Monday, January 7, 2013

Weekend Collage

Weekend Collage

Weekend Collage by vanessanelson featuring screen print tees

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!  Here are some things I'm currently loving!
Sidney Oxofords via Nordstrom:  so freaking cute!
Nars Lip Gloss in Penny Arcade via Sephora LOVE the color!  Perfect for the season now and a great color all seasons!
Maybelline Baby Lips via Target LOVE how soft this makes my lips feel!  And cheap too!
Pitch Perfect...ummm....IS there a better movie??  NO.  Here's proof if you need it.
Fleetwood Mac "Rumours" is just the best album of all time.  Listening to it on vinyl is basically euphoria.

The Colts season is over which means it's time for my annual time of mourning.  Please leave thoughts/prayers/condolences in the comments below.
I hope you're weekend turned out better and you were able to dazzle everyone with your football knowledge :)
Let me know how your weekend went!
xoxo
V

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Your Guide to the NFL Playoffs

I was just remembering a time in Jr. High when guys/girls started being friends with each other and we all started saying "I love you" to each other but then we'd say "Well I don't L-O-V-E you but I L-U-V you" which was weird.
I don't know why I'm telling you this.
Hello everyone!  I'm sure some of you are football fans or married/dating/lusting after a football fan so I decided to give you a guide to the NFL play offs coming up.  You're welcome!  Here's a breakdown of the teams so that you can stun in any football situation.

First you should know there are 2 different divisions or "conferences" of the NFL* (*National Football League).  The AFC and the NFC.  AFC is the American Football Conference and NFC is the National Football Conference because we love America which is our Nation.  There are 16 teams in each conference which is a total of 32 teams (yay math!).  One team from each conference will move on through the play offs and ultimately end up in the Super Bowl.  So here are the teams from each conference who are still in the playoffs and everything you need to know about them.

AFC
The Baltimore Ravens

Player's Name You'll Hear Most: Ray Lewis, Joe Flacco

The Ravens are pretty lame.  In the past the team has been known as a group of thugs and troublemakers.  I honestly don't know how they're in the playoffs.  If you are a fan/know a fan...I'm sorry.  If anyone brings this team up just talk about how Ray Lewis is retiring at the end of this season.  Don't worry...you won't have to keep talking about them for long.  They won't last through the playoffs.

The Cincinnati Bengals

Player's Name You'll Hear Most: A. J. Green

NOBODY knows how they made the playoffs and that's probably what you'll hear most about this team so just nod you're head and be like "yeah I know right!?". A.J. Green is like a lemur when he plays and their quarterback Andy Dalton is a Ginger.  His hair matches an actual Bengal Tiger!!!  How cute is that!?

The Houston Texans

Player's Name You'll Hear Most: J.J. Watts

The Texans look exactly like you imagine Texans to look.  Hyped up, amped up, crazy-eyed.  Remember how in Little Giants when they take ant-acids to look intimidating?  These guys pretty much look like that all the time.  J.J. Watts plays defense and I'm pretty sure he eats puppies for breakfast.  He's a raging lunatic but a phenomenal defensive player.  Just talk about how strong they look and how the way J.J. plays causes all other teams to totes change the way they play offensively.  Then say "Texas Forever!" and you're good.

The Denver Broncos

Player's Name You'll Hear Most: Peyton Manning

We all know how I feel about Peyton.  Losing him was sad as a Colts fan but we're all learning to live with it.  The people of Denver call Peyton the "Mile High Messiah" and that's exactly what he is for them.  He's given Denver fans a reason to live and the team is finally working together nicely as a cohesive unit.  In my opinion they have a great chance of making it to the Super Bowl this year.  Just talk about how Peyton is a great leader of the team and how cute their uniforms are.

The Indianapolis Colts aka The Good Guys aka The Best Team in the World.

Player's Name You'll Hear Most: Andrew Luck (also Chuck Pagano...the coach)

Ahh...my babies.  This season we are a team with a beautiful story to tell.  I mean like "Friday Night Lights" worthy.  Our coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia right after the season started and last Sunday was his first game back after being told he was in remission.  As he walked onto the field with tears in his eyes, he received a standing ovation.  It was PERFECT.  The Colts are in the playoffs by willpower and healthy dose of luck...ANDREW LUCK!  Ha!  Get it!?  He's the Quarterback so.....yeah.  Luck.  Anyway just talk about how sweet the story is and make lot's of those Luck jokes.  They're a real hit.

and finally.....the worst.
The New England Patriots

Player's Name You'll Hear Most: Princess Tom Brady

They are a team.  The play football.  Nobody cares.
Talk about Tom Brady's Ugg commercials (that never make ANY SENSE) or his terrible choice in hairstyles.  You can also talk about how creepy their mascot is. If all else fails just Google "Tom Brady, water slide".  No one will care at all about football after that.

NFC
The Minnesota Vikings

Player's Name You'll Hear Most: Adrian Peterson

The Vikings really want to make it to the playoffs so all the other teams will stop picking on them.  They are slightly justified in this feeling since they had to deal with Brett Favre ruining their lives for a hot minute a couple years ago.  Adrian Peterson is currently very close to breaking the record for most running yards ever.  Like....ever.  Just talk about that and how he is the Vikings only hope of making it any further in the playoffs.

The Green Bay Packers

Players Name You'll Hear Most: Aaron Rodgers

The Packers always make games exciting....and easy on the eyes...yeah I'm talking to you Aaron Rodgers......dreamy dreamy Aaron Rodgers...
anyway.  Everyone gets so hyped up during these games because you never know what's gonna happen.  You probably won't have to talk at all.  Just go with the adrenaline!

The Atlanta Falcons

Players Name You'll Hear Most: Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Roddy White

Another team no one expected to be in the playoffs.  Everyone is kinda just like "OMG LIKE WHAT???".  In fact you could probably just keep saying that over and over no matter what happens.

The Washington Redskins

Players Name You'll Hear Most:  Robert Griffin III aka RG3

RG3 is pretty much the golden boy of the NFL right now and you'll hear his name no matter what game you're watching.  The Redskins and him make a good team and they have potential.  Just talk about how happy you are that he's better after his injury and what a good player he is.  And always refer to him as RG3.

The Seattle Seahawks

Players Name You'll Hear Most: Russell Wilson

They are a team full of all-American boy next door types.  Their uniforms are super cool.  Seattle fans are like totally cray cray so just go with that.

The San Francisco 49ers

Name You'll Hear Most: Jim Harbaugh

The 49ers work really well together all because of their coach Jim Harbaugh.  He basically saved them from complete destruction.  They are a good team and good guys and also have a really good chance of going further.  Talk about how far the team has come and how glad you are they are back in it.  49ers fans are like...old faithful and super loyal.

So to sum it all up:
Teams we L-O-V-E
Packers, Colts, Broncos

Teams we L-U-V
49ers, Redskins

Teams we wish had been pushed off the fiscal cliff:
Patriots

That's pretty much all you need to know.
Also this.


Now you don't have to Google it.
You're welcome.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

currently

Watching: Parenthood (best show on TV?  probably.) It's so heartfelt and relate-able.  We won't talk about how often I cry when I watch it because you would call the police.  Going into the current season I didn't think this show could make me cry MORE than it had in the past and THEN the writers gave us the worst/best storyline ever.  Kristina has breast cancer and wow.  The actress who plays Kristina (Monica Potter) has played this storyline effortlessly and beautifully from diagnosis to her near death infection at CHRISTMAS.  Yeah.  Ask me how I did through that episode.  There are 2 scenes from this show and this storyline I would like to share with you.  And please if you aren't watching this show, consider it.  You can watch it from the beginning on Netflix and Hulu Plus.


In this scene Adam (Kristina's husband) and their daughter Haddie talk straight talk about her mom's diagnosis.  Just watch.

           During the Christmas episode Kristina is hospitalized with a possibly deadly infection as a result of her chemotherapy treatments.  She tells Adam that if the worst happens she has left her 3 kids a video message.  Worried about Kristina, Adam watches it.  "I'm so lucky I got to be your mom" she says among other beautiful tear-jerking moments.  I'm seriously tearing up just describing this scene.  P.S. She has recovered for now

Listening to: Lana Del Rey.  I know I've talked about her before but I got a record player for Christmas and hers (among MANY others) was one of the vinyls I got.  And I'm re-obsessed all over again.  Mellow, haunting, awesome.  Also Bat For Lashes.  I've talked about her before too but check her out if you haven't already.  What's A Girl To Do, Daniel, Laura, and The Haunted Man are a few of my favorites.

Thinking About: a couple of quotes from the book "A Fault In Our Stars".  It's amazing book that I also have already talked about but I highly recommend it.  *note: read with a box or 5 of Kleenex.  The writing in it is just so eloquent and poignant.  Every thing every character said I was just nodding and like "yes!  I've felt that way!" but it's said way better in the book than I could ever word it.  Some of my favorite quotes are "I fell asleep the way you fall in love; slowly, then all at once" (EXACTLY how it is RIGHT??)  and this one which is so so true.
Another quote I recently heard "Your personality is not set in stone.  You may think a morning coffee is the most enjoyable thing in the world, but it's really just a habit. Thirty days without it, and you would be fine.  You think you have a soul mate, but in fact you could have had any number of spouses.  You would have evolved differently, but been just as happy.  You can change what you want about yourself at any time.  You see yourself as someone who can't write or play an instrument, who gives into temptation or makes bad decisions, but that's really not you.  It's not ingrained.  It's not your personality.  Your personality is something else, something deeper than just preferences, and these details on the surface, you can change anytime you like.  If it is useful to do so, you must abandon your identity and start again.  Sometimes, it's the only way.  Set fire to your old self.  It's not needed here.  It's too busy shopping, gossiping about others, and watching days go by and asking why you haven't gotten as far as you'd like.  This old self will die and be forgotten by all but family, and replaced by someone who makes a difference."  Gives you a lot to think about right?  I thought it was appropriate with the New Year and all.  

Excited about: the NFL playoffs.  Holy shakes of anticipation.  I'M SO FREAKING EXCITED.  I keep talking about it and my dear friends/roommates are so nice about it.  They let me freak out and talk about "seeds" and "AFC/NFC" and even if they think I'm ridiculous, they indulge me.  I made myself a play offs bracket and when I woke up this morning my roommate Cristal had transferred it onto our whiteboard.

I could cry I'm so proud.

Grateful: that I'm finally over what will only be referred to as "the sickness".  Fever, chills, headache, cough, sore throat, stuffiness, ETC.  Lasted most of last week and through New Years.  Hopefully you and your family avoid this plague.
*note: yes.  I took NyQuil.  We won't talk about it.

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So how about you?  What are you up to currently?  I'd love to hear.  Do your own and link it in the comments so we can all go check it out.
Happy New Year!!!
xoxo
Ness

P.S. I made my list of New Year Resolutions:
2013 is gonna be the year of keepin it real.