs. Smith said.
“You said you would get different wizards to meet us along the way,” I said to Mrs. Smith.
“Yes?”
“How are you going to do that, how are the wizards going to know what we look like, and how will we know if different people we see are wizards or not?”
“Very good questions,” She said. “There’s a website online that only wizards can access by typing in a password in on the computer. I’ll put a post there explaining the situation and I’ll put pictures of both of you on there so wizards will know what you look like. Then, if a wizard sees you, they’ll do the special wizard sign for ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’.”
“What’s the wizard sign?” Ivy asked.
Mrs. Smith held up three fingers.
“That’s it?” Max said. “I was expecting something more exciting.”
“Well if it were very exciting, it would be very obvious, and wizards need to be subtle so the secret doesn’t spread. That could be a disaster. You can’t have too many non-magical folk meddling in magic. Anyway, if a wizard sees you, they’ll do the wizard sign. Then they can give you some advice, or help you along your journey.”
“How are we going to get to New York?” I asked.
“I’ll give you two my credit card. You can use it to get cab rides, hotel rooms, and food. Nothing more,” She said with finality in her voice, eyeing Ivy’s malicious grin.
The microwave timer beeped.
“Oh!” Mrs. Smith jumped up from the couch. “The soup is ready. Ivy, go get your father. He’s taking a nap in our room.”
··········
After eating dinner with the Smith’s, Ivy and I talked in her room and made matching necklaces. We finished our movie, and before we knew it, it was time for me to go home.
“Thanks for dinner, Mrs. Smith,” I said as I walked out the door, lifting my backpack higher.
“My pleasure,” She assured us. “By the way, let your mom know that you’re going to go on vacation with us in New York for about a week.”
She winked at me. I winked back.
“See you tomorrow, Ivy,” I called.
I waved an Ivy waved back. I walked five steps down the sidewalk and up the front walk of my house. My mom wasn’t home yet, so I used my spare key.
Exhausted, I trudged down the hall into my room, flopped down onto my bed fully clothed, and fell asleep.
-I'm taking a six week horse class! :D I know how to ride a horse all by myself. I can steer it, walk it, trot it, stop it, groom it, and tack it! :D Kirsten (my BFF) is my horse partner. We both ride a brown and white horse called Rain. She's a trouble maker, but she's SUPER sweet! :D Next week is the last week. :( But we get to go on a trail ride! :D
-I'm trying to turn my NaNoWriMo book from last year, "Fantasya: A Giant Problem", into a play. SUPER tricky! I'm used to dialogue and detail, not shortening a book. Plus, I have a LOT of characters.
-I dressed up as Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter for Halloween. Hermione's my favorite character, but I already dressed up as her. I had spectra specs, a wig, radish earrings, robes, a wand, a tote bag, a Quibbler magazine (I made it! :D ), a butterbeer cork necklace, and I even had new sneakers that looked sort of like the Converse they wear in the movies! :D
-Our home school group has an art class we take every two weeks. A month ago I painted a scene with trees in it that can go in and out of a plastic mug. Yesterday, I painted a leaf on a coaster to go with it! :D
-I've been working on drawing Anime. None of them have turned out half as well as the ones my friend, Emily, has drawn.
-Oh yeah, my brother Maxim has been trying too. :)
-We have 20 Things Club tonight. It's research club my mom set up for our home school group. We pick a topic (sometimes it's a certain topic, like an animal or an author), then we look up 20 facts about that topic. Sometimes we share five or ten facts with the group, sometimes all of the facts! :D The topic for this month is a place we'd like to visit. (My friend Jake was going to do 20 things about a street we drive on to get to the park, but he's not sure if he'll be able to pull it off). I have to do a report on Italy for a Cultural Studies project I'm doing with my BFF, Kirsten, and her sister, Avery, so I'm doing 20 things on Italy! :D I do want to go there. All that yummy food . . . *drools*. I'm also making Pesto Pasta for the food to share and Kirsten and Avery are making Ziti.
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Tacos, Dolphins, and Friends and Greenhorse101
Hi Everyone!
Two of my friends recently got blogs! Here are the links:
Tacos, Dolphins, and Friends (This is my best friend's blog). :D
Greenhorse101 (This is my best friend's sister's blog).
Have fun! :D
Two of my friends recently got blogs! Here are the links:
Tacos, Dolphins, and Friends (This is my best friend's blog). :D
Greenhorse101 (This is my best friend's sister's blog).
Have fun! :D
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Funny Videos
My brother and I have been making funny videos on my camera. Using a tripod, we've acted out action adventures, a talk show, and two "Space Wars"! :D They're hilarious. Here they are!
This first one isn't perfect, but it's still pretty funny! It's called "The Swamp King". (Our heads get cut off in the video).
This is our second attempt at "The Swamp King". It's a lot better.
And finally, our last attempt at "The Swamp King". This one is the best in my opinion!
"Kate's Talk Show" starring Steve McCool, the main actor in the new adventure movie "Action Overload".
"Space Wars: An Old Hope". (A spoof on Star Wars).
"Space Wars: Dart Trooper vs. Luke Piewalker".
This first one isn't perfect, but it's still pretty funny! It's called "The Swamp King". (Our heads get cut off in the video).
This is our second attempt at "The Swamp King". It's a lot better.
And finally, our last attempt at "The Swamp King". This one is the best in my opinion!
"Kate's Talk Show" starring Steve McCool, the main actor in the new adventure movie "Action Overload".
"Space Wars: An Old Hope". (A spoof on Star Wars).
"Space Wars: Dart Trooper vs. Luke Piewalker".
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Names
Have you ever wondered what your name or another person's name means and looked it up? My name means pure hearted, which is very true. These are some of my favorite girl names that have cool meanings. I plan to use them in my books.
Audrey-Noble Strength
Bella, Arabella-Beautiful
Bertha-Bright
Bridget-Strength or "The High One"
Callixta-Most Beautiful
Calliope-Lovely Voice
Catherine, Katherine, Kathryn, Catharine, Kathleen, Caitlyn, Cait, Katrina, Katie, Kate, etc.-Pure Hearted
Clara-Bright, Shining
Clelia-Victorious
Delphine-Dolphin
Diana-Divine
Edna-Enjoyment, Pleasure
Eleanor-Light
Electra-Beaming Sun
Esmerelda-Emerald
Estella-Star
Esther-Star
Eve-Life
Faith-Belief
Flora-Flower
Gloriana-Glory
Grace-Grace (That's one's kind of obvious). ;)
Helen-Light
Hester-Star
Hyppolyta-Horses
Irene-Peace
Iris-Rainbow
Jemima-Dove
Joyce, Joy-Joy (That one's also very obvious).
Lily-Lily (Same with this one).
Lucy-Light
Mabel-Lovable
Margaret-Pearl
Morgan-Great, Bright
Nadya-Hope
Nancy-Grace
Narsissa-Daffodil (This seems strange to me. Narcissa Malfoy isn't a very pleasant woman). :/
Nora-Light
Pansy-Pansy
Pearl-Pearl
Peggy-Pearl
Phoebe-Bright, Shining
Rose-Rose
Serena-Calm
Selena-Moon
Shirley-Bright, Clearing
Sophia-Wisdom
Stella-Star
Susan-Lily
Thea-Goddess
Victorine-Victroy
Violet-Purple
Winifred-Blessed, Peacemaking
Zoe-Life
I also have a list (that is still growing) of names for horses. I write lots of books with horses in it (they're my second favorite animal) so I need to have a list handy. (My first favorite animal is a dog).
Chocolate-Girl-Brown Horse
Cocoa-Girl-Brown Horse
Misty-Girl-Gray Horse
Dream-Girl-Brown Horse (Just a little fun fact, Bay is another word for brown when talking about horses).
Storm-Boy-Gray Horse
Wonder-Girl-Bay Horse
Pride-Boy-Bay Horse (Another fun fact, Bays are my favorite color on horses. They're so pretty)! :D
Glory-Boy-Gray Horse
Sterling-Boy-Gray Horse
Pirate-Boy-Black Horse
Tribulation (or Trib for short)-Boy-Gray Horse
Perfection-Boy-Bay Horse
Stone-Boy-Gray Horse
Bella-Girl-White Horse
Sweet Daisy-Girl-Bay Horse
Jewel-Girl-White Horse
Shining-Girl-Bay Horse
Cinnamon (or Cinny for short)-Girl-Bay Horse
Buckshot-Boy-Bay Horse
Nizzy-Boy-Gray Horse
Peanut-Girl-Brown and White Horse
Sea Breeze-Girl-Gray Horse
Milky Way-Girl-Black and White Horse
Thunder-Boy-Black Horse
Lightning-Boy-White Horse
Faith-Girl-Bay Horse Horse
Hope-Girl-Bay Horse
Star-Girl-Bay Horse with a Diamond or Star Shape on her Head
Spindleberry (or Spindle for short)-Boy-Gray Horse
Sundance-Girl-White Horse
Butterball-Boy-Chestnut Horse (Chestnut is almost a skin color on horses).
Liberty-Girl-Gray Horse
Snow White (or Snow for short)-Girl-White Horse (Of course). ;)
Beauty-Girl-Bay Horse
Blackie-Girl-Black Horse (Again. Obvious).
Summer-Girl-Chestnut Horse
Autumn-Girl-Bay Horse
Winter-Girl-White Horse
Spring-Girl-White Horse
Merrylegs-Boy-Gray Horse
Ginger-Girl-White Horse
Blackbird-Boy-Black Horse
Pegasus-Girl-White Horse
Flora-Girl-Bay Horse
Frisky-Boy-Black Horse
Celia-Girl-White Horse
Rose-Girl-Bay Horse
Ruby-Girl-Bay Horse
Diamond-Girl-White Horse
Jade-Girl-Gray Horse
Sapphire-Girl-White Horse
Jet-Boy-Black Horse
Magic-Girl-Bay Horse
Like I told you, the list is still growing. :D I've also started reading Black Beauty. I can't believe I've never read it with how obsessed with horses I am. Anyway, that's it. Bye! :D
Audrey-Noble Strength
Bella, Arabella-Beautiful
Bertha-Bright
Bridget-Strength or "The High One"
Callixta-Most Beautiful
Calliope-Lovely Voice
Catherine, Katherine, Kathryn, Catharine, Kathleen, Caitlyn, Cait, Katrina, Katie, Kate, etc.-Pure Hearted
Clara-Bright, Shining
Clelia-Victorious
Delphine-Dolphin
Diana-Divine
Edna-Enjoyment, Pleasure
Eleanor-Light
Electra-Beaming Sun
Esmerelda-Emerald
Estella-Star
Esther-Star
Eve-Life
Faith-Belief
Flora-Flower
Gloriana-Glory
Grace-Grace (That's one's kind of obvious). ;)
Helen-Light
Hester-Star
Hyppolyta-Horses
Irene-Peace
Iris-Rainbow
Jemima-Dove
Joyce, Joy-Joy (That one's also very obvious).
Lily-Lily (Same with this one).
Lucy-Light
Mabel-Lovable
Margaret-Pearl
Morgan-Great, Bright
Nadya-Hope
Nancy-Grace
Narsissa-Daffodil (This seems strange to me. Narcissa Malfoy isn't a very pleasant woman). :/
Nora-Light
Pansy-Pansy
Pearl-Pearl
Peggy-Pearl
Phoebe-Bright, Shining
Rose-Rose
Serena-Calm
Selena-Moon
Shirley-Bright, Clearing
Sophia-Wisdom
Stella-Star
Susan-Lily
Thea-Goddess
Victorine-Victroy
Violet-Purple
Winifred-Blessed, Peacemaking
Zoe-Life
I also have a list (that is still growing) of names for horses. I write lots of books with horses in it (they're my second favorite animal) so I need to have a list handy. (My first favorite animal is a dog).
Chocolate-Girl-Brown Horse
Cocoa-Girl-Brown Horse
Misty-Girl-Gray Horse
Dream-Girl-Brown Horse (Just a little fun fact, Bay is another word for brown when talking about horses).
Storm-Boy-Gray Horse
Wonder-Girl-Bay Horse
Pride-Boy-Bay Horse (Another fun fact, Bays are my favorite color on horses. They're so pretty)! :D
Glory-Boy-Gray Horse
Sterling-Boy-Gray Horse
Pirate-Boy-Black Horse
Tribulation (or Trib for short)-Boy-Gray Horse
Perfection-Boy-Bay Horse
Stone-Boy-Gray Horse
Bella-Girl-White Horse
Sweet Daisy-Girl-Bay Horse
Jewel-Girl-White Horse
Shining-Girl-Bay Horse
Cinnamon (or Cinny for short)-Girl-Bay Horse
Buckshot-Boy-Bay Horse
Nizzy-Boy-Gray Horse
Peanut-Girl-Brown and White Horse
Sea Breeze-Girl-Gray Horse
Milky Way-Girl-Black and White Horse
Thunder-Boy-Black Horse
Lightning-Boy-White Horse
Faith-Girl-Bay Horse Horse
Hope-Girl-Bay Horse
Star-Girl-Bay Horse with a Diamond or Star Shape on her Head
Spindleberry (or Spindle for short)-Boy-Gray Horse
Sundance-Girl-White Horse
Butterball-Boy-Chestnut Horse (Chestnut is almost a skin color on horses).
Liberty-Girl-Gray Horse
Snow White (or Snow for short)-Girl-White Horse (Of course). ;)
Beauty-Girl-Bay Horse
Blackie-Girl-Black Horse (Again. Obvious).
Summer-Girl-Chestnut Horse
Autumn-Girl-Bay Horse
Winter-Girl-White Horse
Spring-Girl-White Horse
Merrylegs-Boy-Gray Horse
Ginger-Girl-White Horse
Blackbird-Boy-Black Horse
Pegasus-Girl-White Horse
Flora-Girl-Bay Horse
Frisky-Boy-Black Horse
Celia-Girl-White Horse
Rose-Girl-Bay Horse
Ruby-Girl-Bay Horse
Diamond-Girl-White Horse
Jade-Girl-Gray Horse
Sapphire-Girl-White Horse
Jet-Boy-Black Horse
Magic-Girl-Bay Horse
Like I told you, the list is still growing. :D I've also started reading Black Beauty. I can't believe I've never read it with how obsessed with horses I am. Anyway, that's it. Bye! :D
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Random Thoughts and an Ode to Sandals
Hi!
I have some random thoughts. Here they are!
-I just had a bowl of Cookies and Cream ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles! Yum!
-Scout just threw up. :( Poor puppy.
-I found this awesome new blog that belongs to a girl in Australia! :D She's really cool, nerdy, funny, likes Harry Potter, and believes in fairies. It's called Redpunzel. (She has red hair).
-I have a bunch of cute pictures I want to post on here soon. A few of them are pictures of Scout when she got a haircut. (Her second haircut ever. It looked a LOT better than the first one).
-I want sushi . . .
-We're going to start school tomorrow! :D I'm so excited!
-Our school room looks really neat. We've spent the entire week cleaning it. (With some Modern Family episode, Catchphrase, and Taboo breaks). ;)
-I found this old writing notebook I wrote in last year in March. There are some pretty funny poems and other things in it. Here's one I wrote using my first name: Kate's A Tiger Eating.
-Here's a song I wrote (It's to the tune of Happy Birthday To You) called Eenky Tinky Tee Chee: Eenky Tinky Tee Chee! Eenky Tinky Tee Chee! Eenky Tinky Tee Cheeeeeeeeeee! Eenky Tinky Tee Chee!
-Our family watched some of the 9/11 memorials yesterday. It was so sad. :( I cried after finishing one of them.
-How can someone be so full of hate?
-The I.N.C.H planning meeting was yesterday. Park days are almost over. But the plan for this year looks like a lot of fun! :D
-I love to roller skate and ice skate.
-Lazer tag is also a lot of fun! :D
-Especially unlimited lazer tag.
-I like to make up my own smiley faces. Here are a couple: =) :D ;D :O) (That one is a clown). :oP (That one is a dog).
-I'm going to test for my high blue belt in Tae Kwon Do. Wish me luck! :D
Ok, that's enough random thoughts.
In that old writing notebook I was telling you about, my mom found something titled "An Ode to Sandals." I wrote about my sandals that didn't fit me anymore. Here it is:
Farewell, dear sandals,
You were a good friend to me. You got wet in the morning dew with me. We went to the pool together. We ran through sprinklers and got hit by water balloons. But soon you got too small. My feet got sweaty and my toes cramped. Now as my dog chews you, I bid adieu.
You will always be in my heart. Good bye, dear sandals. I will miss you.
Love, your dear friend forever,
Kate:) xoxo
I'll be sure to post those cute pictures I was telling you about. Bye! :D
I have some random thoughts. Here they are!
-I just had a bowl of Cookies and Cream ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles! Yum!
-Scout just threw up. :( Poor puppy.
-I found this awesome new blog that belongs to a girl in Australia! :D She's really cool, nerdy, funny, likes Harry Potter, and believes in fairies. It's called Redpunzel. (She has red hair).
-I have a bunch of cute pictures I want to post on here soon. A few of them are pictures of Scout when she got a haircut. (Her second haircut ever. It looked a LOT better than the first one).
-I want sushi . . .
-We're going to start school tomorrow! :D I'm so excited!
-Our school room looks really neat. We've spent the entire week cleaning it. (With some Modern Family episode, Catchphrase, and Taboo breaks). ;)
-I found this old writing notebook I wrote in last year in March. There are some pretty funny poems and other things in it. Here's one I wrote using my first name: Kate's A Tiger Eating.
-Here's a song I wrote (It's to the tune of Happy Birthday To You) called Eenky Tinky Tee Chee: Eenky Tinky Tee Chee! Eenky Tinky Tee Chee! Eenky Tinky Tee Cheeeeeeeeeee! Eenky Tinky Tee Chee!
-Our family watched some of the 9/11 memorials yesterday. It was so sad. :( I cried after finishing one of them.
-How can someone be so full of hate?
-The I.N.C.H planning meeting was yesterday. Park days are almost over. But the plan for this year looks like a lot of fun! :D
-I love to roller skate and ice skate.
-Lazer tag is also a lot of fun! :D
-Especially unlimited lazer tag.
-I like to make up my own smiley faces. Here are a couple: =) :D ;D :O) (That one is a clown). :oP (That one is a dog).
-I'm going to test for my high blue belt in Tae Kwon Do. Wish me luck! :D
Ok, that's enough random thoughts.
In that old writing notebook I was telling you about, my mom found something titled "An Ode to Sandals." I wrote about my sandals that didn't fit me anymore. Here it is:
Farewell, dear sandals,
You were a good friend to me. You got wet in the morning dew with me. We went to the pool together. We ran through sprinklers and got hit by water balloons. But soon you got too small. My feet got sweaty and my toes cramped. Now as my dog chews you, I bid adieu.
You will always be in my heart. Good bye, dear sandals. I will miss you.
Love, your dear friend forever,
Kate:) xoxo
I'll be sure to post those cute pictures I was telling you about. Bye! :D
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Quizzes
Hi Everyone!
I recently discovered this new website called Quizilla. It's a site where you can get an account and make your own quizzes for the world to check out. So far I've made five quizzes and two tests. Have fun! :D
What Color Are You? (I'm yellow).
How Well Do You Know Harry Potter? (A Test) (I've gotten 100% on most of the Harry Potter quizzes I've taken).
Which Winx Club Fairy Are You? (Girls Only!) (Winx Club is a cartoon I watch. I'm Bloom).
What Animal Are You? (Girls Only!) (I know it says girls only, but boys can do it, too. It's just geared towards girls. I'm a puppy).
What is my Birth Date? (A Test) (This one will be pretty easy for most of you).
Fantasya A Giant Problem What Character Are You? (Fantasya is a book I wrote). (I'm Cassandra but I have some Cecilia in me).
What Scout Mood Are You In Right Now? (This one is great to take once a day to figure out what mood you're in each day. So far, I've been in the begging mood and the leave me alone mood).
Please comment your results for each quiz. Thanks! :)
I recently discovered this new website called Quizilla. It's a site where you can get an account and make your own quizzes for the world to check out. So far I've made five quizzes and two tests. Have fun! :D
What Color Are You? (I'm yellow).
How Well Do You Know Harry Potter? (A Test) (I've gotten 100% on most of the Harry Potter quizzes I've taken).
Which Winx Club Fairy Are You? (Girls Only!) (Winx Club is a cartoon I watch. I'm Bloom).
What Animal Are You? (Girls Only!) (I know it says girls only, but boys can do it, too. It's just geared towards girls. I'm a puppy).
What is my Birth Date? (A Test) (This one will be pretty easy for most of you).
Fantasya A Giant Problem What Character Are You? (Fantasya is a book I wrote). (I'm Cassandra but I have some Cecilia in me).
What Scout Mood Are You In Right Now? (This one is great to take once a day to figure out what mood you're in each day. So far, I've been in the begging mood and the leave me alone mood).
Please comment your results for each quiz. Thanks! :)
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Prologue of a Story I'm Working On (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Give Criticism)
Hello Everyone!
I'm working on a story called "Archers of the Sky". Here is the prologue. (PLEASE give criticism).
Prologue
Tarice was sitting cross-legged, hovering ever so slightly above the ground, eyes closed in deep thought.
Suddenly, an image burst clear into her head; A tall, skinny girl, with waist-length black hair running through the woods, panting.
Tarice opened her eyes and gasped. She fell over backwards, knocking over a chair. For a moment, she was so shocked, she couldn’t breathe.
Hurried footsteps sounded outside the door. Someone knocked.
“Tarice? Tarice! Are you ok?” the voice called.
Tarice sat up slowly and finally caught her breath. The door opened as she stood up and placed the chair back where it belonged.
“Tarice?” The girl walked in with a worried expression. “Are you ok?”
“I’m fine, Lydia,” Tarice said. “Just a little stunned, that’s all.”
“What is it?” She asked. She seemed curious.
“I haven’t sensed anything for some time. But now, I have.”
Lydia gasped and clapped her hand to her mouth.
“Are you sure?” She asked excitedly. “We haven’t had a trainee for ages. So many humans have lost the will to believe.”
Tarice nodded. “I’m sure. I was meditating when the image flashed in my mind. There is a girl in Virginia who deep down believes.”
Tarice looked straight into Lydia’s eyes.
“Lydia, I need you to alert the Queen right away. We can’t let the Storm Archers find this girl. Her power seems much stronger than other trainees in the past. Go.”
“Right away, Tarice.” Lydia hurried out of the room.
Tarice looked out the window into the stormy sky.
“She may be our only hope.”
I'm working on a story called "Archers of the Sky". Here is the prologue. (PLEASE give criticism).
Prologue
Tarice was sitting cross-legged, hovering ever so slightly above the ground, eyes closed in deep thought.
Suddenly, an image burst clear into her head; A tall, skinny girl, with waist-length black hair running through the woods, panting.
Tarice opened her eyes and gasped. She fell over backwards, knocking over a chair. For a moment, she was so shocked, she couldn’t breathe.
Hurried footsteps sounded outside the door. Someone knocked.
“Tarice? Tarice! Are you ok?” the voice called.
Tarice sat up slowly and finally caught her breath. The door opened as she stood up and placed the chair back where it belonged.
“Tarice?” The girl walked in with a worried expression. “Are you ok?”
“I’m fine, Lydia,” Tarice said. “Just a little stunned, that’s all.”
“What is it?” She asked. She seemed curious.
“I haven’t sensed anything for some time. But now, I have.”
Lydia gasped and clapped her hand to her mouth.
“Are you sure?” She asked excitedly. “We haven’t had a trainee for ages. So many humans have lost the will to believe.”
Tarice nodded. “I’m sure. I was meditating when the image flashed in my mind. There is a girl in Virginia who deep down believes.”
Tarice looked straight into Lydia’s eyes.
“Lydia, I need you to alert the Queen right away. We can’t let the Storm Archers find this girl. Her power seems much stronger than other trainees in the past. Go.”
“Right away, Tarice.” Lydia hurried out of the room.
Tarice looked out the window into the stormy sky.
“She may be our only hope.”
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
X Factor: Semi Finals
It really is time to face the music now. ;)
Marcus Canty: He sang a Boyz to Men song. L.A. signed them.
Eh. He's been very boring and blah lately. He was off the whole time and just BORING. He needs to do something different. There isn't much to say except that (as far as I can tell) Nicole didn't forget her pants this time. She didn't stand up, so I couldn't really tell.
Simon called the dancers "Zombie Dancers" just like I did WAY earlier in the competition! :D Maybe he's been reading my reviews . . . ;)
Chris Rene: His song was fun and up tempo, but he was a little off. I liked his song better than Marcus's, though. It was also a little forgettable. I wrote this post a day later than the competition and I already forget what he sang!
TOO MANY DANCERS!!! :O One was definitely a clown . . .
The crowd keeps booing at Nicole, no matter WHAT she says. Everyone's mad at her because she made it a deadlock last week and America sent Rachel home. :P I feel bad for her . . .
Melanie Amaro: She's very good, but it was so boring and predictable. She's AMAZING, but boring. Powerful, but predictable. I wish Drew were still on the show . . . At least Josh and Chris will make things interesting.
Josh Krajcik: He sang a Beatles song again! :D I love the raspy part of his voice. He and Chris are the most unique and different singers in the competition. I didn't like the flames that would appear every so often, though. Nicole and Paula were dancing the whole time. It was like they were at a concert. He's AWESOME! :D
Marcus Canty: I can tell he felt badly about Rachel going home. I could also tell that he really loves his mom. ;)
Another slow song with a dance beat. :P It was really cheesy. Strobe lights, female dancers, fireworks, MORE confetti, and a dance beat all rolled into onee big block of CHEESE. And he didn't even sing it well! You would've thought he had just won the finale with all of those extra effects.
Chris Rene: HE PLAYS PIANO, TOO?!?!?!
He looked really cool singing in his suit at the piano. That was WAY better than his first song. He was really good. There weren't as many dancers, which was good. It was REALLY, REALLY good.
Melanie Amaro: She did, "Feelling Good," which is really different for her. I love this song! :D And she did the Michael Bublé version, which I love even more! :D I'm glad she did something different. It was awesome. All the judges were on their feet.
Josh Krajcik: HALLELUJAH! :D I LOVE this song! Lee Dewyze (winner of American Idol) did an awesome version of this song, and Lee reminds me of Josh. Both underdogs, and both awesome. Josh is TOTALLY going to win. Paula was in tears. That was PHENOMENAL. Awesome close to the show.
Prediction: Marcus HAS to go home. He HAS to. He's stunk the past few weeks and he's been in the bottom two THREE times, already.
Comments: The Finale's next week! :D I'm SO excited! :D Josh is so going to win.
Even MORE comments: Marcus did go home. :D
Marcus Canty: He sang a Boyz to Men song. L.A. signed them.
Eh. He's been very boring and blah lately. He was off the whole time and just BORING. He needs to do something different. There isn't much to say except that (as far as I can tell) Nicole didn't forget her pants this time. She didn't stand up, so I couldn't really tell.
Simon called the dancers "Zombie Dancers" just like I did WAY earlier in the competition! :D Maybe he's been reading my reviews . . . ;)
Chris Rene: His song was fun and up tempo, but he was a little off. I liked his song better than Marcus's, though. It was also a little forgettable. I wrote this post a day later than the competition and I already forget what he sang!
TOO MANY DANCERS!!! :O One was definitely a clown . . .
The crowd keeps booing at Nicole, no matter WHAT she says. Everyone's mad at her because she made it a deadlock last week and America sent Rachel home. :P I feel bad for her . . .
Melanie Amaro: She's very good, but it was so boring and predictable. She's AMAZING, but boring. Powerful, but predictable. I wish Drew were still on the show . . . At least Josh and Chris will make things interesting.
Josh Krajcik: He sang a Beatles song again! :D I love the raspy part of his voice. He and Chris are the most unique and different singers in the competition. I didn't like the flames that would appear every so often, though. Nicole and Paula were dancing the whole time. It was like they were at a concert. He's AWESOME! :D
Marcus Canty: I can tell he felt badly about Rachel going home. I could also tell that he really loves his mom. ;)
Another slow song with a dance beat. :P It was really cheesy. Strobe lights, female dancers, fireworks, MORE confetti, and a dance beat all rolled into onee big block of CHEESE. And he didn't even sing it well! You would've thought he had just won the finale with all of those extra effects.
Chris Rene: HE PLAYS PIANO, TOO?!?!?!
He looked really cool singing in his suit at the piano. That was WAY better than his first song. He was really good. There weren't as many dancers, which was good. It was REALLY, REALLY good.
Melanie Amaro: She did, "Feelling Good," which is really different for her. I love this song! :D And she did the Michael Bublé version, which I love even more! :D I'm glad she did something different. It was awesome. All the judges were on their feet.
Josh Krajcik: HALLELUJAH! :D I LOVE this song! Lee Dewyze (winner of American Idol) did an awesome version of this song, and Lee reminds me of Josh. Both underdogs, and both awesome. Josh is TOTALLY going to win. Paula was in tears. That was PHENOMENAL. Awesome close to the show.
Prediction: Marcus HAS to go home. He HAS to. He's stunk the past few weeks and he's been in the bottom two THREE times, already.
Comments: The Finale's next week! :D I'm SO excited! :D Josh is so going to win.
Even MORE comments: Marcus did go home. :D
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
A Lengthened Version of the Story In My Post Called "Short Story"
I'm going to try to put this story in a magazine. Please give me suggestions and comments. Thanks!
The ghost was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Well, it was just a jelly sandwich. The ghost, named Casper, had forgotten the peanut butter.
“Oh no!” Casper exclaimed. “I forgot something!”
“What did you forget, honey?” Casper’s mom, Catherine, floated in worriedly. She was in the middle of getting her makeup on. Only her top lip had red lipstick.
Casper frowned.
“I forgot the peanut butter on my sandwich. Do we have any left?”
Catherine shook her head.
“Sorry, sweetie. I used up all the peanut butter on the peanut butter cookies.”
Casper scowled at the cookies on the counter for ruining his sandwich.
Casper sighed as his mother floated back towards her bedroom. What was he going to do? He was very hungry, but all he wanted was a good old PB&J sandwich.
Casper suddenly had an idea. He grabbed one of his mother’s peanut butter cookies and spread the grape jelly on top of it. Then he put the cookie in between two slices of bread. But as soon as Casper tasted it, he spit it out into the sink.
“Bleck!” he sputtered. “Peanut butter cookies and grape jelly do not go well together!” Casper threw out the sandwich.
“What was that?” Catherine called from her bedroom. “Did you call me?”
“No, mom! I’m just trying to make my sandwich without using peanut butter!”
“Good luck with that.”
Casper tried again to make his sandwich.
Casper scooped up a handful of peanuts and dumped them into a bowl. He mashed them with a potato masher.
The peanuts had only mashed half way, but they would not mash any more. Casper put the partially mashed peanuts in between another two slices of bread spread with grape jelly. Casper tried the sandwich, but it just wasn’t the same as all the way mashed peanuts. So he threw out that sandwich, too.
Casper decided to try one last time to make his sandwich without peanut butter.
Casper took out his mother’s favorite kind of butter. Apple butter. He spread the apple butter and the grape jelly on another two slices of bread. He put the apple butter away and tried the sandwich.
“It’s just not the same,” Casper sighed. He threw out his sandwich.
“Casper!” Casper’s mom came floating down the stairs. “We’re going to the Ghostery Store.”
“Ok, mom.”
Casper went outside and got into the car. Not long after that, he and Catherine drove off.
Casper unbuckled his seat belt as Catherine parked the car in the parking lot. They floated inside.
“What’s on the Ghostery list?” Casper asked. He loved to help out with the shopping.
“We need apples, noodles, green beans, potatoes, and celery.”
“We also need peanut butter,” Casper reminded his mom.
“Right. Peanut butter.” She took a pen out of her purse and wrote it down on the list.
“How about I give you half the list and I take the other half. Ok?”
“Ok.”
Catherine tore the list in half and gave one half to Casper.
“I’ll meet you at the self-checkout counter.”
“Ok. Bye!”
So Casper went off to find the potatoes, celery, and peanut butter. The potatoes and celery were easy. There’s only one kind of those. But the peanut butter was harder. Should he go chunky or smooth? Skippy or Jif? Small jar or large jar?
Finally he decided to go with a large jar of smooth Skippy peanut butter. Casper floated off to the self-checkout counter where his mom was waiting.
Catherine took the food, scanned them, paid for them, and took the receipt.
“Let’s go home, now. It’s almost dinner time.”
“Yes! And now I can make my peanut butter and jelly sandwich!” Casper was excited.
Casper and Catherine drove to their house. Casper leaped out of the car and floated inside very fast.
“Uh-oh,” Casper said as he got out the peanut butter and the bread. “I’ve got a problem.”
“What’s the matter?” Catherine asked.
“I used up all the jelly.”
The ghost was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Well, it was just a jelly sandwich. The ghost, named Casper, had forgotten the peanut butter.
“Oh no!” Casper exclaimed. “I forgot something!”
“What did you forget, honey?” Casper’s mom, Catherine, floated in worriedly. She was in the middle of getting her makeup on. Only her top lip had red lipstick.
Casper frowned.
“I forgot the peanut butter on my sandwich. Do we have any left?”
Catherine shook her head.
“Sorry, sweetie. I used up all the peanut butter on the peanut butter cookies.”
Casper scowled at the cookies on the counter for ruining his sandwich.
Casper sighed as his mother floated back towards her bedroom. What was he going to do? He was very hungry, but all he wanted was a good old PB&J sandwich.
Casper suddenly had an idea. He grabbed one of his mother’s peanut butter cookies and spread the grape jelly on top of it. Then he put the cookie in between two slices of bread. But as soon as Casper tasted it, he spit it out into the sink.
“Bleck!” he sputtered. “Peanut butter cookies and grape jelly do not go well together!” Casper threw out the sandwich.
“What was that?” Catherine called from her bedroom. “Did you call me?”
“No, mom! I’m just trying to make my sandwich without using peanut butter!”
“Good luck with that.”
Casper tried again to make his sandwich.
Casper scooped up a handful of peanuts and dumped them into a bowl. He mashed them with a potato masher.
The peanuts had only mashed half way, but they would not mash any more. Casper put the partially mashed peanuts in between another two slices of bread spread with grape jelly. Casper tried the sandwich, but it just wasn’t the same as all the way mashed peanuts. So he threw out that sandwich, too.
Casper decided to try one last time to make his sandwich without peanut butter.
Casper took out his mother’s favorite kind of butter. Apple butter. He spread the apple butter and the grape jelly on another two slices of bread. He put the apple butter away and tried the sandwich.
“It’s just not the same,” Casper sighed. He threw out his sandwich.
“Casper!” Casper’s mom came floating down the stairs. “We’re going to the Ghostery Store.”
“Ok, mom.”
Casper went outside and got into the car. Not long after that, he and Catherine drove off.
Casper unbuckled his seat belt as Catherine parked the car in the parking lot. They floated inside.
“What’s on the Ghostery list?” Casper asked. He loved to help out with the shopping.
“We need apples, noodles, green beans, potatoes, and celery.”
“We also need peanut butter,” Casper reminded his mom.
“Right. Peanut butter.” She took a pen out of her purse and wrote it down on the list.
“How about I give you half the list and I take the other half. Ok?”
“Ok.”
Catherine tore the list in half and gave one half to Casper.
“I’ll meet you at the self-checkout counter.”
“Ok. Bye!”
So Casper went off to find the potatoes, celery, and peanut butter. The potatoes and celery were easy. There’s only one kind of those. But the peanut butter was harder. Should he go chunky or smooth? Skippy or Jif? Small jar or large jar?
Finally he decided to go with a large jar of smooth Skippy peanut butter. Casper floated off to the self-checkout counter where his mom was waiting.
Catherine took the food, scanned them, paid for them, and took the receipt.
“Let’s go home, now. It’s almost dinner time.”
“Yes! And now I can make my peanut butter and jelly sandwich!” Casper was excited.
Casper and Catherine drove to their house. Casper leaped out of the car and floated inside very fast.
“Uh-oh,” Casper said as he got out the peanut butter and the bread. “I’ve got a problem.”
“What’s the matter?” Catherine asked.
“I used up all the jelly.”
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Pictures
This last picture I drew.
:)
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Storm Crow
Hi everyone!
I'm writing a new book called Storm Crow. Here is the first chapter. Please post a comment afterward and tell me what you think. (I'm open to compliments, suggestions, and criticism of any kind. Please be honest. :) )
Chapter 1
Bubo’s Gift
Corvus flew into the chilly night air. His mother Corax had finally realized that Corvus was ready to discover his magic power hidden within.
Corvus dove straight down into the cornfield to find a bite to eat.
After he had eaten his fill, Corvus took to the skies again. He searched and searched for the king of his village, but could not find the hollow tree stump.
Bubo, the Great Gray owl lived in that poor, lost, hollow tree stump; the king of all birds in the land of Specianus.
Just then, a loud hoooooo pierced the silent night air. It was Bubo, the King of Specianus. But no matter how hard Corvus looked, he could not find the hollow tree stump. Corvus needed to find Bubo if Bubo was to give Corvus his magic power.
Hoooooooooo. The soft owl hoot was starting to crescendo. Corvus was getting nearer.
HOOOOOOOOOO. Now Corvus could see it. The hollow tree stump. He gracefully arched his back into a dive.
Corvus landed softly into the tall grass. He walked around the tree stump until he found a small hole just the right size for a Great Gray owl. Corvus stepped inside.
“Hello?” Corvus called. “Hello?” There was no answer. Just then, a small white mouse scurried out from behind a piece of bark. “Excuse me,” Corvus asked the mouse. “But do you speak my language?” Corvus had never seen a mouse before. The white mouse stared into Corvus’s black eyes.
“I guess not,” Corvus sighed. “Now how am I supposed to find Bubo?”
A puff of dust flew into the air as a coughing gray owl came into view.
“Sorry about that,” The owl said. “Allergies. I believe you were looking for me?”
“Bubo!” Corvus gasped. Corvus sank into a deep bow.
“Oh, pish posh!” Bubo waved an impatient wing. “Let’s get down to business.”
“My mother Corax advised that I search for my magic power,” Corvus explained. “She said I had ‘come of age.’ But I don’t know what that means.”
The old owl stared curiously into Corvus’s eyes.
“How old are you, Corvus?” he asked.
“Fifteen.”
“Yes,” Bubo said nodding. “Yes. Your mother would know.”
“Know what?” Corvus asked.
“Your mother knew that it wasn’t safe for you gain your magic power until you were fifteen. Most crows gain their magic powers at ten or eleven but you’re different.”
“How am I different?”
“You are a crow, not a raven. Most birds that live in Specianus are ravens. But when you hatched, everyone knew right away that you were different. Any crows born into Specianus have different magic powers. More powerful powers. That’s why you have to get your powers at fifteen instead of ten or eleven. If a crow gains their magic powers too early, it will eventually destroy them.”
“How come I have a more powerful magic power?” Corvus was interested.
“Long ago before even I existed, Specianus was much smaller and much more dangerous. At that time a crow named Maximus ruled Specianus. Maximus was a brilliant and powerful crow. The first crow ever to walk the lands. Maximus was also very kind. He used to be the only bird in Specianus that had magical powers. So ever since Maximus ruled Specianus, the magical powers have been passed down from leader to leader. Each bird has a magic power locked inside their heart. But they cannot use that power unless the current leader unlocks it. It’s almost as if the leader is a key that can be used to unlock a secret.”
“Can you unlock my power?” Corvus asked pleadingly.
Bubo nodded.
“Yes. We need more birds with magical powers to protect Specianus from the monstrous animals that walk these lands. They are well hidden. You must be on your guard.”
Corvus nodded.
“I will. I’d just be more useful if I had magic powers to protect others and myself. My mother Corax said that when she was eleven she searched for you, but met my father Caley along the way. They mated and had me but my father was killed by a fox. Now my mother needs protection and I’m the only person she’s got left.”
“I will unlock your magic power. But first you must swear upon the Sacred Oak Tree that you will use your powers for good and only good.”
Corvus nodded enthusiastically. “I swear.”
Bubo chuckled.
“I appreciate your energy. We need more hard working birds like you.” He shook his head, still laughing softly. “I guess that’s just the kind of energy you get when you’re a crow.”
Bubo closed his eyes and spread his wings. He began to chant in his owlish language. He spread out his wings towards Corvus and moved them around slowly, still chanting.
Corvus’s body began to glow, radiating a brilliant light that filled the hollow stump with a magical energy. And then all at once, it stopped.
Corvus teetered a little, dazed by recent events. Bubo steadied him.
“Whoa,” Corvus breathed. “That was awesome. What kind of power do I have, now?”
Bubo shrugged his wings.
“I can’t say for sure. I can never figure out the power that I unlock exactly, but I know one thing. Your power is, well, powerful. Using it could be very risky. It could end in harmony and peace, or destruction and disaster.”
Corvus shivered.
“Never use your power unless absolutely necessary. Using it non-stop will weaken it over time and make it harder to control. You should know what I mean by absolutely necessary.”
Corvus nodded slowly.
Bubo’s coughing fit returned.
“I’m sorry,” Bubo said apologetically. “My allergies are flaring up again.”
“I’ll leave then, sir,” Corvus said. He turned to go. “Thanks, again!”
Bubo waved. “No problem. Tell your mother hello!”
Corvus leaped into the air and flapped his jet-black wings and took off into the starry night.
I'm writing a new book called Storm Crow. Here is the first chapter. Please post a comment afterward and tell me what you think. (I'm open to compliments, suggestions, and criticism of any kind. Please be honest. :) )
Chapter 1
Bubo’s Gift
Corvus flew into the chilly night air. His mother Corax had finally realized that Corvus was ready to discover his magic power hidden within.
Corvus dove straight down into the cornfield to find a bite to eat.
After he had eaten his fill, Corvus took to the skies again. He searched and searched for the king of his village, but could not find the hollow tree stump.
Bubo, the Great Gray owl lived in that poor, lost, hollow tree stump; the king of all birds in the land of Specianus.
Just then, a loud hoooooo pierced the silent night air. It was Bubo, the King of Specianus. But no matter how hard Corvus looked, he could not find the hollow tree stump. Corvus needed to find Bubo if Bubo was to give Corvus his magic power.
Hoooooooooo. The soft owl hoot was starting to crescendo. Corvus was getting nearer.
HOOOOOOOOOO. Now Corvus could see it. The hollow tree stump. He gracefully arched his back into a dive.
Corvus landed softly into the tall grass. He walked around the tree stump until he found a small hole just the right size for a Great Gray owl. Corvus stepped inside.
“Hello?” Corvus called. “Hello?” There was no answer. Just then, a small white mouse scurried out from behind a piece of bark. “Excuse me,” Corvus asked the mouse. “But do you speak my language?” Corvus had never seen a mouse before. The white mouse stared into Corvus’s black eyes.
“I guess not,” Corvus sighed. “Now how am I supposed to find Bubo?”
A puff of dust flew into the air as a coughing gray owl came into view.
“Sorry about that,” The owl said. “Allergies. I believe you were looking for me?”
“Bubo!” Corvus gasped. Corvus sank into a deep bow.
“Oh, pish posh!” Bubo waved an impatient wing. “Let’s get down to business.”
“My mother Corax advised that I search for my magic power,” Corvus explained. “She said I had ‘come of age.’ But I don’t know what that means.”
The old owl stared curiously into Corvus’s eyes.
“How old are you, Corvus?” he asked.
“Fifteen.”
“Yes,” Bubo said nodding. “Yes. Your mother would know.”
“Know what?” Corvus asked.
“Your mother knew that it wasn’t safe for you gain your magic power until you were fifteen. Most crows gain their magic powers at ten or eleven but you’re different.”
“How am I different?”
“You are a crow, not a raven. Most birds that live in Specianus are ravens. But when you hatched, everyone knew right away that you were different. Any crows born into Specianus have different magic powers. More powerful powers. That’s why you have to get your powers at fifteen instead of ten or eleven. If a crow gains their magic powers too early, it will eventually destroy them.”
“How come I have a more powerful magic power?” Corvus was interested.
“Long ago before even I existed, Specianus was much smaller and much more dangerous. At that time a crow named Maximus ruled Specianus. Maximus was a brilliant and powerful crow. The first crow ever to walk the lands. Maximus was also very kind. He used to be the only bird in Specianus that had magical powers. So ever since Maximus ruled Specianus, the magical powers have been passed down from leader to leader. Each bird has a magic power locked inside their heart. But they cannot use that power unless the current leader unlocks it. It’s almost as if the leader is a key that can be used to unlock a secret.”
“Can you unlock my power?” Corvus asked pleadingly.
Bubo nodded.
“Yes. We need more birds with magical powers to protect Specianus from the monstrous animals that walk these lands. They are well hidden. You must be on your guard.”
Corvus nodded.
“I will. I’d just be more useful if I had magic powers to protect others and myself. My mother Corax said that when she was eleven she searched for you, but met my father Caley along the way. They mated and had me but my father was killed by a fox. Now my mother needs protection and I’m the only person she’s got left.”
“I will unlock your magic power. But first you must swear upon the Sacred Oak Tree that you will use your powers for good and only good.”
Corvus nodded enthusiastically. “I swear.”
Bubo chuckled.
“I appreciate your energy. We need more hard working birds like you.” He shook his head, still laughing softly. “I guess that’s just the kind of energy you get when you’re a crow.”
Bubo closed his eyes and spread his wings. He began to chant in his owlish language. He spread out his wings towards Corvus and moved them around slowly, still chanting.
Corvus’s body began to glow, radiating a brilliant light that filled the hollow stump with a magical energy. And then all at once, it stopped.
Corvus teetered a little, dazed by recent events. Bubo steadied him.
“Whoa,” Corvus breathed. “That was awesome. What kind of power do I have, now?”
Bubo shrugged his wings.
“I can’t say for sure. I can never figure out the power that I unlock exactly, but I know one thing. Your power is, well, powerful. Using it could be very risky. It could end in harmony and peace, or destruction and disaster.”
Corvus shivered.
“Never use your power unless absolutely necessary. Using it non-stop will weaken it over time and make it harder to control. You should know what I mean by absolutely necessary.”
Corvus nodded slowly.
Bubo’s coughing fit returned.
“I’m sorry,” Bubo said apologetically. “My allergies are flaring up again.”
“I’ll leave then, sir,” Corvus said. He turned to go. “Thanks, again!”
Bubo waved. “No problem. Tell your mother hello!”
Corvus leaped into the air and flapped his jet-black wings and took off into the starry night.
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
A Poem for My Mom
This is a poem,
All about you.
You make me smile,
Even when I'm blue.
You make things special for our family,
Every night, every day,
And this is a poem where I want to say,
Have a wonderful Mother's Day!
I love you, Mommy. :)
All about you.
You make me smile,
Even when I'm blue.
You make things special for our family,
Every night, every day,
And this is a poem where I want to say,
Have a wonderful Mother's Day!
I love you, Mommy. :)
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Monday, May 2, 2011
A Short Story
I recently made a short story out of a writing exercise about a ghost. Here it is!
The ghost was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Well, it was just a jelly sandwich. The ghost, named Casper, had forgotten the peanut butter.
“Oh no!” Casper exclaimed. “I just realized something!”
“What did you just realize, honey?” Casper’s mom floated in worriedly.
“I just realized that I forgot the peanut butter for my sandwich,” Casper explained. “Do we have any peanut butter left?”
“Sorry, Casper. I used up the rest of the peanut butter for the peanut butter cookies.”
Casper sighed as his mother floated back towards her bedroom. What was he going to do? He was very hungry, but all he wanted was a good old PB&J sandwich.
Casper suddenly had an idea. He grabbed one of his mother’s peanut butter cookies and spread the grape jelly on top of it. Then he put the cookie in between two slices of bread. But as soon as Casper tasted it, he spit it out into the sink.
“Blech!” he sputtered. “Peanut butter cookies and grape jelly do not go well together!” Casper threw out the sandwich.
So Casper decided to try a new method of making a PB&J sandwich. He scooped up a handful of peanuts and put them into a bowl and started to mash them with a potato masher thing. Casper couldn’t remember the name of it. The peanuts had only mashed half way, but they would not mash any more. Casper put the partially mashed peanuts in between another two slices of bread spread with grape jelly. Casper tried the sandwich, but it just wasn’t the same as all the way mashed peanuts. So he threw out that sandwich, too.
Casper decided to try one last time to make his sandwich without peanut butter.
Casper took out his mother’s favorite kind of butter. Apple butter. He spread the apple butter and the grape jelly on another two slices of bread. He put the apple butter away and tried the sandwich.
“It’s just not the same,” Casper sighed. He threw out his sandwich.
Just then, his mother came home with a grocery bag.
“Guess what?” She said with a cheerful smile. “I bought some peanut butter for you!”
Casper’s frown slowly turned into a smile as she took out the jar.
“Yay!” He said with glee. “Thank you!” He hugged his mom but then frowned again.
“But, there’s only one problem,” Casper said. “I used up the jelly.”
:)
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)