Writing Challenge Day 1 - Prompt

Working on Stephen King's quote about the muse, I'm going to have write everyday either during 1st period, like now, or as soon as I get home. I can't have any excuses. But what I do need is prompts.

My mother recently gave me one: it's a take on Wuthering Heights, since we were joking that the golf course next to our house is like the moorland or the heath (which it really isn't. If you've ever been to either you know that the heath is a flat area of land with grass and scrubby shrubs, but few trees, and the moorland is essentially an elevated version of the heath, and they are seasonally waterlogged). So it's about a boy and a girl and they're separated by the golf course. Ah, young love and the troubles of distance and parents. Oh wait, was that Romeo and Juliet I heard? Maybe, but what can I say... "good artists borrow, great artists steal."

I'm also concurrently working on a 4,000+ word story about a futuristic soldier who is accidentally sent to the middle ages. Being a super-soldier is tough in 1042 C.E.

More soon, class is ending.

My Personal Writing Challenge

It's been a long time since I've posted anything, and that's really my fault. Well, obviously it's my fault, no one else runs this blog. But, I haven't been discplining myself the way I should be. Writing isn't something I should be doing as a past-time, or when I feel like I can be bothered. Like Stephen King said:

"There is a muse, but he’s not going to come fluttering down into your writing room and scatter creative-fairy-dust all over your typewriter or computer station. He lives in the ground. He’s a basement guy. You have to descend to his level, and once you get down there you have to furnish an apartment for him to live in. You have to do all the grunt labor, in other words, while the muse sits and smokes cigars and admires his bowling trophies and pretends to ignore you. Do you think this is far? I think it’s fair. He may not be much to look at, that muse-guy, and he may not be much of a conversationalist (what I get out of mine is mostly surly grunts, unless he is on duty), but he’s got the inspiration. It’s right that you should do all the work and burn all the midnight oil, because the guy with the cigar and the little wings has got a bag of magic. There’s stuff in there that can change your life."
 

He goes on to say that the muse doesn't just come at your beck and call. You have to write everyday, at the same time everyday, and then when the muse knows that you'll be there, he'll show up to use some of that magic dust on you, and you'll write well.

 My creative writing teacher also told the class about a girl who challenged herself to post on her blog once a day for a hundred days. Well, I don't know about a hundred days, I don't even know if I want a time limit/expectation, but I do know that I really need to start writing again. I can't, for the life of me, get anything together. My notebook is filled with stories that I wasnt to finish, but I can't (I am already 11 pages into a long Sterek AU, but I can't finish it. I just got so overwhelmed by its scope, that I sort of shut down). Stories that are two paragraphs from being done, but I haven't published (I'm looking at you, Phlochte fic). And I have so many story ideas bouncing around my head that I can't even keep track of them (I'll write them down here and begin working on them, one at a time).

So if you, my followers, will bear with me here, I would like to write to you, about anything, once a day at least. It could be my life (school is winding down, but still as ludicrous as ever. Also, graduation is coming up and senior year is extra stupid) or some fiction writing (I just need to write stuff down). I'm not sure.

So this is going to be a pot-luck writing challenge. And if you have anything you want me to write about, always feel free to leave a comment and I can probably do something with it.

Makeup test: Urban Decay Primer Potion

Today was my job hunting day. I dolled myself up, put on my second best push-up bra (the best was in the wash), and printed about a bazillion copies of my resume. I sprizted on my Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy (fresh, fruity, makes me feel like an adorable, coquettish girl with a hint of sex. Beyonce's Heat, which is my clubbing scent, felt a little too sexy, and therefore rather inappropriate), rolled on my deodorant, and applied makeup.
I followed the standard steps, primer, concealer, foundation, blush. But my face is really not where I shine, makeup wise. It's my eyes. And what good is all the eyeshadow in the world if it creases up? I don't know, and I can say that from experience. However I found Jesus in a bottle. It's called Urban Decay's Primer Potion and it's been out on the market for about a century, so I'm sorry for being so late on the bandwagon. Unfortunately the first couple of times I used it it didn't work. Today, for some reason though, it worked. My eyeshadow hasn't creased or moved yet, and I put it on at 8 this morning (that means it's now 9 hours and counting). It even kept my liquid eyeliner from flaking, for which I praise the gods. Or maybe that demon I sacrificed those 24 virgins to. Either way my Primer Potion did it's job to help me get a job so I applaud the power of positive thought.
For anyone who is looking for an eye primer, I have found your option. You can get a lot of mileage out of one bottle, but it costs your first-born child, so be aware of that. Also Urban Decay eyeshadows are great. I layered them on top of the UD primer, so maybe that was actually it. Keeping all of my products within the same company. It wasn't those 24 virgins. I guess I should start work on an apology.

This is my face. That is my makeup. I had on lip color, but it wore off. Don't look at the Beanie Baby in the background. Yes, this really is my room.

Best Dry Shampoo: Suave Professionals and Not Your Mother's

I let about a day or two go between hair washes, because I have delicate locks and I try not strip them of the oils they need to stay healthy. However in between washes the roots can get a little lank, and that is by far the worst look, since my actual hair will have lots of body and volume, but the roots just kind of lay there. So you can imagine my happiness when the hair care industry created dry shampoo. Perfect for the lifeless roots I get, you just spray it on and let it absorb all the oils you don't need.
However with all the commercial success of dry shampoos, there are a lot of different options and some work better than others. I've tried a bunch of different brands and have picked my top two companies: Suave Professionals and Not Your Mother's.
I had the great fortune to get the Suave Professionals dry shampoo as a sample, but for what a five ounce can costs ($3.50 at CVS), it's a good bargain. The small trial size can I had lasted me a long time, and every time I used it it delivered the same amount of product, provided you shake it. It sprays on white and a little damp, but after it dries just rake it into your roots with your fingers to make it blend in and it delivers great results. It instantly restores a bunch of volume and absorbs the oil from your roots, making them looking matte and freshly washed. For curly hair, try the foam version of dry shampoo, however I can tell you that I have exceptionally curly/wavy hair and the dry shampoo works just fine for roots.

The 5 oz. can of Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo

The Suave Professionals Waterless Foam Shampoo

The other dry shampoo that I swear by, and this one happens to be my favorite, is the dry shampoo by Not Your Mother's. There's not much difference between dry shampoos, but for some reason this one works the best. Shake it and it sprays on a nice layer of powder, white like Suave, and it drys a little faster. Then when raked through the roots in blends in nicely and soaks up every particle of oil you don't want.
However words don't mean as much as a presentation, so I used Not Your Mother's the other day and took some pictures to prove how well it works. Here's my lank hair before I put any on; notice how lank the right side of my hair is.

My hair before using Not Your Mother's dry shampoo

It sprays on white, like I said. Leave it until it gets dry, since it also sprays on a little damp. 

My hair with Not Your Mother's dry shampoo on

After it dries, run it through your roots with your fingers, and TA-DA! Brand new volume! Notice how large it is on top. I love this dry shampoo brand; the results it delivers are great and consistent.

After using Not Your Mother's dry shampoo

TRESemme Split Ends hair care

Recently I got my hands on the new TRESemme Split Remedy hair care line, and I was a excited to try it out. I have a lot of split ends, and if I can finally find a shampoo and conditioner that actually seals up my little split ends, it would be a God send. However, at first, I must admit, I was bit skeptical. After all, how many times can you here "80% of your target problem is gone within a certain amount of washes" before you become immune to their promises? On top of that, TRESemme is a fairly expensive brand, so it's good to know what you're getting before forking over the cash for a two large bottles.
Thankfully TRESemme went and proved me wrong. They assured me that if I used their shampoo and conditioner every time I showered, after three washes I would see 80% less split ends, and it would protect my hair against future splits, and leave my hair "soft, smooth, and salon-fresh looking" I actually saw less split ends after my first wash alone! After 3 consecutive washes, the vast majority of my split ends were gone, and my hair was full and healthy. Not only that, but this shampoo and conditioner smell fantastic. After washing your hair, the scent sticks around for two days at least, should you skip a day in between hair washes. My hair is amazingly soft, light, and bouncy, and responds to straightening and curling just as well as ever!
If you are looking for a great shampoo and conditioner to get rid of split ends (because summer is the time to get them, with the pool chlorine and sun damage), then get the TRESemme Split Remedy shampoo and conditioner. It smells fantastic, works quickly, and leaves hair softer and stronger than before.

TRESemme Split Remedy shampoo

TRESemme Split Remedy Conditioner

Deciding to Branch Out

My dearest non-existent readers (unless of course the elusive reader exists, in which case please make yourself known), I've decided to branch out. In the blogging sphere of course; I'm not about to actually leave my house.
My first venture is a dating site specific to Phoenix, AZ. I know this may not appeal to many of you, but if it does, pop on over and give it a look. I've only just started, and right now it's in its fledgling state as I try to figure out how this whole deal is going to work. Maybe I can work in some freebies and prizes to up traffic. Free tickets to various theatre and museum showings? I'm still not sure, as you can tell: http://dating-ideas-phoenix.blogspot.com/
Another blog I plan to start up is one dealing with beauty products, from bath soap to mascara and everything in between (basically if it makes you look or feel good then it'll be up there at some point). This one will probably have a lot of giveaways and freebies, because I'm nice. I haven't started this one yet... but soon :)
This will require a time commitment on my part, so if I start to fall behind on posting, you'll understand since it will probably be due to school. But never fear, as I live by Mark Twain's words: "I never let schooling interfere with my education."
When the beauty blog is up and running, I'll let you know!

Graduation

It was recently graduation for class of 2012 at my high school, and my entire Facebook wall was crammed with all the seniors cyber-crying over what it represented. However I felt that the seniors (most of them) are being over emotional and forgetting just what really happens in real life.

"OMG, graduation! I'll miss everybody I've ever met ever! Suddenly everyone I went to school with is the most amazing individual and I will keep you all in my hearts for the rest of my life!"
I mean, no offense, but bitch, pls, you're going to forget about them by next week. Does nobody realize that later in life, after you have all graduated from college and gotten jobs, none of you (well, the ones whose peak years weren't high school. Uncle Rico, I'm looking at you) will even be speaking to the people you went to high school with? The only people with whom it would make sense to remain in contact with would be your very best friends from high school, the ones you grew up with and shared large amounts of time with. People who really changed your life. And I'm pretty sure that not everybody in the class of 2012 changed your life. 
Now, granted, I cannot say I speak from experience. I still have one more year of high school to complete before I can put my jaded hypothesis to the test. But from the stories and complaints via my parents and relatives, most people don't keep on touch with anyone from high school. 
Perhaps I'm being a bit disingenuous, since I'm sure that Miss Preppy Cheerleader/Dancer with 1000+ Facebook friends will totally remember all of them and what they did together by the time the 5 year reunion rolls around, but for the majority of high school seniors they will graduate, college, and then job without thinking about their classmates from high school too many times.
And for those seniors who graduate just to dwell on the people and things they did in high school, please, do us all a favor and look at your life, look at your choices. Because they clearly aren't working to your advantage.