Heroic barista's and flying food: Awkward and Awesome Thursday #6

It seems like forever since I've done an Awkward and Awesome post!--glad so many of you enjoy this feature, because I really have fun with it. Here's a little sampling of the last several months. . .now, and, uh, lets not think of the future just yet. :P After all, "awkward" is my middle name. :cough: Like the time I dropped. . .oh yeah, and then I slipped. . .never mind. :P Don't forget to comment with some horrible-hilarity yourself! (and while your at it, I'd love to hear what "awesome" things God is doing in your life. :) 

Awkward

• Walking into a restaurant with a younger sister and being questioned by the hostess--"what's up, girls?" Um, ok, so I know we LOOK like loitering twelve year olds, but really? REALLY?? 
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• Making cake for company. Hm? Oh, the soupy-chocolate batter all over the kitchen? That was SUPPOSED to happen. Secret ingredient. 
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• The swollen-look-of-gloom that continually met me in the mirror for nearly two weeks. It's called canker sores.   
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• Waking up too quickly for work, blacking out, and smacking my chin on the dresser. Goodbye teacup collection!
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• Posing as the semi-official "coffee girl" at a friends wedding a few months ago. . .and forgetting to turn the hot water knob OVER the industrial sized coffee machine. Result? Scalding water. Everywhere. Hey, laughter (and plenty of towels,) covers a multitude of sins.
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• Weeding in the rain. As in, the landscaping looked better pre-mud-clods-all-over-the-grass. If I ever get my flip-flops clean again, I'll let you know. 
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• Picking window seats for EVERY flight (trip to Washington,) and. . .after several long moments of indecisive agony and torture, asking in an oh-so-small-voice if the two gentleman sitting next to you would "mind getting up for just a second"? 
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• Battling an earbud package--you know the kind that have the bubble case and just refuse to open without scissors?--with a pen. And punching a hole in it. Only to realize, after further warfare, that you just CAN'T pull the nasty pink things out. Meanwhile, no one is taking pity on you, the flight attendant isn't allowed to carry scissors #refrainsfromsarcasticcomment and your 30 minutes of free airport WiFi is dwindling. 

           I'm pretty sure Caribou Coffee barista's with knives will always and forever be my heroes.

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• Wearing a borrowed maxi skirt. . .in the rain. I had to roll it up about 10 times to keep the hem off the ground.  You can imagine what it looked like before I came to this ingenious decision. 

Awesome

• The first rodeo of the year. Nothing quite like cowboys, crazed, bucking bulls, ice cream, and good old fashioned Americana. 
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• Discovering the Love Comes Softly series. Like I mentioned in my last post, sometimes cheesy, heartwarming romance just hits the spot. And this is coming from an hater of Christian romance. Yes, you may congratulate me. ;) 
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• Spiritual wrestling. We serve a powerful, Only-Wise Lord! 
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• Buying everyone coffee. . .at the zoo. Gotta do things in style. B) 
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• Coming home from nannying to a warm shower, a more-then-half-way completed blog post, (double win!) and a plateful of peppers with hummus. This, my friends, is what I call living. 
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• Spending an afternoon with Beyond the Mask friends. And gushing over teapots. And eating pizza. And exploring the Shire. And talking about Adventures in Odyssey. And just being totally blessed. . .because fellowship is food for the soul. 
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• Seeing my friends and all-time favorite Celtic music group this weekend, The High Kings.  'nuff said.  
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• Waking up early to drive nearly two hours for the girls assessments with mom; a chatting, laughing, frozen yogurt kinda deal. Sometimes the smallest things bring the biggest joys!
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• Getting "brown paper packages tied up with string" from one of my Lovelies. Yes Danielle, I'm looking at you! ♥ 
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• Conversations with three year olds. Just yesterday while nannying, "Mimi" (that would be Yours Truly) and the twins were discussing all the awesome-points of Mimi. . .such as "well, Mimi jumps on the trampoline," to which one of them adds, "that's because your short enough!"  
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• Nearly completing a journal. This my friends, is a huge milestone coming from a girl who for years would write two. . .or three. . .pages at a time. As in, that was the extent of all and every journal I tried writing (for "my future grandchildren." I know, lame. :P ) Until now. Very proud of myself, to say the least. :) 
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• Falling in love with thread crochet all over again. 

"I must be a mermaid. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living."

Les Mix. {Awkward and Awesome Thursday #5}

Awkward

• that moment every Monday when one of the two year olds you nanny asks "can we watch the acorn story?" and you realize she's talking about Richard Armitage reading 'The Lost Acorn'. ok, so it's adorable. . .but her mother is probably wondering WHO Richard is ("I want to hear Richard read Acorn!") and WHY her daughter has a sudden love for the name Stanley. 

{these videos, btw, are highly-awesome. and adorable. and i'll stop fangirling right now.}

• spending alllll day in the kitchen making homemade linguine. and washing and re-washing hundreds of dishes. and realizing that after all the work. . .all the labor of love and deliberate rolling and re-rolling of the pasta dough, making perfectly thin, perfectly delicate linguine. . .its gone, devoured, and utterly consumed within a few minutes.

{Salmone, Piselli, e Pasta, aka, Salmon, Peas, and Pasta. made by Yours Truly. photo by Anna}

• getting a phone call from a stranger. . .from my cell. and the confusion of "how" and "why" it fell out of my pocket, since i hadn't been outside that day. #storyofmylife
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• the "i-think-i'll-just-crawl-under-a-rock-now" feeling when you write a "who do you think you are?" note to a friend then realize they were joking the entire time. 

{yeah, my comment above? this is how i felt. *ahem* photo by a friend in MI  }

  

• typing on my new Kindle. and laughing at all the typos (curse you, automatic spell-check!) "Les Mix" is the all-new, Michaela-style "Les Miz". makes it that much more special. ;)

{via}

Awesome

• opened doors suddenly gaping through life's canvas; me up until Sunday. now I'm faced with this new job opportunity (outlined in jest above. it's really that bad, but it's also something i have to consider. if you think about it, please pray for wisdom!) 
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• when your mom randomly brings home a tray of sushi on snowy afternoons. 
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• fuzzy-rainbow-monkey socks. some things you just never outgrow. like newly opened-crayons and Strawberry Shortcake coloring books.

{pic by Anna}

• FINALLY getting my hair trimmed. it's been since July. . .and well, scraggly spaghetti-ends and i don't get along very well. it's back to it's usual length now--right below my shoulders, and i'm a much happier girl. 
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• getting all the details--flight, pick up, tickets, hotel, and whatnot, for the 2013 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival! Whooohooo I can hardly wait! so many of my Beyond the Mask friends will be there it's not even funny--annnddd if YOU are planning to attend, why don't you let me know in a comment? i'd love to meet you!
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• my new Kindle Fire HD. i never wanted any kind of portable computer, but now that my Kindle and i are well acquainted, i LOVE it. he needs a name though. any suggestions? 
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• evenings around the fireplace munching date-nut cookies and watching The Andy Griffith Show.
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• seeing the Lord work in my life and the lives of my friends; new friendships that inspire me in my Walk; vindication in area's of confusion; helping and praying for those around me. God Works in mysterious ways--and isn't it an adventure, watching Him Work? Praising my Jesus today for His providence and strange, merciful love for me.

{via}

thanks for letting me ramble--it's been awhile since i've written a good 'Awkward and Awesome' post. i'm currently writing a review of The Hobbit, so keep an eye out. that should be up next, if my Vlog doesn't make it first. in the meantime--what's been awkwardly-awesome in your life lately?

PS--I'd like to invite you to read my friend Audra's blog, My Sock Monkey Life. She is a beautiful young mom and very inspiring person. Please leave a comment, follow, or just pop in to say hello! :) 

For sewing and Narnia!--an Awkwardly Awesome week {#4}

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aka--the adventures of returned warriors. Get ready--this is going to a huge, information-packed post. Have fun. ;) Note that all the pictures (unless otherwise specified,) were taken by my highly-talented photographer friend, Brandon Pieplow. 

 

{part of the Beyond the Mask costume production team hard at work} Photo courtesy of Brandon

As my sister Anna said in her facebook status: we went. we saw. we SEWED. Yes folks, I have returned from one of the most beautiful "retreats" ever--in all my 21 years. Sorely missing my long morning walks. . .I'm convinced it's impossible not to feel spiritual in the country. Go ahead, laugh--country is in my soul. I realized that all the more when I was alone; me, my prayers, my voice, and my God. Corn fields hedging me in on every side, open skies, a huge, over-grown puppy of a lab for company, a house full of amazing young people, and costumes waiting to be sewed. Oh, yeah. Remember my fears? Point made--the dresses weren't completed, but that may have to do with all the breaks Anna and I took--I mean, it was perfect outside--and there were kittens. Hey, there is more then a month more of costume production--so, even though we can't get the time off (for another week-long trip,) we should be heading back a couple of weekends. 

{gorgeous countryside--I so miss my morning walks.} Photo courtesy of Brandon 

So I'm turning this post into a review-of-the-trip AND Awkward and Awesome Thursday, since there were thousands of Awkward (some Awful) and Awesome  moments. Which, btw, before I continue, we finally--finally--saw all three Narnia movies. :gaspanddoublegasp: The books are great--the movies. . .are incredible. Except for The Dawn Treader--sorry to any fans out there--that is probably one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It reminds me of a computer game. But to quickly sum up--(this is going to be hard)--Prince Caspian was by far my favorite. Detest the romance to every degree possible--but the movie had just the right amount of dark and dramatic and suspense and reality and more dark and some funny. . . to make it reach into the depths of my soul. Which means it was good. ;) I need dark. Not gross dark--tragic, beautiful dark. :cue Les Miserables: 

 

{via}

Aslan was terrific--really loved putting the allegory into visual-perspective (though I have very mixed feelings in that department). He gave me the same choked-feeling I get whenever his name appears in the books. Very powerful character. Ok, now that I think about it, Eustace made The Dawn Treader. . .digestible. Best casting EVER. (quick, quick Michaela, sum up--get to the point!) Caspian's accent was AWESOME. Much approved. Reepicheep--"You people have no imagination!" Anna and I should have never heard that quote. ;) Lucy is adorable. . .but here's the big question: who was my all-time favorite character (next to Aslan, of course) ? So hard for me not to spill it all over this post. But this character belongs in a post of it's own. Loved this character in the book--loved this character before I saw the films--and loved this character ever more after watching the films. Just GUESS. Shouldn't be too hard. 

Awesome

  

Photo courtesy of Brandon

• Finally knowing where The Vacation will take place--North Carolina. And my beloved Tennessee. The Lord worked the details out so perfectly--and gave us a completely new route/destination. I can hardly wait--2 days exploring NC beaches, a longish drive up to Pigeon Forge, then a few more days in a Smokey Mountain cabin. Hopefully I'll be able to recruit those guest posters this time. 
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• Spending time with old friends--and bonding with several new ones. 9 days sewing together will do that to people. And yes, there was massive sewing--the basement was crammed full of machines, racks of historically accurate clothing, conversation, teasing, and MUSIC. Soundtracks, The High Kings, and Les Miserables reigned. I was satisfied.
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• Instantly connecting with someone then being asked, "do you know each other?" Kindred spirits!

  

Photo courtesy of Brandon

• Getting caught in an "almost tornado". Frightening while driving through wind and flying debris, but incredible to see our God's mighty hand! The long, wet walk in the woods that followed was magical--I loved discovering a civil-war era cemetery, piecing together the lives of a man who had 2--or was it 3--wives? o.O That and ice cream totally made up for the storm. 
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• English and Scottish country dancing almost every night.
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• Watching The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian with a room-full of armored, sword wielding homeschoolers {at midnight}. 
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• Random bursts of  "Onnnnneee daaaayyyyy moooorrreeee!" 

 

Photo courtesy of Brandon

• "Adopted brothers". The Lord has really blessed us as we've gotten older--with male friends who treat us as sisters, with respect and brotherly love. It's a special thing.
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• Standing outside in 90 mile per hour wind. 
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• Cheesy-bread-pizza-and-pop night around The Guns of Navarone. I forgot how much I liked Gregory Peck. Acting just isn't acting nowadays.  
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• Completing my petticoat, stays (curse those wretched things!) and shift. 
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• Being called "a little girl" by a 4 year old, then later told, "you aren't my friend, your my family!" Our "secrets" every afternoon (aka my precious strawberry-cool mints. . .I was nice and offered the "to share" side :P ) were really special. . .to both of us. 

 

{yes, there's a sneak peek of Anna and I!--watching the Ultimate game. Told you I'd bow out. ;) } Photo courtesy of Brandon

Awkward

• Announcing "yeah, I started crying when Andrea Bocelli SPOKE" {at the concert}--to be met by blank stares. 
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• Finding ones hosts cleaning spilled coffee--overflowed from the full pot YOU made. (totally hooked on Hawaiian and Peruvian coffee, btw. Yes, the fast is broken!)  
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• Waking early for my morning walk. . .this time with Anna . . .only to be chased by a stray dog. (mind you, this is a very abbreviated version.) We walked three miles barefooted--fleeing for ones life and flip-flops don't mix--in 100* weather with no cell phones. Lovely. Thankfully an older woman stopped us from her porch (I could hardly walk at this point--literally,) offered us water, then drove us the rest of the way back. The Lord is so good! 
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• Stopping every couple of minutes while sewing to ask "how do I do this again"? 
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• Forgetting to pack ones toothbrush. Serous panic-time.
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• Random cries of "ow!" when ANOTHER person stepped on a needle, punctured a limb with pins, or sliced into an exposed finger. {battle-wounds of sewing}   

haha. . .sorry, had to include that above pic. ;) This post is awkward enough with sewing and Narnia all mixed together. Two huge highlights of the week, obviously. :sigh: These aren't half the pictures or half of what we did--the baseball game and fireworks and out-doing a poorly done "comedy" act. . .and musket demonstrations and trying to get ready before 7:30 AM. Talking to oneself in an otherwise quiet room. Going completely off my diet and not caring. Stealing (ok, I had permission) a friends book light for late-night reading purposes. Hymn-singing in the van. The M&M party. But I shan't bore you any longer. 

I probably won't be "seeing" you again for the next week or so. Be good, and keep a look-out for guest posters.

another addition of Awkward and Awesome {#3}

i love how throughout the week tons of "awkward and awesome" moments pop into my head. . .then when it comes to actually posting i have no idea what to post. and i'm practically a living billboard of awkward! 

 

Awkward

• saying "hello, how are you?" to a cashier then answering "yes" to the responding inquiry--"great, and you?" don't blame me, i thought he said, "great. is it only you"? [shopping]
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• planning a week-long sewing-costume-spree at a friends house while your employers are on vacation. . .only to realize they aren't leaving until NEXT week. oops. guess we aren't going anywhere right now. {btw, i'm an extra in Beyond the Mask!} when one has multiple film-making friends one *will* be forced into things. ok, the ball scene was an incentive.  
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• getting asked on a date by a random Walmart clerk who's been "admiring" you for several months. AWKWARD. {got the feeling i should avoid shopping altogether? cashiers and i don't mix. or i may have just found my perfect excuse to avoid Walmart. hah.} sorry buddy, i don't date. :P
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• eating about three dozen crackers with cheese when {supposedly} on a diet. {more like upsetting then awkward}. i feel like a total wild thing {if you've read Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild you get the memo ;) }.
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• deciding that poll and all. . .i'm re-naming my blog. . .something quite different than "faith, trust, and pixie dust". my apologies, Peter--you and Neverland are in my heart. just not in my blog title.

Awesome

• listening to "Romantic Flight" from How To Train Your Dragon {which I haven't seen} over and over and over as i type. i could seriously listen to this all day.
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• tee-shirts and pearls. hot pink headscarves. really loving the carefree boho/maxi/beach look. i'm not at all "boho" in style, but it's fun to incorporate some of the more feminine pieces into my wardrobe. like headscarves and maxi skirts. which, btw, i've finally found a maxi that FITS. this is a miracle--because even chopping the bottom off most doesn't help. . .the hips fall in the wrong place. Target, i love you.
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• weekends away with mom and Anna {CHEO--Christian Home Educators of Ohio}. which means Eric and Leslie Ludy {CANNOT WAIT} and Voddie Baucham.
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• inspiration--the Dare to Wear Denim Challenge. i'm working on it now and am super thrilled to share it with you! keep watching this spot--lets show that denim {and skirts in general} does not = frump. dream in jean. 
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• one's 12 year old sister announcing she's Confederate--"because the other side supports bad government stuff". smart girl. and here's her undecided sister talking. ;) 
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• my new strawberry-cool mints with the little "not to share" tab on one end. {the end you naturally pass to mint-wanting folks}. so ingenious.

.specs.

--hot-pink headscarf: Target 

--ruffly grey tee: Old Navy {$4.00 in children's}

--denim maxi: made by me

--pearl bracelets: Kohls  

--rose earrings: Icing {gift}

--pewter wedges {not shown} : Payless Shoes
--mint purse {not shown} : Target

what's awkward and awesome in your week?

the Awkward and Awesome-ness that is Thursday {#2}

{this is NOT a staged picture. yours truly searching for the much lost, not always much beloved phone. 'tis broken, btw.}

Awkward

• seeing Andy Griffith with a baby--blame the spin-off show, Mayberry RFD. {important things in life, obviously.} did you know there *was* a spin-off? The Andy Griffith Show is our families favorite. . but then dad had this grand idea--"try finding "Mayberry RFD" on youtube". different. but i like it. other then the fact that Andy actually married Helen (what was the man thinking?) this just doesn't work. . .i have single-Andy and cute little Opy stuck in my mind forever. 

• searching for my cell phone. . .under my grandparents couch. because i knew i lost it there {over a month ago. i have this habit. . .leave the camera in TX. . .lose my very own cell IN a couch. "blonde" follows me. :P } it was there, btw, wedged in between the metal part that opens and closes the "lazy-boy" seat. the entire neighborhood knew. "I FOUND IT!!! I FOUND IT!!! I FOUND IT!!!

• crying hysterically through a radio drama. more on that in a future post.

• marching around the kitchen, singing at the top of ones lungs--and dad comes downstairs. 

Awesome

• family drives in the country. . .singing bluegrass while trying to decide where to vacation. the overall opinion? somewhere down south. i approve. 

• "Caledonia"--specifically the Celtic Thunder version. . .and yes, i know that as an ardent, fervent, dedicated, utterly-loyal High Kings fan, this is blasphemy. but i don't care. because THK's don't sing Caledonia. . .and i refuse to listen to Celtic Woman for obvious reasons. (that are probably only obvious to me. :P women's voices, to be specific. *ahem* pet-peeve.) love this song, in case you were wondering. "let me tell you that i love you, and i think about you all the time. Caledonia your calling me. . .now I'm goooing home!"

• encouraging talks--"clicking" when first meeting people. like last Sunday. . .at a church we visited. it's nice to know that there are "real" people out there. . .who know they sin, who have been through trials, and aren't afraid to admit it. it's a beautiful, honest, truly Christian thing. Praise the Lord!

• product reviews and giveaway proposals. which reminds me--do not forget to enter to win an item from eShakti. o.O

• Peter Pan. because, "I'm youth, I'm joy. . .I'm a little bird that's broken out of the egg." and looking for fairies with the little ones i nanny. ok, so they *might* only be figurines, but the kids don't know that. ;) 

Your turn!

Awkward and Awesome Thursday {#1}

hello ladies and gents! welcome to the first-ever addition of Awkward and Awesome Thursday! (linking up here.) if you read my Titanic 100 post (yes, I know. . .terribly written. it's called 'writers block' in case you were wondering,) you may have noticed my little "schedule change." i've decided to add some formality--er, consistency to the rambles that is michaela's blog. so you can come back each week and say--"oh yeah, now this is supposed to happen," or "today is when. . ." that sort of deal. so. . .Pinteresting Wednesday's, Awkward and Awesome Thursdays' (alternated each week. decided not to do them EVERY week,) 'My Day' probably Saturdays. . .and regular posts in between, whenever i feel like it. are you with me? 

moi. . .and my mom. this is very normal, usual, brilliant. . .perfect when boredom strikes at the bluegrass jam. 

Awkward--

• when an elderly gentleman asks you to dance with him. i'd love to, only the hillbilly-hoedown-stomp isn't my style. "oh, but the longer you wait, the more bashful you'll get about trying." yeah. can you just see me in the middle of the room, shuffling along to bluegrass music, in a church-building ?? o.O 
• when you find yourself talking in the third person while nannying. "just wait until Mimi (aka yours truly,) puts on HER shoes. then SHE'LL take you outside." hey, this is the way 2 year old minds work and comprehend. only i'm not the 2 year old. at least not usually. 
• when Mr. Bingley (aka the young mysterious single guy two doors down,) pulls into his driveway, and mom pulls into the neighbors. . .to "spy". and you look back to see said neighbors sitting in the road, unable to get into their own garage. oh, and Mr. Bingley saw us.
• when you lose your shoes right before leaving work (nannying.) "Well. . .(frantically searching,) you can just let me know if you find them . . .then give them to me next week." we found them on a kitchen chair. 
• when you go to put a jar of pickles in the fridge, and the lid comes off = pickle juice everywhere. sticky, yellow-green, in the drawers and trickling over the floor. this is when a serious amount of patience ("ugh, i can't believe this happened!! it's going to take FOREVER to clean!") and white vinegar come in handy.
• when your puppies fur is full of mats. . .because he needs professional grooming. and he won't sit still to get them picked out. . .i mean, who would actually *like* that? :nervous laugh: maybe i should try brushing him more often. 

see, this is the  culturally "accepted" normal. . .but truly normal people do NOT look like this. ^^

Awesome--

• taking self-portraits with my mom. . .on her iphone. . .in the middle of a bluegrass jam seassion.
• the santa claus man in his straw hat and long white beard screeching out "let the circle, be unbroken!'
• singing (and acting. . .shh, no one's supposed to know,) les miserables loudly upstairs. . .while cleaning . or fixing my hair. or just because. "24601!"
• discovering that as much as i'll never "get" Dr. Who (not that i've watched an episode, but the general idea is there,) David Tennant has the most awesome scottish accent EVER. {it's all your fault, Flop!}
• an incredibly good, new recipe for cookies. from pinterest. best recipe-source in the world. these chocolaty little guys are actually flipped during baking. . .so they turn out slightly browned and crispy and chewy and scrumptious. 
• being off facebook. you know, i don't even think about it?--funny, i can actually "think" now--really think. about important things, like learning more about my Savior. and spending less time on the computer. goodbye politics and drama! i'm a free woman now. B)
• when the twins i nanny are excited about the honey i bring for coffee. . .because Pooh eats honey. and so does Mimi. which makes me special.

and now, ladies and gents, that concludes the first addition of Awkward and Awesome Thursday. Keep, or no keep?--loving that this series "allows" rambling. absolute perfection. oh, and while we're talking, don't forget about the giveaway LPSoaS is hosting, May 14th-24th. really excited about it--this is the first "big" giveaway i've done. keep a lookout!