i'm back and here to stay!

What can I say besides...I'm back! And I hope I stick around this time!

Cross your fingers for me :)

Over the past while, I have been following and reading blogs like crazy. Every time I would check back for new posts, I'd think, "I really should start writing on my blog again..." but I didn't do anything about it until now. It's been a little while coming, but I've changed my blog up, added a few tweaks here and there  (in my case, it seems like the designing of a blog is the biggest obstacle to actually writing on it...I have to get it just right!), and I'm feeling rejuvenated.

Never in a million years could I update you on everything that I've been up to over the past year. 

But here's the short list:

1. BYU round 1: complete. BYU round 2: in process...going by way too quickly.

2. summer in Florida working at Disneyworld. best and hardest summer ever. occasionally felt like slave labor, but going to Disney whenever we wanted made the hard days worth it. made life long friendships who I honestly can't imagine not having in my life! Bryce, Brynne, Jamie, Amanda, Mallory, Meagan, y'all are THE best. 

3. currently "living the Riv". yes, that is my apartment complex's slogan, and my roommates and I most definitely live the Riv well. 

4. declared a major...exercise and wellness! totally unexpected, but totally perfect. I never would have thought even 4 months ago that I would be taking an anatomy class, but I'm loving it!

5. slaved away for BYU Catering, quit, and got hired as the receptionist for a dental office. best job ever!

So many things can change in a year, it is absolutely amazing! People drift out of our lives, but others also drift in that we can't imagine living without. What I was most worried about has completely changed, and I can't even remember all those old worries. That's a lesson right there in not getting too hung up on the here and now. Just be your best self and things will work out.

perspective

I have met so many people over the past year, and I have been influenced by each of them in countless ways. I was scared out of my mind a year ago for what the unknown future would hold, and I never could have imagined beforehand that I would be blessed with such a variety of life experiences that have helped me to mature, discover hidden talents, and grow into myself more. Each person and situation I have encountered have helped to mold me into the person that I am becoming, and I couldn't be more thankful for the unexpected turns that my life has taken up to this point. I can't wait to see what happens next! 

Join me in my adventures as I record my musings of life :)

until next time...peace and blessings y'all!

life is what you make it!

a better way to sell insurance.

Working on this week's assignment was definitely a little harder than I expected it to be. I feel like I constantly see ineffective and just plain annoying advertisments, but it took me awhile to remember what they were, and decide which one I thought was least effective.

That said, I narrowed down my category to INSURANCE COMMERCIALS. Almost every commercial done by various insurance companies, whether it be Progressive, State Farm, Allstate, American Family, or Geico, drives me a little crazy. I have had my fill of Flo from the Progressive "shopping center" or whatever that's supposed to be, and I feel like the Geico Gecko is getting pretty old and worn out. 

However, I would gladly live with the Geico Gecko than watch this ad campaign from them, which I feel like could not get any more stupid. See for yourself:

1. Not your daddy...

2. A new gecko...

3. Weird animals...

I think these ads are ineffective because their attempts to show what level of stupidity can be reached by a commercial "made in just 15 minutes" were not clever (at least to me), but just ridiculous. The message they're trying to send is very clear--that you can save money on your car insurance in just 15 minutes rather than waste time making a commercial like the one we wasted time on--but watching the commercials is a waste of time on my part...so...what makes any of this wasted time an effective way to advertise?

Now, as far as an alternative goes, Geico can still capitalize on the idea that it takes very little time to save significant money on car insurance when working with them. In my opinion, the audience that is going to be most interested in finding a way to save money in such a short period of time is the type of people that use their time wisely--they are busy, their days are scheduled out, everything is written down in day planners, etc. The people that don't use their time as efficiently could probably care less whether getting insurance takes them 15 minutes versus a couple of hours.

That said, Geico could make a print ad (I only ever see commercials for Geico...not a lot of print stuff) that could just be very clean and simple, and there could be a page shown out of someone's day planner that is just chockful of various responsibilities, errands, jobs, that this person has to accomplish. There could be one open slot that Geico could slip their name into, and a tagline could be something like "Think you don't have time to ensure your safety? You'd be surprised what we can do in just 15 minutes." Geico...it's a pretty unfinished/rough idea, but I think that sort of message could work for them. 

let the games begin.

The time for March Madness has arrived! I was working Dancesport this weekend, and one of the few things I saw besides dancers covered in self-tanner, hairspray, and glitter, was this commercial:

chocolate vs. peanut butter

I thought this was pretty clever when I saw it. March Madness doesn't have nearly the same magnitude as the Superbowl does, but both events spur the creation of sponsor ads that tend to be more creative than the typical commercial. It's interesting seeing what new ways sponsors come up with to connect their product or brand with whatever event they are being associated with--whether it be the Superbowl, the Oscars, March Madness.

Best of luck on your brackets this month!

I'd like to thank...

Kodak Theatre. Red Carpet. Academy Awards. Oscars.

Each year, the Academy Awards (not Valentine's Day) is the highlight of my February. It's such a classy night, and the whole evening represents the essence of glamour: the tuxes, the gowns, the music, the stage, the presenters (well it's hit and miss), even the envelopes, the Oscar itself. All these talented actors, actresses, directors, screenplay writers, costume designers, composers, musicians, come together to celebrate each other's amazing achievements of the year. Aside from occasional red carpet interviews with the latest Hollywood sensations (who was it last year...Miley...Zac...Vanessa...) this night recognizes only the great talent in the film industry. I certainly watch and enjoy my fair share of chick flicks and "fluff" movies, but the Oscars is almost like a breath of fresh air from the endless crowding of movies that now open in handfuls nearly every weekend.

Maybe I should confess that I am not a huge film buff, so I still haven't seen some of the Best Picture nominees (The King's Speech is next on my list, though!), but I think you can still recognize great art even when you just get a glimpse of it.

I haven't seen many movies that really make me emotional...and the ones that have are all pretty different. They range from Life is Beautiful to We Are Marshall (a football movie that makes me tear up...I can't explain it)...Gone With the Wind to The Blind Side. So, knowing this about myself, you would be surprised about how easily watching the Oscars gives me the goosebumps! But in all honesty, watching the opening...the various tributes paid to actors/actresses/directors goneby...the acceptance speeches...the finale...it all gets to me! It's sounds kind of ironic, seeing as this is the biggest night in all of Hollywood, but I think watching all these people accept their awards allows you to see a very real side of who they are--despite how small those moments are. The truly talented people aren't usually found in the tabloids, but endless rumors and pictures still circulate of most of them. This definitely conditions me to an idea of all these big-name people as superstars...something bigger than I am...but when you listen to their speeches, hearing who they thank in front of millions of people, they sound a little more like you and me!

To list my Top 5 from last night:

1. Sandra Bullock--she is always beautiful, classy, graceful, witty--she is who needs to be the next Oscar host.

2. Colin Firth--I can't believe this was his first Oscar! He is one talented man.

3. David Seidler--original screenplay for The King's Speech--"My father always said to me, I would be a late bloomer. I believe I am the oldest person to win this particular award...I accept this on behalf of all the stutterers throughout the world. We have a voice, we have been heard.

4. Tom Hooper--directing for The King's Speech--talking to his mom he said, "with this tonight, I honor you, and the moral of the story is listen to your mother." :)

5. Aaron Sorkin--adapted screenplay for The Social Network--talking to his daughter: "Roxy Sorkin, your father just won the Academy Award, I'm going to have to insist on some respect from your guinea pig." (my sister recently got a pet guinea pig, so this made us all chuckle a little) :)

Besides Melissa Leo's unfortunate slip-up during her acceptance speech (not classy in the least bit, my friend), a mediocre hosting job by James Franco and Anne Hathaway, an okay mix of presenters, and some interesting fashion choices (as always)..

it was an enjoyable night!

new beginnings.

Hey there friends.

I know it's been awhile, but I'm back. And really that's all that matters now.

Right off the bat, I should tell you that the main reason I'm finally writing is not out of my own will. It's actually part of my advertising class this semester. However, it'll get me back into the habit of writing! And then, maybe I'll finally take some time to attempt at making my blog at least half as cool-looking as the blogs that I follow.

It's all about new beginnings though, correct? Yes.

Speaking of beginnings, this post is taking me forever to write, because I don't have a clue as to where I should start! Let's see, since we last talked, I have:

1) gone to college and completed one full semester at BYU. check.

2) done well in all of my classes. check.

3) and found myself a job for summer 2011. disneyworld is all that needs to be said. check.

This coming summer is basically as far ahead as I've thought, but I would say finding a summer job already is quite an accomplishment!

Anyways...

advertising. If you had asked me 1 year ago...6 months ago...even 3 months ago...what major I was interested in pursuing, I wouldn't have had the slightest idea of what to tell you. I liked to tell people psychology for awhile, just because I kind of had a slight interest in it...at one point...maybe. Get my drift? Really, come on, I just used that as my go-to answer when all those adults, friends of your parents, neighbors, etc, start asking you about your life plans...before you leave for your freshman year of college!

I have yet to figure out my 4 year graduation plan. The life plan is going to have to wait a bit!

Okay, I was going somewhere with this...advertising!

My only formal introduction to advertising was one part of one lecture during one Comms 101 class. That is all. An advertising professor came and introduced the program and really all I thought was, "I like this. It's neat." Advertising simply intrigues me. Despite my dad's attempts to train me differently, I have always fallen for an endless array of toys, movies, games, and whatever else has hooked me because of their ads. I was the kid who woke up super early every Saturday morning to watch cartoons, and almost as good as the cartoons were all those commercials for cool new toys or snacks for your lunch! Remember those!? And look what I found...

WATCH THIS!

WATCH ME TOO!

Those commercials were classic, and I fell for every one of them! Each one did its job; they left me wanting that cool new toy or that super sugary cereal.

Unfortunately my parents didn' succomb to the power of these ads as easily.

Despite my intrigue and fascination with this field, I am stepping into unfamiliar territory with this advertising class. It's not anything I've learned before, so I have no background. I don't know that I'll be "good" at it...or get a "good grade"...(because we all know that's what really matters in the big scheme of things), but I'm trying something new. Something that interests me. I can't say that I have a passion for advertising or anything of that sort...yet. That's still up in the air, but I am finally starting somewhere! I'm starting to figure out where I'm taking my life...or where it's taking me...

One ad class at a time.

In the spirit of advertising, I'll leave you with one of my favorite ads. I'm sure almost everyone is familiar with it, but I just think it's genius. Enjoy!

CLICK ME.

So. It's the final countdown. Dun dun dun!

Hey guys! So it has been FOREVER since I've updated y'all on the happenings of missshelbyanne, so I am here to make up for lost time. So many things have gone down since I last wrote!

Let's start off with, I leave for college 1 week from today. Scary much? I think so. But am I ready much? I most definitely think so.

So.

Since last time, my dear, wonderful, amazing friend Daniel Rabanales left on his mission to the El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize mission. It was a wonderful farewell, and I definitely miss him, but he is exactly where he should be. This is such an exciting thing for him! He will be an AMAZING missionary. Daniel is the very first missionary I have known to leave where I have been directly connected to him through my own friendship, not through other friends or acquaintances. That aspect of his leaving reminded me yet again that I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm so happy for Daniel and am really proud of him. :) It's also been a lot of fun writing to him!

So.

Remember how last time I went on and on about my obsession with to-do lists? There's a reason for that obsession, because I've actually done just about everything I had on that list!

I have:

had the AC fixed in the Mini Cooper. I no longer sweat profusely after 10 minutes in the car, and am happy to give people rides again! I felt bad making passengers suffer through the sweating with me.

obtained most of my stuff for my BYU dorm room. :) I must say I think it will be quite a cute little pad. I've also been having fun being arts and crafts-y lately making bulletin boards and room decor these past few days.

bought my ALL-SPORTS PASS!!! AH!!! So stoked.

A JOB!!!

I believe that needed extra emphasis, because I'm so unbelievably happy things worked out with finding a job so quickly! I sent in my first application a week ago from today, and today I got a job offer! It was only the 4th job I had applied for too! So starting this fall, look for me at Lavell Edwards Stadium, seeing as I am a new member of the Event Staff for BYU football games. In my opinion, best. job. ever. At least up until now in my life.

....I got braces....

I don't really want to elaborate. It's not the best news in the world. They should be done with in a year, but hopefully sooner. Cross your fingers for me!

I'm getting nervous for college. I hope I can handle all the change and the new environment. I hope that I make lots of new friends, but I also really hope I can stay close to all my other friends. I hope that my RA doesn't "report" me or whatever on dress code issues. I hope my mom doesn't pack up my room. She said she wouldn't :) I hope that I take lots of risks and let myself be adventurous! I hope that I try as many new things as I possibly can. I hope I don't complain about hard situations and such, even though I might, just because everyone says college years are some of the best and most exciting years of your life. I don't want to waste time complaining; I want to enjoy every part of this next stage of my life.

I can't believe I will soon officially be a BYU COUGAR!!!! Well, technically, I am since I have my ID card! haha

But really, this event has been 18 years in the making, and I am STOKED.

If you ever visit, I should be relatively easy to find. I'll be the hysterical, die hard BYU student/superfan.

Ya gotta love it! That's the only way to look past it's weird caffeine and dress code issues and laugh. :)

I promise I'll write back soon.

bye peeps :)

An ode to To-Do lists.

hi y'all! how are ya?

So my summer isn't exactly winding down (well it sort of is), but it's getting to that point where it feels like I have (or I wish I had) a lot more time left than I actually do. Tomorrow I hit the one month mark of having exactly one month until I go down to school which is freaky to think about! And between now and then, so much needs to be accomplished, but there's also so much that I would like to do with my friends! Who knows where we will all be next summer, and a ton of guys will be gone or leaving on missions!!

At this point in time is when I tend to fall easily into panic attacks about getting everything done, despite my best efforts to stay calm. So what do I resort to?? A most wonderful thing known as....a To-Do List!!!! I can tell already how thrilled you are.

If you are not familiar with the calming powers of to-do lists, I urge you to experiment with it and try it at home. Don't you want to experience that wonderful feeling of checking everything off and throwing that little piece of paper in the trash? And then what happens? You start all over again! This is intense, I know.

I will now give you a near-perfect example of how your to-do list should look (or maybe I just really need to write mine down since I haven't done that yet...)

Shelby's Pre-College To-Do List

• buy/obtain everything that will be needed to furnish dorm room
• buy my ALL SPORTS PASS! may not seem all that important, but it's at the top of my list...
• create a resume...start applying for on-campus jobs in August
• need a laptop/printer!
• have orthodontist fix teeth and broken retainer
• attend family reunion
• read some books ;)
• prepare for orchestra audition!?! ah!!!
• finish my Personal Progress...it's a church thing
• fix broken AC in the Mini Cooper
• return lots of emails to people that I haven't written back to yet

this could probably go on and on, but my brain is not fully functioning at the moment. but trust me, writing lists is so cathartic. you never know, you might just be missing out on the one thing that's stopping you from keeping your busy life in order!

I do live a slightly more exciting life than just writing lists for myself, I promise!

What's in store for this week? (or the next several...)

1. Watch season finale of True Beauty with crappy television friend. name: wes turner. he's a cool kid :)

As for this TV show, it's a classic, let me tell ya. Check it out on hulu! haha

2. See Inception? Despicable Me?

3. Hang out with LISA BLUTH!!! one of my really close friends from Georgia who's coming out for a visit :)

4. Go to an epic family reunion over the 24th of July. When the Williams clan gets together, we party hard. It can get dangerous. haha

well that was random. and there's even more!

this video is a must see. made by byu students advertising the library, but by doing a parody of the Old Spice commercials.

until next time...enjoy your summertime!

they must be French...no sense of queuing.

hello there blogging peeps. it's been awhile.

I never mentioned anything before I left...I just spent the last two weeks in France!

we were 3 peas in a French pod.

:]

There were SO many things that we did and that happened to us, but I won't bore you with a long and drawn out description..haha.

Instead, I'll try and summarize everything into a few things for each day. Sound good? okay :)

And as always, pictures make everything better :)

Day 1. 06.24.10

• transported to airport via shuttle (I promise it gets more exciting than this!) with our somewhat overpacked luggage
• stop at the skyclub, which involves getting individual packets of nutella. word of advice: never pass up an opportunity to eat nutella!
• we board the plane only to discover...on this 9 1/2 hour flight straight to Paris...there are NO little TVs in the seatbacks! It was a bit of a sad moment for Olivia and me.

Olivia and I were a bit distraught with the TV situation

Day 2. 06.25.10

• arrived at our Paris apartment on la rue Washington--right off the Champs-Elysees. very awesome. but...at night we did discover that the street never seemed to sleep. from trash men in the middle of the night...to drunks singing in the street after leaving the hookah bar(?)...it was seldom quiet. It was a way fun apartment none the less. :)
• first attempt at speaking: ordered a Coke Zero..got a glass of wine instead? better success to come?..hopefully!
• jet lagged beyond belief! went to sleep around 5 pm...wide awake by 9! we went to the Eiffel Tower and it looks gorgeous when lit up and all the twinkling lights come on. the base was full of entertaining crowds going crazy about World Cup games and watched an MJ tribute dance group! see for yourself!

Day 3. 06.26.10

• first day of exploring the city: figuring out Metro stations. started at Notre Dame but closed for gigantic religious service. Latin Quarter. found the coolest bakery ever! so cool you couldn't take pictures of the delicacies! haha. first lunch experience at a Parisian cafe, but not just any cafe--Les Deux Magots! Hemingway's favorite. boat ride on the Seine.
• coincidentally...it was Gay Pride day. as we were on the boat ride, we saw the gigantic parade going through the streets.
• saw another street dance group! they were demanding tips before they would perform so we donated a euro haha.
• found Shakespeare and Company! a completely English bookstore. I bought Emma by Jane Austen. i'm attempting to read all of Austen.
• food is EVERYWHERE in the Latin Quarter! anything and everything you want is there!
• one last thing, found a French equivalent to Red Mango! everything must be right in the world :)

Day 4. 06.27.10

• went to church in Paris. it was so completely different from anything in Utah or anywhere in the U.S. it was located in a courtyard behind these giant doors that were totally unmarked. we never would have found it if we hadn't followed people in haha.
• got to Notre Dame. it's crazy how old that place is and how detailed and intricate every speck of it is!
• went to Montmartre and walked up to Sacre-Coeur (sacred heart cathedral). artists EVERYWHERE! I think this was my favorite place we visited in Paris. unlike Utah, there aren't many places where you can get a view of the whole city and this was one of them.
• we ate at what one lady told us is supposedly the oldest cafe in Paris. i'm not sure if that's true...but it was good! one of the best meals we ate! haha my family is not a "food-y" family, so despite being in Paris, we tended to scrounge for food. this cafe was a nice break from that!

Day 5. 06.28.10

• most random day of the trip! started out planning on going to the Louvre but we walked in through what appeared to be a mall attached to the museum. of course we got distracted, so by the time we had to decide whether to see the museum or not...well we were tired, both my mom and I had already seen it, Liv probably wasn't old enough to enjoy it yet...so we left and went out to the Tuileries gardens. I know, it's quite lame and a bit embarassing, but we enjoyed ourselves!
• btw, the fanciest bathrooms I've ever seen in the Louvre! it's a business! you have to pay, and there are all sorts of souvenir stuff you can buy...from the toilet! intriguing i know haha.
• posed with the statues.
• found a little carnival that was going on and took a ride on the Air Swings! rather refreshing :)
• went to the Marais district and did some shopping. it used to be the Jewish district of Paris.

you are looking at some mighty fine array of colored toilet paper. take your pick!

Day 6. 06.29.10

• one word here: VERSAILLES.
• favorite part of the Paris area, hands down.
• it is incredible! especially the gardens. the whole idea of Marie Antoinette's fake farm village is totally crazy, but it's very quaint!
• Marie Antoinette's own miniature palace, the Petit Trianon, was actually my favorite palace on the grounds.
• the title of this post actually comes from this day. a British couple was behind us while we were in line for tickets, and all these people were just cutting the line. we noticed it before on our trip that there seemed to be no sense of order for things like this, so it was quite humorous that other people noticed and felt the same way!

Day 7. 06.30.10

• last day in Paris. by this point we were definitely ready to be done with the city and move on to the quieter and less crowded countryside.
• went "shopping" at Les Galleries Lafayette and Printemps, 2 gigantic department stores with ONLY high fashion designer items for sale. I wouldn't be surprised if the least expensive item in either of these places was around 2oo or 300 euro. insane.
• we didn't buy anything. haha :)
• went up the Eiffel Tower but only went up halfway because of congestion :(

yeah, we pose with underwear mannequins with hundreds of people watching. we're just cool like that :)

eating lunch on the ground outside the fancy schmancy stores

Day 8. 07.01.10

• driving to Normandy in the North!
• stayed in a little town called Bayeux--where the William the Conqueror tapestry is kept
• cutest place ever. :) need I say more? plus I'm getting tired and trying to make these shorter...haha

Day 9. 07.02.10

• Normandy WWII sites. Omaha Beach. American cemetery. Le Point du Hoc. St. Mere Eglise. Beautiful, incredible, inspiring. The USA is pretty amazing.

Day 10. 07.03.10

• rather unexciting day. travel day back to Paris. return rental car. take TGV train south to Nice. 6 hours on a train causes insanity and the other people in the car to think you're a FREAK! I guess it's okay though, I tend to be one of those every now and then. haha :)

what a candid photo looks like after waking up from an incredibly uncomfortable nap

Day 11. 07.04.10

• happy 4th of july! unfortunately we had no celebrations :(
• first day in Nice! beach city! hot! humid! the mediterranean! a beach that was literally all pebbles...no sand whatsoever.
• went through the flower market! mmmm...smelled so good. ate the best olives of my life. of course there is always good ice cream to be found.
• went to the beach! definitely hard to get used to walking on the pebbles, but we semi-adjusted to it. haha
• we found the best breakfast place in Nice! smoothies and chocolate chip muffins--some of my faves.

totally made out of marzipan!

Day 12. 07.05.10

• went to Monte Carlo, Monaco (its own country!)
• Monaco is only 2 1/2 miles long and 900 yards wide, yet they have not one, but 2 Prada stores in that space. along with every other major name you can think of. gucci. valentino. hermes. cartier. chanel. louis vuitton. it was neverending.
• we found a sit-down Haagen Daaz place with all these fancy desserts on the menu, but you couldn't order half of them! they were all out of fresh fruit and some of their base ice creams like cookies n' cream, so we just resorted to normal scoops. look at the picture to see their definition of ice cream served in a cone...haha.

the all-famous james bond monte carlo casino

i'll have a cone, please?

our favorite "nature" chips! haha

Day 13. 07.06.10

• My sis Olivia was sick. some sort of stomach bug. :( we spent the whole day in the hotel room, but didn't go crazy! haha
• watched Fashion TV for most of the day since it was the only English channel. read. wandered. managed to find an internet connection and succumbed to the temptation of facebook.
• basically, we figured out that most runway clothing is quite ugly. it was quite informative.

what happens to you after a full day in a small, enclosed space

sick olivia :(

Day 14. 07.07.10

• last day in Nice. went to a little town close to Nice called Eze. dates back to the medieval era. went on a tour of the town's perfume factory, Fragonard, that makes perfumes that go all over the world! got to test some and take some home :)
• traveled back to Paris on the TGV. that train ride is so long. there's nothing else to say about that.

our favorite breakfast stop!

waiting in the Nice train station with NO air conditioning

Day 14. 07.08.10.

• took a plane to utah! home sweet home :)
• the night before we were given the hotel suite...it was awesome! biggest hotel room i've ever stayed in!

well, that kind of took me FOREVER. but hopefully y'all will enjoy it!

miss shelby anne is back though, safe and sound! :)

bye for now! :)