Bella Soul's blog

Project 365

nobody@vox.com(Laura Melanie) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:19:38 -0700

I've decided to do the project 365, where I take one picture everyday for a year. I think this will be a nice resolution to keep me on my toes & see where my year went. I feel like I used to take a lot of pictures before & then it dwindled down, but no more! Today is day 6, so I'm gonna take a pic of my book club friends tonight since we're meeting up for the first time this year.

Here are the first 5 pictures I took this year {they each have a little story so check them out}:

Who else is doing this? You can see my album here: http://flickr.com/photos/laura_melanie/sets/72157623002055633/

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Goodbye & Hello

nobody@vox.com(Laura Melanie) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:16:15 -0700

I can't believe this is my last post of 2009! 2009 comes to an end tonight & I can't wait for the New Year to get here already. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to blog much, so I guess that's a good thing because it means I have a life? who knows. I had a very wonderful Christmas with my family last week. I was off for 4 days & I definitely enjoyed it, especially since my little brother came from San Diego to visit us. Went to see Avatar! on 3D.. you have to see that movie on 3D, it's amazing! I think it's the best movie of the year & it came as a treat because the year is almost over. I've never seen a movie on 3D, so this was mind blowing for me. I especially loved the love story, sigh.

So finally New Year's eve is here & I'm working. I'm glad to be off for 3 days & then in 2 weeks, PARIS! I'm not sure exactly where I'll be tonight but I'll be partying it up somewhere & of course I'll be safe. There's lots of crazies out there & I rather stay clear from all that. I'm so anxious I can't even focus at work, haha.

Here's one of my favorite pics I recently took of myself & friends:

Why so serious?

hello there

I love Selena

Judy & I before heading out

My adorably pink wallpaper at work

Super girlie wallpaper

I'm addicted to Cafe World! I named my Cafe 'Cafe Amour', haha.. French inspired.

Cafe Amour

I recently started using Google Chrome & it works so much better than Firefox as far as running Cafe World, I love it! I especially love my Leopard theme.

I hope to see some more movies this weekend.. I wanna see Sherlock Holmes & Up In The Air.

Well, it's been one hell of a year & I hope you guys have the best year yet for 2010. Love ya lots, xoxo Melani

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Christmas is a week away!

nobody@vox.com(Laura Melanie) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:28:55 -0700

I am SO excited Christmas is only a week away.. December sure did go by pretty quickly. I'm a little sad that this year I am really struggling w/my finances to where I can't buy anyone a gift, not even myself. I hope next year will be better, for me & for everyone else who is also in my shoes. Thank God it's only temporary.. things will look up in due time, it's just a matter of being patient to get through it because WE WILL.. we always do. We had our work Christmas party yesterday afternoon & let me tell you we had FUN! It was held at this place where they had billiards, dart tables & a lot of room for us to have our party. They had good food, our white elephant gift exchange & KARAOKE! I was really pumped up about it because it's been awhile since I got to do karaoke. I did 2 songs, Lady Gaga Paparazzi & Mariah's Obsessed, haha.. good times. I didn't know I was being recorded on video when I did Mariah's song so here's a clip of what they sent me.

Laura Singing

The girls

Christmas party

I bought candy for my white elephant gift, & I felt bad but I am honestly so broke that that's all I could afford :( I ended up getting a cute photo album though & I thought it was ironic because one of my New Year's resolutions is to print all my photos I have stacked inside my digital camera & put them inside an album. We did a raffle & I won a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card, which was SUPERB because I need to get a good book that I can read on the plane to Paris. So last night I went with Selena & I bought this book called Sarah's Key. It has French history & the novel is fictionalized within it.. it's about a girl who puts her little brother in a bedroom cupboard to protect him because they are Jewish & the police were making arrests in the middle of the night. Then 60 years later, a journalist investigates what happened back in the 40's which linked her to Sarah's story.. so it has a little suspense there. This book has been rated 4 out of 5 stars, so we'll see how it goes, I'm excited to read it. You can see the Eiffel tower very faintly in the background, love it!

Sarah's Key

Tatiana de Rosnay

I started working out again this week.. so far I worked out 3 times this week & I'm gonna go again tonight. It feels good to get back into my workout routine & I wanna shed at least 20 more lbs. I've been able to keep the weight I lost off, so now it's just a matter of keep going to the gym & watching my diet. I hope everyone has a very fabulous weekend ? XOXO, me ;)

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Oh Paris, Oh La La

nobody@vox.com(Laura Melanie) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:59:24 -0700

I can't believe I will be in Paris in 30 days from yesterday.. I will be there for 4 days for the Martin Luther King holiday with my mom. I need to desperately shop for a warm coat because it's gonna be super cold over there. I need some gloves too. I just know I'm gonna take tons of pictures & I hope that my little camera can handle it.. I've had that camera for awhile. I asked Santa for a new one, but not sure I'm gonna get it. I need a
new book
to read while I'm on the plane! Any ideas? I don't want any of the ones I have on my shelf, bleh.

So I've been pondering on what my New Year's resolutions will be & one of them that I can't just get out of my head is how I wanna do a marathon. My friend Leona is doing one next month & she's inspired me to do one because I've been wanting to do it for the longest time. I think now it's the right time & I'm gonna start training in the coming weeks. There's this place by my apartments that specializes in training people for marathons. You pay like $50 & they help you design the right shoe for you, see the way you run & they go on runs so that I can run with them. How neat is that? My friend Selena told me about it & I may just do that so that I can get motivated & get help so that I won't mess myself up during this marathon. I use to run cross country/track in highschool & I truly miss running outside, alone with my thoughts. I wanna get back to that, so I'm excited.

I have a few more resolutions brewing, but that will have to wait on another post.

I know I've neglected my blog a little.. I've been having an affair with Vox & LiveJournal, LOL. All my online friends have been slowly creeping back into the blogging sites there so it's like a big giant reunion! I love it. I think blogging is so therapeutic & it's good to know what's going on in other people's lives.. so as long as there's no drama of course.

Going to lunch now, hope you guys are having a fabulous Tuesday!

P.S. I ran 4 miles yesterday on the elliptical, go me!

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I bid adieu to 2009

nobody@vox.com(Laura Melanie) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:06:10 -0700

Year-End Meme gacked from ciarrai84.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Went to visit my friend Melissa in Houston & I hadn't gone to Houston in 4 years or so.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I kept some & will make more & see them through.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, but she's not that close to me.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
None.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Be happy with myself.

7. What date(s) from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Aug 1, 2009, the day Sid & I broke up, Oct 17th my car accident

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Got promoted at work & in transition of being promoted again. Oh & I got my passport :D

9. What was your biggest failure?
Staying in a dead relationship for most of the year

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Illness

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My new iPhone 3G

14. Where did most of your money go?
Starbucks, clothes

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Found out I'm going to Paris France with my mom.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
"I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Happier.
Thinner or fatter? Thinner.
Richer or poorer? About the same, in between.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Work out more regularly

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Shopping, & save money instead

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
At home with my parents.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
No, fell out of it more like it.

23. How many one-night stands?
1, but I've known this guy for years

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Glee, Fringe, Dollhouse, Keeping Up w/the Kardashians, Real Housewives of O.C., Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Grey's Anatomy.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, I don't hate, I congratulate

26. What was the best book you read?
It's Called A Breakup Because It's Broken - it came in very handy

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Veronicas

28. What did you want and get?
I got a hot guy that was the hottest guy I've ever been with, but emotionally he was crap, so I didn't really get him, but kinda. LOL

29. What did you want and not get?
To be loved unconditionally and passionately from my ex Sid

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
NEW MOON!!!!!!!

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I spent time with friends & family, I'm 27 now!

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More vacation time

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Boots & tight jeans, classy & sassy.

34. What kept you sane?
My friends, my family, tv shows, Northside events at my apartments, my book club

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Katy Perry

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Guantanamo Bay

37. Who did you miss?
My ex Sidney

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Judy, we started hanging out more lately & she's a great friend

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
You can't change people, or how they should do certain things. All you can do is change yourself & hope that your example will inspire them, take the high road even when it's hard to be the better person.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"And I'm the blame,
Should've went away.
But yet I stayed,
With a part time lover.

See, somedays you will love me.
Then you don't, then you do, then you won't.
Then you're here, then you're gone.
I'm alone.

Now you got me stressing out
On the phone.
But it's the last time, I'm movin' on,
I'm throwing on my Louboutins."

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Happy Friday

nobody@vox.com(Laura Melanie) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:02:27 -0700

So I caved & got on Cafe World last night.. I'm sure my kitchen is a huge mess right now but since it took a long time to load each time I would do a command, I'm not so sure about this game anymore.

Anyway, my date is tonight & I'm actually excited. I talked with Jay on the phone & he seems really interesting. He kept saying he's excited to take me to dinner & to see me again :)

I've been busy at work today so I didn't have enough time to do an update but this will do.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

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Making a comeback

nobody@vox.com(Laura Melanie) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:09:03 -0700

I haven't been blogging as much these last few weeks, not even on my own site because I've been going through so many things that once I would try to blog about it, something else would happen out of the blue. As some of you know, I'm going to Paris with my mom, but there was a whole lot of drama going on between her & I. I just don't get her way of thinking & took what she did very personal. We finally talked things out a little over the Thanksgiving holiday, but I still think I need to have a heart to heart with her later on.

Things at work have been going well. I got promoted to be a 1.5 level rep, which gives me more responsibility, more of a leader & could be well on my way to a higher position, which is 2nd level & that's the position I interviewed for the week of Thanksgiving. I really hope I get it because not only will I get a raise, but I will not be on the phones like I am now. I hung out with my coworker last week for his b-day & he mentioned that they nominated me for the position but he's not gonna say anything else. I wish they would just tell us who got it, there's 2 job openings for it & 5 of us applied. We won't know until MID JANUARY! the suspense! It's in God's hands though, & I am not going to worry.

My book club was reading The Lovely Bones, which I'm still trying to finish. The movie comes out this weekend & we're all going to go see it on Sunday, can't wait. Check out the trailer.

The book is really sad .. I would find myself crying because it was just intense. I just want to get it over with you know? It's one of those books that you hope for the best & then it doesn't seem to get better so you end up hating it but you want to know how it ends. I'm on a mission to finish it though :)

The other day I got my hands on Alicia Keys' new album 'The Element of Freedom'. I LOVE IT!!!!!!! It's an amazing album from start to finish. I love her New York song too & this album has a different version of it & it makes me want to hop on a plane to NY.. never been there but I will go there one day ♥ One of my favorite songs from this album is 'Distance & Time'.. aarrgh! that song is woven deep into my heart & it was meant for me to hear it, it is marvelous. The album cover is GORGEOUS! I would have to say she took the cake with this one.

Going to bed.. Night!

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Words w/Friends

nobody@vox.com(Laura Melanie) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:49:43 -0700

Who has an iPhone?! well, if you have one get the app Words w/Friends & it's free, & you can add anyone who has an iPhone and play scrabble with them! I got it 2 days ago & I am hooked! LOL. So get it & add me, my username is 'lauramelanie'.

Also, who plays Sorority Life on FB? because if you do, I need more sisters. Comment here & let me know so we can add each other :) I'm resisting from playing Farmville because I'm already engaged into all these other games & I will go insane if I do more than I can handle.

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New Moon

nobody@vox.com(Laura Melanie) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:14:43 -0700

I'm sure if you loved Twilight, you watched New Moon over the Thanksgiving holiday.. I hope! if not, make sure you go see it asap. So my take on New Moon is that it was just what I expected it to be & more. I definitely think it was better than Twilight as far as the effects go (Edward's sparkling for example was awesome) & I'm not sure the dialogue was as good as Twilight's because it wasn't as funny as Twilight's lines went as far as I'm concerned. Of course, Jacob's transformation was leaving all of us girls in 'Ga Ga' mode, my goodness! I loved seeing him without his shirt on, not so much Edward, even though I'm TEAM EDWARD. I loved the Volturi cast.. the guy who plays Aro (Michael Sheen) is the same guy who plays the head werewolf (Lucian) in Underworld. I think he did excellent in his role & I can't wait to see him in the next 2 films. I'm sad that Rachelle Lafevre isn't going to be in Eclipse.. I think she is really good in her role as Victoria.

I've already seen the movie twice & it was just as good the second time around. I'm glad we didn't have to wait in line for a long time, I only waited 5 minutes. I was the first one there so I got to save my friends their seats until they got there. My friend Tania brought some wine, & it's actually called Twilight! I couldn't believe it. We had some Sprite & made wine spritzers. They were pretty tasty too, now I want to go to that store & find that wine.

Been listening to the soundtrack & I have a few favorite tracks. I wish that Rob Pattinson would've sung in this soundtrack like he did in the Twilight one, but oh well.

My faves are:

Hearing Damage - Thom Yorke

Possibility - Lykke Li
Satellite Heart - Anya Marina
I Belong To You - Muse
Roslyn - Bon Iver & St. Vincent
The Violet Hour - Sea Wolf

That's pretty much it, but I may upload these so you guy can download & have a listen. So what do you think of the New Moon soundtrack? & New Moon?!

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Thankful

nobody@vox.com(Laura Melanie) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:29:20 -0700

I am so thankful for so many things.. it's hard to boil it down on this post but I will just say the ones that come up off the top of my head.

I'm thankful for;

-My recent promotion at work (though not quite a promotion but I'm a little higher than before)

-Having my car back in mint condition after my accident

-Getting well after having horrible allergies a week ago

-Being able to finally see New Moon!

-My family & friends ..throughout hardships because not every relationship is perfect, I love them regardless of what happens

-Being single because I can work on me now & not have to pull strings to try to make a relationship work when it was already broken

-This playlist I made, music has healed my heart in a million ways; Heartbreak Hotel Listen to it & tell me which ones are your favorite

-Finally having cable & a new TV after a year of not having cable

-Starbucks holiday drinks

-4 day weekend this week!

What are you thankful for? comment or blog it!

P.S. Add me on LastFM if you haven't already: last.fm/user/lauramelanie

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