Revived Happiness

Jamba Juice: $5 (and some change)

Glasses from Savers: $1.99

(She didn't really buy these...)

(I really did buy these :) )

A trip to Wal-Mart: $25

Going to the park and playing lava monster in the dark: PRICELESS

This is Mason's scariest lava monster face :)



Warm Fuzzies

I love warm fuzzies. :)
You know?
Not the feeling you get on a cold winter's night and you take a sip of hot chocolate.
No.
That warm feeling you get when anyone sincerely compliments you (let alone a cute guy... :)) and then you all of a sudden walk a little bit taller with your head held high?
Yep!
I've learned that there's this chemical called dopamine, and that's what shoots that fantastic feeling into your brain and occassionally makes your whole body shake with happiness.
I've been feeling that quite a bit lately.
And a lot in the past.

For example:
(I mix up my pronouns a lot in this post... just bear with me here... I'm tired... haha)

• I got my braces off this summer. Lots of compliments. I feel super confident about my smile now and it's mostly because people have acknowledged it.
• When one of your best friends (which the one I'm referring to is a guy, which makes it all the better), acknowledges and appreciates that I got ready and look good just to hang out with him for the day, when easily I could have just stayed in my pajamas and pulled my hair up instead. AND he notices what kind of perfume you're wearing. He appreciates that too. I love it when guys notice the little things, like actually doing my hair and wearing it down, or putting on an outfit that's somewhat fitting, instead of a t-shirt and pulling my hair back into a bun. It's one of those little things that I've learned make life better.
• I've also learned that when someone does something for you out of the kindness of their heart (like make a milkshake and bring it to you at work) makes you feel that much better. Like "hmm... he was thinking about me today. awesome!" (Even though it was REALLY sweet and had a lot of chocolate in it and he ended up eating most of it, I still REALLY appreciated it.)
• Or when he offers to give me a ride to work when no one else can, even though it may be somewhat inconvenient for him.

There are a few things that I haven't done recently or at all, but I'm sure that if they're in the right circumstances, warm fuzzies would be awarded. Such as situations like these:

• Hand holding: This can totally occur in just about any relationship. From best friends all the way to a married couple. It's a simple act of affection for someone, yet, shouldn't be taken TOO lightly, but shouldn't be considered a sign of commitment either.
• Hugging: Depending on who it's with, a warm, gentle, firm hug can always fix everything. Especially when you are put into an awkward situation and you don't know what to do and your best friend is right there to give you a hug for support. (And then they follow that with a text that sends a mental hug for just a little extra love and support. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything... ;) ) Even a hug that isn't for any reason at all but to just say goodnight after hanging out all day. That's the good stuff right there.
• Kissing: Now, I'm not experienced in this subject, but I figure that if it's done with the right person, at the right time, warm fuzzies will fill your heart and well, your entire body for that matter.

Let's be honest here: if you love someone, you'll get warm fuzzies by just being with them. Or when they look at you a certain way that reassures your doubts that they still love you for you.

Hm... I could go on and on about when you just sit there and stare at each other (non-awkwardly) for about 30 minutes before one of you finally comes up with something to say, or going for walks around the neighborhood, and talking about anything and everything that happens to pop into the mind, but I won't. I want you to tell me about the things that give you warm fuzzies. Even if I've listed them already, I want to know exactly what else gives you such a warm feeling inside. And even if it doesn't have to do with a boy... that's fine. There are other such things that make one happy, like helping others, or being helped out, or a simple card of gratitude. I would love to hear it all :)

Vote for your Favorites :)

Okay people, I need your votes. I'm going to number these pictures and I want you to comment and list your favorites (it's okay to have more than one favorite). All in all, the bride and mother get to choose what pictures are printed for the reception, buuuuut, I'm sure that it'll be fun to see which ones are the most popular :) This shall be fun! (Numbers are located at the bottom of the pictures.)

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You know...?

You know when you just don't feel as though you belong somewhere that you've tried to put yourself into?


You know when it's really hard to stay positive about something that you've taken on but then everybody on your so called "team" (if you even call it that...) doesn't even acknowledge your presence?


You know when you thought a couple months ago that you could handle everything, then when it all starts to pile on, the haunting of the stress makes it that much worse?


You know when some things aren't so great in life and then you feel really good about something and then you get chewed out for it and asked what the purpose is for and get told that it's a waste of time?


You know when it's really hard to find someone to lean on?


You know that feeling when you finally don't care what other people think and just do what you do because you can?


You know that feeling when you realize that you have the best friend in the world who is always loving you for you, whether you're having a bad hair day, or you're in a bad mood and everything in the world is wrong and yet, they still love you anyway?


You know when you figure out that that OTHER Best Friend who is always there for you, even when no one else can be for you and He is always there for you even when you're not really paying much attention to Him?


God is the answer to all of our problems, struggles, stresses... Everything under the sun, and yet people still have yet to realize that He is the Mediator and can get us through the hardest of trials (like my senior year for instance...)

Be grateful for what you do have in life and hopefully you will be able to use that in your life to help you through it. God gives us blessings, we just have to be able to see them through the thick fog of suckish problems in life. Hm... yep. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Can you tell?

I Actually Enjoy These Things...

Much to popular belief, I enjoy random surveys. I enjoy them more if someone is actually asking me in person, but either way, this is fun. I enjoy reading what other people say too, and I've never done one on the blog before... only as a note on Facebook. But I'm sure it's fine. No worries. Here are some random facts about me :)

ABC About You Questions:



A- AVAILABLE: umm... time wise? ;) Not really. Oh wait... you mean a relationship... um. well, I'm not with anyone, but that doesn't mean I'm available.
 B- BIRTHDAY: June 20


C- CRUSHING ON: not really.


D- DRINK YOU LAST HAD: H2O (In case you are uneducated... that's water.)


F- FAVORITE SONG: um... currently... THIS ONE and THIS ONE! :)

E- EASIEST PERSON TO TALK TO: My adopted brother


G- GUMMY BEARS OR GUMMY WORMS: hmm... Bears.


H- HOMETOWN: Orem


I- IN LOVE WITH: life.


J- JUGGLE: haha... one... maybe...


K- KILLED SOMEONE: with BOLOGNA ;) (Only Pippen and Darth Maul would get that!!! hahaha)


L- LONGEST CAR RIDE: On the way home from Seattle. I slept most of the way though.

M- MILKSHAKE FLAVOR: Reeses. Always.


N- NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: 1 sister and an adopted brother.

 O- ONE WISH: To become a wife, mother and successful photographer


P- PERSON YOU CALLED LAST: my grandpa Ted. I needed a ride to the high school this morning.


R- REASON TO SMILE: Because I have the best co-workers.


S- SONG YOU LAST SANG: "Lovin' You Tonight" by Andrew Allen, which is my favorite song list up above. :)


T- TIME YOU WOKE UP: 7:15, then fell back to sleep, then woke up at 8:45

 U- UNDERWEAR COLOR: white. I know... boring.

 V- VEGETABLE(S): cucumbers. yum...


W- WORST HABIT: biting my fingernails.


X- X-RAYS YOU'VE HAD: My stomach/rib cage area. Was having random pains so they gave me an x-ray. Luckily nothing was wrong.


Y- YOYOS ARE: I don't like playing with them, but I like watching people do cool tricks.


Z- ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini






RANDOM QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU:


Spell your name without vowels: Svnn


Your favorite number?: 4


What color do you wear most?: umm... i have a lot of colors. I could probably tell you the color I don't wear. And that's yellow. But if I had to choose, probably blue, cause I have the most of it.


Least favorite colors?: I don't really have a least favorite color... is that weird? It depends on what it's with. Like, I like red furniture, but not red clothes as much. I like blue and purple and stuff, but not as a wall color. Hm... I guess it just depends on what it is. I enjoy the blue sky and the green grass and the yellow sun. I just like all colors where they should be :)


What are you listening to?: Parachute


Are you happy with your life right now? Yeah. Until school starts, then I don't know what I'll do with myself...


Who's your best friend? Alex Blackham


When do you start back at school/college?: August 22... Not looking forward to it.


Are you outgoing?: Yup. Sure am.


Favorite pair of shoes?: my purple vans. they rock.


Can you dance?: haha yeah, not very well though. i can do the macarena :)


Can you tie a cherry stem with your mouth?: Haha, I've never even heard of that!


Can you whistle?: Nope.


Cross your eyes: All the time. Haha, it's a casual thing for me, especially when I'm trying to think.

 THE DO'S:


Do you believe there is life on other planets?: yeah, sure.


Do you believe in miracles?: absolutely.

 Do you believe in magic?: all the time. I'm a magical person. I do magical things every day! (Take that as you will.)


Love at first sight?: Nah. Love is gradual.


Do you believe in Santa?: Symbolically, yes.


Do you know how to swim?: Yeah, but I'm not very good at it...


Do you like roller coasters?: I LOVE THEM!!! :)


Do you think you could handle the stuff they eat on those reality shows? No way. I like to think that I could, but in reality, there's no way. I can hardly stand finding a maggot in my cereal or chunky milk.


Have you ever been on a plane?: Yup.


Have you ever asked someone out?: Yup. To a dance :)


Have you ever been asked out by someone?: Yup.


Have you ever painted your nails?: Yeah. It's been quite a while though. I'm a nail biter and I don't like the taste of nail polish... ha. Get what I'm saying?

 THE WHAT'S:


What is the temperature outside?: 72 degrees


What radio station do you listen to?: 103.1, 98.7, 104.3 Let's be honest, I don't really listen to the radio though... I like to listen to my iPod.


What was the last restaurant you ate at?: Sensuous Sandwich

 What was the last thing you bought?: Sensuous Sandwich


What was the last thing on TV you watched: Dr. Oz; it was on this morning when I got home from the high school and I watched them talk about stomach ulcers while I ate my breakfast.


Who was the last person you took a picture of?: My mom and sister


Who was the last person you said I love you to? Umm... I don't know?


Who you said it to and actually meant it? Not sure...


CRYING SECTION: (oh brother...)


Ever really cried your heart out?: yeah. I always fall asleep after that.


Ever cried yourself to sleep?: Yup. It's not pleasant.


Ever cried on your friend's shoulder?: Yeah...


Ever cried over the opposite sex?: hahahahahhahahahahah. you're asking me this? DUH. I envy those who haven't.


Do you cry when you get an injury?: depends.


Do certain songs make you cry?: umm... depends on the mood I'm in I guess






HAPPY SECTION:


Are you a happy person?: absolutely


(haha, that's it?)
HAVE YOU EVER:


Been to jail?: Contrary to popular belief, no. I have not. ;)


Mooned someone?: Nada


Laughed so hard you cried?: That's the only way to live


Cried in school?: yes. and i find it quite embarrassing, but I have wonderful friends who love me. (ahem... Charlotte and Jacob Broadbent have seen me cry at school before. And Carly... but she's seen me cry a thousand times.)


Wanted to be a model?: hmm... I think so. But then I remind myself that I'm not coordinated enough, and I'm not sketchy either...so...


Done something really stupid that you still laugh about?: EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE.


Been on drugs?: After I got my wisdom teeth out. Lortab does wonderful things. ;)


Gone skinny dipping?: um... do I have to answer this question honestly? (yes... don't ask why and don't ask for details cause you won't get them...)





THIS OR THAT:


Pepsi or Coke?: pepsi


Chocolate or Vanilla?: vanilla


Strawberries or Blueberries?: strawberries


Meat or Veggies?: veggies. with LOTS of ranch :)


TV or Movie?: movie


Guitar or Drums?: guitar; totally hot (but let's be honest, the piano is better than both of them...)


Adidas or Nike?: eh. don't really care. don't wear either.


Chinese or Mexican?: Don't really like either, but I like orange chicken... does that count?


Cheerios or Corn Flakes?: Cheerios. Dad lives off the stuff. But they're not my favorite.

Keep Taking Pictures

I WAS gonna start a "100 Day Photo Challenge", but then I got a phone call. It was one of those random phone calls that are long distance, but you don't usually pick up the phone, ya know? Well, I picked up the phone, cause I figured it would be one of those random "you just won a million dollars!!!" phone calls. Haha, it wasn't. Now, before I go into the conversation, let me give you some background.

About a year ago, I got bored and saw an ad on Facebook for this online Photography school that is based in Pittsburg(h?) (SP?) and got bored, so I entered my information. Stupid. I know. But I did. Actually, it's a legit deal, so don't be too worried about me. Since then, I've been receiving many phone calls from the institute, asking me when I'm gonna start school and stuff. Haha, well, since I haven't graduated from high school yet, I haven't started anything else. (obviously.)

So I pick up the phone and say hello, and much to my surprise I hear, "Is Savanna there?"

Woah. Am I about to win a million dollars???

Me: This is she.

Random Guy (That I Can't Remember the Name of for the Life of Me.... We'll call him Mark...): I'm from the Institute of Art.

Me: Hi, how are you?

Mark: I'm doing great, thank you. Actually, I'm not gonna lie, I'm doing splendidly. How are you?

Me: I'm alright, thank you. (I'm not feeling well today, but of course I didn't tell him that... haha)

Mark: So I see that you signed up for information to the institute and you have some interest in photography I presume? When are you gonna sign up to do classes with us? Hopefully soon?

Me: Well, I can't yet, I'm not old enough.

Mark: Oh, that's cool, that's cool. Are you still in high school?

Me: Yeah, I'm gonna be a senior this year.

Mark: Alright, that's awesome. Are you taking photography classes and stuff?

Me: No, not yet, but I've been doing photoshoots.

Mark: Really? (He got really excited when I said that.) I see that you're from Utah. What area?

Me: Um... the Provo area.

Mark: If you don't mind me asking, the LDS area? (He basically phrased it as if asking if I were LDS. I replied yes, and he explained how he's LDS too... or something like that... haha, just made me laugh inside.) Well, I'll tell ya what... here's some advice for you. My sister is a photographer and started at a young age and now she doesn't have any free days. She's booked. If you get your stuff out there now and post stuff on the internet of pictures you take, like on Facebook and such, then people are gonna come rolling in. Especially when your friends who are RM's start coming home and getting married, you'll be booked! (HAHA!) Also, start taking pictures of kids, because people LOVE THAT. Seriously, though, you can do so well. People will start calling you and you're not gonna know what to do with yourself!

So when do you graduate? Next June? May?

Me: The end of May.

Mark: So we'll probably call you sometime in April and talk then. I know that our conversation went in a different direction, but seriously, keep taking pictures and don't ever stop! People are going to love you and you're gonna do great.

Me: Thanks. So where are you guys based? (I forgot that it was an online school...)

Mark: Well, it's based out of Pittsburgh but it's an online school. (Sweet! Cause I am NOT moving to Pennsylvania for school...)

Me: Okay, awesome. I'll have to look into that.

Mark: Great. You have a good day.

Me: Thanks, you too. Bbye.

Mark: Bye.

*click*

HAHA, totally made my day, okay? That's not exactly how the conversation went on, but it was awesome! I'm pretty sure he went on more about pictures and stuff but I can't remember half of what he said. I'm totally out of it today. Glad I picked up the phone! :) So taking his advice... I shall display some of my ALL-TIME favorite pictures that I have taken, just for you. How does that sound? And I will even go as far as posting some pictures of kids. Tell all your friends about me! I'm starting senior portraits in the fall and can do family portraits and if you're brave I'll even attempt to do your wedding. Haha, maybe... we'll see. I'll have prices posted soon. Very inexpensive, I can guarantee it :)



Kayla Smith (July 2011)

Natalie Luna (June 2011)



The Blackham Family (May 2011)



Ashlyn (April 2011)

Maddison Powell (September 2010)

If it concerns you, I would love to do a wedding.

Even if you already have a photographer, I would love to come out and help, just to build some experience. You just have to let me know ahead of time so I can plan my busy schedule around it. Or I could just start with your engagements. That I do feel comfortable with. And bridals or something. That would make me feel more comfortable. I'm doing a friend's bridals next week, so I'll be experienced with that. Haha, just let me know if you're interested :)