Fast Fact Friday

In middle school we had the option to take Spanish or French. Even back then I had all of these big dreams about visiting Europe, particularly Paris, and so naturally I signed up for French.

Fact: I was NOT good at French....

But, I did enjoy watching the talking pineapple videos....

In fact... I loved saying the French word for pineapple........... "ananas" (aw-naw-naw)! I got pretty good at counting to 100.... and I definitely knew all of my colors..... 

But sadly, the fact is.....

Je ne parle Francais :0( 

Fun Foto Friday

Happy Valentines Day

Or, in my case, Single Awareness Day.

I made this super cute (an easy) craft with my friend Tiffany a few weeks ago

and I LOVE it!! Thanks Tiff for letting me steal all of your supplies! 

Fun Foto Friday

Last week we got to babysit my niece.... who is seriously the cutest little thing ever!! She is also one of the best natured babies you will ever meet!! But toward the end of the evening she got kind of upset...... poor girl!! So we turned on Tinker Bell and she calmed right down.
She's a Disney girl at heart...... just one of the many reason why I love her!!

Good Eats Utah

A couple months ago, my friend Miranda and I started talking about all of the cool restaurants downtown that we've always wanted to try but never have. We sort of made this goal to try one new place a month and we picked a date for our first adventure.

The restaurant: Settebello 
Where: 260 S 200 W, Salt Lake
What: Authentic Italian style pizza AND gelato 

I had actually already been here once, but I loved it so much that I convicted Miranda we needed to go so she could try it! I LOVE their yummy pizzas!! If you go, I can personally vouch that the Bianca pizza is delicious! After lunch we walked next door to get gelato and it was pretty good too. They had a rose flavored gelato, which Miranda decided to get, and it was pretty interesting. I had never heard of flower flavored ice cream before!

After lunch we headed over to City Creek to check out the mall, since neither of us had been before. It was there that I got a pretty cool bar or rosemary shampoo and a bottle of interest dry shampoo!

Before we headed home we decided to stop one more place.... just to make the drive downtown worth it!

The restaurant: Bruges
Where: 336 W 300 W, Salt Lake 
What: Waffles and Frites 

My cousin Michelle actually told me about this place. This was right around the time that I discovered the waffle truck and it was almost never in Salt Lake county. Miranda and I decided to go and compare the two. Bruges was pretty good..... their waffle wasn't as sweet as Waffle Luvs..... but it was still a nice treat! It looks like they have a few new options since we went though, so it would be kind of fun to go back and try some other things!

After that first adventure, we kind of lost sight of our goal. The summer got busy... the holidays came so quick..... and all of the sudden it was a new year!! I think we both made an unspoken resolution to be better about our new restaurant goal, because in January we made another trip downtown.

The restaurant: Vosens Bread Paradise
Where: 328 W 200 S, Salt Lake 
What: German Bakery 

I actually heard about this one from my friend Allison's Instagram page. And who the heck wouldn't want to visit a place with "bread paradise" in its name!! We started by getting delicious sandwiches on some of the softest sourdough bread I have ever had!! We also took some time to look at all of the cool German foods they sell.

We couldn't leave this paradise without some dessert so we got a couple of pastries to share. The first was a chocolate filled dessert that was pretty yummy. But the best was some kind of caramel pastry.... seriously to die for! I wish I would have taken a picture of the sign so I could remember what they were called!! This is what is looked like......

Any one have any idea what that is called? I know it was two words.... and it might have started with an "A"....
We also got some pretzel rolls and cheese rolls to take home. Loved this place!! I would definitely go again..... even if it was just for dessert!



So now we have this running list of places we want to go and I can't wait to try them. If you have any cool/yummy/small/family owned restaurants that you like, let me know! I would love to add them to our list!!

Fast Fact Friday

For my 5th or 6th birthday I got the coolest gift ever.... and pink Barbie watch! 

I can't tell you exactly what it looked like, but I know I loved it! I, of course, wore it to school the very next day, because that's what you do when you get the coolest present ever! 

Recess came and my class and I ran outside to play. I remember that I wanted to play on the bars.... the ones where you would wrap one leg around and then you'd flip yourself over. 

But..... What about my new watch?? It could get lost of ruined!

So, I did what any brilliant, 5 or 6 year old would do to protect their new watch...... I buried it in the rocks! 

FACT: Burying your treasured possessions in the rocks is

not a good idea. When you go back after school with your dad

to get it, it will be gone! 

2013 Book List

What I read in 2013:

• 1- Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
• 2- Showtime by Chloe Kayne
• 3- Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
• 4- The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan
• 5- The Host by Stephenie Meyer
• 6- The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
• 7- The Acquisition by Emily Mitchell
• 8- The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors
• 9- The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
• 10- The Goddess Hunt by Aimee Carter
• 11- Unenchanted by Chanda Hahn
• 12- Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter
• 13- The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter
• 14- The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter
• 15- The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
• 16- Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson
• 17-Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
• 18- Cloaked by Alex Flinn
• 19- Towering by Alex Flinn
• 20- Confessions of a Teenage Fairy Godmother by Kathleen Baldwin & Andrea Sisco
• 21- Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
• 22- Pemberley Ranch by Jack Caldwell
• 23- Austenland by Shannon Hale
• 24- Pride and Popularity by Jenni James
• 25- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• 26- Midnight In Austenland by Shannon Hale
• 27- The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
• 28- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• 29- Hansel and Gretel by Jenni James

Goodbye 2013

Another year over! Looking back, they always go by so quick!
If you're super bored, you can read last years post HERE!

1. What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before? I went running with my friend Lacey! Never in a thousand years did I ever think I would go on a run with her! 

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for next year? I didn't make any resolutions, but I did make a few goals for myself throughout the year..... I did a few of them. I'm not so good at goal making and completing! 

 3. Did anyone close to you give birth? I became aunt Amanda this year!! WAHOO! Eric and Hayley had a baby girl in November!! My friend Amber had a baby boy is May and my cousin Sarah had a boy in September! 

4. Did anyone close to you die? A really close family friend. Cindy, passed away in January. I've know her my entire life and it was really unexpected!  

5. What countries did you visit? None... sad year! 

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013? A home of my own. I'm saving my pennies to buy my first home! 

7. What date from 2013 will remain etched in your memory, and why? The day my niece was born!! 

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Running and finishing my first 10k after falling and being in an ankle boot and knee brace for 4 weeks! 

9. What was your biggest failure? Don't really want to go into to much detail.... but May was a rough month for me....

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I'm a big klutz, what can I say.... Back in June I fell and fractured my left ankle and chipped a piece off of my right knee cap! I also dealt with lower back pain for weeks in July and August because  of the dumb boot! And then I fell again in September and hurt my ankle and knee again! Oh... and did I mention the cold I had in August.... Jeez.... 

11. What was the best thing you bought? I got rid of my 19" TV and bought a HUGE 40" TV!! Pretty exciting!! I feel like a real life adult 

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? I think Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic! A little crazy... but I love the way she stands up for what she believes in and how she speaks her mind! 

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Congress..... President Obama.... Pretty much anyone in politics.....That Edward Snoden guy....Miley Cyrus....

14. Where did most of your money go? My car! I've been working really hard to get it paid off so I'm been making almost triple payments!! Only about 3 more to go!! 

 15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Running my Disneyland race!! 

16. What song will always remind you of 2013? Can't Hold Us by Macklemore 

17.Compared to this time last year, are you:

i.happier or sadder? About the same 

ii.thinner or fatter? Unfortunately, I'm fatter

iii.richer or poorer? Probably slightly richer!  

18.What do you wish you'd done more of? Traveling! 

19.What do you wish you'd done less of? Worrying! 

 20.How will you be spending The New Year? I will spend part of the night with family, and part of the night with friends! 

22. Did you fall in love in 2013? Getting kind of tied of writing NO.....

 23. Were there any books/songs/movies you didn't like? This question was originally about one night stands...For me, it was a lame question because that would NEVER happen! And then last year I changed it to vacations.... but that was kind of boring too. So... I changed it again! Who knows what next year will bring!
So to answer the question, YES! There were some songs I didn't like this year, including Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke, all of Miley Cyrus's new songs and Clarity by Zed. I was also pretty disappoint by the movie The Host! And I gave up reading the book Tiger Lily. 

24. What was your favorite TV program? I just started watching Doctor Who this year. At first I wasn't really into it.... but it picked up and I now have to watch every episode! I also still love Drop Dead Diva and Once Upon A Time!! 

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Yes... very strongly! 

26. What was the best book you read? The Peacegiver, The Goddess Test series and Austenland!!  

 27. What was your greatest musical discovery? Imagine Dragons 

28. What did you want and get? A Fit Bit!! 

29. What did you want and not get? I feel like I always make up silly answers for this one... and really, it's because I am pretty lucky.... I don't have to want for anything! I'm pretty dang blessed!!

30. What was your favorite film of this year?  Catching Fire was definitely my favorite!! I also really love Saving Mr Banks and Frozen! Austenland is also at the top of my list! 42 was amazing!! I also really liked Safe Haven, Star Trek, Now You See Me and RED 2! 

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? My birthday was on a Sunday this year, and it just happened to be the Sunday of my cousin's home coming. We spent most of the day at his house, but my aunt and uncle were awesome had a birthday cake! I got the game Ticket to Ride: Europe as a gift so that night my parents, my sister and I played a round!! And..... that was pretty much it..... downhill side to 30! Scary!! 

 32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Being out of debt! 

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013? Still pretty much the same.... although, I do have a new found love for bubble necklaces!!

34. What kept you sane? Long talks with some great people who are willing to listen! 

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? My new crush is Matt Smith! 

36. What political issue stirred you the most? Politics make me crazy! I honestly try to avoid anything to do with politics because I think they are ridiculous!!
I just picture people like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe looking down on us and shaking their heads in shame because we've corrupted the system they worked so hard to build!! 
The government shutdown thing was a big joke! It's so pathetic to me that they can't work together for the good of the country.... Lame! 
But... with all that being said..... I am SO grateful to live in this country.... where even with all of our ridiculous political leaders, we are free.... we are outrageously blessed to have the type of government we do.... flaws and all. 

 37. Who did you miss? I miss Charmaine and Chantry... I don't see them much anymore! 

38. Who are your favorite people that you met this year? There are some nice people in my singles ward... I'm pretty lame though and didn't really go anywhere to meet new people! 

39. Quote a song lyric that accurately summarizes this year? "I wanna see you be brave" Actually that's probably a better mantra for the coming year! I need to be more courageous!! 

I hope you have an awesome 2014!