Wednesday, May 24, 2017

MAKING PHOTO ALBUMS (finally)

I have decided I want to start printing out my photos into photo albums. I've always been really bad about printing out photos, but I really want to preserve all these memories beyond my external hard drive which might just die at any moment. It's scary to think about not having all my photos anymore if something were to just happen to my computer or hard drive. 

So I've decided I want to dedicate a couple hours every week to print out photos and create tangible photos albums. I'm thinking it will be a good Sunday afternoon activity if I just dedicate two hours or so to it each week. That seems so doable and then I'll be able to have cute photo albums to look back on years to come!

When I was little I really loved looking through photo albums when I was at my Grandma's house. It was fun to just sit on her couch and pull out one photo album after another and see all the little happy moments of life captured in the pages of those books. I want that for my own life. I want to be able to look back on all these fun things I'm doing, and all the happy moments of my 20s.

I haven't decided which company to make my prints with. I've printed at Walmart and Walgreens before but I wasn't really super happy with either. Maybe I'll try out Target and Costco and see how their quality is before I go printing hundreds of photos. Have any of you had any good experiences with photo labs? I just want the quality to be sharp and the color to be accurate.

I'm excited to start this little weekly project! I can't wait to have tangible photo albums in my hands in a few months.   

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

LET'S TALK ABOUT LA LA LAND.

La La Land has officially become my new favorite movie.
I haven't had a new favorite movie in years! 

Honestly, every component of that movie is perfect. The beautiful cinematography, the music, the enchanting dreamlike portrayal of Los Angeles, the locations in each shot, the acting, the emotion, the story line. Everything.

When it first came out, I watched it three times in the theater. It was just so captivating that I couldn't help myself from going back to watch it again. And again.

I watched it again last night, for the first time in the comfort of my home, and I felt every single emotion that I felt each time. I know the story, I know the music better than I should, and yet everything about the film felt new again. That's the epitome of a mesmerizing movie to me. 


And you better believe I bawl my eyes out every single time. Poor Jeremy. He's there to hold me and tell me everything's okay after each time. Of course the idea of Mia + Sebastian not ending up together is tragic to me but it's deeper than that. It's the sadness of the ending, mixed with the idea of unfulfilled potential in myself. 

Perhaps this is letting you into a more vulnerable part of my mind, but I've always wanted to work in the movie industry. I've wanted that LA life with the film industry job, knowing I've helped create something beautiful to add to the world. I suppose that's why I studied what I did in college, and why I was an extra in movies and TV shows all those times. They were little stepping stones towards my LA movie life goal. 

This movie touches me on a deeper level for that reason. It's the idea of all these people trying to make it, trying to pursue their dream, and I can't help but question if I'm still chasing after my dream or if I just got comfortable along the way. 

It invokes that fear of not living your own dream in life out of fear of failing. 

I listen to the soundtrack a lot at work and even that at times can make me emotional. The music is so beautiful, and brings up all those emotions from the movie. 

In conclusion, La La Land is artistically beautiful and perfect! And I will fight anyone who says otherwise. :)




Here's to the fools who dream.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

THE LOVELIEST LITTLE MORNING

I love a good peaceful morning. Sunday morning was one of those mornings.


We went to Blue Copper as we do often, I got my mocha as I do often, and we sat outside to enjoy the overcast weather. 

We tend to sit inside at one of the tables next to the windows, but this day was different. We took our drinks outside and I wrote in my journal and sipped my mocha and enjoyed the weather.


We eavesdropped on people's conversations. I pet a woman's little black dog named Bjork. We giggled when one friend was explaining to another how to get into the password locked bathroom and everyone else sitting around chimed in to offer tips. We watched the people walk by and the cars drive by. We listened to the birds chirping, and smelled the rose scent from an oil bottle a lady dropped and broke on the concrete to the table east of us.


Jeremy also bought me these beautiful flowers. We were walking out of a store from returning an easel when Jeremy asked "Can I buy you flowers?" We were next to Trader Joe's so after I giddily said yes and we went in and picked out this beautiful bouquet!

It was Mother's Day and he said "I know you're not a mom yet, but today is women's day and I wanted to get you flowers." 

Beautiful flowers. Delicious mocha. Journal writing. A cool crisp day. It really was such a lovely morning.



Wednesday, May 17, 2017

FIRST DAY OF LAGOON!

We bought season passes to Lagoon!! 
And Sunday afternoon we went for the first time this year. It was so much fun!


We started the day with the train ride because we both love that train ride; it's just so calming to ride around the lake and have the breeze on your face. I also love being able to see all the animals up close. 

Fun story: The first time Jeremy and I ever rode that train right when we pulled around to the tiger cages a tiger roared at us! Like legitimately opened his mouth fiercely and roared! It was so terrifying but also really cool to see that! It's never happened since, but that tiger did NOT like something about our train that time or someone sitting on it. His roar was so deep and ferocious and pretty terrifying. Has anyone else heard a tiger roar in real life? It's crazy isn't it?!


We rode all the fun rides and the lines were so short we just walked up to each ride, waited a minute for the current ride to finish and then hopped on! Those are my favorite days for sure! Although its always intimidating when you go up to ride Cannibal and as soon as you get to the gates they tell you you can just hop on. There's literally no time to mentally prepare for what you're about to do when there isn't a line haha.

It was such a lovely day! And the best part is because we have passes there's not that underlying stress to try to squeeze everything into one day. We literally went and rode everything we wanted to ride that day and left after about 3 hours. 

Yay for a summer of Lagoon trips and Seven Peak waterslides after work everyday. :) 


Thursday, May 11, 2017

DREAMING OF NEW YORK CITY

Lately I've been spending an awful lot of time looking online at apartments in New York City.

I know moving there is still a ways away, but I can't help but look at all the lovely apartments and studios for rent. The apartments are still fairly expensive in comparison to other cities, but it was refreshing to realize Jeremy & I wouldn't have to dip into our savings to live there. Initially we thought even if we had to use some of our savings to live there, it would still be worth it, but once we sat down and figured out the logistics we realized we wouldn't even have to touch our savings! That sure is a happy realization. 

It's just fun to sit and daydream about living in NYC even if I'm not moving quite yet.
I have always thought it would be fun to live in New York City for a year or two, and lately, I can feel the little moving bug sneak up on me! 

Perhaps my time in Salt Lake City is coming to an end soon. 

Monday, May 8, 2017

FIXING UP THE BACKYARD

Among all the other things Jeremy & I did on Saturday, we spent just about 5 hours outside cleaning up the front and backyard. I keep telling him I want to plant vegetables and have a garden in the backyard so we're finally fixing up the yard so I can plant my garden!

We went to IFA and I bought garden soil and seeds! We're going to attempt to grow: tomatoes, basil, carrots, red potatoes, spinach, and lettuce. I basically want to just try to grow the things we eat a lot of anyway and that was the list. I already have raspberries and green onions in the front yard that come back every year, and the raspberries are so yummy!

We're going to work more in the backyard today after work and try to make some planters out of scrap wood we have left over from the house renovations. I really wish I would have taken a "before" photo because the backyard looks so much nicer already and we're not even done yet! I'll take one today as a mid-way photo to show you guys. 

I'm so excited to finally have a backyard I can use! I just want to have my little garden back there, and have barbecues and hang outs with friends this spring and summer.

Up next on our list to do:
Paint the fence white. It's an ugly chipped red now.
Build planters.
Buy a patio table set.
Mix in garden soil. 
Plant seeds.
Watch my garden grow!