Life Updates

Oct. 17: We had ward FHE. Our apartment (meaning me) was assigned to bring a dozen cupcakes. I made candy corn cupcakes. I divided the batter in half and dyed them yellow and orange. I frosted them with cream cheese frosting and added a candy corn. They were good and disappeared quickly.


Oct. 18: It was Ally's birthday. Earlier in the month I promised her I would make her pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. When I got the assignment to make cupcakes for ward FHE, I almost made them then. I wasn't sure if I would have enough to make them twice and I didn't want to have to go to the store to get stuff for the candy corn cupcakes. As I was talking about my dilemma and trying to decide what to do, Ally overheard me talking about how I said I would make her the pumpkin cupcakes. She said she was glad I remembered and that she thought about mentioning them to me to make sure I hadn't forgotten. I didn't and her excitement made it easy for me to decide. I would have to get candy corn from the store. Rylee actually bought them for me because she had to buy three pumpkins. Our FHE family was assigned to bring 15 small pumpkins for carving. We thought that was asking too much, to bring a treat and pumpkins (which are expensive, even the small ones). They didn't even get carved, at least not that I noticed while I was there. Wow, I strayed a little bit. Back to Ally. So I made her pumpkin cupcakes. She came over and we sang to her. They were pretty amazing.

Oct. 20: Turns out I didn't need that much pumpkin for Ally's cupcakes. Plus, pumpkin only comes in a big can. I had enough left to make almost 3 dozen more. I had some left over frosting too, enough to cover a dozen. I took them over to two guys' apartments. One was because Phil loves my cupcakes and while eating my candy corn cupcakes from Monday, he told me he would would finance my cupcake shop (Arianna was next to me and said she'd eat at my cupcake shop). I know it's not going to happen (though it would be nice if it did), but it was a really nice compliment. The other was James' apartment because he's cool and from Oregon. He gave me a hug and told me I smelled good. I took some without frosting downstairs to the the girls below us and to the guys in apartment 5 because they are pretty cool. The following conversation occurred.
Me: Hey, here are some pumpkin cupcakes...well I ran out of frosting so I guess they're naked cupcakes.
Leemur (real name is Lee, but he goes by Leemur): NAKED CUPCAKES!?!
Me: Or you can just call them muffins.

Oct. 21: Woke up with a sore throat. Rylee's friend Erika came for the weekend to surprise her.
Oct. 22: Lazy day. BYU kicked but during the game against Idaho state. The final score was 56-3. Sore throat was worse and the head cold started. Runny/stuffy nose, sneezing and congestion. Fun.
Oct. 23: Stake conference. Elder Ballard was there. Sadly, I was not. I didn't here my alarm go off and Arianna woke me up at 9:15. We were planning to leave by 9:30. I was NOT feeling good. My throat was hurting and I was tired from not getting enough sleep due to coughing and not being able to breath because I was all stuffed up. 9:20 and Christina told me I should get up too. Those two left to go save seats and I finally got out of bed. I was up just long enough to tell Rylee that I wasn't going to go, while crying. It wasn't so much the pain as it was I was missing out on such a great opportunity to see a member of the twelve. I went back to bed and slept. When I woke up I took a shower and was able to breath again.

Our ward writes "nice notes" to each other on Sunday after ward prayer. I received the following note written by Leemur.

My Dearest Wendi,
We, the citizenry of Arcadia 5, are greatly indebted to you for the delicious pumpkin nudey muffins. Shawn & I each ate two and Curtis snagged the last one. We love you!


Leemur & Arc. 5


Nudey muffins. I like that so much more than naked cupcakes. Also, that note means that two of the guys in that apartment missed out on said nudey muffins. Sad day for them. Since I was taught how to share, I will share this amazing recipe with you. Click here for deliciousness.

Oct. 24: My cold is pretty much gone!! Thanks to lots of water, Emergen-C (miracle cold remedy), and rest. I think this has been one of the shortest, if not the shortest, colds I've ever had.

Today: I went running!! Last Thursday, Arianna went running and told me I should go with her the next time she went. I said I would probably go, but knowing myself I probably wouldn't. Well, I did and I'm proud of myself. Christina went too. I didn't run as much as they did because I'm extremely out of shape and I just got over a cold. Kinda still getting over it. Christina said I sounded worse than her after running and she has asthma. Haha. Arianna and Christina both said I did good. I agree. I'm proud of myself for actually going because I really didn't want to. I mean really didn't want to. We're going running again on Thursday.

I think that's pretty much it. And if it's not, this post is long enough. Sorry for the long blogging absence. I won't let it happen again...probably.

Represent!

It was a day of football in Arcadia #12.

Today was the game between BYU and OSU. I like and support both teams so I thought I would show it.

Reppin' both of my teams.

 Arianna's wonderful picture taking skills in action.

 Everyone reppin' their teams. 

Christina with a BYU beanie, Me with my OSU hat & BYU shirt, and Arianna with her Ohio State shirt & Buckeye necklace (they played today too, and won). 

They got down low for me. How nice was that? 

 Chillin' on the couch watching the game.

I changed back into my normal shirt during half time because I really wasn't rooting for BYU. I like both teams so I thought I would cheer for both, but it wasn't happening. Even Arianna said I was Oregon all the way today. My plan changed as soon as I saw Reser Stadium. Oregon is home and home is where the heart is. Wearing my BYU shirt was a lie so I had to change. I left the BYU sticker on to show that I still care, but my hat showed where my loyalty truly lies. 

After the game (sad loss for my Beavs, but it's cool the Cougs won), we went and got frozen yogurt. It's now one of my favorite things to eat. It's so good! There are lots of flavors and many toppings. I was a little sad because they didn't have the cheesecake bites today. 

It was a nice and relaxing afternoon after a morning of cleaning. We had cleaning checks today. Boo. At least our apartment is clean again.

Nervous

I've been looking for a job for some time now with no success. Today, I received a call from Kohl's for an interview. It's on Thursday. Let the stressing begin. I'm terrified of the interview. I didn't have to interview for my first and only real job because I worked for my aunt. The only time I have done a job interview was in high school for the job fair. We had to do two mock interviews with real employees from local businesses. I was scared out of my mind then and I'm scared out of my mind now. I'm not very confident when it comes to this kind of stuff. I hate being put on the spot.

 I just have to say thank goodness for the internet! I found out that it's a group interview, which does not make me feel any better. How am I supposed to give a good answer to a question that five other people have answered before me without being repetitive? Also, as if being interviewed one on one is nerve wracking enough, let's add ten more people to the room. Ahhhhh! Some people have posted about their Kohl's interview experiences and it's been helpful to read because I can prepare a little better, but my memory tends to fail me when I'm stressed. Prayers would be much appreciated because I need a job and it would be great if this worked out.

Attractive

This is us eating our celebratory ice cream after finding out about Rylee's engagement. 

BYU Homecoming 2011

Yesterday, Arianna, Rylee and I woke up and walked up to the Creamery on 9th. They were serving free blue pancakes before the parade started. They were really good. We even had the option to add chocolate chips. Heck yes! We put them in between pancakes and the melted. It was a good thing they were also serving milk. We actually went through the line twice. The woman in charge of the chocolate chips recognized us, but it was ok. They had more than enough. She recognized us because she commented on Rylee's pearl necklace the first time we were in line. Being the awesome friend I am, I told her they were from Rylee's fiance. She asked when and where the wedding was. I've decided it's my job as an honorary bridesmaid to tell people Rylee's good news since she too quiet about it. Don't worry, she likes it. She told me so.

We had great seats for the parade. We sat/stood on the curb. All the little kids were so cute! It was fun watching them when the parade participants threw candy. I even got in on the action. I left all the tootsie rolls for the kids because I'm not really a fan, but  I was all over the saltwater taffy and Jolly Ranchers. I even scored a BYU bracelet (like the Livestrong ones). I was really hoping to score a t-shirt, but I'm never good at catching those and they never throw them in my direction. Arianna laughed at me because I was pretty fast at getting the candy I wanted and some of the kids seemed a little confused about what I was doing. It was like  I was stealing from them. She justified my actions for me by mentioning that I was the same height as some of them. I thought it was funny. And kinda true.

Rylee's fiance, Daniel, is the trombone player on the far right.

COSMO!!!

Ballroom Dancers

Christina was in the parade. We cheered really loud for her too.

We were planning on watching the football game tonight, but it wasn't being shown on any of the t.v. stations we get. Instead, we watched the end of the Ohio State game for Arianna and then Monsters Inc. on the Disney channel. It was fun. None of us had seen it in a long time so we really enjoyed it. I also made banana bread. It was a good late night snack.

Today was a good day.

We Skipped Fall

Much to my chagrin, Utah has decided that Fall is unnecessary and to just move onto Winter. Boo Utah! Boo! It snowed today. October just started and it is already snowing here. Not a lot, but still snowing. I'm not ready for snow. I hope it doesn't stick around. It has been really cold. Like really cold. Aside from the snow, I love this weather. I just love wearing sweatshirts all the time. I guess it's time to break out my winter blanket.

A Good Day

So, guess who's getting married? Miss Rylee Vaterlaus! Yes, my roommate is ENGAGED. It's no surprise though, we were calling it before Daniel even returned from his mission. They are a really cute couple and I'm way excited for them. They're going to be married December 20, 2011 in the Columbus, Ohio temple. Too bad I'm not able to go because I could have been a bridesmaid (She told me so). Sad day for me.

This news was like the icing on the cake for me today. It was a good day. It rained. I love the rain. I also felt like wearing sweatpants. When Arianna came home and heard the good news (I knew before she did), she put on sweats too. This of course made Rylee want to wear hers. Yay for roommates who like to bummin' it up together! Arianna wanted ice cream to celebrate so all four of us (three in sweatpants) crammed into Clifford (Arianna's big red truck) and went to Macey's. We bought a half gallon of mint chocolate chip. And we ate it all. Dinner of champions.

We took pictures to commemorate. Us with our giant spoonfuls of deliciousness. I will post them when I get them. We had a neighbor take them so we could all fit in the pic in our lovely bummish glory. I really did look like bum. No make-up, hair in a bun (hadn't showered) and sweats. No wonder I have so many guys after me.

We're planning on going to the homecoming parade on Saturday. There are free blue pancakes and Christina is in it with BYU EMS. Daniel is too with the band. Then we're going out to lunch to celebrate Rylee's engagement again. The restaurant has yet to be determined. Hopefully we'll win the game.

Also, happy birthday to my brother Adam. I sent him a card and gave him a suggestion for his Halloween costume this year.

Whatya think? 

The Miracle Man

He goes by the name Marcus Mathews. Tonight BYU played Utah State. The game began with Utah State scoring a touchdown in the first fifteen seconds. Fifteen seconds! I was assuming that was sign of how the rest of the game was going to go, and it was. It was until the third quarter when our backup quarterback, Riley Nelson, stepped onto the field. Smart move because our starter QB, Jake Heaps, has not been playing well. He's good from time to time, but he really needs to work on his consistency. In the fourth quarter, USU was leading 24-13. We scored a touchdown with 10 minutes left in the game. When there were three minutes left, Arianna said we were going to lose unless a miracle happened. Someone must have been listening because a miracle is exactly what we got. With 11 seconds left on the clock, Marcus Mathews caught a deflected pass for a 13 yard TD. We got scared that it wasn't going to count because there was a flag, but we got it and WE WON!!! The final score was 27-24. Arianna, Christina and I were going crazy. We were jumping up and down and screaming and the apartment downstairs was obviously not watching the game because they were banging on the ceiling due to the noise. Lame! This finish made it one of the most exciting games I've seen.

Here is the miracle moment:

Go Cougars!

The Cure?

I think I may have found the cure for insomnia. I fell asleep today reading a textbook. It happens more often than it should. I was telling Arianna that there is just something about reading a textbook that increases drowsiness. I know a lot of people have the same problem. I wondered if people with insomnia have tried reading a boring textbook to help them fall asleep or if a study has been done to see if it works. Arianna laughed at me. I don't know why, I think it's a pretty genius idea. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person to think of this, but I really do wonder if it's been tested.

G Whiz

I came across this video the other day. Sesame Street parodied Glee as a way to teach kids about the letter "G". As awesome as that is, do children really learn from it? Children under six are the typical audience of the show and a majority of them are preschoolers. Also, as much as love Glee, I don't think it's the best show to partner up with Sesame Street. But hey, if it works, that's great.

Concert In Colorado (Warning: Long Post)

So we left Saturday morning at 4 A.M. Since I hadn't gone to sleep yet, I was extremely tired. I was awake in the car just long enough for Janessa to run over a poor duck. It was raining pretty hard so it was hard to see. It rained most of the way to Denver. I felt like such a bad road trip buddy because I slept for so long. I was much better on the drive home with a little help from my good friend Dr. Pepper.

We got to Denver in ten hours instead of eight (due to the rain). We bought lunch at Wendy's because it was right next to the venue. I recommend their Asian Firecracker Wrap or salad. It was delicious. We had to change out of our traveling clothes in the car (don't worry, no one saw us) because there was no public restrooms anywhere nearby. We arrived at the concert venue extremely early to increase Janessa's chance of seeing Joe Jonas before the concert. Also, it was general admission seating so we had to be towards the front of the line. I waited in line for a total of 7 hours. Janessa stood out back by the tour buses for 4 hours, in the rain, hoping to catch a glimpse of Joe. She met his keyboardist and he said that he wouldn't come out because of the weather. A singer's health is everything you know so he couldn't risk catching a cold. Fifteen minutes after she joined me in line, Joe came outside and met with some of his fans. Poor Janessa. She also barely missed getting a VIP pass to meet him. It just wasn't her day.

While I was waiting in line, there were two guys talking to everyone in line. They are in a band from Kansas called The After Party. They're following the Joe Jonas tour to promote themselves. I talked to Alan, the drummer. Brandon, who plays bass, was at the other end of the line. I was listening to my iPod and he asked me who I was listening to. I proudly admitted it was Justin Bieber. He told me about his band and asked if I'd like to hear one of their songs. He passed me his iPod and I listened. I liked what I heard. I bought their CD and got it autographed by both of them. Janessa and I took a picture with them too :)

Brandon, Me, Janessa and Alan

I wish I had looked a little cuter or at least had makeup on, but I'm the kind of girl that chooses comfort over cute. Also, I figured I didn't need makeup because I wasn't trying to impress anyone and I didn't really care that much about those performing, except maybe Jay Sean. After meeting Alan, I kind of regretted my choice. The other two members, Andy (plays guitar and is Alan's twin) and Kenny (vocalist) were in another city doing their own promo stuff.

This is the song Alan had me listen to.  I love it and can't stop dancing to it!

Since we had such a great place in line, we were able to make it close to the stage easily. How close? Second row baby! Well, Janessa was second row. During the concert I kept getting pushed further away from her and my original spot. She kept looking back to make sure I was still there. I get easily lost in a crowed.

There are pros and cons to a general admission seating concert. 

Pro: You can get close to the stage if you're fast enough. 

Cons: You get shoved since there are no seats. You get stepped on. If you're short, the people behind you think it's okay to use you as an armrest. No joke. Kinda pissed me off. Camera straps hang in your face. There are multiple people invading your personal space bubble and you get way closer to strangers than you would like to.

Okay, so it looks like there's only one pro. I think I will stick to concerts where you pay for you seat and everyone stays where they're supposed to. Or maybe I'm just not cut out for concerts.

JoJo opened the show. I haven't heard anything about her since she was in the movie Aquamarine. I may have forgotten that she existed. I was never a huge JoJo fan in the first place. This performance didn't do anything to change that. She dropped the f-bomb when her keyboardist messed up on her new single and her outfit was awful. 

She used to look like this.

Now she looks like this, an angry rocker. Dark hair does not suit her.

Jay Sean was next. I loved him. He is amazing live and he's got some beat boxing skillz! I forgot he had an accent. When he talked I was in heaven. He also took his sun glasses off during a song and every female in the room melted. He was so cute! He also told us we could download his new album for free! Want it? Just click here. 

Then it was the moment everyone besides me had been waiting for. Joe performed. Everyone went crazy and the pushing increased. I'm not really a fan of his music, but his looks are acceptable. I knew a few songs he sang from his Jonas Brothers days. 

During his final song, he had about 8 roses that he was throwing out to the audience. If I had been a little taller I probably would have caught one. But I'm not. So I didn't. It's not like I really cared anyway. The girl next to me caught one and the girl behind her grabbed it too. I think they were friends, but they ended up fighting over it and the coveted rose was destroyed. It was like a bridal bouquet toss gone wild. Times 100! I thought I was going be like one of those people who gets trampled to death during Black Friday. 

When the concert was over, we hung out by the tour buses hoping they would come out. We even went to a back ally to see if it was Joe leaving in a black SUV with tinted windows. It was his band/crew members. He had already left to board a plane to NJ for a family weekend (we knew because Janessa is his follower on twitter).

Jay Sean waved and blew kisses to us from his tour bus before leaving. Most of the people had cleared away by now (there were only six of us left) so JoJo came out and offered us her extra box of pizza. We couldn't take pics, but it was nice of her. Janessa and I hadn't eaten since we first got there at 1 P.M. and it was now almost 11 P.M. 

Pizza from JoJo...it was Papa John's if anyone cares.

We also had to pee like no other. Seriously, as unhealthy as it is, we didn't pee for like 12 hours. I was hoping the celebrities would pity me and realize I was risking my life to see them, but they never came out. I was even starting to make up headlines for the next day's paper. "Fan dies from exploded bladder while waiting for Joe Jonas." 

The hotel we stayed at was in Fort Collins, which is an hour away from Denver. So we were tired, cold and had to pee, but had to wait an hour to be comfortable again. I think that may have been one of the best sleeps I've had in a while. I was so dead to the world. 

We woke up and met Janessa's cousin for breakfast at this cute little restaurant called Snooze. They only serve breakfast food. It was sooooo good! I ordered the Caprese Benedict: Ripe heirloom tomato slices, fresh mozzarella and poached eggs atop toasted ciabatta with cream cheese hollandaise, basil pesto and a light balsamic drizzle. YUM! We also ordered three little pancakes/french toast so we could all try what they were famous for. We got a Pineapple Upside Down pancake, Blueberry Lemon Bar pancake and Peaches 'N Cream French Toast. Everything was so delicious and their hash browns were amazing. It kept me full the whole ride home.

It was a really fun short trip and I'm glad I got to go. It was a nice end to my birthday week.  I wonder what I'll do next year.

Random Road Trip

In less than 3 1/2 hours I will be leaving with my friend Janessa to go to Denver, Colorado. Why? Because she's obsessed with Joe Jonas and had an extra ticket. She tried to sell it, but none of her friends wanted it. On Wednesday (my birthday) she was desperate and posted about her upcoming trip on Facebook. She said she needed a car buddy and concert buddy and whoever wanted to go wouldn't have to pay for anything. Since I've been in here in good 'ol Provo pretty much all summer long, I jumped at the chance to get away. Even if it's only for two days. I'm excited for the road trip. I've never been to Colorado. I've never been this far east before. I'm not excited about seeing Joe Jonas, but Jay Sean will also be performing and he's cool. But hey, I can't really complain because I get to go to a concert for free.

I'm going to be pretty dead though. I'm really tried, but I need to finish cleaning for cleaning checks. Also, tonight a bunch of us decided to play football after a BBQ some guys in our ward put together. We wanted to get muddy since it rained today. We started in the park, but it was too dark. None of us could see the ball so we weren't really playing so much as running around like chickens with our heads cut off. We moved to the field at a neighboring complex because they have lighting. We were much more successful. I actually don't know which team won.

We ended our game early because a girl asked us if we could hide in her apartment to surprise her friend for his birthday. None of his friends really showed up (there were only six people). Whether he was expecting a surprise party or not, he was definitely surprised because there were like 14 strangers singing him happy birthday. We thought it was pretty fun. I felt bad though because we got grass and a little dirt all over their carpet. They were cool about though because they were so grateful.

I love how random life can be sometimes.

The Big 2-1!

My birthday started at 12:03 A.M. with a happy birthday text from my friend Claudia. I woke up to a phone call from my mom and a couple Facebook birthday messages. Throughout the day I received more messages and texts. At the end of the day I had a total of 51 Facebook birthday messages, 3 texts, and four calls.

To celebrate my birthday, I made Reese's cupcakes and invited people over for 7. Not everyone one showed up at once. It was basically like having three gatherings in one night. I liked it because I actually got to talk to people instead of being surrounded by a huge group of people and not getting to talk to everyone. Everyone loved the cupcakes. As I suspected, despite my mishap earlier this afternoon. My friend Rosi made me strawberry Jell-O shots, sans alcohol, and everyone enjoyed them. It was funny watching everyone get the Jell-O out of the little cups. Some were even drooling. There was some dancing and we played a little Swedish Twister. I was so popular today :) I'm bummed my camera was absent during all the fun. I really suck at remembering to use it.

So, in case you didn't already know, my roommates are awesome! Rylee and Christina got me cute cupcake liners. They know me so well.

Arianna got me a cream filled donut! FINALLY! I can die happy and content now that this dream has been fulfilled. Five years or so ago, I discovered that I share my birthday with National Cream Filled Donut Day. Every year it would be my wish to accomplish eating a cream filled donut on such an important day. And every year I would fail. You would think it wouldn't be that hard, but for me it was. I came close my Freshman year at BYU. My friends came back with a Krispy Kreme box and I got really excited. I opened the box only to be disappointed at the sight of original glazed donuts. What a let down.

It even had a cherry on top :)

Now I can say I've done it and I can finally stop obsessing over such trivial thing. I don't even really like cream filled donuts, but I had to do it just for the sake of being able to say I did.

THE BIG MOMENT...Only 5 years in the making.

The Proof. I got laughed at for this one.

I received a package from Howard and Lori. It was a card and and amazing candle. Here's what it's supposed to do.

Here's what happened. I'm making it sound like something bad happened, but it didn't. We just didn't light it right. And yes, that is my precious donut beneath the giant candle. 

I didn't want to light it myself because I was kind of scared so Christina did it, plus she's an EMT. Well, she didn't really do it right or the candle had some issues and part of the flower started melting because the big flame sat there for so long. It was still entertaining though.

I had a wonderful 21st birthday. My new mantra is "I'm legal, single and ready to mingle!" Whatya think? 

Only On My Birthday

Only on my birthday would I mess up on my own cupcakes. Maybe its a sign from the universe telling me I shouldn't be making my own cupcakes (though my friends say no one could make them better...but not today apparently) or it could be a sign about how my year as a 21 year old is going to go. That wouldn't surprise me considering how the last few years have gone.

Okay, so they're not as bad as I'm making them sound. It's not like they taste awful or I burnt them. I just mixed them for too long. The key to any batter is to mix for two minutes. Well, I turned on my mixer and started doing something else. I let them mix for too long and let too much air get incorporated into the batter. Now they are all cracked on top and don't look like my cupcakes usually do. They are not up to Wendi standards and I'm sad, but there's nothing I can do about it. People will still eat them because looks don't matter when it come to desserts, taste does. And my cupcakes always taste good.

The Laundry Room

Tonight I was doing laundry, as was everyone else. I almost always seem to pick the day that everyone else does. I went to switch my laundry to the dryer and there was a guy doing the same thing. Our laundry room is TINY so I decided to leave for a few minutes to save us from having to squeeze past one another. I came back and he was still there. His clothes weren't done yet. He moved by the door to let me have room to move my clothes. I lifted the lid to the washing machine (which happened to be the one right by the door) and started to pull some clothes out. I didn't lift the lid all the way and the guy's common sense kicked in. He said something, which I didn't catch, and then walked out. I'm guessing he was telling me he was leaving for a minute. I thought it was really nice of him. I don't want my underwear on display in front of people, especially guys. I really appreciated the fact that he was aware that I was a little uncomfortable by his presence. I've only been in the laundry room while a guy has been in there a few times and it's always a little awkward. Sometimes they even seem a little uncomfortable and I can tell they're trying not to look or be weird about it. More guys need to follow the one I encountered tonight. I don't know who he is, but I think he's awesome.

Eventful Evening

Tonight, a fairly large group of us went to the hot springs. It was a 2.5 mile and hour long hike to the springs. Kirsten and I got there a little after the first group (I'm a slow hiker). While we were setting our stuff down, there was a man behind us. We thought we were blocking the path so we asked if we should move. Kirsten saw his badge and that's when he told us he was cop and asked that we not blow his cover. He could tell we were BYU students, we could be trusted. There was a certain smell that could faintly be detected through the sulfur and Kirsten (a Portlandian, woo hoo!) recognized it as marijuana. It was a drug bust! He caught the guy and searched through bags. It was the first time I had heard the f-bomb dropped in a while. When that ordeal was over, we soaked for a little over an hour and then headed back down. it was my first time at a hot spring and I liked it. I sat in the perfect spot. It was warm because of a cold stream that ran though. The other areas were too hot. Walking back, it was dark and there was a limited number of flash lights. It was quite the adventure. Sliding, falling, twisted ankles. Let the good times roll!

On the way back, Kirsten, Ally, McKenna and I were all starving. Tomorrow is fast Sunday and we don't have  church until 1 p.m. We decided we would stop at Sonic. Right after getting off the highway and back into town, we saw flashing lights. Yeah, Kirsten got pulled over for speeding. He could smell the sulfur radiating from our skin. He asked where we were coming from and if the three cars behind us, that were also speeding, were part of our group. They were and the only reason why we got stopped and they didn't was because we were in front. Wasn't that nice of the boys, to let the girls get busted?

Luckily, we Kirsten didn't get a ticket. As we started driving again, Kirsten said now she REALLY needed to go to Sonic. It was almost midnight so naturally we got breakfast burritos from their dollar menu and cherry limeades. It was so good. It was a great way to end such an eventful evening. I've showered to rid the stink, blogged and now I am going to bed because I am EXHAUSTED. I plan on sleeping in until noon so I won't have time to think about being hungry.

Welcome Back! Welcome Back! Welcome Back!

Arianna and Rylee are finally back! I wrote them a long heartfelt message on their mirror in dry erase marker and made them cookies. I'm such a great roommate, huh?

I can't wait to see what we'll do this year!

Fleeting Glimpse of Eternity

In The Notebook, as summer romance is compared to shooting stars. "A spectacular moment of light in the heavens, a fleeting glimpse of eternity. And in a flash, they're gone." Well, Monday evening I got a fleeting glimpse of eternity. TWICE! A group of us went to the free movie in the park (where we go ice blocking). They were showing Despicable Me on a big inflatable screen. We got there early because you can play Just Dance (well, four people have a remote and everyone else that wants to can dance along).

During the movie, I saw a quick flash in my peripheral vision. I looked up and could see the disappearing tail of a shooting star. Everyone was excited and and amazed. A few minutes later, there was another one. I had never seen a shooting star before. It was a pretty neat experience.

The Help

I finished reading The Help and I loved it! It was so good. I became pretty emotionally invested. I think Minny and I would be best friends; I loved her attitude. Aibileen would be an awesome grandma (not that I don't like the ones I've got), Skeeter and I could talk about boys (or lack there of) and writing and I can't tell you how much I'd love to smack Miss Hilly upside the head.

There are a few lines I really liked from the book. The first one is what Mae Mobley is told by Aibileen, her maid. "You is kind, you is smart, you is important." Forget about Jessica's daily affirmations, we could all benefit from constantly telling ourselves that we're kind, smart and important. Yay for boosting self esteem!

The other one I really liked is what Skeeter was told by her first maid Constantine after she had been called ugly by a boy. "Ever morning , until you dead in the ground, you gone have to make this decision. You gone have to ask yourself, Am I gone believe what them fools say about me today?" I love this. I don't have really have a problem with people saying negative things about me since I'm not in grade school anymore, but my sister is still at that stage where teenage girls like to spread rumors and lies about each other. We've talked about some things a girl said about her and her self esteem is high enough to wear she didn't really have problems with ignoring what was said about her. For other people, that's not the case. Even if you do have high self esteem, it can still be hard not to be affected what others say about you. When we come across some negative opinions of us from others, we just need to ask ourselves if we're going to believe what those fools are saying. I don't know about you, but I don't listen to fools. They're called fools for a reason.

Since I've finished the book (which has left me rather sad), I am looking forward to seeing the movie. None of my friends have read the book or seem as interested in seeing it. Hopefully that will change. I'm recommending it and hopefully someone will fall in love with it like I did so we can see it together.

Little Updates

Well, The Cocoa Bean is currently in possession of my resume. Please pray for me so I may get the job of my dreams.

I almost died last week at Seven Peaks. Not really, but it was scary. Marjorie, her sister and I were on a three person tube going down the slides. On one, we went so high up on the side during a turn that I was just about to fall out when Marjorie used her legs to keep me in. I was almost lost a couple times. It was an exciting day. I used sunscreen this time so I didn't get burnt. I also went down some of the other slides. One was pretty high up and long, but not steep (so it wasn't scary). It was so fast, I got the biggest wedgie of my life!

I've been reading The Help. I ordered it online through Borders. Since they're going out of business it was a good price. I also bought a James Patterson murder mystery. It's nice having two books on my shelf. I miss being at home with lots of books to read. Sadly, I have not read as much this summer as I usually do, so I've been loving having something to read. There is just something about falling asleep while reading a good book. 

After three weeks, I finally stopped peeling and was able to wash my sheets. 

I keep getting eaten by the minions.

I got a haircut, just an inch off and layered. I want to keep growing it longer, but my previous layers had grown out so much. My hair just kind of hung there and looked like it was all one length. I had a girl in the ward do it because she is a graduate of the Paul Mitchell School and did it for $10. It's not a huge change, but it's a nice one.

I think that's pretty much it for now.

Colorful Cupcake Decor

I made one of my cupcake crafts this weekend! I had a coupon for Jo-Ann's and they were having their founder's sale, so I was able to get everything I needed for a great price. 

Here is the example:

And here is mine:

My frame isn't as fancy, and that's okay because it was only $3 at Walmart. I also didn't use the pop dots to make them stand out because it really doesn't matter since they're in a frame (plus there wasn't room in the frame I used). I also didn't make marks where each cupcake was supposed to go because I'm not that patient. Although I tend become an OCD perfectionist when I do projects and crafts, it just seemed too time consuming and I was too excited to finish. I think I did a pretty good job by just eyeing it. And I've been slowly trying to teach myself that the little imperfections (that only I seem to be able to see) add character and make it better. Besides, I can't expect something handmade like this to be completely perfect. Let's face it, nothing in this world is.

In case you missed the post with the link to the tutorial, here it is again. 

Strawberry Cupcakes & Exciting News

So this post is a little late, but better late than never right? Last Sunday for ward break-the-fast, I made strawberry cupcakes. I thought it would be fun to do something summery and that would go perfectly with some cute liners I had. 

I found the cupcake recipe on the blog Plant Food Fabulous and it was actually adapted from Martha Stewart's website, who got it from Candace Nelson of SPRINKLES (the first Cupcakery ever!) I knew it was going to be good. I also used the frosting recipe that went along with it. Now I'm going to share them with you.

Strawberry Cupcakes

3 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks of butter, softened

2 1/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 egg white

1 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups finely chopped strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350º. 

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium size bowl. Set aside.

In the mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if you need to. Add the vanilla extract. 

With the mixer on low add about a third of the flour,  half of the milk, a third of the flour, the rest of the milk, then the rest of the flour. Basically 3 batches of the flour with milk in between. Mix each addition until combined. 

Stir in the strawberries by hand. Fill cupcake tins, with liners, 3/4 full. This recipe makes about 30 cupcakes. Bake for 20 minutes, or until testers come out clean.

Strawberry Frosting 

(yields enough for 1 dozen so I doubled it and had enough)

1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed (I used fresh)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold

Pinch of coarse salt (I used regular salt)

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. 
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• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. 
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• • Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. 
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• • • Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. 
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• • • Do not over mix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.
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• • • I didn't manage to take a picture of them because I was still frosting them until the last minute. I wish I had, they looked really good. They were such a hit (When are they not?). People were grabbing them before they were even set down on the table, which was a smart move because they disappeared fast. I pity those that didn't get one. James (the other Oregonian) wanted a second one, but he said he saw a guy eyeing the last one from across the room and decided to let him have it. I think I caught a glimpse of the eyeing and I believe that it would have been that person's second cupcake too. Lucky him for being the only person to get more than one.
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• • • In other cupcake related news, I have been asked to make cupcakes for a friend's wedding open house in January! I'm so excited because it's like my first real cupcake job, except I'm not being paid. We're all about service in our church. I'm a little sad because it is kind of a big job and it does cost money, but Marjorie said she'd be willing to split the cost with me and even help me make them. Consider it your wedding present Beth & Cody. I'm hoping this could lead to other potential jobs and some friends in the ward know to come to me if they want cupcakes at any family events or birthday parties.