Nature Nerds

Taylor and I are turning into the N&N Squad this summer. That's right! We are going to be nature nerds. We're already nerds, so we're halfway there! Logan is so pretty in the summer, and both of us used to do so stuff outside all the time. I used to hike bridal veil falls almost daily and Taylor used to swim in creeks (cricks) and stuff all the time.There's no reason we can't be like that now! If anyone is from Logan, or anywhere in Idaho or Utah, let us know of any hikes, nature trails or rivers that we should visit.

Hopefully this goal won't fizzle, because we really enjoy it. Plus, we play this game called "Senior Pictures" where we take senior pictures of each other. Okay, we need to come up with more creative names for our games.

This isn't a "Senior Pictures" pic. It's more like a candid sexy one.

Star Wars vs Audrey: What to Celebrate

May the fourth be with you? Or would you rather take after Google and celebrate the 85th birthday of Audrey Hepburn?

And that's what I have to say about that. 

#Selfie and Why I Don't Hate It

1950: Remember the conical bra? I don't really, because I wasn't born yet when they were "in."

1960: Lava lamps, on the other hand, are still around.  They're not as popular or cool as they were in the '60s, but whatever. 

1970: Disco will never die! Kinda...

1980: . . .

1990: Remember the pants we all wore in the 90's? Yeah. Thanks mom.

2000: I definitely was a part of the stripey hair fad. Back when highlights didn't have to blend in.

Now: #Selfie

If you haven't guessed by now, and I'm sure you have, I'm trying to show that things fade in and out. Personally, I like to be involved with fads! I want to be the mom that's like, "Yeah. I had one of those cone bras. I rocked it." But I understand why others don't. Fads can be completely ridiculous to amazing to dangerous. And yes, selfies are 100% egotistical and a narcissistic, but you know what?

"I took so many stupid selfies. Wanna see?"

(laughs) "Yeah mom! Oh my goodness! Look at all these? There's so many of them! Man, what a weird time!"

So, that's that. BOOM!

Diana Ross and the Supremes

I'm Diana Ross. I'm basically a mirror image if we don't count hair and eye color, nose size, weight, height, and facial structure Oh, and skin color. Although, I try not to see skin color, because I am not a racist. (That's right. I italicized "not." For emphasis, not sarcasm! Sheesh.)
This is a poorly taken and outdated picture of my Supremes:

You can tell it's outdated because there's falling leaves and I'm blonde. I'm hidden. But I'm blonde. 

The first and only clash of the Trebles took place last night in the Performance Hall here at Utah State. It was us versus a choir of flutes. A flute choir. I didn't know that a choir could be anything other than singers, and quite frankly, I'm still not sure. But that's what they call themselves, so it must be okay. There were no winners, only survivors. And because it was an event with only well to mildly well-behaved women involved, everyone survived.

(Ashley, Me) One of my favorite Supremes.

The point I'm trying to make is that I sang my very first solo that I'm really proud of! In honor of The Beatles 50th Anniversary (I think), we sang "All My Lovin.'" I sang the second verse by myself, with a MICROPHONE, to a roaring crowd of 30? people. I rocked it.

You may be saying, "But Nikole, you have soloed before and in front of larger crowds for longer periods of time." Yes, imaginary reader, you are right. But I sang a Beatles song in my real Nikole voice, completely by myself, backed up by a beautiful choir, at a University. That makes this experience different. And I'm pretty proud of it.

No cameras allowed in the auditorium means a reenactment picture in the lobby. I was much cuter in the real performance, I swear! But hey, the old ladies are diggin' it.

One more nerd picture for good measure. 

Lumpy Space Skirt

I lumping love my lumping new space skirt. (If you don't get it by now, don't worry about it.) And this is as close as it gets to a fashion post.

Dear Space Skirt,

I saw you several months ago for the first time. I checked you out...I'll admit it. You were hot, but kind of weird. Who would fall for you? You're shiny, pleated, short, and elastic! On top of that, you cost almost $40! I knew that soon enough your expectations would fall. You could hang there and pretend people would like you enough to pay, but we both knew the truth. Sure enough, two months later I saw you again. You had moved from your beautiful, clean place in a great location, to the sketchy, gross, pile-up place in the back of the store. The clearance rack. You were on the clearance rack.

I picked you up for a quick six dollars. I took you home. I loved you like no one else ever would. And I will continue to do so. Because you are my space skirt. And together, we will create our own fashion. 

Love,

Nikole

We've heard ENOUGH about silks!

I know that everyone is sick of silks. But Tarzan is over now and with my muscles slowly melting away and my fat cells growing again, I thought I'd better share some pictures before I turn into a blob. Oh, and because I'm Nikole, I'll probably add effects that actually make the photos a little less cool. I can't help it! I'm addicted.

Andrea rocking our most dangerous move

Emily (our awesome silks director) made us awesome necklaces
Makeup credit: Mandolynn Browning

The opening: Me, Becka, Andrea

Me, Becka, Andrea

No hands! Becka

Twirlin' up in a split

Finding our balance point: Me, Becka

Straddle back! Me, Becka, Andrea

The mermaid and the "something move?" Me, Becka

My balance point

The necklace again. She's just so darn sweet!

Becka and Andrea workin it: Becka, Andrea

Me workin' it

Becka and I doing a contortion: Me, Becka

Our famous plank stacking. Top to bottom: Becka, Andrea, Me

The fairy wrap :) Me and Becka

Swingin around! 

My straddle back

Becka doin' her awesome lotus

Our famous plank stack again.
Costume Credit: Spencer Potter

My new friends :)
Makeup credit: Mandolynn Browning
Costume Credit: Spencer Potter

How to be not skinny and love it.

I'm not fat. I feel like I actually have a pretty rockin' bod. What's weird is that I've lived with the same weight (more or less...fluctuations are inevitable (that's my way of justifying weight gain (not to say that fluctuations in body weight don't naturally happen (although it could just be that everyone uses it to justify sudden weight gain (/loss)))) for a couple of years.  So why is it that sometimes I feel hot and other times I feel like putting on pants is the equivalent of shoving a potato into a straw?

Courtesy of Alaina-Kyle Photography

Sometimes I look in the mirror and I have a very narcissistic fall-in-love-with-myself moment. I can't look away. I'm the best. But more often, I look in the mirror and my eyes glaze to my least favorite parts. They linger on a blotchy part of skin or gushy midsection. I can't look away... I'm the worst. But lately, those moments occur less and less often. Be ready friends, I'm about to give you the first, that's probably a lie, guide on how to not be skinny and love it.

Step 1: Stop worrying about it.

I'm not saying that if you are unhappy with the way you look, just change your mentality and it'll all be better. I'm just saying stop stressing over it. Stop telling yourself that you have to look some way to be happy. And please, for the love of all cute, fuzzy animals, stop saying "I just want to be healthy and fit," while thinking that THIS is how all "healthy and fit" people look.

 I don't look like that and I climbed a 16 ft rope to the top of the ceiling and rang the cow bell yesterday. Yeah. Brag, brag, brag.

In the end, a lot of you are probably thinking, "Yeah, that's easy for you to say." And you're right. I'm comfortable with my body and it's a pretty good one. Maybe this whole post just annoys you. And that's fine. Really, all I'm getting at is that I'm happy with my body when I used to not be.

So.

That's about it.