'He is like a mime with terreats'

Today was a lesson was learned in letting your inner light shine.
Going to a 'So You Think You Can Dance' taping, with the 'Karaoke' Boys (as I've started to call them) at the capital theater. 

I think Ben was serious about writing a letter to SYTYCD and letting them know it was unfair judgement, that it there was no rhyme or reason to what they were thinking. He was real fired up and was on the verge of getting kicked out. Definitely a cause worth fighting for.

Don't know what was more entertaining, the dancing or these boys.
They are true gems.  

Snoodle your Poodle.

Didn't know when we went for dinner, that is was going to be dinner AND a show.
I just giggle like a little girl watching these. . This is Paul, we met him last Sunday night,
and he is all I can think about now, I love him. 

The beginning of the end.

A roommate got a gift card for Wallmart from her parents for Christmas.
(obviously her parents don't love her)
So late last night I tagged along with her to get some groceries, and I needed to pick up a new battery for my car-unlocker-key-chain- thing. Is that the right name? . . .It is? good.

I hate Walmart.

The one in Salt Lake is located in a trashy part of town.
Being there gives me anxiety. None of the employees have ever been helpful to me, half of them are too old or less accountable. And while that is inspiring that they are giving these people a chance in life, I need someone to answer my questions, I need someone to help me when I want it.

Leah and I stopped this Lady and I showed her the battery size I was looking for,
with a quick glance at my battery she said "no, we don't carry that kind"
I didn't say anything to her I just turned to Leah and said "I'll meet you up front I'm just going to go find the battery from the back"

Walked back and found the exact size I needed, in two different brands.

Stupid.

I walk by the children's toys and there is so much plastic crap, it all makes loud noises and they all have these bold tacky colors. Cheap, that's all I can think- CHEAP.
What happened to cloth baby dolls and little red wagons?

The produce is a poorly maintained nightmare, and as I walk the isles of the food I just get discouraged, it's trash filled with sugar and preservatives. Sure, things are great prices, but do we really need to be buying 5 bags of chips?

The clothes, are cheap, and they sure are hanging on strong to the Looney Tune pajamas. . . Who is buying this stuff?

But there lies the problem, that place is packed full of weird-os who actually are buying this stuff.
And maybe that is a harsh statement, but if you take a trip to the Salt Lake Walmart you will see what I am saying. Every isle has a fat lady in a motorized scooter. When I went in last night it was a mother and daughter, both zipping away, discussing the good deals they were finding in matching scooters.

Fat people who clothe themselves in the weird clothes they find there, and eat the garbage they buy there.
Buying crap just because it is on sale. Stuffing their houses full of crap.
People who live their life day by day, in the moment, so content with cheap crap.

I blame Wallmart for the TV show Hoarders.

I think everyone could live on less then half the stuff they own. Myself included.
That place is packed full of lies, lies that this is what you need to be happy, cheating you into thinking you are getting a good deal.
Why buy a crappy bookshelf from Wallmart? It will fall apart in 3months. Use your money to buy something that will last.

Did you know that Walmart wouldn't sale the Burt's Bees products because they were too expensive.
Burt's Bees changed the product, made some shortcuts, so they could sale it cheaper.
Dumbing down the product to be able to move more of it.
I was going to attach the article I read about it here, yet I can't find it online anymore. . . figures.

Just thoughts.

Today I went to Whole Foods, oh man I love that store, I have been going twice a week, just because.
Tomorrow I'm getting up early to take Leah for her first time, so excited.

In Whole Foods I just feel like the world is a better place, that there is hope for the human race.
It's like we are all together fighting to make the world healthier.
People who care about themselves roam the isles with a sense of refinement.
Yes, that would include the extremest who have gone all hippie, crazy and vegan and are so far gone in the opposite way of being "organic" or "green" but I'll take them over the fatty dragging her oxygen tank at Wallmart any day.

Can I admit here, that I have been using this great organic Shampoo, and today I dyed my hair with henna, and it was amazing.

Look how great this little boxed hair dye is. And 100% Pure Botanical Color? That is just great, I don't exactly know what it means, but just it feels like someone cares about my hair, giving it all the Pure Botanicals it needs, none of that fake Botanical shiz!

The best part is that there is no picture of the color of the dye you are buying, just an awesome picture of an African Animal. . . sweet.
I might never use anything besides Henna to dye my hair from now on.
A nice Sitatunga brown color.
(Side note: I'm never going blond again, I look at pictures and decided I was an idiot.)

So that about sums up my thoughts these past few days, just needed a space to go mental for a second.

Be a Lover.

Valentines is the sweetest idea to me. A day set aside for love.

This year my plans have been in the making for weeks.

This year, I am in love.

Deeply, madly, smile-on-my-face, song-in-my-heart, love. . . . with Salt Lake City.
So in attempt to return the love the city has given to me I spent nights up late watching Pride and Prejudice, and listening to too much King Charles, and made hundreds of Valentines.

Leah caught my vision and joined me in my quest. Together we made hearts and posters, and notes.

With the goal to send the message that you don't need a lover if you want to love. Girls can be so sour about Valentines and I think it is so selfish. Lovers without Love.

Today we hit the streets.
Valentines all over the capital, we put up posters at Smiths, we put hearts on elevators, public restrooms (men and women), we dropped them on people from balconies, We slid them into a man's cart as he walked down the street, we went all over the LDSBC, in the trax cars, the mini mart, temple square, gas stations, the park, Brigham Young's grave.
It consumed good portion of the day, and we were both so giddy and happy with the idea that we were spreading love to the city.
And as we walked around the city there was cars filled with balloons, people walking with flowers, old ladies dressed to kill in head-to-toe pink. The city was feeling the Love that we were putting out.

 Then with a skip and a jump we found ourselves at work. To help make the evening romantic for lovers who were coming out to eat. Everything about today was happy, working was pure joy, working along side Leah, sneaking food, answering phones, and bringing love to our lovely Salt Lake.


I shared this a few years back, but this story still grabs my heart. .

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

 "From your Valentine", I love that.
 So sincere, so devoted.

I came home from work to a candle lit dinner, a great end to the day. ..

 I will keep on Loving because I believe in Love. 

And now I leave you with a song, by the one and only Willy Eklof-
Happy Valentines.

Grand old flag, high flying flag.

Do you believe in life after love?

Marla had a 90s Dance party, she was beyond happy because she had always dreamed of the cops breaking up her party and tonight all her dreams came true. 

She is so happy in this picture, I love it. 

 Then to my favorite lil' Pizza Pie place to eat Pizza made by the Pizza Gods.

"With this, I would not kid"

The wonder and magic of living in the Great Salt Lake City has not, in anyway, dwindled. This deep and dramatic love is only growing as the days pass. Spring is fighting to come and the idea of this place growing with new spring buds and bright colors excites my soul like nothing ever could.

Today I had my day free, and while going to the store for fresh vegetables I got distracted by all the colorful chairs a local antique store that had been lined up on the sidewalk. They know I can't resist a wingback chair in new green upholstery!

So I went in, the store was incredible, it is not just antiques but they have taken the antiques and fixed them up, with fresh new paint, new fabric tops, some people my say that this destroys the antique taking away from the original beauty, but I think it is brilliant! BRILLIANT!

And everything seemed to be fairly priced, and that surprised me even more. . . 

So I bought two paintings, I talked to the owner for a while and he gave me a great deal on them. Such a stand-up guy.

The sad part of the story is I never made it to buy food, and ate cracklin' oat bran for dinner. Again.

They look great, they make the red form our couch encircle the entire house, warming it up. Yes, they are identical, and yes, I might just open up the frames and insert one of my own paintings. . . hummm. . . 

 I love my apartment, I love the street view and large windows we have, I love the open space with hardwood floors. I love that it is 2 floors up in an old brick building, I love the fat winter alley cats and the smell of our smoking neighbors twisted with the cold winter air as you walk outside.




And in case you were wondering about my bedroom. (I know many of you are!) I have gotten a desk, hung up twinkly lights and wake up every morning to my beautiful booming Orchid, and I have yet to hit my head on the ceiling fan, or fallen off. . I wish I could say the same for the sock monkey, he has not been as careful.

The blood within me.

One moment I can be in the city, and with a short five minute drive and a twenty minute hike I can be completely secluded, wrapped up in mother nature's friendly arms.
It saddens me that we have yet to see winter, the snow disappears the moment it arrives. I love winter, and I have missed it. Today, in the mountains it was snowy with that brisk winter air, yet the sun was out and the sky was so blue, it  was hard to decipher what month we are in or what to wear to be weather appropriate when I go out.

Either way it was good, therapeutic even to be out with the clean air.

On another note. . back at work-
The Valentines celebrations have started, and my heart could not be more happy.
So happy, and so in love this year.

Come on Bengels! Get loose!

We made it to the jumbo-tron, it was a over-time shoot-out game.

After they gave us all some pajamas and let us play on the ice, I'm constantly amazed with Willy, there is nothing that boy can't do.

I came home and was looking through the pictures I took and this one with me and my little brothers freaked me out because I am the smallest person in this picture. I mean, Max and I look like we might be the same height, but his shoulders are broader then mine. Some how, some way, my brothers have grown up and I am the little one. . it is really weird to wrap my head around.

Greek Fish (Take two)

I made this lil dish for my parents last summer, and when I did I dreamed about one day making it for a group of friends. . . . tonight my dreams came true. 

I asked Whitney once "are you good at cooking?"
Whitney's responce  "no, but I will be, I rock at everything else I do"

So true, and exactly how I feel, when it comes time for me to be a little house wife, I'll learn how to cook, and I'll be great at it. Whitney, so wise, that's why she is the older sister.

So I'm not one to cook, I work at two restaraunts so most the time it is cheaper/easyer for me to eat at work. I don't like cooking for boys, I'm not trying to impress anyone, the boys need to work on impressing me.

But everyonce in a while I'll find a desire to cook, tonight I cooked Greek-style Talapia Fish, with aparagus and salad. It was quite lovely, and after the dishes were done I was cured of the desire to cook for at least another two months, maybe three.

The thing I love the most about good meals is sharing them with good people, and good conversation.
A night "girl's night" it always so cheesy and juvenile unless the girls rock.

Tonight rocked, thanks.