Learning Curve

Growing up, I was no stranger to yard work. My parents are firm believers that hard work builds character, so my 5 siblings and I had every opportunity imaginable to work. From hauling wood to helping in the garden to painting the house every few years to raking leaves, we have done it all.

Plus, the summer before my mission, I worked for a landscaping company. (Arnold Schwarzenegger has a house in Sun Valley and I got to work in his flower beds. No joke).

So, with all that exposure, you'd think I would be a pro at yard beautification.

Not so much.

I even thought it wouldn't be a big deal, but it kind of is. Mostly because I'm not home too much. And when I do drag my tired body home after a long day's work, yard work is pretty much the last thing I want to do. Plus, it's not as fun as I'd hoped it would be...not yet anyway.

So, my lovely mom sent me an email telling me that she had found me a lawn mower. Perfect. Those babies are super spendy. The problem is that it's in Syracuse and I live in Spanish Fork.

And I drive a Beetle.

I still haven't figured out how to get it here, but I'm sure I will - and hopefully soon. It had to have come unassembled at some point, right? So, maybe I'll head north with some tools and take the dang thing apart and drive it south in pieces. We'll see.

So, last week, my growing tundra was causing me some major anxiety. My neighbors and friends kept volunteering to mow my lawn (It was such an eye-sore it was dropping home values all around the neighborhood), but it's kind of a source of pride for me to be able to take care of my own space, so I wouldn't take anyone up on their offer. Plus, I haven't really spent much time in my back beds and they're pretty ratty looking and I'm a little (a lot) embarrassed.

So (I say 'so' a lot. My co-worker Mark makes fun of me daily) SO, last week on my way home from work, I decided to take action and do something to fix the situation.

I stopped by Home Depot and bought this beauty:

Isn't he cute?

I even assembled him all by myself. I think I'll call him Ryan. 

Let me explain why I decided to go old school and get a 'reel' lawn mower: 

1. They're cool

2. They're Eco-friendly

3. They're quiet(ish)

4. I don't have to worry about gasoline 

5. or oil 

6. or spark plugs

7. They're cheaper than a 'normal' mower

8. Now that I'm a tree-hugger, I can stop shaving my armpits

9. and my legs

Here are a few photos (it's really hard not to start every sentence with SO) of my backyard prior to the 1st mow:

(See how the lawn is just growing right in to the flower bed? Awesome!)

I actually did research on reel mowers and totally thought it could handle this mess, but I was wrong. I would push it about 3 feet, then it would totally get all clogged with grass and weeds and stop and I would run into the handle. I really hope none of my neighbors saw me. It was a disaster and I was really embarrassed at the mess I made of my backyard. I should have taken a picture, but I was too frustrated.

Argh.

So, I just paid my neighbor girl 10 bucks to mow it and put me out of my misery. Now that the forest is under control, maybe my mower will work. Hopefully.

But, on a happier note, look at the adorable lights I found!
(pay no attention to the dandelions!)

I love how the light makes stars on my sidewalk!

The Fresh Maker

As per usual, I was running super late for church today and rushed out of my house at 8:58. Church starts at 9.

Good thing I live close.

It makes me feel so silly that I have ONE person to get up and ready and I can't make it on time and full families are there early...

So, I grabbed a string cheese stick for breakfast and about 1/2 way through sacrament meeting, realized that my breath needed some attention. SO, I grabbed a mint Mentos and attempted to put it in my mouth. However, it somehow slipped out of my fingers, bounced off my lip, slid down my chin and went into my shirt. Yep, right on in.

I didn't really know what to do. I'm sure that (at least a few) people saw me and I wasn't sitting by anyone to have a good laugh about it. I couldn't very well reach in to get it with men and innocent children sitting all around me. So, I just grabbed another Mentos and fished the slippery little sucker out in the privacy of a bathroom stall right before Sunday School.

I really hope no one saw, but what are the chances?

A Wedding and...Prom?

I had a super busy - and super great! - day last Saturday.

I got to shoot (a different kind of shooting than my last post) the wedding of a super adorable British couple. It was so fun. Completely exhausting, but fun.

More pictures here.

I also got to photograph 8 crazy kids on their way to prom with my good pal Nikki.

It was such a fun day, but resulted in lots of editing time!

Don't Mess With Me!

I've taken up a new hobby...

Surprisingly (or maybe not so), I'm better at it than cake decorating.

It's so scary/exciting! I love it and hate it at the same time. All the adrenaline and freaking out nervousness is fun, but so terrifying too. I just want to shoot enough that I know how to do it well and learn what there is to know.

Oh, and you also have to watch out for Bill and Lisa. They're dangerous too!

We mean business.

Popcorn Popping

The other day, I was talking to my dad and told him that I was wanting to buy a flowering tree because I love seeing the blooms of Spring. Plus, my yard needs a little more character.

The funny thing is that the next day as I was leaving for work, I noticed something:

Yeah, BOTH trees that are currently planted in my yard are flowering pear trees.

Wish granted.

I'm so observant it's scary.

Epic Fail

A couple of years ago, I took a cake decorating class with my good pal Anna Banana. I was really excited about the class and was hopeful I would find a new calling because I was convinced I would be so good at it.

I was wrong.

Way wrong.

It was taught at the craft store Robert's, so the main point of the class was to sell cake decorating  stuff, which I was more than happy to purchase...thinking I was investing in my new hobby/possible future profession. (So, if anyone needs to decorate a cake, I have all the necessary tools).

I was so hopeful...and so stupid.

I am not only really bad at cake decorating, I take failing to a whole new level.

It's really pretty embarrassing.

I'm sure I have a picture of one of my cake disasters somewhere, but I don't know where so you'll just have to use your imagination. Just remember that I'm really bad at it.

Which I completely forgot about when I saw this picture online the other day:

I got this photo here.

Pretty cute, huh?

Well, here's my version:

My adorable little pal, Ashley loves cake decorating and she doesn't even care that I'm really bad at it. I kidnapped her the other night and she helped me put this masterpiece together. In my defense, Fresh Market only had bunny peeps, so I did the best I could.

I actually ended up getting bird peeps later and switching them out and it looked a little better.

I made it for this handsome devil's baptism fiesta last Saturday.

What a little stud.

Oh, and one more thing.

I feel I should end this post with some real cake decorating talent:

Can you believe that?

This was done by my uber talented friend Valerie. She's pretty amazing!

Maybe she teaches classes...

6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon

In honor of it being 20 days till The Lucky One is in theaters, we are going to play 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon so I can share how close I am to my secret boyfriend Zac Efron.

But first, I want to map out Erica's connection with Dwayne Johnson.

My brother works for a mortgage company and has a client who called him about buying his neighbor's barn.

His neighbor happens to be Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

No big deal.

So, here are the degrees of separation:

1. Dwayne

2. The Neighbor

3. Kyle

4. Me

5. Erica

Not bad.

Right after my mission (100 years ago), I worked at a clothing store in Hailey, ID called North & Co which is basically the only clothing store in all of the Wood River Valley so people would go there basically out of necessity. But, it's a really cool store, so I would probably shop there even if there were more options. And, I definitely loved working there through high school, then again after my mission.

When Bruce Willis and Demi Moore were married, they owned a house just north of Hailey and stayed there a lot. (It really is the best place in Idaho and in the top 10 in the nation for sure). When she and Bruce divorced, I think she got the house because she was still seen around Hailey quite a bit.

Her daughter Rumor would come in the store a lot. She was still pretty young and never really said much, just spent a ton of money.

Well, one day, Demi came in with her cute little dog Louie. She is itty bitty tiny, like 5'2" and super skinny and really nice. She was down to earth and talked to all of us like we were her friends. Oh, and she's gorgeous. I'm pretty sad that she's going through so much right now with addictions and rehab and stuff. It's too bad.

So, anyhoo, the other day, I came across this photo in a magazine:

SO...

Here are the degrees of separation:

1. Zac Efron

2. Demi Moore

3. Cali

It's like my birthday and Christmas all in one!

(I got all these images from Google images. I'm too lazy to cite each one).

Gladys Knight!

I love this lady!

go here for this photo

I'm so excited to see her on Dancing With the Stars. I love her positivity and her infectious smile. My friend Nick used to be in her ward in Las Vegas and says that she is the most genuinely nice person he has ever met.

In fact, he said that she and her family are always the first to show up to help someone move. That is so awesome. She is so famous and involved in so many things that it would be so easy for her to be too busy (or too important!) to help others, but she does - and she's the first one there. I love it.

She is one of my heroes!