Happy Hub: Inside Out, Operation Heartstrings, Mr. Alegado, & More!

June was a month of change with the end of the school year and also a time for friends and family (as a result of the former). With the start of summer comes a lot to be happy about and that's what I'll be sharing with you today. There were times when it felt like this month would never end (mostly when I was in the midst of finals week) but looking back on it now, it certainly has flown by. Thankfully, I was able to fit a lot of happiness into those deceivingly short days.

If you haven't already, check out the Happy Hubs from the last four months. Click the read more to see what I've been loving this month!

Tunes

The first song I became obsessed with (and still haven't stopped listening to) is Black Magic by Little Mix. This song is right up my alley and was pretty much my approach to Clouds. Finding a song that doesn't wear out after a month of having it on replay gives you such a triumphant feeling (although my neighbors and family probably aren't too happy with me). I love that the music video reminds me of a 2000s teen witch movie. Everything about this song, and Little Mix, is perfect (especially Jade's outfit). The message is great, the video is fun, and their powers are pulled straight from a dream I had once. What's not to love?

When it comes to writing papers, I find that listening to the oldies that I grew up with gets me in the most productive mood. During finals week this quarter, I was really feeling some ABBA. ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits got me through finals week then carried over into my packing and moving. Maybe it was my anticipation to get back to my parents that made me crave oldies so badly (I also had a brief stint with the Bee Gees), but it really hit the spot. I was blasting the album and using it to time myself during while I was hard at work putting my first year of college into boxes.

This next one isn't something I would usually listen to, but as I was browsing the new releases category on Spotify, Coin's self-titled album caught my eye. Coin describes themselves as "contemporary '90s alt revivalists" and I am totally on board. I'm partial to Atlas, Run, Holy Ghost, Fingers Crossed, and I feel myself starting to list the entire album now so I'm just gonna leave it at that and let you give it a go on your own. Listening to this album makes me want to dance and it gives off such upbeat vibes. It makes me feel cool because this isn't like what's been on the radio recently and also not teenybopper music. Oh, and some of the songs bleed into each other so if that's your thing, *finger guns* *tongue click* *wink*.

I am a fan of a lot of Travie McCoy's and Sia's works so when I saw they'd done a track together, there was no way I wasn't going to love it. Golden is such a cute song, I couldn't stop smiling the first time I heard it. This song is the epitome of relationship goals and if Sia is singing on it, you already know it's good. I don't have much to say about it because it's hard for me to put into words how adorable I find the lyrics. Give it a listen and you'll see what I mean.

Films

Jurassic World

Jurassic World (x)

Rarely does my dad ever want to go see a movie in theaters so when he came home one day and announced he was interested in seeing Jurassic World, I was a little bit shocked. Later on, we discovered that our family friends had wanted to see it, too! When we got to planning, we found out that the day that would work best for all of us was Father's Day. Could the timing BE any more perfect? We ended up going in a group of ten and hanging out afterwards, which was great since we all were so busy during the school year. As far as the film goes, yes. I loved the little throwbacks to the original Jurassic Park and there were more triceratops in this one (but still not enough to satiate me). I thought the casting was fantastic, Chris Pratt, of course, and Bryce Dallas Howard, but also the boys that played Zach and Gray Mitchell. However, I do have a couple trifles with Jurassic World. Firstly, if you're going to make Claire's hair frizz from the humidity, you gotta do it over time. There's one scene where her hair goes from pretty straight to very wavy, as if costuming forgot her hair was supposed to lose its sleekness and decided to fix it in between takes. From there, it only gets slightly wavier. You can't just turn your head and undo all the straightening you've done that morning. Sigh. The second bone I have to pick is that Gray could've easily been a girl. The plot does not rely on the fact that he is a boy so changing his gender wouldn't have changed anything except for the fact that little girls who love dinosaurs get to see themselves on screen. Every lady in this film was very blasé about the dinosaurs surrounding them. Everybody knows boys love dinosaurs, why can't girls show some enthusiasm? Other than that, it was a really enjoyable movie. That final dinosaur showdown was incredible. The Indominus Rex is terrifyingly intelligent. One of my favorite parts was seeing the actual theme park and I'm a little sad that the sequel they're setting up for won't have the park but at least there's the entire Jurassic World website that I can still explore.

Inside Out

Inside Out (x)

I'm sure you have heard nothing but praise for Inside Out and I am here to confirm those sentiments. I cried (like real tears and had to hold back sobs) multiple times. Inside Out was fun as well as insightful. It's even better knowing how much research the director did with neurologists and psychologists. Now I'm looking at my emotions from a new perspective and it really makes me think about the times in my life when I wasn't the happiest. What was really going on? You may have heard that Inside Out is a movie about the mind, not the brain, and that is a very true statement. The mind is abstract and exploring it with Joy and Sadness was a unique experience. It was interesting how Riley was used more as a setting than as a character and seeing where the voices in your head are coming from was enlightening in a way. Kids will definitely come out of the theater thinking deeper about their emotions. I would highly encourage you to go out and see this movie because it really is one of the greatest films to come out so far this year. I loved looking for the Easter eggs in the memory balls stored in the Long Term Memory. They're really cute and although I only caught one, I hope I can spot more in future viewings. I would definitely advise you bring tissues because I was shedding tears before the film even began on account of the short that played before before Inside Out, called Lava. Heart wrenching stuff, Pixar. But really, tissues are a must. And don't let any judgmental children sitting in the row in front of you hold you back. Own those tears and sniffles. They just lead sad, soulless lives. (I might be a little bitter.) Whoop. Just thought of Bing Bong. I need a moment. 

Operation Heartstrings

This is a little bit of a carryover from my birthday Happy Hub. Amy, the wonderful human she is, had been collecting (and making!) some items for the past however long and put them all in a package for me. It arrived a little bit late but I am grateful for even that because it was a bit of an extension to my birthday. She sent me everything you see in the picture except for the Bath & Body Works shower gel, which was kindly sent to me by Allison because she remembered that I mentioned once it was my favorite scent (and is also discontinued so thanks for that B&BW). I am so thankful I have such great friends in my life and every time they send me something I am extra grateful because it really is a bonus. I never expect anything but they get me such wonderful gifts for my birthday (and Christmas). Amy definitely went all out with this package with the handmade bracelets (which I wear religiously), the candle, my embroidered name, the Taylor Swift poster, and the lovely notes. Thank you so much, Amy! (You too, Allison! The shower gel smells like heaven.)

Operation Heartstrings (x)

Haircut

Haircut ft. Mr. Alegado (x)

I got a haircut! It was kinda an easy decision. It was time and I was ready for it. I had been thinking about it for a while but never actually got around to doing it because of #hairoftheweek. Now that that's over for the time being (it'll be back in October!), I am free to chop it all off for the summer months. I'll be going on vacation and the last thing I need is to be melting under a blanket of hair. I'm obsessed with this length, and while I can't do my signature side braid (or any side braids D:), I have been getting creative with my hair and trying new things. My haircut was actually the bonus #hairoftheweek, which you can find here.

Miscellaneous

I moved home for the summer! School is out and summer is in full swing, which is reason enough to be happy. Goodbye stress, hello freedom. It's nice being able to relax nad to have time to read (you will see plenty of evidence of this in next week's June Wrap Up) and catch up with friends. While my freshman year of college was fun, it went by so fast it felt like it didn't even happen. I'm glad that I finally have a break. Quarters can be grueling.

I am the oldest child in my family friend group so my graduation was the start of a series of graduations. This year I attended my high school's graduation and it was a little nostalgic for me. It reminded me of my roots. I am very lucky to have attended such a great high school. I might not have known it at the time, but expanding my world made me realize how shoddy some high schools are. My school is filled with many opportunities, lovely people, and superb educators. It was also exciting seeing the people I still view as "my freshman" finishing high school and spending time with all my family friends after the ceremony.

My shirt is not this color. Fluorescent lighting, man.

Since college gets out before high school does, Mikaela and I had the chance to visit Mr. Alegado. We chatted about life and Marvel and science (obviously), and it was great having an opportunity to catch up. Mr. Alegado is one of the greatest teachers I have ever had and I've been trying to find a time to visit him for a while. Hanging out with him was really chill and so much fun. I can't wait to go back later this year (probably closer to winter break). It's always nice visiting the old stomping grounds when you're not obligated to be there.

Mikaela and Mr. Alegado having a blast.

Blogosphere

I've been too busy to read other people's blogs lately but one blog I always stay up to date on is Sparkle and Sprinkle. Steph and I had been playing with the idea of testing out Pinterest recipes for the "sprinkle" part of her blog and it has finally happened! In the first ever Pintertest, Steph baked some Rolo stuffed chocolate chip cookies and they look delicious. Sometimes the recipes on Pinterest seem too good to be true and I'm glad we now have a guinea pig in Steph to put them to the test.


What an eventful month. It's been busy in the best way. Now that summer's here, things will be shifting around on this blog, which I will get into more detail on this Sunday. In the meantime, let me know what you've been loving in the comments below and as always, don't forget to follow this blog via email or on bloglovin'.


Talk to you soon!

xo, Yvette