The TMI Award

Hello, hello! It feels like it has been ages since I last wrote you guys, but what can I say--packing and moving is time-consuming, and I've been enjoying precious time with family and friends. Since a lot of my energy has been spent focusing on preparing for school and a whole new crazy schedule, I just wanted to do a fun little post to get back into blogging mode early this morning. I was nominated for the TMI Award by Whimsical Youngster, and some of these questions looked like a lot of fun to answer. I also like doing these award/tag posts so that you guys can get a better idea of who I am, how I think...that sort of deal. I hope you enjoy!

1. What are you wearing? I am wearing a teal T-shirt, a college-themed sports jacket, and pajama bottoms. Keeping it classy as ever this late night! 
2. Ever been in love? Yes. I fell head-over-heels for my first boyfriend. It was naive but beautiful at the same time.
3. Ever had a terrible breakup? Yes. We had a bad falling out and I don't want to talk about it online because I think his perspective may be different from mine. 
4. How tall are you? About 5'4".
5. How much do you weigh? I average 115 pounds during the school year when I'm working out, but last time I weighed myself I was 110! The little muscle mass I'd had disappeared this summer!
6. Any tattoos? No, but I think that if I did have one, it would be my Confirmation verse (1 Corinthians 6:20) written around my ankle or on the bottom of my foot. It would be a painful process, but for some reason I just think it would be so cool to have a foot tattoo.
7. Any earrings? My jewelry has sentimental value, and the earrings I wear are little flowers (silver filaments and golden petals) that I received from my aunt the last time I visited my family overseas. I also sometimes wear an ear cuff that has a golden feather dangling from it.
8. OTP? Oh my goodness, I feel so behind the times because I had to look up what "OTP" means! I would have to say Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from my favorite Disney movie, Tangled.
9. Favorite shows? I enjoy watching anime and am particularly fond of Rurouni Kenshin. Out of American shows, I was hooked on How I Met You Mother and had the craziest Netflix binge for that show.
10. Favorite bands? Guys, I like K-Pop. Judge me all you want! But lately I've been a big fan of G.NA, Trouble Maker, and B1A4. Spotify suggested this song to me and it's so beautiful that I could listen to it on repeat for hours:






11. Something you miss? I'm a transfer student and although I'm loving my new school, I really miss this one feature of my previous school called "Late Night," where you could get food starting at 10:00pm - 1:00am. It was so much fun getting giant cookies for study breaks in the middle of the night! I miss those giant cookies.
12. Favorite song? I'm into the main theme from the Miyazaki film Howl's Moving Castle. It has this mystical, romantic tone. And when the strings come in--I am such a sucker for great string features.
13. When is your birthday? June 16.
14. Zodiac sign? Gemini.
15. Quality you look for in a partner? The main thing is his heart. Pure intentions, and genuine love for life and God. There are also other standards, like the existence of a good sense of humor and preferably above-basic competence, but the most important thing is his heart.
16. Favorite quote? "Life is more than just how many breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away."
17. Favorite actor? I like the roles that Logan Lerman has played. He's not as well known, but I think his work is precious.
18. Favorite color? It changes on a daily basis, but right now I am fond of maroon.
19. Loud music or soft? I like soft music because I usually use music as background noise to write or work. When it comes to road trips, on the other hand, loud music in the car is fun too--as long as people are belting the songs out on the top of their lungs too. Yep, my friends and I are "those people."
20. Where do you go when you're sad? Somewhere private. Either my bed or the bathroom where I can hide for a bit and cry.
21. How long does it take you to shower? About 15-20 minutes. 
22. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? An hour. My morning routine during the school year consists of some exercises, reading, tea, and bathroom/girl stuff. On lazy days, though, I have been known to get ready in five minutes. 
23. Ever been in a physical fight? Well, I have practiced martial arts... 
24. Turn on? Genuine acts of kindness. Seeing a guy go out of his way to help people who need it is so inspiring and makes me want to get to know him better. I am also a romantic at heart, so I like well-thought-out gifts and adventures as well.
25. Turn off? Arrogance and self-righteousness. 
26. The reason you joined Blogger? To be honest, I was in middle school when I joined Blogger. I discovered it while logging into Gmail and started a blog before truly knowing what I wanted to blog about. These days, I blog with the hope that something I write will inspire someone, out there in the world.
27. Fears? I'm afraid of losing the people I love. 
28. Last thing that made you cry? So I re-watched Tangled the other day... The climax gets me every time!
29. Last time you said you loved someone? About half an hour ago to my mom.
30. Meaning behind your Blogger name? I write under this pseudonym, Riley Sinclair, so that I would focus more on the blog posts themselves as opposed to myself. It helps remind me to focus on being here for you  guys, really, because this blog doesn't bring any glory to my own name. And to be honest, I chose Riley because it's a name that could be for any gender, and it rhymes with "smiley." Sinclair was just a random surname that I thought sounded good with Riley. 
31. Last book you read? The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. 
32. The book you're currently reading? I'm reading The Bible this year, but I am not reading anything for leisure right now.
33. The last show you watched? I watched an episode of Big Bang Theory with my dad before moving out of the house.
34. The last person you talked to? I'm working the graveyard shift at a residence hall desk right now (nothing of interest has happened for the past two hours!), so the last person I talked to was a resident. 
35. The relationship between you and the last person you texted? My mom woke up in the middle of the night, remembered me, and then texted me. It was sweet of her and I hope she's sound asleep now.
36. Favorite food? I like a lot of food. I typically say my mom's adobo is my favorite, but I recently ate some salt and pepper squid from a Chinese restaurant and that is another dish that is up there.
37. Place you want to visit? Bali seems absolutely gorgeous.
38. Last place you were? In bed. And I can't wait to go back after my shift, hehe. The last "exciting" place I was, however, was hanging out by the Taekwondo booth that was recruiting new members.
39. Do you have a crush? Yep :)
40. Last time you kissed someone? A while ago?
41. Last time you were insulted? I can't really remember. I think I'm pretty good at shooting insults down or ignoring them..or maybe I just don't realize when I'm being insulted.
42. Favorite flavor of sweet? Ice cream! Probably classic vanilla with some sort of chocolate sauce.
43. What instruments do you play? I play the violin. I used to play piano when I was a little tot, but when I started learning violin, I quit piano lessons to focus more on Shamrock (yes, that is the name of my violin).
44. Favorite piece of jewelry? Like I said, all of my jewelry has some sort of sentimental value. But I really like the ring I wear on my right forefinger. It was a high school ring that was customized and has a violin and a martial artist engraved into the sides. 2013, my graduating class, also came out to be a significant year of my life when it comes to changes and personal growth.
45. Last sport you played? Yoga. 
46. Last song you sang? I was singing along to Taylor Swift the other day and I've been humming "The Story of Us" a lot for some reason.
47. Favorite chat up? "Did you fart? Because you just blew me away."
48. Have you ever used it? No, and I'm still waiting for someone to use it on me too.
49. Last time you hung out with anyone? I spent some time with the Taekwondo team at the booth earlier. I also met my new roommate for this year and we had fun walking around campus, too!
50. Who should answer these questions next? The person who's reading this, of course! 

I am tagging all of you guys who read this post. If you decide to take on these fifty questions, please post the URLs of your responses to the TMI Award in the comments below so that I can read them all! 

I hope to have a new blog post up on Tuesday to get back into the regular posting schedule. In the meantime, please have a wonderful weekend and smile on!

-Riley XO

Sunshine Award!

Hello, world! I hope life has been bringing you great adventures and wonder.

A dear reader and talented blogger, Envy, nominated me for the Sunshine Award last week. I actually nominated her for the Liebster Award a while ago, and one of my upcoming posts was also inspired by one of her comments, so this nomination truly means a lot to me.

Thank you so much, Envy!

The rules for the Sunshine Award are pretty simple:

• Thank the person who nominated you.
• Answer their questions.
• Nominate other bloggers.
• Contact them to let them know that they've been nominated.
• Put the award badge on your blog. 

So without further ado, here are my answers to Envy's questions!

1. What is your favorite book and why? My favorite book has got to be The Princess Bride by William Golding. It is just written so whimsically and describes love and friendship that lasts through many terrors, and it is the only book aside from The Bible that I can stand to read over and over again. It's just one of those books that inspires me every time I think about it. 
2. Do you have any hobbies that your friends think are ridiculous, but that you totally like? One weird hobby for me is probably being addicted to watching BubzBeauty and Bubzvlogz on YouTube. Bubz is an Asian beauty guru who grew up in Ireland and she's currently pregnant, so a lot of my friends kind of raise an eyebrow when they catch me watching (or if I make them watch with me) a pregnancy vlog or two. Anyhow, I started watching her videos while I was going through a breakup and stumbled upon her video "Secrets of Truly Happy People." It just warmed my heart to see such a genuinely happy person, and now she's the only YouTuber that I watch regularly.
3. What's the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? This is a tough question for me because I don't really feel particularly "embarrassed" since I'm pretty awkward overall 24-7. But I remember one instance during Taekwondo when I was sparring with one of my friends. I saw that he was going to do a back kick (his back kicks are wickedly fast), so I faked and moved out of the way. For some reason, my brain froze and I suddenly didn't know what to do, so I just screamed and charged at him into a clinch. He looked pretty confused, and my teammates and coach all giggled. My bestie teased sarcastically, "That's a great technique. Next time you don't know what to do while you're sparring, just tackle the other guy and hope for the best."
4. What would you miss most about blogging if you had to stop? I would miss you guys, of course! I love sharing my thoughts and inspirations, and I love that you're reading Smiles No Matter and that it is still growing. If I quit blogging, it would be like quitting on a part of my heart. 
5. Who's your biggest inspiration? There is only one person under the "People Who Inspire Me" section of Facebook, and that is Jesus. No man who has or ever will walk this Earth will come close to experiencing and showing the amount of love that Jesus did. His life, death, and wisdom inspire me daily to try to love with my whole heart and to have faith in his plans.

Today, I'm nominating:

• Keys 2 Change
• The Fence of Stars
• This is Nymisha
• Leyla Writes

I have been following each of these blogs for quite a while now, and it is an honor for me to nominate them. 

I just wanted to take this opportunity again to thank you guys for your readership and support. It is my prayer every day that Smiles No Matter will bring somebody else as much joy as it brings to me. The lovely comments you leave are so kind and inspiring. And this is why I'm nominating all of your for the Sunshine Award today too! 

Here are my questions for you all:

1. What is your favorite quotation?
2. Name one song that you listen to when you need to relax!
3. What are your feelings about Snapchat?
4. Describe a person who has picked you up while you were feeling down. How did this person bring you comfort or condolence? 
5. What is an activity you love doing with your friends?
6. What is your preferred mode of communication?
7. Do you believe in love at first sight?
8. What is one thing you wish you did more?
9. How has your summer been going so far?

If you accept my nomination, please link your blog in the comments or send the URL to my email at smilesnomatter@gmail.com so that I can see your answers! 

Also, I've been thinking of changing up the look of my blog this summer while I have a bit of spare time on my hands, but I would really value your input. I added a poll Sunday night on the right sidebar, but if you haven't seen it yet, please give me your honest opinion and feedback. You can also let me know your thoughts on the blog's look in the comments or my email as well. If I were to change it, I would probably change it to have a more modern, clean look.

Much love to you all.

Smile on,

-Riley XO

Tagged :)

Hi all! I apologize for failing to post last week. I actually started these posts but didn't get around to publishing them. See, I went on a trip a couple weeks ago...do you know what it's like to need a vacation from vacation? Well, I just needed a quick break from writing to rest up and recover from two weeks packed with adventures. With that said, can we pretend that it's last week so that this post makes a little more sense? Thanks, you're a great reader!

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So, Rcubed nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award a very long time ago. I actually thought about not accepting the award because I wasn't sure if you guys like these posts much (this is the third time Smiles No Matter has been nominated for the Liebster, yay!), but I just got back from a two-week-long vacation and wanted to do a more casual, simple post today. Also, I really enjoy Rcubed's blog and her questions looked pretty fun. Without further ado, here is Smile No Matter's 3rd Liebster acceptance! (To see my previous posts for the Liebster award, please click here and here.)

Thank you so much, R-cubed!

Here are 11 facts about myself:

1. I just got back from a cruise around the Baltics! I was gone for 16 days, and it was a great time to take a break from working and writing, but I actually blogged up a storm so that there would be scheduled posts for you guys while I was gone! The Sometimes You Win Sometimes You Learn series had a great start and I didn't want it to get cut off or forgotten, so I am so grateful for those of you that continued to read and comment.
2. This might sound pathetic, but I went to bed at 16:00 last night and woke up at 5:00 this morning, and then took an hour-long nap at 9:00. That was the most sleep I've gotten in the longest time! The crazy things jet-lag can do to a girl.
3. Yesterday was my birthday. I lounged around the house, watched all the missed Bubzbeauty videos, spent time with a best friend at Ikea (greatest store in the world), did some yoga, and went to bed super early after a simple dinner with my dad. It was pretty chill because we had just arrived back home the previous afternoon.
4. I uploaded a new video yesterday! One of my New Year's Resolutions for 2014 was to try vlogging; unfortunately, I haven't been able to stay very consistent for the last several months... I am back on it, though! My videos are admittedly a work in progress, but you've gotta start somewhere!
5. The yoga has been going well. I practiced a bit yesterday (first workout since returning from the cruise) and it was pretty great. I'm excited or my session today! If you'd like to try it with me, just check out this YouTube video. 
6. Other than yoga and writing to you, I'm stalking professors' websites for research opportunities, then have a night shift at work. Not such a bad day so far!
7. The previous six facts were kind of lame for facts because they've just been an account of what I've been up to recently. But the last four facts will be more fun. At least I hope they will!
8. My favorite shirt is this pink Calvin Klein...thing. It kind of looks like a bro-tank with an epic collar and it's really soft on the inside so I'm not even sure if it's supposed to be worn as a shirt or a vest, but I've been wearing it as a shirt...possibly every day this summer. 
9. Four of my friends and I are hoping to live together when we all graduate. We call our dream home "The Doctor Mansion" because there was a point in time when we all wanted to be some form of doctor or another (three PhDs, an MD, and a veterinarian). When we realized that we'd be practically broke upon graduation, we made a pre-dream home, which is called the Doctor Apartment.
10. I like visiting art museums. While I was on vacation, one of my favorite sites that we visited was the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. There is something about art that is so powerful and intriguing--paintings just capture things that elude other mediums, somehow. 
11. If I could choose to be an animal, I would be a dolphin. And I don't really know why.  

A "Favorite Shirt!" selfie for anyone puzzled by my bizarre description from #8. 

My responses to Rcubed's fun questions:

• Would you rather...only say random things or say nothing at all? I would rather say nothing at all. I'm pretty introverted and really only talk when I feel like what I have to say is relevant. So if the random thing isn't really relevant, being quiet fits me better.
• What's your favorite thing to talk about? Probably Christian theology. There is so much mystery and love that surrounds God, and every time I talk about him I feel uplifted and inspired.
• Which Frozen character are you most like, Ana, Elsa, or Olaf? Although a lot of people say I'm like Ana, I feel this weird affinity with Elsa. I don't know if it comes from being the older sister or my love for Let it Go, but I just have to go with Elsa.  
• Would you rather breathe fire or shoot ice out of your eyes? Why? I would like to shoot ice out of my eyes. It would make my death glare a lot more effective, hehe. 
• Finish the sentence: When life gives you lemons... sucks to suck! (Just kidding :P)  
• What's the nicest compliment that you've ever received? It doesn't seem like a compliment at first:"I love you." It's a compliment because love is such a powerful word. It means that the person who's said it is willing to put you before them, and what else can make anyone feel better than that?  
• What's the randomest thing anybody's ever said to you? I can't think of a single line, but the most random conversation I've ever had happened when I got in a debate online over whether vampires are real or not. It was truly random and flabbergasting for both sides. 
• Imagine you're a starving dragon in the dreadfullest winter anybody's ever seen in ages. You've dedicated your life to understanding and associating with people. Your motto is "People are friends, not food." Then you see a fat, ugly, evil guy walk by your house. What would you do? I would egg his car.   
• Would you rather be a contestant on a reality singing TV show, or a judge on it? Singing! I would sing Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons. 
• Would you rather be a terrible baseball player who makes a million dollars or a really good singer who only makes $100,000? The money doesn't matter so long as it's my passion. That being said, I tend to be passionate about things I think I'm good at, so I'd rather be the singer. 
• If you could jump into a book, what book would you jump into? Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Hogwarts just sounds like the greatest! 

I wanted to nominate a very special blog today called Journey for Jessi, written by Emily. I went to middle school with a wonderful person named Jessi, who very unfortunately passed away suddenly very recently. She was a person of great faith, had a vibrant personality, and was always there for the people who needed her. Emily started a new blog and made it sort of a tribute for Jessi. This was such a selfless act of friendship that I just had to share it with you guys. Emily shares a lot of recipes and gives thanks for health and many of the other things around her. Her first post gives us a glimpse of Emily and Jessi's stories. I hope you'll like it!

Here are my questions for Emily:

1. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
2. If you created a painting to express yourself, what color would you use the most?
3. What is your favorite movie?
4. If you had to describe your best friend in three words, what would they be?
5. What is the thing that you miss the most about your childhood?
6. What is your favorite article of clothing?
7. Would you rather be a mouse-sized elephant or an elephant-sized mouse?
8. Describe one of your role models.
9. Say it's Thanksgiving dinner. What are you most looking forward to eating?
10. What is one of your favorite memories?
11. What is your favorite quote?

I hope that you accept my nomination, Emily, and best of luck to you both in your writing and life!

And I just wanted to thank all of you guys for reading this! Have a lovely day!

Smile on,

-Riley XO

Liebster Blog Award

Herro! I just wanted to use this lovely Wednesday afternoon to recognize that Tara Therese nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award. (She nominated me a while ago--but I got all caught up with finals and life and am just now finding time to play catch-up!) I thought that it would be quite fun to take a bit of time to thank her and all of you guys for supporting me and reading my blog, which has been up for nearly a year now! I am so blessed to know that you are enjoying what I put out for you and always love seeing your kind comments and appreciate your feedback!

This is actually the second time I've been nominated for the Liebster Award.
See my first award by following this link.

Here are eleven facts about myself that you may or may not have known:

• Lately I have been obsessed with listening to music from Wicked.
• I've also been going through a Studio Ghibli phase. I continuously nominate Studio Ghibli films on movie nights with my friends. If my friends don't feel like watching anime, I have absolutely no shame watching My Neighbor Totoro or Kiki's Delivery Service on my own.
• I have known my best friends for about 14 years and I pray for them every day.
• My favorite color is green because it reminds me of grass and trees, which remind me of how special life is.
• I used to be a really bratty kid. Just ask my poor sister. I don't deserve to have such a patient and loving sister as her.
• The book Eragon turned writing into a passion. Eragon introduced me to a world of fantasy that I could make my own. The first full-on novel I wrote was a fantasy book, but then I decided to stop writing books after I'd started a blog and needed to choose one when my time became limited. (Writing to you guys became my new dream and passion!)
• I am scared of charging my phone overnight because I'm worried that it would break. When I was a kid, I had this digital camera that I somehow broke twice by overcharging the battery. Did you know you can overcharge batteries? Well, I did research on it and Apple and other smartphone producers have developed special technologies to prevent overcharging batteries and to protect the batteries in case if you use your phone while it's charging. But nonetheless, I always wait until my phone is at 1% battery before plugging it in sometime during the afternoon. And I wait for it to be charged completely back to 100% before unplugging it, usually refraining from using it while it's charging. It's a silly habit really, but I'm planning to have this phone for a while and want to do all I can to preserve it.
• One of the best feelings in the world is washing my hair and showering after a hard workout. Simple pleasures make my day.
• For those of you who sent me snapchats of "dying eggs" on Easter, you managed to confuse me a lot because those eggs were never really alive in the first place (unless if you were dyeing balut eggs).
  
  

  

  How did you decorate your Easter eggs last Sunday? Let me know in the comments!
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• I raised a tiny chick named George for two weeks. I named her George, and I remember worrying about her as if she were a human baby. Anyhow, George was definitely one of the best parts of my high school experience and she went on to become a show hen with 4-H kids. 
• I grew up a Christian but never truly felt an affinity with the faith until my first semester of college, where my professor had me read books that transformed my understanding of theology (just a little foreshadowing for a future series...)

And here are my answers to Tara's lovely questions:

1. Do you like to take distorted pictures of yourself? Yes! Snapchat is a ton of fun. But I would much rather take pictures of clouds and my puppy. 
2. How would you describe yourself? I'm a girl who's learning to love and has a passion for inspiring and being inspired. 
3. What’s your best joke? I went to a zoo and there was only a dog. It was a shih tzu.
4. If you had to change your name, what name would you pick? Probably Mika.
5. Do you collect clothes tags? No, I didn't even know that was a thing.
6. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? My choices aren't that exciting considering how many great foods are out there in the world, but I'd like to have either salads or smoothies. They have some variety and can still be quite tasty. And they're good for you!
7. Choose one: Famous, rich, or attractive. I think I would be able to do more with fame. I've always wanted to be a famous writer, and fame would also open up several doors for me to follow dreams and meet all sorts of people.
8. Do you have a favorite letter? L. (Please tell me you recognize the reference!)
9. Chocolate or peanut butter? CHOCOLATE!!!!
10. Would you be chosen to act as Snow White or the wicked step mother? I think I'm pretty biased when it comes for answering for myself. But I would like to believe that I'd be chosen to act as Snow White.
11. Which is your favorite hair color: pink, blue, or green? I think that it would be quite entertaining if I had green hair, grew it out really long, and camouflaged in grass. 

Now for my nominations for the Liebster Award...

• Envy's blog Picking up the Pieces. This blog has been around for a couple of years now, and I have been enjoying some of the latest posts, which have included commentaries from pop culture and experiences Envy has had. 
• Antie's blog Gallimfry. Although this blog is quite new I love the courage that its creator had to design a lovely site and write long, solid-quality posts in a second language. This blog is what I would consider to be a "creative blog," with samples of creative writing, drawings, and discussions on books (and probably more to come!). 
• Nymisha's blog. Nymisha has a really nice style of writing that I just take pleasure in reading. And her blog looks absolutely gorgeous! 

I also wanted to give a special recognition to one of my friends from university who just started blogging, and his blog is called Killing Time With Kumar. He's pretty new to the whole blogging thing, so if you have any time to give him some encouragement or tips, we'd really appreciate it!

You guys don't know how important your thoughts and comments are, and I would love for you to answer the questions I write and accept the Liebster Award! (Remember to leave a link to your acceptance post in the comments below and put a link to this post so that I can read all of your responses!)

These are my questions:

1. What is your favorite song and why?
2. How do you show love to the people you care about?
3. Is there something in your life that can make you smile no matter what? If and what is it?
4. Name an accomplishment that you're proud of.
5. What is your favorite article of clothing?
6. Do you think graffiti is vandalism or art?
7. What is your favorite genre of music?
8. Describe the best dream you've ever had!
9. What's one thing do you do for self-care? (In other words, what is one way you recharge?)
10. You just won a free vacation to anywhere in the world! Where are you headed?
11. Why do you blog?

So that's a wrap! Thank you for reading and never stop smiling on.

-Riley XO

The Versatile Blogger Award!

Hello there everybody! I hope you're having a wonderful week. I am glad that some of you contacted me saying that you found St. Thomas Aquinas's "A Student's Prayer" helpful and inspiring, especially during a hectic time in the semester. Today, I am so excited to tell you that Alexandra L from Tiger Lilly nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award.

Thanks, Alexandra!

I am a fan of Alexandra's blog and she is another teenager who writes inspirational posts, so if you would like to hear from someone with a similar mission but has a different perspective, please stop by there sometime and you might enjoy it as well.

I would also like to take some time today to thank you guys for reading my blog--this wouldn't be here running if it weren't for your readership and wonderful comments! I started Smiles No Matter because I wanted to start blogging for others, and try to bring happiness to others in a small but significant way. I feel blessed when I read your feedback and am always trying to improve the site. If there is anything specific you would like to see here that might help you or another person in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me at smilesnomatter@gmail.com or by leaving a comment! Thank you for your support, and I feel so privileged to be able to continue writing for you guys.  

These blog awards are fun because it's just one way for me to give you an insight as to who I am. Here are seven facts about myself:

1. I stink at coming up with "fun facts" about myself. In college when there are smaller groups, for some reason when we go around in a circle introducing ourselves we are supposed to include our major, origin, grade, and "fun fact." But when it comes to my turn, I can never think of a fact that's as cool as "I have titanium knees" or even "I've fallen down two flights of stairs." There are a lot of facts about me, but I can't think of any "fun" ones. So I guess in a way, this nomination is a brainstorm of sorts for me to find some facts that I can use for these introductions.
2. Some people at my school cannot figure out if I'm Hawaiian or not. There are a lot of Asians in Hawaii, and since I'm Asian, people tend to guess that I am Hawaiian (there is a significant percentage of Hawaiians on my campus). However, I spend a lot of time with a group of Hawaiians, and I enunciate my letters fairly articulately, so even the Hawaiians can't distinguish between me (a Coloradan) and one of their own.
3. I do not have a best friend. Rather, I have four ladies in my life that I love with all my heart. We've been best friends since middle school and are keeping the relationship strong through college--probably through life, too. Whenever I thank God for what I'm grateful for, they are always at the top of my list. 
4. Lindsey Stirling is my hero. I mean, nobody can top this:



5. I am a pseudo-journaler (and I also enjoy coining my own words). I used to write in a prayer journal every day in middle school, but it wasn't until the beginning of this year that I found a really good system that helps keep my life organized and also gives me some time to reflect every day. My cousin purchased a stylish little planner from Barnes & Noble for my Christmas present, and I decided for my New Year's Resolution that I would use it, especially since before this year I was somewhat disorganized and didn't have a solid system for keeping track of dates or what I did throughout the week. Since I would forget what I did during the week, I began to think that I had a boring life. Now that I bullet-point my activities or special moments of the day in this weekly calendar, however, I have time to reflect every night on what I am grateful for. The planner also helps me keep track of dates and activities for the future, so it is my life. It's not actual journaling, per se, but it is pretty similar. Hence, pseudo-journaling.
6. For any of you familiar with the Enneagram, I am a 3.
7. I actually don't think that a lot of things are funny. When I laugh, it's mostly because I'm happy that someone else is having a good time. But my type of humor calls for either very dry, sarcastic wit or ridiculously cheesy puns.

Do you guys think those facts are worthy of being used in a "fun fact" introduction? Let me know in the comments!


Here are my nominees:
Hyperbole and a Half
Keys2Change
Sweetly Unspoken - I just wanted to give Enoma some special recognition because her comments within Smiles No Matter have been absolutely wonderful, and I have also read some good content on her blog.

To accept the award, all you have to do is follow these rules:

1. Display the Versatile Blogger Award on your page.
2. Tag the blogger who nominated you.
3. Nominate deserving bloggers.
4. Let your nominees know you've nominated them.
5. Post 7 interesting things about yourself.

The three blogs above are great, so you should check them out if you ever have time!

And that's all for today, everybody!

I'll be posting another tidbit for inspiration on Thursday at 6:00 am Pacific Daylight time, so please subscribe by email, Pinterest, or Bloglovin' so that you won't miss any updates. Another way to connect with me is through Twitter.

Thank you so much for reading, and have a great day!

Take care,
-Riley XO

Liebster Award!!!

Well, this is an interesting turn of events. I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Leyla Wright, a young lady who shares her inspiring thoughts on a wonderful blog, which you can find by clicking here.



Thank you so much, Leyla!

The rules that come with this award are:

1. Answer 11 questions asked by your nominator, and tell your readers 11 facts about yourself.
2. Choose 3-5 other bloggers with less than 200 subscribers to pass the award onto.
3. Make 11 questions for them to answer, and then go on their blogs and tell them about your nomination.

11 facts about myself that you may or may not have known (I'll try to go quick because this post is turning out to be more lengthy than I'd expected):

1. My favorite Disney movie is Tangled.
2. One of my favorite songs is Back and Forth by Lanae' Hale.
3. I have a retainer.
4. I am your stereotypical Asian child. I study a ton, play the violin, and am pretty quiet/thoughtful. I also watch anime and listen to K-pop.
5. I've been playing the violin for roughly 8 years now--8 years!! It's so hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that it's been this long.
6. While we're on violins, my violin's name is Shamrock.
7. I have enjoyed writing as a hobby since about fourth grade, when my best friend and I wrote stories about these cats on wide-ruled sheets of notebook paper.
8. My favorite food adobo, which is a Filipino dish with pork/chicken, egg, and fuzzy melon, prepared with soy sauce, garlic, and vinegar.
9. I graduated 5th rank from high school.
10. I came up with the pen name Riley because I thought that saying it out loud gives you the tendency to smile when pronouncing the "ey" sound, and it's a gender-neutral name.
11. My closest friends and I nick-named ourselves after the Mystery Inc. characters from Scooby Doo. We were going to be the Furious Five from Kung Fu Panda, but no one wanted to be Monkey, haha. (I'm Daphne.)

Here are Leyla's questions:

1. What is your favourite childhood memory?
This is an interesting one because I don't really think about my childhood very much. It's kind of weird to say, isn't it? When I look back, I actually just see trends, like a set of days playing with my best friend that are just melded together. I did have a great childhood overall. But my favorite one would have to be when I was eating dinner at my best friend's house, and her yellow lab (about a year old at the time) sat outside at the patio table as if he were an actual person, front paws at the arm rests, and hind legs crossed. This is my favorite memory because although it's not so epic, it inspired a lot of laughter. I also love dogs. So much.

2. What song sums up your mood right now?
It is in Korean (yay K-pop), and the English translation is a little vague. The tone matches my mood because although upbeat, there is also a slight bit of melancholy as well--just a little bit that is sort of a badge of the lessons I've learned.

3. Who is your celebrity crush?
Logan Lerman for sure. I love the characters he's performed as, and that lopsided grin of his is awkward and friendly at the same time.

4. Summer or Winter?
Although I love Christmas, I'd have to say that summertime is better for me. When the trees and flowers are blooming and bright, and the sky is clear, my mood follows that. I also prefer using natural light in my room, so summer gives that another plus.

5. Where would you dream holiday be?
It's not really about where I go as much as it is who I'm with. I would love to take a cruise to Alaska with my friends, family, and other half--just be surrounded by the ones I care most about, you know? It definitely is a dream, though. My family is scattered everywhere, so it would be very difficult to arrange a time convenient for each person, and my grandparents wouldn't be able to fly all the way to Alaska. Plus, I haven't found my other half yet. But a girl can dream, right?



Image from National Geographic.

6. If you could be any celebrity for the day, who would you pick?
Benedict Cumberbatch, so I could be Sherlock Holmes. **Nerd Alert**

7. What is your favourite inspirational quote?
Thank you, Leyla, for giving me an opportunity to squeeze a quote in here. I've heard many variations of this quotation, but whenever I think about it, I sing it to Julianne Hough's Hallelujah Song.

Life is more than just how many breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away.

8. If you could change something about yourself, what would you change?
I definitely pray for more patience. I'm not saying that I have an extremely short temper, or even that it's my worst attribute. I would like to change this, however, because there are a couple of situations that I know I would've handled better if only I'd had some more patience.

9. What is your favourite colour?
Purple.

10. What is your biggest fear?
Watching someone die a violent death and being helpless to stop it.  

11. What made you want to start blogging?
I actually started blogging in the seventh grade. At the time, I just wanted to practice writing and liked how easy it was to navigate through posts. My first blog was definitely an experiment--I barely knew much anything about blogs before I began--so it was more like an online journal, just channeling thoughts and figuring out some HTML with widgets/templates. In my second blog, I wrote some more commentaries, but also enjoyed doing creative writing prompts, where I would find a photograph and then compose a scene that matched it. But Smiles No Matter has a clearer purpose because so much happened last semester. The personal trials I encountered made me realize that I want to blog for you guys, the people who read. After having such a whirlwind experience, I did find reasons to smile, and I hope this blog shares a bit of that with you :)

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading my blog, whether you've been here from Day 1 or if this is the first time you've stopped in. I appreciate your support and hope that Smiles No Matter is giving as much to you as your comments and readership bring to me.

Time to nominate others for this award! *Drumroll, please*

Cercalicious, at cercalicious.wordpress.com
Keys2Change, at keys2change.wordpress.com
Younjoo, at pinkstoryofme.blogspot.com
Scooby, at http://myawkwardlifeandnonsense.blogspot.com/
and Callum, at unhelpfulteen.blogspot.co.uk

I nominated fellow teenage bloggers who share some valuable thoughts and have provided good LOLs when I've needed them. Please feel free to check them out sometime.

And here are 11 questions for these great individuals!

1. What is a topic that you can talk about for hours?
2. What is your favorite movie?
3. If you could go anywhere in the world and with anyone, where would you go and with whom?
4. Why do you blog?
5. If you only had five sentences left to say before losing the ability to speak, what would you say?
6. Who is your favorite character in fiction?
7. What is a song you could listen to on replay for hours?
8. Describe yourself in 3 words!
9. There is a snow day and school was cancelled--what do you do?
10. What is your favorite book, and why?
11. What is your favorite quotation?

So, yeah. There's the Liebster Blog Award for you all! I hope you all enjoyed this post and that it helped you get to know me a little better. Thank you yet again, and I hope to see you around sometime soon!

Take care,
-Riley XO



Love you all ^_^