I think a change, a change, would do you good.

So if you were around my blog recently, you've probably seen the changes I've made to the header+background!
I really like this new design. I think its slightly darker, and reflects my state of mind perfectly. The books are there, the birds flying away are there, there's pink, because I'm still that girl, but its more grown up than the previous look ChickLitGirl had.
What do you think?
I've been in a massive book slump lately. I just don't feel like reading. Its so weird.
What I want to read, is something close to perfect, and all the books I've started, they just don't pull me in. I need an attention grabber, you know, one of those awesome books which hook you from the first page, and keep their claws in you, until you're a mess of happy or sad emotions at the very end.
Books like Shatter Me, or Stolen or even Gimme a Call.
Sigh.
So what HAVE I been doing? Working on... art.
Since my literature dreams have been crushed (daddy issues), I've decided to get into Pakistan's best art school. Is it weird that I've turned a completely different direction yet again? Nah, I don't think so.
Doodling and drawing are two things I've been doing for a long, long time now. During high school, a lot of friends told me to get into the arts scene, but I never paid 'em much attention. I mean, I'm not spectacular, I'm slightly above average. But then lit was a no-go, and that other uni I talked about a few posts ago? Sucked sweaty horse balls.
Yeah, that bad.
So now, art school it is.

Here are two pieces from my makeshift portfolio, since I've never taken any classes, *insert Taylor Swift voice* like, ever.

I call her, Girl With Hair

Girl With Hair2

I love the hair man. I really do. Pretty colors and swirly lines- there's just something about them ya know? YA KNOW?
What- No? Just me? Okay. :C

In case anyone is wondering, yes, that is me on the header up there. I'm wearing a long tunic, called a kurta, which most Pakistanis wear here, and a black dupatta, which is a long black scarf esq thingy. I WISH that bookshelf was mine, but sadly, the picture was taken by my bff at this cafe in Karachi.

Oh and before anyone tries to say the girls' boobs are wonky- THEY'RE NOT DUDE. They're supposed to be that way. *Shakes head/rolls eyes*

Art School interview was a nerve wracking experience.
First of all, before going in, a senior came by and demanded to go through my little file of art. Basic ragging, whatever. So I showed it to him, because you know, whatever. Might as well see his reaction.

He... scoffed.

Basically was like this:

Literally scoffed and laughed in this 'WTF are you thinking guuuurlll?!' way and told me to take in someone else's work if I really wanted to get in.
Obviously, that wasn't going to happen, and thankfully he left after letting me in on that nugget of wisdom. Leaving me on my uncomfortable folding chair, a total mess.
I wasn't good enough. I knew it, and now he knew it, and in a minute they would know it too. I was actually shaking at the thought of being a disappointment/failure yet again.

Me, from the inside.

Of course, it was at that very moment that I was called in.

There were twelve people there, sitting in a half circle, and I was supposed to sit in the single chair in front. Totally felt like a Wizengamot moment. The old dude right in front of me even looked like Minister of Magic gone bad, with a pinched face and this general air of meanness about him.

So I'm showing them my meager portfolio right, and they're questioning me about my family (Dad: Civil Engineer), interest in Art (doodling since 4eva, Mum loves to paint etc), then that old dude asks me if I've ever experimented with watercolors, AFTER seeing the above drawings. And I'm like, um yeah these are water colours- (Seriously? You're supposed to be the big art expert here.)

Him: Yeah, water color pencils.

Me: Um, no, actual watercolors.

Him: What? Okay, hand them over. *examines them*

Me: Yeeeeeahhh Bichezz this is the REAL DEAL11!!

Then the nice ladies and I had a talk about literature and English, where I also discussed this blog and they seemed actually impressed! Yay. Everyone seemed to like my art too, so I was feeling pretty confident at that point. But you just knew that Mr Grumpy had 'seen it all before'. *big fat eye roll* 

So then he asked me, pointing to the application in front of him 'You've written here you like to sing?' I replied in the affirmative.

Him: So what will you sing for us today?

Me: Um..? 

Lady: Oh singing! How lovely! Are you trained or is it just for fun?

Me: Yes, I love to sing. I'm not brilliant but, Im not that bad either! No training, but I've actually-

Man: -Sing 

Me: Um

Man: *creepy intense look*

Me: Okay... sing what?

Man: You tell us.

Me: Sings.

YEAH OLD MAN, TAKE THAT. I SANG, IN YO FAZE. THINK YOU CAN SHAKE ME? HUH? HUH?

Ahem. 

Anyway, so everyone smiled and half clapped in the end, then they asked me to gtfo.

I think it went well, don't you? 

So when I got home, a friend who knows people at the art school called me up later in the evening.

I was just chillin', watching the latest Revolution, you know, that show where the lights go out 4eva, and then I was told- I.GOT.IN.

I got in. 

Fingers crossed it isn't all a horrible misunderstanding.

xoxo

Chicklitgirl

A Day Of Firsts

Tomorrow is a day of firsts.

Its my 20th birthday, and the first day of my brand new college.

You would think I'd be excited, and I suppose I am. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life, but you see the problem is, I hate the university I'm supposed to go to. And I know, this birthday will suck.

So here's to tomorrow. Fingers crossed that I'm wrong.

Me, Eid

xx

CLG 

Books:

I'm reading Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry and its good so far. I read From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer a few days ago and really, really liked it- 3.2 stars outa 5.

Misc:

SUITS is my current TV addiction. Even though half the time I don't understand any of the lawyer mumbo jumbo, I love the witty banter and the sheer awesomeness of the main characters. Also I am totally into the marvel comic movies. Thor was ADORABLE and I loved Captain America's innocence, chivalry and personality. Actually, all the Superheros- Iron Man, Thor, Cap A- were awesome. Need to watch The Incredible Hulk now. Can't wait. Then I'll start the Batman movies. Yay.

(Movies): I'm In Love. #1

And his name is Mr SuperHero Man.

So I watched the Avengers, and really liked it. Maybe even loved. Then I wiki-ed it, because that's a thing I do, and found out its sort of a sequel movie to the others- Iron Man, Thor etc! I was totally excited. People, yes, I was living under a rock. I didn't know. 

Anyway so then I had to go and watch them all, because have you SEEN Thor? Hes a hunk. And Iron Man? Funny, witty, sexy AND SO SUPER INTELLIGENT. Captain A's a sweet heart. And I love Mark Ruffalo.

So far, I've only managed to see both the Iron Man movies, so maybe next week I'll be in love with Thor.

The only superhero movie I really saw and followed up with was Spider Man, because A) The first movie was awesome, and B) I read a Spiderman novel, where the thoughts and actions of Peter Parker were so swoon-worthy heroic/nice/adorable/badass, that I obviously fell in love. Plus the story was pretty cool as well.

And come on, Andrew Garfield? He is the epitome of hot guy. Tobey was cute too.

So: Iron Man 1 & 2 get 4/5 stars

The Avengers gets 3.95/5 stars

xoxo

CLG

(life): What I Do and How I Be

What I Do:

• Watch Sherlock. It's so good.
• Read books. They're awesome.

How I Be:

I went to Islamabad a week ago! Will show you guys some pictures from the trip soon! Sneak peak above.
Also, I have all the Vampire Diaries' seasons. Nope, still haven't watched that show. Convince me why I should /should-not in the comments?

xx

Chicklitgirl

screaming cupcakes

So, at the moment, I'm watching Scream 4. Is it any good? Will I be scared shitless?
I hope so. Only time will tell. Lucy Hale is in it! I did not know that. I love Lucy Hale. She can sing too! Admittedly- just tween songs, but I really liked Run This Town.
Okay- added later- that was just stupid. -_-

I'm applying to LUMS- so fingers crossed for that! Pray for me? Please. I kinda need it. Though- I'm only doing it because Lums is well LUMS and they'll be happy.
Though me, personally? I'd like to go to BNU.

The Gap Year is in effect, at the moment. I work now too! Its supposedly a 'good' job- but pays absolute peanuts. Its the only one my Dad is letting me do because you know- I'm a girl! Working for my Aunt's A level school is safe!

To make this post more interesting, here are the cupcakes I baked and decorated for said Aunt's birthday.

Jelly hearts, vanilla butter cream icing, chocolate cupcakes.

Jelly heart, Nutella Icing, Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Cupcake.

all of 'em.

the card I made to accompany 'em.

You know when you think you're going to be friends with a certain person forever and then he or she decides they really don't give a shit? You don't? Well, good for you.
This has been my theme song for the past month.
Its brilliant- better than the original.



Recent Books read: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.
Any good? : OMG IT WAS AMAAAAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4.8 stars outa 5. Review to come soon.
Fun fact about book: Tahereh Mafia is amazingly sweet. (Insignificant twitter chat! :D) She is also MUSLIM! :D x 500.

xx

Chicklitgirl

in which I talk about life and its meaning.

The days are all blurred into each other- its pretty monotonous- save for some little moments that try to break up the constancy and greyness of life.
For one, I dunno how this 'gap year' is going to work.
At first, everyone was fine with it. But suddenly, over Eid, literally EVERYONE has started having problems with me taking a year off.
My parents, my relatives, my parents' friends even.
Why, I ask them, could they have not voiced said problems before? When the universities I'm interested in were raking in their admissions and  having a jolly good time with the admission tests and all that after-Alevel crap?
Why NOW, when all of them are not taking in new kids, when the time for xyzCAT registrations AND in some cases, testing is over?

They say its because I don't talk to them, don't inform them about my 'plans'.
First of all, I TOLD them my plans. Second of all, they AGREED with the gap year scene, initially.
So why the fuck do they have to make me feel even worse about said plans now?
Why did they not offer the numerous knowledgeable contacts they had, talking about what I should do before it was too late?!
 I'm sorry.
Its their fault, not mine.
I know I screwed the Alevels up, I'm trying to make up for it.
So shut up okay?
Ugh.

Anyway, on a more cheerful note... Bloomsbury-Walker [WELL KNOWN SEXY BOOK PUBLISHERS] actually tweeted about my Chain Reaction book review!
Me=Ecstatic- might as well be an understatement.
AND THEN THEY REPLIED BACK WHEN I TWEETED ABOUT IT!!!

Yeah, to all the book bloggers out there- I know you guys probably think its not such a big deal- but it is to me okay?
I live in Pakistan- have a BOOK blog and awesome international publishers actually call MY reviews awesome?

 In other news, Eid was fun and I got SO MUCH MONEY. *drools*
And then- my birthday was like, exactly a day after Eid, which obviously meant- yeah you guessed it, EVEN MORE MOOLAH.
I can finally get a decent phone now, mine looks like its been stamped on (it has- Dad was mad at me), sat on, and like someone regularly dropped it whenever they forgot it was on their lap (me).
They back cover is MIA and Ibu peeled off a part of the red, once very sexy metallic coating, so now its just- crap.
Not to mention how it hangs quite often and switches of whenever it pleases.
You know, despite it all, I really love my phone.
A very close friend got it for me all the way from Saddar, (in Karachi, a place far far away, where females are usually not encouraged to go to cause of the volatile [read: gross and maila] crowd. Would you label me as snob/ defence ki bachi for saying  that? Probably. But whatever.) since in our regular cellphone shops they all had it in black, not red.
It has over a kajillion texts in it from my best friends, who left me foreva and went abroad, which actually spell into a million memories.
Ima miss it, but I think its served its time. Its been with me since the summer of 2009.

Okay, so I keep switching back and forth between the blogger window and my desktop.
MOM, PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE.
*face-desk*x1002029

My birthday sucked, in a way. I slept the whole day, in a half hearted depression state. Feeling sorry for myself and all that. At night though, it got better, when my mom/grandma/sisters took me to the new Frozen Yogurt place thats opened up on MM Alam Road and then I had a special mini surprise- all thanks to the loveliness that is Sallz.
She'd somehow managed to get me a cake/card/present, all the way from Karachi!
It was super adorable and so unexpected!
After that, I had this huge silly smile on my face the whole time we were there.
The omg-someone-really-cares feeling was kinda awesome.
 Best friends like that = win.

Pictures? Yes, of course.

Ibu, strolling down zi driveway- like a bauuusss

My wonderful birthday surprise.

The frozen yogurt birthday sundae- complete with 3 scoops of ice cream (mint choc chip/butter pecan/rock road), whipped cream, topped with crushed brownie bits and waffle- with the cliched cherry on top.
Yes, I ate it all.
Yes, I'm a fat ass.

Me showing off the cute Bday card

Two lovely books given to me by another awesome friend of mine. *sigh of content*

double choc chip cupcakes- I baked for Eid

My sister's mehndi, this Eid

Me, this Eid.

I'll probably once again not be blogging as much as usual- exams in October!
RATE/COMMENT/SUBSCRIBE!

Hugs,

ChickLitGirl

Ps:

Life: Something everyone goes through.
Its meaning [as defined by Google]: The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.

NOW YOU KNOW THE MEANING OF LIFE!!!!

a big dumping of summer

So its Summer.
And I'm like a deflated balloon here.
If you bother reading this blog and keeping up with the random life-glimpses I present every once in a while, you'll know the Karachi plan was a huge fail and that I am stuck in Lahore until November.

However, staying here is not completely torturous as I have had a few reasons to :D.

PICTURES?

Well- OF COURSE!

Since you know, a picture is worth a thousand words and shit.

So here folks, is my summer so far.

The Party.

 THAT adorable treat is a Death By Chocolate cake for my friend's surprise 20th birthday.
Yes, I decorated it- with edible glitter- and sprinkles!
She loved it :D
That was a fun day, we played Taboo, saw Limitless- which was a good movie by the way, [though the cliff hanger ending sucked] and had Zinger Burgers and Butter popcorn.
MMMMM.
Way too good.

Its kind of a funny story, 'surprise' bit of her party though.
It involved me picking her up from her house, and taking her home- all the while being followed by a car full of our friends.
I had to distract Sundas SO MANY TIMES!
It was hilarious.
At one point when we made a stop at the bakery so I could get 'some snacks' for lunch [read: this ^cake]- she caught a glimpse of one of the boys- (I'll call him Melvin since he was slightly annoying) Melvin, running to the car.
It was so hard to stay focused and serious.
Especially when she kept going 'Omg, is that Melvin? Dude! I think I just saw Melvin!'
I however, being the coolio (yeah coolio, stfu) that I am, launched into a super romantic story of what one of our other close friends was giving his true love on her birthday.

[HES BAKING HER A CAKE! And writing her poems. Not to mention the purse and other things hes buying for her! And when I told this to a boy I kinda-sorta like (lets call him Doosh), his reaction was: Tell him to wear a dress to while hes at it!
Yeah.
Um, WTF STFU DOOSH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A ROMANTIC BONE IN YOUR BODY THAT DOES NOT MEAN BOYS WHO DO ARE GAY/TRANS/SHOULD WEAR FEMALE ATTIRE.
You, Doosh, are not romantic and super lame.
Just like your name.
Yes.]

Anyway.
So when we got home, I shoved her into a room and ran out to get everyone else- the others who were hiding outside the gate.
Then I crept them into the house
-(and locked all the doors since I'd invited boys too, and didn't want a random family member dropping by, getting shocked by my besharmy at associating with males of all people. The horror!)-
and we ran to the room and surprised her.
It was such a happy moment, and you know, actually a surprise, unlike the fake surprises of today when your friends actually expect a surprise party- not that there's anything wrong with that- but you know, takes 2% of the fun outa it.
Over all, it was a fun, fun day.



The Picnic.

So yesterday we went to a family picnic, in the outskirts of Lahore.
It was a farm- with a tube well!

Below is a picture of me contemplating life and thinking about its meaning at the farm.

[Totally posing]

So what happened was, a little later after that, I was just standing in the beautiful garden/farm looking at the peacocks there, when I heard a tiny chirp very close to me. Now the birds were in the trees, and the hens on the grass- but then I felt a slight weight on my head.
And I SCREAMED BLOODY MURDER and flung the hat like crazy on the ground.
My cousin had put the chick on my head, and as my hat fell, so did the chick.
Thank god the poor creature was okay.

It was really embarrassing since EVERYONE started laughing and even the gardeners joined in.
Ugh.
(I HATE it when people laugh at me.)

The picture below, is the incident-inspired result.

The Babies:

Pretty much self explanatory, yes?

petting that chick

three year old twin cuzzies

I also bought LOOOADDSSS of books, and Ima be posting about them soon.
Such glorious books!

And you guys... I'm going to be having my very own Paki giveaway soon!
So stay tuned for that.

Have a lovely Summer!
Much Love,


ChickLitGirl

On Life.

Its like this.

You find a beautiful butterfly. the prettiest you have ever seen, but you have to set it free- because it needs to survive, and you love it too much.

Or when you have a dog, man's (and your) best friend.
Except it keeps getting sick.
No matter how many times the vet fixes him up.
And finally, you have to give him away because the sickness is hurting you too.
And it pains to see the dog's deep and trusting eyes, and hear its whimper every night.
And to see it lose its wag again, and again, and once again.

Or when you're standing at the edge of a cliff.
To jump or to turn back and run for your life?
The bottom of the cliff- a coin toss. Heaven or hell, but behind you?
A limbo- a  bitter taste in your mouth.

Or when you fall in love with a litter of kittens. All feisty creatures, with thick and luscious white fur, and sweet pink paws. And you have to leave them, because your sister is allergic.

Or, you could just listen, to this.



xx

CLG