Craftalicious.. Is That a Word?

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! Escape into the moment of merriness, hot Ghiradelli cocoa, a warm fireplace, and crafty enjoyments...
Around the cozy corner of your beautifully decorated house, chaos is surrounded all around you; it is a special chaos though because it is Christmas, a merry one. Your house is the brightest one on the street, and all the neighbors envy your holiday lights. Tick, tock, tick, tock.. It is Christmas Eve, an eve of warm memories and chocolates... yes, you are a lazy bum.. all you do is eat and eat and eat. However, lost away in the crowd of family and relatives, you silently play with crafty items and paper, sitting in an embroidered chair.. Man, you think, did the Christmas angel fill my taste buds with creative, interesting juice?
Yep, guys, this was me and is me... *SUSPENSE* Okay, in the past few days, I got really crafty and even though I was not (clears throat) encouraged to play with art supplies for a loooong time, like uhh all together 3-4 hours, I continued the projects. I was let's say *modestly* staring at truly amazing geniuses who made extremely cool D.I.Y. (do-it-yourself) projects, and I got inspired. And when Ashna gets inspired, well, she gets all crazy and her eyes poof out like a lot and she gets super excited and let me ramble more.. SHE DOES HER SNOOPY HAPPY DANCE!!!! (oooh yeeaaah.. life is HAPPY, HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!! AND TOMORROW IS CHRISTMAS!!!!! YAY-A!!) uh sorry, got carried away there (she mumbles)....
AND MY CUE!...................
Okay, back to business, folks... where was I... oh yeah.
Note: A really good friend of mine and I are making crafts and other items to donate to poor or impoverished children. The two pillows were made by both of us, mainly her, and the jewelry items were made by me for the same cause to donate.
Uhh... The other stuff were by me and for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only me! (too greedy there, or uhh, um, was i, uh like i don't know) (she mumbles, and it slowly fades away because she is slightly embarrassed and does not know what she should say).........
And here starts my list.. DA DA DAA!:
Disclaimer: I do not want to ruin the happy moment here, but it is essential for me to say this. The descriptions of the crafts and the pictures are put not for me to have for a chance to brag freely (LOL), but for happiness.. Let me tell you, I am not that "good" or "excellent" at crafts or art. Okayy... well to be true, I have a love for painting and watercolors, but I never brag. I am fortunate for the supplies that I have, and these projects were done over periods of weeks; they took my time and money. However, at the end, they did one clear thing. That was giving myself "me" time.
"If there is passion and will, anything can be done. Do what your heart tells you to do; flow like the waves of the ocean, or like the musical notes of a song."
Ashna Sharma~
NOW, NO MORE SERIOUS TIME!!! BACK TO HAPPY TIME!!!
oooh.. happy haapppy!!!

1) Decorative Pillows
My good friend and I made these felt pillows with hard work, but it turned out amazing because the sewing method was created by the friend.... we actually do not know if it is "actual" sewing.. Anyhoo, we sewed the seams with yarn, stuffed the pillows with random cloth, stitched the open end, and decorated the surface with glitter fonts and a boa at the ends to cover the knitting holes. I have a question here folks: Is "sewing" taking two whole minutes and hard strength of grunting to put the needle through one stitch??
Here are some pics of the pillows:

This pillow was very simple, as it was a perfect square..YAY! As you can see, we covered the edges with the black boa and wrote "Merry X-mas!" for a handmade design. I was afraid at first if whether the boa would stick with the liquid glue, but as my friend made pillows like these before and nothing odd happened with them, I trusted her wholeheartedly.    

This pillow was done using the exact same method as described above, but it was made in a rectangular shape. Moreover, we, the two besties, cut cloth from a scarf and decorated it, while using the faded-red-to-pink yarn to tie bows and tighten the middle of the pillow. It turned out to be a cylindrical pillow from an original rectangular pillow. If you want any further instructions for this design, please ask me a question in the comments section below.

2) Charm Central

With my hands and a silver chain, I attached cute charms to the holes of the chain as shown on the left. To tell the truth, I attached the charms by twisting the wire in the packaging of the various packed doodads. The result was awesome, especially since I did not spend too much time making one bracelet; perhaps it took 15-20 minutes for an inexperienced crafts person like me.  

The necklace shown on the left was done with the exact same method of applying charms. Again, if you guys have any detailed questions or have desire to make these simple, vintage-inspired jewelry items yourselves, you are all absolutely welcome to question me in the comments section below. :D In my opinion, I personally think that the charms I bought from Michaels, mainly the large ones, were very cool, stylish, and vintage-looking.















3) My Room

Currently, I am starting to develop an extreme interest in decorating my room and making it reflect more and more of my personality. I started this craze by changing my bed cover into a black and white bedspread printed black and white like a newspaper. It includes parts and names of places all around the globe; you guys may have had a glimpse of it in the background of the pictures of the two pillows. Other than buying items for my room, I decided to get crafty by creating a handmade collage featuring puppies from my old calender. It barely required any money, only a poster board, which was only 32 cents at Target. (I KNOW, ONLY 32 CENTS!) Throughout the collage making process, I just kept on cutting and gluing pictures and at the end, embellishing it with sharpies, words, and one bow tied with ribbon to personalize it with a unique touch. Moreover, I added decorative tape not for necessity, but for design.
Here is a picture of the collage:

As you all can see, I also layered pictures, like the two dogs at the left. The whole purpose of a collage is to express yourself with pictures, so let the collage represent your creativity, not others.

4) Oil Painting

I am a watercolor artist, not an oil painter. However, as my mom started bringing her oil paintings home from art class, I was not jealous, but I wanted to try using her colors; they were thick and solid, unlike river-like watercolors. I ended up creating a mini abstract piece, at the same time abusing her palette. The palette was full of blended colors all over the place; it was a "beautiful" mess... My mom saw a duck in my painting, while my dad saw a dog. Please reply in the comments section on what you guys see in my painting with your eyes. :D It would certainly be interesting, not interesting but FASCINATING to hear about your sights in the painting. XD

My mom does not really think that these small, craftalicious projects that I do are productive, and from a distance, copious amounts of people may think so too. However, all of this fun rounds up to "me" time; it takes me into a mystical world where I could do anything, anytime and anywhere. One second I am in Mt. Everest, overlooking the flowing hills, and in another second, I am in my cozy bed lying on my tummy, while devouring triple chocolate chip cookies while reading a book printed with old pages... yet there are printed with fresh, black ink.
~I FEEL SO CRAFTALICIOUS! ... (is that a word?)

Me As a Room Designer? Hey, It's Possible...

The place where you feel extremely relaxed, with no worries, tension.. you are at a state of uttermost relaxation. You feel like you are at the center of  the universe, and everything around you revolves and revolves into mist. Got the picture? Well, my room makes me feel relaxed, but it is boring, with no sparks of creativity and examples of my personality. Other than some posters, I need to add some decor which will make me feel blissful and and enjoy looking at my room after a long car ride. My plans and thoughts for my room are so exciting and appealing, yet I never have the time or energy to put these plans into action. However, today in the morning I grew encouraged to see and envision a big change in my room. Therefore, I searched the internet for crafts and beautiful answers, that trust me, will change my life forever. After realizing that I do not have these certain materials like metal hoops and other random stuff, I grew lazy, typing keywords on Google like "room designers in bay area." I mean, it would be genuinely kind for one person in this world that can transform my room for FREE. Actually, no, it is impossible. Anyhoo, today I got some beautiful craft ideas from the internet; I am motivated to actually buy small tidbits that I need to accomplish my goal and start my ideas next weekend.

1) Fabric Chandelier



I am dying to start on this project because the different shades of creme are so lovely and beautiful. It looks extremely easy, but I know that it is much harder because I can't imagine the outcome to be so pretty. However, I need a metal hoop and maybe some ribbon and off-white lace.

2) A Black and White Bedspread (Awesome!)



Okay, opposites attract; black and white are opposite colors that rule together as one! Seriously, they are awesome. The image above has unique transitions and shades of white, gray, and black. It describes the elegance of the bedspread through the fancy city Paris. However, in Bed Bath & Beyond my eyes immediately caught a similar bedspread with not only Paris, but with famous cities like Tokyo and New York City on the sheet. The overall style was so unique and modern, and even though I saw that design a whole year ago, I still remember it. This whole bed set is going to be a must for my birthday. Nevertheless, I am going to get it from my own money, by creating a garage sale, because it will be enjoyable and I have been planning to do one ever since.

3) Let's make it compliment: Fabric on your cabinet



Cabinets and cupboards are both boring necessities that are unfortunately needed in rooms. However, with fabric and ribbon they are magically transformed into beautiful decorations. Simply cut pieces of decorative fabric and glue it on a cork board or canvas, so that it can stick out. Then, pin or paste the board on your cabinet and whenever you open it to get possessions, you will simply enjoy the process with color and fun patterns. Moreover, it will certainly compliment the black and white bedspread. I am truly so happy that I thought of this idea because it is so easy and convenient, perfect for lazybums like me.

4) Meaningful Words

 

With unique fonts and lettering, you can design words, both meaningful and special to your heart. Live, laugh, love, and dream are the most common sayings found in tween/teenage rooms. However, you can create a design saying anything that you as a person are attached to. Simply paste it on to your wall, and every morning, admire those small yet beautiful words that are special to you alone.

5) Hearts of Love



Most doors are white, never expressing love, or even words. DOORS ARE RUDE. Anyways, decorate your door with hearts, or any other shape imaginable, filled your favorite quotes from books or about live in general. When your friends are about to enter your own place of relaxation, they will see the words and writings that tie you together as a well-rounded person. They will see your possessions in a different way, a way that reflects your genuine personality as a whole. Additionally, these hearts will express your personal love for others, including your family and friends.


All these decorations will fill you with a sense of homeliness and coziness, as well as a chance to reflect who you are, deep inside. When the sunlight catches your window, you will absolutely enjoy seeing these beauties.


Citation for Images:

Http://www.alittlecraftinyourday.co. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. <http://www.alittlecraftinyourday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/25_Teenage_Girl_Room_Decor_Ideas11.jpg>.

Http://www.kidsroomtreasures.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. <http://www.kidsroomtreasures.com/mm5/graphics/levele/242Q-ellysee550.jpg>.

Http://www.craftpassion.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. <http://www.craftpassion.com/wp-content/gallery/giveaway-jan-2012/fabric-ribbon-bundle-giveaway-2.jpg>.

Http://imagecache5d.allposters.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. <http://imagecache5d.allposters.com/watermarker/62-6226-MN73100Z.jpg?ch=775&cw=775>.

Http://neoformix.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. <http://neoformix.com/2008/WordHearts1.png>.

The BIG Problem With Movies: The Books Are Just So Good!

Whenever I check out the movies reviews of movies that were based of books, I sit and wonder, "Why are they all  hated, so loathed by millions of movie-goers around the globe?" The answer is simple; no matter how awesome, filling, and entertaining the movie is, it can never beat the book. While books capture all juicy aspects, including plot twists, emotions, and knowledge, movies give us the same things too, only with a different feeling. There are copious amounts of confusing, completely different than the book, movies-based-on-books out there like Beautiful Creatures, The Host, Sea of Monsters, and City of Bones. Overall, as movies are not bad, but just perplexing and all over the place. The movies are not to blame; it is the books. They are so awesome and everything fits together like a puzzle, that it is impossible to redoe it in any way.

Therefore, even though I have no experience with script writing, I am going to create short scenes from one of my favorite books, Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys. Though it greatly deserves to be a movie, it has not been one yet.

Scene 1
Beginning: Lina talking to news reporter, when she is 90 years old. Time: December, 2005

Lina: (with emotion) The world was so happy. In Lithuania, I felt like nothing could ever go wrong. I drew every evening; it was my time of peace. My family, my younger brother Jonas, Mom, and Dad were so strong. I never thought that something so devastating would strike us. (she sniffles some tears and wipes them away.)

News Reporter: I understand how difficult it must be for you. Do you want to give us a flashback of your story?

Lina : Yes, the world deserves to know this devastating story, hidden between shades of gray.

Scene 2
Lina's story starts here. She is fifteen years old. Her mom is sewing; her dad is not yet home from work.

Time: Evening

(Urgent pounding on the door)

Jonas: Mother, aren't you going to open it? It might break down.

Mother: (quietly sitting on a chair, praying) Of coarse, darling. I will open it.

Jonas: (face is deeply pale, he looks scared) (whispers) NVKD! I heard that they are arresting people.

Lina: No, not us.

(A tall officer stands there near the doorway, holding the family's passports).
Mother: (calmly) Give us more time. We will be ready by the morning

Officer: (gruffs) Only twenty minutes, or you won't live to see morning.

Mother: Please lower your voice. I have children.

Officer: (barks) Fine! 20 more minutes. (He throws his cigarette wad into their house, and stomps on it)

(Note: Parts of the dialouge from Scence 2 were taken from the Ruta Sepetys's writing.)

The scenes that I wrote were difficult to act, as the book was very emotional. If I continued the script to have more scenes, it would have been impossible for to write, as it would be too cheesy and awkward. So, do not blame the movie's horribleness on the movie. It is the book's fault, they are so good, giving me a love to imagine.

                     


Both the Dutch cover and U.S. cover of Between Shades of Gray have beautiful meanings. 

Which cover do you personally like better, and why?

Citation for Images:

Review. Weblog post. Http://2.bp.blogspot.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2013. <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_zmpklYrkLRXleK2FVfFATKElUCUPMIjW0r99Jcu7GIZtVVgMLy5EWL9gcw9lt_FSrjMwzt1BIoqT246R2-Be28pxOUDm8Qc4M6pAZbQnJB0KSy8JofdR8B6bt0hIMGFIw1zY5Mk_5Q/s320/Between+Shades+of+Gray.jpg>.

Review. Weblog post. Http://rutafans.files.wordpress.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2013. <http://rutafans.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/dutch-bsg.jpg/2013/06/dutch-bsg.jpg>.

Divergent Poems

The characters in Divergent and Insurgent, two suspenseful books by Veronica Roth, seemed very unique to me; it felt like they had a special story to beautifully narrate. Therefore, I created a set of poems describing each character's flaws and personalities in interesting ways. In the book Divergent, there is a test which determines what faction would be the best for you to live in. It is very rare to be Divergent, in which you get multiple faction results. With that said, below are my poems. Go deep inside these characters, and get an insight of their passion, struggles, and experiences.   

Tris

The factions determine our personality,

I am Divergent, one with multiple personalities,

To calm me, my mind tells me that I am special,

However, when I am faced in the genuine world, why am I placed in danger?


Al, one of my friends, tries to kill me because I have great scores in training,

Four then comes to help me overcome my hatred,

I know Al is guilty, sad, and depressed,

I do not know that he shares such a strong bond with me that he just killed himself and his spirit.


 My heart stays in selfless Abnegation, with my family, my friends,

but my mind goes to Dauntless, where I am brave from within,

When Erudite controls Dauntless, my mom and dad die to sacrifice me,

When Erudite controls Dauntless, my foolish brother Caleb also betrays me, leaving me to almost die

in absolute darkness. 

The evil leader of Erudite simulates us, the Dauntless, so that she can control,

I am not controlled, as I am Divergent,

This is a great thing perhaps,

But I am guilty, as I kill my Dauntless friend Will for me to survive.

Four

When I was young, I got constantly abused by my father,

Now, I am looked up by everyone as a strong and brave Dauntless man,

Even though I am so respected,

I am not ignorant; my abusive dad is still a fear in my heart today.


I do not seek power,

Power is something useless and full of no worth,

That is the perfect reason why I am not a Dauntless leader,

Although, I am brave and strong; I do not find arrogance a test in in skill and perfection.


I am utterly surprised to find an Abnegation to be the first one to jump of the ledge,

The ledge to decide a person's intelligence and courage,

I then ask her name,

And it changes from Beatrice to Tris.


I never think that I will have to loose Tris in the eyes of the evil Erudite,

We both are Divergent, the name Erudite leader Jeanine repeats over and over in her sleep,

I have no hope that I will survive,

But there is an instinct in me that determined Tris would certainly survive.

Jeanine Matthews

I am evil and yet I am proud,

I am an evil one who seeks for only knowledge,

Every citizen sees me kill and kill the Abnegation,

However, I am no killer; I only want fascination.


I capture Tris and Four: The Fascinating Divergents,

The laugh of finally knowing, seeking, and pondering bellows up inside of me,

And when they struggle in pain,

I joyfully cry in vain.


I control my pawns slow and slow,

First the brave Dauntless,

Their authority and power bring all the other factions in my control,

Therefore, why would sadness ever devour my life?


Humans have guilt after doing bad sins,

However, I have no guilt, as my followers give me so much respect,

They give me the courage to move on and on,

And that is why I do not kill them.


Soon I will be so strong,

My devotees will all bow down to me,

Oh, the future sounds so good and evil,

Where I am absolutely not struggling.

Peter

I hate people who are above me, excel my talents,

When I see Edward in 1st place for training,

The feeling of victory, action, and the ability to kill fill my body with bliss,

That night he never comes back, and oh, am I so in peace and rest.


My plan to kill Tris is so planned, so sure of,

The perfect Add-on is that Tris will be died by a person residing in her heart,

Her strong yet unskilled friend Al,

At the end, my plan fails; Four saves her and a dread overwhelms me.


I, a Dauntless traitor, only save Tris for one reason,

It may seem innocent and weak, but it is not,

I look at life as a system of giving and getting,

I am indebted to Tris in so many ways.


My mind revolves only a couple of things,

Which is violence and victory,

When mixed together they are so sweet,

My mind refreshes with happiness immediately.

Christina

My former faction was Candor,

I see things plain, simple, and clear,

Life has no emotion,

Only people we hold dear.


Tris just kills my Will,

With no thought on how I, her closest friend, would feel,

That too, she kills her own dear friend,

This is the only time I feel spiritual.


However, as friends, we can't stay mad for long,

No matter how small or big the things that we have done,

I forgive Tris at the end,

but Will will never leave my heart.


Dauntless makes me strong beautifully,

I can never forgot how it changes me,

From the courage, strength, and power,

to the emotion, passion, and well-being.



Hope you enjoyed these poems and that you are moved by these characters.

Which character do you think that you are attached to?


Citation for Image:

~labri71. Http://th08.deviantart.net/. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2013. <http://th08.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/032/2/f/divergent_character_sheet_by_iabri71-d4odcac.jpg>.

We Must Live a Day

Days may be filled with excitement, new experiences, dreams, and people that change our lives in beautiful ways. However, days should teach us, as we will then become the best person that we can possibly be... Next to each quality that teaches us how to live a day, I added the factions in Veronica Roth's Divergent book trilogy. I just realized after writing each paragraph that these traits match the factions perfectly. The factions are set in a futuristic society in which at the age of 16, each citizen chooses the faction in which they want to live in.
Abnegation: The Selfless
Dauntless: The Brave
Amity: The Peaceful
Candor: The Honest
Erudite: The Intelligent

Be Selfless-Abnegation
We must live a day in which we strongly believe that GOD is in each and every one of our hearts,
we will then learn to think that no one is better or worse than us,
our world would not be filled with arrogant minds,
instead it will be full of happiness and joy.

Be Strong-Dauntless
We must live a day with strength and courage,
thinking about no one but only our own will,
people around us will be strong and brave,
and fight just like a deadly hurricane.

Be Peaceful- Amity
We must live a day in which we are at peace,
the world around us will slowly revolve,
however we must be absorbed in our own minds,
with peace with both ourselves and the people we love.

Be Truthful: Candor
We must live a day with practical truth,
forgetting the unnecessary things that people think of us,
our life must be clear,
so that we can peek through the clean windows that are near.

Be Intelligent:Erudite
We must live a day with grabbing knowledge,
not academically but with philosophy,
we will learn the lessons of faith and kindness,
so that we can give others a key to the door of intelligence.


From left to right: Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Amity, Candor.

Hope you enjoyed these poems greatly, and that you learned five personalities that when are merged into one, create a well-rounded person. Hopefully, these factions will genuinely help people to live a day in the future..(wink, wink)

If the factions were a reality, what faction do you think would be the best for you to live in:Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Amity, or Candor?

Citation for Image:

Http://api.ning.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Aug. 2013. <http://api.ning.com/files/gbCwImToiNpp-tdDPcKlh1e5*ANHk5dx139EDntuNcGq9Egu2Z4aH4fAMutsCsYBuu2iuMjtjN0XNljrqPQCHa4xUSeCd1BU/468210_435257646501143_151780294848881_1633668_1222300630_o.jpg>.

Tokyo Heist

I decided to do a book review on Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn because most of my friends have never heard of it. This amazing mystery has exotic visions of Japan, especially the tourist attraction's popular city life.

         Tokyo Heist, an amazing novel by Diana Renn, involves a heroine named Violet who solves an incredible Japanese mystery. She and her dad, a gallery owner, are suddenly sent to a commission in Tokyo, and they soon find out that her dad's rich clients are the victims of a missing Van Gogh painting. Lives began to be in risk (including her's and her father's), and as the plot thickens in this book, interesting characters began taking large roles. For example, I found the character of Edge fascinating, even though he  was not in much of the book. At some times he was important, and at other moments he was just there or out of the scene. Although I wasn't impressed by this missing character, I just enjoyed his personality and way of thinking. Violet also was a genuine heroine, as she balanced her artistic manga personality and cleverness perfectly.  Renn's writing gave an absolute majestic and exotic feel to these characters; it was just beautiful filled with Tokyo's pleasures and delights. The quotes were mixed with visionary moments, allowing the reader to think about this piece of literature. Moreover, Violet's relationship between her and her divorced dad increased, and this gave me a little thought about how the two main characters were developing as people. Additionally, it was a perfect add-on to the suspense and violence in the whole story. All together, I would give Tokyo Heist, an amazing and thought-provoking book, 4 and a half stars. The book was lovely; however, I was hoping for more speed in Violet's trip to Tokyo and some more character significance. This is a great summer and exotic read for teens and up. I absolutely loved this book. :) 

Happy Reading!

Citataion for Image:

Tara, Miss. Http://hobbitsies.net/. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://hobbitsies.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/TokyoHeist.jpg>.

Books into Movies

Many popular books, especially young adult books, are turning into movies. Some turn out to be EPIC, however some let people down after reading the book. Below are some amazing books which turned or will turn into movies.

1) The Host by Stephenie Meyer 
The book is best-selling, and rated very high. However, the movie turned out to be a let-down by most people. It was cheesy and had an awkward script. 

2) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games is an international best-seller, being well-known to every SINGLE human being on earth. (I am clearly a fan.) Moreover, the movie was realistically acted and filled with great suspense by Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. 

3) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. 
Ender's Game is filled with science fiction and a few emotional themes. I posted the trailer some days back, and be sure to watch the movie coming out in theaters on November 1st. 

4) Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire is filled with many things going on, and it has an unique story line. Jennifer Lawrence will return once again with her brilliant acting on November 22nd. 

5) City of Bones by Cassandra Clare 
City of Bones offers fantasy and other magical elements. As it is a very good book in a series, the movie will be coming out on August 21st in the U.S.A. 

Here are some movie posters of the movies that I mentioned above.

City of Bones: 


Catching Fire:


Are there any other movies that were books that you personally like?

Image Citations (Movie Posters):
Mortalinstruments,org. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2013. <http://mortalinstruments.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/122.jpg>.

Http://hungergamesdwtc.net/. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 June 2013. <http://hungergamesdwtc.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Catching-Fire-Poster.jpg>. 

Hunger Games Poems

Hi, these are sets of poems relating to the Hunger Games. Different character views are included, and I hope you all enjoy them.

Katniss

As I look into the dark, red blood in the arena,

I want to cry with raging tears,

but I remember to stay strong and brave,

because that is how a warrior is made.

Rue’s dark, bright eyes stare into mine,

and I look right back into them pride,

I know she died,

but with hope I will overcome my cries.

I look back from the days at the Hob,

back at when I was young,

the evil from the outside,

but some pride deep, deep inside.

It is obvious I loathe the Capitol,

the confusion it gives its people,

from the outside full with smiles,

but the inside full of liars.

Gale

I have a really good friend,

and Katniss was her name,

one day she soared with her wings,

she left me alone in the wild, and I couldn’t stop waving.

When she won the games,

I felt pride,

but when she went again,

I was weak enough to cry.

I saw Peeta, and to tell the truth, I felt a pang of jealousy,

he look at me full of solemnity,

light eyes, blonde hair, and strength no opponent can bear,

I realized only one thing: To face the games, Katniss needs one such man.

Katniss and I went hunting one day,

we had enjoyment, and like children we played,

I never knew that she had to leave,

I held onto her like leaves on a tree.

Peeta

Hey, I saw this girl,

and for long moments I felt something special,

however I never knew that we would end up in a place, a place so miserable.

She looked at me with her bold, dark eyes,

and oh, did I feel so scared,

Will the games ruin our friendship?

A friendship so rare?

But later we were equal,

I saved her first,

she saved me second,

we had a strong bond of forgiveness,

the only bond that was there.

All these days I was wrong,

Katniss doesn’t have hatred for me,

she is just perplexed,

and confused on who values to her the most.