Starry Eyed Lives

At one point during your lifespan, you will encounter a human being that is different than any other individual you have previously met. To recognize this kindred spirit look for the signs of them quickly falling into position of:  co-conspirator, frienbling and co-innovator. 

 I always seem to come home with an incredibly farfetched dream I'm motivated to achieve when I'm with Jessica and so I'm fairly certain Dave gets nervous if I mention I saw her. Our aspirations have not always been in vain though: we have successfully traveled  Paris, cried together the night before my wedding and a secret I'm not yet allowed to spill. I call it fate that at age 13, Jess, Sonia and I were put into a Pride and Prejudice reading group together. We were created to inspire each other.

Tomorrow, is Jess's Birthday.
I want it to be everything her heart desires.

I believe to not fail without a fight.

No Crumpets and Tea for Me

The only logical explanation is to...Krump.

Here, lies never-before-seen footage of Dave and I dancing our worries away last night http://youtu.be/tjbJ9yzDrEc. Tee hee, it's a little embarrassing since we are just beginners but who knows? we might be a youtube sensation. Dave does love his red pants, my hair kept getting caught in my face and the hidden camera makes our apartment look a tad bit different. Krumping is for the "it's STILL january?" moments when the main thing you'd like to do is just punch the floor because that makes sense at the time. Next time your day is close to lousy, krumpet away. The process is quite healing.

This video has nothing to do with krumping or our last night adventure, but it's audition was interesting enough to include. 

I believe in bridging cultural gaps.

Born adventurers

Children are born adventurers.

Last night I happened to dream one of the most satisfying dreams I can ever remember. The rich color, vivid images and happy situations seemed so joyously realistic that it made more sense to be asleep than to be awake. Throughout the day, I kept wondering why this particular dream seemed so undeniably wonderful. Then I realized, it was because I felt like little Lizi inside that world.The little girl inside of me who was care-free, who easily pictured such a beautiful environment, who knew that things would always work out.

It is just like my former self to have a best friend for a chameleon, all of the friends I have ever had crammed into a class held at my elementary school, it made sense to go visit a field full of horses after school, then I rode a gorgeous dappled horse to my wedding, where a black gospel choir welcomed me at the door and everyone I have ever cared about was there for me, rooting me on. I used to be bold but shy, introvert but had no need for social norms, I was innovative and inspired, I was Lizi Richards.

I believe in nostalgic happenings.

Accordions, White and Going Forth

Happy White Christmas in January!

 I miss South Dakota.
My fresh break from life seems more like a figment of my imagination than an actual vacation a month ago.

I went back to the usual down in the dumps self. Sincerely trying to get out of it though. Fortunately, I may have just snagged my first animation gig. To this song. Well, I find this song fitting. I'm waiting for the directors approval. Isn't it lovely?

I believe in rocky road ice cream with graham crackers.

The Wonder of Woman

Wonder Woman

Weight: 165 lbs

Though not the first, Wonder Woman is the most widely known super heroine. She was named the 20th greatest comic book character by Empire Magazine. Her Powers include: superhuman strength, flight, super-speed, super agility and the ability to communicate with the animal kingdom. She weighed 165 pounds. She is beautiful.

She saved the world from daily mayhem, changed history and the societal views of women.

Did her weight ultimately matter? No.

Did her weight determine her worth, no - PS neither does yours.

I believe in the physical form.

Should Have Called Him Ralph

Sometimes you scare me.

I wish I could fix all of it.

I believe in fathers.

Bagel.

I am a bagel.

fall and conquer

When Dave babysits the camera.

I believe in flying.

I woke up and knew I had an odd stench. 

So I put on a hat.

I believe in randomly breaking out into dance.

Coco Cries.

It was exquisite to witness.
Dave now senses just how agonizing goodbyes are for me.

Miss Chievious

My sister won Miss Provo when I had just turned 16.

Ever since, pageants and I have had a love-hate relationship. I know I'm persnickety about the subject but I do feel that I have a right to be since I was directly involved with the universe.  The thing about pageants is you no longer are called by your name, you have a new title which insinuates a whole different meaning. No longer is a guy asking you out because "I want to get to know a pleasant girl named Erika" but it's so he can say "I went out with Miss Provo."

Here I was, just beginning to open my eyes to the dating world and I watched as each shallow man used my sister for something they could brag about later. It didn't help that the first guy that began to show interest in me was one of those popular punk kids that won't even look your direction unless you are far away from anyone that could know his high school persona. I suppose I learned a lot from that year, the tricks of 'beauty' like furniture painting bodies, duct taping boobs and hairspraying difficult swimsuits. but to all the people that asked me when I was going to run for Miss Provo, I simply said "I'll judge myself in a swimsuit on my own time thank you very much."

There are redeeming qualities to pageants too though. The Miss Utah competition was almost way too much for me to handle. The more artificial the ladies seemed, the more anxious I became in my chair. Until the winners were introduced...it always surprises me but each pageant I have watched a down-to-earth girl wins and I LOVE that.

Erika has asked us to watch Miss America with her every year since her fiasco of winning Miss Provo. I have avoided beauty pageants from all possible ways until last saturday's Miss America 2012 broadcast. I wanted to support Erika's creativity and by golly was she good at it! Linda made me feel dumb about taking pictures so I only have a few. Punk. 

Eight ladies received an invite to attend Saturday eve in their 'evening wear' which is pajamas (of course.)

Erika crowned each of us as we walked into her cute home and we all got to choose a title we liked, I was Miss Chievious, there was Miss Fit, Miss Demeanor and if my pregnant sister Kim attended she would have been Miss Conception. 

We got to choose one girl who we thought would take the competition. We had our own categories of "fakest tan" "longest teeth" and "most plastic." But my favorite part is each of us competed for prizes during the commercial breaks.  It was the best beauty pageant ever!

I believe in comfy dresses!

Work it Grandma.

Thanks Erika.

I adore the moment the water turns warm in the shower.

4:11am.

I just barely finished my homework for tomorrow morning. Oh crumb.

Dreaded Question

For some reason, in every film class it is required that you say your name and a film you have recently seen that you consider well-done. What a daunting assignment! 

With film as all of our majors, there are a lot of extremely opinionated classmates. I feel like the film you say needs to be some profound title to impress all of the others in the room but choose wisely because everybody will identify you with this title and you will possibly be publicly ridiculed. My new plan is to  re-watch "Citizen Kane" at the start of every semester so that I will not be looked down upon for my film viewings.

I believe in feel-good musicals. Shhh.

Fare-thee-well

Yes, I ask Hairy Chest to cut my hair.

This was the result after I asked for him to cut off an inch. What can I say? I'm a risk-taker.

I believe in midnight snacks.

"For every worry under the sun, there be a remedy or there be none. If there be one, hurry and find it! If there be none, never mind it!"

-LeGrand Richards 

(My very own Great Grandfather)

Emotions are Complicated

If you are a woman, or if you have ever been the victim of a woman's wrath you will appreciate this. It's the whole episode but it's really fun so I suggest watching it all.

(Thanks to Ben and Becca!) 

I believe in chocolate.

Good news: 

My bare elbow and the sun rekindled their friendship for a few brief moments today.

Warmth? mmmmmm

Belated Christmas Surprise

         Ooooh this letter is full of the goods. I totally want to quote that sentence in my toolbox, oh and that part, oooh that too. Wow, mom writes a lot but it's okay because she's always been strong with words. "So that's why I've decided to give you the red car." Wait, what??? Read that again. "So that's why I've decided to give you the red car." No way.....Is she being serious? With a puzzled face I looked up from the yellow piece of paper. Erika has that anticipated face on, I always have known when Erika is waiting for me to cry. But I didn't cry this time. I sat there stunned like petrified wood. This cannot real. I still don't think I believe it. I sneak to my parents house everyday for even small bits of time now. I don't really know why, maybe because I feel a little guilty for the gift, I feel like I shouldn't pluck the car out of it's home so suddenly or maybe because I'm trying to slowly convince myself that the car is really mine. 

        Let me explain: This red car is actually white. Grandma Chee Chee always wanted a red car and one day Grandpa came in and told her he got her red car. She ran to the garage to find a white sable and probably gave Glen the dirtiest glare known to mankind (knowing my Grandmother.) Though, the car does not have a red exterior, it's spirited heart begs to differ. I was never allowed to touch this car when I was a kid and I still feel as if Grandma is up in heaven threatening that she will will "rip my nose right off" if I don't keep her car in perfect condition.

       By now, you must know that my Grandmothers mean a lot to me. I actually first got into film because I wanted to make Grandma Chee Chee movies. At the end of her life she couldn't leave the house often but I always had an inkling of how much she wanted to. So I brought our lives to her, in roughly edited sequences. Plus, she scared me so much that I wanted to find some reason for her to like me-it worked too! So now, I have probably the most charitable gift I have ever received for Christmas (my parents have out-done themselves every year and yet again this trumps it all.) I'm so grateful I could faint, as a matter of fact I probably will sometime soon. I haven't had this much freedom of transportation since my last car fried right up into a bunch of melted steel. So believe it or not, Thank you mom. I cannot say it enough and I won't be able to. This present means so much more to me than I could ever be able to explain to you.

But it still doesn't feel real.

Adorable

"New life makes losing life easier to understand."-Jack Johnson

Mumu Day

December 31, 2011

Today, I wear “the mumu.”

*mumu said in an intense dramatic movie trailer voice*

Actually, I’m not sure if that’s what it’s really called. The only thing I could find at the moment was one of those hawaiin tie-skirts, so I call it the mumu. We traveled twenty hours in the car yesterday coming back from South Dakota (which is my new favorite vacation spot btw) to find our apartment’s power turned off. Whoops, vacation from paying the bills? Maybe :) We slept at my parents and since this morning would have been the fourth day of no showering, cleanliness won and the only article of clean clothing downstairs to cover my legs was the mumu. Happy rotten milk and fridge remnants day! what a fitting/glorious day to receive a letter from elder sister Valdez!

A few days ago, Dave and I were chatting about New Years and what we had done in the past. Let’s face it, Sonia and I have had some pretty eventful New Years eve’s. Even way back when we were both freshmen and before the boy drama when we all went ice skating. I can't skate. It's a pretty interesting sport to behold upon my ankles. Or the next year...Gordon B Hinkley gave the Book of Mormon challenge that year and I was trying to finish that night by listening with my ghetto cd player. I left it in our friends car and we got lost walking around provo. It was pouring rain out and I remember Sonia and I just sang into it. Then, it got way too cold and neither of us had cellphones yet. Is it weird that fifteen year olds didn't have cellphones only a few years ago? I was sure the world was going to end that night. Especially if I didn't finish the Book of Mormon in time.

Listen to those sweet sounds of “New Years Eve laser tag.” I LOVE that tradition. What happened to it? I only hit Sonia in the face that one time and it was totally on accident (hey, her contacts make her eyes so scary in black-light so what.) I got the idea of bringing back the tradish last year way too late. I will not give up on bringing back the annual laser tag new years traditions. THIS CANNOT BE LOST. I hope the large group of friends that started the original will now bring their boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses, you name it. I can’t be the only one of us who thinks this is a brilliant idea. I have a dream and no man will shake it.

Anyways, mumu day. Today. The end of the year. What have we to say? Sonia is currently fulfilling her life long dream and I went from being single, relationship, engaged and married all in THIS year. We both sure are passionate young ladies. If there is at least one thing I can say, it would be WE SHOULD BE SO PROUD (not the evil kind of pride of course.) Cheers! Huzzah! Kick up your non-flashy shoes Sonia, for we have conquered thus far.

After the celebrations, talent shows, dance parties, board games, eating my weight in sweets and a midnight kiss accompanied by fireworks I ended my night watching the last half of Just Like Heaven on TV. Did you know the two main characters are named “Lizzie” and “David?” Yep, I knew that crush on Mark Ruffalo as a fifteen year old was completely justified. But oh MY DAVID J, I cannot believe how precious life is for sending me him and allowing me to meet him. He is my side-kick and super hero. He is the hot air balloon that sweeps me off my feet. He is always the treat I look forward to at the end of the day and having him all to myself these two weeks has really spoiled me.

The New Year Plan Stan:

• "Get Some Friends."
• Prefer to Walk
• Sing Louder
• Find Beauty in the Every-day
• Be Malleable
• Look at the intent of others (instead of judging them by their actions)

I believe we are unlimited beings.