My Best Friend


I must say, i have the best friend in the world. We argue like brother and sister and get along perfectly. We practically are related, i mean last week i was at his families house and his little sister introduced me to her friend as "technically my sister". I guess i'm there too much. We've  been best friends for the past 6 years and and his ringtone is You're My Best Friend by Queen! He was my first boyfriend(a week long romance before realizing we're better off friends)! We have done many fun things together.. gone on multiple hawaii trips, seattle, disneyland, concerts, car drips back home, beach days, skipped school, proms, homecomings, went to college together.. we even got to live in the same house this past summer! The longest we have gone without seeing each other or really talking was a 5 week period, and it was a long 5 weeks! But this past tuesday i had to say goodbye to him for two whole years so he can go on his mission. I've had many of my close friends go on missions, some are even back already, but none of them were as hard as seeing Nick go. These are going to be a tough 2 years not to have my go-to boy around. It's been hard already not being able to have him a text message away! But i know what he is doing is right and that he is extremely happy. for the past two years all he has been talking about is when he goes on his mission, i must admit it got a little old but it was finally his time! Luckily he'll just be a letter away, otherwise i don't know what i would do! As hard as it has been to say goodbye to my friend i'm happy he's gone because he is happy and doing what he should be, and he'll be home that much sooner. I can't wait for the day when i hear his ringtone again..

Craft Time


For the past couple of weeks i have been working on these two masterpieces and i am proud to say i've finally finished! The flower picture was actually a mistake. I was painting a picture for my friend and i messed up..not knowing what to do with the canvas, i just started doodling with my paints and the flowers are what appeared. It's a mistake that i like though! The octopus was just for fun. I have been drawing an octopus for a few months and finally decided to put it down in paint.
Luckily my roommates like them... or at least they don't hate them, because they are being used as decoration in our family and living room at the moment. I thought i would bring some more life and color into the house! 
Without leaps of imagination, 
or dreaming, 
we lose the excitement of possibilities. 
Dreaming, 
after all, 
is a form of planning.
- Gloria Steinem

Home sweet Home


I have finally gotten settled in my new little nest of a house and I love it. It's a small room but it's cozy and i amazingly am able to fit everything into it!

It took a while to get everything organized and settled but it's done now luckily. The rest of the house is really cute too. We have a living room, family room, dining room and a nice new kitchen. So far it's been really fun living there. I'm having a blast with my roommates! I'm living with Kirstine Moller and a couple of her friends Courtney and Lindsey. Nick is over lots since me and Kirstine live with each other which makes it really fun. Hopefully it stays that way!
Only problems so far is our Box elder bug problem, but i think they'll slowly stop appearing once it gets colder.. but they used to be all over the place. I haven't found too many in my room lately, but when I first went there my nephew Gavin so kindly dubbed my house "the bug house." Hopefully the name leaves once the bugs do!

happiness is free

The great outdoors

saturday russell and i set out on the open road. We drove up to utah so i can move back for the new school year but before the new year, we had one last summer trip to Zion's National Park. Russell and i met willie at the park and set up camp for the next two nights. The first day we were there we hiked Angel's Landing. It was a really cool hike. Lots of winding pathways all the way up the mountain where we then had to use chains to climb up the thin part of the mountains ridge before making it to the very top. Amazingly i made it with my fear of heights! The next day we hiked the Narrows. That was a really nice hike. It's about 14 miles in total but it is mainly flat surface. The hike is through water which cools you down which is a plus, but the tricky part are the rocks. because it's in water the rocks get really slippery and mossy, so you have to watch your footing so you don't fall or get hurt.. unfortunately for me i was one of the unlucky ones who slipped and fell completely in! All in all it was a really fun little weekend trip. After finishing our trip we kept heading toward Salt Lake City where i'll be living for the year!

Obsession..

My newly found obsession.. I'm a little late on the trend but I just recently got all of the seasons on dvd (thanks ma). And I haven't stopped watching them since!
Not a shred of evidence
exists in favor 
of the idea that 
life is serious.
- Brendon Gill

The Storyteller

The other night my friends and i had a bonfire at the Ventura Harbor Beach. We have done this millions of times throughout the years, but the most memorable one was from last October when we were visited by the beach's local hobo Bongwater (Bongwater is the one standing in the photo). Bongwater is a self-proclaimed storyteller of the beach, and we were lucky enough to run into him again at our last bonfire. He told us new stories from the last time we had encountered each other, and he is a wonderful storyteller. He told us how he once was in love with his girlfriend who was a mermaid. He met her while fishing at the beach. She walked up to him asking what he was fishing form, and he jokingly said "A mermaid", she then told him that he had caught one, little did he know she wasn't kidding. She was able to be human for 28 days at a time before she would have to go back into mermaid form. They owned a tanning salon and bikini company in Santa Barbara and were living very happily with one another until she told him she was going to swim to Hawaii. Bongwater tried to think of every possible way to go there with her, but he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that she was a mermaid and could swim there and he wasn't, which made their romance end. Another fun story he told was when he outran the cops when he was in high school. He and his friend had gone to a concert where they had been drinking and decided to race afterwards when the cops noticed them. Bongwater didn't want to get caught so he drove off and hid his car in a ditch for the rest of the night so they wouldn't find him and for the next three months he hid his car in the garage just in case. One day while he was working in his dads shop the swat team tackled him to the ground shouting "We've got you now Bongwater!" and they took him off to jail. Once in jail he told them that he wasn't the one that ran from the cops, that his car was stolen three months ago so they decided to let him go free. The moral of that story was to not drink and drive. He has loads of stories, too many for me to type out but those are two of the best. Hopefully he'll stop by our next bonfire as well. One can only hope.


This summer has flown by! After going to Peru, i went to New York and to the Bahamas with my family which was really fun. After the vacations I have just been with friends going to the beach, bonfires, going to piers,& boxing nights. Plus I've seen Coldplay and Rocky Votolato in concert.It's been really fun.. besides that there isn't too much new or exciting! Peru was such an amazing experience. After getting used to it and becoming more comfortable i loved it. It was so neat to see how different life is for the people that live there. I loved being able to live the way that they do. It was really cool to work in the schools too. I really liked helping with the little kids, just playing with them and helping them color and such. Plus while being there we got to see some amazing sites, like Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. We also met loads of different people from all over the world that were working with the same program which made it really fun. 

leaving on a jet plane...


not exactly a jet, but a plane non the less. It's my time to head of to Peru and I am so excited! Even though i was so excited to come home and see all of my friends, which has been wonderful, i am excited to get away! Especially when it is to help others. I can't wait to help with the kindergarden classes, it will be an amazing experience. Plus I get to go a explore a brand new place! My bags are packed..(almost), I've got my months supply of reading, my Ipod is updated, and I am ready to jet away! If only Friday was today... Somewhere in that picture is Lamay, the town I'll be working in.
This is my wish for you...smiles when sadness intrudes. 
Comfort on difficult days. Rainbows to follow the clouds. 
Laughter to kiss your lips. Sunsets to warm your heart. 
Beauty for your eyes to see. Hugs when spirits sag. 
Confidence for when you are in debt. Faith so that you can believe. 
Patience to accept the truth. Courage to know yourself. 
Friendship to brighten your being. Love to complete your life.
- Unknown

summer



Summer is just a mere two days away, and i can't wait! After a tough couple of weeks of studying, projects, packing, cleaning, and more studying, i am ready to relax! The beach is calling my name and so are my friends that i have left behind(few of these friends are in the picture)! These next couple of weeks are going to be crazy! First i go home and have the gold tournament, then it's back to utah for Women's Conference to hear two of my aunts talk, with my ma and friend. Then i get to drive home with two of my friends, so it won't be too terrible. But once i get home, it will be all fun in the sun! A couple of my friends are coming to California and are going to come visit me, and hopefully a couple of others will too! After those fun weeks i get to set up and head off to Peru! Constantly busy busy busy, but i think it will be more fun than studying

Calm down

Here is a playlist i like to listen to when i like to relax. after reading my sisters blog posts lately, i thought maybe some of you could enjoy it as well.

  1. Silver Trees- Rocky Votolato
  2. F-Stop Blues- Jack Johnson
  3. The Scientist- Coldplay
  4. Somewhere Over the Rainbow- Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
  5. Middle Distance Runner- Sea Wolf
  6. Hear you me- Jimmy Eat World
  7. With a Little Help from My Friends- Joe Cocker
  8. Dust in the Wind- Kansas
  9. Going To California- Led Zeppelin
  10. Hallelujah- Jeff Buckley
  11. Say Yes- Elliott Smith
  12. I Hope You Dance- Lee Ann Womack
  13. Sunshine- Matt Costa
  14. Puchaca Sunrise- Minus the bear
  15. Sunrise- Norah Jones
  16. Penelope- Pinback
  17. Australia- The Shins
  18. Slow Cheetah- Red Hot Chili Peppers
  19. Androgynous- The Replacements
  20. Life On Mars?- Seu Jorge
  21. New Slang- The Shins
  22. Is This It- The Strokes
  23. Some Kinda Love- The Velvet Underground
  24. Forever Young- Youth Group
  25. The Way I Feel Inside- The Zombies
  26. Sleeping In- The Postal Service
  27. Only In Your Heart- America
  28. Our Swords- Band of Horses
  29. A Day In The Life- The Beatles
  30. La vie en rose- Edith Piaf

introductions

russell, meet russell

Snapshots


When i was home last, I found a fun little treasure. A polaroid camera.
I was so excited I had to go out and by film immediately! A certain someone kept telling me that they were not that great, but they were very wrong! I have been having such fun with these quick and easy little snap shots. Here are a few that i want to share!  

happy birthday!


to the worlds greatest mom! i dont know what i would do without you! i love you very much and hope you have a wonderful day! wish i could celebrate with you!
!

i've been in the mood..

for romantic love stories and crafting. For the past couple of weeks, ever since i got my wisdom teeth out actually, i have wanted to watch one of my all time favorites: Gone with the Wind. I have looked for it and never found it, until i went to blockbuster last night and there it was! I rented Gone with the Wind & When Harry met Sally. Then I bought Becoming Jane & Pretty Woman & The Notebook. Always good to have a few of your favorites on hand. Now, if only I had My Fair Lady, A lot like Love & Pride and Prejudice... then i could sit in front of my t.v. and craft for as long as i pleased because i would never run out of movies! Last night I watched When Harry Met Sally, and hopefully today I'll watch Gone With The Wind. There is something with romantic movies that can make me happy even when the ending is sad.
Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
- Louisa May Alcott

weekend recap


This weekend was so fun! After being gone for a two week long spring break, I finally made it back safe and sound to Provo, Utah and to lots of fun! my friend Reilly came to visit me on Wednesday which was a blast, and made her want to come out to Utah for college which is sooo exciting! My friend Landon was also here which was fun to see him. Saturday I went to the Festival of Colors at the Krishna Temple. it was so fun! i went with my friends Alex and Sijbren, and Russell met us.

Becoming Jane


If you havent already seen the movie, i urge everyone to go buy or rent it and watch! It is an automatic tear jerker & such a good show! I loved it the first time I saw it and I loved it even more the second time! If you have seen this movie, spread the word about how fabulous it is!

"My characters shall have, after a little trouble, all that they desire." - Jane Austen

Valentine

Here is the playlist that will be on repeat for the upcoming holiday in my car, room, and ipod!

  1. Cry- Mandy Moore
  2. L.O.V.E.- Ashlee Simpson
  3. Come Fly With Me- Frank Sinatra
  4. Love You 'Till the End- The Pogues
  5. Everything We Had- The Academy Is...
  6. If I Ever Leave This World Alive- Flogging Molly
  7. Love Like this- Natasha Bedingfield
  8. All I want Is You- Barry Louis Polisar
  9. Piazza, New York Catcher- Belle & Sebastian
  10. Sea of Love- Cat Power
  11. Anyone Else But You- The Moldy Peaches
  12. Will You Love Me Tomorrow- The Shirelles
  13. Love Is Strange- Mickey & Sylvia
  14. Valentine- The Get Up Kids
  15. Mint Car- The Cure
  16. Be My Baby- The Ronettes
  17. (I've Had) The Time of My Life- Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
  18. I Want To Hold Your Hand- The Beatles
  19. Touch Me- The Doors
  20. Just To See you Smile-Tim McGraw
  21. I Walk the Line- Johnny Cash
  22. You're My Better Half- Keith Urban
  23. I Call Your Name- The Mamas & The Papas
  24. Always Be My Baby- Mariah Carey
  25. Love Today- MIKA
  26. Crazy Little Thing Called Love- Queen
  27. Kiss Me- Sixpence None The Richer
  28. Tonight, Tonight- Smashing Pumpkins
  29. Our Song- Taylor Swift
  30. Do You Remember- Jack Johnson
  31. Happy Together- The Turtles
  32. Chapel Of Love- The Dixie Cups
  33. On An Evening in Roma- Dean Martin
  34. She's In Love With The Boy- Trisha Yearwood
  35. P.S. I Love you- Nellie Mckay

Dear, John


For any one that likes a good book, i suggest you run out to the nearest book store and pick up this little number. Nicholas Sparks always writes such good books, and this one is no different! I got this book last Thursday, and I finished it last night.. I couldn't put it down! This book brought me the kind of joyful comfort, and even though parts of it were sad, it still made me feel happy! So everyone needs to read it!

I'm excited.


For the fun new movies that are coming out! I originally just went to watch the trailer for the new movie Penelope that is supposed to be coming out soon, but then there were so many good looking trailers I had to continue watching them! Here are just a few that I want to see! Penelope looks like it will be a fun, cute love story and who doesn't love those?!
To me,
Over Her Dead Body looks like it will be a funny movie, plus i love Eva. The movie 21 is a true story, and from the trailer looks very interesting and once again, i like the main character (he's from Across the Universe). Now Forgetting Sarah Marshall doesn't really strike me as a great movie that I would rush out to see..but for anyone that was with me at Turtle Bay circa spring 07, this is the movie that they were filming while we were there...so I just might have to go see it. The Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian I love the Chronicles of Narnia! The Other Boleyn Girl, I'm sure you have all heard about this movie that is coming out, and I am very very excited for it and wanted to share the trailer with you all! I think it's the American Girl doll loving younger part of me that really wants to see Kit Kittredge An American Girl after all, Kit was the last doll I got from there and I did read the stories. Miss Pettigrew just seems like it will be good.
And last, but not least..
Mamma Mia! Anyone that knows my family, knows that this is by far our favorite play. I must admit, I know I have seen it at least 5 times, and I'm pretty sure my sister Kelly and Mom have the same record! We love this play, and I for one am very excited for the movie to come out, then for it to come to stores so I can watch it whenever I please!
"What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul." -Yiddish Proverb

happy thoughts...

100 happy things 1. O.P.I. nail polish in Mod. 2. Indian Music. 3. Lotion. 4. Magazines with pretty pictures. 5. Urban Outfitters Anthropologie Ron Herman Free People Nordstrom. 6. Reading. 7. Hot chocolate and laying in a warm bed. 8. Thunderstorms. 9. Late nights out with a couple of my favorite people. 10. Sitting around a bonfire at the beach with friends. 11. Being wrapped up in blankets like a mummy. 12. Poppies. 13. Mint chocolate chip ice-cream in my belly. 14. Pictures of my friends and family. 15. Summer afternoons before the sun begins to set and everything has a warm reddish tint to it. 16. Sunny not to hot, not to cold days. 17. Plain white paper, colored, lined, patterened, any kind of paper. 18. Singing in the car with friends at the top of our lungs to girly songs or the backstreet boys. 19. Dancing in my room when no one can see me. 20. Quotes. 21. Drawing doodles that end up looking interesting. 22. Compliments. 23. First Kisses. 24. Phone calls from someone I havnt heard from in a while. 25. Driving to the beach at 5 a.m. just to watch the sunrise for 5 minutes. 26. Getting butterflies when you see someone you have a crush on. 27. Babies and watching them grow up and learn about the world. 28. Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. 29. Vanilla and baby lotion. 30. Warm home baked cookies with milk. 31. Making someone I care about happy. 32. Giving gifts. 33. Getting a new pair of shoes that I just can’t wait to wear. 34. Unexpected happy mail. 35. Coming to a clean and organized room. 36. Going to Chili’s with Ashley, Reilly, and whoever else joins for a girl’s night out. 37. Discovering a new, spectacular band. 38. Smells that flood you with old happy memories. 39. Polo Cologne. 40. Little green toy army men that remind me of Grayson. 41. Horse back riding. 42. My baby car Monsoony. 43. The smell of paint and the feeling of painting with my fingers. 44. Watching My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music on “sick” days. 45. Magazines with pretty pictures for me to tear out and keep. 46. Naps. 47. My moms chicken noodle soup, and anything else she makes because it tastes better if she does it. 48. Pretty bracelets covering my entire arm. 49. Watching My so-called Life. 50. Having a night in to craft while watching good re-runs on t.v. 51. Conversation hearts. 52. Jewelry of any shape, size, and color. 53. The smell of asphalt after it rains. 54. Going home and feeling as if everything is the same from when you left it. 55. Laying on blankets looking at the stars with friends. 56. Playing hide and go seek in the dark in someone’s house. 57. Going on photoshoots. 58. Aquaphore. 59. My kitten Gracie. 60. When Reilly and I talk and just laugh and make fun of each other in any way possible. 61. Taking long, hot baths in my Mom’s room. 62. Lazy summer days spent at the beach and swimming in pools. 63. Australian and British accents. 64. All-nighter’s. 65. White tee shirts. 66. Getting my hair cut, colored, or just washed by someone else. 67. The first day of school. 68. Reeses. 69. Manicures and Pedicures. 70. Receiving mail. 71. Bright colors. 72. Christmas lights. 73. Sleeping in. 74. New calanders. 75. Boxes. 76. Lots of people piled onto one little bed listening to music and laughing. 77. Glow in the dark ceiling stars. 78. Thinnies for breakfast. 79. A messy yet orderly room. 80. Cuddling. 81. Skating adventures with Nickoli. 82. Houses with pop out windows. 83. Thinking about having my own horse. 84. Rings. 85. Jamba Juice. 86. Finding something I hadn’t seen for a long time. 87. Surprising people. 88. Trips with family friends. 89. Curly hair. 90. Text messages. 91. Feeling that I am doing something meaningful with my life. 92. Driving golf carts. 93. Disneyland. 94. My mom buying me anything because she thought it would be useful or I would like it. 95. Birthday parties. 96. A good rootbeer. 97. Strawberry lemonade. 98. Long weekends. 99. Trident tropical twist gum. 100. Taking a chance and having it work out.

"The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend." -Henry David Thoreau

Dancing Queen's

Here's a video of Me and Ashley during winter break, just have a little fun after we had been out around town with some friends!

Ikea


I know I am a little slow on the trend... but I may have fallen in love with Ikea! Today was my first time not only going to the store, but even seeing what it has to offer! I have never looked through an Ikea catalog or anything of the sort. So I was surprised when I went there for the first time today and got to see all the many fun things it had to offer! My mom and sister took me so I could find a bookshelf for my room, and there were so many different styles and colors to pick from. I had so much fun wandering up and down the different sections, and seeing the different ways they showed the items in their showrooms and such. If you haven't been or seen any Ikea items, I suggest you do so quickly!

Winter Break


For the past few weeks I have been back in good old California, and it was lots of fun! I got to do a lot of fun things, one of my favorites was just being able to see all of my friends that I had left behind. Besides that, I went to the beach.. the Getty Museum for the first time.. and my all time favorite, Disneyland, plus we had Christmas and New Years!
Christmas was fun, the entire family got to be together and it was fun to see all of the little babies playing with each other and having fun. New Years, was alright. I had a few friends over and we went in the spa and then played games on our new Wii. I'm sad to say that I must be getting old though because I couldn't stay up till 12! I fell asleep at 11:30! Such a party pooper! But a few nights later, my friend Derek was having a Pillow party, so Reilly, Ashley, and I turned his room into a pretend New Years party while we waited for the others to come over, so we took lots of a pictures! A few of which are I'm sharing with you! In the top picture, from left to right is Reilly, Me, and Ashley. In the middle picture, there is a sliver of Reilly's arm, Me, Ashley, and Derek. The Last picture was in Ashley's car on our way to Derek's, left to right is Reilly, Me and Ashley again!

"A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water."-Carl Reiner

Out with the old...

Do you ever dream of starting anything over? I sure do! I always think of how I could have done something different, and what a drastic change it may have made in my life. I am always wanting a fresh start. I think that's why I love the beginning of a new school year, or semester, because I feel like its a new start, that anything is possible. I love empty books because I can fill them with anything, and it will be new. Or reorganizing a room because the possibilities seem endless once it is organized (even if it only lasts a few minutes). 
Well, I had a deep desire for something new, and I felt that it would be with my blog. Since I didn't like my old blog, I decided it was time to go out with the old, and in with the new. So here I am, starting my blogging experience again. Hopefully this time I will blog more, and like it more so I won't be deleting this one!