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Soooo...I haven’t blogged for a month. Haha. Here’s my life summary for the past 30 days…

That night was the party I’d been planning for over a month. It turned out to be a huge success. I decorated when I got back from work, putting cobwebs all over our back patio, setting up a banner, and hanging lights all across. It looked really pretty and I was happy with the result. I made a lot of food for it and had little signs for each of the food items. I had to go to work at 5 so my roommates helped me with making the rest of the food which was great. Party guests started arriving at 9 and by 10 pm, our back patio was super crowded. I was going back and forth replenishing the food and I had to keep pushing my way through everyone because there were so many people there. Someone in our ward brought over gigantic speakers so the music was blasting and everyone was dancing. It was seriously so fun! All the people that came (and out of those people, a lot of them I didn’t know because they were friends of friends. There were some of my friends I saw later in the pictures who I hadn’t even seen there!) told me they had so much fun. Successful night? Yes. Party throwing can be really stressful sometimes and the day of the party when I’m getting everything ready I tend to get super stressed out and wonder why I’m even throwing a party. But then it happens, it’s so fun, and I remember why throwing parties is one of the greatest things ever.

November came and was a busy month. Most of it was spent being busy with school, but the good parts were with family and friends. I went to my really good friend Sam's mission farewell. This girl is one of my best friends and as much as I'll miss her, she's going to do great in the California Palo Alto mission! I went with Lauren, another one of my really good friends, who also just got her mission call and is going to the California San Fernando mission! :)

(l to r): me, Sam, Lauren

The Nutcracker came around again, and this year my sister Sidney was the only one in it. At one point in life, Carina, Sidney, Cee Ryle, and I were all in the Nutcracker and I’m pretty sure that year drove my parents crazy. Sidney did awesome though, she had three great parts as a Snow, Reed Flute, and a Waltz. She’s seriously a gorgeous dancer, so much better than I ever was, and I can’t help but be proud of her and be happy whenever I see her dancing. She definitely comes alive on the stage.

Thanksgiving was a wonderful and much needed break. My dad’s side of the family all came from Wyoming so we had a full house of cousins and aunts and uncles. It was the best. We spent a lot of our time making a music video to none other than Gangnam Style of course (which almost has a billion views on youtube!). On Thanksgiving day we got the whole family, adults and all, outside to dance. Haha and our yard happens to be right on the edge of the road, so cars passed by as we were dancing to Gangnam Style. Our neighbors might think we’re crazy…oh well. You can see the video here.

We also spent Thanksgiving just hanging out, going to temple square, and shopping on black Friday of course.

My roommates and I had a little cookie making/tree decorating party with a few friends. We also made a nativity reenactment haha (sorry for the blurry photos).

I went to the Killers concert with Chelsey and some other friends. It was a really great concert—everything you’d want a Killers concert to be and more.

Bridal Shower for my freshman roommate Kelly!

A little over a week after Thanksgiving, I went on a quick 3-day trip to Boston and New York. We got to fly standby since my aunt works for Jet Blue. It was the BEST. I was in Boston over the summer and just love the east coast, so going back for a few days was heaven. Boston was spent hanging out with family and shopping, mostly. My favorite part of the trip was our day in New York. We did so much fun stuff. This is something that definitely deserves a post of its own so I’ll write more about it later.

Kelly’s bachelorette party, spent painting nails, giving each other massages, eating yummy food, and talking about boys of course.

After that it was basically finals week. In the midst of all the business, I got sick with a cold on the first reading day. I get sick a lot, so I wasn’t surprised, but I still will never get used to the unpleasantness of being sick. Thankfully the worst of it was over by the time I had to start taking finals (which are now done, yay!!!).

No pictures of this either, unfortunately, but I got together with my best friends last weekend. It was the best because we hadn’t all been together since April! We keep in touch a lot though so it felt like nothing had changed. We’re going to be starting a blog together here soon, and I’ll let you know when it’s up. Right now we are planning everything about it and still trying to figure out a name.

Last week my roommates and I hung out (the first time all of us have hung out together this whole semester, sadly) to celebrate finals. We went to the mall and got tons of cute clothes, ate at Pizza Pie Café, and finished the night by watching Step Up Revolution. I love my roommates. I’m seriously so lucky to live with the coolest and nicest girls ever.

That’s the update and now that school’s done for now and everything is caught up, expect more regular posts. Blogging can be so much work sometimes! Love it though. :)

Things About Boston

I wrote this like a month after I was in Boston but never published it. But I'd still like to remember these things and I think it's fun, so here it is.

1. It's so green! Every place I turn, there are several trees, flowers, or even a small forest. I love driving to the church building because it's the most beautiful drive ever. I don't think I'll ever get sick of it. It's like a fairytale, because we drive on a road with trees on both sides, some bending over so it's like you're driving through a tunnel of green with the sun shining through the leaves but mostly having shade as you drive through. And it's a quiet road so it's just very peaceful. The best is listening to piano music as you make the drive. Cat said sometimes people feel claustrophobic or enclosed when they come but I don't feel that at all. It almost makes me feel safe...at home.

2. It is so historical. The road names are like Lexington and Concord, named after Revolutionary War battles, which I just think is so cool! There are so many old buildings and houses around too and it's like a little tour just driving around seeing all the different structures made of brick or other old materials. Some seem to fade away because they're so old, but this only makes them stand out more and make them more special.

3. The LDS community here is so close and so very welcoming. It's crazy, coming from a town where the high school is 95% Mormon to coming to an area where it takes 20 minutes to drive to church because the ward is so spread out. My aunt is really good friends with a lot of the sisters in the ward and she knows a lot of people in the stake because there just aren't a ton of them so they all know each other and they're all friends. The young adult group has been so welcoming. I went to church on Sunday and person after person kept coming up to me saying hi, treating me like we were old friends. I think people here don't take members for granted, like often happens in Utah. There, people all know each other, and with so many Mormons, it's hardly noticed or even a big deal when there's a new person. Here, when there is someone new, they're welcomed with open arms because there aren't a lot of LDS people here.

4. It's so diverse. For one, there aren't a lot of LDS people here, so there are so many more people who drink, party, swear, etc. I don't do that kind of stuff but it's really cool to see what more of the world is like. I realize how innocent I am because I have never been exposed to anything like this. This week I was talking to one of the other interns at Anthro and I was telling her about BYU and Mormonism and afterwards, I realized that it was the first time I ever had to tell someone about our religion. Before that, I'd never explained what being a Mormon was. Crazy, right? And then one of the other interns another day was talking about how she goes to all these concerts and they have to have a sober driver and she was like, "of course we have fake ids," and I was just like, whoa! It was all so new and different to me. It's also cultural diverse, meaning there are more than just white people here. There are a lot of hispanics, so a lot of people know how to speak Spanish and there are other nationalities and religions here too. Awesome.

5. Almost everyone has an iPhone. It's like seriously insane. I've never felt more left out in my entire life haha! Iphones are so big here and now I want one badly. I'm such a follower. :/

6. There isn't much customer service. In Utah malls, I walk into a store and immediately I'm bombarded by an employee asking me how my day is and telling me all their sales. Here, I walk into some stores, ready to be attacked, and instead all I see are employees folding clothes or working at the register. It's kind of weird, and I almost find myself missing customer service a little bit. I know, I know, I must be going insane to say that.

7. Sports. Are. HUGE. Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins (basketball, baseball, football, hockey), you name it they're all really big. People are huge fans. It's always a conversation started when people are like, what team are you?! I just, "Um, the Jazz I guess? Now maybe the Celtics?" Who knows? I don't really care about them a ton, but the rest of Boston does, so I may just come back to Utah a big fan of all those teams.

8. People dress classy here. Think Banana Republic and Gap style. That's what people dress like here, because they are "Bostonian." Ok, well they're not snobby or anything, that's just what I've noticed. Utah people dress very mormon-y (think a Utah mom with blond poofed hair and shirts with ruffles and prints) but here it's definitely clean cut and classy. No crazy fashions or prints.

9. The hot dog buns. They're different. Instead of opening on the side, they open at the top. Seriously, who thought location would change such a thing as hot dog buns. But indeed it does.

10. The rain here is crazy! I mean it has been raining quite a bit, but more than that, it's super random. One minute it's pouring rain like no tomorrow and then fifteen minutes later the sun is out and had you been inside and not seen/heard the rain, you wouldn't even know it happened. I really like how much it rains though. It just adds to the beauty of this place. It makes sense for it to rain as much as it does or it wouldn't be so green here. The other night it was raining as I fell asleep and I decided that one of my favorite things in the world is falling asleep to the rain.

11. Polite drivers. In Utah, you could be waiting at a stop sign for like 10 minutes and still not be able to turn, but here I have noticed that when traffic is busy, drivers will stop and let you turn in, even when they have the right of way. I get surprised every time it happens because I'm not used to it. Its a nice surprise though, like an "oh that was thoughtful" feeling that makes your heart happy.

12. The way there is a church building on every block in Utah, there is a Dunkin Donuts on every block in the east coast. People need their coffee here!

I have to say that I am glad to be back in Utah but I miss Boston and the east coast so fiercely. I miss my internship. I miss Cat, Derick, Brianna, and Ellie. I miss the singles ward. I miss the roads and Route 9. I miss the history of everything and the trees that dot the earth there. I miss the smell of coffee (and I hate the smell of coffee!). I miss it all. I wish I could somehow have the best of both worlds and just transport my whole life over to the east coast, but obviously things don't really work that way. For now, I will just continue to yearn for it. Soon I will go back, and when I do, that will be a happy day :)

To Boston

I guess right now I could be catching up on posts from July because I am stuck in an airport bored out of my mind, waiting for a bus to take me home (long story). But I don't really feel like posting any of that stuff because I think it might make me cry, and I'm already pretty close to tears.

This morning I was in Massachusetts driving down the Mass Pike for the last time, admiring all the trees and all the old buildings one last time. This morning I was in Massachusetts and now I'm not. I'm just gone.

Don't get me wrong, I am so excited to see my family and friends again and just be home in Utah. But I'm so devastated to leave Boston. I had one of the best summers ever, going to beaches, Red Sox games, traveling all over the east coast, and of course interning at Anthropologie. I feel like it really became my home for the past three months...I got to know the area and the people. I lived and loved there.

I don't even know what I'm trying to say here, just that I'm going to miss it so much. I'll miss going to Anthropologie on Mondays and Tuesdays, working on projects with the other employees and interns and learning so much while doing it all. I will miss all the trees everywhere and I'll miss all the random lakes and ponds and beaches and coasts all over the place. I'll miss the singles ward and the family ward that I went to that were both so welcoming and immediately friendly. I'll miss the patriotism and the history. I'll really miss my "summer family"--Derick, Cat, Bri, and Elle. I loved having late night talks and laughs with Brianna and giggling about all our crazy inside jokes and every weird thing that happened to us. I loved Ellie's spunky personality and always being able to have fun with her. I loved late night movies and random tourist trips to show me around the area. I loved it all sooooo much. And that is why I will miss it. Sooooo much.

So to Boston and all the people I met there, I love you. Thanks for an amazing summer and a really happy summer. I learned and experienced so much and I will never forget it all. Hopefully I will be back soon (very soon!) and be able to experience it all over again. So for now....goodbye. I will miss you :)

Random Thoughts

- I have been reading like crazy this summer. A little while ago I discovered an amazing app on my ipod touch called iBooks and then I discovered an even better website where I've downloaded all my favorite books. So now wherever I go, my ipod goes, and I find myself reading everywhere. It's pretty much the best. I have 70 books on there and they only take up 0.1 GB, so it's awesome! Whenever I finish a book, there is another right there waiting for me. Maybe one of these days I'll write a book post to share what I've been reading. Also, it's time for me to start reading Harry Potter again...round number 12... ha ;)

- I saw this on pinterest and now I really want to do it. This is an amazingly cute idea to used Christmas lights year-round!


- Lately, I've been missing ballet. Like, a ton. I've been dancing around the house more than usual (my uncle laughs because every once in a while I'll just be standing there talking and then do a grand battement--basically a kick--out of nowhere. It's just so natural to me!) and I've been watching tv shows about dance, namely Dance Academy (netflix) and Bunheads (new show on ABC Family). So I decided I'm going to take a ballet class in the fall! I haven't taken one for about two years, but I'm totally ready and excited for this. It's only 3 days a week which is good, I did a class that was every day freshman year and it was too much. I'm not an amazing dancer by any means, but I'm ready to jump back into it. I'm only at school for another year, so might as well take advantage of the classes offered.

- Only two more weeks in Boston. I'm not really sure how I'm reacting to this yet. It's sad, but I am excited to see my family and friends again. I literally cannot believe how fast the summer flew by. But it's been a good summer, so far. I've really been cherishing it and having a blast here. I love the east coast.

I guess that's all for now. Nothing else is popping into my head and I better get some sleep so I can wake up for church in the morning. That's another thing, I've been sleeping in SO much! Guess I still haven't fixed my habits of reading late into the night...haha oh well, gotta go!

Elle's Hairbow

So one thing about me is that I love doing other people's hair. I like trying out stuff on my hair as well, but it's pretty thin so a lot hairstyles don't even work on it. Little girls are the best for doing hair because they love the attention and they love feeling cute! Last Saturday I sat Ellie down and did this bow hairstyle for her. I actually did it for Gracie too right before I left, and little girls seriously just love it! And it is so easy. Double win :)

I used this tutorial in case you want to try it on yourself or a little girl. It's a great tutorial and the hairstyle only takes about 5 minutes. The only difference I did was that I put the extra hair in front and then pulled it back, instead of vice-versa, and I think that worked better.

Haha Ellie sure loved posing for the pictures I was taking of her.

Happy hairstyling! :)

Visit from my Mama Llama and Others, pt. 1

About two weeks ago I had the best time when my mom, my aunt Zildy, and Zildy's kids all came to visit for a week. They had actually only planned to be here for 4 days max, but it was extended to a week when the flights were pretty much packed for the whole week (my aunt works for Jet Blue so she and her kids can fly standby for free and others can use buddy passes to fly standby for cheap...so they were all flying standby). It kind of frustrated them but we were happy they got to stay longer! The whole week was jam-packed with tourist stuff to try and pack in as much fun as possible.

Sunday we went to a graduation party on the Cape. The house was gorgeous and they had the most beautiful view. There was a lake practically in the backyard and you could walk down the stairs and be right there. After the party we went to the coast to see more of Cape Cod. It was really windy and a little cold in some parts, but beautiful nonetheless.

Tuesday we went into the city to walk around, see the Boston library, and go to the Boston Gardens. I love libraries and the Boston Gardens has a certain feel similar to Central Park (which I've actually never been too). There are the swan boats in the Gardens that are really cute and cheap so we took a nice ride on one. We went through Faneuil Hall and also stopped to get some pizza for lunch.

The rest of the week will be blogged about shortly! I'm trying to catch up on stuff, especially considering this all happened in June.