"You don't know how lovely you ah-ah-are"



This is kind of extreme, but the
first and last definitely
described my feelings, today.



Welcome back to high school, Simone. Lucky me, I didn't actually miss the place. Only three more semesters, though. THREE semesters and then I'm a senior, and then I'm off to LA...or...NY! Woohoo! Or at least, that's the plan.



My stuffed animals are really going to hate
me these last four months :(



 Hopefully this semester will be easier than the last; mainly talking about PreCal, here. Sometimes I wish I'd just taken Trig since it was basically all we learned last year. But deep down, I knew I'd be cheating myself. Or at least that's what I like to tell myself when I think about it. AP Lang is flippin awesome, though. I have a research paper, eight to ten pages, due at the end of...April...? I still don't know what I'm going to research, yet. I've thought about eating disorders in the dance world, or just in general, but that's about all I've got. Before all the excitement happens, I also have to read three books and write essays/do an AP appropriate project for each of them. I'm really not complaining because I actually like doing projects and writing essays. --perhaps I favor the latter a little more-- I just know I've got a LOT to do in AP Lang alone this semester. The AP exams for Lang and USHistory are coming up in May--which, combined, will cost $96--as well, and then finals. Not gonna lie, the APUSH Exam has got me kinda freaked out, so all my free time will no longer be considered "free" as I will be devoting it to my 9,000 page textbook and memorizing every word. Yeah. Maybe. This week is only a 4-day week, so that's good. And it two weeks it will be again.



Currently, I'm getting all the work done that I know I can today: Issues portfolios for APLang, Awareness of News for Newspaper, Chapter 12 Review for Psychics, the sorts.

Outside of school is also a fun life. Dance is starting back up tonight after three weeks. Three weeks off? No problem. I'm in tip-top shape. Never been stretchier. Sometimes I wish it were easier to detect sarcasm through a computer; this is funny to me because I read an article about sarcasm for my Issues Portfolio a few hours ago. I also have to write my scholarship essay for PulseAtlanta in April, register for JUMP Atlanta (One-day), register for NYCDA Atlanta (One-day), choreograph my solo for dance, choreograph a dance for school (I start teaching again tomorrow), and, not really related, the SAT. Jumping for joy...for the first three, anyway; the others will definitely be struggles. I've always liked challenges, and I'm really glad they all decided to show up at once. Thanks guys.

With all this information clogging my brain, today is a devout Coldplay kind of day. I'm Hurting Like Heaven right now, and I don't mind at all. Not one bit.

*title courtesy of Coldplay's The Scientist*

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle...yeah

New year, new morning workout regiment. Guess who's excited!? This girl! Each morning I begin with my ten-minute workout, courtesy of SeventeenMagazine--consisting of planks (love!), crunches (the usual), and arm circle(surprised? i was, too.)--as well as a few of my own workout plans.

Random SideNote: My new love of 2012: Ian Eastwood. Actually, I've loved him for a while; now I guess I'm obsessed. In a good way, though. Not creepy like. Wanna see him? Just a heads up, at 0:12 you may die a little; I usually do. You may experience heart failure, right before actually, at 0:04; there's a GLORIOUS 4second pause from 0:07 to 0:11 where the camera is frozen on his face. Thank you Kyle Hanagami, thank you. PS: I love him, too. They are beasts! And so is Chachi! Yes, she's there, too. "It's like a whole family of supers!" Love. I have more to say, but I'll let you watch the genius in action first. BRB, yo! To be honest, by the end of this video, you may not even be alive. Watevs. It's chill.

Actually, now that I think about it, there really isn't that much more to say. I guess I'll include my favorite workouts that I do each day. I do a few, actually: the SeventeenMagazine 10 min. workouts, Gymnastics Core Conditioning(I don't do gymnastics, but the exercises really work), and DanceSpirit workout regiments. I won't include them all; just mah faves.

Workout Playlist In No Particular Order:

1. You da One by Rihanna

2. Get Down With the Trumpets by Rizzle Kicks
3. Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO

4. Any Lady Gaga song

5. And, of course, my Biebs and Cody Simpson

Workout Regiment:

1. Advanced leg lift: Lie on your back with your legs straight. Place each hand palm down, just under each respective glute. Keeping your head tucked and your body hollow, lift your toes towards the ceiling while simultaneously lifting your body into a candlestick position (straight up and down). Lower back down to the floor without touching. Repeat 10.

What it targets: Abs and Obliques

2. V-Ups Variation: Place a medicine ball between your legs, which should be in a tabletop position. Extend your legs and arms to your working level, then return to your V-position and take the ball from between your legs. Repeat the system 10x.

What it targets: Abs

3. Walking plank: Begin in a standard plank position. Lower your left elbow, followed by the lowering of your right. Then, press up with your left arm first, and then your right. Repeat the series 10x.

What it targets: Tones chest area, triceps, and shoulders

4. Plank with rotation: Begin in a modified plank (elbows on the floor as opposed to palms). Bend left knee into your right elbow. Repeat with right knee to left elbow. Repeat entire series 10x.

What it targets: Obliques and increases heart rate

Maybe I should be a personal trainer when I'm old...

"We live, we die, and the wheels on the bus go round and round."

Happy New Year Part 2 Blogspot! I don't have that much to say, but I thought I'd share with y'all my Bucket List. Enjoy! :)

Blog title courtesy of The Bucket List. Proceed.

The Bucket List. Simone Stevens Style. In No Particular Order.



1.  Convert Carolyn Crisler to a Bama Fan.

2. Take a Travis Wall master class. 

3. Take another Travis Wall master class to make up for the time I stood there drooling and missed all the combinations.

4. Buy a pig and name her Porkie.

5. Become best friends with Justin Bieber…oh wait. 

6. Have a daughter and name her Dalia. 

7. Ride a camel backwards through the Sahara.     

8. Buy a superman t-shirt.
9. Go to Africa for a summer.

10.  Travel to Australia and meet Cody Simpson. 

11.  Eat Canadian bacon. 

12.  Attend a movie premiere in LA. 

13.  Dress up as the Chick-fil-a cow. 

14.  Set/attempt to set a world record for…something.

15.  Play ice hockey.

16.  Attend the Olympics and FIFA World Cup.

17.  Fly across the country in a hot air balloon.

18.  Help an old man cross the street; they need help, too. 

19.  Learn to salsa!

20.  Bend it like Beckham...and Ronaldo. Yes. Both of them.

21.  Survive a New York winter.

22.  Take yoga classes.

23.  Marry a Christian dancer/a dancer with an accent. Either way he has to be a dancer.

*AHEM* Lamar Edwards. I'm waiting. NOTICE: the second part may not happen

24.  Be the voice of a Disney character. Preferably a Princess.

25.  Do a backflip.

26.  Swim in 10ft.

27.  Get a perm…just to see what happens.

28.  Be in a Shakira, Britney Spears or Lady Gaga music video/tour.

29.  See Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre perform in New York City.                                                                                                 

30.  Cover my wall with DanceSpirit magazine covers.

31.  Go to Vegas with Bridget Baldwin.

32.  Witness 2013.

33.  Sit on Jesus' lap.

34.  Move to LA/Attend UCLA/get signed with BlocLA

35.  Meet Drew Brees and fam.

36.  Own a V-Neck in every color of the rainbow.

37.  Stay short.

38.  Learn martial arts…in Japan.

39.  Find out where famous people live.

40.  Audition for sytycd.

41.  Get to Vegas week of sytycd so I can talk to the camera during the rehearsals and let America know how crazy the choreography is.Make it to the top 20 of sytycd. After that Ill let America decide.

42. Be on the Ellen show.
43. Take a Bollywood class in India.

44. Buy yellow stilettos. Then walk in them...without falling.

45. FLASH MOB!

46. Complete my summer reading on time.

47. Breakdance my way through life.

48. Teach dance to little kids in Africa.
49. See a Broadway Musical.
50. Read the entire Bible.
51. Get an actual bookbag.
52. Buy a little Ceasar dog.
53. Go to Chicago and take a picture in the bean.
54. Travel to every continent.
55. Start a collection of NIKE shoes and ADIDAS jackets.
56. Go Bunjee Jumping. 57. Run a marathon.
58. Feed a baby tiger. On a wildlife preserve. In Africa. With a bottle. In my arms.
59. Learn to play a legit song on the piano.
60. Go hang-gliding in Greenland.

61. Plant a flower in Iceland.

62. Put flowers on the tombs at the Arlington National Cemetery
63. Dance on a TV show.
64. Ride the world's largest roller coaster.

65. Fly away in a slingshot.

66.  Go on a cruise to a really pretty place.

67. Climb the statue of Liberty and walk along the Brooklyn Bridge.

68. Get a picture of me pushing on the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In Italy.

69. Dress up as a baby with Clary Herrera.

70. Officially learn how to clog.

71. Take a pottery class.

72. Finish high school

73. Get a degree in Journalism.

74. Work for a dance magazine.

75. Audition for Alvin Ailey after college and dance with them for 2+ years.

76. Audition for a Broadway play.

77. Eat at a Mexican restaurant and order everything (correctly) en Espanol.

78. Ride a subway.

79. Ride every single ride at six flags.

80. Shop on Rodeo Drive without feeling guilty.
81. Have 2 boys, Levi and Judah.
82. Ride with the dolphins.
83. Meet an Aborigine.
84. Hug a koala.
85. E-mail letters to my kids as they grow up. Like that guy in the google chrome commercial.
86. Milk a cow.
87. Go to the White House for the Annual Easter Egg Hunt.

88. See the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade in person.

89. Watch the ball drop in Times Square on New Years Eve.

90. Be a vegan for a day.

91. Go to the Holocaust museum.

92. Donate blood.

93. Sleep in a pretty castle.

94. Buy a chia-pet.

95. Become an organ donor.

96. Return to my home country and sit on the pyramids. Not sure if that's legal...
97. Get bangs and a second earing hole.

98. Go to a SuperBowl!

99. Go to the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

100. Be happy. Die happy.





The Beginning





La La La La La....La La La La La

It happened. Simone got a pinterest. AHHH! Glorious day. That is one addicting piece of...website. Don't worry, there will be a link soon. My first one-being created as we speak- is a collage of "The Best Dance Movies of all Time. Swayze and Bacon aren't the only ones on there...yet.

Since this is just hanging out there on the side, *ahem*, Kenny Wormald...I LOVE YOU! That's all. PS: I knew you before Footloose. You're welcome. AHHH! I can't believe I have a pinterest! :) I've already had one of my photos re-pinned! Eep! It was the Swayze master. Here he is now. "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." Best line of the whole movie! Sorry I'm over-using my exclamation point usage; I'm just really excited. And to top it all off, P!NK (haha, I snuck in another one) is telling me I'm perfect to her on the q100 top 50 encore. Thank you P!NK. I think you're pretty cool, too. YEAHHHHHHH! Sorry, again, she was signing that point in the song, so I felt I should type it.

Next topic on pinterest? Dream colleges you say? On it. College numero uno: UCLA, son!

O.o Kidding. That didn't work out. It's been postponed until I finish my "These are a few of my favorite things" board. I should probably calm myslef down...but I can't.

Oh just throwing it out there, I LOVE YOU TREVOR BROWN! So glad we're getting married. So glad.

<-----See? I wasn't lying. You know you've made it big when you're someone's profile pic for over 2 months. #swag. <----Funny, I don't have a twitter. Eh. Oh well.

Back to pinterest. Latest picture? None other than the infamous Calvin and Hobbes! So cute! And so, so happy!

THE BALL DROPPED IN TIMES SQUARE! Wooohooo! It's 2012! "We're gonna party like, like it's the end of the world; we're gonna party like, like it's 2012!" So I got all wrapped up in the fact that Disney Channel was only showing movies about cats and dogs (really, REALLY confused) that I forgot the New Year's Eve Program was on TV! Sad day. I turned it on when there were only 30 minutes left in the old year. I got to see the Lady Gaga perform. Love her! Together we married the night and discovered how we were born. Exciting really. And I saw/recognized some of her dancers from Laurieann Gibson's crew and SYTYCD. It pays to watch TV sometimes :).

Well anyway, the sad part of the story, I missed the Biebs! And apparently he sang the Beatles and played the piano. Rough life, man. I saw him when he talked, though. He's a cutie. Red beanie and all. And I, personally, am a fan of beanies. Especially the loose kind; the other kind are just weird and look all suffocating-ey. Sorry for the made up words. They make sense to me.

Cody Simpson wasn't there, though. I knew he wouldn't anyway, but just saying. I'm still slightly obsessed with the Aussie. And you should be, too. I promise I'm not twelve years old; it's just that I like things that twelve year olds like. But to be fair, sixteen year olds also like the Biebs and Cody Simpson, so...yeah. You see how his arms are open? He wants to be hugged. I, also, would like to be hugged. Read between the lines, people. I want to hug Cody Simpson. And become BFF's the Biebs. I don't ask for much. They're achievable goals. In Simone's world they are.

Anything left to say? We toasted to the New Year! With Welch's. Watevs. We don't promote underage drinking in the Stilgrim household. Dern. I just missed a proposal on the New Years Eve program. Drake is singing all swaggerifically, though. Because that's what he is. Swaggerific.

She's the Man is on, though. Actually, it's on commercial so I'm back to the New Years Eve Program. Picture? Okay. If I can find one. I usually take my own. The only problem with this is the face that I wasn't actually in Times Square yesterday/today. I will be next year...or the year after that. Probably then. Yeah. Definitely in 2014. I just realized how rough of a time I'm going to have writing 2012 on all my school papers these next few...months. All my teachers are going to fail me because they'll think I'm turning work a whole year later. HAPPY NEW YEAR'S! I wish you all the best this year! God Bless! WooHoo! We did it! :)

Pinterest Link Below!

http://pinterest.com/jumpingshrimp/

NEW YEAR'S EVE, NEW IDEAS!

not sure why i could only find this
in Japanese...?
i was thinking English, but this is cool.
hmmm....





Hello, blogspot world! Guess what I decided? I'm getting 2 tattoos! One day. On my wrists i want it to say "Beloved Daughter" but on each wrist...so like "Beloved" "Daughter"...OR...Im going to get a destiny symbol on my wrist.



And on my left shoulder blade, I would like it to say something like the lyrics from "Sometimes" by David Crowder. I'm thinking "Let's risk the ocean, there's only grace" with a wittle sailboat next to or under it. Yes. I thought you guys would appreciate this. That is all.

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE! WOOHOO!



this is my little "up" symbol that means
"destiny" :)

 OH WAIT! While I'm on the subject of knowing things...
My children's names will be as follows

1. Judah *something*
2. Levi Ethan
3. Dalia *something*

Ta-Da!

I, on the other hand, will keep my name and marry a dancer. We will meet because we will both be professional dancer in LA. Naturally. :)

"Julia hates me."

Hola blogspot reader. Whoever you are. Is there anyone? I hope there is. Anyway, yesterday I watched Julie and Julia for the umpteenth time, and I realized, "my blog isn't really about anything. Bummer." Yes, I thought those exact words. Weird that I remember, huh?
Well anyway, I decided to do something about it. I like to think of myself as a blooming writer; may be a stretch, I don't know. I do a lot of clubs and take classes about journalism and writing--AP Lit., Journalism, Lit. Mag., Newspaper--I'm a geek. KIDDING! Kind of :). Below I included a snip-it of what I hope to include in this year's Literary Magazine. I'm nowhere near done in editing or completion, but I hope you enjoy! :)
ps. Sorry about the gloomy post title. It was the only line I could pull from my memory from the movie. :P



Overview: What's going in a character's mind as she waits in line at an audition.

Twenty-eight degrees. Twenty-eight blistering degrees with a five mile per hour wind chill. No one in their right mind would be standing in a line two blocks deep in the middle of New York City in the dead of winter simply for an audition.Yet here I am.
"I swear if this line don't start moving soon..." The rest of the idiotic statement is drowned in a sea of high-pitched girlish giggles. I turn my head and do the same. Curious, I step to the left a bit to spot the comedian's face.
It's a nice one. Tan. Chiseled jaw. Hazel eyes.And to top it all off his pearly whites are...well, pearly and white; I know this because the should-be model is still dying with laughter along with the rest of his posse.
Holy guacamole I'd like to marry this guy. Or at least his twin. 
I notice the wind then; it's harsher and colder. 
Oh, good! The line is moving.


TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT BLOG POST! :) 

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: SIMONE S. IS A PROFESSIONAL CHEF!

Okay, not really. But I'm pretty close! Yesterday I baked a cheesecake and I just ate it...AMAZING! I should sell it to people. At the Cheesecake Factory. Because it's just that good. :) I'm proud. Mi madre liked it tambien (I'm practicing my Spanish. I've been out of school for two weeks and I don't want to get rusty).
Here, want a picture?

Okay, so maybe that's not exactly how mine turned out, but it was pretty dern close to this guy. At least it was in my world. Today I think I'm going to bake Toffee Bars. YUM! I have a ton of extra Graham Crackers left over from my cheesecake crust, and I need to do something with the little guys. Want a picture of how they will--or how they should--turn out? Okay. Cool.

They will look like this soon. And I will take a legitimate picture. I just ask that you don't judge. You know. In the instance that they turn out better than the picture I don't want a flooding of emails asking for my "secret touch" and whatnot. Here, I'll just include the recipe below. You're welcome, America. Eat and be happy! :) Be back soon!

Ingredients:

• 20 graham crackers (individual squares), regular or chocolate
• 1 1/2 sticks butter (6 ounces)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

Line a jelly roll pan (10x15-inch) with foil; arrange graham crackers in the pan in a single layer. Combine butter and sugar in a heavy medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for 2 minutes; stir in vanilla and chopped pecans. Pour the hot mixture over crackers and spread evenly. Bake 10 minutes at 350°. Remove at once from pan to flat surface to cool. When cool, break into smaller pieces. 


*Sorry. I never came back because I ended up eating all the graham crackers that were left over, so I had nothing to bake with other than the butter, sugar, vanilla, and pecans. I could be wrong, but those ingredients together do NOT sound appetizing.*