One Cool Chick: Saoirse A.

Hey guys, last week I asked my friend Saoirse (Seer-shuh) if she'd like to be interviewed for Good Vibrations, and I am so happy she said yes. I've known Saoirse since freshman year of high school and have always admired her artistic abilities and sense of style. In addition to what you will see here, Saoirse also does lots of really cool art, writes rad poetry, and even sings and plays guitar. Call her a jack-of-all-trades. Alright, enough from me, here's what Saoirse had to say:

What do you like to do or create?

I like to take photos (I use both my Nikon D3100 and my grandpa's old canon SLR, and I have 30+ more throwaway 120 and 35mm cameras), take video, write sad-boy poetry, paint, draw, make patches, or combine all of the above into zines sometimes! Right now I'm working on a mural.

What do you do for fun? 

When I'm not hanging out with wonderful sick-ass people I like grabbin' coffee and writing excessively in my journal, or scavenging at Happy Dragon or like, Saver's, because I'm cheap.

What do you draw inspiration from?

Documentaries, pastel colors, Ashli Wood's writing (I highly recommend buying her poetry zine), On the Cusp writing zine, the bay area punk scene, this person named Anya's art, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, Harold & Maude, The Pleasure of Being Robbed (which more people should really check out on Netflix because it's so aesthetically pleasing) and old buildings. 

How would you describe yourself?

Too loud or too happy or too sad or too anxious and never really balanced all the way so all of that excess energy bleeds into everything and I end up perpetually doing too many things at once, at a constant rate. 

What are some things you believe in?

Documenting everything. If I go somewhere without my sketchbook, or my journal, or a camera it's almost a waste of time. I hate forgetting things I've done.

What are you going to study in college/ what career path will you pursue?

I'm going to San Francisco State to (attempt to) double-major in Creative Writing and Illustration, I want to eventually set up writing workshops for kids. I love kids! And bees!

I asked Saoirse to share some photos that represent her creative work and style, and here's what she had to show us: 

P.S:

Are you a cool/interview-wrthy person? I'm looking for more people to interview, so if you feel like you might be down, check the "About Me" tab up top for my email address and hit me up!

May Playlist

Happy May everybody!!

Here's my mood board and playlist for the month.

Man, I cannot wait for summer. 

May Playlist

Demons - Imagine Dragons

Rat a Tat - Fall Out Boy

Ramble On - Led Zeppelin

Simple Song - The Shins

Sunblocks - Ratatat

Sound of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel

Miss You - The Rolling Stones

Highway to Hell - AC/DC

The Mighty Fall - Fall Out Boy

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix

In April, I:

Picked up some babysitting jobs, figured out where I'm going to college (UCSC!), made gratitude lists, went swimming in the ocean, danced a lot, hung out with my friends, went to the senior talent show, and volunteered more

In May, I want to: 

Actually re-open my Etsy shop one of these days, go to prom (!!), make some more cash, have fun, hang out with people I haven't in a while, learn about myself, and just chill out

Attention: A Rant

Explanation: This is a little rant I wrote about receiving attention from my classmates and peers, mainly for the way I dress. 

Read on: 

Let me tell you about my own experiences with attention, wanted and unwanted. 

Our story starts off with thirteen year-old me. Pretty close to graduation, I was about to be spit out by the middle school machine, which seemed to have successfully completed the creation of another conformist and undifferentiated being. Throughout the course of middle school, I had learned there was one goal to be put above the rest, and this was to be exactly like everyone else. Why? To avoid attention, most of which would be negative. I was the perfect chameleon, or at least I tried to be. I even began to buy my clothes in only neutral colors, so that soon my wardrobe was full of blue, white, and grey, the least offensive shades I could find.

However, though I continued with the ritual conformity that seemed to be demanded of me, I knew there was something underneath my desire to be like everyone else, and this was the desire to be different. It took a long time to really discover that was it, but when I identified this feeling, it terrified me, and I tried to quash it. Unsuccessfully. It seemed that the more I fought by conforming, the unhappier I was, and I realized that this stemmed from going against my own wishes so as not to be noticed by others. 

It wasn't until sophomore of high school year that I started to finally let go and wear, do, and say more of what I wanted. These changes definitely brought attention to me. I had a rebellious streak so intense it was self-destructive at some points, and people definitely noticed. Strangely, though, I seemed to get positive reactions much more often than negative ones. For every sideways sneer or double take that I received while wearing a pair of black ripped jeans, there were at least a dozen people who approached me saying things like "I love your outfit, I could never pull that off!".

To a self-conscious fifteen year-old, both reactions were unnerving. I was just as embarrassed by compliments as I was by insults. This was because I was so down on myself that I lacked the self-esteem to ever believe compliments. I was predisposed to believe that these people were lying, or making fun of me. Somehow, though, I managed to convince myself that maybe they were not lying, and that these people genuinely appreciated how I looked. In a gradual evolution that lasted from age fifteen to age seventeen, I finally began dressing exactly how I wanted. At first, I hated compliments and attention from others, but then I grew to depend on them. Now I find myself able to function without them easily, knowing that I look good without needing anyone to tell me so. 

This is not to say that I no longer attract any attention. If anything, I attract more glances and gazes from my classmates than ever. My thirteen year-old self would have cringed and slumped down in her seat, but when this happens to the seventeen year-old me, I only think one thing: Let them stare. 

In conclusion, attention is something that takes a certain degree of self-confidence to be comfortable with, but once you have that, it can be awesome. If you want to turn heads when you walk down the hallways, go for it! You got it, babe!

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Hello everyone, today I'm sharing a recipe I made a little while ago: Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls. I shared these with my friends and they were a big hit! Everyone's been telling me to make them again. 

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients: 

2 cups creamy peanut butter

3 cups rice krispies

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

2 or 3 packages milk chocolate chips

Instructions: 

1. Mix together the peanut butter, rice krispies, powdered sugar, and butter in a small bowl

2. Mold mixture into ball shapes

3. Melt chocolate over the stove, stirring constantly to avoid burning

4. Then dip balls in chocolate, coating completely, and set on cookie sheet

5. Stick the cookie sheet in the fridge until hardened

Tips:

- An easy way to melt chocolate is to heat a small pot or pan of water on the stove until it simmers and emits steam, and then placing a bowl over the top, making sure that the bowl does not touch the water. Put chocolate chips in the bowl to melt. 

- How many balls this recipe makes depends on the size you make them, but I made about 50-70

- I recommend letting the balls harden overnight and storing in a cool place to prevent them from melting again

Happy baking!

Hello, April!

Here is my monthly mood board and playlist for April! 

It's been a really long time since I did one of these, I forgot how much fun they are. 

This month's mood board contains a few spring and summer wishes. I can't wait for this summer, it's going to be so much fun! But, more on that later :)

April Playlist

Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones

Over the Hills and Far Away - Led Zeppelin 

Midnight - Red Hot Chili Peppers

No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn - The Beastie Boys

My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up) - Fall Out Boy

Radioactive - Imagine Dragons

Itchin' On A Photograph - Grouplove

Young Blood - The Naked and Famous

Ottoman - Vampire Weekend

We Didn't Start The Fire - Billy Joel

Land Down Under - Men At Work

Let It Be - The Beatles

In March, I:

Went to the beach, went to my first-ever Sadie Hawkins dance (!), put a pretty sticker on my car, went to the library, volunteered, went to the Mystery Spot, and had lots of fun with my friends :)

In April, I want to: 

Start a job hunt, figure out some college stuff, re-open my Etsy shop, make gratitude lists, finish our Movie Making Club project, make some money, hang out with my best friends, make lots of art, and go swimming!

Spring Trends!

It's officially spring, which means it's time for a spring style post! Can you smell the spring in the air? I sure can, and summer's on the way, just begging me to break out the high-waisted shorts. I can't wait!

For this season, I'm focusing on two different style aspects. First, we have a nod to the more vintage elements that are popular this season, with throwbacks to the 50s, the 90s, and pretty much every decade in between. Beyond that, I'm focusing on what I like to call "West Coast Punk", which basically consists of tie-dye, yin-yangs, and plenty of teen angst. Enjoy:

• Simple silhouettes and solid colors
• Lacy details
• Vintagey extras like scrunchies, collars, and saddle shoes
• LOTS of tank tops!
• Denim elements

• Tie-dye forever!
• Graphic t-shirts, especially with yin-yangs
• Iron-on patches
• Classic shoes like Doc Martens, Converse, and Vans
• Cool uniques items like friendship bracelets, interesting jewelry, and rad sunglasses

Here's my mood board for spring style. I wish I could skate. 

This season, my outfits will be more concentrated on different fabrics and textures, as well as different accessories. I also get to go back to wearing tank tops, which are my favorite clothing item (seriously, I own about seven)! I'm focusing a lot on flowers, especially daisies, and tie-dye. So much tie-dye. I recently bought a pair of tie-dye overalls, and I can't wait to show them off! This season, specific colors are less important than they have been in the past, although I will be experimenting with more greens, oranges, blacks, purples, and pinks. 

Places To Find Items Like These:

• Your mom's closet. Your dad's closet. Your friend's older sister's closet. Seriously, other people have some awesome things just sitting around. Your parents might have some pretty rad stuff that they wore when they were teenage punks, or hippies, or whatever. One time I found a silver velvet crop top in my mom's closet. I wear it all the time!
• Stuff like tie-dye, patched-up backpacks, scrunchies, cutoff shorts, and floral crowns are the ultimate DIY projects. Make a party out of it by getting together a bunch of your friends and making this stuff together!
• Check thrift stores for stuff like unique jewelry, iron-on patches, cool sunglasses, and of course, tank tops. 
• Look at Etsy or eBay for vintage items, and check websites like ASOS, Romwe, Motel Rocks, and ModCloth for trendier items. 

Recipe: Crock-Pot Baked Apples

Hello there!

I'm checking in to share this delicious recipe I made with my mom today. It's super easy and very delicious: Baked Apples via Skinny Chef. I found the recipe on Pinterest, and I decided to try it. My family had a lovely dessert tonight :)

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 Gala or Macintosh apples, cored
• 1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
• 2 tablespoons orange liquor (optional)
• 
  
• 1. Mix together the brown sugar, butter or margarine, cinnamon, and walnuts together in a medium bowl. 
• 2. Remove most of the core from all the apples, but make sure to leave the bottom still intact, so that the apple acts like a little cup. You can use a melon-baller or a small knife and spoon for this task. 
• 3. Stuff the apples with equal amounts of the brown sugar mixture and place in the crock-pot. 
• 4. Pour in the apple juice or cider, and the liquor if you choose. Then cover and let sit on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. 
• 
  
• Some Tips:
• -I did not use liquor and these were delicious anyways!
• -I recommend not peeling the apples since they hold together better when you are serving them if they still have the peel on. Plus, more fiber!
• -In substitute of walnuts, I used pecans, and these were still very good. 
• -These can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
• Happy baking!