i am elsa, and i am an admitted craftaholic

crafting blues (kraft-ing blooz) noun: the suppression of one's urge to craft and create, usually due to the lack of money, and/or craft supply stores nearby. most common in college girls, specifically those named elsa or those that reside in small college town. 

-treatment and/or therapy consists of spending various amounts of time overloading on a variety of crafts over breaks from school and while at home, due to the endless amount of craft supplies at one's fingertips. one may also take advantage of their mother's surplus of craft store coupons, and watch hours of gilmore girls while creating various projects. if necessary, try and complete all activities pinned on pinterest to relieve the feeling that there may not be enough to make. 

so i made a bow for my hair. because i love bow ties and the bow is the female equivalent. and i have spent the last week painting and painting and painting. it. is. so. much. fun.

yellow

if i had to pick one thing that i like the most from my christmas presents, it'd probably be these (next to the complete set of harry potter dvds).

the constant flack and trouble that my father gives me for my mustard pants, "does anyone need any mustard for their hotdog? just get it from elsa's legs" and "oh you're going to wear those?", does not stop me from loving my pants. my cute little friend likes them, and thats enough for me.  i went to babysit her yesterday and she said, "i like your ketchup pants!" i think she got her condiments confused. it was adorable either way.

big red

i've heard that if you pick on gingers too much, you turn into one.
i guess its true.

it was time to get rid of that awkward in between color i was stuck at. is it brown, is it blond? is it even between the two? no one ever knew and neither did i. 

so i'm not completely ginger, but i possibly could pass off as a weasly cousin. i love it. 

mind the gap

Since I am a travel girl, and I do have this great travel book (kudos, once again to my friend), why not make some good use of it and write about the places that I daydream of visiting so that I may have one of their lovely stamps adorn my little passport with its fresh foreign ink. 

The place I want to go next, and lately, most of all?

(isn't this fun?)

London. My dear lovely friend just returned from a study abroad in Old Blighty and I am envious of her and the few others I know that have done the same.  So what else do you do, than decide to study abroad there yourself? Is it mere coincidence that your roommate wanted to go to? Probably not. And so it is set in stone. Next school year, the two of us will be blowing loads of saved money to experience all 130,410 kilometers of the queen's great country.

And while my travel book tells me that the best places to go are places I have never heard of before (I obviously have a lot to learn. What ever happened to Buckingham Palace and the London Eye?), I plan myself to look for every last inch of Harry Potter that I can possibly find in the blessed homeland of the wizarding world. You better believe it.

So cheers to London! And cheers to travel Tuesdays!

wilson and chester

jenna and elsa. elsa and jenna.
thats the way it was.

and then, jace came along.

and then it became a most glorious group of three. and if i do say so, the most perfect group of three that there ever was, for never have i had a three work out so well. and although we only had one short semester together before our beloved jenna departs for the 'big city', it was a semester packed full of stories both infamous and famous.

and jenna, though the two of us will miss you dearly and daily, we promise the following:

-i will never forget that only you and jace are allowed to call me em.j. and el
-we will constantly call you with fabulous impersonations (mainly the surprise lady and the ginger irish)
-all photography ideas and or questions will be instantly forwarded to you and visa versa
-we will never let another soul sleep in the makeshift bed of cushions in between our beds
-you probably might find that i have stolen your shirt. its ok, you probably have one of my shirts too.

festivous for the rest of us

i hope your christmas was as filled with kid history as mine. and while i may have shouted 'big trak' at the top of my lungs, freaked out at the sweater i was given, and blew my nose as a natural hobitat (getting a little sick unfortunately), the day was also filled with harry potter, many hours on the phone, marzipan, and yes, the wonderful christmas day nap.

and my brothers wore bow ties. i could not have been happier.

uh....

yes, i turned into one of those bloggers that suddenly disappears and doesn't update. and although i swore i would never do such a thing, i got caught up in the hustle of holiday cheer (or lack of, considering it was finals). please accept my apology and understand that i vow to stay away from the lull period again.

so, here is a glorious list with TEN things:

1. breath war.

2. girl with the green scarf? maybe. i have visited the mall 4 times in the last 5 days.

3. never ending insistence from the twins that i buy them christmas presents. i love them.

4. could you call me crafty? probably. the clerk at joanns did after the third day in a row of seeing her. i'd like to think we're friends now.

5. so maybe i have spent the last few days reading 50 pages of my harry potter book and watching the movies. maybe i haven't. maybe i had i dream about harry potter too.

6. sometimes my roommate leaves her socks at my house, so i wear them.

7. chocolate covered oreos. all week long. yep, i'm a fatty.

8.  "bi, i love you!" and then hangs up with no further explanation. i kinda like it when she calls me bi though. it makes me feel like janice joplin.

9. dang it, that barnes and noble. they get me AND my money every time.

10. yes, the girl with that so-called 'travel' blog has a picture of the travel book. and yes, that girl now owns that travel book. it was only the greatest present ever, thanks to my lovely annie!

vingt

did you know i turned 20? yep, i sure did. i'm old. it must be the scoliosis.

and what better way to celebrate the impending age than with a few of my favorite things?

mcdonalds (yeah i'm fat), friends, super cute outfit, curled hair, mustache mugs, and......

HARRY POTTER movies&presents

(the greatest birthday present ever)

dear reader,

i'm sorry i've vanished from the blogging world. it is finals week. hence the hibernation. and while i have heard more than 5 girls say something to this effect and laughed, after the memorizing, not enough sleep, too much studying-induced coma, maybe i agree.

not really. thats just my sarcasm for the day. or the week. 

until finals are over,

elsa

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

if this isn't the greatest thing you've heard today, then i don't know what to think about that. 

christmas song of the day: harry potter score. yeah. get over it.

elsa and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

yesterday was bad, indeed it was. two things that can be learned from it are:
1) creative funk=a horrid state in which elsa cannot produce any creatively satisfying products and nothing and no one's ideas can make it better and
2)  a dissatisfied elsa is not a happy one
(i apologize thoroughly to my three friends that had to deal with creative funk, dissatisfied elsa the most)

so here's my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day in a nut-shell.

1. i woke up with a headache (this sets the mood for the story. and my day apparently).
2. my photography final was due the next day and i hated the work i had already done.
3. other random annoyances that seemed to be offset by my artistic and moody tantrums

and while there were some incredibly rotten moments, in the midst of it all, my wonderful wonderful friends made my life so much better and so much easier. in a nut shell.

1. with jenna's idea and our brilliant creative minds, we formed a new and creatively satisfying project
2. a wonderful subway dinner delight from such a kind mike and jace
3. an indulgence for my harry potter obsession with a viewing of the half-blood prince with jace

so thank you to my wonderfully wonderful friends for being so kind and wonderful. how many more times can i say wonderful?

fun for you!

yesterday's events listed

1. my monday guilty pleasure tv show. i will not divulge which program it is, for it is embarrassing. but i do love it so.

2. fort building and arguing. yes, it was a sheet that encased our whole room and was hung from the ceiling. now you know why there was arguing.

3. ohhhhhhhhh myyyyyyy goshhhhhhh! i'm just so freaking excited!!

4. have you ever fallen asleep in class without meaning to, and when you wake up a half hour later, you think 'oh crap, i hope i didnt drool or anything'? cause i have.

5. trying very hard to try and be just the tiniest bit as great as richard avedon and take pictures of their many attitudes they flash at me. i guess they're just too cute for that.

you're a monster, ms. elsa.

yes. i wouldn't touch me with a 39 and a half foot pole either. i did not feel well at all and i was just as grumpy as my little grumpy gus.  and man, can i be one sassy sue.  luckily, i have two glorious and wonderful friends that can handle my tude and stop me from doing irrational things because of my irrational behavior.  i like to call this behavior the mean greens. yes, take my breakfast at tiffanys reference mixed with a bit of my favorite christmas movie.

while i did begin to feel better, the sass did not wane. yes, my poor, poor, friends. the three of us decided that the only way to enjoy the day was to do absolutely nothing at all. and absolutely nothing consisted of watching the new kid history, talk talk talk, and make christmas surprise cookies, all while never changing out of our pajamas or putting on makeup (much to my mothers chagrin). at the end of the day, jenna turns to me and says, "this is the best day ever."

i must agree jenna. i must agree.


christmas song of the day: you're a mean one, mr. grinch. appropriately.

brace yourself

that awkward moment when you realize that you just saw the awkward older guy from that horrible date you went on in the library. that awkward moment when you pretend you didnt see him and keep talking to the girl from your group project. the even more awkward moment when the awkward guy from your date stares you down until he's right next to you and says hi.  that awkward moment when you hurriedly say hi back and you realize that the way you said it, made it known that you had seen him already and you had been ignoring him. and finally, the awkward moment when the girl in your group project asks who he was.

also, to add the 7 injuries from my previous post, you can add two large burns on my forearm. yes i accidentally clamped my straightener on my arm.



christmas song for the day: do they know its christmas?- band aid

cozy

christmas pajama pants

Christmas song for the day: All I Want for Christmas-Matt Costa

i am awkward.

hi i'm elsa jensen and i am a klutz.

yes these all did occur within the last 4 days. and yes, they all do need bandaids.

when you go to africa, they make you take a tb test. and since you're in college, you have to go without your mommy. so your roommate goes and tells you to think like katniss. or maybe it was think of kid history.


christmas song of the day: winter song-sara bareilles and ingrid michaelson.

ugh.

sometimes i hate when people repin my pins. actually, i hate it all the time.

photo love

the perks of having a photography friend (and being in photography):
being employed for the use of shoots
&
ending up with good pictures for you.
these are from my lovely jenna. she's so good isn't she?

(i'm reading mockingjay. aren't you glad mom?)

(fashion catalog anyone? i'm thinking urban.)

christmas song of the day: its beginning to look a lot like christmas-michael buble. 

joyeux noel

you know how everyone has their "thing"? whatever it may be, its something that no one else quite understands but you. no one really knows that feeling you have and the love for it.  no matter how hard they might try, it can never be understood, but its ok that way. 

the great thing about christmas is almost everyone feels that christmas is "their thing". everyone feels that nobody else understands christmas like you do. so i guess in a way, everyone understands how you feel about christmas. ironic, isn't it? (also, i'm completely aware that maybe you don't understand a word i'm saying. its ok, i understand my brain is a bit jumbled).

so, as christmas lovers,

a list has been written

to be completed

before the break. 

day 1 of christmas celebration:

christmas tree decorating, light adorning of the room, cookie dough eating, and partaking of beautiful christmas tunes. 

fabulous way to start the season that we all understand like nobody else does. the three of us understand it the same way. 

christmas song of the day: rockin' around the christmas tree-she&him

lets catch up, shall we?

the musings and profound thoughts of a college girl while she was on her thanksgiving break:

-when little kids draw, it always considered art and they don't even try. its always cute. its always hung up on the wall. when i draw, its considered mediocre. ehhhh seems about right.

-when i shop in a nike store, i feel like i'm a different person. i walk with better posture, a quicker pace, and an air of elite exercise air as i arrogantly glance at articles of clothing as if i am going to buy them. and then, somehow, i do feel like buying them and i do feel like being one of those elite exercisers all because of the feel of the nike store. i wish it wouldn't wear off once i set foot outside the store.

-so sometimes the muppet movie is a lot better than you thought it would be and you laugh your head off watching it. especially when you realize one of your 7 year old brothers is animal.

-when you give mom a christmas tree to set up, she'll probably want to get more lights to put on it. and when she goes to search for those lights, she'll find your mini christmas tree instead and pull it out. and then, as she returns with the lights, she'll say she needs a chair to stand on. so when she goes to get the chair, she'll notice the thanksgiving decorations on the table and think that she should probably take them down. as she passes the sink, she'll see the dirty dishes and decide that she can't possibly let them sit there any longer. and who can stand in front of the sink without the kitchen rug that is drying outside? so she'll bring it in and put it in its place. But by going outside to get the rug, she'll realize that there are pumpkins sitting on the front porch and a thanksgiving wreath hanging up by the door, and soon enough her feet are leading her there to take them down. and because it is now blank, she's probably going to want to fill the space with a christmas decoration. which will bring her to the kitchen to get the wreath. and then, she'll see the 'mess' there and start cleaning. and because she's in the kitchen, she'll remember that i need a crockpot to take to school. and somehow, by some estranged thought process, mom just might remember that she started by putting up the christmas tree and left her daughter there to do it by herself. so she'll bring herself to help finish. but before going to bed, she can't resist vacuuming the mess.

simple.

today was thanksgiving. as most of you know. i ate a lot. but you probably did too.

i should blabber on and on about all of the wonderful things i am grateful for, but i'm not. i hope you don't think i am a scrooge of thanksgiving, but i am not a large fan of big long posts about all the things i am grateful for, including socks and toothbrushes. i feel that sometimes the thankfulness that is expressed can become a bit cliched and grandiose, instead of sincere and simple. and while we are supposed to express our gratitude, it becomes a loud act for the public, instead of a private sentiment. so simply put, here are the few things i am grateful for today and things i am grateful for always.

i am grateful for my family and my four goober brothers.

i am grateful for my education and my school and the experiences i gain while i am there.

i am grateful for friends,

old 

growing

and new. 

and i am most grateful for my religion and my testimony. it brings me all of these other wonderful things and enriches them to their greatest enjoyment.

she shops better than you

i bet your mom can't shop like mine can. but really.

does your mom weave through two different malls, search two grocery stores, navigate through the mayhem of costco AND sams club, and get her car lubed all in nine hours?

is she personally greeted (by name) with a hug from patty, the store manager of american eagle, and brought into a friend-like chat about the pair of boots she bought from them last week?

would your mom buy jeans at H&M for your little brother, then run to GAP, see the jeans are cheaper and better, buy those, and then run back and return the jeans to H&M all in the span of 15 minutes before the mall closes?

does she also purchase almost EVERY item on sale, with a coupon, or for a deal? 

i guess you could say she's a pro. i learn from the best. 

goober

i could do this for hours. his little laugh kills me.

ps-that last clip was for you jacie!

packing....packing?...packing!!

normally i hate packing. even if i'm going somewhere i like. but starting today, i'm going to start LOVING packing. because it means i'm going somewhere. and that is what i love to do most. as my dear friend in london said to me, 'you are filled with wanderlust and you have a gypsy heart.'

i've never been told i have a gypsy heart before. i think i kinda like it though, it makes me feel like janis joplin. i mean amelia earhart.

[ley-zee]

-taking a test on landslides and floods

-doing my laundry

-arguing pointless topics over email for a group project (whyyyyyy must this school force us to work with others??)

-read about polar ice cap melting

things i did feel like doing:

-eating popcorn, peanut m&ms, and coke while

-watching x-men first class

-crafting for the room

-listening to my current favorite songs

alas, i did all of the above. oh saturday.

.

amen.

snow globe

snow, you are my friend. i like to watch you decorate the earth while i get ready. i like to walk with you to class. and i love when its late at night and everything is silent and calm and somehow you make everything feel like its magic. i like that you are excited for christmas like me. i like that you make hot chocolate taste so much better.

and i like that my friends like you too. please keep returning snow. stay for a while. we like you here in small college town.

ps. i was called elise again today. go figure.

mmmmmm

i'm going to marry this man. this beautiful british man named roo panes. he will sing me lullabies and i will call him roo bear. not to mention, he will look great next to me, i mean our styles will coordinate perfectly. and one day, we will have little daughters that will have cute british accents and they'll say cute things like 'if you wanted to sleepover, that'd be alright. we can push our beds together'. 

smushed like a grape

wondering what rock i've been hiding under? its that large crushing and ominous rock that is my current college life.  and while i could go on and on about how much more busy i am than you (i try not to turn into the thing i hate the most), i'll just say that rash turned into a full fledged breakout and the normally entrancing allure of the hunger games trailer and guilty pleasure tv lost all appeal. though the hunger games trailer probably did win most of the time.

the list of crazy, sometimes good, and laughable moments of my since crushed under a rock existence:

1. Who's ready for drawing 101 next semester?? online?? ok..i guess if its required i'll take it. other classes for the semester? success.

2. the whole class and my teacher loved my photo project? AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

3. totally disappointing and possibly illegal viewing of like crazy. so sad.

4. where have you been fancy shoes?

5. hilarity in silence and courage the cowardly lions.

in short, its almost thursday. and its getting closer to the day when i get to go home to this.

only the greatest

so maybe i screamed at the top of my lungs and jumped up and down like a child. maybe i thought about crying when katniss volunteers. maybe i can't stop shaking. 

thats all. 

a bit of hockney

what have i been doing all weekend? remember the photo project i have to do? yep. all weekend long. remember that grand idea i had? this was it!

was turned into....

(you really should look at it as big as you can-its better that way)

it was a long process. long. and i did not know what i was doing at first, so it resulted in 148 pictures printed out at walmart and a rash on the insides of my elbow. yes, i am that nerd child that breaks out in a rash when i'm stressed. apparently i enjoy inflicting a bit of pain on myself though, because after i finally finished, jenna and i jumped right in to making another one.

yep. still have 87 pictures left over.

on another note, the weekend was grand. i am elsa and i enjoy sending off 11/11 wishes into the sky on balloons, waking up the to the beautiful snow, and wing-manning it. and teaching granny laughlin how to drive in the snow.

i have the cutest roommate

she lets me take pictures of her

make your own creative title [here]

today was not a creative day.  and while i had no problem sleeping in very late and being lazy all morning (all 3 classes cancelled-yes it was heaven), my creativity was seriously lacking. my hair was soggy and limp pasta, my face was a dry and flakey mess.  i couldn't even put an outfit together. so because of this lag in my creative brain (or complete loss of it), what do you get today? thats right. another list. aren't we all just so excited??

1. potato and corn chowder soup. easiest thing ever to make and probably the most delicious thing too.

2.lightsaber battles over the kitchen counter and into the living room, ending with being dismembered and left to die. thanks for that jace.

3. speechless and obsessed. thats all i have to say about that.

4. eye contact. look down. smile. 

5. mustaches mustaches mustaches. jace has rubbed off on me. can you find all the mustaches that currently adorn our room?

(can you find this one??)