Happenings

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…

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:life rearranged

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:)

Memorial day and Star Trek

So we celebrate Memorial Day like most families. Watching Star Trek: Into Darkness.

Kidding. Most families don’t do that. But mine does!

We also had a BBQ and are celebrating my sister’s birthday (stay tuned for her birthday/sweet sixteen post TOMORROW) and going to the cemetery to remember those who are no longer with us.

But we also went to see Star Trek.

In a word. It was fantastic. Mind blowing, relevant to the old ones and yet had a fresh new spin. If you are not a Star Trek fan, shame on you. Become one. It’s worth it. If you are a Star Trek fan, this movie does not disappoint. Go see it, soon!

Now for a more Memorial Day appropriate post.

I am so grateful for those who have come before me, who have served our country and those who haven’t. Memorial Day was originally for those who died serving our country, and has now been made to honor all who have come before. I have always thought I had an appreciation for my country, but it wasn’t until I was in a small, American cemetery that I really came to appreciate our soldiers.

I’ve already blogged about the wonderful things that happened to me there, and you can view that post here.

So today I just want to say thank you to those who will never read this blog. Those who are gone, in a better place. I am so grateful for the comfort my religion brings me about eternal families, and the chance I will have to see those who are gone again.


Image courtesy of Cherry Hill

Happy Monday and happy Memorial Day everyone!

Saint George!

Finally posting about my Saint George trip! I know you’ve all been waiting;) But really, I have some great ideas for you if you’re ever in the Saint George/Dixie area. We had a blast and wish we could go back!

Here’s a few of the fun things we did:

  • Ate at Paradise Cafe, their cookies are to DIE for.
  • Laid out by the pool at our hotel, reading and talking about everything under the sun. I powered through a really good book called The Secret Keeper. Highly recommend it:)
  • At at Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe. Really good smoothies!
  • Cruised around Saint George, pretending to speak other languages in drive-thrus and parking lot dancing.
  • Went to Dixie Rock (beautiful view of the city) and sang hymns at the top when nobody else was there. It was a really spiritual, wonderful moment.
  • Worked out (not my idea, I don’t work out on vacation but some people are more fit than I am) and then jumped in the pool after. SO fun.
  • Hiked in Snow Canyon. Just a few minutes away from downtown Saint George and one of the most beautiful canyons I’ve ever seen. The red rock was incredible, and hiking up to the top of cooled lava and petrified sand dunes was so amazing. 
  • Ate some In n’ Out. I don’t care if you hate fast food, I promise a trip to In n’ Out every once in a while is worth your calories.
  • Also ate some Nielsen’s Frozen Custard. Try it. I promise you’ll love it. 
  • Realized that cute Wendie Davis (Gabe’s mom) was staying at our same hotel! She was so fun to chat with and we had a great time talking with her.
  • Took a million pictures (who doesn’t like to remember their vacation!)
  • Had a great time with my four best friends (I also recommend this one;))
So that’s the highlights of my trip! We had so much fun and a HUGE shout out to Alli’s family for making it happen! 
Dixie Rock
Parking lot dancing
Beautiful and warm!
Happy Monday everyone!

Gabe-a

So yesterday I said goodbye to two of my best friends. Cade already got a huge long blog post because he moved out a while ago, and now it’s time for dear Gabriel.

Oh Gabriel. Where do I even start? Gabe is one of the funniest people I know. Not many people know him well enough to see how funny he is, but when you get there, it’s hilarious. Gabe has the most hilarious one-liners (seen by my #gabequotes tweets,) and keeps us on the floor laughing. Gabe is one of the sweetest people ever. He’ll act like he doesn’t want to do something, but then he’ll go do it for us in a heartbeat. He drives us EVERYWHERE, let us go spend time at his cabin, lets us punch him all the time, and just takes care of us. He is SO good to Sarah, which makes me so happy.

So dear Gabe, here’s to you. Off to Peru on Wednesday. Thanks for being one of my best friends, for being there for me whenever I need it, for driving me in the Jeep everywhere, for watching Star Wars with me and a giant bag of M&M’s, for taking me and Lauren for ice cream just to talk about Sarah, for making sure we had fun at the cabin and always letting us go there, for being yourself and always making me happy. You’re one of the best friends EVER and I’m going to miss you. Don’t forget you promised to write! Emails or letters or carrier pigeons, whatever it takes remember? 😉 Love you Gabe-a, Gabey, Gabriel, and all the other things we call you!! I’ll miss you and I know you’ll be a great missionary to those people and alpaca’s in Peru!

Yeah, this is Gabe. He’s the best:)
Also, hasn’t General Conference been great!!?? More posts on that later, but so far I have loved Henry B. Eyring’s talk about coming closer to Christ, Elder Bednar’s talk on the law of chastity, Sister Dalton’s talk about doing and being what Heavenly Father needs, and so many others! If you don’t know what General Conference is, missed a session or a talk, click here!
Happy Sunday everyone!

How to survive the last few months of high school

As per request, here is my “how to survive the last few months of high school” checklist. Let me be honest, the last month of high school was brutal. AP tests, stressing about college and what to bring and how to pay for it, worrying about my friends and teachers and spending time with them, spending time with my family, getting ready for prom and worrying that every single second wouldn’t count. So. For all you stressed out seniors out there, this is for you. If you’ve done the whole high school graduation thing, please add and give your words of wisdom!!

  • Stop stressing. Easier said than done, I know. But seriously, life has a way of working out and it’ll all be ok. So take ten deep breaths, and read on.
  • Write down all the important dates. Dates of your AP tests, final paper due dates, graduation meetings and what time your nail appointment is for prom. I promise that if you are organized things will feel less crazy.
  • When you’re doing something fun, have fun. You’ll look back and regret that you left something early to go study for an AP test an extra hour. Now, I am not promoting not studying or doing homework at all!! But if you’ve given yourself the Friday night off, really take it off and have fun with your friends. Who knows how often you’ll hang out after this.
  • Find out what study method works best for YOU. Start studying for your AP tests early, figure out if you study best in a group or alone, with flash cards or just reading the book, things like that. 
  • Don’t wish that you were out of high school already. I love college SO MUCH. But those last few months of high school hold some of my favorite memories. Don’t wish it all away. Real life isn’t always as fun as they say it is.
  • Save some money! Don’t blow all your money. Of course go out to lunch and go crazy for prom and graduation, but if you can save some money, do it. You’ll end up needing it in a few months, promise!
  • Take mental pictures, or real ones if you can. Document these last few months. It’s really important for you now, and it will still be important for you later in your life. 
  • At senior cotillion and prom and graduation, take a moment and revel in the fact that you’re there. You’re there with a senior class, you may not know everyone, but you are a senior class. And that counts for something.
  • Spend time with your family. Sometimes take off a Friday night from homework and friends, and just be with your family. I promise you’ll miss them more than any of those friends.
  • Have fun!!! This is the most important thing of all. You only go to senior prom once, you only graduate from high school once, you only go to the senior all night party once, LET LOOSE. Who cares who sees, who cares what other people think, be yourself and LOVE IT. These last few months of senior year can be the best of high school if you let them be. They were for me. So go to all the boring scholarship dinners and AP study sessions, go to the soccer games and the dances, everything. I promise it’s all worth it.

Top Knot

So I was pinning and blog stalking yesterday, and among the stalkage that was going on I found a bun called a top knot that was super cute that I actually liked! Back up….I am not a huge fan of buns. To me they are for ballet or dance or something like that. Some people totally pull them off, other people I’m all…ehhhhh better not. But after seeing this, I had to try it. And I gotta say, I really like it! Plus….after sleeping on it, it left me with the cutest waves and curls in my hair! I would TOTALLY recommend this top knot.

Now these pictures don’t do it justice. Just trust me

How to achieve this top knot? It’s seriously so easy I almost cried. You pull your hair back into a slick tight pony-tail, but don’t put the elastic around it. Then you begin twisting your hair into a coil until it starts wrapping around itself. You let it wrap around itself until you have the end left, then you just tuck the end through the middle and pull it tight! SO EASY right? 
And I promise the beachy wave look that taking this out gives you is super cute! Unfortunately my camera died and I can’t show you:( But just trust me, you don’t want to miss it! Happy Tuesday everyone:)

Favorite Things

I have many favorite things. But one of my very, very, very, very favorites is shoes. Just ask my mom. She’ll tell you. People have misconceptions about shoes unfortunately, and I would like to give my opinion on what shoes you are allowed to where, when! Keep in mind, this is merely my opinion. Some of you probably dress a lot better than I do and will think this whole thing is crazy. Nevertheless, I shall carry on.

1. The Boot
Whether black or brown, the classy, dressy boot is a staple to a wardrobe. These can be worn literally in all seasons. Some of you are shocked right now thinking “IN THE SUMMER? WHAT IS SHE THINKING.” Yes. You can wear boots in the summer IF they are paired with the right outfit. A dress date you can rock jeans (black or blue,) a cute short sleeve top, and a pair of boots. Honest to goodness. You can do it. Boots are a classic fall and winter wear, but can also be worn with skirts in spring and summer, as well as in the above mentioned situation. Boots. Yes. Do it.
2. The Sandal
Sandals should be worn with caution only in the late spring/summer/early fall months. Once it gets too chilly outside, put them away! Sandals can be rocked with capris, long pants, and skirts. Just don’t wear a super casual pair with a super dressy outfit. 
3. The High Heel
I may be a bit biased about heels, seeing as I LOVE THEM. But my opinion is that high heels can be worn during all months! Winter it’s a little more difficult, since there’s snow on the ground, but it can be done. I think heels should be worn with a dress or skirt, and can be used to dress up an outfit if you pair them with long jeans. I’m not a fan of heels and capris or shorts. Some people are though. It’s a personal problem. But a pair of black and nude heels are essential and can instantly class up any outfit. 
4. The Ballet Flat
Ballet flats. One of the most versatile shoes out there. Wear them in all seasons, with most outfits (but not with something super casual. Like a hoodie. Or sweats.) Basically, in most situations, you can wear the ballet flat.
5. Casual shoes
Casual shoes are classified as Vans, Keds, Converse, Pumas, Tennis Shoes, Toms, etc. Casual shoes can be worn in all seasons with a variety of outfits, as long as they aren’t dressy. Basically we’re just using common sense. If you’re wearing a shirt with ruffles or a collar, casual shoes probably aren’t a good idea. 
And that my friends, is my opinion on shoes. 

Fire

So today at 8:30, I was awoken by the SCREECHING of a fire alarm. Trust me, I will never complain about my regular alarm again. Those things are LOUD. All the girls in my building rushed outside, trying to see if there was another kitchen fire (two weeks ago there was a large stove fire downstairs. That was exciting.) The good news is, there was no fire. The bad news is that now electricians and firemen get to figure out why the alarm went off! I was really grateful for my parents for teaching me fire safety. I rolled out of bed, grabbed some shoes, and got out of there. So thanks Mom and Dad!

Now, in honor of this situation, I thought I’d post a fire-y recipe that is one of my favorites. Shout-out to my mom, whose recipe this is and who makes this soup better than I do! Enjoy!

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup
·         1 stalk celery finely diced
·         1 small onion  finely diced
·         1 carrot finely diced
·         4 cans fire roasted tomatoes
·         3 cup of chicken bouillon or stock
·         1 cup whipping cream
·         Basil, oregano, salt & pepper to taste
Brown onion, celery and carrots in a small amount of olive oil and butter.  Add tomatoes, bouillon and seasonings.  Simmer 15-20 minutes.  Puree in blender or with hand blender.  Turn to low heat, stir in cream.  Heat gently and do a final seasoning.  Serve garnished with sour cream and/or tortilla strips.

Food, Fashion, and Fun

So along with the serious, important news of the day, I also want to increase the entertainment and beauty on this blog. I want to have a morning show blog of sorts, a Today Show or Good Things Utah of the blogging community. Hopefully people can visit and see the real news, as well as some great recipes, or tips on college life.

So yes on this blog you will get

  • Too much information on my personal life. Sorry, blogging can sometimes be therapeutic.
  • Hard news explained so people can be informed, and then form opinions on things that are important.
  • Entertaining features about food, fashion, art, music, literature, etc! 
Can’t wait to give this new idea a whirl!

A quote on fashion

Leonardo da Vinci quote on art and science.

Music

12 Endearing Quotes On Books And Reading | the perfect line