Lets run from here and have ourselves a GETAWAY

 Yep, we love our hot sunnies, mexican food to die for, drinking fun (free) cocktails and gambling. Perfect getaway in Mesquite. We are obsessed with the Wizard of Oz slot machines...Chris only broke even, but I won (I have a really lucky streak whenever I gamble!) It was only $20, but hey, I'm not complaining! I love the fact that St. George has a lot of fun things to do that are near by. Mesquite is close and perfect for a day trip. Plus Salt Lake City and Vegas are close too, so you have so many options! Gotta love it...

I love spending best friend days with Chris too. We always just laugh the entire time. I love riding in the car for our road trips, blasting music and trying to figure out where the hell we are going! LOL. And we always gossip and have fun. You would think after being best friends for 7 years with someone you would run out of stuff to talk about...but that is never the case with Me and Chris!

We sat next to these people who just kept winning...it was driving us NUTS! We called them Winnie and Winifred Winnington. And everytime we heard that music that lets you know you scored big, we would look at each other and fake cry or make faces hahaha. Damn people. But it was a perfect day!

Love Always,
Manda

The REAL Easter, Family Style

Happy Easter! Seriously, who could ask for cuter cousins? I absolutely adore Sophie and Willy. They can make me smile when I'm sad and forget all my problems. So of course it was the perfect Easter treat to go visit my family. I love getting away for the day and sleeping over at Jen's house in Cedar City.

I haven't got to color easter eggs since I was like 12! So after a ten year  break I got back in the game hahaha. As you can see from me and Sophie's creations, we are quite the talented family. We were laughing so hard when Willy dropped the egg he was eating into the dye. He was like a mad scientist, creating all these crazy color combonations for his eggs!  I wish I had thought to take pictures.

Me and Jen stayed up all night making their baskets, drinking Margaritas and watching Lady Gaga videos :) It was so much fun. Even though me and Jen are about 13 years apart, I have always felt really close to her. She has a lot of the same hobbies/interests as me, all the girly girl stuff like interior design, party planning etc. It's really fun to talk about that stuff. She is much more than just a cousin to me! I always say if I had a sister it would be Jen. Plus she gives really good advice and has a lot of life experience also, which is great when you need someone to talk to who won't ever judge you. That is what family is for :)

But the best part was definitely waking up Easter morning and watching the kids open their baskets. They loved their toys and ate way too much chocolate,  and I was dying when Willy grabbed his butt and was dancing around saying  "Booty booty boooooty"  He is only 4! How does he know what that is yet?! I told him he should name his stuffed lamb he got for easter that and he totally did hahaha. You gotta love little kids that brighten your day!

Happy easter, everyone! Hope you had a fun one. Love Always, Manda

Nope, not chicken pox....its easterinfluenza!

The Dixie Sun: A Tribute

This year has been a really fun one, and unfortunately is drawing to a close. Last year around this time I made a goal that I would try to take new opportunities as often as I can.  I remember when I heard about writing for The Dixie Sun that I was excited and quickly made an appointment to see the advisor, Rhiannon Bent. I hit it if well with her and through that meeting we decided that being on the staff would be a good fit. All summer I was dying of excitement! I literally could not wait to get my start as a reporter. We had a conference at the end of the summer to get started, and I instantly was hooked.


This year ended up going better than I could have ever expected. I started out writing one story per issue (which comes out weekly) and found that Lifestyles and A&E (arts and entertainment) were my favorite sections to write in, but I tried out each section as much as possible (even Sports!)


 I had some really challenging assignments, including a story called "True life: I'm a Polygamist" where I had to interview former members of the religion, which was a somewhat uncomfortable task. I remember that one girl I interviewed seemed upset at some of my questions, but I just tried to remain professional and apologetic about the awkward subject matter. But the article turned out to be quite the success. I will post that, along with some of my other favorites as links at the bottom for you all to read!


Something I was really proud of was writing some of the student profiles for the A&E section. Our advisor Rhiannon and the A&E editor Matty both had really complimentary things to say about my writing and said that profiles were my niche! Then I started writing these all the time. Lifestyles had to be my favorite though, since I could write about My favorite thing: fashion. One story I wrote even got a record for the website. My Valentine Budget ideas article got over 1,000 hits in a three week period!


I have to admit though, my favorite part had to be writing for the opinion section. Another article I wrote that I was really proud of was about minding your business. I used to live with two gay roommates, and some of the questions I got were completely out of line at times. I was shocked that people would say or think those things! If anyone were to ask that of their friends with straight roommates people would be appalled. And, of course, my column happens to also appear in the opinion section!


At the beginning of spring semester,  our resident advice girl, Kate, got married and left the staff, so I got the opportunity to morph "Dear Kate" into "Ask Amanda." It has been my favorite thing of the whole year! I loved answering letters for students and giving out my pearls of wisdom :) I have been through a lot so anything I can do to help others or share my experiences makes me feel like it was worth it in the end.


As the year is coming an end, I just wanted to reminisce a little bit about The Dixie Sun...the staff is amazing. One of my favorite memories of college will always be working in the newsroom on stories and having all these friends and people around to distract me and make me laugh! It made the heavy work load a lot easier. I have made so many friends and met all kinds of interesting people through this experience. I was honored at the end of the year when I was approached by Rhiannon and was offered a Staff Writer scholarship for next year! My hard work paid off, I was so proud of myself for getting out of my comfort zone. Most of my writing has been creative and story format, but now I know I can do both and still make it work. I would like to share some of my writing with all of you! These are the links of some of my favorite stories of the semester:

My headshot

Ask Amanda:
January 25: http://www.dixiesunlink.com/opinion/ask-amanda-breaking-up-a-painful-burden-1.1916365
February 16: http://www.dixiesunlink.com/opinion/ask-amanda-be-honest-when-breaking-bad-news-1.1999051
March 1: http://www.dixiesunlink.com/opinion/ask-amanda-don-t-get-stuck-in-the-friend-zone-1.2037200
March 23: http://www.dixiesunlink.com/opinion/ask-amanda-don-t-be-the-martyr-in-your-relationship-1.2119838
April 6:http://www.dixiesunlink.com/opinion/ask-amanda-old-friend-might-warrant-dismissal-1.2142933
April 20: http://www.dixiesunlink.com/opinion/ask-amanda-living-stress-free-gets-tough-during-finals-1.2184496



My Opinion Pieces:
Apologies: http://www.dixiesunlink.com/opinion/say-sorry-when-you-mean-it-not-in-every-case-1.1716059
Mind Your Business: http://www.dixiesunlink.com/opinion/rid-negative-with-positive-1.1813447


Lifestyles:
-Awkward Family Photos:http://www.dixiesunlink.com/lifestyles/awkward-family-photos-something-to-avoid-1.2206964
-Bieber Fever: http://www.dixiesunlink.com/lifestyles/bieber-fever-spreads-to-girls-on-dsc-campus-1.2082457
-True Life: Polygamy
http://www.dixiesunlink.com/lifestyles/true-life-experience-polygamy-1.1812528
-Best and Worst As Seen on TV Products:
http://www.dixiesunlink.com/lifestyles/students-talk-best-worst-as-seen-on-tv-products-1.2142324
-Fashion Articles:
Fall: http://www.dixiesunlink.com/lifestyles/crisp-weather-calls-fashionistas-to-fall-1.1597182
Spring: http://www.dixiesunlink.com/lifestyles/mod-boho-fashion-trends-bloom-in-time-for-spring-1.2118705
A&E Student Profiles:
Kirstin Hoyt:   http://www.dixiesunlink.com/a-e/kirstin-hoyt-an-asset-to-dsc-music-department-1.1778832
Lindsey Cordell:   http://www.dixiesunlink.com/a-e/broadway-hopeful-lindsay-cordell-graces-dixie-state-college-1.1823071
Angie Watts:  http://www.dixiesunlink.com/a-e/watts-burns-bright-at-dixie-state-college-1.1715152


Thanks for reading!
Love Always,
Manda

What an Eggciting Day...

Sorry for the pun, but I couldn't resist hahaha. But seriously, Sunday was such a wonderful celebration! Alot of the Dixie Sun Staff was able to get together at the park for a fun dinner. My friend Alyssa is so cute, she planned the whole thing and even cooked a ham for us! We feasted on that and some of my favorite desserts...cupcakes and creme brulee! Yum. And the best part is, Alyssa even planned an egg hunt for us all to do, it made me feel like a kid again. I got 12 eggs :) I wasn't completely desperate to win though, so I avoided the ones she planted on the roof! hahahaha

Short and Sweet post today I guess! the REAL easter is on Sunday, and I am getting very excited for it! Love Always, Manda

The End of an Era

It is the end of an era, everyone. My time being an Ambassador for Dixie State College is drawing to a close...I am excited for everything the future holds, but I am also nostaligic (already!) about all the fun I have had the past four years. These pictures are from our last Ambassador Banquet...I cried! They gave me a Dixie State blanket and wished me well, thanking me for all of my service. It was a wonderful night laughing with friends :) We had a fiesta catered by Cafe Rio...there were even churros!

They always call us "The Crazies" (we do have some pretty wild
personalities, all unique in their own way!)

Me and J-Brack...I love him! Once I was having a really bad day
and he wrote me a list of ten reasons why he loves me. He is an
amazing friend :) We always sing "Afternoon Delight" hahaha

But back to Ambassadors as a whole. The main thing I gained out of my experience as an Ambassador was confidence. I have always been a confident girl, but Ambassadors really showed me that I could learn to succeed, all by myself. You have to be your own motivation in life, but this becomes especially prominent in college. No one is going to sit down and babysit you and make sure that your work gets done: but they still will sit by your side and cheer for you to succeed. It took me awhile to find it within myself, but I learned that I can do anything I set my mind to...I'm a pretty independent woman now! And I have this organization to thank for it.



Jonny is one of my favorite people, period.
One of a kind guy! So genuine, nice and funny.
He does the best impressions!

The other thing I think that helped me a lot was the communication aspect of Ambassadors. I learned how to be a better public speaker, writer, and even friend or mediator by being a true "part" of being involved on campus. For those of you who don't know what an Ambassador is (or does!) it is a group on campus dedicated to showing incoming freshman (or students in general) the true college experience.

 There are also a lot of really funny memories that I will never forget..like the time I crashed the golf cart and mashed it in between a wall and the car port (sorry Brandon...hahaha!) And all our parties (we called them "Sanity") but most of all, the Merry Mocktail party (pictured above) I planned our own glamourous cocktail hour! And our murder mystery party when I was "Baroness" Ravioli. My son got murdered! I can't find pics for that one. But I also loved our Homecoming festivities each year, like Rock the Mall and making our float! Look for me as a pirate below haha ;)



I met some of my best friends, Morgan and Jeff, because of being an Ambassador. And I helped a lot of students get scholarships and figure out what they want to do with their lives, all while getting free school and having a blast making friends and memories. I'll never forget it :) Ambassadors, this one is for you.

Love Always, Manda

Wedding fever!

No, I'm not getting married everyone...but I have caught wedding fever! Lately I am obsessed with shows about wedding planning. It all started with "Bridalplasty." That show is so addicting. Then "Shedding for the Wedding." Now, my newest favorite:

I am always trying to find new things to get interested in and this is my newest hobby! I think i'm going to find some fun books on wedding and party planning because it seems like so much fun. Tori Spelling is so chic and plans the CUTEST things. One couple wanted to have a "pug" theme in their wedding since they both owned dogs named Gus. Tori was worried about how to make the idea look glam and not tacky, but she did an amazing job:

                         

I thought it was done in a very tasteful way. One of my other favorite things to check out is my dear friend Julie Hinton's business (and blog!), Middle Aisle. I continually troll the site for all kinds of inspiration. Very unique ideas and gorgeous decor. I want to use her whenever I find my special guy someday...very far in the future! hahaha :) This is so adorable...check out all the pictures from this reception: http://www.flourishgallery.com/blog/brad-and-rachelle-wedding-reception/

And Check out this cute spread she is planning for a wedding coming up in May here:

http://middleaisle.blogspot.com/2011/04/pride-and-prejudice-garden-wedding.html

Love Always,

Manda

Bubbles, Baby...

Okay, so this should probably stay top secret, but it was too much fun not to share with all of you. Last night Me, Casey, Chris and Dillinger snuck into the hot tub after hours and had the time of our lives. The whole way there Casey kept saying he had a surprise for us and we were all dying wondering what it could be.

Well when we weren't looking...Casey filled the hot tub up with lemon scented bath bubbles! hahaha it was out of control too since he "accidently" poured in the whole bottle. The jets went crazy and kept making them go higher and higher. We relaxed for hours and drank our yummy drink called Peach Blazers. We even fashioned hot wedding dresses for moi out of the bubbles. Lady Gaga would be proud...hahaha! I love nights like that where you will never forget the fun you had.  And best of all, we didn't get busted!

Tyler Turning 20

One of my best friends turned 20 this weekend...Tyler Lapham, this one is for you! P.S. the look on your face is priceless...he's the one pictured in pink.

COREY

We celebrated this whole weekend, making the most of our time together. Our fun started on Friday,  when me and my friend Corey went to go see DSC's production of "Anything Goes". I was pleasantly surprised! It was such a fun musical and I had fun hanging out with Corey.

KOHLBS

The next night (Saturday) after work I drove up to Tyler's house in Winchester for a little birthday party fun :) Every single time I go up there I end up getting lost, so thats always a humorous kick-off to the events that follow. Kohlby thinks its pretty hysterical and always has to try to direct me via telephone. Tyler had quite the spread...including the most delicious ribs i've ever ate. I gorged myself...you only live once, right?!

I had to pick out a cute present for Tyler, and since our favorite TV show is "Sex and The City" (I'm Carrie...he's Charlotte...Kohlby is Samantha!) I knew I just had to get him the book that started it all. I also made him a cute photo album and picked out a shirt I thought he would love.

The night was hysterical...my favorite part was when Kohlby told everyone I can sing like Cher and made me do my impromptu impression. Lets just say I wowed the crowd while singing hits like "Half Breed" and "Turn Back Time." I don't pull that one out much anymore...hahaha!

I love to sing...we had such a fun dance party and sang along to all our favorite "Glee" songs. Afterwards Kohlby and Tyler went to bed I stayed and cuddled with Corey and we had a really good talk. He's a good little spoon! hahaha.

The next day we went out to lunch at Pizza Hut (which, sorry to say, has the shittiest salad bar in all of st. george. Plus I found a freaking scrambled egg in my chocolate pudding. I was so mad! Kohlby and Tyler laughed for like an hour about that incident...)

THE BIRTHDAY BOY...TYLER LOVE :)

After lunch we went to go see the movie "Arthur," which is both hilarious and touching. I promptly bawled my eyes out. I always cry during plays and movies. Everything from "Toy Story 3" to "Country Strong" made me weep. I have no idea why and I will probably never live this down, but I even cried in the Justin Bieber movie.

What a fun weekend :) I love my friends so much!

Love Always,
Manda

Go Fly A Kite

It is finally warming up in St. George (not that it ever does get very cold here!) But today was the PERFECT day for a BBQ/fun and games day at Cottonwood Cove Park.  Chris, Jen and her boyfriend Jayro, Jen's mom Denise and some other family friends joined us.

I don't get to see or spend time with Jen anymore these days, so it was a really good opportunity for us to catch up. She has the cutest dog ever, Springer who was lots of fun to play with. I have to admit I had the most fun swinging on the swings and chatting with Chris, catching up on life. Also, watching him try to fly a kite = priceless entertainment. I love days like this :)



Movie Theater Fun...





Leesha, Mikayla, Manda...My girls! <3



My philosophy on the working world is: at least if you have to have a job, you should find one that is never boring. And, lucky enough, life only gets more and more interesting at Westates Theatres!

I love working there and have done so for years...many years (like 5! haha) It really is the perfect part time job when you are in school since the hours are flexible...blah, blah, and more blah. But the best reason to work there is the other people.



Me and Trent..one of my Westates besties!
He is so fun and such a nice guy.



Westates is like one giant dysfunctional family---we are always there for each other. I have never been to a workplace where everyone there is genuinely friends, but we all know and like each other. We are there for each other when we need to be too.

All of the friends I have made there are very special to me. The managers, crew and other "box ladies" (where I work!) have become role models, mentors, therapists, giggle buddies and confidants.





Here's me inside "my cave" aka the box office









  










 I can't even BEGIN to tell you the countless pranks and crazy things that happen there...all these pictures are from just one night! I just wanted to share them so you can get a glimpse of a day in the life of my crazy job.