within my head • a place for me to balance my thoughts

[SplashofOrangeJuice]

•••••••
This is a place for me to write various writings and journal entries, maybe some poetry and other such short stories
I'm not entirely sure what it will become, maybe some letters I wish I could have sent to people, or other updates on my life story transferred from my signature (I'm pretty boring though woops)

I doubt it will follow any sort of pattern, but that's fine

please no posting yet -- I'll open it to public critiques once I have more within this space

[e]- 5714 -- now open to public posting.
Commentary and critiques are welcome. All I ask is if you do wish to comment, do not quote the piece, but rather refer to it by title or date of postage (the 4 to 6 digit number on the title, or ahead of diary entries). Thank you ♡

Thank you for your interests, and I hope this is okay to post here ! <33
•••••••


p.s. these kids are babes; xx oo xx oo xx oo xx oo

[SplashofOrangeJuice]

I started creating a "diary" in my signature several months ago to deal with issues in my life,
especially to help me cope with my cat beginning her passing, and the various stresses I had
been experiencing. Unfortunately or not, I no longer have the older diary entries I had
written before. I do however, have a good supply of them to begin with, and I will have a
multitude more to post in the future.


•••••••
--April 2014--
32814 -- i will be "grown up" in months, but i honestly dont feel like it. also, im more okay now.
4114 -- oH mY gOSH;; I have a pROM DATE! This is so exciting, he got me flowers and everything! <3<3<3 xoxo
42414 -- we're "officially official" aka; I have a boyfriend :o
[[also this day but added 43014; We spent the whole day together aside from a few hours during classes. We went on a field trip that morning, and had lunch, and when we got back to school 6th per. was going on, as was 2nd lunch. I had to go to 7th for a test, and after school I had some plans but around 4 we went shopping for mask stuff for his mask. We then worked on our masks when we got to my house, and he was here until 8:30 :o ! It was soo lovely <3]]
42614 -- omg prom today! I finished our masks last night, check my mask design in my gallery to be linked to the photobucket gallery of them !! <3
42714 -- Prom was a BLAST! I saw a ton of my wonderful friends, and our masks were a hit! everyone really liked them <3 For my hair i had a waterfall braid and flowers in it, the same ones as my mask to tie it all together! My boyfriend(still so weird to say that) and i took adorable photo booth pictures, aaaaa it was just awesome! I got a couple of foot cramps though, and the music kind of sucked bc it was bad dancing music but whatever ~~ feel free to ask me about it if you want to know more ♡
42914 -- I'm super tired tonight, wow! I had a nice lunch with my boyfriend like we do every Tuesday, but our Engineering Club Meeting was canceled after school. We still hung out in our school library and worked on homework until it closed. After we drove around for a bit and went and got subs for dinner. At 6:30 we had to return to school for AP review sessions, each in different classes. His ended before mine, and mine was over at 10pm. I got home at 10:30 or so, and its now approaching midnight; I needed to finish homework! Night babes ~
43014 -- I'm stressing out so bad with school o m g
--May 2014--
5114 -- Happy May~
I'm really busy and stressing with school; it's nothing personal if I don't reply to PMs
5914 -- Had my first kiss today :x nothing big, just a peck, but exciting all the same. And art show was excellent last night. Boyfriend came and everyone's art was so super. It was stressful, but so worth it <3
51414 -- Done with all my AP tests! -fistpump- buuuut, its Boyfriend's last day of high school tomorrow so idk how I really feel about all this... :/
51714 -- had a breakfast date with the bf <33 he's so sweet
52414 -- Happy One Month, babe ♡
52914 -- Got my driver's license today; late to the party but I'm finally here xo
--June 2014--
61814 -- New month, new color. I'm surprised I haven't updated this yet. Anyway, cousin graduated from CSULA this past weekend and I am sooo proud of her. And I've been able to see bf about two times a week which is nice, but it's hard not seeing him too often. It'll have been a week tomorrow, and I miss him quite a lot. <3
62314 -- ive been thinking too much and im really scared, lost, and frightened about my future and what i want
62414 -- happy two months bb ♡
--July 2014--
7114 -- <color is a wip> So. Incredibly. Awkward. That's what I am. I'm an awkward deerslug and I'll never be anything cooler. Boyfriend tried to "makeout" today, and I sort of just stood there. I didn't move my lips at all, aha. The only movements I made were uncontrollable giggling and hiding my face on his chest/arms. Oiii~ its hard being awkward, especially when you both don't exactly know what youre doing. Forever an awkward pineapple deerslug. orz
7414 -- I'm so incredibly homesick. I can't stop crying. I'm laying in bed, and I'm trying to be as quiet as I can so I don't wake my sister. I want to be home. I want my parents. I don't know how I'll make it for two and a half weeks.... I just don't know.
7714 -- Desperately hoping she received my letter. I need to hear from her. It's been too damn long; I need my soul sister.
72114 -- It feels so good to finally be home. I missed it lots. Had a good time at the cabin though too so no regrets! xoxo On another note, I have until the 6th of August to finish reading two books, and painting five art pieces. I may not have much time for CS.
72414 -- happy three months to my lovely boyfriend and its already technically the 25th bc it 12:09am but I don't care. Also I forgot to eat dinner and my tummy is really achy but I feel like a midnight snack would be frowned upon. Sadness):
--August 2014--
8114 -- Happy August~ I am feeling EXTREMELY anxious about school starting in just under a week. I hate this feeling..
8614 -- School begins tomorrow, expect a decline in activity. I'm super anxious, but everyone is reassuring me it'll all be okay. I hope so. Goodnight lovelies <3
81014 -- I put in my retainer and it hurts because I haven't been wearing it oops. Gotta fix my teeth though, maybe I'll wear it for 72 hours straight, give or take. ovo owwww. Also school isn't so bad but I need to mess around with my schedule a bit.
82414 -- happy four
82614 -- ...little Lylah passed away today at 3:05 pm. Activity may be sparse over the next few days.
--September 2014--
9414 -- september seems promising. although im catching some sort of bug :p
92314 -- please keep my grandmothers in your prayers; one has a brain tumor, and the other is in the hospital from an ulcer rupture and she isn't doing very well at all, but progress is being made to her wellbeing. Thank you <3
92414 -- happpppppy fivvvvvve monnnnnnnnths <;
--October 2014--
10514 -- grandma still isn't doing very well... she might be going on hospice soon. please keep her in your prayers
10614 -- grandma passed away today just after 6 pm. thank you for your support
101614 -- stressing out thinking about college. i need to apply for schools and scholarships.
102414 -- happy six months, Boyfriend <3
102514 -- :* :* :* so I did the thing with my mouth where we kissed lots
102714 -- stressing out so much. oi
102914 -- currently running a username poll in my writing thread; link above !! ^^^
--November 2014--
111614 -- went and saw Big Hero 6 with boyfriend. It was a good day. <3
112114 -- Feeling pretty tense and unsure. Sorry if I come off as rude or moody; I'm just going through some things at the moment.
[i forgot to update this for the rest of november and the month of december, woops]
--January 2015--
1/1/15 -- happy new year ! :*
1/4/15 -- i was supposed to read heart of darkness for ap lit woops
1/15/15 -- would appreciate help with plume 424, if you have commissions open ill order! Pm me for more info
1/17/15 -- going to be out of town until the 19th. national portfolio day in san diego on the 18th, hopefully the colleges like my stuff <3
12815 -- I'm really stupidly stressed and about to cry like 50% of the time. I strongly dislike school at the moment /crycrycry/
--February 2015--
2.8.15 -- Kissing is so great though :* also it's February
2.14.15 -- happy v-day ♥
2.21.15 -- not as stressed and feeling great tbh !
2.23.14 -- I keep having dreams with my cat in them, like last night it was as if she was just lost outside my house for a while. She died February 8th, 2014, but I haven't dreamt of her until recently. I miss her like crazy.
--March 2015--
3.4.15 -- it's March, and that's a bit frightening. um, my mom hasnt been doing too well for the past 2-3 months, and if you could keep her in your thoughts and prayers that would be so sweet. ♥
3.24.15 -- happy 11 months, boyfriend <3
3.25.15 -- im extremely stressed with school, so i may not be on much for a while. also my home wifi was turned off by my dear father, so using my comp isn't something i can do any time soon, and i'll be on my mobile. no art for a while, sorry.
--April 2015--
4.1.15 -- omg the new store pets are STUNNING. I'm searching for all the Earth Deer, so hit me up if you've got some! I'm willing to offer art (but can't make any soon?) !!! [april color wip]
4.8.15 -- really in love with the flop eared kitten bunnies and really want to start a hoard! trade me for them or donate to help me with that! thank you ~
--June 2015--
6.6.15 -- A lot has happened. Had my last high school art gallery May 14th. I graduated high school May 19th. I won the Congressional Art Competition for my district and will be going to DC later this month for the ceremony, and my art will be on display in Cannon Tunnel in DC for one year. Boyfriend and I have been dating for 1 year, 1 month, and 13 days. <3 Going to be starting a new art blog and hopefully selling work. Starting at University in August. Lots of new things.
6.7.15 -- going on hiatus for a while. experiencing a lot. mostly sad, idk. sorry. I love you. I'm so sorry.
--July 2015--
7.28.15 -- Wow, time to freshen things up! To do:
- finish thank you cards ! xx
- finishing touches to art tumblr account ~
- ;link it to here
- download the art programs you found on t
- gpa's bday art for labor day weekend !!!
- freshen up CS profile ;) xx
- work on establishing character pg ?
--August 2015--
8.7.17 -- happy birthday little sister!
--- rearranged my sig ---
☆ 8.14.15 -- I will never not get flustered when Boyfriend says "you're so pretty." <3<3<3 I love you
☆ 8.16.15 -- Boyfriend is planning to buy me pepper spray because I look too vulnerable and innocent for the real world, and he's worried about me. <3 a bit odd, but proof he loves me all the same.
☆ 8.17.15 -- Woke up feeling highkey stressed about starting college in a week. Just a sense of panic and uneasiness.
[skipped updating for sept.]
--October 2015--
☆ 10.10.15 -- college is okay but i'm not a huge fan tbh.
☆ 10.24.15 -- happy 18 months, boyfriend <3 thats a year and a half :o wow we did it I'm proud of you congrats for being my boyfriend still
--November 2015--
☆ 11.24.15 -- felt pretty empty last night through this morning, but I couldn't place what was wrong. Sorry I wasn't good at talking much today. I was so bad, I forgot to tell you happy 19 months even though I thought about it periodically throughout the day; I'm sorry. I love you though. Tomorrow will be better.
--December 2015--
☆ 12.1.15 -- happy december! my birthday is this month ; v ;
☆ 12.6.15 -- check out my *new* species, Pronghorn Chameleon Adopts !! ♥
☆ 12.28.15 -- happy birthday to me
☆ 12.31.15 -- this whole month was super stressful ahhHH
--January 2016--
☆ 1.1.16 -- happy new year ! woo 2016 !
☆ 1.7.16 -- </3 it'll be okay.
it's just hard putting in so much effort only to become attached and then lose it all. but, i'm sure it will be okay.
☆ 1.15.16 -- how dare I .... everything is hard and I'm sick of it all
--February 2016--
☆ 2.26.16 -- wow its feb! boyfriend turned another year older so i painted him a portrait of us (awe), valentines was super awkward, and it's almost the end of the month! hope you're all dandy <3
--March 2016--
☆ 3.8.16 -- happy march ~ i'm stressing over college courses and can't wait for spring break !!
☆ 3.15.16 -- I'm on spring break from 3.12 - 3.20; should be more active,
but also planning to do more offline with my time, so I may not be
--April 2016--
☆ 4.24.16 -- happy two years to the boyfriend and i !!! ♥ also, i'm thinking
of changing up my sig soon, so don't be alarmed if it's new ~
--May 2016--
☆ 5.18.16 -- congrats 2016 grads!! Also, I will be away from may 19 -
may 28. I will have limited internet access and cell service, so don't
expect me to be too active during this time. If you need to contact me,
do so, and I will respond when I return. Thanks!~
--June 2016--
☆ 6.1.16 -- I'm back and ready for business! jk, but I am back and had an
amazing time on my trip. <3 also so glad to be home, though !!
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Personal:




My terrarium doe Monsoon


tlkin 2 u Hoshi

kota: if i was a guy id
marry your ass so
quickly you wouldnt
even know your own
last name
laces: omg
laces: only my ass
laces: nothing else
laces: just the booty

old sig

my jbds:
Jupiter
Venus
Muffin
Arthur
Cocoa
--------

I have a writing place >> xx
Ask me

7.28.15 -- Wow, time to freshen things up! To do:
- finish thank you cards ! xx
- finishing touches to art tumblr account ~
- ;link it to here
- download the art programs you found on t
- gpa's bday art for labor day weekend !!!
- freshen up CS profile ;) xx
- work on establishing character pg ?

babes: xx oo xx oo xx oo xx

.

new sig

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ｋｏｔａ // ａｒｔｉｓｔ
just your average art nerd

my gallery.
my tumblr, [wip]
my dA.......

message me

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ahh changing things again::

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ｋｏｔａ // ａｒｔｉｓｔ
just your average art nerd

my gallery.
my tumblr,
my dA.......

message me
*tumblr sometimes nsfw

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☆ 3.8.16 -- happy march ~ i'm stressing over college courses and can't wait for spring break !!
☆ 3.15.16 -- I'm on spring break from 3.12 - 3.20; should be more active, but also planning to do more offline with my time, so I may not be
☆ 4.24.16 -- happy two years to the boyfriend and i !!! ♥ also, i'm thinking of changing up my sig soon, so don't be alarmed if it's new ~


☆ PROMOTIONS ! ☆
Pronghorn Chameleon Adopts is for all you lovers of colors and reptiles!
Duinnes need more love -- adopt one today!
The Dollhouse is super rad -- check it out!
Pallio Dogs are really lovable, and with such large ears, great listeners too!
Bakonos are super cute -- give them a look!

[SplashofOrangeJuice]

4/15-
indentI still miss you. Brianna saw
you yesterday. That marks the 2nd
time she's seen you since you left.
I haven't seen you once, and I'm
jealous. She said you'd grown up a
lot since the last time she saw you.
You were with your younger sisters, and
you looked very nice & professional,
like an adult, yet you were still the
same Ekat we'd known. A string of
pearls adorned your neck. Your
sisters were impatient, and you needed
to go, so not many words were exchanged.
When she told me, I wanted to yell.
I'm so mad at you for disappearing
without so much as a final goodbye.
I told her if I ever saw you again I
would yell at you, and then break
down. I wish you would come back
into our lives. I still miss you, Ekat.

[SplashofOrangeJuice]

She took a deep breath and got out of bed.
In her mind you were still here, and you would see each other later this evening.
It was all just the remains of
a dream though.

Shaking her head, she got up. The tile was ice cold, and felt good on her bare skin.
In the bath room she washed her face. Mmm, tingly. She wasn't happy with her appearance,
but then again, who ever was. She ran the brush through her brown hair, then walked back to her room.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. She counted her steps.

Today was her birthday, but she felt normal as ever.
In reality, everyday is just like the next, regardless of a special occasion. She didn't understand holidays, or celebrations of petty subjects, including birthdays. Because of this, most of her friends didn't even know today was her birthday, and those who did never said anything about it. It was the way she liked it.

--

7:15 a.m.
Her mother left her a note on the kitchen island, next to a neatly wrapped gift box and a plate of pancakes.


"Happy birthday, sweetheart. Have a wonderful day, I love you.
xoxo -- Momma"


The gift wrap was reflective icy blue, and pea green ribbon adorned the top. The box was square, regular, and about a cubic foot in size. She opened it up, and found a pastel pink sweater inside with some jewelry and another card. "I hope it fits your tastes, rosebud," was all it said.
She slipped her tee shirt off over her head right there in the middle of the kitchen. No one else was home, and the way the light shown onto her abdomen through the shutters was attractive in her own eyes. She didn't mind; and pulled the sweater on. The earrings and necklace elegantly balanced her outfit, and she smiled a sweet smile. It was a rare sight to see -- her smile -- and her lips parted ever so slightly to reveal gleaming pearly-whites.

She chowed down on her pancakes decorated with strawberries and whipped cream. A dash of powdered sugar and birthday sprinkles brought it all together. When she finished it was 7:39. School would begin in 50 minutes. She placed her plate in the sink, and took the rest of her belongings to her room. Outside it was a cool 76° F.

She sat down in the driver's seat of her car and waited in silence, listening and observing the world around her as she did every morning. The birds sang their song. As she started her car that morning, nothing was out of place, but it all appeared ever so slightly off. As if something was tampering with the fabrics of time and space; but she couldn't pin point exactly what wasn't right.

School was 23 minutes away, but this morning it seemed as if it might take longer.
...


[possibly to be continued in the future]

[SplashofOrangeJuice]

She sighed
where have the years gone
seemed only yesterday we were young
we were flying high
wild and free
imagination and room to breathe

now that we're older
things arent cracked up to what they should be
we cant be carefree
and looking back only leads to challenging memories

"I cant do this!"
she screamed,
"were all useless!
this isn't anything like I thought it would be!"

losing her mind
breaking down
crying out
trapped in reality
where do we turn
what happens next
is this really all thats left for us
you and me...

I cant do this
she cried
were all useless
this isn't anything like I thought it would be

where have the years gone
childhood has become a memory
why did we waste it
wishing we could grow up and be free
little did we know, our free-est moments were in the days of our youth
no worries, no cares
just growing up and being kids

[SplashofOrangeJuice]

xxx

I went home with Brianna today. It was a half day, and my parents were working.
My boyfriend drove my brother and me after he had finished his AP Calculus test,
and so we arrived closer to 1.
She had cheese pizza for us, and when her mom went to the store she bought
cake too. It was a pleasant unexpected surprise. Shelby was being himself and
took a very large slice of cake, to which I said "Stop being such a glutton." They
all found my word choice amusing, and we laughed for quite a while.
Once done eating, we wanted to go on an adventure.
Brianna and I had spoken of doing exactly this for such a very long time, but it
began as an offhanded joke--not something we wholeheartedly intended to do.
But today was different.

We called you beforehand, but you didn't pick up. I left you a voice mail message.
I hope you received it. I still miss you tons.
But, we went out the door nonetheless and walked to your house. Such a lovely
house. Its a greyish-tinted blue, with a big orange door. Cute windows appeared
around, and it was risen up on a hill. When we got there, Bri and I freaked out.
We were so unsure of what we were about to do. Granted, I haven't seen you
since December 2012, nor have I heard from you since February 2013. You and
Bri have seen each other but only twice in all this time.
We walked up the gravel drive, and knocked on that big, all consuming, orange
door. Twice.
There was no answer.
My hopes of seeing you dwindled. It upset me, because we had come so far,
only to be let down. Your mom was home. We saw her as we left. She was out
in the garage, doing laundry I believe. Her top, maybe it was a dress, was black
with white polka dots. Maybe they were daisies. I don't really know, but she
looked the same as I remembered from several years ago.
My dad showed up at Brianna's house as we were getting closer to yours. He got
the four of us near your home, I hope we didn't seem too terrible. Your mum
was probably annoyed, I'm afraid we may have been loud in front of your door.
As we drove away, we backed around towards your garage, to catch the address.
That's when your mom saw us, and we her. She probably found it very suspicious,
and for that I am sorry.
I'm sorry for all of it.
I wish you answered the door.
I wish I had taken a flyer for the gallery tomorrow.
I wish you knew about it.
And I pray somehow you'll find out and you'll come to the show.
I painted your face, and I want to give it to you. I want you to see it. I want to
hold you in my arms. Hug you. Kiss your beautiful hair and cry with you because
it's been so long. We were sisters. We can't just let that go.
I can't let that go...

I want to share with you my progress. My stories. Things that have happened
in the past year. So much has happened... It's outrageous. I want to share all
this and more with you. I want to talk. I want to listen. All your stories and
adventures and tales of work and your life and your sisters, your parents--I want
to hear ALL of it. You and your beautiful soul and all your lovely stories, I want
it all.
The gallery is tomorrow from 6:00 to 7:30pm. It would mean the WORLD to me
if you came. But alas, you don't even know about it. I'm so sorry.

[SplashofOrangeJuice]

Thank you for being such a wonderful friend and my other "twin." Youre always so supportive of me, and I hope I'm as good to you as you are to me. I love you, you're incredible and you mean the world to me. <3
I'm so happy you've been able to come to my art shows, and you're always here for me when I'm may be dealing with boys, and you support my decisions unless they may be harmful. This year we took a chance with a guy, and in doing so I made a new friend and that's really rad. Imagine telling freshman us what has happened now--I wouldn't believe myself! This year with you has been one of the best ones yet. I just wanted you to know.
you mean so so so much to me, I adore every fiber of your being.

thank you babe

[SplashofOrangeJuice]

Time,
Slipping away.
Never to be seen again.

Seconds
Minutes
Hours
Days

We need more.
We want more.
Without more, all we have is slipping through our fingers like sand.
Gone.

You'll be gone in two more days.
Goodbye high school,
Hello college.

It's funny you said:
"You make me want high school
not to end.
Who knew, I was so excited for
it to end a couple months ago."
Emotions are silly.
I said,
Lets crush them with robots.
It'll crush our emotions like it
Crushed our dreams
And you told me
That was the best thing you've ever heard.

Please,
Don't let these times end.
When our awkwardness engulfs us
In a state of unison and
Togetherness.
I don't want to lose this.

. . .

We mustn't become like them,
Detached,
And in a phase of perpetual puppy-love.
Lost without the other,
Until one day, the other changes.
Leaves.

No more togetherness.
No more laughter.
No more kisses.

All that remains are memories of the former,
And tokens of a once so
LIFE-LIKE
Relationship.

It was all a lie.
An act.
A show.
Put on for the world to see;
They were happy,
They were not alone,
They had each other.
Faces painted with fake smiles.
Staging kisses to make it more real.
Too real.
They tried too hard,
And lost the plot.
Until one day
The actor decided he was done playing pretend.
It wasn't perfect,
They both knew.
And caving under pressure
He left.

It came as a shock,
Because all her life has been a game.
Nothing quite real,
Stuck in make-believe.

Nothing ever seems to last,
And when this had,
An alarm should have gone off in her head.
This isn't real.

Let's do our best to keep it
Real.
I like you.
Very much.
Hold on to the moments we share together,
And we must never turn it into an
Act,
No matter the struggles we face.
The attraction and care I have for you is real.
Accept it.

[CLUMSY]

Oh my<3
These are all beautiful; I especially love the poems<3

[SplashofOrangeJuice]

Aahh, thank you darling <33
You're too sweet u v u

form testing may also be in progress here

_________________________________


- b a s i c s -
Username;
indSplashofOrangeJuice
Name;
indMarla ;; MAHR-lə - "mare"-la
Her favorite place;
indCathedral Cove, New Zealand
Art of her in her favorite place;
indind
[favorite place - 7 hours, 11 minutes]

Cathedral Cove
click for oekaki ;; ref



- e x t r a s -
Hexadecimal Codes;
ind▇#68dddf ▇#05556d ▇#042b41 ▇#071a2d ▇#03172a
ind▇#4ec854 ▇#14df6f ▇#05c1d7 ▇#ffffff

Why is Cathedral Cove her favorite place;
indRemoteness ; Beauty ; Freshness ; Relaxedness

To get to Cathedral Cove, you can't just drive there and call it good, as no roads actually go all the way there. You need to either walk from where you may have parked, kayak, or take a boat. In this ay, Cathedral Cove isn't that easy to get to, and it adds a sense of discreteness from cities, and a remote air of beauty that then engulfs you. Getting there has this sort of sense of accomplishment, and makes being there that much more enjoyable.


As it is a beach with a rocky overhead cliff, and is a member of various coves on the island, its a very beautiful place. The water seems to always have this soothing teal color, and the sand is perfect for sliding your toes into. On really beautiful days, you might see groups of people enjoying the cove, playing beach volleyball without a net, kayaking in the ocean and around the rock-islands, or even further out sailing by on their journey around the peninsula. It can be a bit chilly with the breeze off the water, but the sounds of the birds and waves crashing are worth a couple of goosebumps.
Its also a very fresh place, since its surrounded by so much vegetation. There aren't a lot of big cities nearby to pollute the air, and there really aren't too many big cities in NZ anyway. All the visitors are really good about picking up after themselves too, and there is almost no litter left on the shore.
Overall, its a great place to just be. Grab a blanket and lay out in the sun for a while with a good book, and you're set for a perfect day of relaxation. You wont have to worry about trash or overcrowding, and its a great location for just spending time unwinding. That's the basics to why Cathedral Cove is Marla's favorite place, although give her time to think and I'm sure she could come up with many more reasons. <3
Personality;
ind- curious - nurturing - independent - strong - courageous - intelligent - beatific -

Marla is a curious girl. She likes to learn as much as she can about all things she finds interesting. She tends to ask a lot of questions, almost to the point where it's slightly annoying, but she's just genuinely interested in learning more. She also is very nurturing of all her friends, and strangers alike. She spends quite a few hours volunteering per month, and if any of her friends need a place to stay for a few nights, her doors are wide open. She'll even feed them home-cooked meals for the duration of their stay. Although she can always be counted on for those in need, Marla is quite the independent soul herself. She may have times of need in which she can rely on others, but she prefers to try and make it on her own. She doesn't feel right allowing others to invest too much of their time or money in providing for her, even if they want to do so. Marla is strong too. She's strong-willed and occasionally stubborn because of this. She has the strength to provide for herself and make her own way in a world that isn't always so kind. Her willpower to keep going makes her courageous too. She isn't afraid of being turned down, or getting no after no after no. Eventually, the answer will be yes, and persevering until then can take a lot out of someone. She's highly intelligent too. She graduated in the top 15% of her class, and although she didn't get a college degree, that's only because money was tight. She's working on attempting to finish her degrees by working as a journalist to make more money. Last but not least, Marla is beatific. She's always very joyful and puts out a very happy demeanor. Even if she's having a bad day, she'll put a positive spin on it and make the most of what she's given. <3
Hairstyle meaning;


indThe Braid
Marla wears her hair in a braid for a couple of reasons. First, it's more comfortable. Having her hair in a braid keeps it out of her face in the windy weather of New Zealand, which is ideal for Marla. This way, it can act almost as a headband and hold the hair on the left side of her face, out of her face. The second reason is a bit less obvious. As a kid growing up in NZ, she made a lot of friends and participated in various groups and clubs. One such club was the school paper in middle school, and she loved it. In the club, all the ladies wore their hair in some fashion of a braid for all of the meetings, and it became a tradition. Since then, Marla has worn her hair in this style of braid primarily as a force of habit; thankfully it isn't the kind of habit that needs to be broken.
Likes;
ind baking, exploring, writing, people watching, the ocean, swimming, cycling, helping others, aesthetics, reptiles, plants, reading, drawing, pastels, balance, cohesion, cuddling, gold, anatomy, music, red, fruits + vegetables, romance + action + comedy movies, sweets, driving + traveling, water, teas, feeling needed, insect pillows, blue +/or white furniture

Dislikes;
ind really spicy foods, too salty fries, stinky smells, being annoyed + overwhelmed, injuries, black coffee, mud, all-nighters, alcohol, violence, chaos, disorganization, decaying plants, junk mail, 38+ deg. Celsius, crowded beaches

Homeland;
indNew Zealand



Home town;
indAuckland, New Zealand
It may seem a bit odd, but this girl is from the big city. She likes it there, but exploring her country is what she prefers. Visiting more remote towns and cities, and living in hotels from time to time provides her with a grand exposure to more of her world, and her community. You wouldn't believe how much of a difference there would be in a country of only 5 million, but there's a big diversity when it comes to the city and then a small town.

Occupation;
indJournalist
Marla is a journalist for a small paper in Auckland. She write articles every three weeks about her travels to other cities and towns, and often interviews the locals. Photography is usually accompanying her writings, and if so, you can bet they were taken by her. Sometimes her photos can be found in other segments of the paper as well, and not just her own. Whether or not she is on the job, you will most likely see her with her camera nearby.
Dream job;
indJournalist + Artist


While Marla loves her job, it's always been a dream of hers to work as a big journalist in a widely known magazine or paper. Not exactly a little three week paper that hardly makes a profit. Although, not only does she want to be a popular journalist, being an artist is another one of her callings. whenever she isn't working, she's dabbling around with her artwork and discovering new techniques and ways to improve her own works. One day she hopes to be known throughout New Zealand, and eventually many more countries. She wants to have an impact on the world, and to be able to inspire other young artists like she once was to always keep creating.
Education;
indCollege Life
Marla went to a small community college in Auckland, close to her home. There she studied Illustration and Journalism as a possible double major. Mid-way through her third semester (about the beginning of her sophomore year), she noticed how tight on money she had become. This hindered her education, and she dropped out, hoping to one day again finish her education. Therefore, as of now Marla has no degrees aside from her high school diploma, but it works for her lifestyle. She was able to land a position as a journalist for a small paper, and so far has had great success; here's to many more years of being successful, and one day getting her bachelor's degree.
Hobbies;

ind Cycling - Baking - Gardening - Painting - Embroidering - Volunteering
Marla has taken up quite the variety of hobbies through the years, but I'll only go into the ones that really lasted and she does semi-frequently.
indeCycling; Boy is cycling big for Marla. She adores the feeling of gliding over streets and the wind rushing past her hair. It's a really effective way for her to get around and explore the island of New Zealand, and she loves taking pictures of her bike in front of cool backgrounds like street art, bridges, buildings, and neat landscapes. She posts them on her blog, with details of her rides that trip, and hopes to inspire others to cycle more as well.
indeBaking; Marla loves to bake cookies and pastries and muffins, etc. Some of her favorite things to bake are miniature donuts, covered with pink icing and sprinkles. She will invite her friends over to hang out, and there will always be some kind of sweet homemade snack on the coffee table for them to enjoy.


indeGardening; Marla keeps a collection of houseplants scattered throughout the rooms in her house. Some of them are big leafy stalk-like plants, others succulents and cacti, and some of them are ferns and other leafy things. She waters them every other day, and trims them as well to keep them healthy and flourishing. Outside, she is starting a flower garden, but it's still in it's baby stages so it may be sometime before she's ready to show it off how she likes it.
indePainting; Watercolor is a favorite of hers, and she tries to make at least one little painting doodle a day, and work on larger more professional pieces along a time frame of about three weeks. She is constantly learning new techniques and honing her skills, but for now she's still a very good artist, and sells prints of her works through Etsy.
indeEmbroidering; This one is purely for fun when she's out of ideas elsewhere. She mostly stitches interesting blocks of color in various shapes and messes around with color theories. Occasionally, Marla stitches objects like donuts, cacti, teeth, and skulls in the center of her embroideries.
indeVolunteering; Introduced to volunteering as a teenager in high school, Marla grew fond of helping others without an actual gain for herself. It's almost always enjoyable work, even if it's difficult or messy, and it gives Marla an opportunity to meet new people within her community and hopefully build lasting friendships. Some of her favorite projects are cleaning up school campuses, and helping business fairs and the likes run smoothly from start to finish.
Pets;
ind Skinks + Geckos
Oco, Blue-Tailed Skink (Austrailia, Male); Petri, Common Green Gecko (NZ, Male); Gemma, Leopard Gecko (Southern Asia Deserts, Female)
indDogs + Cats
Klaus, Mutt (Mixed Breed, Brindled Coat Dog, Male); Digby, Himalayan Longhair (Siamese/Persian cross, Male); "Vans" Vanessa, American Shorthair (White, Odd-eyed, Female)
Credits; - - -


Coding credits; SplashofOrangeJuice
Content credits; SplashofOrangeJuice
New Zealand Info credits; SplashofOrangeJuice; assistance by yowzah. and Google.com
Art credits; - ♥ Cathedral Cove by SplashofOrangeJuice - ♥ Cathedral Cove 2 (BG) by SplashofOrangeJuice - ♥ Hairstyle Headshot by SplashofOrangeJuice - ♥ by ssiga4 - ♥ by r e n - ♥ by paint - ♥ by Sinister Smile


I would like to say thank you to everyone who helped me with my form either by agreeing to art trade with me or helping me with inspiration and information, THANK YOU

Good luck to all the judges and my competitors <3
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wip ♥