Wednesday, December 21, 2011

thanks mr. cosgrove

So I've made the goal to watch all of Mad Men. And since I'm home alone for most of the Christmas break I've done a pretty good job so far. I have learned three important things from this show:
1. If a man in the 60s was even remotely handsome, he was cheating on you.
2. I need more vintage clothing. 
3. There are men who appreciate modern art, and they're straight:

the world must be coming to an end,


because that's a gym membership on my key ring. 

Sunday, December 11, 2011

shocked.

You guys, I played a sport last night and liked.
I know, I'm just as shocked as you are. 
I went with some friends to play volleyball.
It was on campus, and technically I was there illegally since I'm not a student.
But I totally played the whole time.
Granted I missed a ton of hits. 
I did get better the longer the game went.
I even took a few dives and digs.
Now I have massive bruises on my peach like knees.
But I like it. 
Also, I spent all afternoon/evening cleaning today and liked that too.
It's like I'm a different person. 

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

simplicity.

The Lady's Guide to Being a Lady

Less is more. Ladies should embrace this as a rule, not a suggestion. This rule is, in no way, shape or form , regarding the amount of clothing you have on, ladies are never to be described as skimpy.

How A Lady Remains Simple and Classy

First topic at hand is a lady's face. An everyday face should remain minimalistic. Find yourself a good matte powder, clump-free mascara and subtle rouge. These three essentials make for a day look that is all you, just barely enhanced. To spice up a day look, add a little eye liner or splash on some lip color. Night time looks can be more outgoing. But keep in mind that lady should never look like a recent clown college graduate. Keep one area of the face the focus. Fill in a bold brow or paint on electric blue liquid liner or dab on plum lipstick. Never all at once. 
No
Yes

     Second topic is accessories. As Coco Chanel once advised, Always take one accessory off before you walk out the door. Now every lady should take anything Coco has ever said as scripture. A lady should not be overly cluttered. Apply the less is more rule here. And as with makeup, pick one accent piece. My current accent piece is a bold cocktail ring. As my own personal rule, I usually wear a necklace OR earrings, rarely both. 
Or a chunky bangle like Ms. Chanel


Third topic is over all appearance, namely dress. A lady can never own too much black. Black is classy. Black will never go out of style. Black is flattering. Black can be paired with nearly anything.  Black is a lady's best friend. Black is simple. There are five wardrobe staples every lady should own in black: a black pencil skirt, black pumps, black cocktail dress, black pants (my personal preference is the skinny trouser) and a black coat (and by coat I am referring to a classic trench or twill peacoat not a parka). But with all this black, a lady never wants to appear drab, always add a pop of color. A yellow flat, a red lip, a technicolor scarf, or a flashy statement necklace.
Almost always in black, Posh adds a
pop  with a red  handbag

A lady's wardrobe is to be simple. She'll look clean, classic and sharp.  
"Fashion fades, only style remains the same.''
-Coco Chanel

Monday, November 28, 2011

A personal bubble conflict.

I crave physical contact. 
Not in a overtly provocative manner, though in appropriate contexts, 
spice is nice. 
Everyone has a personal bubble, but mine is conflicted.
My family isn't much for hugging. Especially as adults. 
When my older brothers left for and returned from missions, 
I gave them high fives. 
If I don't know you, I most likely will not want to touch you. 
I'm not the type to hug and air kiss my besties.
I won't snuggle up with just anyone on the couch. 
If a friend is sad, knee pats are my go to comforting touch.
But, man, if you're a boy I like, all that changes. 
It doesn't matter if we've never even spoken
 or have being dating for half the year, 
I crave your physical attention.
I take it as an affirmation of you returning my attention. 
If you touch my knee, the other one goes weak. 
If you pull me in for a quick embrace, I daydream about it the next day.
Any touch to my face and you can pretty much ask me to give you $1000 and I will. 
Now this is not to say I'm merely a mushy little girl, and I say merely because obviously I am one a bit, but I suppose because I'm so closed off otherwise, it just means so much more. 
So boys, be careful, I will be reading WAY too much into every touch. 
And if you're lucky to get a shoulder squeeze or knee pat, know that's me crushing on you, hard. 

Monday, November 21, 2011

Only in P-Town.


Only in Provo, Utah do two lovely single ladies purchase three dollar used and worn tops from decades ago to wear at a sweater themed dance party coordinated by the Bible study teachers held on a Thursday evening in a local chapel. Thanks Cate for the photographic evidence.

Oh I forgot to tell you...

Remember my car that hates me? Well it was euthanized a couple weeks ago. I got rear ended getting off the freeway by a little Mazda pick up truck on my way to work on a Wednesday. I decided I am not a fan of the following things due to this incident:

Lavender Mazdas
Balding men in their 30s living in Pleasant Grove
Whiplash
Being gawked at by freeway commuters
Breezy weather whilst in temple night fancy clothes
Hearing my car die
Talking to USAA
Navigating KSLs car classifieds
Not having a car
I think I left a disc in the CD player

Only two nice things have happened, the tow truck man was the sweetest and he wrapped me up in his big, most likely very dirty coat and I got a free rental car for a week that had XM radio so I jammed to Pop2K a lot (all the hits from 2000-2009, so basically the best ever). 

watch this:

Please disregard the cheesy American trailer man, it's better than that:


Oh and keep in mind that's it's French, therefore slightly risque at parts. 
It's on Netflix.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

courting behavior.

The Lady's Guide to Being a Lady
As ladies, we are to naturally appear alluring and inviting to all gentlemen. Some ladies are born with an innate ability to attract the right kind of attention while others need practice. 

How to Interact, like a Lady, with Gentlemen

First on the docket is capturing a young man's eye. As previously discussed, ladies are to dress and carry herself in a certain manner. When a lady is placed in a public gathering or venue, said lady should always look pleasing and put together. Whether alone or with a group, have a cheery disposition. Smiles and laughter naturally draw others to you. If there is a gentleman in particular that suits your fancy, my lovely lady friend Caitlin gives excellent advice about making eye contact

Second is flirtation. Once a young man has approached, flirtation begins to keep his interest. There are three tips to keep in mind: continue the cheery attitude such as laugh at his jokes, and stay interested in the conversation; subtle physical contact, i.e. a light touch to his arm; master the flirtatious smirk, which is essentially a half smile that can be interpreted as cute and inviting or sexy and mysterious, and use it often.

Third is how to behavior on a date with a gentleman. Ladies are punctual, and as such be ready for an outing on time. Ladies are, more often than not, high maintenance but the potential suitor does not need to discover that while waiting for her to primp. If the gentleman picks you up in his car, let him be a gentleman and open your door. And if does not have automatic locks, lean over and unlock his door. Courtesies like this go a long way. On a date, flirtation should continue. Keep the talk about yourself to a minimum except when posed with questions of course. A gentleman is more likely to be interested in you if you show interest in him. At the end of the night, always show gratitude. Especially thank him for anything purchased on your behalf. And this is regardless of whether you are hoping for another date. Ladies are always polite

a first for everything

Today I felt the first urge I have ever had in my life to go to Ukraine. There is actually a train that runs through this tunnel of trees in Kleven.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

the secrets of life.

I was stumbling the other night and I found this list of 50 life secrets and thought it was very interesting. I really liked the following:
 8. Smile more often.
Whenever you get a grin on your face, your brain is releasing serotonin, the happy hormone. Smiling is the natural way to force yourself to be happy. Many people even smile for five minutes straight in the morning to get themselves in a great mood for the day. It is a very powerful tool that is utilized less and less as we grow older and need happiness more than ever. Just remember that while happiness leads to smiles, smiles also lead to happiness.28Learn to lucid dream, or to realize when you are dreaming so that you can control your dreams. Sleep feels good, but it’s rather boring and unproductive. With lucid dreaming under your belt, night-time can be even more exciting than when you are awake. You can do anything: fly, travel to other planets, party with a celebrity, get intimate with your dream boy/girl, etc. Many lucid dreams have also reported being able to speak directly with the subconscious during dreams by demanding to be taken to it after becoming lucid. For those that know a thing or two about your subconscious, that is a BIG deal.
37.Be mysterious.
Don’t let off everything about you and definitely leave out some major details. There is something both alluring and mesmerizing about someone who no one knows fully about. I’m not saying to confide in no one or to alienate yourself. Just think James Bond.



Tuesday, November 8, 2011

gentlemen callers.

Don't get too excited, the title of the post is mostly just the gentlemen part. This past Saturday, after a lovely lunch with the Captain, I drove to Park City. I perused the outlets and then drove home. passing through Heber.
Heber is where I should have stopped for gas. I made a mental note to do so. As soon as I got to town, I was wrapped up in jamming to
 the hit song on the radio and forgot my mental note. I drove on through.

 Just as I made it out of town I realized the predicament I was in. 
Reminding myself that my tank empty gauge has
 a tendency to be slightly overdramatic, I kept cruising. 

I made it to the canyon,  passed the Aspen Grove turn off and I felt a chug. 
Through the tunnel and on the other side, the speedometer started slowing. With a hefty steering wheel pound and hearty exclaim of 
"Come on" I drifted to the shoulder. 

Flashers on, I called my best friends at AAA.
 I had a forty minute wait until Trevor, my savior,
 would arrive with my auto's lifeblood. 

During that time, I moved to the passenger side 
in case of a break-neck speed sideswipe.
 Luckily it was still light out and I had mobile internet to entertain me. 

After ten minutes a car pulled over 300 yards in front of me.
I watched an early 30s man walk toward me. 
Having spent the last month catching up on episodes of Criminal Minds, I
 didn't know if I should even crack a window for this potential  
Ted Bundy (he did love Utah you know).  But I got out the car with him fifty feet away and yelled AAA's a coming. He smiled, waved and promptly turned around. 

Fifteen minutes after that, another car pulled over. And yet another potential serial killer was coming straight for me. I did the same, yelled I was Ok and he left, both of us unharmed. 

Trevor came 3 minutes later and the rescuing commenced. 

Two gentlemen (three if you count Trevor, I don't because he got paid) stopped to rescue me, the damsel in distress. Don't worry ladies, there are still gems waiting to be unearthed out there. 

ten things you didn't know about me:

1. I pretend to conduct music and not always with my hands, 
watch my feet during church.
2. I prefer to sleep without a pillow. 
3. I've faked a Minnesota accent so frequently some of my words are permanently stuck that way.
4. I hate lettuce. 
5.  I wear my ctr ring upside down and backwards at all times. 
6. It is a rare occurrence for me to finish a book, I am currently half way through 3. 
7. My fingers are extremely double jointed. 
8. I took a golf class to fit in with my brothers and I currently own clubs that I've never used. 
9. I am terrified of crustaceans
10. Every time I eat, I sit on my feet. 

Sunday, November 6, 2011

lady advice.

Legendary costume designer Edith Head once said, 
Your dresses should be tight enough to show you’re a woman 
and loose enough to show you’re a lady.”

Thursday, November 3, 2011

the october challege.

Last month I challenged myself to wear heels everyday for the entire month. Not only that, but a different pair everyday. I did it to feel more feminine and mature, to wear more of my shoes and to set a goal I knew I could accomplish. And I did it. A different pair everyday. The very last day was Halloween, and I saved the best pair for last. 



 I bought the ruby slippers on a whim in London and I have finally put them to use.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

my adult life.

Legal adulthood starts at 21. Here are the major highlights of my adulthood thus far:
21                                           22                                   23
had a boyfriend                                  went to disneyland/LA                                              got dumped
vscs to vegas                                   tried to date someone younger
got dumped                                                   failed at that
missionary returned                           vaca to seattle/portland
moved to London                                 had almost boyfriend
missionary got GF                                 vaca to new york city
graduated college                                         got dumped
moved back to Provo                               had a boyfriend
had a boyfriend                                     had a really fun summer
dumped boyfriend                                      vaca to seattle
worked at the mall                          little brother gone on mission
had a boyfriend
vaca to vegas
got dumped
got a real job


Maybe if I never leave town, I'll keep a boyfriend/.


Thursday, October 27, 2011

everyday drone.

Tonight my still-in-school-and-just-changed-her-major-again-roommate asked me how I can do the same routine every single day. She said, you wake up, get ready and leave for work every morning at the same time, you do the same thing all day and come home at the same time. I couldn't do that. 
All I said in response was, 
"Just wait till you grow up, you'll be doing it too."
Then I shut the fridge door to go get ready for bed at 9 pm. 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Unmentionables.

A Lady's Guide to Being a Lady
As a lady, one is to dress not only fashionably but also appropriately. There is nothing that needs to be more appropriate about a lady's wardrobe than her underclothes. 

How to wear underwear like a Lady.
There are a couple scenarios I would like to discuss pertaining to a lady's underclothes. 

First.
The ever-present-thought, the panty line. It is imperative to pair the right underwear to the right bottoms. When clothing fits snuggly, it is my advise to get a nice pair of spandex like boy shorts (mostly because thongs detest me). That way the edge of the leg hole of the underwear is underneath your rear and should be well masked. The thinner the material of your underwear the better, that it lays as flush as possible to your skin. 
I would avoid cotton underwear at all costs. Ladies deserve and are better than Hanes. 
Second.
Slips. I believe the slip has become lost in today's world of fashion. One vital use of a slip to wear between a not so opaque skirt/dress and your skin. One may not notice the translucence of their outfit until light is directly cast upon it, so as a precautionary measure, don a slip.  Last year I purchased my first body slip, and it has since become this lady's best friend. Its tight  material not only protects me from revealing too much, it smooths out everything.  A body slip masks underwearlines, unruly patterns from fishnet stockings, and keeps everything in place. 
Third.
Selecting the appropriate bra for an outfit requires the lady to own more than one bra. Having worked at Victoria's Secret I have been trained that every girl is to own at least three bras- One to wear, One to wash, and One spare. I find that to be the bare minimum, very bare. First a lady must select the right style to go under her top. Bras made of thin material, with little to no lace or embellishments and with streamlined underwire at best for under t shirts and thin blouses. Deep plunge shirts will require a similar plunge on the bra. Be wary of push up bras and low cut necklines, remember we are ladies and not harlots. Color must also coordinate. If one is wearing a light colored top, follow suit with the bra. As well as with dark tops and dark bras. Black bras under white t shirts is also reserved for harlots. Beware of texture, if one has rhinestones on a bra, make sure one doesn't have a bumpy chest. And never use clear straps. Ever. 
This is not only slutty
but tacky as well. 


Use as needed and
don't be ashamed.
Though a lady may only be seen in her unmentionables by herself, and a most lucky spouse, it is the mystery of what's underneath that, piques interest. 



Keep your underclothes mysterious. 

Saturday, October 22, 2011

If i had a faster phone:

Lately I've been on this kick where I have really been trying to win prizes on the radio. This one station has a grand prize drawing for all prize winners for $75,000.00. I brought this up to bff Caitlin and, while sipping starbucks, we discussed how we would spend that money.
First I would put $50,000.00 in savings. At least I hope I would be that sensible, ok maybe at least half in savings...
Then credit card paid off, which is mere chump change. And finally one giant shopping vaca to NYC. Caitlin is big into handbags so we discussed specifics with her choices. But as you all know, my thing is shoes. Here's my if-i-had-a-shload-of-money-to-spend-on-shoes-wish-list:
Ballet Flat by Chanel
A Strappy Jimmy Choo

Classic Black Pump and Red Sole
 by Christian Louboutin

Daintiness by Kate Spade

The Always Sparkly Manolo Blahnik

Something funky by Miu Miu

A Chunky Heel from Prada

No one does a riding boot like Ralph Lauren

The Valentino Bow

Something over the top by Alexander McQueen
And that's just the beginning. Please also use this wishlist as a guide for Christmas presents.



Thursday, October 20, 2011

one gushing auntie.

Previous to this week, I had four nephews and one niece. I love all those kids,
 and I even got to visit my sister in law in the hospital here in 
Utah when Zoey, niece number one was born. 
But I have to say there is a whole different feeling 
when your big sister has her own baby.
 Even with her being hundreds miles away, and me not seeing her pregnant, 
it was a whirlwind of emotions for me.
 Due to some unanticipated complications, Megan and husband Mike 
made it into the labor and delivery room seven weeks early. 
 I got a text Tuesday morning saying that they were in the hospital 
and the baby might have to come the next day. 
I immediately started freaking out. I asked every mother and pregnant lady in my office just how worried I should be.
 I looked up the complications on webmd 
and that freaked me out even more. 
The next I heard was my mom was on an airplane and Megan was being induced. I was worried the baby's lungs wouldn't be developed enough, 
but Mom said it's Megan we're worried about. 
And that was the last I heard.
Until a text at 2 am. That said, Boy 12:31 am OK so far. 
Then at 8 am, one said, Calvin Michael. 
I assumed that was the baby's name. Mom's new to the whole texting thing. Thanks to facebook, brother in law Mike feed me
 pictures and regular status updates. 
That evening I called and finally talked to Megan.
 No pain killers and nearly 24 hours later she had a baby. 


Just after he popped out. 

He'll have to stay in the NICO for a little longer  just to get a bit stronger. 

Daddy Mike and Calvin. 

Big sister Megan and her baby. 
I cried when I saw this picture. 
Love that monkey already. 
Congratulations Dressers. 

Sunday, October 16, 2011

carriage.

A Lady's Guide to Being a Lady.

This post's discussion has been a pet peeve of mine for many years. I suppose it is because I do not understand the difficulty or lack of understanding. I did a little reconnaissance filming today and hopefully this will prove my point. 

How Not to Walk in High Heels
How a lady carries herself is one of the first things noticed not only by passers-by, but more importantly by potential husbands. Walking like a lady and being technically savvy in heels exudes lady like confidence. I was able to catch  four examples of common poor walking technique:

There are three problems with the lovely high black pumps:
1. Her shoes are too big, you can tell because her toes
 have slid and smashed in the front.
2. This causes her to take whiplash like steps. She puts all her weight on her toes and it causes her knees to buckle as she takes the next step. 
3. Due to the weight shift, she's sticking her rear out, throwing off the aesthetic a lady should have. 

 
This is a common technique with Provo ladies. One of my several mottoes applies:
If you can't walk in them, don't wear them. 
If you have to walk a mile to somewhere that requires a dress code of heels, first have a large purse to store shoes in, don't carry them like you're walking down the beach, second keep fast flats like these in your giant purse at all times to utilize instead of bare feet. 
A lady's feet should only be bare in three situations:
1. Swimming and beachy activities
2. In the home of those who require a shoeless entry
3. In a lady's own home and privacy ( sidenote, if there are guests in your home and you allow shoes to be worn, as a lady and a host, you should wear shoes too)
This mistake frequently happens with pointed shoes. This lady steps a bit to fervently with her heel first and then flops the rest of her foot afterwards. Its a bit like she's wearing flippers. Walking in heels is essentially the same as walking in any other shoe. Heel toe. Heel toe. Your weight shifts heel to toe, right to left foot. No need to overcompensate by stepping just with your heels, or just with your toes. 

This example is a little harder to notice because she's walking away from the camera. Her walking technique also stems from her shoes being to big. She's doing the twist. She steps toe first and then twists her heel in so that her foot doesn't come fully off the floor allowing her shoe to stay securely on her foot. This could be avoided by one simple tid bit of knowledge- It has always been in my best interest to buy heels, especially those without straps, one half size smaller than my actual shoe size. This allows the shoe to be snug and a lady to walk a dainty strut. 

And if you must, don't be ashamed. Start with a kitten heel and work your way up for a four inch stiletto. As with any other talent, practice makes perfect.

Friday, October 14, 2011

mormons rock.

mormon.org

vain.

I'm pretty sure I read my own blog the most. 
I made the goal to wear high heels everyday this month
 for an excuse to dress up everyday. 
I spent $30 on face powder instead of buying groceries.
I keep a pocket mirror on my work desk, always readily available for use. 
Also on my desk are two fashion magazines, with their binding falling apart. 
I own over 100 pairs of shoes and some are displayed on a shelf like trophies.
I spend more money at Victoria's Secret
 than any single mormon girl should. 
I paint my nails once a week. 

I know I'm a tiny bit pretentious, slightly self absorbed, and a smidgen high maintenance but I like me and i actually act like i do. Shouldn't every girl?



Sunday, October 9, 2011

etiquette.

A Lady's Guide to Being a Lady

Now the reason I write this is because I have seen several ladies who, I assume out of nonjudgmental kindness, are ignorant of their behaviors and I plan to help guide them otherwise. I don't want to overwhelm the masses (all 14 of you that read this) so I plan on making this a post-when-I-see-something-atrocious-and-need-to-address-it thing. 
Today's item is:
How to Sit Like a Lady
When wearing a skirt or dress, ladies have to be extra careful with how they bend to sit, remain sitting and stand back up. Most females do not seem to be aware of this fact. 
1. When sitting down I always find it a good rule of thumb to run your hands down your backside to smooth out and ensure your skirt is securely beneath you and not hanging out behind your chair. If it does hang off the back then you're placing the notion of the heads of those around you that you are sitting on your bare or nearly bare behind and that is frankly unsanitary. 

2. Once seated. keep your knees together, for several reasons that I will not delve into.  And ladies, if you are going to cross your legs please make sure your skirt is long enough. If the skirt is too short, you are bound to expose your nether regions to the masses, with the act of getting one leg over the other. Also, no matter the length of the skirt,  be sure to tuck in the sides of your skirt. Without even meaning to, far too much skin can be visible. 
[apparently someone else gave this lesson as well]

3. Standing is basically the same as sitting, be sure to smooth out your skirt as you get up. It's not always as bad as depicted below. Today I witnessed a big-behind lady stand up and she didn't notice that too much fabric from her dress got stuck on top of her large rump and was exposing way too much thigh for church. Not very lady like. 

The most important rule is, Remember You're Wearing A Skirt!!!

more nail adventures.

These next few were all on my own venture, under the inspiration of miss caitlin.
K so I need a better phone cause these pictures are fuzzy. But this is newspaper nails. I painted them nude, then dipped them in rubbing alcohol and then rolled each nail on newspaper. So those fuzzy lines are acuually words. It was pretty awesome.

Then I did this. The french tip is sponged on (once again poor quality camera) with an eye shadow applicator. I decided it only really looks good with a gradual color change like pink to red. So..

I changed to just plain teal. Which I enjoy thoroughly. Fun colors really snazz up a one coat nail job. 

And these are my toes. I stripped them, gray, magenta and darker magenta with sparkles using tape to get straight lines. 

Monday, October 3, 2011

New biggest pet peeve.

All I'm going to say is,
 If you were married in the temple,
dress like it. 

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Mein Auto hasst mich.


Once again my car broke. Last time I had to replace the battery. This time it died just as Monica and I parked for the symphony.
 It was all steamy and leaky.
After some cultural upliftment, we rode in a tow truck with Jose the AAA guy (who sounds like the chihuahua from Oliver and Company) 
all the way back to Provo. 
Luckily it was just an easy leak to fix, costing $60 total. 
But, this car hates me. 

Saturday, October 1, 2011

I don't have too many clothes, shoes, etc., I just don't have enough space.

The closet in my current apartment has shelves built into it, as seen here
It does not adequately supply enough room for dresses,
 they can't hang their full length.
So today I ventured to Ikea and bought a free standing clothing rack for $10. 
Then went over to the Rack, where I inadvertently ran into BFF Caitlin and her parents (who then bought me lunch) and bought nice velvety hangers.
I assembled everything and rehung all my dresses 
(turns out 30 hangers wasn't enough). 
After getting it set up, I decided to finish the wall around it. 

Those are my seven fanciest pairs of shoes.

Proud to be a Cougar.

I have never been more proud to be a BYU
alum until I learned this news today:
the BYU Cougarettes won the National Dance Competition
 in the Hip Hop division.
We dethroned the long running
 National Champs University of Louisville. 
Way to go white mormon ladies!
Here's what we beat:

Here's a news article about our awesomeness. 
Watch the video of it there, I can't find it anywhere on youtube or know how to move that video here. 

Crayola fun.

My sister Megan sent me a pinterest post of a crayon art project. 
Yesterday I got the supplies and I made the piece last night. 
Here's how:
 1. Get canvas and a ton of crayons. I unwrapped the labels but that's not necessary.
2. Hot glue them to the top. I decided not to fill the whole canvas. 
3. Stand canvas upright and use a blowdryer to melt the wax.

4. Watch it drip and melt until it looks to your pleasing. 
5. Let cool. Which doesn't take more than 10 minutes. 
6. Hang and be proud. 
I do love some impasto.  

23. It's gonna be great.

This year on my birthday, I decided to indulge. I took the day off from work. 
And I think I'll do it every year to come. 
The morning started with a giant omelet at Guru's. 
Then the activity of my choice.
The Zoo.
Some highlights:
I had a staring contest with a goose.
We watched a gorilla eat its poo.
A little girl named Katie loved watching monkeys just as much as me. 

Mike inside a turtle shell. That's his turtle face.

We watched this squirrel nibble on this nut for 5 minutes. He was focused

I hate giant insects, I wouldn't even look at dead ones, so Mike needed this photo. 

After the zoo we had lunch at the Oasis cafe. 
I ate a gyro, like this:

Next we went to the Broadway theater and saw this strange gem:
We had the theater to ourselves so that made it more fun. 
Finally on our walk back to the car we stopped at a bakery and I got a treat. 

That evening I met up with the girls for dinner and cake.

The girls outside Communal... which was closed. 

We went to spark instead. Got some drinks and overpriced food.

These are my friends. Caitlin and Monica. At the Chocolate.

Me and my delicious birthday cake. 

It was a very good birthday. Best yet in Provo I think.