Happy New Year!!!

As I hope you are all aware, we have a new year on our hands.  With that we are getting to choose how we spend our energy and time.  I'm super stoked for my new classes (drawing, 2D design, history of interior design, pattern making, and Book of Mormon)!  I think that this semester is will be extraordinary!
Speaking of extraordinary...I actually accomplished one project over the break!  The annual Bûche de Noël:)  It is a family tradition and fight that does take about 2 hours, but it is completely worth it!  I look forward to this amazing experience all year long!  Hopefully I can get the recipe up in the next few days!

Bûche de Noël

My Dad and I

p.s. A new thing for the year is a new hairstyle!!!
pictures to come :)

A delightful dream

A secret dream of mine is to go to culinary school and make patisseries all day long.  I think that once I'm all grown up and my family is all grown and out of the house, I will go.  Hopefully, I will be making them from now until then, but I would love to learn exactly how to achieve the perfect Almond Horne or an ultra-fine lace cookie.  I would love to learn how to make marzipan fruits and make them look absolutely real.  I would love to own a little bakery and sell Bûche de Noël for Christmas and Moonas for Easter.  I believe strongly in the importance of beautiful food and hope to share my love of it for the rest of my life.

Almond Horne...the best place to buy them is at this little bakery in Carmel, California.  They generally sell out of this by mid morning, so get there quick! :)

I love when they use layers of hardened chocolate.  Not only is it delectable, it's stunning!

Marzipan Fruits!  And the best thing is that they taste as good as they look!

Ignore the fact that I missed the memo on doing our best creeper smile and we all look like we've been hit by a train,  just know that this little busche is the most delicious thing on the planet!  Too bad we just make it for Christmas.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Today was full of favorites:
Fast Sunday- I love hearing everyone bare their testimonies.  It is always a great spiritual experience, but highly entertaining at times.

Sunday Cat-Naps-  Lately by Sunday,  I am so exhausted from work and school that I will sleep for like 3 hours...

Charles Dickens-  He is an inspirational figure for me.  I love his brilliance, romantic writing style, and beautiful syntax.  The other day I bought one of his less-commonly known works that he wrote for his children.  It is called The Life of Our Lord.  Simply written, it is a summary of the life of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  A new favorite.

LOST- just dang good.

Anne of Green Gables-  the soundtrack brings back so many memories.  It takes me back to my families annual mid-summer night eve party where I learned to waltz.  It reminds me of being at my grandparents cabin late at night staring at the moon over the lake of shining waters. :)  It reminds me of my dad reading to me when I was little.  I love that music.

Skype- I may be like my grandpa Kent in being sortof anti-technology, almost to the point of it being a phobia, but I am grateful for the chance and opportunity to be able to stay in contact with close friends and loved ones.

Rain storms-  These always take me back to a time when my parents were out of town and my cute aunt chrissie stayed with me and kenn and there was a huge rain storm and we danced with towels on our heads.  I remember how the rain smelled and how the light looked through the aspens.  I cherish that experience.

Enya- I love this style of music.  It is so yoga, so artsy, and so calming.

Chocolate covered strawberries with ice cream- best thing ever!

College Life

Tonight was an "unofficial" ward activity.

Game night at cambridge 10.

Seems harmless enough, right?  A little frivolity getting to know everyone.

After some severe questioning, psychiatrics, ninja moving, sock beating, hostaging, and otter pop plotting...I'm pooped.

Don't get me wrong, I love college life.

Where you can equate the amount of successful dating action with the cartons of

 ice cream living in the freezer.

Where there's generally a fish in a fishbowl that no one knows where it came from and everyone claims that they've never fed it, but it miraculously has been alive for months.

Where camping out on a rooftop is the best idea that you've had since finals.

Where all of your clothes smell like campfire smoke.

Where getting ready to go study at the library seems like an monetary investment because it just might get you a free diner.  A movie if you look REALLY good.

The crazy, spontaneity of college living always keeps life exciting.

But... I don't know how it is everywhere, but the dating is ferocious!

Like seriously, today I saw this one cute *nameless* guy in my ward at ward prayer.

He was literally being cornered by like 6 girls who were

eyeing him like a giant piece of costco's 

all-american-chocolate cake. (I'm craving chocolate like a pregnant woman)

I felt sorry for him.

It was like watching a sweet little baby baby bird being surrounded by the big alley cats and ripped to pieces.  sickly sad.

I would have rescued him if I could have gotten away for the

eager-beaver that had me cornered.

I think I should invest in some pepper spray.

that's all folks.