What happened to good advertising?

Wouldnt it be nice if the ad agencies went vintage for a couple years?

Productivity/Braggy Mcgee

Okay, so this is a post that no one really should care about, however i have just had an extremely productive morning and i feel i need to brag about it.

Dallin and I woke up at 6:30 this morning and went to the gym for the first time in who knows how long. We stayed for an hour. I ran farther than i ever have (since i was on the dance team at least) and we successfully navigated the machines.

When we got home I made Egyptian eyes and plain fried eggs for us both- this is something that i have never been successful at till this morning.  I even did multiple eggs in one tiny pan (one over easy and one sunny-side up)  :)

I took Dallin to school, and did 2 loads of laundry, finished the dishes, actually got ready, updated my resume, and watched the new treehouse of horror. It's spectacular btw. i highly recommend it.

I then set off to my job interview at the plasma center- no i do not want to be a phlebotomist, just a donor processor.  I was super nervous. it'd been a year since my last interview, but i pulled it together and nailed it. It also helps that i have friends working there. I feel i have a pretty good shot. (but please cross your fingers for me anyway)

I then finished getting the mail/dropping it off, our grocery shopping, and another load of laundry.

I'm off to work again in about an hour and a half and then i plan on lazing the rest of the night away. I feel I've earned it. :)

The Freaks Come Out at Night

So I realize I havent been the best of bloggers lately, which is sad because October is my favorite month!  I honestly feel like Dallin and I do more fun things in the month of October than we do in the entire winter and spring seasons put together.  It's the best! So I doubt I could cover it all, but here are some of our highlights:

Dinner and a Murder

We threw a murder mystery party for some of our friends. It took place during the 20's and we all got to dress up like flappers and gangsters.  Everyone played their parts wonderfully and it all came together very nicely. :) Sadly Steveo and Katie are missing in the pictures because they had to take off so quickly.  Apparently there is a sequel game that takes place 4 years later. It's just a matter of time before we do it again. (Hopefully with all of our friends currently in Danville involved)

We got to do Valencia, Saves the Day, Motion City Soundtrack and Say Anything at the Avalon. New Favorite venue, and immediate addition to my top 5 shows ever. They were spectacular. All 4 of them.

We got to keep up our yearly tradition of carving pumpkins while watching a Tim Burton film. This year we watched Corpse Bride and carved with Brian and Jennica. They did the computer wink face which i found hilarious. Dallin did a fantastic Darkwing Duck which tragically melted (as pumpkins do) within a week. Mine's the bat.

On a silly note, Dallin decided to be Edward Scissorhands this year.  So yesterday while I was at work, Dallin and Jake spent most of the day taking videos of Edward Scissorhands doing funny everyday things. Exercising, playing golf, riding scooters... you get the picture. It'll be posted on our communal youtube account in the very near future, so look forward to that. What i've seen has been pretty gut busting. :)

So last night we went to a party Sarah's friend Calissa was throwing to benefit kids in Haiti. It was a ton of fun. We played Mafia, which is quickly becoming a Halloween tradition, and got to make some new friends. Justin and Katey were Ross and Rachel when they got drunk and married in Vegas and Jake and Sarah were treasure trolls. Dallin was Scissorhands and I was Coraline.

It's trippy to think that Dallin and I (and Justin) just spent our 4th Halloween together. It's crazy to think how much time has gone by. Looking back it makes you realize how young you truly were. I'm just grateful that this was the first year dallin hasnt found part of his costume from the womens section of D.I.

'07

'08

'09

'10

Craziness. I feel like i wear less and less makeup every year.....

Mad Men

If you don't watch this show, only start if you have time because you can't stop.

Things That Make Me Happy

-Feeling the Spirit
-Going to the Temple
-Finishing a Project I've Worked Hard On
-Blogging
-Speaking My Mind
-Themed Parties
-Trying New/Different Things
-Being Outside/ Hiking/ Camping
-Riding Bikes to the Movies
-Reading Good Books
-Befriending Strangers
-The Sky as it Turns Orange Right Before Sunset
-Seeing Dallin Genuinely Smile
-Making People Laugh
-Playing Games With Friends
-Pumpkin Spice/ Apple Cider Scented Candles
-Fall Leaves
-Rain
-Starting New Projects
-Decorating for Holidays
-Learning New Things
-My Comfortable Mattress
-Getting Dressed Up
-Old Movies
-Cute Shoes
-Sacrificing for People I Love
-Moments of Clarity/ Understanding
-Cute Aprons
-Sunflowers
-When Primary Children Sing, Even When it's not Singing Time
-A Husband who Loves Me Regardless of my Flaws
-That no matter what the circumstance, I can always always make one of these lists

In The Studio. Round Two.

He is super fine.

So apparently there is this huge music fest in October that bands have to submit for, so naturally Pistols and Petticoats had to get in on the action. How rad would that be? To play in front of thousands! So we hit up the studio at Muse Music to lay down a track that matched our now updated sound. It was the first time we've recoded under our new name. Exciting! It took forever (as it always does) but in the end it pays off when you get to hear your music being played with a professional, not so raw, sound. :) Cross your fingers for us!

Jake laying down vocals

Sarah providing us with sick beats

Also, another noteworthy piece of information... We got BIKES!!!!!

They are so pretty. I love them. Dallin's of course matches his snowboard, helmet, camping chair, phone, and general style of life. We got to ride them to the movies last night which made me feel super awesome and retro.  Hopefully we'll both be in better shape soon and I'll maybe get buns of steal for Christmas. :)

Where's Waldo?

I think Waldo must have such an awesome life. He gets to go all over the world, see everything, and people are always looking for him. :)

WARNING: Long semi-pointless post :)

So lately I've been brainstorming cities in the US that I'd be willing to live.  It isn't really a neccessary process because Dallin still has some school and we'll probably be here for a while longer, but it never hurts to think ahead right? So here are my top five.

#1 -Chicago
       This is my favorite city in the USA.  The aquarium is good enough to get a season pass, and every St. Patricks day they dye the river green. There are amazing record stores and great nightlife.  The Suburbs wouldn't be a bust either cause I think it'd be a good spot for a family.

#2 San Francisco

       I LOVE San Fran. It'd be amazing to live in one of the condos right next to Golden Gate Park, where there is always something going on. We'd be a bridge and a tunnel away from so many friends & family. And hello, Full House proved that kids can grow up there and still be taught family values. :) (That show was cheesetastic)  Also, I truly appreciate the fact that people can't just beg there. They have to have some sick talent to bring to the table.  LOVE watching the dancers and listening to the jazz as you walk down by the Wharf.

#3 Seattle

I'm sure not many of you know this; but I lived in Seattle when i was like 2 years old, which would normally omit it from possible options. However,  I can't remember hardly any of it, and there are so many pro's. For instance, I actually LOVE rain. Dallin might go crazy, (seasonal moodswings) but this is my game right?  Also, the one thing I do remember about living there as a kid was the wild blackberries. We'd go pick them every week and I'd come home with colorful hands. They grow everywhere, and they are so tasty.

#4 Washington DC

Really I'm mostly just tempted because of the museums. So much to explore. Although according to most movies we'd be at higher risk to be hit by terrorists, aliens, meteors, and rude politicians.

#5 The Florida Keys

       Okay, so this isn't really urban, but it's my dream. I want to live on a boat. Given, this would really only be an option if I was (heaven forbid) incapable of kids or something cause the school systems in Florida suck.  But in theory we would live on a boat and take tourists scuba diving and stuff.  The Caribbean is not to far to travel to and neither are the Cuban salsa clubs.  Our lives would be a vacation.

So even though we may never end up in any of these spots, it's fun to dream about possibilities.  I would have listed the rest of the list but that would've taken forever, especially if I'd included cities outside the US.

It's a Wonderful Life!

It's so crazy that a year has already come and gone. Sometimes it feels like it was just a week ago we said yes to the rest of eternity to each other. Other times we forget that we weren't married for the first (almost) 2 years of our relationship. People always say that the first year of marriage is supposed to be so hard, but if that's the case than the rest of forever should be a cinch. Dallin and I are more in love than we were a year ago. It's so fun to be able to grow together and try to improve ourselves together. Dallin is and always will be my best friend. What a wonderful husband!

We had quite the fun anniversary weekend. On Friday night we still had no idea what we were doing, but on Saturday morning everything kind of just fell into place. We went up to the Timpanogas temple to do sealings in the morning. What a wonderful way to celebrate your anniversary! To hear the covenants that we made to each other again and help other families be able to be together forever, I think it's my new favorite work. There were about 3 weddings going on outside, and it was fun to see all those couples starting their lives together.

 So then we headed up to Park City. We got to go down the Alpine slide (Dallin was in love) and look around at bike shops.  We love Park City. It's like a little town in the middle of nowhere where you can feel like you're on a real vacation.  So then we went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse for dinner. Oh. My. Gosh. If you have never had it, you should. There are fewer more satisfying meals than Ruth's steak and garlic potatoes, and they give you free dessert if it's your anniversary! So over dinner we just kind of talked about our goals for the next year, and things that we loved about the past year. I love my husband. He is the best. He has such a good heart. This next year should be a lot of fun. But nothing compared to every one following. I can't wait to spend the rest of eternity with this wonderful man.

Life's a Beach- Thank Goodness for Vaca

What up SC?

So we were lucky enough to spend some time in South Carolina last week. Can I just say, I LOVE the beach, and how much fun Dallin is on vacation. He's always the one to throw the water balloons or start water gun wars. He's funny, he gets along with everyone in the family, and he's not too shabby to look at either. :)  

I'm so lucky to have such wonderful family.  It's crazy to see how we all have changed over the years.  So many changes. it sometimes is like a whole new family. but we're all still extremely close and we all still love each other the same. We still laugh at all the same things (guy with tiny shorts running through the back yard) and freak out about all the same things (the possibility of cockroaches in the house). We're all just older now. It's an interesting dynamic.

The trip went surprisingly well considering we had a 15 month and a 2 month old with us. They were totally cooperative babies. Sawyer slept most of the time and Weston is such a water baby. It made the trip better to watch him playing in the waves and sitting in the tide pools throwing sand. Nephews are the best!

It was so nice to get away for a bit. Vacations are the best.  I think that we can finally get excited about the rest of the summer now that we're all rested up. We're hoping to do a lot of hiking, swimming, and summer-snowing. :)  This could be the last summer with a certain some of our friends and so we definitely want to make the most of it!

I always forget how much I miss the East coast till I go there. Don't get me wrong; I love CA and all of my California friends. (Wish you were here) The East is just home to me.

Grateful

So I know that I sometimes complain about aspects of my job; the dryness of skin, the aches in my hands, the monotony of similar massages over and over, but there are so many things I love so much about it. Not only do I get to make people feel better physically, but I also get to talk to a lot of different people and learn new things.
Everyday I come home knowing something new about some random thing. I have a client who regularly talks to me about scuba diving, and another that talks to me about aromatherapy or natural healing techniques. Sometimes I have clients who tell me the news (I don't have TV) and others will just come in and talk about their lives.
Having to listen as a professional and not being able to really give an opinion forces me to just listen to what these people have to say. It really opens my mind to different perspectives. A lot of these people's experiences make me so grateful for the life that I have, and especially the wonderful husband that I have. I'm so lucky to have a wonderful family, a great group of friends, a comfortable home, and a job that I get so much joy from.

The newest Mr. & Mrs. VB/ Canadia!

Mr. & Mrs. Van Blerkom!

So we had the wonderful opportunity to go to California almost a month ago and witness one of our favorite couples be sealed together. (not to mention the best part-they're sealed to us too!) It was so amazing to see the love that Brian and Jennica share and remember all of the things that Dallin and I promised at our sealing.  Weddings are the best, especially when it's a couple that you care deeply about, to get to see them share the love with one another that you feel with your own spouse. What a treat! Jennica looked beautiful in her dress and the back yard reception was one of the best put together I've ever seen. Lisa planted all these beautiful flowers to match the colors last year and they bloomed beautifully. Little fairytale wedding. We are so stoked to have Jenn as an addition to the family. She is awesome!

We also had the chance to go into San Fran. Obviously it wasn't our first time but we did have a chance to do some stuff that neither of us have done before. We got to drive through Golden Gate Park, and we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge. Also we tasted Blondie's Pizza for the first time. SOOO Good. :) We also got to do the standard V stuff, like record shopping at Rasputin's and such.

So then we got to go up to Alberta for Brian and Jenn's Second reception. We stayed in the cutest little town called Waterton. Goats and Rams and Deer were all over the place.  We got to see Iron Man 2 in an old school theater (you know where there is only one screen and zero halls) my favorite. Dallin is standing in front of the shop right next to the theater. "Ye Olde Lick & Nibble" :) Worth the picture for a giggle. Jennica says it's the only ice cream shop that does "Moose Trax" ice cream.  We also got to go hiking with Dave up Bear Hump Mountain. Beautiful view, and you could tell that the squirrels had been fed alot cause they kept getting so close.

Dallin is a baller

Yeah, that's my shoe.

The reception in Cardston was super cute. Jennica was beautiful again, and we got to eat beef on a bun, which is exactly what it sounds like. Dallin was overjoyed at that fact. I really liked being in a totally different part of Canada from what I've seen. Overall it was a lot of fun to see Brian and Jenn again and it was a good first out-of-the-states experience for Dallin. He definately enjoyed it, but it may take a while for him to graduate to a country more exotic from Canada. Yay for him having a passport though. :) It's a start for foreign adventures, which I love. Now it's just a countdown till our trip to South Carolina. 7 days!

Island Happy

The sad part about this picture: I'm jealous of this guy.

So it is spring again. We all know what that means in the Provo/Orem areas. Almost everyone is moving. It's like a game of musical chairs for most. We pack up. We switch apartments. We have to sell our old contracts. It's a hassle, but it's fun for some people. It just sucks if you are the person left behind without a chair.  

So that's most people. That I don't miss. It is so nice to not have to pack everything up just to move quarter of a mile across town. This is the first year since Dallin and I have met during which we have not had to do this at least once. It truly is wonderful. The whole process of moving is stressful, and I won't even get started on finding boxes. No, That I don't miss.

What I do miss is the adventure of leaving the state and going somewhere new. Maybe it's just because I moved so much growing up, but I get seriously island happy about every two years. I have lived here for almost 4 now, which means that I have lived here longer than almost all the other places I've lived (With the exception of Ohio and Indiana). Needless to say, I have been looking out the window, watching the neighbors pack up and talking to them about their new adventures in Texas or San Diego or Chicago with envy. 

Don't get me wrong. Utah can be a lot of fun. I'm super excited for this summer especially with the hiking and camping and hopefully biking if we can afford some. But the days have just gotten so monotonous; work, sleep, maybe two hours with my husband, a little time with friends on lucky lucky days, repeat. We are in need of adventure. Given, next week we are headed to CA for Brian and Jennica's wedding. (Thank goodness.) That should help, but I won't lie. I'm ready to move.

Hopefully Dallin may only have a year left to finish before he can bundle his credits into an associate's degree and we can transfer. It's all about the patience, right?

Another Cut at Craftiness

So there is this adorable girl in my Primary presidency. She is my new role model. No, she doesn't know. She is the epidemy of what i think should be the perfect little mormon housewife. So, every Sunday I go to primary and she is wearing a cute new dress. (No, this isn't why she is my role model) Every time I compliment her on it the response is. "Oh this? I made it." .....yeah... SHE MAKES HER OWN DRESSES! How cute is she? So I started thinking about how when i was little my favorite clothes were the ones that my mom would sew for me. She'd sew all of my sisters and I a new Easter dress every year, sewed sleeves on all my formal dresses, and had the occasional side project for no special occasion. So I got to thinking some more... What if I have little girls someday? Don't I want to be able to make little dresses for them? Don't I want to be able to fix all the clothing that falls apart on me and Dallin? Don't I want to be able to say that I have a skill that is becoming lost in our generation? YES! So it began. It has been a shaky endeavor to say the least. My thread ripper has become my new best friend. (for the non-sewing ppl: It's what you use to rip out your seams when you totally botch the job) However, I've been suprised at my ability to kind of keep up. :) I had alot of momentum in the beginning but lately I've been hard-pressed for time. Hence my horrible blogging skills as of late.
I have a couple more dress patterns and fabrics that I'm excited to get started on once i've finished the one above, which now has pretty much everything (including sleeves) except the zipper and the hem line.

The Hunger Games

I am of the school of thought that if you find a good book, it should be shared with others

So as many of you know, I have been sick for a little over a week now. As a result I have been taking off mass amounts of work and spending a rediculous number of hours simply sitting on the couch in our living room reading books and watching movies. I would like to proudly announce that I finished The Hunger Games and 2/3 of the 2nd book of the series, Catching Fire, within just a few of those days.

I'll admit Dallin rolled his eyes when he saw i was rereading books again but can i say, I LOVE THESE MORE THAN ANY OF THE OTHERS. It was only my second time reading these ones, but I HAVE to take the opportunity to say that if you haven't read them, do it. They are amazing. I love them more than I love the Twilight series. More than the Uglies series. More than the Harry Potter series. Needless to say i highly recommend them.
The third book is coming out in late August and they're scheduled to be making a movie for the first book in 2011. :)

Ode to Andrew

So our little family had the opportunity to see Jack's Mannequin for the third time together last night.  Jack's was playing with an up and coming band called Vaderra, who were actually very good, and also the new band of the lead singer of the Format. It's called FUN. They were pretty good too. I won't lie though, I didn't envy the pit last night. Some concert-goers are pit-lovers and I gotta say, I don't think I ever want to go back into that mess. We had an amazing spot up on the balcony, overlooking the whole crowd and pretty close to the bands.

If you are going to a show at "In The Venue" in SLC and you are over 21, don't suffer down in the pit. Go upstairs. Holy crap it is so much better. No stupid people pushing you over. Also the crowd last night was totally brutal! There were at least 8 girls that i counted who had to be pulled over the front barrier because they had either passed out or gotten injured. Brutal.

Andrew McMahon (On the piano in the 1st pic) is our favorite performer (by far) and also a hero to both Dallin and I.  While we were absorbing the whole atmosphere of the show, I had an opportunity to think back on all the ways this man has shaped my life.
I was thinking back to the good old days with Something Corporate when he would light his piano on fire, have everyone stick their middle fingers in the air for "If you see Jordan" and ask for the most intense mosh pits capable from his crowd.  That band literally shaped the way i looked at music in highschool. And You know the music you listen to in Highschool kinda defines your highschool and college experience. Songs like "Watch the Sky" and "Ben Franklin's Kite" totally saved my spirits during rough times. He is such a talent. There is nothing he has ever put out or contributed to in some way that i haven't been absolutely in love with.

Me and Dallin kinda started dating because the first thing we ever talked about was Jack's Mannequin and Something Corporate, and Dallin couldn't believe that there was a such thing as a girl who listened to all the same music as he did, so he asked me out. Thank you Andrew!! If it weren't for his music, Dallin may not have asked me out in the first place, and now he's the most amazing husband i could ask for! Jack's has been a pretty big part of our relationship too. He always has claim to the first album we'll listen to on every single road trip we ever take. We listen to him while we clean house. Songs from his newest album "The Glass Passenger" such as "Swim" and "Hammers and Strings" have gotten us through some tough stuff too. His entire story is completely inspirational. He conquered leukemia at such a young age.  To anyone who hasn't seen "Dear Jack" I highly recommend it. It's the whole story of him overcoming it. He is such a good example of endurance, positive thinking, and determination.  We love andrew. He is our Hero, and both Dallin and I have little crushes on him... especially Dallin... Total man-crush.

The show was awesome. I am stunned with the Salt Lake crowd when it comes to music. Hate them with sports, love them with music.  I think only in Utah could you find a crowd in which you can hear harmonies singing along with the band. They are very receptive to new music. I also find it hilarious that bands can't go through salt lake without making some kind of a "keeping it clean for utah" joke. I giggle every time.

I wish i had've gotten pictures of Brian and Jennica and my sister Claire and her friend Aubrey, but they all left before we could find them. Sad day. Anyway, we have quite a bit of respect and adoration for this amazing musician. We wouldn't be the same without him and for that he deserves a shout out.

All Dried Out!

So. I don't know if anyone else has ever had this issue... It might just be a massage therapist thing, but holy crap! I oil my arms and then soap my arms and then oil my arms and then soap my arms.. over.. and over... and over... and occasionally i break out into hives cause i might be allergic to one of them.  My arms are so dried out that I have no idea what to do. They feel like sand paper! I've tried deep tissue lotion, aloe vera, Cetaphil, regular lotion, special soap, even my exfoliating facewash (don't tell Dallin about that one)... Does anyone have any suggestions?? I'm starting to worry that this may be becoming permanent. (K dramatic.. prob not but i am worried) I don't really know what to try next. Help! If anyone has had this issue, what worked for you??

Party Week!

So as many of you are aware a pretty significant week past a little while ago. It's always a particularly eventful one in the V household. It is not only the week of one birthday, but actually it contains FOUR. As a result, we have consented to simply celebrating the entire week as one large birthday PARTY WEEK!

So we kicked it off last Monday with a trip up to park city. There is this wonderful Thai restaurant there that i find SUPERB. I highly recommend it. :) Their curry is to die for! We got these awesome coupons for a free meal so it was perfect. I love Park City. There is nothing better than the ability to feel like you are far from Utah even if you still are in it. It's a wonderful getaway, especially now while it's snowy and white. Park City at it's peak.

Tuesday was my Birthday. I didn't really want to do anything huge. Lately it seems that Dallin and I don't see each other nearly often enough, and when we do we are usually with people. (Not that it's a bad thing, but you gotta have alone time too) So we decided to spend the majority of the day alone together. My sister and nephew were in town, so we went to lunch with my family and then Dallin took me to the Living Planet Aquarium. The picture is of Dallin driving a pretend boat. (stealing it from the small children really) I LOVE AQUARIUMS. Given, after seeing such aquariums like chicago and hilton head it wasn't quite that impressive, but again it was a good way to feel like we weren't in Utah.  They had a pretty sweet Octopus too. We window shopped quite a bit and took it easy. Wonderful day.
It was definately a polar opposite from last year. (My 21st in which we all took turns saying "my name is sam and i like to party" and then bonging different flavors of soda. see below:)

Bad Stomache Aches... But SOO Funny

On Friday we went to see "The Importance of Being Earnest" at the Hale Theatre. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I LOVE this theatre. I loved this play too. So funny. I highly recommend it to anyone. I'm not gonna lie though. I liked it better in this theatre than i did when i saw it in Cleveland. (Not a community theatre) Says alot for the acting in this god forsaken state. :)

Saturday was of course Dallin's special day (as well as my brother-in-laws) but he always has had a bad attitude towards his b-day. He claims it's the worst day of the year. You can see how this would create a dilemma in terms of me trying to make it the best day of the year for him... But, I am happy to report that he enjoyed himself! The V family was in town and so we went snowboarding with them. Probably the most fun we have both ever had boarding.  It was a good group and we were all around the same playing level in terms of speed. It makes such a difference!! I'm usually the one slowing EVERYONE down. :)  We then had a couple people to my mom's house where she made the most delicious ribs ever.

Needless to say. I think that it was a successful party week for everyone who was involved. :) I'm just excited that Dallin enjoyed his own birthday for once. Sorry I have been such a freaking slacker. If it's any consolation to my blogging friends... i never get on facebook either...heh...