and just like that... it's autumn

M. Ward "Chinese Translation" from DJ Bunny Ears on Vimeo.

last night on my sojourn to broulims to buy brussels sprouts, carrots, onion, garlic, and a frozen pizza [for Frozen Pizza Movie Night], i thrust my hands in the pockets of my flannel-lined jacket, burrowed my chin into my lilac scarf, and realized that

it

was

fall.

it's in the air,

the cheers of the crowd at the football games,

the layers of clothing we all pile on,

and the crunch of the leaves underfoot.

maybe my subconscious self was ignoring the yellow and orange leaves and embracing the recent sunshine and warm weather, but even though it is october ninth, i still am surprised with autumn's swift arrival.

i'm not complaining,

just contemplating.

literally from one day to the next it changed from summer to fall.

does that mean that allofasudden fall semester will be over and it will be

winter semester?

and then, as fast as it came, winter will retreat and spring and sunshine and melting snow will prevail?

does that mean that crisp spring mornings will evolve into gorgeous summer afternoons spent in the sunshine?

i guess what i'm trying to say is that

time is a funny thing.

it ebbs and flows like ocean waves.

it flies out of my grasp like an autumn leaf and stays as stagnant as the freshly-fallen snow on a winter morning.

it makes me think...

am i truly taking advantage of my time here?

am i fully appreciating and embracing student/single life?

i honestly don't think so.

and that must change.

this what i like to call a vacation!

it's 2:40 in the afternoon,

it's rainy and cloudy outside,

i had peppermint hot cocoa for breakfast,

and i haven't even showered yet.

I LOVE FRIDAYS.

i felt life and love and hope infested my bones.

today was an absolutely beautiful day full of thunder and lightning, a delicious meal [that actually became two meals], and interesting classes.

in fact, i had five good things about today before dinnertime! AMAZING!

so, here we go:

1. my 19th century art history class was cancelled allowing me to take a...

2. GLORIOUS, WONDERFUL NAP!

3. i finally used part of my zucchini-baby [aka the giant zucchini given to us by our generous fhe brothers] in my italian stir-fry

4. project runway was on!

5. i got the majority of my homework for this weekend all done!

so, all in all, it was a good day [even though i'm definitely coming down with a cold and spent the majority of the day wrapped up in a blanket doing homework].

and that's something to be grateful for.

my 3rd post today and my 300th POST EVER!

in celebration of my 300th [WOW! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??] post, i would like to share this video.

it features two of my celebrity crushes and one of my favorite music genres.

and it is awesome.

here's to 300 more, friends!

enjoy!

shout-out.

i have the best friends and family in the biz.

seriously.

your posse can't even hold a candle to mine. [did i word that phrase right?]

today, as mentioned in my previous post, was rough to say the least.

but i have felt so much love from my friends and i feel so completely blessed.

so, to all of you who have brightened my dark dark day,

i want you to know that i am forever grateful for your kindness and love,

and that your words have comforted me,

and that i love you all.

so, to finish off the list:

3. asphalt pie

4. phone calls from friends who care

5. laughing

on and on again.

it's getting harder and harder to come up with five things that made me happy each day.

but i'm giving it a shot.

1. quiet as a mouse on repeat.

2. "i tell my daughter every day 'THAT'S NOT REAL ART.'" --brother memmott in regards to the way disney puts disney princesses on everything.

3. ...

4. ....

5. .....

i guess two reasons is better than zero.

to be continued?

i love good music more than almost anything in the world.

this evening things turned around for me.

i decided to go to the snow[building] to play some piano and it made my day a thousand million gazillion times better.

i learned how to play

this song

and this song

and it was so therapeutic.

thank goodness for piano, for music, and for a practice room that smells like a freshly-washed boy.

i hate the music from glee more than anything in the world.

this is where my mind is.

taken in san diego october 2009

edited in picnik

today has been pretty bleak.

this list is necessary.

five good things about today, 5 october 2010:

1. the completely obnoxious girl in my mesoamerican class was absent!

2. best friend sent me some new, great music [including the new azure ray, margot and the nuclear so-and-sos, and early metric].

3. texts like this: "Hi Kellie. I love you and im really glad youre my friend"

4. a very much needed four-hour-long nap.

5. sitting next to a good-smelling boy.

grab bag!

i've been listening to this song all day because

IT'S RAINING!

it was the bright spot of my day and i love that fresh smell of rain wafting through my window.

-----------------------

in other news...

1. last night i had a dream that i was watching devotional in the hart and the usher people kept taking people out for no reason. i got pulled out of my seat and waited in a really, really long line that moved very slowly. after what felt like hours, i was shoved into a room with a lady holding up two hangers in one hand and a floor-length, shapeless dress in the other. she looked me up and down with judgmental eyes and told me that i was taken out of devotional because i was dressed immodestly and needed to change out of my clothes into the sack she grasped in her evil talon. i silently stood my ground, staring her down, as she told me i would be kicked out of school if i didn't change. i looked at my modest clothing, seeing nothing wrong with my ensemble, looked back at her, shoved the hangers in her face and pulled the dress over her head and ran out of the room. as i ran, sirens wailed and i heard footsteps with accompanying voices calling out "CODE RED! CODE RED! REBEL IN THE AREA!".

and then i woke up.

i've been in rexburg too long.

one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind

everyone should watch this.

it is stunning and breathtaking and proves how incredible this universe truly is

and how incredible our Creator is for making it all happen.

rent/netflix it asap.

cinco cosas.

well, the novelty has officially worn off.

it's hard to come up with five things i'm grateful for each day.

but there are always five things to be happy about.

and that is all i have to say.

a letter

dear kristen penwell (nee carlson):

today is your lucky day!

as you know, it is tuesday.

and as you know from your previous enrollment as a student at byu-idaho, and as a roommate of mine, it's SCROLL DAY!
which means it's KRISTEN AND KELLIE SCROLL-BASHING DAY!
[the following headlines are, as always, very real and very facetious]
-"Laptops connect to Facebook on campus network"

[hasn't this always been the case?]
-"Canned food provides charity, dates"

[i don't even want to know.]

-"Cell phone use disrupts library studies"

[duh.]
-"Stories come to life on the big screen"

[WHO COMES UP WITH THESE TOPICS??]
-"Rexburg 'bubble' is a rarity and a blessing"

[i'm not even going to talk about this one.]

in closing, i would like to include a letter to the editor entitled "Rebellion, sense of entitlement drowns out the Spirit of Ricks" [author's name withheld for his own personal protection]. enjoy.

"It is unfortunate that a spirit of rebellion persists on the BYU-I campus, which in turn drowns out the Spirit of Ricks and the Spirit of the Lord. From those who knowingly choose to wear flip-flops, to dresses and skirts which do not reach the knees, to those who save seats before devotional.

Do those who save seats before devotional somehow feel entitled to do so, and is that really what the Lord would have us do? To some it might not seem that big a deal to save seats or even slide a little on the Honor Code, but it certainly shows a lack of spiritual integrity to the simplest of principles: obedience.

None of this is meant to pass judgment; I only mention this because of the pervasive attempts by the adversary to lure us to think that 'all is well, yeah [sic] Zion prospereth.' We hear prayers on a regular basis that we will do the will of the Lord; yet, how simple a principle: do not save seats before devotional? Will we maintain a spirit of rebellion, as did Naaman, when Elisha told him to bathe seven times in the river Jordan; and because it was simple, it seemed to be too difficult to follow the council [sic]? (2 Kings 5:10-14).

The first law of heaven is obedience, which is a simple concept. After all, by 'small and simple things, are great things brought to pass,' even if one can't save seats."

seriously?! someone actually has a problem with this?? and has the gall to liken saving seats at devotional to the story of naaman??

this dude is WACK.

kristen, i think it's safe for me to say that you are missed dearly!

until next week,

kellie

ps: here's another gem: "I've fought that stereotype with the violence of a cornered raccoon..." oh, dear.

yesterday and today

saturday:

1. staying in bed until 3:7pm

2. relief society broadcast

3. 11:00pm sojourn to broulims

4. singing motown all the way back home from said sojourn

5. blackberry lemonade

sunday:

1. answers

2. getting through sacrament meeting without making a huge mistake on the piano

3. watching a sarah mclachlan concert dvd

4. being interrogated by an fhe brother

5. phone call with my big sis, kari

now i can finally go to bed! i just barely finished my graphic design homework and i told myself i had to compile my lists right after that before things got hazy and i forgot what happened over the weekend [which happens often].

much love.

yesterday's list.

1. winco with emperor justinian.

2. watching america's funniest home videos and almost peeing my pants.

3. peach yogurt + the best granola in creation.

4. getting 13000 points in skee-ball. i'm out of practice.

5. waking up very, very late.

-------------------------

in other news...

-the relief society general broadcast was tonight and it got me so excited for conference next weekend! can you believe it's been six months already since last conference?? i can't!

time flies, my friends.

time flies.

-i'm afraid i'm lactose-intolerant.

-sometimes it's okay to spend your saturday in pajamas...

IF you're doing homework.

right?

i can make you dance.

1. pepsi throwback.

2. FINDING MY PATRIARCHAL BLESSING IN MY SPANISH BOOK OF MORMON!

3. remembering jonny vulture's hilarious anecdote during class that he shared with me yesterday and laughing out loud.

4. "brother toone, kellie keeps passing me romantic notes!" -- guy in my 19th century art history class

5. project runwaaaaaaaay!

this blog post contains one list and one list only.

1. finding out my sacred art class was cancelled--thus pushing my group's presentation back another day!

2. modern family!

3. laughing and laughing and laughing with friends.

4. aaron tripping accidentally and then breaking into a sprint to cover it up. HILARIOUS.

5. twizlberry.

what a great day.

be happy now.

today was a day of ups and downs tos and fros and backwards and forwards.

today was a day of anxiety and reassurance, annoyance and fondness, impatience and patience, frustration and satisfaction.

today was a day of realization.

my time in rexburg has been rocky [at best]. i've met some incredible people and made the most amazing friends, but i still have ill feelings for this place.

after five years of being here, i still hate hearing people singing disney songs at the top of their lungs whilst walking down the street.

i cannot stand the knee-deep snow and bone-chilling wind.

weekly clean checks are completely unnecessary and ridiculous.

and if i never read another scroll in my life, i will be satisfied.

but i also

love going to ramires at midnight, eating a texano and talking about life with my friends.

i love laughing so hard my sides hurt.

i love talking with my roommates until the wee hours of the morning.

and i love the person i am when i'm here.

today i weighed my personal pros and cons against each other and had this overwhelming feeling that true happiness comes with accepting and loving the stage of life you're in at the moment.

i was frustrated all day today with all of these insignificant annoyances in my life and found myself wishing i could be married or graduated from college or anywhere but rexburg, idaho.

but at the end of the day, after some long, meaningful talks with good friends, it hit me that very soon i will be done here.

one day i will leave this place forever and embark on a new journey.

i don't want to look back on my time in rexburg in a negative light.

i don't want to feel like i wasted my time here.

i don't want to miss out on anything anymore.

and i most certainly don't want to wish my life away.

tomorrow [or today, rather] is a brand new day with endless possibilities.

and i'm starting afresh with a new goal that will be implemented using this blog.

every day i will post five things that made me appreciate this phase in my life.

my mom always says that you can find five good things each day even on the worst days.

and i know that to be true because i've experienced it before.

so, here is my list for today:

1. staying up way too late talking to my roommate.

2. going to the library with friends, eating cookies, and enjoying every minute of it [even though every minute of it (mostly) was spent studying].

3. getting set apart as the ward pianist.

4. eating the same meal for lunch and dinner [soup].

5. figuring out what to be for halloween [possibly R2D2]

this is incredible.

we watched this video in my history of illustration and graphic design class today and it was so enthralling and incredible.

enjoy.

Pictorial Webster's: Inspiration to Completion from John Carrera on Vimeo.

this one's for you, dad!

isn't it great when you're feeling kind of miserable and lonely but then friends stop by your house and make you feel a million times better?

yeah, i think so, too.

[the symphony bar/toasted almond/dark chocolate chip cookies helped, too]

WOE IS ME.

this morning i finished my homework before noon so that i would have time to do something fun tonight.

right now it's 9:00pm and i'm baking cookies and wishing i hadn't done my homework so quickly because i'm so bored and i have zero friends.

patheticsville.

in which i see scott pilgrim vs. the world and embarrass myself.

i just got back from seeing scott pilgrim vs. the world.

remember this post from winter semester about whip it?

I FEEL THE EXACT SAME WAY ABOUT SCOTT PILGRIM.

you all need to see it as soon as humanly possible.

and hopefully when you see it, you won't sit behind a huge guy and tickle his arms accidentallyonpurpose.

here's the story:

this giraffe sat in front of me and kept shifting in his seat every second causing me to shift in my seat every second so i could see around him. at one point in the movie, he draped his arms around the backs of the chairs on either side of him and was sitting so erect that he blocked my line of sight entirely.

so i nudged my roommate, tanya, and pretended to tickle his arms as a way to get him to move and i didn't realize that his left arm was draped lower than his right and i ended up tickling him FOR REAL.

talk about embarrassing.

BUT, he moved his arms and sat low in his seat for the rest of the movie.

mission accomplished.

something funny happened to me on the way to the kirkham

today at approximately 7:56am the weirdest thing to happen to me in a while occurred.

i was minding my own business walking to my mesoamerican art class [which i love--when i'm not sleeping] when allofasudden this guy in a red shirt walked towards me and started waving. i had no recollection of ever meeting this guy, so i looked really confused. but he kept waving! and finally he said, "hi, kellie!"

i stopped dead in my tracks and couldn't even think of anything to say because this total stranger KNEW MY NAME.

but then i looked behind me and another girl was walking towards him.

her name must have been kellie/kelley/kelli/kelly, too.

so, after standing in the hallway for what seemed like an hour, i scurried off to my class only to find that the total stranger was in the class, too.

earlier this evening, my roommate tanya and i were taking the trash out and he was walking through the parking lot! right in front of us! so tanya said hi, and he saw me and practically ran away.

on our way back to the apartment i told tanya the whole story and she was laughing so hard at the irony of the whole ordeal.

and that's when i realized that sometimes life is just funny because if it was serious all the time, it would be boring.

stuck in my head.

i found myself humming the following songs throughout my day:

this song gets stuck in my head every time i'm in my 19th century art history class.

i'm in the right place.

this song is so perfectly applicable to me right now.
remember how i didn't want to come back to rexburg?

well, i don't know if it's

my roommates,

my classes,

the vitamins i'm taking,

or

the sleepytime vanilla tea i drink every night before i go to sleep,

but i am enjoying myself here.

my classes are awesome.

every

single

one

of

them

[even my intimidating spanish class]

.

i feel completely at home in my classes and have even made comments [GASP] during our class discussions.

i'm learning so much and i love it already!

also, i just got called to be the ward pianist which i'm psyched for!

and it's 11:15pm and all my homework is done!

it's a christmas miracle!

[or an answer to prayer].

speaking of answers to prayers and tough spanish classes,

i was feeling anxious on monday night because i knew that i had spanish the next day.

talia [bless her heart] texted me at the perfect time and i told her how i was feeling sick because of all the anxiety felt about that class, and she told me i wasn't giving myself enough credit.

i denied that and told her i just wasn't smart enough.

as i was reading my scriptures a few minutes later, i came across a passage where nephi was talking about how he was keeping a record but wasn't quite sure why. but he trusted in the Lord and knew that as long as he remained righteous, he would be blessed by the Lord.

i had a little asterisk at the end of the verse that led me to the bottom of the page where i had written the following who knows how long ago:

"The Lord sees things that we do not see. He sees potential in us that we don't see in ourselves. But His commandments to us are 'for a wise purpose.'"

it was the perfect statement for me to read. i was filled with this overwhelming gratitude for that little piece of wisdom and i realized that even though the Lord didn't command me to take this class, He sees potential in me and knows that i will be fine as long as i put forth my best effort and remain faithful and rely on Him. i may not get an A [in fact, i probably won't], but i will get the satisfaction of a job well done because the Lord helped me.

i guess it just goes to show that...

"if you like where you're living,

if you like what you do.

if you like what you're seeing

when you're looking at you.

if you like what you're saying

when you open your face.

then you got the right feeling.

you're in the right place."

it is done.

i'm sitting in my room, listening to some nice music and relaxing with some sleepytime vanilla tea after my LAST FIRST DAY OF FALL SEMESTER.

for the most part, it went well.

i was reminded over and over again that art history is for real the best option for me right now.

and i was also reminded, conversely [?], that spanish is definitely not right for me as a major.

today i had my mesoamerican and 19th century art history classes and i love them already! my teachers are both so enthusiastic about their subject matter and excited to teach us.

on the other hand, i also had my spanish culture and civilization class and felt like i was going to throw up the whole time i was there. it's been a long time since i've had a spanish class. it's been well over a year. but even though it was stressful and overwhelming for me to be in that classroom, something my professor said really hit me. he said that as long as we prepare for our classes faithfully, we will be given the help that we need in order to succeed in all that we struggle with. that really comforted me and motivated me to work hard and do my best so i don't have to take this stupid class again.

in other news:

-first day of school crush has been found.

-my roommates are beyond awesome.

-i made some delicious tomato sauce tonight with fresh tomatoes from the jorgensen family garden [thanks, mom!].

-NO CLASS TOMORROW!

-there was a CRAZY rain/hail storm earlier this evening! beautiful.

-i can't wait to go to my new ward and my other art history classes!

jitters!

i have my outfit picked out,

my bag packed with school supplies,

a playlist to accompany throughout the day,

and i'm super nervous.

some things never change.

even when you're twenty-three years old in your fifth year of higher education.

pray that i make it to my eight am class tomorrow!

ta-da!

my room is officially decorated!

i'm super happy with it!

my side of the room

close-up of shelves

desk

and last, but most certainly not least, my life-size poster of jamison olave.

and in other news...

i got a haircut!

also, school starts tomorrow! my first class is at 8 am.

pray that i wake up in time for it.

written in a hotel room in pocatello, idaho

well, tomorrow is the beginning of the end.

i move into my new place in rexburg tomorrow and thus start the last fall semester at byu-idaho.

i have to say, i'm very excited for this.

i can't wait to graduate and i can't wait to leave rexburg for the LAST TIME EVER next july.

but i also want to make the most of my time while i'm here.

even though i've lived here for five years now, there's so much i haven't done.

hard to believe.

so, here is my college bucket list:

-visit yellowstone and see old faithful

-go to mesa falls in ashton

-see a movie at the drive-in

-go to the haunted swing in rexburg

-bridge-jumping at monkey rock

any other suggestions?

i finished something!

behold!

a finished product.

[this pillow was the inspiration.]

it is FAR from perfect [please do not look too closely],

but now that the dust has settled and i'm looking at it more and more, i've come to realize that it has grown on me.

i've grown accustomed to its face [ala henry higgins]

in fact, i love it.

imperfections and all.

and i think we all know it wouldn't be a true creation of mine if it was perfect.

right?

--------------------------------

in other news...

-i head back to rexburg on sunday[!] and even though half of me is dreading my impending return, half of me is excited.

only three more semesters. i can last that long, right?

-i got a haircut! it's a whole lot healthier and shinier and softer and that makes me happy.

-i'm reading mockingjay right now. it's been harder for me to get into, but i'm still enjoying it.

-who's been watching project runway this season?? how psycho is gretchen?? how awesome and adorable is mondo?? and how incredible was it to hear tim lay down the law?? i can't wait to watch the new episode tonight.

with kari.

and smores.

send it downtown.

i think everyone should experience this.

c'est la vie.

yesterday evening i made a fairly long to-do list that i decided needed to be completed by tuesday afternoon when my parents get back from the greatest city in the u s of a.

i told my mom before she left that the house would be unrecognizable [in a good way] by the time she and my dad got back.

i guess i like to clean now?

anyway, i got myself all excited to make the house all sparkly and then i woke up this morning

with

a

HUGE

HEADACHE.

i feel like this happens every single time i'm excited about doing something.

it's almost like the devil knows i'm going to be happy and slaps me with a migraine.

but, i'm going to be strong and arm myself with some excedrin and peppermint oil and do everything i planned to do today because i know that if i don't i'll be very upset with myself.

and i'll probably listen to the above song the whole time.

because there's nothing like dean martin to put headaches and misery at bay.

------

in other news:

-i leave for rexburg in about three weeks. ONE MORE YEAR.

-i purchased a lovely duvet cover at ikea last week and am super excited to decorated my new room. i even found some vintage fabric in my stash that looks perfect with it that i'm going to use for a pillow cover. and i'm planning on trying my best to recreate this for another pillow form i have lying around [although i don't know which color to use--decisions, decisions].

-obsessed with this song.

-just because i know something is right doesn't make it easy to do.

-what's with bath and body works christening all their newest scents with ridiculous names? i bought a sample bottle of lotion of their newest scent and i really, really like it, but i feel weird wearing a fragrance called Dark Kiss.

ew.

what happened to keeping things simple, bbw?

jo-gro

when i was in high school, i was a diehard josh groban fan.

i would take his eponymous album with me on every single road trip and close my eyes and listen to it over and over again.

and then closer came out.

and i fell in love with him all over again.

i remember sitting in my room and making up my harmonies to his songs hoping that one day i would somehow get the chance to sing with him and then we would fall in love and he would sing "when you say you love me" to me at our wedding and we'd tour all over the world together and take our children with us and are you getting a taste of how creepy i was[am]?

kirsten always said he looked like a muppet.

i disagree.

and i digress.

today i made chocolate-oreo frozen yogurt with hannah and the only thing i wanted to listen to, strangely enough, was josh groban. this might have had something to do with the fact that i caught the tail-end of "to where you are" when i was flipping through radio stations on the way to target today.

i was surprised to find that i had not only remembered every harmony i made up, but EVERY SINGLE WORD TO EVERY SINGLE SONG.

this particular song was my absolute favorite and was on repeat quite often during my high school days.

and i still like it.

and i still harmonize to it.

and sometimes i still imagine that i'm onstage with him in some huge arena filled with soccer moms and thirteen year-olds while i do the dishes.

well, it's official.

my major change petition was approved after approximately four months of waiting unnecessarily.

i am officially an art major with an emphasis in art history.

FINALLY.

CALLING ALL ARCADE FIRE FANS.

everyone should go to amazon and buy arcade fire's newest album, the suburbs, RIGHT NOW because it's only THREE DOLLARS AND NINETY-NINE CENTS [$3.99!!!!!!].

what are you waiting for??

un ano

it's been exactly one year since this post was written.

one year ago, i was scared out of my mind in a foreign country meeting the children i now--to this day--love as my own.

one year ago, i had no idea how the lessons i would learn during my time there would affect my life or how much of a changed being i would become upon my return back home to the states.

one year ago, i cautiously stepped inside my first orphanage and was terrified of the workers i later grew to love and admire.

i miss cuenca more than i can adequately express and hope to visit again someday.

but until that time, i'll just be poring over my photos and journal/blog entries wishing i could be back.

cuenca, je t'aime.

list wednesday

*wardrobe wednesday will now officially be list wednesday because i can't think of anything to write about wardrobe-wise"

top five dream vacations:

-one long cross-country road-trip

-new zealand

-morocco

-greece

-nyc

five celebrity couples [dead or alive] i would love to have at a dinner party:

-beyonce and jay-z

-dolly parton and carl thomas dean

-johnny and june carter cash

-jennifer garner and ben affleck

-gwen stefani and gavin rossdale

top five summer jams of 2010 [or 2009... or 2003]:

-bulletproof // la roux

-california gurls // katy perry

-long way home // mates of state

-fire burning // sean kingston

-lucifer // jay-z

recipe tuesday posted on a wednesday

recipe tuesday: soy-ginger salmon with cabbage salad

my mom has been making salads lately out of shredded cabbage and carrots.

it keeps for a longer amount of time and tastes amazing with everything.

literally.

this particular meal was a great, light summer lunch and was simple to make. i didn't really measure everything out, i just kind of whipped everything up as i went until it tasted good.

all you need is:

frozen salmon patties

cabbage/carrot salad

tomatoes

green onion

soy sauce

ginger

garlic

mustard powder

brown sugar

sesame seeds

sesame oil

1. mix together soy sauce and spices in a small bowl and pour over salmon patty while it cooks

2. slice up tomato

3. put salad and tomatoes and green onions in a bowl [or on a plate]

4. top with cooked salmon, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top

bon apetit!

can i get an amen up in here?

i just registered for classes for fall semester.

let's just say it's the best schedule i've ever had.

three day weekends every weekend?

yes, please!

thank goodness for not having class on fridays.

HALLELUJAH.

monday: what i'm working on

what i'm working on this week:

-using the recently assembled treadmill in the basement

-taking more photos

-finishing the last few articles of clothing in my "to-fix" pile

-catching up on podcasts

-developing ecuador fotos and finding an album of sorts to put them all in

-writing one song

--------------------

in other news:

i had the most wonderful weekend! hannah came down and we had so much fun! it made me super excited to hang out with her for a whole month before i go back to rexburg in the fall!

we:

-crashed a wedding reception and danced like crazy to katy perry, miley cyrus, and the like

-saw how to train your dragon along with the whole town of provo

-went shopping

-ate hamburgers in the hottest [literally] joint in town

-checked out provo's freedom festival and sawed off part of a log and had it branded

-watched the weirdest, most unfunny movie ever that we found in the comedy section

-"broke" the ice maker and were showered with ice cubes multiple times

-celebrated kirk's birthday with delicious food and great company at eva's parents' place

-drove around town blasting "this is how we do it"

-went to temple square and befriended some sister missionaries and toured the roof of the conference center [so beautiful!]

-watched crumpler play at a show in salt lake

-went to the Grand Parade in provo and saw some crazy things [like a dude dressed up like moses singing "when you believe" from the prince of egypt on the orem institute float]

-listened to a hilarious testimony in church ["i just... love america so much! sometimes i really think i bleed red white and blue!"]

-planned some trips to europe and the west coast [anyone else want to join us?]

-and watched this video over and over again.

it was delightful.

thanks for an awesome weekend, bananafart!

sounds of summer: sixth installment

i might be a tiny bit biased because i just saw mates of state live, but this is one of my favorite summer soundtracks because it was introduced to me by my sister-in-law, eva, while i was hanging out with her in columbus a couple summers ago.

every song grabbed me and it was pretty much the only album i listened to for the rest of the summer. it's fun, upbeat, and super pleasant to listen to.

now when i listen to it, it reminds me of all the fun things eva and i got to do in c-bus and it makes me love the album even more.

give it a listen.

or ten listens.

favorite tracks:

"get better"

"now"

"my only offer"

"the re-arranger"

"blue and gold print"

mates of state [the Deluxe Edition (complete with Special Features!)]

monday night i had the privilege/opportunity/delight to see one of my all-time favorite bands in the whole wide world in the hottest [temperature-wise], lamest venue in all of utah.

my sister, kirsten, and i were supposed to go together and we were both so excited we could hardly stand it. she even made a cool shirt for the occasion.

but then she got sick.

with pneumonia.

and decided that she shouldn't go.

i was heartbroken.

and even though i had fun, i felt guilty all night because i knew she was supposed to be standing next to me, jumping up and down and screaming along to all the songs they played.

did i mention that she bought our tickets?

it was a [for lack of a better word] sucky situation.

luckily my friend and old roommate, brenda, was able to come with me!

we had a great time watching a crazy/ill-tempered magician do tricks

and a band called free energy [with a seriously adorable bassist (what is it with me and bassists??)] perform

and then

kori gardner and jason hammel took the stage

and it was

Pure

Magic.

they started out the show with "the re-arranger" [one of my all-time faves] and it took everything i had in me not to scream along because i had my camera in one hand filming the song and my phone in the other hand with kirsten on the other end [there's nothing worse than my off-key sing-screaming--believe me].

the rest of the show is kind of a blur to me now, but my favorite song of the night [hands down] was "for the actor". i don't know if it's because a married couple who got engaged onstage during last summer's mates of state tour announced their presence right before the song was performed or if it's just a magical song in general. but i have never smiled so much because of music.

unfortunately, due to lack of food/water/cool air, my friend brenda fainted and we had to leave early, but i didn't care because i saw them in person playing my favorite songs and for the first time in a very long time, i was deliriously happy.

if they come to a city near you, GO. it is well worth it!

is it seriously wednesday/the last day of june already?

the finished product

before

after

i bought this sweater a couple years ago at an old navy outlet store. it's a really, really weird color. when i bought it, it looked mustard yellow. but i guess it's lime green-ish? chartreuse? every-female-owned-vw-bug-green? anyway, even though it's a weird color, i still love it. however, the washer in my old house apparently did not and decided to bleach-stain it on the sleeves and part of the neckline.

so, after a little clothing surgery, it's a whole new article of clothing!

even though its covered in imperfections, i have worn it in public! twice!

on to the next ill-fitting/messed up piece of clothing!

second of third: food tuesday!

recipe tuesday!

i adore sandwiches.

aside from empanadas from morochos and in-n-out, it's probably my favorite meal.

this particular sandwich was heavenly and was consumed at a family dinner shortly before my departure to south america last summer.

all you need is:

good artisan bread

avocado

roasted red peppers

tomatos

cheese

onions [grilled or uncooked (raw?)]

olive oil

pesto

toothpicks

and a grill [foreman or otherwise]

this "recipe" is pretty self-explanatory. i mean, who doesn't know how to make a sandwich?

but, here are some instructions:

1. lightly brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil, and arrange toppings evenly [or unevenly--whatever you want!] and carefully place on grill.

2. once cheese is melted and bread is toasted, take sandwich halves off the grill and swiftly put them together and stick a couple of toothpicks in it to hold everything in.

3. cut in half diagonally. because, as i learned from my bestie alyx, it's just not a sandwich unless it's cut diagonally.

it's a great summer meal and perfectly lovely when paired with a salad of some sort and a blackberry izze.

the first of three: making up for monday

due to a crazy monday [MATES OF STATE (more on that later)], here is monday's post a day late.

what i'm working on:

this is The Pile.

right now, a skirt kari got at a thrift store for me is in that pile waiting to be lengthened along with a sweater i wore to kirk and eva's wedding that is being transformed into a cardigan.

i would show some Before pictures, but i always forget to do that.

this week i'm also working on:

-drinking more water

-taking more Before photos

-listening to more vinyl

-reading a conference talk a day

and

-using my time more wisely.

hopefully by thursday i'll have some After photos to share!

an announcement, an exclamation, and enlightenment

dearest twelve (12!!) readers:

remember a little while ago when i posted a bunch of goals i wanted to accomplish? and one of them was blogging more?

that went well.

i think i have posted three times since that entry and two of those entries have been sounds of summer installments.

this realization gave me an epiphany [or, as michael scott says, an "epiphery"].

if i want to post more, i should have some sort of blogging schedule.

so, i compiled a list of possible themes for each day, and after much deliberation and thought, i have decided that:

1. monday is now officially "what i'm working on day!"

2. tuesday is "what i'm eating/recipe day!"

3. wednesday is "wardrobe day!"

4. thursday is "the finished product day!"

5. friday is, and will remain for the rest of the summer, "sounds of summer day!"

6. and saturday is "gratis [free] day!"

i think this will be a good motivator for me to have something to work on every day and hopefully will be enjoyable for all twelve of you to read.

-------------------------

in other news...

tomorrow i get to see not only three of my very best friends in the whole wide world, but i also get to see these guys LIVE [courtesy of sister kirsten--thanks, sis]!

i'm so excited i can hardly stand it.

-------------------------

"There is help. There is happiness. There really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the 'light that is endless, that can never be darkened.' It is the very Son of God Himself. In loving praise far beyond Romeo's reach, we say, 'What light through yonder window breaks?' It is the return of hope, and Jesus is the Sun. To any who may be struggling to see that light and find that hope, I say: Hold on. Keep trying. God loves you. Things will improve. Christ comes to you in His 'more excellent ministry' with a future of 'better promises.' He is your 'high priest of good things to come.'"

--Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "An High Priest of Good Things to Come", October 1999 General Conference--

sasha fierce

i recently checked out beyonce's live album i am... yours at the library and i have come to a conclusion: beyonce is the ella fitzgerald of my generation.

don't believe me? watch this.

and here's my favorite beyonce song just for fun:

sounds of summer: fifth installment

i have found that there isn't a single song in my music library that doesn't remind me of something or someone or some time.

for instance, whenever i hear tom petty's song "it'll all work out", i immediately think of winter semester of 2008 [or as i like to refer to it, the semester from hell]. sometimes listening to that song was the only thing that held me together.

but whenever i listen to this album from jens lekman, i think of last summer. it was the best summer of my life. memories of bike rides, snow cones, long car rides all over madison county, playing at the spray park, burritos at ramires play through my mind like a filmstrip and it makes me smile.

but enough about me.

this album is a story about first kisses, lost loves, heartbreak, and friendship.

that alone screams summer to me.

but it's the instrumentation and arrangement that really make it stand out to me as the perfect summer soundtrack. ukuleles, harps, pianos, guitars, and a wide variety of percussion along with a latin, caribbean, and 1960s influence make it an interesting and unique sound that is a joy to listen to.

listen to it during a picnic in the park with good friends.

i guarantee it'll make you want to dress like you're stuck in the 1960s and eat ice cream and go on a long bike ride.

isn't that what summer's all about?

favorite tracks:

"sipping on the sweet nectar"

"the opposite of hallelujah"

"a postcard to nina"

"i'm leaving you because i don't love you"

"your arms around me"

"shirin"

"kanske ar jag kar i dig"

sounds of summer: fourth installment

i was introduced to yelle by my niece. she was doing a jazz routine to "je veux te voir" for her dance recital and i fell in love with the song.

but it wasn't until about two days ago that i knew who sang it.

i found a copy of her album "pop-ups" at the library and loved every single track.

it's french electro-pop at its finest and has kind of an 80s feel to it.

it's the perfect getting-ready-to-go-out/driving-around-town-in-a-convertible-with-the-top-down-with-your-girlfriends album.

every track is pleasantly upbeat and danceable.

and that, my friends, is what summer music is all about.

favorite tracks:

"ce jeu"

"tu es beau"

"je veux te voir"

there are no men out there!

i guess i've been doing the whole flirting thing wrong.

note to self: start carrying around a small stuffed animal.

i'm feeling the pull.

i've been home from ecuador for over seven months now.

every once a while, someone will ask me if i would ever go back.

i used to say no.

i think if someone had asked me today, i would have emphatically said, "YES!" because i missed my ninos a lot tonight [granted, i did look at all of my pictures from ecuador, so that may be a factor].

i think i need to start planning a new adventure.

one that will begin after i graduate from college.

and i think it needs to take place in europe.

we shall see...

creATE.

last week was my niece's tenth birthday. my gift to her was the annual mix cd and some headbands i added rosettes to.

i realized as i sat in my hot pink plastic ikea desk chair that it had been a long, long time since i had used my hands in that way.

i missed getting glue on my fingers and cutting up little scraps of magazines and working with a needle and thread.

i missed the feeling of accomplishment and pride [the good kind] of looking at a finished product and realizing you made something visually appealing.

so tonight, i made some goals for myself.

and i'm going to share them right here, right now.

1. utilize the bag of zippers lisa got me from DI by recreating this

2. tackle the stack [!!!] of clothing waiting to be repurposed/fixed

3. go thrifting more often to find items with potential

4. blog once a week about these creative endeavors [no matter how ugly they may be]

5. start playing music again every day for thirty minutes

6. tackle the list of songs i would like to cover

7. send more cards/letters/mixcds to friends and family

8. take more photos

there.

it's in writing.

there's no turning back now.

i would like to conclude my remarks with a song:

wake me up before you go-go.

last night i went to my eldest niece's tenth birthday party. it had an Awesome 80s theme and it truly was Awesome.

girls dressed up in 80s garb danced around like maniacs, screamed sang along to billy joel and wham!, and had multiple photo shoots [complete with props].

and it was all created, organized, and executed by my sister, kirsten [hey, kirsten, do you want to plan my 24th birthday party? i want it to be karaoke/sushi/hollywood/jupiter/30 rock themed. that shouldn't be too hard, right?].

she's pretty much a genius.

here's what the whole two hours sounded/looked like:

and here's what i looked like last night:

what a great night.

sounds of summer: third installment

anyone who knows me know that i adore the beach boys.

they played a significant role in my childhood. i used to turn on the stereo in the living room and wait and wait and wait for "kokomo" to come on. i remember hearing "surfer girl" in the car when we were living in oklahoma and thinking it was the most beautiful and romantic song i had ever heard.

it just simply isn't summer without the beach boys.

although all of their albums are fantastic and the perfect soundtracks of summertime, i had to pick pet sounds for this week's installment.

it is, without a doubt, my very favorite beach boys album.

all i have to hear is the intro to "wouldn't it be nice" and a big smile will appear on my face. this album is full of perfect harmonies, captivating and surprising melodies, and the usual summer feel the beach boys are known for.

it's the perfect summer night driving with the windows down album.

if you've never heard the album all the way through, then you are really missing out.

don't even bother checking it out from the library or borrowing it from a friend.

go to your local record store and buy it.

my favorite tracks:

"you still believe in me"

"sloop john b"

"god only knows"

"i just wasn't made for these times"

"caroline, no"

if you're having a bad day, please watch this.

sounds of summer: second installment

if i were to take a spontaneous road trip to california, i think my playlist would consist mostly of the beach boys and vampire weekend's most recent album contra.

it's the perfect beach soundtrack.

with its infectious melodies and toe-tapping beats, it epitomizes all the fun and madness that summer brings.

here's my favorite track.

give it a listen.

if it doesn't make you want to hop in your car and head to the nearest beach, i don't know what will.

first installment here.

a letter

dear byu-idaho:

i hate you with a fiery, burning passion right now.

at the moment, i'm hoping you decline my major change proposal so i don't have to deal with you anymore.

if i have to redo that stupid petition just because you "lost" it... so help me.

i've already had to jump through fifty hoops to complete the stupid thing.

and now i might have to redo it.

curse you.

with much ire,

kellie

ps: please get rid of all student "advisors". they have no idea what they're doing.

in memoriam of memorial weekend

i had the most beautiful weekend!

here's the rundown:

i...

decorated a corner of my room,

got to see hannah and justin and megarilla,

bought the most delicious-smelling lotion in park city,

played a funny joke on hannah in the bathroom at target,

put lots of lip balm on my crusty-crusts,

listened to some beautiful music,

finished the harry potter and the deathly hallows and cried,

ate good food at a petaluma reunion barbecue,

made ice cream,

had a picnic in salt lake,

tried on the tallest heels ever and didn't fall,

got a tattoo during the third hour of church,

played mash,

fell asleep during sherlock holmes,

ate at in-n-out with a couple first-timers,

made fish tacos,

played ddr and singstar with kari, paul, and frances,

wished lyndee was in utah,

and downloaded the new mates of state covers album, "crushes"!

i wish i had taken photographs, but i apparently forgot i had a camera the whole weekend.