10-18 at 906

I am writing this just moments after narrowly escaping the big house. Some of you may remember a small fender bender I experienced this past fall. I was given a ticket but never quite got around to paying it. Of course, being the responsible citizen I am, I realized that this meant that if I got pulled over it would mean jail time (note: I spend a fair amount of time on Utah County Inmate Search. It's a good time, check it out!).

Fast forward to tonight. I had just gotten home from work and was changing into my pjs, getting ready for a great night of tv watching. There's a knock at the door, and it happens to be a cop. No, not a hot cop. A real cop, holding my warrant in his hands, asking if I had 300 cash to bail myself out of jail.

Lucky for me, he was from Spokane, saw that I was from Coeur d'Alene, and felt a little hometown connection. He gave me a little note with his name and my fine amount, and told me to come downtown to pay it sometime before 10 tomorrow night. I like to call this my "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

Take heed, bloggers. Apparently the Provo Police department has taken care of every domestic dispute, DUI, noise disturbance, and meth lab....they are seeking out the real outlaws now!

PS: Do we think it would be appropriately funny if I showed up with my bail in all ones? Just wondering...

I've never been one to turn down a tag...

1. What is your occupation? student/retail ass man (as in assistant manager. that's for you, Corneiluses). Both full time

2. What color are your socks right now? rocking the Uggs...they actually keep your feet warmer if you DON'T wear socks. Just an insider tip from someone in the shoe biz.

3. What are you listening to right now? Italian pop. Yup. I am trying every trick in the book to master this language. But then I get bored and switch to Def Leppard "Photograph" (my current favorite song).

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Turkey sandwich. And maybe a few Cadbury eggs while I internet surf.

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Damn right, it's how I learned to drive.

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Well my favorite color is purple, but I was always most attracted to the cerulean crayon. And then Meryl Streep's speech in The Devil Wears Prada confirmed what a savvy color choice that was, so I'm gonna have to go with that one

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Steven

8. How old are you today? 23

9. Favorite drink? Diet Coke (duh)

10. What is your favorite sport to watch? Baseball

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? When I was in middle school and highlighting was ever so popular, I tried to jump on the band wagon. Being the natural raven-haired beauty that I am, I ended up with a few faint reddish streaks, which eventually grew out. I now tout myself as having virgin locks, but the truth is that I will occasionally do a semi-permanent shine treatment if I am feeling especially saucy.

12. Favorite pets? every day it breaks me heart that I don't have a dog of my very own, *sigh*

13. Favorite food? Diet Coke

14. What was the last movie you went to? Cloverfield, and The Bucket List. On the same day.

15. Favorite holiday of the year? Christmas, even though I hate winter. 

16. What do you do to vent anger? Take a nap. Or shop. Or take a nap and then shop.

17. What was your favorite toy as a child? I loved Barbies and played with them way past when it was socially acceptable. 

18. What is your favorite, fall or spring? Spring. I love rain, I love moderate temperatures, and I love Spring clothes.

19. Hugs or kisses? Kisses, both the show of affection as well as the candy.

20. Cherries or Blueberries? Gross, who picks blueberries over cherries? 

21. Do you want your friends to comment on the blog or fill it out on their blog? Both, of course.

22. Who is most likely to follow the rules and put this on their blog?  Rachel, Lindsay

23. Who is least likely to do what they are told? Steven. Worst blogger ever (no offense)

24. Living arrangements? Precious little house on historic Center Street in Provo with three other chicas

25. When was the last time you cried? Talking to Nanna about her chemo

26. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes. They leave room for nothing else.

27. Who is the friend that you have the most in common with that will read this? The Catanos and I are freakishly similar. Lindsay and Aaron are my second and third favorite people in the world, respectively. L: What d o you think of when you picture garbage?

28. Favorite smells? Dryer sheets. Marc Jacobs perfume. Cake in the oven. MAC wipes.

29. What did you do last night? Worked, went to DQ, watched the Gauntlet 3 and Project Runway, did Italian homework, went to bed way too late.

30. What inspires you? The creativity of others

31. What are you afraid of? Seahorses. 

32. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? I'm not sure what a spicy hamburger even is. Cheeseburger, of course.

33. Favorite dog breed? Siberian Husky, but I grew up with Black Labs

34. How many years at your current job? 2.5ish with the company, 6 months in my current position

35. Favorite place you've ever been? I fall in love with every big city I ever visit, but my heart belongs in Seattle.

36. How many states have you lived in? Washington, Idaho, and Utah. In over 13 different cities.

37. Favorite day of the week? Sunday, I love my day of rest- it is the only day when I am guaranteed no work and no school. And it's when Rock of Love is on.

38. Ever driven motorcycle or heavy machinery? I once drove a combine in a wheat field, but my dad won't let me even breathe next to his Harley without close supervision. 

39. Who's your favorite NFL team? I honestly could not care less, but I'll say Seahawks just for the sake of argument. Hometown pride and all. 

40. Do you have a house phone that is not cordless? Land lines are for grown ups. 

Thanks to MLK Jr...

Three days in a row with no work and no school is unheard of for me. How did I spend my time? A lotta sleeping, a lotta reading, a lotta movies, and a lotta decorating projects in my boudoir. The fruits of my labors:


These shelves were next to impossible to hang. Most of the screws went into studs just fine (yes I have a stud finder and yes I'm obsessed with it. Sometimes I just play with it for fun.). But the final stud was apparently made of solid diamond-- nothing was getting through that sucker. The poor quality of the photos is disguising the thousands of holes in the wall. Perhaps my President's Day weekend project will involve putty and touch up paint...

This little chandelier couldn't be more perfect for my room. And the fact that it was on sale? Belissima. (What is not belissima is that unsightly cord hanging down. As soon as I can get to the store for refills for my staple gun, that baby will be neatly tacked to the wall. I promise.). I am also beyond obsessed with these mirrored sconces.


And finally.... a little DIY craft. My plain purple pillowcases needed a little sprucing up. The solution? A little black lace from the bargian bin at the craft store. It is my personal opinion that there are few situations when black lace ISN'T the answer.

10 Things That Make Me Happy

Time for a new Blog Topic O' The week. This time I am stealing the idea from the back page of Domino Magazine. Enjoy my list, and don't forget to write one on your blog!

1. Staple Accessories
I am a creature of habit- before I walk out the door, I stop at my dresser and accessorize. Accessorizing means a left arm full of bracelets (which vary according to the outfit) and usually my peace sign earrings and wishbone necklace. I love 'em.

2. Freshly Washed Sheets
Another habit: Every Saturday night I wash my bedsheets, using Downy Vanilla & Lavender detergent and dryer sheets. I then hurry up and make my bed, climbing in when the sheets are still warm and the fragrance is strong. I get the best sleep of the week on Saturday nights.

3. New Magazines
I could flip through the glossy pages of a periodical for hours. I have a long list of favorites (Domino, Blueprint, Vogue, Elle, Allure, US Weekly, you get the point...), but I have been known to spend lengthy amounts of time studying whatever happens to be available (Newsweek in the Doctor's Office, Consumer reports at home...). Seriously, hours.

4. Nail Polish
I have a serious aversion to nude nails- on others as well as myself. My color preference changes depending on the season, but right now my two favorites are Lippmann "Dark Side of the Moon" on my fingers and OPI "I'm Not Really a Waitress" for my tosies.

5. Art Museums
When I went to Washington DC this summer, I was able to spend a lot of alone time at various art museums and galleries. I loved going at my own pace, visiting both huge museums and tiny local galleries, speeding through certain collections and slowly analyzing others.

6. Holiday Decorating
This year was the first time that I felt the urge to decorate my house for the holidays. It started with Halloween but really took flight with Christmas. NOw that the Christmas decorations are down, I have realized how sad and bare my house looks. Thus, Valentines decorating. And then Easter (I was going to do St. Patty's, but Easter falls on the 23th of March this year, and I feel that the two holidays are much too close together to give them both the attention they deserve).

7. Comfy Clothes and Getting Dressed Up
I love a good excuse to get fancy. In fact, I love being fancy so much that I will sometimes overdress for work on purpose. However, I will also take a hint from "Stars-They're Just Like Us" and "Celebrities Without Makeup"-- I love to slum it at home in a Hanes v-neck, Ugg boots, and velour Juicy pants. Sometimes it matches, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes my pants are inside out (duh, the soft part of velour is on the outside. Try it once and you'll be forever changed).

8. Flowers
They're over-priced, they die in a few days, they can make a mess...but I love a vase of fresh flowers. I'm not even that picky about what kind, I'll take anything I can get--carnations to orchids. The only problem is I can never decide where to put them-- in my room where I can enjoy them or in the living room where everyone else can envy them :)

9. Television
It's no secret, I am an avid fan of the entertainment industry. I look forward to nights that I can come home to some great television programming, and on days when nothing I watch is on I feel a little empty inside. And it doesn't stop there-- my dvd player in my room is almost constantly playing a disc from the boxed sets of Weeds, Sex and the City, Friends, The Simple Life....

10. DIY Projects
I'm super stubborn, I like to figure out how to do things on my own. This includes, but is not limited to: home improvement, cooking, computer issues, automotive repair, scholarly research, decorating, etc.

Group Blind Date

Dinner at Changs. Disco Skating. Guitar Hero. Till The Break-O-Dawn!

BYO Toboggan!

I overcame my mild dislike of winter outdoor sports and went sledding with some of the homies this last weekend. We bundled up in our finest snow gear, cranked up the Bob Marley tunes, and had a great time.

An inflatable raft proved to be an excellent group sled. Lindsay and I were the mermaids on the bow for the maiden voyage. I was starboard, she was port (that's right, technical ship lingo. I know all sorts of things.)

American Gladiators is the New Monster Truck Rally

...ONLY BETTER!!! I told every customer at work today to make sure they tuned in tonight, I want to make sure that this gem of a television show comes back for a second season. And just to help spread the fever, I invited over a gaggle of coworkers to watch the tonight's extravaganza on my tivo. What does this version have that the original didn't have 15 years ago? This guy.

Tagalicious

I always love new and creative blog topics- shout out to Rachel for this fun little tag!

7 Things I Learned in 2007
1. I can hold my own in an intellectual debate with my Dad. Finally!
2. Laughing at yourself comes off to most people as confidence.
3. People are more drawn to you if you are focused more on being happy rather than making them happy.
4. "The Secret"-- believe it and it can happen. This is true regarding personal goals, automotive troubles, and bargian shopping.
5. A truely great outfit will generate as many compliments as raised eyebrows.
6. I am a zillion times more appreciative of opportunities, blessings, and accomplishments if I work towards them on my own rather than being handed them on a silver platter.
7. Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other's gold. (I ripped this off from my days as a Brownie, but it felt especially poignant this year)

7 Goals for 2008
1. Graduate!!!!
2. Read one non-fiction book each month. (I feel kinda silly saying this- remember that scene from Clueless? "Mine will be 'Fit or Fat'...")
3. Awaken my inner Buddha (related to #2)
4. Better time management, including getting myself on a regular sleeping schedule- no more ridiculous late nights or super late mornings.
5. Go on a trip to somewhere I've never been (I keep wanting to party at the Jersey Shore, but I can't seem to talk anyone into that one...)
6. Be more openly grateful. Three words: Thank You Notes.
7. Make more memories, take more pictures!

*As before, I tag everyone. Kind of a cop out, but if you're on my list of links then I'm clearly interested in what you have to say. Duh.

Blog of the Week

Tonight at dinner Lindsay and I decided to come up with fun blog topics to write on each week. Seeing as I don't have too fascinating of a life, this should help to maintain a steady blog pace. This week's topic is brought to you by Lindsay:

First Ten Songs That Come Up When Your Ipod Is On Shuffle:
(no cheating!)

1. "Toxic" Britney Spears (I kid you not, my ipod knows how die hard I am)
2. "Jackie Will Save Me" Shiny Toy Guns
3. "Suffragette City" David Bowie
4. "Mo Money Mo Problems" Mase
5. "Worn Me Down" Rachel Yamagata
6. "We Didin't Start The Fire" Billy Joel
7. "Walk Like an Egyptian" The Bangles
8. "Beautiful" Goldfrapp
9. "Dancing Alone" Ashlee Simpson (how embarassing)
10. "Smoking in the Boys Room" Motley Crue


Feel free to play along!

Get Well Soon Britney

Honestly, who hasn't held their kids captive from time to time? Here's hoping that homegirl gets her act together pronto....

Auld Lang Syne

New Years this year was spent up in Park City. We went up super early to do hair and makeup for a bunch of the Harry O's dancers, then we changed into our finest festive wear and rang in 2008.

Some of our handiwork:




...and some of us:

Happy New Year Everyone!