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|part two|
Let me introduce you to one of my latest (and by latest, I mean within the past month) discoveries that I enjoy: Mrs. Dub.
Her blog is so witty, and her writing is so readable, and, seriously, go read it. Once you do, I’m sure you’ll be upset that I’ve been keeping it a secret for so long (I know, I’m sorry).
Continuing on. In my process of blog-stalking her, I took interest in a post about a Seasonal Fashion Genie (the sfg) who apparently grants winter wishes. This is a genius concept for many reasons:
- Apparently there isn’t a magical elf who fulfilled my fall fashion wish list, since the only thing I got from it was the trenchcoat, and the only reason I got it was thanks to Discover card’s cash back combined with a GAP sale combined with the off chance that the University Mall happened to have my size in stock.
- “sfg” is strikingly similar to “bfg” which definitely was one of my favorite books as a child. And teenager. And adult…
- I get the impression that the sfg has unlimited funding and therefore can encourage all of my frivolous wishes.
And so, here they are:
1. A Winter Coat
The Floe and Current Coat at Anthropologie.
Although, I haven’t figured out if I like the coat or the barn more… Maybe the coat by the barn? In which case, I would have to hang out around a lot of farms when I wear it.
2. A Pair of Winter Shoes
I’m only 53% sure that this is the pair of winter shoes I would ask for. It would probably be a toss up between the Nine West pair, or these, or these.
3. A Winter Accessory
Solid Cashmere Shawl at Martin + Osa
I saw this at the store and it’s a lovely, flowing wrap/scarf that’s oh so soft. And, it’s on sale, so I’m doing the sfg a great favor.
There you have it. My three winter wishes. Oh, and one more: that it won’t get too cold.
|part one|
To give details to my very ambiguous post, I present to you today’s [first] post: a much more detailed account of the boutique in Pleasant Grove.
I embarked on my merited return visit to quickly purchase a Christmas gift for a friend, and picked up a little business card to get all the information I need. And so, the details:
Blend Fashions is located at 285 East State Road in Pleasant Grove, and the owners are giving a new taste of fashion to the area. The clothes are still as cute as ever, as can be seen on their website (which ::gasp:: is blendfashions.com – you think I would have tried that instead of just trusting google). The clothes, which are meant to cover you up and keep you looking cute, have been selected with great taste. There were even a few new items on my recent visit that weren’t there during my initial discovery. My super cute ruffle scarf I bought myself at the opening is the bottom right picture in the inset photo – cute, right?!
Also, they’re having a blowout sale on ModBod basics (layering tees, camis, skirts) in the back, so if you’re in need of a cap sleeved undershirt or a basic 3/4 length top, hit it up.
BLEND fashions | 285 East State Road | Pleasant Grove, UtahI just read this fascinating article by Martin Luther King, Jr.’s niece, Dr. Alveda King, about Obama’s election and our need to stand up for our beliefs. Now we all know I don’t read, so obviously, if I read it, it must be good.
Her rhetoric is superb and thank heavens she’s related to Martin Luther King, Jr. so finally people might listen to reason. One of my favorite quotes came in the beginning of her article:
[On Obama being elected] “It strikes a blow to white guilt, because hundreds of thousands of white people voted for him to prove that they were not racists. It gives blacks who voted for him hope, because there has never been a black president of America.”
Now, the point of my posting this is not to Obama-bash. Obama is President-Elect, and I do believe that as the President of the United States of America, he deserves my respect. However, that does not mean that I believe in or support his policies and/or viewpoints. I WILL give him credit where credit is due: he is a very talented speaker; he inspired many people to vote who have not been involved in elections prior; he does have a good presence; and I hope that he will be able to represent the American people with honor, dignity, and justice. However, because of my morals and ethics, there are some things I cannot compromise.
In her article, Dr. King brings up valuable points that were brought to my attention before the election; those points are part of the reason I was more fearful than hopeful with November 4th’s results. Obama is a strong supporter of abortion in all of its forms. That includes third trimester abortion, which is practically the equivalent of birthing a two month premature baby and leaving it to die, alone and unwanted. (Brad read portions of the book The Case Against Obama to me) In King’s article, she sinisterly jokes that “the Freedom of Choice Act . . . should be renamed the No Limits on Abortion Act.” Obama also plans to “overturn the Defense of Marriage Act” even though it has gained support in the majority of the states (see here for an overview of the states’ marriage laws).
Most importantly, Dr. King calls us to action.
“Now is the time to remind our members of Congress that to give President Elect Obama the gift of FOCA to sign will be a very costly gift. We must demand that our elected representatives defeat FOCA, reminding them that what America needs is a new stream of brave Congress members committed to upholding the Civil Rights of all Americans, from the womb to natural death. In other words, tell your congress members that a vote for FOCA may spell their last session in Congress. A vote to overturn DOMA spells the end of the honeymoon.”
Now, there are two things that one must know about me: 1: I am not very knowledgeable on how to be involved in causes I support and believe in, but I am willing to find out, and 2: I am not usually vocal about my opinions, so this is a first for me (I have them, but I’ve always had an “I’ll believe what I will and you believe what you will” attitude). I still find myself to be respectful to those who believe differently than I do, and hope that others can respect my beliefs if they differ from theirs. Nonetheless, I realize that now is the time to stand up and be counted and actively fight for the things I hold dear.
I’m going to research things to do (like emailing Congress – since they MAKE the laws, really, a lot of these decisions lie on their shoulders), and in the meantime, go read that article.
to be continued…
(unattributed quotes came from the aforementioned article)
I have a very ambiguous post… but it will have to do.
Last night, my employer took me to the grand opening of Blend Fashions Boutique in Pleasant Grove. Now, because I was merely following her, and because I’m not very observant, I do not know the address, and since it’s new, I can’t find it online. All I can say is that it’s a few blocks south of Purple Turtle (85 E State Rd Pleasant Grove, UT 84062) before Center St/Main St.
But, the moral of the story is: Blend Fashions = winner. Savvy Apparel Studio (my work) is working on some awesome items for the store, and the owner Amanda has great taste (kind of like Anthropologie with a touch of urban), and the clothes are super cute. I bought an a-MAY-zing ruffled scarf that I’m definitely wearing today.
The prices vary a little. Everything is definitely affordable, and for the style, it’s definitely a steal (think Anthropologie at less than $100).
It has definitely merited a return visit in my (very) recent future; hopefully more details will follow.
And I’m sure your anticipation will grow into a burning desire by the time I find out the address…
While I’ve been slacking off in most aspects of my life (blogging, reading blogs, writing papers, doing physics homework, going to school, going running, going grocery shopping, showering, etc.), Coryn’s been posting about causes that we should all be aware of and involved in.
Apparently I’m a procrastinator, and I’ve been meaning to respond to Coryn’s post by sending a postcard to ABC. So, today (over a week later), I finally printed out the picture of Ned on her blog and wrote on the back to send to ABC. Unfortunately, I read today that it is already slated for cancellation, according this article. But I have faith that my postcard is so awesome (what with it’s two lines of “don’t cancel the show”) that they will change their minds immediately. And my signature is SO convincing, seriously, who could resist it?
On another note, vote for Coryn’s cousin to go on the Element skateboarding tour. He has the coolest name, so you should vote for him for that reason if none else. Plus, he’s from Utah, unlike all the others who are from prevalent skateboarding communities like California… Come on, Obama won so apparently we’re all about sharing the wealth… Voting literally takes three seconds if you don’t watch the videos and just take my word for it.
Click the Icon to Vote!!
He’s in third place with 19% (and first place only has 22%)… so, just click it a few (hundred) times and we’re set. Voting is open until December 8th.
Factors that contributed to my staying home from class today (just the first one):
- 8 pages of discussion on the fast fashion industry
- a little gift thanks to gastrointestinal bacteria and/or E. coli (not serious, but not pleasant)
- a lack of breakfast and water consumption
- the need to superfluously replenish that lack of water consumption
- also, the fact that i forgot to brush my teeth probably had a strong relevance
Even though:
- I really enjoy Professor Fullmer’s witty lectures and blunt jabs at the nutritional world
- I was all ready for school
This is seriously awesome. It one ups normal cakes.
Except I would somehow use mine to theme a party “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” Maybe even bleach my hair so I could be Goldilocks?
brad and i took a lovely little trip to vegas to visit family, enjoy the weather, shop, etc.
we went to town square (this amazing outdoors mall which i originally loved because they opened a great h&m there), and even brad was impressed with how nice it is. and brad HATES shopping and all things related to it. BUT… he enjoyed this little trip. of course, it was, like, perfect weather, and not too crowded, and i spent less money than him, so what’s not to love?
let’s see, where to begin?
when i discovered that h&m would be opening a store besides the divided concept store in the miracle mile (which, don’t get me wrong, i was VERY grateful for; i’d been waiting seven years for h&m to come to vegas), and that this store would carry more of the h&m concepts, i was delighted. when i first saw this little outdoor shopping arena, i was thrilled. and today, i was even more impressed.
christmas set-up was underway, and i’m sure this thing will be pretty cool when in full swing. they had a giant christmas tree thing in the center pavillion. and, year-round, there’s a little play area for children in the middle, complete with astroturf hedge maze, play theatre, rocking unicorn, and playground. there’s a sephora. a really nice express. bebe. clarks. aldo. j.crew. whole foods. guitar center. MAC. a great movie theatre. sanrio. steve madden. seriously, this place is a gold mine. there’s even a martin + osa. ::gasp!:: what? a MARTIN + OSA?!?!
that’s right, you heard me. my favorite daily candy/san francisco discovery has moved to las vegas. i seriously yelled out loud when i saw it. brad gave me an angry look that told me “are you serious?!” and “control yourself!” and “i’m so embarrassed to be married to you” all at once. but i couldn’t help it.
we went in, and i was worried brad wouldn’t be impressed, but he was. they offered him a bottle of fiji water to quench his thirst, they started his dressing room (and mine too) and… it’s just so lovely. i fell in love with a cashmere shawl, trouser leg jeans, and a cowl neck sweater (all of which will be on my “things to buy” list or my “dear santa/mom” list or my “wait until it goes on sale because – seriously!? – $130 for that shawl!?!?” list).
in the end, brad left with a jacket and a neat long sleeved tee, and i left with two tees and a top. and i spent less than him.
but i’m still in love with their boots. and everything else.
oh, then h&m had to go quick style, and consequently, i was unimpressed. ;(
I was on J.Crew’s website yesterday and was so impressed with the fantastic color combinations of their clothes…
peach + red
sea foam green + mustard/camel
royal blue + purple
red + fuschia
(ok, maybe that’s hot pink)
I love the way they mix the colors – I have one half of each of the color combinations, I just need to complete the pairs!!
It’s been awhile since there has actually been something VERBAL on my blog… and this isn’t even written by me.
On Friday, I had the privilege of attending a reading by Ian Frazier, who is a genius. He has the funniest essay entitled Laws Concerning Food and Drink; Household Principles; Lamentations of the Father. It’s honestly the best ten minutes of reading I’ve had in a long time. When he wrote this, he had read a lot of religious works, including the Bible, and was also a parent. Hence, the amazing merging of the two into this fabulous essay.
From Friday….
Since Halloween is over, my thoughts are drifting towards Christmas preparations (one day I’ll figure out how to calendar these holidays so that Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be neglected), I find myself with this overwhelming desire to make stuff…
Which brings me to these quotes from President Uchtdorf’s Relief Society address, “Happiness, Our Heritage”:
“Creating and being compassionate are two objectives that contribute to our Heavenly Father’s perfect happiness. Creating and being compassionate are two activities that we as His spirit children can and should emulate.”
The holidays seem like the perfect time to make creative and compassionate contributions to the world. Just last week, some friends and I went “trick-or-treating” for canned food for the Provo Food Bank. And yesterday, I read an article about the Sub-for-Santa program that BYU participates in.
Let’s remember to use these spiritually inherited gifts of creating and being compassionate, especially with the upcoming season!
Love.me.
brad and i are coming up on our paper (first) wedding anniversary.
and although i have three gift ideas for him (two actually in the works), i think he has no idea what to get me.
the rules: one gift must follow the traditional anniversary gift list. anything else is free game.
i wouldn’t mind receiving one of these ring sets from TreAnelli to wear as wedding ring alternates (the pictures are links)…
storm stack
winter on the coast stack
simple squared ring
i’ll start dropping hints if you will….
Today, while talking on the phone to brea, we conferenced called tia (and tried to conferenced call risa, but she was not answering) and had a VERY important discussion.
Which Harajuku girl is Brea and which one am I?
You see, naturally, Tia is Baby, and Lauren is Music. Those are easy decisions. But not only are Brea and I a lot alike, we are both very indecisive. So, we held a meeting and began casting votes.
From the website for the perfumes:
love| Sweet, caring, and free-spirited, Love is always off in her own little world. Stepping out in a cute, striped mini-dress and fashionable red kicks, Love wears her heart on her sleeve, or rather, in her hair!
angel| Lil’ Angel is a woman who is compassionate and caring towards others, but is no saint. She sports a classy, yet sexy, schoolgirl outfit complete with a plaid pleated miniskirt, white knee-highs, and shiny black Mary Janes.
The arguments:
me| I am like Love because a: i love everyone, b: i’m the married, c: i like hearts. I am like Angel because I am the real life angel in the family – probably the easiest girl to raise of the four, lacking in drama.
brea| She is like Love because a: she has a billion boys to be in love with/she loves, b: she’s loving, c: she likes hearts. She is like angel because… well, this is better explained with a story. We have home videos of brea and tia, jumping and dancing on the bed, and in a swift instant, brea pushes tia off the bed (so she can be center stage) then poses innocently and oh-so-cutely as if nothing happened.
In the end, momma (aka G) decided to stick with the originals: I am Love and Brea is Angel.
Opinions?
So, on Sunday, Brad and I decided to switch devotional days. Naturally, it’s Thursday night at 11:40 pm, and Brad informed me that I should write a devotional since he hasn’t done one yet, and Thursday really is my day.
SO…. here we go.
A story: Cody broke his collar bone today at his flag football game (and apparently an ambulance AND a fire truck were sent to retrieve him). We were talking tonight and he told me that while he was in the ambulance, he asked the EMTs (I’m assuming that’s what they were so that’s what I’ll call them) to give him a blessing. How cool is that?! It is one of the upsides to living in Provo.
I am very grateful that those EMTs were worthy and ready to give Cody a blessing when he needed one. I am glad to know that if needed, I can ask my husband to use the Priesthood to give me a blessing.
This “readiness” applies to all of us, not to Priesthood holders only. In high school, it seemed that there was an unforeseen death almost annually. Because of this, I gained a broadened perspective on this life. I was constantly reminded that we must always live in accordance with the gospel and try to be our very best.
In Section 78 of the Doctrine and Covenants, we are reminded of our need to prepare:
7 For if you will that I give unto you a place in the acelestial world, you must bprepare yourselves by cdoing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.
Let’s all work hard to be ready to live in the Celestial Kingdom!
