DIY: How to Make Pinterest-Worthy Photos. Or Not...

My friends and I keep finding these cute friend pictures on Pinterest, and I will just admit it: we are really jealous. Sometimes we remind each other to try to be Pinterest-worthy, but like many things on Pinterest, we just can't seem to get it to look like the original. Who are these Pinterest People? And why do they take such good pictures? Do they have people following them around, just waiting to snap photos of their friendship? And if so, do they also have hair and makeup artists or their own personal shoppers? Why does one of us always have to close our eyes or look like we are squinting? Maybe we should just take pictures from the back... but in all seriousness, I really like the photo above. And unlike these Pinterest-People, I will give you a few tips to make a photo like the one above:*

• Bring people and cross-body purses.
• Go to the Stone-Arch Bridge--or some other city-scene.
• Make sure it is near sunset, but not too close to sunset. You don't want it to be dark, because you are dealing with natural lighting here. Unless you did hire your own camera crew. If that is the case, proceed whenever your crew will follow you.
• Ask a stranger to take a picture of you and your friends. (Disclaimer: you run the risk of not getting your smartphone back, but most people are pretty trustworthy, right?)
• Track down (or hire, if you have the means) a biker in a blue shirt to ride at an angle that will place him between the last two people on the left side. 

Now you, too, can take heavenly "Pinterest-esque" photos.

You might not be able to tell how I actually feel about this photo, and like I said, I really do like it. I just had to mock the process a little, because my friends and I struggle to take the kinds of pictures we want to take sometimes. But shhh! Don't tell anyone; that's supposed to be a secret. It keeps things interesting for us.

Like I mentioned in my Summer Nights post, some of my best nights have been with friends. We take silly pictures, and talk until we can't remember why/how we started a conversation that has gone on a little too long. People might back up and tip-toe out of the room if they walked in on some of our conversations out of fear of conversing with strange people. At the heart of it all we are just so close that we feel comfortable talking about anything, and I can't think of way I would like to spend a night than with people like that. Maybe someday we will even have a Pinterest board dedicated to Pinterest-worthy photos our friendship. Or maybe not...

*Read this list with a thick accent of sarcasm.

The opening image is courtesy of:

with edits from the Life in the Lost and Found Bin.

10 Must See Instagrams

So I love Instagram. I love that you can share little moments of your life with other people so easily. Sure, they are moments with carefully chosen filters, and often cropped to show just want others want you to see, but it's pretty cool that we have the technology to do this. I will admit that I don't like when people most constant selfies. If that is your most frequent type of instagram photo, I probably don't follow you.

If you capture stunning landscapes, cool food shots, or make inanimate objects look special, I will give you lots of likes. Honestly, I wish I was better at taking photos. I have been working on it, but some of my friends have such beautiful instagrams. So today, I am sharing a few of my recent favorites from people I follow. Check them out, and look them up on Instagram if you appreciate good photos as much as I do.

In no particular order, I present you with 10 Must See Instagrams. 

1.

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3. 

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10.

Forget Monsters. I Am Scared of Living People.

Zombies don't scare me. Alien invasions, Bloody-Ghost-Brides, and Werewolves don't have me hiding underneath the covers. I can handle a scary movie or two. But if you walk in the room announced, I will scream. It's not even a "late at night" or "during thunderstorms" kind of thing. It's a "middle of the day" or "sunny day" kind of thing. I am just very easily startled.

I don't know if I should even be telling you this, because many times people find out and like to play on it. A few of my friends at school would purposely come up behind me and scream until I jumped out of my chair. Most people would jump if they are being shouted at! But they learned to do this because they would walk into the den without saying a word and I would jump off my chair. If I am "in the zone" I guess I shut out the world around me and become extra sensitive to outside stimuli.

One of my friends even walked into our lounge while I was alone and decided to blow some horn he had in his room and just walked away laughing. They get a thrill out scaring me. 

About a month ago at work I was doing the dishes in the back when my manager walked into the back and "meowed". Let me explain that last part: well, actually, you would have to meet him to understand. But I promise it's not as strange as it first sounds--or maybe it is, and I am just used to it, because he is just an all around funny guy. I digress, the point is that I turned around and screamed because I had been so engrossed in doing the dishes. And just as I was writing this he walked by* (because I am in the Starbucks right next to my work), and he managed to startle me without even being in the same place. We both just started laughing through the window, reveling in the ridiculousness of my ability to be startled.

Sometimes at home by brother will just walk into my room, and I will jump. Other times he will knock first, and somehow I am still surprised when he enters. It's a problem, I know. But what I am supposed to do? I try to make myself more alert to my surroundings, but it's really easy to get lost in my own thoughts or whatever I am doing. At least I keep things interesting for those around me; my startled-ness always provokes laughter in those who witness it.

*When I say he "walked by" I literally mean he just walked by, saw me and was shocked to see me as he was just casually glancing into the coffee shop. He didn't try to scare me in any way. There was mutual surprise (maybe more than there should have been on my part seeing as I am next-door to my work).

7 REASONS SUMMER NIGHTS ARE THE BEST

Summer Nights are:

1. Country Music. My taste in music is wide and subject to change at any moment. Sometimes I am feeling EDM (Electronic Dance Music) while I am getting ready for the day, and other times I want nothing more than soothing Indie pop to get me through the day. But summer nights are perfect for country music. Now, when I say country music, don't mistake me for the depressing, I lost my job, girl, dog, and any sense of happiness in one song kind of music. I mean the more mainstream Luke Bryan "Play It Again" kind of country. It is best played in the car, around the fire, or with your best friend's vocals in the background.

2. 1/2 Priced pie with your best friend. Q: What can beat a fresh slice of pie? A: A 1/2 priced fresh slice of pie. 9PM to 6AM Perkins offers a variety of specials including 1/2 priced pie and $5.99 All-You-Can-Eat Pancakes. I craved the pancakes, but after a spaghetti dinner only a few hours before, I opted for a slice of Peanutbutter Silk Pie. And boy was that a good choice. I had to decided between that and a slice of Apple--with a scoop of vanilla, of course. Since I got Apple last time, I decided to switch it up. Later the waitress asked me which I preferred and I told her Apple is a classic so I would have to go with that (It's also my favorite--just in case you, I don't know, ever want to get on my good side), but I still enjoyed the Peanutbutter.

3. Long walks. Summer nights are perfect for long walks, especially around lakes. Whether you go by yourself or to chat with a friend they are never a bad choice. Think about it: it's free, and you are getting exercise, outdoors, and serenity all in one. Now, that's a good deal. Who needs a gym membership with the "great outdoors" just across the other side of your front door? A word of caution, though, wear the right shoes if you plan on walking farther than to the end of the driveway. Last night, I made the mistake of wearing converse--without socks, nonetheless--while walking probably 3.5 or 4 miles. Big mistake.

4. Beaches and bare feet. Can you ever go wrong with either of these things? (Well, probably, but most of the time they are a good pair.) If you can pair these things with a bon fire, as well, you are golden. But just sitting on the beach with friends can be a good time. I won't mention anything cliche--like what it feels like to feel the sand between your toes, or the way it feels when your feet are sinking into the sand as the water runs over the tops of your feet--but there is something very calming about watching the ripples in the water while watching the sun dip beneath the horizon. (Also, Check out the playlist "Barefoot Beach Chill" on Songza--visit songza.com, now, or download their app* You'll thank me later.)

5. Car-singing. Have you ever asked yourself the question "to car sing or to not car sing?" No, of course not, because the answer is undoubtedly, car sing. (And yes, I am making "car sing" a verb--I'm a writer, and I reserve my right to create verbs, adjectives, nouns, etc. as I see fit). It doesn't matter if you're Mariah Carey or the guy who Simon Cowell once scowled at in an American Idol audition. Believe in yourself and your abilities to car sing--even if when you pull up to a stoplight those around you roll up their windows while plugging their ears and cranking their stereos. When it's late at night and you're with your friends, it's time to turn it up and sing along. It will not only strengthen your bonds but show off your talent of creating new verses or accidentally belting out the chorus when the song comes to the bridge.

6. Late-night swims. Sure, it's fun to take a dip in the middle of the afternoon when the sun is beating down on your over-tanned face and "bikini-ready body" (in a world where everyone has those--or if you're a guy, you have been hitting the gym and getting "gains", whatever that means.) But late night swims seem more exhilarating. There is something adventurous in doing a "daytime activity" after the sun goes down. It's more about being fun and playful, rather than trying to cool off from the summer heat.

7. Bon Fires. These are a summer-must. The smell can haunt you for days, but the fun you have by the bon fire just might be worth the lingering scent. You might not know this: but your body requires at least one s'mores per summer. If you're like me, you can't resist the temptation of a second s'mores. Ok, so maybe, your body doesn't require one, but once you get that in your mind, how can you turn down a gooey-golden brown marshmallow? 

*This is completely unsolicited advice.

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The Loneliest Party Host

 

In tenth grade I took American Lit. It was without a doubt, one of best classes I have ever taken, with one of the best teachers in the world (just about anyone who has had him as a teacher could attest to this). One of the first things we read was The Great Gatsby, and while unfortunately I was unable to attend our Gatsby-themed viewing party--being that I was in Fort Lauderdale, FL--it was one of my favorite units. It was my third attempt at Gatsby. I don't know if it was because of the class, or that we were picking it apart to show the meaning, or maybe if it was just because of my age, but this time it really stuck with me. I couldn't get the story out of my head. Suddenly, it wasn't just a story about a crazy-rich guy doing stupid stuff for a married girl. It all made sense, and it was beautiful. Gatsby is actually kind of a crazy guy. And he is very rich. But knowing that there is so much to the story made it so much more interesting, and that is part of the reason I am so in love with literature: in life there is a whole other world if you keep digging below the surface.

One of our assignments involved writing a poem, and as I was searching for other files I came upon my poem from my sophomore year. Sometimes you don't always find what you are looking for, and sometimes you find something that you weren't looking for. The only way to find anything is with a curious mind and the will to keep looking.

From the Life in the Lost and Found Bin,
Always Keep searching.

The Loneliest Party Host

The little green light of your existence is all I have
Frivolous parties, with unsuspecting fools, are lonely without you
Waiting for the day when you will arrive
I am the loneliest party host

Five years and many parties later I do not surrender
The best, the richest, the finest for you
Anything to be near you again
Hoping you will wander near me one day
My parties invite the loneliest people
To join the loneliest host

Even in death I long for you
To my death I search for the time of yesterday
Letting you go never I will seek you still
My sweet flower will never escape my sight
In death, the green light shines brighter than ever before

Confusion hinders your judgment
So I wait
All night long outside your residence
Sweet flower I am here until day break
You will love me once more

Your whisper is all I hear
Before the never ending silence
The phone call I will never receive
Does not change the way we loved
For I will always see you now

And shall you have loved him
It is no matter now
As I know you have loved me
Never will I cease to watch
Green light or not

The last unknowing party guest lingers
Unaware the party has ended
The guests are gone
The party for you is over
But forever I remain the loneliest party host

Na Na Na

Basilica Block Party has become some what of tradition. For the last three summers my friends and I have gone to the "historic grounds of the Basilica" as they always say on Cities 97 building up to this special weekend. For two nights artists--some big names, others not as well-known--take three stages. BBP goers anxiously await the line-up each April, and Cities 97 never disappoints. This year my friends and I decided to go to Night Two. We ended up staying at the Sun Country Airline Stage the whole night, because we wanted good spots for Ingrid Michaelson and Train.

A Few of the Artists at the 2014 Basilica Block Party

Alpha Rev

Caroline Smith

Alpha Rev (why is his guitar so small?)

In our time in the crowd of the Sun Country Airline Stage I was reminded of a few things:

• The actual amount of people with curly hair becomes more apparent with rain and humidity. (Thankfully it didn't rain during the concert, just before, and my anti-humidity hairspray worked pretty well that night.)
• People are rude. It's not like I needed to go to a concert to learn this, but I thought I would throw it out there. Some people are just so rude.
• Short people are at a great disadvantage in crowds.
• You are not always going to be able to see the artist you paid to see and not just hear. 
• Standing in virtually the same place for 5.5 hours does a number on the body. I'm talking back pain, sore knees, sore feet, slight-dehydration. 
• Other people taking selfies/snapchats is distracting. I'm not just talking about people in the crowd. Pat Monahan of Train invited some girls up on the stage during "Mermaid", and the girls basically danced around and tried to take selfies with him. He made it pretty humorous by expressing how frightened he was.  

Ingrid took the stage with a loud, slightly sarcastic persona. She introduced "You and I" by saying she didn't like being called "cute", as she often was for this song. It's funny because from some of her earlier stuff I imagined her to have a much different stage presence. I pictured a quieter, calm singer who spent her time drinking tea and writing songs in quaint coffee shops. But Ingrid was playful and sassy, the kind of person that people would take notice of when she walked into the room--and not just because she is a famous singer.

Finally, a little after nine, Train came on, and the crowd erupted. It was the final act on the final night of the 2014 Cities 97 Basilica Block Party. Oake and Kerri, the Cities 97 morning show hosts, reminded the crowd one last time to use the hashtag #Cities97BBP to get the Block Party trending on social media, and the finale began. The started with some new songs, played some hits in the middle, and even came on for an encore. Their most popular song was yet to be played: Drops of Jupiter. Everyone in the crowd, young and old, new the lyrics to this one. As we all sang along, we were reminded this was the end of concert, the end of the Block Party, and the end of the third year that I had attended BBP with friends. 

And tell me, did you fall for a shooting star,
One without a permanent scar?
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself?
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

Pat Monahan

Pat taking Selfies with people's phones

Bachelorette Party?

Oake and Kerri also reminded concert go-ers that their wristbands (for those 21+) would get them into Sneeky Pete's for free after the concert for the BBP After Party. My 21 and under friends and I had an after-party of our own.