Cat's Cradle: Not Just a Game Played With String

I am an Elite Yelper.

Yelp: a website on which one rates businesses, then others can base whether or not they want to visit said business based on reviews.

So I guess it you Yelp a lot and write fairly good reviews, you get nominated to be an Elite Yelper.

What does that entail? You get to go check out cool places and meet cool people and eat really good food. It's great.

Tonight's event was at Cat's Cradle, an antique shop off Center Street in Provo. Cubby's and the Mighty Baker catered and ohhhh man both were so tasty. We did a scavenger hunt throughout the shop, then took a tour of their "Museum of Haunted and Mysterious Objects."

Was it spooky? I didn't think so...but it's totally one of those things that depend on what you want to get out of it. If you go in with the mindset that it will be eerie, hair prickling, and goosebump raising, you will get that sort of experience. But if you go in with the attitude that you don't believe in all that mumbo jumbo/you want to be able to sleep that night so you try your very best to be brave, then it's not all that scary.

Akkster and me.
And a goose.

1st Prize doll 

Looks like one of the 7 Dwarves looking for his pick axe...or for your child's soul...I can't be sure. 

So once upon a time, I bought this ring in London for a pound-I was OBSESSED with it, wore it nearly every day. I wanted my future engagement ring to look like it. Then one day...IT BROKE. I literally cried. I cried over a ring worth $1.54. The pearl ring in the middle is the closest ring I've been able to find to the one I had!

You can't count on him to keep a secret (due to his big mouth), but you can count on him to always have the time? 

I love how this mirror makes you look like an old photograph. #whenvarnishesandscratchesareagoodthing

oooohkay.....strange....

Yep. That's a throw pillow.

"Shrimp kebabs, shrimp gumbo, pineapple shrimp, coconut shrimp, shrimp stew..."

For those of you wondering where Lord Farquaad from Shrek ended up...

Thus concludes Nikki's and my "Night at the Museum." Until the sequel at the Smithsonian or British Museum...#reallylameNightattheMuseumBenStillerreference

Spoopy Disneyland

Once upon a time, I wanted to do something big for mine and Meg's 21st birthdays. Of course we are probably going to go to a bar when we're 21--just because we can--and order diet coke and hot wings and it will be amazing, but in all honesty, I've been in enough pubs that the novelty of going to a bar isn't going to be this huge milestone and bragging right. But we will still go.

SO. What do you do for the big, legal 21? You go to Disneyland. 2 months early. The plan was to go in December, but with finals and the holidays, it just gets too crazy. Plus, Disneyland is so fun at Halloween time; it's so "spoopy." (a typo for "spooky," but Megs kept it and it kept us laughing...well...I'm still laughing at that one)

Megs and me-Bio Trip 2013

My darling friend from work, Sage, joined us last minute for the spontaneous adventure. But I guess we're outside-of-work friends now, because she moved back to Arizona 2 days after we got home. So that's a complete bummer. But, now that we've been to Disneyland together, that kind of forces us to stay friends, because you just don't go to Disneyland with anybody.

 

It was crowded and hot, humid, and I was sick, pumping Airborne, orange juice, and Advil all day, and yet it was such a fun day. The overpriced food was tasty, the atmosphere whimsical and enjoyable, the company--well, they were the best of all.

It's funny, we could have gone to Disneyland, or Lagoon, or on a tour of the state prison...while yes, duh, Disneyland is more fun than touring the state prison (unless there's a specialty tour that I don't know about where you get to eat corn dogs and dance to the kind of music you love which most others don't), it's about the people you're with. You can make any experience a treasured memory, filled with laughter, cries, and inside jokes and quotes to tell for years.

 

Birthday Beignets

Spooooopy 

Um what is that face??

Oh Captain, my Captain...

Also, just a few notes, based on things people have said in the past few days:

Be full. Full of life. Full of happiness. Full of hope. So full, that you are overflowing, having enough to share with others. Sometimes (always) there are things in life that aren't great or are scary or sad, but you can still be happy and have that fullness. Not only is it good for you, but it's good for others too. And go to Disneyland often. It's the best.

Things I've Learned at BYU: Back to School Edition

Back at BYU. As per usual, the first week was near perfect. Now, I'm living on caffeine, never enough sleep, and I dream about showing up to class naked or having my professor tell the whole class I failed our recent exam and thus have failed life. #collegelife

Apartment 6
Lea, Emily, Ashley, Kara, Alex, & Taylor

While I am learning all sorts of valuable things of scholarly nature, here are some other important life tid-bits, fun facts, and strange things from BYU, a place all of its own.

"BYU is like the movie Titanic: sometimes you fall in love with someone really fast and then it doesn't work out...she lost her love...but you know what? Her heart went on! (cue Celine) She still found love and was happy!"

-Kara-

Granted, I don't think many of us have the issue of the perceived love of our lives, soulmate, and one-and-only drowning in the freezing cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, but hey, sometimes a break up, lack of a second date, or the one person you wanted to see your snap story not actually seeing it certainly can feel that way...

In my art history class we were looking at the print The Four Horsemen, From The Apocalypse by Durer. My professor paused mid explanation of the painting, chuckled to himself, then proceeded to tell us how as the world approached the year 2000 and so many were worried about the world ending, his neighbor began raising rabbits so he would have a continuous food supply when the apocalyptic end began. Smart? Yes. Strange? Much yes.

If BYU loses to Utah, do not even think about or acknowledge the fact that it happened, let alone mention it in your finance class. It is highly looked down upon and you will receive many a jabs  and scrutiny from your professor, classmates, tech support, and probably even the germs in that class. Just. Don't. Do. It.

Boys: if a girl cannot go on a date with you several times in a row, it does NOT mean she belongs on the @provogirlsamIright Instagram account. It honestly could be that she is busy and has plans. This should be a good thing. She is doing something with her life instead of sitting around waiting for you to ask her out again. 

If you walk by or near Swig several times a day, do not bring your wallet with you. You think you are strong, that you can practice self-control, that you will stay loyal to Fiiz, but you are wrong. Sometimes, you are wrong each time you pass it in one day. Again, just. Don't. Do. It.

If you ask your roommate is he/she has an 8 a.m. class at 7:40 and they say "sort of," this means yes, they do have the class, but no, they will not be attending.

And with that we can end our current session of "Things I've Learned at BYU: Back to School Edition." Thanks for tuning in, see you next time.

Adventure of a Lifetime, Photo Edition

I was REAL lazy with my post on London, so here's a bit of a redo: complete with pictures, text, and well, just more on London than how many steps we took and a pastry count.

Oh SnapChat, what would I do without your filters...

Kensington Palace

Kensington Gardens

Selfie with Will and Harry

Wembley Stadium

Our cute friends we made in line

My favourite Thai restaurant, Churchill Arms 

Tower of London 

Hyde Park Chapel

Cheeky tourists...

Richmond

British Museum

Tate Modern

Bonus round: FOOD MMMM YUMMY

best restaurant in Chinatown

Cheers, mate