River Phoenix.

Rhiannon and I were talking about River Phoenix. He's in one of our favorite movies, Stand By Me (did you know he was 16 in that movie?), among others and as he got older he got even cuter. He died at the age of 23 from a drug overdose.I created a tumblr which you can get to by clicking HERE. I also added it to the right-hand side of this blog. Why? Because I found way too many pictures with words that inspired me, made me think of people, made me think "ME TOO", and more. All pictures; few words. I'll be posting at least 3 each day and have them set up to post randomly throughout the day so that's something to check out if you're bored.

Butch Walker.

Butch Walker is one of my all time favorites. I've seen him a ton of times, met him a few, and got a photo once. I was introduced to him back in the day by my cousin, Raechel. We saw Butch Walker when he was in Marvelous 3. I still have the guitar pick Jayce Fincher (bassist) gave to me back in (I want to say) 1997 when M3 played with Collective Soul at the State. I was 10. He's evolved so much as a musician, continues to wow me with his music, has made quite the name for himself in the biz, and, oddly enough, he's bffs with my best friend's favorite musician.Here's one of the many reasons I adore him:

i just want to say that life is precious. life is wonderful. life is unpredictable. so please, go out and life your own. it’s going to only get weirder and wilder from this point on, so please, don’t sit in your little bubble and listen and follow what you have been taught or told your whole life (because there’s a 72% chance that it was all BULLSHIT). you have the ability to take chances, sleep on floors in random strangers’ houses, drive around the country, fly around the world (if you can afford a ticket), backpack anywhere, and believe anything and nothing. whatever it is that you choose to do, just do it, and act on impulse and will. i can smell it on people a mile away if they were brought up as carbon copies of their own peers. the shirts, the lingo, the philosophy, the record collection, etc… just take chances because you will never regret that. this is a promise.

PREACH!

Big Fish.

I challenge EACH OF YOU to Do Nothing for 2 Minutes. If it doesn't make you feel renewed, I'm convinced you're not a human being. Do it and feel awesome.

Here's a Code of Conduct to live by. Stumbled across and it's phenomenal!

Here's a sketch of Marion Cotillard from Big Fish. Big Fish is one of the best.

J'adore.

I'm dedicating this post to the things I enjoy or deem important and I wanted to start it off by saying how much I enjoy the comments I receive from friends and strangers. A kind word goes a long way; so I wanted to take the time to thank those of you that take the time to leave words. You inspire me and it is to you that I start this entry off.

I love inspirational sayings. People think they're cheesy, but they fill me with hope.My friend, Zack, texted me and said, "I decided I love your soul. I wish I was as happy as you appear to be. I looked into 3 years worth of blog in one sitting and was inspired by you as a person." I was, and still am, speechless.Fellow blogger, Julia, keeps me inspired with her art and words. She's authentic.I wish every house looked like this all the time. I would never stop smiling.Jamba Juice + my favorite Kevins = #realtimes.I will always love The Jonas Brothers. I love these photos cause it looks like they're from the 50's and I can't resist good looking guys in leather jackets.Matt Benyo did this as a joke, but it made my heart melt. BFFLs.There's no place like NYC. I can't wait to go back (hopefully with Nathan & MB).Brother Chan is always making me laugh and I'm proud to be his sister.
I watched a video about this guy (Ross). He was talking about how everyone should get off Facebook. He's been off for over 5 months and he held up pieces of paper. He said, "1 of your friends is looking at your pictures and judging you. You haven't gained weight since high school. You are prettier than your profile pictures. You are more interesting than your profile." and he held up this sign and I loved it. There is nothing comparable to someone being genuine. Sincerity goes a long way.

Enjoyment.

I just started stumbling upon today. I know, I'm late to the game, but usually Brother Chan or Matt Benyo stumble across things and just post them on my facebook and that's been good enough, but today was I was SO BORED I started doing it myself. All my friends were busy with something or another and Brother Chan went to bed at 9 pm like a weakling so I stumbled upon for 3 hours. I found some fun images, but Brother Chan showed me this really great link. It's called The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun. Click it, sit back, relax, and enjoy. It's well worth it.

I wish these stairs were in MY house.Book and art? Yes, please!This is Earth at night. It looks serene.

Harry Potter!

My friend, Rebecca Friedman, introduced me to THIS website with great Harry Potter macros. My favorite is the one pasted below. Some are dumb. Some are hilarious. Check em out and get a chuckle. P.S. Can't wait for the movie this JULY.

Enjoy The Little Things.

This post is dedicated to the little things that I enjoy. 'Enjoying the Little Things' is rule #32 in Zombieland, and it's an important rule at that. I especially enjoy:
#66: Tight, meaningful hugs mean so much to me. When someone hugs me, I want them to hug me like it's the last time they will.
#153: When you and your best friend say the same thing at the same time happens to me the most with Matt Benyo and it's SO GREAT. How often does that EVER happen let alone with the same person on multiple occasions?
#48: Recalling good memories with old friends happens most with Rhiannon. We often stroll down Memory Lane unless we're planning new adventures.
I also enjoy having video chat parties with Rhiannon, Alex, and Brother Chan. Here we are raising our glasses; to friendship, good times, and the internet working.

I just looked at the tumblr that inspired this post and I have to additionally add:
#194: Guys who smell good!
#192: Just shaved legs.
#191: Spontaneous Adventures!
#183: Accents.
#181: Late-night phone conversations (or skype)!

What are some of the little things YOU enjoy? (Click images to enlarge)

Beat Backbones.

"Release The Kraken!"

If you haven't seen Clash of the Titans, you should see THIS first.

Brother Chan Party.

Brother Chan and I went to the library today.

Chan: What are you getting?
Me: Goosebumps, The Outsiders, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Chan: What are you, in the fifth grade?

Jonas Anniversary.

Two years ago today, I was trying to sleep, but couldn't because I was going to see the JBs for the first time. Two years ago, I fell in love with the Jonas Brohters. Additionally, I met one of my bffls, Rhiannon Goedel, and that is all thanks to the Jonas Brothers. Rhiannon and I still look back on our adventures fondly. All the tears I shed at each show, the foam we got drenched in, the times we lost our voices from screaming the lyrics to their songs so loudly, the sacrifices we made for them (sleeping in the car, driving 12+ hours after being awake for 30+ hours, and dropping some serious cash flow), we had some REAL TIMES. 2009 was the year of the Jonas. We went to 9 JONAS BROTHERS SHOWS! I even went to CALIFORNIA for the midnight showing of their movie! On top of that, Rhiannon and I MET Nick and Kevin in Toronto a mere 8 months from our first time seeing them! It has been a wild ride and I'm happy to say that Rhiannon is still my friend through all of it. We took the top right picture together with our friends, Alex and Kayla, after we miraculously got main floor tickets to the show and who'd have thought two years later, Rhiannon, Alex, and I would be hanging out in Chicago, drinking some Jamba Juice? I also included this Polaroid that Rhiannon took from the show we went to this past summer where Joe Jonas LOOKED ME IN THE EYES during "When You Look Me In The Eyes", grabbed my hand, and SANG TO ME. I simultaneously blacked out and my heart stopped; it was one of the best moments EVER. You may laugh at me because of all this, but everyone has that musical person/act that they hold above all others and go nuts over. To say that all of this has happened with the group that I love, is nothing short of amazing. I dedicate this post to the Jonas Brothers and to Rhiannon. I look forward to many more fun times with you both!

World's Tiniest Portrait.

I've wanted to paint since Matt Benyo told me he liked this painting that I did because that was a breakthrough piece for me due to its small size. This time around, I wanted to challenge myself to go even smaller. While talking to my friend Alex, I busted out my gouache and bammed this painting out in 2 hours. It's an inch high and less than an inch wide, but for how small it is, I managed to get a lot in there. I must admit, It looks better (& smoother) in real life, but it is what it is. I painted it on a flap from a box of Crayolas. This is Stephen Foster. He wrote "Oh! Susanna".

Beauty School Dropout.

No graduation day, for me. When I got out of the shower, I noticed the pink bled into the blonde. It now has a pink tint to it. I think I'm done being experimental for awhile.Charles got the 2011 Bad Luck Bug today. He got pulled over, a flat tire, and the spare was flat! #blameiton2011. Who's getting the bad luck next? It's anybody's guess, but if you associate with me, consider yourself unsafe. I've had my own consistent stream of bad luck. I really hope it ends soon.

Tomorrow, I am posting something great.

Guilty Pleasures.

Red Velvet is my favorite cake (funfetti comes next) and Shelby surprised me with a piece when I picked her up from work! I haven't had any red velvet in FOREVER.I stayed up for 27 hours today. I managed to make some art and I finished Big Fish (the book). I was actually surprised how different it was from the movie. The characters were the same and a lot of the stories were similar, but it wasn't pieced together in a cohesive way like the movie. I wonder how different my opinion would be if I had read the book before seeing the movie. I'm biased and all about the movie, but I thought the book would be just like it. It's worth checking out. I like the way the author (Daniel Wallace) writes. I literally just finished it so I'm still processing it. I do love reading though. I wish I could spend the night at the library.

Here is a link highlighting the 10 Most Creative Resumes. Some of them are neat, but some walk that fine line between clever and stupid as former professor, Dave Chow, often reminded us in Portfolio Presentation.

The Midnight Game.

Nikki DeSautelle told me about The Midnight Game. It's this game you play from midnight til 3:33 am and the goal is to beat The Midnight Man. For full directions and explanation, click the image below to enlarge and read. I want to play it SO BADLY, but my house is too small for such shenanigans and The Midnight Man would find me in about 5 minutes and then I'd poop my pants and/or die. It says multiple people can play so anyone wanna play? I was just thinking about how scary it would be to play with a bunch of people and to hear one of them scream. Any takers?A portrait of Edgar Allan Poe seems apropos (hey, that rhymed) because he's a dark dude and came up with some scary tales in his hayday. I used gouache, white pencil, and black pen on a heavier stock of paper. It felt good to be experimental.

Fort Tire.

Wanna know why this weekend was so good? Because Matt Benyo, Brother Chan, and I built a FORT in Matt Benyo's living room. We made one on the couch and then we made one under 3 chairs. It was the best thing EVER; not even exaggerating. You wanna bond with someone? Make a fort and hang out.

Today, Brother Chan and I went shopping from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm and it was exhausting. We went to Ann Arbor. At 3, we went to MB's to watch Jersey Shore. At 4, we headed out. On the way home, I'm talking to Rhiannon, and she says:

Rhiannon: Nothing bad has happened lately.
Me: Dude, why would you say that? That's not even funn--I almost hit some guy pulled over in the fast lane! Thanks a lot. OH MY GOD! IT'S MATT BENYO!

It's definitely Rhiannon's fault, but #blameiton2011. The bad luck bug has been passed on to Matt Benyo. I went to his rescue. I held the nuts and bolts and made sure no one ran into us with their vehicles. I kept having flashes of cars hitting us, but at the last second, I would throw us out of the way. That didn't happen, but a cop came speeding up behind us and asked us if we were almost done over his megaphone and Matt was like, "YEAH!" It was SO cold out. I couldn't feel my face or hands and my eyes were all pupil. I was really impressed with Matt Benyo's flat tire changing skillz considering I have none. I laughed as we were standing out there because the cop probably thought Matt was changing the tire for ME; not so much, Mr. Cop. He started hootin and hollerin on the loud speaker, but I didn't know what he was saying so I bid Matt Benyo adieu and carried on. Then I called Rhiannon and told her what her words had done and we deduced that as soon as she said nothing bad had happened, MB probably got the flat tire.

Upon returning to my area, we got nomz (pizza party), but then I was an animal at dinner. Everyone started fighting and Brother Chan started screaming "WE WILL ROCK YOU!" at the top of his lungs and for a single moment, I felt proud to call him my brother because it was a real animal moment.

I finished Harry Potter 7 this weekend while wearing a shirt that said MUGGLE. I cried while nearing the end/finishing it. No shame.

Cretaceous Period.

I woke up from my Chicago Slumber. I ended up sleeping for 17 HOURS! INSANE! Here is a picture of Rhiannon and I in Chicago. I'm a Tyrannosaurus Rex. I also found this nice photo about how no one feels their age (or something about love).

Chicago!

Rhiannon came down to go with our friend Alex to Chicago today and, around 2 am last night, it was decided that I would also be accompanying them on the trip along with Brother Chan. Everyone got ready and we headed out around 4:30. I hate Chicago; it's the worst city in America, but I thought I'd give it another shot. It still hasn't changed my mind. I had a great time with my friends, but the city sucks. It was freezing. I wore 2 sweaters, 2 shirts, leggings, jeans, and 2 pairs of socks!From the night prior, I pulled my omega all nighter and went to Chicago on no sleep. Upon arrival, I belted "Get Back to Hogwarts" by Darren Criss with the window down at the top of my lungs. I took my first ever photo in the BEAN. We tried to take photos in a linear-Brady Bunch fashion, but failed. We drank Jamba Juice (Strawberries Wild FTW) and I kept trying to get Chan to photograph #realtimes aka real life moments that don't look posed. We just laughed a lot. We went shopping at H&M, Forever 21, and Urban Outfitters, but Alex was the only one who purchased anything. Chan, Rhiannon, and I just rode the escalators up and down and gave high fives. In H&M, "I Whip My Hair Back & Forth" came on so we stood in the main foyer and did so. Rhiannon whipped her hair so hard, she set the censors off and the manager laughed. We had dinner at Ed Debevic's which is this great place where they are supposed to be rude to you, but our waitress was a washed up Snooki with a rat's nest poof. She took a picture of herself. The trip concluded with Chan falling asleep and a pit stop at Matt & Nate's to recount our adventures. I am currently on the phone with Rhiannon because she has been lost for over 2 hours and I am guiding her home via maps. Impromptu adventures are fun! Click to enlarge!

Locked Out.

I thought the bad things for today were over. I pulled an all nighter and this morning spoke with Rhiannon. I told her I was going to go on adventures having assumed I got my daily dose of disaster out of the way with the Walmart incident that occurred at previously (thus ensuring my safety for the rest of the day). WRONG. I headed to Value World. Value World is like the Salvation Army, but it's cheaper. I pull in, turn the car off, open the door, lock it, and slam that baby shut. I start walking towards the doors and feel for the keys. I knew I did it before I even looked; I locked the keys in the car. I had planned on whiling away the hours casually browsing for hidden second hand gems, but instead I would spend the next 45 minutes trying to figure out how to unlock the lock in the car. #miz. I went inside and stole a giant hanger. The window was cracked wide enough that I could fit 2 fingers in, but the hanger wasn't long enough. I went back inside, explained my situation, and was presented with a wire hanger. I untwisted it and turned into MacGuyver as I made a make-shift hook thing. I relentlessly tried unlocking the lock. No luck. I was laughing at my horrible luck, on the verge of tears, and once again, a raging cajun. I called home, Janine laughed, and told me we didn't have a spare. I hung up. I kept trying. The cold stung my face as a black lady watched with judgmental eyes. I came up with the idea to tie the wire around the big hanger and lower it in when a stranger approached:
Guy: Do you need some help?
Me: I don't know if there's anything you can do that I haven't already done.
Guy: Does this have automatic locks?
Me: -I just stare at the window-
Guy: Hello? Is this your car?
Me: Oh. Yeah. Yeah, they're automatic. I think.
The guy maneuvers the wire hanger into the car and instead of going for the lock on the inside that I was trying to lift, he went for the unlock BUTTON that unlocks the actual lock that is too heavy to be lifted by some stupid wire. He had the car unlocked in 5 seconds. I stood there and just started laughing hysterically as I realized how stupid I looked. I hadn't even thought to try to hit the button that locks and unlocks the car. He said, "My name's Mike. What's your name?" I said, "Chelsea!" inbetween fits of laughter. "Well, Chelsea, you look cold. Next time, you won't need to rig two wires." He opened my door for me, let me get in, closed it, and told me to have a nice day. I thanked him and watched him leave. Before he left, we both waved at each other and I smiled the biggest smile ever. I couldn't help but think that Mike was some sort of angel. I read this book about the kindness of strangers, but rarely witness such things. Here are some sketches of the incident. When I got home, I told my family the story and Charles blatantly asked me if I was "effing retarded" and everyone laughed as they additionally recalled my humiliation last night. As a result, I'm not leaving the house for the next few days. #blameiton2011.

Walmart Wreckage.

2011 has been weird and not very nice to me. I asked Janine for her charge card so I could buy some items from Walmart at 11:30 pm. I hate Walmart, but it's open 24 hours, which makes it convenient. I wrote the list on my hand and scoured the store. After an hour, I deemed my pursuit complete and made my way to the registers: only 2 open and Walmart was packed. I chose the slower line because I thought I would receive the least amount of hassle at the register; I had Janine's card and I didn't want them to not let me use it. "How you doing?" I asked the cashier as I unloaded my items. She rang everything up and a line of 3 people formed behind me. $27.90 "Do you want the gum with you?" I nodded, and put the gum in my pocket. "Is this gonna be credit or debit?" she inquired. "CREDIT!" I said, feeling victorious; she didn't ask to see my card or ID. Then, disaster struck. "Your card isn't working." Swipe. Swipe. Swipe. "It can't read the card." I looked back; 6 people stood behind me glaring and judging. In my head, I was hoping this wasn't really happening, but alas, it was. "Do you have another card on you?" She asked. Of course I didn't have another card on me. "Yeah, let me run out to the car and get it." I did the speedy shuffle, abandoned my goods, and booked it. I was a raging cajun. I reached into my pocket and realized I put the gum in there. I got home and explained to my parents what happened. The first thing Charles says is, "Did you return the stuff to the shelves?" (#isthisguyserious?) Turns out, the card had sufficient funds, but the strip wasn't readable in machines and the numbers had to be typed in, but NOPE, they didn't tell me this piece of KEY information and that lady didn't try it so my hour was wasted and my articles left in vain. Out of the whole ordeal, I left with a pack of gum and a lot less dignity. When all else fails, blame it on 2011. Suck it, new year.The title of this post was deemed as such by Zack Taylor.

Sick Day.

So this is the new year and I don't feel any different. Oh wait, yes I do because I'm sick; how crummy. This is from the last time I was sick. I need to get motivated; stat.