5 Women that SLAY in Everything They Do

1. J.K. Rowling

(Picture: https://larryfire.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/jk-rowling-official-portrait.jpg)

J.K. Rowling is Queen! She is wise, talented, accomplished in her craft. she refuses to be pigeon holed into a specific genre and has courageously branched out into other genres. Need I say more?

2. Tavi Gevinson

(Picture: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2014/05/23/multimedia/tmag-tavi-gevinson/tmag-tavi-gevinson-videoSixteenByNine1050.jpg)

I have been obsessed with Rookie Mag ever since I read about Tavi in Teen Vogue a long time back. We're the same age, but when I was trying to take pre-adolescent pimples and poufy hair she became a fashion icon. Then she created Rookie. Then she acted in movies and on Broadway.

I can't even. Tavi is my hero, and I think we need to be best friends.


3. Emma watson

(Picture: http://media4.popsugar-assets.com/files/2014/04/14/075/n/3019466/59e0f18aa7f3fa66_480667729.xxxlarge/i/Emma-Watson-Quotes-Dating.jpg)

She played my favorite literary heroine Hermione Granger. After the end of the Harry Potter series, she moved on to more grown up and diverse roles. My favorite is that she recently spoke at the United Nations on Feminism and women's' rights.

4. Taylor swift

(Pictures: http://www.billboard.com/files/styles/promo_650/public/media/taylor-swift-2014-sarah-barlow-billboard-650.jpg)

I am a huge Swiftie (I'm seeing her in concert this summer!!). I've been a fan ever since Fearless came out. Her music got me through middle school and high school so far, and probably will get me through college. She bravely went from country to pop, and was success. Recently, someone said that I was just like Taylor Swift. By the tone of voice, I'm no sure if it was meant as a knock or a compliment, but I'll take that as a compliment any day!

5. Jane Austen

(Picture: http://eatingforbalance.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/women-Jane-Austen.jpg)

Even though her works are sometimes put down for romanticizing the subservience that women had been subjected to in the past. Every one of her novels end in a marriage, but what some people fail to remember is that that was how it was back then! Woman had to get married to live. In my opinion, Jane Austen's works are famous because of her graceful and eloquent documentation of her time. But she is on this list because Jane was able to support herself in a man's world. Jane was very different from her heroines, she never got married and made her own money in a time women were dependent upon men. She made a throne for herself in a man's enterprise.

Weekend Playlist: Maneater

Straight from the Spotify, from me to you.

Maneater- The late 70s to the 80s punk and other songs Grimm should use (and have before). And some of their music videos.

1. "Maneater" Daryl Hall & John Oates

2. "Take On Me" A-ha

This video though. I love this, it makes the little comic book geek in me very very happy!

3. "Centerfold" The J. Geils Band

I've always had an irrational crush on Peter Wolf in this video. Don't ask me why, I'm not sure why myself.

4. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" Eurythmics

Annie Lennox Annie Lennox Annie Lennox

5. "Werewolves of London" Warren Zevon

Ah-wooooo! (*howls at the moon*).

6. "Danger Zone" Kenny Loggins

7. "Heart of Glass" Blondie

Debbie Harry Debbie Harry Debbie Harry

What I Watched This Weekend...

I was the Queen of Procrastination last weekend. Isn't that what a teenager is supposed to do over the weekend? Instead of being a good little nerd and reading (which I did do when i wasn't watching TV...) I watched TV. A lot. Here's the full list (get comfy, it's a long one).

1. Arthur

(Picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4c/Arthurtv_logo.png)

When I got home from school, I made myself a nice bowl of cereal and sat down in front of the TV. I turned it on and there was one of my childhood favorites, Arthur! I watched the whole episode, and I enjoyed it. I am not ashamed.

2. Julie and Julia

(Picture: http://cdn.hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/29/picture-of-julie-and-julia-movie-photo.jpg)

We watched this on Sunday night. I love this one. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams? Plus food? Perfect.

3. Pretty in Pink

(Picture: http://image-cdn.zap2it.com/images/pretty-in-pink-andrew-mccarthy-molly-ringwald-jon-cryer.jpg)

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that Pretty in Pink is one of my favorite movies ever. Ever. I watched this Friday night for the first time in a couple of months. I hadn't watched it since September. I think that's some sort of record for me.

4. Moonstruck

(Picture: https://bestromanticcomedies.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/moonstruckxxx.jpg)

This was one of the picks for Saturday. I had never seen this before, but I had high hopes. I'm not a huge fan of Cher's music, but I love her as an actress. Mermaids is case in point (Cher and Winona Ryder are perfection, not to mention 60s fashion). This movie did not disappoint. A young (and extremely angry and attractive) Nicolas Cage satisfied the National Treasure fan in me as well.

5. Love Story

(Picture: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZ5-5wxVOnc_rkn_5s-ulV_T7jGFPEizQN9JcCCWK_TfVyMi9qRs-XGnDNJy084bTDtAqHVmPjaOjQ-Sm6fDLLlHCRP6AzRTAqPDvDC0kAfggxOHO5AudfBWi6tLHAhwVtRf78Jktp8gq/s1600/love+story+05.jpg)
I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a sappy Nicholas Sparks type movie. It kind of was, but the moving was so charming and the 70s style was so inspiring that it made up for any sap. And I watched this on Valentine's Day, a day when a little sap is acceptable.

6. As Time Goes By

(Picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dd/As_Time_Goes_By_cast.jpg)

I love this show! It's an old British sitcom, something my dad likes to call a "muttery Brit show." I don't know about that but I love to watch this late on the weekends with tea and my embroidering. Like the 80 year old I am.

7. Brady Bunch

(Picture: http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Third_Party_Photo/2008/10/15/brady_bunch__1224097221_0886.jpg)

Another childhood favorite. I love this for Peter and the 70s fashion, but I can't help but feel like the creators missed such a huge opportunity with this show. Brady Bunch was about the merging of two families. In the pilot, Mr. and Mrs. Brady get remarried and their kids aren't so thrilled. The Brady boys especially are feeling the loss of their late mother. Mr. Brady says that their mother can never be replaced, but from that point on the boys call Carol "Mom." I can't help but feel like if the show had paid more of a homage to the characters past. If the show had been a little more realistic for more than  episodes and not tried to portray the PERFECT AMERICAN FAMILY, the show would not have been just iconic, but revolutionary!

8. Mad About You

(Picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ro/0/07/Mad-about-you-in-window.jpg)
This is a new favorite... I love this! Especially how they do crossovers with Friends and Seinfeld.

 9. Sex and the City

(Picture: http://feminspire.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/sex-and-the-city.jpeg)

I bought the first season at Target a few weeks ago. I'm not a huge fan, but I like how Carrie is a writer. I love anything about a writer's life.
P.S. I love Carrie's shirt in this picture. Bowie fans unite!

10. Northern Exposure

(Picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/it/archive/f/f0/20091214011522!Northern_Exposure_titoli.jpg)

I. Love. Northern Exposure. The way that the show is written, the way that the actors play the characters, the sets and the location, all blend together into a masterpiece. Also, the moose in the opening credits is adorable, too. I don't know if it's on Netflix, but if you haven't seen this, watch it. Now.

This is your procrastinating Queen signing off.

Ch-ch-changes!

So I've changed the name of this little blog.

Again. 

I do realize that it seems like I've been changing the name and the URL every year. I went from Lizzie's Garden to Petals and Velvet to now The Ginger Introvert. I promise I'll try not to make this a yearly thing. But I went from one senseless name to another, and after I created my Tumblr using the name Ginger Introvert, I decided that I really liked the name and that I wanted to use it for this blog as well. This name has meaning for me... For obvious reasons, ha! I changed the header, too. I love this picture, my best friend took it for her Photography class last year. I used it for the cover of my portfolio for Creative Writing class last year as well. 

There have been so many changes since I last wrote. I'm a senior this year. I'm a little over five months away from graduating (eep!), I've chosen the college that I'm going to be attending in the fall (again... eep!). I've lost about fifty pounds since I started exercising last February (blog post about that coming up soon), I'm taking an all year AP Lit class that is helping me grow both as a reader and a writer (post about this coming up soon, too). And probably a million other things that I'm forgetting right now.

I'm not making any promises, because whenever I do, I forget about them and don't write at all, but I do want to write here more. I'm doing an independent study in creative writing this semester, so I actually have the time to write! Which is beyond amazing. Third block is my favorite time of the day. 

Write soon, Lizzie Rose.

Carpe Diem

Hello everyone!

This summer has been both memorable and a little disappointing. Memorable because of all the memories made, mostly good, some not so much. June flew by. I kept up with my exercising, and basked in the newfound freedom that only comes with a summer spread in front of you, all fresh and new, possibilities out the wazoo (that rhymed, super proud of myself right now). The last week of June, my aunt and uncle from California flew home with their boys, and launched us into the busiest week of the summer. We drove down almost every day and spent as much time as possible with them. Hiking, a day at an amusement park, picnics with old family friends. That week was so much fun, but by the end of it, we were all so exhausted that it was refreshing to go back to our own corners for a bit.

The days following led into July 4th, which we spent with my other grandparents. We didn't go out or set off fireworks, but we had a nice, quiet night in. After Independence Day, July slipped from my fingers like sand. I got out of the habit of exercising, and struggled to keep the practice. I must have only exercised about 7 times over the entire month of July, thus hitting my plateau. (I'm still planning on writing a post all about my healthier lifestyle. I had foolishly planned on waiting until I had gotten to my goal weight to post my complete story, but more and more I'm realizing that that could be a looong time from now. So, I'm thinking I will post updates, I'm not sure how often, though.) July was also the most exciting, what with the BookTubeAThon, Sabrina the Teenage Witch marathons, a day trip to Philadelphia with my cousin, graduation parties, getting my own car and finally working towards my license (I've named my car Kaylee, after my favorite character in Firefly), and a few more personal things that I will have learn from. Learning to take the leap, getting back up with things crash and burn and learning from them. I won't call them mistakes, because even though some of them hurt, they were worth it. 

This led into last week at the beach with my family. Every year we rent a house in our favorite beach town and producing some of my favorite memories of the summer. Spending the entire week with my best friend and cousin, talking and getting even closer. Memories that I will hold on to when I'm slogging through what will probably be the longest year of my life... Senior year.

I'm still in denial that there is only two weeks left to my last "carefree" summer, and that in two weeks I will begin my senior year. When I try to think about it, my stomach clenches up and I get a headache. You know how when you've been with someone for a while, and after being separated from them for a while, you romantasize the relationship that you had with them, so much so that the relationship becomes so skewed that it's nowhere near how it really was? I think that I've been doing the opposite with school. Since I've been away, it's been blown up as this big, horrible thing in my head. 

When I really think about it, there are quite a few things to look forward to this year. My classes are pretty exciting, and I'm looking forward to seeing my friends on a regular basis again. There are quite a few things to be proud of, including the fact that I've lost around 30 pounds since February. If I stop over analyzing every little thing, hopefully I'll be able to enjoy myself as the "year of lasts" officially begins. I mean, if I really think about it, it began in June, but I don't think it would be wise.

But summer isn't over yet, and there are still quite a few things to loom forward to, like Taylor Swift's live stream on the 18th, the arrival of my pre-ordered copy of Stephanie Perkins' new book that I have been waiting for for what seems like FOREVER, visiting with my grandparents next weekend. Taking it one day at a time, trying not to over analyze and savor the days. Because no matter how much I daydream about it, time only goes one way. That, And Doctor Brown destroyed the De Lorean.

Here are a few of the pictures from this summer...

A wildflower picked for me by one of my friends at youth group.

One of my favorite parts of summer, peaches!

Selfie.

With my girls at the beach!

My love.

A selfie at the bay.

In honor of Robin Williams, I would like to share a quote that seems to be quite relevant to the theme of this post from one of my very favorite movies... "Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary."

~Lizzie Rose~ 

Philadelphia

Hello everyone!

Today my family and I took an excursion out to the big bad city! We went to see the Pompeii exhibit at the Franklin Institute. Also, we visited my big cousin Sarah at her school, and lets just say thet I'm a little jealous. Just a little. Or a lot. Whatever.

The view from her dorm room is insane.

Jacket: thrifted, shirt and skirt: Forever 21, boots: Target, bag: old, can't remember where I got it (sorry!)

A huge thank you goes to my Mom and to Sarah for helping me with the pictures! It was so much fun running around looking for places to take them. I wish I could do more travel posts like this, but I take what I can get.

~Lizzie Rose~

Song of the Day: Happy by Pharrell Williams
You can't not be happy when you hear this song. Go ahead and try.

Saying Goodbye to Wintery Colors

Hello everyone! 

I know it's been a while, school has been crazy busy since the classes changed. Also, I've been exercising every day for nearly two months, a "lifestyle change" that I'm planning on writing about in the near future.

I've been wanting to try blogging about fashion for a looong time now, and I finally got up the courage to do my first OOTD post! I realized after the sun had gone down and I had changed out of my clothes that I forgot to take a full shot of the entire outfit... So I kind of botched my first fashion post, but hopefully I'll get better as time goes on. Also, please excuse the stupid timestamps if there are any left. I think I cropped them all out, but Picasa was being particularly contrary today.

Since today is April first (!!!) it's getting a little too warm to be wearing such warm colors. Today at school, nearly every girl was wearing a dress or a skirt! I guess I missed the memo. But I'm in love with this sweater, and I needed to say goodbye before I break out the pastels and lace. 

Sweater: Pacsun, Leggings: Target, Bracelets: were a gift, Necklace: Old Navy, Boots: Target

Hope you enjoyed my first fashion post! I'm definitely going to be posting more like this! Also, I have a DIY in the works and a lifestyle post about my new "Lifestyle Change" as I'm calling it. Will post soon!

~Lizzie Rose~

Song of the Day: Little Me by Little Mix
I looove this song! I'm obsessed! It's been on repeat for about a week now.