The End

The End.

Well, sorta.

I mean, 2012 comes tomorrow and then what?!
The world probably doesn't explode.
But, it kind of is The End.

Florida beckons.
Men are Called.
Missions are served.
Marriages happen.
Like....tonight; For Instance.

Then what?


friends keep disappearing until we are alone. sorta.


But, people don't seem to realize this.
It doesn't change play dates.
It doesn't make people love each other more. Spend quality time. Appreciate.

It's just
The Same.

Even though it's
The End.

Maybe that's how it's supposed to be. I'm not really sure.

On A Quiet Christmas Night

Dancing Through The Decades

As I am sure you are wondering: How did the dance go?! Did my finger waves work? Did I pull of Marilyn Monroe?

Well. No. To all the above. The dance was WAY fun, but...it sort of just turned into a photo shoot with the girls. My finger waves died. And I don't think I pulled of Marilyn Monroe...which might be a good thing.

Anywho.

The photo shoot was breathtaking. Outside the little restaurant was a couple lone lighted trees with snow all around. Untouched snow. Mmm. They turned out to be the perfect Christmas lighting for pictures.

They just feel magical.

A Telegram Results in Attempted Marilyn Monroe

My Families' Pictures

My mom is always on the ball. Always. She gets her Christmas shopping done in August, and her Christmas cards sent and scheduled to arrive exactly on December 1st. I'm not sure how she does it. And I don't usually like making my Christmas List before school starts, but, at least she is a go-getter. This year...we were a little late on the family picture taking. It was my fault since I lived in Rexburg so we did them the only time I could, Thanksgiving break. I think they turned out nicely.

That same break I took my other "family pictures".

The joy. The laughter. The wood cabin background. The Christmas sweaters. The comradeship. It really couldn't have turned out better. I'm still waiting on the rest of the prints. But, I think I might hang this one above my fireplace. It's just too good.

Christmas break is a dream. No school. No -10 degree weather. No ruminating girls. No nasty bathrooms. No cleaning and throwing out my back. No smelly dishes. Instead, I have my sister holding my hand, my dad's arm around me and my ward leaders giving me kisses on the cheek every five minutes. It's great to feel loved :) I even had a welcome home surprise. I came down to my old room with it clean (a miracle in itself) and a CD playing. The CD's title was "For Shelby". I unpacked and listened to the CD and realized Jenessa filled it with songs that reminded her of me. Yellow. Say Hey (I Love You). Free Fallin'. Spotlight. Baby, Your a Firework. The Best I Ever Had. Today My Life Begins. Dream a Little Dream of Me. Kiss Me. Memories of You. Well, call me silly, but I was tearing up a bit as "BABY YOUR A FIREWORK" was blasting in my ear. It's good to come home to my family...

....(ies)

Yes, both of them. :)

When In An About-To-Be-Demolished House

Rip the VELVET vintage wallpaper off the walls.

Man! I Feel Like A Woman

You got it, Shania. Basically, this song described my first semester of college with exactness. So, what else to do on a Friday night than make a music video with your roomies? Thanks for the great semester girls ;)

Thrifty Thursday

Alright. So it's been a month or two... I didn't anticipate only having $1.48 for half of college. That's right. I haven't bought anything. It's a new saving plan I like to call "Food Frugality". I mean, I've been able to survive alright. I've just eaten fiber bars, soup, and cereal everyday for a while. It gets bland after 48 days. But I've managed. Who knew I'd be more broke in college than I was as a 4 year-old! It's kind of adventurous in a way; trying to do everything without spending any money. You know, if I live like this forever and actually get a job, I'll be rich from saving so much! It's a great.
This past week I've been trying to get college boys to hire me as a maid for "white glove" cleaning to earn a little cash. Everyone has to do it and I figure some people don't want to and wouldn't mind paying me to do it for them! It is intense cleaning. I'm pruny from so much pine sol. So, today I had my first job as a maid. I had the experience of......college boys' bathroom.
Ew.
Probably the nastiest thing I've ever seen. Now I know why men need women. There were seriously things growing across the entire floor. How do they live?!?!?! After I left and felt mold growing on my hands and in my nose and I threw out my back from cleaning I realized I should have charged a lot more. Sometimes I am so thankful I am a girl and have a natural tendency for cleanliness.
I digress.
The point is, I haven't really gotten any thrifty things. Because, even though thrifty things are cheap, (that's the point of being thrifty) I still don't have enough money for something! Plus, with finals and school and the flu and a cold, I seem to have had less time to blog. And I'm starting to wonder if school zaps your creativity... It certainly seems to.
I did buy one thrifty thing that I absolutely LOVE. This was about two months ago, but, I finally have time to sit down and show you my awesome find. I've been searching for something like this for ages.
Behold:

Alas, I've used it so much it tore a little and I had to get Hannah to sew it for me. But, I love it. It was 20$ (imagine how long I could survive on that... probably 6 months if I'm careful ;). Pretty good for a leather satchel.
Maybe, when I move to Florida I will have some Thrifty finds for you.
But, that's all for now!

Happy Thrifting!

P.S. SCHOOL IS DONE! I don't have to have a class for four months! Can you believe it?! Woo. Straight A's, Baby. This college thing...not so bad :D

A BYU-Idaho Christmas

Ever heard of Brain Stokes Mitchell? Anyone? Prince of Egypt: voice of Jethro? Well...I didn't know who he was until these past couple weeks. But, in Women's Choir we had the opportunity to put on a Christmas Program with him, the Men's choir, and the BYU-Idaho Orchestra! It was incredible. I love Christmas music and the spirit and love it brings.

This is a song we did with Brian Stokes Mitchell but with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir:

Friendly Beasts



Interesting, huh? That's definitely a unique song. But, we did Sleigh Ride and a bunch of classic too. It was such a fun experience. Poinsettias, lights, bells, Christmas trees, thousands of listeners, and the magic of music about Christ. Plus, we warmed up with some hot chocolate afterwards :) Priceless.

A Day in the Life of a College Student

You know, every day I learn something new here in Rexburg, Idaho. Today for instance, I asked my roommate out on a Breakfast Date (The lack of boys calls for desperate measures). We made waffles and homemade syrup and pulled out all the yummy toppings we have. We decided to top the meal off with some scrambled eggs.

Never put your eggs at the very back of a cold fridge.

Home for the Holidays

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Tuesday night I drove into Utah Valley. Oh, how I miss the mountains. It's definitely 15 degrees warmer here than in Rexburg. But, the thing that makes home magical is the familiarity of family and friends.

You know that saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder". Well, I think that's usually true. Sometimes, it "fonder" can be substituted with "more forgetful". But, the people who really matter in your life, you love more and more when you can't be with them. I love my family. They are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm so grateful for the way I was raised and the values and spirit that are ever-present in my home. It's so interesting to meet people who grew up in different homes across the world who have such a different view on life! I am SO grateful for mine. I missed listening to classic rock and Disney while making pies and rolls with my siblings and having a dance party in the kitchen. I missed hearing Asia show off her "piano skills" and Jenessa giving me big hugs and Devin laughing with me. I missed raking leaves together and jumping in them and being attacked. I miss wrestling on the floor. I missed family chores. I missed watching movies together in the basement with the heat-dish on full blast and everyone falling asleep. I missed goofy family pictures where it's almost impossible to get everyone to have a normal smile. I missed waking up in the mornings to music and cleaning noises going on upstairs. I missed sleeping in my bed. I missed the love that's always in the house...even when it's loud and chaotic. I missed my family.

They are so wonderful.

My friend Kelsey came home with me for Thanksgiving break. It was a blast to share this week with her. Of course, after Thanksgiving dinner everyone fell asleep then watched movies the rest of the day. I literally couldn't move I was so full. Ah, lazy days. So nice. The next day Christmas decorations went up. Ha. Funny how that works.

But, I'm already counting down the days till Christmas break...

I'll get to see my family again :)

Sometimes I Just Can't Help It

I listen to Christmas Music before Thanksgiving.

I know I shouldn't. But when you wake up and take a walk through a romantic, dense, soft, snowfall around campus and come home to find everyone gone and you are alone in the kitchen for once. It's just TOO MUCH. I HAD to! I opened the blinds and my eyes behold this beauty:

So, obviously,

I made a pie. A cherry pie this time. And I danced in my bathrobe around the kitchen listening to Ella Wishes You A Swingin' Christmas. The magic of the snow got to me. 

I even went to bed that night a little early and Hannah walked in a little later. Apparently, (she recounted the story to me the next morning) I sat up in my sleep and shouted 

"WHERE'S THE MISTLETOE?!".

Hannah sweetly responded to my desperate plea that she really had no clue where the mistletoe was. I then whimpered a little and feel back in my bed.

I'm even getting excited about Christmas in my sleep. It's preposterous.

One of Those Horribly Awful Things

is when you are accompanying for the hymn and your nose starts to itch REAL bad. Then you twitch around while everyone is singing "Sweet Is The Work" trying to find places where there might be a few seconds to lift one hand off the piano to scrape at your nose. Usually, the consequence is an even more itchy nose. And, usually, there are less moments to lift a hand off the piano to squeeze in a scratch. So you suffer.

First Snowfall

Hannah buys some hideous long johns at CAL Ranch that come equipped with a legitimate butt-flap and we make the first snowman of the season.

I'd say it was a success.

My Science Review Session

Once upon a time I took a shower.

Ever normal person takes a shower.

Then I put on my clothes. But, obviously, I got some clean underwear to put on. So I got dressed. And I got ready for the day. If I must say so, I looked pretty great. I was heading off to a science review session. Some friends picked my roommates and I up and we were off to the Romney building. We got to the designated room but, it was much too crowded to fit all the students who came, seeking to get A's on the exam. So the teacher filed us out into another room. As we were climbing the stairs, I realized that something was slowly crawling down my leg. I try to look down inconspicuously but when my eyes reached my leg I knew something was terribly wrong. There was a HUGE lump. Kind of by my knee. But a little lower. And on the side. So, instinctively, I yell out in horror "Something is in my pants!!!". Of course, I was frightened it was some sort of monster that was going to latch itself onto my leg, becoming a parasite and begin feeding off of my energy until it had taken so much of me that I was left with no life remaining. I was in the midst of a mob of students climbing stairs and it was physically impossible to stop moving and reach down to touch the lump. With each stair, it crawled further down my leg, by the time I reached my classroom it was almost to my ankle. At this point, all of my friends, new and old, were worried sick about this lump and had gathered around me. But during my trek to the new classroom, and after the initial panic subsided, I realized that my yelling to the students that something was in my pants was not such a smart remark. I also realized what possibly and realistically was in my leg.....yes....that's right.....underwear.

Leftover from my perfectly normal shower.

Stuck in my pant leg.

Augh.

This dawned on me as I go to sit down. So I plop down on my chair and indiscreetly pull the lump out of my pants. Yes. It's underwear. This was no good. I had created an uproar and I definitely did not want anyone to see my underwear that had fallen out of my pant leg. So I tried really hard to slip my underwear into my purse before anyone could realize what was going on. Sadly, all the girls I was with saw me and burst out into a fit of giggles in front of the class of 100 people. It was traumatic.

I spent the rest of the study session trying to convince the boys I was with that I was kidding about the lump and they need to stop worrying about it.

...

...


Then I get home and get on Facebook.

NOTIFICATION!

Isn't that a great feeling?

Anywho. This is what it says:

"Shelby :) So I am sitting in this science review session tonight and thought I heard your laugh, so I looked around and it was you! haha it brought back memories of Lone Peak for a second."


I admit, I was slightly flattered. But, on second thoughts, I realized the humiliating situation she must have witnessed and I questioned myself. Why am I always in these situations? Why is this the way people remember me by? I sincerely hope she didn't see my underwear. She must think I've cracked since I moved here to Rexburg. Or maybe she wasn't surprised at all. That's probably worse.


Oh boy.




Wish me luck with ever getting married people.

The Way You Look Tonight

You know those songs that make your heart melt away. Literally?

I call them my sentimental songs. I'm pretty sure everyone has them. Sometimes they make you cry and sometimes you can't stop smiling when you listen to them. But, they hold meaning, whatever it is. When I'm perfectly content, I sing them in the shower. Or when I'm feeling blue, I'll sing them and paint. When I've got lots of energy, I sing them and clean. Maybe pull out the vacuum or broom. Sometimes I'll give my little sister a kiss on the forehead and sing them to her when she is tired. Then sometimes, when I feel in love with the world around me, or in love with a person, I'll sing them as I dance. Music can do beautiful things. I wonder if my sentimental songs will ever loose their meaning. Or if they will pluck my heartstrings forever. It's a curious thing.

The Way You Look Tonight.

That's my sentimental song.

I could listen to it forever I think.

lovely,


with your smile so warm,


and your cheeks so soft,


there is nothing for me but to love you


and the way you look tonight...


mmm-mmm


mmm-mmm




mmm.

It's Official

I'm moving.





January 9th, to "The City Beautiful", "O-Town", swamp-land, the second most popular vacation spot in the country...









Orlando, Florida.

CRAZY, huh?!

I have been hired by Walt Disney World Resort as a Merchandise Salesperson. Woo! Ya, I know it would probably have been cooler if I told you I was hired as Mary Poppins or something, but.....merchandise selling will be just as exciting...hopefully. Maybe I will work in the Indiana Jones store and get to dress up all cool and whip children with those rubber snake things as I make the laaaaaaazzy eye at them. Or, perhaps, I will just be selling popcorn. Who knows?! Either way, I'll be in Disneyworld every day! Listening to beautiful tunes and feeling magic and happiness all around me.

I can't wait.

Well, I can a little bit...

I mean, this is the first time I will move so far away from home with no one I know. No car. No money. No nothing. In Florida. I'm flying in and living there by myself for four months. It's a little scary. But exciting. What other chance am I going to get? I might as well have ridiculous adventures all over the world before I settle down and get married. It's the opportunity of a lifetime.

Plus, I get to run around Disneyworld whenever I'm not working and ride all the rides. Or, I can lazily sit in Main Street on a bench and watch as all the visitors leave with tired, satisfied, smiles. I'll eat some Ice cream or maybe have a Disney lollipop. Mmmm.

Not to mention I can get my friends and family in for free too. Hmm. Let me know if you are interested ;)

Let the magic begin!

Happy Halloween!...or should I say Happy Steining?

My first Halloween away from home was...a completely ordinary day. Sad.

No costumes.
No trick-or-treaters.
No scary music.
We didn't even watch Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin.
We tried. But when we opened up the case it was Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
Sad.

The only eventful happening happened a couple weeks ago.

My roommates and I decided to take a walk and go out to eat somewhere funky. Like Fong's. Who knew on the way home we would be ambushed and stalked be Frankenstein.....



I will never forget the look on Hannah's face. HA.

Who knew we'd become so famous while living in Rexburg, Idaho?! ;)

Happy Steining!

Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer

A Winner at Heart

Eh?

It's GREAT huh?!

Ya, I was pretty creative. So, I entered it in my ward pumpkin carving contest. Here were my opposing pumpkins:

And of course....

President Monson?

And the Angel Moroni...

I am definitely at BYU-Idaho. So. 

I didn't win.

 Crazy.

 I know.

Angel Moroni did.

Hmph.

I didn't know Halloween was supposed to be so religious.

At The Pumpkin Patch

Yay! Fall is HERE. And with that, pumpkins. Carving pumpkins is always a major event before Halloween. Each year, you carve a pumpkin, with the intent to be the coolest, most original, cleverest, finest knifework, pumpkin-carving-contest-winning pumpkin EVER! In reality, you go trick-or-treating the next day to find out your pumpkin really isn't all that great. Sad day.

But NOT this year! I have a brilliant plan.

I chose this beauty:

Ohhhhh. Don't you dare sneer! Size does not say anything about the coolness of a pumpkin (plus, I'm a starving student now and could only afford to spend one dollar on my pumpkin this year).

The reason I chose this particular pumpkin (other than the fact it was cheapest) is because of it's unique shape.

An Apple.

Am I right?

Of course.

(scroll down to look at my brilliant carving plan.)

It's going to be the pumpkin of all pumpkins.

I'll report back on Monday. Be excited. Or...

SCARED FOR YOUR LIFE.

That's probably a better Halloween approach.

Hee Hee.