Chacho

June 23, 2013 — Leave a comment

It’s Rachel s birthday. This is a big day. She’s finally 19 and we can officially begin husband hunting;) She’ll probably kill me for putting that. Oh well:)

Basically I wasn’t sure if Rachel and I were going to get along. Now she’s one of my best friends. One of my Fat Five ladies. I don’t know what I would’ve done last year without her. Or what I would do next year without her. She’s been there with me through so much, and I owe that girl SO much. So much of who I became last year is because of Rachel (the good stuff I mean;))

Rach thanks for being one of my best friends. Thanks for making me feel important, for keeping me updated on your life and listening to all my boring stories. Thanks for cake batter and brownie nights, movies, whipping your hair, getting crazy at dances, car dancing, blasting music while we drive, Walmart and McDonald’s runs, being my baby, always having Diet Dr. Pepper in the fridge, for being our entertainment source;)

For crying with me, laughing with me, telling me when I’m being dumb, having spiritual time with me, sharing experiences, doing “homework” with me, curling up in a ball during finals, not caring what anyone thinks and teaching me not to care either, for teaching me how to let go and have fun, and for showing me what it means to be a really good friend.

I love you Chach! Only 2 months until we’re back together. I SO EXCITED:) Happy birthday love:)

Also. Yesterday was one of those days. The ones where you sit and cry in the shower and then eat pie in your bed while watching Netflix. Don’t lie, you totally know what I mean.

The good news is, I had really good pie to eat.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Mom for a day

June 21, 2013 — 2 Comments

So my mom went into surgery yesterday, so I was mom for the day. Sorta. With a 16 and 12 year old sister, I kinda felt superfluous, but still. I can pretend right? 🙂

So while my mom was gone, we went to Cherry Hill in the early hours of the morning, made a cute craft for Bethany’s friend and for my own selfish reasons, made two delicious meals, visited my mom, I got to spend time with two great friends (Emi and Haley. Ya’ll are the best) and watched Safe Haven. All in all, it was a great day!

Here’s how to make these cute canvas quote boards:

Find your quote! Go get canvas from the store (we got ours at Hobby Lobby). Get some sticker letters that you think will pull back easily. We used cardstock stickers, but I’m sure other kinds will also work! Then use a ruler to mark where you want the letters, and make sure they’ll all fit on the canvas you’ve picked! FYI, my quote is from Persuasion by Jane Austen. I know, right?

My ugly picture of acrylic paint. I found that the acrylic paint was PERFECT.

Paint all over the canvas, making sure that the stickers are tight down before you paint over them. Paint in one direction or it’ll look smudgy!

Peel the stickers off. WAIT until the canvas is dry! And don’t worry about peeling the paint off. You won’t!

Touch up with paint and if you’re my sister, you use a brush and paint in the grooves the stickers left for an AWESOME effect. Isn’t she talented?

That’s it:)

This is Feta Mac n Cheese and Fried Turkey. Want the recipe? Send me a message!

We had too much fun visiting my mom. We were joking about putting this picture on instagram and being annoying by over-hashtagging. This is what the caption was going to be:
Visiting mom! #loveher #surgery #hospital #sistersb4misters #whoneedsguysanyway #weloveeachother #sis #bffs #bestfriends #welovemom #visits #hospitalsarescary #love #family #familiesare4ever #heart #momsfeelinggreat #thankgoodness

You get the idea? We think we’re funny.

Happy Friday everyone!

Linking up:

Huge corn dogs:)

June 20, 2013 — Leave a comment

Another day off work? Yes. This is happening. My mom is getting surgery so my parents are gone at the hospital, I’m off of work playing “mom” for a few days. So we’ll see how that goes….

Meanwhile here’s what’s been up lately. Life according to my iPhone if you will:)

Remember the letter drought? Yup…it’s over:) Two great letters and this girl was very, very happy!

HUGE corn dog. It was delicious. We went to the little hot dog vendor on the side of the street, next to the snow cone shack. It was a good choice.

I saw this sign yesterday and it hurt my heart. All my musical productions friends will know why. What a good song:)

We look happy. It is a lie. We went and swam at Cherry Hill at 6:45 because Big Budah was there, and my boss wanted the park to have people in it! Yeah…it was freezing, but still super fun:)

Also. How can it already be June 20?!?!?! My summer is almost halfway gone!!! I can’t believe it. I thought I was cruising through summer, doing so much. NOPE. I need to step up my game and make this summer even more epic! Well now I have to go do the dishes, so we can go BACK to Cherry Hill and play some more. It is no longer enough that I work there, I need to go play there too! That’s how great it is:)

Happy Thursday everyone!

Dr. Pepper and Letter Drought

June 19, 2013 — Leave a comment

So I’m slacking on giving you the news/actually blogging anything. Being at work at 8:00 a.m. leads me to not have time in the morning, and be way to lazy in the evening. Luckily, I have today off! So here’s what’s been up:)

On Monday I went on a fun date hiking. Someone thinks he’s funny by taking ugly pictures and pretending to give me real Dr. Pepper (I only drink diet…). So that was a fun time:) I also went to breakfast with a great friend and had a wonderful day. We even found our gimpy duck which has been MIA for the past two years. Coincidence? I THINK NOT.

This cutie got her braces off!! Which meant caramel apples for all:) Watch out world..she’s prettier than ever!

The road into my subdivision is closed. And you’d think I would remember that with all of these signs hanging around. Well you would be wrong. I have tried to drive the normal way out 185738956385 times, and every single time, it is a dirt road with lots of machines on it. So I get to flip around and grumble under my breath as I take the long way to get back to the main road. So that’s fun.

If construction in my subdivision isn’t enough, all of 2nd North is being ripped up. So I get to slowly follow construction vehicles through the winding, made up lanes of traffic. That’s fun.

Also I’m on day 15 of my letter drought. Thank goodness for emails or I would be one unhappy girl. Crossing my fingers that the mail gets figured out, and those letters get here soon!

Now I’m off to figure out what to make for dinner for the next few days while my mom rests. Just call me mother for the next couple days;) But not really. Don’t worry, I’ll show you all exactly what’s going on. Promise;)

And I’ll get some major headlines up soon. That’s also a promise!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Linking up:

Was yesterday Father’s Day?

June 17, 2013 — Leave a comment

I kid. I know it was Father’s Day, if not because I celebrated with my family, the hundreds of instagram and facebook posts would’ve been a clue;) It was actually really sweet to see everyone talking about their dads and how great they are.

But now I must end the debate. Because my dad is the best.

So here’s a shout out to the best father a girl could ask for. He’s taught me so many things about how to live, and LOVE your life. He showed me great movies and music, how to play chess and ride a bike, helped me endlessly with math, shared his testimony with me, came to all my shows, and has done a million things to show me that he cares about me. I can’t even begin to start telling you how great my dad is, how much he’s overcome and how amazed I am that he’s who he is today. So while you all may think you have a great dad, I can assure you that my dad is the best. So thank you daddy, for always being there for me and always loving me. I love you!

Alright world. Bring on another week:)

Happy Monday everyone!

Happenings

June 15, 2013 — Leave a comment

So here’s a few things that have been happening lately. I don’t really have lots of time to go into great detail, so here’s the bits and pieces you need:)

Sometimes I pretend to be domestic and make cookie dough. It can be fun:) Especially when I eat most of the cookie dough and don’t bake any cookies…

Bonfire with these cuties. Weird happenings lead us to become a utensil gang around a fire. So beware for Spooner, Forker and Knifer (copyright pending).

My sisters are beautiful. Tonight is the last performance of the 2013 ballet recital. It’s so weird to me that it’s been TWO YEARS since I danced in my last one. Last year it was easy not to miss it….I was cruising around Europe. This year, it’s a lot easier to miss. Here’s to the hours of practice, hundreds of dollars spent (THANKS MOM AND DAD), hairspray and tape, bobby pins and breaking shoes, corset ties and headpieces, and a million other things that I miss about being a ballerina. Break a leg tonight ladies:) I love you!

Also. Jonas is home. I don’t have a picture of him, I forgot to take one when I saw him this morning. But still. Welcome home:)

Happy Saturday everyone:)

Linking up:
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Oh Hey Weekend…

June 14, 2013 — Leave a comment

So it’s the weekend. FINALLY. Let’s say hello to this past week:)

My family is amazing at cooking. Say hello to a Greek Salad, with a homemade Greek dressing and herb braised chicken. YUM.

Blurry throw back to my time in Venice. A year ago, I was there. It’s sad, I just want to go back!

A buck for a clay mask at Walmart? Heck yeah. Don’t worry, I totally sent this to Randy and said, “Admit it, you miss me.” He’ll probably never talk to me again after he sees it;)

This kid and I had an awesome date yesterday that included a stop at Cherry Hill (I go there on my day off. It’s fine.) He thinks he’s pretty good….;) (Yes, you made the blog David. Congratulations;))

This kid has been gone for 5 months (Oh yeah:)) He’s great. Except for the keys dangling off his belt loop. We have to do something about that….;)

That was this week at a glance.

Linking up:

I’m all geared up and ready for this weekend. It’s going to include: work, seeing Jonas for the first time in two years (I KNOW RIGHT??), crying at the ballet recital, Father’s Day, and much more. Stay tuned!

Happy Friday everyone:)

Summer Reads

June 13, 2013 — Leave a comment

So I love reading. A lot. So I thought I’d share a few of my favorite summer reads to maybe spice up your library a little bit! If you have any other suggestions for me, please comment or send me a message!

1. Pride and Prejudice. Classic, one of my favorites, read it!

2. Twitterpated. Just finished this one. It’s a cheesy, LDS romance novel, but it was good. So, you should read it:)

3. The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio. This was on my mom’s book club list and I really liked it. It was sad, but so hopeful at the same time. It’s more of a life story than a novel, but doesn’t read like most non-fiction.

4. The Invisible Bridge. If you’re artsy, in love with Europe, or into history, this is the one for you! It was very well written and a wonderful read.

5. The Great Gatsby. There’s a lot of hype about this movie, but the book is amazing. If you haven’t read it, go read it now. If you have read it, maybe read it again!

6. At First Sight. Nicholas Sparks, cheesy romance, so sad I cried…but still good:)

7. Things Fall Apart. I actually read this for AP English, but I absolutely loved it. It was incredible and really made me think. If you’re looking for an intellectual read, this is it!

8. Gone With The Wind. This is one of my favorite books. It’s a long one, you could start it now and finish by the end of the summer, but it’s one that EVERYONE should read.

9. The List. Another cheesy, LDS romance. SO GOOD. I was literally jumping up and down, screaming at the end.

10. The Secret Keeper. Murder mystery, WWII mixed with 2011, romance and action. It was amazing. Less cheesy than some, more interesting than others. I loved it, and I think you will too!

So these are my summer read suggestions! Hopefully you enjoy them.

Also. Today is the 13th, which is a special day for me. So here’s a little shout out to my favorite missionary, and to another 13th down:)

Happy Thursday everyone!

Keep the first date conversation going!

June 11, 2013 — Leave a comment

So yesterday I went on a date. Yup. A date. It was good! At the end of the date, he asked me to “accept this rose” like on the Bachelor. Because we’d talked about that a few days earlier. What a cheeser:)

I hadn’t been on a first date in a while, so I made my foolproof list of topics of discussion (yeah, I can be THAT girl) and I thought I’d share it with you!

1. Ask him about his family. Number of siblings, nieces and nephews, his parents, stuff like that.

2. Ask what he wants to be when he grows up. That’ll get him into something he’s interested in!

3. Ask him what kinds of things he did in high school; sports, musicals, band?

4. Ask if he plays any instruments or likes to sing.

5. Ask him what his favorite movie/book/band is.

6. Find out what his typical day is like.

7. Ask him what he likes to do in his free time.

8. Where was his favorite vacation?

9. Where would be his dream place to live?

10. What are some things you need to know about him?

These questions will for sure last you through the evening. Trust me:)

So I also had a record high of readers yesterday. Which is AWESOME but also very intimidating. My dad said “now make sure you blog about things that people will like to keep that readership up!” Ummmmm I don’t know what people like…? Soooo that’s one thing….

But really. Thanks for reading. Thanks for coming back. Ya’ll are great:)

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Be…Our…GUEST:)

June 10, 2013 — Leave a comment

First, Haley Young is the best. I made her blog yesterday, so basically I’ve achieved stardom. She’s incredible and I have to give her a shout-out for being one of my best friends, and for putting up with me this summer when I don’t have a ton of other people to play with. So thanks Haley, for seriously being the best:)

Today is the day. Guest bloggers!! I asked Samantha and Julie to both do a guest post a little while ago, and I’m so happy they both said yes! I figured I’d put them up on the same day so that you, dear reader, could go explore both of their blogs after you finish reading! They are both awesome and I have loved working with them, and look forward to working with them even more! Samantha is so funny and sweet, Julie is creative and caring, and I just adore both of their blogs! So here they are, Julie and Samantha!

Hey there! I’m so thrilled that Maddy asked me to guest post on her blog today! I’m Samantha, and I blog over at These Moments. I’m pretty new to the blogging world, so I am totally open to button swapping and guest posting!

A little bit about me:

I’m 18, almost 19. I just graduated high school. I believe that life is a beautiful thing. There is beauty in everything, if you just know where to look. I love hiking and snowshoeing in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where I was born and raised. I simply adore baking and crafting. I have an amazing group of friends. I love listening to music. I’m excited to start college in the fall at BYU! I’m a sucker for cheesy made-for-tv romantic comedies. I am terrified of geese. I’m the oldest of four kids. I love watching movies, and board games are right up there on the list. Spontaneous adventures are my all-time favorite. I love to read anything I can get my hands on. I’m learning how to play guitar. I have an amazing, blessed life, and I love sharing it on my blog!

Why I blog:

I originally started blogging the summer before my junior year of high school, but didn’t really like it and deleted my blog. That all changed the beginning of my senior year, when my best friend Erica convinced me to start up a blog again. I instantly fell in love with blogging and reading other blogs, and I’ve been blogging ever since.

I have especially enjoyed doing tutorials, blogging about my senior prom and graduation, and just sharing all the little adventures my life has given me!

I try to focus on the positive, because I believe that “being happy doesn’t mean everything is perfect, it simply means you have decided to look beyond the imperfections.” I’ve learned that no matter where life takes you, if you meet it with a smile and bear through hard times, there will be a rainbow at the end of the storm. But most importantly, I have learned that life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.

Have a lovely day, and thanks again for letting me post, Maddy!

Always,

Samantha Justine

And now for Julie:)

Hi I’m Julie! I’m overjoyed that Maddy asked me to guest post this week, I love making new blog friends J I’m relatively new to the blogging world but I’m improving and growing my blog Different is Beautiful. I would love new followers and am open for swapping buttons or guest posts on my blogs! Email me at 7julieh@gmail.com if you’re interested. Visit my blog here.

Who am I?

I am a lover of music

I have a bucket list

I hate sharks

Pretzels are my favorite food

I play guitar

I’m a runner

I am obsessed with traveling

I am one of six kids

I know how to beatbox

I’m a college student

I’m an adrenaline junkie

I’m a Mormon

Why do I blog?

I originally started Different is Beautiful as a way to document my life and adventures after my family moved to Turkey my senior year. I wanted a way to stay in touch with my family and friends back in the US. I was really bad about blogging and didn’t truly begin posting until a year later when I graduated high school. Hence, most of my first posts are a look back at my year in Turkey and my senior year in High School. You can read some of my favorites here and here. When I started college I decided to keep my lil’ blog going as a project and document my experiences at Brigham Young University. It’s been a crazy and wild adventure since I started college a year ago, and I’ve grown a lot as a person. This week I celebrated my first bloviversary! I’m slowly growing and improving Different is Beautiful and my hope is to gain new readers and friends along the way. Feel free to stop by anytime, an never forget Different is Beautiful!

Aren’t they fabulous? Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to stalk their blogs all the way back to the beginning. Should be fun:)

Happy Monday everyone!