Piece by Piece

Today I bought this violin, it was only $20 so I didn't think it would be a problem. It's obviously missing some key parts here, so, for now, it's out of commission until I can get some extra body parts for it. It's a Bestler violin, whether that's good or not I have no idea. They go for anywhere between $120 to $200 and they're made in China. Nothing special but maybe I can make fix it and play it, I don't think anyone I know would ever be able to tell the difference. I also bought a miniature bookcase for our apartment, it was an anniversary gift to her. We put some books and candles on it and now it makes us feel slightly more at home in this little apartment. This thing is tiny though, which is good because we need smaller furniture so we don't feel crowded. In fact, this thing is meant to hold DVDs but it works great for our little living room. Piece by piece we're putting together the pieces to our home.

Before

After

I had to get the candles in there, they make it look like a piece from an old cryptic library.

Bridalogrophy

Did I mention that I'm getting married? Aril 11th 2017! What a great day to seal the deal. 11 happens to be my favorite number and April is just a great month for weddings in my opinion. We have had HEAPS of planning to do. Well, I will admit, she did most of it. Flowers, food, venues, color schemes, ties, shoes, suits, and dresses, etc. Winter semester basically flew out of our hands. Thankfully, we finish in a week! Most wedding plans are somewhat irrelevant to me. I don't mind whether we eat pork or chicken, what color she wants the flowers and table clothes, what flavor the cake should be, or even where we do everything. However, one thing I am very particular about is photos. Stunning photos are the only thing I will accept. When picking a photographer we looked at their styles, experience, personalities, and then pricing. After looking at what felt like hundreds of photographers we were referenced to a student in Provo Utah named Lily who takes photos. Her portfolio was mostly engagements and couples but we really liked her style. Her style is very warm and soft. Nothing over the top in regards to poses and techniques but nothing cliche either. She uses lighting very well and really incorporates sunsets. When we began our search our worry was that we would pick someone, then begin a photo shoot, and then realize we don't like their personality. Lily eased those worries with her friendly and warm attitude. Talking to her was a breeze and we didn't feel any hint of awkwardness which is SO important when taking photos. She was also the best-priced photographer we found. We booked her for engagements, bridals, and wedding day coverage. We even had her make a bouquet and flower crown for our bridal session. She is amazing. She's done shoots in Southeastern Idaho, Utah, and even further south than that as well. Please contact her for any photo work you need! This is her website. This is her Instagram. We are seriously in love with our photographer, and here are just a couple reasons why.

Canada!

The name of this beautiful portrait-esque scene is Waterton lake. From what we understood it lies within the boundaries of Glacier National Park, but on the Canada side, obviously. The scenery is AMAZING! The water sat completely still and reflected the picture of the mountains and overcast sky across the entire lake. There was snow in some spots but it never interfered with our picture taking endeavors. We parked the truck next to the Prince of Wales Hotel, which is a beautiful building where receptions and other fancy events are held (who knows how much that costs though). The weather was perfect. When we went we experienced the Canadian "chinook" which is basically just a fancy way of saying there was surprisingly warm air for this time of year.  A little farther down the road is the little town of Waterton where there is a hot dog place called Wieners. The popularity of this place and the recommendations of our Canadian friend brought us there for lunch. They cook big hot dogs but we were sadly disappointed, we didn't think they were any better than other good hot dogs we've had. All in all, Canada gave us plenty of reasons to come back. However, we'll probably go back in warmer weathers.

Dam!

The Colorado River! For thanksgiving, we kayaked the Colorado river starting from the Hoover Dam and going down to Willow Beach. It was about 11 miles and we rented the kayaks and canoe from Desert Adventures. It was definitely worth it. We stopped every once in a while at some beaches along the way and had snacks and lunches. There are some cool things like hot springs along the way. After the gaging station, there is a little cave called Emerald cave which was pretty cool as well. Overall it was just a nice little kayak down the river. The wind was in our favor, except for at the end which made it really difficult but it wasn't too bad.   

To sit, or not to sit

You haven't experienced Shakespeare until you've seen a play at The Shakespeare Globe Theatre. The actors are great and different all the time. So you can see different variations of plays and different actors when you go on different nights. The area displays dazzling lights outside of the building and offers stunning views of the Thames when leaving at night. However, if plays and uncomfortable seating bother you then I would be cautious. Because it was modeled after the original globe theater the seats and the set up aren't the greatest, but it is as authentic as it gets for a late 16th-century theater. Benches are made of wood and often the view is blocked by the support beams. Sitting on them for 2 hours can be difficult for some people. However, around the stage is an open area where anyone can stand, this can become quite comfortable after watching the first act sitting on a wooden bench. And when standing you are much more involved with the actors who sometimes (although infrequently) interact with the audience. They even come straight through the standing area to get to the stage. Honestly, I would suggest getting a cushion for 1 euro and a lemonade and ice cream at half time then changing your seats and standing up by the stage for the rest of the play.

Who can make the sun rise? The Candy Man can!

Fortnum and Mason is a sweet shop with the best ambiance in London. They have amazing decorations and put a mountain of work into their products. They sell everything from chocolates to ice cream and everything in between. It's all so delicious (except for curry flavored ice cream..) and the in-store experience is one you won't regret.

Abandon Ship!

There's a little area in London called "Little Venice" because they have all these long boats that float the canal here. It takes about 45 minutes and it's pretty relaxing. DON'T GO WITH "JASON'S TRIP"!! Those guys don't deserve your business. They're rude to everyone and really nasty sometimes. They treated us like crap and a bunch of other people too. There's not a whole lot of other boats floating the canal so they can get away with it. SOMEONE HAS TO STOP THEM! So if you can, go with someone else! It'll drop you off at a place called Camden market where you can buy cheap souvenirs.  And when I see cheap I mean low quality, not low price. There's a little food there too. It's not a huge variety and honestly, I didn't like anything I tried which was just a bunch of nasty candy. So good luck! Wow, this was a really negative review... I apologize.. it is the truth, though.