Don't Quit Your Day-Job

I read somewhere that painting can allow you to "gain self-esteem and confidence you never knew you possessed". But that's not why I added it as one of my 101 goals. My goal was to paint a picture and frame it; I made this goal for multiple reasons...

1. To try something new.
2. Start a new hobby.
3. I wanted to make something that I could be proud of.
4. Develop a "talent" from scratch.
5. Find another form of therapy/relaxation.

So Maxene and I had a "Paint Party" and it was extremely fun! My self-esteem and confidence didn't increase, but Maxene and I had some good laughs. Here are a few that I painted...

Ha ha! Yeah right! Totally kidding! These are paintings that my brother-in-law, David, did (he's my hero and inspiration). My best work is below...

The rule: If you don't have something nice to say... don't say anything at all :) should be applied here!

Buffalo Wild Wings

On Tuesday nights, wings are 40 cents each! My brother-in-law, Jeff, is a regular, and took us all there. There were 14 different sauces to chose from ranging from Sweet BBQ (the least dangerous) to Blazin' (you can't even imagine!).

We tried five different kinds, and they were so good! At Buffalo Wild Wings, there is a challenge...if you can eat 12 Blazin' wings in 6 minutes, you win a t-shirt and your picture goes up on the wall. There was a table full of frat boys behind us, and one boy took the challenge. So, like tourists from Asia, we got out of our booth to watch.

His face went from fiery red to a deep purple color, his eyes were watering profusely, and his nose was bleeding!!! Seriously, his nose was bleeding because the dang wings were so hot. He tried to drink some milk, but missed his mouth and spilled it all over his shirt. He looked like he was in so much pain.

On the way out, I asked him how he was feeling... his response, "I'm feeling a little better now!" I'm sure he's at home right now blogging about the pain he put himself through for a t-shirt and a picture. His experience brought me back to my college days when my girls and I would do ridiculous things for a petty prize... oh to be young again :)

I Love Everything About Idaho...

I love everything about Idaho! When I was younger, we would make a trip to Idaho a couple times a year. We would visit our grandparents, aunts and uncles, and our million cousins! Idaho has a special place in my heart because the memories that are tied there are all loving, special, and priceless. This last weekend, Macy (my baby sister) graduated from BYU-I. We went out there for the ceremonies, and had just a little bit of time to hang out. Being there, even for less than 72 hours, reminded me of how much I love it there. I love Idaho because...

1. It's not the city
2. The stars are ridiculously beautiful
3. My aunts and uncles are the nicest people in the ENTIRE world (and I want to be just like my aunts when I grow up :)
4. Almost everything is homemade (quilts, food, crafts, etc.)
5. I love the smell of Idaho (like cows and farms, not a city smell!)
6. It's different kinds of fun; including bridge jumping, rafting down a river, etc.
7. Everyone in Idaho is family, and they treat you that way.
8. I love walking through the mall and running into cousins (it was so good to see you Hailey!)
9. Idaho is absolutely gorgeous!
10. It's the overall perfect get-a-way :)

I love Idaho so much I have decided to add a goal to my "101 Goals in 1001 Days" list. I want to live in a small town in Idaho for a couple months. I'm talkin' "Population: under 100" small. It will have to be during one of the summers (good thing I'm a teacher!), but I can't wait :)

The Art of an Action Shot

Action shots are pure joy. The happiness that comes from these photos is equivalent to a child in a toy store. I love action shots because the facial expressions are pure emotion. The expressions on your face are authentic, you can't pose. You are literally caught in the moment!

I recently went snowboarding with a friend who had never taken an action shot before! He is 25 or 26 and I was simply appalled. I assumed that every American participated in the craziness. I realized that it was my duty as an aunt to teach Maxwell, my nephew, the art of an action shot. Now, he's only 4... and his fine motor skills are not quite there, but it's never too early to start training!

Here are some "Action Shot Guidelines"...

1. Right before the picture, you have to time it just right. Timing is essential!

2. Get low, and load before the jump.

3. Jump as high as you can, and do something crazy with your arms and legs!

4. If you can't jump very high, you can jump off of something.

5. Just know that it takes a few trials to get a really good action shot. And an action shot can be taken at ANY time.

Side-note: you're never too old for action shots!

After reviewing the guidelines with Maxwell, we gave it shot! Here are a few of our trials...

This is our best one!!!After all that jumping, we took a bath and crashed. I never said action shots were easy, but they are absolutely priceless :)

Retail Therapy

I'm busy because I make myself busy. I'm stressed because I pile too many things on my plate. I have breakdowns because I won't ask anyone for help. I have some sort of syndrome where I HAVE to do it all, I HAVE to try everything, and I HAVE to be good at ALL of it. I'm not sure what this syndrome is called, but I'm pretty sure I have it!

This lifestyle is rough. There is never any downtime, and your days are planned and mapped out to the minute! A breakdown (including tears) is inevitable within this lifestyle, and my parents are usually the shoulders I cry on. Please keep in mind that I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me... this is all self-imposed!

I write, because I have found a solution to my problem! It's called "Retail Therapy". I'm sure this isn't new to everyone, but I have taken retail therapy to a whole new level.

On Friday, I hit my stress level limit. I had completed some pretty big projects, and I was in dire need of some downtime! So... I hit all my favorite stores (Ross, Marshalls, Old Navy, TJ Maxx, Target, and the mall). My "Retail Therapy" session lasted a few hours, and I came home with so many bags I was almost embarrassed... almost!

I felt great! I was loving life for those few hours. But every great thing comes with something else! So what's the problem here? There's always a backlash! When you work out for hours, your body is EXTREMELY sore the next day. When you go out and party all night, you have a headache the next morning. The backlash for my therapy session? VISA called the next morning to report "excessive spending" on my card the day before! They needed to verify that my card hadn't been stolen!

I love retail therapy. I learned that I need to have mini sessions throughout the weeks, and not one massive session every 3 months! I also love my life. It is busy and stressful, and planned to the minute... but I wouldn't have it any other way! I'm blessed beyond what I deserve, and I'm so grateful for that!

10 Reasons Why Maxwell Is My Best Friend...

From the first time I held Maxwell, I knew that I loved him! Over the years, he has become one of the most important people in my life. My nephew, Maxwell, is my best friend for multiple reasons, but here are the top ten...
10. He likes to snuggle all night long!
9. He doesn't judge me.
8. Loves to give hugs and kisses.
7. Very playful, loves to wrestle and "play-fight"
6. Always honest (even when it hurts!).
5. Has a laugh that is completely contagious (he loves life!).
4. Enjoys our simple dates (like walking around Walmart).
3. Tells me when I look pretty.
2. Forgives me 10 minutes later after a "fight".
And the number one reason why Maxwell is my best friend...
1. He loves me for me, faults and all :)
So there you have it, Maxwell is my absolute best friend. Yea, he's only 4, but I've never hung out with him without smiling and laughing. If you know of someone who meets the top 10 list above, who is between the age of 21 and up... let me know :)

F My Life...

This last month I learned about a website called fml.com. It's called F My Life and it's a compilation of situations of various people who have had a crappy day. I check this website frequently because it puts a smile on my face and occasionally I have a "laugh out loud" moment.

Here are a couple examples from the website...

Today, I was at the Salvation Army when I saw a wheelchair in the miscellaneous aisle. I thought it would be fun to ride around in it. As I was wheeling it back to where I found it, I made it back just as it's owner was hobbling out of the dressing room. FMLToday, I made a tuna sandwich. It was really nice , so I looked at the label to see what brand it was. Turns out it wasn't tuna. It was fancy cat food. FMLSo this week has been a hard week. Not hard in the sense of suicide watch, but hard in the sense of stress and tears . Two things that happened were worthy of being uploaded on fml.com. I thought I'd share them here too...

Today a mom came up to congratulate me on my engagement. She said she heard from multiple people. I'm single. FML

Today my nephew was sitting in my lap. I gave him a big hug and told him, "I love you". He gave me a big hug back and responded, "You're fat." FMLSo, it happens. Everyone has their crappy stories! Everyone has moments to share that start with, "Today..." and end with, "F My Life". So what did I decide to do in these situations? What does any person do when they feel like crap about themselves? Three things that every girl would do...

1. Refrain from eating dinner
2. Go tanning
3. Put in some Crest White Strips

This is where I tilt my head, shrug my shoulders, and try to laugh about it :)