My Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Hello lovelies!

Today's blog is all about how I make my own PSLs (Pumpkin Spice Lattes)! It's super easy, and an easier/cheaper way than going to Starbucks. Plus, you can do this recipe year round!

*Please note that this recipe is for one serving*

The things you're going to need are:

- A small pot

- A whisk

- Your favourite mug

- 1 cup of your preferred milk (I use 2%)

- 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree

- 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spices (can be replaced with cinnamon)

- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (preferably the syrup type)

- 1 tablespoon of white sugar

- 1/2 a cup of coffee

- Whipped cream

The first step is to heat up your stove. Put it to the highest setting.

Next, you want to brew your coffee! Make a cup, and use half for this recipe.

Place your small pot on the stove, and pour in the cup of milk, and the coffee.

Using your whisk, mix the coffee and milk together while they heat up. You want this mixture to be nice and frothy looking.

Now it's time to add your 1 tablespoon of white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree into the pot with the coffee and milk.

Whisk all these added ingredients in your pan and make sure it becomes frothy.

Once everything is well blended and hot, pour into your favourite mug!

Add as much whipped cream as you please, and then sprinkle your pumpkin spices (or cinnamon) on top!

Voilà! You have made yourself a pumpkin spice latte!

Enjoy this great drink all year now!

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you made them, if they turned out, or if you have your own recipe!

Happy Fall, lovelies!
xox
Leni

Greece 2017-2018 Trip

Hello, lovelies!

If you don't follow me on my other social media accounts (which you totally should), you may not know that I visited Greece during my winter break.

I had such an amazing time! There are so many words I can use to describe this place. Like breathtaking, beautiful, inspiring, etc. None of these words do Greece justice.

My father's side of the family is Greek and I grew up speaking it as my second language. It was cool to be different from other people in my neighbourhood who were all mostly of Italian heritage. I enjoyed (and still do enjoy) teaching people a bit about my culture and language.

This winter my dream finally came true and I flew to Greece with my dad to meet my Yiayia (grandmother in Greek) who was already there. My Papou (grandfather) had a house there and she goes every winter instead of staying in the cold snow of Montreal.

My Yiayia in Diros by the ocean

I had never been on a plane before and was super scared yet excited. It turned out to be a really cool experience.

View from the plane window over the Swiss Alps

We flew from Montreal to Zurich, Switzerland. From there, we flew to Athens, Greece. Then came the hard part. Driving to Sparta!

It took us about three hours but we finally made it to my Yiayia's village just outside of Sparta. She was so excited to see us and I was in awe of every passing moment. Life in Greece is truly different from here. Especially in the village.

The view from my balcony in the village

Every morning I would be up by 5 a.m. because of my neighbours' roosters! It drove me crazy at first but then I got adjusted to it. I surprisingly dealt with no jet lag! I was extremely grateful for that.

We always started our mornings by opening the windows and doors to let the amazing sunlight in. It felt great to just lay in bed with the sun on me. I also ate oranges and had orange juice every day! There's an abundance of oranges in Greece and they're soooo tasty. We have three trees in our backyard! That's just crazy to believe, even now.

Some oranges waiting to be picked in my backyard

I'll be honest... We had some amazing food on our trip. Here's some pictures to make you jealous!!

Cookies N' Cream Frozen Yogurt

Koke - A Greek custard dessert

Chicken Gyro Pita

Gyro Pita

Chicken Gyro Pita

Tequila Sunrise

Bacon all-dressed pizza

Greek Coffee Frappe

Cookies N' Cream ice cream, chocolate, fudge, and Oreos waffle dessert

Okay, I'll stop now. You get the point. The food was good!

I explored the village as well!  It's so full of history and the people are extremely nice and friendly. I went to the old outdoor theatre, my great-grandfather's abandoned house, met some cool people, visited shops, bakeries, coffee shops, etc.

 Me at the bottom of the theatre steps

The view from the top of the theatre steps

My dad pointing towards his grandfather's abandoned house 

The view from my back balcony

I could go on about Greece, but this blog post is wayyy too long. I'll make a continuation to this post later on.

Hope you enjoyed this post and pictures.

Have a fantastic day, lovelies!

Leni

Seeing a Friend

Hello lovelies!

This weekend was amazing. I got to see one of my best friends, whom I haven't seen in at least 10 years. We grew up together, and I loved seeing her again.

Though we only had the weekend to spend together, we talked and laughed a lot. It's like we've never spent a day apart!

Here are some pictures:

Heather, I just want to tell you how proud I am of you. You've grown into a beautiful person. I know you've been through a lot and things are still hard sometimes, but I'm always here for you.

I'm happy I got to see you again.


Love,
Leni

I Got a Tattoo!

Hello lovelies!

Hope you're all doing well and are safe!

As you can tell from the blog title, I got a tattoo!

I've been wanting one for a long while now, and finally had the courage to get it done. I'm super proud of myself and I'll tell you all why.

Many of you know that I've struggled with multiple mental illnesses and still have an on-going battle with my mind every day. I've come a long way since 2014, when it got really bad and I got hospitalized for the first time.

In honour of myself, I got a tattoo. It's a semi-colon in the middle of a dragonfly.

The semi-colon stands for the story I continued living. Many times I thought about giving up and ending it all. I chose to finish my story and to keep going. As in literature, a semi-colon stands for the continuation of a sentence instead of a period or comma.

The dragonfly to me has always been an amazing creature with such an allure to it. It represents my will and self-realization. It reminds me of my worth and the happiness I deserve to have in my one wonderful life.

Here's a picture of what it looks like!

In an Instagram post (that you can view here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BVLopFDg19g/?taken-by=lenianne.blacker) I wrote a message to my followers that reads, 

"My first ever tattoo. The semicolon is for my battle with mental illnesses. I could have ended my story many times but I chose to continue on. The dragonfly is the symbol of my self-worth and realization. It was amazing to put all my pain and passion into one simple piece of art. Forever on my body, so I remember courage in the darker times of life. Honestly, live and love your life! It's the best thing you can do!"

I want you all to live your dreams and I hope you aspire to be the best person and best version of yourself that you can possibly be.

Remember, I'm proud of you and I love you.

Hope this post helped someone!

XOX,

Leni-Anne Blacker
aka
NightNerd18

2017 Summer Bucket List

Hello again!

What are your plans for summer? Anything you absolutely must do?

I know I don't have much of summer because of work, but I plan on making the best of it! Here's my 2017 summer bucket list!

1- Go skydiving. I reallllllly want to do this.

2- Go kayaking. Whether it be on a lake, the ocean, or even a river!

3- Swim in the ocean. Nothing beats taking a dip in cool salty water when it's hot outside.

4- Eat as many different fruits as possible. I love fruits, and what better time to try different and new ones than in the ripe season of summer?

5- Fly a kite! I haven't done this since I was maybe 10 years old. Maybe I could even do it on the beach?

6- Roast marshmallows at a bonfire. I love s'mores. Enough said.

7- Read and finish my want to read summer book list. You can read it in my last blog post!

8- Fall asleep in the sun. I love the warm feeling of the sun right as I'm about to fall asleep on sand or even the grass. I'll make sure to wear sunscreen though!

9- Snorkel. I'm really bad at it, but I'd love to give it another shot!

10- Run through the sprinklers. I seem to do this every year, so I might as well add this to the list.

Alright, so those are my top 10 things I'd love to do this summer. What are yours?

Thanks for reading,

Leni-Anne Blacker
aka
NightNerd18

2017 Summer Want to Read List

Hello lovebugs!

Almost everyone likes to kick it back and read a good book in the sun by the pool or at the beach. I'm one of those people.

I'll be working throughout the summer, and I have hardly any vacation days. That's definitely not going to stop me from buying books and reading during my time off!

Sure, I already have a ton of books that I have to read... But knowing me, I'm still going to order some new ones from Chapters. Here's a list of what I want to read this summer!

First off, I want to read Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Jenny Han had created my perfect summer go-to trilogy, The Summer I Turned Pretty. I fell in love with these books and read them over and over again throughout the summers for years.

I loved the way Jenny Han captured the essence of summer, and what it means to have a first love. Summer crushes are always complicated and she did a good job of explaining the main character's feelings and surroundings. This trilogy reminds me of my own times in Cape Cod, MA. The scenery is similar (beaches, cottages, tiny shops), and though I never had a crush on anyone there, I fell in love with the town itself.

Anyways, I want to read Jenny Han's new series and fall in love with it the way I did with The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy. While I'm at it, I'll probably read those again, too!

Another thing I want to read is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. It's an old classic; one I haven't had the pleasure of reading yet. I love old classics like this novel because of the style of writing. The way people told stories back then is so beautiful and different from today's literature. The stories are poetic and intense, often filled with romance and tragedy. What isn't there to love about books written by Charles Dickens, Emily Brontë, and others like William Shakespeare? I'll probably read some other classics, like one of my favourites, Oliver Twist. Or maybe A Tale of Two Cities.

Hopefully you all have time to relax and have a great drink whilst reading a good book this summer.

Thanks for reading,

Leni-Anne Blacker

aka

NightNerd18

Super Simple Skin Care Routine

Hello lovelies!

Today is my cousin Katherine's wedding day. I was asked to be a bridesmaid and I of course said yes. She's like a sister to me and I'm extremely proud and happy for her.

She's always been there for me and we've only grown closer these past few years. I love the shit out of her. She's beautiful, inside and out.

Katherine, if you're reading this (which you should be, cuz), I love you forever and always and wish you all the world has to offer you. <3

Okay, now on to the actual blog. Today I'll be sharing my super simple skin care routine.

I like to start off by washing my face with Biroé's Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar. It's amazing for oily skin and leaves you feeling refreshed and light. I highly recommend this product because it gets rid of all your dirt.

Step two of my skin routine is St. Ives' Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub. It really gets into your pores and unclogs everything within. After a few days of using this morning and night, I notice an extreme difference in my skin. I hardly had any breakouts and my pores weren't as noticeable or clogged. Definitely use this product if you have a hard time with blackheads!

My third step is to use Bioré's Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips. It's just all-around an amazing product. I've never felt better using this. It's disgusting, yet soooo satisfying to see what comes out of your nose. It's honestly amazing how gross and full our pores can be, even when taken care of. I'm impressed with this product and have fallen in love with nose strips. I don't use these everyday, and instead suggest you use them once or twice a week.

The last thing I do is rinse everything off. Make sure all the products (soap, scrub, strips, etc) is off your face. I pat my face dry with either a paper towel or clean face cloth.

Now I'm ready to start my day! Sometimes I decide not to add makeup to my face and let it stay natural after cleaning it. Other days, I make sure I clean properly and let everything dry nicely for a half hour before applying my makeup.

I've been through many routines, trying to find the perfect thing for me. I finally found something that works extremely well. I highly recommend trying some of these products, or finding your own that work for you!

Healthy skin is happy skin!

Thanks for reading!

Leni-Anne Blacker
aka
Eleni Giannakas
aka
NightNerd18

Following Your Passion

Hello!

I guess I'll just dive right into the update!

I've finished school and am waiting for my DEP (DEP stands for diplôme d'études professionnelles) in the mail from the government. I'm super excited to get it! I'm going to frame it and hang it in my room.

It's good to be proud of yourself. Following through with something isn't always, and I wasn't sure how I felt with this new program, straight away after high school. It was all new to me, and I was meeting new people for the first time in years. I would have to sit with them everyday. Make new friends. It was a crazy concept for my anxious brain.

I made some great friends, and had some awesome experiences. I'm sad it's over, but I learnt so much. Not only did I learn a new trade; I learnt more about myself, and my passions.

I had an internship to complete the course that lasted three weeks. They kept me as a freelancer for another week to complete the projects I had been working on. After that ended, I spent a few weeks at home, applying everywhere I could think of. I needed to do something with myself. I needed to get out of the house!

One day, I was updating my profile on LinkedIn, hoping to apply to more companies. I received a message from one of my previous teachers who I still stay in touch with. She told me a company she worked for, before her teaching days, was looking for a graphic designer to help in their prepress department. So I sent her my CV, she wrote me a reference letter, and sent it to the CEO.

I get a call the next day at like 11AM. I don't usually answer my phone, especially when it's an unknown caller and I'm half-asleep. Something told me to answer it, so I did. Sure enough, it was the CEO of the company my teacher referenced me to!

I had an interview the next day. It lasted 15 minutes. Then, when I got home, I realized I had a missed notification. It was an email telling me I had gotten the job and if I could start the next day. Obviously I took it.

So now I'm working 40 hours a week, and I couldn't be happier. I go to bed early, and wake up early, but it's so worth it! I take the bus and metro to get to and from work. It's an amazing feeling to set up meetings at the bank and to be able to treat yourself. I feel like I'm starting to learn more about this whole "grown-up" thing!

Overall, this is really good thing I've got going for me.

Also, I have money to shop for things I want. Like makeup or clothes! That's always a bonus.

I have created a Want List and a Need List.

The Want List is made up of a bunch of goals I would like to achieve. Some things on it are simple, like buying a new outfit or makeup. Other things are a bit more long-term, like buying an iMac or another camera. It's all goal and achievement oriented.

The Need List are things that I would use for my daily life. Some examples of what I've written down are pet supplies, hygienic products, and office supplies.

I'm super excited to be starting this new chapter in my life.

I highly encourage everyone to find something they love, and make a life out of it. Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind and want to go back to school to learn something else. For now, I'm happy where I am and can't complain.

You do you, friend!

Hope you take my advice, and find your passion.

Xox

Leni-Anne Blacker

aka

NightNerd18

Favourite February Quo Products

Hello!

I feel like blogging about beauty, yet again. I know I recently posted my favourite makeup of 2016, but I got some new stuff so I thought I'd share.

First of all, I've become obsessed with Quo. I got quite a few of their products for Christmas as presents from my family.

My favourite out of all the Quo products I got is the Blending Sponge. I like to use it for mixing all my creams and powders together once I've applied everything. It's super soft and smooth and feels really great against my skin. I usually apply creams first, blend those, and then add some powders (highlights, contours, blush) and blend those on top of the creams. I also like that the sponge is purple. It's super easy to clean. I use Sunlight dish soap to get everything out and warm water.

Another thing I got was these beautiful lipsticks, also from Quo. They came in the Luxury Lipstick Wardrobe pack of four. They're all so gorgeous, but my favourite one of them is Fig, a nude pink. It's subtle and looks good with everything, especially my pastel dress from Reitmans.

Also from Quo, I acquired stunning eyeshadows. There's 12 shades in one palette and I love to play with them and mix them around. My favourites are lighter pink neutral shades. They apply easily and I was so happy to find that they came with brushes!

I don't know if you knew this... But I LOVE sparkles and glitter. And hightlers. Which is why Quo's So Focus Highlighting Palette is the perfect match for me. Not only does it make you shine like the star you are, it blends perfectly with your other makeup products. It comes with two amazingly plump brushes. One is slanted and the other is nice and rounded. These brushes work great for any powder you may use!

The last Quo product I'd like to talk about is their Age Excellence Foundation. I'm only turning 19, but this is a beautiful foundation for my skin. I'm an 004 shade and it matches my tone perfectly. It's super smooth and blends easily against my skin. You don't need much for full coverage, so your supply lasts a while. One of the best foundations I've had, to be honest!

Most of these items can be found at your local drugstore such as Pharmaprix (Shopper's Drug Mart).

Happy makeup-ing!

xox
Leni-Anne Blacker
aka
NightNerd18

My Favourite Makeup of 2016 - Part 2

Helloooo :)

This is will be the last post for 2016. This will be the second part to my previous post about my favourite makeups and beauty products if 2016.

First, I'd like to talk about another e.l.f. Cosmetics product. It's the Total Face Brush. It works so well! It has to be one of my favourite brushes. It acts almost as good as blending sponge, which I love. This brush is super soft and works well for touch-ups or even just blending or applying.

Another of this year's favourites is my Matte 9-in-1 Medium BB Cream from Rimmel London. It's so smooth and leaves my skin feeling soft and non-greasy. It looks really good on it's own or adds a great support to other face products like blushes, highlighters, contouring, etc.

Something that tops this list is my Elizabeth Arden lipstick, Iced Grape 36. It can work for a bold look or even a more subtle look. It's the perfect in-between lipstick. It also smells really good! I like to add any light lip liner before applying this lipstick so it lasts longer, because I absolutely adore wearing it and the way it looks. It came in a Christmas Kit and I love all the products in it.

 

That's pretty much my favourites of 2016. I hope you enjoyed this little blog post series. If you want to know more, just comment down below!

Happy Holidays, friends! Have a great New Year. I'll see you in 2017.

xox

Leni-Anne Blacker

aka

NightNerd18

My Favourite Makeup of 2016 - Part 1

Hello!

This blog post is going to be about my favourite makeups from 2016. I will put the links of the products and the brands at the end of the blog post.

Let's start off with my absolute favourite brand, Essence. I love all their products and have been buying them for a few years now.

The product that got me so attached to this brand is their Lash Brow Gel Mascara. It's a clear mascara and really helps elongate your lashes and leaves them looking natural. This mascara can also be used to tame your brows, which I love. If you're looking for something simple, cheap and easy to use, this is the product for you! I like to apply it almost every day to my eyelashes and will use it to sort out my eyebrows if they're acting up.

Another product that I recently bought (about two weeks ago) is another mascara called I Love Extreme Volume Mascara. It's a nice and classic bold looking mascara that adds definition to your lashes. I love using it for casual looks but it can go with a fancier look as well. Overall, I really enjoy using it and it doesn't clump up either!

The next thing I want to talk about from Essence is the nail polish! I have so many nail polishes from them. They come in every colour and they last long. It's pretty cheap too. Essence has a lot of pastel looking nail polishes and they look great for any occasion.

 

Let's talk about e.l.f. Cosmetics!

They'e a great brand that supports the empowering of people who want high quality makeup for a lower price. They have a wide variety of products and tools to get that perfect look.

My favourite things from them are the Contour Palette and the Illuminating Palette. They work really well together for a perfect glowing and soft look. Sculpting and defining your features have never been easier with these two products that are available for a great price!

I usually start by adding some dark contours along my jawline, hairline and the hollows of my cheeks. I use the dark shades for that, before adding some lighter shades. I mix these palettes so that I can get the perfect final look that I want. That includes having defining cheeks and jaws while adding a soft and shinny glow to the rest of my face. 

On the left, we have the Illuminating Palette and on the right there is the Contour Palette.

Alright, so this blog post is getting long enough so I will continue this subject in another post (part two) so stay tuned for that!

I hope you enjoyed Part One :) I'm probably going to be making a makeup tutorial on YouTube using these products.


Have a great day,


Leni-Anne Blacker
aka
NightNerd18

P.S. Here are all the links for these products if you want to know more or want to check them out!

Lash Brow Gel Mascara: https://essencemakeup.com/products/lash-brow-gel-mascara

I Love Extreme Volume Mascara: https://essencemakeup.com/products/i-love-extreme-volume-mascara

Essence Nail Polish: https://essencemakeup.com/collections/nails/nail-polish

Elf Contour Palette: http://www.elfcosmetics.com/p/contour-palette?dept=face-sets-palettes

Elf Illuminating Palette: http://www.elfcosmetics.com/p/illuminating-palette?dept=face-sets-palettes

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two - Book Review

 Hello everyone! Hope you're doing well :)

Today I'm going to give you my review of the eighth Harry Potter story written by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne that takes place nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts.

I won't be giving away any spoilers, so don't worry!

Here's the summary as written in the book and on the Harry Potter Play website:

"It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places."

The first thing I want to mention is that I'm super happy to have some characters return in this story. There's definitely character development and I've changed my view on a few characters.

There's a plot twist at the end that kinda freaked me out. It involves Polyjuice potion and it's just really weird to see that character become someone else.

There's some new characters (obviously) such as Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley's children. Their children James, Albus Severus and Lily Potter are close friends with Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger's children Rose Granger-Weasley and Hugo Granger-Weasley.

A character I really enjoyed reading about was Draco Malfoy. You start to see another side of him. I also enjoyed reading about his son, Scorpius Malfoy, who becomes good friends with Albus Severus Potter. It's an unlikely friendship, but I loved it and thought it really made things interesting.

I wasn't too big a fan of the way the book was written. I don't mind screenplay, but the previous Harry Potter stories were novels. This didn't do those novels justice in terms of writing format and techniques.

Overall, I'd give this book a solid 8 on 10.

I hope you enjoyed my little review. Let me know what you thought of the book! Did you like it? What didn't you like?

Leni-Anne Blacker
aka
NightNerd18

Booking Me Online!

Hello, everyone!

How are you all doing? Hope that anyone reading this has been having a great time in their lives :)

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am available (and you can book a session online, I'll leave the link at the end of this blog post) as a photographer, video editor/director/producer starting now.

I'm going to be away sometime in July, but I'm open to discussing session dates and prices.

Here's a link to my website, where you can view bits of my portfolio and book a session online:

http://annathetiger18.wix.com/elenigiannakas

If you or anyone you know live in the Montreal area and are/is in need of a photographer, video editor/producer/director, feel free to contact me directly from my website, or via this email address: annathetiger18@gmail.com

I hope this interests you and you pass this message on.

Thanks :)

Leni-Anne Blacker
aka
NightNerd18

Turning 18

So it was my birthday on the 26th of April... I turned 18, which means I'm now of legal age in Quebec, Canada.

It's pretty cool, but kind of stressful, as there are more responsibilities as you're now considered an "adult."

I went to a pub last night for the first time with a bunch of family and friends. It was really nice.

I can't drink much cause I'm still on meds for my mental illnesses, but the food was actually amazing.

Who would have thought that an Irish pub would make a beautiful chicken curry poutine??!! I sure as hell didn't think that was even a thing!!

I'm overall just in shock of how the hell I even made it this far and that time has gone by so amazingly fast. I suppose that's life.

If anything, I'm at least happy that I'm doing better and have a bit more of free will, which is great for things like being able to vote and go out.

So, if there's any advice that I'd give to anyone afraid of growing up, it's this:

Sure, growing up is scary as hell. It's part of life, and it's normal to be scared of the unknown. I was so scared of growing up, and I didn't think I'd make it as far as my 18th birthday. Here I am. And you know what? Life is a lesson. Being scared is a lesson. Mistakes are lessons. Everything out there is a lesson and it's up to you to let whatever you want define you. Who cares what the "popular" kids at school are saying behind your back or who's judging you. Take it all in, but don't let it affect you. It's definitely not worth stressing about. If anything, it makes you stronger and gives you things to learn about yourself that you never knew before. So keep you head held up high, and stay strong. You are beautiful, despite what people say. You are strong. You are kind and nice and pretty and full of courage. You have the power to define yourself, the way YOU want to. Just keep on being the best version of yourself, and fuck what other people think. You got this <3


Anyways, that's my bit of advice for now.

Love you all,

Leni
xox

Maybe I Should Tell Myself The Truth...

I wish you could just show me what I'm looking for.
A shadow beneath the surface.
A darkness hiding from the light.
Is it that I'm so confused?
I wish you could be honest with me and tell me the truth.
Why are you yelling?
Ghosts are falling.
Walls are crashing down.
I trusted you to show me.
The dark doesn't seem so lonely anymore.
Maybe I'm just not lonely because I have you.
Even if you're not real.
I guess I could tell myself the truth...
I wish you had loved me like I loved you.
Nothing like before.

I wish you could just show me what I'm looking for.
I noticed the darkness creep up.
Walls are no longer crashing.
I'm the one that's falling.
I should have realized that I needed time.
Before, I was just a little girl.
Now my innocence is gone.
Because no one told me.
I should have looked at myself.
Mirrors were never my friend.
Blaming you for my mistakes.
I cried myself to sleep.
Maybe I should have told myself the truth...
It was not you who wounded me.
It was me.

ter•ro•ism

ter·ror·ism

ˈterəˌrizəm/

noun

noun: terrorism

1. the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.

That is what pops up when you type in "definition of terrorism" in Google.

I think we've all heard about terrorism or terrorist attacks, no?

I'm sad to know that this happens around the world, on so many days of the year and yet the media only focuses on ones that they think suit their channels or that target certain groups, such as people with different religions, people who come from different countries, different races, etc.

Sure, everyone should be afraid of terrorism! But I don't understand why so many cases of this horrible act is not brought into light by the media or other sources so that people who are watching TV or listening to the radio or reading the paper can know about it as well.

So many of these horrible acts can go on every single day in any country.

TERRORISM AFFECTS EVERYONE!

Stop thinking that it's a religions' fault or that a race is doing it or that everything is related to a certain group of people.

Are you really going to believe the media, who in fact distort the truth to get the most reaction out of the world?

Just because someone is a different race from you, does not mean that they are going to kill you or blow things up.

Just because someone is a different religion from you, or in a different country than you, doesn't mean that they want to cause you harm.

When will people start realizing that not everyone is out to get you?

When will people notice that not everyone wants to harm you?

It's okay to be any religion, race, gender, or in a country that has a bad rep or anything else that defines you. That doesn't give anyone the right to act meanly or rudely towards you.

PEOPLE HAVE NO RIGHT TO GENERALIZE A CERTAIN TYPE OF POPULATION BASED ON HISTORY.

NOT EVERYONE IS EVIL AND OUT TO BURN DOWN THE WORLD.

GIVE PEOPLE THE RESPECT THEY DESERVE.

Seriously guys, not everyone that's different from you wants you to suffer.

We're all human.

We're all afraid of these attacks.

~Leni-Anne Blacker

Links Of Mine

Helloooo!

So I recently made a new YouTube channel to go along with my original one (NightNerd18)!

This new channel is going to be where I post my video/film productions, where as I'll post other stuff on my original channel.

I hope you like it :)

Feel free to subscribe to both channels!

Original: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCybfV8TR7fOn02KCd0MBzlg

New: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6eGfnKXlECkUjLNX7BjIMg

ALSO, I made a website!!

It's for my photography and graphics works that I do, where as this blog is mostly writing related.

You can check it out here: http://annathetiger18.wix.com/leni-anneblacker

You can always find me on Twitter (@lenightnerd) and on Instagram (@lenianne.blacker) or even on Wattpad where I post fanfics and original stories: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Leni-AnneBlacker

I hope you like all this stuff as I'm really excited to be sharing the updated versions of my works/media/etc and older versions with you!!!!!!!!!

Anyways, have a great day and let me know what you think about all these things!! <3

xox,
Leni-Anne Blacker

Random Update - Always At Least One Good Day

As I'm sitting there, playing video games with my older brother and his friends that I hardly know, I was thinking that I'm comfortable. I'm happy today.

And though I can be happy, it's really hard sometimes. But that day it was like the world was a beautiful place and everything was working out perfectly for me.

I don't have many of these types of days and I really am grateful and like to think of them on days when I'm not feeling as great as I was that day.

No anxiety, no pressure, nothing negative.

I went to the mall and though I was anxious at first I soon got over that and became comfortable.

I had Thai Express which I love and I bought myself a gorgeous sweater and some cool CDs.

I got my brothers birthday present and his card.

And then I was sitting in Kim's (that's my older brother's friend) basement with a bunch of strangers and I was peacefully content.

I don't know why I'm writing this all out.

I guess I just wanted to let you guys know that even if you have bad days, there will always be at least one good day.

When that good day comes, hold on to it. Remember it. Cherish it.

Anyways, hope you're all well!!

xox,

Leni-Anne Blacker

aka

NightNerd18

New Year, New Me?

I know a lot of people say, "New Year! NEW ME!"

I guess you can say it if you'd like, but I'd rather not. I believe we can be whoever we want to be and shouldn't wait for a new year just to change and grow as a person.

Instead, we should embrace our true selves and just try to aim for becoming the person we really want to be.

Even if it's little steps, why not try to set goals?

And I'm totally not talking about new year's resolutions. Let's be honest... No one actually follows through with those!!

I mean something more like setting up plans, and becoming organized. A lot of people have a hard time trying to accomplish their "resolutions" because they go overboard and then feel frustrated and discouraged if they do not reach the "resolutions." Trust me, I feel the same!

That's why, I've slowly been working on trying to accomplish little goals, one step at a time.

Set a daily goal, a weekly goal or hell, even a monthly or yearly goal!

Even if it's something as simple as getting out of bed and making it.

Even if it's as simple as drinking a glass of water a day.

I believe that we all change and become our true selves over time and that we should just accept it.

So what if you can't follow through with your "new year's resolutions"??????

At least you tried!

I think we're all able to accomplish something, no matter how big or small, if we believe and take time.

Nothing is in a rush to be done. And if it is? Just try your best!

Anyways, that's just my opinion on "New Year, New Me!"

Hope I helped someone in this post.

xox,
Leni-Anne Blacker
aka
NightNerd18

P.S.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YOU CAN DO IT AT YOUR OWN PACE!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's

It's like you're breaking
A shattered feeling
In your heart
That all you loved
And all you've done
Was a waste
Of time

It's crying
Weeping to the heavens
Asking for love

It's harder
And harder
To relearn
How
To
Love

It's like you've managed
To push
Everyone
Away

It's strange that
You still want
Love
But
Can't love
Others
In Fear
Of
Loss

It's you, wishing
For another time
Another person
Another thing
You can
Learn
To love
Again

It's as if
They didn't
Leave you

It's always
The same
Story, though

It's them
That
Leave
You
Behind
And

It's going
To be
Them
That
Move on,
Not
You

It's never
You
Because
You can't
Understand
How to
Love
Again

It's after
They
Leave
(Like
Always)
That
You
Fall
Apart

It's piece
By piece
And

It's me
I
Lose
Every
Time

.