A Proclaimation of LOVE

I am here today to profess my love for something to the whole world (or just to the two people that read my blog). The object of my obsession is........SHOES.

Yes. I am here to tell all of you that I absolutely LOVE shoes.

I mean, let's think about this for just 2.5 seconds. Shoes are practical. Would you want to run around barefoot all the time? In the freezing cold? NO. That would be uncomfortable and your toes would probably fall off. They also save your feet from burning up on the hot pavement/asphalt. I know that all of you know what it feels like to walk on hot, roasting pavement. The first thing you want to do is run over to the neighbor's grass and just stand on it for a few seconds and pray that they just had their sprinklers on, right? See! Shoes=great. Then, on top of the fact that they are practical, they are pretty much ADORABLE. Granted, there are for SURE some ugly shoes out there. And when I say ugly, I mean should be burned or dropped off a cliff into the ocean. The best thing about shoes is that every pair can is made for a specific occasion: morning trips to the grocery store, dates, school, the opera, the beach. And do you know what that means? You have to own several pairs in order to be ready for said occasions!
This is what I have to say: whoever invented canvas shoes should probably be considered for Sainthood. About 75% of my shoes are canvas. My next purchase will be a pair of Vans or Keds (old school style) I seriously can't get enough of them. It's all about the stripes, plaids, and solids.
And now we move to slip ons. Just slide your feet in and WHAMO! You are good to go for the rest of the day. No tying shoelaces or fixing the tongue of the shoe. And they are like letting your feet sleep all day in a little warm sleeping bag. Only thing you have to do is make sure that your pants aren't pushed inside your shoe because that's awkward.
Then there's the flip-flop. Talk about your bare minimum. Now, wearing a flip flop is like just wearing your underwear. Barely anything but just enough. Okay, so that might not be a good analogy. For me it is. Flip flops are just like slip ons. Two seconds and you are ready to go. Just don't step in any puddles. Talk about uncomfortable. Just a step up from the flip-flop you've got the sandal. My sandal of preference is the Chaco...um, hiking through water? No problem, Chaco's got you covered. Plus, the suntan you can get is pretty sweet.
And, though this may come as a shock coming from the girl who doesn't make effort to get ready or look cute EVER, I love wearing heels. Sure they are a man's invention to make a woman look taller, make her butt look bigger, and all sorts of other stuff, but you know what? When I wear heels, I feel hot! Sassy is probably the best word for it. You can rock the heels, move those hips and still go to church and take the sacrament. No guilt! In heels you can be hot and ba-bow-ba-wow! and not be committing a sin. That has got to be a good reason to wear them.

(And just a p.s., KATE WINSLET! I am so grateful she finally won an Oscar, even though the Oscars aren't exactly the best judge of skill sometimes. That woman is basically the best thing to ever happen to the industry. PLUS: Coming Soon! A new playlist...ish. Maybe I should say "updated"? Yeah. That's the one.)

Best. Valentine's Day. Ever. HANDS DOWN

So, a few weeks ago, my roommates and I made a decision that would forever change the rest of our lives. Okay...not really. But it did make our President's Day weekend 135% awesome. We all thought that since school is stressful, unfun, and fairly boring (right now, school is the worst thing in my life. Pure unadulterated LOATHING) that a vacation would be nice. So we ran to the BYU travel office and bought plane tickets to Long Beach, California. We would spend roughly 4 days in California enjoying sun, beaches, shopping, and, of course, DISNEYLAND.


The only downside was that the weather wasn't quite as cooperative as we needed it to be. Saturday, a.k.a. Disney/Happiest-Day-of-my-Life Day, was marvelous if not a little chilly. Spalsh Mountain at 4:30 in the afternoon was probably not the wisest decision we have ever made. But we dried off quite a bit by going on Space Mountain right after. And we also got an amazing picture out of it, so win win. Sunday was beach day, and it was windy and cold (cold meaning 55 degrees) but it was still pretty much amazing to play in the ocean for a few hours. Monday was cold and wet (torrential downpour, anyone?). But we made the most of it by going to a boardwalk and lighthouse despite the nasty weather. It was a blast anyway.

But the reason for this particular blog is not to talk about the weather or even the beach. This blog is dedicated to that marvelous day spent at Disneyland. I have not been to Disneyland since I was about 12. I went with my family. I love my family and all, but trips to amusement parks with them=MADNESS. There are just too many of us. This trip was with all fully grown girls. It was the most exciting, amazing, exhausting day EVER. And I will say this: I loved my Valentine's Day for once.

My feelings for Disneyland cannot be articulated into sentences. I just tried it. Didn't work. So, instead, I will post pictures of my adventures. Included are pictures from the beach and pier. But mostly Disneyland.

Feeling a Little Like Beth...

I am wildly in love with the novel "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott as well as the movie by the same name. The movie especially. I love it mostly because it reminds me of my sisters (I have four). Secretly, I have always wanted to be just like Beth. Beth is the soft spoken, sweet, even tempered sister. However, Beth is always in poor health and manages to catch every disease of the day from colds to Scarlet Fever from the Hummel's baby. It's ridiculous, really. Note to Beth: just stay away from the sick people and you'll be just fine. But I digress. Though Beth is my role model in my endeavors to be virtuous and sweet (ha!), there is one thing about her that I do not wish to one day embody.

Beth is always the sister that does not leave home and does not do anything particularly exciting. She just remains at Orchard House with Marmie while playing her piano and snuggling up in her cute little knit shawls. What she does is not bad, it's just not fun. Her sisters go and do something else with their lives either outside of Concord or with a man (married of course). I would like to compare the March sisters to my roommates freshmen and sophomore years. There were 4 that were there both years: Gina, Kallene, Kaccee, and little Teresa. Then there was Britni from freshman year who ended up getting married the summer after. Finally, Lauren took Britni's sophomore year and we loved her just as much. After two years of greatness together, three girls decided to go on missions (Kal-Hawaii, Kaccee-Chile, and Teresa-Spokane, Washington) while another got married (Gina), and Lauren moved back to Boise because she was done with her program. I remained in Provo to continue on in my schooling. This school year, I was worried that I would have a crazy roommate that I couldn't handle (I knew two of the girls I would live with but not the one I would actually share a room with). But Susie was an answer to my prayers! Glorious and hilarious and a genuine lover of BBC films, Susie was my heartsong and more during the fall. But, like others before her, she left for bigger and better things that just happened to be in Washington D.C.

This brings me back to my Beth analogy. My "sisters" are all leaving me for foreign countries, beautiful men (Laurie!)and marriage, or to further their education/to go on an adventure in the big city. These are all great things and I support them wholeheartedly. But there are moments when I can't help feeling a little like Beth; stuck and a little left behind in the world. What I'm doing isn't bad by any means. I'm doing what I need to be doing. It's just that what I'm doing is...well, boring.

I figure, the only way I can really get ahead of those who have gone out into the world before me is to DIE like Beth. Like she says (or whispers) to Jo, "Why does everyone want to go away. I love our home...I do not like being left behind. But now I am the one going ahead." Yep. That's what I have to do. But I would DEFINITELY prefer not to. When I say stuff like this, I know that I'm being ridiculous. 95% of the time. My roommates are on to new and different things and, though it all feels the same to me, I'm doing new things as well. I wonder if this is how Beth felt too...

Christy, Robin, and Chuck/Blair! Oh My!

I have discovered over the last few years that watching t.v. shows over the break is just about the best way to unwind from a long semester of school and the stress of finals. Thus, every year I make sure to watch at least one new t.v. series I have never seen. This year was no exception. And even though I have written several blogs about movies or television shows, I don't really care. I still want to express my absolute joy at finding these shows. And there are many...what can I say? I like to vege completely during the break.

Show Number 1: Gossip Girl- Don't judge me. I have a weak spot for CW television shows (One Tree Hill, Dawson's Creek, Smallville, and the list continues). You would want a way to completely rot your brain after a semester of Organic Chemistry too. This show hit the spot. Scandalous, full of pretty people, and just despicably delightful. But the thing that really pulled me in was the disturbing yet adorable relationship of Chuck and Blair. My mom thought I was talking about a gay couple when I was talking to my little sister about it, so I will clarify: Chuck is male, Blair is female. Blair - the ultimate drama queen/socialite - and Chuck - the dirty, nasty, hilarious, disgusting, awesome, spoiled preppy boy - make the most fun couple ever to grace the screen of the CW (or even the WB). She's funny. He's funny. They're hilarious. They're spiteful. They're utterly wrong but so right. I just can't walk away. You know you love it. XOXO, Gossip Girl.

Show Number 2: Arrested Development- Ooooookay. Hilarious. I watched several episodes before the break, but I knew I needed to sit down just watch. And what a great decision it was. The antics of the Bluths make me laugh so hard it gets out of control. I have yet to watch an episode where I can predict what will come next. Just not possible. I must finish this series. When, I do not know. But I will do it.

Show Number 3: Robin Hood (BBC)- I had heard about it from a few people, but I never had the opportunity to watch. So, when I was walking through my local rental store, I decided to grab a few episodes and give it a shot. It is truly fabulous. Every actor is excellent and it makes me laugh. Marian is my newest hero, Robin is quite handsome despite his British teeth, and, as a bonus, Richard Armitage of "North and South" fame is in it too. So really, an all around great television experience in both the aesthetics and entertainment departments.

Show Number 4: Christy- This was far and away the BEST show of my break. A product of the mid-90's, Christy is like "Anne of Green Gables", "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" and a Hallmark monthly movie all rolled into one. In other words, it is made of AWESOME. And while I have finished the series and I STILL don't know if Christy picks the grumpy, old, mean doctor (Neil McNeill) or the beautiful, perfect, amazing preacher (David Grantland), I still LOVE this show with every fiber of my being. I know that in the books (spoiler alert!) she picks the doctor. I just can't help but want her to pick the reverend because he's amazing! I also know that there are movies, but I don't want to watch them because the girl who plays Christy is different as is the man who plays the reverend and the woman portraying Miss Alice. I just can't want to watch it without all of the same actors. "Christy" was a great, wholesome rebound from the dirtiness of "Gossip Girl" and I recommend it to all. Now, whenever I look at the mountains, I can hear the voice of Kellie Martin - the girl who plays Christy - in my head saying "The Great Smokies. When I left my city home to be a school teacher in a backwoods mission, I dreamed of adventure..." And then I just giggle and smile about how much I absolutely love this t.v. show.

The Playlist: Altered

As much as I love my playlist I have created specifically for this blog, the time has come for me to put a new one up. Hopefully you enjoy!

1. Summer Skin by Death Cab for Cutie- Lyrics. LYRICS my friends.

2. Typical by Mutemath- Don't know who they are? Well, listen to this song and you will WANT to know. I'm mostly obsessed with his voice.

3. My Sundown by Jimmy Eat World- Holy...there are no words to describe everything that this song is to me. When I feel sad or happy or any emotion, I listen to this song. If I can't sleep, I listen to this song. If I want to feel like I can do something, I listen to this song. It is far and away my favorite song. Has been for years.

4. Starlight by Muse- What kind of playlist would this be without MUSE!? If people have heard of Muse, this is usually the song they've heard of. It is made of awesome.

5. Catch my Disease by Ben Lee- His accent, his voice, and the greatness of this song. But mostly his accent.

6. Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron and Wine- Susie and I are obsessed with this song. We think it's so cute and precious. But...the lyrics aren't actually cute. They don't even make sense. But when Edward Cullen dances to this song, it makes it romantic automatically.

7. Fake Empire by The National- MEGAN WINEGAR: I am eternally indebted to you for introducing me to this song. My love for it has quickly become obsession. And I have converted my roommates to love The National as well.

8. Repetition Kills You by The Black Ghosts- I can't explain it. I love this song. Simple as that.

9. The Longer I Run by Peter Bradley Adams- The most CHILL music ever. I love his voice and the fact that he plays the piano and guitar.

10. 15 Step by Radiohead- This song rocks my world. Radiohead is 100% awesome and this song adds another 200% to their greatness.

11. The Past and Pending by The Shins- The Shins and Death Cab were my first real foray into the alternate music scene. This song will never get old.

12. Wake Up by The Arcade Fire- ...No words. Just listen.

13. The Resolution by Jack's Mannequin- Makes me feel like getting up on the table and playing the guitar in the middle of the library. I want to sing it at the top of my lungs whenever I hear it.

14. Disintegration by Jimmy Eat World- I'm pretty sure I'm obsessed with this song right now. When I listen to it, it makes me mad, sad, and angry all at once. This is what I like to call my venting song. And it's when I get to the chorus that all of the emotion comes out. And the three emotions I listed above don't even cover all of the ones I feel while listening to this song. Jimmy always speaks to me. ALWAYS.