Sometimes I'm Artsy

Not to distract from Cameron's post, I want to let you in on a little-known secret.... I (rach) like to take pictures. Lately I have tried to find things that are therapeutic as I am an aspiring therapist and must know these things. Making boondoggle, running, rollerblading, hiking, and exploring are all activities that make me happy and relieve stress, but photography really makes me tick. Capturing moments in time is wonderful, and it's a challenge to do it just right, to do the beauty of that moment justice. If you're feeling a little blue, angry, antsy, or a combination of the three, grab a camera and head to the nearest wilderness. It helps.
*for best results, photograph while listening to Safteysuit on ipod or other mp3 device.

Here is a sample of some of my therapeutic moments.

Cameron, You're Every Line, You're Every Word, You're Everything

For your pleasure and enjoyment, famous quotes from none other than the infamous Cameron Hilton.

"Brenda? I haven't seen her yet... SHOW YOURSELF!"
"Touch my leg... Kill him!"
"Because it is damning evidence?!"
"Fine let's play suck face right now."
"Trust me, there is no problem on my end." *insane laughter
"I'm not gonna, like, pounce you."
"Listen to your heart."
"When this card drops I can't be held responsible."
"There was actual lip-on-card-on-lip contact."
"I'm closing my eyes this time too."
"The price is wrong Ki Wong Cho!"
"I just want to nibble on your chin."
"Stay classy."
"Everyone knows I know how to treat a lady."
"My mom warned me about girls like you."
"What do you mean what do I mean?!?!"
"Moist AND flavorful!"
"Is Cameron moist and flavorful? Why don't you come find out!"
"There's a difference between being Mr. Popular and Mr. Respected
"Exotic diseases . . . I'm listening."
and last but certainly not least,
"Thanks Natasha."


................................................More to come

Identical?! I THINK NOT!

Rachael is correct in the fact that we are indeed two separate people. While we do like pretty much the same things, wear similar outfits quite often (and NO we do not do that on purpose) and everyone, including Rachael gets our names mixed up every now and then . . . or all the time. But that is so not the point. The reality is, Rachael and I are completely different. Let me show you how-

First, to introduce you to me:

1: I am a sugar freak. I seriously think I would die without chocolate, cookies, and of course Ice cream.
2: One of my favorite places in the world is Barnes and Noble, a little weird I know. But I can spend hours in that place.
3: My life is completely random. Strange things are always happening to me (mostly of my own doing)
4: I'm a little uncoordinated, okay. A lot uncoordinated. This means I fall down, run into things, and break things a lot.
5: Cleaning is my hobby, I need things to be really organized and if I am stressed out I will organize anything and everything I
see.

6: I have the travel bug. It's pretty intense. I have been to Italy, France, England and Australia. I just love everything foreign.
7: I'm a little sarcastic and sometimes people don't realize this so I get myself into trouble . . . a lot.
8: Contrary to Rachael's belief I am not deaf. I just have an uncanny ability to block out things that people are saying. I personally think it is a gift.
9: Feet are disgusting, enough said.
10: One of my favorite things to do on a Friday night is to put on my pajamas and watch a movie. I really love staying at home , doing nothing after a long day.

And now a little about Miss. Rash:

1: Rachael has a special place called "Rachael Land" if you know Rachael, you also know about Rachael's magical land
2: She has two habits that drive me crazy-- she plays with her hair and squishes her hand together to make this ucky noise. Someday I will achieve my goal of making her stop.


3: Rach is incredibly cultured. She loves plays and musicals and is always up for art shows, dance concerts, and symphonies.
4: Rachael would like to make you think that I am the devious one, but in reality Rach is just as bad, if not worse than I am. The only reason everyone always blames me is because I am the face of the crime.
5: I have never met anyone more competitive than Rachael. Just tell her that she can't do something and she will spend as long as it takes to prove you wrong.
6: My favorite thing about Rachael. She sleepwalks. It was a lot better when I lived in the same room with her, but I still have stories . . . lots and lots of stories.
7: Rachael also loves to travel, it's one of the reasons I like to hang out with her so much. We spent a whole summer in London last year. It was great!
8: Rachael is an animal lover, that's all there is to it. Multiple times I have walked into our apartment only to find her talking to some picture of a dog on her computer.
9: Something so great about Rachael is that she never really gets mad. In the six years that I have known her I can only remember one time that she was truly mad at me, and that only lasted about an hour.
10: Rachael has the best sense of humor I have ever seen. She thinks everything is funny, especially the random things that only a really sophisticated person (like me) would understand.

So there you have it, some more little details about the lives of Rachael and me. People had better not be getting us confused anymore, because clearly we are completely and utterly different.

I'd Rather Be Anything But Ordinary Please

Despite popular belief, Lauren and I are not one person. However, we do almost everything together (this blog is proof of that) and her future husband is going to, in a way, have to marry me as well as her. But, let me assure you that Lauren Nielsen and Rachael Marie Howe are two entirely different people.

First let me introduce you to me.
If you really, truly knew me you’d know that:

-Breadsticks from olive garden, grapefruit with sugar, and grapes eaten with feta cheese are my favorite foods… delish.
-These are the happiest moments of my life: Mom told me I was going to have a little brother, and then she told me that again, and again, and again and finally one day I got the news that I would have a baby sister!!! What a great day.
When I was a Sr. in high school I won region tennis after losing the first set. I fought back and was on top of the world.
The day I found out I had been accepted to London Study Abroad, nothing could bring me down.
-I would rather be taking Wilma on a walk walk, watching MXC with my brothers, playing tennis, boating, snowmobiling, traveling with my mom, playing Egyptian rat screw, playing, bust a move, laughing with friends, or looking up rare diseases (I’ve been following the tree man from Indonesia for some time now).
-I think my feet are pretty… no, my feet are pretty. Lauren would disagree with me but I know the truth. See for yourself.
-A Few things I am truly passionate about: women’s studies, my dog Wilma (or any cute animal), and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
-I love to dance. I always have. My first memory of dancing is of me and my dad dancing “cheek-to-cheek” to the credits of Beauty and the Beast. And after years and years of Centerstage America, Jazzellettes, and Crimson Heat I still love to get my groove on.
-I love the words fresh and sprint.
-Superpower of choice: mind reading… flying would be nice too.
-Pet Peeve: being poked in the belly button. Don’t even try. I’ll slit your throat.
It’s good to be Rachael. I’m a happy girl and I like myself… is that so wrong?

And now, let me introduce you to the Lauren that I know
1. Lauren loves to wreak havoc on anyone and everyone (including yours truly) and she has become a master at the art.
2. I’ve come to learn that Lauren is very unselfish. She is more than happy to give rides, make food, and help others.
3. Lauren is one tough cookie. For those of you who don’t know, Lauren has retarded legs and she spent most of high school in bed or using crutches. To this day she has metal rods in her legs that can be quite painful, but that doesn’t stop her from doing what she loves to do: traveling, rollerblading, scuba diving, and skiing.
4. Lauren laughs a lot. And when I say a lot I mean a lot. She laughs almost after every sentence she says. Also she finds humor in the most random things like people admiring their reflections in windows or words like “calamity” and “maharaja.”
5. Either Lauren’s ears are defective or she has an uncanny ability to block out all sound because I’ve noticed over the years that I have to repeat things several times to her and she misunderstands people quite frequently. So which is it Lauren?
6. Lauren’s parents absolutely, positively, most unequivocally adore their daughter. She is their life. I think Joe and Er would just cease to exist if anything happened to their little Ringo. To say that Lauren’s parents love her is an understatement.
7. Her talents: flirting, piano, flute, writing, sneaking, and doing her “special” dance moves.
8. Lauren is clumsy. She falls.

And that’s us in a nutshell, at least from my perspective. Perhaps Lauren sees things differently. I hope this post cleared up some misconceptions about us. See, we are in fact two different people. Got that!