JayMay: life lessons

Life Lesson #41

2012-01-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

Life Lesson #40

2012-01-12T00:30:00.002-07:00

Life Lesson #39

2012-01-12T00:13:00.000-07:00

Life Lesson #38

2011-12-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

195 days till Europe.

Give me a time machine...

2011-12-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

If you were to travel back in time three months and tell me what my life is like right now, I would probably laugh at you because it would sound so ridiculous.

A new group of friends, helping someone close through a really difficult time but only being able to do so much, the possibility of someone I never thought would be a possibility and not knowing which direction to take with said person, knowing I'll be traveling around Europe alone without my best friend, losing my favorite co-worker/gaining the twin of my least favorite co-worker, finally figuring out what I want to do career-wise...

it's all bittersweet. And confusing, very confusing.

I don't know what lesson God is trying to teach me right now, but I just hope and pray that I'll make the right decisions and do my best to help others along the way.

I guess the only comfort I really have is knowing I'm right where I'm supposed to be and my journey will unfold exactly the way it should.

Life Lesson #37

2011-12-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

- Gossip Girl

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-24T22:42:00.000-07:00

Life Lesson #36

2011-11-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Life Lesson #35

2011-11-09T14:29:00.002-07:00

Brody is turing 3 years old this Friday! I love my little guy ❤

He has become such an important part of my life and I honestly can't imagine my life without him in it.

I was a senior in high school when he became a part of our family. We were at my Grandma's house for our annual Christmas Eve party when my dad came down the stairs with a crate in his hands. Inside was the best Christmas surprise I could ever hope for! He was so tiny and so cute. I loved him the moment I saw those beady brown eyes.

Happy Birthday Brody!

I ❤ You

the "Hottie Wall"

2011-11-01T23:48:00.000-06:00

So there is this wall in my room that has been really bare for, well, many moons. So last week I was online looking for inspiration when I found these über hot pictures of celebs on Pinterest (if you don't have a Pinterest you are waaaay behind the times). I've been printing them out and sticking them to my "Hottie Wall" one by one ever since. You're welcome ;]

Johnny Depp

Alex O'Loughlin

Orlando Bloom

Gerard Butler

Matt Bomer

Ryan Reynolds

Alex Pettyfer

Jake Gyllenhaal

Anyways... these are just a few of my favorites. What can I say? I'm a nerd who digs brunettes.

If you have any suggestions of hotties I need to add to my "Hottie Wall", please speak up!

Crushin'

2011-11-01T23:14:00.001-06:00

This made me smile :]

Life Lesson #34

2011-10-26T23:47:00.000-06:00

Life Lesson #33

2011-10-26T00:59:00.000-06:00

And a few more things:

Getting a good grade on something you thought you bombed.

Daydreaming.

Finding old photos, letters and keepsakes you thought you'd lost.

Having a crush on someone and being excited to see them.

Cuddling with a sleepy puppy.

Writing silly notes with your best friend when class becomes too boring to handle.

A warm donut with sprinkles before class.

Those rare mornings when your hair actually does what you want it to.

Getting into your comfy sweats after a long day.

A hug from someone you love when you need it most.

And realizing that the majority of the best things in life aren't actual things.

What are some of the best things in your life?

Disneyland!

2011-10-22T15:00:00.000-06:00

Last week I got to go to my favorite place in the whole wide world with my mom and my sister. It was SO much fun! Here's a video I made to prove it :]

If you're a 90's kid...

2011-10-19T23:36:00.001-06:00

I found this gem on facebook! It's just made up of a few things I miss about growing up in the 90's. If only I had a time machine...

Life Lesson #32

2011-10-17T16:47:00.000-06:00

Reflection

2011-09-14T00:58:00.003-06:00

Life has really been set into perspective the past week or so. Growing up has been on the back of my mind for a while now, and I'd like to hope that I'm coming to terms with it. And the thing that really got me thinking about it was the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It was half a lifetime ago for me. I was a child when it happened, and I guess knowing that 10 years has gone by since that day has really opened my eyes.

9/11 was the first moment I witnessed true evil in the world. Before then, I had heard about all the awful things that happen out there, but it was never here... I remember believing that nothing bad could ever happen on our soil because we lived in America.
Nothing could touch us.

I still remember walking into my 5th grade class that September day and seeing the tears on my teacher's face as we all sat and watched the second tower come down. For months after, we were blasted with images and stories of everything that happened that day. I remember watching the news a few days after as they showed bodies strewn in the rubble and families posting pictures of their loved ones on walls that seemed to stretch on forever. And even though I didn't know anyone who died that Tuesday morning, I still cry every single year for them.

I watched the memorial service that was held at Ground Zero on Sunday morning and it made me realize that life truly does go on. They talked about finally healing the scar on the New York skyline as the Freedom Tower went up story by story, replacing the void left empty for so long. The majority of all the police, firemen and other rescue workers have all retired. The man responsible is rotting at the bottom of the ocean. And at the same time, that day will never be forgotten. It will be on the back of everyone's mind forever. I thought about what life will be like in another 10 years... I will probably be teaching my kids about what came out of the clear blue sky that day. And I will teach them that life goes on. And we can either choose to hang onto the past and let it consume us, or keep facing each new day and make the best out of what God has given us.

Never forget.

Meaningful Pursuit Giveaway!!

2011-08-27T23:09:00.001-06:00

To begin, my dear friend Catherine is amazing. I love her to death. And her blog The Meaningful Pursuit Amid Aimless Wanderings is equally as amazing as she is. In honor of her blogging for 2 years, she is doing an amazing giveaway on her blog! So pop on over (here), browse, fall in love, follow if you aren't already, and enter to win!

Aren't we just so cute in our Ute gear?

Summer '11 in Review...

2011-08-25T22:25:00.001-06:00

Words just can't describe what an amazing summer I had, so I made a video! Videos are more fun anyways, enjoy!

Life Lesson #31

2011-08-21T01:24:00.000-06:00

Summer 2011 Obsessions

2011-07-29T19:02:00.001-06:00

1. Instagram

If you haven't tried the Instagram app, you should.

It has 16 different settings to make your photos look vintage. So fun!

2. iwastesomuchtime.com

A lifesaver when you're in class, bored, or wish to avoid responsibilities.

(Warning: After clicking the images below, you will NOT be able to unglue your eyes from the screen for at least 2+ hours.)

I laughed so hard I cried when I found this... the real fun starts at 4:02.

3. Caramel Swirled Marshmallows

Hard to believe, but smore's just became a bigilloin times better.

They also have chocolate, cinnamon, toasted coconut, strawberry and mint!

4. Big Band

I am addicted to the sounds of swing. And I feel like I was born in the wrong time period. I listen to it in the car, while cleaning, while working, while sleeping... Try out the Swing station on Pandora and tell me you agree. My favorites are Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey (my great-uncle Dale played the trumpet in his band!) and Frank Sinatra of course.

5. Bali Mango

I've probably spent half my life savings at Bath and Body Works, but it is all totally worth it! Bali Mango is my current favorite, and to make matters even more amazing, it's half off online right now! It's a sister fragrance to the Fiji Passionfruit flavor that I blogged about back in February. They smell AMAZING mixed! So if you would like to take an "exotic getaway of juicy mango, sugar cane, pink passionflower and luscious nectarine", give Bali Mango a try!

Life Lesson #30

2011-07-28T12:28:00.000-06:00

Less than a year!

2011-07-18T22:03:00.000-06:00

As some of you may know, I'm going to Europe next summer with my bff! Only 335 more days till I'm on a plane bound for London! I made my first payment for my trip back in February thinking that time would drag on way longer than it actually has. I can't even believe that a year from today I'll be on my way home from the biggest adventure of my life. Words can't even describe how excited and grateful I am for this opportunity to see a place I have always dreamed of seeing.

But while I play the waiting game, it's been really fun piecing together things for my trip.

- I got my first passport! Yay!

- A new camera complete with 4 extra memory cards and an extra battery.

- A pack of compression bags so I can take extra cute clothes.

- And a bunch of other odds and ends I've been collecting along the way.

I still have a lot more work to do before my trip, but it has been fun taking the steps to eventually get to where I want to be in 11 months.

hot candle wax

2011-07-17T22:24:00.001-06:00

I stopped writing poetry when I realized every poem I wrote, whether intentional or not,

was about you.

I didn't think you deserved anything more than "goodbye".

What happened between you and me was a long time ago, after all.

So I stopped writing you down on paper.

A ghost outlined in ink and pencil lead.

And you faded away into a blurry silhouette that reappeared only when I wanted you to.
When I was comfortable with your chalky presence.

I eventually forgot what color your eyes were, the sound of your voice.

Memories we created fell from my mind like hot candle wax.

I forgot you.

Then one day, everything about you, everything I suppressed and erased came rushing back,

almost as if you were standing right in front of me again.

You found a way to fill the transparency with solid lines and shadows.
And now I'm once again filling in the rest with ink and pencil lead.

Never gunna grow up...

2011-07-17T10:48:00.001-06:00

Theme song for this summer? I think yes.

Jake Owen is SO hot! Who agrees?

life opens up when you do

2011-07-14T22:47:00.000-06:00

The reason I've been a bit off the radar lately is because I've really been trying to make this summer amazing. And so far so good! I've spent the past couple of months doing all things summery and I've loved every second of it. Hence the reason I've spent more time outside than on my computer.

I guess sometimes when things are going really well you have time to stop and take a good long look at life. So far I've learned that:

A. I have no idea what I want to do with major I'm currently majoring in. No idea.

B. Hence the reason why I'll only be taking Spanish and math the next couple of semesters until I figure it out.

C. And also because I need to save up for my month long excursion to Europe that I'll be taking next summer. Win, win.

D. After going to Europe I plan on re-applying for the Disney College Program and moving my butt to sunny California. I guess the one thing I really know I want to be someday is a Disney Imagineer.

E. After the DCP (that is, if I get in), I'll hopefully know exactly which direction I want to go in at Disney, so I can go back to school confident in my decision.

So now when people ask me what I want to do with my life, although lengthy, I'll finally have an answer.

Change is good, right?

Life Lesson #29

2011-07-12T16:35:00.000-06:00

Life Lesson #28

2011-07-09T23:32:00.002-06:00

Life Lesson #27

2011-06-14T18:39:00.000-06:00

the beauty department

2011-06-08T13:06:00.000-06:00

I am in love with this website. They have hair and make-up tutorials that are super easy to understand and follow! Here is a hair tutorial that I'm really excited to try out!

You can find other great tutorials at thebeautydepartment.com!

Summer Lovin'

2011-06-03T10:12:00.000-06:00

Summer is my all-time favorite time of year. No snow, no ice, no freezing wind. Just sunshine, heat, bare feet and the smell of freshly mown grass and gasoline.

Here are a few things I'm looking forward to this summer...

flip-flops s'mores swimming African Ice tanning oil the lake

camping driving with the windows down cold watermelon Lagoon

4th of July lemonade hiking picnics hotdogs campfires shorts

roasted starbursts pineapple cool nights under the stars kool-aid

bike rides swimsuits slurpies running through sprinklers sand between your toes

sandals the pool sunsets roadtrips movies at the capitol

the smell of wet cement night games seashells popsicles the state fair

farmers markets flowers concerts country music warm rain

fireworks baseball games the beach days of '47

no school sundresses thunderstorms the smell of sunscreen

the sound of crickets shooting stars tubing rootbeer floats barbecues

What are some things you love most about SUMMER?

Infinite Potential

2011-05-31T15:03:00.000-06:00

The other day I was standing at the sink washing dishes and watching my dog run around outside in the backyard. I noticed him playing with something and saw to my horror that it was a baby robin. I raced outside and stopped him, but the little bird was really hurt. He had been out with his mom learning how to fly.

I realized that he would never know what it felt like to fly. He was born with all the potential to do so, but his chances were cut short so early in his life. And then I thought about how often we cut ourselves short of our own potential. We are born with the ability to do whatever we set our mind to and work hard to get. And although outside forces sometimes hinder our ability to measure up, the majority of the time we are the ones standing in our own way of greatness.

So live each day to your fullest potential. Say the things you mean, and do the things you say. Never give up hope or lose faith in yourself, because you have everything you need to achieve anything you want.

Life Lesson #26

2011-05-29T11:09:00.001-06:00

I'm craving a day at Lagoon, can you tell?

Remodeling

2011-05-25T20:32:00.002-06:00

School ended nearly a month ago and I still haven't willed myself to update my blog. So, I'm thinking in order to ignite some inspiration I'm going to need to give life lessons a make-over. Wish me luck!

When you need a little smile...

2011-04-27T12:32:00.000-06:00

I apologize for falling off the face of the earth. Finals are upon me and they aren't treating me well. Luckily I only have 2 more to go. In the mean time, if you need a little smile, look no further than this adorable picture... It managed to bring a smile to my face when all I wanted to do was crawl in a hole and die so I wouldn't have to take my finals.

Hakuna Matata!

Life Lesson #25

2011-04-15T23:10:00.000-06:00

In terms of forever...

2011-03-30T22:25:00.001-06:00

"The Great Commandment"

by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

"... There once was an elderly man and woman who had been married for many decades. Because the wife was slowly losing her sight, she could no longer take care of herself the way she had done for so many years. Without being asked, the husband began to paint her fingernails for her.

'He knew that she could see her fingernails when she held them close to her eyes, at just the right angle, and they made her smile. He liked to see her happy, so he kept painting her nails for more than five years before she passed away.'

That is an example of the pure love of Christ. Sometimes the greatest love is not found in the dramatic scenes that poets and writers immortalize. Often, the greatest manifestations of love are the simple acts of kindness and caring we extend to those we meet along the path of life.

True love lasts forever. It is eternally patient and forgiving. It believes, hopes, and endures all things. That is the love our Heavenly Father bears for us.

We all yearn to experience love like this. Even when we make mistakes, we hope others will love us in spite of our shortcomings—even if we don’t deserve it.

Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will.

We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming.

The most cherished and sacred moments of our lives are those filled with the spirit of love. The greater the measure of our love, the greater is our joy..."

---------------------------------------------------------

The pictures I included in this post are of my Grandparents Jack and Nell. They loved each other more than anything in the world. When my Grandpa died several years ago, one of the main things that was said at his funeral was how beautiful their love for each other was. They were together for nearly 60 years and never had a single fight!
One of my favorite stories was of their first date. My handsome Grandpa had just arrived home from fighting in WWII and all the girls were after him. My Grandma happened to be in his ward and out of all the swooning girls fawning over him, he asked my Grandma on a date. On their date he drove her up to a spot overlooking the Salt Lake Valley that us young kids now call "The Ocean". Even back then it was the prime make-out location. My poor Grandma was uneasy about being there, and her fears grew even more when he casually put his arm around her in the front seat. But instead of going in for a kiss, he reached into the backseat and grabbed his guitar to serenade her! How cute is that? He was the perfect gentleman.

Their story is what I dream for myself to someday have. Even though I was young, I knew just by watching how they would look at each other that their love was pure and unwavering. Sometimes it's hard not knowing if I'll ever find someone who will treat and love me as much as my Grandpa loved my Grandma, but after reading this talk by Elder Wirthlin I know that if I never give up hope, someday I'll be able to start my own love story with someone just as loving and dear as he was.

March '11 Obsessions

2011-03-23T11:46:00.000-06:00

I bought my very first pair of TOMS shoes earlier this month and now I want a pair in every style! Not only are they cute and comfortable, every pair bought has a match somewhere in the world belonging to a child in need. So not only are you buying yourself a very nice pair of shoes, you are also buying a pair for a child who doesn't even have shoes. It's one purchase you won't feel guilty about buying.

You can buy your own pair of TOMS online at http://www.toms.com/, or at a store near you!

2. Funky Jewelry

While I was at the mall buying TOMS, I stumbled upon another new obsession. Long necklaces with funky charms, and big chunky rings!

So far in the necklace department I have an elephant, an antique telephone, a fish that can wiggle, a little book that has real pages, an antique key that Catherine gave me for my b-day, and a dreamcatcher. They are really fun to collect!

In the ring department I have a tiger, a huge turquoise stone, a hibiscus flower, a fake diamond ring that is HUGE, a "soccer ball", vines, and then my favorite ring made out of petrified wood that was my great-grandfather's.

I bought the majority of the jewelry from Forever 21 and everything was under $8!

3. New Music!

Here are a few songs I just can't get enough of this month...

'Boy With a Coin' by Iron & Wine

This song makes me want to dance around a campfire. The lyrics are beautiful and I love the flamenco dancers in the video! I can't wait to see the real thing next summer in Spain! (Thanks RayCray for introducing me to this band!)

'The Cave' by Mumford & Sons

Brilliant... just brilliant! 'Little Lion Man' is also just as wonderful.

'Alligator Sky' by Owl City featuring Shawn Chyrstopher

Let's just admit it, everything Owl City makes is amazing.

4. Pretty Little Liars

This show is SO addicting and intense! The first season just ended this week :[ But good news is that the second season is starting up this June! If you haven't seen this show, go watch it now!

5. EF College Break

Next summer I am going to Europe through EF College Break! Their prices are insanely cheap and they plan all of the nitty-gritty stuff for you so you don't have to worry! Every tour group has about 40 college kids from all over the US that you will meet and become friends with. If you have ever wanted to see the world, EF College Break is the way to go!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T13:00:00.000-06:00

Top o' the mornin' to ya!

I hope you all have a fantastic Saint Patrick's Day!

Maybe it's just the Irish in me, but I have always loved St. Patrick's Day. I love seeing everyone in green and pinching people who aren't, I love tiny little ginger men, and I love putting green food coloring in everything I eat.

Ancient Chinese Wisdom

2011-02-28T15:48:00.001-07:00

Confucius

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

---

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.

----

I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there.

-----

In nature we are together, in practice we are apart.

----

When we see someone of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.

---

The superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions.

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.

- Confucius

Update of a lifetime!

2011-02-27T00:07:00.000-07:00

Since my birthday, I have started 3 blog posts and ended up getting bored half way through writing them and didn't post them, one of those being a review of my 19th year and my 20 before 20 challenge (don't worry, I'll post everything once the craziness dies down). The past couple of weeks have been insane-in-the-membrane for some strange reason, but I have fabulous news that I just couldn't hold in!.....

I'm going to EUROPE!!

I won't be leaving until June 2012, but hopefully the long wait will make it even more worth while! I'll be heading abroad for a month in a place I have ALWAYS wanted to go with a college tour group and my bestie RayCray! Words can't even describe how excited I am!

Here are some of the places I'll be going...

London, UK

Paris, France

Amsterdam, Holland

Heidelberg, Germany

Lucerne, Switzerland

Verona, Italy

Venice, Italy

Rome, Italy

Florence, Italy

The French Riviera

Barcelona, Spain

Madrid, Spain

AHHH SO EXCITED!!

Have you ever been to any of these places? What do I need to see, eat, do and buy while there? Any tips or advice? THANKS!

Giveaway Winner!!

2011-02-13T22:22:00.010-07:00

True Random Number GeneratorMin: 1Max: 8

Result:

Congrats to Catherine!!! You won the giveaway! I'll get your prize to you as soon as I can!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered! I wish I could give a prize to all of you, but I'm sadly lacking a bit in the wallet department. But there will be another giveaway soon so keep posted! Love you all!

Growing is Forever

2011-02-09T22:06:00.001-07:00

If you are as stressed and emotional as I was today, than watch this amazing video and feel all the negativity just melt away.

It's also something I like to listen to while falling asleep at night because it calms all my thoughts and gives me peaceful dreams.

I hope you get as much out of this as I have.

JayMay's favorite 2011 Super Bowl commercials

2011-02-08T09:48:00.001-07:00

The best thing about Super Bowl Sunday is, let's all be honest here... the commercials. Last year was very disappointing, so this year I was a little apprehensive about the whole operation. To my delight, the commercials this year were AMAZING! Here are a few of my favorites starting with my favorite out of all of them... so adorable.

Darth Vader Kid

What? Tommy Fell Down a Well?

Doritos Healing Grandpa

Pepsi Can Thrower

Detriot: Eminem

To see all of this year's Super Bowl commercials, click through to this website.

And it wouldn't be the Super Bowl without this special moment... I've always wanted a reason to say this.

PS- Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY! You have until February 12th to enter and I will announce the winner on the 13th! Good luck!

Febuary '11 Obsessions & GiVeAWaY!!

2011-02-06T02:20:00.003-07:00

For those of us located on the Northern Hemisphere, February can be quite possibly one of the most dreary and depressing months of the year. I know it can sometimes be that way for me because I tend to catch Spring Fever the day after Christmas. But alas, February is here to stay for a while, so finding things that make you happy is a great way to beat the February Blues. Here are some things I love right now.

1. Bath and Body Works' Fiji Passionfruit Body Lotion

I like to call this "Summer Candy in a Lime Green Bottle" and all I can say is YUM! Seriously, you want a break from the cold and snow? Just take a whiff of this stuff and you'll practically transport yourself to a picture perfect beach in Fiji. According to the people at B&BW, Fiji Passionfruit is a "tropical escape of passionfruit, mandarin orange, apricot nectar and lime zest." And it honestly smells just like you'd imagine.

But wait! There's more! All Signature B&BW Body Care products are buy 2 get 1 free, or buy 3 get 2 free right now, online and in-store! So just take my word for it and buy some of this stuff! You won't regret it.

2. OPI Nail Polish

Before I found OPI, I hated painting my nails. Every time I did I felt like I couldn't do anything with them because I was afraid they would chip prematurely and then I'd have to either fix them, or just take it off. What's so amazing about this brand is that it lasts FOREVER. I have a job that demands a lot out of my hands, so I bet they would last even longer if I didn't abuse them so much.

I've been obsessed with this stuff for a few months now, I honestly can't get enough. Every time I'm near a salon or at the mall I always stop to buy a new color. They have every color you could ever imagine, all sorts of sparkles, mattes and suede's.

I use Chip Skip (which dries your nail and gets rid of any oils or lotions hiding in the creases around your nail so that your polish doesn't chip for a long while), then the base coat, 2 coats of color, and then a top coat.

Right now I am wearing 'Ate Berries in the Canneries' and I'm loving it.

3. Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil

I'm just loving beauty products lately I suppose, but this stuff is really great.

My lips are very temperamental, and before I found this lip balm I could only use Carmex because it was the only product that kept my lips from getting dry! Carmex is great, but to be completely honest, it stinks and doesn't taste too good. I had used Burt's Bees regular peppermint lip balm before, but I felt like it kind of just sat on top of my lips and didn't do any good. One day, during my pomegranate obsession last winter, I was at the grocery store and I stumbled upon this kind and thought I'd give it a try. It's all I've been using ever since. It tastes really yummy and has a light... the only word coming to mind is "comfy"... scent.

4. 'TRON Legacy', 'The King's Speech' and 'Beauty and the Beast'

If you haven't seen this movie yet, please do. It will change your life. Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic, but it definitely gets your mind going! I would highly recommend seeing it in IMAX 3D.

If you can't do that, then try seeing it in just regular 3D. The soundtrack to TRON is also amazing. Try listening to it while doing homework, exercising, or driving and you will feel like a machine.

I saw 'The King's Speech' tonight with RayCray and I now know why it is nominated for the Academy Awards Best Motion Picture of the year. Who ever knew a movie revolving around someone with a stutter could be so completely captivating and intense. I'd dare to say it was more intense than the majority of action movies out there. Now I just need to figure out why 'The Fighter' would even be considered to be in the same category as 'The King's Speech'. That movie was dreadful, please don't go see it.

Oh dear, I became a little teary eyed while watching that.

As all of you know, I love Disney. Love love love love love love love!!!! And I own nearly every Disney animated movie ever made because I'm a nerd like that. The only problem is that the only VCR in the house broke a couple of months ago, and all my Disney movies are on VHS :'[ I was actually watching 'Aladdin' when it broke and it ate my tape :[ But I suppose this is not a bad thing, because I need to buy them all on DVD/BluRay to keep up with the times. 'Beauty and the Beast' (my second favorite right behind 'Aladdin') came out in the DVD/BluRay combo pack a few months ago so I decided it would be a good start to my new DVD/BluRay collection. Now I just have to wait for the next movie to be released from the Disney Vault... which might take a while, but I'll just keep watching 'Beauty and the Beast' in the meantime. I've already gotten quite a bit of use out of it already.

5. Paper Beads

I had to go to a "Staff Development Day" this past week and in one of the classes I took, I learned how to make paper beads! It was taught by refugees who fled from some pretty scary situations in their homeland's and are now living here in Utah for a fresh start on life. The woman who taught me was a very sweet lady from Iraq who came to the US about two years ago.

Making paper beads is very relaxing and a lot of fun. I love using paper from magazines or newsprint because you never know what the bead will end up looking like! For instructions, go here.

*GiVeAWaY!*

In honor of my turning 20 in a few days, I am giving away a few of my favorite things from this month to give to one of my readers! This month's prize will include Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm, a bottle of OPI nail lacquer, and a paper bead bracelet made by yours truly!

* The only requirement is that you must be a follower of my blog to win. *

* To enter, leave me a comment on this post telling me what your favorite color is, something you are really loving this month, and your email address (if I don't know you in person) so that I can let you know you've won! *

The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on

February 13th.

GOOD LUCK!!

Happy Groundhog Day!

2011-02-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

Us Americans love our quirky holidays, and Groundhog Day is probably the strangest out of them all. Whether or not a groundhog can predict when Spring will arrive by seeing his shadow or not seeing his shadow, this morning Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow so it looks like Spring is coming early this year! And that is good news to my ears because it hasn't even broken into the 20's this week here in Utah. On a downside, Phil did not predict who will win the Super Bowl this weekend. So we'll just have to make those predictions ourselves.

Day at Night

2011-01-31T23:06:00.001-07:00

These pictures may look normal, but they aren't. Although they look as if they were taken during the day, they were actually shot in the middle of the night!

The key to taking pictures at night is setting the shutter speed to last anywhere from 30 seconds to an hour (or more) in order capture enough light.

After seeing these pictures, I grabbed my camera to see if I could do the same thing; sadly, I have a dinky digital camera and it only allows me to set the shutter to 15 seconds at the most :[

But if you have a nicer camera with more options you should definitely try it out and let me know how it turns out!

If you'd like to see some more of these photos, go to this website! It's really neat!

Gizmodo.com

#13 Go to the Sundance Film Festival

2011-01-30T23:20:00.001-07:00

Every January, Hollywood moves to Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. This year's stars included James Franco, Channing Tatum(!), Angelina Jolie, Kate Bosworth, Demi Moore, Toby Maguire, Kaite Holmes, Patrick Dempsey, Liam Hemsworth, 50 Cent, Lil John, the boys of MTV's 'The Buried Life', Oprah Winfrey, Elijah Wood... just to name a few.

Although I've lived 30 minutes away from Park City my whole life, I've never gone to Sundance! This year I did and I LOVED it.

A view of Main Street from atop The Bridge.

"We wear our stunna glasses at night..."

RayCray and myself.

RayCray and Sammy.

"No, Rachel! Don't jump!" haha

The Trolley cruising up Main Street.

RayCray stopped to smell a Banksy flower :]

RayCray puking over the rail... just kidding.

RayCray on the ice verison of Facebook.

We sat on glowing furniture in a VIP lounge, no big deal.

This made me LOL.

Yes, this is indeed a piano connected to a bicycle. The guy on the left wouldn't move, otherwise you could see it better. But it was pretty legit.

Yes World, this is a man-thong made out of fur. It's called "The Duke". Be amazed.

Sadly, we didn't see anyone famous. (Unless you count the guy named Bill Murray who was in fact, not Bill Murray.) But we were mistaken for famous people twice. The first time was while taking the man-thong picture: we asked some ladies walking by to take our picture and I suppose since we had a big group of people surrounding us flashing cameras, people thought we were famous so they came over to investigate. But alas, it was just us lowly Utah girls, but we felt pretty cool.

Then later that night we were just chillin' on some steps watching people pass by and drinking hot beverages and ice cream when some random film crew came by and asked if they could interview us. People stopped to listen to us, which was kind of awkward, but also cool cause they kept starring at us like they were trying to remember us from somewhere.

Other highlights of the night include:

- Calling the same parking attendant man four times because the parking meter was broke and we didn't want to get a ticket. He was very rude... and a liar.

- Walking around pretending to have British accents for the half the night. Eventually we couldn't stop.

- The hot Italian barista at Java Cow writing my name on my Carmel Spiced Cider cup the Italian way; Giulia. He was just as delicious as my drink.

- People watching. It was so cool to hear so many different languages and all sorts of accents as people passed by. It made the world feel a little smaller.

- And finally, the random group of hippies having a drum circle in the middle of the sidewalk.

For your viewing pleasure: (sorry it's so blurry)

Quotes of the night:

"You won't. Get. A TICKET!!!!!"

JayMay - "What did they put in this drink?"

RayCray - "A bad English accent apparently."

RayCray - "I'm going to call him up and personally invite him to meet my fist!"

(Referring to the rude parking attendant guy.)

*Way hot guy walks by, see's my hat and says...*

"Brighton!!!! As in the Boston Brighton."

*Bewildered JayMay*

"Uh... no... here."

*Jeep almost hits us while crossing the street*

RayCray (loudly) - "I'd rather keep my legs, thank you very much!"

JayMay (also loudly) - "Yeah, I'd rather not be in a wheel chair!"

RayCray - "My feet hurt."

*Cue the man with no legs*

My Princess Jasmine Costume

2011-01-28T18:39:00.002-07:00

I'm a little late on finally posting this, but better late than never, right?

Last summer I decided that I wanted to be Princess Jasmine for Halloween. So I went online to find a costume to buy. Problem was, all the Jasmine costumes online didn't look anything like her actual outfit!

That... doesn't look like... This.

So I decided that if I really wanted to look like Jasmine, I need to make my own outfit!

Here's what happened...

(Oh look! Brody found his way into my picture!)

It took me a while, mainly because I had no pattern, but I think it turned out pretty well!

I went to Joann's fabric store and found a variety of different Jasmine-blue fabrics, I liked a shiny fabric best, so I bought 2 yards of it, elastic, some thread, and then I went to work!

Like I said before, I didn't use a pattern, so I just used an old pair of pajama bottoms as a reference and just went from there. The fabric I chose was a bit sheer, so I lined the inside with some white cotton fabric that I had lying around. For the waistband, I cut out a thick rectangle about 8 inches thick and about 6 inches longer than my actual waist-measurement. To give it that tapered look near the belly-button, I just cut out the rectangle with a triangular taper in the middle on both sides. Then I folded that in half, making sure the triangular tapered parts met perfectly, and sewed it shut. To attach it to the bottoms, I first sewed an elastic band (that I measured to fit around my hips) into the top so that it would have a nice, uniformed gathering all the way around. Then I just pinned the waistband on, and sewed it onto the pants (making sure not to sew into the elastic). Once I finished, I cut out the elastic and got rid of any extra fabric. I added velcro strips to the back of the waistband and placed them where I needed to in order to make it snug around my hips. To finish, I sewed elastics that fit around my ankles into the bottom of each leg to give it that pouffy look. (Brody somehow found his way into this shot too, lol!)

Then came the top...

The top was a nightmare to make. And I can honestly say that I have no idea how I managed to figure out how to make it without a pattern. It's a miracle I suppose. The easy part was making the band that goes beneath the bust. It was very similar to the way I made the waistband for the pants, but without the tapered point. For the bust part, I also cut out a rectangular shape (a few inches wider than I needed it to be so that I could gather it like the picture above), and then figured out where to start tapering it so that it went down into the band under the armpits. Before sewing the bust part to the band part, I cut out a small strip of fabric (pictured above) and used it to gather the fabric so that it came together in the middle. Then I sewed the bust to the band, attached a skin colored bra underneath, and then added velcro in the back. For the sleeve-things, I figured the easiest way to do it was to just make them separate from the top itself so that I could move my arms around. To make them, I just cut out strips of fabric, sewed them into circles, pinched the part where I sewed them into circles and hand-sewed them pinched so that it made a gathered look around the arm. Then I added some elastic to the inside, only sewing it to the pinched part and not to the entire armband! I did this so that it made the sleeves appear like they were hanging loosely on my arms, but actually they were on snug and fit because of the elastic.

The Accessories!

It took me FOREVER to find these shoes! And when I say forever, I mean a month or two. But I ended up finding these "genie shoes" on this website. The dance company I bought them through only had my size in silver, so I just bought a can of gold spray paint and sprayed them gold.

I found the necklace and earrings at Kohl's. The earrings were more of a bronze color, so I spray painted them gold and then rubbed gold glitter glue all over them to make them sparkly. The best advice I can give for you is to just shop around and try to find jewelry that resembles Jasmine's. Even if it's not the right color, you can always spray paint it to make it work.

For the headband, I used a strip of left over fabric and wrapped it around an old headband and then hot glued it into place. I found the big jewel at a craft store, and then used the same gold glitter glue that I put on the earrings around the edge of the jewel.

I bought the wig on ebay, and then I styled it to look like Jasmine's hair. For the pony tail, I ratted the hair into two balls and then wrapped some ribbon that matched the color of my outfit in-between them.

Well, I think I explained everything. If you would like to make your own Jasmine costume and need some more information, feel free to send me an email, or leave me a comment and I will try to help as best I can! My email address is on the right hand column of this page.

*Clicking on each picture sends you to a separate window where you can enlarge it in order to get a better look at the details.*

I want to see the world

2011-01-23T10:32:00.001-07:00

"But often, in the din of strife, there rises an unspeakable desire after the knowledge of the buried life; a thirst to spend our fire and restless force in tracking our true, original course; a longing to inquire into the mystery of this heart which beats so wild, so deep in us - to know whence our lives come and where they go." - Matthew Arnold

A little too late...

2011-01-20T10:57:00.001-07:00

I once sat across from you every Monday and Wednesday in our literature group. We talked about Dostevesky and Camus when our professor came around, but mostly we talked about our lives and how we spent our time. At first, I didn't notice you much; you were just another guy on campus with nice Italian leather shoes and freshly pressed slacks. Then the more we grew to know each other, the more I noticed how your eyes were the color of forest moss and your hair was the color of redwood bark. I loved how you smiled to one side when you were being genuine and how you rolled up the sleeves of your button-up shirt to show off your volleyball physique. I loved how you weren't ashamed to admit that you had read Harry Potter several times and went to the midnight premiere of the movie just like I had. I loved how passionate you were about the things you cared about the most and how you spoke your mind without worrying what the rest of us would think. And I loved how you walked down the hall after class with your bag slung over one shoulder as you watched the floor tiles passing beneath you. But most of all, I loved the way you made me feel: alive again.

In those last few weeks, I left class with a smile on my face and a hope in my heart that maybe you felt the same way I did... but I never did anything about it. Our last day together ended with me leaving class, taking one last look back at the person who had awoken the flame in me that I had long thought went out in a wisp of smoke.

I slowly fell right into you and by the time I realized how much I needed you,
you were gone.

Life Lesson #24

2011-01-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

January '11 Obsessions

2011-01-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

Last semester nearly killed me, and on top of almost killing me, it took away my time to update the blog regularly. But lucky for me, I only have classes on Monday and Wednesday this semester! WOOHOO! And that means I'll have loads more time to do more posts like this one! Which I've really missed doing, by the way.

1. Nordstrom's Beauty Counter

While I was in California, the girls and I made a stop at the Nordstrom's Beauty Counter to get the little sister a make-over. We ended up buying what the esthetician put on her, and I LOVE it!

The thing I love about these cosmetics is that they are natural and really good for your skin, but at the same time have amazing coverage and blend in a way that makes it look like you aren't actually wearing make-up! You use the brush to apply the liquid foundation, and then use the pressed powder with the same brush! Easy-peasy!

The angled brush is designed to round out the cheeks, and at the same time is great for creating shadows in your cheekbones! I'm obsessed.

When you're done putting on all your make-up, you spritz your face with MAC Fix+ to set it. It contains vitamins, minerals, cucumber, green tea, chamomile, etc. to make your skin soft, soothed, and fresh! It makes your skin look radiant and soft.

After a week, you clean all your brushes with the MAC brush cleanser. Not only does it clean and disinfect your brushes, but it moisturizes the bristles to help make your brushes last longer! Plus, they dry super fast.

2. Procrastination Websites...

The first one is great for a good laugh...

This website is HILARIOUS! 'Dear blank, please blank.' is a lot like FML and MLIA, but a million times better. I could seriously spend hours reading all the funny notes people come up with. You can also submit your own notes! I had one published once! It was an awesome feeling :]

Some of my favorites are...

"Dear death, Bring it bitch. Sincerely, Grandma."

"Dear Doritos, what are these chips doing in my bag of air? Sincerely, Anonymous." and...

"Dear math, Do us all a favor, divide yourself by zero and cease to exists. Sincerely, math students."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This website may not be very funny to those who have never worked at a library, but seeing as how I do, I find it highly entertaining and surprisingly very true...

They have been publishing comic strips 5 days a week since 2002, so there's a ton to sort through! So far my favorite is this one... because it happens to me almost everyday haha!

The funny thing is that I can relate to nearly all of the comics I've read so far! So every time something funny happens at work, I'm going to post one of these that relates to the situation.

3. Dexter

Last semester I took a literature class that had the central theme of murder. Weird, I know, but it ended up being the best class I've taken so far at the U! The hot guy in my discussion group probably played a big part of why I liked the class so much, but anywho!

So after reading everything from 'Beowulf' to the 'Lovely Bones', we ended the semester by watching an episode of Dexter.

RayCray tried getting me to like the show a few months before the assignment in my class, and I hated it. It is super gorey and pretty crude. When my professor informed us that we would be watching it, I wasn't a happy camper. But after watching the episode we were assigned (Season 1, Episode 3), I was confused about the plot, so I ended up watching the two episodes before... and then all of season 1 and 2!

The blood and gore still bug me, but the characters and plot lines are SO amazing! Man, I just can't even explain how well developed the characters are and how intense and complex the story is! The show is based off a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay and currently just finished it's 5th season. I have yet to watch seasons 3-5, but I can't wait to watch them! You should go watch them too! The first 2 seasons are on Netflix Instant Queue!

4. Big 5 React Gum

Yum! This is my favorite gum! It has a super intense mint flavor and lasts for hours! The best part is that the gum itself is black, which is very different and cool! Buy some, you'll like it!

If you're interested in any of these products, just click on the pictures!

Let's be honest...

2011-01-02T01:53:00.002-07:00

I made a movie!

2010-12-31T19:41:00.002-07:00

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate my favorite holiday with my amazing family in Southern California. This was our first Christmas away from all our grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, but being in Disneyland was a good alternative. We had so much fun on this trip, it honestly was one of my favorites, and I feel like we grew even closer and learned a lot about each other. Having to pack our bags and head back home to reality was heartbreaking. The last thing I wanted was to leave a place where we could all leave our problems hundreds of miles away and just have fun together. This trip will always have a special place in my heart and I wanted to remember every detail I could, so I made this little movie of our pictures and videos! I hope you enjoy it! It took me forever, but I had a great deal of fun doing it :]

PS- It's easier to see if you expand it to full screen ;]

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

It's a love/hate sort of thing...

2010-12-28T01:36:00.001-07:00

A lot of things have been making me angry lately and I feel like listing them for others to read will make me feel better, so here it goes! (These are in no particular order)

#1 Slow drivers. Especially drivers who cut me off and then decide to drive way under the speed limit. Worst. Pet. Peeve. EVER!

#2 Close-minded people. Living in Utah, it happens a lot. People here just don't realize that they don't have to live their lives like robots, they can choose to live morally and still be interesting at the same time. The majority of them don't though unfortunately.

#3 Health food. Now don't get me wrong, health food is great. But not for every single meal. My mom has been on this new health food kick and I honestly haven't eaten a home cooked meal for weeks. Everything she buys takes a million hours to cook and doesn't taste good anyways. So I've been eating out almost every day and it's definitely starting to show :/

#4 Men. Honestly, do men these days date anymore? "Hanging out" is not a date. If a guy is worth the time, he will ask me out either in person, or over the phone, otherwise he doesn't have a date. ESPECIALLY not by text!!! And he will pay for my meal and open every door I intend on stepping through or else he can kiss his sorry butt goodbye.

#5 Snow. I miss green grass and the feeling of hot pavement under my bare feet. I especially don't like snow when it transforms my car into an ice cave and turns my steering wheel into ice.

#6 People who think they know everything and make sure everyone knows it. All I have to say to this one is, SHUT YOUR FAT FACE! No one, and I mean no one, likes a know-it-all.

#7 People who hold grudges. So I dumped chocolate syrup on your driveway 4 years ago. Get over it. I was over it the moment I did it.

#8 People who hate. So I dumped chocolate syrup on your friend's driveway 4 years ago and dated your boyfriend when I was FIFTEEN freaking years old and haven't said a word to you in my life. Get. Over. Yourself.

#9 People who do everyone else's jobs but neglect to do their own. (This means you boy-scout-man.)

#10 Having to grow up. I have Peter Pan syndrome. I want to be a kid forever.

Thanks for listening to me rant. I feel much better. Here are some things I do like so you all don't think I'm a total Grinch.

#1 My puppy. Brody is my little buddy. He always listens and never gives me opinions or lectures. He wakes me up right on time every morning and loves to snuggle. He likes to wear sweaters and sit on the back of the couch like a cat. I love him with all my heart :]

#2 My heated blanket. It's the only thing that gets me through the winter. I have it cranked up on high as we speak.

#3 My friends. I have amazing friends. I honestly couldn't imagine a better bunch of rascals to hang out with all the time.

#4 Crushes. They are thrilling to have, but at the same time kind of heart breaking.

#5 Disney movies/Disneyland. This goes right along with my Peter Pan syndrome. There is nothing better than curling up in a cozy blanket, sipping hot cocoa and watching a Disney movie.

#6 My family. We may not get along 100% of the time, but boy to we have good times. There's a whole lot of OCD, misnamed places, whining and complaining, poncho hating, repeated question asking and jokes that aren't funny which makes them funny, going around.

#7 Awesome sound systems. I'm a big fan of loud music. The best sound system ever made was in RayCray's old car Unreliable. It had a bass so BA it would blow your lungs out. I sure do miss that car :[

#8 Free stuff. Free food, free music, free t-shirts, free bags, free shades... some of the many reasons why college is so awesome.

#9 Feeling important. Like when someone comes straight to you because they know you can help them. Or when you get a special assignment because your boss knows you'll do a slamming job. Just knowing people appreciate you is really nice :]

#10 Writing. I wish I had time to do more of it. Especially when it comes to my blog. I'll try to keep up on it a bit more. Maybe reinstate my favorite things?

Greetings from soggy California...

2010-12-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Instead of having a white Christmas in Utah, I'm having a wet one in California. Right now it is 55 degrees with 94% humidity. Needless to say, I have poodle hair. We're staying at a cute little inn right on the beach. What a week to be on the West Coast! The weather man says this is the worst storm California has seen for 10 years. And it's only going to get worse before letting up Thursday. We went to Disneyland this morning with cloudy skies and hardly any crowds, it was every Disney lover's dream. And then after riding Pirates of the Caribbean the rain started pouring, and pouring, and pouring. I honestly haven't EVER seen rain like this before. Normally back home it will rain for a few minutes and then stops, and then it rains again for a little while before going away. Not here, it rains CONSTANTLY. Even in our rain coats and ponchos we were soaked to the bone in no time at all. I have never been so miserable at my favorite place on earth. The next two days are going to be just as rainy but with gail force winds, so we are going to hang out in the hotel and maybe go see 'Tron' or 'True Grit' at Fashion Island. Let's just pray that the weather man was right about the rain going away Thursday because I am SO excited to have a normal experience at Disneyland and a totally rain free Christmas :]

Procrastination Station

2010-12-14T23:43:00.000-07:00

.... but I decided blogging was more important.

It is indeed that dreaded biannual time of the year! Finals week. Lucky for me I only have one more assignment due and then I have to take my last final and then I am FREEEEEEEEEE for a month! I hope I survive through this highly stressful time because I'm going to Disneyland for Christmas next week and I'd really enjoy being alive or at least somewhat sane for that. I guess we'll see.

Now back to studying... wish me luck!!

PS- This is for my girls RayCray and Sammayy!!

We had to take our math final at the butt-crack of dawn this morning... literally, I saw the first sunrise I've seen in AGES while driving to class. Needless to say, it wasn't pretty. The test I mean, the sunrise was quite gorgeous, it reminded me of Trix Yogurt (mmm yogurt).

The Travel Bug

2010-12-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

I have the travel bug... quite possibly because I've been at home all weekend with a cold so naturally I've been living on my couch watching travel shows on Netflix. One of those shows was Destination Truth. They basically go to all sorts of places all over the world searching for myths. Like leprechauns in Ireland, lake monsters in Turkey, ghosts at Chernobyle, mermaids in the Caribbean, lizard men in South Carolina... you get the picture. I want a job like that. Best. Job. EVER!

Somewhere in-between watching these shows, crocheting scarves, and playing Pocket Frogs on my iTouch (highly entertaining), I made a list of the Top 5 places I want to see in the (hopefully) near future.

1. Egypt

Going to Egypt is my absolute DREAM. Egyptian history has always been my absolute favorite: if I were to pick any time and place to live, it would be Ancient Egypt. When I go, I want to ride a camel beside the pyramids, and explore tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and sail down the Nile, and see everything in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Zahi Hawass is basically my hero.

2. Europe

I decided to group all of Europe into this category because it would fill up the rest of my Top 10 if I didn't. I want start out in the UK, considering that's where my ancestor's are from. I want to see the rolling Irish fields, the hustle and bustle of London, and reenact the battle in Braveheart in Scotland. Then I'll head to the mainland and see Paris, the Alps, visit my friends in Germany, eats loads of European chocolate, and then I'll end the visit in Italy. My second favorite history is the Roman's history. I want to take one of those cheesy thumbs up/down pictures in the Colleseum, ride on the back of some hot Italian man's Vespa, try every flavor of gelato, find the Pope at the Vatican, and throw a coin in every fountain I see.

3. India

I think the Indian culture is quite possibly the most beautiful culture in the world. I love the bright colors and the intricate designs... I just love everything about it. After going to the Holi Festival here in Utah last Spring, going to an actual Holi Festival in India was added to my bucket list. Another thing on my list is riding an elephant through the jungle.

4. Africa

When I was in the 9th grade, my fellow classmates and I had the daunting task of having to memorize every country of the world in our geography class. At the end of the year we had to draw and label the entire world. As frightening as that may sounds, it was one of my favorite classes. The best part was the 'Africa Song', which put all 53 countries in Africa to a catchy tune... It's basically the 'Small World' song of geography classes, you'll never be able to forget it. It's been years since 9th grade, but I can guarantee you that everyone who ever learned the 'Africa Song' can still sing every line of it today. Even though I can list every country in Africa, I couldn't tell you exactly where I want to go there. Just as long as there are adorable African children to hug, giraffes and zebras on a jeep safari, and loads of kaki attire, I'm there.

5. New York City

The Big Apple! It's one of those places that you have to experience at least once (if not more than once) in your life. My need to see the city only intensified after I started watching Gossip Girl. Now all I want is to stroll around the Upper East Side in designer clothes. Eating New York famous pizza and seeing a show on Broadway are a must as well.

These are just a few of the places I want to see before I die. All I know is that my goal is to see as many places in this breathtaking world we live in as I can. All I need now is a boat-load of cash and a passport... the passport part will be easy, finding a boat filled with cash? Not so much.

I couldn't ask for a better ending...

2010-11-28T10:04:00.001-07:00

As most of you have probably figured out, I am a die hard University of Utah fan. Born and raised. For 19 years it has been a tradition in my family to watch the Holy War (one of the most heated college rivalry games in the nation) together every November. But this year I had the opportunity to go to the game... in the MUSS... on the 3rd row! Basically it was the most exciting day of my life.

In a sea of Utah red and black, there were a few patches of cougar blue *GAG*. Signs all over the place made references to Max Hall and beer pouring, religion, zoobies, ugly BYU cheerleaders, being classy, etc, etc. Here are a couple of signs my best friend RayCray and I made...

It was a very intense and cold game. We went through several packs of hand warmers but it was all worth it! BYU had the lead the entire game until a few minutes before the end of the 4th quarter when we made a touchdown taking the lead by 17-16. And with 4 seconds left on the clock, the cougars set up a field goal... this is what happened:

Everyone in the stands held their breath, some closed their eyes, but when Brandon Burton cut through BYU's defense and with an outstretched hand stopped the ball from passing between those goal posts, the crowd freaking exploded! Screams of joy and hugs with strangers were all over the place, and the crowd began to empty the stands and fill the field. It was one of the best feelings in the world knowing we beat our biggest rivals before departing from them forever as we both leave the Mountain West Conference (good riddance), us heading to the Pac-12, and them going independent.

SCOREBOARD!

Me, Alex in his snuggie, and RayCray after we stormed the field!

Here's a video I took of everyone signing "Utah Man" after we won...

After the game we went to RayCray's house to re-watch the game because a bunch of our friends texted and called us during the game saying that we were on tv!

So not only did we win the game, but we were also on tv! It was a wonderful, wonderful day!

This was the last game of our regular season, but we still have a bowl game to look forward to next month! I'm hoping me and my buds will be able to go!

GO UTES!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for each one of you and your support of my blog! It means a lot to me :]

Now go play some football before you eat so much turkey and stuffing that you explode!

#17 Go to a midnight showing in full costume.

2010-11-19T18:35:00.002-07:00

I have always wanted to go to a midnight showing of Harry Potter in costume. Last night I had my chance. It was premier night of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

And it was, as Ron would say, BLOODY BRILLIANT!

RayCray and I dressed up like Bellatrix Lestrange.

Yes... I do indeed have a Death Eater tattoo... be jealous.

RayCray, Sammy and Ed at the movie theatre! (or as the old guy says, "Thee-ATE-er")

'Cause we roll like that.

I added flour in my hair to get the blonde streak... oh and Rach has a mustache.

If you haven't seen HP7 yet, GO SEE IT! Here's a little sneak peek...

More Than Strangers

2010-11-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

I was feeling a bit sentimental today and decided to get out my old poetry notebook from high school. This one stood out to me today for no particular reason, but I decided to share it anyways...

It was one of those nights

when the moon was barely shining,

an invisible satellite in the black sky.

The earth's shadow like a cool blanket.

A night when the stars were too afraid

to shine.

His hand found mine in the dark.

The only light was the lonely street lamps,

and the only sound was our feet

dancing to our heartbeats

on the cold pavement.

Long years have past since that night

and your hand isn't here to hold.

I'm scared to say I miss it.

We were young,

I grew up,

We are more than strangers.

Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher,

who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,

who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet,

who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer,

who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,

who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician,

who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN who salutes the Flag,

It is the VETERAN who serves under the flag.

Thank you to all those who risk their lives every day to save those they love, and those they've never even met. Thank you for protecting me, my family, and our freedom. I will forever be grateful. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Ode to Keith

2010-11-10T00:45:00.000-07:00

There is snow on the ground and cold in the air... so what am I thinking about? Next summer of course! And what's summer without Keith Urban? This song is my new fav, I've been listening to it on repeat all day.

Another summer favorite:

Keith makes banjos sexy. Here's proof:

Deep in the Hundred Acre Woods...

2010-11-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

On rainy days like this, I like to reminisce on old times.

Oh... the memories :]

ESPN College Gameday

2010-11-03T15:45:00.000-06:00

After 6 years, ESPN College Gameday will be back at Rice-Eccles Stadium for the camo-blackout game against #3 TCU this Saturday! SO EXCITED! Be there or be a ybu fan... which is just as bad if not worse than being square!!

GO UTES!

Soundtrack to Your Life

2010-11-01T12:53:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite things about movies are the music in them. I especially love it when the composer makes something so spectacular that whenever you hear the music to a certain movie you know exactly which movie it belongs to. Here are a few of my all time favorites that always bring back wonderful memories and sometimes even make me cry. They are in no particular order, but the last 3 are older movies.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Based on the Pirates of the Caribbean water ride at Disneyland and composed by Hans Zimmer, these movies will always have a very special place in my heart. I mean, you know it's good when Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom are in it! The first song is the main theme, and the second is Davy Jones' lullaby which gives me chills every time I hear it.

Davy Jones

Lord of the Rings

I don't care who you are or what your opinion is, the LOTR movies are the BEST movies ever, ever, ever made! I couldn't pick just one song to share with you, so I found a video with all of the songs on it. My particular favorite starts at 2:17. Composed by Howard Shore.

Alice in Wonderland

Based on Disney's original animated movie, and composed by Danny Elfman. The music in this movie is haunting and fits the story PERFECTLY! For some reason I love listening to this song when I can't sleep... maybe one of these days I'll dream of chasing a white rabbit and end up falling down a hole to Wonderland.

Sherlock Holmes

Another work of pure genius by Hans Zimmer! This movie came out last Christmas and it will always remind me of that time of year. What I love is how it fits the time period so exactly and the musical instruments they use are so different from anything I've ever heard. PS- Robert Downy Jr. is dreamy ;]

Iron Man
While we're on the subject of Robert Downey Jr., it doesn't get any better than Iron Man. This movie make me want to kick major butt!

Harry Potter

You all know I love the books and the movies. What I also love is the music, which was composed by John Williams. Whenever I hear the theme song I get chills. Once again, there are two songs I love in this movie so I included both.

Transformers

I grew up with the TV show, and when it was announced that a full length feature film was going to be made, I flipped. What I love about this song by Linkin Park is how it sounds just like machinery and alien robots. This music video was made really well so make sure to watch the whole thing!

Star Wars

This one's an oldie, but one of the most recognizable songs ever made. (For some reason instead of thinking of the actual movies I think of the Star Wars section at Disneyland, which is random but has lots of fun memories.) Written by John Williams.

Indiana Jones

George Lucas is the Einstein of movies. John Williams is the Einstein of movie soundtracks. I honestly didn't even realize this until I made this post, but the majority of these movies are either made by Disney or have rides at Disneyland. This particular movie just so happens to have it's own ride at Disneyland which is my favorite ride ever!

Titanic

If you are a 90's baby, you'll know this song by heart. It took the karaoke world by craze and will forever have people outstretching their arms on the bows of boats.

HaPpY HaLLoWeEn!!

2010-10-31T23:00:00.006-06:00

8-0

2010-10-30T21:05:00.001-06:00

I love my Utes! Going on 8-0 after an ever close game against Air Force! Weird things happen whenever we play AFA, but a win's a win, right?

Next week... #4 TCU at home! Let's cream those horned frogs to a purple paste boys!

GO UTES!

PS- I love this picture... so hot! I sure do love my Utes!

Welcome to the SLC

2010-10-30T00:52:00.001-06:00

Pictures speak louder than words, so here are a few of the many reasons why I love my city... Especially during this time of year:

Salt Lake City at night.

The University of Utah campus during autumn and with a gorgeous backdrop of the Wasatch
Mountain range.

Changing leaves up the canyon.

The Great Salt Lake.

Sometimes I forget how beautiful my home is. I've lived in the Salt Lake valley my entire life and I've grown so accustomed to my surroundings that they often blend together and I don't even notice them. Today was one of those days when I realized how lucky I am to live in a little corner of the world as breathtaking as this one is.

I love you, SLC!

Life Lesson #23

2010-10-25T23:22:00.000-06:00

#18 Wear University of Utah attire to BYU's campus and cause some trouble.

2010-10-22T16:07:00.004-06:00

Last night my sorority dressed up in our finest University of Utah attire (I wore my Ute headdress) and made the long journey 50 miles south to Brigham Young University, our biggest rival and the most horrible school in the world. Our goal was to catch as many Cougars as we could, and take them to get ice cream.

It was quite an eye opening experience... we felt as if we had been transported to a different universe, and we pretty much were. We wandered around the campus, getting countless strange and angry stares from people, many rude insults, a few jokes, and a whole lot of awkward vibes.

Here are some pictures of our journey...

^These guys were jerks... especially the one in the mustache.^

"We're wearing our CTR rings... does that count?"

Deep in enemy territory,

^I talked the guy on the left into transferring to the U because we are far superior to BYU and just more awesome in every possible way you could imagine... espeically football. He had a strange obsession with Shamu... just though I'd add that.^

We got home later than we thought, sat through hours of traffic and endured all sorts of odd smells, but we survived so I guess that's all that matters. This little trip made me love the University of Utah even more than I did, which I didn't think was possible, and made me extremely proud to be a student there!

GO UTES!

Life Lesson #22

2010-10-20T14:59:00.000-06:00

Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. - Albus Dumbledore

2010-10-18T23:29:00.000-06:00

I read the first Harry Potter under the duress of my mother when I was just 9 years old. I thought it was nerdy and stupid and would NOT read it. But boy am I glad she forced me to!

Harry Potter was a HUGE part of my childhood. When each book came out, it was like catching up with old friends every time. I grew up with the characters. They became as real to me as anything. When I read the last words of the last book, I burst into tears and cried for HOURS! No joke. That's how much I loved these books.

Somewhere in there, the movies started coming out and it made the wizarding world of Harry Potter even more real to me. I just love them so much, I can't even describe how much I love Harry Potter!

Exactly one month from this very moment, I will be in a movie theatre (in full costume of course) with some of my best friends watching the first half of the last Harry Potter movie. Words cannot even begin to describe how stinkin' excited I am! But at the same time it's really sad, because once the 2nd half of the movie comes out next year, it will be over.... forever. And after growing up with Harry, Ron and Hermione after all these years, it will be really hard to say goodbye.

Halloween

2010-10-17T14:02:00.005-06:00

*UPDATE*
I have pictures and instructions for how I made my costume on this link!

Halloween is by far one of my favorite holidays. It's the one day a of the year that you get to be whoever (or whatever) you want and go crazy! The over abundance of candy is also a big bonus.

I have been playing this year's Halloween for a few months now. And guess who I'm going to be?....

Princess Jasmine of course!!

I spent hours online trying to find the perfect costume, but nothing looked exactly like her outfit in Aladdin. So I decided to make my own! So far I have the curly toe shoes, the wig, the jeweled headband, the earrings and necklace, and I finished sewing the pants a couple days ago. All I need to do now is sew the top, which I'm pretty nervous about since I'm not using a pattern so I can tell you right now it's definitely going to be tricky. I'll post the finished product in a few days once I have everything done. So excited!!! This Halloween is going to be the best ever!

To view my costume and get the links for the websites where I bought some of the accessories, please click the link below. Thanks!
My Princess Jasmine Costume

Christmas with Disney

2010-10-12T04:57:00.001-06:00

I cry every time I see this video... I'm not even kidding. I'm crying right now!

I love Disneyland more than anywhere else in this world, and only 68 more days until I'm there again! My family is going for Christmas this year and I honestly can not wait!

This will be my first Christmas away from my extended family, which I'm kind of sad about. We have very specific traditions, and it will most definitely be strange not doing them for the first time in my life. Christmas is most importantly about celebrating Christ's birth, and it's also about family, loving each other, eating lots of yummy food, laughing, watching snow fall out the window while you curl up in a blanket with a hot cup of chocolate, gift giving, lots of decorating, sledding, hours upon hours of Christmas tunes on FM 100, and staying up late listening for Santa's reindeer. Luckily for me, I'll be able to do almost all of these things at Disneyland this year!

Although I'll be missing my of my aunts and uncles and cousins, I'm glad I'll be able to spend my favorite time of year at my most favorite place on earth. I can't wait to see the giant Christmas tree light up on Main Street, and I especially can't wait for the firework show complete with real snow! I'm planning on getting some hot chocolate from the Market House on Main Street, it will be like I never left home :]

The thing I love so much about Disneyland is how free it makes me feel. When you pass through those gates you leave all your troubles and worries behind and become a kid again. The only thing you have to worry about is how many times you'll be able to ride Pirates of the Caribbean or if you'll get a good spot at the fireworks show. I love Disneyland because I have SO many happy memories there. My parents first took me when I was 4 years old. My baby sister passed away the year before, and my parents thought it would be a good idea to take me since I wasn't handling the situation very well. I still remember how happy I was and how special I felt being there. Disneyland taught me how to be a normal kid again. And it's were I learn to be a kid again every time I go. I think people sometimes grow up too fast. Being an adult is no fun, so I think it's important to always have the kid side of you come out every once in a while. Life is more fun through a child's eyes anyways.

Sorry about all this rambling mumbo jumbo, it's nearly 5 in the morning and I haven't slept at all... growing pains! I have a feeling I won't remember any of this when I wake up this afternoon!

Life Lesson #21

2010-10-12T01:35:00.002-06:00

Rainy Monday

2010-10-04T22:44:00.000-06:00

Today was the first day this year that it FINALLY felt like fall here in Utah. I wore my black suede boots and my favorite cardigan, and strolled about campus with my trusty umbrella. It was a gorgeous day to say the least.

And after a long day of school, errands and work, I'm now unwinding with Gossip Girl and a steamy mug of hot chocolate complete with tiny marshmallows. Life is goooood :]

Since it's a bye week...

2010-09-30T13:01:00.000-06:00

... I thought that I would post a highlight video of last weeks game with San Jose State.

This is what domination looks like...

GO UTES!

Lovin' Life!

2010-09-28T01:24:00.002-06:00

It's nearly 1 in the morning and I have to be up in 6 hours... but instead of sleeping what do I decide to do? Add pictures to my blog of course! So you better enjoy this because I'm going to be a complete beast in the morning!

Life is great. I love college, I love my friends, I love the fam. What more could a girl ask for, right?

The first 4 photos were taken in Utah County of all places *GASP*! I know you're wondering how RayCray and I possibly survived our little excursion "down south" wearing our U of U attire without getting curbed by Cougar fans? Well, one flat tire and a ride on Buzz and Winnie the Pooh later, we made it back to the 801 sound and safe.

Me reading what to do with a flat tire.

Corn Nuts and Hershey's Cookies in Cream... Ray's set.

I find Mr. Lightyear very attractive, okay? Give us some privacy please.

Pooh Bear's expression either says he is bashful, or a perv. You decide that for yourself.

One beautiful Sunday afternoon, the fam decided to head up the canyon for a hot dog and s'more roast... it resulted in Indiana Jones torches and Kung-Fu action. Be jealous.

You're probably as amazed as I was to see my leg that close to my face. I should join the cheerleading squad.

The FAM! Brody was disappointed that he wasn't in this picture... so he asked me to add this lovely number to el blogo...

What a stubby little stud.

A few years ago, my Gooma and Goompa moved down to a very small town in Central Utah. So our visits down there are quite exciting to say the least...

I mean, come on! Screw Tobey Maguire... I am SPIDERMAN!

Harrison apparently loves you... creeeeps.

Goompa and Gooma at the Little Grand Canyon... or as the locals like to call it "The Wedge"

Me attempting to channel my American Indian roots.

We found a mine where the feds blew stuff up. It was neat.

There is nothing more American than going to the fair!

Over-priced rides, footlong corndogs, and gangbangers at every turn. Now that's what I call classy entertainment.

We became news anchors... no big deal.

We just love the fair so much! *tear*

I thought I'd add some of my sweet photography skills to this baby.

Us PSI girls know our way around a can of spray paint and a t-shirt from Walmart.

This weekend we had our PSI retreat at a Cabin in Park City and decided to trap all the pledge girls in the upstairs bedroom by making the stairs into a saran-wrap and fruit leather combo slide complete with used cups and half drank water bottles. It was 4 in the morning, okay?

One girl actually cried over this... talk about "TAKE A MIDOL!" Geez.

I saved the best for last... UTAH FOOTBALL!! It's pretty much my life.

Throw up your U's!

I may or may not have a little crush on the quarterback... I just wish he'd shave his mexistache.

Steph=white Me=white Catherine=white Jessi=BROWN! Jealous.

On our way back to the car there was an old man walking down the middle street, so we walked behind him so no one would run him over, and then RayCray told a fire truck to slow down... it was great.

Yes. I am indeed wearing a headdress... and yes, our loins are illuminated and it appears that we are flying. Don't ask why cause I have no idea.

Goodbye Summer...

2010-09-19T22:15:00.002-06:00

Dear Summer 2010,

Thanks for all the memories...

The lazy days spent at the pool, eating popsicles on the grass, drive-in movies, homemade ice cream on the back porch, baseball games with with a box of peanuts and a hot dog...

The smell of wet cement, the feeling of cool grass under your feet on a hot day, Lagoon with friends, fireworks on the 4th of July and the smell of gunpowder floating on the air...

Laying under the stars at night waiting for shooting stars, bonfires and smores, cold watermelon on a Sunday afternoon, country music, hikes up the canyon, never-ending sunsets, driving with the windows down, night games at the park...

Road trips, walking along the beach looking for seashells, Coldstone for dinner, flip flops in every color, fresh pineapple, swimming at the lake, going 120 on the freeway with the top down...

Sleepless nights, endless days, strawberry lemonades and dancing in the rain...

Summer '10... the tan lines will eventually fade but the memories never will!