Christmas Time is Here and the New Year is Just Around the Corner

First and foremost I must announce for those of you who have not heard yet that I am officially an aunt! My niece is adorable. Although I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her in person, I met her via skype on the day she was born. Best moment of December!

I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Cannot believe it! That also means that it's travel day for me. Crazy? Maybe. Worth it? Definitely. I'm curious to see whether the airport will be packed or not too bad. A lot of people have already done their traveling, but I'm sure there's a lot of people who saved it for the last minute just like my sister and I. It just sort of worked out that way what with job schedules and everything. I'm okay with it because I'm going home :)

In other news, if you've never seen the Christmas lights/displays on Temple Square, you should do it sometime. Megan and I got to go as a church activity. I'd been there once before a few years back. It's beautiful, and packed, and just all out awesome. We actually went inside the assembly hall and tabernacle this year. I don't know about you, but I think pipe organs are really cool looking. Just saying.

As the year is quickly coming to a close, I've started to think about what resolutions I want to make for next year. This year didn't entirely go according to plan, but such is life. I can't say it's been a horrible year because it hasn't. I've had some good experiences and adventures, and I even accomplished a thing or two. I can't even remember all of my resolutions from last year. I think that's why it's good to write your goals down. If you don't, they're too easily forgotten or set aside. I realized as I was thinking of possible resolutions that it's important not to overwhelm ourselves. Sure we should be setting goals, but we shouldn't pile ourselves up with tons of goals all at once. Focus on a a few at a time or maybe just one at a time. Some goals are a lot harder to reach than others. Just something to keep in mind as you think about your own resolutions for 2012.

Pardon my Lameness

I deserve to be disowned. I forgot to mention the most exciting event due to take place this month in my last post. Thank you, Laura, for pointing it out. I'm the worst.

For the first time ever in my life I'm going to be an aunt! Huzzah! Little ninja, as she is affectionately known, is due at the end of this month! It's the best gift of all, and despite my lack of a brain during the writing of y last post, I truly am very excited to have a new member of our family.

Congratulations Stuart and Laura! You know I love you even though I'm lame, right?

And Then December Came

It is December first, don't you know. I can just feel the magic in the air! Or maybe it's just that incessant wind that's been blowing about in a crazy fashion all morning. Either way, it's a start of a new month, which means a few things.

1. NaNoWriMo is officially over! Congrats to all those who successfully reach their 50,000 word goal. I'll be blunt. I did not. CURSES! I didn't have a bad run though. I mad it to somewhere in the 30,000's. This is only my second year, but t seems I kind of slump at the halfway point. And then with Black Friday and Thanksgiving and this year a wedding to attend, it all kind of goes downhill. Still, it's a good experience. And just like last year, I won't give up on that story until it's reached at least 50,000 words. I think the experience was harder on Megan. Check out this picture I got of her. You know what day of the challenge that was? You guessed it. Day  one.

2. 2011 is quickly coming to a close! That means new goals to set and a retrospective glance at everything that's happened this year. One thing that helps me remember all that's happened is to look at my collection of pictures. I've slacked off a little this year, but I still have some good moments captured for all time. It always amazes me to look at my pictures and realize all the things that have happened. Tons of things seemed to have happened forever ago, but in reality, a lot of it was just a few months ago. Crazy how time flies. More on the retrospective glance later to be sure.

3. You can start listening to Christmas music now if you haven't already. Go on. You know you want to. And feel free to sing along or perhaps even dance if you're feeling up to it. I'll leave that up to you.

4. Speaking of Christmas, that is also fast approaching! That means I'll soon get to travel back to the home I love, enjoy good company, foods, and traditions! I am so excited. You have no idea. Megan and I are flying on Christmas Eve. A daring move perhaps, but that's the way it had to be done. One of our Christmas Eve traditions is to watch A Muppet Christmas Carol before we head to bed and dream of sugarplums. Even after all these years, it's one of my favorite traditions! I absolutely love that movie. It's probably my favorite Muppet film. I haven't seen the new one yet, but I've heard good things. It's the most wonderful time of the year!

5. Those were the only things I could come up with at this time...

So may you have a wonderful, fabulous, extraordinary December this year!

How Do You Measure Success?

It’s November! Did you know? I’m sure you did. You’re all such awfully smart people. I’m just sitting here listening to Sam Tsui’s “Love the Way You Lie” mashup and wondering why I let myself eat so much food for lunch, writing a blog post. I lead a simple life, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad one :)

Today is day seven of thirty of this month known as November, and so far so good. The first week of NaNoWriMo is past. Guess who's still up to date with her word count. Not to brag or anything. If you're a bit behind, no worries. There's still time to catch up. It's better to do it now than to try to catch up at the end...trust me.

Oh, my song is done. Time to pick a new one. Browsing. Browsing. Aha! We have a winner! (Just kidding. I wrote that before I even looked. Sheesh! Give me a minute, will you?) Alrighty, back to business.

Can you tell I'm stalling because I had a topic, but I've simply forgotten what it was? I think it had something to do with success. We'll go with that.

There was once a time in my life where I considered myself quite accomplished. Not a lot accomplished, but enough to be satisfied. I had some opportunities that not everybody has. Even looking back, I'm grateful for those opportunities, as simple as some may seem. It was some point after I graduated with my Bachelor's that I began to wonder if I had done anything of merit at all. Sure I had a couple diplomas under my belt, but I thought things were meant to be easier after that. I'd get my diploma and the rest of my life would be handed to me on a silver platter. In case you were wondering or haven't figured it out for yourself yet, life doesn't always go according to plan.

That's not always a bad thing. I think sometimes we like things better because they didn't go exactly how we imagined they'd be. Or maybe we just appreciate things better when it doesn't come on a platter, but instead comes after much work. And then there are times where we look at our lives and say, "This is hard." It's the times when things aren't going to plan and it's hard that we tend to put ourselves down or think that we've done nothing of value. It's an easy thing to fall into, something that all of us face at one point or another. Fear not! You'll get through it. Unfortunately, it may take you longer than you would like.

During the time since I graduated from BYU-I until now (approximately a year and half), there have been a couple times where I thought that I wasn't successful and was therefore worthless. Dang, that's harsh, but aren't we a little harsh when we're feeling down? You see, my idea of success and worth meant that I would be able to support myself without help from others (i.e. move out of my parents' house and be crazy rich! Okay, not crazy rich, but definitely making more money than I am now.). 

I recently got a certificate in publishing from the University of Denver. It was a great experience. The whole time I thought, "This is it. After this I'm finally going to be able to get a job that actually uses my degree, and I'll be able to live off it!" I expected that to take two weeks tops before I got my first job that would lead to a series of ultimate success. Let me tell you, I've finally acquired a part time seasonal job, and I've never been so happy to be employed in my life! Is it the job I want forever? No. Can I live on my own with that income? No. Is the job even permanent? Unless they decide they want to squeeze me in as a regular once the season is done, no. So I'm not successful right? Not necessarily.

In the past couple of days, I've been thinking about success again. It's a lot nicer thinking about it when you're in a good mood. I think of all the things I haven't accomplished that I generally view as being a measure of true success, or at least what I would like my success to look like. Those are still possibilities in my future, and just because they haven't happened or may never happen doesn't mean I'm a failure or worthless. What I need to do is change the way I look at things. Take joy in the little accomplishments. Try to turn failures into a chance to learn and better myself. I'm up to date with NaNoWriMo! I am therefore successful :)

I realized yesterday that if I'm doing all I can to try and better myself, and to serve others, and strengthen my trust and faith in God and do my best to follow His will, am I not therefore successful? If I ended up having to move back in with my parents for a time as I strive to find a place in the world where I can fit and provide for myself, would that make me a failure? No, I don't believe it would. Obviously living with my parents for all my life isn't the number one choice, but I know if I fall so down on my luck that I need a helping hand to lift me up that my parents will always be there, and for that I am eternally grateful.

There are certainly things I need to work on. I recently discovered that I have very little patience. The good thing about discovering our shortcomings is that we can then work to improve them. And it is with small successes that we can reach greater successes. Take a look in your life and be grateful for the many blessings you have. You can find success in your life.

And that, my friends, is my lengthy blog post of wisdom for the day. And just so you know, I really am grateful for my education and for all the experiences I had while earning those degrees. I wouldn't take those times back for the world. I just forgot that in a moment of weakness. I wish you luck in your current and future goals!

October 31st

Hello all! Happy Halloween! I hope your all prepared for all sorts of wonderful festivities that are sure to take place this evening.

Today, as you all know, is the 31st, which means two things. First, it is Halloween, as aforementioned. Second,  tomorrow marks the beginning of the major event that occurs every November. That's right. National Novel Writing Month is once again upon us. One month to write 50,000 words. Can we do it? Heck yes we can!

This will be my second year and my sister has decided to give it a shot as well. That means one apartment filled to the brim of writing anxiety! But that's all part of the fun. You should give it a shot as well! Haven't you always wanted to write a novel?

Back to the subject of Halloween, can you tell what my sister and I dressed/are dressing up as? You get like a million points if you do. If it helps at all, our costumes do go together. Post answers in the comments below to share Halloween cheer :)

Ode to Hot Dogs

Yesterday, Megan and I decided decided to have hot dogs for dinner. It really made me want baked beans. Alas, we didn't have any... But baked beans are not the point of this story.

When I suggested that we should eat hot dogs, I remembered a certain incident that occurred at a church potluck a few months back. I preceded to tell Megan the story. There were hot dogs at said potluck complete with buns and condiments--all except one. I somewhat jokingly said, "What? No mayonnaise?" This did not go over very well.

I was totally taken by surprise when everyone around me expressed their disgust at just the thought of the combination of mayonnaise and hot dogs. It's not strange to me at all because I've been doing it my whole life. I couldn't understand why it sounded so weird to people. I went home and told my parents and that couldn't see why it was so weird either. If I remember, they told some of their friends who immediately said how disgusting that was.

So I guess there's some unwritten rule somewhere that says you're not meant to mix hot dogs and mayonnaise. Do I care? No. I still think it's delicious. My family must just be the only people who do it. Someone prove me wrong. Is there anyone else out there who doesn't think the thought of mayonnaise and hot dogs is gag worthy? Please post a comment. This is for science!

I wonder if my family is the only one who puts ketchup on scrambled eggs too...

The Danielle Adams Weight Loss Plan

For once in my life (maybe twice?) I've actually kept one of my new year's resolutions: lose some of that extra weight so I could be a healthier me. People have been asking me how I've done it, so I thought I'd share.

A while back I came to the realization that there's a difference between having a desire that's more like a wish that's never fulfilled (like wishing you could play the piano but never making the time to practice) and a true heart felt desire that leads you to do something. At the time, I felt I had so many desires or goals but I lacked the resolve to do something about them. I just wanted them to happen. So I needed to change. I needed to commit, to truly decide that I was going to change. Everything fell into place after that. Not to make it sound easy because it definitely takes work.

My general plan was this:

1. Exercise at least three times a week.
2. Give yourself a reasonable weight loss goal. Don't expect to lose it all at once.
3. Stop overeating.
4. Quit eating candy/desserts all the time.

Overeating and the fact that I wasn't really exercising at all were definitely my big problems. It's hard to make changes at first. I pretty much had to force myself to exercise because I really didn't want to do it. But I promise, the more you stick to it, the easier it becomes. It's about making new habits to replace the old ones. And I don't just eat things like oat bran in case you're thinking that's what's going to follow.

I started by weighing myself and writing that weight in a small day planner. I decided I was going to lose one pound a week. I didn't want to set myself up for failure, and I knew that one pound a week was good for me. You don't want to lose too much too quickly. I then wrote down on the consecutive weeks what my weight goal was for that week so I had a written record of where I wanted to be in a week. I would then weigh myself once a week (never in between weigh ins) on Friday morning before I'd eating anything. Every week, I would write my knew weight on that day in my day planner next to my weight goal number.

I exercise 3-5 times a week. My exercise of choice? Tae bo. I've been doing the same workout for approximately 30 weeks. That's crazy. But it's been effective. Sometimes I'll shake it up and go on a walk or something instead. It's probably better to mix up your work out. I just haven't.

As for actual diet changes, I added more fruit and vegetables into my diet. Does that mean loads? No. That just means I made sure I ate fruit or vegetables with at least one meal. Two is preferable, but for not getting as much as I need in the first place, I figured at least one serving a day was a good baby step. I allow myself to eat two desserts a week. Sometimes I'll eat three and then just remember that I can only have one the next week. Or sometimes I don't have any at all. Honestly, the more you don't have it, the less you crave it. When I want dessert now, I just want a bite. I don't want a whole dessert to myself. The important thing is I allow myself to have treats. You don't have to go completely cold turkey. That's what causes you to rebel I think. Also, one dessert doesn't mean 10 cookies in one sitting. You still have to moderate your desserts. It also doesn't mean all you can have is the tiniest of nibbles off the side of a cookie. You be the judge. Don't over do it. For me, I usually said one cookie and drew the line there because I know it's harder to stop after you've had two, three, six... Also, if you know you're going to a get together at some point in the week, keep that in mind and save a dessert for that time.

I also started eating more yogurt. Yogurt used to make me gag. Not all the time, but enough that I didn't want to have it all the time. I eat it a lot more now. Usually, I eat that for breakfast and if I get hungry between then and lunch, I'll eat a bit of fruit. I still eat cereal too.

Overeating is a little trickier, but I realized that I was getting full before sooner than I thought I was. A lot of times, I would eat to the point of stuffed rather than full. I learned to listen to my body. You don't have to cram everything in. There's absolutely nothing wrong with leftovers. Pay attention to your body as you eat. The moment you feel your body saying, "Okay, I've had enough, thank you," stop eating. You'll become more in tune with your body. Listen to it. It knows what it needs and when it's had enough calories to be satisfied.

One other thing. Keep a positive attitude. There were weeks where I thought for sure I wasn't going to meet my goal and that depressed me. So I turned right back around and said to myself, "You are going to be X amount of pounds this week." I focused on my goal for that week until my doubt lessened. There was only one week where I didn't make my goal, so I worked harder that next week and got up to where I was supposed to be based on the goal I'd set in the beginning. I truly believe that you can hold yourself back if you don't believe you can do it. trust yourself and your abilities and don't be harsh on yourself. Set a reasonable goal. Don't expect to lose five pounds a week. This is not just about losing weight, it's about being healthy.

That's pretty much the gist of my program. I know some people become discouraged because they they love food to much or they've never been able to reach their weight goal. I still get to eat the foods I love without having to pay someone to put meals together for me. I just make sure I don't overeat and that I try to get more fruits and vegetables and yogurt into my diet. Also, I could never reach my weight goals either. This is the first time that I've been able to lose the weight and reach the goal I never thought was possible to reach. Before, I didn't have a concrete plan. It was just exercise and weigh myself and run into disappointment until I gave up. This plan has really worked for me.

Will you lose 30 pounds in two weeks? No. But I'm convinced my way is better. I've created new habits that will help me stay healthier than where I was before. I've become stronger. It takes patience and work, but it's a good thing. So often we want change and we want it now, but things don't work that way. You have to commit and work at it and you will reach your goal. Writing down my progress really helped me stay on top of things too. And you'll have to make time to exercise. If you really want something, you really have to make an effort and sacrifice some things even if all you have to sacrifice is laziness (believe me when I say I'm plenty lazy).

You can do it. I believe in you. Believe in yourself.

My Disappearing Act and Attempt at Independence

Some of you he see in person on a semi-regular basis may have realized that I have disappeared. On the other hand, perhaps my parents are the only ones who have notice. That's quite all right. I was kind of secretive about my disappearence until a few moments (by moments I mean days) before it actually happened. That was mostly due to the uncertainty of it all. Well, my disappearence is definitely for certain at this point. Everything else? Not so much.

Don't read that last bit in a negative light. It's not meant to be taken that way. I'm contentedly sitting on the bathroom rug using the bathtub for a back rest and sharing jokes with the toilet who is very kindly laughing at them and keeping me company.

Perhaps we should take a step back.

A few weeks ago, I applied for a job that would require me to move to Utah. I was really hoping I'd get it. I'd mention to my mother at some point that I'd thought it may be a good idea to pick up and move somewhere and try my luck at independence at least for a little while. When she agreed with suggestion and things started moving forward, a felt a little bit of panic. How serious had I been about leaving the comforts of home and taking a step into the unknown world? I wasn't quite sure, but that didn't keep me from going along with it.

My sister, Megan, wanted me to visit her at some point. Turns out she would be getting one from me--one with an undetermined length attached to it.

Megan and me very excited to go to Canada in June

So out of the blue, I packed my things and headed to Utah. We were heading that way for General Conference anyhow, so it seemed liked the perfect time to move in with my sister for a few months. Thankfully, she's okay with the arrangement.

Back to the bathroom comment--it just so happens that the wireless internet signal in her apartment is strongest in the bathroom. The past few days, I've walked to the library to take advantage of their free internet services, but I didn't feel like it today as it's been rather dismal in the cold, rainy, reminds me of home only with more wind sort of way. So I've stayed home.

And I am attempting to make steps toward independence. I'm applying for jobs, sending out query letters to agents (one of which will hopefully want to help publish one of my writings), and at the same time doing ordinary things I love to do!

One of those things is my new found relationship with Rosetta Stone. While I was in Denver so long ago (a few months), I decided that I wanted to re-learn the little bit of German I'd learned in high school and build on that so I could say more than phrases like, "Wann hast du Geburtstag?" or "Ich habe keine hose" (a favorite of my brother's when we're in the middle of parking lots and he feels like saying something in German quite loudly). I get frustrated with the program at times when it doesn't like the way I pronounce der Junge or milch, but all in all, it's a great program, and I think more things will stick in my head besides "Ich habe Hausaufgaben nicht gern."

Only time will tell what will happen next in my life. The uncertainty isn't bothering me at the moment. Life is good. Besides, who doesn't love a little adventure?

Ask a Stupid Question

I just got a text informing me that it's ask a stupid question day today. What a rather peculiar sort of day. Why do I need a specific day set apart to ask a stupid question when I'm pretty sure I do that already on any day a feel a need to do so? Oh dear. Does that count as a stupid question? If not, that second one just did. So I suppose I should do the right thing and wish you all a magnificent ask a stupid question day. Choose your stupid questions wisely!

In case you need some proof that you are actually allowed to ask stupid questions today, the holiday is on Wikipedia so you know it's legit! Ha!

Check it.

9/11

I can't believe it's been ten years.

I know my experience is nothing close to what people in New York witnessed. I didn't lose someone close to me in those attacks, but my heart goes out to all those that did. I think of all those heroes of that day--many who gave their own lives to save others. It gives me hope and a sense of pride to know that there are everyday heroes among us, and there truly is a power that comes when we are all united.

I was in seventh grade. The school year had just barely started. The phone rang as I was getting ready for school. My mom answered it, and I immediately knew something was wrong. She turned on the television and we were greeted by the images of the towers billowing smoke. I didn't understand what was happening. I didn't even know what the building was. Finally, one thing became clear to me--America had been attacked. I watched as the towers fell. I haven't forgotten that image, and I never will.

I still went to school that day, I can't tell you what I learned that day though. We kept watching the news on and off all day. I remember the fear of some of my classmates. If these attacks could happen in New York, couldn't one happen closer to our own home? Was this just the begining of a series of attacks? What was going to happen next?

I remember one of my peers mentioning how someday we were going to see that day in history books. It seemed like an odd thought at the time, that we were witnessing history. When I went to the Denver Publishing Institute, I was able to obtain a current history book. I flipped through it, thinking about how it differed from the books I used back in the day. I paused when I got towards the back of the book because a familiar picture covered the page. I immediately remembered what this classmate had said. There it was. The events of 9/11 on the pages of a history book. Of course it should be there. It was a little weird for a moment--like I'd stepped back in time.

I've been touched by the things I've seen today in memory of 9/11. I hope that we never forget. I hope that we can be changed for the better as we remember the sacrifices that were made that day.

Yum! Yum! Banana Bread!

What do you do when you buy a lovely bunch of bananas and you or your loved ones don't eat them before they start turning brown? You make banana bread, of course!

My wonderful madre directed me to a Martha Stewart recipe, which you can find here. Or you can keep on reading :)

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (3 bananas)
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (or chocolate chips!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf
pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream
butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and
salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour
cream, and vanilla, mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.

Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake
comes out clean, about 1 hr 10 min. et rest in pan for 10 min, then turn out
onto a rack to cool.

There you have it! It took 3 bananas to for me to reach a cup. I also used chocolate chips instead of nuts since others eating it are opposed to nuts. If it were just me, I'd add both!

It turned out really well. I didn't have to add or subtract any time. It's nice and moist. It's a great recipe. I've been thinking of putting together a family cookbook filled with a bunch of my family's favorite recipes so we can all have a collection of them. This would make it into the book!

Still feeling a little fancy cooking wise after successfully making banana bread, a made some chedder and potato pieorgi. Okay so they were frozen and in a box... But I tried to dress them up a little based on an idea on the back of the box. I was quite pleased. And then I gobbled them up! Yum!

I'm really going to have to find a homemade recipe for these sometime.

Well, you should bake some banana bread! I promise it's delicious!

Chocolate, Musicals, and Hunger Games

The the next few days wil be the epitome of awesome. Tonight, Megan is flying in for a visit. I'm so excited to see her! I think the plan for tomorrow is to tour a chocolate factory. I'm down with that. On Saturday, we'll be going to see Les Mis, one of my favorite musicals. It's going to be amazing! Megan flys out again on Sunday. It's too bad she can't stick around longer. Alas...

In other news, I'm about to start reading Mockingjay, the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I'm hooked. One thing that I really like about the series is that I have a hard time predicting what will come next. Whenever I think I know where it's headed, it takes a turn I hadn't even thought of. Maybe I'm just really bad at predicting things. Maybe I'm just too sucked in to think about it hard enough. Whatever it is, I am ready to see what twists and turns this final bok holds. Now if only I could decide if I'm team Gale or team Peeta. Hmm...

I Can Hear the Bells

The other day I was hanging out with a friend of mine, and I must have mentioned something about how I'm always telling my mother that I plan on serving dinosaur chicken nuggets at my wedding reception, whenever that'll be. Somehow that quickly shifted to how I should have a Legend of Zelda themed wedding reception. So I did the only sensible thing--I got online and searched for Legend of Zelda themed weddings. I found some videos, but haven't felt like watching them. I also found a bunch of pictures of Zelda themed cakes! I was impressed.

That last one is more of the idea that I had--still fancy but just put link and zelda on the top of the cake. Maybe play some Zelda tunes when we cut the cake. So I probably wouldn't go all out. I found one picture where the bride and groom had actually dressed up as Zelda and Link. That may be fun, but I think I want something a little more traditional in a dress. So there you go. There are nerdy weddings out there. You should check out all the other video game themed cakes. I'm amazed at people's talent and creativity. There's a random post for you today :)

I seriously will be serving dinosaur chicken nuggets...

UPS Man!

Recently, I finally got around to reading The Hunger Games. It made me dream about people trying to kill me...But that's beside the point. That dream also involved people dressed as zombies. I blame my music video on that one. I digress. I enjoyed the book, but there was one ajor problem--I didn't have immediate access to the next books in the series!

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't fret. This nightmare has just been vanquished.

I was holding my dog to keep her from attacking the people who so innocently stood on our doorstep, when I saw a familiar vehicle pull up to our house. It was the UPS man! Bringer of gifts and happiness! The everyday Santa Claus! You know what I'm talking about.

My mom tossed the box up to me. With racing heart and trembling fingers, I ripped it open using the easy open tab (a thing of genious!), and then I probably squealed and did a little jig.

Thank you, UPS man. Mission accomplished.

The Moment You've Been Waiting For!

The Zombies Ate Your Brain!

That's right! Our "Eating Your Brains" music video will be premiering on YouTube this Friday! You better be excited because if you're not, the zombies will eat you.

I Graduated! And Became a Zombie?

On Friday, I graduated from the University of Denver Publishing Institute. I can't believe it's over already! I'm so glad I had this opportunity. It amazes me how much I learned in such a short amount of time. Time to get out there and apply for jobs!

I don't fly home for a couple more days. Until then, I'm hanging with Breanna and her family. That can only lead to disaster and hilarity! Anyone get that reference? Probably not. Breanna's family doesn't equal disaster. Maybe hilarity. Today it led to zombie makeup.

We had to make due with what we had, but I think it turned out pretty well. We were filming for our next music video to our zombie song "Eating Your Brain" (Go to the She Likes Cloth page to listen). Breanna made the blood and happily ripped up shirts for the occassion. She also wanted to give me a wound on my arm. Check it.

That's made of glue! Then covered with makeup and fake blood. I think it turned out...gross. It's so awesome! Hopefully it won't take Breanna too long to edit the footage because I'm so excited to see how it ends up. It was so fun to make! You know I'll post it for you on here. Never fear :)

Well, I'm off to play some games. Maybe Breanna's dad will make homemade frosties again. Cross your fingers! They're delicious!

Happiness is...

Two hour long phone conversations with my mom
Chocolate pudding
Texting a continuous string of movie quotes back and forth with my dad
Seeing the positive and inspirational influence of my sister-in-law
Looking through old photographs I'd nearly forgotten existed
Music of nearly every sort
So much more

ConTour Part Twain

Here's a bit of what we heard last night from their youtube channels, yo!

ConTour

Whenever I see the word condor I have this incredible urge to say it long and loud and in a slightly weirder voice than my normal one. ConTour has a similar effect, but I'll restrain myself.

Last night, Breanna and I witnessed the ConTour as they performed in Boulder. We thought we were late, but much to our delightful surprise, we arrived just on time. Huzzah! The ConTour is essentially a tour of well known musically inclined youtubers. There really is such a thing. Most of them sing really nerdy songs, but they have some that aren't so nerdy too. Since Breanna is more of a follower of the youtube than I am, I thought for sure I wouldn't know very much, and I suppose I didn't know a lot of it, but I actually did know a good handful, which made me smile inside. Ha Ha! It was a ton of fun and they seemed to have a lot of fun performing. Everyone wins!

The tour consisted of Skyway Flyer (Jason Munday), Luke Conard of All Caps, Mike Lombardo, and Alex Carpenter of the Remus Lupins. The other half of All Caps, Kristina Horner, wasn't able to make it.

That's Luke getting everyone to dance crazy like. He told everyone to get on the floor, and once everyone was there, he told them to pop back up again. Of course, everyone did as they were told...except for maybe me as I was taking a picture of the moment. I think I went halfway down... Technicality.

We got to meet them afterwards. Breanna had them sign her Flip.

That be Jason.

That's Mike. He has crazy awesome piano skills. Also, he complimented my shirt. I think that earns him brownie points or something. Thanks, Mike.

Alex with Luke making an appearance in the background.

And vice versa.

Can I say that although my red eyes and over smiling make me look a little crazed, I still look much better in these pictures than that one time I saw William Joseph in concert. I wonder if I can find that... Commence hold music!

..................................................

Found it!

Aw! Precious. I still got the red eye thing going on, but apparently I was so excited to see William Joseph that I gave myself a double chin. Gross. Well, he looks good. I'll just cut myself out of the picture. Ha ha!

The End of Harry Expressed in Lyrical Form

Remember that video not so long ago where Breanna and I sang about Pokemon instead of fireworks? Are you ready for a song about Harry Potter instead of the edge of glory? BAM!





This was fun to make, and I hope you enjoy it. There's more to come! This is our second of three nerdtastic songs, but only the second video. You can check out all our songs here. If you like, you can also keep updated with us by liking our facebook page, subscribing to our youtube channel, or by following our blog (Our blog is not strictly music related. It often deals with zombies.) We've named ourselves She Likes Cloth, so when we're performing all over the world someday, you can say you watched our humble beginnigs. Ha ha. More like this is fun and you should have fun with us too! So please watch. Feel free to leave comments. Tell us what you'd like to see/other songs you'd like us to parody. Breanna's got a bunch of ideas up her sleeve so hopefully we'll have a lot more coming at you (Hey, I have some ideas too...about a 2 1/2 of them...)

Hello There Colorado

Wouldn't you know it, I'm not in Washington anymore! For two weeks now I've been in the great and mystical land of Colorado! I don't know what makes it mystical...but it certainly is great. I'm only one person mind you, but I'm really liking my stay here.

What I'm I doing in Colorado? Learning about publishing, of course! I'm part of this great program, and I'm learning a great deal. But even with all this learning, I still make time for adventure (Ah, adventure!).

This past weekend, I went up to the mountains with my friend Breanna. We stayed at her family cabin. Our activities included shopping, swimming, hiking, watching movies, taking footage for our latest video, and stuffing our faces will all sorts of goodness. We also made a random stop at Buffalo Bill's grave.

Through our fun times, we took tons of pictures. I believe my picture count was something like 247. I was in a picture taking mood. After all, I have to document my stay here, don't I? The correct answer is yes.

On the note of stuffing our faces, if you've never had a roasted starburst, you must try one! Sounds weird perhaps, but it is worth it. Breanna and I cooked them over the stove as we were too lazy to make a fire and we didn't want to smell like smoke. Yeah, I know we're lame.

You know what else was exciting? I saw some moosen in the woodsen! Well, first I couldn't resist getting a picture with this giant stuffed animal moose, and then I saw the real moose, but thought it was probably best that I didn't get to close and have a raging moose charge me. Plus, one of the moose we saw had some baby moosens, so definitely didn't want to get too close to her.

So my experience with Colorado has been a good one thus far, and I'm pretty sure it will stay that way. It's beautiful here. It's been really stormy in the evenings lately, so I've been able to enjoy lots of thunder and lightning. Pretty darn cool.

One last thing. Last Thursday, I went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter. For those of you who haven't seen it yet, what is wrong with you? Get off your butt and go see it! It's the epic closing for crying out loud! Yes, I'm being a little dramatic. Only a little...

In all seriousness, I really enjoyed the movie. I was a little concerned at the beginning that I'd hyped myself up so much that I was going to be disappointed. But in the end, I was pleased with the outcome. May I just say props to Alan Rickman? His performance was amazing, as was everyone's, but man he was great during those memory sequences! I just loved that whole bit. That and the final epic one on one battle between Harry and Voldemort. Awesome! That's my two cents. I could go on and on about it, but I think I'll stop here for now. Go see it!

Defying Gravity

Two weekends ago I got to check two items off my list of things to do before I die: go to Canada, and see the musical Wicked.

Megan came home to take part in our wonderful adventure. We woke up early Friday morning and started the drive up to Canada. This is mine and Megan's "we're going to Canada" face.

Despite what it may look like...those are excited faces.

We had some time to kill before we saw the play that night. Our first stop was the aquarium in Vancouver. I tried to get Megan to jump into one of the tanks, but she wouldn't do it. I discovered that I love the scarlet ibis. I red a short story in high school once called "The Scarlet Ibis." I don't remember much about it except that it was sad and that the scarlet ibis was a foreshadowing tool. I got to see one for the first time in Vancouver and fell in love. Besides an armadillo, a scarlet ibis is my dream pet (that I will never actually own because they probably like being free better than being in my house). But just look at the little guy! I love him!

We checked into our hotel, got some good eatins, then weaved our way through all the hockey fans to The Queen Elizabeth Theatre. I am so glad I've finally been able to see Wicked. It was amazing! I first heard some of the music in high school when I was a part of drama club. I knew the story was about the witches from Oz, but I was kind of surprised how the story differed from what I expected. Not in a bad way though. It was so good, and I was so happy with the story and the music and everything! If you get the chance to see it, do it. Don't even think about saying no. Do it.

The next day, we headed over to Victoria. I was excited to get on the ferry. I have ever mentioned that I like boats? Well, now you know. So the ferry ride was fun and we took a lot of great pictures!

The elevator on the ferry was tiny, and apparently it reminded Megan and Dad of the tower of terror.

In Victoria, we visited a museum and a castle! Woot!

After our eventful two days, we headed back home. It was a great weekend. I had a ton of fun! I do love a good adventure :)

Danielle, Breanna, and Pokemon

Wow. I really need to do more than post videos. I'll do that....later. For now, watch the newest awesomeness that Breanna and I have created.

Something cool about this video as well as some of the others we've put together is that we aren't in the same place to film them and edit them together. In fact, we're not even in the same state! I love how we can share this hobby and be a part of each others videos even though we haven't seen each other since November. We have a lot of fun putting these together. Hope that you get a kick out of them. Without further ado, here's our latest.

Free Copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Would you like a free copy of the latest Harry Potter film? A friend of mine happens to have an extra copy and wants to send it to a worthy individual. The plan is to hold a contest, and the movie would be the prize. But before she makes this official, she'd like to know if people would actually want to enter. Watch the video below for more information. If you are interested, send her a comment on youtube or just leave a comment to this post and I'll let her know!

Harry Potter and the Wizards' Book Club

It's been awhile, but I've made a new video! For those of you who have not read the last book in the Harry Potter series, this will contain some spoilers. You have been warned.

Jon Schmidt, You've Done it Again

From the guys who brought you "Taylor Swift Meets Coldplay," here's some "Michael Meets Mozart." Enjoy!

Full of Goals

Lately I've felt like I have all of these goals I want to achieve and at the same time I have a bit of a fear that I won't achieve those goals. In some aspects, I think I've been doing well. As I've strived to reach those goals, I've realized some other goals I want to make to help me become a better person. I suppose it's that way all throughout life. That's how we learn, grow, and better ourselves, isn't it?

I've had a few thoughts about these goals. First, I've got to prioritize. Some things need to come before others or should happen at the same time. Perhaps other things will have to go on the back burner for awhile. Second, I've got to turn my desire into action. Too often I let my laziness get in the way of things I want to accomplish. It's okay to take breaks and rest, but I shouldn't be doing that all the time. Third, I should write my goals down. And a possible fourth is to give myself a schedule or deadlines/checkpoints to help me achieve these goals.

I think is something I'm going to try out. I realize that I won't be able to work on everything all at once. I don't want to overdo it. Let's see how this works. I think it will be good. I'd like to feel like I'm working towards something. I'd like to strengthen my talents. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy your Easter. May it be full of family, love, and time devoted to the remembrance of our Savior and the sacrifice he made for each of us.

Towed

I can now officially check "ride in a tow truck" off my bucket list. Okay, it was never actually there, but if it were, I could cross it off. See that beauty to the left? That's a 1991 Chevy van. Woot! I currently work part time for a machine shop. I drive a van very similar to the one shown here a good portion of the time. A couple days ago when I was driving home after making all my deliveries, the van died....in the middle of the freeway. Here's how it went down. I was driving along (probably singing along with the radio) when I realized I was starting to slow down. The van is kind of loud and, as I mentioned, I was on the freeway, so I didn't notice the lack of noise coming from my engine. I did the first thing that came to my mind--pushed harder on the accelerator. Needless to say, that accomplished nothing. My second thought was, "Oh crap! I need to get to the shoulder." My second thought mayber should have been turn on your hazards... But it wasn't. The big issue with getting over to the shoulder was that I was rapidly slowing down while the rest of traffic wasn't. There were four lanes of traffic and I was in number three. I turned on my blinker, repeatedly said things like, "Please let me over," and squeezed through two lanes and onto the shoulder. Once I was safely out of the way of traffic, my thought was to turn on my hazards. I turned off the car and tried to start it again. Well, it didn't start, so I called up my boss and told him that I had bad news--the van had died. He arranged for a tow truck to come get me, and I sat in the van for a lengthy amount of time until he could get there. No worries though. I kept myself entertained. I texted some peeps, scribbled on scrap paper... I was actually pleasently surprised at how fast time went by. Besides, I had a great view from where I was trapped. It was something like this: For those of you who can't tell, that is in fact Seattle, which is quite a bit away from where I was heading. You can even make out a little space needle on the horizon! So things weren't all bad. I was trying to count my blessings at that moment, the biggest one being that no one got hurt. I made it safely to the side of the road, and help was on the way. I had finished all my deliveries, so there would be no impatient customers. When the tow truck came, the driver mentioned that I was lucky to break down where I did because I little ways back where I had been driving at one point there was no shoulder to pull off on. I hadn't even realized that little fact. I'm extremely grateful that things turned out so well. I'm grateful to my boss who sorted things out even called to check up on me (which is probably a good thing because I could have gone insane sitting there... traffic rushing by...). Things definitely could have been worse, and I'm so glad they weren't. I think that's enough adventure for one week :)