Would You Trade Me For Someone Cool?

Capturing the teen spirit in just a summer season...

"We are young, we run free, stay up late, we don't sleep, got our friends, got the night, we'll be alright." -Travie McCoy, "We'll Be Alright," as in, the song that got us through our June final exams...

Being a teenager on summer vacation is a lot like being a rock star. Traveling, staying up all night with your best friends, being someone you're not just for the hell of it, and wearing totally outrageous clothes! I've been listening to quite a lot of alternative rock music lately ... and I've deduced that by association, teenagers are rock stars!

First of all, "1983" by Neon Trees. I absolutely adore amusement parks. The lights, the rides, the overall feeling that "this night will go down in history" gets me every time!

 

 Look! Actual neon trees!

Last week, my friends and I visited The Best Theme Park Of The Land, Lake Compounce! So, being total rock stars, we ate funnel cake and churros, rode every single ride that spun 'round like crazy, and rode the Thunder Rapids Ride without changing into our bathing suits. We even lived every 5th grader's dream, and had a sleepover afterwards! I'd like to think that if we had stayed at the park until nightfall, our experiences would've paralleled that of the video.

 

I love the boys on the last car waving to people on the ground...

 

That's us in front of our favorite ride, Wipeout! We rode it thrice. Ooh, and it looks tame, but it's SO not.

This July *flashback* I was absolutely obsessed with this song, "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall," by Coldplay. We spent the fourth of July weekend at Virginia Beach, and I simply couldn't shake the image of dancing with sparklers in the sand and watching the fireworks from your hotel room... (Which we did not get to do, because the Firework Gods decided to pour rain on our sixteenth birthday and cancel the first fireworks display we've seen live in several years. But then they made it up to us surprising everyone with a random display while we were walking out of Walgreen's on our last night!)

 

 

I am a sucker for pink sunsets!! 

 The boardwalk was always full of life! Particularly beach-bum singing for girls and money life, but who said that wasn't entertaining?

 

This playground was built in the middle of a 100 degree beach. Putting aside its poor zoning, it sort of reminds me of a castle you would see in a mirage across a magical lake in a fairytale...

 

Look! Boyfriend and Girlfriend Bikes! You know, one for me, and one for my imaginary boyfriend! ;)

And how much more rock star can you get than trashing (sort of, but not really - we were on a first name basis with the housekeepers) a hotel room?!

Mmkay, so this next one is a nod to my increasing affinity towards Halloween. It's called "Dead Sound," and it's by the Raveonettes. I'm currently reading "It" by Stephen King (Ooh, my first horror story!), and it reminds me of the high school Halloween prank-gone-terribly-wrong novels that, for some reason, were donated to the bookshelf of my fourth grade classroom. Anyway, I'm really into the nighttime now, like ghosts, and haunted houses, and I'm considering throwing a Halloween Party this year complete with full costumes and stuff (My first high school party! Double ooh!).

 

This next one you'll probably recognize from the 2011 MTV VMA's that premiered this Saturday, called "My Body" by Young the Giant. This is most certainly the type of song that makes you say, 

"I feel like standing on a mountain top with the wind in my hair with inspirational music playing behind me, like in some alternative music video, but only if I could somehow work Shaun White into the background, like doing some crazy snowboard magic tricks." - excerpt from my actual Facebook page.

It makes you look at normal objects and see more than just normal things! Take these beach chairs for instance.

You don't JUST see beach chairs, but you see that one of them is stained, and there is an abandoned pair of socks underneath one of them! (Bwahaha, you thought I would actually say something profound!) But I actually liked the perspective and stark-ness of this shot when I took it... And here's some plastic palm trees, which scream rock star, to, you know, some person.

 

Some more rock n' rollin' pictures I dumped off of my Nikon this summer...

 But how can you even mention the word "rock," without mentioning Adam Levine?! That's right, ladies, "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 has certainly been on my summer-radar this season, and has sparked my sudden new interest in the seventies. I actually just bought bell bottoms from American Eagle. 

I absolutely adore the eyeliner tribute!


Well, to all my past, future, and present rockin' teenage readers, I bid yee adieu. I have to catch the Pretty Little Liars season finale! 

Oh, and P.S: Sword battle!

xoxo, Allie ♥♥♥

Out in the Streets, I Hear the Crack of Thunder

"There's one hundred and four days of summer vacation, and school comes along just to end it! So the annual problem for our generation, is finding a good way to spend it..." - The extremely fitting theme song to the only good show left on Disney Channel, Phineas & Ferb

LIKE MAYBE ... going to the local park with your best friends! We had a great time! Seriously, people of all ages, pack a picnic lunch, hitch it up to your bike (which, if a minor highway separates you from the rest of the world, will be strapped precariously to the back of your father's car), a couple of friends, a camera, and be a kid again!

Instead of wasting the last days before school starts breaking the bank on clothes that will be too hot to wear in September anyway and obsessively checking Facebook to make sure your friends aren't having a better time than you are, call them up and invite them over!

ANYWAY.

Since it is the end of August, I've been seeing a lot of back-to-school commercials on TV. You know, J.C. Penney ads with smiling teenagers jumping around in neon tees and too-short flare jeans. That reminded me of the two years I spent in Montgomery Elementary School after we moved here in 4th grade. In particular, two years spent being made fun of by all the Hannah Montana-obsessed little blond girls in pink Club Libby Lu (which was the creepiest place on Earth) tee shirts. And having to deal with the horde of soccer moms setting up play-dates at the mall, just so you could follow their daughters around while they tried on clothes at the aforementioned Libby Lu.

Jessie J's got the right idea:

I really did think that was what friendship was supposed to be like, until seventh grade, and THAT was when I met Carly, my now best-friend-in-the-whole-world. Now we laugh in unison at the pathetic teenagers those elementary-school bullies have become. So last Thursday, I decided to do a photo-adventure based on what I wish my elementary days could've been like. I was really inspired by school lunches, nineties diary entries, Lizzie McGuire, and Nickelodeon cartoons. And the sassy little girl in this video!

And also the sassy grown-up girl in the next video. Haha, yeah, it's totally Jessie again, 'cuz she's awesome! The sass-master I aspire to be! And this song's got a great message for a girl like me who's looking for a supermarket job so she can buy a new laptop. IT AIN'T ABOUT THE MONEY! MONEY CAN'T BUY YOU CLASS! (Okay, that last one's totally unrelated.)

It was a beautiful day, and we spent it riding on the bike trails, through the town, and through the parking lot, circling each other like we were in a totally bad-a** biker gang! (Okay, who didn't watch 'Judas' and want to pretend to be Lady Gaga, riding on the back of Jesus' motorcycle?!)

My view from the top-a'-da-world! (You know, after climbing through a series of knee-bruise-inducing tunnels on the new playground.)

I was also inspired by strawberries, which are totally delicious, and also the only flavor of ice cream I like in the entire ice-cream spectrum. Chocolate tastes like chemicals to me, go figure!

Look! More strawberries! Wow!

And Carly's PINK BICYCLE! It matches me so well! Yay!

So here we go! Strawberry Tank Top: Given to me by my sister at our now-annual clothing swap! Pink tank: H&M. Rainbow Belt: Forever21. Boyfriend Shorts: H&M. Pink Socks: Old tights that I cut into sock-legwarmers! They are super-stretchy, so they can even be knee-highs for those of us with really long legs! Yay! Pink Flip-Flops: Kohl's. I know, right? Mini Hairclips: Shoprite. Green Stud Earrings: Charlotte Russe. Black Strawberry Earrings: Given to me by Carly at our clothing swap!

And we really love merry-go-rounds.

Look! That's Carly! She was wearing a John Lennon tee, a denim vest (obviously not pictured here), and some jeggings! She recently dyed her hair deep red and pierced her nose, since she's SEVENTEEN and all cool and ahead of all the trends. ;)

I also enjoy taking pics of trees.

Sunglasses: Forever21

Even though it was Thursday, it's summer, so everyday is Friday! Like in this creepy-yet-awesome fan video for "Friday is Forever" by We The Kings. 

It was a good day. Even when thunder trapped us under the snack pavilion and forced us to watch the teenage boys play Frisbee in the rain until we got a ride home. 

Remember, summer doesn't last forever, so spend these last couple of days with your friends! To all of mine out there, I love you guys!

Stay awesome! ♥

xoxo, Allie

I'm The Last Chick Sitting Up Against The Wall

"It's hard to be ignored." - Zooey Deschanel, as of her band which really needs several more albums, and probably a reality show too for good measure, She & Him
That's the theme for this (first) post! SO, Back-story Time: I am entering my junior year of high school this year (which is the year you're old enough to drive, party, and meet a smokin' hot vampire if you happen to be Bella Swan), and almost everyone thinks I'm That Shy Girl Who Wears Those Unexpectedly Loud Clothes. But, *hold on to your seats, this is shocking stuff* my clothes match my personality. I only seem shy through your Inferior Muggle Eyes. No, but seriously! My mom says I'm fun! ;)

ANYWAY, yesterday I was really tired after staying up late watching New Moon *team Jacob* on Friday night, and my magic mirror kept screaming in terror every time I walked past it, so I put on a whole face of makeup (remaining from my freshman year of thinking I'd wear it every day so I might as well make my mom take me to Sephora and even get a consultation and everything) and got all dressed up with nowhere to go except on the Internet! But first, I took made a 3D inspiration board! I can be pretty girly when I work at it.

I borrowed (stole) the ceramic tray from my mom, and covered it in pink and white glitter. I ripped down some fairy lights from my walls, and got a great glow from those under my pink sheets. The mirror in the background is also my mom's, but was donated willingly. There's some Gap perfume (but don't tell people that!), some red lipstick (which I never wear), a miniature plastic dog and a swan, a yellow fabric rose, cloud blue nail polish, a pair of retro blue sunglasses, an 'A' necklace (take a breath, not THAT 'A' from Pretty Little Liars), a fake pearl necklace given to me in a clothing swap by my RIDICULOUSLY fashionable best friend (who you will certainly hear about later), and a glittery rock I found hiking around Lake Minnewaska. You may or may not recognize this image from my blog header. If you don't, you're a bit stupid.

Picture yourself in a dressing room shared between a 1960s pinup and Nanna øland Fabricius, with Ezra Koenig visiting. And Eleanor Rigby's on the phone! Got it? Good. or just watch this:

But then came the clothes! 

Blouse: courtesy of my best friend! If you've never done a pre-eleventh grade clothing swap before, do it NOW. Hat: My twin's; from one of those cheesy Galleria Marts where they yell at you for taking pictures. Clips: Forever 21 and Claire's - a million years ago. Suspenders: Amazon. Skirt: H&M (my second home ♥). Leggings: Old Navy. Totally rad DIY scarf-belt: home-made out of alpaca wool! If that isn't hipster enough for you, I don't know what is, dear.

 

The sweetest sounding yet saddest - messaged love song courtesy of another great band.

My sister gettin' all fancy with my camera and spinning it all around.

Metal ring: thrifted out of my mom's office. Cupcake ring: handmade out of a mini eraser from Hannaford's!

And then I got bored so I started getting artsy with the set...

I am very jealous of my sister's mirrored lamp!

 And then *sob* came the cleanup...

Well, I couldn't just let all of that glitter go to waste! ;)
Hugs and Kisses, Allie ♥

 

(Is that an eighties Vaseline lens effect and a eye-glint?! Thanks Nikon! ♥)

"Images of broken light which
dance before me like a million eyes
That call me on and on across the universe"
-The Best Band Of All Time, The Beatles