I've Got Five Dollars

It's Thrifty Thursday!

When I first moved back home, I was REALLY into refashioning and buying clothes at the DI then making them my own. Again, in the slump and business that I called life, I basically set that aside and the clothes were sitting there. Then I realized "Hey, I should do something." so here it is.

story: granny blouse from the DI, shoulder pads, only one awkwardly GINORMOUS button that shows, and just about 5 sizes too big in general. 

SO..

 I fixed it! 

took cut the neckline- therefore ridding myself of that hideous button- and added a little collar and tie!

I took in the sleeves and the sides and now it's my size!

 Look! You can tie it in a knot, you can tie it in a bow!

It didn't take long at all and I've already gotten so much great feedback from it! Also, last time I went to forever21, I saw a shirt just like this but see-through and definitely more than the $4 I spent. Such-a-steal much? :)

oh, ps- i altered that skirt too! I wish i had a before and after picture. It was HIDEOUS and long and just huge. and now it's just the best thing ever. 

yay for finally conquering some tasks and getting new clothes! YES!

I can't wait to do more!!

Happy refashioning and adventuring sweetbugs!

Loves Hayley Lynn

Can't We Be Friends?

I'll get better at this blogging thing- I promise :) 

News: 

I WENT TO SEATTLE! oh it was a blast! I saw old friends and old places and though it was freezing and I was a little sick, I had such a wonderful time- so wonderful I wanted to take pictures then share them all here of course!

that's my driver. aka luke.

winter roadtrip needs cocoa!

AH! look at them!

seriously my favorite band- The Scene Aesthetic!

Jack! One of my oldest best friends :)

Emily!

I can't believe I used to live here

I miss playgrounds. 

Jack performed in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma- possibly one of his last plays ever and he's been in them for.. well basically since birth. Luke and him came to visit me during Thanksgiving break and we had a spur of the moment "yeah let's all get together over that weekend and just play around Seattle" so then it happened! Emily is just this cute girl that Jack's pretty interested in and I just love her already so hence all the pictures :) it was a great time and I'm so thankful I had the chance to see old friends and my old town.

I definitely got that boost I needed!

What has life brought you lately? Anything you've conquered or any adventures you've gone on?

I sure hope so- if not, go find some and have a great time doing it!

Ta ta for now, sugar dumplings.

Loves Hayley Lynn 

Fever

So lately, I've been in this slump.


One big thing to learn about me: I start basically everything with great zeal and energy then about three months into it, I just seem to "get too busy" aka I become much lazy and more focused on things that don't matter- like watching four episodes of "Friends" in a row when really I should be going to bed or cleaning my room. so- that's something I'll be attempting to conquer over the holidays.
Also, I honestly believe I have Seasonal Anxiety Disorder. In case you didn't know, that's a REAL diagnosable disorder, and it happens to people (particularly those who live in colder, cloudier areas of the world) during the winter months because they aren't getting enough sun. I believe I was thoroughly affected as a child, growing up near Seattle, where really it rains pretty much 9 out of the 12 months. I never ONCE took for granted sunny LA and, when it rained, while everyone else loved it, I was basically crying; however, I am very aware you must know the bad to understand the good, but still. I miss my warm weather and my long days and short nights.

I think writing about the good stuff will boost me up :)

THANKSGIVING
Ahhh yes, wonderful day set aside just to fatten us all up. Love it. My family and I went to Spokane (Washington) to spend the weekend with my grandparents and the weather was honestly the best we've ever had for Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember! No snow, and temperatures in the 40s I believe!  How nice for being so far north! My grandma Drika was a saint the entire time- she hits at about 4'8" and cooked every meal for us all by herself. Believe me, I'd help but she always refuses help whenever we ask what she'd like us to do. Mostly I slept, read, and ate the entire weekend- oh and I caught up with a few friends! Good stuff, really :) here's some pictures (obviously)

That's my beautiful sister- Shelayna. As unique as her name and my wonderful Grandma!

my poor dad, always the bug eyes.

 

like father like son... :)

we love downtown- spokane really is so fun to visit!
more to come! :)
happy holidays lovelies!
Loves Hayley Lynn

All the Things You Are (Pt. 2)

Now time to shed some light on mi padre
aka Daddy

Ever since I can remember, I've been a daddy's girl- spending weekends playing t-ball with him outside, going to the park to shoot "hoops" with him even though he knew I was absolutely awful, kicking a soccer ball back and forth during super boring tournaments. Some of the best memories I have are waking up at 5 am (no exaggeration), sitting on my dad's lap at the dining room table and eating raisin bran or that quaker crunch cereal while he read the newspaper before he left for work.

There's this one memory I have of my dad trying to leave for work early and because my room was right above the garage I heard the door open and ran out of my room crying. My mom saw me and told me to run downstairs to catch him so i ran out in our garage before my dad shut the door, just barefoot, pajamas all a-skew, and just bawling my eyes out but he ran back in and gave me a giant hug before heading to work. He still does this great thing where he'll come into my room to give me a hug and kiss goodbye before leaving on almost every work trip.
He works every day- usually leaving at like 6 in the morning and not getting home until around 8. He had open heart surgery my sophomore year so when he was only 45, and he pulled through like a champ only resting for about two months when they said it'd take at least 3. He'll sing along in the car even when honestly he doesn't have the best voice ever. He makes pancakes every sunday morning still even though it's only me, him and my mom. He's always super giving- just last week, the guys that were fixing my tire told me he came into the store and bought them all pizza for lunch out of the blue. He always makes me smile and I know he'd do anything for me- including pulling me up from a ditch that I was stuck in while being stung by about 50 bees.

On his 50th birthday, he chose to spend it at Disneyland and just a few years before that he was body surfing with me in Mexico. He goes to Hawaii with my mom every year and is seriously so caring. He always kisses my mom goodbye in the morning before work and I have honestly never seen or heard them fight about anything. They're just best friends and I can't wait to find someone who is just like my dad (with maybe a little more style ;] ). They're just the cutest.

He's the greatest dad around. Seriously I'm so blessed :)

who inspires you? what are you thankful for lately?
Hope your week has been lovely!
Post again soon darlings
Loves, Hayley Lynn

All The Things You Are (Pt. 1)

I wanted to take tonight and tomorrow to blog about two of my favorite people in the whole world
Mom & Dad 
aka Mommy and Daddy (yes, I admit I do still call them both that and I doubt it'll ever stop)

I know most people say "I have the best parents in the entire world!" but really, mine are pretty great- not to brag too much or seem really prideful but I just love them!
Let's talk about Mommy:
      She has only one brother [Uncle Steven], went to two different schools every year until her senior year of high school because her dad [Grandpa Gene] was in the Navy. One time while we were getting ready for the move from Bremerton to Spokane (Washington) I told my mom about how nervous I was because I figured all the other kids would dress differently or talk differently and she just said "Well, trust me- I know how you feel. My stomach used to get huge knots before my first day at a new school because I was afraid all the kids knew their times tables and I didn't." :) oh, how times have changed.

Mommy LOVES Mexico- birds not so much!

      I honestly can't explain how much my mom sacrificed for me and my sisters. She was involved in everything- I mean EVERYTHING and honestly she isn't the most social person, but still she always put herself out there helping with car washes and bake sales, selling raffle tickets, and not to mention chauffeuring the three of us around to a million different things: school, back home, dance or gymnastics or soccer or t-ball or volleyball or swimming lessons or cheerleading. She put us in everything and anything we wanted and honestly always gave us the choice. All this time she had an at-home daycare center at our house which means she wasn't only taking care of three girls but instead it was like ten girls and a boy or something. Looking back, I really have no idea how she did it all. As I grew up, she just continued to sacrifice all of her time for us. We moved about a half an hour away from my first house when I was nine which means we were a half an hour away from the studio I had been dancing at for the past 7 years (and my sisters were there even before me!) so instead of changing studios my mom drove us there and back every day of the week. I always slept in the back while my middle sister [Shelayna] would usually end up just screaming at my mom for no reason- you know, teenage years. they're the worst. They're good now though no worries :)

that's Shey and my lovely mom at my other sister's wedding :)

During high school, my dad got a job in Salt Lake and my mom stayed with me in Washington. For months they were apart and I know it tore my mom's heart strings. At one point after begging her to let us stay in Spokane she told me she would try to make it work so I wouldn't have to leave. Of course I changed my mind and we moved. I vowed to stay mad at my mom forever though.. but two weeks later she was my best friend. We had a common enemy- moving to Utah. Secretly we both hated it. Again, she drove me a half an hour to school every morning my junior year and even found a job that was by the school- she put MY SCHEDULE BEFORE HERS ALWAYS. She made it work so she would get off in time to drive me to dance and then home. After having the hardest year we finally decided it'd be best if I either moved back to Spokane and lived with a friend or stayed in Utah and transferred schools. And of course, here in Utah I stayed, and senior year couldn't have been better and my mom's relationship with me improved even more :) I know she totally "baby"s me because I'm the last of her kids in the house and she basically gives me whatever I want with restrictions of course but she bought me my own cell phone when I was a sophomore in high school which really was a big deal back then- my other sisters never had that or they had to pay for it themselves. She bought me my car, went around with me to look for the best college with the best dance program even though I didn't attend any we looked at. She's been with me through every dance recital, cheer competition, gymnastics meet, soccer game, school play, volleyball game, swim lesson, and hard time I've ever had. She has always taken my word for it- she trusts me completely, even when I'm so flighty in my decisions always changing my mind and being scared of commitment. One minute I'm dancing up a storm the next I decide cheerleading's better then I want to go back to dance then I want to be a psychologist then I want to move to LA. Seriously, I'm sure she's exhausted but somehow she keeps it up. And she always pushes me to have higher standards for myself- even though I haven't been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints my whole life, I feel like I have been because of her example and what she always asked of me: dressing modestly so boys would respect me, not speaking with a fowl mouth, treating others the way you want to be treated, having manners, work hard, do your best, get an education, follow your dreams and so much more. She supported me when I said I wanted to move to LA and become a professional dancer and I know from a kid's perspective, that's all we really want. Parent approval. I seriously love her. I can't wait to be like her- married to my best friend, motivating my kids to be the best they can be, and working so hard sacrificing so much.

Greatest thing I've taken from her is definitely this quote:

      If it's meant to be, it'll happen.

done and done. that has seriously stuck with me since I can remember and it has brought me so much peace. I love my mom and all she does for me. She inspires me without even realizing it.

who inspires you? have you told them lately? what and who are you thankful for?

please, do tell! I'm all ears and eyes :)

off to bed now dearies, it's a busy adventure-filled day tomorrow! 

Loves Hayley Lynn

(ps, more about Dad[dy] tomorrow! goodnight all!)

Rock Around The Clock

IT'S BEEN FOREVER!!!!
eeeeek! I'm pretty much the worst at staying on task lately! so once again- catch up time:

so the performance for Bonnie Story at the Energy Solutions Arena went off without fail! I had the most amazing time ever- performing is seriously something that cannot be explained nor could you ever match it with anything else in the world. I don't know what I'd do without dance or the ability to share it with others I'm so amazingly blessed!
The day after the show, I left for LA! Back for a short-yet-completely-packed-weekend visit filled with:

• Melanie and Jacob Barlow's wedding and reception! 
• Shopping spree at H&M
• Taking some dance classes at Edge PAC
• and of course seeing everyone I miss so terribly

here's some pictures of the fun in the sun! :)

Melanie and Jacob are just precious! And together for eternity! Yay!

so fun!!

bahaha halloween!

Brynners!

man i miss menchies nights! 

Anyway, that was that. seriously the amount of time it took you to read that and scroll through those pictures is how long I felt like I was there! But i'll go back again sometime no worries :) 

Thennnnn the week I was home I felt so jet-lagged and lazy so I was just minding my own business all week until saturday when who shows up at my front door? My cute long-lost friend Jordan who had been on a church mission for the past two years and he just told me we were going on a date haha he's the best! 

I look scary but he's pretty cute i guess :)

so that happened and thennnn I definitely spent a boat-load of money on new clothes to wear to work and for winter (since most of my winter stuff was a bit iffy from not having to wear any in LA) and also I am officially an owner of an iPhone :) and yes i'm obsessed! 

this is jasmine- still my bestfriend

we had dinner a few days ago and i just can't get enough of her :D

I had a lazy sunday with Emma a few days ago and we took the iphone camera out for a little spin look at this cute pictures!

SHE'S SO ADORABLE!

shirt, skirt, belt, and ring: Forever 21, necklace: target, shoes: Walmart (though i secretly hate admitting it)

i'm sort of really obsessed with this outfit- dont be surprised if i wear it tomorrow as well :)

Lately with being so busy, I haven't really been keeping up with exercising very much but I bought a book called "the big book of 15-minute exercises" and it just talks about how you really only need to do 15 minutes a day and eat better and you'll start seeing results of a fitter bod in like two weeks so today was day one of that and after the work out i was honestly just exhausted! I can't wait to do more tomorrow instead of running for like two hours and getting bored. yuck.

so there's the ketchup- i mean catch up! I'll write more tomorrow I promise!

Goodnight Goodnight!

Loves Hayley Lynn

Come Fly With Me

Okay I cannot even explain how amazing the past two days have been.
Seriously, I'm so blessed.

About a month ago, I received some information about an upcoming audition here in Salt Lake City for a contemporary dance gig choreographed by Bonnie Story (emmy award winning choreographer who also choreographed on the High School Musical trilogy and is based right here out of Utah). Bonnie assistant was actually out of town for the audition and her agent knows me well and told her about me so she called me in a few days before the audition and asked me to assist her by learning the piece beforehand to get out all the kinks and make sure there was someone else that could run it with the groups. So I did and the choreography was beautiful and the audition went so well! So about a week after that Bonnie called again and asked if I'd perform in the gig! Of course I took the job! :D Not only am I gaining an amazing connection with Bonnie, but I get paid (really well) to do what I love to do! We started rehearsals yesterday and the piece is absolutely gorgeous! Seriously it's about soaring and going above and beyond and it's so inspirational I just love it! NOT TO MENTION THE DANCERS ARE INSANE! Let me just tell you who I'm so blessed to be working with:
Bonnie Story, as previously mentioned, who has worked on: the High School Musicals and with Odyssey Dance Theatre AND she's the biggest sweetheart and so humble.
Ben Susak: So You Think You Can Dance Season 2, Odyssey Dance Theatre, Dancer for Wade Robson, Britney Spears' Dancer and soooo much more feel free to watch his amazing video from Erica Sobol's class below- he'll blow you away. not to mention he's the funniest, silliest, and nicest person :)
Haylee Roderick: just look at her amazing bio. seriously -  a current dancer on the hit TV show GLEE, principle dancer on the feature film High School Musical 3, The GLEE Live Tour, The 82nd Academy Awards and was a featured performer in the production“ Dancing under the Stars”. Haylee has trained with some of the best choreographers in the country such as Kenny Ortega, Chucky Klapow, Brooke Lipton and Zach Woodlee. She has won numerous national dance competitions such as the Hollywood Connection National Icon Award. Haylee continues her life long passion for dance by training with the industries top choreographers in Hollywood. She currently is on the April 2011 cover of “Dance Spirit Magazine”. unbelievable. oh and don't worry, she's got the biggest heart too. always hugging and smiling. man i love her.
Michael Stein: just an Edge Scholarship Alumni from 2009-2010 (the year before me), Gina Starbuck's dancer, a member of Adam Parson's company, dancer for Jeri Slaughter (who was one of Janet's dancers!!), and seriously so much more- and he's only been off scholarship for a year. he's brilliant seriously!
Christian Denice: Bonnie's amazing assistant, Odyssey Dance Theatre, River North Dance Company in Chicago. he's sooooooo incredible!!
Jeff Wolfe: River North Dance Company with Christian, and a whole bunch of other stuff from the East coast- he's just too modest to talk about it all but he's such a little cutie! best partner ever this kid is!
Bayli Baker: Bonnie's daughter, goes to UNLV right now on their dance program, was in High School Musical, and is absolutely sensational.
I really could go on for days about all of them but you should just watch the videos instead.

oh ben. you still amaze me.

haylee, just the cutest. seriously.

and everyone else is just as brilliant. i'm soooooo inspired and grateful!
Our show is on friday- don't worry it's inside the Energy Solutions Arena downtown Salt Lake.. you know just in front of an estimated amount of 18,000 people! THAT'S THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. holy toledo, this is still surreal. I guess moving home from LA didn't really get me out of the performance spotlight after all ;)

what adventures have you been up to? who's inspired you? what obstacles have you tackled lately?
Have a great rest of your week kidlings! xoxo
Loves, Hayley Lynn

They Say It's Wonderful

Happy sunday! and what a SUN(filled)day it was!
Today I went to Stake Conference with some super cute girls from my singles ward! it was SO GOOD! Elaine S. Dalton and David A. Bednar spoke! :D they're two of my personal favorites! oh it seriously was so great! And we got to walk around downtown after (mostly because we had to park so far away since there's so many of us in Utah..) and the fall colors and sunny skies were just gorgeous! So i took some pictures!

This is Tristan- she lives literally two seconds from me and is just the sweetest! so glad we can carpool :)

and these two great gorgeous girls are Shanae and Hannah- seriously how do i have such great friends?

After, i just couldn't get over how gorgeous the weather was so I took advantage of it and took my dog on a walk.. then took some more pictures. i just couldn't resist!

look at that tree! those colors. ugh i'm dying!

looook at that puppy!! just the cutest!

that's barlo, my bassett hound. he's one of the cutest dogs I know, especially when he's sleeping next to you, dreaming about chasing something haha. the best part about him is when he comes down the stairs towards you, his wrinkles cover his whole face making him look just so funny :D but the worst part about him is he barks at EVERY SINGLE PERSON. which wouldn't be so annoying but he never stops. oh and he used to eat socks. gross i know.

after my walk i sat in the park by my house for a bit and wrote in my journal for a while. honestly just sitting in the middle of a huge grassy field with no one around in the midafternoon-sun is probably one of my favorite things to do. i like to bask in all of God's glory- His creations still simply amaze me even after being on this earth for 20 years. My goodness this world we live in is just fantastic.

Oh and as for my saturday- no worries there's a super awesome package coming in the mail for me in a couple weeks (more on that later obviously) annnnnnnd i got asked out on a super cute date by a super cute boy who just got home from his mission in Honduras about a week and a half ago. Don't worry, we went for ice cream, took it to the temple, played a bit of tagged, danced around, gazed at the view of the Salt Lake Valley and simply told about a million stories.. his were mostly in Spanish. and i loved every second :) thanks for such a great night great boy! i'm seriously so lucky to be here where there are cute boys who also believe in the same things as i do. yes yes yes!
my week to come will be a very busy one sooo be looking for random posts that'll explain my not-so-little upcoming adventures!

How was your weekend? any endeavors of your own? did you enjoy the weather? meet anyone inspiring? conquer anything incredible? i'm sure you did! go ahead and tell me about it!

Until we meet again my sweetbugs!

Loves, Hayley Lynn