.

October Part Two. Behind the Scenes.

2012-01-14T15:16:00.000-08:00

Since it's January now, I'll post more about October.

October was Homecoming. All month long.

And so was September, and so was August.

But October wins.

If you have ever been involved in student council in these parts,

you'll understand the hours & hours of work put into making Homecoming happen.

We wake up in the morning. Go to school.

4th hour rolls around, and we are running across campus like little maniacs

trying to get as much done as we can.

Filling out piles & piles of paperwork.

Asking cheer to perform.

Making sure that our theme is okay.

Buying & making decorations.

Rehearsing assemblies.

Building & painting sets.

Advertising like crazy.

Organizing parades, or carnivals, or dances, or halftime shows, or bonfires.

Going to meetings.

Crossing T's.

Dotting I's.

This year I was in charge of the parade & the dance decorations.

Not sure how I did it, but it all came together.

I am so blessed to be in Student Council.

I love each & every one of those crazy people to death.

I can't imagine high school without them. <3

And lucky me, I had a perfectly wonderful date from Student Council

to hang out with all. week. long.

Happpiness.

October Part One.

2011-11-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

Titling this post "Homecoming" just will not suffice. The ENTIRE month of October was dedicated toward this blessed event, and man. It was worth it. :)

But happy event number one, {yes, number one. :) } was getting asked to Homecoming.

He trailed notecards allll down my front porch. At the end there was a single red rose.

Will you petal with me to Homecoming? :)

He is precious.

Let's just say...

If I could, I'd wake up to this sight ^^ any day.

The Answer:

truth.

I felt like a genius!

And I was sososososososososo happy & excited. That's all.

Coming soon:

Part two, Behind the Scenes

Part three, A Day in the Life...

Part four, A Perfect Ending

I don't even feel bad.

2011-11-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

So I really love Senior Year a lot. Seriously, I'm having so much fun.

This ^^ is why I don't even feel bad for my lack of blogging. Except I wish I blogged more often for the keepsakeyness. But this will just have to do. Sometime in the not-so-distant future I will document my life a little bit better, a.k.a. show my one reader how wonderful Homecoming was. & just talk about happy senior-ness a bit.

So let's back up a bit. Pre-homecoming life. It's hard to even remember it. This year is flying by!

Burial of the Westwood Warrior.
Did the eulogy with this guy. ^^
Seriously, this is one of my favorite Mesa High traditions.
& that's sayin' something fierce.

Football season was SO fun this year. We made some pretty fun memories. :)
Some of these here folks became my best friends at the football games Sophomore year.
Coming back Senior year with them has been.. yeah, a BLAST.
love them.

And yes, the fuel that I began drinking profusely about two weeks before HW.
{homecoming week/hell week/happiness week}
This here piccy demonstrates my life for pretty much all of October.
Many a QT trips kept us all goin' strong.
And let's get real.
They still do.

And probably always will.

easy

2011-08-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

Holly squared.

First big project of the school year...
I think I can handle this.

First... cont.

2011-08-23T22:47:00.000-07:00

So remember how I told you that I'm learning a bunches? Oh yeah, I told you like five million times. Well. Let me tell you one more thing I'm learning. STORY TIME!

{I am telling this in a Meg Ryan voice, just to help you imagine this a little bit better.}

Once upon a time there was this girl named Holly. And one day she heard a little voice telling her to run for Student Body President. You see, Holly had never wanted to do this before. {too much. too much. too much.} But she followed that little voice & ran. She ran her little heart out using mustaches on sticks & lots o' cookies for peeps to munch on. She was elected. And was surprised. And scared. And excited. And nervous. And she felt a little {a lot} overwhelmed.

She did what any anal/ocd girl would do and read the whole SBP notebook cover-to-cover. She began to plan little meetings at her house for student council with her trusty SBVP. In those meetings Holly discovered that she was pretty dang shy & awkward & didn't know how to lead a meeting. Or speak in front of people well. Or, ya know, be an SBP. She felt pretty alone & scared. She didn't think she could do it. She kinda wanted to quit.

Then the next month was July, & Holly went to efy with her bff, Tina. She tried really super hard to cure her lack of confidence. And whadayaknow, there was a whole entire class on finding confidence in the Lord. And that was it. Bingo! Holly found her fix.

Holly went home from efy feeling rejuvinated & happy. She set goals & did her very best to keep them. But life happened, and Holly forgot {a little} about what she had learned. Busy-ness got the best of her & made it hard to remember.

Then Holly went to Disneyland. She went with the new student council, the people that she'd be spending her life with for the next year. And holy crap, she had fun. She loved every second of it. & grew to love every single person in student council so so much.

Then the school year started. School bbq's, orientations, assemblies, & dances crept their way into the schedule & Holly realized how much insanity could result from all of it. But she also realized another thing.

She recognized how much happiness could result from the insanity.

You see, every single person in this picture above ^ {& some} worked really hard at these events. They had smiles on their faces. They asked how they could help. They all became super close. The LOVED each other. They made Holly's job so happy & rewarding. They helped her re-discover her passionate love for Mesa High. They helped her to have a changed perspective. They helped her have confidence. They helped her remember.

So, tonight, Holly is going back to her notes from the efy class she attended and {once again} is finding confidence in the Lord. Because she remembers {& knows} that He is the ultimate source of happiness & confidence. He loves everyone, including a little girl that's treading uncharted waters. He sends special people into lives just when they need it, special people that can totally change someone. He answers prayers {hardcore} & knows.exactly. what his children need.

{I can do hard things.}

first.

2011-08-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

Yet again, I will tell you now {a week.5 into school} that this year is going to be happy. It's going to be hard. But it's going to be happy & rejuvenating. I can already feel the magic.

I'm experiencing so many new things. Some more tangible than others, but all for such a good purpose. Here are some of the little random firsts that have been photographed:

first few weeks of being a licensed driver = success!
{p.s. I promise I'm not a hooligan. I was at a stoplight that had just turned red in this picture, and I do know the person behind me. No hesitation is necessary while your child is in my car.}

First wings! Yes, I know I am deprived. It happens.
Thank goodness for Parker & McKay. They tend to keep me in check.

First few events with the new StuCo also = success!
I can't even tell you how much I love them.
I'm so {so so so} grateful for such a fun/hardworking group.
& the Howdy Hero Hop/Traditions assembly were BOMB.

First Johnnie's experience!
Um, best pizza of my life.
It's in some city that I forgot the name of...
like 45 mins away. So worth the drive.

My first scrapbooking venture, Holli's wedding book!
I am pleased with the turnout, but man.
That was a learning curve if there ever was one.

On a more serious note... I'm learning a whole bunch of crazy things about myself. Mostly that I {can} do hard things. To be continued...

If you keep your eyes and ears open...

2011-08-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

{School} is made for us to learn. And experience things. But mostly just to learn crap you'll {most likely} forget after you take the test. Let's get real here. But I can sure tell you... I have learned mucho life lessons this week. And because I know how incredibly {not} exciting my life is, I will tell you because I am quite certain that you are curious.

Lesson 1: I am a miracle. I can do anything. {props to Mr. Michael Warren Baser}
Lesson 2: Do not wear a super cute flowy dress on a windy day. It may {or may not} fly up & cause you to flash the world. In front of boys. No biggy.
Lesson 3: Do not shut the Sequoia's door while it is running, for the car will automatically lock itself in front of the Groscost's house until your sweet mother comes to save the day.
Lesson 4: Running feels so much better when you actually do it on a regular basis. Otherwise when you wake up to take the treadmill for a date you might get your little {my big} fanny kicked.
Lesson 5: Leaving campus for lunch {and not coming back} rules.
Lesson 6: Being extremely academically motivated & dropping psychology, trig, and the scholastic diploma... also rules. Like really, so worth it.
Lesson 7: Seminary is the greatest invention in the world, even better than the Reese's candy bar that you have probably never tasted, but should. Especially if you are looking for a positive change in your life. Because both of these things will cause that.
Lesson 8: Stress = zits. Zits = stress. Awesome.
Lesson 9: Being busy is okay.
Lesson 10: I heart stuco. It may be kickin' my trash by the end of the year, but hey, it's worth it.

Yep. I'm becoming more genius every day! Only a little bit.

school, yo.

2011-08-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

I is a senior.

And I loves it.

holly hearts summer.

2011-08-07T21:36:00.001-07:00

I will give no excuses for my blogger neglect/hiatus for the following reasons:

a. This summer has been quite marvelous.
b. Why would I be blogging when I could be
doing things that I'm about to tell you about?

*touche Holly, touche*

Is it weird that I seriously can't remember much of what went on in June? Most likely.

But here's what I actually have pictures of. Not that the rest wasn't fantastic. :) Because, well, this is the best & happiest summer ever had.

Fairmont Princess Resort.
4th of July weekend.
Three Dog Night. Five for Fighting.
FOOD. {Best chips y salsa i've ever had}
pool.pool.pool.
ma + pa + ryan = best company!

This is Claire. We're kind of bff's.
She models Holly's Headgear, I speak kind words to her.
I sing songs to her on her hard days.
See? Win-win! {name that movie}

EFY with Tina... hands down,
the most lifting, confidence-boosting, spiritual, happy experience.
EFY is an inspired program.
It's something life-changing that I wish
everyone had the opportunity to participate in.

Post-EFY temple square walk!
I love this place.
Can't wait to go inside someday. :)

{p.s. The organ recitals in the tabernacle are gold. Go.}

Disney Leadership Workshop with Stuco... pure amazing.
I can't get over how fun this was!
We spent two days in Disneyland
& lots of time at the beach.
{Let me just say... Disney is magical. More than ever.}

And this is most likely the most hilarious
picture from the whole summer.
Meet Dillon and his hairless cat, Benjamin.
{which is a girl, btw}

It's nearly impossible to explain how seriously.incredible. this summer has been. So much happiness has been revamped & found. It's been one of those times that I have been recognizing {so much more fully} how blessed I really am. It's been soul-searching & refining. Definitely not perfect, but just.what.I.needed. And hey, guess what! Heavenly Father answers prayers. That's all.

wedded bliss

2011-08-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

Maybe weddings are on my mind because I had a dream I was getting married last night. {to a positively impossible and unfortunate boy}. I dreamed I wore my dream wedding dress and that I looked utterly vintage fabulous. Too bad we didn't actually get married, my poor fiance...{when the preacher dude asked if anyone objected, my brother, Eric, and I both raised our hands}.

I just love weddings. I love the dress, the cake, the love, the white, the music, the love, the elegance, the photos, the love. I could just eat them all up! Weddings are magical.

Maybe I'm just a crazy teenage girl that has her big day planned out... but truly, I love them. Someday I want to do something with weddings. Got any ideas?

we = bff

2011-06-25T22:59:00.000-07:00

It appears that every time I blog, I talk about my friends. Yep. I love 'em. Tina and I have a super cute/talented friend who offered to take pictures for us. Her name is Shaylene {Life Lock Photography} and I love her a lot! Here is a lil' sample of the greatness:

a lil' shout out

2011-06-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have a friend.
Her name is Beth.
And let. me. tell. you.
She is incredible.

Beth is smart.
Beth is beautiful.
Beth is strong.
Beth is talented.
Beth is faithful.
Beth is wise.
Beth is hilarious.

She is a good listener.
She sings like an angel.
She is such a good example.
She has a contagious laugh.
She always has the spirit with her.
She is happy.
She is so hard-working.
She is super duper sarcastic and hilarious.
She loves everyone.

Beth moved away to NAU last week because she is a super genius. I miss her a whole lot, which is why I am posting this. {and also because she deserves every ounce of recognition in the world.}

If you ever see her, give her a hug for me and tell her that I love her.

Because yeah. I do. A lot.

feelin' good

2011-06-10T00:32:00.000-07:00

Today was pleasant. You know, the kind of pleasant where nothing is fabulously incredible, but everything there is, good or bad, is beautiful and happy.

I woke up this morning feeling a little sad and a little lonely-- for no good reason. I didn't want to wake up and go to summer school, I didn't want to be friendly or kind, and I just felt kinda icky about myself. Negativity was filling me up and boy, I didn't like it. I was sick of feeling that way.

I got down on my knees and asked Heavenly Father to help me be happy {and to help me to not fall asleep in summer school, but that's a daily thing}. I asked for peace, for comfort, and for the spirit. And almost immediately my morning turned around. I was all smiles, singing in the shower again.

Although today wasn't perfect, it might as well have been. I felt happy. Because let's get real. Summer school is boring. Ten hours is a long time. It is {insanely} freezing in my classes. It makes me super sleepy and I am pretty sure my brain shuts off after school, making nighttime a super lazy, I-don't-want-to-do-anything time.

But after I said a prayer asking for a lil' change of heart, I started to feel Heavenly Father's arms around me as he told me that everything would be okay and that He loved me. He opened my eyes to so many blessings that I have and things that seem hard, but are really happy, wonderful things in my life. Like summer school.

I have amazing teachers that love their job.
I get to learn about this incredible country I get to live in.
I am have really fun friends in my classes.
{old and new}
I have a reason to get up and ready before 6 pm every day.
I understand my AP government summer assignment better now.
I am meeting some incredible human beings... angels, I say!

Had I not experienced that mini-icky-ness this morning, I am not sure if I would have ever recognized how truly blessed I am to be where I am and to be doing what I am doing. He truly does answer our prayers. :)

Without darkness, there is no light.

feeling epic?

2011-06-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

I certainly love this here photo of Joseph, Parker, and me.
It was at the top of a mountain in the Alps and we were staring at an eagle feeding her little eaglets some worms in their nest atop a pine tree.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I lied.
We were at graduation standing on top of the bleachers.
But hey, this girl's got imagination.
And today she's imagining being productive and adventurous and exciting.

Happy summer. :)

bff's

2011-05-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

Fun fact #1: Blogging about graduation is much more difficult than you'd imagine. Why? Oh, because there are thousands of pictures you want the world to see and thousands of people you want to write about.
Fun Fact #2: Blogging about best friends is much more difficult than you'd imagine. Why? Oh, because there are thousands of pictures you want the world to see and thousands of people you want to write about.

Get the picture?
Bear with me. This post is long.

You don't have to read if you don't wanna. I really just want this for personal record. Because I love these people mucho. But if you're in for some tenderness/happy photos... continue your viewing.

Last week was the end of school/graduation/the end of a lot of really wonderful things. You see, I have the greatest friends in the world. Each one of these people I'm about to tell you about have gotten me through this year in one way or another- whether through sheer psychological support or something more tangible. This year has been amazing, don't get me wrong here. But it's been one big, fat learning curve and I've done a lot of things that I had never done before. Truly, honestly, I don't know what I would have done without such incredible, supportive, perfect friends.

This is Kristina/Tina/T-nazz/my other half.
She is my number one. My ^ other half.
She reads my mind and I finish her sentences.
I like to call it love.

This is Kevin. a.k.a. Kiko.
We've been bff's since what, kindergarten?
I love his stinking guts.
He's always been there for me no matter what.
I went to Prom with him and it was somuchfun!
He is my short buddy.
He is the best person in the world to play Monopoly with.

This is Parker. a.k.a. Parque.
Love this boy.
We've been through a lot together.
He is one of those people that will always be there
for a laugh, a hug, a smile, or kind words.
He is the perfect gentlemen.
I can always count on him for someone to be awkward with.
He took me to the Mormon Prom this year. Love.

These are a few of my choir buddies.
Kylie, Aaron, and Tina.
Seriously, I don't know if I would have made it
in A Cappella without 'em.
they.are.the.best.

Let me elaborate on Aaron.
We talk fashion.
We are going to buy matching shoes this summer.
I can always count on him to be brutally honest
or seriously so sweet whenever I need it.
He is an incredibly talented singer.
You're missing out until you get to know this kid.

This is Alison. a.k.a. Ogalogisogin Kogay Loginfogard.
speaking Og ^
She is a ray of sunshine. :)
Possibly the happiest person I know.
She is always beaming and giving hugs all around.
She has been such a great friend of mine since 7th grade.
Oh, I love her to pieces.

This is Sarah, Dillon, me, and Tina.
this picture just makes me happy inside.

Yeah, Dillon, love him.
He is the best person to chill with.
He always smells good and gives the best hugs.
We give each other the hardest time
but he is one of the kindest people I know.
Oh, and he never smiles for the camera. :)

This is the A Cappella alto section.
I love them all so dearly!
I secretly think we were the most loved. :)
ha! Clearly you can see, this group is
crazy.pure.awesomeness.

Derek! a.k.a. Dewek or sir Derek.
yes, he is tall.
It's a whopping 6'8" vs. 5' 1 3/4"
He is super funny and cool.
He is so genuinely just plain rad.
He's always got something nice to say
and loves Weezer with all of his heart.
Last year we went to morp together
and he was such a fun date!

This is Jonathan!
He was this year's student body president.
I love him so much!
He has such a kind, happy disposition.
I don't think I've ever heard him say anything
bad about someone else.
He's always there to help out or just to make a day better.
He has left some seriously massive shoes to fill.

This is Chris. I love him!
He has been one of my best buddies this year.
I had three classes with him all in a row.
I went with him to Winter Formal and he was so fun.
He taught me how to be sneaky. :)
He helped me through some pretty rough days
because he was right there with hugs and talks and sweet words.
He knows movie quotes up the wazoo.
He is probably the funniest guy I know
and I love him to death!

This is Rachel. a.k.a. Rachy Rach
She has also been such an amazing friend this year.
We met in Stuco where she befriended me and
was my buddy all year long.
She is the best for deep talks/being awkard/being boring with.
She made the DC trip so.freaking.fun.
She is the cutest/best friend ever.

This is Beth. :)
She makes me happy.
She is one of my best friends in the world.
She is the best example of a Christlike person.
She is such a hardworker/smarty. {top twenty status!}
She is an amazing musician.
She has the most sarcastic/dry sense of humor.
She is always there for me and every around her.
She is marvelous. Oh, I love her.

This is Connor. a.k.a. Connister
He is my next door neighbor.
I've known him forev, but we just became friends this year.
He is the coolest cat around town.
He is one of those people that I really value
their opinion about things.
He gives epic hugs/is epic.
He knows secrets like nobody's business.
He is such a great friend/neighbor.

This is Sarah. a.k.a. Sarbear.
She is so cool.
This girl loves life and loves comfy clothes.
She is so understanding and supportive.
She has been such an amazing support system to me this year.
She makes the lamest things seem so fun and happy.
I love her.

Yeah, I have the best people in the world right at my fingertips. There are so many more that I could talk about, too! I am going to miss the graduates SO much as they are going to college/going on missions/moving on with life, but I will always be so grateful for their friendship and the memories we have had! Oh, what a world it would be if I knew how I could possibly repay these wonderful people for all that they've done for me.

Lady Gaga

2011-05-25T20:29:00.001-07:00

Lady Gaga is a daughter of God.
And he loves her!
You > Lady Gaga = You are loved.

^This is a simple math equation
that proves that God loves you.

a sigh of relief :)

2011-05-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to Prom with one of my very best friends, Kevin! He was seriously the best date. He made it SO fun and put up with my giddy-ness all night long. He also helped me a TON {along with others} when it came to clean up and such! He's been there for me every step of the way. I will always be so grateful for him!

It felt SO good to just have a good time with my best friends after worrying about the "behind-the-scenes" elements for so long. And guess. what.

I never have to plan prom again. :)

It's been such a fun opportunity to have, and I am so grateful that I could work with my good friend Marlee on it! She worked so hard and pulled off an amazing prom. I mostly just did decorations, which I asked for. :) I had so much fun pulling things together and seeing a beautiful outcome! {I don't want to brag, but I think it turned out so well!} Yay!

It's been a blast, but it's also so nice to take a breather.

This is Kevin and I on our day activity. Our group took the light rail to the Diamondbacks, kinda. It turned out that by the time we would have gotten there it would have been super late, so we just stayed and walked around mill! SO fun! Bless his soul, he even bought us matching D-Backs shirts and we didn't even go. It ended up being one of the best dates I've ever been on!

me in my dress. Thanks to my dear mommy for modest-fying my dress and fixing my slip and helping SO much with decorations and being my mental backup and giving words of advice and spending so much of her time doing things for me, her selfish daughter, and driving me, her unlicensed loser daughter, around for countless errands. Try saying that in one breath.

Me and Kevin. Yep, love him to pieces!

So I definitely wore sparkly Chucks... best decision I've made all year!

This photo does NOT do justice of the location {Tempe Center for the Arts} in all of its blurriness and it was taken before the party was poppin'... but here is the idea :)

These are the centerpieces for the Lakeside room, a.k.a. the food room, a.k.a. the room with the view. This doesn't do justice either... the windows in this room are incredible. They overlook Tempe Town Lake with the bridge all lit up and candles aglow and love in the air. :)

I also got to make a headband for my friend, Danielle!
Oh I just love her so much.

Well, that's prom for ya! In a tiny, weird way... I kind of miss it! Not only was it one of the most fun nights of my life, I just had so much fun planning it with Marlee! :)

More update to come... life is crazy.

Happy Sabbath :)

a little slice of lately...

2011-04-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

Welp, to say the least, it's been a busy month. Sometimes I think about it and don't know how I survived! But then I remember that I have the best mom and friends in the world and that I am SO not alone. SO what in the world have I been doing with my life??!

First and foremost- watching American Idol. And I just think this piccy is super hilarious. hahaha.

I went to the five stake spring formal last weekend and it was SOO fun!! I had the coolest most studly date there, Parker Evans. It made me so happy that he asked me because he is one of my very best friends and I think so much of him. Thanks for a fun night, my friend. :)

Just a {huge} side note: Like I said, I have the best mother in the universe... she definitely sewed me my dress. And I. Loved. It.

I also ran for student body president and WON! I am SO. DANG. EXCITED.and cannot wait for a great year! We've got some incredible people on crew and I love them all so much. :) Thanks to my mom, again, for helping me with my ridiculous campaign. And for buying me these festive/gorgeous flowers {whether I won or not}.

Last but certainly not least: I have been doing lots of chillin with these guys right here. :) I love them. Oh so much. Oh, and I love Forest Gump.

Happy end of week.
FINALLY.
:)

1300 mustaches.

2011-04-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

Welp. I won. :)
And I can't wait.
Feelin' super grateful today.

hey, mesa goers.

2011-04-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

Holly just learned to grow facial hair...
she can do anything!

Vote Holly Dixon
student body president

:)

Trust the mustache!

prom? huh?

2011-04-10T01:01:00.000-07:00

prom. prom. prom.

It's been on my mind a little.
Because it is four weeks away.
And decorations are not done and ready.
Not all of them are purchased.
And...
I kinda have wanted a date haha!
Silly Holly. Little girl wanting to go to prom.
I blame me wanting to go so badly on this fact:
I have been planning it all year and know the following:
1. The location is beautiful.
2. The location is beautiful.
3. The location is beautiful.
4. Tempe Center for the Arts.
5. ^ is beautiful.
I have had such a blast getting ready for this.
It has been slightly stressful, really busy, and kind of insane.
But mostly SO fun.
I'm not going to lie, though,
the date thing slightly has made me a tiny sad.
Just because I know it would be so fun.
But boys are lame and aren't. asking. anyone.
Not that I would be heartbroken if I didn't go.
Or mad. Or whatev.
Just a little sad.

But hey.
Guess what.
I got asked today.
happiness. :)

His name is Kevin and I super love him!
We have been buddies since we were 5 or 6 or somethin'
and I just love him so much!

Needless to say,
I am a happy girl.

Spring Formal

2011-04-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

You know what is super happy? I got asked to Spring Formal last night! My most favorite person ever Parker is the :) Let me just say... it is going to be so fun! Parker is seriously the best person in the world. He is such a good friend and has done so much for me. I. Can't. Wait. for April 22!

hollaback, girl

2011-04-07T19:22:00.001-07:00

Genius Kristina just did a blog post that speaks for many.

Feel free to read: What is this reoccurring frustration with the male race??

To add on to that:

I like boys.

They are WAY cooler than girls, so I don't have much room to speak.

But lately, I feel as if they have a little evil man inside that adorable little head of theirs that controls their emotions and makes them super crazy and icky!

And some of them don't know how to be a good friend anymore.

Some are meanies.

And some are just too hotty-status for their own good. i.e. scotty mcreery

It's not like we're lookin' for a boyfriend to cuddle with, or a person to vent and cry to {that's what blogger is for, right?? haha.}, just a friend.

A friend that is normal. And not over-emotional. And is just as kind to their friends of the female race as they are to their dummy video games. {maybe not even that nice, dangit.}

That is all.

Oh! Also, please know that I, Holly, promise that I am emotionally stable and do not hate or dislike those of the male species.

The. End.

i have a question for ya.

2011-04-05T23:32:00.000-07:00

Would it be totally fatty/weirdo/crazer-status of me to make a grilled cheese sandwich at approximately 12ish pm?
Probably.
Will I do it?
DUH.

Under the Big Top!

2011-04-02T11:50:00.001-07:00

Morp was on Friday!
Let me just say...
it. was. so. fun.
I am kind of glad it is over now.
But it made it to my top two favorite dances!
{the other in tie being Mormon Prom sophomore year}

I was head of decorations and did a lot of the other planning for Morp as well...
I thought it turned out really cute!
Tons of people went, dressed up,
and seemed like they were having a ball.
That made me happy. :)

This was the eating area ^
complimented by Emily and Meagan in their cutie dresses.

Dance floor. This faux ceiling is just plastic table covering draped over wire hung from the ceiling. Doesn't it look awesome?! The crepe paper underneath lasted pretty as long as it needed to... about halfway through the dance. :)

Our group had dinner/the day activity in our backyard.
I'd say it was a success! My lovely mother helped me SO much and basically did all of the work while I was tied up at the school doing decorations. Thank you, Mommy!

We had the best group EVER!
Every time I look at this picture or think about the group I laugh out loud... quite literally. These people are SO fun and had the cutest costumes!! I love them. :)

This is Justin and I,
dressed as an organ grinder and a monkey.
He was such a fun date and I am happy I asked him!

Please excuse the awkwardness of above photo,
how do monkeys dance? That is my question.

Morp = awesome.
:)

Next on the agenda...

Prom.

utard.

2011-03-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

the week after DC was Spring Break... and what a better way than to spend it in the good 'ol SALT LAKE CITY! so. freakin'. fun.
I didn't take enough photos..
but for a little randomness,
I will post every single one i captured.

We saw the Adjustment Bureau.
It was golden.
Go see Matt Damon in all his glory.
Right. Now.

Chapman Branch library ^ this glorious place is within minutes of my Grandparents' home. Clod used to go every week as a wee one, and I've always wanted to go inside... I have a hankering for old stuff! I finally got to cross this one off my bucket list. :)

And of course, Temple Square. Ryan and I were able to show some friends around the square one night, and it was so fun! I love the temple... can't wait to go inside someday!

eye see dee cee

2011-03-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago I got the INCREDIBLE opportunity to go to Washington DC with student council!

It. Was. Fabulous.

Here are some of my favorite pics from da trip:

The White house. Did you know that no movie has ever been filmed in the White House? Very disappointing for us American President obsess-ers..

Library of Congress. So beautiful! This place made me wish I was a genius in the history of America.

View of the Capitol building from the Library of Congress. We went in the tunnel between the two, I am pretty sure! Ha ha.

Lincoln Memorial. I kind of have a crush on him.
Not pictured: Ford Theater.

National Monument. First night. This building is incredible!

Double decker bus tour #1 ^

Afton and I waiting for Ford theater tour.

In front of a gorgeous church, obsessing over this door.

I love DC and hope to go again someday... during cherry blossom season. :)

genius.

2011-03-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

You know who's a genuis? This girl --> Clodhopper.
I'm in love.

p.s. can't wait for her to come home Sunday!
woot. freakin'. woot.

It's a pillow... it's a pet... it's March.

2011-03-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

It's March!
You know what that means?
It means that Aims testing is happening{not for me, suckas!} and school is awesome for some. It means that bike riding is coming back into style, and that it is short sleeve weather. {BOO! Winter clothes ftw!}. It means that the world is falling in love. It means that AI is back in season and Tues, Wed, and Thurs nights are the bestest nights of the week. It means that boys will grow out their nappy mustaches. It means that Lady Luck will spread the love. It means that winter tiredness will turn into summer hyperness. It means that Pops will turn 58, Eve will turn 5, Liv will turn 2, and that grass will be green. I like March.. It's gonna be a LUCKY month.. I can feel it!

Here are a few fab fotos from fabulous February.
Just for the record:
I didn't plan the alliteration.
It just happened that way.

Sometimes I am creeper status whilst fake cuddling.

I sometimes like to make stuff,
and venture away from headgear.

If you're interested in a headband/clip/brooch/hat/necklace/something flowery happiness... drop me a line!

Happy March!

hello, happy

2011-02-22T21:33:00.000-08:00

Today I feel a bit like this ^
This is happy Holly.

and this is happy Mesa.

Oh, happy day.

loving on a monday

2011-02-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

hallelujah
[hal-uh-loo-yuh]

 1.Praise ye theLord! 
2.an exclamation of “hallelujah!”
 
3.ashoutofjoy,praise,orgratitude. 
4.a musical composition wholly or principally based upon the word “hallelujah.”


Yeah, there's no school today.
Hallelujah!
What shall I do to celebrate this glorious event?


 option a: bike ride adventure.
ER! That's the sound of a very loud, obnoxious buzzer.
It's too cold outside.
What happened to the warmy warm of last week?
It's AZ February.
It's supposed to be sweat weather already.

option b: shopping spree on bike
ER!
No monies, too cold.

option c: bake something
I am kind of in the mood.
But who wants to clean up afterward?

option d: be crafty
To be crafty would entail going to JoAnn's.
me + joann's = bike
we'll see. :)
hace frio.


Welp. Looks like I'm gonna freeze.

happy president's day!
and happy day 21.





 

my friends are better than yours. neener neener neener.

2011-02-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

Well, as it is easily seen, blogging up a storm has not necessarily been at the top of my priority list this week, as much as I would like it to have been. To be perfectly honest- I was using my greatest effort I could muster to keep sane. It was a grueling, long week filled with a little heartache here, a few {maybe a lot of} tears there. But ya know, I got through it. I am {working on} getting over this lil' rough patch and filling some large gaps.

Other than being an.. interesting few days, my eyes are opened so much wider than before. I've always been blessed with good friends, but it's really come to my attention the past few days how incredibly blessed I am when it comes right down to it. I feel SO lucky to know who I know and to know that they love me no matter what.

The love and hugs and encouraging words and notes and hang outs and more hugs given made me really aware of how good I really have it. I didn't feel alone anymore. I have the greatest friends! No really, I do.

I love them. Very very much.

loving on goals

2011-02-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

I love setting goals!
For a while now, I have made it a ritual to sit on the corduroy couch every Sunday afternoon and write out some goals for the week.
This does not necessarily mean that fate {a.k.a. my self-discipline} will allow me to succeed, but it is merely a channel in which I can write down what I want and how to achieve it.

This routine helps me to make commitments and thereafter better myself.

Lately it has been a wee bit difficult to do this. Why exactly.. I dunno. Maybe because I have bad Sunday napping habits? Or maybe because sometimes I feel a little inadequate to fulfill these goals and dreams. But you know, everyone does. Becoming a better "me" is a hard thing to do. But we can do it with a little bit of divine intervention.

Involving Heavenly Father- in my planning and goal setting, in my struggles and happiness, in my day-to-day, regular ol' life- helps me to recognize and feel His love for me.

I love Him.
and He loves me.
and He loves you, too.

and so. do. I.

Happy day thirteen.
:)

seven times the love.

2011-02-11T22:30:00.001-08:00

Here is a list of my lovlies for the last ya know, week or so. Call me a slacker.

Driving.
Watching more fabulous movies.
Ice blocking.
failing at volleyball.
beasting at Nertz.
delicious steak and cobbler.
Swooning over American Idol contestants.
lots 'o Mexican food.

Let me just tell you. I love. My. Life.

and happy birth to my favorite Ryan in the whole wide world. I love him!

Love me some weekend.

2011-02-06T21:29:00.000-08:00

I apologize for my lack of love posts. I promise I have thought about it, at least. But then I decided to watch movies and be lazy instead. Here are some things I love about this weekend.

First and foremost, I got my permit. You don't even know. This is a big. deal.

I also loved sleeping all of Friday night, then waking up to watch Hallmark movies with Clod.

I loved my delicious salad at Crackers. PUHH.

I loved that I ate like 5 pb+j's collectively.

I loved going on a date to pick oranges. Thanks, Alex!

I loved watching more Hallmark movies.

I loved the Kimball East roadshow.. at least what I saw of it!

I loved the pork salad via Cafe Rio. It was one of those "I-am-craving-this-so-much-it-feels-as-if-it-was-made-for-me" salads.

I loved church today. I love my YW leaders. I love the girls. They make me so happy.

I loved watching the Diary of Anne Frank when I got home from church. I have an odd fascination with WWII... I think it is so interesting! This movie was incredible to me. Kinda moving.

Thinking of WWII never fails to remind me of my sweet grandparents and their love story. They met on a blind date the day he got home from service in the air force. He was wearing his uniform and "looked so handsome" {grandma Dent}. How precious is that? I think it is lovely.

Happy day 6.

focusing on the love.

2011-02-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

Happy month of love day number three!

Today I felt like it was kind of hard to focus on the happy, lovely things. Well, it was hard to focus on anything in general. It was just one of those days where things just kinda kept piling on top of each other into a giant lump of eww. It started off really well, ended up awesome, but the middle was not so easy.

BUT despite my desire to curl up in a ball a lay in a heap of warmer-than-oustide-ness all day, I managed to find some happy among the sad.

Today I loved the headband I made myself.
Today I loved laughing really, really hard in Spanish.
Today I loved doing Ballet during choir warm-ups.{please note my severe lack of dancing ability}
Today I loved the bean dip I ate at dinner. {p.s. Serrano's doesn't have root beer anymore. And although I am not a huge RB fan, it is perfectly complimentary to Mexican food. No matter what you say.}

And my favorite part of the day, the one that seemed to turn it around, was this.

She is home. Halle-freakin'-lujah.

i just love.

2011-02-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

Today, I just love. I love everything.
It has been a happy, happy day number two.

I love this blissfully nippy weather.
I love that there was no A hour.
I love that school started at !0:05, rather than 7.
I love the Evans family, for hosting a delicous {and large} breakfast.
I love buttermilk syrup.
I love pretending to be asleep while watching UHF.
I love driving to school whilst jamming to Sara B.
I love 30-minute-long class periods.
I love chill days in choir.
I love leaving class to buy Doritos.
I love seminary & Mormon messages.
I love my friends.
I love excitement.
I love running through the parking lot.
I love blasting beats in the car with the windows rolled down.
I love skipping to the mailbox.
I. Love. naps. {esp. the kind where you don't mean to fall asleep, but you are in such a deep sleep you don't even know you're sleeping. Then you wake up and feel. so. good. and you're starving! Can you tell I just took one?}
I love American Idol. With all of my heart.
I love no homework.
I love love love that Mom is coming home tomorrow.

It's been one of those kind of days. It is so, so happy.
I hope your day two has been, too.

chinese food & english words

2011-02-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

It is officially the month of love! {according to the calendar.. I started early this year.} Happy day one.

Today I love the Pei Wei I had for dinner- I stepped out of the box and got the Teryaki Rice Bowl... so yum.com.

I loved lots of words today. Lyrics, fortunes, and kind words.

I've been listening to copious amounts of The Format today, realizing that I know every single word to the majority of their songs. And I'm proud of it. "My family's not rich by any means but I feel we won the lottery that day.." :).

My fortune cookie read: "You have some choice to make. Ethial behavior this week will benefit you in the long run." Seriously? Does fake China read my mind?

A friend of mine posted a status on facebook that I decided to copy.. it invited people to like my status, and in return I would tell them what I thought of every time I saw them. While replying to several people I felt so blessed to have the people I have in my life. I had nothing but kind words to say to them and I could have gone on for days just describing the way I feel about them! I'm surrounded by such wonderful, incredible people. And I love each and every one of them.

I've felt the love today. It must be February.

happy love month day one. :)

today's love.

2011-01-31T16:56:00.000-08:00

It is day zero of the Month of Love, and today I love a few things.

First and foremost, the rain. Yeah, yeah. Everyone who's anyone in Arizona loves the rain. Why? Because when it's not raining some might believe they are being swallowed whole by a gecko with a dry throat. {i.e. AZ summertime. Which I strangely adore.}. It was the perfect, barely humid, breezy, pleasant little cloudy day. The rain's pitter patter made my heart do likewise.

I loved choir today. Chris, Kristina, and I were being slightly overjoyous while singing, or.. not singing. Perhaps I should have paid a small bit more attention, particularly in the first half of class. It was fun, anyhow.

Today I also love math, only because it was useful for once. Who knew that Algebra II and Geometry had anything to do with MORP decorations? I sure as heck didn't. But my practices have come in handy.

Equally as loveable were the regionals results. Though I didn't audition, I accompanied Beth and tagged along to cheer on the rest of the choir gals. They all worked their TAILS off and did a marvelous job! I was only semi-jealous that I wasn't trying out this year. But congrats to the many Jackrabbits that made it! Way to represent.

And also, like every single other day of the year, I love my ma. As she is in Colorado this week with my sister and her lovely family, I am missing her very much. Thursday can't come soon enough.

Happy Month of Love, Day number zero.

getting a head start

2011-01-30T17:59:00.000-08:00

Frank Sinatra had four wives. But I believe he loved Ava the most.
She may have been a gold digger, and he may have been a drunk, but they were hopelessly in love. Can't you see it? This picture is so ridiculously happy it makes me want to vomit.

It's {almost} the month of love and I.Can't.Wait. Yeah yeah, I'm only 17 and I am addicted to love. Ya know, just love in general. I think it is fascinating. I get giddy watching romantic movies. I sigh when I see couples holding hands walking down Main. I play matchmaker in my head. I write in my journal about weddings. I'm not in love quite yet, and don't plan on being so for a long while, but I can't seem get enough of it. I dance around in my head just thinking about two people falling madly in love with each other. Hence, my love for Valentine's Day.

For every day of February I will blog about {and facebook, but that's a no-brainer} what I love most about that day, in an effort to recognize the more lovely parts of living. If you are reading this, join me!

happy. happy. month of love.

the famous fabulous five

2011-01-29T07:29:00.001-08:00

we are reunited.. and it feels. so. good.

q + a

2011-01-24T17:50:00.000-08:00

Yep. A questionnaire. Why? Because I like them. A lot. You should do it too!

What is on your bed right now?

One out of 5 pillows and an extremely cuddly comforter.

When was the last time you threw up?

Early December. Let's not go into detail.

Name 3 people who made you smile this week?

Sister Shaver, Kristina, and Barbra Streisand (watched Funny Girl today for the first time. love.)

What were you doing at 8 am this morning?

Getting a pass from a grumpy lady for permission to leave school. It is sick day today.

What is your favorite holiday?

Every holiday is my favorite, I'd have to say. But right now, Valentines day is making me a happy girl. It is just. so. adorable.

Have you ever been to another country?

Canada! Niagra Falls status.

Ever go camping?

Yes. I like it- in moderation.

Do you have a tan?

Once upon a time.. I did. And once upon the future.. I will!

Are you someone's best friend?

Actually, I am.

What are you doing tonight?

Going to my math tutor! She is wonderful.
I will probably do one of the following afterwards:
1. Do something for my mother that she has already paid me for.
2. Make a headband.
3. Print pictures for my frames.

probably number one.

Where is your mom right now?

Sitting next to me on the leather couch, probably on facebook or email.

Last person you talked to on the phone?

My saint of a math tutor.

Are you happy?

very. :)

Last song listened to?

Merry Happy - Kate Nash

Is anyone jealous of you?

That would be ridiculous. I hope not.

Do you hate anyone right now?

No way, Jose.

How many kids do you want when you're older?

Undecided. I want kids. Like, in a long time, of course. Having children frightens me. Never watch "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant." It will ruin it for you. I am not a crier- I cried. A lot. haha.

How old will you be turning on your next birthday?

18, folks. 18 :D

Have you ever been to Six Flags?

I have not.

Honestly, who was the last person to tell you that they love you?

Kristina Wilson. It was facebook love.

Did you have an exciting last weekend?

It was excellent! I slept and chilled a lot. Not so exciting- but I ate it all up.

How's your heart lately?

My heart feels happy. And Excited. A little bit mysterious. Stuck in the 1940's.

Will this weekend be a good one?

Should be! I will be accompanying Beth in regionals on Saturday. She sounds fabulous. I can't wait.

Have you ever worn the opposite sex's clothing?

This is a dumb question for the queen of wearing men's clothing. In fact, right now I'm sporting a Mesa High basketball t-shirt and sweats from the men's section of Sports Authority.

What is your relationship status?

I am a single lady.

Do you eat junk food everyday?

Those were the days of the past. Those were the days of last week.

Describe your best friend.

She: is incredible. Happy. Kind. Outgoing. Talented. Loving.
He: is amazing. Hilarious. Generous. Fun. Kind. Athletic. Random.

How late did you stay up last night and why?

11-ish PM. Why, you ask? Because I felt like it.

What's the connection between you and the last 3 people you texted?

Kristina Wilson: She is my best friend. Sister from another mister.
Dillon Harper: He is a funny boy. I like him a lot, too.
Angela Dunn: She is my sister, from the same mister. I loveth her a lot!

Do you like someone?

The answer to this question is very debatable at this point in time. Ask me when we aren't in cyber-life.

Have you ever kissed someone whose name started with an S?

No, sir.

I tag you if you are reading this. You're it.

p.s. blogger is making things very difficult these days. Anyone agree? or is it just me?

end of the week.

2011-01-23T20:04:00.000-08:00

I liked this week. It was a happy one. It was a very large leap up from the last- which was a fairly pleasant one, give or take a few days.. :]. This week was one of those that not a whole lot was planned and I felt as if I could do whatever I wanted after school every day. Throw in a VERY happy chiropractor appointment {which I will discuss on a later date..}Also, I didn't have any plans this weekend so I planned to be spontaneous. I like spontaneous.

Friday night brought a large headache, followed with a large meal {Gecko Grill. Love.}, then a large nap. I won't fail to mention that the nap was taken on a friend's couch, while everyone else watched a creepster movie, The Island, and I peacefully slumbered for over an hour. I was awoken by Kristina and Justin, who know me much too well, tickling me very profusely, which led to an involuntary kick to the coffee table. Moral of the story: Don't tickle me. It always ends badly.

Saturday, I was lazy. Super duper lazy. I woke up to clean the church at 8 am, which I think is respectable. It was a good way to start a lazy day off because I didn't feel quite so guilty sitting there all. day. long. Oh, and I went running. Which is also a mentionable accomplishment. {you'll understand why when we have that chiropractor discussion} But really, after that, I just daydreamed the whole day away- Did lots of online window shopping, thinking of the future, and thinking of happy things. I enjoyed myself. I have been very excited about headbands as well! Holly's Headgear went AWOL for the holidays to search for supplies and such, but all orders are complete and Holly is ready for some new ones. :) Here's a few I've been working on!

Please excuse the cellphone quality photos.. this girls camera went kapoot last weekend and is currently working on a replacement. But hooray for new cellphone with decent camera!

stay tuned for an esty shop.
this week. i'm determined.

happy new week!

facebook stati

2011-01-20T19:44:00.000-08:00

I have come to the conclusion {one that my mother probably came to much earlier than I} that I get really chatty after school. Normally, I have pretty happy days. *I at least try too* Ya know, because school would vex every ounce of happy juice out of me otherwise. ANYWHO.... I talk about my day.. nonstop! I am not nearly this chatty when I am actually at school, because I might get a whoopin' in one of my classes and come home with no happy news to talk about. I save all of my energy for after school wordy time. Today has been the chattiest in a while.

Today has been such a wonderful day! :) And I just felt an overflow of excitement... so I posted this facebook status:

Today's events: Falling in love with a romantic lovlieness place. Getting a happy package in the mail. Babysitting some adorables. Playing Uno in Spanish. Making super secret evil plans {heheh}. And adding math to her hitlist. Ya know, the usual.

And here is my explanation {just because I would like to get this off my chest one more time}:

1. I fell in love.. with a secret location! The junior class plans prom every year and we have been working super hard on getting it going. And today, I got to see a magicland called ***** ****** ** *** ****! Basically, it is the most romantic, beautiful, classy, perfect perfect perfect places I have seen. Ever. Except for my DREAMS, of course. But seriously. If you are a boy of age that goes to Mesa High you had better ask a sweet girl to prom this year! There's a little lady out there that would really love it if you'd ask her. AND.. prom is going to look/be spectacular. :) GO! Bah. I just l.o.v.e. it.

2. Happy package = ipod case from amazon.com. Yep. Love. That's all.

3. Devlin, Eve, and Iris came over to play while their parentals were at choir practice. We {well, at least me} had a lot of fun scooting, swinging, spinning, and cinema-ing {watching Toy Story 3 in Granny's room}. And omg, to be 5 again. I loved getting grass stains and sailing down the basketball court on a razor scooter.

4. Yep. Mr. Moody is the coolest and allows us hoodlums to play uno in the back of his classroom while the rest of our class gets an "education" while watching Hercules in Spanish. Not that this is a regular occurance or anything..........

5. This is a secret. And totally not worthy for cyberland to hear! Not that you yourself aren't worthy, but the individual(s) this certain evil plan applies to are frequent user(s) of the www. Maybe in time it will be made known to you all what this super secret evil plan entails, but it will be a long while until them. This announcement was only for suspense, you see.

6. Sometimes I want math to die a horrible death. Maybe I should make a super secret double evil plan for this...... hmm....

Welp. Now that you know I am kind of a crazy woman whose mind goes a little wacko after a day of public schooling, have a happy rest of Thursday. I will be sitting on the leather couch and watching American Idol. {love the judes, btw.}

birthday week.

2011-01-16T14:47:00.000-08:00

Ah, what a wonderful week to turn 17. 'Twas perfect. It has been full of happy moments, happy friendships, and {mostly} happy days! I presume that the next few weeks will be surprisingly difficult, due to the fact that I have been utilizing the term "birthday week" for every ounce of rationalization I could squeeze out of the little devil. An epic fail is looming over my head, particularly in the "New Years Resolutions" category; I have completely dismissed my goals to be healthy and get back into tip-top running shape {freshman style} simply because I could get away with it. I love birthday week. :)

This, sadly enough, is the only picture taken on my birthday. Actually, this one makes me feel quite happy. I was lucky enough to be a lucky recipient of The Guild of Roses, an adorable group spawned by a desire {a very attractive one, if I do say so myself} to bring back chivalry in its fullest. Oh yeah, and to satisfy your inquisitive mind that I know is just dying for an answer, that is, indeed, one nail painted a pretty red on my left hand. I just had to test- but seemed to not notice it was still there the next morning!


This is Kristina, as you all probably very well know. She is my best friend, and I love her a lot a lot a lot. That is three a lots, and that means pretty much infinity. Well, her birthday is on Tuesday, and mine was last Monday. The 10th and 18th are so close together! We figured it must be destined to have a birthday party on the 15th, thus our celebrations last night.

It was actually lovely. My sweet mama worked her little heart out in the backyard and made a perfect little birthday sanctuary for us. It was a sweet little {slash kind of big-ish} shindig with mallow-roasting, delicious eating, and lots and lots of hugging. It was kind of blissful. These are my favorites from the entire night... capturing some of my favorite little funny/happy moments.


Oh. You might not know this! These are my two best friends in the whole wide world. ^ They are super duper fabulous!

Also, on Friday night Kristina and I decided to gift ourselves to some of our favorite things.
happy movies {tangled- omg. love.}
funny children {her adorable cousin, abigail}
movie theater popcorn
sour gummy worms {trolli is the only way to go}
caffinated drinks {pepsi for me, doctor pepper for her}
really hilarious car rides

umm, yeah. I love her. Happy birth to us.

Some equally exciting events of last week include:
falling asleep in Spanish only once! {this is an improvement, I promise}
getting a sweetheart of a science buddy named Cassie
going out to birthday lunch with mother
getting free donuts at Krispy Kreme
feeling as if my short hairs are growing at a substantially fast rate! 
Needless to say, it has been an absolutely incredible week. I've felt so blessed and grateful for my awesome friends and family that I have in my life. They've made this birthday an excellent one, and the happiest one yet! I am one. lucky. girl. {did Britney Spears' "Lucky" just pop in your head? It did in mine.} I love you all very much!

happy birthday week.

it's birthday weekend.

2011-01-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

I am pretty positive that I am going to a terrible place when I die.
I have been naughty.
Why is this, you may ask?
It's because it's birthday weekend.

And I can do whatever. I. want.

yet, despite my ignoring of all set resolutions,
pounds of sugar and all-things-delicious intake,
and hours of watching television and movies,
we have some more important business to attend to!

Happy birth to my sweet mother and brother yesterday!
I love them very very much.

happy endings.

2011-01-01T21:06:00.000-08:00

I love happy endings.
When they fall in love.
Find a miracle.
Come to positive conclusions.
and create happiness.

this week has been sort of a happy ending.
to the year slash decade, ya know!
I didn't quite fall in love.
or figure everything out.
but there have been little miracles all around.
and every day I am finding more happiness.

These are my best friends.
They are happiness.

This is the snow.
Which is happiness..
from inside the cabin.

Oh yeah, and it's delicious.

and it's incredible.

to look at.

This is new years Holly.
Holding something sparkly.

That's always happiness, right? :)

happy new decade. and year.
and everything else.

happy ending.

snow. snowy. snowity woity.

2010-12-28T22:21:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I'm going on a young women retreat with my ward.
And we're going to the snow.
As pictured above,
I have happy, happy memories in the snow.
But I don't remember how it was.
Millions of 4-year-old-curious-kid-status
questions are whirring through my brain.

What does it feel to walk on it?
What does it taste like?
How cold is it, really?
If a snowflake hits you in the face,
does it burn your face off in coldness?
Are snowball fights really fun?
Do snow angels really turn out.. angelic?
Will I get wet?
because I don't like being wet.
or cold.

Is it really as magical as the cinema makes it out to be?

I'll just have to see for myself.

icannotwait.

it's good to have him home.

2010-12-28T10:18:00.000-08:00

My brother Ryan came home
from his mission in August.

It's good to have him home.

another best friend of mine.

2010-12-27T16:15:00.000-08:00

Her name is Sara.
Sara Bareilles, that is.
But hey, we're on a first name basis, right?

This lady is so talented.
And creates excellent music.
I could listen to her cd's till the cows come home.
And let's get real:
I probably will.

I splurged on a few cd's a while back..
leaving me broke, yet satisfied.
One of them was Sara's newest album,
kaleidoscope heart.

lovelovelovelovelove it.

Needless to say,
if anyone is feeling extra super generous..
gifts are appreciated in this form:

yeah, it's the sheet music.
nbd.

how completely perf for a piano-lovin',
sara-obsessin',
girl.

;)

sick day.

2010-12-26T19:56:00.000-08:00

I stayed home from church today.

Normally, I can deal with the 8:30 business and enjoy all 3 hours.
I love church.
It makes me happy and I feel the spirit.
I'm surrounded by some of the most excellent people I know.
..most of which I've known since birth.

But this morning, upon my mom awakening me to "get up and get going,"
my Christmas goody-filled body gave my stomach, head, and willpower
a reason to stay in bed. Sugarheadache.com status: I felt awful.

After a 12-hour sleep, waking up around one, I sat down at the computer
to check my facebook.
To read up on updated blogs of dear friends and family.
To listen to sweet tunes gifted from Christmas.
and to just do whatever I please.

and I'm still. sitting. at. the. computer.

What a wonderful world it is-
one in which I don't go to school for two weeks and can do things
like lolly gag on the internet/itunes for hours on end.

Now, after a day of rest and slowly weening myself off
of cookies and candy and other sugary, fatty foods
in preparation for my new years resolution:
no sugar/no soda movement..
I feel lovely.

Hurray for facebook/blogging/new music to upload on itunes.

I may be brainwashed now, but I. Feel. Great.
Here's to a more productive Monday.

my life today.

2010-12-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

welp. I surprisingly have had a lot to tell these last couple of weeks... but haven't had time to even breathe! This may be a{really} long post.. so sit back, make yourself some hot chocolate {which yes, i've been doing plenty of}, and enjoy.

First and foremost: Harry Potter 7 part one.
L.O.V.E.
a. I can't wait for part 2.
b. what the sketch when Ron was trying to break the horcrux?
c. iloveronaldweasley.
d. Jacket? Hot Topic. I'm classy.

This is me sleeping at a non-opportune moment.
a.k.a. staying up late to do crazy devil math homework...
and sleeping in class.

Quiltfest!!!
Mesa High has this tradition wherein we make 60-ish
quilts for cold families to have during the winter.
It was such a happy experience.

Stuco Thanksgiving dinner/bonfire was also TIGHT.
We all drew names and wrote our pick-ee a thankful letter.
It was tender.com.
And my friend Jonathan wrote me the nicest letter in the world.
hooray for kind people.

Spanksgiving!
This pic ^ was not on Thanksgiving..
but taken at the beloved, fabulous Rosas.
I love my sisters!
Wish Rachel and Jen could have been in the pictorial.

Long, grueling choir room dealings have been goin on as well.
Lots of performances and such have been happenin'.
Like... concerts. vespers. etc.

aww... it's Daniel Merkley's farewell. :)

Love him!

First Ribs experience, courtesy of stuco advisors..
texas roadhouse edition.
And last night was Winter Formal! :)

This is me and my super cool date..
Chris! :) he was so fun.
I'm glad I asked him!

the whole groupy shmoopie. ^

And this is how I feel now.
Exhausted times a negative infinite number.
Does that remind you of how much you hate algebra 2?
It does me.
You're probably exhausted too, after reading that marathon
blog post about my life!
Please forgive me..
maybe I'll get back in the game and have a normal life again.
K? K.

happy sunday.
And first day of Christmas!

Boutique.

2010-11-27T12:13:00.000-08:00

So I have a little er... business, you could say.
It's called Holly's Headgear.

I make and sell fun headbands, hairclips, and accesories,
mostly pertaining to the head.

It started out as a way for me to earn money
towards buying a piano for my room.
And after looottts of headbands and hard work,
I did it!
After the feat, I decided I love doing it. No matter the cause.
And continued to make headgear.

So, I'd like to announce..
Holly's Headgear is having a boutique! :)

December 7th.
6-9 pm.
My house.
Come and go as you please.
It will be so fun!! :)

Just in time for Christmas...
headgear makes a super fun and easy gift!

So come and enjoy, bring your friends,
and purchase if you'd like!
I'd love to see you there.
:)

p.s. if you need an address/directions/have any ?'s..
feel free to email/text/call/visit/holler.

All Dressed Up

2010-11-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

So I have an odd obsession with getting all dressed up.
I just love whippin' out the skirts and dresses.
and heels and tights.
and lipstick and updo's.
and lace and pearls.
And just going somewhere special.

I makes me want to smile.
and sing.
and dance.

Which is weird..
because I don't like dancing that much.
Even though I do it all the time.
{basically, it just stresses me out and makes me feel self conscious}

But anywho, my point is.
I want to play dress up.
And be fancy.
And pretend to be a princess.
And go somewhere special.

just for fun.

lemon&honey vs. heaveninacup

2010-11-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes {espesh today} I wish this:

Tasted a little more like this:

Certainly the tingle-down-my-spine,
warm and happy, h-core
love and excitement for Christmas can cure my ailments.

wouldn'tthatbenice.

Ooh.... she'll have a perfect day.

2010-11-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

Not one day is ever perfect.
But today was the *perfect* mixture of
fun
and entertaining
and happy
and frustrating
and embarrassing.

But I chose to let it be the perfect day.

It was one of those...
'today is going to be a really good day' mornings...
and man, it was. :)

I woke up late.
Straightened my hair the speed of a cheetah.
Forgot to eat breakfast,
..hence my bones achin' from the antibiotics.
My a hour math class was just one of those boring, hard ones.
I had lots of those trippy moments...
..like when I tripped on the stairs while walking with bff Payson.
..or when I was just walking and talking to Tony
and my books went flying.
Or when I was also walking and talking with Tony
and got hit really hard by a door.
I called someone in my science class by the wrong name.
..and I've known him since kindergarten.
And I was summoned to tell the story of my car "accident"
like 10 times. Which is an unfortunate story to tell.
I don't enjoy it.

But despite the bad and the ugly.....
There was so.much.good. to go along with it.
There always is.

I love today.

Today is Harry Potter. {!!!!!!!!!! :D}
I got moved to a super fun corner in environmental science.
I *finally* understand who the three nephites are. {kind of}
Someone told me they thought my hair looked really long.
I've officially decided that the antibiotics are working..
a.k.a. the whooping
{and yacking, and scratching, and wheezing} cough..
IS GOING AWAY!!!
I came home to a salsa roast,
which will be my meals for the next 4 days.
I am going to buy a Harry Potter shirt in approximately..
30 minutes.
Then going to HARRY POTTER for the midnight showing! :)

I am so-ho-ho grateful for days like today
that let me just feel a little weightless.

five minutes.

2010-11-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

I am giving myself 5 minutes to write.
And this is that kind of nonstop writing,
where you just write down everything you are thinking.
Why am I doing this?
Because my brain is going WILD today!
Omg. It really is.

Ready, Set, Go.

Today is Wednesday. I like Wednesdays.
This morning Kristina and I went to get hot chocolate at the local Q-tizzle,
only to find a stampede of the cool people from Mesa High.
It was insane.
I won't lie, we were probably only in there for 120 seconds.
But man, that warm chocolaty goodness was worth it. :)
About 2 hours later, the temp was *perf.*

Today I had a serious talking to by one of my teachers.
It kinda made me feel like crap wap
and also made me feel a little like crying.
And I don't cry.
But after that, in seminary, we had a lesson about gratitude.
And it made me really grateful for the people in my life.
Even the ones that make life a little hard sometimes.

I love to sing.
Did you know that?
Probably not, because for the last 4 weeks I have had
"special people lungs" that don't let me sing much anymore.
I really miss singing.
But! I have a genius doctor that looks {exactly} like Clay Aiken
and prescribed me with some remedies for whooping cough.
I am so excited, you don't even know.
Maybe singing in Vespers in December won't be that bad, after all.

So, I asked a boy to winter formal a couple of weeks ago.
His name is Chris! And he is super cool.
I hope he says yes! :)

I realized this week that I am really boring at school.
I walk to my classes slowly.
I sleep a lot.
I don't talk a whole lot in my classes.
And I do homework during lunch.
Good thing I have friends that know I'm normal on the weekends.

Hey, Harry Potter 7 part one comes out in theaters tomorrow night.
Who's got two thumbs and is super giddy about it?
This girl.
I will wear my red and gold striped socks
and go with a girl dressing as Luna Lovegood.
iloveharrypottermorethanlifeitself.

Actually, I love seminary more than that.
Just sayin'.
It is the happiest part of my day.
I love it.
I love my teacher.
I love my class.
And I love the gospel.
Third hour is just a happy class.
And I am super grateful for such a blessing.

Hickly Sickly

2010-11-12T21:59:00.000-08:00

This title ^ is one that I was given by a friend the other day..
because I am a sickly child!

I think those words sound really........ unfortunate.
What else sounds unfortunate, you ask?

COUGHING.

I hate it.

so
so
much.

like, so much.

Coughing is of the devil.

Except.. I can't seem to stop.

interesting.

One thing that I am realizing I'm really grateful for..
is singing.
I miss being able to sing.
I love it a lot.
And I'm overly excited for the day when my lungs will let me sing again.
I will sing Christmas songs.
*I can't wait*

Good thing today is Friday, and tomorrow is Saturday..
and the next day is Sunday.
I really, really like that thought.

Happy {healthy!} Weekend.

p.s. I am obsessed with these:

the mint holiday m&ms.
feel free to buy me a year supply.
no, seriously.

What's Poppin?

2010-11-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

Life lately is just happy.
Filled with random memories and laughs.
I like it, a lot.

Just because we are really cool,
I asked Ryan to go to Globe with me,
school dance style.

...and he said yes! :)
And let me say.
El Rey = PUH.com

I have a really awesome mom that:
Does anything and everything for her calling ^
{a.k.a. dresses up like Where's Waldo for Halloween with the primary presidency.}
Drives me everywhere because I am really good at avoiding the permit test.
{kill me!}
And does everything for everyone.. just because she's nice.
and I love her a lot.

And this is Kristina.
We are best friends.
She is beautiful.
And I love her.

That's all.
Have a happy Veteran's Day tomorrow..
I know I will!
Hallelujah, praise the school board.
No school tomorrow.
Just some markin' of quilts and happy times.
And staying up late tonight eating bean dip and playing rock band.
I.Can't.Wait.

slowing down a little.

2010-11-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

Guess what! Homecoming week is OVER! Tight.

This is Chloe and I taking a lil' break from homecoming heck.
a.k.a. Making a wish at a water fountain after a super fun lunch at Paradise with the girls!
a.k.a. Me modeling my outfit every day of those couple of crazy weeks ^

Occupation Day.. sadly, the only photographed spirit day.
pictured: P.E. coach. hobo. 5o's housewife.

bonfiya!

This is the Junior Class Float!
a.k.a. what made Homecoming CRAZY.
Being in charge of something like this is super hard..
but totally worth it. :)
I definitely couldn't have done this without all of the sweet souls that
helped. donated. sacrificed. got frustrated. lost body parts.
Talk about emotional roller coaster!
But hey, we won!! :)

This is most of the lovlies that were actually on the float during the parade..
also couldn't have survived without them!!

This ^ is what I wanted to do right after I found out we won.
The news was super exciting.....
but man, after I heard that I realized how TIRED I was!

And after a week of no sleep, lots of hard work, funny memories,
and happy/scatterbrained days...
was the dance. :)

It was SO fun and it was a great way to end the weeks of stress and BLAH!

This guy ^ made it SO fun! Thanks Jaden! :)

2010-10-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

Life is good, I promise.
I am happy.
The world is {pretty much} a wonderful place.
Smiles are frequent.

I've been doing things that I never pictured myself doing
{in a good way}
and getting through things I never thought I'd have to.

But man, life is good.
I love it.
and also, I love these guys:

are we human, or are we dancers?

2010-09-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got a little present on my doorstep just for me.

It was wrapped all tidy and cute in a little square box.
I opened it all up, still keeping the paper nice and neat and still cute,
and this is what it said:

"Aww, yay! But wait... who in the heck is asking me to homecoming????"
{my exact words.. I had no clue!}

So I solved the puzzle.

It had dogs on it.

And this is what it said underneath! :)

Jaden's pretty much my bff.. Love him!

I'm super excited, yo.

Now for the answer.....
got any good ideas???
Haven't decided if I'm gonna say yes yet... :)

bugged.

2010-09-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

This is Holly being bugged..
because school/life is hardcore and stressful.

Good thing that life is still good and happy...
cause really, it is. :)

Spirit Week

2010-09-19T21:22:00.001-07:00

This last week was SPIRIT WEEK at Mesa High!

Derek and I on Terrible and Terrific Tuesday

Wild West Wednesday..
a.k.a. Indian in the Cupboard

Old Fogie Friday..
a.k.a. this guy:

not pictured:

Silly Sock Monday & Spirit Thursday
and the football game on Thursday night!
'twas an unfortunate loss.
But whatev, we've still got the best school in the west.

Wow, I love life.

2010-09-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

Man, life is good.
I'm definitely happy to say that Junior year is kickin' off to an AMAZING start! :)
Here's what's been goin down in my lil' life as of late.....

Attending lots of fun parties/just hangin' with my super fun/TIGHT friends.

Car adventures. :)
We definitely almost lost our lives to a total freakster hydroplaning incident.
It was pouring rain.
Like holy crap style.

CarPOOL adventures with fun boys! :)
{sweaty, nast adventures might I add..}

Welcoming home my older bro, Ryan, home from his mission to Croatia/Slovenia/Serbia!
SO fun to have him home.. :)

Living the assembly life like a madwoman.
This is at the sports assembly.. presenting our class cheer!
a.k.a losing the seniors in volume, winning by pure tightness of class.
muahaha.

Sporting this Target bag... best purchase of my life!
Definitely worth every penny of 14.99.
This bag and me.. we are in love.

Babysitting incidents.
a.k.a. me not knowing how to change a diaper..
and Kristina coming to save my/the baby's life.
Wow. I'm a loser! haha.

StuCo family time :).
awh.. i love them!

Burying the Westwood Warrior..
=
awesome.

and going to my first football game of the season! :)
Sad day, we lost 26-21.
But it was a great night.
and it made me really, really grateful..
for really, really great friends..
that care about me and help me to do what's right.
I love them.

Life is super happy..
and I am lovin' it!!

Perfection.

2010-08-22T00:15:00.000-07:00

Let me just say..
I know a magic recipe.

And was does this recipe concoct, you ask?

It makes a crappy, crappy weekend..
turn to a happy, happy one.

10 hours of sleep in one night/waking up at almost noon
not getting anything done because you are spending time with people you love.
falling asleep on a really comfortable couch with friends all around you.
eating right/real meals rather than fast food.
not dying in hydroplane-freakiness.
POURING, warm, monsoon rain.
swimming in a pool in the rain.. in your jeans.
getting warm and dry after being cold and wet.
listening to Pandora, window open, laying on your bedroom carpet.. whilst listening to the rain outside your window.
thinking about fun, happy memories.. and replaying them over and over again.

I can officially say..
I have my mind/life back.

24 hours ago.. I never thought I'd be able to say that.

It's amazing what the atonement and spirit can do.

A dilemma.

2010-08-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

This is a lemon square.

Ya know, I can kinda cook/bake.
but I don't know how to make these.
This is a dilemma.
Why?
Because...
I have a rude, monstrous craving for some right now.

Mommy come home....
and help me make lemon squares.

:)

Happy Monday.

these people make me happy.

2010-08-15T02:29:00.000-07:00

These are a few choice people.. and they make my life wonderful. I love them!! :)
alex + kevin + rachel + sion + parker + emma + kelcie + kristina + greasy food
= a really fun day.

First Day of School: Take two

2010-08-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is my real first day of school outfit.
On the second day..

This is the froyo I ate after school with this girl:

And this is this girl.

After a very, extremely sweaty first day of school, Kristina and I got froyo with her little sister/friend! It was super yummy, and I really liked the sprinkles in the middle.
We basically just went because it was Wednesday and that means that tart cherry and vanilla are being served. Which = delightful.

School is super fun! I love {most of} my classes and have made lots of new friends.
Basically, I just love Mesa High.
Nothing beats drinking oj then stepping on campus at 6:50 am.

Like really, it's the best.
:)

Happy School Days, folks.

On a Roll.

2010-08-11T05:59:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's 6:01 AM and I am completely ready for the first day of school.
For StuCo reasons I am proud to wear Mesa High garb today..
and will save a real first day of school picture for tomorrow!
Hooray for school/excitement!!

missionaries.

2010-08-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

This is me and all my glory at the end of the day.

and in this picture I am thinking about lots of happy, happy things.

{i.e. THIS GUY coming home in T minus 18 days.}

anywho..

This is Kristina and I. In this picture we are thinking about this guy:

and his happy decision to be baptized this saturday.

This is me being ticked that I can't be there for him on his special day.

But, to counteract my ticked-ness with happiness....

This is Brody and I..

and this is Brody and I being super happy..
because he just opened his mission call.

and this is me..

Being extremely grateful for the gospel in my life and a temple nearby.
and for special friends just like the ones I mentioned in this post.
and for missionaries,
and for miracles.

happiness.

2010-08-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

So you know how sometimes you're just... meh?

Well.
Tonight I am just meh.
I don't like feeling meh.
At ALL.
And truthfully, it doesn't happen that often.

So instead of telling any reasons why I could possibly be meh,
for my own pleasure {and if you are entertained, that is a bonus}
I am going to make a list of things that make me really, really happy.
Because that's just what I like to do.
p.s. this list is in no particular order..
I am just listing things until I feel better. :)

1. Coloring with crayons. 'Spesh the bright, colorful ones.
2. Running my heart out. Or, just until my body feels like it's going to break.
3. Writing stuff. Like any stuff.. journal, BLOG, essays, letters, you name it.
4. Smiles. anyone's smile makes me happy. No matter how yellow or snagglie the teeth.
5. Old men and old ladies / lovers holding hands like they are holding on for dear life
{heaven knows they probably are :) }
6. Park benches.
7. Pedicures. Fresh ones. With fun colors.
8. Laying on my stomach, on a towel, soaking wet, smelling like chlorine after a 5 min. dip in the pool, in 115 degree weather.
9. Brushing my teeth.
10. Sewing-craftiness.
11. New shoes. They really do make me happy.
12. Pretending I am Mozart and really good at the piano.
13. Making popcorn with twice as much butter and salt than it calls for.
14. Window shopping.
15. pearls.
16. The 500 days of summer soundtrack.
oh how I would love someone for gifting that to me..... bahaha.
17. Sunday naps... the kind on the couch where you are drooling for 4 hours straight
and don't move an inch.
18. Waking up at 9:45. It is the best time to wake up.
19. Finding a pair of jeans that fits my large booty and short legs for <394875983 face="trebuchet ms"> And that happened yesterday, which is happy. Target = my saving grace.
20. Reading a book and not being able to put it down, it's that good.
Just did that with Dear John. I. loved. it.
21. Tulips. They are my favorite. Like, all colors.. but 'spesh yellow.
22. Vacuuming. So satisfying.
23. hot chocolate on rainy days.
24. Dry clothes after playing in a rainstorm.
25. Stop signs. They are cute.
26. Swinging. Like, on a swingset.
27. Livestrong bracelets.
28. Goodwill shopping.. half off sat. anyone? :)
29. Snuggies. Greatest invention ever.. I use mine every day.
30. Taking naps in the car on road trips. I love it.
31. The lovely/random combination of Pepsi and a fast break after a weird/hard-ish night.
32. Lemons. i.e. lemonade, lemon water, lemon cuteness, eating lemons, the color of lemons, etc.
33. Mowing the lawn. Except this crappy summer bermuda poo grass is making my allergies make me hate life. Hooray for life in a few months when mowing the lawn won't make me itchy/sneezy/red/bumpy/speckly anymore.
34. Falling asleep on the carpet in my jeans because I am so tired. Best feeling.
35. Bic pens.
36. Pencil boxes.
37. My orange wall.
38. Watching people in the airport, a.k.a. my fave pastime.
39. Roasting mallows/making s'mores.
40. Calling fm 108 to request Why Don't We Just Dance for the hundreth time,
even though I know the line will ALWAYS be busy.
41. Weddings. Everything about them.
42. Cupcakes. Making them, and eating them.
43. Hugs. I thoroughly enjoy them. I always do, and I always will.
They will never fail to put a smile on my face.
44. Singing. Yeah, singing.
45. Riding my bike places, even when it is completely unneccesary and I can get somewhere in a more convenient fashion.
46. Laying in bed on a Saturday morning for like an hour, just because I can.
47. Talking on the phone. Just talking.
48. Making lists of goals in life. * I have several.
49. Getting all dressed up. Ahhh... I love it. :). It makes me feel warm and sparkly on the inside and it makes me feel special.
50. Hats. I like hats, a lot. Like, a lot.

I am happy.
:)
AND... I feel better now!

name that movie.

2010-07-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address."

name that movie.

Thinkin' Deep.

2010-07-30T00:50:00.000-07:00

So I have this disease.

It's not really a disease.. just a thing.
and it's called:
I am kind of nocturnal.

I think better at night.
I function better.
I do better work.
I speak less,
and think more.
I feel the spirit easily.

I am peaceful and still in the wee hours {like, 1-ish. like, now.}

School starts up again soon and I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed.
*so much to do, so little time- style.

Tonight I was invited to an institute class that my seminary teacher from last year was teaching.
Despite my feeling extremely out of place, the lesson was fabulous
and got me really excited for having seminary every day again.

The lesson was about Joseph Smith and the early pioneers of the church-
we talked about and studied the trials they went through and how the got through them.
My eyes were opened to the obvious fact that these are real people.
They struggled more than we could ever know.

Just like Joseph Smith and his peers, we are pressured.
We have trials.
We are locked up in our own unique prisons.
We are tested and tried.
We get overwhelmed.

I get overwhelmed.

But tonight, as I am in my prime of thought process..
I am choosing to be overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude.

Thoughts by Holly.

2010-07-24T18:41:00.001-07:00

There is only one thing I absolutely LOATHE about Arizona. And that is the fact that no matter how much anti-perspirant deodorant I apply, no matter how much a/c is blasting in the house/car, and no matter how much I try to hide it, within 10 minutes of putting on a shirt.. I am sweating.

I over think texting people WAY too much. I don't necessarily enjoy texting and I don't text that often these days, but when I do send a text I take FOREV to reply. Why is this? It is because I carefully put every word I use in the text and read it over at least 4 times before I send it. I'm not usually an over thinker.. but with texting, it's basically obnoxious.

Why is it that facebook is so addicting? It's really boring, in fact. Yet.. I find myself on it a lot more than I should be.

Dear Hair,
FREAKIN' GROW!
Love, Holler.

I wonder if John Travolta and Robin Williams make other people want to
vomit as much as they do me.

T-exactly one month until Ryan comes home.

I said it once, and I'll say it again. Me and Pandora are a match made in Heaven.
I command you, if you are reading this, to go to pandora.com and create an account. Right now.

Double-Sided tape = TIGHT. And it reminds me of Grandma Dent, which makes it even tighter.

Wow, Holly. Stop eating Totino's pizza. You're going to die when you're forty.

One of the most presh.com things ever is to listen to my sister, Heidi, and her three oldest children read the Book of Mormon. I love it.

It's 4 pm.

2010-07-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

Today my life is:

sleeping in.
chlo+liv babysitting action.
chillin'.
more chillin'.
bike riding in 293250343 degrees.
taco bell.
nasty nast feeling in my tummy afterwards.
pepsi.
chillin'.
bloggin'.
reading Dear John :).
cleaning a little.
maybe showering before 6 pm.
maybe hanging out tonight.
and maybe catching up on Jimmy Fallon + Glee reruns.

I love summer.

happiness. jk. not really.

2010-07-24T00:51:00.000-07:00

"Happiness is in the taste, and not in the things."
La Rochefoucauld

I do agree, sir.
Tonight's taste of happiness =

haha. I am fat.

Dontcha know..

2010-07-23T00:05:00.000-07:00

utah is a happy place.

Bliss.

2010-07-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

Sitting on the front porch.

Listening to the Ingrid Michaelson-esque station on Pandora.

Letting my hair get wavy in the humidity.

Watching the storm.
It makes me happy.

I left the house.

2010-07-16T00:45:00.000-07:00

Wait.. Holly has a life???

Somewhat, folks, somewhat.

Tonight I went to see Toy Story with my friend Brody..
and it was AMAZING!
Yeah.. def. recommended.
If you haven't seen it.. go. right now.

Things that are sweet.

2010-07-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

S'mores are sweet.

Family outings to the pool are sweet.

Much needed haircuts are sweet.
Growing out your hair... not sweet.

Birthdays are sweet.

Target is sweet.

It's a sweet life, yo's.

Belated.

2010-07-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

This is my cute sister Angie.
and she had a birthday.
Happy belated, girlfriend :).

These are just a few things I love about Ang..

She makes babies/scrapbook stuff/blog posts/everything so. freaking. cute.
She's got a smile on her face no matter what.
She has the sweetest, kindest heart you can imagine.
She hates cotton.
She loves pedicures.
She enjoys the simple things in life
.She understands my love for spongebob mac n cheese, extra butter on the popcorn, and Jimmy Fallon.
She's a go-getter.
We have the same taste in boys.
She is HILARIOUS.
She only lives ya know, a mile away.
She married Myron.
She loves the firework setting on the baby keyboard just as much as I do.
She is SUCH a good example to me/everyone around her.
She loves life and her Savior.
and her children.
and her husband.
and winter clothes.

Basically, I love her a lot.
Angie I hope you had a super fun bday! :)
I love you a million swedish fish and a million red m&ms.

Invigggorated Minds.

2010-07-07T12:38:00.001-07:00

I went to EFY last week.. :). It was pretty much the best week of my life! I went with my girl Kristina Wilson and had a BLAST! :). She was such a fun roomie and helped me feel the spirit in so-ho-ho many ways.

I was so lucky to be able to go to EFY and I am so grateful for the opportunity I had! It was amazing how strong I could feel the spirit all the time and how much I could feel my Heavenly Father's love for all of us in that setting.

Here are a few pictorials from the week :).

Tina and I on a Taco Bell run after checking into our rooms

Our super fun semi-roomies that we shared a bathroom with

the varietyyy showwwwwww...
we sang Winter Song by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson

a few of the ah-mazing buddies we made,
just us chillin at the last dance, not dancing.

and our group :).

SUCH a bittersweet feeling being home..
I miss EFY/the people/the feeling SO much..
but I love being able to hang with my family and sleep in my bed!
:)
iloveefy.

red white and blue.

2010-07-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th, friends!
I love this holiday.
I love love love bbq's and s'mores.
I love family gatherings and greasy food.
I love that fireworks happen even though I hardly ever go.
I love America and our freedom.
and I love love red, white, and blue.

Therefore, in honor of today, here are some fave things sporting red white and blue..

First and foremost.. Clod's garden of Eden.

The only thing I've ever won in my life,
{besides a piece of gum in a gum snapping contest}
my ever-so-cherished spelling bee medal I got when I was in 5th grade.
Winning word: congratulations.
Losing word in next level of Bee: beeline.
Losers have the most fun, right?

Home decorations goodness.

The a/c in the corolla at 1:30 in the afternoon sitting in the driveway.
This picture describes us Dixon ladies very nicely..
church starts at 1:30 pm an it is approximately 239873498 degrees out here in Hades.

My fave lil' sweata from Forev.
"nice ah... sweata."
name that movie.

pure sugar.
Thank you, Fry's Food and Drug.
for making me fat.

Definitely going pro.
Now stop looking at my oddly-pigmented feet!

My fave 8-year-old and I in coordinating outfits.

Ya know, sayin' the pledge in my closet.
I. Love. America.
:)
happy 4th!

Tender Mercies

2010-06-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

This morning I wasn't really feeling myself. I overcame the awful 24-hour stomach flu yesterday and just wasn't back to norm yet. I basically didn't want to get out of bed, eat, or talk to anyone. I wasn't angry or sad, but as I still wasn't feeling too well, it was destroying my mojo.

In the middle of this funk, my super awesome friend, Beth, asked me to write a post on her amazing blog, The Book of Beth, that shares sweet spiritual messages almost everyday. This girl is seriously the epitome of everything a girl would want to be. She's beautiful, talented, and such a FUN fun girl. But most of all, Beth is such a strong person and the perfect example of someone that has integrity and faith. I am so grateful for her fabulous example and constant friendship.

Anywho, back to the point. Beth asked me to post a little spiritual message on her blog. You see, I had some huge shoes to fill.. this girl is amazing at what she does. I was feeling pretty low this morning as it was, but then I just felt extremely inadequate. But I did my best to overcome that and do what I needed to go.

Read here about the humbling, sweet experience I had this morning in all my lameness.

enjoy!

So Excited..

2010-06-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

for these babes to come tonight! :)

wooty.

Best. Day. Ever.

2010-06-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

So today I woke up at 10 am and had some orange juice. I went on a run {any day that happens=a success, considering previous physical conditions :) } and ate a pb+j sandwich.

So far = awesome, right?? :)

Then I got a happy text from Kristina and made plans to go shopping for EFY stuff. So I showered!

Then I went in my closet and shut the door to get dressed.. coming to realize that I was trapped. Ha ha I was stuck in there for a bout 10 minutes.. home alone.. sweating... until I FINALLY got the doors back on track and got myself outta there..

So I went shopping and purchased some sugary goodies and Superman boxers for comfort and enjoyment. I also purchased a couple of pairs of earrings.. good purchases to go with things I already own.. yeah :). Name Brand Exchange did me just as well as Wal Mart.. 2 shirts and a dress! :). Happiness.

Also happiness...... 5 layer burrito + Nachos from taco bell. {it's my regular}

Now to get to my major excitement of the day...........
I may be purchasing a keyboard this week.
Story to come when it actually happens... :).

Happy days, folks. :)
Hope yours was just as fabulous.

Feelin' Lucky.

2010-06-15T00:42:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my best friends.. they are awesome!! :)
Don't know where I'd be without em..
I'm sure here for a reason, no doubt about it!!

It's Simple.

2010-06-13T23:10:00.000-07:00

Today, I have no words.

But I would like to say,
I know the Savior's mercy and love
is greater than any worldly force you can imagine.
I love Him.

Thank You, Jimmy Fallon..

2010-06-12T00:13:00.000-07:00

for being adorable and making me love my life.
And for entertaining me every weekday night and giving me fun surprises on DVR..
like, all the time.
and for making me laugh until I almost pee my pants.
like, all the time.

I love your thank-you note segments. They, along with the backwards scene segments, are my favorite :). Friday on Late Night is da besssstt.
And these are some of da besssttt thank you notes written ever.

"Thank you, Buzz Aldrin, for appearing on season 10 of Dancing with the stars. You've inspired children all around the world to say- 'Mom, Dad, when I grow up I wanna be an astronaut.. who dresses up like the mater D of a Mexican restaurant called Sparkle Taco'"

"Thank you, 35-year-old guy who's name is also Justin Bieber. Good luck introducing yourself to people for the rest of your life."

"Thank you, pens at the ATM, for being attached to a deposit table by a tiny chain. Don't flatter yourself, no one's gonna steal you, you filthy germ stick!! Please!"

and my personal favorite, because of how real and applicable it is :)...........

"Thank you, me from four months ago.. for saying that you were going to get in shape during the winter. You lying sack of crap! It's 4 pm.. Put down the cinnabon!!"

I Do Adore.

2010-06-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

let me share a lil' somethin that my sweet sister Angie sent me yesterday.

It made my day.

Feeling Creative.

2010-06-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

I've got this creative bug that is kind of taking over my life!
... but I also.. kind of really enjoy it :).

I have been living here by my Mom's super rad sewing machine.

and here, a place we call Holly's Headgearland here in the Dixon household.

I purchased this beast at Goodwill for $5..
{half off day = Christmas}

and turned it into this beauty.
Please excuse the sweet peachy polyester.
We have a love/hate relationship.
p.s.. Mama Clod said she used to have a dress from this same pattern!
I think it's a must-find-a-picture-worthy moment.

Got this at Romy for..........

Yeah, $2.80. Why?
Because it had no buttons!! :)

So here it is after I gave it some tough love..
and this is me "searching" at graduation.
and this is one of my BFF's, Parker. love him!
and we = mesa high colors. just noticed that.

This one.. fit really awkwardly when I bought it at Romy for $6..
but it was a steal! I am a sucker for cheap stuff.
Anywho. I have a very short body.
and cheap stuff just isn't made in my length!
So I bought it. Altered it. and now I love it.

Okay. Next source of my crazy brain getting creative.
I have this awful obsession with old/ghetto/awesome furniture.
and I have these three lovlies.. the first two have been in the family since, ya know, forev.
and the blue one came from Goodwill as well.. $5!

What is creative about this, you ask?
I am putting them all in my room.
and I have wonderful plans.
and painting in progress.
It will work, I promise :).

To finish it all up......
forgive how absolutely *disgusting* this looks.
and let me explain.
strawberry banana smoothie - strawberry +blackberry
= DELICIOUS!
also forgive: me being OCD about the color of the straw. They are complimentary colors.

blackberries.
banana.
vanilla yogurt.
protein powder.

love.

Orange Juice and a Little Tough Love.

2010-06-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

Orange juice is the best.
Well, this orange juice is the best.
and I am kinda of obsessed.
Actually, I'm a lot obsessed.
If I had lots and lots of money I would buy Simply Orange for you all.
It is that fabulous.. I definitely recommend.

Also, Kate is back.
As we speak, I am watching Kate plus Eight, the special on TLC
about the new life of Kate Gosselin and her eights kids.

To my Dearest Kate- I love your show. I love your kids. I don't love your husband. I don't care about your hair and I don't know why everyone does. I didn't even watch Dancing with the Stars, but I am a religious watcher of Jimmy Fallon, and he watched- and had an opinion. But I don't care. I think you love your kids, which is most important. Keep doin' that.
But for Heaven's sake, please..... take off the heels and do some dirty work on TV. Can I give you a hug and tell you that Heavenly Father loves you and doesn't care about your looks or fear of alligators? Because I'd really, really like to.

Much Love,
Holly.

Happy Sabbath :)

I am.

2010-06-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

I am a dreamer.
I am always, always thinking.
I am always, always dreaming.
I am small in stature,
but big in imagination.

Having a perpetually engaged mind..
can be dangerous.
It often creates expectations to be unmet,
and visions to be blurred.
Turning off my brain is really, really hard.

I have a really good eye for the future,
but a pretty-close-to-blind one for the present.

I am pro at setting goals..
and fulfilling them for about..
a day.
More than that? Not so much.

Which can be scary.
and I kind of hate it.

but..

Someday, I'll be an owner of a cupcake shop.
That sells hot chocolate in the winter and lemonade in the summer.

Someday, I'll be the bride attending a black and yellow wedding reception
held in my mom's garden, with the giant lemon tree and all its glory.

Someday, I'm going to go to Europe.
I'll stand right there underneath the Eiffel tower,
and bound through the rolling hills of Germany just like Julie Andrews.

Someday I'm going to run a marathon,
whether the bulging disc fairy likes it or not.

and someday, I'm going to write a book.
I have no idea what about..
but I'll find something, someday.

Everyone has struggles and runs into hurdles that keep them from achieving their dreams.
whether they be physically draining, or mentally restraining.

But starting tonight,
I'm not going to let them stop me.
and I don't think you should, either.

I've got a bug..

2010-06-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

..and I call this bug..
the wow-Holly-has-no-life-but-excuse-me-sir-she-is-living-it-large-in-her-eyes bug.

So since school is out.. I have all of this free time on my hands.
I didn't end up getting a JOB,
and I am doing summer school from home..
so BASICAllY..

I'm livin' as chill or crazed out as I like it.
as busy or lazyyyyy as I make it.

my days consist of:
sleeping in.
doing my best to eat healthy/not drink too much Pepsi.
gettin' my tan on.
lots and lots o' riding the bike.
soaking up every opportunity to bask in this awesome.com hot weather.
swimming lots.. very reluctantly, nevertheless.
starting and {finishing!} many, many fun projects.
and doing odd jobs to make some monies :).

Maybe I'm a LOSER for not having my license..
but I think it's a WIN to be blessed with a working bike and sunshine to ride it in.

and maybe I'm a WEIRDO for absolutely love loving the AZ dry heat..
but I think it's super COOL to spend all day out in the happy sunshine.

Moral of the story:
I am LOVING my low-key, at-home, bike-riding summer.
and, I have lots of time on my hands.
and.. I work for cheap. hahaha. ;)

Happy summery, HOT days, folks :)

It's a happy sadness.

2010-05-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

School is out.
Finals are over.
The weather is just the way I like it.
It's summertime.
I have all the time of the day to do things I like.
I feel good.
I'm happy.

Goodbyes have been made.
Lots of pictures have been taken.
Lots of hugs have been given.

kind of a happy sadness.

I'm going to LOVE this summer.
and I kind of can't wait :).
and..
i don't have to :).

But I'm secretly/not so secretly..
going to miss being able to see my seniors!

It's been SUCH a fun and happy school year.

So here's to friends made, and good times shared.
and lots and lots of memories that I will never forget.

and here is some documentation of the last week or so of my life.

Happy Summer! :)

Taking five.

2010-05-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

So beyond the fact that...

my grades are {not} awesome.
I have like 87394983948 finals to study for.
Dr. Acne is taking over my life.
and......
I lack super a lot in time management skills..

I am happy.
and SO excited for next week.
and graduation. {I am singing in it!:) }
and SUMMERRRR.
:)

life is good.
just very. very. stressful and psychotic.

but I'm LOVING every minute of it.

see ya'll on the flip side..
probably when school's out..
and finals are done..
wish me luck!
laterrrrrrrrrrrrrr