Managing Bountiful

So, I have some big news... I am now the Manager of Bountiful!! Justin called and asked me on Monday, and told me that I would be starting Tuesday, although my store won't know until a meeting on Thursday. I guess that manager there was stealing a lot, so Justin needed to get rid of him. I don't understand people that steal from their job... They get caught and then they aren't making any money at all. He denies that he did anything.

Justin did give me a raise though, and I am going to start getting quarterly bonuses. Another benefit for me will be that I will be able to make my own schedule now AND it is only five minutes from where I live so I will save a lot on gas money! Downsides are that I am going to really miss working at 4th South. I had some good friends there and I put a lot of time and hard work into making that store run well. I know it will be fine once I feel like Bountiful is mine, but I don't yet.

Academy Awards

Every year, after the Academy Award nominations come out, I try and watch everything nominated for Best Picture. Some years it doesn't happen because I run out of time, or I am too scared to watch one of the nominations. Last year they changed it from five Best Picture Nominations to ten. The ten nominations for Best Picture this year were (listed in the order that I saw them):

1- Inception
2- Social Network
3- 127 Hours
4- Toy Story 3
5- Winter's Bone
6- The Kids Are Alright
7- True Grit
8- The King's Speech
9- Black Swan
10- The Fighter

I did manage to see them all this year, and even in a more timely manner than usual. Some years, I can't believe the movies that the Academy has nominated. Every once in a while, the Academy and I agree, but overall the last few years have made me wonder why I do this. The Hurt Locker winning last year, No Country for Old Men in 2008 and the Departed in 2007, make a running streak of some pretty depressing movies. so, the last few years, I felt like the Academy was telling me that the world was going to hell, and there wasn't anything that anyone could do about it. This year, the movies nominated were SO MUCH BETTER!

If I had to pick a running theme for the nominations this year, I would say that the theme was family. Whether it is the blood that ties us together, the family that we create for ourselves, the family that support us, the family that we are trying to get back to, the father we are trying to find, or the one we are trying to avenge, the mother that passes down her own issues, the family that we didn't appreciate until we almost lost them, etc... This year I felt like the nominations were about who we are, where we are going, and the things that we have to sacrifice to get there.

I was also pleasantly surprised with awards themselves. Lately, even if they do nominate a movie I like it doesn't win. I was happy with the winners this year though. Natalie Portman won Best Actress, Colin Firth won Best Actor and the King's Speech won Best Picture! It was a tie for me whether I wanted Inception or the King's Speech to win, so I am happy. I was only disappointed that Hans Zimmer didn't win Best Original Score for Inception because it is amazing. I also really loved the speeches by the winners this year. Natalie Portman and Colin Firth were so cute. One of my favorite speeches was by Christian Bale though, when he thanked his daughter and said that she had taught him so much more than he could ever teach her. It was a fun night, and I have faith in the Academy once again.

Midway Ice Castles

On Thursday, after going to an awesome lunch with Natalie, I went with a few friends up to the Ice Castles in Midway. I believe this is the second year that they have been there, but they are actually made by a guy that lives there. They were really cool and I had a good time with my friends and Geoffrey. A group of us are actually going back in a couple days to do a photo shoot up there. Should be fun! :)

How many times do your parents get married? :)

On January 2, 2011, my parents got re-married! My parents had been discussing getting married again for a while now. My dad had told my mom that getting a divorce had been the biggest mistake of his life. On her birthday, my dad gave her back her ring. They had originally planned to just go to the courthouse themselves. They didn't want to make a big deal out of it. The kids made it known that they wanted to be involved, Danae especially. Since she was the person that signed their divorce papers, she insisted on being able to sign their new Marriage License. So, a small wedding was planned at Allison't house.




My parents each wrote their own vows. My mom went first, telling my dad that she would always accept him for who he was.

My dad went next, telling my mom that he wanted them to grow old together. :)

"You may now kiss the bride!"

The New Marriage License

The family congratulating my parents. :)


















Wesley was on speaker phone for the entire ceremony and was able to talk to both of my parents afterwards.

Karen was nice enough to watch the kids for us so they wouldn't interrupt the ceremony, but they were with us afterwards to help celebrate.

The ceremony was short and sweet, right to the point and very touching. I am so happy I could be there to be a part of it. So, nearly ten years later, my parents are back together. :)

Here's to 2011

I think it is something that I learned from my mom, but I love to make lists. In recent years it has become tradition for me to keep track of the new movies that I have seen for the year, and how many books I have read. Here are those lists:

New movies that I have seen in 2010:
-The Accidental Husband
-My Sister's Keeper
-500 Days of Summer
-Post Grad
-All About Steve
-Fame
-The Invention of Lying
-The Hurt Locker
-District 9
-Surrogates
-Love Happens
-A Serious Man
-Away We Go
-An Education
-Up in the Air
-The Blind Side
-Avatar
-Precious
-She's Out of My League
-The Lovely Bones
-Did You Hear About the Morgans?
-Valentine's Day
-Alice in Wonderland
-2012
-Iron Man 2
-Robin Hood
-Dear John
-Date Night
-Picture Perfect
-Ice Castles
-Everybody's Fine
-Edge of Darkness
-Remember Me
-The Secret Life of Pippa Lee
-Eclipse
-According to Gretta
-The Bounty Hunter
-INCEPTION
-Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
-Manufactured Landscapes
-The American
-Eat Pray Love
-Leap Year
-When in Rome
-The Back-Up Plan
-The Last Song
-Killers
-Easy A
-Clash of the Titans
-Letters from Juliet
-Legend of the Guardians
-Prince of Persia
-Kick A$$
-The Switch
-Life As We Know It
-You Again
-It's Kind of A Funny Story
-The Karate Kid
-Due Date
-Morning Glory
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
-Love and Other Drugs
-The Social Network
-127 Hours
-Tangled
-One Fine Day
-Going the Distance
-Step Up 3
-Salt
-Shrek 4
-Toy Story 3

Books I have read so far in 2010:
-Rough Country by John Sandford
-Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs
-Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
-The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
-The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
-The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
-The Last Detective by Robert Crais
-Sunset Express by Robert Crais
-The Monkey's Raincoat by Robert Crais
-Storm Prey by John Sandford
-Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais
-The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
-Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
-Demolition Angel by Robert Crais
-Lullaby Town by Robert Crais
-Free Fall by Robert Crais
-Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L.A. Meyer
-Voodoo River by Robert Crais
-Indigo Slam by Robert Crais
-The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
-L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais
-Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
-The Forgotten Man by Robert Crais
-Under the Jolly Roger by L.A. Meyer
-Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins
-The Watchman by Robert Crais
-In the Belly of the Bloodhound by L.A. Meyer
-The First Rule by Robert Crais
-Sweet Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
-Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
-Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella
-Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
-Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella



This has been a hard year for me, and I literally have the scars to prove it. One of the best things that I have ever done, I did this year. I gave my older brother, Wesley, a kidney. I was incredibly touched that he just wrote on his facebook wall, "I will always remember 2010 as the year my sister saved my life. Thank you for another year Chelsee." Other memorable things all happened right before the year ended as well were that I got robbed at work, and I got in my first car accident and totaled my car!

Another thing worth mentioning is my photography. I started 2010 with a Jake Garn workshop, and from there went on to Keith Bryce's Big Bang Workshop. I started shooting models, and things in the studio and have really come along way and found what I love to do. Over the summer, in order to stay in practice, I started shooting Fairy Tales. Somewhere along the way, I managed to finish school! I won't officially get my diploma until the end of the spring semester, but I am done taking classes. The next step is to get into a studio and get some of the awesome equipment I had at school to keep going with what I have been doing.

So, Top 10 Important Events in 2010:

1- Gave Wesley a Kidney

2- Got Robbed

3- Totaled My Car

4- Moved out of my apartment of 3 years to move in with my mom

5- Finished School

6- My Photography Really Took off!

7- Competed in the State Skills USA Competition and received a scholarship from the school

8- Met some of the most talented people that I was able to start working with, models, make-up artists, etc... And made some of my best friends.

9- Lost 30 lbs! :)

10- Went to amazing shows and concerts this year, such as Adam Lambert and the Shakespearean Festival, So You Think You Can Dance, The Swell Season, Kurt Bestor and many others!

Upcoming big events for 2011:

1- My parents are getting re-married this Sunday!

2- My third niece is on the way! Baby Sophie coming soon! :)

3- Allison and Wesley both got amazing job offers in Kodiak and are headed that way!

4- Got a new part-time job at the school that I am getting ready to start.

So, rather than post my New Year's resolution, I just wanted to wrap up 2010 and say cheers to 2011! I'm hoping it will be an amazing year~