Piano Man - Jon Schmidt

Amazing concert! Whenever I watch people who are uber talented, whether it's a volleyball game, a concert, or just about anything I get this odd inspiration to do everything possible to be like them. I am in total awe of their talent and I want some of it. So after absorbing the beautiful music and jovial atmosphere of the Jon Schmidt concert I wish I played the piano and at least took it more seriously when I was a kid. Oh well, the Jon Schmidts of the world need an audience and I'm all ears.

84606 Hollywood Gossip - Flashy Gnashers!

Hallway chats have become the norm in 110 and the topic of discussion for tonight was "Before and AFter". Take a look at Disney stars Hillary Duff and Ashley Tisdale. Too much time in front of the camera and in magazines gives them reason to over-analyze their features and "improve" their look. For Hillary the cute lizzie mcguire smile was not making the cut and so naturally if you want to be big in Hollywood you've got to go BIG. She therefore upgraded to enlarge her teeth via porcelain veneers and a breast augmentation, rightfully earning her the nickname "horse teeth".

Next we have Ashley. Being the biggest snob in high school musical must have taken an toll on her mind. They've conditioned her to think, act and behave like a snob so why not look like one. Snobs in our culture have been portrayed as people that have their nose in the air...well now Ashley's nose is permanently up-turned that she won't have to try and stick it in the air.

The decisions of these actresses has greatly influenced my roommate and I so much that we've decided it's time for a transformation.
Leya: Breast augmentations via toilet paper stuffed in el bra
Corina: Black shimmery clutch with long green dress

We're "soooo Hollywood."

A Peck on the Cheek - Mani Ratnam

I watched this Indian film today and I was very curious about the symbolism of rain. It happened at the end of the movie when the mother was reunited with her daughter (sorry to spoil it) and I was thoroughly confused as to why the director chose the thunderous rain as the background noise of this scene. There were various other instances in the movie that confused me as far as the reasoning behind certain camera shots or character expressions. The characters and their body language and expressions threw me off a lot and I kept misinterpreting what they were doing. Anyway, I decided to google the rain thing and found that rain is a symbol of romance. That confused me more and so I looked up the definition of romance, because this scene wasn't portraying what I thought of as a "romance". But dear Merriam-Webster has failed me and I am still left with this insatiable feeling. If anyone has insight on this matter (rain symbolism in movies) please let me know. It's killing me.

Turkey Day

"Don't laugh like your mama don't feed you!" Classic line delivered by the youngest in our Thanksgiving party - a 7 year old. Ya know, I don't know his precise age but he was about the size of a 7 year old and full of attitude and wit. He definitely kept Josie and I on our toes while we played two-hand touch football in the front yard and Apples to Apples.


I think the best combination from Apples to Apples was:
Green Card - Weird
Red Card Options - Mud, Underwear, and Dating
And as the judge, the 7 yr old chose the most obvious one...
Winning Card - Dating

It's kind of funny how Thanksgiving Day isn't even over and I've already started getting ready for Christmas. Snowflakes for the office, wrapping paper for the doors, Christmas socks for my feet and Christmas music for my personal enjoyment (and because they are easy to sing-a-long too and I don't have to make up my own verses). Happy Holidays.

Lessons of the Day: Michael Jordon is perfect, I'm illegal, a chicken leg comes from a turkey and "hike" must be said in order to throw the nerf football.

"Do I dazzle you?"

Twilight is mui bueno. The movie was grand! Albeit there were some silly parts and some bad acting, but it turned out to be more humorous and entertaining than I thought it would be. There were a few critics of the movie before I went in tonight, but I didn't set my expectations to an unreachable height...therefore Twilight = grand. If anyone opposes, so be it. I think if you go and watch it without ever reading the books you're going to be missing out on a lot, because if you've read the books everything in the movie has so much more meaning than the mere actions. All the actors were well chosen, except I never thought Eric would be Asian. That threw me off, but as for everyone else they were perfect for their parts.

Pre-Twilight fun included t-shirt making with my roommates! Aubrey and I were Team Jacob and Leya was Team Edward. True fans.

One disappointment: I really wanted to hear Robert Pattison's accent and so I was a little perplexed at his American accent. But there were a few parts in the movie where his British drawl slipped out :)

Freedom Writers

Please add this movie to my list of movies to own: Freedom Writers.
What I love about this movie is that it is so real! The characters in the movie remind me of friends and kids I knew back home and grew up with and went to school with. I just couldn't get over the intensity the this story possessed and the actors played their roles perfectly. It was amazing all the emotions I went through while watching this movie. That probably sounded weird, but really most of the movies I've watched in this semester stick to one main track of feelings - humor or sappy chick flip. This movie was absolutely invigorating in mind and body and woke me up. I want to make a Toast to Change. Over this Thanksgiving Break I am going to be a different person. The girl from the beginning of the semester is going to be reborn, with a new attitude and a new passion for life. I know I'm deep, just call me "ma".

This week is just racking up the good movies, and in the next 8 hours I will be in the movie theater watching Twilight and swooning over the chiseled chin and amber eyes of the beloved vampire Edward Cullen. Yes, sappy chick flick, but I just can't resist. P.S. watched the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince trailer at work today. FABULOUS! I'm going to the midnight showing! I mean I have to, it's tradition.

Lesson of the Day: The statues at school are wrapped up with saran wrap NOT because they are made of metal and could possibly rust nor for warmth from the cold. They are wrapped up to be protected from potential damage due to the BYU vs. UTAH rivalry that is apparently going on this week due to that oh so big event happening this weekend...what was it again? :) It's something that involves a little leather ball, huge men in blue uniforms, and my cousin Harvey Unga.

silent guardian - DARK KNIGHT!

Oh my goodness, I really don't understand how I managed to go so long without seeing Dark Knight. Seriously A-MA-Zing! My FHE brothers had the brilliant idea of watching it tonight as part of an extended fhe activity. Genius. I just want to watch it again and again. Well, now that it's in the dollar theater I guess I can :) Sweet.

This week is a week for good movies. I watched Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice Sunday evening instead of writing my paper. Tonight I watched Dark Knight instead of writing my paper. And then I will watch Twilight with my roommates and by that time the paper will have been written and turned in. Now to start editing....

Lesson of the Day: Being over enthusiastic with a customer at work gives them license to mock you. And then of course it opens the door for you to mock them in sassy retaliation.

class assignment - blog

So, I was sitting in the closet today at work designing a brochure, when I found out that my fellow employee was taking a Book of Mormon class where her only assignments are to read and blog. Blog! I know, it's the coolest thing ever! I wish that was my homework assignment... Where was this class when I was a freshman?

Lesson of the Day: Eat sunflower seeds during your economics class so everyone can stare at you and you'll feel so self conscious that you'll stay awake and not doze off during the lecture about the aggregate demand curve shock.

Long Over Due

Hello Blogville,

I've decided that it has been too long since my last post and that life without blogging is pointless. I mean seriously, there's been a void and it's been revealed to me that I must blog in order to fill it. The title for this blog depicts more than just my lack of blog posts, but also pertains to my lack of studying attempts for economics, political science, family finance and statistics as well as my realization that my class schedule was not appropriately planned. Typical.

Let's see...as we can observe from my last post I decided to take some time away from my studies. Looks like I applied that philosophy a little too generously and the rest of my fall semester has been me playing catch up. Lame. Hence, my studying attempts at each of the above classes is long over due, my realization that I don't want to major in business, much less apply to the program is long over due (since I am now stuck in the classes - which I shall just convert to a business minor) and the realization that I should have taken personal finance instead of family finance.

Well, I guess I can look at all of the above as sunk costs because my expectations for the future contain a new class schedule and a beautiful outlook. Therefore, the costs of this semester will not effect my future costs and no longer matter. Yay! Look at me, I've used some vocabulary words. Woot.

Lesson of the Day: Use random spouts of vocabulary from your classes in everyday language and people think you are way smart. Just be careful of doing this too well, because others might bombard you with questions and ask you for help. Eww.

Quick side note which should have been posted yesterday.....

Below is the textual conversation between my family, namely my brother and two of my sisters, and I about a particular individual who shall not be named, because I have a reputation to maintain as the "nice" girl and if she found out that I was talking about her I'm sure our agreeable relationship --which consists of sitting next to each other in the one class we share and each of us exuding fake laughs at the other's odd sense of humor (or lack thereof) that neither of us care about--would be terminated and I would have to endure her high school attitude through the rest of my stay at the Y. Also, I've decided to include pictures of my siblings so that you can see their expressions in your mind as you read their responses (Marie at piano with JohnJohn and Josie doing some genie-somethin pose and me with glasses and meditating). Let us proceed*

Nina (Mass Text to JohnJohn, Josie, and Marie): Omg this is going to make me a horrid person, but I have to say this. This girl is singing at the top of her lungs one of my favoritest songs and she's horrible. She is totally ruining it and I wish she would just shut up! Like it is literally hurting my ears. Literally.
Josie: Hahaha you should create a blog.
Nina: I already have one I just haven't been on in a while. And I can't because if she read my blog she would freak!
Josie: So change her name to "this girl".
Nina: Ok.

JohnJohn to Nina: Oh.........fight back. I know there's a banshee in u.

Marie to Nina: Hahahaha then listen to your laptop or something
Nina: I can't. I can still hear her. Agh my ears hurt. You know how people cringe when they hear finger nails scratching the chalk board? Yeah it's kind of like that.
Marie: Haha you fight back yet?

*Please note that this conversation is not typed verbatum, because none of my family keeps my texts stored in their phone for dire purposes such as now. Rude.

SEGO

SEGO: Provo Music Festival substitute for Austin City Limits.

You gotta do what you gotta do.

The McDonald's shirt was awesome. And I just realized that his face matches the face on thebanner behind him. Funny.

My plan to work two jobs and save up money to fly home for the Austin City Limist Music Festival fell through and so I was here in Provo and had to make up for my lack of live music. Thus, I attended the SEGO Fest and felt the little hole in my heart where ACL was fill with satisfaction. I'm so glad I could get my fill of live music for the weekend. What's even better is that I can listen to music from ACL on attblueroom.com/music so really it's like I was there...almost...but hey it's better than nothing. Yay for SEGO. :)

Even though attending the music festival put me behind on my studies for about 5 hours it's all good. I think it was a good investment of my time and seriously, if it would have been a higher opportunity cost for me to stay put at home and study.

Twenty

Happy Birthday to Me. I've officially left the realm of teenagers.

California

I went down to California with my cousins during the second to last week in August. It was grand and smelled just like home! Even the people reminded me of home and I was soo happy! I made a few new friends on the pier and got to walk on the beach. There was a lot of shopping, but the best place in the shopping centers (The Grove, The Fashion District, and other huge shopping malls) was the three story Barnes N' Noble! I was seriously in heaven.

Since I'm not going to go home until this Christmas, it was nice to leave the small confines of Provo and BYU campus and be around normal people again. I mean, don't get me wrong, they're some righteous people at BYU, but sometimes they all just get on my nerves with their self righteousness and how they treat people they don't know.



Being in California was exactly what I need. I hiked the Y a week before with my FHE group and that's when it hit me. I needed to get out of Provo. I was sitting on the Y and thinking to myself and looking at the extent of my existence here in Provo, from point A (my casa) to point B (campus). It was the most depressing thing to see how my life seemed to revolve around those foci, that something in my brain clicked and I knew that if I planned on surviving the next four months in Provo I needed to get out of it. I love Austin so much and the people there that I just needed something that was close to that environment, and California fit that profile perfectly.



I enjoyed my time with my cousins and also realized how much I dislike spending money and shopping all the time. My favorite part of California was talking to people that didn't go to BYU and that weren't from Utah. It's just so refreshing to be around people with different perspectives and backgrounds. I guess I also just felt at home because they were people of color all around me! It's still a bit of a culture shock being surrounded by so many white people, coming from Texas and it's huge diverse population. Anyway, I just want to confirm that California rocks. Especially the areas that I was in - Whittier, LA, and Santa Monica.

The Lions

I'm so glad my family got to come up and visit this summer. It was so much fun having the whole gang together again. Even Terriana managed to make it up in the middle of the week. I'm glad they at least got to come up because I won't be going home until Christmas time.

Some of the things we did while they were here was attend the Stadium of Fire, eat at Mimi's Cafe, chill at Barnes N' Noble, visit relatives, watch Wall-E, hang out with the Gallups, walk to the parade, shop at the 4th of July booths and eat lunch on campus.

Seriously, my family is the best. Sure, we are far from perfect, but I wouldn't trade any member for anything. I like that we are all different and that we share a lot of the same interests as well. The best times together are when we are just chilling out at home and telling stories or cracking jokes. Family prayers were always a riot. I'm not to sure if we got through any without laughing. Don't worry no one was offending God, he was laughing too. Oh and what's also great about my family is that we make random videos and concoct our own songs. A lot of it is improv and then the rest, well what else are we supposed to do with all that free time on Sundays?

Anyway, we are probably the oddest family ever and that's why I love them. Below are just a few reasons of why I love being a De Leon.


Mom: Josie, we have to bless the food.
Josie: It's already blessed. We're in Utah!

Terri: I like boys with trucks!
Josie: Morris has a truck!


Dad: Mom keeps giving me that look: "Where are my kisses?"
JohnJohn: Ashley gave me that look at Soar.

More Memorable De Leon Moments....

Josie: Look it's a rat!
Terri: No, it's Gus Gus!!!!!! Nina: Careful, JohnJohn might eat him for his survival camp.

JohnJohn: Dad always says stuff that I already know.

Terri: Wait, just listen.
JohnJohn: Let me guess...a boy was checking you out.

Picture Scavenger Hunt!!!

Last night I went on a double date! It was so much fun and my roommates helped plan it out. My roommate and I doubled with two guys from our fhe group. We were assigned tasks as part of a scavenger hunt and had to take pictures for each task. I had a lot of fun and the pictures were awesome. We went around Provo, south of the BYU campus, on foot and got to know our dates a little bit more. We began the date with pizza and ended with ice cream.

It's ironic that we all chided Michelle for spilling on herself and I totally ended up spilling ice cream on my shirt too. What goes around comes around eh? Anyway, the night ended well and we had some girl talk with the roomies afterwards to assess everything. I'd say it was a Friday night well spent.

jurassic park in the canyons

Back home we always watched movies on the projector inside the house or outside on the lawn. It's the coolest thing ever, and Provo just got cool points yesterday because I watched Jurassic Park in the canyons with a group from my ward! It was projected onto a sheet and brought back lots of good memories.

It was fun hanging out with my rooms. We also got to meet more people in our ward and that was nice, cause I still feel like the new kid. Also, my roommates and I had fun being goofy and taking lots of pictures. Sometimes, I care to much about being and looking mature when I'm around older people, but last night I didn't care. I let myself loose and didn't worry about what everyone thought about me. I've been so caught up with that lately, that it felt awesome to just relax and be myself. I haven't had so much fun in a while :)

I must say, life is so much more enjoyable when you can be yourself. That's definitely a "DUH" factor, but sometimes I forget that. And, what made the night even better was that I got to wear my awesome Tegan and Sara shirt. Rock on!

brushing off the dust

It's been so long since I've been able to open my guitar case and jam. I seriously have only broken it out of its case twice the entire spring term. I know...LAME!! So, I decided to make a pact with myself while my eyes glazed over at work, to play the guitar for a bit everyday! Like seriously, how am I supposed to be freaking awesome if I never touch it?

So today I played and it was a little disheartening how rusty I was since last semester. But, it's all good, cause I'll be back at it and much better soon. Real soon. Like before my family comes up to play with me in July :)

Death Cab for Cutie + Tegan and Sara Concert

So I definitely went to the Death Cab for Cutie/Tegan and Sara concert for Memorial Day and it was Phe-Nom-enal!!! Seriously the songs are so much more amazing when you hear it straight from the singers!

This was my first concert and it was great! It was amazing that I was so close to the singers and the adrenaline rush was awesome!

Unfortunately, I'm lame and put my camera back in my car because the security people were walking around outside and saying "no cameras, no chairs and no outside foods". I was really confused when I heard them say that because I always see photos taken by my friends at concerts. But of course, being my paranoid and goody-two-shoes self I left my friend Alyssa in line and walked all the way back to my car to put away my camera, because I didn't want it to be taken from me or to have to leave the line later and put it in my car....Then check this...I get to the front of the line where they are supposed to frisk you and make sure you're safe, the lady hardly even looks at my bag and I get ushered in through the gate where I'm asked to present my ticket. Ok, so how lame is that!?! I totally could have sneaked my camera in, like Alyssa suggested because the chic hardly looked at my bag AND when we got to the stage everyone around me had cameras!!!

Yeah, I was a little ticked. But that feeling quickly went away cause I was just so freaking excited to be there! Waiting in line for 2.5 hours til the gates opened was definitely worth it.

My plan is to steal someone else's death cab pictures from facebook, because the pics on my cell phone are hardly worthy to be posted on this blog.

Anyway, after the concert, I got a Tegan and Sara shirt and then I bought a Rogue Wave shirt (the new band that didn't get to play, because of the shortened concert time) and totally chatted with the Rogue Wave manager who pitched the awesome quality of the band shirt and convinced me (although i was already convinced on my own by the design) to buy one. Basically, I can say that "I'm with the Band" when it comes to Rogue Wave.

Well, it's getting late and math's gonna be a killer tomorrow morning. Stupid integrals.

As I conclude this blog, I would just like to quote Tegan and Sara "We're not here to talk. We're here to Rock!"

So I'm gonna rock out to a few songs and then hit the sack. Peace, L♥ve, The Gap.

New Do

Ok, so I went short, but not too short. :D

Short hair is so much fun! Seriously.

It takes less time to manage and it's just awesome. Money saving and time saving.

BTW: My friend's band The Good Boys and another band Kung Fu Fax Machine. Both exquisite.

i ♥ live music

curly crop

So I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow at 10 am and I'm still trying to decide how short to go. I was reading in the self magazine and they had tips for Oval faces (which is the face shape that I possess) and this was one of the options called curly crop. I really wanna be drastic but not overly drastic that I no longer look like a girl. The other option is to cut my hair at least ... barely above my shoulders...but i dunno.

I don't exactly want to look like JohnJohn's lost brother so we'll have to make sure he gets a buzz before I come home with my short crop. hmm...what am I thinking? What the heck! Screw what everyone else thinks I'm gonna get my hair cut however I want. YEAH!!! bring it on.

New Beginnings

I'm so excited that I created a blog!