"Remember, eyebrows aren't twins - they're sisters"

In preparation for our trip to San Diego, I was making appointments for my mani, pedi, and eyebrow wax today. I decided that I should share a very intimate part of this beautifying experience - my eyebrows.

So for those of you who know me, you know that I am very picky with eyebrows. Ever since I moved out west, I've had serious issues trusting people with my eyebrows. Consequently, I would do my eyebrows every time I visited Miami and would try to keep them as nice till my next visit. It sounds a little extreme but we're talking about my eyebrows here. (My roommate Nina thought I was crazy).

Well, I've let go of my paranoia on several occasions. The first was on a visit to Vegas to see the Culver Family. Stacey had just gotten her eyebrows done and they looked great. So I gave it a shot. Turns out that the girl who waxed her eyebrows had left for the day. I went with some other lady that seemed promising. It wasn't horrific but just not what I wanted. Again, I let them grow and waxed them in the comfort of my trusted Hialeah salon.

My next experience was at Ruth's Salon in Provo. I was at Forever 21 one day and saw this girl with beautiful eyebrows. I asked her where she went to do them and she directed me to Ruth's Salon. It was a little Mexican place. The girl who did my eyebrows actually served her mission in Blaine's ward back at home. That's irrelevant to the story but I thought it was cool. Anyway, same thing. She did an OK job. The price was good and that would be the only thing to bring me back.

For my wedding, I obviously couldn't fly to Miami to get my eyebrows waxed. I was really freaking out because, well, eyebrows are important to me. A friend of mine told me to go to 9 Salon and Spa in South Jordan. Now this time, I was a little bit more comfortable with the way they turned out. But 1) it was pricey, 2) it was all the way in Jordan! 9 Salon and Spa was a lifesaver for my wedding day, and for that I'm extremely grateful, but I won't be returning. Unless they relocate to Orem or Provo...

Now that I am married and won't be returning to Miami for the spring/summer semesters (boo), I set out to find a local wax salon that met my needs. Before heading out to Steamboat Springs, I came across the most adorable little wax salon ever. That wasn't a hyperbole. This young, college-age beauty school graduate chick turned her parents shed into her salon. It's called Wixy Wax. The environment is so cute. It's Ikea-decorated (only an Ikea freak would know that) with lime green walls. She also had Enya, Regina Spektor, and Coldplay playing in the background. She did such a good job at creating a clean, cute, and relaxing atmosphere. First of all, she took me in last minute after she had turned off all of the heating equipment for the day. Second, she spent an hour on my eyebrows. Now, it's not cause she was slow. It's cause I was ridiculous in trying to explain the look that I like - my dream eyebrows. She was extremely patient and understanding. The wax that she used was great for my skin. It didn't cause my skin above my eyebrows to swell or breakout. Best of all, she gave me an upper lip wax for free because I didn't know that she only took cash. It gets better. She has like a frequent diner card program where on your third service, it's half off. Her customer service was amazing. She even emails you a couple days after to make sure if you've had any irritation or allergic reaction. AND if you realized that you didn't love your eyebrows, you can go back within the week for free. I just had a wonderful time.  So, all in all, it was a great experience.

Now, I'm not bragging about my eyebrows at all. They turned out as best as they possibly could. But the truth is, I wasn't blessed with inherently beautiful and luscious eyebrows (or eyelashes), like Kim Kardashian. And I guess that's why I'm obsessed with them.

The real reason I'm rambling on about eyebrows is because I learned an important lesson while at Wiky Wax. After an hour of trying to figure out how I wanted my eyebrows to look, Lana told me "Daylin, remember, eyebrows aren't twins - they're sisters!" Words of wisdom right there. I realized that this whole time I was being unrealistic as to what my poor little eyebrows could be. Besides the fact that they do not grow thick the way I would want them to and that there is a patch that doesn't grow at all (due to a traumatizing wax burn), my eyebrows aren't shaped the same way at all. And I have to live with that. And it's okay! As long as I have somebody that I trust with my eyebrows for the next year and a half while we're in Utah, I'm one happy camper.

If you're still reading this post, then you have just read the history of Daylin's eyebrows. Thank you for caring! 

the end :)

Happy Mother's Day!

In the spirit of Mother's Day, I've been reflecting on important lessons learned from the wonderful women in my life.

Although almost 5 years have come and gone since her passing, my dear grandma continues having a great influence on me. Elena Rosa Mesa was the coolest, classiest, and best grandma in the world. For the last 5 years of her life, she moved into our home. I find myself doing some of the things that she would do, though at the time I thought it was weird or didn't understand the reason why. For example, before heading out the door Abuela would always brush her teeth for like 10-15 minutes. Seriously, who brushes their teeth for that long? Well, now I do. I still don't think that I have a reason for brushing them for that long. I don't think I ever will. It just feels good. Another thing that I have found myself doing is deep cleaning the whole apartment before we go away on vacation. Now, there is wisdom in this. When you come back from a relaxing time away from home, the last thing you want to do is come home to a dirty house! You already have to unpack, do laundry, yadda yadda yadda. She passed away while on vacation in Daytona, FL. When we came back home, there was not a trace of dust in her little efficiency apartment. Abuela was also extremely punctual. I haven't mastered this yet but I'm working on it! She was never late to church, to pick me up from school, or anything. I really admired and appreciated that. One thing about Abuela that I admired was her amazing cooking skills. She cooked everyday. When I came home from school, I'd have a delicious, warm meal ready to devour. As most of you know, I am an extremely picky eater. She always witnessed me picking out onions from my plate. The next day, she cooked my favorite meal "carne con papas y arroz blanco." I told her that it was delicious but that the flavor wasn't the same. She told me in Spanish, "Well there you go. I didn't put onions in this time." I love onions. Sunday dinners were the best. But she would prepare as much as possible Saturday night to keep the Sabbath day as holy as possible. She never told me her reasoning until I asked her one day. That was the way my grandma was. She lived her life going about doing good in a quiet manner. Above all, my grandma showed me that there was nothing more important in life than family. My last memories of her were helping me put stickers on candy for my campaign for the Student Government Vice-President position late into the night. It was late and we'd just talk and she'd call me "La Senadora" (the Senator). Another thing that she did a lot was watch me and my sister get ready when we were going out on the weekends. She'd suggest outfits and always complain that our lip color was too plain. She was a fan of reds and oranges when we would just wear nude lip gloss. Now every once in a while, I go bold with pink. She found joy in the simplest things in life, like seeing her granddaughters get all dolled-up. She never missed a show, pep-rally, dance competition, church talk, etc. Finally, she taught me that you never stop being a mother. 

From my mother, I learned that Halloween costumes are way better when they're homemade. That in order to cook all you need to do is "uno, dos, tres - Sazon Completa!" I learned to love dance and music. Our house was always full of music. When I go back to visit, it still is. Science fair projects can be fun - especially when you always won 1st place. I learned that purple is the best color in the universe cause it's both of our favorites. I learned that picking out your clothes and laying it out the night before saves you a lot of time and hassle in the morning. I learned that it's okay to listen to Christmas music in July, especially when you're working on Christmas ornaments or stockings. My mother has a love for holidays. She would always decorate to the max and bring the holiday spirit into our home. It was definitely contagious. My sister and I both love decorating our apartments for each and every holiday. I learned that half of the things in the store can be made at home. Whenever I see something I like - a skirt, necklace, some decorative thing, etc. - she says that she knows how to make it. And she's right. She has the ability to see something and understand how it got to be that way. Lucky her. One thing I regret now that I'm away from home is not taking the time to learn more from her. She knows how to sew, crochet, cook great, make beautiful floral arrangements, gift wrap like if there was a Santa, and the list goes on forever. When I was younger and was learning about Leonardo da Vinci, I thought that my mom was as cool as he was. He knew how to do everything. So did she. So I called her the "Renaissance Woman." My mom always bugged me about making my bed every morning. Sometimes I did, other times I didn't. Now it is one of my greatest pet peeves. If the bed isn't made, it drives me insane. Poor Blaine hears my nagging and complaining about the bed not being done the days he sleeps in. Now that I have my own teeny apartment, I have come to appreciate my mother a lot more. There are only two of us and I feel that I'm always doing laundry, making the bed, cleaning, doing dishes, cooking, etc. I never understood how much hard work it takes to run a home! I wish I would've helped out more, instead of dodging chores like if it were some evil curse placed upon me. An adage that I will always associate my mother with is - "Be productive." Whenever I told her that I was bored, that's how she'd respond.

I'm blessed to have an aunt that is like my mom. She doesn't just send a card for my birthday and calls every other month. This woman is involved in my life. She knows me as well as I know myself. She cares for me like my mother does. She has shown me that love knows no bounds. When Blaine proposed back in December 2009, she was in Gatlingburg Tennessee. Although they had spoken before, she wasn't going to be able to meet Blaine till the summer. We were leaving Miami before her stay in Tennessee was over. With the support of her amazing husband, Ulises, they left a day early and drove 14 straight hours to catch us at the airport for just 5 minutes. Sounds crazy, maybe it is but it makes me feel so loved and special every time she does something like that. I have been the recipient of that love ever since I was born. She spoiled us growing up (and still does). Every Saturday she'd take Damaris and I to the mall. She was also there for every show or event. She helps me edit papers, talks, whatever is needed. She gives all of herself unconditionally - always. She was an aunt since age 19. She had 2 to 3 jobs at a time (to help provide for us) and went to school. And she still found the time to see us everyday. When we all lived together back in the day, I'd patiently wait for her to get home by the window. Having tia come home from work must've been the most exciting part of my day. She has given me wise counsel in times that I've needed it the most. She has taught me to "take it one day at a time" and to not care what people think. Tia has taught me the difference between a situation and a problem. A situation is something that has a solution. A problem is something that can't be fixed. Thanks to Tia, my life has a lot of situations and very, very few problems. One thing I've learned from Tia is that you can be a successful professional and a great mother. Not only is she involved in her nieces and nephews lives, but she has a family of her own! She is there for every school party, dance, show, award ceremony, little league practice, basketball game, karate class, field trip, etc. She's like the Energizer Bunny. She just keeps on going and going and going. When I first came out to BYU, my family had some trouble adjusting to the time change. Tia wakes up super early. So she'd text or call me when she woke up (never later than 6:00 AM). That is 4:00 AM Mountain  Standard Time. Once when I was already in Miami for the summer, I received a text from Tia at 3:30 AM. I was sleepy and was used to thinking that it was 2 hours earlier on the east coast. Later on I came to the realization that I wasn't in MST. She was awake at the time! She is one of the most productive persons that I know and also one of the happiest.

Now, my sister isn't a mother (yet) but I feel that she has been training since the day I was born. Obviously I don't remember this, but my mom would tell me that Damaris would bring two diapers out after our bath - one for herself and one for me. Although we're only a year and 8 months apart, she has always been there to support and comfort me. She gives me advice - from which lockers were the best in high school to how to file my taxes. She has been a guiding hand in my life. Damaris cares about Papo and I like if she were our mother. She was my escort at the temple and an example of a believer my whole life. When I was younger, I thought that all sisters had this type of relationship. Now, I realize that this isn't so. She doesn't have to care about us the way she does. There is rarely any fighting, jealousy, competition, or any of that sort of stuff that you see in TV shows. On the contrary, she is caring, nurturing, loving, supportive...just like a great mother would be!

In addition to the wonderful women in my family, I have been blessed with a mother-in-law that I truly love. I'm so grateful for her and for the relationship that we have. She also gives me advice and is just extremely supportive of both Blaine and I. I never imagined that I could chat with my mother-in-law on the phone for as long as we do and find it enjoyable! I really cherish those phone calls and the random packages that brighten my day. All of the women in Blaine's family are unique. Both grandmas are sweet yet strong women with admirable lives. The same can be said of his sisters and aunts. From being a single parent to having twins to surviving the deployment of her husband, I have learned lots from these mothers of all walks of life. It is my hope that I can prepare now as much as possible to be half of the mother that all these women are!

I saw this video last mother's day but I think that it's worth watching again (even on regular days!)

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there! 

You are greatly appreciated & loved!

Update

Well, we're 2 weeks into spring semester. Finally, the weather is cooperating. Spring might finally be here. It snowed last Saturday. It made me extremely homesick. It's not supposed to be cold in April! I've been having trouble sleeping just thinking about Florida and my family. Anyway, classes have been going well. I'm really enjoying my golf class. It's Monday through Thursday right after work. I have found it to be surprisingly relaxing and quite a workout. My arms have been sore all week! Blaine says it's cause I've never used those muscles before. Hopefully, I can get good enough to play 18 holes with Blaine.

Working full-time has been really rewarding. Work has gotten extremely busy. I rarely have down time. But I don't mind. I feel that when we work more, we feel more motivated to accomplish other tasks. I have also been waking up earlier, which is something that I struggle with. Blaine and I started actively going to the gym this week. I've missed zumba a ton. It really helps me relax, go to sleep, and it gives me a ton of energy!

For those of you who know me, you know that I have trouble eating fruits. Yes. I don't like fruits...at all. But this week I have had strawberries TWICE. I am very proud of myself. This might sound ridiculous, but this has been a life-long struggle for me. I finally love veggies but now I'm working on the fruits. I made a strawberry parfait for Blaine and decided to try some myself. I layer oats, a little bit of brown sugar, Dannon's Light & Fit vanilla yogurt, and finally top it with chopped strawberries. It is way yummy!

Last weekend we spent some time with the Stevenson's. I went shopping with Nina and the boys joined us at Red Robin for lunch. When we were leaving, we realized that Matt's tire was about to pop. So we followed them to Big Ol' Tires, they dropped off their car, and spent the rest of the day at our apartment. Sunday morning, we had a special Sunday in the Marriott Center. We also picked up Matt & Nina. The church dissolved all "BYU" Married wards and created new Provo Married Student wards. That way, anybody can attend the wards. Leadership hopes to reactivate those in our area that aren't BYU students. I think it's a great idea. Although many changes were made, our ward boundaries stayed the same. 

We have been working on our apartment again. We installed some shelves in our bathroom since we don't have a medicine cabinet. I've never been so grateful for medicine cabinets in my life! Now, we have much more space on our sink countertop. I also spray painted my jewelry organizer to match our bathroom. I've never thought about spraypainting anything because I thought it'd be a waste of money to buy a whole big can for a little project. But I found these super tiny spray paint cans that I absolutely fell in love with! As a small person, I guess I appreciate small things :)

Before

After

Blaine and I finished watching Prison Break about a month ago. So we started 24. Although 24 is great, I still like Prison Break more. I miss it so much! That was the first series that I've ever finished. I highly recommend it! (Matt & Nina are currently hooked). In about 3 weeks, we will be going to San Diego with the Culver family. We are extremely excited! I haven't been to California in 7 years. But I'm even more excited to spend time with family! It makes me less homesick. Home is where family is. Even though I'm homesick, life is great. I'm excited for the summer and the sunshine that comes with it! 

Easter & Steamboat Springs Colorado - A Humbling Experience

This past weekend was a long one for Blaine and I. We left for Colorado mid-day Thursday. The drive was a scary one! Unfortunately, we encountered some snowy storm conditions the whole drive. To make matters worse, our tires weren't in the greatest condition. Anyway, we made it in good time! Thursday night we just planned out our eventful weekend. 

Friday morning came and we proceeded to set up several tours: horseback riding, snowmobiling, a trip to the natural hot springs, etc. As we called several companies, we realized that we came during, what locals call, "mud season." Sounds icky, right? Mud season = ghost town. How were we supposed to know?

At first, I was a little frustrated (Blaine would say seriously frustrated). All my plans, my precious plans, were ruined! What was even more frustrating was that the ski lift was closed. Why was this frustrating? Well, during our visit there was a record-breaking amount of snow at Steamboat Springs. Yeah. Record-breaking. 

Where we were supposed to have a picnic during our hike

Anyway, it might seem like I had a horrible time. But it is quite the contrary. We were able to relax...for real. This is something that I rarely achieve. It is custom that while on vacation, we have to do all the cool things, have a ton of activities planned, wake up at the break of dawn and not stop till midnight. This was my idea of vacation, until Steamboat Springs. 

We did whatever we wanted. We ate out. A lot. We watched movies. We watched 4 in one day. That was record-breaking for me! We watched shows that we have never sat down to watch together; i.e. Chopped, Iron Chef, Storage Wars. We stayed up as long as we wanted and slept in as long as we wanted...in our California king size bed with fluffy pillows. We stayed up talking for hours in front of the fire place. We went hot tubing. This was my first winter hot tubing experience. As a Floridian, water and winter don't mix. To my surprise, I enjoyed it a lot. We hiked the super un-hikeable and snowy Fish Creek Falls. One of my favorite moments was when Blaine and I went to the movie theater to watch Rio in 3D. We rushed to the theater cause we were running late. We were worried about getting horrible seats. We purchased our tickets, entered our theater, and realized that we were the ONLY ones in the whole theater. It was awesome. 

Huge cinnamon roll at Winona's

We chose our own meat and grilled it at 8th Street Steakhouse

Delicious BBQ sandwich at Double Z BBQ

Easter Sunday was also fun. I made a little egg hunt for Blaine. The eggs had his favorite candy and romantic coupons inside. I had fun watching him and he had fun finding the eggs. We watched Horton Hears a Who (one of my favorite movies and an Easter basket filler). We also dyed eggs. Now this (you'd think that I couldn't be any more humbled) was an epic fail. That was not a hyperbole. I had envisioned my eggs being glamorous, the cutest of them all. I didn't follow the instructions cause I thought it'd be easy. The dye tablets didn't fully dissolve and we could only get our eggs to turn pink. Again, I was frustrated. But Blaine surprised me. He started to get really creative. He made hollow eggs (something that he was reminded of watching The Food Network during our stay). He was having a ton of fun finding ways to decorate our un-dyeable eggs. So it rubbed off and I made a dalmatian egg out of a white egg and cheap eyeliner. 

Blaine hollowing his egg

Ready for his egg hunt! 

This whole trip reminded me 1) of what really matters in life, 2) to find joy in the journey, and 3) who is always in charge and in control - Heavenly Father. I was reminded to not sweat the small things and to make the best of what comes your way. I know I married the right guy. We can have fun wherever, whenever. I'm so grateful for this wonderful, true vacation that was made possible by Stace & Chris. Thank you guys! This trip is definitely unforgettable. 

Home Improvement

So here a couple of things that have brought life to our bare, white walls. 

This is our tiny bathroom. The towels were a wedding gift from Blaine's parents. They are Amy Butler. I LOVE them! The only downside is that the bath curtain that we were registered for really didn't match. I still haven't found one that matches perfectly. Our interesting picture of a Boston Terrier on a toilet hides the ugly, gray, and cold-looking electric panel. This was the only bath wall art I found that matched and was big enough to cover the spot. I think it's quite funny. I love it. Finally, I applied our first vinyl ever. It was a lot harder than I expected. After buying this online, I received the wonderful news that Stacey (sister-in-law) is giving me her old Cricut! Now, I'll be able to make my own vinyls! The kitchen is in need of some. 

Next, I had this huge, white space between the living room and kitchen area that was driving me insane. 

After much thought, I decided to put three, black frames up. One with "The Living Christ", another with a picture of us on our wedding day, and then one of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

Here's a close up of the family proclamation. I saw this at our cousin, Katie's house. She said that she got it as a wedding present. Since the day I saw it, I've been dying to do one of my own! I did it for my sister, Damaris, when she got married. Now it was my turn! It's super easy. I'm sure most of you have already figured out how to do it. Just in case you haven't, it is just vellum paper over your favorite picture in a cheap frame. Ta-da!

Decorating our apartment is a ton of fun. It's all I ever want to do now. It has come a long ways from when we first moved in...

Scary, huh? 

To the Rescue

One of my goals for 2011 was to get back into reading...like really back into reading. Years ago, I read for leisure everyday - no matter what. I really feel that it helped me intellectually and emotionally. So far, I've read about 2 books this year and now I'm reading President Monson's biography by Heidi S. Swinton. I confess, I've never read a full biography before. I always found them to be boring. When I was sick a couple of weeks ago, I decided to do something productive with my time in bed and started reading "To the Rescue." It has been everything but boring! Maybe it's because I'm reading about a true, prophet of God. I don't know. This biography has made me realize that Thomas S. Monson, who is called "Tom" or "Tommy" by some, is an ordinary man. His life has had ups and downs. He's had to work hard for what he wanted. He had doubts. He was scared. He felt inadequate.  What I find extraordinary about him is that he took those negative feelings and decided to react optimistically. He put his trust in the Lord and knew that everything would work out, as long as he did his best. From his life and example, I am learning great truths. I also feel like I know him just a little bit more, even though I might never meet him. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is God's chosen and anointed vessel to guide us in these latter days. I know that as we strive to keep our lives in line with the counsel of the Prophet, we will be blessed with happiness, peace, and purposeful lives.

I highly recommend this book to anybody - young, old, married, single, parent, Church member, non-member. It will make your day a little brighter to know that people of good character and morals, like Thomas S. Monson, still exist today in a world that is dwindling in values. 

Update on Life

Today was my official last day of classes! Yay! This semester has been a tough one, due to all the wedding planning and adjustments that come with married life. I'm ready for a fresh start in Spring semester. I'm sure Blaine is too.

Recently Blaine and I were able to attend the two Saturday sessions of the General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our good friends, Matt and Nina Stevenson, also came along. It was so nice to be in the presence and hear the inspired messages of the leaders and prophet of this day. One of my favorite talks was given by Jean A. Stevens, the first counselor in the Primary Presidency. Her talk was about learning from little children and becoming like them. I felt that this was for us specifically. We just got called to be primary teachers in our ward. Although it is a small primary consisting of about 7 children (and 1,000 babies in nursery), I know that we will be able to learn great lessons from these kids. This past Sunday we were sustained and set apart. I cannot wait to start serving those who "are greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3-4).

Work is going. Sometimes it can be boring, but I'm grateful that I work in an environment with little stress that actually allows me to do homework on the job! After finals are over, I will begin working full-time. It will be quite an adjustment, since I'm registered for 2 classes in the spring. One class shouldn't be too hard. I'm going to be taking beginning golf! Accepting that this is one of my hubby's greatest passions in life, I decided to start learning and loving the game. Growing up, I always thought that golf was a ridiculous sport. Now I realize that it requires much patience, dedication, focus, and hard work! Also, I kinda like how it's still an extremely competitive sport, even if it doesn't require physical contact between the players.

On to another sport - basketball. Although I didn't watch the game between the Celtics vs. Heat because it was playing while we were at church, I am so happy that we finally beat the Celtics! I wish I was in Miami to celebrate with my fellow Heat fans and family. The part that I will miss the most about the Playoffs is being in Hialeah, on 49th street, when the Heat win. I'm glad that I was in Miami when LeBron James announced that he was "taking his talents to South Beach." The streets were instantly packed. People were on the sidewalks with Heat paraphernalia, banging pots and pans, and throwing baby powder in the air. You see everybody that you haven't seen in years. Sounds crazy, but it's a lot of fun and a one-of-a-kind experience. It's one of those you-have-to-be-there type of things. Anyway, go Heat!

Well, we are 9 days away from our trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado! We are so excited! I've never been to Colorado. I've heard that it's absolutely beautiful. Thanks to my awesome in-laws (Stacey & Christopher Culver), we'll be able to take a little break before spring semester starts. Also, Blaine and I just booked an Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Valor. We will be going with my family in August after Damaris' graduation (I'm so proud of her). I haven't been on a cruise since 2008; it has been long overdue. We are so excited for spring and summer and all of the adventures that we'll have. We will also be visiting Delaware for a week! Can't wait for it all!