So Long 2012

Woohoo, this is my last blog entry of December and also of 2012! :-)

Finally, it's time to have a big celebration and say goodbye to old 2012. 2013 is what everyone is waiting for, in more ways than one. I know that I also promised all of you that I would share my biggest New Year's resolution, didn't I?

I'm actually not sure if I said this in a blog entry already or not, but I think 2012 hasn't been the best year for everyone and we're all eager to get rid of it. Of course, this doesn't mean that 2012 was all bad. If I'm not mistaken, I DID get to snap a few pictures with my favorite Australian model AND high-five her super-beautiful brother. So, yeah. Not ALL bad. ;)

But my biggest resolution, like I said, is to just start over. I know that isn't really much of a resolution, but it's mine anyway. 2012 has carried too much stress and pain and heartache for everyone, such as Hurricane Sandy and the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. It's been a good year in some ways, but a bad year in even MORE ways, and we all need to just have a fresh start.

And yes, I will sadly report that I HAVE succumbed to the typical "New Year, New Me" promise that people always make and end up giving up on within the first week of the new year. Well, I can assure you that that won't be happening to me. I'm going to stick to the new "me", and here are some things that I can promise about my 2013 self:

I'll be the person that everyone wants to go to when they need advice and help with any situation.

I'll be dependable. No more empty promises.

I'll stay away from drama that doesn't involve me. (And there are a select few who may be reading this that should say the same for themselves.)

I won't give up. Ever. Too many times, people have told me that something wasn't going to work and I should quit trying. Well, not anymore. I'm going to do my hardest and make sure that I never, ever back down.

So those are a few of the things that I'm changing about myself for 2013. What about you guys?

Now go turn off your computer, grab a glass of sparkling cider, click on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, and have a great, great night and a very happy new year.

I'll see you all in 2013!

xoxo,

Jessica
The Pastry Queen

Quote of the Day:
"If you kick our door in, we'll burn your house down." -President John F. Kennedy

Post-Christmas Results

Ahh, this is the last full week on 2012! This day next week, I'll be sitting behind a desk in Algebra, and it'll be 2013 and Christmas Break will be over and I'll be tired and sad because I'd become used to getting up at 1pm and relaxing and enjoying presents. :(

Well, since there are still 6 days of break left, how are you guys going to spend it? My week will be spent hanging with friends, going to football parties, heading to the city, taking Zumba classes (this one is a big one...I vow to start being healthier!), and hosting fabulous New Year's parties (translation: my best friend and I stay up all night eating Nutella and drinking Vanilla Coca-Cola and talk about Cody Simpson).

So, I don't want to be braggy, because I hate people like that...but I'm going to share some things that I got for Christmas. Feel free to comment and tell me what you got, too. ^_^ There will also be a video of What I Got For Christmas coming soon to my YouTube channel, CodySimpsonLoveeee.

So, here are 10 things I got for Christmas. They're in no specific order; I have no favorites! I'm very happy with what I got...even the things I didn't put on this list! :0)

1. An iHome that can fit my iPad

2. Tons of Twilight Woods scented stuff from Bath and Body Works

3. The Phantom of the Opera disc in Blu-Ray {Thank you, Amanda!♥)

4. Tons of Cody Simpson stuff from Claire's

5. A beautiful Betsey Johnson necklace from my friend Kelly

6. Dutchess Pie LovePastry Wedge Sneakers in black {Yet another pair of Pastrys to add to my collection...I now have 7 pairs total!}

7. Tons of cute clothes from Aero

8. The biggest Sephora palette in existence! Click here to see it. 

9. Gift cards to Forever 21 and iTunes (New clothes and new music...what could be better?)

10. An adorable knit scarf that would look cute with one of my new outfits

Well, those are 10 of the awesome things that I got this Christmas. More presents are still on the way (*wink* *wink*), and I love everything I got!

Well, if you excuse me, I did tell you all that my break week was packed, and I have to go get ready to see all of my lovely friends tonight. 

xoxo,

Jessica
The Pastry Queen

Quote of the Day:

"Live life for yourself and nobody else..." -Unknown

Christmas Eve!

Tomorrow is the best day of the year! That is, besides your fabulous Pastry Queen's birthday...Christmas Eve! So what kinds of things do YOU do for the holidays? I'll tell you guys what I do.

On Christmas Eve, I'm going to visit my grandparents for a little while. Then, I have to go to mass as always, but we have to go to a later one this year because my sister is singing in the choir. After that, we're going to my newlywed cousins' house, and I'll be spending time with the family and getting presents.

By the way, yesterday I had a small Christmas celebration with some cousins that I won't see over the actual holidays. I'm so excited about my Urban Decay eyeshadow palette, China Glaze nailpolishes, Forever 21 giftcard...and LOVE PASTRY HEADPHONES! :D 

As soon as I opened them, I was super stoked. Here's a lovely pic for all of you who live under a rock and don't keep up with society:

I'm so excited, I love them and they're so cute! Even though they aren't Beats, they actually have great sound...the music is crystal clear, and I can successfully tune out the world and be honestly innocent when my mom thinks I was ignoring her commands.

Which was yet another reason why they were on my Christmas list (;

Alright, so back to Christmas. On Christmas Day, I head over to yet ANOTHER cousin's house, where we open some more presents and basically just play around with whatever we got the previous night or that morning. It's pretty relaxed and a lot less formal than Christmas Eve.

Hmm. Maybe that's just how Italian families do it?

I'm going to get going...it IS the day before Christmas Eve, after all! I have bubble baths to take and Christmas movies to watch! Au revoir! ;)

Well, have happy holidays and I'll talk to you all soon! 

xoxo,

Jessica
The Pastry Queen

Quote of the Day:

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." -Marilyn Monroe

Tips for Handling Stress

Alright, let's face it...if you're a teen like me, you tend to get stressed...a lot. Ignore what the adults say about us being dramatic, because this part {at least} is 100% true. I'm constantly juggling dance, school, friends, blogging, running a website, and all of the clubs and activities I'm in. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes it just becomes too much, and I have to try relaxing. Here are some tips for handling stress, as inspired by allisimpson.com:

1. Take a nice hot bubble bath. It's a pretty time-consuming thing, but it's amazing what some scented bubbles and a gossip magazine can do.

2. Take a day off. This one may seem really hard, but it's not. Pick one day this weekend and just do what YOU want. For me, I'd lounge around in pajamas eating ice cream and reading and blogging. Do whatever you want to...even if you just want to sleep! 

3. Listen to your favorite music. Pretty self explanatory. And pretty helpful, too. You'll be surprised how quickly you'll relax.

4. Take a nap. You know how we always say that we just wanna toss all of our responsibilities and homework away and just lay down and sleep? Do it. Set your alarm to go off in an hour, crawl under the covers, and catch some z's. 

5. Eat well! This one is scientifically proven...the healthier you eat, the less stressed you'll be! Cutting back on preservatives, caffeine and fatty foods will make you feel 10x better, I promise. 

6. Take a walk. Sometimes all you need is a walk through the crisp air to clear your head.

7. Exercise. This one isn't as "relaxing" as the previous 6 may be, but it's just as effective! Work out for a good hour or two (and don't forget the Motrin for the soreness afterwards!) and then take a hot shower. You'll feel toned and refreshed.

8. Vent. I will always stand by venting as an extremely helpful option. Scribble all of your thoughts in a journal! It may seem like too much work when you just want to be relaxing, but you'll be surprised at how much better (and ready to face your duties( you'll feel.

9. Social media. Social media (Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, etc.) is a good way to de-stress yourself. Log on and spend a little while browsing and posting and Tweeting, and you'll feel relaxed and ready to take on your daily duties.

10. Have a hot drink and curl up on the couch. Set aside an hour or two and curl up on the couch with some cocoa/coffee/tea and a warm blanket and just let yourself watch T.V. and doze off.

11. Eat some healthy comfort food. Surprisingly, hearty soups make you feel great.

12. Do NOTHING. Yeah, that's right. Clear your schedule for two hours to just sit and rest and do absolutely nothing. 

Good luck with the world ending tomorrow! I don't know about you guys, but I'll see you all back here bright and early on Saturday, December 22nd...when we get to sit back and laugh in the faces of everyone who was scared. ;) 

Merry Christmas!

xoxo,

Jessica
The Pastry Queen

Quote of the Day:

"Believe you can, and you're [already] halfway there." -Teddy Roosevelt

Disclaimer: Some of these ideas were inspired from Alli Simpson and also The Daily Mind. 

Tips For the Apocalypse

{B/N: This particular topic is all in good fun! The world obviously isn't ending on 12/21/12.}

We're getting closer and closer to Christmas! Ahh, I can't wait <3. I love everything about the holidays: hot chocolate, fireplaces, families, presents, happiness..

Which leads me to my topic of the day.

Am I the only one that actually really likes the last day of school before Christmas break? Most people just want it to fly by, which is understandable {I do, too, a little bit}, but why don't you savor it a bit?

{Here comes the topic...} Let me just say, I have a super-adorable outfit planned for Friday. Random, yeah. It also stinks that the world is supposed to end that day {yeah, okay..here's the topic.}, because at exactly 12:21pm when we explode into darkness or whatever that crazy guy predicted, I'll be in gym class. 

Pretty cruddy way to spend my last moments on Earth. Especially because it will be spent with two of my stupidest guy friends. {One of them even promised to hurl a dodgeball right at my face at 12:20pm.}

So, if the world really IS ending on Friday {joke's on you if you actually believe it}, here's a list of some things to do that day:

1. Tell your family you love them.

2. Wear the stupidest outfit you can...who's going to care? The apocalypse doesn't exactly sound like it'll save Forever 21.

3. Text your friends like you're from a creepy horror movie at 12:22pm. "I'm back, idiots." -J

4. Offer a human sacrifice. Now, where's Justin Bieber at?

5. Skip school. Attendance won't be an issue anymore.

6. Bomb your AP Biology test. Even if you DO live, it's not like you're aiming for a career in science, anyway. 

7. Walk up to everyone asking for money for charities and scream "NO, YOU IDIOTS, LEAVE ME ALONE." ...What? You can finally tell them what you really wanted to always say, since the charities will mean squat in about two or so hours.

8. Watch your favorite movie. What's better than studying up on the paradise that you're going to be heading to, anyway?

9. Get married to the last person you texted! Sorry for how unbelieveably awkward that might be if that person is a parent or relative...but do it anyway! You'll only have to put up with each others' nagging for a few hours.

10. Tell someone exactly what you think about them, good or bad. Heck, I do this all of the time.

Hope this gave you some laughs! Some ideas were inspired by this website here. Catch all of you lovelies as Christmas gets closer to rolling around!

xoxo,

Jessica
The Pastry Queen

Quote of the Day:

"The real mystery of life is why the kamikaze wore helmets." -Unknown

Pray for Newtown

Today was an absolutely horrific day in American history. I'm tearing up again just thinking about it now...and for most of you, the hashtag #PrayForNewtown already came to mind, didn't it?

For those of you who don't know, (honestly, I can't fathom why you DIDN'T know already, unless you live under a rock), a mentally unstable man shot his father in his home, and then went to the elementary school in Newtown, CT, where his mother worked as a kindergarten teacher. He killed his mother and then proceeded to shoot 20 innocent kindergarten children, and then he shot himself.

My mother was in absolute tears today, and to be honest, I was, too. {I'm going to mention the children for awhile here, but keep in mind that six adults also lost their lives, too, and they're every bit as innocent as the children are and deserve to be remembered as well.} 

How in the name of God {no matter WHO your God may be} can you look into the afraid eyes of a little child and then proceed to pull the trigger? They're BABIES. They have their whole lives ahead of them. It was a Friday, Christmas was soon, and they were probably all so excited. And they didn't even make it to lunch.

I just want to know what would possess a person to do something like this. I understand that this man wasn't mentally stable, but still. These children were innocent little babies who just wanted to have a good life. And now 20 mothers will be putting away unopened Christmas presents and attending funerals at what is supposed to be one of the happiest times of the year.

Here is a picture that CBS caught of a mother after she found out that she'd never see her innocent little child again:

I can't even look at this picture without crying. I'm obviously nowhere close to even being a mother, but imagine getting that call. That call telling you that your sweet little baby that you dropped off at school that morning with a cheery "Bye Mommy! I love you!" was gunned down by a mentally insane man and was dead. I never, ever want to experience what this poor woman (and many others) have felt today.

It's an incredibly sad thing that makes me want to both cry and punch something at the same time. America needs stricter gun and safety laws. A mentally unstable man was allowed to buy MULTIPLE guns and then proceeded to kill 27 people total with it. 

I just started crying, and I don't want to cry anymore, so I'm going to go. 

Remember to always appreciate your life and your family, because a simple moment can take that all away.

xoxo,

Jessica
The Pastry Queen

Quote of the Day:

"So many people forget that life is gone in an instant." -JLS

Something Awkward

Ahh! Only 13 more days until Christmas, which gets me really excited! :D

Sorry that I haven't been blogging! I've been slammed with homework and places to go and things to do (Yeah, despite what you think, I DO have a life outside of Twitter, Cody, and my blog).

So today I'll just be catching up, because I have TONS of Christmas recipes to share, but I didn't want to bore you with two in a row.

So let's talk about something awkward for a few seconds. Have you ever been in a situation where someone tells you that they got you an awesome Christmas gift, you smile and say thank you, but in your head, you're thinking, Well, now what am I supposed to do? I didn't get them anything.

Yeah, the same situation happened to me multiple times this week. And the question is, how exactly are you supposed to handle it? I decided to use my life savior Google and see what it could come up with.

And guess what? I'm not even going to lie here...it came up with NOTHING. Zip. Zippo. Just a whole bunch of weird articles about how to buy your boss a Christmas gift. Not a single word of advice on what you should do if someone buys you a gift and you didn't get one in return. So, I guess that I'll just share some ways that I handle the situation (some are obvious ones), and maybe it'll help:

*Keep calm. It seems stupid, but it's the simplest trick, and it's definitely key. Don't make it super obvious that you're in internal-panic-mode, because then that can make things weird.

*Make it a joke. Someone came up to me and told me they got me a Christmas gift, but I didn't get one in return. I just laughed and made a joke out of telling the person that instead of saying it flat out. I laughed it off and said, "Well, darn it...I spent all of my money already and my parents won't loan me anymore {they really won't}, and now I'm sad because I wish I could've gotten you a gift, too."

*Play the polite card. Believe it or not, sometimes stressing the "Oh, you don't have to get me a gift, really!" can be pretty helpful. Like we learn when we're little kids: if you say something enough times, the parents get annoyed and will just give in. So saying "You don't have to!" enough times can sometimes annoy the person to the point that they start wondering what would happen if they sneakily returned the gift in the store later that day.

*Tell the truth. Yeah, this one is never a popular favorite. But telling the truth can have its benefits, like not having to make up an excuse and then keeping tabs on the excuse {come on, admit it...that's pretty hard!} And maybe they'll sympathize. You never know.

Well, I have Christmas pictures to take and cards to fill out and presents to wrap, so I'll see you lovelies later! 

xoxo,

Jessica
The Pastry Queen

Quote of the Day:

"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic." -Unknown

{A special shoutout to my biology teacher, because half of these quotes I post are quotes that she's mentioned in her class before!} 

Holiday Recipe: Santa Strawberries

Let me just start off by saying that this recipe is super simple as well as super adorable! I found this holiday recipe from Pinterest, and you can check out the original blogger's page here.

Santa Strawberries Holiday Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen strawberries
• 1 cup of whipped cream
• 1 handful of chocolate sprinkles

Directions:

*Using a pairing knife, slice the leafy end off of each strawberry so they all stand up evenly. Then slice the tip off to make the little hat.

*Using a spoon or a large icing tip, place a large dollop (about 1-2 tsp) of whipped cream on the strawberry base. Place the little "hat" on top and then add another small dollop of whipped cream to the top of the hat for the "puffball."

*Place two chocolate sprinkles in the Santa's "face" for the eyes. Using a toothpick, place two small little dots of whipped cream down each strawberry for Santa's buttons.'

*You're done! If you aren't planning on eating them right away, store them safely in the fridge until ready to eat. If left in warm/hot temperatures for too long, the little strawberry santas will melt. :(

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this! If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go beg and plead to make these for Christmas Eve. What other recipes will YOU be trying? Comment and tell me! (;

xoxo,

Jessica

The Pastry Queen

Quote of the Day:

"We're all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." -Dr. Seuss 

Growing Up & My Everyday Thoughts

{Before I begin, I'd like to say that this blog post was inspired by something I  saw on my friend Daelyn's blog. Check out her blog here.}

So. Today is kind of more of a talking thing...not quite a rant, but more like re-living a memory. (Have no fear, though...I have tons of cute holiday ideas and recipes coming soon!)

So. It's kind of common (and dramatic) to say, but being a teenager is hard. You're expected to be a child and an adult at the same time. Believably, that's incredibly hard. You need to stay a kid at times, but take responsibility and be an adult at other times. And sometimes, we get lost along the way.

What happened to sitting out on the grass, braiding our American Girl Dolls' hair and picking flowers to put in our hair? What happened to having to color in a flower picture for homework? What happened to having an imagination...we used to be able to stare at an empty backyard and see a castle, a moat, a pond, a dragon...a kid's dreamland paradise.

What do we see now? Nothing. Because we have our heads stuck in technology.

I've mentioned this before, but I love writing. My imagination could take me to amazing places. Of course it still can, because writing is still my passion. But I'll admit that I spend a majority of time on my phone, iPad, and the computer. And as much as I enjoy it, sometimes I don't like it. I wish it was socially acceptable to take out my wooden sword and long princess dress and crown and run around my backyard weaving flower crowns and climbing to the high tower to rescue my pet pony, Sugarbelle. (I wasn't the best name-picker)

(*Cue awkward silence because I have a feeling that I just overstepped a fine line of sharing personal information*)

I don't doubt for a second that I could hand some of my closest friends pieces of paper and a pen, tell them to write a creative paragraph, and they'd come up with nothing. Hey, I'm not insulting you guys. If I didn't have a talent for writing, maybe I'd get stuck, too. The point is that all that goes through our brains all day are school and technology things. 

Just to humor you guys since I ran out of stuff to talk about, I'll tell you every thought that goes through my head on a regular day, like today:

Ugh. 5:30am isn't a humane time to be awake.

Better not get any Nutella on the counter..

Holy fudge, this brush rips out half my hair.

I need new mascara because this one is annoying me.

Ohmygod it's FREEZING.

I hate this bus.

Why are you looking at me like that?

Get out of my way; you're standing in front of my locker.

MOVE.

Let's go talk to her and procrastinate going to Global.

Ew, so THAT'S what footbinding is.

You're the most annoying teacher I've ever had.

Walk faster in the hallway.

OHMYGOD.

YOU'RE LIKE A SNAIL.

IT'S NOT SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE TO STOP WALKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HALLWAY TO CHAT LIKE NO MOVE.

She looks like she's going to go into labor any day now..I wonder how the guys in class would react to that?

I hate math.

Is it socially acceptable to eat this sandwich in class? 

Well I'm doing it anyway.

Her hair looks pretty today.

MOVE OUT OF MY WAY.

Okay, time to make up my biology test. You got this, Jessica.

Why are you staring at me? You've never seen someone sit in the back of the room taking a test before?

Ugh. Peasants.

Man, this is easy. Or am I doing it wrong? Who even knows? Or cares? I don't. I'm just here at a shot of a better grade. Yeah, just a shot.

Hope I did well.

My backpack is heavy.

Here comes the principal. Try not to look like you just did something terrible.

Oops, forgot to wear my I.D. Maybe if I smile and say goodmorning she'd forget to check? Phew.

We're starting to sew in this class? 

What am I going to make?

This oughta be a disaster.

MOVE OUT OF MY WAY YOU PEOPLE ARE SO INCREDIBLY SLOW I'M JUST GOING TO PLOW YOU ALL DOWN ANY SECOND NOW.

No I'm not, an AP is standing right there. 

Oh well. Next time.

I hate biology.

We have to set up a study group.

Would we even get anything done in that study group?

Probably not.

Don't make contact with the big kids...

Okay, plants sweat. I care WHY?

Last class of the day.

These headphones aren't working.

My piano is too small. Too loud. Too annoying.

Let's just ditch the music theory and play piano every class.

Ten more minutes.

Oh well, time to pack up early! 

FINALLY TIME TO GO HOME.

Ugh. Headache.

See ya later, peasants.

And on that beautiful note, I'll see you all next time! 

xoxo,

Jessica
The Pastry Queen

Quote of the Day:

"Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Never Be Afraid to Speak Your Mind

I apologize, because I'm normally pretty happy and/or calm in my blog entries. But today is a rant that sparked my interest being of something that's been going on around us, and it really bothers me. 

Everything I post is entirely my opinion. You don't have to agree with me. Go ahead, you can even hate me for it. But in all honesty, I won't care. An opinion is just that...an opinion. 

Okay. So, recently something really tragic happened, and it personally affected several students in our school. It was a huge thing, and it's become a huge controversy between all of the students. I don't want to say what happened because then you'd be able to find my school and me (I know I'm just so amazing that you want my autograph, but you'll have to restrain yourselves from stalking. Yeah. That's just a bit much.)

Anyway, my friend Sarah* made a Facebook post (and this is a perfect example of why Facebook is the stupidest, most dramatic website to ever exist in the history of the internet). Her post was stating her opinion on the controversy. (This is really hard to explain without telling you the actual situation, but I'll try anyway.) Basically, her opinion wasn't exactly what the rest of the school's opinion on the matter was. This is partially because our school consists of little lemmings that just side with whatever the most people do.

Anyway, Sarah stated her opinion. I love Sarah so much, because she's a really good friend of mine. So she won't be offended when I say this: the post was a teensy bit harshly-stated. So as soon as people read it, they started reacting and causing drama.

Sarah realized that she'd made a mistake. Not with what she posted, but how she worded it. (This is crucial to the point I'm going to eventually make.) She made another post apologizing for wording her opinion the way she did. She removed the original post. But she still got tons of terrible hate. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that some comments were horrific. People have no manners or respect for others.

To make it worse, like I said, our school is full of lemmings that saw the nasty comments and decided to join in, too. The situation was growing (and still is), and Sarah really couldn't take it anymore.

But the best part? Sarah didn't back down. She never apologized for stating her opinion. She apologized for how she worded it, sure. Her opinion wasn't that harsh when she told it to me in person. That's the problem with Facebook and social media...things are misinterpreted and spiral out of control. 

Like I was saying, Sarah is an incredibly strong person. Her opinion was her opinion, and she didn't back down from it. For a few days, she was standing alone. Just about the entire school ganged up on her and cyberbullied her and made her feel unwanted and alone. But she stuck to her morals and stayed strong. And then I heard what happened. And I sent a simple Tweet, saying that Sarah's opinion was her opinion, and I supported it 100%. You know what amazing thing happened? I admitted that I agreed with her opinion. And soon enough, people started Favoriting that Tweet. And agreeing with me. And Sarah as well. Sarah stuck to her morals, and soon enough, I stood up with her. And slowly, more and more people are standing up with us, too.

(Cue cheesy motivational music.) (But you can't blame me. It's true.)

Sure, we're still outnumbered. More than half of our school still disagrees strongly (and not just in their own minds...they're posting nasty and rude things to Facebook/Twitter etc. still). We are nowhere near coming through it, and Sarah is still hated by many for it. But the difference is that we don't care. Our opinion is our opinion. I said it in the beginning of this post: You don't have to agree. You can despise me for it. But that doesn't mean you should post and Tweet horrible things about a person because they stated their opinion. If you are reading this right now and you know who Sarah really is, and you know of the situation I'm talking about, and you posted some horrible things about her...you should be ashamed. You should erase those comments. Take those posts and Tweets down. If you hate her for her opinion, go right ahead. But do it quietly. There's no reason to start a storm. A specific few of you know exactly who you are. And if you EVER hurt someone, physically or mentally, for stating their opinion...you're just as bad as the rest of them. And in a way, Sarah is stronger than you. She had the guts to stand up on her own and say what she really thought. Is that what you did? No. You ganged up on her just like everyone else did. And that's a terrible, terrible thing.

Now you probably want to know where I'm getting at in all of this. I told you this story, but why?

I'll tell you why. Sarah's being treated badly for standing up for herself and what SHE thinks. And that's such a sad thing. Most people nowadays won't stand up and speak because they're afraid of exactly what happened to Sarah--being bullied and tortured and hated. But, in reality, you're stronger than all of them. You have the guts to stand and speak your mind (even if that isn't the popular choice of the matter) when everyone else is only cowardly enough to sit behind computers and send hate and be like everyone else. I've been taught several important quotes on this matter. It does seem cheesy, yes. And over-dramatic, certainly. But they're right. What's right isn't always popular, and what's popular isn't always right. Just like Sarah chose the unpopular option, but in reality, she was right for saying what she did. Never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in...even if you're standing alone. It's such a sad thing that people don't speak their mind because they're afraid.

Afraid.

Afraid.

Afraid of what? A bunch of over-dramatic teenagers armed with Facebook accounts and hate fueled from the rest of the crowd?

Sweetie, that's nothing to be afraid of. In reality, they're more scared than you are. They're afraid of being uncool and unpopular and unliked if they say what they really feel.

What a shame. Because there are some pretty strong people that can change the world out there, but you'd never know it, because they're masked in a crowd of lemmings and scaredy cats.

Just something to think about.


xoxo,

Jessica
The Pastry Queen

Quote of the Day:

"Always stand up for what's right. Even if you're standing alone." -Unknown

*=Name changed for privacy reasons. 

P.S. Share this link somewhere. Facebook, Twitter, anywhere. If this inspired you, pass it on. Because I'm the voice that nobody else cares to be right now. And if you agree with me, then let's make this voice heard.

December!

Ahhh! It's finally December! Do you know what that means?! CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

(If you don't celebrate Christmas, I'm apologizing in advance, because Christmas is basically going to come up in every blog post between now and then!)

You know what else is this month? Well, first off, winter starts this month! Although I bet that some of you are willing to argue that with the weather we've been having lately, winter's been here for quite awhile. Not that that's bad or anything...but fall is my favorite season, and we basically skipped right over it! We went from short-shorts and tanks to sweatpants, Uggs, and sweatshirts. I miss jeans, Uggs, and soft cardigans. :(

Another good thing about December: Well, the world is ending this month, isn't it? (Yeah, right.) Believe it or not, it's a good thing...imagine how many laughs we're all going to have (not to mention cheesy "If we die today, I just want you to know that I love you!" texts) on December 21st.

Yet ANOTHER good thing: The new year! (Don't worry, my lovely readers, I'll post my resolutions list as we get closer to that) 2012 is on its way out...and I'm not going to lie, it's been an eventful year. Avalanna dying, Cody's album coming out, Amanda Todd's death, new friends, new classes...starting high school...yeah, I can list a lot more things that happened. Maybe I'll make that another blog post sometime soon.

But yeah. This past year has had up and downs...but seriously, who doesn't love to start fresh? 2013 will be a new year, our year. We can become anyone we want: maybe we want to be more athletic, work harder at school, or work out a little more to get healthier (surprisingly, more people stick to that last one than you'd think). I just love that I can let everything that happened in 2012 go and just start with a clean slate in 2013.

Not to sound philosophical, but...

It'll be a brand new year. Why not make it a good one?

It's also been exactly a month since I started my blog! Pretty awesome for only being up for a month, right?

xoxo,

Jessica
The Pastry Queen

Christmas Countdown: 24 Days! 

Quote of the Day: 

"Everything I learned I learned from the movies." -Audrey Hepburn