Life as a Liv{ing}

There are worse places to be....

2011-10-29T11:45:00.000-06:00

Probably anyone who still looks here knows I'm in Hawaii.

But if you didn't know, I'm in Hawaii.

And that is the view from my balcony.

How does your garden grow? (Or, Why my neighborhood is awesome.)

2011-09-06T20:39:00.001-06:00

Today I picked these:

Then I arranged to barter some tomatoes for these:

But the best part was that when I was heading out the door, the Young Men/Young Women (my church's local youth group) knocked on the door and asked to do some service as part of a service scavenger hunt.

So I gave them the tomatoes, they brought back the eggs. I hope they won.

Now, before the week is out, I shall make soup out of the tomatoes, and puree the peaches and raspberries for my mom to make into jam.

Gardens are freaking awesome, you guys.

(Also, there might be some salted caramel brownies on the horizon. Keep your fingers crossed, book club.)

In the meantime, I shall get cozied up in my jammies and knit while watching Tron.

Yeah. I live a charmed life.

It's time to get my swim on!

2011-05-18T23:17:00.000-06:00

So my friend Jenna is crazy motivated. She's a full-time mom, self-taught photographer, and earlier this year started a weight-loss challenge for her readers (which I started but sadly will not win). Recently she posted about how she's dealing with an injury that's preventing her from running, so she went swimming instead.

Sadly, I've never been a runner. Members of my family run, and I love the running culture, but since I grew up with broken barbie doll knees (and a lack of any sort of real motivation) prevented me from joining the club.

Aside: I'm not kidding when I say broken barbie doll knees. I have SEVERE hyperextension in both legs. Sure, it was a cool party trick growing up, but I've sprained my left knee twice, and it's never, EVER a cool thing when the doctor says "Whoa! I've never seen anything like that before!" Note to future doctors, even if you haven't seen that before, please, please lie.

But since I thought that part of the high school experience involved athletics (come to think of it, nearly all of my friends were on some team or another) I joined the swim team my sophomore year. Did I lose every race? Yep! Was I relegated to back stroke because my dives were embarrassing? I have my suspicions. But did I love it? Completely.

Here's the thing about swimming. It's a pain in the butt to get ready for. Squeezing into a swim suit, exfoliating, shaving and smoothing, running all over town trying to find a swim cap because you cut your hair at the end of last summer so it doesn't fit in a ponytail holder and you can't stand it when your hair gets caught in your goggles...all sorts of annoying.

But once I run through the necessary checklist, I could seriously go swimming three times a day; I love being in the water that much. And I'm not a social swimmer. Let's be honest, I don't want to be sued for blinding anyone. (If you think I'm exaggerating, well, my vitamin D deficiency isn't from lack of dairy intake.) No, I like to go when the pool isn't crowded and the only ones there are swimming laps.

Why do I bring this up? Well, today, I ran through the checklist, and come tomorrow morning, I will be in that water. Lately I've been motivated to be more active. I really don't know why now and not before, but regardless, it's swimming time!

It's like...magic.

2011-05-06T22:02:00.000-06:00

I suppose the thing about reading a new book for the first time, or even an old book for the eightieth time, is the anticipation that maybe, just maybe, my life will never be the same by the time I’m finished. When it’s over, I’ll have new ideas, new perspective, new insights because of a stack of paper bound in plastic covered in black smudges.

If that isn’t magic, I don’t know what is.

Playing with blocks

2011-02-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

For Christmas, Mallory gave me a whole array of lovelies that perhaps I will tell you about sometime, and one of them was this beautiful mug. I love this mug. I drink out of it whenever possible, and I'm always bummed when it has to take its turn in the dishwasher. (But I'm grateful for dishwashers.)

Here's the thing. I love stories. I love hearing a well-told story almost as much as I love telling a well-told story. There's nothing quite like the feeling of spinning a yarn and weaving it around and through the audience. The craft of telling a story is something I like to think I've come by quite accidentally, but it's a skill I enjoy. No, where I feel I've lacked in the past is actually having a story to tell.

Well, no longer. I choose now to make my writer's blocks my play things. I will build them in to great big towers, and maybe they'll fall. Or maybe they'll rise up into the most epic game of Jenga ever played. But whatever happens, I feel confident in the beginning of my story, and the first few chapters are really the stuff dreams are made of. I don't know how it will end, but I know where I want it to go. And the great thing about being the writer is that I have more of a say in my story's outcome than maybe I give myself credit for.

So here's to the hours and words, the weeks and chapters, and the years and volumes to come.

2011: An Active Life

2011-01-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

When I was in high school, I regularly participated in student journalism competitions. Yes, there is such a thing as competitive journalism. One year in particular, at a local competition at Fresno State, I thought I wrote a killer feature article. To where I was convinced I was going to win. As I recall, it was about the Gandhi statue that lives on the campus.

I felt so good about things that a friend and I went speed bowling. I think that may have been the only time I ever broke 100, and I did so in under ten minutes. I'm a terrible bowler.

Imagine my surprise when they called out the top three finishers in features, and none of those names were mine. It turns out the judges' notes on my article said I used the passive voice too often, a big no-no in journalistic writing. Up until then, I had no idea what passive voice even was, let alone how to avoid it. But now I know.

Basically, in the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. In the passive voice, the subject just sits back and takes whatever the object throws at him. For example:

Active: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Passive: The lazy dog was jumped over by the quick brown fox.

As an editor, when I get a manuscript written entirely in the passive voice, I kind of want to cry. Recasting passive sentences into the active voice is a tedious, time-consuming process that often seems never ending. But the end result is always worth the effort.

What does this have to do with my goals for 2011? Well, it turns out I live a pretty passive life. I know how to dream big, but I haven't figured out to how to work to make those dreams realities. So that's what I want to do this year. More examples:

How often do I sit and watch TV, read blogs, or re-read books (passive) when I could be writing, creating, and sharing (active)?
How often do I go to craft fairs/blogs/stores and say, "I could make that," (passive) when I should actually be making those things (active)?
How often do I eat what someone else has cooked for me (passive) when I could be increasing my talents and passion for food by creating it myself (active)?
How much extra time do I spend lying in bed (passive) when I could be spending that time exercising, studying the scriptures, or making a healthy breakfast (active)?
How long have I been waiting to be loved (passive) instead of looking for the one who might be waiting for me to love him (active)?

So 2011 is the year I edit my time, recast some sentences, and basically just make my life read better. It'll be tricky and it'll likely be tedious, but I'm utterly confident the end result will be totally worth the effort.

Words

2010-10-09T11:21:00.003-06:00

Good morning, Auntie Megan!

2010-10-08T10:09:00.000-06:00

I woke up to a text from my sister that included this picture of my newest niece, Isabelle Elizabeth. Really cool girls have the middle name Elizabeth. She's been around for a week, and in less than two, I get to snuggle with her (and the rest of the world's coolest Small Children).

I can almost smell that baby smell.....

Success: Is it a matter of facing your fears or managing time better?

2010-08-31T13:06:00.004-06:00

My friend Jenna tweeted something interesting today:

    Lately people are talking about "the fear" which keeps them from succeeding. Am I the only one who isn't afraid? I just need more discipline.
    I suspect it's because it's easier to sell out a workshop titled "face your fears" then it is to sell one titled "stop wasting time on crap."
    If anyone wants to hold a workshop titled "Success through efficiency" and guarantee I will walk away more efficient, I'm so there.

I like to consider myself creative. Whether it's cooking, baking, crafting, writing, or editing, I like to make things that didn't exist before, or change things into something new. There are certain endeavors that I'm not afraid of. If I mess up at crocheting, I can just unravel it. (There's a slogan for you: "Megan Welton--Unraveling since 1996!") If I screw something up in the kitchen, chances are I didn't screw it up enough not to want to eat it. If I make a pair of ugly earrings, no one has to see them.

But for one reason or another, I find that I have a terrible fear of writing. This is going to come as a shock to probably everyone I know, because I talk about writing all. the. time. I have a new idea for this story or that movie several times every day. But for some reason, when I sit down at the computer, or pick up a pen, nothing comes out, and I'm pretty sure it's because whatever I come up with isn't going to be as cool as it is in my head.

When I was prepping for National Novel Writing Month one year, I came across an article about this very ailment. I haven't yet allowed myself to write crap. Instead, I do things that feel safe and secure, things that I'm really good at...like Twitter Stalking.

Thankfully, I've started editing, and I realize that not even the best author is perfect. Some people are closer than others, but for the most part, everyone needs a little help. And since I've had this behind-the-scenes look at publishing, I find myself obsessed with other scenes to get behind. I want to know what Inception was like as a screenplay or in storyboarding. I want to know what the other options were for the interior design of that restaurant. I want to know what that song sounded like when it was first written. What did Buzz Lightyear look like as concept art? Is my favorite piece of jewelry as "good" as the designer intended it to be?

I can't help but laugh as I write this, because everyone in my English 495 class is going to roll their eyes when they read this, but I think it really depends on how we define success. I always joke that if I were to sell a screenplay, I wouldn't ask for a lot. Just enough to get out of debt. I don't want fame or fortune. I wouldn't say no to financial security or anything, but really, I just want to like what I write or produce. And if other people want to like it too, well, there's plenty of room on this here bandwagon.

I want to know love like this some day...

2010-08-18T12:18:00.000-06:00

Okay kids, I have exactly 3.2 seconds to go before I have to get back to work, but I had to share this video with you via Pop Candy. It's a video from StoryCorps.org that aired on PBS yesterday. I don't have time to explain what Story Corps is, so just go and look for yourself. Awesome concept.

Anyway, here's the video, and if you have a propensity for tearing up, grab your Kleenex now.

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Seriously. This is what love is, people. Spread this like wildfire because if we could really get back to the real meaning of romance, we can change the world. Don't you agree?

That, and I want my heart to flutter when that special someone tells me to drink more water.

Spend Free 2010: 5 Day Update

2010-08-16T23:18:00.000-06:00

It's been five days, and I've spent $25 on gas. And that's it. And considering that one of those five days was a truly and horrendously stressful Friday the 13th, when at the end all I wanted was a huge burger and fries from Carl's Jr., which I didn't get, I think I'm doing pretty darn well. (See, the best thing about setting goals and being accountable is that I'm so not above showering myself in accolades.)

It helps that I spent the weekend at home, where my lovely sister and brother-in-law treated me to breakfast at Ikea. I also spent ample time chasing small children around the house. You can't spend money when you're too busy being the tickle monster.

And who needs a cheeseburger when your dad grills tri-tip and pork loin and then cooks you s'mores for dessert? No one, that's who.

This week will merely be a continuation of the stress from Friday. And since I'm nothing if not a stress spender/eat-outer, I expect the next few days to really test my metal. My biggest enemy? The road construction that forces me to drive by Walmart, Wendy's, Del Taco, Dairy Queen, IHOP, Quiznos, a delicious Chinese place, a delicious Thai place, a cafe, maybe a pizza place, and Cracker Barrel (although, I haven't actually eaten at Cracker Barrel since living here, so that's not much of a temptation) on my way to work. That is quite the gauntlet for a person who can readily justify taking five minutes and five bucks to get a quick meal so she can enjoy more of her lunch break.

Anyway, five days down and fifty-five to go!

Spend Free 2010

2010-08-11T22:16:00.001-06:00

I've discovered something about my blogging habits: my blogging frequency is inversely proportional to my internal stress level. This means that the more stress I'm feeling in my life, the less I want to talk about it. You see, I want this blog to be less a space for ranting and more a place for sharing and uplifting. You would think this is because I want others to be happy, but rest assured, this is more for selfish reasons. You see, I think I'm the one who enjoys reading this blog the most, and when I go back and read it, I want to remember the really good things in life.

Some might consider this willful self-deception, but it isn't. One of the things I'm most grateful for is the ability to see the silver lining in pretty much any given situation. This isn't tooting my own horn; I just find it's a good way to live. And I'm not wholly responsible either; this ability is a direct result of my upbringing (thanks family!)

Try it. See how it feels.

Anyway, I think there's been such a blogging lull because for a teensy while there, I was losing my ability to see the silver lining, and that scared me a lot. But I'm feeling loads better, and I have a new resolution:

Welcome to Spend Free 2010.

For the next two months (minus a belated graduation road trip with Mallory), I'm not doing any frivolous spending. That's right: for the next two months, I'll be cooking everything I eat. And luckily, pretty soon my parents garden will start producing, and they're really good sharers.

I'll watch movies I already own. I'll read books from my collection (there's a lot I haven't read yet) or from the library. And I'll quit talking about writing books and screenplays and actually write them.

If I want a new shirt, I have material to sew it. If I want some new earrings, I'll make them. I have skeins and skeins of yarn, many crochet hooks, and a set of knitting needles I stole from my sister. I have lots of beautiful paper just waiting to be folded, cut, or otherwise manipulated into other beautiful things.

I don't plan on being reclusive (although a lot of social happenings in my area usually revolve around spending money). I do plan on being creative in how I spend my time with others. The most fun I have is when my friends and family get together and take actual time to prepare a meal. There's time for laughing and the food always tastes better.

What do I need from you? I have the world's greatest friends, and I love hanging out with you, but I'm going to ask you to not invite me to activities that require I spend money. I have a hard time saying no, and I don't want to offend anyone, so let's just avoid the situation altogether. If you want to pay my way, man up and ask me on a date.

So, there you have it. For the next two months, I'll spend money on groceries, gas, bills, and other actual necessities. Everything else is going straight to savings. I won't lie: it's going to be one of the hardest things I've ever done. Let's just say this is an experiment born of necessity, and I'm excited to see how it goes.

The theater, the theater. What's happened to the theater?

2010-06-30T22:28:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time since like, January or something, I've been in two plays at the Springville Playhouse. It's been fun, but I'm pretty much exhausted. But still, there's something to be said for an activity in which I can have the worst day in the WORLD and after an hour dancing around in pretty dresses and awesome makeup, life just seems a little bit better.

The musical was called "Bells are Ringing" and it was set in the late 1950s. This means awesome clothes, jewelry, and accessories.

Also, I got to be in a parade :) Little girls waved at me like I was a princess.

Oh, and there were the awesome bird-cage veil hats.

But alas, after a six month career, I shall be taking a small hiatus. It's time for some writing, some family time, and some other creative collaborations. Also? Baking.

She is another canyon lady...

2010-05-14T22:42:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time (last weekend) I made this for my mama for Mother's Day. It's my favorite of a set of four note cards I illustrated.

Now, I'm no illustrator, at all at all.

But I kind of love this.

Unapology

2010-04-29T23:07:00.004-06:00

But before I get to that, I do apologize for not updating since the Olympics.

Remember those "Thoughtful Thursdays" posts I did awhile back? Well, even though it's technically Friday, I'm back-dating this so it says "Thursday."

I was talking with some friends this evening. And sometime after eating homemade bread and homemade cheese, but before my really embarrassing "tired laugh," (some of you know the one) we had an interesting discussion about how easy it is to judge others and how awful it feels to be judged.

And while I'm often entirely guilty of this, I'm sad that we sometimes feel like we have to conform to others' views of what we should say, wear, enjoy, love, listen to, read, eat, and so forth. But, I also feel like I'm getting better shedding the guilt. I remember learning early on in elementary school what the word "unique" meant. I still think it's a pretty cool word. But even as a grownup, it's hard to remember that it's a pretty cool thing to be.

You see, I THRIVE on variety, as I think a lot of us do. I find beauty in a lot of different things. I love spending time with creative people who teach me about their way of viewing the world, thus broadening my own view.

As it happens, I unapologetically love a lot of things. I love beautiful prose. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite novel. I also enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I love Romantic poetry. I really enjoy reading Dan Brown novels. I've spent a lot of time reading Harry Potter. I used to sneak read Babysitter's Club books after "Lights Out." I had a deal with my dad that for every Earnest Hemingway novel I read, he'd buy me a Roswell High novel.

I think it's okay that I like Gilmore Girls, Lost, Roswell, and Firefly. I also thoroughly enjoy Disney Channel and Nickelodeon programming--even though I don't have kids to watch it with. I think most of the shows are funny and smart, and I never have to worry about inappropriate content.

I love listening to Nickel Creek. Periodically you might find me at an intersection singing along to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the top of my lungs. I've seen *NSYNC, Sara Watkins, Iron & Wine, Counting Crows, Jimmy Eat World, Snow Patrol, Paramore, Panic at the Disco, Dashboard Confessional and others live. This summer alone, I plan on seeing She & Him, Punch Brothers, Jonas Brothers, and Hanson live.

I really love good food. I love cooking with whole, fresh ingredients, and I love new and interesting flavor combinations. Sushi is delicious. I both despise chain restaurants and love Wendy's.

I find George Clooney and Zac Efron very attractive.

I own clothes from both Anthropologie and Walmart.

I dream of being a mother, and I still dream of being a movie star.

I equally enjoy talking and listening, teaching and learning, laughing and crying. Especially during those rare and beautiful moments when all of these happen at once.

After all that, I'm not sure I'm laying down what I hoped you would pick up. I think what I want to say is that it's okay (and totally possible) to be hipster and teeny-bopper (Just don't tell the hipsters. And don't even try telling the teeny-boppers. They're too busy shrilling.) It's okay to be passionate about something, even if no one else is or even if everyone else is.

We should never feel the need to apologize for what we love, who we are, or the things we believe. The best thing about life is that we don't all have to like the same things in order to have good conversations with, or respect for, one another.

A/N: Edit and Republish Count: 3.

O Canada

2010-02-12T22:03:00.002-07:00

I'm watching the Opening Ceremony (apparently it's just one ceremony) and I'm kind of loving it. Yes, the China Spectacular was amazing, there's no doubt about it, but I love how Canada is just...rocking being Canadian.

I kind of wish Bob Costas and Matt Lauer would quit talking about how the goal for the show is to be intimate and personal. Whatevs. Just let Canada be unapologetically Canadian.

Anyway, so far I think everything has been beautiful. If anything, it's helped me appreciate the Canadian treasures we enjoy here in the U.S.

Nelly Fertado
Bryan Adams
Donald Southerland (just watch the second to last scene in Pride and Prejudice, and pretty much anything else he's been in.
Sarah McLachlan
Joni Mitchell

Mostly, I just love the Olympics. I love the excitement, and I love looking at the athletes' faces, especially the ones who are just in awe of being there. Also, I think the Georgian team was so brave for marching.

Anyway, here's to you Canada. Thanks for keeping our northern borders warm.

Farewell, my pretty tree.

2010-01-03T16:33:00.004-07:00

I'll see you next Christmas.

Peace out, 2009!

2009-12-31T20:03:00.002-07:00

So, just imagine that I finished the Best of 2009 series. I really meant to, but I wasn't super interested by the last few.

The moral to this story is that 2009 saw a lot of Bests and a lot of Worsts. I've learned a lot about life and challenge and everything, but I can't say I'm said to see the year go.

Here's to you, 2009, and the good times we had.

Stay tuned for the Resolution Recap and New Goals for 2010.

Right now, it's time to party with the fam.

Happy New Year!

Word or Phrase of 2009

2009-12-18T00:18:00.002-07:00

2009 was "totally hipster."

Variations: "That's just the hipster way."

Christmas in a Cup! Or, Best Tea of 2009

2009-12-16T23:27:00.004-07:00

Okay, before you call me out on quoting the delicious Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal, I'll have you know I have been referring to Celestial Seasoning's Bengal Spice this way long before I ever saw that movie, and rightly so. The ingredients consist of cinnamon, roasted chicory, roasted carob, natural spice and vanilla flavors with other natural flavors, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, cloves and nutmeg.

I enjoy it hot, cold (iced soy Chai-esque latte, anyone?), and I hear it's excellent steeped in hot apple cider.

Trust me. It's the tops.

Best of 2009 Catch Up

2009-12-14T18:39:00.006-07:00

Best Place of 2009

It was my home away from home this year. The place I always showed visitors to SLC. The place I could spend both a million years and a million dollars.

Yeah, I'm talking about Sam Wellers.

Especially this room, with its yellow-arched entrance to the land where the books about words live.

Best New Food of 2009

Kouing-Aman

So, so, sooooo good.

Best Change I Made to the Place I Live (in 2009? How do I phrase that exactly?)

Um, I moved here?

Best Rush of 2009

Driving Nebo Loop after dark. Seriously, I was super scared I was going to get stuck and freeze to death. The adrenaline as pumping long after I made it home.

Pictures found here and here. The last one was mine.

Best Album of 2009

2009-12-10T08:19:00.006-07:00

Here's a top 3. If you couldn't tell already, I have a hard time committing to just one thing.
#3 The Essential Neil Diamond, Neil Diamond.

Recommended by: It's Rachel and Jeremy's go-to house cleaning soundtrack. Sometimes it's clutch in a stressful "I'm going to fall asleep looking for missing commas after introductory phrases" situation.

#2 Sara Watkins, Sara Watkins

Recommended by: Mallory. A great summer CD. Second most listened to of 2009. Worth hearing: "Long, Hot, Summer Days," "All This Time."

#1 Glee: The Music, Vol. 1

Recommended by: I saw this show for the first time when it aired after American Idol, and then I proceeded to bully all of my friends into watching it.

It's had its highs and lows, but the best thing about Glee is its soundtrack (though Mallory will tell you it's a tie between the soundtrack and Matthew Morrison). I dare you not to grin while listening to any of the songs, but most of all "Somebody to Love," "Keep Holding On," and "Don't Stop Believin'."

Best Moment of Peace of 2009

2009-12-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

That moment during my Best Challenge of 2009 when I knew that everything was going to be okay.

(Technically, this wasn't actually my moment of peace, but what better way to illustrate what I'm saying than cute Josh just happy with his chocolate while his crazy brothers are running amok behind him?)

Best Challenge of 2009

2009-12-08T23:30:00.003-07:00

Most everyone else wrote about their Best Moment of Peace in 2009. I did too. But after writing it up, I decided that you wouldn't fully appreciate it unless you knew about my biggest challenge.

Once upon a time, half way through the year, my boss decided he would rather I didn't work for the company anymore. Which hey, now I understand that it was really his prerogative, but back in July it was a terrible, horrible shock.

In terms of workforce trends, 2009 has been the year of the layoff. But my separation from the company was more of what some circles would term "getting fired." No one really wants to be unemployed, but the whole idea that my performance wasn't up to par with expectations was pretty humiliating. Because not only was I unemployed, but I sort of felt like I sucked as a human being.

However, through the duration of this whole experience, I learned lessons I couldn't have learned any other way--really essential life-altering lessons. Stay tuned for the Best Lesson Learned (aka Best Learning Experience) on December 24.

Best Blog/Conference

2009-12-08T23:21:00.002-07:00

Best Blog: 2009 was the year that a lot of my friends started blogs. So, welcome to the blog-o-sphere, friends. I would name you, and take the time to link to you, but I would inevitably forget one, and also? I'm three "best of's" behind!

Best Conference: By default, Women's Conference wins. Now, what's fun about thousands of Mormon women invading BYU campus and cat-fighting over fudge? Ask a BYU student/faculty/staff member/administrator, and the honest answer will probably nothing. I, however, do not go within 100 yards of the bookstore. I hunker down with my mom, aunt, cousins, and friends in the Marriott Center, listen to uplifting talks, and eat candied almonds. Also, I usually go to lunch with some former coworkers.

Best Night Out of 2009

2009-12-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

May 15.

Sara Watkins show at the State Room.

A birthday present from Mallory.

Best night of the year.

Get Sara's CD here. (She signed mine when I met her. Also, we're pretty much BFF's on twitter.)

Best Book of 2009

2009-12-04T23:05:00.004-07:00

I cringe to write this post. I have thought seriously of just skipping it and hoping no one notices.

I don't know if you know this about me, but I read for a living. Reading words is how I pay my rent, put gas in my car, keep food in my belly, and clothes on my back. Unfortunately, it no longer pays for beautiful haircuts.

So I worry that people are going to expect some crazy amazing and profound book that I thought was the best book of 2009. Now, it's not for want of opportunity that I can't think of anything. I belong to book clubs, surround myself by English major or degree holding friends who are constantly recommending great books like The Life of Pi by Jan Martel, My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok, or A Mercy by Toni Morrison, all of which I have in my possession and am determined to read as soon as the thought of reading doesn't make me carsick.

Still, the book I thought of first was this. (Don't worry: it wasn't written by Stephenie Meyer, but I think it may have had at least one reference to a vampire.)

I don't deserve to know how to read.

Best Article of 2009

2009-12-03T22:36:00.002-07:00

Thanks to Google Reader, I go through thousands of articles in the course of a year. You probably do, too. Think about it, if you read just 5 articles a day for 365 days, that's 1,825 articles, and in all honesty, I read at least twice that.

I've been thinking about articles that have struck me, and there are two in particular that I'd consider the best.

Coming at #2: "Helping to Write History," from the Washington Post. It's a profile of Jon Favreau, 27, President Obama's head speech writer. I have a ton of respect for this guy who's only a year older than I am, and who will write some of the most historically significant speeches before he hits 30. (Author's note: It's come to my attention that this article was published on December 18, 2008 and will therefore be disqualified from the ranking. Take that, Favreau.)

The Best Article of 2009: "Vanish: Finding Evan Ratcliff," Wired.com. A good article sucks in the reader, causing him or her to become emotionally invested. When I read this article, it read like a short story; I found myself rooting for the unlikely protagonist, a writer who was sponsored by Wired to go "off the grid" and to see how easy it would be for readers to find him with all of the electronic resources at their fingertips. A truly fascinating read.

Photos found here and here.

Best Restaurant Moment of 2009

2009-12-02T12:36:00.003-07:00

I love eating out. It's one of my favorite things to do. When I was living in Salt Lake City, I enjoyed discovering new haunts. Well, in the Avenues, a new restaurant opened up called the Wild Grape. I'd say it's probably in my top 5 restaurants in the city. And, since I lived so close, I was able to get there during non-busy times.

Another interesting thing about the restaurant scene in Salt Lake City is the period during spring when we all wait breathlessly for The Day We Can Eat Outside. Random snow storms usually push this day further and further back, but when it finally arrives, it's almost better than Christmas.

After a particularly rainy morning during the summer, the sun started creeping out mid-afternoon and by the time I got done with work, it was positively balmy. I drove past the Wild Grape and noticed they had tables outside, but no one was dining. So, I walked in and asked if they were seating people on the patio, fully prepared for the hostess to say no, but I'm pretty sure she conned a server into setting up table for me.

So, there I was, sitting by myself out on a lovely patio, looking out at a shady section of South Temple, and enjoying every minute of it. I jotted some notes about a novel I was thinking about writing, chatted with my server about life, and just enjoyed the general splendor.

Then came the food.

I blame my dad on my salmon snobbery. He just cooks it so deliciously every time that other salmon cookers have no chance to compete. Until now. This salmons was grilled to perfection, and it sat on a bed of shallots, spinach and sausage.

But we haven't even gotten to the Best Restaurant Moment. Until now:

Okay, seriously? I don't even remember what this was called. It was a cheese cake-esque custard of some sort, but instead of cream cheese, it was goat cheese. Yeah, you read that right GOAT CHEESE. It's a running gag in my family that anything can be made better with goat cheese. My dad tries to put it in everything.

It was drizzled with a honey-wine-fresh cherry reduction, and it was the best thing I have ever put in my mouth. Ever.

And at that moment, I knew what heaven tasted like.

Best Trip of 2009

2009-12-01T23:00:00.003-07:00

I took four exciting trips this year: one to Hinesville, Georgia; one to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; one to Long Beach, California; and one to Moab, Utah.

Try as I might, I can't rank them. So, congratulations to all four for winning the distinction of Best Trip of 2009!

And, since I don't have pictures readily available of most of these trips, here are some of my favorite spots in Utah.

The Avenues:

Moab:

Uintas:

Countdown

2009-12-01T22:00:00.001-07:00

I found this end of the year blogging project referenced on my sister's friend's blog, which I've enjoyed reading for the last couple of years.

I love the holidays. I love the food, the family, and the presents. If I had to rank the "winter" holidays, it would go like this:

New Year's Day: I love the idea of a new beginning. The biggest aspect of my spirituality is the comfort of renewal. What's done is done. I can remain fixated on the past or I can look forward to the future, and I choose to do the latter.
Christmas: This has everything--family, food, and loot.
Thanksgiving: 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
New Year's Eve: Mostly because it leads to New Year's Day. Also, exciting things happen at midnight.
(A Very Distant Last Place) Valentine's Day. I like the idea, but it's always a letdown. The chocolate is good, so it's not a total loss.

So, part of the greatness of my favorite holiday is being able to take stock of the year and ponder resolutions for the next. So, here goes nothing.

Gratitude

2009-11-26T23:07:00.005-07:00

Thanksgiving will be over in just under an hour, and I'm about ready to go to bed.

I've wanted to do a Thoughtful Thursday post for quite some time, but usually by the time Wednesday is over, I'm too tired to think of anything. But today, I didn't have a lot going on. I slept in, cooked some food, made a pie, and spent time with family. Tomorrow will be more of the same, sans the food prep.

I find that I have plenty of reasons to be grateful, most of which might be considered "little things." For example, I'm grateful I caught the last few minutes of An Affair to Remember just now. I'm grateful my cranberry sauce turned out. I'm grateful for my gold shoes and some new rings I bought.

Then there are bigger things: I have job I absolutely love. In fact, most days I can't believe I'm finally getting paid to read and design books. I love my house. It's fresh and clean and warm. I'm grateful that I got to live for a whole year in the Avenues. I'm also in love with my car. Sometimes it's strange to think that I even have a car.

I have a family I adore. Seriously. They make me laugh until I can't breathe, and most importantly, they make me feel safe. I have great friends. They add the best spice to life. Honestly, to know me is to know that 95 percent of my anecdotes start with something like this:

"One time, my cousin and I . . ."
"Little Brother said the funniest thing . . ."
"I was talking with my sister the other day, and . . ."
"Can I just tell you why my parents are the coolest?" (This question is rhetorical.)
"Last time at book club . . . "
"My nephews and nieces are cuter than yours because . . ." (I usually only imply that last one. People would get offended if I just came out and said such a thing. It doesn't it make it less true, though.)

Most of all, I'm grateful to know what life's all about. I'm glad to know that even though right at this moment I may not enjoy everything I hope for, sooner or later I will. And trust me, I have quite enough to be getting on with.

And yes, I know I ended that sentence with a preposition. It's okay: I'm off the clock.

Why I love Movie Monday...

2009-11-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

How do I choose my movies for Mondays? Generally speaking, the video must make me tear up, laugh out loud, drop my jaw in awe, or simply make me smile until the muscles in my cheeks get sore.

Today's video did the latter, and was brought to you by friend David.

Hee.

Good reads.

2009-11-17T21:46:00.006-07:00

I've decided to celebrate my triumphant return to the blog-o-sphere with a week's worth of Austen themed posts. Remember yesterday's Emma post? Yeah, I do too. It happened like it was 10 minutes ago.

Anyway, here's a book I believe to be a Tuesday-worthy Treat.

Nevermind how gorgeous that cover design is. This book contains essays from writers like Virginia Woolf and C. S. Lewis on various aspects of Jane Austen's imperfect genius. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Christmas is a-comin'!

Image found here.

A big "I missed you!" hug

2009-11-17T07:45:00.002-07:00

The other day I saw one of my favorite former roommates. When I knocked on the door and she answered, our conversation went like this. Imagine our tone of speaking in about a b above middle c.

Both (in unison): Hi! How are you?! Good!

Then there may have been some jumping, squealing, and hugging.

That giddiness is exactly how I feel right now as I'm writing this post from my laptop, at home. I have a retroactive Monday Movie and Treat for Tuesday planned, but I have to grab some breakfast and head off to work.

Still though. I'm sooo excited to be back.

Because I missed you.

BBC One has my unswerving devotion.

2009-11-16T21:07:00.001-07:00

Every now and then I go through an Austen Renaissance of sorts. Something or someone will remind me how much I love Jane Austen.

This time the someone was my old roommate Alicia, who posted a link on my facebook wall, introducing me to the newest addition to the BBC One literary adaptation library.

Feast your eyes, lovelies:

Now, I will forever love the Gwyneth Paltrow version from my teenage years, but seriously folks, there are no words.

It doesn't hurt that the three potential suitors--Mr. Knightly, Mr. Elton, and Frank Churchill are all glorious to behold.

I just can't wait until they show it on Masterpiece Theater, because then it will be available on Yankee-friendly DVD, and I will buy it.

Also? Happy birthday, Mom!

I miss you!

2009-10-25T19:27:00.002-06:00

I've decided I'm almost to the point where I'm going to sacrifice my home time during lunch hour to stay at work to blog. I miss it that much. Things happen, and sure, I'll let the peeps on twitter know when things happen, and while I think I'm darn clever in 140 character or less, it's just not the same.

So, maybe twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I'll post pictures, or links to funny videos, or short yet entertaining essays, and then you all can comment on them. Deal?

Also, I'm getting ready for NaNoWriMo. I know. I've said it before, but this is the year. I don't know what it is about reading for a living, but I am getting a ton of ideas for novels/movies/web series/etc. and it's exciting. So, be ready for exciting things.

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.

2009-10-04T13:05:00.003-06:00

But I HAVE moved to Springville to a lovely new apartment really close to work. My books are unpacked and shelved according to spine color, and I've shaved an hour and fifteen minutes off of my commute.

The only downside: we don't have internet yet! As one might imagine, this cuts deeply into my blogging time, and I miss it deeply. I have videos I want to share, treats I want to show you, pictures I want to feature and food I want you to be jealous of. But no, we might have to wait longer for any of these things to happen.

Best ever.

2009-09-07T14:24:00.002-06:00

Okay, for today's Movie Monday, we're going to take a little field trip.

All aboard, everyone, and head on over to my sister's blog. There's a fantastic video where my little nephew is Living Up his birthday. I mean, really, it's all kinds of cute and all kinds of awesome.

Chubby Penguins

2009-09-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

I consider myself blessed to be surrounded by such genius friends. Seriously. I think I know more than my fair share of truly talented and gifted people.

Today on the Genius Friends List is my friend Lindsay. She is an animator who moonlights as an illustrator and I love, love, love her stuff.

And, for anyone I know who will have a baby at any point in the future, you will be getting this from me:
Because I think it's adorable. I mean, look at that tiny fish this little guy is carrying around! Man, get's me every time. Now be good, and go visit Lindsay's store. Tell her I sent you. You probably won't get a discount or anything, but that's just what people say.

A look at a classic

2009-08-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

Comedy doesn't come better than this.

How to break the ice

2009-08-27T22:43:00.004-06:00

Have you ever been in the situation where you need to get to know someone right away? When finding common ground is not only desired but absolutely essential?

Well, in my hunt for housing closer to work, I found a pair of sisters who needed a roommate to help offset the cost of an apartment they wanted to rent. Today we met one another for the first time when handing in our applications.

We stood around outside the apartment chatting for awhile about important things, like whether Twilight is stupid.

For some reason, when that book is mentioned, the next logical step in the pop culture discussion is to bring up Zac Efron. Because he just hotter than Rober Pattinson. These are the facts, people, and it's my civic and moral duty to defend the truth.

Well, a 26-year-old female college graduate with the beginnings of a career admitting to a significant crush on the kid who makes tweens swoon tends to have a polarizing outcome. These girls, who I just met, would think I was either truly insane or in posession of excellent taste.

The way their eyes lit up at the mere mention of Zac Efron and the ensuing squeals of "we do too!" meant that they thought the latter. Even better? From here on out, I can be totally confident in being myself.

The moral of this story? Part of my "going all in" philosophy on life includes putting myself out there, warts and all, so that people know what they're getting. And sharing something mildly embarrassing is the perfect way to break that ice.

http://www.meandorsonwellesthemovie.com/

I love my dad...he's my dad!

2009-08-26T22:13:00.003-06:00

We used to say that a lot. There was some lame commercial with this little kid on it and the tagline was "I love my pediatrician...he's my dad!" Or maybe it was the other way around.

Anyway, I do love my dad. And after a scary bike accident, he still has a great smile on his face. (Trust me. That's a smile, not a grimace. At least, I think it is. He's been practicing distinguishing the two.)

Really though, I'm so relieved you'll be okay, Daddy! Just think of what the potential scars will do for your rugged good looks. Your brothers will be jealous.

I love you!

Filing made fun and fancy

2009-08-25T20:30:00.005-06:00

There was this one time when I went to Staples to find a microphone headset for my computer, and found these instead:

These lovelies are part of the new (to me) M by Staples line from that one competitor of Dunder Mifflin.

To know me is to know that I have piles of stuff. All kinds of piles of all kinds of stuff. Well, some of that stuff is now tucked away into one of seven neatly labeled folders that I think are simply a pleasure to look at.

Also available through M by Staples: These houndstooth journals that I think are to die for.

Ukraine's got talent (and isn't at all weak)

2009-08-24T20:41:00.001-06:00

Today's Movie Monday is brought to you by Mom (and is wicked, crazy, out of control).

Hey Smalls, you wanna S'more?

2009-08-21T21:19:00.005-06:00

One of my favorite things about camping is delicious, fire roasted food. So, imagine my disappointment when my two most recent camping trips fell through. Well, on Monday, I stopped off at home to share the joy of my first day of work, and wouldn't you know, my parents had a fire in the fire pit out back, all prepped and ready to go for some tasty hot dog roasting.

Now, before I get to the next part, I have to explain something. I hope my mother doesn't get embarrassed, but for as long as I can remember, she has been supremely health-conscious. When it comes to restraint born out of sheer willpower, she is unsurpassed. I respect and admire her for this, and I'm sure I'm sometimes a source of frustration for her because I'm never as careful as I should be when it comes to food.

That being said, she deserves all credit for this masterpiece:

You're thinking, what? You believe your mother invented the s'more?

Of course she didn't.

Let me explain. A month or so ago, my mother wasn't a huge fan of s'mores. She liked marshmallows okay, the roastier the better. Then, one fateful evening, she had some women from her neighborhood over for a ladies night and they roasted marshmallows around the fire while chatting and laughing and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

My mother's fire pit (yes, it was a birthday present) is made up of a metal ring, with stacked bricks around it. It's really quite a lovely addition to the back yard. Well, in a fit of inspired brilliance, Mom discovered that if you set a graham cracker on the metal ring, and set your chunk o' chocolate on top of that, the chocolate gets deliciously melty while the 'mallow is roasting.

I regret not having a camera to capture the expression of sheer delight on her face when she was telling me about this later.

"Guess how many s'mores I had..."

"I dunno, one--"

"Three!!!"

So, on Monday, I tried out this new, patent-pending technique. You know how sometimes the chocolate is too hard or cold and you can't bite through all of the layers of a s'more without the whole thing crumbling? Problem solved. The tricky thing now is figuring out what do with all the melty goodness. I, for one, got chocolate all over me.

Not a problem I ever mind having.

Next week on Foodie Friday: Blaming my father for my salmon snobbery and love of goat cheese.

Thought(less) Thursday

2009-08-20T10:14:00.003-06:00

So one time (like two months ago) my dad and sister were completely shocked to discover that "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "The ABC Song" were actually the same tune. Until that moment, they had gone their whole lives not knowing this.

I made fun of them.

Imagine my embarrassment when I wandered into Albertson's for some lunch yesterday and it dawned on me that "deli" is short for "delicatessen."

Don't worry, Pop and Sis, I made fun of myself.

What about you? Any sort of silly things you probably should have known a long time ago but for whatever reason just figured them out?

...Over an open field...

2009-08-19T08:00:00.002-06:00

After a year in the "big city," I'm headed back to "small town" life.

Not too shabby, eh?

(I don't think one town is necessarily big, or the other necessarily small, but illustrated my point, no? Pictures were taken on that one road that leads to Utah Lake.)

Dress code, and other perks

2009-08-18T08:47:00.000-06:00

Here is a list of my new job's pros and cons. Consider the pros "treats" if you will.

Pros:

Wearing jeans to work is wonderful.
Reading novels is part of my job description.
Working on a Mac means I can have Firefox, InDesign, and iTunes running simultaneously without my computer crashing.
Having my novel (which is yet to be written) published just became a real possibility.
Relocating to a place filled with friends and family I have missed dearly will happen soon.

Cons:

I left my house at 6:15 this morning. Seriously folks. To know me is to know that is crazy talk.
Gone are the days of going home and watching a lunch-time episode of Gilmore Girls.
My commute jumped from 3 minutes to over an hour.
I must leave my lovely home and roommate next month, not to mention a city I adore.

Happy first day of work!

2009-08-17T10:33:00.001-06:00

Today's movie is brought to you by Mallory, and it was brought to her by Aunt Debi.

I love grammar. And I love Al.

Me and Lorelei or, the BBC 100 Books Meme

2009-08-13T22:00:00.007-06:00

I spent far too much time trying to rip a clip from the episode of Gilmore Girls that aired today. Lorelei pretends to be a book editor while making small talk with some guests at the world's most heinous bed and breakfast. So here's what they say:

Lorelai: I published Good Night Spoon... and the Horse that wanted to Bark.

Guest: Oh, I've read to my grandson! The horse really wanted to bark, and it finally does, and... (to Lorelai) How does it end?

Lorelai: It dies.

Rory: But... the horse learned to bark and achieved its goal, so it was really a happy ending!

Well, Lorelei Gilmore is merely a pretend person who pretended to be a book editor. I, on the other hand, am a real person who really is a book editor! This week I was offered a position at a tiny little publisher down in Springville, Utah. I'm so excited, and I feel so blessed to be able to work in my chosen profession.

However, since it is Thoughts for Thursday and I feel like I ought to prove to the world that I do more than watch Gilmore Girls, I will now try and prove that I am worth my salt as a reader.

I lifted this from a friend's blog, who in turn lifted it from a friend's blog. Also, my sister also did this on facebook.

"The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?”

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen X (So many times. Sooooo many times.)
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien X
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte X
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling X
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee X
6 The Bible X (I'm pretty sure I've read it all. I took Bible as Lit and went to seminary.)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte X
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell X (I'm really surprised that you haven't read this, Rachel.)
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman X
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens X

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott X
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy X
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien X
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot X

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell X
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald (My cousin's favorite book. I own it and it's on my list.)
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams X
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis X
34 Emma - Jane Austen X
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen X (Right now, it's tied with P&P for my favorite story.)
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis X
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini X
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden X
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery X
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding X (One of my least favorite books that I had to read every year from 8th to 10th grade.)
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan X

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel (I've borrowed it from one of my sisters. It is swimming in the sea of books next to my bed.)
52 Dune - Frank Herbert (I remember that one of my sisters used to LOVE this book.)
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen X
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens X (I think I did. I may of fudged my way through it in high school.)
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley X
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens X
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett X
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno – Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery X
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare X
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

TOTAL: 35. Now, I have a degree in English, but last I heard, 35 was more than 6. I think I'm in possession of at least 5 more, so I'll keep on going.

Sometimes, a girl has got to twirl.

2009-08-12T23:14:00.004-06:00

For example, when a girl finds out SHE GOT THE JOB SHE ALWAYS WANTED, it's definitely one of those times.

Triple Treat Tuesday

2009-08-11T22:48:00.002-06:00

I feel like I need to confess: sometimes, I miss a day. So I cheat, and under "post options" put the date it was supposed to show up. So before you blame your RSS reader, blame me.

Because I'm mildly late posting this, I decided to give you not one but three treats this week.

Here are a few of my favorite things:

My Pride & Prejudice bracelets from brookish.
My earrings from Jenna via Calla Lily Jewelry.
My earthenware jar from my visiting teachers in my Lehi branch.

Bonus Treat:
My damask drapery from my roommate, Maren via Target.

Movie Monday, part II (i.e. no video)

2009-08-10T13:55:00.002-06:00

This weekend has been a bit of a whirlwind. Applying/interviewing for a job I really want, having my computer (in other words, my entire life) potentially crap out on me, preparing/teaching a Relief Society lesson, and a lot of back-and-forthing among Salt Lake City, Provo, Springville and Lehi.

However, there were great things that happened:

Watching North & South with roommates (and might-as-well-have-been roommates) past, all while drinking delicious teas and eating scones, salads, cold sandwiches, sorbets and every good thing. Seriously. If you or someone you love has a Netflix account, steal the password and watch it On Demand. Right now.
Watching Julie and Julia. I already blogged about it. In fact, it was so recent, I'm not even going to take the trouble of linking to the post.
Watching Psych while eating delicious pineapple salsa and Pineapple Punch Bowl Surprise. You know, the kind where you mix pineapple juice and a soda of some sort and then dump pineapple sherbet in and then it all foams up and melts together? It was very popular on the LDS Wedding Reception Circuit circa 1990-1998. Anyway, fabulous.

Did you watch anything worthwhile this weekend?

Her Morning Elegance

2009-08-10T13:47:00.003-06:00

I'll admit it: when I first thought of Movie Mondays, this was the video that came to mind. I don't remember if I've posted it on this blog, but I just think it's glorious.

P.S. The interview process for the book editor position is going well. So, those of you in support of me, keep doing what you're doing! Thank you!!

Foodie Fridays

2009-08-07T10:46:00.000-06:00

Paul: What is it that you really love to do?
Julia: Eat!
Paul: And you are so good at it!

Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci, Julie and Julia.

I was actually going to talk about something entirely different today, but when good ol' Mallory offered to treat me to a post-interview celebratory movie watch (I think the interview went really well), how could I talk about anything else on this, the First Foodie Friday?

Aside from the fact that watching Meryl Streep act is like looking at fine art, and that this movie also featured Stanley Tucci, Amy Adams, and a delightful cameo by Jane Lynch, the unsung character in the movie was all the delectable food. And Paris. I want to go to there.

Now, I don't know a lot about Julia Child, but the woman portrayed in the movie was one who finds joy in food, family, people, and life, and it was wonderful to see. Now, I'm trying to decide what I can go cook in three cubes of butter.

Answer? Anything.

Thoughts for Thursdays

2009-08-06T16:56:00.002-06:00

Okay, Thursdays are going to be something slightly more academic: an article that I found interesting, an essay, perhaps a book review. However, today, it's only a link to an article I found interesting. It's an article about the sordid history of the Times New Roman font. Who knew such a boring and common font had such a potentially controversial history? I initially had more to say, but it got preempted by more exciting news:

I have an actual interview, with an actual publisher to be an actual editor.

I know! Who'd have thunk that the English major might actually get a job in her chosen field of study!

People say that you shouldn't get your hopes up. I say tosh to that. All of my hopes are so far up that it will be nothing short of a spectacular let down if things don't work out, but I've survived spectacular let downs in the past, with the help of my friends Ben and Jerry. I'm just the type of girl who goes all in, no matter what. It's a better way to live, if you ask me. Try it some time.

Anyway, wish me luck, pray for me, whatever you feel comfortable doing. Thanks!

Like father, like daughter

2009-08-05T08:00:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it's Wednesday already! I can't believe I know it's Wednesday! So, the theme I'm playing with for Hump Day is Wordless Wednesday. My initial thinking was that I would post an original photograph or design to get us through the Midweek Blues. However, I'm only going to call it Wordless. It will very rarely actually be wordless. Let's face it. I love me some typography. I love to play with fonts and words play such a prominent role in my designs that it's difficult to not have them.

Also, since I'm such a budding artist, I'm afraid unless I label things "tree" and "apple" you'll wonder what those white blobby things are.

Anyway, Wednesdays won't be super Wordless on account of I will feel it necessary to explain myself every now and again. For example, today's image is brought to you by The Welton Family. My mother often reminds me that I am uncannily like my father. And when she does, I'm not always convinced she's talking about our stunning good looks, brilliant minds, quick wits and tender hearts (all of which I come by honestly from both my parents). Mostly it's how we both forget to turn off the stove/oven, and how we both come up with the same excuse: "You took the food out of the oven, Mom/Susan. You should have turned it off."

Lately, certain members of my family have taken to calling me "The Apple." They say it's because the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I say it's because I'm the apple of my father's eye.

But either way, cool idea for Daddy/Daughter T-Shirts, no?

Damask! Fonts! Love!

2009-08-04T10:36:00.004-06:00

Today's Treats for Tuesdays (My themed days are all alliterative. Go with it.) is brought to you by my dearest friend (the fact that she's also my cousin is just bonus-filled icing on the cake) Mallory. Read about her here and for a little while here. Anyway, Mallory knows of my love for all things damask. She knows about my special "damask gasp" and often convinces me to buy damask things from Target.

Mallory also loves fonts, I'd say even more than I do. She's my go-to gal who always has the answer to the question: "What font should I use for.....?"

Last week, she shared this with me.

For those of you who may have been too lazy/busy/scared of clicking on the link, it's a page on dafont.com. It's a DOWNLOADABLE DAMASK FONT! Don't worry, I won't resort to typing all damask-coded blog entries (though don't think I don't want to, because I DO) but this has opened all sorts of doors for designing delightful damask things.

Some examples of the font:

Image courtesy of dafont.com

What now?

2009-08-03T20:03:00.004-06:00

A month ago, I went to work, because I had a job. Before the day was out, I didn't have a job. It happened just that fast.

And now a month has literally flown by. I've been writing cover letters and filling out applications like it's going out of style. I know I'm not alone in this situation, and I take comfort in the fact that people can honestly say they know how I feel. I would feel even better if we all were going out to our celebratory "WE FOUND JOBS" dinner.

Granted, it's easy to get cabin fever, or to spend the day watching tween shows on Disney Channel, or to sleep in much too late, or do similar less than worthwhile things.

Some days are harder than others.

Some days, I just ask, "What now?"

So, I decided I need a creative outlet. My mother tells me that I'm a passionate person. I truly love all sorts of different things: movies, treasures/trinkets (think anything damask), beautiful artwork, learning, food, the Gospel, people, etc. And until I find a livelihood that incorporates some or all of these things, I'm just going to use this blog. From now on, not only will I be posting EVERY DAY (and sometimes even twice!) I will be instituting themes for every day.

For example: Movie Mondays. I find that I post a lot of video on this blog. Movie trailers, TV clips, something viral that I saw on my Google Reader, etc. Now I will be posting these movies on Mondays.

Ahem.

I was catching up on one of my favorite blogs, Pop Candy, which led me to this article, which basically says that British people are funny, and here are ten British movies you ought to see.

One such movie is Son of Rambow, which is worth adding to your Netflix queue.

And there you have it. Movie Monday.

Bibliophiles: Commence jealousy now.

2009-07-01T09:09:00.002-06:00

I decided recently that I needed something enriching to fill my time in the evenings. Something that I would enjoy, something that would potentially help out others, something that got me out of the house when I wasn't at work. (I love my house, don't get me wrong, but everyone gets cabin fever. I think the proved it on Mythbusters one time.)

Anyway, I also love the public library here in SLC. Love it. It's beautiful and wonderful. So I filled out an application to volunteer. On Monday I met with the volunteer coordinator, and she matched me with two programs I'm really excited about.

1) Mov'n: Once a month I check out books and deliver them to a resident of a local elderly home who can't make it to the library themselves. It's kind of like being the iTunes Genius, but with books (e.g. if they like this book, then perhaps they'll like this book and this book and this book.

2)Friends of the Library Organization: For this job, (and this is where the jealousy comes in) I use my new magnetic key card that gets me into the Library's. Inner. Sanctum. And let me just tell you, the back end of the library is just about as cool as the front end. Then I go in to a huge room of books. Shelves and shelves of books that have been donated and that are usually sold for a $1. Once I'm there, I go through and find the ones that are worth more than a $1. And then I get to read through them, write a mini review of them, and then list them on Amazon. Gloria, the lovely woman who was training me, told me I get to be as creative as I want.

This may not sound super exciting for some of you, so let me clarify. I have key card access to normally closed doors. For any of you who know me, you'll know that I love key card access to anything. The only thing that would make it cooler is this access required a retina scan. Then I skim books and write about them. This is a wonderful, wonderful thing!

So, next time you're on Amazon.com Marketplace, find the books sold by The Library Store. Chances are you'll find listings written by Yours Truly, so you can depend on their dependability.

The secret to world peace!

2009-06-29T22:16:00.001-06:00

Happy 100!

2009-06-14T17:27:00.003-06:00

It started as Do What? in April 2006. It became What Now? in July 2008. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm only just now, almost three and a half years later, hitting the Hundred Post Mark.

So, in recognition (ashamed people can't really celebrate) I'm counting down my top ten most popular posts, according to Google Analytics:

#10 For Auld Lang Syne... A recap of 2008, and a list of resolutions for 2009.

#9 Let the Celebrations Commence! Delicious dinner with the parents, and the kick off to the first of three Birthday Fortnights in 2009.

#8 Year of the Yurt Starting 2009 with an adventurous trip through the backhills of the Uintas.

#7 Quarter Life Crisis Turning 26, watching chic flicks, and Michael Vartan. No wonder it made the top 10.

#6 Other Shameless Self Promotions of Birthdays /One More Thing..., Technically these weren't even about me, but I won the jewelry anyway.

#5 Be still my heart Delicious food meets delightful damask. You can't beat that.

#4 Dining Rooms (and Duvets and Desks) Again, more damask. It's popular.

#3 Test Apathy I'm really glad this one ranked so high. It's one of my favorites, and only my second post! (Google it, it's the number 2 hit!)

#2 It's good to be an evil genius. This one is self explanatory

#1 The hills (and depots!) are alive! I really love this one. I defy any of you to watch the video without smiling.

I hope you all enjoyed this trip down memory lane as much as I did. And may the next hundred posts come a lot quicker.

Meet Elinor

2009-06-13T21:44:00.002-06:00

My new hobby

2009-06-11T22:11:00.005-06:00

In preparation for some exciting things happening in the near-ish future, I've decided the time has come to upgrade my camera. Unfortunately, in times like these, the disposable income for a significant upgrade is simply not in the stars. Regardless, I decided to research anyway. I checked out the amazon.com dSLR buying guide, the Consumer Reports buying guide, and my friend Jenna's blog about buying a camera.

As I was sorting through Jenna's photography posts, I remembered that she wrote about basic photography principles like ISO, shutter speed, aperture, etc. I looked at my camera and realized that I could manipulate a lot of the settings she described. As I further considered my camera, I noticed a little button on the front, but I had no idea what it did. Through internet research, I discovered that my little Canon Powershot A540 supported conversion lenses, like a wide-angle lens and a close-up lens for a tiny little fraction of the price of a real dSLR.

I made my way over pictureline, a fabulous camera store here in Salt Lake City, where they talked me though what lenses would work and which ones wouldn't, thus saving me a bundle of money. And, since they thought I was cool for recognizing a song playing over the speaker system, I scored a free t-shirt.

When I got home, I immediately fit my new purchase onto my camera, and hurried outside to try it out. (Note: this next part will not come as a suprise to my family and friends.) In my excitement, I closed the front door behind me. As soon as I heard it lock, I realized that I left my keys and cell phone in the house.

After spending the next ten minutes trying to break back in, I gave up, and spent the next hour and a half wandering around the Avenues trying out my new lens.

Here's what I came up with. Please note that none of these photos have been enhanced or edited in any way. Mostly because I'm writing this post lying down and all I have is my eraser head mouse. Photoshop is less fun that way.

Without wide-angle lens:

With wide-angle lens (please notice the magical appearance of my car, and the almond tree):

My view:

Then, I realized that I didn't have to keep my camera on the wide setting.

Sky:

During my wanderings, I walked down streets for the first time. Imagine my delight when I discovered these really cool stairs!

Anyway, just wait until I learn how to use my close up shot. I'm really excited about life.

Moab

2009-06-08T22:41:00.003-06:00

I went camping with my ward last weekend in Moab. It was grand fun. I went rafting for the first time and managed not to die. I can't wait to go again. As you can see, I pitched my tent along side the Colorado River. The other pictures are just a sampling of the view I took in from my camp chair, set up behind the tent.

Georgia on my mind

2009-06-08T21:33:00.007-06:00

Jacob

Kaylee

Matthew

Joshua

Warning: This is a terribly long post to appease my mother. If you are not a member of my immediately family (or on second thought, even if you are), you can skip the text heavy (albeit highly entertaining) description and skim right through to the photos. They’re fun.

I left for Georgia on Thursday really early in the morning I managed to leave myself just enough time to where I didn’t have to stop from the time I parked my car to the time I took my seat on the plane. “Just enough time” is the rough equivalent of “leaving house one hour before lift off, since that’s how I roll. The same rule applied for my layover in Atlanta.

I was greeted Jacksonville by Matthew (4) and Joshua (2) and Naomi (She’d kill me if I said). Matthew had interesting things to say, like “You’re a winner, Aunt Megan.” Joshua was a trooper for having a pretty high temperature.

Joshua The Trooper

Matthew The Ham

Megan The Excited To Not Be Traveling

We made the excruciatingly long and trafficky trip from Jacksonville, Fl. to Hinesville, Ga. At one point, Joshua quite literally tossed the cookies he was eating.

On our way home, we found out Jacob’s (A week from 9) little league game was called on account of rain. That was sad. We got to the Barley house where Kaylee (6), without any ado, warns us to not step in any of Jacob’s vomit. Turns out, he ate two pickles which did not agree with him. Awesome.

We put kids to bed and proceeded to watch the season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance which Jarum and Naomi so accommodatingly recorded for me. During this time we discovered that Brownie, the puppy, had not eaten any of her dinner. She was also very wet because of the aforementioned rain. So we brought her inside and notice she is very sedate. Brownie was then cuddled her in an attempt to warm her up with towels.

It wasn’t too long before she vomited as well. For those of you counting at home, that’s 2 children and a dog. Don’t worry, because Kaylee had a sympathy vomit scare. Don’t worry, nothing happened. I did threaten to buy a plane ticket home. Heavens.

Friday

All of the small children felt better about life. Jacob and Kaylee went off to their last day of school. Me The other munchkins and I hung out. Jarum went off to work out for like 4 hours. He’s a little insane. Naomi and I took the smaller two to drive around Ft Stewart. It’s really cool. We also ate yummy sandwiches at Michael’s (not the craft store) for lunch. I had mine with a side of fried okra. DELICIOUS!

Saturday

We spent the afternoon at Serbannah (Matthew-ese for Savannah) That was fun as well. The kids ate disgusting blue ice cream. I loved Savannah, so much so that I have already looked up information on the Savannah College of Art and Design. They have a dramatic writing program. Seriously, it’s a charming, charming place. (Pic of Factor’s walk, roof tops, and Paula Deen.

Factor's Walk, Savannah, Ga.

Savannah Rooftops

Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady & Sons

Sunday

At church, I got suckered into playing the opening hymn in Relief Society. This happens when your sister is a really good piano player; people generally think you are also really good. I managed to fake it okay. Anyway, It was a great ward. I would have loved to be a missionary in that area.

We also barbecued, since we couldn’t be sure we would have another fine evening. There was a lot of rain happening. Anyway, the barbecue was delicious. Then for Sunday Game night, we had a Wii Sports Olympics night. It turns am terrible at Wii sports. The only thing I was mildly good at was putting.

(Side note: When we put the small children to bed, they proceed to come out of their bedrooms for the next 2 hours to tell us “really important stuff.” It was one such time that Matthew came out with a lego-made structure, informing us that it was a Bertar. You know, for Bertar Hero.)

Bertar Hero! from Megan on Vimeo.

Monday:

Memorial Day: on our way out of town, we went on post to pay our respects to those from the Third Infantry Division who died in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. It was very moving. It made me think about things I hadn’t yet considered, but now is really not the time or the place to discuss them. Email me, and I’ll tell you all about them.

Anyway, we went on to Serbanna again and Tybee Beach! In celebration of Dad’s birthday, we tried to eat at this place called Mrs. Wilkes’ Boarding House. Basically, you and ten friends/strangers sit a table and eat every good thing the South has to offer. The bad news: it was closed for Memorial Day. The good news: we had the pleasure of seeing the Most Charming Street Ever. Did I mention that I love Savannah?

I read up on the GRE Literature Subject Test while enjoying some sun. By “enjoying some sun” I mean that I’m still peeling.

Tuesday:

I woke up and immediately went to Food Lion to restock Naomi’s supply of Ibuprofen and to buy some Aloe Vera in a vain attempt to make the flight that much more bearable.

We went back on post one more time to see the PX which is a fancy, fancy store for the soldiers and those who love them. I hit the jackpot and came away with lovely Lancome makeup that was sold at a lovely discount price. I came home and packed and got ready to go.

Where's Joshy? Or, Plum Tuckered After a Particularly Rousing Game of Help Aunt Megan Pack

We made the long trip back to Jacksonville (less trafficky this time). I felt bad for Naomi, because every time we drove in the car I would get really, really sleepy sitting in the passenger side. I haven’t been the passenger in such a long time that I forgot this about myself. So sorry, Naomi.

Naomi dropped me off pretty early at the airport, since she needed to be back in time for Jacob’s make-up game. Luckily Jacksonville Airport sports the free Wi-Fi so I managed to watch Glee. And Flight of the Conchords. So it all worked out. I survived the flight to Minneapolis (if you think that’s a random layover, you’re not alone) where I witnessed the world’s most disorganized boarding of a flight, ever. It took an hour. I got to Salt Lake, miraculously remembered where I parked my car, drove the harrowing ten minutes to my beloved house in the Avenues, and slept in my bed like a little baby.

Glamor Shots By Jacob

Momma's Boys

Goofy Fun!

The illusive Smiling Jarum!

Thanks for the great time, Small Children!

What happened to May?

2009-05-29T14:26:00.004-06:00

Well, I can't be sure of what happened during the first two weeks of May. I might have to consult Twitter for a detailed account. I know Mother's Day was in there somewhere, and then I went to a concert with Mallory. Then I went to Georgia, and now I'm going to Moab! So many things that I should have been blogging. When I return from Moab on Sunday, I will do my darnedest to catch up. That's the first order of business, after a marathon nap.

I only said "4"

2009-05-03T20:32:00.004-06:00

A note about the following video: If you're short on time, start at about 2:00 for the purposes of this blog. (Although the entire thing is hilarious.)

This weekend was interesting to say the least. After a sleep-deprived, yet wonderful time at Women's Conference with my mom, aunt and cousins, I decided to stay the rest of the weekend at home to spend time with Little Brother before he left on his internship in Arizona, and to basically relax. I also had plans to visit Miss Nesbit in Provo, shop for cellos, and maybe even see Wolverine.

Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans...

After a wonderful morning at the temple with the family, we decided to go to Walmart on the way home to pick up some things for Mom and Chris's trip to Arizona on Monday. Also? It was raining. So, Dad, being the living proof of chivalry, let the rest of us out of the car curbside so we don't have to walk as far in the aforementioned rain. I was hurrying ahead, careful not to slip on the cobblestone. (It's a really ritzy Walmart.) I made it to the automatic doors, then proceeded to take a spectacular dive on the small, but extremely slippery tile just inside the door.

A side note: I have what we call "broken Barbie doll knees." In medical circles, we call this severe hyperextension. Next time you see me in person, ask me to show you. I usually break it out at parties or for an icebreaker. Anyway, this cool trick means that I have poor support around the knee joint, with extra elastic-y tendons and ligaments.

Back to the dive: I fell and felt a "click out" of the knee as I fell. Painful. I then felt a "click in." Gross, but the pain is less. Also? I was in a dress when this happened, so a little worried about modesty. Anyway, Little Brother managed to seize the opportunity to find me a motorized scooter. That Chris, always thinking of others.

Anyway, I thought I was fine, but apparently my mother caught the bit about me writhing in pain so she insisted I go to the Emergency Room. I couldn't complain too much, since I have medical coverage and stuff.

After an emotionally tumultuous wait at triage (my brother is a funny, funny guy, who made me do that whole laugh/cry thing) I told them I was about a 4 in the pain scale. I went back, had some x-rays and talked to the doctor, who told me that everything was structurally normal, but that I should see an orthopedic surgeon in a few days to make sure I didn't damage any cartilage. She also gave me a knee immobilizer that prevents me from moving my leg in such a way as to cause pain, and also insures some amount of sympathy after going through this whole ordeal.

Anyway, long story short: I'm a klutz who hopes there will be no lasting effects due to my klutziness.

And now for an extra bonus:

POP TARTS!

Life pretty much doesn't get any better.

2009-04-20T12:57:00.004-06:00

This is what I call a perfect end to Birthday Fortnight Round 1:

Lunch at Les Madeleines with the promise of this...

...for breakfast tomorrow.

And, as a special surprise, I just found out I won Jenna's contest!

So, thanks Birthday Fortnight Fairies, for the abundance of Birthday Miracles hurled my way.

One more thing...

2009-04-15T09:55:00.002-06:00

I was remiss in giving photo credit where credit is was due. Friend and sometimes commenter Jenna is also a budding photographer! Go to her photog blog: http://jennacole.com/blog/. She's pretty much amazing, and I covet her new dSLR. She also gives wonderful tips to those of us who have photography aspirations.

Happy Birthday, Jenna! I'm happy to share my Birthday Fortnight with you!

Other Shameless Self Promotions of Birthdays

2009-04-15T09:33:00.003-06:00

Friend and sometimes commenter on this blog, Jenna, (aka That Wife) is also a shameless self-promoter of her birthday. For weeks she's been bragging about lovely gifts That Husband has given. But as a totally self-less gesture, she's sharing the wealth in celebration of her birthday. (It's today! Go say hello!) And yet, I am staggered by her ability to be selfless whilst being shameless.

Here's the catch. She's getting her readers to blog about her. And since I'm all about winning these dainties...

I'm all over it. Well done, Jenna. Well done.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T09:20:00.002-06:00

It's a beautiful day, as it should be today of all days! As I was preparing my Relief Society lesson, I found this video on mormon.org

"One of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so."

For more videos, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints youtube.com profile page: http://www.youtube.com/user/MormonMessages

So, Happy Easter! I hope you find joy in knowing that Jesus Christ lives and loves us, and because of these two reasons, eternal blessings can be ours.

The hills (and depots) are alive!

2009-04-07T21:11:00.004-06:00

I first saw this last weekend, and then, when while we channel surfing, my roommate and I caught a quick spot CNN did on the same thing.

If you can manage to watch this without smiling, I'm going to go ahead and say you might not have a soul.

Let the Celebrations Commence!

2009-04-06T22:51:00.003-06:00

Dearest, Darlingest Momsie and Popsicle:

Thanks for officially starting my birthday celebrations with salmon, potatoes, peach ice cream and every good thing. (There were beans too, but I didn't manage to nab a photo before we ate them).

Thanks also for letting me hang out with you to watch Conference.

Love,

Megan

Quarter Life Crisis

2009-03-26T21:58:00.002-06:00

Author's Note: First of all, let's have a big shout out to Maren for letting me use her computer to post this while I wait for a new charger to arrive in the mail. Also, thanks for the Frosty.

There's nothing quite like revisiting an old favorite movie from teenagehood. Back in those days, we called them chick flicks instead of rom-coms. I think in those days fro-yo was frozen yogurt as well. Times, how they have changed.

Anyway back when I was 16 watching Never Been Kissed I pretty much thought two things:

I hope I get kissed before I'm 25.
Michael Vartan is hot.

Well, now that I'm almost 26 watching Never Been Kissed I thought some more things:

25 isn't that old. (As far as the kissing thing goes, I've found it's often more trouble than it's worth. Of course, Michael Vartain, nor anyone resembling him, has met me on a pitcher's mound before a high school baseball game. I think that's probably what I'm missing.)
I enjoy being 25 much more than being 16.
Life isn't like a movie, but it can be close if you know how to tell the story well enough.
Michael Vartan is still hot (related thought: how did it take me that long to discover Alias?). If he, or anyone resembling him, wants to meet me on a pitcher's mound before a high school baseball game, I would be amenable to that.

Be still my heart

2009-03-10T21:56:00.004-06:00

My long lost coworker (she moved upstairs and I am bereft without her) invited me to a lunch meeting sponsored by AIGA SLC (American Institute of Graphic Arts, Salt Lake Chapter) at Caffe Niche in downtown Salt Lake. There are many reasons why I loved this. First of all, I love hearing people talk about graphic design. The event was called Shift.Option.Talk, which, if you have ever designed on a Mac, is just a cool name for a seminar. Last, and totally not least, I fell in love with Caffe Niche after visiting their website to peruse their menu options.

Look what greeted me:

The rest of these pictures I snapped with my camera phone, so they leave a lot to be desired, but I hope you catch my drift.

Finally, imagine this as a really big wall to serve backdrop to the speaker (image belongs to Caffe Niche):

So, this was extra cool because the speaker was there to talk about environmental graphic design, or the infusing of a space with the client's brand. Caffe Niche was a built-in case in point.

Tomorrow I'm off to an event called Slide Jam! at the Salt Lake Art Center. A handful of presenters have 5 minutes each to share their thoughts through slide images that have to do with a traveling exhibit called "Branded and On Display." I'm not much of a branding expert, but can appreciate good branding when I see it.

Isn't Salt Lake City great?

For those who care (Dad, I'm looking at you) I chose the Roasted Dame Sandwich for lunch: herbed goat cheese spread, roasted butternut squash, balsamic figs, arugula and lemon-chive oil on sourdough. Divine.

Resolutions Revisited

2009-03-08T18:07:00.003-06:00

The most important part of setting goals is accountability. This is what they told me on my mission anyway. I've meant to revisit my resolutions each month and while I've done so internally, I see no reason why I shouldn't let everyone else in on the fun.

Mind

My friend Ben is going to write for a half hour every day. I think I will join him. When I look at it now, this one is almost laughable. However, there are still 9.75 months left in the year to get better.
Write a novel. Not yet. And I probably won't revisit this one until October as I get ready for NaNoWriMo.
Write a screenplay. Getting ready. Script Frenzy starts next month, and I'm going to give it ago. Don't worry, I won't ask for your help like I did last year. Doing so turned out to be a fiasco. (Thanks for the 3 of you who did help. I appreciate it.)
Read 36 books I've never read (3 a month) I think I'm at 5. I should be finishing up 15 this month. I had better get cracking.
Enroll in an independent study British History course. Not yet. I'm thinking probably in the summer time. I have to save my pennies, in times such as these.
Learn Adobe Flash and make a short cartoon. Luckily, this is happening because work is endorsing it. I can make a glass of soda fizz, and I can sync audio with video. I would show you examples, but unfortunately the lesson on how to share and host video doesn't come until later in the book I'm working from.

Body

Continue on the weight-loss journey. See below.
Go to the doctor. I've gone to the doctor, had echocardiograms, blood work, even had my saliva tested for Cushing's Syndrome. (Sound familiar? It was featured on House! Don't worry, not one of the life threatening ones.) I wanted to know if there was an internal reason for the rapid weight gain I experienced late in 2008. It turns out there might be some cause, but mostly it's going to take the ol' elbow grease to get back down to where I want to be. This week I'm signing up for a membership at the city athletic center. They have nice facilities and a swimming pool, not to mention Pilates classes on Tuesdays. Also, now that the days are getting nicer and longer, I'll be more likely to walk around this beautiful neighborhood I call home.
Swim in the Deer Creek Open Water Swim. We'll see.
Establish a regular sleep schedule. Getting better all the time. Part of this is keeping my room clean. The more of my floor I can see, the sounder I sleep.

Spirit

My friend Jenna is going to read an Article from the Ensign magazine each week. I think I will join her. I've been reading my Ensign, but perhaps not as regularly as I should.
Study Conference talks. Have plans to finish up before April.
Enroll in Institute. Done and done. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It took me a couple of weeks, however, to get over the fact that the Institute instructor is a cross between my Uncle Stan and Benjamin Linus from Lost.
Increase my temple attendance. Between the ward temple nights, stake temple meetings, and once-monthly visits with my family, this one resolution has probably made the single greatest difference in my health and happiness. I love the temple.
Go visiting teaching in the first half of the month. This is true for half of my route. My companion is getting married in less than a month, so it's sort of hard to corral everyone together. However, I have become good friends with one of the girls I visit teach. How great is that? We even went out for ice cream after the above mentioned stake temple meeting with some other people in the ward. See Mom? I am making friends.

Well, for those of you who have read this far, thanks for letting me be accountable to you. As a bonus, I'll let you in on my goal for March: No reruns or repeats! This means no TV on DVD (unless, of course, it's a new-to-me show) and no movies I've already seen! I'll admit, I already fudged this a little bit by watching Two Weeks Notice last night with my roommate for our Saturday night in. There might have also been a lunch time viewing of Gilmore Girls. But no more, I say! This will also pertain to books. I have this pesky habit of rereading books. I really don't see much wrong with this, but this month, it's all new all the time!

How about everyone else? Still resolved?

To tide you over while waiting for the Post of Wonder

2009-03-08T18:01:00.002-06:00

Mallory got this from her friend Michelle. I can't tell you how happy it made me.

Please enjoy it while I compile a post I've been meaning to write for quite some time.

Dining Rooms (and Duvets and Desks)

2009-02-05T23:32:00.005-07:00

This is mostly for the benefit of my mother, but I thought I'd share with everyone the decorating that is taking over my life. I'm addicted, and nowhere near where I want to be. But I do love my dining room, and my duvet, and my desk.

I had to hurry to set the table in order to catch what was left of natural light for the day:

Pretty dishes. Aren't they fabulous? A Christmas present from Mrs. Claus. She got them from Target.

Another angle of my babies:

Striving for five is a cinch with a fruit bowl:

Here's a view from the inside corner of the dining room:

I found this table at at Home Goods, an home decor off-shoot of TJ Maxx. The vase and its contents come from Ikea.

I saw these frames and I knew I had to have them. They come from Home Goods, and they are made out of news print.

So the table was supposed to be for my cook books, but that didn't work out. So they're tucked away in a corner. They're happy, I'm happy.

While at Ikea, I got this new duvet and sham for a killer deal. The damask lamp was one of those temptation purchases, courtesy of Mallory. Seriously Mal, you + Target = Me spending too much.
This basic desk is yet another Ikea purchase. It's lasted me through college and beyond. However, it was only a desk top with some table legs, so I went back to Ikea after Christmas (with a gift card in hand: thanks Mrs Claus!) and found this topper. As you will notice it has a magazine rack, shelves, and a white board to the right. Members of my family will notice a message specifically for those who have been harping on me to post these pictures.

Here's a pic with the flash, and with an extra view of the top shelf. In the middle you will see the Damask clock which was a housewarming from Mallory. Bottom middle you'll see some more Damask items, such as a pictureless frame (I'm working on filling it) and a damask pencil case, both from Target. Both were purchased when Mallory was with me.
I can't complain though, because she makes me beautiful things like this for Christmas:

So there you have it! I hope this makes those who were waiting so desperately for this post happy.

Public Service Announcement

2009-01-07T10:46:00.003-07:00

Let it be known that while David's blog was relegated to a lower position alphabetically to make room for Ben on my blog roll, this is no way indicative of a decrease of importance of David's blog, and you ought to all go read it.

Thank you, and have a nice day.

Year of the Yurt

2009-01-04T16:41:00.003-07:00

I went snowshoeing in the Uinta Mountains yesterday. Yes, you read that correctly. That's okay, I won't spite you your disbelief, because doing such a thing is completely out of character for me. But some people from church were going, and I remember going once a long time ago in the former life I refer to as Pre-Mission Existence. I have a vague recollection of enjoying it then so I decided to go.

I'm really grateful I did.

You see, I'm a wannabe outdoorsy person. I love spectacular breathtaking views, but I'm not always a fan of hiking to get to them. But with vistas such as these, I'm okay with it.

We had fresh snowfall on Friday night, so imagine the delight at having the sun come out amid the bluest sky I've ever seen. The snow was a perfect pristine powder and cushioned any spills I may have had quite nicely.

We hiked about a mile in from the trail head to this yurt. It is one of about a dozen or so found in the Utah's back country. The best part about it was the wood-burning stove that kept us warm when we weren't outside. We also had a potluck of hiking food, and one of our guides packed fixin's for dutch oven apple cobbler. It was perfect with a cup of hot cocoa.

After a short rest, a few of us headed back out to do some exploring. I know, even more out of character, right? But I was able to snap a few good shots.

Now, there were a few times when I wanted to (and once when I actually did) tell the group that I was going to head back, because my pesky joints were aching, and I really didn't believe that I could make it up any more hills. But they continually assured me that in just a few more yards, there were beautiful views, and that I could make it.

It must be the writer in me, but when I am surrounded by such grandeur, I can't help but wax philosphical or spiritual. When I did make it up to the hill, I realized that in a small way this is what my life is. 2008 was a year of thinking I couldn't make it up hills. I wasn't going to find a job, and I wasn't going to find a place to live. And just when I felt like not trying anymore, when it was too much to send out another resume, or call one more landlord's number, it was as though my Father in Heaven was standing at the top of the hill telling me, "I know that you don't want to, and I know that you can't see it from there, but if you want to come up just a little farther, there is an amazing view."

I'm really grateful I did. The best part of that hardship (and trust me, I'm super sore today) is that after testing my faith in making those really difficult decisions, life just doesn't seem too hard. I feel stronger and more able. Which, I think is really the point of it all.

For auld lang syne...

2009-01-01T22:12:00.003-07:00

Well, 2008 has past, and I've taken to perusing the blogs of friends and family for an account of all the excitement of the year. At Christmastime, my dad asked my brother and me what the high point of the year was. For me it was a close race among my birthday fortnight, graduation, getting a job, buying a car, and finding my enchanting new Avenues home. (I know some of you are wondering where American Idol auditions rank. I'll let you ponder that quandary.) It truly is miraculous that everything ended up the way it did, and trust me, I give credit where credit is due.

During the month of December, I spent a lot of time pondering my 2009 New Year's Resolutions. I generally am of the mind that if I make a ton of resolutions, one of them ought to take, right? I've looked at my friends' blogs about this too, and I'm impressed by their resolve, and I hope that some of them don't mind if I borrow some of that resolve.

Mind

My friend Ben is going to write for a half hour every day. I think I will join him.
Write a novel
Write a screenplay
Read 36 books I've never read (3 a month)
Enroll in an independent study British History course
Learn Adobe Flash and make a short cartoon

Body

Continue on the weight-loss journey
Go to the doctor
Swim in the Deer Creek Open Water Swim
Establish a regular sleep schedule

Spirit

My friend Jenna is going to read an Article from the Ensign magazine each week. I think I will join her.
Study Conference talks
Enroll in Institute
Increase my temple attendance
Go visiting teaching in the first half of the month

So there you have it folks. I really think 2009 is going to be a banner year. In January I'm always excited to see what the year will hold, and by December am always awed and grateful at all of the blessings. So here's to you and here's to the new year.

Christmas Time

2008-12-25T09:59:00.002-07:00

There are lots of things I love about Christmas:

My mother's beautifully decorated home.
125 baubles on a Christmas tree.
Days off of work.
Delicious food.
Listening to my dad read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" complete with delightfully awkward Freudian slips.
Reading the story about the Christmas bells.
Reading Luke 2.
Singing Christmas carols around the piano, even if I don't play as well as my sisters.
Giving gifts.
Wrapping presents and tying bows.
Talking to nieces and nephews about what Santa brought them.
Contemplating the numerous and varied blessings I have, the greatest of which is the birth, life, atonement, and resurrection of the Savior.

Yep, there's lots I love about Christmas. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Also? Santa brought me these this year.

A Christmas Story...

2008-12-24T12:36:00.004-07:00

So once upon a time, the lovely princess got on her way to settle her religious financial score with the local religious leader. AS she walked up to her faithful steed, oh no! The lovely princess tripped and fell on the treacherous frozen snow. Not to be undone by the hardened precipitation, she regally rose to her feet and brushed herself off, and shook out the special bridle to help her faithful steed go. Off she went, settled scores, returned safely to the castle, and all was well.

The next morning, the lovely princess awoke, packed her things in preparation for a festive holiday visit with the king and queen, when the special bridle just refused to budge the steed. Not even the reserve bridle would work. With a magical and wondrous device called a cellular telephone, she rung up the king to ask for his sage wisdom. Luckily for the lovely princess, the king was wise and experienced in such matters, and offered his assistance. She took his advise and the faithful steed traveled once more.

The end, and Merry Christmas to all!

Translation: I fell on the way to my car for tithing settlement got my key wet, it froze my ignition overnight, and my dad told me to heat the key with a butane lighter. Worked like a dream!

So today I went to Target...

2008-12-17T21:13:00.006-07:00

There are a lot of things I love about where I live:

It's close (3 minutes) to work.
It's close (1 minute) to Smith's.
It's close (30 seconds) to a library (5 minutes if I walk, which I do, generally).
It's close (4 minutes) to a hospital, which is handy if I start bleeding profusely.

The downside?

It's far (30 minutes) from Target.

Today, however, I just didn't care. I needed to buy cute gift wrap, and Target is the place.

And, as Mallory, Maren, and my mother can attest, there is a special gasp I have when I see lovely damask things. It is totally and completely involuntary, but I managed to tone it down while alone in public since I didn't want people to think I was hyperventilating.

Beautiful right? Look closely and you'll see even the snowflakes are designed from damask.
Yeah, chances are, if you find me something damask, I will love it. Odds increase if you get it from Target. Or here.

Images found at target.com

Finally, and at long last....

2008-12-13T21:47:00.003-07:00

THE CHRISTMAS TREE!!

I really, really love my tree this year. It is pretty much the love of my life right now.

I love it in the day time, sans lights:

And, I love it at night, with lights:

I love it from outside:

I love it laying down underneath it and looking up like how they do on Grey's Anatomy:

I mean, that's one tree, with 125+ ornaments that all bring joy and happiness to my soul.

So there you have it. Merry Christmas.

Christmas with the Gilmores

2008-12-13T21:11:00.004-07:00

Anyone who nows me knows how I love Gilmore Girls. Well, imagine my delight when I heard that this year's Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert would feature none other than Grandpa Gilmore himself, Edward Hermann.

Next, imagine my dismay when I forgot to register for the free ticket lottery. I didn't give up hope though, because I knew that if I wished for it hard enough, Santa Claus would give what I wanted for Christmas.

On Friday, one of my coworkers emailed to let me know she had two tickets AND reserved parking for the concert that night. It was a Christmas miracle!

As always, the choir was in rare form, and I was beyond excited when Richard Gilmore came out to do a dramatic reading of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and the touching circumstances that surrounded his penning of the classic carol "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." Not only was Edward Hermann brilliant, but I have tender feelings toward this particular carol as it is one of my father's favorites. I wish you could have been there. Phenomenal.

And then, I thought all my Christmas dreams came true as Mr. Hermann read the Nativity found in Luke Chapter 2. Then the choir ended the concert with their signature "Angels From Their Realms of Glory," complete with beautiful ballet dancers who had costumes that looked like angel wings. Glorious.

Maren:

Me:

Maren & Me:

Me frustrated that we couldn't find our way in the parking lot. Extra ironic because we had just watched that episode of Seinfeld. The urge to start yelling "Krrraaaaaaammmeeeerrrr" was almost more than we could take.

I was starting to get upset because we sat in the car for literally an hour before we even started moving. I just wanted some snacks!

The Office

2008-12-13T20:45:00.004-07:00

Well, I live in a cubicle most days. And interesting things happen. Like the one time our copy room seriously smelled like it was going to spontaneously ignite. Literally, in the service request I submitted, in the field asking for the nature of the problem I wrote, "Smells Like Burning." Turns out, this was the culprit:

This used to be a regular piece of 8.5x11 piece of paper, and it used to be white. It got caught on something inside the printer, and started burning. It now serves as a trophy on my desk.

In my downtime from putting the kibosh on potential fires in the copy room, I get really busy. Like really, really busy. To where papers inexplicably build up in little to no order on my desk.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

But, now, I'm less busy, thank heaven, and now my desk looks like this:

Exhibit A (Clean):

And Exhibit B (clean):

And don't think I haven't noticed that pile of filing. Yeah, that will be a load of fun.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

2008-12-13T20:34:00.005-07:00

Our next door neighbor warned us about a coming snow storm.

He wasn't kidding. But he did give us time to stock up on some videos so today has been the first Saturday I haven't been running around like a chicken with my head cut off since I moved up to Salt Lake City. But the best part? I've had plenty of time to plan blog posts. So, with out further ado, I bring you:

Happy Halloween!

2008-12-11T23:41:00.006-07:00

I know this doesn't seem like a timely post, but I finally downloaded pictures from my camera. Just feel grateful that I didn't take you back to graduation in April. And I think you'll forgive me once you get taste of this:

And this:

But, let's back up. I took my first day of paid time off and flew to Coeur d'Alene to visit my sister. She picked me up in Spokane and we went to visit some apple farms to see if she could find her favorite apple of ever. While we were there, I took the opportunity to walk with Clara through the leftovers of the pumpkin patch. She liked it. Truth be told, however, that her favorite part was probably tromping about in the dusty dirt.

Next it was time to get ready for pumpkins, or "cuppins" as Clara calls them, and as they are now referred to in the Bryson household. Getting Clara ready for cuppin carving (it does do something pleasing for the alliteration, I'll give her that) involves stripping her down to her onesie and putting on a full body smock-like bib.

Don't let that stellar grin fool you. Sure, she had her cute little kiddie cuppin scoop in hand. But let's take a little gander at what happens when it's crunch time.

Cuppins and Bear Caves from Megan Welton on Vimeo

Don't worry, because being the Best Aunt Ever that I am, I was there to come to her rescue. It's just practice for when I need to have her back for the truly scary things in the world: like boys, or visits to the lady doctor, all though the latter, I'll probably leave up to her mom.

The rest of the weekend was pretty much taken up by basking in the beauty of surrounding environs, and the cuteness of small children. I even got to watch Wallace & Grommitt with Clara while Jonathan napped, leaving Rachel and Jeremy an entire free hour by themselves at Costco. I'm pretty sure there's room for my Best Sister Ever badge to go next to the Best Aunt Ever ribbon.

Now, while I finish waiting for my video to load, here are two more pictures of Clara. The first, she's thoroughly enjoying my fakesie Uggs:

And here, she's sporting my Farmer Hat. She really loved it. I often found her sneaking in to my suitcase to find it. I tried to get a pic of her sporting both the boots and the hat at the same time, but that was too much to ask for.

Sneak a peek

2008-12-10T13:30:00.002-07:00

Here's a small little piece of what I was up to last night...it's only a bit of a picture I snapped at lunch on my phone. A full description will come later when I take pictures with a real camera.

I have not the words...

2008-12-01T21:39:00.001-07:00

The world was simply not prepared to handle this much cuteness...

Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.

Say it. Vampire.

2008-11-22T02:10:00.002-07:00

For any of you who have watched any sort of TV or know a teenage girl, you will know that the title of this post refers to the infamous and notorious film Twilight. It's too late and I'm still in a little bit of shock to really do this recap justice, but lets just say that from the moment we set foot into the theater with welcoming cries of "Woo hoo!! TWILIGHT!!" from a 40-year-0ld woman to the Harlequin romance-type ending credits, watching this movie was an incredibly entertaining experience. Only probably not entertaining in the way it meant to be. I hesitate to say more, because I don't want to jade Mallory before she goes to see it. Oops, too late.

Tag!

2008-11-14T13:52:00.002-07:00

My sister tagged me. Will I tag you? Read to the bottom to find out...

Five things I was doing 10 years ago.

Surviving the halls of Bear Creek High School
Tasting my first sushi (and wasabi!) during a late-night deadline as part of my editorship on The Bruin Voice.
Working on my interactive notebook into the wee hours of the morning for U.S. History with Tilton. (Does anyone know what happened to that guy?)
Prepping for my AP German test in the spring
Looking forward to dating (yeah, not much has changed on that front in the last 10 years)

Five things on my list of things to do today:

1. Clean my desk.
Clean my room.
Read Heart of Darkness
Write some of my novel.
Blog (wait, does this count? Cross one off the list!)

Five snacks I enjoy:

Edamame
String Cheese
100 Calorie Packs (any kind. I love them)
Fiber One Yogurt (peach)
Fiber One Bars (chocolate chip)

Five things I'd do if I became a Millionaire

Pay off debts (most importantly to my parents)
Ride the Orient Express.
Buy a cello. And a piano.
Buy a house.
Oh, and I would by a fancy pants Mac with the Ginormous Monitor of Glory.

Five Places I've Lived:

Fresno, CA
Stockton, CA
Provo, UT
Kentucky/Indiana
Salt Lake City, UT

Five Jobs I've Had.

A cashier at Longs. Oh, the stories
A bagel stock clerk at the BYU booktore
A project manager/tutoring coordinator at The Center for Service and Learning
A public relations assistant at the BYU Internship Office
A communication specialist at Moreton & Company

Five People I Tag: (I'm assuming this is people who regularly read my blog. So these are all people I hope have me on Google Reader...)

Mom
Jenna B.
Mallory
Jeff H.
Joy

One week

2008-10-24T13:15:00.003-06:00

In one week I get to see two of the small children who call me Aunt. When her mommy told her I was coming, Clara was kind enough to say that she'll let me sit in the "big chair" (pictured).

If that's not a gesture of true devotion, I don't know what is.

Recently, I chatted on the phone with this small child. It was a part of the Cool Aunt Conspiracy to let her stay up just a few more minutes past bedtime. I know, I do what I can.

Some people...

2008-10-22T17:29:00.002-06:00

I don't know how this is possible, but some people out there haven't watched Lost. And therefore do not understand the Lost Fan's passion.

Early Morning Confessional

2008-10-19T17:42:00.004-06:00

There are a couple of things you may not know about me:

It sort of takes a lot for me to get going in the morning.
I love to sleep under 12 blankets in the winter.

I live three minutes from work. It’s beautiful and glorious, yet still, when all is said and done, I struggle getting out of the door without having a mad rush. A lot of my friends are growing up and getting married, and therefore get a built-in alarm clock out of the deal. I look forward to that.

But what to do in the meantime? Back in the days of high school early morning seminary, my dad would obnoxiously sing the Cougar Fight Song. This was obnoxious because he didn’t know all the words. I used to use a small alarm clock. It was far too easy to snooze into to missed classes. Then I bought an alarm clock that I plugged in across the room, forcing me to get out of bed. But then I turned it off and got back into bed. Or I would use my cell phone, which had the same struggles as the small alarm clock. When I lived at home, I used my CD player, and had it up really loud so I would get up to turn it off before I woke up my parents. Sometimes I used all three at once. That actually worked really well. I tried this method again in my new home, but I just got annoyed at Jimmy Eat World waking me up. You see, my roommate works nights, so she’s gone when I wake up, and I don’t have to worry about the noise, so I’m in no hurry to shut it off, other than that it’s annoying. It basically ended up like the previous alarm clock that forced me out of bed. But unfortunately there was nothing to stop me from climbing back into bed.

So basically, in my history of waking up in the morning, I’ve discovered there are more effective methods and less effective methods. However, when the weather turns cold, it’s a whole new ballgame. My new bedroom gets particularly chilly, so now when I get out of bed, I turn on a space heater, and crawl back into bed to wait for it to warm up the room. However, this often means I fall back asleep.

What’s a girl to do? This week, I made a discovery that basically incorporates all of the things that help me wake up.

Megan’s New Waking Up Routine.

Step 1: Set CD Alarm the night before, for 45 minutes before I have to wake up. Insert Pride and Prejudice (or any other soothing music) into said CD player. Make the volume a little noisy.

Step 2: Go to sleep and dream about attractive men.

Step 3: When the track “Dawn” starts playing, say goodbye to the man of the hour while slowly heading back into consciousness.

Step 4: Enjoy the next few tracks.

Step 5: After “The Living Statues of Pemberly,” turn on Bedside Lamp, get out of Bed, pause the CD Player, turn on the Space Heater, TCB.

Step 6: Unpause the player, crawl back into bed, situate 12 blankets, and play out the CD.

Step 7: Get out of bed to a warm room, feeling refreshed and awake.

I think the secret to this process is Step 5. It wakes me up enough so then when I get to Step 6, I’m too awake to fall back to sleep deeply. Also, the lamp helps. Seriously, I’ve done this for the last two days after getting a short night’s sleep, and it’s seemed to work. I figure if I get used to the Soundtrack, there’s plenty more where that came from: Little Women, Sense and Sensibility, Becoming Jane, Finding Neverland, etc.

I think the moral of this story is that it’s hard being me.

I'm feeling very immune today

2008-10-15T11:23:00.001-06:00

I got my flu shot just now. It was very handy. I went downstairs to the break room, filled out a form, and got shot in the arm. It all took about the same amount of time it took me to publish this post. Also, it was free, like this blog. I feel very healthy now. So remember! Go get a flu shot! All the cool kids are doing it!

Stay tuned: Pictures of my beautiful books are coming soon!

Untitled

2008-09-28T18:43:00.002-06:00

I don't have anything clever to say, or amusing videos to share. I'm sitting on my bed (where I have been all day, nursing a cold) and looking out my bedroom window, and I'm very grateful for my view. I really love my new home, and its location and its convenience. I simply couldn't ask for anything more. Well, I suppose I could as for the Magical Unpacking Fairies to come unpack my house, but I won't. I would love nothing more than to have my house be all done and decorated so I could post pictures on my blog and bask in the oohs and ahhs I'd be sure to receive in the comments, but until then, I am happy and safe and remarkably blessed.