dear readers,


i had a birthday, shout hooray!!
one year older, and wiser too - not really

{yours truly- not too long ago}

this year my birthday fell on a thursday, which made it a 4 day celebration. i did not complain. not one bit.


i was showered with love from the people i love all weekend.
ate amazing food here, courtesy of a very nice lad.
watched this for the first time. 
& 
thought about my 21st year of life.
the conclusion was made that it was quite a success. 


i do hope that your past weekend was as swell as mine.
aren't birthdays the best?


xoxo.
yours truly.

dear readers,


i have been missing in action, because life happens. you know?
anyways, i was just sent this picture. 


it certainly warmed my day. 
can't wait to be with my nearest and dearest this holiday season.

{dad & baby luke}

xoxox.
yours truly.

dear readers,


i have been holding something in.
and it is time to spill the beans.
in london, i stumbled upon something magical.


called Cath Kidston.

it is a land of quaint, home spun items that you've dreamed about.
teacups, floral bags and dishes. oh my.

i'm not going to lie to you. it is spendy spendy.
'specially for a university bound gal.
my secret is ebay.


but...
with the crisp air outside, and frosty car windows. 
i can't help but think of gifting cath kidston for the holidays.


xoxo.
yours truly.

{here is a shortcut to see the goodies. cath kidston website }

dear readers.


outside my window, it looks like this.
the first snowflake has fallen.

i am at peace with it.
mainly for the reasons of:
holidays, my day of birth, and ski season.


i just hope that it doesn't skip over my favorite season,
because i still have a boat load of cardigans and high knee socks that i would like to clothe myself in.


for once winter comes, 
it becomes a simple game called
"survival of the fittest", a.k.a. one piece snow suits.


speaking of beautiful fall things.
i would prance right over to jcrew.com.
it is a magically land of wool cable knit sweaters. drool.


xoxox.
yours truly.
{hope you have a perfect weekend. full of autumny love}

dear readers,

i was able to be here last friday.

to see one of the cuzzies get hitched.

the whole fam-bam was there.

traveling over the mountains and through woods to be there.

as i waited outside with a handful of my munchkins.

temple babysitter = my job. always.

we sang: i love to see the temple.

     i love to see the temple

     i am going there some day......

     as a child of god i've learned this truth

     a family is forever.

it was a special moment.

i was reminded of a quote by 

elder gary e. stevenson from april 2009 GC. {read whole talk here}

i love to see the temple.

xoxo.

yours truly.

{watching GC this weekend. watch it with me, here}

kook-ee

dears readers,


so you know when you are absolutely swamped?
the most obvious thing to do is...
right, make cookies.


heaven help me.
but i need to share this recipe.

Rolo Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Bag of Rolo candies, unwrapped
Sugar (for rolling the cookie dough balls in)

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.

3. With a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time. Next, add in vanilla extract. Mix until blended.

4. Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture and blend well. Take a spoonful of chocolate cookie dough and wrap around one Rolo candy. Make sure Rolo is completely covered with cookie dough. Roll dough ball in sugar and place on prepared baking sheet. Continue until you run out of cookie dough.

5. Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes. Move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

do you have any fallish cookie recipes?

quick i am feeling domestic. who knows how long this will last.

xoxo.

yours truly

stood-nt

dear readers,


it has taken me a full 22 days to come to grips.
but.
i am back to school.
my last year. let's not talk about it.
i am almost a full grown grown-up girl. eek


thankful for the opportunity i have had to stretch myself 
physically. spiritually. emotionally. mentally. at school


look what i got today.
a real-life name badge.
can you say "official senior"


is it sad that we went gaga over them in class?
don't answer that question.

don't be offended. had to protect the identity.
there are some crazies out there. 
not you though, readers. you are lovely.


xoxo.
yours truly

twen-tee

dear readers,


we had a birthday at our house.
the kid sis made it out of the teenage years. 
praise the heavens.

to celebrate 
i thought it was only fitting to welcome her to the big girl world.
with a couple of her very own- "big girl panties".

she was mortified. that IS my job.

but in all seriousness. 

i am one lucky duck to have her as my kid sis.

she is bunches cooler then me.

can't wait to see were this year takes her.

xoxox,

yours truly

{remember this tshirt- you can buy it right here. please do.}

frahy-dey

dear readers,


we did it. it's friday! hallelujah
hope that your weekend is stupendously relaxing.
full of fun fallish things.


i plan on {watching the game, and studying a tiny itty bit}. 


p.s. just discovered this gem. i love it- a whole lot.
my birthday is getting close. mom/dad?

xoxox
yours truly,
{ i don't know you, who reads my little rantings, 
but i think that you are AWESOME!}

munch-kin

dear readers,

munchkin: a person who is notably small and often endearing.

i am missing my munchkins. 

unfortunately, college has a lack of them.

going through, reunion photos today.

found this montage. one word: typical.

p.s. how much do you love those curtains in the background?

i was struck very hard, with how much i love these notably/endearing small people. and how much they love us.

they are {funny}{witty}{forgiving}{joyful}{true}and{squeezable}.

xoxox

yours truly

{disclaimer, this post was not written to get to "favorite aunt" status. all ready there.}

suhm-er

dear readers,


summer has been very generous this year.
filled with great friends, fun trips, and a whole lot of lovin'.


i will miss it. alot.

but fall looks to be just as promising. can't wait!


xoxox,
yours truly
{two words-football time}

kruhsh

dear readers,


i have a celebrity crush.
it's him.

ryan gosling

he melts my heart- just a little.

i imagine we would get along just famously.

xoxoxo

yours truly.

{who do you crush on?}

lahss-VAY-guhss

dear readers,

here is a fact.

i was born in lahss-VAY-guhss.

i am a sixth generation VAY-guhssen. 

basically, i know the city. trust me.

my years in the girl version of "thunder down under" helped. 

{just kidding, mom}

here is a secret. skip over the strip. 
and go here....

this place is legendary in the fam.
best thing to beat the 200 degree hotness. 

caution: it melts fast.


dear readers, you know me. 
i am a connoisseur of 
frozen desserts. or really any dessert. lbh {let's be honest}
this takes the medal for the frozen custard category.
plus, new flavors everyday. i am all about mixing it up.

raspberry custard. made fresh daily.

xoxox

yours truly.

repin.

dear readers,
here is the thing, 
i am kind of a little obsessed.
well....
maybe a little bit more then a little.


i am so obsessed with {pinterest}
have you visited pinterest.com yet? if you haven't do it now.


i love it.
it contains so many beautiful things;
from every facet {food, diy,home, art, apparel,tech} of life.


{disclaimer: sometimes you come across a weirdy thing or two}


here is a smattering of snippets i have found.

i am going to create a profile. 
i'll let you know when this blessed event happens
so i can share the lovely things that i find in life.


xoxox
yours truly,


{do you have an account? i want to see the things you cherish.}
 pretty please.

dirt.road

dear readers,

over the river and through the woods.
along the old dirt road. i go.
to the greatest place on earth.

i am off- to be with those i love dearest.
{for a full 5 days-hope i love them dearest after 120 hours together.}


when i return to civilization-
i promise a plethora of pictures.
lots of good stories.
b/c every family reunion has them.




xoxox
yours truly.


{is it just me, or do you go to a fam reunion knowing you are returning home with 10 extra lbs. ?- thank heavens for mama's home cookin'.}

mind.the.gap

dear readers,
it hit.


{while}:
my mind was trying to make sense of my econ homework
in the depths of the HBL library.
{then}
during the Harry Potter 7.2 premiere.
{now}
every day on my walk to campus.


it hit really hard.


i knew it would, but not this soon!
it has been just {37} days.

My FAVORITE PICTURE

{tinturn abby-yours truly & l. deaver}

i have been diagnosed with homesickness for London.

i have to restrain myself from:


  1} boring acquaintances with comments such as...
    "when i was in London" or "this doesn't even compare to London"
  
  2} acting like a snob when I am offered american chocolate.
  
  3} looking through my plethora of pictures.daily.
     {and by a plethora, i mean 485720948570234985702938490725}
   
but to be honest though, 
the pictures don't do the memories justice.

it was a grand time, the best of times
and
i feel so blessed to have a small part.


xoxox
yours truly.
{the truest anglophile you ever will meet. pinky promise}

vision.quest

dear readers,


i have a bike.
a fixie bike.
it doesn't have brakes
and
it is always a good time.

{yours truly}

one of the great things about college life,

cool people {i know a lot of those}

introduce you to new hobbies {biking}

and 

let you tag along 

that is what happen a few weeks past.

the vision quest.
wee hours of the morning
car-free streets
S.L.C.
bikes
friends
it was exhilarating. 
maybe we broke a few laws. 
would do it again. 


xoxoxo
yours truly.
{who's saving all the loose change under her couch cushions for...        this beeaau-T}


p.s. photo cred goes to the one and only k.christensen.

.rancherito.

dear readers,

i was able to be at my favorite place 

in the whole wide world

this past weekend.

"the ranch"

this is the place:

1} that you day-dream about in February, during biology.

2} the place where cowboy/girl dreams are made.

3} that rejuvenates body & mind.completely.

papa bear,roberto & ames joined. 

we played hard

{golf, red baron milkshakes, saddled up,

shooting, cowboy dinner,& texas hold 'em}.

mustache anyone? promise, i don't have one.

i have never been so sad to leave.

xoxox

truly yours.

{feverishly itching 20 mosquito bites}

el.verano.

dear readers,

california summer

 circa 1989

{i've become a little obsessed with the old family slides}

it happened.summer.
i know, because 

my armpit tacos have become my CONSTANT friends. {tmi?}

i have consumed 1,2,3,4,5 6 otter pops in the last 20 minute span.

&

i receive a third-degree for my scorching car seatbelt .every day.

in other news.

flew over the atlantic ocean. squeezed my parents hello/goodbye. boarded another aircraft. landed in the 'tah. 

settled into a new apartment with 12832947 new faces.

ate at rio. caught up on the news drama of p-town.

i am back to "real life"

pursuing academics

{economics, physical science, golf}

&

managing to study for GRE. 

so cheers p-town. lets make this an unforgettable summa'.

xoxox

truly yours.

{who has red lips from eating exclusively red otter pops}

p.s. what do you think of the new layout? 
i think new season=new change.

no dares. just truths.

i feel i should let you know. 
this has NOTHING to do with LONDON

dear blogger friends

BEFORE 

we go ANY farther in correspondence
.this is me. 

national geographic & readers digest are necessary

whole Saturdays have been shot, 

cause TBS plays 

{you've got mail} 

then 

{father of the bride}

 AND THEN 

{sleepless in seattle}

 three words. {1}bounce {2}dryer {3}sheets

am a sneaker of pints of

 ben {&} jerry's 

into the movie theater

 hates surprises {but i secretly LOVE them}

the benson building has the 

coldest.bestest

 drinking fountains

loves a good banter session 

self-diagnosed hypochondriac

.thank you webMD.

i dream big

{adores} family dinners

until your brothers ALWAYS

disappear before clean.up 

gummi.things over chocolate

spontaneity is the name of my game. 

some people call it a.d.d.

prefers mismatched sock pairs

.indication of a.d.d. {maybe, webMD says so}

thumb.sucker 

til 

one more then six.

been tested for rabies

{that explains a.lot.}

glad to get that off my chest

can we still be friends{?}

check yes [] or no []

xoxox

yours truly

{full of BS

&

completely inconsequential facts}