Life of Ashlee

Shorter is Sweeter

2012-01-09T10:14:00.004-07:00

Is anybody else having problems with blogger? I had a whole post written up, and when I inserted the picture below, all of my copy was gone. I couldn't get it back, so I guess I'll give you the Reader's Digest version since I'm not in the mood to rewrite everything. The original post wasn't that exciting anyway, so maybe it's a good thing.

Basically, our house is ripped apart, I'm terrified of my new calling (primary chorister), we went skiing in Utah, and now we're back in NM remodeling our kitchen. The countertop guys are coming on Wednesday to install the granite, and I've been ripping out the current backsplash. I'd recommend removing a backsplash to anyone who has a lot of pent up anger. Not that I'm angry, I can just see how it would be beneficial for someone who is to take a hammer to a bunch of tile. It's kind of fun.

On our way back from Utah/Idaho, we stopped at the Wilson Arch just past Moab. It was a good place to get out and stretch and take a little hike to the top. Here is a picture I took of the inside profile of the arch. I think I might order a big print of dis baby. I'm liking it (other than the fact it ruined my long post. Grrr.)
Happy Monday!

AOTW 12.16.2011

2011-12-14T14:29:00.004-07:00

I'm sorry I've been MIA lately. As most of you guys know, my life has been moderately to extremely crazy the past couple of months. But you are all in luck, because I have nothing to do today (except for laundry).

I stumbled across this fauxtog today, and I had to share. This guy claims his experience in photography goes back to graduate school in the 1980's. He might have gone to graduate school, but I can guarantee you he didn't study photography or art of any form. Good news Idahoans, this guy is located near you! This is what he has to say about his work: "We strive to provide the quality you want at prices you can afford." What he really means is: "I have a DSLR set on auto, I use on-camera flash and cheap backgrounds, and I should be paying you for these terrible pictures." Whatever this guy charges for pictures is too much.

Unfortunately, his pictures are sized down with no zoom feature, so these are small. I'm sorry. I wish we could all zoom in and enjoy these fauxtographs in all their glory.

# 1 The subject is too close to the background. His background really isn't cool enough to be in focus. Do us all a favor, and pull your subjects away from your tie-dyed bed sheet. #2 When hanging said tie-dyed bed sheet, make sure it's ironed and hung correctly. #3 This lady's head looks HUGE while the head on the creeper in the background looks about half the size. #4 There is a big need for color correction on Creeper Dude's face. Waaaay too red. Tone it down a bit. #5 Watch out for hand placement. It's probably a good thing the picture is cut off where it is, because from what I can see, this picture would probably be rated PG-13 if we could see the whole thing. #6 Do I really need to mention the on-camera flash? This is evidence enough to know this guy hasn't even taken Photo 101. #7 This comment is getting too long, so I won't expound on the "posing," but you can see for yourself that it's embarrassingly bad.

I've seen so many pictures of innocent little children made out to look like corpses in fauxtographs. Once again, on-camera flash. But this guy has removed the ugly center-eye reflections hoping that unsuspecting observers won't notice. It's just too bad that the shadows give it away. I'm really not digging the sepia tone he's used. It looks gross and definitely doesn't work with the picture, it only makes it worse. It's apparent this guy knows nothing about proper exposure. It's all about proper exposure my friends. Exposure, exposure, exposure!!!

P.S. We should be closing on our house tomorrow (hopefully!), so I will be giving you a virtual tour in the near future. It will be update city pretty soon. You guys will be sick of it by the time I'm done.

You'll Thank me Later

2011-09-23T10:53:00.001-06:00

You guys, you have to check this out. This will make your life!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44595706?gt1=43001

AOTW 09.16.2011

2011-09-16T19:25:00.002-06:00

EVERY picture in this fauxto session looks like this. Every. single. one. Basically this person has wasted their clients time and money by destroying their pictures in Photoshop. I don't know how someone can make pictures look like this and think they look good. I really think I need to make one of those "The more you know" public service announcements on NBC. Who's with me?

I'm one of those crazy dog bloggers

2011-09-06T15:59:00.005-06:00

Tony had her first trip to the groomer's this morning. The groomer did a "puppy introductory cut." I guess they do this when the dog hasn't had it's hair cut before. They just trim around the face, ears, paws, and bum. The groomer said Tony did a really good job, so she would be fine with a real haircut next time. Since we don't have kids, I have to give you updates on our dog ;)

The Before

This is what Tony looked like when she woke me up to take her outside this morning. I'm pretty sure she gets the award for worst bed head. I think her ears were flipped back, so that added to the crazy factor. She's got kind of a Don King thing going on.

The After

Her Hair is still pretty long all over, but she'll be going back in a couple of weeks for a full haircut. I think her little bow looks pretty cute :)

P.S. I may or may not have copied this blog from an email I sent to Dave. I'm lazy. So sue me.
P.P.S. This morning I had a crazy Charlie Horse in my neck. I've never had one there before, but I can't move my head at all today. Not cool.

Some People's Kids

2011-09-01T00:26:00.002-06:00

Today at work one of my coworkers was telling me about a person/s who has been entering unlocked homes in the area and taking food. After reading an article on our local news website, I realized that not only is this person taking food, but sometimes they are actually sleeping in these houses. Please read the article below...

SALEM, Idaho -- An unusual string of circumstances has local people worried about home invasions, and now these folks are banding together to defend their neighborhoods from a wave of what they think may be squatters sneaking into homes and onto property.

Hannah Robinson said she woke up Monday night to the sound of a man sneezing in her basement."We don't have anyone sleeping in the basement, or down there at all, so that just alarmed me a lot," said Robinson.

Her husband quickly ran downstairs to find nothing but the sliding door ajar."I just tried to tell myself, 'It's not a big deal. We're fine.'" said Robinson.

The next night, as she rocked her youngest child to sleep she heard footsteps above her."So, then I just thought 'Well, it's one of the kids coming in. But they never came in. The next morning, when I was getting the kids ready for school, I noticed that the front door was open," said Robinson.

She posted her worries on Facebook that day and that's when responses came flooding in from neighbors and friends, who say they've had similar freaky experiences over the past few months.

Alan Beagley said he's seen lights late at night in his neighbor's field when everyone was in bed."We just thought it was some neighbor kids out having fun, but it got more frequent to the point that we didn't feel that way anymore," said Beagley.

Salemites came out for a meeting Monday night with the sheriff's offices from Fremont and Madison counties to address their woes.

Some said they've noticed small things missing like gas from their vehicles; while others say pets have disappeared.

Sheriff Len Humphries, with Fremont County, urged them to look out for each other."I'm encouraging them to organize a neighborhood watch program. It would be organized and give people a forum to let us know when they have problems, specifically to call us," said Humphries.

He said, in order to protect your home, it's important to call 911 when you see anything suspicious and keep doors locked, especially at night on your home and on your car.

About 60 people showed up to the meeting in Salem on Monday night. Humphries said they've had 9 of these strange reports. but he thinks many people just aren't calling police.

If you're leaving on vacation anytime soon, Humphries said you can call in to your local law enforcement agency and they'll gladly come out to patrol your home for you.

Other than the terrible punctuation and grammar, let me point out a couple of things. First off, this Hannah girl is obviously not the brightest bulb if she doesn't lock her door at night. Second, her filament is clearly broken and the bulb is not working at all, because after a stranger took things from her house and possibly slept in her basement, she still didn't lock the door the next night! I know you live in rural Idaho Hannah, but not everything is unicorns and rainbows.

Yes, some creepy man or woman is entering these homes illegally, but I feel like these people are bringing it on themselves. How hard is it to lock a door? I know it takes a lot of time and effort to turn that complex latch, but it's better to do that than to have a squatter in your kitchen enjoying your left-over tuna casserole at 3 in the morning.

AOTW 08.30.2011

2011-08-30T17:57:00.004-06:00

Let's talk about blurring things in Photoshop. This can be a useful tool if you use it in the right ways. You can make someone's skin look flawless, you can smooth out bodies of water (like lakes, not oceans :), but as we've discovered with our fauxtographers, they don't know how to use most tools, including blur filters. The pictures in today's post were provided by Andrea. At first I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but then I remembered I shouldn't be surprised by ANYTHING fauxtographers do.

Radial blur = migraine. Enough said.

I have two questions. 1. Why would you cut off the head/s of your subject? 2. Why would your point of focus be on their knees?

Obviously a bad Photoshop filter job. Don't get me wrong, blur can be a good thing when it comes out of the camera and when used in moderation in Photoshop. The fauxtog is trying to replicate the blur you get when using an open aperture, but they failed miserably. This is why you do it right in the first place instead of trying to change it in Photoshop. Otherwise you end up on some stranger's blog who roasts fake photographers.

It's Way Too Late to be Posting

2011-08-21T01:28:00.005-06:00

My friend Jace and I went out to take some pictures tonight. I was too excited to wait until tomorrow to put the images together, so here I am at 2 am. I'll try to say as little as possible since my mind is a little fuzzy right now. The process is called Light Painting. Basically you choose your subject and take several shots of it with different areas exposed to light. You combine these pictures in Photoshop, and this is what you get. I took a little over 100 images, but the final product contains about 10-15 images. The pros who do this sort of thing usually have around 150 different pictures in their final image. I'm definitely not to that point yet, but it was fun to experiment with the process. I learned that I'll probably change a lot of things next time I attempt this, but I feel like it was a fairly successful first try.

The next two pictures I took while camping in the Uintahs. This lake is called Wall lake. It was a very pretty area, and I wish I would have taken more pictures, so I guess that means I'll have to go back sometime.

P.S. I feel like Blogger always makes my pictures appear darker than they really are. Annoying.

AOTW 08.09.2011

2011-08-09T11:24:00.004-06:00

This is one of my favorite fauxtographs of all time. I really just don't even know what to say about it. I found this little gem on a great website a few months back (they like to call out bad photographers too), and I decided it was finally time to share it with all of you. I hope someone is near you to clean up the mess, because your mind is about to be blown.

Yes, that's right. The photographer thought this picture was good enough to 1. Give to the client and 2. Post it online. Both really REALLY bad decisions.

What day is it exactly?

2011-07-27T19:53:00.006-06:00

The last week and a half has been a total blur. The Air Force was supposed to move all of our stuff, but because they were so behind on getting Dave his orders, their moving department was not able to fit us in. You're not able to schedule a move until you have your orders. Normally you get your orders 30 days or so in advance, but we had a week. That meant it was a mad dash to find a storage unit and a U-haul. We spent the next 3 days running around like chickens with their heads cut off. We were exhausted after moving everything last minute, saying goodbye to family and friends, and making a couple trips up to the base (45 minutes away from our house). A big thanks goes out to our friends Tony, Veronica, and Amy for helping us move some things. The Air Force will supposedly compensate us for all the hassle, but I'm not getting my hopes up. My opinion of them has soured a bit since this whole moving thing happened... They will be moving our things from the storage unit in Salt Lake down to a unit in New Mexico in a couple of weeks.

Thursday morning we dropped the rest of our stuff off at the storage unit, returned the truck, and ran a few more errands. We left for Albuquerque around noon. I must say it is not the most scenic drive I've ever been on. Southern Utah is probably the most boring place I've ever been. Although driving through Moab was really cool. But let's not forget the best part, we drove Dave's Honda, and we didn't have AC for most of the drive. Not fun. We pulled into Rio Rancho around 10:30 and stayed at Brenda and Boyd's house. Dave and I drove to the base in Albuquerque on Friday to check out their housing. We drove around the city for a bit looking at different areas as possible places to live. At this point, we're thinking of living in the Rio Rancho area. Dave would be about 30 minutes away from the base, but we would be living in a much nicer area. Not as crowded and crazy.

Dave left for Alabama Saturday morning, and needless to say, I was a mess. It's pretty tough knowing I won't see him for a very long time, but I know it could always be worse. I just get annoyed when people say things like, "So-and-so's husband was gone for two months, and she got through it just fine." First I flip them off mentally and then think to myself that I am not So-and-so... That doesn't mean I don't think I'll get through it, it just means that everyone's experience is different, and telling me that someone else had to do it doesn't make it any easier.

Brenda and I went to these ruins that were just down the road from where she lives. These were occupied by Indians up until the Spanish drove them out. The houses were made of mud bricks.

I stayed in Rio Rancho until Monday, and then I flew back to Salt Lake. Brenda did a good job of distracting me so I didn't have to think about my absent husband the whole time.

My parents picked me up from the airport and we went back to my apartment. We packed up the rest of the stuff that the Air Force won't move (batteries, cleaning supplies, spray paint, food) and my things that I'd be taking up to Idaho. We then cleaned the whole apartment and then headed up to Rexburg. Thanks Mom and Dad. You guys are lifesavers.

Dave was so nice and told me I could get a dog after he left. I looked on KSL for quite a few days until I found one I wanted. My parents and I picked her up on our way back to Rexburg.

My puppy's name is Tony. Yes, Tony is a girl. When Dave was younger, his best friend Tony got a cat and named it David. After David the cat had kittens, it was obvious the cat was a girl. I promised Dave that I'd name my dog after Tony, even if it was a girl. So there you have it. She is the most adorable dog. But I might be partial because she's mine. Tony is a Yorkiepoo. She only weighs about a pound, but will be 3-5 pounds when she's full grown. She is such a sweet dog. She follows me everywhere and has to make sure she's not left out. She's almost completely house trained. We'll be working on some tricks soon. Tony and Jack have become pretty good friends. I think they'll miss each other when we move.

Let's play a game. It's called "Find Tony's eyes." I need to trim the hair around her face so she can see a little easier :)

I had to get a picture of her next to Jack so you can all see just how small she is.

It was surprisingly difficult to get a good picture of Tony. She thinks she has to be right next to me all the time, so she'd run over to me every time I'd back up to snap a shot. I had to have my mom hold her in place and then run out of the frame when it was time to shoot. Good job, Mom. You can be my photo assistant any day.

Basically for the last week and a half I have lost all track of time. Don't ask me what day of the month it is, because I can't tell you. I'm so glad that the whole moving thing is over with... for now. The government movers will be in Salt Lake on the 12th, so I'll have to go back for that. I'll have to be there the whole time they are there. They have to repack everything to make sure it's up to their standards. We basically just threw stuff in boxes since we knew they'd be redoing everything. It will all go into storage somewhere in New Mexico until we have a house.

So that has been my life as of late. Aren't you jealous?

Wow, that was one long, boring post. I feel sorry you had to read it, but people wanted updates, so there you go.

AOTW 07.13.11

2011-07-13T14:32:00.004-06:00

First off, I just want to know how this person's business has over 1,300 "likes" on Facebook. Can someone enlighten me? And believe me when I say this picture is actually one of their better images.

This picture has more problems than I can list, but I'll just state a few. First of all, tilty camera shot. Two thumbs down. Second, Obviously done on the auto function since the exposure is so far off. Third, This is a very uncomfortable angle to be looking at someone. If I'm looking straight up someone's nose, I'm going to check for nose hair, just like how I check for pit hair, which was mentioned in a previous AOTW post. Fourth, why the random piece of fence? It doesn't add anything to the photo except it does tell me you probably went to a tennis court or baseball diamond to take this picture. Taking pictures in these locations is fine if the area has something else to offer, but let's stay away from the ugly chain-link fence. And last but not least, never make your subject's skin tone look like Snooki. All cameras and any photo editing software, especially Photoshop, should be completely off limits to fauxtographers, or this will likely be the result every time. I need to go pop some Dramamine and take a nap because I feel sick and dizzy after looking at this picture.

My Heart Hurts

2011-07-11T18:12:00.002-06:00

My dear Napoleon has been gone for almost a week now. The mean IT guy at work has taken him hostage. He was supposed to set up my noble steed so I could do some work from home. He said he'd bring Napoleon back right away, but he lied. At least I'll have CS5 when/if I get him back. In the meantime I'm stuck using this. Sad face... Is life even worth living?

AOTW 07.05.2010

2011-07-05T17:10:00.004-06:00

The job applications just keep piling in, and they never fail to disappoint. It's killing me inside that I have to keep them to myself, because they are so good. My descriptions just can't do them justice. Anyway, you'll have to settle for the pictures I find perusing the internets...

Is anyone else a little freaked out by this one? I really just don't even know what to say. The selective color is the least of this fauxtographer's worries.

Would anyone guess that this is an engagement photo? Well, if you did, I owe you a million dollars. Fauxtogs really need to stop focusing on being different, because their work ends up looking like this. "Hey baby, do you prefer low heat or permanent press?" It makes just about as much sense as doing pictures in a dentist's office or a plasma donation center...

Sometimes Facebook Bugs Me

2011-06-29T09:26:00.003-06:00

While I love Facebook just as much as the next person, sometimes I just have to roll my eyes at the things people post.

Number one pet peeve: Those stupid status updates that say things like, "If you've ever put a band-aid on a scraped up knee or kissed a boo-boo. If you've ever taught your daughter to ride her bike or held her when she cried, post this as your status." Or, "If you have a dad who has always been there for you, who taught you how to throw a ball, or change the oil in your car, post this as your status to show him publicly that you love him." Come on people! Really? I tell my dad I love him every time I see him or talk to him. Do I really need to prove my love for my dad through FB? I think not. Especially since my dad isn't even on Facebook. And those posts about your daughter? She's probably not even old enough to read!

Number two pet peeve: I don't need status updates on your kids. I really don't want to hear about them blowing chunks or their snotty noses. If you post things like this on a regular basis, I've most likely blocked your updates from showing up on my news feed. If you want to post something about your kids, it better be awesome.

Number three pet peeve: The "I am sooooo blessed" status updates. You come off as braggy. I'm glad you love your husband and that your mom came over and helped you clean your house, but I don't want to hear about it on FB.

Number four pet peeve: Excessive religious posts (or anti-religious). You know what I'm talking about. I know church leaders encourage us to represent our religion, but I think you represent it in a bad way when you're constantly posting churchy things. I think it's best to teach people by your example, not shoving your beliefs down their throats. Non-members or less-active members think you're crazy. And I do too. But the same thing goes for people who are always spreading hate about religion.

Number five pet peeve: Political posts. Once again, you look like an idiot. I know you think everyone in Utah and Idaho have the same political views as you, but you're wrong. Believe it or not, I do NOT hang on every word Glenn Beck says. In fact, I think he is a complete moron. Burn me at the stake...

*Sheesh. This blog is turning into a complainathon. Sorry guys!

Abomination of the Week 06.24.2011

2011-06-24T14:39:00.008-06:00

This has been an interesting week. I put in my notice at work a few weeks back, and my boss asked me to help them find a new photographer. Let's just say it's been a very eye-opening experience. I always knew there were tons of fauxtogs in Utah, but my mind has been blown. I severely underestimated their presence. It's how I imagine it would be if the world were taken over by zombies. One person becomes infected and then it spreads to the next and then the next and then the next until the people not infected have to fight for their lives in order to survive. We're talking shot guns and flame throwers. Exaggeration? I wish...

Anyway, I really wanted to post some of the abominations I received, but I thought that might not be very professional. Just believe me when I say it was terrible. In fact, I don't think there is a word that can describe how bad some of these pictures were. Let's just say there was a ton of on-camera flash and selective color. Neither of which is EVER a good thing.

Now on to the good stuff. Today I will be talking about engagement pictures. When a lovely couple is about to enter the world of wedded bliss, they are often too blinded by their love to know they should spend a little extra money on a real photographer. Let's face it, most newly weds are poor, or in Oprah's words, "Po." They think that since their really good friend just bought a Canon Rebel XTi, and the bride wants to save a little money so she can have one of those ultra-trendy candy or ice cream bars at her reception, their friend would be the perfect candidate to be the engagement/wedding fauxtog. A year or two down the road they realize that the only thing that ice cream bar did was make them gain weight and their pictures turned out looking like poop. As I always tell people, save some money on your flowers or the food and put it towards a real photographer, because those flowers are going to die, the food will be gone, and all you have left are your pictures. So make sure they're good.

I want to know what the fauxtog was thinking on this one. Does it not look like a giant is about to eat a damsel in distress? I'm thinking Roald Dahl could have made a really good story out of this picture. R.I.P. Roald. It's probably never a good idea to have an out of focus face so close to the camera. Not flattering. And whenever I see someone's armpits, I'm going to be looking for hair or pit stains. I can't help it guys! Let's just stay away from this pose. K?

I like to call this pose, "All Hands on Deck!" If you want to make someone look preggers, bust out his pose. 4 hands + 1 stomach = a really bad picture. Also, I think the fauxtog needs to venture out of his/her apartment complex because it's really not working for me.

What is with the balloons in engagement pictures lately? I know Up was a super cute movie and all, but the balloon theme is getting old. Also, I would advise the fauxtog to straighten the picture. Horizontal lines should be horizontal. But what do I know?

P.S. I know this post is labeled 06.24.2011 and it's really 06.27.2011, but I started it on the 24th, so back off!!! Just kidding. Nothin' but love guys. Nothin' but love (except towards fauxtogs)

Abomination of the Week 06.17.2011

2011-06-17T09:15:00.003-06:00

Question: When is it okay to charge over a thousand dollars for a wedding?

Answer: When your work is worth a thousand dollars.

That's right folks! We have a high-roller this week. This dude charges over a thousand bucks for his wedding packages. Paying $1,000 for a wedding is definitely not unheard of, especially outside of Utah and Idaho, but if you pay that much money, you darn well better get high-quality images out of it. Am I the only one who would be completely ticked if I shelled out that much money, and the fauxtographer handed me pictures like these? I would hope not...

Once again, I'm sorry about the black fuzzies on these pictures. While sometimes I think it would be great to expose these fauxtographers for who they really are, I don't want to get sued. Mmkay?

You know that little light on the top of your camera? The one that gets really bright when you click the button? Don't use it! Ever! If you want to make your subject look as unflattering as possible, use your on-camera flash. Do you want to know why everyone looks terrible in their driver's license photos? On-camera flash. Plain and simple. You get flat light on the subject, and harsh, ugly shadows. Stay away from any fauxtographer who would make you look like this, then try to cover it up with a bad Photoshop job and think it looks good enough to show to the client. Also, the overall composition of this picture is amazingly bad. Plus, the groom looks like he just murdered his bride and got away with it.

I have a great idea. Let's take an old wire frame bed and my car's headlights, set if up in the middle of nowhere, and we'll take a terrible photograph! Sound fun? If this seems like a good idea, back away from the camera before someone gets hurt. It looks like the cops caught them doing the nasties... Just sayin.

Last but not least, the "artsy" out of focus picture. Ummm, I'm pretty sure if I'm getting my portrait taken, I want to be in focus. But I'm weird like that. So maybe you should take my opinion with a grain of salt. Also, lens flare (that big white blob in the middle of the picture) is something fauxtographers believe is a happy accident that gives their pictures more of that artsy feel. In reality, it just means they don't know how to prevent it.

If you (or someone you know) have been the victim of a fauxtographer, send me the link to their totally awesome/professional website (cough, blog, cough) and I will be more than happy to bring them to justice.

Abomination of the Week 06.10.2011

2011-06-10T14:40:00.004-06:00

Okay guys, I know I said I would do this once a week, but I had so much fun with the last one, I couldn't wait an entire week between posts. For this AOTW insert, I'll be discussing a few things from the fauxtography world that have been driving me NUTS for quite awhile.

Let's start with the camera tilt. Fauxtographers ofter pull this move to make their fauxtographs seem more "artsy." I think it just causes pictures to look more "migrainy." Horizontal or vertical please. Don't even get me started on the exposure on this one. Yuck! And would someone please tell those parents their cute, little boy has a dog's butt growing out of the side of his head? K, thanks.

On to over-processing. I think something from the South end of a Northbound horse landed on this photo, because why would anyone purposely smear poop on an image? If you look closely, you'll see some blood spatter on the bottom left corner too. A bad Photoshop job will not compensate for a bad photograph. In fact, it only makes it worse.

One of the most enlightening classes I ever took was one that prohibited us from using Photoshop. And yes, we used only digital cameras. I learned that making the image correct in camera is a heck of a lot easier than fixing it out of camera. This especially goes for exposure. There should be detail left in the highlights and the shadows. If you look at the highlights in this picture, you'll notice there is hardly any detail, it's just blindingly white. I think I need a cornea transplant now.

Let's now address the issue of undersaturation. This is a plague running rampant in the fauxtography community. STOP! JUST STOP! Why do you insist on making everyone look dead? I know there's the whole Twilight vampire thing going on, but come on. Make your subjects look like they have a pulse.

Stay tuned for my next post. It will be featuring some fauxtographs from one of Jenni's friends. It is going to be good (or bad, depending on how you look at it).

Abomination of the Week

2011-06-06T13:57:00.007-06:00

As you all know, crappy photography or fauxtography (my new favorite word) is one of my biggest pet peeves. If you're just going out to take pictures for fun, then that's great, but if you're charging for your terribly offensive pictures, you're giving real photographers a bad name. And now it's time I call you on it. I've decided to start a weekly segment on the blog called Abomination of the Week. I will post a photo that is an absolute outrage to humanity, and I will critique it. I will only post images from "photographers" who actually charge for their work. If you have any great fauxtographs you'd like to share, please send them to me.

Let's start this thing off on the right foot. I give you Exhibit A.

Where do I start... OH! I know! How about the crotch glaring me in the face?! Yeah, that's a good place to start. The last thing I want is to look at someone's no-no-special-place. If I liked that sort of thing, I'd be an OB/GYN, which I'm clearly not. Keep the legs closed, and the crotch pointed AWAY from the camera! Is it an unwritten rule that every pregnant woman has to place her hand above and below her stomach? Do we really need to emphasize the fact that she's "with child"? I'm pretty sure anyone who's not legally blind can figure it out. And even then... Now, on to the more technical side of things. Auto function is of the devil. Your camera has a light meter for a reason. They didn't install those pretty green lights just to entertain you, they have a purpose. Also, does the lady have horribly disfigured toes, or what exactly is the reason for cutting them out of the picture?

*I'm sorry for the black line through the middle of the picture. I decided to black out the name of the "business." Although, it's not like it made the picture any worse. It probably distracts people from the crotch shot, so you should really be thanking me :)

**Please note that while I really HATE fauxtographers, I completely support anyone who is honestly trying to improve their photographic skills. But here's the deal. Don't charge anyone money until you're worth money!!!

***Does this segment come off as mean? I don't want to be mean (okay, I sort of do). I'm hoping you guys can pick up on the humor here. This is all in good fun. I don't want to sound like a photo snob, because I've taken bad pictures too, I just know when to not show them to anyone :)

Things I've Learned Over a Year

2011-06-01T11:57:00.009-06:00

I have been married for a year. Pretty crazy, huh? Well, more than a year now. Our anniversary was on May 20th, but don't be hatin' just because I'm a little late with this post. I thought I'd write a little list of the things I've learned through marriage.

I don't cook nearly as much as I should. I like to cook, it's just that it seems we're always out doing something and never home. Or we get home really late, and by that time all I want to do is go to sleep.

If something is broken, Dave will not stop until he finds a solution to fix it. He will stay up until the early hours of the morning to figure out how he's going to fix a leaky shower, a broken curtain rod, or his model airplane he's crashed 5 times. This is one thing that drives me NUTS, but he usually finds a solution.

It's impossible to get caught up on laundry. It's like it magically appears in the basket. I'm sure all of you "veterans" are laughing right about now. I know, I know, it will be a million times worse when I have kids.

I thought marriage would feel different. Like my life would suddenly change, and I would be completely different from when I was single. But that's not how it is. I'm still the same person, there just happens to be a dude in my apartment.

Things get easier as time goes on. A bunch of people told me this, but I guess I had to live it to really understand it. It's not like Dave and I were at each others throats all the time, but you do have to get used to living with someone else and meeting halfway on things.

Marriage is fun. Whether we're refinishing a table or on a road trip, Dave and I are usually laughing and joking around.

Boys are gross. It's not that I didn't already know this, but I had hoped it would be different once I got married. Nope! Dave farmer blows in the shower just like my brothers. No shame. But it's okay, because I still love him. And I still love my brothers... on occasion :) Just kidding!

Renting really stinks. I will not be sad when we own our own house. As I type this, I'm listening to the neighbor's baby scream. Not to mention they have control over the thermostat, and anytime they flush the toilet while I'm in the shower, I have to go to the emergency room to get treatment for my third degree burns. Okay, so that's a little dramatic, but the water feels boiling hot! But as they say, experiences like this will only make you appreciate owning your own place even more.

I lucked out. Seriously. Dave is a great match for me. When I'm all hopped up on a hormonal BC rage, he's usually able to calm me down and make me smile. *Is that TMI talking about BC and hormones on a blog? Oh well...*

Also, for those of you wondering, Dave will be leaving for Officer Training School around July 24th. He'll be in Alabama for three months, and I'll most likely be living in Rexburg during that time. It's really going to stink being separated for that long, but I keep telling myself it could always be worse.

When he returns, we'll be moving to Albuquerque (I almost got that without spell check. Dang it! Maybe next time), and he'll be working at Kirtland Air Force Base. He'll be working as an electrical engineer for their space program. We're pretty excited about the move, but we want visitors! So don't be shy.

2011-02-16T11:45:00.003-07:00

I'm taking a break from my 30 day challenge to bring you some sad news. Dave's dad passed away last night. Bill suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke three weeks ago. The doctors did not sound hopeful at first, but after two surgeries, they felt he might recover. He was making small steps to recovery, and we were all hopeful. Dave and his mom were looking at long term care facilities for him, and they were planning to move him yesterday. However, when Rose showed up at the hospital yesterday morning, Bill's breathing was very irregular and labored. It got worse throughout the day. He vomited, and this became a very big problem because it got into his lungs. Rose called Dave and told him that Bill probably wouldn't make it. We got to the hospital as soon as we could, and he passed away about 45 minutes later.

I'm grateful for the example Bill was to everyone. He was so loving and kind. I don't think the man had a mean bone in his body. We'll all miss him very much. Please keep David's family in your prayers. This came as quite a shock to all of us as we were all expecting him to recover.

Day 11- A picture of something you dislike

2011-02-15T09:09:00.002-07:00

It's not that I dislike doctors, I just dislike surgery, blood, vomit, and anything that has to do with a hospital. If you want to see my face turn green, put on a surgery show. Yuck.

Day 10- A story about a past relationship

2011-02-14T14:46:00.002-07:00

Well, I definitely wouldn't consider this a "relationship," but it is a funny story about a blind date I went on.

A friend I worked with talked to me for weeks about this guy he wanted to set me up with. He totally talked this guy up. He was supposed to be my perfect match. As we all know, blind dates never turn out this way, unless you're my parents, but that's another story.

I don't remember his name, so we'll call him Jim. Jim called me a few days before we went out and asked me to go to a movie. We decided to see Bedtime Stories, because we both thought it looked like a good show. He said he'd pick me up at 6:30.

6:30 came and went and Jim hadn't shown up. I got a call from him at about 6:45 saying he was running late. I gave him directions to my house, and he said he'd be there in 10 minutes. Once again, 10 minutes came and went. No sign of Jim. Another half an hour rolled by, and Mr. Perfect was nowhere to be found. Now, anyone who's been to my house knows that it's really not THAT hard to find.

I got another phone call from Jim saying he was lost. I asked him where he was, and he was on the complete opposite side of town. I started to think that this kid must not be too bright. Awhile later I saw a car going up and down my street like the person driving it was lost. I figured it was my date, so I called him and asked if he was lost again. Of course he was! I told him he was right outside my house. He finally came in, met my mom, and we left in a hurry because we were running late. At this point, I found out Jim was driving his mom's box van because he got his car stuck in a snow bank earlier. Hence the reason he was late. Well, partially. He was mostly late because he couldn't navigate his way through the thriving metropolis of Rexburg.

We got in the car, he put it in reverse, stepped on the gas, and backed straight in to AJ's massive truck... We got out to check the damage, and the poor kid looked scared to death. But not nearly as scared as when we went in to tell AJ. AJ had a shaved head and a bushy beard. He looked pretty intimidating. My date stumbled over his words, so I broke the news to AJ. We went out to look over the damage. Thankfully AJ's truck only suffered a broken taillight cover. However, the back of the van was a different story. The tailgate was completely smashed in. Jim kept saying over and over how his mom was going to kill him. I just kept thinking, "How did you not see a HUGE F350?!?!?!" AJ let the kid off easy and told him not to worry about the truck. He happened to have an extra taillight cover, so he could easily fix it.

After the color in Jim's face reappeared, we finally left for the movie. Let's just say that Jim's driving skills did not improve. We were sliding all over the road, and he almost rear-ended another car. The Indiana Jones Ride had nothing on this guy! We somehow managed to make it to the movie alive. Of course we missed over half of it.

After a scary ride back home, and Jim saying, "We should do this again sometime," I ran back into the safety of my house never to see him again.

Day 09- Something/someone you’re proud of

2011-02-08T19:02:00.004-07:00

Dave is only three months away from earning his master's degree. Even though I complain all the time that I don't get to see him, I'm proud of what he's doing. Plus he's totally HOT!!! Hello!

Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why

2011-02-08T18:57:00.003-07:00

I'm going to start off by saying that I hate goals. I think they're annoying and cliche. I'm such a Scrooge. I've never made a New Year's resolution, because I think they're just plain dumb. The only goal I have this month is to post something every day on my blog. Good thing I'm doing this challenge so I have a goal to list in this post :)

Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

2011-02-08T18:47:00.004-07:00

Hmmm, good question. Well, Andrea already used family as her biggest influence, so that one has been taken. I'll go with the next best thing. FOOD! Seriously, if I'm hungry, you don't want to be around me. Just ask Dave. If my stomach is full of good food, I'm a happy person. If my stomach is empty, you better watch out. Things can get a little crazy. It's very safe to say that food has a big influence on me. I think it's better if Dave and I just don't acknowledge each other on fast Sundays. I think it's healthier that way :)

I actually took this picture for one of my classes. Who wants egg rolls?! I do!!!

Day 06- A hobby you have

2011-02-08T18:31:00.003-07:00

I love to record music. I just think the whole process is fun. I'm pretty shy when it comes to actually sharing my songs though. I usually just let my parents listen to them, because they're required to like them :) I just ordered an electronic drum set that hooks up to my computer. Too bad it's on back order. And of course the company I ordered it from didn't tell me that until AFTER the purchase. Grrr...

This is my cute little mic. Thanks for hooking me up Jared!

Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to

2011-02-08T18:21:00.006-07:00

We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon, and I miss it every day. What a cool place! We stayed on Oahu and Kauai. Kauai was by far my favorite. It was more relaxed and not as crowded as Oahu. Although, it was more crowded with chickens/roosters running around :)

Day 04- List 15 songs that represent your life’s soundtrack

2011-02-06T19:46:00.005-07:00

1. Cecilia - Simon and Garfunkel
This is the first song I can remember loving. I was probably 3 or 4, but I can remember singing it in the car with my mom and dad. I was surprised to find out what it really meant when I was older :)

2. The Sign - Ace of Base
One of my brothers had this song on tape, and I would listen to it over and over while I roller-skated in the garage.

3. Down On the Corner - CCR
Another song I can remember singing with my dad when I was growing up. We had the opportunity to do a guitar duet at the nursing home a couple of years ago, and we sang this song. You can't go wrong with a little CCR.

4. Needs - Collective Soul
Jared introduced me to this song. It was pretty much life changing :) I've loved Collective Soul ever since. My friends and I played this in Guitar's Unplugged a few years ago.

5. Brighter Than Sunshine - Aqualung
Just an all around great tune I've listened to countless times.

6. None of Your Business - Salt-N-Pepa
My soccer team and I would listen to this song all the time on our way to games. We'd roll down the windows and belt it out like fools. We were fools.

7. Colors - Amos Lee
I first heard this in the movie "Just Like Heaven." It's kind of sad, but really good at the same time.

8. Landslide - Stevie Nicks
Okay, so Stevie Nicks doesn't have the greatest voice on earth, but this song is pretty dang awesome in my book. I don't have any specific memories regarding this one, but I've always liked it.

9. Come Home Soon - SHeDAISY
Lindsay, Hailee, and I would always sing this. It's such a good one. I never get tired of it.

10. Steal My Kisses - Ben Harper
Who wouldn't like this song? Only commies.

11. No One - Alicia Keys
I can honestly say that I don't particularly love this one, but my roommates and I would always sing it at dance parties, so the memories are worth it :)

12. One Day Like This - Elbow
Another song Jared introduced me to. I've listened to it on repeat for hours at a time.

13. Takes So Long - The Weepies
I heart The Weepies, and I heart this song.

14. If It's Love - Train
Train is one of my favorite bands ever, and this is a great upbeat song.

15. Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
No specific memories on this one, I've just always loved it.

Day 03- A habit that you wish you didn’t have

2011-02-06T19:33:00.003-07:00

I don't know if you would call this a habit, but it is definitely a problem I wish I didn't have. I have a really hard time calling people on the phone. Especially people I don't know. It's like I'm afraid I'm going to freeze up and forget what I'm supposed to say, and then I'll say something totally stupid. This has never actually happened, but I'm always terrified it will.

I'm afraid to call and order a pizza, I'm afraid to call the doctor and set up an appointment, I'm even afraid to call people back who have called me and left a voice message. I messed my elbow up a couple of months ago during a soccer game, and it still hurts like crazy. But do you think I've set up an appointment? If you guessed no, you're right...

Day 02- A picture of something you cannot live without

2011-02-06T19:25:00.002-07:00

Sweaters. I have to wear a sweater/jacket everyday, or life is not pleasant.

Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

2011-02-05T19:14:00.002-07:00

1. Pretty sure I'm a little OCD. I feel like I'm constantly washing my hands or using sanitizer. When I was in 6th grade, I won the clean hands award. True story.
2. When I was in high school, I went on a "business trip" with my parents to Las Vegas. While we were there, I got to meat Morgan and Paul Hamm.
3. I have 20/20 vision. I've been prescribed glasses three or four times, but the last time I went to the eye doctor (a couple of weeks ago), my eyes had improved. Yay!
4. I studied marshal arts for a couple of years.
5. I can't leave my house if my makeup and hair aren't done. I'm pretty sure I got that from my mom. No shopping in PJs for me!
6. I may or may not be a little addicted to Angry Birds. But who isn't?!
7. When I was in third grade, I broke the middle finger on my left hand. Not fun, but I got to wear a sweet splint for a few weeks :)
8. I'm the music leader in relief society. It always makes my day when the cute old ladies give me a hug and tell me they love the hymns I pick. They're sweetie pies.
9. One of my pictures from work will be in Woman's World Magazine next month. Coming to a news stand near you!
10. I really love vegetables. Like a lot.
11. Every time I see one of those vinyl family stickers on the back of a car, I have to keep myself from cussing. I really hate those things.
12. I taught myself to ride a bike. AJ left his bike out on the lawn one day, and I decided I should give it a whirl. I actually got it on the first try.
13. Top Chef is probably my favorite TV show ever.
14. I am now officially a Hensley (changed my name on my SS card) and (unfortunately) a Utah resident.
15. I've never been pulled over. Knock on wood.

Andrea, may I copy you? K, thanks.

2011-02-05T18:41:00.002-07:00

Andrea has been doing a 30 day posting challenge on her blog this month, and I think it's kind of cool. So naturally, I'm going to copy her :) I figured this would be an easier way for me to think of things to blog about. So here you go.

Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself.

Day 02- A picture of something you cannot live without.

Day 03- A habit that you wish you didn’t have.

Day 04- List 15 songs that represent your life’s soundtrack.

Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to.

Day 06- A hobby you have.

Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you.

Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why.

Day 09- Something/someone you’re proud of.

Day 10- A story about a past relationship.

Day 11- A picture of something you dislike.

Day 12- A picture of your room & don’t cheat by cleaning it. Share a secret.

Day 13- Write a letter telling someone something you could never tell them.

Day 14- A picture of something you ate and 10 confessions.

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle & share the first 10 songs that play.

Day 16- Something you could live without.

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why.

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have.

Day 19- Nicknames you have & how or why you have them.

Day 20- If you had 3 wishes, what would they be.

Day 21- Share a picture from your day.

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else.

Day 23- What is something you crave.

Day 24- Share a story about your past that you are ashamed of.

Day 25- What I would find in your bag.

Day 26- Places you want to visit before you die.

Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge?

Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?

Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned.

Day 30- A picture of you today & 20 goals you want to accomplish.

Year in Review

2010-12-30T12:15:00.005-07:00

I wanted to make a list of all the fun/cool/exciting things I've done this past year. I wanted to throw in a bunch of pictures on this post, but true to form, I don't have very many... A little ironic, don't ya think? Anyway, here we go.

* David and I got engaged. It's pretty weird to think that was a year ago. I knew Dave wanted to propose, and I totally thought I'd know when he was going to pop the question. But I was wrong. It was a great surprise. Good job, Dave.

* Joined an indoor soccer team. It has been really good for me to have something to do every Friday. It's been rough having Dave in school, and soccer is one thing that gives me something to look forward to every week.

* Got a new Mac. Yes, this is worth mentioning. I love Napoleon. Don't make fun of me for naming my computer. I have to give Jenni credit for coming up with the name. You see, he's named Napoleon because he's little, but he can take over the world. Mwahahahaha!!!!

* Moved to Sugar House. I love our neighborhood. It's awesome not being surrounded by apartments. Just cute little houses. And EVERYONE has a dog. Except for us... I'm determined to change that.

* Got SCUBA certified. After doing a few sessions in a pool, I got to go to the Crater in Midway and do two more sessions. It was honestly really scary at first. You have to train yourself to not freak out when you're underwater. Once I got the hang of it though, I never wanted to stop. It's a very different world underwater.

* Got married. I guess this one makes the list... Just kidding. This was by far the bright spot in my year. Everyone asks how I like married life. Honestly, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Marriage is awesome. And I will refrain from being cheesy so I don't embarrass any of you and/or my husband :)

* Went to Hawaii. By far the coolest place I've ever been. Between the food, SCUBA diving, off-roading, and everything else, I didn't want to leave. We actually tried to change our plane tickets last minute so we could come back a couple days later, but we weren't able to. Sad.

* Lake Powell. I'd never been before, and I wasn't disappointed. We had a few scary moments (hitting a deer, almost sinking our boat, getting caught in a major storm), but it was awesome. The landscape is so different but beautiful. If you haven't been to Lake Powell, I highly recommend you go.

* We went hiking and camping quite a few times this summer. The weather was great, and we took advantage of it. Dave didn't have to take any classes during the summer, so we definitely made good use of our time.

* Ran in the Dirty Dash. This 10K was so fun. The girls in our group were awesome (Hi Hil!), and it was great to have people cheering us on. I really wish I would have trained more, but I still had boatloads of fun.

* Turned 24. Good thing I got married, or I'd be considered an old maid by Mormon standards. Phew... That was a close one.

I'd have to say that 2010 was a pretty good year. We'll see how 2011 pans out.

It's Been Awhile

2010-11-30T21:32:00.003-07:00

I have writer's block. So sue me. Until I come up with something worth writing, enjoy the following picture.

Dear Mom,

This post is for you, because you said you didn't like clicking on my blog anymore because the last post was sad, and it was always at the top. Consider this an early Christmas present.

Love,
Your Favorite Child EVER

Can't Sleep. Guilty Conscience

2010-11-14T23:55:00.002-07:00

I'm writing this post for strictly selfish purposes. I guess I wanted to blog about this just so I can go back and read it to remind myself to act when I'm impressed to do something.

There's only one way to put this... I feel stupid. Really stupid.

Dave and I try to go out on a date once a week. With him being in school and both of us working full time, it's hard to get quality time in. Our date night is usually designated for Saturdays.

This week we decided to go to dinner (The Old Spaghetti Factory at Trolley Square) and then go bowling. The bowling alley was pretty busy, and we had to stand in line for quite awhile. In front of us was a man and his daughter. They were soon joined by his wife and three more kids. Dave and I both commented on how cute this family was. It was finally their turn to get set up on a lane. The kids were SO excited. As they were lacing up their shoes, I could see the man trying to communicate with the cashier. I don't think he spoke English, or at least not well, so the older daughter was trying to translate. It was obvious the man didn't have enough money to pay. I felt impressed to help them out... But I just stood their like a Greek statue. Or an idiot. Whatever you want to call it. We watched as the mom told the little kids to put their shoes back up on the counter. They had the most disappointed looks on their faces. The family walked off, and we never saw them again.

It was our turn to pay. We were surprised to see how much it was just for the two of us. I'm sure paying for a family of 6 wasn't cheap. As we were walking up to our lane, Dave commented on how we should have helped that family. I told him that I had the same impression.

We played 1 game, but we didn't really enjoy it because we felt so bad about the situation.

It's not like we couldn't have helped them out. It wouldn't have been a financial burden for us. As I watched the whole thing go down, I wasn't thinking selfish thoughts as to why we shouldn't help them, I just didn't act. And now I feel horrible about it. I felt like Heavenly Father gave us an opportunity to help some people out, and we let it slip through our fingers. I hope He will bless me with more opportunities like this. Dave and I both committed to never let something like that happen again.

So this is why I can't sleep. Sorry this post is kind of a downer, but I guess I wanted to tell someone about it. And that someone just happens to be everyone who reads this blog. So there you go.

Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On

2010-11-03T17:49:00.004-06:00

Dave went to the eye doctor a few days ago because his prescription was about 6 years old. Plus, one of his lenses was scratched to H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks. The Air Force said they'd mail the glasses to us, and when I got home today I found the package in the mail box. Dave was pretty excited to get them. We were surprised to find THREE pairs of glasses. Three pairs of totally awesome glasses. One of the pairs looks like this. David didn't know why they asked for his gas mask size, but today we found out. Apparently these babies are supposed to go UNDER the gas mask. They look about a half inch thick. I'm sure that's an exaggeration, but the lenses are ridiculously thick. I tried them on, and they were totally like beer goggles. My husband didn't bother to mention while we were dating that he was practically blind. I might have thought about things more if I would have known that... Just kidding.

I'm really diggin' the poky ears in this one. I've never had poky ears, but the rubber band apparently does wonders for people with normal ears.

Here's a good shot of what they look like. You can tell I took this picture because it's not shaky unlike the one of me :) Love you anyway, Dave!

Mobile Uploads

2010-10-26T18:43:00.008-06:00

Getting a phone with a decent camera has been pretty fun. I've never really used the camera on my cell phone much, but after getting this new one (5 megapixels), I've found myself snapping quite a few. That doesn't necessarily mean the pictures turn out great since you can't control exposure, white balance, etc with it, but I still like to take them. I hardly ever have my nice camera with me, and I don't have a little point and shoot, so this makes it nice.

We decided to drive up to Rexburg this weekend to surprise my mom and dad. We got to the house but they were gone. We needed to run errands in town, so we decided to kidnap Jack. I sent this picture to my mom's phone hoping to confuse her as to what we were doing with her dog, but I forgot she doesn't know how to use a phone. Just kidding, mom :) But seriously... She didn't even see it until they got to the house and I asked her if she liked my text message. I could tell by the confused look on her face that she had no idea what I was talking about.

Oh, and please don't make fun of my nasty Donald Trump hair in this picture. We had been playing hockey. So there.

Is this a bad sign?

I passed this truck while on a walk the other day. Your guess is as good as mine.

New Project

2010-10-14T20:48:00.003-06:00

I've decided to start recording some songs again. It's been awhile, and I've missed it. I went through a streak where I recorded a bunch of songs all at once, but then I stopped for some reason. Oh yeah. I think it was because of those 19 credits that almost killed me. Yeah, that must have been it. Have I mentioned I'm so happy that I'm finished with school?

This song is called "All I Want is You." It's by U2, and you can listen to the original here.

This recording is far from professional. I haven't edited it yet, so please forgive me for my out of tune notes and other mistakes. Also, I hope you like the one and only picture in this video. Apparently, Blogger won't let you post a song, but it will let you post a video. I put the song in iMovie and grabbed a picture. I think Jonas looks awesome in this one :)

P.S. Sorry about the poopy quality.

24 is the new 23

2010-10-06T23:18:00.005-06:00

Thanks everyone for your birthday phone calls, texts, and gifts. It was a good day. My office at work is in the process of getting remodeled, so I got to go home at about 11am on Friday. Hizzah! Best b-day present ever :)

Dave went to a lot of trouble to make sure I had a fun birthday. I don't see much of my husband due to work and his Master's program. Not cool. Anyway, he's been staying really late at work almost every night. We're talking midnight usually. So it was no surprise when he told me on Thursday he was going to be working late again. I went to bed and was fast asleep when suddenly the lights came on, and Dave was standing there with a cake fully lit with candles. I was so disoriented, I didn't really know what to think. Waking up like that scared me to death, and my heart was pounding out of my chest. Once I (finally) grasped what was going on, I blew out the candles, and we had cake at 12:30am. He had left work early and made the cake at our friend Amy's house. It was a very cool surprise... Once my heart returned to a normal rhythm that is.

Dave got off of work around 5 on Friday, and we headed up to Park City for dinner. We went to a little place called the Baja Cantina. Soooo very tasty. We then went to Provo because I wanted to go to a concert I had heard about. This band is pretty awesome. They put kind of a bluegrass spin on church hymns. They are called The Lower Lights, and you should check them out here. I recommend you listen to Ye Elders of Israel first. It is pretty awesome. Unfortunately, the whole album is no longer available to listen to for free, but a few songs are still up. Don't worry, it's not cheesy Mormon pop. Although, I'm sure I'll still be made fun of for liking it.

In other news, I talked Dave into letting me get new running shoes since mine were pretty much destroyed from the Dirty Dash. So, we bought these babies...

Let me introduce you to my new pair of Asics Cumulus Gel 11 (AKA the most amazing shoe ever). I can almost hear my feet let out a sigh of relief when I put these on. They are that comfy. It's amazing how a nice pair of shoes can make running a lot more pleasant. Or a lot less torturous, depending on how you look at it :)

The Dirty Dash

2010-09-27T18:26:00.006-06:00

A few months ago my friend Amy told me about this sweet race called The Dirty Dash. Basically, it's a muddy obstacle course spread out over 10 kilometers. It sounded awesome, so I committed to doing it. Amy was really helpful and gave me a training program to follow since I was starting from zero. Unfortunately, soon after that, I came down with a horrible case of bronchitis. All training plans were put on hold until I felt well enough to run. The problem was, it took about 6 or 7 weeks until I felt like I was back to normal. By that time, it was really too late to train for a 10K. I decided I would do it anyway, but I knew it was going to be ugly. The only thing I had going for me was that I had been playing soccer once or twice a week. Definitely not enough, but at least it was something.

The neat thing about this race is that you run in teams of 5. Our team consisted of Hilary, my friend Candice and some of her friends, and me. They encourage you to dress up in costumes for this race, so we went for an 80's theme. Hilary's costume was definitely my favorite. She had a sweet Blondie T-shirt, polka-dot leggings, and some awesome socks. And let's not forget the side ponytail. I went for the clashing pink and red color scheme.

This map is deceiving because it makes you think that only the first part is uphill. Liars! It felt like at least 3/4 of it was uphill. Lots and lots of switchbacks. I was just glad I wasn't the only one who was out of shape in our group, because there were times I was really glad that other people were walking, so I could slow down too :) I guess they wanted everyone to start the race out muddy because the first thing we had to do was run up a big, muddy hill. They had a huge sprinkler spraying all the runners at the same time. Mud was flying everywhere, including right into my face. It was fine with me until the race was over and I washed my face off only to realize I was sunburned... except for where the mud was splattered. Note to self: remember sunscreen next time so you don't look like a fool.

After running uphill for what seemed like years, we came to some large hay bales. The point was to climb over them and continue down the trail. Climbing took too much effort, so I decided to just jump over them. According to my group, my jumping skills are amazing. I think I acquired them from the one time I did hurtles in 5th grade.

After showing everyone what hay bale jumping was all about, we came to some crazy mud pits. And some crazy people (particularly one crazy guy) in these mud pits. There were also walls that we had to climb over while in the pits. It was pretty hard to do since the mud was so sticky, and it would suck your feet down any time you stopped moving. Some people crawled under the walls. That was fun to watch because they came out looking like swamp monsters :)

Farther down the trail we had to struggle through a very soggy (and large) marsh. If I could only describe the smell of it in one word, it would be death. It was awful, and there were flies everywhere. It took awhile to get through the mud, and then afterwords, our shoes weighed about ten pounds a piece.

Finally, towards the end we got to go down a huge slip-and-slide. That part was sooooo much fun. I felt like a kid again. Before we reached the end, we had to wade through one more mud pit. This one was about waist deep, and many people just went all the way under. I didn't want mud coming out of my ears and nose for the next week, so I decided to pass on that method.

Even though this race sounds like torture, it was actually so much fun. I will definitely do it again if I get the chance. I'll just train for it more next time so my hips aren't on fire halfway through :)

Lost in Translation

2010-09-21T11:33:00.004-06:00

Two posts within 24 hours?! Yes, it is true my friends.

We often get in cheap wallets, purses, shoes, and other items at work. They usually come from China, and sometimes (if we're lucky) they come with these little gems.

It's always fun to try and guess what they mean with these labels. You can tell that it was run through a very poor computerized translation system. I really have a deep love for these babies. My only hope is that one day I can reach the "fragrant personal status."

P.S. Sorry about the poor picture. It was scanned from our copier, so obviously you don't get the best results with that.

Peach Days

2010-09-20T21:21:00.008-06:00

Dave and I headed up to Brigham City for Peach Days a couple of weeks ago. We met up with Matt and the kids, my parents, AJ, Hil, and Griz. I'm not really sure what all goes on at Peach Days. The only thing I saw was the car show. Not really my thing, but it was good to be with family.

I guess Jonas is too cool to hug me now. That was sad to find out. At least he's still cuter than crud.

Zoie still likes to hug AND she's cuter than crud. Take that, Jonas.

Griz scared me when he snuck up behind me and put his cold, wet nose in my ear. I think he was as surprised to see me as I was to see him. Good times.

Yay for dog/owner portraits! It only took about 15 tries to get a shot of griz looking at me.

No trip to Brigham would be complete without going to Maddox. They have a very tasty burger, and the chocolate malts are dear to my heart. We wanted to get some peaches, because hello, it was Peach Days! Unfortunately, they weren't ripe, and they were going for $25 a box.

Dear Owners of Paul's Patch,

I will gladly keep my $25 and spend my money on ripe peaches going for $14 at a roadside stand. Thank you very much.

Scuba Diving - Hawaiian Style (Of Course)

2010-09-14T21:20:00.005-06:00

Before we went to Hawaii, we decided it would be a good idea for me to get scuba certified. We knew we wanted to go scuba diving while we were there, and Dave was already certified. I took classes at a place in West Valley. They do a few sessions in the pool, then they take you to the crater in Midway when they think you're ready. It's a pretty scary feeling at first. It's almost like claustrophobia. But after I made myself calm down, I had tons of fun.

I obviously needed to get some gear for my class, and I found a really good deal at Sam's Club.

Unfortunately, thanks to my husband, my mask is now somewhere at the bottom of Lake Powell, but that's another story in and of itself.

Diving in Hawaii was definitely one of my favorite things we did while we were there. It was a completely different experience than diving in a pool or the crater. For one thing, you're way more buoyant. I had a really hard time getting under the surface. The dive master put a bunch of weight on me, but it didn't do much at all. I finally grabbed onto the anchor line and pulled myself down until there was enough water pressure to keep me under. That part of the dive experience was not so fun. The waves beat you around pretty badly when you're on the surface, and I definitely was in panic mode. Lots of bad things can happen while you're on the surface. Slamming my head into the side of the boat was my number one concern. Once I was under though, it was an awesome experience. Seeing all the different fish and other sea creatures was pretty darn cool. The science books you read in school don't do the ocean justice. A huge sea turtle came up to us and just checked us out for awhile. He seemed pretty interested in us. He was so close to me, I was actually able to reach out and touch him. When we got back on the boat, I was really excited to tell everyone that I had touched a sea turtle. One of the workers told me that it was illegal. Oops! Thankfully she just laughed it off and didn't report me :)

R.I.P. Mask: February 2010 - July 2010. You will be missed...

Off Roading - Hawaiian Style

2010-09-07T20:50:00.004-06:00

Finding a starting point to update this thing is a little overwhelming, so I decided to go through my pictures and see if there was anything I wanted to comment on. Here are some pictures of our trip to Hawaii. We had such a good time, and I've never been so sad to go home after a vacation. Hawaii was awesome, and we'll definitely be going back.

We took a Jeep ride one of the days we were there, and this is what it looked like the whole way. Kind of scary when you're going along a crazy road with blind corners.

This is where we ended up. The cliffs here are huge! Thankfully the rain stopped right before the roads got REALLY bad. Let's just say it's a good thing we had 4 wheel drive.

Our noble steed. I want one of these babies. I think Jeep should buy this picture from me. What do you think? :)

New Goal

2010-09-01T09:05:00.003-06:00

Alright, it's about time I step it up with this thing. I am making a goal to post something new once a week. Pretty crazy, I know. They may not be the coolest posts, so no complaints people! Just kidding. I doubt anyone is still following this thing anyway :) By the way, this doesn't count as this week's post.

THE Ring

2010-02-02T20:22:00.004-07:00

I know most of you haven't seen my ring yet, so here it is! The pictures don't do the diamonds justice though. I guess you'll just have to see it in person to get the whole affect :) All I can tell you is that this baby is MASSIVE. I feel like I belong on Real Housewives of Orange County when I wear it. When the jeweler handed it to me, my first words were, "Holy cow, that thing is huge!" Minus the main stone, there are 78 diamonds on this puppy. The poor jeweler set all of the stones himself. He said it was a pain in the you-know-what. But he did a great job. It turned out beautiful! It looks a lot like Hilary's ring. Sorry Hil, I promise I wasn't trying to copy you. I've always wanted a square one though :) Anyway, here are the pictures!

Ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to introduce you to the Eiffel Tower (at least that's what I think it looks like).

Don't you just love how it looks like I'm missing two fingers in this one? That's what happens when you try to take a picture one-handed with a big camera :)

Everyone Needs a Good Laugh

2009-10-22T21:24:00.004-06:00

Like all of you, I enjoy Youtube videos from time to time. I'm taking 3 art history classes this semester - all of which are taught by the same guy- and he usually shows a short Youtube video at the beginning of each class. A pretty cool teacher if you ask me :) I've seen some good ones lately so I thought I'd share.

Enjoy!

For this last one, I highly recommend clicking on the HQ button. Jared is the one who originally showed this video to me a couple years ago. He had a super good version on his website, but I couldn't find it. So, you unfortunately have to settle for the not-so-great version. But.... it is still awesome! This was NOT done digitally. What you see is real. Sony bought hundreds of thousands of super bouncy balls and dumped them down the streets of San Fransisco. You should also check out the other Sony Bravia commercials. They are also not done digitally. Enjoy!

Putting a Face with the Name

2009-09-07T21:07:00.005-06:00

My dear friends,
By popular request/demand, it is time to introduce you all to David.

Enjoy :)

David likes to do triathlons. David likes to wear tight suits while doing triathlons.

He's the woman in this relationship. I'm happy to say he's the man in ours.

This is David's model airplane.

This is David with his model airplane.

He gets excited about planes :) And that's not his room in case you were wondering. He's not really into the girly flowery decor.

Red is David's color... Ok, I should probably explain this one. David and his friends did a 5k Red Dress Run. Proceeds went to cancer research. And according to him, polyester chafes like crazy :)

David plays hockey. Hot? Why yes, yes it is.

So there you have it. That's David in a nutshell. (Sorry Hil, I had to use that term :) Ok, so there's definitely more to him than airplanes and hockey. You all just have to get to know him for yourselves, because I'll sound all corny if I go off about how great he is. And none of us want that :) But what it comes down to is, David is a great guy and tons of fun. Get to know him, and you won't regret it.

Up Up and Away

2009-08-26T22:21:00.003-06:00

On Friday David took me for a ride in a hot air balloon in Park City. Are you jealous??? I thought so :) I got up at 4 (not easy for someone who's not a morning person) because we needed to be in Park City around 6. Dave was telling me for about a week and half that he had a surprise lined up. I must admit, I wasn't disappointed :) I had never been in a balloon before, so I was pretty excited.

Blowing up the balloon.

There were some other hot air balloons in the sky, but they were pretty lame. They didn't go nearly as high as we did. I'm glad I wasn't in one of those :)

If you look in the upper right hand corner, you can see our van. That's also where we took off.

There was a lot of haze in the air due to all the forest fires in the area.

The Uintas clouded in smoke.

So this is what it comes down to. David is awesome, and so is hot air ballooning. And I want one...

Not related to hot air ballooning: Michelle, Hailee, and I had to move out of our apartment because our contracts were up. While we were packing, Michelle came across all of her fun stuff from her three month stay in New Zealand. She misses NZ tons, so it made her a little sad when she had to go through it all. We decided that in order to cheer her up, we should play dress up :) It worked great I might add.

Mish and me in our NZ garb. The NZ islands are on our shirts in case you were wondering. We're also eating Tim Tam's ( the best cookies ever!). If anyone offers you a Tim Tam slam, do yourself a favor, do not object!

The Uintas

2009-08-08T15:17:00.003-06:00

I went camping this weekend in the Uintas with Hailee, Michelle, and David and his friends. We went up Thursday and set up camp and then walked around Trial Lake. The clouds were rolling in so we didn't stay out very long. I wish I would have had my camera with me while we were down there. On the North side of the lake there were these huge, dead trees that were standing in the water. The storm clouds were coming in, so the scary sky matched the dead trees. It looked really cool. I hate when I forget my camera at times like those! It would have been an awesome shot. It rained on and off, but nothing too bad. We made dinner and then played some songs on the guitar. We went to bed but it was freezing! As a result, I didn't get much sleep. On an interesting side note, I discovered that memory foam pillows turn into a block of concrete when it's cold :) I was a little worried I'd be too tired to function the next day, but I actually felt pretty good.

This is a sign to a nudist colony that we passed on our way up the canyon. The smaller sign says "Closed Due to Shrinkage" :)

We got up and went for a hike around the area the next morning. I think we passed six or seven lakes. It was so pretty! Everything was green and flowers were everywhere. It was pretty windy at the top, but we found some rocks to block the wind and stopped to eat lunch. I was surprised at how many people were up there. I guess they were trying to get one more camping trip in before school starts back up.

This is a shot of a little pond we passed on our hike. I had some better pictures, but I deleted them somehow.

After we got back to camp, Dave and I decided to go fishing at Trial Lake. I didn't have a fishing license, so we drove down to Kamas, and I bought a day pass. I wanted to get a year long pass but it was $80 for a non-resident :( Bummer... Kamas was about 35 minutes away from our campsite, but the drive was so pretty that I didn't mind at all. We fished at the lake for a couple of hours, but we didn't have much luck. We caught a few minnows, and I caught a trout, but just as I was pulling it out of the water, it got off the hook. Booo! I was looking forward to a fish dinner, but no such luck :( There were some albino fish in the lake, and I really wanted to catch one so I could show everyone how weird they looked. They were everywhere too. I guess they weren't that hungry though, because they just kept swimming around my line, but they wouldn't bite. I guess they were just too smart to fall for the old worm-on-the-hook trick.

My Country Tis of Thee

2009-07-09T19:02:00.005-06:00

The 4th of July is by far my favorite holiday. I think it's because I'm kind of a pyromaniac. I love to watch stuff explode! What's better than parades, BBQs, and good company? Nothing! This year we (when I say we, I mean my roommates and I) went to the parade, and then later in the day played softball with some friends from our old ward. We happened to be the only girls there. It was pretty funny because most of the guys were hardcore competitors. It was a lot of fun though. Matt and Andrea had us over for a BBQ later that evening. We played some football with the kids and then lit some sparklers and ground flowers. Jonas had a fun time throwing pop-its at me. We left around 10 and got home just in time to watch the end of the Stadium of Fire.

Here are some pictures from the day's activities.

We went to Smith's to get some Creamies and decided to take some pictures while we were at it. I'm on the lookout for a Smith's employee who could kick us out for taking pictures in their store. Michelle is just trying to be sneaky and not get caught :)

Dear Comic Sans,
I hate you. And I hate the fact that people use you on their store fronts. You give designers nightmares. Please do us a favor and give up the ghost.

Sincerely,
Ashlee

We decided that Zoie needed to learn how to throw a Frisbee. With a last name like ours, it's a must.

Jonas is blowing me a kiss in this one, and Zoie is just being plain cute.

Jonas wanted to show off his sweet three wheeler.

Matt talked Jonas into throwing Pop-its at me.

My roommates decided it looked like fun, so they had a go at it too. Thanks girls ;)

Zoie loved the Pop-its. Almost as much as Michelle.

Zoie with a sparkler.

Ok. This picture wasn't taken on the 4th, but it was taken the day after if that counts :) We went up to Bridal Veil Falls with some friends, and Hailee told me to do a model pose. Here you go. Tyra isn't going to know what hit her next season.

Snake Anyone?

2009-06-26T22:03:00.005-06:00

Here are some pictures I've taken over the past month or so. Sorry this post isn't that exciting, but at least you get some pictures out of it :)

Here are some pictures I took today while up at the Menan Buttes. Someone killed this Diamond back and put it on a fence. How sweet of them.

I had to sprint down the butte because this little beauty was approaching. It ended up causing tons of flash-flooding south of Rexburg.

You don't want to sit on one of these.

Hole in the rock.

This was a pretty cool rainbow outside my apartment a few days ago. It was actually a double rainbow, but it was gone by the time I grabbed my camera.

Here are some pictures from my trip to California a few weeks ago.

I think Grizz was embarrassed that we were all laughing at him for digging holes in the beach.

A.J. wasn't happy that I wouldn't hold Hilary's purse while she went to the restroom. I thought he looked cute holding it.

On the boat to Alcatraz.

This little guy caught a ride next to our boat on the way to Alcatraz. I didn't see him flap his wings once. It was pretty cool.

Coming Up Short

2009-06-06T22:10:00.002-06:00

Do you ever have those times that you know you need to update your blog, but you just don't know what to say? Well, that's me. That has always been me with this stupid blog. I get annoyed when my friends and family don't update their blogs. You guys must be super annoyed with me. I talk to people who say that during the day they have moments when they think "This would be perfect for my blog," or "I've got to blog about this!" Well my dear friends, those thoughts just don't cross my mind. I wish they did. Oh, how I wish they did. It would make things more interesting for all of us. I think back to those days when I was on the yearbook staff and I could write for hours on end... Literally. Jared knows what I'm talking about. Deadline nights. You're there until 10p.m. and all you do is write, crop pictures, and then write some more. Where did my creativity go? I've come up with an explanation. I need inspiration... But, I don't know where to find that. Any ideas?

I envy those people who update their blog regularly, and it's always fun and creative. I'm an "artist." At least that's what they tell me I am. Shouldn't I be creative too? Sometimes I wonder if I can really call myself an artist at all. Most of the time I just feel like a poser. I often wonder if my teachers think I'm in the wrong field. I would if I were them ;) Or maybe I'm just being my overcritical self. Do you want to know what drives me crazy? When someone asks me in a cheeky tone, "Photography, what in the world can you do with that? You're not going to make any money!" That's when I get fired up. That's when things get ugly. That's when I want to play punch face. Can't someone do something just because they like it? If I wanted to be a millionaire I'd be going into medicine, but I don't like blood. I could be a lawyer, but then people think you're a liar. I could be an accountant, but I'd probably want to gouge my eyes out with a pencil every second of every minute of every hour of every day of my life.

A Tale of Two Toilets

2009-04-25T19:02:00.006-06:00

Well, where do I start? It's so hard to find an adequate starting point with such an amazing picture. So, I guess I'll just tell you how I stumbled across this great scene. The p-rents and I were on an excursion to the Sugar City Cemetery when I looked across the road and spied these two beauties. Of course I didn't have my camera with me at the time, so as soon as we got home, I grabbed it and drove back up so I could capture this priceless shot. For some reason, finding crazy things like these on the side of the road brings me great joy. It's a good thing I snapped this pic when I did, because I drove by a couple days later, and they were gone. Who just leaves two toilets on the side of the road?!?! Idaho rednecks, that's who.

Here are the little chillens with the booty they scored on the Easter egg hunt we had for them. They were all pretty dang excited, and they all were/are pretty dang cute. Unfortunately, moments later was when Jonas had his infamous accident which is explained in detail on Andrea's blog here, here, here, here, and here.

And finally, this is what happens when you and your friends are snowed in in the middle of April. That's right folks! Eight inches of snow decided to fall on Provo while I was visiting my friends. I wanted to cry, so Hailee and Michelle bought me my very own two liter of Raspberry cream soda. Mmmmm.

Short Hair, New Cars, and More White Crap

2009-04-03T13:05:00.003-06:00

The rumors on the street are true. I chopped off my hair. It's pretty much amazing because it takes me about 15 minutes to dry it and then make it all "Fun looking."
Ok, here's a more acceptable pose. Oh yeah, I bought skinny jeans. I never thought I would give into the pressure, but I caved. I am now a big fan. If you're female and haven't tried them, you should. You'll feel pretty sexy. Not lying.

Check out the new ride. My dad decided to sell the truck so he bought my grandma's Lincoln. I don't really love to drive it because it has blind spots galore, and the hood is so long I feel like I can't judge how far away I am from other cars. Especially while parking. But oh well, it has AC! A huge upgrade from the Mach 2 (or Lil' Red as I like to call it, but the boys think "Mach 2" sounds better).

This is what it looks like outside my front door at this very second. It broke my heart when I woke up to snow this morning. It had almost all melted and then it decided to make a comeback. As I drove to class I didn't see a single road that had been plowed. Thank you City of Rexburg. Just one more reason why I will NEVER leave this town(because I'll be snowed in for the rest of my life). I just love it so much... FALSE!

I'm sick of everything looking like THIS. It's depressing, really. California keeps calling my name. I want to run away!

Hmmm, So Remember When I Started this Blogging Thing?

2009-03-10T00:16:00.002-06:00

Alright, I officially stink at blogging. There should be an award for me or something. Or maybe a Guinness record for worst blogging skills. That sounds pretty good to me. But I feel like I have a good excuse. My life just isn't that interesting. Plain and simple my friends.

Ok, let's see... What's going on in my life? Well, not much I'm afraid. I still haven't heard the final word from Apple yet, so that's frustrating. My website is up and going though if you want to check it out. www.newsoulphoto.com Thanks to Jared and his sweet web skills.

School is kicking my behind. Biology is not my thing apparently. I feel like I study like crazy and still don't do very well. The same goes for art history. I think it's because I've had so many classes that I just had to do projects and not worry about studying. But now that I have classes that actually require tests, it throws me off. Not cool I tell you, not cool!!!

Hails, Linds, Jeff, and their new baby Brett(so dang cute!) came up to visit this weekend. It was so good to see them and spend time with them. When all your friends are miles away, you sure appreciate it more when you do get to see them.

Well that's it my peeps. That is my life. See? I told you it wasn't interesting. Ok, I'm really going to try to be better about this blogging thing. I promise! And I'm sorry if all my posts are as boring as this one. But that's my life right now... Boring. Sorry!

Wanna See What I've Been Working On?

2009-01-15T01:00:00.003-07:00

Ok, so today one of my professors sent me a text message saying that Apple was interested in hiring me on as an intern for the summer. They need to see a digital portfolio, and since my website isn't exactly up and running, I decided to just put my work on a blogger account for now. Not as cool as my own website, but definitely better than nothing. Here's the address if you want to check it out. newsoulphoto.blogspot.com
Only a small portion of my work is up at the moment but I will add more.

P.S. Wanna hear a great song? Check out "Dream" by Priscilla Ahn. It's pretty much my new favorite song.

See Jack. See Jack Run.

2008-10-20T20:43:00.002-06:00

Here is a little animation I made for my Digital photography class. It's 13 pictures put together. We are working on animated GIF files, so here's mine.

Nothing really exciting has been going on in my life right now. Just working on school stuff, but that keeps me pretty busy. I'm taking 12 credits worth of just photography classes so I'm taking tons of pictures. I'm taking a couple of other classes besides those, but nothing as intense. I'll probably post some of my favorite pictures soon. As for a job, well, there isn't one. I've come to the conclusion that it's probably a blessing right now though. I wouldn't have any time to work on my school stuff if I did have a job, so I guess things are how they are supposed to be.

Tagged

2008-09-30T22:19:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm pretty sure that Hilary tagged me so there would be something new on my blog. Haha! Good job Hil. It worked. Well, here's the deal. I don't really have very many people who read my blog, so this is gonna have to be modified a little. I'm supposed to tag 6 people, but to be honest, I don't think I have 6 people who read my blog, so I'm tagging all of you. That's right. Every single one. Have fun!

Here are the rules:
Link the Person who Tagged you.
Mention rules on your blog.
Tell about 6 quirks of yours.
Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same.
Leave a comment to let them know.

1. I have a really weird fear of phones. I hate calling people I don't know. In fact, I've been putting off my BFA project because I'm so afraid of calling people. I have a hard time ordering a pizza! Great... Now you all think I'm crazy.

2. Most of you probably know this already, but I hate strawberries. I didn't ask to be this way, I just am. The texture makes me want to scream. Especially if they're cold. *Shudder*

3. I can't sleep if I don't have a blanket on me. Even if I'm super hot at night, I have to have something covering me. And it has to be up to my neck with no limbs hanging out.

4. I think Dr. Pepper is disgusting. It makes me sick to my stomach.

5. I love to bust out to Mariah Carey. I can't even hit half of the notes she does, but it's fun trying.

6. I have to plug my nose when I jump into water. If I don't, I get water up my nose every time.

Bored...

2008-09-05T14:36:00.005-06:00

Well, I have no life now. Ever since I left Provo, I have been a bump on a log. I never realized how boring my life was until now... I need a man. That might spice things up huh? Classes start on Monday, so that will keep me busy. In the meantime, I am looking for a job. As A.J. would say, "Ih8jobhunting." Here are some pictures from my adventures in Provo. Sorry this update isn't cool, but like I said, I have a boring life, therefore, there is nothing to blog about ;)

Stewart Falls

Me with David and Dave.

I heart Tiki men!

Me and some roomies.

Worth an Update

2008-08-02T23:36:00.004-06:00

Ok, I know I'm a slacker. I think we've already established that one. But.... I have some pretty cool news that I had to share with everyone. So I like country music, and my family HATES it. I'm pretty much the black sheep of the family when it comes to that. Well, Martina McBride happens to be my favorite artist of all time, and I had the opportunity to go to her concert in SLC last night. We arrived a little early so the gates hadn't opened up yet. It was scorching hot outside, and I was really getting irritated by all the heat. There were about three or four radio stations lined up blasting music and promoting the concert. It was getting to be pretty annoying when one of the stations stopped playing music and started giving out free t-shirts and the usual radio junk. Well, all of a sudden I hear the DJ tell everyone to take out their cell phones. He said the seventh caller would win a pair of backstage passes to see Martina. So of course I'm going to get my phone out in the vain hope that I'll win a chance to meet Martina. I tried calling over and over but the line was busy every time. Finally it rang. And rang..... and rang. I thought I had dialed the wrong number since no one had picked up. Then the DJ answered the phone, and I was lucky number 7! How cool is that? I think it's pretty doggone awesome. Well, it turned out that they only gave me one backstage pass, which kind of stinks because 1. they had told me it would be a set, and 2. Who goes to a concert by themselves? Oh well, I can't really complain. A backstage pass is a backstage pass.

So I get back in line after scoring my sweet win, and I see a guy with a video camera. Martina sings this song called "For These Times." It's a song about how the world is such a crazy place right now, but you can always find the good if you look hard enough. Well, she does this pretty cool thing where they have the audience write things on a white board that they wish for themselves or just the world in general while they're waiting in line for the gates to open. They film the people writing their wishes down, and then show it on these huge screens in the background while Martina is singing the song. The guy filming pulls me aside and asks me if I want to write something on the board. Of course I said "Heck yes!" I wrote that my wish was to meet Martina, and then the guy did a close up of me holding my backstage pass with a big grin on my face. So I got to be on the big screen at the USANA amphitheater while Martina McBride sang. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Meeting Martina was a whirlwind. They kind of just cart you through really fast so you don't get a lot of time to say much. It was pretty much "How are you," "Thanks for coming" sort of thing, and then you get a picture with her and an autograph. It was really neat getting to meet her even if it was reallllly fast.

The concert itself was completely awesome. That woman has some lungs, and she knows how to use them. We had pretty good seats too. All in all, I would say that that is probably as good as it could get for my first Martina concert. It was so cool that I got to meet her and be in the video. I would have been perfectly happy with just the concert, but the other stuff made it completely awesome!

Getting Over It

2008-06-14T18:48:00.003-06:00

So I've had a horrible cold for almost 2 weeks now. I'm going crazy! I'm out of Kleenex's and cold medicine. It's a bad combination. But at least I think I'm finally starting to get over it. It's a very slow recovery. I can't seam to stop coughing but I think it is letting up a little. Pretty much everyone around me is sick, so that's just great. At least I'm not the only one suffering ;)

Provo has been awesome. My crazy roommates are just so fun! One of them (Molly) is on a trip to Europe for 2 months. I'm pretty jealous, but she went by herself so I hope she doesn't get lonely. That part I'm not so jealous about. It has been crazy weather here. It will be 90 degrees one day, and then the next it's in the 50's and raining. My apartment is super close to the mountains, but when it rains you can barely see them. I've been riding my scooter whenever I can. For one thing, the truck doesn't have AC so the wind at least cools me off when I'm on Bella (That's my scooter in case you were wondering). Plus, I get about 85 MPH so you can't argue with that. It's just stinks because it has been raining so much lately. A few guys in my ward go longboarding a lot so I've gone with them a couple times. It's a lot of fun, but they like to go at night which scares me to death since I'm pretty much night blind. I've only gone once at night, but I don't think I'm going to do that again. I was afraid for my life!

It's been fun having Matt and Andrea so close. The other day Matt and I found out that our offices are less than a block away from each other. I can actually see his from my window. It's so funny how things like that never happen when you're hoping they will. Not that I was hoping it wouldn't happen :)

I have to speak in church tomorrow. I'm already nervous, so that's not a good sign. I'm just hoping that I don't break down crying. I hate crying when it's just me, let alone in front of a whole crowd. I haven't had to give a talk in about 4 years so I'm a little bit rusty. Hopefully I'll be able to keep my composure.

Alright, Alright, Alright!!!! I'll update!

2008-05-17T00:34:00.005-06:00

Ok, I know, it's been forever, and I'm sorry. But here is the latest going on in my life. I moved down to Provo almost 3 weeks ago, and I really like it. I love having the mountains so close, and the fact that it's much warmer than Idaho.

Hailee and I went to move in all of our stuff into our apartment, but none of our roommates were around. So we decided to snoop around the apartment and see if there was an empty room for us. As we made our way down the hallway, we peaked our heads in the rooms only to find that every single bed had stuff on it. So we're thinking, "Great, what do we do now?" Well, we decided to just sit around and wait for our roommates to show up so we could ask them where we were supposed to sleep. So we sit and sit and sit some more. No one came home. We decided that we might as well get some sleep, so we made the couches our beds for the night. Eventually around 1am a girl finally came in. Of course she was surprised to see two complete strangers sleeping in her living room. We talked to her for quite a while and found out that she had just moved in also. There were another two girls who were living there but one works the night shift so she was never home, and the other girl was engaged, so she was always out with her man. So Hails and I still ended up sleeping on the couches. When our other roommates came home, it was about 7am. They weren't friendly at all, and seemed extremely annoyed that we were there. I thought the whole situation was ridiculous so after Hailee left for work (she mows lawns) I made a little call to management. I explained to them the whole situation and that it just wasn't gonna fly. The girl I talked to was really nice and she let us switch into another apartment.

Our new roommates are all a ton of fun, and I think it's going to be a great summer. Our ward is great, even though I don't really know a lot of people yet. I'm sure I will though once they get FHE families organized and everything. I am working at American Family Insurance, and I really like it. My boss is super nice, and so are all the people I work with. The one frustrating thing is that 3/4 of the people that come into our office speak primarily Spanish. I know about three words in Spanish, so that part really bothers me. I feel stupid when I don't know what they're saying, and I don't know how to help them.

Matt, Andrea and fam are moving to the Provo area (not IN Provo. I have to mention that or Andrea will get mad because she hates Provo.) and so it will be great having family so close. I bought my season pass to Seven Peaks, which was super cheap. They open next Saturday, so let the fun begin!

Sorry it's been so long since I last updated. Life flies by before you even get the chance to put your pants on!

Enough with the wind already!

2008-04-23T20:11:00.003-06:00

Ok, if I to have endure the wind one more day, I'm going to lose it! It's getting beyond ridiculous people! The temperature reaches the high sixties everyday, but after the wind chill it still feels freezing. This stinks. Besides the stinky weather, I've been fighting a cold for the last few days. It has been no fun at all. Yesterday I had to call in sick because I felt like my head was going to burst. Today has been a little better, but still very annoying.

So here's some big news for everyone, because I don't think all of you know. I'm moving to Provo for the summer. Hailee and Lindsay already live there so at least I'll know some peeps. Hailee and I are moving into an apartment with 4 other girls, so that should be interesting. I have a couple of job offers, but I don't quite know which one to take. I'll probably be driving down there Sunday evening. We can move into our apartment Monday so hopefully everything goes smoothly. Our rent is only $100 a month and that includes utilities. So, that's a pretty dang good deal if you ask me. And the best part.... 7 Peaks is about a block away from where we are living. Can you say "Season Pass?"

One Word

2008-04-20T21:59:00.000-06:00

So I decided to try this thing that was on Andrea's blog. Yes I stole it. Shame on me...

One Word

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.
Not as easy as you might think!

1. Where is your cell phone? Couch
2. Your significant other? None :(
3. Your hair? Short
4. Your mother? Deb
5. Your father? Craig
6. Your favorite thing? Fun
7. Your dream last night? Unmemorable
8. Your favorite drink? Jones
9. Your dream/goal? Happiness
10. The room you're in? Great
11. Your ex? None
12. Your fear? Loneliness
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Settled
14. Where were you last night? Campus
15. What you're not? Taken
16. Muffins? Blueberry
17. One of your wish list items? Family
18. Where you grew up? Rexburg
19. The last thing you did? Ate
20. What are you wearing? Jammies
21. Your TV? Hitachi
22. Your pets? Jaxon
23. Your computer? MacBook
24. Your life? Good
25. Your mood? Relaxed
26. Missing someone? Nope
27. Your car? Old
28. Something you're not wearing? Earrings
29. Favorite Store? Inexpensive
30. Your summer? Busy
31. Like someone? Nope
32. Your favorite color? Aqua
33. When is the last time you laughed? Today
34. Do you cry a lot? Depends

I made it! Bom bom chicka wah wah!!!

2008-04-09T23:38:00.004-06:00

As the genie on Aladdin so eloquently puts it, "I'M FREEEEEEEEEE!!!" That's right folks, the semester is over. Can I get a Hallelujah? Finals this time around were H-E-double hockey sticks. I am so glad they are over, I can't even tell you! I think my grades are going to be pretty good this semester, except for in my New Testament class, but that's another story. I took a guitar class this semester and so I had to do a playing test today for the final. We had to memorize a picking style song so I chose "Eleanor Rigby." Of course I put it off until the last second so I memorized it last night. It took me about 4 hours so my fingers are very sore today. I had quite a few projects and tests due for my photography classes and those took so much time! Plus my teacher wanted all our prints mounted and matted. I spent about$20 just on the mats. It's so frustrating to me that they don't include things like that in the lab fee. And each piece of paper that we print on is about $2.50 a page. That really ads up in the end. I'm going to post pictures of my pottery from ceramics in a couple of days and you guys can duke it out. If you like one and want it, just claim it and I'll make sure to save it for you. It will be first come first serve. Here are some pictures from my projects I thought you might enjoy. The ones with mom and dad were part of a series for my history of photography class. My teacher really liked them, I got an A at least! The others were for my studio lighting class so they may not be all that interesting to you. You learn a lot about commercial photography in that class so the pictures aren't all that exciting. My favorite one isn't on this computer so I guess you guys will just have to wait to see that one. I bet you're just dieing to see it! I can sense the anticipation...

It's that Time Again!

2008-03-25T23:33:00.003-06:00

Well my favorite part of the semester is finally here... finals!!! Ug! Actually there's nothing I dread more but it's just something ya gotta do. I have three huge projects that I have due in the next week and a half and I'm freaking out already! Today I had to wade out in knee deep snow to take pictures. Not fun. It showed me just how out of shape I really am. I was out of breath after about 30 seconds of trudging through the white stuff. I just hope I can make it through the next few days without losing my mind. I have a bunch of pots from my ceramics class this semester so if you guys want any, feel free to take some. Three of them are actually in a show right now in the library so that's pretty cool. Here are some pictures from Jared's wedding, enjoy!

Guitars Unplugged Take 2

2008-03-09T21:32:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone. Well that time of the semester has come around. My friends and I got into GU again and we'll be performing Thursday night. If we get into the Best of show we'll be playing Saturday, so we'll see what happens. We'll be performing "Run" by Collective Soul. I'm a little more nervous than last semester because Hailee is in Vegas student teaching so we have a new member of the group. I don't think we're quite as strong as we were last semester but we'll see how it goes. As long as none of us forget the words I think we'll be OK!

Back to the Burg

2008-03-04T23:56:00.002-07:00

Hello all! So I'm back from New York and came through unscathed! It was an awesome experience and so much fun. NYC is the craziest place on earth I've decided. Crazy drivers, crazy subways, crazy people... I could go on. There was so much to do it was almost overwhelming. We went to tons of different galleries and museums. My favorite was the Metropolitan, it was awesome! So much to see, and I know I probably only saw about a 1/3 of what was there. The place is huge. We also had the opportunity to go to a commercial photographer's studio and see how she works. That was a great experience. The last full day of the trip we went to the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, and China Town. Now I thought Manhattan was nuts, but it doesn't even compare to China Town. Vendors get up in your face trying to sell you their fake brand name merchandise. I'm not gonna lie, bartering was pretty fun. Although I don't think I'm very good at it. I realized that most New Yorkers are very rude. We met a couple of very nice people, but for the most part the people were very pushy and inconsiderate. I'll have to tell you all the stories later, but I guess that's one reason why I don't mind living in a small town. Most people are usually considerate of how they treat others. Very unlike New Yorkers. I think that was really the only part of the trip I didn't like. Well that, and the fact that we had the most annoying guy on the face of the planet in our group. If you don't believe me you can just ask Jared, he'll vouch for me. I'm still kind of recovering from the time change and trying to catch up on a weeks worth of homework, which is about as exciting as it sounds ;)

If you want to check out some of the photos I took, you can see them on my Facebook page. Here is the link. http://byui.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2078701&page=1&id=193309479

This One's for You Jenni!

2008-02-19T17:06:00.003-07:00

Ok, since Jenni complained that she was "revolted" when she looked at my blog, I decided that I would add another post so you don't have to look at the dancing Krammer. I guess it's time for an update anyway.

So last week I went down to Matt and Andrea's with my family. It was so fun because I got to hang out with Hailee which was awesome since she lives in Las Vegas now doing her student teaching, and I don't get to see her anymore. It was a pretty relaxed trip. We just went shopping, swimming, and hung out in St. George. I took some pretty cool pictures of the rocks in St. Hore-hey. The drive wasn't too bad but that's probably because I watched movies the whole time. Oh yeah, it was pretty fun to see Matt, Andrea and family ;)

This past weekend I decided on a whim to go see AJ and Hilary. I drove down Saturday night after work and got there about 9:30ish. Driving through the Logan canyon was a little scary since 1) it was at night 2) it was foggy 3) that area is known for having tons of deer. Thankfully I got through unscathed. When I arrived, AJ asked me if I wanted to go on a date. He set me up with one of his friends from work. (Note to self: never let AJ set you up with a friend from work ever again!) It would have been fine except for the kid was cursing about every other word... Not really my thing, plus he was pretty much perverted, also not my thing. But we did go to a really good old-fashioned ice cream shop with Hilary and AJ. Sunday we went to church and it was hilarious because I'm pretty sure that AJ and Hil were the only ones without a child or one on the way. It's always funny going to a family ward after going to a college ward for so long. It's a lot noisier. I came home on Monday but met up with Hilary for lunch at the Copper Mill before I left... yummm. The drive home went by fast, but there were a ton of state patrolmen out and about. That always makes me nervous even though I hardly ever go more than 5mph over the speed limit.

Well it's back to the daily grind for now. I leave for New York next Monday so I'll definitely let you all know how that goes.

Boo-Yah!

2008-02-16T23:51:00.002-07:00

So this is what I came up with for the word boo-yah on the google game. If you haven't seen UHF... get on it!

HAHAHAHA!

2008-02-13T23:53:00.004-07:00

Ok, so I decided to give Hilary's game a try. This is what I came up with when I typed in George Bush. I almost died when I saw this one. "Who would Jesus bomb?" Pwahaha!
Enjoy Matt...

Is it over yet?

2008-02-04T23:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I don't think I've ever seen so much snow in my life. As a kid I loved the snow. I think that was only because it meant that there was a chance that school would be canceled, but now that I'm in college, there is a slim to none chance that that will ever happen again. I wore khaki pants today (bad idea). I didn't think about the fact that Rexburg is still in the dark ages and they use that amazing red rock on all the roads and sidewalks. This is not a good thing when you're walking between classes all day. Now my pants are a nice brownish/red about six inches up the legs. Is that awesome or what? Plus, I got stuck twice today in the pick-up and nice strangers had to push me out both times. It's pretty embarrassing... All I can say is that when I finally have a decent income I'm getting a Subaru. I think all this snow puts me in a bad mood. I am definitely ready for the summer, no question about it. Maybe when I graduate I'll move somewhere where it's warm year round... Jared and Jenni, are you looking for a roommate? ;) Haha, just kidding... but seriously.

Wow! Time for an update.

2008-01-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted last. I guess I'm not very good at this blogging thing. I guess it's time to update you all since I'm sure you've all been dying to know what's going on in my life ;) First off, I'm back in school (sad for me). Classes are going pretty well, but I already feel behind so that's not so good. I'm taking three photo classes. One is the history of photography however, so I don't actually take pictures in that class. I got a new camera on Monday and all I can tell you is that it's awesome, even though I haven't had a real chance to use it yet. By the time I get home it's dark outside so there goes my chance at taking pictures. It is a Nikon D80. 10.2 Megapixels of shear bliss... I'm taking another ceramics class this semester so if any of you have requests let me know, and I'll see if I can whip something up. As long as it's not a 2 foot vase, I can probably make it for you.

I went to an awesome concert last night. I'm sure I'll get it from all of you for admitting this publicly, but it was a country concert! I never thought that an actual country star would come so close to home. It was in Idaho Falls at the Civic Auditorium. Not that any of you care, but his name is Jason Aldean, so if you have the least bit of interest in country music you should check him out because he's GOOD.

I got all the details about my New York trip so here we go. We leave on Feb. 25th and we come back home on March 2nd. We're hitting almost every major museum and/or gallery. Plus we're going to the Apple store. I thought it was the coolest thing ever that my professor actually put that in the itinerary. I've never seen it, but it is supposed to be amazing. I think I might try to talk him into letting us go to the David Letterman Show or something. We'll see. We're going to hit some of the tourist sights as well. Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Staten Island... I'll make sure to find the Hello Deli and take pictures for you all. Maybe I'll be able to get a picture with Rupert. All I can say is that if that happened my life would be complete!
Shelby just hangin' out.

Here is the brown hair. Ta Daaa!!! The shadow makes it look like my hair is almost to my shoulders but it's not. (It looks like I have a crazy eye, oops.)

This is my new camera. AAAAWESOME!

Hair Change

2008-01-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

Well I've done it again! I've changed my hair. It is now brown. I've been wanting to do it for a while. I've had blond hair forever so it was time to try something different. Pretty much everyone who has seen it so far has hated it, so that's promising! HAHA! They think it's too big of a change, but you know what? I don't care. I like it. I'll post a picture of it later so you all can see it.

School starts back up on the ninth and I'm not too excited about that. Having a break has been so nice! My best friend Hailee is leaving on Thursday to Las Vegas. She is doing her student teaching there for the whole semester so I'm pretty sure that's going to stink for me. I'll be bored out of my mind. Maybe I'll take up a new hobby to pass the time like scrapbooking... Just kidding! It's not for me, but I do admire those who can do it.

I hope everyone had a great time during the holidays. It was great to see you all.

Goin' Down to New York Town

2007-12-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

That's right, I'm hitting the Big Apple! I was able to register for classes FINALLY and I got into a travel photography class that is going to New York this semester. It's going to be crazy, and I'm sure overwhelming for this Idaho girl, but it will be awesome. I don't know any details yet as to when we leave or for how long, but I will definitely let you all know when I find out. This semester is going to be nuts I'm afraid. I'm signed up for 17 credits and I'll probably be way over my head, but I will try to make the best of it.

Getting in the Holiday Spirit

2007-12-07T22:55:00.000-07:00

Well, Andrea inspired me to try this out. I thought hers was really funny so I decided to make my own (with the help of photobooth). http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1233819950

A Nice Surprise

2007-11-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure Thanksgiving was the most amazing thing ever because I was able to have sugar for the first time in a long time. It was definitely hard the next day though looking in the fridge and seeing the pie and knowing I couldn't have any. Sad day... I had to work on Black Friday and it was the craziest thing ever. People were just pulling things off the racks without trying them on and running to get in line. Before we opened there was a line from the front door all the way to the back of the parking lot. When the doors opened it was a mad rush. Now we're pretty much out of everything until we get more shipments in. The hardest part of the Thanksgiving break was going back to school after not having classes for an entire week.

So every semester BYU-I has a student fine arts show. Students submit their best pieces and they are judged by the art directors. If they are chosen they are displayed in the Spori art gallery. Well I wasn't planning on putting anything in the show so I didn't worry about it. I went to my ceramics class today and my teacher said that he submitted one of my pieces without me knowing and it made it in! I was pretty surprised to say the least considering I hadn't thought about it much. If you guys want me to make you vases or anything like that just let me know. You'll have to tell me pretty fast though, our last day to use the throwing wheels is Friday. Have a great day everyone!

Taking a Load Off

2007-11-10T22:26:00.000-07:00

When I was in high school I swore that I would never cut my hair short again. Well.... I guess I lied because I had it all chopped off yesterday. At first I was kind of bummed over the cut because I felt like it wasn't what I wanted, but today I actually really liked it. I think it was probably the way that she styled it that made me unhappy about it. It's a weird sensation to wash my hair and not have anything there now. It will take some getting used to. The nice thing about it is that it only takes me 15 minutes to do my hair now!

In other news, I passed my English class and actually got an alright grade out of it!!! Boo-yah!

Like the new cut? Juuuuuust Kidding.

That's better.

Halloween Madness

2007-10-31T23:51:00.000-06:00

Well, tonight I went to the Halloween Concert at the college. For those of you who are familiar with it, it was the last year for The Count and Igor as the directors. They are both retiring... sad day. Anyway, the concert was awesome, even if it did go for two and a half hours. Hearing Tocatta in D Minor played on the organ by a man dressed as the phantom always gets the blood pumping ;)
On Monday my FHE family decided to go reverse trick or treating. You dress up and knock on doors, and you give out the treats instead of receiving them. Of course you have to make the people you're giving the candy to to do tricks. It's pretty funny what some people come up with. Anyway, my best friend Hailee and I didn't have a costume and we only had 20 minutes to find one. LAAAAAAAAAMMMMME!!! So we put our heads together and came up with something amazing. Siamese twins. That's right. We went to Wal-Mart (I know you're ashamed of me Matt) and bought the biggest shirt and sweat pants we could find. Hailee had one leg of the pants, and I had the other. We also had matching shoes and hats. To put it simply, it was awesome. But don't take my word for it, see for yourself.

Through the Worst of It...

2007-10-26T22:35:00.000-06:00

Well, my English class from H is over!!! I cannot tell you how excited I am over that. The paper is finished and turned in. At this point I don't even really care what my grade is, as long as I pass the class. Now I finally have time to catch up on all my other homework, sounds fun doesn't it? In other news... I just got a new guitar and I'm way excited about it. It's pretty sweet.

Too Much Information

2007-10-22T01:01:00.000-06:00

So I've been working on a research paper for my English 311 class, and I feel like my head could explode at any moment from "information overload." My teacher wants us to come up with an original idea that nobody has ever thought of before. So my question is, "How am I supposed to RESEARCH it if it's a new idea?!?!" The paper is supposed to be 10 pages long. I am currently at 6 pages and I have no more to write about. Awesome huh? In a nutshell, my topic is on why biodiesel is a superior fuel to gasoline and other alternative fuels. Not very original, I know. I'm just sick and tired of trying to come up with a new idea and the stupid thing is due Tuesday. Thankfully this class is on a block so Tuesday is the last day of the class as well. YAY!!!

On a lighter note... I went with my friend to her family's ward today. Her mom plays the piano in the primary and they were practicing for their primary program. It was so fun to see all the little kids goofing off and disobeying the teachers. They were picking their noses, running around the room, boys pinching girls... Overall, it made me glad not to be a primary teacher, but it was pretty entertaining I have to admit. It's always weird going back to a family ward after being in a student branch. Sacrament meeting suddenly gets a lot louder.

Over My Head

2007-10-17T21:10:00.001-06:00

Right now that song by "The Fray" is going trough my head. I don't think I've been so far behind on things in my life! I don't know what I was thinking signing up for two English classes in one semester. To make matters worse, I'm sitting here wasting time on the computer when I should be doing my homework.

"Needs" (Guitars Unplugged Song)

2007-10-15T00:54:00.000-06:00

This definitely isn't the best recording. We just put a mic in the middle of the room so we could listen and work on our harmony. We speed up and slow down a ton, but we weren't working on that at the moment. Alison sings the first verse and part of the first chorus, then I sing the lead for the rest of the song. Enjoy!

Guitars Unplugged

2007-10-14T19:07:00.000-06:00

So life has been crazy busy this last week. My two friends and I got into Guitars Unplugged (one of the biggest concerts of the year). Over 250 acts tried out, and we were one of a few chosen. They had 14 acts play on Thursday and 14 on Friday. The judges then chose their 15 favorite bands to play on Saturday for the "Best of Guitars Unplugged." We were in the Friday group and I don't think I've ever been so sick to my stomach from nerves in my life! I felt like we played really well despite being nervous but I wasn't certain that we had made it to the "best of" show. The directors of GU told us that we would be getting an e-mail Friday night to let us know who made it to the Saturday show. The e-mail came but we weren't on the list. We were all pretty bummed, but life moves on. Then Saturday one of the directors called my house and said that my band made it to the "best of" show but our name somehow got left off the list. It turns out that we were actually one of the highest voted groups so we were able to play Saturday. The show went really well and I wasn't nearly as nervous. The entire Hart auditorium was sold out! I think it holds about 5,000 people. Thankfully the lights were so bright we couldn't see any of the audience so I think that helped me stay calm. Overall, I think we played pretty dang awesome, and I'm so glad that I was able to experience it.

Some Pictures

2007-10-11T19:27:00.000-06:00

Here we see AJ's true colors. Go ahead and laugh!