Milkshake

Last night I made a milkshake to go with our dinner. Let me just say, I want one for breakfast. It was made with vanilla ice cream, milk, chocolate syrup, caramel ice cream topping, and chopped up fun sized snickers bars left over from Halloween. Yum! (Sorry no pic... I was too hungry!)

Count Down...

The count down has begun! Time is flying. And my list making has begun in earnest. There is still so much I need to finish around the house to get ready for my little family. It is time to get organized!

Wedding plans are really starting to shape up! All of the big decisions have been made, temple is scheduled, dress has been purchased, reception location is found. Now it is time to plan a menu, make invitations, and decided on decorations.  It is such a busy time, but I couldn't be happier!

New Ride

This weekend Jordan and I found a new ride! Talk about zero hour. After some serious internet searching and Jordan using his excellent negotiating skills, we finally replaced my car with exactly what we were looking for. We are having so much fun driving our new (to us) Toyota Highlander! So much fun!

They Lied!

Ok, so maybe lie is a bit dramatic. BUT, when they started pulling my car apart there was more damage than expected. It is a total loss. I am so sad! My silver Corolla was the first car I ever bought. It was just what I was looking for. It was perfect! Silver, spoiler without the cheesy ground effects, dependable, tape deck {Laugh if you want, but the library had tons of books on cassette tape! Totally saved my sanity doing a 10-15 hour commute every week!}, CD player, sun roof {Or star roof for those of you who really know what that hole in the ceiling is for!}, and even faux wood paneling. I loved everything about my car. I drove my cute car off the lot with only 9 miles on the odometer, 5 of which I put on it during a test drive. I know every mile, and every bit of maintenance. It was such a good car! I'd never had any problems with it at all. And there were so many miles left we could have gone together! I will get another car, but there is no way it can replace my poor Corolla. Thanks for nearly nine years of good times and complete dependability!!! So sorry someone had to rear end me and take my cute car away from me!!!

Oh, and to add insult to injury, I'd just filled the gas tank! Lame!

Crunch went the little car...

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll let this speak for itself:

Yep, my poor little car got crunched at the beginning of this month. Thankfully, it is repairable. It will take at least 20 days, but they will be able to replace with all factory parts, so it should come back good as new. I have whiplash. Fixing that will take more than 20 days, but I have a Dr. I trust. So hopefully I will be good as new, too!

Lesson learned: Sitting stopped at a stoplight can be dangerous for you and your car if the car coming up behind you does not stop. Even some alcohol will slow their reaction time and using their phone while driving doesn't help either. Phone use and car use DO NOT MIX! Ang would agree! Seat belts work, and headrests do, too!

{Period Drama} Chick Flick List

A few of days ago, the latest offering from Masterpiece Classic was the topic of conversation in the "S" Family Chat. My soon to be sister-in-law mentioned that she needed something to watch while her husband was out of town and was asking if anyone knew much about Downton Abbey. It got me thinking. Dangerous, I know! What would I recommend if she were asking me for a good chick flick to watch? And I remembered that a few years ago I complied a list of movies for a friend. I'm going to post the updated list here for fun. Do you have a favorite? What did I miss?

Bronte sisters:

Jane Eyre 

• (2011) ~ Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender
• (2006) ~ Ruth Wilson,  Toby Stephens
• (1997) ~ Samantha Morton, Ciaran Hinds
• (1996) ~ Charlotte Gainsbourg, William Hurt 
• (1983) ~ Zelah Clark, Timothy Dalton

Wuthering Heights 

• (1998) ~ Orla Brady, Robert Cavanah {I don't think I've seen this one...}
• (1970) ~ Anna Calder-Marshall, Timothy Dalton 

Charles Dickens:

Little Dorritt (2008) ~ Claire Foy, Matthew MacFadyen

Bleak House (2005) ~ Anna Maxwell Martin, Charles Dance, Gillian Anderson

Nicholas Nickleby (2002) ~ Anne Hathaway, Romola Garai,  Charlie Hunnam

David Copperfield (2000) ~ Hugh Dancy, Anthony Andrews

Our Mutual Friend (1998) ~ Anna Friel, Keeley Hawes, Paul McGann, Steven Mackintosh 

Jane Austen:

Emma

• (2009) ~ Romola Garai, Jonny Lee Miller
• (1996) ~ Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam
• (1996) ~ Kate Beckinsdale, Mark Strong

Pride and Prejudice

• (2005) ~ Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen
• (1995) ~ Jennifer Ehle, Colin Firth

Sense and Sensibility

• (2008) ~ Hattie Morahan, Charity Wakefield, Dan Stevens
• (1995) ~ Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet

Mansfield Park

• (2007) ~ Billie Piper, Blake Ritson {It does not follow the book, only ok.} 
• (1999) ~ Frances O'Connor, Jonny Lee Miller {I've seen this movie and really liked it, but [and that is a big but!] this movie, unlike the book, has bad stuff in it. When I watched it for the first time, I had someone with me who skipped past the bad stuff so I didn't have to see it. When I check this out from the library, I skip it still. Just a heads up!}

Persuasion 

• (2007) ~ Sally Hawkins, Rupert Penry-Jones
• (1995) ~ Amanda Root,  Ciaran Hinds 

Northanger Abbey

• (2007) ~ Felicity Jones, JJ Feild
• (1986) ~ Katharine Schlesinger, Peter Firth {Super cheesy 80's music is a bit distracting.}

Elizabeth Gaskell:

Cranford and Return to Cranford (2007) ~ Judy Dench, Claudie Blakley, Francesca Annis, Simon Woods

North and South (2004) ~ Daniela Denby-Ashe, Richard Armitage

Wives and Daughters (1999) ~ Justine Waddell, Bill Paterson, Francesca Annis

Louisa May Alcott:

Little Women (1994) ~ Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder

Oscar Wilde:

The Importance of Being Ernest (2002) ~ Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O'Connor

An Ideal Husband (1999) ~ Jeremy Northam, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Rupert Everett

George Eliot:

Daniel Deronda (2002) ~ Hugh Dancy, Romola Garai, Hugh Bonneville

Middlemarch (1994) ~ Juilet Aubrey, Rufus Sewell

Mill on the Floss (1978) ~ Philip Locke, Judy Cornwell, Barbara Hicks

Thomas Hardy:

Under the Greenwood Tree (2005) ~ Keeley Hawes, James Murray

Mayor of Casterbridge (2003) ~ Ciaran Hinds, Juliet Aubrey, Jodhi May

Far From the Madding Crowd (1998) ~ Paloma Baeza, Nathaniel Parker

Tess of the D'urbervilles (1998) ~ Justine Waddell

Return of the Native (1994) ~ Catherine Zeta-Jones, Clive Owen

Others

Downton Abbey (2010, 2011) ~ Hugh Bonneville, Dan Stevens, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery

Larkrise to Candleford (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) ~ Brendan Coyle, Julia Sawalha, Claudie Blakley

The Young Victoria (2009) ~ Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend

Bright Star (2009) ~ Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw

Miss Austen Regrets (2008) ~ Olivia Williams, Greta Scacchi

Becoming Jane (2007) ~ Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy

Amazing Grace (2006) ~ Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Gambon, Romola Garai, Benedict Cumberbatch

Master and Commander (2003) ~ Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany

Victoria and Albert (2001) ~ Victoria Hamilton, Jonathan Firth 

Lorna Doone (2000) ~ Richard Coyle, Amelia Warner

The Winslow Boy (1998) ~ Rebecca Pidgeon, Jeremy Northam, Nigel Hawthorne

Horatio Hornblower (1998 - 2003) ~ Ioan Gruffudd

Mrs. Brown  (1997) ~ Judi Dench, Billy Connolly

Twelfth Night (1996) ~ Helena Bonham Carter, Imogen Stubbs, Toby Stephens

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) ~ Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymore, Ian McKellen

Dress... Check!

So, I am not going to post a picture {I don't want Jordan to see it yet!}, but last weekend I went to Utah to look for a wedding dress. Success!

Angela had researched and gave me a list of at least 8 different bridal shops between Provo and Salt Lake to visit. After calling to see where we could start without an appointment, we decided to go to Alysse's Bridal. But when we went to the store, they were gone. They had moved down the street. In their place was a new bridal store that we'd not known about. After looking at the dresses on the mannequins, we decide this was as good a place as any to start. Mom, Angela and I each picked out a few of our favorites, and I tried them ALL on. So fun! Every single dress fit, and fit well. Talk about making a girl feel good about herself! Since it was a busy Saturday, there were several other girls there trying on dresses at the same time, and they looked good in EVERY dress they tried on, too! We met the designer who designs all of the dresses! Impressive! It was only a matter of picking out the favorite and deciding which veil went with it. There was one dress in particular that I liked. It was just the style I'd been looking for. After trying it on again, I decided it was THE DRESS! Getting the dress so quickly made it possible for us to go find shoes to wear with my dress and engagement photo outfits, too!

What a wonderful whirlwind trip that was... finding a wedding dress, veil, petticoat, shoes, outfits, and visiting as many family members and friends as possible during the "long" weekend. I got to spend time with both sets of grandparents, Angela & Eric {And their cute dogs, I can call them cute can't I?}, Eric's brother Trevor, cousins Daniel and Aaron, BFF Shauna and my road trip companions Dad, Mom, and Philip. Good times!

Lunch Break List

Ok, so I didn't write this list, but I really like it. Shakespeare is a favorite... so I thought I'd share.

10 Shakespeare Quotes You Use Every Day

1. A forgone conclusion. Othello: "But this denoted a foregone conclusion: 'Tis a shrewd doubt, though it be but a dream." Othello, 1604

2. Fair play. Miranda: "Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle, and I would call it, fair play." The Tempest, 1610

3. Hot-blooded. Falstaff: "The Windsor bell hath struck twelve; the minute draws on. Now, the hot-blooded-Gods assist me!" Merry Wives of Windsor, 1600

4. I have not slept one wink. Pisiano: "O gracious lady, since I received command to do this business I have not slept one wink." Cymbeline, 1611

5. Love is blind. Jessica: "But love is blind and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit…" The Merchant Of Venice, 1596

6. Make your hair stand on end. Hamlet: "I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, thy knotted and combined locks to part and each particular hair to stand on end, like quills upon the fretful porpentine." Hamlet, 1602

7. Rhyme nor reason. Dromio of Syracuse: "Was there ever any man thus beaten out of season, when in the why and the wherefore is neither rhyme nor reason?" Comedy of Errors, 1590

8. Too much of a good thing. Rosalind: "Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing?" As You Like It, 1600

9. We have seen better days. Flavius: "We have seen better days. Let each take some; Nay, put out all your hands. Not one word more: Thus part we rich in sorrow, parting poor." Timon of Athens, 1607

10. Wild goose chase. Mercutio: "Nay, if thy wits run the wild-goose chase, I have done, for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five." Romeo and Juliet, 1592

Found it here: http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/ten-everyday-phrases-written-shakespeare-232900030.html

Plans

So you would think that after a few weeks I would have some idea of what the wedding plans are. Nope. The last few weeks have been too busy. But in a good way. I got to spend time with Angela and Eric while they were in town. So fun! We took one afternoon with the girls... Mom, Angela, Stacey and Amanda and me. We went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, got manicures, and went looking at wedding dresses.  My advice to future brides, try the revers order and go to the Cheesecake factory AFTER you try the dresses on. Even though I was really full after consuming my entire slice of dulce de leche cheesecake, I still had fun trying on several white dresses. Mom helped me get in and out of them and Amanda, Stacey and Angela provided delightful commentary. Stacey took notes and Angela snapped photos so I would remember what we all liked. I'm going to need to keep looking, but it was a great start. And very fun! Thanks for taking me!

The next day, Philip got home from his mission in Brazil! He is incredibly tan {Sort of... he has pretty serious tan lines from his collared, short sleeved, white shirts.}. He gets a bit of an accent when he talks about church things and his intonation is different, too. I think he grew a bit while he was gone, because he seems taller, but maybe it just seems that way.  It is so fun to have him back! He gave his report in Sacrament meeting on Sunday. He gave an excellent talk! Then we got together for the "after party" with the family, the Moores, and the Smyres at my place. Mom brought delicious food and we chatted until we thought the roads might be getting icy. But we spent plenty of time enjoying the company as well as Jordan's new beanbag chairs that he, dad, and Dan filled that night so we would have sufficient seating. What a great night!