Life with Madi

Rooney Mara, SUCH a classy character.  Rooney only wears black and white, and it's usually black, so I love that she chose white for the Oscars.  Totally contrasts with that gorgeous inky black hair.  

The minute Molly and I saw Jessica Chastain in this dress, we both started screaming 'MCQUEEN! MCQUEEN!' because we just knew.  I'm so glad she went soft with her hair, too...it's simple but it goes perfectly with this dress.  LOVE. 

Who on God's good Earth could dislike something this gorgeous?  I had high hopes for Michelle, because she's one of my fashion icons, and she did not disappoint.  Peplum= AMAZING. Instant classic.  

Here are some of my other loves of the night: 

Okay, CANNOT get over this adorable vintage Dior polka dot dress...but Natalie, girl, what's with that hair?  The hair just ruined the entire ensemble for me.  It's pretty and all, but does not go with the dress.  She needs a braided chignon or a high bun or something.  I just felt bad for that beautiful dress. 

Always classic, always gorgeous, the lovely Emma Stone, everybody.  I love her and will love anything she ever chooses to wear, but after seeing this, I (along with the rest of the blogosphere) could not get Nicole Kidman's 2007 Balenciaga stunner out of my mind.  Same red hue, same neck bow...Emma, girl, I wanted something crazy original!  It's still a gorgeous dress on a gorgeous woman, but your oscar gown is not supposed to bring gowns from years past to mind!! Well, there's always next year...

All right, I know she's not really a starlet or anything but this Giuliana pretty much brought it yesterday.  This gown is stunning.  Maybe a half-updo would have looked better, but still, girl....WURK

And of course, my queen, my goddess, the light of my life...Mrs. Meryl Streep, everyone.  The moment I saw her, I was like, "there's no way she's not winning an Oscar DRESSED like an Oscar.  It just must happen."  AND IT DID.  I pretty much did a victory dance all over my dorm when she won.  P.S., her acceptance speech was the most adorable thing to ever grace this planet Earth.  Just saying.  Streeping hardcore over here.  

My favorite moments of the night: when The Artist won best director, best score, Jean DuJardin for Best Actor and then BEST EFFING PICTURE (a title the movie so rightly deserves). When the Streep won Best Actress...when Plummer won Best Supporting Actor for the first time in his 82 years (when he said "You're only two years older than me, darling, where have you been all my life?" I was pretty much sobbing out of joy)...when Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy did a 'Scorsese' shot....When the Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore won for Best Animated Short (I'm pretty sure I pulled a hamstring for all the victory dancing I did for that one)....Emma Stone's adorable presenter speech....loved it all.  All of it. 

I love the Oscars, people.  Love 'em. 

Au revoir,

Cooper

(sad now, but that DRESS)

When they won the Oscar for Good Will Hunting and were basically fangirling on stage...LOVE.  Probably my favorite moment ever.  

An iconic picture, iconic couple, iconic DRESS. Love MUSTARD

There are so many more moments that I love but let's just leave it at 3 for now.  

I'm such an Oscar dork- I've always dreamed of being there, whether I'd be onstage winning the oscar for Best Original Screenplay or on the arm of hunky-nominated best actor, who would be just honored to have acclaimed author dressed in the gorgeous Galliano by his side. 

Get ready for my Oscar spam tomorrow. 

HAPPY OSCAR NIGHT! 

My latest 'photo a day' photos: 

Someone I love: Sarah Dessen.  She totally knows how to tap into my teen angst-y side.  

Reflection: Gotta get those brows waxed.  

Sweet: DELISH gummies the fam sent to me in a Valentine's day care package.  

Shoes: there's a pile of 'em on the floor right now.  

Until tomorrow, 

Cooper

^This is one of my favorite pictures of them.  

I LOVE YOU BOTH! 

I'm still so in awe of her journey to becoming this fit, healthy individual, and she really is making the most of her new figure by putting it to every test imaginable, and participating in every race she can find! 

Like I said, she's been inspiring me with this journey, and after she told me about the color run I just could not believe how fun it sounded.  I've been having my own struggles with being healthy lately (I just eat so much CRAP) and I want to get back on track and make sure I've got the stamina and strength that someone my age should be able to boast!  I'm not an 80-year-old man, I'm young, and I should be able to move and dance and run and climb without getting out of breath or wanting to give up!

WHICH IS WHY I've decided to sign up for the Denver Color Run!  I'm so, so, SO excited.  I'm going to run three miles every other day to build up my stamina and then in May (when the color run is: two days after my birthday! Ahhh!) Molly's going to come out here and we're going to run it together!

Here's an amazing little video about the run: 

I realize that in my Photo a Day post, I took a picture of the book Queen Victoria for the day titled, 'what I'm reading'.  I hadn't started it yet, but I used it for that day anyway, excited to begin.  

It's four days later and as of this morning, I've yet to pick it up.  I don't want to say I've given up on it since I never actually gave it a chance in the first place, but....

I ended up fishing out The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen this evening when I started to get a little bit homesick.  I don't know what it was about this book that made me grab it, but I did. 

Ok, that's a complete lie.  I know exactly why I grabbed it.  The Truth About Forever is a book I've already read three times.  The first time I picked it up, I was in middle school and I found a copy with a tattered plastic protective cover around it in the Keller Public Library's Young Adult section.  I know every character and their subsequent personality traits by heart: brooding, handsome Wes; chubby Bert who believes in the second Apocolypse as if it's his only religion; quiet, closed-away Macy.  Every time I read a scene, I can tell you exactly what's going to happen, the way Macy feels, the way Wes looks at her, and if Monica sighs or scoffs.  

I remember the second or third time I read this book, I don't remember which it was, but it was the day before one of my first days of school.  I was really nervous, so I put this book in my backpack.  That night, I slept like a baby.  That morning, I got up and I was still a little nervous, but I was ready.  I just kept thinking about my copy of the book tucked away in my backpack and I felt totally fine. 

What is the point of all this rambling, you may be asking yourself?  My point is this: there are just those books that feel like home.  Like I said, tonight I started to feel a little homesick and so I reached for TTAF and after reading the first four chapters, I already feel better.  I felt better because I had Macy and Wes and Monica and Wish Catering and Wally from Raleigh and the grubby beach house and all that.  

I've got a lot of favorite books, and this is one of them, without a doubt.  I don't care how cheesy or predictable it is, and I honestly don't care that the main character is in high school (because isn't that when all of us go through a million little crisises, anyway?)

BOOKS=HOME. 

And that's all I have to say about that.  

I realize I have not posted in a while. 

I also realize a lot of my posts begin this way.  

BUT in my defense, this week has been stressful as hell.  I had two tests, one speech, and three papers. 

Ok, fine, three copies of the same paper.  BUT STILL. MY PRINTER WAS ACHING. 

I also realized I haven't been keeping up with my Photo a Day posts on here, and my last one was on Valentine's day.  So here are my photo a day pictures assembled in a neat, organized collage for your benefit down below, with their numbered description below that. 

Please enjoy thoroughly. 

So long, and Happy Trails.  

Day 10: 

Where I sleep: I already posted lots of pictures of that, so here are the lights where I sleep. 

Day 11: 

Close-up: Want me to come closer?

I skipped 'daily routine' cause that's way too crazy to get into one frame.  

I'M FRAZZLED that's why this blog post doesn't make any sense. 

Tomorrow's Valentine's day.  Blech.  Except I sort of love it. 

I'M FRAZZLED. 

I had a weird afternoon, so I called her just to talk about it...and let me tell you, this girl could talk you out of depression.  She knew exactly what to say, and it made me tear up a little bit because I realized that she is honestly my best friend in the whole, entire world.  

I miss her so much, but at least I'll get to see her in about three weeks.  She may annoy the crap out of me sometimes (just like I annoy her) but we'll always be sisters and she'll always, always be my other half.  

Childhood. 

The picture's a little pixellated, but I'm the hellion in the teal with the shotgun.  HEYOH!

Along with my photo of the day, here are some photos of my dorm that we rearranged the other day. 

I slung one of my extra sheets over the top of the ladders and bought some string lights at Target.  The only ones they had in the store were the seasonal valentine's rose lights...I'm not complaining.  Don't they look like poppies all lit up?

Then, today, I hung up some extra wall art and now have this totally kick-ass hangout space.  The only problem is that I never want to leave.....

Well, now I've got to get ready for my 7:00 p.m. astronomy lab (BLECHHH), but then I can come back to this magical-ness and just crash.  

Have a lovely Thursday night, 

Cooper

Lovely. 

For all of you that are unaware of what I'm doing, here's the challenge description: 

(Since this was originally for January, I'm just going to cut out two days I don't want to do.  in fact, I think one of those days will be my assignment for today, 'Daily Routine', cause that's just too damn complicated to get into one picture.)

Childhood, coming right up!

Letterbox of a letter.  Yes, I was trying to be clever.  It did not work so well.  

DAY 5

Something I wore.  This lovely shade of red glitter nail polish that, after taking this photo, I ruined by trying to put on a pair of new shoes.  Just wait for the nails to dry, Self!!!

DAY 6

Makes me smile: My absolutely generous roomie, who bought this for me.  So sweet. 

Favorite: Fave hairstyle, ever, will always be maiden braids.  It keeps my hair out of my face and also looks incredibly adorable.  I'm in love. 

And today's photo of the day is.....going to be posted later on because I haven't done it yet. 

I'M SO ORGANIZED

Also, I've got a new vlog out, so click the 'My Vlog' link on the top right corner to check it out.  

Byeeeeeeeeeee, 

Cooper (that wasn't obnoxious at all)

So, after a long, long (long) decision process, my parents have finally decided to move to Colorado.  There's a company down here that my dad really likes, plus, they've always wanted to experience a climate that's better than the hot, humid, stifling air of Texas.  I haven't told nearly anyone...we weren't 100% positive that the move was actually going to happen and we didn't want to get our hopes up.

I'm so excited.  First of all, this means that they'll be living less than an hour away from where I go to school.  There's the possibility of me paying in-state tuition after a while, and I won't have to wait until breaks from school to go down and visit (and I won't have to fly anymore, blech).  I finally get to ease their stress a little and help them with the moving process, because I haven't been able to do a lot with them still in Texas. 

Then, there's the downside.  My sister is still going to be living in Texas, so I still won't get to see her very often.  I have a lot of friends I'll be leaving behind in Texas, too (Shannon, Brownie, Jacob, Maggie, Bri, and the gang, I miss you all!), and I don't know when the next time is that I'll be down there  to say goodbye.  Plus, I may not even be able to say my final goodbyes to the house I spent eight years doing a lot of growing up in, and that's a total bummer, too.  

Whatever happens, I've got to remember that change is good and if friends are true, they'll stick with you (I should write Hallmark cards, am I right? Just kidding).  This is going to be exciting and different and I can't wait for my parents to come here and finally feel settled and happy, and to feel like this is where they belong. 

Plus, I really miss my mom's home cooked meals.  Just saying.  

Au revoir, 

Cooper

I adore SNOW!  It's been snowing for a day and a half, non-stop.  I love it.  Today it pummeled me in the face and instead of getting mad I smiled and welcomed the cold pain.  LOVE IT and people here think I'm crazy. 

Breakfast.  I know, I need to get some fruit up in here, but this is fast and easy and tastes like chocolate milk.  

I look a bit odd in this picture but I attribute it to the fact that I've had my contacts in for far too long and I just got back from rock climbing.  DEWY MUCH

Anyway, there's the beginning of my photo-a-day challenge!