The Internship

As I'm sure you've probably noticed by now, I've been a horrible blogger since I started my internship. I just have one thing to say. This internship has been incredible for me. The company I'm working for is beyond excellent, the people I work with are all so nice and fun to be around, I've learned so much and I'm so appreciative of having this whole experience.

I've also been pretty busy. Last weekend, Sean and I got back from a much needed week-long road trip to the Oregon coast with my family. We stayed in a fantastic condo right on the ocean, ate delicious food and got some good rest. Here are a few of photos from the trip:

This is me wearing some rad ammonite earrings while walking on the beach with the hub.

Famous Carr family pose, pointing in directions. Such weirdos ;)

#seaselfie with the hubs. We like walking on the beach.

Sunset. Maybe you can see two blobs on the beach, that's Sean and I.

Close-up of the hand-made ammonite earrings. #prehistoricjewelry

This is the handsome hub-cap totally lovin' crab fishing with my dad. 

The sis and I building a rad sandcastle. Meanwhile, Sean was in a fight with the ocean. It was a draw.

The view from our first night's balcony. The Hood River.

Also, Abby Graduated High School!! Congrats-o!

So I would say it was a success! 

Other than that, Sean and I have been going to Bountiful a lot and, for father's day weekend, we went up to my Grandpa's and went to the Ogden Art Festival. Such talent! And for father's day, we went up to B-town and made dinner, cleaned the kitchen, and then went out for treats in SLC. We went to Harmon's and got dessert treats and cheeses. Newest Fave Cheese: Wisconsin Butterkase. If you ever get the chance, best cheese. 

AND! We finally have a moving day! I've posted before about our difficult living situations, and we finally have plans to move in with my parents at the end of August so we can save money to buy a house! I know living at home will be a struggle sometimes, but thus is life and if it will get us ahead, that's great. And I completely appreciate my parent's generosity in letting us stay with them. 

Today is a kind of gloomy-weather day. Something I've been wanting for kind of a while. When it's gorgeous outside, I get restless and we end up spending too much money doing something. Days like this, we usually go grocery shopping or just stay inside and relax. 

Anyway, I'm gonna go nap or watch a movie. Thanks for not giving up on me as a blogger. 

love, Ellen

Saturdays

YAY! A few days ago, my work friends and I figured out a better schedule for us and now I have Saturdays free! Hooray! Now I have a night that I can go to a movie or stay up a little later with Sean and then enjoy a morning together besides Sundays (which are okay, but will soon end in January) and have some Mickey-D's breakfast. Mmm... breakfast burrito's.

Speaking of Saturdays, only 2 more until Sean and I have been married a whole year! Some people say the first year of marriage is the one where you learn the most about your partner by fighting and stuff. Not to say that Sean and I never fight, but we've definitely learned more about each other sans bickering (mostly). I think it's just that we feel so comfortable with each other that it doesn't matter that I don't squeeze the toothpaste a certain way or that Sean never picks what we have for dinner, we just know each other's love languages and have learned how to work our problems out without much strife. It's really nice.

In any way, I love him and I'm just really glad he's in my life to take care of me and entertain me.

love, Ellen

Sleepy

Working in the early morning hours has taken a toll on my sleep schedule. Mostly, I haven't been writing for the past bunch of days because I've been working and napping. The plus side is that I get plenty of donuts.

It has been really overcast here lately and I love it. Rain and the chill are so comfortable. I love to be home and having it be autumn-y outside. The only sad part is that it means winter is on its way. Winter is the worst but the autumn is great. It's going to be weird not going to school this winter, I don't know how I feel about it. I'll probably read some books and do some art and stuff. Who really knows.

Sean and I went to Comic Con on Saturday and it was a mad house! It was fun though, we got to see a bunch of interesting costumes, William Shatner on a golf cart, Soup Nazi, Bofur the Dwarf (as a human) and a creepy princess Leia wearing the scant outfit who recently gave birth (saggy boobs) and had her high school-age son follow her around (it was weird). Next time the Con comes around, Sean and I are definitely taking the Friday off and bringing enough money for stuff. Lesson Learned. However, it was still fun and we did things like

Twerking in front of Gollum

Posing with #10 (cardboard cut out)

And gawking at this Azog.

Anyway, it was great and we're definitely going again. 

love, Ellen

Get your rest...

The challenge starts tomorrow! The first prompt is:

If you could only listen to one album the rest of your life, which one would you choose? Share some of your favorite songs from it.

Hooray! If you want me to read your posts and share them in my blog, just post the link to your post in the comments and I'll put them in the next day's blog. 

Today, Sean and I are going to check out an apartment in SLC. I'm excited to move. I don't know why, but I like packing everything up and finding new places to put it in a new place. It's the organizational maniac in my brain, I swear. I don't have a new job yet, but I have a few ideas. 

Have you tried the Neapolitan Oreos? SO yummy! The strawberry is a little strong, but I still like them. That's my treat for the week. 

That's all. 

love, Ellen

Presenting... The Challenge!

Hi, guys! Sorry it's been a while since I posted anything, but I've been working on this super awesome August Blog-A-Day challenge. It's pretty simple and there aren't going to be any real rules so have at it! I made it in a .jpeg so it can be sent through the interweb and anyone can easily get to it.

To make it bigger and more readable, just click directly on the picture.

If you want to post it to your blog, go for it. No rules! I just hope I can get a few more to join in on it with me. I'll be doing my very best to do it everyday but I might be getting a new job here soon so... here's to a challenge!

love, Ellen

Apologies, News, and MN trip

Sorry for my nearly 2 week hiatus... It seriously has been non-stop for me lately. As soon as we got back from MN, we got surprise tickets to the Barenaked Ladies concert (with Ben Folds Five and Guster) and then on Friday night, we went to a Bees game (Utah's minor league baseball team) with Brady and Katie (Sean's brother and his wife). Now we're just trying to fall back into normalcy. I'm still trying to catch up on sleep and house cleaning.

However, even our normalcy is something other than that. Sean and I are still trying to figure our situations out. I'm on the look for a new job, preferably something in the Utah Valley area doing something along the lines of Proofreader, Copy Editor, Reading Tutor, the like. If you know of anything... let me know.

We started looking for a new place to live just North of SLC but then we found out today that our ward needs us to revamp the nursery. It's a problem for our ward that's too big to just fix in a few weeks before leaving, it seems. It seems like there are more things keeping us here than there are opportunities for us to move. It's just something we've been questioning for a while and we finally have a bit of an answer.

Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know what's happening. Also, on a side-note, Sean and I started our Academy Award Best Picture Winners movie challenge. We're still in the middle of the first one which we started yesterday. It's a silent movie from 1927 called Wings about a couple of pilots in the war. It's interesting but pretty long (2 hours).

And remember how I promised that I would tell you about our trip and have pictures.

This is one of the first places I saw in the Mall of America. IT'S A FREAKING AMUSEMENT PARK. ridiculous. Of course, I didn't go on any rides... Roller Coasters are not our thing. We also had lunch there and then  went shopping. I got a new pair of pants at H&M. By the end, my feet were so tired!

 This is some incredibly delicious lemonade from Matt's Bar (Home of the Jucy Lucy) in Minneapolis. It's the best bottle of lemonade I have had, I think. 

 This is the afore mentioned Jucy Lucy burger with grilled onions. Absolutely magnificent. If I talk about it too much longer I'll have to change my shirt from drool. If you're in Minneapolis, GO HERE. 

Go TWINS! This game was seriously SO much fun. We sat so high up, I almost puked. They shot off fireworks during the national anthem (while I was still trying to get used to the height) and I almost collapsed from fright. The Twins won the Phillies that night 4-3. It was a great game and we ate nachos out of a Twins helmet bowl (YUM). And we got to hang out with a couple of Sean's friends from MN. 

Overall, it was a fun trip. After all these things, we went to the family reunion and that was a blast too! I met so many great people and, if you can believe it, I can remember everyone's names. I also learned how to make little creatures out of sewing and felt. I'm thinking about selling them or making them for needy children. 

Anyway, I thought I'd just send you an update. Have a great week!

love, Ellen

May 23: Schooled

Something I couldn't learn from school:

Why is this such a tough one?
I learned a lot in school and there's a lot that school couldn't teach me.

I just don't know where I'm going with this. I could say that school couldn't teach me how to love or how to be myself or how tough it is to get a job anywhere... but that seems cliche and dumb.
I learned how to be myself no matter what situation in school and I learned that I want to be an editor or a writer or something along those lines when I grow up. School taught me that I'd rather be home with my husband than learning about biography or what have you. I know what I want to learn and I know where I want to go with the help of school. Now I know that school can be the difference between me and someone who was never educated but was laid off from a 15 year career as what I want to be in the race to a job position.

Why is school so important. I don't understand why so many job offers require 2-3 years of professional experience when you're first starting. It's like all those barista jobs that require 2-3 years of experience with coffee before being able to work there. Excuse my language, but how the HELL am I supposed to get 2-3 years experience if no one will hire me in the first place?

Whenever I look at open positions as an editor it says I need that experience but I know how great I am at detecting errors. I scroll through 9gag.com occasionally and almost every other post says something stupid and I automatically correct it in my head. How are employers supposed to know that I'm a great editor without letting me show them.

And that's where school comes in. At least I have that associates degree that cost me $10,000+ of my own money so I can maybe get a leg up on maybe a third of the competition. Entry level? if only I heard that more often when applying for all these positions. I can't wait to show my real worth in the workplace and not just "uh... I worked as a barista for 2 years and now I want a real job so... I have an associates degree...Hire me?" One day. one day...

Okay. I'm going to go apply for more jobs. Wish me luck.
love, Ellen

May 15: Day in My Life

Well, my day started out like any other. I woke up...

and then I hopped in the shower...

and put some clothes on. 

Then I went to work and made drinks, organized stuff, like I do.

Photo courtesy of Jason Davis

And then came home to a tree that was snowing buds all over the place and making a mess of my car.

Then I made my bed...

and did the dishes like a good wife should.

I took a picture of the cat...

and then we waited for dad to come home.

sorry for this crappy picture... eh.

Soon, Sean will come home, we'll have dinner and then probably play scrabble. 

And that is a day in my life.

Welcome to it.

love, ellen

May 8: Advised

One of my best friends from high school once gave me some great advice and it's stuck with me for quite a while. She wrote me a letter and gave it to me on the last day of school and I still read it often.
Here's a quote from it:

"1. THE OPPORTUNITY TRAIN IS VERY IMPORTANT. Always jump on that train my dear. I know, a lot of times the train can be very scary and intimidating. In all actuality, the train is the least intimidating thing in existence."

I remember when I was first interested in Sean, I jumped on so many opportunity trains to get to know him better. There was one train that just stopped and waited for me to get on for so long and I finally just did it. I walked across the room after a ward activity and talked to the guy I had a huge crush on and then I invited him to go play a game at a friend's house. That train has been the best one of my whole life and I am thankful every day that I boarded and never have to get off.
Thank you, Lexi. Your advice has propelled me right into my future.

Right now, in my life, I'm looking for a new job and Sean and I are looking for a new home closer to my parents. There are so many opportunity trains just waiting for me to board and it really is scary. It's been 2 years since I've had a job interview and the jobs I'm looking at most likely aren't looking for someone as young and inexperienced as I am, but I've got to start somewhere and if I don't apply and try, how am I supposed to start?

Anyway, if you're having a hard time jumping on that train, just do it. What have you got to lose? When those opportunity trains arrive, get on. They might kick you back off, but another train that might be going in the direction you need could be right behind it. Just do it.

love, Ellen.

I'm back! and some other stuff.

So I tried out the wordpress thing for a while but I don't think I actually like it. I like my format and background stuff here... idk how it's going to work after blogger calls it quits for realzies but I'm just going to see what happens here until then.

I haven't posted generally anywhere in a while. It's been pretty hectic at work and school with it being the end of the semester and with me graduating and all... Anyway, I apologize and stuff.

Recently, I've been thinking so much about cutting my hair off. All of it. Here's my hair as it is now straight:

And here's what I want to do:

Note that I've had it that short before. It's not scary to me to get it cut off, but I just feel so determined to grow it out as long as I can stand it. My last real cut was 2 Decembers ago. Anyway, I'm getting antsy to get it off and I was hoping for some input. Should I keep going or should I wait until May and cut it then?

Some other things that have been on my mind... I don't know why necessarily, but I've been listening to Motion City Soundtrack's Even If It Kills Me album all week. It's really a great album and it's been on repeat on my phone since Monday. I've been especially enamored with this song:

I'll confess to a bathroom dance party to this song while taking the above selfie. I just love it. 

I can't wait until June when Sean and I are going to a family reunion in MN. It's going to be so fun! I can't wait to hang out with his family again and see the Mall of America and go to a Twins Game! I can't wait to get away! I've been itching to just pack up somethings and go somewhere. I love driving for hours and being somewhere different. And I can't wait to move up North this summer! Yay, new places! 

Okay, I think that's enough for today. 

Have a great day!

love, Ellen. 

Weekend update.

So, as you MUST know by now, i'm getting married (in 26 days but who's counting). A lot of things come with marriage, i'm slowly becoming aware of. There are things i'm sure i haven't thought of that my wonderful mom or sister or future family-in-laws or my old neighbor, Anna, has. It's hard enough to look at the next 24 hours than the next 26 days. in those days, i will be doing these things

• school (4 classes - 12 credit hours)
• work (upgrading inventory and changing stock as well as management)
• driving to MN and back 2 times (total of approximately 76* hours of driving. seriously.(*some of that will be after the wedding)
• going Sean's best friend's wedding (nervous but excited)
• sending invites
• getting a new phone
• putting away things from bridal showers
• sleeping
• eating
• (hopefully) relaxing

so that's gonna be fun.

This week, Sean's friend from his old work-place came and stayed with us for a bunch of days. Unfortunately, i was sick. but at the same time it was nice because i got to be home and hang out with her and become friends with her instead of having a 'fantastic' time at work. and by fantastic i mean crappy. Anyway, we became friends and now she lives in LA and we're gonna visit her eventually.

Alright, so yesterday. Started off great, because i forgot my makeup bag at home so my mom and dad and i went to get bagels and wedding make-up (hooray), then we went to my parent's ward's bridal shower for me. TONS of cool stuff. to name a few things: 6 or 7 cookie sheets and a couple muffin tins, 4 movies, a quesadilla maker, a gorgeous blue glass plate and a stylish white plate with red print spoon on it, tons of glass dishes and bowls and casserole pans, popcorn things, a minichopper, a game, and probably other things that have slipped my mind. 

After that, me and Abby and my mom went to Bridal Image and got my dress. lemme tell you, it's PERFECT. i wasn't sure about it at first because i bought it when it wasn't what i wanted (long with a train and short sleeves) and then i went and got it from being altered and it's PERFECT. i don't think i can say that enough. it's exactly my style and comfortable and elegant and i'm so so excited. I put it on to show my dad and Sean and sean was dazzled. he had the most adorable face. 

then we passed out some wedding invites, and went over to my Aunt Sharla's for a family shower. We played some games and chatted and ate dinner that Uncle Scott prepared. Then we opened gifts (which i'm finding to be loads of fun)! We got a huge tub full of awesome food, a griddle, a Twister Duvet cover, laundry detergent, post-it's, stickers, the Game of Life, Pyrex things, floor lamps, gift cards, and perhaps other things i have forgotten. 

But seriously, we have things! We still need a can opener and pots and pans (probably coming from my parents) but we can finally cook things in our house! hooray! Thank you to all who came and gave us things! We're SO grateful and hopefully will be sending Thank You notes soon. 

Now we're going to go get ready for our trip to MN! lots of driving. we're gonna eat a lot of snacks. and there's gonna be music up the wazoo. Woo! 

okay. i'm going to go do the sunday things like eating and naps. 

love, ellen

pudding in my fish sticks

i really think i renamed this blog appropriately because i found out recently that i really like titling them with things that are happening with my food right now because i often eat while i blog.

but that's true. why don't those banquet meal things contain the pudding. now i have chocolatey fish sticks and less pudding. boo. at least it doesn't taste too gross... and the mac is good.

i've been working a lot this week. well... a lot for it being only a part time job... i've got almost 6 hours every day except friday. I clocked out today with 16.24 hours under my belt. honestly, i could handle this every day, probably, but i do like having some 'me time' in the mornings.

So i have this bruise.. it's really like 4 bruises connected. it's really gross. i was considering posting a picture of it but the pictures i took look stupid. but seriously, it's pretty gross looking. people sometimes ask me 'is it your boyfriend?' and i say 'no, it was a stupid spinning seat thing at a park...' and it was. There's this thing that you sit on and it spins around and it looks like this:

artist rendition via microsoft paint

Anyway, I sat on the black part held onto the metal pole for dear life and then this giant that i know named Aaron came and spun the living life right outta me and, i nearly died. not really, but i have a gnarly bruise to show for it. at least the intense nausea that followed has now subsided...

We're gonna feed Reggie tonight. Reggie is Sean's pet snake. He's cute. also, we're listening to vinyl. Sean got a record player the other day and now we listen to it a lot. it's great great great. 

anyway, we're gonna eat some tortellini and then get some Reggie food. the end.

love, Ellen. 

It Abby Birthday!

Since she made fun of me for doing birthday posts, it's some days late. probably more than some. also, i'm lazy and it's blah blah excuse. i know, i know.

Happy Birthday Squish-ter! You're pretty rad and i really hope you like Clueless. and that super awesome tassel-y ball. Sean and I still don't understand how you managed to break the loop and one of the tassels in 15 minutes when we had been playing with it all day and managed to not do any damage... but whatever.

i was looking through my box of memories and stuff and i have a lot a lot of letters from you and i read some of them and they were great. I hope you're having a super killer time at EFY this week and will have the best summer of ever this year.

Love, Ellen.

and a goofy picture just to top it all off.

now back to our regular scheduled programming. summer is... great. i'm really having a hard time with work and enjoying it because it's just.. annoying and there's nothing to do. and next week i'm picking up about 10 extra hours. which will definitely help with the money problems.. awesome.

Sean and I are going to go see Jay Mohr this weekend at Wiseguys. Should be fun, i think.
I feel like wearing a summery dress today but it's only 59 degrees. i'll probably wear it tomorrow.
okay, i'm gonna go shower and get ready.
Hope your week is fabulous!
Love, (for realz this time) Ellen

Barista Bashing.

it's the "not cool" thing to do. or whatever. but no, seriously... i've seen like 7 or 8 (or less.. maybe i'm just exaggerating) photos of people bashing baristas for being English majors with nothing to do with their lives or something. eugh.

this one frustrates me a lot. and do you want to know why? BECAUSE IT'S 'SPOSED TO. which is dumb. whatever. also, why penguins? doesn't make sense. or whatever.

Why? How did i just so happen to fall into the barista-english-major catagory? and why does this bother me so much?! I'm so.. just... ugh. whatever.

This one isn't totally directed at the english major barista scene... but still. also some of the things aren't applicable to me. like the stubble. or screenplay or degree...

Now, i'm not one to gloat. or enjoy pouring coffee for high schoolers... So this one frustrates me most.
[link because the picture wouldn't come up]

AUGH. this one. it's just.. it's just. ugh.

stupid. I'll just end it there because if i keep trying to find more things, i'm just going to frustrate myself the most.
anyway, have fun. or whatever people say now. i'm rarely hip with the kids.

~ellen

Little Fan-girl.

You know how easily-obsessed and excitable i can be. I was on stumbleupon and stumbled on this site full of really great teeshirts. specifically Doctor Who tees. and Beatles. i'll share some of my favorites:

This one is all of the lyrics of come together lightened and darkened to look like Abbey Road. awesome.

 Just the beatles. with their sigs. awesome.

 oh, you know... just some guys. beautiful, awesome guys.

 a really rad yellow submarine.

 Abbey road. Doctor Who style. awesome.

 just a bunch of 10th and 11th doctor stuffs.

 clever, ya'll.

 delorean: not bigger on the inside, but that's why they call it the Other.

 Like the WHO! We don't get fooled again!

 i love rory. so great. also, i love rory in glasses.

mega super clever especially for the 6th season. so so so so clever.

anyway. these are all good.
also, i went to a particularly awesome dance last night and i rocked my heart out. and this guy tyler kept telling me how impressed he was with me for being so witty and funny and cool and an awesome dancer and all that with me being 18. woop.
and then his friend kelby is my x's brother's bff or something. so that's... nice.
and other than that.... i worked 7 hours today and now i'm tired and i've got stake conf. in like... 40 minutes. so i'm gonna go change, and that and yeah.
Bonne Journee!
~Ellen~