2017

I came across my blog and realized I hadn't been on here in so long that my google doesn't even autofill the website anymore. :O (I wish I could do emojis on here haha). However I've always done my yearly recaps on here and wanted to continue that tradition.

Best moments of 2017 (there are videos related to a lot of these that are all linked below):

Filming a Beauty and the Beast styled wedding with a bunch of other great vendors. It turned out so pretty!

A video shoot inspired by the fabulous tv show Good Girls Revolt

Having a killer Valentine's Day party. I've never really been a huge V-Day celebrator before, but Amanda is super into it which helped my attitude. It definitely ended up being the best Valentine's I've ever had.

Watching SO MANY tv shows! such as: Game of Thrones, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Schitt's Creek, Sweet Vicious, Jane the Virgin, The Carrie Diaries, GLOW, Veronica Mars (still need to see the movie!), Don't Trust the B**** in Apt 23, the end of PLL (boo - to it ending and also the ending), Big Little Lies, The Handmaid's Tale, Freaks and Geeks, Riverdale, The OC, and Stranger Things s2 - these are not in order of importance because there are several shows on here I can't even rank I loved them so much.

Producing, filming and editing Stoneybrook Revisited: A Babysitter's Club Fan Film for AJP. We had an all-female crew and things were so efficient that we had several hours of down time on set. It was also my first time filming a series in traditional camera format and I am so pleased with myself for how cute it turned out.

Going to New York with Amanda! The best part of this trip was seeing all the friends that lived there (and the LA friends who were there the same time as us) and also getting to see some really excellent theater - Present Laughter, The Play that Goes Wrong, Puffs, and The Phantom of the Opera. Also getting to go to the GORGEOUS Frick Collection. The best part about this trip was that since we had both been to New York several times before, we didn't have to do any of the touristy things and just did exactly what we wanted to do. It was honestly so much fun.

SIDNEY COMING HOME! My sister had been serving an LDS mission for a year and half in Arizona but it was a huge highlight of the year to have her come home in May.

Getting raises at both of my jobs (main and side)!

The lantern festival in May. We got hired to face paint at this and made some killer tips and also got to float some lanterns. The event was slightly disorganized but it was so much fun because of the people I was with.

Taking a very chill hike with my family on Memorial Day. We normally get together with the whole extended family for every single holiday and it was nice to celebrate this one with just us.

Seeing Carrie Underwood for the 7th time in a surprise concert on June 17, 2017. More details in a later post, because this is a story that deserves its own.

Spending the majority of the year working on Lily Evans and the Stroke of Midnight. This was 100% the best part of my year. I LOVED filming and editing this film and I am so sosososo happy with how it turned out. We had a crazy amount of hiccups in the production process and so many things went wrong. But man, it was awesome, which was largely due to the people. Our cast and crew were great, and so many of our friends flew in to help us on set. It was so fun to work on something together in one place and it definitely bonded us all.

Turning 26 in October!

Growing out my nails! This is probably my biggest success, because anyone who knows me knows I have been an incessant nail biter since my early days of life. It's definitely a process but my nails look and feel so much healthier and I actually love them.

Getting the love of my life - my ipad - and learning how to illustrate on procreate.

Watching Stranger Things and celebrating Halloween in October. Also helping Amanda with all her Costober stuff was super fun.

Remaking the Parks and Rec intro with my family, continuing that new annual tradition.

Writing and directing a very cute Christmas short in December! We just filmed it one morning and did it with a bunch of our friends. I'm really proud of this because I put the whole thing together, made it happen, and it honestly was super fun to do.

Celebrating New Year's Eve with Kamille and Amanda in our pjs.

Honorable mentions: fidget spinners (my golden snitch one!), Simply Kenna's youtube videos, the chipmunk filter in snapchat providing us way too many nights of endless laughter, me eating vegetables a few times this year and liking it!, the delicious smoothies from Dancing Crane, my ipad (I really love it), the #metoo movement and everything happening for women right now, youtube (I'm finding myself obsessed with managing channels


I love this blog because it gives me a voice that I don't often use to speak out loud, and I kind of miss that. So I may be posting on here a bit more often that I have in the past. I'm really trying not to give empty promises this year so hopefully I can stick to it! (also honestly I don't even know if anyone reads this anymore, but I always wrote for myself more anyway.)

2016

It was the year I…

-bought a car
-traveled to Reno, NV to see Carrie Underwood in concert
-started working downtown
-crazily agreed to film and edit a 40-ep web series (and had so much fun doing it)
-went to San Diego Comic Con (for said web series)
-took an amazing trip to Guatemala
-moved out
-made a Harry Potter short film (the DREAM)
-sent my other sister off on a mission
-saw Carrie Underwood in concert again in SLC and MET HER (the OTHER DREAM)
-made a Star Wars video
-got to be a part of Apple Juice Productions, which meant filming and editing amazing things with other VERY talented female creators (THE REAL DREAM)

I loved it all so much. And of course along with it it all came loneliness, a lot of tears and many sessions of therapy, and so much insecurity. I’m still scared of most things and I’m still not the greatest at balancing my life. It wasn’t perfect, by any means.

But it was the best year of my life. I learned so much, had a ton of fun doing it, and made many new friends (who I hope will still be around at the end of 2017). I happily look back on it and am excited to see what comes next.

(honorable mentions for the year also include: my hot water bottle, Stranger Things, Snotgirl–and reading other comic books!), slopsicles, DEER, taking more time for illustrating and art, our suffragette sashes, Twim (my instant camera), reading the BSC, meeting three owls!, La La Land, holy cows, and discovering all the treats that Trader Joe’s has to offer)

2014

I don't think I realized how awesome 2014 was for me until I started looking back on it and remembering all the cool things I did.

Some of the best things this past year brought...

TWO fashion shows with Provo Fashion Week! One in April and the other in October

Stadium of Fire with CARRIE UNDERWOOD! and seeing other people in concert like Andy Grammer, Brian McKnight, and VanLadyLove

FOUR weddings for roommates and relatives...

Working at the daycare with so many fun kids and then quitting in August.

Going back to school and taking fun (and scary at first) classes like Public Speaking and contemporary dance, where I did an end of semester solo.

Traveling on a two-day trip to California with Carina and going to Cheyenne twice in the summer with my family:

Getting to be the costume designer for this hilarious video. It went viral with 15 million views on facebook and youtube combined! Watch the behind the scenes video afterward and you'll see me a few times.

Salt Lake Comic-Con twice, in April and September.

The bible video I was in two years ago finally got released! You can see me in it at about 1:59, I'm wearing orange.

Running my first race at the Potter Run!

Learning how to use Adobe Premiere Pro, filming and editing some fun videos, and getting a new camera for Christmas from my parents (a Canon Rebel t5i!!!). I'm really excited to get more serious with videography in the future.

Ending the year with two weeks of amazing Christmas break with my family. Literally. It has been perfect. :)

For all of you visual people (which, if you're reading a blog, you're probably one of them) here's my year-end video. I keep watching it because it makes me feel good and happy :)


2014 was a really good year and I'm especially looking forward to 2015, because there are already so many fun things planned (college graduation, family reunion, weddings), as well as a lot of things unplanned and unknown (what am I doing after graduation, where will I live, etc.) so it will be fun to look back in a year and see all the changes, because I'm sure there will be many. Can't wait!

2013: A Year in Review

I know everyone is posting these, but there's something nice about completing your year by looking back on everything that happened. 2013 was probably one of my craziest years yet, so for your and mostly my enjoyment, here are my top ten moments from 2013:

10. Became obsessed with making movies and made movies for weddings, trips, and other fun stuff.


9. Went to the Taylor Swift concert, met Taylor's mom, and went from nosebleed seats to the pit.

8. Planned and went to bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and weddings in May for Kelsey and Talya, two of my best friends and roommates.

7. Took a road trip to California with my roommates Katie, Heidi, and Meghan and a trip to Moab with my family at the beginning of July (still haven't blogged about that)

6. Took a trip to Boston and New York at the beginning of December (yet to be blogged about)

5. Lost the best roommates I ever had (because they graduated, moved away, or got married), but got some new great ones.

4. Got my current job at the daycare, which I love.

3. Shared my eating disorder story on my blog, which was one of the scariest, yet most fulfilling things I have ever done. I still can't believe I did that. :)

2. Took a break from school, which caused a crazy and intense year for me filled with a lot of changes. But I found out that not being in school was exactly was I needed, and I also realized that it's okay to follow my own time table and not everyone else's.

1. Designed my first collection and did my first fashion show at BYU in February. Best, happiest, and funnest day of my life thus far!

Yep. Crazy year. And definitely one of the best! I learned that you really can never know what life will throw at you. You can plan as much as you want, but sometimes plans just don't go quite how we want them too. And I also learned that that's totally okay. Because God often has better plans in store for us. :)

Happy new year! I can't wait to see what 2014 brings for us all.

2012: Another Year in Review

2012 was quite the year...Highlights?

Traveled...to St. George, Florida, a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas and Castaway Cay, the Grand Canyon, spending the summer in Boston and going to Virginia, DC, and New York while I was there (the best summer ever, yes.), St. George again, Idaho, and a quick trip to New York and Boston at the beginning of December.

Saw...awesome movies in theaters like The Hunger Games, Brave, the Dark Knight Rises, Pitch Perfect, the Perks of Being a Wallflower, the Hobbit, and Les Miserables (just saw it and it was really good).

Celebrated...a few of my friends' weddings and engagements, many friends and two cousins going on missions (this also made me sad to see them go), the Hunger Games movie and Halloween by throwing huge parties for them, my 21st birthday, the 4th of July in Boston, and the missionary age changes the church made.

Listened...to music like a new album from Carrie Underwood!!!, new music from Taylor Swift, David Archuleta, Kelly Clarkson, and the Killers; fell in love with artists such as ZZ Ward, Lindsey Stirling, Mree, Phillip Phillips, Kacey Musgraves, Fifth Harmony, and Birdy. Continued to love music from Glee.

Went....to concerts for Demi Lovato, Carrie Underwood, and the Killers.

Received and bought...too many new clothes (haha, though I do love them), my second pair of grasshopper shoes, a new steamer and a dress form, a Carrie Underwood cardboard cutout, the cutest Steve Madden shoes ever, and a smart phone.

Made...plenty of movies with my siblings and cousins, more clothes, headbands with my best friends, my Halloween costume, and new friends in new places.

Watched...tv shows such as Pretty Little Liars, Glee, Modern Family, Friends (favorite show EVER), Lost, Go On, Project Runway, the X-Factor, and Revolution.

Survived...a sprained wrist (that never completely healed unfortunately), getting way too many colds throughout the year, and the end of the world.

Accomplished...moving to the east coast and doing an internship with Anthropologie over the summer, another year of school (graduating in August!), getting into and getting ready to do a fashion show in February, participating in the bible videos the church does, and playing piano for the ward choir this past semester. ;)

Became...closer to my family and my friends, a better self and a better person, healthier, more in-tune with who I am and who I want to be, more confident, wiser, more independent, and happier. :)

After writing all that stuff down, I realize how amazing of a year I've had. I'm so so blessed and lucky to be me and to have my life. I always need to appreciate my life and how wonderful everything truly is.

My only goal for 2013 is happiness. Happiness for myself and for others. I know that if I'm working towards being happy and making other people happy, I'll be doing good things in my life. Happiness really is what it's all about. :)

Goals that I will KEEP for 2012

So in my family, we got together and made goals for the new year. I feel like I always make goals and then never do anything about them because they are just in my head or I'm not really committed to them. But doing it with my family helps me to stick to my resolutions more so maybe it'll work. We have 5 goals to make, each in a different type of category--physical, spiritual, service, mental, and family. Since I live away from home, I decided to change my family goal to a social goal, because that's more applicable to me right now. And now a drumroll for my goals for 2012:

Physical: Eat at least 1 fruit every day and have something for breakfast every morning. This must seem like such a simple goal to some people but one thing that I really need to work on is eating healthy. I work in the mornings so often times I skip breakfast so I'm going to try really hard to just have something, even if it's on the go, like a granola bar. And I am really bad at having my fruits and vegetables and usually don't have any. So for a start, it's just one fruit, and eventually I'll move it up to more. Slow and steady. Oh, and you're probably wondering why I didn't put fruit or vegetable as the goal, but one thing about me is that I hate vegetables. They all taste gross to me and make me gag. So for now I'll just work on eating the fruit and maybe next year's goal will incorporate vegetables into my diet. ;)

Spiritual: Read one chapter in the scriptures every day. This is also kind of a simple goal but something I need to work on. Sometimes I feel too tired and I only read a few verses and don't even remember what I've read or I make excuses, so I really want to work on reading a chapter and fully reading it by studying and marking stuff that I read.

Service: Join a service club/group at BYU. This one's pretty self-explanatory, I'd say.

Mental/Intellectual: Turn in all my assignments on time and only miss each of my classes one time. I am the queen of procrastination and I have gotten into a bad habit thinking it's okay to skip class. Therefore a goal must be made in this area.

Social: Put myself out there at least one time every day. As a college student, I think too often I get caught up in my own little world and I really don't make an effort to try to talk to people or just be more open with friends. And for some reason it makes me kind of anxious to strike up a conversation with a stranger or something and so I never do it. This is something I need huge work on, I think. Some examples of this goal would be like talking to the person in the elevator, making a conversation with someone I don't usually talk to in one of my classes, flirting with a cute boy, or going over to a friend's apartment and just visiting with them. Stuff like that. This will be a hard one for me, but that's why it's a goal, right?

A few other goals I've made:

Blog at least three times a week.

Go to the temple once a month. I really should go more than this but I struggle making time to go at all, so this goal is a little small, but achievable for me.

Only one new clothing/accessory item each month. One thing about me is that I spend my money a lot and it's usually on clothes. My closet is bulging with clothing! And often times when I buy things I don't really need it, I just think it's cute. This buying thing also includes thrift stores. The exceptions are that people can buy things for me (like I can have clothes as a birthday present) or I can buy something if I really need it (like if I'm a bridesmaid and I need certain shoes to go with the dress or if I need something like new tennis shoes). This will get me to really think about my shopping when I'm doing so I can think, "Is this the item I want to spend on for this month?" I'll buy a lot less with a limit. Also in the rules are that if I don't buy an item that month, then I can't have an extra for the next month. And the item must be $20. I don't want to suddenly be buying a $100 dress because I haven't spent the money anywhere else! This is going to make me a smarter shopper and also it will cause me to just sew something if I want more clothes. (I got the idea from Meredith, who didn't shop for herself at all during 2011--she talks about it here--haha I'm not as amazing as she is at, I had to reward myself!)

So yep yep, those are my goals for the year of 2012! Writing them down is the first step so hopefully now I'll be able to keep them. :D Everyone's saying that 2012 is going to be a magical and wonderful year and you know what, I think that's true! Bring on the new and best year my life will have ever seen!

Pssst...what are your goals, if you made any? And if you didn't make any, why didn't you? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

New Year and New Happiness

Happy New Year everyone! Can you believe it's 2011?! I'm not sure I can ha. This is an important year...why?
-I'll turn 20!
-It will be a decade since 9/11
-1 year until the world ends ;)
-It will mark me being halfway through college
-Once the end of August rolls around, it'll mean I've done this blog for a YEAR.
-A year ago today, there is no way I would have pictured myself where I am now. It just goes to show how crazy life really is and how we really can't control it that much.
-I will hopefully go on NYC Study Abroad this summer or do something else amazing (like nanny) out of state. ;)

Oh just to say, I am now posting in the morning, so every day it'll be the outfit of the day before. So for instance, I wore this outfit on New Years Day (yesterday) not today. I think it will be easier for me to update this way. :)

I'm so sad. Only a few more days with my relatives! And then back to school for me. Not sure if I'm excited about that or not. :P My cousin Alex is in the last two pictures with me. He's a year younger than me and basically we're like best friends because we are the only cousins each other's age and we have fun together even though we don't get to see each other very often (he lives in Massachusetts). I'm sad because I might not see him for a long time. He turns 19 in October, which means he'll go on a mission for two years! I'm glad he's going...but sad he will be gone. :( I'm sure it will go by super fast though! Who knows what will have happened by the time he's back.

One thing's for sure..I hope I'm still doing this blog :)

Coat: Charlotte Russe

Cardigan: Forever 21

Shirt: Kohl's

Necklace: Gifted

Jeans: Charlotte Russe

Boots: Ross

Bag: Target--borrowed from my sister Carina