Comfort Zone

  Hey guys! Sorry, I don't think I posted anything last week... I just wrote my speech on pets, and it was kind of... suckish. Well, all my speeches are but that one was extra stupid and cheesy. However, this week, I wrote my speech on gettting ot of the comfort zone!
  Whatever it is you like to do, it is important to get out of your "comfort zone" to improve. It pretty much explains itself. Your comfort zone is what you are you used to doing, but to get out of your comfort zone,

you have to try new things. This is why you should get out of your comfort zone once in a while.
  First, getting out of your comfort zone helps you improve. I'll use basketball as an example. You may be used to dribbling around the court and making lay ups, but you have to get out of your comfort zone and also practice shots farther from the hoop in order to improve them.
  Second, it gives you more options. The more you get out of your comfort zone, the more you'll know how to use. Instead of having to dribble up to the hoop to shoot lay ups, you'll also have the option of staying farther away and making hoops.
  Last, it will help you discover new things. After putting those things that were outside into your comfort zone, you'll discover a new level of things, and as you put those things into your comfort zone, there'll be even more.
  You have to try something you aren't comfortable with sometimes! It's important to get out of your comfort zone because it helps you improve, it gives you more options, and it helps you discover new things.

So yeah! For some reason, I'm running out of ideas about what to write about :( For at least a week, however, I should have more time to get online and draw, write, etc. My volleyball season just ended, but basketball season already starts in a few days! Anyways, see you guys in my next post!

~Mare

Halloween

 Hello again~ Halloween is coming up, so I decided to write my speech about it this week! I don't plan on dressing up and so far have not planned on doing anything with my friends, but I got a little kit to mess with makeup so I might do something with it, and just stay home and give candy. Here's my speech!

 Halloween is a day to spend with friends, family, and even complete strangers. This is why it is fun to celebrate halloween.
  Halloween is a social day. All night, people of all ages take over the streets and socialize. People are always asking for candy, complimenting each other's costumes, or even just making friends. It's the perfect day to make friends with a complete stranger.
  One thing I look forward to every year is an opportunity to see people in costumes. Parents always love to dress up their children in the cutest things possible. Teenagers try their hardest to creep out whoever opens the door to them. It's a day for everyone to show their creativity.
  Whether you're giving or taking, there is candy everywhere. Everyone staying at home hopes that there is a little left over candy to keep for themselves, and those going out visit as many homes as possible to have a bigger chance of receiving their favorite sweets.
  Halloween is a fun day for everyone of any age group. It's a time for people to socialize, show their creativity in costume, and give or take candy!

  I've tried one makeup look and just gave myself a shark mouth, but I want to try a bunch of different things! I would make a costume and more, but I don't want to spend much money :P Maybe if I go to a convention or something.

~Mare

My Volleyball Team!

  Hey guys! If you didn't know, I play for my school's volleyball team. It's my first time playing volleyball on a team and I'm not even that good, but we have recently been told that we are first in league! It's kind of a long story- there are the top three teams(team 1(us), team 2, and team 3). My team, team 1, won all our games including the first against team 2 and 3. However, the only game we've lost is our second against team 2, and we thought the rankings would be decided depending on the scores in all our games. We won against team 3 again, which kept us tied with team 2. Team 2 had won against team 3 before, but a big reason to it was because team 3 arrived an hour late, so they didn't get a warm up and had to start on the 3rd set. Yesterday, we found out that team 2
and 3 played each other again, and team 3 won! So, as long as we win in our next games, which should be super easy, we are first in league! Sorry if that made no sense at all but whatever :P I took the time to write it.
  I decided to write a speech on why my volleyball team deserves our position! Enjoy!
  So far, the _________ volleyball team is first in league! We aren't perfect, but there are plenty good points about us as a team. I believe we deserve our success because we practice hard, we get along, and we play for God.

sorry i was watching lucky star this morning lol

  Unless it's the weekend or a game day, we have practice every day after school. We'll work on the smallest things like angles, power, aim, and so on. Some players on the team are only on their first or second season playing volleyball, but Coach has helped us really improve over such a short amount of time.
  Since the season has started, the team has grown really close together. Several of us spend lunch and breaks together, and we even have team bonding events to do things outside of school.
  Whether we win or lose, we have made God our top priority. He chooses the outcome, but we have our individuality to put in the effort of a game for His praise. Over everything, we remember that He is the reason that we play.
  So, please try to come to one of our games! We deserve to be first in league for our intense practices, our love for eachother, and God's glory.

I wish I could play volleyball all year long, but the season has to end eventually... Anyways, I hope you are all doing well, and that you look forward to my next post!

PS. I've been getting views from all over the world! As you can see, my view counter hasn't even gone over 1000 yet, but I'm very happy with how many people have found my blog! Even if it's just a bunch of random people finding my blog off google. I've gotten an even bigger number of viewers this week, and it's made me super happy! Thanks for the views!

~Mare

Traditional vs. Digital Art

  Happy Sunday, everyone! I have another speech- this time it's about why I prefer digital art over traditional. BTW, no one probably cares, but you can see some of my digital art on my deviantart account.
  Traditional art is the drawings and paintings made from physical tools, like a pencil or paint brush. Digital art is that made from computers using tools programmed to have the textures of those used in traditional art. These are reasons why I prefer digital art.
  Mistakes are easy to erase when drawing on the computer. When drawing traditionally, there are always a number of things I have to constantly worry about because I might not be able to completely erase a mistake I make. When drawing digitally, I can always use the undo button when I make a mistake, and the eraser leaves no marks behind.
  Colors are easier to choose digitally. To get a variety of colors, I have search for paint or pencils at the store. If I try to mix colors to make another, I can never get what I want. However, I get whatever color I want using a computer program.
  Lines are cleaner when making digital art. We all know how much trouble it is to draw a straight line. However, there are several different options in computer programs to make the cleanest line you can get.
If I were to mention art, you'd probably automatically think about drawing on paper or painting on a canvas. However, I like to draw digitally because mistakes are easier to erase, colors are easier to choose, and lines are cleaner.

I'll probably have to cut a bunch of text off this when I present it(it's probably too long). I loooove talking about things like this, so I really think I could write a way longer speech on the differences and similarities of these two categories of art. However, this will have to do for now :( See you guys next week!

~Mare

Don't Text and Drive

  Hey guys! As I said in my previous post, I have to write a speech every week. I can write it about whatever I want, and it only has to be a minute long. I haven't timed this one yet so I don't know exactly how long it is, but I thought I'd post it on here before reading it over again and printing it out.
  Although commercials and authorities have made it obvious, it seems like texting and driving is still an issue. These are reasons why you shouldn't text and drive.
  It's illegal. Even if you don't get in an accident from it, texting and driving can get you in trouble with the police.
  It isn't safe. No matter how much you think you can multi-task, texting will distract you from the road. Taking your hands off the wheel to type each letter of a text can cause an injury and maybe even a death, no matter how fast you can type each word.
  It isn't necessary. If you're texting, that probably means you aren't in a hurry. Having the time to start a conversation before driving should mean you have time to continue it afterwards.
  Making the small choice to text while driving can take away your freedom to make choices at all. What you think only costs you a few seconds of your life can keep someone from using several years of theirs. Texting while driving is illegal, unsafe, and unecessary.

  I hope that was... informational..? I don't know what word I should use. In drivers ed, we were being told about passing cars on a 2-way road. We were told that before passing, we should ask ourselves 3 questions: Is this legal? Is this safe? Is this necessary? Although it was only mentioned in one subject, I thought that those questions should be asked for most of our choices. So, I used it in my speech!
  Anyways, I hope that my speech somehow affected you!
~Mare

Tea over Hot Chocolate

 Hello everyone! For school, every week, I have to write a minute-long speech. This is the one I just wrote! Most posts I see online that mention tea only talk about  its health benefits, so I thought I'd give different kinds of reasons in a way that you don't need to have a huge vocabulary to really understand. Enjoy!

  Some people might be like me and have trouble deciding whether to drink hot chocolate or tea when it gets cold outside. However, I will be talking about why tea is the better choice.

  Tea is healthier. Just looking at it, it's easy to tell. Hot chocolate is made out of whatever is in the powder you're given, but tea is made out of leaves and maybe some sugar depending on how you like it.

  After drinking hot chocolate, I start to feel it in my stomach and it makes me dizzy. Tea will keep me warm, but not so much that I feel sick. It makes me a bit tired though, so it's a perfect drink before going to bed on a school night.

  Go to the grocery store and look at your hot chocolate selection. There may be a bunch of different brand made drinks, but there's usually only "original" or "marshmallow" flavors. Now go to the tea selection. There's several different kinds like green tea, peppermint, and black.

  Although they are both good drinks, after considering these things, I would rather drink tea. Tea is healthier, makes me feel better, and gives me more choices.

Although writing speeches can seem like a really boring thing, I've been enjoying doing this every week. It's a way for me to improve my English, but I also get to talk to my class about things I enjoy. I've talked about things like why to attend my school, caramel, and photography. Since it has to be a minute long, I actually feel sad sometimes because I have to take out some things to shorten it. However, it's really easy to write, and takes no time at all. Do you guys have to do this, too? What are some things you like to write about?

~Mare