wish you were here

alas i am at my sister's house again and finally able to post. here is a glorious picture of my new...and by new i mean a month and a half...hair color for those of you still wondering.



yep, i went back to red...just like in beauty school. oddly enough even though i had the black for 3 + years i feel more like myself with the red.

here is a picture of my halloween costume for those of you wondering.
this is me and my bff roomie jenn on our way to a rocking halloween party. jenn was a greek goddess and yes that is my hair in an afro mohawk...i never got a side view picture, but trust me, using half a can of aveda's control force in 24 hours can get your hair to do pretty much anything!

i am in denial about the fact that thanksgiving is already upon us. my mom is deserting us this year and going to visit her dad in arkansas! i don't really know what i am supposed to do with that. oh well, we will still play mario party true to tradition. we will still get banana cream pie true to tradition. and we may or may not spend the day with our neighbors. it has all the key ingredients of being the best thanksgiving yet!

i found yet another reason to love facebook. it's funny/slash/interesting that seeing the words 'in a relationship' can be the foulest thing in this world! seeing 'in a relationship' while facebook stalking puts a bit of a damper on your day. seeing when someone is 'in a relationship' with some other girl, when you just made out with the guy...yep that's the best part definitely. and just to clarify, this has nothing to do with actual events in my life. this is all very hypothetical. yes. hypothetical.

the best news is that my bff rachael married her new bff jared this past weekend in sunny san diego, california! i was unable to attend due to some financial inflexibility, but i was definitely there in heart, mind and spirit. i am so happy for her and can't wait to see the new mrs. bangerter.

be serious please!

if you have children, i will apologize in advance if what i have to say will offend you. this is how i feel as a professional and how many others of my kind feel as well...with that said let me tell you about my day the other day.

it was a slow day at the salon and i was addressing invitations for our v.i.p event coming up in december, when i decided to check my books. i noticed that there was a color on my books at 12:00. well it was 12:26 so it was safe to say that they weren't coming to their appointment. i went up to the front desk just to check if they really didn't come and heard them just check in my client. that was when i noticed the frazzled mom with her two kids and their happy meals. i double checked that the appoinment was in fact for a color and then called her name to have her and her small brood come back to my chair. now let's just pause and reassess the situation...i had an hour to do the complete weave and have it process within that hour before her haircut, she brought her two kids to an appointment that most should plan at least two-three hours for, she brought happy meals into a salon, she was half an hour late and finally she didn't really explain to the front desk what she wanted to have done and they underscheduled me. so needless to say my patience and my niceness were wearing thin. i mixed up her color, weaved her hair in record time and luckily one of the assistants that day helped entertain the kids. during her processing time i left her with her kids to keep me sane. when i brought her back to wash her hair she sat her kids on the chair with her iphone playing some sort of kids show and never looked back. while i was rinsing out her shampoo i noticed her daughter was laying on the chair with her little head sticking off the side and her son spinning the chair really fast with her hear barely missing the wall corner! i turned the water off and started to head towards the chair just as the assistant grabbed the chair to make it stop. the mom was so not apologetic and yelled through the salon for them to sit down and not spin the chair. i finished washing her and we started the haircut. the kids had started spinning each other again and squealing. i finally couldn't take it anymore and locked the chair so it couldn't spin anymore. then the mom apologizes. a little late for that i think. then somehow the little girl figures out how to unlock the chair. seriously? i speed through the haircut and blow dry her hair and send her on her way.

i needed to destress so i headed to the food court for a much needed diet coke and came back to check if she bought any product and to see what kind of tip she left/babysitting money for the assistant. $5. yep, $5 for a $120 ticket. okay have people just lost their common sense? when you go to a salon to get a service done, i thought it was expected that you leave at LEAST a 10% tip. much like when you go out to eat! if you can not leave at least that much go to another salon that is cheaper! this may sound like i am a huge brat, but really i worked my tail off and we babysat your kids...10% is not too much to ask! also, if you have kids...you make arrangements for them to be with someone else while you are getting your hair done! kids should not be in a salon UNLESS they are getting their haircut. in my years of doing hair i have never seen a child sit still longer than 20 minutes, so i think it is out of the question that you expect them to sit still for 2 hours while getting your hair colored. have parents just lost control of their kids! i noticed this when i was working retail as well. moms should be embarrassed by the way their kids act at times and so many don't even bat an eye to how their kids act. if my child were to be spinning around in a salon chair i would tell my stylist to forget the conditioner and rush over to the chair and make them stop! again you may think i am being a brat, but this is how i feel!

sorry i just had to rant about that...get it off my chest! so a note to all...don't bring your kids into a nice salon unless they are getting their haircut and please expect to leave at least 10% for your stylist. thanks!

pictures...finally

now...as far as cruise pictures, i took about a million! so this is the best of the best. as well as this years trip to flaming gorge. enjoy...

ready to go!...heids, kristin, bolish and me.

first night at dinner on the cruise!...kristin, mille and me.

we were all fancied up!...me and kristin

i was a guidette for a night...me and mille

oh you know just chilling on a boat in mexico.

i freaking love bolish!

just chillin on the beach in MEXICO!!!! remember when i was tan... :(

i was so excited for sprite from a glass bottle. best tacos ever!

meet my dear friend collin...why we both look wasted is beyond me!

an elephant made out of a freaking towel!

emme and aly, flaming gorge 2010

to prove that i hike.

all ready to jump!

i really am not sure if i could love this beautiful little lady more!

just jumping off a cliff...no biggie!

it was pouring rain...we all snuggled under a tarp. precious is the word are looking for.

peace out flaming gorge...until next year.

once again...couldn't love her more.

i'm alive.

remember when i used to blog a lot? okay maybe you don't remember cause it has never happened in real life. but i do remember when i was enthralled with the idea of blogging more. it's the thought that counts...right?

i went bowling the other night. it was epic! i realized that as with most things in my life i have a very short attention span towards the game some might even call a sport. i do really well the first 4 frames. i care a lot and make sure that i have almost perfect form. i lower my body towards the ground on my left leg and throw my right let to the left and follow through, often staying in this awkward and difficult pose until the flourescent ball makes contact with the center pin. i talk to the ball as i pose to the left of the lane before taking three steps toward the line and release the ball just before my arm approaches the point of being raised forward in the air. there is a definite science to bowling that i have mostly learned from wii bowling, but that is beside the point. you woudl think that being excellent at wii bowling would ensure that you are just as good at real life bowling, or, that my routine for each turn of bowling would guarantee that i am near professional status. well you would be very incorrect in both trains of thought. now before i get too distracted i need to finish my original thought. i have such a short attention span combined with a poor form for losing so that if i am behind after the first 4 frames, i subconsciously give up on the entire game. i start throwing gutter balls or i will mess up on easy opportunities for spares. i just can't seem to keep my head in the game. and due to my stupid need to win i let it get to me and i curse or hurt my arm by trying to just throw the ball really hard. mostly curse though. sorry mom, but honesty is the best policy. and the fact that i have to wait for people in between my own turns...don't even get me started.

the point, and i do have one, is this: i have a shorter and shorter attention span the older i get. if i am talking to someone and i have already gotten all that i need from them, i will try to be nice and ask other mundane questions and not even listen to the answer. if you have fallen victim to this, i am sorry, it's not personal. if i am writing a blog entry i will stop to do the most randoma and unneccasry things and then have to re-read what i have written only to add another line and the whole cycle starts over again! i can't even start to explain a trip to the grocery store. texting people back sometimes is tricky unless i do it right away. i go through 'crushes' on guys so rapidly that most peole blink longer than these 'crushes' last. the mere fact that i can even paint all 10 fingernails in one sitting is just shy of a miracle.

i am okay with this short attention span i have honed over the years. do you know why i am okay with it? because it is another intricate and complicated facet into who aly really is. i like who i am. i think i have done a pretty darn good job with myself in the past 25 years. short attention span and all.

and just a little tip...if i text you back with just 'yep' or 'nope', i am mad at you and everything is not okay. oh and i also use words like fantastic and glorious. glad i could clear that up for you.

first of all...

yes shade clothing is closing it's doors. just shy of the end of their 6th year of business. i have only been asked a million questions today about it and the answer is i know just as much as everybody else, so i am kind of useless if you want juicy details. just understand that it is a lot harder to conceive and own a business than you think. the good news is they hope to reopen soon and provide us all with our modest and adorable fashion staples.

anyway...it was brought to my attention that i have yet to blog about my cruise. shoot i have forgotten everything there is to remember about that week! good thing i have my journal and pictures to remind me. let's embark...ha ha...on this journey now shall we? this is mostly for you lindy!

day 1: woke up at 4:45, showered and was off to the airport with bolish, heidi and kristin. we flew to san diego and then stood in like a bajillion lines before we boarded the beautiful and spacious 'elation' cruise ship. and we were elated that is for sure. we snacked on disgusting burgers and pizza, buffet style. lounged around on the back of the boat waiting for the departure onto the open waters. went to dinner and met the other 2 guys that would be at our table fo the duration of the cruise. one was named...j...yeah j....and we became friends that night we can say.

day 2: woke up a little disoriented. bolish and i had a little trouble getting our footing that day as camille thought we were ridiculous. we laid out forever and by we i mean i laid out for like 6 solid hours and had the daunting task of saving about 8 very coveted lounge chairs while my friends went to hear some speaker...lame. we then got ready for our fancy night. now mind you we had nothing really to do so we spent literally about 2.5-3 hours getting ready just about every night. call us vain or call us heros...you decide. went to dinner, sat right next to j. he was hooked by the first night, but i just had to make sure. after dinner we gambled, and by we i mean i watched bolish waste everyone on the black jack table...go bolish! then i made the very smart and mature decision to wander off with j alone. i am so stupid! who goes off alone with some guy that you just met on a cruise ship of all places? i could have been the next natalie holloway...is that her name? but i was safe. he just wanted to kiss me. so not my cup of tea, but whatevs, i was on a cruise. we chilled for about 3 hours before rolling in to my cabin at 2 am and the many questions from bolish and camille.

day 3: we finally got to step foot in mexico! cabo san lucas to be exact. we traveled by glass bottom water boat taxi to a beautiful resort where i got to lay out to my little hearts desire. ate some delicious food and almost paid $50 for a bottled water! we went back to the boat, i did the unthinkable and took a nap! what? a nap on vacation...unheard of! spent the alotted time to get ready for dinner once again. went to dinner. and despite my huge and ridiculous despise of holding hands, j held mine under the table. blah, blah, blah. after dinner we all hung out for a bit before j and i went for another stroll. blah, blah, blah.

day 4: our second and final day in cabo! we went parasailing, and by be i mean everyone but me because i am a big ole scardy cat. but i did get a pretty killer tan line from my flip flops. everyone then snorkeled while i laid out and fought off the beach merchants trying to sell me some sterling silver trinkets. after our fill of beach and beautiful ocean we ventured into the heart of cabo to find some killer tacos! but let's first go back to the beauty of cabo. i was amazing! the water was unreal and the sand was perfect! i could really live on the beach. but it was so blasted hot! i was sweating within seconds of laying on my towel. don't worry i was safe and used a combo of sunblock and tanning lotion! i didn't burn once my whole trip, i am just that good at tanning. anyhow...we got back to boat and i slept! got ready and went to dinner. j was starting to feel sick so he was lame and went to bed and i magically found my friends. which brings me to another side note. cruises are awesome, but you don't have cell phones! so if you want to find someone, you just have to wander around forever trying to find them! so the fact that i was able to find them in under 10 minutes was nothing short of a miracle! they were playing games and i got to meet a new person named collin. we got ice cream and pizza and made breakfast plans.

day 5...the final day: slept through breakfast, sorry collin. turns out he slept in too and we all met up after the disembarking meeting and he invited me to lunch instead. we ate yummy food and talked. he is a very sweet person. find my friends and chill for a bit. go to lie down in my room for a bit. got to a magic show that was really uber lame. chill with j for a bit in his room. got some sushi, watched the jazz game {playoff season} and then went to dinner. again j went to bed early due to his oncoming sickness...lame. then we just do a whole lot of nothing. i think we were all done with life! being stuck on a boat all day really took it's toll on us. it was so cold and windy that day the my plans of just laying out were foiled and we were inside all freaking day! so by like midnight we were done. we all went and got one last ceremonial ice cream cone and went to bed.

day 6: we disembark the ship. shared a shuttle to the airport with j and say our final goodbyes.

fun. fun. fun.

my internet is being lame, so you just get the stories for now. pictures to come later...sorry!

so what

so what if it has been over a month since i last posted.

so what if this isn't the freaking cruise post yet.

so what that i am so exhausted and blogging anyway.

so what if pandora is playing the kind of music that you would only hear at nordstrom instead of elliot smith.

so what that i should be in bed.

i am blogging anyway.

as of last wednesday night i have been at my sister's house watching her twins j and s who are on the brink of turning 2. it has been quite the adventure and all i have to say is thank goodness that my sister has a nanny who i could pass the kids off to everyday when i went to work! dealing with s whining all the time about every little thing and consoling j when the tiniest thing goes wrong and she screams bloody murder really is the best form of birth control that a girl could ask for. this afternoon the older girls g and h got home from idaho where they were staying with their grandparents. so now i have 4 kids to watch and care for. kill me now. my sister called from italy and informed me that they got me a really great present...it better be tall, dark and handsome. oh and it better only speak italian.

i have been uber busy lately. as of the last time i posted i switched jobs! i left my post as assistant manager of the shade clothing store in american fork and started assisting at a salon. yes imagine that, i am a cosmetologist who is finally working in a salon. after a 5.5 year absence i decided it was time to do the thing that i was trained for! i am loving it and learning a lot! i will be assisting for the next 2 weeks and then i will be slowly transitioned onto the floor as an actual stylist...well 'hair specialist' as remedez would have us called. and within the first 2 weeks of working there i finally changed my hair! go me. it is blue. not all of it. just a few pieces. hot is the word you are looking for. you're welcome.

okay mini pause. i was just sitting in the tv room and there was a gigantic fly buzzing around in a lamp shade. i went to go kill it and instead i noticed how it was not moving the closer i got. so i closed my hand really quickly and caught the fly! that is right i just caught a fly in my bare hand and it was even a really odd angle. i am really so proud/impressed with myself.

oh and the most important and sad thing to have happened as of late is...i turned 25. yes it is true. i am a quarter of a century! how did i spend my special day? i worked. got off early. went tanning. went shopping. got ready. my roommate threw me a party. i partied with a few special folks. ate a delicious and beautiful cake that bolish made. and then i had a lovely birthday dinner in f-town with my family on father's day. it was a glorious weekend and i definitely think that next year i will be back to celebrating my birth all the month of june. i don't know what really brought on this sudden change in only celebrating on my actual day. i was in mourning over my youth.

and not too far after my birthday i ate 5 hot dogs...bun and all at a bbq. after eating just one i just casually mentioned that i love hot dogs from the grill so much that i could probably eat 5. this foolish individual didn't believe me and didn't know that i am not one to back down from a challenge. so i ate 5 hot dogs in one sitting. to say that i felt sick afterwards was a major understatement. oh well, i sure showed him. and to impress this fellow even further i went out onto the field and showed off my wicked sprial skills with the massive football that was on hand. yeah i can still rock it...and we even swapped numbers. that ladies and gentleman is how it is done. ha.

end it, end it now

still no cruise post yet...i am sure you are all on the edge of your seats waiting in anticipation.

i just found out today that my grandma jackson {my mom's mom} will be here for 6 days in june. just in time to kick off my birthday month festivities. that's right kids my birthday is coming up. i would be a little more excited, but when i start to get excited i remember that i will be turning 25 and then that fact rains on my parade. boo 25. i am only bugged because a swear on everything holy that i have a wrinkle next to my right eye. why me?

i went to dinner the other night for my friend camille's birthday. she was in town from blanding for a conference and we met at rumbi for a little din din and then had cake and a bonfire at our friend alissa's house. beautiful evening. my whole point is this. i like to paint my nails for special occasions. usually i paint them every saturday night so that i have a fresh coat for church {yes i realize how sad this statement sounds...church is, sad but true, a special occasion for me these days}. i paint them before i go on trips. i paint them when i have a date. and you best believe i paint them for dinner for one of my bff's birthday. anyway, due to the fact that i probably have the worst sense and use of time in the universe, i was late and only had time for one coat of my essie wicked...one of my favorite colors of all time. so after i had eaten i leaned over to alissa {who we so lovingly call bolish} and asked if it was socially acceptable for me to paint my nails at rumbi island grill. she said no, but gave me permission to do so anyway. i painted all 10 of my phalanges just as megan asked if we could smell nail polish. i owned up to it and we all had a laugh. i told bolish that people probably thought i was an idiot and would probably go home and blog about the stupid girl who was painting her nails in a restaurant...and i use the word restaurant lightly when speaking of rumbi island grill. to which, bolish replied...'oh aly, you're so cute. thinking that people would actually go home and blog about you.' i had never heard something so funny. thus why bolish and i are friends. so bolish, maybe no one went home and blogged about me, but i came home and blogged about you. you're welcome.

i also have a HUGE pet peeve that i have to vent about the wonderful world of working retail. i HATE when customers sneak into dressing rooms. really? do you not see the shiny metal sign that tells you to ask an attendant to get a room? and then why do you simply leave EVERTYHING you brought in with you on the floor? is it really that hard to hang a freaking shirt back on the hanger? grow up and learn how to hang up clothes, then come shop in my store.

anyway, my new favorite tune...you and i by the beloved ingrid michaelson. love. every. word.

if you get caught

lately i have been in a funk...

...and by lately i mean ever since i got back from my cruise.

i can't blog about my cruise yet cause my hard drive is full and i can't upload pictures and what is the point in blogging about it if you can't see what/who i am talking about? answer...there is no point.

after the worst day of my life...aka the van driving through my store...it was non stop stress and frustration. mixed in there was also a little sadness and long moments of pondering my life. my store was closed for 2 days. the 2nd day was spent unpacking about 40 boxes of product, unbagging, hanging and arranging about 1200 pieces of merchandise. don't let my meager description fool you...it was hours of work. during all of this my manager kyle received a call that his nephew beck who had been in the hospital since the night before with pneumonia, wasn't going to make it. i sent kyle to the hospital and i started my week as what i referred to as a single parent. we successfully got the store looking decent and opened on friday! while we were rejoicing the re.opening of the store, the rippy family was saying their last goodbyes to sweet little beck. he passed away that evening. let me just tell you...beck is the sweetest boy in the whole world. his smile and laugh could make anyone smile and forget about their worries. i had the privilege of cutting his hair on multiple occasions. beck was a little delayed mentally and physically, but he had the most amazing spirit and within moments of meeting him you could tell he was a special child of god and has a much bigger purpose than what any of us could ever see. we were all saddened by his passing. to say that i had a few breakdowns is an understatement. i don't deal well with stress or death very well. the viewing was monday, the funeral on tuesday. the service was beautiful. very inspiring and the spirit was strong.
the rest of the week was a series of challenges both self inflicted and brought on by the evil forces of the retail world. needless to say, i was more than excited to see kyle today at work!

i feel like i have been hauling down a ginormous hill on a pair of roller skates...yes roller skates, the old school ones that come up high and are white with a rainbow stitched to the side, roller skates...and i see a brick wall in the distance but my brakes are gone cause they looked dorky and i took them off. i know that i am going to hit the wall it is just a matter of when you know? i don't know what will happen when i do hit it. it scares me just a little. scratch that...it scares the begeesus out of me. it's hard to swallow when i think about it and i get all flustered. like when you have a bad dream and you wake up and your face feels hot. only the brick wall isn't a dream and i am headed straight for it. i don't know how to avoid it. the worst part is i am the only one on this hill. everyone else is at the top watching me go first. i only went cause i am dumb like that. if you are still reading this...i am sorry to bore you. it is just one of the those nights when i feel like i wish i had my own t.v show...and more importantly a kick ass soundtrack to go along with it. if only mtv came to utah and not the hills of l.a.

right now i am listening to radiohead...aka my newest obsession...all i need. thanks.

what the what doesn't really cover this...

oh boy...

yes i went on my cruise, yes i had fun and yes posts to come, but this is more exciting...

today work was crazy. there were customers in the store all day. we got a huge shipment and were putting it all away. literally i can't think of a time when no one was in the store. so at 4:30 the store is dead! one customer. my friend jessie and i had plans to grab a quick bite and she wanted me to get off early instead of at 5:00. i left the store in the more than capable hands of tiffany and text laura to come in 15 minutes early so tiff wouldn't have to be alone that long. we went to cafe rio. we chatted with our friend staci and her baby rocco. i told of my cruise adventures and we enjoyed ourselves. until i finally heard my phone. it is my sister char calling to tell me that a car drove into my store. i freak out and i am pretty sure i was not making complete sentences...what are you talking about, is everyone okay, a car really drove through my store, was there customers in the store, is everyone okay, all the way to the dressing rooms,i am on my way, i have to go back to work. i hang up on char, see the missed calls from tiffany call her back and am headed to the door realizing i drove with jessie, she is handing me her keys and i zoom to the store. i run in the back door hoping that char's second hand information was exaggerated. i am shaking, my heart is racing, i am freaking out at the possibilities of what has happened, basically sick to my stomach. i open that back door and see a white minivan 10 feet away from me. i run through glass and product to my 2 girls. laura cries as i embrace her and tiffany. t had just gotten there and already had a broom in hand. we are shaking like leaves. laura finally starts to tell me that they were behind the cash wrap folding shirts when they all of a sudden decided to head to the back to start steaming. as they are walking back they hear a crash and see a car driving through the doors and they book it for the back door and continue to hear crashing of all sorts. a young 15 year old girl with a permit mistook the gas pedal for the brake. they came through the entire store! LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT!!!!! there were no customers in the store. our cash wrap is the heaviest thing in the world and it got pushed back to the wall where the girls had just been.

i just can't even start to explain how blessed we were that no one was hurt. i can't even start to think about the 'what ifs' because they are far worse than what actually ended up happening. i am still so sick that they couldn't get a hold of me sooner! not that i would have changed anything, but i just feel bad for the 2 girls. they were so shaken up! i sent the girls home, the my sister char and the other owner chelsea trickled in and were just in shock. amanda my district manager and ken our i.t. guy are taking pictures. the girl who was driving is hysterical, her mom was still sitting in the car and her dad was ushering the daughter out of the store with what i can only assume was family. no one really knew what to do. they backed out the car and we tried to sweep up the glass, but were worried that we would get hurt. literally glass covered the floor like diamonds. it reminded me of the mining scene on snow white, we were just missing the dwarfs to sing hi ho. i stayed with amanda until we got the doors boarded up...7 hours later.

i feel so inadequate to have been blessed with the safety of my staff. i love the girls i work with and feel like they are my little sisters. i know that sounds lame, but i truly do love them. i just don't understand how NO ONE was injured. it is an honest to goodness miracle. a tender mercy. i am in shock. just another reason to count my blessings. today could have ended so much worse and the fact that everyone walked away unscathed is unfathomable.

we are hoping to have the store up and running by friday, with particle board doors, but glass free!

sayonara

i am off
i am leaving for the airport at the crack of dawn
i am semi packed
i have my passport
i have cash
i have a big straw hat
i have new aviator shades
i have swim suits
i have tanks...one for only $1.97!!!!
i have shorts
i have skirts
i have v.necks
i have underwear
i have tanning lotion
i have books
i have tunes


aaaaahhhhhh...that is my sigh of relief to be ready
aaaaahhhhhh...that is my mantra for the next week

if i die on the boat, you can have my shoes
you can have my laptop
you can have my collection of elephant necklaces
you can even have my car

you're welcome

goodbye sweet blogging world for 9 days of sun!

peace.love.cruise

please don't tell my trainer

i started insanity today.

what is insanity you may ask yourself...



this is insanity.

imagine p90x on crack.

and you won't even come close to how intense insanity is.

sean t is the craziest s.o.b in the land. yes i said 'in all the land'. he is so crazy. his body is sic...and i mean sic. the people on the workout video have sic bods. the people in the workout video are dropping like flies about 20 minutes after i drop like a fly. sean t is yelling at you the whole time to dig deep, but you know what? i think it is possible to have dug as deep as you possibly can before you die. you hear that sean t? you dig all the way to china if you want, i will dig through the carpet okay?

i started with the fitness test. have you ever done push.up jacks. uh huh. i said push.up jacks. that is when you get into a push.up position, and as you lower your body down to the ground you jump you legs out as if you wear doing a jumping jack. then as you raise you body you jump your legs back into the regular push.up position. death...yes. try it, you will thank me later.

my whole point in telling you this...

my body hurts.

good night.

another one

so i totally forgot to mention that i found out this weekend that i am one of the most awkward conversationalists in the world. within the first few convos with m i may or may not have called him gay, made fun of his middle name and he may or may not have called me sir. yeah so i am not totally convinced this will go too far. but the good news is that our last meeting we were totally relaxed and considering it was during a 3.5 hour seder, we had plenty of time to chit chat and learn plenty about each other.

and i just embarked on watching my sisters kids all weekend. wow, this should be fun.

jicama with a j...

i am watching america's top model and am appalled by the fact that angelea is the most awkward and ugly model ever! and ren is a major loser. nuff said.

i met a boy
i cleaned my room
i made my bed
i hurt my finger
i ran outside
i got a new trainer
i made a jicama salad
i made potato latkes
i washed my hair
i like a boy

and it's only wednesday

best thing ever

i have been staying at my sister's all week since her husband is off studying at harvard. tonight we went to check on her twins before we went to bed and jane was laying face down butt naked. her pj's were close beside her and her diaper stuffed in between their cribs. sadie on the other hand had just removed her pj's and was huddled under her blanket. we changed their diapers only to find that sadie had poop stuck to her little bum cheeks! i had to give her little hiney a little impromtu bath all the while she cried cause it started cold. we got them in new jammies and put them to bed once again and laughed hysterically at the picture char happend to snap of janie's sweet little bum cheeks. all in a day's work huh?

why do monday's hate me?

i just made the most wonderful discovery tonight.

pushing daisies.

may be the best show ever. i had never seen it before until tonight and i LOVE it. really i think it is the most darling thing ever. when they kissed for the first time in the body bags...stop it. or when they made the little gold monkeys kiss. i thought it so fitting for the mood and the characters in the show. how did i miss this show in the past?

too late

thanks to the snow today i found out that these gems of imitation corduroy preciousness are not water.proof. cool.

they were soaking mostly because when i got to my sisters this is what i found...

my sister standing 12 feet tall atop a ladder brushing snow off her satellite. don't stand in the way of this woman and her american idol viewing.

and sometimes when i get dressed i secretly hope that i have been nominated for tlc's what not wear and that my clothes will be viewed in the utterly entertaining and dreaded 'secret footage'. case and point...

what i think smee from peter pan would look like if he were a woman.

and this is the lovely view of the 'walk' i got to enjoy on the way to my house tonight.

i had to park forever away because the 8 stalls in my cul.de.sac were already taken. lovely.

bring on the lion

remember how i woke up to this?

okay not literally this exact sunrise. but i woke up this morning and it was sunny and beautiful! not a cloud in the sky or a care in my world, i headed off to work.

then it started to get gloomy.

then it started to rain.

then it turned into snow.

this is what i drove home in...

now a few of you may be asking...but aly is it really safe to take pictures whilst driving? didn't you get in an accident in december. the answer is yes, but when you are only going 35 mph...you have the time to slam on your brakes if need be.

and guess who wore sandals today?

i know what you are thinking...who would wear gladiator sandals in the snow?

this girl...

awesome. you may also notice the water spots on my shirt. cool.

this is a nice shot of the aforementioned horses behind my house.

let's hope march goes out like a lamb.

so...

anyway is the word i am looking for.

last week i moved. i was a monumental day and it was a long day coming. i hated my apartment. i hated the fact that the bathroom door could still be opened while locked. i hated how the laundry room door never shut all the way. i hated the washer and dryer that didn't work. i hated the gross stained carpet. i hated the fact that my bed was smashed against the window and my dresser. i hated how freezing cold it was. i hated just about everything about that place. and anyone who saw it was stunned by how much i was paying a month. so the lease was up and i was looking for a place and it feel into my lap practically. i moved across the fence into a townhouse with a girl in my ward...jessie jensen. not the jessie jensen i have known since birth, but another jessie jensen. what are the odds. it is a spacious room...a little bit smaller closet...but i love it! i had to get rid of a lot of crap, but that is good. i like dejunking. it makes you feel really good and accomplished. i will post pictures...someday. i am currently sitting on my bed looking out the big window at the almost setting sun. which can we just talk about what a beautiful day it has been today? i mean come on! gorgeous! i can't wait for spring.

i saw jw the other day and it was a horrendous experience. my little sister emme turned 20. my best friend rae turned 25 and we went for sushi with drunk losers, and i wasted a really cute outfit for that experience. i went to ihop and got sick. i went to 5 guys burgers and fries and got sick. every morning when i wake up my back is all stiff and i feel ancient. there's a horse in the field by my house and i can see it from my window! oh how sweet.

what the what?

today i was driving to work on the freeway. i was already late due to the fact that my roommate was home even though she told me she was going to arizona for a week, and was using hte bathroom. i decided that brushing my teeth was more important than being on time for work. my dentist would be so proud. so anyway, i was on the freeway and i moved to the far left lane and the car in front of me did the same and we were cruising along just fine. i was about 1.5 car lengths behind this toyota camry, when all of a sudden they SLAM on their brakes. like the kind of slamming on your brakes reserved for when there is a child in the way. the car swerved around and i slammed on my brakes causing me to also swerve around. i honestly came within 1 foot of hitting him. i glanced back in my rear view mirror to make sure no one was about to hit me. then i looked back up and the car in front of me was zooming off. literally they drove off at like 80 miles an hour! what the what. i had assumed the one of 3 things had happened...

1...a tire blow out
2...avoiding an accident
3...avoiding debris in the road

but apparently they were just ridiculous. i was freaking out! i was shaking and could barely drive. i got to work and it took like an hour before i was not shaking anymore. oh man. the more i thought about it throughout the day, i convinced myself that it was probably one of those insurance frauds where the person in front slams on the brakes and then there is a person behind you too, so you can't slam on your brakes or else you would be hit too. well whatever it was, i am just grateful that it ended the way that it did. i am also very grateful that my brakes are brand new thanks to my fun accident right before christmas.

6 year old are great

actual conversation i just had with halle while sitting on the couch eating warm cookies.

a: hey hal, i have a song for you.

h: okay.

i put on kelly clarkson's my life suck without you. halle starts bobbing her head.

h: do you have 'she wears short skirts i wear t.shirts?' {she starts to sing taylor swifts you belong with me}

a: um no.

halle stops coloring and stares at me with the most surprised/shocked look on her face i have ever seen.

h: are you serious?

a: yeah.

h: do you not like taylor swift?

a: not really.

h: what? are you kidding?

a: no, i don't really like her.

h: you're weird.

ha ha i love her!

i know...

it's weird, i am actually posting pictures! i know. well it was a day of celebration on saturday...it was ashley's 21st birthday! the little lovely in the pink shade top is miss ashley and she is the bit 2.1 and wanted to us her legal adult status at a bar. well a piano bar, but still she needed her temporary id to get in! it was such a cold night and i was the genius that wore shorts with tights! big mistake...it was all in the name of fashion and my little experiment i am still conducting...check it here.

ashley and marie enjoying themselves

shane and me. and apparently i was showing mega cleavage...whatevs.

me and darcy...love this girl

darcy representing carrie who was sick... :(

me and ashley posing with our new friends.

it was a fun night and i am very glad that i went. happy birthday ashley!

today i made homemade tortillas and i have to say they were delicious and i am so proud of myself! you should be too.

orange peels

so last night i had a dream that jw text me and said: 'i just got back into town, we should get together.' then i woke up and it wasn't real. then i was sad. i think i miss jw. is it possible to miss something you never really had in the first place? can you miss the sound of someones voice when you only knew it for a short time? can you miss someones squint as they are looking into the sun while driving? can you miss their hugs when you've only shared a few?

i can see how this could sound stalkerish, but i promise i am not a stalker. i just think i am thinking too much. of just too tired.

so last night i went to anthropologie and finally broke down and bought something that i have wanted for a very long time but never allowed myself to purchase.

the fabric 'A' on my wall is a lovely addition to my room i believe. i have seen these there forever and i just love it. i had to refrain from buying all the letters of my name. i figured that would look very kiddish and a little vain. and let's face it, i am not vain at all. and hanging this and the picture to the left, gave me another chance to use my hammer and nails that i purchased a while back. yes i own my very own hammer.

once when i was little i hit my brother matt on the head with a hammer. this is the story...back in the day, my mom was a medical transcriptionist. this meant that she would take to the doctor's notes, type them up, save it to a disk and bring it back to the doctor's office. i remember always going to the doctor's office with her and waiting in the car or sneaking out and running on the multiple pathways between buildings, which now that i look back, what were we thinking 'sneaking' out of the car and running around. it's a wonder we were never snatched up! well on this particular day my mom left us in the car and ran in to make her drop off and the lady's at the office were telling my mom what good kids we were to just wait patiently in the car for her. well back in the car my brother made me mad and to this day i can't remember why, probably cause i wanted the front seat or something. but in my young mind i figured the best way to get what i wanted was to hit him on the head with a hammer. well i did, he ran into the office and dashed the office lady's dreams of us as perfect children.

well i think we all learned an important lesson today...i miss jw and it feels like a hammer hitting me in the head. the end.

i know that was a crap lesson to learn but it is 2 hours past my bedtime.

as of late

friday morning i got some very sad new resulting in the death of a friend on saturday morning. matt bernhisel sadly passed away on saturday morning. my heart goes out to his wife and family. it is so crazy to hear of the passing of another friend. i am only 24 and that is too too young to be going to funerals every other year! i just hope that his family will be comforted in this time. my main memory of matt is from 6th grade. we were learning about mountain men and the boys in all the classes were earning 'beaver pellet's' for the auction. the girls provided baskets with treats for 2 and the boys got to bid for the basket they wanted. mine ended up being the best due to the amount of hostess cupcakes and twinkies. well in the end matt won my basket and we enjoyed the treats together. he was a very happy and loving person. he knew how to make everyone laugh and help everyone have a great day. he was a great friend in high school as we endured medical anatomy and physiology together. i remember making a candy cell at his house. i just hope that he is at peace and happy that he no longer has demons to battle. you will be missed matt.

ha ha ha

actual phone conversation with my sister today:

me: they changed the sign on albertson's...
c: to fresh mart
me: to fresh market (simultaneously)
both: yeah
c: fresh market bought albertson's
me: that's a lame name. like what are you supposed to say now? oh i'll just run to fresh market to pick up a few things.
c: i'm just on my way to fresh market.
me: it just sounds weird. it's not a store name. it sounds like dumb.
c: yeah it's weird. (baby crying in background)
me: who is that? tell sadie you are on the phone and she can talk to you when you are done. (sadie and jane are her 1 year old twins)
c: it's jane and she hasn't had a nap.
me: well tell her that you are talking to aunt aly on the phone and to wait until you are done.
jane screams even louder and i hear char faintly say goodbye.

good convo.

to all my readers

i am warning you that i will be neglecting this blog for a little while. even more than i do now. i am starting a little side project that you can read about here. i am taking on a little experiment and i can't wait to really get started. if you have any suggestions please let me know!

oh and happy new years. what did i do? i went to dinner at pizza factory with a few friends. played identity crisis with some friends. went to a party in orem and danced like the whitest white girl you know. and started the new year off right with a cheeseburger from in & out. it was a really fun night and i am happy that it is another year to start anew with my resolutions and hopefully better myself a bit more. i read over my resolutions from last year and i am so surprised and happy to report that i actually kept a few of them! i can't remember ever keeping new year's resolutions! maybe that means i am growing up or something like that. this year i will turn 25! up until today at least i could say next year i turn 25, but nope, now it's this year. oy vey.

tonight i wore a really old perfume that i bought once on a trip to vegas. the same trip to vegas that i went to see the backstreet boys. i was 21 for those of you wondering. anyway, i wore this perfume and every time i catch a whiff of it i am reminded of that trip and how much fun i had! make fun all you want, but going to a backstreet boys concert was like living out my 9th grade fantasy. the little 14 year old girl inside me had never been happier!

it also reminds me of this guy i used to hang out with. the first guy i kissed in american fork. he's special.