Life Lessons: A Year In Review

2008 was a crazy year. That's the only way to describe it. It was the best and worst year of my life so far. Let's see what happened to me...I got legal, ditched all my HS friends, moved to LA, went to my first strip club, lived in my first apt, got extremely depressed, worked at a dry cleaner's, started blogging for Missbehave, broke up with my bf twice, had my first drink at a bar, bought really cute clothes, went to my first LA party, got on Shadowscene twice, and stayed out till 6 am.

It was b-a-n-a-n-a-s.

But like they always say, hindsight is 20/20, and now that 2008 is one day from drawing to a close, I find myself more easily putting things into perspective. So, with that, these are my takeaways from '08:

1. Never bite the hand that feeds you unless you can feed yourself.
2. You really, really, really can do anything you set your mind to.
3. Nothing that you don't have a passion or even interest for is worth doing.
4. The world is only open to give you everything if you are open to receiving it.
5. Everything happens for a reason.
6. Setbacks and disappointments are actually opportunities in disguise.
7. Be cool. Be confident. Be humble. Be ready. Be you. (Actually I think I might write that on something)

What happened to you? What did you guys learn? We've all done some pretty noteworthy things this year. Share!

The Premiere!

Ladies! I picked this up at Border's the other day. I thought it was a good choice because:
A. It has a little strappy thing to keep loose objects intact (the American postal system is a little outrageous)
B. It has lined paper, graph paper, AND blank paper on the inside
C. It has a bunch of pockets...cardboard AND plastic scattered throughout the notebook (like the kind you put pictures and other odds & ends in) so we can put pretty much whatever we want inside of it. Oh and there's a zipper pouch in the back, too.
D. It's covered in Russian dolls!
E. It was on sale!

So, what do you guys think?!

Happy Holidays from all the single ladies (all the single ladies) at Brooklyn Prom Queen!

So now that we're acquainted, will you save me the last dance? My friends will think I'm cool if they see me with you.

Love, your friends to the end:

--Erika,

--Valentina,

--the Mackinest,

--and Sarah!

P.S. Everybody got each other's addresses yet?

Alex, You're A Genius!

I mean you'd have to be for the idea you just came up with! Ladies, Alex is proposing we get a notebook and pass it around between the four of us. While each of us has the notebook, we can fill it with drawings and writing and anything we happen to collect while in possession of the notebook.

That's completely the best idea ever! Ever. Evvvverrrr.

I also have a fantastic follow-up idea. What if we used the pages in that notebook for a zine? And instead of doing White Rice, we'll just call the zine Brooklyn Prom Queen! It'll be just like publishing, only we can also add our superb writing skillz and harness our mad journalistic steez!

As per V's suggestion, Alex would totally start the notebook off in Queens (you live in Queens right? Er, you live in Jamaica, but that's in Queens?), and then it could move from East Coast to West Coast...so to Sarah in Tulsa, then me in the Valley, and end with V in Pomona, who could keep it for a bit then start it all over?

What do you guys think? My mind is literally moving faster than my fingers so I doubt I'll be able to get all my ideas down about this fantasticness.

Open forum!

E

Has anyone read the new Missbehave yet?

I would SO have it right now if I could drive. However, do you? How is it? Super Mega Ultra Awesome, or not so much without Mary H.K. Choi? Tell me about it if you have it!

Oh, and um, PLEASE look at what I found on Google, right here.
I... think I need it... HOOK ME UP, EBAY!

Greyhound Buses are Prime Reading Locations

So, I made it through the storm (the BLIZZARD) and into New York yesterday. Only it took me almost 8 hours for a trip that normally takes 4. Hmph. Anyways, I was freaking out right before I left because I've been looking for my copy of Angels & Demons, by Dan Brown (the book he wrote prior to The DaVinci Code) and couldn't find it ANYWHERE. I recently watched the movie version of The Davinci Code (the book was way better) and was in the mood for some Vatican conspiracy theories. I was running late for my bus, the weather sucked, and I needed a book to travel with. I can't travel without a book. So, surprisingly, my Mom appears with two books. One of them entitled, Bass Ackwards & Belly Up, by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain.

My first bit of news is that I managed to finish the entire thing by the time I got to NY. The second, is that I actually really liked it! The novel follows four girls, all best friends, from Boulder, Colorado in the ending days of the summer following their high school graduation. It's all very Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants-esque (perhaps a tad more mature), filled with scenarios that are precious and tragic and funny and so cute, but rare to occur in real life. The difference with this book though, is that it's also filled with unhappy endings. And disaster. And quirks. And cliffhangers. All the things that not only make a great teen fiction novel, but that add just the right amount of humanity to the story to make the reader, well, keep reading. It's the perfect balance between fairy tale (best-case scenario), nightmare (absolute worst-case scenario), and reality (duh, real life). And isn't that the whole point?

Meet Sophie, Harper, Becca and Kate. All have a plan. A post-high school plan. Except, a few days before said plan is set to be executed, EVERYTHING changes. Deceit, lies, adventure, love, heartbreak, soul-searching, friendship and some pretty crappy hostels in Europe follow. I don't really want to start talking about the plot in detail, because then I'll give the entire story away. And that would ruin all the fun.

So, instead, I'll link you to the Barnes & Noble synopsis, which is vague enough to not give the story away, but detailed enough to give you an idea of what's going on.

My favorite character is Becca. Becca is talented, slightly insecure, a bit of an emotional wreck, but she loves her friends fiercely, and to no limits. Even when infidelity (sort of) and betrayal threatens to rip them apart. Plus, prior to certain events in the book, she is practically unable to love (or so she thinks--a revelation I've recently found floating around in my own head). She makes snap judgments (and really bad ones) sometimes and overall, she's just a work in progress. She has a shitty home situation, but she deals with it in a passive way, something I would do. She runs from her problems, and channels the energy into things that she feels in control of. Things that the drama can't touch. Then, she solves it all in a totally cliche scene in a restaurant but, thats just a minor detail.

...

Now, scram! Get to reading!

(There's a sequel, but I don't own it yet. But soon, my friends. SOON!)

This is MY musical dedication to Valentina...

It was too tempting.
I really could not resist.

Leather is tough, but Hannah's heart is tougher

A few days ago my friend decided that the song that best personifies my life is Hard Hearted Hannah. Very funny obvi since the lyrics describe the vamp of savannah who's the "meanest gal in town." However, it's a pretty rad song. I can't find the Ray Charles version online (which is superior), but here is the Ella Fitzgerald version.
It's pretty much agreed upon that I'm the bitch of the group, so I guess this song kind of fits. Other songs attributed to me over the years have been The Bitch is Back by Elton John (theme much?), Bad Kids by Black Lips, and Better Things by Passion Pit. Do you guys know any songs you just automatically associate with people?

In keeping with the musical theme of this post, this past week my dearest friend Adrienne and I made our ultimate hookup playlist featuring songs from the 60's and 70's. Don't ask how this came about. I can't post the full playlist yet, because I don't have it, but here are some highlights that I can remember:
Back to the U.S.S.R.- The Beatles
Gimme Shelter- The Rolling Stones
Spoonful- Cream
Light My Fire- The Doors
California Dreamin- The Mama's and the Papa's
Purple Haze- Jimi Hendrix
These Eyes- The Guess Who
and many many others. Eventually I will get the whole playlist, but oh god it is so now my ultimate goal in life to hook up to Gimme Shelter.

I don't know what else to say but I have to go pack now.

Peace,
V

Best. Holiday chickflick. Ever.

Since winter break has FINALLY arrived...

I never fail to squee when I watch The Holiday, nor have I EVER met a girl who didn't totally love this movie.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet are both super-sad with their lives and decide to switch houses for the holidays. In England, Cameron Diaz meets Jude Law, and in LA, Kate Winslet meets Jack Black and an adorable old man whose best friend I'd like to be. Shenanigans ensue, and it's all so predictable in the best way possible.
This movie is not only awesome-- it also sparks a girly debate. Jack Black, or Jude Law? I'm a Jack Black girl all the way. Jude Law bores me (even if he IS cute in this movie) and is possibly a megalomaniac.

BUUUT seriously, get a bunch of girls together and WATCH IT. Like, NOW. Even if you've already seen it.
If you've never seen the movie or trailer, watch the latter here, as it will most likely persuade you to watch the former.

P.S. Supporting Point for Team Jack #1: You know you want to press play, if not only so you don't have to look at that unattractive shot of Jude Law.

1-Love, you serve!

The Joy Of Daily Life

Since we were already talking about books, and since the holiday season is coming up (which can ultimately only mean hours on hours of sporadic stints of boredom we will no doubt incur while attempting to enjoy "family time" or lack thereof), I thought I would throw out a book that I have found to help pass time pretty quickly. In some cases, faster than watching TV. Yeah, I know.

Anyways, I guess I'm going to tell you all about this amazing book. My first encounter with The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing, was fateful at best, a lucky choice at worst. I found it - actually, it is safer to say it found me - face up, at the top of the 99 cent bin outside Berda Paradise, this tiny secondhand thrift store in Silverlake, staring at me. I picked it up because I liked the cover, because it was 99 cents, because I was feeling adventurous today, and because books have had a long history of never doing me wrong. While I may occasionally regret the large amounts of teen fiction fluff I have accumulated over my cheap, sex deprived high school years, I've never regretted the light, thrilling - dare I say zesty - feelings I got while reading them.

I ended up spending far too much money at Berda Paradise that day...my purchases included a tweed micro-mini skirt (that I can only wear with tights to even attempt to undermine the supreme Lolita schoolgirl effect its hem length - or supreme lack thereof - gives me), an original Billie Holiday record, and a yellow sweater, but by far the cheapest purchase was The Girl's Guide.

That night I found myself at Pizza Hut, knee deep in that fifteen to twenty minute time slot they give you for your pizza to be made. In my desperation, I opened The Girl's Guide and began reading. Suddenly I found myself wrapped up in someone else's reality. The book is about Jane Rosenal, a feisty, intelligent, and humorous woman in the 21st century, and chronicles different periods of her life. It begins with her at fourteen, already smoking, trying to make sense of her brother's new girlfriend and the world around her through careful observance and attention to detail.

The frankness with which Melissa Banks (the beloved author) can shape a completely fictional character's life is perhaps the best indicator of a woman who has seen it all, or perhaps even lived some of it. Before I read this book, I believed the qualifications for a "good read" included a love triangle, teen sex and/or premature drug use, a few lies, a complicated plot, and at least ten different characters to weave in and out of the tale. But this book changed that. It highlights the subtle and often looked-over little nuances in daily life that sort of build up and create the way our life is as a whole. The look you give someone, the lilt in someone's voice, the way she holds her pen, or how he gets his coffee; all of these little idiosyncrasies play a much bigger role in what makes a story brilliant and relatable, and this book taught me that.

For a month straight all I did was read this book. In between classes, during my 15 and 30 minute lunch breaks at work, while waiting in the car at drive-thrus, basically anywhere. I found a joy in reading this book that I had never had before. It was as if Jane Rosenal was real, and I was solely privy to her life. I had to know what would happen next and I tried to make sense of a book about making sense of yourself.

Girls, this book changed my life. It changed my outlook on things. It changed the way I think. I guarantee your boredom will fly by if you read this. But it's more than a boredom buster for me. It's a guide to hunting and fishing in every sense of the word.

The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing
By Melissa Banks
at Barnes and Noble
at Amazon
at Borders

E

A Choose Your Destiny Novel

Every time I pick up a book (either at home, the library or a bookstore), I think about how old the usual readers of said book are. Sometimes, they are significantly younger in age than I am. This usually makes me feel guilty, like I'm wasting money and knowledge on an education I sometimes refuse to make use of. Of course, I've read ton's of books, for leisure and for school, and love them. I LOVE reading. Novels, classics, magazines, newspapers--you name it. I talk about books almost as much as I talk about music; most of my friends find this annoying (The only books of substance they can talk about with me are the ones they were forced to read in H.S. and didn't really enjoy, which makes for pretty lame conversation) But sometimes, I just like to go straight to the teen fiction section and pick out the cheesiest, corniest, most typical teen drama that is so diametrically opposed to my own teenage/high school experience it's sickening [book], get cozy on the couch, and read the entire thing in one night. Recently, I've re-discovered the awesomeness of 'Choose your own destiny' books. You know, those books where you start out reading some superficial story about some chick who moves to New Jersey from Northern California and gets to redefine her image to a bunch of suburban yuppies whose lungs are probably slightly blackened from smokestack inhalation? Oh. That's the story I'm reading! Basically, these books don't do anything for you. They don't teach you anything. In fact, they might decrease your literacy. But they're perfect companions for lazy nights on the couch. Or when you can't sleep at night and carpel tunnel/arthritis/fried eyes is preventing you from creepin' on the Internet (everybody's favorite hobby). You get to curl up, read, and decide how your character's life will turn out; laugh when it sucks, smile like a giddy twelve year old when the guy gets the girl, or put post-it notes on all the "What's the next move?" pages and go back and change your decision when the outcome isn't what you wanted it to be. That's technically cheating, right?

Right now, I'm reading What if...Everyone Knew Your Name, by Liz Ruckdeschel and Sara James. I'm not sure where I actually got the book from, but somehow I've collected a few written by the same two authors. It's superficial reading at its finest, try it out ladies (and men? If they read this?).

I also recommend the Clique series. They use Internet slang like "LOL" and "OMG" in real life. They also think life is "ah-mazing" and have drivers, movie deals and Westchester Co. mansions. Oh and the best part? They attend a "Day School". What the heck is a "Day School" ? Sounds ritzy.

Maybe we should start our own "Pick your fate" novel?

Alex

Welcome To The Formal!

I thought I would create this special blog just for us awesomesauce Peach Pitters so we could discuss music, movies, and zines of importance along with, of course, what's going on with White Rice. I also really just wanted a blog called Brooklyn Prom Queen. The name really rolls off my tongue.

So get excited! Get ready for pure hawtness! Shit is gonna blow up! Plus it's set up for any one of us to put whatever's interesting to us. Just make sure it's pertinent. Obvi we all have our own blogs for random personal retardation, right?

Keep it clean, keep it legal.

Just kidding.

E