chin up!

just like everybody else i sometimes become stressed, freak out about the future or just feel sad. when this occurs i typically start in with the self-deprecating behavior. for example i start to sleep too much, eat mass amounts of chocolate, listen to sad music, etc. when used in moderation all these things can be helpful...my problem is moderation :)

so. what to do. well, here are five (of many) things that have been proven to help me time and time again:

1. yoga. love it love it love it. even if i'm in a place that i can't do yoga, i can do yoga breathing and my body naturally starts to relax as if i were actually doing yoga.

2. talk to someone. i have an awesome support system (you know who you are :). when tension or anxiety starts to build i just call someone and talk it out. every single time i'm essentially 100% better when i get off the phone.

3. exercise. i'm not a runner but if i'm feeling down running makes me feel so powerful, alive, healthy, etc. do something active with a friend. take a walk. i love walking and noticing things around me. i particularly like walking through older neighborhoods (i.e. center street in provo was an old haunt of mine). find a place you like and make it a go to place to de-stress.

4. shower. typically when sad or stressed i'm not feeling too great about myself. so i take a hot shower, shave, use apricot scrub, condition my hair for a few extra minutes, etc. afterwards i take my time putting on lotion, doing my hair (which doesn't require much for me), get dressed cute or comfy...you'll know which you require. now you've taken the initiative to pamper and take care of yourself, you're spirits will recognize this.

5. organize. this is definitely not one for everyone. if the prospect of cleaning or getting organized stresses you out...skip it. it's not important. for me if i tidy my room, change my sheets, make the bed, fold and hang up my clothes i feel like i've accomplished something, taken control.

side note. i was hanging out with my good friend duard the other day who brilliantly said, "i need to be content with the great things in my life." love it. i'm working to remember that :)

so. what helps you when stressed/sad/anxious/etc.?

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priscilla ahn - dream

pretty things are free, yeah?

today i was chatting with my grandmother about the family reunion-ish trip to mexico this coming summer. which caused me to start thinking about the beach, palm trees, rubbing sunscreen onto the babies (niece and nephew), manzana, and of course what cute swimsuit to wear. the following are all from anthropologie (unfortunately way out my price range) but oh so cute:

number one is most realistic for me (two, although fun and very top modest, would get dirty way fast while three is too yellow for my paleness).

youtube magic

white paper cut-outs on a black background

set to a fun song,animation in stop motion.

in other words...it's way cool and something

the nephew will surely enjoy.

chocolate chocolate white chocolate macadamia nut cookies

so right now my all time favorite cookie (this changes probably every few months) is a chocolate cookie with dark chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts....mmmm.

to make baking them so much easier, first get the pillsbury dark chocolate chunk cookie mix (on the left above). follow the instructions adding the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips at the end. spread out in small balls on cookie sheet, bake and you're done :)

to make it even easier i now use a cookie dough scoop (love love love it) and bake the cookies on a tray lined with tinfoil.

i made these for church last sunday and one boy mentioned that he doesn't really like cookies but that he could eat a plate full of these. he added that he can really taste the cocoa in mine (insinuating of course that they were made from scratch :)

btw...the idea for the cookie came from lamia who introduced me to a similar cookie from panera bread that we wanted to replicate as there is no panera bread in utah :(

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the coltons

i frequently drive past the memorial where my great grandparents are buried so i stop by periodically to visit. this memorial has gravestones that are flush to the ground so during the winter months they are all covered in snow.

i drove to the area where my grandparents are buried and walked toward where i thought they might be. i selected one gravestone to investigate and reached down with my hand to move the snow. the first thing i saw was the name Katie, then Lind. It was my great grandma's grave.

it was absolutely magical that of all the searching i could have done, the first gravestone i uncovered was my great grandma's.

pics for my nephew

uh oh! he fell off the swing into the snow!

this doggie has glasses just like your dadda.

these eggs are saying, "hi nephew!! don't eat me!"

where are you going little chickie?

and this one's for your momma (well and the rest of your family):

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nina simone - mr bojangles

everyone...

ms. nina simone:

youtube magic

way fun band pomplamoose (french for grapefruit)

do cute original songs and covers.

mrs. robinson - simon and garfunkel

mister sandman - the cordettes

p.s. the girl (nataly dawn) totally has light eyelashes comme moi :)

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gig posters

so for most concerts a gig poster is made. the poster advertises one specific performance and is created by individual graphic designers, artists, etc. with each and every event, a new one is made. so there are tons of these posters out there. now enter the website gigposters.com, a fantastic way to lose a part of your day to the internet.

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where i got (stole) my christmas gift ideas

first we have library bags for my niece and nephew (he loves his!!)

next we have customized pillow cases for duard ;)

the girls got fabric button earrings (i used different scraps of fabric and got the buttons 50% off at joanns....!)

boys got hankerchiefs

girls also got some friendship-bracelet-esque necklaces.

[pics and ideas from: inchmark.squarespace.com, freshlypicked.blogspot.com, etsy.com]

pics for my nephew

careful nephew...camels spit!!!

what's this doggie looking for?

shaw shaw...which bird is red?

these snowmen love each other :)

mmmmmm....doggie bread

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tori amos - famous blue raincoat

funny story:

a lady i work out with had a very unruly boy in her primary class. she finally resorted to asking the little boy, "what would jesus do?" (in an attempt to get him to calm down) and without hesitation the little boy said..."fart"

yikes :)

cool things are free, yeah?

i learned to play scrabble in mrs. kay's fourth grade class. she had a parent come and teach groups of four alternating children to play for an hour or so during each week. i was pretty good compared to my fellow classmates and therefore loved it. still love it.

and i really really love this poster, cool yeah? it would be way cute in a little kids room.

[source ]

haunting hair

sometimes i really want to have bangs...especially when i hang around my lovely friend jessica who pulls them off so so beautifully:

(don't mind duard reading comic books in the background...ps - he totally didn't know i was taking a picture...his natural face while reading :)

so to bang or not to bang? well probably not. i have way thin hair so i probably shouldn't reduce it even more by hacking some of it off. plus i'm a huge slacker when it comes to doing my hair. in fact doing my hair consists of washing it, parting it, and letting it dry. so for now no bangs. but i'll continue to be haunted by those with awesome bangs:

[pics from: me, copenhagenstreetstyle.dk/, www.flickr.com/photos/olivgron/, and zooey deschanel from the lovely movie 500 days of summer]

pics for my nephew

this could be sister in a few years after you teach her how to swim :)

should we eat this banana?

uh oh. this doggie wasn't very nice.

i'm hungry for nephew!!!! grrrr.

i love when you laugh and giggle...one of the happiest sounds in the world. why is this little girl giggling?

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kt tunstall - someday soon

my nephew the photographer

so on christmas eve i handed my point and shoot over to my nephew set on a soft flash. he essentially just held down the shutter button and walked around pointing the camera at people. it's amazing how people react in front of a two year old :)

great grandmother

great grandfather

auntie genny and uncle james

auntie polly and auntie lindy

auntie katy

grumpa

momma

dadda

[photos by nephew]