I'll Be Off!

      Every year most of my family goes up to my great- yes I said GREAT grandpa's cottage.  He turns 91 in September!  Anyway we always go up there around the 4th of July and we get to watch the fireworks while we all sit on our deck by the water.  It is truly awesome.  What also is awesome, is that the morning of 4th of July there's a huge parade where everyone throws out candy to the crowd!  We do a whole bunch of really cool things when we're up at the cottage like go fishing, riding in our teal, sparkly blue speedboat, play board games and card games with the whole family like, Apples to Apples and the card game called Demon.  I love that game sooo much!  But what I really need to tell you is that I will be leaving for a whole week and won't be posting because there's no internet there!  So don't think I've left all of you guys, I'll just be taking a little vacation!

*******

When we will be heading up to the cottage we will stop at out grandma's house first and then we are going to see the Broadway musical Wicked in East Lansing, Michigan at the Wharton Center.   I used to love watching the Wizard of Oz when I was little, and I know the story is about the wicked witch of the West,  Elphaba and the witch of the East, the good witch named Glinda.  I've read the story and it showed Elphaba as not wicked at first, she was actually pretty nice if you ask me!  She was just really shy and quiet.  Have you seen Wicked?  Have you read the book?  What were your thoughts on it?

I hope everyone enjoys there 4th of July! :D

Thanks
-Alyssa :)

New Haircut!

REALLY SHORT POST!



This is going to be a really short post, but I just wanted to tell you that yesterday I got a really good haircut, cutting off 5 inches of my hair.  My hair is usually long, but now it's a  lot shorter than what it used to be.  When it's down, it goes a little below my shoulders and when  it's up in a ponytail it just goes to the end of my neck.  Anyway I think my skating was a lot better today because my hair didn't take me off balance as much!  It actually really makes a difference believe it or not!  Here's a picture of my new haircut!  Tell me what you think! :)

P.S. It's my mom's 40th birthday today please go tell her happy birthday from over at Imagine Today! :)  

Thanks so much! :)

-Alyssa

Another Award! Liebster Blog Award! :)

I was recently awarded the Liebster Award by Aliraluna at Velvet Red.  Thanks so much Aliraluna!  I'm going to give this award to people with less than 200 followers, to try and help them get more!  In order to accept this award you have to,

1. Post 10 facts about yourself.
2. Answer 10 questions the tagger has given you and give 10 questions to the people you've tagged.
3.Choose 10 people and link them in your post.  
4. Tell them you've tagged them.
5. Remember, no tag backs!


OK here are 10 random facts about me! 

1. I want to start up my own bakery with my mom.  We ❤ to bake together!
2. I always wear the color pink but my favorite color is blue.
3. I love weird flavors of ice cream like lavender, green tea and salty caramel!  So gooood!
4. I'm 1/4 Japanese.
5. I've eaten shark, alligator and chicken feet.  They all taste like chicken! LOL
6. My goal is to read 100 books this year.  Currently I'm 24 books behind.  :/  NOT GOOD!
7. I'm going to compete in qualifying Regionals this year in figure skating!
8. I can say the Pledge of Alligance in Spanish.
9. I've gone water skiing before...It didn't end well.
10. I love to go fishing!!

Hope you enjoyed learning more about me!

OK here are the 10 questions given to me by Aliraluna


1. What is your favorite genre?
Fantasy!! :)



2. Favorite color?
Blue, blue, blue!



3. Favorite place in the world?
Hawaii, it was sooo beautiful!



4. Favorite series?
Well, when I was a little kid I was obsessed with Magic Tree House, but now I think it would be The Dreamhouse Kings by Robert Liparulo.



5.Favorite animal?
The tiger!











6. What is your dream?
I know it's far fetched, reeeaaaaly far fetched, but it's to win the Olympic gold medal in figure skating! :D




7. Favorite food?
I know this isn't normal for most kids or adults but my favorite food is sushi!





8. Favorite movie?
I can't really choose a favorite, I'd have a list of two million or something, but one of my favorites is Despicable Me starring Steve Carell.



9. What are your hobbies?
Baking and reading.  Figure skating is more of a sport so I can't really call that a hobby.




10. Write whatever you want!
Thanks so much for giving me this award!! :D



OK now here comes the hard part I have to choose 10 bloggers to nominate for this award with under 200 followers.  OK here I go!

Ashna Banga

Lexa Cain

Shauna Buck

Laurie Dennison


Kelly Mc

Cassie Mae

Tobi Summers

Jaycee Delorenzo

Rebecca Barrow

Stephanie Allen

And here are my 10 questions for you guys!

1. What's your favorite sport?  (To watch or to do.)
2. What genre do you write in?  And if your not writing a book, what genre do you like to read in?
3. What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?
4. What was the happiest moment of your life?
5. What is your favorite holiday?
6. What book are you reading right now?
7. What superpower do you wish you had?
8. What is your favorite drink?
9. If you could make a wish come true what would you wish for?  Be honest.
10. If you could be a character in one one of the books you've read, who would it be?

Whew!  That was hard! Thanks for reading guys!

Thanks
-Alyssa :)


.

The Stylish Blogger Award!

Yesterday I got awarded the Stylish blogger award by Wendy Lu at The Red Angel.  Thanks so much Wendy!  In order to accept this award you have to answer these nine questions about yourself.  OK here I go!

1. What is your favorite song?
My favorite song,currently, is Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.

2. What is your favorite dessert?
Anything chocolate!

3. When you're upset what do you do?
When I'm upset, I usually try to get away from everyone and go into my room and listen to some music to calm myself down.

4. What was your favorite pet?
My favorite pet was my dog named Buddy.  Sadly we had to give him away.  :(


5. What do you prefer to wear, black or white?
I don't really have a preference, but I guess I wear black more often since black is the color of my figure skating pants and jacket.  And I skate a lot so I wear that often!


6. What is your biggest fear?
My biggest fear is of a giant spider eating me while I'm sleeping!

7. What is your attitude mostly?
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.

8. What is perfection to you?
When I'm figure skating!!


9. What it your guilty pleasure?
Playing a lot of video games with my brother and sister.  One time my brother, sister, and I played games from 7:00 at night to 2:30 in the morning!!

OK, I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little better! :)  Here are the five people I'm nominating to get the Stylish Blogger Award!!

Starry Dawn

Jennifer

Tink's Place

Andrea


Ginger

Thanks
-Alyssa :)

Delicious!

Yesterday I made really delicious cupcakes with my mom.  They were gingerbread cupcakes with a coconut cream cheese frosting.  They are soooo good!  The real recipe was gingerbread cupcakes with a caramelized mango frosting, but I thought the coconut would be better.
If you want to get the real recipe go here!  Gingerbread Cupcakes.
Anyway I had a great Father's Day spending time with my dad, we didn't go out to dinner or something super fancy, we just all hung out and read together and played games together.  I had a really awesome day!

*****

I'm super excited because today is the first day of figure skating camp at my ice rink.  We work on stuff on the ice like, moves, freestyle, synchronized skating and power skating, and we also work on things off of the ice like choreography and ballet.  I always love going to these classes because I get to spend time with my friends at the rink and I get to be learning new and important things that I need to be improving on!

I totally wish I could do that...

Thanks
-Alyssa :)

Good News!

                          I have good news and more good news!  Yesterday I passed my Juvenile freeskate in figure skating!  Wohoo!  I am sooo happy!  My two other friends from the rink that I skate with passed it as well!  I was going to take another test that day as well, called moves (I'm on the intermediate level by the way).  But my coach that teaches my moves didn't think I was quite ready.  Just to straighten things up, the level from least experienced to most experienced is this:  Pre-preliminary, preliminary, pre-juvenile, juvenile, intermediate, novice, junior and finally senior.  I hope that helps a little bit!  Anyway the other good news is that... I got an iphone!
My dad one day just started saying "If I happened to get you an iphone what color would you want it?"  I already was super excited just hearing him bring it up.  I said I would like a white one.  "And what color case would you want if I did get you one?"  I knew he was probably ordering it as we spoke.
"I'd like the pink!" I answered happily.  Then just two days later an iphone showed up at my door!  Oh my gosh YAY!  I was so happy!  Before I got an iphone, my mom was always with her iphone and I envied her, she always looked so happy when she was using it!  But I can see why she looked so, so happy, an iphone is seriously awesome!! :)









Thanks
-Alyssa :)

The Booker Award

OK, so first, the ice show went great!  We had a couple stumbles in our synchronized skating program, and we ended WAAAYYY early.  But all in all the show was great!

*****

Yesterday I was awarded the Booker Award by Angeline Trevena.  Thanks Angeline!  In order to accept this award, you have to share the top five books that you've ever read!  OK here are mine! 

1. The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd   

Set in South Carolina, 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells a story about a girl named Lily Owens, whose life is shaped around the old memory of the day her mother was killed.  This book was sooo good, I loved it!

2. Savvy, by Ingrid Law  

For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a "savvy" -a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. 

3.  The Cabinet of Wonders, by Marie Rutkoski  

Petra Kronos has a simple, happy life. But it’s never been ordinary. She has a pet tin spider named Astrophil who likes to hide in her snarled hair and give her advice. Her best friend can trap lightning inside a glass sphere. Petra also has a father in faraway Prague who is able to move metal with his mind.

4.  House of Dark Shadows, by Robert Liparulo  

When the Kings move from L.A. to a secluded small town, fifteen-year-old Xander is beyond disappointed. He and his friends loved to create amateur films . . . but the tiny town of Pinedale is the last place a movie buff and future filmmaker wants to land.   They soon discover there's something odd about the house that they decide to move into. Sounds come from the wrong directions. Prints of giant, bare feet appear in the dust. And when David, Xander's brother, tries to hide in the linen closet, he winds up in locker 119 at his new school.

5. Heart of a Samurai, by Margi Preus  

In 1841, a Japanese fishing vessel sinks. Its crew is forced to swim to a small, unknown island, where they are rescued by a passing American ship. Japan’s borders remain closed to all Western nations, so the crew sets off to America, learning English on the way.  Manjiro, a fourteen-year-old boy, is curious and eager to learn everything he can about this new culture. Eventually the captain adopts Manjiro and takes him to his home in New England.

Here are the five people I'm awarding!


Kate the Novelist


Ashna Banga

Julie Dao

Imagine Today

Scribbles from Jenn

Thanks

-Alyssa :)

Ice Show!

                                     Just on Sunday we have an ice show coming up at our rink.  I'm really excited, and I'm going to be in three different numbers!  I'm going to be doing a synchronized skating number (skating to the song Don't Stop Believing), a power skating number (skating to the song Fighter by Christina Aguilera), and I'm going to be doing a group number with my sister Jessica, and three other friends to the song Listen to your Heart.  I'm really excited for this show and hope it's going to be a really  good one!  I went skating today and mostly worked on my moves (a test which mostly consists of edges, footwork, twists and turns.  I know it sounds really confusing if you're not familiar with figure skating!)  Today I'm going to skate again from 4:10 to 6:10 and work on the program for the ice show and work on my own solo program that I need to test on Tuesday!  I'm a little nervous for that, but the biggest jump you need to do is an axel.  I've been doing the axel for a while now, so it's really consistent!  Two of my other friends from the ice rink that I skate with, will be testing their programs too!   Wish us luck! :)

Thanks
-Alyssa :)

RTW: Best Book of May

It's Road Trip Wednesday on the YA Highway!  Today's topic is:  What is the best book you have read in the month of May?                                                                  

I think the best book that I read in May was the book King Arthur by Frank T. Thompson.  This book wasn't the classical story about how Arthur pulled the sword out of a stone, or had to slay dragons and save the beautiful princess Guinevere.  This version was much more realistic.  At first I didn't know if I was going to like it because it didn't have any magic or dragons.  I like that kind of stuff!  But after a few chapters in, I realized the story didn't need any dragons or magic.  It was funny at parts, sad at others, and had really awesome action packed fighting scenes!  This book was mainly about King Arthur and his 100 knights going to fight the ferocious Saxons.  There were victories and defeats, but each time a battle was lost or won, the knights seemed to come closer together as a stronger army and a stronger "family" as I progressed through the book.  King Arthur is a book I would highly recommend!

Thanks

-Alyssa :)

Writing to Music

   When I first started writing my story, I never wanted to listen to any kind music.  Waaay too distracting I thought. I always saw my sister, Jessica, writing and listening to music.  I just didn't understand how she could do that!  Listening to a song I'd want to sing along to, and then writing a story with a whole bunch of different words...It would come out as a jumbled mess I thought!  Some of the words would be to the song I was listening to, and some from my story.  One day my sister told me I really should at least try to listen to music while I write.  After a while I gave in and tried.  It took me a while at first, it was hard getting used to it, but I realized it wasn't as hard as I had thought.  There was no jumbled mess of words and it actually sometimes made me more relaxed and thoughtful.  Now I listen to music all of the time when I write.  It actually really helps me.  For example if I'm writing a really intense scene I listen to really intense music and it actually helps me get more ideas for that particular scene!   I normally don't listen to music with words because that really does confuse me!

*****

Here are some songs that I really enjoy listening to.  These are songs I listen to when an intense scene comes up.  This first song is called Requiem for a Tower by the band Escala.

This one is called Palladio by the same band, Escala.

Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks

-Alyssa :)