14 days is completely 100% too SHORT!

here it 'tis. Sometimes I feel like my
hair wants to be red.... weird.

Remember that calendar I put on my window with how many days till schools over? well, that number is currently at 9. Add 5 days after that and I'll be off in Europe for 2 months.

Don't get me wrong, I am beyond thrilled for this. I am. I've been dreaming of this since I can remember. But, there are so many things I need to and want to do before I go and I won't really be able to do them all.

Anyways, I had the best weekend. It was a blast.

First seeing my little adorable niece, snuggling with her while she was sleeping,
shooting a reception and wedding,
Dark date adventure and evening,
cleaning the church with Glen,
 the gallery I had work in,
Helping make dinner with Kyle for this one event {that will be getting it's own post in due time after I'm given the go-ahead}

Here is the digital file. 

 sacrament meeting talks at church were great,
 wearing my fun yellow summer dress,
 Betsy singing opera in RS,
making cookies with Glen,
drive up the canyon and walk along the river and wading and singing to music really loud with the windows rolled down and sunroof open with glen,
dinner with Betsy Jake and Kyle and friends,
 finished editing 2 sets of bridals,
engagements,
started on an announcement,
and ended Sunday night at 2 am once again {far too late} chatting with Glen when he fell asleep. haha.

Anyways, this is dead week. which is pretty much my last week to get things done. ah! I have a huge to-do list so I don't even know why I'm blogging.

just know, this is the first semester that I'm not looking forward to it being over. It's the weirdest feeling ever. Too many things I want more time for.

and here is a close up, so you can see the
little squares and circle better.
I think it looks like the new animation movies in a way. 

Dark Date= best idea ever!

Have you seen "When in Rome"?
Well, in the movie, there is a part where they are at a restaurant and it's completely black. No light at all. Well, Betsy had this great idea to re create this in our apartment.
I thought it sounded fun, but didn't know if it would work.
So, we taped black garbage bags over our windows and waited till it got dark, made dinner, and planned a way fun after dinner activity. Oh, and asked guys on dates.

Well, while I was walking literally 10 feet to pick my date up, I closed the door and Betsy was off getting jake and none of my other roommates were here and the door was locked!! so, all of our windows are taped over and our door is new so we couldn't even card in. sigh. We ended up having to just climb through a window and re tape it. good thing Glen has mad getting windows open skills.... which kind of freaks me out cause he lives 10 feet from me.

We show the guys the little part from the movie {cause we wouldn't tell them what we were doing} and then turn all the lights off and move to the kitchen. And good news! You could not see a thing! nothing. It was like the same darkness level as the film developing rooms on campus. {which made me so happy for some reason to know that I could turn my house into a giant darkroom if I wanted to!}
It was so so funny. I'm not so sure about What Betsy and Jake were doing, but I think they might have had a mini food fight cause there was a lot of screaming. haha. It was so hard to eat in complete darkness! How do blind people do this?

So after we get done eating, we break out the funnest part-finger painting!! in the dark!

Best idea ever!! {my input to this date} We had like 24 mini paint container things and paper and just drew all over the paper and the bags covering the table and each other. And it was a blast. I poked Glen's eye at some point which I felt bad for, but, we looked so fantastic! I painted his nails, he gave me lipstick, and make up.
Anyways, If any of you want a cheap, way fun date idea, you can use this, you won't regret it.

We went up to the quad after cleaning up a bit and it was lame, but i'd never been there for a true Aggie night so we stayed a bit and watched and got free chap-stick! :D

Then we went to his apartment and ate ice cream and watched a movie and talked and I totally fell asleep. And stayed out as late as our "average" haha. {did I tell you how he taught me how to swing a golf club at 2:30am a couple nights ago? Randomest thing award of the week}

Anyways, This dark date will go down in the history of my top funnest date ideas i've ever done/been on.  

blacked out windows

dished up food before the guys came over

here's everyone. Look at our wonderful masterpieces!

we did really good. :D

can you tell that jake painted betsy? 

Betsy and Jake had tons of fun too

attractive people. 

Glen cleaning up.

You must let me know if any of you do this, k?

Because sometimes I take fun pictures

I realize I haven't given you very many pictures in my blog lately.
Well luck is on your side today because you're going to be getting some!Today, I didn't have school. So I went up to campus to take care of some study abroad stuff and buy some 120 mm film. After I grabbed Holga {my cheap medium format camera}from my locker, I put her around my neck and walked all the way across campus and thought to myself "You probably look fantastic with your sunglasses, big flower, poofy hair, camera, and camera purse!"
then when I got home, I walked by my full length mirror and decided that I look like I was a tourist, checking out USU campus....
and then I realized that it was "A-Day" where all the little seniors in high school come up to tour campus. Great. Everyone probably thought I was a weird young thang.

but I don't seem to care too much because at least I know I'll be a good lookin' tourist in Europe this summer. :P {I hope you guys know that I'm not really conceited. I just had to tell this funny story. haha}

I had to put this one up too because you can see my fun fake tattoo .
{it's a bumblebee which just so happens to match my yellow shirt.}

So, yesterday was soooo beautiful!! 

so we decided to go lay on the "grassy knoll"

on side of window. i'm the one with pretty blue hair. Betsy's the other one.

This is the other side of the window. But look below at the next picture!!!

look how fun we are when you slide them together!!!
good idea Betsy cakes! We have the coolest bedroom window ever!

days left of school. one for us to look at, one for
 the outside people creepy looking at our windows.

this is betsy and my st patties day feast.
they drink lots, so we decided to have some sparkling cider. :D

green fries

green corn

green burritos. it looked sooo nasty!!!

green ranch

bubbly

and apple pie that allison made with lips on top. :D

there you go. more to come later.

Cooking and Quote

HEY! IT'S SPRING BREAK STILL!

Been cooking, but first, here's a quote my friend, MarLyn had on her status. I love this so so so so so much. I'm so glad I'm a girl. Even though I hate how emotional I am sometimes, I feel like it's overall a blessing rather than a curse.

“Being tender and open is beautiful. As a woman,

 I feel continually shhh’ed. Too sensitive. 

Too mushy. Too wishy washy. Blah blah.

 Don’t let someone steal your tenderness. 

Don’t allow the coldness and fear of others to tarnish your 

perfectly vulnerable beating heart. 

Nothing is more powerful than allowing 

yourself to truly be affected by things. 

Whether it’s a song, a stranger, a mountain, 

a rain drop, a tea kettle, an article, 

a sentence, a footstep, feel it all – 

look around you. All of this is for you. 

Take it and have gratitude. Give it and feel love.”

— Zooey Deschanel

So, I have made some scrumptious things here lately. For the next little while, I have to keep myself busy so I don't go insane with my recent life events. So, While Betsy was at work today, I cooked up a storm, danced in my apron {clarification-with clothes on underneath, not just the apron} and sang a few songs into my wooden spoon. My mother taught me this. Only she usually uses a hair brush. They both work, right?

Did I mention that I had the windows open. Not so the whole apartment complex could hear me, but because it's a beeeeeautiful day! I love spring. 

So I made coookies. And a pasta bake thing. Naturally I just made that recipe up. 

If you want the cookie recipe comment and ask, I'm just nowhere near it right now, but i'd be happy to post it. Not really a secret one, but they were excellent. So i'm adding it to my success stories in cooking. :D

And I've been working on my food photography too. I love this image. :) window lighting.

 so here, is the pasta bake thing. I've made something similar to this before, you can find the recipe here.

before being baked.

you can clearly see my food photography is getting better. yay!

Yesterday was pi day. {3.14}  "π" So betsy and I made mint pie. It's really hard. I'll tell you how to do it.

whip 1 pint heavy whipping cream.

add one small can/bottle/ thing of marshmallow cream

beat untill combined well. 

mint extract to taste

stir a little more

pour into Oreo pie crust. {if you want to be really adventurous you can make one... but i was feeling lazy.}

freeze for at least 2 hours. 

hard, huh? SO good though. 

Okay, so now that I'm fatter I think I'm done with this post. :P

Dropping out of college to become karaoke stars

You know those times where you think, "self, I'm a super star!" ??.

Tonight, Just happened to be that sort of night. 

Here I was, minding my own business making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, in the middle of talking to a photography client about her wedding I'm shooting when my dear friend and roommate, Allison, tells me we need to go to Karaoke night at Pizza Pie Cafe.

If that wasn't the best thing my little ears had heard all day, I don't know what was. 

So I talk Betsy into going too, {because lets be hhhonest, Betsy and I have sung karaoke together since..... probably the dawn of the dinosaurs.... or when they started selling bread in the store. either one.} we have a list {extensive} of songs that are "our songs". {not "our song" by T. Swift} We decided tonight if we were a couple getting married, we'd have to have a lot of first dances.

some of them are as followed-

*Hero, Enrique

*My heart will go on, Celine Dion

*Your love is my drug {w/ Laurenita}

*Uptown Girl, Billy Joel

*Total Eclipse of the heart

*No life without wife {from the great movie "Bride and Prejudice}

*All I want for Christmas is you {pop version}

*If you want to be happy for the rest of your life never make a pretty woman your wife

*It's raining men, Weather girls

*a lot more that I can't think of at the moment.

We Try to sing Hero first when doing karaoke because we're really good at it. 

But tonight, they didn't have that song. So we sung my heart will go on. 

worth it?

YES!

Blogger wouldn't upload it cause it's too big so I had to make this youtube account thing, which made me make this "channel" and they didn't have the name I wanted. It was a trial. So i ended up with the channel called "blueyedbrunnetteful" or something like that. Don't judge. Betsy's idea. 

regardless. the video is available for you to see because It's on Youtube. It's a pretty stellar Video. thanks Jake for taking it. 

here's a list of things for you to look for in it-

Our #1 fan videoing us up close and personal {kev, I want to see that video}

Some guy turning the lights off so it added to the ambience of it.

Everyone getting out their cell phones

people singing along.

The crowd standing in the back

Betsy and I's lyrical dancing

the slow clap at the end. {that's what it's called, right?}

The DJ himself videoing us. {he didn't do this for anyone else. heh heh.}

the crowd going wild {well... ish?}

Regardless, I feel bad for the poor guy who sang after us because it was a hard act to follow. I think we were by far the most entertaining. Everyone else just stood timidly and sang. {mostly}

Pretty sure it was the highlight of our karaoke career. 

Sorry ya'll missed out. 

We're available for hire now though.... JOKE! 

so Without me rambling on anymore, Here tis the video {pronouce "video" in that last sentence like "veee day oh" it's funner that way.}

How do you think we did?

Dear future children, 

yes, your mom was cool once. 

A few quotes, cooking day, snow!

If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours forever. If it doesn't, then it was never meant to be. 

~Anonymous 

{I can't remember where I got this one.}

‎"A woman's heart should be so hidden in God, that a man has to seek 

Him just to find her." -Maya Angeloux

 {Thanks Lauren}

"I am a part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my presence makes sense and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, love with patience, live by prayer and labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up and spoken up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My banner is clear: I am a part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."  "


I found that last one on my friend Kelsey's blog. :D

"If you thought about yourself, tell it to go to hell because that's exactly 

where it came from." -Brigham Young. 

{this was on my friend, Annie's mirror.... whether or not Brigham really said that or not.... your guess is as good as mine. but it sounds good!}

I wish it would have turned out spicier. 

also, I have been cooking ALL day. wanna know what I made??

Red beans and rice. mmmmm southern dish. It takes nearly 4 hours to cook.

Corn bread

dark chocolate peppermint cookies. {for the getting fat is fun party.... that sadly got canceled because the host is sick! :'( }

I haven't had this in forever! When i
make a southern dish, i usually will
 make jambalaya. not this time. :D

I sometimes am too lazy to use my dslr camera
to take pictures after i cook.... I need to change
this. because these pictures aren't cutting it. 

it feels so good to cook a full meal!! I haven't cooked/baked in a while. well.... 2.5 weeks since Taylor and I made cookies. But those are a piece of cake....err cookie. 

This, this is what it is supposed to
 look like in Logan in january. 

In other news- IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to go sledding tonight. :D

Thought Thursday turned Recipe Wednesday

Natalie and Allison cleaned our fridge out and re-organized it.
they kept opening it up to look at it because they thought it was pretty. haha

here it is. in all it's cleanliness.

meet Glen. We made pie tonight. 

we're kind of cool like that.

then i made oriental salad. mom makes it all the time, but i never have in college yet. 

here is the recipe-

1 head of cabbage chopped fairly fine.
1 package of romen noodles crushed up
6 green onions
1/3 cup oil
1/3 vinegar
1/3 sugar
1 chicken top romen seasoning packet

combine oil and vinegar and sugar and top romen chicken seasoning together
pour over cabbage and green onions and top romen noodles. stir, and eat. :D

there was extra pie crust so he baked it with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top. 

final product. looks good, no?

Recipe Wednesday turned Thought Thursday

So yesterday was too busy to make anything. so i made mac & cheese. for those of you who don't know this, this is my favorite breakfast food. yes, breakfast. I love soups and leftovers and anything non-breakfast for breakfast. If i'm going to have breakfast food, it'll most likely be for dinner. I know, i'm weird. no need to tell me this.

So i made jambalaya- for 2 reasons. 1-because i needed me some spicy southern food. and 2-because i told my friend, Garin, that i would make him something sometime. only all of the food i cook would kill him. Cause he's deathly allergic to milk. So. this proposed some serious problems. did you know that margarine even has butter in it?? i did not. anyways, the other day i was thinking about making jambalaya and a light bulb went off in my head. jambalaya has zero milk. :D i had a polska cheese sausage that i usually use and had to go buy one that didn't have the cheese, but other than that this was a little easier to do than i thought it would. Don't get me wrong, i was still highly paranoid and kinda freaked out because i didn't want to kill the kid on accident. I'm pretty sure if i had to cook for him full time i'd get stomach ulcers from the stress. geez. haha. Although he assures me that it won't be scary after the first few times. i think he just wants me to keep making him food.... :P

anyways. jambalaya is not too hard to make. mainly you just need the right spices and you'll be fine.

here's the simplest way-

use a package of zatarans jambalaya seasoning and add rice. {the smaller amount you use, the spicier it is. and then dress it up with more peppers and some chili powder and Polska sausage and chicken and tony sacher's creole seasoning, or shrimp, or if you are lucky and can find them, CRAWFISH! mmmm. Love that water creature. One day, i'm going to go crawfish hunting again and then have a huge crawfish boil and eat those things till my lips burn so bad from all the spicy spices! The worst part is your fingers have the spices in them for days and every time you wipe your eyes they feel like they're on fire. anyways... i need to stop talking about crawfish because i want to cry that you can't get them here.

I should have taken a picture before we ate and cleared
off the table. but alas, i am not doing so hot at taking as
many snap shot pictures of my life this year. :'(

i made cornbread too. which Garin couldn't eat because the mix said "may contain milk"....

Jambalaya. it's one of my favorite things. I want to make a king cake again. because those are my favorite things in all the world. but, they kind of take a good 6-8 hours of work. so, next time i make them, instead of making 2, i'm making at least 4. at least.

So there is southern food Recipe Wednesday on a Thursday.