Nicole
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Nostalgic
nos·tal·gic
[no-stal-jik nuh‐] Show IPA
adjective
experiencing or exhibiting nostalgia, a sentimental or wistful yearning for the happiness felt in a former place, time, or situation.
nostalgic
You feel nostalgic when you miss your childhood, people you know but haven't seen in a while or the things that bring you comfort, like the nostalgic memories you feel when you listen to the songs you loved when you were little.
What is it about December? It's always around this time that we're bombarded with memories. Some good some bad, but for the most part I'm referring to the good ones. Many of them are moments from our childhood. I'm talking about those memories that make you smile, for instance, going threw the cafeteria line in school and the lunch ladies wearing Santa hats for the holidays.
There are many different memories I have cataloged in my head. Though I do indeed appreciate the ones I've gained year after year during this time.
It only takes hearing, smelling, or seeing something and it brings me right back to some fantastic memory. I'm mainly talking about one I had recently when I was watching the Nutcracker.
Everyone is familiar with the Nutcracker. Yes, it is a ballet, and the story is pretty simple. Here are the cliff notes:
"On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie/Clara falls asleep after a party at her home and dreams herself (or does she?) into a fantastic world where toys become larger than life. Her beloved Nutcracker comes to life and defends her from the Mouse King, then is turned into a Prince after Marie/Clara saves his life. "
As I said, that was the short version. For the full story you can A.-go check it out if it is performing somewhere near you or B.- read about it on http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107719/synopsis?ref_=ttpl_pl_syn
I became a dancer, yes, and I first started dancing when I was a kid. When I was six, I could see all the older dancers in rehearsal preparing for the performance and I dreamed of the day I'd actually be able to perform in the Nutcracker like those perfect ballerinas I watched.
Growing up, always around this time, my mother would get tickets to watch the Nutcracker downtown. We'd get dressed up, go downtown, and watch as the Mississippi Dance Company performed. While watching the performance, I was taking mental notes on which piece I'd like to perform once I was old enough.
Well, once I hit the third grade my time had come! I was in my very first performance of the Nutcracker! For the next six years I would perform in the Nutcracker, and every year I would get a little better and move into higher roles.
Right before I hit high school, I had finally gotten my technique pretty good. I was right at the point where I could finally dance with the big girls. Little did I know, but it would be one of my last performances before I hit college. You see, throughout my high school career I put dance on hold and was in the marching band as a flag girl.
Music starts, lights go up, and like a waterfall we all cascaded onto the stage in perfect unison. Awesome. Just as each girl seemed to flow onto the stage, one by one we flowed right back off and were waiting in the wings backstage until we heard our different parts come on. I remember feeling excited, nervous, happy, and can still feel that serge of adrenalin coursing through my veins. My part in the piece was coming up. As a group of girls came off the stage, myself, along with four other girls emerged from the wings, dancing our choreographed part. To this day I haven't seen what we looked like, but I can tell you, it felt like we were completely n'sync. That feeling, the feeling of being backstage, the feeling of just ready to bolt into the light, ready for the audience to see, and just ready to perform, that is one memory that will forever bring a smile to my face during this season.
What's yours?
Nicole
Everyone is familiar with the Nutcracker. Yes, it is a ballet, and the story is pretty simple. Here are the cliff notes:
"On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie/Clara falls asleep after a party at her home and dreams herself (or does she?) into a fantastic world where toys become larger than life. Her beloved Nutcracker comes to life and defends her from the Mouse King, then is turned into a Prince after Marie/Clara saves his life. "
As I said, that was the short version. For the full story you can A.-go check it out if it is performing somewhere near you or B.- read about it on http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107719/synopsis?ref_=ttpl_pl_syn
I became a dancer, yes, and I first started dancing when I was a kid. When I was six, I could see all the older dancers in rehearsal preparing for the performance and I dreamed of the day I'd actually be able to perform in the Nutcracker like those perfect ballerinas I watched.
Growing up, always around this time, my mother would get tickets to watch the Nutcracker downtown. We'd get dressed up, go downtown, and watch as the Mississippi Dance Company performed. While watching the performance, I was taking mental notes on which piece I'd like to perform once I was old enough.
Right before I hit high school, I had finally gotten my technique pretty good. I was right at the point where I could finally dance with the big girls. Little did I know, but it would be one of my last performances before I hit college. You see, throughout my high school career I put dance on hold and was in the marching band as a flag girl.
So here it was. We were performing the Nutcracker Thursday threw Sunday for two weeks. This was our last performance before the holidays. I'll never forget it. I had already gone threw three different costume changes, and had just put on my final one. As I went up the stairs from the dressing room to the stage, I could hear the music slowly come to an end right before the next piece.......Waltz of the Flowers. A piece I had wanted to be a part of since I was little. As the lights faded out, we all lined up backstage ready to appear once the lights faded back up.
What's yours?
Nicole
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
NicoleMonday, December 9, 2013
One of my favorites
December 9th, you're really here. Not gonna lie, December is coming and going just like that.
I'm steadily trying to get my fix of holiday films in while I can. Obviously this month we celebrate with so many different holidays, so the movies are overflowing the channels back to back.
This past weekend it was National Lampoons Christmas vacation and Scrooged. Next, I'm looking forward to getting my cartoon fix. I'm watching The Peanuts Christmas, The Grinch Stole Christmas, and Mickeys Christmas Carole. After that, it's on to A Christmas Story, Home Alone, Die Hard (because I like action movies and it's great to watch with my dad), Home Alone lost in New York, the Nutcracker (for obvious reasons), The Little Match Girl, and of course many more I just can't think of at the moment.
With the spirit of the holidays, and just a season of giving, there are so many stories out there that just make you think outside your box. One of my favorites is this story I heard when I was a kid called the little match girl. Something about this story struck a cord inside me as a child. I'd like to share it with you as a holiday gift from me to you. Hope you enjoy.....
The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson
Most terribly cold it was; it snowed, and was nearly quite dark, and
evening-- the last evening of the year. In this cold and darkness there
went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded, and with naked
feet. When she left home she had slippers on, it is true; but what was
the good of that? They were very large slippers, which her mother had
hitherto worn; so large were they; and the poor little thing lost them
as she scuffled away across the street, because of two carriages that
rolled by dreadfully fast.
One slipper was nowhere to be found; the other had been laid hold of by an urchin, and off he ran with it; he thought it would do capitally for a cradle when he some day or other should have children himself. So the little maiden walked on with her tiny naked feet, that were quite red and blue from cold. She carried a quantity of matches in an old apron, and she held a bundle of them in her hand. Nobody had bought anything of her the whole livelong day; no one had given her a single farthing.
She crept along trembling with cold and hunger--a very picture of sorrow, the poor little thing!
The flakes of snow covered her long fair hair, which fell in beautiful curls around her neck; but of that, of course, she never once now thought. From all the windows the candles were gleaming, and it smelt so deliciously of roast goose, for you know it was New Year's Eve; yes, of that she thought.
In a corner formed by two houses, of which one advanced more than the other, she seated herself down and cowered together. Her little feet she had drawn close up to her, but she grew colder and colder, and to go home she did not venture, for she had not sold any matches and could not bring a farthing of money: from her father she would certainly get blows, and at home it was cold too, for above her she had only the roof, through which the wind whistled, even though the largest cracks were stopped up with straw and rags.
Her little hands were almost numbed with cold. Oh! a match might afford her a world of comfort, if she only dared take a single one out of the bundle, draw it against the wall, and warm her fingers by it. She drew one out. "Rischt!" how it blazed, how it burnt! It was a warm, bright flame, like a candle, as she held her hands over it: it was a wonderful light. It seemed really to the little maiden as though she were sitting before a large iron stove, with burnished brass feet and a brass ornament at top. The fire burned with such blessed influence; it warmed so delightfully. The little girl had already stretched out her feet to warm them too; but--the small flame went out, the stove vanished: she had only the remains of the burnt-out match in her hand.
She rubbed another against the wall: it burned brightly, and where the light fell on the wall, there the wall became transparent like a veil, so that she could see into the room. On the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth; upon it was a splendid porcelain service, and the roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums. And what was still more capital to behold was, the goose hopped down from the dish, reeled about on the floor with knife and fork in its breast, till it came up to the poor little girl; when--the match went out and nothing but the thick, cold, damp wall was left behind. She lighted another match. Now there she was sitting under the most magnificent Christmas tree: it was still larger, and more decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door in the rich merchant's house.
Thousands of lights were burning on the green branches, and gaily-colored pictures, such as she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her. The little maiden stretched out her hands towards them when--the match went out. The lights of the Christmas tree rose higher and higher, she saw them now as stars in heaven; one fell down and formed a long trail of fire.
"Someone is just dead!" said the little girl; for her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who was now no more, had told her, that when a star falls, a soul ascends to God.
She drew another match against the wall: it was again light, and in the lustre there stood the old grandmother, so bright and radiant, so mild, and with such an expression of love.
"Grandmother!" cried the little one. "Oh, take me with you! You go away when the match burns out; you vanish like the warm stove, like the delicious roast goose, and like the magnificent Christmas tree!" And she rubbed the whole bundle of matches quickly against the wall, for she wanted to be quite sure of keeping her grandmother near her. And the matches gave such a brilliant light that it was brighter than at noon-day: never formerly had the grandmother been so beautiful and so tall. She took the little maiden, on her arm, and both flew in brightness and in joy so high, so very high, and then above was neither cold, nor hunger, nor anxiety--they were with God.
But in the corner, at the cold hour of dawn, sat the poor girl, with rosy cheeks and with a smiling mouth, leaning against the wall--frozen to death on the last evening of the old year. Stiff and stark sat the child there with her matches, of which one bundle had been burnt. "She wanted to warm herself," people said. No one had the slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she had seen; no one even dreamed of the splendor in which, with her grandmother she had entered on the joys of a new year.
I'm steadily trying to get my fix of holiday films in while I can. Obviously this month we celebrate with so many different holidays, so the movies are overflowing the channels back to back.
This past weekend it was National Lampoons Christmas vacation and Scrooged. Next, I'm looking forward to getting my cartoon fix. I'm watching The Peanuts Christmas, The Grinch Stole Christmas, and Mickeys Christmas Carole. After that, it's on to A Christmas Story, Home Alone, Die Hard (because I like action movies and it's great to watch with my dad), Home Alone lost in New York, the Nutcracker (for obvious reasons), The Little Match Girl, and of course many more I just can't think of at the moment.
With the spirit of the holidays, and just a season of giving, there are so many stories out there that just make you think outside your box. One of my favorites is this story I heard when I was a kid called the little match girl. Something about this story struck a cord inside me as a child. I'd like to share it with you as a holiday gift from me to you. Hope you enjoy.....
The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson
One slipper was nowhere to be found; the other had been laid hold of by an urchin, and off he ran with it; he thought it would do capitally for a cradle when he some day or other should have children himself. So the little maiden walked on with her tiny naked feet, that were quite red and blue from cold. She carried a quantity of matches in an old apron, and she held a bundle of them in her hand. Nobody had bought anything of her the whole livelong day; no one had given her a single farthing.
She crept along trembling with cold and hunger--a very picture of sorrow, the poor little thing!
The flakes of snow covered her long fair hair, which fell in beautiful curls around her neck; but of that, of course, she never once now thought. From all the windows the candles were gleaming, and it smelt so deliciously of roast goose, for you know it was New Year's Eve; yes, of that she thought.
In a corner formed by two houses, of which one advanced more than the other, she seated herself down and cowered together. Her little feet she had drawn close up to her, but she grew colder and colder, and to go home she did not venture, for she had not sold any matches and could not bring a farthing of money: from her father she would certainly get blows, and at home it was cold too, for above her she had only the roof, through which the wind whistled, even though the largest cracks were stopped up with straw and rags.
Her little hands were almost numbed with cold. Oh! a match might afford her a world of comfort, if she only dared take a single one out of the bundle, draw it against the wall, and warm her fingers by it. She drew one out. "Rischt!" how it blazed, how it burnt! It was a warm, bright flame, like a candle, as she held her hands over it: it was a wonderful light. It seemed really to the little maiden as though she were sitting before a large iron stove, with burnished brass feet and a brass ornament at top. The fire burned with such blessed influence; it warmed so delightfully. The little girl had already stretched out her feet to warm them too; but--the small flame went out, the stove vanished: she had only the remains of the burnt-out match in her hand.
She rubbed another against the wall: it burned brightly, and where the light fell on the wall, there the wall became transparent like a veil, so that she could see into the room. On the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth; upon it was a splendid porcelain service, and the roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums. And what was still more capital to behold was, the goose hopped down from the dish, reeled about on the floor with knife and fork in its breast, till it came up to the poor little girl; when--the match went out and nothing but the thick, cold, damp wall was left behind. She lighted another match. Now there she was sitting under the most magnificent Christmas tree: it was still larger, and more decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door in the rich merchant's house.
Thousands of lights were burning on the green branches, and gaily-colored pictures, such as she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her. The little maiden stretched out her hands towards them when--the match went out. The lights of the Christmas tree rose higher and higher, she saw them now as stars in heaven; one fell down and formed a long trail of fire.
"Someone is just dead!" said the little girl; for her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who was now no more, had told her, that when a star falls, a soul ascends to God.
She drew another match against the wall: it was again light, and in the lustre there stood the old grandmother, so bright and radiant, so mild, and with such an expression of love.
"Grandmother!" cried the little one. "Oh, take me with you! You go away when the match burns out; you vanish like the warm stove, like the delicious roast goose, and like the magnificent Christmas tree!" And she rubbed the whole bundle of matches quickly against the wall, for she wanted to be quite sure of keeping her grandmother near her. And the matches gave such a brilliant light that it was brighter than at noon-day: never formerly had the grandmother been so beautiful and so tall. She took the little maiden, on her arm, and both flew in brightness and in joy so high, so very high, and then above was neither cold, nor hunger, nor anxiety--they were with God.
But in the corner, at the cold hour of dawn, sat the poor girl, with rosy cheeks and with a smiling mouth, leaning against the wall--frozen to death on the last evening of the old year. Stiff and stark sat the child there with her matches, of which one bundle had been burnt. "She wanted to warm herself," people said. No one had the slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she had seen; no one even dreamed of the splendor in which, with her grandmother she had entered on the joys of a new year.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Happy Holidays- Tis the season to keep your chin up
So the first week of December is about to officially come to an end. Crazy huh? Before you know it New Years will be here. Back to back two truly intense holidays, because let's be honest, the holidays are the holidays yes, but there in a serious intensity that goes on without saying.
Now, it is the holidays, and of course we all feel different things at this time. Good, bad, happy, sad, we all go through our own thing. I've definitely felt all the above, and then some at different points. The holidays definitely bring out your emotions.
It's tough when everywhere you look it feels as if everyone but you is happy and cherry. Although in reality, that's not really the case. As I said before, everyone has their own story. I'm sure there are parts of you that wish you too could be happy and cherry. Well you can, after all, it is YOUR life. You can be the one to change how you feel.......that is, unless you'd rather be/play the victim. You know, the victim role? Where you seem to not have anything go right for you because it's everyone else's fault but yours. That you just can't seem to get happy just because the worlds against you. You start spouting that "whoa is me" speech to any and everyone because no one understands but you. A.k.a the victim.
To that I say "give me a break." Look, you think by belly aching to folks what's wrong, things are magically going to get better? That by getting whatever it is off your chest to whom ever whenever, despite whatever might be going on in their lives, the skies will part for you and whom ever or whatever will come to their senses? Please, look Mcfly, we're not on fantasy island.
This is the perfect time to put your chin up. Despite how bad you think you have it, trust me, there is someone out there who has it even worse then you. And for those out there who do have it worse, I've seen more of those people extremely happy and living life because they can. So can you.
I am in the business of hope, so I'm telling you this because despite if your an optimist or a realist, hope is something we can all agree on. This is definitely the season of hope. It's also something you carry with you not just throughout the holidays. Hope is forever in your back pocket, and when your ready to use it to take the next step, you'll be able to pull it out.
Nicole
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Don't stop believing
Happy hump day! It's Wednesday!
I just saw a commercial that it is indeed 20 days until we hit December 25....once again, time flies when you're having fun, and trust me, waking up everyday knowing your heart is beating, that is some kind of fun.
"Don't stop believing." Such a good song along with such a great quote. My question, hearing those three words, how does that make you feel and what exactly do you think?
About two years ago, "don't stop believing" was a quote I would have turned my back and laughed at. Mainly because, everything was hitting the fan in my life. I had lost love and the chances of it falling in my lap again was something I sorta didn't think would happen anytime soon. I had begun a motivational speaking career that I was clueless about and just hoped that maybe it could eventually turn into something. My acting career was something that seemed miles away due to my physical limitations. So, having a future was something I eventually knew would happen, though in the back of my head I was secretly telling myself "kid, get used to waiting...it's gonna be a while."
Now, don't get me wrong, I did have a glimmer of hope inside of me, but it was buried way down deep inside. Though hope was buried sort of deep, for some reason there was this little voice inside saying "whatever happens, just don't stop." I thank my lucky stars for that little voice.
By not shutting that voice up, which turned out to be my conscience, and really striving towards something good for my life, things began to happen I never thought could in a timely manner. I finally shut the door on heartache and eventually love found me in a way I was totally blindsided and grateful for. I put myself out there as a very prominent and rising sot out speaker and I began booking speaking gigs. Swallowing any reservations I had about getting into the acting world, I applied to some casting inquires where I fit the description, and low and behold- I got work! So see that, I still got it :)
I've learned from this experience and understand that no matter what, you can't stop believing in yourself. Who knows what's out there for you! There's an entire world ahead of you that is literally just waiting for you to make your mark on it. Take it from one who knows.
This Tuesday I spoke to the Rotary Club whose focus is on community service. Many of the members are men, but those men gave me a standing ovation before I even hit the stage. I just saw that the movie trailer that I was an extra in and it comes out on Christmas Day. Hopefully I'm not edited out, and if I am, so what. I did it, and that's all that mattered. You know, Journey said it best....."Don't Stop Believing."
I just saw a commercial that it is indeed 20 days until we hit December 25....once again, time flies when you're having fun, and trust me, waking up everyday knowing your heart is beating, that is some kind of fun.
"Don't stop believing." Such a good song along with such a great quote. My question, hearing those three words, how does that make you feel and what exactly do you think?
About two years ago, "don't stop believing" was a quote I would have turned my back and laughed at. Mainly because, everything was hitting the fan in my life. I had lost love and the chances of it falling in my lap again was something I sorta didn't think would happen anytime soon. I had begun a motivational speaking career that I was clueless about and just hoped that maybe it could eventually turn into something. My acting career was something that seemed miles away due to my physical limitations. So, having a future was something I eventually knew would happen, though in the back of my head I was secretly telling myself "kid, get used to waiting...it's gonna be a while."
Now, don't get me wrong, I did have a glimmer of hope inside of me, but it was buried way down deep inside. Though hope was buried sort of deep, for some reason there was this little voice inside saying "whatever happens, just don't stop." I thank my lucky stars for that little voice.
By not shutting that voice up, which turned out to be my conscience, and really striving towards something good for my life, things began to happen I never thought could in a timely manner. I finally shut the door on heartache and eventually love found me in a way I was totally blindsided and grateful for. I put myself out there as a very prominent and rising sot out speaker and I began booking speaking gigs. Swallowing any reservations I had about getting into the acting world, I applied to some casting inquires where I fit the description, and low and behold- I got work! So see that, I still got it :)
I've learned from this experience and understand that no matter what, you can't stop believing in yourself. Who knows what's out there for you! There's an entire world ahead of you that is literally just waiting for you to make your mark on it. Take it from one who knows.
This Tuesday I spoke to the Rotary Club whose focus is on community service. Many of the members are men, but those men gave me a standing ovation before I even hit the stage. I just saw that the movie trailer that I was an extra in and it comes out on Christmas Day. Hopefully I'm not edited out, and if I am, so what. I did it, and that's all that mattered. You know, Journey said it best....."Don't Stop Believing."
Monday, December 2, 2013
It's time, it's time!!! It's here, it's here!!!!!
It's DECEMBER!!!!! It's here!!!!!
Boy , where did the time go? Time really does fly when you're having fun. One minute it's hot from the summer sun, the next you're trying to bundle up from the winter winds.
Well, it's here. Good ole December is finally here. Which if you're like me, it's sort of a relief because the minute November first hits it seems every radio station, department store, business office, shop, etc, starts pumping out Christmas music. So now, since we're actually in the month of December, Christmas music makes much more sense.
This is a pretty great month. I'm not saying that the other months in the year are not as important, but it's pretty much well known that December is just a whole world of its own. One thing to remember is, Tis the season of giving. I'm not just talking about presents, I'm talking about giving good will and love to your fellow man. Something we tend to forget throughout the year. I feel that when December hits, it reminds us again to put our best foot forward and put some our selfish tendencies to the side. Try to think about that this month.
On the other hand, Tis the season of a winter wonderland. There are nostalgic movies playing back to back, decorations everywhere you look, Christmas hits flooding the radios, and jolly ole Saint Nick making his annual appearance. Yes indeed, December is here!
Nicole
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