Sunday walks at the Temple

When I accepted my calling as a counselor in my Relief Society Presidency, I understood that my Sundays were no longer my own.  And I LOVE that I get to be serving the wonderful people in my ward every Sabbath! but sometimes, like tonight, I'm very grateful that I had an empty schedule.

Tonight, I was able to go and walk around the majestic building that is the Mesa, Arizona Temple.  I went a little earlier than usual, and I'll get to that, but it was a gorgeous night tonight, so it doesn't really matter!  I was able to sit on the grass right next to the temple, and just wright in a little notebook that I have.  and I wanted to share that with you! So, here are my ramblings, word-for-word, from tonight (:

      This, my friends, is peace.  TRUE peace.  Being able to be in the presence of the temple of God is an amazing feeling!! I love living so close to this amazing building.  Just thinking about the amazing covenants being made inside gives me chills!
     Guys.  LISTEN.  There's a reason why so many people come here. even if just to walk the grounds! I know, that whenever I walk in the gates, that I am safe.  That I am HOME.  That's a big deal for me! I never really feel at home, or at peace, until I'm here.  And to think that someday I'll be married here??  I AM THE LUCKIEST GIRL to get to do that!!
     But guys. here's the best part:
y'all can get here too!! yes, it may take time, but I can already tell it'll be SO worth it!  if there's one thing I can say, it's this: GUYS. IT'S WORTH IT.

lovealways, Sarah Merkley (:

PS. what is YOUR favorite temple? (:

The Book Club and the Introvert

Guys, I did it.  I joined a book club! This has been something I've wanted to do for a looooong time. Because, well, I LOVE BOOKS. Seriously, they're the greatest thing since sliced bread.  and I was super excited for our first book, which was Ender's Game. (P.S. read it if you haven't!) I love this book and I can't wait to see the movie!

But what I didn't count on was the actual meeting part of the book club.  I have to go to someone's house, with OTHER people, and discuss this book. like, what? no. no no no. NO. 
I don't do that! I'm not super dooper shy, but I am quite introverted.  There was nooooo way that I was going to go meet with a bunch of my peers; many of them I didn't even know! this was scary stuff, guys.

however, I toughed it up and made my way over there... until I didn't know what the key code was..and then until I couldn't figure out which house it was..I almost turned around and went home close to 5times.  but this little voice inside my heart kept telling me to try.  and that was the most important thing! I TRIED.  and I had a blast! I got to meet some amazing women and I can't wait for our next meeting! (P.S. it's The Book Thief.  one of my top fives, for sure)

folks, listen.  things can be EXTREMELY SCARY.  kind of like riding a bike for the first time. you remember that feeling? but the wonderful thing is, before you know it, your dad isn't holding on to you anymore and you're riding all by yourself! 

isn't life wonderful?

so, here's my weekly challenge for you.. (this is a new thing, I hope it sticks!) go out there and TRY something intimidating or scary.  yes, you might fail, but it's an experience for you to grow from!

tell me how everything goes! I can't wait to hear about y'all trying new things (:

364

yesterday was hump day.
yup. he's been gone for OVER one year now. yesterday was a pretty cool day for me.  I spent the day going through the past year, seeing how much I have changed, and getting to love how much he's changed.

people may ask: "Well, Sarah? how? how have you changed?"
to which I'll give a slight chuckle to myself and say: "Let me show you!"

folks, I am so happy to say that I've grown closer to my Lord and Savior in this past year.  It was in NO WAY easy, but it's a path I'm proud of.  Not only that, but I finished a year of college! WOOHOO!! that was a big one.  I was so worried about going back to school last semester, but I know that because I put institute classes in the middle of my days, that I was able to make it. (that, and crazy long hours trying to finish homework) I got a new job, and it's a job that I enjoy doing! I feel like I really have a 'work family' now.  I'm really excited to get to grow and learn even more with this job!!

here's a big one: I got called to serve in my Relief Society Presidency as the 3rd counselor.  that was scary, getting that calling.  for a while, I had thought about a mission.  but I kept going back to when the announcement came out about lowering the missionary ages, and how I had prayed about serving.  at that time, the Lord said that it wasn't my time to go.  a few weeks ago, about 2weeks into my new calling, I realized why.  serving the wonderful women in my ward IS my mission.  even if I'm only there for a couple months, or a year, it's what I'm supposed to do.  I wasn't supposed to go anywhere else but here. 

this year, I turned 20. and I actually feel that age.  I became best friends with my family, and continue to do so every day.  I went up to the mountains, multiple times, and found myself each time.  I got an iPhone and said "HELLO!" to the world of smartphones.  I've watched countless movies, fallen in love with celebrities, and taken silly pictures with those around me.  

I've learned how to laugh at myself, to find joy in the simple things.  to be happy, truly happy, with who I am.  I don't know about you, but I am SO excited to show him who I've become.  not only that, but I'm so thrilled to be able to have another year of finding and becoming who I really am!

RENOVATE

Folks, I know I haven't been posting lately. like, at all. and I apologize for that. I've been renovating a bunch; mostly with personal issues, and a few with this blog.
I'm really excited to switch things up around here at the sketchyres. most of the changes will come with the template and format of the blog.  I've been feeling for a while that I need to make things more cohesive, make an easier flow.

ANYWAYS, things are coming! especially tomorrow! I've got a great post I've been working on and can't wait to share it with you! stay tuned!!

AWOL

hey there. I've been missing for a while. Life can give you some pretty big changes in 3months.  Here's an update!
APRIL:
new job. LOVING it!
met this cool teacher - awesome dreads as well
I dressed like Flo from Progressive, got an afro, AND cornrowed mah hurr. 
I still have my undercut.

MAY:
finished the semester! not too happy with my grades, but they're passable
went to a wicked concert at the Crescent Ballroom (woot woot, go Murrieta!)
I turned TWENTY. it was pretty cool (:
fell in like.
upgraded to an iPhone. that was a BIG DEAL.
fell out of like. (that happens a lot)

JUNE:
swimmingggggg
went to the Science Center with darling Taylor Hatch and saw the Da Vinci exhibit! #nerdalert
I ride my mom's old cruiser to work everyday. in scrubs. I'm a hot commodity.  
fell back into like. (geez. will it ever stop??)
started listening to the Book of Mormon on my bike rides to work.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
I'm loving life right now. I've been crazy busy, and I absolutely love it.  thankfully, things will be slowing down a bit. not too much though (: I don't know what I would do if I didn't have the friends I have! without them, my crazy and fun life wouldn't be possible!

WHERE

I don't know about y'all, but I feel like there is NO ONE with facial hair this month. at least not any cool looking beards/moustaches.  that makes me really sad! it seems like the guys got all hyped up about NoShaveNovember and Moustache March (understandable), and then suddenly decided to shave every day?

seriously? let's be real, here. 

If I hate shaving so much, then there's no way that guys LIKE shaving. every male I've talked to isn't a fan of it!

this is my rant: I want pictures of men with facial hair. if you'd like to be possibly featured on this super cool blog, FIND ME. I will take a picture with you, and you might be April's Beard of the Month.

 WHERE'S THE BEARDS?

WEEKEND

this weekend was crazy busy. and I loved every minute of it!

Friday:
-I didn't do much during the day, but I was able to go see my new favorite band, Murrieta, play at Highland High School's Relay for Life! {their Facebook page is here} 
it was SO cool to see so many students, parents, faculty members, etc. get together for such a great cause! 
 {and we got the set lists signed, AND t-shirts!}



Saturday:
-went to Starbucks with one of my BEST friends {we're basically sisters} and had a lovely chat!
-that night, I went and hiked A Mountain for the first time! I went with a bunch of friends, one of whom is leaving on Monday for Utahrd {buh bye, Trav-a-lavis:( } but it was SUCH a blast to be with him for a few hours! I also took pictures of my absolute favorite couple: Rea & Double A Ron. (:

Sunday:

-church and my sister's birthday. {Happy birthday, Becca!} testimony meeting was AMAZING. Every single testimony shared went straight to my heart! I LOVE LOVE LOVE being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! yes, it's a doozy to write, but it's the greatest part of my life! 
{you can check out my profile on mormon.org here}

How were y'all's weekends?? comment below and tell me about them! (:

HERCULES

Honey, you mean "Hunk-ules!" 

Warning: Mom, Aunt Paula, Grandma, etc. I'd prefer it if you didn't read this one. I'm embarrassed enough as it is!

STORY TIME:
I do yoga over at MCCool. The last couple times we've met as a class, darling Miya {Crockett} Holladay has come to get hours for her LifeTime Fitness class, again at MCCool. Anywhays. Miya, Heather, and I were all together on Wednesday, being the fantastic yogis that we are, and Miya starts laughing and all I can hear from her whisper is "he...underwear". 
I was so confused! did some guy need his pants pulled up? I thought for sure she meant the newbie who was having some trouble with the poses and flows. and it wasn't until we moved to the top of our mats in Mountain Pose that I understood..

There's a guy in our class that Heather and I have been eyeing. Let's be real here, Heather. He looks like he was chiseled by the gods of yoga! Tall, skinny but not scrawny, beautifully strong muscles, and (the cherry on top) long and flowing curly locks! surriously, a babe. Heather and I dubbed him "Hercules". we were going to go with Adonis, but this kid looks like Herc BEFORE the complete transformation that turned him into "Hunk-ules". Thus, Hercules came about. and he's pretty.

Apparently, on this wonderful Wednesday, Hercules was dared to do yoga. in just his boxers. AND HE DID. in the wise words of Heather Hastings: "Yoga: where one leaves the world and their thoughts at the door, and apparently hot men leave all of their clothing at the door... It's like I'm in a movie."  I'm pretty sure I died and went to yogi-heaven. because I still feel like I'm in a daze. Wednesday was such a blur. I still don't know what to say or how to react! I think the best part was that he didn't even care. neither did our teacher! (she's probably seen weirder things). 

And that is my story. I highly doubt I'll be able to keep a straight face when we meet again on Monday. Oh Hercules, you fill my life with smiles. (:

MARCH

WOW. I haven't blogged in forever! sorry about that! I've had a crazy time with school lately. I'll be better!

ANYWAYS. y'all are here to see the winner of March's Beard of the Month!

let's be real. there was NO competition once I saw this guy. he's got a rockin' moustache. and I'm pretty sure I've never seen a moustache so beautifully carved on someone's face! 
not only that, but because of his stache, I got the guts to go up and talk to him {"canIgetapicturewithyou?"} and then we became besties. (: 
he rides a motorcycle {that lil' story is here}, travels errrywhere, is planning a CRAZY COOL trip to South America, and he's the second coolest person I know. (:

everyone, say hello to Stephen, Moustache Extraordinaire!

thanks for being awesome, Stephen! Stay strong, beard on!

ATTACK

so. here's the story: I tend to get OCD about things. and if those things don't go the way I planned, I over-think and freak out a bit.  I'll get depressed and/or not eat for a day or so. it can get pretty intense, but the worst is when I get anxiety attacks from it.  They leave me unable to function, the blood rushes from my head, and I over-analyze EVERYTHING.  I vent and sometimes yell or cry. well, I had an anxiety attack on Saturday night. and it was really scary for me since I haven't had an attack in ferrreverrrrr.

it was totally stupid, I see that now.  I had planned on going shopping with my mom because she had this awesome coupon.  we didn't know what time they closed, but assumed it would be 9pm since 1-it was a weekend and 2-every other store in the complex closed at 9. well, we got there at 7:45/7:50, and it turns out they closed at 8. I didn't know that when I went in there and started pulling things off the racks to try on. I didn't know until they had to unlock the door to let my mom in.  I panicked. and told my mom that I didn't want to be there, it was pointless, I didn't want to try anything on, etc.  She somehow convinced me to pick on thing and use the coupon on it. and so I picked this dress:

 super cute, right? I thought I would look like trash. but we got it, and I tried it on right when we got home. and I loved it. it fits me really well and the colors are super flattering. 

I FREAKED OUT OVER NOTHING. 

that's what I figured out. yes, I spent the car ride with my head between my knees, ranting and raving about every dumb little thing going on in the world. I don't even remember what I said! it doesn't matter because it was NOTHING.

guys, I know that some things are going on in your lives that you're not okay with it. you may get a little flustered and frustrated and want to shout obscenities to the sky. BUT. just remember that it'll pass. it's something you need to go through so that you can GROW and LEARN and become a better version of YOU. because you are incredible! you are priceless, and don't let any of your trials tell you otherwise. (:

RIDE

GUYS. 

I checked "riding a motorcycle" off my Bucket List this weekend!! 

My friend and I were going to hang out, and he said he would come pick me up on his bike. Naturally, I freaked. because I've never ridden one before, and it's always been on my Bucket List! so I was SUPER excited. and kind of danced around the house a bit. (okay, I danced around a lot.)

anyways, it was like a 3mile loop around the streets by my house and then we went and chilled for a couple hours. BEST DAY EVER. I felt really cool, with one arm around him and the other trying to keep his giant helmet on my head. I felt ALIVE. and I've decided that I want one.

I know this is a super short post, but all I can say about yesterday is that it rocked. and was probably one of my favorite Saturdays of this year! I can't wait for more adventures!!! #ComeAtMeBro

FEBRUARY

Hi, y'all. sorry I forgot to post yesterday! I was sick, again. :P 
BUT I'M FEELING BETTER. and that's all that matters!

anyways. This awesome guy is the winner of my February Beard of the Month! He's in this super cool band called Crash Coordinates. (you can see their Facebook page here) they played at my friend's band's CD release on the 16th. and they know how to get DOWN when it comes to playing live. I had a wicked blast listening and watching them!

not only does he have an awesome beard, but he let me touch it. it was fluffy.

stay tuned for MOUSTACHE MARCH! I'm so stinking excited, surriously.

ME

you've probably seen the "5 things" deal on Instagram. I decided to post 30 things about me that y'all may not know!

1. I love wearing the color black, but not in a "goth" way.
2. I don't have a set "style" of clothing that I wear.
3. I prefer to spend the weekends with my parents than with friends.
4. I love swimming, but have a fear of drowning.
5. I really like being back in school. #nerdalert
6. I hate hair, but am trying to grow my hair out.
7. my family is completely crazy, but I don't know where I would be without them.
8. chocolate covered cinnamon bears are my favorite chocolate treat. (hint, hint;) )
9. I have a journal entry, from when I was 3, that says Pizza and Ice Cream are my favorite foods. annnnd that's still 110% true to this day.
10. my "perfect date" would probably be a movie night, in sweats, watching a movie you've seen before. that way you can still have a small conversation with the person.
11. I love having my brother home from his mission.
12. I paint.
13. I'm a Directioner. and I love everything about One Direction. they're one of my favorite bands right now. (:
14. I don't like cats, but I REALLY want a hairless cat.
15. we were never big into TV shows, but now, we're loving:
     -Person of Interest
     -Elementary
     -Gold Rush
     -Duck Dynasty, among others.
and some of my personal favorites are:
     -Avatar
     -Sherlock
     -Revenge
     -Once Upon A Time
16. I actually love blogging!
17. My dad has become my best friend.
18. I used to hate getting my picture taken. now that I realize you can make funny faces, I don't mind it anymore!
19. I like short hair on guys, but hair on their face. facial hair, allday, anyday.
20. I prefer sleeping in and staying in pajamas all day than going out.
21. I mad crush on Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) and Neville Longbottom (Matt Lewis).
22. I would rather have a nephew than a boyfriend. OH WAIT. I do (:
23. my older sister is my role model. (:
24. I hate feet.
25. I drink water like a fish.
26. I tried to be a vegetarian. I lasted 4months. I LIKE BACON TOO MUCH.
27. I really, really like having my alone time.
28. my younger sister probably gets me better than anyone.
29. I'm super psyched about Psych. (February 27th, baby!)
30. I'm not officially waiting for HIM. I just don't see myself with anyone else, right now.

so, that's me! I'm an open person, so feel free to comment any questions (:

SICKIE

HULLO.
I've been sick, once again, and I know that's not much of an excuse, but I haven't had much motivation to do anything. ESPECIALLY not a blog. *sorrrrryyyyy*. I hope y'all can find it in your hearts to forgive me. 

In the meantime, enjoy this adorable picture of me with the nephew.
PLEASE, stay tuned! (:

CHILDREN

I've had an epiphany in the last 4-6 months that hit me hard on Tuesday.  I was driving my parents to the airport, and we were listening to the radio.  One of the topics that came up was motherhood; specifically that of being a full-time housewife.  According to recent polls, 75% of *working moms would rather divorce their husbands & raise their kids by themselves (all while still working) than quit their jobs and become a housewife. 

Are you kidding me right now?

Here's the thing. a year ago, I might have said the same thing. (Probably not to the extremes of divorce, but you get my drift.)  I wasn't ready to give up my dreams of being successful by having to be a mom. "Having to be"... 
I've been so stupid! You don't "have to be" a mother, you GET TO BE. We get "...a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live." (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

This is where my sudden insight comes in.  Six months ago, I wanted to wait after I got married to have children. That way, I could work, travel with my hubs, etc.  Now, all I want in life is to be a mother. I WANT to raise children. I WANT to teach them things. I WANT that sacred calling in life.  Nothing could make me happier than being able to wake my cuties up every single day, make them breakfast, and help them with their homework after school. 

I want a family. I am SO happy and SO blessed that I *finally* came to that conclusion on Tuesday. I'm so happy and blessed that I came to that conclusion while I was with MY parents; the two greatest parents in the world.  I am so lucky that I will get to raise my children in the Church. 

If I've said anything to offend, please forgive me. I know that some women out there are working mothers, and that's 110% okay with me. but for ME, I want to be a full-time housekeeping mom.

CUTTING

so. today I had a big surprise coming. AND I WAS SO EXCITED. I don't really know what else to say about this. sooo maybe I'll just post pictures? I think yes.

SCARED YET? I was! I've been nervous and jumpy ALL.STINKIN.DAY. ohmyword. it wasn't a very fun day when all I could think about was ^^ THIS.

obvs. I got my hairs cut, but where???
HAHA. I'll tell you, I stink at surprises.

obvs. I can't edit pictures. #don'tjudge. BUT, I gots me an undercut. a lovely little way to thin out my hair, without losing my long layers. 

HOLLA TO FREEDOM.

TOMORROW

Tomorrow will be a big day. Okay, not really. I'm making this a bigger deal than it is. Let's just say that I'm going to have a surprise tomorrow! SO EXCITED. I've wanted this for a while now (: y'all will just have to tune in tomorrow to see what I have in store!
(do people still say "tune in"? do all y'all youngins even know what it means?? UGH. teenagers these days..)

we're really surprised about tomorrow, obvs.

Beards

okay. I'll be honest. taking a picture EVERY DAY is really hard. it's even harder when it's with a random guy. add on the fact that I wanted a picture every day of a guy with a beard? then it's pretty much impossible. not to mention sketch.
SO. I am amending my new years resolution.

*drum roll, please*

I will have a monthly picture of me with a guy who sports jazzy facial hair. This means that I can take multiple pictures, possibly even post them up, but only ONE will be the Beard of the Month. This will make it easier for me. plus now you don't have to see how many creepers there are at MCCool. (PS. there's a lot)

here is the lovely beard(s) I picked for the month of January!

basically it was a party. This picture was taken on January 1, 2013. at around 2:30am. (DANG I look good!) these gents were sitting around playing to the accompaniment of the ukulele.  And they're pretty cool. (obvs, they have beards.) Stay tuned! (:
{Kudos to my pal Brandon for the picture!}

Rainy

If you're in Mesa, AZ today, or know someone in Mesa, AZ, then you know that it rained all through the night and hasn't really stopped since. You'll also know, if you're from here, that rainy days are the best days of the year. I don't know about y'all, but my window is WIDE open, my mom is crafting, brother is watching The Muppets, and I'm about to make cookies and write HIM. There's something about rainy days, something that makes them different from other days, that is so refreshing. Rainy days are SO refreshing. Not only for the earth, but for the soul. There's nothing I love more than to sit and listen to the soft drizzle that's happening right now. And to have my Of Monsters and Men Pandora Radio on. Those two elements, make today near perfect. (Only the smell of cookies can make it BETTER).

Now, my letter. HA, this is a funny story. I walked in the door from MCCool this Thursday after 7pm. Because I decided to have a class that goes that late. Dumb, I know. ANYWHODOODLE. I walked in, said "hullo" to my parents, and went to put my stuff in my room. And then I yell out. Like, seriously yelling in excitement. I had gotten a letter! And it was on my bed! And I was so excited because I love letters from him! And it was full of sweet stories and jokes and him. It was full of him. He left me a beautiful scripture in Alma (Alma 7:11-13) that just reiterates why he's my favorite. He gets me, and knows what I need to hear through the Spirit. That's also why this gospel is my favorite. Something about having a missionary out makes the days so much more. I have a good friend in Uganda who has me on his weekly emails. It's amazing how similar the two places are, yet they're across the WORLD from each other. This gospel truly does miracles!

This is a short and random post. I just wanted to share my excitement for the day! 
"This time, like all times, is a very good one if we but know what to do with it." -Emerson

Make your time beautiful and worth it (:

Stamps

12 months ago I was lost, afraid, and oh, so lonely. The one person who I had thought would always be there, had been gone for 6months. I mean, he had been there for the last 4 years, so you would think that 900miles wouldn't make a difference, right? Honestly, I pushed him away. I pushed him, and everyone else that TRULY mattered, away.

11 months ago, I started to get my life back. AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. I was happier than I'd ever been in months, but there was a pin-prick of a hole still empty in my heart.

7 months ago, as I witnessed one of my dearest friends get married to her highschool sweetheart, I saw it, what was missing. HIM. I was reunited with someone I met the last semester of my last year of highschool. Someone I didn't even know, not really. Two weeks after I kissed him on the cheek, two weeks of NO contact, he reached out. Said he was going out with friends to the dollar theater, and would I like to come along? OF COURSE I wanted to go. I knew he could be the answer to my feelings of being incomplete. But, I held back. Stayed reserved, wary, cautious, whatever. I couldn't fall. Not again, not after the year of hell. (sorry, mom). So I asked him what his plans were. But really, I was asking if he was worthy. Worthy of being let into my life. Worthy of my heart that still had pieces on the floor.
He immediately told me how his mission papers were in. And OH! How my heart soared! It was exactly what I was waiting for. He. Was. Committed. He was committed to our Lord. He was committed to serve the people of wherever he was going to go. HE WANTED TO GO. He was dying to go, and I knew that nothing, not even a girlfriend, would hold him back. And so, I let myself fall. And boy did I fall.

6 months ago, he was mine, and I was his. We had each other for a month, that was it. But to me it felt like years. I was ME again. I was the one who was committed. I was the one pushing him out the door to go serve the people of California. I was the one who wouldn't let anything hold him back.

Now, I have the beautiful opportunity to say that he is the Lord's. And I've gotten to peek into his life these past five months through his letters. I don't get cool stamps, from across the pond. I don't get crazy stories about weird animals he's encountered. The weirdest thing he's eaten is the food from the MTC. But I get letters from this wonderful and dear friend of mine. He shares scriptures with me, and the frustrations he's felt. He lets me be a part of this journey. I get to be there with him, even if his stories take place only a hop, skip, and a drive across the state line. I get stamps. And to me, that will always be enough.

Requirements

I may lose some readers after this, but this is MY opinion, and MY way of thinking. Sorry, not sorry, for speaking MY mind.

I have some requirements when it comes to the guys I date. I don't just mean the guys that I date seriously, but guys I go ON dates with. I'm kind of picky in this sense. Yes, I do go out on dates with guys who don't match up perfectly, but for me, the relationship won't go further than friends. Specifically, I have two requirements. These aren't requirements like "he HAS to like pizza and movies". These are physical requirements. I know that sounds pretty sketch, but bear with me for a while.

1. His face. Before you automatically say "it's not all about looks, Sarah!" let me just say: you're right. It's not. This has nothing to do with the look of his face. It's about the size. Let me just say that a BIG chunk of my family history is Swedish. AKA Scandinavian. AKA we have large heads. I don't know why, but something in our genetics make it so we have large heads. Some members of my family are not like this, but I got the "large head" gene, apparently. So if a guy I date has a smaller head, it just feels off, to me. I don't understand it, nor do I really care. All I care about is if the guy I date has a bigger face than me. Weird? DUH. It's me.

2. Height. This is kind of an obvious one. Most girls want a guy who's taller than them. But most girls will also be okay if a guy is only 2" taller. Not me. A lot of the guys I know, who are comfortably at 5'8" (2" taller than me) slouch. Which then makes them my height, or even shorter. I know, there are the guys who carry themselves with straight backs, blah blah blah. But that's pretty rare; especially at college where EVERYONE AND THEIR DOG slouches because of: backpacks, depression, stress, etc. I also don't like going out with guys who ARE MY HEIGHT. It seriously bugs. It might also have to do with the fact that my dad himself is 6'3", and so is my brother-in-law. AND the last guy I seriously dated is 6'6". Those factors tend to sway me a bit.

Out of the two, number one has a lasting effect. I do not seriously date guys who have smaller faces than I do. However, I will go out with guys who are at the comfortable 5'8". In fact, that happened just a few weeks ago.

Maybe I'll just stick to my 5-year-old boyfriends, like TimmyBoy here.
sidenote - TimmyBoy is my cousin, and his birthday is today, and he's my buddy(: 

Okay, rant is done, for now. Yes, I'm weird. I've embraced it. I'm not asking you to embrace it, but just accept the fact that I speak my mind. And I speak it quite freely.

STAY FRESH, YO.

PS. I'm at school right now, which is probably why this popped into my mind. And why this is a short post. laterrrrr

HULLO. I've tried this blogging business before, but I've never managed to get it JUST RIGHT. you know, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears? well, this is my "third time's a charm", this blog. I'm kind of excited. in that "first day of school, I hope my hair isn't too frizzy" kind of way. I've never been good at expressing ME; Sarah Merkley, in the flesh. hopefully I can do Sarah Merkley, on the blog, instead. 
what is this blog? why, it's My Sketchy Res. I have THREE big new years' resolutions.
1. abstain from soda
2. finish my USA state quarter map
3. a picture a day - BUT I need to have a picture with a guy (AKA man) with a beard.
pretty sketch, right? hence the name.

I do have other resolutions, some more tangible. (i.e. growing my hair out, getting A's all semester, etc.) but those aren't really for ME; Sarah Merkley. these three, that I'll be posting about, THOSE are for me. THOSE are what I really want this year.

and y'all are lovely enough to join me! I won't JUST post about my sketchy res. I'll also post random things like; this sweater is itchy and put a picture up. OR how much I love One Direction and pizza, though not necessarily at the same time. OR the crazy antics of my family. (if you know us, you KNOW what I mean.. you just know)
will I post DAILY? no. heck-to-the-know. I don't have the patience, or the time for that! but I'll fill you in on my resolutions. like how sketch it is to ask random people for a picture with them, JUST because they have a beard. and then having to explain myself to them. yeah, it's intimidating.

AKA this blog will be my out, my sanctuary of peace. luckily I like you enough to let you peek into my mind a bit (: