six years.

random.

in case you were wondering what i did today...on this fine monday--my day off...i colored. and i'm not gonna lie, i enjoyed it. i felt like a kid...pretending to have no responsibilities or grown-up things to do. i just listened to music and colored. and i think i might do it again someday...soon.

and yes, i busted out the crayons and the markers. go big or go home.

and i have no idea how i decided upon nemo and a unicorn, but that is what happened and it was glorious.

how was your monday?
do you like to color?

that's all.

summer concerts and stuff.

summer concert-ing is upon us and the season opened a few weeks ago with an amazing show at red butte garden. it was my first time to that venue and i would absolutely make every effort to see as many shows as i can there. it was super-duper chill and beautiful...albeit cold. we would have been wise to bring layers...lesson learned.

the shins were headlining but the head and the heart opened. i have a deep love for the head and the heart. i love everything about them...even the fact that they seem like dirty, smelly, hippy hipsters. but clearly, their music has my heart. and their short set lived up to the hype in my head...always does. thankfully, they are headlining this fall...you can trust i will be there...and you are more than welcome to join.

show number two was last week and it was amazing. again, the venue was stellar. it was at the gallivan center in downtown salt lake. i've only been there once before and it was to see the same band...the avett brothers. last year i loved the show and it poured rain. this year was just as amazing and it didn't rain. and i was in great company. half the fun of going to a show is sharing it with friends and this one was no different. thanks, bek.

next week is show number three, joshua radin. i have mixed feelings about this show. i originally was planning on going with a couple of friends but they acquired tickets to another show at red butte garden that evening and they subsequently invited me to join them. it makes my heart hurt because a) i love all of the artists that are playing at both shows and b) note my declaration in paragraph one of this post. but, because i purchased joshua radin tickets already, i feel like i must support joshy-josh (we are close like that...i can call him joshy...he follows me on twitter). besides, it is at a venue that i have never been to (the depot) and i want to check it out. luckily, i think i have conned my out-of-town sister into going with me...coincidentally, this show falls right in the middle of our family vacation week at park city. like i said, mixed feelings. but i am excited to go with my sister...we always have a good time together.

there are two more shows lined up for the end of this month (band of horses) and one in august (iron and wine). it will be interesting to see how these shows go. they are part of the twilight concert series in downtown salt lake. i have seen both of these bands as well. the last time i saw band of horses i was with someone that wasn't that into being at a show and we left early. i am excited to fully embrace and enjoy band of horses this time.

i'm a little weary about going to see iron and wine again. last year, we spent some good money on tickets to see iron and wine and it was an epic disaster and disappointment. normally, iron and wine is fairly acoustic with a little of this and that, but fairly mellow. for the particular tour we saw, mr. sam beard (lead singer...and mostly the whole band) invited thirteen other musicians to join him. it was a wreck. not a single song sounded familiar because of all the instruments. now, don't get me wrong, the musicians were absolutely talented and had i not had an expectation of what i was going to hear it would have been enjoyable. but i was expecting to hear iron and wine and i was thoroughly disappointed. let's cross our fingers that this doesn't happen again. luckily, tickets were only five bucks so i won't feel bad walking right out of the show if it doesn't partially live up to my expectations. i'll totes keep you posted.

hopefully more shows pop up. i love to go to them so much. i don't know why or how or what started it, but i might be a little obsessed with live music. and i love it.

oh, and i convinced another friend to go camping...after three years of wanting to make that happen, this might be the year.

do you like live music?
do you have summer plans?

that's all.

all by myself.

a couple of weeks ago, i read a blog post that discussed living alone. there was a youtube video and a reference to an article in the ny times. i was amused by all of it because so much of it rang true to me.

i have been living by myself, officially, for almost two years. four years ago, i lived with a plethora of boys and i avoided them at every cost...they occupied the downstairs and i managed the upstairs. the only space we shared was the kitchen and that was limited. it was almost like living by myself. and three years ago, i lived with a family...again, they lived downstairs and i was upstairs. and we didn't really share the kitchen. i had my own fridge in the garage and used the counter in the garage. i feel like i technically lived by myself that year, as well. even more so than when i lived with the boys. but truly living by myself is a whole different ball game.

i guess i never realized that living alone is an interesting phenomenon to some people. i have been such an independent person my whole life that living alone just seemed like the natural progression of things. let me explain my independence...when i was in sixth grade i signed up for violin lessons and then told my parents about them. in high school i made decisions like joining deca and the track and field team without consulting my parents. i "forgot" to tell my parents about my seminary graduation, so i went to it by myself. (although, i like to debate this with my mom...i'm terrible and tell her that she just didn't love me and that's why she didn't go...i don't remember not telling her, but she swears i never told her.) the summer after i graduated high school, i moved to jackson hole to work. a couple of years after that, i moved to lake powell for the summer. and a couple of years after that i moved across the country by myself...where i learned to go to movies by myself and, on occasion, i would go to dinner by myself. i'm definitely used to doing things by myself.

taking all that into consideration, living by myself seems totally normal. and i guess on some level i didn't realize that people don't ever take the opportunity to live by themselves. some just go from home to roommates to marriage...which is totally practical and normal. but there is so much that is amazing about living alone. let me give you a rundown of the top three reason living along is amazing...in a bullet format, of course. (and don't you dare judge me.)

• sometimes it just feels good to get home from work or from running errands and take your pants off. i would say that i live 80% of my alone life sans pants. there is no justification and/or reason that i started doing this. i can't even tell you when i started doing this. it definitely occurred before i lived alone-alone. but after i didn't live with a plethora of boys. and to be honest, i can't really tell you when it will stop. it may never end. just sayin'.

• it is definitely nice to run my own show. i love that i get to go to bed when i want, i get to get up when i want and i get to decide everything in between. and if i feel like starting twelve projects and just leave them lying around with an indefinite timeline, i can. and i can make food that i like. and i can eat dinner at ten at night. and i don't have to wake up to take care of kids or anyone else. i am the master of my domain in every way possible...and no share-sees.
  

• finally, the best thing about living alone are all the things i do that i cannot and/or will not share. i definitely have my alone life. it makes me giggle. but i absolutely have no desire to share the aspects of my alone life. just know this...it is hysterical. i mean, i am sure you can figure some of it out. but i will share this...i never close the bathroom door. ever. enough said.
  

have you ever lived by yourself?
what do you think of living alone?

that's all.

some happenings.

hey...it's been awhile. a lot has happened. may was busy. i took some pictures. now i will share.

the biggest thing that happened in may was that i turned thirty-five. leading up to the birthday, i was a little anxious and thinking about turning the big three-five was slightly overwhelming. but then the day came and my nieces and nephews incessantly sang "happy birthday to you, cha-cha-cha...". it was a nice way to take the sting out of thirty-five. and my darling older sister made me a donut cake.

old fashioned donuts have always been my fave. and the best i have ever had are from dunford bakers in west jordan. kristen picked up some donuts and made this darling "cake" out of them. the kids thought it was funny that i had a donut cake. but it was super easy serving it. so yay for donut cakes.

and even though they had been singing all day, they sang again and i blew out the candles. thank goodness there weren't thirty-five.

another may occurrence was memorial day. my parents, specifically my dad, has always made a point of placing flowers on our family graves at the logan cemetery. when the 'rents moved, that duty was passed down to me...the last, lonely logan resident. and i have embraced it. it's actually been really fun to be able to do that for my family. usually my sister, kristen, will come to logan and hangout with me and we do the duty and then we go to my grandma's house. this year, i was invited to spend some time with kristen and her family in south jordan. i decided to head to the cemetery on saturday.

it was a rainy day, but for some reason, rainy days and cemeteries seem totally appropriate together. this is my trunk full of flowers. i used to get the flowers on monday morning and the picking isn't great. going on saturday is the key...lots of pretty choices.

i always head to the cranney corner of the cemetery first. i like that it is super easy to find and easily accessible. my grandparents are there, along with great grandparents, and so on. also, i have a great aunt and uncle that i adored that are there in that corner.

for as many years as i have gone to the cemetery, i have never noticed the birth and death dates of my grandparents. i'm not sure why it struck me as interesting this year, but i am really intrigued by the dates this year. i know it is because i didn't know them and so they were dates that were somewhat arbitrary for me. random, i know.

after the cranney corner, i head over to my grandpa's place. i was super proud of myself this year because i knew exactly where he was at and i didn't have to search. i was sad i didn't have anything to clean off the bird poop. i'm sure my grandma took care of it on monday, but i would have liked to take care of it for her on saturday. and if you were wondering, i did know my grandpa's birth and death dates.

sunday, i drove down to my sister's house. i was loving the drive in the rain. i think that sardine canyon is beautiful. and i loved that there was snow on the mountain tops. gotta love utah's weather.

while i was at the sister's house, i hung out with the nieces. i wish i could have captured lucie's laugh in this picture. she was giggling so hard but trying to still smile for the picture. i love that girl to pieces. she is too cute.

and this is lillie's biggest smile. i love that it literally took over her whole face. she just wanted to smile so big for the picture. the best is when they laugh and laugh after they see the picture. pure entertainment.

i made holly smile for a picture. she just wanted to pull faces, but i told her she had to smile first. this is her "forced" smile.

and this is the face that the silly little girl insisted on pulling. she is a riot.

and before may, there was february, march and april. here are some highlights and/or moments that are a little bit older than last month.

and this is the squishy kate. i just love how she looks like a sumo baby. she is much more mobile now. but she is still squishy.

this is lucie. she seriously cracks me up. and i love this pose. that's all.

me and lillie. can't go wrong with a self portrait.

see what i mean...me and holly.

and in april, there was easter. and spring break. and for spring break...just before easter...i paid a visit to the sisters and families. it was a blast. we painted paper easter eggs. it was super fun.

and then we cut them out and decorated.

so...yeah...that is what has happened...

what have you been up to?
anything fun?
any fun plans coming up?

that's all.

and for this week.

i do believe that it is time for a bullet list of things going on with me, thoughts and stuff like that. so here you go...

• about six months ago, i decided that i wanted to try to grow my hair longer than it has been for awhile. i saw someone on tv and i was jealous of their hair and i decided i wanted my hair like hers. and for the last six months, i have been growing my hair out, slowly but surely. that is until this last week. i had had enough. i needed it to be more manageable that it has been. and not that it hasn't been manageable, but it has been annoying. and then i decided that i wanted a lot more blonde than i've had. and since my bestie is my hairstylist, it wasn't hard to convince her. and i love it. everything about it. and here is a not so great picture...

• the one thing that i splurge on every month and that i refuse to let go is my pedicure. and i love my pedicurist, ashley. she is amaze-balls. she does a super awesome job at cleaning up my toes and feet and an even better job at painting my toes and making them super cute. a couple of months ago, i had to reschedule a pedicure and i was unable to get in to see ashley so i had to go to one of the other girls. and then last month, i had to do the same thing. i was so excited for my appointment to roll around this month because my toes and feet missed ashley. and true to form, ash rocked it and gave me the best pedi in a long time. and so you can see what i mean, another picture...

• a couple of weeks ago i decided to join the minions and order a bountiful basket. i had a little trepidation about doing it because i am one person and i wasn't sure that it would be worth it for me to order a basket, but i did it anyway. and i loved it. at first, i wasn't super psyched about what i got, but it was definitely cheaper than going to the store. the problem became being able to consume all the vegetables and fruits before they went bad. i'm not going to lie, it was a bit of a challenge...as in some one dared me and so i was going to finish all of them. and that someone was the voice in my head. it was kind of comical. literally, for one week i ate nothing but fruits and vegetables to make sure that i finished the basket. but the best part was that i decided to order another basket before the first one was gone. and i got a little carried away and ordered a "mexican pack" with my basket. i was swimming in vegetables and fruits and it was going to be my mission to finish them. i will have you know that i finished the first basket before i got the second one and i almost finished the second one before i got the third. oh yeah, that's right...i ordered a third one. but i think i am going to take it easy and not order one this week. i will have you know, though...i have consumed more vegetables and fruits in the last three weeks than i have in the last year. and i definitely can feel a difference.

• i have considered myself a pretty domestic person, but i have become more domesticated over the last couple of weeks. i learned how to use a crock pot. surprisingly, i have never made anything in a crock pot. my mom and sisters do all the time, so it might be a little crazy that i don't...but i'll bring it back to the fact that i am just one person. but this last week i made some things in the crock pot and froze most of it. my freezer is loaded with all kinds of food...which is kind of really, really convenient. this is one dish that i made...chile verde (and i only kind of followed the recipe)...

prepping.

shredding.

eating.

• i also made this super easy little saucy-sauce...a la my sister, laurie...the main ingredients are poblano peppers, cream cheese, butter and chicken broth. it is absolutely divine. unfortunately, i did not take a picture of the finished product, but know that it is delightful. almost to die for.
  

roasted poblanos.

deliciousness.

• utah state's graduation was yesterday. it is my favorite day of the year because it means that all the students will be leaving for the summer. i love when the students leave for the summer. i like that logan doesn't feel so crowded during the summer. i always have. just sayin'.

• there is a plethora of crap going on at my work. and the weird thing is that crappy things are going on at both of my jobs. and unfortunately, most of it affects me personally. it is kind of crazy and i can't wait for it to be over. here's to hoping it is over sooner rather than later.

• my thirty-fifth birthday is a week away. i haven't thrown up yet, but i am definitely getting there. turning twenty-five was traumatic for me but thirty was just another birthday...and thirty-five is feeling more like twenty-five. i am thinking it has to do with the fact that this birthday is the last one until the down-slide to forty. barf.

• and that is it for the bullet list. until next time.

what have you been up to?
do you have any easy crock pot recipes to share?
are you ready for summer?

that's all.

fill in the blank.

1. my bedtime routine includes  drinking a glass of water (which i am aware is not wise because i have to get up during the night, but it is what i do), taking off my makeup and washing my face, flossing and brushing my teeth, using the restroom, lotion for my hands and feet, blistex for my lips, setting my alarm and starting some bedtime music. and i do not deviate. ever. i like routines.  

2. i am  super tired today. i can't stop yawning. it is kind of annoying. i got plenty of sleep. maybe i need a sunday nap seeing as how it is sunday. it is my "friday" so hopefully i can re-energize over the next couple of days.  

3. i can't stand  one of the kids that is currently staying in the shelter at my work  because  he is a know-it-all, argue-til-i'm-blue-in-the-face kind of kid and he just won't shut-up. and i'm not the only one that is annoyed...all the other kids are annoyed, too. which means i'm not totally wrong.  

4. my idea of relaxation would be  a nap. at least that is how i feel right now. but real relaxation would be the ability to chill without having to think of the ten thousand things you have to do. a true vacation from life is ideal relaxation.  

5. if i had an extra $50 i would  put it in my love and logic fund. i'm still excited about all the possibilities attending the love and logic seminar will afford me. love and logic for life. hahaha.  

6. the best thing about a bloggy friend is  that they are probably a friend in real life. i can't say that i have a lot of friends from the internet...that doesn't mean that i don't blog-stalk. cause i totally do that.  

7. a recipe i've been dying to try is  this thai coconut curry soup. i love thai food. and i love coconut. and it is something i have never tried. i always like to try things i haven't.  

what new recipe do you want to try?
do you have a bedtime routine?
are you excited for my love and logic adventure?

that's all.

monday morning music.

i discovered the lumineers a couple of months ago. i liked them, but i wasn't obsessed...which usually happens when i find good, new music. well, i've noticed over the last couple of weeks the lumineers have been all over the music blogs that i read. and so i decided to revisit and i am officially obsessed and in love. i can't help but love a new music find...and i can't help but share. enjoy. and happy monday.

sunday funday.

...or it is just another day...one where i work. so boring. but i will get over it, so don't feel too bad. you can feel bad for me just because i have to hang out with the neediest group of kids ever known to the cache valley youth center. i think individually each of the kids would be completely and totally tolerable, but the fact that there are so many and they are so needy makes me want to rip my hair out...among other things. but i am grateful for a job. and for the ability to be an example of a stable, functioning adult in their lives. because they don't have that. which then makes me feel bad for them...until they whine. and so it goes.

nothing too exciting happened this weekend. i did order a bountiful basket for the first time this week and i kinda like it. at first i wasn't super stoked about what i got, but then i realized that i got a super good deal...which is always a good thing. i also realized that instead of having to think of things to make and then going to the store, i just have to figure out what to make with what i have...which is so much less of a challenge. getting the basket takes out the annoying step of deciding what to make. i like the idea of narrowed options. it's much more calming for my brain. and i now have a ton of interesting fruits and veggies that i wouldn't have normally chosen. i was able to clean and cut some stuff up to have on hand for snacks. now i'm just deciding what to do with the rest.

i am super excited about the fact that it is starting to warm up. as much as i love the cold, i am ready for the warm. just not the hot. and i am ready for the green. the dreary gray of winter was super annoying this year. it normally doesn't bother me so much, but this year was different.

i ordered a new book from amazon this week. and i'm a super excited about it. i got parenting teens with love and logic. maybe it was weird that i didn't have it before seeing as how i work with teens, but i didn't. and now i do and i am super excited about it. i've thumbed through it a little and i can't wait to really read it. if you need any advice, i'm totally prepared now. seriously.

and finally for today...i just realized that i will be turning thirty-five in less than a month...not that i realized i am currently thirty-four and will be thirty-five...i just realized that it is already april and will soon be may. and thinking about said birthday kind of makes me want to vomit, truthfully. it is a very weird feeling. turning twenty-five was super emotional for me. thirty was thirty...just another day. but thirty-five just makes me want to vomit...in case you were wondering. trust, there will be more on this later.

how was your weekend?
how do you feel about your birthdays?

that's all.

a legend.

i was sad to hear about dick clark passing. he was such a legend. i remember watching american bandstand on saturdays. i can still hear the song in my head...and if you don't know the song...here you go.

and then the classic new year's even celebrations. it just won't be the same.

and because i couldn't help myself.

did you watch american bandstand?
what about $100,000 pyramid?
that's all.