Three Things (getting back in the groove)

I hear tell that Kassie and Kristen are working on some prompts for a summer round of ReverbBroads blogging (which I tried feebly back in December...no doubt June is just as busy, but I'd like to get back to blogging, especially since Kelsey is hounding me to...;) )

So I'll start with a meme...why not?  Kenlie's so good about these Monday prompts and all.

Apparently everyone who blogs has a "K" name. 

Anyway.

FMM: Three Things

1. Three of your favorite movies (OH GOD JUST THREE?!):

• Juno
• Remember the Titans
• Enchanted.  (Yep. I stand by it.  PATRICK DEMPSEY YOU GUYS HE SINGS IN IT)

2. Three of your favorite things to drink: 

• Coffee
• Diet Coke
• Beer

3. Three of your favorite songs (at this moment anyway): 

• "Albatross" by Big Wreck
• "We Will All Be Changed" by Seryn
• "I've Got this Friend" by The Civil wars

4. Three people who have recently been a positive influence on your life (outside of your family): 

• Julie B. at the Campus Theatre here in Denton.  She's the Outreach Director and organizes Play Readers and Writers of Denton.  She has been so supportive of me recently in my directing endeavors, and she's so smart.  I'd actually call her my theatre mentor right now.  I love this lady.
• Amanda.  I never get to see her because of our completely separate, busy lives, but those times we DO get to sit down and catch up?  I leave feeling refreshed.  She is completely honest and candid with me, and she is the kind of wife and mom I'd like to be some day. Love. This. Woman.
• This is taking me too long...honestly there are so many people.  If you're reading this, you likely found me from Twitter or my FB timeline, and so you're probably included as a person who has made me smile or helped get me through a tough day.

5. Three things you to do keep yourself entertained: 

• Read
• Play on the internet (I keep thinking I'll grow out of this...)
• Clean my house. Since some home renovations, I'm obsessed with it.

6. Three things you’re attracted to in the opposite sex: 

• Compassion
• Talent
• Sense of humor

7. Three things you love about yourself: 

• My hair
• My sense of humor
• My ever-growing self-awareness

8. The last three people who text messaged you: 

• Kelsey
• My husband
• The two pals that I'll be carpooling with for the next month for Oklahoma!

9. Three things you’re looking forward to this week: 

• Starting Oklahoma! rehearsals at Lyric Stage.
• My husband's students' spring recital.
• FOUR DAY WEEKEND, BIOTCHES!

10. Three wishes specifically for yourself…What are they? (Be selfish, and be honest.)

• I wish I had smaller thighs/longer legs.
• I wish we had more money.
• I wish I had some cheese fries.

11. Three of your favorite quotes: - 

• I'm lazy.  Here's a list I've bookmarked on my Goodreads profile: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/list/2784620

12. Three of your biggest fears:

• Not leaving a legacy on this earth/not making a difference
• Spiders crawling on me while I sleep.
• A Kardashian holding a political office.

13. Three of your favorite TV shows: 

• Everybody Loves Raymond
• The Big Bang Theory
• The Office

14. Three of your favorite things to purchase when you’re shopping. 

• Sundresses
• Books/Records
• Candy

15. Three things that you enjoyed last week:

• Drinking on a Tuesday night (a questionable decision, actually) with my bestie
• Finding Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits on vinyl for $0.99
• Eating Mexican food with my husband instead of cooking like we should have

16. Three things that you always have in your bag or close to you if you’re not a purse kind of person. 

• Water bottle
• iPhone
• Journal

17. Three types of food that you wouldn’t want to give up. 

• Pizza
• Oreos
• Peanut butter!!!

18. Three things you do to enjoy burning calories: 

• Running/Walking with my pup
• Elliptical (no really, I like it!)
• Sex

19. Three things you dislike about blogging:

• Feeling like I have to keep up with it ALL THE TIME
• Inadvertently creating a "persona" that I can't break away from and that I feel defines/should define me...
• ...and then ultimately feeling like a giant poser/flake.

20. Three ways blogging has changed your life: 

• I've met some AWESOME people...some of whom have made a giant impact on me as a person...some even IN REAL LIFE.
• I've learned (or am still learning) how to censor what I put "out there" without actually censoring myself.
• I've learned how to waste time like a pro.

Turning Point

I’ve come to realize lately that there is a turning point in every strange situation in which we find ourselves.

I use “strange” because I don’t necessarily want to use the word “bad” or “awkward” or “stressful,” or anything that has a definitively negative connotation. Sometimes a time in our lives is just…strange. Different. Something that keeps us awake at night with its insistent nagging at our brains or our hearts. Or both.

But these are never permanent. At least not in my experience. Each has lasted a different amount of time, but there’s always a turning point…a crossroads, if you will…that will either lead us deeper into strange or into a clearer state of mind.

A way out.

Sometimes it’s glaringly obvious, but other times it’s something small. Surprising, even. And then, before you know it, you’re sleeping peacefully again and the tightness in your chest has loosened and you forgot just how good it felt to fill your lungs completely with the fresh, clean air of clarity.

Friend Makin' Mondays -- Getting to Know You

Happy New Year, readers!  Here's the thing...by now I've usually done my "Year in Review" post for the recently-ended old year, but I haven't gotten any further than getting all the accompanying pictures saved into a "2011" folder...and that's on my HOME computer.  So...it's coming. Just not yet.  Maybe not even til February. 

But until then!  It's time for another Friend Makin' Mondays post courtesy of Kenlie.  You know the drill!  Answer the prompt, then go leave a comment on Kenlie's most recent FMM post with a link back, and enjoy the comments!

1) What is one of your favorite ways to spend a Saturday? At HOME.  I have a very busy schedule most of the time (self-inflicted, naturally), and my favorite Saturday would include waking up around 10am, making coffee, sitting in my big chair wrapped in a quilt and watching bad/awesome movies til about 1pm, then making lunch.  Maybe going for a run.  Finally getting dressed/cute around 8pm, and going out and having drinks with my husband and my favorite gal-pal Jo. 

2) List your top three favorite TV shows. Oh Geez....in no particular order (I guess), Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond and The Office.

3) Would you rather be in pictures or take them? That depends. I do love a good picture of myself, but I can be highly critical of myself if I don't take the picture myself.  I love taking pictures with my stepdad's fancy-pants camera, though. I took all the pictures for my cousin's baby shower and had a LOT of fun with that.

4) Why do you blog? Guh. I hate this question, actually. I have a REALLY LONG answer, but I don't feel like it, so here's the answer in a nutshell: I like to write and I'm a narcissist.  There. 

5) Share five websites that you visit regularly.
a) Twitter
b) Flickr
c) My Fitness Pal
d) Tumblr
e) Goodreads

6) If you could have lunch with one person from your Twitter list who would it be? I refuse to follow the rules on this question, because there are so many.  So I'll pick one CITY where a lot of my Twitter friends live and say that I'd like to have lunch with the following people in Halifax, NS (Canada): Mike, Neil, Nicola, Morgan and Scotty.

7) List a few of your favorite snacks. Apples, almonds, HUMMUS OH GOD HUMMUS, smoothies (usually post workout)....

8 ) Do you have a pet? If so, what kind? I have the BEST pet.  A pit bull named Carmen.

9) Which three material possessions would you struggle to live without? Definitely my iPhone. Television. Ummm....the money to buy Starbucks?? haha

10) What’s your favorite drink? Alcoholic: rum & Diet Coke with a lime.  Non-alcoholic: Coffee or Dr. Pepper

11) Do you enjoy cooking? Very, very much

12) Do you have children? Nope. A husband and a dog keep me busy enough at the moment.

13) What are your favorite hobbies? Running, reading, singing, theatre

14) Would you consider yourself to be shy or outgoing? Seriously?

15) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change? I'd care a little bit less about what other people thought about me.

16) Who is your favorite actor/actress? You know...I never really think about this question, but a couple of weeks ago I was watching the Kennedy Center Honors, and never fully appreciated what a beast Meryl Streep is until I saw the montage of her work.  So for females, she'd be the most talented, in my book.  Male? Hmmm...the first two who came to mind were Tom Hanks and Gary Oldman.

17) What’s the coolest thing you’ve done this week? Uh, well...seeing as it's only Monday morning? I guess it's cool that I got myself AND all my shit out the door on time this morning AND had enough time to stop for coffee. Cool.

18) Do you live near your family or far from them? Very near. Most of my family is within 15 miles of me.  It's a blessing and a curse.

19) List three of your talents. OKAY!  Singing, acting, writing well (mostly academically).

20) What is your greatest attribute? Playing up my narcissism today, are we, FMM?  I can deal with that.  I think my greatest attribute is the willingness and desire to constantly better myself in one way or another, whether it be academically, spiritually, physically, etc.  I never want to settle for a current version of myself.

Wordless Wednesday -- Four More Sleeps til Christmas

#reverbbroads11 Day 20 -- After the Storm

Today's Reverb Broads prompt could not be more perfect and necessary for me after the day I had yesterday.  Because of some personal (some private and some of which will be blogged about later) issues, yesterday was just a shitty day.  I was on the verge of tears (and succumbed to them more than once) all day long and just in a craptastic frame of mind. 

This morning brought with it not only some much needed sunshine, but also a much better mood and a determination to do the things in my power (because those things are always there) to change the course of my week. 

So without further ado, here's today's prompt:

Life is a work of art, or so they say.  What beauty do you regularly appreciate/revere in your life? from Neha

For me, it's the sky.

I love sunsets, sunrises, beautiful cloud formations, light rays peeking through the clouds after a storm, or even just a perfectly clear, blue sky on a sunny day. 

Every time I see the beauty of the sky, I feel small compared to the magnitude of the sky, the universe, and the God who created it all. 

Small...but not insignificant.

I feel peaceful and grateful that we have such beauty around us at all times if we would just open our eyes and look up from our phones (which, admittedly, I used to snap the next two photos...) for a moment to see it.


A storm brewing.  No editing was done to this photo.



An absolutely magnificent sunset after yesterday's thunderstorms.

Thank you, Neha, for today's prompt.  It further reminded me that some of the most perfect beauty can come after a storm.

I’m taking part in a blogging group called Reverb Broads that will be suggesting daily blogging prompts this December. If you want to join in, feel free! Go here or here to learn more!

#reverbbroads11 Day 19 AND Friend Makin' Monday

It's a double post day!  Sort of.  I'm just combining two things on which I've fallen shamefully behind:  Reverb Broads posting and Friend Makin' Monday participation.  So here goes!

FMM: Have You Ever?

1. …traveled outside of your home country? If so, where? I've only been to Mexico.  Twice.  Once was in the 6th grade, and it was a mission trip with my church.  The second time was to Cancun when I was 17.  But I went with my mom and my little brother, so no big crazy Cancun Senior Trip stories here!  Lame. I REALLY need to travel more...

2. …performed on stage in front of at least 1,000 people? If so, share some details! Not 1,000 people in the same place, no.  Not yet anyway.  I've been onstage TONS of times, though, but just not for houses or theatres that large!

3. …watched an episode of Jersey Shore? I can proudly answer "No" to this one.

4. …baked a cake from scratch? I have not!  BUT, I have made sugar cookies from scratch, iced with homemade buttercream frosting.  I just started those last Christmas, so this year was my second year to make them both. 

5. …worked in a grocery store? I have not. I feel like I've done just about every other "first job," but never made it into the grocery world. 

6. …dated someone who was your best friend first? No.  Michael and I were very good friends before we started dating, but we weren't BEST friends.  I was, however, madly in love with my best friend in high school...and introduced him to his girlfriend.  "le sigh."

7. …made a difference in someone’s life during Christmas? Oh man...I sure do hope so.  And not just at Christmas time. 

8. …been on TV? Yeah!

9. …had cosmetic surgery? Nope. But it's something I sometimes think about.  I'll most likely never do it.

10. …learned a second language? I'm not disciplined enough to do this.  I took Spanish in high school, and four semesters of it in college, and retained pretty much NADA.  (See what I did there?)

And now for today's Reverb Broads post:

Self-Portrait: Post a picture of you that you like, write about yourself, post a video - what do you want your self-portrait to say about you? from Kristen 

Wow.  What a day to ask me something like this.  Normally, as you may well have noticed, I'd jump at the chance to be narcissistic and post a photo or video of myself. 

Today, however, I'm feeling kind of down and blue and a little weepy.  Maybe it's the holidays.  Maybe it's the cloudy weather.  But my emotions are very close to the surface today, so perhaps it's best that I pull out this one again:

Just me. 

No makeup. 

No perfectly angled camera position. 

Natural light.

I hope that photos of me show that I'm happy.  Happy in that moment and happy with who I am as a person, how I look and feel, where I am in my life...Most often I'm smiling in photos...but today I feel a little more like the photo above.  Quiet and contemplative.  But it's still me.  Maybe it's more me. 

This is way too deep for me today.  I'll come back tomorrow more like myself, I hope.

I’m taking part in a blogging group called Reverb Broads that will be suggesting daily blogging prompts this December. If you want to join in, feel free! Go here or here to learn more!

#reverbbroads11 Day 13 -- Well if you're asking me to brag...

Happy Tuesday, lovelies!  On with the prompt for today! Today's prompt comes from the lovely Catie, whom I know from the 7 Days group on Flickr:

What are three things you are better at than most people?

Well if this prompt isn't just asking me to brag about myself, I suppose I don't mind doing that! 

1) Singing

I guess this is the obvious one.  Though, I don't think that I'm "better than most people."  I think I'm good...I think there are songs/roles I do better than others.  But, I have a strong belief that anyone can be taught to sing. It's harder to teach musicianship than actual technique, which is a conversation I have with my opera singer/voice teacher husband all the time. 

But I'm happy to have had the training I have had...and I'd love to take more lessons and get better.  But since it's just a hobby of mine, it sadly falls to the wayside and I only get to sing at the occasional cabaret (like in the clip below) or if I audition for and get cast in a show.  More clips are here (if I weren't a shameless self-promoter, I'd be nothing). 

2) Empathy

I wear my heart on my sleeve...I mean why not?  It goes with just about all of my outfits. 

No, but seriously...I'm a very emotional person and it's hard for me not to feel things strongly when they are affecting those that I love or care about.  Hell, even when I watch certain movies/t.v. shows/theatre pieces, I find myself emotionally invested to sometimes extreme levels.  (Example: when we saw Ragtime on Broadway in December of 2008, I was WEEPING after the Act I Finale...so much so that when the lights came up and the woman next to me saw me sobbing, she couldn't get out of the aisle quickly enough.  Ha!)

Sometimes I curse myself for being so emotionally aware...but I think it makes me a better friend, wife, listener, audience member, what have you.  Now when it makes me get all teary-eyed in a meeting or something, that's not so fun...

3) .......

Hmmm....

I'm starting to be uncomfortable with this topic...

OKAY OKAY....

Being Photographed

I've always been told that I'm very photogenic.  I think this is to make up for the fact that I'm only 5'3", I have thick legs and a round butt and ZERO waistline...and flat feet.  I mean I got all the "wrong" qualities from the "wrong" parents.  My mom's legs and my dad's butt (this is getting weird) would've been better than the other way 'round. 

But!

I've got really decent skin (read: great, actually. I rarely break out...too badly.) and great hair!

And I've learned how to find my good side in photos and angle my face so as to minimize the double chin, how to turn my body so that it appears as though I have a waist, etc...you get the idea.  I also kind of think I have a great smile.  So that helps. 

Photo by Lindsay

All natural.  A photo I did for the 7 Days fall cycle.

 Okay okay stop making me talk about myself!  I'm gonna go read other people's blogs on this prompt and go tell them how awesome they are to balance out the karma of bragging.

I’m taking part in a blogging group called Reverb Broads that will be suggesting daily blogging prompts this December. If you want to join in, feel free! Go here or here to learn more!