R-Rated Standards: Who makes YOUR choices?

the avoidance of R-rated movies is a pretty general practice in my religious culture.

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why?

well, we are taught that our media choices have a big effect on us.

do i agree with this principle?

yes. wholeheartedly and completely, YES.

however...

there seems to be a glaring fallacy surrounding this issue.

i've frequently heard it said,

"but it's OK, because it's only PG-13."

well hey now, let's back this train up.

are the MPAA ratings a good guideline?

to some degree, yes.

these movies usually have their ratings for a reason, and can provide a good ballpark.

but for me...

if my choice is based on my desire to keep the companionship of the Holy Ghost, then i believe the Holy Ghost should be dictating my media choices...

...not the MPAA.

the way i see it, 

the guideline for the media i choose has more to do with the content and less to do with the rating.

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it seems to me that there is danger in letting any outside source dictate your choices for you, no?

if i were to give it a blanket statement and say,

"oh, MPAA says it's only this rating, so that makes it OK"

well,

i imagine i'd be setting myself up for trouble.

because who's to say if my personal moral compass will always agree with the MPAA?

honestly, i'm not keen on the idea of putting my agency in someone else's hands.

i think we should each prayerfully draw our own lines, not hand the stick over to society's rating system and ask for their opinion on where we should stand...

...especially if that line in the sand is prone to movement over time.

and the whole "i can watch it cuz it's only such-and-such rating" statement also lends itself to an "i can get away with it" attitude that, frankly, i find repulsive.

for me, morality is much less a matter of can and can't and much more a matter of should and shouldn't.

how do you make YOUR media choices?

do you find that the MPAA guides you pretty well or do you have other personal guidelines?

chewing on this food for thought,

katilda

ragnar del sol 2012 PHOTOS ▲

as promised, here is photographic evidence of my crazy ragnar weekend.

200 miles in hot, fuzzy costumes?

this kind of behavior can't be entirely normal, but good gravy it is fun.

things to note:

+ the picture of me running in my big bird costume, appearing as though i'm about to take flight, is maybe my most favorite picture of myself EVER.

+ we realize the horse has nothing to do with sesame street, although we toyed with the possibility of a post-botox snuffleupagus. 

+ bert & ernie are, in fact, two of my married friends in real life. when they came running by holding hands at one point, some guy by me said, "well that answers THAT question."

+ i made those green "STREET" headbands for everyone on my team. look at me go!

and now on to the photos!

sweeping the clouds away,

katilda

all the single fellas, all the single fellas

ATTENTION SINGLE MEN! 

and...anyone who knows single men... 

my girl chantal is embarking on a dating adventure.

for the record,

i love this girl more than i love fudgsicles, french fries, or even the crappy old moccasins i wear every day.

(trust me, that's a lot of love right there) 

just sayin...ch-ch-check her out! 

Watch her ADORABLE VIDEO and get a big fat crush on her and stuff. 

who knows? could work out for you ♥ 

if anything, you'll get a fabulous evening,

 with a lovely lady,

 with eccentric British quirks,

and (if you're lucky) much laughter with a side of one very adorable snort.

so fellas, sign up!

(would help if you're in AZ or willing to come to AZ)

matchmaker matchmaker,

katilda

His Grace is Sufficient

"There should never be just two options: perfection or giving up. ...Christ is not waiting at the finish line once we have done all we can do. He is with us every step of the way. ...The task ahead of [us is] never as great as the power behind [us]."
-brad wilcox

love this.
like, really really.
go read the whole thing.

oh, and look what i bought!
i've wanted it for years and finally (with birthday assistance from the fam!) purchased it and made it my own.
owning a piece of art as big as my body makes me an official grown-up, right?

simply stunning. this painting takes my breath away.

on another note,
i survived Ragnar!
and it was awe.som.e.
...awesome enough for me to make the "e" its own syllable.

many ridiculous pictures to come!

back to sleeping it off,
katilda

feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, it's RAGNAR time!

it is time for me to run away!

no seriously.

ragnar del sol is upon me again!

i am off for a weekend of running...

...in a costume

...and not sleeping

in the meantime,

watch our award-winning video from last year

and here's a sneak peek at this year's get-up:

yeah.

yeah you're dying for more.

can you tell me how to get to sesame street,

katilda

album review: "some nights" by fun.

admittedly,

the whole format-to-fun. transition thing was rough for me.

i'm the kind of girl that always orders the same thing at a restaurant once i know what i like, if that tells you much about my a) aversion to change, and b) emotional attachment to things i'm already comfortable with.

and, after a devoted fanship that began like a decade ago,

it was difficult for me to let go of the format.

so it's been a slow process for me to warm up to fun., but...

good golly, consider me warmed!

i just made myself sound like a pastry.

or a car engine.

or something else that needs warming.

ok but seriously?

go listen to fun.'s new album.

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stream it on their website,

or look that shnaz up on spotify,

or just buy it.

my fave tracks?

carry on

out on the town

all alone
why am i the one

stars

heard the album? you dig it?

heart like the 4th of july,

katilda


p.s.
watch yo' ears on a couple of the tracks if profanity ain't your thing.
pretty sure the tracks i recommended are safe ones!

fraulein maria: the original hipster

ladies and gentlemen,

i have made a pivotal discovery.

i give you,

the original hipster!

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let's review the evidence:

THE HAT

[via and via] 

THE THREADS

[via and via]

 THE HAIR

[via and via]

THE MUSICAL SWAGGER

[via and via]

THE GUMPTION AGAINST AUTHORITY FIGURES

[via and via]

THE BOND WITH NATURE

[via and via]

and,

i have strong reason to believe her very existence may have spawned the genesis of the pinterest monster itself.

i mean, come on,

the woman made clothing out of curtains.

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i would bet money she relocated to portland in the end and took up blogging.

do re mi,

katilda

mid-morning fudgsicle & elphaba legs

i decided a couple key things today:

1. i'm pretty sure my conscience lives in my tummy. 

i can feel it tickling around in there when i'm making important decisions. 

either that or i swallowed a cricket at some point in time.

2. eating a fudgsicle just isn't the same experience unless you eat part of the wrapper because you couldn't scrape it off with a fork, and i'm not just saying that to make myself feel better.

3. yes, 10am is a completely acceptable time to eat a fudgsicle.

also,

guess what i'm doing tonight to celebrate mardi gras...

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don't you even worry that i'm planning on wearing green tights.

not messin' around,

katilda

p.s.
if i swallowed a piece of paper, am i going to grow a tree in my stomach?
maybe my conscience wanted a tire swing...?

guest blog: worst date ever

hey kiddos!

today's blog comes to you via zack of easter closet.

oh here he is:

he even LOOKS important!

and he's totally funny and stuff.

anyway, he and i decided to swap blogs today, so go ahead and read about his worst date ever and then head over to his blog to read about my worst date ever.

but with no further ado, here is zack's woeful tale...

The Worst Date Ever

It was a double date--I asked out this beautiful girl I didn't know too well, and set up my roommate with my cousin. Fail-proof date. Fun no matter what....? Right?

Wrong.

We started off going mini golfing (I was only a few months home from the mission, don't judge). We get to the first hole and she decides she is going to kick everyone's golf balls. Funny...kinda.

Then she does it on hole #2.

And #3.

And then decides she is going to jump to hole #10.

Then she hit someone else's ball that wasn't even in our group.

We were done early, needless to say.

So off to dinner. At this point I was just trying to salvage the night. We sit down and she proceeds to start talking to my roommate and then asks him out on a date for the next weekend. My "I'm Done" meter was pretty high right about here.

In a pathetic attempt to add some humor to the date, I mentioned that a sheep truck had just driven by (it had). She incredulously inquired (+2 point alliteration) how I knew that. I teased that I had been in the sheep truck driving union for a few years (I hadn't).

And I kid you not, she responded with, "Well, while we're in the lying mood--I'm having a great time and would love a second date."

Silence. A fork dropped in the other room.

I raised my hand for the waiter. When she asked what I was doing, I told her that I was going to cancel our order. She said she wanted to eat. I told her it was her choice, but I was ready to go.

Then I couldn't take it. I asked, "Okay, if you were to go on 100 first dates, how many of them turn into second dates?"

"How many do you think?" She responded. Not the right answer.

"Based on tonight, I can safely assume, not very many."

I took her home.

The next day she bumped into me on campus and I offered her some advice, "on the house. If you want to go on second dates, you need to treat guys better. That really was one of the worst dates I have ever been on." (I put it gently.)

BUT, in true form of irony, she ended up being one of my best friends. And although she is married with a kid and has since unfriended me on Facebook--I wish her the best and I'm sure she does me.

So from strangers to worst date to best friends back to total strangers...I think in the end, life has its way of evening things out.

little pieces

TODAY IS...

this picture:

these words:

there's just this sense that that chapter is closing. and i should be down on my knees giving thanks for that and i am, dear heaven above, i am. it was an impossible time. and i would never go back--could never go back. and i've been coming out of it for a good long while now and i just... holy hell, there are no words for this. and even if there were, perhaps they are not mine. too sacred to share, somehow. i can't say that this next chapter will be any easier. and i sure as heck don't know what it holds, everything still feels murky and dark and totally unknown, but suddenly there is a forward motion that wasn't there before. and the only way to move on is to let go of what was. - the brunette bombshell

and this song:

and a happy monday to you,

katilda

rolling in the photoshop?

so...

congrats to adele for making the cover of vogue,

BUT,

i'm pretty sure this looks nothing like her.

hollow cheek bones?

airbrush, anyone?

pretty sure she's all about advocating for the beauty of fuller-figured women.

gotta be honest adele,

but the only thing that looks full-figured in this photo is ya' chest.

not exactly the message i thought you were aiming for.
personally, i think you're much prettier sans the thick layer of adobe suite.

just sayin,

katilda

i can be brave.

i did something BIG this week.

you see,

i'm the type of girl who forgives quickly.

which is a good quality,

except when i let people get away with things.

but i'm learning,

you can still forgive someone,

but kindly and firmly let them know their actions were not OK.

sometimes you need to tell people when they hurt you.

last year i felt quite wronged by a boy.

i know his intentions were not bad,

and yet i came out of it with a squished little heart.

and...i never called him out on it.
i just let it go,
as per my usual style.

but when he contacted me again recently,

wanting to meet up in a friendly way,

i almost said yes.

and then i thought,

hanging out w/ him will do nothing good for me.

for me.

ME.

sometimes it's ok for it to be about me.

so i politely,

yet firmly,

told him, "i'd rather not."

and then i told him why.

i told him how my feelings were hurt.

and how i never said so,

but i needed to say so now.

and i was scared for a minute,

but then i felt empowered.

and i felt free.

i didn't tear him down,

but i picked myself back up.

turns out those can be two separate things.

and i feel very, very brave.

we all deserve to be treated well.

regardless of someone else's intentions,

if a situation is no bueno for you,

then you need to hold your chin up and say so.

always most brave in a hoodie,

katilda

i had a birthday, shout hooray!

well not to beat the whole birthday thing to death, but...

well, nevermind.

as promised, here is the report on my day of jubilee!

first there was some frisbee, and then there was a fancy manicure, and then there was a stripes-themed party with skittle cake and snowflake-making and a valentines area for children at the hospital and nash vs. jimmer on the tv and favorite green skinny pants and many many friends

suffice it to say,

i was one happy clam!

rang it in with a bang.

also known as bangarang.

and shoot, 25 is lookin' good on me!

see what i did with the photos i collected?

i think it looked perfectly marvelous!

ready to rock the next quarter of a century,

katilda

3 roses, 2 ex's, 1 valentine

let's talk about the fact that...
this 4-yr-old goober showed up at my office yesterday 

with roses,

 a pink stuffed monkey, 

and a buzz lightyear valentine. 

apparently i beat out all the preschool girls for his affections. 

oh, and he was rocking track pants...

...with one leg tucked in to his toy story boots. 

this kid is a winner.

in other news,

two ex-boyfriends called me last night,

within about 5 min of each other,

to ask me a question/favor.

[though one was really more of an unboyfriend, if we're being technical]

i guess you could say my valentine's day was unpredictable,

but i suppose that's better than uneventful!

feeling the love or at least the attention,

katilda

i believe in a thing called love.

well hey there!

hello!

howdy!

salutations!

i began my feb. 14 with a beloved salted caramel hot chocolate form the ol' starbucks.

then that feisty little beverage said happy valentines to my white shirt.

cool.

in any case, can't rain on my parade!

here's some feb. 14 options for you:

if you're feeling sappy...

my thoughts on true love, from last V-day 

if you're feeling silly...

teen girl squad's vamlumtimes day

if you'd rather celebrate arizona's 100th birthday...

The Life of a State: A Timeline of Arizona's History

groovin in my heart-printed tights,

katilda

the undating phenomenon

unbirthday: "an event that can be celebrated on any day that is not the person's birthday."

undating: "a relationship that appears like unto one of romantic significance that is not actually an official relationship."

kids, i've been making some field observations. i've had it happen to me. i've seen it happen to my friends.

guys and girls alike, yo.

not putting a gender label on this one.

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let's break it down.

you  might be undating if...

1. you spend excessive amounts of time w/ a member of the opposite sex

2. you have more-than-friends feelings for said person

3. he/she is your go-to wingman/woman for parties, +1 events, etc.

4. he/she is your go-to listening ear when you need advice, when your day goes wrong, when your day goes right, when you need french fries at 2am, etc.

5. constant communication exists in the form of texts, emails, calls, etc.

6. you regularly have to convince people that you are a) not dating said person, and b) fine with that.

7. you realize how silly it sounds every time you do said convincing

8. if/when your undating partner becomes involved in an outside relationship, you feel like you're going through a breakup without actually having an official relationship to break

9. you are keenly aware of the absurdity of the situation, and yet, there's always that hope you hang on to, because [insert justifications and compelling evidence]

if you checked yes on 2 or more of the above,

you, my friend, may just be in an undating situation.

funny how some of the elements sound almost exactly like real dating...

thoughts? been there?

xoxo,

katilda

grammy crackers

i realize that title sort of sounds like a) it references an elderly individual, or b) a racial slur, or c) both.

it is none of the above.

anyway,

anyone out there watch the grammys?

my thoughts, via my twitter feed:

...your thoughts?

p.s.

report on my birthday to come.

it was a perfectly lovely day!

they only sell candles in packs of 24.

it's the big two-five!

and just to be clear,

 i love to celebrate my birthday!

[what do you expect from a girl who celebrates her half bday?]

i'm doing all kinds of lovely things today,

which i will report on in a couple days.

for now,

enjoy this little journey thru my life...

and for the record, yes,

i know most people outgrow pumpkin costumes at like age 4.

...i'm making something great with these pics.

stay tuned!

celebrate good times (come on!),

katilda

p.s.

it's true...i had to buy a whole extra pack.

totally rude.