Happy Halloween

I just really love Halloween. I think I even like it more now than I did when I was a kid. Although I did make a pretty darn cute blue crayon in Kindergarten.

These are some of the fun people I work with. I'm just glad I don't work in a stuffy, boring office. Even though I get frustrated sometimes with work, I am surrounded by fun, creative people. It's kind of weird sometimes because in lots of other aspects of my life, like in my family and in a lot of my circles of friends, I'm known as the creative one. At work, there are so many creative ones that I sometimes don't feel as motivated to be creative because it's not unique. Anyway, for our Halloween party, one of the magazine staffs dressed up as the characters from Clue and made this little Clue game all around the office. Another team dressed up as 'famous' scrapbookers. I'm really glad we do fun things at work to keep it interesting.


This is the home of a lady I work with. Don't you love those eyes in the window? Very cool.

Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum

My third annual murder mystery party was a swashbuckling success! I love theme parrrrties. I think we may have a few hoarse voices in the next few days from extreme usage of pirate lingo.

What's a proper pirate parrrrrty without a little sea shanties, grub, and of course...rum!

Can you say....ambiance? I love the way the decor turned out. We tried to make it look like an island tavern. Even though we had to drive to Spanish Fork, I'd say it was worth it. If you have any ideas for next year's theme, I'm open to suggestions.

Layers vs. the real thing

Watch this:

So, I’ve been having an “ugly” week lately. You know, when you just feel ugly. Anyway, watching this video made me feel better. Why can’t the media portray real, normal people instead of giving us an unrealistic perception? Of course I would look better if I had makeup and hair artists work their wonders on me every day and had Photoshop experts “edit” out all my flaws and had perfect lighting at all times to highlight my features. Anyone would. But let's be realistic here...and embrace real beauty instead of a fake imitation.

Ya se fue

Nathan went in to the MTC this week and I'm sad he's gone. Here he is having one last moment of "rebellion" before they put his tags on. I know eating a sucker is not rebellion, but they made him throw it out before he went inside. Another funny thing to note: He had his rubix cube in his pocket for support as he entered the MTC. Sometimes I wish I could go back and redo my mission. I made some dumb mistakes, and I wonder how it would have been had I done things a bit differently. Being at the MTC made me want to go volunteer at the referral center or something. I haven't had/made many opportunities to do missionary work lately.

The brothas and the sistas. Now I don't mean to complain (I'm currently reading the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and the first chapter is all about not complaining so I'm trying to work on that), but when I look at this picture I can't help but feel like the ugly stepsister. How come my sisters got all the pretty genes?

My hot water heater has been broken for over a month now, and if I have to take one more freezing cold shower, I think I'm going to have a nervous breakdown. Good thing I am moving soon. OK, venting is over.

P.S. Today is Friday the 13th. Going to a Halloween party to celebrate. Where did the superstition come from anyway that it's an unlucky day? In Argentina their unlucky day is Tuesday the 13th. My sister's roommate got married today, is that a bad omen for their marriage?

For your viewing pleasure

Watch this: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-234182513423170575&q=lone+peak+utah&hl=en

It's freaking hilarious. It's when my brother Nathan and his friend Zach scaled Lone Peak mountain. It's eight minutes long, but well worth the viewing time. My favorite is the last two minutes or so. They're planning a repeat trip in the summer of 2009 and this is their recruitment video.

Random thoughts

1. So I'm sitting at my desk last week, going about my regular work day activities when the phone rings. I answer, and to my surprise it is the editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine wanting me to apply for their interactive online editor job. They are looking to expand their websites, make them more interactive, and build more community. Now, I'm not saying this to brag, I'm saying it because I'm shocked that they're calling little old me. This is the first time I've been recruited for a job. Usually I am racking my brain trying to convince people that they need to hire me and how perfect I'd be for the job. Anyway, if I wanted to further my career in this online magazine stuff, it'd be a fabulous opportunity. But since I'm pretty sure I don't want to stay in this career for the rest of my life, and I'm almost positive I don't want to move to Iowa (where their headquarters are) I said I wasn't interested. Am I crazy?

2. I'm so stinkin' excited that it's October. That means it's Halloween season. I say season because for me, it's not just a one-day event...I try to make it last as long as possible and have as many festivites as I can manage. I love Halloween, I don't know why, but I absolutely love it....it's my favorite holiday. I think I just love the opportunity to be someone different for a day. What's your favorite holiday, and why?

3. General Conference weekend was a totally different experience for me this year. I was driving home Friday night, and the police had already started blocking off my street. There was this gigantic satellite dish on the street in front of my house hooked to a little trailer. I walked over on Saturday to see what it was and that little trailer is where they broadcast conference to the whole world. It was full of little TVs monitoring everything and tons of electronic switches and a guy with those big headphones inside controlling everything. It was pretty amazing. Then I saw Elder Perry going in the back door of the conference center, which I can see from my bedroom window. And, I could hear the bagpipe guys playing their hymns all day trying to drown out all the protestors. Anyway, it was pretty neat experiencing it all from right across the street. It also was kind of weird watching the sessions I couldn't attend on my TV from across the street. I almost felt guilty, but there was nothing more I could do to try and get inside.