a little thought...

"Beware of the wounds of battles in which you have been fighting on the wrong side."

T..B..S

I know this is my second post about music in two days... but I have been studying all day, while quietly listening to my favorite boys in the background..

I think they will always be my favorite band. LOVE THEM.



Maybe I listen to weird music....

I just love this band, and thought I would share. It's zooey deschanel... and some dude. I don't know his name. Anyway, they have an old school style that I just love! Senecca thinks I listen to weird music, so maybe not everyone will like it, but I do!

Listen to their song "In the Sun," it's one of the more popular ones!

Also, give Sky Sailing a try. It's Owl City before he was Owl City... with a more guitar sound instead of piano. It's amazing and I love it!

...and I am procrastinating homework like crazy right now, I really need to be better about that!



A thought on freedom..

I want to start out with giving a shout out to my lovely dears, Colleen and Courtney. These girls are from my college program and I love them dearly! I skyped with them for about 3 hours today, it was so fun to just chat and play catch up with them! They are both amazing, and still working for Disney! I miss my Disney dream world daily. Love you girls!

Leen is the other blondie in the picture next to me, isn't she gorgeous?! Katy, Ashley, and Stacey are the other beauties, I love and miss all of you girls every day!

And my dear beautiful Courtney... she so purrrty! Love you Court!

This I just had to add because I love photo booth and thought it was fun :)

.... I want to talk about freedom. There are so many different types of freedom. Freedom to choose, freedom to speak, freedom to go where you want to go and do what you want to do, freedom to give, freedom to love. Freedom to be whatever you want to be. Yes, Leen, this thought was inspired by you.

Tonight on my skype date, Leen and I got to talking about what I was going to do after I graduate (can you tell that has been on my mind alot lately, I think all of my last few posts have been on it). I was telling her about wanting to do fashion marketing, how I might still consider the professional internship at Disney to get a foot in the door somewhere, about how I was going to apply to everywhere I was interested in and see how it all played out.

I can't remember her exact words, but she then said something to me that I'll never forget... "That's what's so fun about this time in our lives. I know it's scary, but it's also exciting. We aren't tied to anything, we can do whatever we want to do."

At that moment I felt the meaning of that word... FREE.

I feel like I could do anything, ANYTHING!

There are so many other types of freedom. Married couples have freedom to love unconditionally. College kids have the freedom to choose their futures. Mothers have freedom to raise their children. Fathers have freedom to choose family over work. Americans have freedom to choose freedom. We have freedom to choose religion. Humans have freedom to choose peace. Agency and the freedom to make choices for ourselves is a gift, and such a blessing!

Because of our service men and women we can live in a free country. What amazing people they are to fight for us! Because of the Savior we can choose freely. How amazing that blessing is! There are so many different definitions of freedom. On Saturday's Warrior, freedom is defined as "knowing who you are."

I think freedom means something different to all of us. To me, it is all of the above... freedom to believe how I want, freedom to choose my own future, freedom to live in a safe environment, freedom to love my family and friends... so many things make me feel free!

This is FREEDOM.

...and this is FREEDOM.

...this is FREEDOM.

Don't waste your freedom, whatever it may mean to you!

Ps. I am bound and determined to have me one of these...



Drum roll please....

Helloooo frans!

I just have to say I am laughing so hard, out loud, watching the office. It's the dinner party episode... So funny!

Anyway, the other day I had a little epiphany!

I now know exactly what I want to do with my marketing career! I know what kind of jobs I want to apply for. The other day I was sitting in my advertising and promotions class and having so much fun (yeah FUN, in class, that's a sign). I decided I should apply for advertising jobs... I pondered what sort of advertising I wanted to do (food, household products, beverages, sporting equipment, etc.). Then the thought came to me..

-F-A-S-H-I-O-N-

...it all came together! The other night I was looking at a magazine.. I stopped on every advertisement and looked at the picture... I would judge the model they chose or the location of the picture, I would wonder what about that picture makes people say, "I want to buy this." I apologized to the people I was with for being so judgemental, but I realize now I have done that my whole life (even before I was a marketing student!). I have always looked at those ads, who does that? I do. It's not being judgemental, it's just studying the marketing. 

I want to go in to fashion marketing and advertising.

I won't design any of the styles or fashion, and I know much about this is based on the photographer, but somewhere behind every one of those pictures is a marketer making the decisions. I will be that marketer.

...dreamin' big, but that's the point right? I applied for two jobs in California, here's hopin' :)

P.S. I saw my baby girls, I love them so!

Go Nike.

That's right.

Thanks Mags for helping me find this.

Back to school... back to school...

Today in my politics class my professor told us he used to have a goal of visiting every country in the world... about.com just told me there are 195 of them. Wow, that's a hefty goal. He joined the military, so he has accomplished seeing 50 of them. I doubt I could ever see all of them, probably not many people have actually seen them all in their life. But, I thought 50 was a great goal. So today I decided I want to beat his goal of 50 in my life. I have 4, if you include the United States.

Three years ago yesterday is when I moved to Italy, those were some of the best days of my life! I learned so much. There is this festival in the town I lived in (Viterbo, a beautiful city that has a city wall all the way around it like medievel times) that is happening right now. Its called the Santa Rosa Festival to us uhhhh-mericans such as myself who can't fully pronounce the real name in italian (it's much prettier).

The fesitval includes many street shops and booths and festivities and parades. The best part, though, is the carrying of the statue. Every year there is a different one. The statue is as tall as the buildings and as wide as the streets (which are pretty narrow, barely two cars wide). The statue is carried by the men of the city who are referred to as facchini. They wear red and white, and it is an honor to be one.

These men carry the statue on their shoulders, backs, etc. through the entire city so everyone can see it. I can't even describe how breath-taking and special it is to witness the event. Someday I will go back and see it once again!

The italian people are just so rich with culture and tradition, I truely love it! Here is a video to give you an idea...

The people were so kind and welcoming, how blessed I am for being allowed to witness such a beautiful thing!

In other news, I got a new phone..... a Droid Incredible!

They aren't kidding when they say incredible, or when they say smart phone.The thing is smarter than I am. The only thing it can't do is my laundry (but I wouldn't be surprised if there was an app for that, I just haven't found it yet). Love. it.

I am taking a Doctrine and Covenants class this semester at institute. I am so excited! I started reading D&C a few days ago when my little brother inspired me to. (I'm going to brag here a bit...) My little brother is the stud of the universe. The other night we were sitting and eating dinner together and he said, "Misty, lately I have been reading my scriptures, and I love it. It is the best part of my day." Stud, right? I know, I have the coolest little bro ever. Anyway, I decided to be like him and read two sections from D&C each night plus a chapter in the Book of Mormon. What a difference and blessing it's been! Anyway, D&C rocks my world. There is so much about the gospel to be learned from it. On our first day in class we watched a video with David A. Bednar and he was talking about the Book of Mormon being the keystone of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and the Doctrine and Covenants being the capstone. The Book of Mormon invites people to come to Christ, while D&C teaches us how to return to Him, and how to be like Him.

Elder Bednar also talked about how we must go to institute and want to learn, how we must act, and not expect to be acted upon or entertained. It reminded me of this quote I love...

"Endowed with agency, you and I are agents, and we primarily are to act and not just be acted upon. To believe that someone or something can make us feel offended, angry, hurt, or bitter diminishes our moral agency and transforms us into objects to be acted upon. As agents, however, you and I have the power to act and to choose how we will respond to an offensive or hurtful situation."

It has nothing to do with D&C but I just thought I'd share :)

Moving on... I turned in my graduation application.

WOAH

What? Am I graduating soon? Insane.

Anyway, whenever I tell someone that they always ask the infamous question...

"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THAT?"

Ummmm like I know? College is easy... just classes, classes and more classes. The only decisions to be made (after choosing your major of course, that one really is hard) are "should I go to class" and "do I want to actually do my homework". Real life is hard. Growing up?? UGHHH.

So I have been thinking about the answer, here is what I have come up with:

1. Apply to at least five marketing/advertising firms and/or companies I'm interested in. The economy is terrible, but maybe for some ridiculous reason one of them will think I am different than the thousands of other marketing college grads looking for work, who knows.

2. Apply for a job at the same company my uncle works for. It's all about who you know right? He is like the number 5 guy for Hertz, maybe his name on my app will hook me up with an entry level position.

3. Apply for a professional internship at Disney. That would just kind of prolong my growing up process for 6 months, yet allow me to add to my resume and play with Mickey and my Florida friends for a bit.

4. My family offered me a job. I would start up a company (probably some type of restaurant/soda fountain) for them. That always looks good on a job app, plus my mom and uncle are two fantastic people to learn business sense from. They would be great mentors for my first year after college.

5. I might apply for a job at the U.S. embassy in London. For some ridiulous reason, I have always wanted to work there. They say turning in an application improves your chances dramatically, so why not?

So there you have it, I have a plan.

THANK GOODNESS, I was afraid for my myself there for a while.

I just realized there is a heck of a lot of wordage in this post, which can get quite boring, so to break up the monotony....

A few fun pictures of Kymer and I getting our immaturity on and playing in the pool with the girls!

In order... girls from work, the ladies of Black Mesa, on one of our last days as seasonal firefighters. The second is Kymber, Lacy and I jammin' out to the Cha Cha Slide at some restaurant in Vegas. The third, Lace and I thuggin it up on the way home from Vegas.

This is random, but cool, they have my picture hanging up for everyone to see at Disneyworld, ahhh :)

I love love love football season! My little bro in #82, represent. The Mustangs played at NAU last week. The killed the other team, way to go boys.

My BFF little sis, we spent last weekend together shopping and relaxing.... loved it!

...and I got bangs! I forgot how annoying they are to have in your face, but I am getting used to it. They are fun...ish.

Lastly, I wanted to give a shout out to my angel mother. This woman is a miracle worker! Today I was stressin' MAJOR because of my credit/debit card situation (long, boring story), about some perscriptions I needed from the pharmacy without having insurance, and about some silly stuff dealing with my cell phone. All of them were little things, but they all had their own way of making me crazy. I called my mom, she worked her magic, and everything worked out. It made my day so much better. Thank you so much mom for being the amazing woman you are!!!! I serisouly love you more than you could ever know. I don't know how I was so blessed as to be your daughter, but I thank my Heavenly Father for it every day. I love you!

She is so beauitful.

Thanks kids for listening, I hope you are all having a wonderful week, and have a wonderful labor day weekend!