you know you've been married a LONG time....

when, during a night out at the killers concert, you have THIS conversation:

mindi: "honey--my fake eyelash is coming off my right eye--does it look okay? do i need to fix it or just take it off?"

russ: "ummmm. that's funny......i'm shocked you are concerned about your eyelashes, when the issue you SHOULD be concerned about is that big zit on the side of your nose. it's pretty bad--do you have something to put on it?"



MAC eyelashes: $16.00

2 killers concert tickets: $85.00

having your husband point out what should be your hugest insecurity:

PRICELESS.

here kitty kitty

read about this on dooce and just about spit out my cereal. how much do i need

glamourpuss: the enchanting world of kitty wigs?

like SO much.

you can be sure that martin & dave will be receiving a copy of this bad boy in their christmas stockings.

bite and chew

BITE AND CHEW MONTAGE! - watch more funny videos

oh, internet.

you bring me such joy.

dear brandon flowers and company:

you guys KILLED it last saturday night. and i might have fallen for you just a little bit more because of it. (and sorry for the bad 'killer' pun. but this post will reek of those...)

you see,the problem is the fact that i was a bit 'easy' when it came to you fellas in the first place. but now i'm positively, whole-heartedly, 100 percent committed to this relationship.

brandon, i forgive you for wearing a 26-inch waist pant. AND for the 'ostrich feathers as epaulets' fashion faux pas--you can appear on stage wearing nothing but a pair of tom selleck-magnum p.i.-short-short-short-cordorouy shorts and i would think they were the greatest thing since diet dr. pepper. TOTALLY killer.

our dates for the night felt the same way about you:


i would like to point out that our level of devotion was such that we tolerated a somewhat painful, extremely long amount of time spent in close proximity to sweaty, steaming, & seriously stinky strangers. and i think we should get extra-credit for it.

we showcased our dancing skillz and kyle even reprised his air guitar/drums/keyboard performance from last april. it was pretty spectacular--i'm sure you were mesmerized from your spot at the front of the stage--(i NOTICED YOU STARING.)

my favorite part of the evening, hands-down, was the massive amounts of white confetti that made us all feel like we were attending one big festival. of KILLER LOVE:



you were truly the hosts with the VERY MOST. gracias!

so, i thank you, brandon, david, mark, and ronnie--i hearby swear my undying affection and true allegiance to you forever more. (should we seal it in blood? you just get back to me on that one!)


xoxoxo

love, mindi


{muchas gracias to kami for the killer photos}

what my children hear when i talk:

number *174*

take 30 seconds and vote for one of my favorite blogger's daughter--she could win a nursery for her new bambino!

vote for lindsay HERE {she is number 174!}

hurry! voting ends september 30th~

have a KILLER weekend

we are so excited to see the killers on saturday night with kyle & kami--TOTALLY RIGHTEOUS.

be back on tuesday......with brandon flowers in my back pocket. 'cause he's pocket-size.

HAPPY WEEKEND

this was one of my most favorite soft rock songs in the 70's--not kidding. obviously i SO didn't know what the starland vocal band was singing about.....and to think that this was their one and only hit! what a shame~

i remember hearing it playing at the ice cream parlor when i was about 8 years old and telling my dad that it was my favorite song. (true story.)

he just looked at me and blurted out, "only boys get raspberry swirl ice-cream!" and then slowly backed away.

i just stood there, holding my rasberry swirl cone. wondering what could have possibly provoked THAT outburst.


in this video, will ferrell & company really try to do this little gem justice. PLUS, any video that includes squeeze cheese and/or baby kittens is a winner in my book.

thankful thursday

things i am thankful for this week:



**a sweet little 'hand tree' brought home from miss brandi and miss kim's preschool by my mia. or 'pim' if you read her handwriting correctly. :)



**documentation of how hard a concert rocked with our friends--thanks to michelle for the proof~




**yet another commercial that MIGHT interest me in watching sports. but it's a pretty strong 'might'. don't hold me to it~

crappy taxidermy

dear crappy taxidermy:


thank you SO much for this:



and THIS:



i look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.

xoxo,

mindi

"no fatties"

this little gem makes me really sad that i'm not out there in the dating pool. in 1986.

jimmy fallon still makes me laugh

i thought his little spoof on the current autotune craze was right ON.

sniff*

if i was speaking mia, i would say that i have a 'bunny nose' today.

so i'ma gonna be taking things on the d.l. this week--

but i'll still be here a little bit. don't despair.

emotional much? (Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot?)

do you ever catch yourself doing something that is so unnatural, so UNTHINKABLE, so against what would be considered normal, god-fearing behavior, it just stuns you?

and so it is with me and tears. in relation to ridiculous events. on television.

yes, i am so embarrassed by this fact that i can't even type it in normal-size font. it must be reduced to the smallest size as to minimize my guilt. for being an extreme pansy when it comes to inappropriate television viewing.

what's the real kicker here is the fact that i can be a stone-cold ice queen when it comes to common emotional triggers.

first day of preschool for last and final child? couldn't have been happier.

mother's day song sung by shiny, clean offspring in sacrament meeting? dry as the sahara desert.

huge fight with husband? meaner than a junkyard dog. a dog WITH NO TEAR DUCTS.

which makes the fact that i teared up--TWICE!--during kendra's wedding even MORE shameful:

seriously--i'm not proud.

of course, in my defense, it was CLASSIC girl romantic fantasy--there kendra was, knocked-up, exchanging vows at the playboy mansion while her 84-year-old ex-lover, hugh hefner, looked on tenderly. as well as the two women she shared her geriatric boy-toy with, her ex-stripper mother, & her younger brother who was fresh out of rehab.

just like tearing a page out of a fairy tale......

i would like to state for the record that i don't watch kendra, nor would i be emotionally involved in the character's lives. (unbeknownst to them, of course. it's how i roll.)

i prefer to save that kind of inappropriate devotion for the REALLY IMPORTANT, life-changing reality tv shows. like the hills.

i admit this publicly in hopes that my peers will shame me out of this. i think you're up to the challenge.

livin' in a powder keg and GIVIN' OFF SPARKS.

on how many different levels is it wrong that i was totally entertained by this?


DON'T answer that question. i prefer to live in denial.

{if you are a big bonnie tyler fan (and really, who wouldn't be?) you can see the literal version of this video i posted back a few HERE}

LOVE it.

dads in short shorts

dear dads in short shorts:


how much do i love you?


SO MUCH!!!


thank you for this:


i look forward to a long and mutually-beneficial relationship.


XOXO, mindi

totally fascinating.

365 Days of Exercise from Adam Conover on Vimeo.

(notice towards the end how he gets too ripped and buff to even CONSIDER wearing the m&m boxers--what a sell out!)

{courtesy of petunia face}

happy weekend!

Owl City - New Music - More Music Videos

my girls have been listening to this song non-stop. and i admit: it's grown on me.

it's sweet and makes me happy. the video is worth watching--plus, any video that uses a 'speak and spell' is pure genius in my opinion. i think it will put a smile on your face for the weekend~

(sorry about the trojan ad--i in no way endorse or support trojan. but, HEY! it snaps in TWO!)

"i'm not here to make friends."

LOVED this video by the silversun pickups--so creative!

thankful thursday

things i am thankful for this week:

**our little friend, spencer, who took mia & madi to his school for his class--as you can see by the look on mia's face, it was pure HEAVEN. plus, spencer gave me a special gift this week: a new way to spell 'performance'. POFOMANS. i am SO having this word changed so we can spell it this way. the WAY it was supposed to be. thanks, speni!

**this sweet little songbird card my sister loni made for my litle songbird, mia~ she wrote a cute little note inside and quoted king julian: "i would love to become a professional whistler. i'm pretty amazing at it now, but i want to get, like, even better, and make my living out of it."

** babies, Babies, BABIES! at our family reunion held last saturday--we loved getting together with russ's family and loved having these little ones there even more.

**a commercial like this that almost (and i say ALMOST) makes me want to watch sports.

30 ROCK

i think that 30 rock is one of the smartest-written, wittiest shows on television.

&, even better, the site has this handy little sexual harassment quiz--

a man worth voting for

this man in the new york yankees cap is my friend, barton brooks--

he's small town st. george--he was raised here and i was lucky enough to call him my friend. AS WELL as my second cousin. (really. this is utah, you know--we don't make this stuff up.)

barton is a finalist in the gentelmen's fund 2009 BETTER MEN BETTER WORLD SEARCH--GQ asked readers to nominate an agent of change striving for the betterment of society through charitable work, volunteerism, and/or community involvement—someone who is working hard to make this a better world.

GQ selected the five best submissions as finalists and readers will determine the potential winner by popular vote.

it's quite an honor, but barton is fully deserving of it--he is the founder and co-president of GLOBAL COLORS, an organization that trains volunteers to implement personal missions creating self sustainable relief to communities in need all over the world.



"Three words best describe Barton Brooks’ work and amazing story………Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

Barton’s remarkable story begins near the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, where a chance encounter with a half dozen orphaned kids opened a new chapter for many, many lives. Back home, finding no avenues for sending help, Barton took matters into his own hands and established a grass roots non profit volunteer organization, Global Colors. He funded it through the sale of his prized possession, a Shelby Cobra sports car that he and his brother built completely by hand. Within six months, he teamed with UCLA and returned to that jungle orphanage with school supplies, medicine, soccer balls, and tons of hope.

The resounding success of that personal gesture snowballed into the development of “Guerilla Aid” - a distinctive, self-starting style of individual volunteerism. Further recruitment, volunteer training, and other missions quickly followed. Barton carefully researches and designs each project to have the greatest impact for a community in need. His goal is simple, to establish grass roots, self-sustaining industries which empower the powerless, and create new opportunity for the poor. For example: he’s taken 100 cows to widows of the Maasai in Kenya; he purchased boats for Burmese refugees that provide vital supply lines for goods and medications; and he helped create vegetable gardens to feed AIDS patients at a hospital in Senegal– among many others. The moving stories of all his projects are detailed on www.globalcolors.org.

The vast impact of his work has not gone unnoticed. The United Nations invited Barton to attend a round table discussion with First Lady Laura Bush regarding the Burmese refugee crisis. He made such an impression that the First Lady contacted him to help plan her upcoming trip to Africa. In 2007, Barton greeted Mrs. Bush in Senegal at that same vegetable garden he helped create. The First Lady’s visit to that hospital helped to remove the stigma many Senegalese had towards those who are HIV positive.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck in March, while Barton was on a mission to improve life for 6,000 Batwa pygmies in Uganda. Three weeks into an ambitious poultry and garden project, a speeding truck broadsided Barton on his motorcycle. He was left for dead on the side of a dirt road, bleeding from multiple, life-threatening injuries: a fractured skull, a compound left femur fracture, a torn knee, and a broken arm and shoulder. Hours later, a good Samaritan loaded his body in his small car and drove two hours to a local clinic. Stabilized, he was transferred to a hospital in Kampala, and subsequently airlifted to the US. He continues to undergo numerous surgeries and painful rehabilitations.

Despite his horrendous accident, Barton’s commitment to those in need remains unwavering. While still convalescing, he is committed to returning to Uganda this fall on crutches, not only to finish the project with the Batwa, but also to figure out where to continue helping in 2010.

Hopefully, this award will help him to continue that."



PLEASE take 30 seconds and go vote for him HERE--

he is so deserving of this honor. he's humble and gracious and a total nut as well as an all-over great guy.

PLUS, he and i go WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY back.

how far, you ask? why, all the way back to 1987. sadie hawkins:

yeah, that's wet & wild frosted eyeshadow i'm sporting. with my eyes half-closed so you can admire it all the better.

but i do think that i made barton's life better by placing my hand on his shoulder. it was a watershed moment in both our young lives. (and, YES, second cousins can go on group dates together in utah. it's in the rulebook.)

google street view

this made me happy today.

kicking some trash up in heaven

RIP, patrick--we'll always remember the good times. AND, roadhouse.

give a hoot

i'm in love with this sherwood coin purse~


{courtesy of the most awesomest stuff ever}

song bird

mia has learned how to whistle, and she does it all day long--

she whistles in the car, while she watches television, when i'm doing her hair, while she's loving the catties. it's basically an all-day long songfest.

if i don't know where she is, i'll walk through the house, listening. within 45 seconds i'll know where she is.

it's pretty handy. as well as absolutely adorable.

full range of emotions

seriously--watch this little gem. it will make your day~

burning man

the concept of burning man has always fascinated me--the thought of some 48,000+ people that journey out to the black rock desert for one week out of the year to be part of an experimental community is such a unique concept. (don't know what it is? what is burning man is a good little short explanation.)

i love that the whole experience turns into one big party--there are lots and LOTS of free spirits, hippies, artists, & musicians doing their "thing" in the middle of the nevada desert.

i think it would be so cool to go out for a few days and immerse yourself in this culture. but the only problem i see is that i would have to a: camp, and b: sleep in a tent, and c: use a port-a-potty. (TOTAL deal-breaker.)

i'm a huge fan of nick adams, and i absolutely loved the photos he took at the event:

for kaitlyn:

LOTS of screaming here at our house.

still one reason to {heart} kathy griffin

hb alison!

hb to sister in law, alison!

i hope your day is wonderful--make that brother of mine WORK FOR IT.

happy weekend!

i'm currently crossing my t's and dotting my i's--be back monday.

just a matter of time.

so our latest tv obsession is hoarders on a & e--

"Each 60-minute episode of Hoarders is a fascinating look inside the lives of two different people whose inability to part with their belongings is so out of control that they are on the verge of a personal crisis."

if you've never had an opportunity to watch this show, i HAVE to tell you: your life is lacking at this moment.

it's like watching one great big, giant trainwreck--it's such a nightmare, you don't really want to look. but you CAN'T. TEAR. YOURSELF. AWAY.

usually the conditions these people are living under are absolutely mind-boggling and completely deplorable. food, garbage, more garbage, more food--they have such massive amounts of junk in their homes or apartments that they can't seem to let go of. it makes you want to take them by the shoulders, shake them really hard, and then slap some sense into them.

but here's where it gets dicey for mindi: in almost EVERY single scenario that involves a female, there are always cats living amongst the filth. and usually more than one.

the startling revelation that i am just 2 felines away from crazy cat-lady dawned on my last night when we watched the episode where shirley hoarded cats. yes, you just read that right: CATS. she estimated that she might have 20 or so roaming her property, but when the animal control department came in to take care of business, the final count was something like 37 live cats and 50(ish?) dead ones. YIKES.

i keep thinking to myself, "self? how did you hold strong for 15 + years of marriage on the 'no pets' policy, only to fall so hard now?"

and now i realize that, in about 30 years, i will eventually be busted by peta for hoarding cats and dressing them up in little clown costumes while wearing THIS shirt:




it's really only a matter of time.

thankful thursday

the short & sweet version of things i am thankful for this week:




**THIS t shirt i saw a young man wearing sunday night--it totally made me burst out laughing.

(too young to get this reference? i won't break up with you if you educate yourself.)






**these llamas. and their dedication to this project--bless their little llama hearts.

GLUM

so, if you've read me for any length of time, you would know that i have a teensy bit of liberal in me.

i can also be a naughty envelope-pusher, which often time works both for & against me. i'm obviously not a prude.

so, nobody would be more surprised than me when i state that i was disappointed in my beloved GLEE last night.

the pilot was so original: great music, witty writing, funny jokes & obscure references, and, best of all, characters that you were invested in within 40 minutes.

the premier last night had some of those things. but it was hard to see those things through all of the direct sex references. which were a little rough explaining to the group of 4 to 11 year olds gathered in my basement who had been waiting for this night since may.

i GET that teens think about sex. i am always the first one to laugh out loud at a subtle or well-placed tongue-in-cheek remark or reference. but there was nothing subtle about the references last night--it was all very direct, in-your-face, and, most of the time, totally unnecessary.

i know that this show was developed by the creators of nip/tuck. but they are marketing to a very adult audience for that series. NOT the following they had for glee.

so, my advice? clean it up, people!

don't lose out on your target audience.



END RANT.

{p.s.--if you'd like to leave a comment for fox (and i did) go HERE and click on 'FEEDBACK'.}

and, NO. this is not a sign that the apocalypse is nigh. i really don't want to see any looting or rioting or burning things going on out there--

but it might not hurt to get your financial affairs in order.....just in case.

ninenineohnine

i know there's a lot of hype about this date today--i'm not sure i understand why?


i wonder if it's because 9.9.9, if turned upside-down, looks like this:


you're welcome, internet--

hb caylor!

obviously the most important happening on 9/9/09 would be the celebration of the birth of caylor.

live it up, old man!