Hellooo Madison Avenue!

I had a nice little chat with Professor Kelly yesterday. He told me that going to New York is highly likely for me. He explained that the reason they considered sending me to Chicago in the first place was because of a company out there that is desperately looking for diverse individuals. He also said that when Professor Sheets went out to NYC a lot of companies requested me in order to train (and possibly hire) me for their Hispanic advertising teams. He threw in some names, and I distinctly remember Young & Rubicam and Mindshare... He didn't mention Ogilvy & Mather, which would be a dream come true.

Hooray for multiculturalism! I LOVE corporate America and its desire to incorporate a diverse workforce! So, in short, Madison Avenue, here I come...

Professor Kelly also said going to both NYC and Chicago may be possible, so I might end up doing both!

The LONGEST quiz. Ever.

So, I found this survey while I was going through some of my old Facebook notes, and I decided it would be fun to fill it out again. I am not sure why I like filling these things out so much. I am pretty sure I enjoy filling them out way more than anyone actually likes to read them, so don't feel guilty if you get bored with it. Mostly, I am posting it for my own entertainment. Since, I can't do any work right now because they had the entire company log off the server, this is what I did to fill my time:

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT? Left knee. I tripped wearing one of those stupid blue practice skirts that the touring team used ages ago. I skinned my knee. This was during Summer team and it is still quite visible. Annoying, really.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM? A RENT poster, two posters of the Maldives and a flip-flop shaped sticky note…

3. DO YOU SNORE, GRIND YOUR TEETH, OR TALK IN YOUR SLEEP? I think I may grind my teeth occasionally. I don’t snore and I am pretty sure I don’t talk.

4. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO? Not country.... a little of everything else, mostly musicals

5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN? 10-ish (in the morning)

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW? I want to see my family

7. WHAT DO YOU MISS? My awesome family and the beach

8. WHAT IS/ARE YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION(S)? A diamond necklace/earring set that my mom gave me when I turned 15. I also have a few other things that I got from other family members that I really treasure, like my laptop, which my Uncle Rodri left for me before he passed away.

9. HOW TALL ARE YOU? 5'5

10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC? Not so much… In airplanes maybe.

11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK? Yes, and I blame that on the ridiculous stories my grandpa used to tell me about my dad's office being haunted, etc. I really think it is haunted.

12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY? Some broadcaster on the radio… They kept talking about how great President Hinckley was, and it made me sad because I never got to meet him.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PERFUME FOR A GIRL? Cherie by Dior or Princess by Vera Wang

14. WHAT HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX? It doesn't really matter, although I do have a tendency to like lighter eyes (i.e. blue and green)

15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF PROPOSING/ BEING PROPOSED TO? Who knows?

16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINK? Neither. I tried a Rockstar once and I thought it was the most disgusting thing in the world.

17. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA? California Pizza Kitchen- I like the Santa Fe pizza and the White pizza.

18. IF YOU CAN EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Pineapple. I LOVE pineapple.

20. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN A GOLDFISH? The baked snack kind...

21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST GIFT SOMEONE EVER GAVE YOU?t he gift of life :)

22. DO YOU LIKE ANYBODY? eh, sometimes

23. ARE YOU DOUBLE JOINTED? no

24. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND? H&M, followed by Banana Republic

25.... ????

26. DO YOU HAVE A PET RIGHT NOW? yes

27. WHAT KIND IS IT? a red betta... he is named after Emron because I got it from him

28. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON WOULD LEAVE YOU? No, why would I knowingly put myself in a position that is painful/sad?

29. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU? do little things for them to let them know, and telling them, because sometimes they don't pick up on it

30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED: 28

31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES? Ok, so why aren't people with black-hair ever mentioned?!!

32. WHAT IS THE ONE NUMBER YOU CALL MOST OFTEN? Kylie, Mama

33. WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST? dirty dishes, dirty anything actually, also when people don't know the difference between "your" and "you're" also, "their" and "they're.” INTERRUPTERS!

34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE USA? Yes, I was born in Costa Rica.

35. YOUR WEAKNESSES? I am stubborn....also, I don't express myself very well when something is wrong

36. MET ANYONE FAMOUS? If you count O-Town and LFO....yes. I've also met Sheri Dew and a variety of LDS movie stars (i.e. Nathan Steed from Work and the Glory, and Mr. Bingley from the LDS Pride and Prejudice).

37. FIRST JOB? Dairy Queen- I made blizzards and dilly bars

38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL? probably a lot, actually

39. FAVORITE COLOR? red

40. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED THIS OUT? Trying to get on the Art PC to create barcodes for the Sol Dials line, but someone else is using it at the moment…

41. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SURGERY? no

42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST? my hair

43. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES? yes, I practically begged my dad to put them on me (he is a dentist, but can do orthodontics)

44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY? every Disney movie ever made, a MAC Air, someone to pay for my internship

45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT? not 10

46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? some character in a Cuban soap opera

47. DO YOU WISH ON STARS? I don’t ever see many shooting stars, so no…

49. WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO DO YOU USE? Herbal Essences

50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? not really. Sometimes it is really good and sometimes it looks like a doctor's handwriting

51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? ham

52. ANY BAD HABITS? I am flawless....I mean.... I waste a lot of time quite easily

53.WHAT IS THE MOST EMBARRASSING CD ON YOUR SHELF? I am pretty sure I have a Hanson CD somewhere.
54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? yes

56. DO LOOKS MATTER? To some extent, but looks are certainly not the most important thing. There are more important things, like morals, for example.

57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER? I say nothing, but write in my journal like a maniac. It does really help.

58. WHERE IS YOUR SECOND HOME? Del Sol. The RB. Gold’s Gym. That is basically where I spend all my time.

60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? My Cabbage Patch Kids doll.

61. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE? 169

62. WERE YOU A FAN OF BARNEY AS A KID? Not at all. I don’t think I even heard about him until I was like 12.
63. DO YOU USE SARCASM? yes, but only around people who know me well

64. MASHED POTATOES OR MACARONI AND CHEESE? mashed potatoes

65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL? Ambition, goals in life, open-minded, likes to dance (or is at least willing to try), etc…

66. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES? Niner (not 9-er),Nina, Nina beena, Nina Sky, Neen

67. WHATS YOUR FAVORITE BAND/SINGER? Recently it is a three-way tie between Michael Buble, Frou Frou and Imogen Heap

68. WHATS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW? The ENTIRE Travel Channel. Desperate Housewives (thanks to Jacob Dunn) and Grey's Anatomy. Also, I do love watching America’s Next Top Model.

69. WHAT WAS YOUR ACT/SAT SCORE? I took it once and got in...I can't exactly remember.

71. DO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES? yes

72. WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE VACATION SPOT? Hawaii, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico--- That is for places that I have actually been to.

I am not sure where 73 went…

74. WHATS THE FASTEST YOU HAVE GONE IN A CAR? 90 maybe?

75. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU KISSED? I kissed Ryan on the cheek the other day

76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO? Mostly Tiff talking on the phone, and I can hear Kent talking to someone in the art department.

77. LAST THING YOU DRANK? Hot Chocolate

78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Jacob Dunn. I sure miss him.

79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX? height, eyes

80. LAST TEXT YOU GOT? Since I don’t text very much at all (mostly because I hate texts) it isn’t surprising that it was a few days ago. It was from Richard Davis and he said he couldn’t come to Salsa Chocolate because he was too busy, but that I should dance with a sweaty Latino for him.

81. FAVORITE THING TO HAVE? Time to relax, new books to read

82. FAVORITE SEASON(S)? spring/summer

83. FAVORITE ZODIAC SIGN? This is a stupid question. Of course I am going to say mine... Aries

84. WHO IS YOUR HERO? my grandma, my mom, my uncle, my brother, Jonathan Larson, President Hinckley... I have a lot

85. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR? dark brown...almost black

86. EYE COLOR? brown

87. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Dancesport....hahahahaha....that was stupid... I guess if I have to pick, it would be basketball

89. FAVORITE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT? does Zupas count?

90. YOU LIKE SUSHI? no, and Megan has tried many times to get me to like it, but I never will.

91.LAST THING YOU WATCHED? Big Daddy

92. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR? March 28th...aka my b-day

93. PLAY ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS? flute

94. REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT? depends

95. KISSES OR HUGS? BOTH!

96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS?also a stupid question... relationships

97. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? Advil

98. WHAT KIND OF CAR DO YOU DRIVE? the kind of car Karson has (because I only really ever borrow his car)

99. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? The Heather Wells series, and some other Meg Cabot books. I like Meg Cabot a lot.
100. DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE IN ONE WORD: LAME…

101. FAVORITE SONG LYRICS?

" There's only us, there's only this. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way, no day but today..." ~RENT
“Apple bottom jeans and the boots with the fur, the furrrrrr, the whole club was looking at herrrr….” Hahaha… I actually don’t love those lyrics, but I have been singing them all morning.

102. DUMBEST COMMERCIAL YOU HAVE SEEN LATELY? Oh, so many to choose from. I despise the Jared Jewelers commercials.

103. FAVORITE MOVIES? The Holiday, Pride and Prejudice (Keira Knightley version), Serendipity, Moulin Rouge, You’ve Got Mail, Home Alone 1 & 2.

Ballroom Dress

Wow... I am so out of words on this one. Should I get this dress? I found this picture in one of the E Bay galleries. I've been looking at ballroom dresses and I am considering buying one. I just died laughing when I saw this picture and thought I would share... I mean, the dress itself is pretty bad, but they lady just makes it 10 times funnier.

Dear Professors S. and K., please don't send me to Chicago...

I was informed on Monday that there is a slight possiblity that I will intern in Chicago instead of NYC. Clearly, Professors S. and K. missed the part on my application where I put an "x" next to NYC and nothing next to Chicago... Also, they must have misunderstood my cover letter where I subtly hint about my love for the great city of New York... or maybe it wasn't so subtly. Still, I know Chicago is great and yada yada yada... I don't want to go there! I put together a list of reasons for Professors S. and K. to reconsider their initial thought process. I am seriously thinking about sending it. Let me know what you think.

1. I don't think there is anyone else in the program who loves Broadway as much as I do. In addition, RENT will be closing on June 1st and I would like to be present at the final show.

2. My entire wardrobe consists of black. I wouldn't even have to get new clothes. I am all ready to go!

3. I don't really care about going to see the Oprah show.

4. The "Windy City" is not a name that is in anyway appealing to me, so why would I want to go there?

5. I happen to love Starbucks. I do have to get creative in order to order coffee-free drinks, but the baristas are willing to work with me on that. Since there is a Starbucks on every corner, you will add a great deal of convenience to my life.

6. I don't care about the Cubs or the White Sox.

7. I am already familiar with the 7 train. How many other interns can say they can get to Queens, Astoria, Flushing and Woodside on their first day there?

8. I already know where the best Colombian restaurant is. Send me to NYC and I might just tell you...

9. I know where to get discount tickets for the shows.

10. I already have a bank account that will be usable in NYC, not so much in Chicago.

11. I know where Sarah Jessica Parker hangs out. Really, I do.

12. I may or may not be able to get you into the Copa room.

13. I am an expert cab-hailer.

14. I know where H&M is, and more importantly, I know how to get to 5th Ave. from Grand Central Station.

15. I have yet to go to Ellis Island, the museums, the NYC Ballet, Brooklyn Bridge... So many more to list! Deprive me of NYC and you will be depriving me of further cultural education.

16. I may want to go to Columbia, so living there this summer would be most advantegeous.

17. I speak Spanish, so already, I can communicate with a large part of New Yorkers.

18. I know that you NEVER take the Van Wick Expressway from JFK into the city, unless you want to get ripped off.

19. I know that you don't take the Express train on the weekends.

20. I can already read the Manhattan subway map.

Hmmm, those are just a few thoughts, but if you have any that you think I should add, by all means, let me know...

And while we are at it...

Does anyone know who these people are? I mean, I know who Diane Lane is...

I look good, no?

This is what Tiff and I do at work on a snow day...

Ridiculous...

Coming to work is completely ridiculous when:

A. It is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and everyone except for Del Sol seems to be recognizing that (well, and some other businesses are open today too).

B. There are blizzard-like conditions at this very moment... I am pretty sure I left my house at 7:30 A.M. and didn't get to work until like 9:45 A.M. A drive that normally takes 45 minutes took us forever. Keep in mind that traffic was a lot lighter on account of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It took us 1 hour to get from Point of the Mountain to 12300 So. By that point, Kyra and I decided that maybe it would be easier to get off then and take the frontage road to the next exit... Plus, we really wanted a breakfast sandwich and were hoping to run into some kind of breakfast-selling restaurant. Anyway, this proved to be a very bad idea as a lot of other people had the same idea and we had to drive through un-plowed roads, and we didn't get our breakfast sandwiches!

I feel like I should be playing out on the snow instead of typing away, but I do this only because I love you all! :) I tried to find good pictures, but this is the only one I could find. Keep in mind that this is, in fact, a highway...

Where'd that one paper go?

I am pretty sure that last week I had a million amazing ideas for my blog, and now I can’t remember a single one. I think they were probably more entertaining than the things that will follow. Oh well... Most of this stuff is FYI. If you care, which you may or may not. Read on, if you must.

I am not a fish killer: My friends Karson and Betsy go out of town a lot, and when that happens, I babysit their fish, turtles, and frogs. This is not a big deal, considering all I have to do is feed them, and since they named all three turtles after me, I figured, it is the least I can do. One time, when my mom was staying at their house, one of their fish died. My sister said some comforting words in memory of the $.011 goldfish, and then she flushed it. Last time I was there (during Thanksgiving break) I walked into the house to find their betta floating at the top of the fish bowl. I was running late for the BYU v. U of U football game, and didn’t really have the time to do something about it then. When I came back, he had sunk to the bottom of the bowl and the frogs were using him as a blanket (not that frogs need warmth). So, am I a fish killer? Absolutely not. This is evidenced by the fact that I rescued my fish (who is named after Emron, because that is who I got it from) from Cambridge 9 and have managed to keep him alive for two years.

The cabin: My roommate, Amy #1, has a cabin in Evanston, Wyoming. This past weekend we were able to go there and have all sorts of fun. We left Friday night, and were able to get in some snow mobile time that night. The next day, we spent almost all day outside, though I had to keep going inside on account of the fact that I do not own snow clothes and that every time I took a step I sank knee deep into the snow. Later in the afternoon, I went outside and Courtney and I were able to learn to drive snow mobiles. We had fun with that. In fact, if I ever decide that I like the snow more than the beach (which will probably never happen), I would like to own one.
The only downside? I’ve been so used to having older friends, who act quite mature (even for their age). Well, some of the cabin guests might as well have been 12 year-olds. I am so glad I don’t live with boys and the messes they inevitably bring.

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, you guys: I have had this song stuck in my head for about a month (though the actual name of the song is not quite what I typed in). It is from the Legally Blonde musical and I can’t seem to get it out of my head. It would probably help if I could listen to it, but the only place I have it is in my laptop which is currently in need of repair. Please, help!

I promise, I will try to find the little sticky note where I seem to have left my creativity. It's a purple piece of paper. That's all I remember.

The Holiday (sans Jude Law and Co.)

So, I was finally able to coordinate the following:

1. Be home at the same time as Chad
2. Borrow his computer without cutting into his homework time
3. Have charged batteries

All three things were necessary in order to provide you with photographic evidence of my lovely holiday in Florida...

Well, I got there on the 18th and was able to spend a ridiculous amount of time with my sister and my mom. It was fun to be in hot weather when I knew out west everyone was having a White Christmas, and more importantly, it was good to be back at my squeaky clean house. I basically did nothing but read and relax poolside.
Christmas is always small, but meaningful, for us. We had a delicious Christmas Eve dinner and waited up until midnight to open presents. My mom and sister wanted to open them at 10, but I put my foot down in the name of tradition. On Christmas Day, we resurrected another family tradition by going to the movies to see Alvin and the Chipmunks. Needless to say, I laughed hysterically.
I also got to go meet my brother's wife, Jessica. They are expecting a baby in March and we drove up to Tampa for the baby shower. On the way back from Tampa, we stopped at Sanibel Island on the Gulf Coast. This must be one of Florida's best kept secrets because I had never even heard of it before. Anyway, we spent the weekend there and drove back home in time for New Year's Eve. I spent my last four days doing absolutely nothing. It was lovely.

Playing on the beach, about 2.5 seconds before a huge wave splashed me.












Sanibel Island sunset, the main reason why I love the Gulf Coast.














Jessica showing off her cake...













My family...

Anticipation will never end...

Ask me if I have heard back from the Internship Committee about the NYC program and the companies we've been placed with, and I will tell you, I most certainly have not... It's nice of them to find these internships for us, but still... I like planning and I like order, and I DON'T like putting life-changing decisions in the hands of others. Hmm... at least it is only January. I suppose I still have a good two months before I am officially allowed to freak out.

On a more positive note, I recently added eight more books to my growing personal library. So, happy reading to me... The new additions include the Twilight series and the Meg Cabot books.

And, among other news that make me happy (and by all means, feel free to feel happy yourself):

The entire Del Sol team is going to Jordan Commons on Friday to watch National Treasure 2, as a reward for Quarter 4. Yes. I love my job, but I don't love Nicholas Cage so much...

Jadeisms...

I am a recent convert to "America's Next Top Model." This past week, VH1 has delighted us all
(and also tried to increase our intellect) by airing a series of modeling shows for Model Week. My favorite season is the one when Naima Mora wins, and is closely followed by Cycle 6 which aired originally in 2006. This season was the one when America was introduced to the infamous Jade Cole. Basically, Jade talks a lot of smack all season long and gets eliminated the week before the finale. Anyway, last week, I realized that Jade says some pretty ridiculous things all along, and I wanted to post my favorite Jadeisms:

"With me, what you see is what you get. Don't judge a book by its cover."

"Dancing is the calling of my soul"
(This quote would actually be deep if Jade could dance, but she can't).

"I want to be a kindergarten teacher"
(Which Danielle followed up by saying "If Jade was a teacher, I would not let my child go to school").

"Toot-toot. Hoot-hoot. Poot-poot. Tut-tut. Hoopty."
Thank you, Jade, that is very deep.


"I inherited that from my antecestrous heritage. You see, the human body used to be made mostly of water before we developed the gills that we breathe with today."


I am sure I could find plenty more, but I will save them for another day...


Until then, loves...

My hair...

Yes, I am cutting my hair once more... And since my sister is cutting it, we'll see what it turns out. Pictures will soon come... Until then, I can guarantee you that it will most definitely not look like this: