Apparently, it is the Olympian manner to look as ridiculous as possible whilst performing your said talent/sport/skill. Especially anything that requires concentration, turning, spinning, etc. And while I fully acknowledge the intense training, skill, motivation, and talent that these Olympic athletes, I still think these pictures are hilarious.
But seriously, I have a lot of respect for these athletes. The Olympics are no joke. I can only imagine the hundreds to thousands of hours {or more} spent training for a 30 second event.
I don't know if my last post really emphasized my "busy-ness," but oh my heck! The mister and I have spent the last week packing, moving, driving, looking, and being really really tired.
I have to admit, I kind of love linking up to other blogs because it's kind of fun to join in this communal thing. Maybe I'm just unoriginal. Who knows ;)
Also, I'm kind of a nerd sometimes. This was taken in the most adorable little bookshop in northern Utah}
Dear Friday, Are you really here? This week has gone by so fast! Dear husband, thank you for driving so much this past week! I don't mind driving, but it sure is nice if you do :) Dear eyes, why do you hurt so much?? Dear iPhone, thanks for saving us about a million times this trip! Seriously, life would not be the same without you! Dear California, thanks for being much, much cooler than Texas. Especially at night. Dear me, Remember that you don't have to compare yourself to everyone else. It's hard I know. Especially when you know you can do better. You will get there, I promise. Just have faith. Dear bed, please stop calling me so vigorously! I'm trying!!Dear Amazing Blackberries that we bought at a roadside stand, I'm so sorry we completely forgot about you at the hotel we stayed at! I wish I could go back, but you are long gone by now. Dear Summer, pretty pretty please just go a little bit slower!
So,
it's quite possible {likely even} that I am several days late to this
link-up party over at Chalk in the Rain, but I was really excited when I saw it because the mister
gets to answer these questions too! We'll see how he feels about this.
As
I write, I am currently watching my good friend, Ariel, wash a dish
that I dirtied {we are at her house right now}. I am thinking that I
will involve her and her husband in this little questionnaire too.
Ready?
1. Is it normal for 2 men to hug? Elyse: It depends. Family? Totally. Really good friends? Absolutely. Strangers? Probably not so normal.
Jordan {my mister}: It depends. I'd say it's normal for two friends to hug.
Ariel:
Yeah. Caleb and his best friend got pictures at our wedding pretending
to kiss each other. Friends or men that have an emotional reason to hug.
Caleb {Ariel's mister}: Ummm...yeah. {typical guy response :) }
2. Is it normal to gag on your toothbrush while brushing?
Elyse: I do when I brush my tongue. But not if I'm just brushing my teeth, no.
Jordan: Normal is such a vague term. Uhh...normal? I don't know. I can't say I've gagged on my toothbrush. No, I'll say no. If I'm gagging on my toothbrush, it means I went too far.
Ariel: Nope.
Caleb: Depends on how well you're brushing your teeth.
3. Is it normal wear the same bra daily?
Elyse: Ummm.............sometimes? I mean, I have never ever....done that...
Jordan: I'd say yes. I mean, I do...
Ariel: Yes, I wear the same one more than once at least.
Caleb: I don't. {Totally serious saying this}. I don't think it's abnormal. It depends on how much you like the bra I guess.
4. Is it normal for grown women to frequently use the words "like" or "um" while speaking? Elyse: I guess, it's, like, pretty, umm, common. So, like, yeah. Normal.
Jordan:Unfortunately, yes. In the context of valley girl. But otherwise, still yes.
Ariel: As in common? Yes.
Caleb: Ummm, like, I think so, like, yeah.
5. Is it normal eat cake batter/dough? Elyse: Yes. I LOVE cookie dough!! Yeah, it's probably not good, but it's SO good! I've never gotten sick.
Jordan: No. Well, cookie dough, yes. Cake batter seems a little weird to me.
Ariel: Yeah. I never did, but I think a lot of people do.
Caleb: Yeah. I think it's deliciously normal.
6. Is it normal to go "commando" in public/at work? Elyse: No. It feels weird. It makes me almost shudder just thinking about it.
Jordan: Sure. I guess we wouldn't know. I find it uncomfortable, but if I had to do it, I would.
Ariel: It's not
normal for me to go commando, but I think it's getting increasingly
popular in society. I've noticed on TV that nobody wears underwear
anymore.
Caleb: I don't think it's that normal.
7. Is it normal to have long toenails? Elyse: No. I
feel SO weird having even longish toenails. But I'm trying to actually
have decent toenails to paint. But toenails that are too long are kind
of gross.
Jordan: No. Oh good heavens. {I wish I could post his face when I asked this question. It was definitely one of disgust}
Ariel: No. That's gross.
Caleb: No.
8. Is it normal to try on an article of clothing in the middle of the store? Elyse: Yes,
but only if you try it on over what you're already wearing. I've done
that. Totally not normal to strip in the store. That's weird.
Jordan: It depends if you have to take something off or not.
Ariel: If it's an over clothing, like a jacket, yeah. But if it requires you to take off anything, then no.
Caleb: Depends on what it is, but generally no.
9. Is it normal to tell someone to be quiet or "shhhh" someone in a quiet setting? ie. church, movie theater, meeting, etc. Elyse: If the
whole group is being loud and it's time to be quiet, I totally have no
problem being that person that shushes everyone. If the person behind me
is being loud, I am fine turning around and asking if they will please
be quiet. But if it's something that I cannot control {i.e. a baby
crying}, no. But I might wish that the parent take their kid into the
hall. But I wouldn't say anything.
Jordan: Uhh, yes.
Ariel: If they're being obnoxious to everybody, then probably. But if they're being obnoxious to only you, then probably not.
Caleb: Yes.
10. It it normal to change clothes multiple times before leaving the house? Elyse: Yes!
Have you ever thought of a cute outfit in your mind, only to realize
once you've put it on, that it's really not that cute? Yeah, that
happens to me a lot. So yes. Totally normal. Plus, my husband has very
little sense of style, so I sometimes make him change :)
Jordan: No. Only if you're married to my wife, who makes me change several times before I leave.
Guess what friends? My husband and I are moving from "Mexico", Texas {as in we live closer to Mexico than we do to Texas} to northern California!
We are {hopefully} going to put all our stuff into storage, leave for a month, come back, and move everything.
Oh, and did I mention we're doing this all by ourselves {like most people outside of the military do, but not many inside the military do}. So yeah, that'll be fun.
So if I'm a little scattered on my blog posts in the next couple of months. Please forgive me. I will do my best.
Remember that giveaway I did on And Here's to You Mrs. Robinson's blog?? Well, if you didn't win and you wanted to or you didn't get a chance to enter and you wanted to, now is your chance!!
I am doing another giveaway on Mr. D + Me's blog.
And it's the same giveaway.
A $25 InPink gift card.
{p.s. you do not have to have a blog to enter/win.}
And may I take a moment to say something about Miss Brielle from Mr. D + Me?
She is so awesome. And nice
She has mad design skills! {Check out her etsy shop!}
She is so fun! I just love reading her blog. She and her husband are the cutest.
And by golly she is so dang photogenic! Just look at her pictures, and you will see what I mean.
I have to admit. Sometimes Most of the time, I am far off the band wagon. Like in-the-mud-all-by-myself-unaware-of-what-the-bandwagon-even-is off.
But I have recently been hearing about a book called 50 Shades of Gray and a movie, Magic Mike. I don't know terribly much about either, but I know enough to stay far away from them.
Maybe they have great stories. Maybe there is an ounce of good. Maybe the whole book/movie is just fantastic. Maybe I'm too prude. Close minded. Afraid. Unwilling.
But I also know to be careful about the things I put into my mind.
I invite you. Yes, you. To read this. I strongly agree with this girl. I commend her for the courage I know it took to write it.
Regardless of your belief system {yes, she does talk about her belief in Christianity, but also addresses the issue for those who aren't Christian}, it is imperative to filter what you allow to go into your mind.
I don't talk about my religion much on my blog. But I just adore this quote.
"If your faith is tied up in people-pleasing, and following rules in order to be accepted by people, your faith is in trouble. I used to resent Christians, because I didn’t feel like I needed to live a certain way in order for God to love me. And that’s the truth. God loves you, no matter what. But here’s the thing: if you believe that God, your Father, loves you, and only wants the best for you, it follows that you would, out of respect and love for Him, do your best to live in a way that honors Him, and brings glory to his name. It is IMPOSSIBLE to be happy living that life if you are looking to others for validation. So many of us have tried doing just that, and failed miserably."
These past couple of months, I've been so busy {girls' camp, babysitting, working, pilot graduation, traveling, honeymooning, trying to spend some time with my husband, blogging, photographing, etc} that I have not really had too many relaxing moments.
Which is why I was so grateful that I got to sleep in past 7am this morning. All the way till 10:30. And it was quite heavenly.
My husband made me breakfast. Which was just delightful.
And I have nothing planned for today. Which means that I don't have to do anything I don't want to do. And that's always nice.
So this Saturday afternoon, I would like to share two things with you.
1. There is a fantastic giveaway going on by a blog designer. I have seen some of her work, and let me tell you, she has done some pretty amazing stuff. So please check her out and enter her giveaway! {Or don't so I can win it! ;) I don't know if you've noticed, but my blog is pretty poorly designed}. Even if you don't want/need a blog redesign, check her blog out. She seems pretty awesome herself.
2. There's the kid who lives in Australia named William Hopoate. He is a rugby star. Comparable to some of the great rugby star. At 19, he was offered a 1.5 million dollar contract to play for a professional rugby team.
He turned it down.
Why? To serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Regardless of your beliefs, you have to admit that that is a huge sacrifice. For someone to give up their lifelong dream. Something they have been working towards their entire life.
I had an opportunity to speak with Will himself and let me tell you something about this kid. He is the most humble person I have ever talked to. He fully admits that he has been so blessed in his life. He puts complete trust in the Lord to put him where he needs to be.
Even if that means he never plays rugby again.
What an amazing example of faith. If you would like to hear a little more of the story, read it here.
I am linking up with a blogger friend of mine {who has an awesome blog that you should all check out}. I love reading about her adventures with her husband, military life, and her new puppy and she has this awesome link-up party on Friday's called Top 5 Friday. Essentially, you have a chance to reflect on all the awesome things that happened in the past week and share some with everyone.
Top Five Friday
Before I begin, I just want to say that this week (and the one before) has been super awesome, considering my husband and I finally got to go on our honeymoon. We got to do a bunch of awesome things this week.
1. After we got back from our cruise on Sunday, we went back to the airport to pick up our car. We got to pick whichever car we wanted from a row of spaces. As you can see, Jordan was really excited to see a brand new beetle VW, so we got that one for the 4 days we would be spending on Orlando. {I think the car is kind of ugly, so I'm glad we didn't buy this car forreals}. Anyway, when we got to our condo, we basically got to relax the rest of the afternoon. Definite bonus because the cruise kept us busy from the early(ish) hours of the morning until late(ish) at night!
{Taken at night outside the park.}
{Doesn't that look awesome??
Not only is this a fantastic roller coaster, but they also have a video camera and you can personalize the music that plays.
At the end, you can watch clips from your video (or buy it). Needless to say, it's pretty sweet}
2. We went to Universal Studios & Adventure Island on Monday and Tuesday. The lines on Monday were pretty good, so we did everything we wanted to do in both parks on Monday! So on Tuesday, we just kind of moseyed around the park picking the rides we liked to do again.
*Let me just tell you something about Universal Studios. The go out of their way to individualize every ride. So when you go on the Harry Potter ride, everyone is in HP robes, and act like they are wizards in a castle. It is super fun.
{Butter beer mustache competition--who wore it better?}
3. We got to try Butter beer! And I must say, it was quite good! {Especially the foamy stuff on top}. Jordan, who doesn't like soda {or anything carbonated for that matter} really liked it as well. For those of you who are wondering, butter beer tastes kind of like carbonated hard caramel candies. Kind of. It's really sweet though. It does not taste like butter or beer, contrary to its name {well, I don't know about the beer part, but I don't think so}.
{Just another random picture of us on a ride. Goofs}
{Us being excited}
{And Jordan and I trying to be like the blue men}
{Front row seats merit ponchos. We didn't actually end up needing them though.}
4. While we were at the park, we passed by a booth giving out Blue Man Group tickets {we got ours for free!}. Well, free in the sense that we had to spend 2 hours listening to something about timeshares that we weren't going to buy {and didn't}. We were given some pretty not so great seats. Middle(ish) of the auditorium, and all the way on the end of the row. Then one of the ushers walked over to us and asked if we would like a better view, and of course we said yes! She led us closer and closer to the front row and finally sat us down right in the front row! We were pretty stoked. The blue man group was pretty weird and awesome at the same time. I had no idea what they did, but now I know! And if you want to get a glimpse, check out this video I'm pretty sure was not supposed to be taken......
{Ghirardelli mint shake, with a whole yummy bar inside}
{A personalized Princess CD made just for Jordan!}
{That thing in the background is made of legos. Neat, huh?)
5. On our last day in Orlando, we stopped by Downtown Disney. We didn't buy anything, we just walked around, but it was fun to see. Plus, how can you go to Orlando and not do something Disney related?? Our honeymoon was awesome. We got to go on a cruise, spend a couple extra days in Orlando, relax a little, spend a lot of time together, have fun, learn some new skills {you will see what I mean by this in a future post about our honeymoon}.
First of all,
please forgive my lack of posts this week. I was unable to connect to
Internet as I was on my honeymoon! {Post to come}. Thanks for your
patience!
Second, thank you
so much for taking the time to come check my blog out and follow me! I'm
so grateful for each of you and look forward to getting to know your
blogs a little better {please excuse me if I am not able to in this next
week}.
In other news I would
really love to add some more sponsors to my sidebar, so if you have a blog button
and would like to swap with me, please comment, e-mail {homesweetholmesblog@gmail.com}, Facebook message me!
Let’s have a swap party and be friends. I promise I’m really not that bad once
you get to know me :)
p.s. If you
do not know how to make a blog button, and would like to sponsor swap with me,
I can make a very simple one for you {I will need a picture}. They are pretty
easy to make, as long as you are not terribly picky, haha. Or I can show you how to make one {like I said, they're pretty easy to make}.
I am doing
my very own giveaway! Yup! You heard that right, I am giving away a $25 gift
card to InPink on And Here’s To You Mrs. Robinson’s blog. And hey, maybe you
don’t want this awesome gift card, but this is a group giveaway, so there are a
ton of other awesome prizes, so go check it out anyway!
First, let
me tell you a little bit about InPink. They were a sponsor at a blogging
conference I went to this past March. The woman was so sweet and generous! And
their jewelry is beautiful, funky, bold, colorful, sparkly, vintage-inspired, just
about anything you can think of. And it’s high quality stuff. I’m not talking
about Claire’s here. This jewelry won’t turn your skin green. It will sparkle
and shine. It’s simply gorgeous.
And let me
tell you a couple things about Megan from And Here’s To You Mrs. Robinson {is
it weird that every time I read her blog title, I start singing that
song in my head?}. She is probably one of the sweetest, most genuine people I
have ever met. Okay, I haven’t actually met her, we’ve just e-mailed a bit, but
she is so kind and wonderful. And her blog is amazing. I promise you won’t
regret following her! Let me tell you some of the things I adore about her:
She is
gorgeous. Seriously, I wish I could look like her.
She is super
sweet.
She is an
amazing mom. Not perfect, and she doesn’t try to convey that she is. That is
one of the things I absolutely love about her. On her blog, you get to see when
she’s happy and awesome, but also when she’s gone through harder times {even
ones that may seem smaller, like when her son is having a fit all day}.
She is so
thrifty! I wish I could do better at that! Haha, maybe someday I will make it
to her level of thriftiness.
Anywho, go
on over and check it out and maybe you will win a prize!
And to continue with the blog challenge.... Celebrity crushes!
Maybe I had
had a few celebrity crushes before this, but this was my one big celebrity
crush. Man, I crushed on this guy hard. So much so, that I actually bought
posters of him and hung them up in my room {which I had never done before or
since}.
I watched
all the Lord of the Rings movies just because he was in them. I obsessed over
the Pirate of the Caribbean movies {ok, mostly just the first one}. I rented
any other movie he was in, just to see him in it. I even bought the Twin Towers
LotR book because he was on the cover, haha. Totally creepy, I know! I don’t
know, maybe it’s not that unusual to be slightly over obsessed with someone for
a short(ish) period of time.
{what teen girl could say no to a face like that??? I actually think I had this poster....}
Yup, that’s
right, I was in love with Mr. Orlando Bloom. Otherwise known as Will Turner,
Legolos, Mr. Hunk man, cute long-haired-blond guy, etc.
Now, I am
waaaayyy past celebrity crushes. I mean, what girl in her 20’s really has a
crush on a celebrity. Especially a married girl??
Okay, maybe
I have a tiny crush. My husband actually reminded me of him, haha. It may seem
weird to you, but I may have a crush on Robert Sean Leonard aka Dr. James
Wilson from House. He’s pretty much a
total hunk of an old guy {especially in his not-so-old years}. Just saying.
It’s fine if you disagree, but look at the chestnut eyes, that full head of
hair, and who can look past that manly, yet still adorable baby face? Still not
convinced? Well, that’s fine. Sadly, House
has come to its end and I will not be seeing Dr. Wilson much more {except on
reruns of House where he looks
totally awesome anyway}.
{yum!}
But that’s
all fine because my real crush is my love, my hunk-of-a-man husband, who may
have less hair than the fine Robert Sean Leonard, but has twice the manliness.
I don't think I have ever realized how important today is in our history and it is certainly a day worth celebrating! I am so grateful for the freedoms I have here in America. I grateful that the conditions were right so that our nation could be set up the way it is.
Also, I’ve
just made a couple pretty big steps in my blogging/professional career. I
always feel a little weird doing things that make me seem like an adult. I
don’t know why. I still don’t really feel like an adult, even though I’m doing
other adult things.
But I have
created two Facebook pages in the
past couple of days. One for my photography
and one for my blog. I would LOVE to
have you as a follower for both! I just want to say though that everything
{including my blog, design, Facebook pages, and photography} is a work in
progress. If you have suggestions for improvement, I would LOVE to hear them!
I also added
an e-mail address just for this blog. I will put it into the contact section of
my blog as soon as I can, but for now, please feel free to e-mail me at homesweetholmesblog@gmail.com
I also have
a couple new blog buttons you can check out and grab if you like.
I have been
without Internet the past couple of days and will continue to be without
Internet for the next few. I’ll just be on here for a few minutes. So I
promise, if you’re trying to get a hold of me, I’m not ignoring you, I’m just
not online. Don’t worry though, I’ve got some fun things for you to read.
To continue
with the blog challenge, here are 20 facts about me that you may {or may not}
know:
{My cat can literally run up our fence and walk on top. Fun fact.}
I don’t have
a favorite color. {I think that any color can be beautiful.}
I’ve been to
over 16 different countries and over half the U.S. states. {Most of the
different countries are ones in Europe}
I am a black
belt in Karate and I’ve competed in Nationals twice. {It took 10 years to get that.
Definitely not easy.}
I used to
play the clarinet when I was in middle school. {I was even 3rd or 4th
chair, depending on the week.}
My back is
extremely ticklish. Extremely. If my husband touches it, I may just go crazy
with laughter.
I am much goofier
than you might imagine. Seriously. Especially around really cute things
{kittens, babies, my husband, etc}
I am a
self-motivated amateur photographer. {Check out my Facebook page Elyse
Alexandria Photography!}
I hate
cockroaches with a fiery passion. Even more than I hate spiders. {Ugh. I hate
they way they crunch. It freaks me out. I even hate the word. This is a big
deal though because guess how many cockroaches we have seen in our house in the
past 4 months. Guess! Like 15!! Okay, not a ton, but kind of still a ton!!
Gross!}
My skin tans
really easily. But I have to be outside J {The couple of years,
I’ve had either full time jobs or full time school, so I wasn’t out in the sun
much. This year, I’ve been getting more tan.}
I really
enjoy eating healthy because it makes me feel good, but sometimes I just want a
big bowl of ice cream or some tasty movie theater popcorn {only movie theater
kind though, it’s the best}
I talk in my
sleep. Ask my husband. Or my family. Or past roommates.
Papa John’s Pizza
is the absolute best take out pizza. {not really a fact about me, but something
you all should know.}
I have a
tendency to drive a little bit on the fast side. My husband on the other hand,
drives like a grandpa. Sooo sloow. I often tell him that the speed limit is
actually 5 miles faster than he is currently going.
I like
running. Kind of. I’m not very good at it, but I like how I feel after I run.
Maybe some day I will get better. Maybe.
I LOVE
pineapples and pineapple juice. Love it. If I could only have one juice for the
rest of my life, it would be pineapple, hands down. {The best way to prepare
pineapple juice btw, is to pour it into the blender and blend it for a couple
of seconds. It becomes all frothy and yummy}
I may have a
crush on Dr. Wilson from House. Probably the weird celebrity crush anyone has
had, but dang, he is a good-looking man. ;)
I could
listen to Taylor Swift all day {and have}. I love her voice. I love her songs.
I love her passion. She seems like the sweetest person ever. Plus she is so
stinkin’ gorgeous!
When I went
to college, I KNEW what I was going to be when I grew up. I was going to be a
high school music teacher. I was going to major in music education, vocal
emphasis, and my life was going to be great. Well, after a semester of being
around the people in the music program, I just didn’t fit in with that
atmosphere. I completely changed my whole life and majored in English instead,
with a minor in editing, and I would never ever go back.
Because of
that change, I got the chance to work at three different magazines. I’ve been
published in three magazines. Two of those magazines are published
internationally. And one is translated into over 40 languages. Pretty neat huh?
I was really blessed to get those jobs.
I’m kind of
a hoarder, but not a really bad one. I just have a hard time throwing things
away. But I can!! I can do it! And I don’t collect junk. Case in point: I have
a pair of sandals that I bought several years ago. I really haven’t worn them
much because their so high, but I had spent a good amount of money on them, so
I didn’t want to throw them out or give them away. I still have them and I’m
actually wearing them! Five years after the fact J
I’m not much
of a jewelry person. It’s not that I don’t like it {I actually love jewelry and
I would definitely wear it!}; it’s just that it takes too much time for me to
figure out if it looks good, matches my outfit, etc. I wish I were better at
that sort of thing. I don’t know, maybe I just need to organize my jewelry
better.
My husband
is super awesome. He’s a pilot in the Air Force. He’s really tall. He’s the
best snuggler. He’s so sweet. He gave me most of these ideas J
