Nat-uh-lee

140

2011-12-05T13:04:00.001-08:00

Let me set the scene: last night, 2am, can't sleep.

So naturally, what do I do? Grab a piece of wood (yeah, I have this stuff just laying around..no srsly..), some acrylics, my (AMAZING) angled brushes, and go ta' werrrk. Well, it was just one disaster after another.

For starters, I went to clean my brush, only to realize I already drank the water (it was clean**). Strike one. Lesson learned: don't clean your brushes in a mug you typically drink out of; instinct will set in and you'll be doomed to leave your post and re-fill up.

As if that wasn't bad enough, I went a little schizo and starting painting the part marked "yellow" with seafoam. Strike two. Lesson learned: it's possible to make it through college without learning how to read correctly.

I love how I've known myself for 21 years, and still learn new things about me everyday. One of which is that I hold my breath when I am trying to delicately paint straight lines. This leads to near-death experiences which involve hyperventilation and seeing stars. Strike three. Lesson learned: uh..breathe?

I'm by no means a sports fan, but I think in baseball terminology, I've "struck out". Now I understand what drove Van Gogh mad.

139

2011-12-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

On the second day of December, my true love said to me:
"Go dress up and waltz around Provo like you own the place because, let's face it..you do!"

Alright, so maybe I don't have a true love, and maybe he didn't say that to me. But I have a feeling my Chuck Bass doppleganger would say something of similar taste to get my spirits high. Sidenote: I'm joking; I'm a total Provo hermit.

But for real. Today = photoshoots and snow and cold air...and probably pneumonia. And I don't care, because I'M GETTING OUT OF THE HOUSE!!!!! Finally.

138

2011-12-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

Humpty Dumpty's last name was Wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
Humpty Dumpty's first name was Natalie.
At least someone thought to Instagram it, yeah? Super important. Gotta' have the IG.

Well, I guess it's bound to happen when you devote every day of your life to fueling a passion in a sport that takes its victims ruthlessly. Luck of the draw. I don't actually remember any of what was going on (apparently I smile after regaining consciousness as shown in the picture above..?) or what happened leading up to it. Only have accounts from my friends who saw it. But yeah, from what I heard, I was jumping, spun, board caught an edge on some ice, hit my head pretty hard, tumbled a little, bam. Knocked out. Ski Patrol came, threw me on a stretcher, put me in the back of an ambulance, and that's where my memory kicks in. I just remember being told not to move because they didn't know if I had broken anything in my back/pelvis. Great way to regain memory, right? Luckily xrays came out clean. I can easily say that day was the most excruciating pain I've ever been in in my life. I couldn't walk. Doctors said no riding for 6 weeks. We'll see about that ;) I'm getting more and more back into the natural ability of things I took for granted: walking, sitting all the way down to pee (srsly!), being able to put my pants on, being able to put shoes on, being able to touch my toes.. but it's day 4 and those things are already starting to feel easier! I put pants on standing up today - yayy! Haha. Hoping to be back in a week. We'll see though. We'll see.

God is good, He is merciful, and I am indebted to Him. I love my Savior. I love the priesthood. And I love the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. These things are true.

137

2011-11-04T02:04:00.000-07:00

Hello blog.
My name is Natalie Wall, I am 10+10+1 years young, residing in beautiful Utah, and - despite your justly preconceived notions - I haven't snowboarded off a lethal cliff (yet), suffocated in cupcakes, or gotten re-abducted by the stork. I am alive. I am neglectful. And I am sorry.

I will try to be better with this. I used to be good at it. Now..I just suck. And my life is boring.

Actually, that's a fallacy. Life has manged to be more interested and exciting than ever, and it's a shame I am too lazy to document it all. Just trust me when I say it is wonderful :)

136

2011-10-16T02:45:00.000-07:00

Confessions:
1. I feel guilty reclining my seat on an airplane when there's someone sitting behind me.
2. I haven't brushed my hair in over a week (I was on a cruise..not that that's an excuse..)
3. I've never seen a Star Wars movie in my life.
4. I still think the Spice Girls are radtastic.
5. Sometimes I rehearse what I'm going to say in front of the mirror before I make a phone call.
6. I listen to Spanish music so people in the car next to me think I'm bilingual. Okay, so maybe that's not why. But it sounded epic in my head.
7. I have kind of given up on this "blogging" thing.
8. My snowboard season started last Friday. Not a confession, but it's been the highlight of my month.

135

2011-09-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

There are people in our life that motivate us to inspire for greatness. Those that carry us when we're weak, and forbid us to settle for anything less than satisfactory. Then there are those that we barely know, who manage to trod footprints in our life path and leave potent trails. Regardless, I am filled with nothing but gratitude for the angels I'm surrounded with from the time I wake up to the time I turn in for the night. I am blessed, I am blessed, I am blessed. Get after life.

Dream big, then make it happen.

134

2011-09-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Today is a day that calls for sitting in a tree sippin' on a juice box with my iPod. I'm out.

[Currently Listening: Brothers On A Hotel Bed - Death Cab]

133

2011-09-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

Most girls wish to swim with dolphins, to make out on the beach, and to have an entire room painted cotton-candy pink with complimenting damask-print furniture.

I, however, do not.

I wish for snow. I wish to shred. I wish for a slurpee from 711. And I wish that the handful of Hershey kisses I just brought back to my room wasn't already in my tummy. Waaay too lazy to walk back to the kitchen.

I ALSO WISH THAT WHOEVER WAS USING THE LEAF BLOWER AT 3AM WOULD GO THE (cherry-flavored) FUNDIP TO BED!

What can I say? I'm plain.

132

2011-09-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

Our screen door is open, letting in the rain's aroma - which has mixed in a beautifully lethal combination with the scent of warm brownies escaping from our oven. As I stare out my bedroom window, I see people running into their homes using textbooks and backpacks as some sort of necessary shield. You know, so they don't melt. Utah n00bs. As a former Arizonian, I think I need to teach this state how to properly do rainstorms.

*takes off shoes and runs outside*

[Currently listening: Lykke Li - Time Flies]

131

2011-09-15T00:23:00.000-07:00

So my best friend (who happens to live with me) and I are seen to some as worthless. We describe our days as "doing so much but actually nothing". Today, we headed down to catch the storm on the water front. Utah is incredible like that. The perfect combination of weather and geography.

On the flip-side, I apologize to all my dear friends back home. I've been the worst keep-in-contact-er. I have good intentions, I do. But then I get preoccupied in thrift stores, or craft stores (I spent 2 hours debating between the shade of acrylic blue paint I wanted because I'm too cheap to buy some white and MIX it..), or the Los Betos drive thru (40 minutes, true story..totally worth it). I love you all and will have a handmade Natalie Utah Muxxtape sent your way in due time.

130

2011-09-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

So I have this neat job. I work 8 days a month, manage to pay my bills and throw a handful more moniez into savings. It's neat. With that said, I have 20-something days of free time. I mean, seeing as I moved up here to board, it's the ideal situation..once there's snow. However, lack of snow equates to lack of having much of anything to do. A friend suggested I make a bucket list. So here's what I call my pre-season bucket list. If you care to partake in the accomplishing of any/all of these, know you're invited. There's a good chance that if you're bored I'm probably not working and trying to cross some of these off.

-Fly a kite
-Paint a picture
-Write a pen pal
-Go on a picnic
-Learn a new song on the piano (suggestions??)
-Eat mini marshmallows under the stars whilst finding new constellations with my sweet iPhone app :)
-Do a temple session at Manti
-Start/finish a new book, which is only allowed to be read outdoors (in hopes of getting me outside the confines of my condo)
-Thrift a pair shoes (I've thrifted all kinds of clothes..never shoes)
-Make a necklace out of fruit loops (I don't know why..because I hate Fruit Loops..)
-Pour chocolate milk into my cereal bowl
-Learn how to ~~tail stall~~ not die on a skateboard
-Send Erika a piece of Natalie-Wall-art (or unart, however you decide to look at it)
-Bake cookies for a stranger
-Give a homeless man pb&j
-Roadtrip outside the bounds of UT (companions and destinations appreciated)
-Use the word "insidious" six times in one day
-Type a letter on a typewriter
-Sew something (a hole in pants, perhaps? lawlzz)
-Throw a bottled-letter into the ~~ocean~~ Salt Lake
-Create a Utah Mixxxxtape (want a copy?)
-Get law school applications in (more of a must-do, but I figured it'd be nice to cross it off of some sort of list)
-Go an entire day without talking about snowboarding <--siiike

129

2011-09-07T02:31:00.000-07:00

Life is one big adventure. And I'm loving it.

128

2011-09-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

So for all those who don't know, my roommate's name is Natalie.
Two Natalie's in one house.
It's nuts. And amazing. Pretty much the most glorious thing to ever happen.

Come play with us in UTAH!

127

2011-08-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

This is the extent of my productivity. When you move to a new place for the sole reason of snowboarding and lack snow (for only a couple more months*) life tends to get rather lax. So we color, we drink (non-alchy) Sangria, we dance to m83 and we photoshoot in our adorable condo. You know..since we have nothing else to do.

So far we've:
-Made 3 friends in Provo (I hate Provo).
-Decided we're moving to SLC
-Had one room repainted because it was uglier than my dog's butt
-Broke a hole in our balcony from dancing on it too hard (srsly..wtf?)
-Decided to save up for a fish named Dave
-Burned out 3 lightbulbs
-Caught a pan on fire making lunch (that's other-Nat's fault..I'm not taking credit for that!)
-Longboarded down the complex's stairs
-Tried to ride UP them, as well (fail)
-Managed to keep grocery shopping relatively healthy

126

2011-08-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

Reasons why I want it to be Autumn:
-I won't have to see as many girls wearing shorts so short their pockets hang out.
-I can wear bright yarn-knitted mittens that don't remotely match my outfit.
-BOOTS!
-Hot chocolate tastes better when it isn't 90 degrees outside.
-Fall --> Winter --> Snow --> Snowboarding
-I like seeing my breath at night when I go on walks.
-Snuggies are all of a sudden acceptable.
-I live in a place with trees, which means leaves, which means COLORS!!
-I ~~like~~ love post-Halloween candy sales. The day after Halloween is right up there with Christmas on my list of favorite holidays..I'm tellin' ya.

125

2011-08-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

Officially living in Utah. Officially loving life. Officially feeling like I fit in with the world around me.

Today I got locked in a dressing room. Like..straight STUCK. Awkward:

*knocks* "Yeah, I'm in the dressing room..and I can't get out.."

Just kidding. I was too embarrassed/laughing way too hard, so it really went down like this:

*calls best friend* "Hey come in the dressing room.."
"Okay where are you?"
"2nd one from the end on skiiers..er..shoppers right"
"Okay come out"
"..I CAN'T! That's why I called you..GET ME OUT OF HEREEEE!!"
*to worker lady* "She's stuck in there.."
Worker lady: "What?! *failed attempt at opening door* BACK UP! I'm busting this thing down!!! *kicks open door*"

HAHAH I'm laughing just reiterating this. Facepalm.

124

2011-08-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

I made the last drive for a long time from Mesa to Phoenix. I leave for Utah in a little less than 12 hours. As I passed familiar places and old memories, I found myself crying at the thought of losing the amazing relationships in my life I've established here in AZ ever since..well..ever since I can remember, really. Selfish, Natalie. Those tears were quickly transformed into tears of gratitude as I realized how BLESSED I have been, I am, and will continue to be. Heavenly Father has provided me with the beautiful opportunities of mending old wounds, fortifying relationships, and progressing with the people I love the most. And for that, I am grateful.

I'm grateful I can leave Arizona with no blemish of regret, of doubt, nor of a hard heart. Instead of sulking in the past, I'm ready to live in the present.

Here I come, Utah.

I have a whole bucket list of endeavors, and a boat-load of free time. So, Utah folks, speak up. Let's make adventures.

123

2011-08-13T03:23:00.000-07:00

Two more days left in Arizona.

The desert has a sweet way of making me miss it. I didn't think I'd be sad about moving. But I am. I already miss my friends and my family. I've said more goodbye's in the last 24 hours than I'd wish upon any living soul in a lifetime. I'm not good with goodbyes. I get in my car, and cry as I drive away. I'm an in-the-closet sap. Never openly. Rarely, at least. A seldom few get the actual display of tears. However those goodbyes come tomorrow and Monday.

I just finished what could very well be my last in-the-AZ-rain solo dance mission (at 3:26am) and have to say..it was a great one. This weekend has already been epic, and it's only 26.5 hours into it. Come Monday, the real adventure begins.

I love life.

122

2011-08-10T03:23:00.000-07:00

Moving in 5 days.
Got a job.
Hello, my beautiful new life.

121

2011-08-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

10 more days left in Arizona.

9 more weeks until my Caribbean getaway.

8 things on tomorrow's "to-do" list.

7 more months until I turn 22. Yuck.

6 graphite pencils in bed with me right now (all of which are in dire need of a sharpener).

5 more hours until I have to be awake.

4 o'clock in the morning.

3 songs on looped repeat.

2 months until law school applications are due. Again. Blehhhhhhhhh.

1 person on my mind.

120

2011-08-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie, Shark Week has been disappointing. The type of disappointing that is equivalent to going to an all-you-can-eat buffet when you're not hungry. All you can eat Shark. Only I'm one of those cool hipster-vegans (not really). Perhaps it's the episodes I've caught..get it? CAUGHT. Awshootthatwaslame. But thus far, all I've learned can be summed up with the following.. *drum roll*...are you ready...?

...

sharks like blood. and the color yellow.
BAM
Here's some advice: next time you decide to swim with sharks, don't bleed. And put the yellow swimsuit that grandma got you from a yard sale BACK in the closet. Or else you'll be shark bait (whooo-ha-ha).

Name that movie and we can be best friends.

119

2011-08-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

It usually takes me about 21 minutes-worth of sitting in front of a blank piece of paper, arranging shapes and figures in my head, before I muster up the courage to attack it with a pencil. However, I feel no accountability to anything when I paint. No mental prep time. Pencils must make me vulnerable.

..and turn my hands gray. I'm a messy artist.

To say the least.

118

2011-08-02T02:17:00.001-07:00

I rarely watch TV. Tonight I turned my television on for the first time in weeks to watch the Bachelorette finale. However, that's not what I want to talk about (though I will say I thought this whole season was boring after Bentley left..). I was working at my computer with the TV left on since my show had just ended. Then it came on: a movie trailer for "Are You Afraid of the Dark" (or something like that). Immediately I hopped off my bed (the side opposite the tv), closed my eyes, and plugged my ears.

Yes, folks. I am 21 and I am scared of trailers for scary movies.

--Le sigh--

I spent the duration of my evening on my bedroom floor with some canvases and my acrylics. Two paintings down, a few more to go. You know..since I have all these bare walls in Utah that need decorating ;)

117

2011-07-31T23:50:00.000-07:00

[Snowflake LDS Temple]

My gratitude list for the month of July is simple:
I am grateful for my loving Father in Heaven, who is SO aware of the challenges and obstacles I face every day, who gives me not just what I want, but what I need - knowing it will be for my best and teaching me to trust in His plan.

I am grateful for my perfect Savior, Jesus Christ. I am grateful for His mercy, His example, His love, and His strength.

I am grateful for the temple. I am grateful for the love, the peace, and the Spirit felt in the House of the Lord.

I am grateful for those who I love, and those who love me.

I am grateful for opportunities. I am grateful for passion. I am grateful for change.

[happy.august]

116

2011-07-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

It seems the moments went so fast,
I couldn't bask in one for long before it passed

It's in the dark, quiet hours of the early morning (late night?) when I find myself lost in suppressed memories. The human mind is extraordinary. I have 21 years-worth of mental snapshots and visually recorded moments crammed into some intangible thing entitled "the mind". Instances virtually forgotten manage to resurface, triggered by a scent or a song. The type of memories that invoke eyes squeezed tight, as to bring the past into a vivid reality. Yet, somehow, it slips back into the mess of experiences - multiplied by years - to be tucked away in the back of this jigsaw puzzle we call the human mind.

Extraordinary.

115

2011-07-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

[Taken by Mr. Nick Sorensen]

Natalie's terribly-awesome always-never good driving habits:
1) Zig-zagging between the bumps that divide the lanes without running over them with my tires (try it, it's addicting..).
2) Unknowingly driving 95 in a 65mph zone when a good song comes on and my heart starts to race.
3) Instantly rolling all car windows down upon first sight of a raindrop.
4) Almost knowingly swerving into the car next to me because I'm too preoccupied with nailing the drum pattern of my favorite part of the song on my steering wheel.
5) Falling asleep.
6) Words With Friends (Okay, this was back when I was an addict. I've banned myself from WWF while driving..).
7) Getting caught dancing at the stoplight by the car next to me.
8) Running into guardrails when the roads are icy..yeah, don't let me drive in adverse conditions; I'm from AZ.

114

2011-07-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

[shot by the incredibly talented Nick Sorensen]

The rate at which people enter and exit my life needs a calculated mathematical formula. I can't keep up with my own baggage, yet alone tote it around and act like it's making way to some vacation destination. As of now, I'm walking in circles on the side of the road with my thumb pointed up, waiting for a ride.

Maybe I'll get lucky and my Hogwarts acceptance letter will arrive. Owl, I'm still waiting for you.

113

2011-07-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

I get in fights with pizza Lunchables.
I spend 15 minutes looking for a bottle opener, only to realize it's a twist-off.
I still avoid stepping on cracks in the pavement.
I prefer odd integers over even ones.
It's hard for me to count by 4's.
I pretend I can taste a difference in the red M&M's.
I have an addiction to semi-colons. Haha; but srsly.
I sabotage good songs by listening to them on repeat until I can't stand them anymore.
If you give me a lump of play-dough and distract me via conversation I'll subconsciously sculpt an elephant..happens every time.
I am an advocate for the addition of the narwhal to animal cracker shapes.
I have a testimony of running barefoot in the forest.

-----

I'm at it again: messing up my sleep patterns with 5pm naps, dozing off on the couch watching television. Television. What a foreign word; I now remember why I gave that up. What a waste of time. Alas, it is now 5am and I'm sitting in the dark (eh, well the sun is starting to peek through my window) talking to myself. I should be sleeping. Oh wait, I did that at 5pm. Mehh. Time to take the longboard for a spin to the kitchen. I'm craving some eggs; and I could easily justify an omelet in about..32 minutes. I'd be mildly tempted into a morning jog if my knee weren't wrecked. Rawrr.

Tell me something. Anything.

112

2011-07-15T02:28:00.000-07:00

Today is the day.

111

2011-07-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

If I could have one wish right now, it'd be that I had in my possession a 2lb bag of mini jawbreakers. I'd eat 1 lb*, and put the other pound to use by dumping it down a parking garage and racing them on my long board, to see who makes it to the bottom faster.

Looks like this week's agenda includes a trip to the candy store.

*who came up with the "lb" abbreviation for "pound"? There's neither an l nor a b in that word..squilldiots.

110

2011-07-07T01:47:00.000-07:00

Welp. Injured the knee. Doing therapy. Hoping to get back on a board in the next few weeks. Moving the second week in August. Still not sure where I'm living. Not too worried about it. Life has a beautiful way of taking care of me.

My life in 8 sentences.

Now, please excuse me while I go make some chocomilk.

109

2011-07-06T02:04:00.000-07:00

[what I do when I can't sleep at 2:30am]

M.A.S.H : Mansion/Apartment/Shack/House.

According to the best game of MASH I ever played, which took place on an airplane ride to New York City in 2002, I will be marrying my 6th grade boyfriend, living in a Mansion, driving a Mercedes, having 3 kids, a dog, 4 ponies (I'll fashion them horns so I can call them unicorns), my husband will be a brain surgeon racking in a whopping $4.5 million per year, driving a beat up mini-van (you win some, you lose some), and we'll live in California.

I can't remember where we'll honeymoon, but I mean, our gross-income net worth is legit, so if it was one of those lame places (like the local circus) we'll just use our dividend air miles and fly to Paris for the month. No big deal.

Life on paper is super awesome.

108

2011-07-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

[my beautiful model and friend, Connie]

The "Do's and Don't's" of Surviving Scottsdale:
Don't: Make eye contact. Scottsdaliens will see right through those faux-Michael Kors lenses of yours.

Do: Park in the back of the parking lot in the sun. Rapture would commence if a true Scottsdalien would have to march her (his?) Jimmy Choo's more than 23 feet on that hot asphalt. Who am I kidding? They utilize the parking garages..

Don't: Talk about how you spent your week's food allowance at Pei Wei in public. Us broke college kids are a blemish to the true race of successful business people who worked for every penny they earned.

Do: Assume most Scottsdalien women never worked a day in their life for fear of breaking a nail.

Don't: Use words like "sale", "thrift", and/or "secondhand". But most importantly, NEVER say the word "used". It's the Scottsdalien equivalent to the Crucio curse.

Do: Spend $4.25 on a cupcake and act like it was naw-big-deals-brah. Yes, that means no groceries for 3 days, but the six fork-fulls of heaven will be well worth the financially-imposed fast.
-----
This is me eating up all the stereotypes the Scottsdale world has to offer. This is me on my last nerve. This is me 3 years past my tolerance level of superficial lifestyles. This is me ready to give it all up for the desolate company of the mountains.

This is also my ode to America. Hence the (coincidental) blue and red font. I've gone snowboarding for the 4th. Enjoy your holiday weekend.

107

2011-06-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the pace of life that I forget to unwind and revel in the beauty of God's creations. There is so much to be revealed to us in those quiet moments of contemplative privacy. Things incapable of being put in words and explained to others, but things known to ourselves.

I am grateful.

106 - This doesn't count

2011-06-29T03:01:00.000-07:00

Stupid site won't let me upload pictures. And I don't have anything worthwhile to say anymore. So I quit. At least for today. Hitchya up tomorrow, blog world.

105

2011-06-27T02:13:00.000-07:00

[Photo taken by Brian Clay]

I've been out and about, getting lost in the reality that snow exists in the west coast at the tail end of June. I just got back from Tahoe - it was my first trip there, and definitely not the last. That place is BEAUTIFUL! Overwhelmingly so. Tahoe > Utah for next season? Hmmmm...

Mammoth Mountain this weekend for closing day. Snowboarding in July. My life is a dream, folks.

[Photo taken by Nick Visconti]

104

2011-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

There are many things in life that are "good", in the sense that they "aren't bad". With that said, as we seek to obtain total and impartial consecration of our lives, said "good" things may be what hold us back - not because they push us away from the Savior, but simply because they don't bring us unto Him.

Just a thought. Mostly for myself. Have a happy day; life is yours for the taking.

Today's Playlist (links provided):
Je Suis le Vent - Working for a Nuclear Free City
20 Years - The Civil Wars
It's About Time - Barcelona
Sabali (Miike Snow Remix) - Amadou & Miriam
Lights - Ellie Goulding

103

2011-06-20T01:17:00.000-07:00

Today's question to you: If you could pick one childhood past-time to resurrect, what would it be?
Apparently mine is teddy bears. And floor-sleeping (without waking up and feeling like a 93 year-old woman).
-----
So. I like to take sporadic trips. This weekend is one of them. And in celebration (just kidding, it's actually in a desperate attempt to not have to withdraw from the Utah Migration savings fund) I'm doing photo sessions all week (Monday-Thursday) at $60 a session. 20 edited images, usually takes about 45 minutes. Boomshakalaka. Sweet, right? Right. Email me if you want to book. That's portraits, families, friends, whatever. Find a reason, and let's take pictures.

Natalie.Wall@asu.edu

102

2011-06-17T03:32:00.001-07:00

Natalie in a nutshell:
21. Latter-Day Saint. Lover of snow, best friend to a Canon 7d, cupcake connoisseur.

Random Facts:
My biggest fear is the Pillsbury cinnamon roll can that you have to unpeel until it explodes. I still can't turn the lights off at night until my feet are safely tucked under my blanket. It's hard for me to stay on topic in the form of coherent sentences. My clock ticks really loud and I've broken in thrice due to angry half-asleep rages which resulted in it being thrown against the wall. Whoops. I really enjoy math and statistics and will do both for wholesome recreational activities when I get bored. Sometimes I mistake my scriptures for a coloring book.

Favorites:
Vanilla. Salt Lake City. CS5. Sticky Notes. TOMS. 85mm f/1.8. OneBallJay. Adele. iPhone 4.

Unfavorites:
The Beatles. My (VW) beetle. Pandora commercials. Extruded bases. When people like their own statii on fbook.

Your turn..ready, set, go!

101

2011-06-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

Shoot with Claudia. One of my favorites :)

Lately I've been eating Capt'n Crunch for all three meals. It's kind of depressing how boring the cereal box games have gotten. Cereal used to be so much better. French Toast Crunch. Remember that stuff? I'd go all Double Dare 2000 in my kitchen when I ate that for breakfast. Please, someone, tell me you know what I'm talking about so I don't feel prehistoric. Raptor. RAWR.

*I ate dinosaur sprinkles last night on my vanilla ice cream*

100

2011-06-11T03:38:00.000-07:00

I am by no means perfect.
I have never attempted to claim perfection.
Nor do I asked to be judged by its standards.
So I really don't understand why there remains a select few that can't get over the fact that I am flawed.
Just like them.

Honestly, people. When are you going to grow up?
How can people enjoy life when they spend all their time criticizing others.

I love my life.
Now learn to love yours.

99

2011-06-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

AHA-moments. I've been having a lot of those lately. Sometimes it's like Heavenly Father drops the entire A-Z set of Encyclopedia Britannica on my head. The comedic sketch of my life as of late: "Ooh, you're SO right, Heavenly Father..you're so very right." "Yeah Natalie, you should probably start hearkening unto my word the first time I tell you these things, it'll save you lots of time and effort..you know, since I created you and I know everything..I'm kind of a big deal."

I love being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I love the ability we all have to receive our own personal revelation directly from our Father in Heaven. I love the power of faith and bear a solemn witness of the power the gospel has to change the very nature of our being. I'm a living witness of said mighty change of heart.

98

2011-06-04T02:43:00.000-07:00

Natalie fails at blogging. Natalie is sorry. Natalie is done speaking in the third person.

So tonight I spent an hour perfecting mah' Cat Daddy. Now my legs are super sore. All those cupcakes...

97

2011-06-02T01:01:00.000-07:00

The countdown has begun. 5 weeks of research, then I'm free. In which time, I think I'll rename this blog "the vagabond journeys of Natalie Wall". Which will eventually lead to "Natalie Wall: Filing bankruptcy; a journey of a girl who traveled herself into debt". Oh well.

96

2011-05-31T01:52:00.000-07:00

*runs out of the room..*

*slumps back into the room 61 seconds later, looking defeated*
"..Guess I don't have to pee"

I hate this. Now I keep feeling phantom pee-urges. Stupid bladder.

95

2011-05-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

She wears boy shoes and he wears girl shoes.
We-R-Who-We-R.

In Utah. Never want to come home. Today it's already rained twice and been sunny twice. Going on three times of rain. Snow on the mountains. Record-breaking inches up at Snowbird. Life is paradise. Simply put.

94

2011-05-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've been getting asked a lot of photography questions recently. I find this funny, because if I had photo questions I can think of 103 other people I'd rather ask instead of me. Half the time I'm even asking myself if I know how to use a camera. Wap wap. Thanks for the faith, though, guys! Well, I thought I'd put together a little summin-summin' of things I've learned over the last year and a half of shooting.

1) DON'T shoot for free. Let me clarify and expound. When you're starting out (I still do this all the time..) it's great practice to grab a friend/some friends/your family/a friend's family and work on shooting people. Practice makes imperfect perfection, yeah? Obviously you're not going to make money off of that. That's why it's called practice. However, when people come to you and ask to shoot their dog/sister/baby/family/UFO, they're showing interest in your work. In your ART. AKA: They like yo' shiz. Respect yourself as an artist. Make it worth your time. Be reasonable with your prices, but don't sell yourself short (my biggest battle always and forever, I'm telling you!).

2) You don't need to give clients a disc of 92 pictures for every shoot you do. Another thing I find in common with my photographer friends - when we just started out with a camera we were editing/giving away MASSIVE amounts of pictures. And doing it for free. It's insane. It's time-consuming. And who really wants to go through 92 pictures of themselves?

3) Don't compare yourself to other people. We all have people from whom we draw inspiration. I have my list of favorite photographers across the world and across the many genres of photography, and I am a self-admitted stalker of their work. However, I recognize that their work is their work. It is not mine. Nor do I wish it to be. Some people say they won't even look at other photographer's work, because they don't want to compare themselves and/or feel insecure with their own art. I don't think you need to go to such an extreme as to shut yourself off entirely from a realm of art you're passionate about. The best piece of advice I've ever gotten: Compare yourself to yourself. If your recent shoot is better than your last, you're improving! Ansel Adams didn't develop his talent over night. Just because you own a DSLR camera doesn't mean you're a photographer. It takes time, it takes practice, it takes patience. Don't expect mind-blowing art the first time you try shooting. But don't get discouraged, either. Just do it again; and do it better.

4) On that note, your style and perspective will most likely change as you shoot more. I go back to old shoots ALL the time and think to myself "ew, what the heck was I thinking?! Did I honestly think this looked good?!". But that makes me happy. It's helped me develop a style I feel is my own. Definitely still working on that, and am by no means completely satisfied with where I'm at. But art is a progression..and the journey is what makes it beautiful and worthwhile.

5) "Expensive" doesn't necessarily equate to "better". I've shot on a $1400 lens and hated it. I've shot (and usually shoot) on my $400 lens and love it. Don't invest in something just because it looks nice, sounds fancy, and/or has a lot of numbers and letters in its name. Read reviews, research your product, ask people, heck - go rent one for a day!! I'm such a n00b with equipment. I'm constantly calling people and asking for opinions. My friends probably think I'm a nut.

6) Shoot what you're passionate about. Don't shoot weddings if you hate shooting couples. Don't shoot dogs if you hate animals. Don't drink coffee if you're Mormon..wait, what?! :) But seriously.

Honestly, I don't really know that much about photography. I know what I've learned in classes. I know what I've learned from physically shooting. I know what I've been told by people I look up to. But there is SO much out there I'm completely clueless about. All I do know is that I love it, and it makes me happy. Am I trying to turn it into my career? No. Would I be opposed to that? Not at all. Perhaps I don't make goals for fear of being disappointed. I'm not really sure. Photography is art, and art is vulnerability. Put me in front of hundreds of people and give me 5 minutes to prepare a verbal debate - no problem. Put me in a room of 10 strangers and ask me to show them RAW images that I shot on the spot - I'll have a heart attack. Perhaps that's my fascination with photography: I find myself completely out of my comfort zone time and time again.

93

2011-05-25T02:16:00.001-07:00

Dear Potential Future Home,
You are adorable. I've always wanted to live in a colored house. Yet alone, a house with its own rose garden. However, I kind of hate you. You have me merely tampering with the thought of living in *gasp* Provo. Also known as Brovo. Also known as Poovo (I got reprimanded by calling it this..whoops). You're 66 minutes from the ski lifts. Your available room is also an ugly shade of green. I'm not sure I have enough Nomis posters to cover that (however I wouldn't mind getting some more of Simon Chamberlain to stare at). Ugh. Can't you relocate your quiant little self to Sugarhouse? You'd fit perfectly.
Love, Potential Resident

PS. Anyone in Utah looking for a roomate? Preferably NOT in the Provo/Brovo/Poovo area.

DISCLAIMER: I'm really not that big of a P-town hater, I just plan on selling my soul to Provo for three years when I start grad school. And I'm lyke-kind-of-addicted-to-the-mountain-yeah?

92

2011-05-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

I was browsing through an old journal last night. It was interesting to note the difference in my aspirations of "then" and "now". I talked a lot about grades, the necessity of obtaining A's and A+'s, and how set I was on attending Columbia Law School. I got a good laugh out of how different my goals are now. Some would argue that I've sold myself short and managed to settle for less. False. Graduating with my Bachelors in 3 years? Taking a year off to move to the mountains and snowboard? BYU Law School? Fantastic. I can't say I've ever anticipated the future more than I do now. Sure, New York is great, and Columbia is stellar; but the city scape soon grows old, and then you're left with a bustling crowd and impersonal relationships. Convince me all you want, but I can't imagine falling out of love with the mountain life anytime soon.

Live spontaneously. Invest time in those things that are necessary and important, but use those remaining hours to fill your life with passion. Over and out.

91

2011-05-22T00:14:00.000-07:00

And so, in right wing fashion;
we'll nurture xenophobia.
And be strong.
SHESPIDER - MEW

It's like a never-ending case of deja-vu: I feel like I know what's going to happen next..and just as I think I can predict the future I suddenly forget where it's headed.

I need a reason to be inspired.
[translation: I need to buy more Jones Soda so I can read some bottle-capped words of wisdom]

90

2011-05-17T00:52:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving, on a jet plane.
Don't know when I'll be back again.

That's a fallacy; I'll be back on Saturday. However, until then I'll be basking in the California sun (well..forecast is rain for tomorrow). Longboards, boardwalks, Shirley Temples, and - as the picture makes it quite apparent - my large stash of TOMS. A pair for each day, I guess. Haha. Did I mention I am awful at packing?

Bon voyage.

89

2011-05-16T01:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm almost officially graduated. That means I would have technically "walked" this week if I felt like forking out $80 to do so; I have a 6 week-long summer research position left to fulfill before that diplomma is MINE. But I'm pretty much a bachelor in Psychology<--the science based one, not the "arts" based one ;) Tehe. Alas. I figured I'd take this week to reminisce on a few notable awkward/funny/embarrassing moments in my college career (the whopping 3 years that it was).

-Moment number one-
It's freshman year. I'm a newbie at the whole "college" thing. Bills? Oh crap, what are those? Work? Oh this should be fun. Wait, mom..dad..I have to pay for GAS now?! Oh no need to worry; I just discovered this hip new site called Craigslist. It can't be hard to find a job when there's a whole list of jobs, categorized by job type. I remember noticing there were lots of jobs with the word "dance" in the category. $600 a weekend to dance?! Well that's right up my ally..seeing as I spent 30+ hours a week dancing. So I forwarded out some generic email without reading the description to just about every ad I saw. Next morning I wake up with an inbox full of replies. Turns out the "dancers" they were looking for involved no clothes, poles, and bus parties. Naive Natalie. *Faceplam*. Well that was awkward..and no, I won't send you a full body picture with my age/height/weight/bra size. Yaaa perrrrrv.

Whoops.

88

2011-05-10T03:30:00.000-07:00

Well, looks like I'm stuck here this summer. I know I should be grateful to live in a state whose only real "natural disaster" is third degree foot burns when walking with naked feet on asphalt. I know I should take advantage of the cancerous sun rays and disease-infected lakes and urine-tainted swimming pools..but it just doesn't feel like home to me. I'm in love with the snow. I like scarves. And I like slipping on ice as I'm walking to my car..oh waaaaaait. But in all seriousness, I am so bored with brown landscaping and cactus thorns in my shoes. I'm ready for rainclouds and real seasons. Call me crazy. I'm sure I'll be eating these words come law school and lack of daily snowboarding. Then and only then do I preemptively excuse complaining about the weather ;) See..I've covered my bases.

87

2011-05-09T03:22:00.001-07:00

[my sissy all prom-ified]

So it's no secret, I sing in the shower. My family knows, my friends know, heck by now I'm sure my neighbors know. Let it beknownst (made that word up because it's my blog and I can do whatever I want): I don't sing well. I just sing loud. So It's 2am, I'm showering, blah blah blah, singing some Eisley, and what happens? I slip on a bar of soap. Duh fuhhh..? Curse you, Dial.

86

2011-05-07T03:28:00.000-07:00

[new senior photoshoot post here]

I'm musing my words carefully, trying to be both ambitious and informatory. How do you do that? Oh, if I could write in parables. My parable would be a concoction of an olive vineyard, a vineyard lord, and his boredom with pruning. Eventually he'd switch to harvesting citrus, because who likes olives anyway? I'm sure he'd live to be 2,200, discover facebook, and let his crops die as he rotted away on someone's newsfeed. Or just found a different job on craigslist. Well, my friends, I'm switching to citrus. Can't say I've actually ever tried olives. But the smell is repulsing enough.

..how was that for 'ambiguously informative'?

85

2011-05-06T02:19:00.000-07:00

[full set here]

It's a nuclear show, and the stars are gone.

Well. Today is the day that I meet with my adviser and see if my research credit (that I still need to graduate..curse you, late registration!!) is available online. Which ultimately decides if I can move to Utah in a couple weeks, or if I have to wait it out a couple more months. Granted, there are a few more factors that play into whether I'll move that soon..but school is the biggest one.

It's really crazy to think of what my life has evolved into. Sometimes it seems like a product of coincidence and good luck; but I know better than that. I am truly blessed.

84

2011-05-05T03:08:00.000-07:00

I wore the cardigan ;)

Low point of my day: brushing my teeth and then proceeding to drink orange juice..

83

2011-05-04T04:36:00.000-07:00

1. Found this happy little brick on a wall right after I walked out of my final today. So long, Abnormal Psychological Development. Hello, life. Hello, summer. Hello, Utah (almost).

2. Cardigan; yay or nay? [don't mind the poopy looking hair]

3. I really like coloring with crayons. You know what else I really like? SpongeBob-shaped Mac&Cheese, cutting my PB&J's in cookie-cutter shapes, sandboxes, and finger paint.

Why do I bring that up? Because some people can't handle that. Well guess what: alongside my 5 year-old love for life, I financially provide for myself, pay bills, cook dinners, do well in school, juggle law school applications (I know where I'm going, but the pa wants me to apply to multiple schools..blehh!), and try my best to bolster forth with a positive attitude. Yeah, I act childish. I'm 21; not 61. I hate when people expect me to put on my pearls, cross my legs, and sip my ~~tea~~ Shirley Temples with my pinky in the air. (I'm also not British - har, har, har.) Life's too short to spend it acting like you're overwhelmed with responsibilities. We all have them.

Point being: I am me. Natalie Wall. Take it or leave it. Au revior.

82

2011-05-03T03:08:00.000-07:00

[photo copyrights de moi]

I just sneezed. Three times in a row. Thrice. It was the strangest thing ever. On the third sneeze, I started to giggle. So then it made a weird throat-cough-hiccup-sneeze..the kind that hurt. So I self-medicated with some cake.

Time for bed. Then I take my first final of the semester. I am so ready for you to be finished, Abnormal Developmental Psychology. Studying schizophrenia for the last 8 hours has been caused me to start having delusions of my own. Curses be unto your seed.

Oh hey guys, I'm almost graduated.

81

2011-05-02T01:11:00.000-07:00

"Girl fall into your life, here" - Copeland

Usually, I hate Arizona summers. However, the thought of this one sounds more enticing than ever. Presumably because it's the last one I'll have to suffer through - at least for a few years. Perhaps it's also because I might not be here for it. Either way, I'm anticipating great things ahead.

I'm aching for a trip. So what am I doing? Driving to Philadelphia with my best friend. Why? Because we like roadtrips, we like photography, and she needs a travel buddy to keep her company because she's *tear* moving there. Philly is overrated. I was born there; ghetto-thug-swagga'-stupidfaceded. See what good it did me? At least I can (not) talk the talk. And eat copious amounts of peanut m&m's. Yes, that's what Philadelphia taught me. And thus it's inevitably what we will be doing for the 40+ hour journey. I love journeys.

80

2011-04-30T03:01:00.000-07:00

[Instagram addict]

Random thoughts de la Natalie:

-A common question directed toward people my age is the cliche "what are you doing with your life?". I really wish I could answer that question with a smug retort that includes snippets about fighting dragons, eating rainbow marshmallows, and saving baby birds (and perhaps installing a Chipotle on every street corner). Because people would take that just as seriously as they seem to take the whole "taking a year off of school to snowboard in Park City" thang-a-rang. Judge me all you want. I love my life.

-People really don't understand how much time goes into photography. If I had to tally up hours I've spent planning shoots/shooting/post-processing I'd say that would equate to about the amount of time I spend talking about/thinking about/actually snowboarding. I think I need a life. No wait, I love mine.

-For the first time in my life I kissed a boy the same height as me. It's weird not having to look up. No tip-toes for me, eh?

79

2011-04-29T04:47:00.001-07:00

It's 5am and I'm tucking myself in for the night, er, morning. There's something about finals week that - call me crazy - I love. Let me rephrase that; there's something about finals week that drives me to the brink of self-inflicted insanity and thus causes me to laugh in a mad, sleep-deprived hysteria at myself..which I love looking back at, or in this case blogging about.

Case in point number 1:
Tuesday I had a paper due (that ended up being 12 pages in length). I've known about this paper for the entire semester. Come Monday, have I started? Uhmdumbquestion, no. So what do I find myself doing Monday night at approximately 8pm? Jumping on a trampoline 40 minutes north of where I live, eating nachos & mint brownies, playing the piano, and reminiscing on high school memories. So I finally get home. Think I started my paper before midnight:forty-five? No. Of course I had to watch an episode of 24, take a legit bubble bath (sans rubber ducky), and dance around my room to some Britney Spears. Priorities, likewhoa. Alas, I find myself complaining at 4am when I'm writing a paper and should have been sleeping. Comical.

Case in point number 2:
Today (Friday) I had a test, 2 discussion boards, and a quiz due. So what did I do lastnight? Anything but that. Until 1am, logically. And again, I find myself complaining that it's 5am and I'm still awake.

So somehow, I manage to be laying here in bed, eating a bite-size snickers (after having brushed my teeth..thanks a lot, Easter Bunny) and blogging whilst simultaneously telling myself jokes that I actually think are funny. So I'm laughing at myself. And failing miserably at writing complete and coherent sentences. Perhaps abusing the commas and semi-colons. Splice; splice, splice, splice. Have I ever mentioned that it takes me at least 3 tries to correctly spell ~~similtaneously~~..~~simeltanously~~..simultaneously..? Natalie Wall, epic fail *facepalm*.

Bonne nuit.

78

2011-04-27T01:07:00.001-07:00

My week in an iPhone photostrip. I'm tellin' ya.

1) Curled my hair. And wore a fedora. Because I'm lyke suchh a hipsterrrr. Just kidding. I eat animals (dead ones, of course). And use aerosol hairspray.
2) Instead of paying attention in my last three-hour lecture before my final for abnormal childhood development (!!!!!!!!!) I made a to-do list, coupled with random doodles to pass the time. You know, since I already got yelled at for playing Words With Friends (play me: Nat Uh Lee).
3) Took another snowboard trip, of course. Had to drive on over to California for some snow; blasted sun is forcing me to venture to further proximity. Just move me to Utah, already..

Final finals week. Whoa. Minus the two classes I need to take in the summer (and one is just a boring research credit), I'm almost done with college. Just a 5 week long summer online course is standing between me and a worthless (and expensive) piece of diplommapaper.

..oh you know, then I sell my soul to law school for 3 more years. Graduating just to do it all over again. And people seriously ask me why I'm taking a year off?! C'mon..

77

2011-04-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Yes, Jesus Christ. In other words (and in efforts to clear up any misconceptions), I am a Christian. Thus along with the rest of the Christian world, I celebrate Easter.

I just want to bear my simple testimony that I know that the Savior lives; I know that He was resurrected by His infinite glory, through the Father, to overcome death - not only for himself, but for all. I know that His atonement is something more than my mortal mind can fully comprehend. Nevertheless, I am ever so grateful for the mere glimpses of understanding Heavenly Father has granted me through sacred experiences. I know that we can return to live with Him again, after all we can do. I love that my Savior, in His perfect love, atoned for my many sins, shortcomings, inadequacies, pains, and imperfections; that He, a man without blemish, advocates perfection in all of my flaws.

Happy Easter.

76

2011-04-21T00:56:00.000-07:00

[Collection from this shoot found here]

I want to color. With sidewalk chalk. Up and down the boardwalk; then longboard to the pier, grab myself an icee, and do it all again. That is where my mind is at. Where should it be? Uhm, that 12 page paper (number 2) due on Tuesday. Or those 4 finals coming up. But no. I'm day-dreaming of salty air. And my snowboarding trip to Cali this weekend.

..have I mentioned how awesome my life is, lately?

-----
Photography de la yours truly will be relocating to Utah. Which means one of two things:
1) If you're in AZ and you want your pictures taken, book now.
2) If you're in Utah and you want your pictures taken, you're in luck.

All you Utah readers, whore me out to your friends please. In the most tasteful way, of course. The idea of moving has be excited and anxiety-ridden.

But you know what that means? SNOWBOARDING ALL DAY E'RRY DAY!! :)

75

2011-04-19T04:51:00.000-07:00

I really need a bag of peanut m&m's. So bad that if I don't get one I think I'll go rob a convenient store at Nerf-gun-point and fire my suction-cup darts into window sills whilst screaming "this giiiirrrrl neeeeeds chocolateeee!11!!".

Have I completely lost it?

The end.

74

2011-04-18T04:09:00.000-07:00

This pretty much sums up my Utah trip: gorgeous weather/scenery, lots of driving, and a grand ol' time with my best friend, Natalie. Same name, crazy huh? Go figure that one.

Every time I go to Utah I meet someone new, and I get more and more excited to move there. I've already started making mental notes of what's coming and what's staying behind. I'm skipping a new summer wardrobe and hopping right into end-of-the-season sales on warm clothes - eh, well "Arizona warm". Aka great layers to put under real jackets that are meant to keep you warm, not just look like they do.

..wow. I just fell asleep on my keyboard while typing this. That's probably my cue to go to bed. Goodnight, world.

73

2011-04-15T23:53:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't die - I simply ran off to Utah again. It's amazing here. Today was blue skies and spring conditions on the mountain, so we hit the park all day. Wrecked myself a few good times but toward the end of the day my consistency of landing new things was a little better :) Had some great tricks.

ANYWHO.

Sprinkles. Secret word. You don't, in fact, have to whisper it. And I did, in fact, get a free cupcake. You better believe the Sprinkles App on my phone is my new best friend when I'm in Scottsdale. Holymolyfreecupcakesyess. Except..I have a confession. I hope this doesn't go against everything I stand for, as well as the expectations placed upon me by you. Okay. Here it goes: I couldn't finish either of my cupcakes (yes, you better believe I got two!). They were *gasp* too sweet.

I think something is wrong with me. Old age. It's all been downhill since 21. Achy joints. Decreased sugar tolerance. Hopefully loss of bladder control isn't next.

72

2011-04-13T00:33:00.000-07:00

Today seems like a perfect day to head to Sprinkles Cupcakes. I think I'll test my luck out with whispering the secret word. Do you really have to whisper it? What do you think will happen if I decide to scream it? Or sing it..in Spanish? Does it still count? Will they still give me my free cupcake? Updates tonight.

Yesterday I got yelled at for texting in class. I felt like I was in 8th grade again. I mean, it's college - I pay for my education (I lied, I'm on scholarship, so ASU pays for it..but STILL!). Anywho. Little did she know, I wasn't texting - I was playing Words With Friends; take that. We also got our (12-stupidfaceded-page) papers back. The kids around me got grades in the 50's..somehow I swung an 83. I really love postponing things until 9 hours before they're due. I will admit, though; it was probably one of the hardest papers I've ever written. And it was only a "first draft" (again, what college class actually grades and edits your drafts..?! o.O). Our teacher concluded yesterday's lecture by saying something like "because of how poorly you all did on these papers, we're reducing them from being worth 1/2 of your final paper grade to 1/3". Coincidentally enough, our lecture was on developmental trauma disorder and suicide. Bin-go.

..oh, and the giveaway winner:

Congratulations Miss Heidi! Contact me so we can set something up :)

71

2011-04-11T02:22:00.000-07:00

Love something magnificent.
Learn something new.
Live something wonderful.

70

2011-04-09T01:49:00.000-07:00

I just spent the last 15 minutes laying under the stars in the rain. Perfection, I say.

I am an iPhone 4 advocate.
Just sayin'.

Today's my last day to spend riding our local Arizona snow this season. I'm actually kind of sad about it. Snowbowl's bidding me farewell with a forecasted foot of fresh powder. In April. In Arizona. Unheard of. I am so happy. Then off to Utah for a final shebang. Maybe Mt Hood after that.

Planning a post-graduation trip for myself in May. Want to go travel somewhere by myself for 2 or 3 weeks. Any suggestions on a fun and relatively cheap trip? I want something adventurous. Thanks.

69

2011-04-08T02:50:00.000-07:00

[my day in pictures]

Heavenly Father is so good to me.
My heart is so full.
My cup runneth over.

Simply put: I love this gospel.

68

2011-04-07T04:32:00.001-07:00

Things that make my heart smile:
- Hearing there is fresh pow in the forecast for our local mountain's closing weekend.
- Going to the bar as a 21 year-old and simply ordering a Shirley Temple.
- Playing dress-up with my best friend then having a photoshoot in the desert.
- Dancing to Lady GaGa in the middle of the street while it's raining.
- Renaming happy hour at a local bar "Vampire Happy Hour" because it starts at 10pm.
- The sound of the velcro on my new Nike's.
- My iPhone <--I have a crush on this thing. Lust-central, I say.
- Being able to listen to The Arcade Fire's Pandora station in the car.
-This song.
-This song, also.
- Having an app on my phone that updates me on the Sprinkles' Cupcake secret daily words and flavors. Saywhaa?!
- Compliments from strangers.
- The bag of Reeses' Eggs laying an arm's reach away from my pillow. Whoa, obese. Whoops..
- The fact that I'm going to Utah again. In one week. Ohyeah, about that.. :)

What makes your heart happy?

[Enter my giveaway here]

67

2011-04-06T03:14:00.001-07:00

I'm kind of addicted to my new iPhone.

I definitely just puncture-wounded my calf thanks to the fact that as I crawled into my bed I was met by a metal fork. I guess that's what happens when you make pillow forts and eat cupcakes in bed..you leave some things behind. Just so happened that mine was a four-pronged weapon. Mercy.

Photography giveaway here.

66

2011-04-05T05:15:00.000-07:00

Wow. I think all my three years' of college procrastination just caught up to me, beat me over the head with a brick, and stumbled out the front door in a drunken rage. I just spent 8 hours staring blankly at a computer screen trying to figure out how to start/continue/stop/start/continue/finish/retype a 12 page paper on pediatric bipolar disorder and whether or not it can be adequately diagnosed before the age of 13.

My problem started today around 1:15pm. I went into the Verizon store, toying with the idea of getting a new phone. I walked out, debating between the iPhone or the Droid X. I marched myself right back in there at approximate 4:17pm and bought the new love of my life. Ever since then, I've been sucked into the realm of instagram and words with friends (addicted!). But seriously. I had 12 games going on whilst trying to write my paper..you fail, Nat!

But in all honesty, I'm glad I can hop into bed at 5:30 am and slumber for a few brief hours. Tonight is a benefit concert for my dear friend Michelle. Michelle suffered a stroke after snowboarding a month and a half ago. She is 17, suffering from paralysis (hopefully temporary) on her right side, as well as speech impairment and other physical detriments. Michelle is an amazing person, so tonight at 6:30pm at the Marquee (Tempe, AZ) a benefit concert is being held to help raise money for the incredible hospital bills her and her family are going to be facing. If you can go, please stop by to support my sweet Meesh. Tickets are only $5 each, and there are tons of raffles, as well as things being sold to support this great cause.

Also, enter my photo-giveaway here.

65

2011-04-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

Photography giveaway, my friends!
Here's the deal (as always):
*Comment separately per entry if you want each one to count*

You can get an entry for the following:
1) Just leave me a comment. Make me smile, make me laugh, make me cry, make me roll my eyes. Pick your poison.
2) Become a fan of my facebook page here.
3) Follow my blog.
4) Stalk my flickr and tell me which picture you like the best and why.
5) Blog/facebook/tweet/quack/moo/oink/etc. about my giveaway so other people can hear about it. One entry for whatever form of social media you spam me out unto ;)

Winner announced April 13th

The fine print that no one ever reads:**
-Photoshoot is good for portraits or group of up to 5 individuals.
-Winner is selected via random number-maker-upper-thing found online.
-Based out of Arizona but always down for a road-trip if you want to pay my travel fees ;)
-I frequent Utah every couple weeks, so feel free to enter if you live in Utah.

**Going into law, I've become one of those people that actually reads the fine print. I've also gotten meticulously good at crossing out/initaling parts of contracts I don't want to bind myself to agree to. Yes, blow-up bounce house place, you are indeed liable for my injuries. Haha. Just kidding.

Happy Monday, my lovelies.

64

2011-04-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

Whoa.
Just..whoa.

=]

63

2011-03-31T00:53:00.001-07:00

Today I did nothing. Not the type of nothing that involves lounging around in the same outfit you slept in, fostering feelings of worthlessness. The kind of nothing that is much-needed, that allows you the perfect euphoric break from every day's chaos. I went to institute bright and early, bounced on over to the temple for a little bit, and treated myself to a new dress at the mall. Then I proceeded to lay in bed (in my new dress) and watch television shows, do homework, drink lemonade, draw pictures, and talk on the phone.

I have real responsibilities, I swear.

Speaking of real responsibilities, I've been booking senior portraits like crazy!! Hurry and book now if you want some. $100 for 90 minutes with yours truly, and 20-30 edited images for you to have on disc. If you aren't a senior and just want to get dolled up for some pictures, that's perfectly alright, as well :) Contact me via email: Natalie.Wall@asu.edu

Welp. Off to spend my next two days snowboarding***. Season's coming to an end much too quickly. Limited days left. Boo. Time for bed.

***Like I said..real responsibilities ;)

62

2011-03-30T00:57:00.000-07:00

Photo thanks to Chris Novellino.

When I think about my life I get so overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation. I am moving to Park City. I am spending an entire season snowboarding..which doesn't involve jumping in a car at the butt-crack of dawn once a week to drive 2.5 hours to a snowy hill and driving home that evening. Sometimes I ask myself what I did right to deserve such wonderful opportunities. I still haven't found the answer. All I know is that life is good to me.

I am so very blessed and I love it.

Something that made me laugh from this morning:

My facebook status:
The lady in front of me at the dollar store today bought 5 pregnancy tests. I'm not so sure that's the type of answer Id let rest on a measly $5 investment..

Garrett's reply:
For the same accuracy she could of just peed on her finger, held it up in the air- a north breeze is a boy, south is a girl... And a east and west breeze would be a definite STD.

You people make my life amazing. Thank you.

61

2011-03-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Law School of Choice,
Why should you pick me out of your thousand-applicant pool? Well for starters, I solemnly vow to always use the proper form of their/there/they're, it's/its, a/an, and you're/your. I can hold my breath under the entire tunnel on the AZ101 right outside downtown Phoenix, without exceeding the posted speed limit (ERIKA..*cough*); evidence of my love for abiding by the law. I have acquired a lovely habit of building forts while studying at hours past 2am, exemplifying my commitment to motivate my personal academic success. I can drop words like "facetious" and "pretentious", as well as "yadiiig?!" and "naww bigs fool" in their proper applications; obviously I'm versatile in all forms of rhetoric.

A little about myself:
I enjoy Sponge-Bob Square Pants mac&cheese, scraping wax off my snowboard, pretending to study in the library (whilst secretly Facebooking and writing letters with my 64-count pack of Crayola crayons..the box with the sharpener included, BOOYAH!), and sleeping with my stuffed moose-animal. On weekends I pretend to have a life, but usually end up cuddled in bed watching Law and Order with a pint of Ben & Jerry's and a bottle of Jones'. I've been so cold that my eyebrows have frozen, and so hot that my elbows have perspired. I don't censor much of what comes out of my mouth, and should probably learn to think before I speak.

In the future I plan to:
Sue the world. So ya'll need tah hide yo' kids, hide yo' wives, and hide yo' husbands..just kidding. I want to snowboard until I break, school until I die, and eat cupcakes until I'm too fat to raise my hand to my mouth. However, I'm hoping the snowboarding will prevent the latter from ever happening. Hopefully that's not a self-fulfilling prophecy. Weeelp.

I take pictures for fun. I wrestle dragons in my spare time. And one day I will catch a golden snitch. 1000 points for Gryffindor.

60

2011-03-27T23:37:00.000-07:00

Don't look ahead, just run to me.
Each step will find the next one recklessly.
We'll find ourselves on the safest ledge.
Well pardon me, I couldn't help myself.
On the Safest Ledge - Copeland

Sometimes it's hard to take this transition-like stage of my life seriously. I feel like I have some awkward expiration date stamped on my forehead, which makes it hard for me to commit to anything longer than a television show and perhaps a seated dinner at a real table (I usually eat in my room coupled with a stack of homework and an island of textbooks). I have a few more months here. It seems like a lot of time - who am I kidding, five months is extremely long. But at the same time, I find it a frequent excuse to justify my way out of relationships, jobs, opportunities and responsibilities. I kind of suck at life. Grow up, Natalie. Commit, learn, stumble, start over.

On a positive note, I think I've decided to live in Park City as opposed to Salt Lake City for next year's season.

59

2011-03-23T01:13:00.001-07:00

Twenty-One Life Lesson's I've Learned:

1) Always walk cautiously through automatic sliding doors..they don't always open as expected. *Clonk* <--been there, done that.
2) The wooden forks at Sprinkles can give you splinters in your mouth.
3) The temple gets better and better every time you go.
4) If you fall asleep at the beach on your tummy the bottoms of your feet will sunburn. Then blister. And proceed create an awkward waddling motion you try to pawn-off as "walking". Which also can be mistaken for looking like you've pooped your pants.
5) If you throw your alarm clock across the room and go back to bed you'll most likely miss whatever it was that alarm clock was dinging to wake you up for. Sadly I've learned this many times.
6) If you tell a police officer "Ke$ha made you do it" you probably won't get out of a speeding ticket.
7) If you get pulled over wearing no pants, you probably will get out of a ticket.
8) Once your best friends get married they pretty much disappear off the face of the earth. But you still love them all the same, and when you finally hang out it's like nothing's changed.
9) Pandora likes to randomly throw crap like "3 Doors Down" and "Nickelback" on your playlist that isn't remotely close to such nonsense. You thumbs-down that ish STAT, do not just "skip song". This will not be tolerated ;)
10) Sundays are still the best day of the week.
11) Cooking is a great future-wife skill. Alongside learning football terminology and pretending like you actually care about car engines. However, all you really need to know is how to boil water, that a touchdown means points, and that a green light means go.
12) People can change.
13) McDonald's 3 cookies for a dollar aren't as bad as you'd expect them to be. In fact, they're better than Starbucks' 1 cookie for $1.25. Not that..I..judge or anything.
14) Blogging 21 things gets hard by thing number 4.
15) A good soundtrack can make the worst movie brilliant.
16) If you're a real hipster you ride a fixed-speed.
17) Anything you can find in your grandma's closet will probably be "cool" again soon.
18) Texting someone to ask them on a date is the 21st century's form of chivalry.
19) The Hulk ate lots of carrots. Chuck Norris ate the Hulk.
20) Utah is my home sweet home. However, Utah drivers make me want to ram my car into their tailgate.
21) Being 21 feels just like being 20 and 364 days. *ZZAP* Oh wait, I feel it now..

58

2011-03-22T01:42:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day of being 20. Obviously being 21 and Mormon isn't super cool by society's standards, or anything. So I'll be kicking back with my flask of Shirley Temple and Sprinkles cupcake (pssh, cupcakes plural; who am I kidding?!) in hand, taking in the marvel of legality. And then spend my night driving 12 hours to Utah with my best friend. We will be stopping in Vegas to order a pretty and very-very-virgin Pina Colada, or something of similar fanciness.

I just found out my favorite cupcake isn't served on Wednesday. Bleh. I'm suddenly not as enthralled about turning 21. How the heck can you celebrate growing one year closer to forehead wrinkles and saggy breastii (bahaha) if you can't celebrate calories in the process? o.O

This is a dilemma, dear friends. A dilemma that can only be fixed with banana chocolate chip cookies&&cream cheese frosting.

57

2011-03-20T14:23:00.001-07:00

After wrecking my shoulder whilst snowboarding on Friday

Mom: *gasps and pokes shoulder* "Oh my GOSH it's so swollen!"
Nat: "Uh mom..my injured shoulder is the other shoulder.."

Hahaha.

56

2011-03-16T00:36:00.000-07:00

[b-b-b-blurry. sorry.]

I think the terrain park was trying to celebrate my birthday a week early, because I got about 21 birthday spankins' from various rails. Fail.

On a side note:
Someone asked me if I knew Italian. I said yes, because I was too embarrassed to admit that I make up words that sound similar to actual Italian words whilst singing Josh Groban.

"A pen a more a kay knee duh. A pen a more a kay son eye."

Pretty much.

55

2011-03-13T00:58:00.000-08:00

Pizzamart Part 2:

Today after work, the best friend and I decided we'd be social on a Saturday night. By social, I mean actually put on clothes, and "go out" after work. Going out included Pizzamart and Sweet Cakes' Open Mic night. Some hippie named Ralph (?) played. But back to Pizzamart.

So we walk in. Here we go again.
Pizzamart Boy: "You never came back..you said you'd stalk me 3 more times that night.."
Natalie: "Oh..I had a few other pizza boys to stalk, I got tied up."
-awkward laughs..he probably didn't know whether I was joking or if that was his cue to officially be creeped out-

We order: one pizza, two drinks, and two dippy-things of ranch.
He charges us for: one pizza.

Stepping up his game. 'Atta boy, you front-runner, you.

So best friend and I eat, talk, and get punched by some random little kid (true story). Next thing I know, best friend is writing my number on a napkin. I fight her for it, but after a long while (24 seconds) I concede and let her leave it on the table. We get up and bolt, laughing on our way out.

Natalie: "I can't believe you did that. I can't believe I let you."
Sarah: "It will be a good story for the kids one day."
Natalie: "That'd be so embarrassing if he actually called me."

20 minutes later.
*phone buzzes* Random number: "What's up u stalker haha"

I'll have you know there's a new contact in my phone.
Stored under Pizzamart Boy.

He's kind of old, actually. So I switched it to "Man". (He's really not that old..27). Apparently I look younger than 21. And you can tell that I'm Mormon before you actually know me. Both of which I'm 295% okay with.

*At the end of typing this, I was sick of Spell Check's red squiggly lines under the word "Pizzamart". So I added it to my computer's dictionary. Take that, Spell Check.

54

2011-03-12T00:14:00.000-08:00

My heart is happy.
And so I smile.

53

2011-03-11T03:18:00.000-08:00

Photo: Connie B

Reasons why being a female is awesome:
1) You're applauded if you get ready in under 30 minutes.
2) Rarely do you have to open your own door.
3) You can blame just about any chocolate craving on "that time of the month". Men usually don't question it.
4) Dancing to Britney Spears in your underwear is acceptable. If you're a boy, well, that's suspect.
5) Crying in sappy movies is expected (uh..Fox and the Hound, anyone?).
6) Dinner on dates is free.
7) Shake weights are pink. So are iPods, cell phones, and car keys. (I actually loathe the color pink)
8) Sarcasm and rude comments don't get you punched in the face.
9) One word: stilettos.

52

2011-03-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

My hands are really shaky.
And I just sneezed really loud.

..it scared my dog.
And it almost scared me.

The end.

51

2011-03-08T02:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my beautiful sissy. You sassy little 17 year-old, you.

I just sat up way too fast and fell backward off my bed. So I spent about 10 minutes laying on the floor laughing at myself. Which turned into talking to myself. And telling myself jokes. And then I proceeded to laugh at myself again. Because I actually thought I was funny.

4am does terrible things to me.

I've managed to put off an entire semester's-worth of abnormal childhood psychology material until the night before the exam that's magically worth a solid 1/3 of my overall grade. Not to mention, the course is ridiculously hard (coupled with piles of tedious work). Alas, I now find myself drowned in ADHD, OCD, mental retardation, autism and learning disorders. Assessment, diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology. WELP. Sending some love toward developmental psychopathology. This stuff is tricky. (But it allows me to drop some big words and thus sound like I actually know what I'm talking about..which I don't).

I can't wait to go to Utah.
I can't wait to eat birthday cupcakes all day errrry day.
..oh wait, I already do that.

15 days.

50

2011-03-07T00:58:00.000-08:00

Photo: ConnieB.

This one time, I met a boy.
His name was Leonard.
Leonard the ~~lady~~man bug.

We were friends for 32 seconds.
And then he flew away.
To make more friends.
..or get stepped on.
Squishy bug.

My birthday is in 16 days.
Black glittery Toms. Or these. Size 8.5. Thanks Mom :)

49

2011-03-05T01:09:00.001-08:00

Photo Cred: the lovely and amazing Claudia

It's looking like a limb torn off

Or altogether just taken apart
We're reeling through an endless fall
We are the ever-living ghost of what once was
But no one is ever gonna love you more than I do.

"No One's Gonna Love You" - Band of Horses

Even in my moments of strength I find that those few and select songs can still cut my construction-paper heart like a pair of safety scissors. I never liked construction paper. I don't trust many things with a fuzzy texture.

..like men with mustaches. They have danger written all over them.

;)

48

2011-03-03T02:09:00.000-08:00

It's official. I'm in love.
I don't know his name, but he works at Pizzamart. Here's the story.

Before going to the temple today, I met my friend at Pizzamart. We ate lunch and decided we wanted ice cream. It's 50 cents..smokin' deal. Anywho. We walked up to the counter and I noticed a strapping young lad who was ready to take our order. Two cones, thanks. Dollar given, cones received. After taking 25 minutes to devour the soft-served goodness (and telling my friend how cute the ice cream boy was), we departed. I bid Mr. Cone Man a sad 'adeiu' of what I thought would be the first and last time I'd ever see him. I giggled as I walked out and looked back to catch his stare. Ba-da-bing.

Alas..there are no sad stories allowed on this blog. So of course it gets better.

I met with two friends to go shoot some pictures in the faraway land of Gilbert. Whilst driving home, friend number 1 decided she was hungry. Friend number 1 decided she wanted Pizzamart. This meant I was going back! Wait..Natalie..that's super embarrassing..you were just there 4 hours prior. So yes, I return to Pizzamart and Mr. Cone Man was there! After an awkward exchange of eye-contact, he uttered a "Weren't you just here? ..And you changed outfits. Are you stalking me? You are stalking me. Stalker.".

-facepalm-

Laugh it off, Nat. Play it cool.

Natalie: "Uhm..what..?"

Yep. That's the best I could do. We took about 6 minutes to order because we talked to Mr. Cone Man for awhile (I think at this point we learned his name..I don't remember what it was; I guess I suck with the whole 'picking up on details' thing). I said I didn't want anything to eat, seeing as I was just there 4 hours before (Sarah and I did WORK on a medium pizza. Devoured that thing in under 8 minutes..). He said he was giving us three plates so I could change my mind (insert swooning sigh here..so chivalrous <--gag). We sat down, he and I awkwardly continued to exchange eye-glances, and I pretended to be oblivious to the fact that he was so attractively manhandling the cash register. Friend 1 wanted ranch, so I said I'd go get it. Mr. Cone Man: *pushing dollar back* "It's on me." Natalie: "Heyy-oh, big spender. Think you can handle that 27 cents?" Mr. Cone Man: *smile*

Yeah that's right. I got free ranch.

..and called fat when I ordered another ice cream cone (in my defense, I hadn't eaten in 4 hours). So good for chivalry.

As I walked past the register on the way out:
Mr. Cone Man: "So uh..how many more times can I expect to see you stalking me today?"
Natalie: "Two *wink*"

I should have left my number on a napkin. Looks like I'll be going back on Friday to take care of some unfinished business ;)

47

2011-03-02T02:17:00.000-08:00

Photos from my shoot with Mo here

I can make sense of mathematical integrals,
but legitimately forget my age when people ask.

I'll eat 4 bites of dinner,
but make 6 rounds of dessert.

I juggle 19 credit hours + 2 jobs,
but manage to make time for the things I love.

I live 2.5 hours away from a mountain,
but have snowboarded over 35 times this season.

I am turning 21**,
but act like I'm 9.

I have twelve bottles of nail polish,
but my toes are sporting chipped red from 6 months ago.

I cook well,
but am the master at burning things in the microwave.

I love the snow,
but hate being cold.

**Just caught/fixed the fact that I initially put "23". Like I said..I really never remember how old I am.

-----
Now booking for senior portraits :) Email me if interested: Natalie.Wall@asu.edu

46

2011-03-01T00:41:00.001-08:00

I[heart]SprinklesCupcakes

It's 2am. I have a 12 page paper outline I should be writing, seeing as it's due tomorrow. However, I just finished ~~dancing around my room~~ jumping on my bed to some Pretty Lights. I also just devoured a cupcake. It was blue and green with those flamboyantly obnoxious "happy birthday" plastic-toothpick-bubble-sign-things (very eloquent, Nat) sticking out of the top. So now my mouth is stained bright green, with traces of evidence dyed on my fingers, as well. In a nutshell, I basically just described a 6 year old. And I'm turning 21 (in 22 days!). Kaysweet.

Time for cupcake number two (in my defense, I only eat the frosting..plus I'm trying to write a paper brief that doesn't put me to sleep).

[Also, anyone up for a photo-venture on Wednesday in the snow? Just a few hours of fun. I need some fun.]

45

2011-02-28T01:20:00.001-08:00

Being little savages on a blue pow day with Michelle aka Meesh.

In the last 4 days, the lives of three amazing girls have been so mercifully spared by our Heavenly Father. Three girls, three separate incidents, three evidences of the grace of God.

In times like this, it's easy to dwell on the negative things. Question after question goes unanswered, and often times you find yourself left in silence - forcing yourself to be patient and wait it out. Your mind starts looping into the worst possible scenarios, hoping for the best but preparing yourself for any word of bad news.

But that's selfish. I don't know how to make sense of it all, nor do I dare try. But I do know this: I know that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan. I know that it doesn't all make sense to my imperfect and unlearned mortal mind. I know that He is mindful and attentive to our prayers. I know that I can seek comfort and peace in these truths.

Please keep Ashley White, Kasey Fletcher, and Michelle Nguyen in your prayers.

44

2011-02-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

I knew it was going to be a wonderful day when I woke up to snow-covered mountains. It's not a sight you see often, living in the desert. I usually wake up to cactii and..brown. Quite ugly, really (smells great when it rains, though*). But today, the skyline was white. Not just a little white, but a lot white. I felt at home. Which is odd, seeing as I am home. But there's something about the snow that makes me nostalgic.

Soon enough, it will be home again.

43

2011-02-26T01:13:00.000-08:00

Chalk mural we made in Newport, CA

Typically, I'm a color-in-the-lines kind of person. I was always that girl who shaded her crayon skies with at least 3 different hues of blue. I'll be the first to say I know how to rock a set of Crayola's. But lately I've been intrigued with making unexpected deviations from the blue-printed outline. I've found a sort of spontaneous adventure in not knowing what comes next. Plan a 4 day trip in 24 hours, pack the car, and drive. Decide I need a break, cancel my law school applications, find an apartment, and move. It sounds all sorts of haphazard and young and immature. It probably is. But I am young and immature. So I feel like I've earned some rite of passage. And I'm cashing in.

..in the most literal sense, that is: Urban Outfitter's online apartment accessories sale. I think shopping for home decor is even more fun than shopping for the home, itself. Which reminds me..anyone know of a good place in SLC? :)

42

2011-02-25T00:55:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite pictures of my little bruddah. Hahahaha.

Don't judge me. But I've been practicing the whole "one-eyebrow-up-one-eyebrow-down" thing in the mirror. I really think it adds a professional touch to my charisma. For example:

Natalie: "Excuse me professor, you want me to write 13 pages on whaaaat? *insert eye-brow-Twister-here*"

I really think perfection of this will get me far in life. But as of now, I just look like the little guy above. One day.

I know, I dream big..

41

2011-02-24T00:30:00.001-08:00

Photo Cred: Connie B Photography

Natalie's Life Update:

For those of you who don't know, I have made some solid decisions concerning the next little bit of my life. After going through an emotional break-up (with the LSAT) and regaining a little bit of freedom (only to be bogged down with a real job* and more school), I decided I need a smidgen of time to live the life I want to live. Often times I feel pressured to make those around me happy, so I forfeit (or lose, altogether) my own personal dispositions. However, I am 20 years old, graduating with my bachelors in May, and in no real hurry to enter into the 50-hours-a-week work force. I do, however, have a whole list of passions I'd like to dink around with and progress in. Two of which include snowboarding and photography. Alas *drum roll, please*, I have decided to take this following year off and pursue both. I'll start law school in Fall 2012. Thus, Fall 2011 is for me. The Fall of Natalie..baha. I probably shouldn't make puns like that, or I'll end up with some broken body parts. So yes. I am moving to Utah and indulging myself in the mountain-bum lifestyle that is so vibrantly howling my name. One year, simply to say I made life decisions with no ounce of regret. Then back to the real world of real jobs and real money. And I'm completely fine with that.

I've gotten lots of disagreement from pretty much everyone: "You'll never go back to school", "You're wasting your time", "You rushed through undergrad for what..?!", "You're ridiculous." But guess what? I'm happy. Go figure that.

So, Natalie and camera are relocating to Utah. If you want your pik-chure taken, or simply want to "get gnar on the good wood"* (oh mylanta) let me know. I'm looking for both clients AND snow-buddies. I'll be living in Salt Lake with my best friend*, living the dream and licking peoples' floors to make ends meet. And probably living off of food stamps and Top Ramen.

I am so excited for this.
--------

Footnotes:
*because selling snowboards is a highly respectable profession, and all.
*This is me being overly and annoyingly bro-tastic. I don't talk like that for real, brahh! ;)
*Her name is Natalie, too. How perfect. Help us think of cool names for our house/apartment/box in the street.