things

• the snowflakes are pretty. they are the really big kind and are falling not-too-thick and not-too-thin.
• i have a list of books that i want to read now
• "The Brothers Karamozov" by Dostoyevski (I'm told I'll like this better than C+P... hope so)
• J.D. Salinger
• Great Expectations by Dickins
• "Gone With The Wind" by Mitchell... again...
• a really addicting book (this is what i will take on the plane to England, when I am homesick and a baby bit scared.) If you have any recommendations, please let me know!
• Anna Karenina by Tolstoy (still. it's a work in progress. someday it will not be the middle of finals.)
• oh, i'm just going to Michael Bublè tonight. No biggie.
• to make an accented letter whilst typing do the following: alt + 138 (for the è) play around with 13_ if you want a different letter.
• i didn't get to see Sherwood last night, but I did have a great long literary discussion with my dearest roommate Aubrey. 
• i went running last night. i love running at night. you think someone at the london center will feel the same? hyde part at 9:00pm here I come. 

some kind of wonderful

How is this possible? How do I have the opportunity to see

(coming to p-town! isn't this nuts?)
and (drum roll please, please, please)

this is nuts. This is the most nuts week of my life. I am so happy and so lucky and so blessed. all the time.

P.S. Michael I love you.

little post

These are some things I am loving recently:

• Sunshine
• instant oatmeal
• brown sugar + maple variety
• cinnamon roll variety
• watching an episode of Gilmore Girls before I go to bed (except the first time of the two times this has actually occurred I had my first nightmare in MONTHS afterward. And it was super creepy. Like, actually horror film creepy.)
• Planning for LONDON
• The world's best wedding shower gift - thanks mother! - honestly it's the cutest thing I've seen.
• Fattykins. I just miss him. Look,

birthday list - amended

SO, the lovely green 'rain' coat I wanted....
I read the reviews and they all said "This is a cute coat - but does nothing to keep you dry."
Pardon me. Isn't that the purpose for a rain coat? To keep the rain off you? So, I have to retract it from my birthday list - just so, you know, none of you go off and get me a birthday present that won't serve me well in the UK. Because I know 1000 people read my blog all the time. 


So, without further ado, my new birthday list:

 Is this not the cutest thing EVER??? It is for England. They told me to bring rain boots and I will oblige. I will now call madre and tell her how they are such a good deal and etc etc. Hopefully she will believe me. 
Also...

I want a hair cut. That's pretty much all. I still want a fun colored hoodie to go underneath my awesome bomber jacket. 
And that's  it :]


My lovely friend Kelley is coming to P-town to spend the evening. Needless to say, I will be having a good day. 
You have a good Saturday, too, eh?

and all the angels they'll be singin' 'ha-la-la-la, ha-la-la-la, ha-la-la-la love this.'

Ugh!! Boys that I like, will you please just love me back??
Thank you very much.
Love,
Jillian

bellissima

**
Honestly, this day is WONDERFUL!
It's sunny and beautiful and we had cleaning checks today! I am writing my paper on Othello right now. 
It makes me want it to be summer and so I can run around barefoot and go swimming and soak the sun til I am burnt to a crisp. 
I am just in a good mood. I am blessed and happy. And it's sunny. huzzah!


**this picture is the mood i am in.... not necessarily what p-town looks like... just ps

braverism

these are just what i need tonight:


Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear. ~Ambrose Redmoon

Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow. ~Dan Rather


Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. ~C.S. Lewis

Courage is fear that has said its prayers. ~Dorothy Bernard

Courage is fear holding on a minute longer. ~George Smith Patton


Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear - Mark Twain

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared. ~Edward Vernon Rickenbacker
 
Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway. ~John Wayne

I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. ~Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
Nelson Mandela
 
It always seems impossible until its done.
Nelson Mandela
 
 Faith is believing that although we do not understand all things, He does. Faith is knowing that although our power is limited, His is not. Faith in Jesus Christ consists of complete reliance on Him. 

He has the power, but it’s our test.

Our God will deliver us from ridicule and persecution, but if not. … Our God will deliver us from sickness and disease, but if not … . He will deliver us from loneliness, depression, or fear, but if not. … Our God will deliver us from threats, accusations, and insecurity, but if not. … He will deliver us from death or impairment of loved ones, but if not, … we will trust in the Lord. 

Our God will see that we receive justice and fairness, but if not. … He will make sure that we are loved and recognized, but if not. … We will receive a perfect companion and righteous and obedient children, but if not, … we will have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that if we do all we can do, we will, in His time and in His way, be delivered and receive all that He has.  - Elder Dennis E. Simmons


For all of us out in this nuts-o world trying to be brave today, or tomorrow, or right this minute, good luck. You are not alone. I'm feeling this with you, and chances are a million others are silently offering prayers identical to yours and to mine. Keep Calm and Carry On.

my new undertaking...

birthday list

My birthday is a month ish away and these are the things I'd just maybe like:

(in this color or Mermaid Green)

(In this color or Kelly Green.... or Black...)

As long as I'm dreaming add this as well:

(In this color or Black...)


... Sort of short list so far. I promise I will be adding more. Huzzah.

beginning - the inhale

So, being an English Major, I've decided to do something English-y on my blog. I'm going to post pieces of a story. This is a piece of story 0. If I get another idea, I'll post it as story 1. This is so I get used to writing - especially after I had read a great work of Literature (such as DRACULA - which I just finished today). So that was kind of the inspiration behind this, along with a thought I had in class the other day and the fact that I am absorbing Lost (I just started Season 2, baby!)
 So here goes....

The first thing I was aware of was that I couldn’t breathe. The next was that moving my arms and legs took an unusual amount of effort. I realized last of all that it was dark.

It didn’t occur to me that I was drowning. I pushed my eyelids up and the salty water scratched my eyes. I remembered that the afternoon had been stormy when I noticed how dark it still was, even with eyes open. I was far enough from the shore that the breaking waves didn’t trouble me - the thought that I couldn’t breathe had stepped into the foreground of consciousness. It came like an approaching ambulance siren, louder and louder until it screeches to a halt in front of you- and you realize that the smoke is coming from your rooftop.

I opened my mouth instinctively. It filled with water so quickly that it seemed like it had been flooded all along. Panic gripped me right below my stomach and started to squeeze.

I’m not going to say whose face popped into my mind – somebody’s did. The water in front of me started to fill with black splotches and then…

Something took painful hold of my hand and I felt the water start to rush past me. Was I being sucked down or pulled up? I don’t remember what I was thinking about before I completely blacked out.

I wasn’t expecting to, but I woke up.

The first thing I was aware of was that my eyes hurt- really, really badly. The next was that my throat felt like it was on fire. I realized last of all that it was sunny.

The first clear thought I had was to wonder who it was that had saved me. The second was to wonder who it was that had pushed me in.

So. Ta da. We'll see if this one goes anywhere. 

havin' fun isn't hard when you've got a [brand-spanking-new]

Books:
Image Impact; An Alchemy of Mind; Happier; Love Scents; Spilling Open

a-hahaha

I was attempting to visit The Deseret News website this morning....
and this is what I typed...
www.deseretjews.com.
i thought it was really funny. just because deseret - BoM word.... Jewish people... less prevalent than those others. 


*there is no such site. bummer.

friday in pictures

At work, I felt like this:

I talked to this person and felt much better

(BEST PART) I saw this @ BYU's International Cinema ... for free *

I went here:

 and tickled my fancy with one of these suckers:

Then used a truly wonderful coupon to get these two for just one dollah (I know, am I frugal or what??)

And now I am sitting here about to buy this:

Cause I loved it so.

Try and show me a better Friday. 

* It was incredible. Ugh. I need better words to describe it. Beautiful, romantic, moving, suspenseful, shocking, memorable, unforgettable. Unforgettable. Magical? sure.  

Salim looked like Arlen, my first autistic kid. So I double loved it. Wow. Wow-wow-wow.

the best

I belong as an English major. I know this because somehow - last night - a handful of words pulled me up and out of a bad place into a really fine one.

People are often illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered -

forgive them anyway

If you are kind, they may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives -

be kind anyway

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies -

succeed anyway

If you are honest and frank they may cheat you -

be honest and frank anyway

What you spend years building, they could destroy overnight -

build anyway

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous -

be happy anyway

The good you do today, they will often forget tomorrow -

do good anyway

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough -

give the best you have anyway

You see: In the final analysis it is between you and God -

it was never between you and them anyway.

falsely attributed to Mother Teresa (she used it on a wall in one of her orphanages) but actually begun by Kent M. Keith. It evolved into this beautiful beautiful work of art. Honestly, though - it packs a punch, don't you think?

sunshine

It is such a very beautiful day today! The sun is shining and its warm out and I feel good.

Also, I might have to get this cd today:

He is -

so -

genius.

happy list, the first

I got this great idea from The Rockstar Diaries (which I love so much that I follow on Google Reader) and today is a day where I really need to remeber these things:

things i'm just tickled about
1. my doggy who still loves me even when i call him fat
2. the silver lining
3. letters
4. feeling giddy
5. my mom for becoming the best of my friends
6. sun
7. opportunities
8. quote books
9. long walks when you don't run out of things to talk about
10. thai sticky rice with custard

in fact, i think i will order myself a dish of sticky rice today after work.

fast as can be

How in the world is it March already? Zip Zip Zip - time is flying by. I'm so grateful for the way my life is turning out. It's grand.

Today, I had my first ever London Study Abroad Prep class! I was so nervous before I went in but I met this very nice girl named Whitney because the room was basically hidden. The class was fun, I am getting more excited because I can almost imagine going there now. Sometimes. It all seems so surreal most of the time, but when I think about individual activities I'll be doing - like going to church or things - i can almost imagine. It's going to be so great. Everyone in our class seemed very genuine and nice and as thrilled as I am. Party.