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.