W.O.W

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous."
-Coco Chanel

I feel submerged.

Yes you are. Spread the love. Tell someone they're beautiful today. And really mean it. Look for the beauty in others. It will help you see the beauty in yourself.

Cookies and Murder

I tried a new chocolate chip cookie recipe last night. I've been trying to find the perfect recipe for what feels like forever and I think I finally found it! They came out so perfect! I'll post the recipe on Monday. The Fi-ahhns and I brought them to dinner with the Eatchels last night. We microwaved them, added some vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream and voila! The most perfect dessert!

After a lovely dinner and dessert we watched Boondock Saints 2. I've never seen the first one, but aside from wanting to slap the main girl in the movie, I love love loved it. So great. Who knew gratuitous violence could be so captivating? :)

Just keep swimming

The fi-ahhns and I went swimming for our first time of the year last night. It was so so so nice. I forgot how much I like swimming when it's not at Gold's Gym, where you have to fight for a lane. It was relaxing and perfect. We even spent some time in the hot tub. On the way home we got some sweet 60 cent ice cream cones from Arctic Circle. All in all, another delightful evening. :)

On a side note, every time I type swimming, I always want to type it like this: swiiming. Who knows why? Haha.

Words of Wednesday

"It’s better to explore life and make mistakes than to play it safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life."
— Sophia Loren

Today.

Today I went to lunch with the Fi-ahhns. I brought the sandwhich stuff and he brought his cute self. We met at Murray park where we ate and got some sweet snow cones from the little snack shack there. Summer does not officially begin until I have my first snow cone, so it was perfect. We walked for a bit and headed over to the Gazebo where our wedding will be held. We laid in the grass and day dreamed. I could see the sun through the trees above me. It was warm and a cool breeze was blowing. I was with my love and in that moment, nothing else mattered.

That, my friends, is lunch time love.

Such a crazy weekend. Some work, good food, envelope stuffing, addressing, some crying, some hugging, some kissing, some fighting, some apologizing. You know the drill. Pre-wedding stress. Here's the thing though. I'm not going to dread doing wedding things anymore. I'm going to be positive. Even if there's not enough money or time or things aren't exactly as I want them to be. I'm getting married! That's a huge effing deal! I deserve to be happy and I'm not going to stop myself from being so anymore. Okay, now that that's over, we can move on.

So as many of you know, I moved. I'm living where the Fi-ahhns and I will live when we're married. It's great. The one thing you may not know is that the tub has great water pressure, while the shower trickles water out. It's awful. So Saturday afternoon we had decided to go buy a new shower head and see if that would do the trick. We bought the 3-Way Multi-Shower Set with 30 Settings. The Fi-ahhns removed the old shower head and immediately stumbled upon the problem. He hesitated to tell me what it was, but of course I made him. The shower head was filled with dead box-elder bugs. So gross! I've been showering in dead bug juice. Sick. Anyways, now we have the new amazing shower head on and I took the best shower of my life this morning. No more nasty bug showers for me!

The new shower head


Later that night, the Fi-ahhns and I treated ourselves to a fancy dinner at Macaroni Grill downtown. We deserved it. As we were seated I noticed a homeless man sitting in one of the booths across from us. A waitress brought him a glass of water and a loaf of their (amazing) bread. I heard him say "And bread too?! Thank you!" Then my eyes started to burn and I started to cry. Ya. I was crying. In the middle of Macaroni Grill. I was just so touched by that simple act of kindness and decency that we rarely see. It was beautiful.

Sunday morning we went to breakfast at the Original Pancake House which, as always, was uh-mazing. Later, we pretty much just finished addressing our invites over pizza, candy, and soda (We're stress eaters, okay? Haha.) and today they go out. I feel so accomplished/relieved. If you're wanting an invite and haven't given me your address, do so. Right now.

Overall, a busy weekend, but a good one. There you have it. Sorry for the rambling.

Want to check out what's happening with the wedding? Hit up my other blog right here.

Shutter Island

I saw Shutter Island last weekend. The movie itself was pretty mediocre overall, though I felt the cinematography was beautiful. Specifically the scene where Michelle Williams is turning to ash. Yes, it's gory. Yes, it's a little overwhelming. Yes, It's lovely. I can't get that image out of my head. I'm not sure if it's because it was tragically beautiful or because it was so horribly graphic. Who knows? It just stuck with me.

Hook

So Captain Hook is pretty badass. There's no denying that. In "Hook" he took down the toughest Lost Boy, Rufio (RU-FI-OHHHHH!) He's Peter Pan's greatest enemy. And his hook is enviable. I've always thought if I lost a hand, I'd for sure skip the prosthesis and go Captain Hook Style. There's something classy and quite dangerous about that.

Today, my visions on the hook hand were drastically altered.

I was at work for the first day after taking a 3 day sick hiatus (and still feeling a little queasy) when I was called up to help Kyle run some transactions on the teller line. I greeted the next customer in line. He was a man of short stature. Tanned from the sun. He had one earring in and a red and white striped shirt on. He was equipped with a peg leg and a single parrot on his right shoulder. Just kidding, just kidding. Okay where was I?... Oh, right. He was a man of short stature and was pretty normal by all appearances except for one thing. He had a hook for a hand. It was metal with a rubber band wrapped around the base. As my eyes continued down the hook I saw that it was attached to a smooth chunk of wood shaped like a forearm. I was delighted (and trying not to stare) as I reached for the blue check he handed me. "Do you have an account with us?" I asked. Not one millisecond after I uttered the word, "us" an acrid smell wafted into my nostrils. The smell of pine and rotting flesh hit me like a brick. My stomach churned and I dry heaved. Definitely not the most polite thing, but there was no way on this earth I could have stopped it. I turned away to breath and as I was turning my head back around, I caught a mouthful of fermented air. I had to turn away again. this time I was smarter. I took 2 deep breaths and held them in, only breathing out whilst facing the customer. I assure you that despite appearances, I was very discreet. I did feel bad, but there was nothing I could do. I processed his transaction as fast as possible and sat down the minute he left, hoping the nausea would pass. After about 30 minutes, it did. I learned something from this whole experience. Despite the glamorized visions we all have of Captain Hook-esq appendages, they are not all they are cracked up to be. They are a breeding ground for odor, despite their impressive curved metal tips. Lesson learned.

P.S. My favorite part of hook is when they have the imaginary food fight. I've wanted only gelatinous pastel colored food since.

I finally bought it. The National's "High Violet." I am completely besotted.

How cute is this Apple Ukulele from Etsy? I don't even play. But now I want to learn.

Such.A.Hard.Night.Last.Night.

Have you ever felt like you just couldn't go on anymore? Like you've been defeated? Like you're a hollow shell? How do you persevere?


Friday Fill-Ins. My contributions are in bold.

1. The chilly weather feels great.
2. The solution is eluding me.
3. Lately It's been impossible to fall asleep.
4. How about sending a little happiness my way.
5. Listening to The National is something I highly recommend!
6. Imagine a life full of sunshine and giant balloons and weeping willows and all the people you love.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleeping, tomorrow my plans include my bridal shower and Sunday, I want to go somewhere far away!

I want a hairless cat so freaking bad. They're so creepy and cute simultaneously.

Words of Wednesday

"We are all made of air. There’s stars in my eyes and there’s sun in my hair. And I’m running away, it makes me feel better."
-She and Him

Zooey obviously gets it.


Stuck in that old rut again. Creativity bursting from my head but my hands have a case of paralysis.

The Bijou

Saturday the fi-ahhns and I trekked to Orem for the annual Bijou Market. It's essentially a little fair where crafters can sell their sweet handmade items. There were such cute items there from earrings to shirts with sewn rosettes to artwork. It took place in a little orchard in the middle of nowhere. It was my first time going, but definitely not my last. We made out with some perfect throw pillows and a pair of yellow button earrings. Adorable. I want to learn how to make things like that. Having a booth at the Bijou Market someday would be a dream.

It's Friday! (And I don't have to work this weekend)

1. My memory is my favorite place to travel to.
2. When I think about my childhood, I often remember lots of basketball games.
3. The Fi-ahhns makes for a good friend.
4. The wind in the trees, the rain on my skin, the feeling of freedom and a fresh start.
5. The fact that my wedding is in a month and a half is so exciting!
6. My best friend knows my heart.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to movie magic, tomorrow my plans include the Bijou Market and Dixie Kristie time (and the boys), and Sunday, I want to take some hot engagements!

Thankful Thursday

It's about time I talked about an intense love of mine. Noodles and Company. I love it. Like a lot. The Penne Rosa with the Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top is probably my favorite meal ever. Add their oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (the best cookie I've ever had) and I'm in heaven. I'm so thankful for this somewhat healthy lunch choice that the fi-ahhhns and I frequent often.

Read.

It's been a while since I've updated my "Currrently Reading" section on my sidebar. I finished Man's Search for Meaning. It was so great. It was less of a story about the Holocaust and more of a story about Victor Frankl's experiences punctuated by psychological explanations for the prisoner's attitudes and actions. It was a very interesting read. He wasn't trying to gain pity for what he went through, but rather delve into man's search for meaning. If there was one thing that I took from the book, it's that no matter your circumstances, be they life-threatening or just somewhat difficult, we are in charge of our own attitudes. No one can take that away from us. I highly recommend this book.

For now, I'm taking a brief hiatus from reading novels. I'm going to focus on reading the Book of Mormon more. Also because of all the wedding planning I'm running short on time. In my spare minutes (I seldom get them) I've just been reading Nylon Magazine. It's a gem.

And now for the Words of Wednesday. It's all about Nietzsche today.

"To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity."

"You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star."

"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness."

"What does not kill me, makes me stronger."

"He who has a why to live can bear almost any how."

Mermaid Day

This weekend:
-Painted (a lot)
-Moved all my stuff
-Bought a couch
-Cleaned the upholstery
-Went grocery shopping
-Did laundry
-Ate pizza (Papa John's=Amazing)
-Had my phone off for a full 24 hours (liberating)
-Cried (a lot)
-Read scriptures
-Tried (still trying) to be optimistic
-Missed Dixie/Robyn/LeAnna
-Went through a full spectrum of emotions
-Realized I will live. I am living. Maybe not the best I know how, but I am trying.