Friendship Traditions

Me and two of my best friends, Kohlby and Tyler, have a new friendship tradition and it is called Menchie's. They have (I know EVERYONE says this, but I promise this time) the best frozen yogurt ever. It beats Spoon Me and Krave! Promise. You have to try it. Plus, all the celebs are going there, I have proof:

See? I told you. hahaha. So now I should get free Menchie's for life for all this advertising, and I will also become famous in the process, so now you will find pics of me in your fav tabloids eating there. I'll do my best to look glamorous :) hahaha jk.

But the best part of our Menchie dates is just catching up. We fill each other in on our life, and talk about everything that has happened since we have seen each other last. I love little things like this, and I think every friend should have fun traditions that they keep!! It is what keeps you close and makes memories.

Love Always,

Manda

I will miss him...

One of my best friends, Austin Blake, is leaving for a two year LDS mission to Hong Kong, China. As thrilled I am about the opportunity for him, I am going to miss him so much.

One of the funniest things that happened at one of our lunches...since we usually sat there for 2 hours, we would get creative. I once destroyed a styrofoam water cup and put the piece over my eye and said I just made Lady Gaga's latest costume.  And Austin put the teeth in and said "I'm the FAME MONSTA!" HAHAHAHA

I have never had a close friend or family member go on an LDS mission before, so this is the first time I am really experiencing what it is like firsthand. It is a lot harder than I thought. Me and Austin had our last lunch together (it was our Friday tradition for months! we would go to lunch every single week.) We spent our time googling "Glee" quotes and giggling at the Pasta Factory.

Some of our favorites:
Santana: You blew me off to be with Stubbles McCripplePants

Sue: [Picking out the minority glee kids] Santana! Wheels! Gay Kid! Come on move it! Asian! Other Asian! Aretha! Shaft!
Lauren: These candies you got me sucked.
Puck: But you ate all of them.
Lauren: I had to make sure they all sucked.

We have so many funny inside jokes too. I loved it when Cathy thought we were going to Honolulu together (hahaha!) and the time I got trapped in the Durango's parking lot. And anything to do with me and all my gays/lady gaga nickname! hahaha. But besides laughing loud enough to disturb all the innocent patrons of whatever restaraunt was our choice, Austin was there for me. He would listen, no matter how silly my problems were. And on our last lunch he said some really nice things to me that I will never forget. One thing that always makes me laugh is whenever he introduces me to someone, he says "This is Manda. She's fabulous!" He even did it in front of everyone at his farewell party hahaha. But today he told me that I am a great person no matter what anyone else says, and that he will miss my big laugh and funny stories. And that I will always have his friendship even though he is far away. I will miss you Austin! Best of Luck!!!

Love Always,
Manda

Family is Forever.

Things have been crazy but fun as usual :) This week it was my baby cousin Willy's birthday. We wanted to treat him to a full day of fun. Most of my family lives in California, so the ones that do live in Utah I try to spend as much time as I can with. My cousin Jennifer and her kids Damon, Sophia (and Willy, of course) are a big part of my life and have been for as long as I can remember.

In my family, there is a "chain of command" for a sisterhood (thats what I call it!) It started with my Mom when Jennifer was born: they have a super close relationship, and Jen has always looked up to my Mom since she was little. And then when I was born, Jen was my role model (and still is!) But now it is my turn. I was 16 years old when Sophia was born, and ever since she was we have been close. It's my job to be there for her, no matter what she needs. Someone she can talk to when she is sad and have fun with the rest of the time. I love her like she is my own baby! Willy too. In fact sometimes when we are together people mistake me for their Mom because I have such a good relationship with them, which makes me very proud.

I was so happy that the kids were coming! Me and my mom spent the morning baking. I love making treats with my mom: it reminds me of when I was little. She has to work a lot more now than she used to and I miss spending time with her like we used to. We made the cutest thing for our little party, a whole little "Garden" of cupcakes: some had flowers on them, there were little spiders we made too, but the best part was our Caterpillar! Here he is:

Both Willy and Sophia were so excited over this cupcakes, especially the spiders! We also gave them birthday bags with fun things like bubbles, play-doh, coloring stuff, water guns shaped like animals etc. I love playing with them, it is so care-free and fun just laughing. They totally ganged up on me and we had a "Balloon War" I was laying on the ground crying because I was laughing so hard. I overheard my Mom talking to Jen saying i'm just as loud as crazy as the kids so I fit in perfectly.

We took the kids to a Wildlife Museum. It was a lot of fun! Our favorite part was the Butterfly room. I actually learned a lot when we went. The kids kept asking me if why the animals weren't moving...I was a pro at evading explaining death to a 4 and 5 year old! Plus Taxidermy isn't exactly something I want to talk about to children hahaha. The kids kept wanting to pet and touch the animals, so when Jen wasn't looking I would sneak and lift them up so they could pet them. I carried Willy when he got scared (they have lightning, thunder and other special effects) and the kids were so scared the animals would "wake up."

Sophia is only 5 but she is so hilarious: as we were leaving, she says "Well, I guess we could have seen real animals today, but we didn't." I nearly fainted in the parking lot from laughing so hard. 

We also took the kids to this bouncy playhouse place called Jumpin' Jacks. I even went in the bouncy houses with them and went down the slides, it was so much fun.

Afterwards we ate pizza and watched "The Simpsons" (a Jacobs family tradition. I have been watching that show since I was born and have seen every episode) and I haven't had so much fun in a long time.  Family is important, and I am truly blessed to have the people in my life that I do. My only regrets of the day? That my dad, brother and sister-in-law didn't have work so they could have joined us for the whole day! My brother Bubby is one of my favorite people: our sushi lunches and movie trips are some of my favorite memories. His wife Diana is new to the family, but they have almost been married for a year. She is really funny and sweet, I love her.  My Dad is so funny and smart, we are a lot like each other, very social and interested in comedy. And as for my Mom...she is my best friend. She is the one person I could tell anything to, and I have so much love and respect for her. She is so kind and giving, I want to be as selfless as she is.  

MY MOMMY! dork-a the explorer HAHAHA just kidding

Love Always,
Manda

(One of) my sources of inspiration!

Today I wanted to write a post about one of my best friends, Kyle. He is actually the person who inspired me to make this blog in the first place...so if you are out there reading this wonderful little masterpiece, you have him to thank.

I don't know why we always hug in our pictures...taken 6 months apart but look so much alike lol

Kyle has taught me a lot of lessons about life lately, both in person and through his writing on his own blog. I don't know if he is aware how much of an effect his blog has had on me. He writes about things in a therapeutic way that helps him get it out yet share what he has been through. The fact that he is opening himself up in a way that is so honest is admirable to me. A lot of people hide their hurt and aren't honest with their emotions. It's a great example to look up to: I have learned so much about Kyle from reading it. He is also a psychology major, and he has this wonderful gift: he can see things on a deeper level than most. The way he can analyze a situation and be honest about people's intentions, actions or thoughts is fascinating to me.

 Here are some of my favorite quotes from his posts, things that really inspired me or made me think:


-"Finally, as my mind is reeling long into the drive, I remember something obscure my mother always told me: “No matter what happens today, the sun will still come up tomorrow.” My rational self begins defending against the onslaught of the emotional storm. I begin to force myself to take deep breaths...Without fail, I promise myself that I can do anything; that I can get through anything. This has always been my unconscious mantra, though I don’t realize it then."


-"How often does that happen? When does an experience suddenly become so traumatic that the mind turns it into a blur, only remembering a single piece of important information? It happens when you are hit with the realization that everything you know is going to change. It happens when you realize that your secret life and your true self are in complete and total jeopardy."

-"Though I didn't know the word for it, conditional love controlled my life. While I cried, I tried desperately to cover up my tears. Friends and family would hug me and tell me that the holy ghost was filling me up with a warm fuzzy feeling. All I wanted to say was that I felt so lost, that nothing about this felt right. I knew better than to deviate, though. And I cried in silence.

                It’s crazy how I’ve come to equate love to that bench I sat on while waiting to be baptized. Sometimes it looks soft, warm, and unconditional, but a lot of times it’s really hard, cold, and conditional. "

If you want to read more of Kyle's blog, you can check it out here: http://kylecranney.blogspot.com

Some of the the most important things Kyle has shown me are lessons I will use for the rest of my life. He taught me about valuing myself and finding the respect that I deserve. If I choose to surround myself with people who don't treat me well, it doesn't show that I respect myself. It causes others to take advantage of me. Who will respect you if you don't respect yourself? You have to set the bar. And Kyle also showed me that every situtation, no matter how hurtful, is something you can learn from. Everything really does happen for a reason, and its okay to be hurt by whatever happened. You can accept that you feel bad, and dwell on it for a bit. But in the end, it's "dirt on your shoulder, dear!" as he always says to me when I'm sad. But its important to push yourself and get over it after you do mope about it for awhile.

I love when I get to go see Kyle! Today I went over to his house for lunch, and we just had fun talking and laughing. I love his roommate Carie too. She is so genuine, nice and funny. She made MY FAVORITE FOOD for lunch too...thai curry! How she knew I had no idea, but it was so delicious. Sorry to gush everyone, but i'm learning a lot in life and making progress and wanted to share it here. 

Love Always,

Manda

Get It Right

Happy Spring Break to all! I hope everyone is having a great vacation :) For the first part of my break I got the chance to go up to the Salt Lake City area to visit my best friend Justin. We used to be roommates last year, and I miss him a lot so it was really good to be able to go and see him. Saturday was one of the most fun days ever, just laughing and catching up with him. Right when I got there he ran out of the car and said "Manda! You are finally here!" and gave me a big hug and it almost made me cry. Of course, this is me so there has to be some interesting twist of events within the first minutes of my arrival...involving the police.

Don't worry everyone: no arrests here! I just like to be dramatic haha. I only locked my keys in the freakin car...sigh. We had to call the Pleasant Grove Police to come unlock it (which they did, free of charge. What nice people!) Justin seemed to think this was the perfect way to kick off the vacation, citing this "Typical Manda Behavior." and laughing so hard he could barely walk up the stairs. FML.


But after that we went on our merry way. We did my absolute favorite thing, which was go to Ikea and look all the furniture and eat cinnamon rolls. It's the adult version of a toy store. I'm telling you, we could spend days in there! I love just being around Justin because he actually listens to me and cares what's going on in my life, which is very rare with people in today's world. Not saying everyone is bad because they are distracted: people get caught up in other things and are busy. But Justin has never been that way. He just loves listening to my stories.

We also went to a birthday party for his nephew and sister, and I really love Justin's family. They are all so funny and welcoming, I always feel right at home. I laughed so hard about our AWFUL waiter at Pirate Island and his terrible accent, and the little kids were so darling. They kept beating the crap out of Justin and throwing napkins at him, which is probably an awful thing for an adult to encourage but I was like "THROW THEM AT HIS BUTT!" hahaha.

The Ikea parking lot :) haha

We caught up with my old friend Tyson and met some new friends and go to a few different parties in Salt Lake. I love random nights like those. On the car ride home we sang songs from "Hairspray" and "Glee," which is what we always used to do when he lived in St. George. Justin has a beautiful singing voice: it gives me the chills and he is fun to sing with. I pretend I know what I'm doing to seem cool, but I never do. hahaha. Me and Justin also love listening to Adele, Rihanna and The Black Eyed Peas when we are hanging out. They are our songs that remind us of each other when we are far away.

We also got to watch "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," which is a really special movie to us. That sounds so weird to say! hahahaha! But we went to a midnight showing of it on the day before Halloween last year and we had so much fun. Plus it is one of the parts of this really cool book Justin gave me that I read that changed my life. It is called "Perks of Being a Wallflower." I highly recommend it.

Justin invited a lot of his new friends over (who all seemed really cool and fun) and it was just perfect relaxing vacation: listen to music, eat lots of junk food, tons of TV...even played the ultimate video game ever...Mario Kart! I used to be so good at it but 10 years can change a lot hahaha. Princess Peach kicks ass though. Justin worked really hard to put together fun things to do while I was visiting, and he was so happy to see me. I love his hugs, and he always whispers little things when he gives one. And when he told me how happy he was that I was there and that he loved me, I will never forget how special that made me feel.

Overall, the trip was really fun up until the end. I got to spend three whole days with my best friend, which hasn't happened in three months. It's crazy how much one person can impact your daily life. I don't want to go into what exactly happened right now, and I know everyone is probably dying to know, so i'm sorry to cut the brakes on the story for you. But I just can't . Sometimes talking about your problems can be therapeutic, but other times it hurts too much to remember and relive it over and over again. Me and Justin ended up having a misunderstanding and I had to leave in a way that wasn't what either of us wanted. I was very hurt by what happened, and so was he.

I do regret what was said and honestly wish it never did. It did teach me some lessons about what is and isn't important in life: sometimes I identify the wrong actions or ideals and associate them with people caring about me. It's something that I haven't always been aware of until now but have to learn to work out so it doesn't damage myself or my relationships. 

As for other things, the situation was definitely not all my fault, but I do think when you care about someone alot (especially that you don't see very often) emotions can tend to run high, especially if someone has been hurt by the other. I can only represent my side fairly, so i can't really get into that. We were both not very nice. I came home and just haven't been myself since, not eating or sleeping. I hate ending things on a bad note like that, and it has been really hard for me to cope with since it happened.  I don't know what the future holds, but it is in my nature to be a very forgiving person. I know in my heart a positive resolution can come from the other side, and that I will be able to solve some of my worries through that when it does happen. I just have to wait and see what is next to come: I did all that I could.

I do know that I just went through the hardest nights of my life. All lessons though, right? But i'm trying to be okay now and look back at the good and learn from the bad.


After I got home last night, I watched the new episode of Glee, and this song made me cry. It really inspired me, especially after what just happened. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. And remember (as I do, and someone very special to me told me this once) that when you are having a hard time, there are always angels watching over you. Some might be sent by your family, your friends, or even God himself. But they watch over you and keep you safe even when you believe no one else cares about you, or that all of your problems are unfixable. There is always an answer.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5J5U2CXJ3o&feature=related

Phriendship

First of all, confusion is the theme lately. Recently things have happened to me and I don't understand why they do. I often hope that the outcomes and the direction that my life are taking are for the best though, because I do have to admit I am learning a lot. I think I have grown more in this last year than I ever have.

One of the qualities people seem to enjoy about me (and one that I admire in myself) is the fact that I make friends easily and throw myself into those relationships.  I love people, and I find unique and quirky things in common with each friend I make. Each friendship I have with someone is different and special in its own way, and I treasure every single one of them.

It was very hard for me to learn that you can't necessarily trust everyone. Not everyone will like you: not everyone will want to be your friend. And, as I found out, a lot of times has more to do with them then it does with you. There are a lot of reasons that people might not like you, and I think there are three core reasons that it boils down to.

-One of them is misunderstanding. You might not agree or understand why that person does or chooses the decesions they make in life. You might not understand their background, circumstances or issues.

-Another is hurt. Someone hurt your own feelings, the feelings of someone you care about, and that in turn caused you to dislike them.

-But the strongest (and most common) form of hatred has to be jealousy. I'm not saying this because I think I'm better than anyone, or I think there is a reason that this is true about me personally. But almost everytime I have been in a situation where I found out someone didn't like me I feel like it is either misunderstanding (they don't really know the real me, so how could they hate me?) or jealousy.

I love my life: I am blessed with so many extremely wonderful opportunities. I take every chance I can to reflect on that and be proud as well. I also try not to just sit around and wait for things to happen. I have to make my own fortune: the worst that you can hear in life is the word "No." and if you do hear it when you take that chance of something you want, then at least you know that you did everything you could have done.

 It's important to me to be able to live without regrets, so I take this concept personally. It makes me sad when I see people who don't take all the chances they get, or  get jealous of opportunties others have. These people are so bitter and unhappy. They can't see what they have going for themselves, and never try to make things better. Accepting that things are going to be bad and finding things to be unhappy or complain about. I think others should use their energy to create positive experiences for themselves.

Thats why I made up something called Phriendship...(No, i'm not a horrible speller! hahaha its my philosophy of friendship. Feel free to use the term I coined now that you see how creative it is hahaha)

And thats what this blog entry is all about. Honestly, the most important thing I can say is to give what you want more of, but also don't expect to necessarily get back what you are giving. Over time, you have to match what you give people to what they are giving to you.  Examine the relationship, and remove the ones that don't treat you how you deserve.

You might walk away not being friends with a couple of people that you used be (like I did.) But the quality of this life I live has improved so much. I have learned that it truly is quality above quantity when it comes to phriendships. 

People waste a lot of time wanting things they can't have or wishing they can change things. If someone doesn't like you or doesn't want to be your friend...you have to forget them. Its THEIR loss in the end. They are the ones who are missing out on having someone extraordinary in their life.

 After everything I have been through, I realized that I learned a lesson from each situation. So i'm happy to say, that things have gotten much better lately and that I am starting to see that things happen for a reason. It might be hard to see at times, but when you do finally get all of the pieces of your puzzle together, it is one of the most rewarding feelings you can experience.

Since this blog is more on the serious side, I decided to put some of my favorite hilarious pictures from a lot of those rare people you find in life (true friends, who make me laugh and really care about me.) These are classics from my private collection to lighten our moods :) So enjoy everyone! hahaha

Is that Nicki Minaj?! Sorry to disappoint everyone...just Nicki FAKE-aj aka Christopher Mendez hahaha!

I always say this, so if you are reading this and you haven't heard it be warned: I plan to someday become a Lady Gaga impersonator and my stage name will be Mademoiselle Ooh-La-La.

I couldn't resist this one, especially since Casey never looks bad in pictures lol I have to admit I am quite photogenic sorry everyone ;) hahaha!                                       

 Me & Jeff LOVE the faces pictures say a thousand words.

Priceless...me and Morgan :) I stole her statue boyfriend!

I get a lot of tongue action apparently...me and Kyle on New Years 2011 (top) and me and Justin, my old roomie, we are probably drunk and therefore hysterically funny as usual,

Me, Kohlby and Tyler :) hahahahaha their facial expressions are unusually hilarious in this one. I love it!

I love this picture of Corey...it makes me laugh so hard I pee everytime. He is so funny and sweet, and doesn't always look like this hahahaha!

Thats all for today :) I'm signing off. Love you all!

<3 Manda

New Blog, New Girl

Hey everyone! So I am finally jumping back on the blogging bandwagon after a loooong break :) I used to write a blog as an Ambassador (see below!)

For the college back in the 2008-2009 school year and haven't since then. I decided it seems like a fun way to keep everyone posted with what is going on with my life currently, so here I go again. As I mentioned, I'm an Ambassador, and I also write for The Dixie Sun (our staff pictured below!)

Lately things have been crazy yet very fun, which is usually the situation when it comes to me haha. But I wanted to tell you all my "recentlys" since its been such a whirlwind.


So FEBRUARY was quite a busy month for me. I traveled to Vegas (2/12-2/13)...

Me at MY hotel ;) haha

Two of my best friends Kohlby and Tyler, who are adorable and very hilarious, treated me to a weekend at The Mandalay Bay (I wonder why they chose that hotel?!) We had so much fun shopping and eating at The Cheesecake Factory on Friday...then Saturday we we woke up early and went to Champagne brunch (yes, I did feel rich, important, and most importantly, slightly drunk after having 3 mimosa's at breakfast) and then I gambled for a bit (I won $40!) And then we went to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum...

and this was where I finally got to meet my soul mate:

GAGA. Her fashion, her music...of course, I died a little. But not too much. Don't worry. I'm still here, writing this very blog if you were too enthralled in the story to get that.


Later that day, we went to see The Lion King, which promptly made me bawl like a big baby who goes to theater productions. Kohlby made sure to um, keep it quiet when he turned to tyler and announced (i mean whispered! i swear) AMANDA'S CRYING...oh yes. haha but the costumes, the songs, and especially the choreography were amazing!

The next weekend (2/18 & 2/19) it was off to SLC to hit up the Ke$ha concert with Chris, Casey and Dillinger <3 Chris, who has been my best friend for 7 years, bought me a ticket to the concert for my birthday. (I turned 22 on 2/22!) I love him so much.

We all made our own outfits (notice my rips and glitter...perfect omage to Ke$ha) It was SO much fun. Me and Casey squezed our way to the front of the arena so we could see Ke$ha in all of her shining glory..

Yeah, it was pretty sick. It took a lot of getting trampled (I even fell...luckily Casey came to the rescue and pushed some stupid moshers out of the way) but it was worth it to see her so up close. We lost Chris along the way (and his wallet got stolen :S) it was so sad. But even though we had some obstacles, we had a wonderful time. Ke$ha is amazing live and by far, her best songs of the night were "Cannibal" and "Blow."


After, we went to Pure (SLC's finest gay club haha) and danced the night away. Dillinger told me he never knew I could dance so good! I had so much fun shaking it all night. Some random guy and I had the time of our life dancing...it was hilarious. They even had a drag queen contest that was HILARIOUS to watch. The queen bee of SLC, Nova Starr, hosted (I finally got to see her!) She's a hot bitch. I wish I had a picture, but of course my camera died. Ugh. Everytime too instead of something normal like "low battery" it says "battery exhausted." Even my camera is a diva! After we got home from the club we stayed up all night at our hotel talking and laughing. It was the perfect trip! We got up and headed home the next morning and stopped for Hawaiian food on the way home :) so much fun!


During the week its always school, work, and a little bit of fun in between. My birthday fell on a Tuesday this year (2/22) so I didn't get to do much on the actual day. But as you can see, I've been celebrating all month :) My mom made me cupcakes and I had dinner with my family. I also had dinner with friends at my favorite restaraunt, Benja. Brady, Trevor, Alysha, Morgan and Chris were a delight to dine with! Morgan even surprised me with 2 dozen purple cupcakes that i'm still snacking on! And after we went to go see Never Say Never: The Justin Bieber movie (which also made me cry...what is wrong with me lately?!) But the weekends are whats best for me. Here is what happened this weekend to get you all caught up on the month:

Friday 2/25
All of the Dixie Sun staffers got together and went on a Laser Tag outing. I had so much fun running around like a little kid and also slightly badass with my laser gun and my nickname (Javelin...which has absolutely nothing to do with laser tag hahaha who comes up with these?!) Matty and Rustum are always so much fun to hang out with. They gave me the CUTEST birthday presents beforehand, which were a ring and a necklace. They are so chic, I will have to post pics. We also played arcade games (Deal or No Deal CHAMP...i got some hot bling with my tickets!) And after we got done playing we decided to go out for Krave, which is a frozen yogurt place that is so delicious. I love hanging out with the staff, I was so glad we got together.

Saturday 2/26
I forfeited all my luxurious sleep-in time to go to the parade of homes with Matty and Rustum, and I was so glad I did even though i was EXHAUSTED at work that night! This is one of my favorite activities to do in St. George every year, I love seeing the different interior designs and it makes me look forward to have a home of my own to decorate. I have to admit I was a little disappointed by the lack of VARIETY this year tho...ugh. Every house had the same freakin color pallette (boring earth tones interspersed with puke green and brick red) If i was in charge of this, I would make them much more interesting. I know my taste might not suit anyone else but Lady Gaga and her fan fare, but at least they would be memorable and fun to look at.
Matty always makes me want to pee my pants! He has the funniest jokes. Me and Matty met this year on the staff of The Dixie Sun. This is my new favorite activity, and it was worth it to join if just for meeting him. They treated me to the most delicious brazillian food at the restaraunt Made in Brazil after, and their roommate Corey joined us. He is actually the one who paid for my birthday :) I am realizing my friends always treat me so well. I am SO lucky to have so many people in my life who care about me and always show me how much they do.


Sunday 2/27

And, the best for last...OSCARS NIGHT! I got glammed up in all my gold for the awards show bash, which, again was at Matty's house. We all got to vote who we thought would win each of the categories. Of course, my pick Natalie Portman (Black Swan was by far one of the best movies of the year) won for Best Actress! It was fun munching of sushi, chicken, cupcakes, and McKoye's famed cake bites (OHHH! RED VELVET! I LOVE THEM) and doing what I do best: talk celeb.

My life is extremely lucky and wonderful, and I need to remember that. Thats why I started writing this blog, so I can focus on the positive and happy parts of life. Even just today, my mom surprised me and bought me fortune cookies (14 of them, so I can open one each morning before school and have a fortune for 2 weeks) and some easter egg candies that had a cute note attached:

KARMA GRAM:

A wish for you to have GOOD KARMA! You are a good "egg" and you bring goodness to the world, therefre you deserve lots of goodness. Expect great things because you are really great. You are entitled to GOOD KARMA! Keep being good :)

Love Always, Manda