#FaeriesFavoriteMovies: 13 Going on 30

Hi, everyone! Decided to put up a new topic on the blog, and well, in this space, I’d just be talking about my favorite movies (aka an excuse to blog about Mark Ruffalo…I KID. Ok, only half-kidding lmao) and share my favorite quotes, scenes, songs, and everything else from them.

First up is one of my favorite movies of all time: 13 Going on 30

So this movie was released in 2004, if I’m not mistaken, and the first time I saw it was when I was such a troubled teen (eek) and since then, it has remained as one of my most beloved films.

Matty and Jenna looking so cute! (Trivia: Young Jenna was played by Christa B. Allen–aka Charlotte on “Revenge”)

So, it’s the story of Jenna Rink, this 13 year old awkward teen who wished to be 30 (THIRTY AND FLIRTY AND THRIVING!!!) and well, one day, she woke up and got her wish…but of course, there are consequences.

1. She could not remember anything about her life
2. She’s successful, but then she realized that she’s actually mean and messy and well, you know how we messed-up adults are
3. She’s no longer friends with her best friend, Matt–and her friends now are all phony😦

Love is a battlefield

So, one day, she looks for Matt–who’s now a grown-up Mark Ruffalo, and just tries to learn about her life more. She got everything she wanted–but then it just made her feel like nothing. And how many times have we felt that way in our lives, right?

She grows close to Matt again–and they share many great experiences together, even redesigning her magazine!

heheehehe

We have to remember what used to be good. If we don’t, we won’t be able to realize it–even if it hits us between the eyes.

Of course, there’s a catch: Matt is getting married *sobs* and Jenna is still such a mess–leading to my favorite song of all time, Billy Joel’s “Vienna”–watch/listen to it below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH7o2xe4KP4

And then there’s this…

You probably already know what happened, but if you don’t…Well, let’s just say it’s not the most logical movie (LOL) but it’s just so good and heartwarming and perfect.

“You don’t always get the dream house. But sometimes, you get pretty close.”

Well, Jenna got her dream house, of course, but the thing about this movie is that it really just warms your heart–and reminds you to go, chase for your dreams–and make sure those are what’s actually in your heart.

And you know, sometimes, we fall down—down, down, down–but sooner or later, we’ll get up…and find our place in this world.

Soundtrack Favorites:

1. Billy Joel-Vienna
2. Liz Phair-Why Can’t I
3. Pat Benatar-Love is a Battlefield

That’s all for now! TTY soon! xx

Favorite Bookish Quotes Vol 1: One Last Thing Before I Go (Jonathan Tropper)

Today’s featured book: One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper

“Mistakes have been made. It’s hard to know where to start. Things have been a mess for many years that trying to pin down a starting point is like trying to figure out where your skin starts. All you can ever really know is that it’s wrapped around you, sometimes a little tighter than you’d like.”

“The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don’t necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom is largely a function of intelligence and self-awareness, not time on your hands. But you do become very good at thinking yourself into endless loops of desperation in half the time it would take a normal person.”

“We’re all clichés, all following scripts that have been written and played out long before we landed the role.”

“The only thing worse than not having your dream come true is having it come true for a little while.”

“And ice-cream cones,’ she says. ‘What is it with you and ice-cream cones?’

He licks around the edge of his cone as he considers the question. ‘I guess no one ever eats an ice-cream cone at a funeral, or a fire. The Red Cross doesn’t drop ice-cream cones into third-world countries. If you’re eating an ice-cream cone, it’s just very hard to believe that things have gone completely to shit. That there isn’t still hope.”

“It’s hard to imagine your heart simply stopping, but at the same time, it’s hard to believe that it didn’t give up years ago.”

“This was his childhood, safe and warm and brightly lit, and being here now makes him feel like he died years ago and he’s now a lost spirit, stuck between worlds with unfinished business.”

 

6 Years Ago…

You know what this week means? Well, this week is actually 6 years (if I remember correctly, I mean, if it isn’t this week, it’s the next ha-ha) since I graduated from college UGH I AM OLD. No, seriously, though…sometimes, you just get these bursts of memories and you tend to reflect on how much you have changed since then.

I’m not going to lie: back then, I thought I knew everything already. I thought it was going to be easy—or at least, easier than I thought. If you knew me back then, you’d say I actually have it all figured out. My yearbook even says that I’m going to be the next Pia Guanio (I know, I know)! I kind of was excited for what life could bring. I thought I’d easily be okay.

Here’s the thing: I took broadcasting in college, but before that I stopped studying the year after High School ended because (hmm, you probably know by now) of Depression. That was 2005, and come 2006, I thought I was already fine (conventional family; these things should end—just.like.that.), so I went back to school and well, college was pretty good to me. It was my comfort zone. I had friends everywhere. I was even President of our org once, was part of the Honors Society, the student council, was hosting our in-school radio show, organized benefit concerts and car shows—in short, I was acing both my academics and my social life, so I was pretty fine (except for times when my heart was broken! HA!)

But then, on my junior year, I had this internship at a TV Network and it made me feel like, “waiiiiit…this probably isn’t the right thing for me to do”. I remember my friend and I even had a conversation with one of the network’s directors once and she said that we should ask ourselves if it was really what we wanted. But well, I’m kind of the queen of lying to myself then so I thought, the feelings of confusion are going to pass. I wanted to shift at that point, but I thought it was too late, so I continued, and soon, I was already about to graduate.

Before that, though, I remember my friends and I had this conversation about our expectations after college, and one of them said she was scared. She was scared of starting again—of finding her place in the world. Well, I was kind of the mother hen of the group, too, so I said, we’ll all be okay and we’ll find our places in the world.

So, fast forward to what happened after graduation: I can still remember how 2 weeks after grad, I was already being pressured to find work—and it was then that I realized how easy the generations before us had it: how they easily found work—how it was just “easy”, period.

Anyway, I was still one of the first ones in our batch who found work, but well…it just didn’t work for me. I felt like crying in the office each day, wanting to go home when I’m done with my responsibilities for the day.  I felt like I could not fit in, so I resigned, and of course, my parents were disappointed. Who wouldn’t be? To them, I was this High School Salutatorian and College Dean’s Lister WHO COULD NOT MAKE UP HER MIND. And it was wrong. And I understood, but the thing was…I just could not fit in. I just could not be myself. And that was hard.

So, well, I was jobless for months—and my god, I couldn’t even begin to tell you how depressed I was back then; how the words really pierced my soul and made me feel like I was worthless.

I then went from job to job but long story short: I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t give my best. I always got sick. I literally felt like killing myself to the point that I became such a liar. I lied about going to work, even when I didn’t. I lied, I lied, I lied—and my life become literally a toxic lie.

And when those things happen, you really have to make tough decisions—and really take control of your life.

All I’m saying is…life after graduation? It isn’t as easy as it seems. Maybe, some would have it easy—and that’s good. But it doesn’t happen for everyone. Getting what you want takes time, and you really do have to have tough skin for it. You have to help yourself. You have to make your own decisions. You have to fall down to the pits so you could rise up again. You have to—as cheesy as this sounds—hold on to your passion. You have to give yourself the chance to dream new dreams—and work for the ones you really believe in. You just have to do something with your life, whatever that means.

Do I like the person I’ve become? Well, to be honest, there are times when I don’t, but mostly, I do. Because I know that I worked hard for what I have now—and I am working hard for what I could still have. I may not be the same girl in those pictures anymore, but I guess, that’s good. You change as you grow. You change as you go.

“I love the woman I’ve become. I fought hard to become her.” –Kaci Diane

2015 Favorites: Best Books

Now, time to list my 15 favorite books of 2015! Check them all out below!

1. Everything, Everything (Nicola Yoon)

“I was trying so hard to find the single pivotal moment that set my life on its path. The moment that answered the question, ‘How did I get here?’

But it’s never just one moment. It’s a series of them. And your life can branch out from each one in a thousand different ways. Maybe there’s a version of your life for all the choices you make and all the choices you don’t.”

Everything, and I mean, EVERYTHING, about this book is beautiful. You know, you’d think it’s one of those usual stories but it’s definitely on a league of its own. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, and there are a lot of unexpected moments that will make you swoon, cry, and basically just gasp and take a lot of deep breaths. I’m a really forgetful person but this one? I know it would stay with me for a long, long time.

 

2. All The Bright Places (Jennifer Niven)

“She is oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. The same elements that are inside the rest of us, but I can’t help thinking she’s more than that and she’s got other elements going on that no one’s ever heard of, ones that make her stand apart from everybody else.”

I read this early this year, before it became big, and I’m glad I did because it’s just one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking, cry-worthy books I’ve read all my life. I’m glad it also talks about Depression in such a way that makes it understandable for those who don’t. I’m just basically glad for the beauty that is this book. The author’s also working on the movie’s screenplay so that’s something to look forward to.

3. The Good Girl (Mary Kubica)

“I know how betrayal and disillusionment feel, when someone who could give you the world refuses even a tiny piece of it.”

Mary Kubica is one of my favorite authors right now because she writes soooo well. Like, seriously. I’m a fan of crazy suspense/crime thrillers and she nails it. She knows how to do it. This book certainly proved that.

4. Another Day (David Levithan)

“That has to be what love is – seeing what a mess he is and loving him anyway, because you know you’re a mess, too, maybe even worse.”

There were lots of bad reviews for this book but I liked it not just because I love David Levithan, but also because it’s good to be in Rhiannon’s shoes. So heartbreaking and painful. I wouldn’t choose what’s better between this one and Every Day because I love them both.

5. The Status of All Things (Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke)

“A very wise person once told me marriage is hard, that you have to keep fighting for it everyday.”

One word: Facebook. It’s so witty and it has that Sophie Kinsella/Alexandra Potter feel.

6. Pretty Baby (Mary Kubica)

“Momma used to say, “We don’t have much, but at least we have each other.” And then one day, we didn’t even have that much.”

Another Kubica! Pretty Baby is really crazy but great. Read it and you’d know what I mean.

7. Hallowed (Tonya Hurley)

I love the Precious Blood series and this was such a fitting ending. But I still want mooooooore

8. Down The Rabbit Hole (Holly Madison)

“Maybe I wasn’t defined by the mistakes I had made after all . . . maybe those decisions were what allowed me to become the person I was always destined to be.”

Didn’t know much about Holly except for Girls Next Door, but I really enjoyed this book. She is a survivor and no matter what you say, I’m glad things worked out for her.

9. Finding Audrey (Sophie Kinsella)

“I think what I’ve realized is, life is all about climbing up, slipping down, and picking yourself up again. And it doesn’t matter if you slip down. As long as you’re kind of heading more or less upwards. That’s all you can hope for. More or less upwards.”

This book nailed what anxiety feels like to a T. It’s Sophie’s first YA offering and she did it so well. So beautiful.

10. P.S. I Still Love You (Jenny Han)

“There’s a Korean word my grandma taught me. It’s called jung. It’s the connection between two people that can’t be severed, even when love turns to hate. You still have those old feelings for them; you can’t ever completely shake them loose of you; you will always have tenderness in your heart for them.”

The ending to the Song Sisters series. Oh man, the rollercoaster of emotions this brought me!

11. Carry On (Rainbow Rowell)

“Sharing a room with the person you want most is like sharing a room with an open fire.

He’s constantly drawing you in. And you’re constantly stepping too close. And you know it’s not good–that there is no good–that there’s absolutely nothing that can ever come of it.

But you do it anyway.
And then…
Well. Then you burn.”

Harry Potter. Twilight. Fanfics. Fangirl. EVERYTHING.

12. Leaving Time (Jodi Picoult)

“I wonder if, as you get older, you stop missing people so fiercely. Maybe growing up is just focusing on what you’ve got, instead of what you don’t.” 

Dark, sad, beautiful, unforgettable.

13. My Heart and Other Black Holes (Jasmine Warga)

“Depression is like a heaviness that you can’t ever escape. It crushes down on you, making even the smallest things like tying your shoes or chewing on toast seem like a twenty-mile hike uphill. Depression is a part of you; it’s in your bones and your blood. If I know anything about it, this is what I know: It’s impossible to escape.”

Again: Depression. Suicide. I love how it does not sugarcoat things. It’s heartbreaking. It’s fearless. It’s beautiful.

14. Pretending to be Erica (Michelle Painchaud)

I just like how it was written; how enjoyable and entertaining and painful it was.

15. This is Where I Leave You (Jonathan Tropper)

“I may not be old but I’m too old to have this much nothing”

I’m pretty sure this was not released this year but only read it a couple of months ago and it had a really big impact on me. I always like complicated, intertwining stories. I like this novel’s humor and wit—and the characters, too!

Favorite Quotes from “A SECOND CHANCE”

If you know me, you’d know Bea and John Lloyd is one of my favorite Pinoy loveteams (and believe me, there are only a few lol) and ONE MORE CHANCE is one of my favorite movies of all time (actually even bought the novelization, but that’s another story…), so obviously, I watched A SECOND CHANCE (and dragged my boyfriend along).

This is actually the first Pinoy movie I’ve seen in the cinema in… 3 years? The last one I watched was another film of these two (The Mistress). I really wanted to see this film because it really has been too long since the first movie (2007), and of course, I’ve grown up, too (was a college sophomore then, and now I’m in my *gasp* late twenties). I really thought the film depicted the reality of relationships (especially when you’re married/have moved in together), so while I still like the first movie better, I appreciated this one for being realistic–and yeah, yeah, I did shed a few tears.

Anyway, let me share some of my favorite lines from the film with y’all:

“Why is it so easy for you to see the worst in me?”

“Why do you make it so hard for me to see the best in you?”

“I lost him. I lost the man you married. Can you honestly love a failure?”

Seriously, though…people really change in relationships; it cannot be helped.

“Your love story is what you make it.”

And my favorite:

“Maybe, it’s brave to ask ‘What if?’, but maybe, it’s braver to embrace ‘What is’.”

It’s true. Sometimes, we just fail to appreciate “what is”. And I am quite guilty of that. It’ll take time to really appreciate life for what it is–but you have to. Otherwise, you won’t be happy, even once.

Favorite Lyrics: Ellie Goulding Edition

Back for another Favorite Lyrics Post! This time, it’s all about one of favorites: Ellie Goulding. Super in love with her voice, and her songs always have depth in them, too! It’s definitely the kind of music you could get lost into!

Do you also like Ellie? What are your favorite lyrics? Feel free to share! :)