The Hunger Games Movie

OMG! Did you guys see the Hunger Games movie? I have been a HUGE fan of the books, and the movie was not disappointing. The book was still better than the movie, as always (I think the only exception of this was Gone with the Wind) but it still lived up to my expectations.

Katniss is going through many emotional struggles in the book, and it is better when you can describe it in words on the paper, instead of trying to communicate them with facial expressions and tone of voice in the movie. Although she did do an exceptional job, you can say things in books that you can't say in movies. The most memorable scene of the movie in my opinion was Rue's death. I was crying when I read that chapter in the book, and had to choke back tears when I watched the movie. It was very sad, yet realistic. There were no cheery, last words of inspiration. It was beautiful. I can't wait for the next movies to come out! Go Hunger Games!

xxx

Abby

Canterwood Crest-- Lauren Towers

Canterwood Crest-- Lauren Towers by Abby Grey

I am currently obsessing over this series, and decided to make a set on Polyvore for the main character. Her name obviously Lauren Towers, and you can see the kind of things she likes from the set. The whole series is about these girls at an elite equestrian boarding school, which is why I included a horse and saddle. Lauren also loves fashion, decorating, the PINK line, and tea. In the books it says her favorite tea is Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride, which is why I made sure to include it in this set. Oh, and below her name, you might notice a bunch of random names (Taylor, Khloe, Riley, Ana), those are all of the relevant characters in the book. Most are her friends and family, but a couple are her enemies. If you don't already have a Polyvore account, you should get one! People usual make fashion sets on them-- I usually do too-- but there are some 'Art & Expression' ones and 'Interior Design' ones too. This is not something I usually would do on Polyvore, but I thought it would be fun. 

In case you haven't noticed, I am in LOVE with the series! Counting down the days until the new Canterwood Crest book comes out. Only... 39 days and 14 hours eastern time! Can't wait!

xxx

Abby ♥

Back From New York!

The city was magical! Living only 45 minutes away from New York, I have been there quite often, but never actually stayed overnight. We stayed at the Plaza for three nights and four days. I loved it. A few highlights of the trip were Dylan's Candy Bar, FAO Schwarz, and Barneys.

First of all, Dylan's was AMAZING. I was first overwhelmed by the sugary smell, and almost had a heart attack when I realized there were three floors of candy heaven. I got 4 chocolate bars (Brownie Batter, Hazelnut, Angel Food Cake, and Bacon) Seriously, bacon-flavored chocolate! They also had bacon lollipops, bacon mints, and a gummy bacon strip. I also got junior mints, coconut M&Ms, Caramellos, a couple Twix bars, a marshmallow pop, a bag filled with assorted gummy-candies, and a pink t-shirt that said 'I ♥ Candy'. Whew, that is a lot of candy! I was pretty hyper afterwards.

FAO Schwarz was HUGE. It seemed to be the size of a shopping mall. There were different sections, like a candy section, a stuffed animal section, a lego section, a story-book section... One part that really stuck out in my mind was the toy piano. It was flat, and about 12 feet long. There was a big line waiting to jump on the piano. Whenever somebody stepped on one of the keys, it would light up and make a sound like a normal piano would if somebody pressed the keys. I wish I knew about the Toy 'R' Us store here before we went, because it is said to be the biggest toy store in the world. There is even a 60 foot indoor ferris wheel!

 I am a huge fashion addict and going to Barneys was like a dream. There were tons and tons of clothes, and all with an expensive, sophisticated elegance. I am only thirteen, so I felt a little out of place with all of the adult ladies browsing around, but I was too excited to care for long. I seriously wanted to buy everything in the store, but remembered that what I saw was NOT cheap. I ended up getting a loose nude-colored silk blouse with red trimming, an emerald green tank with beaded detailing, tweed shorts, a yellow wrap-skirt, and buttery caramel-colored riding boots. Shopping was oddly exhausting, so I took a looong nap afterwards.

New York was amazing. I want to thank my parents for all that they do for me, for taking me so many places and letting me do so many wonderful things! You guys are the best :)

xxx

Abby ♥

My Boyfriend

When we first met, I wasn't having any romantic feelings about him. We sat next to each other in math class, and the girl to the other side of me, who is actually one of my good friends (her name is Amanda) said "I think Taylor likes you". I love Amanda dearly, but she is always jumping to conclusions on who likes who. Taylor was just a friend. We had easy conversation and he always makes me laugh. Plus, he wasn't rude  and loud like some of the other guys. 

A few weeks after knowing him, I was starting to like him as more than a friend. Our conversations were still the same though, and it didn't make anything awkward between us. A couple days later I gathered up the courage to ask him, but I had no idea what to say!

 During recess, I went up to him and the popular group of guys he hangs out with. I said, "Hey, Taylor can I borrow you real quick?" The boys behind him grinned at each other, and I winked.

"So, hey." I said. We smiled. "Why'd you bring me over here?" he asked. I wasn't sure how to start. I know a lot of time at my school when someone likes someone else, they get one of their friends to pass on the word. But I wanted to ask him myself. I had a good feeling about this. "Oh, well I just thinking, I've realized how good of friends we are. I started to kind of want to be more than friends though. Will you go out with me?"

Taylor's face broke out into a huge grin. "Really?" he said. "I have had a crush on you forever. I never thought you would feel the same." I smiled too, and said "I was kind of nervous about asking, but now I can't remember why I was so scared!" We laughed out of pure happiness, and he interlocked his hand with mine. Taylor swung him arm and pulled my hand into rhythm with his.

Olivia and Bri (Bri is my other best friend) had a million questions for me. I told them the entire story, and they hung onto my every word. "Will you guys help me plan my date?" I knew the answer before the words had even come out of my mouth. I ended up having a great time, and we have been dating since!

xxx

Abby ♥

The Bachelor Finale!

Do you watch the Bachelor? This is the first season that I have ever watched, and apparently it is the most 'controversial season yet'. I can't really compare it to other seasons, because well, obviously I haven't watched any. In my opinion it is a pretty good show! I know most Americans love some good drama, and I'm no different. 

I really did like Lindzi though, and am bummed on seeing her so sad after getting dumped. Courtney does seem like a really nice person-- despite all that nasty stuff with the other girls-- and I'm glad that she is happy. Honestly, she did seem really sorry about what she had said. Did you see her at the 'Women Tell All'? Those weren't faux tears. 

After all, you can do some bad things and still be a good person. I bet all of us have done something that we regret at one point or another in our lives. What is important is that you realize that what you did was wrong, and try to be a better person from there on out. C'mon, We all deserve a second chance!

Congrats Courtney & Ben! 

xxx

Abby ♥

Giddy Up, Horsie

 What a fun day I had! I went riding with my best friends- Olivia and Bri. Bri is an equestrian, so we went to her place to go riding. Olivia and I had no idea how to ride, so we just followed Bri's lead. She showed us how to "tack up", and mount the horse. I kind of made a fool of myself when I tried to get on. I would lift my leg halfway over the horse's back, and then it would slip off, and I would almost topple off the stepping stool. We cracked up every time that happened, and eventually on the umpteenth time, I finally got on the horse's back. 

My horse was the sweetest. Bri told me she was a Hanoverian named Cocoa. We started off on a slow, steady walk, and then Bri showed us how to do a sitting trot. We went through a creek, and splashed around in the water for a bit. We tied up the horses, and munched on some granola bars while we chatted and caught up on school gossip. 

Then we finally got back on the horses and cantered back to the farm. It felt amazing to go so fast, but kind of scary, because it was my first time on a horse since I had lived in Texas. The warm breeze blew my hair back, and I just felt free. Like nothing else mattered in the world than to just be there, right then. With my friends and having fun. Recently I have been so caught up in things, and I haven't had the time to just relax, unwind, and live in the moment. 

I had the best time today! *Hugs to Olivia and Bri* Love you guys ♥

xxx

Abby ♥

P.S. The picture was not taken by me. None of the photos on this blog are mine. Just thought I'd throw that out there :)

Spring Break!

Yes! Break at last! I know most public schools have one week off in February and one week in April, but  my school is having a consecutive two-week vacation in March! I am not going anywhere particularly exciting, I may take a couple trips to NYC, but I am just happy to get a rest from school. We had plans for India, but canceled them. Not exactly sure why, but oh well. I am still super excited! The last couple days of school were great- fantastic weather and a mild load of homework. Oh, and more great news- no homework over break!!!! *Does a happy dance* I am ready for warm weather, iced drinks, and r-e-l-a-x-a-t-i-o-n.

xxx

Abby ♥

Eating Right

So, recently I have been trying to start eating more healthy and get active. Although people say I'm reeaally tall, I am not fat by any means (5'8'' and 100 pounds) Remember- I am only 13. but being healthy just makes you feel better, inside and out. I started out by making this little food chart:

I haven't yet incorporated the fitness aspect into my heath drive, but this is a start! If any of you are wanting to eat healthier, than this is a good food chart to follow! This is just a sample though, so I am not only limited to these foods. I love to indulge in Snickers or chocolate chip cookies sometimes. A few great health tips I have found through research are, a. coconut oil. It boosts you metabolism and is great for your health. Coconut water is great too, and super hydrating Even better yet, drink noni juice. It doesn't taste the best, but it is super rich in antioxidents and minerals, and is amazing for the body. It is Miranda Kerr's secret weapon, and look at her bod!

Hope you liked these suggestions!

xxx

Abby ♥

Popularity

I have moved around quite a lot, and been to a lot of different schools in a short time period. I went from Los Angeles to Austin TX, to Brooklyn, to North Carolina, and finally, to Connecticut. All of the schools were private, and I'm not sure the difference between public/private school, but all them were kind of cliquey. I really don't expect anyone to be reading this, but if you are (hi, there!) then I want to know, is your school like that? Are there groups with the popular kids and with the, well, not-so-popular ones? The  "rules" of popularity are pretty much the same for each school Iv'e been to. To be popular you have to be reasonably attractive, friendly, outgoing, and athletic. It helps if your parents are friends with other kids' parents. Most of these qualities I had, but the last one. I had always tried to be nice to everybody, which got me a lot of friends pretty quickly. In Los Angeles and Austin I had fit in, and you could say I was "popular", but in North Carolina I didn't really feel right. The people had kind of stuck together in their own groups, and I had been really quiet because I didn't have any friends. People thought I was shy, and never really hung out with me. They weren't mean at all, but no one really talked to me. This gave me a new insight to how all of the unpopular kids felt, and I made sure to be nice to EVERYBODY when I went to Greenwich, Connecticut. I am popular and happy now, but I want to tell everybody that popularity doesn't define who you are at all. Justin Timberlake said that it is what makes you awkward as a kid that make you sexy as an adult. Rock those glasses! Who cares if you're a little shy? Smile, be kind, try hard, and be YOURSELF :)

xxx

Abby ♥

KONY 2012

      Please watch this video! I know it is a little long, but the world needs to know about this. Tens of thousands of children from all over Africa have been torn apart from their families, and forced to join Joseph Kony's army. The girls are used as sex slaves, and the boys are forced to hurt and kill innocent people. Kony makes them kill their own parents. If they don't do these things, Kony kills them. One boy, Jacob, saw his brother's neck be cut off. He said that he wish he were dead too.
      Too many people are being affected by this. The world needs as many people as possible to be a part of this campaign. Together we stand, divided we fall. Please help this cause. It is not at all a scam.

xxx

Abby ♥