7.02.2012

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.

6.08.2012

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.

6.03.2012

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.

5.06.2012

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.

4.30.2012

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.

4.22.2012

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.



4.19.2012

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.

Funny Somewhat Topical Ecard: Dick Clark dies the year we aren't supposed to have a New Year's Eve... Well played Mayans... well played.

did you watch american bandstand?
what about $100,000 pyramid?

that's all.

4.18.2012

my new career and other things.

i haven't been feeling great for the past three days. it started on sunday and i ended up coming home early from work because my stomach hurt so bad. it hurt all day, but i convinced myself that i'm a superstar and i went to work anyway...and i could only hack it for an hour. apparently, i'm not a superstar after all. i proceeded to spend that day and all day yesterday laying in my bed. i played a few games on my phone between naps and horrid trips to the bathroom. and then i got bored. and tv was too much that first day. so to occupy my time i found a new app...it's a scanner...as in police scanner.

this scanner situation is highly entertaining. between naps on sunday and monday, i would just listen to the police/dispatch chatter. and i had no clue what they were talking about. but after two days, i think i am totally ready to start my new career as a dispatcher. there are a couple of things i still don't quite get, but for the most part i'm fluent in law enforcement 10-codes. don't be jealous. seriously, don't. it's such a waste of brain space...but entertaining all the same.

any-who...just before i sat down to write this, i had a little list of things i wanted to write about...and now they are gone...oh, except this one...

i'm a huge fan of the voice on nbc. i'm totally rooting for tony lucca. and i think christina is kinda full of herself. but that is another conversation for another day. anyway, last night...after sleeping the day away and being unable to fall asleep...i watched the voice that was on my dvr. i mean, that isn't the part i want to tell you about...the best part is that when i finally did go to sleep, i had a dream that i was on a television singing show and that i was pretty good. like, good enough to win. but the majority of my dream was the behind-the-scenes. and in the behind-the-scenes, no one liked me. there were several little cliques and i was my own clique. but it was because everyone hated me because i was going to win. and at one point, i was trying to learn my new song but i didn't know the words and no one would let me get on the internet so i could google the words. yes, there was a conversation about google in my dream. and then it just got crazy...i mean, i can't even talk about it because it is so jumbled in my mind...that, or the fact that it is so weird i can't believe i dreamed it.

btw...i took melatonin last night when i couldn't go to sleep. i always have cray-cray dreams when i take melatonin. but the good news in this whole situation...at least i didn't dream about work or my co-workers. that's another problem i have...dreaming about work...a co-worker and i decided that we should get paid for dreams that have to do with work because it's like we never stop working. just sayin'.

one final, useless piece of information about my last couple of days...i love sports. especially football. but it's not football season. it's baseball/basketball season. and i don't dig the nba so much. and while i am a fan of baseball, in the sense that i want the red sox to win all the time (let's not talk about this season so far) and i occassionally watch highlights and check out scores and i will watch some of the world series, i'm not really a baseball watcher. i mean, live is a totally different thing...but i live in northern utah. well, over the last couple of days, i kinda became a baseball watcher. and i like it...a lot. i mean, there is more to this baseball thing that i realized. it's good stuff...i promise.

yeah...so that's about all i got. nothing super exciting. just a random post.

and for a random picture...me and my nieces a couple of months ago. man, i love them.


do you listen to scanners?
or watch baseball?
or have squishy, cute nieces?


that's all.

4.14.2012

i'm alive.

so, here is the deal-io folks...it's been an incredibly interesting, draining, entertaining and productive few weeks. there have been some work incidents that i hope and pray will never happen again...to me or to anyone. i've had some good times with the family and the friends. i've also had some time to consider and reconsider my "dreams." that being said...here is a random list of stuff i have been thinking about...and to be honest, this list has nothing to do with anything i have previously stated...but enjoy the list all the same.

one. i have been enjoying cold cereal lately. specifically, i enjoy a good bowl of lucky charms. it's almost like a treat instead of breakfast. and i noticed the other day that i prefer to eat my cold cereal with a big spoon and not a regular size spoon. i'm sure you are wondering why i would even notice this...let me tell you. many years ago when my brother-in-law, brennan, was dating my sister he used to come over and have ice cream at our house, among other things. and brennan always preferred to eat his ice cream with a big spoon and not a little spoon. and this was annoying to me because my mom would then only get out big spoons and i would have to get my own little spoon. and before brennan, we were strictly a little spoon family. and clearly this was something that i should have been fretting about...anyway...i never thought i would like to use a big spoon for anything except for serving vegetables...but, alas, the big spoon has found a place in my heart. big spoons and lucky charms forever. i guess we have bren to thank...quite a living legend.

two. i already have plans to attend two concerts this summer. first, the head and the heart are coming to slc with the shins. and the avett brothers are playing at the gallivan center again...let's pray for no rain this year. these shows are literally months away. and i'm super-duper stoked about both of them. and i am hoping-slash-trying to talk a co-worker/friend into going to another one...grace potter and the nocturnals. bring on concert season. i have taken a break, but i am so ready to get out there again...and if anyone knows of any great shows, you go ahead and give me a holler...i'm always up for a show.

three. i removed my winter blanket menagerie from my bed this past week. i would much rather be cold in the winter than hot so i rarely, if ever, turn my heat on in my tiny, south facing apartment. but because it did get a little chilly at night, i compensated with a plethora of blankets. and socks and sweatshirts. but mostly the blankets did the trick. and i saved a lot of money on my bills this winter, so there. summer is a whole different story, though...a/c is our friend.

four. i'm so over anything related to the presidential election that sometimes i can't even watch the news. i want it to be over already. i know as we get closer to the actual election, i will be more interested but right now it is just too much for my feeble mind. jk. you know my mind is not feeble...i'm just bored with it all.

five. in the past two weeks, i have been involved in three major incidents at work. all of them were very serious and two required actual medical assistance...like ambulances and trips to the emergency room. and the most recent incident happened last night. i decided this morning that i need to take a vacation. clearly, my being at work is not helping. i mean, i am not causing these incidents...but i seem to be a common denominator. it is so obnoxious and annoying, but it sure does bring to life what my job really does entail and it gives me opportunity to practice my skills in a way that no training could prepare me for. and yes, just in case you were wondering, all of these incidents ended with good outcomes...nothing tragic (knock on wood).

six. i decided that i need to move into a bigger apartment. not because a one bedroom is small...but because i just don't have enough room for my crafts and to actually craft. i know...it definitely is reason to move. but seriously, i would love a craft room. and, yes, it could double as a guest room. which is probably why i should really move...more room to have visitors...but the tight quarters can be managed...we tested it last week when my sister and her three kids spent the night. it worked out just fine.

seven. finally...my dream to become a love and logic facilitator has to be put on hold. i am so grateful to the many of you that donated to the cause to help me out. i love that you supported me in this effort and that you wanted to learn about love and logic. i found out today that the seminar that i was going to register for...the one being held in may...well, it is full. that means that i have to wait until october to attend the seminar. i'm okay with this because i can redefine my dream/plan and i can make it better and greater and more successful. in the mean time, i would still love to teach any of you that want to learn what i know about love and logic. even though i haven't been to the training, i can still answer questions and help you problem solve your own personal situations, whatever they may be. also, to those that did donate...refunds are on their way or should have already arrived. again, thanks so much for you willingness to support me and my cause. love you all so very much...and plan on learning what i learn come october. thanks again.

what's new with you?
any random spoon issues at your house?


that's all.

3.06.2012

help me help you.

many of you know that i work in youth corrections. a large portion of my job is counseling youth on how to get along at home and with their parents. an even larger part of my job is helping parents figure out how to parent these youth. it genuinely seems that if we can get the parents to change and/or tweak the way they are parenting, we almost never see their kids again. and i love that.

i love the idea that with a few suggestions that empower the kids and their parents, the family dynamics can change and everyone can get what they want out of the family relationships. and while i feel comfortable with the knowledge that i have gained over the course of my education and career, i feel like there is so much more that i can learn. and i most want to learn this...

logo

"love and logic is a philosophy of raising and teaching children which allows adults to be happier, empowered, and more skilled in the interactions with children. love allows children to grow through their mistakes. logic allows children to live with the consequences of their choices. love and logic is a way of working with children that puts parents and teachers back in control, teaches children to be responsible, and prepares young people to live in the real world, with its many choices and consequences." (found here.)

not too long ago a friend of mine was able to go to colorado, love and logic headquarters, to a training seminar to become a love and logic facilitator. ever since then, i have been wanting/dying to do the same thing. there is just one hiccup...it is a bit on the pricey side. this is where you, my friends and acquaintances, come in...i have a plan for a way that we can all benefit. typically, love and logic parenting seminars cost about $100 per couple and there is a reduced rate for individuals. my plan is to have you pre-pre-pay (not a typo...go with me) for a love and logic seminar that will be on a yet determined date at a yet to be determined location. what i am saying is that if you help me get to the facilitator training seminar, i will come to you and teach you what i learn...i will even come to your home.

so, yes...help me help you. it will be amazing for all of us.

if you are interested in contributing to the fund or if you have any questions or concerns, please email me at rachellecranney@gmail.com or comment on this post.

thank you for your time.

updated: it was brought to my attention that it would be beneficial for you all to know what kind of funding i am looking for, so here it is...the cost for the seminar is $395, the curriculum is $700 and then there will be a cost for travel, room and food...i am planning on providing for my travel, room and food, though...unless it can get covered, know what i mean? anyway...hope that helps.

oh, also...love and logic is not just for parents. i believe that anyone that works with kids in any way, anyone that has nieces and nephews, anyone that is planning on having kids, anyone that teaches kids at church...i mean, the list is extensive...could and would benefit from love and logic.

and let us not forget...there is a bit of a deadline...the seminar is may 3rd, 4th and 5th. you have a little time to think about it, but don't take too long.

thanks again.

another update...to the right there at the top of this page, you will notice a donate button...i want to make donating as painless as possible. and thanks to those that have already donated...i have the best friends and family in the world.


that's all.

3.03.2012

set the world on fire.

i'm officially obsessed with this song...specifically this acoustic version. but i am not opposed to the original version. in fact, i quite like both versions. i just love the intimacy of this video. and let's talk about how beautiful janelle monáe is...those teeth. i mean, i just love everything about this video...and i love, love the song. enjoy.

2.12.2012

tragic.

i hadn't heard about whitney's passing until late last night while i was talking with my sister on the phone. it is tragic. but her life has been tragic for a long time. i like that when i think of whitney i just remember the bodyguard whitney. and this is my favorite whitney song. she will definitely be missed, but luckily she left us with some fantastic music.

this time last year.

in perusing the blog, i came across this post that i did two years ago. i liked it so much, i figured i would do it again. and it seems that february is the month for yearly reflection posts. you'll get over it.

1. what did you do in 2011 that you had never done before?
i drove to l.a. just to see jay nash play. and i would do it again in a heartbeat. i lov-uh him.

2. did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for the next year?
of the eleven resolutions that i committed to last year, i feel that i was successful on five of them. i feel like i did an okay job on three of them. i completely bombed on the last three. such is life, i guess. it gives me something to work on this year.

3. did anyone close to you give birth?
my closest friend at work had a baby boy in the spring. and my baby sister had a baby girl at the end of august.

4. did anyone close to you die?
on of my grandma's sisters died. i wasn't close to her, but my grandma was. obviously. i know there were other people, but i can't think of any.

5. what places did you visit?
i visited las vegas and southern california. i went to l.a. to visit my friend jaime and to see jay nash. i also went on family vacation to newport beach, ca. it was a good time. and then i went to vegas three times. also, there were lots of trip to the salt lake valley to visit my sister and her family.

6. what would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
better health. i feel like i was much more sick this last year than i have been in a long time. i would also like to have some stability...or rather, what i view as stability. sometimes i feel like it could all get swept out from under me. i don't know what it means. i know that is a weird thing to say, but sometimes i feel like my jobs and where i live are temporary. i mean, i hope my living situation is temporary. but feeling that my jobs are temporary is a little unnerving...especially since i'm the awesomest person that works there. hahaha.

7. what dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
seeing jay nash at hotel cafe with jaime. the week family vay-cay in so.cal. vegas with adriane to see tfdi. and all the concerts i saw.

8. what was your biggest achievement of the year?
i'm not gonna lie...my homemade christmas was a pretty gigantic achievement. i was pretty excited about that one.

9. what was your biggest failure?
the fact that the three resolutions that i didn't achieve were the most important to me. i obviously need to reevaluate how i can make those happen. and then i need to work on them again this year. it will be done.

10. did you suffer illness or injury?
yes...so many colds. and stomach flues. i am such a baby.

11. what was the best thing you bought?
i wouldn't necessarily say i bought one thing that was the best thing...i would say that it was a culmination of things...all my crafty things were my best purchases.

12. whose behavior merited celebration?
i think i am going to have to ditto my answer from two years ago. there are many people in my life, both personally and professionally, that deserve to be celebrated. and the reasons vary from personal to professional. there are also a couple of teens moms that proved the stereotypes wrong and they need to be celebrated, too.

13. whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
again, i can say that there were people both personally and professionally that surprised me. while this list is not long, it is still disappointing. and maybe at times disturbing, but i try not to focus on it.

14. where did most of your money go?
gosh...if i knew the answer to that i'd be a lot better off. bills mostly, i guess. and crafting. and concerts. one of my goals for this year is to budget much better than i have been. i'll keep ya posted. if you have any tips, i am all for tips.

15. what did you get really, really, really excited about?
there were a few things that i was excited for...mostly shows...concerts...also the family vacation was exciting. mostly anytime i got to spend with friends and family.

16. what song will always remind you of 2011?
till i get through by jay nash. when i stop running by tfdi. girls gather round by the milk carton kids.

17. compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?
eh...probably the same. maybe a little happier.

b) thinner or fatter?
ugh...same.

c) richer or poorer?
the same.

18. what do you wish you’d done more of?
i wish i would have spent way more time out of doors. i need some serious camping gear. i am hell-bent on going camping this year...it will happen.

19. what do you wish you’d done less of?
less procrastinating. and doubting myself. i wish i could always remember that i am capable.

20. how did you spend Christmas in 2011?
i worked christmas morning and then spend the few days after christmas with my sisters and their families at my oldest sisters home. it was a blasty-blast. i always love spending time with them.

21. did you fall in love in 2011?
nope. can't say that i did. except for, i did fall in love with crafting. but that's not what they were asking.

22. what was your favorite TV program?
there were way too many...i would say justified, sons of anarchy and burn notice. i also became obsessed with the national geographic channel...nat geo...i'm a big fan of border wars.

23. what did you do for your birthday in 2011?
oh...i worked. birthdays are a little overrated these days. this year is a big one and i'm not psyched for it at all. not at all.

24. what was the best book you read?
one of my resolutions from last year was to read more and while i did do that, i can't really remember any as being the best. i really did like the girl with a dragon tattoo series...i read all three. i have some classics on my list for this year, so this question will be better answered next year.

25. what did you want and get?
i wanted to feel more at home where i am and i think that happened. as far as material things...nothing.

26. what did you want and not get?
there isn't enough time.

27. what was your favorite film of this year?
i really, really liked crazy, stupid, love. i would peg that as my favorite for the year.

28. did you make some new friends this year?
i'm always making new friends. maybe not so much that i made new friends, but i really worked on the relationships that i already had. i also let some slide, but i think that is to be expected.

29. what one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
if i would have won the lottery. problem is that you have to play the lottery to win the lottery...maybe i will learn how to play the lottery this year. not.

30. how would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
i don't have one. for real.

31. what kept you sane?
my family. and friends. and crafting.

32. which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
i really like that cute little emma stone. she was my favorite in crazy, stupid, love. i really like her.

33. what political issue stirred you the most?
i steered clear of politics this year. i figured that i would get enough of it this year, i couldn't force myself to get into it last year.

34. who did you miss?
my mommy. and my daddy. mostly my family. and jaime.

35. tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
i learned that you have to keep on keepin' on.

how was your year?
anything noteworthy to discuss?


that's all.

2.11.2012

bullets for you.

you know how much i love a bullet list, so i thought i would share some things via a bullet list. these are things i have been thinking about, things that have happened, things that are going to happen and things i find interesting. i'm sure it will be the most profound bullet list you read this week...maybe this month. or not. whatever.
  • i do laundry at my apartment complex's laundromat. it is super ghetto but it is cheap and convenient, so i utilize the facility. the only thing about it is that there isn't a change machine on the premises. i used to go to other laundromats to get change. now, i have discovered all of the change machines within a mile radius of my house. if you are in need of quarters, i can hook you up. i went to get quarters the other day and i realized it is a weird thing to know where all the change machines are...isn't it?
  • i am sick. again. for the third time in three months. and not just a little sniffle sick. i have had full-blown debilitating colds and coughs and earaches. the last two days have been miserable. i am frustrated because i didn't think that i was that susceptible to illness, but this year is proving me wrong. i decided yesterday that it is probably because i haven't been taking my vitamins. i stopped taking them a few months ago. i clearly am an idiot. i guess i will start taking them again.
  • i am over the fact that we aren't having a real winter. i am especially over it because chances are we are going to have winter weather in may. mark my words. it will be super annoying. but we need the moisture, so i guess however we have to get it.
  • i just found out this last week that the head and the heart are going to be in utah in may. i am ecstatic about it. i absolutely love them. and i'm excited because it is at red butte garden...nothing beats an outdoor venue. let's just hope that i am not right about the weather, though. oh...and i'm super psyched that i have friends that i can email just a date and they are all in...love ya, ade. (and bob, too.) oh...and if anyone else wants to join us, the tickets go on sale on february 20th here.
  • even though my team did not win the super bowl (i don't want to talk about it), i did get to experience another kind of big win. remember awhile back i told you about a musician that i am obsessed with, tony lucca? (if you don't remember you can refresh your memory here and here.) well, he auditioned for the show the voice on nbc and all four judges turned their chairs around. i hoped one day he would be a star. and i love that i can say that i knew him when. good on ya, tony...best wishes, dude. (if you missed it, you can check it out here: audition, interview, interview.)
  • we all know how much i love pinterest, but i got super annoyed by another pinner this week. to preface, the point of pinterest is to bookmark websites that have ideas, recipes, decorations, crafts, quotes...anything really...that you like. i am super good about making sure that everything i pin links back to the original source or to a source that has the original source linked. earlier this week a pinner repinned one of my links to a valentine craft. she also commented "how did you make them?" well, if you looked close at the picture, you could see that it said marthastewart.com at the bottom. also...do you not know how this pinterest thing works?...not everything i pin, i made. i don't know why it rubbed me the wrong way, but i was super annoyed. i did comment back with a snarky remark. it didn't make me feel better, but it helped.
  • a couple of weeks ago, my sister brought her kids to visit and we went out to eat lunch. i talked my sister into going to an oldie but a goodie, el sol. i cannot remember the last time i had eaten there, but i vaguely remember it being with my baby sister and she had either one or two kids at the time. either way, it was years ago. and it wasn't half bad. it was pretty decent considering it was el sol...aka hell hole. why we called it that but continued to eat there will never make sense. love trips down memory lane.
  • my grandma paints. growing up, we had a painting that she had done in our living room. it was one of my favorite wall hangings in our whole house. (and if you knew my house growing up, you know this was no small feat.) just after christmas, i was at my grandma's house and i mentioned that i wanted her to teach me how to paint. she said she didn't remember, but i thought it would be good for her to do something from long ago...it will help with her memory...maybe. i told her we would have to arrange for a time. i have been busy since, but i've kept it in my mind since. last week my grandma called me at work (something she has never done) to ask me if i still wanted to paint with her. i love that she remembered...i've gotta make that happen asap.
  • i have so many blogging ideas. i need to start writing them down so i can remember them. then i need to start blogging. the ideas written are useless, i suppose. i'm working on it.
what's new with you?
anything exciting?


that's all.

2.06.2012

best and worst decision.

(i'm well aware of the fact that it has been over two months since i last posted here. i'm also well aware that christmas has come and gone and this little post is a little late...but not really...because it's my blog and i get to make the decisions around here. and i decided that i want to share. and i really am going to pick up the blogging reins again. because i want to. so there. and thanks for reading.)

...but really, it was my best decision. the process was just a little time consuming and, at times, annoying and annoying. let me explain.

sometime mid-november i got a wild idea about doing a homemade christmas. this is something i have never done...nor have i ever considered. in my pre-crafty days it almost seemed insane to try and accomplish a fully homemade christmas. but i was up for the challenge. clearly, i had no idea what i was in for.

i decided to make it as simple as possible. i decided to make a lot of the same thing. it really started with pinterest (most things start with pinterest, but that is another post for another day). i saw this darling no-sew scarf. i am a sucker for craftiness that requires the least amount of energy. i figured that i could make these scarves for all my nieces. and even though my nieces range in age from five months (although, i didn't make a scarf for her) and nine years, i figured the scarf would be something all the girls would like.

the scarf wasn't terribly hard to make. except, i tried to make it super fancy and i tried to cut out flower shapes instead of circles. fleece is the hardest thing to cut out, especially if you are trying to cut out flowers. i made one scarf (for the nine-year-old) out of flowers. i revised the plan after that and did circles for the rest of the girls. and for the baby, i am making a car seat blanket (it isn't done yet because my sewing machine stopped sewing two days before christmas and i haven't attempted to sew again...it stresses me out to think that it isn't working because it is less than a year old...i will try to see if it works soon).


then i had to think of something for my nephews. i'm not gonna lie...it is a little bit harder to be crafty for boys...at least it seemed that way. and then while perusing the internet i found this...a hollowed out book. my nephews are way into legos...especially legos with lots of little pieces. i thought that they would think a hollow book would be a super cool place to hide said legos and that it would be something they could keep forever. but i knew that my two youngest nephews (two and three) wouldn't really appreciate a hollow book as much as the older boys. so i cheated and bought them both toys. (i guess i should say it was almost a homemade christmas.)

a word to the wise...making hollowed out books is not hard, but it is super-duper, annoyingly time consuming. so, so much more time consuming than i imagined. but i would definitely make them again. and a suggestion...don't use really old books. i had a book that was significantly old (i got all my books at the thrift store, btw) and the pages of that book were not very sturdy...kind of "crumbly" if you will. and because i was trying to finish the books in such a short amount of time, this particular book started falling apart and it became impossible to make a decent hollowed out book. unfortunately, one nephew currently possesses an i.o.u.


for my sisters, i made this magical lotion and these little pieces of art work. they were way fun to make, so i am planning on making more of them. i had seen something similar, so i borrowed the idea and tweaked it to make it my own.


the bro-in-laws didn't get much of anything. i just couldn't bring myself to craft for the guys. maybe next year...when i have more time to plan and make it not so cheesy. i'll have to find something to craft that doesn't seem so crafty.

all in all, it made for super fun gift giving. i was afraid that the kids wouldn't love getting something that wasn't a toy. i especially thought the boys wouldn't like the books. before they opened the gifts, i let them know that they weren't getting toys, so they weren't as disappointed. and just to make sure they weren't' totally let down, i did sneak some cash into their gifts. hahaha. i'm the kind of aunt that apparently buys love. and i'm okay with it.

can't wait to do it again next year. with more time to plan, it should be even that much better.

are you crafty?
do you give crafty gifts?


that's all.