New Blog!

I was sitting in my creative writing class, with dozens of witty observations floating through my head, when I decided that I needed a way to keep track of all these thoughts. So, I made a new blog Today I Learned...

Check it out folks!!

A Picture (or camera) is Worth a Thousand Words

I'm currently enrolled in a Photojournalism for next semester. I'm required to have my own digital camera, which I have. It's the same camera I've had since I was in 11th grade.

While this camera has served me well, and has been everything I could possibly ask of a camera, I think it's time to move on.

My current Fuji digital camera takes about 30 seconds to load the flash between each picture. Some days the flash doesn't even work. When I change the setting on top of the camera, a completely opposite setting shows up on the screen. It's also kind of a clunker. It's just old.

I've been looking at a couple of different cameras and have decided on one that I really like, that has some crazy cool features.


It's the Nikon Coolpix S3000 camera. Check it here.

Anyways, it has:

• 5 different picture color modes
• Has a smile sensor where it will automatically snap pics when people are smiling.
• A blink warning for when people (Katie) have their eyes shut in the frame
• It will take up to 10 shots per each photo and save the clearest one
• It smooths skin tone and wrinkles
• Automatically adjusts for a dark atmosphere
• And a bunch of other awesome stuff!
  

I found one on ebay for $149, it comes with a mini tripod, a card reader, a 4GB memory card, lens cleaner, display protectors and a camera case. Also, it has free shipping.

This isn't something I could swing right now, but maybe at the beginning of next semester. I could probably manage if I didn't eat for a while.

What do you guys think? Any camera people out there? I've always heard great things about Nikons. Should I run away or start saving? Help me out!!

Hello, it's been awhile...

Let's do a little catch up of the past week and beyond..

Thursday 3/18-
My mom rolled into Rexburg and hilarity ensued.

Friday 3/19

• Breakfast/lunch at JB's

• Dinner at Winger's with Kellene and her boy.
  
• Afterward, Katie, my mom, and I all went and saw Bounty Hunter with Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston. Verdict: He's hot, but I'd wait til it comes out on DVD or a cheap theater near you before seeing it.

Saturday 3/20

• Hit the breakfast buffet at JB's and went to this super fun antique mall, Trackside Antiques. Some fruits that came out of this endeavor...

My hat!

A milk glass vase!!

3/21

• Taught my last lesson of the semester on The Holy Ghost.
• Laughed with my mom
• Stole her Nook and read for hours
• Got sad when I realized my mom was leaving the in the morning.

3/22

• Mom left, and I went back to school
• Had an epic water fight/ wrestling match/ Mortal Combat theme song dance-off with the roommates Monday night.

Bond. Stacey Bond.

With all the hub bub of my mom coming to visit, I haven't had time to post about a certain friend's birthday.

Miss Stacey Bond has been my very good friend for the past 3 years, and a fun acquaintance for years before that. We have similar senses of humor, but til the day I die I will say she has way better taste in music than I do.

You want some cool chill songs that haven't been beaten to death on the radio, talk to Stacey.

Reasons to love Stacey Bond:

1. She likes me.
2. We laugh a lot
3. She bakes like no one's business
4. She introduced me to Dr. Horrible, and thus began a long (and unrequited) love affair with Neil Patrick Harris.
5. She doesn't think I'm a horrible person when I comment on how ugly that baby is.
6. She agrees with me that the baby is horribly ugly.
7. She's addicted to craft and baking blogs like me.
8. She calmly told a homeless man that was offering to moon us and let us take a picture, " Thanks, but it's just going to be us in the picture."
   
9. She randomly shouts out STD's to dissuade rapists from attacking whilst walking through a park at night.
10. She doesn't do things in half-measures. If she loves something than she LOVES it. I admire that.

She really is one of the most amazing people I've met. People in the world that will never have the opportunity to meet her will suffer for it. I've learned lots from Stacey, and I'm glad that she's my friend.

So, here's to you Stacey, may me have many more summers like summer 2007 together. I love you!

Love-Hate Relationship

Katie's car hates me. Sometimes it won't start when I turn the key. Sometimes it won't even let me stick the key in the door.

It can be quite contrary, just like Katie.

Like today when I unlocked the door with my key and the alarm went off. I quickly started the car, hoping that it would silence it . It didn't.

I frantically fingered through the owner's manual trying to find a solution to the blaring beeps that seemed to be never ending. I called Katie freaking out, yelling, trying to be heard over the din. She told me to start the car. I did that.

While talking to her, a nice British man offered to disconnect the battery for me to silence the racket. I quietly thanked him, but declined.

Seconds later, the alarm stopped. I sighed, and smiled. I got into the car and shut the door, only to be greeted by the alarm starting up again. I wanted to cry. Students were milling around, leaving class, some waiting for my parking spot.

I called Katie again and told her that she needed to find her way to campus with her clicker, the only thing I knew that would turn it off.

She borrowed our roommate's car and saved the day.

Long story short? I hate her car, and it hates me.

Seriously Beautiful

I found this milk glass cake stand on Ebay and I'm in love. I love the little waves and I love the detail work underneath the platter part.

Am I the only person in love with this?

I will have one of these cake stands some day.


I can just see it sitting on my kitchen counter, housing a freshly baked delicious cake. It's a good sight.

And he was blessed for Joseph's sake...

We were reading about Joseph and Potiphar in Sunday school in Genesis 39 and someone read this verse.

5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.

" . . .the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house. . ."

How incredible is that? Joseph was so awesome of a person that those that were around him were blessed, merely because Joseph resided in their presence.

I want to live my life in such a way that those around me can be blessed because they associate with me.

I don't mean that to sound prideful, and if it does, I apologize. I've just never though about blessings in that perspective before. I think that its incredible that the Lord works this way.

I know that I've been blessed with so much because of the way my parents have lived their lives, and I want that for my children too.

The Light in the Attic

Today some of my friends and I hit up this little antique shop just off the highway that we've seen many times driving by.

It's called Attic Annie's and it's kind of adorable. I bought 3 pairs of funky fun earrings for $6!



They also had some beautiful dishes that I would love to own, but neither have the money nor the space for right now. Take a gander...


I love milk glass dishes. I want to own a complete set, especially a cake stand, I just think that they are so simply beautiful.

I was also digging the jadeite plates and mug they had for sale. I love the color and the history it has.

One of the things I'm most looking forward to is getting my own place and starting up my collection of beautiful things. Sigh...

Word (more or) less Wednesday

Snapshot from when my cousin Heather came to visit me in Idaho last summer. We had a blast!!

Silence

The darkened hallway that leads to slumbering roommates

As I sit at the kitchen table waiting for the microwave to produce my food, I'm surrounded by silence. Sunday afternoons at any college apartment are the quietest than any other day of the week. This is the time of the Sunday nap.

As I write this now, all of my roommates are currently slumbering away in their rooms. My head has yet to nuzzle my pillow. I just finished watching Australia for like the 5th time. It gets better every time I watch it.

But back to the silence. I enjoy it. And being surrounded by 5 other roommates, it is hard to come by. I like being able to sit and bask. It's a treasured time for me.

I can think about anything I want, just let my thoughts meander where they will. I think ahead to the time when I'll have my own apartment, and can enjoy the quiet whenever. I think even further ahead when things will be so noisy and chaotic that I will think about offering up my first born for a moment's peace.

I can't wait for those days.

Friday Fizzle

I was all set to take care of this disaster zone when I decided that I'd rather watch Teen Witch snuggled in bed instead of putting my shoes away.

I'm too easily swayed from my purpose. I'm a work in progress...

Word (more or) less Wednesday

Does this not look like my father? Same CPAP fighter pilot mask, dark hair, and chunky physique. Katie and I saw this in the Skymall Catalog on our flight home for Thanksgiving and nearly died with laughter.

Love him!

We Have No Bananas Today

I love this movie. I have ever since the first time I saw it. It's funny and serious. It's sad, yet it's happy.

Audrey Hepburn dazzles and Humphrey Bogart and William Holden are perfect. It's hard to find classically beautiful movies anymore, because they don't really make them. Movies today seem to have lost their timelessness.

One of my favorite parts is when David Larabee (William Holden) comes to see his brother Linus ( Humphrey Bogart) at his office and Linus demonstrates how much weight the new plastic can hold. I giggle every time.

I just love it.

Not to mention La Vie en Rose that has silently slipped into my heart and found a place there.

Judgment Day

March 1st. Let me lay it down for you...

Plans:

• Do Power 90 at least 2 times a week (Let's not get crazy...

So I belong to a gym and have been trying to go. Some weeks are better than others. Current weight loss: 4-7lbs (It seems to fluctuate daily)

• Read my scriptures regularly

I just started a 2nd block Doctrine and Covenants class, so I think that will help me on my scripture reading.

• Write at least a page a week in my book

Totally doing it! I probably write about 4 pages a week. It helps that we get 40 minutes of writing time each time we meet in my Creative Writing class.

• Start a book.

Started. It's a little different than the books I've always imagined writing, but I am enjoying it. My teacher likes it too! He read it out loud to the class because he,"really liked it, but couldn't pinpoint exactly why."

• Be a better pen pal to friends on missions

Ummm.....errrrr.....ahhhhhhhhh.....uhhhhhh.... I sent a letter to my friend Stacey Bond...who's not on a mission...but is a friend. So 1 out of 2 is an improvement...

• Be a harder worker, as posted about before.

Daily struggle. I've found myself in the mid-semester slump and not wanting to do anything. My bedroom was clean for a bit, not so much anymore. I'm rededicating myself. It's going to be great!