Lets Talk Budget and Organization! (Wedding Planning 1)

Ok, so this has been the longest I've got without writing a post...But...

SURPRISE!!

I'm getting married!!!

Yup, James and I are tying the knot. James proposed last Saturday (September 8th) outside of the Jordan River Temple. It was so perfect! Then we spent the rest of the day replicating some of our more important past dates. We went mini golfing, had lunch at Olive Garden, and got ice cream at Sub Zero (if you haven't been there, I highly recommend it. They make the ice cream right in front of you using liquid nitrogen. Its awesome!!). 

The big day is January 19, 2013! Seems so far away, but in all reality, that's not a ton of time to plan a wedding. Luckily, I got a bit of a head start, thanks to that wonderful website that everyone is addicted to, Pinterest!! (Click Here to follow my boards!) I've been pinning like mad since I first got on the website, and I'm pretty sure what my theme is to be.

I thought, "Hey, this wedding planning is hard stuff. Maybe I should try to help others out as well..." So here it is. BAM! My first wedding planning post!

What I've been focused on today as far as planning goes is the dreaded budget. Since I'm the oldest child of a family of 7, and I'm making minimum wage (did I mention I finally got a job? Hooray for me...? It kinda sucks, but its a paycheck), plus the fact that my wedding is right after Christmas, the budget is not huge. I've figured if I save 90% of my paycheck (after taxes and tithing, plus a little money left over for myself for fun) every week, I'd have about $1700 of my own money to pay for things. (YIKES! Breathe, I can do this...) So today, my mom and I have made a list of everything we could think of that we'll need, and estimating (not just guessing, we're looking up prices and such...) 

So my biggest tip is...buy wholesale!! For decorations, food serving stuffs, ect, wholesale is the way to go. For instance, I am buying 1000 styrofoam cups (I'm serving hot cocoa, since its gonna be cold outside) for $34. Not bad!!

I've also been looking into how I could get myself organized.And, once I get some ink for my printer, I'm going to be following the advice I found on this blog I found on Pinterest to set up my own Wedding Planning Binder. I've modified it a bit to fit an LDS wedding, and one for my budget. Maybe if I can get enough skills to figure out how, I'll put up a PDF for you guys to make your own. Its got tons of things I never even thought of. Definitely look into it!

Thanks guys! Hopefully more wedding planning/weight loss/my life posts to follow. Who knows though, with having to plan a wedding on top of my new job and everything else. 

So I'll see ya when I see ya again (hopefully soon!!)

--Lexi Lou

Weight Loss Wednesday: Week 9 (or it should be...)

Happy August everybody! I have been working on my weight loss goals for a little over nine weeks now. I'm wishing I could have had better progress than I do, but I know that I did fall off the wagon for a while. Here's my current weight loss...

Almost 9lbs! So I guess I've been averaging about a pound a week, which is technically healthy weight loss. I should continue to lose about a pound a week, if my new program works well.

Through the recommendation of my sister and mother, I started using the Lose It! app the day before yesterday. This app is free and so amazing! It simply counts calories, but its such a streamlined, easy to use system, that I've become addicted! You begin by entering information about yourself, including age, weight, desired weight, height, sex, ect. The app then calculates how many calories a day you should be eating to meet your weight loss goal at the pace you want to lose it at. For instance, mine says I want to lose 33lbs at a rate of 1lbs a week, so I will reach my goal by March 21, 2013. 

Other features on this app include an awesome scanner that you can use to scan barcodes on packaging. This makes it easy to find and enter the foods you are eating. It also has a ton of exercises you can record, plus the ability to add your own custom exercises. Its so easy to keep track of everything you've burned/consumed. 

**Fun Fact** To lose a pound, you must burn 3500 calories (about 500 a day for 1lb a week) outside of your food intake

I have a budget of 1,718 calories a day...the problem has been sticking to it. This week (mind you, that's two days) I have gone 257 calories over my budget. Now, I know in the grand scheme of things, this isn't horrible. But it also means I need to learn to budget for unexpected meals. That, and limit myself when there are a lot of high calorie foods to be had. 

Please note that pictures from LoseIt! are not from my account

Wanna add me as a friend on LoseIt!? lexilou9788@yahoo.com

--Lexi Lou

Time to Catch Up!!

Hey there fellow bloggers/family/people I don't know (if there are even any of you out there. Make your presence known!)! Long time no blog. But I actually have an excuse as to why that is which is pretty valid(ish). 

Now, I'll admit, I could probably still be blogging pretty regularly, especially during the day when I'm doing pretty much nothing. I still have yet to find a job, but I'm finally getting everything sorted out for school in the fall. But this isn't what has been distracting me, though it probably should have been.

I have lost more weight, but I'm not too focused on it as much anymore. I'm keeping up those healthy habits I developed, and I'm a little more active. I go on a walk now almost every day. And that's because...

I have the most amazing boyfriend!

Its true. Those of you who know me are already aware of the fact, but not everyone really knows who he is or how it all happened. I mentioned a certain young man in one of my previous blogs (Click here to get the story of how we met). In the post I mentioned that I wasn't sure where it was going to go, but that I looked forward to having tons of fun with him. Needless to say, its gone somewhere, and somewhere AMAZING! 

Our hike and picnic at Ensign Peak

Since that Saturday where we hiked with our ward, we've had the best time together. We defined our relationship that following Monday (? I'm pretty sure anyways. I'm terrible with dates and stuff like that), and made it "Facebook Official" July 17 (I can see that one online...). 

James is so good for me! He is sweet and caring, respects me in every way, and I can tell by the way he treats me how much he cares. He likes my family, and his is a ton of fun too. We played the best prank on them about a week ago (we pretended to be engaged. I even borrowed a ring to seal the deal. It was hilarious because his one sister was constantly telling him to take it nice and slow, and she was so mad! So fun!). I feel like we're compatible in so many ways. He's such a strong, upstanding member of the church, but he's not the kind of person who acts like he's so much better than everyone else because of that. We make each other so happy, and our time together is full of laughter. I can't wait to continue getting to know him, and growing closer to each other. 

--Lexi Lou

Weight Loss...Thursday... Heh Heh

Ok, so I didn't get on to post yesterday. I could have, I just didn't. Man, I've got to get back on top of blogging!

Anyways, lets see how I've been doing, shall we?

I keep getting so close to breaking a 6lb loss, but haven't quite gotten there yet. 

So the last few weeks have been pretty hectic. I missed one day of counting points and just stopped. Isn't that always the way? You miss one day and all of your progress just goes down the tubes. I planned on picking WW back up, but seem to have misplaced my calculator. AH! Everything seems to be going wrong weight loss wise. 

But its all good!!

For now, my goal is to get in regular exercise and watch what I eat. Like I said in my previous post (Click here), I have created some healthy habits. First of all, I realize when I'm hungry or satisfied. I can stop myself before I get so full I'm sick, but I won't be hungry for a few hours. I'm also getting better about telling myself no. No, I don't need to have popcorn just because I'm watching a movie, and I definitely don't have to smother it in butter (even though it is SO DELICIOUS that way!). At the same time, though, I'm not depriving myself of foods I love. If I want to have a piece of cake, I eat one. I just make sure its not as big as one I would have taken in my less healthy days. 

And as far as exercise goes, I did better earlier in the week (no big shocker there). But there were at least three days in a row that I did at least a little exercise outside my normal routine. Also, I went on a hike last Saturday that really got my heart thumping (because I'm a baby, but oh well. Its a really awesome hike, I highly recommend it! Hike to Donut Falls! Its gorgeous!). My goal right now is to just keep it up. Even a little a day is more than I was doing before.

I feel healthier, and that is the ultimate goal. I want to be able to enjoy my life without restricting myself. Who knows though? I will probably start up WW again. I'll just have to see how it turns out. 

--Lexi Lou

Bucket List...Fail? Or Win?

Ok peoples... I think its safe to say that the blogging frenzy I was in a while ago has faded quite a bit. So I'll catch you up on what's been going on and promise to try to be better.

Weight loss...UGH! I fell of the wagon. Luckily my last lazy weeks haven't hurt me too bad. I realized I have developed some healthy habits. Hallelujah! I actually managed to lose a little without being too restrictive. But I am going back to WW tomorrow. (Fingers crossed for a new Weight Loss Wednesday post next week!)

A quick catch up on the other things on my Summer Bucket List. First the most disappointing... getting a job, buying a car, cleaning my room, and finishing my novel. Still looking for a job, even though the summer is half over now. And, of course, since I have zero funds for one, obviously I haven't gotten a car. The other two are more pathetic though. With all this free time on my hands, I should have time to write and clean, right? You'd think so. However, I have found so many other things to distract myself with. Like...hours sitting in front of the TV...or eating...or rehashing every situation with whomever will sit still long enough for me to talk to. I know, exciting right?! Time to be better about it. 

Hanging out a ton. This one is a bit harder, but I have been actively getting out of the house. I've gone to Family Home Evening with my single's ward a few times with some friends. I met some new people and hung out with them for a while (until the guy in the group my friend likes stopped talking to her. I'm guessing we won't be seeing much of them anymore.) I've got three Institute (Seminary for people in college) classes during the week, and I go almost every time...? And I've gone to night games and other various fun activities with a few friends. I really want to do even more though. I think its time for me to reconnect with those people I hung out with in high school, yeah? I'm trying to think up something to do, and then get everyone together. 

Now the exciting one... Getting back into the dating world...

(Annoying high pitch girlish squeal!!) 

That good enough? No? You want details? All righty... I'll start with the less juicy and work my way up.

As you know (or maybe not, I forget if I posted about it), I joined an LDS dating site a while ago. I was immediately bombarded. I guess fresh meat is an attractive quality? Anyway, I met a ton of really creepy old men and a few nice guys. I even went on a date with one of them. Not too exciting though. There was no chemistry on the date and a few days after he stopped texting me. Ah well, live and let live. (Too bad, he was super rich! JUST KIDDING! I'm not that shallow! But it was a nice plus...) I'm messaging a guy now that seems really nice. But how can you really tell that with online conversations? But I guess there's some potential there.

Now to the reason for the girlish squeal. I've had a bad case of permagrin (a disease, more commonly known as a cootie, that makes you think of a certain someone all the time causing you to smile constantly) since last Friday. **BACKSTORY** There's this guy in my single's ward that kinda liked one of my friends. He kept asking her out, but she kept making excuses because she wasn't interested. So she decided, against my better judgement, to give him my number and suggested (since I have so much free time) that he should take me on a date. He called a few awkward days of waiting later and asked me out. That Friday we went mini-golfing and got ice cream. Simple. I loved it!! We had so much fun! And when we got ice cream, we sat and talked for a few hours (until the shop closed and sometime after that as well). He then offered to give me a ride to FHE that next week. That was tons of fun too (jello fight, followed by a water balloon fight and ultimate frisbee)! Then I invited him to institute last night, and afterwards we played night games with some of my friend's friends. 

And we have another date planned for tomorrow! Plan A: Go to a hike with our FHE group to Doughnut Falls. Obviously super fun and a great way to talk and get to know each other even better. Another plan is set though. This one is necessary because he's heard the hike might be cancelled due to weather. So, if Plan A fails, then Plan B: Play in the rain together. HOW CUTE IS THAT?! Needless to say, I'm secretly hoping it rains tomorrow. 

He is so sweet and so much fun to be around! Not to mention easy to talk to. We have so much in common. He's already told me that he loves my smile and spending time with me. (Yet another girlish squeal of joy!) This totally caught me off guard, but that's fine with me. And who knows? Maybe we'll lose interest in a few weeks. Or maybe not... I'm just planning on having tons of fun and going with the flow, keeping my heart close to the Lord and letting Him guide me through my life. Still super exciting though!

--Lexi Lou

P.S. I got my patriarchal blessing last Sunday. It was amazing! SO AWESOME!!!

Putting My Life in His Hands...

So...long time no see! Needless to say, I have not been on top of my game as far as posting this last week.

I don't know what it was. I just lost all kinds of motivation. I missed the last week of my 30 Day Photo Challenge, I haven't wanted to post anything, and I sort of jumped the wagon as far as weight loss goes, resulting in my gain of 2+lbs this week. I am recommitting myself to it all though! 

I realized today while at church that I have been learning a great lesson over the last little bit of my life. In Relief Society, we were talking about tithing, and a sister subject of that, of course, is Faith. Our Relief Society President asked us to define faith without using the scriptural definition. (Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11:1) Many women said faith is putting your trust in the Lord. I wrote in my notebook, "Faith: Putting my life in God's hands and trust that He will direct it in a way that it is meant to be and what is best for me." As I sat there, I've realized that I've been blessed the last month or so to greatly increase my faith in Heavenly Father and His plan for me. 

I was visiting with a sister from my old ward. She wanted to see me to let me know how proud she was of the choices I had made concerning my last relationship. She mentioned to me that by receiving and acting upon revelation given to me from my Heavenly Father, I showed him that He could trust me to do those things he asks of me. Another sister in my ward told me that she knew that there were great blessings in my future for listening to the Spirit. I know this is true for anyone. Though it can be a scary, and sometimes painful, thing to do, when we get direction from our Lord we need to let go of what we want and give ourselves wholly to the will of Our Father. 

I found a link on Facebook (of all places! Click here to follow the page it was on. A note, the picture is theirs as well) that I really loved! This picture had a caption that read, "And finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that, as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better." This really touched my heart. I definitely feel like I've had some opportunities that I would not have had if I had stayed the course and gotten married. And I would not have ended up as happy in the end as I will by listening to the father. Another quote mentioned in RS today was, "When we turn our will over to Him, He will make more of us than we could make of ourselves."

I cannot wait for the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for me. I also testify that if you try like I am to listen to the whisperings of the Spirit and do what it prompts you to do, you can find a joy and peace in your life beyond anything people can give you.

--Lexi Lou

P.S. By the way, guess who is getting their patriarchal blessing next week?! WOOT WOOT!! The blessings just keep pouring out... 

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 23

I love this book so much! I will never be able to stop reading this book! Since being assigned to read it my senior year of high school, I have read it about a thousand times on my own!

For those of you who haven't read it, or said you read it but didn't really, I'll explain the plot. Elizabeth Bennet is the main character of this romance. She is the second daughter in a family of all girls, and her mother is determined to get all her daughters married off to handsome, rich young gentlemen. When the story opens, there is a new man who has moved into town, Mr. Bingley. With him he has brought a mysterious Mr. Darcy, a man who's gruff manners and prideful demeanor soon make him very disliked in the town, especially by Elizabeth. 

The story is one of love and how we can be blinded by first impressions. It is a satirical comedy, pointing out the flaws of the dating rituals and expectations of early 19th century England. It also highlights how a young independent type of girl might be looked upon by those around her at the time.

This book makes me laugh out loud and cry. I want so much to find the kind of love both Elizabeth and Jane experience. (Not to ruin the book for you, but I would also love to be able to find my own Mr. Darcy.)

I highly recommend this book! If you want to know the story without reading (crazy...) I would suggest the BBC version starring Colin Firth, which is almost exactly the book word for word. The newer movie starring Keira Knightly is good, but I don't feel like it reflect the book as well.

Happy reading!

--Lexi Lou

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 20, 21, and 22

Looking at the next three categories, two of them are kind of depressing. I'm hoping not to be a downer on this post, so I'll do my best to put a positive spin on them. (Besides, ITS FRIDAY! Everything should be good, right?)

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel...

I want to go to Europe so bad!!! I want to entrench myself in the romantic, historic, rich culture of it all! I want to be able to go to quaint little bookshops or cafes and try all kinds of delicious food. I want to be able to look around me and hear the people speaking in a different tongue, and maybe be able to understand them. I want to go to all the landmarks I've heard and read about and seen in the movies. I want to see the lights and hear the music. I want to be able to look at pictures and say, "I've been there. And it was AMAZING!"

When (if) I get wealthy (don't ask me how, because I'm not even sure yet), I want to be able to pick up and jump on a plane and go whenever I want. Feeling like a romantic anniversary with my one true love? BAM! Dinner underneath the Eiffel Tower. Hungry for the best pasta in the world? ZOOM! Off I'll go to Italy. I just want to be able to experience the world and let it help me grow. 

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget...

Everyone makes mistakes. Some of them that I've made I wish I could forget. And no, I'm not thinking relationships. I'm meaning things that hurt me or someone else.

Then again, some of those mistakes I've made I feel were necessary for the person I am today. Each mistake shapes me, and possibly those around me. I want to be able to use my experiences to help others. Let them learn from my mistakes instead of making the same ones themselves. I really hope this will be the case for my children in particular. Any unnecessary pain I can spare them will be a blessing, and I can't wait to help them. 

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at...

I know what those of you who know be are going to say. I'm a decent dancer. However, there is always room for improvement. I always have fun dancing (though I haven't done it in a while). I want to step onto that dance floor and have people's jaws drop when they see me move. I want to be graceful, something that I probably won't be able to pull off until I've lost some more weight (no worries, I know I don't have far to go. I'm really trying to not bash myself). 

I also want to improve my ballroom dancing. I took a semester of ballroom my sophomore year, and I LOVED IT! For that, I'm going to need to get out and find a partner about the same level as me. Then, we're going to learn more together...that's the plan anyways. 

--Lexi Lou

Weight Loss Wednesday: Week 3

Needless to say, last week wasn't a very good one. I gained .7lbs. Not bad, but not very good either. I know exactly why all that happened though.

First of all, last week was just a lazy one. As far as being active goes, I always seem to do really well at the beginning of the week, then slowly taper off until by Thursday I'm not exercising daily. I've turned that around  (so far) this week. I didn't exercise Monday or Tuesday, but I've already done my exercise for today. Hopefully I can stick to it. 

And eating last week...woof! Just like the exercise, I usually do really well at the beginning of the week. However, last Thursday I went to my friend's wedding reception. She was having me help with all the delicious sweeties in the kitchen. As her mom left all of us to get ready, she told us we were free to try whatever we liked... And I did. I can proudly say I stayed away from the cup cakes and the mini mousse cups. Sadly, that's about all I stayed away from. There were this mint brownies that were heavenly! And the melt away cookies were so yummy!! Not to mention that, since my family and I got there early to help, we were given burgers (from a restaurant that I hope to stop going to at some point in my life... Starts with a great big yellow letter M) from the grandfather of the bride. He bought FIFTY burgers! His family ate about ten, maybe fifteen. Then he left the rest in the kitchen for us to enjoy... Can you see why I slipped up?! Not to mention this was the night before my weigh in, a fact I remembered about half way through the night. But even when I finally came to that realization, I just threw my hands up in the air and gave up. I ate like a pig!

But NO MORE!! 

I am rededicated to losing the weight! I feel like everyone going through their weight loss journey has to hit a wall like this. A day where you slip into your old ways.. and then realize you're the only one you have to answer to. I could have had someone there slapping my hand every time I reached for something yummy. But in the long run, they're not going to care if I eat myself to death. There is me and me alone. And I am done taking my own crap!!

So here we go, the new (and hopefully improved) Lexi!! 

Today, I made up my own work out routine. Yeah!! Kickin' butt and takin' names! 

Now, though I will be walking on the treadmill daily (hopefully) this routine is one I will do at least once a week. You should try it! It will probably be a little...strange(?) for some people's tastes. But I love it! And, if you wanted to,  you could personalize it to yourself!

I call it...

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Workout!!

If any of you have seen the mini movie Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, you know why I'm super excited about this routine. If not... WATCH IT!! It stars Neil Patrick Harris as sad, socially awkward citizen Billy, who moonlights as Dr. Horrible, the villain just wanting to be taking seriously and blogging about his desires to get into the Evil League of Evil. He is also secretly in love with average do-gooder, Penny (played by Felicia Day), who is dating his arch nemesis, Captain Hammer ("corporate tool" played by Nathan Fillion). This movie, directed by Joss Whedon, is my second favorite of all time!

I have created a running routine having to do with the music in the show. All you need to do this yourself is:

1. A treadmill
2. A TV visible from that treadmill
3. A way to watch Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog (I use Netfilx, personally)

Then, its pretty easy from there... First, determine your normal walking speed. Mine sits between 2 and 3 miles per hour. After that, just follow the synopsis below. Simply put, you will be increasing speeds during songs. Some are faster, so you will increase your speed more. Its kind of like interval training, only musical!

What to do:

ACT 1 Warm Up (don't worry, each act is only about 14 minutes long) 

• Walk at normal walking speed
• Song "My Freeze Ray"(1:38)- increase speed by 1mph (so 3mph for me)
• Decrease back to normal speed
• Walk until Dr. Horrible finds the letter from Bad Horse
• Song "Bad Horse Chorus" (0:33) -increase speed by 2mph (so 4mph for me)
• Decrease back to normal speed
• Walk until you are introduced to Penny on the Street
• Song "Caring Hands" (0:28) - Do nothing! But make sure to take a drink!
• Keep walking until Billy finishes talking to Penny
• Song "A Man's Gotta Do" (2:11) - increase speed by 1mph. Then during Captain Hammer's solo increase again by 1mph. Decrease by 1mph when Dr. Horrible talks to Captain Hammer. Continue at that speed for the rest of the number.

ACT 2

• Song "My Eyes" (2:45) -Maintain speed from "A Man's Gotta Do"
• Maintain speed while Billy talks to Penny at the laundromat and after when he is blogging again.
• Song "Bad Horse Chorus (Reprise)" (0:14) -increase speed by 1pmh (I would be at 4mph) or take a drink break
• Decrease to normal walking speed. Maintain this speed until Penny starts to sing
• Song "Penny's Song" (1:12)- increase speed by 1mph (I'd be at 3mph)
• Maintain speed through Billy meeting Captain Hammer
• Song "Brand New Day" (1:46) - Increase speed by 2mph (or your top speed. I cap out at 5mph). Maintain this speed until the end of the act.

ACT 3 Cool Down

• Song "So They Say" (2:03) - Decrease speed by 2 mph (back to 3mph for me) Maintain this speed until Captain Hammer is making his speech.
• Song "Everyone's a Hero" (2:46) - Decrease speed by 1mph (you should be back to your normal walking speed)
• Song "Slipping" (2:06) - increase speed by 1mph
• After slipping, decrease back to your normal walking speed. Maintain this speed through the end of the movie (including the song "Everything You Ever")

What I really like about this (besides the fact that I made it up) is that you can customize it to any movie or television episode. During more exciting parts or faster songs, increase your running speed. 

Please note! I am not responsible for injury occurring during the "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Workout". Use this routine at your own risk! Please be sure to take it at your own pace. What is right for one person is not necessarily right for all. Please use common sense. If you feel pain or cannot breath, stop using this routine immediately and seek for medical help.

Thank you for the support guys! Until next week! (Let's hope the weigh in looks better!)

--Lexi Lou

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 15

Halfway through! 
Day 15: A picture of something you want to do before you die...

I know, it seems silly. I am a nineteen year old who wants to go to Disney Land before I die. But I have never been!! I was going to go for my honeymoon...yeah. Since that's not happening, its starting to look more and more like I won't be going until I take my own kids there. And by that time, it will look pretty weird if I'm jumping onto rides, especially if my kids don't want to ride them with me.

I just want to do something Disney related. Whether I go to Disney Land or Disney World, go on a Disney Cruise...heck, I'd love to just work at Disney at this point. I just want to be able to enjoy the magic while I'm still (mostly) young. 

--Lexi Lou

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 14

Day 14: A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without...

This is me and my bestest friend in the whole world... and no, its not the Little Caesars guitar guy. Sierra, I LOVE YOU!! (Not even sure if you read my blog, but just thought I'd let the world know.) 

Sierra and I met in eighth grade. She was friends with my friend's friend. We got to know each other then, and were friends ever since. That's when we came up with our inside joke. Nylons! That's kind of our way to say I love you now. We started getting closer in high school, but lost contact our junior year. Then, senior year rolled around. I'm not even sure how exactly it all came together, but I'm so glad it did. We got really really close, and have been since. 

Sierra is the best friend I have ever had. I can talk to her about EVERYTHING! And I'm there to listen to her too. We can have tons of fun, but then we need to get serious its no problem. I love bouncing ideas off of her. She was going to be co-maid-of-honor (along with my sis) at my wedding, and she will be at my next one too. 

Words cannot describe how much I love her! I feel like we are long lost sisters (funny, because we're really different too). Even though we don't get to see much of each other (she and I went to different colleges and she's in Cali for the summer), I know we'll always be close. And no matter how long the distance or time, we will always be able to pick up where we left off. 

Again, I love you Sierra!! Nylons forever and ever!!

--Lexi Lou

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 13

Day 13: A picture of your favorite band or artist...

Wow, picking my favorite band or artist is like picking a favorite family member. I can't do it! I love music so much! Its a part of me. It gets me through stuff I wouldn't be able to get through on my own. So, instead, I'll pick my top 5 songs and post pictures of those artist...

Problem is, trying to think of five of my favorites, I can't think of any! There are so many songs that I love! So I guess I'll post the songs that mean the most to me right now.

5. Stronger by Kelly Clarkson

Its kind of obvious why this song would be in my top five of right now. Its all about overcoming relationships and the fact that you're probably better off once its over. My favorite line is "Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone." I really feel that way about my situation. I feel like everyone is holding on. They keep asking me if I'm ok. When I reassure them that I am, they look me like they're saying, "Are you sure?" 

I am grateful for the time that I had with my ex. Now I am looking forward to the future, and I'm not going to let the past ruin that. All it will do is make me stronger.

4. Raise Your Glass by P!nk

This song has been one of my favorites since high school. I always felt like I was on the cusp of being "socially acceptable". Sure, I stand out in a crowd and do crazy things. This song is like an anthem to me, as it is to all my fellow weirdos. 

(I didn't post the official video because of language and some...weird and somewhat inappropriate stuff in the video. But you are, of course, free to look it up on your own)

3. Honey Bee by Blake Shelton

Honestly, this is the only song of his (that I know of) that I listen to. Though I like country, I don't listen to it very often. This song has captured my heart. Its so sweet! (Not to mention the music video is adorable!)

I want a man who will love me like this. We will be complete on our own, but together we'll make something even better.

2. Elephant Love Medley from Moulin Rouge

This is another great love song that is just amazing! Technically it is a compilation of many great love songs. I think that's why it is so great. It takes all the best and puts them into one place and one story. (For a list of the songs in this beautiful song, click here.) These two characters are a perfect example of true love, and this song fits them.

Sorry for the Spanish subtitles

1. We R Who We R by Ke$ha 

I know, I know. Ke$ha's lyrics are not always the best. Her songs are so fun and addicting though. I struggled to pick between this one and "Your Love is My Drug". I figured since I've already done two love songs this one would be fine. Its all about just getting out there and having a good time despite what people think of you. I myself am trying to let go of my inhibitions. This song is a good way to warm myself up to that.

I didn't post the official video for this song for the same reasons as the P!nk one. Again, feel free to look it up on your own if you'd like. 

This list will probably change tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day! Pinning down these five as my favorite (right now) was really hard. Maybe I should post songs regularly? I think that might be fun! Let me know in the comments if that's something you might be interested in.

--Lexi Lou

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 12

Day 12: A picture of something you love...

I cannot begin to tell you how much I love sushi! I love all food, of course. That's where my weight problem has come from. Sushi, though, is my absolute favorite of all time! 

What I really love about sushi is its simple, delicious, and (usually) good for you! My favorite place to go to get sushi is Sushi Monster, by a mall near my home (if you live in the Utah area, let me know and I'll get you the address). Absolutely amazing! Their Vegas Rolls are so good!!! I usually get a Dynamite Roll and a Sushi Rock, along with a Vegas Roll to share with whoever I'm going with (you can't go to sushi by yourself!!).

In all reality, I love all Asian inspired foods. In college I lived off of Taste of Thai microwave meals. So yummy! I love wasabi and ginger. I absolutely love a good plate of walnut chicken or shrimp. 

LOVE LOVE LOVE me some Asian food! 

--Lexi Lou

Ask Me Your Questions!!

Hey there! This will be a short post, I promise. Then you can get back to all the other...interesting(?) posts on my blog...
I want to get to know my audience (the whole five of you!), and I want you guys to get to know me. So here's the scoop. Post comments, questions, queries, whatever to any and every post. I will go through them and select a question to answer. I'll be answering questions starting biweekly on Mondays, maybe progressing to weekly depending on your response!
Now please, there are no dumb questions!! Ask anything you'd like to know! I can't wait to hear from you!

--Lexi Lou

30 Day Photo Challenge: Days 10 & 11

Darn! I missed it again! I got out of rhythm once and now I've got to work my way back into it again. I'm not too worried about it though. Except for the fact that my brother just started playing one of his favorite computer games again and I may have limited time with the computer. Ah well...

Day 10: A picture with the person you do the most crazy things with...

Webcam Craziness

Oh my... My roommates and I have done some pretty funky stuff...

When we were first getting to know each other, we decided to order pizza in a really crazy way. We all dressed up, first of all. Savannah and Jill were dressed up as homeless people and  hid in a dumpster. Janee looked super gangster and had a roll of money to give the delivery guy. I was dressed up as some weird creature in short shorts that yelled like a wookie. Dragon was upstairs to take pictures of it all. Sadly, we didn't realize that Little Caesar's doesn't deliver. RATS! We still had a lot of fun setting it up and then going to pick up our pizza in costume. 

And that was just the beginning of the year. We went to Walmart and were crazy all over the place on our first monthiversary of being roomies. We had a frolic in the park late at night...and that's as far as I want to go with that story! We had a Denny's run (so fun! But I guess not so crazy...) We had tons of fun at dances as well! Janee and I made up a dance that included dance moves from a girl we both know that dances pretty funny, along with "The Creep" at the end. I've already mentioned our sleepover on the pirate ship (Click here for that post). Jill and I locked out Savannah and made her do a scavenger hunt to get back into the dorm while we hacked her computer and put a bunch of pictures of ourselves as her screen saver. Once we got totally hyped up on caffeine (three 8oz RedBull's and a vanilla cola for me...WOO!) and got hypnotized with people in the dorm. Well, I got hypnotized. Everyone else just watched. We were constantly jamming out, especially to our song, "I Just Had Sex" by Lonely Island ft. Akon.

I miss the good times I had with these girls. We had so much fun!!

Day 11: A picture of something you hate...

I HATE HEIGHTS!! This picture makes me dizzy. I want to throw up just thinking about being that high and ON THE EDGE?!? This person is crazy! 

I have dreams where I'll be sitting somewhere up high...and then I just push myself off the edge. What the heck? 

I don't know where this fear came from, probably from me being smart and not wanting to die. Yeah, that's gotta be it. Either way, I'm not a roller coaster fan, I don't ever want to bungee jump or sky dive (NEVER EVER EVER!!!), and I won't go very close to the edge unless I feel 100% safe if I'm anywhere up high. I get nervous standing on tables. It'd be just like me to slip and crack my head open. So nope, not a heights type of gal...

--Lexi Lou

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 6

Day 6: A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day...

For those of you who don't know, this is Shirley Temple. She was my idol when I was a child. I made my mom put me in curlers every night so I could look like her. I had a sing a long tape with just her songs on it. I told people that I was going to be the next Shirley Temple! 

Shirley led an awesome life. She was in her first film, a series of what they were calling "Baby Burlesks", when she was three(1931)! Her first big movie was Stand Up and Cheer. Her acting and dancing career sky rocketed and lasted until 1961. She starred in a total of 43 feature films, not to mention the 14 short films and 25 story book movies she also starred in. In her later years she became involved in politics, being a representative to the UN, ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and the first woman to be U.S. Chief of Protocol. 

Shirley always made me believe that my dreams could come true. I wanted to be an actress on the big screen. Since I'm older, more realistic, and realize that's not going to happen, she still inspires me to do my best and sing my troubles away. 

This is a video of one of my favorite songs of hers. I wish I could get the video of me singing it when I was really little online. Maybe I'll have to make that a project for another day. 

--Lexi Lou

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 1

Hey readers! To get my blogging started, I'm going to try one of these thirty day photo challenge things I've seen done on Facebook. I figured since its the beginning of a new month it'd be best to start today! Just a little something to help you guys get to know me and also a way to get my creative juices flowing. Maybe I'll find something AWESOME to write about!

Here's the list if you guys want to try it yourselves.


Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show
Day 04 - A picture of your night(something you did that night)
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most crazy things with
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate
Day 12 - A picture of something you love
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity
Day 19 - A picture of a letter(like a letter you recieve in the mail)
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change
Day 25 - A picture of your day
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

There is a second list I may start after this one is complete. Hopefully I will actually stick to it.

Ok, so Day 1: A picture of myself and ten facts...

Ten facts about me... hmmm...

1. I am the oldest of five siblings, the youngest just about to turn 5

2. I love watching movies that make me cry

3. Don't give me caffeine unless you are prepared to listen to me laugh at things you will never understand
4. I love acting!
5. My favorite hymn is #89 How Firm a Foundation
6. I didn't get my first kiss until my Freshman year of college...
7. When I was growing up, I wanted to be the next Shirley Temple
8. I am somewhat geeky sometimes
9. My favorite book EVER is Pride and Prejudice
10. I am lactose intolerant. I can't eat dairy unless its in something or (depending on what kind of dairy) in very small amounts. A sad thing considering how much I LOVE ice cream

Wow, it was harder than I thought to think of ten things people might actually want to hear. The last one kind of counts as two in my book. I can't wait to do the rest of these!

--Lexi Lou

P.S. In case you guys were wondering, my weight loss things should be coming in the mail TODAY! So next Wednesday I'm starting my Weight Loss Wednesdays. Every Wednesday I'll be posting about my progress and challenges. Maybe even a picture? But I'm not so sure how comfortable I am with that yet. Can't wait to start it though!