what days will hold.

moving in to a new place and starting a new semester at school is always a little craziness that takes me a few days to figure out and adjust to. i feel like last week was a whole kaleidoscope of ups and downs, from realizing i can only have half of my grant for tuition to realizing i have more free time then ever. every day was filled with weird, what the crap news and also discoveries that life really is a bit fantastic. friday was kind of like that.

i worked from 8 to 1, a new normal friday thing. then leslie took me to the car dealership to finally pick up my car. it was there for four days [which is a whole crazy weird story in and of itself] and i was definitely ready to have it back. after dealing with ricky [yeah, i'm on a casual first name basis with the nissan technician], i finally got out of there with my car and leslie and i headed up to the mountains for a hike.

we went to stewart falls in provo canyon and it was so beautiful and fun. i love spending time with my friends [and maybe getting lost on a long winding road] and talking about anything and everything. i can't believe i have never made this hike before. it was incredible, take a look:

after we made our way back down [and saw a snake... i only freaked out a lot] leslie went home to shower and i went and filled up my car with gas. oh and locked both my keys and my phone in my car. wow ahlin, really? really, did that just happen? yes it did. after staring at the keys sitting  i asked the mini mart worker people if i could use their phone and i called my dad because he obviously has all the answers. he instructed me to call geico and i was out of there within half an hour. i was just laughing at myself because it was so unlike me to do that and i knew that at least three people were trying to get a hold of me. in fact, when i checked my phone, i felt more popular than i had been all week. why does that always happen? i don't know.

when i finally got back to my apartment, leslie came over and we made delicious veggie burgers, zucchini, and sweet potato fries. we be healthy. then we got our friend jared and went to the rooftop concert here in provo. imagine dragons was playing and there were tons of people there. i went last year to see benton paul and nik day but it looks like the word has gotten out on how cool they are.

fun story:

i checked twitter when i got there and saw this

obviously i freaked out and tweeted him

not two minutes later, he walks right by me. 

did you catch that? 

I CAN WILL DAVID ARCHULETA INTO MY PRESENCE. 

it's a gift really. i freaked out a little [a lot] and grabbed leslie's arm until there was no circulation left [sorry lo]. he stopped about ten feet away and it looked like he was looking for something. me obviously. too bad he didn't see me staring at him shamelessly. a minute or so later he walked past me again the same way he had come.

um, why didn't you talk you him ahlin? i'm sure you're all asking. hi, have you ever seen david archuleta in the flesh and have to come up with something to say on the spot? it's a lot harder than you'd think. all i could think to say if i stopped him was 'um, you're david archuleta.' really, that is all that came to my mind. i held on to enough dignity to know i shouldn't say that to him. and it was too dark for a picture. so i just looked at him longingly and soaked it in, kind of like i did with zac-face.

yes i did make that big a deal out of it. i mean, look at him.

he is utah's gem.

bf: the day

well, the wonderful day finally came when i got to see brandon.

and oh was it glorious.

let's start from the beginning.

of course the night before we had to figure out what i was going to wear.

after several unsuccessful outfits, this is what we came up with.

this is my yeah, i fly to los angeles for less than a day to see brandon flowers, don't you? getup.

flew out of salt lake. time: 1130.

i heart planes. and sitting in a chair in the sky. aka flying.

blake picked me up and we went to our grandma and grandpa griffith's house. then we walked to the pier for some yummmmy lunch. right there. by the ocean. don't worry about it.

my yummy yummy fish tacos. probably my favorite california treat.

there were super cool bike racks too.

after that we walked back to their house and blake and i took a nap. we were both pretty beat so it felt good to get a couple hours of recovery time. then we met up with dad for dinner at spires where i had some french toast. mmmm...

after that blake and i headed to la. of course there was a bit of traffic but it was definitely good bonding time :) and we arrived at the wiltern right before the opening act got onstage!

the first guy [fran healy of the band travis] was pretty good but i was just itching to hear brandon. finally, at 9, he took the stage.... and blew me away.

the opening song was on the floor. he walked out to the center of the stage and started to sing. the lighting only showed his silhouette at first. to hear this rich, deep sound coming from a mysterious shadowed figure was really powerful. and then they lit his face. and it took everything i had to remember to breathe.

he was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a vest. do you know what vests do to me? they make it impossible for me to focus on anything else besides the wearer of the vest. and in this case. i had no problem with that.

his voice was everything i had remembered and more. the clarity and strength of his voice is pure divinity. the power in each song he sings shows how he believes every word. his enthusiasm on stage is addicting. his signature move of jumping on the speakers and adding a fist pump makes your excitement triple.

please. if you are looking for an inspiringly good time, something different to throw into your schedule, something to get excited about, go to his concert. i promise you will not regret it. he is worth every penny. and not just because i've loved him for the past five years. he is a quality performer with a voice and presence that is unprecedented. here are the shows. if you are near any of the locations, please. just go. don't make excuses. that's not what life's about.

the videos turned out a lot better than the pictures. so please. partake and witness [full screen please] the wonderfulness that is brandon flowers.

for the encore, they came back out and brandon said,

"we have a little treat for you guys... actually, it's a treat for us too... the police are here!"

and out walked andy summers from the police. and then he played with the band while brandon sang roxanne.
holy crap. only in la.

when we were walking back to the car, we saw what we assumed was brandon's tour bus. excited face!

we made our way back to ggg's where we said our goodbyes and i went inside. i showed grandma my merch and made my way to bed. but not before i tried on my new shirt!

warning: i may wear this shirt everyday for the next three weeks. please do not judge. thank you.

and the poster.

the next morning grandma and i got up nice and early to head to breakfast before i had to be at the airport.

this is my grandparent's house, where they've lived for over fifty years and where my daddy-o grew up!

and where my dad [and all his siblings] went to high school.

please behold the beautiful crisp and clear california morning i woke up to. i think some would describe it as paradise.

we stopped at hof's hut for some breakfast [i got eggs and a pumpkin muffin. let's not discuss how pumpkin anything is a sever weakness of mine].

then grandma dropped me off at the airport where i made it perfectly in time for my flight.

and i kind of felt like fergie walking out to the plane. minus the glamour.

landed in salt lake. time: 1045.

yup. less than twenty four hours.

shake it like a polaroid picture.

busy bee lauren is possibly one of my fave bloggers ever.
she's hilarious, has a great sense of style, and her & her husband are freaking adorable.
anyway, she sent out a challenge to find a favorite old photograph, post it, and share it's meaning.
challenge accepted, bbl.
[these are all within the last two years cause they're the only ones on my comp. i still heart them though.]

when: july 2008, the day before my brother's wedding

where: my dad's house in carlsbad [socal]

who: gina, me, david

why: this is our reunion after my first month at college. it was so good to see them. i'd never gone that long being away from them before. plus this picture shows that i was taller than david before i came to byu. that is no longer the case.

when: the next day 

where: my brother's reception

who: me and gina

why: you can can't totally tell in this picture but we are wearing the exact same outfit. little black dress with red shoes and accessories. this was not planned. we decided to wear the same thing for the same event even after i had moved out of the house. we are truly snisters. plus i love us both laughing here.

when: august 2009

where: timpanogas temple

who: me, krystle, jen, leah

why: we had just been walking around the temple before going to visit sarahmaines and we decided to take some roomie pics of course. krystle was whipping us around and we were all dying laughing.

when: november 2009

where: park place 4

who: me and sarahmaines

why: we had just bought our awesome knee high boots and we were both really excited about them so we put them on with our pajamas and then proceeded to watch elizabethtown. with the boots still on. this picture is us trying to be gangster slash miley cyrus. word.

when: january 2010

where: park place 4

who: me, katie, sarahmaines, jen, leah

why: we were on our way to sarah's birthday dinner at olive garden and we thought it would be fun to dress up in our lbd's for it, especially since we were going to her surprise party right after. we heart taking silly roomie pics.

when: february 2010

where: spyglas 203

who: adam, me, rob, sarahmaines, matt

why: we had just straightened rob's super curly hair- which he had never done before- and it was so fun. this was our first bonding experience with 203. we took this pic and rob thought it would be hilarious to jump from behind us. silly rob. i heart your face.

when: may 2010

where: gina's graduation

who: me and gina

why: i was gina's personal photographer  and took a ton of pics of her and the fam and some friends. she was about to leave for disneyland and take her camera with all the pictures on it, including the ones of us, and i yelled out 'wait! i need one for the blog!' so we hurried and took this gem with my camera, which was definitely better than the one's on hers. and it has become one of my favorite pictures of us.

my heart.

loves love.

and

silver screen kisses.

the sun's warmth on my skin.

a light breeze dancing through my hair.

long weekends.

a star studded movie cast.

black skinny jeans.

men's fitted vests.

a great entrance.

knee high boots.

hot, unrushed showers.

crawling into bed in the middle of the day.

instant changes in temperature.

finally finding a great swimsuit.

staying up late doing nothing. occasionally.

quotable quotes.

my perfume.

the color teal.

the urge to dance. and not resisting it.

sweet love songs.

leah's black pumps.

lbd's.

eating out.

long forgotten songs.

saying what's on my mind. sometimes.

when i find out people read my blog.

making lists. apparently.

the history of love

read it. it's kind of brilliant.

"once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering."

"and if the man who once upon a time had been a boy who promised he'd never fall in love with another girl as long as he lived kept his promise, it wasn't because he was stubborn or even loyal. he just couldn't help it."

"part of me is made of glass, and also, i love you."

 

photo found here

let me be your movie guide...

you could think of all the songs that describe how you feel this valentine's season (ahem, saints and soldiers by dashboard confessional...). or, if you're like me and have a strange obsession with movies, you could come up with a movie playlist to express yourself. so, here it is: a little compilation of some of my fave love stories, sad stories, cute stories, cheese stories, and rom coms (apparently this is a hip saying. note: if you ever call something 'hip', you are not said 'hip'), along with the potential mood and emotions to accompany them and the eye candy reasons as well.

mood: depressed that for some reason you can't get the love of your life.

titanic ('i'll never let go, jack...' but then she does! why???) leonardo dicaprio

becoming jane (for some strange reason, she doesnt run away with tom. come on jane. let's think about this for a sec) james mcavoy

atonement (you can only imagine the truth.... sidenote: atonement is rated r but i will gladly censor it for you. it is well worth it) james mcavoy (i really like james mcavoy, ok?)

casablanca (classic. sad. classic. black and white. just like your love life.) humphrey bogart

mood: you watch the entire movie for the sole reason of the kissing scene. and then you rewind it. twenty times. without shame.

penelope (arguably THE BEST kissing scene in any movie. ever.) james mcavoy (dont be hatin)

twilight (i dont care what you say, that kiss is freaking sexy.) vampires. all of them.

pirates of the caribbean 3 (i know, kind of random, but the kiss on the ship at the very end... holy crap.) orlando bloom, johnny depp

mood: in need of some couple chemistry.

you've got mail, sleepless in seattle (you cannot deny the power of tom hanks and meg ryan)

how to lose a guy in 10 days (kate hudson and matthew mcconaughey are so fun. and good looking)

the wedding singer, 50 first dates (drew barrymore and adam sandler are pretty great)

runaway bride (love love love julia roberts and richard gere)

anything doris day and rock hudson

anything humphrey bogart and lauren bacall

mood: nothing but classics will satisfy me tonight.

gone with the wind (watched this recently and all i have to say is: scarlett- hate her. rhett- marry me.) clark gable

an affair to remember (quite possibly the chick flicks of all chick flicks.) cary grant

roman holiday (sad yet satisfying. and we all love audrey.) gregory peck

sabrina (both versions. both great.) humphrey bogart, william holden/harrison ford, greg kinnear

breakfast at tiffany's (we can all learn from audrey.) george peppard

mood: i want to sing and fall in love at the same time.

oklahoma (who can resist a man named curly?) gordon macrae

hairspray ('and i'm....link') zac efron

phantom of the opera (you are not a bad person for being seduced by the phantom. totally normal.) gerard butler, patrick wilson

the sound of music (just a lovely movie, always.) christopher plummer (who knew?!)

grease (dirty. but still amazing.) john travolta

all things disney (cartoons, high school musicals, camp rock, etc)

mood: i want to be literate and fall in love at the same time.

much ado about nothing (this movie is the essence of my childhood)

pride and prejudice (the keira knightley version and/or the six hour long one. you cannot go wrong.) matthew macfadyen, simon woods/colin firth

wuthering heights (the 1939 one. yes. except i hear they're making a new one with ed westwick....yessss.) laurence olivier

the princess bride ('as you wish...') cary elwes

mood: all things tween. ish.

sleepover (this movie gave me hope of getting the senior when i was a sophomore.) sean faris

aquamarine (a mermaid on a quest to find if love exists. arent we all.) jake mcdorman

what a girl wants 

she's the man

sydney white (amanda bynes is the best.) guaranteed hotties. 

anything mary-kate and ashley. seriously, so great.

mood: of course.

p.s. i love you (i am the only woman in my family who did not cry. only because i dont have tear ducts.) gerard butler

a walk to remember (the first of many.) shane west

the notebook (go nicholas sparks.) ryan gosling, james marsden

pearl harbor (oh my gosh, rip your heart out.) ben affleck, josh hartnett

serendipity (why... cant they just... find each other?!) john cusack
(500) days of summer (a new classic. fo sho.) joseph gordon-leavitt

mood: i love the 80's.

some kind of wonderful (why did no one tell me about this sooner?) eric stoltz

pretty in pink (ducky is so great.) andrew mcarthy

sixteen candles (more hope for dating a senior.) michael schoeffling

top gun (that song means so much to me now...) tom cruise

mood: the unknown, the underrated and the unloved.

wild hearts can't be broken (i need a wild heart.) michael schoeffling

bed of roses (another childhood fave.) christian slater

a lot like love (dont know why no one has seen this.) ashton kutcher

the lake house (why does everyone hate on this movie???) keanu reeves
the painted veil (holy cow this movie is amazing.) edward norton

mood: i just need some power.

first wives club (five women out to get revenge on their ex husbands. doesnt get much more powerful than that.)

little women (sisters.) christian bale

the women (an all woman cast! so cool.)

sisterhood of the traveling pants 1 and 2 (four besties out to conquer the world. and men.) definite hotties in here

miss congeniality (because who does want to be hot and fight at the same time?) 

mood: rom com it up. make me laugh so i forget how much i want to be in love right now.

the proposal (seeing ryan's body. plus.) ryan reynolds

sweet home alabama (i want to be reese.) josh lucas

13 going on 30 (mark needs more love.) mark ruffalo

hitch (because we still watch it to learn some love lessons.) will smith

27 dresses (i want that many dresses.) james marsden

definitely maybe (two words.) ryan reynolds

my best friend's wedding (julia's outfits. ha. ha.) dermot mulroney

mood: i refuse to marry anyone without an accent.

notting hill

two weeks notice

music and lyrics (who doesnt love) hugh grant

love actually (we have it clean.) hugh grant, colin firth and more

the holiday (i want. i want. gimme. gimme.) jude law

feel free to leave a comment with ones i forgot! disclaimer: these are all movies i've seen. trust me, there are plenty more out there i still want to watch!

february, what took you so long?

i have waited for what seems like an eternity for you to get here. i think it's safe to say that you are one of my favorite months of the year. it may because you possess one of my favorite holidays. or because you are shorter than the previous dreary january. or because you contain the day of my father's birth. or because you give me a three day weekend so i can go home. whatever it is, i love you.

seeing how it is a month focusing on one of my favorite things in the entire world, i want to share some quotes and such portraying it.
so buckle up. this is going to be a lovely ride.

songs

turning to you is like falling in love when you're ten.

- living in your letters, dashboard confessional

i'll be the platform shoes and undo what heredity's done to you, you won't have to strain to look into my eyes.

- brand new colony, postal service

the smell of you in every single dream i dream, i knew when we collided, you're the one i have decided who's one of my kind.

-hey, soul sister, train

movies

honestly, if you're not willing to sound stupid, you don't deserve to be in love.

-a lot like love

love is actually all around.

-love actually

i say find someone you can love like crazy and who'll love you the same way back. and how do you find him? forget your head and listen to your heart. i'm not hearing any heart. run the risk, if you get hurt, you'll come back. because, the truth is there is no sense living your life without this. to make the journey and not fall deeply in love - well, you haven't lived a life at all. you have to try. because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived.

- meet joe black

books

once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering.
- the history of love, nicole krauss
it might hurt, it was horribly inconvenient, no good might come of it, but he had found out for himself what it was to be in love, and it thrilled him.
- atonement, ian mcewan
just to be in love seemed the most blissful luxury i had ever known. the thought came to me that perhaps it is the loving that counts, not the being loved in return -- that perhaps true loving can never know anything but happiness.
- i capture the castle, dodie smith


i love love.

so true.

i came across this yahoo article (roommates, dont be hatin') and i thought it was simple but absolutely brilliant. it's 15 ways to be happy in 2010, but really every year in your life. here are just a few of my favorites:

[be your own bff]

i think this one is so important! be confident, have self respect, know that you are awesome and tell yourself that everyday. people know when you arent self confident and it really isnt that attractive or desirable. just sayin.

[dream big in every area of life]

you can do anything you put your mind to. really, ANYTHING. you just have to have the self respect to accomplish what you want and get it done.

[expect a miracle] 

"believe that something wonderful will happen for you today. the universe is waiting to shower happy blessings on you." good things happen, i promise.

[meditate, pray and chant]

"research shows that people who are spiritual tend to be happier and healthier than those who are not." interesting...

[sleep baby sleep]

i've discovered that sleeping is key in feeling good about myself everyday. i have a hard time feeling motivated if i dont get at least 7 hours of sleep every night. i honestly dont know how i survived freshman year.

[wake up early]

"the morning hours are full of spiritual energy and prana (life force)." i've discovered that i love waking up early and having plenty of time before work or my first class. if mornings are rushed, it seems like my whole day is out of control. example: i left my phone at home today. awesome.

[say "good job!"]

like i said before, tell yourself you're awesome! you deserve it! and i dont think it's prideful if you dont see yourself as superior to others. it's just you discovering how awesome you are. it's a commandment! (other wise known as recognizing your divine worth).

go here for more happiness tips.

ready. set.

time for the new year.

2010, here i come.

to do list:
 - get at least two more semesters done.
 - get into the film program.
 - get a film internship.
 - live in new york city.
 - read ten books.
 - watch ten american film institute choices.
 - make ten new friends.
 - go to the temple at least twice a month.
 - work out consistently.
 - no more sweets. done.

 - love being me.

this christmas

This Christmas, mend a quarrel.

Seek out a forgotten friend.

Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.

Write a letter.

Give a soft answer. Encourage youth.

Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.

Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge.

Forgive an enemy.

Apologize. Try to understand.

Examine your demands on others.

Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle.

Laugh a little more.

Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger.

Gladden the heart of a child.

Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.

Speak your love and then speak it again.

Howard W. Hunter

McCalls Magazine, December 1959

one hundred (100)

this is my one hundredth post. omg. so i decided to do something special for it and, since it's the last day of november, here are some of my thanks.

i'm thankful for:

the internet - books - my eyes - art - movies - television

pretty colors - pretty cities - pretty pictures - pretty words

provo mountains - st george mountains - san diego getaways

memories - good times - inside jokes - quote walls - laughing

money - my job - not ridiculous coworkers - my bosses - money

learning - byu - religion classes - honor code - my mac - classmates

my roommates - saturday pancakes - sharing clothes - our love

my beautiful family - all my siblings - my parents - my grandparents

the gospel - truth - the book of mormon - the prophet

food - cafe rio - money for food - leftovers - hot chocolate

early mornings - working out - time - planners - lists - clothes

boots - hoodies - coats - spandex - wool socks - sweats

my [mother's] ipod - music - music education - new discoveries

unexpected phone calls - long texting sessions - smiley faces :) ;) :P

cancelled classes - christmas break - traditions - safe drives home

highlight of my week

i got to go here on thursday with jen and it was so nice. even though we got there right after two youth groups and were there for two and a half hours, it was so nice. after a crazy week, it felt so good to just sit and think of the important things in life and not feel like i had to worry about school or money or my future just then. it's a chance for me to communicate with my heavenly father and be in the world but not of the world.

i am seriously so blessed to be SO CLOSE to a temple. here, even if i had to walk, it would probably only take about twenty minutes. some people don't even have a temple in their country, let alone their city! i feel absolutely awful that i haven't taken advantage of it more but, i promise, from now on, i will.

i feel like i've heard a lot in church and general conference and the church magazines about temple attendance in the last few months and i've felt horrible cause i've always been slacking in that area. but something we talked about in relief society one sunday completely changed my thought process. we were talking about the pioneers and how much they suffered and how supposedly we were saved for this time because we were strong enough. this whole time i'm thinking, are you kidding me? there's no way i could pull a freaking handcart across the freaking united states of america. but then someone pointed out how it was their calling and duty to establish the church and bring it across the plains and how we have a duty as well- to attend the temple and do the Lord's work. how hard is that?! people risked their lives to cross the plains in the dead of winter, losing all their possessions and loves ones and i can't even find time in my oh so busy schedule to go two minutes up the road and spend maybe just two hours in a nicely temperatured building and serve others?! i needed to make a change in my life and now was the time to do it. i hope i can redeem myself for the few and far between times i have been over the years.

mother

yesterday was my beautiful mother's birthday (her 23rd i think... yep that's it). i called her and got to talk to her. i can only remember a handful of times that i've been with her on her birthday :( but we still have many more to come so i promise to come back, momma! :D

so here's a list of things i love about my maja. i would do 53 but that's a lot and i'm going on 2 hours of sleep right now (thank you harry) so i think i'll settle for 5+3. which is 8. which is her favorite number. ;)

1- i love it her nicknames for me, i.e. dollycake, ahli-girl, etc. actually, when i called her yesterday, before she answered the phone i could hear her in my head saying 'hey dollycake' when she found out it was me. lo and behold, she pulled through, word for word :)

2- she is so unbelievably selfless. i dont know of anyone else who loves people in general more and would do anything for anyone, especially her children. i know she's done things for me that i've never even realized and taken for granted. i cant remember the last time she did something solely for herself. those instances are few and far between.

3- my mother is BEAUTIFUL. absolutely stunning. i see her and am always amazed at how gorgeous she is. whenever any of my friends meet her, they are always in shock that she is in her fifties. it's true.

4- she is so much fun. she is always up for anything, be it shopping (she swears to hate shopping... yeah right. that woman can shop all day like it's nobody's business), going to the movies, working out, hiking, whatever. she just loves to be with us and is always so fun to be with.

5- gina and i kinda have a joke that we can always hear my mom coming because of her keys. it is unmistakeable. we have guess right 95% of the time that it is my mom and not someone else walking through the door because we can hear the keys jingling.

6- she loves me no matter what. whatever i do or accomplish, i know she'll be proud of me and support me and love me unconditionally. even with my crazy ideas like going to europe, she was there for me one hundred percent.

7- i admire how much she loves the gospel. i dont know anyone else, besides general authorities and recently returned missionaries who love the church and heavenly father as much as she does. she has always been such an example to me in all that she's dealt with and lived through and her sincere love for her heavenly father and all his children.

8- i am her favorite child. she cant really admit it but we all know it's true. i am her pride and joy ;)

i love you mom!!! i want to be like you when i grow up! hope your day was fantastic! :D

vvvvvvvvvvv day!!!!!!!!!

valentine's day. one of the most loved and loathed days of the year. i personally love it, even though i've never had a 'special someone' on that day. but, i dont think that's what it is totally about. i think it is good to contemplate the magic and mysteries of love.

LOVE has always boggled my mind. most people who know me know that i love love more than almost anything else. i love watching it, hearing about it, witnessing it, pretty much anything to do with it. that may be why i love to watch movies so much. whether it's high school musical and sleepover or p.s. i love you and a walk to remember, the love in them always makes me so happy and curious. i've never been in love but i figure that if there are so many movies and songs and books and pieces of literature about love, then there has to be something good about it...

here are some quotes that make me love love even more:

~ what value will there be in life if we are not together? ~ becoming jane

~ I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on. ~ pride & prejudice

~ Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around. ~ love actually

~ But for now, let me say - Without hope or agenda - Just because it's Christmas - And at Christmas you tell the truth - To me, you are perfect - And my wasted heart will love you - Until you look like this. ~ love actually

~ When love is for the highest bidder, there can be no trust. Without trust, there can be no love. ~ moulin rouge

~ Love is like oxygen! Love is a many splendored thing. Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love! ~ moulin rouge

~ Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars—points of light and reason… And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn’t see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything. ~ new moon

~So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day. ~ the notebook

the measure of my mood

happy ahlin:

when my room is clean, i am automatically happy. it is not something i do in purpose, it is not a conscious thing, its just how it works. i love having my room clean. but if i cannot just clean it all at once, it doesnt happen. that is when i turn into...

stressed ahlin:

i am always noticeably more stressed out and grumpy when my room is cluttered. i can never find anything, i have to literally jump in and out of my bed, i feel bad for my poor roommate jess, and it is just no bueno. and yet it still happens.

i hate it so much when my room is messy. but i just cant clean it whenever. i have to do it all at once or not at all. thats why i usually do it on the weekends... usually. if i am not too tired. but the second my room is clean i feel ten times better.

but, of course, this week, the week when i could use all the non stress i can get, my room is a mess. it is not fun. not. one. bit.

last time i played tag... last term.

but this is a different kind of tag. this is a first for me. thank you lauren for including me in this most gracious gesture. somehow i knew before i even got to the bottom of that post that i would be included in a mass tag. gracias.

so six random things...

1. i actually enjoy filling these types of things out. i don't know why. probably because it's a good way to take a look at yourself and see what you really do or don't like, things that you don't usually think about but are fun to discover. i promise i am not conceited and just enjoy thinking about myself for the heck of it. no no. no no.

2. one of my ocd's- notice how i never really capitalize things that are supposed to be capitalized, i.e. the first letter at the beginning of a sentence. this is because, 1- its too big of a hassle for something that isn't a graded paper and 2- if i accidently skipped a couple "capital-letter-musts" i would be annoyed and i would have to go back and change them which is a bigger hassle. same goes for texts. sorry if it bothers you...

3. sometimes people mistake me for being stuck up or boring. this is because i don't really talk to people... ever. i usually have to be super comfortable with them or be on some kind of high. i've been reprimanded for it by myself and others and i've gotten better but i'm still pretty shy when it comes to people. like i don't really sit next to or talk to people in my classes and even in high school when i saw my best friends walking down the hall i wouldn't say hi or anything... yeah, i'm working on it...

4. i hate showering. it is the hugest hassle ever. don't get me wrong, i love being clean and actually being in a hot shower for unpredictable amounts of time. but getting in is stressful, as well as getting out and getting ready. it takes FOREVER. when i'm not in a complete rush or at someone's house, the whole process of getting in, showering, and then getting out & ready takes a good 1 to 2 hours. i seriously have to plan a good portion of my day around it. so stressful...

5. i love to do the dishes. i really do. it doesn't bother me at all that i don't have a dishwasher. it's just always a good time to ponder and think. well, for me at least. i was usually the one to do them at home on sunday nights (and that's not a slight to any of my family) but it never really bothered me, unless i had homework or something better to do. i also am kind of ocd about it, like if i'm doing dishes i would rather do them all or not at all. yeah...

6. i love movies. not like in a i'm-lazy-to-do-anything-else way, like they actually interest me. not just the movies themselves but the actors and the story behind the scenes... stuff like that. sometimes i spend hours on imdb (sometimes as in once or twice... really late at night...) just looking up movies and actors and seeing how they are connected. like i dont know why but i can retain so many facts about different movies and actors. i wish i could shift some of that memory to more important things like, i don't know, school or something. but yeah, i love movies. and love. which is also a very large reason why i love movies so much. and good looking guys. another reason i love movies. anyway...

ok, so now, eight things (p.s. i'm just going off of lauren's post)...

8 tv shows i like to watch

-house

-gilmore girls

-gossip girl (sorry, guilty pleasure)

-america's next top model

-the office (cliche? oh well)

-grounded for life

-music videos

-king of queens

8 favorite restaurants

-olive garden

-inn n out

-cafe rio

-subway

-taco bell

-souplantation

-rubio's

-the pizza factory (their salad bar is to die for)

8 things that happened yesterday

-went to the bean museum

-went to the museum of art

-ate lunch with jen and brian

-hung out with jen and brian

-watched the devotional with jen and brian

-watched wuthering heights

-went to book of mormon

-went to interior design (don't get me started...)

i know. so exciting.

8 things i am looking forward to

-not having anymore school. ever.

-meeting my new niece and nephew!

-starting a family

-my friends coming home from their missions :(

-thursday nights after 7:00 pm

-catching up on ALL the sleep i have lost

-returning to europa one day

-getting caught up on ALL my homework... if possible...

8 things on my wish list

-unlimited amount of money to spend at target and nordstrom (brass plum!)

-the ability to eat whatever i want and not gain an ounce (name that movie)

-to sleep as long as i want whenever i want

-to watch every movie i have ever or will ever want to see

-to remember everything i need to

-patience

-to never have to worry about money ever again

-self motivation (i look up to ben so much for this)

ok the one word response. kind of hard for me but here goes...

1. Where is your cell phone? couch
2. Where is your significant other? haha... that's funny.
3. Your hair color? auburn (so i've been told)
4. Your mother? superwoman
5. Your father? giving
6. Your favorite thing? company
7. Your dream last night? the killers (its a band, don't worry ;)
8. Your dream/goal? contentment
9. The room you're in? living
10. Your hobby? laughing
11. Your fear? insincerity
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? settled
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? confident
15. One of your wish-list items? clothes
16. Where you grew up? debatable, mostly st. g. though
17. The last thing you did? ate
18. What are you wearing? black
19. Your TV? vhs [only]
20. Your pet? dying :'(
21. Your computer? bff
22. Your mood? contemplative
23. Missing someone? horhina, my snister
24. Your car? HA! you mean the lack thereof?
25. Something you're not wearing? chapstick
26. Favorite store? target (oh but i love you too nordstrom!)
27. Your summer? unforgettable
28. Love someone? bear
29. Your favorite color? purple/green
30. When is the last time you laughed? tonight
31. Last time you cried? last sunday

well i hope that was as gosh darn exciting for you as it was for me. just kidding...

ok so not very many people read this but i guess i'll tag:

-rachel

-brian

-gracie

-april

-jade, but i think gina already tagged you

-anyone else who wants to do it

hey, thanks for bearing with me. hopefully you learned something new and oh so exciting about me....