how i live

words of wisdom wednesday

2012-02-01T10:51:00.000-08:00

"no matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading; or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance."

confucius

things that made me happy this week

2012-01-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

- new dry shampoo. more texture, less oil, less white powder. perfect.

- surprise postcards in the mail (thanks natalie!)

- completed my re-read of woman in black and made plans to go see it next weekend (can't wait!)

- or first book club meeting. it was so much fun. i think it's going to be a really good group. dedicated. diverse. i'm looking forward to next month. i'm hosting.

- pete's dragon was on tv on sunday. it was like i was 5 years old again. magical. i forgot how delightful that movie is.

- masterpiece theatre. downton abbey is rocking my world. i so look forward to sunday nights during masterpiece classics season.

on my mind

2012-01-26T10:39:00.000-08:00

i finished my book
cinderella ate my daughter.
it was a lot better than i expected.
it gave me a lot to think about
and made me re-evaluate
how i look at things
how i judge things
how i perceive things
how i present myself
why i like the things i like
how i react to things.
i'm coming away from it determined to be
more aware of and more accountable for
my interaction with media.
i would recommend it.
(even if you don't have a daughter.)

*****

oscar nominations were announced this week.

of the nine films nominated for best picture

only one is rated "R".

this is a testament to the fact that
(despite the industry's belief)

you don't have to have nudity, violence,

and offensive language to make meaningful movies.

i don't know if it's progress or a fluke,

but it makes me very happy.

*****

i am so excited for book club tonight.
it's our first meeting.
i can't wait to meet everyone
and talk about books
and get different perspectives on what we read.
also, i can't wait to pick our next book!

*****

my school schedule this semester is wonderful.

and by wonderful i mean no papers.

no papers!!

i could die of happiness.

words of wisdom wednesday

2012-01-25T10:13:00.000-08:00

"is 'fat' really the worst thing a human being can be? is 'fat' worse than 'vindictive', 'jealous', 'shallow', 'vain', 'boring' or 'cruel'?"

jk rowling

things that made me happy this week . . .

2012-01-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

- monday holiday

- my spectacularly clean room

- v8 tomato herb soup. i die.

- rain (finally!)

- an extremely lazy saturday. maybe i slept until noon and then didn't do anything except watch 12 hours of white collar. maybe.

- white collar. i'm enjoying the stories (very clever) and the male scenery (well hello, matt bomer) immensely.

on my mind

2012-01-19T12:38:00.000-08:00

taylor swift has been cast as eponine
in the upcoming movie production of les miserables.
(i throw up a little every time i think of it.)
there are not enough words to say how i feel about this decision.
disgust.
rage.
disappointment.
bewilderment.
really, tom hooper, out of all of hollywood and broadway
you pick taylor swift?
epic. fail.
i think you should be stripped of your oscar
as punishment for such heinous judgement.
taylor swift passes as a singer because of her songwriting skills.
she does not have the singing or acting ability demanded by such a roll.
and let me tell you . . . eponine is one of my all-time favorites.
i have zero tolerance for people messing up her part.
my scorn over this has no bounds.

*****

i was off work on monday for mlk day.

i had a list of things that i thought i might do.

instead, i ended up deep cleaning my room.

dusted everything (including the ceiling fan),

reorganized a bit to make things more accessible,

got rid of some stuff.

my room is immaculate.

it feels amazing.

*****

a friend and i just started a book club.
our first book is
cinderella ate my daughter
i just started it last night.
i have many reservations.
we'll see.

*****

have you seen the trailers for

the woman in black?

i'm dying with anticipation!

ever since my friend natalie told me about her experience

seeing it onstage in london it's been on my bucket list.

(still is)

i've read the book several times

(fantastic)

and i cannot wait until february.

nothing says happy valentines day

like a murderous ghost!

words of wisdom wednesday

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

"you must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by; but some of them are golden only because we let them slip by."

j.m. barrie

photo via

things that made me happy this week . . .

2012-01-15T22:30:00.000-08:00

- strawberries and whipped cream

- finding out i got a raise at work

- getting my bucket list written down

- outfits that make you feel amazing

- grilled veggies

- finishing my second book of the year

- dinner and a movie with friends

on my mind

2012-01-12T16:20:00.000-08:00

i have a zit under my left eye.

right under my eye.

it is really painful.

and it's made the tissue under my left eye swell.

a lot.

i've been icing it for two days.

it's still swollen, and it makes me look like i have a black eye.

not. cool.

*****

last night while i was dragging one of our disobedient dogs
out from the side of the house
i folded one of my nails back.
halfway down the nail bed.
it hurts like the dickens.
also. not. cool.

*****

i am a baby whisperer.

have i told you this?

last night i was holding my niece emery.

one second she was grabbing everything in sight

the next second she was out cold on my chest.

later that night i was holding her again and she started

leaning.

leaning with all her might.

trying to get her head on my chest so she could fall asleep.

it was so funny.

*****

i finally sat down and wrote out a bucket list.
(there's a link to it in the sidebar)
i put some things on there i've already done
because they were on my mental list
and it's important to recognize accomplishments,
right?
obviously it will be added to throughout my life.
i should probably organize it a little better too.
work in eternal progress.
what's on your bucket list?
is it just in your mind?
or do you have it written down somewhere?

2012 resolutions

2012-01-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

my resolutions for 2012 are as follows:

- be a full tithe payer (i don't lack in testimony, i lack in remembering skills)
- quit drinking soda
- read entire book of mormon & doctrine and covenants
- read 24 books
- be size * by end of year (you don't need the specifics!) this will include developing better eating and exercise habits
- develop better time management skills/procrastinate less
- be friendlier/make a new friend
- be more ladylike in appearance and demeanor
- develop a new skill: photography
- wash/vacuum car once a month
- blog at least three times per week

things that made me happy this week . . .

2012-01-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

- clean car, clean sheets, clean laundry, clean(er) room . . . slowly but surely order is returning.

- quiet nights alone after such a long period of commotion.

- making my new year resolutions.

- watching peter pan with afton. it was her first time and it was a hit.

- i'm reading the hobbit for the first time. i cannot wait for the movie!! i love the tone of tolkien stories. they're so cozy.

- the new boden spring line. fantastic. i ordered a dress.

- my brand new iPhone 4s. i can finally play with all the cool kid apps!

well hello 2012, i've been waiting for you!

2012-01-06T15:54:00.000-08:00

you may have noticed i didn't post a happy list last week. fear not. nothing is wrong over here. on the contrary. last week was incredibly full and joyous . . . heavy on the word FULL. my brother, michael, got married on the 30th, so the time period between christmas and december 30 was like a giant black vortex in which time disappeared. between holiday visitors, wedding visitors, decorating prep and execution, problem solving, narrowly averting bridal flower catastrophes, wedding food cooking/baking, and rampant illness throughout the house, this little blog here didn't even register on the importance scale.

you understand.

i don't think i've ever been so happy to see a new years eve.

now that things have begun to calm down at our house, i'm finally beginning to wrap my head around 2012. what classes to take this upcoming semester; travel/vacation plans; cleaning of the room and vehicles; and, of course, resolutions.

i'm very much a resolutions girl.

i don't think i was overly successful as far as last years resolutions are concerned, but i think it's important to make them just the same. i appreciate that once a year, at least, i dedicate some significant time on self-reflection with the intention of self-improvement. it helps keep me focused on progression and refinement (which is really what it's all about, right). even if i didn't accomplish the goal, i at least attempted it, which is progress in and of itself.

so that's what i'm doing this week. thinking about what resolutions i want to set for this year.

i guess you could argue that this should be done in december, with a commencement on january 1. but listen . . december 2011 was off the charts busy and stressful. i'm not one of those absent minded people who wander off and leave their belongings everywhere, i have a good memory, i can remember things i'm supposed to do and things i've done without having to write it down, i'm relatively even tempered, etc. but december. well, december found me losing my keys, leaving my ipod and phone all over the place, forgetting pretty much anything that wasn't written down somewhere, snapping at people right and left . . . you get the picture. my mom even commented on it one day after i got snappy. she said, "this is so not like you!" it wasn't really a censure (she was pretty much in the same boat). it was more of a recognition that we were both on overload. but the point is, there was no time for resolution thoughts in december. if i had made some, they would have been along the lines of "don't kill anyone," or "remember to take a shower."

i've got about ten written down so far. i'm trying to decide if it's a bit too much, or if i should squeeze in one or two more. (the goal is to accomplish them, right?)

do you make resolutions? how many? how do you go about accomplishing them? do you have a system that works really well for you? do you reward yourself when you accomplish them?

words of wisdom wednesday

2012-01-04T11:07:00.000-08:00

"a good book is an education of the heart. it enlarges your sense of human possibility, what human nature is, of what happens in the world. it's a creator of inwardness."

susan sontag

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-12-25T10:25:00.000-08:00

- everyone arriving in town

- my new brian andreas book. he so great!

- christmas morning breakfast. (eggs benedict, my all-time favorite!)

- a christmas day sacrament meeting that consisted mostly of music. i sang "in the bleak midwinter" with my sister. it was almost a disaster as we both came down with a cold a few days before, but it turned out pretty good.

- it was a very boden christmas for me. lovely!

- watching a christmas carol and meet me in saint louis on christmas day while everyone was off visiting the in-laws.

- finished reading a christmas carol.

- christmas music.

merry christmas!!

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-12-21T10:30:00.001-08:00

"do what you feel in your heart to be right

- for you'll be criticized anyway."

eleanor roosevelt

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-12-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

- semester officially done.

- my kelly green pea coat.

- christmas tree lane

- completed my christmas shopping. in one day. i am awesome.

- friend christmas dinner party with a lot of laughing and a pregnancy announcement. yay!

- attended a christmas concert. a nice two-hour seasonal time-out.

- a friend sent me a gift certificate through the feed it forward program on restaurant.com. it was a sweet gesture, and a great idea! here's how it works: through the site you email $10 gift certificates to whomever you choose, for free. you don't pay for the certificates! the recipient then enters their zip code and chooses from a list of local restaurants where they want to redeem the certificate. most of the restaurants are smaller, non-chain restaurants, which is kind of great. it encourages you to support small business owners and try new kinds of food! i'm going on a thai adventure with mine. they only offer the program during the holiday season so you have to send out the certificates by christmas eve.

- caught the last half of a muppet christmas carol and miracle on 34th street. good old fashioned christmas movies. aren't they great?!

- putting an exhausting and hectic sunday behind me!

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-12-14T10:38:00.000-08:00

"whenever you are angry,

be assured that it is not only a present evil,

but that you have increased a habit."

epictetus

this is not a comfortable thought for me.

must control my temper!!

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-12-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

- finishing projects

- finishing the turn of the screw (not that great, just glad to be done and moving on to a new book)

- starting a christmas carol. i vow to finish it this year!

- delightful gift exchange package from natalie. always brightens my week.

- christmas music

- getting to know people better and discovering you have things in common

- stake christmas music festival is over! my little choir did an amazing job.

- finalizing our friend christmas dinner party plans

- decorating the christmas tree

- a much needed massage. particularly fantastic this time around.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-12-07T12:18:00.001-08:00

"the opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. the opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. the opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. and the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."

elie wisesel

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-12-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

- my sister and nieces have arrived. now it's a party.

- eating soup on a cold day.

- new tires. finally. now everyone can stop worrying that i'm going to have a blow-out and die whilst driving home from work.

- excellent final practice and run-through for our stake primary christmas choir.

- cuddling babies.

- criminal minds marathons. dang i love that show. and mr. matthew gray gubler. he's the dreamiest. (i can't help it. i'm a sucker for quirky guys in cardigans and sweater-vests.)

- julie andrews sing-alongs in my car. (my fair lady, mary poppins, sound of music, whatever . . .)

- receiving mail orders

- getting projects done.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-11-30T11:58:00.001-08:00

"a wise old owl lived in an oak.

the more he saw the less he spoke.

the less he spoke the more he heard.

why can't we all be like this wise old bird?"

english folk rhyme

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-11-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

- four day weekend

- a shopping list that listed only glitter, glitter spray paint, and ribbon. little girl fantasy come true . . .

- thanksgiving celebrated with friends and family

- i went and saw hugo. it's magical. visually stunning; enchanting soundtrack; delightful side stories and characters; exceptionally done, mr. scorsese.

- i had a very productive weekend. i accomplished everything on my to-do list: hang christmas lights; decorate afton's room; build stone fire pit in back yard; tip to the mountains to cut down manzanita branches for michael's wedding.

- talked my way out of a ticket. i wasn't in the wrong, luckily the sheriff believed me.

- dr. mario tournament. i'm still the champion.

- watched my first cheesy tv christmas movie. it was spectacularly bad. horrible acting, bland characters, someone who hates christmas, and there was a dance routine . . . let the holidays begin!

- the lower lights christmas album: come, let us adore him. love.

gratitude

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

- a comfortable place to live - a job - the opportunity to get an education
- loving parents who raised us in an environment of safety and support and encouragement
- the gospel and my testimony - chocolate - good friends - family
- opportunities to serve in the church - good literature - good examples - inspirational words
- talents - confidence - sleeping in - mental and emotional stability - music
- health - a near bionic immune system - crossword puzzles
- creativity - seasons of gratitude and celebration
- skype - curiosity - a car that works - fond memories - travel
- coke - grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup
- musicals - fall colored leaves - quirky boys - scrabble
- bananagrams - stationary - blow dryers - down comforters
red lipstick - gift exchanges - nature

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-11-23T12:35:00.001-08:00

"fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist.

children already know that dragons exist.

fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed."

gk chesterton

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-11-20T14:57:00.000-08:00

- turned in my final paper for the semester. easy sailing from here. (well, technically, it's all been easy sailing. but the rest of the semester pretty much doesn't require any effort on my part.)

- cold temperatures and rain. it's finally really starting to feel like fall.

- getting one of my projects done and behind me.

- ten mile walk saturday morning. i'm feeling the pain now, but it's a good pain. i know i accomplished something.

- grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup.

- going into the new week knowing it's a three day work week. lovely.

- a good stake primary christmas choir practice. only one more practice until we perform and i'm feeling like, as of this practice, they're going to pull it off beautifully.

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

"adversity is like a strong wind. it tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we truly are."

arthur golden

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-11-13T14:21:00.000-08:00

- i took a citizenship test to see if i would pass (i'm always hearing how hard they are) . . . i got 88 out of 96 correct. you only have to get, like, 54 correct to pass. so i think my citizenship is pretty secure.

- day trip to orange county for my friend esther's wedding on friday. i hadn't seen her for years so i was excited to make the trek down there. she's the cho to my hermione.

- a stop into wonderland bakery while in orange county.

- we also stopped by ikea. always a delight. things were purchased. is it possible to go through ikea without purchasing something? i submit it is not . . .

- sleeping in on saturday.

- i bought a new skirt on saturday. it's really cool, and at church on sunday the kids (and several adults) couldn't keep their hands off of it.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-11-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

“they that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

benjamin franklin

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-11-06T13:56:00.000-08:00

- i got to watch hocus pocus this year. on halloween. perfection.

- this scissor sisters video. it kills me every time. i really want to recreate this someday.

- finding the unsubscribe option in my facebook news feed. i can't tell you how interested i am NOT in what a lot of people have to post . . .

- red lipstick

- finally made time to go in and get my eyebrows cleaned up. they look a million times better.

- chocolate pudding.

- we had a very productive stake primary choir practice this week. the kiddos are going to sound amazing at the festival. i can't wait!

- i bought one of those clarisonic mia skin cleanser things. i gotta say . . . i'm a believer. i've noticed a big difference in my skin.

- the weather took a turn for the downright chilly this week. rejoice!! hot chocolate w/ flavored creamer consumption has begun.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-11-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

“a man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation."

mark twain

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-10-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

- wendy's chili

- saturday day trip with friends. it was a perfect day. really.

- raisin hell ranch: scarecrow's revenge. intended to terrify, but i laughed so hard and enjoyed myself immensely. i think it's safe to assume that in the future i can attend these "scary" halloween attractions without any apprehension.

- the primary program is over!! rejoice!! we may now sing other songs, including christmas music. yeah. i'm starting early.

- went and saw footloose friday night. i was skeptical because i love the original but i must say, i was delighted with it. and now i have a burning need to dance myself into oblivion. (this is a common and reoccurring feeling with me.)

- fulfilled a childhood dream and went to the winchester mystery house. loved it! we're going back next year to do a nighttime flashlight tour and enjoy the fright night festivities.

- when i got to church on sunday several of the primary children ran up to tell me how much they missed me last week. it made me feel good.

- while in san jose we stopped by kara's cupcakes of cupcake wars fame. i had the s'more cupcake. amazing!

- my sister sent over pictures of my nieces in their halloween costumes. super afton and her sidekick super emery. adorable! i'll put up a link when she posts them.

dear . . .

2011-10-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

dear today: you are not my favorite. i'm expecting better tomorrow. consider yourself informed.

dear wendy's chili: you are delicious.

dear girl in my masterpieces of english literature class that meets once a week who asked if we were supposed to read anything for this week's class: yes, you moron. you were supposed to read something. consider it a given that you should be reading something for every single class. it is a literature class, after all. what did you think you would be doing? perhaps you should consult your syllabus. you know. that thing we've gone over in class, like, four times. if you are confused about what a syllabus is, or how to use one, you should seriously consider dropping out. anyone who gives you a degree should be shot.

dear eighties music: thank you for bringing back amazing memories and dragging me out of a bad mood. bff

dear butterfingers: i forgot how scrumptious you are. stop it. stop it now.

dear 8.5 exercise miles i walked this week: i have a butterfinger with your name all over it.

dear crazy people in the greater fresno area: please feel free to not call or stop by our office. i'm pretty sure we've reached our quota for the ~~week~~ ~~month~~ year and we have other things to get done. we can only be around to solve your imaginary problems if we get to work on the things that make us money at some point.

dear weekend: thank you for holding the promise of good times. you can't come fast enough.

as always,

ashlee

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-10-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

because sometimes i need to remember this:

“besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. the wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.”

lin yutang

things that made me happy this weekend

2011-10-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

- watching movies in the car (makes traveling long distances much more appealing)

- cold weather

- mountain air (i love the smell of the sierra nevada mountains)

- bananagrams

- hours of playing things and loaded questions with friends. always the highlight of our weekends away

- laughing. so much laughing.

- the breaking into song and dance that inevitably happens when the gang is all together. we have no shame.

- paying the cleaning fee and walking away.

- a great first practice for the stake primary christmas choir. i've been so nervous about it, but the kids blew me away. they're even singing the harmony parts!

- my stress level went down about 5 notches with the passing of this week. it will be even better after our primary program this coming sunday.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-10-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

a thought for girls everywhere:

"are you a princess? i said & she said i'm much more than a princess, but you don't have a name for it yet here on earth"

brian andreas

things that made me happy this week

2011-10-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

- a really good playlist

- a monday holiday from work

- getting things that are causing stress/anxiety done and over with

- wednesday night massage

- patience from others with my busy schedule and shortcomings

- seeing larsen and maureen boyer on saturday night. i haven't seen them for years and i miss her like crazy sometimes.

- ripe fruit. grapes and plums are particularly delicious right now.

- getting things calendared

- we made some amazing chili on sunday night. it turned out to be too spicy for us gringos, but the flavor was fantastic. i can't wait to remake it, with a little less chili powder . . .

paris: giverny

2011-10-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

our last day.

on our way back into paris we stopped by giverny and saw the gardens.

they're pretty awesome.

crowded, but awesome.

monet lived here and painted here.

you can see where he got his inspiration from while walking around.

it is a frenzy of nature and colors.

possibly the best wisteria bridge i've ever seen.

after giverny we headed back into paris

returned our rental car

and found a hotel near the airport.

we got up bright and early the next day and caught our flights home.

one difference i really noticed between france and america is

in america, things can be aesthetically pleasing as long as they're efficient and functional, too.

always, always things must be efficient and functional.

in france, it is the opposite.

beauty reigns supreme in france.

paris: normandy

2011-10-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

i've wanted to go to see the beaches at normandy for a very long time.

i often joke that i don't care about any history that happened after 1900, except wwii.

it's hard to understand the enormity of what happened there.

how many lives were lost.

we visited omaha beach (one of the two american landing beaches)

and the normandy american cemetery and memorial.

the whole experience was reverential.

i was shocked to find people enjoying the beach in a normal way.

sunbathing and swimming in the water.

it kind of seemed sacrilegious.

maybe it's just me.

the cemetery and memorial were impressive.

we noticed immediately that we were on american run grounds.

everything was much more precise, clean, organized.

(but they still didn't have toilet seat covers.)

we got there later in the afternoon,

so we didn't have time to go in the museums and really explore the grounds.

i would have like more time there.

les braves. erected on omaha beach by the french government in honor of the american soldiers who died there.

inside a machine gun bunker

the spirit of american youth rising from the waves

this phrase, "mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord" circles the bottom of the statue (above). it always fills my heart with gratitude when i find religious elements unapologetically inserted into national monuments.

they have several of these maps at the memorial. they show the movements of troops throughout the war on the many different fronts. they are huge.

several of the trees are cut into very geometric shapes. it made me feel a little like i was in an animated disney movie.

paris: mont saint-michel

2011-10-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

mont saint-michel was a highlight for me. a little peek into a medieval citadel.
we only toured the monastery, but there are a few museums within the citadel, too.
there are centuries of history to learn about this place.
the monastery is named for the archangel michael.
legend tells that in the early 8th century michael appeared to st. aubert

instructing him to build the monastery.
it is one of the top pilgrimage sites in christendom.

mont saint-michel is on my must-see list for france.

the streets of the city are really narrow. no cars allowed.

stairs up into the monastery.

there is a statue of the archangel michael at the top of the spire. we joked about it looking like the statue of the angel moroni which tops all the lds temples.

inside the monastery.

the chapel

a little courtyard in the monastery. really beautiful.

more stained glass windows.

i'm quite sure i will never be completely happy until i have a fireplace this big in my house.

replica of the statue at the top of the spire. the archangel michael slaying a dragon.

outside walls of the monastery.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-10-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

"whenever i get gloomy with the state of the world, i think about the arrivals gate at heathrow airport. general opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but i don't see that. it seems to me that love is everywhere. often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there--fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. when the planes hit the twin towers, as far as i know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge--they were all messages of love. if you look for it, i've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."

love, actually

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-10-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

- i got 106% on my first test and 95% on my first paper.

- someone has a blog dedicated to tracking down the items worn by emma pillsbury on glee! can i just say how much i want that kate spade hang in there glasses necklace. so much!

- rain! we finally have rain, and some fall-ish weather.

- finally being able to wear sweaters and scarves.

- my mother and i moved a tree on saturday. that's right. a tree. we also put up an electric fence. i also chopped some roots off the tree, which involved me hitting the same spot over and over with an axe. i felt very accomplished.

- friday night at the big fresno fair. highlights include: time with friends; fair food; funnel cake; bump-it spotting; asian gang fights resulting in an unconscious guy on the ground; hypnotist show; petting baby cows and pygmy goats; getting hit on by carnival workers; laughing . . . lots and lots of laughing.

2011-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

"anyone can slay a dragon . . . but try waking up every morning and loving the world all over again. that's what takes a real hero."

brian andreas

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-10-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

- general conference. there were a lot of amazing messages. i prayed the week leading up to conference that i would be open to any messages and inspiration the Lord meant for me to receive, and i got an abundance. i can't wait until the conference ensign comes out. me and my highlighter are ready!

- test #1 and paper #1 are done. i've never felt so unstressed when writing a paper. i literally wrote it in spare minutes here and there the two days before it was due.

- we watched amazing grace in class after the test. it is such a great movie. i'm inspired every time i watch it. if you haven't seen it, see it now! the teacher lectured before and after the movie for a few minutes, putting it in context, explaining what it was about, and how it related to our reading. after the movie the teacher asked if anyone had any questions, and a kid asked if it was a true story . . . really? i don't know how teachers keep their composure sometimes.

- apple cider pancakes. i used this recipe (without the walnuts). these will definitely be making it on the table during my upcoming weekend in tahoe.

- home made creme brulee and whipped cream. sunday night was delicious at our house.

- letting go of little things here and there that clutter up your life and take your time away from better things.

2011-09-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

"i don’t really want to become normal, average, standard. i want merely to gain in strength, in the courage to live out my life more fully, enjoy more, experience more. i want to develop even more original and more unconventional traits"

anaïs nin

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-09-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

- massage on tuesday night.

- re-viewing of kenneth branagh's hamlet. masterful.

- my professor asked to speak to me in the hall before class the other night. he told me it was obvious to him that i was several levels above everyone in class, and he was tempted to just give me an "A" and send me on my way. we briefly discussed my previous english literature education and he is toying with the idea of coming up with an alternative curriculum for me. it's no mystery that i've been frustrated with the education (or lack of it) i've been getting from fresno state. it was so nice to have a professor take a personal interest in me. i'm so grateful that he saw that i was not being challenged, and wants to come up with a way to challenge me. after all, that's what college is about, right?

- elder uchtorf's talk from sunday's general relief society meeting. easily one of the best talks i've ever heard. i can't wait until it's available in its entirety for printing and rereading.

- on sunday we had a guest speaker. he is in charge of our grape vineyard and spoke to us about the church's farm holdings across the world. he often attends conferences with church leaders and farm managers from all over the world. did you know the church has the largest private farm holdings in the world, capable of feeding approximately 100 million people?! he spoke about the importance of heeding the prophets counsel to attend to food storage. if the church leaders are making such efforts to acquire the ability to feed so many people, it should be an example to us of the immediate importance to follow suit. he also spoke about the churches humanitarian efforts. he told us that about 75% of the yield from the vineyard we tend to goes to humanitarian aid. he told us that the church is the #1 supplier of humanitarian aid goods in the world. most of the time what you see being handed out by the red cross and others has been donated by the church. it was such a inspiring talk, and i came away so thankful to be part of such a service oriented church and to be led by a prophet of God.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-09-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

"great minds discuss ideas;

average minds discuss events;

small minds discuss people."

eleanor roosevelt

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-09-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

- stake conference = a sunday of zero responsibility. i love my calling, but sometimes it's nice to have a day off.

- making it though saturday! my mom and i were at the vineyard from 7-9; bridal shower from 11-12ish; baby shower from 2-4; and conference from 7-9. i also picked up the flyers i made for our stake primary christmas choir (i'm in charge), and got some scrap-booking done.

- so many birthday wishes. thank you everyone!

- video of my niece singing me happy birthday. adorable!

- indian birthday dinner

- i went to sign some paperwork and pay tuition on campus. the girl at the counter pulled up my account and then said, "isn't there an ashley greene in the twilight movies?" and said, "yes, but i'm not her. sorry." and she said, "that's okay. i'll take your autograph anyway," which made me laugh. it's the first time a stranger has asked me about having the same name as her.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-09-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

"today you are you! that is truer than true!
there is no one alive who is you-er than you!
shout loud, 'i am lucky to be what i am!
thank goodness i'm not just a clam or a ham
or a dusty old jar of sour gooseberry jam!
i am what i am! that's a great thing to be!
if i say so myself, HAPPY *EVERYDAY TO ME!'"
dr. suess
happy birthday to you

*the book reads "birthday," but i like to substitute in "everyday" to make it more about celebrating individuality and life.

my 33rd

2011-09-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

today i turn 33. a nice, symmetrical number. instead of lamenting over getting older, i've decided to make a list of 33 things i still want to do/accomplish in my life. (in no particular order)

1. read les miserables
2. travel extensively in great britain
3. see shakespeare performed in the globe theatre
4. learn to use photoshop
5. read gone with the wind
6. run a marathon
7. visit new york city
8. participate in the tomatina
9. read a charles dickens novel (not a christmas carol)
10. see a show on broadway
11. take ballroom dancing lessons
12. visit the holy land
13. go to disneyworld
14. graduate from college
15. get married
16. read the bible, cover to cover
17. go on a cruise
18. travel in italy
19. live in a foreign country
20. learn to speak another language fluently
21. take in the fall foliage on the east coast
22. learn to use illustrator
23. visit australia
24. take tap dancing/clogging lessons
25. go to the calgary stampede
26. take voice lessons
27. retake latin and learn it really, really well. well enough to read latin texts.
28. visit moracco
29. read jesus the christ (talmage)
30. visit boston
31. become a proficient gardener
32. take a tropical vacation. not hawaii, someplace like bora bora or fiji.
33. sail on a clipper style ship

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-09-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

- monday holiday

- i finally made time to fix my bookshelf and get all the books in my room off the ground and back onto shelves. it's all nice and orderly now.

- saturday was our ward's big craft day. my mom, of course, signed up to teach several projects. it could have been disastrous (it's usually wall-to-wall chaos). but using our powers of hyper-organization and control, it went off without a hitch, and everyone completed their projects.

- i'm enjoying the opportunity to talk about literature in a class setting again. mostly it's just myself and my teacher with anything intelligible to say, but it's nice all the same.

- my mom is back from puerto rico and utah. my dad goes out of town a lot for work, so when my mom is gone, i'm home alone a lot. i'm not a huge fan of being completely alone at night. it's creepy.

- after primary this week i'm feeling confident that we will be able to learn everything for our program in october. the kids have really gotten on board now that they have a visual of what needs to be accomplished.

- these past few weeks i've been feeling really thankful just to be me, with my talents and blessings, my trials, my mind. happy and content, that's what i am. and i'm thankful.

paris: the lost day

2011-09-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

day 7 in paris was supposed to consist of visiting castles.

instead, we spent the first half of the day in the airport battling rental car companies.

so here is a travel trip for you.

always. ALWAYS. reserve your rental car ahead of time.

even if it's just the evening before you need it.

make a reservation.

we needed a rental car for three days.

the people at the counter tried to tell us it was five.

they tried to charge us over 700 euro. 700 euro!

that's over $1000, people.

they were confounded to find out we intended to drive over 100 kilometer.

we toyed with the idea of catching a train to london or barcelona.

in the end we used neal's iphone to make rental car reservation.

some nice girl let us plug into her laptop for 20 minutes in order to get his phone charged up to conduct the transaction.

then the lady at the desk

cranky about us going online and getting the car for three days with unlimited miles

for a little over $200

made us wait for two hours before giving us the car.

so we sat on the floor in front of the rental counters and played phase 10.

travel tip number 2.

always. ALWAYS. have a deck of cards.

once we got the car, it was obvious we would not have time to visit castles.

instead we headed out to our destination for the next day.

mont saint-michel

the day wasn't a total loss.

it must be said, french countryside is as picturesque as it's hyped up to be.

really, really quaint and beautiful.

and we had the best meal of the entire trip at some random place along the side of the road

la maison.

behold:

we almost died when the waitress set this down in front of craig. i cannot eat meat off a bone.
he doesn't have any qualms, though, and apparently it was delicious.

neal and i ordered a galette with ham, potato, and camembert cheese. they were ridiculously good.

dessert

apple cakes, apple ice cream, some kind of sauce. delicious.

crepe with salted toffee ice cream, caramel, and whipped cream. i will recreate this someday. amazing!

after dinner, we found a place to stay, then decided to go for a walk.

we had no idea what a treat we were in for.

i'm quite sure mont saint-michel at night is the most beautiful thing i'll ever see in my life.

it sits out in the bay, about 2 kilometers off shore. there is one man-made road that goes out to it.

walking those 2 kilometers is like walking toward a fairy tale made tangible.

it's impossible to describe or capture in a picture.

it must be experienced for oneself.

this was my favorite night of the trip.

paris: day 6

2011-09-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

i was so excited to visit a parisian cemetery. they're so beautiful!

our last day in paris we visited pere lachaise cemetery.

pere lachaise is probably the most popular parisian cemetery on account of

jim morrison being burried there.

we did see his grave (along with a small crowd of other americans).

but really what drew me to pere lachaise was oscar wilde.

(the importance of being earnest and an ideal husband amuse me to no end.)

people from the world over come to see his tomb.

the tradition is to leave a kiss.

it's covered in lipstick kisses, letters, and quotes.

exploring the cemetery

oscar wilde's tomb

leaving my mark

next up was a visit to the palais garnier

(paris opera house)

alleged home of the phantom

surprisingly there was no line to go in.

here is the thing about the palais garneir.

it's beautiful.

really, really beautiful.

but it smells of urine.

so . . .

this guy was amazing, just playing for tips in front of the opera house

our last thing to see in paris were the catacombs.

i've wanted to see these for years.

we almost didn't make it in because he line was long and not moving very fast.

also, if you want to visit them, make sure you know where you're going.

we meant to visit the catacombs a few days before this, but i forgot my map at home

and none of the locals we tried asking directions of knew what i was talking about.

the story behind the catacombs can be found here.

there are bones from approximately 6 million people in the catacombs.

at the exit the guard asked to check our bags.

we opened our bags and asked why they were checking.

he just pointed to a pile of bones behind him (including a skull).

(apparently people try to steal bones on a daily basis.

people are crazy.)

i didn't get very many pictures in the catacombs because it's really dark

and they ask you to not use your flash.

i have no idea why . . .

the writing above the enterance says "stop, here is the empire of the dead"

after the catacombs we spent the rest of the day at the jardin du luxembourg

relaxing and reading in those fabulous green chairs

(i must have some for my own!)

there are fountains everywhere in paris, but the water is always green and murky looking.

our metro stop.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-09-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

"if you're going through hell, keep going . . ."

winston churchill

things that made me happy this week

2011-09-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

- seeing romeo & juliet at shakespeare in the park. the production was mediocre, but the experience of seeing shakespeare performed live and out of doors never disappoints.

- i finished a 955 page book on sunday night. 955 pages. i'm not going to lie. i'm feeling pretty superior about it.

- my new idea for getting the primary kids more involved and invested in getting our music ready for the october primary program seems to be paying off.

- sleeping in

- making time to get my car washed this week. i always resist doing it, because i don't know why. i always feel so good after it's done and my car is all shiny and clean.

- amazing marinara sauce. i just kind of throw stuff in, so i never know how it's going to turn out. one batch was particularly great this week.

- multi-grain toast + cream cheese + jam

- charlie hunnam in nicholas nickleby

- movies based on great literature (dickens, bronte, austen, shakespeare)

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-08-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

"for the human mind is capable of being excited without the application of gross and violent stimulants; and he must have a very faint perception of its beauty and dignity who does not know this, and who does not further know, that one being is elevated above another, in proportion as he possesses this capability. it has therefore appeared to me, that to endeavor to produce or enlarge this capability is one of the best services in which, at any period, a writer can be engaged; but this service, excellent at all times, is especially so at the present day. for a multitude of causes, unknown to former times, are now acting with a combined force to blunt the discriminating powers of the mind, and, unfitting it for all voluntary exertion, to reduce it to a state of almost savage torpor."

william wordsworth

preface to lyrical ballads

william wordsworth wrote this around 1800

can you imagine what he would have to say about reality tv?

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-08-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

- the feeling you get walking through the house after you've spent the better part of the day cleaning

- beating neal in words with friends (most of the time he beats me. pretty bad.)

- love my masterpieces of english literature teacher.

- "when the foeman bears his steel" and "i am the very model of a modern major general" from pirates of penzance. i can watch those scenes over and over.

- the conspirator. watch it.

- girls night out with regina. we ate chipotle and saw the help. a very good night.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-08-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

"it is a complete lack of responsibility in parts of our society, people allowed to feel the world owes them something, that their rights outweigh their responsibilities and their actions do not have consequences. well, they do have consequences."

david cameron

british prime minister

in reference to the riots in london

when i read this i almost screamed "YES!! EXACTLY!!!"

this applies to so much more than just the london riots.

this sense of entitlement coupled with rejection of responsibility and accountability

so prevalent in society has disturbed me for quite some time.

it did my heart good to hear it put so succinctly.

victoria, bc in pictures

2011-08-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

the best part about the weekend in victoria was the lack of schedule.

we just did whatever we felt like doing whenever we felt like doing it.

i didn't go in a single museum. i didn't read any facts.

very unstructured.

a great trip to take just before diving into a new school year.

here is my weekend in pictures:

craigdarroch castle

this is a cake!

this is where we had breakfast. eggs benedict. my favorite!!

inside pub

dragon boats lining up to start race

lemon tea and currant scone with cream and jam at murchie's

sunken garden

observation rock in sunken garden

self portrait in the rose garden

crowd waiting for firework show

parliament building

the empress hotel

*all pictures taken by me on my camera or with the retro camera app on my phone (droid)

things that made me happy these past two weeks . . .

2011-08-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

- i rearranged my bedroom. it's like a whole new world.

- i died my hair back dark. it appears black, but it will fade a little to a really dark brown. i'm excited because i can wear lipstick again! my red hair made most of my make-up colors look wrong on my face.

- sunday afternoon we watched phantom of the opera and mary poppins. afton was enthralled with both. she particularly liked the masquerade scene and the dancing chimney sweeps.

- place small pretzels on a cookie sheet, put a rolo on top of each pretzel, put it in the oven (low heat) for a few minutes, just enough to get the rolo softened, pull it out, push an m&m into the top of the rolo and let it cool. enjoy.

- cherry icee

- receiving packages in the mail

- seeing les miserables on stage again. still my favorite.

- dragon boat festival - an unexpected bonus to our weekend in victoria, bc. i totally want to be on a dragon boat team, but there aren't any locally (i checked). i want to be the person at the front yelling at everyone. i just know i'd be brilliant at it!

- butchart gardens. you should check it out yourself sometime.

- canadians. seriously. they're so nice.

- outdoor concerts

- cities by the water

- flowers

- tea and scones

- irish and scottish themed pubs in victoria

- street performers

- scarf and cardigan weather in august.

- not getting seasick. i was a bit anxious that i might get queasy on the three-hour ferry ride from seattle to victoria after my bad ferry experience in greece, but i was fine. not even the slightest tinge of unwellness. (others weren't quite as lucky)

and i'm off . . .

2011-08-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

tonight i'm heading north.

***

friday will be spent in seattle where i'll hit up

beechers for some mac & cheese

buca di beppo for some italian

and 5th avenue theatre for les miserables

(there will be crying)

***

saturday i'm
boarding a sea plane (a new experience)
to victoria, british columbia (a new destination)
spending the early afternoon at craigdarrock castle for the victorian garden party and free cake
before heading off to buchart gardens for a ridiculous amount of pretty and fireworks
(free cake and fireworks all in one day!! i may never be the same . . .)

***

sunday we'll wander around picturesque victoria, bc

before catching a ferry back to seattle.

***

monday morning i fly home to fresno
and head straight to work.
(lame)

***

have a great weekend!

do you have anything fun planned?

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-08-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

“one of the nice things about problems is that a good many of them do not exist except in our imaginations.”

steve allen

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-08-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

- anne of green gables/anne of avonlea marathon

- saturday afternoon movie outings

- cupcakes from wonderland bakery

- tomatoes fresh from the garden

- i still have my mad baby whispering skills

- relaxing massage on wednesday night

- grossly overdue pedicure!

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-07-31T16:45:00.000-07:00

- my friend natalie sent me a mp3 download through amazon.com after reading my remarks about the cello last week. it was so thoughtful and completely caught me by surprise and just made my week.

- i saw jason from so you think you can dance at the movie theatre the other night. i recognized his face, but couldn't place him, so i was smiling at him, thinking i knew him from church or school, but he didn't smile back, so then i was confused. after i figured out who he was i was super excited, but i kept my dignity. it recalled to my mind how much i loved his necklace dance with janine and the zombie strangulation hip hop number with kayla. that's the year i saw the tour. so good.

- finished anne of green gables. i can't believe i never read it as a little girl. i saw the movies, of course, but never got around to reading the books. tragedy. also, this puts me at 11 books for the year, so i'm way ahead of my resolution of 12 for the entire year.

- cheesecake apples from rocky mountain chocolate factory. i always stop by and pick one up when i go to the movies at edwards.

- country music. i go though phases with music, and watching country strong this week turned me back on to my love of country music.

- lady gaga was a guest judge on so you think you can dance this week and i loved her presence and comments. as weird as she can be, she really is quite intelligent and articulate. and the dancing this week!! oh my goodness. so amazing!

- cooking italian with matt. delicious. i think one day i would like to move to italy for a spell and spend all my time learning to cook like an italian and eating. who's coming with me?

on my mind

2011-07-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

i forgot to mention . . .
my dad was called as the bishop
of our ward a few weeks back
so, we're now that family, and that house

***

they raised the tuition again

i think they should be required to publish the names

and addresses of this "board" who keep voting on these raises

i'd like to pay them a little visit

***

apparently it's supposed to be in the 100's for the next 5 days
swear words are in order
at least it's not humid, like on the east coast
my trip to seattle cannot come fast enough

***

have you been watching so you think you can dance?

i swear something happens every week that makes me want to scream

how amazing it must feel to be able to move you body

and express yourself in such a way

***

i wish so much that i could find a local book club
that i could feel like i would fit into
i miss talking about books with people
i miss feeling challenged
the university has one
but the girl with the dragon tattoo was on the list
not exactly what i was looking for
and the local library didn't help me out either
i keep trying to form one, but i just doesn't seem to stick
sad

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-07-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

" . . . but some failure in life is inevitable. it is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default."

"we do not need magic to transform our world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better."

j.k. rowling

2008 harvard commencement speech

full speech available here and here.

i've listened/read it 3 or 4 times and it

makes me teary every time.

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-07-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

- catching the final installment of harry potter. i won't lie to you. i cried. i've decided to go back and re-read the entire series, only the british edition this time. can't wait for my books to arrive!

- purchased my plane tickets for my upcoming seattle/victoria trip.

- the smell of new babies. it's like crack.

- massage. it's been a few months since i had one. i'm getting entirely too accustomed to them.

- pioneer day celebration. even though it required getting out of bed early on a saturday morning, we had a pretty good turn out this year. also, they had cotton candy. and we all know how much i love cotton candy . . . . (a lot)

- my friend in currently performing in a production of hello, dolly! with a local company. she gave me free tickets for opening night. it was so good. completely exceeded my expectations.

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-07-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

gonna go for a slightly different format this week. this week at our house has been quite eventful. john returned home from his mission on wednesday night. michael and neal both came home so we were all together for the first time in two years. it's been really great to spend time together as family. a lot of laughing. a lot of tormenting. games.

also, heidi finally had her baby! sunday afternoon. a little girl. emery lou henderson. she looks just like afton did as a baby. i can't wait for them to come home from the hospital so that i can have full, unlimited access. isn't holding newborn babies just the best thing ever!? afton is over the moon about being a big sister.

other highlights from this week include:

- harry potter marathon weekend. i watched all seven movies over the weekend in preparation for my monday night ticket to see the final film. i. can't. wait. i'm a little sad i didn't make it to the midnight showings, but i had work the next day.

- watching the usa women's soccer team compete for first place. how amazing was it they made it so far!?! well done ladies. while i'm sad they lost, i must say, if anyone could use a win right now, it's japan.

- food. the rampant overindulging that's gone on this weekend has been quite delightful. back to making sensible, responsible, healthy choices on monday . . .

- mike's fiancee, sarah, plays the cello. she played at church for john's homecoming and also gave us a few performances at home. don't you just love how the cello sounds? i do.

- the mild summer we've been having here in fresno. it was down in the 80's this week!! this is not the fresno i know, and i couldn't be more thankful. i have a sneaking suspicion we're going to pay for it somehow, but i'm just going to enjoy it while it's here.

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-07-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

- 4th of july holiday

- firework shows

- spending time in the sunshine!

- caught transformers 3 with some friends. good summertime blockbuster fun.

- finally made it to see the latest pirates installation.

- adirondack chairs. we now have four in your backyard. perfect for summer evening lounging.

- saturday evening spent on a blanket in the park watching a production of a comedy of errors. it was fantastic. later this summer they're doing romeo and juliet. i cannot wait!

- discovering the google books app for my phone. 14 chapters into anne of green gables. i can't believe i didn't read it as a kid!

- cinnabon cinnamon rolls. evil in its most delicious form.

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-07-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

- midnight in paris. it's adorable. i hadn't even heard of it until my friend invited me. i was delightfully surprised as i usually don't like woody allen movies.

- finally dumping the swan thieves. i can't believe i wasted my time reading so much of it. it feels so good to be moving on to a new book.

- grilled bell peppers.

- fans. i would not survive summer here without them. plus they make wonderful white noise that makes for a great sleeping environment.

- heidi and i used the emersonmade dandy as inspiration and made 4th of july red, white, and blue linen pins that look like exploding fireworks. we wore them to church. i love them so much i think i'll experiment with other colors.

paris: day 5

2011-06-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

i can't believe it's already been two months since i went to paris and i haven't even finished blogging about it!! perhaps that would be a good resolution next year, become a more faithful blogger.

anyway, on to day 5.

day five was about long lines and windows.

first was mass and a tour of notre dame.

let it be known, that i am now more legit than most catholics out there.

no only have i attended mass at home

(midnight mass at christmas)

i have now made a pilgrimage to and attended mass at notre dame.

during holy week.

(not to mention my pilgrimage to mont saint michel-

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-06-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

- relaxing in a hammock

- woof-ums: pillsbury biscuit cooked on the end of a dowel over a fire, filled with chocolate pudding, topped with a toasted marshmallow. it's pretty fantastic.

- s'mores

- the sound of bullfrogs

- campfires

- copious amounts of reading time

- swimming in the lake

- eating at the hungry hut in shaver lake.

- plenty of sun-basking time (with lot's of sunscreen. we're responsible.)

- my new tiffany ring.

- a week away from telephones and computers and emails . . . .

- a week away from make-up

- watching the sun set over the lake

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-06-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

- for my 16th birthday my mother gave me my grandmother's engagement ring. i haven't been able to wear it for most of that time because it need to be resized, and then it needed to be re-pronged. i finally dropped it off to be fixed and now i get to wear it. it's very special to me.

- neal and i bought our les miserables tickets. i'm so excited to see it again!!

- my boden union jack scarf finally arrived. just in time for it to get blazing hot here. oh well, i look forward to wearing it in the fall.

- on saturday i helped my friend make a costume for a work conference. we were attempting to recreate this. it was pretty hysterical. (and yes, i said work conference.)

- neil patrick harris and hugh jackman's sing-off/duet at the tony awards. delightful. my mom was shocked when they started singing.

- polka dot nails

- sunday afternoon spent watching grin-inducing musicals.

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-06-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

- memorial day = day off from work; family time; barbecue; sleeping in; relaxation

- bowling on friday night. i broke 100 and came in second place. what can i say, we're not very good . . .

- i got in 12 miles of exercise walking this week.

- it rained all weekend long. it's june, and it's raining. we even had to use the heater on saturday. we are all dumbfounded by the weather this year. dumbfounded. no complaints here. i love the cooler temperatures.

- i finally caught up with my friend drew over the weekend. he's been away at school so i haven't seen him since august. we miss him so when he's gone!

- surprise visit with kristen, my best friend from childhood. she was in town for her mother's 60th birthday party.

- cuddling with my niece.

- finally finished the hunger games series.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-06-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

"the search for contentment is, therefore, not merely a self-preserving and self-benefitting act, but also a generous gift to the world. clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. you cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else. only then are you free to serve and enjoy other people."

elizabeth gilbert

eat, pray, love

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-05-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

- long walks

- got my hair re-dyed. even more red than last time!

- cool weather.

- my brother-in-law finished his first year of dental school and is home for the summer. he's so much fun to have around!

- going to the temple with friends and family.

- nothing-but-singing sacrament meeting.

- my gel polish manicure is STILL unchipped. it's amazing. i'm converted.

paris: day 4

2011-05-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

on monday we took a chocolate and pastry tour

to be honest, it was kind of a let down.

you don't get nearly enough chocolate for the amount of money you pay for the tour.

my suggestion is to just set aside a chuck of money,

take the metro to the saint-germain-des-pres stop,

and wander around on your own.

also, most of the chocolate they offered was dark chocolate.

i don't like dark chocolate.

but we ended up stopping in saint-suplice

which wasn't originally on our itenerary but i secretly wanted to do.

rose line in saint-suplice

after the chocolate tour we headed over to invalides to check out napoleon's tomb

that man had a major case of little-man syndrome

really, is this necessary?

courtyard of invalides

next we lounged for a while in the little park area in front of invalides

then we were off to admire pont alexandre iii

doorway to the grand palais - breathtaking

our last activity of the day was a stroll down champs-elysees

where we saw some break dancers

who wouldn't last a second against american break dancers

but they were fun to watch none-the-less

and then on to l'arc de triomphe

view of champs-elysees from the top of l'arc de triomphe

view of la tour eiffel from the top of l'arc de triomphe

paris: versailles

2011-05-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

it's become obvious that blogger is not going to restore my versailles post
jerks
so here we go again . . .

versailles

we did not have enough time at versailles.

it was our own fault. we slept till 11:00, but what can you do. it was necessary.

if/when you go to versailles, give yourself the whole day.

it is huge.

and make sure you put "relaxing on the grass by the grand canal" on your schedule.

i would have like much more time to relax on the grass and explore the gardens.

also, if i had it to do again, i would rent a rowboat and row around the grand canal.

the line to go in the palace was ridiculous for most of the day
at least an hours wait in line
we decided to go through the gardens and petit trianon first.
by the time we made our way back to the palace there was no line.
so, an excellent plan.
also, we made sure to go while the fountains were on, which was really cool too.

view from the back steps of the palace

view of the back of the palace

petit trianon

banks of the grand canal

bassin d'apollon

side garden and fountain

palace courtyard

chapel inside the palace

hall of mirrors

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-05-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

- friday night at a baseball game with the family

- fireworks

- my brother michael proposed to his girlfriend, sarah, this week. we all adore her and are so excited for her to join our family.

- live theatre

- sunday night dinner with the future in-laws. we managed to get 14 people around out table this time. i think its a new record.

- i got my order from emersonmade. i lover her stuff so much! this time around i got the big dandy and the golden bird coin necklace. love.

- hmong berry season has officially started here in fresno. heaven!

- i got one of those gel manicures this week. so far i'm impressed. not a single scuff or chip. the lady said the polish can last for over two weeks! if it works, i'll be really impressed. i can't usually make it more than two days without some sort of damage showing up.

- school's out for summer!!! i'm so glad to be done and free to put that time into work and recreational reading. i feel like i need to make sure and read something really informative this summer. this semester was a gigantic wast of my time. i'm really frustrated with being in school. i feel like they're just taking my money and giving me mindless busy work to do, not educating me in the least. and they keep raising tuition every semester. i really don't know why i keep going. i realize that having a degree is important, but it's not actually going to represent any real increase in knowledge or wisdom when i'm done, it will just be a piece of paper that says i spent the appropriate amount of time sitting in a chair being talked at.

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-05-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

- saturday day-trip to discovery kingdom with the family. pales in comparison to sea world, but we had a great time.

- end of instruction for the semester. now all i have left are two tests and i am a free woman for the summer!

- wednesday night massage

- postcards from nyc.

- gift exchange package from natalie. brightened up my day.

- completed a 9x9 kenken. finally!!

- netflix is really rockin' my world right now with all the complete tv series available in instant play.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-05-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

“one of the nice things about problems is that a good many of them do not exist except in our imaginations.”

steve allen

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-05-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

- my niece and sister arrived. we're having fun now!

- afternoons in the yard with sunshine and puppies

- my first attempt at marinade was a brilliant success

- twice this week i found myself splattered by food/condiments which were being thrown by unaware parties. it was pretty funny.

- girl's night out to the movies

- celebrating mothers day. i won the best present award. it's all about the listening skills, people.

- my dad gave me a mothers day present and wrote me the sweetest letter. i love letters. i have a stash that i pull out and revisit when i'm sad or doubtful.

- placed an order with emersonmade. can't wait for it to arrive!

- the combination of raspberries and pineapple. seriously. it's delicious. try it. now.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-05-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

"be yourself. everyone else is already taken."

"education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught."

"it is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it."

"some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go."

adding my mark to oscar wilde's grave in pere lachaise cemetery.
this tradition is vastly amusing seeing as how oscar wilde was gay.

paris: sacre coeur and montmartre

2011-05-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

here's the thing about sacre coeur. there are a lot of steps.

no really. a lot of steps.

we climbed them twice because i wanted to see the view at both day and night.

and the boys humored me.

such troopers.

(but really i was the one dying because they're both training for a marathon

while i was still coughing up the last of my chest cold phlegm.)

the view is pretty great.

view from sacre coeur

neal walking up one of the many sets of stairs

craig and neal resting at the fountain

there are merry-go-rounds everywhere in paris.

a small street in montmartre.
wisteria was growing everywhere in france. gorgeous.

sacre coeur at night

the eiffel tower isn't visible from the front of sacre coeur.
you have to go around to the side.

the infamous moulin rouge. so exciting to see it in person.
it draws a large crowd out front.

paintings on the front of the moulin rouge.

paris: out and about day 1&2

2011-05-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

some random pictures from around paris our first two days there

obligatory pyramid shot

jardin tuleries. everything was blooming. so pretty!

view of the seine from pont neuf

the historic shakespeare & co. bookstore. it was closing up so we didn't go inside.

view of the seine at dusk.

this photo memorializes a perfect moment. the louvre is impossibly beautiful at night when it's all lit up.
not very many people are there.
and right at this moment, there is someone playing the cello in this tunnel.
perfect. moment.

paris: artwork

2011-05-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

i've never taken any kind of art class, or art history, but i've always been in tune with the humanities so it was exciting to see so many original paintings that i recognized while in paris.

musee du louvre

dare i say . . . the louvre is overrated?

i don't know. i just had a hart time enjoying it because:

too crowded.

i like my museums quiet. if i find a piece i like, i like to sit in front of it, quietly, taking it in. not possible in the louvre. you're constantly dodging people, or your view is being interrupted. not to mention the noise. and all those really major pieces, mona lisa, venus de milo, winged victory, you have to fight a crowd of 50 to get a peek at them.

too hot.

apparently the louvre doesn't make enough money off the 10 euro the charge the 5.5 million visitors per year to turn on the air conditioning. which, to be quite honest, makes me question their ability to preserve all those works of art. like i said, i haven't taken any art classes, but i'm pretty sure climate control is part of art preservation . . .

it's like a maze.

when we decided we wanted to leave, i took us 45 minutes to find our way out.

kind of ridiculous.

too big.

it feels less like a curated collection of the finest things and more like a hoarding of any and every piece of artwork they could get their hands on and they just happened to get a few good things in the process.

at any rate . . . these are some of my favorite pieces from the louvre.

la jeune martyre by paul delaroche

la joconde by leonardo da vinci
(not really a favorite but it just seems wrong not to include it)

the intervention of the sabine women by jaques-louis david

la liberte guidant le peuple by eugene delacroix

venus de milo

romeo et juliette by theodore chasseriau
(i've never seen this before but i just fell in love with it)

le verrou by jean-honore fragonard

musee national de l'orangerie
really small. you can see it all in less than an hour.
but it's awesome.
monet designed the museum space himself. first you walk into a pure white room to decompress, then you continue into two larger rooms that have large, three paneled monet paintings that almost completely encircle oval rooms. i really like monet. his pictures relax me.
downstairs there is a small exhibit of impressionist paintings.

musee d'orsay
if you only go to one museum in paris, go to musee d'orsay.
hands down my favorite.
(except they won't let you take any pictures . . . booo)
a manageable collection. you can see it all in about two hours. not as crowded as the louvre. art grouped together in a way that makes more sense. highlights for me were the extensive collection of monet, degas, renoir, and van gogh. and one klimt. not the kiss, but exciting none-the-less.
plus that have that giant clock, which makes me feel like in the curious case of benjamin button.

paris: itenerary

2011-04-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

friday

musee du louvre

musee national de l'orangerie

jardin tuileries

strolling around latin quarter

saturday

musee d'orsay

sacre coeur

moulin rouge

strolling around montmartre

sunday

versailles

strolling around base of la tour eiffel

monday

chocolate tour

saint suplice

invalides

stroll along champs-elysees

l'arc de triomphe

tuesday

notre dame

(mass and tour)

pantheon

berthillon

sainte-chapelle

la tour eiffel

wednesday

pere lachaise cemetery

palais garnier

catacombs

jardin luxembourg

thursday

drive to mont saint-michel

dinner at la maison

night stroll out to mont saint-michel

friday

tour mont saint-michel and monastery

utah and omaha beaches

normandy american cemetery

saturday

giverny

on my mind

2011-04-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

we had to put baily (our dog) to sleep this week
we've had her for 17 years
17!
she had a good run, but it was just cruel to keep her alive any longer
she will be missed

******

i still hate talking on the telephone

a lot.

******

i think i've talked to every crazy person in the fresno area this week
every. single. one.
the highlight was the client who accused us of having people break into their house
and damage their computer
also stalking and harassment
apparently the fbi are investigating
and a hearing in front of the pope is forthcoming

well, i always wanted to go to rome . . .

******

i'm not one of those crazy people

who have inexplicably large collections of british royalty paraphernalia

and i didn't stay up late/get up really early to watch the wedding

but i gotta say

kate middleton's dress was gorgeous

******

i promise, promise that i am working on paring down and editing my paris photos
(i only took about 490)
i hope to start posting them this weekend

******

my sister and niece are coming home on wednesday

i'm really excited

******

we are dog people around here
well, animal people, really
the idea of our house not having a dog is weird
we put baily to sleep on monday
and lasted three whole days without a dog
and now we have two
scout and penelope

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-04-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

"life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. this is a kind of death."

anaïs nin

things that made me happy . . . french vacation edition

2011-04-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

- boarding passes

- long flights = lots of reading and movie watching time

- learning to sleep with ear plugs in

- looking up and seeing something you've been waiting to see for more than half your life (eiffel tower, notre dame, etc.)

- seeing pieces of art you've loved for years in person

- finding new pieces of art you love

- skipping the queue because you have a special pass

- laughing. a lot.

- "oh you fancy, huh."

- the eiffel tower when it twinkles

- crepes

- galettes

- berthillon ice cream and sorbet. i had raspberry, strawberry, and passion fruit . . . and life will never be the same

- the grand canal at versailles. i want one. is that unreasonable?

- coke and orangina

- charmin to-go toilette seat covers

- stained glass windows

- the view of mont saint michel at night. i don't know that anything could ever top it

- parisian cemeteries

- the moulin rouge

- chandeliers

- excessive decorating

- flower gardens

- the green lounging chairs in parisian public gardens

- abundant wisteria

- pizza margherita

- phase 10

- outsmarting hertz

- riding the metro & rer

- eating my first macaron

- the view of paris along the seine at night when it's all lit up

- dinners in the latin quarter

- extremely extended renditions of "no woman, no cry" and "waka, waka" as sung by the rastafari band in front of sacre coeur

- ten days of not having to answer a telephone

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

"travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

mark twain

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-04-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

"the man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them"

mark twain

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-04-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

- packing has officially begun

- hotel is paris is booked. finally! it was a bit of a task finding one that allows three people in one room

- ordered and picked up my euros

- finally saw defiance. so good. so inspiring.

- completed my first assignment for my new calling. did i tell you? now, in addition to being the ward primary chorister, i'm the stake primary music person (not sure exactly what the title is). not entirely sure when i became such an official grown-up . . . it's a little creepy.

- my dad and i finally convinced my mom to try my favorite restaurant in town. (north india bar & grill) she's resisted up to this point because she "doesn't like indian food." but she really liked her food, and she like the garlic nan, and she liked my dad's food, and she liked my food . . .

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-04-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

" . . . people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like a fine weather if you’re fortunate enough. but that’s not how happiness works. happiness is the consequence of personal effort. you fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. you have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. and once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it."

elizabeth gilbert

eat, pray, love

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-04-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

- getting to watch church in my pj's

- general conference. always inspirational and uplifting. unless, of course, elder holland's message is for you . . . (love him!)

- cherry coke from sonic

- i don't wanna brag, but it's been in the upper 70's and low 80's here. glorious.

- nights out with friends

- cheesecake flavored frozen yogurt + devils food cake flavored frozen yogurt = deliciousness

- i'm so blessed to have parents who have always been invested in my life. all those conference references to older singles needing to get married prompted a talking-to, if you know what i mean. but i'm so grateful that my parents are still actively engaged in my life, constantly worrying for my welfare, and unwilling to simply let me skate by. they challenge me, or make sure i'm challenging myself. the support and defend me. they ask the hard questions, demand the hard answers, and i'm always better for it.

- this week i'm reminded how thankful i am for my personal relationship with my heavenly father and my savior. i'm thankful for the personal inspiration and revelation they provide me, and for the confidence the relationship gives me. it's hard, sometimes, when your path isn't the expected path. people make judgments, comments. it's not necessarily malicious, but it can be wearisome. i'm comforted and buoyed through my personal prayers and blessings, which assure me that i am living their plan for me.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

- Albert Einstein

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-03-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

what started out and some random coughing on a thursday night turned into a full fledged chest cold by friday afternoon. this is very abnormal for me. i can't remember the last time i had an actual chest cold. fever. chills. hot flashes. aching. coughing so hard it sends pain out into my extremities . . . i'm sparing no expense. anyway, i don't know about you, but for me one of the side effects of sickness is almost complete short term memory loss. as such, i really cannot remember most of this past week . . . so here is a list of the things that managed to not get lost in the congestion:

- spent most of the weekend in bed. as such, i'm pretty well rested.

- hot showers when you're congested.

- lipton noodle soup. pretty much the only thing i want to eat when i get a cold.

- finally saw how to train your dragon. adorable!

- clean sheets.

- the moment the tylenol kicks in and breaks your fever.

- the fact that i'm getting sick now instead of two weeks from now, which would have me being sick in paris, which is NOT on the itinerary.

words of wisdom wednesday

2011-03-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

i've decided to start a new series. i collect quotes. i have volumes of them. i love the boiling down of wisdom and sentiment and inspiration to a small collection of words.

my dad teases me that i should publish a collection. maybe one day . . . in the mean time, i'm going to start sharing some here. every wednesday.

“there is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. the world will not have it. it is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. it is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. you do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. you have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. keep the channel open. ... no artist is pleased. [there is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. there is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others."

martha graham

outside the actors studio

2011-03-22T23:45:00.000-07:00

i love the ten questions james lipton asks at the end of every interview on inside the actors studio. and since it's pretty clear i'm never going to interviewed by him, i decided i'd answer them here.

what is your favorite word? belligerent

what is your least favorite word? bad grammar in general. anyways; nothing vs. anything; aks (as in, let me aks you a question); we was; i seen; etc.

what turns you on? masculinity (devoid of machoism)

what turns you off? neediness

what sound do you love? the wind blowing

what sound do you hate? anything with the intention of waking me up

what is your favorite curse word? bullocks

what profession other than yours would you like to attempt? graphic design. stationary and stuff.

what profession would you not like to do? butcher

if heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? let me explain

things that made me happy this week . . .

2011-03-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

- rain! buckets and buckets of rain. i don't think it stopped raining for even a minute on sunday. that doesn't happen to us very often. i loved it.

- a friend and i are doing a quarterly gift exchange. i received my first package this week. i was as cantankerous a person as you could imagine when i arrived home from work to find my little box of delight. it completely turned my day around. thanks natalie!!

- i went and saw i am number four friday night. i don't quite know what to say about it. it did not live up to my expectations or the hype, but we all laughed so hard through most of it that i thoroughly enjoyed myself. the background music and over-stylization pushed it into the ridiculous category.

- i slept till 11:30 on saturday. 11:30! glorious.

- my boss was out of town all week. it's amazing how much more you get done when you're boss is gone.

- after running an errand or two early saturday afternoon i made camp in my bed and read for about eight hours. eight hours!! is there a more perfect way to spend a saturday afternoon/night? i submit there is not.

- with my saturday retreat to reading and a few more hours on sunday i read an entire book, cover to cover, this weekend. which puts me on track with my reading resolution for the year. (ahead if you count the books i gave up on)

on my mind . . .

2011-03-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

i called and scheduled a massage for tonight.
it's long overdue.
i'm excited.

*****

i forgot it was st. patricks day.

twice.

on tuesday i thought about it

but i didn't remember when i woke up this morning.

nor did i remember when a group of 19-year old girls passed by

with neon green ribbons and accents.

it wasn't until my teacher flashed a calendar on the overhead

and i saw today was the 17

that i remembered.

and then when i went home between class and work

i forgot again.

i didn't get around to putting green on my person until lunch.

*****

i have to give a power point presentation in my african history class.
mine is on rwanda.
we turned in hard copies of our power point.
i use the words plebeian and exacerbated in mine.
i thought about trying to find more common words
but then i got snobby.
those were the first words that came to my mind
when i was trying to figure out what i wanted to say.
and if they don't understand
well . . .
that's not my problem.
buy a dictionary.

*****

i leave for paris four weeks from today!

at this point in the planning stages i'm completely stressed.

trying to figure out which activities to group together

on which day

how long each will take . . .

today i looked up the distance from paris to mount saint michele

it's about 176 miles

but the travel time was estimated at 4.5 hours

how on earth could it take 4.5 hours to drive 176 miles?

i need to figure this all out so we can book our hotel and maybe a rental car.

also, we might try to squeeze in a day or two in barcelona . . .

so i really need to get this nailed down!