Roasting My Sixth Grade Poetry Collection

Hi, I’m Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland, where I suck at keeping promises! Last week I promised I would either write “another Stellar Adventures of Catalina in Neverland or another new series I just came up with”, and surprise! This post is neither of those! This isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this, which leads me to think that honestly I should stop revealing what my next post will be at the end of every post. Half the time it ends up being something completely different. So what am I doing for this week? Roasting my middle school poetry collection! I’m not a huge fan of poetry, honestly. It bores me and a lot of the time I find it pretentious. However, in my sixth grade English class, I was assigned to write a collection of poems. I have most of my assignments from middle school onward saved in my Google Drive, so I look at them late at night from time to time. A few nights ago I decided to read my poetry collection and I realized just how horrible the poems were. For this post, I’m going to be looking at each poem, doing commentary, and laughing at how crap of a writer I used to be. The poems are in a different font and color than the rest of the post, so that’s how you can tell what is the poem and what is my commentary.

Irrelevant Catalina picture, sorry. I just didn't have time to make a fancy one!

(Side note: A few of the poems contain personal details like my name, hometown, etc. I will be changing these for this post.)

Snowing

OK, so I don’t remember what the name for this style of poem is, but it’s where you start by writing a sentence and keep repeating that sentence but adding more detail to it. Honestly, I think this style is stupid. It’s important to have detail in your writing, but if you add too much, it just ends up sounding too try-hard and pretentious. This type of poem is guaranteed to piss me off.

It is snowing outside.

Snow is falling from the sky.

White powder is falling down on the ground.

I find it funny how writing “white powder” is supposed to be “more detailed” but if anything, it’s less descriptive. When you say “snow”, it’s clear what you’re talking about. “White powder” could be anything. Baking powder, powdered sugar, cocaine. From the looks of it, Sixth-Grade Stellar wrote a poem all about cocaine. Yippee.

White powder is dropping on the ground, making the ground look white.

That is a really clunkily written line.

The white, frosty fluff makes the ground look ivory.

White and ivory are two different colors. White is completely white, ivory has a hint of tan to it (I think?). If something is white, its presence does not make the ground look ivory. It makes the ground look white.

The white, frosty, cold fluff is pounding on the sidewalk, making it look ivory.

The milk-white, frosty, frigid fluff is pounding the sidewalk, which is an ivory mountain.

This poem is annoyingly repetitive.

The milk-white, frosty, frigid fluff is pounding the sidewalk, which is an ivory Everest.

Children are coming out of their homes to play in the snow-white Mount Everest.

OH MY GOD WHERE DO CHILDREN COME INTO THIS. So yeah, this is a sloppily written poem, but it’s not the worst one in here, believe it or not! There’s a lot worse yet to come.

Sneaky Poem

What is a sneaky poem, you might ask? It’s actually pretty similar to the last type of poem. It’s where you provide stupid details and be “sneaky” so the reader has to guess what you’re talking about. Kill me.

Mountain of frosting,

Sponge-y and irresistible,

The word “spongey” is kinda gross. Also not a word.

Chomping and devouring its deliciousness

Likewise with “chomping”.

Making people’s days a little bit sweeter

Cupcakes

This one is pretty short and mindless, plus it has some dumb word choices, but it’s still probably the best-written poem here, if I’m being honest. At least it’s upfront in its stupidity instead of being fake-deep.

LIGHTNING

This one’s a haiku. Which is cool. Haikus are dope. It’s not a particularly good one, but hey! It’s something interesting!

Vivid lightning strikes

Electrifying the sky

Boom! Boom! Crash! Crack! Pow!

I don’t have much to say for this one other than what I said before. It’s a 6/10 haiku. Although it does feel like cheating to just put onomatopoeia for the final line instead of actual words.

I Come From…

Pretty sure this type of poem is called a quatrain. We were required to write one quatrain, and our teacher gave us a prompt for writing one called “I Come From”. This is where you basically reminisce about your childhood.

I come from (Neverland) and playing with dolls,

I’m not actually from Neverland, obviously. The original version of the poem had my actual hometown, but I changed it for safety purposes, even though I’m pretty sure there are multiple towns and cities that share its name.

I come making Build-A-Bears at the mall.

I’m pretty sure I only went to Build-A-Bear once or twice as a kid. This poem is a lie.

I come from hanging out with my imaginary friends.

I come from days at Grandma’s I didn’t want to end.

I come from watching Barney, Dora, and Blue’s Clues.

Barney is horrifying but it gave us Demi Lovato so I guess it gets a pass. Dora the Explorer is quite possibly the most annoying show on the planet, but I credit it with giving me a headstart in Spanish. Spanish is the only class where I actually feel like I know what I’m doing, and I partially credit Dora for that. And of course Blue’s Clues is dope. Geez, when did “dope” become such a big part of my vocabulary?

I come from watching Disney films, the type I’d always choose.

I come from Rainbow Magic, the first series I loved to read.

Does anybody remember Rainbow Magic or am I the only one? Those books pretty much all had the same plots but I was obsessed with them. They pretty much kickstarted my love of reading, which is something I’m always going to be grateful for.

Some book covers, so you know what I'm talking about, hahaha. Ironically, I don't think I've read any of these books. Guessing they came out after my time?

                                            

If you want a good adulthood, a good childhood is what you need.

Ok, that’s not true. Many people who live great adult lives had horrible childhoods. For example, I read somewhere that Rihanna grew up with a crack-addict father and would get really severe headaches from the fighting between her parents. Now she’s one of the most famous women on the planet and is living the life most of us dream of. See Sixth-Grade Stellar, your statement is wrong. And besides, you’re like ten. How do you know what a great adulthood is?

I’m The Girl…

Here we go. This is the big one, the one I have by far the most to say about. This is my free verse poem and when I wrote it, I thought it was so beautiful, emotional, and meaningful. Hell, it even made my teacher cry! Rereading it now, I realize that it is one of, if not the, most cringeworthy and pretentious things I have ever written. Let’s just get this garbage over with.

I’m the girl who loves Disney movies like no other kid my age,

the girl with the severe addiction to all things Harry Potter,

the girl who spends more time on YouTube than she should.

Look at me! I’m SO unique because I like Disney movies, Harry Potter, and YouTube! I am the ONLY one who has these interests! I’m so quirky and original! Gag me.

I’m the girl with a perfect alternate reality planned out in my brain,

the girl who doesn’t want to grow up,

the girl who will defend the things she loves and believes in at any risk.

I am me.

Sixth-Grade Stellar, growing up is good. Yeah, real responsibilities suck, but as you get older, you have more opportunities to do awesome things. I’ve matured so much from back then, but it’s for the better.

If you’re looking for the girl who is a star athlete,

the girl who lives for being outdoors,

Indirectly shading people in your class who aren’t even that bad! Good job, Stellar!

the girl who looks incomparable all the time,

the girl who’s had around forty boyfriends in three years,

Slut-shaming? This is DESPICABLE, Sixth-Grade Stellar. I’m a feminist, and I believe that there are a lot worse things a woman can do than have “forty boyfriends in three years”. The only way I can see this being a problem is if somebody in the relationship is abusive, be it physically, sexually, emotionally, whatever. I am completely willing to talk about the double standards our society has where a man who has numerous girlfriends is a “superstud playa”, while a woman who is sexually active is a “slut” and a “bad role model”. I feel these double standards are completely abhorrent, and the fact that I would endorse them at any point in time is disgusting.

the stereotypical flawless popular girl,

keep looking,

because I’m not the girl for you.

Actually no, stop looking. The “stereotypical flawless popular girl” does not exist in real life. She exists in crappy teen dramas and nowhere else. I can guarantee that girls who appear to be like this are not that glamourous. Oftentimes, they struggle to deal with the high expectations of perfection put on them by society, and these high standards can lead to mental disorders like anxiety or depression. What you see on the outside isn’t always true, and don’t believe everything you see in the media.

But I am me.

And that’s what matters most.

This best sums up my big problem with the poem: how above-it-all the whole thing seems to be. Yeah, the whole message is “I’m not perfect, but I’m me” but there’s an underlying tone of “I’m so much better than the perfect popular girl! I’m REAL and AUTHENTIC and she’s fake!” It’s extremely elitist, like the people who claim stuff like “Real music uses instruments and has meaning and actually takes talent, unlike that Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj crap! I only listen to REAL music like The Beatles and Queen!” (Side note: I don't have anything against either of those bands, they're just always the two I see in "New Music Isn't As Good As Old Music" memes.) We’ve all seen people like that, who act like their opinions make them a superior person when it really doesn’t. Like whatever you want, but don’t be a jerk about it. My poem has the same pompous air as people who make statements like that, and it’s not how I feel now. I don’t think I’m better than anyone, and this post solely exists to prove to myself that I’m not above-it-all.

OK, so ignoring the fact that it’s complete garbage, let’s remember that “I’m The Girl” is supposed to be the big emotional statement of this whole thing. It’s supposed to be all deep and meaningful and very serious. So how do I follow up this big, serious statement up? A limerick, which is literally defined as “a humorous, often bawdy poem…” Talk about mood whiplash.

Don’t Be A Bob!

There once was a young man named Bob.

He wanted to get a good job.

So he chopped down a tree.

It killed a wee bee.

His boss said, “Your brain is a blob.”

I don't have anything to say, this is just pathetic. I’m pretty sure I wrote this in fifth grade but I thought it was so hilarious I just had to put it in my sixth-grade collection. Why?

The last poem doesn’t have a title. This one is just me describing myself, not much else to it. I wrote an original version of it in fourth grade, but I completely rewrote it for the poetry book. It begins and ends with my real name, so I’m changing it those, obviously.

(Stellar)

Caring, intelligent, bubbly

I’m not “bubbly”. I’ve always been pretty shy and kept to myself. I’m definitely not bubbly (which is defined as “(of a person) full of cheerful high spirits” now. I’m an overly emotional ball of angst and negativity. It might not seem like that just from my writing, but anyone who knows me well can tell you that I am.

Wishes to make Honor Roll in high school

I’m in high school now, and I think I’m on honor roll? My school doesn’t outright tell you things like that. Or anything, for that matter.

Wants to get more involved in acting and singing

lol i can’t sing

Who needs her friends and family

Yeah, and I also need attention from those friends and family. I’m an attention whore, plain and simple.

Who wants a larger house

Who fears death

Who dreams of being an actress or singer

Isn’t this like, the exact same thing I said before?

Who believes in God and Jesus

I’d prefer to not get into topics of religion on my blog, but I’m just going to leave this here:

Never change, Bieber.

Who loves her family and friends

Once again, isn’t this the exact same thing I said before?

Who loves books and the Internet

Who plans on going to Florida someday

I haven’t done this yet. Will I go to Florida at some point? Hopefully. I’d just love to travel more, period.

(in Neverland)

Well, that’s the end of my horrible poetry collection. I actually had quite a bit of fun writing this, and I feel like it lets you get to know me better than any other post on here. Next week will be more Stellar Adventures...I think. It’s probably gonna change. That’s all for this week. Tune in next Wednesday for more. I’m Stellar in Neverland signing out. Peace!

Stellar

15 Current Favorite Songs (Because I Felt The Need To Make This Post Again)

Hi, I'm Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland! I wasn't actually sure if this post was going to get done because I had no time to work this weekend, but I was able to complete it in two days! Hooray! I'm still not sure if I want to switch and post every other Wednesday, but I'll try to decide soon. My original plan was to write the third installment of The Stellar Adventures of Catalina in Neverland, but my limited schedule prevented that from happening. I decided to do another list of my favorite songs instead. If you read my 30-Day Music Challenge, you'll probably know why, but if you didn't:

"I really regret making that one Current Favorite Songs post from a few weeks ago at the time I did because I really struggled coming up with 10 songs I was really into. I should’ve waited a week to write it, because that week I discovered a bunch of songs I LOVE..."

So yeah. I just thought it would be a good idea to list the songs I love here. Some of these I discovered recently, but others I've known about for a while and am just now starting to get into. You may even recognize a few from other posts! That's enough rambling for now, let's get started.

#1. "Pray For Me" by The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar

Black Panther made its box-office debut last month and quickly became the biggest superhero movie of all time. Naturally a mega-smash like this deserves an awesome soundtrack, so they got Kendrick Lamar, who is probably the biggest rapper in the world right now, to curate it and appear on many of the songs, including "Pray For Me". Considering that I've liked every song I've heard from both Kendrick and The Weeknd, I had really high expectations when I saw it on the track listing, but my expectations were somehow surpassed. Both artists get their chance to shine and tell about the emotional turmoil superheroes face, and despite the fact that I am not a superhero, I can relate. My favorite part is when they sing "Just in case my faith go, I'll live by my own law" in unison at the end. I'd love to see more collaborations between between these two. Like maybe a full collab album or mixtape. That would be amazing.

#2. "Reminder" by The Weeknd

You know that quote above from the 30-day music challenge? Yeah, it was referencing this song. I had heard snippets of “Reminder” in various places, but I didn’t think much of it originally. Then I heard it again in some “try not to sing along” video I don’t remember, decided to give it a chance, and I’ve had it on repeat ever since. This song’s about how The Weeknd is reminding everyone that he’s here to stay and he’s not going to change, and it has one of my all-time favorite lyrics: “I just won a new award for a kids show talking ‘bout a face numbing off a bag of blow/ I’m like, ‘god****, b*tch, I am not a Teen Choice’”. That line is just so much fun to scream out. Combine that with a cool, relaxed beat and some really catchy melodies and you have a song that will stay on my playlist for a while.

#3. "False Alarm" by The Weeknd

No I don’t like The Weeknd what are you talking about. All kidding aside, I’ve recently become obsessed with these first three songs. In my head I always compare “False Alarm” to “Reminder” because they’re by the same artist off of the same album (“False Alarm” even comes before “Reminder” on Starboy), I discovered them at the same time, and I like them both an equal amount. Seriously, I wouldn’t be able to choose the one I prefer if I had a gun up to my head. The one thing I will say is that “False Alarm” is way ballsier. If you like an adventure in your song, you’ll like this one. It has an unsettling vibe complete with screaming in the chorus, like an upbeat version of The Weeknd’s own “The Hills”. This song is weird, but not weird enough that it’s unlistenable or alienating. It’s still got a really catchy hook and intense beat.

#4. "Candy Paint" by Post Malone

Fun fact: I discovered this song from a The Office meme account on Instagram. Not even joking. Basically, I saw something mention that Post Malone had a song in which he says "I love paper like I'm Michael Scott", and I thought that was funny so I Googled that lyric and found this song. Ever since then, I've been obsessed. I've only heard like, three songs from Post Malone, but I like all of them and this is my favorite. It is insanely catchy and laid-back hip-hop, the kind of thing he usually does and excels at. I kind of feel like a Basic White Girl™ every time I listen to it, but is being basic really that much of a bad thing?

#5. "How Long" by Charlie Puth

When Charlie Puth first came onto the scene, I wasn't a fan. I mean, I liked "See You Again" until I heard it five billion times, but his solo work was mostly pretty mediocre to me. When he changed musical styles with "Attention" last year, I liked it but never really loved it. However, I did begin to see his potential, and the follow-up single "How Long" blew me away. There really aren't many differences between "Attention" and "How Long", it's just that, for whatever reason, the latter is better. It has lots of melodic hooks, a great bassline, and even decent lyrics. Hopefully Charlie continues to make music in this vein, it’s working out for him well.

#6. "Obsession" by Vice ft. Jon Bellion

And here we begin a series of songs I discovered from the First Impressions #5 post. I went pretty in-depth on these, so I’ll keep it short. More than any other song on that list (except for maybe “LOVE.” by Kendrick Lamar), “Obsession” has been a song I’ve just played over and over again. I am (obligatory crappy pun) obsessed with it. It’s so upbeat and fun, just a joy to listen to for me. This is probably my favorite song in that entire post, now that I think about it.

#7. "Cut To The Feeling" by Carly Rae Jepsen

We continue our list of songs from First Impressions #5 with this similarly jovial song from Carly Rae Jepsen. This is probably the happiest song ever written, and considering I’ve been through some dark times lately, it’s definitely one I need. I like to imagine an alternate universe where this is the Carly Rae Jepsen song that became a billion times platinum and was a cultural phenomenon instead of “Call Me Maybe”. Also in that universe, Donald Trump is not president, scientists found the cure for cancer, and my blog has as many views as the “Despacito” video (almost five billion as of writing this!) Can I please transport to that universe?

#8. "Woman" by Kesha

Last one I discovered from that specific post. I love Kesha, but honestly I think this might be my favorite song of hers. It’s the lovechild of her old and new music, combining the attitude and immense personality everyone fell in love with and funky, organic instrumentation. It’s confident and sassy in all the best ways. Besides, sometimes you just need to scream “I’M A MOTHERF***ING WOMAN” at the top of your lungs.

#9. "Motorsport" by Migos ft. Nicki Minaj and Cardi B

I discovered this song from my First Impressions #3 post, and although I originally gave it an 8/10, I was leery about accepting it as one of my favorites. I'm a person who values their morals over anything else, so I kind of feel like I'm committing a sin by liking a Migos song. Because no matter how many bangers they make, I still can't overlook the fact that they are, indeed, homophobic. But one day I just could not get this song out of my head and I was forced to accept that I loved it. It's a banger, with good verses from all three of the Migos (there's this one part in Quavo's verse where he says "Xan, Perky, check, Bill Belichick, take the air out the ball" that just loops over and over in my head), even though the two girls steal the spotlight. Especially Cardi, whom I've discovered has my favorite verse upon repeated listens.

#10. "The Way Life Goes" by Lil Uzi Vert ft. Oh Wonder

I talked about this one in some other post (not gonna link because it’s already linked up there), but I didn’t go super in-depth about it. I probably won’t go in-depth here either, tbh. I’m starting to come around on Lil Uzi Vert, and you can blame my brother for that. I remember I was talking to him about the Grammys one time and he was just like, “How come Lil Uzi Vert didn’t win everything?” “The Way Life Goes” is just really catchy and actually pretty positive. I know it hurts sometimes, but you’ll get over it. That’s just good advice, especially for me, a person who freaks out over everything.

#11. "Lemon" by N.E.R.D. ft. Rihanna

This song is actually really dumb, but screw you I like it. In a time where most hip-hop is dark trap bangers (that I mostly like, for the record), it’s nice to see a fun, energetic, and straight-up weird song like this. This has quite possibly the greatest opening line ever: “The truth will set you free, but first, it will piss you off.” I just find that hilarious. Also: can Rihanna please release a rap album? I normally don’t want my pop stars rapping, but Rihanna’s verse on this is awesome. Just another reason why she is, and always will be, a queen.

#12. "One Foot" by Walk The Moon

Once again: “Shut Up And Dance” by Walk The Moon is my favorite song of all time. Despite my utter adoration for that track, I honestly don’t know any other songs from the band. I heard they had another song, “One Foot”, on the radio and I was excited. No, it’s not as good as “Shut Up And Dance”, but I do indeed like it a lot. It’s a really upbeat and positive song (it feels like there are a lot of those in this list), and it combines modern pop with the sounds of the 80s in a cool way. Hopefully we get more songs like this (and “Shut Up And Dance”, of course) from Walk The Moon in the future. And hopefully my lazy self will actually dive in deeper to their discography.

#13. "Confident" by Justin Bieber ft. Chance The Rapper

Yeah, I like some Bieber songs. Shut up. “Confident” has been out since 2013, but I only got into it last summer. I’ve really been playing it a lot lately. This song flopped pretty hard when it came out, but I’m of the opinion that if it came out today (instead of in 2013, when Biebs was in his juvenile-delinquent phase and the public hated him), it would’ve been a smash. It has R&B production, laid-back vocals from Bieber, a subtle-earworm chorus, and even a verse from Chance The Rapper before he blew up and won a bunch of Grammys. This is probably my favorite Justin Bieber song, and it makes me sad that people don’t really know it.

#14. "Break Your Heart Right Back" by Ariana Grande ft. Childish Gambino

Honest question: can a post even be considered a Stellar in Neverland creation if it doesn’t have a reference to Ariana Grande? No, no it cannot. I’ve talked about her so many times you’re probably getting sick of me praising her, but I don’t care. Her 2014 album My Everything is an album I haven’t actually heard in its entirety. I’m honestly not that big on any of the singles anymore, but the few deep cuts I’ve heard are some of my favorite Ariana songs. “Break Your Heart Right Back” is one I’ve been liking a lot lately. The song is about Ariana breaking up with a guy who cheated on her with another guy, and it’s a fun and sassy throwback hip-hop inspired bop. Ariana sounds great as always, and Childish Gambino’s verse as the guy in question is pretty funny. Should’ve been a single.

#15. "Bad Decisions" by Ariana Grande

And speaking of Ariana Grande songs that should’ve been singles, I’m ending this playlist with “Bad Decisions” from her most recent album Dangerous Woman. I reviewed the album back in November, and while I did that, I had an epiphany: I have totally been sleeping on “Bad Decisions”! At the time I wrote the review, I hadn’t listened to it in awhile, but I realized how good it was then and it’s been on repeat ever since. It blends R&B with pop and is mature yet fun, exactly what I want from Ariana.

That’s all I have for this week. Next post will be either another Stellar Adventures of Catalina in Neverland or another new series I just came up with. It'll either come out next Wednesday (April 4) or the week after (April 11). I’m not sure yet. Either way, I’ll see you then. Peace!

Stellar

QUICKIES #1- 5 Favorite Fast Food Restaurants

Hi, I’m Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland! I’m sorry that I’ve been slacking on the posts, but between my busy schedule and broken computer, I haven’t been able to write as much as I’d like to. I may end up deciding to post every other Wednesday instead of every week, which is sort of what I’ve done for the past month, but I’m not sure yet. In the meantime, I’d like to announce a new series I’ve started: QUICKIES! Quickies are short little posts I can pull together when I don’t have time for long ones or am feeling lazy. Most of the time, they’ll be top 5 lists about a random thing, and they’ll probably just be things I can throw together during study hall Monday or Tuesday. Today’s topic? Fast food restaurants! I like fast food way more than I probably should, and I have quite a few favorites. Today I’m going to talk about five of them.

Oh, and by the way: I started actually putting effort into my bitmoji things at the beginning of each post. I use a free app called Pic Collage to make them, and I think they’re cute. Deal with it.

#5- KFC

Founded on March 20, 1930 (it turned 88 yesterday!), KFC is the oldest restaurant on this list. I’ve admittedly only had it a few times, but I love it. Obviously it’s not the healthiest restaurant out there, what with its name literally being an acronym for “Kentucky Fried Chicken”, but it’s still one of my favorites. Weirdly enough, the fact that I don’t have it often makes it that much better, because it’s more special that way. When I go to KFC, I get the drumstick and thigh $5 fill-up, which comes with a drumstick and thigh of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, a biscuit, a soda, and a cookie. It’s quite a bit of food for a great price, what more could you want?

#4- Arby’s

Arby’s is the second-largest sandwich chain in America, with only the behemoth that is Subway ahead of it. However, it’s definitely the one I prefer. Arby’s is known for their vast selection of meats (their slogan is, of course, WE HAVE THE MEATS.), but I always stick to classic roast beef. One thing I like about Arby’s is that they cater. My family has had many a party catered by this place, and the great thing is that they give you like, six pounds of roast beef so you can freeze it and eat it for a week straight. Oddly enough, it’s just as good reheated as it is when you first get it. Also, they have curly fries. Nuff said.

#3- Taco Bell

If my mom were making this list, she would probably put Taco Bell at #1, but there are two restaurants I love more. Sorry, Mom. Either way, I still really, really like Taco Bell. Is it just that I like Mexican food? No, that can’t be because calling Taco Bell authentic Mexican food is an insult to the entire country of Mexico. It’s not high-quality food, it’s not authentic, and it isn’t healthy. Whatever, it’s still delicious. I don’t have a consistent thing I order here, but usually my mom will get me a $5 Cravings box or whatever their current deal at the time is. It’s all good. However, I can’t put it any higher than #3 because they got rid of the Stacker, a soft tortilla filled with beef, nacho cheese, and a three-cheese blend. I only had that thing once but it was life-changing, and I pray that the gods of fast food will bring it back.

#2- Chipotle

Chipotle was only founded 25 years ago, so it’s one of the newer fast food restaurants, but in that short amount of time, it’s become incredibly popular. A lot of the Basic White Girls(™) at my school are OBSESSED with Chipotle, but it’s one of the few “basic” trends I can totally get behind. To quote their website, Chipotle is “committed to sourcing the very best ingredients we can find and preparing them by hand”, meaning they don’t use preservatives or anything that isn’t “real”. Despite my belief that those statements are semi-pretentious, it still means Chipotle is probably of a higher quality than other fast food restaurants. I get a burrito bowl with pork (carnitas), cheese, black beans, cilantro-lime rice, and lettuce, and I always get chips on the side because their chips are awesome.

#1- Culver’s

I wasn’t even sure if I should talk about this place, because I thought it was only a Midwest thing and I was a bit paranoid that someone would use my knowledge and adoration of it to somehow find out where I live. Then I looked it up and discovered that while Culver’s does primarily operate in the Midwest (and is REALLY big here), it also can be found in other states like Texas and Utah, so it’s not just regional. In conclusion: yeah, I live in the Midwest, and you can tell, because I love Culver’s so much. Culver’s is a burger place, but their burgers are legitimately some of the best I’ve ever had. They’re known for their ButterBurgers, which are perfectly seared on the grill and paired with a buttery, delicious bun. They’re also known for their  frozen custard, which is like ice cream, but even better. I almost always always get a chocolate shake with peanut butter in it, but recently I had a mint shake which was somehow even better than McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes. I’ve had Culver’s so many times and it’s familiar and always delicious. If you aren’t from the Midwest, make sure you go there if you happen to take a trip there. You won’t regret it ;)

So that’s that...I am now very hungry. I’m not sure what or even when I’ll post next, so keep checking back to see when I do. I’m Stellar in Neverland, and I’ll see you next time. Peace!

Stellar

30-Day Music Challenge!

Hi, I'm Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland! It feels like it's been a while since I've posted, but I decided to come back in honor of my sixteenth birthday, which is today!

Happy birthday to me!

My original plan was to sum up myself in 16 songs, but I decided to do the 30-day song challenge instead because it would be easier. I've wanted to do this post for months, but I didn't know when the right time was. I've seen a few versions of this challenge in various places, but I found this one just by Googling "30 day song challenge" and I thought it would be fun. Obviously, I did not do this over the course of 30 days, and I might do a different version of it in the future. 

Here is the picture with the challenge I used.

Day 1- A song you like with a color in the title: "Black Beatles" by Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane

This one became a #1 hit because of a meme-the Mannequin Challenge from late 2016, to be exact. However, I like it because I actually think it’s a pretty good song. It bangs and the line “I had haters when I was broke, I’m rich, I still got haters” makes me laugh.

Day 2- A song you like with a number in the title: "679" by Fetty Wap ft. Remy Boyz

This song was my jam in eighth grade. It’s a joyful trap-rap song that’s fun to sing along to and I wish we had a lot more songs like it getting popular. Speaking of Fetty Wap, whatever happened to him?

Day 3- A song that reminds you of summertime: "Slide" by Calvin Harris ft. Frank Ocean and Migos

Honorable mention to “Feels”, which is just as summery, I just prefer “Slide” more. Pretty much everything Calvin Harris has made in the past year is summery and awesome.

Day 4- A song that reminds you of someone you would rather forget about: "I Don’t F**k With You" by Big Sean ft. E-40

This song reminds me of everyone who’s ever pissed me off. I listen to it when I’m angry and once I’m done, I feel like I’m on top of the world. It is unironically probably my favorite rap song ever.

Day 5- A song that needs to be played LOUD: "Mercy" by Kanye West ft. Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz

This one you have to play loud because of the bass. The beat in this one bumps so hard.

Day 6- A song that makes you want to dance: "Reminder" by The Weeknd

I really regret making that one Current Favorite Songs post from a few weeks ago at the time I did because I really struggled coming up with 10 songs I was really into. I should’ve waited a week to write it, because that week I discovered a bunch of songs I LOVE, and “Reminder” is one of them. This song isn’t super upbeat, it’s more of a lowkey banger, but I love dancing to it alone in my room. It’s just great.

Day 7- A song to drive to: "Castle on the Hill" by Ed Sheeran

I’ve never actually driven to this song. I have my temps license, and most of the time when I drive with my dad, we don’t play music. My instructor plays pop radio when I have behind-the-wheel lessons, but this song has never come on. Shame, because the overall feeling of this song is like driving down a country road at 60 miles an hour. This is probably my favorite Ed Sheeran song, by the way.

Day 8- A song about drugs or alcohol: "Chocolate" by The 1975

Fun fact: “Chocolate”=“Weed”. This song is about weed. It’s not subtle at all. Still bangs tho.

Day 9- A song that makes you happy: "I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)" by Jamie xx ft. Young Thug and Popcaan

I discovered this song from one of my brother’s NBA 2K games. I would hear it in passing, think it was catchy, and make a mental note to look it up. I looked it up and fell in love with it. Young Thug’s parts can take a bit to get used to, but the song is so joyous and infectious you can’t help but love it. I’ve listened to this song so many times and it puts a smile on my face every time.

Day 10- A song that makes you sad: "Fix You" by Coldplay

This song is about Chris Martin wanting to comfort his wife-at-the-time Gwyneth Paltrow during her father’s death. It makes me sad because I relate to it a lot and it’s an emotional rollercoaster. The part when it transforms from a beautiful piano ballad to a lively rock song is so powerful and gives me goosebumps. Easily my favorite Coldplay song.

Day 11- A song that you never get tired of: "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye ft. Kimbra

I plan on doing a post about 2010’s one-hit wonders in the future, so I’ll talk about this song more in detail there. This song is one I’ve heard millions of times and still adore. It’s just captivating in every aspect.

Day 12- A song from your preteen years: "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

This song came out when I was in fifth grade, so I associate it with that time. I remember writing in my fifth grade journal something along the lines of, “They played ‘Thrift Shop’ on the radio, which is probably my favorite song, even though it has lots of bad words.” I find that hilarious now. This could also be my answer for the karaoke question, because I know all the words and could totally do it.

Day 13- One of your favorite '70s songs: "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder

The 70s are obviously way before my time, so I had to Google “70s songs” to get ideas and this was one of the first ones that came up that I knew. I know it from Just Dance 4 and it’s a groovy, funky classic.

Day 14- A song that you would love played at your wedding: "I See The Light"from Tangled

A song I love from a movie I love. It’s a gorgeous song, by far my favorite from the movie. It might change in the future, but right now, this is what I want my first dance song to be.

Day 15- A song that is a cover by another artist: "Don’t Dream It’s Over" by Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande

The original version of this song was recorded in 1986 by the band Crowded House, but I’m much more familiar with this cover. In 2015, Miley did a series of performances in her backyard to publicize her Happy Hippie Foundation. She and Ariana performed this cover in animal onesies and sang on an inflatable couch, making it feel down-to-earth and comfortable. I love this cover because of the beautiful harmonies and cute banter between the two, as well as the important message of the lyrics about keeping hope.

Day 16- One of your favorite classical songs

I don’t listen to classical music so I'm skipping this one. I'm in band and the songs we play there are pretty cool (right now we're working on a medley of Pirates of the Caribbean songs and I LOVE it), but I don't listen to them on my own time so it wouldn't feel right picking one. 

Day 17- A song that you would sing as a duet at karaoke: "Closer" by The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey

I don’t even like this song that much, it just feels like a good karaoke song. It’s one of those songs everyone knows the words to like it or not, it’s instantly recognizable, and anyone can sing it-no Mariah Carey range required. “Thrift Shop” is also a good karaoke song, but I would do it solo and the question’s asking about duets.

Day 18- A song from the year that you were born: "Lose Yourself" by Eminem

This song came out in 2002, the year I was born. It isn’t my absolute favorite rap song, but it’s probably the one I would crown as being the greatest of all time. The beat is intense and powerful, and Eminem’s amazing flow makes you feel like you can do anything. “Lose Yourself” is a modern classic, one that everyone knows and agrees is great. Also, MOM’S SPAGHETTI.

Day 19- A song that makes you think about life: "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

This one probably seems like a weird choice, but I can explain. Recently I heard this song in a shampoo commercial and I realized it was three years old. I immediately started having a mental breakdown because how can it be that old? It feels like just yesterday when this song was the biggest thing ever, but it’s been in my life for three freaking years. We’re all getting old, whether we like it or not, and “Uptown Funk” unexpectedly made me realize that.

Day 20- A song that has many meanings to you: "Doubt" by Twenty One Pilots

I chose this song because a lot of people interpret it as being about lead singer Tyler Joseph’s relationship with God, but my interpretation is different. To me, this song is about the fear of being forgotten, and I relate to it so much it makes me emotional to think about it. At the time I discovered this song, I was having fear that my friends were starting to abandon me, so it really resonated. I don’t listen to it often because I outgrew my edgy-Tumblr-emo phase but it will always mean a lot to me.

Day 21- A favorite song with a person's name in the title: "Caroline" by Amine

My brother got me into this song and I’ve loved it ever since. It’s just fun to rap along to and it makes me smile.

Day 22- A song that moves you forward: "The Way Life Goes" by Lil Uzi Vert ft. Oh Wonder

I KNOW IT HURTS SOMETIMES, BUT YOU’LL GET OVER IT. That’s the main lyric in this song, and honestly, truer words have never been spoken. It's pretty much my life motto. Also, random note: this is my brother’s favorite song.

Day 23- A song that you think everyone should listen to: "Sugar" by Robin Schulz ft. Francesco Yates

I edited this question to be “a song you wish was more popular” because I can’t think of any song I like that everyone else I know would. Besides, that's sort of in the same wheelhouse as the original question, right? I’ve always liked this song and I saw a Walmart commercial that featured it the other day and was reminded of how much I love it. It’s just an effortlessly cool and laid-back EDM track that should’ve been bigger.

Day 24- A song by a band you wish were still together: I don’t have one. My instinct is to go with a My Chemical Romance song but I’m not as familiar with their discography as I’d like to be. Sorry.

Day 25- A song by an artist no longer living: I’m gonna skip this one as well because I can’t think of anyone. Part of me wants to go with an old Taylor Swift song because the old Taylor is dead, but I felt like this isn’t really a good question to joke about like that and also I don’t really like her.

Day 26- A song that makes you want to fall in love: "Into You" by Ariana Grande

I’ve talked about this song so many times so I’ll keep this short. Basically, everything about this song, from the lyrics to the vocals to the instrumental, it’s all blissful perfection and it feels like the most incredible love story.

Day 27- A song that breaks your heart: "Praying" by Kesha

This one breaks my heart and makes it feel happy at the same time. It’s heartbreaking that Kesha had to go through what she did, but inspiring because she came back stronger than ever.

Day 28- A song by an artist with a voice you love: "Touch It" by Ariana Grande

I tried to only choose one song per artist, but I cheated and chose a few from Ari because I just love her so much. I chose this particular song because it best shows off everything I love about Ariana Grande’s voice: the low notes, the stratospheric belted notes, and the angelic falsettos.

Day 29- A song that you remember from your childhood: "So What" by Pink

This song came out in 2008 and it’s one of the few songs I can remember from that time. Most of what I listened to when I was younger was either country music or what my parents liked. I still really like this song for its IDGAF nature and overall bada**-ness.

Day 30- A song that reminds you of yourself: "Young, Dumb, and Broke" by Khalid

My original plan for my birthday post was to sum up myself in 16 songs, seeing that I’m turning 16. Plans changed, and here we are. This song was going to be in that post, so that’s why I chose it. I relate because I also happen to be young, dumb, and broke LOL.

Well, this was not what I expected to do for my birthday post, but I enjoyed writing it nonetheless. Some of my answers are serious and some of them are funny, which I think is cool. As for my next post, I have no idea when it will be. I'll try to get it written by next week but I can't make any promises. I'm Stellar in Neverland and I'll see you whenever. Peace!

Stellar