Missing Looklet + Bookish News

You know Facebook’s On This Day feature? Yeah, I’m such a sucker for that, and this week, it spewed out a lot of photos from my Looklet album and I just experienced such a wave of nostalgia (UGH), and I just MISS LOOKLET SO MUCH. Are you familiar with the site? Not the one they have NOW but how it was YEEEEARS AGO where you could style models and join contests and what-nots. I know there are a couple of sites that offer the same things now but none of them are as good as Looklet😦

Anyway…I just thought of sharing some of my favorite looks that I have styled on the site…

Ah, I remember this one vividly! haha I was so obsessed with Gossip Girl (still am, mind you) and at that time, I was also reading the books, and there was this passage about Serena loving the animals at the zoo…and I think this look was inspired by that episode where she was late for the Mixer announcement.

 

Do you realize who my inspiration is for those three images above? No? Well…

Blair Waldorf, of course!

You know what the funny thing is, though? Yesterday, I unearthed some old files and found old manuscripts of this story of mine called Concrete Jungle, which is pretty much inspired by Gossip Girl lol. Anyway, I decided to start posting chapters on Wattpad, so if you want to read, please do so–and leave me comments, too! xx

Every Version of You

One, you were full of daydreams; nothing you can remember anymore

Two, you opened up your eyes to harsh realities; some you blinded yourself from

Three and four, you found hope

Five, you started to be confused; about life, about the world

Six, you were a big sister

Seven, you were a little lady

Eight, nine, ten, you were meek; you were shy

Eleven, twelve, you were painfully awkward; the world was harsh;

Thirteen, fourteen, you lost one of the people you loved most

Fifteen, you were full of dreams; had your head in the clouds; only going up, up, up

Sixteen, you fell back to earth; had to stop; didn’t know where to go next

Seventeen, you had a breakdown; tried to pick yourself back up

Eighteen, you had the world in your hands

Nineteen, your world came crashing down

Twenty, you were full of grace

Twenty One, you didn’t know where you were headed

Twenty Two, you tried; oh how much you tried

Twenty Three, you were full of lies

Twenty Four, you went away; left that world; built something new

Twenty Five, you were back with your fairy tales; you know they never left; they never will

Twenty Six, you were good; you were alright

Twenty Seven, you’re fine; and then you’re not

 

I still see every version of you;

Every version of me;

There’ll be more

So much more

There’d be hope

Hopefully more

 

Life, Lately (04) + Bookish News!

It has seriously been forever since I last posted here but life has been craaaaazy. There are days when I’m just seriously exhausted and have no time for anything else, and when I do have time I just feel like I want to eat and sleep and walk the dog (lol)…but seriously, it’s been a tiring couple of weeks.

Plus…well, I’ve also been going through a depressive phase. For a time, there were certain things I felt I had to stop (such as writing books, tbh) because I felt like it was going nowhere. I kind of felt like I wasn’t good enough. That has been playing in my head for a while and it was sad and I thought, maybe, I should stop BUT, you know…life really works in mysterious ways because just when I felt like giving up, a certain email popped up in my inbox that made me realize that sometimes, you really just have to wait, especially if you have done your part (because what would you wait for if you have not done your part, right?) and what you’re waiting for will come. I also remembered this conversation I had with a friend (Hi, Kaye!), about dreams and not giving up on your passion, because really, what would life be like if you’d give up altogether?

Well, going back to the email… it’s not exactly what I wanted, but it’s close. Imagine being one of the chosen ones (HAHA not like Harry but that would be good, too) among many (I know, cryptic, will divulge when I could but not now…). What I’m saying is, maybe this will finally lead me to what I really, really want. Maybe, it’s a test. You’ll know soon, but for now (for a taste of it), do read THIS.

And to know more about that, you can subscribe to my newsletter at: http://ift.tt/1OYdEcM

Another bookish news: you can order a copy of this compilation some of my colleagues and I made. It’s called Project TIMES: Hearts For Sale, and you could order your paperback copy here: bit.ly/HeartsForSale

Anyway, going back to other things, I’ve been walking a lot recently because #ChewytheDog loves the outside world so much lol. Still a cat lady though!

What I’ve been reading

Haven’t been reading so much, too L Except for certain articles here and there, and I’ve only read only 15 books this year (that’s a lot for some but not for me but my ADD’s really getting worse…) Most recent reads are:

1. Rainbow Rowell – Kindred Spirits
2. Jojo Moyes – After You
3. Jessica Love – In Real Life
4. OJ Simpson – If I did it (THIS MADE ME SICK TO MY STOMACH UGH)

Currently reading Marcia Clark’s Without a Doubt.

What I’ve been watching

1. American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson. This is so good (and I’m obviously obsessed, if you could tell by what I’ve also been reading recently). It kind of inspires me to do more, do something like that (not KILL OMG but create something as artistic, and as good as that). It’s the kind of show that’s worth watching.
2. How to Get Away with Murder! STOP TRYING TO MAKE WES-LAUREL HAPPEN IT’S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN. But seriously, still twisted and gooooood
3. OUAT. IT’S BACK!!! AND DARKER!
4. Damien. Just started watching this and it’s super creepy! I like how they’re using old The Omen footages though. And I’m really scared of saints (at least the figures), big ones (Ikr it’s weird but they really freak me out) and this show UGH !!!!
5. Pretty Little Liars. #Spaleb

Also American Idol is really good this season!!!! Grease: LIVE was also amazing! Still watching Supergirl, some Recovery Road, and Tyler: The Hollywood Medium, amongst others lol. Oh, and a lot of Late Late Show with James Corden!

Current Favorite Tunes (aka songs on repeat)

1. Alex and Sierra – Back to You
2. Alex and Sierra – I Love You
3. We the Kings ft Elena Coates – Sad Song
4. Zayn – Pillowtalk (IKR LOL)
5. Kelly Clarkson – Piece by Piece (Idol Version)
6. Fifth Harmony ft Ty Dolla Sign– Work from Home
7. New Radicals – Get What You Give (old one but I’ve been playing it a lot)
8. Charlie Puth ft Selena Gomez – We Don’t Talk Anymore
9. Carly Rae Jepsen – All That
10. Nick Fradiani – Beautiful Life
11. The Corrs – I Do What I Like
12. Seafret – Sinking Ship
13. Nickel Creek – This Side
14. Lana del Rey – Freak
15. Chvrches – Clearest Blue

That’s it for now, I guess…So how’ve you guys been doing?

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to http://ift.tt/1OYdEcM. Making this blog more interactive. Let’s do this!

 

A New Day | Another Day

You open your eyes to a new day and realize it’s probably another version of your day yesterday. You have the same job, you have to do what you have to do, and you just go through it the best way you should.

Sometimes the world just feels like it’s turning so fast; like time just slips right through your fingers without you being able to do anything about it. Days just seem to fly by, with you floating right along them. And you can’t help but wonder if you’re doing everything you could with your time.

Nothing seems to be sacred anymore, you think. These days, lives are judged based on what you share in those ‘grams; in those tweets. Gone were the days when you wrote in your journals; gone were the days when you had the patience to write down all of your feelings inside, until you feel your heart breaking, shattering, getting tired. You have replaced all that with control. You have replaced all your noise with silence—because talk is cheap, and you just have no idea how to share what you feel inside.

These days, lettering is an art, and painting could make money. Reading books is a challenge, not just a hobby. Gone were the days when bookworms were really just in their own world. Gone were the days when reviews and critiques were just in your head. Gone were the days when you wrote on notebooks, on scraps of paper, without having to photograph them; without the need for likes and admiration from people you don’t even know.

Nothing is sacred anymore.

Change is good, you think. Change is inevitable.

But sometimes, you can’t help but wonder if you have allowed yourself to change a whole lot.

If you have allowed yourself to change so much—and now you don’t know yourself at all.

Counting On

She looked around quickly, to see if anything had been taken. Dark clouds enveloped her; everything was hazy. She was confused.

She looked around and saw everything was being taken away–every part of herself, being shredded. She couldn’t help but wonder why. She couldn’t help but think about what she may have done wrong—or if that even matters at all.

Because the world takes, and takes, without fail. The world gets too much from you—all the way to your core. The world has broken her; stopped her from being here. The world has taken her innocence, replaced it with hurt. It took away her rose-colored lenses, and replaced it with bashed ones: that is what life has done.

She looked around again, and noticed that while life may be dark, the clouds have moved to make way for a blue sky. She ran towards the blue sky. She fell down, got scathed. She fell, but got up. She walked again.

She turned around. The dark clouds were getting farther and farther away. With a heavy heart, and bloodshot eyes, she smiled.

She knew that little by little, the world will be better again.

And though the black clouds may be looming, she knows that her hope and perseverance would pull her through.

That’s what she’s counting on.

____________________________________________________

A/N: Have been in such a novel-writing rut lately, so I decided to just put out some short writings from prompts. This will just be one of many.