Best. Advice. Ever.

I have been gone for far to long! with that in mind please enjoy these words of wisdom.

Hitchhikin'

The beautiful weather yesterday convinced me that I should ride the scooter my wonderful brother let me borrow for the summer to work. After work I realized I needed to jet over to Home Depot (again) for more supplies to complete my most recent project. Just as a side note- it is never a good idea to go to home depot on a scooter, I developed some incredible balancing skills trying to get everything home. But I digress. On my way home, laden down with bags, a group of homeless men thought it would be funny to try and get me to pick them up. They stuck there thumbs out and when I started to laugh they proceeded to chase me down the street. Who knew homeless people were so fast?
But the real question is- how much can the scooter hold? Apparently just me, some pruning shears, 3 tarps, 25 feet of hose, twine and about 15 pounds of spackle.

I love everything about this.

Today I feel like this...

Simon meets the swing

I had the pleasure of going to the park with my adorable nephew Simon, if you want to see happiness just check out his face. I wish I still got this excited about swings.

Mother, there is no other

With Mothers day coming up I thought it was fitting to bring this little treasure out of retirement. Everything from Mr T's small shorts to the bad production value of this video screams out appreciation for our mothers!

Love you mommy!

...and that was the happiest day of my life.

We went to Pirates Island - a pirate themed Chuck E. Cheese - for my friend Scott's birthday party, lucky for us it was also Karaoke Night! This guy sang 3 songs for us. He started his act with "Three Times a Lady", then moved on to "A few of my favorite things" and ended the amazing-ness with "play that funky music white boy".

Lessons learned from Esmeralda

A few weeks ago some friends and I took a trip to California, and of course when in California you have to swing by Disneyland! I did a lot of things that I had never done before, like eat Dole Whip and visit the Tiki Room. The Tiki Room was incredible and the rest of the day I was singing “in the tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room, in the tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room all the birds sing words and flowers bloom in the tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room”. I think it should have scared me, but animatronic birds flying above my head singing really was the most entertaining thing of the day!

The other thing I found that I have been missing all these years was getting my fortune read by Esmeralda. Usually she gives you vague and cliché fortunes that sound like an extended “Confucius Say” fortune cookie. But I, apparently, am special and deserved a more severe reading. Here is my fortune:

“You have been living every day, eating, drinking, sleeping, a little work and a little leisure, day in and day out, month in and month out, year in and year out. Where do you expect it all will end? You have never adopted any plan without shortly discarding it. Because your plans do not immediately mature, instead of striving harder to succeed with them, you let them go and live on and on, with no thought to the future whatsoever. Start right now, plan out your future and work for it. Work, Economize, save, and you will win great success.”

I don’t know what it is about getting nailed by a talking mannequin head, but I was really depressed afterwards. I realize that it is just by chance that I got the bad fortune but there is truth at the heart of it. And if Esmeralda can’t make me stick to my goals then who can? I have turned over a new leaf; no more procrastinating and being lazy for me! I am going to start going to FHE and institute. I am going to organize my basement. I am going to use that treadmill I bought, and by golly my life is going to be awesome!

I also learned that my lucky number is 8 and if I put another quarter in the slot Esmeralda would give me another tongue lashing.

Thanks Esmeralda!

Happiest Girl In The Whole USA

What's this? Two posts in one day? But i just couldnt help myself! this video made me too happy to not share!

Now if only the weather would cooperate and turn sunny!

What's on your iPod?

I am an iPod junkie. I listen to music almost all day at work and when I get home one of my favorite things is to listen to Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald croon while I cook dinner. The other day I realized that I have the same few play lists that I listen to over, and over, and over. So I broke away from my favs and started to venture into the unknown reaches of my iPod. What I found is actually pretty awesome.

A. Bob Marley really is incredible. If you haven’t listened to him in a while I would highly recommend it.

B. Mo Town will always make me happy. Always.

C. I found some hidden Sam Cooke songs that I didn’t even realize I had and have loved reuniting with him. If you don’t know much about Sam Cooke read up on him, his life was bizarre.

D. William Shatner has an album called “Has Been”. Listen to it- you won’t regret it.

E. The Shoop song by Salt-N-Peppa still gets me movin’, and not only that but 10 years later I still know every lyric.

I just have one last thing to say “Don't know how you do the voodoo that you do so well it's a spell, hell, makes me wanna shoop shoop shoop”

I heart beards

Most people don't know this about me, but I have a serious thing for men with beards. Last year I went on a cruise and while aboard the ship I met a guy who was the founder of a club for men who have mustaches and beards called 'Stach Con. I really wanted to join the club just so I could go to the conventions, but alas, I was missing the critical requirement of facial hair.


I am a regular follower of the World Beard Championship, and even yesterday I was at Burger Supreme and I saw this guy with a fantastic red beard and I proudly turned around and stared. I know I am taking a long time to get to the point, and here it is... I love beards! I do. My friend just sent me this diagram it is was too awesome to keep to myself.

My New Fascination

Recently I have become a little too interested in vintage ads. My brother had this one has his profile picture for a while- and I think that's what spurred this new hobby on.

This picture is terrifying- but awesome in its terrifying-ness. I think there are a lot of life lessons to be learned in these ads; for instance- "always eat your ham" and "Don't forget the Tenderoni!" As you peruse my favorite ads please feel free to let us know what you have learned from them! I think this may prove to be very interesting.

It's True- we would all be a little happier if we ate lard!

"Hey Ladies- Get off the horse..."

A few weeks ago my friend Kristen and I took a mini-trip to Park City for the night. We walked around the main street and checked out all the awesome art galleries and overpriced jewelry shops. Then we really went shopping and hit the outlet mall! I bought some shoes and a few too many kitchen things... and on our way out we saw one of those kids carousels that you see outside grocery stores. Both Kristen and I have always wanted to ride one- so Kristen popped 50 cents in the machine and we were off! There's no time like the present, right?

We were thoroughly enjoying ourselves when the lights around us started to flash on and off. We ignored this and then towards the end of the ride a rather bothered looking security guard came out and told us to get off the horses. We suspect him of turning the lights on and off in attempt to scare us off- and the bothered look he gave us was because we made him leave his nice warm office where he undoubtedly was watching CSI or Law and Order. Sorry Mr Security Guard, but we really had a good time on the Carousel!

Merry Christmas Baby!

We have had a rather magical christmas so far- Chewbaca had babies! We found her yesterday huddled behind the toilet having pulled every rug and towel in her reach back there with her. She was panting something fierce. Soon we had 4 healthy puppies squawking at us. 3 boys and 1 girl. As I have been telling my dad- He just about doubled his grandchildren in one day!

Did I go overboard?

I just moved in to my new house a few months ago- and I must say it has been very difficult getting to know my new neighbors. The one just west of me has been great, and I see her almost daily- but the rest have been somewhat elusive. I think part of the problem is that I go to a young single adult ward. If I were going to the family ward I am sure I would be meeting and getting to know more of my neighbors. But as it stands I have had to find creative ways to meet people.

I decided Christmas was the perfect excuse to go and meet some of my neighbors. I spent about 8 hours cooking; I made fudge, caramels, gingerbread men, white chocolate covered popcorn, sugared almonds, and wassel. I even made these cute little "Merry Christmas" tags to go on the boxes. I used these goody bags an excuse to meet all the neighbors. I figure if they wont come to me I will go to them... and bribe them with goodies!

Most of the deliveries were successful, I was only able to really talk to a few of the neighbors the rest will just have to be surprised to find treats on their step. There is one delivery that was particularly bad. My next door neighbor is an older lady that I have tried several times to meet. Everytime I have gone over it was around 8 pm- so when she didn't answer I figured she was already asleep. So yesterday I went over in the afternoon when I knew she was home. I knocked and waited patiently for several minutes for her to answer. She's old- it might take her a while to get to the door right? I finally just left the treats on the door step and left. On my way back home I noticed the curtains move and 5 minutes later when I left my house again the treats were gone... wow! this lady is really avoiding me! I think I am just going to have to be more creative in the future!

Home, Home on the Range

Forgive all the old cowboy song refrences.

As promised I have pictures ready to post! My house is still not finished, but it is so much nicer than it was! enjoy!

My Living Room







My Kitchen







And these are the cutest salt and pepper shakers I have ever seen!

Basement Family Room


My Bedroom

I found this fixture in the attic- it's so cool! its about a quarter inch thick crystal that is really ornately carved. I love it!

My house isnt the only thing that got more color- I did too- I am now a brunette!

Back in the Saddle

I feel rather terrible- it has been 3 months since my last blog posting. Suddenly this has become my journal that I have been neglecting… I am resolved to have interesting posts on a more regular basis!
First- I feel the need to explain my long absence from my own blog. These past few months have been rather intense! At work we have been putting together a Global Convention for over 12,000 people! It was insane for both the few months leading up to the event and the actual week of the event. But that is a blog post in and of itself (I promise its coming).
And of course there is the buying of my house! It was stressful trying to juggle work, closing on a house and moving in all at once, but I survived and now I have an adorable yellow house to show for it! I have been in the process of fixing the walls and repainting the house for the past few weeks, but my kitchen and living room are almost finished so I will be posting the before and after pictures soon. I just need to do one more coat of paint to complete my awesome kitchen.
I am just trying to get my house hooked up to the internet and then we will be back in business!

The Carnie Life

Last week mom called me and invited me to the circus for last night. Apparently dad ended up with some extra tickets so he and mom were going to take Alayna and I and make it an awesome family outing. It has been years since I have seen the circus and I thought it would be fun.

I've been seeing billboards all over town for the Barnum and Baileys circus, so naturally I assumed that was where we were going, I was so wrong! Barnum and Baileys isn't in town until the fall- it was Cirque Du Solei! So while I as getting excited for Elephants, Tigers and seriously creepy clowns; instead what I got was acrobats, improv performances, beautiful set design, live music, and only slightly creepy clowns.

It was such an incredible night! I could not believe the talent and strength of these performers! The only downside of the night is that I kept getting distracted with thoughts of what kind of life a carnie lives. How much do they actually travel? Do they date? if they do it must be to other carnies, right? Maybe there is a online dating service for carnies, something that fits their busy lifestyle. All my questions went unanswered, but it did give me a goal of someday meeting a carnie. Someday.

Boredom

I was at work today looking through some folders on my computer for a file I used a year ago, while searching I found a picture I had created with my friend Micah while we were both extremely bored at work.

It started out as a fun game, I would draw something he would add on to it and we would continue with that until we ended up with this fantastic picture. I should add that we drew this in the microsoft paint program. I could be wrong, but I think that adds to the fantastic-ness of it.

I call this "ninja: the silent, swinging killer".