Been Bit By The Shutter Bug Friday

Hi everyone!

Today, I decided that every Friday will be Been Bit By The Shutter Bug Friday.  This basically means that each Friday I will post a picture that I’ve taken and/or edited for you all to view. However, the week after next, I will be starting up the 30 day photo challenge again (seen in this post here https://believeinyou24.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/30-day-photo-challenge/) which I’ve been meaning to do this past month but…..I’ve been a uber wicked busy beaver and have not been able to take as many photos as I would have liked  :(. It did look epically cool though and I’ve always wanted to do a 30 day photo challenge so I’m going to commit to it this next  upcoming month. However, after the 30 day photo challenge is completed, I will resume to Been Bit By The Shutter Bug Friday again. Without further adieu, let me show you all today’s Been Bit By The Shutter Bug Friday’s image!

Now don’t you all just love the smokey looking sky and water colored look of this image?! I especially find that the border I chose enhances this effect.  Oh the wonders of what you can do with Photoshop!

As always, please contact me first before using any of my images. Thanks! I hope you all enjoy this image.

xoxo

Alexandra Spund

P.S. A lot of you probably noticed that I changed the title of the blog from Chapter One to Moonbeams and Moss. I will be writing a longer post on why I changed the title shortly,  and why I feel that Moonbeams and Moss  is more fitting to the content of my blog.

Liebster Award

Last week, I got nominated for a Liebster Award by Risa’s Pieces (http://risaspieces.org). First off, I want to give a big thank you and blog hug to Risa for nominating me! Now, it’s time for me to describe the award. This award is given to new bloggers, or bloggers with under 200 followers to help readers learn more about you and get your name out into the blog-oh-sphere.  The magic number here is 11, so I will be answering  11 questions, post 11 facts about myself, and then ask 11 questions for the bloggers I nominate. Here we go!

1. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging because I’ve always found that blogs were a great way to learn about new things. Whether you want to learn a new recipe, craft, or photo technique, a blog is always there to help you! Also, I absolutely adore writing and I aspire to be a communications major in college. Therefore, I thought that having a blog would be  an excellent way for me to practice these skills and to share my ideas with people. 

2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

You know, there are so many cool places in the world that it is really cumbersome for me to narrow it down to one. In the United States, I think it’d be intriguing to live in New York City, Washington D.C., California, any of the four corner states, or Hawaii. 

3. Which magazines do you read?

Hmm…..I like Delicious Living, Living Without (although I think the title of the magazine is stupid lol), Gluten Free Living , Teen Vogue, Teen Ink, and National Geographic. 
4. What’s your favorite cocktail?

Well, I’m seventeen so I can’t drink yet lol. Does it count if I like the shrimp cocktail sauce from Trader Joe’s? 

5. Where was the best vacation you ever had?

Disney World hands down!!! I went once when I was seven years old and it was an epic experience! Probably the most memorable experiences from that trip was seeing Mickey’s Philharmonic (I don’t know if it still exists but it was seriously the best 3D show ever! Seriously, if  smelling  the aroma of apple pie as it pops out of the movie screen isn’t cool, I don’t know what is)  and watching divers swim in a restaurant’s “aquarium” as we ate. 

6. What’s your favorite way to pamper yourself?

I have several favorite ways I like to pamper myself which I think are pretty universal for most women (and men for the first thing I’m going to mention).  My absolute favorite way I like to pamper myself  is by taking a long hot shower. There is nothing better than the feeling of having heat roll down your back :). Also, I find the process of putting on makeup very relaxing. To me, putting on makeup is artistic, so I sort of think of applying it as painting my face if that makes sense. In addition, I like pampering myself by dressing up more than I would usually do for the day. I don’t know, there is just something about a classic red dress (casual enough to wear for the day time of course) mixed with a pair of leggings and boots that can just fix all of your problems! 

7. What was the last book you read?

The last book I read was Nothing But The Truth by Avi. This is a young adult book that my Mom picked out for me at Barnes and Noble. I thought it was a great book! In particular, the topic and the style in which it was written intrigued me. The book is  about a guy, Phillip,  who was not allowed to join his high school’s track team because he got a D in English class from a teacher who he’s convinced is out to get him. This enraged Phillip, so he would hum the National Anthem when he was supposed to be respectfully silent in homeroom in order to get under her nerves. As a result, he got suspended by the assistant principal and eventually became the subject of  national media attention when he and his family decided to fight back. In addition to the plot, the style in which it was written was very unique. Avi used a mix of dialogue, phone conversations, journal entries, and letters to tell the story.  Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to read something a bit different than what they routinely read. 

8. What’s your favorite personal care product brand?

I can’t really choose a favorite personal care product brand because I usually chose one or two products from a brand rather than relying on a single brand as a whole.

9. Name one thing (anything) you can’t live without.

Well the first thing that comes to the top of my mind would be water, but if it had to be anything other than for purely survival purposes, it would be my family. 

10. Would you ever volunteer to colonize another planet?

It would probably be a very exhilarating and fulfilling experience, but I don’t think they make gluten-free/dairy-free astronaut food, so therefore, the answer would probably be no.  

11. Favorite Batman: Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, or Christian Bale?

I’ve never been into batman/spider-man/super-man movies, so I can’t really choose my favorite Batman based off of what I’ve seen. I’ll go with Christian Bale because he was so handsome and an incredible actor as Laurie in Little Women (one of my favorite movies). Batman fans probably want to give my blog a mighty hard punch at the screen right now, lol. 

Here are some eleven fun facts about me!

1. I  was a gymnast for three and a half years, two of which I competed.  My favorite event was the floor exercise and I was once the state champion for this event . 
2. I have only been traditional camping with a tent exactly one time with my girl scout troop. It was fun, but I got WAY too many mosquito bites (25 on one leg, not fun!). I think this has scared me from going tent camping again . 

3. One of my first theater roles as a kid was the Kola-Kola bird in Elephant’s Child in the third grade. I recently found out that this was one of Jim Parsons’ (from the Big Bang Theory) first theater roles as well, which inspired him to be an actor. Cool, huh?

5. I can’t really whistle. I can sort of whistle through my teeth, but not really. 

6. I recently saw my first Broadway show with my aunt and uncle in NYC. It was Kinky Boots and it was awesome XD. 

7.  I really, Really, REALLY hate spiders. Daddy long legs probably creep me out the most. 

8. I also hate most other insects except for butterflies, ladybugs, and strangely, bees. I have absolutely no fear or problem taking pictures or being near  them. I don’t know if it was a desire to take good bee photographs or The Bee Movie with Jerry Seinfeld that cured this. 

9.  The first story that I ever wrote was when I was eight and it was about a family that was once on a wagon journey during the pioneer era. They  got into a wagon accident and somehow  “rolled” down a veryyyyy long hill that went from Indiana to Maine. Somehow, they survived this! As you can tell, I was not the best at writing realistic transitions as a kid. 

10. I am the biggest fan of the television show Ugly Betty and have seen every episode ever. 

11. I don’t win “pick from a hat” contests. The only time I won something from that sort of contest was a pumpkin in Kindergarten. 

Now 11 Questions for my nominees!!

1. What/Who inspired you to start blogging?

2. If you could use only one makeup product for the rest of your life, what would you use (blush, eyeliner, foundation, etc.)?

3. What is your favorite book from childhood?

4. Have you watched any of the Oscar movie winners and/or nominees from this past year and what is your verdict? If not, what Oscar movie and/or nominee movies from this past year do you want to see?

5.  What word makes it the most into your personal vocab?

6. What are your top five favorite clothing stores to shop at?

7. What is your most loved health food and green beauty product?

8. The Voice or American Idol?

9. Where do you want your next vacation spot to be?

10. When was your first concert?

11. What accent can do you the best besides your own?

Here is who I nominate:

Eco Diva – Eco Diva (http://ecodivablog.wordpress.com/)

Elle – Elle Bakes  (http://ellebakes.wordpress.com/)

Sophie – Alices Voice (http://alicesvoice.wordpress.com)

Dana – Hearty Habits (http://heartyhabits.com/)

Becca – Gluten Free Becca (http://glutenfreebecca.wordpress.com/)

Emma – The World According to Emma ( http://emmajudy.blogspot.com/)

Katie – Inkspot (http://welcometothewackadoodles.blogspot.com/)

Taryn – Seriously, Taryn (http://www.seriouslytaryn.com/)

Taylor – Simply Joy (http://taylorssimplyjoy.blogspot.com/)

Leanne – Lass and Lipstick (http://lassandlipstick.blogspot.co.uk/)

I can’t wait to read your answers!!! Happy blogging!

xoxo

Alexandra Spund

I’m in a Spring State of Mind

It is hard to believe that about two years ago during this time period of March, it was a whopping 80 – 85 degrees in New England. I am not going to deny that fact that I was worried about the fact that March was becoming strangely steamy, but it was **SO** nice to be able to break out into shorts and sleeveless shirts and gobble up some delectable coconut ice cream :P. Fast forward two years later and here we are, having barely gotten a glimpse of spring two days ago. We are at that point where we’re still trying to tip toe around the ice and trying to brave the cold in our ski jackets (well, at least in New England). This winter has been uber long and frankly, it is welcome to leave anytime now. I keep having dreams about spring weather, but every day I wake up and the snow continues to lye on the ground.  Can’t winter just end in February instead?  March is just like Juan Pablo on “The Bachelor”, it’s the worst at faking us out that there is going to be a spring (sans the 80-85 degrees incident that occurred two years ago).  This state of mind I’ve been in lately has inspired me to share with you all some of my favorite things about spring. This is what I personally love about the season.

• That first moment where there is no hint of coldness outside and you can just break out into your favorite floral skirt. It is always just nice to go outside and breathe in the fresh essence of the flowers without  seeing your own breathe ;D.
• Speaking of the floral skirt above, I can not tell you just how much I love spring fashion. It is the type of season where you can get dolled up and not have to fret about whether or not your wearing the right type of gloves. I personally love those first moments where you can ditch the sweaters and wear bold leather jackets, printed leggings with a cute skirt, and feel the delightful breeze in between your toes when you first put your sandals on. This spring, I can’t wait to buy bargain hunt  new clothes that are the color of orchid and follow this dashingly awesome trend. I already have a nail polish in mind!

Zoya Nail Polish in “Hudson”

• What I also love about spring is the plethora of nature that emerges around me as the months of springtime progress. To me, flowers are like ice cream sundaes for your eyes, bird calls are like Josh Groban for your ears, and seeing green grass sprout from the ground for the first time literally feels like you just found a pot of gold ;D.
• Probably my number one favorite thing about spring is taking that first walk on the beach. I am a huge ocean person and I just love that first epic moment when I can focus on hearing the harmonies of seagulls and smelling the fresh ocean air while not being cold!

Those are my top favorite things about Spring! What are some of yours? Compile a short list below in the comment box :).

Here are some of my favorite photos that I’ve taken of the season, a scrumptious spring recipe I want to make that I found on the internet, and song that has spring vibes to it.

Recipe: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/05/garden-loaf-with-maple-apricot-glaze.html

Song: Unfortunately, Word Press will not allow me to insert a YouTube video unless I purchase an upgrade so I’m going to have to give you  guys a url link sadly. This song is called “With Every Beat of My Heart” by Taylor Dayne and it is such an upbeat dance anthem. I think that you all will love it and want to press the replay button over and over again! :). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTJbEpVDdBc

xoxo

Alexandra Spund

Facebook Pet Peeves

Facebook is the website we all love to hate. Even for those of you who proclaim that you despise Facebook, deep down you know you adore it  :). You feel like a superstar whenever you log in and thirty people who you are barely acquainted with click the minuscule thumbs up sign and “like” your new profile picture. Or when you write a status update that is just so epically awesome, sassy, owns everyone, and then your “friends” are applauding you with a plethora of “likes” and comments for posting it. It makes you feel like the king or queen of the internet.  Yup, that’s what Facebook does…about 10% of the time. However, the other 90% of the time, you are waiting for something to spark your attention and captivate your interest. Occasionally you’ll find something of intrigue, but…..much of the time, you’ll find status updates like these.

Introducing……..

FACEBOOK PET PEEVES!!!

Status Update #1:

Lms (like my status) for a rate! 

I have seen an abundance of these types of status updates on Facebook and it is really starting to make my brains want to explode into a million pieces  annoy me. Ugh! Everyone always rates each other between an 8-10, because at the bottom of their hearts, they know it is a shallow concept to begin with, so they make up for it by giving a rating that is baseless and has absolutely no meaningful criteria whatsoever. Like seriously, I really don’t care about how hot or awesome someone else thinks you are. Why don’t people do a “truth is” instead? At least that has an encouraging basis! However, I do have to admit that it is awkward when someone you barely know “likes” your “truth is” status update and having no clue what to say.

Status Update #2:

I cut my leg shaving in the shower today and now I’m bleeding.

This was literally a status update I once saw and I’m like, “why the fig newton would I, or anyone else, care about this?” Yes, we have all cut ourselves shaving and yes, it’s no fun, but why do users really feel the need to announce this to their 240 Facebook friends? Do they really think so highly of themselves that they’d think that we’d all feel so much sympathy for their  little shower accident? Or maybe they’re just bored? If so, find something else to do! Build a snowman, paint your nails, read a book, or go out and purchase a better shaving cream, I don’t care,  just please don’t write about it in a status update.  

Status Update #3:

I hate me because of you. 

You want to know what I hate – – passive/aggressive status updates that, despite your attempts to mask it as poetry, fails in the process . Sometimes, they can give someone a chuckle, but when seeing them ad nauseum, I believe that they can be quite agitating. I think that this is a way people try to stave off live confrontation – by trying to deal with relationship issues by swiping away at the keyboard. I really dislike when people do this because problems should be worked out in real life rather than on the internet. Also, it is not right to get other people involved in your problems. In addition, making status updates like these all the time just makes people appear to be as bitter as dandelions , so please…just stop bombarding me with status updates like these.

Status Update #4:

F*ck this, f*ck everything, life has turned into f*cking sh*t, f*ck, F*CK, F*CCCCKKKKK!!!

I also really get annoyed when people incessantly curse on Facebook. When used appropriately and judiciously, Facebook status updates  that include cursing can be humorous or speak true to life. However, most of the time, it just makes you sound like a drunken sailor to be frank.  If you really want to get your message across effectively, use a thesaurus or even better, look up some cunning Shakespearean curses. People will take you more seriously if you do, trust me.

These are just some of the things that bother me about Facebook, but I want to spare everyone a forty paragraph rant. Now don’t get me wrong, I think Facebook has **great** utility when used in a positive way. I love using Facebook to showcase my photography to people, keep in touch with friends and family that live far away from me, and it is enjoyable to learn about other people’s lives, but I just strongly resent the way Facebook can be misused sometimes. This is why I am starting to turn more to other social media sites such as Pinterest, Instagram, and obviously blogging, rather than being a Facebook addict, ha-ha!

Do any of you share any of the same Facebook pet peeves or have your own? Share your thoughts  below in the comment box!

xoxo

Alexandra Spund

30 Day Photo Challenge Day 4

Today I am posting a photo from Day 4 of the 30 Day Photo Challenge “Something Green.”

I am posting a picture of my nails painted with a new beautiful green/silver metallic nail polish from Zoya I am trying.

The nail polish is from the Zenith Winter Collection and is also featured in this post.

https://believeinyou24.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/ulta-beauty-mini-haul-natural/

I am posting the link below, but I just want to let you all know that the Zoya website makes the polish look like a silver color, but in actuality, it is more of a green/blue with silver undertones :).

http://www.zoya.com/content/item/Zoya/Zoya-Nail-Polish-in-Cassedy-ZP687.html

What do you all think of this nail polish?

xoxo

Alexandra Spund