tell me tuesday (answers)

Well, I had a few questions asked last week. So, here goes:

From my sister jen:

Who is your favorite sister & why? 

(a picture of my sisters, jen and becky, and me in Washington, D.C. during July 2011)

I doubt she expected an answer, but I'm going to answer it. See, my sisters are quite a bit older than me (Jen is 9 years older and Becky is nearly 7 years older). So, growing up, I didn't really get to know them. I still remember Jen calling me my freshman year of college and having the conversation sound a little like this:
"You know, I still think of you as a 10-year-old, Cheri. So, I'm going to start calling you every week so I can get to know you."

Truth be known? I was a little worried! What would it be like "getting to know" my oldest sister? Well, I'll tell you ... these college years have been the best! I love being able to talk and get advice (even if I don't always listen) from Jen. We are very similar, which helps us relate well to situations. Jen has even encouraged me to live without regret...story time. My freshman year I had a major crush on a certain boy. We had several close "almost kissing" moments, and Jen gave me some key advice. Well, my kiss with that boy finally happened at the end of my freshman year (no, I did not tell him)...and well, all thanks to Jen for giving me courage. So, Jen, thanks for sharing your thoughts with me (even if I don't always agree) and also sharing a love of thrifting and good music.

Becky and I talk quite frequently as well! I still remember the summer days in North Carolina, lounging in our backyard pool. Becky would confide in me and tell me all about her summer crushes. She would even let me tag along with her friends. Throughout her college years at BYU, I made many visits to stay with Becky. She never minded having her little sister come hang out with her. It is even more fun now that we're both older — we've even gone on double dates! So, to answer your question Jen, obviously I cannot....although Becky has called me more recently ;)

And, to answer Aaron's questions:

What were your favorite TV shows as a kid? Well, I loved Sabrina the Teenage Witch. It was absolutely my top favorite. I never really watched cartoons (shocked?) but I loved the TGIF night on ABC with shows like Sabrina, Boy Meets World, etc. Those were good times.

Do you have any recurring dreams? Not that come to mind ... my dreams usually involve boys that I like or have liked (I guess in that respect, my ex has popped up a few times since we broke up). But I've never had any crazy recurring dreams.

What is the most daring/dangerous thing you've ever done? Hmm...I once snuck into the theater on SUU's campus around 1 a.m. and explored backstage. It was pretty awesome, actually. I can't tell you more because it will give away all the secrets. I also went on a crazy roller coaster at the fair in Spain. It was a bungee cord that just tossed you up in the air. I had no idea if those kinds of things have safety tests or not ... luckily I survived ;)

Thanks for the questions! If anyone has questions this week, I'll answer them next week. If not, I'll find something else to blog about. Ha! Happy Tuesday :)

music monday.

it's time for another music monday! here are this week's three songs:

cover -- "Someone Like You" by Charlie Puth & Emily Luther


When I heard this cover for the first time, I had never heard the original by Adele. I think this is one of the best versions of this song.


discovery -- "My Own Sinking Ship" by Good Old War (thanks for the band suggestion, Katelin!)




no guilty pleasure this week ... because I'm obsessed with the following song, also by Good Old War. It is called "Coney Island" and it is fantastic.



as always, if you have suggestions, i LOVE to hear them!

friday finds.

Instead of doing the Top 10 finds from Pinterest this week, I decided to do 7. Believe me, it's not because I couldn't find 10 things to show you all. But, 7 is a fresh number ;) Enjoy!

1. Framed "LOVE" letters for Valentine's Day.

Source: adiamondinthestuff.blogspot.com via Cheri on Pinterest

2. If I owned colored pants, they'd look like this:

Source: anthropologie.com via Cheri on Pinterest

3. Goal for future home:

Source: mckensiesmith.blogspot.com via Cheri on Pinterest

4. This looks tasty:

Source: jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com via Cheri on Pinterest

5. So do these (who doesn't love peanut butter & chocolate??)

Source: meettheswans.com via Cheri on Pinterest

6. I love a good braid. Can't wait to try this when my hair is a little longer:

Source: sofeminine.co.uk via Cheri on Pinterest

7. One day, I hope I can be clever like this:

Source: eliseypants.blogspot.com via Cheri on Pinterest

Do you have a Pinterest? If so, send me a link in the comments!

what's cookin', good lookin'?

On Sunday, two of my roommates said the following statements:

"Oh! That smells so good. What are you cooking?"
"Do you cook a lot?"
"I need to cook more real meals."
"Can you teach me to crock pot?" (that was my favorite -- crock pots are the throw-it-in-and-forget-it cooking tactic! Perfect for Sunday meals)

So, here are a few yummy meals to try if you're looking for a good meal!

Source: sixsistersstuff.com via Cheri on Pinterest

(can't wait to try this on Sunday)

Crockpot Chicken & steamed veggies (what I ate on Sunday):

So easy!
Ingredients:

1 packet of dry onion soup mix (Liptons)
1 can of cream of chicken soup (or two if you want it less thick)
2 chicken breasts
1/4 c. milk
salt and pepper, to taste

Throw it in and cook on low 4-6 hours (varies depending on your crock pot)

I put mine over Trader Joe's brown rice medley, but you can put on any type of rice or noodle.

Source: kohlercreated.com via Cheri on Pinterest

spicy white chicken chili
can you guess that i really like the chicken + crock pot combo?

and, because sometimes we all crave goodies, here are some sure hits (I've made them):

Source: theidearoom.net via Cheri on Pinterest

Source: kelseysappleaday.blogspot.com via Cheri on Pinterest

these are some of the best chocolate chip cookies i've ever made ... especially left over dough the next day ;)

Ok, there are some recipes for you to try! Do you have any awesome recipes? Or a Pinterest? Let me know in the comments!

tell me tuesday.

I'm starting a new weekly feature called "Tell Me (How It Is) Tuesday." Basically, I want to answer your questions (if you have any). These questions can be about anything -- music, relationships, my life, style, movies (although you might not want my opinion on that), school, food, love (lack of it), roommates, crushes, etc.

So, let's get this ball rolling. Here's how it works: you ask me a question (in the comments) and then next week, on Tell Me Tuesday, I'll answer it! Sound good? Start asking ... please :) And if you have more than one question, you can still ask, I'll just save it for another week.

music monday.

hello, music lovers.

I've done a few "music monday" posts before and I'm going to try to do this every week. The songs might be covers, new discoveries, guilty pleasures, etc. Oh wait, let's do one of each this week? :) Good idea.

Cover — The Civil Wars: "You Are My Sunshine"

See more of The Civil Wars in this post.


New Discovery — Jack & White "Smoke & Mirrors"

*I saw Jack & White perform live last Tuesday. It was so good.

Guilty Pleasure — Jessie J "Domino"

This song makes me want to dance. All around the room.


There you have it — the first Music Monday of 2012. What are you listening to? Any suggestions?

the start of something new.

Come on. Are you thinking of that High School Musical song right now? No, okay, I guess that's just me. Well, it's time for a new semester. I've decided to complete my minor, which means I will not be graduating this spring. But, classes are underway once more. And it's a busy semester.

I'm writing my senior thesis this semester (an undergrad research project about Twitter), taking a language acquisition class, interning with the Speech & Presentation Center, learning about Photoshop and other Adobe systems, and taking a class on social media ... wait, back up.

A class? About social media. You bet. And it's fantastic. PS. For that class, this blog will be essential. 
We have to attract followers, track page views, and post 30 times. I was debating between using this personal blog  & my Tumblr. What do you think?

I had the idea to have a few "regular" posts each week (Music Monday - which will include covers since I love, love, love covers; Pinterest Find Friday - favorite Pinterest finds from the past week, etc.)

Any other ideas? I'd love to hear it.

little reminders.

Today, I stumbled upon the ...24 or so journals that I've kept since the year 2003.

I was caught up for a few hours just poring over the pages and pages of entries through the years. Some made me roll my eyes; others brought a smile to my face. Sometimes I found myself laughing out loud at my silly school girl behavior (I guess part of me is still that way). Needless, as I was reading through one of the journals, I found this quote written in the margins:

"Faith is the ability to wait." 

I'm not sure where I heard it years ago. But, I love it. Waiting is hard. It takes courage, discipline, and dedication. But it is possible — to wait for what I really want in life and not just settle for a mediocre version of a potentially amazing something, or someone. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf once said patience is the ability not only to endure, but to endure well (don't quote me on that as the quote has obviously been paraphrased).
As I thought about that this afternoon, it is true that faith also takes work (faith without works is dead, right?). So, this year ... I'm going to be more patient. I'm going to have more faith. I'm going to work more diligently to change that faith to action.

And the results are going to be great. I can just feel it.

xoxo.

2012 goals.

[photo taken on New Year's Eve]

It's that time of year again ... time to make those resolutions & goals for the new year. I'll be honest. I don't really feel like making resolutions, so perhaps I will call them "goals" instead. Here are a few things I want to do/achieve/become in 2012:

Spiritual
      -Go to the temple once a month
      -Study the scriptures earlier in the day

Health
      -Run first half-marathon
      -Get back to that pre-Spain weight (about 5 lbs. to go)
      -Try new recipes using quinoa, brown rice, wheat flour etc.

Travel
       -Visit my sister in Asheville
       -Roadtrip (California, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, etc?)
       -Summer internship (D.C., Boston, Salt Lake City)

Style
      -Wear what I feel is cute, not just what is "accepted"
      -Break the rules.
      -The year for "big glasses"?

Educational
       -4.0
       -Graduate (either with BA in May or with BA+ minor in December)
       -Read the textbooks ;)
       -Read more just "for fun"


Relationships
       -Date. Often. (not that I can really control that one. Ha)
       -Write letters to friends on missions once a month.
       -Call siblings more often/video chat/etc.

Well, there are a handful..err...a couple handfuls.. of goals that I have for 2012. I think it is going to be the best year yet!