Lorianne Marie Beethoven! HAH! Yeah right!

Hiii darlings! Happy Saturday! I'm sorry I have been neglecting you guys lately. Last week I worked Monday-Friday starting at 6am. By the time I got home I was too tired to walk let alone type. :) Forgive me?

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

In my last post I told you guys how I was teaching myself some basic piano skills and was beginning to write a song in hopes of crossing TWO things off my bucket list. Well, I have finished

lyrics to my song. However, writing the actual tune turns out to be a very difficult process. Especially when you have as little experience reading music as I do. As far as my piano playing- I am getting

better. I'm not looking to become a pianist. I just want to be able to play a few songs. So, if ANY of

you have ANY experience with writing music, know someone who does, or just have any suggestions...

FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW! :) I am not giving up. I will continue to work at this until my song

is complete. I am going to post the lyrics I have written. I really look forward to your feedback! I am

looking for some constructive criticism here people!

NEW SONG OF THE WEEK! NEW QUOTE OF THE WEEK!

"Time you enjoyed wasting was not wasted." -John Lennon

This quote makes me feel less guilty about so much time in front of this laptop. I ENJOY talking

to you guys which means I am being productive. Well, according to John Lennon! I made the photo

art on the sidebar under "Quote of the Week." That is a pop art picture of the Imagine mosaic in

Central Park. Pretty awesome. I plan on seeing it in person when I go back to New York in January!

RIP John Lennon.

The song of the week is The Lost Get Found by Britt Nicole. I will post the lyris and everything in a

later post. I have a lot I want to say about this song. It deserves its own post.

REMINDER! REMINDER!

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month! Every week in September I will post info

about a different Childhood Cancer charity. So far I have chosen TWO of the four charities I am going

to write about. Any suggestions about the final two? Lemme know. :) I am planning on donating to

one of these AWESOME organizations by the end of September! It is definitely a goal for the new month.

Kay guys, you are amazing. You are the ones who keep me blogging! Check out the lyrics to my song!

"It's Time"

By Lorianne

I'm driving past the high school

And the parking lot is full

But my car isn't there

Nobody seems to care

I wipe the tears from my eyes

Realize how stupid it is to cry

I know I have to make the change

But it just feels too strange

It's time to let go

It's time to grow up

All of this I know

I'm not giving up

It's time

Yeahhhh it's time

It's time to face facts

It's time to achieve

No time to relax

No time to grieve

It's time

Class of 2009

Feels like I'm moving too fast

Only great things wait for me

I'm holding on to the past

The future is here and there is no time to flee

It's time to let go

It's time to grow up

All of this I know

I'm not giving up

It's time

Yeahhhh it's time

It's time to face facts

It's time to achieve

No time to relax

No time to grieve

It's time

Class of 2009

Yeahhh it's time

Working on...

Hey everybody! Happy hump day! :) Apparently it is National Dog Day today too. Arf! I want a puppy so bad, lol.

You will never guess what I have been doing. I have been working on some of the things on my bucket list. I figure since I am not in school right now and have some free time, this is the perfect opportunity. I will surprise you in the next few days as to what I am working on. :) It involves music. OH JEEZ! I can't keep it a secret! I am learning to play the piano and am currently writing a song! Those are TWO things on my bucket list. No, I am not taking piano lessons. I am teaching myself. I think I am doing pretty damn well considering I haven't learned any kind of music since 5th grade. The title of the song is "It''s Time." It will HOPEFULLY be done within the next couple days or so! :)

Just thought I would let ya know. Life is too short. Get to work on YOUR bucket list!

Here's to 50 fabulous posts...

Here it is... what you have all been waiting for. Drumroll please. (BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!)

My 50th blog post. Woohoo. I feel like I just starting writing my little posts and now I am on my 50th. This is the longest I have ever kept up with something and it is all because of you guys! :)

So, obviously you haven't heard from me much lately. I have been racking my brain trying to decide what to do for this post. I decided to post the first part of my 18 things I've learned in 18 years. I will post 9 now and 9 at a later date. Here it goes.

18 Things I've Learned In My First 18 Years (Part 1)

1) Never judge a book by its cover. And by a book, I mean a person. People will always surprise you- first impressions aren't always accurate!

2) Not everyone is going to like you. There will always be AT LEAST one person who absolutely can't stand you & that's just life.

3) I have learned that nature can heal you if you allow it to. If you are feeling down, go outside. Look around you. Take in the sunsets, the trees, the wildlife, the rain, and the clouds. You will always go back inside feeling a little bit more at ease.

4) Everyone is always striving to meet society's standards. No one is better than anyone else, no matter what society says.

5) People just want to feel important and loved. Sometimes the people who need the most attention are the ones who need the most love. I don't care who you are, there is some part of you that yearns for acceptance.

6) Everything that you say and do will eventually catch up with you. Be careful.

7) Everyone interprets music differently. I may hear a song and think that the artist is talking about aliens taking over the planet. You may listen to it and think that the song is about two ladybugs falling in love. It depends on your situation at the time. Think about it, it's true.

8) There is a time to be funny, a time to be sad, a time to be serious, and a time to goof off. I am still trying to figure this one out myself.

9) You cannot survive without loved ones. You cannot survive without some sort of social circle. Well, maybe this one only applies to some people, including me. Life is so boring without those crazy friends/family to keep you on your toes!

Well, there is part one. I hope you all enjoyed! I will post part two in the next few days. AND check out the new song/quote of the week. <3

I'm Julia Child, Bon Appetit!

Bonjour everyone! I'm feeling a bit French today. I just got back from seeing Julie & Julia starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. It was a great movie, as is usual with anything starring Meryl. I think you would all appreciate the "blogging" in this movie. I just had the urge to run home and write to you guys. I really respect Julia Child's attitude. She didn't take any BS and never let anything get her down. I really could learn from someone like that right now. Things at work are still a bit shaky and I'm letting it affect me way too much. My favorite part of the movie was when the head of the cooking school told Julia that she had "no real talent for cooking" and Julia stuck her tongue out at her. There is my new attitude! You don't like me? Well, tough. Let me stop talking about this before I get fired. Haha.

A few days ago I realized that this is going to be my 49th blog post. That means that the next time I talk to you it will be my 50th! Wow, that went fast! I am still deciding what I am going to post about next time. You will all just have to wait and see what I come up with!

I just uploaded the new song/quote of the week. I figured a quote from Julia was necessary. I saw this quote and I knew that I definitely needed to share it. "Tears mess up your makeup." It is such a simple statement but it is so full of meaning. There is no point in crying over stupid crap! Plain and simple. Stay positive you guys.

I chose the song of the week because it is just cute and summery. Is that a word? Well, it is now. :D Listen to it because autumn will be here before you know it. I don't have much else to talk about. Keep reading because I am going to be posting a lot of new stuff in the next few weeks. Smile, darlings. Don't mess up that makeup.

Let the monsters see you smile.

Hello my favorite blogger buddies! I hope your week is going well. Mine, well, not so much. I had a pretty crappy night at work yesterday. I came home, blood-boiling and just livid. I needed to vent...and believe me I did! I chewed off the ear off of anyone who was willing to listen. I am completely grateful to the friends who are there for me 100 percent and to my mother (who sat by politely and listened even though she was watching one of her favorite shows). I am still a little annoyed about what happened at work and I have to go back again tonight. I am determined not to let these things ruin my day. So on that note, MOVING ON! :)

I hope you guys noticed the new song/quote of the week! I chose the quote of the week because it is something that has been on my mind so much lately.

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well Ralphie, I agree 1000 percent! You cannot expect someone to be there for you if you aren't there for them. Just thought this quote could remind everyone how important it is to be a good friend! But you guys know that already. :D

Instead of writing a long, drawn out post about the song of the week...here's a video with the song in the background! Do YOURSELVES a favor and download this song! I love, love, love it. It played during the My Sister's Keeper trailer. It just helps me appreciate life when I am feeling down.

This video is not the full song and I did not make it. :) I just love how the video clips go with the song!

Okay darlings, I gotta go get ready for another fun-filled night at work. JOY! I hope you enjoy the song and I'll catch up with ya later! MUAH!

Relax, don't do it. When you wanna go to it.

Well guys, time to start another week! I had a very nice Sunday. I slept in late, watched some TV, ate some Captain Crunch cereal, worked for only 4 hours, came home, ate some really good pot roast, made my self a cup of my favorite chai tea and watched Madea's Family Reunion (which was a really cute movie, BTW).

Tomorrow I am off from work so I will probably just be hanging out at home and I am definitely going to watch the Teen Choice Awards. I know this is a pretty dull post but that is how things have been lately- dull but in a good way. :D

To keep this post from being totally pointless I am going to give you a review on a book I just recently finished reading and a list of 10 things that help me relieve stress.

I started reading this book about a month ago and finished it while I was in New York. If you guys have ever watched Laguna Beach or The Hills, you know who Lauren Conrad is. Despite this being her first novel, the book is very well-written. It started out a little slow and it took me awhile to fully commit myself to reading it. Towards the middle of the book, I was hooked. This book is the first of a three part series. I am very excited to read the second one when it is released. Regardless of whether or not you watch the shows, you should definitely check out the book.

Okay, now here are the 10 ways that I relieve stress. I hope you guys can try some of these tips and offer me some advice of your own.

#1- I always feel more relaxed when I put on Johnson's Melt Away Stress Dreamy Night Cream. I put a little bit on when I am going to sleep or when I am having a stressful day. The chamomile scent really puts me at peace.

#2- Driving also helps me calm down. I like to roll down the windows, open the sun roof, blast my favorite radio station or CD and just go. It doesn't matter if I am driving to work, school, shopping, or just getting out. I always feel more at ease when I am behind the wheel (unless I am stuck in traffic, getting cut off, or someone is driving like a maniac).

#3- Listening to soothing music (such as Enya, any of the songs from the score of Twilight, The Weepies, Matt Kearney, The Fray, A Fine Frenzy, or Five for Fighting).

#4- I like turning off all the lights and lighting a bunch of candles. Even if I am busy putting away laundry, working on homework, or writing an awesome blog post...just the gentle lighting puts me at ease.

#5- Reading is another great way for me to lose touch with reality for a little while and just refocus.

#6- Making jewelry is another way I love to relax. Any craft project really...like cake decorating, scrapbooking, cardmaking, etc.

#7- CHAI TEA! I love it. The taste is like a mix of pumpkin and cinnamon. I like it hot, iced, blended, whatever. It instantly puts me in a better mood!

#8- Driving through the car wash. :)

#9- I love the smell of Febreze. Haha, it's true. That smell always puts a smile on my face.

#10- Rain. Thunder. Lightning. I find it VERY relaxing.

Anyways, I hope that helps you guys. I'd love to hear what you do to unwind! All this talk about relaxing has me ready for bed. Maybe I will squeeze out another post while I am home tomorrow. We'll see. Have a great Monday. MUAH!

Is there really an Ugly Truth?

Hey everybody! Sorry this post is being published a little later than promised. I have just been working A LOT. We have to get ready for the Christmas season at my job! (Yes, I realize it is August. Retail America, however, does not.)

Anywho, last weekend I went and saw the Ugly Truth. I would recommend it for the 17+ crowd. It was definitely a cute movie!

I just want to say that I do not think women need to change to "win over" men, a fallacy that was definitely a theme in The Ugly Truth. I do not think that men are as chauvinistic as they are portrayed in this movie. Well, that's just my opinion. :) That is all I have to say on that.

I hope you all enjoyed the Charity of the Month post. I worked very hard on it. Next month is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. For that reason, I will be writing a charity post every week in September. Each post will be about a different charity that is involved in finding cures for pediactric cancer. I already have two charities that I am definitely going to write about. If you have any suggestions for the other two, let me know!

A couple of days ago I was looking for some inspiration for a new post. I stumbled upon an article on CNN. com. It is called "18 clever timesavers for super busy people." Here is the link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/08/03/rs.time.saving.tips/index.html. Read the article- there are some really good ideas that I am definitely going to try.

Okay, I don't have much else to say so I will talk to you in the next couple of days. Just a reminder, if you haven't already, SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG! :D Once I receive twenty followers, I will host a giveaway.

Hasta luego amigos! <3

August Charity of the Month - Lotus Outreach International

Okay my loyal subscribers, you know what time it is! That's right, it is time for another Charity of the Month post. For August I have chosen Lotus Outreach International, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of abused and neglected women and children in developing countries.

Do you know the history of the lotus flower? The lotus flower, also known as Nelumbo nucifera, is an aquatic perennial plant. This means that this flower blooms in the water during spring and summer and dies off in autumn and winter. What is really extraordinary about this beautiful flower is that it grows from mud. It rises out of the dirtiest of mud at the bottom of a pond completely unstained.

You may be wondering what the heck this has to do with charity.

Well, the women and children who are taken care of by Lotus Outreach International have risen from their own personal depths of hell and become beautiful members of their societies.

This charity uses many different programs and partnerships to help aid in their mission to help these vulnerable people take charge of their lives. Some examples of these programs and projects are Buddha Smiles, Girls Access to Education (GATE), Consoling through Counseling, etc.

Many of the people who are assisted by Lotus Outreach are women and children who have been sold into sexual slavery and are victims of human trafficking.

You can read more about the history and approach of Lotus Outreach International on their website, www.lotusoutreach.org.

Are you interested in getting involved? Lotus Outreach has an online store where the proceeds go to the charity. You can also donate any amount of money, no matter how large or small. There is also a list of ways you can get involved without opening your wallet on their website. Here is the link: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/291763/c9ff4e3993/1370001985/5966dc2e70/.

Please watch this video for some more information about this amazing charity. I hope you all do something to get involved, even if it just passing on information about this charity on your own blog and to your friends and family. You are all amazing for spending your time reading this post. Even if you just embed this video on your blog, MySpace, Facebook, etc. you are making a true difference.

"He who wished to secure the good of others, has already secured his own."

-Confucius

Love Save The Empty by Erin McCarley.

Little girls don't know how to be sweet girls.

Mama didn't teach me.

Little boys don't know how to treat little girls.

Daddy didn't show me.

Face down, on top of your bed.

Oh why did I give it up to you?

Is this how I shoot myself up high,

Just high enough to get through?

Again, the false affection.

Again, we break down inside.

Love save the empty.

Love save the empty, and save me.

Sad boy, you stare up at the sky

When no one's looking back at you.

You wear your every last disguise;

You're flying, then you fall through.

Again, the false attention.

Again, you're breaking inside.

Love save the empty.

Love save the empty, save me.

Love save the empty.

Love save the empty.

Stars feel like knives,

They tell us why we're fighting.

Storm, wait outside.

Oh, love, hold us together.

Love, save the empty.

Love, save the empty.

Love, save the empty.

Love, save the empty, and save me.

And save me.

Hello there! Here is that song of the week post that you have all been waiting so patiently for. :D I chose this song because I really like the message of love saving people who are lost. I think that this song is trying to say that people who are broken, confused, lost, or hurt need to find love and love others. Love pulls through and love saves lives.

I think this song, which some find a little depressing, is very motivational. It has been stuck in my head since they first day I heard it...in JUNE. It is really sweet and you should all download it! If this song sounds familiar, it was used in He's Just Not That Into You.

I am very sleepy. I have had a stress-filled couple of days. Expect to see that Charity of the Month post either tomorrow or Tuesday. OH and did I mention that my birthday was July 18th and I am officially 18! I'm legal...woohoo! :]

Just thought I would throw that in there since I don't feel like I mentioned it in my older posts.

Nighty night you guys! You are amazing.