amos the lee

Thursday night instead of studying for finals I decided to head down to Hollywood and go to the Amos Lee Concert with my mother and Scott. It was SO good. I really like that venue (Music Box). They had a room with chandelier sconces all over the walls. It was SWEET. This big South African man named Vusi Mahlasela opened and he was so cool. He sang in zulu and english and he was just a happy soul. Amos was so good live. Better live I think. His voice is amazing. It was just a fun night and I love Amos Lee, and I just love concerts. GO TEAM.



p.s. finals week is over and I'm satisfied with my grades. Bring on second semester.

ohh and I just got my haircut. Feelin' good.

Your rules don't apply

Finals week is supposed to be very stressful and worrisome, BUT I like it. We get out of school at 12:30 and I only have one final a day. AND I think I did pretty good on my Stats final, one down two to go.

I've hated almonds all my life, BUT I'm suddenly addicted to them. I can't stop eating them and it's bad.

I should probably spend all tomorrow night studying for my History final, BUT I'm going to the Amos Lee concert with my mother instead.

I usually get too bored with a journal and find a new one when I have like 50 pages left in the old one, BUT I'm determined to stick this one out. I'm close to finishing it. It's a big one, from the first day we left Utah till the end of January. A LOT has happened and it's full of pictures, tickets and other random things.

I haven't had a haircut since we moved, BUT I'm getting one on Friday. HALLELUJAH.

I finished my painting in art really early so I've just been working in my sketchbook until the rest of his classes were ready to move on, BUT they're ready and this next project is going to be sweet. It's too hard to explain but it consists of aluminum cans nailed to wood in a mosaicish manner. Oh and I choose this animal, well bird so it should be cool.

I'm REALLY craving Spinach Artichoke Dip, BUT it's not healthy so I won't be eating it.

I miss my bff's....BUT it's ok I'll be seeing them on April 28th.



4 months and 2 days. That's not too long right??

no zero period.

I've never been a clean painter...I destroyed my room making this little beauty.

me gusta la playa

simply satisfied

Somethings just hit me. One of my favorite things to do is to drive anywhere with the window down, my music up, alone and with the sun on my face. So I was running to the store to get some stuff for smores tonight (I'm going down to the beach in a minute with my friends for a bonfire) and I was doing just this. My ipod was on shuffle and suddenly THIS song came on. It brought back a flood of memories of when I would do the exact same thing (windows down and driving) back in Bountiful. It was during the spring which was one of the most fun times of my life. I was constantly with friends last spring. From soccer games, to baseball games, to jazz games, to the boulevard, playing gotcha or going to Orange leaf, just good, good times. I was obsessed with this song and every time I heard it I couldn't help but feel good. It was weird because as I was listening to this song I felt the same way I did in Bountiful. I'm just so happy. And it's weird because it's so different here. I'm not really going to any of the high school games, I don't have 20 best girl friends and tons of sharp guys to hang out with but it's ok. I miss utah a lot but it's ok. I'm really happy with my life right now. It's surprising but I am. My room is smaller, Spencer is gone, I have less friends, few people at the high school really know me but I don't really care. Life is good and I've still got close friends, family, and the gospel.

I went to a funeral today for a new friend of mine's mother. This was on the program and I really like it:

Good day and it's only 3:22

ALRIGHT FOLKS. Ready? I only missed two on both my stats AND history tests. WHAT? yeah I'm shocked too, not quite sure how it happened but I'm not complaining.

Today's been good but for no apparent reason. I'm just really really happy today! I feel good and the sun's shining. AND tomorrow's friday. What more can you want?

It's about time for another SO SOCAL:

JANSPORT BACKPACKS. First week of school I was shocked to see how many people actually had backpacks, not bags, backpacks. I soon figured out why. 1. They only have block days on Wed. and Thurs. so they have to take their stuff for all 6 classes with them. Even though we do use lockers here unlike back in Utah. 2. No in class sets of textbooks so you get the pleasure of taking a textbook to every class, thus why an actual sturdy backpack comes in handy.The most common is the classic JanSport and I feel like everyone and their dog has one. Not me I'm sticking with my side bag from Forever 21 that has a hole in the bottom. Yeah buddy.



Maybe it's just my friends but so many people have this PHONE:



And if they don't have this one they have one with a full keyboard. Which results in texts looking like this:

hheeyyy what's uppp? or hurrryyyy.

Stupid examples but you get the point of the exaggerated letters. I find myself texting like this sometimes now, not that bad I promise.

that's all for today.

the happiest place on earth is still happy

Making progress.

Ladies and gentlemen I think I got an A on my stats test today. You don't understand what an accomplishment that would be for me. I haven't understood any of the homework but for some reason it all clicked during the test. Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself.

I've been a weird artsy mood lately. I'm sick of the traditional art and I'm in to mixed media stuff. This is something I did yesterday when I got bored. I edited weird on my phone so it looks kinda weird but it's all made out of fabric stapled/sewn onto a canvas. It's cooler in real life I promise. Just wait till I do my IP. If it turns out how I've planned it then it should be rad.


Lately I've been making more friends. Well making progress with friends. I've been talking to more people, getting more numbers, bonding, stepping a little further out of my comfort zone. It's gooood.

I love wolves you know that...here are my wolf earrings. I love them a lot.


Lately I just like to be alone with my ipod. I sat outside on my tramp and just listened to my music and felt the sun on my face. Can't get much better than that. Thank you eighty degree weather.

I've only stayed at school once a week for lunch these past two weeks = happy maddie

and to top the week off I'm going to Disneyland tomorrow with Mom and Syd.

...and ya

91011
It's a new you.
Stronger but weaker,
fitting in but standing out.
Listening, laughing, loving
catching up.
Building what's broken down.
creating, but not enough.
Seeing the you you want,
but holding yourself from it.


I let the past in and it drowned me.
Drops at first, then the downpour.
Flooded with emotions and memories.
Walks on the boulevard,
late night runs to Wendy's,
stargazing in the back of Pobe,
the foyer,
their cars,
them,
my room,
my stake.
I was breaking at the cracks,
and it hurt.
Just like that night with Berkeley,
that day outside of Josh's.
Back in my bed,
in the basement,
under the covers.
I let the sad music play,
I let the tears flow.
Then I let go, and let myself
enjoy where the sun goes.

janthirteenuary

THE NEW:

I like these girls.

THE OLD:

This is my bff Ali and I when we lived in Texas. I'm happy we've become such good friends cause I know she's got my back. And I've got hers, even when she has mean friends and psycho bullies. Sometimes we get annoyed with each other cause that's what sisters do but honestly I just love her. We can laugh together, cry together, sing together, dance together, clean together, sit at lunch/break together, hang out on the weekends together. Honestly right now I don't know what I'd do without her. Maybe it's a good thing her friends are mean cause then she has to be with me.


I wish you could all see this picture better. It's so great. I have never been a dancer, as you can see here. Could this get any more awkward?

I hope you had a good thursday cause I sure did.

Better

So far so good. This first week back to school hasn't been as horrible as I've expected. Teachers have been pretty easy except for Mr V. who graciously welcomed us back with two of his hardest in class essays that I'm positive I failed. What can ya do. There are a couple small things that help make the day so much better let me share them with you.

When we get a treat and hot chocolate in seminary.
When there is a sweet sunrise on the way to school.
When I sit next to funny people in choir, tomorrow should be fun.
When someone random texts me.
When I go OUT to lunch.
When I get to listen to my ipod during lunch.
When I'm warm, which is usually only in the car when I'm blasting the heat or in my room sitting next to the heater.
When I figure out how to play a good song on the piano.
When I write in my journal.

Tomorrow we're going to the temple with the YW/YM. YAY. My goal this year is to make it to the temple at least once a month. If you're from Utah and you're thinking this is a little pathetic bear with me. It's more difficult than you'd think seemings as a trip to the temple can take 4 hours.

I REALLY want to learn how to make cool videos. I'm going to do it just you wait, be expecting a sweet video soon. I'm going to start taking my handy dandy video camera around with me and film random little bits. I'm excited. I might even pull out an ipodstar. Have yourselves a merry little wednesday!

It's about time

I've just been doing lists and pictures lately and it's about time for a good post. So I'll do my best.

*NOTE: What I am about to say in NO WAY means I don't miss my friends in Utah, I still miss yall but I am finally happy here as well.

Friend often ask, "How's California." Just because I'm kinda lame I often just give this answer, "It's so great! Life is good." Then when my mom hears this she often says, "Maddie you paint such a pathetic picture for yourself." And dang it she's right. There is so much more I could be sharing about my life here in California. Not just pictures, or the school's hard, friends are good, it's warm stuff.

I REALLY AM LOVING LIFE. Practically everything about it. I had such a good break and not because anything extra special happened I just enjoyed it. I was with friends every single day. I'll give ya some highlights and a look into the mysterious life of Madison Noelle Blake. We'll do a couple of these starting with my friends.

Meet my crew.
the crew - Slimber.com: Drawing and Painting Online
(did you push play that's the fun part?)

from left to right: (I realize Ali did this similar thing but I wanted to give my take on it)
SCOTT: Senior. Nice kid, nice kid. Always has something up his sleeve that we can do. We're in Concert Choir together and we sang Baby It's Cold Outside with him at the winter choir concert, we rocked it haha. It will be coming soon so stay tuned.
SAM: Junior. Hilarious, simply hilarious. Writes really good music, is a wizard at the guitar and has a great voice. Has burned me a total of 7 CDs and I love them. He recently helped me babysit, how kind of him. Just a solid kid.
BRENT: Senior. Also very, very funny and talented. Also writes music, plays the guitar and has a great voice. Has a sweet car that Ali and I love, and he's the one that usually drives, which is very nice of him. He's also artsy, his favorite animals are also wolves, and he burned me a sweet CD.
ME:Junior. The one who usually just listens and laughs hard.
ALI: Freshman. My BFF. We're always together. Go team.
ELIZA: Sophomore. Love this girl. She's crazy, talkative and always up for an adventure. She is apparently really good at jump roping. Isn't that sweet? I'm planning on watching her soon. She also is a really good writer. And she too loves Georgee's BBQ pizza, thank goodness.
CHELSEY: Senior. She's a beautiful songie at LCHS (dance team). She is also an incredible artist and hopefully one day she'll teach me her skills. She's pretty funny and spazzy. She's seriously the nicest person I know, always the one to include others and she's got my back. LOVE her.
JACOB: Senior. FUNNY and very witty. So very nice to Ali and me. I just love hanging out with him he's always looking out for Ali and me. writer and actor. Saw him in the school play Rumors earlier this year and he stole the show, he was hilarious and I was crying I was laughing so hard.

So there ya have it. On any weekend night I'm usually with these kids. Sometimes the groups bigger, sometimes smaller. Even though there really isn't much to do in La Canada we always end up doing something random and fun. Whether sliding down the wet golf course, taking a trip to Amoeba, going to a movie, chillin at the high school, big lots, going to the witch house or the dam, jamming, or pounce. I really have so much fun with these kids. I am usually laughing allll night. Real laughing, sincerely laughing. They're good kids and I'm lucky they're my friends. It's very different from Utah because there were always TONS of kids that I would or could hang out with any night, and I guess there is here too but I just like being with smaller groups lately.

Incase you want to read even more...

*Lately I just have an urge to fight more. Sadly Kenzie Anderson (one of my BFFs, we drive to school together, have the lovely zero period PE together, hang out after school and at all church events but just not as often on the weekends, she's hilarious though) is the usual victim of this. I always just want to punch her and usually do. Not too hard don't worry, just play fighting huh kenz? I know I can't hit Ali cause come on Ali's a little bit weak and would definitely just run and tell mom. The best is when Spencer comes home. We'll both randomly just start fighting each other. It started out as a joke because I kept saying that since he is at school I'm the oldest and in charge at home but he claims he always has that spot. Anyway we punch hard. I have real proof of that this time. I have about 8 big bruises on both of my legs from him punching me. pretty funny. I'm going to miss him It's been so fun having him home. He's the only one that laughs at me when I get a little spazzy.

*I've decided I like having people at my house, but not if I invite them. If they ask to come over or we have no where else to go sure what the heck lets chill at my house. But if I invite people over for lets say a birthday party I don't like it one bit. I feel like I have to keep everyone entertained and that they are always bored no matter what. But if it is there idea to come over it means they don't really care what we do and that is what happened about 5 times over the break. We'd just stop by my house to meet up with people, paint, fill in song titles, or even look through our yearbooks. Good times.