I want to talk about the Oscars.

Yep, I do.
Yea,Yea, Yea.
You're all rolling your eyes, I know.
"So trendy, right?"
But it's whatevs.
There is something so romantic and perfect about the Academy Awards.
 The regal manner, the beautiful dresses, and the elegance of it all. I remember watching it every year growing up and being in constant awe. Maybe its my brain type or whatever (Allie), but I dreamed of actually being there. Yes, as a ten year old.
I have been a slacker and I have only seen one of the nominees for best motion picture. (Hey, I'm a poor college student). Don't you fret though, I will be seeing them all asap. Even The Artist. Because it's trendy. And I'm a follower.
Besides the obsession with movies and music and acting and everything that entails the Oscars, it's the red carpet that makes me feel like a five year old watching princesses.
So without further ado, I present my favorite dresses:

Maybe it's just because I love Tina Fey. But I love when a funny woman looks beautiful. It's like a double whammy. Love the black and the skirt along with it. 

Only Gwyneth can pull this off. But I love the white and simplicity of it. 

To be honest, I'm still on the fence on this one.  But, she's beautiful. So that's fun. And she came with George Clooney. So she automatically wins. 

Color color color. 

Natalie Portman and polka dots? Okay, yes. Don't know how I feel about the necklace with that particular dress, though. I feel like pearls would have been better? 

I just like this. I don't know why. 

Just, yes. 

Besides the fact that she is my age and looks 12, I like the dress. Especially, the color. 

All of this. Even the bow. (Subtracting the fact that she kind of looks like a present). 

Perfect for her shape. Classy, elegant, and modest. 

I just like this because I could never pull it off, but I wish I could.  

P.S. Every time I saw Brad Pitt I peed a little bit. I don't care if he has long, greasy hair and is 45 (?) years old, he is still a beautiful human being. It's the smirk he does when he's focused. Oh, and even though I hated J.Lo's dress, I have come to the conclusion that she is, in fact, on my top ten list too. Just FYI. She's gorgeous.

I can't even talk about Meryl Streep and Octavia Spencer. Their acceptance speeches made me cry. I feel like they were both very deserving of their awards.
I'm such a dork, I know. So emotional blah blah blah.
Whatever. One day I'll be at the Academy Awards.
And then you can all judge me on my dress. And I won't care.

Oh, and did anyone else think that so many of the one liners were hilarious?
"This better not go too late. I have 6 parent teacher conferences in the morning." Billy Crystal to Brad Pitt.
Or how about when the Dictator threw his "ashes" on Ryan Seacrest and Ryan was p-issed. SO GREAT.
Or am I the only one with a good sense of humor? JW. (just wondering-- for all you people who did have AOL instant messenger as a child cough mom cough).

'Til next year.
xoxo. 

Wow.

Holy goodness!
Life has been crazy lately. I am sorry that I have been MIA!
I am, however,  so grateful for all the opportunities that have been given me in spite of the constant chaos.


I GOT AN INTERNSHIP.
I am going to be a teacher at Spring Lake Elementary School in Payson (Nebo School District) Fall 2012. A teacher! WHAT. When did all of this happen? When did I grow up?
If any of you are confused, here's how it works: In the Elementary Education program you have to participate in student teaching. If I were to do that, I would finish my last semester this upcoming fall and then student teach next January. But this internship gives you the opportunity to have your own classroom with a mentor (intern coach) to guide you along for the entire school year. I get paid half salary and am an actual teacher.
Before the interview on Friday, I looked at myself in the mirror and said:"If you don't get this, it's okay. It is not the end of the world." I was questioning whether I really wanted to do it--if this was the right thing for me right now.
But, apparently, this is what I am supposed to be doing right now.
I am so excited, thrilled, grateful, scared and a teeny bit stressed over this opportunity. A lot has been going on internally and am just praying that I can make it through full time school this summer and then a full year of teaching. The next year and a half is going to be a crazy ride!


I have lost 7.5 lbs on Weight Watchers! This may not seem like a lot, but is a little feat that boosts my confidence a little bit. I feel healthier and my eating habits have been completely altered; that's what is important...not necessarily the weight. I can't physically tell, but my body just feels better.
(But, oh my, it is hard! Haha. I am used to eating way more!)

I spent this entire week doing school work and participating in a talent show. LDC had a joke number in it. It was actually extremely stressful, but the actual performance was so fun. 
Note: This was a joke. And the sound doesn't record very well on this particular video. Just go with it. Remember, this was a JOKE. Ha. Why are my friends and I so cool?
Your life will change at the Spice Girls number at 1:08. Can you guess which one I am?



Life includes: Tea parties in Salt Lake, long, hilarious talks with my girls, a date, more school work, tutoring, therapy, teaching gospel doctrine, learning how to play racquetball, intramural basketball games and not a break.
This upcoming week?  More school work. Aren't you jealous?
Maybe I should actually start writing the script for my upcoming LDC show?... (which you all will be coming to, by the way.) ...nah....

I feel like I have so much to say regarding the internal battle that is flowing throughout my body. One moment I have an excess amount of energy, the next I cannot seem to get out of bed. I won't go into detail, but my emotions and issues seem to be weighing me down to some degree. Stress is obviously apparent in my life, but dealing with medication, sleep, eating right, exercising, and all the basic necessities to stabilize my body only includes more effort and stress. I am trying though. And soon (hopefully) this internal roller coaster will be more balanced.
I am grateful for answered prayers. Not in the way that I necessarily want them to, but that they are answered. When life gets a little lonely, a little desperate, the Lord reminds me that He is aware of me and my struggles. As my dad wrote me the other day, "Sometimes the good guys DO get the opportunities. It won't be the last joy or the last sorrow." It's answers like these that give me a little string of rope (hope) to hold onto temporarily until I can help lengthen the rope itself.

Let's just say I cannot wait for spring break. My friends and I are planning on going to Portland--I can't wait to show them my hometown! A break is exactly what I am needing. Two weeks. Think I can make it?

Now, to the Oscars.

Switch-a-roo

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Anybody up (or down?) for a button swap?
I am trying to get this blogging ordeal going.
Just shoot me an email with your button and the html code to embed and I will post it.
[and/or leave a comment below]
Only if you reciprocate, of course!
{sierraainge@gmail.com}
You are all so lovely.
SERIOUSLY.

Circumstances.

This blog post has been inspired by many recent incidents that have occurred in my life. I'll continue to explain. 

For my class titled Multicultural Understanding, I read something tonight that sparked my interest on the idea of circumstances. This novel is titled Holler if You Hear Me. It is, surprisingly, quite an enjoyable read, particularly for teachers. And for a college course, too. Who knew?
Paloma is a girl who was raised by Mexican parents. Her situation is not ideal: poor family, lack of support from peers, etc. Yet, in the book, she refuses to let her circumstances stop her future. 


I truly believe that people are the way they are because of the circumstances that have been given them. However, I don't believe that because of someone's circumstances, they should stay in that particular rut. Yet, I have learned that it does deter their knowledge on how to particularly change things. So often we think that life is a continuous pattern of chains, that statistics and life tends to repeat itself. But, it doesn't have to be that way. You don't have to be a part of somebody else's history. You make your own.

And this is where my future comes in. As a teacher, I get to decide if I want to see my students for who they are inside. I will choose to help those that are given these circumstances, but still hold them accountable. I get to teach these students that although they are the way they are because of their circumstances, they get the opportunity to grow, to make, a new circumstance.  "To me, a teacher shouldn't just be a grown u[. They should at least have a little bit of their childhood inside. They should teach because they love children and not for any other reason."

A friend from home, Brittany, was wearing a normal outfit to school at Brigham Young University. She received, on Valentine's Day, no doubt, a note from a boy that was rude, derogatory, and plain hurtful. The note, in a nutshell,  exclaimed that her dress was inappropriate. (Which, I assure you, it was not). The whole incident has gone viral. Homegirl is famous now. No, but seriously.
Anyway, as I have been thinking of this idea of circumstances, my mind has continuously been turned upside down.

This boy made the decision to hand that awful note to Brittany. The words he wrote were judgmental and extremely hurtful. Sometimes our circumstances appear because we make that decision to place them in our lives. We are given this beautiful thing called choices (or agency). We decide how we want to react to a hurtful comment. We decide how someone else's actions affect us. Our circumstances, sometimes, can be changed from our attitude, beliefs, strength, and daily decisions. It is important to remember that our decisions DO affect our circumstances.

I continue to have wonderful spiritual experiences. Side note: I don't mean for this blog to be one to push religion on everybody, but all of these experiences only continue to come up and I just have to share them with all of you because it's such a huge factor in my life. I feel that I should. My dear friend, Teddy, just left on a mission to Hawaii (so jealous). My choir had the opportunity to sing at her farewell. The spirit that accompanied that song was perfect. I gave a devotional about turning to the Lord for peace because He knows exactly how we are feeling. Here's the thing though: I didn't give it; the spirit did. Br. Eggett reminded me today that my trials, my hardships, will be compensated ten fold if I just hang on through the rough times. I have placed myself in situations, around wonderful friends who read scriptures with me (seriously, where else can you find that?) to change my circumstances. I have changed my life decisions so that I am able to have these spiritual experiences. These spiritual experiences, will, ultimately only lead to greater circumstances. 

And sometimes, our circumstances are changed when we realize other peoples' perspectives. Life has sort of smacked me across the face recently. I have had to make a conscious decision to change my attitude and do something about my circumstances. I cannot change my internal structure. I cannot change my body. But, I can change my perspective. When I was down in the dumps, I only continued to hear stories that humbled my heart. When I thought my soul ached for something, when I was unbearably sad, I have come across these life stories recently:
-A blog of a woman who has lost her ten year old son and then her husband two months later. She is inspiring. Can you imagine?
-A woman lost her fiancé one month before they were to be married due to a car accident.
-A friend of mine's cousin woke up blind one morning a couple of weeks ago. Just woke up completely blind after having a life of vision beforehand. 30 years old.
-Another friend of mine told me of a woman who is completely paralyzed after a car accident, one in which she should have died.
-I have found out that a friend of mine had been suffering from lymphoma a few years ago and was told that he/she (no hints ha) was to die in three months. He/she is standing in front of me today, happy as ever.
-Writing a paper about Kenya and being reminded of all the hardship I saw, that I lived in. Man, I miss those African children.

Just when I think my circumstances are hard, I am reminded that my trials are placed in my life for a reason. The Lord and your own decisions affect, change, and help your circumstances. 
Life can make or break you. What's your breaking point? Will that break you, or make you? 


P.S. I may or may not have heard this boy's voice on Valentine's Day. I am a giddy girl.

xoxo.

L.O.V.E.

I posted this one year ago today. 

I just love it too much.

Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around.

You tell them things that you've never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more.

You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you.

When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement.

They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself.

Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but ratherthey build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful.

There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around.

You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are.

The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever.

Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again.

Colors seem brighter and more brilliant.

Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all.

A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face.

In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby.

Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you.

You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do.

Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon.

You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible.

You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you.

You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remainloyal to the end.

Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.

Bob Marley

How perfect is that? Love it. 

I don't hate Valentine's Day.

You think I would be because I tend to be sort of cynical (ha). 

However, I am also a hopeless romantic. 

There is nothing better than just loving those that surround us. 

I am sitting in my class with all of my fellow Elementary Education majors. We are having a little V day party with treats. My body is dying. I just want all of those treats. I gave in and had a couple cookies. POINTS (cough julia cough). Hakuna Mutata. It's a holiday. I do what I want. 

Celebrate good times. 

Even without a valentine (or at least one within a few hundred miles), this holiday shall be a good one.

What are my plans as a single gal?

Dinner and a movie with the girls.

DUH. 

Oh, Whitney.

Yep. You know this post was coming from me.

I don't want to join the bandwagon and talk about how much I miss Whitney Houston and how great of a singer she was and blah blah blah....because, let's face it, Most of us haven't heard from her in a very long time and, well, kind of forgot about her.

BUT. As I have been watching videos I am, once again, reminded of how incredibly talented she really was. Being obsessed (yes, obsessed) with music and the more I reminisce, the more I notice how she, truly was, one of the best singers of our time. Hands down. 

The woman was a power house. I would kill for those pipes.

It really is a tragedy, though. There are so many other artists that could really help all of us by leaving the music business...too soon?

RIP Whitney. Say hi to Michael for us :)

So perfect, right?

Jennifer Hudson's tribute to Whitney at the Grammy's. 

because quotes help explain how I'm feeling better than I can sometimes...

I was on Pinterest today. I read a lot of quotes. I needed it. The following are a lot of the things running through my mind and heart right now.
This post, too.

Which one impacted you the most?
xoxo.

Dear Future Husband:

I went to the grocery store today.

Word of advice: Don't let me go to the store when I am starving. 

However, I am hoping that I will become less hungry after the next few months because of my new Weight Watchers Diet. I am working for that hot bod. Just you wait. 

(Except, I hope you don't just love me for my "hot bod.")

Regardless, I am working on being healthy.

I spent 100 dollars worth of protein, fruits and vegetables.

Man, healthy crap is expensive.

WHY. It's like I'm being slapped in my face for taking care of my body....

I will try my hardest to work on cooking so that I don't  burn every single meal our first year (s?) of marriage. 

...who am I kidding. You know me well enough that I hate cooking and probably always will. But I'll do it. Because that's what good wives do (cough mormon wives cough). Right? Right. 

Dear Future Husband,

It's been a hard few weeks.

It's been a hard few months. 

It's times like these that I really need your hand in my life right now.

Someone to cry with, on, and around. 

I am working hard to turn to the Lord so that I am ready for your special shoulder to cry on.

But, man oh man, life the past few months have just been plain difficult.

Sometimes I feel numb. 

Like I am just going through the motions.

But, I am actually going through the motions, so that's good, right?

 I got out of bed today.

I went to school. I went to choir. I went to the store. I went on a walk. And I ate healthy.

I am proud. Really proud.
I'm sorry for being so emotional.
At least I laugh a lot, right? 

Dear Future Husband,

I hope you can try to understand how important LDC has been in my life.

That choir, those people, and these experiences have literally changed me for good. I don't know where I would be without LDC. 

The friends I have made will be stuck with me forever.

 The retreat that happened on Saturday only reiterated that. 

So a precursor sorry will be in order: choir people are loud. 

And another sorry for all the stories and inside jokes that will be talked, laughed, and cried about for many years to come. 

I'm on the far left. Blonde. 10 points if you find me. 

special friends...

Dear Future Husband,

I am sorry that I have a top ten celebrity list of men that I would....yea...

Sometimes I dream of being famous. 

And I cannot tell you why I love Zac Efron. I just do. 

I still love you, though. 

Oh, yea. Maybe it's because he looks like this. 

Dear Future Husband,

It's a good thing that I will probably be graduated (at least with my bachelor's) before I meet you because I procrastinate homework more than anyone. 

So, I bid you adieu for that awful task.

See you soon. ;)