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.