Happy New Year!

Last night, a few of my friends and I visited The Maple Leaf for a night of karaoke goodness. Little did we know that they would be celebrating New Year's Eve early. The bar tenders and DJ were all dressed up--we obviously didn't get the memo. It ended up being the best karaoke night ever! Good music, excellent talent, and amazing dancing. And we can't forget the countdown. The best thing about it though, is that we  get to do it all again tomorrow night!

This music video has been circulating the internet, and I had to share it. Two of my most favorite celebrities teamed up again for this little ditty.



Can I just say I love Zooey Deschanel? And New Girl? It could possibly be my most favorite. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so dang cute. Who knew he could sing?

I hope you all have an amazing New Year's Eve!

Modern Art

My dear friend Janča posted this on her facebook.com wall.
It makes me happy because it's SO true!

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Here's to modern art (my favorite)!

Merry Christmas!

Our beautiful Christmas tree.

I hope you all had an awesomely amazing Christmas! I sure did. It was full of friends, family, and fantastic food! The only thing missing was the presence of my dear brother.But that's ok--he'll be with us next year.

I love Christmas!
I love visiting dear friends with platefuls of Christmas cookies.
I love silently sitting and watching the white lights glow and highlight the branches of the delicious noble fir.
I love rediscovering my favorite Christmas ornaments among the branches of the tree and recalling the memories of past times.
I love playing Scum with my family (and the satisfaction of starting as scum but ending up as king).
I love standing around the piano and singing Christmas carols.
I love eating my mom's rolls fresh out of the oven.

As usual, Linds and I were told to go to bed early. It was a bit funny to be told to go to bed, because we both stay up later than our parents on a regular basis, but we were willing to oblige. Lindsey was the first one up on Sunday morning, which seems fitting as she is the baby of the family. :)

It was sweet to watch my parents open up their gifts from us. Linds and I both did good this year--Lindsey and her boyfriend got my parents a beautiful set of pots and pans, while I made my mom a scrapbook of her travels back east this past winter, and got my dad an awesome book on the history of flight. As I've gotten older it's much more fun to give gifts than to receive them!

The damage done.

Cassie the Cat, wanting to be in on all the excitement.

Linds et moi.

After the opening of the presents we went to Church as a family and were able to focus on the purpose and true meaning of the holiday--our Savior's birth.

Here's to Christmas, spending time with family, and for the birth and life our Savior Jesus Christ!

It's the Holiday Season!

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 I love the holiday season! T'is quite unfortunate that I haven't found time to write. Apparently I struggle with  consistency. But sometimes socializing and spending time with my fam is more important, wouldn't you agree?

Christmas is fast approaching and I'm excited. It's my first time in a looooong while that I'm in Seattle leading up to the holidays. It's fun spending time with my mom and sister crafting Christmas crafts, and viewing our traditional line-up of holiday movies. (Some of our favorites are Elf, The Bishop's Wife, White Christmas, and Miracle on 34th Street).

Haven't made it into the city yet, but I did do Black Friday shopping with my mom and sister. We had a blast! We felt so bad for the poor retail workers that had to work through the night, so on principle we didn't start our shopping until 6am on Friday.

A side note:

Don't you think it's ridiculous that some stores

 opened on Thanksgiving night? 

And I'm not talking 12am, but 9pm? 

Or am I old-fashioned?

(I sure hope not--I'm only 28).

Other highlights of the past few weeks:

• Thanksgiving with the fam and great friends. Complete with an inappropriate cousin (not mine of course). It was hilarious!
• Bellevue Botanical Gardens with a great group of friends.
• Being bold, and confessing (perhaps I've been watching too many Korean dramas, but they do it all the time). It felt great to know where we stand. (Just friends, and I actually prefer it that way).
• Making Czech food for my friends. Ovocne knedliky are the best! I'm grateful to my MTC companion for sending me the recipe!
• Having a new roommate move in--she's amazing!
• Watching the First Presidency Christmas Devotional (even though we accidentally watched the wrong year). 
• Seeing Arthur Christmas with my mom. Super cute movie!
• Hanging out at Crossroads, eating bulgogi, and drinking bubble tea, whilst listening to a community concert. There was one rockin' grandma that we wanted to call our own. 

Hoorah for the Holiday Season!

Mini Monet

Kieron Williamson has true artistic genius, and believe it or not he is only nine years old! He began drawing at the age of five when his family was on holiday in Cornwall. He asked for a sketchbook after seeing the boats at the port. "The very next day he was drawing pictures of boats and as the holiday progressed he began to add backgrounds, scenery, hills and houses."


As time went on, his work progressed. His first exhibition sold out in 14 minutes! I saw this video on NBC.com, and was amazed!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here's another one of my favorites (which also happens to be Kieron's as well).

Pretty unbelievable, huh?
Here's to those with talent, who bless the rest of us with their work!

Do I listen to pop music?

Umm, not really.
Or at least I don't think I do.
Perhaps I am in denial.
Now that I think about it,
I am a Belieber,
 and Lady Gaga is pretty awesome
 (well, only her 1st and 2nd albums, really).

Crap.

In my head I still see myself as the alternative and indie loving, intelligent and ultra cool co-ed. 

Maybe the problem is that I'm not in college anymore?

Nor do I have a whole lot of time of late to research new bands.

Oh, bother. 

But maybe it's ok?

That I like pop, I mean. 

Well, pop music that is intelligent and has many iconic cultural references and/or statements (in the case of Gaga). 

Beyonce.is.amazing. 

And she just released this video on the internet this past week. 

And.it.is.amazing.

How many references can you find?

Happiness.

I love Washington!...and pumpkin patches.

I skipped last week's post on what makes me happy, and I feel guilty for it. I just got too dang busy. And sick. But now I'm all better, and feel good about blogging again. The world goes round.

Sometimes I feel like the things that make me happy are a bit ridiculous, so I appreciate you for baring with me. Here it is: the list.


1. Rediscovering a hobby. I've been on the hunt for a good hobby for several months now. I'm a fairly creative person, but just hadn't found a creative outlet that I was satisfied with. I enjoy writing, but have been out of practice. I wanted to take up knitting, but it seemed kind of complicated. Everyone crochets. I wanted to do something that not everyone does. Back on my mission, while serving in Hradec Kralove, we taught this amazing family who was famous for their needlework, crocheting, and tatting. I enjoyed crocheting, but loved tatting. I wasn't super good at it, but one of the ladies said I was a natural. And who doesn't like being called a natural. Anyways, today I bought a shuttle and tatting string, and have decided to relearn this somewhat of a lost art.

2. Finding a new frame for my favorite print of all time. And I'm going to hang it up on my wall tomorrow.

3. Talking to my friend Lex, who now lives in North Dakota. We try to have weekly phone chats, and it makes my day.

4. Finding cheap airfare to 3 places in the States I'm wanting to visit. Now I have to figure out when I'm going to travel to these places.

5. Helping out at the Seattle Temple. My singles ward had a baptism assignment last night, and it was so cool to witness my friend doing ordinance work for her ancestors. Her joy was intoxicating.

6. Going to my roommates (I guess now former roommate) wedding reception. She and her husband were so cute, and so obviously in love. Here's how cool  her husband is. They are both really into dancing, and he asked our friend to organize a flash mob at their reception. She choreographed a dance routine to Moves Like Jagger. It was incredible, and my roommate's reaction was classic.

7. Being able to teach. I was asked to give a lesson at a church activity, and was so thankful to be able to do so. I miss teaching, and it's hard not being able to pursue that course quite yet. Every time I teach, though, I know that that's what I'm supposed to do. It just may not happen for a couple of years.

8. Shopping with a good friend at U Village. It was fun bonding time, and she is the giver of amazing advice. And we all know that I relationship advice is much needed in my life. My love life is definitely a comedy.

9.Seeing my mom. I love her!

10. Finally being "healthy." I went to the doctor on Monday to have my bandage changed, and she said I don't have to come in anymore! Hallelujah! Now I just need to get over my cold...

And there you have it. What made you happy this week?

Can I runaway to Europe? Pretty Please?

From here

I've been dreaming about going back to the Czech Republic of late. Normally when I think about the Czech Republic, images of Praha, Zlín, or Hradec Králové come to mind. 

Not Ostrava. 

                       Except for lately.

It was the city of my first fall and winter in ČR--the very first city of my mission.

I remember the very first day I stayed in our missionary apartment, spíš, byt (omlouvám se). It was dark, and rainy, but it was fabulous. My companion and I plus 2 other missionaries endured the five hour train ride from Prague and I was jet-lagged, and utterly exhausted.

When we got to our byt, we weren't the only one's there. To our surprise, a couple of the members of the Ostrava branch were there, curious to see what the new greeny would be like. Lot's of laughing and joking ensued, and I had no idea of what was being said or laughed about (most likely me, and the fact I couldn't understand anything they said in their clipped, brusque accent).

I had my first taste of Kofola that night. First thoughts? Absolutely disgusting. But it was one of those things that grew on me as I spent more time in the country.

The next morning at 6:30am, my companion asked what I would like to do for our exercise time. I requested a tour of the downtown. It was then that I fell in love with the park pictured above. A tree lined path that went on forever, bordering the Ostravice River.

It's funny. I found so much beauty, joy, and love in this town that was known as the 'armpit' of the country. I loved it, coal mine dust and all.

It's funny. Out of the four cities I lived in, this is the one that's been on my mind.

Can I run away to Europe? Or perhaps I just want another day like those fall days in Ostrava.

This almost made me have an accident.

My cousin's awesome wife posted this on facebook, and I almost had an accident...at work. It's cruel, but oh so funny.

 (Suzy, can you PLEASE do this next year?)

Would you ever tell your kids that you ate all their Halloween candy?

Happiness

Image from here

Wow, has life been busy of late, what with getting ready for Halloween and all. Kind of silly, but I'm loving it! I have SOOO much to be happy about! ...And I realized much of it has to do with friends and family. So here goes nothing:

1. Making new friends at church and finding out we have so much in common!

2. Seeing a friend at good ol' Trader Joe's. We have a TJ's bond. I used to work at the one at Tyson's Corner, VA, and she works at the one in Kirkland, WA. We are awesome therefore, TJ's is awesome.

3. Ilene. She makes me happy. Ilene and I have known each other since 4th grade when her dad was our softball coach. She's been one of dearest friends ever since. She's one of those friends that you pick up just where you left off. We haven't seen each other in almost a year even though we've lived in the same town for the past 5 months. Friday night a couple of friends and I were at Belle Square, and Ilene works there. I poked my head into where she works, just to see if she was there. And she was! And what a reunion it was!

4. Frozen yogurt. I know I'm a nerd, but this seriously makes me so happy! Reminds me of DC.

5. New shoes. I now have a pair of black flats. It's been years since I've had black flats! And I love them!

6. Having a new crush. It's what makes the world go round.

7. Going to the doctor and finding that nothing is terribly wrong with my body. Hallelujah!

8. Fall leaves. I love fall in Seattle. It's not like back east, but I love seeing the patches of color mixed in with the dark evergreens. Lovely. Simply lovely.

9. Spontaneous dance parties. I think I participated in at least two this week. And learned how to salsa, bachata, and one other Latin dance I can't remember. It was a blast.

10. Decorating for Halloween. My friend Brittany posted this lovely, easy craft on her website, and I tried it out this weekend. It turned out quite well I must admit. And it inspired me to make a Halloween hat for Friday night. We'll see how that goes.

What made you happy this week?

Russia

Happy Weekend! I can't believe how quickly this week has gone by. Not that I'm complaining though. I still need to post what I did last weekend, because it was super awesome. Hopefully I can get something cooked up this weekend as well.

So this song has become one of my new favorites. It's by a Northwest band called Ramona Falls, after the amazing waterfall in the Portland area.

 (I kinda claim Portland as a part of Washington--it is one of our sister cities. 

And Northwesterners do need to stick together!).

Gorgeous music. And the actual artist is pretty cute too. The world goes round.

Enjoy!

Happiness

Image from here

I had a fabulous weekend, and I hope you all did too. The weather was PERFECT! Since I forgot my camera cord at home, I can't upload any photos at this hour, but maybe will tonight? We shall see.

Here is my happy list:

1. Picking my very own perfect pumpkins from a patch. I ended up with a super cute white pumpkin and an awesomely rad green pumpkin with an orange spot. 

2. Dance parties with close friends. I forgot how much I love myself a good dance party.

3. Understanding things and doing well at work. I'm learning!

4. Teaching. I taught on Sunday and it's still one of my very favorite things.

5. Fall leaves and the drive to Monroe.

6. Game nights with new people.

7. Being reunited with old friends.

8. Jamba Juice. My favorite is Orange Dream Machine with strawberries and raspberries. Perfection.

9. Sarah H's amazing pumpkin cookies. They are to die for. Really. 

10.  Spending time with my family on Sunday evenings.

And there you have it. What made you happy this week?

Scenes from my future life at work

My co-worker sent this to me today. It's her last day of work, and she was so kind to impart her wisdom upon me.

Found Here

I'm glad I too can learn the secrets to this magic.

50!

Actually 52.6 to exact. That's the amount of weight I've lost since moving back to Seattle!

I don't like to talk about my weight much because it's always been a sensitive subject for me, but this is such huge milestone for myself! I've been doing Weight Watchers off and on for the last year or so, and somehow things just clicked. At the meeting last night I was awarded with my little 50 lbs medal, and it was such a big deal! Well, to me anyways. I haven't been at this weight since  I was competitively playing basketball and volleyball. And that was my freshman year of high school.

In a way it's a bit shocking.
But it's a good shock.
But a shock all the same. Probably because I never thought I could ever do it.

I still have a ways to go, but anything feels possible at this point!

Hurah!

Happiness

Do you ever have weeks where you're in the duldrums? I feel like the past couple of weeks have been like that. Not absolutely terrible, but having some not so nice elements to them as well. Maybe it's the weather? It has been quite rainy, but I like that. Otherwise why would I have moved back to Seattle? I digress.

Even though life hasn't been exactly like I would like it to be, there are always rays of sunlight amidst the cloudy days. I have much to be thankful for, and so much to be happy about. And I've decided to list each week 10 things that make me happy. (Perhaps this is just what I need to step up my blogging again).

Here goes nothing! :

1. Hitting all green lights on my way to work in the morning.
2. Mist in the valley--so gorgeous!
3. Friends coming into town for the weekend.
4. Eating the most amazing Taiwanese food (including mango bingshas!!!!) with said friends
5. Late night runs to Seattle to see the Troll and the view from Kerry Park
6. Water. Ice cold.
7. My mom. And her love to be a matchmaker. :)
8. Night walks with my mom when the moons out and it's deliciously cold out.
9. Hot Tamales. The candy. Not the food.
10. Cheesy Korean dramas and other such love stories. (I've seen far too many. I really should be embarrassed, but for some reason I'm not.)

What are the things that have made you happy this week?

P.S. And Anderson Cooper sticking up for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christians!

Citi jako podzim...

It truly feels like fall in Seattle. The temperatures have dropped, there's a delicious crispness in the air, and the leaves are starting to turn. And the rain has returned. But what is Seattle without rain, really?

Autumn has always been my favorite season. Always. Ask anyone. I loved experiencing a true East Coast fall last year, and the gorgeous falls in the Czech Republic. There's something utterly romantic about tree lined paths with leaves all around. Love.

Anyways, I've heard this song a few times before, but I feel like it captures the season (which apparently the artist does not agree).

Please enjoy!

Blowing my mind at the moment...

Many of you know that I finally got a job after being jobless the majority of the summer. It's so wonderful to be employed! Yes, I did have a summer off, but there is a definite difference between having a summer off and knowing you'll have something in the fall, and having the future be a blank.

Anyhow, the company I now work for is pretty awesome. I'm learning all kinds of things about power plants and how electricity is dispersed. Never thought I'd be interested in something quite like this, but it's refreshing. I've always enjoyed science, but my strengths always lay in the arts and humanities.

I've been doing some data entry, and some other tasks that don't require too much brain power. I've been listening to varying conference talks and NPR broadcasts interspersed with Pandora and Last.fm. Today I'm listening to Bon Iver. I LOVE Bon Iver. Unfortunately I haven't had much chance to checkout the new album.

Umm...it's AMAZING! And blowing my mind. Especially this one:




At least for now.

Hope you all are having a fabulous week. It's hump day you know. Only two more days until the weekend!

I remember

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It's hard for me to beleive that ten years have already gone by.

 I still remember September 11, 2001 like it was yesterday.

It was the first full week of school in the little ol' town of Provo, UT. I was still asleep when everything happened. I had no idea anything had happened until I turned on my computer and looked at the news feed, and saw an image like the one above. I honestly thought it was a joke. Who would fly a plane into a building? Then as I read further, the seriousness of what happened sank in. I remember telling my roommate, Shannon, to check it out.

Then my friend Rose popped up on my IM. She was a new freshman at NYU, and was in New York at the time. She was trying to reach anyone in her family to let them know that she was ok. She could see the whole thing from her dorm room, a safe distance uptown. Cell reception and phone lines were shot. I was going to call her parents in Washington or try to reach her brother in Provo, but luckily that brother logged on to IM, and Rose was able to talk to him herself.

It was a Tuesday, and the campus had been geared up for the welcome devotional. Obviously that all changed. Instead the devotional addressed terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and we had a moment of silence for those who died.

From that moment on, life was never the same. It's one of those memories that I will never forget.

Last night, I decided to watch some of the news from that day in 2001. The Today Show on NBC caught most of it live, and the images are still horrific. Watching the second plane fly into the second tower, I choked up. I can't think of that image without tears coming to my eyes.

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The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has teamed up with Tom Brokaw for a very special musical performance remembering those who lost their lives that day, and showing how others have risen above the horrible tragedy. If you have the chance, please take a chance to view it. For more information, go here.

I will always remember Sept. 11, 2001.

"You are my sunshine..."

Color. Whimsy. Excellent message. James McAvoy. Penelope has it all.

What are my favorite scenes, you ask? I really do have several, but my top three are:
1. When Penelope tries to discover Max's instrument.
2. When she finally leaves her house and happens upon a fair. I LOVE the bubbles.
3. The epic kiss at the end. Greatness.

About this time every year I have an urge to watch this wonderful film. Maybe it's because it's set in the fall. Maybe because it features Sigur Ros, which is one of the bands I love listening to at this time. Wait. I know that's why.

Autumn is my favorite.

I love stomping through piles of crunchy leaves, bon fires, sweaters and layers, and the smell of all the goodness. Apple orchards, and pumpkins and corn mazes. I'm getting SO excited for all the possibilities.

Here's to great films, and the best season of them all--AUTUMN!

Family. Saunas. Boats

One of the major reasons why I wanted to move back to Seattle, was so I could spend more time with my family. This week has been chalk full of memory making. Mon pere was out of the country on business, so ma matka and ma setra and I had numerous slumber parties. Movies were watched, food was consumed, stores were shopped!

I was also able to spend time with my cute grandpa. He is one amazing man! His parents sailed to the States from Estonia and homesteaded on Finn Hill in Kirkland, Washington. G-pa grew up speaking Estonian, Finnish, and English. His father built a full-size sauna next to their farmhouse, and that sauna is now here:

My mom, grandpa, and I paid Ballard and the Nordic Heritage Museum a visit this week. I'd never seen the sauna, and it was a beautiful day to spend in that part of the city.

After visiting the the sauna we headed down to the Ballard locks. It was a gorgeous day to be there. There were several boats already geared up and ready for Labor Day weekend. And there were salmon!

Here's to family and beautiful Seattle days!

Song of the Summer

My roommate Megan is one cool gal. And among other things, she has amazing taste in music. One Saturday we were getting ready for a barbecue and she created a Foster the People station on last.fm (if you haven't heard of last.fm, you've got to check it out!).

Ever since that day, I've been hearing them everywhere.

 And I'm kinda in love.

Here's my favorite song of the summer: Pumped up Kicks.



Here's to summer and all its awesomeness!

Letters from Taiwan

I received such a pleasant surprise in the mail last week--an actual piece of mail. And from Taiwan at that! I've been home from Taiwan for a little over a year and a half, and had thought my students had all but forgotten me. But to my delight, they definitely haven't!

Madline (on the right) was in my fifth grade class that I had twice. She is now in Junior High, which is super intense (I'm so glad I went to school in the States. It's pretty cut-throat from what she tells me). A couple of other students from that class have added me as friends on Facebook (Frank and Nancy (on the left)), and it's been so nice to keep in touch with them all--to know how life is treating them after Berhan.

I think I probably drive people crazy with how much I still talk about my time in Taiwan (I really do--just ask any of my friends). It doesn't help that I know I can get cute Asian stationary and a place in Seattle that makes dong gwa milks. I would move back in a heart beat if I didn't know that I need to stay in the States for a while. But I do hope I get to visit sometime in the next couple of years...right after I go back to the Czech Republic!

I guess I can satisfy myself with the fact that Madline is still writing her pen-pal that I set her up with, and that they've become great friends. One of the things I really wanted for my students.

This is just another reminder that my heart is in teaching, and that I need seriously focus on grad programs and Teach for America!

Wo ai Taiwan!

All kinds of random...

Sometimes I wish life weren't so complicated. Just when you think everything is peachy-keen, something else gets thrown into the mix. I've been mulling over something to the point that I've almost given myself a headache. Perhaps I should just stop thinking. Or just stop thinking about that one thing.

Anyhow, life is great; life is wonderful.

I have finally landed a job, albeit a temporary one. But income is income, right? And the people seem really nice! That's the most important thing. And it's normal hours, and it's only 15 minutes from my house. Pretty awesome, huh?

Seattle was gorgeous yesterday as my friends and I did a whirlwind tour. My favorite stop of the day? Hands down the Olympic Sculpture Garden. A-maz-ing. Part of the park was sectioned off for a wedding, which ended up not being that big of deal--we still got to see everything. And I found out that they have three similar/the exact same sculptures as the National Sculpture Garden in DC. And I also had the realization that I love sculpture. Perhaps more than media on canvas. Calder anyone?

Now I'm just rambling. But I think it's been good for me to ramble along. I apologize to you though.

You know what else? I get highly peeved when people do not return texts, especially when highly important information is being relayed. Irritating, huh? But perhaps I should be better about returning my own texts. Now that IS something I should apologize for.

You know what else? The Amelie soundtrack is perfect to calm and sooth oneself. And it's French, which equals interesting. Here is one of my favorite songs from the film for your enjoyment:



Hope ya'll had a great weekend! I can't believe tomorrow is Monday already!

All I want right now...

...is lemonade.

Seriously. 

When the weather gets toasty (or above 60 degrees with the case of Seattle), I crave this citrus-y delight. It's so refreshing, and always quenches my thirst. At the amazingly beautiful 4th of July party I attended, they were serving an amazing mint lemonade, and I've been slightly addicted ever since. I found this recipe at marthastewart.com and have been meaning to try it out. Perhaps I will today. But I wanted to share it just in case you wanted to try it out too.

Mint Lemonade Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

4 1/2 cups water

3 1/3 cups fresh lemon juice (about 8 lemons)

1/4 cup julienned mint, plus leaves for garnish (this is Martha Stewart after all)

Directions

1. Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Let stand until completely cool. 

2. In a 2 1/2-quart pitcher, stir remaining 4 cups water, the syrup, lemon juice and mint. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

I guess you could use lemonade from concentrate and add the mint. In any case, it was delicious!

Do you have any favorite lemonade flavors or recipes?

The Haps

So much for keeping up on my blog. And there have been some pretty awesome things of late. I have to say that I love living in the Seattle area. It suits me. Yesterday, I was out golfing with my mom and grandpa and it was absolutely gorgeous! And hot. I love breathing in the clean, sweet, woodsy air--it reminds me of my childhood summers of picking blackberries and huckleberries. And you better believe I'll be all over that this summer, if it ever gets warm enough for the berries to ripen.

 For some inexplicable reason, Washington State is not experiencing the horrors of the Midwest and East Coast. For that I am grateful. If I were in DC at the moment, you better believe I'd be a wilted with absolutely no energy. Me + humidity = death. It's amazing that I was able to live and function and actually do anything active (running and biking) in Taiwan. I think I was blessed for that space of time. 

Still nothing much on the job front, but I hope I find something soon! But I manage to keep myself busy. I have a couple of friends that introduced me to a sorta ghetto karaoke bar in Bellevue, and not it's a weekly event. I look forward to my Thursday nights. It's funny. The bar tenders and the DJ know us as the group that doesn't drink, which is cool. Everyone is so friendly there. This past Thursday we had 7 of us there. If you've never done karaoke, you definitely need to. It's such an adrenaline rush! I think my favorite performance of the night was Matthew singing "Soul Meets Body." He definitely worked that stage! 

It's also been super fun to connect with one of my college buddies! 

Sarah and I have know each other since living on the same floor in Taylor Hall our freshman year at BYU. It's been awesome hanging out with her. The picture above was taken after a fun filled Fourth of July on Bainbridge Island. I bit worn out, but very enthused for the ferry ride home. And yes, she's wearing a Tron jacket. 

That's about it for now. Here's to life!

What you know

Happy weekend! It's hard to believe that another weekend is already here. Not that I'm complaining. My Fourth of July was fabulous. I'll write more on that later.

It's been a week full of  friends and introductions to new music--or I should say, new to me music. I've known Two Door Cinema Club, but haven't listened to them on a regular basis. It's the recent favorite band of a good friend of mine (and ironically enough, he looks like the lead singer), and this song has been stuck in my head all week. Good thing it's a good one!

Please enjoy!

Life as of now

Hi all!

Yes, I know it's been over a month since I last wrote. Shame on me. But I've noticed that as I go through transitions it's hard for me to find the time to right about them. Though, it's probably the time I need to write the most. Though it's hard to write when not a ton of positive and interesting things are going on, like a new job or an exciting love life.

I was talking to my one of my best friends, Maggie, the other day, and she told me that I should just be honest with how I feel--that it doesn't matter if everything is going peachy. So this is my attempt at describing my life, since my cross-country move.

Don't get me wrong--I'm so glad I was able to move back to Seattle.

• I love being able to go to my parents' house on Sunday evenings for dinner, or anytime I want to see them.
• I love being able to hang out with my sister and have FUN! 
• I love being able to see old friends from high school.
• I love living near my group of good friends out here. 
• I love being able to see water every day, whether it's Lake Washington or Lake Sammamish.
• I love the house I'm living in, and my awesome roommates. 
• I love the beauty of Washington State. It takes my breath away. The skies are so dramatic, it makes me want to take up painting!
• I love my old school Volvo.
• I love that I have several options for hiking, boating, biking, etc. 

Yet,

• I don't love the health problems I've been having that have completely drained my energy.
• I don't love the smell of the antibiotics I've been prescribed.
• I don't love not having a full-time job.
• I don't love not being able to see my DC friends. 

But I'm lucky that I've been able to have a temp job, and that I have a lot of people helping me look for work. It's nice knowing that I have a humongous support group here!

And really, even though life isn't terribly stable, life is pretty great for the time being.

A bright spot in my week

This week has been stressful. No more interns at work, and a million projects to complete before my final day, next Friday. (I can't believe I only have a week left of work. Weird). And the BIG MOVING DAY looms ahead of me.

Luckily, I have Sia on my side. Quirky, cheery, upbeat melodies are keeping me going this week. Here is one of my favorites.

Please enjoy.

A wedding celebration for Wills and Kate

What little girl doesn't imagine falling in love with her prince charming and living happily ever after?  

And what woman in her late 20s wasn't smitten with Prince William at some point in her formative years? 

For me, Prince William was up there with JTT, Leonardo DeCaprio and Heath Ledger. When I found out that he had a girlfriend several years ago, I was a bit saddened that my imaginary fairy tale would never come to fruition. Not that I really believed it would really happen, but you never do know, right? :)

Honestly though, how could you not be happy for these two?

 {source}

With the Royal Wedding tomorrow, my friends and I have been following the various preparations with great excitement. When top designers made public their would-be designs for Kate's gown, we were all on top of that. Wedding souvenirs? One friend has made her own, and is in London selling them at this very moment. (You should check them out because they're brilliant!) Another friend conveniently has family living in London, and chose a very fitting time for a holiday (uber jealous). 

The most fun I've had in preparation for the big day tomorrow, is my dear friend Maggie's Royal Movie Marathon. A wonderful idea, and soooo much fun! Here's what we viewed, in homage to the royals present and past:

Monday          Sisi 

Tuesday         Marie Antoinette

Wednesday    The Young Victoria 

Tonight          (don't laugh) Will and Kate (the Lifetime movie) 

{Us lovely ladies excitedly anticipating the grand event tomorrow}

I wish I could say that I was waking up at 4am tomorrow to watch the shindig, but since I should probably go to work and function, I won't. But by golly I'll be checking for updates throughout the course of the morning.

Here's to a bright spot in present day history amidst all the gloom and doom in other news! 

And here's to couples finding love and happiness! (It definitely gives hope to the rest of us!)

My new favorite thing.

Now that my hair is finally long enough to pull up (hooray!), I've reverted back to my high school self, and have been trying out new hair styles. I'm much out of practice (short hair will do that to you...also not having a younger sister close by enough to be my ginnea pig).

I remembered my roommate Rachel saying that she's used youtube.com to learn how to play a harmonica and to learn new crochet stiches, I figured I could also use it to my own advantage. So the last couple of days I've checked it out to come up with a few new creative dos. Like this one:



Super easy, and super cute.

Now I have to decide if I'm too old to really pull this style off.

In any case, now I know where to go for new inspiration!

For Easter Monday

I love this time of the year when we focus on the atonement and resurrection of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for His selfless sacrifice for me and for all mankind, and that through Him, I can return to live with my Heavenly Father some day.  I know that He is always there, that He lives. I know that He knows me, and loves me, and wants the absolute best for me. And I am so grateful for this knowledge, and I hope that others can come to know that it is true.

Please enjoy this message from the apostles and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their testimonies and knowledge of the Savior strengthens mine.

A day in Annapolis

 A couple weekends ago my roommates and I headed up north and east to the beautiful capital town of Annapolis. And I fell in love. How could I not? What's more perfect than a colonial town on the ocean? Really, nothing.

It was cloudy and a bit cold, but it was well worth it to see the ocean. And the cool bikes. And the amazing hat, tea, and fudge shops.

And the Naval Academy. Boy do I love a man in uniform. 

All in all, I think I could live in Annapolis. A quaint small town on the ocean, and relatively close to DC. What is there not to love?

What I've been listening to this week

It was an incredibly stressful past couple of weeks, and when nothing else seems to work, changing the music I listen to does. This week I listened to the soundtrack to Pride and Predjudice non-stop.

Can I just say that I think the movie is absolutely beautiful? The cinematography combined with the music was breathtaking. My favorite scene/song from the movie is this one:



I remember seeing it for the first time in the theater (yes, I saw it several times), I was in awe. The scene where she is standing on the ledge with her dress billowing in the breeze. Absolutely beautiful!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Here's to beautiful music and the way it makes us feel!

Rewind Spring

Spring! It exists! 

And has been existing for the better part of a month. I'm smitten by the colors!

 Most of the early spring flowers are gone, but I'm glad I was able to document them. 

Hooray for Spring!

Beautiful

As you've probably gathered from my previous post/rant, this past week has been particularly stressful. Listening to upbeat music was making me more anxious, so I listened to one of my most favorite bands, Sigur Rós, for most of the week.

I gush about Sigur Rós. Their music is so powerful to me. And it's so unique. If you haven't checked out their musical documentary, Heima, please do so. It's incredible.

And like Heima, watching this recording of their song Ára Bátur brought me to tears. It's got to be the boys choir.

Beautiful.

Ok, ok...

They came to an agreement.

 No government shut downs.

Took them long enough!

Frustrations of an almost Fed

For the record, I'm technically not a federal employee, but I do work for the government. And, can I just say that I'm incredibly frustrated with the government? I mean really. Really.

The 2010 fiscal year is half over, and the budget is still not approved because the two political parties can't compromise. Let's not forget that this budget was supposed to be approved before the start of the fiscal year. As a result the government may shut down, if they don't work it out in the next 2.75 hours. Last I checked Reid and Boehner were still blaming each other for the stalemate.

Many people may not really understand what would happen in the government shut down. It may not be as huge of an impact around the country, but DC will pretty much be a ghost town. And let's remember that it's the middle of the Cherry Blossom Festival and Spring Break--major tourism season for us. All of the museums will be closed (at least the free ones), all the monuments will be closed, all the federal buildings will be closed, etc. The IRS will stop processing tax returns, national parks around the country will be closed, and the military won't be paid until after the issue is resolved.

And let's not forget all the man hours, stress and energy that has gone into making contingency plans for "just in case."

And most importantly to me, I won't get paid.

Furloughed, baby.

Don't you just love it?

For a Friend...

I received an email from an old friend and roommate of mine (Raquelita).

Subject: A Cause...

I was very much intrigued. And the email contained the most wonderful and amusing thing:



Apparently, Rach's sis, Bekah (also a former roomie of mine),  is trying to prove to her current roommate that Harry Potter is cool (and we ALL know he is, right?). 

How?

Through her awesomely amazing youtube video Muggle Hater. 

I love these two sisters--so if they need me to share this with the world, so be it. Done and done. 

Good luck Bekah!

Once upon a time...

...a very lucky girl living in Washington DC was visited by the best mother in the world (who happens to live in the other Washington). Whilst gallivanting about the delightful town of Philadelphia, art was seen, historical monuments were visited, and delicious food was consumed.

It was an amazing day. I had the day off from work, so we headed up to Philly first thing, and went straight to the Barnes Foundation. Oh my art collection!

(source)

(source)

(source)

It is one of the absolute best collection of French Impressionism, Post-Impressionism and Early Modern Art. I was in heaven! The collection includes  181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos, 18 Rouseaus, 11 Degas, 7 Van Goghs, 6 by Seurat, 4 by Manet, and 4 by Monet. When I said I was in heave, I truly was! 


The collection is housed in the estate of the late Dr. Albert C. Barnes. In 1922 he founded The Barnes Foundation to  "promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts" (source). The unique display of the art contributed to this. I won't go into much more about the Foundation, because it is quite controversial, really. If you are at all interested, I suggest watching a documentary on The Barnes Foundation called The Art of the Steal. 

Not only did we gallivant around Philly, but we also road tripped it to Valley Forge and Lancaster. The wind was so strong in Valley Forge, that the electricity went out at the visitor's center. We opted for the car tour--good thing we did, as there was a humongous Boy Scouts of America camp going on. Luckily we were able to beat most of the crowds, or at least get ahead of the boy scouts.

(The house where Washington stayed and some surrounding buildings)

Lancaster was a bit of a disappointment. We tried to make it to the Amish Market, but it was closing down as we were walking in. The town of Lancaster itself was quite beautiful, but we noticed that there were quite a few men loitering about, looking a bit rough around the edges. Quite the juxtaposition. We did pick up some jam (complete with "Shannon's Strawberry"), and headed to the outlets. 

(The center of town)

(An Amish buggy waiting in traffic)

 On Washington's birthday we headed down to Mount Vernon. It was rainy and wet, but little did we know that Mount Vernon was going to be free! We were pretty excited, and spent some time on the grounds. We also got to see Dean Malissa, aka The Official George Washington (Malissa has done a program or two for our department). Mom thought it was pretty cool. 

Afterwards, we drove through Old Town Alexandria, got caught up in the parade traffic and subsequently left. We lunched in Georgetown, walked around a bit, and then headed home. I was so sad to see my mum, and her little yellow bug go! 

It was a wonderful visit!

 Mom, we should do it again sometime!