all time top 5 Michael Jackson songs

I have always loved, and still do love, Michael Jackson. Honestly, is there anyone else that can compare when it comes to talent? Is there anyone else that made a bigger impact in the world? I don't think so! When I look back over my childhood, all the way through high school, Michael Jackson is the soundtrack. I had cassette tapes and listened to them until they wore out. I used our VCR to record his videos so that me and my friends could watch them over and over until we had every move memorized. Nothing would put me in a better mood than a little bit of MJ.

I'm still in shock that he is dead. It's tragic. He had so much more to give. I was really looking forward to his big come back. I've been obsessed with watching the tribute shows, new developments, and documentaries. I can't wait to see the memorial, but I've decided to do my own little tribute on my blog. Here is my all time top 5 list of Michael Jackson songs:

5. Beat It - I probably sang and danced to this song more as a kid than any other song. Played it in the empty garage with my little red tape player while I danced in circles in my roller skates.

4. Remember the Time - This is my favorite video ever. My little brother is obsessed with Egypt and this video had to have been where it all started. I never realized how many cameos there are in it until a few days ago when I saw it again.

3. Scream - I was on the drill team in high school. We did a dance to this song, and it was my favorite dance ever. Everyone else loved it too, and we took first in the state competition. I love the video too. I remember it being a huge deal that Janet grabbed her breasts. That was way before she let one loose at the super bowl.

2. Black or White - I lived in a tiny town in southern Utah. Race wasn't a part of my life. We were all white. This song and the video, and just Michael Jackson in general, opened my eyes to the world and put me on the path to become the person I am today. I truly believe that his influence, his actions, his music, and his words brought the world together for the first time regardless of race. And he was humble about it, but he deserves all the credit in the world.

1. The Way You Make Me Feel - This song makes me happy. It ends up in a lot of my mixes. I never get tired of it. I'm sure I will listen to it, and every other Michael Jackson song forever and ever.

Michael Jackson more than deserved his title as the King of Pop and I doubt there will ever be anyone that can come close to it. RIP Michael!

online dating horror story #1

as some of you may know, this actually happened a couple months ago, but I couldn't bring myself to write about it until now. although I've been doing the online dating thing for years, I still feel pretty self conscious about it and hesitate to admit it. so, here we go... hi. I'm Christa and I meet guys online. there, I said it.

I have met quite a few great guys this way - just enough to keep me from deleting my profile. but, usually the ones that aren't meant to be, are REALLY not meant to be. take this one for example:

John (not his real name) and I had been talking on the phone and texting for weeks before we actually met. he seemed like a great guy. very intelligent, funny, good looking, motivated, well-read, cultured. all the things I look for. I wasn't worried about anything on my way to the coffee shop that night. in fact, the only thing I could think about was whether I would have a job a week later.

he was late. I sat at the high boy for about 10 minutes, and then he called to say he was in line ordering a drink and would be right there. he didn't offer to buy me one, which never really dawned on me until just now... anyway, he came and sat down and we had great conversation, we laughed, and found we had more in common than we thought. I learned that he had only been divorced for a few months, was raised Catholic but converted to Judaism a couple years ago, and was a self-proclaimed wine expert. then, out of nowhere, he starts asking me about Star Wars. I have never seen the movies, nor do I want to. he is appalled and vows to watch all of them with me. I let him know it isn't necessary, I will continue to be ok having never seen them. he still insists.

I try to change the subject, and he brings up Lord Of The Rings. I have seen them and I enjoyed them. he says, "my ex-wife could speak elvish. it was a huge turn on." I was in shock. what? elvish isn't a real language. how nerdy is that? he continued, "I used to know it pretty well myself. I even have a tattoo." "wow," I say, "what is it of?" he points to his arm and says, "it's a band around my bicep. it has the inscription that is on the ring." I'm pretty sure my face gave everything away at this point. what kind of universe had we just entered? where was the guy I had been talking to the past few weeks? he nervously said, "I don't usually reveal that until the 3rd date at least." I can see why.

I changed the subject again. started talking about skiing. he loves it. I hate it. wanted to make that clear to him right then. and he begins talking about all the strange vacations he has been on and wants to take. he spent a week on a Navy ship in California pretending to be a sailor, and now he wants to go live at the Mars station in southern Utah. "WHAT?" I say. my dad works for them. nobody knows about that place. it's in the middle of nowhere and it's a weird NASA training spot. he can't believe I know about it and that my dad worked there and he says he likes me even more now. all I can do is picture him in a space suit walking around in the desert and converting his urine into drinking water for two weeks. ...not attractive to me. not. at. all.

as we were walking out to our cars he said he couldn't wait to see me again, and that he thinks I'm beautiful, and all that jazz. I smiled and waved. I couldn't wait for it to end! what the......? the next day as I was cleaning out the art room at work I received a text from him that read, "did you have an enjoyable enough time fort night?" I didn't even know how to answer that. what does that mean? who was this guy?? needless to say, I haven't seen this guy again. am I wrong to write him off? I don't think so!

here's to online dating and the great stories it brings into my life. let's all pray I'm not single for much longer, ok?

another one bites the dust

it was a crazy week. I catered a wedding in the SLC on Friday, volunteered for We Make A Difference Now on Saturday morning, and then headed to Cedar City for my brother's wedding that evening. yep, my baby brother got married. and just 3 days before they found out they are having a girl in October! woohoo! another niece! anyway, here area few pics from their wedding.

new beginnings

you know when something catastrophic happens to you, something unexpected that you were unprepared to deal with, and you feel destroyed and irreparable? and everyone around you tries to comfort you by telling you that things will work out, a new door is opening and you just have to have faith. and, at the time, it's really annoying and not comforting at all? yeah, that was my life two months ago. I was defeated. I felt no hope. the life I loved and planned on having forever had been stolen right out from under me. I was devastated. there really wasn't anything anyone could say or do to comfort me and I was sure that feeling would never go away.

well, turns out they were right all along! somehow, over time, the haze that clouded my mood and my thinking has disappeared and all I see now are possibilities. it's true, being laid off really was a blessing in disguise. for years I have talked about owning my own business and doing what I love on my own terms every day, but I never really thought I would be able to do it. well, IT'S HAPPENING! soon I will actually own my own business... ok, so it isn't completely finalized yet, but it is so close to actually happening that I can taste it. thanks to all of the support from my friends and family, and particularly my sister, brother-in-law, and uncle, this is going to happen!

I think this calls for a serious celebration. who's in?

goodbye

I hate goodbyes. I'm sure that is why I have neglected writing this post for such a long time... April and May were full of goodbyes for me. Goodbye to my job and all the great friends I made there. Goodbye to the stability of work I have known my whole life. Goodbye to the life I knew with my sister at my side. Goodbye to my best friend, Jaime. Yes, I know. I already said goodbye to her when she got married in December, but she came back for a while and is now leaving again. We had a great time while she was here. And we took advantage of her last few weeks and said our goodbyes the best way we know how - by going to the best Broadway musical ever, visiting beautiful gardens, eating at amazing restaurants, and watching great movies.

Jaime got us tickets to Wicked for my birthday, and let me tell you, it was the BEST birthday present ever. We had amazing box seats and it was the best musical I have ever seen! Thank you, Jaime!!!



After all the fun it was time to pack Jaime up and ship her out. This is never fun, but when you are doing it so that your best friend can leave, it's much harder. That is why we decided that we aren't saying goodbye! After all, we are still best friends, and that lasts forever. We still have cell phones, internet, airplanes, cars, even snail mail! Jaime will be here to visit very soon, and once she is settled in San Diego, I will make every effort to visit as often as possible. No goodbyes, just different circumstances.

amber's wedding

so... my little sister got married. it was a bitter sweet day for me. she's always been my little sister/best friend/role model. I've been really blessed to have her really close to me my whole life. we were unseparable growing up, and well, our whole lives until her wedding day. sometimes we would pretend we were twins because everyone thought we were anyway. we had the same group of friends growing up, and then in college, and even now. there isn't anything that we've gone through without the other by our side. so, needless to say, escorting her through the temple and handing her over to Gregg was a tough thing. but, I also couldn't be happier for her. she found the perfect guy and I've never seen her happier. the day was beautiful, despite the rain and it was great having the whole family together. the pics can explain it better than I can, so here they are.

free time!

it's been kind of nice having so much free time! I'm not to the point yet where I am ok with the fact that I was laid off, but I can appreciate the opportunities I have because of it. the timing was perfect for Amber, I had about two weeks to devote all of my time to her and her wedding. (don't worry, there will be a big post about this very soon).

I was also able to go to Hanksville in the middle of the week for a funeral. Pam was my BFF growing up. all through elementary, middle, and high school. I loved her to death, and I loved her mom even more than I'm sure any of them knew. Denise owned the grocery store and managed the Sinclair and Piccadilly Pizza. she was my mom's first friend when she moved there newly married, pregnant with me, very young, shy and clueless. she gave her a job at the grocery store, and later at the Sinclair. She gave me a job at the Piccadilly when I was in high school, and gave me a big advances on my pay check for things like cheerleading uniforms, camp, and our senior trip to California. she made SO many things possible for me and my family, and she did it all without recognition and very quietly. I loved her and I'm really grateful I got to attend her funeral.

I've also had time to reorganize my house and deep clean it! I love that feeling. in fact, I'm going to do more cleaning today.

I have been spending a ton less money! no more eating out every day for lunch, no more driving all over the valley every day, and no more seeing friends every day to make plans with. it's kind of sad, but it's good for my finances!

I've been able to go to the dentist as soon as he can get me in every time. yes, I've had a lot more dentist nightmares. over the past 2 months I've had two root canals and 11 fillings. next week I have to go in for another root canal! all the pain in my mouth has kept me from eating my worries away though, and I've lost 6 pounds! I've also had a lot more time to go to the gym, which has helped that along too.

so, even though the job seach is discouraging and days can be long and lonely, I'm trying to look on the bright side. I'm sure the right thing will come along eventually, but until then I'm trying to enjoy all this free time.

i loved my job

one of the many things i loved about working at Stampin' Up! was birthdays. look how cute they made my desk on my birthday:

some of the many other reasons I loved working there was the awesome people I got to talk to and laugh with every day, the fact that I got to do what I LOVE every day and get paid for it, the employee store and discounts, the beautiful building we worked in, the amazing demonstrators, and SO much more.

we had been forewarned about a month before the day of infamy arrived. but, no matter how much time we were given, nothing could have prepared us for the heartache and emotions we felt that day and every day since then. it's been tough. I loved my job!!! I wasn't planning on ever leaving. I wanted to retire from there. I loved it so much that I can't seem to find the motivation to look for a new job.

I'm taking it one step at a time. some days are long and lonely, but other days are full of fun stuff I never found the time for before. but, the best days are the ones where I get to see all my fellow laid-offers. we went to lunch the very next day after our unemployment meeting. aren't we all so cute?! a bunch of us went to lunch again today. it was great! nothing else has proven to cheer me up more than being with all my SU! peeps.

the day before the layoffs happened I took pictures of my latest projects. these items are being shown on stage at the Australia/New Zealand Convention this week.






so, with any luck, I will be able to find a new great job. I better kick it into high gear! or maybe I will just hang out and live on severance for a while. :)

one year older and wiser too

apparently I've been very noticeably absent this month. there is SO much to write about! let's start with my 28th birthday. on April 11, I turned 28. I chose to go back to my hometown for that birthday/easter weekend and my bff's granted me the wish and came along.

I hadn't been to Hanksville for 3 years! it was so weird to go back. it's still the same place, but pretty different. I guess that is what time does... a part of me felt like I had never been there before, and that thinking this place was a part of me was wishful thinking. I wondered where that young Hanksville Girl went. don't you worry! my family helped me find her.

we rolled Easter eggs down the red hills. watching them hop around and bust into pieces was always exciting as a kid.

climbing up Indian Island has always scared the crap out of me. at 28, it was harder and scarier!
the last part to squeeze through before you get to the top.
the view from the top is amazing! I'm always amazed at how beautiful it is there.

you can't go to Indian Island without leaving your initials carved in the sandstone. and that we did.

I wished for a hot man, of course!

yes. we are 7 again. who knew heavy heavy hangover could still be so fun?

Happy Easter! I couldn't let Jaime, Amber and Gregg go without Easter baskets so this is what they woke up to.

our last stop was Goblin Valley. I LOVE it here. it's beautiful.

I couldn't have asked for a better 28th birthday! here's to many more.

I don't wanna grow up!

I’m turning 28 this weekend. WOW! I can’t believe my 10 year HS reunion is this summer and I graduated from college 6 years ago! Time sure flies when you're having fun.

My mom came over for Sunday dinner last night and we were comparing our lives. When she was my age she had already given birth to all of her children. She had a husband and 5 kids to care for, a house, a job, was primary president in our ward - she was the perfect grown-up mom... My life is very different, to say the least. Last week Jaime and I color coordinated every day, you can see evidence in her post titled “yes, we're 12”. Saturday night we rented Bedtime Stories, and last year we went to Princesses on Ice with a bunch of girlfriends. Friday night I went to a 3-D movie with James at Clark Planetarium. Look how cute we are in our glasses!

We also skipped along the sidewalk at The Gateway and had a little water fight with our straws at Z'Tejas. In December we went to the Polar Express in Heber City.

At first I thought to myself, “wow, I haven’t grown up yet,” but then I realized that I just paid off my car, I pay rent, utility bills, credit cards, I have a career and an IRA. So, yes, I guess I am a grown-up. There is nothing wrong with occasionally participating in childish activities. They are a great way to alleviate the stress in my grown-up life. Oh, and I think it also compensates for the lack of little children running around my apartment. All in all, I'm loving life at 28.

project round-up

I haven't posted much of anything lately, and to be honest it has mostly been because of laziness. :) so, here is my first attempt at catching up. here are some of the projects I have made the past few months (the ones I can share anyway).




I made these pages for training videos at work. the top one (with the beautiful pics of the crawford family) was for a stencil video, and the next one (with the adorable picture of my niece Nynaeve) was for a bow-tying video.






These are all samples I made for our Leadership conference back in January. those were challenging stamp sets.


This is a gift basket I made for a friend who had been really sick for a while. It's filled with all of his favorite things. yeah, it was pretty sweet of me if I do say so myself.
and this is the card I made last night for my awesome sister, Amber. today is her 26th birthday! she liked it, I think.

so, yes, I LOVE my job! let's all pray for me. come on! I know you want to. for those of you that don't know, my company is going through major lay-offs over the next couple weeks. there is a pretty high chance that I could lose my job. this has caused more stress in my life than I think I've ever felt. I have been getting headaches and really tight and sore muscles in my neck and back. I have been clenching my jaw so hard at night that it has caused pain up my jaw and into my ear. my dentist gave me a night guard to wear, so hopefully that will help. but, seriously - your prayers are needed too. my plan has been to retire from this company, so losing it already would be awful!
Thanks y'all!

I love PF

so, I joined a gym last month. Planet Fitness. I love it! I've never worked out in an actual gym before. I was always too self-conscious to work out where other people could see me do it. but, I have to say that it's actually pretty fun. I go several times a week and have lost 14 pounds so far. go me! I'm also a little bit more tan than before. (heehee). PF offers free tanning to it's black card members. this way I can look better, feel better, and not have to worry about my winter whiteness. anyway, if you are considering a gym, I definitely recommend this one. I couldn't have chosen a better place to work on the year of CHRISTA.