The Versatile Blogger Award

"1. Nominate 5 (or more) bloggers who you think fits the adjective "versatile"
2. Let the bloggers know you've nominated them
3. Share 7 random facts about yourself, and set a challenge 

4. Thank the blogger who nominated you 

5. Find a picture that represents how you feel, are, or what you do... Find/make a tangible representation of your sensitivities and self-analysis. (This was the challenge set by Ali from Aliology)

Let's get started

Grace: I feel more put together when my hair is tied up.
I have almost the same personality as my dog.
I usually spend my time trying to distract myself until the next time I get to eat.
My favorite movie is Phantom of the Opera.
I like wearing stripey socks.
I sliced my finger open yesterday and it's really nasty looking. Also it hurts.
When I was younger, I really wished I had black hair and green eyes. 

Picture that describes me. 

I wish guys would like me but maybe I think about food too much for anyone's own good. 

Mercy: 

-I have to have a good meltdown by myself a few times a month or else my emotions go totally out of wack, so sometimes I just randomly start crying. 

-I have Trypophobia. I'm not even kidding, it's a real thing.

-I get really, really sad when I see fat people cry/get sad. 

-all the celebrity crushes I have are on middle-aged men. (With the exception of the members from One Direction.) 

-I've read all the Harry Potter books at least 4 times (slightly obsessed....)

-I have a woman crush on Dodie Clark 

-I like nothing more than to curl up on the couch under a blanket with a big mug of tea and watch a good long movie on a rainy day. Rainy weather, is in fact, my favorite. 

Picture that describes me: 

Laura:
1. I have a closet obsession with Taylor Swift.
2. When I grow up, I want to be a Certified Nurse Midwife and deliver babies using holistic and natural healthcare techniques.
3. My male suitor's name is Joe. We've been dating since two days before my 19th birthday and have the same favorite color (forest green). We like to watch fantastic movies together and talk about the meaning of life.
4. I run so I can eat more food.
5. I am lactose intolerant, but Ben & Jerry's makes me forget to take my lactase enzyme.
6. I was captain of my church's Bible Quiz Team for three years in high school. Ultimate Jesus freak status.
7. I'm currently rereading Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. The last time I read it was seven years ago. It has taken me this long to recover from the emotional aftermath of my first read-through as a temperamental 12-year-old.
A picture that represents me?
That's really hard. But here goes:

Not to be THAT nerdy nursing major, buuut...

Rose:

•  I cannot sleep with my socks on and the doors in my bedroom open. I just can't.
•  I love to read more than nearly anything else. If I had to pick my two favorite books I would pick Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Number the Stars. But luckily, I live in America and I don't have to pick these things.
•  I hate a lot of things. (Alec Baldwin, turtles, waking up, morning, ignorant opinions, the word and the color beige, to name a few).
• I'm currently reading Jane Eyre, and I'm kind of in love
•  My first crush was on Legolas when I was about 6 years old.
• I'm not usually much of a shipper, but I ship Destiel pretty hardcore.
• Noah and the Whale are my absolute favorite band at the moment. Of course I discovered them just after they broke up because such is my life.

Thank you Ali so much for tagging us! Sorry it took so long to do this. We suck. I suck. America sucks. EVERYTHING JUST SUCKS, OKAY? 

Also, PSA, this is our last post until September because we're taking the summer off because of all of the wild partying (read: sleeping, napping, and complaining about being tired) we have planned. GOODBYE FOR NOW!

P.s.) we forgot to nominate more blogs because we suck. 

Wait... it's been a year???

Dearest Rice, Stringy, and Limpy,

Well gurls, it has been a year, a whole freaking year, since we started this blog. It's been such a wonderful year filled with many different things. Some of these things were great.

Great things that have happened on OTAS and elsewhere to the Foursome in the last twelve months:

• The Hartford Project, obviously.
• The round story. 
• Laura graduated from high school and went away to school and became somewhat of a real live adult.
• Grace turned 17, and can drive now, which is just weird and maybe not particularly great.
• Mercy, somehow, survived an entire year of real school without killing anyone, if that's not impressive, then I don't know what is.
• All of the new private jokes that were invented. (MAYOnaise, Mother Father, Tentacle).
• That time we went to go see TFIOS together. That was a glorious experience.
• The 100th post.
• That weekend in February that Shanko was birthed.

There were also some not so great things that happened this year.

Not great things that happened to the Foursome 

• That weekend in February that Shanko was birthed.
• That Shanko post.
• Yeah, nothing else particularly horrid happened this year other thank Shanko.

My point is, this year has been a superawesglamfultastic. And this blog has contributed a great deal to this. I love all of you and I can't believe a year has gone by already. I'm going to express my feelings about this blog in gif-like fashion.

Alright, gurl please y'all.

-Rosie

Dear Rose, Laura, and Mercy

Ahhh! I can't believe it's been a whole year already! I remember sitting on Mercy's bed, talking on the phone about all the possible names we could go with. We spent more time rabbit trailing than we did actually contemplating ideas. And then Laura suddenly mentions "Our Thoughts Are Stars" and it just happened. I think we said we'd "use it for now, but if we come up with something better, we can change it." But now, even a whole year later, I feel like it is still the perfect fit. All the thoughts that you girls write down on here are beautiful. I get so excited to read them and it's definitely a bright spot in my life. (And as terribly cheesy as that sounds, it's true)
The past year has been one of the hardest. Probably the hardest that I can think of. There were points where I felt like I couldn't go on because all the the bad things were piling up and crushing me. Thinking about it is making my hands shake and my head spin. But... through it all... I knew that this blog was here and that helped. I feel like I left vague posts about things or I'd just mention that I was feeling terrible and the next week of posts would be filled with so much love... and (I think I said this to Laura via text) I am eternally grateful for you guys. More Chris Eccleston GIFs were used to tell me that I am fantastic than is probably socially acceptable. Except on here, this blog, it is more than socially acceptable. It is the social norm. And I love that.

And I guess I don't have anything left to say that hasn't already been said a million times before. So thank you for an incredible year. Thank you for hitting me over the head when I'm being stupid, giving me virtual hugs when I'm feeling sad, giving me advice and taking my advice. Thanks for letting me get to know you all a bit better and for letting me share myself with you all. Thanks for helping me see that everyone is just as unsure about life as I am, and everyone is just as messed up as I think I am. Thank you for this year, and I hope we have many more to come. 

(Excuse me while I go cry now) 

<3 G



GOOD EVENING GURLS/LAURA, ROSE, AND GRACE! It's Sunday. Wow.
Feels weird saying (typing?) that...
I can't believe it's been a year! Like, it honestly feels like yesterday that Grace and I were crowded around the den computer, the very one I'm sitting at now, talking to Laura and Rosie on the phone, with Lydia hovering over our shoulder, while we worked on setting up this beloved blog. Picking out themes and colors, assuring the two on the other line that they could change whatever they wanted and "Our Thoughts Are Stars" would just be a temporary name till we all thought of something better. But as fate would have it, there was nothing better because the title we so carelessly picked just happened to be the perfect fit.
And that's okay, because it really is the best name for this small third space on the internet that us four share.
So gurls, in honor of this day (okay last week actually) we all should celebrate (aside from this post, obviously)- and it doesn't matter that it will most likely be celebrating individually, because even when we're not physically together, we're mentally together because #samebrain.
So celebrate in whatever what you feel fit- each a carton of ice cream while having a Supernatural marathon by yourself.
Steal your sisters iPod for the day and jam out to k-pop while you create something delicious in the kitchen.
Get out and take a break from crazy, stressful college life and get a cake with a friend.
But either way, do something that makes you happy. That's all.
I'm celebrating by bombarding you with gifs.

I love you gurls.
xoxo, Mercy




It's the Laura! Gurls, has it already been a year? Time seems to have passed in the blink of an eye. And yet it has dragged on all at once. Milkshakes melt. People change (Rosie is now muttering to herself, and you dumped me on my birthday). And here we are today- some things are the same, yet many of them are different.
    Gracie is driving, guys. How weirdly awesome is that? She is a brave high school senior, taking a gap year and fantastically figuring out just what it is that God wants for her life. She is in danger of becoming seriously beautiful, an advocate for the needy with potential to change the world. And I am in awe of her.
    Mercy has a life now. How did she become a sophomore with a dramatic flair and an affinity for leggings as pants? I don't even know. It's like I blinked and now she's almost a grown-up. What is this? It's freaking me out, man. Next time I turn around she'll be a famous Broadway actress with no time for her starving, normal friends. I guess I'll have to just live with that.
    Rose has moved onto my top bunk and into 10th grade, and it's a little sad and strange to be experiencing this first year of my life without her. If my roommate wasn't the sexually explicit carbon copy of Rose, I would probably have dropped out of college by now. I can't wait to come home in two weeks and see how she's changed. It's all lovely and sad and bittersweet, like the final installment in a well-loved book series (Rose is now muttering to herself, Harry freaking Potter).
    I am one-quarter done with my first semester of college, and it has been more than I could ever have hoped for. I'm finally surviving nursing school and taking up a minor in music. I have met some of the best people in the whole world, right here on this little campus that feels more like home than my parents' house. Everything has been slightly unexpected, but I love where God is taking me. And when I think back on where I was this time last year, I am grateful for all the stress and disappointment and confusion. It was well worth it.
    And, you know where all of our experiences from this past year have been documented? Right on this here blog. Going back and reading our old posts makes me happy, because I see God's hand in all of this- in all of our heartaches, trials and triumphs, God was there. He had us write on this blog, to process and grow and lean on one another through it all.
    I can't wait to see what this next year brings. I have no idea what to expect, and half of me is terrified by that but the other half is willing to "just let it happen," as a dear THP leader of ours used to say.
    I don't know about you gurls, but I am so ready to let it go and watch what God does with us. And I hope that on September 23rd, 2015, we can celebrate our anniversary again. I cannot wait.
--Laura :)

ALERT ALERT WEE OO WEE OO!

Laura added this picture because she thinks it's beautiful.

Hello people of the internet it's Friday!

It feels really weird to write that.

Anyway, Rose here, the rest of the Foursome and I were talking via the Facebook (I hate when people put "the" in front of website names it just makes them sound old and southern) and we decided that since the  only weekday in which we don't post is Friday we're going to have a guest writer every Friday. And you, yes you staring at the screen, could be that writer, but someone else can explain how because I hate explaining things.

    <Ladies and gents, this is the part of the post in which Laura explains everything because her lovely friends and sister depend on her to be the adult, even though she's only been one for 6 months and 5 days. #mamabearprobs #halfwayto19>
    We, the great and illustrious Foursome, think that it would be a worthwhile adventure to have a guest writer every Friday, because:
    -It's somewhat awkward that Friday is the only weekday on which we don't post
    -We can't really add another member to the Foursome. We love our family, friends, and followers, but we were born into this sisterhood and there's no going back or adding onto what God had planned
    -It would be so interesting to have someone -a sibling, close friend, safe Internet buddy- write to us, giving feedback, advice, and a bit of a new twist on our usual weekly routine
    And so, amid our Facebook messaging conversation, the stickers and advice and Mary ClayClay, we thought, why not ask our amazing support system to contribute to our blog? If you're interested you can email, message, or comment and let us know as soon as possible! Contact us over aaalll the social media sites! Maybe what we can do is have you write a draft and email it to us (so we can post it, and monitor it for inapropro content, and not have to give out the password to our blog all over the place- we love you guys, but we respect our own privacy as much as anybody else's). Sounds good?

this is what I (Laura) look like in the winter when I eat too much Christmas candy and don't shave. You think I'm exaggerating but I assure you I am not.

(This is Grace) I'm super excited for this to happen. So you people better make it happen! And if you don't then we might just write really weird fan fictions about a certain couple on Fridays. Except that better not happen because I would leave the blog. 
But yeah, as Laura stated above, there isn't really any parameters on this thing. You've seen our posts. They get as weird and creepy as this guy 

so write about what you want. Don't try and make it sound pretty or poetic like Laura. Don't try and make it as musical and fun as Mercy's. Don't try to put as many GIFs in as Rosie does or rant that much... because it would sound too much like my posts on Thursday :} 
Just be yourself because I'm pretty sure that if you're still reading our blog, or have ever read our blog for more than 10 seconds, then you're pretty cool. 
Post random stories
weird GIFs and pictures
fanfiction (unless it ships any members of the foursome. we don't need any of that perverted "literature" on this website) 
basically anything that you want... as long as we approve :) 
but I think that's all I've got so Mercy, put any closing thoughts in


Okay so now I have nothing left to say... so yeah, basically just live by my dad's life rule- have fun, but not too much fun!! {i think that accurately describes what we're trying to say.} 

Don't feel offended if we don't pick you first for guest posting- I mean, I don't think we're going to get THOUSANDS of requests, but you never know- anyway, I'm sure everyone will get a chance to write, is what I'm saying. I mean, it's not like we're ending this blog any time soon.. {not that I know of, anyway... <.< } 

SO YEAH, I think that's everything!! 

Now listen to this song, because since Musical Mercy is writing, she must post a magically musical song. 

{↑ my musical bae ↑ } 

AANNND because of my lack of gif's of my forever Man Crush Monday in my post on Tuesday, here he is... 

my real life bae. 

OKAY OKAY I'm done I promise.

WE LOVE YOU ALL and we hope to get some emails soooooooonnn! byee
xoxo
The Foursome {which is Laura, Mercy, Rosie, Grace. In case you were confused. :) }

THE 100TH POST

So. I (Grace) have no idea what we want to do for this awesome milestone but we should do something awesome.... but I started this just to have.


WHAT IF WE JUST ALL HAVE A CONVERSATION AND THEN POST THAT??? and then people can see the real side of our unfiltered minds. *shudders* maybe that's not a good idea. but really, like just ask each other questions and then try and answer for each other or something... idk. I'm kinda just typing what ever my mind thinks. like if I was actually talking to you girls. just imagine my awkward voice and my squinty Asian like eyes and you'll get the idea ^.^

so yeah I guess just post your ideas, I know I started a message to but whatever. and then even if we need to stop at 99 and not post again until this master post is done that's fine with me.

OKAY EVERYBODY GRAB THEIR OWN FONT SO WE KNOW WHO'S WHO. I (Laura) am surprised and overjoyed that we reached the 100th post! I feel like OTAS is a journey, and it certainly has been an adventure for these past six months, getting to post with my three favorite females. I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you <3

which reminds me...
anyway, I don't really know what to say, except that after being two-thirds of the way through the Lord of The Rings trilogy I have decided that us four are the Hobbits. Mercy is Pippin because she has no filter and eats anything and everything. Rose is Merry, Pippin's bff who is slightly quieter and more sensible, as well as dark and clever. Grace is Frodo- the most sensible and laid back, with a serious side and a keen sense of responsibility (I see those qualities in you, girlie, and I ardently admire and love them). And I'm Sam because I'm an overemotional mama bear with extreme senses of loyalty and duty. Also YOU DON'T HARM MY PEEPS BECAUSE IF YOU DO I WILL WHACK YOU WITH A FRYING PAN and then apologize. In conclusion, if we are the Hobbits then OTAS has been our quest (sorta) and it has been a pleasure, really :)
I guess this really is an unfiltered conversation. I shudder, yet anticipate what Rosie and Mercy have to say.

I'M TAKING THIS AWESOME TYPE-WRITER LIKE FONT CUZ ITS COOL AND TYPE-WRITER LIKE! This is Curly-Q, just for your information :D GRACIE POO! THIS IS FOR YOU! 

THEY ARE SO CUTE I CAN'T GET OVER IT! And when they're like singing in the car I just explode with feels. Too much. It's too much. and C.A.P IS SO JUST I LITERALLY CANT OKAY IMMA STOP NOW UGH.


Is it weird that I got all warm and fuzzy when I read what y'all had already written? I agree with Laura that this has been in incredible experience so far and I couldn't have asked for better blogging... people. I feel like I know you girls so much better and yet I'm always learning more at every post. I get so excited every Monday when I remember that the cycle starts again and I love each of your different styles of writing (or GIF placement) that comes out in each post. We've all had our share of emotionally wrecked, done with life posts. We've all had overly excited, way to many pictures or GIFs posts and we've all had the ones that are sprinkled with words of wisdom that came from who knows where and it's really exciting and cool to see.

I'm using the Georgia font.  So y'all had better here everything I say in a southern accent. This is Rose by the way. You probably assumed because I'm the only one who hasn't written yet. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT ASSUMING! To Laura I would like to say I agree with the hobbit thing, but I heard that in the outernet* so you already know how I feel about that. Grace, I too have a horrible case of the warn fuzzies. I know you're all like "WHAT? ROSE IS FEELING?" It's true I do that sometimes. But only sometimes. Mercy, WHY IS K POP SO FANTASTIC? I MEAN IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME BECAUSE I CAN'T SPEAK THAT LANGUAGE! Okay, Rose is done for now.

*The outernet is another word for the cold and dark sadness some people refer to as "reality".  It has it's origins from tumblr. It comes from the word, so often used in the twenty-first century, the Internet. 

WAIT MAYBE I'M NOT DONE! I have a question for my wifey: remember when we rewrote a Whole New World from Aladdin but we replaced the actual lyrics with lyrics relating to Plushenko (I can feel Laura and Grace groan while as I mention our dear Russian figure skater) you know what I'm talking about, right? I can't remember the other words. All I can remember is:

I can show you Plushenko

Shining, shimmering, flamboyant,

Tell me Shenko, now when did you last shank all the other competitors?

A whole new Plushenko

BUT WHAT COMES NEXT? I can remember what comes after that line, but I can't remember that line! ASDFGHJKL;'




Is this my (Laura's) font? I think so. Also, little sister, you have no idea how much self control I had to exert in order to not delete those ghastly lyrics above from our 100th post. Also, Mercy, I read the typewriter font in a monotone, robotic voice in my head. It's very vintage and alluring, but I read it the way I read it because that's how God made me. Also, Grace, you're adorable. That is all :)

Aw thanks Laurabear, I think you're pretty adorable as well ^.^ 

I think we need some sort of stopping point that we try and get to because otherwise, this could go on for all eternity and we did promise our readers that this was being published on Thursday. But I honestly don't care if it really does go on for all eternity. Because I could probably live in eternity with you and not kill you all. But actually.... it would kind of depend on how much the above song was being sung.... and I have a feeling that it would be sung way to much. So maybe I couldn't live in eternity with you 3. But I'm going to stop now before Laura takes away my 'adorable' title 

About 16 hours later

GUYS!! It's over. Psych is over for all eternity. It was a truly perfect ending but it doesn't make it any less hard to say goodbye. Laura, you are Lassie. Not only are you rude and sarcastic and pretend to hate us, but I think that if you just let it go, you'd look just like a pirate too. And we all know that you're the one who holds us all together in your own snarky way. And as much as you say 'I hate you all' you really just want to get in the large cinnamon roll hug with us. Mercy is clearly Gus. Emotional, crybaby, doesn't want kids, addicted to sugar and she even has bad dreams nightly and then complains about how tired she is all day long. I'm Shawn. In a way. Best friends with Mercy, a little more sensible than her in some ways, but quick to be crazy and not care that people are watching. Some times, with some people, it's hard to let them know how much I actually care. And sometime, with other people (Laura/Lassie) it's easy to tease them about it all the time but never actually tell them that underneath it all, I really respect them for who they are. And Rose, you're Henry. Hard to please sometimes but always ready for a hug. But maybe you're chief Vick who is perpetually grouchy but you still love us (especially Mercy and I) and you put up with our antics. But hmmm, maybe that's actually Laura. POINT IS. I love them all and I wish I was best friends with both the characters and the actors. Excuse me while I muddle through the rest of the day trying not to eat to much pineapple and sobbing happy tears of beautiful pain.

I (Rose) may or may not have just stolen the part were Mercy's supposed to write but whatever. 

Slalom dearest, you fangirl so eloquently. Personally though, I don't think I'm Henry or chief Vick because I simply to ridiculous. Actually, I think I'm probably Yang. Because lets be honest if any of us was to go crazy it would be me. My mental state is very fragile, and it's contingent on fictional characters and fictional places. Not to mention I have totally thought about killing people. Why did I say that? That sounds really awful. I swear I have never seriously considered murder! I don't want to really kill anyone I swear! 

And Laura you know you love the Shanko song so don't even start with me.
And Grace is right we should probably stop this post at some point. Okay I'm done. 

ROSE! You're so right! Dude you know yourself so much better than I do :P 

I just have to say a shout out to our newest follower Charlotte ^.^ I don't remember if we did a shout out when Johanna or The Big Bad Wolf joined, but welcome to all you dear people. This blog is a bit crazy (as you can probably tell from this post alone) but it's crazy in a good way. Charlotte, you're the bomb and I'm glad that you're part of our fandom. 'cause it makes it that much more awesome of a fandom. Johanna and Big Bad Wolf, I might have just looked through your blogs (in a completely innocent way) and found Pinterest accounts and pure awesome geeky-ness (even if some of it needed to be translated back into English) and I'm proud of our awesome little fandom that's growing out of a few girls quirky ideas about life and love and friendships and food. Laura, Rose, and Mercy. If you haven't stalked these three and their blogs than I implore you to go do that right about.... now. 

And I'm officially done posting on this post because some other blonde child needs to get on and add some more thoughts and then hopefully she'll post it tonight... SHE WILL WON'T SHE??! *looks in Mercy's general direction* 


Okay number one- THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LEAVING ME LIKE A FREAKIN BOOK TO READ THAT TOOK SO FREAKING LONG.

Number two- ROSIE, The Shenko lyrics go like this

I can show you Plushenko

Shining, shimmering, flamboyant,

Tell me Shenko, now when did you last shank all the other competitors?

A whole new Plushenko

A NEW FANTASTIC POINT OF FIGURE SKATING

NO ONE TO WIN THE GOLD

I'M GETTING OLD

I HAVE A MALFUNCTIONING VERTEBRAE 

You're welcome. 

Also, I feel like a complete loser writing on this with y'all cuz I cannot write to save my life and the three of you can... Grace, you say you can't write well WHICH IS NOT TRUE CUZ THAT PARAGRAPH ABOUT US BEING THE DIFFERENT PSYCH CHARACTERS WAS FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! So don't even start with me.
ALSO I TOTALLY CRIED IN THE PSYCH SERIES FINALE! I am literally so depressingly upset that it's over... I do not want to talk about it. Ever. Ever again. Literally EVER AGAIN. I AM SO FREAKING UPSET.

Rosie, I agree with you on you being Yang. But I think if anyone was to go crazy, it'd be me. Oh wait. DONE THAT. I am so far gone, it's not even funny. Okay, its kind of funny, actually. 

Listen to this beautiful song by my beautiful boy

Yeah he's got a new song. And it's freaking beautiful. Just like him.



Also this song

It's literally sooo cute and makes me smile and sing along and dance and makes me want to find a perfect gentlemanly boyfriend who may or may not look exactly like Tom Hiddleston and have the name Tom Hiddleston... 


I love this blog, gurls, and I love you and I'm glad we started it. It makes me so happy. Like as happy as I get when I see this persons beautiful face...

I literally almost posted a shirtless GIF of him. But I withheld, because I figured y'all would kick me off the blog and out of The Foursome and probably like everything. Life. You'd kick me out of life. 
So yeah.
Imma try for like a hawt second to write something good. Bear with me.


You girls are my best friends. And I wouldn't be where I am today without your constant friendship, hilarious jokes, inappropriate humor, phone calls, six-page long letters, and everything in between. (oh my gosh I just spelled 'between' like 'bweeten'. what is my problem.) 
You girls have danced and sung mindlessly with me, baked and cooked delicious and scrumptious creations (like that tomato soup omg), stayed up late watching anything and everything, talking, laughing, crying, singing, making more inappropriate inside jokes, rewriting lyrics to perfectly innocent Disney songs, and not so innocent Taylor Swift songs (*sings under breath* we are never, ever, ever getting in your white van...) played Barbie VS. Polly Pocket, (WEEK THREE) suffered through my insane fangirling over stupid things like boybands, put up with mine and Rosie's many imaginary creepers (huhuhuhuhuh) and so much more.
I would be such a boring and depressing boring person without you.
So.... 

 
*in Southern, sniffly accent* Y'all just mean so much to me, and I couldn't do this without you, KIIIIMM, GIINNAA, Or KAARRENNN.

(Ugh that GIF was supposed to go under what I just said but Grace's stupid phone won't let me move the freakin GIF. I hate smartphones.)

Anyways. Thank you to everyone (is there even is anyone) reading this outside of The Foursome. I'm surprised you've made it this far, but I congratulate you. *small round of applause*

Anyway gurls, that's all I have to say and I suppose we need to wrap this post up.... I love you all! I'm sorry I suck!

Xoxo,

Laura, Grace, Rose, and Mercy.

The Foursome<3

Leibster Award

We were nominated for an award! Now it's not really an award with acceptance speeches and all (so disappointing) but it's basically just like someone says 'hey-I-think-your-blog-is-cool-and-I-want-people-to-know-about-it-so-I-posted-about-it-on-my-blog-and-you-now-need-to-nominate-someone-else'

The awesome Courtney Cox (aka- our awesome first follower) nominated us on her blog (http://abominable-readers.blogspot.com you should check it out) and so we are decided to post today about it instead of messing up the round story.

We decided that it would make the most sense for us to nominate our fabulous followers. The few. The proud. The OTAS followers. So, if you are reading this, and you follow our blog, congratulations! You have been nominated for the Liebster award! Follow the instructions below in order to accept it:

Rules for Accepting the Reward 

If you've been nominated , this is what you need to do:

 - Link back to the blog that nominated you.

 
- Answer the questions they set for the blogs they nominated.

 
- Nominate 10 blogs of your own, and be sure to let them know, with a link to your post!

- Ask 10 questions for the blogs you nominate to answer in their post.

Why did you start a blog?
(Grace) I started my blog because it sounded like a super cool idea but we started this blog because it's our way of keeping in touch.
(Mercy) I started my personal blog because it's a good way to just talk.. about anything and everything you want to talk about. But like Grace said, we started OTAS to keep in touch. 
(Laura) I started my blog because it was something I had always dreamt of doing, and at a difficult time in my life I decided to do it and not care what anyone thought of me because of it. We started OTAS because we are inconsistent letter writers and this is far more entertaining, anyway.
(Rose) I started my blog because I needed a place to rant essentially. Not to mention, it's a fantastic place to fangirl.
What book series got you into reading?
(G) I think it was Robinson Crusoe that I had to read for school in fourth grade. It was probably one of my first chapter books and I found it really interesting and enjoyable. 
(M) My first chapter book I read by myself was Because Of Winn-Dixie- I think I read it like four or five times in a year just because it was my first "big book." But the book that actually got me into reading was Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief. I was about 9 when I first read it and I was so proud of myself and I loved it so much... that's what got me into reading, really.
(L) I read and reread the Dear America Diaries (written by various authors) all through Elementary school. I found it amazing that all throughout history, girls my own age went through some of the same stuff as me. I think I read all the ones my library had in about six months.
(R) The first book I ever read was Little House on the Prairie, and I absolutely hated it, I didn't even finish it. But the first book that ever got me into reading was The Sisters Grimm, when I was in the 4th grade.
What was the first book you bought? 
(G) I actually hardly ever buy books. They tend to be too expensive at the book stores I go to.
(M) Yeah.. I really don't buy books that much.. sadly. I go to the library. 
(L) It might have been one of the books in the Charlie Bone series. I recently bought a used copy of Pride & Prejudice at a shop in Cape Cod. I still owe John Backus eight dollars for it.
(R) Unlike everyone else I hoard books, it's a genetic trait. Anyway, the first book I ever bought was some fairy book, Lily's Pesky Plant, it was a fairy book coincidentally, actually I think it was the first book I ever read.
Favorite book or series?
(G) This is so hard! I really really like reading and books of all kinds and there are so many good ones that I've read. Probably my first favorite book was Inkheart by Cornelia Funk but there have been so many others that I love. WHY WOULD YOU ASK THIS QUESTION!!
(M) HARRY FREAKING POTTER. (I love how everyone else is like 'what the heck do you think you're asking?!' and I'm just like HARRY FREAKING POTTER.' I mean, it's not an easy question, but it's the truth for me.)
(L) WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THIS DO YOU KNOW THE EMOTIONAL TOLL A SIMPLE BOOK CAN TAKE ON YOU?! If I had to choose I'd say Pride & Prejudice or The Fault in Our Stars. My favorite series will always be Harry freaking Potter.
(R) Oh my goodness, I have like 24,061 favorite books. Harry Potter is my absolute favorite because nothing compares to Harry Freaking Potter. But I also love Shakespeare, every book written by Phillip Gulley ever,  TFIOS, Paper Towns, Little Women, Alice in Wonderland, the Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Number the Stars, the Book Thief, the Hiding Place, An Abundance of Katherine's, and other stuff that I can't think of...I like to read...
Are you on Goodreads? If so leave a link to your profile!
(G) Yus I am. I don't use it very much though
(M) YUUSSS I AM! I love it so much and I do like Harry Potter role-play's it's so fun ;) Here
(L) I go on and read the ship wars between fandoms. It's very entertaining. I think I have an account...oh it looks like I do!
(R) I haven't been on in months, but I think I have one..
 Hard bound or paperback? 
(G) I really like how hard bound looks but I think I prefer reading a paper back because it's easier.
(M) Either. I don't mind. I WILL dogear my pages no matter what. I'm such a bad girl. (Unless it's my nice hard bound Harry Potter books...)
(L) I agree with the Curly-Q (Mercy). If I'm buying a book it's whatever is cheaper (so, usually paperback).
(R) Hard bound for sure.
Favorite reading spot?
(G) Pretty much anywhere. Though the couch seat nearest the window or on my bed would have to be my favorites.  
(M) Anywhere that's warm with lots of sunshine.
(L) late at night, either on my bed or downstairs all alone with the silence.
(R) In my room, on my bed, under the covers, with the door shut, by myself.
Do you like to go to BAM (Books a million)
(G) I've never been to BAM but it sounds super cool
(M) Same as Grace- I've never been, but it sounds amazing! 
(L) did you mean THE CLOSEST THING TO HEAVEN I HAVE EVER WALKED INTO ON A FINE SUMMER'S DAY AT THE TRUMBULL MALL? In which case yes, I am lucky enough to have a BAM as my nearest bookstore.
(R) YUS! AND THEY HAVE DOCTOR WHO STUFF! AND COOL EDITIONS OF HARRY POTTER! I love it so much.
And finally what is an upcoming book into movie that you can't wait to go see?
(G) I'm really wanting to see Catching Fire but The Book Thief also looks really good though I want to read the book first. 
(M) I REALLY want to see Catching Fire, The Hobbit- Desolation of Smaug, The Fault In Our Stars.. yep. I also want to see Thor- Into Darkness (which already came out) and I STILL NEED TO SEE THIS IS US! (The One Direction movie) it's so sad, I STILL haven't seen it.. </3
(L) agh, the list is somewhat endless. I am dying to see The Book Thief, the Hobbit part 2, Divergent (I mean to read the book first) and, of course, The Fault in Our Stars (6/6/14 EVERYBODY!).
(R) TFIOS, and The book Thief. Oh and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but that doesn't even have a release date yet.





Our Questions

1. Do you like cheese? (I had to make that reference, I couldn't not.)                                               

2. Have you ever cried while reading a book?                                                                                                        

 3. Do you like to read plays, or watch them?                                                                                        

4. How would you describe the smell of books?
 
5. Do you like waffles? 

6. Do you have a geeky side? And if so, what are some geeky things you watch/read/say? 

7. Do you enjoy wearing leggins as pants? 

8: what is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?

9: what do you want to your greatest accomplishment to be or what is your greatest accomplishment so far?

10: do you find it hard to come up with questions to ask people? 

We are The Foursome

 

the nicest picture of us four. Minus me. I look terrified.

the worst picture of us four. Minus me. I look pretty hot :)

and, yeah. This is THE picture of The Foursome.

 Hello!
     I have the honor of being the first of us four girls to post. Call this a blog, call it a project, or call it the letters between a group of sisters, best friends since before birth with different personalities, bound together by blood and the same witty, inappropriate sense of humor. This is our way of keeping in touch, separated as we are by the Connecticut Interstate and the busyness of our own lives.
    The origin of The Foursome (consisting of Laura and Rose, Grace and Mercy) dates back to before any of us were alive. Our moms met in church when they were simultaneously pregnant with babies that were not us (it's funny, listening to moms gauge time by when they were pregnant with whichever kid). I was born a few years later; Grace, a year after me; her sister, Mercy, about two years later; and Rose, my sister, seventeen days after that. We grew up together, our intertwining childhood memories consisting of apple-picking and homeschool field trips and family parties. Now, we are teenage girls, and despite our hormones and awkward middle school photos, we have survived, and so has our friendship thus far.
    To be honest, I was more nervous than excited about writing this. I had no idea how to start, or who to address this to, since this blog is supposed to be like letters to and from our sisterhood. I figured an introduction would suffice, just in case anyone who is not a member of The Foursome were to read this (and if that's so, hii. Congrats on reading this uber-long post that has nothing to do with you. Your mama would be proud). But now that I am halfway through, I am so stoked about how this project is going to go!
    Now, I would like to introduce myself and the three lovely ladies who I fangirl and cook fancy dinners and make up new lyrics to pop songs with:

Laura
that's me! I'm the oldest -I turn eighteen in January, frighteningly- and I'm sure the other three-quarters of this sisterhood would agree: I'm a control freak. I tend to hate it when everything doesn't go my way, but believe me, being bossy has its perks. I tend to be the head conspirator in all of our little adventurous escapades. I have a vast and vivid imagination that takes me places my skittish feet would dare not go. The rest of the Foursome would probably also tell you that I'm The Smart One. I don't necessarily believe that, but I'm also one of those annoying people who has a really good sense of the good in other people, but little to no sense of the good in myself. My fellow sisters also call me Siri (I have an answer for everything) Severus Snape (I get weirdly grumpy sometimes, due to my horrible habit of overthinking and analyzing everything until I get depressed) and Mrs. Mumford (due to my obsession with  everything Mumford & Sons). I love too many things. I love fall, bonfires with my hysterical friends, making sarcastic and witty remarks/analogies about the decadence of society, Starbucks, dancing like a fool, chemistry jokes and puns, Jane Austen, and cookie butter from Trader Joe's. Seriously, people, that stuff is heaven in a jar.

Mercy

HEYO! I'm Mercy, otherwise known as Curly-Q, The Q-Tip, (because I have curly hair, duh,) The Fangirl, Potterhead, or just Mercy. I'm fourteen and half years old. Yippee.

I love to eat food and read books and fangirl. Especially about Harry Potter and Doctor Who. And Hunter Hayes, who happens to be my future husband. I cry about a lot of things. It's a disease I have called Over-Active Tear Ducts. It's not contagious, don't worry.

Rose

Hi there! I'm Rose, the comedic relief, also known as The Bucket of Sass, The Ultimate Gurl Please, or Rosie. I'm fourteen and a half as well, it sucks. I have a serious case of ILS (Inappropriate Laughing Syndrome). It's not a joke. It's also highly contagious.

 I like tumbling, reading (especially Harry Potter), and sleeping. I hate lots of things.

Grace

Hey, I'm Grace. I'm 16 years old, home-schooled and probably the quietest of this group. But just because I am quiet doesn't mean I'm not crazy. I'm known as The Asian Burrito, or the evil closet mastermind. I'm geeky and consider myself a Potterhead, Whovian, Nerdfighter and many other things that I can't seem to remember. I love to read and would probably say it's my favorite past time. I consider myself an introvert and I tend to be pretty awkward in public situations and can never find the right words to say at the right time. Jeans and a hoody are my favorite clothes to wear and I don't get the girls who plaster their faces with makeup every single day. I love to hang out with these three and make drink disasters, and delicious food. I'm considering going to culinary school (you'll probably be seeing a lot of recipes from me) but like most people my age I'm still on the fence about it. I also love to play piano guitar and sing off-key. I love to write and I think that I get my thoughts out best when I write them. I love coffee, rainy days, muffins, pretty sunsets, walks in the park, the feeling of listening to music on headphones, french toast, Pinterest, the ocean, and I dream of one day exploring the world.

    So this is us. We're nerdy and socially awkward (read: awesome) and break into song periodically. And now we have a blog. Since I wrote this first letter on Monday, Mercy will write back tomorrow, Rose the next day, and Grace after that (in case you're wondering, we write in birthday order). Anyone who fails to write on her assigned day will be punished by whoever posts the day after her, either by mockery and satire, or by a sibling who is not a member of The Foursome writing their post for them. Capisce, ladies? I'll give you a hard copy of the blog rules when we see each other face to face (EIGHT DAYS GRACIE!).
    Well, this is where I say bye. Mercy, write back tomorrow lest you face the wrath of The Ultimate Gurl Please (remember, she has Jaquan on her side).
    Always,
LauraBeth <3