[2011.]

[500 New Year's Eves.]

[Two Tunes Tuesday: Right now.]

What I'm listening to right now.

Like a dream.

[From me to you.]

[Paper trees.]

Just, you know, sitting on the floor in the middle of the afternoon, cutting out paper Christmas trees for no reason. This is normal.

[Two Tunes Tuesday: At Christmas you tell the truth.]

All I've got tonight.

[Hey girl. I love museums.]

Omg. This. Is. Everything. This literally defines my life. I work at the Smithsonian in development and RyGos and I chat (telepathically) (it's mostly one-sided) on a daily basis. Museums + philanthropy + RyGos = Milan

From Hey Girl. I love museums.

Perfection.

[The ugly sweater party.]

Last night we had 100 of our closest friends over for an intimate ugly sweater gathering with wassail, hot chocolate, and Domineau's amazeballs "Better Than [your favorite vice]" cake. I was kind of nervous slash excited to see what people would come up with for their ugly sweaters...what turned up was a delightful combination of awkward family photo/cat lady/normal sartorially challenged Mormon people sweaters. I couldn't have been more pleased, really.

Btw, these are my roomies--not sure I've ever shown us in all of our Seven Brides for Seven Brothers glory (props to the ex for that nickname...don't think the irony is lost on me), so presenting Rachel, Lynn, Melissa, Domineau, moi, Ginette, and Corinne for your viewing pleasure:

This Aaron fellow below took FULL advantage of the strategically placed mistletoe, which I definitely hung in about 15 different places throughout our main floor, plus over every roommate's bedroom door. I had hoped to get every guest a kiss from someone, but alas, the apple cider wasn't quite strong enough, I guess.

Is there anything more adorable than a grown man who bedazzles his own Christmas shirt with Santa penguins (below) all by his little self? I think not...I think not. Also, props to Dom for DIYing her pom pom Christmas tree shirt as well.

Basically everyone should have a giant red bow.

...and a southern boy to grant you Santa wishes.

[Perfect Pair: Red, White, & Blue.]

1* / 2

*Photo of a friend, Jessie. She's fabulous. Check her out!

[WANTED: this daybook.]

Barbara Wiggins 2012 Leather Diary

[Two Tunes Tuesday: Last Christmas.]

Presenting two versions of my all time favorite Christmas song, Last Christmas, originally by Wham, but here by Florence and the Machine (an amazing, amazing rendition shared by Blake) and Jimmy Eat world for the emo 2000s kid in all of us. I've always sworn by the J.E.W. one, but this Florence cover may be my new favorite...you decide. I keep my distance, but you still catch my eye...

[I see the light(s).]

Favorite restaurant surprise. National Harbor. Drive. Country and carols. Navigation fail. Snowmen, dancing trees, and sneaky Santas. Cold nosies. Circles. Good ones.

I appreciate a boy who will drive me around for hours just to see Christmas lights.

[Two Tunes Twednesday: Pretty girls.]

Guys. Two Tunes Tuesday is like the one constant in my life (Literally. My life is unrecognizable to me these days. I don't even really sleep or eat anymore.) and I missed it! I assume you're all just as devastated as I am... Anyway, these are two pretty girl voices. The first is a short little Cillie Barnes song about a hill that I first heard a couple months ago, and the second is a really sweet, simple acoustic cover of Kings of Leon's "Knocked Up", by Lykke Li (original here). Listen to both. And enjoy. I command you.





Also, this is a different, equally awesome version of her cover that samples the original KOL track. Love love love.

[On karaoke and changes.]

On Saturday night a group of us went to karaoke to celebrate my roommate's birthday. Originally she was planning to just have a small cake and ice cream party at our house, but Domineau and I were lovingly appalled at her minimalist approach to her birthday and decided to overhaul the weekend. (Don't mess with us. We get our way. Especially when we're unified, and especially when it comes to birthdays.) So we all karaoke-d our hearts out.

Not to, like, get too deep about a silly night out, but this was kind of a big deal for me, people. (I'm about to chatter about my life. You may stop reading, scroll down, and enjoy the pictures. I won't hold it against you.) Recently I've experienced a lot of changes, some of my choosing, some not. Something I have chosen to do is to start creating a little life out here for myself--by making more friends, trying new things, embracing experiences beyond my teeny tiny comfort zone--something I've never (felt I) had the time or ability or interest to do until lately. I'm often a dazzling combination of stubborn, insecure, and vain, so traditionally I'm loathe to do things I don't want to do, or things I don't do well, or things that will embarrass me, but I now see that that isn't a way to live, at least not for me. I can't really live in my own little bubble, in isolation from people and things that are unfamiliar to me. Times like my past month have a painful, beautiful way of making one acutely aware of one's faults, weaknesses, and ugliness...all of which I have so much...and I've identified past patterns and mistakes that I plan never to repeat, and which I sincerely hope to correct, if given the opportunity. Anyway, bringing this discussion back down from la la land, I'd been karaoking before, but only years ago, in college, and certainly never in a particularly clear state of mind, so choosing to participate (and suggesting it in the first place!), was a little personal victory, because it's maybe the last thing I would have done even just a few months ago. And you know what? I had the. best. time. So much so that I sang not one, but two songs (with buddies, of course...baby steps, people), first delivering a groundbreaking rendition of "Friends in Low Places" with the lovely Shannon, then a googly-eyed performance of "Wonderwall" with new friend Wayne. Yep, I only mess with classics. And when I wasn't up front, I sang and cheered and laughed myself hoarse, and I'm pretty sure I would have blessed the crowd with my vocals about five more times if the birthday girl hadn't been too sleepy to stay longer.

Pay attention to the cute boys and girls, not my gross, post-temple baptism hair.

And then......the diva hand came out. And out she stayed. Probably the most significant discovery of the night.

Also, unrelated to my diva hand, but very important--can we discuss how good looking that Scott is? Photogenic, that one is.... And shout out to Lindsey, who I didn't capture well enough to include here, but who rocked the night away too!

[Fight.]

A friend sent this to me today, and, um, obviously it kind of spoke to me. Perhaps you'll like it too. To anyone who is fighting out there...keep going. I know it's hard. Keep going. I'm with you. To anyone who isn't...what could possibly be more important?? He is so worth it. She is so worth it. Make it happen.

People are worth fighting for.

We fight for our loved ones when we:

• Put their own well-being and happiness above our own self-centered doubts, frustrations, distractions and routines.
• Avoid the trap of filling our life with so many good things (jobs, education, church responsibilities, hobbies) that we're too busy for the great things.
• See their potential with an eye of faith and recognize our own power to help them achieve it.

(read the rest here)

[Perfect Pair: Machine.]

1 / 2

[How could I not share this RyGos gem??]

Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, RyGos, AND a Britney cameo at the end? This is heavenly.

P.S. Were you a Justin or JC fan? I was Team JC all the way....in fact, pretty sure at some point I read some embarrassing fan fiction about him. (I was 11. It was glorious and I definitely cried. Let me be.)

[The day after.]

Beach. 68 and sunny. Turkey sandwiches and sparkling apple cider. Volleyball battles. Wardrobe malfunctions. Sunset. Sand in my hair for days. Lifeguard stations and palm trees. Better than anything.

[Two Tunes Tuesday: 'Tis (always) the season!]

I don't know what your rules are, but I do NOT have a strict no-Christmas-music-before-X-date policy. I listen to Christmas music year round, as it is always appropriate to be merry and bright. But I'm quite sensitive and considerate, so have restrained myself from posting any such tunes here until now, after Thanksgiving and well into the Starbucks red cup season. This first song is a beauuutiful Christmas hymn sung by Vocal Point, the BYU male a cappella ensemble (you may have seen them dominating this season of NBC's The Sing Off...). I heard it for the first time this weekend, when Vocal Point spent an afternoon at my house, chilling with the fam, eating lunch, cleaning up our kitchen, giving us a private little concert in our living room...you know, normal stuff. Anyway, they sang this song and I *may* have fallen just a teensy bit in love with the lead (though he was already a favorite from the start of the show). Girls (and everyone else, really), I dare you to watch this and not swoon. Seriously. Go ahead. Try.

Told ya you wouldn't make it out alive.

And then...there's this. A classic oldie, and a favorite of mine. It's excellent. And fitting, don't you think?

whomp whomp whomp

[Home for Thanksgiving.]

In a nutshell: Kelly was cool, Mathis chowed down, and I spent most of the day sick in bed. And there were pretty things and delicious food sprinkled throughout the day.
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for family, sparkly things, jalapeños, and you.