TBT: The Tragic Tale of the Chick and the Mongoose

I'm going to be completely honest here.  While living in Hawaii was an incredible experience, it was also one of the hardest times of my life.  There were some parts of our life there that were amazing and some that were difficult.  Because of the struggles I was having I didn't really write down much about our time there.  I'd like to add in some Hawaii stories to my Throwback Thursday posts so that I have a record of those.  I won't get into anything too deep, but rather just tell some fun or entertaining (or, in today's case, rather sad) anecdotes.  Today, I bring you the Tragic Tale of the Chick and the Mongoose.

I was at work the day that the groundskeeper came up to Blake with a baby chick he'd found abandoned, knowing of our love for cute little animals.  There are tons of wild chickens on Oahu, and lots of them hang out at the park outside the gates for Hanauma Bay.  We kept him in a big cardboard box throughout the day, but tried to let him out as much as possible because he was very upset about being in the box.

Another animal that lives at Hanauma Bay in large numbers is the mongoose.  Tourists love the mongoose.  They would always ask 'What are those squirrel things?' or 'Was that a ferret?' and we would tell them the story about how mongoose came to be in the Hawaiian islands.  Clear back in the 1800s, this island was covered with sugar cane fields.  The fields were often infested with rats.  Someone decided it would be a good idea to import mongoose to eat the rats, but they obviously didn't think it through too well.  Mongoose are diurnal and rats and nocturnal, meaning they were never awake at the same time.  Many years later, we have a huge population of mongoose that eat the eggs and young of many native bird species.  Oops.  Mongoose are sneaky, smart, and clever.  One of the rangers told me a funny story once.  A tourist had just bought an (overpriced) hot dog from the concession stand.  He was sitting on the rock wall and put his hot dog down next to him.  He was talking to someone else and was completely distracted when a mongoose climbed up the back of the rock wall and slid the hot dog right out of the bun and bolting.  The man then lifted up his hot dog to eat it and saw that his hot dog was gone! 

So, here I am with a baby chick that I am guarding very closely because I know the mongoose dart out of the bushes near our workstation all the time.  The little innocent baby wanders closer to the bushes, and so I reach down to pick him up.  Just before my hand reaches him, I see a flash of brown fur and the chick is gone.  I hear the terrifying screeches of a few mongoose fighting over a meal.  I spend a few seconds in shock and then begin to cry.  I feel guilty for not protecting the chick well enough and so sad that he had to die that way.  I cry longer than your average person would cry about nature taking its course in the animal kingdom.  What can I say, I am just a big softie when it comes to animals, especially baby chicks. 

It wasn't too long after that revenge was taken on accident.  While driving one of the jeeps out of Hanauma Bay, Blake saw a mongoose running across the road.  This really isn't that rare, and they always scurry out of the way.  For whatever reason, this one made a dumb decision and ran the wrong way, right under one of Blake's tires.  He saw it in his rear-view mirror and pulled over to see if the mongoose was okay.  Spoiler: it wasn't.  He took a nasty picture of the dying mongoose with a pool of blood around his head which I will not put up on this blog for all of your sakes.  We always joked about killing the mongoose because they were a pest around the park, but Blake felt bad for actually running one over.  We considered it karma for the life of that little chick and the balance of the universe was restored once again. 

Embrace Your Inner Mermaid-How to Make a DIY Seashell Headband

 Being both a redhead and a fish-lover, it just makes sense that I love the combination of the two: mermaids.  I had dreams to do a mermaid-inspired photoshoot, and I was lucky enough to find someone who would do whatever crazy thing I asked her to do.  Thanks Malae!  To make this vision come to life, I thought a seashell headband would be awesome.  So, here's how I (and by I, I mean Blake with a bit of direction from me) made it.

Step 1: Gather materials.  You will need some shells, a headband, a glue gun, and (optional) some thread.  The shells and coral were gathered from beaches in Hawaii.  The starfish were purchased (one in Hawaii, one here.)  I already had a bunch of sand dollars.

Step 2: Put a big glob of hot glue on the back of the shells.  If you don't care about the headband or the shells and want to keep this forever, go ahead and stick the shell right on there.  I wanted to use the shells later for another project, so instead Blake placed some thread inside the glue blob so that the shells could be tied to the headband.  Then tie the seashells onto the headband with the thread.  Trim the ends so they don't poke out.

 

 

Step 3: Model your new awesome mermaid headband.

Blake is so going to kill me

 

Am I crazy for asking people to put starfish on their head?  Maybe.  But I don't care because I love the end result.

How I Find the Best Deals on Clothes

I inherited my love of finding a good deal from my mother, who is a master at bargain hunting.  Today, I want to share a few tips on how and where I find clothes for super cheap.

First, here are the stores I usually shop: Downeast, Forever21, Old Navy, Target, H&M, and also ebay.  I have a different strategy for most of these retailers. 

At Downeast, it's all about the sales, clearance, and outlets (if you can find them.)  Outlets/tent sales don't seem to be as common as they used to be, but if you can find them you will be in for a treat.  They often have shirts as low as $2.50, skirts for $5-7, dresses for $10-12, and swim pieces for $5-7.  It is amazing and I highly recommend going if you ever hear of one.  Otherwise, check out their clearance and wait for sales.  I personally would only buy something full price there if you HAVE to have it, which sometimes happens because some of their stuff is FREAKING ADORABLE. 

Forever21 is one store where I don't do much sale-waiting or clearance rack-ing because they don't really discount much.  Their clothes are already cheap so I am usually willing to pay full price.  The trick here is to be careful and make sure what you're buying is actually a good deal.  Some of their items are priced better than others.  You do have to remember that the quality isn't the best, but since their stuff is usually trendy, I'm not too concerned about it lasting a decades.

Old Navy is a big one.  NEVER EVER EVER pay full price for anything at Old Navy.  They always have sales and things often go on clearance.  30% off the whole store is a common occurrence.  Their clearance section is always large and usually has each item in several sizes.  I once walked out of Old Navy with a shirt and a swimsuit bottom for 48 cents by combining clearance, a sale on clearance items, and a coupon.  Sign up for their emails to get coupons and sale notifications.  Another big tip for other tall girls out there, Old Navy carry tall sizes online, and when your order is $50 or more you get free shipping and in-store returns!

proof

I love shopping Target's clearance section.  They have really cute clothes sometimes, but their prices are a bit too high for me at times.  Their clearance section has things more reasonably priced and often has good selection.  Also watch for their sales.  I like their tees and tanks, and those go on sale for $5-8 from time to time.

H&M has some things that are a great price without any discounts.  They also have some things that aren't so cheap.  For those, it's nice to wait for sales/coupons.  This is another place you should be on the mailing list for as they send out coupons from time to time.  I don't have the best luck with their clearance, mostly because I get overwhelmed, but I'm sure you could find something great if you had the patience.

Ebay is the one you have to be more careful with.  It is easy to let yourself pay too much because you get attached to an item, or forget to factor in shipping costs.  I usually search for brands I like, or if I have something particular in mind I will zero in on that.  I am actually able to find most things I am looking for if I look long enough.  Just remember to be strong and let stuff go if it gets bid up too high!

So that about wraps it up.  There are two things I would like to mention right now.  While I highly value finding amazing deals, it is important to never let yourself buy something you wouldn't be tempted to buy if it wasn't on sale.  Be honest with yourself on whether you will actually wear it multiple times before you buy.  Even if it was cheap, buying something you won't use is still a waste of money and space.  The second thing is that it is okay to have a splurge purchase every once in a while, just don't make it a habit.  For example, right before we moved from Hawaii I had my husband buy me a $30 Heather Brown tank top from Rip Curl that I just adore.  It is more than I would ever spend on something like that, but it is a souvenir from our time in Hawaii that I cherish.  Sometimes it's worth it.  I hope these tips will help you find clothing steals!

What I Wore: Blue leopard print, floral leggings, and more

While I'm not super into animal print, I did love this BLUE tinted version I found at Love Culture.

Blue leopard print shirt: Love Culture

Black tank top: Old Navy

Denim shorts: LA Idol, cut off from jeans I found at Plato's Closet

Silver sandals: Payless

I've been dying to try the floral pants thing for a while now, but wasn't willing to shell out big bucks for something so trendy.  Enter these $10 leggings from Forever21.  I knew I could count on you, Forever21.  I wore it with a long tank top because no one needs to get that friendly with my backside.  Haha.

Gray shirt with tie: Downeast

Long teal tank with lace trim: Downeast

White and blue floral leggings: Forever21

Tan strappy sandals: Forever Young Shoes

Large beaded teal necklace: gift

I love my Target clearance finds!  This dress is super cute and looks great dressed up.

Navy and red floral print dress: Target

Navy undershirt: Downeast

Tan lace skirt extender: Kim's Fashions

Gold studded flats: Forever Young Shoes

Mint braided belt: Wet Seal

Mint flower necklace: Forever21

I love the simple style of this dress.  I was pretty bummed to find that the smallest size they carried was still too big, but it's nothing a belt couldn't fix!

Blue and white striped shift dress: Old Navy

Gray leggings: CottonOn

White ruffle sandals: Wet Seal

Black waist belt: came with another shirt I bought

I love the vintage feminine flair this outfit has.  Lace paired with mini polka dots is perfection.

 Tan lace tee: Forever21

Tan shirt: some small store at the Orem University Mall that I can't remember...

Dusty blue high-waisted a-line polka dot skirt: Downeast

Cognac sandals: Old Navy

TBT: Our First Date

If you haven't read the post on how we met yet, go do that now.  I'll wait.

After Blake asking me to go swing dancing two or three times and me not being able to go, I finally found the opportunity one week in March.  I still didn't know if this was a date or not, but when he came to my house to pick me up and no one else was in the car I was hopeful.  The Ogden Wednesday night swing dancing was usually at Union Station, but this time it was held at Weber State.  We walked into the ballroom, and I was met with a big crowd of people and one of those bull riding machines, which seemed so random.  Neither of us participated in the bull riding that night.  So we mingled about the room and found our own little spot on the dance floor.  I remember thoughts racing through my head, one after another.

Oh my gosh, I'm taller than him.  Don't stand up too tall, you'll exaggerate it. 

He is a pretty good dancer.

I am a pretty BAD dancer.  He is probably so embarassed for me.

I probably look so stupid right now, trying to dance.

Why did I agree to go to swing dancing?  I am like the most awkward person ever.

Think short. Think short.

We spent time walking through the halls and talking when we needed a break from dancing.  Somehow, I made it through the night without seeming to make a total fool of myself, and even having a bit of fun.  Then he dropped me off at home and we said goodnight.

I was smitten.  Every time I thought of him I couldn't help but smile.  When I told my friends about the date they could tell by my face how much I liked him.  Luckily for me, he wasn't disappointed in my height or dancing skills.  Sure, it wasn't love at first sight, but it might have been love at first date. 

My Favorite Manis

Happy Monday everyone!  Today I am going to show you a few of my favorite manicures I've done recently.  You may have seen a few of these if you follow me on instagram.  I guess you could call it Mani Monday today.  :)

For my multiple accent nails with chevron and a bird mani I used:
China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle

Julep Niecy

Julep Shoshanna

Julep Sienna

Nail vinyl stickers

For my blue ombre mani I used:

Essie Blanc

Essie Mint Candy Apple

OPI What's With the Catitude

Sally Hansen Blue Me Away

Essie No More Film

 For my light pink leopard mani I used:

Essie Fiji

Color Club (didn't come with a name label...)

Julep Carrie

 For my textured stripe mani I used:

Julep Cameron

Julep Glam Roc

Julep Jennine (All 3 are stardust finish)

 For my pink 80s mani I used:

Julep Avery

Julep Max

 For this modern french tip I used:

Nailtini Frappe

Julep Noelle

Julep Brigette

 Oops I guess a pedi snuck in here.  For this rainbow polka dot pedi I used:

Color Club Blue-ming

China Glaze Highlight of my Summer

Julep Blake (I just bought it for the name really)

Julep Parker

Julep Minnie

Julep Brigette

 For my coral and gold mani  used:

Julep Gloria

Julep Shoshanna

 For this striped white mani I used:

Julep Brigette

Silver striping tape

 For this bejeweled floral mani I used:

Julep Avery

Julep Brigette

Small nail jewels

 For this springtime floral mani I used:

Julep Avery

Julep Denver

Essie Fiji

Revlon Posh

And lastly, a color so great it doesn't need anything else.  This is Julep Abigail.  It has a silk finish, which is so beautiful.  It's shimmery and slightly matte, but not too much.  Perfection.

Let me know if you want me to make a tutorial on any of these looks.

TBT: The First Time Blake and I Met, or, How Chris Ripplinger Changed Our Destiny

It was almost dark outside when I finally left work to head to my night class at Weber State's Davis Campus, which was only about a mile away.  Due to the February snow it took me much longer than it should have to get to there.  I walked in and looked around to find the perfect seat where I wouldn't have to sit too close to anyone.  I liked to have space for my computer and notebook.  A few minutes after I selected my seat, I saw a familiar face.  It was a guy from my single's ward named Chris, who I knew from the ward choir where he sang and I played the piano.  I'd seen him a few times in this class and said hi, but this time he asked me to come and sit with him and his friend. 

I had spent the better part of a year healing my heart from a past relationship and breakup, and while I felt hopeful, I was not expecting anything in my life to change at that time.  I wish I could say that the first time I saw Blake it was love at first sight and I knew we would be together forever, but I didn't.  He was just an attractive guy that happened to know this other guy that I knew.  So I sat by Blake, and talked a little bit.  When class started I did my best to pay attention, but my professor's almost imperceptible African accent always sent my mind adrift.  I laugh to recall how long it took me to realize that 'mah-kett' meant market.  I decided to look at pictures of my pets, because that always made me smile. 

"Hey, you like fish?  That's pretty cool.  I used to have a fish tank," Blake said.  I told him that I did, and probably rambled off the names that I had carefully picked out for my fish.  Emerson, Pistachio, Winter, Volta (and more, at this time I think I had about 8 fish tanks.  Crazy Cat Fish Lady anyone?)  Strangely, my somewhat odd choice of obsession didn't scare him off.  In fact, he later told me that he thought I was out of his league, which I find to be ridiculous.  After class, Blake asked me if I'd like to go swing dancing with him and his friends in two days on that Wednesday, which I wasn't sure if that meant a date or just going as a group.  I already had plans so I had to decline. 

He would ask me to go a few more times.  Stay tuned for my next Throwback Thursday post to see if I ever said yes.  *wink*

TBT: Waterfall Canyon

I've decided to do something new on my blog.  I'm going to start making 'Throwback Thursday' posts whenever I feel like it.  No guarantees this will happen every Thursday.  I am a notoriously bad journal writer, and so Throwback Thursday posts will be a way for me to write down any memories or stories I want to remember. 

Last Saturday Blake and I went on a hike up Waterfall Canyon in Ogden with my brother Aaron and his girlfriend. 

Bad lighting... sorry

We had to replicate the photo that we took our first time there

Which was the first time that we went back since the time we hiked it when we were dating.

We decided to go to the single's ward activity to hike Waterfall Canyon back in the spring of 2009.  We showed up bright and early for the hike, and were greeted there by... one person.  The guy who was in charge of the hike.  So, the three of us embarked on the hike.  We were in the newly-in-love, Blake's-about-to-leave-for-the-summer stage of our relationship, so I imagine it was NOT enjoyable at all for the other guy.  But it made a fun memory for us that I treasured that summer.