HELLO DECEMBER!

It's that time of the year again! And, no, it's not the universe's yearly period (what) it's actually: DECEMBER! People everywhere deck out their red stockings and Christmas trees and Christmas songs that never get old. Jack Frost and Santa Claus (squeee) go nipping at your noses and leaving presents that you've been asking for for sosososo long, respectively. Snow falls, temperatures drop, the days become a tad bit shorter and nighttime comes early. Yep, definitely my most favorite time of the month. Not just because of the sentimental value of the month or because of our Saviour or something like that - it's because of the food. Yeah, I'm a teenager who's physically insecure but also loves to stuff herself up to the bursting point with glazed doughnuts and FroYo. Not only that, but also because it's my birthday! *forced cheering*

Ah yes. The weird little bundle of baby fat that is me popped into the world on the 8th of December, in 1999. (December 1999 kids ROCK) and December is also the month Taylor Swift is born! SQUEEE! Major fangirling moment. 

I would also like to take this time to greet any future December birthday celebrants blowing out the candles anytime starting tomorrow (because it's November 30 here).

Yep. Here are 12 tips on how to reflect on the last month of 2014 *sobs* without regrets.

1. Every struggle you have faced in your life has helped shape you to be the person you are today. Be thankful for the hard times for they can only make you stronger.

2. The right way isn't always the easiest.

3. We are not given a good or bad life. We are given life, and it is up to us to make it good or bad.

4. You'll never be successful if you don't encounter failure.

5. Build your dreams, or else someone else might hire you to build theirs.

6. You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have left.

7. It's never to late to begin.

8. Life is too short so smile while you still have teeth! 

9. It's better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you're not. 

10. Don't complain about things that you are not willing to change. 

11. Everything is worth the wait.

12. It'll be alright in the end.

Oh, and thanks for dropping by! 

PRISAA 2014 - Day One

In case you were wondering... that's me in the middle right there. I got a gold one for 50 m backstroke. Believe it or not, it still mystifies me as to how I managed to win that one. Oh well, it's another event to swim in the Regional PRISAA in Bacolod City, I guess. I didn't make it to the integrated meet (curse minor technicalities), and it may have bummed me out more than usual, but the one thing I learned from these two consecutive days, is that I'd make a pretty darn good [butter]flyer. As long as I put all the effort into it, this time next year I'd be a shoo in for 200 m IM. Now here's hoping I won't accidentally embarrass myself when someone from the team sees this.

Photo credits go to people who posted these on Facebook. Thanks!

Oh. And thanks for dropping by!

An Essay I Did On 'Killer Instincts'

Killer instinct (n)

Dictionary definition:

·       An aggressive tenacious urge for domination in a struggle to attain a set goal.

·       A very strong desire to succeed or win.

Question: Do I want to win?

I remember, exactly one year ago, PRISAA 2013. I remember the loss. The feeling of seeing what should be mine being given to someone else. I remember feeling disdain, disappointment, and frequently asking myself, ‘why didn’t I work hard enough?’I trained with the same people and did the same work out as they did. Dad was right all along. Not only does the physical part of the athlete matter; the mental toughness contributes a great deal to the outcome.

And that is what I think I lacked, and only began to find in me earlier this year. I told myself to learn from my mistakes, and not let disappointment get the best of me. There is always, always room to improve. Though I was sidetracked because of my hand operation, I promised myself that I would show them. I will show all of them, that Frances is something special. I lacked killer instincts.

Anyone can be an athlete, but it takes someone truly dedicated to their cause to excel and deserve to be called a champion. Not everyone is born with killer instincts. Almost all champions, some point in their lives, gain it from experience. They never settle for ‘okay’. They will almost always want to do better than their teammates, stand out, and are willing to do whatever it takes.

Though sometimes, athletes gain it through harsh experiences with others. Champions are never complacent. They strive to improve, because they possess the drive. They make bad races stepping stones, meticulously go over what could have possibly have hindered them from performing above satisfaction. Sometimes you’ll win, sometimes, you’ll learn.

When I stepped on that diving board after almost two months of not being able to set foot in pool water, I retrieved that memory from the dark corner of my mind. That small memory. The feeling of losing, my stomach flipping, head swirling, filled with disappointment. 

That was enough to ignite a spark - not a big one, but a small, steady speck – then it hit me. I never want to feel that again. And when the buzzer sounded, I let all my fears go. All my worries, my insecurities, floating further away with every stroke.

And for the first time in ages- I felt the burning desire to not let this opportunity to show them what I am capable of slip away.

It’s all those days of hard sets, late-night workouts, supplements and extra words of encouragements. They are the factors that have been adding up to this moment. Now either go hard, or go home.

Like Eminem once said, “If you had one shot, one opportunity to win everything you ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it or just let it split?” –Lose Yourself

“You only have one shot, do not miss your chance”

In conclusion, yes, I want to win. I want to win as much as I want to breathe.

PLAYLIST FAVES

Hey everybody! I just wanted to share my top 50 favorite songs on replay right now. They aren't picked from the Billboard Top 100, I can assure you that! They're what touch my heart the most. Quite dramatic at times, but also funky and I hope you'd find the time to listen to them too!

1. Hall Of Fame - The Script
2. All Too Well - Taylor Swift
3. Out Of My League - Stephen Speaks
4. I Want The Sky - Lucy Schwartz
5. Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran
6. The Scientist - Coldplay
7. Honeymoon Avenue - Ariana Grande
8. Almost Is Never Enough - Ariana Grande ft. Nathan Sykes
9. Forever And Always (Piano Version) - Taylor Swift
10. Six Degrees Of Separation - The Script
11. All I Want - Kodaline
12. Somewhere In Neverland - All Time Low
13. Never Knew I Needed - Ne-Yo
14. I Knew I Loved You - Savage Garden
15. The Man Who Can't Be Moved - The Script
16. You And I - One Direction
17. Long Way Down - Tom Odell
18. Mirrors - Justin Timberlake
19. Not A Bad Thing - Justin Timberlake
20. If These Sheets Were States - All Time Low
21. Come Back, Be Here - Taylor Swift
22. Moment Of Truth - FM Static
23. So Close - Jon Mclaughlin
24. Amnesia - 5 Seconds Of Summer
25. Blow Away - A Fine Frenzy
26. Boom Clap - Charli XCX
27. Collide - Howie Day
28. Come Home - OneRepublic
29. Cruise - Florida Georgia Line
30. Empty - The Click Five
31. Exit Wounds - The Script
32. Tee Shirt - Birdie
33. Stuck In The Moment - Justin Bieber
34. Someone Like You - Adele
35. Say You're Just A Friend - Austin Mahone
36. Please Don't Leave Me - P!nk
37. Only You - Matthew Perryman Jones
38. Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
39. Fall For You - Secondhand Serenade
40. Exit Wounds - The Script
41. Everything About You - One Direction
42. Gravity - Sara Bareilles
43. Half A Heart - One Direction
44. Hate That I Love You - Ne-Yo ft. Rihanna
45. I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys
46. Near To You - A Fine Frenzy
47. Marry Me - Train
48. Lost Without You - Adam Jensen
49. In My Veins - Andrew Belle ft. Erin McCarthy
50. Invisible - Taylor Swift

Thanks for dropping by!

HELLO NOVEMBER! [Late Post]

Hey guys! So it's the 3rd day of November today (pretty late for a 'Hello November kind of post, huh?) I've been away for quite a while, thanks to school, the upcoming playfest and swimming competition all summed up into one word: LIFE. Yes, life can be the cause of many terrible things. So why not make the most of it? I'll be spouting out ten seeds of inspiration that I've hoarded from various sources and bringing them to you, hoping you'll be able to relate to a thing or two.

1. Letting go is like pulling a tooth. When it was pulled out, you were relieved, but how many times does your tongue run itself over the spot where the tooth was? Probably a hundred times a day. Just because it wasn't hurting you doesn't mean you didn't notice it. It leaves a gap and sometimes you see yourself missing it terribly. It's going to take a while, but it takes time. Should you have kept the tooth? No, because it was causing you too much pain. Therefore, move on and let go.
-David

2.That moment when your muscles ache, your stomach knots, your breathing is shallow, your mind is weak, and all you can think about is giving up. That is the moment that counts the most. Keep going. -Anonymous

3. "If you want to be the best, you have to do things that other people aren't willing to do." -Michael Phelps

4. "If you have a bad thought about yourself, tell it to go to hell because that is exactly where it came from." -Brigham Young

5. Everything has beauty. But not everyone can see it.

6. "Fall in love with someone who wants you, who waits for you. Who understands you even in the madness; someone who helps you, and guides you, someone who is your support, your hope. Fall in love with someone who talks to you after a fight. Fall in love with someone who misses you and wants to be with you. Do not fall in love only with a body or with a face; or with the idea of being in love." -Unknown

7. "Maybe there's something you're afraid to say, or someone you're afraid to love, or somewhere you're afraid to go. It's gonna hurt. It's gonna hurt because it matters." -John Green

8. I go to seek a great perhaps.

9. "What we find in a soul mate is not something wild to tame but something wild to run with." -Robert Brault

10. "Just because you haven't got it all figured out doesn't mean you never will. Someday you may even look back and wonder why you were ever worried." -Anonymous

Remember to make the most of the LAST TWO MONTHS OF 2014! I'll be posting my New Year's resolution and HELLO DECEMBER, GOODBYE 2014, and HAPPY NEW YEAR POSTS soon.

Thanks for dropping by!

The Count Of Monte Cristo (2002)

Google Images

Okay. So far, I am so in love with this movie adaptation of the novel, The Count of Monte Cristo by French author Alexandre Dumas way back in the 1800's. This guy also wrote The Three Musketeers, so it's no wonder the story is really good. It's about revenge, getting back at the people who betrayed you and took your fiancé and basically everything from you (especially if the jerk is your supposed best friend-oops, I spoiled you). The movie really gave me a yearning for revenge on the part of the guy, Fernand Mondego. Though having read the book before seeing the movie might have let me understand the plot more, now I'm certain I wish to read the novel. And yes, I am recommending this movie.

Thanks for dropping by!

EXAMS UPDATE!!

So as you might have already read from my previous blog post that the DREADED exams are taking place. Well, they are. I just got home from taking the next three exams on my list yesterday, so we can cross them out now:

• Science
• Christian Living Education
• Trigonometry
• CAE (English Lit)
• Journalism
• Social Studies
• Math
• CAF (Filipino Lit)

That's such a relief. Anyway, tomorrow is Saturday, so the exams will take away half my morning. And the rest of morning swimming practice. I procrastinated (as expected), and I didn't even get to review that much, but the exams this day are actually my saving grace; they were a breeze. Especially when you read PJO and your topic in Social Studies just happens to pertain to the Greek civilizations.

Just remember for all you exam-takers out there, that you should always make sure to check your test papers to make sure you aren't somehow missing a page. Or you missed writing on one. I was halfway done with the comic strip I was doing for CAE when the proctor announced we only had twenty minutes left. Just when I finished, I realized I haven't answered the last essay question at the back of my paper. I was so preoccupied with the tiniest details of my comic that I failed to notice I still had ONE ESSAY QUESTION to answer. I panicked, because there were only five minutes left.

I basically wrote out the first thing that kept coming to  my mind and thankfully, it fitted into five sentences. My essay was literally 'everywhere', it was by far the worst I had to compose with such a limited time. How embarrassing. But with Journalism, it was a blast! I loved writing out my opinion on the phrase-or-quote, "the one who alleges, proves". I don't know who said that though, so I give credit to who coined it first! I'm an opinionated person and writing them [my opinions] down on paper or on the internet gives me a wonderful feeling in my tummy.

Well, that's kind of it for today. Nothing else left to do but prepare for Filipino Lit and Math tomorrow. Sigh.

Thanks for dropping by!

EXAMS TOMORROW!

nomoredirtylooks.com

You might be wondering why I suddenly decided to rush post seven posts on today? Me too. Maybe it's just that I'm totally stressed out with the fact that it's exams week. No, it's not even a week, for crying out loud. Three days. It's a three day exam timeline, and we're given eight subjects to take in three days in succession. Today, we've finished Day 1! Hurrah! That means we've got the progress down so far in this list:

• Science
• Christian Living Education
• Trigonometry
• CAE (English Lit)
• Journalism
• Social Studies
• Math
• CAF (Filipino Lit)

And, yes, it's stressful for the average ninth-grader to procrastinate for three subjects a day before. Believe me, I've tried studying a week in advance, but I guess I'm not the 'early bird' type of girl. I'm more of a procrastinator, studying two to three days prior, which isn't really bad once you think about it. It's all in how you handle your time. And squeezing in an hour or two of studying right after two grueling hours in the pool can tucker you out.

So I do what I can.

That's all, actually. I have a big day tomorrow, going to take the next three exams! Wish me luck! (because I'm going to need more than luck at this rate.)

Thanks for dropping by!

(Book Post) "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio

smithsonianapa.org

I picked up this little gem while I was wondering the not-so-full bookshelves of our local bookstore. At first, the cover and the title intrigued me. I figured it's a not so average book, because upon reading the description at the back*, I instantly fell in love with the plot. Okay, it may seem a bit biased, because one does not simply fall in love with a book until he has actually read the whole story, but...you know what I mean. It's about the quiet transformation of a (to be blunt) deformed boy. He's normal, he's not a kid with disabilities, he just has a different looking face. But he's normal, average, likes the same stuff boys do though he seems to take a liking to Star Wars most of all.

Reading the book, I felt his pain. Reading through what August Pullman thought, said, felt, and did, it was like I was in his place. Not only that, you don't seem to hate a particular character in the story because the beauty of it is that it's not just Auggie's point of view that is being written about. There's Via, his sister, Justin, Via's boyfriend, Jack Will and Summer, Auggie's friends, and someone else. The book reviews are right, this book has characters that you can't help but root for. 

(SPOILER AHEAD) 
I even shed tears when Daisy the dog* died. I could relate to Auggie's take on that, too. My dog is very near and dear to me, and if anything happens to her, I don't know what I'd do. I'd fall apart, and a very big piece of me will be buried along with her, if and when she departs. But I'm hoping that wouldn't be for a very, very long time.

So, do I recommend this book?

YES!!

_________________________________________________________
sidenotes:
*never judge a good book by its cover, because some of the best books make up for their covers with the story. I realize I sound like I'm judging the entire contents of the book by the summary at the back, but I'm not. The book reviews there also aided in my decision whether to purchase the book or not. And I'm glad I did.

**you might notice I refer to my dog as a 'she'. Well. If you didn't know (and I'm betting you don't), she's kind of my sister. Not biologically, of course, but she's a kindred spirit. She's the doggie form of my late baby sister (moment of silence, please...) who unfortunately, didn't make it into the world. Every day that passes is another day that I miss her, and what could have been our sisterly relationship. But never fear, Fudge the dog is here!!!

Thanks for dropping by!

Rise Of The Guardians (2013)

Everyone goes through the whole 'Santa Claus' phase when our parents unsuspectingly leave glorious presents at the foot of our bed (or Christmas trees) and tell us that a big guy in a red getup that never seems to go out of style did all this. And of course, we would believe them, jumping and squealing like little children. Not that there's anything wrong with fifteen year olds jumping around like that, no. 
Imagine, all those stories about the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Sandman and Jack Frost (*swoons*) put into one major fantasy movie? Oh my gods. By far, Jack Frost is probably the most attractive myth there is, thanks to Dreamworks. (No seriously, thank you. So much.)

All the action, the plot itself is wonderful, encouraging children everywhere (and teens too, you know) to never stop believing in them like what they did to Pitch (that little-). Because we never do get too old for some childish beliefs. For as long as one child remains believing in them, the Guardians will be here to fight our fears. It's a really good film to watch, what with all the self-discovering and character development as the plot progresses. It's something I have found myself watching over and over and over again (and, no, it's not JUST about Jack Frost-though he's part of the reason why I'm so fond of the movie). It's inspirational, and makes me emotional at the end. 

And just a thought, guys, this movie turns a year old on November 21!!!

photo credits go to dailyinspiration.nl !!

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Hello, October! [Late Post]

Finally, we can wake up that guy from Greenday. September finally ended.
HELLO, OCTOBER!

It's a new month! The beginning of the tenth month of the year. Can you believe it? We're one step closer to the end of 2014! Which brings me to my point: What can we do now that it's October?

Some things to keep in mind for a happy 10/--/2014 (by me!)
1) Bury the hatchet.
Have someone you despise? You wish you could just drown in the nearest toilet or even just wipe out of existence? Me too. Before engaging things I always ask myself what I wish to get out of this experience. Relationship-wise? I'm too young! I don't want to be tied down with somebody just yet; I want to enjoy my freedom while it lasts. I don't want to risk my emotional stability for something that will inevitably break it sooner or later. So before making friends, we make them because we WANT to be friends with them, right? So before we start pointing fingers at whoever threw the first handful of cake (you get me?), ask yourself: maybe it was me? In other words, maybe I provoked that person into treating me that way? I don't know. People change, I know. The way they treat you is totally up to whether or not you're on good terms. It'd never do us any good to fight, or end up giving each other the cold shoulder. 

If that's the case, forgive each other. Ask for forgiveness. Or if not, well at least try?

2) Get out that bucket list.
Have something you've been dying to accomplish this month? This year? Have something you've been itching to cross off that bucket list for a long time? Whether it may be jumping off an airplane and plummeting to the ground at alarming speeds or taking the hardest test of your life that you're just dying to get it over with, face it head on! This may sound cheesy, but everyone should have at least one YOLO moment in their lives. Yeah. I said it. But we should have experienced being completely free at least once, even for just a split second. Don't be afraid to take risks; jump at the opportunity when it flashes by in a kaleidoscope of colors! Sure, ups and downs are to be expected, but without ups and downs, we'd be dead, more or less. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And don't forget to say what you feel, live in the moment, take it and make it yours. It's yours and yours alone to control and direct down any pathway you choose.

I may have not covered every topic under the sun with those two tips, but hey, at least I scratched the surface with them!

Make the most of it!! 

photo grabbed from fofoa.blogspot.com 's profile.

Thanks for dropping by!

Annabelle (2014)

Once I'm done with this blog post...I won't be able to sleep tonight. Which is NOT an option, considering I have really important exams tomorrow and I simply won't stay awake. Not for anything. Not even a creepy doll movie, which is a spin off from ANOTHER creepy doll movie, which happens to have happened in REAL LIFE. So odds are this movie may or may not have happened in real life too, but you'll never know.
If the trailer hasn't spooked me enough yet, the whole movie will. I'm sure of it. My friends will be watching it this weekend along with their class (which is just unfair) so they'll get to experience it firsthand. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I almost lost it when the lady's blood dripped into Annabelle's eye (I'm assuming Annabelle is the doll) because I thought the doll was going to jump at me or something. Anyway, I still lost it. Judging by the reviews, I'd say the movie would be a perfect kickstart to the Halloween season, don't you think?

Of course, it'd do us both some good if you close the windows and lock the doors before we both call it a night.

Photo grabbed (yet again) from Wikipedia. Thanks, guys.

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The Maze Runner (2014)

The photograph isn't exactly the MOVIE poster...it's the book cover.

The phenomenon that has HIT all my friends and pushed most of them into a WAVE OF HYSTERIA...The Maze Runner! 

Over the weekend me and the crew watched this thrilling and phenomenal movie (thanks for the treat, Janelle!) and of course, it blew my mind. I haven't read the series yet by the all-talented writer James Dashner, so I couldn't really say anything about the movie except that if you haven't read the book yet, it won't disappoint. Actually, from their point of views, this movie isn't too far from the book. I'm not pointing any fingers, but *looks pointedly at Sea Of Monsters* it's a good thing they had the author's input on the movie. It has action, a bit of mysterious air to the characters at W.C.K.D.

As I have mentioned before, I have not read the books yet, but now...I need to go to the book store!

Photo grabbed from wikipedia.org via Google

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Mermaids: The Body Found (Documentary)

This isn't a movie, if that's what you were thinking. This is one of my personal favorite Animal Planet documentaries to watch. Mythical-ness? Check. Mysteriousness? Check. Mermaids? OH MY GODS YES. Check. Have you ever wondered if mermaids ever DID exist? I know the government everywhere says otherwise, but in my opinion, they do. We still keep discovering new species of marine life every year. We have discovered and mapped out less than 6% (a rough estimate) of the Earth's waters. You can't tell me they don't exist yet. They have to. It's possible but also very unlikely, but then a lot of things are considered unlikely too. Have I piqued your interest? Do mermaids really DO exist? Go see for yourself!

Poster credits to tvshows.alphacoders.com !

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Speedo 5th G-League Leg 1 & 2 !!!

I've always wanted to post something about my swim team, aka the best of the best, Nautilus Swim Club!! Last September 13 and 14, we had a swimming competition (yes, obviously). I just thought it would be time to deliver on the "and occasionally, something more" part of my blog description. So here it is! You might not see me (if you don't know me), but if it helps, I'm one of the girls sitting on the barely visible truck (which had a flat tire because of all of us-oops!) up there. As you can see, these are the people I've had late night food-a-thons with, attended *fabulous* parties with, ate out with, went to malls with, and celebrated my birthdays with. These guys are my life-out-of-school friends, and pretty much make up my summer and weekends. When we're not swimming, we're hanging out together. 

So basically, if I weren't into any extracurricular activities, I would be an antisocial person who is fond of watching movies, reading books, and studying. I wouldn't know half the people I do now, and I wouldn't be in shape. So I owe a lot to swimming. Cheers!

Photo stolen from Geraldine Paloma's Facebook. Not literally, though.

Thanks for dropping by!

The Vow (2012)

Source: impawards.com

Literally anything is possible. Got a seemingly impossible math test? Trying to ask a girl who's out of your league out? Or, maybe even trying to get your wife to, oh I don't know,  fall in love with you after losing her memory in a car accident? The twist: she remembers her life, just the life she had before having met Leo (Channing Tatum). Actually if you didn't know by now, The Vow is based on a book written by Kim and Krickitt Carpenter about their marriage. Allow me to persuade you to watch this movie (again if you've already seen it) with some screenshots- courtesy of Google Images.

Source: sexualityinart.wordpress.com

Source: filmoria.co.uk

Source: moviecarpet.com

Source: movieboozer.com

Sigh. True love really is a great mystery.

The Exorcist (1973)

Source: impawards.com

An old horror film released way before even my parents were born, (talk about vintage!) The Exorcist in my opinion kind of portrays the mom's love for her daughter through her relentless efforts to get the demon Pazuzu out of her system even if she has to consider exorcism by two priests. That happens after she was suspected for the deaths of a lot of people (like a British film director and a psychiatrist, among others). Karras, one of the priests who attempt to conduct an exorcism on the girl Regan, succeeds as he jumps to his death from her window. This film has been one of my first horror movies ever (I couldn't sleep alone for a whole week after having watched it-I'm not traumatized, I swear) and ever since then, I forced myself to not believe in ghosts, spirits, that kind of thing. But at night time, well...I'm a little bit more open minded.

BIG HERO 6 (late 2014)

Source: comicbookmovie.com

Source: theouthousers.com

Source: comicbookmovie.com

Source: sciencefiction.com

Apologies for the oddly placed photographs...I don't know how to get them to the proper arrangement I had in mind. But besides that...BIG HERO 6 IS. COMING. THIS. NOVEMBER. I am a big fan of Disney movies, even before the CGI films phenomenon. Yup, even more way back than Tangled, or Brave (I think I should post about those movies too- I don't know, I like cartoons more than I like movies based off books- you get a little less disappointed.), and ever since seeing those teaser trailers with Hiro and Baymax, Big Hero 6 has been on my top 5 films to watch list. The posters above are just four out of the original six (my computer couldn't load the last two) and if I'm not mistaken, this is Disney's first CGI  movie based on Asians. Really really.

Picture this: criminals in San Fransokyo (Tokyo and San Francisco- get it?). Then a group of seven unlikely heroes (Hiro Hamada, Gogo Tomago, Honey Lemon, Wasabi No Ginger, Fredzilla and Baymax) come to the rescue! The Disney film is based on the Marvel comic with the same title and same characters.

A must watch for some awesome Halloween party costume inspiration!

DISCLAIMER

i have just realized that I have not put up sources for all these posters I've been posting along with my posts, well they are NOT mine, I do NOT claim them to be of my own creation (trust me, I'm horrible at photoshop) but I HAVE found them in Google. Credits to Google and their original artists, though.

--UPDATE--
Actually, most of these movie posters, I got from their online Wikipedia pages. Credits to Wikipedia (and to whoever they got those pictures from)

The Notebook (2004)

Ever wonder where in the world you might find someone who loves you enough to write you a letter for each day of the year? Me neither. The Notebook, a novel-turned-movie by Nicholas Sparks and various other producers whose names escape me, captures a lot of hearts. Female hearts, especially. Lead actors Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling have impressive chemistry in all those [heated] romantic parts and it truly proves that even though you go through too much, you never really give up on the ones you love, no matter how impossible the situation may seem.

I found myself in tears after having watched it for the first time, mainly because I was touched by the sheer persistence of Noah to Allie, never giving up. If people were like that to each other now, I wonder if we'll have more problems or more solutions to love? The tears were, are, and will forever be REAL.

Titanic (1997)

                                         

True life love stories are simply the best. Titanic, a real story retold by real life Rose Dawson. April 14, 1912 was the date the cruise liner hit the dreaded iceberg. 1500 were plunged into the ice cold water with nothing more than the provided life jackets and clothes on their backs, 700 were rescued primarily by the lifeboats, and only six were rescued from the ocean. A natural tear-jerker and a love story all in a category of its own, who hasn't seen the Titanic yet? With Jack and Rose being portrayed with just the right actors (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) give the movie just the right amount of swoon and tears! 

The Lorax (2012)

A real tear-jerker for those lover of trees. A truly motivational and inspirational movie derived from a poem from one of the greatest poets in this generation...Dr. Seuss. Everything, the plot, the story, the morals...it's all beautiful. The characters are comical and so is the Once-ler and his family. You truly cannot get too much without giving a little back. It's true, what the Lorax says... "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." -Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
This movie is 9.5 out of 10.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

One of my personal favorites, this film takes place in Halloween Town, a fantasy world filled with every kind of monster that haunts a child's days. Complete with singing vampires, a ghost dog and Santa Claus, who wouldn't want to check this film out?! Jack Skellington goes through existential crisis and tries to take over Christmas Town and ends up [almost] ruining the holiday itself, as foretold by Sally, a rag doll woman created originally by a mad scientist. A bit of humor with a twist, some good old musical numbers and sweet romance. Yep. Sounds convincing enough.

Crimson Tide (1995)

A 90's film set in the midst of war between Russia and America who teams up with Japan. Crimson Tide is a film portraying the conflict between mainly Russia and America. Vladimir Rachdenko threatens nuclear war if either the Russian or American government dares come in his way. The American Forces have to make a decision that can make or break American history as they knew it. How's that for an exciting movie plot?

Dawn of The Planet Of The Apes (2014)

Ah, sci-fi movies! Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is an action-packed film set in America and the Muir Woods ten years after a virus, (ALZ-113 Virus to be exact) is spread through Bright Eyes, the first specimen to be injected with the formula who gives birth to Caesar. Caesar inherits the gene and pretty much the movie gets even better from there. You'll certainly be entertained with all the graphics, the incredible effects and plot. Chimpanzees truly have the upper hand in this movie, with their more advanced intelligence.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

The action-packed film every teenager and kid has been waiting for. This film, a sequel to the original How To Train Your Dragon won't disappoint dragon-lovers and fan girls everywhere. The story continues five years after Hiccup unites the somewhat landlocked vikings and the dragons. This is a great film that teaches the value of family and friendship, and surely Toothless would fly his way into your heart in no time! The friendship between Hiccup, now an adult, and Toothless the Night Fury stands strong during tough times and is really admirable. Truly a thrill to watch for both children and adults.

Monte Carlo (2011)

A romantic comedy film released way back in 2011, Monte Carlo is a must watch for the everyday hopeless romantic. If you love those girl-next-door gets the hot guy movie plots, Selena Gomez, hot French guys or the place Monte Carlo in general, Monte Carlo is an upbeat film worth watching. The movie takes place in three locations: Texas, Paris, and Monte Carlo. It's the all around sneak peek into the life of the rich and famous (sort of) and shows what the limits of love of helping others can do.

What's to come

Hello. This blog right here is about movies, if you haven't read my description yet. Yes, I'll be writing posts about slightly old movies, chick flicks, the occasional horror movie, and those I look forward to seeing. Though some of the movies included in my future plans will be cartoons, this blog hopes to try reach out to both the old and the young, with an array of titles covered. So as a start, welcome. I hope you find the way out. Because there isn't one.