A Little Spring Fever

       I absolutely love winter - I do! I love everything about it- from snow falling outside my window, to hot cocoa and a warm fire, to snow days spent with books and fuzzy blankets. And the added bonus this year - the Winter Olympics! 

       However, I do have to say that I am starting to get a little spring fever. I'm over all the gray, slushy days, the salt coating my boots and car doors more than the road, the being sick and sniffly. (I swear that tissue usage goes up by, like, 75% this time of year!) And that fabulous day of semi-warm sunshine we had on Saturday reminded me of how much I love spring and how much I've been craving a little sun. I forgot how great it is to stand by the window and feel warmth on my face, to walk my dog outside in just a sweatshirt, to smell the mud and the grass and the trees. 

       I am actually always a little sad when pretty, snowy winter ends, because I know that lots of rain and dreariness are coming... but also lots of warmth and flowers and Spring break and birds singing. :) So this year I am actually pretty excited that it's almost March - spring starts in 22 days! I can hardly wait.

        So here's to all the months of rising temperatures and fun to come! Happy over the hump day and happy (almost) March! 

-Sophie

February-thanksgiving?

Hey guys!

As many of you know, this week is CRAZY for everyone who is involved with the musical! All cast members, orchestra, crew, stage managers, and directors are stuck at the high school from the end of the school day until 9 o'clock! Needless to say, everyone gets exhausted/stressed/sick/annoyed really easily. Don't get me wrong, musical is a BLAST (and everyone should join next year!!), but when you've got a ton of homework and you're running on a minimal amount of sleep, it can seem frustrating at times.

For me, today was one of those days when everything just seemed to go wrong. I was stressed and I was exhausted. I felt overwhelmed with my school work, and I was very worried about the fact that I had a minimal amount of time to study for an upcoming test. "Musical is too time consuming...people are getting on my nerves...I don't have enough time to just relax/sleep..." My current mood being what it was, I felt completely justified in my way of thinking.

And then I had a major reality check. As I listened to other peoples problems, whether they were family problems, financial problems, or medical problems, my own problems starting seeming more and more insignificant. I mean, what was a short night of sleep to a friend whose family was falling apart? How could I worry about a math test when another person was worried about an illness?

I suppose that I just got so caught up in my own problems that I forgot about everyone else's. I was so consumed by the bad things happening that I missed all the wonderful things around me.

We are months away from November, but I hope all of you are still thankful for everything you have.

Lots of love,

-Habiba

P.S. Come see the musical! :)

Happy February! (Blog Schedule)

Hey Tappy Staff!

Though we're already a third of the way through, here's your blog schedule for February! Since the deadline for submissions is coming up (February 19th), it is (not required, but) encouraged to post pieces that have been accepted into the magazine on the blog!

February 9 - Sarah
February 10 - Emma
February 11 - Faith
February 12 - Stephen
February 13 - Rachel
February 14 - Che
February 15 - Emily F.
February 16 - Juliet
February 17 - Dani
February 18 - Maria
February 19 - McKenna
February 20 - Jaagrit
February 21 - Habiba
February 22 - Bailey
February 23 - Adlai
February 24 - Marisa
February 25 - Emily K.
February 26 - Sophie

TAPESTRY SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 19TH

All artsy and creative students of Fox Chapel,

The deadline to submit your artwork and writing to Tapestry is FEBRUARY 19TH. This means that there are only 13 days left to submit your work to have it reviewed and published in FC's literary arts magazine. Remember, the more pieces you submit, the better chance you have of getting your piece published!

EVERYONE can submit- whether you are a freshman or a senior. We want to see your talent!

All you have to do to submit is email a picture of your artwork/photograph or writing to foxchapeltapestry@gmail.com and get a submission form from the front of room 176's door to fill out and turn back in to the Tappy staff.

SUBMIT, SUMBIT, SUBMIT!

If You Liked "The Fault In Our Stars"... (Dani)

...then you'll love Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. While all of us Tappy girls freak out over the release of the trailer for the upcoming movie of John Green's young adult favorite (If you missed it, watch it and cry here), let me point you towards another book I have found shockingly similar for the following reasons:

• Both have amazing complex heartbreaking CHARACTERS who while falling in love aren't just falling in love. They are more multifaceted and strong and going through life. Not just a book about love.
• They are just so REAL. Eleanor and Hazel have real insecurities and are so so afraid of love. And the boys have insecurities too. (Cool difference: Eleanor & Park is from both perspectives, so you get to see inside Park's mind too)
• Both make me cry
• I always want to reread both...always.
• Both hilarious. GREAT WRITING.
• Okay? Okay.

Their takes on eyes:

TFIOS: 

And yet—I cut a glance to him, and his eyes were still on me.

It occurred to me why they call it eye contact.  

I walked into the circle and sat down next to Isaac, two seats away from the boy. I glanced again. He was still watching me. 

Look, let me just say it: He was hot. A nonhot boy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a hot boy . . . well.

E&P: 

He closed his eyes and shook his head, like he was embarrassed.  
"I … just really don’t want to say goodbye to you, Eleanor. Ever."
He opened his eyes and looked straight into her. Maybe this was third base. 

The three words:

TFIOS:

I'm in love with you," he said quietly.

"Augustus," I said. 

"I am," he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.”

E&P: 

"I’m just saying… I love you. And I can’t imagine stopping…" 

She shook her head. "But you’re twelve." 

"I’m sixteen…" he said. "Bono was fifteen when he met his wife, and Robert Smith was fourteen..." 

"Romeo, sweet Romeo..." 

The parallels are uncanny. 

Quick, let me explain: in the last one, she's making fun of him like she made fun of Romeo and Juliet in school because she thinks they are too young and immature and spoiled to actually feel lifelong love for each other. Throughout the book, she's trying to give all of herself but she has to hold herself back because she can't foresee herself getting to be with him for real because of her stepdad.

So anyway, before you blame me for a very incomplete assessment of the book, here's a little more on what Eleanor & Park is all about. Set in 1986 to the music of The Cure and Joy Division (I absolutely recommend listening to them for what admittedly was my first time while you read not just for the vibe but also since they pretty much founded the alternative genre), the novel depicts two kids who change each other's lives as they try to deal with all the issues of fitting in and standing out and Eleanor's horrible abusive dictatorial drunk of a stepdad. They're pretty cute; they read comic books together on the bus. And you can take a break from crying about The Fault In Our Stars to cry about something else for a change. 

I also recommend Rainbow Rowell's other YA novel, Fangirl, about life and love from the perspective of a girl who is famous for writing online fanfiction and has a twin and is starting college!

Stay fabulous and submit to Tapestry by February 19!
Dani

Childhood Friends and Memories

I'm willing to bet that anyone reading this had a favorite stuffed animal when they were younger. Maybe you still do. I definitely do, and her name is Penelope. Penelope is a black and white pig about the size of a loaf of bread. She's been with me since I was five and has been pretty constant in my life. 

It turns out that when my mom bought Penelope for me, she actually bought two of the same pig. I didn't receive -- let alone know about -- the second one until sixth grade. Which is the year I had Swine Flu. I know right? My mom was powerless in the face of the irony. I named "new Penelope" Lydia and even though they're the same stuffed animal, Lydia still hasn't replaced Penelope. Penelope is worn and soft, whereas Lydia is silky and smooth. Penelope has been to Maine, Georgia, Florida, Colorado, and Massachusetts; Lydia has never left the house. For these reasons, Penelope is so much more important to me. It's strange, considering she's not really real, but our "shared" experiences make her so comforting.

To be completely honesty, I was a bit hesitant about writing this. Maybe because this is a part of me that is slighting more private, or maybe because it seemed like a childish topic. But then I realized: as high-schoolers, we want nearly nothing more than to be able to revert to our childhood. So here's hoping that this post will remind you of your favorite stuffed animal and possibly even inspire you to find that plush friend, take a moment, and remember an easier and more relaxing time of your life. 

Best wishes for your snow day,

Maria

Food Is Always On My Mind

I want to share this incredible piece of artwork by Ibon Mainar with all of you.  The painting is of In & Out Burgers and when I came across it while blogging earlier today, I thought that the the resemblance was uncanny.  I've never been to In & Out Burgers before, which is something that really needs to change within the next year or two.

So today, I was feeling extra hungry.  I woke up this morning after about 9 hours of sleep (a record on a school night for me guys) and had chicken soup that my mom had made the previous night.  Usually, I have a bland breakfast, consisting of a dry bagel washed down with a glass of orange juice, and then about an hour later I grumble about how hungry I am and how badly I want to go to lunch.  But today, I took my sweet time eating breakfast, the crisp celery, carrots, and chicken really hit the spot for me!  I was in bliss after such a wonderful breakfast that I went through 1st and 2nd period without a rumbling stomach.  During A lunch, I enjoyed a peanut butter sandwich (yes, only peanut butter, I hate PB&J) and a chocolate chip cookie (shout out to Faith Kim for buying it for me).  3rd and 4th period drained me out and surely enough when I got on the bus, I announced to a friend, that I was ready for a snack.  But a snack for me, isn't actually a snack which is defined as a portion of food smaller than a meal; it's another meal!  I bounded through the door, ready for my snack, and grabbed a bowl of steaming hot chicken soup.  After that, I enjoyed a bowl of low fat strawberry Yoplait yogurt and followed that up with a bowl of pineapple chunks.  Now, I am craving a small pizza from Upper Crust and some fudge brownie ice cream... ugh why is food always on my mind? 

Until Next Time, 

Sarah