A Story in Three Parts

"Dear John, There's so much I want to say to you, but I'm not sure where I should begin. Should I start by telling you that I love you?"... since I'm sure you have been to the movies in the past few weeks, I know you have probably seen the trailer for the new film "Dear John" coming out sometime this next year. Over the break, I decided to read the book that this future film was based on while in the mountains. Having now finished the book, I have mixed feelings about the movie that is coming out. I honestly don't know if it will be able to capture the tale that Nicholas Sparks penned. All in all, the novel is a typical Sparks- good and emotional, like all of his other novels. But with "Dear John" it was all to real for me. Although on a deeper level, "Dear John" presented a relationship that I had seen before at times in my life and the lives of my friends/family. There was one point where I had to put the book down and walk away I was so angry with the situation being presented. I could relate to both John and Savannah in the story at different points, which, in many ways, made it hard to read. The story follows a relationship in three parts: The beginning, middle, and end. The reader is made aware of this on the first pages of the prologue- so you've been warned! Anyway, the story in its entirety was heartbreakingly beautiful, although not at all the way you imagined it to be... Not gonna lie, the end got a tad bit soap-opera-ish for me. So now, as I sit here thinking about it, I really wish that fictional characters could talk. Because if they could, I would ask John one question. "Knowing what you do now, about how this would all pan out, would you do it again?"...as you can see, this book struck a chord with me. You should read it and see what I'm talking about.

My Crazy Family

I cannot think of a more peaceful place to be than the mountains. Polly, my mom and I got a chance to sneak up here for the last few days of break, and as always, its like heaven! A very chilly, windy heaven! But anyway, since I neglected to update earlier- Happy Belated Thanksgiving. I hope all of you ate so much delicious turkey that you went up a pant size. I'm sure I'll see you all in the gym soon...But anyway, I love Thanksgiving, and this year was up there with the awesome ones. The food was great, the company was awesome (I love me some Cousin movie outings!) and the Macy's Parade was pretty good as well. But, being the party animals that we are, we're STILL celebrating up here in the mountains. We've been visiting with some of my mom's extended family, and having a wonderful time. And I just gotta say- I have got some of the coolest family members ever. One particular cousin ( who is up here with his wife and kids) that I haven't seen in forever was just telling me of some of his crazy exploits including starting MTV europe, meeting Madonna, living in an apartment across from Janet Jackson, being held hostage at gunpoint in another country, and his former escapades as a model. He also mentioned his decorating stint in Barbara Strisand's house, and his many trips to Italy...I know by now your eyes are bulging out of your head and you think I've made all of this up. But no. I'm not kidding. He has proof...I mean I knew he was a world traveler, but really? Madonna? But thats not the only crazy one- I also learned of another cousin at Thanksgiving that is a professional ballerina. I mean, wow! On one hand, I'm amazed, but on the other hand, astonished that I knew so little about my extended family. Long story short, if your around any of your family this week, don't pass up the chance to have a conversation. You never know what you'll find out. But anyway, its been great up here in the mountains- been writing, reading (more on THAT tomorrow), and relaxing. All and all, it seems to be exactly what I needed.

For Your Consideration: Number 3!

Recent Findings-

Currently: sitting on the couch anticipating movie night.

Favorite new snack food: Dibs ( but only the plain chocolate covered ones. No crunch please)

Favorite upscale snack food: A "turtle' desert bar from Dean & Deluca. So good!!!

Current musical muse: "Songs for A New World" Cd, and Regina Spektor music.

America's unhealthy obsession: Twilight: New Moon, and Taylor Lautners abs!

Good Film: Twilight: New Moon... and NOT because of the abs.

Annoying fact: That I have a math project over Thanksgiving break. I mean, REALLY?

Shocking Fact: There is a shortage of Eggo Waffles. What?

Thanksgiving anticipation: Macys. Day. Parade.

Unusual yet true occurrence: Crying in public.

Thing I refuse to do: sing while playing rock band.

Christmas Wish: ipod, please.

Exciting happenings: Rehearsals, 10 days of school till Christmas Break, and mountain trip.

Thankful For: Friends, Family, and Food.

Quote:"Have you ever heard a joke so many times you've forgotten why it's funny? And you heard it again and suddenly it's new. You remember why do you love it in the first place." - Big Fish

Birthday Brother

Today was Jack's 8th birthday- GASP! He's getting so big! Needless to say, the house was abuzz all day with festivities celebrating my little brother-from birthday foods, to a pirate party, staying up late. It was a blast watching Jack's little friends have an all-out battle with nurf swords, not gonna lie. But anyway, there are definitely some changes in Jack's attitude with the whole "growing a year older" thing going on. He's starting to get, well... mischievous when it comes to Polly and myself. Now that he's getting older, he's filling the shoes of the sneaky little brother a little better. And as long as he doesn't turn into the "annoying little brother" that so many of my friends complain about having, I don't mind this shift one bit. But, personally I don't think the whole annoying stage is gonna happen for two reasons- 1) there's practically a 10 year age gap. Thats enough of a difference for him to think of us as the "cool sisters". And hey, we ARE cool! :) and 2) He's just far to cute to be annoying! His current cute scenario: Mom's driving Jack home from church, and they are chatting all about Thanksgiving. Jack's talking all about his favorite foods, and mentions "yams" to be his very favorite. Then he tells my mom "There are two kinds of yams Mom, did you know that?" And when my mom asked him to elaborate, he replied in all ernest-ness "There are the ones we eat, at Thanksgiving and stuff. And then there are the ones we sing about in church." My mom must have looked blank, because then Jack broke into song- "Here I yam to worship, Here I yam to bow down..." We got quite the chuckle. And I still don't think he knows that we're not singing about yams in church...aww gotta love that kid. And since he reads this every once in a while, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROTHER JACK!

Twilight Truths

Dear Girls of America,

Edward and Jacob are not real. As much as we all wish they were, they are not. So no- Edward is not going to come knock on your door and whisk you off your feet, and no he's not going "bite you" either. And Jacob? Nope. A werwolf isn't gonna be running around your house anytime soon. So, please. Don't get out of hand. The characters in the movie? Yeah, totally actors. The characters they portray don't even reflect their behavior in real life. Think about that before you swoon. "Twilight" is JUST A STORY- a good one, true, but still...not real. Please try and realize this and control your obsession. Because although its fun to get excited about a movie, FREAKING OUT about it is a tad bit over the top...Ok. Thanks for remembering this through the rest of this whole "vampire craze".

Love,

The Realistic Fan :)

Finding the Fierce

"Fierce- An indefinable state of being that depicts the high point of being fabulous." Any Project Runway fans out there? I thought in light of the Project Runway season finale being tonight, it would be fitting to let my readers in on a little experiment I've been conducting. Its all about the "Fierce". Ok- A week or so ago, I bought this book by Project Runway champion Christian Sirano (Remember him? Cowboy boots, black glasses, spiked and straightened hair, and killer design sense?) called "Fierce Style". I can't really tell you why...I guess it was just because it looked entertaining and since he is, like, my favorite winner of all time...and there was the fact that it was on sale...But anyway, I bought the book and started to read. And lo and behold- I learned some stuff! Believe it or not, this fashion self-help book had some awesome points. So I decided to try some of the things Christian was talking about- like always accessorizing, and ways to change up what you have in your closet. I just wanted to see if the 5 minutes of extra effort required to follow "Fierce Style" while getting dressed in the morning was really worth it...turns out, it was! Not only did I get compliments on all my outfits, but I also found that I can do a lot more with the clothes I have in my closet. Not to mention, that in one situation, people took me more seriously- I mean, the usual sweatshirt and jeans don't scream "serious" to me. All in all, it gave me some new perspectives on dressing. So anyway, the experiment was a fun and smashing success. I think I'll continue reading me some "Fierce Style"...wow. I am such a nerd. But a fashionable nerd, none the less.

"Hit Him!" With an Argument

So, new found fact about Claire Hilton- I can really debate. I know, shocking. "How did you make this astounding revelation?" you may ask. Well, let me inform you! This week in Bible class, we are doing a debate project in regards to Calvinism v. Arminianism. Now right off the bat I'll just tell you that I'm not totally sold on either belief in its entirety. But then again, we're not done learning about it yet. But anyway, I was assigned to debate the "free will" side of Arminianism. And to be honest, I was freaking out about the whole debate prospect. This was a first time experience (debating until a winner is decided), so I honestly had no clue how I would do. I was so very scared of freezing on the spot. But thankfully that did NOT happen. Actually, it was quite the opposite. I guess you could say, I got passionate about the argument. It was really funny- I shot down a TON of points, and basically ended the debate by making the other side admit to free will in regards to choice. I think half the kids in my class that are on the opposite side hate me now. After we finished, my teacher laughed, since at school I'm perceived as the more "chill" twin. I don't think anyone was expecting the quick, pointed attitude out of me. I certainly wasn't. So, long story short, I found a new talent! Now, how much good it'll do me- I don't know. But all my mom's been saying since I told her is "Destination: Law School!" Ha. Yeah Right. Like that'll ever happen.

And Then There's Joy

"My joy is not determined by what happens to me, but by what Christ is doing in me and through me." Isn't that great? I can't even count how many times that I have said that this past week and a half. I'll be honest- not having the best moments of my life, these past two weeks. I won't bore you with the morbid facts of "Claire's Tragic Escapades" in life (oh, don't you love my dramatics?), but lets just say these days have not gone down as "good" in my book. Stress, tears, anger, the whole nine yards are in there somewhere or another... And yet, as I look back on them, I see that 1) they could be a WHOLE LOT worse, and 2) There were some definite "positives" peppered in here and there. Thanks to Elevation's "Joy Genome" series, I was reminded that keeping a positive attitude can be quite the cure all to a situation that isn't ideal. Not gonna lie, its a total God thing that this happened to be the series we've been covering right now...oh the divine timing. But anyway, I can't tell you how excited I am about all thats going on- with school, family, extra curricular stuff- All of it! Because the way I see it, God must really be doing some big things in my life! And that alone is an ample reason for joy, don't you think? And in case you missed it, I'd suggest going online and checking out the sermon videos of this series. Its one you won't want to miss out on.

Breath In, Breath Out

Inhale, Exhale, Inhale, Exhale... Breatheeeee. Count to three, and relax. This week. Well, this week has been insane. Quite the roller-coaster of emotions. I had the stress of auditions/callbacks/callbacks x2 for our school musical this week, which can singlehandedly drain a human of all sanity. And by the way, the cast list still isn't up. Just FYI. Then, I had a funeral to attend Wednesday, which was so incredible (over 1000 people were there. What a testimony!) yet so very sad as well. And then there was the whole homework thing I had to accomplish. Needless to say, it wasn't the most relaxing rainy week I've ever had. From the moment Monday came around, I could barely catch my breath. Only now, after a Saturday full of ballet, shopping, and homework am I able to post anything. All I can say, is that I hope this doesn't turn into a trend...

Long-Ness

I've noticed something. Most of my posts are long. I guess I'm just a rambling person. But I'm not gonna apologize because its MY blog. And I can write however long or however short I wish. The End. :)

Facebook Facts

I have a problem...well, its not necessarily a problem, but more of a distraction. FACEBOOK. Yup, this cyber communication site is starting to turn into an obsession for me. Why? Let me just tell you why- the people who invented facebook must be serious creepers, because facebook is literally the ULTIMATE stalking device. Status updates, live news feeds, and continuous photo album and video updates make it impossible for you NOT to know what all of your friends are up to on a Wednesday night. And if the nosey-ness doesn't draw you to the site, there's the whole application thing. Little games, quizzes, or surveys that have "time killer" written all over them. And I swear, if I get another "Farmville" invitation, so help me I will hurt whoever sent it! No not really...Personal application weaknesses: Pieces of flair, Social interview, and "Friends" trivia. Also, the site is powerful- after all nothing in life is "official" until its "facebook official". And if thats not enough, there's Email via facebook, and groups that you can join, notes you can fill out, and things that you can "become a fan" of....it just never ends! And the real problem of it is that the site is so stinking convenient. Type in your password, and boom there it is! Your sealing the fate of several hours of your afternoon...Of course, I know it sounds like I have no life and spend my entire life on the internet. Not true. I actually multi-task while on facebook (having one window with the FB open, and then another open working on homework or blogging, or garage band), but still. Is this kind of up close and personal obsession with having to be up in other peoples business healthy? I ask you, IS IT!?!? Of course, it is good for staying connected with friends and family, and getting messages to large groups out fast...oh the pros and cons. Anyway, this post is more of an open brainstorm for myself to remember the trivial-ness of this site called facebook. But then again it could be worse- I could have a twitter ;)

The Ugly Jar

My church is the best. Like, no joke. Currently we are in the midst of working on a fast from complaining/whining/pretty much anything negative. Because as Pastor Steven reminded us that negativity is the ultimate kill-oy in our joy genomes. And I am LOVING it! Its challenging, and really eye-opening in reference to how much we all actually complain. Also, the way we're doing it is super creative- each time you complain you have to put a dollar into "The Ugly Jar". Made by the kids department at Elevation, this brown jar is sitting in the Hilton kitchen as a reminder. But in my opinion, the best part about it is that the money that is added to the Ugly Jar over this week long fast is going to a charity in downtown Charlotte. We're taking our bad mess and turning it into good- so take that Satan!!! But everyone in the family is working on this. Its been challenging, but kinda fun too. You should make your own ugly jar....it'll really surprise you how much you use it. :)

Content Reflections

I'm content. So very content...and I'm not gonna lie, I'm surprised by this current attitude of mine. I'm speaking, of course about competition this past weekend. I'll kill the suspense and just say right now that we lost. BIG time. We didn't make it to state (for the first time in, like 4 years), and a ton of the components in our shows got overlooked by the adjudicators. And the thing is, I should be mad about it. Because we did a STELLAR job this weekend. Both of our shows went off very well (12th Night, in my opinion was the best time we'd ever done it) and were well received by the audiences. The problem was, the adjudicators weren't as experienced as they have been in years passed. So, that threw a new element into the competition... And yet, I'm still happy about the result. Why? Because the two shows that won needed it more than we did. One school, CATA, has put on fabulous shows in the past, but has never been quite up to the judges standards to win. This year they got the prize, and I literally couldn't be prouder or happier for their school! Although I was unable to see their show, "The Good War", they earned a win over these past years. I know they'll represent very well. The other school that went on is the opposite of CATA- they always go to state. They have like, a 15 year winning streak running. And the pressure for them not to break that streak was tremendous. I'm so glad that we don't have that kind of pressure to live up to... Both schools needed a win. And as I watched the schools celebrate last night, I realized that it was A-ok that we didn't get as recognized as we probably should have . Because the thing is, at CCS, our identity doesn't revolve around a win at a theatre competition. We do our shows to tell a story, and more importantly, to share a testimony. I think that in our loss, we were able to shine for Christ more than we ever have before. In my opinion, that in itself is something to be celebrated. And it's not like people didn't recognize our teams talent- we had directors and students speaking to us all day about our talent, maturity, and deep ability on stage. And everyone appreciates a good compliment. Anyway, all this to say, that I couldn't be more proud of our teams efforts at competition, and can't wait to see what all goes down the rest of the year. Because now with this extra time on our hands, I'm sure something epic is in store...oh but one more thing- those of you that weren't able to attend the festival this weekend really missed out- There were some great sets, and great costumes, and good "guesstures" going on :)