Vitamins are not Excedrin

I don't get headaches very often and I forgot how horrible they are.  So I go to get myself a couple Excedrin because in my parent's home, Excedrin is consumed like candy.  I open the medicine cupboard and all I find are....

FIVE bottles of vitamins

Vitamins! Who are these people?  It's like I don't even know them anymore.

I didn't realize I was living in Tom Cruise's home.

The Great Gingerbread Disaster of 2010

In true Nelson tradition we decided to build a gingerbread house.
Our house was supposed to look like this...

Easy enough.
And so the construction commenced.
There was a slight hitch with the roof...(and by "hitch" I mean it started falling apart completely.  We lost a couple really good gumballs that day...)

But after continued perseverance.....tah dah!

Almost identical to the picture right?!...besides the drooping candy mint, the non-existent windows, and the random drooping purple gumball

And then.....disaster

I'm highly suspicious this was revenge for grandma getting run over by a reindeer...

But yeah....like I was saying....a lot like the picture.

Bub had fun though and we were still able to laugh even through the great Gingerbread Apocalypse.  

Here's hoping your gingerbread men aren't running as fast as they can like ours are...

"and then he kissed me..."

Greatest opening scene of a movie....ever.

(and one of my favorite movies of all time)

Winter Playlist

It snowed today.  A lot.  So I was in the mood for winter/Christmas so you'll get a nice mix

1. Tyler Hilton- Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
2. Michael Buble- Let It Snow
3. Colbie Caillat- Mistletoe
4. Zooey Deschanel & Leon Redbone - Baby It's Cold Outside
5. Glee Cast - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
6. Taylor Swift - Back to December
7. Savage Garden - Crash & Burn
8. Margot and th The Nuclear So & So's - Broadripple Is Burning
9. Owl City - Peppermint Winter
10. Dixie Chicks - Easy Silence
11. Iron & Wine - Naked As We Came
12. Sufjan Stevens - To Be Alone With You
13. Matt Morris - My First Snow
14. Brooke White- Rhiannon (Piano Version)
15. Five For Fighting - Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer
16. JJ Heller - Olivianna
17. Jeremy Fisher - Snowflakes
18. The Bird and the Bee - Carol of the Bells

A lot of these songs are very singer/songwriter because that's the kind of mood I've been in...as of late.  That and an unhealthy amount of 80's music...but really that's everyday.
Hope you're staying warm!

Dear Tom Brady

Dear Tom Brady,

It's really weird because I could have sworn that you were supposed to be a professional football player in the NFL....not a Pantene Pro-V spokesmodel.

Sincerely,
Vanessa

Happy Thanksgiving - The Vanessa Way

Hope it's a lovely holiday for you all.  I do have so much to be grateful for and I hope we can all remember to show that appreciation everyday and not just on Thanksgiving.  I would have to say that one thing I am so grateful for that I don't really talk about much are the troops serving our country.  I can't even express in words how grateful I am to the men and women who sacrifice the comforts of home, their families, and safety to defend and protect our country and it's freedoms.  What courage.  I don't ever want to take that for granted.
So today I challenge you to take advantage of the holiday.  Call up that person you've been wanting to apologize to.  Forgive someone their mistakes that have hurt you.  Tell that someone that you love them.  Don't let that moment pass.  Don't regret what you didn't say or do.

And seriously....pray for the giant balloon animals.  That stuff's no joke.

Forget the turkey

In the Nelson home Thanksgiving consists of

To clarify my Mom had told my Dad that she needed 1 package of cream cheese at the store and 4 more just happened to make the journey back home.
They were 97 cents though so....purchase justified.

the weather outside is.....not so frightful

All weekend the quacks who call themselves "weathermen" aka not a real job, had been warning us about this huge blizzard coming through Utah consisting of 4 storms starting on Monday night through Tuesday night.

And so the panic commenced.

People were filling up their gas tanks (umm hello...if you're snowed in isn't that kind of fruitless people?) and shopping at the grocery store like the apocalypse was hovering dangerously close (umm hello....aren't you people supposed to have food storage?)

The lives of the people in the entire state of Utah were in danger.

Considering the fact that our pantry consisted of
1.) Saltines
2.) Fiber One Bars
3.) Tomato Paste

Our lives were actually in danger (although our fiber levels would be very impressive)

It started snowing and everyone was snuggling in thinking of all the things they could do during the snow day.
Tuesday morning we woke up with visions of snowballs and snowmen and.....saltines...dancing in our head.  We peeked out the windows and....

Yep.
The weathermen tried their best to justify their "prediction" (what are you people....gypsies?) by showing all the snow they got in Park City and Ogden and casually glossing over the fact that Provo got.....that.

Better luck next time Dan Pope Jack Frost.

All Nighter

Thanksgiving Break brings about a certain feeling in the air.  In my little brother it brings about a feeling to stay up all night.
Bub came up with the idea that he wanted to stay up all night and play games on the Wii and watch movies.  I being the cool and hip older sister...agreed.
We braved the winter storm advisories and blizzard like weather (more on that later) to go get things that will rot your teeth supplies.
After Mom and Dad went to bed it was time to party!
We began with a rousing game of Wii Sports...starting off with some bowling.  My Mii was in rare form tonight

and I proceeded to get my highest score yet.

Why yes, that is 7 strikes in a row you are seeing on my scorecard.  Somewhere there is a world famous bowler who is super jealous of my mad skills.
Ha ha jokes on you.  There's no such thing as a famous bowler.

We moved onto baseball where after 2 innings of nothing....my team was able to catch up to my brother for a tied game.

We had warmed up our muscles so we could then move on to Lego Batman.  We killed some bad guys, built some stuff, and collected coins...

It was movie time.

On the schedule for the night was

Because Bub is fascinated by Harry Potter and claims he's dying to go see the 7th one.
I however have my doubts.

*For the record this picture was taken at 1:04 AM.  Impressive.

Happy 1st Birthday Brooklyn!

Happy 1st Birthday to my best friend's beautiful baby girl

Brooklyn Emery

I really don't think there is a cuter 1 year old on the planet

My life is not a John Hughes movie

"I want John Cusack holding a boombox outside my window. I wanna ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey. I want Jake from Sixteen Candles waiting outside the church for me. I want Judd Nelson thrusting his fist into the air because he knows he got me. Just once I want my life to be like an 80’s movie, preferably one with a really awesome musical number for no apparent reason. But no, no, John Hughes did not direct my life."

Quote from a very funny movie "Easy A"

I'm feeling kind of lonely today and I'm not sure why.  But I watched a lot of 80's movies and listened to this song...



on repeat and fought the urge to cry.

Where is Jake Ryan when you need him?

Thanksgiving Week Playlist

1. Counting Crows - Colorblind
2. Paolo Nutini - Million Faces
3. Jack's Mannequin - Bruised
4. Jay Brannan - The Freshman
5. Paula Abdul - Coldhearted
6. Matisyahu - One Day
7. The Fugees - Killing Me Softly
8. Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al
9. Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride
10. Nikki Minaj - Check It Out
11. Glee Cast - Forget You
12. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
13. Taylor Swift - Enchanted

A Movie Review

Went and saw this movie.  My opinions are as follows...

Harrison Ford
You are completely brilliant and I love you in everything you do.  And  you were extra brilliant in this movie and you made me tear up a bit.  Even without your hat and whip. 

Diane Keaton
You are a complete gem.  I just adore you.

Rachel McAdams
I have such a lesbian crush on you

 

And you good sir...

Can marry me. 

Star Rating: 3.2

Dear Peyton Manning (with a note to Tom Brady)

Dear Peyton Manning,

You were predicted to give me 22 points in Fantasy Football.  You gave me 7.  SEH-VEN.  It's like I don't even know who you are anymore.

xoxo,
Vanessa

Dear Tom Brady,

Just tell the truth....are they extensions?

Sincerely,
Vanessa

*Side Note: When I announced out loud that I needed to write another letter to Tom Brady, my sister responded with "What else do you do with your life?".  Touche little Ginger.  Touche.

Me and Tyler Hilton: BFFs

So a few weeks ago my dear friend Tyler Hilton actually came to PROVO for a show.  I know...I was shocked.  I rounded up the homies and we headed over to Velour for the show.  It was SO GOOD.  He performed along with Josiah Leming (who you may remember from American Idol...he was so awesome) and the show was seriously so great.

 

And don't worry after the show...

WE WERE INVITED TO HANG OUT ON THE TOUR BUS WITH THEM!!!

Yeah you read that right.  

I don't know why I'm so cool either.  

Here's some photos and videos from the show....I've got to go sign some autographs and let the paparazzi take staged candid photos of me where I look completely perfect on purpose naturally.

Sunset Blvd

You'll Ask For Me (my absolute favorite song)

You'll Ask For Me - Hook

Missing You

Reagan Noel

Today would have been my little sister's 6th birthday.  We miss you every day baby girl!

If you'd like to read the whole story my Mom posted it on her blog today

A Jon Hamm Moment

We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog viewing for a Jon Hamm moment....

ahhh.....that's better.

New Challenge Day 13-16

Day 13- Your favorite musician and why?
I have so so many favorites because I love music.  I would have to say that Ray LaMontagne and Patty Griffin would have to be my top 2 though.  They don't just have amazing voices...they have amazing songs. I've said it a hundred times and I will keep saying it...their lyrics are poetry.  So so beautiful. 

Top Favorite Songs- Ray LaMontagne
Be Here Now
A Falling Through
Can I Stay
You Can Bring Me flowers
All the Wild Horses
Hold You In My Arms
Jolene
Are We Really Through
Like Rock & Roll and Radio

Top Favorite Songs- Patty Griffin
Burgundy Shoes
Heavenly Day
Little Fire
One Big Love
Top of the World
Rowing Song
When It Don't Come Easy
Forgiveness
Rain
Long Ride Home

Day 14- A TV show you're currently obsessed with
Umm...I don't know if you've met me but I don't really care for TV. 
ha  ha
Yeah right.  I love TV more than I'll love my first born.

Here's a break down for ya
Monday: Gossip Girl, Castle
Tuesday: Glee, One Tree Hill, Life Unexpected
Wednesday: Criminal Minds, HellCats, Monsters Inside Me
Thursday: Big Bang Theory, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Mentalist
Friday: Blue Bloods, The Soup
Saturday: Marathon of America's Next Top Model on Oxygen
Sunday: Amazing Race, Undercover Boss
And then let's not forget the seasonal shows such as: Psych, White Collar, Mad Men, True Blood, Dexter
And the syndicated television: Saved By the Bell, Golden Girls, The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, and Reno 911.
Like I said. TV really doesn't mean anything to me.

Day 15- Something you don't leave the house without
My cell phone.  It's an extension of myself.


Day 16- Your Celebrity Crush
Umm....can I name my Top 5?

1.) Justin Timberlake

2.) Jon Hamm

What a perfect specimen of human being

3.) Josh Duhamel

4.) Jake Gyllenhall

5.) Cory Monteith

(and I clearly don't have a pattern with "J" names)

My Birthday by the numbers...

My Birthday By the Numbers

48 Facebook notifications

5 missed calls

5 voicemails (one from Taylor Swift reminding me her album came out that day)

13 text messages

1 note on my bathroom mirror from my little brother

1 pink birthday cake with sprinkles

1 visit from my sister from Seattle

1 amazing birthday cake topper

24 candles

1 wish

It was a good birthday