:....quick....sand....:

Theres a small dry bit of sand left in my hand and it's sinking through my fingers at a speed that's a little too fast for my current liking. There's so many things to say, but so little time. There's so much to align, but it keeps getting jumbled. I feel like I don't have time to purposefully dip a book in a lake and read the crinkly pages, or be at the top of a mountain with my legs stinging. I liked how Kendis said: Don't put off doing something when the thought comes, just do it then, or you never will. Like buying a cushion for the bucket chairs, it's been 2 years, and still no cushions. When the thought comes, why don't we just do it? What else are we doing?

Despite all this, there's something about the thought of it that makes me giddy with excitement, an incredible excitement that I've never experienced before, and could never explain.

I saw this painting at the San Diego Museum of Art. It was so beautiful, it made my mother cry.

El Greco, The Penitent Saint Peter. 1590-95

Button That Top Button.

My mom and sister have been threatening to cut off all the top buttons on all my collared shirts for my mission. What is it about awesome that they don't understand? Theres something so great about that one little detail that completely transforms a boring ordinary collared shirt into a shabby nerd/gangster/oxfordy/librariany/beautiful piece of clothing which happens to be ***bonus*** super modest.

I guess it's the only way I can justify wearing those shirts because they never look quite right on me. I can't take myself seriously when that fabric is dangling open, it looks sloppy. I can't help that I love the way the collar looks when it's closed. There are so many different shape of collars, which make it fun. Some of them point straight down or point off into different directions, some are long and some are short, it's a surprise waiting to be discovered, and you'll never know until you do it.

I met a boy at Called to Surf who completely supports my BTTB Movement (see post title), as well as Seany, both opinions which I trust, so who's with me?

Wisdom

Handwritten 6: Little Loves

I've been noticing scribbles people write down, and I love it! Every time my mom leaves town and we have to house sit, we get the best notes of all time posted on every inch on the house, they make me laugh out loud every time I see them. Then there's Jen's little scribbles all over every piece of scrap paper in the house. I have to save them all because some day they will be as precious as Picasso's sketches. Little critters and creatures and cuddly squishy blobs with eyes and circle cheeks. I'm beginning to collect these little pieces of paper people leave around, it's a little trail of their lives and I want that part to be remembered the most because it's the real them, their real handwriting, their trail of thoughts left behind. Sorry they're all a little fuzzy...

Jen's lil man cat doodle

Found on a notepad at my mom's house.
The notes around the house before a trip , love that some of them are from 'the management' haha






The best love note from my favorite girl Karli at church. xxnarwalsxx <3

p.s. pretty song cover <>

Handwritten 5

It makes so much sense now why this was my favorite joke to tell when I was little, and why my ultimate favorite movie was Balto, and how I spent countless hours making snow igloos with snow igloo bedrooms and snow igloo kitchens, and how I never took my coat off when I got to class in elementary school, and how I recently acquired a taste for Salmon even though I've hated sea food my whole life, and how I could sit in the front living room of my apartment with Kelsey talking about narwhals for hours at a time.
At first it was shocking, but now it just makes sense.

Yes, they really do have narwhals in Alaska.

Handwritten 4

I'm going on an adventure! I don't know where yet, but in two days I'll be by the sea and the ship will sail in the right direction. Wish you could come.

Handwritten 3

Handwritten 2

Doyald Young
One time, for 6 months, I tried to draw the two letters "B&L" together in a script font. I tried hard, but something always seemed off, one tiny little curve or the shape of a swish, it just never was cohesive. So, today I am appreciating Doyald Young and his dedication and love for typography, one of the most challenging occupations, that doesn't get enough credit.

Handwritten.

<3, Sufjan.

It's a living breathing blog with blood pumping through it's heart, and feeling coming back into it's fingertips, aspiring to be better, with more inspiration, more life, more information translated into it's own perspective until it becomes tangible gibberish.

Uhhhh no.

Maybe I should go to fashion design school and make my own sister missionary mall...

More like this:

Karli Alyn Sibliss

WHY DO I HAVE THE MOST AMAZING FRIENDS IN THE WORLD?
I don't want to know. Just let me have them.

It's all about Karli.
Everytime I look at her, I get hit hard in the stomach with a flying ball of laughies.
Sometimes it makes sense
but most of the time it don't.
She don't care if my grammar ain't right.
She is a greek goddess.
She don't care if there's surprises in the John waiting for her.
There's never been a person with more sunshine in their face (except the teletubby baby sunshine)
I love when she says the word "treat!?"
I love the smell of her yellow bug.
And how we always start movies at 2am and think it's a good idea.
I love her sniffly nose,
and the way she eats a Yogurtland, like a perfectly practiced symphony.
Whenever she leaves, I want her to come back.
It's like you think you have friends, and then you do.
I'm glad we got to be in a relationship for 2 minutes on facebook.
Sorry I broke up with you, but it looked like we were really dating.
If I were a boy, I'd date her.
Nobody would treat you better.
Awkward.
I love how it takes 10 minutes to say goodnight,
and the only thing that's said over and over
is I love you, I love you I love you so much. oh I love you. I love you I do.

Read her blog http://blissfullyaesthetic.blogspot.com/

Can I be like...

I wish I did that?

Welcome to Fontevraud from Francis Cutter & Vincent Nguyen on Vimeo.

I'm Only a Woman, of Flesh and Bones.

Dear wife-beater-wearing-no-good-dirty-rotton-hole-digger-sweet-pea-sugar-lips,

I've never had so many 12-year old boys moments in my life than this past month. That may have to do with hanging out with sophistically immature people evry livin day and talking like I'm from the dirty south for a week straight. I've had a permanent southern bell accent ever since a midnight run to the hospital, which resulted in a 2-hour conversation on foot corns fried up real nice in ambiotic fluids along with dutch oven regurgitated 2nd breakfasts. I reckon my humor has hit the hogs, but I ain't ashamed no more. No I ain't, I reckon ever girl goes through a time in her life where ever thing she ever knew feels sliperier than a snot covered doorknob. My mama wanted to whop me upside the head, but I ain't gonna let no mama give me a lickin. Anyhow, I reckon I'll never grow up ter be a well-mannered lady, things just keep on getting way too funny for me to turn down a good ol' knee-slappin' belly-achin' laugh. Don't ever be what they want you to be, or you gonna let the good things in life pass you by. I'm an educated woman, I don't dig no holes.

p.s. in case you were wonderin', and I know you were, type this ~@~ into good ol' gmail chat and get a good laugh for me.

Much Obliged.

Ms. Watson.

No I durn can't get enough of this song neither.

Random great things from today

Symmetry from Everynone on Vimeo.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. Iti sour light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presense automatically liberates others.
- Marianne Williamson

Simply Put.

I've been realizing the best things are always so simple. Like friends, who love you for who you are and teach you how to baby talk.

Untitled from alyssa watson on Vimeo.

When it's simple, I want time to stand still.
It's laying on the floor with your heads together saying whatever comes to mind first. It's clipping the ends off of flowers and putting them in fresh water. It's that excited/retarded little jump you always want to do when you randomly see someone you just want to spend all your time with. It's sitting on a dock with crispy fresh french fried potatoes dreaming of the future ahead, but not caring, cause your young. It's the crunch of your steps on a gritty gravel path. Its that sweet-spot of discovered chords played on the piano, over and over.
It's the final touch on a homemade card.
It's always just ashley's baby talk that makes me giggle uncontrollably.

Why English is Hard.

We have the best discussions in class...

There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is "UP"

It's easy to understand: UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP and why are th eofficers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?

We call UP our friends. And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver; we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP and appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is ordinary, but to be dressed UP is special.

And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can have UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of th emany ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. But when the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it messes things UP. When it doesn't rain for a while, things dry UP.

Can you think of more?

The best movie is UP.
You break UP when things don't work out.
The top of your booty's jigglin out those jeans, baby pull your pants UP
Wrap it UP and shut UP
It's time to set UP shop and keep UP to speed.
Sit UP straight and stay UP late
I'll be UP UP and away UP UP and away
My time is UP.

Just Between Us.

Sometimes I wish...

sunday nights would never end
time was slower
everyone had a moustache like mario's
laughter would never die down
I was JB's fav girl
everything didn't have to make sense
your socks didn't have to match
you never had to choose a last word.

jaymay

she keeps coming back.

click

November 4

it's a lovely thing to think about, but is it a distort, a kaleidoscope that hopes for color, for dreams and inspiration, of course it is true, but the perfect tint makes everything look good.

Moustache + Blossoms

Today was brilliant, starting off with conference which is so amazing and then walking outside to the most perfect feeling day in a long time. My professor in school told us the other day that the human mind can take in 11 million pieces of information at one time, but the brightest of humans can only process 45 in the moment. He said to imagine how many pieces of information that bombard you when you go for a walk in nature. I took his advice and was completely overwhelmed with the richness a good walk outdoors contains. It shows you new things you've never noticed before, beautiful little things, each one was created with careful perfection. Frodo and I even saw a bunny! as well as the first blossoms of the year. I'm going to make this a habit. Oh and grape flavored chewy wax moustaches with mom topped off this perfect day. I love girls night out on conference weekend more than anything!

My old friends!

Oh I've missed these guys. My top favorite book characters growing up.


Babar the elephant

Tintin!


Le Petit Prince


Astérix and Obélix

and Muzzy!


What were yours?

dusty scooter

I rode the scoot for the first time this year. All I can say is that we couldn't wipe the gigantor smiles off our faces for the full 10 min ride.

Floating Moment.

Every once in a while life is perfect.
For that moment everything feels so good from head to toe.
Kendis and I have claimed those moments in life:: Floating Moments::
They are rare and unexpected but you know exactly when they are there and you can't help but remember them forever.

Our first floating moment started because we were literally floating in the ocean. We found a leaky blow up basketball hoop in the yard of a purple house in Cayman pushed off to float in the aqua-blue crystal water that was the perfect bath temperature. Kendis had the base and I laid on the hoop and we drifted away into the most floaty moment of our lives. It's hard to describe the perfection of that moment, we were as light as air, the breeze cooled us down like those battery-powered pocket mist fans, the sound of water was so soothing, we talked about life and had no cares in the world. But moments like that can't last forever! As soon as it had come it was over with large needle-like drops of rain stabbing our skin, stabbing our perfect moment to it's death.

Floating moments don't last long, but rain cannot stab the memory or impact of them! They make life make sense.
More floating moments:

Eating hershey's kisses on top of NYC in pink chairs.
Sneaking Häagen Dazs Vanilla ice cream in the middle of the night w Kelsey
Exploring a black coral castle in Kauai
Riding bikes through the provo river trail to the duck pond and having a picnic
Discovering fluffy land on scooters for the first time
The Enchanted forest after the perfect snow storm
Walking through Rome for the first night and looking up at the Vatican wall with first italian pizza
Soccer game in Minori with the whole town, American Boy playing
Minori Minori Minori
Honeymoon suite on the top of Minori
The leather man's shop in Minori
Playing piano in the rain at Dante Alighieri
Experiencing a fig for the first time
Eating dinner in the country of Tuscany with the family from my big fat greek wedding
Mama luigia's zucchini pasta
All of mama luigia's food
Soaking up sun in the Piazza Del Campo for the last time
Watching Karli eat an apple with perfection in the Piazza Del Campo
Realizing for the first time that I know a city in Italy like the back of my hand
Looking at a finger on a dimple on the thigh of Persephephone on the Rape of Persephephone by Bernini for a full 15 minutes
Tasting real gelato for the first time
Stealing grapes from a vineyard in Corniglia, Cinque Terre after climbing 400 steps, twice
Once again floating in the crystal clear ocean of Cinque Terre after hiking through an ancient trail
Confirenze Generale in the little church under an apartment building, everyone cheering for the temple in Roma
Discovering antique markets in Arrezzo
Eating warm rice pudding in the countryside of Tuscany
Seeing my family for the first time after 3 months
Elder Ballard coming to our stake conference
The first feeling of summer
Driving in Karli's yellow bug through Provo with a crystal lite, coca cola, dr pepper & pina colada slushy
Dancing in the kitchen with only 30 tiny candles lighting the room
Staying up til 4am talking and laughing so hard with tears rolling down the face.

just to name a few.

Never to be seen.

I found some old ads that never got to run in the newspaper where I work, they were so much fun to make,
we were all quite disappointed they didn't run, so here's their moment of glory for all the world to see!

happy trashy

Grinning garbage bags from Japan! I would be a garbage woman in japan just because of these guys.

my first movie trailer

I totally forgot about this and found it today. This was filmed in pompeii, italy! you can't hear anything and I don't know what my pants were doing...so much fun though, I loved that place, even if it really was a little creepy.

Truth Seekers teaser trailer from Lauren Laws on Vimeo.

florence

I found this and love her even more, "sometimes I sing about air, I have a song called lungs it's about breathing, wierd." haha I love how she loves to be in the woods with all sorts of bruises and scrapes and loves choir music. brilliant

today was the most beautiful day.
I'm so glad I decided to walk to school this morning
While I was walking I noticed the most beautiful things
simple
but not.
My favorite was a little imprint of a fish on the gutter
that said "Keep my water clean"
the fish was so intricate and friendly
I was so pleased to see this little detail,
that didn't need to be there, and only a few would ever notice
but it made the concept of caring about our planet a little more real for me
and made the gutter look a thousand times better than a tasteless slab of red concrete
I'm so happy I looked down.

As I was walking home
I felt so tired and down from the stress of the day
remembering the beauty of the morning I looked up
and there was a big furry feathery green bush, with two arms sticking out
as if giving me a hug
it was so comical
and so perfect
I know who it came from.
I love this beautiful world