Liebster Award

I have been nominated for a Liebster award! By the one, the only, the prettiest esthetician and yogini, CHELSEA! She's a lov-a-lie newlywed married to Keke's husband's brother. So... we're basically family, right? Right. Go check out her blog HERE.

"Liebster" means dearest in German, and it's awarded, blogger to blogger, to up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers.  The rules for accepting and giving the award are pretty simple.  Once you accept the award, you just have to do the following in a blog entry:

Answer the 11 questions posted by the nominator on her blog

Give 11 facts about yourself

Nominate 5-11 other new, up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers

Make up 11 more questions to pass on to the bloggers you choose to nominate

Thank your nominator by linking back to her blog

Upon your post going live, contact your nominees about your nomination for them

Q: What is your favorite food?
DRIED MANGOS. You know those large packs you buy at Sam's Club? I can easily go through one in less than a day. When I lived in Florida, my Mama would send them to me in her care packages and as much as I would try to savor them... I didn't/couldn't.

Q: What's your favorite clothing item in your closet?
Any and all of my Disney gear. I don't have as much as some people (you know who you are!) but I absolutely adore my Little Mermaid sweatshirt and multiple tee-shirts. They are comfy and remind me of the best time of my life!

Q: What was your favorite class in high school? 
Definitely Dance Company. I had the honor of being on the team for two years, my last year being a co-president and it changed my life. It gave me confidence I never knew I had as well as 26 best friends who I would never have been in the right circles to meet otherwise.

d.co 2009-2010 

d.co 2010-2011

Q: What was your favorite Christmas gift you received? 
A: Christmas 2009. Dano was on her mission and Keke was visiting from New York where she was attending school. My parents gave me my final Christmas gift. I opened it to find a New York calendar. When I opened the calendar to the month of March, I saw a plane ticket. Immediately following, I started crying because I was SO HAPPY. I was going to visit my sister in New York for Spring Break! That was the first time I ever cried tears of joy. I had missed both my sisters so much for those few months, I was so excited I was going to have one on one time with one of them in the coolest city EVER in the near future.

Q: What is one of the oldest memories you have? 
My very first memory is from when I'm 2 or 3. I stole one of my clean, unused diapers from the diaper bag and held it out the window like a parachute. Unfortunately though, I accidentally let it go and so my Mom pulled over and made my big sister pick it up. I can still remember Keke picking it up with absolute disgust because it fell in a muddy puddle! Sorry, Keke.

Q: What is your favorite song right now? 
Right now I la-la-love Wake Me Up by Avicii Feat. Aloe Blacc. Listen to it HERE, it'll get you groovin'!

Q: What is your favorite vacation spot you've been to?
When I was younger my family went to Mendicino, CA. It's near the town where Murder She Wrote was filmed. It's small, quiet, quaint, rainy, and full of deer. We stayed in a cabin called 'Fairy Cabin', I saw Grease for the first time there, and also found my boy doppelganger. What a trip for little girl!

Q: What is your typical daily morning routine? 
Nothing special. Wake up at 5:30am, shower, make-up, hair, outfit, run out the door.

Q: Do you have a life motto you repeat to yourself a lot? What is it?
Sure do. Lots actually! One of them is the following gem: Worry is a misuse of your imagination.

Q: What is your favorite part about yourself? 
Oooh tough. I pretend not to have self-esteem issues but let's be real, who doesn't! One thing I like though is my painted finger nails. I feel nearly impossible with my polished cuticles.

Q: What is your dream job? 
I just had the honor of completing my dream job this past year in Florida... you may or may not know what I'm talking about. I miss it everyday but more than that, I am grateful for it everyday. It was the most incredible experience of my entire life.

Eleven facts about myself: 

1. When I was 16, I attended the end of a friend of a friend's soccer game only to make eye contact with the most handsome young man I had ever seen in MYWHOLEDANGLIFE. Immediately, I was smitten. Through a bizarre series of events (that I'd like to think was fate), 8 months later, we went on our first date and have been inseparable ever since (except for the whole mission thing). FUN FACT: He does not remember meeting me on this toasty September afternoon. Rue!

Our first picture together. Taken June 2010.

2. My absolute favorite TV shows on the history of this PLANET is Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. (Gossip Girl is next though!) I have watched the entire series of those two shows too many times to count. THIS IS A NO JUDGEMENT ZONE.

3. I am so insanely baby hungry IT IS BAD NEWS BEARS. Working with kids this past year, and now in my current job at the learning center makes me want a little muffin of my own so badly. I must resist though, I must resist!

4. My very favorite sport to watch is Baseball. I have lots of fond, fond memories of going to Dodgers baseball games with my Daddy when we lived in So. California.

5. I tend to come up with nicknames for people. Dano, Keke, Curbs, Lala, MP... can't help it. If you get a nickname from me, it's a sign that I'm comfortable around you.

6. When I would play in the parks while living in FL, one of my favorite things to do was meet characters. I had never met a character until March of this year! (6 months after I started working there... embarrassing). But that's actually not the point. The point is that to this day, I still get nervous meeting the lovely ladies of Disney! I know. It does not make ANY sense.

Mary Poppins especially. She told me not to slouch.

7. My ultimate goal in life is to be apart of the SNL cast. However, I'm not an actress, nor am I funny. I also dread improv and can't impersonate anyone sooooooo there's that.

8. I signed up for Oceanography this semester and was super excited about it because I find the sea fascinating but it turned out just to be a bunch of math. (Insert pouty face here). So I quickly transferred out of that and into Art History (--a general I need to complete). I am SO HAPPY I did because Art History is turning out to be one of my favorite classes and has me thinking about an archaeology major.

9. I have a lot of celebrity crushes but my love for Chuck Bass/Ed Westwick reigns supreme. That. Jawline. Those. Cheekbones. Swoon.

10.  I thoroughly enjoy public speaking. It began when I gave my first talk in sacrament meeting on January 1, 2006. Ever since, whether it be at church, at school, or even just theater, I love speaking in front of people. I love the feeling of my heart pounding right before I open my mouth to share my first word. I love the feeling of every single pair of eyes on me. I love the idea of sharing something worthwhile to my fellow human beings. That adrenalin is one of a kind, I tell ya!

11. Crickets at night, turning book pages, keys of a typewriter, skate blades on ice, a bubbling hot tub, crackling fire, airplane silence... Those are a few of my favorite sounds.   

I tag Dano, Lindsay and Christine. Have fun with the following questions...

Questions for my blogger friends:
1. What is your favorite commercial? (Link please!)
2. Your most awkward date ever was...
3. Who is your favorite Disney princess and why? 
4. Who was your favorite teacher growing up?
5. If you could have any accent in the world, what accent would it be?
6. Have you ever had a re-occurring dream? If so, what was it?
7. What is your favorite color?
8. What is your favorite holiday?
9. Share your favorite joke.
10. What is your favorite movie?
11. What do you want to leave as your legacy on this lovely Earth of ours?

Take It Home

The wonderful Jenn Blosil recorded a song on the 2011 EFY album and I have been listening to it SO much lately. Why? Well, first off, her voice is my dream voice and second, it's just a genuinely beautiful song with a wonderful message. I invite you to listen to it:

Take It Home lyrics

What would happen if we took off our masks

Peeled back the labels

Tore down the walls we have

What would change if we just saw each other as

Children of our father

Out there it's easy to get caught up in our lives

Here we all can feel the sparks of truth ignite

We can keep this feeling burning inside

If we carry it … together

We have felt the way our hope and faith begins to grow

We have felt this light and peace to guide us as we go

We know we can take it home

What kind of difference can start with you and me

as we remember to live what we believe

A mighty change begins with small and simple things

We can share with one another

We have felt the way our hope and faith begins to grow

We have felt this light and peace to guide us as we go

We know we can take it home

Every single one of us here has a part

Inside our father's plan and this is where we start

We have felt the way our hope and faith begins to grow

We have felt this light and peace to guide us as we go

We know we can take it home

Put Your Records On

I worked on New Years Eve (which was how I wanted it to be).
However, I made it home before the strike of 12/alarm of iPhone and I couldn't have been more excited for 2013!

My first text of 2013 was from my Sweet Mommy. Even though it was only 10pm her time, she remembered me:

She proceeded to text the following:

I may have jumped for joy once or twice.

After I sent and received a plethora of 'Happy 2013' texts, I put my music on shuffle to determine my Song of the Year. It was...

"Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae. I thought it was very fitting! To me, it is a 'feel good' song, and this, ladies and gentlemen, is going to be a 'feel good' year.

What did you all do to ring in the new year?
I sure do hope it was happy.

Summer and Spice and Everything Nice.

That moment when MP and I (pictured), along with 5 of our friends are driving down the streets of P-town with the windows rolled down and 'Wannabe' from Spice Girls starts to play...

It's only inevitable that we all started to sing along at the top of our lungs (the boys included) and bust out our best Spice Girls moves.

I call being Posh.

Best Buddies Palooza! Allred

Remember my post yesterday on Best Buddies Palooza featuring The Whits?
If you don't, you can click HERE to read it.
Ladies and gents, it's now time to feature the beautiful Allred.
(Gee gash if he ever reads my blog he's going to think I am one gigantic creeper!
But watch the video and I know you'll agree. )
He is also a main act at my sister's benefit concert that she has organized.
It's going to be such a fantastic show!

On another note, I just want to take a minute to publicly recognize my sister, Dano, who has almost single handedly organized this benefit concert (with the exception of my Papa who has helped a great amount as well).
Have you guys ever met Dano? She's teeny tiny.
If I had to guess, she doesn't particularly want me to share her height and weight but just picture a little person.
Got that?
Now, once you have that image of a small-framed human in your head, add two tons of joy to it. And that's Danielle!
She is the most up-beat and positive person I know, but despite all that, she has faced some mighty challenges putting on this concert! She would never talk about them or throw anybody under the bus but I will. (I am the defensive and protective sister in this family and proud of it. Don't mess with my fam bam.) There are some not so pleasant people out there who don't mind getting in the way of something good! Wha???
Nevertheless, Danielle was able to break down those barriers and conquer it all.

There's a concert on April 7th at the Provo High Auditorium at 7pm.
100% of the funds are going to help children in need and Danielle is the reason for all that.
Come.
You won't regret it.
And it'll be a fun night for all.

You can buy your tickets at the door or conveniently online HERE.
I'll see ya there.

Best Buddies Palooza! The Whits

Hello my friends!

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!

For those of you who don't know, my awesome sister, Dano, is a special-ed teacher at a a local high school. (Yeah, she rocks. Helping the world and all. Go sissy!)

Anywho!!! There is a concert next week on April 7th (mark your calendars) that she has organized featuring not one, but TWO phenomenal artists.

The Whits and Allred.

The lead singer of The Whits was featured on the show, 'The Sing Off' and gosh dang it, that girl has got PIPES! Did any of you go to The Stadium of Fire last year?... she was the opener!

And as far as Alred is concerned, well, he's just dreamy... need I say more? (But in all seriousness, he's mighty, mighty talented.)

Have a facebook account? Click HERE for more information.
Don't have a facebook account?
Well let me tell ya the story!
Best Buddies Palooza is a non-profit organization with chapters all around the world that focuses on being and providing a friend to those with special needs.
How awesome is that?
And folks, here is the real info:
"Provo High is pleased to welcome two great bands, The Whits & Allred, in concert ...at Provo High on Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 7 pm. This concert is a benefit for Provo High's new Best Buddies chapter, which creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Tickets are also available from the Provo High Cashier's office. Advance tickets are $5 students with ID, $7 general admission, and $10 preferred seating."

You are NOT going to want such an incredible concert and bonus, it's helping a good cause!
But also, on a more personal level, I have seen the amount of blood, sweat, and tears that has gone into this concert provided by both my sissy and Paps and the ginormous question that is lingering is, Will they come?
So... will you?

You can conveniently buy your tickets online HERE.
You know you want to.

Judy Garland.

By far one of my favorites at this time of the year.
I hope tomorrow is merry and bright for you and your loved ones.
So grateful for my own loved ones and what Christmas is truly about.
Have a wonderful day.
And Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Skyscraper

Okay, so? I kind of love this song. A lot, a lot, a lot. And I think Demi Lovato is gosh darn amazing. She's been through a lot and come out of it stronger than ever. So for all you Demi-haters, I say boo. And to all you Demi-neutrals, well that's okay. And to all you Demi-lovers, might I join your ranks? Thank you very much. And with that, I hope you enjoy, Skyscraper.