Dental Work

Today I got some fillings taken care of at the dentist. I think that im going to avoid going to the dentist early in the morning because im not awake enough to make educated decisions about how many shots or laughing gas i need. They kept me gassed the whole time and gave me several shots. He kept poking my gums and i kept feeling it so he gave me more and more shots. THUS.... my pirate face! I totally need and eye patch and to start calling people scurvy rats. This picture isn't even the worst of it. It was like I was a bad comedy/tragedy ceramic clown mask (you know the smile now, cry later masks)! when I went into work an hour after my dentist it was so extreme that everyone in the office got a good laugh. Then tyler says to me... maybe they hit a nerve and your face will be like that for 3 weeks! AHHHH that would be the WORST! However, My face is slowly regaining normality and feeling..... Hopefully you all will get a good laugh out of it as well!

Happy Holidays!

Temple Lights

After The Warhol Exhibit Chad and I went window shopping down broadway (3rd St). We went to some cute little boutiques, bookshops, record stores and vintage/antique shops.



We stumbled upon a cute gallery that was having a Holga show which was perfect because I HEART HOLGAS! Perhaps I will write a poem or dedicate a blog to how much I love them. After we went to the Joseph Smith Building and checked out the killer view (as seen above) we then went to the Joseph Smith movie (which was great, i definitely cried A LOT)!







After the Joseph Smith movie we went to see the lights (of course) which were spectacular! I don't actually remember the last time i've actually gone to Salt Lake with the sole purpose of 'seeing the lights'. It was so breath taking and (I know its cheesy) but it was awfully romantic! The reflecting pool, all the votives around the plaza with different sayings in different languages. There were awesome nativity scenes from around the world, and the lights on the trees were beautiful in true Temple Square fashion. It was bitter bitter cold so it gave us a chance to walk around and cuddle! It was worth the frozen noses and fingers.




Just when we thought we couldn't get any colder... we decided to take a carriage ride! Which anyone will say is so romantic that you can almost see the cheese oozing out of the seats. It was really sweet for Chad to indulge me (after all we are 'courting'). It got pretty cold but we were bundled under blankets together and what can get better than that? I'll tell you what's better...that, plus having a carriage driver who minds their own business. I'm all for friendliness but COME ON the guy who drove us around was a bit of a stand up comedian/local historian, he wouldn't stop talking for the first half of the ride but eventually he gave us some schmoopy time (but most of it was spent chattering our teeth and trying not to freeze to the seat. Over all I'd say that Temple Square really is cheesily romantic and I LOVE IT!

Warhol Exhibit

Chad and I went to the Warhol Exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts at the U of U. It had orginal screen prints from the 60's-80's, many of the them I haven't seen before in books or other museums because all the prints were from a private collection. Everyone should go if they can. Its free for all students and only 5 dollars for everyone else. They also have a cute cafe and gift shop. You can find out about the exhibit by going here. I also want to go see this exhibit about photographs of the West (Anyone interested in going with me?)

The Legendary Ruth's Dinner

My dude (aka chad) came to visit me the weekend after thanksgiving. We started off his trip just like we started off our first meeting by going to breakfast at the legendary Ruth's Diner. It was founded in 1930 out of a train car. They have amazing biscuits with fresh raspberry jam. Great Eggs (eggs Florentine, eggs benedict) and some spectacular banana french toast (made with banana bread!)




Apparently they also have amazing chocolate pudding that I have foolishly not gotten on either of my trips there, but I double dog swear that I will be getting it next time. By posting this I hope everyone will take a trip up immigration canyon to visit this sweet little joint. In the spring and summer its especially nice because you can sit outside on the patio under the trees.

Cyber Tag??? What will those crazy kids think up next?

Apparently I've been caught in a game of cyber tag and now i have to share 6 things that most people don't know about me. Or I guess it is 6 fun things about myself?

1. I work with amazing people! I love my job! Its a great creative and fun environment and they all have impeccable taste in christmas attire!

2. I am currently dating a really great guy ("spacial gent" - to be spoken in a utah accent) and it has made me so extremely happy. He was just in town (stay tuned to the blog for deets).



3. I recently have become semi-addicted to video games. Who knew, right?? Some of the folks I work with (as seen above) are big Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, Unreal Tournament, and Karaoke star players...and I have officially been sucked in!

4. Due to recent trips to photo and art galleries and also due to being friends with and working with many creative people, it has inspired me to continuing developing my artistic and photographic talents. Jessica mentioned starting an art group to share ideas and project with others! I can't wait.

5. I think it would be really fun to open a hip little gourmet cupcake shop (and english tea house...*nudge nudge* sarah). I'm not the best baker, but it is my current goal to become one.

6. I just realized that most of the interesting things about me on this list are future goals and plans. I guess it seems more exciting than what i'm doing right now.

Las Vegas Temple

No we didn't elope! Chad and I spent our last day in Vegas together going to church with my brothers family and got to hear Matt talk about missions which was a really great talk! And Lindsey, Katie and Ellie sang with the primary for thanksgiving it was sweet. After church chad and I drove over to the Vegas temple and walked around the grounds. The grounds were really beautiful and It was nice to contrast the trashy lights of Vegas with the calm and quiet beauty of the Temple.





We got to spend some good time talking, eating canoli, and even took a little cat nap. It was a perfect day and was followed up by some delicous soup made by the family to send us on our seperate ways back home. Overall the Vegas weekend went great! It's nice to break up the long distance by meeting the middle.

bella bellagio

After Dinner at a great place called metro pizza we went back down to the strip to go to the beautiful Bellagio. I dont claim that vegas is not trashy, however, that being said I do believe that The Bellagio is maybe the least trashy in all of Vegas. Because they have a great art museum that gets many great shows from many 20th century artist. Also they showcase contemorary art. Such as, Chihuly a master at glass blowing. The Bellagio has a ceiling that has hundreds maybe even thousands of hand blown and crafted ventian glass flowers. In addition to the mind blowing ceiling pieces there was also a small gallery of Chihuly glass work and paintings. Another great thing about Bellagio is Art takes at new form in Organic Plants and Flowers in the conservatory.



Another great thing about Bellagio is Art takes at new form in Organic Plants and Flowers in the conservatory. This is a oversized table and chairs made completely out of moss and leaves. Not to be all earthy or pegan but i really thought it was beautiful and wished I had a table and chairs made of moss.

There were flower archways and bridges with streams of water jumping over the paths. There was a ENT type tree character and HUGE pumpkinds and gords. The whole conservatory was covered in flowers, trees, leaves, and APPLES! The apple display was truly aweseome.


One of the most well known attractions of the Bellagio are its fountains. They are beautiful at night! The music is usually fun and it is art in the form of water. The night was really warm so Chad and I stayed to watch several watershows. Partly because it such a great night and partly because they kept playing songs that we didnt LOVE. So we waited it out.
The last song of the night was 'Singing in the Rain' and it was absolutely perfect. It was playful and light. The water seemed to take gestural even human forms as if someone was really playing and singing in the rain. It was espeically great because I really love that movie and the song lent itself amazingly to the fountain show. It definately left us with a overall happy and completely twitterpatted feeling of the night. (not to get too gushy)

Pinball Wizard!

He's a pinball wizard. There's got to be a twist. A pinball wizard. He's got such a supple wrist! While in Vegas we went to a pinball museum. First of f it is in a pretty getto strip mall in a pretty getto part of Vegas which earns points right way. When we went into the place there were HUNDREDS of pinball machines ranging from the 1950's-current. There were so many awesome machines I felt like a kid in a candy store and i kept getting distracted by all the flashing lights and bells. There were many classic pinball machines and totally random ones.


There were many retro groovy machines like the op pop pop which wins points for looking great but was really boring to play. Some of the best machines were from the 80's and 90's. Chad Played PUNK!, Teg Nugent, Funhouse (soooo creepy!), Classic Star Wars, Simpsons, and Lord of the Rings (WHich was an amazing game! At one point there were five balls on the board and he shot the pinball into that big firey eye! It totally ruled!)



I played Capt. Fantastic (an Elton John machine), Classic Star Wars, Some spacey one, Op POP POP, WIPEOUT! (a 80's ski snowboard one), and a few others. However, I will say the most disturbing thing I have seen in many years was Peppy the musical clown. The game was maybe from the 1950's or 1960's and basicly consists of a CREEPY clown marionette that is the devil incarnate. You push these bottons that move his legs up and down and the Jetsons theme song plays. It was pretty pointless other than the fact that it will be giving me nightmares for awhile.

If I had a pinball crown I would hand it over to chad. A) for suggesting to go to the pinball museum and 2) because he really is a pinball wizard and D) because being good a pinball adds addtional points to the sliding scale of hottness. As we drove away from the strip mall we blasted pinball wizard to come full circle in paying homage to the greatest game ever played ... pinball?

Viva La Coke!

After the soccer game, Chad and I went down to the strip where we went to the NYNY and saw a guy that looked suspiciously like Saddam Hussien. Then we walked down to the coke store because he is such a coke lover and I am a TAB lover. We had fun looking at all the neat coke items and we got to taste some sodas from around the world and got some floats.



The coke store had tons of retro style TAB stuff so I got a swanky pillow and other TAB items. Upstairs from the coke store they had this cozy soda parlor and thats where we enjoyed the drinks and I am about to dive into my TAB float.



Here Im toasting some mint soda from Djibouti...My face wasnt so cheery after drinking this because it tasted like carbonated mouth wash! ekkk! Here are some pics of chad and I at the coke store. He got a coke float and I got a tab float. This is us with the tray of tastes of the world!



They have TAB on tap! its like a dream come true!

Tastes of the World Tray #1
1. Lilt from UK (I actually really liked this, sorta fanta, sorta mt. dew)
2. Kin Cinder from Ireland (Not bad)
3. Stoney Ginger Beer from South Africa (Pretty awful if I remember correctly)
4. Fanta Black Currant from Hong Kong (I liked this one)
5. Vegitabeta from Japan (Pretty much tastes like vitamin water)
6. Mezzo Mix from Germany (not memorable)
7. Beverly Soda for Italy (AWFUL, maybe one of the worst sodas i have ever tasted ... that is of course next to jones soda thanksgiving brussel sprout soda)
8. Smart Apple from China (Great tastes like a green apple jolley rancher)

Tastes of the world Tray #2
1. Kinley Lemon From Isreal (not bad, but not good)
2. Smart Watermelon from China (tastes like a watermelon jolley rancher)
3. Passion Fruit from Argentina (was ok)
4. Delaware Punch from Honduras (I dont really remember this being bad)
5. Sunfill Mint from Djibouti (AWFUL! tastes like carbonated mouthwash)
6. Krest Gingerale from Isreal (kinda bitter ginerale)
7. Fanta Kolita from Costa RIca (I really liked this one)
8. Lift Apple from Mexico (Not bad, tasted a bit like carbonated apple juice)



This is chad drinking the suicide mix I made of all the the 'tastes of the world' sodas and Chads reaction to the suicide drink of tastes of the world! Hey! i think he likes it!

The Big Game

In the afternoon in Chad came from california and Rich came home from a campout we went to In-n-out and then to Lindsey and Katies last soccer game of the season and I got some action shots of the gals and of course Ellie and I being glamour girls! Lindsey was such a champ and even continued playing with a hurt ankle. Towards the end of the game Spence made a break for freedom and ran full speed accross and ajoining field (in the middle of a game I might add) and Heidi had to go running after him. It made a hilarious end to the soccer game.