Santa done good this year.

I'm a couple days late, but I think you can forgive me for that. I hope everyone had as merry a Christmas as can be; I certainly did. I took pictures of the goodies I got that I most loved. Here we go:


It seems minimal, but they all meant a lot to me. Our financial status is not as plentiful as it has been in the past, but I'm not complaining. I got nearly everything I asked for, and most importantly got to spend it with my whole family. But enough of the mushy stuff, I'll show you all I got.


This here is a beautiful snow hat I found at Buffalo Exchange when I went down with Mama to get my Secret Santa a present. I tried it on and pouted 'cause I didn't have enough cash on me to get it. But it's gorgeous! I broke it in all Christmas day and wore it to Disneyland yesterday when the weather got suuuper chilly that night. (the expansion on Disneyland comes later)


As the title might tell you, it's the Dumb and Dumber DVD. YAY! I've wanted this movie for so long, I can't even describe how happy I was to get it. I know just about every joke from it and they still haven't gotten old. I'd list the ones I know, but it'd leave you scratching your heads and stroking your moustaches.


Again as you can tell, it's both the Across the Universe DVD and CD. And again, YAY! Craigy got that one for me, and I tore it open right away to watch. It's such a trip of a movie to watch, but so good. The Let It Be sequence is heartbreaking and gives me goosebumps every time I watch it. It makes me want the voice of a black woman even more.


The sister (A.K.A. Kelly) gave these lovely little things to me. The mannequin looking thing is a jewelry holder. It's difficult to see, but hanging from it is a beautiful flower pendant, a blue jeweled ring, and feather earrings. They're a good mix of hippie and vintage -esque jewelry that I always complain about wanting. She hit the nail on the head on this one!


I apologize for the crappy quality of it, but this is a very elegant white lace top from Buffalo Exchange that Mama (again) went out and got for me when I pouted (again) about not having enough cash to get it. It's originally from Forever 21 according to the tag, which is so fitting, 'cause I live and breathe that store.


This top is (once again) from Buffalo Exchange. I love this one especially, 'cause it's from Free People, but thank God, only cost about 20 dollars. How do I know? I tried it on before pouting about it. This means I have a pair of pants and top from Free People that were only 40 dollars altogether. That, to me, is a steal.


These gorgeous high-waisted shorts are from my Forever 21 wishlist. I didn't think I'd like a pair of brown shorts, but these drew my attention immediately a. because they're high-waisted and b. their texture feels really cool. I'll probably wear them with the white lace top for an all over vintage indie vibe. Now all that's left to find is a good pair of vintage lace up boots and I'll look like a rock star.


Again, sorry for the crappy quality. The LBD. She's fierce, she's sexy, she's seductive, she's right up my alley. It's Breakfast at Tiffany's meets a gothic Marilyn Monroe. I wore her on Christmas day to my aunt's house for dinner and felt like the belle of the ball. Accessories included a gold chain necklace with a black and white cameo and black jewel and a gold ring with a big black jewel. Oh, and the ever famous red coat. I'm gonna throw parties every day just so I have a reason to wear it.

Other miscellaneous presents included $50 from the g-pa (which I thought was beyond generous of him), movie passes from my 5 and 9 year-old cousins, a red marshmallow jacket from my Aunt, and a calendar of vintage pictures of women from Janet Miller-Shields. And, the best gift of all, A LAPTOP. It's used and is a Dell, but he is beautiful. Yes, he's a boy. His name is Paulie, and he's very cute. Score! Although the presents were limited, the presence of my family and loved ones made this the best Christmas I could've asked for. Their existence in my life make it all worthwhile.


Yesterday, our family and extended theatre family took a family outing to Disneyland(Craigy took the picture with his new camera). It was more fun than words can say. We didn't go on a lot of rides, but it was still the funnest time. What was funny was what we didn't spend on tickets, we pretty much spent on food. I had a giant slice of cheese pizza, parfait, and cookie from Pizza Port; a strawberry frozen lemonade from a cart; a chocolate covered pretzel with caramel and cashews from the candy store next to the Winnie the Pooh ride; my first turkey leg from the cart next to the Animation Station in D.C.A.; and a churro back at Disneyland from a cart in front of the train station. My food baby has STILL not gone down. I'm not gonna need a month of eating nothing but fruit to get rid of it.

Well, that about does it. Sorry if this was too long. I just had to tell you how great my Christmas was! I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas, as well. Tell me of your new treasures. B.G.G.

And so it has begun...

My days of getting behind the wheel have finally arrived. The much anticipated days of putting the key in the ignition, releasing the emergency brake, and shifting into drive is now in action. YAY!

I went to my high school's parking lot this morning with my father in his little gold compact Chevy Malibu. As soon as we got there, we got out and switched sides; I was on the driver's side. After much adjusting of the seat, we went over the basics: checking the mirrors, buckling the seatbelt, releasing the emergency brake, all that good stuff. I kept the car in neutral and practiced turning and straightening out in lanes and braking at the end of the lane to check for other cars/pedestrians. It was such a rush! After we did that a couple times, it was time to burn rubber. Not literally, 'cause that would smell bad. I put the car into drive and believe my top speed was about 18 miles. Not too fast for a first day. I went up and down lanes, avoided speedbumps, went around corners, and parked the car. It was all so terrifying, yet all so exciting. This is what I've wanted to have the power to do for years! So, all that's left to really do is practice with the blinkers and maybe parking a few more times. This is going to make Driver's Ed look like pre-school stuff. I cannot wait!

It also leaves me feeling a little nostalgic. For me, driving is symbolic in that I'm so past the point of childhood to where this will one day be me teaching my kids to drive. It's such a concept to grasp, but what my Dad so kindly did for me is what I'll do for little Emma when she's 15. (I'm not pregnant, that's just what I'm going to name my daughter) I'm not the innocent little girl anymore sitting in the car seat snuggly while Mom drives through McDonald's or unhooks me to get out for Coast Christian School. I'll be the one with the freedom to just get out and drive whenever I feel like it once I have the power to do it. No parent watching me, making sure I've followed all the rules of the road. Only the faith that I earned my license with good reason and can handle sharing asphalt with so many other lives. It makes me scared to even go out and get a license. I almost don't want the full independence that comes with the "driving" package.

However, as much as I don't want the independence, I do. I want to be able to drive myself over to the mall when Mom's too tired to, or run to Walgreen's at 1 A.M. when I need last minute supplies for a project at school. That's also just as overwhelming a concept to grasp as learning to drive itself. All worries and anticipations set aside though, I've got the drive. Pun intended. I can't wait to get back out there and feel the rush of going 15 MPH. It'll be great. Thanks for taking me out and being such a cool and collected driving instructor, Dad. You did a great job. B.G.G.

It's CHRISTMAS.

I'm getting very, very peeved with all this "holiday" mention. Everyone and their mother knows that it's not "holiday" season; it's Christmas season. Every JCPenney's commercial and Sears commercial that mentions it shows evidence that we're supposed to buy Christmas presents, so why refer to it as something it's not? This holiday just may be ruined with this identity crisis. Don't get me wrong, there are other holidays in the month of December, but come on. Let's not put a white elephant in the room by making EVERYONE have to suffer through your P.C. implications. That's just annoying.

I was watching Kicking and Screaming on TBS this morning, and it just so happened to be their "Movie and a Makeover" day. The host used the word "holiday" about 8 times in one sentence, and I wanted to puke. Of course all the gifts she mentioned and people on her list were all something/someone you'd buy stuff for for CHRISTMAS! Even the Jews and blacks know they're hinting at Christmas. What is this world coming to? Pretty soon, the flashing man on the crosswalk sign will have to be walking with his wife, so we don't assume women can't cross the street. I swear, there are nut jobs who will think that eventually.
But being in the spirit of Christmas, I might as well put some joy into this post. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas; it's my favorite holiday. It's the time of year where everyone seems to have a glow about their faces and don't feel obligated to buy things for other people, because they actually want to! And the weather just makes everything twice as cozy. I live for the bitter cold, 'cause it gives me a reason to wear fuzzy socks and come home to watch Tex Avery cartoons. (By the way, I'm still debating whether or not I prefer Tex Avery over Looney Tunes, but I'll talk about that some other time.) Where was I? Oh, yeah. I really do love Christmas. It just breaks my heart how consumer driven it is. They make us assume that no one will be happy unless we give them shiny presents with big bows and ribbons all over it. Why can't I just bake you something? It'll at least prove I put effort into putting together a good present for you. I recently visited this church where they talked a lot about that. Instead of giving everyone presents, why not give them a day of our time? Ya know, just have a chance to go somewhere together and grow even closer than we would with something we won't be using a few months from now. And the money we don't spend on gifts, we send to Africa! That's seriously an idea I'm thinking of sticking to. My list will be very condensed,
a.) because of the economy
b.) because of lack of funds due to my dad's field of work and
c.) there's too many people to choose from to get something for EVERYONE.
So, I'll be donating money to building Water Wells in Africa. My biggest dream would be to actually go there to build them, but let's not get crazy.
Well, that's about it. I'm going to try and survive the rest of this year without pulling all my hair out. Merry Christmas, everyone! B.G.G.
P.S. Santa came down my street tonight, and I was the happiest camper in the world. Look!


P.P.S. A friend named Michaela just sent me this link if anyone would like to donate to the Water Wells for Africa: http://www.waterwellsforafrica.org

A Nostalgic Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a lovely Turkey Day. I know I definitely did. Everyone always has different traditions, and I absolutely love it. Some go to parties and stay until dawn; some stay in and eat with intimate family; and some do bonfires in the front of their house and sit around playing music and singing tunes. In our household, we did the family thing. But it wasn't your typical aunts and uncles family. I'm talking the family you gain over time through various activities. For us (of course) they are our theatre family. Ya know, the ones we've done many shows with and have come to know very closely over the past 7 years. These are the ones we consider part of the "Shields clan". Many of them have hyphenated last names to prove their official attachment to our family. They are the kind of people that 1. Love to drink 2. Love to shout loudly after they drink 3. Bring lots and lots of excellent food and 4. Bring an assortment of musical and quirky games you wouldn't find at a local shop. These are my favorite moments, because it gives everyone a chance to show us what they know through song or words or old tunes. It looks a little something like this: (this picture is from 2005, but it's the same setting) There is the game Encore, where you basically battle by having to sing 8 consecutive words that includes the word featured on the card. Then there's Apples to Apples, which is very hard to explain. But it's very fun. Then we played Notability, which is a game that reaaally tests your knowledge of old tunes. It comes with a mini grand piano and a card with three tunes on it. You play the corresponding numbers and hold at the appropriate times (rests are marked with: -) We didn't last very long with that one. This day gives me a chance to make a list of what I'm thankful for. I'll make this short: 1. My family. Real and extended. Their is abundant and everlasting and what I need to get me through the day. I definitely take them for granted all too much. Their supply of material/non-material gifts make me happy to be alive and living in this household and none other. 2. My mates. Theatre and band. They make each hobby feel less like a chore and more like a paradise. I don't regret going to long rehearsals or band practices knowing ahead of time that I'll be spending time with the people who impact my life in the best way possible. 3. My best friends. They keep me sane and always give me advice I could never think of myself. I don't what I'd do without their input and gracious presence in my life. From fashion to Bible study, they always know how to hit my good spots. 4. My education. In both school and home life. My parents have taught me so much in television, movies, fashion, etiquette. I would not love vintage anything if my parents hadn't brought me up the way they did. They're the reason I'll marry a man like Colin Clive, and 5. God's gifts. Be it the talents I have, or the people in my life, I owe it all to him. They're all presents that no turkey or pilgrim or indian can ever measure up to. He blesses me everyday I'm alive, whether or not I know it; and that is something to be thankful for. I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and isn't stuck in too bad a food coma. Let me know of your traditions. B.G.G.

Twelfth Night's the Man

So, recently in my English Honors class, we've begun our big "Shakespeare Unit". I, personally, love this section. It gives us know all, sarcastic, too-smart-for-you adolescents a chance to actually challenge ourselves to read and decipher all Shakespeare is trying to say in his various plays and sonnets. Our school likes to celebrate the Bard with our annual Shakespeare Day, in which kids can get married just like Romeo & Juliet, have a monologue reading contest, join in the pie eating contest ('cause what Brit doesn't like some pie?), and even make our own crowns out of ribbons and flowers. It's a chance to reflect on how many of the plays and poems we write today are made up of words Shakespeare just made up; although I'm not sure he'd be so proud of the ones we've, as a society, made up over the years. I wonder how it'd be to know people use a word I just thought up one day. Like...bluggerige. I don't know what it means, but suppose I was having a conversation with Bridget and somehow said "he was such a little bluggerige, I wanted to scream." She'd look at me blankly and say "Um...what?" and as soon as I'd explain what it's hidden meaning was, she'd use it and a chain reaction would start! Alright, I know bluggerige isn't the cool word everyone would want to be caught saying, but you get the idea.

Another thing I like to think about is how they've tried to make Shakespeare "modern". Movie makers, both American and foreign, have made many attempts to interpret Shakespeare in a way that us "kids" would understand. For example:

They live in a modern day "hood", if you will, and shoot at each other with guns instead of sword fighting. This way, when kids watch it, they'll either think "Oh! That's what Mercutio means when he says nlah, blah, blah..." OR "Why are they talking so funny?" But what's good is that they modernize it so we will watch it and if we go back and read the actual play, we will understand what Shakespeare is saying when Juliet says things like "Wherefor art thou, Romeo?" We all know she doesn't mean "Where are you, Romeo?" Another example (which is the inspiration for this blog's title) would be:

She's the Man is a perfect example of Shakespeare modernization at work. It is based off of Twelfth Night. If you've ever read it, you understand why the description in the movie's ad seems so confusing at first glance. Same thing with the real Twelfth Night! The names are all almost the same, but of course some have been changed to make the time gap a little less noticeable. I first noticed that they were parallels when we first cracked open the play in English, just last week. Seeing all the names and Viola's predicament with having to always pretend to be a boy, the gears in my head finally clicked for once! Having seen the movie more than once, it's made reading the play easier than I would have expected. Of course, having the translations of words and phrases on the even pages of the play also help quite a lot. Over all, though, it's been making the whole "Shakespeare Unit" a lot easier than one would think. So, the purpose of this was to basically thank Shakespeare for all he's done for us. If he had never decided to pick up a plume, I wouldn't have written half the words in this blog. Maybe he even invented the word blog? Nah. But he has given us a lot to work off of throughout history. I hope everyone can pull something from what he's written the way I have. It makes me excited to get to Shakespeare Day and hopefully compete in the monologue reading contest. Until then, I bid thee goodnight. (HA! Shakespeare's words!) B.G.G.

A Buffalo Bargain

After a very wonderful day down in Long Beach with Kelly, I've returned with a jackpot of goodies from the ever faithful Buffalo Exchange. Today's buys:
(Sorry it's blurry, but I did it with my phone)
Top:
Tank top with lace bodice: $7.00
Mexican looking tank top: $8.00
Navy corduroys (originally from Free People!): $19.00

Bottom:
Knit floral top: $6.00
Leather purse: $9.00
Legs t-shirt: $21.50

All in all, I'd say it was worth it! The total came out to about $80, which is definitely a bargain considering I scored 6 things! I'm currently wearing the Legs t-shirt. It is soo comfortable. Miss Kelly slept over last night and the parentals drove us down to Long Beach this afternoon. I always love escaping Torrance to get to all the places I never knew existed in little compacted So Cal. It reminds me that I need to escape every so often. Just wait 'til I can drive; I'll never be home! We had delicious lunch at Olives Grocer. According to Dad, it used to be a drugstore and all the flooring was original from when it first opened. Historical moment! I love those, too. Tres vintage. We headed home and I took a geniune nap; the kind you take when you've had an exhausting day of carrying tons of things to try on and reach your arms up over and over again to reach clothes until they're quivering from all the work. The nap that proves you're a pro-shopper, I like to think. Well, I'm headed to Younglife now. "What's Younglife?" Just about the best youth group I've ever come across in my life. They know how to show teens a good time, and just happen to teach us about God at the same time. What could be better? I hope you all had a lovely Veterans' Day. B.G.G.

Meet the Cast

Well, since I gave you the basics in my first post, I decided I'd let you in on my life.
This is my Dad:His name is Perry. He teaches English at an inner city high school and I personally thinks he rocks at it. That beautiful lady next to him is my mom, but I'll get to her in a second. My dad's the man that inspired me to become an English teacher. He's very insightful in all fields of life. I'm definitely a "Daddy's Girl". His knowledge of old movies and music give us good discussions, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't know what else to say about him, but if he says/does inspiring things, I'll be sure to let you know.
Next is my Mom: This picture can't begin to describe the woman known as Cindy. Her smile always brightens up rooms and faces of many at a time. She is what inspires my love for all things vintage and, shockingly, instills in me good class. I'm not saying she has bad class, she's just very goofy and uses it to the best of her abilities. I consider her a rebel; we're getting matching tattoos one day. Her knack for picking up ghetto qualities are what win crowds over and make anyone who meets her love her. She is too selfless for her own good, and I can't pay her back for all she's done for me in my life.
After her comes my Brother:Where can I start with Craig? Well, for one, he's my brother. That's him in the back; me in the front. I swear, he's really attractive in person, this picture's just too funny to pass up. He's in college now, but I still see him in moderation. He's my guidance counselor/best friend/therapist/teacher/other educational people. I miss him a lot and am bored outta my mind without him, but he's a great guy. If you ever meet him, have a good conversation with him. He seems very controlled and tame when you meet him, but he's got a second side that comes out a lot when he's home that makes me puke with laughter. Ok, not literally. But close.
And last, but certainly not least, the Best Friend(s): The one on the left is Bridget. On the right, Kelly. They are the girls I can turn to for literally everything. They have experiences I don't and I learn so, so much from them. They both have different qualities that I love and appreciate dearly. You'll see both of them quite a lot throughout this blog.

Well, it may have been vague, but there you have it. These are the major characters in the play called My Life. You may hear about them a lot or a little, all depends on what the day brings. For those of you that read this, again thank you! B.G.G.

The First One

Well, here goes. My first blog. For anyone that reads this, first of all, thanks! I'm glad to know someone out there is reading these words and hopefully wanting to continue reading. I'll keep the details private, but I'll let you know the basics. My name's Kimmy. I'm a girl. Still in high school. I live in sunny California. I'm still a teenager, but I sometimes think like a 30-year-old. As my name might tell you, I love vintage. Every time I have money and a place to go, I buy some beautiful new vintage things. I'll have pictures eventually of shopping trips and reports of how they went and the usual thing that most other girls do on here. The "supertramp" part comes from the movie Into the Wild. IF you haven't seen it yet, get in your car and head over to Blockbuster, because it's one of the most inspiring movies you will ever see. Well, that's about all I can think of right now. Thanks to those of you that stopped by. God bless.