Red Lipstick (Or Lack Thereof)

I didn't have time to do much with my appearance yesterday. I think I looked good, but I wasn't terribly feminine. There were a few moments were I jokingly called myself a Little Butch Girl--but not out loud to people who would get on my case about using that term. I ran into a guy from my ward who only sees me at church when I'm dressed up. "Your lips aren't as red as usual," he said. "Is your name still Brooke?"

Is this how people see me? Really?

But that's not the point. The point is that despite looking like a Little Butch Girl, I was happy. I wasn't defining myself by how I look like that punk from my ward. I'm a daughter of God and a disciple of Christ. Knowing that and doing what I should is what makes me feel good about myself...but looking pretty helps now and again, too.

Broken Heart Bark

Last year I made broken heart bark around Valentine's Day. I decided to make it again this year. Part of the recipe (as written) is to break conversation hearts into pieces with a rolling pin. I didn't have a rolling pin last year.

(That's a hammer, in case you can't see it in this oh-so-wonderful cell phone picture)

I ran into a similar problem this year. Then Noelle had a BRILLIANT idea. "Why not throw them off the balcony?" We live on the third story. I my first attempt didn't make much of an impact. So Noelle tried. She  smacked it down, but it still wasn't as effective. So Beth tried. And then she tried again. Most of the little pieces were her handiwork. She also broke the bag in a couple of places. But now the bark is done, and it is delicious. 

"It's made in Germany...whatever, it's French enough."

Sabrina invited me over the other night to have a classic French summertime dinner. We put Seraphine to bed, then spent a lovely evening eating, chatting, and watching America's Next Top Model and Plain Jane. 

"They wouldn't let us on a show like that. We're too nice."

"My gosh, those EYEBROWS!"

(Of course there was also bread. Didn't get a chance to take a picture.)

Questions I Ask While Watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Part I

If Sunnydale is such a small town, how do they have a different live band every night at The Bronze?

How is there never anyone in the library but Buffy, Giles, Xander, Cordelia and Willow?

How does Buffy's mom NOT KNOW?

Does Mr. Flutie (the first principal who got eaten in the first season) remind anyone else of the principal from She's the Man?

Is no one else concerned that people at the school keep dying or have horrible things happen to them?

Wasn't principal Snyder a Ferengi in Star Trek?

John: Why does the Slayer have to be a girl?
Me: BECAUSE JOSS WHEDON SAYS SO.

Wait, David Boreanaz, the hottest guy on television, is my mom's age?

Dang. 

This Week's Accomplishments

• I invented a breakfast pasta. I'm not really a breakfast food person, so I made pasta in a way that's more breakfast-y and sweet. Not like that just-put-an-egg-on-top breakfast pasta. It's fantastically simple and I'll post the recipe another time.
• I drove all the way out to Los Angeles to go to the temple by myself in nasty traffic. Thursdays the Los Angeles Temple has time for baptisms without appointments. I've wanted to go all summer, and everything was finally right. I was able to borrow my parents' car, I got out of work on time, all that jazz. After two hours of driving, getting lost downtown, and awful traffic in the city, I made it--only to find it was closed. I made the most of it. I took a tour of the newly remodeled visitors center and hung out for a while. Overall, it was a good experience. I'm not going back by myself, though. That's the scary part of Westwood.

• I discovered I'm not the only Rachel fangirl in my ward. Hannah and Tiffany and I all want to be like her when we grow up.
• I've finally seen Firefly. I'm sad it was cancelled. And look!

Yep. That's prepubescent Zac Efron as a younger Simon Tam. I laughed so hard.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

The other day, the family watched a movie on Netflix on Demand about an evil genius.

It has clever and catchy music. It has Neil Patrick Harris. It has Nathan Fillion. What more could you want? I squealed aloud when I found it in the Bosses' DVD collection. I bought the soundtrack and listen to it ALL the time. I'm not the kind of gal who will watch a movie or listen to a song or read a book and start it over when it's finished. At all. But I can watch this movie over and over again. (I actually got through it 3 1/2 times on Friday.) It actually was an internet miniseries by Joss Whedon. There's the first part of it below.

watch it.

Get It or Get Murdered

I showed this video to the people whose house I'm living in this summer. When I moved in today, I found this on the back door.