Social Media Displays of Affection (SMDA)

Hey everybody! I know it's been a while since I've last posted, but since this blog is more for me than for others, I'm gonna post whenever I want. I'm also not going to feel pressured to post consecutively.

So! Today, I wanted to talk about people posting lovey dovey things on Instagram (I know people do it on every social platform, but I see it mainly on Instagram). I've been seeing it a lot more lately, what with hormones kicking in and everyone becoming obsessed with boys and girls and relationships. Here's some major points and questions and conversations I want to have about this topic :

Do I agree with it?

Yes! I adore it. Every once and a while, a #wcw or #mcm is perfectly fine (and usually adorable). People tend to post about their significant other because they take pride in their relationship and want to show off their boy/girl to the world. It's especially cute when someone posts, "Spent the day with him/her." Like, yes! Show off how much fun you two have together.

What's the problem?

My problem with this is when people post things I don't need to see or someone over-post their relationship. "Things I don't need to see" basically includes picture of you two making out, lip-locking, or those pictures where only the bottom half of your face is shown and I can only see you guys swapping spit. Gross. 

Also, posting too much of a relationship is annoying. A relationship should be about two people who care about each other being together, not being each other. I know you eat and sleep and burp and stuff, so post things about your personal life more than pictures of you and your man. I have a total of 25 pictures on my Instagram account, and none of them feature me and my boyfriend. (I have one picture of flowers he gave me, but even with that, I put a simple caption that wasn't too in-your-face.)

Do I do it?

Absolutely not. My boyfriend and I have spoken about it, and we both have decided that our relationship will be kept away from the Instagram posts. We still acknowledge our relationship, but we never post anything about each other directly. This may change. However, I refuse to be that half-picture-of-only-looking-at-us-making-out couple. GrOsS !!1!

Okay, I just had to get that out. It's been bothering me and I wanted to express my feelings about this. Thanks for listening to me rant. What are you feeling about this? LEAVE IT IN THE COMMENTS :)

bye for now !!

-h.m.

What I'm Thankful For

Hey everybody! HAPPY THANKSGIVING. I like Thanksgiving, but it's really just a pre-Christmas. It's a step closer to Jingle Bells and sleigh rides (and hopefully snow *sigh*). I haven't seen snow in so long!

Well, today I want to talk about what I'm thankful for, in honor of Thanksgiving. So, let's get started!

Happy Thanksgiving! :)

1. God. This is a bit of a cliche, but praying and reading my Bible have sometimes been the only things that have kept my mind straight. It's great to have someone bigger than the universe to depend on.

2. My friend Bee. Her real name isn't Bee, but she knows who I'm talking about. She's honestly like a sister to me. Bee means so much to me, even if I never really tell her how much she means to me. Sista from another mista.

3. My friend Karrot. She's like a mother to me. Not in the harsh way I could use that word, but in the way she cares about me and helps me through things. When I was sick, she urged me to come to terms that I need help to feel better. Karrot's the bomb.com.

4. My friend Biggums. Yet again, I'm not using any real names. But this one friend has been my best friend for about a year now. It's sad to say we're drifting apart a bit now, but we'll hopefully be reunited soon.

5. My parents. They've been there for me since I was little, and they continue to remind me that they'll always be there for me. My parents believe in me and support me through all the things I do and want to do.

6. My music teacher. She's taught me to express myself in a new way that had once seemed alien. Now, music is just a sixth sense to me. I appreciate how she's put up with me through the years, and I couldn't have asked for a better teacher to introduce me to my saxophone.

7. My other friends. There's really too many to name. This spot is for the rest of them. Each and every one of my friends mean the world to me, whether they know it or not. I pray for each friend and constantly thank God for everything they've given me. My friends have inspired me to speak my mind and be myself.

8. My church family. They have supported me through my hardest times, whether it be the pastors or the congregation. They've created a place for me to come happily and gather with new friends to talk about our faith. I love them so.

9. Bands, actors, actresses, and YouTubers. This is the spot for the people that have greatly impacted my life. I've never met any of them, but that doesn't matter. Their personality, music, or character has inspired me to be a better person and to strive to get more for myself. I could never thank each and every one of them, but I wish I could.

10. You. One of the things on the top of my "Thankful For" list is my readers. Even if you don't think about it, you encourage me to write (well, type) about what I love and like in my life. Thank you for reading, commenting, and caring. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and a tasty Turkey Day. :)

Just a reminder. <3

This wasn't everything, but I didn't want to bore you with a numerous list. Comment below what you're thankful for! I'd love to talk to you. 

ciao for now! xx

-h.m.

My Favorite YouTubers

Hey everybody! Lately, I've been quite busy. However, I still find time to blog and read blogs and watch my YouTubers. YouTube has become a huge inspiration and motivation for me, and it has really taken an effect (or affect? I can never tell) on my surroundings. I'm friends with people who watch the same Youtubers as me, and I often quote videos or talk about YouTubers like they're family and friends. Even if they live on a different continent, and I've never met them.

So today, I decided to talk to y'all about the YouTubers I watch and why I love them so :

(These are not in any particular order.)

1. Zoella (Zoe Sugg)

Zoe Sugg is, by far, one of my favorite YouTubers. She's my favorite beauty/fashion/style blogger. On her YouTube, she creates a range of videos from fun tags to Favorites videos. Zoe is just very charismatic and
friendly, and she is extremely inspirational, too. Recently, she wrote a book entitled "Girl Online" and launched her own beauty line (ZoellaBeauty) this year. Zoella is going far in her life, and I love to watch her grow in her life and business.
She's the sister of Joe Sugg (ThatcherJoe), and she's dating Alfie Deyes (PointlessBlog).

Video to Get You Started !

2. Tyler Oakley

Tyler is my queen. His videos are always so silly, and they brighten my day. He's also inspirational. Tyler Oakley has interviewed Michelle Obama, met Barack Obama, and gotten numerous awards for his works with the Trevor Project. He strongly supports LGBT rights, being gay himself. However, he's not one of those people that tries to throw his gay pride at you in every sentence he speaks. Tyler supports his cause through his own way, and I love him for that.

Video to Get You Started !

3. Danisnotonfire (Dan Howell)

I've been watching Dan ever since I was little. He just has a honest component to all of his videos that everyone can relate to. And while being hilarious in each of his videos, the content is just amazing. He may not post as regularly as I would hope; however, whenever Dan does upload, it's always worth the wait.

He is roommates with AmazingPhil. They make videos together on each other's channels, have a joint gaming channel, and also have a radio show together.

Video to Get You Started !

4. AmazingPhil (Phil Lester)

Phil reminds me of Dan. I guess that's why they're friends. He's really sweet and describes his life through his videos. If you've heard of it, Phil started the "7 Second Challenge". Phil is extremely creative, and the video I've suggested for you is one of my favorites. Phil has come so far from the inexperienced YouTuber he used to be. He's now an amazing and inspirational YouTuber with just over 2 million subscribers. I'm extremely proud of him.

He is roommates with Danisnotonfire, also. (They're both so cute, eep!)

Video to Get You Started !

5. Jenna Marbles

Everyone's going to know this amazing woman. Jenna Marbles/Mourey is the most popular female YouTuber there is. She has just over 14 million subscribers. Jenna's videos are so her, and no one could ever remake them. Another cool thing about this almost-30-year-old woman is that she constantly changes her hair color. Jenna is so confident in her skin and hilarious that she's irresistible. I love her and have been watching her for years.

Jenna is dating Julien Solomita, and they're adorable together.

Video to Get You Started !

Hope you enjoyed reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love these people oh-so-much.

ciao for now!

-h.m.

Fall for Autumn

Hey everybody! I have started to gently shift into an autumnal state of mind. All my summer things are being put away and let the scarves run free! I just want to show you a few things I like to change about my life for the few months that autumn sets in.

1. Chapstick

We all use Chapstick, and just a few days ago I discovered a new flavor: PUMPKIN PIE!

It is my time.

I rate this product A++. It smells just like pumpkin pie (which I adore) and the moisture it gives your mouth for these cold months is essential. It's wonderful. And it's limited edition; so please try to grab it! (I got mine at WalMart.)

2. Hats

It's time to whip out your beanies. And your animal printed hats with ear flaps. 

My favorite beanies, personally, are knit and slouchy. They're adorable, warm, and comfy.

3. Scarves

4. Color Scheme

This really can apply to anything from your clothes to your lipsticks. Around this time, I stop wearing brighter shades of red and white. I whip out my blacks (which I wear all year 'round oops) and browns and dark oranges. My favorite color around this time is cream and off-white. I don't know why.

Not my picture. But I would rock that sweater. 

5. What to Drink

I still drink coffee and tea. However, I start drinking lattes instead of frappes (hot instead of cold for non-coffee people. I got yo back) and start drinking hot tea instead of iced tea. Hot chocolate is also great for this time of the year. 

Anything with pumpkin spice or peppermint is good for this time of the year. Pumpkin spice reminds me of pumpkins, thus autumn and Thanksgiving. Peppermint reminds me of candy canes, which means CHRISTMASS. I love Christmas.

Not my picture either, but this is cute.

What 'bout y'all?

What little or big changes do you like to make when autumn falls upon us (see what I did there)? Tell me in the comments!

ciao for now!

-h.m.

I'm a Gleek?!

Hey everybody! Since November has just started, happy November! Getting closer to Christmas!

I've never done a real "Favorites" post, but this is kind of an October Favorites component. This is my current favorite show of the month (next to Doctor Who of course) :

If you don't already know about this amazing show, Glee is about a glee club full of misfits and populars who come together in a high school to sing their hearts out. There's a Glee director, Mr. Schue, who goes through just as much drama as the rest of his kids in glee club.

A lot of people give Glee a hard time, and I really don't know why. I understand a few things, like dropped story lines. There was a girl named Lauren Zizes who joined glee club, dated a guy in the club, then they broke up and she left the club. People still complain why the show dropped her story, but surprise surprise: it's because she's not in the club anymore! That's what the show's about, people!

Of all the incredibly talented actors and actresses on the show, I have a favorite. It's usually frowned upon to have a favorite in a show where the characters' stories and personalities are always evolving and changing. However, there's one character that has never lost my vote.

Kurt Hummel.

I love Kurt's entire story. His dad is an absolutely wonderful man for accepting Kurt and for doing all that he does through the show's seasons. He gives amazing quotes to live by, and Kurt is just a great character in general. Sassy, charismatic, hopeful; I'm just in love with everything Kurt stands for. Maybe it's also the fact that I love the actor who portrays him.

Can we just take a moment to admire Chris Colfer?

I'm also working on watching Struck by Lightening, which Chris stars in. I LOVE it so far. (It's on Netflix! Watch away!)

Another thing that brings me joy about Kurt is his relationship with Blaine. 

Kurt and Blaine Anderson. Adorbsville.

Even if you take out the relationship aspect of it, these two individuals make each other so happy. I truly admire that about their characters. When Kurt gets bullied or picked on for being gay, Blaine is always there to rescue him. Their friendship is so beautiful, and it really inspires me to make the people around me just as happy as Kurt and Blaine make each other. Plus, I really like Darren Criss. Oops?

alrighty, that's all for now folks. I'm sorry about the random, infrequent and frequent posting. school is overwhelming. so are friends. (But I'm thankful for everything I have.)

ciao for now!

-h.m.

A Change in the Weather

Hey everybody! How are y'all? It's starting to get cold...

FINALLY!!

The weather was going between hot and cold, and it's still hot at parts. But then again, there's wind. That keeps it cold. However, autumn weather also means sickness. I have a cold. :(

Being sick kind of makes me sad, because I have to disrupt class a lot just to blow my nose and throw it away and then squirt some GermX into my hand and then sit down. Like, it's not my fault I'm sick. It's just the sudden change in degrees outside. It's also affecting my music. Yesterday, I was playing saxophone with the band and the new thing we're practicing is memorizing our music. Hurray for me because I actually memorized this particular song! My time comes to play, and I play through a bit until I had to stop and breathe out of my mouth. My nose was stuffed, so I had to take frequent mouth breaks just to be able to fill my lungs. Of course, the director singled me out and asked the simple question, "Why ON EARTH did you stop playing in the middle of the song?"

I'm sorry, I didn't know I was a professional-sick-breathless-saxophone player. My bad.

Alongside illness, there's also been a change in the weather between me and a few friends (see what I did there. metaphors yo). Let me explain:

Friend A - 

Okay. So this one is bothering me the most. Here's a bit of the back story.

I wasn't feeling my best two days ago. I actually had to leave my computer class just to go to the bathroom and figure my stomach out. Bloated, nauseous; you get the picture. Well, I felt a bit better when I came back to class. The clock ticks by, and it's time to leave. I leave the room and run to tell one of my best friends that I'm not feeling to bright. Then, on the bus, I always sit by this person (friend A) and she just decides this day that I am not sitting by her. I go to sit down and she looks me square in the eyes and says, "Umm, no."

excuse you.

Friend B - 

So, this doesn't bother me all that much, but this friend just doesn't respond to me. I'll call her or text her or FaceTime her or something, and she never responds or picks up. I understand she's busy and everything, but please tell me that? Because I'm going to assume you hate me? Or you're dead? Or you're dead and hate me?

how is the autumn affecting you (effecting? idk)? tell me in the comments! xx

ciao for now! (hopefully I'll feel better.)

-h.m.

15 Weird Questions Tag +Peyton

Hi everybody! Time for a new post.

I just recently showed my blog to a few friends (hi Peyton and Valerie). They thought it was so cool that I had my own little corner to talk about my life. And Peyton has been pleading for me to post about him. However, just making a long list of why Peyton's such a cool, amazing, funny person and friend wouldn't be very interesting. He thought it would be cool if I interviewed him. (And of course I had to make it a funny tag. You've got to know me by now.) Here's what happened:

What's a nickname only your family calls you?
Squirrel. or pumpkin. And yes Forreal! (I had to ask.)

What's a weird habit of yours?
hmm. I bite my nails. a lot.

Do you have any weird phobias?
IM SCARED OF SPIDERS (Arachnophobia?) yes. that.

What's a song you secretly love to blast and belt out when you're alone?
Swimming Pools - Kendrick Lamar

What's one of your biggest pet peeves?
(I had to explain to him what this was.) OHHHHHH okay I gotcha. I really don't like when people ask me what's wrong and I'm just being quiet. like can I be quiet please? (I feel.)

What's one of your nervous habits?
(Had to explain this too.) My heart starts racing and I get really jumpy and like I just wanna run

What side of the bed do you sleep on?
right side. I'm currently in that same spot

What was your first stuffed animal and its name?
Monkey Joe.

What's the drink you always order at Starbucks?
I don't go to Starbucks but I always get a caramel frappe from McDonald's in the morning

What's a rule you preach, but never actually practice?
this is actually a tough one. idk I can't think of anything (That's okay. We can move on)

Which way do you face in the shower?
towards the shower head (me too ayee)

Do you have any weird body skills?
Remember in class? I can bend my finger. a lot. (He can, oh my gosh; it scares me.)

What's your favorite comfort food that's bad but you love to eat it anyways?
I like hot Cheetos. *LOVE OMG AND SOUR GUMMY WORMS. SOUR GUMMY WORMS ARE LIFE

What's a phrase or exclamation you always say?
Umm Gosh Darnit (His original "phrase" was not very blog-friendly. If you catch my drift.)

Time to sleep, what are you actually wearing?
basketball shorts and a shirt or basketbal shorts and a tank top or [just] basketball shorts

Yay! This was really fun to do. Adding people in my blog is hopefully as interesting to you as it is to me. Hopefully I can do this more often!

And thanks, Peyton, for letting me interview you. (He really did love doing this.) He also wanted me to put that we did this interview through Kik since it was 9:30pm. He also told me to add in his Kik, but I didn't want him to be stalked in the long run. :)

anyway, thanks for reading! hope you enjoyed this!

ciao for now! xx

-h.m.