Day 4
Your favorite photograph of your best friend.

Ok.

I have a confession.

I’m kind of a bad friend.

I mean, I’m not bad. It’s just that I always tend to get caught up in my own problems, and I completely miss the subtle hints from my friends that indicate they need a shoulder, or a hand.

Admittedly, this has turned into a self-fulfilling problem, because I have these AMAZING friends that have always been there for me.

Even when I haven’t been, or couldn’t be there for them. They are pretty forgiving.

And I have this one friend.

She’s been with me through the most.

She’s the one I can pick up a conversation with after forever, and feel like no time has passed at all.

Sorry to admit, I haven’t always been the greatest friend to her.

But, because she’s such a loyal and forgiving person, we’ve managed to erase the past, and create a stronger relationship than ever before.

Yeah, I love her.

And I owe her so much more than my life.

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

And I am so proud of her. She is such a strong person. She takes the lemons that life gives her, and makes Bacon Cupcakes. She is a rock.

I want to grow up to be just like her.

~*Post Title taken from “Friends” by Band of Skulls.

DAY 3
Your idea of the perfect first date.

Here’s the thing about me and dating.

…

…

I don’t date a lot.

I think there is something about me, some personality quirk that causes me to be labelled as ‘unapproachable’ by the male species. I think it has something to do with the way I freak out and stare at the floor instead of having a normal conversation. Or, maybe the way that I tend to over-compensate for my shyness by acting like a complete, certifiable, bi… erm… crazy person.

Yeah. I don’t get out much.

That’s not to say that I don’t have my own idea about the perfect first date. Just saying that I haven’t had much practice at them.

I’m trying to make this post less pathetic, I promise.

So, when I think about first dates, I can’t help but think about how sometimes they are 100% awkward. I mean, really. Obviously you are attracted to each other, because you are on a date. Someone asked. Someone accepted. That’s mutually assured attraction.

The problem is, once on the date, sometimes people can forget about that mutually assured attraction, and completely clam up. (Ahem… judge as you will. This blog is auto-biographical.) And that, boys and girls, is a sure-fire way to ruin a date. (And any chance at a future relationship.)

So, my idea of the perfect first date, is a date that will break both nervous, hormonal, and (let’s be honest) over-whelmed individuals out of their respective shells. And, since I consider myself a creative-type, the perfect date would include an opportunity to create something.

THE PERFECT FIRST DATE:

1. Dinner at an interesting restaurant. Somewhere that invites interesting conversation. My current personal favorites are: Malawi’s Pizza, Bombay House, Jasmine Thai, Happy Sumo, and La Jolla Groves.

2. Painting at Color Me Mine. Or some similar creative activity.

And then, if the date is really going well.

3. Dessert at a fun, and delicious dessert spot. (Might I recommend The Chocolate?) Get some Hot Cocoa, or some cookies, and enjoy the wrap-up to your date.

And that simple night is my recipe for a perfect first date.

Of course, if your date has no personality, or isn’t interested in creative projects, this date will not go well.

~*Post Title from “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (Of The Frames fame)

Also, this song contains my most favorite lyrics:

“You have suffered enough, and warred with yourself, it’s time that you won.”

Day 2
A photo of something you ate today.

There is this Bakery that I am absolutely in love with. They have the most amazing Cannolis that I have ever had. (Read: The only Cannoli I have ever had.) And if you get there at the right time, their Hot Chocolate is to DIE for!

I am, of course, speaking of THE CHOCOLATE!

The cafe is located in an old house that has been remodeled. There are couches and chairs and tables all through all the rooms in the house, and there is even a working sink in one of the dining areas. (I’m assuming that that particular room used to also have the wash room in it.)

Their cupcakes are amazing! Their sugar cookies are heaven.

…

And their chocolate cake is something I don’t share easily.

I always love to go to The Chocolate. I’m pretty sure any excuse will do.

So, today I went to the Chocolate with my friends Aimee and Heather. We got there late, so the pickings were slim. (*Sniff* No Cannoli!) But, they did have a really good looking brownie…

Warning: Objects in Picture are slightly more disappointing than they appear.

And I couldn’t say no to a Giant Hot Chocolate…

Still the best ever, when you get it hot.

I think the universe knew that I would be doing a blog post about my visit to The Chocolate, because the stars aligned, and I had the worst experience there I have ever had. It took forever for them to fill our orders. And we didn’t order anything that needed to be specially cooked. (Did I mention they make a mean Cazookie?)

When we received our orders all of our Hot Chocolate was, at best, TEPID.

Not warm.

Not hot.

TEPID!

Aimee’s Hot Chocolate was so cold that her whipped cream formed a clump in the middle of her cup.

My scrumptious brownie was slightly dry and hard. Not what I look for in a brownie.

I am actually a little wary of going back to my beloved cafe of wonders. I’m afraid I’ll have a horrible experience, and I’ll hold it against my favourite little Bake Shop.

I’m going to assume that the bad experience was due to the fact that we arrived shortly before closing, and they were obviously under-staffed.

I highly recommend you try The Chocolate for yourself.

But, please!

Try the Cannoli!

~*Post Title taken from “Chocolate” by Snow Patrol.

There’s something you should know about me.

I can’t back down from a challenge.

Yet, I also hate to be one to just simply follow the crowd.

There’s got to be a phrase for that.

Uniquely Predictable?

Whatever.

We’re deviating from the point.

I was visiting a good friend’s blog recently that I hadn’t visited in a long time. (I’m horribly good at putting things off. Even things I like to do.) I saw she had posted a 30 days blog challenge and then completed it.

Which, set the niggling in my brain off. I had stumbled upon a challenge, and by golly, I was going to complete it!

So, this is me completing the 30 day blog challenge.

DAY 1:
A picture of yourself and a description of how your day was.

So, without further ado…

Heavily Photoshopped. Not Pictured: My Superflous Ego

My day was… a day.

I can’t adequately describe to you my day without first giving some context from yesterday. (Is that cheating?)

Yesterday I was trying to survive on around 4 hours of sleep. I sludged my way through work, and made it home where I was certain I could have a productive day.

Fast forward to the point where I’m waking up on my couch after a four hour nap.

Suffice it to say, that I had entirely too much sleep yesterday. So, today I have been running around with the energy of a young child. Woo!

I flew through my responsibilities at work.

I felt productive and all grown-up when I got a call from my Dad asking me to pick him up from his mechanic’s.

I vegged out a little in front of my TV.

I spent some time revamping my blog.

I spent a long time perfecting my Header, only to have someone instantly tell me she didn’t like it.

I have this weird clarity of thought, that I haven’t had in a long time.

Maybe all I’ve been missing all this time is sleep, but boy are the chemicals in my brain waaay in balance today.

But, the best part of my day was driving all around town with the windows rolled down, enjoying the cool almost-spring breeze, blasting Simon and Garfunkel on my radio.

“Cecilia! You’re breaking my heart! You’re shaking my confidence daily!”

I took a wrong turn. Ended up in the wrong lane. And instead of Orem, I found myself meandering through Lindon. I was unhurried to correct my course, because I was enjoying the beauty around me.

It has been entirely too long since I’ve done that. I suppose I should take more time to be grateful for what I have.

~~~~~~~
Post Title from “Let That Be Enough” by Switchfoot.