One of Those Cliche End of 2011 Posts...

I think this year was one of the only years that I slept soundly Christmas Eve. I woke up once during the night when I heard the ringing of a bell, and though I knew it was not what I thought it was, there was a brief moment in which I wondered if, after all those years, I'd finally had some kind of evidence of Santa Claus. The semi-concious mind is a fascinating thing.

A lot has happened in the last year. I became a proud godmother. I have settled into the Tiny Blue Room. I read some of my poetry in Pittsburgh, PA, where Jessica, Kelsey, Laura and I hung out with other English majors, basked in all things English-y, and ate sandwiches topped with french fries. I discovered a lot about drawing and what it means to me personally and in my work. I've thought a lot about the future, and in the process learned a lot about myself and how I want to live my life. I went to see the final HP movie with my sister and my best friends. I was sorted into Ravenclaw on Pottermore. I tried my hand at nonfiction and found another mode of expression that I connected to, learning many things about myself in the process. I completed the requirements for both my French minor and English major. I am three art classes away from graduation. And I started this blog.

I have a lot of thoughts. But now is not the time.

Favorite Books Read in 2011

• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

The Jury Is Still Out Award 2011

• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Thoughtbox coming soon...)
• I Kissed A Girl, 3x07 of Glee

Favorite Glee Episodes Aired in 2011

• Silly Love Songs 2x12
• Born This Way 2x18
• Prom Queen 2x20
• I Am Unicorn 3x02
• Asian F 3x03
• The First Time 3x05

The Television Cool Point Award 2011

• Every single episode of Modern Family, one of my favorite shows ever. 
• The First Time, for many reasons.

Favorite Movies 

• Super 8
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Music (does not mean it has to have been released this year...)

• Florence + The Machine, "Ceremonials"
• Alanis Morissette, "Jagged Little Pill"
• Madonna, "Madonna"
• Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"
• Coldplay, "A Rush of Blood to the Head"
• Panic! At The Disco, "Vices and Virtues"
• Freelance Whales, "Weathervanes"
• Jessie J, "Who You Are"
• Adele, both "19" and "21"

See you in 2012. I'm off to knit and continue with my Glee marathon to ring in the New Year.

Happy Christmas (early)

We're leaving for my grandparents' house tomorrow afternoon, and I'm not sure if I'll have internet access while we're there over the weekend, so here's a little note of Christmas tidings while I still have the opportunity. I've been relaxing a lot over the last week, spending time with my sister, knitting (rather poorly, I might add), watching a lot of movies, and sleeping. I've tried to give myself a general break from everything. I'll post more once we're back after the weekend is up. It's been nice to just be for awhile, but I know I have to get back on track soon because of my ever-growing list of things to do during the break....

Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love the joy, I love the love that seems to travel around, I love the music, and I love the tradition (and non-tradition) of it all. I especially love the story of the Nativity, and how simple and complex and wondrous it is. And the angels! Nearly everything about Christmas is special to me. I also love how Christmas takes place around the time of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and New Years. Happy Holidays indeed.

I have a lot of really good memories that I associate with this time of year, and all of them--good and bad--mean a lot to me one way or another. My favorite Christmas movies include the Charlie Brown Christmas special (anyone catch the reference in Glee's Christmas episode last week? So awesome.), It's A Wonderful Life, and White Christmas. I tend to associate Harry Potter with Christmas--even though it is appropriate any time of the year, there's just something about it around Christmas that makes it seem extra special. I love the memories I have of being up at my grandparents' house, because the experience itself is so much what Christmas has become for me. It doesn't totally feel like Christmas to me when we're not there. I mean, I know that things will change--and have already changed--but the feeling, the joy, I think, will remain the same.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa. Whatever it is that you do to celebrate these wintery months, much love and joyous tidings to you and your family.

Quick Thoughts, Glee 3x08 "Hold On To Sixteen"

THIS WEEK. (More soon. But for now...)

Linkage: A really intriguing theory from Letters From Titan concerning a possible Blaine backstory, as well as Deconstructing Glee's response. This analysis has some really valid points, and it kind of blows my mind. But while I can see this as a possibility, I don't necessarily think it's going to happen. I saw Blaine's reaction to Sam's suggestion as similar to his reaction to Kurt telling him what happened at Nationals--while Blaine is very comfortable with his sexuality, he also feels there is a time and place for it. You know? It's "professionalism." Finally, a few more thoughts from DG on the episode, some really beautiful thoughts on Blaine's character development from Caroline of "be you and hold on to it." One thing I am absolutely positive of is how much more I adore Blaine this season than in Season 2--and I'm much more invested in Blaine's character now he's at McKinley.

• "I also started the Dalton branch of Fight Club, which I obviously can't talk about." OMG. DYING. See?!
• "You smell like Craig's List."/"Oh my God, it's the Gerber Baby!" KURT YOU ARE MY FAVORITE. 
• I don't think Brittany was ever that invested in the Troubletones--she misses New Directions too much. 
• Sam's back! *does happy dance* I was talking with Alisha about it earlier this evening, and we both agree that he seems different from when we last saw him at the end of Season 2. I'm interested to see where s3 takes him. 
• I absolutely LOVED Sam's reaction when he realized that it was Rachel holding out the dollar. 
• While she is mostly irritating, I am still intrigued by Quinn's storyline this season. Though it seemed pretty tied up by the end of the episode, I feel like the writers have a little more up their sleeve. 
• Is it too much to see what's on the inside of Blaine's locker? I just want to know. I'm a sucker for detail. 
• I absolutely hate Sebastian. And Grant Gustin plays him so well. 
• I was furious at Sebastian's "gay face" comment.
• I love that Kurt and Blaine have rant sessions at the Lima Bean.
• You know, as much as I'm not a fan of country music, "Red Solo Cup" was a lot of fun. 
• New Direction's Jackson song set for Sectionals was probably the best competition performance thus far--and my new favorite. I'm thinking the Booty Camp paid off. 
• I'm so psyched that most of New Directions had some sort of solo at Sectionals. I am really glad that ND was able to succeed as they did despite Rachel's absence. They work best as a whole. 
• I loved Rachel's bouts of wisdom this week. 
• Mike and Tina this week: no words. <3
• Harmony delightfully terrifies me. 
• Artie cracks me up. 
• Sooooooo much character development for Blaine.... 
• I loved watching background!Kurt this week. <3 
• MY HEART. SAM AND MERCEDES.
• The image of Santana following Finn around with a tuba is incredibly hilarious to me. 
• The Troubletones' performance was AMAZING. Santana and Brittany dancing!!!! And that shot of the group in the empty auditorium was really powerful for me. 
• "We Are Young" = off the hook amazing...

More later. Off to read for French. 

The Weekend Before Dead Week

I'm tired. I'm annoyed that I feel like I've learned very little in my art history class because of the online lectures--a structure I don't do well with. I want to write more nonfiction but I have to wait until I have other things finished first. I feel like my French Lit teacher thinks I'm an idiot because I have a hard time speaking in French (I don't have time to think it out in my head), even though he probably doesn't. I have a lot of drawing stuff to do before Wednesday and because I don't have any kind of studio space in which to work, I'm having a hard time motivating myself to do anything at the house because I have to work in the dining room and there's TV and my roommates are usually here...

I've discovered as time goes on that I feel very uncomfortable with other people in the room when I'm drawing. It's like someone reading over your shoulder. I can feel the eyes on the drawing.

I've always had that discomfort, though. I'm fine in studio classes when we're drawing as a group until someone comes to walk around to see what everyone else is doing--that's when I get nervous and I feel my arm--and the mark-making--become really stiff. When I make rounds, I can't stand in one place too long because I don't want to do that to anyone else.

Perhaps all the time I spent holed up at home in my room in high school turned me off to any sort of ability to handle any normal social interaction. My extreme lack of confidence with drawing doesn't help, either.

But enough worrying and stressing. Linkage of interest:

First, this beautiful, wonderful ad.

Second, this video celebrating the awesomeness of free speech with quite a few awesome authors (including Sarah Dessen and John Green *cue major fangirling*).

Things I Need to Do Before Christmas:

• finish my Christmas shopping
• make serious headway in my Nano novel, considering I haven't touched it in a month
• clean the Tiny Blue Room, because everything's pell mell at this point
• reread The Outsiders (which I've been meaning to do for a long time)
• finish the last few things of schoolwork I need to do before the end of the semester on the 16th
• do some hardcore studying for my French final
• get my hair cut (or something...)

Two more weeks. I have to keep reminding myself that there's only two weeks left.