OOTD and artsy stuff

Tomorrow my class will be going to the main library in the city centre, which I'm looking forward to. I live about 7km from the city centre so I don't go there very often, and the local library hardly has any English or Swedish books, which are the languages I prefer to read in. I'm currently reading If I Stay by Gayle Forman, and to be honest, I find it really boring. I started reading it because a lot of people have been talking about it and the movie, and I'm about halfway through, but I don't think I'll finish it because it's just not for me. I'm interested in how it'll end, but otherwise reading it just feels like a chore so I guess I won't find out. So sorry if there are any fans of the book out there!



This has been my outfit for today. I'm wearing a lilac t-shirt and a white cardigan (with pockets! I hate it when there aren't any pockets.) that my big sister recently bought me. Unfortunately I don't know where they're from. The grey jeans are from H&M.

I also thought I'd share with you some little watercolour paintings I did during the Christmas holiday. I haven't really been painting anything since school started, I really should start doing that again!



I got inspiration for this painting from the doll Princess Autumn mentioned in Zoella's Girl Online. I pictured her with curlier and a little darker hair actually, but I didn't really know how to draw corkscrew curls so I went with more wavy hair!



This is a dalek, an alien from the British tv show Doctor Who. I actually think they look quite cute, haha! They may look like robots but it's actually an outer shield protecting it's true form. And they always say "Exterminate!" as you may have guessed...



And then just some cute lil' plants! I love plants, especially succulents and cacti, I have like 10 different cacti and they all have their own names, lol!

By the way, yesterday I read about a neurological phenomenon called synesthaesia, specifically grapheme-colour synaesthesia. According to Wikipedia:

In one common form of synesthesia, known as grapheme → color synesthesia or color-graphemic synesthesia, letters or numbers are perceived as inherently colored.

I suggest you look it up if you want to understand it more. But I always thought it was a really normal thing, something everyone has! So I was really surprised to find out that not everyone associates different colours to numbers, letters and words etc. For example, for me the number 5 has always been dark green, and the letter K is orange. And words too, especially names of people or months, like September is yellow and Cecilia is turquoise. I bet for some of you this sounds really weird, but I've never thought of it as anything strange! My dad had no idea what I was talking about, but then again my little sister and my friends understood. During the maths lesson, when I asked them if they imagine grahemes with colours, it turns out they did too. For some they had to concentrate hard to perceive the colours, but I'm one of those who doesn't really have to think about it, like the colour is already a part of the grapheme. And then we spent the rest of the lesson discussing how each of us imagine different names and numbers, which was really interesting!

Anyway, I hope you liked this post, and have a great day,

Xx, 
Mary

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What's In My Bag?!

So I said I'll do a "what's in my bag?" challenge in my last blog post, and here it is! I've only actually seen Youtube videos like this, but as I said I don't have a Youtube channel so my blog will do. I really like those kinds of videos, I think they're really fun, and if you have done a blog post like this then I'd love to read it!

I don't always take a handbag wherever I go. Sometimes I use a small one that only fits my phone and purse, but usually I'll just stuff them in my pockets! And I mostly use a backpack or messenger bag for school, although I might take a handbag if we don't need many books that day.



This is the handbag I'm currently using. It's a pink/lilac Burberry one, even though it looks brownish in this photo! Sorry for the lighting in these pictures by the way, I've tried to edit the brightness and contrast a bit so it's not too bad! So this bag also has longer detachable handle so you can carry it as a shoulder bag.



Something I always take with me is a book! I'm currently reading Looking for Alaska by John Green, and I'm really liking it so far. I kind of like it more than The Fault In Our Stars, actually! I like to read while I'm in the bus or car, or if I'm waiting for something or someone, whether it be magazines or books, but I do prefer books over mags. My phone doesn't have it's own Internet connection, so unless there's (free) wifi somewhere, I'll just spend my time reading!



Another must is my notebook/journal! I'm not very active at keeping a journal, but I try to have it in my bag in case there's suddenly something I want to write down or draw. It's also fun to doodle in when I'm bored, and I think journalling is a great way of being more creative! This notebook originally had a cover with characters from the children's show Mia & Me, because it was given to my little sister, but she didn't want it and gave it to me. The cover was cute, all pink fluffy unicorns, but I didn't fit my style, so I cut out different pictures from magazines and glued them on as a collage. I think it turned out quite nice, really hipstery and like those pictures you see on Tumblr and Instagram, you know!



Next I have my pencil case! I got it as a present from my relative who went to China. I don't know if that's a character from an existing anime or manga, but I think she's really cute, and so is the little ferret! This is the same pencil case I use in school, I have the basic pencils, pens, eraser, ruler, sharpener and highlighter, and then a bunch of Stabilo markers. Even if I don't have my pencil case with me I make sure to have at least a pen or pencil somewhere in my bag!



Then I have the case for my glasses! I'm near-sighted, so I wear glasses most of the time, but sometimes I take the case with me when I think I might have to take them off during the day. I got this case for free from the optician, she was going to give me this boring, black one but my glasses didn't fit in it or in any of the other plain-looking cases, so I got this one. I really like the leopard print of it!



Then I have my purse! It's quite small, but it has two parts, one where I keep my keys, and the other where I keep my money and library card. And yeah, that's Olive Oyl from the comic Popeye, haha!





I don't wear makeup, except for parties and other special occasions, so I don't take any kind of makeup bag with me. I usually just have this compact mirror/brush, some lip balm and a nail file with me. The lip balms I have here are Maybelline's Baby Lips Peach Kiss and Intense Care. I bought the nail file in some shop in Barcelona, or was it Berlin, I don't remember, anyway because it says "NO MORE NAIL BITING" which is the kind of reminder I need!

So that's basically what I keep in my bag! Sometimes I have some chewing gum or mints with me, but I had just finished my last pack of mints so... Oh, and also feminine products, you know what I mean! And when I take this bag to school I obviously have my schoolbooks and locker key with me, and I'll leave my purse at home because there's always the risk of it being stolen.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post, and have lovely day!


Xx,
Mary

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American Beauty/American Psycho • REVIEW

I'm supposed to study for tomorrow's physics exam (which is actually quite easy for me because we're learning about electronics and I took Technical Works last year so I already know the stuff). But for the past week, Fall Out Boy has released many of their new songs on Youtube, from their new, not-yet-officially-released album American Beauty/American Psycho, and I thought I'd do a little review. I'm don't usually do reviews but I'M SO EXCITED! I've been listening to the album on repeat for like, two hours haha!

In case you didn't know, Fall Out Boy is an American pop-punk band formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. They went on hiatus in 2010, but reformed in 2013 and recorded their fifth studio album Save Rock and Roll.

Their sixth album American Beauty/American Psycho is scheduled to be released on January 20th, but it was leaked online and so FOB decided to stream all of the songs on their Youtube channel already.

The lead single Centuries was released September last year. The first thing I noticed was that the style is a bit different from their previous songs and I didn't really like it at first, but now I just love it! I think it's great that FOB doesn't just stick to the exact same style the whole time and tries new things, while still being able to sound as amazing as ever.

The next song released was Immortals, which is featured in Disney's new movie Big Hero 6. There are two versions of it, the movie version and then the one that will be in the album. I personally like the one in the album more, because it's more like their sound and not Disneyish (which isn't a bad thing though!). I didn't really like this one that much in the beginning either, but now I find myself singing along to the catchy chorus haha!

The next two songs uploaded on their Youtube channel were The Kids Aren't Alright and American Beauty/American Psycho (the second single, released in December). The lyrics to The Kids Aren't Alright are a bit dark but very interesting. And to me this sounds sort of like their usual songs, but still having a different kind of sound to it. I also really love AB/AP and its music video. I think the video is really cool and interesting, and can be interpreted in different ways. I'd say that these two are my favourite songs from the album.

The third single is Uma Thurman and will be released on the 27th this month. I quite like this one too, and I think it has a pretty catchy chorus! Other songs from the album are Irresistible, Jet Pack Blues, Novocaine, Fourth of July, Favorite Record and Twin Skeletons (Hotel in NYC). Irresistible is pretty cool because of the trumpet/horn heard throughout the song, unfortunately the guitar and bass can't be heard very well because of this, but it's still an okay song. Jet Pack Blues, Fourth of July and Twin Skeletons are good, but not really my favourites. Novocaine is okay, for some reason it reminds me of The Phoenix (from Save Rock and Roll) a bit, but it's still a unique song in itself. As for Favorite Record, it's probably one of my favorite records (see what I did there?). I love the lyrics, especially the chorus, and I just think it's a really nice song!

Overall, I think the album is is a very great one and definitely not a disappointment, even though it was a bit weird at first because it differs from Fall Out Boy's usual style. But the same thing was said about Save Rock and Roll, and it was really good as well. As I've said, I think it's nice that they try different kinds of music styles, because it shows that they are capable of it. I understand it might be a little sad for those who have been fans from the start and are so used to the pre-hiatus FOB, but a lot of bands and artists change their music style, and I think that unlike some, FOB does it really well. Or maybe it's because I only started listening to them in 2013. But I like their old songs, and I like their new ones equally much! And it's not like they've gone from pop-punk to, say, mainstream pop, it's still sort of punk/rock/alternative.

I also especially like both of the album covers. I think it really fits with the title, and it's a little mysterious, with the boy running and staring with an almost emotionless expression. In the one above, I like the part where the picture is like cut in half and moved to the side a bit, it makes it look quite interesting!

Also a lot of fans, myself included, have noticed the one-word song titles, something quite unheard of before. FOB's song titles have usually been so incredible long! You've probably heard of My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up), and then there's I've Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song) and Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued! So it's a little shocking to see titles like Centuries and Immortals and Irresistible, but anyway, that's not such a big problem (or is it?).

Anyway, this has been some kind of review, if you're a fan of pop-punk/rock and haven't heard the album then you really should! Even though it has a few songs I don't really care about, I think it's a great album. So, hope you enjoyed this review, and have a nice day!

xx,

Mary

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TMI tag!

I haven't really got much to blog about right now, but I thought I'd do the TMI (Too Much Information) tag since it seems fun! I was going to do the 50 facts about me challenge, but apparently there aren't any questions to answer in that one, and I could never come up with 50 facts about myself just like that. But the TMI tag also has 50 questions so I'll answer those! Here goes:

1: What are you wearing? Green pyjamas
2: Ever been in love? No
3: Ever had a terrible breakup? No, I've never even been in a relationship
4: How tall are you? 163cm, I think that's somewhere between 5'4" and 5'5"
5: How much do you weigh? This is quite a personal question... But around 55kg
6: Any tattoos? No. I might get one when I'm older, something small but meaningful!
7: Any piercings? No, except for earrings. I actually got both my ears pierced twice because the first time, I was about 8, I didn't get these ladybug earrings, so I got angry and let the holes close thinking, "If I can't have the earrings I want I'm not gonna have ANY earrings!" A year later I thought it wasn't such a good idea after all and went to get my ears pierced again! haha
8: OTP? The Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler from Doctor Who! ♥
9: Favorite show? Doctor Who. I also love Sherlock and Supernatural
10: Favorite bands? 5 Seconds of Summer, Fall Out Boy, The 1975, The Beatles, Softengine... I have many
11: Something you miss? Christmas, haha!
12: Favorite song? Right now it's Weightless by All Time Low but I think Viva La Vida by Coldplay will always be one of my very favourite songs!
13: How old are you? 14
14: Zodiac sign? Aries
15: Quality you look for in a partner? Well, kindness, I guess
16: Favorite Quote? "Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that matters, it's the person." - The Tenth Doctor (you can tell that I really like Doctor Who, can't you?)
17: Favorite actor? Johnny Depp
18: Favorite color? Yellow
19: Loud music or soft? It depends... Not too loud but not too soft, either.
20: Where do you go when you're sad? Not anywhere, really. Or the kitchen, because food always cheers me up!
21: How long does it take you to shower? About half an hour
22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? From ten minutes to 45 minutes, it depends!
23: Ever been in a physical fight? No
24: Turn on? Er, I don't exactly know what this means, so I'm not going to answer in case I make a fool of myself! lol
25: Turn off? Same goes for this
26: The reason I started blogging? To have somewhere to write down my thoughts and just for fun.
27: Fears? Death or becoming blind...
28: Last thing that made you cry? I don't remember
29: Last time you said you loved someone? Last week, I think
30: Meaning behind your URL? My love of sunflowers (I like dandelions more but that didn't really fit) and painting and because my favourite painting that I have painted is of sunflowers!
31: Last book you read? Girl Online by Zoe Sugg
32: The book you're currently reading? Looking for Alaska by John Green
33: Last show you watched? Sailor Moon Crystal
34: Last person you talked to? My dad
35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted? I texted my friend Inés from Sweden, and we're internet friends!
36: Favorite food? Oh no how can I choose one? I'll have to say Belgian waffles with peppermint ice cream and chocolate sauce! I had it when I went to Stockholm, Sweden, it was sooo yummy!
37: Place you want to visit? Italy, Greece or England! 
38: Last place you were? The kitchen if I remember correctly
39: Do you have a crush? Hmm...
40: Last time you kissed someone? I really can't remember, I don't kiss a lot
41: Last time you were insulted? Yesterday by my little sister!
42: Favorite flavor of sweet? This is hard... I'll go with lemon! 
43: What instruments do you play?? Piano (well I have a keyboard, but it's not that different is it? Except my keyboard doesn't have a pedal)
44: Favorite piece of jewellery? I don't usually wear jewellery, but I like my necklace that has an M on it
45: Last sport you played? Floorball, I think. I don't usually do sports...
46: Last song you sang? Do You Wanna Build a Snowman from Frozen!
47: Favorite chat up line? I don't really have one
48: Have you ever used it? -
49: Last time you hung out with anyone? Last year haha
50: Who should answer these questions next? Tag, you're it!

So there were' my answers, hope you enjoyed reading this post and if you do this tag then I'd love to read them! Have a great day,

Xx,

Mary

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"New Year, New Me"

I'm not going to start with the cliché "new year, new me", because I feel like it means I'm going to change into a totally different person, which I'm not. I'm going to try to be a better person, improve myself, but not change, and even if I change, I'll change for the better, not into a different person. Step one would be to be more creative, and the other day I saw a quote on Tumblr saying:

Unfortunately I can't find the original post and the source, but thank you to whoever made this because it has really helped me. I've been procrastinating this one fantasy story I'm supposed to write during the holiday, because I just had no motivation to do it. But then I saw this and thought, "This goes for writers too, right?" so I got off the couch and started writing.

I also looked at my pencils. My little sister had just sharpened them as she borrows them sometimes, and a sentence crossed my mind. I later wrote it down, along with another New Year's resolution to be more active in keeping a journal:

"The secret to art is a well-sharpened pencil."

Because you're not going to feel like drawing if your pencils are blunt and broken, right? I got some sheets of paper and doodled some random things, and then about three hours before 2015, I started working on a poster with the lyrics from my favourite song, Weightless by All Time Low:

I've always loved the song, the lyrics, everything about it. If you haven't heard the song, you really should, even though you might not normally listen to pop punk!

Yesterday I spent most of the day on Tumblr and Twitter, even though I promised not to waste so much time on social media, haha! But I kept my journal beside me, and wrote down little quotes and words I thought were interesting. I think I'll keep doing that from now on, as I don't just write in it, but I also like to doodle around the paragraphs and stuff. By the way, one thing I had on my Christmas wish list, but sadly did not get, was the Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith. I've read so many cool reviews about it and it seems like such a great way to keep a journal and be more creative! I'm definitely going to buy it once I've saved enough money. Meanwhile I'm going to stick to my own journal, and try to write and draw more. Because I don't want to commit emotional suicide, right?

While we're on the topic of suicide, I want to talk about Leelah Alcorn. You might have heard about her, with the hashtag #LeelahAlcorn trending on Twitter and Tumblr. She was a 17-year-old transgender girl, born as Joshua. She killed herself on December 27 and left a suicide note on her Tumblr blog, explaining how her Christian parents did not support her or love her, how they forced her to go to conversion therapy, took her out of public school and isolated her from her friends by forbidding her of getting on any kind of social media for 5 months, because they wanted her to change her gender identity. The pressure and hopelessness of everything made her end her life, but not before leaving one last wish:

"My death needs to mean something. My death needs to be counted in the number of transgender people who commit suicide this year. I want someone to look at that number and say “that’s fucked up” and fix it. Fix society. Please."

And so, the Transgender Human Rights Institute has started a petition to ban transgender conversion therapy. I have signed it, and as I'm writing this, only a little over 1,000 signs are needed now. It won't take long, and while just one person might not make a difference alone, together we might all be able to change things. This isn't just about Leelah, it's about all the transgender teens in this world. We're not going to forget about this.

So anyway, I hope you have a nice day and a wonderful new year!

Xx, 

Mary

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