Truth:

With my hair getting longer, I've learned to appreciate not doing anything with it. Just let it loose and don't worry about it. Sometimes it gets a little crazy but it's just character!

I am alive

I guess you never really know how much you depend on computers until you don't have one for a while. My poor Mac had to go to the Genius Bar Hospital for a while. And with good timing too, my apple care warrantee expired three days before so I would have had to pay the $250 in repair fees but the sweet guy/Genius Ben told me that since it was so close he'd let it pass and I got it all done free! Pretty smooth.

But I'm finally in New York City for Hallmark Christmas 2.0. Although my arrival was heralded by a freak blizzard! Now I pride myself on my tough snow-skin from living in Idaho for a couple years now but I was not prepared for this... Walking in a foot of snow with leather patent shoes, with a rolling carry-on suitcase and a huge duffle bag that's as big as me. The wheels were inoperable in the snow so I had to lift my oversized bag and lean into the wind in order to push forward. It was crazy! I'd never seen wind that bad, even in Rexburg standards.

But needless to say I was not prepared for this weather. So I had to quickly purchase a hat and scarf to brave the cold. But other than that, it's been fantastic to be back. New York is starting to feel more like home.

All I have to say...

It's just not Christmas without...

Christmas lights!! I'm sadly lacking this year but maybe next year

White Christmas!! It's on tonight!!

Holiday Inn!! Watched it with the Briggs family but I can watch this multiple times a week

This is an illustration of the perfume I usually wear. I thought it was just cute

FACT:

Do NOT call me "baby"

Do I look like a baby? I am not a baby.

I am a woman. But you must treat me like a lady.

Stupid man

Reasons why my friends are awesome...

They know me so well and know exactly the right things I would love

They accept me in all my nerdiness... and draw me in a Tron light suit

Photo Thoughts

I love this photo, not just because it's the Beatles, but because of the design of it. I love how offset it is

I would like to own this

Ever since I was little, I've loved her hair. I've always wanted it

One of my favorite songs, even though its so popular

Photo Thoughts

I want this child as my own, with the Batman shirt included

Fact: Harry Potter is awesome and slightly adorable even with his little-man syndrome

Also there is a Harry Potter exhibit open at the Seattle Science Museum... I need to go

No commentary needed here

I really miss Seattle. I miss the rain and the smell of the damp air and the moss-covered world that it is. I'm excited to go back for a couple days and visit my adopted family and stay at my second home!

Thought: Marvin Gaye

I love this man. His music astounds me. It's so calming and smooth. I've always been partial to jazz and yet his is different to all others. It can't be put in that category. What would you say he is? "Baby-makin'" music for sure... Let's get it onnnnnn...

AHHHHH!

It's baby-John Lennon!!! I'll take one! SO CUTE!!

The pen is mightier than the sword

I do love to write. I always have. It took a while for me to get into reading when I was little because I really suffered with my dyslexia. But once I caught on, it was like a wild-fire! I have always excelled in English and I've won a couple of literature competitions. But mainly I like to do it for myself. It started with my high school friend. She used to go through about one journal every month or so. So that really got me into writing and journalling. I just write down memories or things that I like or I find important. Things I want to remember or things I want to be known to others later.

But one thing that I love the most is lists... I make lists for everything and any thing!! Packing lists, grocery lists, do to lists, want lists, lists of memories, homework lists, likes and dislike lists. They help me keep my head on straight and they help me focus. When I'm feeling down, they help keep me up, keep me grateful, or just help me remember about what's good in life.

I also love letters. I love having a missionary to write to once a week. I loved having a friend in China to keep in contact with. And I'm really excited to start the pen pal madness with a new friend while in Disneyland. I prefer hand-written. There's just so much more love and sincerity in a hand-written letter. It shows genuine care for someone. E-mails are kind of cold because you can't see their unique hand-writing. Their words may be there, but it's not really them. It takes about ten days to a week for a letter to get to Jamaica, so a e-mail to the missionary would be a lot faster. But it's so much more exciting and filled with love to hold that part of them in your hand as you read their thoughts.

All the while I have been in college, my mother would send me sweet cards and letters in the mail. It was always kind of silly since we talk at least once a day on the phone. But it's so much more personal and it shows me that she loves me.

Go out and write someone. Especially at this time of the year when it's the most important to let someone know that you love them, there's no better way than by sending them a letter in the mail.

This was a list written by Johnny Cash. It's really sweet, I love it. Even the Man in Black wrote lists

Thought: Friends

So I had to do it because two friends of mine already have...

I have been so lucky this semester in the friend department. I was able to get closer to my best friend from Disney. I love her and I'm sad to leave her. I can't imagine going on another Disney adventure without her. She's beautiful even though she doesn't think she is. She constantly amazes me with her perfect advice she gives. She's one of the most caring and supportive people I know. She is my anchor but I'm excited to be living with her in the Fall.

I also met one of the most amazing and most talented people I have ever met. She's immensely artistic and brilliant. I've never gotten to be close to some one so fast as I have with her. She makes me feel like I'm a lot cooler than I really am and she accepts me in all my nerd/ art obsessed glory. She's opened my mind to new music and has helped me learn to appreciate all forms or art and design. She is also one of the most observant people. She knows just what to say or which Beatles song to play when I'm in distress.

And then there's my favorite two guys! One is a little over-sarcastic and totally entertaining. He makes me laugh at his exaggerations. And then the other is blunt and to-the-point honest. I love them both! They always laugh at what I say, so they really make me think I'm funny. We all have so much in common so I feel like we make a good team. Plus we all have different styles in our photography so there's no real competition there and yet we can still learn from each other. I'm going to miss you guys a ton! I finally make fun friends who genuinely want to hang out and I leave. lame. But we're going to keep in contact while I'm gone and I'm really excited about it.

I've come to the realization that friends are blessings. I always seem to make the best friends at the times when I need them the most. It cant possibly be a coincidence. I am so blessed to have made the friends that I have made. I love and appreciate them. I know that these are the people that I'm going to be friends with for a very long time. I have been blessed. Thanks guys

I've been here! It's near Le Sacre Coeur where I got kicked out of a cranky cafe. But it's still a beautiful place

That's even more reason for me to grow out my hair...

it makes me smarter!!

Portraits

I really love these celebrity portraits. In my photography I've come to realize that I really love simplistic and candid shots of people. What's the point of photographing someone if you can't capture them completely? It's a lot of work but it's what I strive to do

Gotta love Satchamo. He's one of my all-time favorite musicians. Plus he just looks so cute and happy!

One of the most sexiest men on the planet!! I'm not going to lie, that man will be a stone cold fox till he's dead

I've always enjoyed his movies and I love him in Lord of the Rings. He's just classic and rugid. Too bad he's gay, less options for the rest of us :(

This photo's just cool. Travolta is beautiful but I once had a dream about him that kind of ruined his beauty for me... I'll explain later

This woman is gorgeous! I loved her in La Mome or La Vie en Rose about Edith Piaf. She's fantastic and positively glamorous

Love them so

Love him, and she's gorgeous

I love how cheeky John was! It's hilarious and so rude!

'Cause I'm a woman... W-O-M-A-N

I'm glad to be a girl. I love my long hair. I love being able to not wear pants (meaning skirts of course). And I love all the options of being a girl. And I love that I can wear woman's clothes and still get away with wearing men's clothes, because let's face it, men's clothes are far more comfortable...

With Oneself

This is very much true for me. But don't be fooled, contrary to my constant blogging and my strange hermit-like comments, I like to be around people. But I'm also the kind of person who really enjoys quiet. I've come to learn that my best relationships (both friend and etc.) are with the people that I can just sit quietly and not have the feeling that I need to talk with them. I love peace and self-reflection. Meditation. Really, try it. Just sit on your bed or in a room alone and think of nothing... it's hard and it takes a lot of work. I try counting to 5 with each breath and that helps me.

But it's my belief that you really can't be happy with others if you can't be happy by yourself.

My Worst Nightmare

I attract Jelly fish

That's not a joke... At my cousin's wedding in California when I was little, I was attacked my two jellyfish and it freaked me out! They are just unnatural to me (which I know is crazy because, Holly, they come from nature), but they're like aliens!? It's not right that you can see straight through them! It's too... indescent or immodest, I don't know. I just don't like it! So this picture will probably give me nightmares...

Poor Father

Well I have arrived safely in the good 'ole DC. But not without my fair share of adventure...

My flights were fine. They were quick and without delay. Even though there was a close call in Salt Lake because of intense fog and snow, but the plane ended up arriving relatively early. And I got the whole back row to myself! It was glorious! Or, well ok, as glorious as Delta Airlines can get with your spine cracking in half and NOTHING to watch on the puny screen and only a bag or microscopic pretzels to eat for 5 hours... But I got to stretch out and catch up on a couple books.

I landed safely and relatively early and I contacted my Dad who was circling the boarding area when... *GASP*... we realized we were at two different freaking airports...

Yup... an hour away from each other...

but luckily I played it cool and used my street-smart knowledge from exploring NYC on my own, I was able to flag down a cab and get to the house before Dad did. It was an adventure but I'm glad to be in a home.

Although it's weird sleeping in a room by myself. I was really tired at first but now that I'm in this big bed in an empty room, it's kind of weird. I've always been one to enjoy my own personal time, but I don't know. I kind of don't like sleeping by myself now... I've become a wimp in the dark!

I would rather be...

I this bed!! It looks so fluffy! After having to move every four months for the last two years, I have become a mattress connoisseur

In a glorious cave like this!

At Seattle's first Starbucks... there's no Starbucks in the Boise airport and it's 6:30 am... this is wrong

Max Brenner's in NYC... I'm excited for this at New Years

On a beach in Jamaica... ;D

Disneyland!... Good thing I'm moving there in a few weeks!!!

I don't know where this place is but I need to be there

Photo Thoughts

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Harry Potter? I just finished the book on tape while driving up to Wendell Idaho to see extended family before flying to DC. I really want to go see the new one again. I'm thinking movie extravaganza with Dad... I still need to see Tron. Also this reminded me of Allison because of her awesome obsession with Typography

I love this!! Two of my favorite things! Tea and books! I need one!

Christmas Time is Here Again! (Beatles Christmas song... look it up)

My clean checks are done and I'm loading up the final stuff in my car. I'm not going to be able to post for a couple days while I'm traveling so don't miss me too much, I'll be back.

But before I leave this fair state of Idaho for the next 9 months (?!) I just had to post this picture because I will never get a real tree after seeing this....

Feelin' Bad to the Bone!

Remember my sweet tiger tattoo? Oh yeah...

Well it was the end of the semester and tonight is our last night together, so Allison and I went crazy. She made this crazy awesome underwater design and it completely covers most of my left arm.

It's freaking sweet and I love the art of it all and the design, but I could never have this permanently. But still, this is freaking AWESOME!! I'm going to see how long I can keep it.

And because Allison is awesome and knows me well, there are two hidden (one not so hidden) Disney characters on it... Ariel and Nemo

Why are old people so cute?

Bahaha Truth

Photo Thoughts

My Dad takes me and my family scuba diving when we can. He just got me into it the last two years. It's beautiful and so much fun. There really isn't an experience like it. Although the reason it took me so long to get into it is because I freaking DONT WANT THE FISH TO TOUCH ME!

My future child

These women are flat out sexy. That and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is one of my favorites

Ok, now I hate cats, but this is too much

I love the old Winnie the Pooh books, although this is the reason the illustration is the reason why so many people thought that Piglet was an Armadillo.