Smart Phones

The iphone. My favorite accessory, best friend, personal planner and basically part of my body.
These days everyone has their phones 24/7. It is past the excuse of "I forgot my cell phone". everyone knows that is a lie if you are 23 years old and younger because we have all had cell phones since at least 7th grade. 
It's weird because there are so many unspoken rules when it comes to phones, aka just to texting.
For example, if you are texting your crush you better not get caught DEAD texting him back with no less than a 5 minute break unless you want to blow it by appearing too easy and having him lose interest in you.
Also when people next one word texts, you know that you are on their bad side.  If there is only one word and less than at least 3 exclamation points, you better spend the rest of your day thinking of the worlds best apology and think of how you're going to make it up to them.
I've had too many good friends in the past literally be GLUED to their phone.  They honestly believe that if they don't receive a text message every 10 minutes then Verizon must be down and they need to start/restart their phone and text themselves to make sure their phones ARE working while breaking into a cold  sweat panicking if someone tries to contact them and they cant receive it!!! Sometimes it turns out your not as popular as you think you are. hah.

My life has changed since I've gotten my iphone, truly. I got it for Christmas and sometimes I wonder what I did before it. 
I was really anti smart phone for a while because I did NOT want to be more socially connected; I knew I would be if I got one... and I was right. I have got it all now.
Smart phones are just SO convenient, seriously.
It keeps me entertained during class as I facebook stalk, pinterest, update my twitter, and check people blogs.  I can check my grades, read emails, check my bank statement all within 30 seconds. I can take any picture in the world and make it hideous by using camwow or making it look 100 times better by using instagram.
I have music on hand always- available for all around me to hear.
I can ask Siri to look up anything for me (unless its after 12 then she becomes quite temperamental and it is quite inconvenient)
I can Facetime my family when I miss them, and my little before I go to bed.
I can see when my text was delivered and when the person is texting me back
I can easily update my pictures to my FB instagram.
It makes creeping on people 10 times easier. Creepy, yet true. (unless your flash goes off while your snapping a pic... then it gets awkward). In fact I may have even used it today with Sarah B to some random in class ("look up that girl right now! there is no way she is younger than 25!").

I do think that this is a good time to have a memorial for my old laptop phone.  It was smart in its own special way... because it could flip two ways AND the buttons changed. It was a good phone until the classic "drop it in the toilet" incident. I was literally 1 or 2 people that didn't have a smart phone and every time I pulled out my phone people would say "wow, nice phone". RUDE.

So, OBVIOUSLY I am behind the times.  Everyone I know has had an iphone for at least 5 years now (except you Sarah B, you are still staying strong with your blue egg phone).
I'm really NOT technologically savvy so I'm a little slow, but I wonder what I did before my phone.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, Melissa & Krista, it is time for you guys to get iphones.  Then I can facetime you whenever I want.

But like I always say... "Steve Jobs, I salute you."

February 14

In only a few mere hours is the most precious, romantic day filled with chocolates, flowers, hearts and most used terms of endearment day of the year for all those happy couples; or the black, dark, awful "single-awareness day" for all those love haters.  I don't necessarily feel I fall into either category.  I actually love Valentines Day (considering how single I am... not an advertisement).  I would consider it my fourth favorite holiday in fact! Of course after Birthday Week, Earth Day and Cinco De Mayo!

 

Now I personally don't have a significant other, nor have I really had any very many Valentines days in the past, but I just love it! It gives you an excuse to give flowers, cards, candy, and heart-patterned nightgowns to all those that you love! You get to eat little heart shaped treats, watch romantic comedies, and listen to slow-jams all day long! What's not to love?
I'll tell you what is not to love as far as all my single ladies go.  Now, for the past 14 day's I've heard nothing but "uggggh Valentines day... ew" and "I'm going to be alone forever" and even "Wait, whats on February 14th? Oh that's Valentines day? I must have forgotten".... yeah, I'm so sure. NOT.
I just feel bad for all the girls in the world on Valentines Day because truly I think that is the day everyone just get's pissed.
Girls usually fall into 1 or 2 categories. Either you have a boyfriend and hate Valentines Day because then your boyfriend has to get you something (oh poor baby, you actually have to get presents...)
But if you're single then you are stuck eating chocolates all by yourself crying and completely letting yourself go because you don't have a hot date or something ridiculous.
To all my single friends, GET OVER YOURSELF. 
and to all my "in a relationship friends", sorry that your boyfriend spoiled you with dinner, flowers, and endless compliments.  Sorry you had to go through that the WHOLE DAY! Your life must be so hard.... 

Sorry I'm not sorry

truth hurts.

1 year ago from today (Feb 13) I got dumped by my boyfriend (ouch... yeah I took the hint)
366 days before that we had our first kiss (I told him I was sick because I really didn't want to kiss him... he said "I'm willing to risk it" and 3 months later he was my boyfriend... how precious....)
And here I am this year, single with no crushes, no kisses, and not even as much as a cuddle in the past few months. And surprisingly I'm totally fine with it (except last night I really just wanted to cuddle... something that pretty much never happens to me. what have I become?!?!!?)

All I'm saying is... Valentine's Day isn't made to ruin people's lives.  It really is probably made so that boys get a clue and remember to spoil their girls at least one day of the year (and if he misses that, its time to move on, just sayin').

And a day for single girls to take time to appreciate themselves. Remember the loves they had in the past, but remind themselves WHY that is in the past and how to move from that relationship to the next (aka step-stones in my Love & Stuff post). Take time to spoil yourself, appreciate your family, friends, sisters, roomies, etc.  

Realize that Valentines Day is a day to celebrate love, and that doesn't always mean romantic love!

But like I always say... "Be my Valentine"

Things to Live by

In life I have a lot of things I have chosen to live by.. or at least try
some of these include:
1. Never go to sleep with wet hair
2. Don't wear sweats in public
3. Wear Suncreen
4. Floss
5. Don't wear whole underwear with yoga pants
6. Wait at LEAST 3 minutes before texting your crush back (10 recommended amount)
7. Turn off the flash before you snap pics of stranger/friends crushes
8. Say Thank You
9. Never eat past 2 am (haha)
10. Don't answer "what are you doing" texts from boys after 10:30 PM
11. Never wait until the night before to study
12. If you don't want people to find out, don't put it on FB/Twitter
13. Don't Miss the Chance
14. Enjoy the little thing
15. Don't sweat the small stuff
16. Take time for the things you love
17. Make time for relationships that matter
18. When in doubt... pretend you are asleep
19. Laugh when you are caught doing something creepy
20. Let it go
21. Own at least 1 cat
22. Don't spend money you don't have
23. Do things for yourself even if no one else understands
24. Get a hair cut every 6 weeks
25. Just be nice
26. Do your best
27. Just because its cute on your friend doesnt mean its cute on you
28. Sometimes... slaying>studying
29. Follow through
30. Give everyone at least one chance
31. Know your limit
32. If something is bugging you, fix it!
33. Act the way you want to feel
34. Use good Manners
35. Get enough sleep!
36. Pay it forward
37. Show up
38. Remember names, birthdays, events
39. Acknowledge the reality of people's feelings
40. Cut people slack
41. Crying makes you feel better
42. Enjoy Now!
43. Say Hi to people you went to high school with
44. Keep records
45. You never regret taking a picture... you regret NOT taking it.
46. Don't hold grudes
47. Do not lie... you will get caught
48. If he wanted to talk to you, he would call you
49. Be open to new ideas and different points of view
50. Love is everything

Just a thought on this nice Saturday.
you are the happiest when your morals and actions act together accordingly.
But like I always say... "everyone has different motives they live by, it's just figuring them out and sticking to them".

soundtrack to my life

According to one statistic, teens listen to 40 hours of music a week.  Even though i'm not a mere teenager anymore, this seems about right.  I really do love music though! my music style has gone through stages over the years.. back in the good ol' days of junior high I used to be a young thug. I listened to songs such as Pony, What'd you do? grillz, laffy taffy, ayo for yayo.. yeah you get the point. I guess you could say I was pretty "hip". for about one year of my life I though I liked country because I dated a boy who loved it (yeah, glad i'm over the whole coutnry scene...)
and in highschool thank goodness I got my shiz together and discovered what real music is.
depending on the day,  my favorite music changes. But my overall genre I would say I guess would be indie/alternative? so people always ask me what that is and its kinda tough to say. If I had to list top 16 favorite artists it could be tough to narrow it down.. lets try (in no particular order)

1. Tegan and Sara
2. Bon Iver

3. Florence + the Machine
4. Angus & Julia Stone

5. John Mayer
6. Passion Pit
7. Sarah Mclahclan
8. Metric
9. Ingrid Michaelson
10. Regina Spektor
11. Coldplay
12. Foster the People
13. Kings of Leon
14. Imogen Heap
15. Mumford & Sons
16. Regina Spektor!

Of course there are some honorable mentions as far as songs go...
1. Somebody I used to know-Gotye
2. Blood- Middle East
3. 5 Years Time- Noah and the Whale
4. Dead Hearts - Stars
5. Matisyahu
6. Atmosphere
7. XX
8. Bird & the Bee
9. Cinema- Skrillex
10. Laura Marling

And don't forget about the classics...
1. Africa - Toto
2. Send me on my way - Rusted Rood
3. Tonight - Phil Collins
4. Anything by Foreigner
5.For What it's Worth - Buffalo Springfield 

6. Chicago ... obviously
7. Sugar Ray
8. Third Eye Blind
9. the Cranberries
10. Wilson Philips
11. Bon Jovi
12. Journey

I've been a HUGE music fan my whole life. I live for live music. I've been close to a BEEELLION concerts. Some of those worth mentioning: Tegan & Sara, Foreigner, Kid Cudi, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, John Mayer, The Veronica's, A Fine Frenzy, Sarah Mclachlan, Celine Dion, She & Him, Ice Cube, Goo Goo Dolls, Sarah Bareillas, The Fray, Plumb, Jimmy Eat World, Paramore, Joshua Radin, Lady Antebellum, Lifehouse, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, Atmosphere... I love anything from the Twilight Series to concerts at Energy Solutions.
Music is an interesting thing because it can make your good moods better and your bad moods worse. 
For example: you break up with your boyfriend... don't expect to get out of bed EVER if you are listening to "somewhere out there". Best song to want to kill yourself to.
Another example: Want to get pumped up for a game? Listen to Living on a Prayer (as taught by Coach Barnes) or Pump the Jams by Technotronic (my personal favorite).
Wanna have a good time with your friends? Blast Forever by Chris Brown or Young and Wild and Free by none other than Wiz.
Its creepy that music has such a big impact. Like I can listen to Laffy Taffy and it takes me back to 9th grade sitting in Choir at Olympus Junior (best days of my life) hahah. Its also weird that if you don't hear a song for years you can still jam out almost every word. I associate specific songs with boys i've dated, years in school ("such a senior year trip song"), or hilarious moments of my life. But then it sucks once good songs get overplayed. I literally cannot stand listening to the radio.
Back when I was in high school and I thought I knew everything about life and I thought I had gone through the worst break up of my life (ha) I would replay Sarah Mclachlan and tell my friend Michelle that "Sarah is the only person that every understood me at all!" dramatic much? But seriously I feel like certain songs just hold a place in my heart forever.
Certain songs really resonate with people too.  Not saying that "Sexy Back" my none other than j-timb changed my life, but I bet majority of people out there have a good memory with that song (same with "my humps" by black eyes pees... classic.)


Now I have some music experience, but I'm definitely NOT the most musical person out there. But I really do appreciate it.

SideNote: If you haven't heard of any of the music of any of my lists you should reconsider your music selction, just sayin',
Also... For all the PoBev regs out there, I need suggestions for a song to sing at the next one! You know something that isn't too popular that I won't just absolutely destroy... think about it I need some help before I change my mind.

take a moment and just enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWcyIpul8OE

But like I always say... "Mmm bop, ba duba dop, Ba du bop, ba duba dop, Ba du bop, ba duba dop,  Ba du" - Thank you Hansen for your inspiration song. We will never forget...

Social Media & Stuff.

It all started as a mere 14 year old...and Myspace was the best! If you didn't have Myspace, who were you?  Girls in junior high spent hours thinking about what their "myspace profile song" would be, and what their layout would look like, what what their header should say while writing :

"OMG girlie no you are SoOo BeAuTiFuL! I wish I looked like you! SoOoO jEaLoUs"
- I know this because I am guilty of it. #gag me.
(but deep down everyone knew that writing this kind of stuff on a girls picture didn't necessarily mean you thought this... even as an eighth grader I knew all about frenemies and how to go about handling them.)

Thanks to Myspace there will always be the legendary "myspace picture" ---->
 

Myspace and MSN chat (late night chats with hotties until texting got big) were cool until about 2005, then the biggest thing of the century came. FACEBOOK.
So for starters, I was the most anti-facebook girl ever.  It didn't make sense to me, I thought it was for old people, and you couldn't even change your background/layout! what was this garbage?
But in about October of my freshman year up at USU I gave into peer pressure and decided to get it to "stay in touch with high school friends". SIKE. More like stalk the crap out of people and see who fell from their prime after high school.
Facebook seriously changed the world.  EVERYONE has facebook and if you don't its sorta like "do you even have an identity?" people without facebook are good at keeping a low profile.  But these days not having a facebook makes people wonder what is wrong with this person? like, did they go to jail? just sayin...

Speaking of stalking (sorta..) that brings me to TWITTER.  Now I will admit I have a twitter, and I am the biggest #rookie of all time at it (@Shnellwebb).  I always said I would get one once I got a smart phone (yeah I'm moving up in the world.. finally) because I truly always see the funniest things but always when I'm by myself! Twitter is basically a short status to let all your followers know where you are and what you are doing 24/7.Its short, to the point, and more effic then you would think.



It's amazing/creepy how these things rule peoples lives though.  I don't think I go a day without people saying "are you on pinterest?" "oh I am totes following you on twitter" or my favorite "did you see that thing on Facebook?!"

I find out literally everything on facebook.  I find out when my crush goes from being "in a relationship" to "single".  I learn about what things are going on that week from "upcoming events".  I see how everyone's pictures look so cute and makes everyone's lives seem at least 100 x's funner. I find out about people's jobs, how they lost weight, where they are right that second, what they did last night, how much they love their boyfriend, when people are getting married... you get the point. It really has become if its not on facebook it must not be real, or in other words "facebook official".

Not only am I on Facebook & Twitter... but obviously on Blogspot, Pinterest, and Instigram.  I truly could not be more socially connected.

Now where am I going with this blog you  might ask? I'm not really sure. Its just so crazy to me how much things have changed. One day all these things will crash and we will find out although our FB said we have 782 "friends" we will be left to see who really are our friends.

Like I always say "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em"

and of course "you’re only as cool as the number of people who follow you on Twitter that you don’t follow back." #lifelessons @Shnellwebb