HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Hello my dears! I hope you are having the most splendid (or spookiest) Halloween ever! Mine has been pretty spectacular so far. This weekend had it's up and it's downs - but unlike Nottingham, the ups have definitely outweighed the downs. I've been trying to figure out how to best tell you all that has gone on...I think we'll do a day-by-day update. okay? okay!!

Friday

Friday was the "down" part of the weekend. I was ornery all day long, I was exhausted and I pretty much felt like crap. I've been fighting cold symptoms all week long and I just felt icky. I picked up a free pizza that I earned from Papa John's and sat on my couch moaning the demise of my BYU Cougars to the TCU frogs. sigh. I went to bed at 9:20 pm and slept for 10.5 hours. BEST THING EVER.

Saturday

I woke up feeling SO refreshed. I ran my 5k and did SO WELL!!!! I don't know my exact time (yet) but I know that it was better than the last time I ran a 5k. I'll be sure to post my time once I get it. ;) After that I came home and did a few pointless things before going on a TRIPLE date that I put together last minute.

See....I had this Groupon for miniature golfing for up to 6 people. (it was only $9!) It expired on 10/30 and so when SwingKid and I were driving home from the race I asked if he and his new girlfriend (who was in his Master's program. She's so nice and I'm happy they are dating) wanted to go. He asked if it would be weird,  I said no. So plans were made. I asked Monkey Man if he was available and he said YES! THEN looking for 2 more people, I thought of Surfer Boy (who has just started dating A* a girl in my ward who is one of my best friends and I just love that these two are dating!) and texted him, and him and A* were definitely in! So, if you were paying attention...I went on a triple date with my former crush and his GF and my ex and his GF. Weird? Not at all. ha ha ha ha. I didn't warn Monkey Man prior to this excursion that my ex was going to be there, but it did come up at one point. He laughed at me and told me that I had a weird relationship with him. I concurred with that statement. However, it was great fun being with two other couples doing something as simple as miniature golfing. After that triple date there was Stake Conference (which I will probably talk about more tomorrow) and then after THAT I went over to Monkey Man's place and we watched Captain America. :o) SO MUCH FUN! It was a great Saturday. :D

Sunday

I got to sleep in a little bit (no extra meetings!) and then went to Stake Conference. Monkey Man sat by me and at one point during church I looked over and thought, "oh my gosh. I have a boyfriend." It continues to amaze/shock me that I'm dating someone. It just sort of happened. And while I am not complaining, I am constantly finding myself in awe of the fact that I am dating someone. Has this ever happened to anyone else? I mean, really?! How does one just POOF find themselves in a relationship? Anyways, it feels nice to be with him and yet I don't feel this overwhelming dread when I don't see him. I am still me, still doing my own thing but with someone that I can share things with and I think that is the best possible thing EVER.

After church my roommate and I worked on her Halloween costume. I sewed a detachable wedding dress train to a shirt and then we went outside and trashed said wedding dress. It was AWESOME. I even drove around the block with the dress hanging out of my car. BEST THING EVER. She's one awesome zombie bride today! I finished off my evening with Ward Prayer and The Little Mermaid. :o) LOVE that movie so much.

So there you go. A not so little nutshell of a weekend...but fun none-the-less. Tonight Monkey Man is having a Halloween Party that I'm going to and all-in-all it should be a pretty good day. :o) Have a spooky kind of day!

Happy Friday!!

I am SO happy that it is finally Friday. This has been one VERY long week and I am very much looking forward to my weekend of Halloween celebrations!

So without further ado...Friday Fill-Ins!

1. Beware of spiders and other spooky creatures..

2. I am definitely not ready for the snow.

3. And since we are on the subject, I've decided I need to learn how to snowboard this winter.

4. Do you believe in supernatural spirits?

5. Where there is chocolate is where I want to be right now.

6. Any kind of soup is one of my favorite meals when it's cold out.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a couple of Halloween parties, tomorrow my plans include running a 5k, doing some baking and enjoying Stake Conference and Sunday, I want to enjoy the fact that I don't have any extra meetings and I can take a nap!

Thursday Things

Hello my dears! Yesterday was quit the craptastic kind of day and I am soooo glad that it is finally Thursday! Thursdays are usually really good days in the office - plus they always consist of fun things for me in my personal life. :o) Even though I have to work tomorrow (ick) it will be all good because it is finally the weekend! So let's get to this shall we? I have lots of fun things to tell you!

• Like I mentioned earlier yesterday was a really awful day. I came home from work and instead of getting myself to the gym like I should have - I took a 1.5 hour nap. That was WONDERFUL. 

• My Halloween costume consists of me using my superhero costume from my birthday. However, since going to the temple it's a little short for every day wear and seeing as how I want to wear out in public....yeah I added a purple ruffle to the bottom. It's 90% done and looks AWESOME.

• Speaking of Halloween....I have SO MANY different things going on TOMORROW alone! I have to choose and decide what I am going to go to, but I just feel cool that I have so many options.

• Tonight I'm dressing up for ballet class AND for Blue Tango's Halloween Bash. :o) I'm excited to dance in my costume. It's going to be GRAND!

• Last night I played volleyball and Monkey Man did show up. I got teased endlessly by several ward members but it was all good. We left at the same time and were able to talk for a little bit in the parking lot. He's a sweetheart and while nothing is "official" we did talk about how fast we want this relationship to go - and we're both on the same page with wanting it to not fly out of control. I feel good about things and I don't think I'll be going out with anyone else for a little bit... :o) I did get a couple of kisses goodnight. I forgot how nice it is to kiss someone goodnight. 

• Seriously, I slept VERY well last night and I am attributing about 50% of that nice sleepingness to the good night kisses I received before going to bed. ;)

• We don't have any set plans for the weekend....but I know he's not about to back down, I'm just not going to see him every day at this point. And like I mentioned to him - that's what I am trying to work on. See....when SwingKid and I broke up we had been dating for 2.5 years. We were at the point where I did see him every day, talked to him throughout the day and went through withdrawals when those things didn't happen. So I have forgotten how to gradually get to that point. I told that to Monkey Man last night and to be patient with me. I'm trying really hard not to get too crazy and to keep doing all the fun things I've been doing without a boyfriend and once we decide to get a little more serious then I'll see him more often and we'll incorporate each other more into our lives. Until then though....I'm NOT going to freak out and I'm going to continue to enjoy my life with a little added bonus of someone that I'm dating. ;)

• We have Stake Conference this weekend and I just love Stake Conference. It is always SO GOOD. I'm looking forward to not having any extra meetings as well. :o) 

• I am feeling really good about today. It is going to rock. Hard Core.

• I'm running in this 5k on Saturday with SwingKid. I'm hoping my time is better than the last 5k I ran unknowingly on a torn ACL. :o)

• The work day started with me finishing putting out a fire that was discovered yesterday while listening to Journey's Don't Stop Believin'. Nothing can go wrong when that is the first song on your Pandora station.

• My hair looks cute today. The end.

• I'm wearing a comfy sweater today - see....nothing is going to be awful about today! I KNOW IT!

• Pretty much, life is much better today compared to yesterday and I'm a happier camper for it. here's hoping everything continues to go swimmingly.

Have a great day everyone!  :o) I know I will!!!

Wordless (-ish) Wednesday

{it explains every bruise on my body}

{this is me this week. too many spiders}

{every. single. time}

Tender Mercy Tuesday - 44th Edition

I have the best Tender Mercy to share with you today!

Back when I was learning to drive (many, many years ago), my dad would take me on back roads from Spanish Fork to Payson to help me get used to going faster without any cars around me. I remember that being so scary! (going fast - not the back roads. ;) ) Well, yesterday that knowledge of back roads that my dad shared with me finally paid off! I missed my exit (well...more like it was closed and I didn't realize it) on my way to Spanish Fork to teach my Monday night ballet class. The next option was to take an exit that put right in the middle of the back roads my dad used to take me on. I was surprised at how quickly the knowledge of these back roads came back to me - it was seriously like riding a bike again. I was pretty sure where to turn and once I made that first turn everything was surprisingly clear to me. I am so grateful that I have a father who would teach me things that I don't think are necessarily important or useful, but then they end up being for my good.

Our Heavenly Father is like that too. He teaches us lessons and skills that we don't think we need, or that are there just to spite us and make us sad; when really, all of these lessons truly are for our good. Heavenly Father doesn't just randomly decide to teach us something. He has a plan for us and He knows what we need to know and when we need to learn it so that we can use it later for ourselves and for the betterment of others. How cool is that?!

Anyways, that's what I am so grateful for today. I definitely have some amazing men in my life. The End.

best weekend EVER!!!

hey you guys! (every time I say that phrase I say it like THIS. ha ha ha ha)

I hope you had the most fantastic weekend. Mine was, to quote Monkey Man, "sublime."

Friday was just fantastic and filled with great things. Saturday was also great (two straight days of sleeping in? Yes Please!) and was made even better by BYU winning their football game without question.

THEN. Then, there was Ballet West's Dracula. This ballet was absolutely exquisite. The brides of Dracula were very ethereal, creepy and yet gorgeous at the same time. The special effects added to the charm of the storyline and didn't  feel like they were there just because they could be there. (If that makes any kind of sense.) Monkey Man had never been to a ballet before and I just love being able to indoctrinate people into the awesomeness that is ballet. :o) He really enjoyed it, which is a good thing.

So, he held my hand while at the ballet and basically on our entire date. ;) There's just something about holding hands that is so great and it makes me happy. I wore a new top that I found shopping with Roommate A with my long brown skirt and I felt so pretty. After the ballet it was decided that we would go grocery shopping, so we swung by my favorite local grocer and did some shopping. I love grocery shopping and I think it's a lot of fun to do with a guy (for some odd reason.) After that, we went back to his place to take home his groceries and then he walked me out to my car.

Now, here's the deal. I have learned from some very trustworthy sources that Monkey Man has not kissed a lot of people. So, by this point in the evening I was convinced that a kiss was not going to happen (which I was fine with, I mean, I would have been fine either way to be honest) and so I didn't think about it as we were saying good night. So, we say thank you, and as we go in for a hug (i think) I realize about 2.2 seconds too late that Monkey Man was going in to kiss me. GAH! I felt so bad! He kissed me on the cheek and I realized that I had just shafted this really cute, sweet boy. I felt so bad, and so I returned the favor and kissed him on the cheek as well and as we pulled back a little bit he looked at me and then went in for it and this time I didn't shaft him...and we kissed. Just a sweet little peck. a few times. It was adorably sweet and nothing like any other guy I've ever kissed.

See...I feel like when other guys have kissed me it has been leading into the possibility of making out. And not that making out is a bad thing (I do rather enjoy it. TMI? Perhaps?) BUT it was very refreshing to just have him just kiss me.

Now....here's where I wax all philosophical. See....Monkey Man is nothing like any guy that I have ever dated. In fact, when I get to this point in a relationship with a guy, 9 times out of 10 it's because I've been crushing on the guy for quite some time and I've made things known that I wouldn't be opposed to dating said guy. Well....with Monkey Man he sort of came out of nowhere. Not that I didn't like the kid, we were friends before all of this happened, but I hadn't been crushing on him, or sending signals or anything. HE has done all the work. HE has made all of the initial moves. (Now, I have encouraged him....but still.) So...I'm sort of freaking out on the inside. Not on the outside...but definitely in the inside. This relationship is different than ANY relationship I have EVER had and the reason that that is so scary is because people (i.e. every married person I know, including my SISTER) has said that that's how it goes! It's the person you're NOT looking for, the person you DON'T expect to date that gets you married. sigh. I'm trying not to over think things...but let's be honest. I'm a girl. I over think EVERYTHING. So right now...I'm just trying to enjoy this crazy, wild ride that I have suddenly found myself on. So...if it ever sounds like I'm freaking out - just tell me to chill out. k? okay.

REGARDLESS. I'm really, really all sorts of giddy, twitterpatedness over here in Alishka land. Hopefully I can focus. ;) Have a great Monday Y'all!!!

ps. If you read this to the very end then I am very impressed and you deserve a gold star. So consider yourself starred. ;)

Thursday Things

Good Thursday Morning lovelies. I hope you're having a FANTASTIC day in the neighborhood. I know I am! :o) I'm rather excited that it is finally Thursday. Around here it's Friday because I don't work tomorrow. Halleluiah. :o) Let's get to the good stuff shall we?

• My date with Monkey Man was a BLAST. Seriously. So much win. My pumpkin carving skills are awesome AND Xbox Kinnect? TOTALLY WICKED!!! Seriously. SO MUCH FUN!

• I'm really excited for my weekend. It starts tonight after my ballet class with a hair appointment. super stoked for THAT tonight. THEN I'm going dancing. Will get my flirt on...etc etc.

• Tomorrow I'm sleeping in, going to the gym, helping my sister changer her name on her driver's license, going to the temple, rehearsing my ballet company and going to movie night. (Star Trek anyone?)

• Saturday includes sleeping in, going to the gym, being crafty, watching BYU Football and THEN going to see Ballet West's Dracula.

• My date for the ballet? Monkey Man. yup, I asked him last night after our date got over. He wasn't sure he could go because of previous plans...but then his friends canceled said plans. So our ballet date is a go!

• Monkey Man was really cute last night...he held my hand again - but it was cute how anxious and unsure we both were and trying to read the other person on their thoughts of holding hands...yeah. He's cute.

• Here's an interesting fact and something I discussed with my coworkers this morning - I have a crush on Monkey Man, but it's not the same as other crushes (i.e. Fryman, Surfer Boy, Grizzly Bear, etc); with past crushes I have imagined how everything would play out (dating, to kissing, to getting engaged, to getting married, etc) because I am a girl and I fantasize about EVERYTHING. I haven't done that with Monkey Man at all. My one coworker thinks it's because I'm not having to do all the work (not that I always do all the asking with other guys...but I do do a lot of encouraging/inviting etc). I think she's right. She also told me that's how it worked for her and her husband and another former coworker of ours and her husband. They never really thought of their husbands as potentials until after they started dating. So...I'm not forecasting anything, I'm just making an observation. ;)

• In other non-boy related news, Katria sent me this link to an AMAZING dance performance. YOU NEED TO WATCH IT. Even if you don't really like dance, WATCH IT. It's INCREDIBLE.

• Also incredible? This non-traditional version of Swan Lake. SWEET CRAZINESS. I thought my jaw was going to fall off. So amazing.

• This article about BYU and the Big-12 was very interesting. I learned new things.

• My little bro turned 19 yesterday. He's getting to be SO grown up! I just can't stand it. :o)

• Finally, let me leave you with this awesome print I found on pinterest. :o)

Have a great weekend folks! :o)

Dating Battle Stories - introducing.............

Well, it has been awhile now hasn't it? But the time has come for an introduction of a new player in the Dating Battle Stories of my life....

so without further ado let me introduce:

Monkey Man. (ps thanks to beckybob for the 'nym!)

Monkey Man is in my ward (yes that does bring the current number of NAMED crushes on this blog from my ward to three. I'm a player, it's okay.). He helps organize/attends game nights that are sometimes held after ward prayer. He's a complete sweetheart and very genuine.

There's a little background - but now for the fun part. the STORY!

I was sitting at home Saturday night, not doing much of anything, when Monkey Man called me. I figured he was calling to see if we were going to do a game night the next night, but I was wrong! Instead, he asked me if I was available on Wednesday night. Fortunately, my plans were changed and I was in fact available! He asked if I'd like to go on a group date w/him to carve pumpkins and play Xbox Kinnect. I said yes, and so now he's picking me up at 7pm tonight.

BUT WAIT! That's not all folks!

Last night for FHE the plan was to meet at the church and then go from there to a corn maze at Thanksgiving Point. We're standing around outside and Monkey Man and I are standing by each other just chit-chatting and the opening prayer is said and THEN it's time to carpool up...so I say "I have room for 4 in my car!" and Monkey Man turns to me and says so fast "I'm coming with you!" and i was all "sweet!" and then my car filled up with three other girls from the ward and off we went!

So we get to the corn maze and Monkey Man and I are waiting for the rest of the ward to show up and it was MUCH colder than I had anticipated (i.e. i didn't bring gloves or hat and all i had was two lightweight sweatshirts to keep me warm). So I lean into into Monkey Man and tell him he's going to have to keep me warm and he says, "only if you keep me warm too!" so then we get our wristbands, I chit-chat with the bishop for a moment about some concerns (YAY for being the RSP ha ha ha) and then I skip over to Monkey Man and we start walking towards where the corn maze is at. Here's the thing about the Thanksgiving Point corn maze - there are a TON of fall activities to do besides the corn maze. lots of fun things. So we're walking across the field and Monkey Man leans in and says "I'm going to hold your hand to keep mine warm okay?" with a cheesy grin on his face. ha ha ha. I say okay and off we went! we held hands the entire night. There were times where we'd let go of hands to do something, come back to standing by each other and HE would grab my hand again. it was adorable. So....I like him - which is funny because the like/crush sort of came out of NOWHERE. but last night...it was so fun. :o)

My other favorite thing is that he made it clear last night that he is going to come and pick me up - he's not having me just meet him at his place. This is a BIG deal to me and has been a sore spot in past relationships that I have been in.

So. There you go. The newest player in this game/war of love that I'm very involved in right now. ;) I promise to give as many details as I feel like after the date tonight. he he he he

Tender Mercy Tuesday - 43rd Edition

I had some very wonderful experiences this weekend. Honestly, it was a wonderful weekend filled with lovely things. My favorite part of the weekend though was the fireside that we as a Relief Society Presidency put together for our sisters.

There is a new book that has come out for all of the sisters to use as a reference to studying the scriptures and for us to learn more about the history of Relief Society. It is an AMAZING book and I just love it. It is called "Daughters in My Kingdom," and if you click on that title it will take you to the online version of the book. ;)

ANYWAYS. Our Stake President (who is seriously a ROCK STAR and I LOVE listening to him) really wanted us to make this book SPECIAL and not just hand it out randomly. His wife is a member of the General Relief Society Board and was part of the committee that put this amazing book together. So we had the wonderful opportunity to listen to her tell us a little bit of how this book came about, why it was put together and what we might learn from its pages. She was an inspiration to listen to and the Spirit was so strong during her talk. It was a lovely fireside and I was so pleased to see so many sisters in attendance and see them soaking in the words of our leaders. It was a great opportunity for us and one that I will always treasure in my heart.


(ps...stay tuned for a Dating Battle Story tomorrow [it's been a while since I've had one!], you won't want to miss it because this is a great story!!)

a little insight....

so one there's a friend of mine that posted this Psych test that evaluates your personality and what not. It gives you your top ten personality traits and is very interesting.

ANYWHO. It only took like 3 minutes to take, and the evaluation (while simple) describes me pretty perfectly. I laughed a little inside when reading my report, because really? It's all very, very true. So...for your reading enjoyment this Monday morning (and because I'm exhuasted and don't want to think hard) here are my results. Go take the test yourself if you feel so inclined and let me know if you do! I'd love to read your results!! :o)

Friendly

You would rather hang out with others than spend time alone, and you'd far rather be doing something with your friends than just sitting around. You're happy in a crowded room, club, stadium, or auditorium.
You're not a private person who is ill at ease in a group; you don't view excessive socializing as a waste of time.

Assertive

You behave in a confident and forceful manner, take charge of the situation, raise your hand in class, stand up for what you think is right, and lead others. Among those who have a high score on the "assertive" trait, many have jobs in which they are valued for their organizational skills as well as their talent for supervising others.
You are not interested in fading into the woodwork, leaving everything to fate, taking more time than necessary to accomplish a task, or avoiding confrontation.

Poised

You tend to feel at home wherever you find yourself, even in unfamiliar settings, with new people. It takes a lot to rattle you, and when rattled you recover quickly and gracefully.You are usually not self-conscious or nervous when you're in an unfamiliar environment or with people you don't know.

Accessible

You're comfortable expressing yourself in words and actions, with no self-censorship. You believe that if someone doesn't like what they see it's not your problem, but theirs. A high score on the "accessible" trait suggests that you have a lot of friends, socialize often, and enjoy rap/hip-hop music.
You don't see the need to keep your thoughts to yourself, or to have a zone of privacy that encompasses only yourself and a small circle of friends and relatives.

Optimistic

You are a "glass half-full" kind of person, always on the lookout for the silver lining. Your happiness is contagious, which is why others like to be around you.
You do not feel that the world is an intrinsically depressing place; you are not the kind of "realist" who thinks that only fools find joy in life.

Extroverted

You are ready to talk at the drop of a hat. Whether you're in the office or at a party, you're likely to be found gabbing away in the middle of a group of people. If you have a high score on the "extroverted" trait, you are probably among those who enjoy communicating with their friends (on the phone, on line, texting…), hanging out, and finding the best parties.
You are not shy or unwilling to spend a fair amount of time socializing. People you meet generally do not feel they have a hard time getting to know you.

Outspoken

You like to talk. Luckily, you always have something to say, you tell a good story, and people generally enjoy listening to you. It's no wonder that you're often the center of attention.
You don't tend to keep your thoughts to yourself, and you don't feel you're imposing on others when you share your thoughts and opinions with them.

Warm

You have a genuine interest in other people. You're a natural host, and are always thinking about how you can increase the happiness of those around you. When friends have problems or are in trouble, you're usually the first person they turn to for aid and comfort. Scoring high on the "warm" trait suggests that you are among those who enjoy domestic activities — doing things around the house — and are enthusiastic about charitable work, helping others, and making the world a better place.
You don't always say exactly what you're thinking; you don't like the idea of causing anyone pain because of your criticism.

Scrupulous

You are an honest, fair person. You don't lie or cheat to get ahead. You treat others with respect and hope for the same in return.
You do not feel that you are above the rules that everyone else follows; you are definitely not willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead.

Tender

You are gentle with others, both physically and emotionally. You are careful not to upset people and go out of your way to find the nicest way to say something. You naturally focus on the fact that the world is full of wonderful people, places, and things. More often than not, people with a high score on the "tender" trait enjoy spending time with children, love romantic movies, and are enthusiastic about making the world a better place.
You don't think of yourself as tough-minded or gruff, nor do you need to be seen as some kind of objective source of truth and rationality.

whew

 I'm pretty sure this week was twice as long as normal. whew. I am SO looking forward to the weekend - although I'm not sure it's going to provide much relaxation for me...but at least I don't have to sit at my desk for long, extended periods of time!

1. It's easy being green. or not.

2. Hello, my darling.

3. Once upon a time, I discovered that this phrase gets used a lot around here.

4. It has been a crazy week, my brain hurts, I am teaching Relief Society this week and I need to refine my lesson, and my brother broke his foot last week  ... the end.

5. What is the best kind of pie? in your humble opinion? (my favorite is pumpkin. ;) ).

6. I think I would like a boyfriend sooner than later.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to an AIDA reunion!, tomorrow my plans include shopping with Sister B (I need new pants!), the BYU football game, dinner w/Grizzly Bear (maybe?) and getting things DONE and Sunday, I want to not stress out too much!

Thursday Things

in order to keep myself sane I just had to post a Thursday Things. Yesterday was absolutely nuts at work. The one CS rep is still out of the office (down to 2 people running CS) and then the front desk receptionist person was out...and CS is responsible for covering the front desk...so there were two people covering 4 peoples worth of work. NUTSO. Seriously, I thought I was going to go crazy. :P

sigh. moving on....

• I'm on the hunt for a date to go see Ballet West's Dracula next weekend. So...yeah. Need a date.

• My contemporary piece for BU2 is going to be really cool. I'm rather excited about it. Now if only I could figure out more choreography for it....

• I get to see all of my AIDA friends tomorrow night. I'm rather excited about this. I love them!

• I think I'm going to dinner with Grizzly Bear on Saturday...perhaps....

• Even though I'm uber exhausted, Blue Tango WILL happen tonight. I need the emotional release dancing gives me. 

• I love vegetables.

• I got invited to a Halloween party yesterday. I can't remember the last time I was invited to a Halloween party. I'm rather excited. :o)

• I'm wearing green today. I love green.

• I have a lot going on on Sunday. It will be a busy, busy day.

• I am having an In-n-Out burger for lunch today. I'm sort of excited about it.

That's it folks. Life is crazy. Does anyone want to be me for a day so I can just sleep for 24 hours straight? :o)

Tender Mercy Tuesday - 42nd Edition

Well. Today has been nothing short of ridiculous. It has been insanely busy and I might go crazy by the time I get home today. We've  been shorthanded at work for the past week because of a medical emergency for one of my coworkers. I'm ready for her to be better. :P

Anyways, I do have a small, little tender mercy today. texting. Yes, you read that right, today I am grateful for texting. I've been texting a few friends and they have been keeping me sane throughout the day. Thank goodness too, because otherwise I might light the phones on fire. (that's how busy it has been. barely a moment of peace and quiet today. SO MUCH paperwork to do too! ugh!)

Anywho, I'm grateful to be able to text people and have to have friends who will text me and keep me entertained. The End. :o)

mish-mash of my brain

so. my brain hurts. I have so many thoughts. I just don't even know where to begin. This is where pinterest comes to my rescue. Here's a little taste of my thought process today:

i want this print in my house: 

i want to live IN this house:

i love Lucy:

I am pretty sure I need this outfit:

I sort of want to be doing this right now:

so there you go. that's not everything going on in my brain right now, but it is a very good chunk of what is happening in my brain right now.

poof!

It was just like that - POOF! Suddenly, summer was gone and all the was left in it's wake was a horrible tan line that never went away and the wishes of more sunshine. This weekend was filled with loads of cold temperatures, cloudy skies, rainy (and a little snow!) days and lots of indoor adventures.

I'm sorry I sort of disappeared the end of last week. Thursday was just insanely busy and I never got around to posting and then I had Friday off, which ended up being so very busy and Saturday was much the same. I did finally choose and begin the contemporary piece for BU2 (thank goodness!) and now I get to start the process of finding music for my ballet class in Spanish Fork. I start that class in one week and I want to start choreography (or at least learn some sections of the choreography and teach them so the students aren't shocked by said choreography) in a month...and then I'll actually teach the dance w/formations to them in the beginning of the year. We are to do a dance on discouragement. Any music ideas you might have would be greatly appreciated.

I finally got my new computer at work. It is sooooo pretty. I have a HUGE monitor that I love, Windows 7 operating system that I'm still getting used to and Microsoft Office 10 that is making me think very hard. ;)

In other news I need to ask a boy to go see Ballet West's Dracula with me in less than 2 weeks. I have been thinking about asking Blindman2 OR I might ask this one guy in my ward. sigh. I just don't know who to take.

In other news, life is busy. Actually, that's not really news, especially if you know me in real life. I'm just always doing things. This week is no exception.

Anywho, this is a very boring, mundane post. I'll try to be funnier in the future, but I make no promises. ;)

Tender Mercy Tuesdsay - 41st Edition

This is going to be quick because I am uber busy and swamped at work, plus my external activities have me stressed to the nines (you DID see my crazy schedule yesterday right? if not, it explains everything. Look below.) Anyways, I was at Family Home Evening last night with people from my ward and we went to our stake's Family History Library. There we learned about the importance of Indexing and how to do it. Now, I already knew how to do it and after Elder Bednar's talk on the importance of it, I knew I wanted to recommit to doing it more frequently. Well, last night I did a batch while at the library and I plan on doing at least one batch a month. I can handle that, right? It was so calming, relaxing, and spiritually uplifting for me that I really need to remember to be doing it on a more regular basis.

And today, that's MY tender mercy.

Also, because I LOVE Chelsea and I haven't participated in Ten on Tuesday in AGES I thought I would take the time to do it today. ( I know, I know, I said this was going to be quick) I couldn't pass it up because it is the 100th week of T o T!!! (You should totally go participate. T o T is so much fun!)

1. How do you take your coffee?
I don't drink coffee. In fact, I don't even really like the smell of it. :P

2. Do you prefer soft or crispy chocolate chip cookies?
straight out of the oven - ooey, gooey, mess of a cookie. That's the best way to eat a chocolate chip cookie, in my opinion.

3. Do you wear a belt everyday?
Not at all. I've recently been converted to more  belting of various types...but I by no means wear one every day. There is only one pair of jeans that I really like wearing a belt with, other than that it's no belt.

4. What is your favorite color combination?
hmmm...I love the look of cider/burnt orange with just about anything. Also, I love Black + Red and Pink + Teal or Green. sigh...I just like color.

5. Do you like sour candy?
I love it. I thrived on it as a kid. The Lemon war heads? Yeah...I could totes handle those w/out puckering. :o)

6. How often do you do laundry?
usually every 7-10 days. It depends on if I need something that's dirty or not. I don't love doing laundry.


7. Did you ever wear braces?
nope. should i have? probably. Will I? Probably not.

8. Are you good at Roman Numerals?
yes, actually. I am. Once, when I was in D.C. with my dad and brother we saw this old building with a ton of Roman Numerals on the outside and I totally figured out what year the building was built. I rock.

9. What is your favorite form of social media?
hmmm. This is hard. I really only use blogging, Twitter and Facebook. Sometimes I love Twitter more than Facebook, but I have more friends on Facebook.

10. How do you feel about chin dimples?
um...cheek ones are cuter, but dimples are dimples yo.

busy week

in case you were wondering what "busy" means to me take a look at my calendar for the week:

normally I wouldn't go as far as to schedule in all the little things I need to do (like eat, shower, etc) but I have SO MANY things that need to get done this week with gym time, appointments for my church calling, get-togethers with my friends...that scheduling the little things had to happen this week so I can make sure I don't let something slide. Looking at my week I am wondering how in the world everything is going to get done...and yet according to my schedule, it's all going to work. A LOT of the white space (especially m-f) is for travel time to and from my events...sigh. SO BUSY.

In other news, I had a marvelous weekend filled with girl time, loads of wonderful messages from leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and some time spent with Surfer Boy and a couple other guys from my ward. Nothing went down with Grizzly Bear and I honestly don't have time for it this week. Life is just way too busy. I mean...look at that image above! Insanity I tell you!

Anyways, that's my life in a nutshell right now. This is me hoping I can plow through this week and make it to Friday without dying. :o) Happy Monday all y'all!