Ashley

Think of the sterotypical Ashley, you know the blonde who won’t stop talking.

Do I seriously look like an Ashley? I mean come on…Always on the first day of school teachers are suprised that I’m Ashley..

I asked my mom, WHY?!

And she said, well what do you look like?

Help?

Broadway? Yes. They make me feel all excited. My favorite being…hmm…this is tough…either between sweeney todd or young frankenstien. BOTH I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Note: Sweeney Todd does get a little gory. Another Note: Young Frankenstien does get a little…you know. When most people think sweeney todd they think…ew. But truly the music is fantastic! My favorite song being epiphany. It’s so dramatic! I know it by heart. I also like the song Johanna. I swear when I get married I am making my husband sing that song to me.

Well thats all folks!

Yes! Finally got a cute looking channel! Search me! xstarbuckianx (: I decided I wasn’t going to change my name. I really didn’t feel like it. Sooo, anyways, If you have a youtube account and are really into makeup subscribe to me! I’m gonna try to make 3 or 4 videos a week. I’m going to try to do different types of videos, instead of just tutorials.

I’m going to do inspirational tutorials. Like from a new album cover or movie. Currently, I’m thinking of doing Alice from Alice in Wonderland.

Another will be “What’s in my bag?” It’s pretty self explanitory.

Room Tour!– I think I’m going to wait awhile to do this.

Hauls–Any new products I got, I shall be posting!

Favorites– These will be montly, I will show products that I loved this month (I think this is what I’m posting tonight!)

ANYTHING ELSE YOU GUYS WANT! Yes just message me anything that you guys love and want more of!

NOTHINGS IMPOSSIBLE! SUBSCRIBE!

Okay so my friends know how much I just love makeup. So on Friday, Audrey, Melissa, and I went to the mall. They saw how excited I was about the new makeup I just bought (shimmery green eyeliner and matching eyeshadow from the Body Shop. How cute!) I was teling them about all the combinations I could do with it. They were like “ASHLEY! You should totally do some makeup tutorials on youtube!” I wasn’t quite sure if I should! So please comment and tell me if I should or not. If you say I should, could you please give me some inspiration? For example: An ocean sunrise, sunset, meadow, etc… It doesn’t have to be nature, it could be foods, movies, music, anything! Thank so muchness! (for all you people who have seen alice in wonderland recently).

This past weekend, I went on a ski trip to seven springs with my two best friends Audrey & Melissa, as well as my church youth group for high schoolers. One morning, my friends and I were standing in line for some coffee at the cafe. One of the guys from our church group came up to us (I really didn’t know him that well, but everyone there is so nice that they will just come right up to you!).

“Oh my gosh you guys wanna hear something really amazing that just happened to me?”

“Sure!”

“Well, I was listening to music, and whenever I do, God talks to me, and this time he said go take a walk.”

NOTE: okay, first of all I just thought this part was amazing, but no it gets better!

“So, I went and walked around the lodge (still listening to music), and God said go into that jewelry store, so I did and bought my sister a necklace, when I went up to the counter the guy asked me where I’m from, so I told him Ashburn Community Church Youth group, and he said that he was trying to start a youth group too! God wanted me to encourage him and pray for him! That’s why he told me to go into the jewelry store!”

After he told us his story, it took me awhile to take it in. I thought, my God is amazing. It effected me all throughout the day.

When we had service that night, I was so into it, I was singing and praising. I prayed so much. I actually LISTENED to what Jeff had to say. I never felt better. That’s when I knew, I’m definitely a christian.

Ok, so the most recent looks for makeup that I have been doing is mostly from celebrities. I look a t a picture or a music video, and play around with different colors to see if I can get as close to the photo as possible.

I went to best buy the other day, and was looking around at their C.D.’s. I saw the cover of Demi Lavato’s new album. Her makeup was gorgeous! So, I tried the look. It’s called, “Here we go again.” This website isn’t letting me put it up so heres a link: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Demi+Lavato+new+album&FORM=BIFD#focal=f39ce39e71675eecb4b3a81c9ec815e5&furl=http%3A%2F%2Findie.rizoa.com%2Fimg%2FDemi_Lovato_Here_We_Go_Again.jpg.

Here are the steps for this look:

1) I put silver eyeshadow on just my lid.

2) I took a deep brown eyeshadow and applyed it to my crease. (Sephora Duo eyeshadow, no. 7)

3) Then, I blended the two eyeshadows together to make them look more natural, and not so blotted.

4) Then I took a very small amount of black (very small!), and applyed it to my outer corner.

5) I took a neutral shade of eyeshadow and applyed it to my brow bone.

6) OKAY, all done with eyeshadow, now its time for eyeliner, take a black eyeliner and apply it to your bottom and top lids.

7) Then, apply mascara to both of your lashes, top and bottom!

Okay, in this photo she has a very nude shade of lipcolor, so really any nude lipgloss would work!

There you go! Demi’s Look!

During the same trip to best buy I went to look at the movies, and I saw “Harry Potter,” and it made me think of Emma Watson, so I googled her. She really has a lot of style, but I remembered the movie inspired me, so I found a picture of her from the fourth movie: http://www.watsonfan.com/wallpaper/Emma-Watson-11.jpg

Here it is:

1) First start from the middle and go to the inner corner of your eye with silver eyeshadow.

2) Take a pink eyeshadow (light pink) and go from the middle of your lid in the opposite direction (towards your outer corner).

3) Then you want to blend them together, so take your brush and one one side put the silver and on the other put the pink, and just go across your lid back and forth, flipping over your brush each time you go across.

4)Next, take a darker pink and go to the outer corner of your eye.

5) Also, take that same pink and go into your crease.

6) With the lighter pink go into your brow bone.

7) Apply eyeliner (liquid), to your top lid.

Choose a smaller mascara brush and apply it to your top and bottom lids.

9) In the picture, her lips just sort of sparkle, I just took a pink lipgloss and used that

I’m so excited to start using these looks for everything! Thanks for reading!

Everybody has a creative side, it really just matters where they apply it to. I used to think I wasn’t creative at all! I can’t draw at all! I’ve tried and tried, and the best thing I’ve done is mastered the art of crappy stick figures. But, as I said before we are all creative somehow, mine comes in the form of makeup. I know what your thinking, WHAT, don’t you just swipe on some mascara and lipgloss. For me, it’s kinda like an art. I mean you can mix different colors and experiment with different combinations. I usually get my inspirations from music videos and movies. I’ve done looks that were similar to Miley’s makeup from the “Party in the USA,” video (not that I’m a supporter of Miley Cyrus but her makeup was ADORABLE). I’ve also done a Bella Swan look kinda thing. Most people don’t take it as seriously as I do, but I think it’s cool to mix and match colors to make something pretty.

Another thing I consider creativity is hair. I think that a haircut really shows who you are. I’m really good at doing other peoples hair (note: OTHER peoples hair, if you seen me at school you’d be like, uh no). I’m not that good at doing my own hair though, obviously. My friend, Jaycee always calls me up and says, “ASHLEY, I JUST SAW THIS REALLY CUTE HAIRSTYLE AND I NEED YOU TO COME OVER!”  I usually end up giving her the hairstyle she was hoping for. Maybe someday I can get a career in cosmetology, but for now I’ll just stick to being a teacher. 

Thanks for reading! (:

Note: I’m actually not going to ask you to read the whole thing, but if you will please leave a comment on what you would do to change it or make it better. Thanks!

Inquisition vs. Hitler’s Reign on Germany

Our world has never been a perfect place. Two eras of world history had enormous impact on European society. They are the Spanish Inquisition, during the 1400’s, and Hitler’s reign in Germany during World War II.  The Inquisition period prophesizes Hitler’s reign during World War II.  The Inquisitor and Hitler both persecuted intellectual minds, those with different religious beliefs and Jewish citizens.  Each ruler’s personal fears and quest for domination created terror and uncertainty during periods of change and growth. 

            The inquisition’s initial formation occurred during the late 1400’s. As Haliczer says in his writing Inquisition and Modern Society in Europe, Catholic Rulers wanted to enforce religious and political unity, and the Inquisition was designed to achieve that goal.  This early Inquisition period focused on persecuting Catharism, a religious sect that began flourishing in Europe.  However, in Spain, the Inquisition targeted those practicing Judaism, either publicly or secretly. If you were caught your punishment could range from house arrest, fines, imprisonment for life, excommunication, or to being burned at the stake.    People during this period were very fearful.  Many practicing Jews were forced to convert to Christianity.  These converted Jews were called “Conversos”.  The Inquisition targeted many of the converso communities in Spain, causing panic, many heresy trials and the fleeing of Jews from Spain.  Heresy during this period was considered the revolting against religious authority (elibrary inquisition).  If a person was found guilty of heresy, they were punished and their personal property was taken by government.  This first phase of the Inquisition period was one of fear and uncertainty.

As the Inquisition evolved through the years, the leadership became more structured.  A Grand Inquisitor ruled over the many courts throughout Spain.  Jews were persecuted, property was seized and over 15,000 people were tried for wrong doing during this phase of the Inquisition.  During the 1500’s, the Inquisition not only persecuted Jews, but also started turning against Muslims and all other Protestant religions.  Eventually, towards the end of the Inquisition period, intellectuals and artists were persecuted, publications were censored and perceived witchcraft and superstitious activity was punished.  The Pope was afraid that people were turning away from God and straying from the Catholic beliefs.  Many historians believe that the Inquisition Period, along with the Catholic Church, slowed the economic growth and scientific development and made living during this period of time extremely fearful.

            After World War I, Germany was suffering, economically and politically.  Just when all hope seemed lost, a man named Adolf Hitler stepped in. He told the people of Germany that he would make them strong and powerful again. He filled the leadership void that Germany needed. After a while of rejoicing and providing Germany with economic promises, Hitler started stating his beliefs to the German people. He thought that Jewish people had been the cause of World War I.  He also said that Jewish people were the cause of economic, political, and military problems (World 162). He created fear in within Germany, causing persecution of the Jewish population and building a military to enforce his views. Hitler stated this about his future, “I am convinced that nothing will happen to me, for I know the greatness of the task for which Providence has chosen me.”   Secretly, Hitler came up with a plan to exterminate everyone who was not the perfect Aryan race.   He killed Jewish people, crippled people, mentally disordered people, and homosexuals.  People fled Germany, seeking refuge outside Germany to avoid possible death or torture.  Hitler’s empire continued to expand throughout Europe during WWII, all while censoring information, condemning beliefs outside Nazism and stifling intellectual growth that was perceived as threatening to the regime. 

            As one first looks at these two events in history, you can tell that these are very similar. During both of these historical events they both persecuted intellectual minds, or people who were just simply different. During the Inquisition, a man named Galileo spoke out his beliefs about the solar system, stating that the solar system was a helio-centric model (planets revolve around the sun). At the time people had believed that our solar system was a geo-centric model (planets revolve around the Earth). When authorities found out about this outburst, they found Galileo and tortured him until he had confessed, he was immediately put on house arrest. He could not publish any books about his findings or anything about his beliefs. Another example would be Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake 1431, just for practicing a different religion. During Hitler’s reign on Germany during World War II, artists were persecuted if they showed anything exotic or represented other beliefs. In other words, no creativity was encouraged, similar to the Inquisition. If you did anything to violate this, you would be arrested for treason. Therefore, artists weren’t really allowed to do their jobs, or limited to what all they could create. Secondly, both of these events persecuted for religious reasons. Both events considered heresy a serious crime. During the Inquisition, if you weren’t baptized immediately after you were born you were expelled from the country forever (Spain Encyclopedia Britannica).   The church and the state were very closely tied. Everything that happened in the country discussed everything together. Heresy was a crime against both (Inquisition 70). It was considered high treason and anarchy. Therefore, your sentencing could be doubled! These events have persecuted perceived threats.

The Inquisition and Hitler’s reign of Germany were most infamous for exterminating people. During the Inquisition, the High Inquisitor (many came and passed) wanted everyone who didn’t believe in Christ to die, because they thought that they would be a threat to society. People who were found guilty of heresy would be burned at the stake. The public burnings of these people were called the auto-da-fe. There would be dozens of burnings everyday; they would even kill multiple people at a time. The Inquisitor felt that this was the only way to get rid of everyone who didn’t believe. During Hitler’s reign, many people, for various reasons, were killed. The Nazi’s had many ways to ensnare the maximum number of Jewish people as possible (Jews), similar to what the Inquisition’s purpose was. They could be gassed, burned, or shot. Many people died of sickness, from the harsh conditions of the ghettos and concentration camps. These victims could not do anything to save their lives (World 124).  People were faced with death, because of starvation. When Hitler realized that the war was crumbling before him, he decided the only way to do this quickly was for them to kill everyone instantly. He called this action, “The Final Solution.” Nazi’s lead people on death marches and killed most of them in the gas chambers. This event was called “the Holocaust,” one of the darkest eras in our world’s history. Once many people started going into ghettos and concentration camps, they started to get overcrowded. They made the gas chambers bigger, the death marches longer, and made the work harsher. The Inquisitor convinced the Catholic Monarchs to expel all people who refused to be baptized. Hitler and the Inquisitor didn’t want the word to get out. They wanted nobody to be left to tell the tale (World 44). These madmen tried to kill the maximum number of people as possible. 

Both of these events also involved persecuting Jewish people. At the beginning of the Inquisition, people were jealous of Jewish families, who were typically wealthy. The Inquisitor told everyone that they were demons and that they were going to bring evil to Europe. He also believed that the Jewish people had sent the plague to destroy Christianity (Spanish Inquisition). The Inquisitor told people this, help assist one another to flee Judaism and practice Christianity. He also told the people that Jews were at the hands of the devil and were his servants, and if you love Spain, then you will do all you can to expel them. This basically means, if you want to help, turn in everyone you know who is a Jew. He also believed that Jewish people were the biggest threat in the Catholic Society.  The Inquisitor argued that the only solution to this treat was to exile the Jewish population all together. After World War I, Hitler felt that they were the reason Germany lost the war. The killing of the Jewish people was a prominent feature in the Nazi rise to power.  Both of these leaders decided to take action against the Jews. First laws were passed to restrict the rights and privileges of Jewish people (Jews). At first, they boycotted shops and banned Jewish people from doing various things, such as going to public places, going to school, and riding their bikes or driving cars. During the Inquisition, Jewish people were forced to wear yellow circles, in agreement with the World War II, they were forced to wear the star of David. After awhile, the treatment of these people started to get a lot more violent. During the Inquisition, the Inquisitor got the Queen and King of Spain to issue the Edict of Expulsion against the Jews, which took the lives of close to 200,000.  Many conversos were burned at the stake for practicing Judaism secretly. A philosopher and humanist, Juan Luis Vives and his whole family were killed this way. Jewish people started to disappear. Many friends now turned against them. People would start anti-Jewish riots and attack people. After the Inquisition, Jewish people were faced once again by persecution from Hitler in Nazi Germany. These two events prove that Jewish persecution has lasted for thousands of years.

Both of these historical periods had leaders who were strong and powerful. During both of these eras, the economy was suffering, but these leaders promised the people a stronger, more stable economy.  They also both wanted world domination. Hitler wanted the world to be controlled by him, populated by people that were only the perfect Aryan race. The high Inquisitor wanted the world free of non-believers. The Inquisition spread all across Europe, just as World War II.  These leaders got the people’s attention by striking fear into their hearts.  They both left a bloody ruin on their countries and have the personification of pure cruelty.

Last Friday, my Mom took my family and I to see a musical at the Kennedy Center called, “Young Frankenstein.” I was really skeptical at first to see something called that, but after the first song, “Happiest town,” I was really into it. The story is that Fredrick Frankenstein, a brain scientist and professor has inherited his grandfather’s castle, and reputation. They are famous for bringing the dead back to life. I know it may sound weird, but it is a great comedy! He meets Igor, Inga, and Frau. Soon after the musical was over, I immeadiatly wanted to watch the movie, I ordered it off of Amazon and anxiously waited. Finally, it came! I watched it TWICE. Although I liked the musical better, the movie was still great. I would suggest this to anyone!

My new word, it means to be a positive person. I didn’t always believe in positricy. I actually used to be pretty negative. I’ve realized if I’m a positive person, people will be positive back. Happy people will get farther in life than negative people. So..be positive! People are pretty suprised to see someone who is energetic and happy during the day. For example, “I think I did really bad on my test, I fail at life,” instead how about, “I don’t think I did so well on my test, well better luck next time!” I know it can be hard sometimes. I think that if you are happy, you make other people happy! (: