Hey, so I am not one of those people who usually wins things but I just entered to win a camera that I really want. Here's the trick. You get an extra entry for everyone you refer. But then you have more competition..so I did the math and I still have a slight advantage by referring people so...

Click here to enter to win!

And if you don't want an awesome camera enter anyway and you can give it to me! Perfect, right?

”He’s a tourist. He vacations in people’s lives, takes pictures, puts them in his scrapbook and moves on. All he’s interested in are stories. Basically, Leslie, he’s selfish and you're not. That's why you don't like him."

-Ron (Parks and Rec)

I hope people don't feel this way about me.

The bargain bins.

Goodwill, the second hand store, has outlets where they send the clothes that don't get sold and then sell them by the pound. They dump them out in big bins and you dig around hoping to find a steal and not lyme disease.

 Well, we went last Friday. My aunt, her friend, mum, and I. My aunt's friend is a seasoned pro, in fact she found a coat with 20 dollars in the pocket and ended up making money. We pooled all our finds together so in the end we only paid 98c a pound for our items. Meaning my mom and I got all this (and some baby clothes that aren't pictured)...

...for about 15 dollars. Including the shoes which were a flat 2.75.

So, I got some Ralph Lauren pants. Mum got a London Fog jacket. All new looking stuff. Because a lot of times they price the nice stuff higher at Goodwill so it doesn't end up selling and they ship it off to the bins. There was some stuff from Liz Claiborne, etc. etc. Good deals to be had by all. And it's fun.

bits and pieces.

Look at the cute baby!!!

To go with my cute life...

MeganG and I were all revved up to go to Institute and no one told us it was cancelled

so we ate Blizzards...almost an equivalent.

well, the kid working was talking up the buy one get one 99c deal (duh, that's why we were there) and then forgot to ring it up as such. 

maybe I will just continue to post moderately embarrassing moments that people other than me have.

I try to make going out in public with me as embarrassing as possible.

Wait. Did I say try? It comes natural. 

did not buy the panda hat and purse. did buy the Muppets. impulse buy that i don't regret for a moment.
wish you could see the detailing on Aaron's betty bop hat.

I used the automatic check-out and when I got my change the dollar bills shoot out at me and went all over the floor like I had just won at the slots.

"Does this happen to normal people?" 

"I think you have just always looked at the world so whimsically that it is now reacting in the same way."

we've got a good thing going, the world and I.

Me, earlier, trying to be defiant about something:

"So, that's it. And if he says, 'no' then I'll say "okay!"..And if he says 'maybe' then I'll be like, 'okay!'" 

Dad (just coming into the conversation): "and if he says, 'yes.'?"

"Then I'll probably say, 'okay."

So glad I've got all the bases covered. Even though "yes" is not an acceptable answer to the question which was formed in the negative.

I don't know what's happened.

I am me, but a better version of who I was before, 

I wear blazers and eat hamburgers

and grey, I've fallen madly in love with the color grey

and am even a semi-master at pintrest recipes.

and almost enjoy being organized.

So, I have noticed that the radio (even when shuffling between four stations) always plays the following songs:

Before He Cheats

Collide

Someone Like You

I have Pandora on quickmix and it keeps playing Christmas music and Regina Spektor.

This has been the longest Christmas I have ever had.

Also, I just have to say I love this line from Christina Perri 

(p.s. is that some poorly disguised codename of Katy Perry's?)

"I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed."

I don't know why, but I think that is just brilliant.

I'll tell you, Salem, you are making me kind of sad to leave.

This is the end. Did you follow? That is literally how my brain works.

And I stopped bothering with finishing thoughts/sentences AGES ago.

That Was a Darn Good Weekend.

Hi, world. I have been having a fantastic time lately, in case you were wondering.

Thursday, I watched one of my favorite 30 Rock episodes to date. Liz+Chris might be my favorite thing ever. The last five minutes of the episode killed me. Topped any romantic comedy ever. Watch it.

Friday I spent the morning with one of my heroes and then hit the Goodwill bins for super bargain shopping (more on those two things later, with pictures). Then went and saw Sherlock Holmes 2 with my newest best friend. Loved the movie. Love those two men. Also, love the theater where I can watch movies and eat quesadillas at the same time.

St. Patrick's Day was fantastic. Started with my saintly brother playing his cello at a retirement home...and then pretending like he didn't like me. Such a sweetheart. But seriously, my little brother is probably the coolest kid I know. Super talented. And I love this picture I got of him with his cello.

Yes, I am wearing several shades of green. Whether I am Irish or not it's either go big or go home with me and every Catholic gone pagan holiday. My family celebrated by going to see...

(because there is nothing greener than Elphaba and the Emerald City) 

I just LOVED it. The sets/costumes were awesome and the acting was great and I loved the music and the plot and...everything! 

Then, there was the added bonus that I saw my buddy Phil and his wife during intermission! What are the chances? So slim. It was so magical. I realized he is the first BYU/Film person I have seen in person since I got back. Made me realize how much I cannot wait to hug you all. Reunions are fantastic. I missssss you. Talking on the phone gives you this false sense of closeness, but there is nothing like being together (more on general being togetherness later, I have so much to blog about that I've been neglecting). see you SO soon, Provo! The mission feels like a dream and it seems like I just saw you all, but really it's been AGES and a glorious reunion is in order.

Heather and I saw this awesome tree across from the Arabian restaurant we went to so we ran across the street to take the following pictures...We got Arabian food to celebrate the culture we actually are a part of.
Made me miss Italy and Achmed.

Then there was today where I lost my brain and woke up late so I had to rush to rub the leftover green eyeshadow off my face and decided to wear my new pencil skirt which doesn't permit long strides (I'm trying to set up a good visual for you here can you see it?) so after a bit of chaos I get there and wonder why everyone is waiting around for the 2nd hour meeting to start...somehow I forgot that church started at 1 and not 1:30 and I did not make the connection until I asked someone.  But to make myself feel better I will tell you how I wasn't the only one with embarrassing absentmindedness today, because I got to head a rescue mission when Caleb's car ran out of gas. Which started by going to my garage and finding four gas cans...all empty. We were just talking about how important it is to keep the Sabbath day holy, how we try and keep our activities Christ-focused the whole day (and Mormons in general we don't do anything that involves work or causing other people to work if we can help it) and then we had to go buy gas...

This is him trying not to get gas on his suit. His BMW from 197something is so adorable and the tank cap is behind the license plate. I don't know a darn thing about cars, but I love this one. Red leather, wood paneling on the inside. Analog clock. Not a great picture, but it was dark.

Just like always, I am getting attached to everyone as I am about to go. I am amazed how many fantastic people there are every place you go. I was sitting in the theater last night, with all these people and I for a moment I just thought, what if I am in the Truman Show and all these people are here, just for me. Not in a selfish way, but in a--I literally feel like everyone who comes into my life somehow is so very much meant to be there. Everywhere I go I meet amazing people who affect my life, even in the smallest ways, that lady that gave us directions on the bus one day in Rome even though we had almost no idea how to explain where we needed to go, or the hilarious man at the gas station tonight with his long beard and his crocheted ya-mica. 

I just can't believe that I am lucky enough to have all these great people in my life. Or the irony of talking to someone at church who has the same taste in movies/music and then walking out to the parking lot together and discovering we have the same kind of car, parked next to each other, because I thought earlier, "I am going to park by the car that is like mine." My life is a movie, there is even foreshadowing. Everything just lines up too perfectly. 

All I can think to say in conclusion is a quote from one of my English Course students back in Sicily, 

"If life had your face, it would be a good life."

p.s.

we've got our midnight tickets for Hunger Games and costumes in the works!

dear dears,

dear Smash,

i thought maybe you could work it for one season.

but five episodes in you've let me down.

i really wanted to like you.

oh well.

dear physical therapists,

why can't all doctors be as nice to visit as you? 

dear boy in the waiting room,

i liked your shoes...and your face. 

but i can guarantee you're too athletic 

and it'd never work.

dear gilmore girls,

how did you manage to make an entire seven season soundtrack out of la, la, la

without me realizing it?

dear love,

you are real aren't you?

dear people with broken hearts,

love is real. 

just takes some time and effort.

p.s.

i mean, that's what it seems like from what i've seen/read on magical married people blogs.

dear sitcoms, 

is there anyway to create conflict without people lying to each other/cheating?

just wondering.

dear hair,

you're great.

dear karaoke at applebee's,

thank you for an excuse to shake my hips again in public

dear new/really old that are new again friends,

thank you for being willing to be seen with someone shaking their hips in public.

dear new new friend,

it's like we are friend-dating. i drive you home and we sit in the car and talk about life. 

you want to see hunger games with me and i want to do everything together, 

but i am scared to get too close because i know i am leaving soon.

dear flannel shirts,

you and i have a love affair that will never end.

dear people who hug,

i like you guys.

dear nighttime subconscious,

you've been absolutely incredible lately, 

a series of dreams with a backdrop of war where we are talking about filmmaking? 

where did that come from?

also, last night was just lovely. 

i really should sleep more.

dear mtc,

did i really just apply for a job without actually talking to single person?

p.s.

hire me, please.

i have no idea why i want this so badly, 

but i have never been so nervous in my life applying for anything.

dear the big year,
i liked you because you were funny and simple and heartwarming
and well casted with our favorite people
and *gasp* rated PG
and even if it was obvious your message was so good.

dear owen wilson,
i like that you exist.
p.s.
i might like even more that your brother exists.

sometimes...

I watch guilty pleasures like Taylor Swift music videos. And I actually just checked my phone in my pocket so it didn't accidentally call someone who would hear what I was listening too. guilty. 

I'm glad it's cold outside because it is easier to look good in layers. and because it is an excuse for cuddling.

I wish I could just pay someone good money to follow me around with a boombox to 1. soundtrack my life and 2. be ready for spontaneous dance parties.

I love discovering unexpected movie gems like there's an indie film called Expiration Date that I just adore, I bought it at a screening at BYU, who knows what end it came to.

I feel like a 5 year-old when I wake up...pretty much until I go back to bed. because there's no where i'd rather be than disneyland or jumping around in the grass barefoot. when I'm in college and I am threatened to be put in time-out. when i still get excited about having fruit snacks in the house. or when (2 hours ago) I bought goldfish crackers because it was the one thing I was craving. when I  would rather eat chicken nuggets than a steak. when my mom is concerned about letting me dress myself. when watching jurassic park still scares me. so, not sometimes. always on this one.

I feel like it's one of the world's great injustices when someone eats your leftovers without permission.

I write a blog post and realize that there's a small chance I am not as clever as I think I am.

I feel inspired to be a better person whenever I am around my mom.

progress.

Being sick is so horrendous, but there is something awesome about once you feel better again. Yesterday I put on something besides sweat pants/leggings and a hoodie and I can sit again, hallelujah! Which makes my productivity level go up leaps and bounds from where I've been even though I'm still dead tired and fall asleep on the couch frequently. You know you've looked pretty terrible for two weeks when putting on jeans and a plaid shirt and doing something with your hair makes your parents go, "you look so good!" especially coming from my dad. "I don't know if you should go over there looking that good." haha.

I know I shouldn't complain when there are people going through chemo and transfusion or have diabetes or are having babies. The things I am dealing with are a brief period of time. But they keep happening, one after the other. In an awful chain of events. I am so tired of being poked with needles and cut up and the seemingly never ending tiredness. Tired of painkillers. Tired of random parts of my body being numb/swollen/falling off. It should be all over now, got my stitches out a couple days ago, got my cavity filled a couple hours ago. I never know if when you're leaving the dentist you should say, "Thank you." or "I hate you." The antibiotics I got for my surgery is making all my skin on my hands fall off so now we know what causes that.

I think we can call all of this progress really.

Back to positive I have enjoyed the past 30 hours (minus the filling) because today was SO lovely and Spring-like outside and last night was freezing but I love driving home late at night with no other cars on the road and the smell of Oregon at night. Even though I am stoked to get back to Provo where I belong, I just adore Oregon. I wish I still had a dog. But my little brother is super cool. I even got out of the house and even though it pains me to hang out with people who don't appreciate Madonna like I do, I still had a good time. I don't know if I need to tell you this, but DON'T watch Tower Heist. Though it is almost a cute blend between Ocean's 11 and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (mostly because there is a nice car that gets destroyed and a parade) I'd rather have that hour 44 minutes back. I also saw ADA used to be UTLEY, my favorite veteran ever. She's been in Japan for 3 years with the marines and I've been in Italy for 1.5 years basically like being in the army and we both are confused by big streets and cars, yay!

All it takes is one good day to make up for a handful of lame ones.

And once I have feeling in my face again (aside: I have to wonder what it'd be like to kiss someone with a half numb face) I will be eating eggs and chocolate chip pancakes and enjoying my weekly date with NBC.

casimir pulaski day

Today is Casimir Pulaski Day. Why does anyone outside of Illinoise care?

because of this song:

This is one of the few songs that I can tell you exactly where I was and what I was doing the first time I heard it. Would you care to know? Okay, I'll tell you. 

TMA 102 with Tom Russell aka Intro to Film, a class taught in a huge theater. I told my friend Tyler what a great class it was and so he decided to come with me that day. My section always sat in the back middle. The topic for the day was Religion and Film. It changed my life. We watched a scene from Signs. Tom played this song and talked about our relationship with God. How sometimes he does take and take and take. Tom talked about his wife who also died from cancer. At some point during the song I got all teary eyed and Tyler did that thing he would always do--like a hug/face grab with my hair ending up all in his face. We just sat there in awe, a million new realizations going through my head, all because of one song. I love music for its ability to do that. Then we went and got Jamba Juice.

It was one of those moments, and there have been many, where I felt the pull towards film making. Not like, "this is fun" but like, "I don't know why, but this must be a part of my life." After that there is no going back. Like, maybe, just maybe, I might have something worth saying/creating/telling.

A few years ago with the never-ending inspiration that flows when E. and I are together we celebrated this holiday/song the best way we knew how...song shot.

One thing I learned recently, especially on my mission, is that he does take and take, but He gives it all back and then some. Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. 


Today I've listened to the song no less than five times, did spend the morning crying in the bathroom, but that's not a story worth telling. We'll see what other kind of things I can dig up to celebrate.

Maybe, a revolution to celebrate the man who the day is named for. I did just write one of my classic, political I'm Mad About Something and Going to Sing About it to a Song That's Already Written.