Is This Real Life?

So, it was just a normal Saturday. Wake up late. Meet some friends for lunch. Spend some time at the mall. Come home to clean/sleep. I wasn't anticipating spending more money that day since this entire week has been somewhat expensive and I'm broke. However, my roommates wanted to go to Zupas, and who am I to argue when it comes to Zupas, right? We sit down and start inhaling our food. I just happen to glance over to the door and 2 gentlemen walk in wearing white shirts and slacks. One of them looked incredibly familiar. . . . The next words out of my mouth? "Holy crap!! Oh my gosh!!!" My roommates follow my gaze to find none other than Elder Holland walking up to order his dinner. I'm sure our faces were priceless. We then started formulating plans on how we could beg a handshake and maybe even a picture off of him. I know he probably gets sick of stuff like that, and really, probably just wanted to get his food and leave, but I guess things like this come with the job of being an apostle of the Lord. So one of my roommates and I decide to go "look" at desserts right before he gets to the cash register. He turned to look at us and says, "Well how are you lovely ladies doing tonight?" The words we rehearsed at our table flew out of our heads and we just stood there smiling stupidly at him. My roommate finally gets out "We're good . . . can shake your hand???" Me: "Yeah, me too??" Elder Holland: "Well, sure! That's why I came here!" Me and my roommate: Giggling stupidly as he shakes our hands. We walk away, but then decide we just can't life unless we get a picture with him. So, we walked back up and asked him. He said, "Why, sure! But only if you PROMISE me this won't end up on Facebook." Me: (dangit) "Oh, I swear it wont!!" Magically, a crap-ton of people run up behind us to get in the picture. Thank goodness for the technology of cropping a photo! I did promise not to put in on Facebook, but my blog doesn't count. . . Right?!?! It was such a good day today. My heart is just so full right now. Being able to hang out with friends and awesome roommates, meet an apostle of the Lord, and come home to a GORGEOUS sunset... man, it's times like these when I feel so grateful to be alive and a member of the Church.

MASH

After 2 weeks of absolutely dreadful training for my new job, I was about ready to shoot my foot. The last day was the worst. I spent my entire day on the computer and a conference call for a virtual class and the most I learned was how to say "Welcome to Wells Fargo, my name is Shalese. What can I do for you today?" Awful. So, on my last day, I decided to get in touch with my middle school self and played MASH. Here are my results: Meeting through my new, successful party planning business, Chris Evans and I will meet and fall in love immediately. He will convert. We will get married in the San Diego Temple. After a drastic career change from acting to carpentry, my Captain America will take me to Ireland to live out our days in a cliff-side mansion. We'll get started on our 3 kids right away and we'll have lots of horses. Unfortunately, at age 30, I will die in a tragic bungee jumping mishap. . . I was gunning for immortality, but you can't mess with the MASH god. This is real life people.

Unanswered Prayers

Sometimes life starts to get hard and I forget the reasons why I'm happy the way things have turned out. It's been that way for me lately, mainly because of this particular time of the year. However, a song has been at the back of my head for the past few days and it holds a special place in my heart. On one of the most painful and destroying days of my life, this song came on the radio as my parents were driving me home. It was as if this song was actually the answer to my prayer . . . which is ironic. Just the other night a hometown football game My wife and I ran into my old high school flame And as I introduced them the past came back to me And I couldn't help but think of the way things used to be She was the one that I'd wanted for all times And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine And if he'd only grant me this wish I wished back then I'd never ask for anything again Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers She wasn't quite the angel that I remembered in my dreams And I could tell that time had changed me In her eyes too it seemed We tried to talk about the old days There wasn't much we could recall I guess the Lord knows what he's doin' after all And as she walked away and I looked at my wife And then and there I thanked the good Lord For the gifts in my life Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs That just because he may not answer doesn't mean he don't care Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered Some of God's greatest gifts are all too often unanswered... Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers Basically, the moral of the story is that sometimes I feel like every single prayer I send up is unanswered. And then I look back and realized that Heavenly Father had my back the whole time. Maybe my life still is difficult and frustrating and confusing, but I know that when everything is said and done, He will have given me an even better Happily Ever After.

So No One Told You Life Was Gonna Be This Way...

Apart from work, I have no life. Thus, I started watching seasons 3 and 4 of Friends, (which I just barely bought at my new favorite store: Hastings) to fill the void in my life.

I love Friends.

Okay, that was the understatement of the year. I mean, I could probably beat everyone at any Friends trivia game. Seriously though.

As a child, it probably was not the most appropriate thing I could have been watching, but I was innocent, and the innuendos and other such behavior went right over my head. Anyway. I love watching Friends because, seriously, no matter what mood I am in at the time, Friends will always make me laugh. How can you not laugh at the fact that Ross's teeth glow in the dark, or that his leather pants shrink, or Phoebe's best song is about a cat that smells, or that Joey and Chandler get a chick and a duck? I could go on, but I won't.

My favorite season of Friends would probably have to be season 2 for the obvious reason that Ross and Rachel get together, (I'm a big RandR lover) but it is also stinking hilarious. I finished up season 3 today and just started 4 and I was bumming out hard core. Why? Ross and Rachel broke up. Seriously, that depressed me. I know, I'm pathetic, but hey, I live vicariously through them, so what are you gonna do?

Anyway, I was just sitting there, watching their awesome relationship falling apart and thinking back on all of the scumbags I've had to deal with in my dating lifetime and I just thought, man, I really, really, really want a Ross. He just loves Rachel soooo much and he's good, and kind, and sort of nerdy, but still really smooth, and he adores Rachel. I want a Ross.

So, if any of you out there know of a man that fits this description (and is single. And LDS. And age appropriate) send him my way, or point me in his direction. Until then, I will continue my Friends marathon. At this rate, I should be done by next week. :)

Things That Make Me Go :D

Life is hard. And sometimes it can be really crappy. Like, curl up in a ball under your covers, and never want to come out of your bed ever again crappy. But, thankfully there are some things in life that, no matter how hard or sucky life can be, they will always make it better.

1. Watching Friends episodes. Seriously, never fails to get a giggle out of me.
2. Dr. Pepper. Can cure anything from a headache to a broken heart.
3. Listening to If I Were the King of the Forest on the Wizard of Oz soundtrack. Honestly, if you don't know what I'm talking about, stop what you're doing and look it up.
4. Getting hugs and kisses from my nieces and nephews. The love I feel from them is always a booster.
5. Ice Cream. You can't buy happiness, but you can buy Ice Cream. And that's kind of the same thing.
6. Chocolate. Is an explanation necessary?
7. Good, long chats with amazing friends. Seriously, you guys are awesome.
8. Swimming. I've always been a bit of a fish.
9. Reading the scriptures. Need to do this one a lot more :/
10. Going to the temple. How can that NOT make you happy?
11. Watching a chick flick. The best ones will include Hugh Grant and/or Sandra Bullock
12. Dancing. This will always put a smile on my face.
13. Thunder storms. I don't know what it is, but it is so theraputic!
14. Getting my hair did. This, also, is theraputic.
15. Hanging out with my mom. We're soul mates. As far as mother and daughters go.
16. Roller coasters. I'm kind of an adrenaline junkie.
17. Reading. It's an adventure right in your home.
18. Star gazing. I hate living in the city for this reason.
19. Being crafty. Who doesn't love to make stuff?
20. Painting my nails. It's like I'm a new woman!

If you can't tell, my hair is now BLACK!

Random Adventures

I think I'm turning into an insomniac.

So, the other day, I randomly remember the "Snow White" house located in Midway that we used to drive past on our way to the grandparents houses. It's this little, tiny cottage-like house that looks like it could actually be a home to 7 short men and one stow-away princess. Realizing that I haven't seen this house in years, I suddenly developed an urge to go visit it again. I told Cassie, (my roommate) about it, and since she's just about as Disney/princess obsessed as I am, she jumped on board with me and we took off Monday night after FHE.

In retrospect, perhaps we should have waited when we had a bit more daylight, but oh well.

Going off of obscure directions that my brother provided from his memory, of course we get lost. Add that to the fact that it was dark and you get one interesting adventure. We drove around for a bit, and nearly gave up, and somehow decided that it would be cool to drive up memorial hill, and took some pictures, and had some good chats, then decided to look again.

We THINK we found it . . . but then again, it's really hard to tell when the only view of the house that you get is from your cell phone light and you're trying to be quick/discreet so that people won't call the cops on you. Either way it was a fun night. It was good to get out of Provo, Cassie and I had some really awesome chats, and we made some good memories.

Just chillin on a rock.

My beautiful roommate!

On Memorial Hill

Beautifuly Ridiculous Moments

Last week I got a few days off of work and since I hadn't seen Kelsie in AGES and since she was FINALLY done with her externship hours, we decided to spend some quality time with Bear Lake. It couldn't have come at a better time since life has seemed a little overwhelming as of late and even though some parts of the trip were less than desirable and hilariously ridiculous, it all added up to a lot of beautiful moments:

1. Leaving a hard/stressful/busy day at work as Footloose came on
2. Letting my navigation on my phone get me lost (against my better judgement) and ending up at the new Brigham City temple
3. Random truck driver in the canyon flashing his lights and saving my lead foot from getting a ticket from the hidden cop
4. Having my favorite radio song come on the radio (I Love You Always Forever by Donna Lewis, reminds me of my childhood)
5. Talking until 4 AM with Kelsie where we cried until we laughed and laughing so hard, we cried
6. Getting hilariously stalked by evil seagulls
7. Bear Lake Raspberry Shakes. Nuff said!
8. Finally losing it from lack of sleep and laughing so hard I nearly peed my pants over something kind of funny
9. Getting 2 more Friends seasons (only 5 more!!)
10. Brandt making us breakfast at noon because we were so tired and sunburned, we could hardly move

Most of the time it is hard for me to see the beauty and humor in the ridiculous little moments I have each day. I'm actually really quick to get frustrated, embarrassed, or just down right mad. For some reason, thanks to the Lord's help, this trip I was able to enjoy those moments and laugh (a lot) at things and myself. The ridiculous moments made my life beautiful for a moment and I hope that I can have more of those days in the future.

Life Soundtrack

All of these dreams in my head keep spinning round I'm grabbing my paper and pencil to pin 'em down I'll sketch my world as a prettier place draw myself with a smiley face And make this picture perfect But all of these lines on my page won't mean anything Until I learn to erase the ones that I don't need I'm covering up the stupid mistakes and starting over and over again To make this picture perfect (yeah, yeah) I'll start with where I'm standing now And begin shaping where I wanna be No one can tear my picture down Because it's me and as long as I'm still proud of this self portrait I'm creating I'm doing fine Yeah, I'm doing fine, yeah Every now and again someone comes along They try to box me into a corner I've drawn Pushing the walls down, I'm struggling free Makes me strong so I can keep making this picture perfect (yeah, yeah) I'll start with where I'm standing now And begin shaping where I wanna be No one can tear my picture down Because it's me and as long as I'm still proud of this self portrait I'm creating I'm doing fine Yeah, I'm doing fine, yeah What I'm sketching doesn't have to be anything fancy, no I'm just shaping stronger sides of me, of me, of me, yeah yeah yeah I'll start with where I'm standing now and begin shaping where I wanna be No one can tear my picture down because it's me and as long as I'm still proud of this self portrait I'm creating I'm doing fine yeah, I'm doing fine, yeah I'm doing fine, yeah I am doing fine I'm doing fine Stephanie Smith- Self Portrait

Something About Nothing

Mom made the comment the other day that I hadn't been keeping up my blog. I guess that's because once you graduate, life becomes pretty boring. Seriously. My phone conversations with my mother are significantly shorter and more ridiculous than before because I simply have nothing to tell her. So what am I supposed to write about? However, since I should be cleaning my apartment and/or doing other unpleasant things such as arrange an appointment with mediation for my ridiculous old landlord, I thought I'd write a few something somethings. In this past year, I have learned a lot about myself and a lot about life. For example, I found out that I absolutely hate conflict. Like, I will do anything and everything I possibly can do avoid it. I've also learned that Heavenly Father has a big sense of humor. If life is going fairly well and normally, he's going to throw a curve ball in there to shake things up a bit. When I started my scholastic journey, I did not expect this is where I would end up. In major, relationship, job, and overall life. I had a plan. And goshdarnit, I was going to stick to that plan. Buuuut, as I started going with this plan, Heavenly Father said, "Well, I'm not sure about this. Maybe you should change this part of your plan." So, I said ok! That'll put me a little behind, but I'll do it if I'm supposed to do it. So, I corrected my course a little bit and changed my major, but for the most part, I kept my plan in tact. As I continued going, Heavenly Father said, "Wait, wait wait. Something is terribly wrong here. This cannot happen. You were not meant for this plan. You need to let it go. I have something better in mind, but you will have to be patient." When I wasn't as willing to let this part of the plan go, Heavenly Father gave a gentle shove back onto the path that he had planned for me. It has been an extremely rough journey. I am grateful that I have a Heavenly Father who watches out for me and attempts to guide me in the best direction. He has to be a little bit more persistent with me because I tend to be really stubborn. I'm still in the middle of being patient. I have no idea where to live or what job to get, if I should go on a mission, or if I should maybe go to a trade tech. I'm a little bit frightened for what this next chapter will bring, but I do know that my Heavenly Father has my back and where He's guiding me will lead me to the greatest happiness I will ever know, as long as I am faithful and trusting. "The past should be left in the past, otherwise it can destroy your future. Live life for what tomorrow has to offer, not for what yesterday has taken away."

Moments That Matter Most

Guess what? I'm all done with school. I know, right? It's weird. I don't hardly know what to do with myself. I'm already bored. But it is FABULOUS!!!! Anyway. I had posted this video on FB a while back, but I just found it again, and seriously, it is one of the most beautiful videos ever. I get emotional each time I watch it. I think it's just such a great message and EVERYONE needs to hear it because we all struggle with going too fast and getting too caught up in the world. So, if you need a little beauty to your day today, watch it. And PLEASE share it with everyone because it is just fabulous! Here's a link if you can't get it to play:

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

Today was pretty awesome. I had my very LAST day of class EVER a couple of days ago and I CANNOT be more ECSTATIC! Can you tell? :) So, to celebrate, besides buying myself my first pair of Silvers of which I'm super happy about, (they were on sale) Mom came down to party with me. First, we hit up Walmart, (we all know what a party that can be!) and got some necessary stuff like food. We then discovered there was a Sweet Tooth Fairy bakery in Orem and got really excited about it, (Mom and I both LOVE cupcakes, and we just watched this bakery win Cupcake Wars a couple of days ago) so we went in and got one of the cupcakes that was featured on the show and it was pretty good. After that, we wandered over to Deseret Book where I got a Marshall McDonald CD, (I LOOOOOVE him and his beautiful piano music). Then, we met up with Troy and Amanda and the kids and ate dinner at 5 Guys, which was actually pretty good. I'd go there again. Finally, Mom and I made it over to the mall to get manicures. I think we're sort of becoming spoiled with the manicures and pedicures thing, cause we've done it a lot. But that's just fine by me! So, sine the last time I got acrylic nails, (which I also love) was when I graduated high school, I decided to get some again for college graduation! YAAY! OH, and did I mention it thundered earlier today? It's just been the best day . . . :D

Loving Life

Things I'm loving right now: 1. Riding all the way home with the windows down 2. The fact that TOMORROW is my LAST day of school. Ever. 3. That I get hot walking to and from school 4. That I can kind of sew now 5. That I'm getting a new Kindle in 2 days 6. That a good friend of mine gets home off his mission in 3 months 7. That pretty soon I'm going to be spending all my free time in a bathing suit 8. That I get to choreograph a solo 9. The few friends that I do have are freaking amazing 10. That I'm going forward with my life

(not me. but it will be.)

Suckit

I. graduate. in. 14. DAYS!!!!!!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

In honor of this event, I am writing out my summer to do list:

1. Reread Harry Potter
2. Get taaaaaannn
3. Wake up early and exercise
4. Swim. All. The. Time.
5. Reread the Chronicles of Narnia
6. Craft like crazy
7. Reread the Bloody Jack series
8. Have a Friends marathon
9. Have a Castle marathon
10. Get better at the guitar
11. Visit Haylie
12. Get flexible again
13. Reread Eragon
14. Go to the drive in movie theater
15. Be happy
16. Visit the temple more
17. Laugh a lot
18. Have bonfires
19. See the fireworks on the 4th with someone special
20. Enjoy my life

I love you last. . .

Me and Grandma and Grandpa Swenson on Christmas morning. (I don't have a pic of Grandma Pete nearby :( . . . )

For my moral foundations class, we are currently doing a report/analysis on an autobiography or biography. At the very last second, I chose to do my maternal grandfather's autobiography. While I was around 6 years old, my family was blessed with a book my grandfather had written about his life. A few years later, my grandmother followed suit. At the time, I thought it was neat, but didn't really care too much to pay that much attention to it. Now I don't think I own a more treasured book than that of my grandparent's autobiographies, (excepting the BOM of course!).

I lost grandpa when I was 9 and grandma when I was 13 or 14. One death was 2 days before my birthday and one was 2 days after. A few years after that my paternal grandma died, leaving me with no living grandparents. Every once and a while, I go through these moods where I just miss them like crazy. I haven't had them in my life for a long time now, and at this point in my life, I've never needed them more. My grandpa especially, for he was my first best friend. Every time I hit that low point of missing them so much that it physically hurts, I pull out their books. Each time I read them, I am awed at just how amazing and strong these people are. Every time I read their books, I feel close to them. It makes me truly grateful to have the Gospel in my life and the knowledge that I WILL be with them again. Sometimes that is the only knowledge that propels me forward in life. I know that my grandparents are still with me and I know that they are my guardian angels. I just hope to one day be as strong and amazing as they are.

I am truly grateful for these books and for the heritage that they contain. I am grateful that my children will be able to read these books and learn about their ancestry and the sacrifices that were made so that they could grow up in the Gospel. I know this sounds like a testimony- but I guess that is because it is. Family and heritage are SO IMPORTANT. It is a big part of who we are- our identities. The BOM works the same way.

I can't wait to see them again.

Caskett

Castle.

AHHHHHH! I'm going to punch a wall! I'm so freaking frustrated with this continued Castle-Beckett almost-get-together-but-things-go-sideways dance. Just get together already!!!!

Seriously, I've been watching this show religiously since it first aired and I think I'm borderline obsessed, but I don't care. Ever since it started I've loved the Caskett chemistry and ever since day one, I've wanted them to get together. I don't mean to sound like one of those crazy bloggers out there who are so emotionally involved with TV relationships, but I mean, come on. It only took 2 seasons of Friends for Ross and Rachel to get together. GAHHHHH! This last episode was sooooooo frustrating! Soooooo good but sooooo frustrating!!!

May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor

I know EVERYONE will be blogging about this, but oh well.
So I was a lucky girl and got to see the Hunger Games opening night. Well, I got to see it a few hours before the opening night, just because I have an awesome sister who scored me tickets with her work.

The movie was pretty epic. I didn't really appreciate the camera work in the beginning, (I don't think it is necessary for the camera to be shaking like it's an action scene when she is simply walking to go hunting). It was also pretty disturbing to see kids brutally killing each other. But the book is disturbing, right? I haven't read the book in about two years, but from what I remember, the movie stayed pretty true to the book. I also didn't appreciate that they casted Liam Hemsworth to play Gale. I like Gale better in the books (up until the very end) and I was hoping that I would like Peeta better in the movie since it ends in his favor, but they had to cast Gale as a better looking guy. Sigh... what is a girl to do...?

Overall I really liked the movie. I thought it was really intense. I don't know if I would necessarily buy it since I'm not obsessed with the books like everyone else, but it was a good flick. I would definitely recommend it.

Lyrics

Isn't it interesting how many song lyrics we have memorized? Seriously, think about it. How many songs can you actually sing along to, word for word? My friends and I were coming back from seeing the Lorax tonight and the whole way back we were singing every song at the top of our lungs, word for word. For me, it's pathetic that I can have songs clear from the 80s up till now perfectly memorized, but I can barely remember things for tests. Tell me how that is fair?

By the way, this is the perfect weekend to see any other movie than the Hunger Games. NO ONE is seeing the other movies. So if you want a theater to youself, go this weekend to something other than the Hunger Games!

Let Me Hold Your Crown Babe...

This is my current song obsession. I love Sara Bareilles. I think she's got a great voice and her songs are just awesome. This song in particular I think I can really identify with, which I probably why I like it so much.

Keep drinking coffee, stare me down across the table
While I look outside
So many things I'd say if only I were able
But I just keep quiet and count the cars that pass by

You've got opinions, man
We're all entitled to 'em
But I never asked

So let me thank you for your time
And try not to waste any more of mine
Get out of here fast

I hate to break it to you babe
But I'm not drowning
There's no one here to save

Who cares if you disagree? You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So, you dare tell me who to be
Who died and made you king of anything?

You sound so innocent
All full of good intent
Swear you know best

But you expect me to
Jump up onboard with you
Ride off into your delusional sunset

I'm not the one who's lost
[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/s/sara-bareilles-lyrics/king-of-anything-lyrics.html ]
With no direction, oh
But you'll never see

You're so busy making masks
With my name on it in all caps
You've got the talking down
Just not the listening

Who cares if you disagree? You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be
Who died and made you king of anything?

All my life I've tried
To make everybody happy while I just hurt and hide
Waiting for someone to tell me it's my turn
To decide

Who cares if you disagree? You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be
Who died and made you king of anything?

Who cares if you disagree? You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be
Who died and made you king of anything?

Let me hold your crown, babe

Chicken Run

This week was my mom's birthday so I came home for the weekend to celebrate with the family on St. Patrick's Day. When I got to the house Friday night, my sister-in-law told my nephew to show me a "surprise" out in the shed in the backyard. I was a little hesitant. I'll admit that my first thoughts was that there was some dead animal that they found or maybe there were some kittens nestled in a box of my old dance costumes. Boy, was I off. I opened the shed door only to find a huge box with 5 or so baby chicks chirping away. Much to my mother's dismay, my brother (who's family is currently living in my parents house) had decided to go ahead and buy some chicks from IFA. Why? Because he wants to have his own eggs of course! So now he's talking about building a chicken coop and shooting the chicks that might turn into roosters and the whole time I'm just thinking about Chicken Run and pies. Now I really want to watch that movie...

I need a "Pintervention"

I have always been a crafty person. I am left-handed after all :). But, ever since I've discovered Pinterest, my craft level has gone WAY up!
for Christmas, I made my mom a birthday calendar that looks like this:

I've made mason jar luminaries like this, only with black lace:

And my most recent proud accomplishment was this:

Which was inspired by:

Not to mention the many delicious recipes that I have found, including the Butterfinger Blondies that I just made last weekend:

They were sooo heavenly!

Pinterest is my most favorite form of media at the moment. Love it!

!!!Kony 2012!!!

I saw pins like this all over pinterest and videos about "Kony" all over my home feed. At first, I thought it was some underdog politician and since I hate pollitics and really don't understand them, I ignored the hits on my social net sites. Today, it was overloaded on facebook, and so I decided to take the 30 minutes to watch the video-whatever it was.

W.O.W.

Changed my life. I think I signed up for a newspaper last year that helped the invisible children, but I had no idea what that meant. I think this is an incredible movement and it is an awesome time for all of us to get involved. What an amazing way to use media!! Let's use it to catch the bad guys!!!! Woopwoop!

If you are ignorant of Kony like I was, take the time and watch the video: Kony 2012. Let's help save the invisible children!!!

Booooooks

This weekend, I took off to frigid Logan to spend a couple of days with my bestie Kels. Me and my friends are the type of people who can spend hours on end just talking. Talking or hanging out in a book store. :)

I think my dream job would be either a librarian or a sales associate at a bookstore. Bookstores = heaven. I've had to ban myself from them because I can easy justify spending all of my money on books. But, Kels had the brilliant idea to spend some time in the local Logan bookstore: The Book Table, a ghetto, back street book shop. It didn't have a great selection, but I didn't walk out empty handed.

I wanted Persuasion by Jane Austen, but there were no copies there. So, I resigned myself to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and the Sword of Shanara by Terry Brooks. One a classic and the other a fantasy novel. My total bill: approximately $13. SCORE!

Bazinga

Project 2 of my sewing class is done!! WOOHOO!!! For this project, I chose to do a black pencil skirt that has a lace drape going down the left leg. I'll post pics once I get it back from my TA. Anyway, because of my busy schedule with work and . . . well . . . doing nothing, I wasn't able to hem my skirt until last night. Lucky for me: I'm a night person.

Anyway, I don't know how many of you out there sew, but hand hemming is a beast! It takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R. And when you're doing black thread on black fabric, it really hurts your eyes. So, I grabbed lamp and my laptop and spent the rest of the night on my bed, watching Big Bang Theory and hemming my fingers off.

If you haven't seen Big Bang Theory, add this show to your list because it is HI larious. When I first started watching it, I didn't think it was that funny, but like the office, I grew to love it too. Now I giggle hysterically like Troy (for those of you who know my family) all episode long.

Seriously, start watching.

Movie Night!

I looooove that walmart has a $5 bin for movies. Just the other day, I was chilling with my mom in the Park City Walmart and we decided to hit up the media center. We spent a good half hour plunging through the bin. At least the Walmart in Orem has them on a rack. But, despite the fact that it was a pain in the butt, I was able to find 4 awesome movies to make up for it.
1. Rush Hour/Rush Hour 2. Can't beat a Jackie Chan movie.
2. What Happens In Vegas. I collect chick flicks like there's not tomorrow.
3. Robots. Not a lot of people have seen it, but it's super cuuute! Plus it's got Ewan Mcgreggor's voice as the main character. Yummy!
4. Anastasia. LOVE this movie and have since I was a little girl. At The Beginning by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis will forever be a favorite love song of mine...

media that feeds the belly

I have to say, one of my favorite forms of media is my recipe book. Several years back when my grandma Swenson was still alive, my sister had the brilliant idea to compile a book of the favorite family recipes. We had this huge day where all of the girls in the family came to my grandma's house and put the book together. From what I remember, there were several rooms where the girls sat, putting all of the pages in pocket protectors to create one very large recipe book. Every woman in the family got one and I cherish mine so much.

The only problem is: I rarely cook anything. It's not that I'm a terrible cook, I just never have time. When I do have time, I'm usually too tired and end up making Ramen, a sandwich, or just not eating. Healthy, I know. But, the other night I was feeling adventurous, so I decided to make chicken enchiladas for the first time in my life. Soooo good! And, I'm still eating the leftovers. So, for all of you out there who are just like me and want an easy, fabulous tasting dinner, here's my family recipe:

What you need:
2 lbs of chicken or ground beef
16 oz can of sour cream
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 small can of chopped green chilli peppers
1 package of large flour tortillas
1 package of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package of shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat to 350. Brown meat and mix together the sour cream, chicken soup, and green chillies (chilli juice included).
Spoon out mixture onto taco shell, add a spoonful of meat, then top with mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Roll up and place in pan, (I ended up with about 6 enchiladas). Spoon the rest of the mixture on top of the shells and sprinkle off with cheese, (the more cheese, the better!). Cook for either 20-30 minutes. I'll have to get back to ya'll on the time :)

S.A.D.

Happy belated Single Awareness Day to everyone! Man I just loath this time of year. I mean, I guess it's great if you have someone to spend the holiday with, but as for me and my single self, I will support the stereotypical bitter girl who hates on the commercialism of love that is expressed every February 14th. I do hope to one day be able to enjoy it as it is meant to be enjoyed, though.

This year, as it was to mark the 1 year anniversary of my ex-fiance coming home from his mission, I knew that I could not spend V-day night at home, alone, with nothing to do. If I did that, I would just wallow, and wallowing Shalese is an ugly Shalese. So instead, I spent the majority of the day at work and then spent the night with my awesome sister up in north Ogden. She invited me to come and hang out with her friends and go watch the Vow. I was all for that plan, especially since I've harbored a long-lasting obsession with Channing Tatum ever since Step Up.

My impression of the movie? It was pretty good I guess, but if you are going to watch it for a nice romantic pick-me-up, it won't ring your bell. The expression of love in this movie was profound (especially coming from Channing's character. I hope to have a husband as devoted as he was) but I did not walk out of that theater feeling lighter than air like a good Hugh Grant movie might have done. But, I did like it.

My love/hate relationship with social networks

So, I've decided that I really do not like facebook. I've been wanting to delete my account for some time, but I have several things stopping me. First: I have a new computer, so all of the photos from my old one only exist on FB. Second: I never ever get to see my cousins, so FB is the only way I ever connect with them. Third: I have a lot of old friends who I like to keep up with. Fourth: Facebook is my connection to the outside world and all of its news. If I deleted my account, I'd probably drop off the face of the Earth never to return again. But, I want to delete my account sooo bad!!!

Besides that, I've found other sites to use my time for procrastination. First: this blog. Plus I like to blog stalk other peoples' blogs. Second: Pinterest. Oh my gosh I am so addicted. And, one of these days I'm going to do every single craft and recipe I have pinned on there. It's on my bucket list now. Third: Goodreads. I just discovered that today. Bad, bad news for Shalese Mary Peterson. I am a book addict. Like, seriously, I forgo food, sleep, and shower to read. This site it not going to help my productivity in the outside world at all.

It really is ridiculous the amount of time I spend on the internet. Sometimes I love it and other times I just wish I wasn't that good at procrastination. If it were a major here, I'd be offered a full ride scholarship and graduate with honors.

Condition of Desperation

So, there is a new song I'm obsessed with. It's called Condition of Desperation by Randy Porter. It's featured in the Mormon version of Pride and Prejudice and it is awesome. In my sewing lab we are allowed to play music and one girl has this soundtrack on her ipod and this song has been on my mind ever since. The only think that bugs me about it is the scene during which this song plays. It's at the very end when Elizabeth kisses Darcy in the street and he's got blood all over his face. Seriously, I mean, it was a romantic moment and all, but I would NOT want to kiss a man with blood all over his face. Especially on his lips. Sorry, but I'm not a vampire. Ick!

Anyway. Listen to it, cuz it's a beautiful song. :)

For last week

I got to spend the entire day Saturday at the Utah State Drill team competition. Okay, maybe not the whole day, but I spent a good 6 or 7 hours sitting on my rear end and listening to music blasted at the highest level.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE drill team and dance and I just have to go to State every year because I miss it soooo much, but holy crap they can get boring! I think this was the first year I ever really felt sorry for my family and friends that came to support me at every single stinking competition for 4 years. By the end of the day, every song sounds the same and every dance looks the same. When I drove home, I had to put the music on near silent because I just couldn't take it. I was on music overload.

I get that way every once and a while. I just get to the point where I'm not interested in any of the songs that I own and I can't stand any songs on the radio. It's like I'm constantly listening to music, every second of every day. My alarm clock is music, I listen to music walking to and from and in between classes, I listen to music while I drive, we have to blast music at work, and when I'm home with nothing to do I have to sing or play my guitar. AH!

Music is amazing, but sometimes silence can be a good thing too.

Moulin Rouge!

I l.o.v.e. Moulin Rouge! It's definitely one of my favorite movies out there. I mean, take away the fact that it's about a prostitute, and you've got yourself a fantastic movie!!!

Okay, Ewan Mcgregor and his adorable good-looks aside, the music is FANTASTIC!! I mean, seriously! If you don't want to watch the movie, that's totally cool, but you've gotta listen to the music. It's really what makes the movie. They are just so powerful, (even though they are songs redone, how they are reworked and rewritten is just awesome).

Funny tidbit: During my last few years at Girl's Camp, me and my friend would sing Elephant Love Medley all. the. time. On the hike, during meals, whilst making s'mores, etc. None of the other girls had seen the movie, but by the end of the week, all of the girls could sing along with us. Probably not the best song we could have been singing for a spiritual retreat, but, as I said before: the music is fantastic.

P.S. I was really upset about the Lady Marmalade song when I found out what they were really saying. The song is so dang catchy, but so naughty when translated to English. Boo.

Parachute

Before this summer, I had never been to a concert. It really was no big deal to me since growing up I never really had a favorite band or artist that I just had to pay 30-100 to listen to music I already owned. But, this past summer, my good friend Kelsie decided to introduce me and my other friend Jamie to Parachute. I've been in love ever since.

It was a Goo-Goo Dolls concert in Park City and Parachute, along with Michelle Branch, was opening for them. Since all 3 of us were fairly new to the concert scene, we didn't think to pack blankets or extra jackets. We were also late to the concert AND the Goo-Goo Dolls, (while I like their music) were kind of big, fat jerks. But, overall it was a good experience (probably due to the fact that Parachute gave an impromptu after-concert show on the sidewalk and we were an arms length away from them).

(Me, Kelsie, and Jamie. My first concert!!)

A few months later, I found myself at another Parachute concert. This one was at a club in the ghetto of Salt Lake where Kelsie's car got a window smashed in (nothing stolen) and my car had been towed previously that day. But, again, overall it was a good experience. Mainly because their music is so good and they're actually decent, humble human beings while they were on stage.

(With the lead singer of Parachute. Not a big fan of me in this pic)

Not a lot of people know who Parachute is, however they are familiar with the song, She Is Love. But, the rest of their stuff is just as good too. It's clean, it's awesome, and you all should look them up. They are fabulous!

Marcia Lynn Mcclure

A few years back, one of my best friends introduced me to Marcia Lynn Mcclure. She gave me her favorite book entitled The Highwayman of Tanglewood and it was a pretty good book. I recommended it to my sister, who reads about a book a minute, and she then recommended it to my mom. Now we are all going through her books like there is no tomorrow, (I think she has like 40-ish novels/novellas).

Now, an important thing to note about me is that I love a good romance. I am my mother's daughter, after all (my mother got the majority of her kids' names from Harlequin romance novels). But, the important factor with Marcia Lynn Mcclure is that she is an LDS romance novelist. Her stuff is super clean and it's great!!

Okay, okay, so maybe these books aren't some amazing Pulitzer prize that will change humanity, but her books are fun and lighthearted. They always have a happy ending, and even when you're rolling your eyes with just how cheesy all romance novels can get, you can't help but giggle a little bit too. Her books always leave me with a happy feeling. They are what kept me sane through my summer engagement break-off fiasco of 2011. Though it may have created unrealistic expectations in me when it comes to looking for my E.C. :)

So, if your a girl like me who is a sucker for romance stories and need an easy read to keep you sane through the semester, I recommend her. My favorites are The Highwayman of Tanglewood, Shackles of Honor, A Crimson Frost, and The Visions of Ransom Lake. Her historical romances are the best.

To A Beautiful Person

A note that my mom snuck into a sack of things I had left at home read:
To a beautiful person: If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it! He sends you flowers every spring. He sends you a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He listens. He can live anywhere in the universe, but He chose your heart. Face it friend, He is crazy about you! God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

I thought it was such a beautiful sentiment. My favorite part was "He can live anywhere in the universe, but he chose your heart . . . He is crazy about you!" It is just such a comfort to know that when you feel so alone and unloved, Heavenly Father is literally right there and crazy about you.

My mommy is the best ever. She always knows just when I need a huge pick-me-up. I truly know that it was not a coincidence Heavenly Father gave her to me. Just another reassurance that I know He loves me. My mother is one of the greatest gifts he every gave me.

OUAT love

Okay, did anyone see the sneak peak for Once Upon a Time for next week??? OHMIGOSH! I am freaking out. I absolutely LOVE this show, especially the Snow White story. I think it makes it so much cooler! Snow White is actually legit and not this passive, weak, little princess. Plus I think Prince Charming is oh-so-extremely attractive! If you don't watch the show, guys-you need to start. It's awesome. I think I need to find someone with a TV and cable so that I can watch it Sunday night. Who wants to have me over? ;)

I'll Be There for You . . .

So, Dr. Coyne presented a great question for us today in class. What does my favorite TV show fulfill in terms of my life? Naturally, I started to think about Friends. I mean, seriously, this has been my favorite show since I can remember. While I know the show may have some questionable scenes, (thank goodness for the fast-forward button) it still has taught me a lot, and has helped me to cope in many different ways.

I found a picture on Pinterest that represented my relationship (as well as any other die-hard Friends fan out there) with the TV show extremely well:



I guess the biggest thing for me is that when I watch the show, it reminds me of when I was younger, at home with my family, during simpler times. Also, no matter what mood I'm in, Friends never ceases to make me laugh. A few nights after my engagement got broken off, one of my very good friends came to stay with me. She brought all her seasons of Friends and we watched it all night long. Even though I was so broken hearted and depressed, I still laughed all night long.

Another Playlist

Since my mixpod does not seem to be working anymore, I thought I'd create a list of my all-time favorite songs. You can look them up on your own time.

Keep in mind, these are in no particular order.

The Get-Up-And-Dance playlist:
1. Footloose. Kenny Loggins style. You do not need to deviate from the original version people.
2. This Will Be by Natalie Cole. A classic.
3. Hot N Cold by Katy Perry. Will always remind me of Troy doing Just Dance. HI larious.
4. Jump Down the Line (Shake Senora) by Harry Belafonte. Beetlejuice. 'Nuff Said.
5. Club Can't Handle Me by Flo Rida. Great for those aerobic workouts. Trust me.
6. Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine. Though it reminds me of a recent breakup, I still like it.
7. Take Over Control by Afrojack feat. Eva Simmons. Do the extended radio version. Just discovered it and I LOVE IT!
8. Fake ID by Big and Rich. Makes you wanna put on your boots and go country dancing :)
9. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Now you can do the classic with this one, but I do like the Miley Cyrus version, too. I know. I have no shame.
10. Ain't Nothing Wrong With That by Robert Randolph and the Family Band. If you haven't heard it, LOOK IT UP!!!
11. Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne. The Lil Mama version is fun too.
12. You Can't Stop the Beat. Featured on Hairspray. If that doesn't get you to dance, then you don't have a soul.
13. Canned Heat by Jamiroquai. This is totally my theme song. P.s. it was featured on the movie Center Stage before Napoleon Dynamite and it was much better then too.
14. Brighter Than the Sun by Colbie Caillat. Love her.
15. Pump It by the Black-Eyed-Peas. *Sigh* brings me back to my freshman year on drill...
16. I Want You Back by the Jackson 5. Oh MJ...
17. More by Usher.
18. Do Your Thing by Basement Jaxx. It's a fun one.
19. Yeah 3X by Chris Brown. Good energizing song.
20. Jump, Jive, an' Wail by the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Loved it in high school and I still love it.

For happy, dance music, I'm all about the songs that make you feel happy. Go figure. Music has a way of influencing who we are. Especially our moods. Pick your music wisely.

New Beginnings

Hey everyone! I hope you had a fantastic Christmas and New Years! Mine was quiet and busy all at the same time. But it was great to be around family as much as I could. I just can't wait until next Christmas when I won't have finals to stress over and I can just enjoy the season. It did not feel like Christmas at all to me!


One of my fav Christmas presents . . . and Lacey photobombing it . . .


I'm also really happy that it is 2012. 2011 could not have gone any slower for me. It was a rough year with a lot of hard lessons to learn. I'm grateful for the trials I had and for the people there who carried me through, but I never want to look back at that year again. I'm moving forward now and I'm not dwelling on the past or what "might" have been. I'm excited for the new adventures and friends that I will be having in the future.

So, in this new, (and hopefully LAST) semester, I am in yet another class that requires blog posts. It's my Media, Family, and Human Development class and I'm really excited about it. This is a topic I'm really passionate about and I can't wait to learn more about it. So, you all will be hearing a lot more of my random ramblings and ravings. Lucky you!! :)