Recent movies that I loved...

Since I LOVE movies, I thought I would share with you my thoughts on some recent ones, that are still at the theater...

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium-

How can anyone not like this movie? Seriously. Dustin Hoffman does such an amazing job portaying Mr. Magorium. He is so likeable in this movie. I have yet to see a Dustin Hoffman movie I didn't like, but this one is by far my favorite. Natalie Portman, who plays Mahoney, also does a great job. It is good to see actresses/actors who have maintained a certain standard. This movie is honestly a really sweet story. I love the connection between Mr. Magorium and Mahoney and also the connection between the little boy (I think his name is Eric) and the "mutant" (AKA The accountant). It's a great movie for all ages. Katia, maybe you should take Cody and Nathan:)

Enchanted

Is it cheesy? Yes, but what Disney movie isn't? I loved this movie! It may be because it takes place in New York City, or maybe because Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden are in it. They happen to be two of my favorite actors... I mean, Dr. McDreamy and Corny Collins? Or, maybe it is because it is a musical... It was just fun. Suprisingly, even my guy friends liked it. Go see it. You will definitely laugh. It has a pretty good cast. Susan Sarandon plays Queen Narissa and Timothy Spall plays Nathaniel.

My only disappointment? Nancy, who is played by Idina Menzel (who was in the original Broadway Casts for RENT and Wicked) does not have any singing parts... It's probably because she is so good and would put everyone else to shame.

August Rush

Okay... let's talk about how all of the sudden there are a million amazing kid actors out there... who are way better than some of the older, more well-known names. Seriously. Freddie Highmore (who was in Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) is so good in this movie.

I think that the story is really original and the cast is awesome. It's been a while since I've seen Keri Russell in anything (well, aside from her 2.3 second role in Mission Impossible 3...and I never saw Waitress). It is good to see her our of her sad Felicity stage. That whole show is really more of a blur for me... something to do with an RA and drama and a car accident? Also, I absolutely loathed Robin Williams, so clearly, he was doing his job.

The music in this movie is simply amazing. If you don't like it, then I am pretty sure we shouldn't be friends.
Also... a new addition to the Favorite Actors/Actresses list:

Jonathan Rhys Meyers (for obvious reasons).

New York, New York

Well, it's official! I am going on an internship to New York City... which is a good thing, considering I spent nearly 30 hours perfecting my portfolio and about 3 years becoming best friends with all on my professors:) . I am really excited, even though we don't know our company placement yet. There are some great agencies our there, including Young and Rubicam and Ogilvy and Mather (A.K.A the best agency in the world). That is who I applied for specifically. I hope that's where I will end up. On the downside, I may end up having to take a huge pay cut, and when I say pay cut I mean no pay at all. I guess that is the price you pay to work and learn along New York City's finest. But, I am confident good things will come from this.

We will live at the International House at Columbia Univeristy, which is way uptown, but it is close to Riverside Park and not too far from Central Park. I have heard really great things about the Manhattan singles wards and I am exicted for a change of environment. Provo has been good, but it is time to move on, I think.

Here are some New York-related pictures, for your enjoyment:

















This is the 7 train which takes you to Queens. When we went to NYC for the first time, we stayed in Woodside and rode this train about 65 times, which means I know my 7 train... and only the 7 train:) .




















The two greatest stores in the world are just down the street from the Empire State Building... Macy's (yes, THE Macy's) and H&M. Maybe I will get to meet Tom Hanks on top of the Empire State Building... on Valentine's Day...with his son, Jonah Baldwin :) (Name that movie).





















From sea to shining sea...


Like Lady Liberty


She looks over, all she sees,


She's beauty and she's grace,


She's Miss United States...





Hahaha... Just a little song from Miss Congeniality.








"How much did I love your footage on the riot? So much... It reminded me of my days at Berkley. Kudos. Kudos."
~Alexi Darling, from Rent


I love RENT, and I will go see it again....and again:)

I love...

As I was driving to the airport the other day to pick up a friend who has just sent off her boyfriend on a mission, I became aware of how great life can be when you look at the positive side of things. For example, here are a few things that I love that make my day and make my life happier: ...

1. Dancing, and actually seeing improvement from practicing

2. Going to lunch/dinner with my awesome friends

3. Seeing my little sister, who is in fact, 21 and not so little anymore

4. Broadway musicals... Legally Blonde is my newest addition

5. Movie quotes and people who appreciate movie quoters

6. Books...I heart Twilight and Harry Potter, maybe I need to read books actually written for my age group...

7. Ovaltine... Christmas story...enough said

8. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, You've Got Mail, Pride and Prejudice, RENT, Serendipity...need I say more?

9. Adding weights to my bar at the gym...yeah! I'm getting stronger everyday!

10. My mom making fun of my ridiculous Spanish... It's so good to hear her laugh, even if it is at my expense

11. iPods... I would pretty much go crazy listening to the never-ending tapping of keyboards and endless phone conversations at work if it wasn't for my iPod.

12. FHE...believe it or not, I actually like FHE...Who would have thought? :)

13. Staying in- Believe it or not, some people actually like staying home

14. Dancesport... It's an all-weekend affair. Forget classes and work. It's the most exciting time of Fall and Winter

15. The first snow day... and then I'm ready for Florida

16. Cookie Sunday, only lately it is more like Cookie Tuesday or Wednesday, or whatever day works for both me and Nessa, and tends to get in the way of Yoga Tuesday or Power Pump Monday and Wednesday.

17. Rain... I actually love thunderstorms, but we don't really get too many in Utah, so I have to settle for the rain....As long as I can be inside watching a movie.

18. Cleverness... I love people who can use it to brighten someone's day.

19. Gilmore Girls... You better believe I wait until 3PM to take my break so I can watch it

20. Sunday naps... I think everyone is grateful for those:)

21. Hugs... I love hugs so much

22. The beach... so much better than mountains

Currently listening : Long Island Shores By Mindy Smith

Hillary Clinton

As cool as it would be to have a woman as president...if Hillary Clinton wins, I am moving back to Costa Rica.

Currently listening : Telescopes By Waking Ashland Release date: 13 June, 2006

The Joys of Del Sol

As a product development team member, I get to look at all kinds of product samples. The latest batch came in from China and is intended to be sold at our Sol Kids stores… Well, each vendor obviously wants us to pick their products, so they even translate the packaging to English… Here is what some of my favorites said:
* On a bubble-making toy: “Advise to use the excellent batteries, the bubble will be more”

* On a shark keychain: “Sharks COULD grow teeth throughout their life” So…they may or may not have teeth. Thanks for clarifying, China.

* On a flashing stick: Intended uses: Apply ror (not to be confused with for) concert, snow activity, camping, disco, pub, parties… Also, it should be noted that this toy (it looks like a wand that lights up) plays a song in Chinese while it flashes… Probably the coolest toy ever made. We definitely had a lot of fun with this one. Karson was dancing around with it. I must remember to pack it next time I go camping….which will probably be never.
* On a Star Beads Kit: To exert your imagination freely and go to knit your beads kingdom… What the…???? I couldn’t stop laughing for ages…

Ballroomwise...

These are a few of my ballroom pics for those who haven't seen them...

This is me with my then roommate Vanessa Richards. We were both in the Quickstep.

All the roommates! (Ness, Emily, Ashlee and Nina)

Vanessa, Danielle and I...We were all in the same ward. Lucky for Danielle, she was not in the quickstep. Nessa and I wore the ugliest dresses owned by the ballroom department.

Emily and I at one of my performances. This one was for BYU Youth Ballroom Camp. I danced the Waltz.

Spring Team

Summer Team

Pics...

These are a few recent pictures of graduation, my mom's visit, etc...

The beginning

So this is my first attempt to keep my family and friends updated on the current happenings of my life. I "graduated" (I still need an internship credit) from BYU on August 16th. Funny story, actually. I had my phone with me during the ceremony because I needed to tell my mom and my sister how to get to the DeJong Concert hall, which is where graduation was. I turned off my phone during the ceremony, but as soon as it was over, I turned it back on. I had a voicemail from my now-boss, Dave Thueson, offering me the product manager position at Del Sol Corporate. So...I literally had a job witihn two minutes of being a BYU graduate. Talk about good timing...
So far, work is going well. My boss is actually in Asia for the next two months, so I am basically on my own. I basically work with suppliers to find products for our three Del Sol stores (Del Sol, Sol Kids, and Cariloha). It is kind of a busy time now since we are working on launching the Sol Kids line. We still need to finalize the products that will be in the stores before the end of quarter 3.
The company itself is really fun. The CEO served his mission in Costa Rica, so he is always trying to talk like a "Tico" and sometimes it is really funny. I also get to work with two of my good friends- Karson Denney (Internship dept.) and Emily Dennis (graphic design dept.) I usually carpool from Provo with two other people , so not having a car hasn't been a problem. Other than that, work is great. I am still getting used to the 8-5, so sometimes I am in meetings that are really long, and all I can think about is trying to stay awake. I also get all kinds of free office supplies.
I do miss being in school, believe it or not. I like being in charge of my own schedule and I miss not being able to take dance classes. Technically, I can still take classes if I want, so maybe next semester, I'll pick up a dance class.
I moved to the Promenade, and so far...it has not been a good experience. The apartment was extremely dirty when I moved in, so I had to deal with that, and also with the fact that we didn't have any hot water for like three weeks. My roommates are also quite messy and always have like a billion people over. At least I'll always have Kylie's apartment to run away to.
I am still planning on going to NYC. That's probably going to happen next spring through the BYU internship program... I'll try my luck with the agencies and see what I can do:)