Hudsy.

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Today is a big day in the Reinke house.

My little brother is now a teenager.

I know… It’s terrifying.

I mean I knew he was growing up.. He’s a lot taller than me now and his voice is all deep and stuff.. But now he’s 13..and it’s crazy. So even though he doesn’t usually read my blog (cough jerk cough) I decided to write about him and give him a little advice about surviving teenage years.

Being only 2 and a half years apart, we’ve always had a love/hate relationship.. We disagree on a lot of subjects…especially taste in music..but I don’t know what I’d do without him. I tell him pretty much everything and sometimes he lets me give him girl advice… (I pretend like I know what I’m talking about). He is so talented.. His determination always inspires me so much more than he knows.

Well Hudson… (and any other newly 13 year old in the world) I have a few guidelines for you about surviving teen years. (Guidelines….not rules….teenagers hate rules.)

1. Don’t try too hard. You’re amazing as you are. Don’t change for other people… Don’t pretend to be something you’re not.

2. Don’t be cool. Listen… you’re a teenager now…coolness is part of the package! Do stupid things. Dance at parties. Laugh at dumb jokes. Don’t be afraid of embarrassment because what’s better…having fun? Or watching others have fun because you don’t want to be laughed at? Definitely numero uno.

3. Don’t fuss too much about your hair. Trust me, it looks fantastic.

4. Do what you love. If you love to sing, sing loud. If you love to play sports, play until you’re exhausted. And if you love to unicycle…then you be the best darn unicycler the world has ever known.

5. ALWAYS hug your mom goodnight. This is the most important.. If you want to survive years as a teenager, never be too cool to hug the woman who gave birth to you.

Hudson, I love you. I’m sorry if I’m being an embarrassing older sister…but I mean it. I can’t believe you’re a teenager..but for me you’ll always be the little boy with the lion bath towel and basketball pacifier.. The boy I acted out multiple scenes from High School Musical with in the living room. The spikey-haired kid with the raspy little voice. My best friend. I can’t wait to watch you grow more..(hopefully not in height because I can’t have people thinking I’m younger than you).. I can’t wait to help teach you how to drive one day.. Or intimidate the girl you bring to family dinner.. Believe it or not…I got sad earlier thinking about someday not sharing a bathroom with you.. I’ll miss arguing over my make up being on “your side” and brushing our teeth together.. I’ll miss listening to you sing Whitney Houston in the shower.. But right now I’m gonna finish watching your favorite movie with you… Lego: Adventures of Clutch Powers.. No. Not the Lego Movie… You’re way too hipster for that.. And today while you listen to Eminem in the car, I’ll remember that someday I won’t get to hear you singing…or….rapping..along from the back seat. Promise you’ll never lose your strange fascination in leprechauns. Or give up on your dream. And never EVER change your very detailed process of fixing your hair (no matter how much I mock it) because your hair is truly a work of art. Fo real.

I love you, Hudson. Thank you for being my best friend, for always making me laugh..and for being the best brother in the world. Oh….and happy birthday.

I wuv you Hudsy Wudsy bear..

(In case I haven’t embarrassed you enough.)

peace & love

MR

Unknowns.

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Ello my dears.

A few days ago I had a pretty important meeting at a studio involving my music and future and all that jazz.. And I was nervous. Really nervous. So while pulling at my clothes anxiously in the front seat of the car, my darling father (noticing my nerves) started trying to inspire me..He’s really cool like that.. He started talking about fear. Uncertainty. The moments completely out of our control.

The unknowns.

There are certain moments every once in awhile..where you just don’t know. When you’re standing at the beach on the edge of the water wondering if the wave will reach you this time. The moment when your hands are shaking and your heart is pounding just before you say the words you know could change everything. The deep breath before the lights come on and the curtain opens. Everything is up in the air. All the cards are on the table and anything could happen.

Unknowns.

Fear is something in all of us, something we face as little kids with shadows on our bedroom walls and those shadows of fear haunt us forever. I’ve always been afraid of uncertainty and not knowing what’s to come. But what I’ve realized is that being unsure is an adventure.. Like driving down a winding road without having any clue where it’s taking you. All you know is that you’re moving on. If we stay in the same place forever, with the same routine, wearing the same house shoes and reading the same book over and over, what do we learn? Yeah, we’re settled. And those house shoes are probably pretty comfortable.. And that’s a great book… But then what? We learn from experience. We fall down..then we get back up again. We make a mistake..we learn from it. We get our hearts broken…we eat lots of ice cream and write a hit song about it….okay…maybe not… But we do learn from that hurt..and when someone new and beautiful comes along, we might be a little more cautious..but we’ll also be surprised at how it feels to feel like that again. Everything is uncertain. Everything can change in one instant.

Well my dad probably said it better than I can… but unknowns are not bad. They’re scary. But they are an adventure. So I’ve decided to welcome the possibilities, good or bad, not run from them. When you run you might save yourself from hurt, but you might miss out on the chance to really live if you’re always hiding from what COULD go wrong.

I don’t know if you’ll like this post.. You might not like it.. I probably shouldn’t have posted it… What if you’re mocking me right now? What if a meteor is about to crash into earth and you won’t have a chance to get into an emergency evacuation spaceship because you’re busy reading this? This was a mistake… I’m gonna go cry in a dark corner for like 3 days…

peace & love

MR

Hollywood.

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Hi again.

Tonight I am writing to you from the great city of Los Angeles, California. I love this city. I feel like this place kinda gets a bad rep.. It’s always thought of as trashy and dirty.. Which it is…like most cities are..BUT there are places in this city that are just adorable. When my family travels somewhere, we always try to go to the unique places.. Places that aren’t as popular or seen…and there are soooo many hidden gems here.

Well a few nights ago were The Grammys.. My favorite award show (of course) because it is all about music. So every year I watch my tv intently with bright and excited eyes when they’re on. This year was different because I happened to be staying 8 miles down the road from The Staples Center where the awards are held… (Yes. I was extremely happy about that.) and I watched them on the screen in my hotel room. If you watched them, you know that they were very….interesting this year. And I can’t say I was happy about some of the things that happened on the award show that I look forward to all year.. I was a little disappointed.

But I’m not writing this to tell you all my disagreements with The Grammys..

You may not know this..I didn’t know until I came here last July and I was reminded yesterday when I saw it.. You know the Hollywood sign. Everyone has seen it. It sits above the city in bold white letters on a beautiful green hill. What you might not know is that there is a white cross placed on another hill near the sign. Crazy right? I think yes. If you don’t believe me, Google it… (Even though I obviously know way more than Google…. Duh.)

It’s beautiful…and hardly anyone ever knows it’s there. I was very moved when I saw it. And (of course) it really got me thinking… Sometimes everything is so focused on the fame. On the brightest lights and the fanciest clothes. On the tallest hill. The big white bold letters. But what we miss is the cross. We don’t see the beautiful white cross above all the red carpets, award shows, sparkles and parties. There it is. Right in front of the city. But who really sees it? Hears of it? It made me sad to think of all the people who overlook it.. Who only see the taller hill and the bigger sign. If only they knew that the greatest sign was right in front of them..

People come here to follow their dreams and “make it big”.. To find fame and glory. But there’s something much more powerful in these hills.. Just waiting to be known.

I hope I can show someone that hill with the cross.. And show them all the beauty and truth that comes with it. I hope I can smile at a stranger and maybe they’ll see the cross in me.. I hope someday someone will drive beneath those hills and understand the flawless meaning behind the small hill and the simple white cross it holds.

Well I better go..I have a few parties to attend and red carpets to walk…I’m pretty much a celebrity…. Sooo goodnight peasants.

That was just a little jokey joke…

I love you all.

peace & love

MR

Wildflower.

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“Beautiful things don’t ask for attention.” 

I heard that quote in a movie I watched recently.. And it’s been running through my mind since then.

Beautiful things. Well as a writer (and easily excited teenager) I try to find beauty in everything. I’ve always especially had a thing for wildflowers. If you asked me what my favorite flower is….I would most likely say dandelion (and if you say it’s a weed not a flower…..you are a dream crusher.) So when I think of that quote I can’t help but picture a little patch of wildflowers beneath a stop sign in shimmering sunlight. Peaceful. Hidden. Beautiful. Never demanding to be seen..just content. (Unlike roses…..I feel like roses are the stuck up obnoxious flowers that look down on all the other flowers like they’re nothing. How rude.)

But really..I find so much wonder in stars and wildflowers and things that are just simply beautiful. So why do I sometimes find myself getting caught up in trying to be the best? Society teaches us to be jealous. To crave attention. Don’t fall for that. You are beautiful as who you are. You have your own style. Your own talents and differences. You have dreams and passions that nobody else has. Because no one thinks or sees things the way you do. You don’t need even the brightest spotlight to know how special you are.

So be a wallflower. Be a leader. Be a trendsetter. Push your limits and keep pushing them because life is full of opportunity. Limitations and fear are your biggest weaknesses. Be as YOU as you can possibly be…just don’t do it only hoping that others will think you’re cool or that all eyes will be on you. Do it so that you can find yourself. Don’t beg for attention from others because you will probably end up disappointed. You might be surprised to find that a whole lot more eyes will be on you if you just don’t worry about living constantly in the spotlight..

I hope you have a fantastically lovely week. And that you never lose the things that make you you.

Don’t be a rose. Be a dandelion…… And I apologize..I’m clearly not very good at metaphors…..

peace & love

MR

 

Dad.

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Hello everyone.

I feel like there is something I need to share with y’all..

I’ve had a really special man in my life for quite sometime now…

He’s tall. He has dark hair. A nice smile. A great sense of humor. And he’s pretty much the most handsome guy I know.

And his name is…….(Drum roll please)……….. Travis. I even have a nickname for him.. “Dad.” I know, I know…It’s pretty original and I’m really proud of it.

Well, this awesome guy is turning 39 today. (I know he’s old.) So what else would I blog about than my main man?

He is hilarious…like…really funny. He has one of those personalities that can seem kinda quiet, but when you get to know him, he is really really crazy. He is also very caring and kind…he is definitely an introvert but he is the friendliest introvert I know. He gives like…the best hugs. That’s one of my favorite things about him. Oh and no one knows this..but if you ever give my dad a doubleshot espresso coffee…he will ride on a shopping cart all through Walmart while laughing like a kid and almost knocking over all the shampoo bottles on the hair aisle. His work ethic and determination is very inspiring and he never fails to teach me more everyday.

Well I just wanted to say thank you dad. Thank you for capturing every moment of my childhood on tape. Thank you for never killing my wild imagination and for never telling me I’m not really Snow White. Thank you for telling me bedtime stories and tucking me in every night. Thank you for teaching me songs from Vh1 and MTV instead of songs from Barney when I was a 3 year old with glasses and little bangs. Thank you for still calling me Princess before hugging me goodnight before I go to bed. Thank you for being patient with me when I drive your car. And for never failing to inspire me. For encouraging me to follow my dreams and for cheering me up when I’m having a bad day. I will always love the way you laugh…especially when it’s at something I say…it really makes me feel accomplished. Thank you for believing in me and for being the best dad ever.

I truly do love you to the moon and back..about 22 billion times…

And Happy Birthday Daddy.

peace & love

MR

Uninspired.

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So I’ve had really bad writer’s block for about a week now…and if you know me well, you know that I’m a pretty over-dramatic person when I have writer’s block..(even more dramatic than usual..)

Example: Today I explained it to my mom by telling her that having writer’s block is like there is an animal of ideas and emotions trapped inside me that just cant get out… Weird, right?

Well Monday I was feeling uninspired.. in my family we don’t say we’re “bored” or “have nothing to do”, instead we say “uninspired”. Usually I can just drink a good cup of coffee or buy a new journal to get my inspiration back.. But no. This was a serious case of Uninspired-itis…(yes. that is a real thing.) So after moaning and fidgeting in the passenger seat of my mom’s car (2 symptoms of Uninspired-itis), I had an idea.

But instead of telling you what I did to cure myself.. I’m going to kindly share with you how to get your moxie and inspiration back on boring days with these 7 natural remedies for Uninspired-itis:

1. Wave at random strangers on the street. Yes, you might get some weird looks…But you might be surprised at how many people actually wave back… And who cares if they secretly think you’re insane? That’s what makes it fun.

2. Go on a “Dumb Hippie Adventure”….(that’s what my brother calls going to World Market aaaand buying things for a scrapbook from a craft store)

3. Buy something. But not something typical like clothes or shoes.. Something really dumb and useless.. Like ugly knee-high socks with bright colored cats on them… (yes…I’ve done that…and I don’t even like cats that much.)

4. Listen to old cheesy rock music. You have to sing at the top of your lungs though..otherwise it won’t work. If you don’t know any horribly written 80’s songs, I recommend Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler..it’s pretty much the worst of all.

5. Try something new. Such as finger painting. Tennis. Interpretative dancing. Juggling. Yoga. Something that you’re proooobably not good at.. Because it will inspire you to stick with the thing you ARE good at.

6. Eat pizza. Because who isn’t inspired by pizza?

7. Get all dressed up for a casual occasion. If you’re going out to eat at Taco Bell…wear your best dress or suit. Because I’m sure the workers would really appreciate it and you’ll feel pretty darn shnazzy.

WARNING: Side-affects may include, but are not limited to: Laughing uncontrollably. Being laughed at. Eating too much pizza. Overflowing inspiration. And possibly nausea and/or dizziness.

Well this might not apply to anyone other than me… But if you’re ever having a boring day or a really bad case of Uninspired-itis… Just follow those simple and pointless steps. It really works.

I feel like someone on an infomercial.

Well I hope you have a very inspired week.

peace & love

MR

Moments.

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Hey there.

Happy New Year.
I hope you all had a great day. And a wonderful night last night full of fireworks, sparkling grape juice and resolutions that will probably be broken..

2013 was a great year for me.

I traveled to breathtaking places. Laughed a lot. Flew on an airplane for the first time. Was really brave and cut my hair off. Tried new things. Ate some weird food…(such as shark and snails… Shark was surprisingly amazing… Snail… Was not.)

Anyway..it was fantastic. And I want 2014 to be just as fantastical… Or even more if that’s possible.

Soooo I’ve decided to share with you all a list of 10 semi-realistic things I would like to do this year….(I know you probably don’t care… But no one forced you to read this soooooo deal with it.)

1. I would like to drink a ridiculous amount of hot tea….in fancy little cups. I don’t really like hot tea… But it’s a new year and I feel like drinking hot tea will make me classier.

2. I want to write a song on the top of a roof…because danger is my middle name. (Not really…it’s Ashley… But ya know, same thing.)

3. I’d like to buy even more skirts. I already have way too many in my closet. But there is no such thing as too many skirts.

4. Pet a baby panda. Because they’re cute. And probably soft.

5. I want to take pictures with random strangers in a foreign country. Preferably strangers that don’t speak English… Because they’d probably be very confused and that would make for a great picture.

6. Paint a portrait. But take about 2 weeks to finish it then put it in the back of my closet.. Because I procrastinate and I can’t paint.

7. Go to a LOT of concerts.

8. I’d like to sing cheesy 80’s songs loudly down the street and embarrass my friends… More. Because I already do that.

9. Laugh a lot. Because I like to laugh.

10. Make someone’s day. Every day of the year.

…………

But on a more serious note… that list became a little less significant to me when I woke up this morning to find out that a good friend of mine is in the hospital after being in a bad car wreck.

It definitely changed my perspective a little.

Yes I would still like to do those stupid things I listed. But I also have a new list.

1. Make
2. Every
3. Moment
4. Count
5. And
6. Never
7. Take
8. Them
9. For
10. Granted.

So my resolution is to make the moments count this year…and every year. And remember that I never know what the next minute will hold.

Happy New Year. Thanks for reading this post. I will most likely try to make your day..like..once this year.

peace & love

MR

Christmas.

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I debated on whether to post today or not (ya know since it’s Christmas and all) but I decided to go for it…(obviously)

I had an amazing day. Opened lots of perfect presents. Ate delicious food. And spent time with my favorite people.. But the best part of my day was drinking coffee with my parents and my brother this morning before we opened presents.. We sat there listening to old funny Christmas songs that we used to love when we were little. And we laughed and talked and remembered.. And I just wanted to freeze that moment forever. I didn’t want it to change.

I don’t want to grow up.

Those words ran repeatedly through my mind. I don’t want to someday not wake up in my favorite red brick house. I don’t want to lose the smell of coffee every morning. Or hugging my dad when he gets home from work. Or long car rides with my mom.. I don’t want to miss the sound of my brother singing from the shower.. Or going to my grandparents house in my pjs.

I don’t want to grow up.

I mean I’m growing up now. But I’m still in the growing up stage of wearing Christmas hats in public and leaving milk and bread out for Santa….(We didn’t have any cookies)..

Anyway.. I was sad this morning… But then I realized that instead of being sad.. I should enjoy every moment of being young. Making my parents laugh. One of them riding passenger seat in the car while I drive and the other one in the backseat probably scared for their lives.. I’ll savor every laugh. Every song we sing.. Every prayer around the dinner table. And I will always remember that Jesus Christ is so much more magical than any tinsel or light. Because that is what my family believes in. And I’m so glad we do because it is the greatest thing that anyone could ever believe in. Much better than any big hairy man in a red suit..

So today I enjoyed every moment. I laughed a lot. I sang louder.. And I may have acted even quirkier than I usually do.. Because I can.

So I hope you all cherished the moments today.. And ate way too much food.. And wore ugly Christmas sweaters.

Oh and Lovely Christmas.
(Merry is so overrated)

peace & love

MR

Sweater.

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So I was walking through the mall with some guy friends last week.. And we went in Hollister. I was walking around, looking through stacks of clothes, and I saw this super nice men’s sweater. My first thought was: If I had a boyfriend that’s what I would buy him for Christmas.

It was stupid.

But the rest of the afternoon I was looking through stores dramatically thinking “If only someone loved me…” Okay… I am NEVER like that. It’s just Christmastime that turns me into a bitter old lady.

Anyway while I was walking and sighing dramatically in my mind.. I caught myself and realized how stupid of me to feel that way just because it’s cold outside. I am happy. It’s my favorite time of year and a guy wouldn’t make it any better… It would just mean stressing about a present for him.

Yes. All single girls wish they had a cute guy to look at lights and drink hot chocolate with.. But I’m only 15.. And I have PLENTY of Christmases to do cute winter stuff with a guy.. And when I do have a guy at Christmas time… He should probably pretend to be sick… Because I will be wanting to watch movies and make paper snowflakes and bake cookies and put up like 7 Christmas trees and cover everything in lights and wear matching plaid scarves and wrap presents and dance around the kitchen singing Christmas songs.

But anyway, I’ve enjoyed buying presents for my family and friends and watching Christmas movies and I’ve been very content since I realized my stupidity about my singleness..

Well to sum up all of this rambly post… If you were dating me you would’ve gotten a nice Hollister sweater. Sucks for you guys.

peace & love

MR

Masks.

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Hello again.

This summer I spent a few days in New Orleans. I love staying there. I love the music, culture, food and buildings. Anyway, we went in some little shop and there was a wall covered in sparkly, colorful masks. I tried one bright, glittery one on and it was all cute and fun.. Then after a few minutes it got itchy, uncomfortable and just in the way.

We all wear masks. And not the fun Mardi Gras kind…. The kind that hides your eyes. The kind that keeps people from knowing the real you. We all wear them. It distracts from who we are and what we feel. I am always afraid to show my feelings. So just like in New Orleans…I put on a sparkly mask to hide behind.

Of course, we all act differently in public. We WANT to be liked. And there is nothing wrong with that.. But sometimes we let it go too far until we can’t even tell what’s the real us and what’s a mask. Sometimes we even try to hide others. We get so caught up in ourselves and what we do and who we’re associated with.. So we try to mask the people around us.. Hide their flaws or differences. Or just hide them entirely so that people don’t think we’re “uncool” for being friends with them. That’s how we end up hurting the people that actually care about us. Masks can make us feel pretty and mysterious. Unique. Or we wear one to fit in with everyone else. But the thing is, everyone is different. Special. Beautiful. And we don’t need to hide our unique, quirky or exciting things that make us US.

Well I’m sorry for this rant. But I think we all should remember that most of the time.. when you take off the mask then it reveals a really pretty person..and some prince or princess realizes how beautiful you are and you live happily ever after and get married and have like six kids.

The End.

peace & love

MR