captivating

are you completely enthralled and inspired by Rapunzel's bedroom paintings like I am?

and the colors from this scene?   (well, this scene makes my cry anyway {..when she finally is living her dream?  yeah, i'm a sucker for people reaching their dreams/goals...} but the colors make it even more charming. 

I daresay Tangled is one of the most beautifully crafted Disney films of all time. 

back to young women

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.


We will stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things,

and in all places as we strive to live

the Young Women values, which are:

Faith

Divine Nature

Individual Worth

Knowledge

Choice and Accountability

Good Works

Integrity and

Virtue.

We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values,

we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants,

receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.
 
 
did you know that the young women motto is Stand for Truth and Righteousness?  I thought that's just what we said to get the young women to stand and say the theme!  I love that. 
 
i love that as we come to accept, put our faith to work and try out the values as stated that we WILL be prepared to do all the things our Heavenly Father has for us.  How awesome is that?

we so excited?

seriously, is this a joke?  
i thought all the hype over this song was just everyone making a big deal out of nothing and giving this poor rebecca black girl a hard time...  so i decided to watch the video and judge for myself.


for real?


wow.


if you haven't experienced this yet....watch for yourself here.  i just feel bad for this gal.  she can't be older than 13..and she's a cute girl but this song really is no bueno.

 it hurts my insides.


favorite part of the song:
Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday
Today i-is Friday, Friday (Partyin')
We-we-we so excited
We so excited
We gonna have a ball today
Tomorrow is Saturday
And Sunday comes afterwards
I don't want this weekend to end

upcoming art show!

okay. so this isn't a huge deal. 
 
but i entered a piece into an art show
 
 
and today i got the email congratulating my acceptance into said show!
 
i'm thrilled/shocked.
 
 
very excited.
 
 
email me if you want deets about where/when!
 
I would so love to have you there at the opening shindig.
 
xoxo
 
marierin @ gmail {dot} com

march madness

watching basketball with my mother is a treat.

you get phrases yelled such as:

wooooWHOOOoooOOHhh! Did you SEE that?! That was JIMMER!
*as she hits my leg.

Oooh. Get that daggum ball!  Ayeeee! REBOUNDS!

jimmer fredette. go byu! Holla!

It's quite hilarious.  Especially if you know my mom.
 
Go BYU! 

sundaybest

as per request [i'm thrilled about this, btw]

i'll be updating you with my 30 for 30 challenge

here's another outfit. 

{and ps, i'm not very organized when it comes to updating. so you'll get random blips here and there.. sorry}

necklace: boutique. cardi: banana republic. dress: anthropologie. belt: old navy.  navy tights: target. seychelles pumps: nordstrom

promise I'll get better photos for future updates. stay tuned.

dear boy

on the home page of banana republic dot com,
you are super attractive.

i really like the way you dress.

and your glasses.


i'm not usually ever this forward, but can we please date?

k thanks, bye

love, erin.

make me wanna say' oh oh ohoh oh oh oh ohoh..

ignore this post. i was simply bored and not wanting to vacuum my room or make my bed. perhaps i'll go do that now. boo. 

happy st. patrick's day!

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?

Everybody In Love - JLS

2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
This is why I rock - Mims. {ha. perfect.}
3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Glee Cast {...?}


4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Let it Rock - Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne


5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Dancing Queen - ABBA {sweet.. but no.}
6. WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' -  Michael Jackson {remarkably accurate!}
7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
We Belong - Pat Benatar {haha. awe.}


8. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing - MoTab


9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
With Love - Hilary Duff


10. WHAT IS 2 + 2?
6 Foot 7 Foot - Lil Wayne & Cory Gunz {this song is on my ipod?.....}


11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Benson Hedges - Fun.

12. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Stronger - Kanye West {awesome. these are all fitting pretty nicely. hah. funny how that works}


13. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Ojos Asi - Shakira {it means something about your eyes?  I don't speak espanol but i love this song}


14. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
That's Amore - Dean Martin {bahaha. this song makes my day}


15. WHAT DID/WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Home For Christmas - N SYNC {not only no but H no.}


16. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Yeah! - Usher {bahahah. funny.  but no way!..actually, I hope they do play this at my funeral. that'd be hilar}


17. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Breakin' Up Is Hard to Do - Carpenters {....!}


18. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
The Climb - Ashley Harmon {well, I do hate hiking... biggest fear? not so much. ps Ashley's voice is incredible if you haven't heard it... go listen. now.}


19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
When Will My Life Begin - Mandy Moore [from Tangled] {secret? don't think so.}

20. WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Bad Romance - Lady Gaga


21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Love Like Woe - The Ready Set {true dat!}
22. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
OMG - Usher feat. will.i.am. 

.i knew the way you know about a good melon.

found these different videos.  and they completely made my day when i watched them. i'm a youtube fanatic, i'll admit.




this is incredible... Not only is it UP but it makes this weird awesome techno-y song.  i seriously cannot get enough of it.

sorry this vid is huge and taking over my blog. it's bugging me-but i don't know how to fix it.  so i'll deal if you deal.





i loooove julie andrews.  and this is just fun.  i grew up loving mary poppins.  and my fair lady.  hopefully you'll love this also.





this.  is sooo darling.  these are actual love stories. they just hired actors to tell them.  so cute.  i wonder what my love story will be?  also. this is from when harry met sally--i've never seen it but i'm loving this youtube vid.

but she rook weally nice to me---gets me every time.

friend feature: really-he's just not that into you

featuring Brittany from Really-He's Just Not That Into You ...Brittany was also a fellow Mormon Bachelor contestant with me!  I think we were destined to be friends. Enjoy!


I have a few “life directions” as I call them. My number one is to “be an active participant in your own life”. This boils down to almost anything.

But what I’d like to focus on in this guest post is dating.
Ahhh, dating. Every unattached person’s favorite subject. Being a 25 year old single Mormon female, I get berated with dating questions. The number one being “why aren’t you married???” [as if implying something’s wrong with me & no one wants me...] to which I want to respond “why are you so rude???” but alas, I usually just laugh & say something funny to change the subject.
I have a deep fascination with human relationships. Literally. I find people & how they interact endlessly entertaining. I’m even studying Family Studies. Oh, and I have a dating blog [really-hesjustnotthatintoyou.blogspot.com]. And you should see my collection of dating-advice books [I don’t have issues, it’s research!!]. Yeah, I wasn’t kidding.


So, what does all this have to do with “what I know for sure”? Lemme tell you.


Here’s what I know for sure. Life is for LIVING. Life is made for making mistakes, being a fool, feeling stupid & speaking NOW. I know, I KNOW how hard this is. It’s terrifying. But it’s also incredibly liberating. There’s no better feeling that taking the wheel in your own life. Especially in dating situations.
We ladies have been given the short end of the stick on this one. We’ve been told to be mysterious, but not too mysterious. To be bold, but not too bold. To make it easy for the fellas, but not too easy. No wonder everyone’s always so confused! So, what are we to do? I personally choose to do what I think I should, not what people tell me.
Ladies, Fellas: be an ACTIVE participant in your own life! For goodness sake. Don’t “just let it happen”, MAKE it happen. To quote Incubus, “take the wheel & drive!” Don’t be passive. Don’t sit idly by & let life pass you by. What a waste!! We only get one chance in this life. Who wants to look back & think “oh, crap. I shoulda kissed him/her” or whatever you’re personal regret may be. If you wanna grab him/her & kiss the crap outta him/her, what the heck is stopping you?! Your own fear, that’s what. This could be your future we’re talking about here! Do you really want to let it fall through your hands because you’re too scared?
Isn’t everyone’s favorite scene in the movies when the guy/girl grabs the object of their affections & spills their heart out? That’s because we all have a secret fantasy of doing the same. We all want that fairytale ending. But, guess what? Fairytales are TRUE. No, seriously. They can happen to you & me if we just let them. And by let them, I mean MAKE them.


Not too be super cheestastic & cliche, but I love me some Taylor Swift [don’t judge me]. And I loved that her most recent album was titled Speak Now. In the jacket of this album, Miss Swift actually said something beautiful that has stuck with me [that girl has a gift with words, I tell ya!]. So, please, bare with me while I share [it’s worth the read, I promise!]:

“‘Speak now or forever hold your peace,’ the words said by preachers at the end of wedding ceremonies all over the world, right before the vows. It’s a last chance for protest, a moment that makes everyone’s heart race, and a moment I’ve always been strangely fascinated by. So many fantasize about bursting into a church, saying what they’d kept inside for years like in the movies. In real life, it rarely happens.
Real life is a funny thing, you know. In real life, saying the right thing at the right moment is beyond crucial. So crucial, in fact, that most of us start to hesitate, for fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. But lately what I’ve begun to fear more than that is letting the moment pass without saying anything.
I think most of us fear reaching the end of our life, and looking back regretting the moments we didn’t speak up. When we didn’t say ‘I love you.’ When we should’ve said ‘I’m sorry.’ When we didn’t stand up for ourselves or someone who needed help.
[...]Words can break someone into a million pieces, but they can also put them back together. I hope you use yours for good, because the only words you’ll regret more than the ones left unsaid are the ones you use to intentionally hurt someone.


What you say might be too much for some people. Maybe it will come out all wrong and you’ll stutter and you’ll walk away embarrassed, wincing as you play it all back in your head. But I think the words you stop yourself from saying are the ones that will haunt you the longest.


So say it to them. Or say it to yourself in the mirror. Say it in a letter you’ll never send or in a book millions might read someday. I think you deserve to look back on your life without a chorus of resounding voices saying ‘I could’ve, but it’s too late now.’
There is a time for silence. There is a time waiting your turn. But if you know how you feel, and you so clearly know what you need to say, you’ll know it.
I don’t think you should wait. I think you should speak now.” - Taylor


Just like Miss Swift, I don’t think you should wait. Speak now. Say it. Kiss the crap outta her. Tell him he gives you the 6th-grade butterflies. Tell your friends & family you love them. Apologize. Fall in love.



Ladies & gents, THIS is what I know for sure.

me

crooked teeth

short hair

red lips

unkempt eyebrows

porcelain skin

i really like this candid.

it's very

me.

attempt at 30for30

So a few weeks ago I came across this blog/challenge.  30 for 30.  It's where you choose 30 pieces from your closet and only wear those 30 pieces for 30 days.  Something that really intrigued me about the 30for30 idea is that you really learn what you need vs. what you want when you go shopping.  Also, something that I really wanted to take from this challenge was to dress like every day was a special occasion.

Because, let's face it, I've been in a bit of a rut.   And I didn't care what I looked like in the slightest. Except for special occasions.  And so far dressing as if everyday is special is going well... the 30 for 30.... not so much.. I have clothes ADD I've decided...   I even started out and drew my 30 items and made flash cards to help me mix/match.



the cardigans I chose..



Below is my day 1 outfit. 

I loved that I was wearing clothes that I had for ever and ever but I wore them in a new way.  It made me feel 

a. really pretty

b. confident.

I loved that.

cardi: Nordstrom.  blouse: H&M.  Belt: GAP.  Skirt: Shade.  Boots: Nordstrom.

Lesson learned in this experience:

 

1.  Put a little thought into what you're wearing. 

2. Take the time to get ready.

3.  Feel pretty/confident? 

Yes please.

friend feature: Why Blog?

I am going to mix things up a little bit on the blog and have asked several friends to make some guest posts here.  I love to get to know new people via other blogs.  So every once and awhile watch for posts for some people that I think are really great. 

Today's post comes from one of my dearest friends, Bradley James.  You can read about all his adventures here.  Enjoy!

This is my first attempt at doing a guest post on someone's blog so you will first have to excuse my language. I tend to use PG-13 material in my blog posts. The assigned topic for this post was shooting for goals. I took this topic literally, and would love to relate an experience that happened to me recently. I am currently in a class titled Living With Wildlife. Yes, you read that right, I am in a treehugger class. At least that was what I assumed at first. Oh and you know what assuming does, it makes an A$$ out of you and me. I always chuckle at that joke no matter how many times I say it. It's like the slew of Helen Keller jokes that I keep in my memory bank. They are always good for a chuckle. Alright I have gotten somewhat off topic. Shooting For Goals.

In my Living With Wildlife class we were required to either obtain a hunter's license or a bow hunter's license. I naturally chose the bow hunter's license. Mainly because I have been compared to Legolas, Robin Hood, and William Tell. Please take a gander at the pictures below to determine for yourself.

THE Bradley J.

Legolas

Robin Hood... He's a fox...

William Tell

I slowly closed one eye, notched my arrow, and launched it at high velocities at the target 25 feet down the archery range. The arrow was flying true until it hit the ground generously short of the target. You must understand the circumstances that I found myself in my class. I was standing next to three or for seasoned experts. Each person had adorned some sort of camouflage. I came in my jammy jams. They were all waxing their bow threads and I was using an orange training bow that they usually give to women and children. Needless to say I felt very out of my league in this class. I shot over twenty times that day and not a single arrow hit the target.


Life is not always about hitting targets. It's about trying. I walked out of my archery class that day with my head held high. No, I wasn't the best archer in the class by a long shot, but I had tried something new that day. Spend every single day trying something new. Too often too many of us find ourselves in the routines of our everyday lives. We are stuck. Go fail at something. That's what life is all about. Expanding our horizons and becoming the people that we are supposed to be. Go sing karaoke, and make a fool of yourself. Skinny dip! Hit baseballs at a shooting cage. Why would we all stick to the one genre that we are good at? Expand your horizons and make your goals become reachable. Peace Out

new purchase

i got this lovely thing this evening

she is beautiful and i can't wait to figure out what to wear with her

.guest posts.

i am looking for lovlies to guest post on this here blog

if you're interested in writing something about

dreams/reaching goals

or

what you know for sure(this can be about nearly anything)




just shoot me an email

marierin @ gmail {dot} com



i look forward to hearing from you!

more artwork

distilled landscape

times square in blue

soft pastel on canson paper

the last time i was in times square it was pouring rain.  i loved the feel i had when i was there.  it was pouring rain but i still felt completely at home and warm.  i tried to capture that in this piece.

collage

untitled

mixed media, collage

when we got this assignment i had something completely different in mind. lots of rectangled cut out paper making some sort of rainbow blocks... (I love my bright colors)  but as i started working on it, the more i tried to force my ideas upon it, the more it wouldn't work.  i had to let the artwork do what it wanted to and i just guided it to where it needed to be (my professor's words.  i am loving that classs.)

I am learning so much.  Fine Art, I love you.  I feel like a sophisticated lady learning so much about something I'm passionate about.  I so much want to visit the Louvre in Paris.   And not only take in Van Gogh or Michaelangelo's artwork, but also to take in everything the curators have put in there, like Claude Lorrain.  There are some remarkable pieces which have been overlooked because most people really just pay attention to what society has given the most attention to. (like the Mona Lisa.).  just a thought.

happy art-ing!

also, I'm just curious.

What do you think makes a masterpiece?  I have more thoughts on that later, but I'm just wondering what you think.

Funny Girls

Have you heard of these women?

Barbara Streisand

Lily Tomlin

and

Goldie Hawn


If not, I am so sorry.
They are some of my favorite actresses.


So funny. 

you need to add these movies to your netflix queue right away:

What's Up Doc
this one is kind of confusing to try to explain.  You just need to take my word for it that it is awesome and hilarious.  Barbara Streisand stars in this movie alongside Ryan O'Neal (he is so dreamy in this film.).  You need to watch it.  It takes place in San Francisco (one of my favorite cities).  Lots of mayhem and confusion make for a fun storyline.  It's so great, you'll love it!

Big Business
Big Business starts out with two sets of parents; both mothers are about to give birth.. and both to a set of twin girls.  The twins get mixed up at birth then run into each other when one set of twins is trying to build a strip mall in the small hometown of the other set of twins.. This show is one of my very favorites.  Starring Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler, you will love this one, too.  It's hilarious, has a little bit of romance, and a funny storyline!

HouseSitter
Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin star in Housesitter.  Gwen (Goldie Hawn)is a con artist who moves into this empty house owned by Newton(Steve Martin), without him knowing about it...  She makes everyone in the small town where the house is believe that she is his wife.  In the meantime, he's trying to win over his long time girlfriend's heart with the house and is trying to get her to accept his marriage proposal.  It's awesome.  I love it! 

More movies you need to see:

Hello Dolly (musical/comedy)
9 to 5 (comedy)
Overboard (comedy)