Kelly Erin.

I was told tonight that I look like Kelly Erin Hannon from The Office. Yeah. I tried to seem neutral about it but my face must of showed my true feelings of disdain, because they tried to back-pedal with an unconvincing, "Oh, uh, I think she's cute". Yeah, "cute" in a cutesy-five-year-old way or "cute" in a homely way. I mean I realize she's not hideous, but come-on. I always hate the "Do you know who you look like?" question. Because, let's be honest, %99 of the time you're let down and left feeling awkward. Because even if I do look like that person, I usually don't want to hear it. I mean if you're going to tell me I look like someone, tell me I look like Zooey Deschanel, Audrey Hepburn or Beyonce (because I know I look like all three of them combined, especially Beyonce). Now that I wouldn't mind.

Moral of the story: Never tell someone who they look like unless youre %100 sure they look like their dream celebrities.

** Sorry for the confusion. I obviously haven't watched the office in a while. The girl I supposedly look like is Kelly ERIN Hannon. I imdb'd her and assumed she was also Kelly. But of course she goes by Erin as to not be confused with Kelly Kapoor. Thanks to Chelsea for bringing this to my attention. If they said I looked like KK that would just be a whole nother issue...

I have a missionary.

And here she is. Brittany Allen no longer exists, from now on it's Sister Allen (or Sister Crister as I have affectionately chosen to call her).

That's right. Sister Crister left January 6, 2010. A day I have now proclaimed as Doom's Day. The day that's been dreaded for the last four months. According to me anyway. I know she feels differently about it. In fact, she was so ready to go she wouldn't even let us stop in front of the Spirit Prison, I mean MTC, to take pictures. We were waiting at the light to turn into it and while we (and by we I mostly mean my mother) were trying to persuade her to park and take pictures in front, her response was "I'll be here for a while and have plenty of chances to take pictures in front of the sign myself and send them to you." Yeah. Rude. If I'm being honest though, it was just another one of our efforts to prolong the sendoff and I think she just saw right through that. She's too good. (Right before we got in the car to drop her off. It's not the best picture of us but it will have to do.)

In effort to give myself an attitude adjustment about the whole ordeal I've decided to make a list. A list of 10 reasons why Britt serving a mission is a wonderful thing. So here goes:

10. I won't have constantly be giving her bites and tastes of my food for the next 18 months. As she likes to say, she's a Bite Person, which I hate.
9. It gives me the chance to have my own room. Which is awesome.
8. It'll force me to finally go out of my way to meet new peeps.
7. I will take more pictures because now I have the reason to send them to her. I constantly say how I want to take more pictures and document things, but never do.
6. I'll get to recieve actual mail and have someone to literally write too. Which is fun because we're in the generation of instant gratification so no one does that anymore. There's nothing like opening an envelope personally addressed to YOU.
5. I'll get to hear funny stories told by her about the Black Jacks and other southern adventures. I hear it feels like a whole different country down south.
4. I'll have my own personal eye-witness to the Gospel is changing people's lives. Hearing stories like that always strengthens my own testimony.I know there are people in Mississippi waiting just for her.
3. The Lord will bless my family in many ways while we give her our full support. Missionary family blessings are the greatest. I already know because of when Dan was in Thailand. This time around we're hoping one blessing might come in the form of a new sister-in-law.
2. It will make me grow into a better person and move forward to a new phase of life, while having an amazing example to look to, Sister Crister/Allen. It is something that I personally needed to help me keep progressing.
1. Brittany will grow so much it's almost unbelievable because she's already one of the very best people I know. She is the light I look to guide me when I'm uncertain or wavering. She's the best sister but more importantly, my best friend. And this is all pre-mission. By the time she get's back, I swear she'll have to be translated.

Now I have to say, I think that actually helped. I guess her serving a mission in such a horrible thing. In fact, I would go as far as saying it's a great and amazing thing. (You should try it Dad.)

Okay I swear I'm almost finished. I just want to say thanks to everyone who has supported and is supporting Sister Allen and our family. I personally have felt lots of love from a lot of wonderful people (you know who you are). Thanks for making this bittersweet time seem more sweet than bitter.

Someday I will be this good...

So here's something:

Tiauna and I were looking at our favorite wedding blog this weekend because of course we would. Maybe, just maybe, we both love wedding crap. And not just because we're hopeless romantics, which we are, but because some are just so beautiful and so classy you have to admire. It kind of becomes addicting. Pathetic, I know.

Well one thing led to another and we ended up looking at one of my favorite photographers featured on said blog. After a little searching we came upon a wedding shoot that was to die for. Well die of laughter. Maybe we thought this was hilarious and maybe we were crying we thought it was so hilarious. Maybe we saved their pictures and titled it "someday we will be this good". And maybe we are jerks. But nonetheless...

I hope you enjoy Alisha and Brandon as much as we did. Especially Brandon. This couple is too good.
This last one is the best. This just says pure deep deep love.

Someday my future husband and I will be this good...
Facial expressions and all.

Blogger's Block

So I have a blog problem. Or a lack thereof that is.

I don't know what it is, but I just can't seem to make it through a post. Trust me, I've tried.

So to tide over the masses ( all five of you ) here's a little audio snack while I await some blogging inspiration.


His voice is so dreamy on this track. I'm in love with Battle Studies. I'm in love with him. Can't help it.

Please bless something interesting happens to me soon...

Upgrade.

As you may have noticed, my blog's beauty is now new and improved. I love love love it. Maybe now that it's fun to look at, I'll actually start posting more. Just maybe.

Speaking of upgrades:

1. If I could upgrade my blog to another, I would upgrade to this one. Yesterday I became obsessed. (Note the button in the sidebar.) Seriously, her blog has moved me. No joke, I spent the entire afternoon reading it. I laughed, cried, pondered, and loved it. Please read. It will not be a waste of your time.

2. If I could upgrade my job (or lack there of), it would be to work here. It's everything I love in one place; style, creating, and cupcakes. Maybe one day I'll run a place like that on my own. Now that's a lovely dream.

( p.s. if you get the chance, have the rasberry lemonade. i thought i'd died and gone to pastry heaven!)

3. If I could upgrade myself, I would upgrade to her. Watch it. You'll understand.

Best Week Ever.

(Taken at the Beginning of the Amazing Awesome Adventure)

So in celebration of my birthday, my best friend Elo (some of you might know her as Tiauna, pictured above) and I had literally the best week ever. Seriously, it was da bomb. Some might even say, "da bomb dot com".

To kick it all off, she met up with me and Britt in SLC on my day of birth and came back to Provo with us. Upon arrival in P-town Britt and Kati helped throw a little shin-dig at the apartment in my honor...Shout out: Thanks to everyone who came, you're all to great for words! Some of the highlights: Pre-party visit from Mal and Kendall, Almost falling to my death off a chair but miraculously recovering, Best present: Kiddy Pool, Impromptu Chant Show featuring Twiggy-auna and Yours Truly (slightly pathetic, we know), Staying up till all hours of the night playing If I Gave You a Million Dollars/Would You Rather with Spence, Laughing so hard it hurt, and simply having the GREATEST crister in the world and best roommate ever for making my birthday so wonderful (pictured below)!

After the Provo festivites, me and Twigs headed down for south for our real adventure. Since I'm sure no one wants a play by play of what entailed in the Best Week Ever, I'll just give some more highlights: Eating out with wonderful family, Seeing the Lion King ("the costumes are AMAZING"), Seeing Brooker Smitch and the Hagees at the Lion King, Watching the Pirate Wench show and singing "Let's Go All the Way", Storytime with Hagee Children till all hours of the night, Shopping at H&M for hours, Surprise visit from the Hagees at H&M, Leather Jacket, MalTitol Chocolate, Tee holding the door open for an old lady, Spending time with Jess, Spending time with Mamasita and the Fam, Hot Tubbing, Eating out some more, Trish reading our minds, Laughing my guts out every 2 seconds, Elohip, Mixing up words, Peanut Butter, Excellent car-girltalk, Excellent late night girltalk, Sabrina and Wanda, Stomach aches that made me want to die, Fresh garden veggies, Textual Intercourse, Watching movies, Vegging, Laughing so hard I cry, Laughing again, and more Laughing.

That should some it all up. Tee, if I left anything out just let me know. Here is some documentation of said amazing trip:

Sorry this was a long one folks, but the week had to be done justice.

Just Because

I had nothing to do in between after work and evening activities, so I was looking through some pictures and found this one. I decided to blog about it for a few reasons:

1.It's the only picture that I have of all of us together (Christmas Time 08, note the blond hair)

2.We're about to eat some of our favorite food ever: Indian Food. Anytime I think about Indian food I literally start to salivate. Also it brings a lot of family memories to mind. I love how we all love it so much. I think the best Indian food we had was in Thailand when we picked up Dan. Best experience was the first time I remember eating it in Japan on our homeschool "field trip" or all the great times with Dad at Indian Oven when he would stop by for a quick visit and quick fatherly counsel.

3.We all look pretty decent, which if you knew about our Christmas Photoshoot you would realize how hard that is to capture in one take. Seriously, even Dad is smiling for real: rare.

4.Most important: I love my family a lot. I just spent the entire week with the family (but mostly my madre) in St. George. It was a fun time in the sun, but while down there I keep thinking how blessed I am to have such a hilarious, fun, loving, and righteous family. And this picture made me want to share that. Especially now that my Mom has joined the reading list.

I love this picture and I love us, the Allen Clan that is. The End.