crushing

given that i have no real life crushes at the moment, and that unemployment has my sleep schedule completely wacked, which has resulted in my watching vanity fair at 3:30 in the morning, and falling in crush, yet again. then i started thinking about my celebrity crushes. think with me for a moment...


ME thinks me has a 'type'...tall, dark, and broody.

a brave new world and a bold new haircut

it may be an understatement to say that my hair and my identity are closely related. i've had long hair for most of my life (with the exception of one unfortunate incident while living in utah), and longer has always been better. but my hair had gotten too long, or rather too long to still look healthy or be any fun. i've been considering making a change for all of two days, and when i went to see my stylist today, i gave her a couple of different options.

her reaction to the last was so strong and so excited, that i told her to go for it, having established a 'relationship of trust' over the past several months. go for it she did, and while this is a HUGE change for me, i didn't cry when that first snip was taken and something like 10-12 inches fell to the floor. this is a major step for me! usually THREE inches makes me cry.



not only did i not cry, but i am, right now, loving it!

best (and most heartbreaking) call ever

me: hello?
kendyl: hi tara
me: hi kendyl!
kendyl: i miss you. i want to see you. i miss you because i love you.

and that was just the beginning. apparently, according to kate and mom, kendyl has been crying quite a bit in the last couple weeks, and when asked what's wrong, she says she misses me and wants to see me. um hello, jab to my heart!

in other news, there have been many celebrations over the last few days with the d family. the twins celebrated their 11th birthday on friday, and the celebrations started on labor day with a trip to american girl place in la, where dolls and doll accessories were purchased in abundance.

they continued when i dropped by on friday for a surprise gifting. the surprise yielded the desire results with excitement all around, but mostly from the twins, who were the recipients of an american girl doll tote (which was purchased quite stealthily in the presence of the giftee) and a call ripken jr. signed baseball. i was an absolute hero for an hour, and it was awesome!

rachel and brad remove the wax

further celebrations were held on sunday with cake (decorated by nicole) and will continue (as nicole is officially now a teenager!) through tomorrow.

nicole shows off her new cell phone...and it's...um...room

my first day of unemployment yielded some time at the beach, a call for an interview, and dinner with roomies.

paige, me, and dez

the interview is for a company that i applied to well over a month ago, so hopefully i'll start getting more phone calls soon!

you know you're a southern california girl when:

1. you have a permanent flip flop tan line
2. 84 degrees is hot!
3. freeway numbers always begin with the. ‘the’ 405, ‘the’ 5, ‘the’ 101. no more jus’ plain ol’ ‘7’
4. you have faced near evacuation due to wildfires, and delayed planes due to earthquakes
5. your driver’s license is too flimsy to pick a lock
6. you can build your base tan while shopping at the local mall
7. there is a one minute time limit on staying in the same lane while driving on the freeway
8. during 'orange' season, you can choose from 10,246 varieties
9. you have more swimsuits than business suits
10. weekends mean your bike gets more miles than your car
11. disneyland is a friday night activity not a vacation destination*
12. paying for car insurance means taking a second job
13. you don't ever, ever, never close your windows
14. the speed limit is either an impossible dream or a helpful suggestion

*okay, so i haven't actually been to disneyland yet, but this is true for 90% of the southern cal girls i know!

in support of a friend

many of you may remember me talking about a good friend i have here in california, who i have quite literally known for 13 years. when i moved here, he and his wife were the only two people i knew (aside from the cousins, of course), and they extended their friendship and love to me, most notably during the period after which i lost cyra.

brandon, at age 31, and within a month of my arrival, was diagnosed with germ cell cancer, and during the following months i was awed by his humility and his gratitude as he received treatment for the disease. he is now, thankfully, cancer free, and in recognition of the support he received during that difficult time, has shouldered the daunting task of creating, hosting, and performing at a concert to benefit the make-a-wish foundation.

the concert will be held on sunday, september 14th. for you non-mormon readers in the area, i highly encourage you to attend. for you mormon readers in the area, i'll leave it to your conscience as it is a sunday event. for my part, i will be on-hand to support someone who i am blessed to have in my life again, and who has provided a great deal of service to me.

if you are out of the area and can't attend, but are interested in supporting in a financial way (no pressure, but i'd be remiss if i didn't at least extend the opportunity), please contact brandon directly and tell him i sent you. tickets for the event are only $10, so obviously, large donations not expected:)