2016 Scrapbook
I’m done trying to fit in / And be half forgiven / For things that I never did / We’re more than what scares us / We’re final and fearless / We’ll dance where the ice gets thin - Matt Nathanson, "Giants"
Warning: Image Heavy
{Last Updated: December 31, 2016}
resolutions | goals | default icons | layouts | memorable entries | desktops | loves | new albums heard | playlist | last.fm stats | books read | movies seen | television watched | words written | graphics posted | crafts completed | online reads | videos | quotations/lyrics | day zero goals met | events/memories | headlines | credits
Rating Scale:
| Not worth the time
| Could have been a lot better
| At least worth checking out
| Very good
| Amazing!
r e s o l u t i o n s
» In 2016, I resolve to…
» …lose weight.
» …listen to more music.
» …read more books.
» …improve my French.
» …begin learning Japanese.
» …write more.
» …journal more.
» …try to have a more positive outlook.
g o a l s
» The to-do list
» Have a 4.0 in every class (6/6) (yes, I'm counting the pass/fail class-no one said it would be)
» Renew my teacher certification
» Obtain my ESL endorsement
» Find a full-time teaching job
» Update my resume
» Update my portfolio
» Go through my closet in the fall
» Try the 21 Day Fix (portion control)
» Read 100 new to me books (16/100)
» Listen to 100 albums released this year (0/100)
» Listen to 100 albums released before this year (0/100)
» Post to LJ at least once a month (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec)
» Do at least 5 friending memes on LJ (0/5)
» Update my scrapbook at least once a month (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec)
» Create new layout for journal
» Create new layout for graphics journal
» Make at least 5 graphics posts to chaoticxmuse (0/5)
» Make at least 100 icons (0/100)
» Make at least 3 LJ layouts (0/3)
» Color at least 20 coloring pages (0/20)
» Finish my latch hook piece
» Make my Detroit Tigers blanket
» Finish my découpage frame
» Make my Bon Jovi pillow
» Make those flannel pajama bottoms
d e f a u l t i c o n s
» LJ identification
Princess Jasmine
Made by kaysoul @ sunkissedsky
{12.07.2015 - 00.00.0000}
One of my favorite Disney characters from my favorite Disney movie. I really liked the colors in this icon.
l a y o u t s
» Coding for my journal
Winter Blues
CSS by fleeting_days
{12.28.2015 - 00.00.0000}
I really like the way this layout is set up, so I may keep it for a while, just changing the colors. Blue this time for winter.
m e m o r a b l e e n t r i e s
» Posts of note
{01.11.2016} Time may change me, but I can't trace time
{12.31.2016} 2016 Scrapbook
d e s k t o p s
» Wallpapers that decorate my laptop
Little Fox
Made by QueenOfDorks @ DeviantArt
{12.28.2013 - 00.00.0000}
I’ve had this wallpaper for about two years now simply because I think it’s adorable. Will this be the year I change it? Who knows. It’s going to be difficult to find a replacement for it.
l o v e s
» Crushes, obsessions, and everything else I got addicted to
David Cook
Oh, the Idol nostalgia this year…this guy was probably my favorite contestant that was ever on the show.
Fall Out Boy
I keep saying, this one isn’t going to change. This was also how I kept my sanity traveling home after school all summer.
Agent Carter
I’m sad because this isn’t coming back. It was on ABC, so I probably should have suspected this.
Colin Jost
I admit I have a problem…that hair and that adorable face…
Detroit Tigers
So this season was better than last year, but they still didn’t make it to the play offs. I’ve accepted this only because it was cool to see the Cubs win this year.
Bon Jovi
Because it’s Bon Jovi. Do I need any other reason? Also, the new album this year that was a lot better than What About Now.
n e w a l b u m s h e a r d
» Music Goal: Listen to 100 albums released this year: 1/100
Wildfire by Rachel Platten
{01.01.2016}
I might only have one match / But I can make an explosion
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Some songs are very sweet while the others have a kind of spark. This was a good first album. I’ve heard others I like better, but it was nice to hear a pop album with some cheerful tracks. A couple of songs felt a little like filler, but I liked it enough to listen to something else she might release.
Favorite Tracks: “Fight Song,” “Superman”
1. Wildfire by Rachel Platten {01.01.2016} |
2. Death of a Bachelor by Panic! at the Disco {01.15.2016} |
3. Hurricane by Nick Fradiani {08.05.2016} |
p l a y l i s t
» The songs I played over and over
“Into Me” by Chantal Kreviazuk
“From Here to Zero” by David Cook
“I’m Gonna Love You” by David Cook
“I Love You Always Forever” by Donna Lewis
“Closer” by The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey
“Sit Still, Look Pretty” by Daya
“Love Me” by Katy Perry
“Roller Coaster” by Bon Jovi
“For You” by Demi Lovato
“You Can Call Me Al” by Paul Simon
“Girls with Guns” by Tommy Shaw
“Water Under the Bridge” by Adele
l a s t . f m s t a t s
» A record of my music addiction
16,772 scrobbles, 743 artists, 141 loved tracks
Top 10 Artists: Fall Out Boy, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, Patrick Stump, Panic! at the Disco, Matt Nathanson, Katy Perry, David Cook, Bruno Mars, Kris Allen
16,893 scrobbles, 151 songs loved
Top 10 Artists: Fall Out Boy, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, Patrick Stump, Panic! at the Disco, Matt Nathanson, Katy Perry, David Cook, Bruno Mars, Kris Allen
17,438 scrobbles, 286 songs loved
Top 10 Artists: Fall Out Boy, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, Patrick Stump, David Cook, Panic! at the Disco, Matt Nathanson, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Kris Allen
I actually did this March 11.
17,614 scrobbles, 311 songs loved
Top 10 Artists: Fall Out Boy, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, Patrick Stump, David Cook, Panic! at the Disco, Matt Nathanson, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Kris Allen
April 5th this time!
18,464 scrobbles, 313 songs loved
Top 10 Artists: Fall Out Boy, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, Patrick Stump, David Cook, Panic! at the Disco, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé
b o o k s r e a d
» Book Goal: Read 100 books I’ve never read before: 16/100
A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
{240 pages, 1999}
A very sweet novel. At first I was concerned because it felt like Landon and Jaime were falling in love too quickly, but by the end of the book, that doesn’t seem to matter in the grand scheme of things. My reasons for knocking off a star and a half mostly have to do with a few aspects of the writing like some loose ends that seemed to want tying up and the lead up to the reveal of a major plot point. These might simply be because this is one of Sparks’s earlier stories.
Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
{281 pages, 2015}
I’m not always a big fan a Sophie Kinsella. In fact, a lot of her characters give me secondhand embarrassment. That being said, I really liked this book. I’m glad that more and more young adult authors are starting to introduce their readers into the lives of people with anxiety or depression. I felt that Kinsella should have revealed Audrey’s trigger at some point. I know that technically it’s supposed to be about getting better and not the trigger, but the narrator spends the first few chapters dangling the “incident” in front of us and keeps saying she won’t tell us what it is. The dangling is just annoying. I also thought a little too much focus was on the brother’s computer games. That felt like the first half of the book and then, oh, back to Audrey. Definitely some things I would fix, but overall I was pretty happy with the reading of this.
Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger
{385 pages, 2013}
I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book. I was one of those readers who preferred the movie. That being said, the first book was a lot better. This book? Essentially undoes all of that character development from the first book. I checked out some other reviews for the sequel, and even fans of the first book hated it. That’s a problem. The characters’ behaviors are unbelievable, and it was more frustrating than anything to see how Andy responded to various situations throughout the novel.
1. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks {240 pages, 1999} |
2. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld {370 pages, 2005} |
3. An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde {e-book, 1893} |
4. Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella {281 pages, 2015} |
5. Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger {385 pages, 2013} |
6. Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie {245 pages, 1924} |
7. Grandville #1 by Bryan Talbot {104 pages, 2005} |
8. Will Grayson, Will Grayson {310 pages, 2010} |
9. The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember by Fred Rogers {198 pages, 2003} |
10. Life's Journeys According to Mister Rogers: Things to Remember Along the Way by Fred Rogers {176 pages, 2005} |
11. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke {236 pages, 1968} |
12. Stuck in the Middle: 17 Comics from an Unpleasant Age ed. by Ariel Schrag {224 pages, 2007} |
13. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas {404 pages, 2012} |
14. The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie {247 pages, 1935} |
15. Blockade Billy by Stephen King {112 pages, 2010} |
16. The Golden Ball and Other Stories by Agatha Christie {288 pages, 1971} |
m o v i e s s e e n
» Pictures on the silver screen
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
{J.J. Abrams, 2015}
No, I hadn’t seen this yet. No, it wasn’t what I expected. It was so much more. I’m so glad that this was the first movie I saw this year. I loved it, and I thought Disney did a spectacular job with it. I love the characters, and the story works well in the Star Wars universe. I won’t say too much because I truly think this is a movie where one should remain unspoiled, but I’m already excited for the next installment.
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
{Zack Snyder, 2016}
As a Michigan resident, it was cool to see such a high profile movie shot in Detroit. That’s where my enthusiasm for this movie ends. I usually like movies with Batman in them. The best part was the last half hour. I could go over why this is a bad movie, but then I’d just be rehashing what a million other websites have already said. That and I don’t want to spoil anything.
Ghostbusters
{Paul Feig, 2016}
This was probably my favorite movie released this year. I loved the cast, and I loved what they did with this. Is it perfect? No, but it’s close enough. I liked the references to the original movie without making it a copy or a continuation. It’s its own story, and I think that’s important. This was the movie I ran out and bought this year. I don’t do that very often.
Staten Island Summer
{Rhys Thomas, 2015}
This doesn’t add much to the coming of age genre. That being said, there is something charming (something…not sure what) about this movie, and I tend to have a special place in my heart for the SNL cast. Parts of it were funny, so not a bad way to spend a couple of hours. It was written by Colin Jost, which is why I watched it in the first place since I generally like his SNL sketches. If he wrote something else, I’d watch it.
1. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens {J.J. Abrams, 2015} | Cinema |
2. Ant-Man {Peyton Reed, 2015} | Rewatch |
3. Daddy’s Home {Sean Anders, 2015} | Cinema |
4. Inside Out {Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen, 2015} | Home |
5. The Intern {Nancy Meyers, 2015} | Rewatch |
6. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice {Zack Snyder, 2016} | Cinema |
7. Captain America: Civil War {Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, 2016} | Cinema |
8. Ghostbusters {Paul Feig, 2016} | Cinema |
9. What’s Your Number? {Mark Mylod, 2011} | Rewatch |
10. EDtv {Ron Howard, 1999} | Home |
11. Charlie St. Cloud {Burr Steers, 2010} | Home |
12. Invictus {Clint Eastwood, 2009} | Home |
13. Ocean’s Eleven {Steven Soderbergh, 2001} | Home |
14. Ocean’s Twelve {Steven Soderbergh, 2004} | Home |
15. Ocean’s Thirteen {Steven Soderbergh, 2007} | Home |
16. The Longest Ride {George Tillman Jr., 2015} | Home |
17. Staten Island Summer {Rhys Thomas, 2015} | Netflix |
18. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them {David Yates, 2016} | Cinema |
19. A Muppet Christmas Carol {Brian Henson, 1992} | Home |
20. The Polar Express {Robert Zemeckis, 2004} | Home |
21. It’s a Wonderful Life {Frank Capra, 1946} | Home |
t e l e v i s i o n w a t c h e d
» TV shows I watched this year
Agent Carter | Season 2
American Idol | Season 15
Conviction | Season 1
The Good Place | Season 1
Law & Order | Whatever episode happens to be on
Man with a Plan | Season 1
Pitch | Season 1
Pure Genius | Season 1
Saturday Night Live | Seasons 41 and 42
Stranger Things | Season 1
Scorpion | Season 2
w o r d s w r i t t e n
» Words, poems, songs, stories
g r a p h i c s p o s t e d
» My own little brand of procrastination
c r a f t s c o m p l e t e d
» Paint, glue, paper…
o n l i n e r e a d s
» Articles and posts from around the web
v i d e o s
» Videos from around the internet
q u o t a t i o n s / l y r i c s
» Words to live by… or, in some cases, not
d a y z e r o g o a l s m e t
» Day Zero Project goals met this year
e v e n t s / m e m o r i e s
» Moments from the year
» January
01 | Happy New Year!
05 | Winter semester begins
06 | My 29th Birthday
» February
06 | My LJ turns 10!
29 | It’s a Leap Year!
» March
» April
» May
» June
» July
05 | Practicum begins
28 | Practicum ends
» August
24 | I’m officially certified in ESL
» September
» October
» November
» December
h e a d l i n e s
» The news in 2016
c r e d i t s
» Without these people, this post would look pretty bare
Tiny icons: p.yusukekamiyamane.com
Album cover art images: Album Art Exchange
Book cover art: GoodReads
Movie and television posters/DVD cover art: IMDb
past scrapbooks
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015