Utah Skies

The skies have been exceptionally incredible this week. Probably thanks to the nasty inversion. Oh Utah, I do love you but your air quality is sub par.

Bryan and I like to pretend we have the money to buy a house. We're constantly on KSL and Zillow finding what we like and what we would do in terms of updating and such. We even went and walked through an amazing model home. Its all in good fun. What was really fun was when the big ol' powerball jackpot was waiting to be claimed and we talked about what we'd do with all that money. But if I learned anything from Breaking Bad, (besides meth is bad) its that money doesn't fix everything. So for now, we are happy in our cute little apartment. 

I hope everyone is well. I'm a week away from taking my basic esthetics state board test, so wish me luck!!

how to accept a compliment

Since when did it become okay to be rude about someone giving you a compliment? I've given so many compliments to people who give me dirty looks. It's not rude or creepy or anything else negative that you might think of. Don't you put effort into the way you do things or the way you look for a reason? And doesn't it feel great to have that acknowledged by another person? I for one think so.

So here are step by step instructions on how to accept a compliment:

Step One: Look compliment giver in the eyes and thank them


See! Now isn't that wonderfully easy?

Now the next time someone tells you that you have a nice smile or that your outfit is well put together, you know how to handle it! Even if you are extremely awkward and get slightly embarrassed about it, like yours truly, you proudly thank them because you deserve it because everyone is wonderful and beautiful and things like that should be praised. There is enough bad in the world that we don't need to shoot down a wonderful thing.

Remember, the world is still a beautiful place.

try

the first time i heard this song was at work. it started and my boss said "this song is weird, listen to the lyrics" i didn't. but when it ended she said "weird huh?" i just agreed cause that's what you do when you don't actually know what is going on.

the next time i heard it one of my co-workers said "this is my favorite song!" still didn't listen to the words but the tune was catchy.

another day, it came on again. i listened. but i didn't think about what i was listening to.

yet another day went by and the song came on again. the same co-worker who loves the song was helping a customer who went on about what a great song it was and how amazing the music video was.

i didn't watch the music video yet. but i starting really listening to the words every time it came on.

today i watched the music video.


and everyone needs to watch it. i seriously started crying. it's such a beautiful message.

it's independence day

I hope you all had a fantastic Fourth of July! and while you were enjoying $12 hot dogs, lame floats and spectacular pyrotechnics; I hope you took at least a few seconds to remember why we get to do and enjoy these things. we are so lucky to live where we do and have the opportunities we do. I'm not one to keep up on world news because it makes me terribly sad and scared but I've read bits and pieces and I can't help but thank all the men and women who have and still are fighting so that I can live the way I do and have the rights that i have.

also, it was pretty great to do 4th festivities with this fool by my side.

137, 435

yesterday i had the opportunity to go to the golden gate national cemetery in honor of Veteran's Day. the second we drove through the gates onto the grounds, the most amazing feeling came over me. you can feel the spirit of those people on those grounds. we walked around in silence. i know all 5 of us felt it. 

there are over 137,435 names in the 161.5 acres of this place. men and women. and some aren't even names, some are numbers. people who were unknown by name, but were still honored. 

 it was such a beautiful, peaceful, humbling experience. i know i don't exercise all the rights i have, but i'm eternally grateful to these brave people, past and present, who have or are fighting for those rights and freedoms.

seeing is decieving

 i've seen this floating around the internet here and there.

disgusting, right? i think every girl has looked  at a woman on the cover of a magazine and looked down at herself and hated the way she looks. i know i have. it's just the way the world has brainwashed us into thinking. 

there's also so much hype about having a 'thigh gap' like, when did that even become a thing? i've never been the skinny girl. tummies and touching thighs are just in my genes and there's nothing i can do about it. i've learned to accept and love my body they way it's built. at least i'm real. yeah, i could do a sit up or two, once in a while i could maybe run a few more times a week than i do, but again, at least i'm real.

my mom mentioned THIS to me while skyping yesterday. it made me happy, there's still hope in this world.

we just need to keep this in mind:

and also, this: