Happiness is a Warm Gun. False. Sorry, Beatles.

Basically, this is what I had for dinner.
Mmmm...tortillas with Nutella and bananas.
{Oh, don't try this with regular tortillas. They have to be uncooked when you buy them.}
Most nights I try to be healthy.
But other nights (aka tonight) I indulge.
And I like to think that I'm happier for it.
Speaking for happier, I read something awesome today.

"Money matters, but less than we think and not in the way we think.
Family is important.
So are friends.

Envy is toxic.
So is excessive thinking.
Beaches are optional.
Trust is not.
Neither is gratitude...
Ultimately, happiness is relationships and trustworthiness.
Trust is a prerequisite for happiness.
Trust not only of your government, of institutions, but trust of neighbors.
Several studies, in fact, have found that trust--more than income or even health--is the biggest factor in determining happiness."

~Eric Weiner, The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Place on the Planet

I really like that.
I want to be someone people can trust.
I like trusting people.
Which is why I've never made my blog private.
It's also why I forget to lock the door.
{Don't worry, my roommate is a door locking nazi and makes up for this.}

I would argue, however, that having a Nutelleria on your street would rival the whole trust=happiness thing.

My Current Fascination

Nothing makes me happier than a man in boots.
'Specially if there are fancy socks underneath.

Quote of the Week

Roommate: "Wait, Anne Frank died in the Holocaust?! I thought she was still alive! How did she publish her book then?"

...

Life is Swell

Today I spent the day in bed.
You know, sick stuff.

And yet I still feel as if I could write that book.
Because I have 14,000 things to be happy about.

Life is beautiful.
School is fabulous.
I got a lovely job.
I have amazing friends
{I mean, my mom has to scratch my back when I'm throwing up. But Jessica? What a gal.}
I have two wonderful parents.
I have 3 amazing brothers.
I have a pile of books by my bed.
I have everything I'll ever need.




Besides a baby.
I still want a baby.
One that looks like this:

{ignore my creepy overly excited face that one}

or this:

My Favorite Kind of Stories

I love the fantastic.

Do you know what I mean?

The inbetween.
The stories that leave you with chills running up your spine.
Not scary stories.
Not horror stories.
But the ones that are a bit spooky.
The ones where the line is blurred between reality and fantasy.
Where you can't quite tell if what is happening is supposed to be real or pretend.

I once took a lovely class on Fantastic Literature where we read the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, E.T.A. Hoffman, and Villiers de I'Isles Adams.
We mainly read older books, because the Fantastic is more a genre that had it's glory day in the 1800s.
I all but thought it had died.
Or that in the days of Prozac and psychiatrists that there were no more tortured souls to write my favorite kinds of stories.

But the other day I got a book from the library full of short stories by Neil Gaiman.
{Not that he is tortured, but simply that he has that bit of madness that knows how to weave a tale.}
I can't even begin to tell you how much I love Neil Gaiman.
I think he is my favorite author.
Have you seen Stardust?
He wrote the book.
That one is definitely a faerie tale.
But some of the stories in Smoke and Mirrors are not.
They are of the fantastic genre.

I was reading one last night before bed
{foolishly thinking that because they were short stories, I could stop at one. Right? Wrong.}
and it was deliciously spooky.
I was left with the delightful feeling that made me nervous to turn off the light, for then I should have to return to my bed in the dark.
And who knows what would be under there.

I am 21 years old.
I know that there is nothing under my bed but boxes of winter clothes.
But I was still afraid.

And a story that could disrupt my reality and proper way of thinking?
Now that is a story written by a genius.
And most definitely a story that I love.

Stories by Neil Gaiman that I recommend:
Chivalry {not fantastic, but lovely all the same.}
Nicholas Was... {Mom, don't read this one. You won't like it.}
The Price {possibly the best one, because it has my favorite kind of cat.}
Don't Ask Jack The White Road

I would have been more excited if it was Superman, but you take what you can get.

This is Hurley.
{Or Jorge Garcia. Whatevs.}

Once, meaning on my way home to Florida this Christmas, I sat next to him.
Not on the plane.
But at the Chicago O'Hare Airport.

I forgot to tell you, because I find Christmas a bit more exciting.
But I wanted to let you know.
In case you liked Lost or something.
Because my mom does.
She was super excited.

Maybe, if I'm lucky, on my way back to Utah I'll sit next to Matt Smith.
The commercials on BBC are telling me that he is in America.
And he's wearing a Stetson.
Because Stetsons are cool.

Quoteables

If someone breaks your heart, just punch them in the face.
Oh sure, it seems obvious now, but you'd be surprised at how many people don't think of it when it's relevant.
Seriously, just punch them in the face and go get some ice cream.

~Chuck Klosterman

via Design Crush and weheartit

I've got a case of the giggles

Guys.
I think I've watched this 10 times today.
"Hide your kids, hide your wives, hide your husbands too, because I hear they're coming after everybody."

Happy New Year!

I hope it's the best one yet!

2010 Album of the Year

Out of all the albums that came out this year, I most definitely have a favorite.

Volume 2 by She & Him.
I think it is all I listened to in the month of April.
I love it sooooo much!
And then I got to see Zooey in concert (for free!!!) in August, and it was wonderful.

There is something magical about this duo.

Quoteables

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.
~Miss Piggy

James McAvoy and Christina Ricci from Penelope

Now I want to watch Penelope.

What's in a name?

Names are interesting things...

The origin of my name is from Star Trek.
{something I think is pretty awesome}
The most beautiful girl created was named Rayna.


{She died from emotional stress
and the way college is going, I think this might be a foreshadowing}

And then my mom learned Spanish and that Reina means queen.
And then she changed the spelling to Reyna to make it a name instead of a title.

And then there was me.
{in all my glory: cowboy boots, the beach, and a mcflurry. Brilliant.}

What about your name?
I am most curious to learn where it is from.
Where your parents first heard it.
Are you named after someone?

Tell me.

Quote of Goodness

"Unless you are fully engaged in living the gospel--living it with all of your 'heart, might, mind, and strength' (D&C 4:2)--you cannot generate enough spiritual light to push back the darkness."

~Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "Out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light," Ensign, May 2002, 71.

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Pretty Things for the Holiday Season

Here are some lovely Christmasey pictures to help you feel some whimsy and delight of the season.

All images from weheartit

Whimsy and Magic, Winter and the Moon

There is lunar eclipse tonight, in case you didn't know.
The best part?
It's happening on the Winter Solstice.
There are very few things as magical as a lunar eclipse.
And even fewer as magical as Midwinter.
I'm sad that it doesn't snow in Florida, so I'm missing that little piece of magic.

The point is, this is it.
This is your only chance to see a lunar eclipse at Midwinter.
Because the next one is going to be in 2094 (so says the Washington Post).
So I would advise you not to miss it.
It's kind of a big deal.
If you're into that sort of thing.

Last Minute Gift Guide: Your Mother Who Steals All Your Books and Always Makes You Eat Your Veggies

A Dozi Pocket Planner to help her stay organized.

Some more of her favorite hand lotion that's running low.

A pretty pear painting for her kitchen, since she always has buckets of fruit on the table.

Reusable snack baggies that she can throw into the washing machine.

The Housekeeper and the Professor, so you can have your copy back.

Elizabeth Bennet's Email Inbox

Bahaha!
Thank you, English Muse for sharing Famous Inboxes

Last Minute Gift Guide: Your Brother Who Writes Awesome Songs on the Guitar and Learned to Read from Calvin and Hobbes

Calvin and Hobbes artwork to hang up next to his mirror so he can practice making faces.

A cool holder for all his guitar picks.

One of the lovely new Harry Potter books since his originals are all falling apart.

A rad Constitutional t-shirt, so he can tell everyone what he thinks when they comment on it.

Miss Liberty America

Finally, a beauty pageant that Miss Congeniality could win without any trouble.

From the website:
Miss Liberty America is dedicated to discovering America's elite feminine patriots and giving them the opportunity on a national stage to showcase their patriotism, intelligence, beauty, and talent. The ultimate mission is to promote liberty, the military, and the documents of our founding fathers. The contestants will be judged in categories of:
~personal interiew
~swimsuit
~evening gown
~beauty
~talent
~questions regarding the documents of America's founding fathers
~marksmanship
This will be the first pageant of its kind to introduce competency in the handling, safety, and use of firearms, and CPR.

Bahahaha
So funny to me.

The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairie

I'm so very excited!
I have a ballet class that begins in January.

I took ballet a long time ago and loved it.
I can't wait to put on those shoes.
I was a ballerina for Halloween.

See?Me with two of my lovely ladies, Princess BubbleGum from Adventure Time and Astrid from How to Train Your Dragon

I know that it is too late, but I still want to dance the part of the Sugar Plum Fairie.
This time of year always reminds me of this, and of how much I am in love with the elegance and balance and discipline of ballet.

Death by dishes

Just another reason why I don't mind being single.
I do love being on my own.
I value my independence.

I just need to remind myself of that when I see all my newly married friends enjoying themselves this Christmas...

Finals

Let me take a moment to brag.

This is the first finals week that I won't be pulling all nighters and rushing to do ridiculous cleaning checks.
This is the first finals week of my college career that I feel a little bit relaxed.
Maybe because I'm an underachiever
(you know, keep everyone's expectations low, so that they're pleasantly surprised when you actually do well).
Maybe because I'm only taking 12.5 credits and about half of those were block classes, so I did the finals back in October.
Maybe because I'm in a class that is actually called Leisure in Contemporary Society.

The point is, 2 finals today.
Go home Wednesday.
1 final on Friday, emailed from Professor, done from my couch at home.

Fabulous.

Florida, here I come.

Things I have learned from Indiana Jones

Bad dates can kill you.

 Here's a picture of Indy for your enjoyment. 

Nursery Rhymes

Yesterday, my roommate was laying on my bedroom floor reading a book.
She came across a whole bunch of nursery rhymes and was excited, because apparently she wasn't familiar with any of them.
I was shocked.
Flabbergasted.
I thought everyone knew all the nursery rhymes!
She was amazed that I could recite all the ones she named.

Is this surprising to anyone else?
Please tell me that you know all those rhymes.
I have no idea where I learned them all.
They've just always been floating around in my head.

My favorites are Goldilocks

Goldilocks, Goldilocks, wilt thou be mine? Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine, But sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam, And feed upon strawberries, sugar, and cream.

and How Many Miles to Babylon?

How many miles to Babylon? Three-score and ten. Can I get there by candle-light? Yes, there and back again. If your heels are nimble and light, You will get there by candle-light.

I love nursery rhymes.
They're so fun to say and so traditional.
I love traditional things.

What are your favorite rhymes?

Holly and Jolly

Finally!

After waiting and waiting and having to put up with roommates hating the music I began playing in October, it's finally here!

Christmas!

My favorite.

I love:

the feelings in the air

the bundling up to go out into the snow

the warm fires

the way my house looks, all cozy and peaceful with the tree and garlands (thanks, Mom!)

the music

the food

the family

the wonderfulness that is Christmas

Hooray!

Blizzard

Tonight we are supposed to be getting a massive blizzard.

BYU keeps sending me texts warning me about it.

Biggest storm in years, apparently.

So we did what any smart college students would do:

We plugged in our computers so we can watch movies if the power goes out.

We charged our phones and ipods.

Christine bought granola bars and ritz crackers.

I'll supply the peanut butter.

I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Of the storm, I mean.

I keep imagining that it will be a Laura Ingalls sort of storm, with huge drifts and all.

But I think I'm expecting too much.

I just really want to walk on the roof to get to the neighbors.

Ice Cream is always the right answer

Every once in awhile, I run across something that reminds me of a great memory and I get super happy.

Today, it was this picture.

Those dipped ice cream cones reminded me of Bo's Ice Cream.

It's a little place back home.

It's been there forever!

And they have the best ice cream.

It might not be that good, but I remember going there with my mom.

I remember going there with the whole family.

I remember Jana Andrews taking us there after dance lessons one day.

It makes me happy.

It's a good place to be.

It's a good place to remember.

And that butterscotch dip was fabulous.

What's one of your favorite places?

Spammy

Happy Birthday, Sammy!

You're officially a teenager!

And although I'm still a bit uncomfortable with your new, deep voice on the phone, I am excited that you're growing up.

13 is going to be fun.

I promise.

And even though I'm too poor to send you a birthday present, I am singing birthday songs under my breath for you.

So if you hear some creepy singing, it's probably me.

I lurve you.

I luff you.

I loaf you.

Because love is not enough.

ps This is still my favorite picture of you, taking care of your gross bunny :)