Sing It Like You Mean It, Homegurl

My homegurl is a member of the East Valley Mormon Choral Organization; it's our community's local choir, and she loves being a member more than buying a new dress at Forever 21.  She now has our family listening to the MoTab to and from school, on the way to the grocery store, and on our way home from ballet.  Today I wanted to push stop and play some Katy Parry, but I thought that would be a poor decision on my part, especially since I've been saying things like, "Kids, see how the feelings change in the car when I turn the MoTab off and turn on AC/DC instead.  Do you not feel like we're now really on the Highway to Dante's Inferno?"  They always laugh, and then I switch the music back to "This Is My Beloved Son."  We all sing along when it gets to the H-h-h-ear Him part.

Do you know that part?  It gives me goosebumps every time I sing it, and I always find myself immediately thanking the Lord for music, a decent singing voice, and good homies who naturally gravitate to a better way of living.

If you're interested in hearing my homegurl's choir sing, watch the vid below.  Can you believe that's MY community choir?  It sounds like a young MoTab, right?  And just an FYI, the choir director, Brandon Stewart (hellou, Julliard graduate) is in my ward.  Last week I did a little tap-tap on his shoulder and said, "My daughter loves you and your choir."  He nodded and smiled, so I think he was just trying to tell me that Hannah is his favorite student.

"This Is My Beloved Son"

P.S.  One of the organists, Clay Christiansen, is my dad's BFF. Not to brag.

The Gates

courtesy of NY Times

We just got back from LA.  We were there so my homgurl could audition for Ballet West's summer intensive.  The competition was fierce, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that she'll be offered a spot.  Pray for her.  But you may want to pray for me after reading this story:

After my homegurl finished her audition, I went up to the director of the school and said the following: "Um, pardon me for a minute, um, we've planned our summer around her getting into your program, so I really hope she makes it.  What do you think?"  I didn't let him answer because I was already saying inside my head: You're the biggest stage parent on earth and this man now hates your guts.  Move your crazy self out of his sight, immediately.
Peter, that's his name, looked at me and said, "As I've already told the girls, we will let them know in a week or so."
I turned and began my strut of shame out of the room, but then I turned back and said, "I was kind of just kidding about the whole arranging our summer bit, but not really, you know?"

Can you believe the car wreck, absolute disaster I am?

We have not heard back from Peter, yet, but I have started writing an e-mail to him, apologizing for my pushy behavior.  My homegurl keeps saying, "Leave it alone; don't send it," so I'm taking her advice.  Even if she doesn't make it, we still had a good time parading around the City of Angels.  I would live there if I could.

We visited F&S Fabrics, where we found the perfect fabric remnant for reupholstering the chair for my homgurl's vanity set.  Then we visited Jenny at the Dance Store. She fit Hannah into the perfect pointe shoes.  We had heard that no one in the Western United States could do a better job than she, and so far, that's true.  Then we ate lunch at the Apple Pan. (You must order a piece of their banana cream pie), and spied on some kissing lovers while eating our fries and burgers.

I love living in a big city, but the truth is, I will live in Gilbert until I kick the bucket. (I do love Gilbert, BTW.) To requite my burning desire to live elsewhere,  I finally hung our picture of The Gates.  When I'm longing for some time in a city that never sleeps, I'll stare at this picture and imagine I'm in Central Park.  Do you think it will work?

If you're interested in learning more about one of the biggest displays of public art in modern history, you can read more about The Gates here.

P.S. We're off to San Francisco this weekend, so I won't need to stare at the picture until next week.

Love Notes

While cleaning out my homegurl's dance bag, I found this love note.  I read it, of course, because we have a rule: If you leave it where I have to clean it, it's public domain.

When Hannah got home from babysitting I handed her the note and said, "I loved reading this note from Bridget; what a sweet friend."  Instead of getting mad at me for reading what I shouldn't have, she said, "I know, Bridget is my favorite, and I'm glad you found that note because I promised I would write her back."

Bridget's love note reminded me that Valentine's Day is only a few short weeks away.  You won't find me standing in line at Walmart the night before we have to pass out love notes to ninety of our closest school friends.  I've already bought Pop Rocks, and we're attaching the free love note I found here.

Natty

Did you know this famous gal is in my ward?  Well, she was sitting in front of me during sacrament meeting yesterday, and I reached over and did a little tap-tap on her shoulder and said, "I think I saw you in your garage painting a headboard bright yellow, or something like that; I wasn't stalking you."  I continued since she was still nodding and smiling, "I have a set of Henredon, Louis XV style furniture that needs to be refinished."  She smiled and said, in a very professional, strait-forward way, "My prices are not cheap, meaning I don't do a chest of drawers for 200 bucks."  I think she could smell a bargain hunter, so I quickly said, "Well I'm looking to preserve this furniture.  It was my great grandma's, and so well, yeah...I'm looking for quality, you know?"

I sounded like an idiot, so whatever.

This morning I sent her an e-mail with pictures of the set.  I will keep you posted on our progress. In the meantime, look at some of her cool furniture restoration projects.

Love You to the Moon and Back

I'm propping my eyes open with toothpicks due to the above pictured project.  Teachers should know that an at-home school assignment really becomes the parent or legal guardian's assignment; it's never entirely the work of the student (if at all).

We got our assignment over a week ago, and I went around the house saying things like: I promise I won't wait until the last night; I just won't do it.  I can't work under that kind of frantic pressure, and I've done it way too many times.  It will not happen again.  But life happens, and so does poor planning, so guess who was at the Walmart checkout at 10pm last night?

My hands look as if I'm wearing Michael Jackson's glitter gloves.  I've soaked them in water and even tried using the dish brush to scrap all the silver glitter and spray paint off.  Last night while I was sleeping, some of the glitter travelled from my hands and parked itself in my left eye.  Now I look like I've got pink eye.

The things we do to get through 5th grade.

P.S.  My littlest homie read the BOM to all of us while we were hanging stars.  We're catching up.

Don't Be a Ploopy

OK, we've already missed three days of reading the BOM.  While driving home from school I said to my homies, "We're really messing things up.  We can't even keep our ONE resolution in tact.  Our one resolution!"  One of them piped-up, "We'll make it all up tonight!" I'm just sick about the possibility of us not completing the BOM.

That sick feeling may also stem from the fact that I said an inappropriate phrase at my stake meeting earlier today.  The women were a bit shocked, and I've been harping on myself about it all day.  I keep thinking, "Why did you have to say it?  Couldn't you have just said, 'We can't use that song because it has bad words?'"  "But, no!  You had to pollute the minds of such sweet sisters.  Who, other than a professional waxer or anatomy teacher, ever says such filth? And how did you even know those words were in that song, huh?  You're a perve to your core, and now all those ladies know it."

I think they'll release me this Sunday.  Pray for me.

Push, Grab, Go

Via Spiga boots 

Nordstrom's price: $398.00

I paid: $39.99

Tory Burch flats 

Nordstrom's price: $198.00

I paid: $59.99

Hudson skinny jeans 

Nordstrom's price: $158.00

I paid: $14.97

I'm a bargain hunter to my core, so I frequent Nordstrom's version of the Good Will: Last Chance.  If you live in Arizona and have never shopped the store, you're missing out on a free education on how to snag and drag the best deals. If you've visited Arizona and missed out on digging through the piles of this season's Nordstrom returns, it's time to pencil a trip into your next itinerary.  People come to Arizona just to shop at this store.

Here are three rules to help you survive the experience:

1.  Leave your manners and dignity at home.  This store is home to Arizona's most aggressive shoppers, so it's a survival of the shopping fittest experience: You push, you grab that pair of gold sparkly TOMS, and you go to the next rack before someone else grabs that Stella McCartney bag you've always wanted.  Just tuck away all the niceties your mama taught you and you'll fare well.

2.  Get there before it opens.  This is usually at 9:50 am, but they open earlier around the holidays.

3.  Have an objective.  If you need new jeans, locate the rack while standing outside the storefront, then immediately go to that rack.

4.  Don't get addicted to the shopping adrenalin rush. I see a handful of the same women every time I go; I think they're addicted to getting designer brands for next to nothing.  (Maybe it's me who has the problem since I've been there enough times to recognize the regulars?)

Yesterday, after digging and sorting through piles of gold, I selected the above pictured items.  I pushed through walls of people just to stand in a line longer than the length of a football field.  Saving hundreds of dollars on items I really needed made the trip worth it. But sometimes I'm better off just going to Nordstrom and purchasing what I need instead of joining ranks with Arizona's name brand bottom feeders. Or sometimes I'm better off just going without.

If you'd like more information about Last Chance, here's a link to yelp.  There are funny reviews (BEWARE OF A LITTLE SWEARING) and some good pictures.  You'll get a better idea of what you're getting yourself into.