I am thrilled to announce that I now have my very own website with a domain name. I will not be using this site anymore, although I will be keeping it live. This site houses my blog, photography, and graphics that I've created. I've used SquareSpace and I am in love with it. There will be tweaks here and there as I get it set up exactly how I want it, but right now I am really happy with it.
I'm excited to start getting back into blogging and taking it a lot more seriously. I hope you all will stick with me and follow me over there on my brand new website.
A Little Rant on Gender Equality, Feminism, and Sam Pepper
Hello everyone! If you are as into YouTube, YouTubers, and Twitter as myself, you might have seen Sam Pepper's video; or at least heard about it. This post is going to be my thoughts on that and Emma Watson's speech at the UN on gender equality. I will also be posting a video with my thoughts on this topic tomorrow.
Before starting off this post, I would like to give a little
background about myself. Before this year, I would have never dared to
call myself a feminist. I didn't really know what feminism was, but I
just knew I didn't want to be a part of it. Last semester, I took a
course called Women's Studies, which really opened my eyes. The class
made me realize that I was a feminist. The basic definition of feminism is equal rights for women. Now why just last year did I not
want to be labeled as one, even though I believe in equal rights? It was because of the negative stigma that
seems to be attached to that word. Feminists are seen as crazy man
haters. Which I am definitely not.
Emma Watson
gave a speech on gender equality at the UN the other day, which I very
much agree with. I was fortunate enough to be born into a family that
was happy that I was a girl. I was fortunate enough to go to the schools
that I did and given the opportunities that I have. Now I'm not a
famous actress like Emma, but I believe that every voice counts and I
want to do my part
There was a video posted
recently by Sam Pepper that I am beyond disgusted with. His 2 minute
video shows him pinching girls' butts all in the name of pranking. If
you have two eyes, you can clearly see that the girls are uncomfortable.
Yes, they laugh; but it's an uncomfortable laugh. They should have
never been put into that position. Women (and men) should be able to walk down the street without being touched sexually. I honestly have no idea what I
would've done in that position, although, I hope that I would have stood up
for myself. We also only saw him do this to a few different girls, but I'm
pretty sure there were many other girls that he didn't show on the video.
This
isn't the only video that he has sexually harassed women. There's one
where he's lassoing girls to him, and another where he was getting girls
to make out with him without their permission. I
was never a huge fan of his to begin with, but I definitely know I will
never be giving my support to him again. It's a very disgusting and
vile thing to do. He's dehumanizing women and sexually harassing them,
but getting no punishment.
If you have yet to
see the video, please don't look it up. All that does is make him money
from views. He doesn't deserve to make money off of sexually harassing
girls in public and calling it a prank. I am happy to say that Sam Pepper has now been uninvited from Vidcon and The Fine Bros. have tweeted that he will not be a part of YouTubers React.
I hope this gives him a wake up call, but I doubt it will, seeing as he has a lot of supporters in the comment section of his video. Surprisingly enough, a bunch of them are women. I'm honestly disgusted and very worried about this generation and how they perceive sexual harassment and feminism.
*Update: I have just found out that Sam Pepper's video was taken down and his account suspended.
Please watch Emma Watson's video on gender quality.
Let me know in the comment section what your thoughts on this topic are. I would love to other opinions.
Hello everyone! School is now in full swing. I'm just beginning my third week back and man, is my schedule jam packed with tests, homework, and studying! I just wanted to give everyone a quick update and what to be on the lookout for in the next few months.
This month I plan to get back into my regular posting schedule. I'm hoping I will post at least 3 times a week, but that all depends on how much schoolwork I have, as that is my main priority. I also plan to upload more YouTube videos. I have no idea when I will start vlogging again, I may just do a weekend vlog every couple of weeks or so. Mainly when I'm actually doing something fun. ;)
I also created a Facebook page a few days ago for my blog, YouTube channel, and my photography. I would love if you all could give it a like. I'm excited to get back into writing and filming videos again after not really posting much for the past 1.5 months.
*Note: My UK trip blog posts are still coming, they are just taking some time to put together as my dad hasn't sent me the photos from Scotland. I may just have one or two posts for my trip to Scotland. I haven't decided yet.
Let me know in the comments if you've started school again and what year you are. Would love getting to know you all. :)
I'm not sure if y'all knew this, but I've begun filming weekly vlogs. They are pretty fun as I don't have to stress about editing/uploading every day, but I get to look back later on what my life was like in those weeks.
Currently, my vlogs haven't been exciting, but I wanted to get started before my trip to the UK, so I would be used to vlogging, editing, and uploading. :)
Feel free to check them out. Here's the link to my YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/brittaneypenney. And they are all under the playlist: The Weekly Vlog.
Hope you like them and let me know in the comments below if you have a YouTube channel or the YouTubers that you like to watch.
Yes, I know I haven't been blogging as much. I said I would blog 3 times a week, but my summer classes are killing me. I'm in class everyday and then I come home to do homework and write papers. There just isn't any time to take photos or write a blog post. I'm so sorry, I feel terrible, but my schooling will always come first. Until my summer classes end/slow down (they end July 7th), I will be blogging at least once or twice a week. I'm not sure what days... Maybe, Friday and Saturday? I will update everyone through my twitter account, so if you want, you can follow me at @_brittaneyp or my personal twitter @dearbrittaney_.
Second: Name change
I changed my name! My URL is still brittaneypenney.blogspot.com, but my little tagline is "Through My Lens". I made a specific twitter (link above) for my blog/YouTube channel, so I can follow as many blogs/channels as I want, and it doesn't clog up seeing my personal friends tweets. If you want, you can go follow it. :)
Third: What's coming up
Many things are in the works right now. I am creating a new logo button/header with my new name/tag line on it. I am also in the process of planning/packing for my month-long trip to the UK in July. I'm stoked for it and there will be a new blog post (in about 2 weeks) updating everyone about my schedule and what will be happening and how I plan to update my blog/YouTube channel.
I'm really stoked for this new change and I hope y'all will stick with me. :)
Hey everyone! It's Flashback Friday here on my little blog and I wanted to share with you all a few photos from my California trip last year with two of my best friends! :)
The first day we got there we went immediately to the Hollywood sign and then walked around Hollywood for a little bit. Fun Fact: We changed in a fast food restaurant and I was wearing some old vans in this photo. Haha.
Here's me, Morgan, and Haley on the Santa Monica Pier. This was after we went to Jay Leno, but got lost and couldn't get in. (We did get to go another day though, don't worry)
We then went to DisneyLand, where I became a little kid again. I had so much fun. This above photo was at the end of the day, so that's why I look like a hot mess. I was also soaked from Splash Mountain, where only Morgan and I got wet and Haley was totally dry.
This is one of my favorite photos, mainly because it is in one of my favorite places: San Diego. I love San Diego and hope I can go back soon. This was taken while we were walking back to our car from Moonlight Beach, which is so beautiful :)
And last, but not least, here is a photo (taken off of a YouTube video, that's why the quality is so bad) of me (& Morgan/Haley) shaking Jay Leno's hand. We were front row for the episode where Jay Leno talks to Howie Mandel and Supermodel Marisa Miller on July 19, 2013.
Alright, that's all the photos I have to show y'all. Let me know in the comments below your favorite place to go. :)
I've been MIA since Friday and I apologize. I had a severe second degree sunburn/sun poisoning and have been pretty much out of commission since Saturday.
I was going to wait till Friday to post something, but my sister's wedding was exactly 9 years ago today, so I wanted to write up this post really quickly and share a few photos from that day...
My sister got married on May 22, 2005 in Houston, TX. She married her high school sweetheart, Tony. They had been dating since 2000, when they were sophomores in High School. I've known Tony since I was six years old, so he's been my big brother for my entire life.
I was 11 years old when my sister got married and I was the Junior Bridesmaid/Flower Girl. My sister also did my hair for the wedding.
Fun fact: I forgot my shoes, so I was barefoot the entire day. Haha :)
Here's some of my favorite photos from the wedding. <3
I look like such a baby <3
This is my favorite photo, and I am currently in the process of printing it out, framing it, and putting it on my wall :)
In the comments below, let me know if you have been to a wedding and what your experience was like. :)
Hey everyone! Welcome back! I had a 'Week in Photos' blog post planned, but I didn't do anything this week. I mainly chilled out in my apartment and watched Netflix. Nothing too fancy... Haha. So I guess I will just share a Flashback Friday photo. :)
So if any of you know me in real life, you know I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I love watching the movies and am in the process of reading all of the books. This photo is from when I went to Harry Potter Studios in London in January 2013. My dad is also featured in the photo as we got one of the workers to take our photo in front of Hogwarts. <3
I figured I would share this photo as I was so happy that day, but also because I will be going back to London for an entire month this summer with my two best friends. We are all very very excited. We will also be going to HP Studios as they have never been, and I want to go and see it again. Haha. I can never get enough of Harry Potter.
In the comments section below, let me know if you've ever been to HP
Studios, or if you know of any places you think I would like to go see
while I'm in London. :)
Happy belated Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. So if you didn't already know, Mother's Day was yesterday. I treated my mother (& younger brother) out to an early dinner to celebrate. We went to Olive Garden and it was fantastic. I wanted to share with y'all some of the photos I took from our dinner. My mom also gave me permission to post her picture (she never lets me post them)!
My salad.
My brother and I got the Chicken Parmesan.
& my mom got the Spaghetti and Meatballs
The yummy bread sticks that Olive Garden is known for. So good. :)
This is my beautiful mother. Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you so so much :)
At the end of our meal, our waiter gave my mom a beautiful, pink carnation. He was such a sweetheart. <3
Thank you all for reading! In the comments below, let me know what you did to celebrate Mother's Day.
My friends in Dear You wrote a song about something that has happened in my life that I am just beginning to be able to speak about. It's called 'Small Talk' and it is a perfect representation of myself and what I've gone through these past few years. With my permission, they have released this song through their Soundcloud and Tumblr account. Here's a link to the post about 'Small Talk'. When they first sent me the song, I listened to it straight through twice before I told them what I thought. I immediately fell in love with it and it being about my struggles just made it 10x better. I will admit that I cried a little when I first heard it.
Chris and I were able to connect through this song as we have both gone through something similar. Like Chris said in the tumblr post: "I will say however, that if you’ve dealt with parents divorcing, it
hurts. It’s so confusing. Watching a new family form with other people,
watching your parents slowly resent each other, trying to stay strong
for everyone because it’s all you really can do…its tough on a person."
This song has touched me so much and I will forever share this song with anyone who
is willing to listen. The reason why I agreed to let it be released is
because I have a feeling this song could help someone who is going
through struggles in their life. It doesn't have to be divorce (which is
what this song is about). People can relate to this song no matter what
is going on in their life. That's the best thing about music.
Chris explained this song much better than I ever could. "The point of the song in my eyes is to explain the things that you don’t
get to say when everyone is talking over you and fighting and in the
middle of it all, and to ultimately circle back to hoping everything can
be better, realizing that forgiveness is necessary to return to normal,
and being okay with the fact that its not great yet, but its good and
getting better. Being okay with the small talk for now."
Chris was able to take the words that I have never been able to say and put them into a song. I will be forever grateful for that.
So thank you, Chris (and the rest of Dear You).
'Small Talk'
By: Dear You
I
can't lie and say I haven’t changed at least a little bit
I doubt you could say we've all stayed somewhat the same
Over the last four years
It’s been around for much longer, all the lights were burnt out
But nobody had the heart to knock on the door
And keeping quiet pulled this house apart
Sometimes I wonder if we could ever be closer
It’s hard to shake the feeling that we were easy to replace
How is the view from London this year?
If I concentrate enough it’s like I’m right there with you
I’ll do my best to forgive if it brings us together
Until then I’m okay with small talk about the weather
For a while it was hard to get over all of this change
How can I forgive you if I know who you really are?
Does this prove that my heroes exist?
Cause it scares me how quickly people can change
I was fast asleep back then but now I’m wide awake
I’m doing what I can to be bigger than this
I see hatred and hurt and all it does
Is bring us down
If I have to move mountains just to feel at home again, then so be it. I’m
ready.
A couple of weeks ago, my friend Meagan, took my photos. We went to this place in Frisco that is an 8 mile path surrounded by nature. It was so pretty, especially because we were there when the sun was beginning to go down. Here's a few of my favorite photos that she took.
Today is just a quick post. I'm in Dallas visiting my sister, her husband, and their two daughters. Today, while my sister was at work, my brother-in-law and I took the girls to the park down the road. It was such a beautiful day. Not too hot, and not too cold.
We took a kite to the park and got little Ellie (she's 2 years old) to fly it. It was so cute. Here's a couple of my favorite photos from today. :)
Hey everyone! I got a new tattoo the other day (February 21). I got it before I went to the Paradise Fears concert in Dallas that I talked about in my last blog post. I got my tattoo at Tigger's Body Art, it's across the street from The Prophet Bar. I went with my friend, Jamie, who also got a tattoo. My artist was Jake, who was super nice and really helpful (even though I was being somewhat difficult with the design/size/placement). Their prices aren't outrageous either, which is always a plus.
Tattoo meaning: The feather is representative of an angel wing. It's for all of the relatives and friends that I have lost. It's definitely a tattoo that has a lot of meaning to me.
If I am ever back in Dallas, I will definitely be going back to Tigger's.
I moved into my apartment in August 2013, right before I started my sophomore year of college. I only recently got the decorations and organization up to par with what I have dreamed up. I still have some things I want to do to better organize and decorate my space, but right now, I like how it has turned out.
Here's a couple of pictures on what I have done so far.
Personal artwork above my couch.
Kitchen counter.
Table top decor
Bathroom counter decor/organization
Top of dresser. (Left to Right: iHome, Twisted Peppermint Room Spray, Coca-Cola piggy bank, College piggy bank, Dear You stickers, paper, pen, and my Memory jar)
My vanity table.
My bedside table (The 'flowers' in the vase are ones that my nieces made from coloring coffee filters)
Hope y'all enjoyed getting a sneak peek into my apartment. Let me know in the comments how you would decorate your apartment.
Repost from http://born-to-ramble.tumblr.com/post/49237045401/thoughts
This was posted on April 29th, 2013.
I have thoughts running through my head & I don’t know how to make them stop.
Will my insecurities ever go away? Will I ever be truly happy again?
Have you ever looked back and thought of what has happened in just a
year? This time last year I was getting ready to graduate high school. I
remember thinking that I had no idea how I survived. I didn’t have many
friends in high school. I remember having tons of friends in elementary
school and they gradually left once I went to middle school, then
junior high, and finally high school. Now I’m a freshman in college and I
can count my friends on one hand. I don’t think anyone understands how
it feels to lose everyone. People I thought were my friends were only
pretending. They didn’t actually care about me, they probably just felt
bad. I understand that people lose friends going into high school
because everyone is finding out who they are. But once you lose
everyone, it makes it seem like something is wrong with you.
Repost from http://born-to-ramble.tumblr.com/post/71831918753/new-year-new-me
January 1, 2014 – 2:32am
I know everyone says this, but I’m actually going to
reinvent myself this year. I’ve already begun by not putting myself down
and trying to be happier. This is my life and I want to live it as
fully as I can. I’m 20 now; I’m no longer a teen. This means I need to
be responsible and grown up. I’m turning a new leaf as this year begins.
Repost from http://born-to-ramble.tumblr.com/post/71788124171/goodbye-2013-hello-2014
2013 has been such a crazy year for me. I’ve got closer to my
friends, lost some people, got hurt, met new friends, and traveled to
over 25 states. Like with every year, there were lows, but the highs
definitely outweighed them.
January:
Rang in the New Year in London.
Went to Harry Potter Studios in London
Went to the Houston and Austin shows of the Resolution Tour (Jan 19-20)
Hello Highway house party in Houston. Met Fourth and Coast for the first time :P (Jan 19)
