Happy Memorial Day!

With all the parties and fun that happens every year on on Memorial Day, it's hard to remember that the true meaning of the holiday is to honor our fallen soldiers. We must first and foremost thank and honor those that have been so brave, so patriotic, so selfless.

At the same time, this three day weekend has left me more relaxed and spirited than I have been for quite a long time. Today was the big birthday bash that celebrated about five of my best friends' birthdays. I had a blast at the crawfish boil/BBQ that seemed like such a kick in the face to the toughest academic year of my life.

All pictures are taken with my iPhone and edited with: CameraBag, ShakeItLite, or ShakeItPhoto apps.

With Sarah and Nicole, my best friends since 6th grade. We've come a long, long way.

Meg and Brina, my best girlfriends from WAVE that go to Springs :)

Hostess with the mostest :P

I do so overlike this photo :) Sarah and Kris, and a lone crawfish!

It's so weird seeing this guy every day for three years to seeing him only once a year now :(

William! My brother. He never fails to crack me up.

Group picture! I love them all greatly :)

---

...And then... I came home and pigged out on Sonic:

Ashley's gotten me hooked on Cranberry Limeades... Best drink ever created.

Mm... Fried food. How much more All-American can you get on such an All-American day?

Overall, a successful day. Now... for the last four (half) days of school!

Five/Five, 3

I love...

1. Becoming president of NHS! Really exciting and really nervewracking... Hopefully NHS is going to be a blast this upcoming year. I'm very excited :)

2. The last full day of school! We're watching a different movie in every class, basically, so it's been really chill and mellow. ...With an exception of prank wars? And a hot air balloon randomly parked in our back lot?

3. Wearing heels: there's just something so alluring about heels that I love. I've worn my sister's four-inch Kate Spades twice in the past two weeks. Picture up later!

4. Electronic Monopoly: my friend brought this credit-card, more streamlined version of the classic boardgame to school this week. Though it could never take the place of good, old-fashioned paper money, I loved the little credit card machines and the property available for purchase.

5. Moist, heavenly chocolate cake. Self-explanatory.

iPhone Snaps: Series 1

I love the camera on the iPhone :) It has officially taken over my little Casio digital camera. All edited pictures were edited with either Hipstamatic or CameraBag. Just a sidenote- I do prefer CameraBag.

I love my hair curly rather than straight. This year, I've taken to using my CHI hair straightener to curl my hair and it's a lot more loose and natural than curled with an honest curling iron. I'm considering perming my hair freshman year of college, but a lot of people do think it looks better straight, so who knows?

I've known this girl for about six years? Love her to death :) Here we are chilling by the restrooms somewhere fun. Once again, I'm all for making my hair curly permanently!

Ashley, my partner-in-crime :) I'm highly impressed with her, as she has to put up with my antics so much. We are at the Kroger parking lot in this picture, the first of our countless parking lot adventures! I love, love, love this picture-- the colors, her hair, her smile :)

Sarah in Spanish class! We had a full-on photo shoot that day! You'd think I caught her off guard, but this picture was taken after a series of 'tilt your head to the right, smile smaller, move your hair a bit!'

What am I to do without Shirley next year? She's the only person who could understand my nonsensical gibberish on a normal day. 

After the NHS induction :) I love the sleeves of this dress!

"Because in life, there comes a time,

Where one must fight and one must climb,

When one must rise and take a stand,

Or leave their buttprints in the sand."

                                -Author Unknown

I used this quote in my NHS speech for president today :) I adore it.

Through My Lens: Wish

Just watched Dear John. I loved it, but then again, I am a huge sucker for sappy movies.

We are too young.
Too young for our innocence to be stripped away from us.
Yet, we can't stop something from happening.
We can only take a deep breath, lift a shaky foot and step forward centimeter by centimeter, inch by inch.

Five/Five, 2

Wow, Five/Five has not been consistent whatsoever. It's turned out that all my busy-bee activities have landed on Fridays. Finally, we can resume :)

I love...

1. Being in yearbook... Provides tons of little perks. For one thing, I was allowed to skip the Career Fair today (of which I was signed up for the boring speakers) and take pictures of every single speaker in their rooms. That meant, I got a little taste of everything! I went with my fellow paparazzi Mollie and Oliver and the ladies felt so sorry for us for having to walk around all day that they treated us to food in the library! Afterwards, we went to the senior panoramic photo, which made me just a tad sad.

2. Sophie Kinsella (aka Madeleine Wickham sometimes): She's the writer I dream to be. She writes light-hearted, girly books that are hilarious and relatable at the same time. Confessions of a Shopaholic is one of my all-time favorite girl books, but I just finished reading The Wedding Girl last night. It was just a bit heavier than her previous works, but I loved it all the same.

3. Sleeping in a pile with my best friends: On our trip back from Fiesta Texas, we sort of just fell on top of each other in exhaustion. Yes, I managed to pull of sleeping cross-legged in the aisle. We all do look pretty cozy and snuggly, hmm?

4. The last Physics test (ever?): Physics has kicked my butt this year, unfortunately. Honestly, I just don't get circuits and power and magnets, or anything related to equations and conceptual questions, yadda yadda yadda. I'm a poor confused student, and I haven't figured it out if I'm going to have to take Physics in college. But, at least, this last test is going to be the last of Physics I see for a long time. Awesome.

5. Spending 1 and 1/2 hours with two of my best friends at Taco Bell: We ate and chilled and had phone time, laughing all the while, gossiping, and creeping out fellow eaters. Love these chicas :)

Photo edited by CameraBag app on iPhone

Style: Nude Pumps

I'm in great need of a new pair of heels. I'm a bit stuck between buying a pair of classic black pumps, as I lost my favorite ones on a trip to Dallas, and nude pumps. Nude pumps have been ridiculously trendy for the past year or so, but for good reason. They make your legs look mile-long and gorgeously toned. Nude pumps are also versatile and timeless.

Here are a few of my favorite looks:

Megan Fox looks effortlessly cool in a flirty red dress and Christian Louboutin heels. I love how this is more trendy and fun, an accessory rather than an afterthought. Miranda Kerr shows us that nude pumps look just as delicious with jeans. I'm loving her whole outfit here-- the relaxed pink blazer and the Prada ombre satchel. I'm green with envy :/ If only I was a stunning Australian Victoria's Secret Angel who could wake up with Orlando Bloom every morning. I usually have nothing good to say about Angelina Jolie. She is perhaps my least favorite celebrity along with Heidi Montag. But, I do have to admit that she looks very nice in this simple black shift and Stuart Weitzman pumps. I love how her shoes are just half of a shade darker than her skin. Lastly, Olivia Wilde keeps it sophisticated and classy in her white sheath.

(clockwise from top left: Briat Atwood, Stuart Weitzman, Theory, Aldo, Christian Louboutin)

These are all heartbreakingly gorgeous and I would snatch them all up if money were no object. The Brian Atwood's are slightly higher and darker, so they're a bit edgier than I would like. The Stuart Weitzman's are the ones that Angelina's wearing. I do like the criss-cross details and the peep-toe, but I feel they may look a bit mature once on. The Theory ones are perfect in every way :) I love me some peep-toes. The Louboutin's are also perfect ten's. I love the glossy patent leather, but alas, I won't be able to afford them for a few more years. Lastly, the Aldo pumps are a bit lighter than ideal in color-- I would prefer a pink-based nude over a yellow-based one, but I'll take it if offered!

Deep Thoughts

"If I die young,

Bury me in satin,

Lay me down on a bed of roses,

Sink me in the river at dawn,

Send me away with the words of a love song."

-"If I Die Young" by the Band Perry

  This is the kind of song that makes you think really hard. We all believe that we're going to live until we're very, very old. We take living for granted. We take getting married, having a family, being capable of taking care of ourselves for granted. No one knows what can happen tomorrow. 

  Life is so stressful as a junior. I'm really just very sick of it. It seems like all of my teachers are piling up a bunch of tests and projects on us for the last two weeks. I feel like I'm a dam about to burst, but I'm almost through. I'm almost through.

I didn't know that 1.5 hours at Taco Bell could be fun.

I stand corrected.

Through My Lens: Food

New York City, 2009

Times Square, Fifth Avenue, Central Park. Of all the places to visit in New York City, the number one spot I had to hit on my last visit was Magnolia Bakery. Magnolia Bakery is heaven (though the Tiffany's on Fifth Avenue was a close second). I love, love, love everything about the bakery- the ridiculousness of the line, the smell of vanilla wafting towards you blocks and blocks away, the little cardboard box, being able to pick your little goodies, everything, everything, everything! I'm nearly peeing my pants with the memory :P I went there twice when I visited New York City this past fall. My favorites are the classic vanilla cupcake and the famous red velvet :) So scrumptious!

Photo taken with iPhone camera

So delicious, I had to visit a second time! Mine, all mine :D The cake itself was so light, so vanilla-y, so much like a frothy dress and the frosting was creamy and not overly sugary. 

Photo taken with iPhone camera

What a gross picture of yours truly, but it does communicate my absolute exhilaration and joy at the prospect of devouring such a culinary masterpiece!

Remember When...

...Field trips were normal? Ride a bus, come out to play, go home?

We went to Fiesta Texas up in San Antonio on Friday and it was... pretty interesting. One of our buses broke down and we hung out on some creepy road for two hours before reinforcements came. Then, the rain was dampening our plans (literally!). On our way back, we had to pull over again at an even creepier field.

No worries, though, because when your best friends are with you, you make the best out of any situation. We still had a lot of fun and rode one roller coaster five times back-to-back, singing at the top of our lungs to You Belong With Me just because we felt like it.

On our way back, we slept in a literal pile. I'm not sure how we got into such positions, but we were basically all over each other, all limbs and blankets and no air!

On a sidenote, I ate my first hamburger since seventh grade :) I gave it up as a challenge to myself, in a way, and because I felt sorry for the poor little cows after we went to the NASA Agricultural farm. I decided that senior year should be very all-out, so I decided to let myself eat beef for now. Maybe I'll change my mind once I get to college, but for now... Hamburgers are damn good :P

Style: Summer Wear

  This is my typical outfit around late spring/early summer: a simple dress, a cardigan to keep me warm in A/Ced areas, and flats to walk about in. Cute!

Summerwear by likeabutterfly09 featuring Forever21 dresses

Through My Lens: Life

Mondays are very blah. I never feel spirited enough to post anything meaningful, so Mondays are going to be picture days... My life and my words told through the lens of a camera. The best kind of description there is :)

Edited w/ CameraBag iPhone app

Pictures don't have to be taken with thousand dollar DSLRs to come out looking great. I love my little iPhone camera, although I do wish it came with flash and zoom. 

The clouds after school today were moving at such a fast pace. It made me stop and think... Life moves so much faster when you're older. I can't believe I'm almost a senior. This time next year, I'll be preparing to graduate. I can't wait for it, but at the same time... Oh. my. God.

Relay for Life

  I spent the whole night (6:30 PM-6:30 AM) at Relay for Life, an overnight walk for cancer. I've gotten a cold from the stress of the AP exams, and I must say that I was absolutely miserable for a long part of the night. From early evening to midnight, I was perfectly fine and hanging out with friends/going on hilarious adventures. In the early, early morning however, my nose was all clogged up and my throat was so scratchy. From around 3 AM-6 AM, I upped my hyper level again. At home, I've been sleeping on-and-off all day and my cold has gotten worse.

  I'm just dealing with a tiny little cold that's going to over in a couple days. Cancer patients, on the other hand, live in utmost misery for months and sometimes years. Relay for Life is an amazing event and I had a very eye-opening experience that gave me a chance to partake in the spirit of giving back along with some of my best friends.

  Never take life for granted. Give back.

"Could we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now."
                                                  -B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams, Airplanes


The wondrous nature of songs and music is that they have the ability to speak the words in our hearts that we weren't able to define ourselves. It sums up our feelings and thoughts in a catchy melody. I love these lyrics.


I just wish for these two weeks to be over and done with. Please. 

"...and all this living's so much harder than it seems,
but girl, don't let your dreams be dreams
You know this living's not as hard as it seems."
                         -Jack Johnson, "Dreams Be Dreams"


Just live. Make your dreams reality. The saddest thing is to be ninety years old, looking back, and think of all the should've beens, could've beens, and might've beens. 

Definition of Summer

Noun, adjective, verb. Time of year. Bliss.

A late summer evening on a sailboat by the Kemah Boardwalk

1. Iced tea and lemonade
2. Lazy days
3. Sweat-drenched
4. Candy colored nails
5. Travel
6. Shorts
7. Beaches, pools, lakes, seas, every form of water.
8. Big sunglasses
9. The coconut-ty smell of sunscreen.
10. A pivotal time for change.

What does summer mean to you?

Why, Like a Butterfly?

Han Xiang, played by Liu Dan

  This is Han Xiang. She is a character in the Chinese TV series 'Huan Zhu Ge Ge II' (Princess of Pearls II), a sensational drama in the 90's that became wildly popular and is perhaps one of the most beloved dramas of all time in China. This show has made an impact of tremendous force on my life, in a way that I could never explain. In fact, I won't even try to explain. I will only say that it is the one piece of media that has influenced me so enormously.

The main cast of Princess of Pearls II (Han Xiang is in white)

  Anyways, to an eight-year-old Caroline, Han Xiang was the most beautiful person in the world and since the beginning of time. In the show, she was a princess from a Muslim tribe on the border of China. She was born with a natural fragrance and was considered a national treasure. When she was around twenty years old, her father brought her to Emperor Qianlong as a gift of allegiance. She became a reluctant concubine, one who was in love with a man back at home.

  We see her first as a chillingly cold woman, bitter from being taken away from her homeland and her beloved. In the progression of the story, however, and as she becomes friends with the protagonists, she becomes warm, playful, timid, brave, and intelligent. Her dancing enthralled thousands, the gentle plucks of her instruments leave listeners speechless. Time and time again, she defies the not-easily-defied Emperor, remaining faithful to her principles and to her lover.

  Most thrillingly of all, she was able to attract butterflies. With a few twirls, butterflies flock to her side, playing and dancing with her, drawn in by her magnificent smell.

  Of course, this is all fiction (though Han Xiang was based on a real life concubine). But, it allowed my imagination to run wild. I would douse myself with perfume and twirl around in my driveway for hours, hoping that just one butterfly would appear. Since I was eight, I've always believed that if I always remain resilient, am beautiful and brave, demure yet strong-willed, friendly to all and become extremely talented, if I always remain true to my beliefs and my principles, then perhaps metaphorically, I can truly attract butterflies myself.

  Tragically, Liu Dan, the actress who played Han Xiang, died in a car accident on her way to the Princess of Pearls II premiere. She was a young star, about to be catapulted into overnight fame like her costars, but her time ran out and left us only the legacy of a beautiful Han Xiang. With her passing, the storyline of Han Xiang ended (a third HZGG eventually came out with a new cast), but it is assumed that she escaped back to her homeland with her beloved as an ordinary commoner. It was Han Xiang's dream to serve her country, but to have the live happily and simply, all of which she was able to do.

So brain dead.

AP Spanish Language exam: no me gusta. At least it's over and done with :) Three more to go!

Style: Metropolitan Museum of Art Met Ball, Best Dressed

I love style. Clothes are my best friends. As much as I would love to wear haute couture day in and day out with YSL Trib Two's or Christian Louboutin's, I wouldn't have anywhere to wear such exquisite beauty to and more importantly, I don't have the dinero!

However, when occasions such as these come up, I'm completely excited to make my Best Dressed lists. The Costume Institute Gala Met Ball, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is an annual fashion event. It's a major deal. The Olympics of fashion, if you will.

Emma Watson in Burberry

Emma is one of my favorite style celebrities, and my favorite out of the Golden Trio. She always dresses age-appropriately, sometimes with an edge, and is never boring. I love the slit in this dress and the details are stunning.

Sienna Miller in Emilio Pucci, with Jude Law

Sigh. Absolute perfection. I love that Jude and Sienna are back together. I've always considered them one of the best dressed couples :) Jude seems so much less of a greasy sleazeball when he's with Sienna, and Sienna always ups the classiness and sophistication. How splendid is that dress and makeup?

Kate Hudson in Stella McCartney

Kate Hudson can do no wrong. I love the simplicity and easy glamor of this gown, but my favorite part is the neckline. Beautiful!

And folks, that's all for my Best Dressed. Other notables included Kate Bosworth looking gorgeously vintage, Renee Zellweger, and Eva Longoria. Cheers!

All images used in this post belongs to Just Jared.

Through My Lens: Travel

Great Wall of China at Badaling, Summer 2008

  

  There are no words in any world language to describe the feeling atop the Great Wall of China, but I'll do my best. We took the cheaters' route and went up on a cable car. From there, we spent half an hour walking to a fire tower (the square stations). It's hot, there are literally thousands of people swarming around you, pushing and shoving, and the ridged walkways are harder to walk on than one might think. Yet, when you find yourself a little ridge and look out at the trees and hills, a breeze hits you, the noise is drowned out, and it's just plain calm. That feeling is simply priceless.

"Give your stress wings and let it fly away." --Terri Guillemets

Oh, how I wish this could happen. Alas, it's AP testing time and the above statement is an impossibility. 

Five/Five, 1

I've decided to have a feature called 'Five/Five', which will be posted every Friday. Basically, to start off weekends, I will have a list of five random positive things- things I love, things that make me happy, anything I want. I know it's a Sunday and all, but I'm in a cheerful mood, so let's do it anyways!

I love:

1. Best friends: enough said.

2. Chocolate chip cookies from the DoubleTree Hotel: my ideal version of a chocolate chip cookie :)

3. Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn: I was reading the new Vanity Fair with Grace Kelly on the cover. True to her name, she is so graceful, so beautiful, so iconic. And Audrey. Audrey, Audrey. I heart Audrey! Hollywood's been around for awhile and has seen many talented actresses, but Grace and Audrey, in my opinion, are the brightest, the most beautiful, the most classic and timeless, the best of the best.

Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn about to present at the Academy Awards.

4. Avatar on DVD: I saw Avatar in 3D when it came out in theaters and I thought it was completely amazing, dramatic, and stunning. The DVD brought back the jaw-dropping awe. What a stunner.

5. Chris Pine (Princess Diaries II, Star Trek): why, yes, I do think he's the studliest man on Earth.

Hello, Hola, 你好, Bonjour, Ciao, Konichiwa!

On this sweltering, lazy, I'm-supposed-to-be-studying-for-AP-tests day, a random thought came to mind.

I should start a blog.

I've read, loved, and been inspired by hundreds of blogs. No joke. I've read blogs about fashion, about celebrities, food, interior design, weddings, travel, just about everything under the sun. The world has become infinitely smaller with the rise of technology and the Internet (that sentence came straight out of my history book), and our generation is incredibly lucky to be able to hear the voices of millions and learn about the experiences of everyday people- those halfway across the world and those living three doors down.

But, see, I've always been reluctant to start a blog because I tend to ramble, I get bored easily, and high school has been crazy-busy.

And then I knocked myself on the head. Hello. I have a pretty great life. I travel a ton (mostly around North America and China, though I'm going to Europe next year! Hooray!), take an insane amount of pictures, have witty moments once in awhile, get up to some pretty crazy antics with my friends, and am about to begin a long journey- senior year, college, and then the real world.

This blog is going to be mainly centered around my travels. As I'm not Paris Hilton, who can fly around the world without really doing anything, I don't have the time nor the money to travel all the time. Therefore, in the home-at-Houston days in between, I will be rambling on and on about fashion, food, friends, fotography (had to stick with the f's), and anything that pops up in my mind.

Hello, I'm Caroline. Welcome to my journey :)