imagine dragons

A few weeks ago we got to see Imagine Dragons in concert!  They are one of our favorite bands - Dustin and I both LOVE every track on their album.  I'm just waiting for them to release another album! Hopefully soon?  The concert was this year's Vivint end of year party so the whole arena was filled with Vivint people!  It was such a fun concert and Imagine Dragons were amazing live!  So much energy and crazy drum solos thrown in everywhere.  Thanks Vivint!

with our best Vivint friends TJ and Emily

gothen album release

For the past year or so I have been playing the harp with a local band called Gothen - started by Evan Jolley who I have known since elementary school.  Evan raised money via kickstarter to make an album, which I had the privilege of recording with them back in February.  Such an awesome experience!  Just a few weeks ago, we had an album release show in Provo where we did all the tracks on the album.  I played on 4 of them and you can hear the harp really well!  but I seriously love the whole album.  Each track is unique and so full of different sounds, instruments (guitar, banjo, trumpet, harp, piano, drums, violins, flute, cello, sax), techniques etc.  I would describe the music as indie rock maybe, kind of folk like, and sometimes it reminds me of the Beatles.  The album is available on iTunes now if you want to check it out!

The concert was soooo fun!  And it was great having friends and family there to support me!  Evan and his brother are hanging out in Europe for a few months so it will be fun to see how that influences his next musical endeavors for the band.  Stay tuned.

my trip to utah: part 2

After my grandma's funeral in San Diego, I flew to Utah to work for a week.  I stayed at my parents' house and took care of the kitties since they turned around and went back to San Diego to wrap up family/funeral stuff and spend some relaxing time at the beach.  I was so happy I was up here for my friend Courtnie's wedding and I had a lot of fun hanging out and catching up with my girlfriends in Sandy.

courtnie & travis

married!!!

she was such a gorgeous bride!

fun reception at the draper dome

katie - to whom i am eternally grateful for setting me up on that blind date a few years ago

at the provo rooftop concert!  mindy gledhill was great

and can i say how much i love these girls

millie, bean, and i slept over at bean's cabin and then went boating with her fam!  sadly this is the only picture i took haha.

aaand milie turned 24!  happy birthday millie! 

also - when my family was in san diego, my mom turned 50!  on her 50th birthday, she and my dad did a 50 mile bike ride!  how awesome is that?!  my parents are pretty cool.

a night at the symphony

On Saturday I performed with the Salt Lake Symphony at Libby Gardner Hall.  I played first harp on the Rumanian Rhapsody by Enesco and the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra.  I had played the Bartok before but   I had to combine both of the difficult harp parts and I was a freshman and the conductor was a jerk and made me cry it wasn't the greatest experience.

The performance on Saturday was fantastic.  I get such a rush from being on stage performing but I also feel confident in my playing and just so intensely focused in the moment.  While I do enjoy performing by myself, there's something surreal about being part of an ensemble/symphony etc.  Even the parts when I'm not playing, I love just sitting there and soaking it all in.  And it's the best feeling afterwards - when you know you played your best!  Here's a shout out to my parents and my handsome husband who are my biggest supporters!  After the concert we went and got frosties. :)

Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent. - Victor Hugo

that one time we went to vegas

Last weekend we took a spur-of-the-moment road trip to Las Vegas!  Dustin had been thinking about going down there for the Linkin Park concert, but hadn't really made any plans.  The day before the concert we decided to go!  We bought our tickets (probably the very last 2 tickets available - we were in the 2nd to back row of the hall haha), found a hotel, and left Saturday morning!

We absolutely love taking road trips together.  When we were dating, we made the trip home from Oklahoma to Utah.  I believe that is seriously a legit test when you're dating someone and considering spending the rest of your life with them.  If you can stand to be with one person in a car for 18+ hours, then you must really like each other a lot.  Dustin always drives, we jam to music, talk about everything and anything, sometimes I take little naps, and we only stop for gas and food but then eat in the car.  I keep him awake by feeding him snacks, changing the music, and sometimes giving him kisses on his cheek and ear.

Anyway, we got to Vegas around 3pm - checked into our hotel, took a dip in the outdoor pool and hot tub (it was 70 degrees there!), then took the free hotel shuttle over to the strip.  We walked along the strip and hit up M&M world, watched the Bellagio fountains - my fave!, ate overpriced pizza, and did a lot of people watching.

The concert was at Planet Hollywood and they didn't have an opening band.  They were so good live!  Dustin is a huge Linkin Park fan, and I like most of their music.  Luckily they only played a few super scream-o songs haha.  I still had fun rocking out though!  It was our first concert together too!  Dustin knew every single word to every single song and was singing the whole time.  He still surprises me.  Even songs that I listen to all the time - I don't know every word!

After the concert, we walked all the way back to Mandalay Bay to catch our shuttle back to the hotel.  Our legs were sore.  And the next day we slept in, hit up the continental breakfast, and drove home!

Such a fun romantic weekend getaway with my hubby!

When we were going through security before the concert, they almost took away my M&M's because they said no outside food bla bla bla.  But one of the security guards liked me so he said we could keep them if we shoved them inside Dustin's pocket.  Good thing boys have big pockets in their jeans, and good thing we only bought a 1/2 lb haha.  :)

back to december

Whew December came and went!  I can't believe we are already into the new year.  Well we were so busy being busy and busy just enjoying ourselves and the holidays and our families that I didn't write a single blog post.  So here's a quick recap. :)

a few girls nights with these beauties!  

lots of harp playing

Hung out with our favorite vivint friends - TJ & Emily!  The girls crafted while the boys played Xbox.

Christmas harp recital with my four students!  I gave them dusting brushes for their harps.  Teaching is such a joy!  Someday when I'm not working full time, I plan on expanding my studio...

Bowling & pizza for Tanner's 16th birthday party! Look at my crazy parents haha.

Our Christmas tree.  My parents got a new fake tree this year, and gave us their old one.  We love free stuff!  It fit perfectly in the corner of our front room.

After one of my gigs.  I accompanied a Methodist choir at their Christmas concert.  Mr. Harper was the ultimate harp mover!  Snow, ice, rain, multiple flights of stairs...nothing he can't handle.  

I finally made it to Trader Joe's!  Let me just tell you that milk chocolate toffee popcorn is DANGEROUS!  I'm restraining myself from going back and buying five more bags.  We're going to try out the mandarin orange chicken tonight.  

A Christmas party I played at - this house had 31 decorated Christmas trees and 19 nativity scenes. After that, I felt fine about not going to the festival of trees.

My old roommate/traveling companion/good friend Michelle got married!  So happy for her - they make a gorgeous couple.

Santa came to {my grandma} Noma's house!  It's hard to recognize him behind the beard and glasses but it's my hubby!  Santa baby!

We had our own little Christmas a few days before the 24th.  We wrapped presents, got some fish tacos from Rubio's, opened our gifts to each other, and watched Home Alone.  Dustin surprised me with a STUNNING sapphire necklace I had been admiring at the mall.  He is the best.  I love spending Christmas with him. We have way too much fun. 

We did Christmas with my family on Christmas Adam because my mom had to fly on the 25th.  We spent Christmas Eve at Dustin's parents.  Such a lovely Christmas and it was fun having both of our brothers home from their missions this year.  

We spent a lot of time at Dustin's parents house between Christmas and New Year's when his family from California was in town.  The Harpers are serious about settlers of cataan and I finally won after being a part of the family for over a year.  So this was a big deal and I definitely did a victory dance.  Dustin was so proud.  :)

We went tubing twice in one weekend!  Once with all of my Hunt cousins, and once with the Harpers.  It was a "kick in the pants" as Dustin would say.  And also freeeezing cold.  

Hope you all had a fantastic December and a lovely Christmas!