Word Play

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I love words. I love playing with them out loud, in ASL, and more often than not, in my head. Since I'm out and about most days, I will play play play all day. Normally I'll see a longish (7+ letters) and deconstruct/reconstruct it in mi cabeza for an hour or so. If this sounds like I'm describing OCD or ADD......you may be right. I take the word and look at the individual letters and see how many words I can make from them. Example - general:

glean, real, glen, range, anger, near, earn, ale, are, era, ear, rage, lane, lean.......

I'm sure there are more but that will do for illustrating my point. 

What gets me really excited are words where you can use all the letters when spelling more words. For example - 

danger - garden - gander - ranged

live - vile - evil - veil

coins - icons - sonic - scion

stare - tears - rates - tares

steak - skate - takes - stake

Yeah, that's a thrill for me. Judge away. Granted, this superpower makes me decent at word games but other than that, it's just not marketable. 

sigh

Hey Devon-

@right?

@ohcomeon

@miyagi

Happy Birthday, Mom!

You know how much you mean to me so I'm not going to gush too much. Instead, I shall say - I hope you get to do what you really want to do today......

.....catch up on Toddlers and Tiaras and eat bon bons ;)

I love, love, love you tons and tons and tons!

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Life in a Day

The description below is from the official YouTube page. I will be seeing this for sure. We're more similar to each other than we want to admit sometimes.

What happens when you send a request out to the world to chronicle, via video, a single day on Earth? You get 80,000 submissions and 4,500 hours of footage from 192 countries. Producer Ridley Scott and Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald took this raw material — all shot on July 24, 2010 — and created Life in a Day, a groundbreaking, feature-length documentary that portrays this kaleidoscope of images we call life. National Geographic is bringing it to theaters starting July 24, 2011. Prepare to be amazed.

(from YouTube)

"You have to decide if you're going to wilt like a daisy or if you're just going to go forward and live the life that you've been granted."

- Kevin Costner

I'm Gonna Steal This Baby

Seriously. That baby is as good as mine. 

Your Chance to Help!

A good friend from college is having a yard sale this Saturday to raise money to help cover all the fees involved with adopting. If any of you  know about the process, then you know it's expensive!

Liz and her husband have two adorable little boys and they want to expand it even more! Adoption is one of the most selfless acts I can think of. Whatever special spirit gets to join their family is very lucky because they are doing this with their hearts in the right place. Liz and her husband have an obvious love for their family and just want to share that love with even more kids who need a home.

Details: 8am-1pm Saturday, July 30th 

87 E Center St in Spanish Fork, UT. 

If you are in the area, PLEASE stop by and buy up all the goodies you can!

You can also donate your loot by contacting Liz at info@dancingtoadphotography.com. While you're on the internet you should pop over to their photography blog - dancingtoadphotography.blogspot.com and donate through PayPal if you're so inclined or contact Liz about purchasing prints......y'all she's good with the camera - real good.

Help make a future bright!

Mormons in the Media

I feel as though the Mormon church has been in the media quite a bit lately. Maybe I'm just noticing it because I live in DC and you can't escape having news thrown at you 24/7. Here is a random sampling of articles from the Washington Post -

The Mormon Retirement Plan

Evangelicals, Mormons and the Beliefs of the President

Andy and Amos and The Book of Mormon

A Latter Day Saint of the Book of Mormon Musical

Mormon Missionaries in DC

The Mormon Test

Are Mormons Better Leaders?

Crystal City is "Little Provo" for Mormons

Chapel for Single Mormons Comes With Pressure to Marry

Where is God (and the Mormon church) in a Natural Disaster?

These are only a few, there are a ton more about The Book of Mormon Musical that I intentionally left out. Sheesh. This is only within the last two months.....I think the Washington Post has a bit of an odd obsession with "our kind".

Oh, and then this happened........

Two Sundays ago I got to church and saw the television crew. Apparently PBS is doing a segment on being single in a religion that has a strong focus on marriage and family. Great. I can't get away from this, can I?

It will be airing tonight - check your local listings if you're curious about what I wore to church that day.

(I intentionally sat behind a pillar because I want nothing to do with that)

Devon and Rachel Co-Write the Blog

Sooooo, basically this week was the worst week of my life. My darling Devon was out of town ALL week! I had to fill my nights with cleaning my room (ugh), going out with other friends (yeah, I got 'em), and looking at pictures of her.

She's back, y'all!

She brought a lovely experience home with her that I asked her to share. So, Ms LaMay, the post is now yours-

Devon: Oh heyyyyyy! I'll have you all know that I went through some Rachel withdrawals too (for example, right now she is prancing in front of the mirror in the backpack she'll be using to travel the world and saying, "ohh, this is just so legit" and guess what, I missed stuff like that). Of course, as soon as she got home from her slammin' Friday night, we debriefed on our respective weeks. I was in HOTlanta for a work conference and brought home this little gem of a story:

Well, first I must provide a disclaimer: Rachel and I talk about boys. We like boys. We have some really-awesome-always-insightful-never-irrational opinions on dating. So, who was surprised when the conversation turned to the gents? This story may seem a little lackluster to you, but it provides some wisdom and I promise if you stick with us, you'll find out why.

I guess I'll just come out with it then; I saw a cute boy at this work conference which is kind of a miracle because there aren't many straight, male interpreters- there just aren't- and homeboy was straight. This I know for a fact. I had seen him throughout the week and talked with him here and there but nothing major. And don't get too excited because it doesn't become major... but that's the kicker. What follows is not anything remarkable, but I was taken back nonetheless. Last night there was a game night for one of the member sections of organization I work for and he was interpreting for it (and was awesome which is also very attractive) and after the entertainment/games I was going up to meet someone and Mr. Handsome was right there and we started talking. He was asking me questions about where I was from and how I began to work at the national office and then it hit me. He was talking to me.

Not at me. Not around me. Not looking over my shoulder and half-heartedly listening to me. But he was talking to me. 


I noticed mid-conversation how weird it was to me that he was actually looking at me when we talked and engaged in what I was saying to him. Turns out the guy is pretty with it. But that was it. Conversation ended. I'll probably never see the kid again.

Rachel and I were talking about this anomaly, for it unfortunately is one, and I'll let her tell you why...

don't I look LEGIT? 

this doesn't capture how I was prancing....

Rachel: AND I'M BACK! Just like that. I love the power of the internet. Okie doke, on to the issue at hand. We are swarming with young, single guys. Sounds like a dream for any HOLD UP! Gotta go kill "the biggest bug in the world" in our bathroom............. I'm back, I killed it and yes, it was huge. I'm a hero. Ok, back to that last sentence......

Sounds like a dream for any single gal, right? Wrong. The girls out here outnumber the guys at least 2:1 and the worst part is that the guys know it. There is nothing more embarrassing and disheartening than to be chatting with a guy and to see him constantly break eye contact to scan the room to see if he's missing out on someone by talking to you. Now maybe you think that we just aren't attractive or good enough at keeping a man's attention, but I assure you - that's not the problem.

We can search our whole lives for "the one" and that's a great thing until you start passing up potentials because you think you might be missing out on someone bigger and better. It is definitely not just a problem with guys, girls are also guilty of doing the scan while talking but coming from our perspective - we really miss having a genuine conversation. There is nothing like connecting with another soul. Nothing.

I recently went through a similar situation. I felt that he was "looking over his shoulder" the whole time (and it wasn't just a feeling, there was evidence) so I couldn't show him who I am. I kept a wall up because I refuse to compete for attention, plain and simple. I'm not asking to be monogamous on the first date, but that literal and metaphorical eye contact do wonders at putting someone at ease and removing the game play from dating. We all want to feel special, and look how easy it is! Eye contact, genuine interest.....why are these traits so rare?

Does any of this make sense or are we speaking our weird language that only we understand? Dev - when are we getting that reality show? Please come back and co-blog any time!

For the Babies

I made letter boards for my nieces and nephew as belated birthday gifts. I considered doing them in crayon like I did with mine but I decided to make them more individual.

Haven's is multi-colored glitter

Naomi's is varying sizes of sequins

Porter's is alphabet beads

 Do you see Porter's hidden message?

My sister says they love them - yesssss! I think I'm still in the top spot for favorite aunt!

I'm a Cooking Fool!

Last Saturday, before my second viewing of Harry Potter, I made dinner for my friends. I'm really enjoying cooking lately, and it's all due to Pinterest! All of these easy (and cheap) recipes came from that site.

I'm addicted.

parmesan roasted potatoes

creamy basil pasta

chili frito dip 

(sooooooo goooooood)

the best broccoli you'll ever eat

super easy and delicious artisan bread

and cheesecake stuffed strawberries - again. 

still doing no sugar so i didn't eat any. boo.

Everything was a hit! I'm making more of that bread tonight and I'll probably eat the whole loaf by myself. I have no shame - huzzah!

Reps vs Dems

Last week was the annual Congressional baseball game. We heard about it through some of our friends that work on the Hill so we decided to go support old men playing ball for charity. All proceeds went to the local Boys and Girls Club - yay!

The Democrats had an ace pitcher who actually played in college so the score was fairly left leaning. It was quite funny to sit amongst the aides and hear their commentary....especially after a few beers. I'm definitely going next year!

I have very attractive friends, no? Nice Blue Steel, Davey....

Top of the World

A friend was in town last week and she got tickets to the top of the Washington monument one afternoon. I had never been so she let me tag along.

It's pretty cool, I doubt I'd do it again, but I can check it off the ole bucket list.

Michelle Obama

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I really admire our First Lady. 

She is classy, down to Earth, and a huge advocate for healthy lifestyles - especially with the youth.

I can't imagine that being in her position is easy, but she has faced this head on and is making the most of  her time in the spotlight. She does the unthinkable, unimaginable yet truly inspired thing of wearing clothes that are affordable to most and she does so with grace. As someone who is photographed nearly everyday she's not wasteful like so many celebrities (ahem....Lady Gaga). 

I love how concerned she is about the epidemic of obesity amongst children. She's not focused on the adults facing these issues but is directing most of her attention to the next generation. Get to the root, ya know?

I love her! Now that I'm in the area, I wonder if she'd go to lunch with me.....

PS - I would want to be in Ravenclaw if I went to Hogwarts. Gryffindor is awesome and all but I'm pretty sure I'm Ravenclaw through and through. Definitely not Hufflepuff, and only occasionally Slytherin (I can hide those Slytherin tendencies most days) ;)

How about you???

My Thoughts on Harry

Like plenty of people before me, I'm going to take the opportunity to put my thoughts down about something that has been such a positive thing in my life. Before I do, you should read Danica's post about it - this is the best one I've seen so far. Read it here

I went to a Friday evening showing with Devon. We somehow managed to get into the theater reserved for those without souls because we were crying for a large majority of the film, but no one else was! It was magical and exactly what I wanted in the final chapter. I went again on Saturday night with a group of friends so that I could really assess the movie and how it represented the book. Again, it was fabulous.

A good book is like a good friend, you can revisit it whenever you need and it won't let you down. It's like coming home! There are plenty of people who make noise about not "getting" the hoopla behind the phenomenon, but it doesn't matter - this has been that good friend to so many people. We see ourselves, our friends, and family members in the characters. How could you not love it?

I can't wait to share this journey with my children, just like how my mom shared her favorites with me. What's wrong with wanting your children to read stories of love, heroism, friendship, bravery, and family? Nothing. I hope they see it as a gift that I will share with them, because it has definitely been a bright spot in my life.

via

This is the end, but it really isn't because the magic is always there.

Band Picture

Missions shouldn't be all work.

Sometimes you have to stop and take a band picture.....

N*SYNC was especially good at this.

She's doing well in Italy, but isn't that what we all expected? :)

Harry

My full thoughts on Harry Potter later, but until then you must click this link for a wonderful, wonderful surprise.....but only if you're a true fan! I disagree with some of the rankings but it was lovely to reminisce!

Your thoughts?

"The game of life is not so much in holding a good hand as playing a poor hand well."

- H. T. Leslie

i want.....

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More than romance.
More than that fluttery feeling in your stomach.
More than dessert -

I want someone to know me.
Someone who gets me for who I really am.
I'm tired of feeling unknown.
It can be kind of lonely sometimes.

Someone who wants to discover the oddities, the kookiness, the aspirations, the passions, the fears, the regrets, the victories. Someone who is fascinated by all that and can't wait to wake up everyday and dig deeper. Someone who will put in the time and the effort.

For now, I wait.

"Have you ever seen somebody and you knew that, if only that person really knew you, they would, well, they would of course dump the perfect model that they were with, and realize that YOU were the one that they wanted to, just, grow old with?"

 -While You Were Sleeping

Fine, I'll Play Along

The ever fabulous Aubry posted this a while ago. I loved it! It took me back to middle school when I would read every word printed in 'Seventeen' and 'Teen Beat'. I can't be alone in this, right?

Read her post here!

name:  Rachel Johnson

hometown:  San Diego, CA

current project: avoiding insanity due to lack of sugar, honing my cooking skills, and finally getting my room looking good

my style, in a word: simple

my first serious splurge: Fashion splurge? Hasn't happened yet (I'm coming for you, Kate Spade). Adult splurge? Camera

a trend i wish i never tried: the dreaded white scrunchie

a trend i hope never ends: classic blue jeans, cute shoes, and a white shirt - loooove it

on my last date i wore: pass. only because I'm not exactly sure if the last date I went on was actually a date or not.....but typically I keep it pretty conservative ( oh heeeeey cardigan!)

the best style advice i ever got: whatever you wear, wear it with a smile! Smiling girls are always beautiful

one beauty product i can't live without: anti-frizz serum for these lovely humid summer months

beauty tip my mother taught me: ......uh, Rosie, can ya help me out with this one? Um, homemade matching dresses are.......awesome....?

the most glamorous moment of my life: a certain black tie interpreting job that I am not at liberty to discuss

my favorite chain store: Target. Seriously, I would move in if they would let me. Clothes/accessories only - don't have one

my favorite style blog: The Daybook. The only one I follow and I think she's moving away from being a fashion blog and just becoming an everyday sorta blog

whose closet i'd most like to raid: Kate Middleton - and I'd also like to request a similar waist size

what would someone learn about you from seeing inside your closet: Wow. That is A LOT of black and grey. 

i wish i had the nerve to wear: eye shadow and big earrings! lame, I know.

i feel beautiful when: I'm happy

Play along! What is your fashion voice screaming?

Swag, Bro. Swag.

Sugar Challenge 2011

Let's talk about my life. It looks something like this -

Devon's Knock You Naked Brownies

I love treats. I eat them whenever I feel so inclined, and believe me - I am inclined several times a day. That's not good though. I think I'm dealing with a bit of an addiction.

Therefore, I'm off sugar for a month as of yesterday. There is sugar in pretty much everything so I'm not going raw, but I'm avoiding any blatant sugar. Sounds easy, right?

Wrong.

I almost cried last night when I went to make myself some chocolate milk. How cruel. Lately I've been pinning the most amazing looking desserts, gah! Why do I do this to myself? Luckily, Devon is my no-sugar advisor and she's guiding me through this month with as few tantrums as possible.

Wish me luck!

Love, Etc.

I can see it now - Devon and me curled up (she in the red chair, me sprawled on the couch) watching this documentary, making the occasional comment about love, life, high school, etc. Yep, like hopeful idiots with stars in our eyes. Sound good, Dev? Okie doke.

I saw it on this blog, you should check her out - I dig her style

.yep.

i'm working on it

even the process of working on it has been incredibly freeing

thanks to those who make the effort, you mean the world

Favorite Pics From NYC

ad for a store opening soon

Sister Act was simply splendid - I want to see it everyday of my life

hey

America's Birthday

Kate and I started the day with brunch at Sarabeth's. I had a mighty fine meal of fluffy french toast - num!

We met up with her roommates and went to Highline.

It's the old train tracks that used to be responsible for shuttling meat to and from the meat packing district. Now it's a beautiful boardwalk sort of park.

Kate's roommate, Kim. I might love her.

Kate, me, and Oertel

Kate might love Michael Jackson.

Never fear, Brooklyn is here!

We decided to go to Brooklyn for Grimaldi's Pizza and a jaunt across the bridge.

Dessert before dinner

Sooooo goooood. So, so good. Grimaldi's in Brooklyn. GO.

After we crossed the bridge we dragged our sweaty bums home for a bit and then headed back out to watch the fireworks. My favorite part? Hearing the kids excitement over the fireworks. I wish we all still felt that way!

I hope you all had a happy and safe Independence Day!