2011: Year in Review

Just like last year, I stole this from my sister's blog.

What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before? 
A few things: I lived in a foreign country (Spain), fell in love, cut my hair short, and visited New York City and Boston.

Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I resolved to fall in love, eat healthier (minus the summer, I did pretty well), and be more outgoing

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, my niece Charly was born!

What countries did you visit?
I went to Spain for 5 weeks! I also stayed in the Canadian airport overnight, but that's a bad memory!

What would you like to have in 2012 that you didn’t have in 2011?
Hmm...my Bachelor's Degree, an internship, and a next step to take!

What dates from 2011 will be etched upon your memory, and why?
july 10 - the day I told someone, "I think I love you too" & september 9: my first "heartbreak"

What was your biggest achievement of this year?
Doing study abroad and being able to pay for it without taking out any loans!


What was your biggest failure?
Not keeping as strict of diet as I should have!

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Wisdom Teeth surgery + dry socket

What was the best thing you bought?
Hmm...my entire summer adventure: Spain, Boston, NYC, Washington D.C.

Where did most of your money go?
My grand summer adventure (see a trend?)

Did you meet anyone new this year who had an impact on your life? 

Yes! I met a new best friend, Rebekah, in October.

What did you get really excited about?
I was excited about many things. One of them was participating in study abroad and visiting my sisters on the east coast! Another was taking Horsemanship. Best class ever.

What song will always remind you of 2011?
Hmmm..."Stronger" by Sara Evans and "Dimelo" by Enrique Iglesias (our "Spain" song)

Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) Overall, happier.
b) Well, let's go with "more curvy" ;)
c) Poorer

What do you wish you’d done more of?
Smiling when times were hard. Not worrying about things I couldn't control. More DIY projects.

What do you wish you’d done less of? 
Worrying. Haha.

How did you spend Christmas?
Going to church with my mom and sister and then opening a few presents after. It was a relaxed, beautiful day!

Did you fall in love in 2011?
I remember answering this question last year ("no, but I did fall in like a few times.") This year, yes I did.  And I learned A LOT. 

What was your favorite TV program?
I liked "The Voice."

What was the best book you read?
That's tough. I read The Help this summer and last week I read The Hunger Games series. All great books!

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Well, neither were MY discoveries, but I love The Civil Wars and Jack and White.

What did you want and get?
I wanted to do a study abroad and I did :) 

What did you want and not get?
I wanted to stay in love, but couldn't.

What was your favorite film of 2011?
The Help

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I had a great pre-birthday weekend celebration with my aunt and mom. Then I went to dinner with all my roommates (10 of us) on my birthday. I turned 21. 

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Running more.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2011?
Take risks! Wear red lipstick, mix patterns, wear those Spain oxfords, don't be afraid to wear skirts or dresses on an everyday basis, black + brown is okay, go with what you think is cute. 

What kept you sane? 
my friends & family

Who did you miss?
my sisters on the east coast, friends Hollie & Kelly up north, and my friend who is on a mission.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011. 
"It's better to look up."

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Even on my weakest days, I get a little bit stronger." -Sara Evans "Stronger"

the civil wars.

How have I never heard of the band The Civil Wars before today? Beauty! Even though I normally refuse to listen to anything but Christmas music during December, I branched out today and fell in love with these three songs:





I love bands that sound awesome live.

and, stolen from Kelly's blog, a song from The Hunger Games soundtrack that features Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars. I started reading the series last Saturday and couldn't stop! So, I love this song even more.


Enjoy!

adventure. love. craziness.

Since it's nearing the end of the year, it is time for a little wrap-up of 2011. Last year I documented the wrap-up here and here. Maybe I'll get around to filling out the same questionnaire, but for now I just thought I'd bear a little of my soul :) Been waiting for awhile to do this ... are you ready? Or, I guess — am I?

I made a resolution this year (and this is an exact quote): "In 2011, I resolve to fall in love." See, I've loved boys. I've loved boys who are my best friends. But I'd never yet been "in love." Well, this year, it happened. And fast. It wasn't something I really planned for, even though I wrote that resolution. I normally have a plethora of crushes ... I've always been a little boy crazy. It is insane to think back on 2011 and think of less than a handful of boys that have given me butterflies. 

So, the boy I loved ... it is crazy to say that too. You read about him, saw a few pictures, and then he was gone. People always told me how happy I seemed with him. I never wrote about the breakup because I didn't know how. It was my first real heartbreak and boy did it hurt! I cried. And cried. And cried. For days and even months (not daily at that point, thankfully). We had talked about getting married. I imagined being a part of his life forever. I loved his family — and they loved me too. Going to his home felt like going home for me. I had never felt so comfortable in a place before. Honestly, my relationship with his dad was better than my relationship with my own dad. 

Sometimes I still am sad thinking about it, even though it has been three months. It does get easier as time passes. Slowly but surely. 

The lucky thing is that I've had such wonderful friends & family there for me through all of it. I didn't know how weak I was until I had my heart broken. Then I saw just how vulnerable I could be. 

So, that's a big thing that happened in 2011. But, the scariest thing was thinking, after it happened, that I would never fall in love again. Now I know that's silly thinking & I just have to believe I will. I will be a lucky girl someday when I have a guy man who loves, appreciates, and wants to be with me everyday,  forever. 

Right? Here's to more adventures in 2012. 

day 4 & combat boots.

well, it's day 4 since the surgery & my cheeks are still a little swollen, although I can somewhat smile without looking completely creepy. i've been trying to eat solid foods again, although most of the time I just regret it after when my jaw starts throbbing. one day at a time! at least i had an excuse to drink a chocolate banana shake today!


yesterday was the first time I'd left my house since the surgery and where did I go? Kohl's. I had to finish up some Christmas shopping and I had some store credit + a 30% coupon to use. And guess what I bought? Da da da....COMBAT BOOTS! :) I had a little photo shoot today, swollen face and all, just to document my new boots that I love. PS. They were free with the 30% off and merchandise credit. Merry Christmas to me.

I started singing this song when I modeled them for my mother:


And I finished my Christmas shopping! Yippee.  Enjoy the photos!

It's looking a little better, right? At least that's what I'm telling myself....

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

day 2.

If you didn't see the post about getting my wisdom teeth out, you can read it here. I thought I'd update everyone else on what I look like on day 2.

The swelling .... well, it's there. This is what I like to refer to as "Cheri the Chipmunk."

Just in case you think that looks normal (and as a reminder to myself), this was the photo taken yesterday prior to surgery:

And, a shout out to my friends:

my tale of wisdom teeth removal.

LONG STORY (SKIP AHEAD FOR PHOTOS & VIDEO)

Alright, so I've been home a few hours & what else is a girl supposed to do on the day of getting her wisdom teeth out except for blog about the experience?

I went to get x-rays yesterday & the appointment was already set up to remove them today. They were still under the gums, but my dentist said now was as good of time as ever. Better now before the roots grow, he said. Because my dentist was performing the surgery, I wouldn't be "put under"; rather, I would just be numbed. The assistant suggested I bring my iPod (boy am I grateful for that suggestion).

So, let's be honest. I was a LITTLE bit nervous this morning. But, iPod in hand, I get ready for my wisdom teeth to be removed. The dentist proceeds to start giving me shots to numb my entire jaw. Well, as he gives me a shot for my upper jaw, the shot hits a blood vessel. Ouch. Try again. This time, it hit a nerve, which caused a shock. I was more than freaked out about that, especially because for 3-4 minutes after, I felt dizzy and couldn't see straight out of that one eye. Let's just say ... I was shaking a bit & nervous.

But, then it was time to get started. So, the iPod went on (it was definitely blasting more loudly than I'd ever listened to it before in order to tune out the drone from the instruments) with an array of artists that I'm sure the dentist & his hygienest enjoyed listening to — Justin Bieber Christmas, Iyaz, Party Rock Anthem, Maroon 5, Brandon Heath, and Hilary Weeks. I told you ... it was quite a mix. My feet were just tapping along to the sounds.

The top two came out relatively easy. But ... then it was time for the bottom. Apparently there was bone they had to cut through & then because the tooth wasn't coming out, it had to be cut into pieces. The numbness was starting to wear out, so the dentist gave me 4 more shots for my lower jaw. Nearly an hour later, the tooth was finally removed! On to the next tooth. I just kept saying prayers in my head that it wouldn't take as long. They gave me more shots before they started & although the same process had to be repeated of removing bone & cutting the tooth, it didn't take as long. The only trouble I had at the end was the fact that the dentist kept asking me to open my mouth "a little wider." Well, for one, I couldn't tell how wide I was opening it. And two, after 2+ hours, my mouth was sore. I could not keep it open!

The following thoughts swirled through my mind during the nearly 3-hour process:

"How did people do this before having medicine?"
"I should find out the history of getting wisdom teeth out ... who discovered that they need to be removed? When was that?" 
"My lips feel huge!"
"When I have a baby one day, I will definitely take advantage of the epidural."
"I'm glad i don't have a cold sore right now."
"Focus on the words of the song, not the pressure."
"If thou shall endure it well, thou shalt be exalted on high." (my personal favorite that made me crack a few smiles)

Anyway, my cheeks are gradually swelling, the numbness is wearing off, and the Loritab is kicking in. Enjoy these before & after pictures, and the video that I took in the car on the way home, when everything I said just sounded completely weird to me.

Before & after (that is really me trying to smile) 

Right outside of the dentist office. I was able to smile a little more this time.

And, the best:


For an update on DAY 2, click here.

life lately.

Have I dropped off the face of the earth? Not quite.

But, life lately has been a little crazy. I had six finals, work party, work, ugly sweater shin-digs, paint fight, moving houses, and Forgotten Carols that all fit in the space of one week.

Phew. Now I can relax. I just started reading The Hunger Games series ... and like the rest of those who have read them, I was a bit addicted. Thank goodness I have neighbors that have let me borrow the second & third book so I can stay busy for the next few days ;)

What's coming up? Tomorrow I get my wisdom teeth out! Merry Christmas to me. I'm not going to lie .... I'm a bit nervous about it :/ Because my teeth haven't come through yet, my dentist performs the surgery without me "going under." I will just be sitting there with my mouth numbed. The thought makes me quiver.

Luckily, the fridge is stocked with Greek yogurt, peppermint icecream, and jello salad (the only dish I'll eat with cottage cheese). Talk about those "soft foods" they suggested for 24 hours. Of COURSE I'll post pics if when my cheeks swell up like a chipmunk.

So, besides reading & monitoring the puffiness of my cheeks, I'll also be making my aunt's famous fudge in the next few days (another thing I thought I didn't like ... until I tried it again last year) & dipping pretzels in white chocolate & sprinkles to take to friends, and watching Christmas movies.

Before I go, here's a few pictures of some of the past week's activities:

my roommates and I had an end-of-the-semester paint fight. It was the last big "hoorah" before four of us graduate/get married/move (the last one, in my case). It was a BLAST even if took some scrubbing to get that paint out of my left ear ... I really will miss these girls. But, here's hoping for some great adventures ahead :)

Riding Horses.

This semester, I took the best class ever.  It was AGSC 1700, also known as "Horsemanship 1". We learned all the parts of the bridle, saddle, and parts of the horse. We learned how to "catch" our horses each week, how to clean the feet, "be in charge" of the horse, walk, sit correctly, lead the horse, trot, lope, go up/down hill...etc. And we had a LOT of fun. Now that there is snow on the ground, I learned to bundle up! We had pretty great weather (only 2 days of riding in the snow). For this last class, I had a few layers on and my toes were still numb by the end of class! Anyway, just thought I'd document it and show you....here goes:

 Cleaning the feet. This quite intimidated me at the beginning, especially when I'd get a stubborn horse. But, by today, it wasn't too big of a deal.

 I cut the horse's head out of the picture...woops!

 Gone riding.

 My friend Kjersti and I ended up in the same class! What a great coincedence. Here we are at the end of class, as the sun was setting.

Goodbye, lovely horses! Perhaps I'll see you in Horsemanship 2?

Embracing Style

Do you have a "style"? Here's a confession ... sometimes, I want to branch out and try things — like mixing patterns by wearing a floral skirt and a striped cardigan (ok, I've finally done that), wearing red lipstick in public instead of when I'm just cleaning my room or going to a themed party, owning a pair of "big glasses" (like these) that have prescription lenses instead of fake ones that were passed out from the accounting firm at the job fair, etc.

So what is stopping me? 

Fear. That's silly, huh? There have even been times that I've put on an outfit but have changed because it is too "out-of-the-norm"or it breaks some fashion rules. Or I wouldn't want to try things because I liked boys who didn't quite enjoy my fashion dreams...haha, that's the most lame reason of all! Yet I always admire people who really embrace their own style and take fashion risks.

New goal? Just take the risks. Sometimes it'll turn out great; other times I'll look back & think..."Well, that was a miss."

A whole post about fashion huh? Well, anyway, just a few ramblings from my mind tonight. Hopefully I can start finding my own style ;)

happy thanksgiving!

i am thankful for my nieces who i've been able to watch these past few days. yesterday we made painted hand turkeys (and oreo turkeys and watched Charlie Brown Thanksgiving about 30 times). 

i have many blessings to be grateful for, especially today on Thanksgiving. 

 showing off painted hands

 yes, i even joined in on the fun (oh, who am I kidding? I was the first to paint a turkey)

many turkeys later...

 I hope you are able to share today with someone you love & that you can eat some wonderful food & remember all the blessings in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

a little fact of life.

have I ever told you that my family is awesome? because I basically think we are. And I always love when people meet my family members, because they generally think the same thing too. For the next few days I'm helping take care of my nieces and this is what happened Sunday when I went to take photos before church with my oldest niece, Lizzie:

here we are semi-normal looking.

 then the following directions from Lizzie: "scared face"

 "mad face"

 "kissy face" (although I don't think I look quite that way when I kiss)

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In other news, my best friend/"sicolega"/.5 soul sister/cousin/mi cosina (just a few of our names for each other) opened her mission call last night! I surprised her in Provo for the occasion and couldn't have been happier about that. Hollie and I have been nearly inseparable since I moved to Utah eight years ago. We talk nearly every day (and sometimes multiple times a day). I've been lucky to visit her so much this semester! Well, anyway, she will be an amazing missionary. I can't believe I won't talk to her on the phone, but she can definitely count on many lengthly letters from this girl.

 

here we are, pre-call opening

And after she opened her call. She is going to the Brazil Salvador Mission -- say hello to Irma King. 

PS. I just passed the 4-year mark of my blog! So, Happy Birthday, blog. 

snapshot saturday.

This morning I made cupcakes with my nieces using my new BabyCake maker. The little cupcakes are the perfect size —you can eat more than one but not feel as guilty ;) Per my nieces request, we topped them with yummy pink buttercream frosting (I got the recipe from the BabyCake recipe book and it was divine!) and pink crystals.

A good Saturday indeed.

thankful thursday.

It's that time of the week again! Here are a few things I'm thankful for:

• Positive music + warm running gear. The other night I went running. And I just kept running. That hasn't really happened to me before (where I want to keep going). Five miles later (distance unbeknownst to me at the time), I came home, feeling great. I am thankful for that. 
• I took a Spanish test today. The last section of the test came and I was very, very confused. My current GPA started dropping in my mind. Then, after class, as I was turning in the essay portion, my teacher showed me my test that she had just finished grading. My eyes widened at the high score. She went on to explain she included the last section without realizing we hadn't covered all of it, and that it wouldn't be part of the score. Hallelujah! 
• I am grateful for the many amazing friends I have who helped make my birthday a really special day. Many texts, phone calls, Facebook notifications, and scrumptious cake helped make that day even better! 
• Being a part of Presidential Ambassadors at SUU. It's a group of 70-something people. The other day a few of us were in the PA room, just chatting and reminiscing about the terrors we were in our younger days to our teachers (except I was definitely more associated with being a Teacher's Pet, it's true) and we just started laughing so hard that we couldn't stop. I love those times!  I've also met some of my best friends because of this organization.

There you have it! Can you believe next week is Thanksgiving? Where has 2011 gone? I can't believe that this semester is almost over either. 

What are you thankful for this week? 

the best pumpkin cheesecake. ever.

 

This weekend, I was able to spend time with two of my favorite people (my mom and my adorable aunt). We always laugh so much together ... and eat delicious, homemade food. My mom was excited to share a new dessert with us -- pumpkin cheesecake. It was delicious! The crust was made out of my mom's homemade gingerbread cookies (blended up) and chopped pecans. It was divine. 

And then the cheesecake was a perfect blend of tastes! Nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin...yum! And then you can top it with cool whip & fresh ground nutmeg (except I didn't). We even put a candle in it & I made a wish! And...I sort of can't wait to eat some tomorrow morning ;) Glad I saved a piece!

making wishes (11:11)

That's a lot of 11s, right? Today is a pretty awesome day. When I was little (I guess I'm still only 5'1", but I mean when I was younger) I used to imagine getting married on a day like 11.11.11 or 9.10.11. There are still options, of course (up until 12.13.14 I suppose), but now I am getting carried away.

The point is...I love making wishes at 11:11 p.m. You can, of course, at 11:11 a.m. as well. But, one of my favorite boys in high school introduced me to this wishing business. We even shared our first kiss over 11:11 p.m. (It was both of our wishes. Sappy, right?)

Anyway, you have two opportunities to wish for something. I mean, really wish for something good. And then go out there and do something about it.

con mucho amor,
cheri

thankful thursday.

hey hey, it's that time of the week again! here are some things I am thankful for this week:

• Even though I wasn't especially grateful for what happened last night (involving a boy who treated my feelings like they meant nothing), it did motivate me to run 3 miles on the indoor track. That's not a lot to some of you, but running 10 laps/mile = 30 laps. And I don't love repetition. 
• Sitting in Spanish class, learning about future, conditional, and probability statements...amidst the confusion, I suddenly remember that I learned this once before...in Spain. And even though I don't remember it all perfectly (and I had a crazy native Spaniard teaching me in Granada), it sure did help. 
• My mom is coming down tomorrow and we are going to Time Out for Women with my aunt. This weekend will be filled with laughter, good food (homemade pizza, pumpkin cheesecake, etc), even better company, and I know I will be uplifted! 
• I am grateful that I know how to use proper grammar, can spell words fairly easily, and enjoy using the semicolon. :) I am also glad that I know the difference between your/you're, there/their/they're, its/it's, etc. 
• I am grateful that I received a letter this week from one of my best friends! He always seems to send letters when I need them most.

What are you thankful for? 

tuesday tunes.

Alright, I know some of you (like you, Jen) will not appreciate today's post. But...because it snowed somewhere between 6-8 inches yesterday where I live, I feel justified in posting some holiday tunes that I discovered yesterday. And love. Immensely.


Michael's version of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is wonderful. Maybe fellas will disagree, but it makes me swoon. Any guy that can sing like Michael would have a hard time getting rid of me! 

I also enjoyed his version of this Christmas classic. 

Finally, Michael has an original Christmas song and I just love the lyrics and the picture I get in my head of cozying up by the fireplace, Christmas lights strung on the mantle, hot cocoa in a festive mug in one hand, a cute boy's hand in the other ;) Haha, you get the picture, right?

Alright, if you don't like Christmas songs before Thanksgiving, just save this post for a later day. But, Michael Buble just might be worth it...

525.

Yes, this is my 525th post. Crazy! I just got back from a weekend getaway to Provo. My weekend included:

-Retail therapy shopping + 2 pairs of new boots :)
-Mock Cafe Rio pork burrito (my cousin is an amazing cook)
-Girl chat in the car for 2 hours
-Pep talks/analyzing situations in said car
-7-11 hot chocolate (I think it's probably the best. Too bad we don't have 7-11 where I live!)
-Impersonating people who had plaques in display cases in a random BYU building
-Hanging out in said building/singing/talking/laughing until 1 a.m.
-A BYU stake conference (it was on a volleyball court)
-Taking a walk after church
-A fun ride home with lots of great conversation

Can't forget my grateful list for the night:
-Having friends in many cities
-The snow! And taking walks in the snow. I love it!
-Being able to borrow clothes to spice up your own wardrobe
-Little reminders that Heavenly Father loves me

And, for the fun part...photos to document the weekend!

 [me + kelly at her apartment]

 [taking a Sunday walk after church. the skirt & shirt were borrowed (hence my grateful list), the belt is my favorite thrifted belt from DI, and those are one of my new pairs of boots!]

 [this girl (hollie) is one of my best friends and cousins. she is going on a mission but doesn't have her call yet! i'll miss her like crazy]

[i loved the skirt i borrowed this weekend with my new boots, so i thought i'd document that again for you]

thankful thursday

Following my sister's blog post, I thought I'd list a few (more) things I'm thankful for since I mentioned a few in this post.

• Having temples so close & going to my favorite tonight! Plus, temple trips always mean Iceberg Drive-In after for delectable Oreo shakes! 
• Being done with midterms and 3/4 comm. research papers for this semester
• Having so many options for school, internships, etc. (I might be stressed about it, but maybe I should think of it as a "blessing" instead)
• Leaving town for the weekend to see awesome people! (Like Kelly and Aaron)
• Horseback riding + and teachers who recognize and talk to me outside of class (I just saw my horsemanship teacher and he hassled me about talking to a boy instead of being in class. He's an awesome teacher.)
• Having friends like Bailey in comm research. We laugh together at the absurd & off topic comments made by some of our fellow classmates. And possibly Bailey's mistaken notes... :) 
• Making new friends/turning "acquaintances" into friends
• Letters in the mail! 

Ok, I better save some thankfulness for the rest of the month. What are you thankful for? Feel free to write in the comments or just write your own blog post & let me know about it in the comments. 

happy november!

I always get so excited when November comes around. Here are a few reasons i LOVE this month.

-my birthday (what? it's my blog. i can say that.)
-thanksgiving
-11.11.11 is coming up & that is just cool (and today is 11.1.11 which is almost as cool)
-fall
-sweater/boots weather
-pumpkin pie cake
-pilgrims
-the end of the semester (minus a week or two)
-crunching leaves
-peppermint icecream
-cinnamon and pumpkin and "holiday" scents
-christmas music!

oh, and if you have never seen this, please watch it. it's hilarious. I know it's about Halloween, but it's worth it. It will make you laugh. Unless you don't have a sense of humor, in which case, I apologize.


do you have a favorite month? or is that just me?

pumpkins through the years.

In honor of Halloween, I thought I'd post some pictures of this October holiday with my pumpkins in past years. I describe my pumpkin-carving ability as that of a second grader. You'll see why. 

 2006: Check out that outfit. The rockin' glitter-studded pants, pink fuzzy slippers, AND the crimped hair. 

 2007: I remember this year. My friend and I dressed up as zombies and effectively scared little children (I might have even chased one down the street after he trick-or-treated at her house). My pumpkin was...a little off that year. The nose and eyes are about all the same size. 

2008: Apparently I didn't carve anything fantastic this year. All I could find was this picture of my feet with the pumpkin I had just picked from the patch. That was a fun time. I recommend it.    

   2009: My skills were really lacking this year. I don't really know what that was all about. Sometimes, I just lack the desire to carve something awesome. Apparently, that happens more often than not :)

 2010: Pumpkin carving date. Look how cute that little pumpkin is! 

2010: Pumpkin carved at FHE with the same guy pictured above. I think is my pride-and-joy pumpkin. Yeah, it's a little ... creepy, what with the hanging man and all (and please notice the owl perched on the tree branch!) but we came up with that idea ourselves. I was just happy it wasn't just a crazy face like I do every other year. And, we won the Best Pumpkin award that night. 

2011: Oh, that's right. I haven't carved a pumpkin yet this year! Maybe I'll do that tonight. I've carved a pumpkin for as long as I can remember (or at least the last 5 documented years). 

So, do you carve pumpkins? What are your favorite holiday traditions? 

Oh, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

It's the great pumpkin!

Look what you can watch for free on Hulu! I love Charlie Brown movies. They remind me of my mother :) I've spent 4 hours in the library today and have another 3 before it closes. But, this provided nice background noise. And check back Monday for my post featuring exciting past-pumpkin carvings!

Happy Halloween Weekend! 

karaoke fanatic.

It's a truth generally acknowledged ... that Peacocks like to sing/perform. I see it quite frequently in my niece's character too, which is pretty fun. My friend posted a photo of me singing last night at a ward FHE Barn Dance & my mind started reeling on the many, many occasions I've done this type of thing. So, I thought I'd share some photos documenting some of these moments for your (and my) amusement. 

 Singing "Man! I Feel Like A Woman" at FHE. 

The above three photos document some of my EFY years: singing "No Arizona" (top left), "When I Think About Angels" (top right), and "Red High Heels" (I'll let you figure that one out...)

Awesome karaoke at a Piano Bar in Washington, D.C. We sang showtunes for hours. It was lovely! 

This photo cracks me up. I'm singing Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive". This photo was taken in Granada, Spain this summer. A few friends and I sang at a little bar well into the morning hours. We finally left after butchering "A Whole New World." It was late. 

Anyway, there's a peek into something you might not have known about me ... but probably did. It's likely that if karaoke is around, I'll be able to find something to sing. 

So, tell me...do you or don't you karaoke? 

a break from midterms.

I think most students had their midterms last week or the week before. However, I still have one this week. But, after spending 5 hours in the library today working on a research paper due on Friday, I decided I couldn't stand the silence. So, home I came. While filling out my midterm study guide, I stumbled upon ABC's new show, Once Upon A Time. 

I had no background knowledge of the show, but I actually quite enjoyed it. It's different from the other shows on TV that I catch on Hulu, like Modern Family (this episode reminds me SO much of my mom!) and The Sing-Off (loved this performance last week). Anyway, have you seen Once Upon A Time? What fall TV shows are catching your attention? 

Alright, back to research/law cases/libel & privacy law. 

tuesday tunes (friday edition)

Clever title, right? I can't think of alliteration for Friday + term involving music. If you think of one, let me know :)


On my morning run today, this song came echoing through my mind. I haven't heard it in quite some time, but it's a beautiful song, great video, and has some powerful lyrics too. Perfect.

I'll admit. It's my guilty pleasure :)

Halloween spirit, yes? This song reminds me of walking through the halls in elementary school in our costumes, trick-or-treating between classrooms. This song would play over the loud speaker.

I love Kelly Clarkson. She's so beautiful in a not-so-Hollywood-stereotypical way. Plus, this song has a good beat.

I blame this last one on my friend, Aaron who posted a picture of himself dressed as a Newsie for Halloween. Of course when I saw it, I thought of the music from the movie!

There ya go. Hope you enjoy my very random music pics for this week!

the funny thing is...

well, do you ever have times when you just feel like nothing is going right? then, one day, things start falling into place?
that is what has been happening to me lately (with housing, graduation, summer plans). yet, I still feel like there are so many holes and spaces that I want/need to figure out. (that's when I am reminded of patience)

sometimes, though, we just aren't ready. and no matter how much we think we want something, or how much we want to believe something is right, that's not always the case. maybe it's the wrong time or we haven't learned our lessons yet.

i'm not sure of the answer (even though I wish everything was printed like a roadmap in front of me). but, I do know that I am blessed with so many wonderful things.

so, when I get discouraged, I really ought to remember all the teeny tiny things God blesses me with that make me happy -- running into someone that reminds you of a test that you weren't in class to hear about, sharing Dairy Queen frozen hot chocolate with a roommate, finding out I'm going to be an aunt again, playing silly childhood games, seeing random reminders of past summer adventures...

and, above all, things are going to get better, right?

digging through the hope chest.

Once upon a time, my sister Jen came to visit. I have a lot of photos from a family party we had, and I shall display those in another post. But, first. Sunday night, Jen came up to mom's house & we took a splendid walk down memory lane. And then we even convinced mom to let us go through her hope chest, where Jen and I once again discovered our similar tastes ... for all things vintage! 

 We played the 1980s Go For It! I was quite pleased with the Tudor Estate, jeep wrangler, hot tub & pool, horse stable, and African Safari :)

 Check out that beautiful apron. Sigh.

 Um. Awesome 1970s quilt handmade by my mama? Yes.

 Yep, I was rockin my mom's 1980s tshirt. I tried to steal it, but she caught on to my scheming ways.

 Then we found her wedding dress. It somehow fit.

 My mom stitched these pillowcases. Mushrooms! So 70s.

And a vintage apron my mom used as a little girl in the late 50s/early 60s. Awesome.

There you have it ... a few vintage finds from my own mother's hope chest. It was a fun night indeed :)