Thoughts on Mockingjay Part 1

Cute boys, a gutsy heroin, dying children, and an overly dramatic civil war. It's everything a dystopian movie needs to become the next big thing! Yes, of course, I'm talking about the latest instalment of the Hunger Games Trilogy (quad-ogy?), Mockingjay Part 1. It's been on our screens for a week now and after hearing some mixed reports, I thought I'd check it out myself. (Confession time: I was unsure whether the movie was worth my $15, so I saw it on Cheap Tuesday! Yewww!)

Although I've read Mockingjay twice, I'd forgotten just how different it is from the orignial Hunger Games. Just take a moment to remember the brave 16yr old that just volunteered to save her sister. That was the selfless story that we all fell in love with. To say the least, Mockingjay seems very very distant from that first reaping. The series has all escalated to this final movie, and to be honest, it seems much more like a war film than any sort of teen dystopian.

After Katniss started a rebellion in Catching Fire, the Capitol wants to show the public that they can't get away with any kind of trouble. The stakes are high, and there are a countless number of casualties. Some of the scenes were much scarier than I was anticipating, just because of the high stakes and you know... random dead bodies. With all of this, it seems the characters have aged significantly through the series. They all seem older, and more mature. Prim, especially, grows up heaps in this movie. We see her start working in hospitals with a greater understanding, and responsibility than ever before. But one thing we know Prim will never grow out of is her love for the stupid cat. I'd like to say Katniss has matured too, because she has to a certain extent. However, I have to mention that Katniss seems to have really lost it at some points. In the first few scenes she seems to be going a little crazy under the stress of everything. But then she's magically ok, then she goes a bit mental again. Maybe I wasn't supposed to notice that...

I'm going to give special mention to my two favourite things about this movie. The first is that the music/sound effects/audio is i n c r e d i b l e. I'm not that much of a music person, but the audio in the movie really stood out to me. It does everything good audio should, building the mood and suspense to the movie. Then there's that killer Lorde track. That one plays through the credits, and calls for a compulsory dance party as you exit the cinema. Yes, I did just say compulsory dance party.

Another thing I just adored in this movie was Effie Trinket. She is back, like you have never seen her before. The Effie of purple hair and ridiculous couture is gone, replaced with Effie 2.0, who rocks a bandana and a jumpsuit. It goes without saying that Effie is quite out of her depth in District 13. She is still able to be a great support to Katniss, but in a very different sense than during the games. But through all this discomfort, Effie comes out with some really hilarious one liners that had the whole cinema in stitches. The movie is worth it, just for that. 

There are a number of twists and turns in the actual plot of the movie, but when you think about it, it is quite repetitive. The basis of the movie is Katniss makes video, Capitol makes reply video, Katniss makes reply to reply video, Capitol makes reply to reply to reply video etc. etc. I wouldn't say its boring at all, because the characters face different challenges in the making of each video, but it is quite a repetitive plot. The last few scenes of the movie were my favourites, undoubtably. I'm not going to spoil anything, but those last scenes are breathtaking. Another character comes into play, and the story takes a dramatic, and fairly unexpected turn. I personally think they end the movie in the wrong spot, and that the very last scene could be in the next movie. But who am I to judge?

The characters we all love have developed and grown together to fight the Capitol in a civil war. The plot is fairly uneventful aside from some risky missions/fighting. Despite this, Mockingjay Part 1 does a fantastic job of setting everything up for Mockingjay Part 2. But that leaves me thinking... WHAT IS THE POINT OF SPLITTING EVERYTHING INTO TWO PARTS!?

Social Media, Fashion, and Other Gossip.

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It's nearly the end of the year. I have 7 days left at the school I have been to my entire life. Looking back on it, I've had some of the best times. I'm actually a little devastated that it's ending. With all this reflection, I'm noticing something big. Im guilty of it, you're probably guilty of it too. So here it is - We're. Wasting. Our. Lives. I think we're really missing the point. I think we're losing some of the important stuff, so what is it?

As teens, the main things we focus on are probably social media, clothes, and gossip. Maybe a stereotype, but maybe not. That's a bit of fun, but I think we're capable of more than that.

We actually spend so so much time trying to get as many likes/friends/followers as humanly possible. Then when someone unfollows you, your like 'uh what? I'm never speaking to her again.' Can you tell I downloaded 'the app' yesterday?? Haha. Now I'm not saying delete your Insta, heck I love Instagram! Don't delete it! But I think it's gone a bit far. I really shouldn't care how messy my feed is, or who follows me back. At the end of the day, it's an app, guys. The number of likes you get is not a reflection of your value. I cannot stress that enough, because so many people are thinking like this. Just because someone else gets more likes than you, they are not better. They do not have a better life. They do not have a better house. They do not have a better family. They do not have a better future. They are not prettier than you are. They are not more well liked than you are. We're all equal, and we're amazing.

Next comes clothes. I don't think it's a secret, I really like clothes. I'm also very particular about what I wear. I seriously don't even want even want to guess how long I spend picking what to wear. Trying to find the perfect combination is a struggle. I'm guessing this sounds familiar to some people. Fashion is a great hobby, but we think about it too much. Often these thoughts stem from our worries about what other people will think of us. Similarly to social media, we need to stop comparing our clothes to other peoples'. If you like something, wear it. Go all out, be proud and be fearless. That's what fashion is about. Don't be put off with the 'it looks weird' thought or the 'people will judge me thought' or even the '[insert most popular girl in your grades name] would never wear this'. Blow it, your an individual, and a gorgeous one too. Be bold about it, and use fashion as a way to express who you are.

But, If you want to be who you are, you've got to let other people do the same. This is where gossip comes in. The world loves gossip, look at reality TV, magazines, or even in your school. It can be so fun to hear the latest. But when you think about it, maybe that's the basis of our problem. The reason you worry so much about how you look, or what's on your Instagram is because you don't want people to talk about it, or compare you to other people. Yet, you'll keep talking about them behind their back. Doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, does it? You'll compare yourself to other people, but you hate the thought of other people comparing themselves to you. So maybe, we need to stop judging and leave room for individuals and creativity. In order for us to feel comfortable, we have to be good to each other. It's a two way street.

So that's as simple as it gets. All of this stuff that we are so caught up in, it's nothing. It's really nothing. Live your life free, don't compare yourself, don't worry about what other people think, and don't judge others. Take a step back, and think about what is really important to you. Maybe make a list. Include things like health, family, happiness. The big stuff. When it's all over, when Instagram becomes MySpace, when no one remembers what you wore to that party, or who did what with whoever, that will be what remains. Don't neglect it now.

Kimono Love

Photo overload! As you can probably tell, I am not a model. Tell you the truth, in the first few months of my blog I literally just cropped photos at my neck so you couldn't see my often wackjob facial expressions. But look! I've improved! This post is inspired by Chessie from Chestnut Blog; There's something about the simplicity of her photos that I just adore. I am really trying to make my outfit posts as fabulous as they can possibly be for my wonderful readers, which includes learning Photoshop and lots more outfit posts. Watch this space!

Although I am a bit of a shopaholic, I love searching around to find fabulous pieces like this kimono. I've been on the hunt for a kimono for quite a while now, and I found this one at my local shops. That's how it always works, isn't it? The floral and almost tribal pattern is like nothing else I've seen. The colours are also great, with fun purples and blues as we see an end to Spring. All kimonos are so carefree and effortlessly dress up simple jeans and a tee. I've teamed mine with a white shirt, black pants, and my favourite sandals. A relaxed but sophisticated outfit for my weekend adventures.

To other news... School is essentially a write off at the moment, despite nagging teachers ensuring us that the year is not over and that we still have to focus. So I'm longing for the weekends and the free afternoons. The last week has consisted of blogging, room rearranging, music, sleepovers, tropical fruits, market shopping, and spontaneous trips to the beach. Ah how I love summer. Lets breathe deeply, relax, and enjoy the important things in life. This is summer, and I couldn't be more ready.

Sittin' Pretty

Sav Wears

Dress - Blue Juice

Ring - Elm

Shoes (Not Pictured) - Rubi Shoes

Hey Gang! So I'm twisting things up a bit with this outfit post. It's a bit more of a personal one, so here's a few cute family snaps for you all. Last Saturday, when the weather was better than todays', I was lucky enough to be sitting pretty with my fab family. The day was filled with speeches and old photos, to celebrate my Godmother's 50th birthday. We were in beautiful Sydney harbour, in the Park Hyatt hotel. As you can see from the pictures, the hotel is absolutely beautiful and the view is just incredible! Let me know what you think of these more personal posts in the comments :)

Happy happy birthday to my wonderful Aunty Janine xx

 Be sure to follow Zola on Bloglovin' so you don't miss my regular Tuesday posts xo

Sculptures By The Sea Video

Hello munchkins! It's Tuesday! Hope you're having a most wonderful week. So far my week has consisted of ice cream, yoga, weird weather, a creepy science documentary, and an incident with a berry... lets not get into that one. As intrigued as I'm sure you are, this weeks post is about my weekend adventure to Sculptures By The Sea.

Sculptures By The Sea is an event that is put on in Sydney every year that showcases well... sculptures by the sea. There are a huge variety of sculptures that are positioned around the Bondi to Tamarama walk. As usual, the sculptures were super interesting. They range from 'woah thats amazing' to 'I have no understanding or appreciation of art.' I guess thats how I respond to most arty things actually.

Art aside, what I really love about Sculptures By The Sea is just how popular it is. The crowds were huge, which I'll admit was annoying at first. But I love to see Sydney getting out and enjoying life and all these cool artworks. It's what our city is famous for, and why I love it so much. Especially because the festival is at Bondi, which is such a famous beach. I think it's really cool that our culture as Sydney is one that is out enjoying everything that life has to offer.

I was not planning on this being a motivational rant/essay about how much I love Sydney. I'm going to stop, and you can watch this nice video I made you :)

And to other news, School is out and blogging is in. Well... thats not entirely true. Assesments are out and blogging is in. I'm working hard to post more regularly this summer, because once a week just isn't enough! Especially more fashion and videos, because their always fun. Let me know what else you want to see by commenting below. You can also send any messages to me via Instagram Direct @zolablog. One more quick thing, if you like my posts please please spread the love and follow me on Bloglovin' here.

Check back for a new post later in the week!
Till then, stay fab xo

Thoughts on 1989

Last Tuesday, the latest Taylor Swift masterpiece was unleashed to an undoubtably ruthless twelve year old army of Swifties. The new album titled 1989, after Taylor's birth year, is sure to be loved by all ages.

The new tracks are fresh and upbeat. A welcome change to the heartbreak ballads of Red. Their all about the songstress and her New York single life. Although Taylor has been stressing the lack of love songs on this album, there are still a few love themed tracks. But who's complaining?!

The first track on the album is 'Welcome to New York'. It starts the album on a feel good note, with an awesome beat. The lyrics tell the story of Tay in this new city of opportunity. It's followed by the equality catchy 'Blank Space'. I have to admit, I wasn't a big fan of this one the first time I heard it, but it's so dang catchy! I've had it stuck in my head all week, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. The third track on the album is 'Style', which again, I wasn't too keen on upon the first listen but its got that cliche pop vibe that makes it play round and round in your head. 'Shake It Off' is the next big track on the album. This one was the first song to be released, and it brings out the message of this album beautifully. Swift directly addresses every judgement she's ever been given, and just accepts them, pulling apart some truth to the rumors. Not to mention the video *fangirls* 


The eighth track on the album is 'Bad Blood'. I'm sure it will come out eventually, but at the moment I have no idea who this is about. Whoever it is, Taylor is really upset with them. Heartfelt lyrics aside, this one has a great beat. Musically, I feel like it is a lot stronger than other tracks on the album. The verses sound quite Lorde inspired too. I love it! Possibly my favourite song on the album! Actually, I might have spoken too soon... I'm also loving I Know Places. Again, the beat is quite strong. The lyrics are interesting to listen to, if anyone feels like a bit of a decode. It also has this cool little echo thing going, which is different. The chorus is a trademark Swift, ridiculously catchy! This one reminds me of Lorde too. Their very cool and collected, without trying too hard. 

The next noteworthy track on the album is 'Wonderland'. The vibes of this track are just well... wonderful! As far as I know, it is only available on the deluxe edition. If you're considering it- trust me, its worth the few extra bucks. This track tells a cute love story with Alice and Wonderland references, and sly comments to the media. The chorus is such a hope filled state of confusion with the lyrics 'We found wonderland, you and I got lost in it. Life was never worse, but never better.' Another catchy chorus will make this one of the biggest tracks on the album. The final track is 'New Romantics'. This one sounds like Lorde the most, with the lyrics as well as the beat. It's a different perspective from Swift, about the hard times, and well... how we can ignore them and go partying. Its such a rebellious sound for Swift, who has become famous for her innocence. As much as I love sweet Taylor Swift, its refreshing to hear these upbeat melodies.

As a whole, the album is much more Pop than anything Taylor Swift has done before. Many of the tracks are quite similar, but are still catchy and great for those I'm-home-alone-dance-parties. Its clear Taylor is getting older, as we hear her beat and lyrics change. I can't decide how I feel about it, her old music is so great but I'm also a touch obsessed with a few tracks on this album. I'm sure many will be thankful to see Taylor finally doing something different with her music. She will face losing her younger fanbase and her role model status with this new set of honest lyrics about love and life. But nothing could even come close to beating Taylor Swift at this point in her career. Who knows where she will go next?

GIVEAWAY WINNER!!

Hello lovely readers! My very first giveaway has come to a close. I would like to thank everyone who entered very very much. It was so nice to see all of you with the giveaway photo on your feed. Now for the moment you have all been waiting for! The winner is...
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MIA PUTTNICK!

Congrats Mia! Be sure to send me your address via Instagram Direct so I can send you your prize. Again, thanks so much for everyone who entered. My giveaway will be back next year for Zola's second birthday, and I already have something great in mind. Stay tuned for tomorow's regular Tuesday post. I'll be sharing my thoughts on Taylor Swift's new album, 1989. Also, I've been doing the Photo A Day challenge on my Instagram this month, so check it out @zolablog. 

Stay chilled,