#7 Internet People.

**Blizzcon 2008, all internet friends. IN A REAL LIFE SETTING. That gem sitting in the middle, making the vulgar V with his hands happens to be one of my closest, though undeniably retarded, friends.

So the idea of meeting people online really turns a lot of people off. Sometimes, the thought is just plain scary and weird. I used to think the same thing before I started playing World of Warcraft and hanging out in this neat little community chat room (chat room, right? I KNOW) called irc. After spending 6+ hours a day with the same people, killing dragons, gathering plants, exploring new LANDS, you start developing some SERIOUS relationships with these weirdo, internet people.

With that being said, I have to talk about the people I've grown close to over the years using the wonderful world wide webz. I don't really endorse the more romantic kind of relationships being formed in Azeroth because sometimes internet guy and real life guy can be two completely different people. Like, you move in with cool internet guy and realize, holy shit, what HAVE I done.

Personal experiences aside....

A lot of the people I'm referring to I've formed legitimate, close friendships. I have a handful of people who are, without a doubt, receiving an invite to my event-of-the-year wedding. The bonds you form, as lame and nerdy as it might sound, over killing monsters every night for a couple of months can be very, very strong. Think about it logically; you have to work together towards a singular goal. You learn what makes so-and-so tick, what pisses that cute mage off, who likes what paladin buffs. And then it goes beyond (well, it always did for me because I was always SUPER chatty) and you start learning about their families and interests outside of game. Or lack thereof. You start Facebook friending and then hanging out in irc and REALLY getting to see everyone's personalities.

I think people see me as: MAGS, caps lock addicted, slightly odd obsession with gems, peacocks and old lady things like depression-era glass, classical music, baking things and other really weird, but lovely things. Also, on occasion, I am the irc Mom. I look after feelings and mediate fights. When I'm not egging them ON, AYYYYYYY-OHHHHHHH.

We all have funny inside jokes (a rock?), we all make off-color jokes (okay, might just be me) and we ALL have our personalities very out in the open. Though it may seem that we're usually at each others throats, it's a BIG family and I think I'm right when I say we would defend one another if need be.

But really, all nerdiness aside, I love my "internet" friends. Many of them are very near and dear to my heart. I know about their pets, about their jobs, about their girlfriends and boyfriends, their families, stuff like that. Stuff that real-life friends talk about. Eventually, you might all end up hanging out outside of the game. That's when the real bonding begins. You all laugh about the same shit you talk about every day, but now you h ave facial expressions and hand motions to go along with the conversation. Shit gets hilarious and it gets so real and truthful. And we know how I feel about truth.

So you can go ahead and knock meeting people online, but some of the most compassionate, intelligent and seriously cool people are out there. And I'm so blessed and happy to call some of them friends of mine.

Take chances. Life is one big leap of faith.

Thank you to all of my e-friends who are my real friends, for making me laugh every single day. I really appreciate you more than you know!

#6: Love.

While the title may be a little misleading, this post is really just simply about love. Loving people, loving certain activities that make you smile, hell, loving favorite foods no matter how many calories are involved. The emotion is VERY important and it seriously is all around us (thank you, Love Actually).

**Obviously lifedates, she just didn't

know it at the time. This picture is

real, not posed, but raw, human

emotion. I love.

Starting with the weaker shit: sometimes I update my Twitter (I try to do it daily but I really suck at the internet) with three to

four things I just love in my day to day life. Examples (some pulled directly from Twitter, so no bitching about repeats): lipsticks that make teeth look impossibly white, straws, glitter and/or gems in any form, goat cheese, fishing to classical music in WoW, friends who are always there for me no matter how crazy I am that day, gloves, silk pillowcases, antique/rare out of print books, makeup, smelling like a rose...things like this. I like these things, I love these things. The word is so obviously interchangable with day to day, seemingly mundane objects or actions, but when looked at closer, we really do love some of those things. I fucking love straws. I can't explain it. I just know that I love them; like isn't strong enough.

People: I love people. I love strangers because they provide me with unending entertainment, good and bad. I enjoy watching affection between couples or seeing a fight break out between a mom and son. Shit gets real, REAL QUICK. That's real life, and that's truth (another thing I love, without a doubt: truth). This can also be said for characters in novels which, in essence, are basically the same thing. People watching = learning your characters in specific novels. I was a bad person in the Comparative Literature major because I could NOT separate myself from the characters. You're supposed to distance yourself and take in the WHOLE meaning of the story and the characters versus environment etc, but guess the fuck what; I'm an actress and I'm going to pick up on emotion and human connection before I pick up on any of that philosophical bullshit. Real talk: I fell deeply in love with certain heroines, and even felt pure hatred and disgust for others (pure hatred/disdain is almost like love because of the intensity of emotion. Even works with the lessor love lesson above, with stupid objects. I hate traffic, ignorance, lack of manners, pine nuts, and being asked constantly, 'how long until you're ready?' You see the difference).

But love of people...this is tough. There are people in my life I would take a bullet for (we're talking maybe two or three, call me a bitch, I love myself), and there are people in my life that I want to squeeze daily and remind them constantly what they mean to me.

Tier I: Soulmate/lifedate love

-Soulmates aren't limited to a romantic interest. Friends you are supposed to meet, friends you immediately click with, are your soulmates. This is almost like, predestined, cosmic shit. Super important. The lifedate is what society refers to as a 'soulmate'. Your lifedate is someone you've been waiting for and once you meet, you can't wait to begin the rest of your life with that person IMMEDIATELY, a la When Harry Met Sally. And it's true, when you meet that person, you know. You feel like your entire body is going to burst into flames (BEST EXAMPLE: Calcifer, Howl's Moving Castle, when he moves the house. I suppose maybe I could throw in a Hemingway reference but....fuck, I just can't...). Anyway, point is: your date has begun.

Tier II: Best FRENZ. Or hey, just friends?

-The people you really adore every day. You don't want to live without these people, but if you really had to, let's face it: you could. Not so much with Tier Onesies, who would make a hole in your chest if they decided to go AWOL (which would really piss me off). I believe in having all kinds of connections with all kinds of people so this is HUGE to me. I love all of my friends, each for different reasons. Yes, some of you piss me the fuck off sometimes with stupid little nuances that maybe I should overlook, but that's the glory of it, chaps. When you love someone, you love all of their little things, bullshit and all. You believe in them. You laugh with them.

Tier III: I don't really know what falls into tier three of luuurve for people, but I suppose you could put people that you FEEL a connection with, but you've never explored it. Follow that feeling because that person could LEGIT land a spot in the Alpha and Omega tier. This is heavy shit.

Moral (see, I did learn something UGA lit. department): Follow your gut feelings ALWAYS and follow your heart. Never, ever care what other people are going to think if you fall in love with someone or something out of the ordinary, never apologize, and you never have to explain. That's the beauty of having such wonderful friends. They will always accept the person, your love, the one who makes your soul sing, and accept him or her like they've been part of the family forever. See, if Avril Lavigne had read this blog, maybe she could have told the preppy girl who liked the skater boy to go for it. WHAT IF THEY WERE LIFEDATES (I'm kidding, they weren't. Lifedates will find each other no matter where they are in the world or at what point in their lives they're in, it's science).

I rambled. Fall in love, friends, so this post wasn't completely in vain. Don't look for it, don't expect it and certainly don't write it off. Wait for it; it'll come (twss) but please please please; believe in magic.

#5: Gaming

**See Below.

Hello my gems of friends. I hope your weekend went extremely well and you acquired some divine jewels to adorn your pretty necks or dainty hands.

So I was in the process of fixing my lovely, gorgeous, delicious computer (this process has been a BITCH, but I think I've finally figured out the problem) so I can start playing my life again...aka WoW. It's nice to have time for like, a real life, but I sure do miss Azeroth. Then I started thinking...

Was I the only one who was underwhelmed with the Wrath of the Lich King expansion? After thinking about it for a while, I decided I really just didn't like it. At all. I don't like the new zones they introduced, I wasn't interested in the direction they went with the lore and I certainly didn't like all the changes they're making to accommodate casual players. Everything made me feel COLD. Like I was constantly shivering, unless I went to catch the Ghostfish in the basin. I hate being cold, even in a video game.Then again, I lahved lahved lahved The Burning Crusade because let's be real: blood elf lore is the bomb dot com. Beautiful, magic-hungry, vain creatures in gorgeous settings with golds and reds? Yes. Please. Forever.

Don't get me wrong, I love other races (oh who are we kidding) and their respective zones, but I feel legit connected to blood elves. Yes, I know I am a giant faggot and I'm also aware that they are, in fact, not real creatures. STILL. Undead bitches got that swagger like no other, trolls have some of the most unique and creative hairstyles/colors around and I'll be honest; I dig me a dranei. Something about those blueberry aliens just DOES it for me. But this is also coming from the girl who has a crush on Eredar males in the game (think Lord Jaraxxus, Archimonde, Prince Malchezaar...I know, I have issues). Yeah, I don't know, I just am in LOVE with them.

Obviously I'm not going to get too in depth about why I didn't dig Wrath so much because a) you guys don't care and b) this isn't a game review blog but I just had to know if I was the only one who felt that way. Thoughts? If you play World of Warcraft, do you prefer straight up vanilla WoW, Burning Crusade or Wrath of the Lich King?

**Included: Maghia's favorite photo of herself to date. Here she's seen with her beloved raptor, one of many. She enjoys gems and dinosaurs as well, earning nicknames like Maggersaurus Rex and Queen of the Jeweladactyls. Very high honors indeed.

#4: Beauty

Not to come off as a pretentious bitch, but I thought it would be nice to share some BEAUTY SECRETS with whoever reads this, pre-Valentine's Day (vday). I've been passed some delicious little gems of beautifying wisdom and since I have a blog, I felt obligated to share a few things with you fine people.

1. Parfumeeeeeee

Every lady should wear perfume. Even if it's a tiny, tiny amount, it's a very ladylike thing to do. So, that being said, there's some definite tricks to wearing perfume so you don't overpower a room or smell like a cheap whore.

a.) When you buy a new fragrance, make sure to put the perfume (and yes, it should be PERFUME, not Eau de Parfume, de Toilette, etc. Perfume is the most concentrated, thus lasting the longest because of the oils in it) on your pulse point. How a perfume smells in the bottle is not necessarily how it will smell on you. Our bodies are all different, so the heat of your skin will make it smell differently. The smell can also be affected by your diet or the amount of stress you're under, so there's something to consider as well.

b.) My mother taught me this one: dab Vaseline on your key spots, behind the ears, wrists, etc. and then apply your perfume. It really makes it last a lot longer. I don't know why...but Vaseline is basically a magical gel that does just about everything.

c.) Don't spray your clothing directly with perfume. It will ruin it, without a doubt. Spray the air, walk through it, but don't spray your gorgeous new silk dress. You can't get out oils so that would really suck. Also: remember that perfume DOES go bad. So be sure to always have the cap on tightly.

2. EYEBROWS

Easily the most neglected part of the face. Seriously girls, if you make sure your eyebrows look flawless, it will change the ENTIRE look of your face. It's basically like putting makeup on...but easier.

a.) Don't overly pluck your brows. It's weird and chola-like. I'm not saying to go all Burt from Sesame Street, but stay real. Fuller brows are totally dramatic and really work for some people. And if you over-pluck, you're going to have to draw them in and that's really awful and time consuming.

b.) BUT if you do have to fill them in (which most women do, I recommend doing it A LITTLE BIT), this is my suggestion. I use a small, angular brush and an eyeshadow that's a little bit lighter than my brow. Apparently this is weird, but I don't like pencils because I feel like they don't really work OR they can be way harsh.

c.) Don't be afraid to get them waxed by those tiny Asian women. They know their shit (most of the time) and will usually follow your natural brow line. If you want a certain look, bring in a picture. They're fast and if you start bitching about the pain, you'll usually get told off by someone who doesn't even come up to your chin. It does wonders for your self-esteem.

3. General makeup tips

I hate wearing a lot of makeup, but I love makeup. I have issues. I love putting it on, but I HATE taking it all off (twss).

a.) Invest in a divine foundation brush. I used to put my face on with my hands (which I still like) but painting your makeup on really makes a difference. You can layer to where the base looks really even and natural, like under your eyeballs. I also suggest mixing colors; another MARMEE trick. She always taught me to buy two colors and then mixed them on a little palette thing, like a legit artist. This woman knows her shit. But it's nice because if you get tanner or lighter, you can adjust accordingly without having to buy new foundation.

b.) Always always always use lip liner. Not just for CHOLAS anymore! It'll make your lip gloss/balm/stick stay on for so much longer and really just makes everything look very clean and polished (ever notice how Polish and polish are spelled the same, but sound differently, I hate it). So yeah, find a complimentary color and line that shit REAL QUICK.

c.) False lashes: I love them so so so much. I literally have like twelve pairs just waiting to be worn because I just find them and buy them. I have some lashes that can be worn daily (they're lightweight and just add some DRAMAAAAA) and then some other fabulous pairs that should definitely be reserved for the night. Shu Uemura has the most gorgeous lashes I have ever seen. They even have LEATHER ones, though I don't know why you would need them. But still, cool. Lashes aren't that difficult to apply after you've done it a few times. I drag the lash through the glue (my favorite is from Bunheads, a ballet company) and blow on it. Then I slide the lash on top on my real one, so it's completely lined up with my natural lash line. Do all of this AFTER your eye makeup, by the way. After the lash is on and the glue is dry, put it a VERY SMALL amount of mascara on your lash/false lash and then use your eyelash curler. This will fuse them together and make them look natural-ish, instead of having two separate lashes.

I intended to have more subjects to talk about, but it seems I had a lot to say about like, three things. SORRY, APOLOGIES. But if you take just one teensy piece of information, then that will make me divinely happy. Have a wonderful, romantic, glorious Valentine's Day. If you're single, make yourself look pretty for YOU, who gives a shit if you don't have a guy? I wear makeup and put on perfume because I enjoy being a girl and feeling preeeeetty! The fact that it happens to attract men is just an extra (who am I kidding, I don't attract anything, I lied). But seriously, have a good weekend and don't forget to SHINE!

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/09/angry-norwegians-in.html

This has nothing to do with makeup, but it's really funny. Thus, a good way to end a post.

#3: People

"If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down."
-Ray Bradbury

This is one of my most favorite quotes of all time. A very dear friend texted this to me, today, not knowing how much I loved it. It's always nice to see validation as to why you're close with certain people; this was one of those times. When you think the same as someone without even knowing it, the realization of that fact is incredible. And super fun.

It wasn't the first time this has happened with said friend, which makes it even cooler. Do you ever think about the connections you make, every day, wondering when someone's going to come back into your life? Or, even better, wondering how a certain person is going to change your life? I'm a huge believer in this: you meet certain people, do specific things, for a reason. Some people you encounter to gain knowledge and wisdom, others are there to teach you even the smallest things that you never thought you'd need to know.

I can't tell you how many people I've met through WoW and the internet that have proved to be so much more than internet friends. Some I know I was meant to have in my life for a very long time, others never fail to make me laugh or smile, even when I'm having the worst day. These little things really matter in my life. Even random guests I met when I was working at Disney World have affected me in small yet really intense ways.

So to those of you who have left even the TINIESt impact on my life, thank you so very much. I mean it, from the bottom of my glittery, gem-encrusted heart.

#2: Books

Okay I have to post something non-retarded now. MY FAVORITE BOOOKS! I could talk about books forever, so please leave me comments with suggestions or whatever you want. If we have the same taste in literature, let's chat KNAVES.

1. Something Wicked This Way Comes
-actually, anything by Ray Bradbury. He is my favorite author, next to Fitzgerald. I really think both of them don't get the credit they deserve.

2. Flappers and Philosophers
-It's a brilliant collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short stories. The Offshore Pirate and Bernice Bobs Her Hair are my personal favs, but you should definitely check this out. I love short stories so, so much. Bradbury has this GIANT red book (which of course I own) of all of his shorts, it's so incredible.

3. Anna Karenina
-Tolstoy, M'BOY! Get that Dostoyevsky shit out my face.

4. The Awakening
-Yeah, kind of cliche and very easy to read, but I LOVE the turn of the century time period. Absolutely love it. AND I love how ahead of her time Kate Chopin really was. Very cool. The same goes for...

5. Little Women
-You literaly cannot be sad when you read this. Well, I take that back. When I read this book, I thought it was going to be pretty straightforward and simple; it's really everything BUT that. Sure, it's easy to read, but the emotions and characters that Alcott draws out for us are so real, so endearing. I'm really all about the characters of a novel, so when I find good ones, I tend to get really attached and involved. Ahh, now I'm all nostalgic about the March family. Yes, I feel like a part of it. Actually, I've called my mother Marmee since I started talking.

6. Harry Potter (HBP is my favorite)
-But of course, they fucked it with the movie. I was furious. This entire series is beautifully written and just...wow. I guess this is a good place to tell you about my 'Wingardium Leviosa' tattoo that I have on my neck. Once I figure out to post pictures, I'll put on HERE. (ps figured it out SUP).

7. Lysistrata
-Best. Story. Ever.

#1: Beginning

So I'm blogging. But it's not really blogging, because I don't want huge paragraphs of bullshit. Consider it something between Twitter and Facebook updates. I realized that I wanted to tell people what I thought about the stupid Grammy awards last night and I didn't want to spam fb, so HERE WE ARE COMRADES.

I don't believe I'm going to jump into anything on the first post because it's always that hi-i'm-cait-and-this-is-my-first-post awkwardness. However, I can tell you about myself and what I'll be discussing I suppose.

I'm Cait (or Mags, my dear online persona) and I'm moving to California in approximately three months. I want to be a successful actress; fame doesn't interest me. I just want to change someone's life by bringing stories to life and hopefully igniting a fire and passion in people. I have big goals (Oscar before I'm 30...I am 22...but until I turn 30, I will be perpetually 21. Confused? Then you're dumb) but I have no doubt in my mind that I WILL make my dreams come true.

I believe in magic, soulmates, the healing power of jewelry and goat cheese. I'm a "gamer girl", though I really hate that term. Like, really hate it. I just happen to be a chick who plays video games. Lots of WoW, lots of Titanic: Adventure Out of Time (google that shit, you will laugh). My favorite game is Bioshock and I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting the realease of the second one. I love the friends I've made through WoW/the internet like a second family. This is the most jumbled piece of shit paragraph ever, but the fact that I'm a comparative literature major (previously at the University of Georgia) totally cancels that out. So suck it.


But really, I appreciate you reading this. Not all posts will be long, interesting, funny or meaningful. But hopefully you'll giggle for a second or at the very least, smile. I just want to bring some glitter and shine into your lives! I'll be uploading pictures, VIDEO BLOGS (weeeee, I'm excited for this one!) maybe book reviews? Who knows. I'll take suggestions too, and questions. I like questions and lists.