NOT a Spoiler. Just a Truth.

I was watching Orange is the New Black and although Piper can annoy me, she said something real:

"I miss human contact." And she started to tear up.

I can 100% relate. I’ve been on campus and felt so low and dark when all I needed was a hug or my hand to be held.

Being a commuter means you always have that feeling of being an outsider. And I’d feel that, and more.

Humans need contact. They can’t live without it. It almost drove me insane… I can relate the NEED to be touched. Not sexually… Just civilly.

We are love-encompassed beings after all.

Ear Stretching: The Importance of the Millimeters

**Disclaimer: I'm not a professional piercer of any kind. I just wanted to share my opinion based on my experience.

I've been on my modification kick since recently visiting my favorite shop and getting my nostril pierced about a week ago. Pretty much all of the staff has changed and even so, I felt welcomed.

I've done months and months of research out of intense interest of piercings and ear stretching (and the fact that they both are relevant to my life) and was able to talk to my new piercer in-depth about sizes, types of piercings and everything. I really feel that he took me seriously when I was able to name anatomy, wearable areas, diameters, and the like. So much so that he started reciprocating the same type of information, assuming I'd know what he was talking about (and I did! Eeeeeee!).

Anyway, that visit inspired me to write a post about something I've always felt was important to the ear stretching process: knowing your millimeters. In America, we go by gauge sizes and inches: 18g, 16g, 14g... 0g... 1/2 inch, 9/16ths, etc. But I've noticed other continents like Europe and Australia

use millimeters, which are much more telling.

With millimeters, you know exactly how big your next stretch is going to be instead of just eyeballing it and getting frustrated and impatient when the size doesn't fit into your ear.

Here's a quick rundown for people who begin to stretch and need a conversion:

The bigger the number, the smaller your holes will be. So initial lobe piercings are 20 or 18 gauge (g), and get bigger as the numbers decrease by two's all the way to 0 gauge. From your initial piercing, until 8g, all stretches will be UNDER 1 millimeter (mm).

The 8g to 6g stretch is usually the first time people have trouble stretching because it's your first full millimeter stretch!










Eyeballing it, the size doesn't look too much different than past stretches... But it is. People-- including me-- soon realize the taper doesn't slide as easily as it used to. So you go back to 8g and wait for your ear to be ready for the stretch.

(Eventually I realized I had pretty tight ears no matter how many weeks I waited, so it was here when I started using the taping method with a slight trick... This will be explained in another post). =)

Anyway, each stretch from 8g to 2g is 1mm. Everyone seems to be informed that the 2g to 0g stretch is a full 2mm jump! 2g can be 6mm or 6.5mm, and 0g is 8mm. This is one stretch that shouldn't be attempted in one go with a taper. Instead, the tapping method is highly recommended (a wrap or two of bondage or teflon tape SLATHERED in oil that grows wrap by wrap over the course of weeks).

Believe it or not, there are glass, single-flared, 7mm plugs available so you can stop at a middle ground before getting to 0g from 2g. It's otherwise known as 1g, if anyone ever seeks them at all. Give your ears a break before continuing-- it'll be more like the other single gauge-digit stretches you've done before the 2mm jump!

So in a nutshell, it's just important to be aware of millimeter conversions for the sizes you're stretching to so as not to rush or become frustrated during the process. It helped me out a lot, and made me make more cautious decisions. I hope it receives you well, also!

Later, gators!

You can't rely on anyone but yourself, but I do love the company of something going right.

Quick Eggless Cookies

It was pretty gloomy outside today. A perfect excuse for a cup of hot tea I'd say (shoutout to Celestial Seaons' Vanilla Honey Camomile!). But I wanted something to go with that tea.

Let's be honest. I'm too lazy to bake a dense almond cake from scratch... Plus I don't have sticks of butter or almond extract. So I stuck with what I knew: single serve cookies.

I was gonna get fancy and label everything you needed to make these cookies with a nice font. But... You know, almost all the labels are faced forward. You guys are smart. I know you can read... And see.

The only questionable things are the items on the far left. The mound of rat-turds in a plastic bag are just small semi-sweet chocolate chips. The taller bag behind it are pecans. And yes, the bowl you'll need is true to size. Just wash, rinse, and dry out your cereal bowl and you're ready to make some cookies from scratch!

You mix all your dry ingredients and toppings first. Thoroughly. I gave mine a spin for 30 seconds to a full minute.

It should form a dough. One a little more cohesive than above... My cookies still turned out, but needed a little more liquid to make them a tad bit better. I just didn't know if I needed to add more milk or oil, and if it would've made a difference which one I added more of.

No matter if your cookie dough turns out right or not, you need to dig in that bowl and form the dough yourself. Like, LITERALLY. Don't make a ball and expect it to flatten out or you'll be bakin' spheres. 

And here was my finished product! Yeah, a cookie's missing. I ate it to see if it turned out okay. I like my cookies crispy, and that's what this recipe aims to do. Just an FYI for the soft cookie-lovers out there. This particular batch was hard to bite, but not impossible to chew. Not crisp, but not a stone either. So... They're tasty and edible, but I can do better!

This recipe is sadly not my own, but from Chocolate Covered Katie. She makes many healthier desserts and I'm ready to try making more of her delicious treats! This one, in particular, can be found here.

Looking at the ingredients, this recipe can easily be made vegan. Just make sure the chocolate chips are vegan, almond milk would substitute cow's milk, and coconut sugar/raw sugar/whatever in substitute of granulated sugar. Not sure where brown sugar stands with vegans, but I've had yummy vegan desserts and foods. I know there's a way!

All-in-all, this is an excellent cookie base to add practically anything you want to the dough: dried cranberries, cinnamon, ginger powder, cocoa powder, sprinkles, nuts... Whatever!

They take no time at all the whip together and bake, and hardly any cleanup (I mean a cereal bowl, three measuring spoons, and a big spoon to stir... Come on now).

Hoping you try giving it a go! And check out Katie's other recipes on her blog through the link I provided for the particular cookies above!

Later, gators.

Thank you, Dr. Maya Angelou

Dr. Maya Angelou’s death was meant for me.

For the first time in months, I was so heavy with sadness that I ached. I felt all my life consisted of were failed attempts at happiness. That all the paths I’ve tried to build led nowhere, and I had nothing I could even think of growing into something great. I was stagnant. It was hitting me, and it hurt.

I was told I was talented in art, writing, and cooking… But I was realizing yesterday that it wasn’t going anywhere. It never seemed to be going anywhere, and it frustrated me. After feeling worthless all day yesterday and wondering why God made me to exist in vain, I got a sharp slap this morning.

Maya Angelou is no longer with us. 

And even though I would research her and think about her occasionally, she has shoved her presence into my life at the most needed time.

She died the day after my darkest fall in months.

She did so to tell me to “Wake up, Phenomenal Woman! You live in your truth, and you know it is one that belongs to a Queen such as yourself.”

If I want to speak a second language, I’ve got to study harder. If I want to do something with my writing, then I must write everyday with purpose.

Maya Angelou has spoken to me in an even quieter way than pen flowing over paper— but just as powerful, mind you: she spoke to me in spirit.