Makeover Friday?

Lately I've just been craving to do makeup on other people. I can probably blame this craving on my excessive amounts of watching makeup tutorials on YouTube at work + looking for almost ANY excuse to go to Ulta. Ah, Ulta... you just get me.

Anyway, yesterday was the best Friday ever since I not only got to satisfy my craving for doing someone's makeup once, but THREE times. It didn't hurt that I satisfied my craving for a dirty DP either, but that's besides the point. First my sister, then my sister-in-law, and then my mother-in-law. Three gorgeous ladies!

Behold:

I wish my phone was capable of taking good quality pictures, because these just don't do any of them justice. Maybe it's me just tootin' my own horn, but don't they all look gorgeous?! I loved doing all of their makeup, because they all had such different face shapes and skin tones and it was nice putting makeup on a face that I wasn't familiar with. I was definitely learning a lot.

Some of you may be reading this and thinking, "Um, where the heck did this come from, Shay?! You are not a makeup artist." and I can say that I completely agree with you! I'm not. But it's been really fun pretending I am. So if anyone wants to help me keep "pretending" just let me know, because I can be halfway to Ulta before you're even finished saying yes. And who knows, maybe this could be my little "business on the side" thing like all the rest of you rockin' Mormon mamas do ;) but seriously--those Ulta runs ain't gonna fund themselves!

We've been king-sized!

I'm starting to think that if me and Chris could have our own TV show, it would be on the TLC channel, and it would be called, Little House, Huge Furniture, and it would be all about our struggle of inheriting/buying things that are just too freaking big for our humble little town home. I imagine it going something like this....

Coming up next: Chris and Shayli can't fit their couches through their front door. 
*clip of me and Chris staring at each other all serious*
Chris: "I told you we should have just kept our old couches!"
Shayli: "But babe! They were FREE! And they actually match!"
Who will help them? How many people is it going to take to carry them? Find out, when Little House, Huge Furniture returns.

or

On tonight's Thanksgiving special, find out what ridiculous size of TV the Gourley's got on Black Friday. Will it fit on their $5 Wal-Mart TV stand? Stay tuned on Little House, Huge Furniture, to find out!

And of course, all narration would be done by Morgan Freeman.

The most recent episode of our show would begin with a clip of Chris receiving a text from his parents, asking if we want their old king-sized mattress. Chris would say yes without even hesitating, and BAM! The king bed would be up that night, because that's how bad Chris wanted a king-sized bed. That night I would be a little sad and outstretch my hand (and still not be able to touch Chris) and start singing, neeeeeaaaar faaaaarrr whereeeever you aaarre... and wonder if having a king bed was the right choice, because Chris was just a little too happy about me not being able to reach him.

Then the dilemma of the episode would be that we put up the bed without thinking about how we have to buy king-sized bedding, and that it would take up most of our bedroom, and our side tables would now be touching our walls. Oh, and that we don't have a headboard!

But then Chris would totally redeem himself at the end by finding the cutest, most perfect headboard ever on KSL (seriously though, isn't it so cute?!) and it wouldn't matter that our bedroom is basically 90% mattress and all would be well with the world again.

Do you guys think I could be onto something here? Like, what producer at TLC do I need to submit this reality show idea to?! And when this show becomes a huge hit, maybe future episodes of the show will include a closet way too big for our bedroom, and a Jacuzzi tub waaaaay too big for our master bathroom...

A girl can dream, right? And you know what they say...If you're gonna dream, dream BIG. Which shouldn't be an issue for me, now that I've got a BIG mattress to dream on now.

Things I Think You Need to Know

• There is a reason for this #chestie (chest selfie), I promise! Guys, I got that necklace at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart, people! And while we're on the subject of Wal-Mart, I've decided that it's just like McDonalds in the way that a lot of people like to think they are above it, but we all know that you secretly love it! Even if you aren't willing to admit it. It's okay though, your secret is safe with me. If anybody asks, I'll just tell them you prefer Target instead.
• I've only just recently discovered the greatness that is Reese's Puffs cereal. Um, hi! Where have you been all my life Reese's Puffs?! You give me life.
• The cute girl at Swig gave me two stamps on my punch card... just because! *heel click*
• Massage Envy sent a 2 for 1 coupon to "Chris Gouchy" (does the word gouchy sound inappropriate to you, too?) and I laugh hysterically every time I pass the fridge where it's being proudly displayed.
• My sister caused me to ask myself one of life's greatest questions last Monday: Do I suffer from RBF?? To which I realized that doing Zumba with a running injury can cause people to think that about you.
• Even if I haven't poured a bucket of ice water over my head, I still support ALS research. Also, I check my Instagram feed daily to see if Ellen Degeneres has done it yet.
• I finally put something in my "about" section! Fist pump for only taking a year to do it. It's full of super important stuff that my readers to know about. You know, like all of my blog posts.

Happy Friday!

A Tidbit of Love for Chris

After my last post, Chris brought to my attention that I just "go into straight hate mode" when I blog about him. Chris' comment had me like, WHAT!? No! I am all kinds of cutesy about you on the bloggity blog! So then I started reading through some of my older posts, and I came to this conclusion: I'm afraid to be sappy on my blog. Not just about Chris, but about anyone. I noticed that anytime I would start to even become semi-serious or sentimental in a post, I'd have to end with a joke or a silly, off-topic comment. Am I afraid of sounding like a newlywed since I'm not really considered a "newlywed" anymore? Or maybe I'm really just trying to stick with the title of my blog and only keep a "tidbit of love" in my posts? I don't know, but for whatever reason, Chris noticed and it kind of plucked at my heartstrings when he said that.

So Chris, get ready to be sap-slapped so hard, your man-boobs (that I always assure you that you don't have!) are gonna concave after you read this saptastic post filled with reasons why I love you! (...do you guys see my problem now?)

Chris, one of the reasons I love you is because you just work so damn hard (I also love you because you always tell me not to swear, but let's just focus on the whole working hard thing for now...). I love that you work hard at basically anything and everything: your job, school, house projects, making me happy, projects for other people, and most importantly, pickle ball. I love that you're always trying to do better and be better. You're not okay with just being "okay," except maybe when it comes to knowing the correct lyrics to songs on the radio. I know I don't tell you enough, so I'm telling you now: Thank you for working so hard for us! So hard, in fact, that when you come home from work, you pass out on the couch like this:

Also, I love that booty ^^

Another reason I love you is the fact that you just don't give a crap what other people think of you. I'm almost envious of this trait you have because it's something that I struggle with, as you know all too well. So thank you for always reassuring me that I look like "a twig bi-" when I'm not feeling so good about myself. I love that if you are being teased by me or your friends or anyone for that matter, that you don't care and you don't change. You are always Chris and always will be the same Chris I fell in love with, and even when I complain about it, just know that I secretly love that you are a goofy, fanny pack-wearing, basketball-watching, manchild. 

Another thing I love about you is that you are a simple person. Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is a good quality (mostly when you can't understand why I want to buy a new outfit or makeup), but for the most part, I really do love this about you. Not a lot of people can say that simple things like fishing, hiking, hunting, working hard on a project, or even just sitting outside and talking make them really happy, but you can. You don't need the newest technology (not even a smart phone!), the trendiest clothes, or any other materialistic thing to make you happy--the way it's supposed to be. I wish I could say the same thing for myself, but for right now I'll just appreciate the fact that you bring that great balance into our relationship ;) 

If you haven't noticed already, every reason I've listed so far for why I love you is a quality that I wish I had. The exact same thing applies to this next reason of why I love you: That you don't take yourself seriously. I mean that in the best way, too. If you did, who would I have to remind me to not take myself so seriously all the time?! My life would be so sad and boring if you didn't possess this quality! I love that you have better things to worry about than just yourself. The world would be so much better with more Chris Gourley's for this reason alone! You are a rare breed, Chris.

I could go on and on with more reasons as to why I love you, like that you always share your food with me and that you're so good with kids and that you cuddle me in the mornings and that you play Clash of Clans (just kidding! even the sappiest bone in my body would never let me admit that), but I know I don't need to, because even though I know this post probably could have been a little more serious, I know that wouldn't be like us--because WE are not serious (okay, you're not serious), and the cutesy, "serious" moments we do have together, don't need to be shared in the blog world. But I do hope that you appreciated this ultra sappy, newlywed-worthy blog post in your honor.

Because, well, I love your guts (figurative guts! you're a twig bi- with six pack abs! duh!) Chris Gourley! Even if I'm not always the best at showing it on the bliggity blog. 

xx

p.s. holy moly there's a lot of 'i love you's' in this post! if that ain't sappy, I don't know what is...

brace yourself

The season is almost upon us.

And no, I'm not talking about the Fall season.

I'm talking about the season I always seem to forget about until it's too late...

The season of date nights spent on opposite ends of the couch.

The season of unnecessary screaming at the TV.

The season of Sports Center being the only channel we get.

The season of "Hold on babe, there's only 5 minutes left" (which really means 20 minutes).

The season of when I'm not sure if I'm really a Cougar fan or not.

The season of Chris constantly checking his phone.

The season of sitting on freezing, uncomfortable bleachers pretending like I know what's going on. 

The season of Facebook status updates complaining about guys I don't know.

And probably the worst thing of all.....

The season of Fantasy Football Leagues.

Yes, the football season is almost upon us.

AKA: The season of Chris being as giddy as a little school girl.

- - - - - - - - 

Stay strong lady friends, stay strong.

Cross Country

Ah, cross country camp... so fun, so loud, so hard, so crazy, and so many Otter Pops (the roof of my mouth feels like the equivalent of eating a bowl of Cap'n Crunch! but when there's a whole freezer dedicated to just Otter Pops, you gotta take advantage, right!?)!!

Seriously though, camp was so much fun! Even if it did rain every single day. We still managed to go running twice a day (hard runs! I've never wanted to puke after a run until camp), go tube the river, play at the swimming pool, play ultimate Frisbee, and go get ice cream in town. By the way, going to the river and the swimming pool counted as our showers for the week--just FYI. Also, it didn't hurt that I got completely showered with compliments every single day from the girls, either. I know, I know... I shouldn't get excited when teenage girls compliment me, but when they're saying things like, "Your hair is so gorgeous!" "Your makeup is perfect!" "You have the cutest clothes!" and "You are just perfect!"  it's hard to come home and not have your husband say the same things when you get ready for church. Poor Chris...

Anyway, I think my favorite part about camp was really just getting to know the kids better. They are amazing- I didn't know high school kids could be so respectful and spiritual! Being with them made me so excited to be a teacher someday...but I have to keep reminding myself that the cross country kids are a rare breed, and not all of my students are going to be amazing and respectful ;) But a girl can dream, right?

Being at camp also made me realize how awesome cross country really is, and now I am kicking myself because I didn't do it in high school. Like, why did I not know this awesome secret called cross country?! I feel like the cross country team does not get the recognition it deserves. These kids are so tough! Physically and mentally. I saw this for myself while I was waiting at the end of the race "Wolverine" that's basically 1.2 miles straight uphill (this is the race all the kids are afraid of) and just watching them cross that finish line was so emotional for me! I had to try so hard to hold back my tears haha I was just so dang proud of them all! And if that didn't tug at my heartstrings enough, all the people who finished first would go back and encourage and even run with the others that were struggling to keep going. So awesome, right!? I just love how united they are as a team.

Now that my coaching internship is coming to a close this week, I can't help but be a little bummed. I've spent almost every single morning with these kids this summer! Who's going to teach me how to use Twitter? And who will talk about trashy celebrities with me while I'm running!?  But most importantly, who's going to motivate me to keep going, even when I'm sure that I can't? I love these kids so much, and I'm definitely going to miss them. This experience has taught me so many things about myself, about running, and about life.

I've learned...

-Attitude really is everything--If you think you're not going to make it up that hill, you're not.
-Negativity spreads like wildfire.
-While you're running and you think, Why am I doing this to myself?!  then you're doing it right.
-You're capable of more than you think.
-Life is just like running a race: You can prepare, push through the hard parts, and cross the finish line, or you can procrastinate, give up, and let your team down--it's all your choice.
-A 12 minute mile is just as far as a 6 minute mile.

Now that I've had my clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose! moment, I'll also tell you that I've learned that you "Don't put twinkies on your pizza!" (name that movie!) as all the cross country kids like to say, and also that I'm capable of going 5 days without Chris and Dirty Dr. Pepper--it's not pretty, but it's possible. Kind of like running.

tidbits of life

(from left to right)

+ My dad basically has the best backyard ever now. He extended the basketball court and added a pickle ball court to it! + the volleyball net is up + horseshoe golf is still set up back there. So basically, I've become a mega-butch this past week and all I've wanted to do is be in my basketball shorts and play everything in my parents backyard. On Friday, my dad held his annual movie night where all of his zoobies employees come over to play in the backyard and watch a movie on the projector. It was so fun! Except Dash didn't think watching World War Z was too fun. Poor kid... I was impressed that he made it 20 minutes into it, though!

+ My mom's side of the family all got together for the Dash for Donation 5k to run in honor of my Uncle Darin . It was such an awesome experience and there were definitely tears shed while running. I thought it was a great way to celebrate my uncle D, especially since it's his birthday month. I hope it becomes a yearly tradition! Oh, and aren't those shirts so awesome?! My aunt Les never ceases to amaze me.

+ My grandpa and his brothers put on a little concert for us on Sunday. Again, tears were shed. I love hearing my grandpa Walker sing with his brothers. Except it makes me wonder how I got skipped in the musical talent department? Between me and Chris, our kids have no chance... sorry future Gourley children.

+ My boss' last day at work was on Friday, so we had a going away party for her (my department looks for any excuse to have a party and bring food) and made a shrine of her complete with candles and inflatable dinosaurs! Never a dull moment in my department. I'm not sure I'm really ready for transitioning to a new supervisor, though. Luckily, I only have one semester left before I start student teaching! Then onto a grown-up job... yikes! Can someone please teach me to adult?!

+ I am a closet cat lover. I'm always hesitant to say I love cats because anytime I mention cats all the dog lovers come out and start giving me the stink-eye. Like, am I not allowed to love both?! Anyway, I've become a little obsessed about getting a cat ever since I played with my brother's new kitten. I bug Chris about getting one at least five times a day. I think if I bug him enough, he might just give in. Even if he claims to be "allergic." Keep your fingers crossed that I can convince him to get me a cat for my birthday! :)

+ Summer is almost over... and I am not even sad about it. Believe me, I want to love summer and wish it would never end, kind of like I want to love Breaking Bad, or I want to love green smoothies--but I don't. I get giddy thinking about buying notebooks for school and walking through crunchy leaves and drinking hot chocolate! The rainy weather lately is not helping me suppress my love for fall, either.

+ My sister-in-law Emily had me do her makeup for family pictures. I had to keep telling her, "Okay, I've never done this before! So if you hate it, I'm really really sorry!" But I was actually quite pleased with the result! Thanks for letting me experiment on you, Em!

+ The Gumball Gang is growing. I swear every day they knock (more like pound on my door and then ring the doorbell 4 times) and I open the door, there is about 3 more kids in their group that I don't recognize. We are running out of candy and we've had to dig deep into our cabinets to find something to give them. Our inner 90 year-old selves have resorted to giving the kids caramels-ha! The picture above was taken on a day that I was in a particularly good mood and I invited them in to drink some Tang-I've regretted that decision ever since.

+ That picture was taken at the top of Squaw Peak while I waited for my cross country kids to run the whole way up there (I wasn't even mad that I was on popsicle duty that day). Anyway, I'm leaving for cross country camp tomorrow and I'm so excited! I'm also super nervous... who am I going to hangout with?! And how am I going to hide my cellulite from all the little kids (cellulite is non-existent in high school girls' legs--I hate them) when we go swimming?! Also, I heard the girl's saying that we only get to shower twice while we're up there.... wish me luck for 5 days with 60+ teenagers.