A Christmas in the Life of Lia

I can still remember being so little, and waking up so early for Christmas. I'd jump around in my parents room until they told me it was too early, and that we wouldn't  open presents until 8. I'd go down to the tree and just stare at all the presents that magically appeared in the middle of the night. This memory has me thinking of this song lyric:

"Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything, and everybody believed in you." -Taylor Swift

My mom doesn't even sign presents from Santa anymore. Most of the stuff I get I've either specifically asked for on my wishlist, or I've picked out myself. There's no magic anymore, no surprises. That's not to say I don't like what I get. I love all the presents I get, because they're exactly what I've asked for.  

For example this year I got a drawing tablet:

It's amazing, and just what I wanted and needed, but there's no magic when it's something you've picked out. Most of my gifts made me happy and sad at the same time. The gift that did this the most was the 8 film collection of Harry Potter. It was like holding all the movies in my hand mad the end really real. So much of my childhood revolved around Harry Potter, and now there would be no more books, no more movies. I'm such a kid at heart, and to see my 18th birthday looming upon me so quickly scares me. 

But just because I'm not a part of the magic anymore, does not mean it no longer exists. I can still see it. In the lights that decorate houses...

 

(all photos taken by me)

In the way children's eyes light up. It's still there. I guess you can say this was a bitter sweet Christmas for me.

I saw life and vitality, but I also saw nothingness. These two things were seen in the two places I visited this Christmas. The first visit was to my Grandma. She is 90 years old, and lives in a nursing home. She's not doing well. She has extreme Alzheimer's, and often times doesn't even recognize me. It's really horrible to watch someone dying from the inside out. You smile when you're around them, but on the inside you're crying. We keep saying that this is her last year, but she keeps holding on. She's too afraid of dying. I don't think she believes in anything anymore. 

After this sad encounter we took a 1 hour car ride to the Christmas party we go to every year. This year it was hosted by the son of the people who normally host it. He's all grown up now, and has 3 children. The oldest one, Maya is 7, and then there are the twins Layla and Noah who are 3. Their vitality was in such contrast to my Grandmother. They definitely lifted my spirits. Somehow by the end of the night I became Maya's best friend. We were playing a game, and in the middle of it she came over to me very sweetly and said "I don't want to hurt you feelings. but I'm not playing anymore." It was so cute, especially since she hadn't really been playing in the first place. We were just on the same "team". Which was just me making the moves, and her watching. 

So I guess the night ended well. By then end I was smiling from the inside out. So even if I'm not a part of the magic anymore, I think I'll be okay. Because I can still see it. I can find it in the smallest places and help it shine through all the bad. 

Merry Christmas,

The Past

The way I see it, is that you can't move forward, unless you remember the past. If you don't keep the past in mind, how do you know if you've moved at all? This in no way means that you have to let your past define you. After all, today is the past of tomorrow.

The past can be complicated, but the past that I am going to refer to in this post is quite simple. It's everything in my past that will be important for you to know to follow my future posts.

First you must know a little about me. Who am I? God, I wish I knew...but here are some facts I do know:

• Name? Lia Jeanine 
• Age? 17
• Born in...San Francisco, California, USA
• Shops at...Salvation Army (Go vintage!), Forever 21, H&M, Pacsun, Zara, and Urban Outfitters
• Wants to...Go to college and major in advertising, and get more followers on the blog (hint, hint!)
• Likes to...Read, draw, sing, play guitar, take pictures, sew, shop!, travel, watch TV and movies, hang out with friends, and surf the web (do people still say that?)

You probably still don't know quite how I am, but I hope that gives you a little overview, and at least we're in the same boat now. I hope that by continuing to read my posts you will find out more about me. 

Out of all the things on the list, I think the most important part is the "things I like to do" list. So I am going to elaborate of that part.

Reading

Hmm, where do I begin? Uh, I read Harry Potter when I was little, end of story? No that's not sufficient, even though it is true. Harry Potter did show me the magical worlds that books can open. The world of books is often times much more interesting and exciting than the real world. I always have a book that I'm "currently reading" even if I'm reading it for the 3rd time. It's a place I can escape to. In the world of books I can't do anything wrong, because I'm not a character, the only decisions I make are whether or not to turn to the next page. It's a safe place. 

I can have a conversation for hours about books. To have read the same book as someone else, is to have been on the same adventure. I don't have a favorite book for say, but I have a chest of the ones at the top of my list. This chest contains the first 2 books in the Hunger Games series, all 4 books in the Travailing Pants series, the 4 books that are out in the Gone series, "Waiting for you" by Susane Colasanti, "Keeping the Moon", and "What Happened to Goodbye"by Sarah Dessen. If you have read these books, you probably have a good idea of what type of things I like.

Drawing 

I've been drawing since I was very little, and there's something about it that is an unparalleled form of expression. I firmly believe that there are something that words cannot say. Things that can only be told in a picture. Most of the things I draw are symbolic, and open for interpretation. I use drawing to capture thing that pictures cannot.

(one of my most recent drawings)

I am applying for the Pratt Institute in New York, and for that I have to submit a portfolio. My portfolio will consist of many different tings such as graphics, photos, and of course, drawings.

Music

Music has played a big role in my life. My dad is really involved in music, and I guess it carried down through the generation. Here's a little clip of me singing a playing guitar:

This clip has over 1,000 views! Not bad, eh?
My most viewed clip has 10,622 views. 0.o

I have about 15 covers uploaded to my youtube channel (XMelodyXMusicX), feel free to check them all out, and let me know what you think!

Photography

Ever since I got my first digital camera in 2007, I have been attached to it at the hip! I take pictures anywhere, anytime. Here are a few that I'm really proud of:

 What do you think?

Sewing

Like I said in my first post, I have been sewing for a few years, and I've sew a total of 4 items of clothing.

Here they are two of them:

I'm working on a few more now, and I'll be sure to show you my progress (:



This list has gotten quite lengthy, so I'll just elaborate on one more thing.

Traveling

I've been to a few different countries, but I've only been on 2 trips out of the country. The first was to Greece. I went on a cruise around the islands! We stooped in Turkey for one day, and in London on the way back!

Me on the Island of Rhodes in 2009

The second time I went out of the country was early this year. I went to Paris, Southern France, and we took a side trip to Monaco and Italy for a day!

Me in Nice in Mach 2011

Living in the USA does not offer much culture or traditions, so I find other cultures to be fascinating! I have a long list of places I want to go to, and I hope one day I'll be able to.

Well this is all for now, but I will be posting again soon!
Stay tuned, stay happy!

Lia Jeanine

Welcome

Hello, I'm Lia, and this is my personal blog. As much as I'd like to leave you pondering over the blog title, I will let you in on the secret. It's a combination of a few things. The first being a thimble:

The thimble is the ultimate symbol of sewing. Although I rarely use thimbles when sewing, the does not mean that they are no less important. I have been sewing for 2 years now, and I have sewn 4 items of clothing. I'm currently working on making a few more, and if you follow this blog you can see my progress, and my creations. 

The second thing is Thumbelina:

She symbolizes childhood, magic, and imagination. Even though I'm almost 18, I'm young at heart. I love watching old Disney movies, and singing along. I'm not afraid to admit that I believe in magic, even if it's just in small things like love and friendship. I have an active imagination, that I try to let flow through drawing and music. If you continue to read my posts I hope to show you what I do with my imagination, and where it leads me.

The final thing is me. Lia. since this blog will be about me and my interactions in the world, my incorporation in the title was key.

Well I feel pretty witty about the title, but no promises for future things to be so witty. I hope you decide to follow. It's no fun writing a blog with no one out there reading it.