"Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead" The PIerces [Secret]

Day 18

A picture of your biggest insecurity

I'm terrified that people talk about me behind my back. And not in a good way. I'm super insecure about it. That when I walk away from a situation everyone is like "WOW - thank heaven's she's gone" or that secretly, all of my friends think I'm really annoying. I don't think that I actually do anything to provoke these kinds of statements, but that's mainly because I'm constantly thinking about it. And I'm afraid that anything I say can and will be used against me in a court of law. 

So yeah. That's one of my biggest insecurities. Gossip. And that's why I try my best not to do it. 'Cause I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way.

"Are you cursed?" Kelsey Johansen [The Double Feature]

Day 17

A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

Zupas.

It may seem shallow, but I kid you not I have probably eaten there about 4 times in the past week and half. My wallet is not very happy with me - but my stomach is! While this is not a picture of a meal I heave eaten personally, it reminds me of the deliciousness that awaits there. The Shanghai Salad. The Chicken Chop salad. The 3 Cheese Enchilada soup. The Ultimate Grilled Cheese. Thinking about it right now (especially since I haven't eaten dinner yet) it making my mouth water, and I am seriously tempted to out and get me some.

But I'll restrain myself. Needless to say, it's had a major culinary impact on my life lately - and given me so much joy. Oh Zupas. Thank you for being in my life. 

"Ever since we met/I only shoot up with your perfume/it's the only thing/that makes me feel as good as you do" Panic! At the Disco [Nearly Witches {Ever Since we Met}]

Day 16

A picture of someone who inspires you

Her name is Sadako Sasaki. Do you remember reading the story A Thousand Cranes in elementary school? I do. Vaguely. To refresh your memory, tells the true story of Sadak Sasaki, a 1 year only girl who was diagnosed with 'radiation sickness' [leukemia] 10 years after the bombing of Hiroshima. I was privelaged enough to play Sadako in BYU Young Company's touring production of this show laster winter. Wow, even as I write this I can't believe it's been an entire year since that show. YOu can backtrack through my blog or talk to me about the whole experience if you want. What I really want to talk about is Sadako. She is simply inspiring. Every year in Hiroshima thousands and thousands of people visit her memorial and place paper cranes around it. Her monument has become a symbol of piece and was dedicated to all of the children who died because of the bombing. After portraying her for almost 3 months, I really have felt an extremely closeness to this girl. Her life was short, but her story is inspiring. I hope that one day, I'll be able to thank her for the blessing her life and story were in my life.

"This is our cry, this is our prayer: Peace in the world." 

"Once a Wildcat, Always a Wildcat!" Troy Bolton [High School Musical 3: Senior Year]

Day 15

A picture of something you want to do before you die

Go to Hogwarts. I WILL go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, FL before I die. I WILL. I will go there and drink butterbeer, and buy things from Honeydukes, get a wand from Olivander's and become the wizard I've always known I was. I mean, it's practically childhood wish-fulfillment in a themepark. THAT'S EVEN BETTER THAN DISNEYWORLD.

Seriously. I will do it. Before I die. And my soul will be happy. And my life will be completed. 

AND the only thing that could possibly make that trip better than it is in my mind right now would be if I were to go with a significant other. I mean, HONEYMOON AT HOGWARTS?! That sounds like a great movie if I ever saw one ;)

“In your testimony and your choices lies the hope of the Church and of the generations who will follow your example.” President Henry B. Eyring

Day 14

A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

My savior, Jesus Christ. I don't know how anyone makes it through this life without him. He is my Elder Brother, my best friend, and HE LIVES! My favorite hymn nicely sums up my feelings on the matter:

Abide with me; 'tis eventide. The day is past and gone; The shadows of the evening fall; The night is coming on. Within my heart a welcome guest, Within my home abide. O Savior, stay this night with me; Behold, 'tis eventide.

Abide with me; 'tis eventide, And lone will be the night If I cannot commune with thee, Nor find in thee my light. The darkness of the world, I fear, Would in my home abide. O Savior, stay this night with me; Behold, 'tis eventide.

Abide with me; 'tis eventide. Thy walk today with me Has made my heart within me burn, As I communed with thee. Thy earnest words have filled my soul And kept me near thy side. O Savior, stay this night with me; Behold, 'tis eventide.

"She called out a warning; Don't ever let life pass you by" Brandon Boyd [Incubus]

Ok - so I'm a total slack and am behind and am totally backtracking for you. Be grateful.

Day 13

A picture of your favorite band or artist

If you read my blog, you should know by now that I love the band Incubus. I've talked about my love for them in numerous posts :) There's just something about Brandon Boyd's lyrics and voice that speak to my soul on so many levels. In fact, during my 14 days of February love song challenge, I really wished that I could put a song from Incubus up all the time. I can attribute a lot of my love for them to my best friend Brooke Mallory. I remember late night sleepovers where we would just put in their cd Morning View and just listen to it on loop for hours while we ate junk food and talked. It's the one cd I uploaded to my puny mp3 player that I snuck into YW camp as a Mia Maid and listened to which helped me not get freaked out by the rustling noises outside my cabin. We've been through a lot, Incubus and I. In fact, I just wrote a paper on one of their songs for my english class not to long ago. Fun :) And I just bought his solo album The Wild Trapeze and it's just beautiful. I read in an interview with him that he wanted to know what he would sound like if left to his own device - essentially find his own sound. There's not a whole lot of percussion on the album because he's "trash at the drums" and that there is no electric guitar; only an acoustic guitar hooked up to a base amp. Cool, right?

I think it is only fitting that there be audio/visual accompaniment to this post here's the video to the first Incubus song I ever heard (in fact, I heard it while watch VH1's video countdown one morning in middle school - so this is exactly how I experienced it)

Enjoy, folks. 

"Well, that's it. We go down in history as the guys that ticked off ALL the gods." "If something is worth doing, it's worth doing well." Iolaus & Hercules [Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]

Day 12

 A picture of something you love

Hercules. 

I love Hercules. In all its forms. Ever since I was younger and I watched "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" with my mother I've always had a fascination with this mythological story. If you ask me what my favorite Disney movies is I'll say Hercules. Seriously - if it's been a while since you've seen it GO DO IT NOW. It's brilliantly written, extremely clever, and well, hilarious. My aunt and uncle can attest to my ardent love for the film. Once, while we were going to dinner with my mother, that happened to be the VHS that was playing on the TV in their van (yes, their van plays VHS tapes. They're pretty much legit) and I freaked out. I became the happiest, giddiest, small child version of myself. I could barely contain my excitement I was so happy at the unexpected gift. Not only do I love the Disney version, but I still watch good ol' Mr. Sorbo, and do, in fact, own most of the seasons on DVD. It's my go-to thing to watch whenever I'm sick or feeling down.

In fact, I think now would be a brilliant time to watch some Hercules. I am cleaning my bathroom after all. That's as good of an excuse as any :)