proof of heaven

I just finished reading this 15 minutes ago and it has been one of my favorite books I've read this year. I attribute my appreciation for this largely to my religion and my firm, already-existing belief in an afterlife, but I think anyone would find Dr. Alexander's story uplifting and fascinating. Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife is Dr. Eben Alexander's account of his personal near-death-experience (NDE) and the miracle his body and mind underwent during his week-long coma. Dr. Alexander's recovery is a miracle in itself, but this was not even the most amazing part of his story. As a neurosurgeon, Dr. Alexander led his life as a staunch believer in science and medicine. He frequently heard stories from patients of their NDEs and other-worldly experiences, and politely acknowledged them, but completely discounted their credibility, knowing full-well there was no way these individuals actually experienced and saw the things they did. What I loved most about this book was the incredible transformation Dr. Alexander underwent after his coma. He makes beautiful statements about the reality of God and His love for each of His children, which are simple truths I've grown up believing, but when you see an extremely intelligent, grown man come to knowledge of these things, you realize the perfection of God. My heart was full reading this and it only increased my testimony of the Savior and Heavenly Father. 

Here is one of my favorite excerpts from the book:

Ultimately, none of us are orphans...None of us are unloved. Each and every one of us is deeply known and cared for by a Creator who cherishes us beyond any ability we have to comprehend. That knowledge must not longer remain a secret.

home is wherever i'm with you

the crafty one // spray paint // only animals i like // neuro shi // lungs, chest, invitation, penguin books, brains, penguin book // prettiest frame
A few months ago, Preston and I came to the realization that neither of us have any sort of home decorations. Lately we have been scouring Tumblr and eBay for ideas and items for our future walls. Last week we wandered into Restoration Hardware and (I) cried over how beautiful everything was. We left with a million more ideas for our little home. I hate crafts. If I can find a way to have someone else do it for me, or buy it, I will. Obviously I love the idea of a well decorated home and someday want one, but I think part of me sincerely believes it will happen on its own. Luckily, Preston is much more in tune with reality and has started accumulating and creating a great collection of things.

We are both obsessed with gold frames. It's gotten to the point where we go into a museum or watch a TV show and completely disregard a piece of art and comment on how gorgeous a frame is. We take frequent visits to DI and in addition to the book section, we hit up the picture frames. We've come back with a bunch, each under $4 or $5. My favorite find is the last picture and where we've decided to frame one of our wedding invitations. We envision an entire wall of different gold and white frames with prints and pictures special to us. I love the human body so I printed off some cool textbook diagrams and Preston "aged" them aka soaked them in coffee and baked them. We want to do the same with maps, architectural drawings and sheet music. I think framed dried flowers are so pretty and simple, so we're in the process of drying and flattening some to frame. Finally, we love antlers/taxidermy/dead animals. Preston found a great set of little antlers on KSL and recently purchased shark jaws on eBay. 
I gotta give most of the credit to my sweet fiance for our growing collection of decorations. I'm lucky to be marrying someone with such attention to detail and great deals. It makes me excited to think of decorating our own little place someday, wherever it may be.

fast food corrections

fast food nation by eric schlosser // the corrections by jonathan franzen
My book hangover has been cured! I recently finished both of these and thought they were excellent. Both completely different genres and styles, but kept my attention from the first page to the last.
Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation studied the positive and negative aspects of the American fast food meal. He featured all kinds of fast food places- McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, In-N-Out, Little Caesar's etc. What I enjoyed about this book was Schlosser's look at both sides of fast food- the good and bad. Here's the thing. I love fast food. I love McDonald's and In-N-Out is legitimately one of my favorite places to eat. Some nasty stories about undercooked meat in Colorado is not going to deter me from a $2.50 cheeseburger. Sorry. But, it was fascinating to learn about the origins of fast food and how they started as little food stands in southern California and can now be found in every corner of the world. What truly amazes me about the fast food industry is the universalization of it. A McDonald's Happy Meal varies very little whether it is bought in North Dakota or New Delhi. My favorite facts I learned were about none other than the delicious In-N-Out Burger. Did you know In-N-Out pays the highest wages in the fast food industry, managers stay with the chain an average of 13 years and full-time employees receive benefits packages including medical, dental, vision and life insurance? You would think these details would produce lower-quality food, but there are no freezers, heat lamps or microwaves in any In-N-Out restaurants. I always thought Californians/West Coasters were snobs when they talked about how much better In-N-Out was than any other burger, but I have to agree. This book is humorous, informative and entertaining- three rare qualities of nonfiction work.
Preston bought The Corrections from a used book website and in the front cover there was a lengthy handwritten note from the previous owner begging future readers to choose another book. It reminded me of the first chapter in every Lemony Snicket book. The previous owner went on and on about how depressing it was and the Lambert family was so negative and ungrateful and blah blah blah. I can't lie; the previous owner was absolutely right. This book was very depressing and frustrating and by the end, you hate every character. Like I previously mentioned, The Corrections was voted #1 on GQ's 21 Books From the 21st Century list, which was the main reason I chose to read it. Jonathan Franzen is an exceptional writer. He writes from the viewpoint of each family member and his combination of character banter and thought processes are too good and almost make up for the fact that his characters represent the worst of society. This book was smart, witty, funny, disturbing and probably accurately portrays a common American family dynamic. I predict this will be made into a movie starring Hollywood's finest and probably Meryl Streep as Enid Lambert.

anchors aweigh

nautical inspired // QT pie // grady the sailor // grady + boat // sick tat // utah lake

This weekend I fulfilled one of my longtime dreams of going sailing. My infatuation with the sport stems from the clothes. Sperrys are my favorite shoes and I love all things nautical inspired. I can't get enough of the striped shirts and little printed sailboats and anchors. I was excited to legitimately sport my anchor suit while sitting on a sailboat. Grady bought it this winter and grew up sailing, so this weekend he took us out to Utah Lake to test it out. Preston also has some sailing experience, so I basically stood around and watched them put everything together. There's a whole lot that goes into setting sail and a different language associated with it. There wasn't much wind, but it was so nice to just float on the water while the sun browned us. I'm looking forward to going a few more times these last few weeks before I go home.

summer reading series

book club // favorite ever // lavished // dreamy // re: stacks // 24/7

Today the Twilight Concert Series was announced. Such a sick lineup this year. I am most excited about The National! But almost every week looks excellent. In lieu of the Twilight announcement, today I want to announce my summer reading series. Sorry that connection was so lame but I just needed you to know I am both hipster and literate.

Ender's Game- Orson Scott Card
The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho
The Corrections- Jonathan Franzen
Fast Food Nation- Eric Schlosser
Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn
Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife- Eben Alexander
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me- Mindy Kaling
Middlesex- Jeffrey Eugenides
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle- Haruki Murakami
Diary of an Oxygen Thief- Anonymous
After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story- Michael Hainey
Midnight's Children- Salman Rushdie
Breakfast of Champions- Kurt Vonnegut

I know it looks pretty ambitious, but let's remember I am unemployed and graduated. I feel like I've been stuck with a book hangover after The Marriage Plot. Does that ever happen to you? You finish a great book and can't really get over it so everything you read after is kind of blah? Except I think I'm getting out of it with The Corrections. It was listed as #1 in GQ's 21 Books From the 21st Century Every Man Should Read and so far it is excellent, but depressing as hell. I hate every character. I'll probably write a review about it shortly.

2 days until Great Gatsby!! I re-read it at work last week and am so excited to see the modern-day interpretation. The soundtrack is awesome. What are y'all reading this summer? Any recommendations? Oh and if you don't have it already, you need to get a Goodreads account and use it. It has been so helpful in keeping track of everything I've read, seeing what my friends have read and deciding what to read next. Please get it and friend me. It's so cool I swear.