the siovhan show

Hey, It's OKAY!

2012-01-09T23:36:00.000-08:00

It's OKAY that:
Saturday I didn't change out of my jammies until, like, 9 at night.
I was cranky after getting woken up not one, not two, but three separate times Saturday (my only day to sleep in).
Every time I see that Cloo network promote I want to sign up.
I spent a good chunk of Sunday watching NCIS.
I ate cereal for more than one meal this weekend.
That one of my favorite friends made my day by reblogging my crazy Texas hair pic on Tumblr.
I have a hand sanitizer addiction.
My phone charger is half broken...okay, that's not okay but I'm trying to be okay with it.
My hair just won't do what I want today.
I drained my Kindle battery in one afternoon.
I read more now that I have a means to carry multiple books with me at all times.
My family is moving to Texas next week.
I cried when I got news that my high school BFF is having a kid after years of prayers and hope and adoption papers.
My nail polish has started chipping even though I applied a top coat for, like, the first time ever.
I finished Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me and want to re-read it already.
Someone found my blog by googling "bangs are long."
I watched Arrested Development last night as I fell asleep, and fell asleep laughing.
I get jealous that Instagram is only for Apple stuff, and that Pinterest's app is only for them, too.
I'm so busy with work crap that my only thought come 8 is FOOOOOOOOD.
This is my blog entry for right now.

holly holly holidays

2012-01-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

Hi friends!
How were your holidays? Did you eat lots of good food and spend time with those you love?

I did. Probably a little too much in the food arena. My holidays were hustly, bustly, fun, tender, and overall just great. I stayed here in Oregon (oh, that work thing) so I missed out on physical time with my family but was taken in by Pat's family, so graciously.

I got to talk to Braden in Nicaragua on Sunday which was so wonderful! He's so tan and happy and just greatly missed. My family and I managed to Skype for about 5 hours and it greatly helped me stave off my holiday homesickness.

Santa was SUPER generous this year, endowing me with a Kindle Fire and a couple other things, and Pat got me much needed cases for my techy goods and the coolest gift -- a giant cereal bowl (normal bowls aren't big enough for my cereal addiction). And my sister got me something awesome that sadly has been delayed in the mail for a few days.

This year it was better to give than to receive. I know it sounds cheesy, but I took much more pleasure in finding the perfect gifts for my loved ones than I did opening my own gifts (not to say they aren't AWESOME). It was such a good feeling, reminding me of lessons I've long known that charity is much better than Scrooge-y-ness.

How are all of you?

that's very pinteresting

2011-12-01T23:46:00.000-08:00

(Oh my title is stretching it tonight.)

Hey guys, remember me? Hi!
I've missed you! I've been really busy as we're super understaffed as work, I'm now 4 weeks caffeine free (what what!), and just spending my time doing stuff besides blogging.

Clearly, my goal to post everyday last month only lasted for about 2/3 of the month. But, well, it's something.

So I thought we'd explore some more pinterest finds (it's seriously addicting).

I love this grouping. That red bag -- to die for.

If it snowed more here, you best believe I'd be doing this to all my coworkers cars during my lunch break.

I started a board with things that are on my "bucket list." This is one of them.

This should be printed and posted in every girl's room from age 11 onward. I remind myself of this a lot lately.

I love this meme almost as much as I love success kid. I also love to dougie.

Isn't this just the prettiest bathroom you've ever seen? I would nap in that shower.

Hahahaha. I seriously laughed out loud and hard when I saw this.

You fully know this is true. Oh, Dory.

Most ingenious way to find and keep track of your keys.

Preach. On.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

xoxo.

Gettin my hurs did.

2011-11-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a little behind on NoBloPoMo (still the weirdest and silliest title ever), but even just multiple posts in a week will make me feel like I'm accomplishing something and not just straight up abandoning this little spot (as has been known to happen).

Let's discuss something my friend Sariah and I constantly talk about. The battle of the bangs.

In my whole life I have never been bang-less (I really want to make a your mom joke here, but I won't because I'm sure your mothers are lovely. haha.). When I was younger I had the dreaded teased 90s bangs. In middle school I did the dreaded split-right-down-the-middle bangs. In high school I had curled front bangs (why, oh why, did no one teach me about side bangs then?!). And in college/now I've had/have swooped side bangs.

Part of that is due to the fact that I always had the feeling I was born with a GIANT forehead (I wasn't). I also have a round face (fact.), so I felt like bangs elongated it. (As I type this I'm instantly jealous that men don't think of things like this.)

Back to the battle. There hits a point where my bangs are just.too.long. This usually ends up with them bobby pinned on top of my head for two weeks until I chop them on a whim at 1 am. Then, I regret it. I miss the long version of my bangs, despite them being "unbearable" before.

So right now, my bangs are LONG. I'm resisting the late night chop and instead opting for some side bobby pinning. Like this:

(Yes, gratuitous pictures of myself. Also evidence I can't be serious, ever.)

But I kind of like em long. I'm diggin this hairstyle. The only downside are days like today when I don't straighten or curl my hair and it's just stuck in a low bun (I'll tell you of my ponytail phobia another day). I ended up trying them like 10 different ways before just sticking to a strong side part.

Do you guys face the bang battle? What about the battle of chopping vs. growing out your hair?

Happy Shark-blimp Day

2011-11-14T23:59:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late to the game on this post, seeing as his special day is almost over, but I couldn't overlook this day.

A little more than two years ago this man completely changed my life when he asked me out. He was the guy who took the initiative, who spent time making me feel special, who spent hours on end talking to me, and who made me laugh all the live long day.

Now, more than ever, he does this day in and day out.
He makes sure each day to make me feel loved.

Pat is incredibly determined, intelligent and humble. He shares his passions with me all the times teaching me how to cook better, having patience when I'm not always successful, and making plans for us to be able to do it together. He helps me to garner more knowledge, gives me tips when I'm trying to do it alone, and celebrates my victories always telling me how proud he is of me. He teaches me about hip hop, shows me new artists, and burns me CDs. He plays basketball with me even though he's AMAZING at it and I'm not. He tosses around the football with me, shows me strategy, and has even taught me how to block and tackle.

Beyond that he's fiercely loyal and incredibly caring. He's taken care of me on so many occasions. Whether its bringing me food when I'm stuck at work, just holding me close when I've had a bad day, to spending an entire night sleeping on my floor as I threw up repeatedly just to make sure I had someone there to help me if I needed it.

He puts his all into everything he does. No matter whether he loves it or just tolerates it he strives for perfection. He's hardest on himself, and pushes everyone around him to be better.

It's hard to put into words just how much he means to me. So I'll leave it at this: I love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in this whole crazy world, and more than I could ever fathom being able to care about someone. The first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep is you. I can't remember what life was like before you and I pray I never know what it's like without you. I love you Patrick, always.

xoxo.

Momma....oooOOOOoooooOOOOOOoooo

2011-11-11T23:40:00.000-08:00

I am late as usual, today (Friday) is my momma's birthday. And she's not going to see this until afterward, but better late than not at all, correct?

My mom is 29 again. It's amazing she was able to birth me when she was only a wee lass. Haha. I kid. I kid. But she looks freakin amazing for having a 25 year old kiddo, right? Seriously, I am so hoping I got those genes.

My mom and I have always been close, ever since I was little. It wasn't until I was older I never really understood a) how awesome that is and b) how lucky I am to have that. My mom and I have always shared the good, bad, silly, and somber times. She's often the first person I call when I need some guidance or perspective. She's a great listener and great at helping me understand or see things in a way I didn't before.

My friends in high school came over just as much to see my mom as they did to see me. In fact, I know several of my friends would confide their problems in my mom and ask for her support or help or opinion about what they were going through. To this day several of my friends remain just as good of friends with her as they do with me (some, if not even better). One friend of mine even called my mom when she couldn't find her way home knowing my mom wouldn't tease her about it like I would have. That, my friends, is true compassion.

My mom might be just the most selfless person I've ever met. She went without for so long so that her kids could have all the things of their dreams. I remember in high school my dad forcing me to go buy her stuff or take her to buy clothes or things she needed because she'd justify that we deserved new things, not her. She till is so generous, sending me cards, packages, little notes just to remind me how much she loves me.

This also extends to her immense ability and drive to serve, completely without complaint. She drove countless kids to church activities when I was younger, volunteered to go to girl's camp, spent time making all kinds of treats, costumes, props and lesson helps for all kinds of stuff. She still does. She spends so much time trying to make life happy and quality for her church girls that I can't even figure out how she does her hair and makeup and eats every day.

My mom always taught us that our brains were a vital part of who we are and that they need constant nourishment. She'd take us to visit historical places, science centers, museums, and landmarks all the while teaching us why each thing was significant. My mom instilled within me an immense love for the written word and would (and still does) tear through books like a madwoman.

My mom is my best friend (and I'm even okay that I'm not her best friend (my dad is)). She knows me better than I know myself.

Momma, I love you. Thanks for being the very best mom a girl could ever ask for.

xoxo.

I wish...

2011-11-10T23:35:00.000-08:00

that my parents house would sell so they and Mik all could be in Texas.
that I could sleep fully through the night just one night this week. Body, ya killin me!
that I could be with my momma on her birthday. (Today!)
that Pat and I had a ton of vacation time to explore the world.
that I could just stay in my bed and in my jammies tomorrow.
that I was as courageous as Jenna who danced for all her readers.
that I could find my coat (it got "lost" in my last move).
that I had long legs.
that Pat and I could spend an entire day watching movies on the couch and eating hot wings.
that I was allowed to wear my yoga pants to work.
that I had the finances to keep my hair perpetually highlighted. Vain, I know.
that I could be as open with all facets of my life as Lauren and Krysten are with theirs.
that there was a grilled cheese machine at my desk.
that I had time and money to sew more clothes.
that I had cut my bangs earlier, instead of debating it while I'm tired.
that I was drinking hot cocoa right now.
that I could adequately paint my nails without them getting all smudgy and chippy.

Those are just a few things on my wish list -- how about you?

xoxo.

vlog log blog frog mog bog wog

2011-11-10T01:02:00.000-08:00

EDIT: So, YouTube is a wench and took down my video..so I'll re-upload it somewhere else when I get home.

Clearly I'm tired. As you can tell from my title.

Well, I thought it's about high time that I do a vlog because hi, I've been blogging for years and dude, there are people out there that don't know the lovely sound of my voice. And that my friends, is not something I should keep to myself. (I can actually picture my closest friends rolling their eyes at that statement.)

I got this from Lacey in Love who got it from Boots and Pearls on a Texas Girl.

Hope you all enjoy my crazy self!

xoxo.

p.s. I know this is posting after midnight, it is Wednesday's entry, YouTube just took longer than I expected.

Lost in Wanderlust

2011-11-08T23:48:00.000-08:00

By now we all know I come from a family of mixed nationalities. But did you know we have grand wanderlust? It's true. We have a hard time not adventuring.

We traveled all the time when I was younger. It wasn't always exceptionally far, but there were very few weekends we didn't go somewhere.

When we lived in Nebraska we'd go to the park, travel to Des Moines for the Native American markets, visit Winter Quarters, go to Kansas City or Lincoln, and every summer trek back to Utah.

The family (minus my dad who's taking the picture) under the Arch, 2009

When we lived in St. Louis we'd go into the city be it to the Arch, the waterfront, Ted Drewes, Cardinals games (for everyone but perpetually heat-sick me), the Magic House, all of it. We made countless cross-country trips to see my grandparents. We drove to Branson, to the Bass Pro Shop in this little town that President Truman grew up in, to Kentucky, all over Illinois, definitely to Chicago.

When we moved across the country we stopped and did little things in nearly every state along the way. I vaguely remember stopping in Ohio, we definitely stopped in Indianapolis and even got to look at the Indy 500 track. We saw coal country in Pennsylvania, the coast of Delaware, New York City and all its bridges and skyscrapers, Connecticuts lush greenery and Rhode Island's teeny tiny corner stores.

Me and NYC, 2010

We didn't stay put when we hit Massachusetts, either. We found several favorite destinations in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and Maine. I miss eating Italian food on Federal Hill in Providence, biking and kayaking in Waterville Valley. I miss laying out at Narragansett Beach, house admiring in Newport, and lobstering in Bar Harbor. I miss Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market and people watching in the square. I miss the Cape. I even miss the Harvard Natural History museum.

Of course there were random smatterings of other trips in there, trips to England and the rest of the U.K., tours of Washington, D.C. Our annual visits to upstate New York and Niagara Falls. Trips to Quebec and Montreal. Trips to Colorado and Nevada and California and Idaho.

My parents taught me that travel is a way to experience an (oft-needed) adventure. I've tried to employ this in my own grown up life, though on a much more money-tight scale. I've been to the coast countless times, to Portland, and Seattle. Even during college there were plenty of excursions.

And now I'm feeling the itch again. A need for a fun adventure -- the only question is, where to?

xoxo.

My Malibu Barbie Dream House

2011-11-07T23:27:00.000-08:00

Here's a little know fact about me: I took two Interior Design classes in college.
I loved about 90% of it, after we got done talking about buttresses. I enjoyed nothing more than when we had to create a portfolio showcasing what we would like in our dream homes. Mine was especially problematic because I liked things from many styles that didn't always fit well together. Modern and Bauhaus furniture didn't always go so well with an Arts and Crafts type kitchen.

My style has become more defined as the years progress and as the dream of one day owning a home becomes more palpable. So when I get gloomy or bored I spend a lot of time perusing interior design blogs, Pinterest (have I mentioned that lately? ha!), and magazines. I have a whole Tumblr and 2 boards dedicated to spaces I love and things I want in my house.

I love this kitchen. I'm a big fan of islands -- especially butcher block islands. And with the added storage on the bottom and the skylight above: perfection. I feel like the natural light opens up the room so much. Plus the lighted cupboards are a really great way for me to see my stuff, as well as incentive to clean and do dishes. Ha!

How cool are these cabinets? I love that they slide out and they store all those little wonky-sized items. Plus it holds things you'd routinely use during cooking right next to the stove (which is a GORGEOUS stove).

Laundry is hands-down my favorite chore. I love the idea of a little TV in there to pass the time while I fold and sort stuff. Especially because if I had a place specifically to fold it would likely be that way more often.

I love photo walls. I have about 80 pinned/tumbl-ed. I just think they're a great way to showcase your life. I really like that this one follows the incline of the stairs.

This teal color is my favorite color, but I could never do a white bedspread; I'm thinking gray, instead. I like that the wall color is echoed in the bar for the drapes. I also really love that the nightstands don't match, because I think it gives the room character.

This is the couch of my dreams. Seriously check this bad boy out. It's a sectional so it can be re-arranged in several ways, but can also be clumped together to create a super-couch.What better way to have family movie night than with a giant cuddle couch?!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Do you ever faux-decorate your dream house? What does it look like?

xoxo.

A foggy day in London town

2011-11-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

via

Here's a weird quirk of mine. Sometimes I get homesick for England, even though I've never lived there and only spent weeks at a time there. But a fondness for this place courses through my veins; it's a big part of my heritage, a stepping stone in who I am and I love it.

When I saw these pictures, I felt that familiar feeling. How wonderful would it be to be meandering along the Thames right now, bundled up in a coat and scarf, and soaking in all the rich culture and history the country has to offer?

I can't wait to go again.

xoxo.

Happy Saturday!

2011-11-05T18:49:00.001-07:00

My day has been and will continue being spent right here on my couch watching football and eating crackers. Mmmm. Club crackers. Mmmmm. Football.

Go ducks!

xoxo.

Dumbphone

2011-11-05T18:33:00.001-07:00

Crap! Blogger didn't post my scheduled post for yesterday! And in my quest to post everyday, that just doesn't work. So here it is:

A few months ago I bought a smartphone, more specifically an HTC Inspire. I love it.

I used to mock people who talked about how much they love their phones or how they can't imagine life without them. But now I'm one if them. It's so easy to find things out, update my Facebook and Twitter, check my calendar and keep in touch with my loved ones.

But I'm also likely the dumbest smartphone user ever. I only check my Twitter like 3 times before 7pm. I use Facebook less than ever before. And Pinterest, my addiction, doesn't have an Android app yet.

I downloaded Angry Birds and Angry Birds Rio and stopped playing both within about a week. So what I really should be asking is, friends, are there any to die for apps or games I should be falling in love with?

xoxo.

pinning to know you...

2011-11-03T19:28:00.000-07:00

I love Pinterest for a myriad of reasons (seriously, if you don't believe me, go look at how big my boards are getting) with a major one being that you get an insight into a person by what they pin.

It's a little peek inside the things that make them feel warm and fuzzy inside. And that, my friends, is an awesome part of a person to know. It's one of my favorite parts of people because if you know what makes them smile and feel good -- you have a connection (to whatever degree).

So here are a few things making me warm and fuzzy right now.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

How adorable is that piglet? And those shoes and sparkly dress -- to die for.
I don't even like cupcakes ... but those ones bring out the wanna-be kindergarten teacher in me.
And that airport picture ... predominantly why I fly in yoga pants and a zip-up. haha.

What's making your heart happy?

xoxo.

I am ...

2011-11-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

Today has been a long day. It has been a frustrating day. Not just everyday frustrating but the kind of frustrating that leaves you clenching your fists in a bit of fury, and subsequently releasing them due to sheer exasperation and exhaustion. The kind where you think of playing hooky the next day but won't because you're a responsible person and gosh-darn-it you're supposed to one of those grown-up things.

But it's okay because I took my frustration out on a wonderful strawberry milkshake (the berry best kind).

It's okay because tomorrow is another day. It's okay because it's just a blip on the radar. Two years from now I won't be able to remember why today wasn't fantastic, but hopefully all the reasons it was.

It's okay because Pat made me laugh so hard tonight, all the terribleness was replaced. It's okay because the frustrating days have to happen to recognize the really good ones.

It's okay because Psych is on my DVR right now. It's okay because there's crackers in my cabinet. It's okay because I have yoga pants screamin my name.

And it's okay because, well, I say it is. Because if I even remotely let myself believe it can't be okay, I'll dwell on this forever and beat myself up for things and hold things against other people...and that's just not fantastic.

"Today was hard. Tomorrow will be better."

xoxo.

My latest goal

2011-11-01T23:41:00.000-07:00

So I'm going to make an attempt at NaBloPoMo. I know it looks like something that occurs in WhoVille, but it's short for National Blog Posting Month. It's organized by blogging network BlogHer and, well, it seems like a good idea.

It'll, hopefully, prompt me to write more (which usually helps me to get out things that are bugging or puzzling me, making me overjoyed or warming my heart. (And technically it's still November first here -- so I'm good on my goal. HA!)

So to kick off my new goal, I thought I'd share something with you that made me actually laugh out loud in my room this weekend.

I totally felt like that as a kid: getting your stuff on the fridge = the Met.

So how are y'all?

xoxo.

the little things

2011-10-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

"It's the little things that count."

It's an adage we hear often and which certainly became an adage because of the truth behind it. On my way home from work last night I heard a commercial from the Ad Council about Fatherhood -- and they used a version of this truism.

It got me thinking (which is likely its intention). How often in life are the little things truly the ones that matter? I'd venture that it's more often than we even realize at the time. Its applicable to all kinds of relationships and interactions.

The time you simply hold your girlfriend's hand after a long day, the time you stop to pick up the box of cereal a busy mom dropped while grocery shopping, the time you cut the guy in your office some slack because you know they're having a particularly hard day, or the time you pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru. I would guess that these little moments are ones that turn around a day, or affect someone's life for good (even if at the time they don't know about it).

About a year ago I had a quote in my bathroom that said, "Every day, do one thing that won't come undone. Call a friend, read a story to a child, write in your journal." These are not events that are too far from many people's every day activities, but they are things that can help someone in ways you likely can't fathom at that point.

I am frequently the beneficiary of such acts, and some have affected my life much more than the person who did them likely knows.

There's Pat who does things for me daily (even hourly). He makes me laugh constantly, he makes food especially for me, holds my hand, snuggles me, includes me in his plans, he pays for gas, he teaches me how to cook, he comes and chats with me at my desk just to see how my day is going, he took me mini golfing when I had pneumonia just to get me out of the house, he bought me popsicles when I had the flu, hands over his lunch to me when I haven't eaten, he's cleaned my room and hung pictures, he's taken me grocery shopping to make sure I had food, he's done my laundry, he does all kinds of stuff for me that I appreciate so much.

There's my mom who spent countless hours caring for me as a kid and maybe even more countless hours reading books to me as a child, stirring within me a love of the written word and greatly influencing my career choice and my continued interest in reading. She bought me a purse a few weeks ago because she knows I haven't bought myself a new one in a year. There's my dad who calls at least once a week just to say hi and make sure I'm happy. My dad who buys me lobster when I'm at home just because he knows it makes my life a little bit better.

There's my sister who shares funny videos, pictures and quotes on my Facebook wall. She texts me goodnight nearly every night. My brother Braden who goes out of his way to check up on me in his emails all the way from Nicaragua. My brother Ben who calls to ask for my advice because he knows I've been in situations like he is.

There's the McDonald's attendant last week who just gave me a vanilla ice cream cone when I'd had a long day. There's the couple at Wal-Mart last week who let me go in front of them because I had one item and they had 20 or so. There's the old man a few weeks ago who told me I had hair as beautiful as Grace Kelly's. There's my coworker who made me banana pudding just because I'd talked about it. There's the guy who let me go ahead of him in traffic. There's the accounts lady at the doctor's office who helped me negotiate down my bill. There's the nurse who always answers my questions.

So, dear friends, I challenge you to do something small, big, medium sized for someone else because I can promise you that even if you don't think much of it -- it will make them smile and make their day better.

xoxo.

tuesday tune-up: sunshiney songs

2011-10-11T23:44:00.000-07:00

As fall comes, so comes the Oregon rain. Some of these gray days call for mellow, relaxing music, but some call for music to make you feel like it's sunny. So I thought I'd share some of my favorite sunshiney songs.

1. The Way You Make Me Feel by Michael Jackson -- I would challenge anyone who says this song doesn't make them dance even just a little. It's made to get you groovin'.

2. Tell Her About It by Billy Joel -- I think it's somewhat the big band feel, somewhat the tambourine that make you feel excited as you listen to this.

3. If It's Love by Train -- I love this song so so so much. Actually, let's be really honest, I love this entire album, it's impeccably produced and just full of honest and heartfelt music.

4. Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles -- This song makes me think of my dad who would sometimes hum it when we were at home.

5. Say My Name by Destiny's Child -- Oh, y'all thought I was gonna get through an entire post without Beyonce. Nope. I LOVE this song. I listen to it a shameful amount as I dance around my room doing heaven knows what.

But I need suggestions folks. What are some of your sunshiney songs?

xoxo.

hmmm have i already pinned that?

2011-10-05T01:19:00.000-07:00

Dude. Guys. I am seriously enjoying Pinterest.
(Come pin with me, the link is right over there <--)

I know some say it's just another Tumblr, but it's SO fun and I find so much stuff! So since lately it I mainly work, cook and spend much needed and welcome time with my stud muffin boyfriend, I decided I'm gonna share some favorite pins with you every now and then.
(each picture will be linked)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

There are so many of these I really love.
The Boy Meets World one is something I still say to this day. And we all know my affinity for sand dollars. That pink and white cardigan? Yeah, that links to a tutorial that teaches you how to make your own cardigans. The buffalo chicken grilled cheese looks incredible! Also, sloth hugs? ADORABLE.

What are y'all pinning/loving/obsessing over?

Papa means Dad, Pappa means mushy food

2011-09-28T01:39:00.000-07:00

This guy just had a birthday!
And it was a milestone! (He's double my age at this point.)

Braden and Dad, Omaha, NE

Check out that 'stache...he was STYLIN.
Seriously, check out the wedding day ensemble.

My Mom and Dad's wedding and engagement pictures

I've been lucky enough throughout life to count my family as my best friends and my parents are at the root of that. My dad is an incredible man and has taught me much in life; some by discussion, some by letting me figure it out, but most just by how he lives his life. No matter the success, the failure, the fear, the plan just-not-knowing -- he's been there for me, and is still there for me through everything.

Me and Dad, Salt Lake City, UT

Every year in school, actually nearly every semester I was in college, he would come visit on the way back home from whatever business trip he was on. He always made sure we went and did fun things like trips to Park City, movies, football games, soccer games, dinners out, or pizza parties with my roommates. My dad was always eager to embrace the wonderful people in my life. He asks how Pat is and how my friends are, but the clincher is he genuinely cares about the answer and about their welfare.

My graduation day, Aug. 08, Provo, UT

My dad always pushed me to achieve anything and everything that I can. I was never supposed to settle for less than I could do or for someone making me feel less than I am. I remember in high school not making Central District choir my sophomore year by TWO POINTS. I sat in my room sullen, angry, and very disappointed in myself. My dad came and knocked on the door and recounted to me his first set of job interviews when he was about to graduate from grad school. I remember him looking me in the eye and saying, "Does this mean you can't sing? No. Does this mean that you'll never be able to sing after today? No. So prove them wrong. Make them sorry they turned you down." And I did. I still use this lesson, this characteristic my dad and I share. When the world knocks me down and tells me I'm not enough, I pick myself back up (often with some help) and try my darndest to prove it wrong.

My Dad near Oakridge, OR.

When I first moved to Oregon I was terribly lonely. I had no friends here, worked weird hours and had just gone through a rough break up. I was alone. Within two months of me being here my dad took time off work to come visit me and show me what a wonderful, fun and beautiful place Oregon really is. And it REALLY IS. It still means so much to me that my happiness is worth more to him than the money he spent, the money he would've made that day at work, and enough to make him fly 3,500 miles just to put a smile on my face.

Mom and Dad, Rhode Island

I love you Dad. I am grateful for your example, your kindness, your faith in the Lord and in me, your compassion, your tenacity, your humor, and your friendship. I hope I can live up to the last name you gave me.

Love always,

maniacal monday

2011-09-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

My laptop charger has been dying for about two months, but I've been able to MacGyver it into working several times (even tying it to my computer at one point) ... until last night. I'm at a loss for how to make it work now as it clearly has just given up. At least I think it's the cord. I'm really really really hoping it's not the computer itself because if that's the case I'm toast.

I started a Pandora station based all around Julie Andrews this week. Hi, you can just hand me my cane and orthopedic shoes now. That being said, it's awesome. It's comprised mainly of Disney songs, Julie's CD, and My Fair Lady. All favorites.

I made soup this weekend. That might not seem like a big deal but I made it all from scratch and I didn't mess it up. That is an incredible feat. I'm one of those people who has a "first pancake" type problem with many of the things I cook. I nearly always burn one side of my grilled cheese because I got distracted, my pan is nearly always too hot for the last couple pancakes so they turn out weird, my biscuits aren't at the right golden brown so I mis-estimate just how much time I should leave them in, etc. But people I FREAKIN MADE SOUP. And it was delicious.

I also made mini-monkey bread. And it is INCREDIBLE. It didn't turn out exactly right as I let the brown sugar and butter congeal a little too much.

via
I found the recipe here. Let me tell you, these ladies know their stuff.

I was checking my stats and someone searched Liz Lemon and found me. Welcome! We love Liz up in this hizzouse.

My ribs and back hurt. I sleep weird.

My girl Krista clued me into an AMAZING hair curling technique and I can't get enough. I, like my curls, am often pretty tightly wound...so this combing out/dragging the ends/purposely not being completely flawless is pretty awesome. So I'm going to share it, too because I feel like promoting good hair days is good karma.

Krista has a whole bunch of hair tips she's shared here's two on Liz's blog: Tips and Tricks and Memos from a Stylist.

My computer died on me. So I'm finishing this after work as I wait to go pick up my new cord and PRAY that is the issue.

Today was not the best. (For lots of people from what I can tell.)

I have two chunks of hair on either side of my face that when I blow them dry they refuse to be anything but straight--it doesn't matter how long I try to curl them. But if they air dry? Ba-da bing, ba-da boom we're in business. They're bugging me right now.

Update: it totally was the cord and now it's fixed! Yay fairly-expensive-for-what-they-actually-are computer parts!

The Day That Changed the World

2011-09-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

via

We all know I work in news which allows me access to content from a myriad of sources among them two video servers from ABC and CNN. For about two weeks each of these servers contained a tab with the label "9/11 Anniversary." I've spent so much time looking through these, seeing new pieces I've never seen before, and witnessing how people are still affected by, and teaching the lessons America learned that day.

I've watched stories of teachers struggling with how to teach this generation, who has never known a world any different; I've watched stories of kids who all lost parents that day; I've watched widows and widowers weep in memory of their lost loves; I've cried.; I've watched so much. Ten years later and it still affects me the same way.

I've written before about my own September 11th experience, but on this monumental anniversary it felt right to share it again.

I was sitting in English class during the second week of my sophomore year of high school. My teacher had just instructed us to begin a freewrite about things we wanted to accomplish that year. I attempted to focus on the assignment; that's when another of the English teachers barreled into the room. Mr. Speicher had a tremendously horrified look on his face. He half yelled, half trailed off as he said, "We're being bombed. They've bombed America. They've bombed the World Trade Center." He stumbled to the front of the room and turned on the TV.

There, on the screen, was a still shot of the top of the World Trade Centers. Peter Jennings' voice flooded the room as we sat locked, watching in horror as the second plane hit the south tower. I remember seeing people jumping out of the building. We watched as the towers, one after another, buckled and collapsed.

I was terrified; my world of happiness, harmony, and hope for the future was greatly disturbed. The bell rang at the end of that period and people flooded somberly into the hallways desperately looking for their friends -- all too anxious for some semblance of comfort or normalcy. My best friend Holly and I stared at each other in disbelief. We hugged as tears began running down our faces. I remember praying so hard that no one I knew was on either of those planes. That everything would be okay.

The teachers left the TVs on for most of the day. We quickly learned another plane had careened into the fields of Pennsylvania -- overtaken by so many courageous men and women; unwilling to let it hurt and kill thousands. And yet another had destroyed lives and safety at the Pentagon. It was heartbreaking to learn that the planes that hit the towers left from Logan airport Our airport. The one my dad routinely flew out of.

I remember kids getting excused to learn that their family members were part of this terrible tragedy. At the end of the day parents rushed to pick up their children. They, too, needed that moment of normalcy and comfort; that life was at least some bit of what it was before 9 am.

I walked outside to find my mom waiting for me; looking so distraught. I asked how my dad was. "He's safe. Worried they won't let him home for a few days, though." He was on a business trip in some European country; and because my dad is a British citizen he was worried it would be some time before they would allow him to travel back home to his family. My mom and I sat in silence, headed to pick up my brothers. I think we were thinking the same thing; my dad flew frequently, and every flight he took to Australia was on American flight 111. The same flight that hit tower one.

Our eyes, minds, hearts were all glued to the destruction, the remnants, the horror left in Lower Manhattan, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. The hours stretched into days, and the horror continued. We learned people we loved were affected. They lost loved ones in the horror. In the terror.

Days stretched into weeks; weeks to months; months to years. And now, here we are. Ten years later and it still makes me sick thinking of the utter fear I felt then. I wonder if this is what survivors of December 7th, 1941 feel like. That it quickly became a date, an event for the history books, instead of a reality that destroyed the lives of people we pass on the street. Of people who have homes and lives and families and safety all compromised in this event.

I will never believe this only affected New Yorkers. I will never believe it affected just East Coasters, or Northerners. It was that day that affected Americans.

I'm so grateful for my freedom. For the men and women who fight daily to protect it. And for those who gave their lives, or lost their lives on that day victims of anger and hatred from someone they don't even know.
God Bless America.
We sure need it.

Here are some of my favorite posts I've read and felt I should share:
Natalie, Noelle, Naomi, Megan, and Krysten.
(I'll likely add more as I read more.)

xoxo.

The Non-Holiday Holiday Weekend

2011-09-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

I was standing in line earlier thinking, "I should blog."
Then I started to contemplate what I should blog about. "My life is so boring," I thought to myself, "no one wants to read about the little things that are going on with me."

Then I realized THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE HERE TO READ.
You're not here for profound thinking, indelible perfection, or just for anecdotes.
You're here for me.

And that, my friends, is AWESOME.

So here it is, some details about my life/weekend.
This weekend I got to watch so much football!
I woke up on Saturday, grabbed some cereal, and hunkered down in front of the couch. I caught most of the USC/Minnesota game, all but the last 5 minutes (which ESPN cut off) of the BYU/Ole Miss game (go Cougars!), and all of Oregon/LSU game.
During this my roommate Jill walked in the room and said, "you watch sports?" "Yeah, a lot." "Wow. Never thought that...thought you were too girly."
I get that a lot, surprisingly. I never considered myself particularly girly.

During my TV vegetation (I made sure to get up and walk around so I wasn't just on my butt all day) a promo for a new show came on...and freaked me out.
I was standing with my back to the TV getting some lemonade when I heard this:

What the heck?! Oh yeah, I forgot to note that at first I thought someone had suddenly started narrating my life a la Stranger Than Fiction.
Nope, just a weird new TV show.

Sunday I got called into work. I managed to sneak in an hour of church and then head to the newsroom. And Monday I also got to work. News never stops is what I'm told. I really wish it would take a holiday, mostly so I get to, as well.

So that's pretty much how my weekend went.
OH! And I got a puppy stalker. Jill was puppy-sitting a cute little Schnauzer named Mozart. He was weirdly attached to me, sitting watching me watch TV, watching me sit on my bed, and anytime I moved he'd get all riled up. Probably didn't help much that I ran around the house playing with him...haha.

How was your weekend?

xoxo.

Tuesday Tune-up: My Girl BK

2011-09-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's not new news for anyone who knows me that I have a deep and abiding love for Miss Beyoncé Knowles. It's the truth. I big puff-paint heart her. That's a lot. I freakin' loved that puff paint stuff.

1. Let's Move! -- I Love this song because it's all about empowering kids and getting them active. Adults, too, probably. I've seen her perform this with several groups of kids who would never be able to afford to see her perform live, and she hit them up with their very own performance.

2. Run The World -- I chose this version because the music video is weirdo ba deerdo and freaked me out. I appreciate Beyonce for trying to show women that they're awesome. Regardless of who they are, they can do great things simply because they're them. I need to be reminded of this every now and again. Plus, it's DANG catchy.

3. Irreplaceable -- This one always reminds me of my mom because she would sing it in the car and text me that it was stuck in her head. In fact when I was packing to move to Oregon she would sing her own version: "to the left, to the left, everything goes in the box to my left."

4. Independent Women -- BK, as I call her because we're tight, has SO many songs about women demanding respect for themselves. About making sure they're treated right. This song is no different. In fact, it was likely the first.

5. Flaws and All -- I found this song recently and fell in love. If I was pressed to name my favorite celebrity couple it would be Beyonce and Jigga. And I love that she wrote this song about how she knows she's not perfect but loves him because he treats her like she is. I think my favorite line is, "I'm a peasant by some standards/But in your eyes I'm a queen."

Do you have a favorite Beyonce song?

xoxo.

tuesday tune-up: cover up

2011-08-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

Let it be known that I love a good cover. This might explain my high school obsession with American Idol (seriously, the Bolton fam never missed an episode). But there's something so novel about a good cover -- it can put a different spin on a good, bad, even mediocre, song. Sometimes I only moderately tolerate a song until I hear a cover and then I fall in love (with both version) and play it over and over *cough*Super Bass*cough*.

So I thought I'd share some fun covers. And I picked a group this week all covered by other signed artists. Which, I think, is a fun twist.

1. Babyface covering "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor.
This is an amazing cover I recently found. I have great fondness for this song (even told my parents I want it played at my funeral). It's one of those ones that stirs emotion inside me each time I hear it, and this version is smooth and pretty.

2. Adele covering "To Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan (& Garth Brooks).
This woman is flawless. I have a major lady-crush on her. And I LOVE her version of this song, likely more than I like the regular version. (Plus Gabby introduced me to this and, well, I love her.)

3. John Mayer covering "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty
I know for a definite fact I like this version 89398475983745 times more than the original. It's so pretty and earnest and honest and just, well, incredible.

4. John Legend covering "Rolling In The Deep" by Adele.
This gave me literal goosebumps the first time I ever heard it. I love Adele, but lemme tell you this man knows how to reach right into my soul and grab my attention. There is just something about his voice that commands you listen to it, but in the most subtle of ways.

5. Boys II Men covering "In My Life" by The Beatles.
Who doesn't need a little more Boys II Men in their life? Haha. And I love good Beatles covers. The Beatles are so iconic that it's really easy to make a terrible version of their songs, but not as easy to make a passable or enjoyable one. This one is both passable and enjoyable. Plus this song is just so sweet, captures love in a very pure form.

xoxo.

over, under, over, under thinking

2011-08-26T04:30:00.000-07:00

I started 4 posts earlier this week.
They all seemed like great ideas. One was about my addiction to Glamours daily blogs (which is true...and they're fun!), one was about self-esteem (tried-and-true material), one was about how Jenna showed me an easier way to see what random stuff people search to get here (um, who searched "it's a lie, i am the law" and found me? haha. hello!), and one was about just silly things.

And right now I hate them all. It's kind of like I'm bored with my own brain. Does that make sense?

I think so much throughout the day about so many things that sometimes when I'm winding down I realize I'm not thinking about anything I want to think about I'm thinking about things I feel like I have to think about.

So right now I'm kind of trying to clear my head. I'm actually writing this because it's something I felt like doing instead of something I felt I should address -- for an audience, for good fodder, for whatever.

Also, I saw this picture earlier and I hate it. Not the photo itself -- but the ridiculousness contained within.

via
That's nothing on the blogger/photographer (who I recently found via Krista). It's great stuff.

I hate how small it is. Like it seriously, seriously bugs me. Way more than a photo of incredibly poorly proportioned food should. It came from Tiffany's (yes, that Tiffany's; yes, it is Breakfast at Tiffany's) and is supposed to be elegant and awesome and just over-the-moon incredible.

Guess what? This is DUMB. Yes, I said it. Tiffany's you are stupid for serving a portion that small for, what I'm sure is, a ridiculously high price for pancakes. America you are stupid for paying it. Since when was less food, higher price a good idea?! America, this is why we can't have nice things.

Anyway. Now that I'm done with pancake rant (still dumb), I can only think to tell you that this weekend I got to touch a baby pig, several sheep & goats, some chicks, get sneezed on by a duck, and squeal (heh) over pig racing. I seriously love their little pink, or black, or white bodies. They're funny!

Also on Monday I wore red lipstick. My mom subsequently called my lips "kissy lips." And it made me laugh.

How are you?

xoxo.

tuesday tune-up

2011-08-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

I've decided I'm gonna do a new blog feature.
Every Tuesday I'll do a Tune-Up and share 5 (maybe more) songs with you guys!

They'll range from things I'm currently digging, to nostalgic pieces, to fun, to pensive -- the whole gamete.
I know this one is headed out late...but here it is.

1. "History of Rap 2," Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake, (find number 1 here) this one is totally cheating, but I saw this and was incredibly impressed. Very few medleys are worth your time...but this one is FOR SURE. Plus I love me some J-Timberlake.

2. "Who Says" by Selena Gomez and The Scene, I love the message this video promotes. Beauty is not just for models or Barbies, it IS you and me!

3. Cover of "King of Anything" by Sara Barelleis, done by Sam Tsui & Kurt Schneider, I love this song. So empowering. During a dramatic time about 7 months ago I would sing this all the time. I get to decide what's right for me.

4. "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child, this is the first Making of the Video I ever watched and really what got me interested in R&B and Hip Hop in the first place. And began my love of Miss BK.

5. "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer, now bear with me on this one. I know it's a disco favorite, but beyond that it always reminds me of this scene from Boy Meets World. I heard it in the car tonight and was giggling to myself just thinking about it.

What stuff are you guys digging right now?

xoxo.

it's the little things.

2011-08-21T00:31:00.000-07:00

Bloggy loves, I am feeling exhausted.
It has been a long week.
{I can't believe it's only been one week, in fact.}

So, I'm going to share some of my favorite things right now.

Getting to see my family last week. Yep! That's why I was cryptic and MIA, I took a surprise trip to Boston.

{My sister is so grown up! She's so pretty!}

The fair, which means fair food like funnel cake, corn dogs and cotton candy

Laughing Cow Cheese

Lemonade

Diet Coke (when is that not on the list?!)

Sleepmasks

A new tie-dyed Peace, Love, Lobstah shirt from Boston.

Pinterest (you can come pin with me! click on the link over there <--)

My comfy bed and sheets

Pebble ice

All the jewelry Braden sent to me from Nicaragua

My new jeans, especially the flares--they feel like jammies!

Makeup that actually matches my pasty white skin

This awesome cover:

I like it better than the original.

Glamour magazine
Psych
New crayons
Good smelling shampoo
My smartphone
Lemonade
Texts from my parents and sister
The smell of summer
My highlighter green shirt and new pink wedges
Deodorant
Twitter
My revamped layout

What are some of your current faves?

p.s. blogger is trippin on this entry's layout. sorry!!

xoxo.

to catch a predator

2011-08-17T01:21:00.000-07:00

Do you guys know this song?

I sure hope so. Not only is it an iconic early-90s addition to those great Soft-Rock stations that syndicate "Delilah" late at night, but it's also the inspiration for a great story from my freshman year of college.

When I moved to Provo I was a pretty naive newly-18-year-old. I hadn't had a lot of experience with "the real world;" I'd never lived by myself, or really done anything without my mom close enough to come help, and I'd only had one real boyfriend-ish relationship.

Cue Todd, the guy that lived upstairs when my roommates and I moved in at the beginning of Fall Semester. He was quick to come introduce himself to the new apartment-full of six freshman girls.

Todd was your average Utah boy: about 5'8" with bleached blonde hair, overly-tan skin, and perpetually clad with a pukka-shell necklace and too-tight t-shirt. I didn't know enough yet to know this is the international symbol of douchebauchery.

He seemed nice enough, was a decent conversationalist, and attentive to all six of us. I was sure he had a thing for a certain roommate of mine (honestly, all the boys did, she's awesome) but she always denied that was the case.

One day I answered a knock at the door only to find Todd on the other side.

"Just the girl I was looking for," he said with guitar in hand.

He pulled me into the hallway, out the front door, and led me to a chair in the courtyard outside our building.

I sat there wide-eyed as he began serenading me with Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven. This shocked me. I didn't think any boy would ever feel this way about me.

Well, guess what?

He didn't.

He finished the song. We chit-chatted, and he asked me the deal-sealer: "So, do you think [roommate] would like it if I sang that to her before I asked her out?"

Part of me was insulted, part of me was relieved, and the biggest part began to laugh.

"Uh, sure. I think you should try that."

And from what I remember, he did; in front of all our roommates.

She was less than impressed.

That's when he started in on the only other song he knew on the guitar.

Yep, you guessed it. More Than Words, another classic 1990 hit.

And I'm sure you also guessed my roommate remained unimpressed.

Todd stopped coming over after that, but he bounced back speedily as I heard him "serenading" another girl down the hall just a few days later.

In the end, I was right -- he did have a thing for the roommate all boys flocked to. I also learned the d-bag warning signs. And I learned that any boy who only knows the two Provo-wide standard serenading songs (yes, unfortunately this is an epidemic) is never worth looking at as an option because they'll bounce back quickly and try to snag some other naive chick.

(Plus any guy worth your time will actually cater his snagging methods to you.)

Oh, Provo.

xoxo.

i am having a hard time

2011-08-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

I fully had a post ready to write about self-esteem and love's effects on it (and vice versa).

And then I got hit with a financial whammy.
{Don't money problems/shockers suck?!}

The kind where I get sick to my stomach and cry and ask myself, "How do I approach this?"
{And a little bit of "Why me?! Can't I get a break?!!"}

I'm grateful for the main men in my life. Pat and my dad managed to talk me down some, reminding me that nothing is as bad as it seems at first glance, and that help and love are always there for me. I'm grateful for their level heads and their ever willingness to care for me with open arms and hearts.

Also for Braden, who I reminded myself, has things much worse than me and I need to stop being a weenie and be happy that I'm lucky enough to have all the people/things/life I have.

I'm still worried, and freaking out a bit, but I know they (as well as my mom) totally have my back on thisand will help me in any way they can. {Which is good because I can use all the help I can get.} I still don't know what is going on, but the morning will bring knowledge, at least. And I'll fight it from there. I'm a strong woman and I can do hard things. That's what I'm going to keep reminding myself.

xoxo.

late night date night

2011-08-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend spent the weekend being an awesome handyman and helping his dad paint the exterior of the house (it's a multi-weekend project). Because he's incredible and helpful and such a good guy, I was left to my own entertaining devices. You might think this'd mean I finally would hang hangers in my closet instead of just living out of my laundry baskets like I did in high school (which drove my mom NUTS. hi mom!).

If you thought that, you were, sadly, wrong. In my defense that was my plan for a good chunk of my Saturday which ended up being spent at work on what was thought to be breaking news and then ended up being crapola.

Anyway, because my hottie mc hott hott boy was tired out of his wits and I was hanging out with myself, I took myself on a date. Oh yeah. And let me tell you, I know how to treat a lady. haha.

Since I love y'all I documented some of it so you can see just how big of a nerd/weirdo/peculiar little lady I am.

I started out going grocery shopping. I wandered full of aim and excitement (payday will do that). I grabbed my bookshelf, crap tons of food, some makeup, conditioner and some new basketball shorts.

Classy, I know.

I treated myself to a manicure care of Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail strips. I'm obsessed now. Look how cool they are!! (You'll see what I mean by obsessed coming up.)

After that I made myself a relatively fancy dinner of shrimp scampi in linguini and cracked open a cold Diet Coke.

After dinner it was the movie portion of the date, naturally. Mine consisted of Psych (can't get enough) and some Oreos for dessert.

Then I gathered my reading materials, and admired my awesome nails some more. (I want to buy 10 more packs of these, people. I hate disappointing nail polish like fat kids hate Kashi. This stuff does not disappoint.)

I finished off the night with a scalp massage, okay, okay, I just played with my hair a bunch. And an ice cold glass of Simply Lemonade which I cannot get enough of. This stuff is LEGIT.

All in all, I had a pretty good time. Good thing I'm good company, otherwise I'd be in big trouble.

Also, Sally Hansen and Simply Lemonade, wanna fund my obsessions? Kthanks.

xoxo.

like a boss

2011-08-01T23:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we've already discussed the fact that I need an attitude adjustment sometimes. Well, I'm noticing more and more that it's a lot of times.

My mom is a woman of many mottos. Two of her favorites while I was growing up (and even now) were: "be your best self" and "try a little harder to be a little better than you were yesterday."

The best part of learning these things growing up is that my mom practiced what she preached. She was never one believe or propagate that she's anywhere near perfection (even though she totally is perfect). She constantly made goals, even little ones, to make her into the best version of herself. As her kid it was expected that you would follow suit, not because she ever forced it but because she invited you to see what she saw you were capable of, challenge yourself, and become your best self. When you failed she was there to tell you how awesome you already were and that everyone experiences setbacks, failures, and heartbreak and that it's what you do afterward which really counts. It's because of this that I've accomplished everything I have in my life.

(Actually, thinking about it, both my parents are definitely this way. My dad is a man of challenge. Tell him he can't do something and he'll prove you wrong. And if he can't? He'll prove you mostly wrong.)

And because I'm my mom's daughter, I am still often so amazed by the accomplishments of others who challenge me even further. Tonight that was my little brother.

Braden in Nicaragua

Braden and I are 5 years apart in age, but growing up it sometimes seemed much further and sometimes much too close. When I moved to BYU Braden was 13, just out of middle school, and a teenage know-it-all (also a family trait). We had our fights, our friction, our problems, but we're family and that means everything. The older I get the more I realize just how true that really is.

While I was at BYU Braden grew up, we started to become friends as well as siblings. We'd email and have long phone calls where he'd tell me about all the annoying kids in high school. I edited his papers, his college essays, and even helped him pick out his first classes at BYU. During his Freshman year we'd have Skype night nearly once a week where we'd catch up, even though we texted and talked all throughout the week anyway.

Then it came time for Braden to go on his mission. I knew he'd be a great missionary, and he is. He's superb. Reading his letters is a constant testament to how awesome of a person he is. He's always challenging us to do, be, and love our very best.

And then tonight happened.

We got Braden's weekly email. I was ready to read it and read about how amazing he is and feel inadequate about how normal I am. Was I in for a shocker.

HE IS THE BEST PERSON EVER.
That's the gist of the email.

Really here's kinda what it was like, "Life is just the best thing in the whole world guys, isn't it?! I love everyone. Oh by the way I have Dengue fever. But I'm so happy to be in Nicaragua and be car-less and in monsoon season and hungry! It's awesome."

No joke. He's sincerely that positive when he was suuuuuuper duper sick. Seriously, click this link to read about Dengue. He is such an inspiration to me. Ridiculously ill and still -- a boss. (This makes me feel super weenie-tastic for my pneumonia whining.)

So that's my goal for the week. When work is tough, when life sucks butt, when I want to just crawl into my bed with intravenous Ben and Jerry's and a snugglebear, I'm going to think of Braden being a boss.

Care to join me?

xoxo.

extreme makover: attitude edition

2011-07-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

I have something to admit to you.

It might make me vain, it might make me shallow, but ya know what? It makes me feel good.

I got a haircut this week and I am in love.

For someone with ridiculously thick hair it was just too much and it'd become something that I didn't want to deal with. I woke up nearly everyday having to figure out what to do with my hair. Curl it? Straighten it? Ponytail? Let me tell you, that last one won more often than not. (Especially considering blowing dry = 20 minutes, straightening = 20-30 min, curling = 30 min.)

This one step, cutting my hair (or, truthfully, having someone else cut my hair), created a surge of confidence in my life. The knowledge that I look good and have a reasonable amount of time to actually do something with my hair is superb. I'm not someone who places all my stock in how I look (I have lots to offer, folks. haha.) but I shocked even myself in how big of a difference my hair made in my perception.

Guess what? It feels nice to feel pretty. It feels nice to wake up and do my hair and think, dang girl, not too shabby. It makes me want to be cute in other areas too, like dressing better or actually putting on makeup for the first time in 3 weeks (beyond just mascara). And this got my little brain a-thinkin.

Does my appearance matter to more than just those looking at me? Does it matter intrinsically, ideally bolstering my confidence in multiple areas of my life and subsequently making me a little more valuable to myself and those around me?

(Is your mind blown yet?)

Does how you think you look affect, let's say, your job performance or your relationships? I say yes, to a degree, it does. I don't think it's usually the driving factor in those realms (my biting wit definitely is) but I do think it plays a part. The better you feel about yourself the more likely you are to want to be your best self. You'll want to show off how well you can do things because you really do feel like you're good at them. You want to give your best self to those you love, thereby increasing their affection (again, ideally) and creating a cycle of confidence awesomeness (for me love and affection are also confidence boosters).

I'm not saying a haircut or highlights or makeup or a new outfit will have this affect on everyone. I'm sure there are plenty of people who are extremely confident without makeup or with their hair done a myriad of ways and in their well-loved jeans (or in my case, sweats) and these people -- I commend you. That is a skill and a valuable asset. For me, this boost of confidence in one area of my life has definitely helped my overall outlook.

Anyway, I know what you're really all still here for.

Pictures of this life-changing/life-affirming transformation. So here they are.

xoxo.

connect four? or connect for?

2011-07-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite friends Cheri asked me the other day if I have a Pinterest.

I do now!

As soon as I saw her question I thought, "I need one of these."

So I signed up.

And I really like it. It's fun, user friendly, and heck my interior decor board is INSANE at this point.

But the more I browsed the more I thought, "do I really need another internet application?"

I started to think of all the ways I'm SO connected now.

It's not necessarily a bad thing, really, but sometimes it is a little overwhelming just how many places people can find you.

Cell phones, Email, G-Chat, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Pinterest, We Heart It, Digg, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, Readers, etc.

All of it.

There.

For you to find people and for people to find YOU.

It makes me think of my dear Liz Lemon: "There are so many ways for a boy to not call you these days!"

Or the (awful) movie He's Just Not That Into You:

"I had this guy leave me a voicemail at work, so I called him at home, and then he emailed me to my BlackBerry, and so I texted to his cell, and now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It's exhausting."

{Thank goodness I'm not out in the single dating world.}

So in this mess of connectivity are we too connected?

Or just connected enough?

I don't really have the answer.

On one hand it makes it nearly impossible to stay anonymous or to not have a way that someone somewhere can find you (unless you have a crazy name ... like mine); even when you don't want them to.

But on the other hand, I'm so thankful for the internet because it enables me to keep in touch {as terrible as I am at it} with people I care about and miss. It's reconnected me with people I adore. It let me Skype my little brother in Nicaragua on Mothers' Day. It's allowed me to meet people like Gabby, Lauren, Krista, Liz, Krysten and Summer (and many more).

Regardless, my friends ... I'm connected. I do unconnect every now and then, but for now I'm embracing it.

So if you want to find me:

{pictures are linked}

Email me!

{Those of you that have my primary email, continue using that one.}

Or come find my face!

You could tweet me (is that correct vernacular?)!

Or pin me down.

Or if ya like, just find my little rantings and ravings right here.

Come connect!

xoxo.

e-window shopping or the way i get rid of impulse buys

2011-07-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

So my lovelies,

I have been busy up the wazoo.

(In all honesty, when am I not?)

So in some of my downtime -- I've been perusing Etsy.

It's one of my favorite things to do (and a much less impulsive form of window shopping) so I thought I'd share some of my favorite finds with you.

(I was in no way, shape, or form compensated for any of this. These are strictly my own opinions.)

found here

how do i not have this already?!

found here

my mom used to say this to us. it's from winnie the pooh.

i want to paint it around the top perimeter of my room.

found here

since i spent a big chunk of my adolescence there, i freaking love this.

also, it should be noted, i'm in LOVE with bus scrolls. i want one in every room.

(no lie, i have 40 or so saved on my favorite items list.)

found here

um, who doesn't want a moose necklace?! because i definitely do.

also, her t-rex one here.

found here

i arbitrarily picked one item to showcase but to be honest i freaking love jillyink.

she has the best handwriting and free-hand calligraphy i've seen.

plus, it doesn't hurt that she's an incredible woman and one of the nicest people i know.

found here

i actually have this print in my room. i love it.

mandy does everything. from crochet, to photography, to chalk and even jewelry there's definitely something to appeal to anyone and everyone in this shop.

also, she's awesome and has the cutest kids...but i'm a little biased as one of them is my best friend.

Do you all like Etsy? What are some of your favorite finds?

I'd really love to know ... I need more shops to peruse and fawn all over.

xoxo.

where's your newest happy place?

2011-07-15T01:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I don't talk a lot about work on here, and that's usually on purpose.

Part of it is because this is my little space on the interwebs, partially because I have a policy of never putting anything on the internet that I can't get back, and some of it is because the nature of my job is not always happy-go-lucky content-wise.

Today is one of those days.

The story about the little boy from Brooklyn murdered heartlessly and horrifically continues to haunt me -- long after I've left work.

(If you want to read it you can find it under these two links, but if you want to stay happy and believe the world is all awesome butterflies, unicorns and sunshine...don't.)

I am so heartbroken over this story.

It's not often I get teary-eyed over content that goes into my show, but this is one story that struck a major chord in my heart. It's stories like this which make me terrified to ever leave my house. I just don't understand how someone could do that. I'm outraged, angered, and so very sad for Leiby's family.

So in my quest to remember that there are butterflies, unicorns and rainbows in the world -- here are a few of my favorite things/things I love lately:

Um, grilled cheese always.

Also Philadelphia cream cheese. I loveeee cream cheese.

The beach (I got to go this past weekend with Pat and it was INCREDIBLE).

Oh, I'm all about the word Incredible lately.

Aloe, too

Costco Frozen Yogurt

My $8 Target hoodie. It's seriously my favorite clothing right now.

Ron Swanson

My new phone (faaaancy, right?). I freaking love it.

Tweeting! Come tweet me -- there's a button right over there. --->

My new house. Seriously my friend Jill hooked.me.up. I love living in a house again.

Taco Bell cherry limeade. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, it's AWESOME.

Trolling home design blogs. I'm OBSESSED.

My friend and former roommate Heather who leaves me so much love and always when I need it most!

This song. Makes me all sentimental. Makes me homesick, too...because someday soon my Massachusetts house will be someone else's home.

And this adorable picture of Pat and me.

What's making you happy?

Leave me some inspiration!

grand torino style

2011-07-04T00:32:00.000-07:00

It's 4th of July weekend.

This, inevitably, means festive fireworks and fun to be had by all.

Surely, I know this.

I. love. fireworks.

I wait all year to watch them and I get so excited.

I love when the 4th is on a weekend because that means there are generally several days of fireworks from various celebrations, etc.

BUT

DO NOT LIGHT THEM OFF NEAR MY CAR.

In a slightly Grand Torino-esque manner I totally just yelled at a bunch of teenagers outside my house.

Yep. Not because they were having too much fun (by all means kids, enjoy your youth while you can), not because they were too loud (they were), not because it was late (11:45pm, yeah, that's late), not even because their fireworks were illegal (which they were, based upon size alone)...but because they were lighting off their massive and, clearly, illegal, fireworks TWO LITERAL FEET FROM MY CAR.

My still-being-payed-off car.

The one I still owe several thousand dollars on.

(Note: this week, I've paid off one year of my car!)

The one that if damaged in any way will require me to sell both kidneys, a lung and my firstborn.

So, yeah, my house is likely to get egged at some point (Sorry Jill!)...but kids;

GET OFF MY LAWN.

tuesday tunage

2011-06-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

TWO POSTS IN ONE DAY?

Who am I?!

I know you're nearly peeing yourself with the excitement of reading my babble twice in one blessed day.

And you should be.

Because I come bearing gifts.

Tunes to make your Tuesday a little brighter.

(And stuff I've been obsessed with in the last 6 or so weeks.)

Enjoy!

xoxo

Things I Have Learned

2011-06-28T01:20:00.000-07:00

(Some the hard way, some the easy way, and some just by observance)

I will resist smartphones for years, claiming I didn't want to be "too connected" ... and likely buy one anyway.
All those studies about people who watch TV before bed and then can't sleep? Totally valid.
I will, categorically, just buy more underwear instead of spend the same amount of money to do that load of laundry (especially when I can do it for free starting Thursday).
I will allocate an alarming amount of my bed to blankets I'm not using, clothes I'm not wearing, books I'm not really reading, and sleeping I'm not really doing.
When I get really stressed the tips/chunks of my eyelashes fall off/out.
I was told I was the real life version of the girl Tangled by 3 separate people this week.
Guys that claim to be "the nice guy" and then have to keep defending that when they're mean to everyone and act like other jerks ... aren't the nice guys.
I will procrastinate packing.....forever. Vacations, moving, overnights...always.
Those sugary foods I just.have.to.have.right.now. generally aren't worth it, or are forgotten within the hour. Forego that and eat an apple.
Amy Poehler becomes my hero more and more every day. She's strong, funny, smart, extraordinarily nice and loyal, to boot. All things I value a lot.
In that same vein, if it walks like a d-bag, talks like a d-bag, dresses like a d-bag ... it's likely a d-bag.
I hate Michelle Bachman. Hate.
If I leave my apartment back windows open during the day, when I come home my house will smell like a smokers' room at Motel 6. thanks neighbors!
I tend to give the general masses much more credit than they readily deserve. They almost never fail to disappoint, yet I still continue to believe they won't. I think they call that "insanity."
Being good at your job inherently makes you more trustworthy to your boss. When you're the one doing your job and others don't -- your word becomes weightier.
You can be 25 and be a workaholic.
It's okay to be 25 and not be positive what you want to be when you grow up.
Annoying acquaintances snarkily commenting on my Facebook status can make me grumpy very easily.
People (yes, it's a generalization, but calling someone out is rude) are perpetually shocked that Pat and I are still together ... and they seem to be surprised I haven't scared him off yet.
BBQ is the food of the gods.
Calling your doctor with questions about medication is smart, and will soon win you the friendship (and, likely, pity) of the assigned nurse.

There are plenty more, my friends, but I'll save you from them right now.

xoxo.

well, well, chicken bell....

2011-06-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Ruth totally called me out a couple weeks back on not delivering the funny.

So here I am today with some amusing, some random, some just plain ridiculous stuff.

See? Toldja.

It's all just a big ole hodge podge.

Seriously.

Is it bad that sometimes I want to take computer science classes just so I could learn how to hack into better internet? I don't want to take anyone's information or anything, I'd just like better bandwith than I'm currently getting.

This clip made me crack up tonight ... because it's so me:

See, I've started "mall walking" or as I like to call it retail perusement.

I do it partially for the added health benefit (as I sit all day at work) ... and partially for the people watching.

I don't stick to one store, or one place, I like to hopscotch around, thereby awarding myself the chance at seeing crazy alllllll ovah the place.

For.Real.

But I really like Melissa's idea (the lady above, obviously we're BFF and, thus, on a first name basis) of buying really bad artwork and just leaving it for your friends.

I'll be the first to tell you that working in the news business shows you some nutso stuff.

But it also allows you to see weirdos in their natural habitats and, much like animals, when you're there on your terms and not theirs, things can get interesting.

Like today, for example.

One of our reporters was out on a live shot and I can see this guy stroll up to her with his bike (first weirdo indicator: he was walking his bike through the park, not riding it) and begin talking to her.

Her body language gets increasingly uncomfortable.

He leaves abruptly and all was fine for the show.

So, when she gets back and my newscast is finished, I ask her photog what the heck was going on with that. Here's what happened (verbatim):

Weirdo Dude (WD): Hey.

G: Hi.

WD: Are you Hmong?

G: Yeah, I am.

WD: Are you married?

G: Nope, but I have a boyfriend.

WD: Is he white?

G just smiles.

WD: Yep, he's white.

And the weirdo just walked off.

Poor G. But such a funny story.

So here's reason #4895938475893745 I'm glad I've been going to the family ward and not the single's ward:

here's part of the email I got today:

Okay if you need a little better perspective:

Yep, you, too, should come to tonight's activity for food, new friends, and to meet your eternal companion.

But they can't come right out and say it, they have to use abbreviations so that only those really desperate, or in the know, could possibly know that's what tonight's activity is for. And then if you're not too busy, you could stay for the class you actually came for. Yaknow.

My Netflix addiction is RIDICULOUS. And since most of "my shows' are on summer hiatus, I pretty much don't need any "real" tv anymore.

Scratch that, I need the Daily Show. But that's it. Thank goodness for Hulu.

Trader Joe's has their new tart yogurt finally back in stock! I freaking love that stuff. That's nearly all I ate my summer before I graduated BYU and I'm so glad I can now buy it in the store and pay the mere $3.49 a quart instead of the $5.25 per cup at the yogurt shop! (Add in in some Oregon blackberries and fuggidaboudid (anyone get my terrible mickey blue eyes reference? *crickets?*).)

My boyfriend renews my affection for him all the time...like the other night....when I failed to be a grownup and take care of my own needs.

I casually mentioned that I was gonna need toilet paper soon and I needed to be reminded to remember to buy some. I didn’t remember.

And it proved an issue as I used the last of it…and didn’t want to run to the store to buy more. (It'd been a long day and I was lazy.)

Pat came over and we were watching clips on YouTube and I mentioned that if he needed to use the bathroom he'd have to use some Olay moist toilettes for him to use. He kissed me on the forehead and said, “I brought you toilet paper because you said you were gonna run out soon and I knew you didn’t remember to buy any.”

Okay so a mildly embarrassing anecdote.

So I'm trying out Victoria Secret's wave spray for my curly hair days (I haven't found anything I really love for curly hair that isn't like a bagillion dollars (I used a birthday coupon to get this stuff)). It's kind of oily and is supposed to be sprayed evenly over your hair. I like to follow directions (including praying for it to actually work) and, well, I have a lot of hair... so I'm sprayin for a while.

So I stood in my bathroom today, sprayin away, and scrunching, and spraying and scrunching.

Then it was time to change into my real clothes (i.e. not my yoga pants and tank top) so I turned toward the door, took one step, slid all the way across the linoleum and smashed my face into the door.

I hadn't taken into account that the slippery stuff going on my hair, would also be falling on the floor.

So there I stood, startled but not hurt, laughing boisterously at my own lack of thought and hilarious uncoordination.

(I am makin up words all over the place tonight.)

I've heard Mambo No. 5 eight times in the last 6 days.

No joke.

It plays ALLLLLLLLL the time on the local soft rock station.

Also, my oldies kick continues, but has now added the 80s to a greater extent.

Well, I think that's all the funny I have in me today --

so how are you all?

Got any funny stories of your own?

xoxo

oh yeah, i forgot...

2011-06-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

We're gonna start today with a little quiz:

what's black and white and red all over...just kidding.

Anyone know this gorgeous skyline?

via

My friends, this is the lovely city of Boston, MA.

The place my family has lived not too far away from for the last 13 years.This is where I spent my high school years, much of middle school, and where I gained a good chunk of knowledge about life, people, and the pursuit of sports happiness (GO SOX!).

Now, does anyone know this also stunning skyline?

via

This is the lovely city of Dallas, TX.

My family is moving to Dallas within the next few months!This is a very big new adventure for our awesome family (Well, Mom, Dad and Mikaela...since the rest of us are out of the house)! And while I won't actually live in Dallas (at least not yet), I couldn't be more excited for them!! I never talked about it on here but my dad was laid off in January and this new job offers him the chance to do something he loves in a place he's excited to be.

(I found out he got the job on my birthday -- so one of my biggest birthday wishes was granted!)

via

I can't wait to go visit them! And eat as much BBQ as I possibly can.

Weirdest part(s) for me? When I go "home" it'll be to a house I've never seen before. hah. And the next time I visit Boston I'll have to stay in a hotel or something. Totally worth it.

Dad! I'm so proud of you!

And Mom, Dad and Mik (as well as Ben and Braden) I'm crazy excited for this new adventure. I love you!

for my red sox commerade

2011-06-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

I full on know I've told you about Ruth before.

She's awesome. And artsy (which adds to her awesomeness). And a great mom/wife/friend.

OH! And she just happens to share a love of all things Boston.

Which, as you know, sends a person pretty much straight to the core of my heart.

Well, Ruth tagged me in one of those chain-blog type thingamajiggers.

The main reason I decided to do it? She referenced mean girls in the first few sentences. Holler!

So here goes!

(It's long. You've been warned.)

Seven random facts about myself:

1. (This is hard, I feel like I tell you guys so many random things already.) I have 4 refillable cups from the same restaurant (if you buy it the first time it's unlimited 99 cent refills forever)...because I always forget to take the same cup back. I get in my car, get half way there and think oh yeah, you, you forgot your stupid cup.

2. I kinda don't do well at twitter. I'd like to, but I don't have a smart phone or an iphone or anything ... and I think it puts my tweetbilities at a disadvantage. But I'm trying. Seeing as I might need it for future endeavors and things.

3. I am a self teacher for a lot of things. Mostly tech-y stuff. But I need a teacher for fancy stuff in the kitchen. I am not a good improviser when I'm following a recipe.

4. I don't read as much as I'd like to anymore ... well, formal books, that is. I read a lot of blogs and articles and stuff ... and a TON for work, but I don't tear through books as often as I once did.

5. My allergies in Oregon are OUT OF CONTROL. I wake up with itchy, dry eyes, snotted over nose and a scratchy throat. (And now I'm always worried I have sudden onset pneumonia again.)

6. My car makes me so happy. But it is also SO dirty right now. And not just the outside. I have TONS of crap inside that car right now.

7. I just finished the Sports Night series on Netflix the other night. It was awesome. Also, I don't really miss TV. Nexflix is for sure more worth it for me. What I want to watch on my time and terms? Perfect.

Now answer these four questions:

1. Name your favorite song: (this changes all the time) Tell Her About It by Billy Joel

2. Name a song you thing is romantic: Marry Me by Train

3. Name a song you recommend someone to listen to: Rolling in the Deep the John Legend Cover of Adele

4. Name your second favorite song: (currently) If It's Love by Train

Now this is apparently what those songs mean...

1. this tells how you feel about yourself (hahaha tell myself about it. i talk to myself already too much.)

2. this song tells how you feel about a person you secretly have a crush on (hahahahahaha this one is better. dear pat, apparently my not-so-subconscious thinks this.)

3. this song tells how you feel about the person you are in a relationship with (not even remotely true.)

4. this song tells how you think other people view you (actually, might be kind of accurate.)

And here are some more randomities:

1. Do you think you're hawt? Were these questions written by a 14-year-old?

2. My current wallpaper: Calvin and Hobbes

3. When was the last time you ate chicken? Earlier in my Mango Chicken Salad

4. What are the songs you have listened to recently? Too many to list...my music is on too often

5. What were you thinking as you were writing this? This is like an email chain letter from 7th grade

6. Do you have any nicknames? Sunshine, Bunny (from Grandma), Vonny, Vonny-bon, Laurel (Pat calls me this to push my buttons haha)

7. Random eight blogger friends who will be tagged by this:

(you don't have to do it)

1. Ruth

2. Gabby

3. Krista

4. Noelle

5. Lauren

6. Kristie

7. Megan Ann

8. KLaw

8. Who is listed as #1? Ruth

9. Say something about #5? She is one of the most popular Bloggers I've ever (virtually) met. Everyone loves her and with good reason.

10. How did you get to know #3? Through her blog, email and Twitter. She is pretty much the bomb. I stalk her design blog like NONE OTHER.

11. How about #4? Noelle is the most stylish blogger I have ever met (like I've actually met her in real life). She's so sweet and just the classiest girl you'll ever know.

12. Leave a message for #6...

Hang in there. You're amazing. And plenty of us are rooting for you!

13. Do #7 and #8 have similarities? HA! Yes! They're both bombshell gorgeous brunettes with the funniest personalities and best senses of humor.

14. Why does #2's blog interest you? Gabby is honest. She posts about real life and about how she actually feels about things. She doesn't hide behind internet anonymity or the fact that someone might find her. She's just Gabby and she's SO loving.

Dude. If you made it through that, I owe you a lollipop.

via

pair-ee

2011-06-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna link you all to this --

And if you win....take me, please!

in honor of my little brother... shaquille bro neal

2011-06-02T23:54:00.000-07:00

Hey there everybody!

So I'm avoiding sleeping, milking the last part of my birthday (imported lemonade? yesplease.), and waiting to talk to Pat when he's off work ... so I thought, as thus, I'd grace your lovely selves with my lovely self.

Ya dig?

Anywhoo...

My little brother Benjamin, Ben ya min, Ben Jammin ... or Benny boo boo boo boo boo (if you'd like) is getting old.

(Like me.)

He graduates high school (I just wrote college three times...but it's definitely high school) this weekend.

I'm so sad I'm missing it, but I'm so proud of him. He's headed off to BYU and he's gonna rock the socks off of CougarTown. If any freshman was ever gonna give good ole Provo a run for its money, that frosh would be my little brother. He's go go go all the time (and sleep sleep sleep the rest).

To honor this momentous moment (and because I can't tell these stories to his friends at his graduation party) I'll tell you some of my favorite Ben moments.

When Ben was little he went through a chicken phase. Not like nuggets (although there was one of those, too), not like the daredevil game ... but as in inserting it in all manner of phrases. Ben, Ben chicken hen. Brado, Brado chicken faydo. Siovhan, Siovhan chicken non. And it wasn't just family names. It was EVERYTHING. Aladdin, Aladdin chicken fadden. School, school chicken pool. So funny to hear him walking around saying that.

Tiny Ben (like 3 or 4) would.not.wear.pants. That little kid walked around in Star Wars and Power Ranger themed tighty whiteys more than any little kid I've ever seen. Mom would get him dressed in the morning and then like 20 minutes later -- yep, there's Ben -- pantsless.

Speaking of Star Wars, Ben was an addict. He knew everyone's name, rank, role, etc. He had a model Death Star, Alliance war craft, X fighters all of it. He wanted to be Han Solo so bad.

Ben and Braden have always been the best of friends and the worst of enemies. But as we got older their bonds became so much stronger. It's been so fun to watch the dynamic change from one of competition to one of friendship. (Okay, so that one's not funny...but it's still true.) I know Braden would love to be there to see Ben graduate.

Ben and I have always had a really buddy-buddy relationship. When I'd come home from college Ben would ask to run every errand with me and ask for some specific Siovhan time. We'd talk about music, girls, high school, friends, etc. He'd ask to sit by me on car trips (it sometimes became a battle between him and Mikaela), buy me stuff, and always sent me a ridiculous birthday, valentine, christmas, etc. card.

Ben's the only one of us to spend our entire education (minus 2.5 months) in our small town. As such he's the only one that even remotely resembles a townie. This makes me laugh so hard because Ben has always been fiercely independent -- verging, at times, on anti-establishment. But our little Ben has fallen in love with [insert small town name here]. I also think he'll be the only one to consciously miss the town itself, and not just miss our family.

Ben is quite the little instigator. A couple of years ago when we went to Quebec for family vacation we spent some of our time camping. One night laying there I could hear a little creaky noise, Braden snort snore, and then Ben snicker. I still don't know what was going on in that tent, but all of a sudden I heard Braden suddenly awake and go "what is that?!" and Ben laugh hysterically. This is so very Ben.

Ben and his friends are the epitome of bromance. They rival Barney, Marshall and Ted on How I Met Your Mother or Chandler and Joey on Friends. They have mandates. Really.

Ben had such a sarcastic and dry sense of humor (very akin to my dad). He also loves good TV. Once, Ben and I were actually banned from quoting the Office because my Dad got so fed up with how funny we thought it was. He made us pay a dollar if either of us quoted it -- and I think we shelled out a pretty penny that time. At one point Ben even walked over to my dad, handed him two dollars, and looked at me and went, "bleh bleh bleh, little comment." I laughed so hard as he pulled one of the dollars from Dad's hand and said, "She only needed one to nearly pee her pants. I'm good."

Ben was sometimes a lot like my pet. That poor kid let me do everything to him. From mess with his hair, to show him how cool guys really dress, to recommending new music and books ... I would show Ben all kinds of weird stuff. Eventually he formed a lot of his own opinions, and our tastes became a little different, but we still share recommendations for books, movies, tv, music, all of it.

I love you, Ben and I'm really proud of all you've been able to accomplish.

As a token of your new found smarts I have two things to say:

"Why, anybody can have a brain. That's a very mediocre commodity. Every pusillanimous creature that crawls on the Earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain. Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning, where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts and with no more brains than you have. But they have one thing you haven't got: a diploma."
--The Wizard of Oz

AND NOW:

via etsy

Happy Graduation!

it's ME day!

2011-06-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday!

(yes, this is utterly shameless self-promotion)

This is a picture from a few years back (I think my 21st birthday, actually).

YAY!

I'm the big 2-5 today.

And so far, it's AWESOME.

future siovhan kicks past siovhan

2011-05-30T01:26:00.000-07:00

in college i dated a real winner. he was such a complete jerk and i was obsessed with him. i can't say i loved him because i didn't. i can say i was obsessed with attaining his approval...which i never did. i was completely codependent in the unhealthiest of fashions.

but this isn't about him. not really.

as i was lurking around facebook tonight, as our generation is wont to do, i saw that my friend matt was tagged in a great series of photos. as i looked at these i felt inherently guilty. here is this fantastic, funny, wonderful guy and we don't talk nearly at all anymore because back then i couldn't handle what he was telling me.

i distinctly remember after a particularly difficult day, matt and i were sitting in the hallway and he looked me right in the eye with an honesty, a vulnerability, a patriarchal sternness and said, "he's no good. how do you not see this? he's no good for you. he's shady. and he's into stuff you don't even understand. siovhan, leave. leave now. don't look back. promise me this."

"i promise."

"i'm serious. if you go back, if you give him another chance ... i, i, i can't, siovhan, i can't watch it anymore. i can't watch him hurt you. i can't sit by and just let it happen."

"i know, matty. i know."

and then in an uncharacteristic outburst he yelled. "no! no you don't know! how do you not see this?! how do you not see you're better than this?! you're amazing! you're fantastic! you're one of the [bleepin] best girls i know! respect yourself! do this for you, not for me, for you."

i stood there, stunned. not because he'd yelled. but because i knew he was right. in my soul i knew. i knew who i was, what i needed, and had fooled myself into believing it was something different.

i held on strong for a really long time. i won't get into the messy details, but i was stronger than strong. and matty was there by my side the whole time. through it all. he'd come hang out with me, tell me how beautiful i was, remind me of all the great things about me. anytime i went to their apartment (yes, they were roommates, that's how matt knew everything) he'd smile, hug me, and guard me against anything...any rebuke, any inquiry for plans, any need i had matt jumped for it.

and then one day matty went back to boston. he was gone for several weeks. and i was friendless, protectorless and vulnerable. and i slipped back into old habits.

and then matt came back. he saw my stupidity. and something changed. he wasn't my matty anymore. the worst part? the disappointment in his eyes. he knew i was stronger than that. i was just lying to myself, again.

we were still friends it was a just different.

time passed and i moved, he moved, and we grew apart. i eventually got the strength to say no, to walk away, to leave like he once implored. things improved between matty and i after that. we still chat every now and again. but it's never the way it once was.

and tonight, as i stared at those pictures, i kicked past me...because knowing what i know now i would trade a thousand moments with my ex for one more day of real, solid friendship with matt. i kicked past me because now me knows i'm worth more than the way i was treated and i should've seen what matt saw and walked away like he told me to. because he knew what i didn't and what i now do.

because what he said all the way back then became the now criteria for how i would make a boyfriend treat me. because matt's belief in me facilitated a belief in myself which led to pat. and that is something i won't give up for the world.

so, dear matty, i was wrong all along. i am sorry. please forgive me. i miss you. and i wish you all of the very best.
love, siovhan.

guess who's back ... back again...

2011-05-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

oh yeah.

i have a blog.

i forget that sometimes.

actually i've just been lazy/busy/lackadaisical about it.

here's a consolation prize:

adorable, no?

heather asking me if i was alive made me think ... now might be a good time to post.

also you might have noticed that this is showing up in your google reader.

gasp!

yeah, i took away the private thing because it's easier to just avoid certain topics than to be private.

also i had, like, 9 separate comments saying you forgot about me because you couldn't see it in the reader.

woh wohhh.

so i'm back.

now let's play ketchup. i mean catsup. i mean catch up.

i have to move again. yes. this will be twice so far in 2011.

my roommate just took a job in albany, new york.

i actually had a coworker the other day exclaim their astonishment at how far away that is ... and then look at me and say "do you even know how scary that is moving coast to coast?" i actually just stared at them. "uh. yeah. i grew up in boston. and moved 2,500 miles away at age 18." sometimes that fact is still weird to me.

also weird to me -- i turn 25 in two weeks. NUTS.

twenty-five. 25. 2-5.

how did i get to be this age?

i swear i was just 13 like last week.

i've become a netflix addict.

i don't know why anyone has cable anymore when there's netflix and hulu.

college football is the only reason i can come up with.

i'm trying to think of anything funny or anecdotal to share with you all.

because, let's be honest, you're totally here for the comic relief i bestow upon your lives.

well, since i'm failing ... i'm gonna end this.

until later,

love y'all!

2011-04-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

just a little update.

i have pneumonia.

have for a couple days.

tomorrow (monday) is my first day back at work in days and i'm terrified of how low energy and completely wiped i'm gonna be.

here's to hoping i stay alert.

10 Day You Challenge: Picture

2011-04-06T04:51:00.000-07:00

One Picture ... of yourself

it's about a year old ... but i still freaking love this picture.

10 Day You Challenge: Songs

2011-04-05T04:51:00.000-07:00

Two Songs

She's Got A Way by Billy Joel
If It's Love by Train

10 Day You Challenge: Films

2011-04-04T04:51:00.000-07:00

Three Films

The Little Mermaid — I wore out this tape as a kid.
Mean Girls — I employ lines of this movie in my everyday life.
Remember the Titans — best movie. First DVD I ever bought.

10 Day You Challenge: Books

2011-04-03T04:51:00.000-07:00

Four Books (um, only four? eek.)

Night by Elie Wiesel — this book will change your life. It will disturb you, make you cry, make you think and, hopefully, make you a better person.
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner — this book changed how I saw, felt about and understood literature. there are so many styles, thoughts, and ways of communicating all contained in one book…it’s utterly mind-blowing.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott — this is one of my very favorites.
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert —i.hate.this.book. in fact, that’s why it made my list. i don’t hate it because it’s awful, or without merit — i hate it because i started reading it at the same time i was going through something hauntingly similar to what she was writing about. it was SCARY accurate. and i’d stop reading and each time i picked it back up…my life mirrored what i was reading. still, i’d recommend it to people.

10 Day You Challenge: Foods

2011-04-02T04:51:00.000-07:00

Five Foods

Potatoes — in ANY way, shape or form. Hands down my favorite food.
Cheese — tied for my favorite food.
Macaroni & Cheese — mmmmmmmmmmmhhmmm.
BBQ Brisket — effing amazing. And shockingly some of the best I’ve had came from the Dallas airport.
Pizza — I will always love pizza.

10 Day You Challenge: Places

2011-04-01T04:51:00.000-07:00

Six Places

London — I love London. It’s got so much diversity, so much old-world-ness, so much class.
Washington, D.C. — I desperately wanted to be able to go to school here, and still would love to live there some day.
Boston — a place that will forever have a big chunk of my heart, and 95% of my sports loyalty
Rome — one of the places I want to visit most in my life.
Oregon — I freakin love it here.
San Diego — where I wouldn’t mind spending my (early) retirement.

10 Day You Challenge: Wants

2011-03-31T04:51:00.000-07:00

Seven Wants

for my dad to get a job he loves
funding for pat's future endeavors
to be financially comfortable
to get married
to pay off my car quickly and on time
to travel the world
to lose some weight

10 Day You Challenge: Fears

2011-03-30T04:50:00.000-07:00

Eight Fears

not living up to my potential/own expectations
cancer
someone i love dying without them knowing how much i care
my anxiety taking over my life
bridges collapsing from underneath me
this one is a secret … but scares the bejeebers outta me
dying alone
never finding the pursuit that makes me leap out of bed with excitement.

10 Day You Challenge: Loves

2011-03-29T04:50:00.000-07:00

Nine Loves (in no particular order)

a really good book/the smell of new books
Pat
my family
my friends
the confidence you get from a really good hair day
really good comfort food
when a song comes on your ipod/the radio/pandora that is exactly what you need at that precise moment
snuggling
youtube. seriously. imagine your life without it.
laughing

10 Day You Challenge: Secrets

2011-03-28T04:49:00.000-07:00

Ten Secrets

At the end of my high school career my best friend Holly and I did an interpretive dance mockery to Clay Aiken's "Invisible" for a church Senior Showcase.
I have a hard time doing ANYTHING unless there's background noise.
I've lived in 7 different cities and 13 or so homes/apartment complexes in my life.
When I get home every night it usually takes me about 3 minutes for me to be in sweats.
In my bouts of apartment hunting during my time post-grad, I've fallen in love with 3 different places, only to find out that each was a retirement community.
My favorite writing medium is napkins. I LOVE it. They're so cushy and great and my handwriting looks awesome on them.
I've never had the desire to be a huge partier. It's just not my scene.
I'm starting to think I'm an introvert with extrovert tendencies.
I LOVE NBC. I watch more of their general nightly programming than any other station. (Although, I do habitually also watch Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory.)
I had more fun at the Blazers' game than I ever had at a Jazz or Celtics game.

some new deets

2011-03-18T21:34:00.000-07:00

1. I have discovered the beauty of Google Reader. How did I ever live without it before?! It's increased the ease of reading all y'all's blogs...but it has cut down on my commenting because it requires another step...and I'm blog lazy.

2. Once upon a time I had to turn in my timesheet today for work. (Which includes my hours for tomorrow.) And once up on a time in a two week (80 "required" hour work week) I had 28 hours of OVERTIME. That's in ADDITION to my regular hours.

28
what the what!?!!

I miss my weekends. Sigh.

3. I have become obsessed with Parks and Rec on NBC. I'm firmly convinced that NBC has the market cornered on good sitcoms. Plus I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Amy Poehler.

4. I have finally watched two movies I was waiting to be able to rent: You Again and MorningGlory. Both are SO good. I really liked em. You Again is super cheese-fest, but it's really clean and pretty interesting. Plus I identified with the fact that she's a dork/klutz. And MorningGlory was really good...and pretty accurately depicts the news industry (which is usually a load of not-realistic poo in movies). My only issues with it were that it made me think of work on my limited time off. haha.

5. Pat and I have eaten BBQ 3 times this week...it's been AWESOME. I'm pretty much obsessed with brisket and ribs...and Mac & Cheese.

6. We watched an episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the other night and the whole time I kept wondering how April's news station functioned because it seemed to shut down when she was missing ... but it wouldn't if it was New York ... and Pat laughed at me because I was analyzing news coverage, not the giant talking turtles.

tink.

2011-03-10T13:47:00.000-08:00

I wore my hair in a topknot/bun the other day.

My friend Sabina calls that my Tinkerbell hair ... she even bought me this awesome pen because of it:

Then last night she reminded me of this adorable story. Which I love...and want to document/share.

One time Pat, Sabina and I were in the booth discussing how she got me that pen from Disneyland and she pointed out it was because I "look like Tinker Bell" and Pat said, "you don't look like her," to which I started pouting and he quickly added with a smirk on his face, "you don't have wingssss!"

He (and she) are SO SWEET. sigh.

so jenna's crazy...but here it is:

2011-03-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

Jenna says I'm a stylish blogger!

I think she's NUTS.

(She clearly doesn't know about my pajama pants DRAWERS (plural).)

(My family has collectively rolled their eyes at this point.)

As part of the award I have to divulge seven secrets and then tag seven other stylish bloggers.

So here goes.

1. I'm afraid of smart phones. Not because I can't work them (I'm a pro) but because I'm afraid of being TOO connected to the internet world. I really don't need to know everything about Facebook all day and keep it in my pocket. BUT despite all of this -- I want an iPhone so bad.

2. I’m starting to think I’m an introvert with extrovert tendencies.

3. I LOVE NBC. I watch more of their general nightly programming than any other station. (Although, I do habitually also watch Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory.)

4. I had more fun at the Blazers’ game than I ever had at a Jazz or Celtics game.

5. When I get home every night it usually takes me about 3 minutes for me to be in sweats. (Hence why I'm SOOOOOOOOOO not stylish.)

6. It took me years to not be terrified to call someone on the phone. Even still, I usually panic slightly as it rings. And I still get very high-school-girl-crush flutters of nerves when I call Pat on the phone.

7. I’ve lived in 5 different cities and 13 or so homes/apartment complexes/hotels in my life.

And now I have to tag other people.

Gabby of Gabby She Wrote

Megumi of The Maris Family

KLaw of KLaw Inspired

Jessica of Daily Ramblings

Krysten of After I Do

Ruth of Run.Create.Balance

Have at it, ladies.

ch-ch-changes

2011-02-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, so we're tryin out a new layout here folks.

The best part?

I made it myself.

What?!! It's true. This is 100% all Siovhan self-taught stuff.

I'm still tweaking here and there ... and need to dust off my photoshop skills to make a better header...

but I like it.

What about you?

And I'm going to leave you with one of my favorite things I saw this week:

via

I LOVE The Muppets.

Muppet Treasure Island and Muppets From Space are frequently quoted among my siblings and myself.

(I'm off to make dinner ... and save some for my hard working man.)

Happy weekend all!

fact check. fact? check!

2011-02-07T13:43:00.000-08:00

I'm still alive.

My home computer is broken (again)...but I don't have internet in my apartment yet, anyway...so yeah.

I'm in my new place -- and I'm so grateful to be out of that awful situation.

Also, how about that Super Bowl? I'm kinda shocked the Packers came back and won it all ... but good for them! They needed a Favre-free title for sure.

I also have a bit of a Case of the Mondays...so I'm stealing Lacey's {/Leigh Ashley's supposed-to-be-Wednesday} writing prompt to get my creative juices flowing.

So I present:

Things You Probably Never Needed to Know About Me But Now Will

{one} what was your favorite sitcom growing up?

Favorite? Oh man, I'm not sure I can pick just one. I was a HUGE fan of the TGIF lineup -- Full House, Step By Step, Family Matters...I also LOVED Saved By The Bell (Zach Morris...be still my heart).

{two} what song always makes you happy when you hear it?

The Beatles--Here Comes the Sun

{three} do you still have your wisdom teeth?

Thankfully, no. Those things were a huge pain in my...mouth. Actually they were so impacted that when they started doing my x-rays they realized that they were much worse than they'd thought and that they'd have to break parts (yes multiple parts) of my lower jaw to get the bottom two out. It was one of the most unpleasant things I've ever endured.

{four} what is your go to way to relax?

Sometimes a bubble bath. But usually some music, a magazine, my sweats, and the blazer blanket.

{five} do you play any instruments?

Two. Piano and the flute. Though I remember very little of the flute.

{six} nude beaches: yes or no?

Um. If you'd like to be on a nude beach goforit. But for me--nah.

{seven} do you chew your pens/pencils?

Mostly clicky pens. Weird, right? I click them on, and then chew on the loose top. I'm a nutcase, I know.

{eight} can you change the oil in your car?

I can do a lot of things car-maintenance-y...but changing my own oil isn't one of them.

{nine} can you curl your tongue?

Yep! I can fold it into a clover, too.

{ten} can you knit or crochet?

I can knit...but I can't crochet to save my freaking life.
I'm a pro at knitted potholders...but that's about it.

{eleven} have you ever been on tv?

Um, several times. I was a Broadcast Journalism student and work in TV.
But here, my friend, I have a present for you.
From my VERY FIRST STORY EVER...as a mere 19-year-old college student.

(This is stuff I never show ANYONE.)
But yes, it aired on LIVE Television...as did all my other stuff. Woot.

{twelve} what was the best movie you saw last year?

Um, I'm not quite sure. I think I saw 4 movies in the theater in all of last year. But I'd have to say Salt. A lot of people didn't like it, but I LOVED it. (And I don't usually like Angelina Jolie.) I thought it was intriguing and contained a lot of plot twists that I, truly, didn't expect.

{thirteen} do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?

I don’t sleep with a top sheet. I always end up getting tangled in it at night and kicking and thrashing until it's off me...and, subsequently, off the bed.

{fourteen} do you cut coupons?

I'm starting. I'm looking to save money and stick more to a budget (my resolution/a necessity)...so I'm starting to.

{fifteen} do you ever count your steps when you walk?

Sometimes. But more often I have to get in the same cadence as the people walking closest to me in order to be in the same rhythm. Again, I know I'm a nutjob.

{sixteen} what sauce do you dip your chicken nuggets in?

Ranch and/or BBQ. Always and forever.

{seventeen} do you have any magazine subscriptions?

Actually, yes. I have a subscription to Glamour. It's just about the only girly magazine I consistently like. I used to have one to Newsweek, but didn't renew it.

{eighteen} when was the last time you wrote a letter on paper?

Last week! Shockingly, enough.

{nineteen} what’s your favorite fruit pie?

Razzleberry or Apple. I'm a HUGE pie person. I always have Birthday pie, not cake.

{twenty} black olives or green olives?

Black. And the jumbo ones, preferably.

Happy Monday, friends.

xoxo.

insomnia...

2011-01-25T00:15:00.000-08:00

I'm moving this weekend.

HOLLER.

I seriously cannot wait. To be rid of the drama. Rid of the stupid. Rid of the MEAN.

I'm sick of life being ridiculous.

And sucky.

Because lately -- it's been a big wad of DUMB.

Thankfully my family has been there for me.

My mom and dad are so supportive and fantastic.

My siblings are so fun, and great mood lifters.

And then there's my Patrick.

He's been fantastic.

Well, he's always fantastic, but he's gone beyond the call of duty.

photo by kurt halsey

He's seriously the greatest.

Drops everything anytime I call.

Checks in on me all the time, takes care of me, and snuggles me.

He's the best support.

I'm so lucky.

Plus you know you have a good one when he's willing (and excited) to go to a 1-year-old's birthday party with you.

It was for Emily -- who is one half of Pat's and my favorite kid duo: Emily and Ellie -- the coolest little girls in the whole wide world.

Seriously--check them out:

image via mandy sloan photography

Aren't they the cutest little girls EVER?

And they're so smart! Ellie can work a computer better than most adults that I know, as well as grasp concepts and speak better than she should for her age.

And they have the coolest parents -- Brad and Mandy are the chillest, happiest people I know.

Plus Ellie and I are best friends.

She calls me Shabonna.

(And she says my cool trick is being awesome. BEST FRIEND EVER.)

Pat absolutely adores these two. It's so tender.

Also want to hear a funny story?

I was texting as I was walking down the stairs Saturday -- and totally mis-estimated the amount of stairs left and tumbled down the rest of them...smushing my face into the wall at the bottom.

It was HILARIOUS.

I stood up and could not stop laughing.

How are all of you?

xoxo.

keeping the crazy at bay

2011-01-20T00:24:00.000-08:00

I'm fairly convinced that one day I'll be one of those old ladies who gives herself a nervous breakdown because she's thinking about/stressed about/worrying about too many things (i.e. has too much on her plate).

Although, (and my mom will vouch for me) I'm usually much happier when I have a lot to do -- because being bored sucks.

My dad will likely cringe--but that's my to-do list on my hand. Not the most effective means, but it gets the job done. Plus. I'm never without my hand.

So I'm gonna share some crazy to alleviate it.

Apartment hunting sucks. Sucks. Apartment management businesses try to take you to the bank with everything required just to APPLY.

Pat and I are going to a 1-year-old birthday party this weekend and I'm stoked. This little girl is the cutest little bean and we've been privy to so many of her monumental moments.

Plus her parents are rad, so that's a huge bonus.

I realized today that there might be something worse than passionately disliking someone -- and that is severe apathy for that person. That you don't care what happens to them in the slightest. I realized this because there are people I actually feel this about. Two I can think of, actually. It makes me feel kind of bad.

I have Blazer's tickets for next month and I can't wait to go.

I want it to be NOW.

(Escapist much?)

I have a coworker who is sucking up to me SOOOOOOOOOO bad because she knows I have a piece of info that if told to our boss would likely cost her her job. Instead of feeling empowered by this, or even like I can use this to my advantage -- I mostly feel awkward. Partially because I even know about the situation... partially because I know she thinks I'm going to/have told people ... and partially because I think she's going to try and use this to make me seem like I'm picking on her.

I ran/read some weird stories today:

DIY gastric bypass kit available on Amazon

College kid stabs four, killing one, after being teased about farting at a party

Bourdain's list of 10-second late night meals

My hair keeps getting curlier.

And bigger. AND LONGER.

I was looking at it over the weekend and it is past my bra line in the back. No exaggeration.

Even Pat commented, "your hair is really long!"

I miss my family.

With all this stress, and crap-itude going on lately...Pat has been my rock.

We had a fantastic weekend this past weekend -- and I couldn't be more grateful.

He is more amazing that I can, or could even fathom being able to tell you.

(And I'm keeping the deets to myself because they're SUPER emotional and personal.)

Any of you dealing with the crazy?

xoxo.

goals

2011-01-12T00:21:00.000-08:00

My mom used to tell me that goals not written down are merely wishes.

So I'm making myself accountable to y'all.

I don't really believe in new year's resolutions ... but I do believe in making goals routinely -- and mine just happen to coincide with a new year (a great, natural beginning).

So here are my major goals for my next 6 months:

Get rid of toxic, dramatic, inhibiting people.
Create a budget. STICK TO IT.
Cook at home.
Learn to coupon & save money.
Move more (in the exercise sense, not in the residency sense).

So now y'all have to hold me accountable, too. ;)

xoxo.

why i need to enlist a grandma

2011-01-07T00:54:00.000-08:00

See this gorgeous kitchen?

Well, I have a funny story about this place.

So it's no secret from y'all that I'm looking for a new apartment (due to my crazy roomie).

Well, in my quest for the perfect new place -- I've been looking farther south in town ... closer to the boyfriend.

One night while headed over to his place I stopped at the market and realized there was a big group of apartments just across the street. Desperate as I am, I decided to stop in and see if I could talk to anyone working there.

But before I did this -- I did something really creepy. I looked inside people on the ground level's open windows. I could see these gorgeous kitchens, the cute little living rooms with fireplaces and laminate flooring.
And from what I could tell, there were tennis courts, covered parking, a pool -- everything you could look for in a complex.

I fell in LOVE.

I was sure they'd be out of my price range, but I new I needed to ask.

I walked inside the front door, approached the front desk and asked the girl if they had any apartments available.

"For your family?" she asked.

I'm sure I looked puzzled and replied, "No, for me."

She smiled as she said, "Um, miss, you can't live here."

A little bit hurt and slightly offended that she judged me that precisely I said, "Um, alright. Thanks."

She laughed and said, "This is a retirement community, so you're too young."

OF COURSE.

Of course I fall desperately in love with the RETIREMENT COMMUNITY I can't move into because I'm 40+ years too young.

Hahahahahahaha. Classic.

So, my search continues.

xoxo.

three days in and still rockin

2011-01-03T01:26:00.000-08:00

I wasn't going to do a year-ender post (in big part due to the fact that I wrote 489593845938745 New Year's stories at work on Friday)...

but I've changed my mind a little.

2010 was a rough, awesome, incredible, ugly, wonderful year.

I sat thinking about some of the horrible, ridiculous and hard stuff I went through in 2010:

fake people, betrayal, crippling fear, backstabbing, unhappiness, living in an apartment where silence has become the norm, lots of tears, doctors bills, sickness, car crashes, break-ins, broken bones, etc.

But then I got to thinking about some of the progress I've made:

deciding that I think I need different things from the future, seeing myself as someone who truly loves me does, embracing myself--flaws and all, reuniting with a "lost" friend and making our friendship better than it was before, making new friends and embracing people for who they are, about making my own choices because they're what makes me happy--not because they're what's expected or what would make someone else happy but for ME.

And mostly, I thought about how much love I felt during the year.

Because the friends I've kept are beyond wonderful.

Because I have a spectacular family.

Because I have Pat.

Because Pat is my family.

And because that's the thing that probably changed, affected, and MADE my whole year.

That on January 1, 2010 I was in love with a guy I was sure was going to get sick of me at some point -- and we've fallen more in love each and every day. (I know, schmoopy.)
By January 1, 2011 I can't imagine my life without him.

Because he's the one I've started the last two years with -- and who I want to start all the rest with, as well.

And because I know he feels that same way--and wants me around for the rest of his, as well.

We had RIDICULOUS amounts of fun on Friday.

And we had even more fun Saturday.

And this is how Saturday night ended up:

watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations at his buddy's house with him asleep on the banana chair, me asleep on the futon with my head on his shoulder and starting to snore -- and waking up to a forehead kiss.

I'm so lucky.

2011--if this is how you're going to be all year ... you and I are gonna be best friends.

Merry New Year, friends!

xoxo.

i'll be home for christmas. literally.

2010-12-22T22:12:00.000-08:00

So I've had a half written post stuck in my drafts for days.

This is still not it.

But this IS my I'm-so-excited-to-go-home-and-see-my-family-for-the-first-Christmas-in-two-years post.

See this house?

This is gonna be what it looks like when I get in tomorrow night.

Isn't it adorable?

I love this place. I can't wait to play my piano, sit on the couch in a blanket with my sister, talk about books with my baby brother, sit on the floor of the kitchen and talk to my mom as she cooks (-- or maybe help her cook :P), and to watch football with my dad, and to talk to my little brother on the phone in Nicaragua!

Also, to see New England snow again. I haven't seen real snow in nearly two years! That's crazy business!

But I will say, I'm going to miss Pat an awful lot. I know it sounds silly, but we spend very few days apart and this is the time you're supposed to be with your loved ones -- and he's for sure my loved one. I wish he was coming with me. But I know it's just a few days and we'll soon be together again. I love that guy.

(And hopefully I can teach him how to Skype so we can talk face to face on Christmas Day!)

Plus, I bought him Nerf guns (among some other things) and I cannot wait to play with them. They have glow i the dark suction darts!

Also--check this out:

tiny me opening presents.

Or I really should say: tiny me playing with wrapping paper.

That's still what my hair looks like when I wake up on Christmas day.

I hope your days leading up to Christmas are treating you well.

I love you all lots. Sincerely.

warmest christmas wishes,

i'm going private

2010-12-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

I'm going private.

Comment me your email if you wanna keep reading.

2010-12-01T01:37:00.000-08:00

To be honest, I've had a hard time blogging these past few months because all the fun exciting things I'd like to tell you about -- I'm afraid to.

Mostly because of all the stories about professional and educational troubles due to facebook and blogs.

So, once again, I'm thinking about going private -- so I can tell you all about my life!

(Because that's the fun part, right?!)

Thoughts?

Anyway.

I'm going to lay something on y'all. And it's going to be mushy. But this is my space, my rules, my game. Holla.

I am so grateful for the wonderful people in my life.

family picture, 2006

I have the best family a girl could ask for.
My mom is the most amazing woman. She knows when something is wrong, or when you need her -- even when you haven't said a word. She supports me in, through, and with everything. And she'll let me call late, no matter how early she has to be up. And she makes me laugh simply when she laughs.

My dad calls all the time just to make sure I'm alive, to make sure I'm doing alright, and to make sure I haven't driven myself crazy. Plus he tells me awesomely pun-tastic jokes, which slay me. And he still calls every time Bleeding Love is on the radio.

My little brother Braden is so sweet and works to maintain our bond even though he's so far away. This week he and I got a chance to chat via email, and he reminded me how great he thinks I am. We talked about the future, about our great family, about being homesick. Growing up and moving away (even from each other) has really solidified our bond. Plus, the kid has the wackiest sense of humor and the greatest laugh.

My littlest (ha. he's actually the tallest) brother Ben and I are pretty close. In fact, out of everyone in our family, I'm the only one he confides in. I think that's incredible. He's a 17 year old boy who loves to chat with his sister. He's so funny and sarcastic, he makes me chuckle even through his texts.

And lastly, but never least in my life, my baby sister. She's such a blessing in my life. Every night (EVERY) night she texts me goodnight as she goes to bed just to make sure she knows I'm thinking about her. And she is more than gung-ho about boyfriend ... embracing him even though they've never met. Plus she's HILARIOUS. And we have nearly the same laugh at this point, which really makes me happy.

(we found mustaches in the vending machine on 2009's vacation...so naturally we made her look like a creeper. This picture makes me laugh nonstop EVERY.TIME.)
Actually, thinking about it, my family is hysterical. I said they make me laugh, about each of them.
I LOVE you guys.

I'm grateful for my wonderful friends.
You know who you are (hint, you, hint). I'm so grateful I have you in my life.
For my Megans new and old.
Miss Holly, my long-time, permanent bestie.
For el producero del manana. For my blockbuster co-hort. And the amazon, pink-shoed lady.
And so many more of you.
I am blessed to have you in my life. Love, xoxo.

And also, I feel crazy about blogging because, honestly, I am desperately, hopelessly, ridiculously in love.
And the mush can only go so far before I become sickening.

I am the luckiest girl.
I have a man who treats me so well, tells me I'm beautiful, calls me just to say hi, comes over all the time (no matter how tired) just so we can spend time together. He makes me laugh (seriously non-stop. funniest person i know.), tickles me til I almost pee, snuggles me, cooks for me, holds me, listens to me babble (all.the.time), kisses me on the forehead, and loves me.

We've had some fantastic times. {And lately those times just keep getting even better.} I can't stop smiling about when I think about our memories (for example: eating chinese food in my room while listening to music and watching netflix).
Honestly, he was the one who saw me when I was invisible. But he never treated me like I wasn't the msot important, beautiful or wonderful person in the world.
He's so special.
I never thought I'd be so lucky to find someone who just gets me.
Thanks for being my puzzle piece. I love you.

Anyway.

Love you all.

Fur. Rills.

xoxo

confession time

2010-11-16T19:09:00.000-08:00

My computer is still broken.

It's driving me FREAKING. INSANE.

(Insane to the point where I thought about buying a new computer and just taking it back when mine's fixed, one of those netbook things, or a smart phone just so I could email, google, facebook and blogstalk).

Not being able to google or google maps things -- KILLIN. ME.

ARGHHHHHHHH.

Anyway.

picture via gabby

See these things?

EPIC.

They're Buffalo Chicken Cheese Balls/Bites from Gabby...and they're INCREDIBLE. (You can find the recipe here.)

Gabby is an incredible cook and shares good recipes all the time. Trust her. She knows her stuff.

Also...SECRET TIME:

I've always been able to cook, but usually lack the patience or the drive (cooking for one person SUCKS).

But lately, I've started to really love cooking.

I love putting on some music, or cranking up the tv a little and goin at it in the kitchen with a mixing bowl and some good food.

Because, seriously, I love food. I love good food.

And now that I realize I'm not an abysmal cook, or that leftovers aren't of the devil -- I've started enjoying it a lot more.

(Plus it saves a boat load of money.)

So, got any good recipes?

xoxo.

let's play ketchup. teehee.

2010-11-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

Why hello there!

Okay...so I know there's plenty I have to tell you...so where to start...

My home computer is B-U-S-T-E-D. Busted.

One day it spontaneously turned off and decided never to turn on again.

So while I wait to figure out how to take care of it (thank you, extended warranty!) I'm stuck technology-less. And that, my friends, is a pain in the BUTT.

I HATE not having a computer at home.

(Especially during my morning routine--which usually involves lots of my iTunes and youtubing music videos.)

This morning my cup of apple cider collapsed on me burning both my hands, and then I dropped it on the floor thus allowing it to splatter every which way -- including scalding my feet and my hands again. Woot! Well, I wouldn't be me if there wasn't an embarrassing and painful start to my morning.

We're in sweeps at work -- which means work, work, work, work, work, sleep, work, work work ... you get the point.

Boyfriend is as adorable as ever.

He's seriously the sweetest guy, always calling to check in on me and see how my night's been, coming over just to see me and hang out, and ever letting me know I'm all his.

Oh and I know it's ridiculously after the fact... Halloween was the most anti-climactic Halloween I've had in ages. Boyfriend had to work all night, and I had a huge migraine so I went home, put on my fleece pajama pants, grabbed my new study book and plopped down on the couch to catch up on my James Bond. Heck. yes. Am I sad? Nope. Do I wish I'd had somewhere to go or a cute couple's costume? A little ... but we can save that for next Halloween.

Anyway ... back to work.

Love y'all.

xoxo.

for my friend summer...

2010-10-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

on tha reez

2010-10-25T00:45:00.000-07:00

I promised a post or two ago to post a picture of my new glasses.

I finally remembered! Haha. Here they are:

I like em! I tried on about 40 pair of glasses ... to no avail. I left the store and came back a couple hours later and found these cuties. I'm still a little sad they didn't have the red ones I was in love with a couple months ago -- but I really love these ones.

Also that sweater is pretty much my favorite item I own. It's SOO soft.

Also my yoga pants. They cost me $3.00 and they're so comfortable.

How was everyone's weekend?

rah, rah, sis boom bandom.

2010-10-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

{from megan's visit sept. 2009}

Inspired by Gabby's call for something random

(which we all know is what I do best)

... here's some random stuff.

I've been whittling down my Marvin Gaye playlist on Pandora -- which is my all time favorite Pandora station I've ever created.

(Seriously. Type it in -- listen -- fall in love.)

I have a crap TON of hair. Pictures don't do it justice. It's so thick. Here's a story to illustrate my point, somewhat: Last night I took a shower around 10:30. I went to bed with wet hair, to let it air dry. (Which it does in Oregon quite nicely.) I woke up at 8:50 this morning -- and the majority of it was still wet. And I'm a stomach sleeper, it was exposed all night.

Also, I have to use 2 ponytail holders to keep a ponytail in place.

I feel guilty for falling asleep before I really got to talk to boyfriend last night. He texted me, and we exchanged a couple texts (mostly nonsense on my end) but I was half asleep and ended up just crashing. He keeps having to be the one to call, too, because I keep falling asleep. Poor guy. His girlfriend is 90.

Speaking of hair, I've worn mine in braided pigtails two days in a row now ... and I love them.

I've been craving really good mac and cheese for like two weeks now, and keep getting disappointed by the mac and cheese I choose to eat.

I got a splinter in my lip last night from eating with chopsticks.

I'm getting REALLY excited for the Celtics v Heat matchup for next week. King James against the Big Shamrock. Awww yeah.

I'm wearing hot pink underwear today. It makes me really happy.

My journalist senses kick in in awesome ways sometimes, and at other points -- nahsomuch. Like when boyfriend was supposed to come hang out the other night but fell asleep (he works until LATE). I got so worried I checked all the Medical Response logs, the police accident log, and hospital rosters -- to make sure he wasn't hurt somewhere.

I want chicken wings. Right now.

Instead, I'm eating Costco Pizza.

I love doing laundry -- sorting, tossing it in the washer, sorting and tossing in the dryer.

BUT. But I HATE hanging and folding. Which is why I've had a basket of clean clothes sitting on my floor for approximately three weeks.

I have a very specific closet hanging arrangement.

(skirts and dresses, collared button up shirts, hoodies and sweaters, then: black, white, gray, pink, yellow, blue, red, purple, green, brown).

I want to be at the ocean right now.

(with my chicken wings.)

xoxo.

me and you...and you and me...

2010-10-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend, two of my IRL friends finally met my boyfriend.
Both commented (as is a familiar comment when we're together) about how funny he is and his propensity for making me laugh (which is how I make it through nearly every day).

And because I usually talk about him only in the vaguest of terms (yeah, I'm selfish...I want him all for ME) ... I thought I'd share some things about US with y'all.

She: loves to lay in bed reading book after book after book.

He: Sports addict. Seriously, no one can match this guy on sheer sports knowledge and comprehension. Even for sports he's not particularly fond of (*cough* baseball *cough*).
She: obsessed with solitaire...verging on needing an intervention.

He: puts hot sauce on everything. Seriously EVERYTHING. I'm firmly convinced his stomach is made of reinforced steel. He can stand CRAZY hot stuff.
She: usually has about four different kinds of gum in her bag at one time.
Both: love French Toast. Like, really love.
She: has a seriously sweet tooth. We all remember the sleep eating incident, right?
He: can cook pretty much anything really really really well. (I get to play sous chef!)
Both: love Calvin and Hobbes.
He: watches ESPN religiously, loves the Deadliest Catch, Food Network and Travel Channel and doesn't waste time on sitcoms.
She: loves much of the same ... but is addicted to Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother.
Both: love sandwiches and soul food.
He: pro at video games.
She: knows what Duck Hunt and Mario Cart are -- and still sucks at them.
Both: love Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, and Otis Redding.
He: the rap/hip-hop pro. Could school ANYONE at legit hip hop knowledge and taste. And we're not talking Kanye West crapola.
Both: Super ticklish.

She: frequently falls asleep waiting for him to get off work so they can hang out.
He: always comes in and kisses her awake.

She: has to stand on tip toes to kiss him.
He: gets this really amused smirk on his face when ever he thinks he's really funny.
She: straight up laughs at her own jokes because she thinks she's hilarious.
She: tries to be sneaky.
He: always catches her -- no matter what it is.
She: super clumsy.
He: victim of it. (Seriously, I head butted him accidentally on the couch last week.)
Both: have fond memories of the movie Top Gun.
He: calls her (or at least texts) goodnight every. single. night. No matter where they each are.

So there are some little known facts about the two of us.
We're adorable. We know. hahaha.

xoxox.

things i'm grateful for

2010-10-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

i told a friend of mine this week that i wish they taught a college course on how being a grown up isn't exactly what it's cracked up to be.

but there are definitely some good things.

here is where i enumerate some of them.

because it makes me happy.

fall foliage

good music

happy people who smile at you

my billy joel mix cd in my car

talking to an old friend

hot apple cider

memories of family fall trips to waterville valley

the kindness of a friend who tells you you're cared about

stuffed crust pizza

warm, snuggly blankets

orange juice

my genius pandora marvin gaye station. seriously, the best ever.

the free trial of netflix. i'm falling in love.

aziz ansari

disney movies

blue skies

sweet songs that make me think about love, my life, the future, etc.

mcdonald's ice cream cones

calvin and hobbes

the i love my ducks return of the quack. seriously.

fuzzy slippers

my car

my super comy $3 old navy yoga pants

new music nights with the boy

my white checkered vans

pumpkin spice ANYTHING.

my new glasses -- oh guys, do i have the story for you.

{so i've had glasses for 9 or 10 years. when i got my glasses it was a really light prescription for nearsightedness. well that prescription stuck, i.e. i've always had the same prescription and the same pair of glasses. (that's right. the SAME pair for 10 years. holla.) so lately my eyes had been hurting and i'd been getting headaches after staring at my computer all day at work. so on a whim i decided to go get my eyes checked...and guess what?! i'm now FARSIGHTED. that's right. my eyes corrected their nearsighted problems and went the other way. thankfully, it's not a strong prescription. but they're cute. i'll get a picture up.}

well, that did make me feel better.

hope you all are having a fabulous day.

xoxo.

i want:

2010-10-10T01:42:00.000-07:00

I've been nursing a really heinous head cold for most of this week.

(still worth kissing the sick boyfriend.)

Ew. I sound a little like a man, a little like Fran Drescher.

So sitting here sick on my couch, all I really want is:

my snuggly trailblazers blanket

my even snugglier boyfriend

a steamed apple cider from starbucks

to be snuggled up somewhere like this:

with a good book
and my super snuggly boyfriend

my favorite sweatpants

a really comfy worn-in boyfriend-y sweater

some french toast

and hashbrowns smothered in cheese

oh, and did i mention, my super snuggly boyfriend?

him, too.

(being sick has left both of us mucho under-snuggled)

(scary...or sicky...)

xoxox.

comedic parallels...

2010-10-06T01:18:00.000-07:00

I love Calvin and Hobbes.

And after a tickle fight the other night -- I noticed a parallel.

Boyfriend is the Hobbes to my Calvin.

Actually, I think we switch roles sometimes.

But this also may have happened:

For more Calvin and Hobbes ... go here.

just a note to say...

2010-09-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

I pulled down my last post.

I'm beyond grateful for your advice and really took it to heart.

But I felt foolish because I posted something for the whole world to see about us -- not just me...which is against my own blogging rules.

So I took it down.

As of right now, I feel good about things.

I love him.

We'll be fine. I just know it.

my stylin sister

2010-09-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

My little sister is the cutest.

Seriously. It's no contest.

See? 'Aint she adorable?!!

Well this cute little girl lives 3,000 miles away from me.

And she has for a little more than 6 years now.

Still, we talk to each other every night before she goes to bed.

And in a real display of sweetness -- she babysat for a whole day, saved her money and bought me this shirt:

because she knows how much I love Diet coke.

Cutest little sister EVER.

xoxox.

stuff i've been thinkin about...

2010-09-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

it's another round of crazy things going on in siovhan's head.

i'm still at work today -- because the news never stops. even for holidays. although it really mostly does because holiday shows are the most challenging to fill. but i love a good challenge. :)

my BRAND NEW cute little car got broken into over the weekend.
stuff got stolen. and police thing i may have been targeted, actually. ick.
it makes me feel ridiculously unsafe at my apartment.
i keep having nightmares about it, about people attacking me, about people breaking into my house, etc.

still, i love my car.
i love how many dang cup holders it has.
seriously. it has like 6 ... maybe even 8.
(not sure if the back seats have em in the door, too...i never sit back there).

i love that it's getting to be fall weather. i love cool, crisp, leaf-changing weather.
i'm not as excited about the perpetu-rain in oregon, though.

i finally found my perfect pair of mirrored aviators:

{i heart them.}

i have the sweetest boyfriend in the world.
even when he's sicker than a dog...he's great to me.
we had the funniest night the other night, watching tv, listening to music, and just chilling together.

i'm in love with this sweater i finally got in the mail. courtesy of some birthday money and a gift certificate:

{i've never met a cardigan i couldn't love...well, almost.}

college football season has officially begun. and i couldn't be more excited.
i LOVE football.

go cougs! go ducks!
and hooray for victories on both sides this weekend.
i'm stoked to watch this season's games.

Oh, and Miss Summer B's dad is doin real awful.
Send some love and prayers his way.
And if you can -- click here and add to the good karma, and love he needs.

This good man deserves some epic universal love.
Plus Summer's gonna pay it forward.
Also watch how happy he was to see her -- here.
That's pure love, my friends.

grown up life is dummmmmmmmmmbbbbb.
it involves too many bills, too many heartaches, and not enough fun and spontenaity.
yes, i know i can fix some of that...and i'm trying.
(/end whining.)

xoxox.

send him to LA!

2010-08-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

I don't normally do this kind of thing, but it's really easy and I know and really like the guy who's competing. It's my friend Austin (one of the coolest guys around. seriously.) and he's competing for an amazing job in Los Angeles, and is very close to getting it. But he needs ALL OUR help.

It takes literally 5 seconds to vote for him - Click Here to VOTE!

Literally -- Austin is straight up PERFECT for this job. And he's a class act, so I'm all about helping him fulfill his dreams.

So please vote!

xoxo.

on tha reez

2010-08-20T01:37:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Lauren:

Boyfriend and I laugh more than most people I know.

{People tell us this routinely.}

Sometimes, at ourselves.
Example:

We're snuggling the other day and my hip joint started to hurt so I was trying to swivel them and in the process boyfriend lifted up his arm (to accommodate my wiggling), inadvertently poking me in the eye.

I laughed.

He looked at me, smiled, and gently tapped me on the other eye.

"Symmetry."

He kissed them both, and we started laughing so hard.

So grateful for someone who makes me laugh so much each day.

{And yes, I know this is sappy.}

Hope you all have happy weekends!
xoxo.

well...that's new....

2010-08-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

Embarrassing things I'm admitting to you today:

I changed my clothes 4 times this morning.
I ended up in one of my favorite black shirts .... that apparently has holes in BOTH armpits.
My hypochondria is out of control. Seriously...out. of. control.
I need more sleep...not because I don't sleep ... but because, without realizing the time, I downed 22 oz. of Mountain Dew at 11pm last night. Genius.
All I want for lunch is a large twist ice cream from Dairy Queen.
I have had the Bed Intruder Song stuck in my head on repeat for days .... and sang it in the shower last night.
When it's not that song ... it's Katy Perry's new single Teenage Dream.
I want to be best friends with Russell Brand and Katy Perry just for the shenanigans.
I always pick the wrong line at the grocery store. I was in the express lane trying to buy a sandwich for lunch -- and the woman in front of me took 20 minutes to figure out all her coupons for her 6 bottles of shampoo, 3 loaves of bread, and SIX CASES OF BEER. Yes...friends, that's well above the 10 item limit as well as annoying. She literally haggled over the price of the beer forever.
I downed a bottle of vitamin water in nearly 5 seconds. Literally. After which a coworker looked at me and said, "You drink weird."

It's only 4 pm...I'm sure there's more to come.

blast from the past

2010-08-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm struggling to know what to write ... so I thought we'd do a funny memory from the past.

Well my junior year of college I was quite the heartbreaker (ha.). Wanna know why? I had utterly NO TIME for any guy -- which made me "mysterious"...and my blatant disregard for their intentions made me an even hotter commodity.

During the summer when I had a little more free time (only a little seeing as I worked 45+ hours and was taking 3 classes) ... one guy decided to try his luck.

He had an advantage. He was fun, he was cute, he was ambitious, but most of all -- he was witty, intelligent, and hysterical all at once. So I thought I'd give him a shot.

I turned up the charm, amped up my own wit, and twinged the sarcasm. We spent one evening chatting for a long time -- eventually making plans to go get food together the next day (the universal sign of date-ish interest, no?). Well, when I showed up the following day, there he was...complete with roommate in tow. And annoying, abrasive roommate, at that. (In his mind, I believe he thought this was a great idea.)

After lunch we went back to his apartment to hang out and presumably watch a movie. Well, we sat on opposite sides of the couch during the movie because, well, I chose to. As a result of my hectic schedule -- I fell asleep while watching the movie (a problem that continues into the present).

I woke up a little while later -- feeling like something was much different than how it was when I dozed off.

No, the furniture wasn't moved around. No, I hadn't been abducted and buried alive. And no, my shirt wasn't soaked in drool or anything like that.

As my mind became clearer I realized what had changed.

I was not alone on the couch. I was no longer upright on the couch. And someone was blowing in my ear.

I quickly realized that this boy, while I was asleep, had somehow coerced my body into spooning with his ... and he had been running his hands through my hair and blowing in my ear.

Needless to say that afternoon was over.

Sadly, the stories involving this guy weren't over...including one time he told me he'd like me to be his

TROPHY WIFE

so that I could look pretty when he went to "important work events" and other "impressive goals for [his] life."

No. Joke.

I simply told him I was too smart, too funny, and too pretty to be a trophy wife.

And then I stopped answering his calls.

Now it's your turn ... tell me about YOUR bad dates (or fake-dates).

xoxo.

p.s. ginny and tiff--you know him. ha.

puppy dog eyes...

2010-08-06T02:51:00.000-07:00

I walked outside Best Buy today to find these little guys gazing at me:

Anyone know what kind of dogs they are?

They look like miniature huskies.

I'm kinda in love.

xoxo.

remember ...

2010-08-06T01:32:00.000-07:00

"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is a beauty, admire it.

Life is a dReAm, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is a sorrow, overcome in.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is life, fight for it!"

--Mother Teresa--

do you ever get that feeling?

2010-08-01T23:49:00.000-07:00

the mean reds have hit me tonight.

and packed a whopper.

coming suddenly. no warning.

just tears.

they came with their bags packed, ready to stay, and bringing the blues with them.

i am not letting them stay.

i need a good night's sleep...and some hugs.

i have to beat them.

have you ever felt this way?

has it ever hit you suddenly like it did to me?

xoxo.

month of music day 30

2010-07-30T04:08:00.000-07:00

~~Day 01 - Your favorite song~~

~~Day 02 - Your least favorite song~~

~~Day 03 - A song that makes you happy~~

~~Day 04 - A song that makes you sad~~

~~Day 05 - A song that reminds you of someone~~

~~Day 06 - A song that reminds of you of somewhere~~

~~Day 07 - A song that reminds you of a certain event~~

~~Day 08 - A song that you know all the words to~~

~~Day 09 - A song that you can dance to~~

~~Day 10 - A song that makes you fall asleep~~

~~Day 11 - A song from your favorite band~~

~~Day 12 - A song from a band you hate~~

~~Day 13 - A song that is a guilty pleasure~~

~~Day 14 - A song that no one would expect you to love~~

~~Day 15 - A song that describes you~~

~~Day 16 - A song that you used to love but now hate~~

~~Day 17 - A song that you hear often on the radio~~

~~Day 18 - A song that you wish you heard on the radio~~

~~Day 19 - A song from your favorite album~~

~~Day 20 - A song that you listen to when you’re angry~~

~~Day 21 - A song that you listen to when you’re happy~~

~~Day 22 - A song that you listen to when you’re sad~~

~~Day 23 - A song that you want to play at your wedding~~

~~Day 24 - A song that you want to play at your funeral~~

~~Day 25 - A song that makes you laugh~~

~~Day 26 - A song that you can play on an instrument~~

~~Day 27 - A song that you wish you could play~~

~~Day 28 - A song that makes you feel guilty~~

~~Day 29 - A song from your childhood~~

Day 30 - Your favorite song at this time last year

little bit of this... little bit of that...

2010-07-29T02:45:00.000-07:00

I've been absent from the blogging world.

Because, my friends, as the Lovely Liz puts it:

"Real life trumps blog."

So I've been out livin life, working, having fun, loving, dating (same boy), smiling, laughing,

and BEING.

Oh, and obsessively watching NCIS.

Not a show that would generally be up my alley ... I'm seriously into this show. Like USA has marathons and I have them all DVR-ed into this show. I'm becoming pseudo friends with Gibbs, McGee, Ziva, Abbey, Ducky, and DiNozzo. (Aaaand it doesn't hurt that the characters are endearing beyond measure.) It's smart, it's intriguing, and it sucks. you. the. freak. in. I love trying to piece together the clues as the team does. And the way Abby and McGee can piece together forensics ... makes me want to be a forensic scientist.
(I just with USA would play them in order.)

It might make me a serious old lady -- but I LOVE The View. (Helps that I work at ABC and can watch at work.) 50 cent was on The View today...and it was awesome. He talked about his dramatic weight loss for a movie (seriously, check out the pictures (he went from 214 pounds to 160)) ... and how he's gained it back. You can see the segment here.

Gabby got me thinking about this next part -- but seriously, these things need to be recommended.

I don't think I've ever posted a picture of my hair all curly ...but trust me -- I have quite the mane. I am always on a quest to find a shampoo I'll really love that'll take good care of my hair (when it's straight and curly), will keep my color/highlights vibrant, smells nice, and won't break the bank. I think, my friends, I've found it.

The Dove Color Repair shampoo is AMAZING. It's light, it doesn't weigh my curls down, and it smells AMAZING. Honestly, I have mousse in my hair right now and my hair is still very soft and my curls look great even though I barely scrunched them.

I have tried mascaras from SO many different companies. And I love this stuff more than I loved my high price mascaras.

I get fairly greasy under my eyes by the end of the day (especially when it's hot) and I can honestly say the only times I've seen this smudge is when I've been really sweaty, or after sleeping with it on. I love Maybelline mascara...and this one DEFINITELY continues that love. And after my last AWFUL mascara ... it's a breath of fresh air. My eyelashes don't get clumpy, which is great because I have so few, and it makes them look LONGGGGGG. I freaking LOVE this stuff.

Also my sunburn is peeling/has peeled a lot and it is ITCHIN like crazy! I lotion it everyday -- but it doesn't help. Anyone got any remedies for itchy burnt skin?

And I finally got my perfect pair of mirrored aviators. I've searched for weeks (and after dropping my sunglasses in the river) I found ones I LOVE. I'll take a picture next time I'm in my car with them.

How about y'all. How are you?

xoxox.

month of music day 29

2010-07-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

~~Day 01 - Your favorite song~~

~~Day 02 - Your least favorite song~~

~~Day 03 - A song that makes you happy~~

~~Day 04 - A song that makes you sad~~

~~Day 05 - A song that reminds you of someone~~

~~Day 06 - A song that reminds of you of somewhere~~

~~Day 07 - A song that reminds you of a certain event~~

~~Day 08 - A song that you know all the words to~~

~~Day 09 - A song that you can dance to~~

~~Day 10 - A song that makes you fall asleep~~

~~Day 11 - A song from your favorite band~~

~~Day 12 - A song from a band you hate~~

~~Day 13 - A song that is a guilty pleasure~~

~~Day 14 - A song that no one would expect you to love~~

~~Day 15 - A song that describes you~~

~~Day 16 - A song that you used to love but now hate~~

~~Day 17 - A song that you hear often on the radio~~

~~Day 18 - A song that you wish you heard on the radio~~

~~Day 19 - A song from your favorite album~~

~~Day 20 - A song that you listen to when you’re angry~~

~~Day 21 - A song that you listen to when you’re happy~~

~~Day 22 - A song that you listen to when you’re sad~~

~~Day 23 - A song that you want to play at your wedding~~

~~Day 24 - A song that you want to play at your funeral~~

~~Day 25 - A song that makes you laugh~~

~~Day 26 - A song that you can play on an instrument~~

~~Day 27 - A song that you wish you could play~~

~~Day 28 - A song that makes you feel guilty~~

Day 29 - A song from your childhood

Day 30 - Your favorite song at this time last year

strange things you don't know about me...

2010-07-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

My friend Ginny:

{isn't this an awesome picture? it's from Holi.}

{oh! and remind me to tell you sometime about how truly incredible and amazing Ginny is. she's one of my heroes.}

challenged me to do a 10 Quirks post {like her} -- and we all know I'm real quirky, so I'll gladly oblige.

1. I have a routine to follow before I sleep. And not like a night time face cream regimen -- like a number of flips and tosses I have to do in my bed before I can fall asleep. I start out on my back, then turn to my stomach facing right, then turn to my left, (and sometimes i do another sequence of this) and then I can slumber.

{my actual feet}

2. I have 9084560984058 pairs of shoes (okay, that's an exaggeration) but pretty much I'd rather be barefoot than wearing shoes at any point.

3. I don't set my alarms for normal times, but they're always set in 5 minute increments. 8:08, 8:13; 4:54, 4:59; 10:03, 10:08; etc.

4. I'm one of the most accident prone/clumsy people I know. Literally I can hurt myself in ways no one else would (like when I cutting stuff last night for dinner). I even broke my foot in high school by tripping over the other one. No joke.

5. I'm not a cat OR a dog person ... I'm both. I tend to think I'm slightly more suited for a cat because they're more autonomous and I work all the time -- but I love both.

6. No matter what is going on in my life, good, bad, happy, sad, ugly, pathetic, hopeful -- set me at the ocean and I'm immediately at peace.

7. I always pick the most annoying ringtone on my phone for my alarm setting. That way I'm so annoyed that I have to pay attention to it.

8. I usually cut my own bangs because I think other people mess them up. I'm RIDICULOUSLY O.C.D. about them. And I cut them (to some degree) at least once a week.

9. When I'm concentrating really hard or I'm really bored I tend to tap my front teeth with my pointer finger fingernail. I'll just sit there and tap as I think.

10. My favorite writing medium is not regular paper, or anything like that. It's napkins. I LOVE writing on napkins. They're so cushy and great and my handwriting looks awesome on them.

What about you? Let me know YOUR quirks!

month of music day 28

2010-07-22T04:08:00.000-07:00

~~Day 01 - Your favorite song~~

~~Day 02 - Your least favorite song~~

~~Day 03 - A song that makes you happy~~

~~Day 04 - A song that makes you sad~~

~~Day 05 - A song that reminds you of someone~~

~~Day 06 - A song that reminds of you of somewhere~~

~~Day 07 - A song that reminds you of a certain event~~

~~Day 08 - A song that you know all the words to~~

~~Day 09 - A song that you can dance to~~

~~Day 10 - A song that makes you fall asleep~~

~~Day 11 - A song from your favorite band~~

~~Day 12 - A song from a band you hate~~

~~Day 13 - A song that is a guilty pleasure~~

~~Day 14 - A song that no one would expect you to love~~

~~Day 15 - A song that describes you~~

~~Day 16 - A song that you used to love but now hate~~

~~Day 17 - A song that you hear often on the radio~~

~~Day 18 - A song that you wish you heard on the radio~~

~~Day 19 - A song from your favorite album~~

~~Day 20 - A song that you listen to when you’re angry~~

~~Day 21 - A song that you listen to when you’re happy~~

~~Day 22 - A song that you listen to when you’re sad~~

~~Day 23 - A song that you want to play at your wedding~~

~~Day 24 - A song that you want to play at your funeral~~

~~Day 25 - A song that makes you laugh~~

~~Day 26 - A song that you can play on an instrument~~

~~Day 27 - A song that you wish you could play~~

Day 28 - A song that makes you feel guilty

Day 29 - A song from your childhood

Day 30 - Your favorite song at this time last year

month of music day 27

2010-07-20T04:08:00.000-07:00

~~Day 01 - Your favorite song~~

~~Day 02 - Your least favorite song~~

~~Day 03 - A song that makes you happy~~

~~Day 04 - A song that makes you sad~~

~~Day 05 - A song that reminds you of someone~~

~~Day 06 - A song that reminds of you of somewhere~~

~~Day 07 - A song that reminds you of a certain event~~

~~Day 08 - A song that you know all the words to~~

~~Day 09 - A song that you can dance to~~

~~Day 10 - A song that makes you fall asleep~~

~~Day 11 - A song from your favorite band~~

~~Day 12 - A song from a band you hate~~

~~Day 13 - A song that is a guilty pleasure~~

~~Day 14 - A song that no one would expect you to love~~

~~Day 15 - A song that describes you~~

~~Day 16 - A song that you used to love but now hate~~

~~Day 17 - A song that you hear often on the radio~~

~~Day 18 - A song that you wish you heard on the radio~~

~~Day 19 - A song from your favorite album~~

~~Day 20 - A song that you listen to when you’re angry~~

~~Day 21 - A song that you listen to when you’re happy~~

~~Day 22 - A song that you listen to when you’re sad~~

~~Day 23 - A song that you want to play at your wedding~~

~~Day 24 - A song that you want to play at your funeral~~

~~Day 25 - A song that makes you laugh~~

~~Day 26 - A song that you can play on an instrument~~

Day 27 - A song that you wish you could play

Day 28 - A song that makes you feel guilty

Day 29 - A song from your childhood

Day 30 - Your favorite song at this time last year