Thrifty Thursday

Puritan shirt? $3.00

Pants that USED to be $70.00....$10.00

And awesome shoes. The brand is Mushrooms? What?! $4.00

Hate the hay,

Love D.I.

That's where my outfit it from today. Even though it took 30 minutes to walk there. On the way home
I shouted at a bunch of cars: "HEY YOU! YA, YOU! GOT ANY CHARITY, HUH? CAN'T GIVE A POOR COLLEGE GIRL A RIDE HOME FROM THE STORE? WHO ARE YOU ANYWAY!?" I don't think anyone heard me. I just had to keep saying to myself, "Just over the next rise, Shelby". That inspiring statement was actually written on my shirt. I was in the 10000 FT Hiking Club. And that was our motto. Too bad I never actually went on a hike with them. Maybe it would have prepared me for college.

College life is different...yet, adventurous.  For instance:

I ate a huge box of raspberries from the Horticulture department while walking to my next class. 15 minutes: 200 raspberries. Hopefully, my stomach handles that alright.


I shoved a roommate into my closet. And legitimately tried to keep her there.

I burst into tears during class when my choir teacher from High School texted me.

I keep waving to everyone...but hardly anyone waves back. Maybe it's a Utah thing?

I heard today from a boy in my Book of Mormon class that Idaho has bigger mountains than Utah. EXCUSE ME?! But, WHAT mountains? That little hill you can see when you climb on the roof? Ya, no. No mountains.

I walk into my dorm and my roommate hides her frosting/nutella/ice cream behind her back. I think she's downed a can of each.

I bang my head on my bunk bed/desk contraption every day. Hopefully, I don't loose too many brain cells.

I have too look at my creepy Child Development textbook each day. That alone gives me nightmares.


I jumped onto a desk in my Children's Literature class pretending to be a monkey. There are no Freshman in that class and I'm pretty sure there were arrows pointing at me, blinking lights, and a creepy computer voice monotonously repeating "FRESHMAN. FRESHMAN. FRESHMAN." I realized I was a bit large for desk hopping when three chairs crashed over and one hit me in an incredibly and painfully uncomfortable spot. I don't think people normally act like a monkey in college.


I bought a 5$ movie from Wal-Mart instead of other crucial needed products for survival. I'm not really sure why, because it's only going to give me a good dose of heartache each time I see it.

I danced silently in my kitchen while a boy was giving a flower to Hannah in the living room.

I listen to Billie Holiday and vacuum. Then lay on the couch and stare at the ceiling in between classes.

I save all the envelopes I receive and hang them on a clothes line in my room.

I keep creeping on people when they exchange numbers and try to inconspicuously take a picture. Awesome.


I had a Sunday Breakfast Party.

I held the sun in my hands.


There are probably a plethora more oddities I didn't mention. Living on my own I realize I love cleanliness. I love being independent. I LOVE having my own kitchen and living room and bathroom. So wonderful. I'm thinking of making a peach pie soon.

I sorta like this college thing.

I Did It

I finally took on the challenge of a Self-Portrait.

Ok, so it's not perfect. But, for a first time, I feel good about it. Another day of painting complete.

Also, I really like how my pallet looks when I'm done. So satisfying. Mmm.

My Middle Name Is Certainly NOT Grace.

I am not graceful. Whenever I accidently don't sit in my chair but sit on air instead, or my ankle is almost broken by my incorrect heel-usage, or I fall down a mountain and land on a tree, or I try to move my chair like a train but it snags the carpet and I do a half circle through the air and get stuck in between my desk and the floor, or when I am laughing SOOOOO hard that I get all sweaty and have to pee and I run out of the classroom, etc. When these things happen, I laugh jovially and with a charming smile I look up at the person closest to me, flip my hair and tell them in a sultry voice "My middle name is grace, you know?" And I almost wink. But I don't.

This is a defensive mechanism.

My middle name is not Grace. It's Alyse.

Also, I am not saying this because I actually believe I am in any way graceful.

It's a defense mechanism. (Something to do with saying the exact opposite of what you really mean.)

This realization was confirmed Saturday. I can go a couple months convincing myself that I can be lovely and eloquent; then moments come along that....DESTROY ALL LADY-LIKE PROGRESS.

And now I present: One of Shelby's completely ridiculous embaressing stories that happen frequently, but bring much joy and laughter to all who occupy the same relative space.

Once upon a time, Hannah and I play this game called Iron Chef. It's wonderful. Saturday morning we had this completely charming new friend of mine come and play with us! Secret Ingredient: Bananas. After battling for the banana cream pudding in the closet and throwing flour on each others backs, I pulled through and won. Woo! We then decided to sit on the sun-kissed roof and discussed Dumbledore taking the light out of the lamp post across the street with his Deluminator. It was perfect time of day to frolick through a meadow. So, in the sunset we skipped and laughed in a meadow. With some daisies. Then we pet a llama and it almost kissed my friend. We traveled to the top of the valley and let the cool breeze blow through our hair.

Everything was going swimmingly. I felt pretty. I felt smart. I felt witty. We went on adventures. It was sunny and blue. What could go wrong right?

We are then cordially invited to a SUMMER/GRADUATION BASH! We decide to drop by. Fashionably late, of course. This is where we went wrong.

At first things are fine. We played some soccer and jumped on the tramp. Then the hostess pulls together a game of Wiffle Ball. (Baseball with one of those plastic holey red balls and a really small field). Progressively through the day my digestive system is working, as digestive systems do, and in the middle of the game I realize I REALLY have to go to the bathroom. So I wait for the teams to switch from being up to bat to playing the field. This time arrives and I tell everyone to wait for just a minute as I quickly relieve myself. As I am in a wonderful mood, I don't want to keep people waiting, and I am slightly distracted; I RUN up the porch stairs and through the open door into the house.

In reality, that doorway had two doors. One was open. One was a screen.

SMACK.

That is the noise created when I ran, RAN, into the screen door.

RIP.

That is the noise of the screen door ripping in half because the force of my weight plus the momentum of my body was too much to handle.

Eeeeeeeerggggphm.

That is the noise of me falling onto the floor in the middle of the kitchen with the hostess' family waiting inside.

HAHAHAHA.

That is the noise of everyone laughing at me.



...At least I didn't pee my pants.



I begged for forgiveness.

Cried laughing for a while.



Then fell into a thorn bush and ripped a bleeding gash into my leg.





My middle name is NOT Grace.

I Believe (10)

Day 10: Your beliefs

I believe in God.




I believe in progression.


I believe in love.

I believe in happiness.


I believe in innocence.


I believe in color.

I believe in miracles.

I believe in forever.



I believe in action.



I believe in family.

I believe in choice.

I believe in sunshine.

I believe in simplicity.



I believe in honor.



I believe in goodness.



I believe in beauty.




I believe in ice cream.

I believe in laughter.


I believe in what we believe.





I believe in Christ.







I believe in myself.

Day 10: COMPLETED

Vivacité (01)

I conformed. (if confused: look down at my previous previous post. I gave in.)

Live a little, right? This could be fun.

Here goes.

Day 01: Introduce yourself with pictures and words

As I pondered how to introduce myself, I kept thinking of that game "if you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be". Its stuck in my head. So this is what I am doing. But--I am complex, and one word doesn't really give you a full idea of the essence of me. Also the rule of today is with "pictures and words". So. I am going to do that. Describes myself with words.

Drumroll......

Shelby.

Vivacious.

                               Effusive.                           Teacher
                                                           Warm.

                                                                                     Malaysia                         Pleasant.
               Loud.
                                                     Lively.                                             Pianist

Free.

                       School                                        Bold.

                                                                               Lover                                                   Anxious.

                       Utah                                  Short.

                                                                                                                  Blue eyes.

   Driven.

                                                                            Loving.

           Whimsical.                         Yellow

                                     Explorer                                                                                            Quick.

                                                          Insecure.

                                                                             Effecient.
A Leader.
                                         Personable.
 Admirer                                                                                                                 Emotional.
                                                                                         Smart.
                Naive.
                                                             Childlike.                              Mormon
Joyful.
                                                                                 Woman                                       Curious.
            Excited.          Travler
               Eccentric.
                                                                               Nerd.
                                                                                                                                               Realistic.
                              A Dreamer.                                                  Reader
                                                                                                          Faithful.
Impassioned.                                                                  Determined
                                                          Unique.
                                      Writer                                                                                        Daughter.
Singer                                        Friend.                                        Daisies
       Enthusiastic!
                                Adventurer                                                                   Spiteful.
                                          Expressive.

                                                                                                  Life                                         Dominant.

Animated.                                                                                                               Fearful
                                                                       Aspiring.
                      Believer.                                                                          Hopeful.
                                                           
                        Learning                           Religious.                    Simple.
Painter

ME.

I think I am these things. Some I like about myself. Some I don't. But you really can't get to know someone by a bunch of words. You have to see them. Feel their presence. Their demeanor. Their attitude on life. Feel the memories and experiences that drive them. Feel what they love and what they despise.

What they ARE.

....But this is still a good start.

So take a small glimpse of me.

I hope you enjoy.

Day 01: COMPLETED.