The other day I was driving down the freeway when I noticed a billboard that was proclaiming a grand opening and fashion show for a new company. When I looked a little closer to the billboard I noticed the new company was an OB/Gyn office.
2012.
It's a new year and I have a new resolve.
I know I usually post my resolutions for all to see, and even recap the resolutions from the previous year...but not this year. You see, I haven't even thought about and/or written down any resolutions.
Strange? Perhaps.
Lack of motivation? Absolutely.
However, I am happy to report that one tradition remains this year...and that is the tradition of having a quote and/or saying that I want to live by for the year. I found a really good quote from President Thomas S Monson, but it was so similar to my quote from last year that I wasn't really feeling it.
Then the greatest thing happened.
I went to dinner with my friends and we exchanged Christmas presents. My friend gave me a CD compilation with songs from a group called Fun. and another group called The Format. I started listening to the CD and stumbled upon this amazing song. At first I just thought, "Holy crap, this is a catchy song!" But then I started listening to the words...and I may have even gotten a tear in my eye because I just knew...this was it! This was my song and my theme for the year.
So without further ado, I give you a musical masterpiece for your listening pleasure, complete with lyrics:
"But Alayna, this is a song about a homeless man singing on the street," you may say. Yes, this is true. But the message resonated deep inside of me. It's exactly what I need to remember this year, because I have no doubt it's going to be an interesting year...
No matter how trying things may be, I just need to be calm. Especially with all the big, tough changes coming my way, I know that I will make it through if I just remember this message:
For the brothers and their families: 10 reasons why I love you chipboard albums, complete with pictures of me {and the person the book was about}. Not pictured...because by the time I was done making them, I was ready to start them on fire. And since they were covered in Mod Podge, they were highly flammable.
For the friends: miniature stuffed owls/birds. Super cute and super easy. In all honesty, I prefer them flat {pictured} rather than stuffed. But what can you do?
What I wanted to make for everyone I know, but only had time to make them for my AZ friends: flower pillows. Don't they just scream happiness??!! 
So, Christmas crafting was fun, but I'm glad it's over. I got some good stuff for Christmas as well. I am a lucky girl who is very much loved.
If you know anything about me, you know that I have a nickname. The full nickname is "They Call Me Lips," but usually I just go by "Lips." No further explanation is needed. So you can imagine my surprise when I woke up Christmas morning to this beautiful sight:
My very own lips shaped bean bag! Haha. I almost died. That Santa sure is a character...
And since I am going through a major pillow making phase, I had to make a cute pillow to adorn my bean bag chair. The pillow is not stuffed in the below picture, and my bedroom is a disaster behind the chair, but you get the idea. Cutey right?!
In other related news, my studly brother made my life complete by pawning off some stuff he didn't use anymore on me. He gave me his digital converter box...which means I now have basic cable, without having to pay for basic cable. Yay! Granted, it's only a few channels, but now I finally feel like I know what is going on in the world.
He gave me this beauty:
The piano I grew up playing on...just because he didn't want to bother moving it to their new place. It is such a dream to have a piano in my house! The non-full sized keyboard just wasn't cutting it. I LOVE IT!!!
And finally, he still has a use for this item, but let me borrow it to my heart's content during the holidays:
