funniest analogy all year!

(or in my opinion, anyway)


So.. We're sitting in Relief Society today having a lesson [in short the lesson was on ways we can become closer to our Heavenly Father] and started talking about how we need to improve and not justify ourselves.. (ie I'm too busy to say my prayers/read my scriptures/etc)

This wonderful sister raises her hand and says this:

"I have a good analogy for this.  My kids always give me the excuse, 'well, I'm doing much better--I've improved!'; so I say back to them- Okay think of it this way:

A man murders 10 people a month for a whole year.
Then
He improves by only murdering one every six months.

It's still unacceptable!"


It was hilarious.
I truly wish you all could have been witnesses in that moment.


So, lesson learned.  If you kill 10 people a month, or just one every six months... it's still not okay.





Man, I'm still laughing about it.

My NYR

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.

Now, I am not going to stand here and tell you that failure is fun. That period of my life was a dark one, and I had no idea that there was going to be what the press has since represented as a kind of fairy tale resolution. I had no idea then how far the tunnel extended, and for a long time, any light at the end of it was a hope rather than a reality.


So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realised, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life." -JK Rowling (from her speech The Fringe Benefits of Failure)

{isn't she brilliant?  read her full speech here}

Seriously.  Why are so people afraid to fail if our greatest blessings come after the trial?

I love how she talks about when she reached rock bottom and it became the foundation on which she built her life.  She had nothing to lose and everything to gain.  She then wrote the Harry Potter series and is a billionaire author. 

If we lived every day as if we had nothing to lose and everything to gain, imagine the possibilities!

My New Years resolution is to do just that.  A little bit at a time, because it is scary to put yourself out on a limb and try your very best. 

But without pushing yourself there is no progression. 

like, whoa

hey

this is a very late post. 

But.

I was featured over at { kara's blog } a little while ago.


You should head on over and check out the post,
and then follow her because she is

brilliant
beautiful
and a very talented writer.

what're you doin' new years?

new years eve?

Every New Years Eve Donny Osmond's voice plays in my head over. and over. and over.

Not that I'm complaining. I love me some Donny.


Anyway, that's not why I'm posting.
What ARE you doing this year to ring in the New Year?

Currently have zero plans. But good thing I have lots of friends and a spontaneous personality when it comes to parties, so I'm sure it will be a blast whatever I(we) end up doing?.. And I would take pictures and document it, but unfortunately I still don't have my camera back from a wedding I decorated a few months ago. curses.  Oh well... Anyway. Back to New Years Eve.

It always brings reflection and new goal-making.  So here we go:

Dear 2010,
We have most definitely had our ups.  Mostly ups, but towards the end we've had way too many downs.  Hopefully your good friend 2011 has some tricks up her sleeve and will bring good fortune and many blessings like every year always has. Thanks for the life lessons learned.
In January, new adventures were afoot.  New boyfriend, more work hours, and a new semester to boot.  Life was exciting and fun.  Many basketball games watched, and I learned all about the game.  New friends were made and lots of fun was around every corner.  I also signed up for voice lessons for the first time and found something I love to do; sing.  I also discovered that performing really isn't so scary.  It's the acting that's scary.
February made history.  Went with friends to see Elton John and Billy joel..  It was my very first Valentines day with a valentine of my own.  I flew(by myself!) to Baltimore, then took the train north and explored the streets of NYC like a pro with a best friend.  We even tried on Tiffany's engagement rings.  An experience I will never forget.  Not to mention box seats at a broadway show and attending the orchestra at Carnegie Hall.  Epic to say the very least. 
March came in like a lion, what else.  Highlights included Disney On Ice, Jazz Games, game nights and parties.  It also brought a new job opportunity in which I applied and interviewed.  Things were looking up and up.
In April I finally got said job and started doing laundry and learned to love ironing.  I became a linen snob noticing even the tiniest of details and wrinkles on table linens.  I started to learn all about flowers and discovered a talent I never knew existed. I also turned 23 and was treated to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants.
May was a happy month that brought in lots of work hours and even more fun with the boyfriend.  Tennis games were watched and I continued to develop the talent of flower design and vocal performance. I started summer semester taking a class combining my two loves, Fashion Illustration.  I also made new friends in that class and had missionary opportunities. 
June was not what I expected it to be.  Hearts were broken and many. Many. tears were shed.  Summer seemed to not exist as I kept myself insanely busy with work and 2 new callings.  I hit 2 birds with one stone by keeping my mind off of boys and crossing off a bucket list item by going to the Backstreet Boys concert.  I screamed like a 13 year old and had the time of my life.  I still frequent them weekly. 
In July my best friend got hitched to another great friend. She looked gorgeous and he looked handsome.  Old traditions were met as we watched the 4th of July fireworks from the roof.  The sister and I had a photoshoot with a gal I'd been following on her blog and I felt like a starstruck teen meeting her.  She is just as sweet and stunning in person as she seemed to be on her blog. Summer still didn't exist. I was still healing and thinking and keeping busy.
In August I passed FashionIllustration with flying colors and celebrated by retreating to Disneyland with the family (minus dad. boo. stupid work).  I finally swam my ONE and only time this year in sunny California and even got a tan!  I also shopped til I dropped in Los Angeles and felt like a million bucks with all the shopping bags we carried around. (Okay, one of them was from Mrs. Fields cookies... don't judge me.)
September was another start to what seemed like a hopeful semester with new beginnings.  Work started to slow down and hours were cut.  I declared I was going to Europe and planned for a vacation for the next April.  I was forced to quit voice lessons to save for the trip. (Devastating.) I kept pressing forward with excitement for the adventures that would await in Switzerland, Germany and Austria; trying to work as much as I could to pay for all life's expenses. (boo! I hate bills.) I also had new dating prospects which kept things fun and interesting.
October had its fun, but it was extremely hard.  Even more hours were cut and eventually lost one of my jobs.  I stopped shopping for fun and started to cook more.  I discovered I am quite the little chef! I lost interest in the dating prospects and focused more on my family and friends. 
In November I was in complete awe when I saw the movie Tangled and was completely inspired by the film to follow my dream of becoming a Disney Animator.  I marched straight down to school and met with an academic advisor to see where I was with my degree and how much further I needed to go.  I was thrilled to find out I was already more than halfway done with my degree that would allow me to fight for my dream job and registered for spring's semester. 
December brought new goals, new friends, and even more saving as my hours were cut again.  Had to cancel my trip to Europe and eat the money I had put down already. (also Devastating)  Blessings were abundant, though, in other areas;  I learned a lot about the value of saving, hard work, and paying a full tithe.  There's no way I can afford NOT to do it, there are so many opportunities awaiting.  Started setting money aside for tuition and to start up voice lessons again.  I miss it WAY too much.  I also went out on a limb and put myself out there on TMB.  I never. put myself out there when it comes to dating.  So this can only be a good thing.  Maybe when my heart stops pounding when I think about it?



Dear 2011,

Bring it on.

I can't wait to see what you have in store.  I'm trying to be patient and look for opportunities in places I wouldn't normally think to look. 

Wishing you a

Happy

Optimistic

Hopeful

and

Adventurous

New Year.

Peace. And. Blessin's.

the wait is over

Yes. I'm really doing it.

I'm applying for The Mormon Bachelor.

this is my audition tape.

Ha. It's nerdy and awkward
and completely me.
let me know what you think!

A big THANK YOU and a shout out to my good friend Jordan over at MakinUVbetter for filming/editing this.  I couldn't have done it without you!! :)

I has four journals



1 attitude of gratitude journal

my grandma wrote me a letter along with a journal that reads

Dear Erin,
Keeping a "gratitude journal" is a great way to stay focused on all the many things that happen each day that we should be thankful for.  Just writing down a few things every night will help you stay focused on all of the good things that happen on the good days as well as on the not-so-good ones.  And if you date your entries, just reading it years from now will make you smile!
Enjoy!
Much love,
Grandma

it's true. she's right. I love it.  it's really nice to recognize everything i'm grateful for on a daily basis.  it keeps everything in perspective and keeps me humble.  it's fantastic. I highly recommend it.

then of course
2 the blog is a journal of sorts.  i plan to print it off once 5 years are completed to have for posterity.




3 the 10 year journal is my favorite thing ever. as you can see in the picture there is about 5 lines for each day for each year.  I am proud to say I have written every day for the year 2010.  It's easy because you only have to write a few sentences.  But how neat will it be to write for 10 years and see what I did on that same day 10 years ago? I was looking back and remembered each day as if it were yesterday!   To buy your own go { here }

 

4 and then i have a normal diary of sorts.
this is for long stories that won't fit in my 10-year journal.
and for more sacred/silly/secretive stories that I don't want to share on my public diary

I highly recommend PaperBlanks journals. They are brilliant. they lay flat when you write in them, so no annoying spaces where the binding is. Trust me, you will love them too. I've completed 2 full journals and am a fourth through my third.

the miracle that is makeup

i'm mostly ashamed to say this...
but i haven't worn makeup or done my hair in about a month.

please don't tell stacey, clinton or carmidy.

usually i care about how i present myself.
i truly do.

but this last month for some reason all the care went away.


this is a scary picture, but it's what i look like with air-dryed hair, and no make up (aka the past month.)

scary. i know.

then there's a little something called 10 minutes + makeup

which i should befriend more often.

and there you have it. the miracle of makeup
and a flat iron.
the end.