i love you, jason segel.

reasons i love jason segel:

1. he is the perfect size: tall, and slightly chubby.

2. he was in freaks & geeks. not only was he in it, but he played my favorite character, nick andopolis. nick is funny, has tons of basketball trophies, loves music, and freaking tears up the drums (see video below). plus, he wears these short shorts when he plays the drums because he doesn't like the friction that jeans cause on his thighs.



3. he plays the piano (my favorite), the drums, and the guitar. AND he writes music.

4. he loves disneyland, i love disneyland.

5. he plays my favorite character (marshall eriksen) on one of my favorite shows (how i met your mother). marshall (aka "marshmallow") is the best boyfriend/fiancee/husband ever. he loves christmas, he wears funny hats, and he sings everything that he does. plus, um, he's a lawyer, so he is super smart and will be super rich someday.

6. the slapsgiving song, written and performed by jason segel for how i met your mother (see video below):

7. he just teamed up with walt disney studios to write the next muppet movie.

8. he wrote and starred in one of my favorite movies ever, forgetting sarah marshall.

9. when brody jenner has a show called "bromance", it's gay. when jason segel stars in a movie about bromance, it's amazingly awesome and hilarious.

10. this picture:

11. and this picture:

12. two words: dracula musical (see video below):

le sigh.

what world is this?

last week i slept in my mutti's bed because my dad was out of town and she needed a bed mate. (she actually ended up being MY bedmate on account of the scorpinox that stung her face, but that's another fiasco all together) we were watching wizards of waverly place when i confided in her. it wasn't necessarily on purpose, the words sort of just came out. "i want to be a wizard so bad; almost as much as i want to be a vampire slayer".
dw being the kind-hearted mutti and bff that she is looked over at me and asked me very seriously, "what world do you live in?"
hmm... i don't really think i know.
i replied, though, by saying, "obviously i live in my own world, one in which i laugh at shows like this because i think they really are funny and not just stupid".
all of this talk got me thinking, and i remembered a scene from one of my favorite movies, alice in wonderland. it's right in the beginning when alice is sitting in the tree with her cat and her older sister is sitting beneath her reading a book out loud. alice is having a vair hard time paying attention, and big sis gets a bit frustrated with her.
"alice, would you kindly pay attention to your history lesson?" she says with an exhaustive sigh.
alice replies, frustrated, "but how can one possibly pay attention to a book with no pictures in it?"
"my dear child, there are a great many books in this world without pictures" (she's right, but that isn't the point, keep reading).
"in your world, perhaps. but in my world, the books would be nothing but pictures!" alice says, quite satisfied.
"your world?! ugh! what nonsense!" her sister laughs.
it is then that alice realizes that yes, if she had a world of her own, everything would be nonsense.

it's true there are things in "my" world that are completely nonsensical, like my desire to have magical powers or the ability to slay vampires (i know, whatever. vampires don't exist, blah, blah...) but i exist in the "normal" world perfectly fine. i have a full-time job, for example. i go grocery shopping with my mom, i take my turn doing the dishes or cooking dinner, i pay my car payment every month, i am responsible (ish) for my healthcare, i excercise... i could go on, but this normal business is quite boring, as you can tell.
my point, however poorly made, is this: why does it matter if sometimes i wish i had the ability to snap my fingers and have a clean room? why does it matter that i laugh, quite often, during an episode of hannah montana? (or JONAS? or wizards of waverly place? never do i laugh at iCARLY, i must add. haha) so what if i'd rather go to disneyland than france? why is it ridiculous for me to like the jonas brothers, just because i'm not fourteen? sure, i've read the harry potter series numerous times, but i also read serious books, classic books, and nonfiction books. i will argue to defend the jonas brothers, but i also will argue (and quite well) to defend my religion, my political beliefs, and my family.
i used to put alot of pressure on myself to let my "nonsense" stuff go. you know, take the posters off of my wall, throw away my joe jonas sweat pants, give up the midnight showings... things like that. it was really hard for a while because i was torn between living a full "grown-up" life and living a life in which i write my "to-do's" down in a harry potter calendar. it was only just the other day, when i was driving to my friend malia's house, that i realized that i can have both, in moderation.
i was driving to malia's for dinner and a music exchange fest but i knew that it might very well be the last time i saw her (for a while, anyway). she is moving to boston next week because her very talented and smart husband got accepted into harvard (woo hoo). i was kind of, sort of crying because i am really sad to lose her. she is a very good friend to me and i love her quite alot. while i was driving i was listening to a jonas brothers cd from 2006 when they were basically just babies (it's really very comical) and this song came on and it was nick's little voice singing "time for me to fly" or something silly, and for a moment i really just felt vair, vair happy.
here i was, going to do this "grown-up" thing, saying goodbye, and i was listening to teen pop- and loving it. for a moment i thought, "who cares?", and i meant that about everything. i have never cared what people think of me, why would i start now, so late in life? i don't care if people laugh at me or think i am ridiculous because i am, quite literally, in my own world. they don't have to like it because they aren't invited to live in it anyways.
i saw harry potter and the half blood prince yesterday (loved every second of it, you should know), and the scene that was my favorite was when harry drinks his felix felicis. he was so funny during those moments when he was affected by the "liquid luck" and it was so fun to see harry so carefree (he is usually under some distress. that comes with being "the chosen one", i suppose) anyways, here are some things that i consider my "felix felicis", the things that make me a bit floaty and giddy. these are some things that make my world spin round; things that make me happy no matter how bummed i am. i'll keep the list short, so as not to get too boring.

-a cold bottle of evian.
-swimming.
-my mother.
-any episode from any season of buffy the vampire slayer.
-any *NSYNC song from the "no strings attached" album.
- when one (or all) of the jonas boys wear a v-neck shirt or a plaid button-up shirt. bonus points if they wear them both together.
-pizza.
-driving up the mountain at night with chanel, and singing at tip top notch.
-random text messages.
-taking pictures of myself. i don't know why. i just think this is fun.
-michael scott. bonus points if he is having a conversation with dwight or jim.
-episodes of JONAS and wizards of waverly place. i don't watch tv ever, really. but when i do, it is tivoed episodes of these shows.
-getting emails from my aunt jennie.
-texting with malia about stupid celebrity gossip.
-my lovelies (cole, summer, meg, and isaac. malleri, merissa, and ella.)
-going to a movie with my family.
-reading things that i have written.
-my primary class (and presidency).
-reading old emails and instant messaging conversations from kenny.
-writing and reciting haiku's in accents with samantha.

it isn't hard to gain access into my world, it just takes a little acceptance. sometimes, if we let ourselves go and accept that we cannot control every little thing that happens to us, it's easier to remember what made us so carefree as children. i struggle with life, there's no doubt. it seems as though there is something new to think or worry about everyday. but it helps if i can slip away for small moments into a place where magic happens.

don't worry, i always come back.

love,
gabrielle.
xx

my albums of the year.

at the end of every year i make my top 11 lists for movies and music. (why eleven? because it's one more than ten.) since i still have a few movies to see before i can make an accurate movie list, i thought i'd post my album list to hold you over. i have to note that this year wasn't a great one for music, and i'm kinda sad about my list. but here it is anyways, the best of the worst, in no particular order:

artist: katy perry.

album: one of the boys.

favorite track(s): "i'm still breathing", "lost", "thinking of you".

artist: tilly and the wall.

album: o.

favorite track(s): "pot kettle black", "beat control", "tall tall grass".

artist: the killers.

album: day and age.

favorite track(s): "human", "the world we live in".

artist: jenny lewis.

album: acid tongue.

favorite tracks: "black sand", "pretty bird", "trying my best to love you".

artist: copeland.

album: you are my sunshine.

favorite tracks: "chin up", "should you return", "the day i lost my voice", "strange and unprepared".

artist: lady gaga.

album: the fame.

favorite tracks: "just dance","paparazzi","paper gangster","boys boys boys".

arist: a fine frenzy.

album: one cell in the sea.

favorite tracks: "whisper", "ashes and wine", "lifesize", "last of days", "near to you".

artist: britney spears.

album: circus.

favorite tracks: "out from under", "broken glass", "unusual you", "circus".

artist: the weepies.

album: hideaway.

favorite tracks: "wish i could forget", "hideaway", "all this beauty".

artist: death cab for cutie.

album: narrow stairs.

favorite tracks: "the ice is getting thinner", "bixby canyon bridge", "your new twin size bed".

artist: the jonas brothers.

album: a little bit longer.

favorite tracks: "burnin' up", "shelf", "lovebug", "sorry", "tonight".

things i am excited for, part one.

ok, guys. this is not my original hope for my "excited" blog, but i am doing the best i can with my resources (i.e. i STILL don't have my own laptop, which means i am operating on my work computer OR my family's desktop which is run by demons) so just bare with me. i really had wanted to have picturesto go with this, but too bad so sad for me. that's just life. so here is my boring, low quality blog about what i am most excited for in the upcoming fall/winter season.

1. fall/winter '08 collections from the following: chanel, marc jacobs, chloe... really the list goes on. but fall fashion is my favorite of all the fashion seasons. i love fall makeup, the deep greens and plums and golds and then winter makeup with rosy red cheeks and black and silver eyes. deep reds, purples, greens and golds are my favorite as far as clothes go. it's always so fun to see the new bags that come out for the season (marc jacobs kills me every year). if i was a money saver, this is what i would save all my money for: FALL FASHIONS!

2. these sunglasses. they will be worn by me... soon.

3. fall music!! ahhhhh new albums from ben folds, rachael yamagata, and jenny lewis already have my ear drums buzzin', but over the course of the next, oh.... eight weeks or so there are going to be so many amazing things coming out. ones that i am most excited for and have marked in my harry potter day planner are: copeland, ingrid michaelson (both 10/14), brett dennen (10/21), lovedrug and snow patrol (10/28), david archuleta (11/11), david cook (11/18), the killers (11/25), and britney spears (12/2). the one i am the most excited for, however, is kanye west's new cd, titled "808's and Heartbreak". the new single, "love lockdown", is one of my current obsessions and his new cd is going to be so so amazing. i have never really been a fan of his in the past, but i am now. this cd is going to be totally different for him and i cannot wait. the release date has been moved up to november, but no set date has been released.

4. lame teen movies... high school musical 3 and twilight. i know... suuuuuper lame. but i just can't abandon my 13 year old self, she's lonely enough already. i cannot forsake her.

5. my netflix queue. it is filled with old movies. every single movie is from the olden days of yore. there are a few 80's movies in there, but it's mostly 60's and 70's with scattered showers of the 50's. really, i am obsessed with the 60's right now... fashion, actors, movies, the whole burro. i have been watching old movies like bonnie and clyde, one flew over the cukoo's nest, shampoo, some like it hot... i am developing MAJOR crushes on these actors!! hello, warren beatty, paul newman, robert redford, jack nicholson... HOW were these men so good looking? and HOW did they all turn out to be so wrinkly? yipes!! (i know, gravity... blah blah) and the leading ladies of that era?! julie christie, goldie hawn, faye dunaway, even barabra streisand! so beautiful. i am going to start wearing fake eyelashes everyday so i can create that "mod" look. hardy har, we all know that won't happen in this lifetime.

6. STEFAN COMES HOME!! yes, it has been two years, and NO it has not been fast. i've missed him and it's been too long. he comes home december third and the following week we take our christmas disneyland trip, which really is number 7 of what i am excited for. they make it snow in the park! ive only seen snowfall like twice in my life. fake snow or not, snowflakes are snowflakes in my book.

8. fall movies. this is the time of year where oscar buzz is created and i'm already buzzing about movies I HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN! i am specifically excited for these three movies in particular, so i've put the trailers up for you to watch. go ahead and watch them over and over. that's what i do.

revolutionary road.
directed by: sam mendes.
starring: leonardo di caprio, kate winslet.
composer: thomas newman.

*this trailer is the best trailer i have seen in a long time. the editor deserves an oscar for making this movie look so fantastical. good editing along with the song that is playing in the background PLUS the acting is amazing... job well done for everyone. gold stars and high fives all around.

changeling.

directed by: clint eastwood.

starring: angelina jolie, john malkovich.

composer: clint eastwood.



the curious case of benjamin button.

directed by: david fincher.

starring: brad pitt, cate blanchett, tilda swinton, julia ormond.

composer: alexandre desplat.

gabrielle's favorite things.

so, oprah can have a "favorite things" show, why shouldn't i have a "favorite things" blog?! so today i got together some of my favorite things and took pics of them. i am included in some of the pics of course, which my mother thought was ridiculous. but at the end of the day, i am who i am, which is a frigging ham bone. let the favorite things begin...


today i took malleri, merissa, ella, ike, and meg to peter piper pizza. favorite thing #1: my kittens, favorite thing #2: peter piper pizza.


this is ella bella who has become my most favorite pal. she is adorable, has the sweetest voice, and she lobes me. and i lobe her.
this is merissa with her pizza. i love merissa because she always gives me a hug when she sees me. even when i am not looking my best.
this is meg. meg is one of the few people who can keep up with me verbally. if you don't know what that means, then you need to spend more time with me AND meg.
isaac. he is five. and he tells EVERYONE. and i love that, because i would love to just walk around and tell everyone what i think they should know about myself. for example: "i like sparkly things." today ike told me the best thing i have ever heard from a man (sadly, it came from a boy). he grabbed my hand and said, "gabby, if i was a cat, i would choose you as my owner." so basically, i want to marry ike. i can wait.
this is my whole party. connor's face looks sour, but he really had a good time. he was a good sport, he even let ike have the front seat on the ride over. ike's argument was "five year olds get to have the front". who can argue with that?!
me and malleri. i asked if we should do pretty face or silly face and she chose silly. funny how she still looks pretty.
ok, see, this is another reason i love meg. because who else does ridiculous faux gang signals with me? no one, that's who.
me and merissa. i want braces. i was practically the only one without them!!
ok, my face is frightening here, but ella?! why does she have to be so adorable. it is criminal how adorable she is. i am going to kidnap her one day. she won't even know that she is being kidnapped on account of she thinks i am "safe people". don't worry, i'll feed her and take her to the zoo. we'll have blasties.
malleri and her pizza. i also must add how all three nuttall girls love ranch on their pizza. just like aunt gabby!
malleri and merissa and an interloper. this girl wanted to BE malleri and merissa. she followed them around and kept tapping on their shoulders and saying "hi".
meg and merissa? could be malleri. if i can't see the hair, i can't tell. not gonna lie.
ok, people. here's where the big guns start. i bought myself a camp rock towel. scratch that. my mom bought me a camp rock towel. why? because i want to dry off with joe jonas every day.
my school supplies for the next school year. hannah montana and high school musical!! favorite things.... office supplies, hannah montana, and high school musical. can i just say that hannah montana can not be held responsible for what that skank miley cyrus is doing right now.
mumus that can be passed off as summer dresses. two of my favorite things in one: summer dresses and mumus. could life get any better?! i submit that it cannot.
ok, my camp rock pillow case. all three jo bros. don't worry about demi lovato in the center there, i am going to super impose my face over hers. i'll keep her body.
JOE JONAS!! sweet dreams, gabrielle.
that cute little pink thing on the left (your left, not mine) is my computer. or what is left of my computer. all my pics, music, and writing from the last two years lies within that little pink mess. and on the right is my favourite movie... penelope. why is it my favourite? two words: james mcavoy.
there's my new phone folks. the tricksters at verizon helped me purchase this bad boy today. i'm super thrilled to have my electronic life back.

may i also add that, though i do not have the pictures to document, the following people have my heart right now: kenny, brad, and leslie. i am actually on the phone with kenny and brad right now (i am on speaker over in ny) and the conversation is really quite ridiculous. can i also add that d.w. (my mom) is obsessed with david sedaris. like badly. everytime we have a conversation, she finds a way to bring it back to sedaris. it is ridiculous.


also people, i am a saint, have you heard? i gave a man $4 today so he could get a tank of gas to go to the hospital to see his dad and after i did the good deed, d.w. informed me that i was hornswaggled by this guy. here i was, near tears over this man's dying mother, and then there's d.w., cold, hard, b. so i said "d.w., even if he was lying, Jesus just gave me a tally mark. and if, like you say, that man was lying, Jesus just took five tally marks away from him." so who really wins? me.
oh, and side note, kenny is lol-ing to me right now over the phone telling me a story about a man who lives in a 1993 van. minus five for kenny.

hope you loved my favorite things, because i do. i am off to bed now to sleep with joe jonas.



love, gabrielle.

TAGGED.

three joys:
1. drinking dr. pepper straight from the can. nothing burns quite as nice as dr. p from the can. and by "can" i do NOT mean toily.
2. playing super mario brothers- old school style. i usually do that wearing a mumu which is also a joy of mine. so... double prizes.
3. talking to mike on the phone. no explanation for that one, really. we just make nonsense on the phone and it makes me happy.

three fears:
1. LOSING A TOOTH. yikes! worst fear ever. my brother knocked my tooth once and i felt like it was gonna come out and literally... my world stopped. i was like "hold the phone, sister just lost a tooth!"
2. telling someone i love them and having them look at me like "woah! we're just friends!" right, like that's ever happened... haha.
3. becoming a spinster a.k.a. cat lady a.k.a. the "cool" aunt. haha only kidding. i really don't have a third fear that i can think of except maybe not being able to beat mario. that plagues me daily. i am constantly squashing goombas and shooting fire out of my mouth in my dreams.

three goals:
1. woah boy.... isn't everyone's goal to lose weight? maybe with the exception of the olson twins... i think we all think we need to lose weight. the difference with me being the fact that i actually do need to lose it. i could probably lose a small child and be alright. by "small child" i mean 50 lbs.
2. save money.... bah hahahaha. like fun that's happening.
3. be a good person. all the time. not gripe so much. urgh. sometimes i vent too much. and i have to tell myself to shut up.

three current obsessions/collections:
only three?! hahah jk.
1. felicity on dvd. if you don't know what t.v. series i am talking about, shame on you. it is AMAZING. it is so my life sometimes, it's not even funny. it is my life with prettier people, who doesn't want to watch that?!
2. tanning. help that. i am a gingerbread man pretty much. maybe one step away from being beef jerky. only kidding, i won't let it get that bad, but i am definately tannorexic. my mom has given me an intervention on numerous occasions. but guess where i'm headed in oh, about 10 minutes?! TO TAN!
3. helter skelter. ok i KNOW it sounds crazy, b/c the whole story of helter skelter IS actually crazy, but i am pretty fascinated by this whole thing. mainly b/c i just found out about it like two weeks ago when i was watching a documentary on roman polanski. i really honestly had no idea this went on. the story of the murders and trial is fascinating to me. weird people fascinate me. who knows about that one?

three random/surprising facts about... me:
1. does number 3 up there count? um... no? ok then. mt grandma's dog bit my lip off when i was 2. i have the huge scar to prove it. the worst thing anyone ever said to me was "why do you have that scar? were you a hare lip?" ok, first of all, no. and second of all, no. who asks that?! honestly. and to be real, it wasn't the worst thing that someone asked me, but it was a close second to "why do you have a mustache?" hahah kidding... maybe.
2. i am writing a book. i won't elaborate on that one. i'll just say that it's happening and there's not much anyone can do about it.
3. i want to meet a person (preferrably male) one day who will describe me as "hauntingly beautiful" and "adorable". that makes it sound weirder than it is, really. i just have always wanted to be those two things. ever since i was little. i even wrote it in my journal from like seventh grade. oh, hey! that is also one of my goals! think about it... how cute would it be if someone told you they adored you? because you were adorable?! shut up.


ok, no one reads this blog lately, so people probly won't even know they've been tagged. but here it goes, friends. I TAG (AND YOU BETTER DO IT OR NO CHRISTMAS CARD THIS YEAR!!) MELISSA, KAREN, RYAN, NICHOLE, AND KIM. do you guys think you can handle it?!


love, gabrielle.

at last....

well, i've got quite a few stories to tell and very little time to tell them, so i'm gonna just start off with a bang. literally.

today i went to home depot after (another) ultrasound and i was walking through the parking lot and my pants were falling off so i looked down to fix them and get my situation together and my dad yells "look out" and before i can even look out or up or anything, i get whacked in the head by a giant metal beam that is sitting in the bed of a truck. i got hit so hard that it flung my head backwards. wow. it sucked. and my head still hurts. i should have let my pants fall off. but that would have been a different kind of "wow".

my cousin nichole is prego and she just found out today she is having ANOTHER set of twins!!! it is such great news!! i love her family so much and her kids are so beautiful and sweet, i can't wait for her to have more. i want it to be two beautiful boys!! good luck, nic! we love you.

so i got some new glasses, and my mom forbode me to wear them out of the house. in fact, when i came in wearing them the other night, she couldn't stop laughing. then she would stop laughing finally and then i would say something and she would look at me and it would all be over. i don't know, guys... i think i look gooooood. what do you think?



so, my reality shows are evolving quite nicely. tonight on idol kady, asia'h, danny, and luke got voted off. i was pretty shocked, i must say. i thought it would be luke and chikeze, kady and kristy lee. i am way way bummed about danny... i really liked him :( but on the upside, project ruwa is over and CHRISTIAN WON! and i have luuuuuuuurved him since the begining. he WILL make me a dress someday.


so i am RE-obsessed with jason mraz at the moment, particularly the song "i'm yours". he makes sunshine come out my rear end and i just want you all to share in my joy and download "i'm yours" off of i-tunes immediately so that sunshine can seep from your oraphous (?) as well. he is amazing, truly. one of my favorite concerts ever was back in july of 2005 right before his album MR. A-Z came out and he played a small "show" at zia records... just him and a guitar and my friends sandee and thanner and i snuck in and got to see him up close and he was beautiful and the sounds that come out of his mouth were so amazing. it was a room full of maybe 50 people. it was so awesome. that memory kind of made me wish that it was 2005 and that everything that has happened to me the past three years would be non-existent. and things would be the way they were. but that is unrealistic and wishing about it is just plain pointless.


i would just like to state, for the record, that i LOVE my hair. i have been coloring and chopping at it myself for the past 3 months, and i have done an amazing job. not to like, toot my own horn or anything, but i'm pretty fricking amazing at cutting and coloring hair. i've always colored my own hair, but lately i've been doing both to save money. and tonight i just added random chunks of dark dark brown and white blonde underneath my top layer of red. if it sounds trashy, it's not. it's brilliant. soon i'll take a good pic of it and post it and you'll see.


this section is for kimbizzle. because i love her so much i am making a list of my favorite books that she needs to read. any of you can take note as well. kim is wanted to be a reader so she asked me to compile a list since i am always reading. so, here's a quick one just for you, my little kim, right off the top of my brain:
-the perks of being a wallflower
-this lullaby
-the center of everything
-the lovely bones
-nine stories
-nineteen minutes
-the year of the secret assignments
-feeling sorry for celia
-the secret life of bees
-to kill a mockingbird
-goodnight, mr. tom
-sloppy firsts (and all the sequels)
-a million pieces
-my friend leonard
-she's come undone
and the one i just finished that was actually really really amazing... a ticket to ride.
good luck kim. you got your work cut out for you!!



i would also like to state, for the record, that i am in love with my friends. so far 2008 has been..... weird (to say the least) for me and i've been so blessed to have the support and love of so many people. the past 5 years i have really tried to weed out the negative people in my life, the randoms who take and never give, who use me as a back-up, who can't handle it if i am funnier than they are, etc. i call them "hop-ons", and for about 19 years, i had way too many of them. so i am proud to say that for the first time in my life, i have no hop-ons. i have gained a certain amount of respect for myself and simply told myself that i am not going to allow myself to be in those types of relationships any longer. i've made the decision to change, not who i am, but who i let in my life. because the plain and simple fact is, not everyone deserves to be in it. (side note: this applies to everyone, not just me... everyone has their own version of hop-ons) i used to be worried that i would be considered a bitch if i stuck up for myself, but defending yourself doesn't make you bitchy, it makes you honest. i had to think, "would i rather hate myself for being with this person, or hate myself for being without them?" sadly, for a while, i did just stay and allow certain people to affect me negatively. i gave more than i took, i pushed myself too hard, and for what? the brutal truth that i was avoiding so much is that i've got to stick up for myself, because if i don't, no one will. no one is going to step in and do it for me. i tend to put too much of myself into my relationships, friendship or otherwise, because i honestly and truly love my friends. unfortunately, these gestures or favors or whatever you want to call them end up making me look desperate, when that really isn't the case at all. giving more than i take, answering midnight phonecalls, doing favors, etc.... that just made me look pathetic. and it was so so hard for me to accept that and i really didn't want to. i didn't want to be alone. the decision that i made to be alone rather than be mistreated was the best decision i have made for myself in a long time, maybe ever. it was hard and it was sad and it hurt but once i did it and looked around myself, i mean really looked around i found that i was never really alone, that i am surrounded by amazing people who love me and support me and want me to succeed. people who think i am beautiful and smart. people who encourage me, people who challenge me, people who accept me. people who give. people who laugh. people who love equally. i wanted to list some names of people who have really been phenominal lately, but i just don't think i can do that. there is too much of a chance that i would leave someone out. please know that i know who you are, and i am greatful for you and that i love you and that i would do anything for you. please know that i think about you when i'm not with you, and even though we may not see each other enough, you are always, always in my heart.


so, here's to ridiculous glasses. here's too laughing so hard that you pee a little... here's to my head that still hurts... here's to jason mraz and sunshine out my bum... here's to new life... and old life. here's to friends. here's to christian and project runway... here's to evian... here's to good books... here's to great writing... here's to fierce hair... here's to you... here's to me... here's to sleep.


goodnight everybody.

sweet dreams,
gabrielle.

i'm it!

so, this is a new experience for me... i've been tagged. i'm pretty new at this, so i have to admit i don't really know what being "tagged" entails, in fact, i can't remember being tagged at all since the third grade. i'm fairly sure that in this case i am supposed to list seven random facts about myself. such a task normally wouldn't be a problem for me, seeing as how i absolutely love talking about myself, but now that i am given the opportunity, i can't think of one single thing to say. ironic? nay. tragic, really. the "tagger" in this case is my freind karen, and i, being the "tag-ee", in turn i am supposed to "tag" a few friends of my own. so, now that i am "it", i choose to tag malia, nichole, and kim. you're it! and now, the random and, in some cases, surprising facts about me, in no particular order...

1. i consider myself to be a connoisseur (con-nois-seur, n., a discerning judge of the best in any field) of bottled water. with that being said, i am extremely choosy about the bottled water that i drink. in most cases, i only sip evian. but under certain dire circumstances, i will drink fiji or smart water (though not happily). the following bottled water are, in my opinion, unacceptable no matter what the circumstances are: dasani, arrowhead, aquafina, crystal geyser... on another water note, it really does bother me when restaurants serve tap water, or in some cases arizona hose water, which is just NOT acceptable. it's like, i'm paying $15 for my meal, why don't you spend $20 a month and spring for a water cooler? or at least a filter? i know what tap water tastes like, so don't insult me by serving it to me and implying that i do not. oh, and i'm also a connoisseur of ranch dressing.

2. i get up at 4:45 on monday- friday mornings to get ready for work. it takes me a while to shower, wash my face, brush my teeth, blow dry and flat iron my naturally curly hair, slap some make-up on, and select an outfit that i will be comfortable in for the next 12 hours. because i won't be home until 6:30 that night. somedays i give in to temptation and sleep in until 6, but then my hair is curly and my eyes are sleepy and i end up spilling carnation instant breakfast on my pants on the way to my car.

3. in first grade i changed schools and had a pretty rough time adapting to the move. i desperately wanted to be included in the "cool" crowd (yes, there was one even in first grade), which meant that i got to hang with girls with awesome names like "alexis", and "rachel". so, to fit in a little better i decided to tell a small fib to get me in. the small fib was that the new kids on the block were my cousins. yes, all of them. joey, jordan, jonathan, donny, and danny. nevermind that they weren't all related, the important thing was that they were all related to me. looking back, i can't imagine why i would have chosen them of all people. i mean, they wore neon shirts underneath acid wash overalls with fedoras and john lennon sunglasses. and the songs? oh! the songs! how i loved the songs, i can't deny that. "step by step"?! ooooh baby! eventually their population faded and no one wanted to be seen with a cousin of a washed up boy-bander. it was then that i considered zack morris as a "back up" family member, maybe an uncle? but i decided against it, after all it was pretty risky. no one's family has that much luck in hollywood, except for maybe the baldwins.

4. i have ordered dinner for justin timberlake. now that is true, i'm not just trying to get you guys to have me over for sleepovers on the weekends (although i'm not saying i wouldn't accept). in spring of 2003 i was working for my uncle in his hair salon and one of our clients was owned a production company that organized tours for musicians and groups. and he was working on the justin timberlake/christina aguilera tour. he was in the salon the day of the concert (which i went to) and he had to bring back food for justin and he had me call in the order for him and i got to choose what he got!! so i ordered from pasta brioni (because justin's favorite food is pasta- duh!) and i ordered him my favorite pasta dish from there. and i met up with the tour manager at the concert and he told me that justin loved it and that he wanted to meet the person who selcted it for him!!! nah, that last part was made up, but didn't it make you wanna have a sleepover with me?

5. in tenth grade (spring of 2000) i camped out for three nights in downtown phoenix for 'NSYNC tickets with my best friend katie. that's right, three nights... wednesday, thursday, friday. it was one of the most fun experiences in my life, and i'd do it again in a second. although, due to my fear of public restrooms, i didn't go potty for almost four days, and it took my system quite a while to recover. AND i got maybe four hours of sleep the entire time i was there. and i did get harassed by a drunk bum a few times. and there were crickets on the floor. but, due to our persistance and bravery, we had tenth row seats for the june 5th and june 6th concerts. it was sooooo worth it.

6. on my second birthday my grandma walz's dog bit a chunk of my lip off, and it really wasn't my fault. "snookums" was just the dog from hell (can't you tell by her name?). she snapped at me, but a chunk of my lip off and my mom literally had to hold my lip on as my dad drove us to the emergency room. my lip was dangling and my mom's clothes were covered in blood. they ended up having to sew the chunk of skin back on to my lip (luckily i had a good doctor otherwise that could have been disasterous). and that's how i got the scar that is on my upper lip. it's pretty obvious, especially if i wear lipstick. now the dog is buried in my grandma's backyard. everytime i go over there, my scar burns. it's truly the mark of the dark lord.

7. i have over 500 cds and over 300 dvds. yes, i am obsessive compulsive, and yes, they are in alphabetical order. i have a bad habit of collecting things. for example, i have over 270 lipglosses and over 200 eyeshadows. honestly, it is a disease and i need help. i remember a time when i was in high school and i was at my brother stefan's basketball game and my mom asked me if she could borrow a pen and i told her she could get one out of my backpack and she reached in and pulled out a handful of lipglosses. she just looked at me and said "you need counseling". it's true, i do. other things i am obsessive compulsive about: dusting my room, vacuuming my room, hanging my clothes up according to color, straightening my hair, and my eyebrows. DON'T ASK.

my life... now

quick update b/c i am about to fall over DEAD!

1. i got a record player and it is the best thing that's happened to me in a long time. ive been spending my free time listening to killer records like the beatles, elton john, fleetwood mac, madonna, billy joel, and even some new stuff like eisley, iron & wine, the faint, and bright eyes. if anyone has records they don't use anymore, send them my way please!!

2. i am addicted to american idol and project runway and the gauntlet 3. reality tv has sucked me in. cry for me.

3. the writer's strike is over. most shows should return in april... just in time for my bday. yay!

4. i can almost start tanning again!! one more month on this blasted medicine and then it's back to the booths for some skin cancer 101 and i couldn't be happier.

5. my fringe is annoying me at the moment.

6. i still have to wash my face and it is midnight. i have to get up in 5 hrs.

7. the oscar's were a bit on the lame side this year with the exception of the following: marion cotillard winning, tilda swinton winning, the kids from ONCE performing/ WINNING, heidi klum's dress, cate blanchett losing, and gary busey's tantrum on the red carpet. other than that... SNOOOOOOZE!

8. i am almost done seeing all of the movies to complete my 2007 list. just a few more left. oh man, i can't wait to write that blog.

9. i'm starting singing lessons. stop laughing.

10. i made carmelitas tonight.

11. this list is boring. i don't even know why i started it.

12. my new motto in life is "make the decision". it is part of one of my favourite quotes of all time. i made a mural on my wall with pictures of all the things i want to accomplish in this life and i added that quote to it just the other day. i have decided to stop waiting for things to happen to me, and instead to make them happen. i've decided to quit depending on people. i decided that i never again want to be in a relationship, friend or otherwise, where i am desperate for the other person. instead of talking about what i want to do, i am going to start doing it. i am faced with hundreds of decisions daily, and i am going to make them myself, i am going to own them. i understand that i can't always decide what happens to me in my life, but i can always decide how i react to what happens to me. people can only affect me as much as i allow them to. so i am going to make the decision to be better. take the challenge with me and MAKE THE DECISIONS in your life that need to be made. if you want to do something, do it. the only thing stopping you is yourself.


what a weird note to end on. you'll have to forgive me, today i took a nap and i had the most intense dream that i was getting a tooth pulled from steve nash and he gave me laughing gas in the dream and i haven't been "all there" since. sorry.

weirdly and confusidly (?) yours,
gabriella.

what to do during the writer's strike...

... a list by gabrielle walz.


this may seem like a simple list, but beneath the plainess (is that a word?) lie some really good suggestions. i know i personally am struggling (spell check?) without new episodes of the office and 30 rock, and i am already pouting that there will only be 8 new episodes of LOST. so here is what i've been doing to stay busy/ pass the time. hopefully you all find some good suggestions in my sad, lonely life. :)

1. read. lately i have been re-reading all of the harry potters, which i love so much. i am on the chamber of secrets which, for the three of you who have never read the potter books, is the second one. they get better everytime. some other favorites from my personal book club are: the center of everything (LAURA MORIARTY), the year of secret assignments (JACLYN MORIARTY), and sloppy firsts (MEGAN MCCAFFERTY). i honestly could read those over and over again, and i have.

2. embrace your inner reality t.v. star. i know, i hate reality t.v. as much as the next normal person, but it is so addicting, and believe it or not, there are some pretty good shows out there. my personal favorites are project runway (BRAVO, WEDNESDAY), real world/road rules challenge: the gauntlet III (MTV, WEDNESDAY), and of course, american idol. i am not ashamed to say i watch that show. come on, who can resist simon's nipples in those tight, white t-shirts? i think i've made my case.

3. t.v. on dvd.... perhaps the best invention since tivo. i'm actually not sure which came first. shows that used to capture our attention from week to week can now be enjoyed day to day, hour to hour, or in some cases, half hour to half hour. we no longer are slaves to commercials and cliffhangers, we are free to watch when we want, what we want, and how we want. recently i have been resurrecting classic t.v. gems like arrested development, my so-called life, buffy the vampire slayer, and stella. i look forward to the afternoons and evenings i can spend watching my favorite t.v. shows, filled with my favorite one-liners, and star-crossed love affairs (buffy and angel, angela chase and jordan catalano, maybe even a little zak morris/kelly kapowski action, depending on how desperate i am). and of course, we always have the current "faves". catch up on/rekindle our favorite office romances with seasons 1-3 of the office (how cute is it that jim knows pam loves mixed berries?)... analyze past episodes of LOST (can desmond really see the future? what's with the black cloud? and who is jacob?)... learn the lyrics to all of the flight of the conchord songs ("business time" is a favorite of mine)... and watch as liz lemon (tina fey) tries ever so hilariously to balance her career with her personal life (or lack thereof) all while trying to please her overbearing, too-close-for-comfort boss (alec baldwin) and her staff of demanding, heckling writers on 30 rock. definately some must see t.v.

4. excercise. hahahahahahahahah are you kidding me? with all these good re-runs and reality t.v. to watch i simply can't find the time to get off the couch. unless it's to grab another evian.



don't get me wrong, a healthy dose of reality t.v. doesn't bother me, and i really have enjoyed LOL-ing my way through the week with dvds, but i really truly hope this strike is resolved soon. not only have i already lost a season of my favorite shows (a season i can never get back, mind you), but what these writers are asking for is well deserved and reasonable. these people are trying to make a living, they're just asking to receive a percentage of the sales from the product that contains their work. if we're not watching, they're not working. and in my opinion, it's important for both to be happening.


thanks for reading,
gabrielle.



p.s. this post is dedicated to kimbizzle, my one and only.