well crap..

Okay, so today is Tuesday, December 30th and I am sitting at Starbucks writing to you. I have been here for quite a while just trying to think of something to say, and all of a sudden my foot falls asleep. To make matters worse I'm sitting directly in front of the door, and since every white girl in America decided to come to Starbucks today, I am constantly being hit with cold blasts of air. So as I sit here writing to you with ice cube feet, I dream of warm fuzzy blankets and fire places (meanwhile making mental notes to wear boots and socks next time I decide to go anywhere during the winter). *sidenote- some random lady just came up to me and was asking me about my Chromebook, she was probably like 50 something and she wanted me to tell her how it worked and she was asking about "Hi-Fi" (Wi-Fi), I told her that you needed it and she went next door to get her brother and then proceeded to have me tell him about my Chromebook as well, and they stood there arguing in front of me for five minutes about how she should get a tablet instead..awksauce.* Anyways.. I quickly came to my "well crap" realization when I became aware that since my foot had fallen asleep, it meant that I was basically trapped at Starbucks..oops. Here I sit, shivering and being evil-eyed by every person who walks in the door and sees me writing on my laptop. All of them are probably wondering what exactly this "hipster" girl is writing about and how it's so typical to see someone like me when you walk into a Starbucks. In response to these haters, I will quote my dad with my favorite saying of all "it's whatevs." Aside from the haters, today has been a pretty productive day, I had a great morning with my friend, Frankye. We went to one of our favorite coffee shops and just talked about life and Christmas. Then we hit up the thrift store and found some awesome stuff (three awesome sweaters and my very own McAlister's t-shirt for under $30, SCORE..). Alright, well I've been at Starbucks for about three hours and I'm about to pee my pants from all the Passion tea I've drank. Peace out my friends.

Love,

Madison

p.s. thrifting is my fave, and I'm only drinking Passion tea because I already had a mocha this morning, just thought you should know..

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Sidenote..

Sidenote..

Soo I wore this outfit on Friday. It was "one of those days" where I woke up at 7:02 a.m. and had to be out of the house by 7:18.. Fortunately I had already picked out my outfit the night before (black and white striped shirt/dress with opaque black tights, tall black socks, and my aubergine Hunter rain boots). I had planned on curling my hair, but there was definitely no time for that (thankfully I had slept with my hair in a braid so it was a mixture of wavy and a little bit of 90s grunge..I decided to embrace it). However, after quickly doing my makeup, I realized that my shirt/dress was probably not long enough to walk the halls of my high school.. It was 7:18 and I didn't know what do to, so in a last ditch effort I put a longer grey t-shirt dress underneath the striped one for a fancy layering effect, very "Man Repelleresque" if you ask me (props to you Leandra Medine for my Friday morning inspiration). Anyways, after I had successfully averted my crisis, I headed to school, where I was in fact late once again. No worries, the outfit made up for it all. There is really nothing better than a well put together outfit to brighten your day. And so, with that, I present to you the picture below.."gettin down in the club on a Friday" (and by that I mean staying home and watching Netflix).

Sidenote #2

I started my new job with Dior on Saturday, and I was totally proud of my all-black ensemble.

I suppose that's all for this weekend..

Love,

Madison

p.s. I promise to dress cute every day this week and I will report back with pictures.

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Saturday Morning Coffee

A little Saturday morning coffee never hurt anybody, and neither did an impromptu photo shoot..(at least I hope not..)

Love always,

Madison

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the metro transit girls

For lack of a better name, I titled this post "the metro transit girls".. Somewhat of an interesting title, but it is exactly what it sounds like.

This story is about the two girls I met on the metro transit system (train/subway) in Minneapolis. They were your typical twenty-something white girls who came straight from the Mall of America with their iced frappuccinos and shopping bags in hand. I sat there amused by the one in the pink Boston hat with her obvious humor and blunt personality. I first realized that she was funny when a "wannabe gangster" walked onto the metro and swaggered walked through the aisle speaking out loud to himself and saying that "it smelled like someone [pooped] themself man." To this, the girl with the pink hat looked up, taking a break from sipping her iced coffee, and said "sorry, my bad." Her and the other girl with the brown hair began snorting and giggling and you just couldn't help but laugh. (Maybe it was one of those "you had to be there moments" but I really don't think so) So anyways, after I realized these girls were funny, I couldn't help but be a little creepy and listen to what they were talking about (not entirely difficult since they were quite loud and I was sitting directly across from them). They began talking about very important worldly issues, like how "Derek" hadn't returned the pink hat girl's phone call and which Instagram pictures they thought looked stupid. This was all very interesting and I assumed that the girls probably attend the University of Minnesota and they were just out shopping for the day. It seemed kind of crazy because I wondered how old they were, and how they couldn't be much older than myself. They reminded me a lot of my best friend and I, the way they sat there and laughed on the subway and joked around like they didn't care who saw them. My favorite part of this encounter, however, was when a very smelly, intoxicated woman decided to vomit inside of the metro, just a few feet away from where we were sitting. These girls seemed very disgusted, yet also amused with the whole situation. It was one of those  "so bad you can't look away" kind of moments. (I'm sure you can relate.) The picture below was when they decided that they would hold their already-empty drinks up to their noses in an effort to block out the smell of vomit. What a sight.. This picture says it all, the girl in the pink hat's expression is priceless. She looks super calm, cool, and collected, but she totally fooled you because right before this moment she almost lost her cool and told us she was going to be sick. Thankfully she was able to refrain, I can only imagine the sort of gruesome scene that would have been, but I will spare you my imaginative details.. Meanwhile, every time the metro made a stop and someone got on we all yelled at them to watch out for the puke..it was pretty nasty. Another favorite moment from this fabulous little evening was right after the lady vomited and got off the metro and this guy from some far away country with a thick accent yelled "THAT IS WHY I TURN DOWN, hahahahaha..." Naturally, we all laughed in response, thinking to ourselves "sure buddy, whatever you say.." To make matters worse, or better (you decide) he said, "haha I hope she didn't have Ebola." Gee, I suppose you could say the feeling was mutual. Needless to say, I promptly took a shower as soon as we arrived back at our hotel..

And as for Kylie and Bridget (those are the names I'm giving them), they got off somewhere between Nicolett Ave. and Minnehaha Blvd. (there is a very strong chance that one of those streets is made up..I'm bad at directions, what can I say..). I suppose I will never see them again, but the thirty minute appearance that they made in my life was well worth the laughs.

Hope you enjoyed my tidbit about life on a metro/transit/subway/train, whatever it is. 

You're welcome,

Madison

p.s. remember to bring hand sanitizer the next time you decide to take public transportation..

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Minneapolis in pictures

I recently got back from a short trip to Minneapolis. I really enjoyed my time there and I took some pretty cool pictures while I was there. So here they are..

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Just a Dreamer

Today was an interesting day. It is the first day of December, (I can't believe it's already December) not too much to report other than that, just that it was bitterly cold today and I should have started my day out with some coffee. Anyways, now I sit here writing to you and dreaming about the months ahead.

Traveling has been on my mind quite a bit lately. I am a dreamer, and I dream of traveling. There are so many places I want to go, so many places I want to see. Just another thing on the long list of things I want to accomplish in my life. Traveling is something I want to do sooner than later, however. I want to travel to Europe this summer. I have never been and I definitely feel like I am missing out. I want to experience the culture and the people in European countries. I want to stand there in awe of the beautiful countryside and mountains that decorate Europe. I sit here dreaming of the day when I will write to you from a cozy little cafe in the South of France. Or the pictures I will share from my journey through the Italian countryside. I envy those who travel frequently to these places and forget to take in the beauty that surrounds them. My view of what it will be like when I finally get to visit these places is all a little whimsical. Even if it doesn't quite live up to my expectations, at least I will be able to say "I've been there, I've done that." Those words will satisfy me. I dream of the day that I will step off that plane in Amsterdam and finally be there, ready to explore. Give me an opportunity and I will make it a great one. I sit here dreaming of the day when my dreams will finally become a reality..

There are so many places and people outside of our everyday lives..sometimes it's good to remind yourself of that. It helps to gain a little perspective in the whole grand scheme of things. Sometimes I wonder what it is that gets me thinking about such things like traveling and going away from where I am right now. I suppose this cold, gloomy weather could have something to do with it. Maybe I just want to escape from all of the stress I feel with the end of the semester and the preparation for college.

Looking forward to traveling in my future and the long list of places I would like to visit definitely helps to get my mind off of the boring, stressful tasks that are my life. Just think with me here..picture visiting London, Paris, Tuscany, Rome, Prague, the Netherlands, Iceland, Greece, Germany, so many places to visit.. Someday I will see them all. And I will write about my experiences for you to read as well.

For now however, I will go back to drinking coffee in my favorite coffee shops and exploring my city. All the while, dreaming of what lies ahead. It's funny the way life goes, just remember to think of your life as an adventure and hope that everything will turn out just fine.

I suppose that is all for today, my friends. Remember to smile and enjoy living in the moment.

p.s. Don't forget to keep dreaming..

Love always,

Madison

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The time I went exploring.

These photos are proof from the time I went exploring in one of my favorite cities. Back when times were a bit warmer and I got to share a fantastic day with fantastic people. 

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Who are you?

The people you meet, the things you read, and the places you go shape the person you are. Who are you?

If someone were to ask me this question, I'm really not sure what I would say. It would probably go along the lines of, "Hi, I'm Madison Rodick, I'm 18 years old and I'm a senior in high school. I like sports, I'm athletic, very involved in school, I'm a Christian, I've moved a lot." ( I mean, I guess that's all I would say..) It's kind of strange to think about who you are and how you would describe yourself to someone else.

Recently I went to a workshop that focused on personal branding. One of the things I took away from the workshop was "personal brand is what others say about you when you leave the room" and "why someone knows your name, it's not all about who you know and who knows you, but why they know you." This is a concept that seems very interesting to me.

Aside from personal branding, I want to get back to generally meeting someone. When I meet someone there are certain things that I would like for them to think about me. One being that I am a nice person, I think I'm a pretty nice person and I generally try to do nice things for others. But what makes me, me? And more importantly what makes you, you? There are so many things I want to accomplish and do in my life and I feel like it's only the beginning, like I haven't even begun to break the surface of opportunities that await me. It's a nice thought.

So tell me, who and what has shaped your life lately? Really think about it.

Talk to you soon.

Love,

Madison

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November 4th, 2014, it was a Tuesday.

"It was a Tuesday", actually it still is..

Anyways, I haven't written in a while and I have definitely missed it. So, to make up for all of the time that I should have spent writing on my blog, I am going to write the best thing you've read today. (Yes, yes, I know this is a pretty heavy promise considering some of you are probably very classy people who read very sophisticated things. But I am telling you that today, this is just as good as the best thing you've read all day, if not better(: ) Let's get to it, shall we?

It was a Tuesday well spent if you ask me. I did not have school today so I decided to take full advantage and spend the night with my best friend last night. I also took advantage of the "midnight rule" in my art class to get my project done on time, (a job well done, by the way) (that's beside the point, but oh well). Then, since it was rainy and cold night I decided that I had no option but to run by the local grocery store and pick up a tub (yes, a tub) of Tollhouse Chocolate Chip cookie dough and some Tazo green tea in a glass bottle (go big or go home). I ended the night with Lexy in her basement watching Gilmore Girls and Friends, and eating my stress away (ha). Is it bad that I decided to buy the Tazo green tea because I convinced myself that I would be eating healthier? Oops, my bad.. By the time this morning rolled around, I had awoken off the couch with my makeup still on, feeling like a million bucks. Fast forward to about 10:30 a.m. when I got back to my house, and I spent about an hour going through clothes that my grandma gave me when she was cleaning out her closet. Jackpot (kinda), it was a mixture of really great shoes and vintage finds, and a variety of eighties patterns and jackets with shoulder pads. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. I went up to take a shower feeling pretty happy. When I got out of the shower I decided to fully primp myself for the day. I picked out a super cute, fall (sweater weather) outfit, I even added some gold eyeshadow above my eyeliner to enhance the fall look I was going for. (nailed it) (: I even painted my nails, except I painted them the same color as before..but I still say it counts. Unfortunately, I can never paint my nails without at least smudging one finger, so right on schedule I smudged my index finder nail as I was putting my wallet in my purse. I did not let that put a damper on my mood, so no worries. Next, on the list of events for my Tuesday, consisted of me trying to vote and then being informed that I missed the deadline to register..I was pretty bummed about that one considering I had already picked out my Instagram caption for the picture I planned on posting of me with my "I voted today" sticker. No sticker for me..): The day went on and I went to work around 1:30 p.m. Work was work.

Now, the good part. Finally, I came here to my favorite coffee shop to write about my day as I listen to "coffee shop music" on Pandora. I left work early and drove here while I admired the amazing Fall Happenings(: I got a parking spot right in front, "an omen" and then I ordered a medium Mocha with a gift card I got for my birthday. *raise the roof emoji. I guess you could say it was a pretty cool day, and the best part is that it's not even over.

Get happy and go listen to some "coffee shop music" on Pandora. I know you just wanna be like me, and I can't blame you(; just kidding, just be yourself and spread some happy sweater weather cheer. You know you want to(:

I guess that's all for this evening my friends.

Love,

Madison

p.s. Peace, Love, and Coffee. Also, I hope I lived up to my promise about writing the best thing you have read today, if not there is always tomorrow(;

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inspired.

Let's get inspired.

What exactly does that mean? To get inspired.. What is your inspiration?

When I contemplate these questions, I think about things that make me happy, things that motivate me.
It feels good when you become inspired. I find that too often when I talk to people my age, they talk about their lack of inspiration or motivation just for everyday things. This is no way to live your life. We need to get inspired. We need goals, and we should be happy.

Today my inspiration is the future, the knowledge that someday soon I will be doing something great and experiencing my life in the best way possible. It's all about having something to look forward to. Give yourself something to look forward to, and get motivated for the future.

Be inspired and live everyday like it could be your last.

That is my tidbit for the day(:

Love,

Madison

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Big Style, Small Wallet

What do you do when you have great style, but no way to finance it?

I find myself asking this question more often than I would like to admit. Every other Friday, I like to pretend I have an unlimited amount of funds that I can dedicate to my fashion obsession. However, by Saturday morning, or even Sunday, I am reminded that the last two weeks of working have just gotten me a couple of shirts and maybe some dinner. Every week I tell myself to save, in fact I am really great at being poor and never spending any money (not because I want to, but because I have no money to spend). But by the time I get my paycheck, I spoil myself for good behavior...I buy something nice and I enjoy the next few days of financial security. But like I said, by the beginning of the next week, I find myself trying to figure out how to make my funds stretch until my next paycheck. Every week, I predict how much my paycheck will be and then I set aside a certain amount of money for each of the things I have to pay for. Gas is usually the top priority, $50 aside for gas, and the rest goes towards a variety of future purchases. Each week I tell myself that I should be saving my money, yet every time I seem to fail at saving as much as I had set out to. Someone wants to get coffee, or Chipotle and I find myself unable to resist the temptation of good food or some caffeine.

Do you see any similarities to yourself here?

If so, you should join me in trying to save. Let us save now and be poor while we are young, so we can enjoy financial security and nice clothes in a couple of years.
Look around your school, people don't care if you are wearing the newest designer jeans, or have $300 Frye boots. Now don't get me wrong, if I see someone in the hallway with a pair of Frye boots or a Marc Jacobs watch, I will definitely appreciate their style. But in all reality the percentage of people around you each day who actually appreciate what you're wearing is very minimal. Save your treasures for someone who cares, don't waste your money and time trying to impress people who don't have the background knowledge to appreciate your outfit choice.

This is not Gossip Girl (while I wish it were), and we are in Missouri, not New York City. So dress accordingly. Pin your fashion finds on Pinterest and save up for those amazing pieces that you can't live without. But, don't worry about not being able to keep up with the latest trends from Fashion Week. Dress with confidence and don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, Just be you. I guess that's all for today.

Love,

Madison

p.s. nike shorts and sweatshirts aren't always a bad thing...

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Anywhere but here.

Today

I feel like I would like to be anywhere but here. Anywhere else than where I am at right now. Or at least where I am at figuratively speaking (because literally, I am in my bed and it feels nice and warm in here). Figuratively speaking however, I am in a state a limbo, some sort of in between type of a thing. I have a fear of the unknown.

Lately, people keep telling me that I should be having fun, I should be enjoying my last year of high school. Except all I can seem to think about are failed relationships, staying up late to finish my homework, and not knowing where I am going to end up next year for college. Mostly I spend my time thinking about college, but the other stuff always seems to follow on the long list of things that are always on my mind. Right now, I just wish I could be anywhere but here.

Sometimes I just have to remind myself to take deep breaths and that everything will be okay, things are all going to work out for me. Time heals wounds, homework gets done eventually, and I will come to a decision about where I want to go to college soon enough.

Life has a way of working itself out, I just wish I could speed up the process every once in a while.

I imagine myself somewhere in Europe, maybe at a coffee shop with some friends. I would like to think that I would be having an amazing time traveling with amazing people and making wonderful memories. Maybe that is my dream for now, the thing that gets me through today. That some day, maybe a year or two from now my dream will be a reality and all will be well.

In the end, things aren't so bad here after all. All it takes is a deep breath, a cup of tea, and some Christmas lights to cheer you up. Don't forget to love yourself and love others. Life is a lot better when you have someone to love, so choose wisely(:

When you're feeling down, just remember this, "Your darkest hour lasts only 60 minutes." It really doesn't seem so bad when you think about it like that. That is all for today my friends.

Love,

Madison

p.s. things that help me feel better include: candles, sweatpants, hot tea, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, writing, reading, watching Sex and the City, and taking a hot shower where I let the water stream down on my face like it is washing away all of my worries (all of which I did today)

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Do you ever have one of those days..

So this morning I woke up on time. This is a big step for me because usually I wake up like 15 minutes before I'm supposed to walk out the door. Anyways, I woke up at 6:00 a.m., right when my alarm went off, and I actually wanted to get up. But then, I just laid there. I could not bring myself to get out of bed and everything seemed to be sucking so bad at that exact moment. I looked at my phone and I got a notification that said "Good morning, today is going to be chilly, so get your jackets out." That was irritating since I had planned on wearing a dress today and looking super cute. I decided to try and calm myself down and be zen or something. I just wanted to be calm and relaxed and not feel like I was rushing anywhere. I continued to lie in bed for the next 45 minutes and I practiced my yoga breathing and relaxation.

When I finally pulled myself out of bed, I scrapped my cute outfit and opted for leggings, a vintage sweatshirt, scarf, and white converse high tops. I proceeded to put my hair in my "everyday ponytail" and I went with concealer and mascara for the face.. I felt pretty great, not gonna lie. But every time I decide to wear something comfortable instead of cute I start to regret my decision by about noon. I see other people who decided to wear cute outfits and feel all stylish, and then here I am in my casual, semi-eighties workout getup..

So I ask you, "do you ever just have one of those days?" Because I 'm pretty sure that I am having one of them today. One of those days: you wake up, you don't feel like getting out of bed, you have to get out of bed anyways because you have this thing called school and responsibilities, and then you come to school and everyone looks cute.. Day equals crap. Actually, it's not so bad because I feel pretty comfy and I plan on reading my book tonight so at least I have something to look forward to. Well, that's all for today my friends..

Love,
Madison

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The Scenic Route in Life

I love driving. Whenever I have a lot on my mind, I love to just go for a drive. I drive with the windows down, listen to music, and just stick my hand out the window. Instead of taking the quickest way to get home, I will take the back roads and make my drive last as long as possible (while trying not to use all of my gas of course).

Something I've realized about myself when I look back on my life is that often times I seem to choose the scenic route in life (or it chooses me). Without fail, I seem to always end up on the scenic route, the place where I set out to be is always just around the bend, not quite close enough to reach, but close enough to see. 

This is an interesting discovery that I have made about myself. You would think that with your goals, you would want to reach them as soon as possible, but for me that is not always the case. It's something that I have realized deep down, on the surface (yeah, of course I want to reach my goals as soon as possible), but deep down I would almost rather be where I am right now for just a little while longer. Just be, and enjoy the moment.

Madison

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Dream Big

When someone tells you that you can't do something, don't believe them.

Lately I seem to be hearing a lot of discouraging things. "You can't do that" or "it's just not going to work out", "it's for the best." I hate hearing someone tell me I can't do something.

I can do whatever I set my mind to. And if for some reason, it turns out that I can't do something, I want to figure it out on my own. Chances are, if I try something and fail at it, I will learn what I can do to solve my problem for next time. I will only keep trying until I get it right. I can do what I want, and so can you. Don't allow others to tell you that you can't do something. Sometimes just because something is practical or realistic, doesn't make it right. Just because someone else seems to have gone through the same or similar situation you may be going through doesn't mean that you will have the same outcome as they did. Some people really love giving you advice, but you have to remember that in the end you are the one who decides what you will do. I let myself get too wrapped up in what other people are telling me sometimes, and I forget that I am the only person who can determine what I will and won't do.

Someone very wise once told me this: "Don't listen to those who tell you that you can't do something. Never let somebody invade your dreams and tell you that you can't reach them. Every person in history who has done something great has always been told all about how they cannot achieve something, but if they had listened to that advice...we wouldn't have anything today. Don't let anyone hold you back." - a friend.. How great is that? People like that inspire me. Teachers and adults should stop going around telling us to be "realistic" and discouraging us, they should be inspiring us. Why does everyone go around acting as though they are afraid to get hurt or fail at something? One thing I have realized over the past year is that if you love something enough then it's worth getting hurt over. The pain you feel symbolizes how great it was when you had it. So don't live life worrying about whether you will get hurt or fail at something, instead embrace the happiness and joy you have when you succeed at something.

I don't know about you, but I want to be inspired. Inspiration is a wonderful thing, and those who are inspired are unstoppable. You can do whatever you set your mind to. You only get one life, so you may as well make it a good one. Dream big, my friends.

"Life's too short to even care at all."
- young the giant

Love,

Madison

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