Let's Talk // Meet the Blogger

In the interest of full disclosure, it's 12:03 am and I'm currently drinking sparkling apple juice and eating Frosted Flakes from the box.  I definitely don't need to be.  

A few weeks ago, my blogger friend Esme from Ezzlepops nominated me for an award post, which means that 1) I feel really flattered 2) I get to answer some questions and 3) I am very, unforgivably late about getting this post written and published.   

1. How's life?

It's a

Five for Friday // Favorite Things of the Week

Hi, everyone.  Hi.  I hope you've had a great week!  Mine's been spent spring breaking in Texas, doing everything from acquiring a really awesome tan line by the pool to learning how to clean shrimp and spending several hours in the car driving semi-aimlessly around the hill country in search of a really big field of blue bonnets.  (I'm still not sure this place actually exists, although I'd like to believe it's out there somewhere.)  Adventure has been had.  Also, I'm re-watching The Office, which I think is almost as good of a life decision as watching it in the first place.  

In the spirit of enjoying this week of no school and extra sunshine, some of my favorite things:

// Decaf Vanilla Mocha Lattes.  That exists, and I've been drinking them every day.  Jealous? We're living at my grandparents' house this week, and they have lots of fancy coffee things that we don't have, so I've been taking this opportunity to channel the inner barista that I never knew I had.  It's been really fun and the highlight of my mornings.  So, yes, I've been feeling very grown up while drinking my decaf coffee with hot chocolate mix and steamed milk and 4+ pumps of vanilla syrup.  

// Sitting in a hammock.  More grandparent house perks.  I think that when I'm a real adult who drinks actual caffeinated coffee in the morning, I'm going to have a hammock instead of a bed.  Because that is the kind of decision an adult gets to make.  

// Time with Jesus.  Sometimes, I forget that taking a few minutes to spend time with God every day is really, really important.  Well, guess what?  It's really, really important.  As in, key-to-living-a-fulfilling-life important, and essential-to-being-remotely-okay-towards-other-people important.  

// Being a flower photographer.  When you go south of Michigan, there are actually things growing everywhere and it's so beautiful and foreign to me after 5 months of winter that I have to take pictures of all of them.  

// Eating all the ice cream. Our family has an unspoken tradition of eating as much ice cream as possible while on vacation.  (Apparently, almost anything can be justified by the words, "It's tradition.")  When we're traveling, there is absolutely no wrong situation, time of day, or price point for ice cream.  If it's there, we're eating it.  It's one of the things I love about my family.  

I'd love to hear some of your favorite things this week!  What have you been up to?

Cheers!

Allie

How Many Michael Scott Quotes? // Liebster Award

Guess what? Hump day!  

Never gets old. 

These last couple days have been a little bit of an emotional roller coaster, partly because I inflicted myself with finally watching the last two episodes of The Office twice in twenty - four hours.  I'd been avoiding finishing the series on Netflix for weeks because I just couldn't bear the thought of the show being over, but I finally broke down and did it.  And then tore my heart out again the next day because I had to watch them again.  I mean, that's like having your fish die twice or breaking your leg twice or going through a break up twice.  (At least, I imagine that's what it's like.)  It was rough.  

In other news, my friend and the blogger behind Just Another Girl nominated me for the Liebster Award, and that's gone a long way in brightening up my Office-less life.  (No, I'm not overreacting, thanks.) The Liebster Award is a way for new bloggers to get to know each other and to being attention to blogs that they think are worth a look - it's really cool!  Because I'm not over The Office yet and I love doing Liebster-y things, alllll of it is here for your enjoyment today. 

1 // What's your favourite season? My instinct is to say spring, but think that's just the cabin fever talking because, nine times out of ten, I'd say fall.  These below-zero temps and ceaseless snow have me wishing for that first day of spring something fierce, I must say.  Honestly, once it hits 30 I'll be pretty happy. 

2 // If you could go to any concert/festival for free which one would you go to?
TSwift.  Sue me. 

I want to dance to Shake If Off and belt Blank Space and jam to all of the old country Taylor and I mean meeting her would be okay.  Plus, front row seats to this would cost in the nieghborhood of millions of dollars normally, so I think this is a good use of my free concert pass.

3 // If you could only live with one make up for the rest of your life which one would you choose?
That's be my foundation, because sometimes my skin decides to mutiny and it's not pretty, and some people just don't understand. 

4 // Whats your most precious item? and how did you get it?
Because I'm a very deep human being with my priorities in order, I tend to like people and memories more than things. 

 Or maybe I just don't really have nice things.  Whatever the reason, it basically comes down the the fact that my most precious item is probably this giant box full of old stuff that I have in my room - things like old movie tickets and notes and art projects that I've kept over the years, because I'm a hoarder. That's a huge cop out because it has a lot of smaller things in it, but it's true. 

5 // What's the one thing you regret doing/look back and cringe at? 
OH BOY.  Since I like the way life is right now, there's not really much that I regret having happen to me. But cringe? How about every day of my life from age 12-14?  (I.e., this post)  I used to do a lot of talking without thinking, and that made me say a lot of really horrible, insensitive things.  Example: one time I told a girl that the guy who'd asked her to a dance had been planning on asking me first.  Which was true, but didn't need to be said.  And I wasn't even trying to be an awful jerk - I just started making conversation and that's where it went. 

6 // What's your favourite part of your body?
I am not good at being serious when complimenting myself or anyone, so here goes nothing.  Deep breath. My legs are my favorite because they're disproportionately long compared to my body which is really convenient for sports things like running. And there it is.

7 // If your life was a movie who would you want to play you/your family?
Zac Efron is my favorite, but I don't think him playing me would work out that well because we're different genders, but I think he could play my dad or something.  I'd play myself, of course, and then we'd become acting buddies and it would be amazing.

8 // Favourite quote? I've got kind of a ridiculous amount of favorite quotes, but one I've been thinking about a lot lately comes from a conversation I had with my grandpa when he came to town a few weeks ago.  He's a psychology major and a PhD and did his dissertation on Family Systems, so he knows a lot of things about people and he told me this:

"You can't blame people or get mad at them for their actions.  People do the best they have with what they know."

And then I wrote this about it. 

(Also, this one.)

9 // If you could star in any movie(new or old) which movie would you like to be in?

Ask anyone who has tried to talk to me about movies and you'll quickly find that I am not good at movies.  In fact, the fact that I've now had to answer two movie-related questions is kind of giving me anxiety.  But, since I have to choose let's say Grease because I've been obsessed lately.  And any movie that Molly Ringwald was in in the 80s, tbh. 

10 // Where do you think the most beautiful place in the world is?

This is so tough!  I think the most beautiful place I've been is either the ocean or a farm in the mountains, but every time I see pictures from rice paddies in China or cliffs in Iceland or those colorful towns on hillsides in Greece, my heart freaks out a little.  Is all the places an okay answer? Because I feel like that's actually the right answer. 

11 // Your dream job as a child and your dream job now?

When I was really little, I think I always assumed I'd be a pastor, like my dad.  He always  wore this cool dress (or robe - I called it a dress) on Sundays, and I was so excited to grow up and wear one just like his someday.  Now, I think it would be really cool to do something that involves psychology and writing and traveling, so if anyone knows of a job like that, let me know please try and convince them to hold it for me for about eight years. Thanks!


The Liebster Award gets passed around by nomination, so now it's my turn to nominate some of my favorite bloggers.  I'm going to do something a little different with this, though.  Instead of writing questions all of the bloggers to answer, I'm going to host a link up right here next Friday so that they can link up one of their most recent posts to share with you all!  That way, you can get a taste of what their blogs are like and what they usually write!

Carolyn from Carolyn's Simple Life

Live from Healthy Liv

Eden from edenroses

Kiera from Narwhal Knits

Viviane from Barely Adult

Danielle from Truly Scrumptious Cakes And Bakes

Rosie and Lydia from Two Little Pigs Down Under

Katelyn Polich from Coffee and a MacBook

Emma from A Child Found

Make sure to be back next Friday to read alllll the posts - they're going to be great!

Allie

P.S. I'm linking up with Nicole at Treasure Tromp, and I recommend it because you can link up whatever the heck you want and Nicole's lovely.

Hi, Nice To Meet You // A Link Up About Getting to Know You

Hey!

I'm Allie, and I'm the girl behind a blog called Reckless, where I write about my life and how I'm learning to love, recklessly! (Hence the name.) But not a boy, because cooties hello! Just the people around me. Things I'm already good at loving: cooking, good, long talks, and pretty things.  I'm also fairly new to the blogging scene, so I'm linking up with Kristen (aka the Miscellaneous Mom) to get to know some awesome new bloggers, and also so you all can get to know me!

Also, I realize that it says Saturday in the title and it's Monday.  I'm a little tardy to the party. 

| What was your favorite food as a child? 

Cheeeeeeeseburgers! I have literally loved them since I was two years old, and I asked for them for my birthday meal for about the first ten birthdays in a row. 

| What's the #1 most played song on your iPod? 

I don't buy music, because I'm cheap thrifty money smart.  However, the song that I always try to trick free Spotify into playing for me over and over is La Da Dee, by Cody Simpson.  Don't make fun of me. 

| What is one of your favorite quotes? 

Hold on, let me consult Pinterest. . . okay! Survey says: 

| What's your favorite indoor/outdoor activity? 

When I'm inside, you'll find me doing anything from cooking to having a solo dance party to DIYing something. Outside, sand volleyball is where it's at! 

| What is your favorite form of exercise?

Erhhm, anything that doesn't feel like exercise?  I like to switch it up - I run, bike, walk, swim, hike, lift weights, play sports, or play active ish video games! As long as I'm moving.  My favorite is probably sand volleyball, though.  Broken record. 

| What is your favorite time of day? 

Morning! I also like sleeping in, but when I'm up, I love it! Plus, morning includes breakfast, which is my absolute favorite meal.  Win-win. 

| What's your favorite mode of transportation? 

This isn't practical, but it would be kind of cool to be able to boat everywhere! 

| What sound do you love? 

The. Ocean. Hands down! 

| If you could throw any kind of party, what would it be like and what would it be for? 

I'd do something for my parent's wedding anniversary - probably try and recreate their reception.  Fly in the wedding party and a bunch of friends, replicate the cake, book the same DJ. 

| If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor? 

They're already around, but I'd pick them anyway: my parents.  They are amazing, and I've seriously learned so, so much from them!  It's scary to think what would happen to me if they weren't my mentors! 

| If you could learn to do anything, what would you do? 

I'd learn to speak a foreign language fluently.  Or maybe Latin.  It's dead, but it would help explain a lot  of our words now and it's pretty. 

| If you had to only work on one project for the next year, what would you do?

Oooohh, I like this question!  Good one!  I'd work on the small group devotional program that we're trying to get started at school.  It's a really cool idea, but it needs a lot of work and my undivided attention could help a lot in that area, I believe! 

| If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to? 

Jane.  It's old fashioned and unique without being too showy. 

| If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, who would it be! 

Malcolm Gladwelllllll!!! Maybe if I post about him enough, he'll invite me to be his personal assistant or something? Maybe?

| What do you want to be when you grow up? 

I want to do education research or something Jesus-y, or both if possible! 

| What would you name the autobiography of your life?

Try Again

| Have you ever had something happen to you that you thought was bad, but turned out to be for the best? 

So, so, soooo many times!  One of my favorites is when I had a really badly broken relationship with a friend, but then got to see it healed in a truly amazing way. 

| What was the last experience that made you a stronger person? 

I'm currently nannying for two boys aged seven and nine.  I learn something every day, and it's definitely making me stronger. 

| What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?

I've had more detentions for dress code violations than I care to admit, and I can be really bad about cleaning up messes.   Like, you should see my room. 

| When was the last time you had an amazing meal?

It'll be a week ago tomorrow (that's how important my food is to me.) It was breakfast in the south - biscuits, grits, peaches, eggs, bacon, orange juice, and milk.  I almost exploded. 

| What do you miss most about being a kid?

I'm still not legally and adult, but what I miss most about being at the younger end of the range of kid ages is having nothing to do.  I'm always really busy, and I wish I could be bored just for a little while!

Love, 

Allie

One Way or Another // Would You Rather

So, I started thinking.  I could be rendered inoperative at any time.  What if I eat myself into a food coma? What if I run a stop sign (not like I ever do that ever) and get hit by a car and knocked out?  Or I just fall asleep for a while? Or someone slips something into my juice box?  There may be some critical questions asked concerning my senses, personal assistants, and the state of my social media platforms, and I want someone to know what to answer for me.  It's in game form to make it seem less morbid and because of Blog Everyday in July.

Would you rather ...

1. Be blind or be deaf

Blind.  I switched my answer like five times, and each time it made me sadder because I realized how awful each one would be.  I had to do positive self-talk ("Allie, you're not really going to become blind or deaf. you're going to be okay. You're going to be okay. ") If I was blind, I could at least communicate withe people pretty easily and it would feel less isolated.

2. Be taller than you are or shorter than you are

Taller.  It would be handy for sports.  I've always wanted to be taller.

3. Be a teenager or a senior citizen for the rest of your life

Senior citizen.  They've got it a lot more together than I do in my current teenage state. 

4. Have no hands or no legs

Shoot, these are good! Legs! That one guy in the Olympics had leg replacements, and he was still fast so that seems like a good choice.  

5. Lose your front teeth or both eyebrows

Teeth.  The fake version of those are more convincing. 

6. Eat a worm or a cockroach

Cockroach.  I feel like the texture of a worm is pretty revolting. 

7. Spend a day in the Sahara or North Pole

Sahara! I have always wanted to go to Africa, so. 

8. Have a personal chef or a personal driver

Personal driver, please! I enjoy cheffing. 

9. Always have to whisper or always have to shout

Whisper.  Shouting hurts, and it would be unacceptable in a lot more situations than whispering. 

10. Can't taste or can't smell

Can't smell.  You can't control when you smell things, so sometimes you smell bad things.  You don't have to taste bad things if you don't want.  Plus, food!  Except smell and taste are connected . . . so is this a trick question?

11. Wipe with sandpaper or saran wrap

Ewwww, saran wrap? Saran wrap.  But I think I can hold it. 

12. Have Twitter shut down for a day or your blog disappear for a day.  

Considering how Twitter is not one of my strong points, it can go and I probably won't miss it. 

13. Text of your blog is screwed up or all the pictures you post on your blog are blurry

I'll take those blurry pictures.  I could probably pass that off as being artsy.

14. Never be able to post another GIF or never be able to receive comments on your posts

Never be able to post another GIF.  I just figured them out and I love them, but I LOVE COMMENTS EVEN MORE! 

15. Have a permanent wedgie or have the tag on your shirt constantly scratch your neck

Is this even a question? Have you ever had a wedgie? Tag, please!

Thanks to Juliette, Faith, and Allie for the write it yourself will would you rathers!

Love,
Allie

Ok, but I'm still not sure about the whole blind/deaf thing, so don't hold me to that. Which would you choose? 

Favorite This // Things I'm Loving

If you're anything like me, and everyone else in the world is anything like you, we spend a lot of time talking about the things we enjoy the most.  Something makes us so happy - whether it's a coworker, a novel, a pet goldfish, a painting - that we just can't contain ourselves and soon enough, everyone knows about it.  Am I right?

Not only can we not help talking about it, but we crave that kind of conversation, looking for opportunities to bring up what we can't stand not to.  I once heard that kind of obsession describing a real, alive relationship with God, and I think that's the perfect way to think about it.  If I was as into God as I was into, say, making French bread from scratch, how would I live? Food for thought.

Anyway, that's what's up today.  Thirty something bloggers, sharing what brings us too much joy not to share, what we've really been wanting to write about this entire time.  Speak for myself -  I better get to the favorites before I explode with not telling you! Here's what's had center stage in my brain lately.

It's kind of taking over my phone.  I now have a folder of blog pictures, plenty of blog apps, and notes on notes on notes of ideas, drafts, color codes - you name it!  I'm kind of like that first-time mom on Facebook with the zillions of pictures of her adorable baby.  So I guess that makes my blog my baby. Cool.

I've always liked frozen yogurt shops, mostly because you get to serve yourself, which means no one else gets to put a damper on my creativity when it comes to the amount and variety of flavors that go into my yogurt cup.  Win! Even with all that freedom, though, I can't pull myself away from raspberry froyo with toasted coconut and liiiiiittle chocolate chips. Mm mmmm!

My dad and I have been hitting the sand volleyball courts down the street for going on five years now, so it's not like I just discovered it.  Lately, though, I've been using it as my workout, and it's a lot more fun for me than running or pushups.  I've got my little brother hooked, so now he's more than willing to play some one-on-one with me.  It's like having my own personal practice partner!

Yeah, I don't know, either.  Usually I'm not a fan of action movies, but I can't get enough of these three lately!  It's a mystery, but I'll take it.

It's a Jesus book, and it focuses on God's love for us.   My goal for our vacation time was to get to know how the Father cares for us, and this book really guided me on the way! (More on that later.) Plus, that ocean backdrop . . . not bad!

Especially when it gives me fresh green beans, which are some of my favorite things ever.  We don't usually eat them at home, but when they're available at weddings or, say, prom or something, I squeeze as many onto my plate as is acceptable is humanly possible.

This baguette was one of the most exciting things that's happened in our kitchen in a long time.  Really, though - did you know you have to throw ice cubes into the oven at the exact same time that you put the baguette in to make the crust crispy? See, lots of action!

If you follow me on Instagram, you may recognize this beaut as my #womancrushwednesday.  That's because, over the last few weeks, I've been surrounded by a lot of rural-ness and kind of fallen head over heels for it.  The people are nice,  life slows down a little, and the landscape is so pretty.  I might need to move permenantly.









The fact that blogging is a current favorite may be due in part to the Blog Everyday in July challenge hosted by Juliette, Faith, and Allie!

Love, 

Allie

Free Tour! Free Tour! // Why Farmington, Michigan is So Great

#beij, photo journal style.  Farmington, Michigan through the lens of my camera.  Your tour includes the river my mom always took (and still takes) us to feed the ducks at,  the park where I finished my first coughcoughandonlycoughcough 10k, a cute downtown cafe, and the neighborhood playground where my sister and I pass lazy, slow summer days.  Enjoy!

But wait, there's more! Juliette, Allie, and Faith are giving tours today, too, so hit them up!

Love,
Allie

Don't Forget The Sentence Endings // The Post Where I Finish A Bunch Of Sentences

Okay, can I just start off by saying that I love comments? I just found myself some Wi-Fi for the first time in a week and I got to respond to a bunch of comments and it was so, so fun.  Yay, human interaction!  Also, I'm currently at a house on a mountain farm, which is just as beautiful as it sounds.  In fact, as this is publishing tomorrow I will probably be somewhere hiking up said mountain to watch the sunrise. My life sucks.  But, I'll be home tomorrow and catch up on reading all the Blog Everyday in July posts that I've missed and dump a bunch of mountain and beach pictures on you, which I'm sure you'll hate. 

Today's #beij (yes, I created that hashtag myself) prompt was to finish a bunch of sentences, so I did that and them some because I'm long winded. Have at it. 

| When I open the fridge, I always hope I find leftovers.  Because what's better than eating delicious food for exactly 0 effort output? Mhm.  My favorite leftovers are bread pudding and French toast.  I don't know, they just taste really good cold and straight out of the fridge.  Probably because sugar and carbs. 

| My favorite article of clothing is OH MY GOSH I don't even have to think about this one! It's my new orange

Dinner Party // The Five People I'd Invite

Today's prompt asked who we'd want to have dinner with if we could choose any five people. Here's my lineup! 

Malcolm Gladwell.  
Age: 50
Claim to fame: Outstanding middle distance runner - ran a 4:05 1500 to win the high school championship of his province.  Author of Outliers, Blink, The Tipping Point, and What the Dog Saw,  and David and Goliath, some of my favorite books of all times.  Writer for the New Yorker.  Writes mostly about the hidden connections in social sciency stuff, which is extremely interesting. 
Pros:  He spends a lot of time interviewing people, so he'd keep the conversation lively and interesting by asking the right questions.  Wikipedia says that he recently rediscovered his Christian faith, so it's be really interesting to talk to him about that.
Cons: I've got him chalked up as one of, if not the most, interesting men in the world.  It would just be a shame if he let me down, but I think the chances of that are pretty slim. 

Sarah Lang.
Age: 122
Claim to fame: Raised eight children on her own after the death of her husband, all of whom grew up to become outstanding fathers, husbands, and now, grandparents.  
Pros:  It must take some kind of person to do that, and I'd imagine that she'd have the best stories to tell. I think I could learn a lot about life from her, and it would definitely shift my perspective on things. 
Cons: Well, there's a picture of Sarah in my grandparents' house (my grandpa is one of the eight), and it's always kind of creeped me out.  So I'd have to get past that. 

Kerri Walsh.
Age: 35
Claim to fame: Three time Olympic beach volleyball champion
Pros:  Every time I've seen an interview featuring Kerri Walsh, she's just seemed to down-to-earth and open, not cocky at all!  It seems like it would be fun just to be around her, plus there's that whole volleyball thing that I'd love to talk to her about. 
Cons: Things could get awkward between her and Great Grandma Sarah. Kerri seems pretty friendly and bubbly; Sarah was anything but. 

Missionary kid.
Age:12-20
Claim to fame: Being a missionary kid in another country and, judging by the missionary kids I know, handling it remarkable well. 
Pros:  They would have the experience of growing up in another culture, and I could listen to someone talk about that for hours. And hours.  Also, they'd considerably lower the median age at the table. 
Cons: Might feel a little uncomfortable with me and all the old timers. 

Albert Pujols.
Age: 34
Claim to fame:  Being a fantastic baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals for 10ish years before ditching them for the Los Angeles Angels, fantasticness dropping drastically. 
Pros: I'm a Cardinals fan.  Growing up, Dad was a huge fan of Pujols, not just for the way he played, but for his integrity and character.  You can imagine that when he headed to LA, presumably for more money and a longer contract, I was a little disappointed that he let something like a few zillion dollars take him away.  That event has left me unsure of whether he's a good guy or not, and I'd like to set the score straight. 
Cons: I'm a Cardinals fan, and he left.  Seeing him might bring up a whole slough of emotions I don't care to feel .

The six of us would eat fish tacos on corn tortillas topped with avocados and a bunch of other delicious fish taco toppings and drink ICE flavored sparkling water.  And for dessert there would be a giant bowl of Reese's pieces and it would be perfect. 

Also, you know that hour glass in Harry Potter that runs slower the better the conversation is? The one that Professor Slughorn has? I'm pretty sure it would be going backwards!

Later, we'd invite Juliette, Allie, and Faith to talk about the Blog Everyday in July challenge with us!

Who would you have dinner with?

Love, 

Allie

Mean Girls and Food // Guilty Pleasures & I'm Blogging Every Day In July

       The first time I was ever exposed to the phrase "guilty pleasure," I felt dirty.  Which was silly of me, because guilty pleasures don't really have to be dirty, but think about it: guilty + pleasure.  Yuck.  Maybe it's just some kind of weird thing, but for some reason those words just don't sit right with me.
       I may not like guilty pleasures based on the outward appearance of the word, but I'll be the first to admit that I have them.  They're so random . . . sometimes I like to try and figure out why I enjoy what I do.  I've come to the consensus that I'm physchologically unsound.  But then again, maybe I'm not.  See if you can predict how my brain works - maybe if you get a few of these right, it will make me feel less alone.

1. Eating food                                                                    a.when I'm supposed to be doing homework.

2. Instagram stalking                                                                                                        b. at T.J. Maxx.

3. Watching Disney movies                                                                                    c. for no reason at all.

4. Listening to music                                                                                                d. for literally hours.

5. Having dance parties                                                                                              e. while showering.

6. Buying at least one new thing                                                                                                 f. terest.

7. Watching Mean Girls                                                                                     g. when I'm home alone.

8. Doing my makeup and hair                                                                                    h. when I'm in bed.

9. Pin                                                                                                                   i. while doing my nails.

Okay, now that it's all scrambled up, I realize that I'm kind of cheating.  I really enjoy doing most of those activities in any combination, but we'll just go with the most frequently occurring ones, okay?

As always,  joining Juliette, Faith, and Allie to post every day in July!

 Alright, drumroll please ....

answers are ....

1. h
2. d
3. i
4. e
5. g
6. b
7. a
8. c
9. f

Did you maybe get a couple right? So I'm not completely crazy? That's okay, I'm not too worried about it.

Love,
Allie

Let's hear it! What are some of your guilty pleasures? Do we have any in common?