First of all, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Okay so this is my farewell post, but it's still thanksgiving and I just want each of you know that I'm grateful for you and this blog and the things it's done for me.  

About two years ago I has headed for destruction. I was depressed to the point of apathy. I didn't care about my grades which sucked; I rarely talked to any one; and it was a tremendous effort to just keep going on.  This blog came at a time when I really needed it. The post gave me something to look forward to everyday.  This blog has brought me a lot, new friends, more self confidence, and a reason to live when I needed it most.  It's sad to see something that has brought me so much come to an end, but I believe it's time. After all I have a lot more to look forward to every day then commenting on posts.So I just wanted to say, so long and thanks for everything. 

So, it's my last Nerdsomewriters post here, for reaons Gaby and Jez have explained. I'm just going to take the time to say how much fun I've had over the past almost two years, and how having the great friends I've made through this project, and the project itself has been an awesome part of my life. There have been so many 'best bits' such as dressing up as super heroes, every video week, and our one year celebratory blog tv show! I know I will always keep in touch with you guys, and I'll miss writing on here on a wednesday. I didn't get to visit in the end, but it is one of my life ambitions to visit the USA, so maybe one day it will happen! This has been a great almost-two years, so thank you guys so much.

Jenny x

About two years ago a post was made on nerdfighters asking if anyone wanted to participate in a collaborative blog, much in the style of the 5AwesomeGirls (and, by extension, Brotherhood2.0). I hesitated, but in the end decided what the hell and posted a comment and threw my hat into the ring. I didn't get the spot. Instead, I received a message from Gaby saying that if I didn't get picked for the first project, that she'd love to have me as part of hers. She was essentially stealing us out from underneath the original poster, but that's okay by me, because it lead to me becoming part of this wonderful project.

The year that followed was full of firsts and getting to know each other. None of us had ever met in person, but we still came to become good friends through our weekly posts, our daily comments, and our hourly tweets. We IMed, texted, and video chatted until we all knew one another. And we're still doing that, which is something for which I am thankful. By the end of the year, some of us even managed to meet up, in person, in Chicago. I met Gaby and Toni and there were a lot of fun times spent at the theatre, the zoo, IHOP, and the train station.

The next year started out where the previous left off, with five girls who were already friends communicating with each other and the small audience they had garnered by this time. And this year was also full of firsts, but they were all more individual, such as the first day at a new university (for everyone but Hilary). As the year drew on, the girls drifted a little, but remained friends through everything. The blog, however, began to suffer some under the heavy demands of school and work and life in general. Posts were missed, punishments were ignored, comments rarely posted. Things had changed, we had changed.

So last week, after posting my blog here, I sent a message out to my fellow nerdwriters, suggesting that after the end of this year, we not continue the blog. It's hard to watch something like this slowly die away and become forgotten. I've had to deal with that before and what I wish I had done then was end things before they trickled down to nothing, so I made the suggestion. The others agreed that, yes, it was time. We all knew it, but no one wanted to say it, until I finally did. The other girls suggested that we stop immediately, instead of trying to make it through the rest of the year, as final projects and exams, along with the holidays, would certainly hinder our posting. And while I would have liked to reach that 2 year marker, I agree. It's time.

And so, two years after everything began, this project comes to a close. I have enjoyed my time here and I'm very glad I got to be a part of this blog while it lasted. Thank you to everyone who made this blog a success in its first and second years. Goodbye.

 Hello anyone,
The Nerdwriters decided last week to formally end this blog. In the SAFT, we talked about going to the end of the year, but as Jenny pointed out, we would likely keep forgetting to post and we didn't want to drag it out. So this is my last blog and I suppose the rest of the week will bring the rest of the final blogs.

This is one of those times when I hate going first.

We've been writing for almost two years. We've probably written a little less than a hundred blogs each. Two years is a long time and it's weird to think that I was only a junior in high school when it started. I can't even imagine how I would have reacted if you had told me that January that by the end of the year, I would have gone to Chicago completely alone to meet Toni and Jez.

Without this blog, I would be a completely different person right now. There are a lot of things I wouldn't know or wouldn't be into if it weren't for you guys. And because most of the time I like who I am, I have to thank you guys for that. It has been delightful.
-Gaby, or Lia

Hey folks, real quick post tonight because it's getting late. A fair amount of you know this already, but in case you missed it: I'm going to grad school! That's the plan, anyway; I still need to be accepted and all that. I'm going to go for Library and Information Sciences. I will have to move down south and live on campus for a full year (summer included), which means that first off, I will have to find AN APARTMENT. That's kind of exciting, actually. Owning an apartment is kind of my dream, it's really one of the few things I want in life. Secondly, it means I'll have to leave my job, right before the three year mark. I love my job, and I love the security it provides me (not to mention a set schedule that doesn't change!), although there are a few things (or shall I say people) that I wouldn't mind leaving. It's all very exciting, but a little scary to think that 9 months from now I will be moving out and a year after that I will be looking for a career, not job. Career. I will be an actual adult with an actual adult career making actual adult sums. And basically, my generation will begin to take over. They will become the teachers, policemen, politicians, and scientists of the world. How crazy/scary/weird is that?

That's really all I got for you that I can share at the moment, sorry.

Comment Questions!
1. When are you seeing Harry Potter 7.1? I'm going on Friday evening with my friend Jess and my brothers.
2. How great is Glee with Will gone? So great.
3. Does it ever creep you out how much facebook ads know about you, even what you do off of facebook?
4. Not a question, but #5NW girls should watch their fb inbox tomorrow.

Hello girls it's Friday! And art week!

Now, I'm not one for art.
However, I did take an Art History class last semester, so I know about paintings and time periods and styles and the painting in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Yes, taking that class was more than helpful when I read that book.

I don't have a favorite artist. I'm not one for understanding art. I did, however, write an entire paper that explained how a painting related to the artist's life as a twin, even thought that was not the case.

In my room, I have three van Gogh paintings. They are:
( The paintings )

And that's art week! I hope you all enjoyed our various takes on art.

I'm really enjoying art week, it's been fun seeing who Gaby and Jez picked! I am going to talk about the pop artist Roy Lichtenstein; his most of his work uses bright colours and references ideas and styles that were popular at the time, such as the comic book style dots used. If I were at home I would have a few more pictures to show you, because I have a book about Pop Art with some of his less popular paintings in, but I can't remember what my favourite ones were called.

( Pictures! )

As I said, I wish I had more pictures to show you, but I hope you liked this quick introduction!

Hello girls, it's art week! I've been looking forward to art week for a long while now because for once, I know exactly what to say!

It's no secret that I love Kurt Halsey. I post his pictures on my tumblr, I created a LiveJournal layout around his firefly pieces, and I am constantly asking for prints of his art for Christmas. Last year, my sister actually did get me a Kurt Halsey piece which is made up of post-it notes and small sketches with sayings like "constant consistency, just like we're meant to be" and "always kiss and compliment still." What I love about Kurt Halsey's art is that it seems to capture emotion so well and shows it through fairly simplistic sketches and images. I love that he can combine nostalgia, love, and pain in the same piece. I also think that he would be a lot of fun to hang out with because he seems to have done what most people have failed at: keeping a childlike wonder in adulthood.

( Continue to see some of my favorite pieces & read my comments on them. )

Sorry for the image heavy post, all! I got a little carried away with my deep love for this man. Someday I want to take some of his sketches and put them in pretty (but simple) frames and decorate my house that way.

Hello all! Today is Monday and the first day of art week. Awesomesauce.

I like art for the most part. Obviously I really like photography, but I have a soft spot for paintings (particularly impressionist and photo-realist paintings) and thanks to the drawing class I took junior year in high school, I have an appreciation for pencil drawings. I really love Monet (I did a project on him in the 8th grade) and I inherited my mom's love of Van Gogh. We have Van Gogh prints all over our house, including a massive print of Starry Night in our den.

My favorite artist is Thomas Barbey, who does photo-manipulations. Since you all check Tumblr probably before you check this blog, you may have seen the pieces of his that I posted today. If not, follow the cut!

( Cut for teh pictures! )

His work is amazing to me. I first found it on a calender in the mall (God, I'm so cultured) and I remember that a lot of my friends said they didn't like it. It's interesting because most of the pieces of the images are things that are familiar to us, but when put together there's obviously something off about it. I really love how weird it looks.

I just realized all the ones I picked have water in them. Whoops, I should have gone for greater variety.

Comment Question: No questions about art in general since you guys are going to be talking about it later this week, but what did you think of Thomas Barbey?

Jez, we'll see you tomorrow!

Hey girls, it's Friday!

I'm not in a fantastic mood, so this won't be long or anything.

However, I have learned tonight, that drag shows are fantastic. And we were all sober. And it was free.
Drag Queens are some of the funnest people I have ever met. If you get the chance, I suggest you go to one. Right now. Find one in your area.

Comment Questions:
1. How's Friday?
2. Will you go to a drag show?