My Life... For Now

She's Here!!

2011-10-21T12:39:00.001-07:00

Me right before we headed to the hospital. Seeing this picture now makes me so glad I'm not pregnant anymore!!

Our Gemma Elizabeth was born on September 27th at 4:24 pm. She weighed 7 lbs 8 oz and was 19 inches long. We think she is just perfection personified.

Our first family photo. Ben was a perfect husband while I was in labor, and I think he is relieved that I never started yelling at him during the contractions like you see on TV. He is such a sweet dad to our Gemma, and I have never seen anything sweeter than the two of them together.

Gemma has tons of light brown hair, the sweetest pouty lips, and for now her eyes are a beautiful dark blue. She has changed so much in her three weeks of life, but that will have to be another blog post. While we were in the hospital one of the nurses asked me when I would be back to have my next baby... I told her it was way too soon to think about that. I kind of feel the same way about writing out the details of the birth; I am just glad it's over and it went well.

ONE MONTH!!!

2011-08-29T10:35:00.001-07:00

Baby Girl Ballstaedt is due one month from today! I am equal parts thrilled and terrified!! She still moves around like she is taking a kickboxing class in my stomach. Other important things to note... my belly button is starting to pop out, I am simultaneously hungry and full all the time (I want to eat, but feel like there is no room for anything in my stomach), and she moves around the most when Ben starts talking to her and when I try to go to sleep.

My dad asked me to have her on September 15th, because he is tired of waiting and because the end of the month is really busy for him. ha ha We'll just have to see how it goes. I have a feeling she isn't going to come until she wants to, no matter when anyone else wants her to arrive.

Baby, we just can't wait to meet you! Finish doing what you need to in there, but then come out and see us!! Also, please be kind to me when you decide to make an appearance... if you have any say in it!!

Gratitude

2011-08-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

Warning: If you don't want to read this whole gushing post (I don't blame you, it is just my hormonal rambling), just skip to the last paragraph. It is the most important part!

I don't want to jinx anything, but lately I have been feeling very grateful. Ben's parents are serving a mission for our church in Uganda, and hearing about the conditions the people there live in (and seem to do so quite happily) has made me very grateful for my nice, comfortable, air conditioned home. I am also thankful to have in-laws who are such a great example of selfless service.

Currently I am in the middle of week 33 of this pregnancy, and I feel so lucky to have this little life growing inside of me. She is getting so big, and sometimes I think she is trying to break my ribs with her dance moves inside my tummy. I'm glad she moves so much though, it lets me know she is doing ok in there. Only a few more weeks and we get to meet this little one. I can hardly wait. I am dying to be her mom.

People want to know what her name is going to be. I couldn't tell you. Sometimes that really worries people, and they tell me they are stressed out for me because I really need to pick a name. Honestly, I am WAY more worried about the actual delivery of this baby. Picking a name will be the easy part compared to that. I may have started crying last week after I watched a video online of a birth. We can blame it on the hormones.

I even am grateful for the banging and hammering I can hear going on in the powder room right now. Sweet Ben decided to take out another wall today. Bless his heart, hopefully he found what he wanted behind it.

Baby Girl and me, in all of our 33 week glory. Right after my 10 year high school reunion. I was BY FAR the most pregnant person there, but honestly I'd rather have this little girl well on her way, than show up to the reunion with a bangin' bod. Although, if the bangin' bod decides to show up after her birth, I definitely won't complain about that!!!

Lastly (and most importantly), my dear friend Ani and her Husband lost their 7 month old little girl last week. I can't even imagine what they are going through right now. I have been in awe of their strength and grace during this trial that they are facing. There are multiple fundraising efforts going on, to help them with the medical bills that accumulated. If you feel so inclined, please click on one or all of the below links to help. Baby Ruby has definitely inspired me to appreciate everything I have, and all of the wonderful people in my life. Life is fragile, and I am going to try to remember to be grateful for everyday I have with all of the people I love.

to read their story:

www.aniandmatttaylor.blogspot.com

to view the bows for ruby website:

http://www.bowsforruby.org/

direct donations:

www.rubyjanetaylor.blogspot.com

Wishes

2011-05-15T21:52:00.001-07:00

While looking at a friend's (mom's) blog tonight I was reminded of something. Back in 2008, I was on a dream of a trip, and when I went to the Trevi Fountain in Rome I made a little wish...

Not sure if I did this over the correct shoulder or not, but I threw the coin and wished that Ben and I would get married someday. A little bit over two years later this happened...

And a year or so after that, this happened...

Some wishes really do come true.

Side note, baby girl Ballstaedt is 20 weeks along. We are halfway there now people!!!

One Year

2011-04-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

In our first year of marriage, Ben and I have done a lot!!! We had a dream wedding,

Had one of the best weeks of my life, on our honeymoon in Cabo,

Moved to California. (Can't find the picture of us with the Uhaul). Spent the Fourth of July in Utah,

We loved spending the holiday watching the fireworks with the Ballstaedt Clan and my parents. In July we also had an amazing weekend in San Francisco,

We also lived it up over the summer by going to see the Kings of Leon,

Where we realized we are probably too old to sit in the lawn seats. We went to an Angels game,

Where we ate WAY too much. We went to see In the Heights,

Ben and I tried the Flo Rider,

but I had to retire from it early, after I had a wardrobe malfunction. (Also the most mortifying moment of my life). We spent a ton of time at the beach,

We went to St. George for the annual Ballstaedt family trip, where Ben got beat up in the pool by these bullies...

We went to the marathon, where Ben made it 19 miles despite his injuries.

In the fall we spent a day at the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado...

We celebrated my birthday at Baja Fish,

Followed by a birthday party at Nicci's, and funny photos with some of my best friends,

I love that Presley, my goddaughter, got in on the serious face pose. We spent Thanksgiving in Utah, where Ben was thrilled to participate in the (frozen) Turkey Bowl with his family...

Don't worry, Ben was playing in his Vans. I watched on the sidelines (and in the car, with the heater cranked up).

We spent our first married Christmas together, don't mind our sorry excuse for a tree.

After we woke up and before we headed to my parents for the festivities. It was fun to have our own little Christmas morning with just the two of us before heading over for Crepes and more presents!

We rang in the New Year with the Evans crew,

We had an amazing Hawaiian vacation with this crew (missing in the photo is my brother Jason),

We paddle boarded almost everyday, which is good considering the amount of food we consumed!

Our trip was a real dream,

and we are already talking about what we want to do the next time we make it over there. We also went to Arizona for my cousin Brendan's farewell,

and went to the Mesa Temple.

I chopped all of my hair off (this is not a good pic of me but it was on the day I cut it), luckily Ben liked the hair cut!

Ben's parents came to visit us, and luckily it was perfect weather all weekend!

The next few months were kind of a blur. In January we found out we were having a baby (!!!) and I spent the next few months (I wish I were exaggerating) in bed or throwing up. Luckily there are no pics of that. We ventured out for Ben's birthday in March,

Then we had a big surprise when Ben had to get his appendix out. (Our first hospital adventure)

We celebrated our anniversary with a day at the beach, and Ben got me these beauties...

He said he picked these ones because they were one of our wedding colors (coral). We have had quite an exciting year, and we can't wait to see what this year has in store for us. Most importantly our little baby girl!!!

Think Pink!!!

2011-04-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

Baby Ballstaedt is a girl!!! She was moving all over the place during the ultrasound yesterday. It definitely made it hard to get a good picture, but she was fun to watch. I like to think she was showing off her dance moves. We could see all of her little bones in her hands and her spine. Ben and I are in awe of this little one.

Let the shopping for baby girl clothes begin!!!

April Fools... If Only!

2011-04-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Ben and I had quite a weekend! On Thursday he had really bad stomach pains, so we took him to the emergency room and after waiting for FOUR HOURS (and we were lucky other people waited for nine!!!) we found out he had to have his appendix out. He didn't get out of surgery until midnight, just in time for April fools. I wonder if his parents thought I was kidding when I left them the messages about the surgery.

He was a real gem of a patient (as soon as they started pumping the pain medicine into him). Apparently the drugs make Ben "chatty", his words not mine. He also kept telling me jokes to prove his sense of humor was in tact.

This nasty picture was right after I woke up from a little nap. I still am pretty sick, and while Ben was supposed to be sitting upright in a chair he let me take a nap in his bed. That is true love.

Oh yeah, in case you didn't know, I chopped off all of my hair a few months ago. (Don't worry I donated all 14 inches to Locks of Love). Had I known I was actually pregnant at the time, and and about to get the skin of a teenage boy and turn into a whale (that part is rapidly occurring)... I may have held off on the drastic hair cut. Oh well, live and learn I guess.

We also had a new nephew born over the weekend. Congrats Seth and Cairen, we can't wait to see baby Rock Benjamin Ballstaedt!!

Surprise!!!

2011-03-29T16:31:00.001-07:00

Baby Ballstaedt is scheduled to make an appearance on September 29th. We are beyond excited about our little one, and we love gazing at that perfect little profile. I am just starting to get a little baby bump. But basically it just looks like I've been eating too much ice cream. I keep thinking the baby is going to be here so soon, (summer always goes by fast) but I think we have a looooong way to go.

Now Ben is calling his remodeling "nesting", which I think is hilarious. He also jokes that since we're expecting he's eating for two now. I am anxiously awaiting the day when I don't feel sick and I actually want to eat ANYTHING again. Now that I am in the second trimester, I am really hoping to start feeling like a normal person again.

We are just so excited and already love this little one more than anything.

Remodeling

2011-03-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was laying in bed, and I heard a lot of banging coming from where Ben was downstairs.

When I went down to figure out what the noise was I saw there were two holes in the powder room wall.

When I asked Ben why he made the holes he replied, "I wanted to see what was behind the wall."

Makes sense, I guess.

Right now, from bed, I hear drilling down below.

I'm scared to go down there.

Happy Birthday!

2011-03-06T11:48:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday sweet Ben! I am so glad you were born 33 years ago today. He thinks he is really old now, but I think he still has "the neck of a 20 year old." (Arrested Development anyone?)

Ben is the best husband, boyfriend, best friend, technical problem solver, mechanic, secret keeper, waffle maker, and he laughs at all of my jokes. Getting married to this birthday boy, was the best decision I ever made. I hope you have a great day Ben, and an even better year.

At his birthday lunch yesterday, the waiter at Javier's wanted to spoon feed him. Ben wasn't into it. I thought it was hilarious.

Chi-Town

2011-02-22T12:20:00.000-08:00

Way back in October, it all started when this beauty...

Called me and asked if I wanted to go to Chicago with her, that weekend. (Her husband Nick was supposed to go, but couldn't at the last minute). Never being one to turn down an adventure, I of course lept at the opportunity, and off to Chicago we went. We stayed with Lauren and Steve, and got a glimpse into their amazing city life. When we fist arrived, we saw sweet Chris (C-ROD, but those pics are on Chelsea's camera)

PS. I didn't get the memo about wearing stripes, so I took the photo. The first night we went for a walk around the city, which by the way is one of my top three favorites now.

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After a delicious breakfast with Lauren and Steve at Yolk,

Chelsea and I embarked on our day in the city (Lauren had to work). I was really feeling the 80 degree weather and sunshine.

Also, apparently I was into the YMCA. I mean you hear about how cold and windy Chicago is, but not on this glorious fall weekend. We headed to Navy Pier to catch a ride on the SeaDog, our Architectural Boat tour. (Vince Vaughn in The Break Up style). By far the coolest thing we did in Chicago.

We then had the TERRIBLE idea of taking these thrills for a spin...

Imagine us getting out of a Taxi in the middle of the route, running into the park, and dry heaving in front of a ton of people. They probably thought we were hung over or something. Not my proudest moment. Once the nausea was gone we strolled through Lincoln Park...

and hit up the awesome FREE zoo. I haven't been to a zoo in ages, and this one did not disappoint.

That night, we went out to a delicious dinner at Tavern on the Rush, and walked around some more. We saw this photo op...

and couldn't pass it up. We heard there would be fireworks on Lake Michigan that night, and Lauren and Steve said their roof top was the perfect place to watch them, and it totally would have been had a building not been blocking the exact spot the fireworks were going off.
It was a great place for a spur of the moment photo shoot though. The next day we walked around and saw tons of people who just ran the Chicago Marathon.

We also saw the giant bean...

Danced in one fountain,

And saw another famous fountain.

Then we took a walk back to Lauren and Steves' along the lakefront.

All in all, it was a blissful weekend, and I couldn't have asked for a better travel buddy, or more gracious hosts. Lauren and Steve are really living the dream out there in Chicago. I want to go back!!

2011

2011-01-01T23:17:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone! Today I wrote out my goals for 2011 and I am feeling optimistic that this is going to be a great year. Now, this could be because I am headed to Hawaii tomorrow, but lately I am feeling so lucky.

Great friends, great family, great Ben.

Life is good. I hope you all had a lovely holiday season with your nearest and dearest.

PS. Wondering why you didn't get a Christmas card from us? We are still working on our Thank You cards from our wedding. Maybe next year?

December 14th

2010-12-14T16:31:00.000-08:00

One year ago today Ben asked me to be his wife...

I can't believe its been a year since our engagement night. Best decision I ever made.

Luna de Miel

2010-12-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure that's how you say honeymoon in espanol. I realized that Ben and I have been married for 7 1/2 months and I have hardly documented our freshly married life! So... here's to playing catch-up. PS. This is going to be one loooong picture filled post, so don't worry about reading it all, this is mostly for Ben and my benefit someday.

Two days after we got married, we woke up early and went to the Salt Lake Airport to head to Cabo San Lucas...

We look pretty sleepy still. After getting lost at LAX...

We made it to our beautiful resort. This is just the lobby... NBD.

This is Ben just basking in the sun...

Unfortunately, he got a little sun burned on our first day. (And when I say a little it is a huuuge understatement).

The next day, we decided to keep Ben out of the sun and went into the harbor for some shopping...

And we went to The Office for lunch. It is probably one of my favorite restaurants ever, and I was excited to introduce Ben to it.

I think he liked it. Later we took a walk around our resort and couldn't help but take some pics...

The next day, I wanted to bask in the sun...

while Ben kept me company, in his own shaded way...

I was pleasantly surprised as I was flipping through a magazine, I saw an ad that I styled a few months earlier! My first styling work in a national publication (and no, I did not pick those shoes)

I was pretty excited. We took a lot of pics...

Took a water taxi to lover's beach...

Saw the famous arch..

We lived it up at the beach...

And the days flew by as we relaxed at the pool...

Look at my face, that is pure bliss right there. I want to go back right now.
I actually put on some make up on the 24th of April...

When we went out to dinner to celebrate our 3 year anniversary from our first date. At the romantic Mi Casa restuarant.

We hit up The Office one last time on the way to the airport...

We were a lot more tan in this airport pic...

I miss being tan, and I miss having this as my view...

All in all our honeymoon was pretty much the best week ever, and going on vacation with Ben has now become my absolute favorite thing ever. Next time we will just need to make sure he is better about sunscreen.

San Francisco

2010-09-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

(This trip was a couple of months ago, but apparently I am a little bit slow on the blogging lately)

It all started when this guy...

said, "Who wants to take a trip to San Francisco this summer?" Like he even had to ask. So Ben and I, along with these two...

and these two...

headed for a weekend in the city. (We missed you Ryan) We ate a TON, rode some of these...

Cable cars. Don't mind the hair going up my nose. The weather was AMAZING, which in San Francisco is not common. We went to the farmers market at the Ferry Building...

And saw some beautiful things...

Somethings I wanted to buy...

(Until I saw the price tag... a couple hundred dollars for a cake stand? I think I'll pass) We saw some things I'd never seen before...

Torpedo Onions? And some things I could have done with out seeing...

(The place where they sold 'Salted Pig Parts')
We enjoyed the beautiful scenery...

And seriously ate enough to last us a month. We also shopped for longer than my dad and Ben probably would have liked... but guess who showed amazing will power and only bought a TWO things the whole trip? (and both were from H&M, so it could have been much worse!)
Before we left we went to a killer brunch at the Top of the Mark. Check out the view...

And no Ben, that is not a picture of a bra or a bikini top on my shirt. Speaking of clothes, look who decided to match...

I die over this picture because it looks like Ben and my mom are awkwardly about to hold hands. All in all it was a great trip, the only thing that would have made it better was if Ryan was there.

THANKS MOM AND DAD!!! We'll be your traveling buddies anytime!

In the Heights

2010-09-12T21:18:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Benji and I went to the OC Performing Arts Center to see the play In the Heights. As usual we didn't want to ask anyone to take our picture, so you can't really tell where we are or what we are doing, but we wanted to capture it somehow.

The play was awesome, I loved the singing and dancing. (I secretly wish my life was a musical, and people would just randomly break out into song with choreographed moves to go with it).

I was so excited for our date, I may have debuted a new outfit...

I was so excited to find a dress that actually goes to my knees, and it was on sale... yesss!

After the play, we were both starving so we went to in-n-out. We are very high class. All in all it was a great night, and it was fun to do something different.

America's Favorite Pastime

2010-08-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

Look who has decided to blog again... finally. Hopefully there are a few of you reading this beauty still.

Last weekend I attended not one, but two MLB Baseball games. On Friday night, Benj and I went to the annual "Mormon Night at the Angels" and it was a real thrill.

We ran into a few of my favorite people...

Missed you Beth. After the game there was a bomb fireworks show, and then we met my cousin Justin and his main squeeze for one of these thrills...

But in a regular size, not the party portion. (I just failed to take a pic of the deliciousness).

Saturday I left the ol' Ball and Chain at home (he wasn't feeling well) and headed down to San Diego for a very special Padres game. Shannon (you may remember her as my other half in High School, or the maid of honor at Ben and my wedding)...

invited us to the game because her husband (and also my dear friend and Homecoming 2000 date, Brad) was called up from the minor leagues to play for the Florida Marlins...

Yeeeeeah Brad! It was so fun to watch Brad play in the amazing Padres' stadium, especially since I have been keeping Shannon company at his games since high school. I also had the great company of these beauties...

T-Diggit (Taylor) and Lindsey. We were celebrating Taylor finishing the Bar exam. So proud of that one. After the game we met up with Shan, Brad and their fam for dinner at the Yardhouse, and it was a delight catching up with them.

All in all, a great weekend. I forgot how much I love baseball games.

Remember when I used to Post on this blog?

2010-06-12T21:15:00.000-07:00

Those were the days. If any of you are still checking back here from time to time, thanks for not giving up on me. It has been a big couple of months, and now I don't even know where to start posting. Instead of doing a huge catch-up post right now, I am going to post a few things that make me sublimely happy these days. (Warning, some are just silly things)

Number one, I am very into stripes this summer. Every time I wear them, I just feel summery. (Dress from Topshop)

Number Two, although I miss Utah (Especially friends and family there), I am glad I made it back to California in time for the summer.

Number Three, my cousin Justin, that is one of my very very best friends comes home from his mission a week from Monday. HOLLA IF YOU CAN HEAR ME! Although he is a little bit mad that I got married while he was gone, I can not wait for him to get back here so we can go get a pizookie.

Number Four, Ben and I are headed to Utah for the Fourth of July. I have been going through withdrawals from his family. I can't wait to see them (or most of them) and my sweet Rhino. Utah, I have missed you.

(photo by Jonathan Canlas)

Number Five, speaking of photos by Jonathan Canlas... the photos he took at our wedding ROCKED MY WORLD. I am kind of obsessed with them, and by kind of I mean completely.

Number Six, the other day I was looking through my photo booth and I laughed harder than I have in ages. My girls, Nicci (not pictured), Shannon and I got a little silly taking pics at my bachelorette part dos, and I totally forgot about them. Until I opened photo booth the other night and saw them all. To limit the humiliation, I will only post one, but it also a good reminder to them that I have incriminating photos of them, should they ever decide to run for office someday.

Lastly, number seven, this blonde bombshell...

(photo from our honeymoon in Cabo)

He makes me happier than anyone/anything ever has. This morning I slept in while he made me waffles, and I thought, "If this is how marriage is, why didn't I get married a long time ago?" (Obviously I know there is more to marriage than waffles, but it was the simplicity of the moment that made me completely content.)

(Number eight, we had a great dinner and game night last night with friends. I'm not going to say I won the game (oodles), but I am not going to say I didn't either.)

Mr. and Mrs.

2010-05-09T22:20:00.001-07:00

photo by Jonathan Canlas

It was perfect. More details to follow.

Happy Wedding Week!

2010-04-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

Warning: This is basically one long, gushing, lovey-dovey post. Sorry to be annoying, but if you can't post something like this the week of your wedding, when can you ? I just want to remember how I feel right now... in this moment.

Dear friends,

I am well aware that my blog is all about Ben and my wedding these days. But let's get real, it is kind of the most exciting thing ever (in my world) and it is all consuming lately (in a good way). I have to post a few things, so I don't forget them in my very soon-to-be newlywedded state.

Look at the darling countdown calendar my cousin Sutton made me.

She has a matching one in her room to countdown when she gets to be a flower girl at the wedding. Don't worry there are only 6 post-its left on the countdown now!

I had two amazing bridal showers. Can someone send me some pictures from those? I was too busy chatting and opening presents to take any!

Also, two weekends ago I had an amazing bachelorette party. My friends really went all out for me! These girls...

All took me to a delicious dinner at Javier's in Newport. It was so fun seeing so many of my beautiful friends. After dinner we went dancing in Laguna. It was awesome. Oh, and remember how I don't like being the center of attention? Look at what I had to wear all night...

I didn't turn heads at all. I loved dancing with these ladies...

and was loving all of our moves that night. The next day I went to the beach with Nicci, and the Shannon Davis'. A perfect day at Victoria beach with a few of my favorites, loved it.

This week is going to be a blur. I can't wait until Saturday when I get to tie the knot with this guy...

I have a HUGE crush on him.

It will also be fun to see how our wedding reception turns out. My girl Lauren is putting her impeccable party planning skills to work, and I can't wait to see our ideas come to life. (Lu, I would be lost without you and I couldn't love you more!)

Anyway... I am so excited for this week, and if I neglect the blog for the next little while, lo siento. I will be living it up with my husband at the beach in Mexico. Life is good.

Love you all.

Lisa

Three Weeks from Saturday!

2010-03-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

My mom and I wedding dress shopping

Today my mom picked up my wedding dress. After four fittings and some serious negotiations with the sales staff, my dress is finished. (Don't try to get me to pay $600 for taking apart lace and sewing it back together to make it look 'seamless'. Why would you add more seams? Yes, I'd love to discuss those charges with a manager, because I am not going to pay them... you get the point)

This weekend I have a bridal shower in California. I am a little nervous about opening presents while everyone is watching me. Being the center of attention like that makes me blush just thinking about it.

Is this really happening, I am going to MY bridal shower... whaaat? So funny how things happen. I remember thinking when I was 21 that I was ready to get married and be a wife. Now at the age of 26, I am just glad Ben is patient because I have a lot to learn. I also remember thinking if I wasn't married by the time I graduated from BYU I would die. ha ha. Oh man, so dramatic. I look back and I am so glad about how everything has worked out for me so far, I have been really lucky being able to do such amazing things with my post-college years.

Believe me, I am not knocking getting married earlier, just for me it was better that I didn't. Anyway, I am just feeling pretty lucky these days.

Also if you ever need an invitation designed, I absolutely loved mine. It was a custom design by the incredible Mike Davis. Need an invitation? I would check out his site webtations to start. Want something else? Email me and I'll send you his information. Side note, Mike has a hot wife. (One of my bridesmaids named Shannon Davis. Yes, there are two bridesmaids named Shannon Davis, and both are gorgeous)

Love you all. Love all around. All you need is love.

Better Late Than Never

2010-03-15T00:20:00.000-07:00

Maybe this is old news, but I had to document that Ben and I took our engagement photos and we are obsessed with them! Our photographer, Jonathan Canlas, is beyond talented. We seriously had so much fun, despite the freezing (literally) temperatures and blustery wind.

Want to see more of the photos? Please click here.

Have a lovely week everyone. T-minus a little over a month!

Registering

2010-03-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Ben and I embarked on the daunting task of registering. I had a hard time picking things, because I didn't want people to think we wanted them to spend a ton of money on us, but at the same time we wanted to register for things that will last. We tried picking a bunch of items at all price points. I know I like when I get a couple something they register for, because then I know they want it. Anyway... my mom captured Ben and I on this engagement rite of passage.

Please pardon the bags under my eyes, it was a busy weekend.

This is Ben attempting to register for me.

Our wedding is coming so soon! I can't believe how fast time is flying by!

UPDATE:
While watching The Bachelor's Jason and Molly get married, we did indeed see Jason try to register for Molly. When we saw that, looked at each other and were pretty embarrassed that we did the same thing. I don't know what is more awkward, that we did the same cheesy thing that Jason and Molly did, or that we watched their televised wedding together.

Can't Wait...

2010-02-11T13:41:00.001-08:00

My parents are coming tonight for the long weekend. I love it when they come visit. Usually my dad spoils us all by making way too much delicious food, my dad and I go skiing/snowboarding, my mom takes Ben to Market Street Grill on his lunch break (sometimes they are nice enough to invite me, but they don't share their dessert with me), we have a family dinner with my mom's side of the family, and Share-dog forces me to make decisions about the wedding that I have been putting off. This time they are bringing my adorable cousins Weston and Hanson. I am so excited.

Weston and Hanson on their snowboarding trip last year, Hanson did not want to smile for me. He is going to have to work on that if he is going to be a "wedding boy". (He asked me if he could have a part in Ben and my wedding because his sisters are flower girls, after going through a list of things he wanted to do but couldn't [including being the officiator!], he asked me if he could be a 'wedding boy'. I said I would love to have him as a wedding boy. We are still working out the details of the job description.)

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

New Years Eve 2010

2010-02-08T23:47:00.000-08:00

AKA the night Ben and I couldn't take a decent picture to save our lives. I am looking through my pictures right now, and I am cracking up at our photos from New Years this year. It was a great night, but for some reason, Ben and I just couldn't get it together in front of the camera. We started out by going to dinner with these two thrills...

And here is our first attempt at taking a photo...

"Not bad, but let's try for a better one"...

"Definitely not better, but let's try one more?"...

ha ha ha. Oh man. Then we went to play games with some friends. After we went back to his house, and the hilarity continued. I was thinking it would be cute to take different photos making "2's", "0's", "1's" and "0's" and then make a little collage with our "2010's". But these were more funny/awkward than cute.
Here is Ben appeasing me...

and deciding to do his "0's" in one shot...

Then I came up with this idea...

Get it? (My eyes are the "0's")

Ben, thank you for being a good sport, and putting up with my ideas... even when they don't quite turn out. Here's to 2010, and hopefully our engagement photos turn out a little better than these little delights!

My Late-Night Plea

2010-01-14T01:55:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends,

Look who can't sleep again. (hence the second blog post tonight) In an effort to sleep I started watching an episode of Say Yes to the Dress. A bride-to-be brought her bridesmaids dress shopping with her and one of her friends said, "I'm going to be brutal with her."

So this bride-to-be is asking all of you, please DON'T be brutal with me. I've already said "yes" to my dress.

Love,

Lisa

UPDATE: A groom-to-be just said this about his fiance while she was trying on gowns, "That makes her look very rectangulish."

Are you kidding me. That is why you don't bring boys wedding dress shopping.

My Grandpa Hong

2010-01-13T23:15:00.001-08:00

This is my Grandpa...

I think he is perfect. He wears this hat when he goes to visit my Grandma's grave, to protect himself from the sun. She is probably glad he does. (I love that it is from George of the Jungle 2) He also wears...

Socks with individual toes. To me everything he does is perfect. He is such a good example to me in so many different ways. He runs at least three miles a day. He came with all of my friends to run the Turkey Trot in Dana Point. He loves his grandkids...

(a few of us over Christmas) He loves to travel. He is a Korean celeb (no joke) and he goes on trips all over the place for free so the tourism company can advertise that people can go on trips with him. I wonder if people would care to go on trips with his granddaughter, so I could go all over the world for free. He loves me...

and I love him. It made me so happy when I saw this...

Ben hugging my grandpa at our engagement dinner. Every year my grandpa has all of his grandkids write out our resolutions for him, and he keeps track. He is gently encouraging (example, "I want to get a gpa of 3.5" his response, "why not 4.0?")

He was one of the first members of our church (LDS) in Korea. He and my Grandma were one of the first Korean couples to get sealed in the temple, and I find such comfort in the fact that their marriage covenants will last forever. Every week he goes here...

to bring her flowers, and to make sure her grave area is clean. That includes windexing her headstone, and trimming the grass around it with scissors to make sure it is neat and tidy, just how she would like it. I think that is what true love is.

I don't know why I wrote all of this tonight. I am just thinking about him and how lucky I am to be his granddaughter. (Especially because I got to play his granddaughter in a Korean commercial when I was in 6th grade. I have never felt cooler)
Love you Grandpa.

It's Back

2010-01-06T00:33:00.000-08:00

My insomnia, that is. I feel really sleepy, but I can't fall asleep. It's obnoxious.

On a happier note, this blonde bombshell...

(My mom) is coming to town tomorrow night to help with wedding planning. I love it when she comes to visit. I had a really great holiday season, I hope you did too!

I should blog about it all right now, but I am going to try to get some sleep. Just for fun though...

Here is a pic of Ben and Me from our engagement dinner with our parents (I'll blog about the wonderful dinner later).

I'm still so excited to be engaged. I can't believe it has already been three weeks!!! Does that mean the rest of the engagement will go by fast too? Aaaaand, just in case you were wondering, I still can't stop staring at....

This beauty on my left hand. (For those who inquired about my ring... it is rose gold with a bunch of little pave diamonds. Please click on the photo for more detail, just don't mind my wrinkly hand) Those lights in the background are from my Christmas tree. Its like two of my favorite things, something from Ben and Christmas. How did I get so lucky?

Now if I could only get some sleep.

B-A-L-L-S-T-A-E-D-T

2009-12-15T23:29:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it. As of Monday night, Ben and I are officially engaged. I've never been happier. We had a perfect day together, just the two of us. Then he took me to our special spot. Where we...

First watched fireworks together. (Photo from our spot on the Fourth of July, 2007) It is also where he first told me was falling in love with me. I think it is also where he first told me he wanted to get married to me.

As we were standing looking at the twinkling lights and the snow on the ground, I said to Ben, "You know Ben, if you had a ring, now would be the perfect time to give it to me."

I didn't notice at that exact moment he already had his hand in his pocket, and was getting a small ring box out. He put it in my hand and got down on his knee. I didn't know if I should open the box or listen to what he was saying. I opted for the latter. After he said some very sweet things, that will remain between Benjamin and me (you know how celebrities like to keep certain parts of their lives private? I figure I will keep our sweet nothings to ourselves), I said "Yes". Of course.

After we took a couple of pictures...

(Ben is in that one I promise, we were just struggling to capture the moment in the dark on our phones!)

We then called my parents, and went and woke up his. Then we made my little brother meet up with us where Ryan perfectly embraced Ben while saying, "Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug."

I got a manicure today, so I won't be embarrassed when asked to show my ring. I stared at it all day long today, I love that Ben got it for me, and that it means we are getting married. It has been a long time coming, but at the same time I was completely surprised. Ben and I have been through a lot together, and I am so grateful for what we have learned about each other and about ourselves in the process.

(Photo from Ben's Baptism)

We don't have a date or even a state picked out yet, but hopefully we will figure it all out soon. I can't say the word fiance without giggling a little bit, maybe that will pass? Anyway, I am so excited to marry Ben and spend forever with him. I hope our kids get his blue eyes.

Side note: After 26 years of having my little eight letter name, I am mixing it up with the title of the post. I will be Lisa Ballstaedt (the last syllable rhymes with "head") So we'll see who my real friends are when they master the spelling. ha ha.

Additional Side note: I have bangs again, but I don't want them in our engagement photos or on our wedding day, so I am willing them to grow out and fast!!!

Today

2009-12-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

Today this is my life...

I am busy sewing presents for the upcoming arrival of the Herrington twin girls. While sewing I've been thinking about how excited I am for these two parents...

Sorry, Heleen and Jeff, I didn't have a huge selection of pictures of the two of you to choose from (which brings me down because I have so many memories with you two thrills). Your girls are going to be so lucky to have you as parents. Like I told Heleen yesterday, I am so excited for them to get here.

If you are at home reading this thinking, "Lisa didn't sew anything for me when I had a baby..." You are probably right. Sorry. Although I usually intend to, sometimes things get a little busy around here. HOWEVER Heleen and Jeff are naming one of the twins after me. I'm not saying I'm playing favorites, but name a baby after me, and then who knows what will happen (wink-wink).

ALSO, look at this...

When in the world did my hair get this long? Is this serious? I have a haircut scheduled next week with the lovely Sarah. I am thinking about bringing back the bangs. Any thoughts?

Love you all and I hope you had a marvelous Thanksgiving.

Flowers

2009-11-18T16:58:00.001-08:00

This week I got a special delivery. My sweet mom sent me roses, out of the blue. I had a big work week last week, and I did something weird to my neck in the midst of it all. I was working a photo shoot and I couldn't turn my head without turning my whole body with it. It was rad.

Anyway, my mom sent me roses to tell me she hoped I was feeling better and that she was proud of me.

Aren't moms the best?

(I forgot to take a pic of the flowers before they wilted, so the ones in the photo are from sweet T-Diggit for my birthday. Equally beautiful flowers from a beautiful girl.)

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-03T12:13:00.001-08:00

This year Ben and I decided not to dress up for Halloween. We didn't really have anywhere to go, so we figure why waste the time and energy on Costumes. So you can imagine my surprise when on October 30, Ben called me asking him to meet him to go find costumes. This is what we threw together...

Yes, my entire costume did come from things I already own, including my retainers that were brought out of retirement. It's really too bad that at the game night we went to on Halloween, NO ONE else was in costume. Seriously, we were the only ones, and it was mostly people we didn't know, sweet. As we were playing games (Clue- I won, Uno Attack- I won one of the rounds, in case you are keeping score) I would forget we were in costume, until I would see my pigtailed reflection or look at Ben's pocket protector.

Another highlight of the holiday? Helping my brother with his costume. He told me he wanted to be...

Goku from Dragon Ball Z. I didn't even know what he was talking about. There are enough asian stereotypes to try to live down in my opinion without dressing as an anime character. But, like a good sister I helped with his costume. I think it turned out pretty well!

Not bad, eh? I love how into Halloween Ryan and Ben get. Remember them from last year? Ok, maybe I like to take pictures in character too. Turns out Ryan won an award for best costume at the party he was at. Looks like I can add "Award Winning Costume Designer" to my resume.

Hope you all had a good Halloween, next year can someone have a party where people actually dress in costumes? Thanks.

Side note- I asked Ben, "Don't you wish you had a girlfriend who liked dressing up as someone attractive for Halloween?"

He just laughed at me. Maybe next year?

Habitat for Humanity

2009-10-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

My Uncle Jim and Me

Last month I went to North Carolina to participate in building two homes for Habitat for Humanity. My dad and my uncle Jim went last year to build with some of their clients in Charlotte, and invited me to go with them this year. Then my older brother Jason wanted to come to. At the last minute my dad had to go to Oregon for work, and Jason couldn't leave school, so it ended up being just Jim and me.

We ended up having a great trip and it was such a cool experience to literally help put a roof over someone's head. The families who are moving into the homes work on them with you, and they were so appreciative of everyone helping out. The first day Jim told me he was hoping we wouldn't have to work on the roof, because that is what they did last year and he said it is really hard on your body. Of course we were assigned to putting shingles on the roof, and he was not joking about it being hard work. You are basically in a squat position, leaning over hammering all day long. I was so sore after, and my arm was aching all night from using the hammer.

Action shot of me roofing

The most beautifully shingled roof I have ever seen

The next day we put up the siding on the house. Siding is much easier on the bod. It was a welcome relief. We almost finished two sides of the house, which was a lot! I was so proud of our group. I forgot to take pictures of the house after we did the siding, but I assure you it looked fabulous.

I learned a lot on this trip. Before I went I didn't even know how to hold a hammer properly. (Who knew you it worked better if you held it down on the handle, away from the head?) It was also really good for me to spend some time and serious energy serving someone else. I was dripping sweat, filthy, exhausted, sore, and I have never felt better!

A few side notes from the trip...

It was great to have dinner with another one of my uncles, Pete who lives in North Carolina. I don't get to see him very often and we had a great time.

I had a hotel room all to myself. That never happens! I felt like a little kid in my huge bed and fluffy white robe, with a beautiful room just for me.

North Carolina is so green and beautiful and the people there are so nice! I would love to go back and explore Charlotte more.

Jim is a great traveling companion. He and his family have always lived close to mine and our families have always been really close. (His son is Justin, one of my faves who will be home from his mission in Bolivia in eight months, not that I'm counting or anything) Anyway, growing up I always knew if anything happened to my parents, Jim and Jenny would take care of me. I still feel that way.

Want to know more about Habitat for Humanity and how you can get involved? Click here.

Ode to October

2009-10-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

Look at the beautiful fall storm going on right now...

View from my balcony right now

This is why I love October:
1. It really feels like Fall, and I love fall.
2. It is pouring outside and it is sunny at the same time.
3. The leaves have changed colors and make everything look gorgeous.
4. Halloween is in October, any good costume ideas? I heard a GREAT idea today, I won't give it away but let me say I am excited to see pictures of the Brutsch family on Halloween.
5. It is my birthday month, and what's not to like about that?
6. October kicks off the holiday season, and I LOVE the holidays.

Seriously though, any good costume ideas? Last year Ben and I dressed up like this and loved it. What is everyone dressing up as this year?

Insomnia

2009-10-13T01:12:00.000-07:00

It is 2:15 in the morning right now. I can't sleep.

Maybe it is because I ate too much for dinner and I can't find a position that does not make my full tummy hurt? Maybe it is because I am really enjoying the Ingrid Michaelson station on Pandora? Maybe it is because I am loving the thunderstorm going on outside right now? Maybe it is because I am almost 26 (yikes), and I am reflecting on all the things I did or did not do in the past year? Maybe it is because I am really starting to need the wrinkle cream I use every night? Maybe it is because I wish I tried a little bit harder to convince my parents they needed a translator (me) on their trip to Barcelona?

Really, it is because tonight my thoughts are keeping me awake. Hopefully now that I got some of them out into the open I will sleep.

"The storm is coming but I don't mind." (Keep Breathing, Ingrid)

UPDATE: It is now 3:32 am, and no sign of sleep yet. I think it's going to be a long night.

New York Fashion Week!!!

2009-10-08T13:16:00.001-07:00

Also known as my version of heaven on earth. Seriously, I walked around smiling from ear to ear the entire trip. Dear readers, please brace yourselves for one looong post. Also, this is going to be an overview of the entire trip, if you want to know more about the fashion shows and presentations, please visit my fashion blog here.

I took the red-eye to JFK on Sunday night and arrived in New York around 6:00 am on Monday morning. From there I went straight to Casa Schofield, to clean myself up a little bit. Ciara and Lyle were nice enough to let me stay with them after I invited myself. She is a good friend, because this is how the conversation went, "Hey C, so I am coming to New York and I need a place to stay, and I am actually coming tonight... do you think I can crash with you?" Luckily she let me stay there. Love you C.

From the Schofield's lovely abode, I walked over to the Elite Model Management office to meet with my boss and a few other people.

The Elite Office

While at the office I was VERY excited to see that many of the comp cards (the photos on the shelves on the back wall in the above photo) were ones that I styled. Ok, many is an exaggeration, but I would say probably 20 or so were styled by me. It was great to see my work in the New York office.

Close up view of some comp cards

From the office we went to the office of Trump Models, but unfortunately the Donald was not there. After that meeting we went to the Chris Benz presentation in the Meatpacking District.

Some of the models at Chris Benz

The presentation was really cool and I loved the colorful clothing. From the presentation we booked it to the Upper East Side for the Sergio Guardarrama fashion show. The show was in a beautiful building, and I loved that we had a seat in the third row. At the show we saw Russell Simmons, Jojo (singer of "Get Out"), and Kanye West's girlfriend Amber Rose closed the show.

The best photo I could get with my phone

Russell Simmons posing for photos

From the show, I went and got some delicious New York pizza, and then went back to Ciara and Lyle's to get a little bonding time with C. The next day I was off early again and went to meet up with my boss, Stacey and Melinda, Vikki and Lacey from Pulse (the agency I work with). The other ladies on the trip had not been to New York, or had not been recently so we boarded one of the double decker tour buses to see the town.

My self portrait on the bus

I have never been on one of the tour buses before, and it actually was a great way to see the city. When I have been before my main mode of transportation is the Subway so it was great to see how the city connected together above ground. We drove past Parsons, where I went to school and where they used to film Project Runway. (they now film it at FIDM, hmmm first Parsons then FIDM, sounds like someone else I know...)

We got off the bus in the West Village and walked around a little bit. This is where my dorm room was, so I showed everyone around (to Magnolia to get cupcakes and to the amazing shopping on Bleeker).

I loved this billboard for Marc Jacobs and Barneys. Talk about an eye-catching color!

We got back on the bus and toured the rest of the city. We got off the bus near central park, which was right by our next destination. The Plaza hotel for the Betsey Johnson presentation. The presentation was awesome! I couldn't get enough of the great live band, dancing models, the fabulous clothing and an actual run-in with Betsey herself. (She bumped into me, literally)

Models at Betsey Johnson

My boss, Stacey, with two of his models that were in the Betsey Johnson lineup.

Right across the street from the Plaza the Coco Before Chanel premiere was happening. I couldn't resist taking a pic of the outside.

We wanted to stay and see who would show up for the premiere, but we had to RUN to make it to a screening of The September Issue. I absolutely loved the movie, and was so glad I got to see it. (I don't know if it will make it to theaters in Utah, although if it does I will gladly go see it again) After the film, we went to dinner, and watched the cast of Gossip Girl film at the Hotel where the people I worked with were staying (The Empire Hotel). We spotted Chace Crawford and Blake Lively. Blake was wearing Ugg boots with her chic outfit, I am assuming her feet weren't in the shot.

Each night, Ciara and Lyle graciously set up my air mattress bed (which was very comfortable), and then I would deflate it and put it away in the morning. Ciara captured me in action...

Sadly, this is the only photo I have of the Schofield home, and I didn't get any with sweet Ciara or the Lyle.

The next morning I met with Stacey, Hannah Holman (model in the new Miu Miu campaign) and Wayne Sterling (founder of Models.com) and then we had a nice breakfast with Lacey and Melinda. From there Lacey, Melinda and I booked it to Chelsea for the Koi Suwannagate presentation, which was beautiful.

After the presentation we had to hurry and get a cab up to Bryant Park to go to the 3.1 Phillip Lim show in the big tent. WE ARE TALKING THE TENTS PEOPLE!!! We got to hang out backstage for an hour or so while they set up. This was definitely one of the coolest parts of the trip.

Me backstage

All of the clothing next to each model that would be wearing the look's photos. The shoes were on the ground below the racks, ready for quick changes.

Model Ali Stephens, (who I talked to later and gave me tips for getting a good seat at the show) getting her hair done

Show run-through

Backstage video, yes I am narrating it. Sorry.

Ali in the show, photo from style.com

My view of the show (sorry, the pic is from my phone)

From my seat I could see Nina Garcia (of Project Runway and Marie Claire fame), Lauren Conrad (who the photographers didn't seem to care about photographing), and Leighton Meester (from Gossip Girl, who the photographers couldn't photograph enough). After the show, I wasn't feeling very well and I couldn't get into Ciara and Lyle's until after she was done with work around five. Soooo, I got something to eat and passed some time sitting quietly at the Manhattan temple.

Well, that may be my longest post ever. All in all, I had the most amazing couple of days in New York, and Fashion Week was everything I hoped it would be... and more.

This is not a joke...

2009-09-13T11:31:00.001-07:00

OH. MY. GOSH. ohmigosh! Guess where I am headed tonight!!!

New York FASHION WEEK!!! Bryant Park here I come. This is how I feel about it...

Sorry for the nasty pic, but I had to capture my excitement. The past few days as I have been looking through the photos of some of the shows, I have been thinking about how at least once in my life I want to go to Fashion Week. How I would pretty much die to go, and then last night my boss provided me the opportunity to go. I leave TONIGHT! TONIGHT!!!! I am dying!

(I apologize for the excessive use of exclamation points)

Pop Culture Commentary

2009-08-31T16:29:00.000-07:00

Friends, I have a few things that I NEED to say in some kind of a public forum before I burst! Believe me, I know how lame all of this sounds.

Number One- Who has heard Mariah Carey's new song "Obsessed"? Sample lyric from the chorus, "Why you so obsessed with me."

Hey Mariah, we aren't. I don't know what kind of confidence pills you are taking, but maybe its time to lessen the dosage.

Number Two- Was anyone else excited that Daniel Vosovic won the Project Runway All Star Challenge? I didn't love his collection the most, but I just adore him!

Number Three- John Krasinski and Emily Blunt are engaged.

This one is kind of a toss up for me, because I love him, but then again I love her too. She says one of my favorite lines in The Devil Wears Prada.
"I am on a new diet, I don't eat anything and then when I am about to pass out I eat a cube of cheese... I am one stomach flu away from my ideal weight."

I know I am kind of a dork for posting all of that, but I have just been thinking those things today.

Love you all.
Lisa
xx

This Summer; another novel

2009-08-12T15:26:00.001-07:00

This summer I've been a busy girl...

I went to New York (try not to be jealous of my headphones, they were a gift from Ryan)

(My pics from the trip still aren't uploaded, so the one from the plane will have to do)

I've been to a few concerts,

Taylor Swift with my cousin Zoe

Death Cab for Cutie with sweet Heide, (Emma, Dave and Zoe not pictured) and Benji. Although in the glaring sun, I could not take a good photo to save my life, so I decided to just hide from the camera...

I also went to see Jack's Mannequin and The Fray with my Slig, Shannon Davis.

We laughed, dance and sang the night away. Just like old times.

I also have been to the lake a few times this summer. Ben and I went and rode a watercraft on Utah Lake for a little bit, I may have thrown us off of the watercraft...

But before we went to the lake, we had to go buy some...

Life jackets. (Please note in this photo I am trying on both of our life jackets simultaneously). I have also been wakeboarding a few times, but have no photographic evidence.

I decided to appease Ben and go on a couple of...

Motorcycle rides, even though this is how I really feel about motorcycles...

aka, terrified.

I went to California and spent a lot of time here...

Met up with these beauties...

Chelsea, Jill and sweet baby Dane, who I instantly adored. We also met up with...
my cousins Weston and Hanson,

My aunt Jenny,

and even my uncle Jim decided to set up his office at the beach.

I had a great pool day with Shannon Davis (married to Brad, I have two friends named Shannon Davis), followed by Golden Spoon and a movie, but I didn't take any pics of it. Sad.

I met up with these two...

T-Diggit and Lindsey at Cheesecake Factory, and T and I unknowingly were twins.

I guess it was unofficial purple button up shirt day.

The beach and I had a lot of catching up to do, so I drove up to Malibu to see my dear LA friends...

Colleen and Megan (not pictured Evan and Broek) Luckily Broek stopped by my friend Amie's (where I stayed the night) to show off her party favors from a bat mitzvah she attended.

Please notice the hat that doesn't fit my head, the Michael Jackson glove, and the blinking light on my pin.

The next day I re-wore my outfit from the night before and hit up the Santa Monica Farmers market with Amie.

Aim, thanks for letting me stay with you after I invited myself, for hanging out with me, and for introducing me to breakfast quesadillas. I love you and miss you already!

I wasn't finished with the beach yet...

T-diggit and I got some Papa's tacos and headed down to Victoria beach in Laguna. It was perfection.

After my trip I couldn't wait to come home and see this face...

Also, I got to see these two beauties...

and I feel like I really had some good bonding time with my godchild Presley, not to mention her hot mama who I never get to see enough.

Oh, this summer, I have also eaten a lot of this...

I know, sometimes I judge myself. I also can't get enough of playing with...

cute little ones, this one is Stone, Ben's nephew. Although if there is ever any little kid around, someone likes to hog them...

Ok... I am tired of making this post, which means you are definitely tired of reading it. It has been a great summer so far, and I am excited to see what else is in store.

Perfection

2009-07-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

This is why I love my parents. Ok, one of the many reasons why I love my parents. Last month we had a wedding at our house and my dad was in charge of the food (hence the aprons). The the music started up, and they started busting a move in the kitchen. This particular photo was during the song, Brick House.

Maybe it's just me, but I am pretty their dancing would be considered "too close" at a stake dance. Good thing there were no chaperones to break these two up.

Another Update

2009-07-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

It took seven minutes to get my new plates at the DMV. SEVEN. I was ready to spend at least an hour there, I have never spent less than that at a California DMV. It also was a fraction of the cost of registering a vehicle in California, I'm talking hundreds of dollars less.

Maybe the plate thief did me a favor?

Update

2009-07-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

So... this morning I received an email from the Salt Lake Police Department that I would need to file my report with the South Salt Lake Police Department because that is where the license plate was stolen. I honestly didn't know there was a difference. So I called the South Salt Lake Police Department, and gave all of the information about my car (BMW X-5), where the plate was stolen (the address of the parking lot), the plate number, etc. I was then informed that an officer would call me to file the report. (I thought that was what I just did)

Then the officer called me. Here is my most accurate attempt at recording the conversation:

ME: Hello
Officer: Hi, I need to speak with Elizabeth Hong
Me: This is she
Officer: I am calling in regards to your stolen license plate, why don't you tell me what happened
ME: The back license plate was stolen off of my car...
Officer: It was off of a car?
ME: Yes, my white BMW X-5
Officer: I have here that it was stolen off a BMX bike, so you are saying it was stolen from a car
ME: Yes, I am positive, my back license plate was stolen from my car.
Officer: What kind of car is it?
ME: A BMW X-5
Officer: And where was the car parked when it was stolen?
ME: I was working at (address), and it was stolen in the parking lot across the street
Officer: So you live at this address?
ME: No, I was working at this address, I live (insert my address here)
Officer: Ok, so you live and work at the address the car was parked at?
ME: No, the plate was stolen at the place I work. The second address I gave you is my home address. The plate was stolen while I was working on Sunday. I filed a Police Report with the Salt Lake Police department on Monday morning, but they sent me an email this morning saying I need to file the report with you at the South Salt Lake Police Department
Officer: Wait, the plate was stolen on Sunday?
Me: Yes
Officer: Then why are you filing the report two days later?
ME: (thinking, didn't I just explain this?) I filed a Police Report with the Salt Lake Police department on Monday morning, but they sent me an email this morning saying I need to file the report with you at the South Salt Lake Police Department
Officer: I see. What is the plate number?
ME: It is a California license plate, (insert number here)
Officer: Let me look that up... ok so it is a California plate. Maybe that is why they had it down as a BMX bike?
ME: maybe, or maybe it is because I said BMW X-5, so that kind of turned into BMX bike?
Officer: That makes sense too. So you have California plates but you live in Utah?
ME; Yes, that is correct. I am not sure how long I will be living in Utah.
Officer: You need to go down to the DMV TODAY and get Utah plates, do you understand?
ME: Yes, (sniff sniff) I understand
Officer: If you get pulled over before you get your new plates, which you need to take care of TODAY, tell them the case number, and this should be in the system by then, so they can verify your story.
ME: Ok, thank you Officer, I will go get my Utah Plates today.

So, I guess I should go get my new Utah plates today? I mean it should be in the system soon, that the license plate was stolen off of my BMX bike.

What?!

2009-07-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

Someone stole my license plate yesterday. Seriously, not the front one, just the back. Took the frame around it and everything. I guess I should be glad that nothing else got stolen. Don't worry Ben filed a Police Report already.

So does this mean I should get Utah plates now? My registration needs to be renewed this month, and it is a lot cheaper to register cars in Utah....

Ryan and Lisa's Day-O-Fun

2009-07-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my brother Ryan and I had an awesome day. He invited me to go wakeboarding with his friends. So, maybe the boat broke down before I got a turn to wakeboard... maybe next time. It was still fun to be out on the lake.

Then we went to lunch together followed by a trip to the pool with Bryan and Gabe. Nothing like stuffing yourself with a big lunch and then sitting by the pool in a bikini. It was kind of awesome/awkward when the group of moms next to us had rocking abs, and I thought, "Good for them having six-pack abs after they have babies, I hope I'm like that," and then I realized I have yet to have kids and my abs aren't like that so the probability of having a Kelly-Ripa like stomach after kids is not looking promising.

Anyway, here is what I loved about yesterday:

Ryan and Bryan appreciate a good floaty. Also, Bryan brought his ipod complete with an awesome "Pool Playlist" which added to this perfect summer day. After the pool Ryan and I stopped for some shaved ice.

I love shaved ice. This cherry/lime combo was a real dream. Does anyone know where you can get shaved ice with ice cream in it in Utah? I used to frequent the Diddy Reese in LA for those frozen delights, and I have yet to find a place to fulfill my craving in Utah.

(Also, I am wearing a strapless dress over a strapless swimsuit in the photo, I promise I have clothes on)

So, thanks Rhino for a fun day and thank you summer for finally feeling like you are here!

Thoughts...

2009-07-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

I have lots of them today. Who knows why I am deciding to blog them, but I just wanted to share them with someone.

-What is with the rainy/cloudy weather? I'm pretty sure it is July, so the June gloom needs to get lost.
-I went to BYU campus two days ago and felt like a visitor. It's hard to believe I spent so much time there because now it feels like a whole other lifetime.
-I wish I were spending the Fourth at the beach. I miss seeing the fireworks reflecting on the ocean. Also, it is my friend Chelsea's favorite holiday and I would love to spend it with her.
-I always have my ipod in my car on shuffle, and the past few days it has been selecting Michael Jackson... A LOT. How does it know?
-Today I am frustrated with one of my jobs. I wish I could elaborate more but what if someone there reads it? Then again, do I even care?
-My parents will be here tonight. I'm excited. Those two always bring a smile to my face, fill my tummy with good food, and usually get me some new thrills for my closet.
-I wrote a long letter to my Cousin Justin today, I miss him. I am lucky to have such an awesome cousin.
-We really are so lucky to live in this country. Don't get me wrong, I love visiting other countries, but I'm glad I call this one home.
-Does anyone watch the ABC show Superstars? There is a model on it who makes her partner Terrell Owens look like a perfect example of sportsmanship. I still can't get over her.
-Speaking of ABC, if Jillian doesn't get rid of Wes I am going to have to stop watching.

Whew. I'm glad I got all of that out in the open.

She Bangs, She Bangs...

2009-06-05T14:59:00.001-07:00

While I was waiting at the hair salon for my mom to get her hair cut, I decided to switch up my look a little bit. Some people buy gum on an impulse buy, apparently I cut my hair. I got some bad news that day, and decided to cut my hair in response. I guess I am an emotional (hair) cutter. Ben loves them... I am still on the fence. I think I might be growing them out already, but they are kind of fun, no?

Viva

2009-05-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Ben and I went down to Las Vegas for a mini-vacation. (Contrary to Ben's Mom's suspicion, we did not go down there to elope) The first night we were there we stayed with this cute family...

Seth, Cairen and their cute girls were so fun to hang out with, and they were so nice to let us stay! I wish they lived closer so we could hang out with them more often. We had a lot of fun with them, but we didn't take any pictures. I know, I am lame. I tried to be better over the next day or two.

Next up, these two...

made it to town for a convention, and took us...

(please pardon my pale face, the Utah winter does not agree with me) to dinner at this...

amazing Bobby Flay restaurant. (Mesa Grill) Ben and I love watching the food network, and we LOVE Bobby Flay, so it was fun for us to eat at his restaurant and try his food. It did not disappoint! After dinner we went to the new Vegas location of one of my favorite New York places, Serendipity. For a little bit of these...

Frozen Hot Chocolates. (So I guess no one else wanted to make a funny face while taking the picture?) They were good, but Serendipity was not nearly as cute as the New York location. (So maybe all we did on this trip was eat? I don't even feel bad about it.)

The next day we woke up early and went shopping. I made my Mom and Ben recreate this statue...

I was dying because Ben's foot slipped into the fountain, so he was walking around the shops with one foot drenched and the other one dry. The things we do for art.

Then the fun began at the pool. My mom was an awesome photographer, and Ben and I finally have some photos of us not taken by ourselves.

Few things are better than laying by the pool, with a cute boy on your right, darling mom on your left (my dad had to be at a convention, working hard so we could play), a virgin pina colada, and a new issue of Vogue. Then Ben and I decided to work on our synchronized swimming.

Next up the lifts:
first the prep...

Then the lift...

Now the dismount...

"Don't act like you're not impressed" Seriously though, Ben and I practice these moves anytime we are in a pool. We think we are almost ready for an Olympic tryout.

We had such a fun trip, we didn't want to leave! Thanks Seth and Cairen for letting us stay with you guys and hang out. Also thanks Mom and Dad...

The next time the cake is on me!

PS. While we were at the pool, I won a raffle. (Mine was the first ticket called) Try not to be jealous of my prize...

(I won the cup, not Ben) They told me the strap around my neck was so I wouldn't lose my drink after I was wasted. Nice.

Writing Away

2009-05-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have four, yep that's right, four articles due. My deadline for two was today, and I have two more due on Monday. Now, I'm not complaining. Not in the slightest, in fact I am so thankful that I have work that I LOVE doing. I think I am just getting a little silly from sitting at my computer for so long. Also, I haven't washed my hair for three days.

It still has tons of hairspray and stuff in it from a photo shoot I had to step in for on Thursday. Today when I was talking to a friend and telling her about my writing she said I was just like Carrie Bradshaw. She is sweet for saying so, but somehow Carrie still looked every bit of a fashionista no matter how pressed for time she was.

Side note: If you want to see any of my work in print I write regularly for Eliza Magazine and Wasatch Woman Magazine, and their subscriptions are pretty inexpensive. Or you can just run into my mom, I'm pretty sure she makes everyone she sees look at my work. Sorry if she has made you look at something of mine, believe me, I know it is nowhere near as exciting for anyone else as it is for me (and my mom).

My First Novel...

2009-04-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

aka this post. I know, I am a lame blogger. I also have been terrible at taking pictures the last few months, so I decided to take the pictures off of my phone, and steal some off of other blogs, to try to compile a blog post about what I have been up to.

At the beginning of March I went to Las Vegas with Ben's Mom, his sisters Amber and Erin, and their kids to visit his brother and sister in law and their family. (Did that even make sense?) Anyway we had a great trip, filled with shopping, food, and sunshine. Three of my favorite things!

This picture was from the night we got a babysitter and had a fun girls night out at the Cheesecake Factory. Thanks Cairen for being such a great hostess!

I made it back to Utah just in time for Ben's birthday. He took the day off work and we had so much fun. That night we met up with all of his friends for dinner (of course I didn't take any pictures) but I do have this one...

of us hanging out after dinner. Not our best work, but what can you do?

Nicci and Presley came to town, and I loved seeing my sweet Godchild. She is getting so big! I also adored seeing sweet Nicci, I hate not living closer to her. It was fun having them in town, because a few of us got together at Beth and Kris' darling home and let Cayleen and Jordan entertain us.

They did not disappoint, with yoga poses, a tap dance routine and other acrobatics. I can't wait for their wedding, booked my plane ticket to California yesterday.

I have been working a lot lately (insert huge sigh of relief here). I styled a music video for the band Cursive. When the video is released I will post it. It was such a fun project to work on. They wanted all of the clothing to be authentic 70s garb, complete with a 70s wedding party. It was awesome.

That's me in the background, steaming away, making sure the clothing looked just right for the video shoot. The video was in LA, so I crashed at my beautiful friend Amie's apartment. Little did she know, I had to store the wardrobe there, conduct fittings there, and use her sewing machine to do a few last minute alterations. Sorry Aim! We got a little silly with all of the 1970's wedding dresses, and we may have tried a few things on...

I was so excited to go back to LA, and see my old friends, but I ended up being so busy I hardly had time for anything! I did have dinner with these beauties...

Broek and Megan, along with Amie at one of my favorite restaurants, Sushi Roku. It was fun to see them and laugh about everything as we were catching up. Love them.

When I got back, my parents were in Utah and my dad and I had the aforementioned epic day at Snowbird. Also, Chels and Nick came to town, and we met up on the mountain.

I love seeing Chelsea anytime, anywhere, but on a sunny day at Snowbird... perfection.

At Sarah's baby shower, I caught up with this beauty...

and we realized we were the only people there who weren't pregnant or just had a baby. Hmmm... we may not have any babies, but we know how to sew a hooter hider, so that has to count for something right? Anytime with Shannon (Slig) is a good time.

Last item of business. Ben and I celebrated the two-year mark from our first date. (I don't really know what to call it since we haven't been dating for two years, but we have been dating on and off for two years) Anyway, to mark this milestone we went and played...

mini-golf. It was windy (hence the hair stuck to my lip gloss), I think the wind really affected my game. So...

Ben won. I did get the ONLY hole-in-one however, which I personally think is harder than winning the whole game. We followed up our big game with a nice dinner at Market Street Grill, where we tried to take a good photo of ourselves...

but, this is what we got. Oh well, maybe next time?

Anyway, if any of you actually made it through this entire post, you are a good friend, and I'm lucky to have you. Now that all this blogging is done, maybe I should go work on one of the four articles I have due this week? Or clean my home? Or do some laundry? You know do one of the things I have been putting off by writing this post.

The Best Day

2009-04-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today my dad and I went to Snowbird. Usually when we go to the mountain we have a bigger group, but today it was just the two of us. I forgot my camera, so this (not so great pic) was captured on my phone. I had to document such an epic day. The snow was really fast, and I was struggling to keep up with my 50 year old father. It was sunny and warm, total bluebird conditions. We also ran into Chels, Nick and Kris on the mountain. It was just a great day all around. Thanks dad.

A Shameless Plug

2009-03-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

I recently started writing for a local (Utah) magazine, Wasatch Woman. I am now included on their website and I will post on their blog once a week. What I am writing is in the same style as my fashion blog, and actually my first post is directly from my fashion blog.

Anyway, I thought it was kind of cool to see myself on the website. Check it out, and comment on there if you get a chance. I am nervous no one is going to comment on mine, and I will seem like their most boring blogger.

Love,

Lisa

I Have a Little Competition

2009-03-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

My darling cousins...

Have a little crush on my significant other...

Benjamin. They love to take pictures on my iphone and then use scribble to draw on them. I found this little number on it:
This is the original...

And this is after Sydney did some editing...

I think I need to be on my best behavior, or I might lose my Ben to one of these younger beauties!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T09:20:00.000-08:00

I had a lovely Valentine's day. I hope you all did as well. We did not spend the holiday at the beach, I just liked the picture.

Thrills All Around

2009-02-11T15:32:00.001-08:00

I had a great time reuniting with some old friends, and their significant others. Chris and Abby, Shannon and Mike, and Joel and Morgan, met up with Ben and me for dinner at the Trolley. Poor Abby and Ben had to deal with the rest of us telling stories of our glory days. Also, poor Morgan was working at the restaurant, so she would pop in and chat with us, but had to work for most of the time while her friends and boyfriend were eating.

After dinner we went back to my house for a little Rockband, the name game, and Oodles. Most talented singers of the night would have to go to both Mike and Shannon, the boys won the name game (I know I was beyond surprised too), and I won Oodles (had to get that in there). Peter Fuller and his Abby came over for games, so we had Abby and Abby 2 (like Lucille 2 on Arrested Development).

It was a lovely evening, and very fun to catch up with friends. There is something comforting about hanging out with people who you have known for a decade (give or take a few years depending on the person).

The Holidays...

2009-02-03T16:33:00.001-08:00

So I know this is very delayed, but I have been a busy little bee lately. Anyway, I had a wonderful Christmas up in Utah. Things worked out perfectly, and I think I see what the appeal of having a white christmas is... the snowboarding.

Let's start at the beginning though. On Christmas eve, Ben's family gets together for dinner, gift exchanges, and a little program. All of his nieces and nephews did a darling recreation of the nativity.

Then his mom gave everyone the gifts she has been making for the past year. For all of her daugters, daughters in law, and me, she make these scripture bags. She selected fabric that she thought each of us would like. So thoughtful, and I love mine! She also crocheted all of us hats.

In fact, she crocheted hats for everyone, made pajama pants for her sons and sons in law, and make gifts for each of the 20 grandchildren. Here is a photo of the Ballstaedt clan modeling their gifts. (Except for Seth, Cairen and their girls)

The next day, my family had our traditional Chrismas Crepes Breakfast, and then we headed straight for the fresh powder at Brighton. It was pretty much a blizzard, so it was a little bit cold, but we had a fabulous time.
Ryan, my dad and me, all bundled up.

Ben and me

After an epic day of snowboarding, we headed to Draper to have Christmas dinner with my mom's side of the family. We were all pretty tired from a long day on the mountain (hence my appearance in this picture), but we had a great time.

Well, now I can finally cross blog about Christmas off of my list. I felt very blessed this holiday season to be in a warm house, with plenty of food, and surrounded by the ones I love. I hope you all had a great holiday as well.

Look Who I Met!!!

2009-01-29T17:31:00.000-08:00

So... if you read my fashion blog, this is old news, but I met SHAUN WHITE up at the Sundance Film Festival. The next weekend he won big at the X-Games. Now, I am not saying it is because he met me, but it could not have hurt right?

The Big 5-0!

2009-01-28T11:41:00.001-08:00

Today is my Dad's 50th birthday! We were discussing that I am now officially half his age. Weird. Not much has changed about him over the years, except he is getting a little more grey. Don't worry Dad, it makes you look distinguished, very George Clooney... but Korean. I can not say enough about how much I love my dad. He is so smart, funny, great in the kitchen, and he always gives the best advice. He has always made me feel loved and safe, which is exactly what a Dad is for. I hope you have a great birthday Dad! Hopefully someone makes you a trifle, because I know how much you like them!

Ode to Jason

2009-01-20T10:18:00.001-08:00

I am a little late in posting this, but on January 16, it was my brother Jason's 27th birthday. Jason and I are less than two years apart in age, and sometimes this closeness in age can be trying, but most of the time it is fun. We were only one grade apart in school, so we were almost always at the same school. Some of my favorite memories are of him driving me to school, before I was old enough to get my license, getting Egg McMuffins and car dancing to his beloved rap tunes. He has great moves, and we got pretty good at rapping together. I am the Snoop to his Dre.

One of my favorite things about Jason is his ability to have fun. We have shared so many years together, that a lot of the time, he is the only one that picks up on my lame jokes. He has always looked out for me. He taught me how to snowboard, dirt bike, wake board, and he keeps me from getting too girly. I love you Jase, happy late birthday.

Giving Thanks

2008-12-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was everything I hoped it would be. It was nice to be back in California and see my friends and family. The trip went by too fast though, like they always do and I didn't have enough time to see everyone/do everything I wanted to. Oh well... maybe next time. Here are a few of the highlights:

Ben and I went to dinner at one of my favorite places, with some of my favorite people. Dan, Nicole and sweet Presley, and Nick and Chelsea. We didn't get a picture of all of us, but we did get one of the girls

I loved seeing my little Goddaughter Presley, and she couldn't be any more adorable. Well done Dan and Nicole. We were all dying over Presley, especially Nick, it was really cute.

On Thanksgiving day, my dad ran the kitchen, with my mom, Ben, Gabbi and me working on little projects as well. I made the Cranberry sauce and the potatoes. Luckily they turned out well, and I didn't ruin Thanksgiving.

While the rest of us were slaving away in the kitchen, Jason and Ryan were busy watching a Snowboarding movie. This is all I got when I asked them to turn around for a picture.

All through dinner I couldn't get over how big my cousins are getting. Cole must be taking some kind of growth formula. Look out ladies of Tesoro High, Cole is a heartbreaker.

After dinner, my former roommate Pam took our family picture. I don't know why we even try taking these, they never turn out well, and usually end in some kind of a family fight. This is how we started...

And this was the kind of mood as it continued.

Ben was Pam's assistant, and after she took a couple photos of us, just for fun.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I am gearing up for Christmas. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday too!

I Heart NY

2008-12-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

With the wondrous holiday of Thanksgiving last week, I am just now getting around to posting about my New York trip. It was a quick trip, but such a thrill. This is going to be more of a picture post. Also, I apologize in advance, but apparently the cold weather and all of the hustle and bustle of the city does not agree with my appearance. It does however agree with my wardrobe.

Fresh from the plane, my mother and I dropped off our stuff at the hotel, and rushed to see Mama Mia. It was awesome, and 100x better than the movie. We were singing and dancing and loving every minute of it!

After the play we cabbed it up to Serendipity for a late dinner and some frozen hot chocolate. A trip to New York just isn't complete without one of these frozen delights.

The next day I had a meeting, and after that... the shopping began. I loved walking down Fifth and Madison Avenues and seeing all the stores with all of their Christmas decor. I think the Cartier store had the best holiday spirit.

That night we met up with my dear friend Ciara for a delicious dinner, and then we had to take advantage of the Times Square photo op.

After some pictures and walking around, we decided to head over to Juniors to try their famous cheesecake. I just watched a Bobby Flay Throwdown at Juniors, so I wanted to see what the hype was all about. It was pretty good, but not worth the hype.

The next day we shopped around some more and just enjoyed being in the city. I am pretty sure there were some amazing meals in the mix there too. That night we met up with Ciara again, her husband the Lyle, my friend Nick, and my Dad and Uncle Jim popped in to say hi at dinner. My dad and Uncle were on the trip too, but they were working hard, and I didn't get any pics with them. I did however get this one...

With the Schofields outside of the Stage Deli. Love these two.

The next morning my mom and I woke up early and went to the Met. She loves museums and has her favorite painting. I like seeing all of the Monets and Van Gogh's in real life. I think Degas' ballerinas are my favorite. There were a few exhibits I would have loved to see, but time was of the essence. After the Met we had a slice of Ray's Pizza, and then headed to the airport. Oh New York, our time together was brief, but amazing.

Another Birthday Post...

2008-11-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

Today is my sweet mother's birthday. I wish I could spend the day with her today, taking her to lunch and getting a pedicure. Luckily we just had a thrill of a trip to New York, and I am going to see her on Tuesday for the Thanksgiving holiday. I really never get enough time to see her. She is my favorite shopping partner (and not just because she pays), a great person to talk to, so fun to be with, has killer dance moves (especially when Usher is playing), always says the funniest things (even when she doesn't mean to), has the most beautiful blue eyes (which I am so sad I didn't get), and she is one of my best friends. Happy birthday mom, I love you.

Double Birthday

2008-11-20T09:43:00.000-08:00

In my family, basically you have a November birthday or a January one. (Except for me, I get the month of October practically to myself) Today is a big day for both my "little" brother Ryan (Rhino) and my Grandma Pam. (Or as Sutton Evans formally calls her, Pam Thomas, wife of Richard Thomas). So I couldn't let the day pass without giving these two thrills a little birthday shout out.

My Grandma is just a the sweetest cup of tea, but she has a sassy streak in her and she never fails to crack me up. She taught me how to sew, she promises to teach me how to make pie crust, and she makes the best jam you'll ever have. Seriously. She always makes sure I still have enough jam in my fridge before I leave her house, because she can't handle the thought of her grandkids eating store bought jam. I just love her, and I am loving living near her again. Also, everything just sounds sweeter with her British accent. Grandma, I love you and hope you have a lovely birthday.

Today Rhino is turning 23. We are close in age, and I don't remember what life was like before he came around. I'm glad about that. Life without Ryan wouldn't be half as fun. We are roommates these days, and I am loving it. He may not be the best about doing the dishes, but he never fails to bring a smile to my face, or crack me up with his giggle (he starts laughing before he is done talking and then can barely finish his sentence). Happy birthday Ryan, I am so glad you were born. Even if you did cut my hair when I was sleeping when we were little.

Also, today is my cousin Chelsi's birthday. Hope you have a good one Chels, love you!

Start Spreading the News...

2008-11-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

I am off to spend a couple of days in the City (Manhattan to be specific) with my parents. Life is good. Can't wait to see Ciara, eat some pizza, shop, and see what else NYC has in store.

Love you all.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-03T17:16:00.001-08:00

This year for Halloween, Ben came up with a great costume idea as we were strolling through the thrift store.

We had so much fun going from place to place as wobbly grandparents. It was kind of last minute, so I spent Halloween day getting our costumes (thank you Savers), and getting Ryan's costume ready. Remember Rufio from the movie Hook? Ryan's costume turned out awesome, and he went all over yelling, "Bang-a-rang". Love that he got so into it.

Ben and I didn't really know what to do on Halloween, so we went all over the place! We started by stopping by a party at my friend Sydney's apartment.

Katherine (on the left) dressed up as one of the people on Dog the Bounty Hunter, and had some pretty awesome Sharpie tattoos.

Then we drove all over from Provo to Salt Lake, surprising different family members by trick or treating. Ben's parents took this photo of us. We both were really into character, and I made pretty much the same face in every picture I took. Sorry if they get redundant. Ben spent the whole night mumbling incoherently about how the precipitation makes his hip act up. Seriously, even when we were alone in the car, he didn't stop acting like a grandpa.

At the end of the night we stopped by Cayleen's house and I finally got to meet her significant other, Jordan. Cayleen's roommate Kristy and her boyfriend were entertaining us with their acrobatics...

And Cayleen was not impressed. She assured us, she and Jordan could do better lifts, and her performance included this...

If you know Cayleen, this picture is hilarious. If not, you should get to know her, there is never a dull moment when she is around.

Beth and Kris were also at Cayleen's and I got a pic with Beth in her award-winning Elaine (from Seinfeld) costume.

Kris was Michael from The Office, when he grilled his foot on the George Foreman grill. I wish he was still in costume when we got there. These two definitely come up with original costumes. Love them for it.

Anyway, that was my Halloween. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday tambien.

BYOP (Bring your own Pumpkin)

2008-10-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

Last week, for a blended quasi-family FHE, a few of us decided to carve pumpkins. It was a great evening, and I was very impressed with everyone's carving skills.

Ben, my former roomies Bethany and Katherine and me. We have a picture similar to this from two years ago, with Nick and Chels in it. Missed you guys, but don't worry... Faje and Beth did not get in a fight over the music this year.

My little brother Ryan and his friend Andrew invited over a couple of ladies, and if the girls were not impressed with their pumpkin carving, I am sure the boys' Rock Band skills won the girls over.

I decided, to make the pictures more interesting, to have everyone pose like their pumpkin. Here's Rhino with his barfing pumpkin...

Andrew with his dog-walking pumpkin...

Faje. She loves peace. Where was it two years ago when we were trying to pick out a CD to carve to... "Last kiss..." you know the rest.

Beth with her glamourous winking pumpkin.

Ben, not mimicking his pumpkin, but giving it an unintentional thumbs up.

My pumpkin was half orange and half green, an obvious choice for a Two-Face inspired jack-o-lantern. I tried taking pictures with half of my face smiling and the other half with a different expression, but I couldn't stop laughing. The other results are way too ugly to post. Yep, I guess I am being vain, but it is my blog, and if I don't want to post a picture of me with a double chin and looking like my face is half paralyzed, I'm not going to.

ok... maybe I will, but don't judge my hideousness.

Happy Halloween everyone.

25

2008-10-27T16:57:00.001-07:00

Yes, that is my new age, as of Friday. I feel like I was just posting about my 24th birthday, so I guess my parents are right-- time really does go by faster as you get older. My day started off with a battle with food poisoning at 4 am. Let's just say that I won't be eating at Chick-fil-a anytime soon. Luckily, the sickness was done around 8 am, so I didn't have to cancel any of my fun plans for the rest of the day!

I went with Erin, Sage, Amber, and Terri to High School Musical 3. (Don't worry two of Sage's girls came, and brought their friends, so there were some kids with us) The movie was pretty cute, and it was so fun to see everyone. (The girls guessed I was turning 30, and when I told them they were way off, they proceeded to guess 32. I guess I aged a lot this year!)

Amber, Sage, Erin & I after the movie. What can I say, I guess Zac Efron turns us into giggling girls again.

That night Ben took me out to dinner. We went to the same restaurant where we went on our first date... a year and a half ago. Seriously, time is flying by.

I was a little bit nervous about my stomach after my escapade that morning, so I wasn't as big of a sushi eater as I usually am, but I had some really good soup.

After dinner we went back to Ben's parent's house, where his mom made a cake for me.

Thank you for the cake Terri, I am still enjoying it! I never realized how much food is a part of birthdays. Now I am never going to take all of the birthday feasting for granted!

The next day Katherine took me out to lunch and to get manicures. Love her.

That night Shannon took me to dinner, but we forgot to take pictures. Its too bad, because we were on a roll that night. Seriously, laughed harder than I have in ages. Apparently we never take photos, because I had to search for one of us. I'll include this pic, just for old times sake.

Thank you to everyone, for the fun, the food, the phone calls, the texts, the cards, and everything else. I feel very loved as I enter my 25th (no, not 30th) year.

I'd Tag That

2008-10-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

My darling friend Becky tagged me, so I decided to oblige.

Here are the rules:
Link the person who tagged you.
Mention rules on your blog.
Tell about 6 quirks of yours.
Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same.
Leave a comment to let them know.

1. I love reading magazines. I have a "few" favorites: Vogue, W, Nylon, Interview, Elle, Domino, Flaunt, Eliza, Instyle, the list could go on and on. I could spend hours reading them and looking at the layouts, the advertisements, the fashion spreads, I just love them. Sometimes I go to Borders and spend hours just reading the magazines... I can't afford to buy them all, but I don't want to miss out on them.

2. Generally I am pretty laid back, but I am a kind of OCD when it comes to washing my hands. I don't even know how many times in a day I was my hands, but it is pretty frequently. I wash them when I wake up, of course after I use the restroom, a few times when I am doing my hair and makeup, before I cook anything (and then I wash them a few times while I am in the different steps of cooking things), before I leave the house, immediately when I come home, and more times through out the day. I also worry about how often other people wash their hands, especially when it comes to them handling food I am going to eat. I think a lot of people are like this, but I might be kind of excessive.

3. My room is always messy. This has been a problem of mine since I was a little girl. I am trying to be better about it though, really I think I am turning a new leaf.

4. I hate the smell of the air in airplanes. It has a stale smell, and I hate thinking about how I am breathing in the air that someone two rows behind me just sneezed in. Yuck.

5. I get really excited about holidays. Almost like a little kid. Especially Thanksgiving, it is my favorite holiday. All of the fun of Christmas, without the stress of buying the presents. It also kicks off the Christmas season, that I love. Something about singing the carols, drinking hot cocoa, spending time with family, and going to church to remember the true reason of Christmas, just makes for a perfect time of year.

6. You could describe me as a card person. I love cards, sending them, receiving them, thank you cards, birthday cards, I love them all.

Ok... I am going to tag: Nicci, Slig, C, Lu, Ash, Amie, and Ben. (Yeah, I know that was seven, but I am ok with bending the rule a little bit)

St. George with the Ballstaedt Family

2008-10-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This is a long one, and I stole a bunch of pics from other blogs. Sorry!

I spent last weekend in St. George with Ben's family, to watch all of these people run the marathon.

Ben's dad, Rock, ran the marathon for the 30th time. To celebrate his big accomplishment, most of his kids, along with some of their spouses, and a bunch of other family members all ran the marathon.

The day before, we hiked this...

it was pretty narrow, and I was a little bit scared, but I figured if the little kids could handle it, so could I! We also took some pictures with the red rock background.

We started in this prom-type pose...

but I couldn't stop laughing at our awkwardness, so we ended up with this...

On the day of the marathon, it was cold and rainy. I felt so bad for the freezing cold runners! I spent the morning with this sweet pea...

Hallie, (photo from the day before, while we were warm and dry) so her parents...

Jake and Amber, (Ben's sister and brother in law) could run. Please note the garbage bags to protect from the rain.

I was so proud of these two...

Ben and his sister Erin, along with all of the other Ballstaedt family members who ran the race. (Sage, Chad, Brooke, Tom, Jenn, Seth, Amber, Jake, Rock, and everyone else that I may have missed listing, I don't know how you all did it!)

I was so glad when this guy finished...

and we could get out of the cold rain. I was so nervous sweet Hallie was going to get sick on my watch!

A special thank you to these two...

Rock and Terri Ballstaedt for a great weekend. Along with these thrills...

Erin and Jordan (and little Stone of course) for letting Ben and me be their roommates. Again Erin, sorry if I may have spooned you during the night.

The end. Also, I still have pics from my going away party to post, so stay tuned!

So this is a little bit awkward... Please don't judge me.

2008-10-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

My good friend Rachel is an amazing photographer and she asked me if she could take some pictures of me for her portfolio. I thought it might be fun, and it would be nice to have some good pictures of myself, so right before I moved we went down to the Union Train Station in downtown LA and had a blast. Yes, I realize I am posting pictures of just myself, and it makes me a little uncomfortable, but then again, I don't have family pictures to post, or maternity shots, so really it is just me.

I don't know why, but links never show up on my blog, so if you want to see more go to:
http://rachelthurston.blogspot.com/
and scroll down or click on the fashion label on the side or click on the side of my blog under links I like, "Rachel Thurston Photography". Also as you can see Rachel is beyond talented, so if you are looking for a photographer, she is amazing and you will love her work!

I've Arrived

2008-09-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I am officially back in Utah. My sweet mom and Ben helped me pack everything up and haul it all the way to Provo. Then my mom, aunt Emma, and my grandparents helped me unpack. I am a lucky girl to have such wonderful people so willing to help me. I have a ton of pictures to post of my last week in LA, but for now I just wanted to let everyone know I am alive and I am in my new home. Also, if you are in California, I love and miss you already. Is it embarrassing that as I was watching The Hills last night, I got a little homesick? I know, sometimes I judge myself. Provo is beautiful in the fall though, and I am loving all of the parking everywhere, no traffic, and it is really quiet here, in a good way. Anyway, I just wanted to document that I am alive and in the Beehive State.

On the Move!

2008-09-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends, I have news for you all! I should have posted this earlier, but things have been busy!

This girl (photo courtesy of my sweet friend Keith Paugh)...

Is moving to UTAH on the 26th of THIS MONTH! To be close to this boy...

To be roommates with this thrill of a brother...

With the support of these two lookers...

Also excited to be close to this sassy cousin and her sisters, and other Utah Family and dear friends...

And while I'm going to miss being close to this...

And these thrills in LA (along with my other awesome LA friends)...

As well as these beauties down in Orange County (along with many other family members and friends)...

Although I am a little nervous again (you may recall seeing this face a few weeks ago)...

I am really excited to see what this next phase of my life has in store. Wish me luck! Also, if you are going to be in LA on Friday, some friends are hosting a going away party for me at my apartment. Please call or email me for details! I love you all, and will see some of you in Utah soon! If you are in California, I would love to see you before I hightail it out of here for the beehive state. Also, I am going to be looking for a fashion-related job in Utah, so if any of you know any places I should apply, please let me know!

I Survived!

2008-09-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since my last post, but I wanted to reassure you all that I survived Girls Camp! It actually ended up being awesome, and I am so glad that I had to opportunity to go. The Young Women that were there were all such amazing girls and I think I learned more from them, than they learned from me. I also had so much fun with the other leaders, and if you take out all of the dirt and the gross shower facilities, I would go back all the time! Here are a few highlights from camp and please excuse my au natural look, the whole time I was there I was thinking I could be on my fashion blog for examples of what not to wear!

Nicole, Kelly, Rachel and I on the hike. These lovelies made camping fun! Especially when we had free time without the girls, and hit up the pool.

The view from the hike. We were camping in the Pacific Palisades and it felt like we were hundreds of miles from civilization, until we went on a hike and could see Brentwood and Westwood in the very near hillside.

Working on a service project for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

Me teaching the girls yoga during our "Boot Camp" activity. "Lisa does yoga?" you might be asking yourselves. Not really, but I took some moves from a yoga DVD I bought years ago, when I was trying to get in shape. I knew it would come in handy someday.

I loaded up the trunk of my car with snacks, and when word got out, the girls were lining up for them. I am glad my preparation came in handy!

Me with some of the wonderful girls I had the opportunity to serve while I was at camp. They cracked me up, they slept 16 girls in a 4-man tent. I think the real miracle is I was still able to sleep soundly at night, while they were all talking and singing the night away just one tent away from me!

Did I love going to camp? Yes
Was I relieved it was over and I got to sleep in my own bed, and shower in my own shower? Yes

Wish Me Luck....

2008-08-19T16:42:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow morning I am off to Girls Camp. This is how I feel about it.

What is that strange face I am making? That my friends is a mix of being nervous, excited, stressed, terrified, and not photogenic. I am going to be in the wilderness, camping/hiking/living/not showering whilst living in a tent. Please join me in prayer that I won't be eaten alive by bugs while I am gone. Also that the girls will like me and not think I am lame. Thanks!

If I survive to the weekend, I will let you all know. If not, it has been nice knowing you, and mom you can have my Chanel purse.

Love,
Lisa

Its almost like signing yearbooks...

2008-08-04T14:36:00.000-07:00

As a response to my last post, I am going to respond to the memories that were left for me. A few of you (Jill, Jenna, Liz) posted this on your blogs so I left the memories in your comments. The rest of you... enjoy.

Ashley: Oh B, what would my first two years of college have been like without you? From not going to class, watching a million B-squared (Blockbuster) movies, dancing pretty much wherever music played, our ward talent show, the Bishop of our ward frowning down at the congregation, all nighters, the giving of the blood, King Henry, Janet Jackson concert, your bachelorette party when the limo never showed up, being your Maid of Honor!, Christian playing the bagpipes and the digeridoo (sp?) for us, the quote wall, I mean I could go on for days. I just love you and have loved being friends with you. Good luck with the baby, hopefully she comes soon, I can't wait to see her!

Ciara- Caesar, Caesaria Phillipi, Kaiser Permanente, you probably have the most nicknames out of any of my friends. I loved getting to know you in the dorms, having dance parties (especially when you danced to Def Leppard), riding around in Toya (sorry about your atlas), going to movies with you, having our working lunches, snowboarding, talking about boys, seeing you so happy with the Lyle, roadtripping to Littleton/Centennial, coming to visit you in Kentucky, being one of your bridesmaids, eating "treat" and many other desserts with you, I just have loved it all. Good luck on your move to New York, and I can't wait to come visit you there too!

Chelsea- Singing "hey Jealousy" but you changing the words to "Hey Chelsea", being roommates with you, having AC with you in the lame class that ended up being the fun one, getting kicked out of Mr. Dill's class for being too funny (he was just jealous), our trip to New York with Nicci, flying first class (I am still dying to get back someday!), going to the beach more times than I can count for the past ten or so years, air guitar (although that one I might want to forget), talking about life until the sun came up in your Jetta after Spiderman 2 (midnight show of course), becoming friends with the lifeguard of the year, laying out at the park in Provo, smash ball, the egg olympics, you and Nallen being perfect together, being your bridesmaid, the Big Ace Show in Utah, singing for my Grandpa, Forecast Snow, me coming downstairs in my underwear thinking just you and Faje are home only to find out the Nick was there too, "Not our Humor", Thursdays (our day), this is just scratching the surface. I love you Chels, you are perfect.

Gel-Oh-I have heard so much about you from your daughter, who is one of my very best friends. I really admire you and the relationship you and Amie have. I was so touched when you sent Amie and I the notebooks to record our Europe trip. I have been dying for you to come out and visit, but it looks like I might have to make a trip our East to visit you guys! Also your blog is awesome, and your witty writing cracks me up!

Shannon- Slig, your memory may fail you, but mine sure doesn't. What would life have been like if you never moved in with us at UAC #104 (or something close to it), first off your fresh legs and dance moves really gave me some competish but when we were combined, there was no stopping us. Kelly says hi. So does Will Smith and he wants to know why we didn't hang out with him after Wango Tango. Also Havana nights loves me now, because you are married so I get him. Tell Brooke Hillary Duff wants to perform at her next birthday party. I loved being your bridesmaid, and it has been such a treat seeing your and Mikey together through the years. I just love you and I can't wait for our Cafe Slig reunion tour. Also, we still don't know what happened to the tape of us singing, when I was supposed to use the tape recorder for my Daily Universe stories. That may come back to haunt us someday!

Lindsey- It has been a real treat being your part time roommate. We have logged some great hours at the beach, watching tv, and reading our books side by side on our couches while we had no cable. I am glad we were able to be unemployed together, it sure made the time more fun. Come back up to LA soon, the beach and the apartment are not the same with out you, and I swear I only hear the word "Stila" once a week now, and I miss hearing it hourly. Good luck with the job situation and don't be a stranger.

Brooke- You were so sweet in your post. I think that you (and your entire family) are so fun to be around! I was so nervous the first time I went to a Ballstaedt family dinner, but you were all so nice and despite my nervousness I had a great time. I love catching up with you when I see you. Also I really admire all the races you have been in recently and I think it is awesome you are all running the marathon. Hopefully I see you again soon!

Karlee- I miss you! I haven't seen you in years, but I can still hear you saying, "Hongster" in my head. Our time as roommates was brief, but we sure packed in the fun. Third Eye Blind concert when Stephan called you "Ladydove", when you and Kiers put the fish in our apartment (we never would have guessed it was you, you are so sneaky!), I think the Ball game is my favorite though. I am surprised there weren't worse damages or injuries, but it was so fun! It has been really cool to see you as you have transitioned into a wife and mother, Kent and Boston are lucky to have you. We need to have a 310 reunion someday, with Kiers, Aubs, Heleen and we'll let C come too. Love you!

Lauren- L4, I seriously would not have survived the first two years of college without you. Remember our secret gift exchange at Christmas. Between that and the secret viewings of Shane West videos, we were pretty sneaky! I remember picking you up from the airport and belting our Celine Dion on the way home, or coming to visit you in Temec only to turn around and drive to Glendora to visit Heleen. I loved our girls night outs, and meeting for breakfasts. It was also so fun to be your roommate while you and Ben were dating and engaged. I just adore you and I am so glad we are friends. Also, I love seeing you with Cason, he is so stinking cute!

This Could be Really Fun...

2008-07-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

So I was skeptical of this at first, but it looks like fun. Soooo, friends don't let me down!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Lately

2008-07-17T15:00:00.001-07:00

I have had an eventful couple of weeks and I have been neglecting my little blog, to work on my new blog. Thanks to everyone who has been reading my fashion blog, it is so nice to read your comments and words of encouragement. I have almost deleted it a few times, because I am nervous about it, but I am glad a few of you like it. Anyway, back to my life lately, here is what I have been up to:

I went with Pam and my friend Samantha to the LA Film Festival. This picture is taken in the Red Room, a really cool VIP area where they had a DJ and snacks. Dancing and eating, what's not to like?

I spent a week or so in Utah with family and friends and I got to attend Ben's Baptism. It was wonderful to see Benji so happy and content and I am so excited for him and the direction his life has taken. Please pardon my shiny face in this pic, but I think this pic is darling because you can see how happy Ben is in it.

While in Utah I was able to attend some of my cousin Cole and Jeff's volleyball matches at the Junior Olympics. Cole and Jeff now have bronze medals hanging around their necks, and it is probably due to the cheering section Cayleen and I provided. When we were taking this photo Cayleen said, "Red on red, chink on chink" referring to her and Jeff's red hair, and Cole and my asian heritage. That explains the mid laughing grin on my face.

I got home from Utah just in time for Bethany and Kris' wedding festivities. One of my favorite parts about the reception was being able to see some of my favorite people. Beth, Chels, and sweet Nicci and I reunited on the dance floor. Nicci had given birth to little Presley, just days before. I don't have any pics, but I went to see Nicci and the baby last weekend and they are both so beautiful and such a delight to be around!

Last night my roomies and I drove up to Malibu to celebrate the birthday of our former roommate the fabulous Colleen with a birthday dinner party at the beach. It was such a pretty night!

Even though it was dark and pretty cold, we decided to go for a little dip in the ocean. I am not going to lie, between the cold water, the dark night, and the big waves, it was a little scary, but it was pretty fun too. Justin, Derek, Colleen, Lindsey and I had to capture the moment!

Well friends, I am off to give blood (terrifying, but the least I can do since I have no contributions to society lately), then to the midnight showing of Batman and I can't wait to see it! I hope you are all having a lovely week!

Please Don't Judge Me.

2008-06-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

Following a suggestion from a good friend, I started a fashion blog. I am trying to get some practice in fashion writing, so I posted on it for the first time today. I am by no means an expert in fashion or writing, but hopefully someday I will be. This is a little bit awkward for me, but I need the practice. If you feel like it, check it out.

For some reason the link isn't showing up, but it is on my list on the side as Fashion Noted. Or you can type in the address:

http://fashionnoted.blogspot.com

If you don't feel like it, it's been nice knowing you, but we probably can't be friends anymore. kidding.

Graduation... kind of.

2008-06-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I officially am a FIDM graduate. My last day of school was Wednesday and my graduation was on Saturday. I have never really been the graduation attending type though, so I did my own thing. When I graduated from high school, I remember thinking that I didn't want to go because it was going to be so hot sitting in the sun. When I graduated from BYU I didn't go to graduation because I didn't want to order a cap and gown or deal with the parking situation. Didn't my parents want to go to my graduation you might ask? Not really, my dad didn't go to his graduation and I think he is glad that I don't make him go to mine. When this graduation rolled around, I contemplated going actually, because I don't have any pictures of myself in a cap and gown since high school. Then I thought, if I didn't walk when I got my Bachelor's degree, am I really going to deal with parking and long speeches when I graduate from FIDM? Apparently not.

Instead I started the day off at the beach. Instead of lines of cars lined up outside of the Staples center, this was my view.

Next up Lindsey and I met up with Colleen for lunch and then kind of invited ourselves to our friends' pool and it was awesome. It was so sunny and I haven't been swimming in a long time.

Then, I drove down to San Clemente for a BBQ graciously hosted by Chelsea and Nick Allen. Nick always cooks chicken perfectly, and he did not disappoint! Some of my favorite people were there. This picture is kind of gross of us, and it is before Jill got there (sorry Jilly) but it is the only one I got of us girls. We intended to have one of the husbands take one later, but we forgot.

Sweet Nicci is supposed to have her baby, little Presley on July 4th. I am going to be out of town, so I thought I would explain to Presley why I wouldn't be there to meet her for a few days. We also thought I should take a photo with the baby (still in Nicci's tummy), my first photo with my first Goddaughter. Please excuse the awkward look on my face, I am just so excited for Nicci to have this little baby!

Anyway, that was my big graduation day. Job hunt starts tomorrow (I thought I would give myself a couple of worry-free beach days before I hit the interview circuit)... I'll let you all know how it goes.

I am copying Beth.

2008-06-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

My sweet and beautiful friend Bethany did this on her blog, and instead of studying for my final tomorrow, I thought I would give it a shot. Here are my celebrity look-a-likes.

Christie Brinkley? ha ha, maybe it is my blonde hair and blue eyes. Hope you are all having a lovely week!

Europe... Finally!

2008-06-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to post about my amazing trip. I always complain that I don't blog because I have nothing to blog about, but I think that two weeks in Europe is definitely blog-worthy. Brace yourself, there are a lot of pictures coming your way. Maybe get a snack to enjoy while you are looking at all of them.

First up... Paris, j'adore Paris. Amie and I near our hotel right by the Arc de Triomphe.

Me at the Eiffel Tower.

Me, Jana, Kristen and Amie on our last night in Paris. We went dancing at Cabaret, and just as I hoped, it was still a thrill!

London... oh London. Our time together was brief, but I think we really have something special.
My cheesy tourist picture. I couldn't pass up the opportunity. This pic would have been so much better if I wasn't gagging from the smell of the phone booth.

Amie and I in front of Buckingham Palace.

Florence was my favorite stop on the trip. It is such a charming city and it had the best food! It also was sunny and warm, which was a pleasant change from Paris. Especially because I forgot to pack a jacket and I froze my way through France.

Same city, different day, different bridge, different outfit, same girls.

Rome! Rome is a lot bigger than Florence and was an interesting blend of ancient ruins and modern buildings.
Me at the Spanish Steps. I became an expert at self portraits on this trip.

Amie and I at the Coliseum. Yes, the Coliseum, for all of you Gladiator fans.

Making a wish into the Trevi Fountain. I'll let you know if it comes true!

At the Vatican, apparently the Pope addressed the crowd the day before.

Well... that is a brief recap of my trip. I have a ton more pictures and stories that I would love to tell pretty much anyone who would like to hear them! Thanks Mom and Dad for such a fabulous experience! Definitely worth every penny, and all of the pennies I used shopping, which I like to think were me doing my part to stimulate the European economy!

Lucky Bolivians

2008-06-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

My sweet cousin Justin left yesterday to go on a mission for our church in Bolivia for the next two years. Pretty much Justin is perfect and if I didn't adore him so much I would have to hate him! I know he probably won't be able to see this, but I wanted to post a little something for him, as a tribute some might say.

Justin is one of the best car dancers/singers ever, we may have some choreography we have been perfecting over the years. Here he is mid-dance move.

He is so funny, this pic is not the most flattering of me, but I wanted to show how hard he makes me laugh.

This last pic is at his going away party this last weekend.

I am sure going to miss Elder Evans while he is in Bolivia, especially on family vacations. I need to find someone new to laugh at all of my jokes. Luckily I have a lot of other fabulous cousins, someone else is bound to find me entertaining too right? Good luck in Bolivia Just, and you will be missed by many!

Au Revoir!

2008-03-21T17:00:00.001-07:00

London, Paris, Florence and Rome, you are officially being warned. Amie and I are on our way.

(An old pic of Amie and I, but I wanted you all to see whom I was traveling with)

London, I have always wanted to visit you. I am half British after all, so it is time to visit my mother's motherland. I can't wait to see your hip citizens and shop at Top Shop.

Paris, remember me? It Lisa, from Summer of 2005. I am coming back and looking forward to revisiting all my favorite haunts from my study abroad days. I can't wait for some pain au chocolat and to see your cute boutiques. Maybe I will even make a cameo on the dance floor at Cabaret again (a dance club, not a burlesque show). Hey Louvre, do you remember me? I am coming back, but don't worry I will not try to recreate your masterpieces this time, I am going to leave that to the pros.

Florence and Rome, we have never met. I am anxiously awaiting seeing your sites and museums. Also I here your gelato is to die for. Please be kind to me and my waistline.

I don't think I will be posting on the trip, but be excited for a sweet recap upon my return.

Charles Dickens had it right.

2008-03-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

I always thought that quote didn't make sense, how can you be having such a good time, if you are also having a lot of bad things going on as well. The juxtaposition was a little too extreme for me. Until now that is.

I have had a lot going on lately, both good and bad. School is stressing me out, especially with finals next week, but as soon as it is done I am headed to Europe. Bad followed by incredibly good. I got in the aforementioned car accident which was not my favorite, but then I had my awesome Ellen experience. I have really been missing my friends lately who are scattered about, but I also am loving my new LA friends. There have been other changes lately as well, that have been kind of rough to deal with, but they have also had surprising twists and turns.

I don't know, this is definitely a season of change for me, but I am also really appreciating everything that I have. I guess I am finally understanding Mr. Dickens. Laura Little, (my favorite high school English teacher) would be proud.

Crossing Over to the Darkside...

2008-02-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I was probably born into the wrong family. I know that sounds harsh, but the rest of my family is OBSESSED with motorcycles, dirt bikes, and anything else relating to going fast on two wheels. I am TERRIFIED of motorcycles but when my big Christmas present this year was dirt bike gear, I decided I would appease my family and go dirt biking. I mean with a brand new helmet, shin guards, elbow pads, a chest protector, special boots, goggles, and even dirt biking socks, I was prepared at least. These pics are a little bit old, but I thought I should share them.

Me posing for what I thought could very well be my last photo ever.

My Dad and me while he is explaining to me how to change the gears, while I am praying that I don't pull a Ryan Hong and break my femur.

After the big ride, I don't think my Dad has ever been more proud.

All in all, dirt biking was pretty fun. I have to say I think the gear is kind of cute too. Who knew that all it would take to get me on a bike is a new outfit?

Love Fest

2008-02-25T12:38:00.001-08:00

On Saturday night I embraced my inner hippie at my ward's Love Fest activity. All in all, Love Fest was not a bad night. I beat my friend at a Guitar Hero competition, listened to some bands playing songs from the 60s, and I got a lot of complements on my hippie clothing. It was a little bit embarrassing when people thought my high waisted pants were just for the costume, and I had to explain that I wore them in everyday life as well. Oh well, what can you do?
Disclaimer for the photos: I drew a peace sign below my right eye, it is not a new mole or something. I wasn't thinking about the effects it would have on the photos.

My Room mates and Me. Thank you Forever 21 for having the perfect shirts for the event.

Colleen, my dear friend Cort, and me while we were grooving to the bands.

Morgan and I got bored with the traditional peace sign gesture and decided to make it a little bit more gangster.

Anyway, it was kind of a tough weekend, but Love Fest was just the bring up I needed.

Because you asked...

2008-02-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

A few people have wanted to know about the accident I was in, so I figured this blog is proving to be the best way to get information out now that I do not have anyone's phone numbers anymore. Basically on Wednesday, my dear friend Amie and I were on our way home from school and we were making a left turn on an unprotected light and we were hit by oncoming traffic. The car was actually t-boned on the passenger side, where I was sitting. It was terrifying, the window broke, the airbag deployed, we spun around and hit a wall, just bad news all around. We got really lucky though and after we were rushed to the emergency room, the doctors confirmed that we were both completely fine. No broken bones, no organ damage, just some minor cuts, bruises and some serious soreness! We were both definitely blessed, and I am so thankful that we are both ok.

As you can see, Amie's car is totaled, but I am still feeling so grateful that we weren't harmed. So that's that.

The Luckiest!

2008-02-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

Well it all started when...

Jill, Chelsea and I went to the Ellen Degeneres Show. Ellen found out about my car accident and gave me...

Two tickets to the Grammy's, a makeover, and a trip to the Celebrity Swag suite that is reserved for only nominees, performers and presenters... and me. Here is a little sneak peek of the gifts that I received...

The Ellen show filmed me all day yesterday getting my makeover and all the gifts for a segment that is airing on Monday. I am pretty much terrified for it to air because I am trying on dresses and walking like I am on a runway etc. so I might look like like such a nerd, so don't judge me!

Anyway, I just wanted to share these pics of my once in a lifetime opportunity and tell you all to watch Ellen again on Monday! Well... I better rest up, because tomorrow I am off to the Grammy's!
***Jilly, thanks again for the Ellen tickets, and I have some swag with your name on it!!!!

IMPORTANT... PLEASE READ!!!

2008-02-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

Everyone, this is a huge announcement. You must watch the Ellen show tomorrow afternoon. I repeat you MUST watch the Ellen Degeneres show tomorrow. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but basically she called me down, interviewed me and gave me the BEST PRIZE EVER! Also, I lost my phone with all of my numbers so this is why I haven't called anyone.

Jill and Chelsea, (my Ellen show buddies) thank you for the BEST DAY EVER! Especially Jill who got the tickets!

Disclaimer: I have no idea what I looked like or sounded like, so hopefully it won't be too awkward watching myself on TV.

FINALLY!

2008-02-06T13:06:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, I am finally going to get to dance with Ellen. For those of you who don't know this about me, I love the Ellen Degeneres show. Chelsea let me borrow one of Ellen's books once on a flight back fron New York, and I have been cracking up over Ellen ever since. While Chelsea and I were roommates we would watch Ellen everyday, go online and request tickets, and sometimes even call her show's voicemail line, hoping that she would call us back on air. It never happened, but all is forgiven because thanks to Jill Facer, we have tickets to the show's taping tomorrow. I need to practice my dance moves in the mirror tonight, just in case Ellen comes over to dance with us.

Thrill of a Day

2008-01-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

I had a fantastic day on Wednesday. Please see Jill and Jon Facer's blog for details. I didn't have my camera that day. jonandjillfacer.blogspot.com
That's it for now.

Better Late Than Never

2008-01-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

For Christmas my roommate Colleen arranged a Secret Santa Gift Exchange with some friends, and then planned a big party to top it off. The party was really fun and I met a lot of new people. It got a little intense when the cops showed up and I was the one who had to talk to them, (I am not used to getting in trouble, especially when policemen are involved), but after promising to turn the music down, the party kept going. It was a fun way to get into the holiday spirit and to have one last roommate shin-dig before sweet Amberly moved out.

Amberly, me and Colleen. Colleen's parties are legendary around the LA area, and this one lived up to the hype. I never thought we could fit so many people into our little apartment.

My Home Teachers wanted to try this awkward family photo pose out. Please note the clasped hands on my shoulders.

Sweet Amberly and I. She is getting married in a couple of weeks and I couldn't be happier for her and Aaron. She has now joined the elite club of fabulous roommates I have had who have moved on to marital bliss. Amberly is always fun to be around, such a good friend, and always gives the best advice. I am really missing her already! Aaron Watson, you are a lucky man indeed.

PS. Looks like someone is a good blogger in 2008... are you all proud or what?

Rock Band

2008-01-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

I really love playing games, but my family is not into playing them, so in a desperate attempt to get my family to play a game of any kind, I convinced my mom that we "needed" to buy Rock Band so we could all play a game together on Christmas Eve. Well my plan worked, and it was a hit on Christmas day as well. All of my cousins kind of disappeared all day to play it in the basement. At one point I couldn't find Ben, and I went downstairs and he was drumming while two of my little girl cousins were singing and playing the guitar.

Everyone was so focused on playing that I was the only one who could break and smile for the camera.

A few of my cousins and I, taking a breather. Anyway, I had a wonderful Christmas surrounded by family, friends, and food, what else could a girl ask for?

November/December so far...

2007-12-15T15:51:00.000-08:00

So far November and December have been awesome. At the end of November Lauren got married, and her wedding was so fun. It was great to be able to see some of my favorite people and catch up. I don't have any pictures with the bride though, sorry Lauren, she looked beautiful!

T-diggit, Nicci and me, bonding over some cake. I can't say enough about how much I adore these girls.

Two weeks ago, my Aunt and my cousins Zoe, Sydney, and Callie came up to Santa Monica for a sleepover. We went and had dinner at the Grove and then had a dance party at my apartment. I just told them I was taking a picture and these are the poses they came up with. Couldn't be more proud of these three.

Last Sunday was a beautiful day here in Santa Monica, so Ben and I decided to go down to the beach for a walk. I realized that almost all of the pictures I have of Ben and I are the awkward self-portrait angle because I don't want to ask a stranger to take the picture. Anyway, I am really loving living by the beach and being out of the snow. Hopefully this makes my Utah friends want to move out of the snow and move out to be near the beach... and hang out with me!

Well friends, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, and hopefully I will get to see a lot of you over the holiday. Merry Christmas!

Golden

2007-11-26T17:37:00.001-08:00

My golden birthday was on October 24th. I know, it was over a month ago, but I had such a great day that I had to post about it. I had class all day, but I ditched my last class and since it was such a beautiful day Ben and I went to the beach. I never have been to the beach on my birthday before, but I think I may make it my new tradition. The sunset was really pretty that day, very golden, appropriate don't you think?

Ben convinced me to go in the water... it was freezing, but it was fun.

After the beach, I went home and got ready and went out to Sushi. I have been trying to find a good sushi restaurant in LA, and the one Ben picked for my birthday dinner was awesome. Practically a present by itself. After dinner, we couldn't resist hitting up pinkberry, for a post-dinner thrill.

A couple days after my birthday, I had a little birthday dinner with my family and some friends in Mission Viejo. Taylor provided the traditional funfetti cupcakes, it was perfect. My camera was out of batteries though, so I missed out on the pics from that night.

Anyway, I am now a month into being 24, and so far so good!

Still Catching Up....

2007-11-13T18:19:00.000-08:00

Fall has been here for a little while, so I thought I would post a few pics of what I have been up to.
First up, I met up with some friends from high school to celebrate Taylor's birthday. It was so fun to see Taylor, Lindsey, Shannon and Amanda, and I was dying over T's Hello Kitty cake.

Also in September, I went with my darling friend Amie and her friend Maggie to see Justin Timberlake at the Staples center. It was a thrill, but I had finals the next day, so maybe I should have studied, but I needed to see his moves in person.

I had two weeks off from school in between quarters so I went up to Utah to visit everyone I miss from there. On the way back from Utah, I went to St. George with Ben's family. His dad ran the marathon for the 29th time in a row... I myself struggle with breaking 4 miles on the treadmill, and that is awkward for me. Anyway, here is a pic from St. George.

I haven't been to Magic Mountain for a few years so I went in October, ready for some thrills. No one told me that I get sick on Rollercoasters now. Don't worry I didn't throw up or anything, but it got pretty close to that a few times. Is this the kind of thing that happens when you get old?

Ok, that is it for this post, but I still have a lot of things to update, and if I don't get to it before Thanksgiving... Happy Thanksgiving everyone. (It is my favorite holiday!)

My new specialty. (that's what she said)

2007-10-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

So this summer was the summer of weddings. Not mine of course but three of my closest friends all tied the knot. How does the saying go? "Always a bridesmaid never a bride" Uh oh, what if you are a bridesmaid three times in two months, does it maybe cancel out? ha ha
First up my dear friend Ciara got married to her perfect match the Lyle. The Schofield's wedding was so fun and I loved seeing C and Lyle so happy.

The Schofields plus one.

Next up was the Allen's wedding. Chelsea and Nick were married one week after Ciara and Lyle. Their wedding was a sweet treat really and it was so cute to see how in love those two are. I heart the Allens.

All of the bridesmaids and the lovely bride.

Sweet Nicci and Me.

The last wedding of the summer, but most certainly not the least was the Davis wedding. I can not even say how much I love love loved seeing Mikey and Shannon on their special day, and it was an honor to be a part of it. Unfortunately I forgot my camera for the festivities, so I had to borrow pics from other blogs. I hate that I do not have a pic of sweet Shannon and Me on her big day. maaaan, talk about your all time buckles.

All of the bridesmaids, thank goodness sweet Sarah is a brunette or I would have really stood out in these pics.

Nicci and Me again, I think we really should become a package deal.

Jilly and Me, I loved catching up with my old roomie at the festivites.
So, I know these events transpired a while ago, but hey I am catching up right?

One More Time With Feeling...

2007-09-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

I am trying to get back into the game. As I have told a few of you, I never really know what to write about but I have been all over the place the past few months, so I am going to try to slowly update you all on all of them. Please be patient with me!
First up...

I spent a month in New York City doing a school thing. It was so fun and went by way too fast. In fact now that it is over and done with, it almost feels like it didn't happen... almost.

My parents came to the city for a week and we went out to eat... a lot, went and saw Spamalot, did a lot of shopping, and I took my mom to Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake, living right around the corner from that place was so wonderful on one hand, but probably not very good for me on the other! ha ha

My friends Jenny and Jennifer that I met while I was doing study abroad in Paris, live in New York, so I got to hang out with them while I was out there. They were so wonderful and took me all over the town to experience the city and the nightlife. The most interesting night was when we went dancing, and we went to Misshapes and little did we know we had chosen to go on the night of the annual Bowie Ball. Now, I love David Bowie, so it was fun to dance to Bowie songs all night, and they did our makeup there. It was fun while we were there and we totally fit in with the rest of the crowd, but it was a little bit embarrassing when I got back to my dorm with makeup like that, and people looking at me like I was some kind of a freak. Oh well, I did it in the name of the Bowie Ball.

My friend Nick lives in New York too, and he also took it upon himself to show me some great things the city had to offer. On my last New York Night we walked all over central park and by the end of the evening we had walked about four miles. I wish I would have known, I would have worn more comfortable shoes! Definitely worth it though, I wish I went to Central Park more while I was there, it has such a cool vibe, and is great for people watching.

While in New York I also got to see the Shannon and Mike Davis, pre-wedding, but I don't have any pics with them. I can't believe with all of the New York pics Shan and I have we completely dropped the ball this time.

Anyway, that is my latest post. I will try to be better about catching up with the rest the summer and transition nicely into the fall.

2007-05-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

Last night my brother Ryan (Rhino), my cousin Justin, and my friends Heleena and Jeff, and I met up in Laguna to get a pizookie. Of course there was a long wait, so we walked across the street to take some photos with the beautiful scenery while we waited. Here are the highlights. Also... both Ryan and Justin are available and they are thrills, so ladies, let me know if you need it.

Rhino and Justin with Ryan's crutches. Poor gimpy Ryan.

I don't know how to rotate this. Sorry, I am still a beginner. Yes, my jeans are turquoise everyone already made fun of me for them, so don't bother.

I love this one. I didn't want to bother anyone to take our picture, too touristy, so we had to take a few to fit all three of us in it.

I love Heleena.

AND THE REASON WE WAITED AND WAITED TO GO TO BJ'S....

Definitely worth the wait!

Belated Mother's Day

2007-05-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

This week I took my sweet mother Sharon (hereafter referred to as Shar-Dog) to the Getty museum for her Mother's day present. She loves museums and I keep hearing about how amazing the Getty is so I decided to give it a shot. Well... the hype is true, the Getty is AMAZING. The architecture is beautiful as are the gardens. It was a really great day.

This is us in front of the garden. Shar-Dog is such a thrill.

Don't ask. People were staring at us, but I saw a beautiful photo opportunity and had to take advantage of it.

AHOY!

2007-05-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

So this past week has been an eventful one. First of, I sailed. (Insert What Abot Bob joke here) My sweet father arranged for one of the groups at his work to go sailing as a reward for meeting their goals or something. Why did I go you may ask... well the manager of that department was my dear friend Heleena, who along with my parents begged me to go, so I set sail on the high seas. It was really fun at first... until I got seasick. I didn't know that I even was suseptible to seasickness, but apparently I am, and it was not pretty. I was doing everything I could so I didn't have to throw up over the side of the boat. NOT my idea of a good time. I guess I am going to have to come to the bitter realization that I will never be a sailor, or a pirate for that matter, so I will cross those off my list of potential careers.

This weekend was also a thrill because Lauren and Chelsea were both in town, and Lauren had a BBQ for her birthday. I don't know if she checks blogs but if she does, Happy Birthday Lauren, 24 looks good on you. Chelsea and I couldn't help but capture our romantic moment on the backyard swing. Look at Chelsea's legs... Nick is a lucky man.

Well friends that is it for now, but.... a post with pictures?! Are you proud?