2014

I know tonight is new years eve and I'm supposed to be hanging out with friends, going to parties and getting a fabulously timed kiss, but this year it's not gonna be all that. Hopefully next year though. This year instead I found out some pretty bad news.
Not something you want to start your new year with, right?

But.

I'm staying hopeful. I'm wishing that with a bad start, the rest of the year will be pretty decent. I mean, come on. It's the year after the unlucky  number 13. It's got to be amazing.

Only, to have a good year we've all got to make some resolutions. Y'know the ones we say we're gonna do and then stop once February hits. But this time I'm gonna pinch myself once I start stopping. I am literally going to force myself to do this. Most of my resolutions this year are things that I really reaalllyyy want and if I last I will be so happy with myself. So proud.
It's going to be hard work and I'm gonna hate myself on most days, but if at the end of 2014 I'm finished, I'll be so happy. I'll just give myself a pat on the back and be like "Alex. You did it." and it'll be enough to push me through the next year.

Anyways, without further ado here are my new year resolutions.

Be healthy and lose wight
Every girls dream, right? I've been trying to do this for years and it's always been an on and off thing. But as of this moment I am the heaviest I've ever been and I know that I'll feel so much better if I achieve this. And I know I should learn to love me how I am and image isn't everything but it's not just to look good... it's to feel good.

Go off sugar
Oh I know I'm not gonna be perfect at this. I mean, chocolate. But definitely a lot less.

Eat Breakfast
This is definitely something I really struggle with and I know others do too. But I know that I will thank myself if I do this every morning. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Get a Job
Yeah, remember me? The jobless non-college girl? I need to learn how to support my own weight and it's actually kind of lame that I don't have a job.

Take better care of myself
Another thing I struggle with. The whole wash my face at night and put lotion on every morning and night thing. Stuff like that, that I get really lazy with I'll be also doing.

Read the Book of Mormon
I've done it before, but it's always, always, always a good goal to do continually. Besides I've been slacking lately and it's one of the most important things I need in my life right now.
For all you Mormon's out there, I want you to try and do this as well! You will literally see things in a different light and life will be better even on bad days.
And for all you non Mormon's this is my faith. And the Book of Mormon is basically the core of it.

Take a photography class
I want to get better at my hobby and I think that this is the best way to achieve that. Besides I promised a friend I would take a college class and I think this counts.

Be and inspiration
Another one of my dreams that I've always wanted to do and I don't know how I'm gonna do this, but I'm going to figure it out.

Record and write songs and duets
Music is one of my favorite things and I've always wanted to be a famous singer. I know it's unlikely to happen, but it's no reason to not continue and have fun with it. Look for my arrangements and songs. ;)

Give
I know I need to give more, as does everyone. And it's something I really want to focus on because there's always something you can do.

Be happy
Fake it till you make it, I always say. Seriously, if you're happy people will notice and they will be happy and then everyone will be! People will like to be around you and you'll feel good about yourself. And smile. Like, as much as you can. If you're in a mood smile for 20 seconds and it literally improves your mood. It's my new tactic.

Love 
Love your friends, love your enemies, love your family and most importantly: love yourself.


So there they are, folks.
I don't know if anyone is gonna read this but I hope you enjoy it. And I hope you have a great, great new year full of happiness and good things.

Cheers to 2014!

+--- A

plus one

The last of the (good) Christmas time photos. The lights went out at my grandpa's house so everyone crashed at my place. Those are all the above photos. We baked and decorated cookies for the night.

 

Everything below are just kind of from random times. But I thought all of these deserved to be shown. 

happy, jolly and merry

So, basically I'm terrible at blogging during the holidays. I've just been having so much fun with the fam and all. Even though my family has a nasty habit of disagreeing and being unable to communicate well, we still somehow end up having the best time.

After nights of Patsy and Mario Kart both a tradition around the holidays we would laugh all night over things we found on pinterest.
Also, as usual we watched the Polar Express on Christmas Eve and made reindeer food and set out cookies and milk for santa. And then did our Karaoke session after the littles went to bed.

Traditions are so reassuring that some things will never change. That's a good feeling.

And of course Christmas. It was well... Christmas. Y'know, happy, jolly and merry.
I have 19 Christmas's to compare it to, but I'd have to say this was the best one yet. And not just because I got a laptop from santa! Am I writing this blog post on my new laptop? Yes, yes I am. 

But really, I was so fooled. I seriously thought all I was getting for Christmas was some books and maybe a cd. When I first unwrapped the laptop I was so confused. I though maybe santa had put something else in a laptop box. But then I looked up and saw my mother filming me for my reaction and I knew right then that it was indeed a laptop.

Over all a great weekend, but it's not over yet! I'll be posting more pictures soon, because I took so many I thought I would spread them out. But these are the really Christmasy ones.

Cheers!

+--- A

so sorry

It's been nine days since my last blogpost and for that I can explain. Few things... First, my internet was down for a few days. Nothing would load and it was sooo slow if it even did. Next, I got sick with the stomach flu (ha, tmi) and overall I've just been busy. It is the Christmas season after all!
Annddd, I turned 19! This is my golden year, because I tuned 19 on the 19th! So all I'm gonna say is, this better be a great year.

So, I won't be on as often, but they'll be a crowd full of pictures after Christmas. :)

Happy Holidays!

+--- A

baby, it's cold outside

The weather outside was indeed frightful as I took all these gorgeous photos of my absolutely beautiful cousin. Literally, I was wearing black but it looked like I was wearing white. But it was worth it, because if anyone deserves pictures to be taken of them, it's her. :)

+--- A

stay tuned

So, over here in utah it snowed six inches in one day! So naturally, I took advantage of the situation and grabbed my nifty camera, my pretty red-headed cousin, a warm jacket and pictured it up. I'll put more of the shoot, but here's a sneak peak!

+--- A

vegas in about 7 inches

Mario Kart tournaments, Catching Fire round two, Frozen, Literally my favorite movie at the moment patsy, thanksgiving dinner, thanksgiving leftovers, traditions, Christmas music, black friday and family. 

+--- A

december's eve

So this year, after being kind of a loner and boring, I decided I would support my Christmas and my birthday by doing something every day of December, all leading up to Christmas Eve. Because, as we all know, it's the most wonderful time of the year!
I spent long, sleepless night coming up with things so that I could have the best Christmas ever. And boy, it's gonna be.
I've officially called it "25 Days of Christmas" (Not like the abc family's 25 Days of Christmas, but better)

25 Days of Christmas
in no particular  order

1. Attend a choir christmas concert
Local highschools everywhere will be doing this!
2. Photo shoot in the snow
Because pictures are memories.
3. Make a birthday cake to Jesus
Put a little more Christ in Christmas, but in a fun way. 
4. Put on a production of the Nativity
Best if done with your family, you could make a movie or do it live.
5. See the "Forgotten Christmas Carols"
I think this is one of my favorite Christmas stories. And the music is absolutely fantastic.
6. Make neighbor gifts
Give, give, give!
7. Make christmas cookies
Sugar cookies, sprits, and gingersnaps! I'll be putting up the recipes.  
8. Christmas light scavenger hunt
Drive around with friends or family. I'll be doing this Christmas Eve!
9. Decorate for Christmas around our house
Every family's tradition, I think. I'll be putting up nativities and Christmas trees and lights and making it smell good!
10. Attend or host a White Elephant party with friends
I'm co-hosting the white elephant party this year. I'll be putting up ideas for gifts!
11. String popcorn for Christmas tree
I've always wanted to do this I'll put up my "trying" to do this craft.
12. Go ice skating
My favorite christmas activity!
13. Dollar Store Christmas gift exchange with friends or family
Basically, get a group of people and put names in a hat. Pick a name and then spend one dollar on them. Exchange on Christmas morning!
14. Attend a Christmas dance concert
Again, high schools or colleges everywhere will be performing these. 
15. Make a pinecone bird feeder
I've always wanted to do this too. I'll blog my experience so maybe you can try.
16. Donate old toys
It's such a good thing to give during Christmas time!
17, Make a fort by the Christmas tree and spend a night there
I'll be doing this with one of my best friends. We'll cuddle up under blankets and watch Christmas movies!
18. Snow day!
Build a snowman, go sledding, make an igloo and have a snowball fight!
19. Visit Temple Square and look at the lights
I live in Utah, so it's an attraction of my state. So maybe just a Christmas attraction around where you live.
20. Make paper snowflakes and decorate with them
I'm a lean, mean, snowflake making machine.
21. Family game night
Spend a whole night with your family playing games you've never played before and singing Christmas song!
22. Make a gingerbread house
One of my favorite traditions!
23. Dip pretzels in chocolate or make fudge
Everyone gains weight over Christmas Break. ;) But that's why New Years is close by, right?
24. Any Christmas Eve traditions you do every year
Whatever you and your family do on Christmas Eve! Traditions are what keep Christmas going! 
25. Open Presents
Open them like nobody's business! Take lots of pictures.


So, hopefully you can take all or some of these ideas and do them yourself so you can enhance your Christmas experience! You can do this with others, by yourself, or both!
Please make your December experience the best you can! Because that's what I'm hoping for!

Cheers!

+--- A

day of thanks

I have relatives shouting at me to come set the table for thanksgiving dinner lunch so I don't have much time.
But this:

          11 Things I'm Reealllyyy Grateful For

1. laptops

2. food

3. boots

4. christmas

5. traditions

6. my home

7. "marshmallows"

8. baggy sweaters 

9. music

10. patsy

11. family

Cheers to turkey!

+--- A

city of lights

Well, we made it. 

Imagine 6 hours in a very squished back seat. That was me about an hour ago. And also, I got stuck on the hump seat. 

But as it was dark when we pulled up to the city of Vegas, the sparkling yellow lights twinkling in the horizon was almost worth it. 

Unfortunately I didn't capture a picture of that, but I did capture the the activity we were doing the moment we walked through the door of my uncles house. 

Yes. We're watching basketball. Not my choosing, by the way. That last picture is Shawn freaking out that BYU is losing. 

But it's a million times better than working at a "work-for-commission" kiosk job.

+--- A

Well, that happened

@ Catching Fire

So that job I had? Yeah, I decided to take it. And um.. well.. no. I don't have it anymore. 

No, I didn't get fired. 

Yes, I quit. 

Now before you freak out like everyone else did, let me finish... I worked ten hours my first day and I only got 3 bucks. Yes, you read that right. Three dollars. And that's not per hour, mind you. That's called getting payed by commission.

And obviously there were other reasons lots that I'm not gonna really bore you about. I'm trying to keep myself together at this point so it wouldn't be wise to repeat things.

Lets just agree to agree that kiosking is not for this gal.

On the bright side, I get to spend thanksgiving with my family, and really, that makes up for everything.

Later that night I had the honor of watching the Catching Fire midnight premiere. Though it was a bad, hard, long day earlier, that movie was just so... freaking amazing! Plus I was surrounded with awesome people.

And then the next day, I met up with a long lost friend. And lets just say.. we're not long and lost anymore.
It's amazing what just one conversation can change.

We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are. But we have to, need to remember that perspective is everything.

Do that and you'll be alright.

+--- A

decision making

So here's my, "getting a job" story.

I was at the mall searching for christmas presents with my friend, Michael. We came across the perfect gift for the perfect someone at this kisok.
Fortunately, I wouldn't be buying this gift.
Unfortunately, it would take us a few times to circle back for Michael to decide whether he was.
But that was alright, because the cheerful lady who worked there chatted with us each time. Y'know, selling stuff, answering questions, joking around. What people who work at kiosks do. (hint: "my future")
Finally, around the third time we went back, Michael finally decided he would buy this thing. (It was the perfect gift, after all.) So while the cheerful lady, Candice, was putting this awesome gift together, we talked once again.
Me, "These are so amazing, if I had enough money, I would buy one."
Michael, "Too bad you don't have a job."
Candice, "Hey! You're hired! Legit!"

So you can guess what else went down. Me, with a surprised face, Michael, with a cheerful one, and Candice with a serious one. The norm.
Turns out the job was for the kiosk next door to the exact one we were at. It was opening for the holidays. And just for the holidays.

Picture this: Me, Alex Wilson, selling colorful hair chalk supplies for ladies everywhere who wish to be original, different, hip!

Ha.

Well, I accepted. (Whats bad about extra cash around christmas time? Nothing.) We exchanged numbers and then we went on our separate ways.

Here comes the hard part. See, I was planning on heading out to Vegas for thanksgiving. One of our many family traditions. My decision is to either take this "free" job, (I call it free, because I didn't have to do anything to get it.) where I only get payed by commissions, (Which is 12% of what I sell, fyi.) but gain experience?
Or become super busy and unavailable during the most wonderful time of the year.

To work or not to work? That is the question.

Or this: To have cash, or to not have cash? That is the better question.

I'll let you know what I decide. I am leaning towards one over the other... but I guess we'll both have to be surprised.

+--- A

satan don't kick no dead dogs

If I could define my weekend with 2 words it would be this: Thor 2.
And Loki.
Plus pictures.
And Loki.
Also, Loki.

I seriously loved this movie. I was laughing more than I was on the edge of my seat. .... and I was on the edge of my seat a lot. I feel bad for my buddies who sat next to me. But, unfortunately it's not over. Because Catching Fire is this Thursday and well... I get startled easily.

It was refreshing to get out of the house and be around people. Because. You know. I'm a loner.

Today was a frustrating day. And it seems like those days have been happening a lot. But a wise, old, owl told me this: "If you feel down, guess what, that just proves satan is afraid of what you can do. Only the strongest are the ones that he goes for." 

It was exactly what my little mind needed to hear today.

Also, I got a job.

+--- A