when money is tight.

what do you do when you're tight on money but need your bangs trimmed?

ask M to do it.

seriously- M just trimmed my bangs that were ever-so-annoyingly poking the whites of my eyes.

it feels soooo much better.
i can actually see again without little jagged whispies stabbing me every other second.

(i know you're asking yourself, does it look better? well, only a good shower and style will tell.)

thanks M.
you're such a manly man.

xoxo

another chapter CLOSED.

i've been m.i.a.

why, you ask?

because we've been partying hard and celebrating good times. because M is officially a college graduate.



(insert WOO-HOO, hallelujah chorus, and pomp and circumstance here)

i'm so proud of him.
he looked so smart in his cap & gown & robes.


it was such a wonderfully long weekend (starting Wednesday) with family and friends..
(thank you to all our family and friends who celebrated with us and made M feel so loved. it was so nice to spend time with all of you!)


a special shout-out to M's brother, Mark. he flew out from Boston to celebrate with M. thanks for making the trip, Mark! it was so fun to see you.


anyway, throughout the weekend,


we ate good food.


we laughed until we cried.



we hugged.



we kissed.


we smiled.



and we ate more good food.

Ellie was so proud of her daddy, too.
she gave him lots of hugs.


and kisses.


she was very enthralled by his tassel.


and then needed a break to eat a flower or two...


and of course, bang on the most dangerous thing in sight...an electric box that said "DANGEROUS, HIGH VOLTAGE."


and while it was all so fun, i can't help feeling a little bit...sad.

i know, i know, you're probably like, "holy cow! how could you be sad to be done with college debt and penny-pinching?"

well, i guess i'm just already tired of growing up. i'm tired of saying good-bye. i'm sad to think of leaving this little place that has been so good to M and me...it is where it all began! so many memories. maybe i'm having a little bit of an identity crisis?? do i define myself as a BYU student or a BYU student's wife? and now i'm not a BYU student or a BYU student's wife...but rather a BYU fan...and an accountant's wife instead (how did this happen??)? eek. maybe i'm not ready to be this new identity. maybe i'm not ready for it really to all be over yet.

i know,
it's not over yet.
in fact, it won't officially be over till M starts his career in september.
and that's not for 5 months.
SO.
even though i have 5 weeks left of school...
let the party begin.

can't stop thinkin about this:

sorry there's nothing but audio.

but even with just audio, i'm lovin' it. kris sings to me. he's quickly becoming my fave.
and really, who'd have thought i'd LOVE disco night?
American Idol is weird that way. anyways,
oh, and for the record, i'm not a fan of Anoop.
Or Lil.
AT ALL.
let's hope they go home tonight. :)

what'd you think of last night?
xoxo

what's on my mind at 8:57 this morning.

sometimes i wake up with a mind-ful. and then i go throughout my day thinking non stop. and then i go to bed and toss and turn with my crazy thoughts.

this morning i keep thinking of what kathleen kelly says in you've got mail, "sometimes i wonder about my life. i lead a small life. well, not small, but valuable. and sometimes i wonder, do i do it because i like it, or because i haven't been brave? so much of what i see reminds me of something i read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? i don't really want an answer. i just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. "

so this morning, i'm going to send my cosmic thoughts out into the void.

• M graduates this week. as in, he receives his degree this week. he is on his way to take his last final and pick up his graduation robes. i'm so proud of him and all of his hard work these last few years. on that note, our time at BYU is growing short. everyone keeps asking me if i am sooo excited- and yes, we are so excited...but i can't help but feel this tinge of sadness thinking of this BYU chapter coming to a close. Provo has been so good to our little family...and while everyone jokes about "the happy valley," i'm going to miss it. a lot.
• i really miss carelessly eating a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch...or eating a powdered sugar donut in one bite like i did when i was a kid. when did my metabolism slow down and not burn of those calories the way it used to?
• i'm learning lots of words in other languages, thanks to baby einstein. but i keep going around and these words pop into my head...like "agneau" (french for lamb) and "tutzi" (i don't know if that's how you spell it, but that's how it sounds...and i don't even know what language it is, but it means belly button) and "abeja" which is Spanish for bee. i also can recite the entire "cow jumped over the moon" poem in Spanish. yeah, baby einstein is teaching me some pretty useful stuff.
• along with baby stuff, i'll just throw this one out there- i constantly have to restrain myself from eating the jar of bananas/banana-strawberry food i buy for Ellie...i love that stuff. i know to the normal being that's gross..but to me...it isn't. ok?
• i have over 10,000 pictures of Ellie now. i'm very overwhelmed by scrapbooking, to say the least.
• why did they have to bring tony almeida back on 24 and make him bad? i really liked him...and i hate how 24 makes you hate everyone you once liked (minus jack bauer, that is). having said that, this season has been amazing.
  
• thinking of moving to San Francisco in less than 4 months makes me smile and want to barf in the same breath. i have major anxiety over this one.
• i'm in love with the sunshine. and get mad at jodi saeland of fox 13 news when she even mentions the words "storm" or "rain." poor jodi. it's not like she made the rain...but i still feel like i have to get mad at someone for it.
  
• kindergarten is winding down. i'm mixed emotioned because i've loved this phase of life- my kindergarten students are wonderful. me co-workers are my friends. having said that, i am having a really hard time leaving Ellie anymore. my heart is at home. and while i know i'll look back and miss this, i'm ready to become a homemaker.
• my house is messy. and i want it to not be messy. but, you see, there's a baby who lives in my house...who loves to destroy everything in her path...and fortunately for me, her path includes every nook and cranny of this little 2 bedroom apartment. please, do you have any tips for me on this? she's into EVERYTHING (which i love) but it also makes for a chaos. and living in chaos is...well, chaotic.
• i think about eating frozen yogurt probably 9 times a day. M and i have come to the conclusion that there are addictive substances in the frozen yogurt. someone please prove this for me.
• seeing my brother and sister-in-law have a baby has made me think about it again for the first time. i'm freaking out about that.
• i'm already tired of doing laundry and there are only 3 of us..and i am only 23. my future of laundry-doing feels daunting and bleak.
• why do they do disco night every year on american idol? it's always THE WORST. i can only imagine what adam will do tonight...
  
• why can't i see and hang out with all of you whenever i want, family and friends?

ok, i think that's it for now.
thanks for taking a dive..or doing a canon ball, rather, into my psyche with me.
xoxo

an ellie post that turned into a rosalie post that turned back into an ellie post.

like i said a few days ago, ellie turned 10 months.
10 months.
i know that i'm getting redundant saying that Ellie is getting big so fast....and that i want her to stop growing.
but it's not that i don't like my baby growing up so much as it is i don't like the thought of ellie not being my baby anymore. i don't know if there is much of a difference, but whatev.

this past weekend, my brother and sister-in-law welcomed their first baby into the world. welcome to earth, Rosalie Rae. and congratulations, sean & courtney. we're so happy for you three!


she is such a peaceful little thing...she hardly even cried when she was born! and she's teenie- 6 pounds, 12 ounces, 19 inches long (compared to my 8-niner and 21 incher). i've loved holding her and remembering all the feelings and emotions that come with just having experienced the most amazing, exhausting, exhilarating process of your life. it's made me think of when Ellie was just born...and just how amazing my life has become these last 10 months because of her.

so, what's Ellie like at 10 months, you ask? let's see:

she still puts everything in her mouth- eating dirt and every gross small crumb you can imagine on the floor.
she has 5 teeth.
she loves taking apart things...like taking out all of the towels of the bottom drawer, or destroying the dvd rack, or throwing all of my shirts out of my drawer. for this, we adoringly refer to her as "the destroyer."
she loves walking along things...but still shows little interest in taking steps on her own.
she laughs hysterically at peek-a-boo games. her laugh can brighten any day.
she looovvves ducks. why? i don't know. but she does.
she loves to be outside- on walks, crawling on the grass, swinging on the swings...anything outside is heavenly.
she looovvvees books. especially karen kantz peek-a-boo books. even though she destroys those, too (by ripping all the flaps off).
she still loves baby einstein...and is basically in a trance every time that caterpillar comes on the screen.
she waves, claps, does the sign for "more," and most recently, gives peace signs, taught to her by her uncle Sean.
she is VERY attached to me.
she is saying so many new words: duck, mama, dada, mimi, dog, hi, no
she crawls lightening fast.
she loves eating pasta and pizza and cheese and all sorts of new foods (minus veggies. what's up with that?)
she lets us sing her to sleep now, which is sooooooooooo wonderful. i love it.
she loves being in new places. but mostly loves to explore them. which is tricky in places like the grocery store...
she still HATES the car. ugh.
she loves music. most recently, she loves the itsy bitsy spider, and even imitates the hand movements to it.

anyway, to commemorate my sweet little Ellie, i thought i'd do a little "10 things i hate about you" inspired by one of my favorite movies from high school: 10 things i hate about you:

(drrrruuummmm rolllll)

dear Ellie,

1. i hate how you keep growing. everyone is getting sick and tired of me saying "she keeps getting bigger" and "i don't want her to grow up," so will you stop now, please? you're cute enough already.
2. i hate how you i have to leave you every day...even though i know its with daddy or gammy. i wish i could spend every minute of every day watching you learn new things and experience the world together.
3. i hate how sometimes i have to let you cry yourself to sleep because you won't let me hold you and sing you to sleep. don't you know i want to hold you and love on you all the time?
4. i hate hearing you cry ANYTIME. it still breaks my heart every time.
5. i hate how i have to give you vegetables even though you hate them...and that i can't just give you candy and ice cream all day long.
6. i hate how no matter how hard i try, i think about you all day long- like if you'd like to eat this, or if you'd look cute in that, or what we will do when this happens, or yadda yadda yadda.
7. i hate how every time you do something gross like barf in my hair or poop in the bathtub, it's not as gross as it should be...but rather quite funny and oddly endearing.
8. i hate how you make me work so hard for your giggles and laughs...because they are medicine to my soul.
9. i hate you how sometimes you bonk your head real hard and get real big bruises because i wasn't right there to catch you when you fall.
10. but mostly i want you to know, i don't hate you or anything about you. not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.

love,
your mama


she's a cutie, isn't she??
xoxo

a driver's license saga.

this is me thanking you for de-lurking yourselves yesterday.
i feel so loved.
and refreshed.
and re-inspired.
and ready to blog again.

in fact, since i feel like we're all such good friends now, and that much closer, i've decided to tell you a little something about me. a little secret, perhaps. and, let you into my circle of trust.

*now please note, what you are about to read is me putting aside years of built-up pride. i realllllyyyy hate to admit this. and i probably will deny it if you ask me about it. but here it goes:

driving isn't my best skill.
(cough).
(phew).
(GASP).

and, like most of my faults, i won't take responsibility for it.
no, no.
i blame it on my blood.

you see, my brother, when taking us to school every morning in high school, hit several moving and stationary objects with our steel beast: a bus, several curbs, just to name a few. he got pulled over once for speeding after zooming past a cop on the freeway. seriously, who doesn't notice a copper driving RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU?

now i've had my fair share of fender benders...backing into several things, hitting a wall in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building Parking lot while admiring my new engagement ring (now that's another story), rear-ending a tow-truck that left it's beautiful dent in my front bumper, which created such whiplash that it sent all my beautiful hand-dipped chocolate strawberries (of which i had lovingly made for my kindergartners on Valentine's Day last year) to squish and squash all over my dashboard, and most recently, 180-ing on I-15 in a snow storm, only to run into a mile-marker...which sent my side-view mirror flying into some nearby mound of snow. UGH. anyways, i've also been infamous for speeding... getting several tickets for it in my past...and even for running a red light (which, might i add, got sent to my in-laws house...and there were pictures of me cluelessly staring into the abyss. and fyi: red light tickets in california are 400 bucks. now that's an OUCH).

and let's not forget my lovely baby sis...backing into gardening trucks...or better yet, destroying someone's garage/yard after plummeting through it with someone else's car...when she was 13.

yeah, like i said, we Hartley's aren't known for our driving skills.

but i'm not really here to talk about that.
no.
i'm here to talk about my recent DMV experience.

here comes my confession. the realll point of this post (deep breath).
for the last 18 months, i've been driving with an expired license (GASP!).
i know, right!? how could i be so careless? don't i care about the law? what kind of example am i giving to my children?? what if, just WHAT IF i had gotten pulled over in the last year and a half??

don't you worry, i've thought all those things myself.
now, i know you're asking yourself, or you're getting ready to ask me, Marci, why in the world did you wait so long to get your license renewed? are you taking crazy pills??
i have a really really bad answer.
no, really.
it's bad.

i didn't want a new picture.
stop judging me.
you see, when i got married, i had to get a new license to change my name. that was only like 3 1/2 years ago. and, for once in my life, i took a tolerable drivers license picture...one that i liked and wasn't embarrassed to show to people when they asked to see it...


and i really really didn't want to go take a new one because i knew that i wouldn't get so lucky twice. especially since my license expired while i was pregnant. and every pregnant lady agrees that they just don't look like their normal lovely self. i mean, who wants a swollen driver's license picture??
oh man.
i'm horrible, huh?

well, when we changed our car insurance a few weeks ago, we got a notice saying that if i didn't renew my license right away, something awful would happen to me...like a skyscraper would fall on me...or something equally frightening. so, i went to the DMV.

i was so scared. what were they going to say to such a law-breaker??

well,

if i'm being honest, they didn't say much.
really.
all the lady said was,
"wow, 18 months. where've you been lady?"
and i just chuckled.
and said "i know, seriously."
and that was that.

of course, i had to take the stupid test. but it wasn't so bad...i mean, it's open-book, people. so, 25/25 points later, i was up standing in front of that weird screen thingy. and begged the lady, "please, i know this is silly, but can i please keep my picture?"
she said no.
and snapped a new one.

this is what they gave me:


look at my nose!
really, look closely.
it looks HUMUNGO! all smashed in and creepy lookin'. i look like a weirdee.
i just knew it would be bad.

but luckily, when they mailed me the real one, it wasn't so bad as i thought.



and even though i miss my old license and picture, i'm happy to not be breaking the law every time i get behind the wheel.

ok, now you know a little secret about me. shhhhhhhh. don't tell :)

xoxo

my friend did it and so can i.

a few weeks ago, my friend d-dawg had a "de-lurking day" on her blog.
now, i've been thinking about doing a de-lurking day since then...and i think today is the day. my blogging spirits need some boosts and i need to be inspired again.

i know, i know, you're asking yourself this:
what the heck is a de-lurking day??

well, friends, i'm glad you asked. a de-lurking day is basically where you come out from the commenting closet and leave a comment on my blog...even if you're a regular...or even if you have never commented before. c'mon, i'd love to hear from you! you can tell me who you are. how did you find me? why do you read my blog? do you have a colicky baby? do you have trouble making it to the gym, too? maybe you wanna say, remember that one time at that one place when we did that one thing....or maybe you remember how silly me and M were in our inducing video. or maybe, just maybe, you wanna say "hi, shalom, and hola." anything will do, really. like my friend d-dawg said back then, i just need to know that you're there...and i need to feel the blogging love.

thank you.
xoxo.

the all-encompassing blog post

w-o-w.

so much going on. so i'm going to just pile it all in, kind of like you do when you're going on a trip, and you say that you're going to "pack light" but then you end up bringing a bunch of useless stuff just in case. yeah, this post is kinda like that.

last week, my sister, the prettiest person on the planet, came over on her spring break and had a sleepover here. it was so fun. its time like these that makes me wish i was 16 at home again. sigh. we had fun singin' in the car, eating yummy bajio, frozen yogurt from here, playing that stupid addicting scramble game on her i-touch, watching movies, and getting fancy shmancy glitter toes. see:


the picture really doesn't do it justice. anyways, i love glitter toes. makes me feel so girly. we had a blast together, and only wish we could do it more often.

on saturday, Ellie turned 10 months old. old, right?. she has 5 (almost 6!) teeth now. she is looking more like a little girl, and not so much like a little baby anymore. it is so exciting...even though sometimes i just want to cry thinking that she won't be my baby forever. i am going to do a more elaborate Ellie update later...because i know you love it. :)



then, it was my brother's birthday this weekend. my brother is one of those unique, unforgettable people. he is funny, and very sarcastic. in fact, i told him this weekend that my oversensitive nature and all of my insecurities about myself are largely due to him teasing me incessantly when we were young. i can't imagine my life without him. happy birthday, sean. i'm so glad you were born.



of course, we got to celebrate Easters. it was so fun. Ellie was soooo cute. she looked adorable in her easter dress. see:



and, she is in this huge duck phase (see her collection of ducks on here blog here) so my mom got her this Easter basket filled with all sorts of duck things: duck pajamas, duck books, duck scrubbers, duck stuffed animal, duck backpack, and even a duck basket to put it all in. it was so cute to watch Ellie's face light up and hear her say "duck, duck, duck" over and over again. how wonderful it was to spend this day with my family. thank you mom and dad for all of the hard-work you put into making it yet another memorable occassion and of course for all of your generosity. we love you. (now, naturally, a whole bunch of easters pictures to follow:)

{life can be oh-so-serious for this little monster}

also, my sister-in-law, Courtney is pregnant and due this week. i am SO excited to meet her little Rosalie. she is going to be such a gorgeous little baby. so fingers crossed that i will finally be an auntie SOON, and that Ellie will finally have a Hartley cousin!



we've watched a few really good movies lately. Bedtime Stories. l-o-v-e-d it. High School Musical 3. kinda liked it, hold the kinda (i'm a major dork who loves to blame the fact that i watch the HSM's on the fact that i am a kindergarten teacher, even though i thoroughly enjoy every minute of them). and finally, we watched Marley & Me last night. about 3/4 through the movie, i knew it could only end bad...but i was hooked...and then i sobbed and sobbed and sobbed at the end. anyone who has had a dog (or any pet for that matter) can understand what i mean.

also, our t.v. shows are awesome right now.
LOST: a-maz-ing, keeps me more intrigued and stressed than any other show, and could watch 48 hours straight of it.
American Idol: addicting, sometimes disappointing, sometimes incredible.
Office: hilarious, never disappoints.
24: crazy and thrilling.
but the show i realllly wanna talk about is House. is anyone watching House right now? i still can't believe this last week's episode and would love to talk to someone about it. we've never watched House in chronological order till this season and we are loving it....but again, i'm in shock over what happened last Monday. w.o.w.

and finally, now i'm just sitting on my lovesac at 1:51 pm...because i'm on SPRING BREAK. and it feels great. other than the very long list i made for myself this week. i'm a list person, in case you didn't already know that). some things on that list include:

• exercise every day (ha)
• read my scriptures every day
• get my wedding album done (i know. it's been almost 4 years now. geesh)
• get caught up on my classes
• cook every night- and try a new recipe (eek!)
• hug Ellie an extra 15 times a day
• lay in bed for an extra 15 minutes a day
• grocery store (ugh)
• and...hang out with you. call me.

xoxo

crossing my fingers...

for some sunshine tomorrow so we can do a little bit of this:

and a little bit of that:


i know you're crossing your fingers for sunshine, too.
let's just hope our fingers are magic.

tonight, my daughter ate an entire strawberry. leaves and all.

long title, i know.


but i'm still so surprised that she gulped down that whole thing. look at those gross leaves! she's just too quick for me.
and let me just add, she eats the weirdest things. all. the. time.
and she always finds the weirdest things to put in her mouth.

i remember eating weird things, too.
like dirt.
and glue.
and play dough.
and i remember my little sister eating a snail.
now that's gross.

please tell me this:
your kids gulp down yucky things, too, right?

i believe we have a living Prophet today

i hope you are all enjoying General Conference as much as i am.
i wish we had General Conference every month. i feel so spiritually rejuvenated, don't you?

my skin is full of goosebumps after hearing the final hymn, We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet. i know that President Thomas S. Monson is our living Prophet today. how grateful i am for him and for that knowledge. and what a powerful sermon he gave just now. i especially love these words he gave at the conclusion of his talk:

"Our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, and though the rain may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love for our Heavenly Father and for our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us.

Fear not, be of good cheer.
The future is as bright as your faith...
Heaven's blessing await us."

hope you're enjoying this bright, spiritual, lovely day.

xoxo

Q&A

q: "hey marci, how's the 'no sugar' diet going?"

a: "it was going great until five minutes ago. when i ate this:"


and you wonder how it's going for M? read his take here.

we are officially the worst no-sugar dieters ever.
try again tomorrow?
or maybe monday...since you can't start something on a weekend...

oh, and happy conference weekend, everybody!
hope your spiritual canteens get filled past the brim.
to receive live conference feeds via the internet, click here.

xoxo

let's have a chat.

ok folks.

it's time to have a lil chat about american idol.

here's a little background.

i love the show. not afraid to admit it. my family loves the show. we've been huge fans since Season 2- and yes, i was rooting for Clay Aiken. ...even though Ruben Studdard was thee nicest jolly dude on the planet. that year, i attended the AI tour...and the tour that Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson did together.

i've watched every season since then. a little flashback to previous seasons:

Season 3: i was not a Fantasia fan. she has such a whiny voice! i remember being very disappointed when Latoya left the show.

Season 4: HUGE Carrie Underwood fan. have both her CD's on repeat in my car most of the time.

Season 5: M became a fan of the show this season. we actually moved to Southern California while the season was going...we didn't have cable down there...but we did have a little gym in our apartment complex that did. so, i would go down every tuesday/wednesday night at 8 pm (that's when it started there) and walk/run on a tredmill while i watched the show. the 2-hr season finale just about killed me.
contestants: Taylor Hicks drove me batty. loved Daughtry. laughed every time Kelly Pickler opened her mouth. thought Katherine McPhee was drop-dead-gorgeous...and literally cried when she sang Over the Rainbow- which just so happens to be my very favorite song of all time.

Season 6: loooooovvvveeed Blake's beat-boxing. we had his version of "you give love a bad name" recorded and probably watched it 50 times. no exaggeration. we also attended the tour from this season. it was A-MAZ-ING. i blogged about it here and here.

Season 7: i loved how they finally let the contestants play their instruments- Brooke's piano playing was often awesome...though she sometimes was a little...weird. the Davids always blew me away. D. Cook's version of "Always Be My Baby" is on my IPOD for when i work out. And D. Archuletta's CD is genius. i know, that's so "junior high."

Season 8:
now for the juicy stuff. here's where you come in.

this season's been an interesting one. lots of changes:
the new judge: Kaaara or Kah-ra or however you say it. she's gorgeous. smart. and adds some great perspective as such an accomplished musician herslef.
the judges save: i wonder when they're gonna pull this bad-boy out. if Matt would've been the bottom last week i think they would've used it. i like the new rule.
the new intro: very snazzy. i bet Simon llllllooovvvveesss it.

and now for my thoughts on the new contestants (in no particular order):
(p.s. one way that i rate my favorites is whether or not i would buy their CD...pretty biased, i know...but that's what this whole post is: one giant american-idol-marci-bias)

Anoop: used to be fan. now he just bugs. he's really arrogant and i despise that characteristic in a contestant. and really, i don't think he's as good as he thinks he is. and i wouldn't buy his CD.

Megan Joy: what the heck happened to 'Megan Corkery?' i'm confused about that. but i like 'Megan Joy.' has a nice ring to it. anyways- her performances the last few weeks have been very disappointing...because i really, really like her voice. and would want to buy her CD. but i really, really have been annoyed and bored with her songs. and i have really, really been annoyed with her weirdness. sadness.

Scott: while i liked last night's performance, i'm not a Scott fan. i'd never buy his CD. and i'll just leave it at that.

Allison: agree with Randy- i HATED her outfit last night. what the heck? but man, she's got some mad vocal skills. i just wish she didn't sing such angry songs all the time. but i'd probably buy her CD.

Adam: geeze this guy is good. and weird. he totally reminds me of a broadway star- but then last week he surprised me with how sweet and lovely he can sound. i like how it's always a surprise with him. in my opinion, he's one of three that possesses "star quality" as Simon calls it. and out of curiosity, i'd definitely buy his CD.

Danny: i've liked him from the beginning. i love the sound of his voice. and i think he's one of those that i think possesses star quality. i'm just hoping that he spices it up/changes it up a bit...because even though i love him, i worry that he is just starting to sound the same each week. does that make sense? still, because i love his voice, i would buy his CD.

Matt: i'm a huuuge Matt fan. but what was up with last night? he's better than that. and what was up with him being in the bottom 2 last week after such a roof-raising performance? idol is weird that way. anyways, i hope he stays around because i love his s-t-y-l-e. and i think he has border-line star quality. and i would buy his CD. (getting bored of the CD comments yet?)

Kris: he's just hot. reminds me of jason mraz, who is one of my all time favorite artists...so naturally i like him. he was one contestant that i was super surprised made it to the top 36...heck, even top 12 on one of those weeks...but i'm soooooo glad he did because 1. he's the third who i think has star quality and 2. i think he's mega-talented. i would most definitely, without a doubt, buy his CD.

Lil: to me, she's lost. meaning: she was once soooo good, but somehow has gotten swallowed by all the talent and originality in the group. i think she has tons of potential but just isn't standing out. i want her to do well...but with the stuff she's singing right now, i would never in a million years buy her CD.

so, who are your idol favorites...and...not-so-favorites? do you agree with me? or are you gonna be one of those that won't even admit that you like the show?

and...

who's going home tonight??????????

oh gosh.
i have no idea.
would you hate me if i said that i hope Anoop goes?
or Scott?

and thus concludes my first ranting sesh on American Idol.

don't even get me started on LOST.

thanks for listening.

xoxo