Dear Mustache March,

3.31.2012

First of all, did you know there are rules for Mustache March? And do you know what started this whole trend? The idea stems from an early Air Force tradition in which members of the U.S. Air Force would grow mustaches in goodhearted protest against facial hair regulations during the month of March.

Well there you have it people. Mustache March brought us many giggles, some well groomed staches, and some questionable hairy upper lips this season. And now, I bid thee farewell... I know all the men are sad to see you go and all the women are packing your bags and pushing you out the front door. Either way, it was nice to have you around for a month.  Good bye to all those baby mustaches until next year (or in some cases until November when men find another reason to grow a caterpillar)... Thank you for the fun, and I will see you soon! For your viewing pleasure, here are a few gems from this year's festivities.


  


Oh... and don't forget about the men from my work that made a calender featuring all the lovelies with facial hair. The bearded men of ONO. Here are two of my favorite pictures from the bunch. Want a calender? They are only $15. Let me know, and we can make it happen.




Now go shave those things off. You are scaring the children.


Dear Conference,

3.30.2012

This weekend is one of my favorite weekends! Not only are we so close to Easter, one of my favorite holidays, but is conference weekend! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints holds conference two times a year, once in April and once in October. It is an opportunity to listen to a prophet's voice, the Lord's mouthpiece, and to receive revelation in our own lives. The men and women that speak are truly inspired and I can find answers to my questions throughout each session. I am grateful for a church that believes in a Heavenly Father that loves and cares for everyone, so much that he is willing to call men and women to guide us in these latter days. And I am grateful for the men and women that are willing to listen to the Spirit to give me the inspiration I need and help me find answers to my questions.



Here is a little conference history for you.


I invite you to participate in the 182nd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to be held on March 31 and April 1, 2012. You can hear it all at lds.org.





Dear Deejmbl,

3.29.2012

It is time I do a little explaining. This year, more than any other year, I have gotten questions about my {OLD} blog name... maybe because it is also my Twitter handle and my licence plate. The most common question..

"What is deejmbl (de-jum-bull)?"

Well people. It all came from my 16th birthday. My parents and I were down at Gerties one evening and noticed the cutest little VW bug across the street. I had been driving for about a year at this point, but we had sold and rotated cars so much that my parents were starting to think of what I could drive next... and that lime green buggie was the answer! After dinner we stopped at the car dealership (it was owned by our friends) and took a look at the car. My Dad's first response was, "This car just says Deidre when I look at it..." So there you have it, my first car, cute as can be, a lime green, smells like crayons on the inside, VW bug.

When we went to get a licence plate we decided something fitting for the car would be "The Deejmobile". My nickname all growing up was Deej, and this is my mobile, think Batman but girly. Cute, right? Let's shorten it up... "DEEJMBL"... isn't it just unfortunate that the "J" looks like it goes with the "MBL" rather than the "DEE"? You're right, it is. Well that car has come and gone but the licence plate has stuck around because why would I pay money for a new one? In high school everyone knew I was Deej and understood, but coming to college my licence plate brought on a whole new identity for me, plus a slew of nicknames. So it stuck. I now not only answer to Deidre, Deej, D, D Piece, D Money, Dre, Smeedre, Smeej, Hammer (Am I missing any?)... I also answer to Deejmobile and Deejumble. Does the {OLD} blog URL seem charming now?


Dear 7 Questions,

3.28.2012

It is time for a little...



1. What is your favorite color TO WEAR?
I am going to have to say.... black.... maybe because every time I wear it my boyfriend says "You look so good right now!" or maybe because it makes me look skinnier. Either way... black.

2. You are given the choice between visiting every country and landing on the moon. Which would you choose?
Visiting every country for sure. I love to travel and I have this huge list and map with all the places I have been and want to be. I would prefer it fills up before I branch into outer space.

3. What's your favorite animal and why?

Giraffes. Tall and unique. Enough said.

4. You are forced to do one of the following, which would you choose? Sky dive, scuba dive, or this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B36Lr0Unp4
Sky dive. Sky dive. and Sky dive again.

5. You are given the chance to go back in time. Which era would you visit?

1980's... so close yet so far away. If I could wear spandex, neon shirts, and poofy hair everyday without people thinking I am a nut case, I am totally in. For example...





6. If you had the power to remove one thing (ie: flies, mosquitos, junk food) from the earth for good- what would it be? My first answer would be scales... but that is only because I am prepping for Miss Idaho and once my run at royalty is over bring on all the scales in the world because I feel good. So my real answer would have to be.... This is tough. I would probably remove insecurities... that sounds weird. But I think it is a huge issue plaguing our generation. And it leads to low self esteem, bullying, eating disorders, and so many other things. 

7. What is one thing you've learned from Pinterest that made you think "GENIUS"!? Hm... maybe all those house cleaning tricks. Actually definitely all those house cleaning tricks and clothes cleaning tricks. There are so many times I have been so bummed out because I made an epic mistake and had to get rid of something or think something was ruined forever as a result... and now I know, its okay... somewhere on pinterest there is a fix for that!




Dear Miss Idaho's Outstanding Teen,

It is here! It is finally here! I am so excited for another Idaho weekend with more pageant adventures. This weekend I will head up to attend Miss Idaho's Outstanding Teen to support all the girls. We have two adorable representatives from our local. Miss Canyon Rim's Outstanding Teen, Abby Bitzenburg, and Miss Magic Valley's Outstanding Teen (my adorable neighbor and adopted sister), Lauren Smith.


Miss Magic Valley, Miss Canyon Rim's Teen, Miss Magic Valley's Teen
Are they not the cutest?

These two have been going, going, going, and now they are GONE! Off to the pageant today. I am so proud of both of them for all they have accomplished this year and I wish them the very best of luck as they compete at state. I know they will make us all proud.

 Lauren and I with Grandpa Jack. Anytime with Lauren
is a good time because she is such a gem and sweetheart.
And my little sister. Love her so much.

I just need to tell you a little more about Lauren. Because she is more than a pretty face and an incredible (I know I didn't mention this before...) pianist. At the teen local she won interview AND talent. Amazing, right? Her platform is Eating Disorder Awareness and she has been promoting it like crazy. She has taught health classes at both junior highs in our home town as well as done an assembly for girls (which she invited me to participate in and an appearance together was awesome) at her own high school. I could not be more proud of "the little girl" down the street. She has grown up so much while I have been at college and I am constantly impressed by the young woman she has become. 

Beyond the teen pageant it is Miss Idaho orientation! And I have to admit, I have never been more excited to meet the class I am competing with. The final pageant takes place tomorrow to round out the competition at 20 girls. And these 19 girls I am competing with aren't ordinary. They are INCREDIBLE. All of them are out serving, continuing their education, working, and volunteering. And they are beautiful to boot. It is our first chance to get together and get pumped for the pageant. And for myself, it is usually the first reminder that I need to be dieting and working out a little more than I already am... how the heck do these girls get so skinny?! Either way. I am pumped. Beyond pumped.



Dear Under Construction,

Everyone. It is happening again! I know, seems like it just happened, right? Don't mind the constant blog changes over the next few days. Okay? Oh and if you have any suggestions... pass them to me, I can't make up my mind... obviously.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Anti-Bullying,

3.27.2012

As you may know, my platform for the Miss America Organization is anti-bullying. Well remember my two good friends Ali & Christina that I posted about awhile back when they released their first video? Well they are as cute as ever and have a new song out. And can you guess what it is about? That is right. Anti-bullying.


A boy in their town committed suicide due to constant bullying. This video is dedicated to him. It is a powerful song and I wanted to share it with you.

These two never cease to amaze. Beautiful women on the inside and the out. I respect them as artists, and I love them as friends. I am thankful for their example. I look forward to sharing my message of anti-bullying through this song while supporting to women that mean the absolute world to me.

Love,
Deidre

P.S. Two videos in a row? Well that is exciting.

Dear Movie Monday,

3.26.2012

My weekend was not long enough. I wish I could still be roaming the streets of Portland with my brother and my boyfriend. Seeing Eric was so much fun. I love being able to spend time with him, catching up, seeing his town and his school, and eating some good food. He had a huge paper to write, so while he did that I borrowed his car and went to watch some BYU Baseball... number 22 is a good looking guy, if you know what I mean! After the series was over we all went out for some street vendor dishes for dinner, a little Voodoo Doughnut, and Hunger Games.

                                                                                                                                      Music: Bruises by Chairlift

A successful weekend? I think so. Can't wait for my next getaway... I will let you know when (please let it be SOON!) I get one scheduled.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Not Traveling,

It is days like today (Mondays... after a long weekend) that I wish wish wish I didn't ever have to work again. But here we are... soon enough I will be on a beach somewhere far away just relaxing with the only person I care to be with... and by soon enough I mean hopefully within the next year since we are both so busy. For now... baseball, work, and pageants. Let's do this!

Love,
Deidre

Dear Airport Security,

3.22.2012

This morning I headed out to Portland to watch a little BYU Baseball and visit my brother Eric. I am excited to be up here and see what Oregon has to offer. I miss seeing my brother, especially since I used to spend a lot of time with him when he lived only one hour away. This will be my first time visiting him since he moved up here a year and a half ago. He is attending law school. A good guy. It will also be fun to see Adam pitch for the first time in a real game!

But the real reason for this post. I need you all to know how thorough Salt Lake City Airport is on their security. Today I took off my boots, jacket, and sweater and put my electronics and liquids into a separate bin to be scanned. I stepped through a full body scanner that is like an x ray machine. That seems like a pretty clear inspection, right? Right. So I thought I was done. But then the gentleman asked me to stand on this yellow mark and wait for a second. I assumed they were going to double check my bag (its happened before) but then a woman walked up and said, "I need to check your hair.." I looked at her for a second and laughed, she was joking, right? And then she said, "If you just want to turn I can check your ponytail." Okay, she wasn't joking. She gave my pony tail a pat down! My hair is fairly thin, and wasn't even that poofy today, but she gave it a pat down for a second and then said, "Okay! Looks like you are good. I didn't find a switch blade!" So I turned around and said, "Good, I was worried someone hid one in there while I was waiting in line!" Then I turned back around put on my jacket, scarf, and boots, grabbed my liquids and put them back in my suitcase, and packed my computer back in the case and slid it into my carry on.

The exact pony tail I have been sporting since 5:30 AM today... looks dangerous, right?

Did that really just happen? Oh yeah... it did.
Love,
Deidre

Dear Peru,

3.20.2012

My office, One on One Marketing, is all about service. Out CEO started a charity called 5.12. It has been a fun experience to get involved in different service activities. Our most recent outing was cleaning a fire engine to send down to Peru. There is a small community in Peru that has a 150 year old volunteer fire crew who are in need of a fire engine. Our CEO (Nick) and the Orem Fire (Layne was in charge) department finally found an engine to send down to them. This engine belonged to Geneva Steel Plant and stayed on Steel plant property, never driving far or very fast, so the mileage is low and the condition is great for being 23 years old. When Geneva Steel closed in November 2001, a man, who collects historical pieces like WWII tanks and such, purchased the engine and stored it in his warehouse. When Layne and Nick were looking for a truck, this one was on the market and had everything, i.e, hoses, tubes, breathing apparatuses, etc. all intact which is very rare to find Layne and his team did a detailed check on everything and other than some major dust and dirt from sitting; the truck only needs a few repairs to be ready to ship to Peru. 

Reliving my glory days of cleaning tires at TDK Auto Service. 


A bunch of the One on One team working hard with brushes and 
dawn to get all the dirt and grease off of the fire engine.  

One on One's CEO (Nick) pumped to be out doing a little 5.12.  

The crew after finishing cleaning the fire engine and having a "small" water fight.  

So our team went to Orem and cleaned up the old truck and got it ready to send off to some people in Peru!

Love,
Deidre

Dear Movie Monday,

3.19.2012

Well. I was really excited to make a movie (the first ever Movie Monday) today... but things didn't go quite as planned over the weekend. I was planning on filming Adam's game Saturday but two things happened.... 1. My camera didn't charge and 2. Adam ended up not pitching (sad sad sad...) so I just filmed out relaxing Sunday. And Bret dancing in their living room... (which could be a video all by itself) Here you go. The first of many Movie Mondays.


What would you like to see on future Movie Mondays?

Love,
Deidre

Dear Easter,

We all love a little Easter in our lives, right? Well Saint Patrick's Day is done so put the clovers away and start pulling out your Easter eggs!

Jim Gaffigan put it best....


''Easter, that's a weird tradition.
Female voice: Easter, the day Jesus rose from the dead. What should we do?
Male voice: How 'bout eggs?!
Female voice: Well, w-what does that have to do with Jesus?
Male voice: Alright, we'll hide 'em.
Female voice: I don't...I don't follow your logic.
Male voice: Don't worry, there's a bunny.'' 

Here are some printables for you to add to your Easter festivities and decorations. Enjoy those bunnies...



But even more... remember the reason for the season.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Home Opener,

3.18.2012


Yesterday was BYU Baseball's home opener. It was freezing cold outside but really fun to be at the games. I sat with a few of the other players girlfriends and fiance (Gloria, Rachel, and Allie). I spent most of the time with Gloria, and it is always way fun to be with her. She is such a sweet girl and I have loved getting to know her this year. We are going to be travel buddies for any away games. BYU played a double header against Seattle, lost the first by one, won the second by seven. Wouldn't it be nice if they could take some of the runs from the second game and apply them to the first? Adam didn't pitch in either game, but I saw him throw a bullpen. He looked very impressive, so Portland better watch out!

Gloria and I waiting downstairs for Tanner and Adam to come out of the clubhouse.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Bracket,

You didn't do so hot this year.... and I am sorry to say.... I can no longer look at you. It was a rough go, but thank you for trying.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Movie Demo,

3.15.2012

I want to do this new thing called Movie Monday.... but I needed to practice to make sure it wasn't going to be stupid. So here is my test video and if I feel good about this all still on Sunday night, Movie Monday will start... Monday!

So first, I needed to make sure I actually knew how to piece together a movie, and my nephews were more than happy to help me.

Without further adue... here are my two oldest, studs of nephews.

                                                                                             Music: MGMT - Kids

Cute boys, right?

Love,
Deidre

Dear Date-Filled Weekend,

This post is long overdue... Like... so long overdue another weekend happened in between. I was waiting to post it until Adam went on his road trip (he was gone an ENTIRE week... lame) but then I ended up going home for 4 days and blogging fell in my forgetful pile. Either way, he is home now, and I can blog about how much fun we had two weekends ago before I blog about the dates he planned for this weekend! He claims they will be JUST as good. But we will see.

So Adam doesn't like sushi. Being from California, I feel like he should like it... but he swore he didn't. "I just don't like when the seaweed stuff is there..." He doesn't like the seaweed on the outside, because he didn't realize if the rice is on the outside the seaweed is inside. But I LOVE sushi. It is so yummy. So I made him a bet that if he came to sushi with me I would order rolls he liked and then we could both enjoy sushi from here on out. But I told him if he didn't like it we could leave and go eat somewhere else. Luckily he liked it, and I could enjoy one of my favorite things and so could he!

I got the privilege of teaching Adam how to use chopsticks.

The next night was "surprise date night" because Adam lost a bet... (the bet was he would strike out 10+ people, and I really hoped he would win the bet... next time maybe?) So Adam had to plan a surprise date. And it was fan-tas-tic. Really simple, but things we love. First we drove to Salt Lake to go to Chick-Fil-A. Which might sound lame, but we both love that place and the one in Sugar House is special to us because we went there after a monumental trip to California. Then we went for treats at Big H, a family favorite, so he could try their root beer. As soon as we left Big H he made me close my eyes while he drove me to "our final destination" to meet up with "someone I really love".... what the heck? I honestly sat in the front seat for 20 minutes while he drove around trying to confuse me. And confuse me he did. Finally he walked me out of the car, into a room and said, "Okay... open!" and we were at my brother Sean's house! I really love my family, and Adam knows that. So it was a great night talking to Sean and Jo, eating popcorn, spilling water (oops...), testing out the new basement set-up, and watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Pre-Date.
Eating popcorn at Sean and Jo's.

Working on his break dancing skills... 
or trying to get something from behind the couch... same same.

It was a great weekend. And I can't wait to see what he has up his sleeve for this Friday and Saturday. I am so happy he is here for a weekend and I finally get to watch him pitch!

Love,


Deidre

Dear March Madness,

3.14.2012

Alright. The madness has begun.... I just finished a few of my brackets. Does your bracket need a little loving? Do you struggle with what teams to pick because you can't remember their stats, mascot, or who has the coolest jerseys? Well... Here is a quick and easy fix to get your bracket going. Super easy to give you a fast template, then change your teams as needed before you submit...

Go to PickMyBracket.com and then you can pick the stat you think most important and the random factor you think most important... and TA DA! Bracket completed.

Did you know BYU is ranked number 2 for "Coed Hotness"?

I have my final 4 as.... Duke, Missouri, Kansas, and Syracuse... Duke and Syracuse going to the finals with Duke taking it all.

Obviously I am super proud of my Cougars... 25 point deficit to a win! That is what I call MADNESS.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Never Forgotten,

3.07.2012

You know those days when you are just down in the dumps? And you just want to cry? Or have someone wring out the inside of your head so it feels clear? When the only thing that you think will help is venting and complaining to everyone around you but after you let it all out you just feel worse for being a whiner? Okay... so maybe you don't... but today is one of those days. And I hate to point out the negatives... but we all have our days. For some reason things have just been hard the last couple days. Maybe it is because I am thinking about Miss Idaho coming up and how much work I need to do if I want to really succeed this year. Maybe it is because my boyfriend is going away for an entire week (again). Maybe it is because I feel sick a lot and just want to sleep even though I should be working out, cleaning my room, or doing some other productive thing.

One thing is for sure, I am not blogging this right now for you to feel sad for me. I am blogging this right now because I feel like I need to remind you of how lucky and loved we all are. I took a break to read a few blogs in hopes of finding out some more about KONY 2012 from someone's blog. But instead I stumbled across a small reminder of just how LUCKY I am in my friend Ashley's blog.


"Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love."

-Pres. Uchtdorf 



I am so grateful to have a Heavenly Father who not only loves me, but cares about me and my happiness. I am grateful to a family that has taught me of my divine nature. It is so easy to forget blessings and the Lord's hand in my life when I look for the negative, so I am grateful for the people around me that remind me of the positive. For the encouraging words from every direction always. I know I am a daughter of God, and he sees so many great things in me. He wants me to see those things in myself. I have great worth and I can accomplish so many things. Life is good. And I am never forgotten. And neither are you.

Love,
Deidre



Dear Girl Scout Cookies,

3.06.2012

Everyone loves Girl Scout cookies... let's be honest here. I have never ever in my whole life heard someone say, "Girls Scout cookies? No thanks... those are disgusting..." Because they are delicious. And I feel like I need to blog about how much I love them and this amazing app I just found because I cannot buy any cookies this year. Sad, right? I am super bummed. And I was actually going to buy a box of my very favorite Samoa cookies... but I can't. Because I need to kick my butt in gear. And it will just make them THAT much better next year. I hope. Some of my pageant friends' platform is involving Girl Scouts... and I always wonder, how do they just promote Girl Scouts and be with all those troops without ordering and eating one billion cookies? I would be so overweight with that platform. But my friends still have the most rocking bods I have ever seen. Swimsuit prelim winner bods. I am impressed with their self control, which obviously I have been lacking... but that is a different blog post for a different day. I was in Girl Scouts.. a Daisy and a Brownie. It is a great program and teaches girls a lot. I learned about service and camping. I was young so those are the only things I remember learning distinctly. But I also learned how to have confidence and be able to talk to people while I sold girl scout cookies. Which is what brings this post today. Help these girls by buying cookies from them and in turn help yourself with a delicious snack. And if you don't know where to get some cookies, download the Cookie Finder Application. 


Does it make you hungry for some Thin Mints or Tagalongs just thinking about it? Yeah... me too.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Ice Cream Cake,

3.05.2012

Well. Someone requested ice cream cake and then I decided I wanted it too.... I told you, I am easily persuaded to a yummy treat. So I made a whole cake yesterday for one delicious piece. And I could really only have one piece.... because I love myself, and I hate myself, but my diet starts tomorrow... Just kidding. But I am serious at the same time because I really am stepping away from sugar. It makes me feel sort of sick. But I love it so Adam will still be eating treats and I might be taking one bite every now and again so I don't binge on those crazy days. Especially with all the Easter (Cadbury Mini Eggs and Reese's Eggs) candy coming out... I need to put a stop to it now. Drawing my line in the sand when it comes to treats.



ICE CREAM CAKE

The Oreo Crust...
One package of Oreos
1/4 Cup butter

Crush up all the Oreos (a blender is easiest) and layer at the bottom of 9"x13" pan
Melt the butter and poor evenly over all the Oreos
Press the crust so it is even across the bottom of the pan
You cake bake the crust if you want, but it is not necessary (9 minutes at 350 degrees)

The Rest of the Cake...
1 Jar of Caramel Sauce
Half Gallon of Ice Cream (Pick what you want... I used Chocolate Chip)

Poor the entire jar of caramel sauce on the Oreo crust and put in freezer to harden for 10-15 minutes
Take the ice cream out of the freezer when you put the cake in so it is thawing and easier to spread
Once the caramel sauce has stiffened take the cake out and smooth the ice cream over the entire cake and put it back in the freezer

After about an hour the cake is READY! It is yummy as is, but even better when topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. This recipe is super easy and people tend to be impressed.

Does anyone else think of Ice Cream and Cake by the Buckwheat Boys when they think about this treat? Or is it just me? Maybe Twin Falls High School was the only place that played this song on a regular basis... Ice cream and cake and cake!

Love,
Deidre

Dear Mustache March,

3.02.2012

Mustache March... I welcome you. With open arms. Not because I love you, but because I must. There is no way around it. Mustache March is a way of life. So to all you females out there that struggle with kissing a mustached man... deal with it. You cannot escape. No one can. And maybe look for a man that can grow the manliest of man mustaches. Cherish that. Men... grow one if you can because you can never grow one any other month and have it be socially accepted without people thinking you are some sort of creep. The following men are not creeps, they are classy... for your viewing pleasure.




I mustache you a question... 
but I will shave it for later! 


I would love to stay but I really mustache.... must dash.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Revenge,

3.01.2012

Why are you going away until April? I mean... a month is not that long... but it is when I am that addicted to a show. What am I supposed to do every Wednesday night without a little Revenge to watch? For those of you that haven't seen the show, I recommend it whole-heartedly. If you like Prison Break, you will like Revenge. It is intense and suspenseful; every episode will leave you wanting more. Well we thought this week's episode was the season finale (should be since it is going M.I.A. for awhile) so my friend Haleigh hosted a Revenge party. And even though it wasn't the finale and there are 4 more episodes coming soon... the party was a success.


Haleigh is so creative. She had all sorts of treats and made signs for each one.

"Revenge is sweet" for cupcakes.
"Grapes of wrath" for grapes.
"Revenge is the ROOT of all evil" for root beer.
"The Poisonous Apple" for apples.
She also had blood-orange soda and other drinks with a sign that said, "Revenge is a dish best served cold."

It was a great night, and such an epic episode. Revenge... PLEASE come back to me.

Love,
Deidre


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