i really really need someone to teach me how to blow dry my hair. possibly curl it. and this little number would be awesome.

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upcoming movie 'the romantics' and jcrew. yeah, pretty awesome.

it's also nice to see katie holmes seem happy in a non-staged-like way.

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i was in barcelona with my family last summer and while navigating the metro system we stumbled upon this boy (on the left) who bears a striking resemblance to my brother (on the right). mop of curly hair, yellow shirts, positioning of the arms. eerie. and awesome.

definitely a favorite song.

thanks joanna for posting about the video :)

btw...ate way too many chocolate covered cinnamon bears today.

sailor knot bracelet

not only does etsy sell gorgeous jewelry, interesting antiques and cute handmade clothes...but they also have a handmade blog. which included a how to on making a sailor's knot bracelet.

i think first i'll try the white one. then using another using cloth. so many fun things to do :)

so backpacking was kind of awesome. i went with my good friend danya and three boys from our church group. we started at bald mountain trailhead and hiked down about 2 miles to notch lake. we had the most perfect little campsite at the base of a mountain, next to a tiny stream, 3o feet from the lake, and with a well built fire pit.

the second day we hiked around the mountain to ibantik lake and then decided to continue on and hike completely around the mountain. that's right. we hiked around an entire mountain. kind of crazy. the estimate is we hiked around 6 to 7 miles. very tiring. but the sight as we reached the top was stunning. oh and we saw bright white mountain goats.

the lake we camped at had cliffs along one edge. there was a perfect spot for diving into the lake and a perfect spot for the boys to act like boys. throwing rocks and trees off of the cliffs along with other activities.

danya and i also decided to swim. we didn't bring suits which made it a little awkward. jason asked where my camera was as we were about to get in...i conveniently left it in my backpack :)

unfortunately this sometimes seems true. although we all know people who fully embrace the triangle and embody all three.

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red velvet cookies

so my friend nycole loves cupcakes. we frequently visit the sweet tooth fairy and indulge ourselves. she also makes divine red velvet cupcakes. so nycole...this find is for you :)

oh yeah...red velvet cookies.

i think i might need to work these in and make a bunch this weekend.

1 box red velvet cake mix

1/2 cup of butter

8 oz package of cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

beat butter and cream cheese adding powdered cake mix slowly.

mix until blended.

form balls and roll in sugar.

bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.

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bon anniversaire lindy!!!

i love your smile.

i'm selfish. i want you to myself. i can't help it.

i have a weakness for you.

yikes...how'd pancho get in here!

you are fabulous. you enrich lives. you understand people. you seek out those who are lonely and become their friend, confidant, support. you make scars sexy. you stand up for those you love. you are gorgeous. you lighten up my days. you are powerful. you love your niece and nephew. you dance.

you are with me when i'm sad. you're with me when i'm silly. you're with me when i'm obsessed. you're with me when i'm happy. you are with me.

love you lindy :)

uintas

today i'm off on a backpacking trip!! it's been a few years so we'll see how i do. i've got my trusty blue jansport pack that i got at a garage sale when i was probably 13ish. i have sunblock. and a few other things.

i'm really really excited to see the stars tonight :)

[pic by chase smith]

after a yoga class yesterday i walked across the street to one of those fruit and veggie stands that pop up all over during the summer.

i bought one of the above but filled with bear lake raspberries. and ate it all. by myself. in about 15 minutes. a word of advice...don't eat raspberries while driving. very distracting and messy.

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music all around

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

fun coincidence

"a webcam in hungary captured this curious bird looking into the camera. the webcam is set to shoot only one frame in every minute, so what are the chances?"

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tie dye

so honestly. part of the fun in doing yoga is dressing up for it.

i came across this tie dyed tank the other day and realized, 'i should tie dye!!!' so i'm going to take some old cheapo forever21 tanks and do it. anyone want to tie dye with me!?!

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happy things

1. swimming. blowing out all the air propelling your body down to the bottom of the pool. vaulting yourself through the air to then dive in. trying to go from one side of the pool to the other in one breath. watermelon rugby.

2. apricots. plums. raspberries. black berries. apples. peaches. mmmm.

3. receiving mail. even better is receiving mail with a cute card, pics of fun memories, a mixed cd, etc :)

4. reading a book, cover to cover, in one day.

5. strawberry shortcake cupcakes. which hopefully i'll have tomorrow :)

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care to dance?

honestly...this is probably what i look like. dancing by myself, alone in my room.

latest mantra: i can do hard things

i attended a workshop this last weekend and listen to a man talk about how he was able to forgive a 17 year old kid who got drunk and crashed into his car killing his wife and two of his children. that is hard.

i read the book, 'sarah's key' where a 10 year old girl loses her family during world war 2 and carries the resulting grief for the rest of her life. that is hard.

a woman in one of my yoga classes lost her son unexpectedly two weeks ago. she tearfully told me how he died in her arms. that is hard.

my life is not hard. but sometimes it feels that way. and because we know i love to rant...here are some things that i think are hard:

my sister lindy is leaving. not just utah but the country. for 18 months. no possibility for phone calls seeking boy advice. no girls' weekends where we watch movies, eat ice cream and swap clothes. no car rides with enthusiastic singing. no notes left behind. this will be hard.

my knee. blah blah blah everyone is sick of me whining about my knee. trust me...i am too. but having a hurt knee SUCKS. it creeps into everything. it causes me to be more cautious, losing the exhilaration that movement brings into life. it messes with my yoga practice. pain in child's pose!? you have got to be kidding. this is hard.

babies growing up. my sweet little nephew left el salvador a toddler and is now a little boy. i held him the day after he was born when he looked a wee bit like a turtle. now he is a clever talkative 'cowboy/superman/buzz lightyear'. my gorgeous little niece walked for the first time yesterday. she isn't even a year old. she constantly will stare you down her gorgeous blue eyes. she's independent, curious and will push the limits within moments of setting her down. only every now and then is she sleepy enough or morose enough for you to hold her and she'll relax down onto your shoulder. babies growing up is hard.

moving away from flower mound, texas is hard.

friends moving across the country is hard.

cutting back on sugar is hard.

trying to build relationships with boys men is hard. really hard.

even accepting a boy's hand to help you down after climbing rocks is hard.

building confidence in yourself is hard.

again, i know my life isn't that hard. but it's nice to get it all out every now and then :) feel free to call me and let if all out if necessary.

remember...we can do hard things.

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there are always statues to talk to

in 2005 i traveled alone for a week in eastern europe. there was something spectacular about wandering the streets of a very foreign country, not being able to talk to those around me, and just being along with myself.

sorry i wouldn't let you have the same experience lindy :( i just worry too much.

to all you boys out there that manipulate and control girls,

back off.

i'm on to you.

you go near my family and friends and i promise you'll never have seen such a crazy girl come after you.

sincerely,

katy

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forrest yoga

i am going to chicago from september 21st to october 23rd to attend the forrest yoga teacher training.

from the website: "this course will open you to deeper truths and perceptions and teach you how to apply these truths to your lives - both in and out of the yoga studio."

i'm pretty much sick from excitement and nervousness. then i try and not think about it :)

did i mention that chicago is where best friend/sister and her two babies (niece and nephew) will be living? yeah. life sometimes works out.

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cowboy gummies

these two little darlings made the el salvador trip so entertaining. especially little nephew whose personality is now bursting out of him.

he loved him some snacks. i brought some toy story gummies which he dubbed 'cowboy gummies'...so cute. here he is with what's left of a chex mix bag that he unfortunately dumped on the floor. he was the only one who really didn't mind :)

he would spend hours riding on the jet ski with his dadda. oh and they would both climb into the boats (docked right next to each other) and have pretend races against each other. sometimes this included escaping the 'monsters'.

here he put on his buzz lightyear sandals (which light up) all by himself...on the wrong feet :)

he told us that this statue (which is supposed to be doc from the seven dwarfs) was my dad, his bumpa. not sure why considering my dad doesn't wear glasses all that much and is really tall and really thin.

i like to affectionately call niece and nephew 'the babies' which he will adamantly oppose and say, "me no baby. me big boy!" one day in el salvador we were walking quite a distance on a road that was semi washed out so it was lots of rocks, steep downhill, not very easy. sweet nephew really wanted to be carried. his dad told him that big boys get to walk. he then very sternly yelled at his dad, "me no big boy, me little boy! hold me!" so cute, and clever :)

lake house, san remo, lago de coatepeque

i got to spend the last week here:

in this pic, you can see the dock

and above it tucked away is the lake house.

here's a view from the back porch down to the lake. btw...chilling in the hot tub during a tropical storm while chatting with your family is awesome.

here is the little bungalow/dollhouse/bug trap that the 'single kids' slept in. the door my sister lindy is peaking out of is where the girls resided.

we ate dinner on the lake house's porch every evening. the nephew is getting a jump on that here.

miss you already.