Senior Prom

lol Thank you Hannah for this one

And this one. She knew I was going to sneeze, so she waited for the perfect moment before snapping the picture....

Ahhh! Camila!!!! Thank you for doing my hair! :D

See? I'm not even a redhead any more next to him!

ew, bad pose.

"stop smiling so much carrie!" lol jeeze mom! X-P she was serious. she thinks smiling too much is bad for a picture, but maybe she's right. My generic cheer-forced-to-keep-smiling face isn't so good.

thank you to:

• Logan! for asking me to prom, and being super nice, and everything!
• Mom! for spending many many hours making my dress, and making it look amazing even though you're busy!
• Hannah! for taking pictures haha
• Camila! um CHYA. thanks so much for coming a day early to figure out what to do with my hair, then coming on the day of to do it again!
• Tom! for coming to the fabric store with us and not saying anything....lol how you say......without thinking! haha

Here is where I would usually write a long post giving the blow by blow account of prom, but I don't have the energy, so if you want to know, ask me! I knew I had to post pictures soon or I'd be in trouble :)

My Limits

I finally know them. After going through this school year, almost killing myself (k that is a little dramatic, but sometimes it felt like that!) I vow not to do that ever again. Not this summer, not next year. Tempting as it may be. I now know what it is like to be one of those poor over-booked children you hear about living in suburbia. My weeks have been like this recently.

• Monday: ACT prep class, possibly babysitting, practice piano, HMWK, and FHE, practice singing
• Tuesday: Cheer Practice till 4:15, HMWK, Piano practicing, practice singing
• Wednesday: ACT prep class, Teach two piano lessons, YW, Piano practicing, HMWK, (and Hannah's 4-hour dance recital) practice singing
• Thursday: Cheer practice again, Singing lessons, HMWK, piano practicing
• Friday: Piano lesson (my own!), then hopefully hang out with friends or something

*note* I have to be done practicing the piano before 8pm which means I have to do it before my HMWK, but after cheer and stuff. I usually try to get into bed by 9ish, but that doesn't usually happen. If only! haha but I'm a horrible person, because sometimes I do things not on my schedule, like working on flexibility, or jumping on the tramp, or practicing my cheer dance (but i have to do that one!)

haha and this is my less busy schedule. During Basketball season, I seriously thought I was going to get a stomach ulcer from the stress or something. It was twice as bad. Especially with me getting sick and having a fever for a week straight, then trying to catch up for my piano competition, chya. Next year will not be like this.

I remember, the day of my competition, i was really down, because i worked really really hard on my piece all day, then got home at 8, and had to start all my HMWK, chemistry especially,which is death for me, and just breaking down, thinking about all I still had to do that week. Cheer would take more than 25 hours of my week during basketball season, and that's both in and out of school. But one of my best friends knew just what to say to me, although I bet they have forgotten. I went and wrote down what they said to me, and i go back to it when ever I feel like a can't take it anymore. It really keeps me going; it makes me really thankful to have friends that care so much about me, and try their best to pick me up when I'm falling down. I hope I can pay them back someday. It goes along with my new maxim "endure to the end". That's what I tell myself when it gets really busy.

But back to my limits. This summer, my mom wants me to do a lot of things, but I know, looking at it all, that it is past my limit again. 8 Hours of college credit may be really tempting, but it's also 5 weeks of 7:30 am to noon CHEMISTRY at the U of U. By itself, I might be able to get through somehow, but added on top of reading 2 books twice for AP lit, and writing on them, plus whatever I'm assigned for AP gov (I'm guessing 10-12 mini-report-thingies like usual) and early morning cheer practices and cheer camp, and piano (teaching and playing) and singing (?) it's too much, even without school. Plus cabin trips. So I'm going to drop the chemistry program. It was a really hard choice.... I mean 8 HOURS! But I think I'm doing the right thing. Plus, this means I can focus on my YW camp calling, and I don't have to miss any part of girl's camp (oh yeah, another thing I'm doing this summer. I'm a YCL. kind of a big deal. haha my second time doing it)

What have I become?

I don't know who I am anymore. I think Emily is going to disown me.

I found myself at the Renaissance fair last weekend, and I have to say I think I'm developing a split personality. Haha it really clashes sometimes, in an almost painful way.


There's the Caroline that most people know me by: cheerleader, good sense of fashion (well i try haha), very girly into painting nails, doing hair, make up, chick flix, and everything else the stereotypical air-headed cheerleader would be into.

Then there's the other Caroline: the one who's nerdy right up there with the best of them. Yup, that's right, Star wars, Star trek, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Chess Club, classical music, plays-video-games-like-a-bandit etc........and now the Renaissance fair.

I dressed up for the fair, because you get a discount if you do, and of course I went all out, (as is tradition in our family, to go all out when it comes to any type of costume) as a princess. Also of course, I was the most-dressed-up-person in our group. There was a peasant (Wes), a time traveler (aka Eliza didn't dress up, and I just dubbed her as that as of now), and a friar (Logan). Walking up to the entrance, there was a sign indicating prices, and under discount it didn't just say "dressed up" or "in costume" but "en garb". Garb?? ok, this should have been my first clue this would be...different. But walking through the plywood arch painted like a turret, I had the sudden urge to run back to the car; everything was so... nerdy, and so sudden, it was suffocating! I was still in the Cheerleader-Caroline mentality, and it just grated against my very being. Everywhere i turned, there were other people en garb, and sometimes waaay more than me. Like probably spent the better part of $100 dollars on a costume only worn once a year (or SHOULD be worn once a year). Also, there were many girls dressed up in belly dancer costumes, that should not, I repeat should not have been. Did I say girls? I meant to add middle-aged women too. *shudder*


I have to say, it was interesting when people would say "my lady" to me, and there was even one man who bowed. haha it was interesting. There were minstrels everywhere, playing lutes, and harps, while singing "ye olde musik". very authentic. And selling CDs.

There was jousting, and knighting, and booths selling whole-suits-of-armor custom made! You could actually buy precious stones at one. The Man at that booth was heavy set with a blond beard mustache, (clearly grown just for this fair, judging by the style. I hope.) who turned to me and my friends saying "pretty ladies! come! we have SHHHINY things!" then he started waggling his fingers at us, and his merchandise (which happened to be precious and semi-precious stones. like seriously, in the middle of a dusty field, next to a shallow murky river, selling diamonds and sapphires...? kinda sketch if you ask me). Haha me and Wes took one look at the man, and gave him a creeped-out-smile/grimace, before hurrying on to the next booth, as he continued to yell after us ("Pretty ladies like shiny things!! Come!!")

K, the knighting. Um it was legit. We walked up to the "court" which was housed in a tent, complete with King, Queen, and Royal Subjects, dressed in the most lavish garb there. They sat graciously, playing their part like they lived it everyday. A woman, dressed as a servant, held her fingers to her lips, and instructed us to kneel (which we didn't) at the foot of the throne, while the current...victim(?)...was knighted. She told us, in a whispered tone, that we could be knighted if we wished, but it would cost us three crowns for the king's time. Yeaaah. Three crowns....haha sorry, I just spent the last of my crowns buying that pair of wolverine claws back at that other booth(jk). We looked back at the throne, the kneeling person was being touched on the shoulders and back by a real sword, by the king, then instructed to rise; next the king said "Three cheers for the new knight, Sir what's-his-name! HIP HIP..." and I said " HOORAY!" where everyone else said "HUZZAH!", then looked at me like I had done something very wrong. Logan seemed to find it quite funny haha :-P. As soon as I realized my mistake I quickly said "I mean HUZZAH.", but alas, by then they were already on the second "HIP HIP", and I just failed again. The worst part of it was that the nerdy part of me wanted to be knighted. But the more sensible part of me refused (thankfully), and I was able to pull myself away unscathed.

There were all kinds of food stands, with corny names like "The Holy Grill" and "The Friar's Fry-er". I had a very good flat bread melt at a booth with an equally embarassing name, that i cannot remember for the life of me. I think it too had the "holy grail" motif.

The jousting was pretty cool. The knights really knew how to play the crowd, and it was really cool to see my favorite kind of horse in real life: a friesian: (ahh I love it. As much as a Steinway)



There was a woman in a wheel chair next to me; the knight had a bunch of pink roses that he was handing out to "fair princesses and queens" in the crowd. He came up to the woman in the wheelchair, and told her "that's a fine chariot you have there my lady." and gave her the rose, while everyone cheered for this princess :). It was great.

There was one booth offering massages.....chya.....from a guy with hair like Kenny G, but black, with a beard and mustache. Oh yeah, and stretch pants. Very creepy. haha, no thank you. Also many booths with tarot reading and crystal ball fortunes ect. For like $30! Totally robbing people.

Overall, I had a ton of fun, and even learned a little bit of contact juggling (look out David Bowie!), which I intend to perfect, as soon as a get a contact juggling ball. Which will be soon. Also, being a princess for a day isn't too bad :) Also I got some real freshwater pearl earrings for pretty cheap, and a cute ring :). Not bad, I say.

I didn't take many pictures, but here are the two I did take: yup, there was no way I was going to put my head in there! It's too nerdy for me! Even after I settled into my nerdy-self.

They're Everywhere

When you walk into any given classroom at my high school, you can bet that there will be multiple students sporting pairs of Converse. Every color; every shade, tone, and tint imaginable, even exotic prints and custom layers, everyone trying to stand out in a unique way (oh, the irony!). This trend seemed to suddenly spring up, faster than my little sister can tattle-tale on me. Where did it come from? What turned the key to get it going, and how did it accelerate so fast?

One possibility is Malcom Gladwell’s “law of the few”. This law, condensed, is essentially the 80/20 Principle, meaning that the influence of one person or a handful of people greatly affects the majority of the population. When Converse first came out, with their now classic design in 1921, what started the fire? Celebrity endorsement (what else?). Charles H. "Chuck" Taylor, a basketball player, started wearing these new All-Star shoes. Because of this one man, we see converse like we do. Without Chuck, we might just see them as bizarrely high-cut shoes, with too much shoelace. Teenagers worship celebrities, including athletes, and anything they do or say immediately becomes popular; we see this today, again and again with shoes, purses, and those popular knit headbands that seem to be growing faster than anything I’ve seen in a long time. These Shoes seem to have sprung up in the same way.

Can I just say, ew. If i ever see anyone i know wearing these, i will come to their house, and burn them.

Lol pants AND shoes! All in one! For your convenience!

I designed these ones myself :) too bad they're $62.

They never really went out or style really, but they sure came back with vehemence. These days there are so many different styles of Converse, sometimes it’s difficult to recognize a pair. They have seeped into every area or shoe-ware, from high-heels, to boots, to flats. Why has this one style branched out so far? Another answer is the overall tone of today’s trends. They all seem to resonate with the past, as the decades of the mid 1900s ripple back to the present. Every year a new-old style washes up; ‘vintage’: it’s the new pink. Converse are the embodiment of classic. Teenagers thirst to be accepted, and if that means dressing a certain way, so be it. It’s all controlled the small strain of glamorous kids who everyone aspires to mirror. Therefore, if they wear converse, so does everyone else.

It seems like no other trend has gone as long as Converse without going out of style. These shoes have been preserved because of out human nature to follow the people we admire. Because a few choice individuals decided to wear this style, we all follow obediently.

BREAKING NEWS! I understood chemistry!

Yes folks! I CAROLINE understood what Ms. Mayall was talking about in class today. It's a miracle. We were talking about radioactivity, and radioactive particles, and for some odd reason, I was able to grasp what she was talking about! I'm in awe of my new found knowledge, and wonder why i could never understand anything else she said this whole year, although I assure you I tried my hardest. It feels so good! It's probably because I got a blessing yesterday that said if I tried my hardest, I would understand. I don't know.

Also, i think Ms. Mayall got engaged :) her ring is gorgeous.

Also! i got 75% on my last test, which is GOOD! much better than the last one where i got 64%. it's a lot better than i expected :) which means that what i did write down was right, because I left a quarter of on the pages blank haha.

And now for a list of the most random words i can think of:

1. squeegee
2. liquorice
3. rice
4. plumb
5. Snapple
6. squelch
7. napkin
8. liposuction
9. liquid paper
10. suitcase
11. beer stein
12. miffed
13. vase
14. dictionary
15. Nicaragua
16. brighten
17. bloody
18. plate
19. American cheese
20. die!
21. Indian
22. sonicare
23. box
24. wood
25. leftovers
26. photos
27. Greece
28. grease
29. raisins
30. chocolate covered ants
31. dust rag
32. cat fur
33. choking
34. sneeze
35. squash
36. USB port
37. Dijon mustard
38. voodoo!
39. David Bowie
40. casket

alas i must go to sleep now, or else face the wrath of a very angry platinum-blonde, or a grumpy bearded man :-P Better Post Next Time!

ps. what's the best random word?

ALSO!! I just took my math placement test for College Algebra-Calc or College Calc-Trig. It was interesting, the first part, just algebra, was SO easy. AND there were only 12 questions; But as I got into the second section, people were leaving, at an alarming rate, already finished. I thought to myself "why is it taking me so long? do i just suck at life??" until there were me and two other people left. The three of us kept on testing for another hour after everyone else was gone! I was really worried that I was just behind everything, and the questions were tough.... I started becoming more and more worried, and thinking i must really be HORRIBLE at math, and maybe they'll drop be from the class because my skill level is so slow. I mean COME ON I've been here for an extra HOUR. Not ten min, or even 15. I kept thinking, "DANG I should've paid more attention to Jaron when he explains math to me!!!! He would TOTALLY know how to do all this stuff!" Finally, when I finished, I took my score up to the teacher, and she must've seen the disappointment on my face, so she explained to me:

I wasn't slow! I just tested into the higher math class! Calc-Trig! If you test into the higher class, it gives you triple the questions! *WHEEW* I don't suck at life. But it surprised me that there were only three of us....