Miss Sailboat

Au Revior, Mes Amis!

2010-10-19T08:38:00.000-06:00

"Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."

- Alma 26:16 -

Coryn in Paris Blog

2010-10-15T16:07:00.013-06:00

I leave for the MTC in five days!

My mom has set up a blog that she will be keeping up while I'm away. The blog has my addresses (if you want to write me) and it will have little posts and pictures from my weekly e-mails/letters.

If you're interested, follow this blog: http://coryninparis.blogspot.com

Tia

2010-10-14T20:03:00.000-06:00

We had a blast, yet again, shooting the last in the series of themed photoshoots. See Tia's shoot here.

Stylist: Whitney Royal
Model: Tia Horito
Photographer: Moi

If you missed the previous themed photoshoots, the links are below:

Oh, kids.

2010-10-10T13:57:00.000-06:00

Today in Primary we had a lesson about Esther. Shortly after the lesson one of the little boys in the class yells out, "Esther is hot!" Then he proceeded to tell several of the girls in the class that they were "hot". One of the girls in the class, in response to being told she was hot, looked at him and said, "That is very, highly inappropriate."

In honor of BYU finally winning

2010-10-09T19:30:00.001-06:00

Katie

2010-10-08T10:50:00.000-06:00

Before we got rained away, a ballet/picnic/country themed photoshoot happened last night.

Check it out here!

Whitney was styling again and our friend Katie (who still hasn't entered the blogging world - but she does keep "promising" she will soon, haha) was our model. This shoot was so fun!

My man, Wesley

2010-10-08T10:20:00.002-06:00

Someone asked me yesterday what I'll miss the most when I leave (beside, of course, my friends and family). I couldn't think of it when they asked me - but a couple of hours later it hit me:

Basketball.

Specifically, Utah Jazz basketball.

Oh man, I love the Jazz so much.

Speaking of the Jazz, they beat the Portland Trail Blazers last night in their first preseason game. Oh, and speaking of Portland I LOVE their new team member Wesley Matthews so so so so much. He dropped 21 points last night - mind you I was not cheering for Portland, I was cheering for Wes. Wesley was invited to play for the Jazz last season after he was undrafted in 2009. He quickly became my favorite player and literally, in my opinion, was the biggest Cinderella story in the NBA last year.

I mean, look at this stud

picture from here

So, now that he plays for Portland (after singing an incredible 32 million dollar contract - which the Jazz, understandably, couldn't match) I will continue to cheer for Wes in all his basketball endeavors.

That's all.

Time to bundle up!

2010-10-07T16:43:00.000-06:00

I love this time of year:

Sweaters

Thick socks

Wellies

Pea coats

Hot chocolate

Pumpkin pie

Heavy rain

Wrapping yourself in a warm blanket

The changing of the leaves...

Once upon a time in Paris...

2010-10-06T13:35:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures from study abroad a few years ago (we took a three day trip to Paris):

(Thanks to Whitney for the above pictures)

Here are a few more pictures:

I can't wait to be back in Paris!

"But I don't even run from rain"

2010-10-05T10:07:00.000-06:00

I love love LOVE Sara Bareilles' new CD Kaleidoscope Heart.

Check out the following tracks:

The Light
Say You're Sorry
Hold My Heart

Peach & Brown & Turquoise

2010-10-05T09:34:00.000-06:00

I saw this really cute cardigan:

And then I thought about what could make it even cuter (wrapped around the waist):

And the finishing touch:

Hilary

2010-10-01T12:26:00.001-06:00

Last night I had a blast taking pictures of Hilary!

Whitney added to the shoot with her fantastic ability to style.

Check the pictures out here.

One time I nibbled on a piece of cheese and my cholesterol went up to 900

2010-09-29T14:33:00.001-06:00

Please go and watch this video. It's so funny!

Bliss

2010-09-28T13:20:00.000-06:00

Everyone, at some point in their life, should read the unabridged version of Les Miserables. (Thank you, Stacie for giving it to me!)

This book is incredible. I'll tell you why:

The characters are so real! Victor Hugo takes time to let the reader know who each character is (even very small characters).
This book is poignent. I highlighted several passages from the book. Such as:
"With eyes closed is the best way to look at the soul."
"As for methods of prayer, all are good, as long as they are sincere."
"People are ignorant of things they ought to know, and know things of which they ought to be ignorant."
I never wanted this book to end. At 1500 pages you'd think you'd want a book to end, but I just wanted to keep reading and reading and reading. Since this book ended I started reading Notre Dame de Paris - I can't get enough Hugo!
This book is both emotional and humorous.
This book contains pieces of France's history.

***

I'm loving Boots Skin Tonic with Damask Rose. It makes my skin feel so soft, it smells of roses, and I feel so Parisian when using it. (Courtney recommended it to me when I visited her at the beginning of the month.)

***

I love this song right now.

***

Kyle Chandler is a stud - I just started watching season one of Friday Night Lights.

***

I'll be in the MTC in three weeks!

Temporary Homelessness + Cashore Marionettes

2010-09-24T10:03:00.002-06:00

There was a gas leak by our house yesterday because someone doing construction accidentally crashed into a gas line. The city evacuated our neighbors in our neighborhood (including us) as well as neighboring neighborhoods' neighbors. (During all this I imagined a montage of the evacuation featuring the song Won't You Be My Neighbor by Mr. Rogers.) They sent us to the local elementary school where nothing exciting was happening. Just basic stuff like, an old man being loaded into an ambulance, a bummish man proudly wearing a marijuana leaf shirt, creepy cops staring us down like we were conspiring evil, and some charity was giving out free donuts.

Oh man, I never question free food.

But, we did have tickets to go see a cool marionette show called The Cashore Marionettes so we ditched the free donuts and headed over to the theater to see some culture!

Oh - it was incredible. I would go see their show again.

This was my favorite scene during the performance:

The baby wiggled its toes!

By 9:00 they started letting people go back to their houses after checking the gas levels - so we were no longer homeless.

Storybook Photoshoot

2010-09-21T11:46:00.001-06:00

Click here for more pictures!

Modeling: Caitlyn Cope

Styling: Whitney Royal

Sneak Peek

2010-09-18T14:02:00.003-06:00

Whitney and I had an awesome photo shoot yesterday!

She did the sweet styling and I shot the images.

Caitlyn was a fantastic model.

Here are a few images to preview (stay tuned for the rest of the images next week):

Make of this what you will:

Childhood Friends

2010-09-16T10:15:00.006-06:00

The other night Caitlyn and I got together with three friends we've known since we were wee lasses: Sheyene, Kira, and Dee.

We couldn't stop laughing the whole night.

"On the morning of a day only sent from heaven..."

2010-09-14T16:06:00.000-06:00

I love Angel Taylor's album Love Travels.
I love her simple, honest lyrics.
I love her café-like voice.
I could listen to her album over and over.

The Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens

2010-09-12T08:16:00.000-06:00

This is Southern California's little bit of Europe.

Beautiful, lush gardens
Art galleries
Statues filling the gardens
Buildings similar to the exterior of Versailles
A library with originals of the Canterbury Tales and the Gutenberg Bible
There are first editions of Milton, Byron, Coleridge, and Robert Burns

Benton Paul Rooftop Concert

2010-09-11T10:20:00.001-06:00

This concert was so fun! It was on a rooftop {well, the top of a parking garage}. This is my third time seeing Benton Paul but it was my first time meeting him. It was a great show!

p.s. Benton Paul served an LDS mission in Paris, France so I told him I was headed there on my mission and he started speaking French to me. I actually understood him so I spoke French back. Bahaha!

p.p.s. Speaking of the Paris mission, a really good family friend just got his mission call there! I'm so excited!

LA Adventures

2010-09-10T14:08:00.001-06:00

I just had an amazing week in LA with BFF, Courtney!

Here are some highlights:

Ruby's in Malibu

Anthropologie at Thousand Oaks Mall

Courtney lives on Cahuenga

Courtney invited friends (Mary, Tony, Nate, and Will) over for dinner on Sunday night. We made Indian Curry & Thai Curry. The boys helped move in a new TV for Courtney and Tiffani's apartment.

We found the bench from 500 Days of Summer

We went to the Griffith's Observatory (where "Rebel Without a Cause" was filmed)

I had a kissy dream starring Ed Westwick

We went thrift store shopping and each got an outfit for under $10!

We had a movie night and watched "Son of Rambow"

Look how cute Courtney and Tiffani's living room is!

Courtney, Tiffani and I went and ate some delicious Thai food at Arunne's. They had these funny pens with dolls on them.

I'm going to blog separately about the Huntington Gardens. We took so many pictures! It was so beautiful.

The Pie Hole

2010-09-03T15:15:00.001-06:00

I've been re-watching the second season of the beloved Pushing Daisies. I miss this show.

And I can't help but love the wise wisdom from Olive's "kidnappers" in the episode Window Dressed to Kill: "The guy who loves you - really loves you - you will never have to wonder how he feels about you."

Lion King

2010-09-02T14:44:00.000-06:00

It was amazing! It was thrilling! What a great show! Every moment was enjoyable.

(There were even times when I was quietly singing along.)

Lion King + Macaroons + Post-Mission Hair

2010-09-01T12:50:00.000-06:00

Tonight I get to see the Lion King Musical with my family! I'm so excited! My sister saw it with her best friend a few weeks ago and she was overwhelmed by how amazing it was {she's been wanting to see it since it debuted on Broadway}. I'm so excited!

Also, I've wanted to learn how to make Parisian macaroons before my mission. I think I'll try this recipe sometime soon.

Speaking of the mission, I'm hoping to grow my hair for the next 18 months to look something like this:

After my mission, however, I want to cut my hair like this:

On a completely unrelated note it was bittersweet to see everyone starting school this week. I miss fall semester {it was always my favorite} but at the same time it's nice to not have to worry about writing 10-page papers. Anyway, for those in school, I hope classes are going well!

1100 pages to go

2010-08-29T13:17:00.000-06:00

I think I finally made a dent in my reading.

Tea Party

2010-08-22T18:21:00.002-06:00

Hilary had a super cute birthday tea party at the Beehive Tea Room:

(the birthday girl!)

Pittore Dress

2010-08-21T12:02:00.005-06:00

I am in love with this dress:

Farewell, Records Office...

2010-08-20T08:50:00.081-06:00

Today is the last day of my campus job.

I've had this job for the past four years and it's so hard to say goodbye. I've worked with some of the most amazing people, made some wonderful friends, and I've had three fantastic bosses. Who could ask for better? Thanks for four fabulous years!

Things I'll miss:

Co-workers and supervisors
The "epic Monday corner"
Monthly birthday lunches
Friendly phone calls
Brian's vocabulary
Recipe day
The funny closet
The positive environment
My paycheck

Things I will not miss:

The sexy ringtone
Angry phone calls
EFY

P.S. I found these two gems from my first year at the office:

(this was when I had super short hair - picture by Brooke):

(A pizza kissing a stapler and a cat serenading them with an accordion)

book clutches

2010-08-19T15:43:00.000-06:00

If these Kate Spade book clutches weren't a bajillion dollars I'd purchase one in a heartbeat:

Mmmmmm

2010-08-18T10:55:00.000-06:00

Tonight I think I'll be making these:

Graduations!

2010-08-16T09:48:00.004-06:00

Big sister Court and I had the opportunity to graduate from university this past week! Graduating is so fun - and totally worth all the years of work!

Court received a BFA in Animation
I received a BA in English

(The family with the university president and his wife)

(Our favorite restaurant)

(Favorite picture from the day)

Muse

2010-08-15T09:40:00.007-06:00

Cait performed at Muse the other night (with her friend Mark on drums) and she was incredible! She sang four original songs and did two fantastic covers (Panic at the Disco's New Perspective & Katherine McPhee's Terrified)

She's such a rock star! I'm so proud.

"I think you may be a kindred spirit after all"

2010-08-14T11:30:00.000-06:00

I watch Anne of Green Gables traditionally every summer and I love absolutely everything about it.

Graduation

2010-08-12T09:26:00.001-06:00

Today is graduation!

It's crazy to think how fast time has gone by, but I'm incredibly happy for the adventures to come...and I'm excited to reflect upon the awesome stuff experienced during the past four years.

So....

Here are some highlights {in no particular order, of course}:

London Study Abroad in Summer 2007
Deciding to go on a mission {and then getting my call to serve in the France Paris mission!}
Working in the Records Office for 4 wonderful years
Co-writing a short film with Courtney {and then watching her direct it}
Making the best and most amazing friends
American Literature
IKEA
Wall-E
Listening to Billy Collins read his poetry at the JSB
Lavender Days
Running 5ks
Seeing Les Miserables {twice!}
Taking a puppetry class
Cath Kidston
Seeing several of my dear friends get married
Finishing Moby-Dick {and a bajillion other books}
Being with Cait as she recorded a demo
The Finer Things Club
Pushing Daisies
Tandem Biking
Photojournalism
Going to Jazz games
Eating sushi for the first time
Going to "The Carnivalli" in Paris with Sean & Whitney
Visiting Luxembourg Gardens
Going to London with Court and Mum
Mika concert
Visiting Courtney in California
Court going on a mission to Cleveland Ohio
Arsenal "football" game in London
Teaching primary
Celebrity stalking
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Houston trip to visit the Branning family
The Adventures of Code Red and Sketch
Book group
Amber's parties
My mum and dad turning 50
Purchasing a digital SLR

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy {or girl} who'll decide where to go."
{Dr. Seuss}

Karate Kid

2010-08-11T09:03:00.000-06:00

Loved this movie.
Loved Will Smith's offspring.
Loved Jackie Chan.

Reasons why "Angels in the Outfield" is the best movie ever

2010-08-09T10:45:00.001-06:00

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in it.
{Spoiler Alert} The kids get adopted by Danny Glover at the end! He's such a hero.

There is this {see below} creepy man the movie that keeps getting attacked by food:

Christopher Lloyd's white hair makes him look very angel-like. {P.S. Hasn't Christopher Lloyd ALWAYS been old and white haired? He may be immortal - and a REAL angel!}

Creeper-eyed Tin Man {aka Michael McDonough} plays the stupid baseball player who does weird things with his eyes.
The film serves as a didactic reminder that you've just got to have faith and then your favorite sports team can {spoiler alert} win!
Adrien Brody hasn't made a good movie since.
This movie features Matthew Mcconaughey at his finest.
You want to pinch Joseph Gordon-Levitt's pudgy cheeks every time he's on screen.

Tony Danza and Abraham Lincoln have the same speaking voice.
You can't help but chuckle when baby Joseph Gordon-Levitt prays and ends his prayer with "Oh, A-woman, too"
When Christopher Lloyd {spoiler alert} ends the film by saying "we're always watching" you get that classic creeped out feeling you also get while watching horror flicks.
The dad of Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a major jerk wad when he tells his son that they can be a family again when the Angels win the pennant - that's why {spoiler alert} it's so exciting when Danny Glover adopts him at the end!
If this movie teaches you anything it's that: (a) adoption rocks, (b) faith is the key to success, and (c) don't ever smoke.

Candids & Details

2010-08-06T17:31:00.001-06:00

I shot some candids and details last night at a beautiful wedding:

Britt Returns - Briefly

2010-08-04T08:51:00.022-06:00

The other night we had a fun dinner celebrating Brittney's brief return.

She's been in DC for most of the year doing all sorts of awesome things. Now she's off to northern California for law school.

Highlights from the evening:

Seeing Britt {of course} and Katie, Kaite, Whitney, and Hilary
The delicious dumplings, rice, and noodles at the Rooster place
Hearing about Kaite's mission call to San Antonio
Discussing London 2007
Britt not choking to death
Planning a return to London in 2013...It'll totally happen

Sometimes I laugh like Squidward...

2010-08-02T18:05:00.002-06:00

London: Days 7-8

2010-07-31T15:41:00.007-06:00

DAY SEVEN

We went to the V&A again to catch the Beatrix Potter exhibit

The Natural History Museum was our next stop

For lunch we ate at Bella Italia. It was delicious.
Then we went to a large sporting goods store and I got some more workout clothes and a gym bag.
Finally we went and saw the amazing Les Miserables. This is the greatest play ever!

DAY EIGHT

On the last day we went to the National Gallery and saw some of the cool paintings.

Then we went back to Covent Garden to see the freaky play The Women in Black. I screamed out loud like three times. It was awesome.
Then we saw this crazy street performer:

London was amazing! Everyone needs to find a time to go in their lifetime. There is so much to do and so much to see and you'll never be the same after you go.

As Samuel Johnson once said, "When you're tired of London, you're tired of life."

London: Days 5-6

2010-07-31T08:19:00.082-06:00

DAY FIVE

I think today was my favorite day of the trip!
First we went to Waterstone's bookshop and I bought a Cath Kidston address book.
Portobello Road was next! I love Portobello Road for the shopping, food, music, and atmosphere. It's such a cool outdoor market.

(George Orwell lived here!)

(The Hummingbird Bakery)

After Portobello we took a bus to Westminster Abbey! It was there that we saw Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

(We couldn't resist posing with our London Ghostwriter book)

Walking the Thames was next

Then we crossed Millenium Bridge (as soon as we made sure there weren't any Death Eaters around) and saw St. Paul's Cathedral.

From St. Paul's we jumped on a bus and headed to Covent Garden. We arrived and ate some delicious Cornish pasties.
After eating we headed over to the Donmar theatre to see The Prince of Homburg. The play was fantastic! It starred the handsome Charlie Cox who stars in one of my favorite movies, Stardust (if you haven't seen it you really should go rent it). The play also starred Ian McDiarmid who is known for playing Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars movies (I kept leaning over to my sister during the play and would say - several times actually - "And now young Skywalker, you will die!")
During intermission my mom saw this guy (scroll down far enough to see where he blogs about the play and seeing my mom) and went up and talked to him! He was with all his theater students. It was so great to see someone from back home.
After the play concluded we went out front and thought we'd try hanging around for a while to see if Charlie or Emperor Palpatine would come out. Sure enough, Charlie popped his head out and I asked if I could get a picture with him. He immediately put his arm around me to get a picture. Then he asked where I was from. I told him I was from Utah and he said, "Oh, I love Utah!" It was so great and he was so nice!

DAY SIX

Today was a laid back day. We went to church in the morning and then went to the Victoria & Albert Museum for a few hours after.

(Coco Chanel designed and wore this dress)

(Grace Kelly wore this dress)

(Bra dress)

(The ugliest man in the world, Henry VIII)

(p.s. He's totally flipping us off)

The final days of London are coming soon!

London: Days 3-4

2010-07-30T08:27:00.083-06:00

DAY THREE

Every morning we had a lovely English breakfast at our hotel (the picture below is the exterior of our hotel).

This was Covent Garden day. We immediately took the Piccadilly Line to Covent Garden and spent a a ton of time hanging out in this area. (We went to Covent Garden three more times during our stay...maybe it was four? Anyway, it was our favorite spot.)

The shopping here is fantastic. There is a super cute store called Octopus that sells cute things like this:

I bought a bike bell (for the bike I will purchase when I get back from Paris) at Octopus.
Then we went to Ben's Cookies and got Chocoholic Heaven ice cream with double chocolate cookies. It was to die for.

There was a cute little World War II themed candy store down the street a ways and they had such cute window displays:

Cath Kidston is one of my favorite stores ever, unfortunately they don't have it in the US so I was super excited to go:

After Cath Kidston we bought theatre tickets for The Prince of Homburg which we would be seeing in a few days.
Queensway was our next stop.
Moscow Road shortly followed:

Then my favorite street of all! Palace Court! This is where I lived three years ago on study abroad:

From Palace Court we then went to Hyde Park! Hyde Park is probably my favorite park in all of London. I would spend hours there doing homework or reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows back in 2007 and we even played soccer there one night! It was so great to go back and remember all the fun memories.

(on a Johnny Depp bench)

(Mum & Court are so excited to be in Hyde Park!)

We went through the park to get to The Royal Albert Hall (and the Prince Albert Memorial).

At this point we had been walking so much our feet felt numb, so we randomly jumped on a bus to relax our feet for a while and see the city while sitting. The bus took us directly to King's Cross Station, which was convenient because we were planning on heading that way to get our pictures taken at Platform 9 3/4:

On our way back to our hotel we got a picture next to the horrible Last Airbender ad. Honestly, we saw this poster so many times I wanted to punch Dev Patel in the face...but I love Dev Patel so he is forgiven.

DAY FOUR

The things we did on day four were things I had never done before in London.

We had to wake up early in order to catch our train to Lingfield, Surrey - a town outside of London. This town is where the LDS temple is. It was a lovely experience to go to the temple.

After our train back to London we went to Green Park

Buckingham Palace is right outside of Green Park, so we went there next

Then, we finished our day by going to Harrod's. Man, that place is crazy expensive...but I did make a purchase (some super cheap stationary).

Days five and six coming soon.

London: Days 1-2

2010-07-29T12:24:00.001-06:00

First of all, the trip was fantastic. I want to go back and stay forever. I love London so much!

As to not bore you, I've split the week up into bits to spread things out.

DAY ONE

After a 9 hour flight on United Airlines we made it to London. We were exhausted, but we knew we had to stay up the rest of the day so we could avoid crazy jet lag. We took the Tube from Heathrow to Marble Arch and then walked two blocks to our hotel, The Edward Lear Hotel. All I wanted to do after the flight was wash my face and eat gelato.

After we unpacked and got settled we went to eat dinner at Tuk Tuk! I loved that place when I was in London because it was delicious but especially because it was so cheap.

We then went and purchased some gelato from the shop on the corner of Queensway.

Then we went and saw the hilarious play The 39 Steps. This play had me laughing so hard. Basically it spoofs several Alfred Hitchcock movies. The cast is made of of four actors who play over 100 characters. The girl who was in the play was the girl I saw play Glinda in Wicked back in 2007.

DAY TWO

We did a lot of shopping on Oxford Street the second day. Primark, H&M, Dorothy Perkins, The Disney Store, and many other stores.
Then we ventured to Regent's Park to see the Open Air Theatre's production of Macbeth. It was so well done and they made it shorter and enjoyable for kids too!

Then we did some serious stalking by going to the stage door of the Queen's Theatre to take pictures of Nick Jonas who was playing the role of Marius in Les Miserables.

I got my picture taken with Norm Lewis who played Javert in Les Miserables (I'll let you know more about Les Miserables later when we actually saw it).

We saw this gem at a pub next to the stage door:

Days three and four coming soon.

I won!

2010-07-29T09:20:00.000-06:00

So, I won this contest last week while I was away! Haha!

Inception

2010-07-19T11:02:00.000-06:00

This movie was incredible. I need to see it again and probably again after that. Seriously, it blew my mind!

Okay, I'll be back to blogging on July 29th! I'm off to Platform 9 3/4!

Doh!

2010-07-16T10:08:00.001-06:00

I hate it when the contracted form of "you are" is written "your". Seriously, I want to poke out my eyes and destroy all clothing from Aéropostale {I could easily do the latter without a valid excuse}.

The "on-a-rampage-because-of-incorrect-grammatical-contractions" face

Cutest Cardigan

2010-07-15T10:14:00.001-06:00

I'd love to get this cute cardigan {could be perfect for the mission}:

I'm also loving this butterfly blouse:

Dear Wesley Matthews,

2010-07-15T10:11:00.004-06:00

I'm so sorry the Jazz didn't match Portland's offer, but I'm still a fan of yours and I will attempt to be a Trail Blazer fan too - for your sake.

Love,
Coryn

p.s. I still think you're the cutest basketball player in the NBA.

Button of Hope

2010-07-12T10:49:00.013-06:00

Want to support a good cause? Go to Button of Hope and purchase either a pair of earrings or a cute hair clip and 100% of the proceeds go the The American Cancer Society. An added bonus is that all of the hair clips and earrings are buy 3 get one free!

Lavender Days + Baby Bieber

2010-07-11T16:29:00.004-06:00

This weekend I went to the wonderful Lavender Days and ran the 5k! My mum and Court ran the 5k as well.

I absolutely love this place!

The reenactment:

The campy western show featuring the SAME Johnny Ringo as last year:

Here's a brief video clip of the robbers breaking Johnny Ringo out of prison:

I'm not embarrassed to admit that I went to the Justin Bieber concert on Saturday night and had a blast {22 is not too old}. Man, this kid is really talented and I've adored him since I first heard One Time on the radio. He sang, danced, played the guitar, floated over the audience on a heart, did a rocking kicks drum solo, and nearly blew out my ear drums. I felt like I was 15 all over again!

with Sean Kingston

p.s. There was a girl there, probably about 10 years old, playing video games. Dude, why would you play video games at a JB concert?

Photoshoot

2010-07-11T14:28:00.001-06:00

Check out the Furness' photoshoot over at my other blog:

2010-07-09T11:09:00.001-06:00

"Be who you are and say what you feel,

because those who mind don't matter and

those who matter don't mind." {Dr. Seuss}

Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights

2010-07-08T11:47:00.001-06:00

I would love to add this book to my cookbook collection!

Recipes are split up into the four seasons of the year and then categorized under breakfasts, lunches, and suppers.

Some recipes I'm anxious to try from Miss Dahl's book:

Pancakes filled with cream cheese and butternut squash
Avocado soup
Grilled bananas with Greek yogurt
Grilled Salmon with Baked Onions
Buttermilk chicken with sweet mashed potatoes

Lovely List

2010-07-08T10:10:00.033-06:00

Give a compliment
Write a thank you note
Recycle something
Watch a favorite movie
Send flowers
Read Billy Collins
Make brownies
Redecorate a room
Frame a picture
Go swimming

Picture from Sarah Jane Studios

(browse through her store for more lovely images)

Tidbits from 4th of July Weekend

2010-07-07T09:11:00.001-06:00

I love Independence Day (especially when it lasts the entire weekend)!

Me and the sisters (minus one):

Natalie and I hit up the Freedom Festival:

Cute glass flowers at the Freedom Festival:

Allison and I ran our first 5K on Monday morning:

And finally, I bought tickets to see this little guy's concert next weekend. I'm a little too excited:

July's Anthropologie

2010-06-29T16:06:00.000-06:00

I love the outfits in Anthro's July cataloge. Here are some favorites:

kate nash

2010-06-28T10:38:00.001-06:00

I love the following tracks from Kate Nash's new album:

Paris
Pickpocket

Check them out!

"I don't know, there is something about you
Would you spend time with me?
You said you'd lend me anything
I think I'd have your company"

- Kate Nash, Paris

Check out her music video Do-Wah-Doo too.

Also, I'm getting excited for Sara Bareilles' new album coming out in September!

dream lens

2010-06-22T10:40:00.003-06:00

One day I hope to purchase this lens:

alejandro

2010-06-19T21:08:00.003-06:00

I'm so excited!

2010-06-16T09:55:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday!

2010-06-14T10:22:00.001-06:00

Happy Weekend Highlights:

I got together with Whitney and Katie for breakfast on Saturday. It was lovely!
Watched the USA v. England World Cup Game
Cleaned
I got my Ghostwriter Season 1 DVD this weekend and watched 2 cases (approximately nine 25 minute episodes). Wow, what a campy throwback experience! The early 90s had terrible fashion.
French flash cards & conjugation practice!

Happy Monday Quote:

"This hope and optimism comes because we know, with absolute certainty, that God is in His heaven and He is the Lord Omnipotent. God's wisdom and knowledge and power are greater than all the combined forces of evil. He is able to work His will, and His purposes cannot be frustrated (see D&C 3:1). He has not left you and me to make our way alone in these perilous times. He is watching over His people." - M. Russell Ballard

Happy Monday Finds:

If I had a house to furnish, I would furnish it with this adorable sofa:

And I would love to add these cute Cath Kidston saucers to my future kitchen:

the sunglasses game

2010-06-11T11:35:00.001-06:00

Go to Whitney's blog for more information on how to participate!

english major and/or bookworm tees

2010-06-08T09:12:00.000-06:00

I've discovered a new love: Out-of-Print Clothing!

A few reasons to love them:

They sell tee-shirts with book covers on them
They donate a book to Books for Africa every time someone buys a shirt (they describe this in their mission statement)
Even though Moby-Dick (the whale not the book) scares me, I would proudly wear a shirt sporting the cover of that novel
The shirts are under $30

smile style: she & him

2010-06-05T17:24:00.005-06:00

A. Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward are always so happily fashionable

B. I love their new song (well, new-ish) In the Sun:

C. The Peter Pan collar blouse Zooey fetchingly sports in this video is absolutely amazing...I think Urban Outfitters has one very similar.

D. I look forward to the day when Zooey Deschanel & Benjamin Gibbard have very talented and quirky children.

*Random*: Check out my friend, Hilary's latest blog post featuring Girls With Glasses. It's so cute!

Mission Call

2010-06-02T17:48:00.000-06:00

I have been called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the France Paris Mission. I report to the MTC on October 20th!

Prizes will be awarded to those who guessed correctly!

Where will I go?

2010-05-26T19:16:00.000-06:00

Okay, so my mission papers were officially submitted this past Sunday! Woohoo! So this means my mission assignment should arrive (most likely) in the mail next week.

I will give a prize to the person who can correctly guess where I'll be serving.

All guesses must be submitted by next Tuesday (June 1st) at 11:59 PM! So, guess, guess, guess!

I'm super excited!

FINALLY!

2010-05-25T08:08:00.000-06:00

I finally got around to finishing the final season of Monk. What a fantastic show!

the young victoria

2010-05-24T08:03:00.001-06:00

I absolutely loved this movie! Redbox it!

I hope they call me on a mission...

2010-05-20T09:40:00.001-06:00

"You are called to represent the Savior. Your voice to testify becomes the same as His voice, your hands to lift the same as His hands. His work is to bless His Father's spirit children with the opportunity to choose eternal life. So, your calling is to bless lives." - President Henry B. Eyring

I've wanted to serve an LDS mission for a while. About a year and a half ago I had the privilege of taking Professor Randy Bott's Missionary Preparation class at university and I really grew fond of the idea of serving the Lord for an 18 month period.

But to be honest, I always wanted to finish school first...

BUT, I happen to be graduating in August!

So, I have filled out all of my paperwork and have had my dentist and doctor's appointments. After I meet with my Stake President (within the next week and a half) he will officially submit my papers and it will be a matter of days before I receive my mission assignment.

I AM SO HAPPY & EXCITED!

postcards

2010-05-18T16:24:00.000-06:00

I adore postcards and today I discovered this amazing set of 12:

There also was this set:

5k

2010-05-17T08:37:00.000-06:00

Allison & I will be running the Freedom Run 5K on July 5th! It's going to be so fun and I'm super excited.

Goals to maintain until then (and forever after):

Run 5-6 times a week
Drink loads of water
Eat more veggies!

Also, my mum and I have decided to run the Lavender Days 5k on July 10th! We're also very excited and looking forward to the beautiful lavender scenery in Mona.

recent purchases

2010-05-14T15:39:00.006-06:00

Headband is from Campus Craft & Floral

Earrings from here and here

Postcards from here

Nan Lawson

2010-05-13T15:38:00.000-06:00

My dear friend Whitney gave me this lovely custom picture for my birthday by Nan Lawson:

Here is the framed version she gave me:

I love book group!

2010-05-13T11:30:00.000-06:00

I enjoy being a part of book group so much! Every month I look forward to: the laughter, the discussion, the company, the food - I love every part of it.

Last night our book club discussed the cute novel The Penderwicks. I love the characters in this book, the old-time feel, the fact that the kids play outside, and Jeanne Birdsall's writing style. If you're looking for a cute, quick read - this book is perfect.

be sure to go here this weekend!

2010-05-06T18:57:00.000-06:00

london

2010-05-06T10:22:00.001-06:00

I will be going to London in July with my mom and sister!!! The flights and hotel have been booked and I'm so freaking excited. London, I'm finally returning to you! Cath Kidston, V&A, Hyde Park...you're so close!

my crush

2010-04-29T11:46:00.000-06:00

basically, I adore him.

new obsession

2010-04-28T17:45:00.002-06:00

Anne Burrell on the Food Network. I want to eat everything she makes.

Gratitude

2010-04-28T11:13:00.000-06:00

“Our society is afflicted by a spirit of thoughtless arrogance unbecoming those who have been so magnificently blessed. How grateful we should be for the bounties we enjoy. Absence of gratitude is the mark of the narrow, uneducated mind. It bespeaks a lack of knowledge and the ignorance of self-sufficiency. It expresses itself in ugly egotism and frequently in wanton mischief. We have seen our beaches, our parks, our forests littered with ugly refuse by those who evidently have no appreciation for their beauty.” - President Gordon B. Hinckley

5 things worth doing in May

2010-04-28T11:11:00.001-06:00

Buy a day dress (Browse through eShaki's collection of day dresses)
Go on a picnic
Learn a new vocabulary word each day (vocabulary.com is going to be my best friend)
Find something you want to improve in your life and make the steps to do so (I've got several to work on...)
Serve somebody

105-93!!!!

2010-04-24T10:57:00.004-06:00

The Jazz game last night was super, super fun! An absolute BLAST!

Highlights:

Signed a "Get-Well" card for Okur
My boy, Wesley Matthews, kicked butt on the court
Took some sweet pics
We won (105-93!!)
Ate In N' Out Burgers on the way home...

They only have to win two more games and then they're on to round 2. I've been waiting for an awesome Jazz season like this for years...

quotes

2010-04-19T13:31:00.000-06:00

"fear not...do good"

2010-04-18T13:26:00.003-06:00

Happy Sunny Sunday!

"Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail." (Doctrine & Covenants 6:34)

"Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." (Doctrine & Covenants 6:36)

"Love is the motivating principle by which the Lord leads us along the way towards becoming like Him, our perfect example. Our way of life, hour by hour, must be filled with the love of God and love for others." -Henry B. Eyring

I'll be watching this next friday @ energy solutions arena:

2010-04-15T10:04:00.004-06:00

picture from here.

time to make some pies

2010-04-12T16:47:00.004-06:00

I'm craving pie & I think I shall make some...
But more than that, I'm craving some Ned & Chuck.

today I made eye contact with...

2010-04-09T15:42:00.001-06:00

...this guy

my heart skipped a few beats.

It's your birthday!

2010-04-09T09:03:00.000-06:00

Today is Caitlyn's 19th birthday!I hope she has a wonderful & sunny day!

oh happy, happy day!

2010-04-07T20:46:00.000-06:00

OH, this is so wonderful:
My FAVORITE television show when I was a kid is FINALLY going to be on DVD.

thinking...

2010-03-30T19:36:00.000-06:00

My mind is consumed with the following:
-Traveling
-Mary Jane shoes (like the ones in the picture above)
-Graduation
-Leisure reading
-Picnicking
-Laughing Cow Cheese
-Wellies
-London rain
-General Conference
-Spring cleaning
-Research papers
-Boutique shopping
-Training for a 5K
-As A Man Thinketh by James Allen
-D&C 6
-Fall housing
-Job hunting
-Party planning
-Coconut cupcakes
-Easter eggs

Donate to "Dead Grandma"

2010-03-29T15:46:00.000-06:00

So, my dear friend Courtney Branning is working on co-writing and co-directing a production called "Dead Grandma" with her friend Will Kidrick (the creator of "Dead Grandma"). They are in need of donations to make this project happen. Please go to the following website to find out more information about their project: DEAD GRANDMA

image by will kidrick

Any donations would be greatly appreciated!

3 years later

2010-03-28T14:40:00.000-06:00

and I finally finished my London Study Abroad scrapbook...

happy birthday, mum!

2010-03-27T19:43:00.000-06:00

I love you so much and I hope you had the best birthday ever!
Little Gloria's Italy was amazing too!

cocoa bean

2010-03-24T15:59:00.001-06:00

Last Friday Natalie and I went to the Cocoa Bean! It was delicious and so much fun.

a few readings...

2010-03-24T15:27:00.001-06:00

1. I think everyone, at some point in their life, should read Virginia Woolf's essay A Room of One's Own. It's a beautiful essay.

2. The Challenge To Become is an inspiring talk from Dallin H. Oaks and full of inspiring, motivating tips to help us become what God wants us to become.

3. It's springtime and the first book that comes to mind is The Penderwicks. If you haven't read it, I totally recommend it! It's such a quick and delightful read.

4. In American Literature this week we read Emerson's Nature. Being nearly spring and all, I think it's a great read.

I love march madness

2010-03-20T18:03:00.000-06:00

I really do.

I am ridiculously happy right now!

2010-03-18T13:42:00.001-06:00

A few things worth saying:

Hallelujah!
Tears of joy were shed because of the amazing win today!
I have never seen so many people crammed into one little office to watch the outcome of the double overtime.
I will name my first born son after Jimmer.

one day i'll get a bike

2010-03-14T19:07:00.001-06:00

ghost children

2010-03-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

These creepers inhabit my yard:This one is my personal favorite. On a creepy scale from 1-10, I'd give her a 9.8:

Mmmmmmm....

2010-03-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Tonight I will be making these delicious beasts.