Posting

Hi All,

I plan to post pictures within the next week or two.

Thanks!

Updating Pictures

Barbecues are by far my favorite thing to do in the summer. Even better, charcoal grilling food. I snapped this picture and just loved how retro it felt.

 This next picture is from the 4th of July. Fireworks are so much fun. I was so glad when my friends all wanted to go in together to split the cost so we create our own awesome firework show.

For my birthday I got some cash. I know that I should have been responsible and bought some clothes, but my heart was calling out for this. I got a tattoo. The symbol is qi (pronounced chi) which represents the flow of energy or the energy of life. It's to remind me to stay positive because my energy effects everything I do. The lotus flower represents leaving the negative behind and growing into positivity, the example is the flower grows from the muddy water and blooms into something beautiful. The blue represents knowledge and overcoming obstacles. The white is for enlightenment and self reflection. This tattoo is more than just art work, it's a reminder of where I came from, where I'm going, and where my mental state should be. I love it!

I went out to Salt Air the other night to regroup, take some pictures and enjoy the sunset. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from that evening.  

Look At Me Now - Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes (Cover by @Karm...

Updating - Lots of Pictures

Hello! In this post, I have added a few of the pictures I've taken over the last 8 weeks. I wasn't taking a picture every day mainly because I wasn't doing anything. My life was consumed completely by homework, so I'm sure you don't want to see a picture of textbook stuff that I was reading everyday. I'm giving you fair warning that the quality of some of these pictures is not the greatest, I took all of these with my phone.

The first picture is a nice little fire we had going. We like to sit outside to enjoy the weather and visit with friends. The chimney this was in is quite small but can really put out the heat. I don't think it's been used since this night, which is fine, it's been way too hot for a fire. I hope to get a bigger fire pit in the future because it's nice to just sit outside to listen and watch the beauty. One word, relaxing.

I can't tell you enough that Salt Lake has the most beautiful sunrises. I feel so blessed that I can drive to work and see this every morning. It's like a painting, something that deserves to be in a book or hanging on a wall. If I ever move away, the sunrises here will be one thing that I deeply miss.

Fruit smoothies are a great way to get the vitamins you need all in one stop. The bonus about a fruit smoothie is they taste fabulous. Our Blendtec blender is the master of blending anything you want. In fact, if you don't believe me, YouTube "Will it Blend?" That is evidence enough to show that the Blendtec blender is one powerful mama-jama. The soon to be smoothie was one to snap a picture of. If you look at all the different textures, densities and colors, it's impressive to know that the blender is going to mix all of that. Yes, that's a lot of sugar but that also had a lot of nutrients I needed. Will it blend? Why, yes it will. Golf class. HAHA! I think my teacher only left his cart 3 times the entire semester. He always had a helper do his teaching. Overall, the class was fun and now I have a new hobby. These are all my plants at work. It's hard to believe that a year and a half ago I didn't know how to care for a plant and didn't want to. But a couple of ladies at work thought otherwise, and they introduced me to the joys of plants. I love my plants now and I'm trying to get friends interested in them as well. It's like a jungle of joy! Sometimes I think we just need to be lazy and eat something sweet. The day that I had Ab's was the perfect day for that. I don't remember exactly what I got but it was damn good. They make the best shakes. Another beautiful sunrise. Enough said. While at the nursery, I wandered over to the water plants. I love that they have a pond with koi and waterlillies. I could honestly sit next to this pond for hours and watch the fish swim around. It's so beautiful. Definitely a gift from mother earth.Alright, I'm not sure what this is. If you know, please tell me. This bug was huge. In fact, it was so big I saw it laying in the grass when I got out of my car, 15 feet away. Poor thing, died face down in a forest of lawn. Sunsets in Utah are extraordinary as well. I took this while driving home one evening and I wish I had my nice camera to set up the picture. It was breathtaking. The mountains truly look like they were painted in place with the puffy, soft looking clouds. Sunsets remind us to wind down for the day, sometimes the perfect medicine for me. This picture is of a freak rainstorm. It was so odd, it was hot and sunny, then all of a sudden it starting hailing. I was kind of in shock about it really. I had to have a picture. Our first level of the patio is finished, and it was a lot of work. I will be honest, I didn't do that much work to it. I like to look at it though. Driving to work on my lovely path, I saw this car. I know to most people it would mean nothing, but it gave me a quick glimpse at my past. The car was a green Honda Civic with California license plates. I had a car like that when I lived there--green 4-door Civic with Cali plates. I don't miss the car but I sometimes miss living there. I miss my friends from California. Recently, we went to a wedding. This wedding was highly anticipated too. Rather than getting a regular gift, I made a gift basket for the bride and groom. The basket included Godiva chocolate, a picture frame, a memory box and some IOU tickets to a Jazz game. The couple thought it was swell! Here is the patio all set up. Barbecue time! Now we need to finish the lower level and the rest of the yard. Walking out of Best Buy, this sunset is something I had to have a picture of. It was absolutely gorgeous and I was completely mesmerized by it. Not only do we have beautiful sunrises, but our sunsets are equally impressive. Ah, vino! I bought this for myself as a reward for making it through a very tough summer semester. This wine was good, but sadly not the best I ever had. Oh well, rewards are always nice!

Waterlilly...oooo. So we have a little tiny pond in the backyard. I think it's so cool how these flowers only come out for a few hours of the day. The are sun slaves, like myself.

This picture concludes this post. I hope you have enjoyed the pictures.

It's been awhile

It's been well over a month since I posted a new picture. I honestly feel horrible for slacking so much.

The good news is I have a little time off including time away from social networking. My school schedule shouldn't be as busy this semester, so I'm definitely planning on posting every day.

Sincerely,

Lissa

BBC Animal voice overs

84 - Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal...oh you're so sweet! Taj Mahal...you never miss a beat! You read my emotions, you know what I need, and you came to snuggle with me to help the snuggle need.

Thank you my little ragdoll kitty!

83 - Failed Reunion at Liberty Park

A friend and I tried to set up a reunion with people we attended school with. This was not your normal school, this was a very small, private school with just over a 100 students, K - 12 grade. The school was so small it was like everyone was family.
So you would think since we all felt that way, people would want to show up if they still lived here. People even confirmed they were going to meet us.
Unfortunately, it was only my friend, her two kids, and me. It was quite disappointing. Two other people said later they were there and couldn't find us. It's still frustrating. Don't confirm you're going to go if you have no intentions of going.
This was a failed attempt. We are not planning something like this again, that will have to be someone else.
We were so disappointed...we might have to do some "housekeeping" to keep flakes away. If you don't want to see me, there is no point in saying we're friends.
Can you sense the annoyance in my tone?

82 - Drive

Driving home from school, the sun was just setting after a rainy afternoon. It was a beautiful and I had to capture it.
I hate driving into the sun, sometimes though the view is worth it. Thank goodness for super awesome phones that take great pictures!

81 - Listeners and Speakers

Homework time...homework. I do a lot of studying these days. I'm not complaining, I love school. This book is for my public speaking class. I was entertained by the meaning of listening.
Often I find myself struggling to be a good listener. I'm making it a person goal to be a better listener and not so selective.

80 - Memorial for a Princess

The memorial was beautiful and perfect. Even though it seemed different at first, it was by far the most beautiful memorial I have ever been too. The parents held it together and said hello to everyone.

This picture here is of the balloon release for the little princess. It was sad to watch the balloons go but they all looked so pretty floating away together.

Their daughter will forever remain in my heart. She held a special place their even though I wasn't always around. She was courageous and is a great example of a person who tried to win the battle no matter what.

79 - Princess Crown

Although this crown is beautiful, I didn't buy it for great reasons. One of my friends recently lostly their beautiful little girl to Spinal Muscular Atrophy (MSA). Instead of a funeral, they decided to do something completely untraditional. They had a princess ball in memory of her. I was in need of a crown and found this adorable one at the party store.

78 - Best Brew in SLC

Ahhhh Beans and Brews . This is a great way to start the day. They seriously have the best coffee in SLC.
Not much to say other than I love me some delicious coffee.

77 - My Cube Called Home

One of my colleagues was traveling for business recently. She agreed to take a photo journal of her trip for me...well more like sending me silly pictures through the days she was on the road. I appreciated it a ton.
In return, I started sending her random pictures too. She was having coffee so I sent a picture of my cube at work. Not much to look at but this is where I spend 40 plus hours a week. It's my second home for sure.
This is my cube called home....

76 - Gym Time

Ah, the gym. I started going to the gym with a girl friend in the morning before work. It's hard to get up, but really I like going. I get to spend a little time hanging out with my friend before a long day of work.
This is the gym that we go to. It's small and usually not busy which is nice. We don't have to wait for machines or anything, everything is always available for us to hop right on.

75 - Walking Lady

The woman in the picture is smaller than me. I've seen her walking down this road every day on my way to work for the last few years. Same time each day just walking with intent....rain, sunshine, snow, wind...whatever the weather she is always out there.

Some times I've wondered if I should stop to see if she needs a ride, and then I don't. I always wonder where she is going.

One day she won't be there and my ride to work will seem like it's missing something.

74 - Sunflowers

I just got the new Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I really like getting this even though I don't really do much with it besides read it. This time though, I saw sunflowers. They are so pretty.
I'm seriously considering planting some in the backyard. They're easy to grow and like sun light. How challenging could it possibly be?
Tell me what you think? Should I plant some or not?

73 - Colors

I named this picture colors purely because the purple is so beautiful. I was being silly yesterday taking pictures of myself and accidentally snapped one of my chest. I really didn't mean to do that. When I saw the picture though, I knew it was the picture for the day. I really think it's a neat perspective.

72 - A Girl's Best Friend

Taj is just so sweet! I was doing homework for hours on end and he just wanted to spend time with me. He obviously got bored waiting for me to finish.

Here is the Taj Mahal, snoozing on my chair looking like the happiest cat in the world. I would have to say, my cats ... well they gotta be a girl's best friend!

71 - Golf Class

Golfing is fun. I've been a few times and I really enjoy it. I'm so excited that I get to take a golfing class this summer that counts as my P.E. credit.
This picture is of the balls I'm about to kindly toss down the green with my 7 iron. I learned that your legs give the ball distance, that proper hand position keeps your hands comfortable, and that if you are nice to the ball it will actually go far.
I had a great time at class. I even got kudos from the teacher on my skills. Woo Woo! Tiger Woods watch out!

70 - Shipment to Joplin, MO

Wow! People really pulled through and donated a lot to this family in Joplin. I couldn't believe how much stuff we were able to send. The total box count was 25 boxes. On top of that, my mail room at work offered to pay the shipping.

It just warms my heart to know there are so many people willing to help.

We plan on sending another shipment out there in a few weeks.

69 - Neighbors are moving!

I know this is awful, but I'm really thrilled these people are moving. When I first moved in, these neighbors kept a dog outside 24/7. The poor thing was mean and barked ALLLLLL the time. They were fined several times before actually losing the dog. Then they got a wiener dog, and did the same thing.
Now that the wiener dog has been gone for awhile, they exchanged the wild animal barking for noisy teenagers that like to party during the week.
These neighbors have been nice to my face, but cruel to friends as well. One of them egged some of our friend's cars and possibly gave a flat tire to another friend. They just are nasty.
So needless to say, I was thrilled to see the U-Haul trailer there. I wanted to cheer as they drove off down the road. I'm so bad.

68 - Closet full of food

The recent tornado disaster in Joplin, MO has me on "appreciate everything I have" mode. I was just grabbing a snack and when I opened the closet door, I knew that I needed a picture of this.
People in Joplin lost everything in the F5 tornado. I can't imagine what that was like or how they are feeling. So to try to help, I mentioned to a few people I was sending a care package to a family out there that lost everything plus 3 family members.
There just isn't enough we can do. It breaks my heart.

67 - New Shoes

I love getting new shoes! There is just something about wearing them that make me so happy. I ordered a pair from online at the beginning of the month. When they showed up, they were too big. I shipped them back and exchanged them for these adorable flats.
I've worn these a few times now and I will say they are very comfortable. They go with everything too.
I can't wait to get another pair. I want some fancy summer sandals now and some heels for the dress I'm wearing to a wedding coming up. Shopping time!

66 - Ladies Night Out

Bunco...one of my favorite nights of the month! I have been playing for over 2 years now and it is still as fun as the first time I played. I truly have wonderful girlfriends. The girls that I play with are completely and genuinely some of the greatest women I know.
Another bonus...I won a $15 gift card to Target! Now that makes for a great night with the girls!

65 - Weekend Relaxation Technique

Ah, Blue Moon after working. There is nothing like relaxing to a nice beer after some tiring days.

After work, I met Rob and friends at a local pub for dinner. It was nice. I had this great jalapeno burger with this beer. I was so relaxed that I almost fell asleep at the table. Talk about ready for bed at 7. Geez!

After I ate and finished one more beer, I headed home. We sat by the cast iron fire pit outside for a bit and then I was done after that. I slept great that night. Thank you Blue Moon for chillaxin' me after a exhausting few days.

64 - Granny

I forgot to post this picture before the Konk picture. This is my grandma. She's a very happy and lovable grandma, the best ever to walk the earth. This woman is kind, loving, knowledgable, strong...so many things. She is someone I hope to be like. I love my Grandma!

63 - Rainy Day

Well, we've been having lots of rainy days, which is fine with me. I'm happy as long as it isn't snow. This pictures is the wet driveway before I was getting ready to leave. Most would think this is an odd picture...but honestly I love it. Rain is intriguing to me. It is beautiful and refreshing. I am enjoying this wet spring we are having. It will be a short time before summer hits and it is hot.

62 - The Grand Casino

My dad said that The Grand (Casino) has great alligator. So of course we had to try it. I was impressed. Alligator actually is good. I only had a bite though, not a whole meal. Instead I ordered their catfish. It was AMAZING! I wanted to walk around the casino and check it out. Here is a shot from above. I thought the glass, flame statue thing was pretty neat too!

61 - Day at the Pond

Going on vacation should generally be relaxing. And this time, there was one full day of relaxing. My dad, Rob, and I walked over to the pond near his home. We hung out there for a little while enjoying the scenery, trying to fish, and appreciating the time we have together. It is days like these I want to hold on to the memories forever, simply because I don't know how many of these I will get. Life is short and sometimes we waste time not making enough memories with the ones we love.

So enjoy! I am sharing lots of pictures for this day because I was having fun with the camera.

My Dad and Rob

Turtle swimming

Rob fishing

Is that The Incredible Mr. Limpet?

The camera was stolen from the photographer. I don't know why I look so mad. Maybe because I was super focused on fixing the tangled line.

At least the fishermen caught one! Yes, the both caught one each. This is flippin' Sebastian...just because that's what I named him!