Favorite Things on A Friday

Dearest Friends.

Is it just me or has this past week felt FOREVER long? I am so grateful that it is finally Friday. Now if the work day will fly by then I will be a happy camper. :o) I'm very much looking forward to date night tonight and then spending the morning (post-rehearsal) and early afternoon with my sweet boyfriend. THEN I'm going to go to the temple tomorrow night. It should be good times.

Before I share a few favorite things with you, I'm sure you have all been waiting with baited breath for the outcome of my doctor's appointment yesterday. First of all, I was there for TWO HOURS. Seriously, longest wait of my life. Sigh. Oh well. The news is: GOOD! there's nothing seriously wrong with my knee. The popping is fairly normal - the grinding I feel behind my knee cap can be helped with a brace that the doctor gave me and he confirmed that my graft/meniscus all look fantastic. So that was good. I'm glad to have gotten it checked out and to have that worry no longer present. :o)

OKAY! Favorite things today!

I have a thing for brownies right now. mmmm...

Truth:

I love life. It's so great.

I think I need to try out this recipe.

this quote. oh man. AMEN.

Finally - a little bit of the Piano Guys awesomeness to kick-start the weekend the right way. :) Enjoy!

Marvelous Monday Meanderings

My dearest friends!

It has been FAR too long since my last (sort of depressing) post! I apologize for that! So many amazing things have been happening and life is splendidly wonderful and I have a rosier/happier outlook on life. Granted, there are still hard things BUT they are suddenly more manageable. Funny how that happens.

FIRST off, there was the 182nd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was a wonderful weekend where I was spoiled with lots of quality time with my future boyfriend, Soldier Boy. We also had the wonderful opportunity (thanks Chilly!) to go to the Afternoon Session in the conference center, which is ALWAYS a treat. We had a blast.

SECOND off, we (Soldier Boy and I) got GREAT news this week and it puts us one step closer to being in a real-life, public relationship. :o) I can't wait to kiss that boy again. He drives me crazy (in a good way) and I can't wait until I can call him mine for reals.

THIRDLY, one of the two studios I teach for had their year-end concert this weekend: Emotions are in Motion. I got to be a mime and it was REALLY fun! I enjoyed my moments on stage and got a kick out of playing with the audience. Good times. Also, this means that I am done teaching for said studio. HUZZAH for open Monday evenings! I'm so excited about this, I'm not quite sure WHAT to do with myself! :o)

MOVING right along.... I found this amazing quote from the ever brilliant wily brunette and I just HAD to share it with you.

"You're going to discover that conversations are best at 4 am. The heavier the eyelids, the sincerer the words. Those are the talks you'll remember. It's okay not to know the answer and silence is not awkward. It's shared, so share it more often than not."

Jeff Stuckel

There is truth in this statement yo. Soldier Boy and I always seem to have the BEST conversations in the early morning hours when we're so tired and really should be in bed. I love it.

FINALLY, I promise to be a better blogger. Or at least TRY to be a better blogger. Then maybe this whole catch up thing wouldn't seem so daunting because everything would be current. Have a lovely Spring day!

P.S. You should check out my friend and her blog post that went up yesterday about Sparkling. She's a lovely writer with a lovely thoughts on life and she's constantly reminding me to be the best person I am. Seriously, I don't know how I would get through some days without her. :o)

Wordy Wednesday

First off, I need to tell you that I had a great post in my head for yesterday. It's still there in fact...in my head. However, yesterday ended up being an insanely busy day and I had no moments to blog. At all. I need to be better about getting things ready ahead of time.....yeah right.

Anyways, it was your basic single person's Valentine's Day. Soldier Boy and I talked on the phone for a very long time and it's making me all sleepy and slightly ornery today. Hopefully there are no punks on the phones. :P We're actually doing our V-Day celebration on Thursday at Blue Tango. At least, that's when he'll get his Valentine. :o)

Also, we're going to the ballet on Saturday, and I'm very much looking forward to it. I'm going to wear the prettiest dress and my hair piece I made? Super cute. Want proof? Okay. :-D

Finally, I was stalking a blogger named meg and she shared this magnificent quote:

"Time is tricky. You have whole months, even years, when nothing changes a speck, when you don't go anywhere or do anything or think one new thought. And then you can get hit with a day or an hour, or half a second, when so much happens, it's almost like you are born all over again into some brand-new person you for damn sure never expected to meet."

E.R. Frank

Isn't that just fantastic? I totally feel like this right now. I feel like the past few years have been the same old, same old. Not much change, just me and my life going down the river. However, my river has quickly turned into a quick changing beast with rapids and waterfalls, and new scenery that is just beautiful. Life is full of surprises and the person I am right now is never the person I expected I would become. Here I am though...and I love it.

Have a happy Wednesday everyone!

Tender Mercy Tuesday - 56th Edition

Sometimes I dread doing my Tender Mercy Tuesday posts - I just don't feel like doing them on occasion, but it is always those times when I really DO need to do said meme posts. I always find myself more thankful for the little things in my life that help keep me happy.

Today's small thing is actually two small things. See...I was having a rough night yesterday. I was letting my emotions get the better of me and was struggling with a few personal matters. I knew that the doubts I were having were pointless - doubts don't come from God, but it didn't matter, I was still doubting and hesitating. Then, I read this quote that Roommate R left on my doorstep over a year ago when I was going through a hard time.

"Things work out; it isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out, don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in him, if we will pray to him, if we will live worthy of his blessings, he will hear our prayers." - President Gordon B. Hinckley

I love this quote. It always reminds me that everything will work out. I just need to do those things necessary to stay faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

My second thing is Soldier Boy. We talked for just a few minutes last night (unlike the normal hour or two that we usually go for) mostly because he wanted to make sure I got the sleep I needed. (he's way too good to me) I was happy just to hear his voice and get to talk to him even if it was only for a few minutes. Then I woke up this morning and noticed that he had texted me several hours later. That text message was filled with the exact words I was needing to hear. He's just so sweet and tender to me and knows exactly what I need and when I need it. I'm so grateful to have him in my life. :o)

Have a great Tuesday all!

How I deal....

I can usually handle a break-up pretty well. usually being the key word.

This time around has been interesting since I saw the other side of breaking-up. I have found myself still going through the same grief cycle and what not.

First thing that's always on my agenda? New shoes. Oh and did these new shoes deliver...please observe:

Hot, no? I am so in love with these gold glitter stilettos. They make me tall, add some pizzaz to any outfit and are just plain AWESOME.

Next thing on my agenda is to immerse myself in crafty projects and hang out with all my friends. Done and done. I finished my sister's wedding gift (a wedding album of everything from their wedding. I am so awesome) and gave it to her this weekend. I hung out with Surfer Boy and other peeps from my ward and basically just had a fun time.

The next thing that usually happens after a break-up is that I begin to miss having a boyfriend but don't necessarily miss the boy I was dating specifically. I am currently in that phase. It is always a hard phase to get out of, but I will persevere. :o) Today I'm doing that by reminding myself of the awesomeness through a few quotes. Enjoy and have a marvelous Martin Luther King Jr. Day (I SO wish I had the day off. :( )

a relief with sadness sandwich

So. I'm currently chowing down on a relief with sadness sandwich. I know, it doesn't sound like the most exciting sandwich in the world, but it is one filled with everything that my mind, heart, and soul need right now.

Last night I broke up with Monkey Man. Sad, I know. But it had to happen. See....things just weren't jiving for me anymore. There's a whole lot of reason to why I broke up with him, but a lot of it is SO personal that I just don't feel comfortable sharing it here. I do know that it was the right thing to do - without a doubt. It was sad to see his face fall when I told him the things I needed to tell him, but he took it graciously and didn't put up a fight. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe more tears? I'm a really hard person to break up with and so I just figured it could quite possibly be like that. Luckily, it wasn't and after I left his house I drove down to see Sister B and her hubby. We talked a bit and finished a puzzle that's been on their table since Thanksgiving. :o)

After I got home I saw this quote twice in two different places within 5 minutes of each other:

While it isn't perfect, I do feel like it describes what I did. The courage that it took to do what I did didn't roar. And here I am tyring again....not in the same way - but I am not going to wallow. I am not going to throw myself a pity party because I KNOW that what I did was right. I KNOW that there are other things out there for me and I KNOW that I'm going to be okay. I just have to keep on trying. And try I will. My dear friend blogged about courage and having to choose between things that are "good" and things that are "best." Not always an easy choice as I have found out. Her words of wisdom rang true to me last night and this I know..... I will try again tomorrow. Until another time my friends, God bless.

thoughts of my heart

{source}

{source}

{source}

Cloud 9

I just may float away....here are some prints that express my thoughts perfectly for today. :o) Have a great day y'all!

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}

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)

Wordy Wednesday

I'm feeling wordy today, but the things that are going through my head are not things that I can share on the blog. yet. So instead I will share the following quotes that pretty aptly describe what is going through my mind. So here you go: a wordy insight to the brain waves of Alishka. :o)

{all prints found on Pinterest}

just another....

MANIC MONDAY!!!

Seriously, it is crazy around here peeps. Work has just been one thing after another all day long. sigh. At least I can rest easy knowing that there are just two hours until my evening.

I have so much to blog about...I think we're going to need bullet points.....

• game night last night? EPIC. Seriously. At one point it was down to four of us and we played Go Fish! when is the last time YOU played Go Fish? (granted, this was a child version of go fish...with pictures of fishes and what not. not the real life GROWN UP version. WHO KNEW there was grown up version of Go Fish?!!) For me...it had been quite sometime. We had to read the rules. Also, we were hilarious playing this game. It was honestly one of my favorite moments of game nights so far.

• Surfer Boy....is my friend. And for now, i'm okay with that. At some point we might be more...but for now we are friends. Which is good. I want to marry my best friend. :o)

• I learned some interesting things about some back story on Blindman2 (remember him?). It makes me want to continue giving him a chance. I think I'll be seeing him in a couple of weeks with our mutual friends. We'll see what goes down at that point.

• I get to go to Tuachan this weekend! I AM SO EXCITED!!!! I can deal with ANYTHING at work this week if only because I'll be "out of town" for a mere 24 hours. :o)

• We've started having "ward prayer" again on Sunday evenings. I just LOVE going to this. There have been times in my life where I have despised ward prayer and have refused to go. Not anymore!

• TV Fall Season Premieres are upon us!!! I'm rather excited for my two favorite shows: Castle and The Big Bang Theory. YAY for fun things again!!!!

• I think I mentioned this the other day...but i'm totally doing my challenge for another week. It rocked my world last week, I'm going to make it rock again this week. :o)

• I'm going to go see 17 Miracles tonight. Don't be surprised if it shows up in my tender mercy post tomorrow. I have a feeling it could....

• I was visiting teaching this weekend and I read this quote in the message. It's how I'm going to live my life: “We prepare each day, right now, for eternal life. If we are not preparing for eternal life, we are preparing for something less, perhaps something far less.” - Elder M. Russell Ballard

I'm not sure if that's everything or not. oh well. Enjoy the rest of your Monday!

Wordy Wednesday

Quotes to live my life by today:

{source}

{source}

{pinterest}

Confusion

Hey there friends. I hope you had the most splendid of weekends. Mine was filled with loads of rehearsal, and a date with Percy.

I like going on dates, they are fun. However, they also manage to fill me with confusion on occasion. Percy and I went to my dear friend's wedding reception and then we went to Park City where we walked Main Street and poked our heads into the open galleries. It was great times and I really enjoyed our time together.

Last week I went out with Grizzly Bear. We went to Chile's to get yummy food and then watched a movie at his place. I've held strong and haven't let him kiss me again - but i do let him cuddle with me and hold my hand.

Here's my dilemma. I like Grizzly Bear - at least, I like how I feel when I'm with him, but I'm not sure I LIKE him. Ya know? I think it's more that he fills the physical affection void in my life. Whereas with Percy, I enjoy spending time with him. We always have the best time together, but we haven't crossed the psychical boundary yet. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good thing....but there's still an uncertainty to if a relationship between us really will work.

Grizzly Bear made loose plans to go out with me this coming Saturday night. Here's the thing  - with rehearsals and stuff the only time  I can go on dates is Saturday nights. Part of me does want to go with Grizzly Bear because I want to continue to get to know him, but I don't really see us in a relationship.  Where on the other hand, I really want to go out with Percy because I see the possibility. Maybe I should just flip a coin???

I think I just answered my own confusion - but any of your thoughts are welcome. How do I let down Grizzly Bear gently and nicely? I've never really been in this position before......

expressions of my emotions at this exact moment

{source}

{source}

{source}

{source}

Memorial Friday

It's finally Friday my friends! I honestly thought today would never come. I feel like this week was one of the longest weeks EVER! However, the weekend is just moments away and it's a 3-day weekend at that! huzzah!!

I am hoping that today is less crazy than yesterday (it was a crazy mess here yesterday!) since it IS a holiday weekend, I'm hoping people have taken off early. :-)

Speaking of taking off early, I get to do that today! Mostly because I get to go and do Sister B's hair for her bridals today. :o) I can't believe she is getting married in less than 3 weeks. That's a little crazy to think about.

In other news I have a new "interest" in my life. We've been chatting for a couple of weeks and he finally got the gumption to ask to meet in "real life." He's really nice and I think we got along (as much as one can tell via emails) really well. He's cute and asked for my number so that he can call and ask me out properly. I think that's a good a sign! He called me last night, but I was at the gym. I called him back, but  right now we're in a game of phone tag. I'll keep you posted. This boy doesn't have a 'nym yet, but I will get you one when I decide to blog more about him.

Speaking of the gym, I finally got my butt in gear and got myself back there after being MIA for more than 2 weeks. Sigh. I pushed myself and walked/ran for 30 minutes which ended up equaling 2.6 miles. go me! It felt good and I'm nice and sore today. woo hoo!

Finally, I saw this from a blog I stalk  this morning and I've decided that it is going to be my answer to every person that asks me why I am not married yet while at my younger sister's wedding. :o)

I can just change the "you're" with "someone" and it works perfectly! ha! Have a lovely 3-day weekend my lovelies. muah!

Summer Mottos

So. I have plans to have the BEST summer ever guys. Seriously, I'm going to go hiking , camping, visit random sites around Utah, attend the Tuachan and see the Little Mermaid and so much more!

Anyways, to remind myself to not get all uptight and to let loose and have fun and continue living up to my word of the year, I have found a few prints that are the driving force behind my summer plans. I hope you enjoy.

{source}

{source}

{source}

{source}

{source}

Sunshiney Adventures!!

Hi guys! It's Friday AND it's my day off! ALSO it is SUNSHINEY and supposed to be absolutely GORGEOUS today. :o) The plan is to clean my house a little bit (the kitchen and bathroom especially) and then go on a sunshiney adventure. Maybe a picnic in the park? A hike up a local canyon that is not too intense? Regardless of the adventure it will be fun; especially because Leviticus offered to join me when we were talking last night. So...there you go.

{source}

Speaking of last night, I went to Blue Tango like I do sometimes on Thursday nights and it was SO MUCH FUN!!!! I loved it. I came home exhausted, sweaty and tired, but I can think of no better way to fall asleep then after having danced the night away.

Anywho, I'm here to leave you with just a little thought for the weekend. I hope all y'all have a most splendid one!!

{source}

Wishes for the Weekend

So I am sitting at work with a brain that is fried. I have a ton of data entry to deal with and I'm not looking forward to it. I am really tired because I went dancing last night, but I'm totally okay that that. I LOVE dancing and I needed the relaxing, fun evening with friends.

So...my wishes for the weekend:

• warmth. I'm not getting this wish seeing as how the next 3 days is supposed to be unseasonably cold with a Hard frost on Sunday morning. Not fun guys, not fun. The good news is that as of right now it's supposed to be BEAUTIFUL next week. Let's hope that holds true.

• I'm wishing for a calm, relaxing weekend. I have little to no plans this weekend and I'm very excited about this because I need some calm "me-time" to get some of my to-do list done. We'll see how that goes.

• I want to go see my friends' baby. She was born yesterday (4 weeks early!) and I am so happy for my friend.

• I am hoping my pot roast dinner on Sunday night turns out.

• While I am excited to have "me-time" this weekend, I also want to play with friends. I do have some plans for this evening...but I'm hoping to see some friends tomorrow night as well. Guess we'll see what happens.

I'm sure there are several other wishes for my weekend, but seeing as how I'm running on limited brain power right now and all of that brain power is being used for work we'll stop there. I hope you all have a splendid weekend. Loves!

{source}