Kalangalang

A Legit V-Day Love Story [Part 1]

2012-02-07T14:08:00.000-08:00

I was sitting here listening to some of my favorite love songs, and it occurred to me that I haven’t yet written about the most wonderful part of my life! His name is Jared and I can’t even type his name without smiling. And since Valentine’s day is coming up, I figure this would be the perfect thing to write about!

I could go all the way back and talk about how we met when I was living at Glenwood, he’s Rebekah’s (one of my best friends) older brother – but…shame on me, I can’t actually remember meeting him, just that it was probably one evening when I wasn’t exactly looking my cutest. (He says he remembers meeting me but I guess there’s not much to the story since it was like a 2 second 'hello' :p).

Jump forward a few semesters, Jared decided to ask me out. He wrote me a card (and purposefully misspelled my name – he claims it was a clue that it was him who sent it, since his spelling skills are just a little lacking :p) and inside, his invitation to our date was written in the form of a mathematic equation (he knew I was a geek…but I’m definitely not into math/science as much as he apparently thought – kudos to him for trying though, it was still pretty clever). I saw the equation, shrugged it off and stuck it on my shelf (had it not been for his sister, I never would have actually figured out the equation and agreed to go out with him). – Long story short. The date was enjoyable…but a little awkward.

Jump forward another…semester or two. Jared invited me to go shooting with him, “we could call it a date if you want,” he said. “What the heck is wrong with this guy!?!” I thought. But I agreed to go cause…I like guns and almost never get the opportunity to go shooting. Long story short, I was super impressed by his collection and ability to handle weapons so well…and then I accidentally shot his truck. I did not expect another date after that.

A while ago, back around the end of October/beginning of November last year, I decided to take a Facebook fast (learn how to socialize offline, maybe get some homework done, etc.) without giving anyone any warning. I just closed down my page and didn’t log back in for 30 days. Apparently, it was at this time that Jared realized how much he’d enjoyed talking to me online and reading my silly status updates. So, when I got back online we started talking again – I believe it was that same week he invited me to join him, Rebekah and her husband to go to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights (he wasn’t really clear as to whether it was a date or not – I tried to dress cute anyway).

Shortly after that, I went to Texas for about a month. Jared and I had been playing Words with Friends and Chess with Friends constantly and continued to do so. Apparently, after his friend Chris gave him a nudge – Jared decided to be straightforward and honestly told me that he thought I was intelligent, quirky, and cute and that he was interested in dating me more. I told him I was interested in him as well and agreed that dating more would be a good way to better get to know each other. Jared started to actually talk to me a little more (via text…but, hey – we are the technology generation) and we continued to text everyday for about 3 straight weeks. Just before I flew back to UT, he asked me to go out with him a week after my return, and I said yes.

Right around the time that I flew back, Jessica (another of my best friends) told me that Jared had informed her and her husband that we were a “thing.” Unsure about what this meant (cause we had previously discussed dating but certainly had not agreed upon any kind of exclusivity or anything like that), I’d decided to approach the topic once I felt like I had a better idea of what his angle might be (in terms of dating).

That same week that Jared and I had agreed to go out, one of my exes called me up out of the blue and claimed that he just wanted to “catch up” so we agreed to get together on Monday (MLK Day) and go to the Dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving point. That evening (the day that my ex called me) I was texting Jared, and one of us mentioned that we should “hang out” on top of dating, so that we could get to know each other a little more and decided that on Monday evening, we would do just that.

So! MLK Day and I meet up with Josh (my ex) at the dinosaur museum. We had a fun time, kind of just wandering through and talking about the exhibits and everything and afterwards we even spent about 2 hours outside in the freezing cold just talking (got pretty flirty too – luckily, he had a little bit of a cold so he didn’t make any moves. Which is good because knowing that I was also interested in Jared – I would have had to do one of those artful dodges that gals tend to do in awkward situations like that, and…lets just say I’m not actually very good at those). It was enjoyable enough being with Josh but I was curious to explore the whole “dating Jared” thing, the idea of Jared really enticed me (mostly because he’d apparently given us a label, we were a “thing” and because…well, when a guy asks you out despite the fact that a year previous, you shot his truck…it could be a good sign!)

That evening, I drove down to Provo and met up with Jared at his apartment (which is on the darkest street I think I’ve ever seen in my life). We went and walked around the Riverwoods. We wandered into the toy store and talked about things like mutual friends and our childhoods. Then we went into an LDS book/heritage shop that had lots of paintings of temples and replicas of old LDS Books of Mormon and stuff (I loved it! And it was perfect because it was an opportunity to discuss the church a little bit – which is a huge deal for me since I’d never really been able to discuss anything spiritual with any of the guys I’ve dated in the past). At one point we were standing in front of the paintings of the temples and I asked him which temple is his favorite – his reply? San Diego (my favorite temple as well!)

Afterwards, we decided to go on a drive (since at that point, neither of us seemed to want to just end the evening there) so I kind of aimlessly drove around Provo a bit and we ultimately wound up at the Provo temple. As we got closer to the temple, I suddenly decided to ask Jared about his description of us as a “thing.” He got all flustered (which was great – no, not because I’m fond of torturing a guy with awkward, straightforward questions – it’s hard to explain, just, it made me feel like for once his opinion of me was something more to express other than, “sure…I like you…” – something he’d awkwardly said on previous dates but I’d never been sure I believed it). We managed to get through a mini DTR (Define The Relationship) and by the time I turned into the temple parking lot, we’d agreed to start a legitimate relationship.

“So…what does this make me to you?” I asked, “…I just wanna hear you say it!”

“Oh, it makes you my girlfriend!”

While we were at the temple, we just sat in my car in the parking lot and talked (Jared surprised me with a thermos of Apple cider - which is extra sweet since he remembered I’m lactose intolerant :p) So, over hot apple cider – we talked about anything and everything, our families, our temperaments, our spirituality, everything. It was really nice. I felt absolutely giddy about the fact that I was sitting next to this really great guy and at such a holy place and we both seemed to feel so comfortable with one another! It was the first time I felt like Jared and I had an actual connection (in previous dates, I’d felt like he and I should work out because of our similarities, but it never really felt like we’d actually connected on any real level. I’d honestly begun to think that we would only ever just be good friends, which was fine – after all, he’s one of my best friends’ brother, I figured he and I dating would just be awkward anyway). I actually felt like we'd finally taken that step beyond just friends.

So at the end of the evening, we spent a little bit of time outside looking at the stars (his street is dark enough for it!) and talking a little bit. I kept scooching close to him (partially cause I was cold and partially cause I was hinting at him that I wanted a hug) finally, I just went ahead and hugged him (just a minor disappointment, I thought “Dang…so much for a goodnight kiss if he’s not even gonna hug me! This is gonna be a sloooooooooow moving relationship!”). At one point, he kind of just looked at me and said he didn’t really know how to do the whole “end of a date” thing – but I couldn’t tell if he was trying to wave a white flag or build up courage, so I stuck around a bit (I think I even teased him a little about not having the confidence to kiss me) and finally, he leaned in and gave me a kiss (and, awkwardness aside, it was totally a magic Disney moment)!

The craziest part was after I got into my car, just before I closed the door, he told me to text him to let him know I’d made it home safe and quickly added, “Love ya!” before turning to walk away. I’ve never had a boyfriend tell me he loved me (at least not so soon and almost never without dishonorable intentions). I wasn’t entirely sure if I’d even heard him correctly, so I managed to get out a confused “Love you too!” – I’m not even sure if he heard me. The whole drive home, I kept asking myself “Did I really say that!? Did HE really say that!? DO I love him or did I just lie to my new boyfriend!?” (For the record, after some reflection - I realized that, no, I did not lie to my new boyfriend :p).

So that’s us – officially boyfriend & girlfriend.

…It would be interesting to hear his side of this whole story one day (I wonder if I could ever talk him into writing it down…if not for my own curiosity then maybe for posterity’s sake?)

More has happened since he and I became an official couple, and I’ll be writing more soon (assuming anyone is even interested), but this feels like a natural stopping point for now.

Project 365

2012-01-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

PROJECT 365 Weeks 2-3(ish)

Finding My Inner CaveWoman

2012-01-14T13:58:00.000-08:00

So...I'm pretty excited about this!
With my new years resolution to get in shape and eat better, I've decided to go paleo/primal. (No, I won't be moving into a cave, but I do intend to find my "inner cavewoman" :P)

Before I get into that, here are my overall/ultimate goals:

Be able to do at least 1 pull-up/chin-up by the end of the year.
Lose at least 3-4% body fat if not more.
Cut sugars, dairy, gluten, and processed foods out of my diet.
Eat as clean as possible/budget-able (grass-fed, pasture-raised, organic dirty dozen, stuff like that).
Learn to have a better relationship with food (as much as I LOVE carbs/sugars ...they don't love me back, so I have to learn to let em go in favor of the foods that will treat me well ...kind of like dating relationships :p).

WHAT I'M AVOIDING

Sugars, Processed Foods (Yeah...this category also includes beverages like soda as well as some popular cooking things like Vegetable oil), Gluten/Grains (Did you know corn is a grain? And humans can't actually digest it. Oh, and this category includes oats as well - goodbye mushy oatmeal), Dairy, and if you're gonna be really strict about it: No legumes, beans, white potatoes (although, I'm in the camp that says that white potatoes, while lacking in nutrients, are okay to have now and again) ...and there are a bunch of other controversial "is it paleo/primal or not?" foods -- I'm kind of avoiding legumes and beans too...but mostly because I'm really not a fan of em anyway :p

WHAT I AM EATING

Anything Real/Natural! Veggies (Any of em...except corn and white potatoes); Fruits (preferably fresh ones rather than dried ones but it doesn't really matter - however, because fruits tend to have more sugars, they're meant to be eaten a little less often than veggies); Meats/Fish (meats are obviously important because of the amount of protein they provide) generally, on a paleo diet, you wanna eat grass-fed beef/buffalo/etc.; Nuts (like wal-nuts, almonds, etc. - exclude legumes of course); and Fats (for cooking, it's a good idea to avoid vegetable oils and use clarified butter or even coconut oil instead - I love using coconut oil; as well as other fats sources like avocados!).

RECIPES

In preparation to start eating paleo, I wanted to make sure that I had a lot of recipes on hand so that I wouldn't wuss out and be like "I don't know what to have...oh, look! Bread! nomnomnomnom" and ruin the whole thing. This is a list of websites where one can find a variety of yummy paleo meals/recipes:

http://www.paleoplan.com/recipes/
http://paleodietlifestyle.com/paleo-diet-recipes/
http://www.chowstalker.com/whole30/
http://nomnompaleo.com/recipeindex
http://paleoblocks.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html
http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/recipes-index/
http://www.wholelifeeating.com/
http://everydaypaleo.com/category/food/
http://balancedbites.com/2010/10/priorities-for-eating-paleo-on-a-budget.html (This link is actually specifically about eating paleo on a budget!)

WHY PALEO? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Personally, I'm doing paleo because it takes into account the things that make me sick/feel blah anyway (like dairy, gluten, etc.) and because, by eating paleo even for just a week, I had more energy; I wasn't as hungry all the time; my skin got a little bit clearer; and I even lost an inch off my waist (these were just some of the things I've been self-aware enough to notice in the first week - After 2 weeks, I've seen even more benefits). If you read more into the diet itself here, here and here, you can get a better idea of what other benefits one might gain from it.

With the New Year, I decided I didn't wanna do one of those (typically) short term diets; I wanted to change my eating habits entirely to be much more healthy (you can ask anyone who knows me well, and they'll tell you that I'm not exactly known for my healthy eating habits :P) and I wanted to really get rid of the things that make me sick (you would not believe how badly I used to crave cheese, despite the fact that I'm lactose intolerant and shouldn't eat it). Obviously not every diet is perfect for everyone, this is just what I've decided would work best for me. I'm not gonna be a total nazi about it if I'm like out with friends or whatever (confession: I went to zupas the other day and... yes, I did eat the chocolate covered strawberry - but not the bread! :p), but it is something I intend to stick with as well as I can while keeping practicality and budgeting in mind!

In addition to healthy eating, I plan to increase my exercise (for now I just do a couple sets of body weight exercises at home, every other day) to some weight lifting (to build a little more muscle, tone up, and hopefully reach that pull-up/chin up goal) and cardio (hitting the treadmill!)

Project 365 - Week 1

2012-01-07T11:07:00.000-08:00

So, one of my resolutions is to complete a 365 Project.
For anyone who doesn't know what it is, it's pretty simple - you take 1 photo, everyday for 365 days.
The idea is that, after 365 days, you're bound to be a better photographer than you were when you started.
Additionally, it makes you use your camera everyday.

I've attempted this project previously and didn't get very far.
This time I've decided to use the camera on my phone (because I almost always have my phone with me) and an app called "365 Photos" for android (there are similar apps available for iPhone as well, such as the Project 365 app).

These are my photos from the first 7 days (well, 6 - I'll upload the 7th one at the end of the day today).

A New Experiment in ... OMG That burns!!!

2012-01-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it's a new year!
I decided that it's a good time for a little experimentation and trying new things!

So, the past 2-3 days, I've been experimenting with dadadadummmm... "Washing my Hair without Shampoo!" Okay, okay, before everyone scooches away from me in disgust, let me explain!

Since I've decided to change my eating habits to something a little more healthy and natural (blog post coming soon), I figured, why not try a few other more natural things? (No, I haven't gone full on hippy, "lets burn our bras, never shave, and go live off the land in the rainforest!" I just figured that if removing some of the processed, chemically manufactured foods from my diet can be beneficial, then what about using fewer chemicals in other parts of my life?) If it doesn't impress upon your inner "natural (wo)man" (<- The good one; not the one that makes you wanna have sex outta wed-lock or any of those other "baser-instincts.") then, perhaps it will impress upon your frugality. Just hear me out.

Image via Flickr

Apparently, you can replace your shampoo (which, even at $1 a bottle at the dollar store, is more expensive than the alternative I'm about to suggest) with...Baking Soda. Additionally, you can replace your conditioner with Vinegar (most sites I've read recommend White or Apple Cider).

Here's the reasoning (and I'm just paraphrasing - you can actually read a little more about it here and here and of course, you can always do a bit of Googling on your own to learn more):

Shampoo strips your hair of it's natural oils > So to make up for it, your body produces even more > So you have to wash your hair with stronger stuff or wash it more often (or both) > So your body produces even more oils > etc.

Image via Flickr

If you break that cycle by using something natural that doesn't strip your hair's natural oils (like baking soda and vinegar), first your body will go through a transition period (I've read that depending on your hair, what you were using, and how much oil your body produces, and whether or not you wuss out part way through and try shampooing again ;p this can last anywhere from 1-6 weeks) during which, your scalp has to learn just how much natural oil to produce (so your hair might be a little more ~~greasy~~ sleek than you're used to). However, after that transition period, there are a number of benefits to not using shampoo...

Your hair is supposed to become:
Healthier, easier to manage, shiny, easier to brush through (yay fewer rats!), easier to style, won't have to be washed quite as often, will have more vibrant natural color, and will have more body/volume

I'm totally up for benefits like those!

How to do it:
It takes a little while to figure out the exact ratios that are best for you (this is one of those, everyone is different kind of things) but basically, you create a mix of water and baking soda (most things I've read recommend a ratio of 1 part baking soda to 3 parts water - but, again, you're meant to troubleshoot until you find a ratio that works for you) and a similar mix of vinegar and water (or you can go it straight, depending on how much acidity your hair needs to up the acidity of your hair to kill bacteria and what not...it's chemistry stuff - I'm just gonna mess with the measurements until it works. Some people don't like the harsh vinegar smell...[which fades as your hair dries] so they'll add some essential oils like tea tree or lavender to mask the smell).
Side note: If you dye your hair with chemicals, the vinegar will strip the color!

Okay...
So, I'm currently trying it - I'm on Day 3.
My hair isn't quite as oily as I thought it might be, but it's enough to bother me a bit. (Yes, it's driving me insane to have it that way...but I'm hoping my transition period is only gonna last 2 weeks...if it lasts longer...I may wuss out and go back to shampoo :p -- Or, I'll try an alternative such as Marseille Soap which, because it lasts longer than shampoo, is still cost effective and is also more natural). Additionally, I suddenly have lots of little flakes ( though I can't tell if it's dandruff (in which case, I'll add a little tea tree oil to the vinegar), if it's because I didn't rinse out all the baking soda, or if it's because I showered with hot water <- cooler water is better for your hair/skin, because it doesn't dry out our skin like hot water).

Though I am going to note something very important that I've learned so far (and this is where the "OMG That Burns!!!" part of the blog title comes in) - wait until AFTER rinsing your hair with the vinegar to shave your legs. If you thought using Nair burned...try shaving and then having a few drops of apple cider vinegar hit your legs (remember that chemical burn scene in the movie 'Fight Club'? Yeah...it's basically that!)

Something else I'm considering trying: Oil Facial Cleanses Goodness knows I'm willing to try anything to even out my crazy crazy skin!

New Years Resolutions

2011-12-29T19:02:00.000-08:00

Relevant and Funny... (Calvin and Hobbes is one of my Favorites!)

Except I'm gonna make some resolutions anyway...

Think of it as a "12 in 2012" (to go along with my 30 Before 30 ...which I need to go back and edit :p) and these aren't really in any particular order.

Learn/Improve Time Management Skills - Between my internship, classes, other resolutions, Institute publicity committee, and the hope of actually having a social life, I'm really going to need to manage my time wisely this semester!
Get in Shape - Because "blob" is not a shape. No, I don't intend to completely lose my curves (cause I actually really like em) but I do intend to tone up, lose some weight, and get healthier in general.
Eat Better - (although I think technically, this one should really be more like "Get some willpower") I'm planning on cutting back on calories and trying to stick to a more paleo diet. (I already try to limit, if not avoid dairy because I'm lactose intolerant, but gluten intolerance runs in my family [actually, most people are gluten intolerant, they just don't know it] so I figure it couldn't hurt to see if cutting out gluten and grains maybe wouldn't help give me more energy. Although, it'll be difficult since I really love carbs).
Do more with my camera(s) - I have a P&S, a DSLR, and a camera on my phone but I feel like I haven't been doing a lot of photography. I'm planning on maybe doing a 365 project and hopefully trying to do more photography in general. Take portraits, go on photo adventures, etc.
Be a Better Friend - The past few semesters have been super busy and I haven't had a lot of opportunities to spend time with my friends, especially those in Provo/Orem which makes me sad. Hopefully that can be remedied.
Increase Spirituality - Obviously one to always be working on. And naturally it includes getting better at scripture study, completing visiting teaching and callings, etc. etc.
Graduate - I should add "...without burnout." I'll probably walk in May, but I won't officially be done with my degree until the end of summer.
Date More - I can't really say that I particularly enjoy dating (if you think I'm awkward in a casual group settings, I promise - I'm worse in a one-on-one date setting...and probably even moreso, the more interested I am in the guy). However, in this past year I've been on a grand total of (maybe) 2 dates this whole year [assuming they counted as dates, cause 50% of the time, guys don't specifically say "date" so I can't always tell if it's a hang out or a date - so confusing and yet another way to make sure it's awkward]. This year, it would be nice if I could at the very, very least top out at 3. :p
Improve My Sleeping Habits - I don't think I've ever had good sleeping habits. But I do have more energy and am more active and productive when I get enough sleep, so it's probably a good goal to have.
Increase My Intelligence - One of my favorite parts of Academic team in high school was learning all the random bits of trivia, I knew a little bit about everything (a lot of which, I learned on my own through research and reading) and most of the stuff I learned, I still know - but part of the fun of it all was learning! (The second part of the fun was showing off my random trivia knowledge! :P) I'd like to get back into learning about a wide variety of things, various, random facts and anecdotes - stuff like that!
Decrease My Awkwardness - I'm not entirely sure how to accomplish this goal...but it is a goal! I'll never be a Grace Kelly or an Audrey Hepburn in terms of grace and class...but if I could get to a point where I can get through a simple conversation without saying something awkward or being too loud or anything, that would be awesome.
Be Awesome - Mostly because my mind blanked and I needed one more goal :p

So, yep - those are my goals for 2012! :)

What are yours??

Travel

2011-12-18T22:39:00.000-08:00

This is the most recent event that's happened.

On the 14th, I flew from Salt Lake City, UT to El Paso, TX to spend the holidays with my family.
I flew on Southwest (cheapest tickets I could find - which is to be expected from a company who's number 1 goal is the be the cheapest airline possible) and had to fly from SLC International to Sky Harbor International (in Phoenix, AZ) - wait around for about 2 hours to get onto a flight to El Paso.
Much to my disappointment, there are no direct, nonstop flights from SLC to ELP - you can't avoid a layover.

The last time I flew, my layover was actually longer, but I was prepared - I downloaded a bunch of TV show episodes to my iPod and laptop to watch while I waited for my next flight. This time I wasn't quite as prepared. I arrived in Phoenix around 12:30ish, hungry and without entertainment. I figured I could just go to one of the little airport restaurants, grab something and people watch until my flight, but the nearby restaurants were all super crowded and there was no where to sit (well, except in the boarding areas). So I wandered into the CNBC store, picked up a book ("The Help" - thought I'd read the book before I see the movie), some pretzel/crackers and a soda (I was sleepy!) and then I headed over to the boarding area to read/snack. (Funnily enough, I wound up sitting across from a girl who was doing the same thing! - She was eating the same thing, and reading the same book as she sat next to her purple carry on case, wearing a cute purple/burgundy skirt, top, and cardigan outfit. In my mind, she was a much more fashionable, jet-setting version of me, probably on her way to see a fiancé or go to an interview for a fun and artsy new job).

Luckily, the time passed quickly enough and I was able to get onto my flight to Texas without any problems.

Last time I flew, I wound up in awkward and uncomfortable seats either between two talkative business people or squished up against the window while the guy sitting next to me shifted uneasily in his seat like he was gonna vomit the whole time - this time around I was able to sit by the window on both flights. The first next to a middle-aged couple that didn't say a word to me (which I was totally cool with). The second, next to two older ladies, who saw my book and then dove right into a conversation about civil rights during the 60s (after a while, I didn't really feel as though I was necessary or important to the conversation, so I just slouched down and quietly went back to reading my book).

Another difference between the last time I flew and this time around, was the fact that I took photos. Previously, I was so concerned about the plane's controls that I shut off my phone before I even got onto the plane (and didn't turn it on until I got off) - this time, I went ahead and left it on and took pictures until the pilot or flight attendant announced that all devices needed to be switched off.

Leaving UT I got an awesome view of the mountains, and over AZ, I was actually able to see some of the Grand Canyon! :)

I kept thinking about how awesome it would be to be a pilot or a stewardess; to get to travel every day as a job, and to get to see such amazing views of the sky!

All in all, pretty okay trip (well, besides my ear and head aches, but they weren't quite as bad as they could have been, so I've got that to be thankful for).

Upcoming...

2011-12-17T19:51:00.000-08:00

First of all - redesign! Well...sorta. As much redesign as you can do with a blogger layout without digging too far into the code (which I don't like doing on here, because I feel like it's kind of a pain the way that Blogger interprets stuff with it's pre-exisitng structure).

Second of all - Yay, I'm back to blogging. I feel like I keep getting interrupted in this particular endeavor by school (so, we'll see how long this burst of blogging lasts).

Some posts that will be coming soon:

My work from my Video Production class this past semester
Travel
Internship/Career goals/developments
My 30 Day Facebook Fast

So those are some things to look forward to! :)

Summer Haze, Summer Days, End of Summer Semester-itis

2011-07-27T00:25:00.000-07:00

I don't wanna do ANYTHING!
Well...correction, I don't wanna do anything school related!
I can't focus. I tried to study today. It didn't work. I wound up eating (which is bad since I've been working so hard to not eat when I'm bored/upset/etc.) Todays Goals, SO not met!

The most I've done today was take down all the pictures from my walls and start packing a few things
See, orange bag all packed, and a few smaller boxes...I'm pretty sure this is the cleanest part of my dorm right now :p

I wasn't gonna blog again until finals were over...so much for that!

Tonight I was getting antsy and needed to get out.
I went for a drive - sometimes I'd rather be alone on these little outings, other times I want company (it'll be nice if one day I have a companion to join me on these little adventures - be it a roommate, best friend, boyfriend, husband...or even a dog :p).

It was sunset when I left so I drove to one of my favorite spots on campus - the big parking lot near the engineering building - you can see the skyline of SLC from there - it's pretty awesome.
I took a few self portraits:

(Narcissistic that I'm posting so many pics of me in one post? Maybe. But it IS my blog! So...Nyeh!)

Here are some pics of the skyline and the clouds that were hanging out over the engineering building:

I'm tempted to use this ^^^ one to create some kind of inspirational poster... so cliche right!?

You'll notice all these pictures have a vintage-y flair to em...yeah...I was messing with some new vintage presets in Lightroom. I really kind of love the faded/hazy/yellow/orangey look of vintage photos lately.

After a bit I decided to go drive around town a bit (I really love SLC, most people seem to complain, but I have to say, it's really got character and there's always something cool to look at! Especially at night, it's like a whole other place at night!)

As I usually do on these little outings, I wound up at the Temple.
The sky was really pretty when I got there. Unfortunately, the moment I got out of my car, the sun decided to just dive below the horizon, so I didn't have a whole lot of time, but I did manage to get a few shots:

Out on the street corner, there was a piper (wearing a full Scottish gettup, kilt and everything) playing for everyone. It was fantastic, but even more fantastic was when all the sister missionaries were walking home, he started to play "Called to Serve" - it was one of the most awesome things I've ever witnessed in my life! :)

I wasn't really able to get a shot of the piper (every time I moved to get a clear shot, the whole corner would fill up with people waiting to cross the street and the shot was blocked). I wound up crossing the street and just trying to see what I could get from there. This is what I wound up with (I probably would have gotten some better shots if I'd had my mini tripod with me, but of course, I didn't).

Side note: All of these photots were taken with my Sony point and shoot camera.

Anyway...I guess I should either try and get some sleep or try and accomplish something...

Quick Update Before Things Get Crazy...

2011-07-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

So! I'm getting ready to really get into studying for finals and writing all those wonderful "last-minute, end-of-the-semester, oh-you-have-a-final?-let-me-stress-you-out-more-with-a-15pg-paper!" papers. So...busy!

I've been ~~avoiding getting a head start~~ chilling out a bit (just finished midterms, figured I was due for a lazy day or two) before all that happens.

I'm *SO* lucky that I get to move out of the dorms (which is gonna involve not just packing, but also cleaning [most of which, I'll wind up doing because my roommate never cleans and I don't wanna get stuck with any fees] - blegh!) during the SAME week as finals! X_x

I have two final exams on Friday (the 5th) and I have to sign out of the dorm by 2pm on Sat. (the 6th). So, that's gonna be fun...

It sucks that right when things get busy and I HAVE to be here...I suddenly REALLY wanna get out of UT (I could SO go for a weekend in CA right about now).

Anyway...in happier news...

I'm starting to love exercising (I particularly love it after exercising. Before exercising, I usually have to really psych myself up for it XP) and I'm definitely noting differences! My back is definitely stronger (it used to be sore all the time cause...who knows! Now it's sore all the time because I'm actually building up muscles! :P), I've got abs (okay...so they're nowhere near being visible - but they are there - I promise!), and my stamina has increased (I can get up all the stairs to my floor [3rd floor] without getting outta breath!). I've probably lost about 8lbs too...but more importantly, I'm toning up! :)

Side note: I still absolutely loathe sweating. I will NEVER enjoy that aspect of exercise. Even if (in the words of my friend) "Sweat is fat crying!" :p

Lately, I've had two songs on repeat (they'd be on repeat on my iPod, but it's kind of out of commission until I update my Apple developer program thing...cause I have a beta iOS installed on it and I can't seem to get it to downgrade to the current iOS so...it's refusing to function). But I'm on Spotify and Grooveshark so...as I was saying, on repeat:

This song because I'm in love...with life mostly...even though I don't really have one (since all I ever do is study or exercise :p)

This song because I'm *finally* getting over a guy (which I'm sure all my friends will rejoice about, cause I totally know they're all so freaking sick of hearing about it). Yay! - Seriously, it's so obnoxious how a guy can get to you even when he isn't around! It's just one of the many reasons I've come to really dislike dating...and the majority of the male gender. Whatever, I'm over it.

Last of all (and mostly cause I hate writing posts without a picture), I took this photo yesterday night (no, it wasn't that late at night, it was like 9:30 but I decided that I wanted to go for a drive). This is right across from President's Circle. (I honestly didn't realize that the underground "Pie Pizzeria" that everyone loves so much, was just over there! - Anyway, I'd like to go sometime, but generally dislike going to new places alone, so if anyone wants to go with me sometime - lemme know!)

Oh yeah...the reflection is because I didn't have my tripod with me (and my camera isn't particularly fond of trying to shoot in such a low-light situation while being hand-held) so I set my camera on top of my car to take the pic...thus the reflection in the car. :p

New Blah-g Post!

2011-07-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

Oh look at that, I haven't blogged in almost a month...no, wait - it's only July 19th (my mind keeps trying to jump me ahead to August...probably cause that's when summer classes end, I move into my new apt., and Fall classes begin).

So, here's a quick update on the past 15 days...

I uploaded the non-linear short story I wrote about Chernobyl for my Writing for New Media class, you can see/read it (HERE).
This is where I'm at in terms of graduating (apparently the picture just HAD to have it's own bullet point...what a snob):
After Fall semester, I'll only have about 8 classes left (about 2 semesters) - assuming I can get into the classes that are required for my major (if I can't, then it's gonna draw this out a little longer...which will definitely upset me...but the upside will be that I can push back loan repayment AND I can continue to avoid getting one of those "paying-your-dues-entry-level-blah" type jobs that you get between getting your degree and finding your career). I'm hoping to be done by the end of next summer though. -- Also...my GPA isn't really that high, by the end of the summer semester it'll be closer to a 3.1

I thought I bombed a test for my Vis. Comm. class (turned out I managed to get an 83...not too shabby considering the fact that I only read about 1/2 the readings and missed the review) - I also got a 94 on a scrapbook project for the same class. If I'm lucky, I think I'll manage to get a B in this class (which I realize isn't exactly aiming high, but I'm trying to do well in all my classes while also keeping myself from getting overly stressed - if that means getting a B in order to keep my sanity, then so be it)!

I got through a paper (book report/analysis paper) and an all essay midterm (both due at the exact same time - I wound up pulling an all-nighter to finish reading the book and write the paper by 8am and then spent the hours between 9 and 11:50 working on the midterm. IF zombies could feel...I could seriously say that I know how they feel (although, if they're undead do they really feel tired and achey?)

I started a new workout routine (well...not really "routine" I really just threw in a little more structure) by starting the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred:

For the record: I am a total wuss! I've done level 1 multiple times over the past week and 1/2 (midterms threw me off, and finals probably will to so it's gonna wind up being more of a 30-ish Day Shred :p) and I STILL haven't gotten through Level 1 without wussing out one way or another. Today, I thought I'd go ahead and give Level 2 a try...I made it through 5 minutes and then switched back to Level 1.

I've started using Google+ and I love it. If you don't know what it is, it's basically Facebook (but greatly improved) with a bit of Twitter thrown in. You can read more about it (HERE). It's given me a way to interact and network MUCH more with Photographers, Designers, etc. without worrying about giving away too much personal information (or just being obnoxious in general - anyone who's friends with me on Facebook, knows what I'm talking about).
Anyway - I have invites if you're interested.

I've been trying to really make an effort when it comes to social networking because I really want to be able to confidently say that I know how to use social networking. The better I know how to use social networking, the better I think I can get an idea of how it can really be harnessed for marketing by businesses and how it can create more symbiotic relationships between customers and companies/professionals. Social networking is quickly becoming the main tool people use to interact with one another on a broader level (even globally), it's also becoming one of the main ways that we can interact with our world. I realize people complain about it all the time "Oh, it's the fall of Western Civilization all because of Myspace and Facebook blah blah blah..." but the thing is, if people don't stop complaining and start accepting it and using it to it's fullest potential, then we'll all miss out on an opportunity to make social networking a GOOD thing rather than a BAD thing. For example, if we set a standard now of insisting that companies are more responsive and transparent in their dealings with customers, think of how that would improve businesses in the long run? If we learn now how to really use and implement this technology, think of all the GOOD that can come of it. Things only get bad if you LET them!

Okay, I'll get off the soap box now...but expect to see a blog post about this in the future!

I've had "boy problems" - Let's just turn this into a quick analogy:
*I used to have this favorite cookie Choco-Chip, but things got pretty bad between the Choco-chip cookie and I so we split, and I avoided the Choco-chip cookie.
*A long while (and other cookies) later, I started to talk to with Sugar cookie, and then hung out with Sugar cookie for a bit (and realized that Sugar cookie's a LOT of fun to be around).
*Shortly after this, I started to talk to Choco-Chip cookie again and realized that it was still my favorite (but I kind of felt like I shouldn't give into this realization because, as the saying goes, 'history repeats itself').
*Decided not to give into realization and to try and move on (but it's really difficult). Meanwhile, Sugar cookie is busy, but still sweet on me. Although I think its interest in becoming a favorite has waned.
*I realized that through ALL this, there are a couple of other cookies (we'll call em...'Boy Scout' cookies) that are around every now and then and are all very sweet on me, so I'm happy to spend time with them, but I kind of question their level of interest.
*For now, I've decided to just let things happen, I've put forth too much effort in the past and things got crumbly. Besides, all the worry and thought I put into cookie selection and etc. usually just stresses me out WAY more than it needs to. If a cookie's interested in becoming my favorite, I'm sure it will figure out a way to make it happen (not like it's THAT difficult).

I know what you're thinking! "Did she just compare guys to cookies?!" Yes, yes I did...but only because the category was the first thing I could think of that has no obvious hierarchy (beyond personal preferences) and contains a variety of different entities.

....I never was all that good with analogies. - So...yeah, that's my dating life - for now - but that was just the last 2 weeks...stuff happens quickly in my life! :p

Oh, so speaking of food! - A while back, I reviewed a Bakery and Tea shop here in SLC on Yelp.com and today I received the Yelp - SLC Newsletter in my inbox and found that, MY review is one of the Picks of the Week! (Probably only because they did a search for "tea reviews" and mine was the most recent one posted) - Apparently it's pretty easy to make me feel accomplished.

Update on my goal of getting more sleep - It's not working out so well. Between the random all-nighters (which are my fault and I'm trying to prevent em) and all the noise of the dorms (at all hours of the day/night too - mostly loud people, loud parties, and loud music - there IS a sound curfew, but no one obeys it and and no one enforces it), I really haven't been getting very much sleep. :\
Thank goodness I move out at the end of the month.
Update on my goal of eating better - Did I NOT just use an entire cookie analogy!? So...I'm not exactly eating better - the dining hall is ALWAYS crowded (EFY, conferences, and sports camps ensure this throughout the summer) and lately I've been avoiding it like the plague, and just eating granola bars or whatever cheap this or that I can get at the deli (usually sushi/CA rolls or a salad <- but with tons of dressing cause for some reason I've been completely averse to greens - no idea why!) Every now and then (but definitely more often than I should) I'll go out to get something (I'm addicted to the Cheddar Broccoli soup at Corner Bakery Cafe - I don't even like broccoli! - and I am in LOVE with L&L Hawaiian's Kalua Pork and Spam Musubi, so much so that I'm now determined to learn how to make it myself). The good news is that I'm eating less, the bad news is that it's either WAY less than I should (I'm certain my body is growing ever more concerned that there's a food shortage that it doesn't know about) or just stuff that's not particularly healthy. This will all improve soon enough when I'm living with my cousin...I just hope she's cool with my taking over the kitchen now and then (don't worry, I'll do the dishes!) :p

Okay...well...I'm gonna call that good for now.

At this point,...I'm pretty sure that only my Mom, Aunt, and bestie, Jessica read my blog (<- I still read yours Jess...I've just been lame about commenting, sorry!)

Happy Independence Day

2011-07-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

I'd really like to be one who can share something really deep about freedom and Independence (naturally, as an Army brat, I'm thankful for my Dad's - as well as every other soldier's - service in the military and I appreciate the freedom I have as a citizen of the United States), but honestly, I've never been one to come up with something like that at the right moment and according to my mind, there's no reason to start now.

So instead, I'll simply just share some random bits from this weekend. Proof that you don't necessarily have to do a traditional Bar-B-Que and Fireworks to celebrate the 4th.

Friday evening - I went to the SLC temple (rather late too, and was lectured for it. As a result, from now on, I'll be sure to have a buddy accompany me). I do have to say though that I really prefer the temple later at night, because it's all lit up so lovely, there are no crowds or creepy/crazy protesters, and it's actually nice and quiet. Very calming. - You do however have to ignore the random couples that like to hang out in the grass.

Anyway - I snapped this photo (and a bunch of other photos) of the temple with my cell phone (it's the most reliable camera I have since I almost ALWAYS have it with me, unlike my DSLR and point and shoot :p) Sunday, I got a random text message from my cousin Amanda inviting me to go with her to family dinner at my Aunt and Uncle's house. Which was super fun! We all had dinner (tasty as always, though my Aunt insisted that she just "threw it together," I definitely enjoyed it! :p)

After dinner, we hung out and chatted, my cousin Alex showed us his new iPad which he got for free from his job (I seriously need to get myself a job that has perks like THAT! :P). Then we went outside and my Uncle tightened the screws on my car battery (it had to be removed and charged after it died the other day - I had to have my car towed to an autoparts store) - he also checked the oil level, windshield wiper fluid, etc. which is why he's pretty much the coolest! :)

Once it got dark (which takes forever during the summer), my uncle set off some fireworks for us - which I LOVED! He had some scooters parked in the driveway and the fireworks were creating some pretty neat shadows on the garage door:Monday (today), SINCE It is the 4th of July today, everyone's been asking me what my plans were, but I haven't really had any (most of my friends are married and doing their own thing; out of town; etc.) and I don't come from a particularly celebratory family so, I didn't really have any plans.

Today, I've mostly decided to wing-it.

I'd planned to sleep in until at least noon (yes, yes, I know - "Early to bed, early to rise, blah blah blah...") but around 11 I was woken up by my cell phone making text-y noises. My friend Scott and (a few minutes later) Jessica texted me. After a short convo. with them, I promptly stuck my phone under my pillow and tried to go back to sleep...eventually I dragged (drug?) myself out of
bed and decided to exercise for a bit (for the record, lunges hurt just as much as planks and I'm going to be VERY sore tomorrow).

After showering, I decided to get a movie going to have on in the background while I did a little homework. Typically, for my family, a holiday is an excuse to eat a lot and spend the day off watching TV (which is actually quite nice once we all actually agree on what to watch :p) and since every year you can generally find "Independence Day" on TV - I usually wind up watching that. So, today, I watched Independence day - because nothing says 'patriotic' like watching Will Smith fight off an alien invasion!
After watching "Independence Day," I decided to run to the store real quick to take a break from homework and pick up some double-sided tape (I have a 'scrapbook' project to do for my vis. comm. class and while my cousin gave me some free scrapbook papers - I didn't realize I was lacking in any kind of adhesives for the project :p). - On a whim, I also picked up a set of gel pens (the 6th grader in me is absolutely giddy about this purchase and REALLY wants to write a variety of silly/fun notes/letters to friends right away! :p)

By the time I'd finished at the store, it was dinner time and I thought I'd get something 'patriotic' for dinner - a hot dog and I remembered that Five Guys has em...however, I couldn't bring myself to order a hotdog at a hamburger place (especially a place that has my favorite hamburgers!) So I got one of those instead and...FRIES! <3 (I'm certain that, that single meal alone completely negated any of today's exercise).

I've kind of gotten into the habit of photographing my food...I'm not sure why I've been doing it, but it definitely has become a bit of a habit... - Like I didn't have enough odd quirks before! :p

Anyway, once I got home, I sat down to do a little homework and realized that it was rather quiet...so now I've got "Sherlock" on in the background (you can stream it on Netflix) - This will be my 9th time watching the 3 episode season of the show...I am absolutely in love with it! - Though...I really have no idea how watching a British show is patriotic...mostly cause it makes me wish I were living in the UK! :p

Happy 4th of July! :)

Ch-Ch-Changing...

2011-06-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

So, I'm pretty proud of myself.The past two months I've made some changes...
--I'm taking school a little more seriously (although it's kind of lame that I've only just decided to do that now when I'm hitting my final year before I get my degree).
--I'm managing my finances better (even though I was technically forced to do so since I didn't get any of my financial aid until JUST a week or 2 ago and had to make do with what I had *which was pretty much nothing* - turns out, I'm pretty good at managing with very little, so I guess one day should my family fall on hard times *crossing my fingers that we don't!*, I'll at least know what to do.)
--I've learned how to avoid emotional eating and I've begun to eat healthier and exercise regularly (and much more effectively) - I've actually lost some weight (though that wasn't really my goal - I'm not complainin')!
--I'm learnING (as in...I'm working on it) to be a little more level headed when it comes to making decisions (especially those that could potentially affect [or is it effect, I used to have a handle on this!] other people ...ah, maturity! I knew I would develop some sooner or later!) AND, since I know that I'll one day be married and have children (thank you, Heavenly Father, for that little doozy of a news flash) - I've started to try and think ahead about how my actions and habits might one day have an affect on them (don't get me wrong, I'm still doing what I can to enjoy being single and childless for now, but it can't hurt to become a better person along the way).
For the longest time I've pushed my life forward, ignoring every impression, instinct, and bit of advice that came at me, and forced things to happen (I've always thought this was good, like I'm a "go getter!") but considering how this usually ends...I've decided to let life happen a little more naturally/organically (I still have my ambitions and goals of course, but I've decided not to push as hard for them. Especially when it comes to dating -___-'') I need to learn to listen to good advice and to the promptings of the spirit so that I can do what I need to do not just what I WANT to do. Just cause I can make things happen, doesn't mean I should. Someone told me recently that sometimes I just need to let life act upon me so that when I do take action, it's a calm, accepting reaction rather than a forcing action.
--I'm trying to strengthen my testimony. I've decided to read the entire BoM all the way through (I keep saying that I'm going to, but never actually go through with it - this time, I'm determined). I read a little bit of it at various moments throughout the day (in the dining hall and on the shuttle to class) every day. And I've been very consistent with my prayers (I've NEVER been consistent with my prayers.) - Last semester, I was talking to my Mom every single day but never spoke to God. Now I pray EVERY day and ...Mom hears from much less often (which might sound sad, but I'm sure that for her, it's a welcome break :p). Last of all, I've made it a personal goal to get to the temple before the year is over (preferably more than one visit but I'm trying to keep my goals simple enough that I don't overwhelm myself...yes, I'm lame - let's just focus on the fact that I at least WANT to go, that's a REALLY good sign!)
--Last of all, I know it might not seem like it to a lot of my friends, but I am actually managing my stress a LITTLE bit better. (Getting SO stressed that I burned myself out and had to take a WHOLE semester off, was a really big deal for me. I never want to get that stressed again!) I don't think I've really found anything that really works for me just yet, but I'm still trying. I've been trying not to take on too much; getting more sleep; and when I feel "blah" and can't focus, I'm more comfortable taking a break (I usually wind up dancing around and singing along *loudly and off-key* to some fun music; doing some crunches; or watching an episode of a TV show :p)
HOWEVEREven with ALL of that...I still feel like I still need to change something... X_x It's kinda driving me crazy! :p

The Scottish Festival & Highland Games

2011-06-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

So I'm trying to catch up a bit on this blog since I've been so busy with my Writing for New Media class (which finally ended, though I haven't gotten my final grade - I think I'll probably wind up with a B+ if not an A). Anyway - on the 10th and 11th of this month, I drove down to Lehi to go to the Scottish Festival and Highland Games!

I only had a little bit of time on the first day so I was really only there for about an hour, maybe two to take a few pictures, have some fish 'n chips (<3), and see the Tattoo.

While watching the games, I came to the conclusion that I really enjoy watching guys pick up heavy objects and throw em (even though I'd normally just roll my eyes and walk away, this was all about tradition)! :p
On day two - I was a volunteer (my cousin Amanda was the volunteer coordinator this year). Originally, I was just gonna hand out programs at the gate, but Amanda asked me to walk around and take photos of the volunteers instead, and I was super happy to do so! :p

Fun Times! - I'm looking forward to getting down to the Payson Scottish Festival in July.

My 30 Before 30 List!

2011-05-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

These are 30 Things I'd Like to Do Before I Turn 30.

(I will be 30 on Sunday, May 2, 2021)

Graduate from College with a Bachelor's Degree.
Fall in love and marry in the temple <3 (Bonus - Family pictures, every year! ^^)
Be absolutely worthy of the blessings mentioned in my patriarchal blessing.
Find a home (by which I mean an apartment/house/whatever where I could potentially live for a minimum of 4 years without having to pack up and move!)
Go abroad (and take like a million pictures while traveling!)
Get into the best physical shape of my life. (Not necessarily "Skinny" but definitely "Healthy!")
Love My Job! (Whether I'm working as a photographer, designer, housewife, and/or mother, etc. etc.)
Be able to speak at least 1 foreign language, fluently.
Buy a car (one that I paid for, and not actually belonging to my parents :P)
Scrapbook (or at the very least, find some way to efficiently organize and journal all the events of my life so I can look back on everything one day).
Create a body of work (photography/design/art) that I can be truly proud of.
Pay off my Student Loans. (At the very least, pay off 1/2 of the total amount upon graduation).
Own my own firearm (but pray every day that I will never actually have to use it for protection).
Learn to get prepared for emergencies without letting fear get the better of me (actually have food storage, emergency kits, etc. and be able to put them together without having a breakdown, freak out, or nightmares).
Find a healthy and effective way to manage my stress.
Memorize all the scripture mastery scriptures. (Bonus points - in 2 languages!)
Learn how to do at least 1 ballroom dance (preferably tango).
Teach others about something I'm passionate about (photography, design, etc.)
Live in a big city.
Receive a love letter.
Go on a road trip with at least 3 other friends - record videos and take lots of pictures along the way.
Learn to write thank you cards (and always do so when good manners calls for it!)
Win a game of Risk
Go to DIsneyLand AND DisneyWorld
Express to my friends/family how much I love them and how much they mean to me!
Make a difference in someone's life.
Learn to manage my allergies so well that they don't affect my days at all.
Find and buy a pair of CUTE and COMFORTABLE high heels :p (Bonus - Learn to walk in said high heels!)
Learn to be more patient.
Live to age 30 (...maybe this should have been the first thing on the list! :P)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2011-05-08T12:55:00.001-07:00

Solution Saturday...

2011-05-07T10:51:00.001-07:00

I don't think this will be a weekly thing, but I like alliteration so I figured it'd be an acceptable post title! :P

So, first problem?
I've gotten a little *cough*a lot!*cough* outta shape since I left UT to visit family for 2 months. Prior to leaving UT, I had access to the community gym and was hitting the treadmills there about 5 days a week for 30-40 min.

The solution?

Once I return to UT, I will once again have access to treadmills and what-not since I'll be living on-campus and can get to the rec./fitness center *yay!*
Since I'm not so great about setting up fitness plans (generally I just wing it and then get upset when I'm not seeing any improvement) so...I've found a few simple ones that I think I could follow!

The Starter's Exercise Plan
Train for Long Distance Running (really I'd just like to eventually be able to run for a sustained amount of time)
The 100 WorkOut
30 Minutes, No Equipment (just in case the gym is crowded!)

A Little Encouragement: (1) (2) (3)

Okay, Second problem?

I've never been much of a breakfast person. I don't know if it's because of hypoglycemia (my blood sugar drops so low while I sleep that I wake up feeling kinda sick pretty much every morning) or because I've never been particularly fond of breakfast foods at breakfast time (I'm very texture specific, and squishy eggs, mushy oatmeal, and soggy cereal just don't sound particularly pleasant to me - especially in the morning).

The Solution?

THIS amazing bowl. Isn't it brilliant!? I totally want one! :P

Third Problem?

Apparently there are lots of potholes in Paris. (There are lots of potholes in other places as well).

The Solution?

A Parisian Woman started to fill potholes with yarn! It's not a permanent or perfect solution, but it looks cool and maybe it'll lead to a more permanent solution by hinting to authorities that something needs to be done!

Last Problem?

Too much Facebook?

Solution?

Envision a world without Facebook (personally, I prefer a world WITH Facebook, it's easier to share things with friends).

Embracing the Transition

2011-05-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

(I actually wrote this a few months ago, but seeing as how I haven't updated this blog in forever and need to start updating it a little more consistently, I figured I'd start by posting this :P )

Disclaimer: I tend to be pretty over dramatic, so when I say "all my friends" I generally just mean the 40% of them that are engaged/married/etc. - I DO have single friends too - but I was whining when I wrote this so I just HAD to be overdramatic and say "all" :P

I still feel like I'm too young for this.

I am too young to have friends getting married, running around with husbands/wives, and having kids!

I've missed quite a few opportunities to go out and have fun with all my SINGLE friends, and now instead I'm playing "guest" for my married friends who are ~~playing~~ living "house"!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my friends! They're the most amazing people I know!

But I've been just a LITTLE left behind in the transition.

At first I was a little upset, "All my friends are abandoning me for MARRIAGE!?" Now all I'm ever gonna hear about is how they spent the day dutifully cleaning the house/going to work to bring home the bacon and what they made for dinner for their husbands/how they enjoy their wife's cooking, blah blah blah! And what about when they have kids!? Every conversation from then on out is gonna consist of topics like teething, lost pacifiers/toys, naps, etc. etc. etc.

Now, I'm not opposed to marriage or families (I'm just not quite ready for all that, I'm sure I will be one day - but today is not that day). And it's not jealousy (I can be kind of 'flakey' sometimes and therefore I can appreciate the freedom of single life and while I'm not particularly fond of 'dating' I do enjoy spending time with guy friends...yeah I guess it's called dating, I just don't like all the discomfort that comes with the term, okay?! :p)

And it's not like I feel left out or anything. Actually I've been pretty well kept in the loop from engagements to weddings, etc. etc. (which I do appreciate cause its how I know I'm still valued as a friend)!

So why have I felt just a little bit bothered by my friends' happy transitions from single>engaged>married>contemplating and/or having kids?! Well, because I'm just not there yet. I'm young, I'm single, I'm indecisive and not yet prepared to be responsible for a home, husband, and kids. I don't want to be unhappy tho, and I don't want to hold it against my friends that they're moving forward and I sometimes feel like I'm not.

The solution?! An attitude adjustment!

I'm just gonna do what I do but appreciate what they're doing to!

I've decided that I'm not gonna be upset or feel left behind. I haven't been left behind! My friends haven't abandoned me for marriage! I'm still living my life and moving forward. I still hang out with my friends and they're still the same people, they just have other things to be concerned with and to discuss, and I'm okay with that. I've decided to see these married/family life conversations as a lesson for me (after all, these are the same friends that I'm gonna be coming to asking for advice once I'm engaged/married/having kids).

I was worried about having to suffer through conversations about married/family life - but I really ought to be happy that my friends still see me as someone who can be supportive of them and as someone they can talk to about everything that's going on in their lives (even if I'm not yet experiencing it myself). And I am happy! I'm happy and proud of my friends and I am going to be around to be supportive and helpful in anyway that I can be! Because I love my friends!

My Food Recommendations...

2011-04-02T14:40:00.001-07:00

I'm a total foodie and love to find new (really tasty) places to eat. I've decided to start documenting them all - so here's the list so far (it will keep growing as I remember/find new places!)

UTAH -

Sammy's Cafe

(Burgers, Amazing Sweet Potato Fries, and Pie Shakes!)

27 North 100 West

Provo, UT 84601

http://sammyscafe.blogspot.com/

(They also have a location in Rexburg, ID)

Cocoa Bean Cupcake Cafe

(Amazing cupcakes, tasty frappes made with cocoa beans instead of coffee beans, and hot chocolate!)

1774 North University Parkway

Provo, UT

http://thecocoabeancupcakecafe.blogspot.com/

(They also have locations in Idaho Falls and Rexburg, ID)

Roy's Burger Bar

(This place was featured on Diner's, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network - and for good reason!)

5291 S 1900 W

Roy, UT 84067

CALIFORNIA -

Little Italy Spaghetteria

(Fantastic Italian food - the Pizza, the Calamari, the Bread, Goat Cheese, and the Sausages are all great!)

1953 India St

San Diego, CA 92101

http://littleitalyspaghetti.com/

Pat & Oscar's

(Their breadsticks are famous as well as their House dressing. I can also recommend the Caesar Salad, the Pepperoni Pizza, and the the Pasta with Alfredo Sauce)

29375 Rancho California Rd.

Temecula CA 92590

http://www.breadstick.com/

(They have locations throughout San Diego, Orange County, Inland Empire, and one in LA!)

TEXAS -

Rudy's Bar-B-Q

(I've heard recommendations for just about everything there - but I can personally recommend the Smoked Turkey Sandwich and the Chocolate and Tres Leches Cake. Make sure you also try the Sauses <-NOT a mispelling! :p)

7970 Gateway East Blvd.

El Paso, TX 79907

http://rudys.com/

(They have locations all over TX, as well as one in Norman, OK; Albuquerque, NM; and Colorado Springs, CO)

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

This year, I decided to be my own valentine!

So I wrote a little letter of kind encouragement to myself!

(Image found on Pinterest.com)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Me,

Happy Valentine's Day, Beautiful!

Just some important things to keep in mind as you find new ways to accept and love yourself…

You've been clinging to a crappy past because you're scared of the future. You need to stop, it's affecting your friendships and relationships, and keeps you from being comfortable around people who care about you and who want to know you better. Just because bad things have happened, doesn't mean they will continue to happen. You need to let go, learn to trust people again, and stay positive - everything is going to be okay.

You've only recently learned that you're worth so much more than you thought before.

Don't let catty girls get to you, and unkind guys take advantage.

You're worth a healthy relationship, stop letting guys get away with stupid stuff and stop making excuses for them. You are worthy of a kind, smart, righteous guy who is willing to put forth the time and effort of getting to know you, and who makes you happy.

You're worth good friendships, ones in which your friends make you happy and comfortable with who you are. Avoid people who are manipulative, who turn you into a negative person, who upset and bother you, and who take advantage of you.

(Remember, there's a level of discomfort that's acceptable because you're stepping out of your comfort zone and learning something new. But there's also a level of discomfort that says that something is wrong. Know the difference and follow your instincts and intuition.)

You've become aware of how attractive you are, but you still sometimes struggle to keep it in mind.

Continue to come to terms with your natural and beautiful figure, your bright smile, and your pretty eyes. Learn to see God's mastery of creation in every part of you and learn to truly appreciate it.

Finally, don't forget your intelligence and your determination. You're smart, and you're always learning new things about the world and everything in it. Don't ignore your intelligence, remember to learn something new everyday and find ways of using your intelligence to help others. And don't allow your determination to become dormant, even if you're not entirely sure where you want to go in life, you know that you're bound to become something amazing so at the very least, maintain a determination to always be moving forward.

Stay Positive!

Love ALWAYS,

Skipping a Few Chapters...

2011-01-30T21:16:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't posted on here in forever but I figured I'd try to make a return to this blog...

So just a review of everything that's happened since my last post:

In 2010 I...

Dated long distance, and naturally - it ended
Dated a new guy for a while - he was super awesome (best guy so far), but that ended as well
Dated a few others but they were really nothing special
Did okay academically over Spring and Summer semesters, bombed fall semester due to burnout
Moved in with my best friend and, sadly, shortly thereafter found out why people say that it's a bad idea to live with your best friend (although it still confuses me how that doesn't work out when you ultimately wind up living with your spouse, who's supposed to be your best friend!)
Moved back in with my parents...and subsequently reverted back to my hermitic, high school self (I have to force myself to hang out with friends and be social - not because I don't like my friends but because living at home makes me pretty anti-social)
Had a lot of friends get engaged/married (thus destroying my own personal Provo version of Sex and the City with all my single friends :p )
Re-friended a former ex-friend
Played a lot of video games
Got an awesome work study job at the UVU Woodbury Art Museum and learned about how museums work (and as much as I enjoyed it...ruled out Museum studies as a potential major - I prefer making art vs. procuring and displaying it, but it was a fantastic learning opportunity and I enjoyed getting to know my co-workers!)

So far in 2011, I have/am...

Taking spring semester off (by the end of Fall semester I'd decided that having gone to school non-stop for 2 years straight, I desperately needed a break)
I went on a date with a good friend of mine, we went shooting - long story short, I shot his truck...and will forever feel bad for it (side note: the truck thing was an accident - I'd never used a scope before. I'm actually pretty good with a gun, I promise)
Transferring schools and changing majors! I withdrew from UVU and transferred to UofU, now I'm trying to decide on a major
Working on some photography/illustration/design projects and a professional website

...That's kind of it for now...more to come later!

Apartment What-nots

2009-08-31T23:19:00.000-07:00

So I moved into my apartment like last week, I have one roommate from Utah and two roommates from Vietnam. I haven't decorated my room yet so no pictures of that, but I do have a couple random shots from this evening.

Today was a pretty neat day, I rode the bus for the first time, I met a girl at the stop who had never ridden the bus either so we figured things out together. Later, when I got home, I found my roommate sitting in the living room putting together a centerpiece for our coffee table, and it came out beautiful!
This was also on the wall, my roommate found it at Dollar Tree (I think):
Later, I went to Family Home Evening with my ward, and after that, the girls in an apartment near mine asked me if I was gonna go with everyone to see "Up!" at the Dollar Theater so I said yes. I met some new and interesting people and the movie was super cute!

When I got home, I found this on the white board in our kitchen:
You won't get the reference if you haven't seen "Galaxy Quest" :p

Anyway, thats it for now, more pictures and entries to come soon!

Fun Snacks

2009-07-26T22:51:00.000-07:00

Never would I recommend not eating potatoes – they’re delicious! I’m a huge advocate for potatoes, as well as a big fan of potato chips, in my opinion they’re the second best way to prepare a potato (fries being the first, but specifically waffle-cut, Chik-fil-a style). But, sometimes, you’re out of potatoes or potato chips, but there is one tasty alternative!

Pita Chips!

Delicious, tasty, supposedly healthy - I’m not buying it, they’re too delicious to be healthy but I digress.

This is a tutorial on how to make them because they’re quick, easy, and cheap (I think - I’ve been too busy eating them to do the math).

Ingredients:

· Pita Bread (I use Toufayan brand Whole Wheat Pita bread)

· Sea Salt (I use Morton Fine grain sea salt…and I love it!)

· Olive Oil (I specifically use Pompeiian OlivExtra Olive Oil and Canola Oil – pretty darn handy)

· Italian Seasonings (But to make things easier/quicker I recommend McCormack Italian Herb seasoning grinder – which has all your basic Italian seasonings like Rosemary, Basil, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, etc.)

· Toaster Oven (or you could probably use a regular oven, the toaster oven is quicker though!)

Pre-heat toaster oven to about 375 degrees on the toast setting

1 – Cut the pita bread loaves in half (like you’re making Pita Pockets), then stick the knife into the pocket and cut along the outer seam. At this point you can leave it and have big half circle chips, or you can cut 3 triangles from each half like so:

2- Mix your olive oil and seasonings and apply them to each pita triangle (you can either mix them together in a bowl and apply the mixture to the individual triangles with a brush or you can apply the olive oil and then sprinkle the seasonings over the top). You can also choose to sprinkle the sea salt over the chips at this point or after they come out of the toaster.

3 – Place the triangles on some foil or a pan and place them in the toaster over until brown and crispy (I can’t give exact minutes because my toaster over heats up a little unevenly so some are done quicker than others – I would just suggest you keep an eye at least on the first batch in order to determine how long they take to toast).

4 – Let cool (this is probably the most difficult step what with the tasty aroma and everything) and serve!

Happy Snacking!

P.S. If you're interested in other flavors, I've experimented with and enjoyed
Garlic - replace the Italian seasonings with minced or powdered garlic (I prefer minced) - You may want to have some mints on hand for after-wards.
Cinnamon/Sugar - replace the Italian seasonings with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon, it's like a desert/snack!

Link-fest July 09!

2009-07-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

Okay so I actually have a couple of "REAL" blogs coming up, but for now I figured I'd just share some interesting links I've come across online.

With school coming up I've been looking for some ways to be a little more organized this upcoming semester and I've stumbled across these links:

Back to School: Collecting and Organizing Information - This one mostly includes Apple Apps, but some of them also have PC versions.
Get Organized Using Everyday Items - This one is just general organization but it includes a number of very clever tips!

Getting ready to go to a new college, get a job, and make new friends, I want to make sure I've got plenty of confidence. A few weeks ago, I came across this great article: How to Fake It from Girl Meets Business. Don't worry, it's not what you might think! It's about Faking confidence in order to gain confidence!

I'll probably be taking an English course this fall semester which means I''ll have to write some big papers. Sometimes when I'm writing I know what word I want to use but I can't think of the word itself, that's where this site comes in: Tip of My Tongue you can search for a word based on how it starts or ends so you can find the word that's just on the tip of your tongue!

Finally, here are a bunch of links to make you smile or laugh:

Have a Good Day

Ghetto Light Tent

2009-06-18T01:38:00.000-07:00

I came across this neat tutorial a few weeks ago about making a DIY light tent so I decided to make one!

Photographers sometimes use light tents for macro photography or product photography - the tent/box creates a clean background for the subject as well as controlled lighting. I created my light tent out of foam core board that I cut into rectangles and taped together. I cut out a square from two of the side panels and covered the holes with tracing paper. Then I lit the sides with two standing lamps (which I had to kind of disassemble to to place them correctly) and I used those compact fluorescent lights in the lamps which give off more of a white light instead of the yellow light that incandescent bulbs have. The Result was pretty neat:

Obviously not perfect, but still pretty neat!

My Typography Final / My graphic Design Portfolio

2009-05-17T01:16:00.001-07:00

I've finally gotten around to uploading some of my Typography assignments to my Flickr and I thought I'd go ahead and post them here. I really need to get around to finding a host/website domain for a Photography and Graphic Design website. I've already begun trying to design a logo for both my Photography and my Graphic Design (it's pretty hard, especially since I have yet to take a logo/brand design class). Anyway, here are a couple of assignments which I turned in for my Typography final:

Next time I'll try and post the photos from my Photography final.

Returning from M.I.A.

2009-05-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA from the net for almost the past week due to work and finals but finals are over and I'm back! Instead of writing a really long post recapping everything, I'm going to divide everything up into two posts.

Firstly I got the opportunity to shoot another wedding (making it my second this year), earlier this month at the American Mother's Chapel at Garden of the Gods. It's a very tiny chapel, only seats about 12 people but it was a small wedding and it was a fun happy atmosphere. You can see a couple of my favorite shots on my photography site: Kaylynne Michelle Photography

I'm actually trying to come up with a new logo/brand design for Kaylynne Michelle Photography - and later I'll probably be coming up with a similar brand design for a design website/portfolio for my graphic design work.

My photography class ended last Friday and I turned in my final, a 20 photo series based on the theme: Fruit. I'll be uploading a number of these photos along with a few others from my photography course to my photography site over the next few days so keep an eye out for those!

I turned in my final 3D Design project last Tuesday which consisted of creating two different designs based on the same basic mask each student received. Despite the fact that we all started with the same mask, we all came up with a variety of designs. I created a cupcake and an octopus.

The cupcake was made by starching this awesome sparkly pink material (which I loved - I imagine its the kind of material that would be used to make a Disney Princess dress, its that unreal) and brown mesh, I painted the mask brown using a sponge (to give it a cake-like texture) and I gave the mask eyes made out of ping-pong balls along with a cherry made from a ping pong ball and polymer clay.

The octopus was created by gluing yarn to the mask (and a styrofoam ball stuck into the back of it to fill out the head), I stuck some wires into the bottom of the mask and braided the yarn around them, and I glued some yarn to a ping pong ball cut in half and painted to create the eyes and finally I created a beak for it out of polymer clay and glued some sequins to the legs for suction cups. I got an A on the octopus but only a B- on the cupcake.

I'll go ahead and save my typography final, mother's day and everything else in my next post!

Update - Foxes, School, Art

2009-04-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

So, thought I'd post a little update on the baby foxes, for a while we didn't see them at all and lately they've been out almost everyday! They're growing pretty quickly because they've gone from this:

To This:You can see some more of their latest shots here. I have around 400ish photos of the foxes that I've taken since we first spotted them, so hopefully this summer I'll have time to go through, pull out and edit the best ones!

I'm waiting until summer to do a lot of things because school is going to be super busy for the next 2 weeks because they're the last two weeks of the semester! I have to design and create 2 masks for my 3D design final, I have to find 50 more examples of typography for my typography class as well as find all my exercises and assignments from the class and prepare them for presentation (which doesn't include any other assignments my teacher might throw at us), I have 3 more assignments and a final exam for my art history class, and I have two more photo assignments for my photography class. Outside of school, I'm also getting ready to take my driver's license test on May 1st, celebrate (sort of) my birthday on May 2nd, and shoot a wedding on May 3rd! - Classes will finally end on May 12th and then I can relax (well, not entirely because I still have to get ready to move out of the house and into a dorm, and I also plan to work during the summer so I can earn a little money for next semester).

Like I said - Busy!

Enough blogging for me today, I have to go turn in my entries for the student art show and maybe get a little Art History homework done:

Cakes and Bad Weather

2009-04-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday night I spent the evening making and decorating two cakes for a cake auction at church tonight. The first was a beehive cake:and the second was a campfire cake:
the ideas were based on cakes I saw on the FamilyFun website.

Today was supposed to be the day that my photography class was going to be shooting at Rockledge Ranch in Colorado Springs, however this morning the weather was awful - it started with rain yesterday, snow this morning, which quickly turned to freezing rain and then back to snow, so now our yard is full of little ice crystals:
A friend of mine called to tell me the class at Rockledge was canceled, hopefully that means the class itself was canceled and the teacher didn't decide to just go ahead and hold class back on campus because - I didn't go. Neither me nor my mom wanted to drive on the icy roads anyway!
All this weather in the middle of April is getting kind of annoying.

Denver Museum of Nature and Science

2009-04-12T01:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science as a part of an Art History assignment. The assignment was to visit the museum and see the exhibit on Native Indian Cultures, which actually turned out to be very interesting and full of random and surprising facts, for example did you know the Native peoples of the North (like the Inuits and Eskimos) were the first to invent snow goggles?

We also saw the prehistoric dinosaur exhibit, the animal exhibits, and the space exhibit. We wanted to see the new Expedition Health exhibit which is supposed to be really interactive and hands-on, but you have to get a reserved time ticket to visit the exhibit and we weren't sure how long we were going to be at the museum and the kids all said they had homework to work on so they didn't want to be there long anyway. So we skipped it, but we may hit the museum again in the summer when we have more time.

One of the coolest parts of the museum in my opinion, was the Atrium and the sky terrace, both of which offered some really great views of the Denver skyline!

Baby Foxes!

2009-03-27T23:47:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Kaylynne Michelle Art and Photography)

It must be spring because the baby foxes are out!
For a while we've suspected that the fox that's been living in a valley behind our backyard had babies, and we were right! She's got 4 for sure (possibly 5, but we've only seen about 4 out at once). The lense I rented (a Nikkor 70-300mm zoom lens) definitely helped me get some better shots of the babies - a telephoto would probably have pulled in a smidge closer but I've only used standard and zoom lenses and wasn't sure if a telephoto lens might be more complex than those. This 70-300 is an amazing lens though - and it's even got vibration reduction (which helps when you're trying to photograph a rambunctious baby fox!)

(Photo by Kaylynne Michelle Art and Photography)

Anyway, since the lens arrived I've probably taken around 300 photos of the fox and her babies, and I plan to go through them and pull out the best ones...when I find the time (and energy) to actually dig through all 300+ photos! For now, these are just a few photos that I managed to pull out just for this blog post!

(Photo by Kaylynne Michelle Art and Photography)

Finding Your Inner Ada

2009-03-24T01:42:00.000-07:00

Image from Wikipedia

A few months ago, I signed a pledge to be one of about 1500 bloggers to blog about a woman in technology on Ada Lovelace day (which happens to be today, March 24^th). The reason for this is because amongst the Jobs, Gates, and Wozinaks of the world there are few women, and although this minority in the technology community continues to grow, it is a slow growth which could be helped with the recognition of its many successful members.

While the pledge requests that each blogger recognizes a woman he or she admires in the field of technology, I instead want to spotlight every woman with the courage and perseverance to work towards gaining her chosen technological career. Just the thought of finding and keeping a job in this economy can seem intimidating, and the idea of entering a field dominated by men can make it seem even more so. Luckily, we have Ada to look up to! In learning about Ada’s life, we can learn some tricks to sticking it to the men and standing out in the technological field.

Ada Lovelace is considered to be the “first programmer,” due to her writings about the analytical engine, a machine invented by Charles Babbage, in which she included notes on the potential of such a machine which could exceed basic calculation but could one day run coded programs as well. Later, the U.S. Defense Department would name a computer program after her: Ada.

From Ada’s life we can learn that it is important to:

Find your passion and your support – Ada’s interest in mathematics dominated her life from a young age thanks to her mother and family friends who supported and homeschooled her in math and science.

Find a female role model – One of the ideas behind Ada Lovelace day is that women need female role models to look up to. Ada grew up in a male-dominated society, but one of the women who helped teach her was Mary Somerville a notable Scottish scientist and mathematician.

Learn to Network – Ada was born into a higher class of society and therefore had the privilege of networking and socializing with a number of important people including Charles Babbage, the creator of the analytical engine which would help make her mark on the world. Now, in modern times you can use Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Friendfeed, etc. to meet, socialize, and network with others in the technological field because you never know, that person you just tweeted or messaged might just be your future employer!

Pay attention – If Ada hadn’t paid so much attention to Babbage’s work on the analytical engine, she might not have come up with her own ideas of potential computer programs. Pay attention to things that are going on in your chosen field, you never know when an opportunity will present itself!

Just because there seems to be more men in the field of technology doesn’t mean you’ll be the only woman there! If you work hard there isn’t any reason why next year, instead of Ada Lovelace day, we’ll be celebrating [Your Name Here] day to honor women in technology! I want to wish all women currently preparing to enter the field of technology the best of luck and I hope that next year I will be blogging about you and your achievements!

Baby Foxes!

2009-03-22T20:07:00.001-07:00

For a while now we've been watching a pair of foxes living out in a valley behind our backyard and we've suspected the past few weeks that the two may have started a little family! Yesterday we got to see the babies for the first time, here are a few photos I snapped of them hanging around their little fox hole:

Unfortunately this is as close my camera is able to zoom in to see these cute little creatures (these pictures have actually be cropped a LOT and then re-sized which unfortunately lowers the quality), so I decided to rent a lens from a camera lens rental place based in Boulder, CO - the lens should be here by Wednesday or Thursday so hopefully I'll be able to get some better shots of the babies, hopefully ones which I can add to my portfolio! Wish me luck!

COOKIES!

2009-03-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Kaylynne Michelle Art and Photography)

Today my sweet tooth started to act up a bit, however, since I'm trying to ~~force~~ encourage myself to eat healthier, I decided to use one of my psuedo-healthy cookie recipes (I've tried two, but I have a bunch saved in my bookmarks to try later on). I made my favorite "Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, Flaxseed Cookies" (which my younger siblings and my mother all enjoy despite the addition of flaxseed and oatmeal) using my own variation on a recipe which I found online a long time ago (and I have yet to find the original website again, however in searching for the original recipe I discovered that there is a variation of this recipe called 'lactation cookies' which includes brewer's yeast in the ingredients - apparently brewer's yeast and flaxseed can help to increase lactation in breastfeeding women, who knew!)

Anyway, I thought I'd go ahead and post the original recipe on here - everyone should try these awesome cookies (and you can tell yourself that they're a necessary addition to your diet because they're 'healthy')

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Flaxseed Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c butter or margarine

1 c sugar

1c brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 c all purpose flour

1 c oatmeal

½ c ground flaxseed

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°

1) Cream margarine or butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.

2) Mix flour, oatmeal, flaxseed, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir into creamed mixture, add chocolate chips.

3) Form into 1 in balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet leaving 2 in between cookies

Bake 350° for 10 min.

My variation is basically a couple changes in ingredient amounts (cut the sugar and flour, add more flaxseed) and the addition of cinnamon.

Now if you don't know about flaxseed, you should know it doesn't do much to affect the taste of the cookies (because it's really more of a flour when its been ground), and it helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure and there are some studies which suggest that flaxseed can even help to fight against heart disease, diabetes, and even breast cancer. So enjoy these cookies and their benefits!

Challah Back!

2009-03-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

Despite having a bunch of homework to work on today, I decided I'd try out this new High-Altitude Challah Bread recipe that I stumbled across a few days ago. I first made challah bread last December and my younger siblings absolutely loved it (and it doesn't hurt that the name sounds like slang, ie "Holla!") they ate an entire loaf within a couple of hours! They've been asking me to make another loaf for a while and since I found this recipe (which makes just one loaf - most recipes you can find online will make 2 or even 3 large loaves) I decided to go ahead and make some.

This recipe came out pretty good, I probably should have let it rise a little more, but it still tasted good, and as always, the crust with the egg wash was beautiful! We had learned last time I made this bread that it makes really awesome french toast, but tonight we learned that it's good for grilled cheese sandwiches too!

(Note the icky fake cheese that comes in plastic squares - obviously this was not MY sandwich!)

The nice thing about making bread is that you can do things between kneadings and risings which makes it a perfect baking activity to do while doing homework because it gives you a short break from studying every hour or so!

I should get back to homework now!

About Me

2007-12-12T21:35:00.000-08:00

Coming Soon.

Links

2007-06-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

Coming Soon.