bulldog love

{from pinterest, claro!}

I've recently grown accustomed to these grumpy faces!

I would be okay with having a dog like this one day {or a jack russel, or a golden, or a great dane!}

My London Fog trench coat came in the mail today! 

Trying it on with today's wavy hairstyle made me look a bit like Hermione.  

Emily laughed at the sight of me.  At least I will be dry!

Well, I didn't get to march up into the woods the other night, but I did get to enjoy the LA skyline at Griffith Observatory with Ash Mills!  We eavesdropped on some young Spainards. rawr. 

Today I will: 

do more planning for the film festival 

burn CD's of classical and church music for my mission {any contributions would be lovely!!}

work out 

work at my receptionist job in La Crescenta 

pika -wha?

Two silly things to start your day off right: {found on Pinterest}

have a great day !

today I will: 

edit  in Santa Monica

study the gospel

learn etiquette at FHE 

help plan for our ward festival that is coming up

go exploring up in the woods to try to hear a concert for free {yes, hear, not see}

curl my hair in a new way - post to come soon! 

have a great day!

keep calm and...

Today I read through a lot of quotes and saw a few of those "keep calm and carry on" spoofs. 

It made me wonder what personally relaxes me or helps me have a better day.

I was driving in my car, once again with a dead iPod, and resorted to popping in old mix cd's from my glove box.  And that's when it hit me.  So I made this tonight: 

My days are always better when I throw a little MJ into my day-to-day routine!

browsing for clothes / mission prep 101.3

I am in a very detailed search for three different coats for my mission. 

1.  Raincoat: Lightweight, dark, solid color, no logos. 

pretty simple. 

I saw this online at Nordstrom.com, and my travel guru friend definitely recommends that I get something like this that you can fold into a small bag:

"Rainforest Ruched Front Travel Coat"

"packable, water-resistant coat with a funnel collar and zip-in, drawstring hood. Shape-memory fabric ensures a comfortable fit, and an accompanying travel pouch makes it easy to tote."

It's $250, and I would LOVE to find it for a better price. Their other colors are marked down, gosh dang it!  Is red considered a dark color??

But #2 and #3 confuse me a bit. What is the difference between "dressy, conservative" and "professional"?

2.  Coat:  Dark, dressy, conservative, waterproof, winter coat with zip-out liner. 

Should be breathable to avoid problems from excessive sweating. 

Still trying to find a good match for #2.  I would like it to hit a few inches below the hips, as my other two coats will be dress length.  Maybe a shorter, lighter trench coat? 

London Fog Women's Anorak Coat for $40 at Overstock.com

Anne Klein Women's Hooded Belted Coat $80 at Overstock.com

but neither of these have zip-out liners... 

I'd like to get a dark army green or plum to mix things up a bit. 

3.  Coat: Dark, professional, long, warm winter coat with zip-out liner. 

I just ordered this from SierraTradingPost.com  Worth $220, but with their closeout discount plus an additional a promo code I got it for $111!

{I've become quite partial to London Fog thanks to all this searching!}

We'll see how warm it is with the extra zip liner, and I can return it within 6 mos for a refund or exchange which is nice. 

When I first read #3, I imagined a big, thick, long coat that I would have worn to General Conference in a snow storm.

And then I remembered that it doesn't snow in Rosario. 

And their definition of "warm winter coat" is pretty different from someone that would be serving in a snowy area.  But it does rain a lot, which kind of excites me, though I sincerely  hope I do not turn out to be like many return missionaries who detest the rain because of their mission.  I love rain! 

"I like your donkey" / how to be goofy at disneyland

Being young at heart is a good quality to have in my eyes. What better place to polish this skill than at the Happiest Place on Earth? If you are looking for something youthful to spice up your experience at the park, read on.

It is a new requirement for me to frolic / skip down Main Street every time I go to Disneyland.

Being in line on a busy day consists of necessary games, inside jokes, and anything silly to help pass the time. 

What were the topics of discussion? 

In the Haunted Mansion queue, Jake gave us an inside scoop on his summer job as an assistant at a Morturary.  Way to set the mood! 

At the beginning of the day, a teenage girl walked pass me as I was sitting down to lunch and said "I like your donkey." 

She was referring to my Eyeore backpack.

Later on, Jake said, "You received a compliment you will never receive again. 'I like your donkey'."

We took that joke on a long journey.
 

A handful of us then proceeded to speak in British accents and share bread in line. 

My first time on The Columbia pirate ship! 

Just when you think you've done everything there is to do, I bet I could find you something you haven't done in at least a handful of years. {Canoes anyone?}

The boys like to photo-bomb our cute pictures. 

Enter my parents into the scene. 

They are pros at being young at heart at Disneyland.

Just compare their Midway Mania scores to mine and you will see who has practiced more {At home. On the wii.  They mean business.}

Dad also went on a winning rampage and managed to win 3 stuffed Dumbos, or was it 4? from one of the carnival booths.

Just for your information, screaming at the top of your lungs while riding on the sliding gondolas of the Ferris Wheel is definitely something that will pump up your adrenaline. 

 

 To see more snapshots of our fun day, check out my photography blog at  www.hillarynicole.com

do you believe in magic?

I do.