If you're like me, and I know I am...

2010-11-10T12:00:00.001-07:00

i'll be spending:

with:

in:

jealous?

all hallow's eve

2010-11-02T00:24:00.006-06:00

reasons i love halloween:

because these people:

helped turn our kitchen into this:

and it's a perfect excuse to turn into malibu barbie and skipper

this year nicki, eric, and i had a hallow's eve soiree, complete with pumpkin soups bowls, readings from tales of edgar allan poe, and a fierce game of werewolf.

i also made this banana bread (with a few tweaks of my own) and these cuppy cakes:

it was fun and festive and spooktacular. j'adore baking and decorating and celebrating and sending people home with food. happy halloween!!

i'm a horrible blogger

2010-10-26T20:59:00.003-06:00

sincerest apologies to the 2's of 3's of you who look at this blog from time to time.

i haven't written since june. to catch up, a quick picture parade...

i voyeured. and cupcaked about it.

i made my feature film debut. "baby hungry" coming to small film festival near you. maybe.

was a real doll in a reading of a new musical by that happy chap on the left.

choreographed this very serious group of young actors in a production of oliver!

became executive assistant to this woman.

so my life is off the chains.

i also recently became the proud new owner of a 2008 subaru forester. she's black and her name is sue. and she's begging me to take up skiing. i'm considering it.

my new title of executive assistant at the salt lake acting company has me working a real, regular 9-5 complete with a desk (though a little make-shift at the moment), a salary, and a standing invitation to all board meetings. to take minutes. but still.

okay. so i'm back on the blogging wagon.

stay tuned for complaints about how knitting is hard, pictures from our halloween dinner party, and recipes that make your cupcakes too brownie-like.

mkay. ta for now.

my summer...

2010-06-25T10:48:00.003-06:00

is spent....

in hot tubs...

seeing sarah at costco...

and sharing all the crazy utah news
with audiences seeing
SATURDAY'S VOYEUR

seriously, the best way to spend a summer.
(photos from Salt Lake Tribune)

cupcake lady

2010-06-06T22:48:00.002-06:00

for my birthday this year i got this darling cupcake holder/carrier from nicki and a handy dandy frosting/decorating tool from my mama and now i'm a cupcake-makin' fool!

love

2010-05-20T20:09:00.003-06:00

things i [love] right now:

warm weather
tomatoes
voyeur rehearsals
babies
'i'm a woman too' by ben lee

things i [opposite of love] right now:

people who mooch
cold weather
my tight right hamstring

the good news: there are more things in the first list. also, i love the things i love more than i don't love the things i don't love.

come and meet those dancing feet.

2010-04-21T12:51:00.002-06:00

watch this:

video of 42ND STREET at pioneer

and get tickets here:

tickets for 42ND STREET at pioneer

if you've never seen 20 people tapping live onstage before, you must. it's thrilling.

see you there?

you are what you eat

2010-03-27T23:55:00.005-06:00

okay, i'm just going to start out by saying that i realize this post may sound like i'm jumping on the bandwagon of the latest fad. it's super trendy to eat organic. everyone who's anyone shops at whole foods. FOOD INC. changed my life. blah blah blah.

but this is important.

FOOD INC. changed my life. (okay, that's a little dramatic.) actually, when i first heard of it, i was like, "pass. i've heard it all before. eating animals is cruel. noted." but then i saw this episode of oprah (i love her. please still respect me, and read on.) and she had michael pollan on - whose book IN DEFENSE OF FOOD i'm currently reading - and she showed clips from FOOD INC.

it piqued my interest.

cut to: tonight. i watched FOOD INC. and i encourage you to do the same. not because i necessarily believe the film presents 100% truth without bias or opinion (because what documentary does?) but because, even with some bias and opinion, it's a pretty eye-opening look at where our food comes from. it's so much more than an animal cruelty issue (which, by the way, it absolutely is - the way cows, pigs and chickens are treated in these huge mass production "farms" is appalling) but it's also what we are putting into our bodies. chickens that are pumped full of growth hormones and antibiotics to the point that they can't even walk aren't real food. cows that are fed corn instead of grass produce e. coli, so their meat is mixed with "filler" containing ammonia to kill the e. coli. that isn't food. but we're eating it. at alarming rates. and we're becoming fat and diabetic and diseased and it has to stop.

the great news is we absolutely have the choice to stop it. all we have to do is choose to eat fresh food. REAL food. buy locally. eat organically. it's easy. maybe not as easy as going to a drive-thru, but if you see what you're really eating at these fast-food places and where it comes from, i think you'll gladly forego the convenience.

also, whole foods is the most fun place to shop. go there.

and chipotle is a fast food restaurant that uses fresh, local ingredients and meat that is hormone and antibiotic-free. eat there.

i'm not a radicalist. i'm not a hippie. i'm just a person who eats and doesn't want to get sick.

at the risk of tooting my own horn (which is totally what i'm doing) this is what i made for dinner tonight and it was fun and easy and soooo tasty:

veggie pizza, spinach salad and green beans. all organic ingredients purchased at good earth and the organic produce section at target.

2010-03-15T15:55:00.004-06:00

(not far)
past*

(no time like the)
present**

(not so distant)
future***

*hawaii was perfect.

we:

snorkeled - saw a shark. i'm not kidding. also swam with sea turtles like we were old friends. oh yes, and an octopus wrapped itself around my right leg.
rode mopeds around the island - i had to pull off to the side at one point because i got a hair in my eye. a four inch long hair. it was disgusting.
drove the road to hana - we swung from vines like tarzan. my dad, dalton and i got some major height. lana got some major laughs. big kudos for at least giving it a go, though.
got tan - like way, way tan.
found oprah's house - behold the power of modern technology: step 1 - get your mytouch phone out and go to google. step 2 - search 'oprah's house on maui.' step 3 - click the link that says "she bought the old robinson ranch on thompson rd." step 4 - type 'thompson road' into your gps. step 5 - drive to oprah's house.
split up: boys vs. girls - dad and dalton went golfing. mom and i went to the spa. we win.
ate - AMAZING sea food.

**now i'm back to my life and work. and building our new season at SLAC. read: on the computer a lot, doing tedious things; taking little breaks now and then to check facebook and blog.
don't tell.

***up next: 42ND STREET at pioneer theatre company. rehearsals start the end of the month and i'm excited. and scared. (if you just sang "excited and scared" you're a geek.)

untitled

2010-03-04T14:30:00.003-07:00

saturday i'm going here:

with them:

to celebrate that beautiful blonde's 50th.

i'm pretty excited.

PS - yesterday i saw a grown woman riding a razor scooter across 7th east.

on my mind

2010-02-23T00:24:00.005-07:00

i'm thinking about:

how sleeping in is awesome until it's night-time and you're not tired when you should be.
the BEE and how i miss it already.
how i haven't been watching much of the olympics.
maybe seeing 12 ANGRY MEN at pioneer tomorrow night.
hawaii in 11 days.
starting 42ND STREET rehearsals in a month.
sleeping in my own bed wednesday night for the first time since january 30.
VOYEUR auditions.
whether or not i like the idea of a blind date.
new music.
how if i don't go to sleep now i'm going to be yawning all day at work tomorrow.

bon soir.

can you use it in a sentence?

2010-02-04T16:34:00.005-07:00

wanna see one of the funniest, sweetest new musicals?

here it is.

for tickets, go to www.pinnacleactingcompany.org or call Melanie @ 801.674.7956

come. you won't be disappointed.

anne

2010-01-23T15:27:00.002-07:00

yesterday anne bogart fed my soul.

i got to listen to her as the keynote speaker of the utah theatre association conference. the things she talked about obviously had to do with theatre, but even more deeply about human nature, society, passion and how to get what you want.

she talked about 7 things. these are the notes i took:

1. follow the pulse.
be in touch with what excites you.
enthusiasm: to be filled with god.
follow what changes you

2. make a mark.
what do you do onstage that is worth people watching?
theatre is a verb: to remember
our job in theater is to create memory for the audience.

3. create the world you want to live in.
theatre's subject is always society.
"can we get along?"
you create a model society in the rehearsal room.

4. finish the sentence.
people who don't finish sentences are of no danger to anyone.
to be an artist is to be articulate in the face of uncertainty.
theatre is a place to practice commitment.
find your own words that work for you.
if you have a dream, describe it.
use words that give value to what you do.
least favorite theatre word: want
"what i want is usually a little perverse and has nothing to do with theatre." - anne :)

5. be unreasonable.
sometimes logic and too much reason can kill theatre.
whatever you do needs to be unreasonably impossible.
starting a monologue is jumping off a cliff - let the scary momentum of falling drive you.
say, "i know!" then make something happen.
allow yourself not to know the answer.
allow the work you're doing to be bigger than you.
CERTAINTY ALWAYS LEADS TO VIOLENCE
show up, pay attention, tell the truth, don't hang on to the results.

6. bring attention where attention is needed.
observer created reality
the quality of your attention to something determines others' attention to it.
theatre: to shine light in dark places.
expand the definition of what it means to be human.

7. cultivate attitude.
feed-forward: going toward something
feed-back: the sensation you get from an experience
good acting: a balance of the two
attitude=posture
your attitude can poison or make magic.
you must have the will to go out and the grace to receive.
there are a lot of things we can't choose; we can choose our opinions and our attitude.
go too close or back too far but the middle distance won't help you.
you must have: passion, something to say, and technique.

listening to her and getting to meet her was inspiring. it cemented my desire for grad school.

thank you anne.

peeved

2010-01-15T22:38:00.002-07:00

don't you hate it when you've been craving chocolate all day so you decide that between work and rehearsal you'll stop at a little coffee shop for a double fudge cookie then when you get out to your car and bite into it you realize it's stale? i do. didn't stop me from eating it. but still.

i resolve

2010-01-02T23:13:00.003-07:00

it's 2010. and we don't have flying cars OR robot servants. hmmm. i'm a little disheartened.

at any rate, i figure i'll set some goals.

in 2010 i will:

research grad schools and make some choices on where to apply and when.
give the gym a higher spot on my list of priorities. (you: "how cliche. resolve to go to the gym." me: "i know.")
put money in my savings account every week.
be a little more early to bed and early to rise in hopes of promoting my health, wealth and wisdom.
write more. journal, blog, heartfelt notes to loved ones.
cook more. i had this brilliant idea to cook my way through Julia Child's cookbook and blog about it but apparently someone beat me to the punch.
drink more water.
read more.
rekindle my relationship with multivitamins.
keep my life more organized and tidy.
take a class: french, cooking, dance, something...
be happy
be thankful

do-able? quite.
happy new year.

ps: the date today is magical. 01022010.
palindromes. i love them.

twas the night before christmas

2009-12-24T18:43:00.008-07:00

this year my christmas cheer manifested itself in handmade ornaments, chocolates, caramels, cookies and prezzies.

happy christmas to all, and to all a good night.

thankful

2009-11-26T21:56:00.002-07:00

what am i thankful for?

go, dog. go!

2009-11-24T13:14:00.007-07:00

"hello."

"do you like my hat?"

"i do not. goodbye."

"goodbye."

to all the diligent readers of this blog:

i cordially invite you and yours to salt lake acting company's first show for children - Go, Dog. Go! based on the book by P.D. Eastman.

i am privileged to play hattie, that fabulous poodle up there on that scooter.

the show is simply darling. bring every child you know. there is no professional theatre for children in the state of utah (what??? i know.) so slac is making this a tradition. it's geared specifically for children 3-10, but trust me, adults will love it just as much. it's magic. it's hilarious. it's a life-size pop-up book.

it runs dec. 4 - dec. 27 and tickets are $25/adults, $15/kids or for groups of 10+ $20/adults, $10/kids. get tickets here or by calling 801.363.7522

if you know young families, preschools, church groups, or anyone looking for a fun holiday activity, please pass on this info, or give me their names/contact info. we have a green room available for holiday parties and other options for groups and parties, including some pretty rockin' discounts on certain dates.

wishing you all very happy holidays!

woof!

things to note

2009-11-05T23:19:00.002-07:00

i'm learning to knit.

i was wednesday addams for halloween.

i'm an only child for the next 2 years.

tomorrow night i'll be dancing and moving to that beat. that beat.

tues: act like a dog, then housesit a cat

my fingernails and toenails are black.

and they shine like justice.

i'm hard up for things to blog about.

results

2009-09-29T23:14:00.002-06:00

my 2-day detox is over and it went well. i felt hungry for pretty much the entire time, but today (the first day back on real food) i noticed my appetite was much lighter than usual.

things i noted during the past two days:

my favorite apple changed from red delicious to gala
good shake-ups to the menu included salt on granny smiths and cinnamon on reds
it's exhausting eating nothing but apples
i want to do it again. but not for a few months.

j'aime les pommes.

keeping the doctor away

2009-09-27T16:32:00.003-06:00

today and tomorrow my menu looks like this:

it's a two-day apple detox. i'm about nine hours in.

my hopes, expectations, and appetite for a big sandwich are high. tbc...

things at the gym that must go.

2009-08-19T11:24:00.002-06:00

middle-aged women who work out in jeans
young hot women who work out in deep v-neck, cleavage-bearing, tight tops
old guys in DARE t-shirts who try and talk to me about politics while on the elliptical (i must give him kudos for endurance, however. he was there before me and still going strong as i left)
dudes in bandanas who play air guitar to their ipods in between their sets (although, i must say it was pretty entertaining to watch)
loud, obnoxious, "look at how strong i am" grunting
girls in full makeup

independence

2009-07-10T13:04:00.003-06:00

i love the fourth of july. it's tied with christmas. there, i said it.

this year at cherry days (north ogden's annual off the chains celebration) i spotted a number of girls i went to high school with. while i was sporting my over-sized cowboy hat and large and in charge sunglasses, they were sporting over-sized diaper bags and mom jeans. uh oh. i think i'm in the early to mid stages of utah old-maidenhood. i'm 23 and without children, husband, fiance or even serious boyfriend. do i need to move? maybe...

don't get me wrong - all of the young wives/mothers i know are quite happy and i'll admit to brief twinges of envy when i troll their blogs and see pictures of adorable children in gymboree apparel. i do want that someday. just not now.

so until then, i'll just stick to multiplying and replenishing my wardrobe.

rock on. and god bless america.

oy.

2009-06-05T09:39:00.005-06:00

last night was our 'final preview' of Saturday's Voyeur. not official opening night, but still had a sold-out audience. everything was going splendidly until the fourth scene. i confidently took center stage to sing my song and:.....................

yep. nothing. i could not for the life of me think of a single word i was supposed to be singing. it was horrifying. i've goofed up on lines before, but i have never gone up as badly as i did last night. i'm sure you're all dying to know what i did. so am i. i really don't know. i think i just stood there trying to get a grip. at one point i thought i could get back on, but NOPE. finally when the chorus came, i jumped back on the train, but i was pretty much a hot mess by that point. ah, live theatre.

on to OPENING NIGHT!

the boys (and girls) of summer

2009-05-22T23:30:00.003-06:00

these beautiful people are the cast of SATURDAY'S VOYEUR 09. i have the privilege of spending my whole summer performing, playing, and partying with these lovlies. we started rehearsals the end of april and we open the show in a week and a half. (!!) the time has FLOWN by. i'm already sad for the show to close... at the end of august..... i know.

but seriously, look how much fun we're having:

when i'm not in rehearsals, i get to work with these beauties. slac's marketing mavens. these women are the most fun, hardest working women i know and i LOVE working with them everyday. and the fact that we're all rockstars goes without saying...

(i'm sure you're curious about the missionary mannequin. see the show. i can't even explain.)

..............................................................

and on a somewhat unrelated note, we've been having pot-luck fridays for our lunch breaks during rehearsals and today i took these. martha stewart's got nothin' on this girl.

word.

celebration weekend

2009-05-11T22:26:00.005-06:00

i write this blog as a 23-year-old from my new, beautiful laptop which i received for my birthday. this weekend was full of celebration. my birthday and mother's day. my family spent saturday night with the eagles at rio tinto stadium. they rocked. hard.

sunday was spent opening presents, eating and playing outside with the doggies.

all in all, a truly pleasant weekend. enjoy the pics.

gone and back again

2009-04-25T23:30:00.007-06:00

i'm back from my little excursion and it was absolutely lovely. it went entirely too quickly and i think i'd like to make it tradition.

what i saw:

the highways of utah, idaho, oregon and washington
my friend, jillian
the space needle
pike place market
the original starbucks
exhibits at the seattle arts museum
seattle underground
a lovely production of "sunday in the park with george"
an enormous, terrifying troll that lives under a bridge
I-5
portland (just passing through)
the oregon coast
newport harbor, complete with sexy fishermen
lighthouses
some pretty incredible sunsets

what i listened to:

adele
ben folds
bob dylan
disney songs
a hella good mix that was recently made for me
the eagles
a chorus line
john mayer

what i ate:

entirely too much gas station food (namely quaker cheddar mix and swedish fish)
delectable seafood (at the space needle and georgie's grill)
galucci's pizza in lincoln city
gas station food (it bears repeating)

thoughts i had:

i am incredibly lucky
do people (particularly idaho people) not understand the concept of the fast lane?
seattle is a cool city
it's very therapeutic being around water
reading paulo coelho alone on the beach is life at its best
how do people effectively travel by car in unknown places without gps?
i must do this more often

pictures i took:

life is good.

i am at ease

2009-04-17T12:21:00.001-06:00

Arms Of A Woman ~ Amos Lee
Video sent by Cehcw

have a listen.

driving solo.

2009-04-10T11:17:00.002-06:00

i'm heading out. just me, my ipod, and the open road.

i'm leaving april 20 and driving to seattle - staying there a couple nights, hanging out with my friend jillian, then heading for the oregon coast for a couple days.

i could not be more stoked.

i'm planted here for the summer, since i'm doing saturday's voyeur (which i'm also incredibly excited for) so this is my pre-summer vacation.

i've also been jonesing to travel by myself, so this will be the perfect little adventure.

stay tuned for pictures and stories, coming the end of the month.

happy birthday dad!

2009-04-04T00:32:00.007-06:00

my old man's 49 today, so to follow suit, he is awesome for the following 49 reasons:

1.he is the funniest person i know. i'm serious.

2.he knows the value of a good book.

3.he has great work ethic.

4.he's an entertainer extraordinaire.

5.he has great taste in cinema and literature.

6.i inherited a lot of his personality traits, and am all the better for it.

7.he's a free thinker.

8.he taught me the proper use of profanity.

9.he is very supportive of dalton and me.

10.when my car breaks, he fixes it.

11.when i was a tiny girl he would hold me up to my wallpaper border (which was teddy bears) so i could kiss each one good night.

12.he instilled in me a love for the eagles and took me to their concert my junior year of high school and we're going again this year on my birthday!

13.he plays the guitar.

14.although he was reticent to get an inside dog, he loves george more than he'd probably like to admit.

15.he also loves and takes care of gus.

16.he serves on the north ogden city council and is oftentimes the only voice of reason.

17.he announces the softball games for cherry days and is usually the most entertaining part of the games.

18.he relishes putting on a new pair of socks.

19.he wants to write a novel. and i want to read it.

20.he taught me the importance of truly enjoying life and doing things you like to do.

21.whenever i answer the phone and it's him he says, "hello is shanny there?"

22.his favorite joke is "ask me if i'm an orange."

23.he's active.

24.he doesn't worry about anything.

25.you can count on three hands the number of concussions he's had.

26.he does the best sling blade impression i've ever seen.

27.he's saving the planet one bottle at a time. (click here for his sweet website.)

28.he knows almost everything.

29.he was a crazy youth.

30.he's thrown his fair share of punches (although none in the past approximately 25 years, as i understand.)

31.he speaks mandarin chinese.

32.he's not picky about his food, clothes, or pretty much anything.

33.he's not afraid of anything. except snakes.

34.when telemarketers call, he becomes engaged in conversation.

35.he's seen every show i've ever been in. some, multiple times.

36.he likes the simple life. (not the tv show, an actual life of simplicity.)

37.he has no feeling in his right arm.

38.his hearty laugh has been compared to the tickle me big bird doll.

39.he is left handed.

40.he loves old cars.

41.strictly by accident, he's set our old barn on fire. twice.

42.he then renovated the old barn into his "hut"

43.he has lots of friends, but maintains that he is his own best friend.

44.he is generous.

45.he sings some mean karaoke.

46.he takes good care of his family.

47.he's always the life of the party.

48.he helps people.

49.he is the perfect dad for me.

love you pa! happy 49th!

toothless

2009-03-29T14:04:00.002-06:00

help. i've started dreaming about losing my teeth. here is what one dream analyst concludes. some of it seems applicable.

my dreams went like this:

first head-trip, about 2 weeks ago - i was with dalton and some of his pals and we were eating some kind of hard candy. as i was chewing, i felt my teeth start to crumble. i spit them into my hand and panic ensued. no one else seemed particularly concerned about it, as i madly tried to find myself a dentist.

next nightmare, last night (warning: not for the faint of heart) - the details are a bit fuzzy, but there was a man with a stapler and he stapled into my gums, right above my top front teeth. i know. it was horrifying. i couldn't get to a mirror for what seemed like hours, and when i finally did, my gums had swelled around the staple. i tried to dig it out, and when i finally got a grip on it, one of my front teeth and a sizable layer of the other came out with it.

could someone please psychoanalyze me? thanks.

happy birthday mom!

2009-03-06T10:18:00.006-07:00

my mom is celebrating her big 4-9 today. doesn't she look fabulous?? so, here are 49 things that make her amazing.

1.she is the most patient person i know.

2.she's taught me everything i know about shoes and purses.

3.she is supportive of everything dalton and i do.

4.she's incredibly open-minded.

5.she inherited all of her mother's amazing qualities.

6.she mows the lawn all summer.

7.she loves oprah.

8.she has trouble saying the word "roy" - it tends to come out "rory".

9.she's hilarious, often times without even realizing it.

10.she substitute teaches elementary school and is hands-down the kids' favorite.

11.she's beeeeautiful.

12.she's a really fast driver, and can get out of speeding tickets like it's her job.

13.she gave up diet coke for regular coke.

14.before she buys something, she makes absolutely sure it's the best one.

15.she forgets the plot of a movie approximately 20 minutes after viewing it.

16.she can play beautiful renditions of "born free" and "king of the road" on the piano.

17.she always wins as favorite mom among my friends.

18.she does a killer marge simpson impersonation.

19.she sees lots of theatre with me.

20.she has a fierce, deep love for donny osmond.

21.she's kind.

22.she calls me to double-check spelling and grammar before posting comments on our family blog.

23.she can and will challenge anyone to a game of ping pong.

24.she is very non-judgemental.

25.she buys baby clothes for her future grandchildren. (and they are a long way off...)

26.she will do anything at anytime for her family.

27.she can still recall warriorette choreography.

28.when she was a little girl she would eat plain butter.

29.she loves george like a third child.

30.she's always abreast of the lastest fashion, fragrances, and fancy products.

31.she went to a dolly parton concert when she was pregnant with me, thus my deep love for dolly.

32.she doesn't rose-scented things.

33.she's becoming more and more internet savvy.

34.there is no better shopping partner than her.

35.she's a night owl.

36.she's a delightful cook.

37.she gets me presents just because.

38.her favorite movies include: you've got mail, father of the bride (I and II), ghosttown, i am sam, and kramer vs. kramer.

39.she loves peppermint ice cream.

40.she tends to get car-sick/sea-sick/air-sick.

41.if she ever had twins (one boy, one girl) she would've named them paige and parker.

42.she looks darling in her reading glasses.

43.she cracks herself up from time to time.

44.she collects magnets and christmas tree ornaments.

45.she picks up after my dad (and me, when i'm at their house.)

46.she took care of two turtles as a child and called them walter and tessie.

47.she is a great example.

48.she's my best friend.

49.she is a perfect mother.

happy birthday mom! i love you!

come see the spectacle, come see the show...

2009-03-02T12:10:00.004-07:00

(click to enlarge)

a moron on capital hill

2009-02-19T13:16:00.003-07:00

maybe i'm missing something, but could someone please explain why this fool is still in office? it's not just my personal opposition to his stance on the issue, but his horrible inarticulacy. the way he addresses the issue shows NO class and NO intelligence. it's humiliating.

ps i love how the newswoman says "a state senator who just refuses to stop talking" haha!

an outline

2009-02-17T11:07:00.006-07:00

change

I. things that have changed

a. our president
1. the inauguration of barack obama as the forty-fourth president of the united states took place on january 20, 2009. the inauguration, with a record attendance for any event held in washington d.c. marked the commencement of the four-year term of barack obama as president and joseph biden as vice president. with his inauguration as president of the united states, obama became the first african american to hold the office and the first president born in hawaii. the theme of the 56th inauguration was "a new birth of freedom," commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of abraham lincoln.

b. my relationship status
1. after two years, austin and i decided to call it quits. there are a few reasons why this is for the best.
i. our lives are very different from one another. although he being in school and me not being in school may not seem like a huge deal, it actually has taken quite a toll. being in school takes up the entirety of his time, and rightfully so. also, with me living in salt lake (which, no, is not THAT far from him, BUT) it is more difficult to spend what spare time we do have, together.
ii. we are both still young. too young to get married. and after 2 years of dating, what else is there to do? :)
iii. after a few month of calling ourselves "on a break" or "seeing other people," it was made clear that that wasn't really working, nor was it a very good idea in the first place. we both decided that being together wasn't right for either of us anymore, and are now manning up and calling it what it is. a break up.
2. worry not. we are still very good friends and probably always will be.

c. my casting rut
1. since moving to salt lake, i have auditioned and been called back for many shows, only to ultimately be told, "thanks, but no thanks." this was to be expected. you really have to put in your fair share of audition time before you actually get cast. (usually.) but finally, i have been told, "we'd like to cast you." woo hoo! i will be spending my summer performing in salt lake acting company's gem "saturday's voyeur." the cast and creative team are superb and i can't wait to start rehearsals in late april! (the beauty is it's a real job. i.e. it pays. well.)

II. things that must change

a. the weather
1. it's enough already with the snow and cold. it's lovely in december, bearable in january, but by february it becomes too much. the worst part is, i know it will most likely last through march. why?
2. also, i have a darling new beach cruiser whose soul is slowly dying as she sits in the garage, waiting to be taken to liberty park.

b. my hair
1. my locks are in dire need of a trim at the very least. however, i am currently in rehearsals for musical of musicals and have been forbidden by the costume designer to change my hair. i realize that a trim would not inflict his (the costume designer's) wrath, HOWEVER, i want a big change and plan to do so when the show closes, thus don't want to spend money on a trim when i'll no doubt be spending big bucks in the near future to make it look like this:
i. color:

ii. cut:

c. my attitude
1. i've had a bit of a chip on my shoulder about an incident of which i won't bore you with details. i assured myself, that given time, i would get over it, but am now infuriated - months later - that i simply haven't.
i. i'll gladly accept any tips on moving on, with open arms.
ii. i'm still confident that peace of mind is on its way.

d. my physique
1. it's not that i'm in terrible condition; i just figure while change is a big topic right now, i might as well include a change (perhaps upgrade is a better word) in my workout routine.
i. i was recently inspired by watching how gwyneth paltrow maintains her solid physique on oprah. she works out for 2 hours a day, 6 days a week (which may not always fit into my schedule) but she eats whatever she wants. i'm much more the type to work out more so that i can still eat carbs.

summary: the things that have already changed are great. i'm grateful for those changes. the things that must change, will. it's just the working and waiting for those changes that sometimes make me crazy. such is life.

peace.

cheers

2009-02-11T22:37:00.002-07:00

26 years ago, these love birds vowed for better or worse.

happy anniversary ma and pa! love you!

happy birthday brother!

2009-02-05T17:38:00.005-07:00

my cute brother is 19 today. WEIRD. i swear i'm still 19. but no, my mid-20's are just around the corner. ah well. in honor of his 19 years, here are 19 things that rock about him...

1. when we were both tiny and i was in charge of watching him while my mom was in the shower, i told him to behave. when my mom came out of the bathroom he was in tears and said, "shanny told me to be have and i'm not bein' havin'"

2. despite his very manly exterior, he has a tender heart of pure gold.

3. he rebounded from his broken jaw like a champ. (burn in hell, justin brown.)

4. when he was about 4 or 5 he refused to enter or exit our living room without somersaulting.

5. he's good at pretty much everything he tries.

6. he has good taste in music.

7. at my prompting he auditioned for "fiddler on the roof" in 8th grade and got cast in a lead role.

8. he's an independent - living on his own, going to school, partying it up.

9. he loves eating raw cookie dough.

10. he's got a killer sense of style.

11. his first name is jedwin.

12. when he was little he said words like "commerciable" and "neighvorhood"

13. he's a top-notch golfer.

14. he used to call me sissy.

15. when gas prices were sky-high, he organized a group of his friends to go down to 7-11 and protest. what an activist.

16. he dressed as a girl one halloween and was adorable.

17. he learned the lyrics and choreography with me to the judd's "have mercy" and performed it for my mom and the video camera.

18. he is hilarious.

19. he's the only sibling i have and the only one i want.

happy birthday brother! i love you!

untitled

2009-01-30T12:36:00.006-07:00

sundance is fun. every year i kick myself for not taking advantage of being a utah resident and getting early tickets to the most wanted films. this year austin and i went up just to spend the day. shopped, star-searched, ate. looked famous.

later in the week i was able to mooch off some friends who had a film in slamdance. they got free tix for the animated shorts. these were my faves:

this way up

skhizein

western spaghetti

AND THEN.....

turned 21, so we

celebrated.

vegas style.

on top of the world.

happy birthday aust.

oh nine

2009-01-14T09:43:00.009-07:00

happy new year everyone!

hope all your days were merry and bright. mine were. the holidays were good to me. i spent some quality time with these people.

mr. claus was also quite generous. he left this beauty under the tree.

can't wait for spring.

i rang in '09 with these fools in the mile high city

and now it's back to the daily grind. work at SLAC is great. i love the people i work with and all the fun stuff we get to do. i am also teaching a movement class at the children's theatre in salt lake. it's fun/horrifying. 22 young'ens between the ages of 6-11. and i have to actually make them learn and retain something performance-worthy so their parents don't request their money back. next week i'm doing a little acting gig for a company called "boston scientific" in which i will portray a news anchor. all of my dreams are coming true. and in february i start rehearsals for "musical of musicals"

things are good.

arrivederci!

2008-12-22T16:20:00.002-07:00

at long last, (after four months) i am bidding farewell to the olive garden. i tried really hard to like it, but simply could not. i'd been wanting to quit for a long time - about four months - but didn't for the sheer need of a second income. now, however, i have received a promotion at salt lake acting company and will be working there full time. can i get a "holla!"

a list of things i won't miss:
*having a table of 7 each order a soda AND a water
*listing and describing in detail the four different soups
*complainers and send-backers
*grating romano cheese on top of EVERYTHING
*soup and butter guy (i could dedicate an entire blog to him. he's even grosser than he sounds.)
*the general population that eats at olive garden
*the type of people who manage olive gardens
*all you can eat soup, salad and breadsticks
*about 80% of the hosting staff
*about 70% of the serving staff
*and dressing like a man.

it's been real.

'tis the season

2008-11-30T15:07:00.003-07:00

okay, thanksgiving is over, it's officially socially acceptable for me to start decking the halls.

my plans include, but are not limited to:

watching these

baking these

buying and wrapping these

listening to these

hanging these

decorating this

and dreaming of this

thankful

2008-11-28T18:42:00.004-07:00

usa
internet

tv series on dvd

slac

good health

ben folds

education

my roomie and bff

memories

my near-perfect family

i have much to be thankful for. the list could go on and on - these are just a few of the things that came to mind first. this year we went to my aunt susan and uncle jody's house for thanksgiving. it was small and lovely. the food was delicious and the company hilarious, as always.

happy holidays.

a utah man am i

2008-11-07T15:43:00.007-07:00

i had the extreme privilege of attending the blackout game - utah v. tcu - with austin last night. (he's turned me into somewhat of a crazed fan.)

note the sea of black - the crowd looked awesome!

killer game. in the beginning, it looked rough. tcu is a GOOD team and had us 10-0, but we were able to kick a couple of field goals, taking us to half-time at 10-6. utah's defense was stellar and we were able to hold them through the second half. in the 4th quarter a couple of missed field goals (in a row) on tcu's part had us pretty certain that we should probably win this game. 2 minutes left and the crowd was roaring. i think it must have been the sheer adrenaline pumping up our offense, because they were finally able to move the ball. we scored a ridiculously exciting touchdown with about 45 seconds left. it was a little nerve-wracking because tcu's offense is SO fast and they were able to really move the ball down the field in very little time, but with about 4 seconds left we intercepted their pass and the game was ours.

crazy fans rushing the field. i had to hold austin back.

final score utah-13, tcu-10.

well played, boys.

change

2008-11-04T22:19:00.002-07:00

i think and hope President Obama is going to be the change our country needs. however you voted and whatever you believe, it's an exciting and historical time for our country. his victory speech was inspiring. i love his spirit of unity and hope. i'm proud to be an american.

it's the day of the show y'all...

2008-10-16T12:15:00.002-06:00

this:

opens this weekend. it's romeo & juliet. it's with pinnacle acting company. it runs this weekend and next (thur-sat) www.pinnacleactingcompany.com our cast is quite good-looking, if that gives any impetus to attend.

warning: lots of emotion and woe in the second half of the play.

autumn

2008-10-10T00:43:00.002-06:00

these are a few of my favorite things:

i love autumn.

apartment pt.2: the bedroom

2008-09-18T16:32:00.009-06:00

i'm sure you've all been chomping at the bit, anticipating my next decorated room. well the wait is over. my bedroom is complete. for now. i tend to like change. here she is...

(click to enlarge photos)

my bed. above it, some cute shelves, to be expanded on in the next picture.

shelves with cute stuff on them.

the nightstand. i love lamp.

hanging jewelry, pictures, princeton the ceramic dog, and fake flowers atop my chest of drawers.

my overaccessorized door, my calendar to keep my life in order, and mon petit wire bookshelf-ish thing.

as much as i could fit in one picture.

voila, ma chambre. the living room is so near completion i can almost taste it. and it's promising to be my favorite room of the house, so stay tuned...

here's a tip:

2008-09-14T00:42:00.003-06:00

when you go to a restaurant, it's fine to linger at your table as long as you like, under the condition that you up the tip. after a certain amount of time, you're just taking business away from your server.

when you, your spouse, and three young, loud and messy children decide to go to a restaurant for lunch and your bill comes to $68, don't leave your attentive, charming and friendly waitress a measly five dollars.

when you and your mother order a frozen raspberry lemonade, send them back for being "too sweet", ask your waitress to describe, in detail, each soup, make ridiculous special requests for each entree, then, when they are delivered (perfectly as requested) to your table tell the waitress to take them back and box them up because you're suddenly feeling ill, do not leave a two dollar tip on your $33 bill.

those are just a few of many examples of the BAD TIPPERS i've encountered in my past few weeks of waitressing. i've fallen into the routine rather nicely, however, my heart just isn't in it. therefore, i'm cutting back to just serving on weekends and am now going to substitute teach in the salt lake city school district. subbing is something i've done before, and liked, and now that i have my bachelor's degree i can make more money doing so.

so that brings my current job total to 3: the OG, salt lake acting company, and subbing. it sounds like a lot, but i like having the variety.

in closing i'd just like to say, please tip your servers well. you don't realize how much they do until you do it yourself. tips are the only way servers make any money since the hourly wage is $2.13. 15-20% people. it's the right thing to do.

the more you know....

when you're here, you're family

2008-08-20T15:24:00.002-06:00

i've decided that since i recently graduated with my degree in theatre, waiting tables was the next logical step.

i got a job at the olive garden in sugarhouse. i'm two days into my training and i'm a wreck. i'm completely comfortable sampling and getting to know the menu, even making the salads and dishing up the soups and breadsticks, but today i had to start actually taking food to tables and i don't know what i'm getting myself into. those trays are enormous and apparently i have no talent in the art of balancing. i was sloshing minestone all over the place.

hopefully i'll be able to master it in the next couple of days, because next week it's do or die. on the bright side, my "hospitaliano" couldn't be better. (that's a word the OG made up that means treating our guests like family and getting it right the first time for 100% guest delight - i had to memorize that for a test.)

so, keep me in your prayers. i've got the notion that i'll need all the help i can get.

apartment pt.1: the kitchen

2008-08-13T18:10:00.008-06:00

okay, we're doing room by room decorating. our kitchen is complete (with the possible exceptions of one more something on one of the walls and a light for above the table.) so, here's some pictures. i'll describe in detail just what you're looking at...

the sink area. note the cute clock and key hanger on the left. also, behind the sink is a darling cappucino set, colander, coaster and paper towel holder.

stove area. yes, those are owl salt and pepper shakers perched on the top of the stove. and a magnetic chalkboard above them where we post take-out menus, pictures, love notes, etc.

the fridge. some highlights: the andy warhol jackie o magnet, our magazine cut-out inspirations for the living room, coultin & desi and cutest reddest's wedding announcements, and the midnight movies showing at tower theatre.

the table. something unfortunate happened in the uploading process and there are imaginary lines running through the photo. they are not part of our kitchen. but this is our table complete with a place setting and bowl of apples, accented by almost ridiculously large flatwear and (normal sized) plates hanging on the wall.

stay tuned for bedroom, living room, bathroom, and perhaps porch pictures.

let's all go to dee's

2008-08-09T21:28:00.005-06:00

dee's family restaurant was just that on friday morning.

i had the distinct pleasure of joining my grandpa, my aunts and my mom for breakfast at dee's in ogden. unbeknownst to me, they are somewhat regulars; friends with nan the waitress, their very own corner booth, and their regular specials from the senior menu (while only my grandpa and aunt ann qualify, the good people at dee's are kind enough to look the other way for susan, my mom and even me to order the #4 pancake special for just $5.65)

the food (while delicious) was a mere candle holder to the company and conversation. to those of you who haven't had the pleasure of listening (as not much else can be done) to the ellis sisters when they get together, i'm here to tell you, you can't write that stuff.

"Let's go to Dee's, let's all go to Dee's! That's what Daddy says, and the family all agrees. Dee's!"

on the street where i live

2008-07-30T12:47:00.010-06:00

i recently became a resident of the 9th & 9th area in salt lake (the apartment is undergoing decoration - pictures to come) and yesterday discovered that i reside in the loveliest of shopping meccas. i made this discovery along side my mom, the best shopping partner i've yet come across; she's taught me everything i know. i'll post links to the stores' sites, but you really must experience them in person. and if you are in the area, give me a ring. we can do lunch at one of the many darling cafes. happy shopping!

http://www.childrenshourbookstore.com/

http://www.koodeker.com/

http://outside.in/places/apt-202-salt-lake-city

http://www.hipandhumble.com/

http://www.9thand9th.com/

a very nice letter

2008-07-27T23:12:00.004-06:00

i think this is so important, and so true. how refreshing to read such open-mindedness.

http://www.kcpw.org/article/6243

un petit voyage

2008-07-26T22:02:00.007-06:00

i just got back from a little trip up to jackson hole with my mom, dad and george. we saw a lovely production of "singin' in the rain", spent a day in yellowstone, shopped a little, rode the alpine slide, went to a fair, and saw "mamma mia" in the tiny jackson hole movie theatre. (love you meryl.)

some highlights of the trip:

watching my dad try to wave down a semi for flipping rocks at us

watching austin's mad tap skills in "singin'"
trying to speak french to the men struggling at the gas station

seeing a grizzley in yellowstone

watching george "bouff" at the buffalo

breakfast at nora's

seeing the 1,000 pound pig

"the winner takes it all"

getting to hang out with austin, tyson and elise

lily & co.

george and me with jackson's official singing cowboy

the talented leads of "singin' in the rain"
kai blakesly, ami abram, and austin archer

ode to good parenting

2008-07-20T18:15:00.005-06:00

i'd like to raise my glass to the parents who DON'T bring their 3, 4, and 5 year olds to the MIDNIGHT showing of THE DARK KNIGHT. and to those who DON'T prance around DOWNTOWN salt lake at 11 PM with their INFANT strapped to them and trying desparately to sleep amid the CLUB SCENES, LOUD MOTORCYCLES, and SIDEWALK CIGARETTE SMOKERS.

here's to the parents who invest in babysitters. and to the babysitters themselves. and to taking a little responsibility.

i'm a blogger. i blog.

2008-07-18T14:15:00.000-06:00

due to the promptings of the spirit, and erin and hilary skeen, i am now a blogger. bloggess?

if you care to catch up on my life, opinions, and musings, check in periodically. i'm fortunate to have a job that allows me ample computer time, so i should be able to pop something out on a somewhat regular basis.

i'll gladly welcome any tips for an amateur.

cheers