Sorry.

I feel really bad. I haven't blogged in over 2 months... High school's a bitch. Nothing any middle school teacher does can prepare you for the punch in the face that you get your first semester of high school. Now, I know I've already posted about this a lot, but it really pisses me off. I'm dreading what the first semester of the IB will be like in 11th grade. I'm so excited... (please note the sarcasm) Anyway, I've sort of been cheating on this blog with tumblr... please don't hate me. I told myself that I wouldn't become addicted. Apparently I have no will power.. Anyway, its onehundredpercentreal.tumblr.com

Enjoy!

High School

Again, I am sooooo sorry that I haven't posted in forever. High school is a bit harder than I expected... Going from middle school to high school is like a big slap in the face. And the worst part is that my school is trying to "prepare" us for college before any of us are ready to even think about that. During the first week of school, our college counselor gave us a speech about our "plan". What is the plan? It's basically everything that we need to do this year to make sure that we are prepared to apply to university in two years. It needs to include:

1. What summer courses/volunteer programs/summer jobs we want to get into or do
2. What we want to study in university
3. What University we want to go to or at least what countries we are going to apply in
4. What we need to do to make sure that we are able to study that subject and get into that university

Now, this list of course is only supposed to be mental, but I wouldn't be surprised if our ticket out of school for the summer was a piece of paper with exactly those things on it. Well it's Autumn break now, so I should be happier the next time I post.

Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter had on your life and how much does it mean to you?

Well, Harry Potter is my childhood. It's as simple as that. I remember waking up with my mom and sisters at midnight, and going to the bookstore in our small town in England just to be the first ones to get the newest Harry Potter books. I remember dragging my parents to every movie, and getting extremely upset when my friends saw one of the movies before me. And only a few months ago, when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two came out, I remember being almost in tears when I found out that my flight to visit my friend was the morning of the day that the movie came out, and I was going to miss the midnight showing at the cinema. Without Harry Potter, my life would be quite boring, since 75% of the things I think about are either Harry Potter, or Harry Potter related. And it's sort of weird, and this will make me sound like such a loser, but Harry, Ron and Hermione almost feel like childhood friends to me. They were more than just characters in books an movies. They were and will always be my fictional friends and heroes. Aww I'm crying right now, and I feel like such a nerd, but even though it's over, Harry Potter will always be a part of my life.

Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical?

YES! I thought it was so funny! I love Lauren Lopez, she's hilarious!

Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock? What do you think about it?

Ok, this is makes me sound really stupid, but I've been on their website so many times, and I can't figure out how to listen to it.

Day 27: Would you rather own the Invisibility Cloak, the Resurrection Stone or the Elder Wand?

The Invisibility Cloak.

P.S, sorry I've been MIA, the first couple of weeks of being a Freshman suck.

Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand, what would it be?

Reparo. I always break things.

Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy with the way things turned out, or do you wish something was different?

I wish Luna and Neville had gotten married. I love both of them!

Day 24: Any scene you wished would have been put in the movie but wasn't?

Not really.

Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that made you cry?

Oh this is a long list:

• When Dobby died
• When Fred died
• When Sirius died
• When Albus Dumbledore died
• When Severus Snape died
• When they executed Buckbeak
• At the very end of every movie
• When Harry died and went and spoke with Dumbledore again
• Right before Harry died when he got to see his mother and Sirius again
• When they say goodbye to their kids at the end of the last movie.

I could go on for about 4 more pages, but I think this is enough.

Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight?

HARRY POTTER! Harry Potter was the end of an era. Twilight was the end of an error.

Day 21: Out of all of the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be?

Either Fred Weasley or Albus Dumbledore.

Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be?

Emma Watson. She sounds so cool!

Day 19: Do you prefer the books or the films?

I like them both equally. People always say that a book is better than a movie version of a book, but I think that both of them are really good.

Day 18: Least Favourite Book.

I don't really have one.

Day 17: Are you excited for the Deathly Hallows movie, or scared it won't do the book justice?

I saw the movie and I thought it was amazing.

Day 16: Favourite Professor

Albus Dumbledore.

Day 15: Who would be your best friends at Hogwarts?

Harry, Hermione and Ron. Everyone says that, but it's basically true for me.

Day 14: Team Voldemort or Team Harry?

Team Harry!

Day 13: Least Favourite Movie

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I don't know why. It just wasn't my favourite.

Starbucks "Secret" Menu

So, I just found out that Starbucks has all of these special drinks that are supposed to be a secret. They have all these funny names, like Green Eye, which is three shots of espresso in an iced latte, a Zebra Mocha which is a white chocolate mocha mixed with a regular mocha, and an Affogato style frappuccino which is a frappuccino with a hot shot of espresso on top instead of blended in. There is also what is called the short drink, which is even smaller and less expensive than a tall drink. I am extremely tempted to try and order one of these drinks, just because I like to make things difficult, but I would be too afraid they would look at me like I was crazy and say in an annoyed voice "We don't have that here." Anyway, maybe I'll try it one day, and see if this "Secret menu" actually exists.

Day 12: Favourite Relationship

Ron and Hermione :)

Day 11: What character would you say you are most like?

Hermione Granger. Her personality is a lot like mine in so many ways.

Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows?

Hallows. Definitely. I love the story behind them.

Day 9: Least favourite male character and why.

It's between Crabbe and Goyle. I thought they were funny, but they never really did anything.

Day 8: What do you think would be your favourite lesson?

Defense Against the Dark Arts. Definitely.

Day 7: Favourite female character and why.

Hermione Granger. She is smart, funny and pretty.

Day 6: What house would you want to be in?

Sorry about missing a few days. I'll make them up now.

Gryffindor. Everyone says that, but I think it would suit me.

Day 5: Favourite male character and why.

It's between Ron Weasley ad Harry Potter. I like them both too much t choose. I like Ron because he's funny, and I like Harry because He's brave.

Day 4: Least Favourite Female character and why.

I guess I didn't really like Lavender Brown, just because she didn't really add anything to the situation.

...

I am such a loser. It's 1:40 am on a Sunday night, my sisters are out with friends, and what am I doing? Eating junk food, drinking diet coke, and watching Nic Lachey and Vanessa's wedding that I tivo-ed. You know what's even sadder? I have actually started to talk to the t.v. Earlier, I told the t.v. that all the kids in the commercial for the mini wheat cereal were lame, and all actors because no one stands outside the door of school smiling and acting all happy on the first day of school. Its just unrealistic. I mean, the fact that they have talking wheat cereal on their shoulders is unrealistic too, but you get it. Right? Anyway, I also told this fat guy dressed up in a superman suit trying to sell me a car that I couldn't drive yet, and that his suit made him look fat. I think I also commented on his hair... And his face. I then continued to state all of the rhyming whale's tales from the Red Cross WSI course out loud, to no one in particular. What a fun night.

Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they've ignored important parts of the book.

No not really. None that I can think of.

Day 2: Your Favourite Movie

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry Potter Challenge Day 1

I know I said I would post it a few days ago, but I was house-sitting and they didn't have internet.

Day 1: Your favourite book

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Harry Potter 30 Day Challenge

So I have decided that I am going to do the Harry Potter 30 day challenge, because I love harry Potter, and I think it will be fun.

Day 1: Your fave book.
Day 2: Your fave movie.
Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book.
Day 4: Least fave female character and why.
Day 5: Fave male character and why.
Day 6: What house would you want to be in.
Day 7: Fave female character and why.
Day 8: What do you think would be your fave lesson.
Day 9: Least fave male character.
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows.
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like.
Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

I'll start tomorrow :)

Sorry!

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while, I just got back from a two-week trip to Hawaii to visit a friend, and we were really busy with surfing, shopping, pilates etc. We had so much fun together and I'm kind of sad to be back.. We spent most of our time doing active stuff or shopping, so we didn't sit out in the sun too much, but I still managed to get a pretty nice tan. My favourite part of the trip was either parasailing, or surfing. We went parasailing with a company called X-treme parasailing and they were really good, and they took pictures of everything. We went surfing with the Hans Hedemann surfing school, and it was really nice, and they took tons of really good quality pictures. I had so much fun and I wish that I could do it all again!

Sorry!

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while, I just got back from a two-week trip to Hawaii to visit a friend, and we were really busy with surfing, shopping, pilates etc. We had so much fun together and I'm kind of sad to be back.. We spent most of our time doing active stuff or shopping, so we didn't sit out in the sun too much, but I still managed to get a pretty nice tan. My favourite part of the trip was either parasailing, or surfing. We went parasailing with a company called X-treme parasailing and they were really good, and they took pictures of everything. We went surfing with the Hans Hedemann surfing school, and it was really nice, and they took tons of really good quality pictures. I had so much fun and I wish that I could do it all again!

Harry Potter

This is a topic that actually really makes me upset. Because I love Harry Potter. It is such an amazing series, and I cannot believe that it's ending in less than 4 days. I love the story-line and the characters and just everything about it. I am actually quite sad because I was going to go to a midnight showing on Thursday, but I am going to Hawaii with my BFFFF and she doesn't like Harry Potter, so I won't be able to see it for 2 weeks.. I even stayed up until 3 am last night trying to find a movie theater in Oahu that will have a midnight showing, and I found 3, but she doesn't like the series. Oh well, I guess I will have something to look forward to when I get back. And, Hawaii will be AMAZING so that will be epic. But anyway, I grew up with Harry Potter, and to think that it's ending is really sad to me. My children will have read all of the books and watched all of the movies whether they like it or not.

This poster made me tear up a little.

Bookstores

So, I have this thing where I love to find small, cozy bookstores that no one knows about and buy absolutely every book I need at those bookstores. I don't know why, but I don't like to buy books at huge bookstores. I mean, Borders is good when you are looking for something specific, but when I am just browsing, trying to find a good book, I hate going to Borders because I can never find anyone that works there. There is this bookstore in this small town about 5-10 minutes from my house in Colorado and I love it. Its called the Bookworm, and it is in Edwards, Colorado. It has this sort of modern-yet-rustic feel to it, and the people there are so helpful. I once spent 2 hours in there talking to one lady about all these books, and left with 15 books to read over the summer. They have a little organic, healthy cafe in the back, outdoor seating and really comfortable chairs to read in. I never feel awkward asking about something, because I know that they are happy to help you find whatever you need. That store is probably the main reason I refuse to go searching for a book in chain bookstores.

Summer

Today is the day that it hit me that summer's here, and I am so excited for everything that I have planned this summer. My birthday is on Monday, and in my family, birthdays are sort of low key, so we don't buy thousands of gifts for each other. We sort of go shopping with each other and then when the person finds something they like, we make them stand at the other end of the store while we buy it. Anyway, after my birthday, my aunt, uncle, and my two cousins come, and one of my cousins is bringing their two daughters who are adorable. Their the sweetest girls, and because I recently passed my water safety instructor exam (if I forgot to mention it, basically I am certified by the Red Cross to teach kids how to swim) I can teach them while their here. Also, after my cousins leave, I am going to Hawaii to meet up with Life as a Fashion "Nazi". I cannot wait. We are going to surf, and tan and snorkel and chill :) Then I come back to Colorado and our neighbors who have a daughter my age and a son a year older are coming and we'll hang out. Anyway, I'm going to go get a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream, sit on the deck and watch the sunset and then come back in and watch reruns of friends. Sound perfect? I think so.

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J'adore Dior

Ok, I'm in Colorado now, but on Saturday before I left I went to the Dior exhibit at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. I was told that it was amazing by my very close friend at the blog Life as a Fashion "Nazi". She told me that I needed to go before summer because I would love it. So I decided to go, and it was even more amazing than I expected. The Pushkin Museum is one of Moscow's most famous museums, and even after living in Moscow for a year and a half, I had never been inside. They set up the exhibit exactly as I imagined it. As soon as you walked in there was a lit sign that said Dior at the top of a staircase leading up to a large room. The walls near the stairs were mirrors and had some of Christian Dior's famous quotes on them. They had shoes that he had designed in a glass case that I drooled over for about five minutes, and I hadn't even seen the dresses yet. Once I walked into the large hall, I was blown away. There were dresses on mannequins that were set up at the sides of the rooms, and art work was displayed to add to the ambiance. After seeing one set of ballgowns, my friend and I agreed that we should have been born in the 1950's. Then there was another set of dresses that were designed like the dresses of the last Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, and since we just studied the French Revolution, it was a bit ironic. They had one room that was completely dedicated to Dior perfumes such as Miss Dior Cherie, and J'adore. They had cases filled with vintage perfume bottles, and the most recent commercials playing on a loop on small screens. Needless to say, I found my new role model in large picture displayed at the end of the exhibit with two words on the description plaque underneath:
Christian Dior

and so hell week begins...

Monday the 6th of June is when hell/exam week starts at my school. I know I am only in 8th grade, but they are still really stressful. I have to have six things to help me study:

1. Enough sleep. If I'm tired during exams, my family is in for a week of "fun".

2. Chocolate. That goes without saying.

3. Post-it notes. I like to stay organized.

4. Cool pens. If I write with a boring pen, I don't write well. I prefer smelly/colourful pens.

5. Scented candles. If I am going to be forced to study, I will do it while my room smells like Hawaiian Sunrise.

6. A good breakfast. If I'm hungry during my exams, I'm more focused on the food that I could be eating than the exam I'm taking.

For anyone else whose about to take their exams, good luck!

Seventeen

Ok, so I'm sorry again. I've had so much stuff this week that I forgot about blogging. Anyway, for some reason I have an obsession with Seventeen Magazine. No idea why. I think its because unlike teen vogue, they don't talk about ridiculous famous fashion bloggers and stories about 17 year old models that no one has heard of. Like ever. They answer questions girls have about basically anything. They also talk about new trends and hairstyles, but they do it in a way that relates to you. For example, they'll show you a dress that Nina Dobrev was wearing that was $1,ooo and they'll show you a dress that is very similar for $20. I mean, I like Vogue and I love reading it because its classic, but I can't directly relate to it. Anyway, I can't get many up to date magazines, because I live in Russia, but I do splurge when I go back to the States.

Busy, Busy

I'm sorry I haven't posted lately, but I've been really busy with school. We started biology in science, a poetry project in English, new chapter in math etc. But the most exciting thing is that tomorrow is the first day of the International School Theatre Association (ISTA) Festival held at my school. A couple of hours ago, kids from schools in Turkey, Addis Ababa, Bucharest etc. arrived and more will arrive tomorrow. It is so exciting and we have been working nonstop to prepare. We have an opening performance that is amazing, and a tour of the city planned out. I'm so excited! Its over on Saturday, so hopefully I will post more on Sunday or Monday. Have a great rest of the week!

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Vogue Ads

I only have one issue with Vogue and Teen Vogue. They have way too many ads. Its so annoying. I mean, I do love looking through a magazine and seeing ads for cute stores, or cosmetics and thinking "maybe I could use that, I should get it", but in Vogue and Teen Vogue, there ads aren't even for anything I would buy. Actually, scratch that, the ads aren't for anything that I could afford to buy. When the ads are all for Fendi, Chanel, Michael Kors and Bvlgari, I completely lose interest in anything to do with the magazine. Now I know, magazines are a great way to advertise, but enough is enough. The worst issue of Vogue I've read is actually the most recent one. It was the "Power Issue" and had Lady Gaga on the cover wearing a pink wig and purple lipstick. Now this issue literally had a 16 page ad for Nordstroms, a six page ad for Barneys New York, and a four page ad for Versace. The ads ruin the magazine. I don't care if you put Lady Gaga in some ridiculous wig on the cover, when her interview is split into 70 different pages because in between each page of interview you put 8 pages of ads, it makes it impossible to read. They also put the creepiest ads in. I know that's not the magazines fault, but when you put an ad of a girl sitting in a dark room with wearing nothing but a pair of underwear for men, spiked leopard print heels, and a logo over her boobs, its a little disturbing. One ad that was creepy for me was Juicy Couture, and it was a man wearing women's clothes. Now I have to admit, the ads are what make Vogue, Vogue, but I don't know how many more ads they can shove into one issue before they become a high-end fashion catalogue.

Lady Gaga on the cover of Vogue, March Issue 2011

Juicy Couture ad

Again..

I am sorry, again for changing the URL of my blog, but I did it this time so that I would never have to change it again, even if I change the title of my blog. I know its a really weird name, but it does have a meaning. Keegles is a random nickname that my sister came up with that my friends use now. They can also call me keekles too, but i made it keegles. The KPH at the end of it are my initials. So thats the reasoning behind my new URL.

I hope everyone did Earth Hour on Saturday Night! I'm sorry I didn't post a reminder about it. My friend and I did it at my house, and it was so much fun! If you don't know what Earth Hour is, its an event organized by the World Wildlife Foundation where everyone turns off all of their lights and everything electronic from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, in whatever time-zone you are in at that time. Its a great way to get people to join in the fight against climate change. If you missed it this year, you can always do it next year. Its fun, especially when you invite friends over to hang out with you in the dark!

Here are some photos of major cities that turned out their lights for Earth Hour:

Moscow, Russia Before and During Earth Hour

London, England Before and During Earth Hour

Paris, France During and Before Earth Hour

Chicago, Illinois During Earth Hour

Marc Jacobs

I've said many times that I am not exactly a "fashion expert", but I do have opinions on certain designers and or trends. One of my favorite designers is Marc Jacobs. His clothes just are so bright and amazing and the way he uses colors and patterns is genius. I also love his bags, accessories and perfumes. His crossbody bags are probably my favorite, and my favorite perfume of his has to be Daisy. Over all, he is a fabulous designer, and his new and fresh ideas are always beautiful and trend setting.

P.S I also loved the different hats and hair accessories he used in his 2011 spring collection.

Marc Jacons Daisy Perfume

Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Karlie crossbody

Marc Jacobs Spring 2011

Marc Jacobs Spring 2011

Katy Perry

I actually happen to love Katy Perry. I think her music is really good and her style is crazy yet fun. I think its funny that she started her career in music as the singer in a christian rock band, and that now she is this huge crazy artist. I love her style, I love that she constantly has something new and different, and I think its funny that she wears different colored wigs and everything. Her clothes are so bright and colorful and they are something only she could pull off. Her music is the perfect music to listen to on a night with friends, hanging out, or even when your just alone. She is an amazing star, and her husband is hilarious. They are perfect for each-other. She's fun and flirty, and she's not like any other celebrity. She also has her own OPI nail polish line which is pretty cool.