Oh my goodness, my birthday weekend was wonderful. First, there was raspberry hot chocolate in the morning, and then surprise at my locker with birthday balloons and heartfelt notes and a taco bell gift card, and oh my goodness three chocolate cakes, and a bag of Twix, and a singing card, and a Lilo and Stitch movie night and holy cow,
needless to say, I was one happy girl.
And now I can identify with these lovely songs.
Because I'm fifteen now and oh so awesome, and also because I love making lists, I'm going to make a list of fifteen quirky things about me.
Fifteen Quirky Things About Me:
1. I like oregano in my scrambled eggs.
2. I love to smell books.
3. I shop at thrift stores. A lot.
4. If I could be a smell I would be the smell of rain after it's been dry for a long time.
5. My favorite words are serendipity, ethereal, and rendezvous.
6. I am nerdy enough to have favorite words.
7. I really love flower clips that you put in your hair. And they have buttons on them sometimes? Oh, yeah. They're so neat.
8. Also, I love the word neat. I'm going to start using it more often, thank you Graci.
9. I love making lists.
10. Obviously.
11. I just can't get over those flower clips.
12. If I was a material I would be fleece. It's so warm. And fleecey.
13. My super power of choice would be flying.
14. I want to own a bookshop someday.
15. This one's the best one. When I'm in the car, sometimes I listen to 40's music on satelite radio. And I pretend that I ride my bike everywhere, and wear a dress all the time. And go to malt shops with my friends where everything is a quarter. And request songs from juke boxes. That sounds awesome.
16. Man, I wish life was like that.
Wait, that's sixteen things. Oh well.
Guys, I am ready to rock this next part of my life. Permit time, girly slumber parties, stake dances, seminary, high school, Disney movie nights.
Dang, I think fifteen is looking pretty swell on me.
Enjoy your day and remember you are awesome.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
nicole's goals for 2013
Well, guys, it's 2013. Whoo!
I feel like there should be a picture here that relates to this post so here is Taylor Swift's list of 13 happy things.
Geddit? 13 things? 2013? How serendipitous. (Thumbs up for Nicole using big vocabulary.)
This totally relates to the post, I promise.
Because my goal for this new year is to change my attitude. This year, I'm going to be happy.
Sometime last year, I read a book called "How to be Totally Miserable" by John Bytheway. It's a great book. Probably one of the best self-hinder books out there. At the end there's a list of all the main points.
- Worry about things you can't control
- Complain about your blessings
- Think about yourself
- Relive bad memories
- Put yourself down
- Don't set goals
- Hold on to grudges
- Always want more
- Don't learn anything new
- Don't sing
- Don't smile
- Don't laugh
- Take counsel from your fears
- Avoid adventure
(These are just a few. John considerately reminds us to "review this list from time to time to remain a permanent resident of the pit of despair.")
This book made me laugh, and it was a awesome inspiration for me to start living a little better.
But I just realized as I picked up this book again today--we do these things every day. How often to we think about ourselves instead of others? How often to we put ourselves down? Hold on to grudges? Worry? Complain?
Are we aware that these things are sooner or later going to make us miserable?
I mean--who wants to be miserable?
Now. Everybody makes mistakes. It's impossible to be a non-stop ray of sunshine. At least for me. But we've gotta realize that we have the power to change our own lives. We create our own happiness.
One of my new favorite hymns, "Have I Done Any Good" is all about sharing happiness with others.
There are chances for work all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by, saying, “Sometime I’ll try,”
But go and do something today.
’Tis noble of man to work and to give;
Love’s labor has merit alone.
Only he who does something helps others to live.
To God each good work will be known.
And if you haven't seen this awesomely awesome rendition of this song that I have already posted once on this blog and am posting again because it is so awesome, DO WATCH.
A couple parts of this song really stand out to me. "Have I cheered up the sad, or made someone feel glad? / If not I have failed indeed." Do I want to fail? Heck, no! I want to succeed, please. And I can do that by sharing my light. By being a friend. By sitting next to the lonely girl at lunch. By smiling at some stranger in the hallway at school.
And just because this has been floating around in my head, I'll put in out there. No matter how many times girls get told this, we always seem to forget--popularity does not make you happy. You're always going to be so worried about being liked by everyone that you forget to be yourself. Guys, I'm about to blow your minds. How popular you are in high school doesn't matter. (I bet at least one of you just passed out on the spot.) It's so much easier just to not care. If you don't think about how much people like you, you'll like yourself. And when you have confidence in yourself, you're gonna be happier.
Something else I love: "So go and do something today." We can't postpone being happy. We can't say, "Oh, I'll start being nice to her sometime" or "I'm just having a bad day, I'll be in a good mood tomorrow" or ANYTHING like that. Today is the day. And that is why I have made this list for myself.
Nicole's List of Ways She Can Be Happy and Do Good in the World
(Snappy title, huh? I think so too.)
1. Get to bed before 9:30.
2. Keep a journal of good things that happen and funny things people say.
3. Say a prayer before you read your scriptures.
4. Tell your sister, "I love you."
5. Spend more time outside.
6. Keep. Your. Room. Clean.
7. Leave notes on your friends' lockers.
8. Never have a boyfriend in high school. In fact, never choose a boy over your girlfriends. Ever.
9. No more Z100. Or Google images.
10. Don't let the little things annoy you, and never be offended.
11. Remove the word "jealousy." From. Your. Vocabulary.
12. If you think a bad/judgemental thought about somebody, think of three more good things about them instead. This includes yourself.
13. Smile at everyone.
There's nothing too amazing on here. Nothing like "share the gospel with at least 10 people this year" or "run 3 miles everyday after school" or "complete your Personal Progress" because I don't think I could do that. I'd just get discouraged and miserable. Some of my goals are harder than others. But I know that I can do every single one of them. They're small. But that doesn't matter. Because it's the little things that we do consistently that really shape our character.
Am I gonna be perfect? *Hang on I'm laughing* *Okay, I'm done* No. No way. But I can still do the best that I can. Because as Brooke said in her new year's statement, as time goes on, goals change from something you're trying to achieve to something that you become.
So guys, let's turn our attitudes around this year.
Get excited about stuff. Don't think about your problems. Believe you can change things. Be grateful. Don't worry about things you can't control. Count your blessings. Don't listen to your fears. Think about others. Be forgiving. Live in the present. Look to the future. Be confident. Be content. Set goals. Learn. Sing. Smile. Laugh.
In 2013, let's be happy.
I feel like there should be a picture here that relates to this post so here is Taylor Swift's list of 13 happy things.
Geddit? 13 things? 2013? How serendipitous. (Thumbs up for Nicole using big vocabulary.)
This totally relates to the post, I promise.
Because my goal for this new year is to change my attitude. This year, I'm going to be happy.
Sometime last year, I read a book called "How to be Totally Miserable" by John Bytheway. It's a great book. Probably one of the best self-hinder books out there. At the end there's a list of all the main points.
- Worry about things you can't control
- Complain about your blessings
- Think about yourself
- Relive bad memories
- Put yourself down
- Don't set goals
- Hold on to grudges
- Always want more
- Don't learn anything new
- Don't sing
- Don't smile
- Don't laugh
- Take counsel from your fears
- Avoid adventure
(These are just a few. John considerately reminds us to "review this list from time to time to remain a permanent resident of the pit of despair.")
This book made me laugh, and it was a awesome inspiration for me to start living a little better.
But I just realized as I picked up this book again today--we do these things every day. How often to we think about ourselves instead of others? How often to we put ourselves down? Hold on to grudges? Worry? Complain?
Are we aware that these things are sooner or later going to make us miserable?
I mean--who wants to be miserable?
Now. Everybody makes mistakes. It's impossible to be a non-stop ray of sunshine. At least for me. But we've gotta realize that we have the power to change our own lives. We create our own happiness.
One of my new favorite hymns, "Have I Done Any Good" is all about sharing happiness with others.
Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?
Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?
Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.
There are chances for work all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by, saying, “Sometime I’ll try,”
But go and do something today.
’Tis noble of man to work and to give;
Love’s labor has merit alone.
Only he who does something helps others to live.
To God each good work will be known.
A couple parts of this song really stand out to me. "Have I cheered up the sad, or made someone feel glad? / If not I have failed indeed." Do I want to fail? Heck, no! I want to succeed, please. And I can do that by sharing my light. By being a friend. By sitting next to the lonely girl at lunch. By smiling at some stranger in the hallway at school.
And just because this has been floating around in my head, I'll put in out there. No matter how many times girls get told this, we always seem to forget--popularity does not make you happy. You're always going to be so worried about being liked by everyone that you forget to be yourself. Guys, I'm about to blow your minds. How popular you are in high school doesn't matter. (I bet at least one of you just passed out on the spot.) It's so much easier just to not care. If you don't think about how much people like you, you'll like yourself. And when you have confidence in yourself, you're gonna be happier.
Something else I love: "So go and do something today." We can't postpone being happy. We can't say, "Oh, I'll start being nice to her sometime" or "I'm just having a bad day, I'll be in a good mood tomorrow" or ANYTHING like that. Today is the day. And that is why I have made this list for myself.
Nicole's List of Ways She Can Be Happy and Do Good in the World
(Snappy title, huh? I think so too.)
1. Get to bed before 9:30.
2. Keep a journal of good things that happen and funny things people say.
3. Say a prayer before you read your scriptures.
4. Tell your sister, "I love you."
5. Spend more time outside.
6. Keep. Your. Room. Clean.
7. Leave notes on your friends' lockers.
8. Never have a boyfriend in high school. In fact, never choose a boy over your girlfriends. Ever.
9. No more Z100. Or Google images.
10. Don't let the little things annoy you, and never be offended.
11. Remove the word "jealousy." From. Your. Vocabulary.
12. If you think a bad/judgemental thought about somebody, think of three more good things about them instead. This includes yourself.
13. Smile at everyone.
There's nothing too amazing on here. Nothing like "share the gospel with at least 10 people this year" or "run 3 miles everyday after school" or "complete your Personal Progress" because I don't think I could do that. I'd just get discouraged and miserable. Some of my goals are harder than others. But I know that I can do every single one of them. They're small. But that doesn't matter. Because it's the little things that we do consistently that really shape our character.
Am I gonna be perfect? *Hang on I'm laughing* *Okay, I'm done* No. No way. But I can still do the best that I can. Because as Brooke said in her new year's statement, as time goes on, goals change from something you're trying to achieve to something that you become.
So guys, let's turn our attitudes around this year.
Get excited about stuff. Don't think about your problems. Believe you can change things. Be grateful. Don't worry about things you can't control. Count your blessings. Don't listen to your fears. Think about others. Be forgiving. Live in the present. Look to the future. Be confident. Be content. Set goals. Learn. Sing. Smile. Laugh.
In 2013, let's be happy.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
my new favorite song and other exciting things
My favorite song changes a lot. It can be hard to pick when you've got several gazillion to choose from. Every couple of months I find one that I love. Here's my new one. The music video gives me chills.
Well. Now that you feel like climbing a mountain, let me fill you in on some exciting things in my life.
Opening night for our musical, "Annie Get Your Gun" was last night! Oh. MY. GOSH! I don't think I've ever been so pumped up in my whole life! It was incredible! It's been such an awesome experience preparing for it, and we're finally performing!
And I owe it all to my dear friend Brooke. Without her, I never would've even auditioned for this. I'm so glad I have friends that love me! (Thanks Brooke. Nicole loves you.)
So come and see it! November 9, 10, 16 & 17 @ 7:00, Molalla High School auditorium
Wish us luck tonight! :D
Okay, so, I never have bad hair days. I always thought that kind terminology was only for the girly and the dramatic. But yesterday I had one. It was awful, no joke. My hair felt so gross. And I wouldn't have cared all that much except I had to leave for a funeral in fifteen minutes. But good news, everyone. I figured out how to fix. You ready? So I have these flower hair clips one of my YW's leaders made me. If you pull all your hair back in a pony or a bun with a thick headband, and then clip one of the flowers behind your ear and wear matching earrings, you look like a doll. Can you picture it in your head? Picture it in your head. Seriously guys, it looked so cute, I wish I had a photo of it.
While we're on the subject of random awesome things, if any of you care, I found some excuses to paint for school. Whenever there's a poster due for a class, I'm the first one to volunteer for the artisticky part (imagine that). One of the posters was for Hollywood themed homecoming, where our homeroom was assigned the movie Titanic. The other was for Spanish class.
That's right, baby. We had to choose something or someone to describe fully in Spanish (clothes, traits, likes, dislikes, etc.) and we chose Rapunzel. Can't get much cooler than this.
Rapunzel le gusta pintar y cantar y bailar. Ella lleva un vestido morado y no zapatos. Ella tiene el pelo largo y rubio. Los ojos de ella son verdes y grandes. Rapunzel es muy bonita y muy simpatica.
Dang, I'm good.
I mean...Soy bien.
Adios, mis amigos.
Oh, wait! Speaking of homecoming (because I was talking about it in my head), I went to it! Pictures coming soon!!
Well. Now that you feel like climbing a mountain, let me fill you in on some exciting things in my life.
 |
| The amazingly talented leads, Colin and Sedona as Frank and Annie |
And I owe it all to my dear friend Brooke. Without her, I never would've even auditioned for this. I'm so glad I have friends that love me! (Thanks Brooke. Nicole loves you.)
So come and see it! November 9, 10, 16 & 17 @ 7:00, Molalla High School auditorium
Wish us luck tonight! :D
Okay, so, I never have bad hair days. I always thought that kind terminology was only for the girly and the dramatic. But yesterday I had one. It was awful, no joke. My hair felt so gross. And I wouldn't have cared all that much except I had to leave for a funeral in fifteen minutes. But good news, everyone. I figured out how to fix. You ready? So I have these flower hair clips one of my YW's leaders made me. If you pull all your hair back in a pony or a bun with a thick headband, and then clip one of the flowers behind your ear and wear matching earrings, you look like a doll. Can you picture it in your head? Picture it in your head. Seriously guys, it looked so cute, I wish I had a photo of it.
While we're on the subject of random awesome things, if any of you care, I found some excuses to paint for school. Whenever there's a poster due for a class, I'm the first one to volunteer for the artisticky part (imagine that). One of the posters was for Hollywood themed homecoming, where our homeroom was assigned the movie Titanic. The other was for Spanish class.
That's right, baby. We had to choose something or someone to describe fully in Spanish (clothes, traits, likes, dislikes, etc.) and we chose Rapunzel. Can't get much cooler than this.
Rapunzel le gusta pintar y cantar y bailar. Ella lleva un vestido morado y no zapatos. Ella tiene el pelo largo y rubio. Los ojos de ella son verdes y grandes. Rapunzel es muy bonita y muy simpatica.
Dang, I'm good.
I mean...Soy bien.
Adios, mis amigos.
Oh, wait! Speaking of homecoming (because I was talking about it in my head), I went to it! Pictures coming soon!!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
my well-deserved time-out
I do believe I'm the luckiest girl in the world.
I had the incredible opportunity to go to Time-Out for Girls with one of my best friends. Basically, we got to listen to these amazing famous LDS speakers sing and give inspiring talks.
It was awesome. (And I mean that--It. Was. Awesome. Not awesome like the new Taylor Swift CD, or the Avengers, or the frozen burrito I had for lunch. Think about the word "awesome." It means something that inspires awe. Human beings should not throw around this word so carelessly unless the thing you're describing is really that awesome. This is one of those times.)
Prepare to be blown away.
John Bytheway was there. Like, the real John Bytheway. The hilarious and inspiring author of three of my very favorite books? The one who remixed Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Trees? Yeah. That was awesome. He is awesome.
Kris Blecher and John Hilton III were also there. John was pretty hilarious too. He talked about getting personal revelation by searching the scriptures. (But when you're mad at someone and you're seeking for peace, and you open up to a scripture that says "slay him" don't do it. Remember to apply the verse correctly.)
Okay. Prepare to be blown away AGAIN.
My friend Brooke just introduced me to this really cool video by Carmen Rasmusen Herbert and Alex Boye. Watch. Inspire yourself.
If that didn't blow you away, this will.
CARMEN RASMUSEN HERBERT WAS THERE AND I GOT TO MEET HER.
Look! There I am next to a Season 2 American Idol finalist who also happens to be an amazing Latter-Day Saint woman! She is so awesome! I love how even in Hollywood, with all those negative influences around her trying to get her to compromise her standards, she stood firm. She talked about how true beauty isn't on the outside, but on the inside.
You know who else I got to meet? SANDRA TURLEY. She's a Broadway star who performed in Les Miserables. She was such inspiring speaker. She also didn't give in to the world trying to get her to do things against what she knew was right. Besides that, she has an incredible voice. Like, seriously. This girl was born to be on Broadway.
I admire both of these women because even though they were famous, they decided to end their careers and start families. Carmen said while we were there, "Fame and fortune do not hold a candle to faith and family." I love that. Nothing is more important than faith and family. We want to become who God wants us to be, not what the world does.
One of my favorite parts of the whole day was at the very end when Carmen and Sandra sand "For Good" from Wicked. That song is so special to me, I couldn't believe it when I heard the song starting! Both of them have gorgeous voices and strong spirits, and I hope someday I can be like them.
Laurel Christensen, who wrote my book "He Loves Us and We Love Him" was there too. She said this:
"There is a plan for your life. There is a story that is yours. Just. Yours. What part of your story are you writing today?"
I want to do the best I can to be my best self and write the best life story I can. I needed this time-out so bad. I'm so glad I got to go to this event and feel the spirit.
I had the incredible opportunity to go to Time-Out for Girls with one of my best friends. Basically, we got to listen to these amazing famous LDS speakers sing and give inspiring talks.
It was awesome. (And I mean that--It. Was. Awesome. Not awesome like the new Taylor Swift CD, or the Avengers, or the frozen burrito I had for lunch. Think about the word "awesome." It means something that inspires awe. Human beings should not throw around this word so carelessly unless the thing you're describing is really that awesome. This is one of those times.)
Prepare to be blown away.
John Bytheway was there. Like, the real John Bytheway. The hilarious and inspiring author of three of my very favorite books? The one who remixed Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Trees? Yeah. That was awesome. He is awesome.
Kris Blecher and John Hilton III were also there. John was pretty hilarious too. He talked about getting personal revelation by searching the scriptures. (But when you're mad at someone and you're seeking for peace, and you open up to a scripture that says "slay him" don't do it. Remember to apply the verse correctly.)
Okay. Prepare to be blown away AGAIN.
My friend Brooke just introduced me to this really cool video by Carmen Rasmusen Herbert and Alex Boye. Watch. Inspire yourself.
If that didn't blow you away, this will.
CARMEN RASMUSEN HERBERT WAS THERE AND I GOT TO MEET HER.
Look! There I am next to a Season 2 American Idol finalist who also happens to be an amazing Latter-Day Saint woman! She is so awesome! I love how even in Hollywood, with all those negative influences around her trying to get her to compromise her standards, she stood firm. She talked about how true beauty isn't on the outside, but on the inside.
You know who else I got to meet? SANDRA TURLEY. She's a Broadway star who performed in Les Miserables. She was such inspiring speaker. She also didn't give in to the world trying to get her to do things against what she knew was right. Besides that, she has an incredible voice. Like, seriously. This girl was born to be on Broadway.
I admire both of these women because even though they were famous, they decided to end their careers and start families. Carmen said while we were there, "Fame and fortune do not hold a candle to faith and family." I love that. Nothing is more important than faith and family. We want to become who God wants us to be, not what the world does.
One of my favorite parts of the whole day was at the very end when Carmen and Sandra sand "For Good" from Wicked. That song is so special to me, I couldn't believe it when I heard the song starting! Both of them have gorgeous voices and strong spirits, and I hope someday I can be like them.
Laurel Christensen, who wrote my book "He Loves Us and We Love Him" was there too. She said this:"There is a plan for your life. There is a story that is yours. Just. Yours. What part of your story are you writing today?"
I want to do the best I can to be my best self and write the best life story I can. I needed this time-out so bad. I'm so glad I got to go to this event and feel the spirit.
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