keisha voorhees

shoulda woulda coulda

2011-11-15T21:26:00.000-08:00

2011-10-10T09:51:00.001-07:00

I WILL GIVE ANYTHING TO MAKE A BABY LIKE THIS

2011-10-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

2011-10-09T18:04:00.001-07:00

so important

2011-10-09T17:27:00.001-07:00

2011-10-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

colder weather

2011-09-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

i'm so excited for the skinny jeans, huge scarfs, fitted jackets, ballerina buns, boots and victoria's secret sweat and yoga pants

i can't get over winter fashion, its my favorite season to dress up for.

i need at least one night like this when it gets a tad cooler:

i want california, a fall breeze on the beach and hot chocolate and natural make up and hugs to keep warm. i want babies in halloween costumes and baked goods and family parties and to go to utah. i want beautiful wedding receptions, holiday parties, mini roadtrips to the snow and the heater on in my car.

not to mention the holidays are coming fast. i'm not sure i'm ready for that, but ready or not.

horiscopes are creepy

2011-09-26T09:49:00.001-07:00

Leo Sep 26 2011
You aren't one to give up easily, Leo. When the going gets tough, a Leo almost always gets going. Your perseverance and determination are legendary. You aren't easily knocked down. That's one of your many attributes. But, at times, it is also one of your downfalls. Sometimes you don't know when to quit. You don't know when your investment is being wasted. Right now you are pushing and working and choosing not to give up on a certain goal, but you have done all you can. It may be time to walk away from something that isn't giving anything back.

2011-09-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

this is my only requirement for a future home.
a beauty-and-the-beast style library!

relax

2011-09-25T20:58:00.001-07:00

relief

2011-09-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

today in relief society we had an amazing lesson on preparing for an eternal marriage, and the triangle of a husband, his wife and the Lord.

we were reminded that as we draw closer to our Heavenly Father, we will become closer with our spouse. i really enjoyed the lesson, especially when she went into detail about not stopping our lives while we wait for the perfect man to come along and make us happy, but to be happy ourselves and strive to live the way we should so that we may attract someone who has a testimony as strong as our own. there were so many great talks and lessons today, its so exciting to see exactly how much i receive out of each and every meeting.

"Please never forget that you must be patient and compassionate with yourselves, that some sacrifices are better than others, that you need not wait for a golden ticket to be happy. Please never forget that the “why” of the gospel of Jesus Christ will inspire and uplift you. And never forget that your Heavenly Father knows, loves, and cherishes you."

-President Uctdorf

i'm so excited for this weekend as well! i've never been more in need of the words spoken in general conference. i'm so grateful to have work off and my family close by so that i may truly take it in. i am in great need of answers to the questions i've been asking.

first time for everything!

2011-09-25T01:11:00.000-07:00

ASU vs. USC

so tonight i went to my first football game... im 20 years old and this was my first football game! haha i was excited going into it but i knew i probably wouldn't understand what was going on and i wasn't sure how i felt about the whole blind spirit thing. i didn't want to over-do it, this being my first time and all, but i didn't want to stand out as the new girl. i know, only i would worry about this right? so i chose my outfit and attitude accordingly, met up with some real cool kids and headed down to the stadium. honestly, i've watched football games many, many times on the television and i know its not cool to admit this but i had so little interest in the happenings on the screen. the first quarter of the game, it was pretty obvious that i was staring blankly into the field and cheering when everyone around me did, so they explained the plays to me over and over again. it took another quarter or so but by the third..... i knew what was going on a little bit! it was the weirdest thing! pretty exciting to me. i cheered, high fived and saw steve nash, it was awesome. i even knew when to say "one two three first down!" THEN we pulled ahead, and we were winning, which was awesome, i guess we haven't won them in 11 years? correct me if i'm wrong. or don't, its okay. and then WE WON! which was awesome, and i don't know why. i mean, i could still definitely use that football for girlfriends lecture, i have a lot to learn but.. this is a big deal for me!

oh plus there was this magic dust storm that was just surreal! i couldn't get a good picture but it was crazy. it enveloped the entire stadium with swirling dirt and trash... okay doesn't sound quite as great as it was.. just imagine this, i guess

sparks fly

2011-09-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

halloween

2011-09-23T01:27:00.001-07:00

im soooo beyond excited to dress up!

tired

2011-09-23T01:18:00.000-07:00

had & sappy

Unkle Bob - Swan

2011-09-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

!!!

2011-09-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

"keep in mind that God is your greatest companion
because no matter how imperfect you are and no matter what happens in your life,
God will still be there to give you the greatest love you’ve always wanted."

i am so overwhelmed! i never thought that i could feel such comfort so soon after making a decision like this. in hindsight, i might have been pessimistic/over-dramatic but i was prepared for weeks, even months of emptiness and unanswered questions. instead, here i am so grateful for the absolute downpour of blessings i've been receiving these passed few days. i'm literally speechless, mouth-open in shock over the opportunities that have presented themselves to me. i've been working so hard to stay afloat, and as i said i can't thank my friends enough for the support you have shown me. i see my hard work paying off and my willingness to listen to the promptings of the Lord is bringing me to a much better place than i was in.

true happiness

once again, thank you thank you thank you for the calls, texts and kind words my friends. you all mean the world to me! i could not do this without you and i refuse to lose sight of that fact <3

i'm obsessed

2011-09-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

with the ring i bought myself:

actually, like i said before, i'm obsessed with rings in general haha bring on the material possessions,
i looove fall/winter style!

2011-09-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

i just wanted to take a quick second and thank everyone who's taken time out of their day to check up on me recently. your kind words of advice and understanding has made my journey so much easier. it sounds silly, but i honestly could not get through this without the support of my close friends, family, members of the church and co-workers. i've been working so hard to improve my life and all i've heard from those that mean the most to me, is positive reinforcement. through all the hard decisions i've made, and everything i have had to watch fall apart in front of me, i'm in need of nothing but an open heart and an open mind. i've had to humble myself and pray only for the ability to see the opportunities presented to me, and take them even though i'm not 100% comfortable with moving forward yet. i know its what i need to do. i'm so thankful for the knowledge of the eternal perspective and the comfort in knowing that if me doing everything i'm supposed to has lead me here, then this is where i'm meant to be. i'm absolutely shocked as to how quickly i was able to see the blessings come forth. my heart is filled with gratitude for the patience, guidance and forgiveness of others. i'm so grateful for your ability to be so in-tune to the promptings of the spirit and touch the lives around you.

THANK YOU! you are wonderful xo

yeah, yeah

2011-09-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

promise

2011-09-18T22:24:00.001-07:00

eternal perspective

2011-09-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

He lives in you.

2011-09-18T00:19:00.000-07:00

so to answer your questions YES, the lion king in 3D was the most powerful, incredible experience of my life! this is coming from a girl who can't staaaand three dimensional films... i am literally setting aside a hundo as we speak just to see it a few more times before it leaves the theater. if you know me at all, you know that the lion king has been my favorite since who knows when. i've had multiple lion king birthdays, stuffed animals, mugs and apparel.my parents tracked down every lion king happy meal toy so i could have a complete set. i've worn through my VHS, and even considered a simba tattoo at one time. yep. this is the real deal, folks.
ps simba is such a babe

LOVE LOVE LOVE

and thank you, jessica, for taking me to see it when i was so afraid i'd miss out! you're the bestfriendever

guilty

2011-09-16T22:03:00.001-07:00

i love rings.
i'll take them all.

i just ask

2011-09-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

that these next two, three, six months go by quickly.

or something.

oh hey

2011-09-15T17:50:00.001-07:00

replace tea with "water" or "diet soda" and you've got it!

amen!

2011-09-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

.

2011-09-14T15:42:00.001-07:00

i am between a rock and a hard place.

help.

if not now, then when?

2011-09-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

hard day.

the king

2011-09-11T21:12:00.001-07:00

you can find me in the theaters every day for those two weeks

rain or shine

someday

2011-09-11T20:36:00.001-07:00

the salt lake temple is so incredible

inspired

2011-09-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

this winter is going to be full of beautiful clothes, new friends, new experiences and good choices.

"Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.” -Thomas S. Monson

pictures aren't uploading very well :/

blogless

2011-08-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

so, i'm not going to spend more than 10 seconds apologizing for not blogging in sooo long.

i'm sorry!

ANYHOW, things have been super busy working two jobs and living my summer liiife, taking multiple vacations to california and beyond! spent some quality time with my awesome family, my amazing boyfriend and my good good friends. i'm so blessed 100% of the time, its incredible.

as always, i've set some goals and trying to make some positive changes in my life! its been a long time coming for some of these goals, but i don't mind. i'm still trucking along! i've really set my mind to these things and made a plan of action for each so hopefully we'll see some positive results coming around the end of this yeaaaaaar!

i'm so happy, right now.

blessed and blissful

hello, busy bee

2011-04-27T22:51:00.001-07:00

now a proud employee of (drumroll please)

ta-da!

i'm ecstatic! i have so much respect and love for TCS and its employees already, i cannot wait to start! i'm so blessed to invest my time in things that i have a true passion for. i can't imagine working somewhere that i wasn't completely head over heels in love with everything that they provide for their guests. never again. the atmosphere, the food/beverages, the service, the guests, i could gush about both Firebirds and The Coffee Shop for ever.

if you've never been to either, GO.

even if you don't like coffee, it would be foolish to not stop by for their award winning cupcakes!

more to come, i'm sure!

whew, so many upcoming changes!

new job/ two jobs. school is ending! i'm getting a new roommate and hopefully many, many more life-changing events will be up and coming in the near future... as long as i have my family, my boyfriend and my true best friends by my side, constant change is my best friend.

BRING IT ON, SUMMER 2011

just do it

2011-04-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

three simple words.
i honestly can't think of another way to put a motivational quote, this says everything it needs to for any occasion. thank you nike.

MY NEW OBSESSION!

2011-04-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

SPAGHETTI SQUASH
oh. my. goodness.
its incredible. its versatile. its delectable.
honestly, i haven't felt this way about a vegetable since i learned french fries were made out of potatoes, i can't believe how good this is!

true to its name, its generally used as a pasta substitute in spaghetti but i've come to learn that red sauce, while healthier than a cream sauce, is just not my favorite. plus there's a lot of hidden sodium in most spaghetti and pizza sauces so watch out for that. when i first bought my SpSq, i brought it home from the store, set it on the table, looked at it and was like "yup, proobably never going to eat that. too much work."
and i stayed true to my word for atleast a month.
then, i got desperate on groceries. i was using plain yogurt for milk in cereal and i just didn't have the timeenergymoney to go to Fry's so i googled "how to cook spaghetti squash?" and viola! many many options. baking it seemed best. i had a bunch of other things to do, plus my oven was already heated for my roommate so i cut it in half (NOT easy without proper cutlery, but thats not changing anytime soon.)and plopped it in the oven, face up right on the rack.
i left it in there for a good 40 minutes, went and poked at it, decided to get it out and thats where i fell in love. the pulp literally shreds away with a fork in strands that are just like spaghetti! still a little apprehensive i grabbed the closest condiments, garlic salt and spray butter and BAM love. in my mouth. it was delicious. i couldn't get enough! i ate almost the whole squash, but saved about a cup for later.

all my healthy efforts went to crap as soon as i met klay @ iHop for their cinnabon pancakes

(INCREDIBLE!)
but oh well. you win some you lose some.... except i don't see how i lost because my day was filled with absolute deliciousness.

ahhh <3 today i reheated that spaghetti squash thinking "there's no way that this held well" but did iiiit ever ha.
i sauteed it with some fresh mushrooms and had another incredible meal.

go buy spaghetti squash.

humphh

2011-04-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

roll upp

2011-04-03T23:03:00.000-07:00

caf-FIEND

2011-03-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

thats it, i'm going to do it.
i'm going to give up caffeine. i can't believe i said it! but i need to. and in turn, i will give up artificial sweeteners, as well as carbonation. i hate being dependent on what is, no doubt, a drug. i drink way too much caffeine and i need it to function.
this has got to stop!
good news is, i was researching it and withdrawals last about 2-9 days, so within two weeks i can hope to be a normal, functioning, well oiled machine WITHOUT caffeine.
i'm excitedd! support me on this.
i'll post daily updates on twitter or my blog just to keep myself sane.

me myself and i

2011-03-19T11:35:00.001-07:00

finally a minute to focus on myself!
spring break turned out to be more than what i needed, i feel so relaxed after a few very stressful weeks. got to hang out with some new friendys and get my mind off the less-than-positives. i love themmm.
i now have time to pick up where i left off, figuring out everything i need to be doing to better myself. i have a lot of self improvements to be making! but its almost summer and i'm so excited. summer is a good time.
i will be Acing all my classes this semester, going out with a bAng haha paying off my credit card, i should be done within the month! easy peasyy. after my card is paid off, i'll be able to grab a gym membership (LA|FITNESS), but until then, you can find me at my apartment gym, gettin' my beach bod on. working hardd @ Firebirds, possibly moving up to a server. definitely before summer time! going to single's ward with the previously mentioned new friends for some weekly enlightenment.

boring post, but just had to document the recent changes!
i'm happy.

my spring/summer

2011-03-13T20:55:00.001-07:00

will be spent in t-shirt like tunics and dresses.

bam.

keishark

2011-03-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

just trying to live up to my namesake.

as you and i learned in elementary school, most sharks cannot stop swimming without losing the ability to breathe. i don't know the actual facts or breeds or really much in depth about what this applies to, other than that is how i feel. i feel like i'm constantly in motion right now. not running away from my sadness so much as preventing myself from suffocating by its hand.

this past week has been, without a doubt, the hardest week of my entire life.

there has been so much loss so close to my heart, its unbearable. i don't remember shedding so many tears in such a short amount of time. tears for myself, tears for others, tears of happiness and tears just because i don't know what else to do. I don't take sadness lightly, and though i have a sensitive heart, i am usually able to look on the bright side of every situation (not that thats not what i'm doing right now, it is. its the only way i know how to cope) these things are just very life-altering situations that will not pass easily.

really, i'm so thankful for times like these that show me just how strong the gospel is and how strong the gospel has made me. i'm blessed with an unwaivering sense that everything will be okay in the end, and though thats cliche, i don't think there is a more comforting thought to be running through my head right now. i'm thankful to know about life after death. i'm thankful to see the big picture and to know that even in the worst of times, i have a million reasons to not succumb to my sadness. I'm thankful for my family, both at home and at work. i'm blessed to be surrounded by such strong people. i never thought 40-60 strangers could get along so well just by being placed in the same restaurant. true, we have our spats and debates but we love each other. we do. they are my best friends.

of course, i can't even BEGIN to express my gratitude for Klay at this time in my life.
he is my rock: unwaivering in times of trial - steady when i need someone to lean on. He doesn't have to say much, i know i do enough talking for the both of us ;) and he has helped me in ways i can't put into words. Literally from the moment i met him, i've looked up to him as an incredible individual, but we all have our downfalls right? we're human? mmm no not Klay hahaha ;) okay, this one time he rinsed off angel hair pasta and you're not supposed to do that, but all in all he's both strong and intelligent through and through. he is both a voice of reason and a place of refuge for me when i need to get away from it all. The times we've spent together this last week will be forever engraved in my mind, they mean so much to me. You are my heart, babe. My very very best friend. i can't wait until "this too shall pass" and we can move on 100x stronger than ever.

"i run to you" -lady antebellum

rip bobby, the world lost a great man yesterday.

more for myself than for anyone else

2011-03-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. So find a motivation. Turn that motivation into determination, and with determination, turn it into a habit."

"Overeating feels good for a bit, but hurts forever. Exercising hurts for a bit, but feels good forever."

11 TIPS FOR DAILY EXERCISE
1. Always exercise on Monday. This sets the psychological pattern for the week. Along those lines …

2. If at all possible, exercise first thing in the morning. As the day wears on, you’ll find more excuses to skip exercising. Get it checked off your list, first thing.

3. Never skip exercising two days in a row. You can skip a day, but the next day, you must exercise, no matter how inconvenient.

4. Give yourself credit for the smallest effort. My
father always said that all he had to do was put on his running shoes
and close the door behind him. Many times, by promising myself I could
quit ten minutes after I’d started, I got myself to start—and then found
that I didn’t want to quit, after all.

5. Think about context. I thought I disliked weight
training, but in fact, I dislike the guys who hang out in the
weight-training area. Are you distressed about the grubby showers in
your gym? Do you try to run in the mornings, but recoil from going out
in the cold? Examine the factors that might be discouraging you from
exercising.

6. Exercise several times a week. If your idea of
exercise is to join games of pick-up basketball, you should be playing
practically every day. Twice a month isn’t enough.

7. If you don’t have time to both exercise and take a shower,
find a way to exercise that doesn’t require you to shower afterward. Twice
a week, I have a very challenging weight-training session, but the
format I follow doesn’t make me sweat. (Some of you are saying, “It
can’t be challenging if you don’t sweat!” Oh yes, believe me, it is.)

8. Look for affordable ways to make exercising more pleasant or satisfying. Could
you upgrade to a nicer or more convenient gym? Buy yourself a new iPod?
Work with a trainer? Get a pedometer to keep track of your walking
distances? Exercise is a high life priority, so this a worthwhile place
to spend some money if that helps.

9. Think of exercise as part of your essential preparation for times you want to be in especially fine form—whether
in performance (to be sharp for an important presentation) or
appearance (to look good for a wedding) or mood (to deal with a
stressful situation). Studies show that exercise does help.

10. Remember one of my favorite Secrets of Adulthood, courtesy of Voltaire: Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Don’t
decide it’s only worth exercising if you can run five miles or if you
can bike for an hour. I have a friend who scorns exercise unless she’s
training for a marathon—so she never exercises. Even going for a
ten-minute walk is worthwhile. Do what you can.

11. Don’t kid yourself. Belonging to a gym doesn’t
mean you go to the gym. Having been in shape in high school or college
doesn’t mean you’re in shape now. Saying that you don’t have time to
exercise doesn’t make it true.

hurt people hurt people.

2011-03-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

you find out who your friends are
thats all i can say.
at this point, all i can hope for is that my very worst days shape me into the very best person i can be.

the world's most perfect wedding dress

2011-03-04T00:24:00.000-08:00

foryouloveme.com
are you kidding me?
this dress was made for me.
i'm going to form a small army, round up the troops and send them off to scour the earth until they have found this dress. find this dress and bring it to me for it is absolute perfection and i must have it.

no seriously though. i want it.

when i'm engaged, i'm in trouble. i have no idea where to even start looking for trendy/affordable wedding dresses. humph :(

CLASSY

2011-02-23T12:47:00.000-08:00

trying to be better about not spending my money,
but beauties like this watch makes it reaaal difficult.
blegh, what i'm "saving up for" will be a lot better than a watch though ;)

not so juicy

2011-02-21T09:15:00.000-08:00
soo i didn't update because the juicing was going just about identical to the 2 days before... until saturday morning, i plugged in my juicer and... nothing. its dead. i was so upset! i had actually run to wells fargo/starbucks/safeway that morning and i had completely, accidentally, cleaned out my wallet of all its receipts.
awesomee!
i drove baack over to starbucks and dumpster dived my way to the bottom where my walmart receipt is. it was so nice, the barista took the trash, put it in a cart and gave me gloves so she could help me look through it for my receipt! people are good.

today i have the day off for presidents day so here i am, dreading my to-do list for the day.
return my juicer.
return a shirt to urban, its too big.
return a shirt to h&m, it is also too big.
(i'm terrrible at shopping)
eat really healthy because you'll be on the beach in 6 days.
buy klay a present ;) done!
figure out a tone in my hair.

klay's getting me to go RUNNING tonight, what whaaat?

JUICYY day 2

2011-02-17T10:10:00.000-08:00
yesterday... was hard. i ended up having some lightly salted nuts after my last post, i wasn't feeling well, but as soon as i had a handful, bam! all is well.
i know i'm not "supposed" to have nuts but it was the first day i haven't overinduldged in candy, fat, and just plain junk food in.... so long. i woke up feeling refreshed and already alot healthier!
this morning i made a drink for breakfast and enough for lunch because i'll be at work.
cups and cups of spinach
3 carrots
4 stalks of celery
3 fiji apples
1 green apple
half of a red apple
and a lemon.

(ps recall my post about all the produce at my house that i needed to use up? tada!)

its good! i still haven't found "my mixture" yet, i'm mostly just trying to pack in the nutrients. obviously apples are my favorite and they produce the most juice for the cost of them! same with celery.

so today i work 12:30-8 or so and i'll bring a lunch but its not enough juice for 8 hours.
i bought pure coconut juice and on my way to work, i'll pick up another naked juice. i need to drink alot of water today!

JUICEdayONE

2011-02-16T12:14:00.000-08:00
alriiiight, here we go!

day one. as i talked about last night, i was so excited to try out my new juicer, i juiced pretty much every fruit and vegetable i could find.

its so cool! its quiet and thorough, and while its not fun to clean, its manageable.

i put the half gallon of juice into a pitcher and into the fridge around midnight last night. i woke up early for school at eight and took a red cup full of it to school. while the fresh juice was extremely refreshing, the grapefruit was OVERPOWERING. i know the benefits of grapefruit and i have alot from klay's mom... i don't even mind the taste of it, but i can't just drink grapefruit tasting juice all the time. what i'm thinking i'll do is to juice a grapefruit or two separately so that i can just take a shot of that and then have different juice through out the day. i don't want to miss out on or waste the grapefruit!

i'll probably end up juicing more tonight, so i'll add to this.

ps i want to try cucumbers.

---------------------------------------------------------
eh it's now. 10pm and I'm boreddddddd. I rely on food for entertainment like you wouldn't imagine hah it's not good.
Earlier I was feel in a little weak and I had a serving of peanut butter, like I will when I'm tired normally. Not ideal but you gotta do whatchya gotta do! I also grabbed a naked juice when I couldn't go home and juice, I think that was a good choice. They're expensive but contain so much fruit it's absurd! I work & hardly make it home in time for meals so I will juice ahead but I think naked is my best on the run alternative.

I'm thinking about adding nuts after the 3rd day. I need protein to keep up with my lifestyle.

Tomorrow I'm doing a recommended concentrated fruit/veg cleanse that I got at hi health. I also purchased coconut juice which I've heard great things about!

thisisworthit.

goal oriented

2011-02-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

i feel like i'm constantly making goals and plans and searching for more. i'm initially kind of embarrassed by this, like who has to make SO many set goals just to accomplish what might be a simple task?
i love the thrill of it though.
i love my notebook full of plans, reminders, goals and outlines.
i love my blog.
i love ambitions and accomplishments.
i even love when things don't turn out the way i planned, whether i just go back to my old ways or fail miserably, i end up on the path i'm most comfortable on. which, i guess in hindsight, i wouldn't be positive about. maybe the outcome i was aiming for isn't the place i would be happy at.
goals are a good thing right? accomplishing things.

on a completely separate note, i'm definitely considering ombre highlights again. i'm BORED with my locks.

(i know this photo is rather rugged, but i really like hers ^! and these as well v.)

also, my biology class (intro to anatomy and physiology) has me absolutely itching to start working out again. i was literally almost anti-working out at a certain point. i don't know why. i mean, obvi a love hate relationship with exercize is a normal attitude but i haate it. i'm so glad my viewpoint is changing! i'm being drawn to fitness magazines and the muscle placement. its so cool knowing just what muscle i'm wanting to work to achieve the correct results! i'm thinking that it'll also really help me out with my bio, which is surprisingly my faavorite class this semester.

10 day

2011-02-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

so we all know i love food...
soda
sugar
caffeine
pizza
chips
candy....
JUNK.
all of which are tasty, but not exactly necessary food groups... should be a "once in a while thing", but its more like an "every day, twice a day, especially at night" kind of habit.
its just that too, a habit. or an addiction, depending on how you want to look at it.
i don't NEED or even really want to eat a whole package of redvines and a peanut butter twix every night on my way home from work. i just always do.

i always get "how if you eat like this, do you get to stay so skinny?!" well if anything, i know my body. through all the diets i had to go on, keeping a log of everything i ate, etc. i know how my body reacts to most foods, positive, neutral and negative. i usually try to revolve around the "neutral" reactions, too lazy to work hard and move in either direction but i've become fed. up. with some of my habits. i've become tired and weighed down trying to keep up with myself.

one thing i usually give myself a pat on the back for is that i stay away from most sugar, aside from in candy. i drink diet soda, have no sugar added in my yogurt, use crystal light in my smoothies, it saves calories! yet, in the back of my mind i've always known that artificial sweeteners aren't good for you. i tried to stop drinking diet soda/carbonated drinks but that just reminded me that i am addicted to monster and had to find my "fix" a different way. i don't wanna do it anymore! i read up on artificial sweeteners and they are SO bad! so bad. i'm completely turned off.

i crave raw food, i can't handle any more of anything processed before i get control of my consumption. and in that case, more of a treat than a repeat meal.

i honestly want to start working out soon as well. like, seriously working out. i can't drink caffiene or soda or have anything of that sort. i have to eat healthy food that will nourish me and give me the strength it'll take for me to build a healthy body. I need to drink water. i need to have energy, not from a caffeinated drink.

something i've been thinking about lately is purchasing a juicer. after getting feedback from some of my friends, i finally got one! i love it already:

i made some juice trying it out/preparing for my busy school day tomorrow and its really really good! i put so many different types of fruits and veggies through it
strawberries
spinach
carrots
apples
oranges
grapefruit
pear
etc

i'm so excited! i looked up cleanses online and they recommend a 10 day cleanse to everyone who's capable of doing it. i'm up for the challenge! a lot of people do it to rid themselves of addictions to food and addictions to caffeine, both of which i suffer with. its cleansing for the body and mind, i've done a few before and i've quite literally never felt better! this will prepare my body for an extremely healthy diet when i start working out rigorously.

if anyone's interested, i'll prooobably keep a detailed juicing blog for the next ten days (16th-26th) to keep me on track. xoxo

obligatory valentines day post

2011-02-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

this title is a joke, WHO HAS TIME FOR VALENTINE'S DAY?

with school and working doubletime at firebirds, i couldn't even fathom planning anything around this one day. We talked and completely agreed on the fact that we just couldn't spend valentines together, it wasn't going to work out.

i know this sounds like a manipulative plotline for the girl who wants a diamond ring, the guy thinks he really got away without a valentine's present and both end up unhappy, but i was completely fine with letting this day go by without stress.

honestly, at this time of year, relieving stress is the best gift either one of us could give the other.

the 14th was simplicity at its best. we met up for yogurt in between a full day of work and then school, it was cute, he brought me cookies and a tub of frosting to dip them in!
i got to wear my roomie's heart cardigan to work, and everyone at firebirds was in a great mood, considering the night we were in for. Everything during the dinner shift went smoothly and i got off in time to drive to the boys house for the remainder of their Vday mixxxxer. Klay and i had to retire to his room because we had so much homework but the 4 minutes i had to converse with everyone put a big smile on my face. its so nice to have friends close! we cuddled in bed while he did his outline and i watched supersize me and wrote a paper on it.
(incase you were wondering that movie didn't change my opinion on anything, i don't know why. i remember the first time i watched it, i just craved a double cheese burger so lo and behold i got me one!)

then we got to take a break, eat left over queso and talk with the roomies & olivia (HAPPY BIRTHDAY BTW IF YOU READ THIS!) and margo. overall valentines was a simple, yet extremely productive day!

I love my Valentine, but i don't think anything positive or negative revolving around valentines should... exist, really . i just don't get the holiday. oh well.

when it comes down to it, i'm honestly so very thankful for a relationship in which my love grows for significant other exponentially day by day, not christmas valentines birthday or extravagant date night. those days are nice, but its looking over at him over our homemade spaghetti or doing homework on a friday night together that makes me see spending the rest of my days with him possible. its so simple and so natural! i can literally feel it waking up every morning, getting that sweet sweet "Good morning baby, i love you so much! thank you for ___. i hope you have a great day!" text and falling in love with my boyfriend that much deeeper.
its sappy and gross and sweet i understand you got enough of that yesterday (i know i did, if i had another red vine i was going to throw up. i woke up dizzy on a sugar hangover this morning, i did nooot know this was possible!) but i had to elaborate on my feelings the day after.
babe i'm so excited for california at the end of this month! we're going to have a blast, and i'm really looking forward to us getting away for a minute.

thank you to everyone who made yesterday a special day, not because it was a holiday or because you were lookin' for lovin', but because you're my friends and my family and i love you all!

This also reminds me:

HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY, MOMMMA VOORHEES!

i love you so much, thank you for everything! more on this when we actually get to celebrate her birthday as a family! we all have the busiest, conflicting schedules but we make it work <3

waste not

2011-02-07T13:45:00.000-08:00
so here's to another week of atempting to eat healthy.
FORTUNATELY, this time i have a super handsome partner ;)
though, i have some different stipulations than he does...
obviously he's a little bigger than me and that puts us on a different path from the begining.
for example, his caloric intake should be around 3,200 while mine could stand to be 2,000 less haha

to be honest, my main goal for this week is to use up my groceries.
i've said it before and i'll say it again a million times, FOOD IS SO EXPENSIVE.
ridiculously expensive.
especially when you're living "alone" and not sharing the ingredients with anyone else... cooking for anyone else... like, what is there to make? that keeps?
not to mention i'm literally always on the go and i can't eat the food in my fridge when i'm in chandler/phoenix/mesa/scottsdale.
i usually resort to eating out (ca-chinggg)
grabing caffiene @ starbucks/ in energy drinks (CA-CHINGGG$$$$)
or, on a good day, purchasing groceries. guhh, even then though...

take today for example:
-cottage cheese (4 servings) $2
-yogurt (8 servings) $3
-a case of water (24 bottles) $3
-apples (2) $1
-oranges (3) $1
-*blue monsters (10) $10
*OBVIOUSLY monsters are terrible for me, i'm trying to cut back, i promise! but when the cans are on sale buy-10-get-each-can-for-$1 and the previously mentioned alternative is starbucks/gas station for $4+, i'm taking advantage of the situation.

i'm really proud of myself for two things....
one, i hate water and i purchased water! i even drank 3 today! and refilled them for an inexpensive future investment. i hate water so much, purified/tap water doesn't even matter to my mind. its still disgusting... but a necessity, obviously. it hurts my stomach, but i need to drink it anyways. honestly, since i have been bouncing between eating like a "normal" american and eating healthy, my apetite is insane. i can't get full. yesterday during the superbowl party @ the millers, i literally kept a hand to mouth movement going for a good 6 hours.
six hours! no one needs that much of an intake heheh, but thank you to the millers! the food was delicious and i'm so thankful for you guys <3

two, the total was over $32, but i'm a very good grocery shopper and i saved like %35 on things that i will definitely consume with time.

this brings me back to my first point. i spend 19 dollars on food that could feed me for atleast 3 days. i do this every day. SO, the point is i have like 20x the amount of groceries that i need. when i got home from the grocery store, i was putting the groceries away and i saw that i have not one, not two, but FOUR cartons of cottage cheese. whaaaaat? no. not only that, but atleast 10-12 servings of yogurt, a ton of fresh fruit, some fresh veggies, tuna, peanut butter, 2 cartons of egg whites, and the list goes on.

point is, i have so much GOOD food.
my goal for this week, from this moment on, is to not purchase food.
-no produce
-no candy (definitely no candy... i probably spent 20 bucks on candy alone this last weekend)
-no beverages (klay and i realized just how expensive beverages are, any kind! its ridic! you would never think that so much of your money is spent on liquid.)

i need to spend the next 5 days only consuming the food in my fridge, get my money's worth and stay on the path of eating healthy. my wallet and my energy levels will thank me at the end of the week!

next up, exercise..............
i am no no good at exercise, lets just bask in the light of healthy eating for a minute and put the exercise aside. blegh. runnin' N liftin' N shtuff.

i'm drinking water! yaaaay.

hold it against me

2011-02-05T18:05:00.000-08:00

i'm far more interested in my blog than i am in facebook these days. its just so much easier to post on fb, i wish i had a better mobile access to blogger.

anyhow, here i am yet again craving a shuffle in my daily norm, today i'm thinking i'll tint my hair purple. i've been meaning to do it for a while. its a very subtle change, but i have a feeling that i'll really appreciate the way it looks in the sunshine.

obviously thats not a good example of subtle, but i love her locks. i'll post a picture later when i actually do it! i'll probably dye it tomorrow.
bold purple peekaboos + a barely there all-over purple tint to the blackness.

this week/weekend has been grand! school is going swimmingly, i even achieved an A on my first biology quiz! i've stayed up to date with my homework and have been working hard at the Bird for my weekly cash flow. I finally took my first day off in a whiiiile and spent the day with klay today! we went to the science center for body worlds and had a great time :)

then of course we had carolina's, a dirty-but-authentic around-the-corner mexican food restaurant that makes filiburtos look like mi amigos in comparison hehh, but the food is so good! i wouldn't be lying if i said i have had enourmus amounts of candy and yogurtland atleast once a day for the past week...

my mouth says yes, but my body says NO.
my poor bod... if only i could stick to eating well for more than a week.
no, honestly thats a habit that i need to break. its really unhealthy to stick with one thing for a week and go the completely opposite direction the next.

HELP?
do you have any tips on maintaining a healthy balance when it comes to your diet?
binging on junk food is a terrible habit that i need to break.

DISCLAIMER:
incase you were about to say anything along the lines of "but you're so skinny" please take into consideration the fact that if i didn't act consciously about the way i consumed food, i would have never lost the weight that i did and would probably weigh atleast twice that now! i'm not looking to lose anything, i'm just searching for a balance.

its funny

2011-02-01T09:55:00.000-08:00
how some things change, because you chose to change them
and other things change with time.
and then there's those things that change with time, but with the help of a subconcious decision to change them.
there's no way to know which direction is best for you, you just have to put your life in the hands of a higher power and do the best you can.
you have to make goals and set limitations on certain things, but when you get caught up in life (as you most definitely should... whats life if you don't get caught up in the beauty of life's daily bustle?) things change on their own and you end up where you wanted to be all along.

i don't say this lightly, as i'm sure most of you wouldn't, but i love life.
i love to LIVE life.
i love absolutely everything about it. i love to make decisions good or bad and learn from the consequences, positive and negative.

life has so much mystery, so much truth.
so complex but yet so simple.

its positive realizations like this that really make "life worth living".

swimswamswum

2011-01-23T22:14:00.000-08:00
so i'm thinking of joining an adult swim team... awkward? kind of, but i think i would really really enjoy that haha. swimming has always been my work out of choice, even over running. i know there's a year-round swim team at the Y! i'm definitely interested.

i've been eating so healthy this week.
today i made proooobably the best smoothie i've ever had.
i'm not afraid to say that i cook to my own tastes (for the most part) but i will vouch for the fact that if you strive to eat healthy, you'll appreciate this smoothie:

1/2 banana
1/2 orange
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed (hi health, 6.99)
1/2 cup ice
1/2 cup almond milk

it had a fruity, almost nutty taste to it and i was absolutely in love with every last drop. almond milk was a very good choice. i never drink reg milk so buying it is a waste, i never do. almond milk keeps longer though and it mixes so well in everything.
*as a side note, i LOVE my tumbler, it makes taking my smoothie to-go such a better option. plus if you know me at all, you know i'm ALWAYS drinking and ALWAYS through a straw.

ah! decorated with stickers and everything. i love my little wells fargo tumbler.

i've never been one for fashion posts... i love to lurk them and i love nice clothes but when it comes down to it i spend most of my days in either work clothes or pj's. i could never keep up with fashion posts.
i do, embarrassingly, take pictures of almost everything i eat such as:

angel hair pasta + meatballs made from scratch
(before i had decided to eat healthy...)

and then grilled veggies last night.
(much healthier)

i really want to do a recipe/meal idea a day. if i can keep up with it. the days i'm stuck at work i'm boring and eat food i shouldn't.

blabbbs

2011-01-17T23:15:00.000-08:00
can't seem to tear myself away from the computer today.
lately, i've felt a constant need to fill my mind with motivation & i do find a lot of my motivation from the things that i view on the internet.

anyways, i'm honestly just writing this to end my hours-long computer endevour. i feel like i need that one final post, one final picture scan on weheartit.com before i can get some shut eye. i remember an old post secret i once saved that said
"i stay up late on the computer searching for answers about myself"
and i can honestly say that quote still pertains to me 100 percent.

most of all, i would like to remind myself that its okay to stand your ground. its okay to dig your heels in and be a little stubborn at times. all options explored, you know what you truly want. you know that you never want to look back, not sure if you did everything possible to obtain it.
at this point, things may be completely one sided but if that doesn't change, you will.
put your pride aside, obtain patience (its a virtue) and be true to yourself.
stay strong, babygirl.
you.deserve.this.

best i eva had

2011-01-16T14:07:00.000-08:00

speaking of silly sick days....

i love my very very best friend! we've been besties since birth/aka about the time we graduated from gilbert high school (i know, i can't believe that was less than two years ago either. yikes @ high school!) my life has changed more in those two years than it did it the previous 10. she knows me and mY sToRy bettta than any one else ever could.
we're so different. we probably couldn't be more different now that i think about it, but we're 100% all the things best friends should be. i can count on her for anything from an emergency clothes-borrow to a late night run to buffalo wild wings. i know every best friend pair thinks that they are the funniest... BUT WE LITERALLY ARE. its hard for me to write this blog because as well as we have each other/us figured out, its not something i'd like to share in black and white, thats the fun of being makenna & keisha.

i love my best friend she's the strongest, sexiest sheila out there and you know it too.

i love you makenna faythe dale, best friends FOREVER & EVA!
i'm sorry this took eons for me to post, but how much can i really say? we just R what we R
just kidding everyone, if there's one thing you should know about us, its that we HATE ke$ha. that is all.

public service announcement

2011-01-16T13:57:00.000-08:00

can i just say that i love my hair dark?
i like to have that in writing because i feel like the back and forth going on in my mind is caused by the instances where people say "i liked your hair better blonde" or you should go back blonde.

i can't stand it!
its not that easy.
its nowhere near that easy!
picture via silly sick day with my best friend

blonde was fun while it lasted, and my natural hair is blonde but that doesn't mean i haven't spent the last 6 years of my life damaging my hair with bleach.
all this aside, i love my hair dark. its so long, its so healthy and it makes me look how i feel..

i'm keeping it this way until i have little blonde babies in years and years and years! xo

frustrated

2011-01-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

again.

i just... am.

project MLK weekend

2011-01-15T10:34:00.000-08:00
so school starts next wednesday for me, i am actually very very excited!
but silly me thought it started monday, turns out its a holiday yada yada yada.
SO, here's the thing:

this wall is mine. right above my messy, never-made bed.
i've always wanted to do the various, mismatched frame look seen here:

i think its safe to say i'll need
-various frames
-printed paters
-a monogram K, because i love my first initial
-old pictures
-klay, to hang everything up
etc.

i need to know where i should look for frames? they have to be very inexpensive.
ideas?

ps: i would give anything for this right now:

shhhh

2011-01-15T09:58:00.001-08:00

i don't know if i say it too much, or if i don't say it nearly enough.
ha, what can i say? i'm blind, i'm in love.

i don't think i could gush too much about the boy who has the most positive influence on my life. the one who is not only the best boyfriend a girl could ask for, but a best friend on the nights when i need one most. the one i can count on for anything from a partner in crime, dressed up spiffy and taking in the enchantment of every wedding reception, every party, every dinner, to the one who i come home to after work and lay in his bed while he makes me dinner. the one who brings me cough syrup and oranges and a snuggie when i'm so sick... the one who i gave that very same sickness to (so sorry babe!) the one who i text every silly thought that comes in to my mind through out the day, the one who's cutesy texts still make me smile out loud.
the one who lets me curl up in his lap and kiss him on da cheek, the one who laughs at my jokes and doesn't complain when i change ESPN to nickelodeon. he laughs at all my jokes and doesn't ask questions when i need him to take a picture of/for me :) he knows that when i buy him pounds and pounds of candy, i'll probably eat atleast half. he congratulates me when i do well in school and giggles along with me when i sheepishly admit that i may or may not have slacked off... a lot. he helps me save money and helps me pick out clothes to spend it on. he's PERFECT.

nothing can compare to those nights we spend scouring fry's (our fave grocery spot) for the ingredients necessary to take over the boys' kitchen and create a delicious dinner. i couldn't be more thankful for him.

i'm so proud of him, he works so hard at absolutely everything that he does. whether at work, or at school, at the gym, it doesn't matter. he is INCREDIBLE, i can't brag enough about him.
we've come SO far, anyone who knows us well would know that, but i can honestly say that it has made us so strong. even now we're still faced with choices that keep our relationship on a very realistic level.
and let me tell you:
ITS REAL

.

hey babe i'm sitting in bed watching man vs food, wishin' you were here if you couldn't tell. thank you for everything, i love you to the moon and back <3 see ya tonight!

I AM SO EXCITED

2011-01-12T13:07:00.000-08:00
about this semester!

straight a's here i come

the great beyonddd

2011-01-09T09:37:00.001-08:00
last night i worked too hard, drove too fast, got too ready, overcaffinated myself, ate too much buffalo wild wings, talked too much, slept too hard... woke up sick.
but it was worth it.
sickness was inevidable, i realized it was upcoming too late to fix it.
now i'm confined to my bed, so very thaknful that spongebob is on because its one of the only television shows i can stomache without question! i don't know why, but like i said, i don't ask questions.

all i need is a diet dr pepper, my throat is screaming for all 52 oz of one. oh, and to summon the energy to get out of bed and pick one up.

oh does anyone have any need to purchase a fifty dollar gift card to forever 21? you'd be doing me a great favor, as i need the money more than i need the card. i've tried and tried to shop there but i just can't do it anymore. i came to the sad conclusion that i can no longer get away with mixing and matching clothes in order to hide the fact that maybe my shirt or shoes are from f21/wetseal/charlotte. i can't even bring myself to shop at urban anymore :(
time to pull myself together and spend the big bucks at my all time favorite stores. all time favorite, but exceedingly more expensive, stores.

january 8th 2011

2011-01-08T09:49:00.001-08:00
today i'd like to:

blog

drink my diet soda in bed while wrapped in my favorite christmas present ever/blanket from klay.

watch tv on aubs' 42' plasma, mounted on the wall in our room (i have an amazing roommate)

be girly, go to the mall, find nail polish that i can't live without and make myself feel pretty.

pick up my tip$ from work

bring my hardworkin' bf food @ ski pro <3

avoid junk food

work hard at firebirds tonight

hang out with makenna + all of my best GIRLfriends (said like ms. george/ regina's mom in mean girls when she asks 'how are ma best GIRLfriends?') tonight.

and then sleep in tomorrow.

I LOVE 2011

2011-01-08T09:26:00.000-08:00
it is true, i love you already. sometimes you just... know. you know?

this is going to be my year all the way. i've set some goals for myself. more like guidelines though because i'm expecting great change in this next year and i'm not sure how long i will still have passion for the things i do now. i don't want to write down the complete list at this time, but i can summarize.

i want to be healthier, as always. not necessarily cutting out diet dr pepper so much as toning up a little bit, getting back in to running. i don't have a goal to gym it up religiously, but i would love to spend my days off hiking, swimming, shopping... etc. i'd like to maintain my olive skin color and my newly-found clear complexion.

i also want to revamp my wardrobe a bit. i like the clothes i have now, but i feel like the time may come sooner than later that i don't have the money to spend on ankle length jeans and delicate cardis. plus, i can't deny that fashion is important to me and i don't want to let that get away from me. i love shopping. and clothes. and colors. and balance.

i need to get my hair cut and keep up with the dying of it. not too hard! i'd love for my hair to be extremely healthy asap so maybe i'll make it a goal to take my fish oil pills every. single. day.
i'd like to move up to a server this year, whether its at Firebirds or somewhere else.

i'd like to record things better in my planner/journal/ notepad thing i always carry around. it makes me feel secure when things are written down, but perfer a pen and paper over my blackberry.

i'd like a new phone. blackberry4life, just an upgrade.

i'd like to do EXTREMELY well in school this year. probably one of my biggest goals. i'm going to CGCC with 15 credit hours this semester on Mondays and Wednesdays, and next semester i will be moving to PHX to focus solely on court reporting.

i'm going to move out to phoenix sometime in 2011, so i need to start taking that prospect seriously and looking in to my options. i need to be closer to my school (gateway) but its not easy to find a roommate with good standards willing to move out to somewhere like phoenix. if anyone is interested, though, the area around my school is actually really nice, safe and affordable!

i would looove to cut down on unnecessary spending. i actually have cut back quite a bit... for instance.... starbucks. i've had some negative run ins with espresso and while i appreciate a good latte, i just don't LOVE it like i used to. spending 5 dollars on a drink that doesnt make all your wildest dreams come true just isn't worth it. i will not, however, give up my 86 cent diet dr pepper from circle k. nope. i just wont do it.
(i also gave up energy drinks for the most part. i still drink them when i work doubles but i've cut back a lot!)
I vow to have the BEST summer in 2011, no matter what. I feel like it'll be my last summer of utter freedom.

last but not least, i lost my voice last night and i think i'll keep it this way all year. its sexy.

blurb

2010-12-18T14:20:00.000-08:00
i am still so undecided about things.
its not a negative thing though. not at all.
what is so absolutely amazing about being undecided is that i can literally do whatever i want. the fact that i GET the choice to either recieve a degree as a court reporter or pursue my dream of a career in culinary/ owning a restaurant.
heck, i can do both. easy as pie.
i can choose to move to California, i can stay here, or i can move to the snow (as i've been thinking about doing lately)
I have so many options and oportunities in front of me, i will never complain about the fact that i can't decide between two or three choices. i am truly blessed.
granted i could run out of time and "miss my train" when it comes to doing something but thats the way life goes, eh? i have enough faith in Christ to believe that even if i do miss it, its only making way for a greater oportunity.
signing off.

wanted

2010-12-02T23:39:00.000-08:00
i want to eat
but
i want to stay slim

i want to shop
but
i want to sleep

i want to cook
but
i want to be healthy

i want to graduate
but
i want to drop out and follow my heart

i want to work at firebirds
but
i want a 9-5

i want to move to phoenix
but
i want to stay where i am

i want my hair to be dark brown
but
i want my hair back blonde

i want to get married and grow up real fast
but
i want to take my time and do things right

i want to be patient
but
i want to make sure that i don't miss anything by trying too hard to keep my feet on the ground.

i want a new journal
but
i want to finish my old one

i want to buy buy buy everyone christmas presents
but
i want to pay off some old bills.

i want to keep what i have
but
i want to see what else is out there.

my needs are too contradictory for me to deal with right now.
headache.

utterly, completely, shamelessly

2010-11-29T16:41:00.000-08:00
RE-obsessed

.i.cant.help.it.

thrills & chills

2010-11-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

i might have said it one or two million times before but i am in love with this time of year.
seriously, in love
cheerful faces
holiday music
layers and layers of clothes
hot beverages
warm blankets
cuddly boyfriend
meaningful downtime
fire
christmas movies
christmas cheer
christmas presents (both give & recieve)
decorations
hope for the future

i'd like to elaborate on the last one.
there's something about christmastime that motivates me beyond belief. i want to give lavish (but meaningful) gifts, do all the things i've been saving up on my "to-do" list before the new year, own a home, decorate it to my best abilities, make memories, keep old traditions and make new ones, spend time with my loved ones, build a stronger testimony of the Church and constantly keep a smile on my face.
even though school & work are extremely important and mean alot to me, these are the things that matter most in life and always will. i feel like the holidays leave such an open door to the things you can create. they give you the ability to take old traditions and make them your own. the most simple things become the most important. i strive to see the value of small things through out the year, its how i maintain my sanity haha
like right now i'm sitting in my chilly apartment with my wonderful roomates, my huge diet doctor pepper next to me, my laptop in front of me, christmas music playing and my December all planned out. finances, gifts, extra shifts, all that jazz, i got it covered!

i do want a few things thoughhh

many oversized sweaters

a night dedicated to making gingerbread houses and drinking hot chocolate and seeing the temple lights and ALL my favorite christmas things!!!

all the classic christmas movies

an x-box or maybe a wii
(klay and i decided we can get this when we finish all the stuff on our to-do lists for december!)

and a few more holiday delights. more to be posted later i'm suuuure!

TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING DAY POST

2010-11-25T10:15:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving has to be one of the most traditional holiday's celebrated, and i will honor that by not spending my day thinking of a clever blog/status to post. i'm just going to do what is expected, post a blog about what i'm thankful for, and hope that it reaches the ones i care about most.
I'm sitting here indian style in Bountiful, Utah, listening to christmas music with my hot chocolate between my legs, my blackberry on my knee and my laptop resting on the bed that my grandma Voorhees provided for me. my sister is on the bed next to me, Klay is in the next room, and grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, brendan are all through out this gorgeous (but humble) household.
i'm so thankful for everything, great and small, that i have been blessed with. I am so lucky to belong to such a wonderful church and have the testimony that i do. I'm thankful for all the knowledge that i have acumulated throughout my life, whether from school, church, friends, family or my every day experiences.
i'm thankful for the people in my life, and the joy that their presence brings to me. I am given so much and i only hope to do the same for others.
i'm thankful for the holiday season and the chance it gives me to grow close to those that mean the most to me, including my Heavenly Father.
i'm thankful for the job i have and the people i work with.
i'm thankful for my roommates, my apartment and the fact that my parents still live close enough to eat their food and crash on the couch when i am too tired to go home.
i'm also thankful for my boyfriend's family who let me do the same, and act as a second family to me. they mean so much to me and have helped me to learn and grow SO much these past 2 years or so.

lastly, i just want to take a second and admit to myself that Klay is probably the only one sincerely interested in reading this, so here's to you, lover:
(disclaimer, this is also a belated birthday post for my lil guy, so either stop right here or bear with me through the mushiness!)
I am so thankful for you, today, Klay! the fact that you're up here in Utah with me means so much more than you knoww. i'm so excited for you to meet my extended family members, i know they'll absolutely adore you, who wouldn't?

juust for fun, here's a few things i haven't told you i'm thankful for yet:

-i'm thankful for the 100s of texts you send me to get me through each week. you're always so positive, there are times when i'm SURE that i couldn't get through my daily trials without you.

-i'm thankful for your intelligence. sometimes i (jokingly!) act not-so-thankful when you prove me wrong or disagree with me, but i love to learn from you! i love being able to have in-depth conversations without having to wonder "does he even know what that word means? haha" i love being able to ask you questions like "why do people get chills?" and know you'll have an answer!

-i'm thankful for your drive in life, it keeps me motivated. i'm also thankful for your patience and your knack for being realistic when it comes to important choices in life & our relationship. its so easy to get carried away with someone you love, i'm lucky to have someone who is willing to be realistic with me in order to accomplish things!

-i'm thankful that you're the only person i know who can eat more than me! makes me look less like a heffer ;)

-i'm thankful that you don't ask questions when i ask you to take a picture of me, or what i'm doing, or food or an outfit or whatever i deem photograph worthy. you're so cooperative :)

-i'm thankful that you laugh at my jokes, and that i don't have to explain them to you. you just get them!

-i'm thankful that you're downstairs talking to my grandma, you're perfect :)

-i'm thankful for all the memories we have together. you've made these past 18 months so pleasent to look back on! disneyland, out to dinner, nights spent indoors, parties, birthday's, holidays, special kisses, dumb little fights that ended in laughter etc.

-i'm thankful that we can work through our worldly pride-issues together, because we wouldn't be where we are now if we couldn't! we are so fortunate.

-i'm thankful for your honesty, and that is a million times more than i can say for most anybody else.

i love you, Klay Berlyn Miller!
happy birthday! happy thanksgiving!
and happy holidays, i can't wait to spend them with you.

too tired to do more of my online class tonight...

2010-11-14T23:34:00.000-08:00

but this love letter to myself will surely motivate me to do it in the morning.
<3 i'm so self disciplined...

winter thrills

2010-11-14T22:26:00.000-08:00

i want want want my beautiful bike!

i love this weather.
i love hot chocolate.
i love hot tubbbb.
i love scarves and jackets and skinny jeans and boots.
i love snow.
i love family trips.
i love the holidays.
i love pretty little liars (JANUARY)
i love slow sad songs.
i love self discovery.
i love curling up with a good book.
i love me time.
i love my girl friends! we've had such a good time lately.
i love harry potter (THURSDAY)
i love pictures.
i love to take pictures to document memories.
i love to sit down at my desk with my roommates and their friends,
doing my online class and watching harry potter and the order of the phoenix.
&
i love kisses on my nose to keep it warm.
THAT IS ALL!
(but not really. not even close.)

cost and worth are very different things.

2010-11-13T10:52:00.001-08:00
i don't have a specific reason for this entry so i guess i should warn you that if you don't like rambles, stay clear of this post!

i'm watching confessions of a shopaholic, (laughing at the part where they get drunk in order to look over her bills hahahaha, i do the same thing, minus the alcohol, plus maybe a starbucks drink and a desk to feel secure enough to check my email/bank account/ grades, bracing myself for possible bad news hahaha)
in my pajamas, spending today catching up on things such as shaving my legs... taking off my toe nail polish, hydration (i tend to let myself become dehydrated), i need to go grocery shopping, i need to deposite some moneys, and i'm doing homework... YES HOMEWORK! i was so upset about school for too long. i finally made up my mind about how to spend my next 2 or 3 years.

i will be finishing out this semester with my communications class, my computers class and my main court reporting class. on monday, i need to meet with a financial aid and cgcc advisor to make sure that i have everything in order for my next semester. spring '11 i will be going to CGCC to complete my prerequisite credits and classes, buying a machine and working more than usual in order to make enough money to move out to phoenix over summer '11. after i move out there, hopefully NEXT to my school, i will take off work and commit all my time to my court reporting. i'll be able to focus and flyy through my schooling.
and then graduate.
and then be a court reporter
and make money
and put my husband through school
and then have kids & stay home with them
and then i'll retire, and manage my sandwhich shop in laguna beach
and live happily ever after!
incredible.

i mean, this isn't a new thing, its been my general plan from the start, but the moving to phoenix and learning that i need to focus everything in to my school work in order to be successful were imperative self-discoveries.

my hair, i need it done. my roots are showing, how embarrassing. i'm thinking i'll go a little lighter, but still deep brown. i didn't know my hair would be so black, but i still love my peekaboo highlights, and i plan on adding a few subtle ones underneith as well. my hair is so healthy, honestly i'm obsessed with it. i haven't had healthy hair in so long, its growing and not breaking... i'm not afraid to wash/brush/ touch it!

i really need to hang up the clothes in my room. maybe i'll end this blog post here, drag them out in front of confessions of a shopaholic and put them on hangers.
i'll do my dishes
then i'll go grocery shopping (i hate grocery shopping alone, i need klay to come because then its one of my favorite activities)
and deposite the $100 my amazing father got for my 6th grade mongoose entry level bike (HOW!!?) and then tonight i work.
byee!

FRUSTRATED

2010-11-02T10:26:00.000-07:00
i am so frustrated with school, i'm having such a hard time dedicating myself. i'm questioning the path i've chosen, wondering how far i can go to get what i want. should i quit my job? should i move away to school? phoenix? california? how far is too far?
i don't want to waste money, i don't want to waste my time, and i don't want to let either get away from me. i want to love what i do. i want to be invested in my school work, in gaining knowledge.
and while we're on that subject, i want to be invested in gaining knowledge in both school and spiritual environments.

help.

christmas or bust

2010-10-31T12:13:00.000-07:00
glad halloween is over-ish.
atleast over as in, i get to spend the day with my boyfriend and our wonderful families, handing out candy to little babies and eating treats rather than being surrounded by naked hoes.
to not put it lightly, facebook has become a porn site.
i do not condone this behavior, ladies. i'm serious, its not funny, its not classy, its not acceptable, its disgusting. i have so much respect for those of you that are enjoying yourselves on halloween, without EXPLOITing yourselves on halloween. i don't claim to be the most modest girl in gilbert, but i do try to maintain a high level of self respect and acknowledge that i need to work on it.
we eneded up going to the hanger party, and i really enjoyed myself!
not to say anything to specific, but i found out who my real friends were last night. they are honest, genuine, classy people and i am so blessed. i only regret not having realized this sooner. even if we're not that close, i'm still so thankful for each and every one of you!
sometimes it just takes that last straw to make a thurough turn around and head in the right direction without interuptions.
here's our pumkins!

and a bad picture of our costumes:

klay was an m&m and i'm scar from lion king!

i'm SO looking forward to the rest of this year! at thanksgiving, Klay is coming to utah with me and my family for Voorhees/Bergman festivities and i couldn't be more excited to spend that time with my family and klay! its going to be so much fun. he's such a wonderful boyfriend, i'm the luckiest girl. i love you, sugar!
and then christmas! yay!

i run to you

2010-10-20T09:16:00.000-07:00
i sure get more requests to update this than i ever thought i would. i honestly felt like i was writing to myself for a good 2 years, and the pressure is makin' me shy ;) no really i've been busy and its been hard for me to write.
i'm so excited for things right now!

parker higgins comes home today, and we're all getting back together to go to his homecoming get together at his house tonight. i've missed him so much, its insane that it has already been 2 years. wow, thats just crazy!

i moved out some time ago, and i'm just now getting in to feeling like this is my home, and that makes me in the mood to decorate. i can't tell you how many hours i've spent at ikea in the past few weeks! thats mostly thanks to klay though ;) he moved out too, and he's pretty dedicated to making that room of his look sick. its definitely off to a good start babe!
take a picture of it and i'll post it here so everyone can see how hard you workeddd.
if anyone wants to donate a large map to me, it would greatly help with my decoration!

as a last minute thing, klay, me and his mama are going to laguna beach! she's doing some sailing certification, so it should just be a nice relaxing weekend spent with two of my favorite people eeever! i'm so excited and i hope there are a million pictures to come.

in about 2 weeks, i hope to go to CA with makenna, ian, and klay. i want to go to disneyland! more details on if that worked out laaater.

i've been working a good amount lately, and still loving my job! i love when klay brings ian in (who just got back from his mission as well, which makes me so happy! he's a good friend and i'm so glad he's here for klay, he missed him.) and gives me pink roses when i'm in a rush. i love working doubls and i, quite frankly, love money! so it works out well.

i'm not sure whats going on with school right now. i'm really starting to see that the commute is just too much for me to handle at the moment, especially with the hours of practice and hard work it would take in order to pass. i just can't be driving an hour, staying for class, studying/ practicing for a few hours, AND working. i just wouldn't be making enough.
i'm hoping, actually, that there are going to be some bigger changes in my life, that will allow me to buy a machine, move to phoenix in order to be closer to school and help me to finish my studies as a court reporter.

its okay to be undecided, i keep telling myself.

uno

2010-09-23T12:34:00.000-07:00
as always, i'm continuing my "healthy eating" kick, but in a new way, so here goes day one number 1,209.

i'm trying really hard to stay on track, and suprizingly its getting easier. usually with a diet, you start out stoked to stick with it and lose weight, but by the second week (or, for me, 2 hours in to it) you're drained, bored and craving like mad. welp, this isn't a diet in the first place because the only thing i'm restricting are foods specifically bad for me. foods that will weigh me down and negatively affect my daily life. i'm a busy busy girl, and i need the energy to get through my daily grind. i really can't afford to be sluggish and lazy. especially at work. i refuuuse to eat lunch there on my shift because i become EXHAUSTED for the second half of my day. i don't mean a little behind, i mean like eyes closing, nodding off etc. our food is so so good but its heavy and perfect for eating right before you head to bed hahaha.

all this aside, i just love how eating healthy makes me feel. i don't think many people realize just how affected they are by the things they eat! i love that i have a rather broad knowledge on the subject from losing weight in my younger years and i'm thankful for the fact that i now know my body so well, that i can have that leeway that allows me to indulge without setting me back.

this is what i had for breakfast today:

it was deliciouuus.

egg white omlet on try toast with salsa, fresh spinach and fresh cut mushrooms.

i wish that i could go into a career dealing with either nutrition or culinary arts but i have absolutely NO desire to complete the schooling that it takes to get into that industry. i have thought about teaming up with someone and opening a cafe or something. i don't know, i just know alot about food and i LOVE to eat, so i feel like iknow what goes good together.

like right now i'm eating high fiber strawberry and cream oatmeal with 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt.

its heaven. i just thought of it on my way home from school because i'm already so hungry.

SO good and less than 180 calories, but it fills you up like crazy.

i'm excited for tomorrow! i get to go hiking with Klay's wonderful mommma and his ADORABLE nephew Karson! up at 6 am is totally worth it to hang out with these two, they're definitely some of my favorite people ever!
i don't know where we're going or anything of that nature but i'll be sure to snap some photographs of the hike and the little guy!

i can't believe its almost fall!
in about 1 month you can find klay and i riding our bicycles all around every where because we love them, but its been soo hot since we bought them in july, we've only been able to ride them 2x.
klaybear, i am going to ride my bicycle to your house every day, that can be my fitness routine because i'm not too good at the gym... just kidding! we can do both!
but really. i'm riding my bicycle to your house. or you can meet me half way!

i love how in shape i get during the winter so that i can show it off in all my layers, baggy sweaters, jeans, boots and scarves...! not.

ps lovin' these! getting them todaaay:

just married

2010-09-22T10:31:00.001-07:00
everyone is getting hitched!
jealouuuus.....................

but seriously i love weddings. weddings, receptions, everything marriage related.
i'm so glad Kody (Klay's brother) is married! he is so happy, and i'm extremely happy for him.
it was so fun to be so close to an LDS wedding! i'm 19, LDS and not married yet, and i still had alot of questions about the whole process so i'm thankful for the oportunity i had to be up close and personal with Ashley and Kody's. It was just a good time in general.

i keep saying i want this for my engagement ring (when it happens! i'm not holding my breath. ye-e-et.) but i don't know if i'm thaaat nontraditional. they have the option for it in platinum *as seen above* with a wedding band that looks like :

and i currently have it in silver. it means so much to me, but as i said i don't know if i could stray that far from the beaten path.
just a thought.

special delivery for kaitlyn williams wright:

2010-09-22T10:05:00.000-07:00
there's so many things on my to-do list right now. everything from washing my hair (everyone at work thinks i'm nuts for putting that down on my lengthy weekly to-do lists but when you're only washing your hair like once a week, a girl can forget!) to taking my vitamins, to going to school.... which i'm the worst at.

i seriously haven't been to school in ____ days. i'm not going to fill that in because i'm beyonddd embarrassed of what a slacker i've been. so unmotivated and i DON'T KNOW WHY. probably because i'm human so i cherish money and instant gratification so i'd rather work than go to school. which is stupid, i'm smarter than that. but i'm so happy! and soo capable of fitting school into my schedule.

so maybe i'll make a virtual to-do list and that will help me because its so darn public, i just can't slack off.

TO-DO

-go to school

-save your money

-contradicting buuut buy cute scarves and cardigans @ h&m to stock up for winter

-take your fish oil pills and your face medication every daaay!

-get your hair trimmed

-take off your acrylics (omg, so much over growth, my nails grow WAY too fast, i'd have to get them filled every week for it to be worth 30 bucks)

-go to the gym 5x a week

-eat healthy (i am doing better! no more fast food)

-write this all down because you'll forget and it makes you feel good to cross things off!

-clean your car

-do your laundry (sorry aub! i'm so embarrassed by how its piling up)

-read and pray every day/night

-wash your hair

i am proud of what i have accomplished though

-landed a great job that i love, work hard for my money and am definitely paid off for it!

-saved alot of money lately, but was able to treat myself to nice things like a new watch and summm klothez.

-took off sundays @ work so i can definitely make it to church!

-prioritzed and decided some things for my future.

alright, in just a minute i'm going to get a head start on that.

PS

if you're looking for a great new place to take a date, business meeting, or on a family outting, try Firebirds. i'm serious, i had never been there before i applied, but i can't imagine going out to eat anywhere else haha. their food is SO good. traditional with a twist, so you're not taking too much of a risk. we have a really high level of customer service and the atmosphere is just devine.

gooooogle it and look at their website

thiiiis girl!

2010-09-09T16:53:00.000-07:00
LOOK AT ME!
sticking to my healthy eating, and staying active.
i feel 100x better than i did just a week ago. i'll keep this upppp!

i absolutely LOVE this.
the power of positivity isn't a new concept in my life, persay. its definitely something i've overused withint the past year and a half in order to... keep living, but i've been trying soo hard to stay overly positive these days. not only positive, but to keep in mind all the millions of blessings i recieve on a daily basis. i've been trying to be less controlling, and taking things as they come, finding the positive in every situation. i love how happy i've made myself. i love not relying on "good luck" to make me smile. i love waking up every morning with a smile on my face, and have it returning multiple times during the day for, seemingly, no reason at all. i have SO much going for me in my life, i am literally one of the luckiest people i know and i would be crazy to think differently.
i love my job, family, gospel, boyfriend, friends, roommates, living arangements, daily going-ons, eeeverything.

anyways, i wish i could explain more, but friends is on and i can't concentrate for the life of me.
xo

have it your way

2010-09-02T23:39:00.000-07:00
making up for it.

today was so much fun!
i worked this morning like i always doo, made some $$$ but then i got a chance to relax at my apartment. i watched the break up (i'm such a sucker for this movie! it breaks my heart every time, but yet i keep coming back to it.) i lounged around, placed the beautiful flowers klay got for me for my birthday in their vase. they're dried now, so i cleaned them up a bit, and i LOVE the fact that i still get to wake up to them every morning...... as i did when they were alive.... hahahaha

bad quality, but beautiful daisies (my favorite) and gorgeous red roses.

when Klay got out of class, he called me and told me to come outside because he had a surprise for mee :) sure enoughhh, my favorite... i seriously eat bk every day without fail and have done so for about a month now.
hence, the pound or two i've gained... i mean it could be worse and i just love it so much

&

& fries. lots of fries. with ranch.
i love that he knows things like this about me, and brings me food when i've been lounging around all day, too lazy to get me some burgers.
he's the sweetest boyfriend <3

we then went to his apartment that he recently moved in to with the markham boys and sterling hastings. we watched the office. and spongebob. and something about deadly prisoners. i'm just glad that he's all moved in. he loves it! and i love that he loves it :) the boys are super nice and i'm so glad that he found the oportunity to live with kids his age, we love friends!

we left around 8 to go grocery shopping, and didn't get finished until almost 10:30! haha we love to grocery shop, we go sooo often the people at fry's know us by name, i'm just sure of it! i got a lot of food that will help me to eat healthy because my bk burger + energy drink diet is literally going to kill me. i got poweraid zero and granola bars and cottage cheese and string cheese and water jugs and fruits! and some things for school. mmmm i love grocery shopping with klay, we have so much fun doing simple things like that, it makes me extremely happy :)

i love you, klaaaybear. thank you for today and for helping me bring all my groceries in and the trash out and making sure i was safe i just love you so much :)

bad habit

2010-09-02T15:43:00.000-07:00
i know its a terrible habit, one that i need to break oh so badly, but i LOVE blue monsters. and sugar free redbull. i love energy drinks in general.
i look forward to every morning because thats my excuse to have one.
klay and i wait til they go on sale at fry's and stock up like mad!

i put them on ice and mmm... i KNOW! i'm terrible.

overeaters anonymous

2010-09-02T15:39:00.000-07:00
i'm bored, i eat.
i need to keep myself busy and break this habit, its too expensive... not to mention less than flattering on my hips.

i want to start my exercise routine again, or atleast start walking every day.
soo many thoughts on my mind.

you're my best friend

2010-09-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

i want these bridesmaid dresses, i really really want them!
obviously a little higher in the back, but i'm in love. these are the colors i've already picked out for the wedding i'm having... the one that doesn't exist yet! other than in my mind.
thats gotta count for something, though... am i right?

so, so much has happened lately. i don't even recall the last time i've posted.
i've moved out with some amazing girls from my ward!

started a new job @ Firebirds Woodfire Grill in Chandler
(seriously GO THERE. on a date. its delicious.)

and about a week ago, i began my second year at Gateway Community College.

i bought this yesterday!

love it.

i have a lot of important changes to make in my life, and i'm ready to do so.
not exactly changes, but moderate improvements. i hoenstly feel like there is always so much room for self improvement in my life, inside and out and i love to set goals, meet them, make more goals and strive to reach them as well.
yep, now you're all caught up and i'm ready to go!

we need these shirts, babe!

2010-07-19T16:56:00.001-07:00

or something like them haha savers/goodwill run soon?!
i love you, handsome.

dying my hair dirty blonde today, wish me luck!
i'll have to keep up with my blog from here on out, i miss it so dearly!

AMEN

2010-04-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

weight lifted

2010-04-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

to do
1. hang christmas lights and inspirational words, quotes, photos in my room

2. customize my clothes (ie. add studs to my shorts, thrift away my life)

3. ENJOY my life

oh my gosh

2010-04-11T11:44:00.001-07:00

love like this

2010-04-11T11:03:00.001-07:00
"i am lost, and that is why i am free"

so much to figure out, so much to accomplish.
i have nothign but faith, motivation and anticipation for my future
i'm ready, i'm ready, i'm ready.

if i could have any job in the world

2010-04-08T10:44:00.000-07:00
i would be a jcrew model.

BUT if i couldn't do that, i would really appreciate my own cooking show.

i am far, far too passionate about food to let that one go.
and i don't mean baking, cooking.
i'm going to do it, i swear! even if its only to post on my lil ol' blog.

... i love food.

aggressive driving.

2010-04-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

every day while i drive to school, i think about how annoying rush hour is. i know its terrible, but i feel like i get to school so much more efficiently by being an aggressive driver. i absolutely cannot stand the practically stationary vehicles around me. you can find me headed west bound on the 60, about 7:36 am, muttering under my breath, "for real?" "honestly?" "are you serious?" every 5 seconds.
i'm over it.
today, i decided i'm going to write a book (or at least an essay) on how to drive. yeah, i'll call it... i don't know. "how to get somewhere in life being an asshole"? 'somewhere' specifically being your destination during early morning stand-stills. or maybe simply "backseat driver"?
i don't know. it doesn't actually matter because then i just realized the whole context of this book would be,
"if you're not going to turn right at this light i plan on turning at, go away." or "only i am allowed to text and drive" or even "if you haven't figured out by now that metro buses stop all the dang time and take up the whole right-hand lane, then i'm not letting you in. you deserve to be stuck behind one. end of story. maybe you'll learn your lesson."
i don't really have much advice other than "please get out of my way and let me get to school on time because i may or may not have chosen to sleep in and now i'm running late."
where did i even get this aggression? my mother and father couldn't be happier with just goin' with the flowin' of traffic, even if switching lanes could cut off 15 minutes of their drive time. i wasn't even allowed to drive with people until i was 15 and i'm always the extraordinarily cautious passenger, scared out of my mind that everyone and their dog is going to merge into us for no apparent reason.
what it all comes down to would probably have to be my severe lack of patience... at least when it comes to interferences with my schedule.
am i patient in any situation? probably not, unless it is a convenience to me.

JUST KIDDINGGGG. i am not a terrible person, but come on people!
its my way onnnnn the highway... atleast in my mind.

HAPPY EASTER

2010-04-05T10:12:00.000-07:00
i'm a little late.

but what a beautiful sabbath day.
i love conference. this past week/weekend was glorious.
we went to copeland with some good friends, and their last show was brilliant <3

we also saw the easter pageant with the Miller's, i'm so grateful that we had the opportunity to do that! i've never been able to sit so close to the stage, and it was a completely different experience! amazing!

california

2010-03-21T22:38:00.001-07:00
the weather in LA is 100% perfection right now, i'm tellin' you.
last weekend, i had the pleasure of spending 3 days in huntington, newport, aneheim and costa mesa :) loooved every minute of it! it was so nice to get away with my girls (kenna, andi, emily!) to do some beach bummin', disneyland dreamin' and shoreside shopppppin'!

whaaat a trip, i had the best time,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAKENNA DALE!
i love you girls!

chocolat ♥

2010-03-21T22:09:00.000-07:00
today couldn't have been any better, and i love spendin' sunday afternoons with my man!

agh! so handsome :))
we walked around discovery park and talked about dogs, like we always do hahaha this weekend was just what i needed. rest and relaxation mixed with GREAT food, low key activities such as shopping in scottsdale, a brunch with the Miller's and their awesome neighbors, a spring training game between the cubs & the A's and laying out by the pool. i'm so blessed to spend my time with such an amazing person, i couldn't be more grateful!
thank you for spending your weekend with me, klay! i love you!

we ended the night right by making a chocolate cake

simple yet scrumptious!

oh! before i forget, we did end up going out to the candy shop i mentioned in a previous post. it was located out in phoenix, and the name of it is Smeeks. it was so cute, but the candy was sooo expensive! it wasn't about the candy so much as the brilliant and precious novelties they were selling. i must have saw "awh, oh my gosh, i love this!" about a million times! definitely a good place to visit if you're in the area *phoenix

aaaand if you do happen to stop by, DEFINITELY check out the boutique "frances" next door. they have free people clothing and tom's shoes, but my favorites would definitely be the accessories and the HUGE collection of incredible greeting cards. i could have sat and read them for hours. they even had a tin of incredibly clever "i love you" post cards that i don't even know how to describe. i consider myself rather picky when it comes to cards and the message they display but i was very impressed by their selection.

on a side note, the weather this break has been nonstop gorgeous. i feel compelled to spend every minute in the sun, soaking it up! i've never felt so refreshed, i really needed this time off and i wouldn't have spent it any other way!

choppin'

2010-03-21T19:27:00.000-07:00
today, while reading over blogs and status updates, i realized with great sadness that lately i have been negleting my favorite habit... that of spending far too much money on clothes, clothes, clothes.
in order to pull myself out of such misery, i called up my good friend makenna dale and dragged her out to chandler mall with me.
i often joke with people that i am a very frugal shopper these days. i'll pick something up, look at it for a good 2 minutes and then put it back. maybe even carry it around but i always decide its not worth the price and put it back... i hardly ever buy anything. this is a good thing money-wise but when it comes to getting new clothes, these days i can honestly say doesn't happen very often. i don't know if i had a bad experience (ie. overshopping involving a credit card and getting behind on the payments....! haha) or if it was the holidays that turned me into an avid penny pincher but today i broke through that barrier and was, once again/for the day, a shopaholic.
it felt so good
so wrong, so right, you know the drill.

i will give myself one thing though, i'm great at shopping clearance/thrift and other sale prices.

this weekend, i purchased:
-a tan, light cotton romper for over my swimsuits (or maybe under a long cardi?)
its similar to the heather ones at AA, but its not a halter

-an owl ring

-2 new bottles of nail polish <3>
-5 pairs of pastel rose earings (LOVE!)
-grey flip flops

-3 flowey cooomfortable tank tops

-a light green double v-neck (v in the front, v in da back)

-a pair of white boyfriend jean shorts

(worn in a less high-waisted manner, and not rolled up as many times)

- dark grey cuffed "city shorts"

(SPLURGEEE)

-a bright red boyfriend, breast pocket, cropped tee

and a white v-neck tank top

all for under $120
YES!
the "today" me is proud
the "tomorrow-and-all-next-week" me might be a little less than buuuut i'll give up caffinated drinks of any kind to make up for it.
totally worth it!

turkey burglar

2010-03-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

klay and i made scrumptious turkey burgers last night! an impromptu, just-woke-up-from-a-nap-and-i'm-super-hungry kind of idea, that made its way into a diviiiine dinner dish. we mixed ground turkey with feta cheese and spinach, cooked the patties on the stove as if we were making hamburgers, covered them in provolone cheese, mustard, roma tomatoes and even more spinach on top of toasted garlic buns.

oh, goodness.
on the side, we had rosemary and garlic potato wedges with parmesan cheese
♥
delicious.
what a perfect way to end spring break!

movie review

2010-03-20T22:34:00.000-07:00
bounty hunter

i would definitely reccommend it.
one of the few movies i've seen this past year that didn't feel the need to completely trash the script with vulgarity and nudity. it ended just the way i'd hoped it would, yet kept my interest the entire time. i laughed, i cried, it was definitely worth it.
jennifer aniston is one of my favorite actresses, and she didn't let me down once.
and, well... mr. gerard butler wasn't too bad himself ;)

yes, PLEASE!

ps. the preview for letters to juliet came on, and what i thought was going to be a "the last song" and "remember me" flopppp of a movie actually came across as VERY promising.
no, i didn't cry in the preview... okay, i totally did. i am so excited for that movie to come out!

allergic :(

2010-03-09T20:13:00.000-08:00
wouldn't you know that me, the one who never gets sick (i'm not complaining other than the fact that i never get a day off because i don't have an honest "sick day" excuse), the one who has a tollerance for absolutely everything, is the one who is allergic to the most necessary element of a person's intake: water.

i LOVE water, especially at night but it is impossible for me to drink it.
i throw up. EVERYWHERE. and just as soon as i come up with, "hey maybe its not as bad as i think it is, i can handle some water, i drink it and vomit."
ie. today at work.
i worked out half my work out, was feeling pretty good, majorly parched when i decided i could drink a liter of water. what i really should have decided is that i may NOT partake of that... i was tagging in a huge order of clothes when i threw up everywhere. all over the wall, all over the trash can. as if this hasn't happened to me a million times before :( its so embarrassing.

how, may you ask, can i be allergic to water? my doctor says it has something to do with the way my stomach reacts to the minerals in most water. i am fine with smart water, but other than that it has to be in very small doses or in the form of another drink (poweraid zero is my passion). this was all meant to be more informative that complain-y but i really do wish i could drink water without worrying about how i'm going to react to it. sometimes i literally HAVE to drink it, knowing that i'll most likely end up feeling super sick :/ mmm

j crew swimwear

2010-03-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

adoration

i just cant decide which one i want!
the price does make it harder to choose seeing as how there is no way the $80-120 price range will allow me to pick more than one.
oh, what i would give to be a jcrew model.

oh, and you will be able to find me wearing headwraps and fedoras all summer:

they're the perfect touch and so inexpensive