What I Want: Movies to See in 2015

Dear Diary,

2015 is going to be a great year for movies, I can feel it. I'm a huge movie watcher. I love going to the theater and buying popcorn and seeing s film on the big screen. Unfortunately, since I started school, it's been pretty hard to get to the movies. I want to try and change that, though, because I'm excited for what's coming out this year.

{source}{source}{source}{source}{source}

1.) Pitch Perfect 2 || I have seen the first one at least 15 times. It's such an amazing mixture of comedy, drama, and music. I mean, come on, a capella has never been this cool.

2.) Avengers: The Age of Ultron || Yes, yes, and yes. It's got everything I need: the Iron Man suit, Chris Hemsworth shirtless, and Chris Evans' beautiful face. Oh yeah, and that action stuff, too.

3.) American Sniper || Bradley Cooper is amazing. I love war movies-even though I know they're so sad.

4.) The Wedding Ringer || I love Kevin Hart. I have a feeling this movie is going to be hilarious!


5.) Cinderella || I just can't get enough of princess movies!

I can't wait to see all of these movies, and hopefully I'll be able to write a review or two about them!

What movies are you excited for in 2015?

Until next time,

Eliza Grace

Music: My Favorites of 2014

Dear Diary,

I know this is a little late seeing that it's already a month into 2015, but I think this is necessary to discuss.

I think 2014 was a great year for music. I don't really listen to the same music as a lot of other people my age do. I'm not really into rap, dubstep, or a lot of country. I like indie music folk-rock, 80's rock, and alternative from the 90's and early 2000's. My sister likes to say I'm a "wannabe hipster," which isn't too far from what I am, if you define "hipster" as a thrift store shopper, unpopular music listener, and self-claimed loner.

Anyway, let's get to it.

10.) Hozier-"Take Me To Church" || I'm going to start of with a more popular song from Billboard's top songs of the year. We've all heard this one play over the radio millions of times. Check YouTube for some great covers, too.

9.) Fitz And The Tantrums-"The Walker" || This song was released in May of this year and I can't get it out of my head.

8.) Angels & Airwaves-"The Wolfapack" || Who doesn't love Thomas DeLonge from Blink-182? If you were a fan back then, you'd definitely love this song as much as I do.

7.) Josiah Leming-"Long Gone" || Josiah is one of my favorite singer-songwriters ever. I got to meet him back in early 2013 at one of his shows. He is one of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever talked to. This song is definitely a display of how far he's gotten. I'm so proud of him.

6.) Alex & Sierra-"Little Do You Know" || I spent the third season of The X-Factor cheering this couple on. I love them so much, and I have so much pride for them.

5.) The Kooks-"Bad Habit" || Easily one of my favorite bands. If you haven't heard of them before, then I feel completely sorry for you. Flashbacks to 10th grade rush to mind. Love this song!

4.) Foster The People-"Best Friend" || I loved "Pumped Up Kicks" from 2011, and this song definitely tops that! Foster The People really know how to make a song a hit, that's for sure.

3.) The Script-"Superheroes" || This is currently the song I get ready to in the morning. Super catchy and easy to listen to.

2.) Real Estate-"Talking Backwards" || Folk-Rock at it's best. I love the sound that Real Estate has made for themselves. I have been listening to their tunes for a couple of years, and I swear they just keep getting better.

1.) McBusted-"Air Guitar" || Busted and McFly together. There's nothing more I can really say except that all of my dreams have come true. This song rocked my world in 2014, and is my top song of the year!

I hope you guys liked taking a look into what I enjoyed listening to this past year. Maybe I have even introduced you to something you haven't heard of before! 

What were your favorite songs of 2014?

Until next time,

Eliza Grace

Hollywood Gush: My Celebrity Crushes

Dear Diary,

I love the Hollywood hustle and bustle. I've always been intrigued with what's going on with celebrities, even though I know it's a bit trivial. 

I have been crushing on a few famous fellas lately, and I can't help but gush over them!

Here are some older:

1.) Matthew Broderick || I love him so much, I can't even explain it-just look at him. You may know him from Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) or Glory (1989).

{source}

2.) John Cusack || I don't think I have to even say it. You may have seen him in Say Anything (1989) or something more recent like 2012 (2009).

{source}

3.) Jon Cryer || This may sound weird for fans of Two and a Half Men, but I can't help it. I fell in love with him when he was Duckie in Pretty in Pink (1986).

{source}

And here are some newer:

1.) Shia LaBeouf || I've had a crush on him since I was barely 6 years old. I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. He's from the Transformers movies (2007-2011) and the newer Fury (2014) with Brad Pitt.

{source}

2.) Will Poulter || There's something about his cheeky personality and British accent that gets me. You may know him from The Maze Runner (2014) or the ever-so-funny Meet the Millers (2013).

{source}

3.) Ed Westwick || My inner Gossip Girl fan is coming out! I can't help but love him. I can't help but love Chuck Bass-I don't think anyone can. You can see him in The Chalet Girl (2011) with his natural British accent. Swoon!

{source}

There you have it, ladies and gents! 

Who are your celebrity crushes?

Until next time,

Eliza Grace

Recipes and More: Nutella Brownie in a Mug

Dear Diary, 

The other night I made a Nutella brownie in a mug. 

You read that right. I made a brownie in a mug in a microwave...and it might just be the best thing I have ever tasted. 

Here's what I did:

What you need: 
1/4 cup Flour
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tbs Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Salt
2 tbs Vegetable Oil
1-2 tbs Nutella
Water
Big Mug
Spoon
Measuring Cup




Step 1:                                                                         Step 2: 

Add 1/4 cup of flour                                                   Add 1/4 cup of sugar

Step 3:                                                                        Step 5:             
Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder                          Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
and add Pinch of salt                     

Step 6:                                                                        

Add 1-2 tablespoons of Nutella                                

according to how chocolatey you                             

want it                                                                       

Step 7: 

Add a bit of water according to how runny or thick you like it. Then you can pop it into the microwave for about a minute and half, but be careful when you take it out because the mug will be hot. Let it cool for a couple of minutes and you have your very own Nutella brownie in a mug!

I promise it tastes better than it looks!

What are some of your favorite chocolatey snacks?

Until next time,

Eliza Grace

   

Back To School: Getting Back Into The Flow

Dear Diary, 

I am officially back at school! I spent the weekend reorganizing all of my things-I brought back so much stuff from home, it's quite sad. Now I am 2 full days into the semester. My schedule for Spring is pretty crazy! I am lucky enough not to have any Friday classes, but I have two three hour classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, along with two other classes those days. So basically, during the week my Mondays and Wednesdays I have one class at 11:20 a.m., and then my day is done. That frees up a lot of time if I really think about it, but I am a little stressed about my Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. I, like many other college students, spent my break binge-watching Netflix. But hey, Friends was released on New Year's Day-what is more exciting than that? 

Now the hard part is getting back into the rhythm of that school flow. I am a moderately lazy person, so I have a ton of trouble trying to keep things on track. Fortunately, I have compiled a list of tips and tricks to help me get back in focus for Spring Semester.

Let's get into it. 

1.) Keep a planner. || I did this last semester because I know how my mind works. If I don't write something down, there is a 99.9% chance I will not remember it. A planner or agenda helps me keep everything I need to do in one place so I know due dates, exam days, and even when my favorite shows come on. 

2.) Write "To-Do" Lists. || I am notorious for my To-Do lists. I have multiple post-it notes in different places around my dorm to help me to remember what I need to get done that day. I even have a white board that my roommate and I write on to remember to clean our dishes, get popcorn, or do a load of laundry. This is such an easy way to keep track of what needs to be done, and you can cross off the things you have completed.

3.) Get back into a normal sleep cycle. || I spent my break staying up until 1-2 a.m. reading or scrolling through Tumblr and not waking up until noon. This is so unhealthy. Getting back into normal sleeping patterns is hard, but you have to do it. Getting at least 7 hours of sleep is extremely important for not only your mental health, but your physical health, too. Just think of all the things you can accomplish from 8 a.m. to noon that you couldn't have done if you were sleeping. Try getting into bed before 11 p.m. if you can. 

4.) Set everything out at night. || I usually throw on yogas and a sweatshirt every morning, but some people like to dress up for classes-I applaud those people. If you're one of the envious, try setting out an outfit the night before to make sure everything is ready so you don't have to waste a half hour looking for a top to match the skirt you want to wear. Also, try keeping everything you need for the next day's classes in your backpack, that way you can just throw it over the shoulder when you leave for the day.


I hope this helps those of you who are trying to get back into the school regiment. Good luck this semester, and bring home those good grades!

What do you do to get your focus back into school?

Until next time,

Eliza Grace

Recipes and More: Oatmeal

Dear Diary, 

When I was little, I used to absolutely detest oatmeal. Now that I am almost a grown adult I have fallen in love with the mushy breakfast dish. 

The other day I decided to be healthy-I know, I know- and I made myself a hearty bowl of oatmeal. I also tried my whack at making a smoothie, which turned out fantastic if I do say so myself.

For the oatmeal I used:
2 cups of Quaker Oats oatmeal
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon (or a splash) of cinnamon

For the smoothie I used:
1 sliced apple (I used gala, but green would be good too)
1 sliced banana
1 cup of cranberry juice
1 1/2 cups of ice
1 tablespoon of sugar (to taste)


For my oatmeal, I first put my two cups of oatmeal in a small saucepan and covered it in water. I set it on my stove to boil. You only need to keep it cooking as long as you like-depending on if you like your oatmeal mushy or extra mushy.

After I had it on the stove for about two minutes, I turned the burner off and poured my oatmeal in a bowl.

Then I moved on to my smoothie. Last year my mom bought a Ninja blender. I absolutely love this thing. It blends so smoothly. 

Anyway, I poured 1 1/2 cups of ice into the blender first, then added my sliced apple and sliced banana. I blended these first to crush all the ice. I then added the cup of cranberry juice (I love cranberry juice in smoothies!) and tasted to see if I needed any sugar. If you use cranberry juice, you probably don't need to add any more sugar-I did not. 

After my meal was prepared to perfection, I lounged in front of my TV for a binge session of Hart of Dixie. I mean seriously, if you haven't seen this show yet-please start! You can thank me later.


What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

Until next time,


Eliza Grace

Recipes and More: Cocoa

Dear Diary,

Last night I decided I wanted something a bit chocolatey. With no chocolate bars-and zero baking skills, I might add-I searched my pantry. 

I found cocoa mix...and two bags of marshmallows.

Here is what I put together:

A handful of marshmallows 
3 tablespoons of cocoa mix
A large mug
A tablespoon (or a stirrer)






Add some boiled water-I love this tea kettle-and stir until your cocoa is done!

I topped mine off with marshmallows and a splash of cinnamon!

This is my favorite alternative for tea for a nighttime drink. It just soothes me and allows me to drift to sleep.

Now, a lot of people get hot chocolate and hot cocoa mixed up. The difference between cocoa and chocolate is the mix. Cocoa is powdered mix and chocolate is heated on the stove and usually served with warm milk.

What is your favorite nighttime drink? 

Until Next Time,

Eliza Grace