TUESDAY.

I think i'll forever hate Tuesdays. It's probably bad to hate one seventh of the week, but I do so it's whatever. This tuesday involved failing an AP spanish test worth fifty percent of my grade. it's only eleven and Tuesday and I are NOT FRIENDS.
Bright sides include two full weeks of senior year after this one. then two three day weeks and i'm done. also, i'm going to Salt Lake City in two and a half weeks which will be all sorts of lovely.
and i'm REALLY blonde.
like super blonde.
I sat in a salon chair for three hours yesterday because blondes have more fun. why not go blonder and have even more fun.
But the weekend was lovely, the sun is almost shiny, and Tuesday is halfway over.

I hope your tuesday is lovely, truly.
xoxo.

sprinkle cake.

Last Sunday I started a lovely tribute to the boxed funfetti cake we all love so much. Then I had absolutely no patience to make frosting so back into the freezer the cake went to be pulled out and frosted a week later. There are so many things I love about sprinkles. It brings back so many wonderful childhood memories. Sprinkles ice cream cones in ohio, for example.

Pure childhood joy right there.

 

 I then brought the lovely cake to church and it was devoured by a group of teenagers. sprinkles bring joy. it's a known fact here.

nothing better than from scratch vanilla buttermilk cake with rainbow jimmies. the strawberries in the filling just make it that much better.

devoured.
hope your sunday was rainbow sprinkle filled.
xoxo.
 

and just like that a month has passed.

The Minnesota winter this year has been insane. So much that even the hard core minnesotans are sick of it. but today is a day of sunshine and glorious seventy degree weather so i'm hoping that means the winter has finally kicked the bucket. The worst part about winter ending is having to start shaving my legs again. that's terrible, i know. but i don't even care. As of today there are twenty four days left of senior year. twenty four. 

Nothing too exciting has happened in the past month.

Just kidding.

the first two weeks were spent on the most lovely family vacation across the U.S. we started in chicago and worked our way to upstate New York where we did some church history tours.

more on those later.

for now, here are some of my favorite moments from the trip

 

 Chicago has a magnolia bakery, home of the best banana pudding in the world. like full fat world class banana pudding. I ate half the pint for dinner and finished it off the next morning at breakfast. because that's how to end and start your days, ya know?

 While in Chicago, we went to this diner called Ed Debeivcs, where the waiters are obnoxious on purpose and their turkey burger is slightly below average. but they do have some pretty cute tiny sundae's so that's cool.

 You're looking at the worlds largest McDonald's with escalators, a gift shop, and the same terrible food. but they had free wifi. and magnificent views of Chicago.

My Family is so weird. Love them.

 This sister missionary in New York was from spain and i love her. we spoke spanish together and she said i speak it beautifully. study abroad in spain just becomes more tempting on an hourly basis.

Grant and Amy had multiple ice baths while in hotels. pretty sure the maids hated them. but it was pretty hilarious.

 Niagara falls was beyond awesome and i want to go back when it's not half frozen so i can explore down by the bottom.

It was such a lovely trip. I want to dedicate a whole post to the sacred grove and its life changing moment for me.
as for now, it's friday! Hip hip!
Enjoy the sunshine.
xoxo.

I Like You.

some rosi golan for this dreary tuesday.

 I would like to take a moment to dedicate this song to the banana pudding at Magnolia's. congratulations, you're all i can think about every. waking. moment.
not to mention sleeping moments. i dream about the stuff.

I'm exhausted, and wearing yesterday's makeup.
But I don't even care.
Tomorrow is Wednesday.
Tomorrow is the last day of school before spring break.
Thank goodness.
 xoxo.

Today.

I still can not stop thinking about banana pudding. The good stuff from Magnolias. the stuff that I get to eat in two days.
I'm in love. In love with the City, I tell you! It's beautiful, and dirty, and human. I have never been the person to feel like one with nature. I hate bugs, pee on myself when I try to squat, and am terrified that I will be eaten by bears when we're camping.
But the City, the marvelous City!
The City lets every person be a person.
Live.
I'm not so sure why I decided to not go to college in New York. I wish that I had the option.
But the money, the money.
I don't want to bury myself in debt.
So i'm going to wait.
Wait a long four years.
Finish college.
Then apply for grad school.
Waiting is not fun.
But the future is bright.
and I am hopeful.

41.

Happy Birthday to the best man I know.
I was going through my scrapbook last night and found some priceless gems.
I love them so much.
Yes i'm in all of them.

I'm so blessed to have such an amazing father in my life. A man who provides for me and my siblings, who loves us and treats us with respect, who wants us to grow up and be the best we can. He's such a hard worker, and never puts himself first. Some pretty hard traits to come by these days.
Happy Birthday Daddy.
xoxo.
Sarah

Grand Central Terminal and the BEST banana pudding.

Photos via Pinterest

I have been completely in love with New York City ever since I was a little girl. I became absolutely enamored with every little aspect of this city I had never visited; the lights, the crowds, the little food shops on the corners. I was obsessed with the culture, the people who knew what they were doing, where they were going. Last spring, it finally happened, I visited the city that had felt like my city for the longest time now. Walking the streets, I felt like one with the city. I didn’t want to be a tourist; I ached to be a local, to be like the others, business wardrobe with a place to walk to every morning. I knew from the moment my feet stepped on the gum plastered, ash spattered sidewalks, this was my city, and I was going to do whatever I could to end up there. Before arriving in the city, I read hundreds (literally!) of blogs about the city, not about the statue of liberty or the empire state building, not about times square or the Brooklyn bridge, but about the city itself. I wanted to know what the locals do. What can I do when I arrive to experience the city in its best light? Not the tourist trodden territory, but the real good stuff, the places New Yorkers flock to on a Friday night for dinner, or a Sunday morning brunch. One thing I quickly learned is that locals don’t like tourists. Which is understandable because they’re invading and not understanding their city. I wanted to reach out to them and say I understand, really, but I’m not like the others. Please teach me how to live in your city, every inch of my body aches to be a part of it. But after arriving in the city I was reminded that the locals are not there to teach me how to be a part of something this wonderful. I needed to learn. So I navigated subways with the seven am crowd, ate lunch from a street cart in union square, and avoided the cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery. Instead, I opted for the humble five dollar pint of banana pudding that all the locals were raving about. 

I then proceeded to wander around Grand Central Terminal -don’t you dare call it Grand Central Station, the locals will smell you from miles away. And eat the entire container in approximately thirty minutes. It was that good, thousand calories and all. After being dragged out kicking and screaming arriving home, all I could think about was that pudding…and the city. The thoughts rotated back and forth from pudding to city, pudding to city, and began again. Then life started to get real crazy, I got caught up in the preparing for colleges phase of life, ACT, college apps, and stupidly not finishing my NYU application. It wasn’t until recently, when planning for my next trip to the city (a little over two months now!!) I came across a blog post from one of my favorite city people, talking about the glory of Magnolia’s banana pudding.

I became re obsessed with said pudding.

And now I really want some. Right now.

Luckily, I’ll be in Chicago in about a week and there is a Magnolia’s to drool over there.
hope your thursday is lovely.
xoxo.

unlucky cat shirts and feel good selfies.

Hello, kids, it has been a while.

Shirt: Gap IPhone Case: Kate Spade

obviously long enough for everyone to want to admire this selfie. ha. but really, my cat shirt deserves its own post. I was going to deem it the lucky cat shirt but while wearing it today i managed to lose my flash drive with my ginormous point project saved to it, and get a big fat C on my mo pro test.
BUT HEYYY.
spring break is in less than two weeks and then it's time for a smith family style road trip.
In other feel good moments, this girl is now down ten pounds. TEN! i feel so much better and even though i still have a little to go before reaching my goal it sure is nice to see progress on that scale after all the work i've been putting into it.
Thirty eight days of senior year after spring break. I plan on missing as many of those as possible without my grades dropping.
If i make it through tomorrow night alive, this cat shirt might actually be lucky. because seriously, i have to rewrite my entire project in twenty four hours...i should be stressing more.
but it's monday.
and we all know what that means...
tomorrow is tuesday.
so there you have it.
let's get this week over with.
xoxo.

Utah State University.

This is my rejection letter I received from BYU this weekend.

I read said letter at work. Then sulked to my car and cried the whole drive home. It doesn't feel good, rejection from a Mormon university that all of your friends seemed to get accepted to. But I know now it's not where i'm supposed to end up. Obviously, my smokin' hot future husband isn't at BYU. Which is totally fine. Even better though is the fact that i'm ending up exactly where I need to be. Yesterday I put down a my very first deposit for housing ever.

 Utah State, here I come! 

But seriously, how beautiful is this campus!?

I could not be more excited for the adventures ahead. Of course, I also feel like i'm going to pee my pants because i'm so nervous. I already feel like a poor college student. But I have faith that everything is going to work out as long as I keep the people who matter most close and rely on the Lord as I make important decisions.
Now I just have to pass high school.
it's harder than it sounds once you've been self-diagnosed with a major case of senioritis. it really does exist, kids.
xoxo.
Sarah

dear ex boyfriend please stay out of my dreams.

Last night I was crying. Because i'm going through a terrible break up with BYU Idaho. I got stuck with Fall/Spring which means I go one semester from September to December and another from May to July. It's very inconvenient. Needless to say BYU Idaho was crossed off the options list. Not that I ever wanted to go  there anyway.
Going to bed upset is good for nothing! nothing, i tell ya! because my dream last night began and ended with real life ex boyfriend.

Shout out to Blake for being awesome and photo shopping her head over ex boyfriends. it will forever make me laugh. So let's talk ex boyfriend for a minute. I'm totally over him. Not that it's hard to get over someone when they lie about certain extracurricular activities that they're involved in that are illegal everywhere but Colorado. Colorado and somewhere else? Doesn't matter. For our entire relationship he lied. Which is just lamesauce if you ask me. You don't use the Mormon girl. Or really anyone for that matter. But whatever, i'm not the one who got arrested and lied about it. 

Vengeful? Me? Not the slightest.

But Ex Boyfriend plagued my dreams last night.

I'm going to blame it on PMS.

But this dream for reals. Awesome doesn't begin to describe it. It's a dream for a journal to say the least. But you should have seen the Sarah in my dream tell him off! Totally not me in real life. I would just end up feeling bad and apologize.

Anyway.

This post isn't going anywhere, really. 

But that's okay.

Happy Friday, Kids.

xoxo.

moments as of late.

approximately two minutes ago. I know you love my monday-tuesday hair.

As of Saturday I have officially lost five pounds. Ten more to go before I reach my goal. This may seem silly, but I decided it was finally time to deal with the fifteen pounds I slowly and unknowingly put on when we moved here two years ago. So back to the gym I went. 

It's amazing, really, how much better I feel after an hour on the treadmill working really hard. Granted sometimes I feel like i'm going to die but then the endorphin's kick in and nothing in the world is wrong that can't be fixed. maybe i'm exaggerating a tad. but seriously, exercising is the most selfish and selfless thing I do in my daily routine now. 

I spent my weekend serving coffee to eager, stressed, anxious, peppy, target customers. This whole barista thing is a whole other world. I thought that people were only picky about their coffee in movies. I was wrong. For the record, a Venti Breve quad three and a half pump cinnamon dolce latte is not the same thing as a plain latte. still not sure why they let me, the non coffee drinking human, behind the counter at starbucks. but they did, and word on the street is i make a killer latte. 

When I was not pleasing caffeine addicts, I was sitting on my couch obsessing over my upcoming New York  City trip. and by upcoming I really mean 101 days not including today. I probably shouldn't spend twelve of the eighteen hours i'm awake each day thinking about it. but i mean IT'S NEW YORK CITY so obviously it's justified. 

Not justified however, is the insane amount of tests I have at school this week. like ten. and i only have three classes. Makes it really difficult to senior slide, ya know? 

On another school related note, BYU has nine days to reject me. NINE. I have checked my email more times in the past three months than in the four years i've had a cell phone and found email slightly irrelevant...sorry email!

Anyway. Lunch is almost over and I have a larger than life test next block that I should probably have studied for more than I did...living on the edge?

Happy monday-tuesday! bleh.

These streets will make you feel brand new, their lights will inspire you.

which is exactly why i'm going back. less than twelve hours after i graduate, to be exact. I've always felt that i'll end up in this city. I know it would be hard, it costs more, you live in shoe box sized apartments that cost the equivalent of a five bedroom house in the suburbs, grass can be a thirty minute walk away. but the city. the city where everyone is always going somewhere, doing something. so even though before I end up here I have college, most likely marriage, etc. I can visit. visit and pretend i'm not a tourist. That will just have to be enough for now.
and obsess over this lovely blog her name is Natalie and she's living my dream life, shoe box apartment and all.

A world you no longer belong to.

Valentines day has a way of making everyone who doesn't have a significant other bitter. To that I say nay.
Being single on valentines day is the same as being single any other day.
If I don't hate being single on the thirteenth of February, who says I have to be on the fourteenth?
No one, that's who.
Here's the deal, it's not valentines day I hate, it's heart week.

Monday we had a pep fest to get everyone all school spirity and stuff. I opted out of attending said pep fest and ate sandwiches with my mother instead. it's a lot cooler than it sounds, okay?
enough with the rambling.
my school spirit is at approximately a negative six.
I wake up.
Go to seminary.
Go to school.
Go home.
Repeat.
I no longer belong to this world of children that think the most important things include singing valentines and making out in the hallway. I'm ready to grow up and graduate and have responsibilities that are greater than making my bed in the morning.
This is freshman floor, kids:

I thought i'd walk across it just for fun.
NEVER AGAIN.
anyway, it's kind of stinky that there are still four months of school left. i'm really just done. senior slide times seven.
I hope your day of hearts was lovely.

Sarah.

The list.

Some people tell me that I have unrealistic expectations for my future husband. I think i'm just setting my standards high. Obviously when the time to think about marriage comes i'm not going to pull out my list and be like "oops, you're a better cook than I am, and i'm only interested in someone who can cook almost as well as I can." Then give him the boot. I have the must haves and the would be nice's.
don't laugh.

Must Have:

• Loves the Lord
• Treats his mother with respect
• Returned Missionary
• Gets along well with my parents and siblings.
• Desire to work hard and provide for a family.
• The ability to communicate
• Honesty and integrity
• Wants to have a big family.
• Kind

Would be nice

• 6"3 or taller
• Dark hair, dark eyes
• Can cook almost as well as I can
• Smart (specifically in math so my children don't only get stuck with bad-at-math genes)
• Musically talented, preferably piano so he can play beautiful music. also, so I can justify owning a piano.
• Doesn't want to live in one place for the rest of our lives.
• Comes from a good family
• Spontaneous
• Someone who would follow me to New York
• Someone who can relate to my life and I can relate to his. 
• Loves to try new things

I think the best part about knowing what I want to look for in a future spouse, is in the end only the top ones really matter. the others are silly teenage girl dreams for the perfect man. If he actually exists, let me know. Otherwise, i'll happily take a great one.