My Favorite Things

Once a year, sometimes in December, Oprah does her famous "Favorite Things" episode. She walks on stage, and announces the episode, and everyone in the audience screams and jumps up and down (even though most of them are NOT wearing sports bras...decorum, people!) and cry, because Oprah's favorite things are fabulous, and once she talks about them, everyone in the audience gets one. For instance, this December, everyone got an Ipad, very expensive cookware, sparkly Uggs, Coach purses, a Kindle, thousands of dollars worth of gift cards, and various other expensive items.

Well, this is my very own "favorite things" blog. The difference is, I'm not going to give any of you anything. I'm just going to make recommendations, which you may take or leave at your leisure. And yes, this is another "list" blog. I'm sorry if they are getting redundant.



1) Taylor Swift. I know, I know, she's not exactly quality. But the farther she gets from country music (and her latest album, Speak Now, is about 95% pop music) the more I like her. I also respect the fact that, although she cannot sing live very well, she writes all of her own songs. And they are catchy, fun, likable songs.




2) Elizabeth and the Catapult. This is a truly talented band made up of a trio from Brooklyn, NYC. They are a bit quirky, but she writes great, catchy, original music. They don't remind me of anything...they are uniquely them.





3) The Hunger Games. This trilogy of books by Suzanne Collins is one of the best things I have read in a long, long time. The best comparison I can make is that they are like a mix of The Giver and Lord of the Flies, with just a tiny bit of romance thrown in. (Thank you, Liana, for that succinct observation.) They are written for teens, but I cannot imagine anyone NOT liking them. I've been feeling lately that the young adult fiction section of the book store was a little weak. It's been a mix of Twilight knock-offs and Harry Potter wanna-bes, with a few dozen Gossip Girl spinoffs. It was refreshing to see something NEW and of substance on the shelves. Seriously, read them!


4) Decision Points by George W Bush. I don't care what you think of the man's politics, it's a good read. It gives a lot of insight into his Presidency, and it's an interesting book. He focuses on the highlights and lowlights of his eight years in office, talks about the major decisions he had to make, why he made them, which ones were right, and which ones he regrets. One of the things I appreciated about his autobiography as compared to others that I've read is that I didn't feel that he was trying to persuade me of anything. There was no agenda, no intense political jargon. It was simply his story, what he did, and why.


5) Black Swan. I can't delve too much into this without giving a lot away, but this is an excellent movie. From one of my favorite directors, Darren Aronofsky, (Pi, and Requiem for Dream), this film is intense from the very first moments of the film. It's a psychological thriller, not a "bad guy in the shadows" kind of movie. It messed with my mind, and had a fantastic ending. Natalie Portman was truly incredible. See it!


6) My new favorite website, budgetbytes.blogspot.com. For those of you on a tight grocery budget, you know that it is difficult to be a gourmet chef when you have to be cheap. I have a zillion recipes in my cookbooks that I would love to try, but the ingredients are just too much to buy for one meal. Budgetbytes is written by a young woman who loves to cook, and is also poor. I love this blog. Most of the recipes are simple, but very, very tasty! She puts the overall price for the meal, and what it costs per serving. Plus, she lists the price for each ingredient. She uses a lot of basic ingredients that I already have in the house, or can buy in bulk. That way, I don't buy something for one meal and then the rest of it goes bad. Her recipes also tend to be pretty healthy, which is a plus. Eating a healthful, delicious diet can be very expensive. Some of her recipes she creates herself, and some she finds online or gets from friends. Anyway, this week I planned out my meals from her blog, got enough food for FIVE DINNERS (counting on leftovers twice...many of her meals make 4 or 6 servings) and I was 20 dollars under budget. The first meal tonight was a big hit.



So there you have it. Six of my favorite things. Wish I could give you all a free car, but you'll have to go see Oprah for that.

Love to you all,
Lissa

New Year, New Adventures

Happy 2011 to you all!! I hope everyone's New Year celebrations were as fabulously fun as mine were. Nathan and I made the longish drive to Zimmerman to spend the New Year with Nathan's best friend, and several other people. It was a fun, food-filled evening, and included several rounds of Texas Hold-em. I kicked butt. I am a fabulous liar. Must be all that theatre.

I'm really not of the belief that life starts anew just because it's January again. For me, the new year mostly means that I have to go buy a new calendar, which is simply annoying. I never make resolutions. If I want to accomplish something, I will do it when the time is right, not when the ball in Times Square drops. January 1st is one of the few times during the year when I feel cynical compared to everyone around me.

This year, however, I will admit to some growing excitement about 2011.

First off, I am officially starting school again on January 10th! I'm taking 6 classes, and 18 credits. Taking a break was definitely the right choice, but I can't wait to get back into the swing of things. The very thought of sitting in an early morning class with a giant mug of coffee and a three-ring binder full of notes makes me giddy with excitement. And homework, and writing papers, and arguing with stupid professors...gosh I'm such a freak. And I love it!

Next, the new year brings the beginning of the volleyball Junior Olympic season. I am coaching on of North St Paul's 16's teams. We've only had 3 practices, but I can tell that I have a real team on my hands. The girls are hardworking, fun, competitive, and they have a really good chemistry with each other. Also, I only have one team of nine girls to coach, as opposed to 2 teams with 16 girls. Practices are so low maintenance when you don't have to constantly keep 16 ninth graders occupied. The practice schedule is much more relaxed, too. Just two 1 1/2 hour practices a week, and tournaments every other weekend, as opposed to several hours every day, plus travel for game days. Also, I get some flexibility with my practice schedule, so I can make sure it doesn't interfere with school or theatre.

Which brings me to the next item...theatre! It's been far too long since I've been on stage, and I'm aching to get back to it. Unfortunately, NWC is not doing a show that I have much interest in this spring, but I may end up auditioning anyway. And there are several community theatres in the area that are doing shows that I have been wanting to do for quite a while now. I don't know where or when exactly, but I WILL be back on stage very, very soon.

And finally, yoga. Now, I know it is very cliche of me to add a health-resolution to my list, but yoga is something I've been wanting to do for a long time. One of my major weaknesses in a theatre audition is dance. Also, I have frequent, extreme headaches. I've been told that yoga will make me more flexible, balanced, coordinated, and help with the headaches. Basically, it's magical. So I thought I'd give it a try. One of my friends (who is a yoga instructor in Hawaii...yes, I am jealous also) sent me a link to a website she likes. They email you daily for a month with different instructional videos, that teach you the basics. By the time the month is up, you have enough experience to continue on your own. And it's free, which is good, since yoga classes can be very spendy. Also, this way, I don't have to embarass myself in front of a bunch of skinny, blonde girls who have years of experience doing downward dog and the pretzel. I'll keep you all updated on my yoga progress. I'm sure you can't wait.

So that's what my 2011 looks like. Thanks for reading!

Love to you all,
Lissa

Newest Endeavors

I like lists. I like them because usually, if I put something on a list, it gets done. That's how I managed to plan a wedding. But I don't make lists often enough, which means that I don't accomplish what I should. I made a list of the things I wish to do in the next few months. I'm going to post it here so that everyone will know if I don't accomplish what I want to. Pride should keep me going.

1) French. I began learning the language with the Rosetta Stone program this summer, and then promptly quit. So I'm restarting the learning process.

2) Writing. I finished my novel ages ago, re-read it, and promptly decided that I hated it. But I love to write, and there is no reason I'm not writing things that I DON'T hate, so that I can actually get something published. Matt is planning on retiring on the large amounts of money I will make from my huge success as a novelist, so I should get on that.

3) Health. I've been doing very well here lately. (I'm going on two years without a hospital visit...That's the longest it's been since fifth grade.) I've been taking vitamin supplements, drinking lots of green tea and water, etc. Recently I've begun to work out again. All of this is good. Now I want to keep it all going.

4) Reading. There are oodles of books on my list that I need to read. I need to spend less time on facebook and more time reading quality literature that will improve my mind and my vocabulary, thus ensuring less usage of words like "oodles".

5) Drink more coffee. Just kidding. But I felt that my list needed a fifth item.

Love to all!
Lissa Hoarn

Oddest Things

If you could describe me in one word, what would it be? For those of you who like me, it might be bubbly, outgoing, or confident. For those of you who don't, it might be bossy, annoying, a tad overbearing. For those of you who love me (yes, siblings, I am talking to you...and Liana) it might be obnoxious, air-headed, loud, or amazonian.

But I can almost guarantee that none of you would choose the word "maternal." I am so not the nurturing type. That's Becky, and more recently, Sheryl. (That transformation came as a bit of a surprise...just kidding, Sheryl.) That's not me.

So maybe it's all the time I've spent with Delaney and Tyler lately, or maybe it was the several months of looking after 16 ninth graders, or perhaps it's the whole marriage thing, but my behavior has been shockingly maternal lately.

I've been cleaning the house...regularly. I've been cooking. I made a grocery list. spent the last hour looking at the 2010 list of top 100 baby names. And get this...today, I PICKED OUT THE SCHOOL I WANT MY KIDS TO GO TO.

Well, I picked out the schools. The good news is, they are all top prep schools where almost every kid goes to an Ivy League college, and they are all in Manhattan. The bad news is, the yearly tuition for all of them is higher than my college education is costing me. So I guess I have to be rich before I have kids.

But seriously, I'm starting to freak myself out. The other day, I changed Delay's poopy diaper..AND I DIDN'T GAG. That's a first for sure, even after all of Anna and Bethany's diapers.

Don't worry...kids are still a long way off...like, 8 years off. At least. I'm sure that this is just an odd, hormonal phase I'm going through, and next week, or next month, or tomorrow, I'll be over it.

I sincerely hope so.

Love to you all,
Lissa

Things I Like About the Nilius House

Becky and Joel's normal day care lady just got a new job, so they asked me to take over for the two days a week that Becky works, just until I go back to school and Becky starts working from home. Today is my first day, and here is a list of things I enjoy.

1) Laney. This is an obvious one, but seriously, this little girl is so much fun. There is nothing better than hearing "Ishy...Ishy!!!!" from her crib when she wakes up from a nap.

2) Food. Becky and Joel have great food...I love Double Stuffed Oreos, and Sour Cream and Onion chips.

3) Singing! I can sing as loudly as I want to, and there are no apartment neighbors to hear me. Also, Laney things that my operatic attempts are hilarious, so that's a plus. When I stop she says "gain!!" and I get to keep singing. Her favorite is when I go really high and cross my eyes.

4) Television. I got to watch The Today Show AND The Tyra Show today...and a few minutes of Elmo's World on Sesame Street. It's been a while since I've been able to watch anything but DVD's and Netflix.


Love to to all!
Lissa

Things to Be Thankful For

I stole the title of the blog from Sheryl, who stole it from Becky. So the good news is, all of the women in my family are thankful. Here is my list.

1) I'm thankful for my husband. Every day I think "I can't believe I found him". Pretty sure God custom designed us for each other, because we are freakishly compatible. He is so selfless and giving and loving.

2) Family. I am blessed with an incredible family. My mommy is pretty much the most awesome person I know, and I have four of the craziest, loudest, most obnoxiously wonderful siblings in the world. And now that we've all found a significant-other, we've doubled in number and noise. I cannot wait for them all to come home!!

3) Theatre...and school. These sorta go together, because I took a short break from both of them this fall. I'm so glad I did, because now I am anxiously awaiting the start of second semester so that I can get back to what I love...the classroom and the stage!!

4) I'm not pregnant. This is a random one, but I'm so paranoid about getting pregnant that I always think I am. I'm not. So thank you, Lord, for birth control.

5) Books. Every time I spend a few hours immersed in a story, and then pull myself from it, I'm amazed at how far out of this world my mind can travel. Literature has allowed me to experience things that would otherwise be impossible.

6) All the little things that I can't get enough of...coffee, snow, fireplaces, coffee, volleyball, high heels, coffee, shopping, coffee, big cities, NBC news, lip gloss, peppermint, candlelight, snuggles, and coffee.

And of course, I am thankful for all of you.

Love to you all,
Lissa

My Life in a Painting

Once upon a time, a little girl, about 9 years old, went to the Mall of America with her aunt. Toward the end of the expedition, they wandered into an art store. While the grownups around her had a very long and boring conversation about frames and interior decorating, she flipped through a pile of prints sitting on the table. It was there that she stumbled upon a piece of art known as "The Accolade". And she was in love.

I can remember that day like it was yesterday. I remember how reluctant I was to go into a boring art store, and how much more reluctant I was to be dragged away from that beautiful, beautiful print.

I am no art expert. Show me a painting, and the only thing I will be able to say is whether or not I like it. But for me, that is what art is all about. Beauty is, after all, in the eye of the beholder. I enjoy Monet. Picasso often freaks me out. But for me, if an artist can make me feel something, something genuine, real, something connected to what I see before me, then he or she is a success. If I look at a painting, or a drawing, and my emotions overwhelm the obnoxiously critical part of my brain, and I find I cannot critique at all, that artist has truly created.

It must be noted that I do not always necessarily like the pieces that summon such emotions. A piece that upsets or angers me is not likely to find its way to my living room wall, but it is no less appreciated for what is has done.

Edmund Blair Leighton is such an artist. Perhaps the part of me that loved him when I was 9 is the part that hasn't really changed much. You know...the part that likes Lords and Ladies and Castles and Masked Balls. The part that wants to put on a long, flowing renaissance gown and promenade dramatically through fields of harebells and thistles. That is what keeps me going back to my computer to stare at his paintings again and again.

Nathan bought me a tapestry of one of my favourite Leighton paintings, The Accolade, as a wedding gift. Its gorgeous, and it hangs on the wall right next to my bed.





I look at it every night as I'm falling asleep. There have been so many times when I've wished I could pull a Mary Poppins, close my eyes, and jump right into the picture. Wouldn't that be wonderful? To be able to live all of my favorite works of art.

And recently (within the last few years) they stumbled across this painting, also by Mr. Leighton. In the picture, the lady (whom you should recognize from "The Accolade") is tracing the shadow of her lover so she will have something to remember him by as he goes off to war. I adore it.



Of course, even just prints of this particular piece are several hundred dollars right now, so it will have to wait. It does make a lovely desktop background for my computer, though.

Thanks for reading my random ramblings about things that have little significance to anyone except myself.

Love to you all,
Lissa