a day of love.

happy valentine's day. 

i love him because:

1. he is my best friend. 

there's no one i'd rather share life's adventures with, than him. 

2. he is completely selfless, loyal and honest.

3. he's patient above measure.  

4. jealousy doesn't exist in his world; he's confident in who he is.

5. he's loves with the upmost sincerity.

6. he tells me i am beautiful. often. 

7. his testimony is solid, important to him and a part of his every day life.

8. he laughs often whether with me or at me.

his laugh is contagious and always lifts my spirits. 

9. he loves gelato, speaks another language, wears socks to bed,

tends to spoil me rotten, is a hard working student, lover of the stock market,

wears bowties, could live off vegetables, sings in the shower {heart melter, i tell you},

is a proud dog parent, drinks tea daily and is my number one fan at the ballet.

10. he is a dreamer, a go-getter and has high expectations.

he wants the most out of life, marriage, love and the future.

what more can i ask for?

i am totally smitten, completely in love and extremely lucky.

i am hoping you all have a lovely valentine's day.

hugs, kisses, roses, romantic dinner dates, cuddles, hearts, dessert...

i hope it's full of all those things and more. 

today is a day for love-

so, share your heart with someone-

but, also let yourself surrender to being loved by someone.

they are both equally important. 

as a side note, 

here are a few things i am totally loving today:

this love story- it will melt your heart.  

the things i wrote in last year's valentine's post. 

this andy warhol piece of art. 

need a yummy sugar cookie recipe? click here.

wanting this comfy top; love the big heart. 

xoxo

theater week.

{milano photography}

theater week is here in full swing. 

this week, is what we ballerinas, like to call "theater week".

it's basically the week we move out of our own homes, 

and into our dressing rooms at the theater.

this means that i'll be spending more time at the theater than at home.

which also means, i'll spend more time in my pointe shoes than time in lovebird's arms.

it means late nights, sore feet, hair tight in a bun, stage makeup,

long rehearsals, costumes, caffeine, epsom salt baths, hairspray and color days.

as long and hard as the week may seem to go,

it's always all worth it, the second the curtain flies up on opening night.

the thrill, the excitement, the nerves and the joy-

completely erases the pain, aches and tiredness from an exhausting week.

being a performer is magical and it's often times indescribable.

a performance is when my passion for this art is amplified and showcased.

it's almost surreal.

it's always hard work- even in the moment you are dancing your heart out.

but, it's that moment when you succeed the challenge of it all on stage,

because after all, it only counts on stage.

and that right there is a hard truth-

as ballerinas we work so hard for so long- preparing for a single moment to shine.

we are given one chance to make it count.

not to mention, that one time is on stage, under pressure and in front of an audience;

but, that's the thrill of it all. 

this ballet world, is a crazy world we live in.

i love it and wouldn't trade it for anything.

this week will be a busy one- one that will leave me away from my computer.

so, please know that my lack of posting is a result in me not being "home" for the week.

plus- i have special guest coming into town for the show-

and of course they will get every ounce of my attention.

i'll do my best to post- but can't make any promises. ;)

happy tuesday

cheers to the long, but exciting week, ahead of us all.

xoxo

birthday boy.

h a p p y  b i r t h d a y 

dear crewser:

 i can't believe you are 20. 

you are growing up way to fast, which is perfectly fine for you.

but, for me, it makes me feel old. 

{so please, stop it. or simply slow down.}

you are in another country, which makes it impossible 

for us to celebrate your big day together.

however, let's pretend you lived next door. 

this is how it would go:

1. we'd start the day off with a big chai frappuccino- your favorite.

2. we'd walk home laughing about who knows what- 

because we always laugh about anything and everything when we are together.

or rather, you are always making me laugh. 

3. we'd come home to find midge patiently waiting for us,

 with a pile of presents for you-

because we all know that she loves you the most.

{or at least she does on your birthday.}

4. you'd open your gifts which would include, all things utah and sport oriented,

 a new pair of converse and a rubik's cube.

{or at least those would be the gifts last year's crew would get.}

this year, midge is sending you a few new white shirts, new socks, 

books on the gospel, and giving you money to treat yourself to a new suit.

5. dad would be begging to spend every second with you-

whether that meant sitting on the couch or playing a round of golf.

we all know he loves you too much.

you are his favorite child, no matter what the day is.

6. we'd spend the day doing something fun, crazy and adventurous-

because with you, there is never a dole moment in life. 

7. you'd pick your favorite restaurant to go to for dinner. 

if your taste buds haven't matured too, i'm guessing you'd pick

pizza limone, crown burger or cafe rio.

the brothers would of course make fun of your selection 

in what they'd consider a 'crapy' restaurant.

8. we'd race home for a delicious dessert; probably a big slice of chocolate cake.

not forgetting a big scoop of ice cream.

9. the day would be over just like that;

you'd be 20 and i'd be wishing we could stay this young forever.

10. we'd all go to bed thankful that you are 

the caboose and 'accident' of the family.

because, let's face it crew, you are everyone's favorite. 

then, you know me- i'd sneak into your room and lay on your bed and

"accidentally" fall asleep while we lay there talking about life. 

i'm so glad we are best friends.

even when you are thousands of miles away.

your birthday marks 20 years- 

and i'm hoping it is the happiest birthday you'll have.

and how can i forget that your birthday also means one more thing...

it means your one year mark 

is just around the corner.

i'm beyond excited for that day,

because that day will mark the beginning of my countdown 

to when i get to see you next. 

then, we won't have to do any pretending.

we will celebrate your two birthdays, the two christmas' and all the holidays 

in between that you missed-  the minute you get home.

you may even get a celebration dance from yours truly, 

the second you step off that escalator in the airport. 

actually, i'm guaranteeing a dance.

i'll be that excited. 

until then crew, happy birthday.

i miss and love you dearly. 

every day is valentine's.

i might argue that every day is  

 {nearly} valentine's day around here.

i am not the biggest fan of valentine's day-

i never have been. 

{i think i get it from my mother. could it possibly be a genetic dislike?} 

sure, i'm all into the mushy-gushy love thing.

a romantic candle lit dinner for two,

a dosen roses {as long as they aren't red.} and

you know me- i'd watch a romantic chick flick any given second.

however, i consider myself beyond spoiled 

because lovebird is almost as big as a hopeless romantic as i am.

he's far better at expressing his love in a mushy- gushy way;

in fact, he's so good at it- i often wonder if he writes it down and memorizes

the brilliant combination to his romantic wording
 before he says it to effortlessly to me in the moment.

when it comes to dinner for two?  that's a usual thing for us.
which, could possibly be a perk of living away from home.

we are "alone", as some people might say-

but, i'd say it's the other way around,
because i've never felt more comforted and secure than i do now.

onto the flowers...
he know's the way to my heart is an unexpected bouquet of flowers.

he's mastered the art of the unexpected; 

meaning he's good friends with the local florist. 

surprisingly, lovebird likes a good chick flick.

of course, he prefers the manly shows that are jam packed with tons of action.

{he would kill me if he knew i was revealing his secret weakness.} 

where most women have to pull teeth to get their lover to watch 

scenes of kissing, flirting and a chain of dramatic events-

lovebird willing plops down on the couch beside me and presses play.

in my books, that's what a real man is. 

since, it feels like valentine's day around here almost every day,

{just minus the title of the holiday on the correct day of the year}

i really don't have reason to anticipate the actually holiday.

in fact, this year- i will be in the theater at a dress rehearsal until 11:00 at night.

now, we are talking romantic, right? ;)

over the years, this holiday has evolved into something else.

the day itself serves as a day of remembrance for me.

her spirit lives on in my heart.

the same heart i now share with lovebird.

thank goodness the actual day is meant for an exaggeration for love-

because, a big heart full of love is the one thing i do enjoy about this holiday.

that, and also the giggle i get every time i think of her
dancing around in heaven, laughing a good laugh, 

over the fact that i ended up with her all time crush.

so, cheers to lovebird spoiling me 365 days of the year,

valentine's day being a reason to remember and love harder

and to a best friend who will always mean the world to me,

no matter how far away heaven may seem. 

xoxo 

some days.....

{source. lyrics from this song.}

some days...
some days you just don't have time to blog.
today is one of those days; and that's because,
some days you need to go to bed or you need to wake up early;
which is a result of
some days being too overwhelming, busy, jam packed or exhausting.
you come home ready to throw in the towel, when
some days you realize life is a gift.
some days are better than others.
some days are longer than others.
some days are harder than others... and
some days you just need a chocolate chip cookie.
let's face it- we all have those days,
where we just don't get to everything we want to, because
some days simply aren't long enough to accomplish every single thing
our heart desires. which is why,
some days every day i'm thankful that lovebird reminds me
that as long as i'm giving it my all, there will be no regret.
some days i want to disagree with him- and prove i can do it all.
but, then i am humbled and remember that
some days, and only some days he is right. {well, at least about this. ;)}
and that is why, at the close of
every day, i can crawl into bed with him and thank him for loving me endlessly.
regardless, of the "some day" i just went through.

every day is a gift.

use it wisely.

xoxo

favorite things.

a few of my favorite things right now:
1. the sun that's trying to outdo the cold. it's warmth has been delightful lately- i want more.
2. time to myself.
3. anything and everything that has a bow. i've always been a sucker for bows. {1, 2, 3, & 4}
4. this nail idea for valentine's day. {it's coming up so soon!}
5. raw almonds. i could eat them endlessly.
6. crawling into bed with a good book and a lavender heating pad. blissful, i tell you.
7. the regular voicemails my dad leaves me. mostly complaining that i'm too busy, but always telling me how much he loves me.
8. grocery shopping with a set list. {saves money and fights temptations, cravings and my sweet tooth.}
9. downton abbey. need i say more?
10. lipstick. but, then again- lipstick always makes the cut when it comes to my favorite things.

h a p p y  m o n d a y.

cheers to the favorite things in life that make mondays seem doable. 

what's on your favorite list, as of late?

oh, and one last thing on the list!

{number 11 looked funny up there- so i moved it down here.}

besides, this should stand on it's own- because it's the most important thing on that list:

11. today marks exactly two and half years of wedded bliss. 

lovebird will always my favorite.

no doubt about that.  

greetings in february.

goodbye january. hello february. 

goodbye snowflakes. hello hearts.

goodbye new years. hello valentines day. 

goodbye vacation time. hello work, school and dance.

goodbye to missing him. hello to his one year mark.

{ahhhh! nothing makes me happier. seriously.}

goodbye bad habits. hello resolutions.

goodbye gold and silver. hello red and pink.

goodbye self control. hello dove chocolate hearts.

goodbye stranger spice. hello cinnamon every.single.day. 

{weird obsession right now.}

goodbye bitter cold. hello to living in sunny california. 

goodbye to never loving valentine's day. hello to finally coming around to it.

goodbye to dark nails. hello to nude nail polish.

{i'm so pleased this is the trend for spring. yahoo!}

goodbye to never being a t.v. watcher. hello to {dang} netflix. we're addicted.

goodbye to mowgli looking like a puppy. hello to stop-growing-up, right now.

goodbye to missing midge. hello to a much anticipated visit.

goodbye to classical ballet. hello to neoclassical. 

goodbye to time in the studio. hello to performing on stage.

goodbye to countless hours of rehearsals. hello to a whole week off.

{this never happens. i'm elated.}

goodbye cookie butter. hello almond butter. i'm trying to be good- it's not working.

goodbye to never being an orange/clementine lover. hello to i can't eat enough. literally.

{produce; another perk to living in california.}

goodbye to nights of tossing and turning. hello to {dark} new curtains. 

goodbye fuji apples. hello pink lady. i've been converted.
goodbye to being too busy to blog. hello to trying my hardest this month. 

goodbye january. hello february. 

i'm hoping you enjoyed this months list.

i have a feeling february is going to be a good month.

i mean, how can it not when love is bursting at the seams?

i love when those of you link up in your comment below-

it's always fun to go on and read what your goodbye's and hello's are for this month. 

have a happy friday, and weekend for that matter!

i look forward to reading your lovely lists. 

xoxo