Something for everyone...

Well, here are my makeover pictures. My word, are they hideous or what? I'm blown away. For those of you who don't already know, go to this website to have some fun of your own. Go down to Beauty Secrets and click on "Get a makeover".
I call this one Natalia. What a poser.
Purply hair.
Me with black hair and blue eyes. Weird.
Whew! This one's hair is pretty hott.

Duh dada duh dah!

Who knew this building could be so frightening? I'm sure it would be quite pleasant if it were to be used for other purposes. As it is, I have left this building feeling pretty worthless too many times. Today I will take my last final (economics) in the JSB auditorium. I can never decide which is worse, the testing center or that auditorium. I think the testing center is just a box of anxiety, so it's probably worse. But I hate having those mini desks in the JSB. Also, it's pretty dark in there so I have to squint to read the questions. The JSB is nicer because of it's quieter, less urgent atmosphere, however. Anyways, wish me luck! I really need to do well on this exam...

On another note, if anyone is interested in doing some relaxing yoga this spring/summer for FREE, check this out. It's outside, too!

The wonders of money...

I donated plasma for the third time ever yesterday. I have always been a pretty regular blood donor, but when my sister started working at a plasma center I decided I'd give the plasma route a shot. (ha ha "a shot". Get it?). It's turned out to be pretty great because of the following reasons:
- I get to see my sister more often
- It makes me sit down and study
- I get to watch weird movies I would never otherwise view
- I get paid $30 every time I go, and it takes about an hour
All of those reasons are good, but it amazes me how much money $30 is. If I'm getting a needle put into my arm, I might as well be getting paid for it. The money I receive can pay for my phone bill for an entire month! Or it buys me groceries for 2 weeks (or more)! I can feed my show fetish better now, too! All in all, if you're eligible, I'd totally give it a try. It's across the street from DI on Columbia Lane, btw.

Wouldn't that be awful?

Disclaimer: This isn't going to make you feel wonderful inside.
I had the most awful dream last night. I don't remember very much (which is typical for me) but I remember that everyone in my family died. In my dream I woke up one morning and someone showed me a newspaper whose cover story was about my family member's deaths. Apparently they were all up in the mountains somewhere just playing around in the snow. And all the sudden they were dead. I don't remember how they died, but there was a picture with all of their dead bodies lying face-up in the snow. I pretty much went into shock in my dream and started bawling uncontrollably. I woke up during this time and was quite shocked at the things my brain was making me dream. Sometimes I'm so mean to myself. How disturbing! I'm glad nothing horrible has really ever happened in my life, but I also wouldn't mind never having dreams like that again.

New Blog to Check Out!

As some of you know, I work at Women's Services. We've decided to start a blog! The following link will take you to it. I wrote a new post concerning what is happening tomorrow. Read about it! It's going to be scary/fun/exciting/crazy.
Women's Services & Resources Blog

Don't go on that many "dates" in one night. And Happy Easter.

It was a bad experience. You had to yell at each other in order to hear over the noise. Also, two creepy guys called me right after it was over! I have no idea how they got my phone number, but if they wanted it that bad they should have just asked me. And I would have said no. But they still should have asked.

On another note, EASTER was great. I love this holiday because I get to ponder on what the Savior has done for me. The excessive amounts of candy, however, are most unpleasant. I feel like brushing my teeth a million times still. Besides a ton (literally) of candy, we had an egg hunt in my backyard for my niece and nephew, Abby and Ian. It was so hilarious. Abby would freak out every time she found one and Ian was too busy eating the candy inside of his first egg to find any more. We took a lot of pictures, but they're on my parents camera. Perhaps I can get a hold of them to post later...

Here's a random picture to hold you over until then:

Get ready for the most dates of your life!

So, at Women's Services I'm in charge of planning Speed Dating. We did it about a month ago for the first time ever and it was a huge success, in that hundreds of people showed up to participate; however, it was extremely unorganized, as we had planned for about 50 people. We're trying it again this Saturday night and I'm excited! It really is fun to plan and organize events. This time I'm color coding everything to make it user-friendly. You'd be surprised how dumb people are when you give them the simplest instructions. I think everyone will be more calm and have less questions if things are color coded. For instance, each person will be given a nametag with their name and a colored sticker. They have to sit at the group of tables that corresponds with the color of the sticker on their nametag. Genius, eh? That's what I thought. Another reason I'm glad to be planning this event is that I don't actually have to participate in it! Yea! No awkward moments for me; I'll just be running around like a mad woman. Also, I will get to ring the gong for them when their 5 minutes are up (unless someone else really wants to).
Here's the poster:

If I had a million dollars... or even just $50

So, I have hardly any money right now because I just paid the deposit for my apartment for next Fall AND rent for the apartment I live in right now (with the highest utility bill I've ever had). Under the circumstances, I have been contemplating the things I would purchase right now if I had any money to be spent. Here are a few of them. Some of these items don't require money at all, but are things I'm just pining away for:

Pre-order The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Tortilla chips (Debbie, Ali, & Dani- thanks!)
Graham Canyon/Finale ice cream
Oranges (Thanks Deb and Al!)
Many a song on iTunes (Micquel got me a giftcard for my birthday!)
Comfortable & cute black shoes
A black coat
A great hug from a guy I like
A pedicure
A chat with any one of my friends (Thanks to everyone who was at the party!)
A decorative umbrella (Debbie and Ali are my heroes!)
New dress pants
Lower utility bill
More patience
A's on my Economics and Calculus finals
Love, Stargirl (Micquel got this for me, too!)
The ability to run for even just 3 miles w/out dying
Nice teeth
More iron in my blood
A brown swimskirt
More time to spend with friends
Newly Updated:
A longer attention span
The best summer job ever
A chance to watch Nanny Diaries
Motivation to play the piano more often
Less cavities
Photobooth pictures with my girls!


Man, I'm such a selfish, worldly person sometimes. At least I'm not dying to have one of these:

There are no words.

Waiting for fruit to ripen is hard.

You know when you are so excited because you just bought some fruit and you want to eat it because it sounds so good but you can't because it's not ripe yet? (That was a pretty good run-on sentence). Well, last week I was doing the usual grocery shopping at Macey's and just had to purchase some pears and nectarines. What delightsome fruits! I was so anxious to eat them, but just couldn't do it because they weren't ripe yet. With all of the self-control I could exert I told myself that I couldn't eat them until I got back from Idaho, when surely they'd be ripe. Right?

WRONG. They still aren't ripe. And I still want to eat them. Why do they tease me so?

On a good fruitful note, however, remember those tasty orange/tangerine/clementine things that come from Hana's backyard in California? Those were real great in Idaho. Incredible, in fact. I want more.

Here are three funny pictures dealing with animals:

This sign above was in some Asian country (sorry, I don't remember which one) but the English is real good. My favorite parts: "Don't Droppings! You must teachs your dog manners. Then we are dog lovers each other."

This meerkat (I think that's what it is) was at the zoo in Alamogordo, NM, I believe. My sister, Shaylee, took this photo. Apparently he sat like this for over a half hour. What a weirdy.

This one of the cat is not as funny as one I have saved on my computer at work. I'll have to post that beauty at a later date. At least you'll have something to look forward to, eh? Just look at this fella's ample chin.

Read My Mind

My friend asked me today whether I prefer being alone when I'm having a bad/sad day or if I have to feel connected to people and be around others when I'm feeling pooey. I think, looking back on my bad days, I really need to connection with others because I'm usually having a bad day because I feel alone. Talking about my concerns makes me feel a lot better, but even just being in the same room as someone, knowing they want to be in my presence, makes me feel a lot better. I find the people who are most helpful to me in those situations are my bestest friends. I'm kind of surprised it's not my family, but sometimes I just feel like I can open up to my friends better because I feel like they are going through the same situations and can really understand what's happening and why I'm feeling that way (whoa, run on sentence!). I should try to talk to my family more. They're really busy though and probably don't have time to hear about my little problems. And I'm not saying that I have all of these huge issues that I need to talk to someone about- it's just that sometimes we all have bad days and need to vent about the craziness of life.

Something I discovered today: One unfair thing I expect from those around me is that I want them to be able to just look at me and read my feelings at any given moment. I just wish people would look at me and know exactly what I needed, that I needed to be comforted, and know exactly how to do it. I definitely don't possess this extraordinary talent when it comes to any of my friends and their feelings, so I shouldn't expect it of them. But, come on, wouldn't that be amazing? Ah, only in a perfect world.

Just a little plug dealing with the gospel: I'm so thankful that I do have one person who knows exactly what I'm going through, how it makes me feel, and what to do to make me feel better. This knowledge has helped me through a lot and I wish that everyone knew of His comforting power. I know I'd have a lot more sad days if I didn't have Him.

Tagged by Mindy

Jobs I've Held:
1. JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts
2. Watermelon/Corn/Other produce stand salesperson
3. BYU Bookstore- Framing Desk
4. BYU Women's Services

Movies I Can Watch Over and Over:
1. Elf
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. Oh, Brother Where Art Thou
4. The Italian Job
5. 10 Things I Hate About You

Places I Have Lived:
1. Provo, Utah

Shows I Enjoy:
1. AFV
2. The Office
3. The Simpsons
4. Lost

Places I Have Been on Vacation:
1. San Diego
2. Many National Parks in Utah
3. Nauvoo
4. Michigan
5. South Carolina (I don't know if this counts as a vacation)

Favorite Foods:
1. Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
2. Those cheeseballs at Tucanos
3. Swiss Steak
4. Anything that doesn't have mushrooms, peppers, or onions

Websites I Visit (almost) Daily:
1. hotmail.com
2. byu.edu
3. facebook
4. blogs
5. wsr.byu.edu
6. pandora.com
7. istockphoto.com

Body Parts I Have Injured:
1. right ankle
2. left ankle
3. back
4. right knee
5. left knee
6. right middle finger
7. right thumb
8. right shoulder
9. joint where leg connects to hip (left)

Nicknames I Have Been Called:
1. Pike Ide Sine
2. Brain
3. Nickerbocker
4. Nickerdoodle
5. Doodle
6. Nik
7. Nikki Jo
8. Nikelobe
9. Lobe

I'm tagging (to blog this):
1. Debbie
2. Ali
3. Tye
4. Teri

Isle of Palms, South Carolina

I drove to South Carolina from Alamogordo, New Mexico with Shaylee, Shawn, and Ian. This was the fun part of the 9 day trip.

Debbie and I went on a fabulous trip to San Diego and the surrounding area at the end of last month. Man, was it a blast. I highly recommend the weather, relaxation, and many fun activities that the area has to offer. We went to the San Diego Zoo, which was utterly amazing. Here is a photo of Daniel, me, Sam, and Alex trying to imitate some creature (possible a meerkat).

Here is a picture of me jumping in the air at the beach. Debbie, the master photographer that she is, captured this after many failed attempts that were probably because I can't jump very high. But look at my face. So choice.

And here is a picture of me and Debbie at the San Diego temple. So gargeous. We got to go do baptisms. Sam's friend was married here the day we went (which was, essentially, the whole point of the trip).

We also had the amazing adventure of going to Tijuana, Mexico. It was my first time out of the country and I was pretty paranoid that I wouldn't be able to get back into the U.S. because I didn't have a passport. Luckily, they haven't really started enforcing that new law in that ghetto, marvelous area yet. Let me tell you, that place was crazy. Very crowded and interesting. Also quite strange to hear Spanish everywhere, instead of English. I think it was a good experience for me. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of this portion of the trip because no one dared to bring a camera to Tijuana.

Another fun thing (at least for me) that we did was go visit and stay with my cousins Mark and Paige and their 4 children. It really was fun to get to know them better and actually stay in a house again after living in a motel for 4 days. Good times.

I'm sort of glad to be back in Utah, especially because there are a lot less skanky girls, but the weather here is horrible compared to there. It is just so unbearably hot here! I'm still adjusting. I'm not taking any classes, just working a lot. It's kind of boring. I need to get a crush on a boy, or something- anything that will make my life more exciting. Any suggestions?

Finger Painting

Yes, I'm still alive, but I just don't have the energy to write insignificant things on this here blog when I am so engulfed in Facebook. That's right, I joined a few weeks ago and it is quite overpowering. Plus, I'm always on the computer at work, which makes me never want to look at a screen again, if I can help it. That is the reason for the lack of posts. I'll try to do better. All I have to say is that it is a great joy to be living with Debbie again. What a fantastic roommate. She even tries to not hit the snooze button as much because she is so kind (Ali, as well). I think we might stay at The Court for Fall/Winter. Big decisions, my friends, big decisions. More updates soon, maybe, if I ever actually decide anything.

I am a server of women.

That's right, folks. I work at Women's Services and Resources in the Wilk on campus. The office is always full of estrogen because only females work there. It's pretty fantastic. I love my new job so much that I'm starting to hate my old job, which I am still doing (BYU Bookstore). Also, I am taking D&C 325 from a crazy Bro. Richardson who embarrasses himself in front of us all the time- on purpose. I swear it's his goal in life to make us all think he's gone mad. With every class period being 2 hours long, however, it's a relief that he keeps us awake so efficiently. I am learning some great stuff about the early history of the church and the doctrines and commandments that the saints were educated on. Basically, this term is going to be pretty fantastic. Whoa, the most important news of all: I moved to a different apartment complex, Bountiful Court, with Ali and Micquel. I have seen Micquel awake in our apartment twice. I certainly hope she decides that she has time to be friends with us still. I feel pretty lucky that I get to go on a double date with her, Jeff, and Jeff's friend tonight. Blind date for me! We'll see how that goes. I certainly hope he isn't anything like Uncle Pennybags.

Just to Appease You

I totally switched this blog over to the new Google Blogger, but it doesn't think I did anymore. This whole switch over thing was supposed to be easy, I think, but I must just be retarded. I have battled it for quite some time and will continue to do so until I am satisfied.

So, General Conference was pretty amazing, wouldn't you agree? All of those talks on repentance really got me thinking. At least I don't feel complacent anymore, right? I guess that's what Conference is supposed to do for you though: make you feel uneasy so you can change to make yourself better. I am very excited to start.

I got to GO to conference for the very first time today. It was dang awesome, in the Conference Center with the prophet and everything. I think it was definitely worth all of the traffic and parking fiascos we had to deal with. Also, I got to drive my brother's Impala there- what a smooth ride! I love driving in cars that are nicer than mine.

I resolve to not be such a slacker in the blogging department, even IF no one decides to comment (that can put a damper on sharing things).

happy happy

I was going to say why I chose these images, how I felt about them, what I liked about them, etc. but I think you should view them with your own eyes and interpret them for yourselves.

Where did that come from?

I've been spending a lot of time with my family during this Christmas break. Some of the fantastic things we've done together: shopping, eating out, playing Silent Football and other games, having a How to Host a Murder party (including dress ups), rock climbing at The Quarry, etc. It's been pretty great, I must say. Yesterday I bought my textbooks. You know what that means: school's going to start real soon. Ah man. To brighten our spirits, though, I have posted some treasures below of my 60's-ish costume. What the heck?