names. (super cheesy alert)

With all of the women in my office currently being pregnant, talk of baby names is more common than actual work talk.  So I pulled out my "list" from several years back.  For the first time, I looked up the meanings and I was pleasantly surprised.

For girls I have:

Lucy - Light
Indie- short for independent...as I am sure any girl I raise will be :)

Saige- Wisdom, Wise One

Lily- Innocence, Purity and Beauty

And I would use Rebecca as a middle name, which is my real name and means "Captivating".

For boys I have:

Samuel Jordan - Requested of God

Stuart Michael - Steward

I know that it sounds silly to even be thinking about this now, but I could not help it. It went along with my New Year's Resolution and then when I saw how blessed those names were...it was a sign :)  Seem so pathetic and typical for a girl to be doing something so foolish, but I just wanted to fit in with the group and stake claim on my names before those women snatch em!

secret.

Not that I am in high demand, but I would never model. When I was younger (ah the days of youth), random scouts would ask me to come model and it was just never really anything that interested me. Plus, my parents were far too practical than to allow me to be part of such a tainted industry. But I always had a secret desire to model for The North Face.  Not because I want to be famous or feel some need for my face to be plastered everywhere (and I really did outgrow that need to wear logos a long time ago, but North Face products are LEGIT)..but because I would get all of their amazing stuff.  and currently, I would really like one of these... in every color. I am always cold and if I am always wearing their brand anyway, I might as well get paid to do it and score some free booty out of it. Thus this could only be a logical choice. that is all.

few things that i love more.

There are few things that I can really say that I am obsessed with.  But sports, basketball in particular, definitely make that list.  I have put a lot of effort into analyzing why it is I am such a supporter of the game... in order to be fair, I have tried to put just as much effort into other sports. But no matter how much more I understand the football, baseball (god bless the Cards), etc, I always come back to Basketball. Perhaps it is because I applaud those that have been vertically blessed and utilize it to their advantage. But, no. It is much more than that. The mental and the physical aspects of it are thrilling. Sitting court side and hearing, feeling, smelling all of it so up close and personal was one of the best moments of my life as a spectator.

The other night Scott invited me to barge in on dude night and we got to go to the Jazz v. Kings game. I was not all that excited about the game itself but it turned out to be incredibly fun. 

We had great seats and yes...I was on TV :) Right behind P. Millsap who was kickin' butt and takin' names all night long. 

This week will be a baller week too, Wednesday we're up against Portland again (we better win) and on Saturday Ty and I are going to see the Nuggets!  I am so excited, I have been excited for weeks!

love.

I took this quote from Britt's blog because it was just too tender to pass up: 

"one of the biggest forms of flattery is knowing that just by being your normal, wonderful self, you make someone fall in love with you"

in my defense.

I am not a completely shallow and nonsensical girl that writes about silly things all the time. I have some depth and sometimes, on a good day, I even do have feelings. As part of my 2010 Resolution, I started another blog for the purpose of sharing those parts of my life. It really is more for me- to aid me in recognizing the more spiritual moments and blessings that I have. It was private and truth be told, you will probably find it rather boring, repetitive and maybe a complete ball of cheese. But should you feel the desire to know whether or not i really do have any sort of a heart... here it is.

line upon line. 

sometimes it is great to be a girl.

(please do not judge me for what I about to share with you)

I took Sally to get her oil changed today.  The price was $45.99 and then I had to buy a new air filter and get my tail light replaced (she's a little rough around the edges...it adds character : / ).

Well, what happens when a GIRL walks in and needs all of this completed??  She gets her oil change for $15 less, a free light bulb replacement and a major discount on an air filter. Along with everything cleaned, vaccumed, a free set of Armor All wipes and 5 men smiling and telling her to have a good day.

I am just saying... there are perks to being a girl. If they do that to guys too - well then good for them, but I have a feeling that being female helps a little :).

Guilty Pleasure...(warning to my easily influenced female friends: it is about food).

In case you have not noticed from posts of the past, I am somewhat of a carb addict.  However, I do try to make them "healthy carbs"...not the starchy, fakey, white stuff. But I crave bread and pasta all the time and I could NEVER do Atkins (those poor animals).  Pasta is something that I could easily eat everyday. It is chock full of carbs (great for running), easy to make, goes with anything and is super cheapy. This is my favorite kind:

It tastes just like any other American pasta, but it has calcium, fiber and less sugar or something supposedly healthy like that. Plus, it is reasonably priced and comes in attractive packaging, WIN.

But I do have a guilty pleasure. This one happens once a year- IF that.  I grew up on homemade wheat bread my entire life. Being the selfish, stupid child that I was, I would complain and beg for White Wonder bread (like I said, I was stupid, I now fully acknowledge how blessed I was).  But now that I am no longer under my mother's wing and I lack her patience and baking skills, it is store bought bread every time. I don't usually buy bread, but when I do, it is something like this:

Healthy, wholesome, nutty, dry...dense...bleh. (ok I actually really love that bread, and eating it makes me feel like such a Granola!)

But here comes the guilty pleasure:

Oh my goodness, Grandma Sycamore, bless her heart. This white bread is amazing. The bagillion calories per slice mean nothing to me in comparison to the sheer joy that I get from biting into couple slices of Grandma's labor of love slathered with this:

After our run the other day, Ang and I came home to eat lunch and I made the sandwiches...direct quote from Ang,

"oh my gosh. this bread is amazing...mmmmm...I do not want this sandwich to end!"

Yes, it is that good. Like I said, this is a rare indulgence for me. But if any of you are having a carb craving and will have time to work it off shortly after, I highly recommend.

i am not sure if this is rude or not.

(not the most attractive picture...we were quite exhausted by this point. But thank you Wyatt for the attempt.)

Would it be considered ill mannered to go to Chili's on a busy weekend night and order nothing but bottomless chips and salsa??  And then to sit there for 3 hours simply laughing and talking (NOT gossiping, one more reason why I love these girls, we always have more intelligent or interesting things to talk about)??

Well... either way, that is exactly what we did. But we did tip well and we were not obnoxious as far as I know. Lily, Kati and I had a perfect Girl’s night and I have not laughed so hard in months. We realized that Chili's is definitely a place that memories are made.  If I had a $ for every time that I have been there... I would be a baller.  Relationships have been created, mended, ended, fortified; bellies have been filled, games have been watched (way to go Jazz!), numbers have been exchanged, Facebook friends requests have sparked (this is far from an always positive thing, I am grateful that I have a last name that is hard for people to remember, sorry Lil!)... Countless memories in that silly run of the mill place.

I blame these lovies:

We went with the full intention of having a girls only night and we were quite successful for the most part (Wyatt doesn't count, sorry ladies, he is my basketball-go-to-man and he had to be there). Ahhh let's just say that this night was one for the books and I am so glad that we went. LOVE YOU!

xoxo.

conducive to my lifestyle.

I would really love to have this car. Throw some tennis stuff, rock climbing gear, a long board and a bike rack on?!?!  Perfect summer adventures just waiting to happen. Plus AWD in these blasted UT winters?  Winner.

Happy Birthday, Puppyluski.

(woah, this was us... 3 years ago, we look like babies!)

Today is Josh's birthday!  FINALLY.

Dear Puppy,

Happy happy birthday! We just got back from our traditional midnight grocery shopping, but just wanted to give you your own bday post too :) You are a stinky boy, you say bad words, you beat me up and sometimes I want to strangle you...yet you remain one of my very best friends.  You have had so much going against you and continue to break the mold and overcome them all; you are becoming an amazing man.  H is a lucky girl to have you.  Thank you for always being there for me through all these years.  Love you, pup.

xoxo.

Some of my Favorite Things About Josh are:

* he makes me laugh so hard

* is LOYAL and HONEST

* is a real handy man, a jack of all trades

* is the most dedicated Chargers fan I have ever seen

*obsession with John Mayer, Chevelle and Incubus

* his truck and our drives

sooooo much more.

I love this picture of him, taking a nap with Baby right after she was born. He loves her so much.

Years later we are still best friends and still lookin' like idiots.

TOAST.

Dear Sean,

Be prepared to experience a devastating loss of pride and sooooooo much more. Oh and I happen to love almonds in my brownies. Best of luck.

xoxo.

beckie

Angela Wagnerrrr.

That is Ang and me, years ago. And to the right is her and Z.

 Just a little birthday shout out. I freaking love this girl. Oh and may it be known that I have been there since the BEGINNING of her and Z's perfected relationship. If any couple is doing the marriage thing right... (besides Will and Jada) it's those two. Not only are they such a great and realistic couple, they let me 3rd wheel it ALL the time. Ang is a go getter. She gets things done with fierce determination and style. I love our epic roommate chats, doing random stretches and exercises on the family room floor, sharing random facts and articles...and so much more. She is a fantastic roommate and even better friend, oh and do not bother racing her...you will lose.  Happy Birthday, Ang, you're a lucky man Z!!!

xoxo

*Special thanks to Judy and Andre B. for having us all over for her birthday din din. It was fab as always and so much fun to be with The Couples. Oh and Ty, welcome to the family, everyone loves you too.

Do This.

I am so excited to run this!!

Who wants to join me???

There it is.

One of my best friends, J., has asked me at least 190,000 times what my favorite "love song" is...I am not a very romantical person and so it has been hard for me to narrow down to one that I could consider my favorite. There are plenty of classics and whimiscal, lovey dovey songs, but when it comes down to the grit of whatever "love" is... this expresses it pretty well for me. Not to mention his voice gives me chills. So J., here you go, now leave me alone :)

Ready When You Are.

Trapt.

Are you having trouble keeping up Seeing this thing through
I want to know who you're running from me or you
You're too confused to open up feel the way I do
I want to know who you're thinking of cause I really have no clue

Another game of charades
Don't you know everybody plays
I don't want to lose to you that way
Maybe we'll be different this time around
Maybe we'll be different I don't know
Don't want to strangle this, so I'm holding back for now

Calm down don't take it too far
I know only time can heal scars
So I'm ready when you are When you are
I'm ready when you are
Don't want any false starts
I can do without the time apart
So I'm ready when you are When you are
I'm ready when you are

Are you having trouble keeping up You know that I will wait
I wonder if it's good enough To make you stay
You're too confused to open up You don't know what to say
Well you can tell me if you think it's love I won't be far away

I want to know if you're thinking of me
I'll be counting the hours even though I know I'm free
Too soon to take a chance No more questions left to ask
I could be anything, but the one thing I'm not sure you want to be

Calm down don't take it too far
I know only time can heal scars
I'm ready when you are When you are
I'm ready when you are
Don't want any false starts
I can do without the time apart
I'm ready when you are When you are
I'm ready when you are

Calm down, I'm ready when you are

Listen here: Ready When You Are

I am a girl. I like "things".

Sometimes I really enjoy online browsing of "things". It actually eases my desire to shop, just seeing the cute, fun things. I can be satifised with window shopping. Just seeing all the wonderful stuff, smelling it, touching it... (remember Rebecca Bloomwood in the Shopaholic book/movie series? That is my soul sister. In an extreme alter ego, ginger kid sense.) I am materialistic sometimes, I'm sorry. But it is much more satisfying to walk out and know that I did not spend money, than knowing that I wasted money on something that I don't absolutely love or need. But there are a few things that I am currently obsessed with. And may I also note, they are all ON SALE! Detrimental words to any budget.

I love this earring holder. I don't even like those earrings, but what a cool way to hang up your favorite pair of earrings! And if you are going to have cute earrings to display...they might as well be:

And what a steal. 1. Juicy. 2. PEARLS. 3. Gold. 4. Adorable backings. 5. Interchangable, two earrings for the price of... 4 (but they're juicy..that is better than 1 for the price of 4)

And while we are enabling my Juicy Justifications: I LOVE this necklace. Every girl needs a real locket. It's dainty, classic and chic. Perf.

And if you want to display your locket on a seemly neckline, do your yoga. Nothing says Namaste like this super boho mat!

Ok, I got that out of my system for now. Allow me to defend myself in saying...I do not need these things and I am perfectly happy without them, but I feel like knowing what appeals to me, even in the materialistic sense, teaches me a bit about my style and me. And that is the point of this blog...it is all about me ...bawwhahaha....this just got awkward.

Needed: Gas Bill Advice.

Brrrrrrrrrrrr......

My wonderful roommate and I kinda got screwed over when it comes to our living sitauation. Due to the fact that our 3rd roommate moved out and did not sell her contract...the utility bills are now split between just us two poor kids.

Our last gas bill was $76 outrageous dollars. I mean, what is money...who needs food, toilet paper... gas. Whatevs.

Basically we are trying to figure out what a good temp to keep the house at would be... and some other ideas so that we don't have to wear parkas all day but don't have to give up our first born to be comfortable. Any ideas???

Seriously, So Blessed.

But no really, I am.

There have been a lot of changes in my life lately. Nothing drastic, like a new job, boyfriend, car, nothing like that... but more of a change of heart. It has been a slow process and is still far from complete.

I have come to realize that the more I focus my life on Christ, the more everything else comes into place. This is something that I have always believed and I have always seen happen in life. But the past few months I have made stronger efforts and the rewards have been tenfold.

Some examples.

I have been blessed with a job that has its struggles and frustrations, but it has taught me a lot too. It also motivates me to return to school, even though I am scared to death to go back to college. But I am more afraid of being stuck in an office 40 hours a week.

I was able to spend the holidays with my family. We are all SO different. But I had a great time. I needed the R and R time with my parents. The babies remind me of the goodness in the world and my parents and older sister inspire me to have a family of my own. And Hillary continues to be my best friend and shoulder.

I have been trying to make some changes in my budget, so that I can better finance my life and relieve some stress. While 10% tithing seems like nothing... that's still a wad of cash for me. But I promised to be extra attentive to this and to make sure that I always pay it right away no matter what. And what do you know...upon renewing my car insurance, I got a policy 45% less expensive!! So wonderful.

My friend Lily. She is a gem. And I mean that so sincerely. When we met, we never thought that we would be friends. But she has been such a ray of sunshine in my life. I am so grateful to her example and her support.

I have had great health. My health insurance does not kick in for 2 more months...but I have been so blessed to not have any severe illnesses or anything of the sort to deal with (knock on wood).

I have been happier, nicer, calmer...

Anyway...those are just a few things that I have come to notice. There are so many blessings that i receive every moment of my life. SOmetimes they are more difficult to see than others, but they are there.

How is This Logical.

Why is it that I am the smallest person in almost every environment I am in....but I always have "to be the bigger person"?????

meeehhh poo.

That is all.

My Name is Beckie and I Have an Addiction.

Hillary was in my room the other day looking at all of my books. Let's just say...I have an addiction. I love books. I love reading them, owning them, looking at them, the smell, the colors, the wear, the sizes, the pictures (in some cases...) etc. I cannot help it. I LOVE BOOKS. Being well aware of this area of weakness of mine, she was telling me how she described my dream house. And I found some pictures to describ

e the walls of my perfectly chic, bungalow/farmhouse that I will one day have.

THe decorating schemes here are nothing like I would have, but I LOVE the built in "over the doorway" shelving. So cozy!

Look at all of those glorious books! (the beautiful crown molding and colors add a lot of points to this one too. Good job Country Living, good job.)

Poopy Provo.

Ok, so it is not quite that bad. In fact, I would have to say that in comparison to years past, this has been a fairly mild winter. But nonetheless...it is still winter. Ew. Cold, icy, slushy... I could just use a little warmth that is not going to have the drying effects (on both skin and bank account) of an ancient heater. But I am grateful to have heat and to have hot water.

I cannot help it, I love to be warm. And the sun just makes me happy!

I cannot wait for summer for:

How cute and modest are those?! (*that is adorable Whitney Rasmussen in the PERFECT teal tankini).

I could also use a little bit of this:

The smell, the sound, the thrill of the perfect return... I would sa

y serve, but let's admit, I suck at serving.

For now I would be more than happy with:

But chances of that are slimmer than an anorexic's thigh...so I will settle for:

That's right folks, it is a Celtic's Snuggie. They are 24 - 8 even with KG and Rondo out... they deserve a snuggie...and since I am a real fan, not just a bandwagon fan, and a cold fan...I deserve one too.

Please Mr. Jimmy Dean Sunshine Man....work your magic!