Feel Something Beautiful

"The plan was for me to become a celebrity and
she was going to be the most famous stylist in Hollywood!"

Anne Bench is one of my dearest friends in the whole wide world. We were companions when we served in Winnipeg, Manitoba and the Lord has decided to let us spend more time together. Anne moved out to Salt Lake in September to start fresh. She trained at the most incredible hair academy in So Cal and worked at the prestigious Hamilton's. If you know hair, you know how impressive that is. So why am I writing? She needs new clientele in Utah. In California she was booked three months in advance for her style and technique and she moved here and left a lot of lifetime clients. People still call to book appointments with her for when she may go home. I am just doing a push to help a sista out. I am really picky about my hair, but sometimes I don't know exactly what I want so she takes into account my personality and what I love and I come out feeling so awesome! Her unique style has converted me! She is so talented and now I won't go to anyone else. Her color is amazing and she always cuts my hair so that even two months later people still ask me if I got my hair done. She is known for her Texas blow dry and her awesome dry cuts. She is offering a stylist change discount; just try her out once and if you decide to switch, your next service is discounted! She is working for Nine Salon out in Daybreak...I know, "but Daybreak is pretty far!" It is worth it! Comment below if you would like her contact information or just call/text me.

Feel Beautiful...All the Time

Può essere terribilmente felice?

I am lying here in my bed wondering about a lot of things. Blake wasn't feeling well this evening so we opted for a "night in bed" FHE, watching Fantastic Mr. Fox (it has become a household name and the most quoted film of our marriage). Regardless of our love for the film, we both drifted off to slumber. Annoyingly enough, I am now awake, surfing the internets, blogging, and wishing I was the contest winner of a shopping spree. Seriously, why don't I ever get picked of those things? Speaking of getting picked for those things...Last week I made my sister Natalie give me her biggest bill of the month and I scanned it and emailed it in to our radio station 97.1 zht. They had a "Pay Your Bill" contest that I figured we could enter. Not 24 hours later TJ announces her name and paid off a $500 bill. How cool is that?!

Anyway, back to my rambling subject. Blogging for me is a funny thing. Sometimes I feel like writing and have no clue what I will say. I guess the main reason I write tonight is to sift through some feelings. Everyone has them, and most of the time we don't take time to sift. So after much sifting I have come to a very meaningful evaluation, I need to spend more time doing things that matter rather than thinking up things that don't and doing them. Blake and I were talking yesterday about all the resources the Church gives us to figure out life and learn more about the gospel...think about it for a moment will you...We have conferences, magazines, newspapers, articles, .org's, the scriptures, books galore on subjects that lift and inspire and teach us how to do what matters most. The Lord has given ample resources for finding out who we are and what we can become. Does that limit the need to learn the things of this life? No, I will always love researching contemporary country design, but it goes to show that I spend a significant amount of time not utilizing resources that could be helping me become a better person not just have a incredible home one day. How often do we have moments where life is just about too much to handle and instead of going to the Lord we get on Facebook and update our status? i.e. "I think I am going crazy. Life is a mess." When I am getting frustrated with life or on the contrary, finding great joy in it, I choose to instill in my soul, blogs or worse Facebook stalking someone else. I guess it is because it has become so easy to do so. How convenient is it to disappear into the www? The other day I got a phone call, text, and email from the same person, within in minutes and I responded to each one instantly. It has taken over! It really isn't all that bad, this is just me sifting, remember?

So this is my plight, the new experiment of life. School ends in two weeks and after that I will have a lot of free time (gratefully and sadly). I want to fill my life with what matters most. I have taken Facebook off of my phone, I have set times to check FB and my Reader, and times to surf around...The rest of my time goes to my life, my real life. I have a beautiful home, a totally hip husband who is currently dozing soundly (I love him lots, I feel like I don't show it enough, don't worry I will tell him when he is awake), lots of great neighbors, a rad calling in a fabulous ward, lots of fun things to go "out" and do, and a goal to run 2 half marathons. I just need to reset my priorities and focus on progression, plus I need to "up and doing". I will report. Loves.

Oggi è perché ha chiamato domenica...

Well it is a sunny day and I am happy about it. I was reading one of my favorite blogs,
A Beautiful Mess and she introduced me to the perfect summer music obsession. Not only do I love Zooey Deschanel in picture, but I also love, love her voice. Her mini band- She&Him...It takes me back to a time I wasn't even around, but I can picture my mom on a yellow banana seat bicycle with short shorts on, a radio in the basket, and big ol' sunglasses. What a fox! That would have been a great time. Simple.

Enjoy. Love you!

Più luminoso fino al giorno perfetto

I am taking a class at school called Foundations of Learning. It has become a course that has taught me a lot about myself and who I want to be. We read chapter's on what the Brethren of the LDS Church think of the school I go to and about certain principles that pertain to education and greater discipleship of Christ. My oh so enlightened professor complies quotes and talks and then allows us to respond. Yesterdays' reading brought me to this point...

I first want to say how much I love President Hinckley. Everyone has “their prophet” that they connect with the best and he is mine. I have had my testimony grow so much from what he has taught me. I felt like his teachings were always directly involved with the youth and our success. I think what most impressed me from the reading is what President Hinckley said, “Acquire all of the education that you can, even if it means great sacrifice.… You will bless the lives of your children. You will bless the Church because you will reflect honor to this work.” You never really think of school as a way to reflect honor, but what better way to represent the church than to be a well-rounded, educated person who knows what they are talking about. It seems as though many feel the need to let their education slip through their fingers, when in all reality it is education that will give us a sure grip on life and our experiences.

I think my biggest desire after reading this chapter is trying to implement the scripture President Hinckley quoted, “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light growth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.” I want to put it on a plaque for my kid’s school area (when we have kids). I think the biggest thing for me to learn is that I have to keep learning no matter what. When I am not in school I am learning a trade or some type of craft…something to expand my mind and help me to become a stronger individual. I love learning and learning new things has become quite exhilarating for me. I am now trying to fill my mind with learning anything at all times.

Last night we went out with our friends, Noah and Allyssa. Noah graduated with a bachelor’s in Business and is now renting cars for a living. He was saying how all his hard work at school has yet to pay off. He wants to be able to set his own schedule, go into work and make phone calls to clients, and figure out ways to market other people’s companies. (If anyone knows of a good marketing firm let me know, he is sharp) The topic then turned to our Generation Y attitude of instant gratification and how nobody wants to put in the hours it takes to become successful. Everything in our lives is instant. Text messaging, emails, Facebook®, it probably all started when the microwave was invented! I think our age has decided walking uphill both ways in the snow is over-rated and there is a better way to be successful, and I have been guilty of those thoughts myself. I think the Lord made learning a challenge so that we can stretch ourselves. Evaluate and make new limits for ourselves. This life is about stretching and increasing, progressing and exalting; all these are words that lift us to a higher level of living, but they are words that involve the action and procedure. The idea of the Gen Y is to be innovative and creative without having a 12 year old schedule when people tell us when to be there, when to leave, and when to take lunch. It is the desire to manage our own time rather than have a manager. BUT if we are to get to that point we need to have the edge, not just think we do. President Hinckley said, “You face great challenges that lie ahead. You are moving into a world of fierce competition. You must get all the education you can.” It is through educating our minds that we become the person we desire to be. It is easy to go out one summer and sell pest control, make thousands of dollars in one summer, but will that be what you do for the rest of your life? I hope not! Money is not that important. An elder I served my mission with has come home from his mission feeling like a superstar, he drives the fanciest cars and wears the most expensive clothes. His idea of success is driven by the desire for material goods. His work ethic hasn’t turned into the need to learn and become, but the need to dominant the plastic world. It is said. In contrast, my brother-in-law is going to be an optometrist. He has been working hard at getting high grades so that he can have an advantage in this competitive world. This summer he will take his family to Colorado to sell pest control so that his little family can have some savings while he is bombarded with classes at his school in Portland. Are they driving fancy cars? Nope. Do they wear designer clothes? No, (but I must say my niece and nephew always look very cute) He understands the need to provide, but he also values knowledge and education. He has been a great example to me of what stretching ourselves needs to be like. Education is not something you can substitute with money. In the years to come it will become harder to hide the fact that someone has not educated themselves. We must learn and value the process. If the desire is not there, hopefully the desire to follow the prophet will be!

If you would like a copy of this week's read just leave your email in my comments. I was very impressed with what was said.

Tre Desideri

So on of my favorite blogs, A Freckled Nest, LA from good old Winnipeg posted three wishes today. I decided I would share mine for the moment... I think I have wanted a beach cruiser since the day I learned there was such a thing, riding a bike on the beach, not much better than that!

Who doesn't want to own a chubby bird...seriously?


And on a more unrealistic, but hopefully one day wish... Living on the beach in San Clemente. One day. I hope everyone is having a lovely day. Loves

La mia nuova avventura di matrimonio

Oh my gosh, I am so excited! So my new wedding website is almost near complete!

Want a sneak peek?

www.thelittlelovebirds.com

It obviously has some more kinks to work out but I am so excited. Blake has spent a lot of time teaching me and showing how to do things, but lets be honest, we know that it is all him! He rocks my world! I hope you guys like it. Look on it for cool events we will be planning for this spring and summer.

Loves!

Felice San. Giorno di Patrick

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!

Il mio primo tentativo

Ahh! I made an inspiration board! One of my goals for 2010 was to learn how to use Photoshop...although I read a step by step tutorial I am super pleased with my first project.

This is the house I want to create on my own one day.
I am actually going to use the image for my presentation on Establishing a House of Order. I am really excited and I find that I have a lot to learn, but I am anxious to try more things.
I start with something simple! Hooray!

Sei Mesi

So as of today I have been married for six months! I can not even believe how the time has flown by. Now obviously six months isn't that long and realistically it has felt more like six years...in a good way! I love being with Blake (I almost said Mr. Bishop but he doesn't love that). We really are best friends and it takes the whole "married time" to figure it all out. I think about how little about love I knew before I got married and how little of my heart I chose to give and now I can give everything! We get all of each other. Unfortunately Blake gets a lot more of a grumpy me than I get of him, I am working on that! I just feel very blessed. Blake gets cooler all the time and the more time passes the more madly in love I am. It is hard to imagine a time without him and when I do it just reminds me of how great it is now. Marriage is a really cool thing. I wouldn't say it is hard, I think it is just different than you think it will be. We still have magic moments and times when I feel like we are the only two people in the whole wide room! We dance in the kitchen, wrestle, and like to go to antique stores. I know I can count on Blake to keep me grounded and my life simple. That is what I want...simplicity! I think if we didn't have to worry about money and cultivating strong characters through hard work we would just move to California, live in a little shack, grow a garden full of hydrangeas, and go surfing.
We love each other...it is a good thing.




This song is one of those we will probably have on our 50th Anniversary slide show!
And we will dance to it!

I granchi di pizzicare pizzicano ai suoi sandali

Some more projects that I have been able to get done. I think have some sort of busy disorder. I can't sit. So instead I play!

Our new handles for the desk! I thought I would go with something a bit more neutral for the husband's sake.

This little guy is a work in progress. I am actually trying to find some sort of post to attach it to so that I can stick it in the little garden. I have a bird fetish and so I thought that instead of buying one for in my home I would invite the neighborhood fowl over.

Random but much needed to-do checked off. This used to be a very menacing, dark brown vent for our air intake. The cream just looks much more inviting, although I wouldn't recommend going down there.

I have a couple other projects I am working on, but I have yet to get them totally ready! When I do you will be the first to know.

Un neonato rimbalzando

Well this weekend looks to be like one filled with lots of excitement. One of my best friends Jamie is getting married (look for her wedding review on thelittlelovebirds.com) and we get to go see my newest nephew, Cash Garrett Mullins! I am so excited. I decided that Blake and I are going to be the funky aunt and uncle so here is my first attempt to claim the title...

Since I posted Mr. Sugar I decided to take it a step farther...

Ver may not approve but once he realizes it will help his son be more manly he will love them!

Happy Staching!