3.29.2007

Gap's Dresses Dance

Maybe this will convince you to buy a Gap Dress...

(Watch the polaroid picture as the 'Be a Good Sport,' 'Flirty and Feminine,' 'Trendsetting Style,' and 'Classically Sheek' dresses make this lady dance!)

My favorite dance? 'Be a Good Sport;' she sure loves the hair toss.

My favorite dress?

Either...




Or,


As long as those dance moves come with it!

Um... Beautiful.

I have a feeling you're going to enjoy this.

So many beautiful faces...

(The song's a cover of 'Dream Baby Dream,' but I can't tell who's singing. Anyone know?)
Home
by Edgar A. Guest

It takes a heap o'livin in a house t' make it
home,
A heap o' sun an' shadder, an' ye sometimes
have t' roam
Afore ye really 'preciate the things ye lef'
behind,
An' hunger fer 'em somehow, with 'em allus
on yer mind.
Ye've got t' sing an' dance fer years, ye've got
t' romp an' play,
An' learn t' love the things ye have by usin' 'em
each day;

Welcome home Brecke and Matt!

(This poem was given to me by my grandpa when Jeffrey and I first bought our townhome.)

3.28.2007

The Soy Debate...

While eating lunch with a group of co-workers, the topic of interest quickly turned to what I was eating for lunch. They ask: "What's that?" My usual response: "A fake chicken patty…" Their response: "It’s not real meat?" My response: "No, it’s made from Soy." And they think… hmmm... that actually looks edible. Then, the topic of what I'm eating usually ends there.

I’ve been a vegetarian for 10 years… Actually, to be more specific, I am a Lacto-ovo vegetarian since I eat dairy. And, recently, I attempted to eat fish (Although, I haven’t eaten it for 5 months; it’s an adjustment.), but I still consider myself a vegetarian. (Not like my friend in 12th grade who said she was a vegetarian but still ate ham; she loved ham.) I never eat meat, and don’t think I ever will. So, I rely on Soy based foods to get the nutrients I need.

Imagine my surprise when the topic of conversation turned from what was on my plate into a debate on Soy. Someone (who I’ve never eaten lunch with before) says: “Soy’s actually really bad for you, especially women, you are not supposed to eat a lot of it. Otherwise it could do real serious damage to your health.” Huh? Whaaat? Excuse Me?

So, I looked at him and said: (I tried to seem nonchalant about it.)

“Really?? I’ve been a vegetarian for 9 years, and I’ve never heard that.”

So, in turn he says: “I was a vegetarian for 3 years,” (I’ve already got 6+ years on him.) “and did all sorts of research on what constitutes a healthy vegetarian diet.” He also mentioned that he was able to find plenty of alternatives to Soy, and said:

“You just eat lots of vegetables.”

Which, truly, I can agree with- vegetables are obviously important in a vegetarian diet… but, really? For every meal? Almost impossible for me! This is usually how my meals go:

Breakfast: I quickly warm up a Morningstar(Which is a great brand of soy based products… they make everything from fake bacon, hot dogs, burgers, even cheese dogs.) Sausage Patty. Or, I’ll drink a cup of Chocolate Soy Milk.

Lunch: A Morningstar Chicken Patty w/ a string cheese and Wheat Thins. Or, I’ll make a fake turkey sandwich on wheat bread with an apple.

Dinner: Tacos with Morningstar Crumblers, ( which is their take on ground beef… it’s yummy.) don’t worry Jeffrey gets the real deal. But, he too loves the sausages- just the other night we made lasagna with the fake sausage- it was goo-od!

So, can you imagine how I felt when someone, who I didn't know, tells me that everything I’m putting into my body is damaging my health? (And, the thing that really drove me crazy was that he read it somewhere, but couldn’t remember where he read it. Oh, but he does have a friend who told him the exact same thing.)

After lunch, I thought, pulease… he knows nothing. I’ve been a vegetarian long enough to know that Soy is, in fact, very beneficial to women. Soy is a great alternative to something chalked full of fat. What’s healthier: a greasy hamburger, or a soy, grease-free burger? Easy. SOY!

But, for whatever reason, his take on Soy kept irking me. So, over the past few days, I’ve been doing some research…

Recent research has shown that what was previously found a few years ago claiming that Soy is a miraculous bean that can help save women from breast cancer, and even be a good alternative to hormone-replacement for the relief of symptoms in menopause, have indeed changed. A lot of studies show mixed reviews… Britain even recently took back claims of how beneficial soy is in kid’s diets.

I know there is still a lot to read and learn, but this article summarized what I think is most important:

Moderation in all things.

Even fake meat things.

So, I'm determined to eat more vegetables, and not rely strictly on a fake chicken patty for lunch just because it’s easy … I mean- there are PB&J’s (though, I’m not a fan of Goobers…), burritos with black beans, salads with kidney and garbanzo beans… And much more… I just need to be creative.

I’ll be keeping up on my research as the Soy Debate continues. (And, remind me not to sit with what’s-his-name at lunch. The other day he even made fun of the fact that I enjoy Salt-n-Vinegar Chips, too.)

And, yes, my love for Soy will still continue. Maybe I’ll even invest in a bumper sticker that reads:

“There is no mad Soy disease.”

3.27.2007

Sylvia Path

Found Sylvia Path reading her poem 'Daddy' on YouTube. Don't know why I'm drawn to Sylvia Path, but I am. She definitely had a dark and tragic life. After reading 'The Ball Jar' a few years back, I bought a collection of her poetry, but only can read it every now and again. Though it is pretty amazing to hear her recite one of her poems:





(I also want to purchase this copy with this vintage cover:)


3.26.2007

sweet Dallas.

(This is the only picture I could quickly find. Dallas resting in one of her favorite spots to keep cool.)

On Friday night our family lost one of our beloved pets. We've had Dallas since my older brother got her 15 years ago... She instantly became a loyal friend. She let all the nieces and nephews pull on her ears and tail without any mind. She protected the house by barking at any "intruders" walking by. She always welcomed you home. She was the kind of pet you hoped for.

Dallas even survived jumping out of a 2-story window, (True story- but an entirely different story.) years ago, and dragged herself home on two broken legs. She always came home.

Needless to say, Dallas will be missed. She was a good doggy.

3.25.2007

follow the balloon


My cousin Annelise told me the best way to learn how to take pictures was to practice, practice, practice.

On Saturday Ali gave a handful of us that opportunity. What a beautiful morning to take photos... but, most of all to give me some much needed practice.

View more images here from our Balloon Day.

3.22.2007

friYAY.

I'm feeling anxious, already, for the weekend... I have so much to do, ( including, getting out to Thanksgiving Point for Shade’s Shirt Sale, and going to Ali’s Balloon Photo Shoot!) and this warm Spring weather is definitely motivating me to get it all done! In the meantime, here are some fun links that I enjoyed this week, but haven't had time to post about:

Do you enjoy This American Life? If so, they started a TV series of this favorite radio program. You can watch the first episode here.

One of my favorite bands may turn one of my favorite albums into a musical!

Listen to a new band I'm liking.

And finally, I missed 'Grey's Anatomy' last night, but part of me doesn't regret it. For those of you who watched, was it worth watching?

3.21.2007

Wow. This is Bad.



Makes me like her when things were much more 'Complicated.'

3.20.2007

a Thought.

I had an eye-opening experience today that made me realize how important forgiveness is. These quotes express much better what I was feeling:
"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."-Mahatma Gandhi


"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future."-Paul Boese


"Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."-Mark Twain

3.19.2007

5

Ali tagged me to come up with 5 things about me. After the 100, it was a challenge to think of something new. But, I was able to come up with these 5 things, most of which, I’m sure you don’t know about me.

1. This jewelry box is one of my most-prized possessions:















My Grandma Elly bought it for me while we were in Switzerland. When it opens it plays ‘Edelweiss.’ It stores my favorite pieces of jewelry, and each time it opens, I think of my sweet Grandma.

2. I love to make people laugh. My mom even reminds my siblings that she thinks I’m very funny. And each time she says it; I relish in it. I truly believe that laughter is the best form of medicine.

3. I shed... big time. I didn't realize how much until Jeffrey started pointing it out to me. When I wash my hair in the shower, rather than have a hair-ball get caught in the drain, I collect the hair that falls out and make a design on the shower wall. (Sorry. Don’t get grossed out.) Tonight’s image: I think it looks like a face. But, you interpret it for yourself:



4. Jeff has a box full of old pictures, magazine articles, letters and other miscellaneous pieces that he’s collected throughout the years. When we were married, I dug into the box and found this:



It’s a picture of me in 1996 when Jeff and I first met. (I think it was Jeff who took it.) We were both developing crushes on each other, and little did I know, he kept this picture all this time.

5. And finally, in my head, I create very vivid music video concepts. They’re good too. I’d share my best concepts with you, but I think I need to keep them to myself. Who knows? I really could direct a music video someday.

Now, for the best part, I'm tagging Annelise, Courtney, Autumn, and Dede. Have fun!

3.18.2007

Some Favorite Pictures

I've been uploading pictures to my
Flickr account, and I came across some of these favorites:






Beautiful Telluride, Colorado.

3.15.2007

If I Cough, Even One More Time…

My lungs will shatter.

I caught the cold that’s been going around. (Isn’t it always going around?) Last week, in preparation for our camping trip, I felt the scratchiness starting in my throat, and the next morning I woke and could barely swallow. I quickly tried to remedy the situation with heavy doses of Emergen C(The Orange flavor is the best.) and lots of rest.

While camping, I woke up one morning and attempted to say “Good morning” to my husband but nothing came out. (For someone who likes to talk a lot, this was pretty scary.) He kindly went and grabbed more Emergen-C, and I gulped it down as fast as possible. (This is a trade off while camping. Stay sick? Or, drink lots of water and know that a squat session will soon be needed.)

Luckily, I stayed as healthy as humanly possible while camping. (Seriously, Emergen-C is amazing. I felt like a super-hero.) But, once I got home and stopped taking Emergen-C, my lungs felt like they got hit full-force by a speeding train. I began coughing, and I couldn’t stop.

I attempted to return to work, but had to leave half-day on Monday. There are only so many stares that say: ‘You have PTO, and you’re filthy, contagious germs are here? Don’t get me sick!’ that you can take…

So, I slept. I don’t think I’ve slept so much in 1 week. I’ve even fallen asleep before 11:00 every night this week. (Except for tonight.)

I’ve used the humidifier, Vapor Rub, a knock-off version of Nyquil, and then a prescription cough syrup (the orange kind), lots of cough drops, water, and orange juice. And yet, I’ve woken up in the middle of the night (usually around 4:45 am) from a beating cough that wouldn’t stop. The first session lasted 30 minutes. (I then retired to the floor in the extra bedroom, so I wouldn’t bug Jeffrey. Although very thoughtful of me, not the best decision: I still couldn’t sleep. The floor is very uncomfortable.)

The next 2 nights, I woke up to another thrashing in my chest that lasted 45 minutes. Ouch.

The worst part of being sick is being in a public quiet spot. (Usually a meeting, church, or movie.) Because you know when you start coughing, and can’t stop, everyone notices.

I even tried the stop-coughing-tricks: Start yawning when the tickle of the cough starts. Drink lots of water to subside the tickle. Pop one cough drop after another into the mouth to stop the coughing. Begin stretching when the tickle starts. Or, just keep your mouth shut to try and keep it from coming out. But, it usually doesn’t work. Those coughs are coming one way or another. Then, your face gets bright red, coughs keep dripping out, and all self control is lost.

Nothing’s worse.

The only upside? My abs are getting a killer workout.

Hopefully you won't catch what I have by reading this. It's not fun.

True Colors Tour

Look! It's another fabulous concert announcement-

The True Colors Tour featuring:
  • Cyndi Lauper
  • Erasure
  • Debbie Harry
  • The Gossip
  • Rufus Wainwright
  • Dresden Dolls
  • Margaret Cho (as Host)

The tour will be in Salt Lake City Saturday, June 9th at USANA Amphitheatre. Tickets are supposedly already available in SLC, but you need a promotion code to buy the tickets. If the tickets aren't too pricey, I'm thinking this could be a fun day of music supporting a good cause. See website.

3.14.2007

Can't Wait-Can't Wait- Caaaann't Wait!

For this:

Look Who's Coming to Town...

He'll be playing at the E Center Tuesday, May 8th. More info here.

3.13.2007

ScarJo+Reebok

Scarlett Johansson doesn't stop! Not only has she teamed up with Reebok and created a new line of workout clothes, she'll also be coming out with an album. (Though, the album will all be covers of Tom Waits songs.)


Here's a glimpse of the Reebok collection, aptly called Scarlett 'Hearts' RBK Collection:



Pretty cute, but extremely overpriced .

The Significant Seven

I received an email from Amazon.com today about a new list of 'must reads' Amazon editors compile monthly.

The book that first caught my eye is The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle mainly because the editor compares the main character to Harper Lee’s Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, which is a huge compliment to the author. Since Scout is my favorite character of all time, this book could definitely be worth checking out.

If you need any ideas for your Book Club, or if you need something else to read, maybe this list will help.

(Or, if you've have any book recommendations, please share in the comments… Everyone’s always looking for a good read, right?)

3.12.2007

Take Me to Southern Utah

What a weekend!

Enjoying camp-fire talk with fun friends? Check.

Basking in the warm, warm sun without a jacket? Check.

Feeling like my life was in danger on a steep cliff? Check.

Using our brand new sleeping bags, tent, and stove? Check.

Not being able to sleep because of a sound-like-a-hurricane-was-coming? Check.

Getting sick over the weekend to make me miss a half-day of work? Check.

Would I do it again next weekend? Of course!

love that claire.

I've always been a big fan of Claire Danes, and this Gap commercial is just another reason why:



I just love her!

(Now, if only those Gap’s khakis were more interesting.)

3.07.2007

Introducing Bloglines


My friend at work who, like me, peruses a number of blogs. To handle the ever-increasing list of links I click through in the morning, she introduced me to Bloglines. If you haven’t heard of it, it could become your new morning go-to page.

Bloglines says “Create a personal Bloglines page loaded with the freshest news about the things you love.” It’s true- you add a feed to the blogs that you browse, then once a new post has been added, it’ll notify you.

There are many blogs I refer to daily that I’m positive will be updated daily (Your Heart Out, ali+curtis), but there are also those that don’t get updated daily (Lucky Me, Wishful Thinking). But, when they do- isn’t it the best surprise?! I love it. So in the morning rather than click through my entire friend’s links, I login to Bloglines, and it will tell me who has a new post on their Blog.

So, it can save you time.

The main drawback is it won’t show comments people have left on the blog. But, there is a direct link to the blog, so you can click through to get to the comments.

Blogline is also free. To sign-up, just give them your email address and create a password.

The only main feature I’ve played with is the ‘Feed’ function. That’s where you add URL’s of each of the blogs you’d like to feed to, by clicking ‘Add.’ And if a blog has a new post, the title of the blog will be bolded, and you know you’re in for a treat.

Give it a try… Let me know what you think!

3.06.2007

Oprah Does It Again.

Oprah really has a great way of motivating me. From her Best Life diet, to her Debt diet, I really get motivated to use the tips she suggests.

I forgot how much I enjoyed her 'America's Debt Diet' show a year ago. Recently, she did a follow-up on the show, and had Jean Chatzky, a Money Coach, share more tips... I can't get enough of this topic!

She'll help you save $5,000 a year, learn how to do four things to become rich (But, you have to buy her book.), and more. I'm determined to learn what those 4 tips are. So, if I ever do, I'll let you know what those tips are, and how the book compares to the "Wealthy Barber," (a must-read for any college student).

More info on Oprah’s Website.

3.05.2007

little bags of goodies

As I've mentioned, I'm always on the look-out for yummy snacks. At work many of my co-workers are trying to be 'The Biggest Loser,' so I get ideas on how they count their calories.

And, since I tend to have a problem with portion control (Example: I received my Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies today; 1 out of the 2 packages of cookies is already eaten.), I love these 100 calorie packs:

Since I only eat 1 bag at a time, I can let myself eat and eat... and eat, and eat, until they're gone, and I'm done. Plus, they're pretty good. (Especially the Chips Ahoy.)

Other favorite snacks:
Plus, Quaker just came out with 90 calorie packs of bite-size quakes drizzled with chocolate... I said it: drizzled in chocolate. I just bought a box today at Walmart; we'll see how long it lasts.

Anyone else hungry?

3.04.2007

Camping Convincing

If you can't tell, this is a picture of a tent Jeff put up in our bedroom... Why?

He's trying to convince me of the fun that is camping. We almost slept in it last night, too. But, I assured Jeffrey that I have four years of girl's camp under my belt, and I truly enjoy sleeping in a tent.

I'm really excited for this weekend- we're heading down South for a camping trip. Can't wait!

Small Town Happiness


Jeff and I went out to Copperton (out by Kennecott Copper) yesterday for our niece's baptism. Head out West on 7800 South, and you'll run right into this small town. The streets are lined with unique, antique, non-cookie cutter homes.

Once you get out there, it feels like you've stepped back in time. In my back-in-time scenario, everyone knows their neighbors personally (and yes, there is that one neighbor who loves to gossip), kids can walk to friends homes late at night without any worry, and you can ride your bike or walk to get to school, the post office, and the local grocery store. There's even a local diner that serves superb apple pie and a hamburger that's to die for. (That element is for Jeffrey.) There are no big-box retailers, as everything is owned and supported by locals. (This fictional town is sounding a lot like Star's Hollow- "Gilmore Girls" residing home base.)

And, in the evening, everyone sits out on their porches and says hello to everyone who walks by while the sprinkler rings out its ch-ch-cheeee-ch-ch-cheeee sound while sipping lemonade.

If anyone's tempted to step back in time and live in Copperton, there's a house across the street from Jeff's sister's house. The asking price for small town happiness? Only $160,000.00.


(Unfortunately, my aging camera ran out of batteries before I could capture more of Copperton.)

3.01.2007

Guilty Pleasure #13: I Listen to KSL

So, I’ll admit that I’ve got KSL (102.7 FM) programmed as my #1 radio button. (NPR is #2, and 90.9 is #3.) For whatever reason, I like a quick snapshot of the worldly news from the ABC Reporter. (His voice is sure gruff.) And, I enjoy hearing traffic reports every minute on the 9. With my new job, my commute to work and back is not bad at all, so I really don‘t need to listen to the traffic reports. But, for whatever reason, I like to hear what the traffic’s like for my old commute. Especially since it’s usually back-to-back traffic with lots of stopping. (Ha! Take that old job.)

So, while listening to KSL, Scott Seeger did a segment called ‘Sound Bite’ where he talks about a new album.

Guess who he reviewed? Non other than The Shins ‘Wincing the Night Away.’ I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t roll my eyes and think: Please, I knew about this band 5 years ago. And, I was tempted to change the station, because I really thought his review would drive me crazy… But, I stayed put and was pretty impressed with what he said.

He mentioned the difference in production values with this album in comparison to their previous albums, which is definitely true. There’s not the same pure sound as with Chutes Too Narrow.

He also emphasized how the Shins are evolving by doing something different, rather than doing the same thing again. He sure likes James vocals, as he referred to them as crystal. But, he said the lyrics were "strange." (I do realize he could've easily researched this story by logging onto iTunes or reading other reviews. But, he sure sounded convincing.)

Anyhow- those Shins sure are getting popular! Thankfully, I can say that I knew them when… (What was their first album called, again? :) )

And, KSL is definitely getting cooler.

tilly and the wall.

I've heard of the band Tilly and the Wall, thought their name was intriguing, but I never really listened to their music. Recently, they've shown up quite frequently on my Pandora radio station, and I've fallen for the silly lyrics and heavy percussion.

Come to find out- the percussion is based on tap steps. Some of the songs have a Spanish flair, and, I'm sure it's attributed to the percussionist's tap dancing. (I just got back from my tap class where we're learning a dance acapella- so, no music. Our taps are providing the rhythm and music. It's a lot harder than it sounds. So, I have true admiration for Jamie W.- Tilly's tap dancer.)

They also provide very nice harmony, and the girl's vocals are so strong. But, some of their lyrics, unfortunately, are explicit.

If you hear a Conner O'berst-esque voice in the background, they were first signed to his record label for their first album. He also produced it.

Some of their song titles include: 'Nights of the Living Dead,' 'Ice Storm, Big Gust, and You,' to 'Bad Education.'

Their website sure is beautiful, too.

I think I could become best-friends with this band! But their music will do for now.

Listen! It'll make you happy.