diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index 97f8b31bc..45c80bc5a 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 class UsersController < ApplicationController
+  before_filter :authenticate_user!, :except => [:new, :create]
 
-  before_filter :authenticate_user!
   def index
     @users = User.sort(:created_at.desc).all
   end
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
   def create
     @user = User.new(params[:user])
 
-    if @user.save!
+    if @user.person.save! && @user.save! 
       flash[:notice] = "Successfully signed up."
       redirect_to root_path
     else
diff --git a/app/helpers/status_messages_helper.rb b/app/helpers/status_messages_helper.rb
index 57d0f2f17..840e789a0 100644
--- a/app/helpers/status_messages_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/status_messages_helper.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 module StatusMessagesHelper
-
   def my_latest_message
     unless @latest_status_message.nil?
       return @latest_status_message.message
@@ -7,7 +6,4 @@ module StatusMessagesHelper
       return "No message to display."
     end
   end
-  
-  
-
 end
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index df7483c22..8981fbee0 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -118,7 +118,17 @@ class User
 
   
   ###Helpers############
-
+  def self.instantiate( opts = {} )
+    User.create(
+      :email => opts[:email],
+      :password => opts[:password],
+      :password_confirmation => opts[:password_confirmation],
+      :person => Person.new(
+        :email => opts[:email],
+        :profile => Profile.new(
+          :first_name => opts[:first_name],
+          :last_name => opts[:last_name])))
+  end
 
   def terse_url
     terse= self.url.gsub(/https?:\/\//, '')
diff --git a/spec/models/user_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
index bcc977505..bcdf97db7 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,18 @@ describe User do
     Person.count.should == n+1
   end
   
+  it 'should instantiate with a person and be valid' do
+    user = User.instantiate(:email => "bob@bob.com",
+                            :password => "password",
+                            :password_confirmation => "password",
+                            :first_name => "bob",
+                            :last_name => "grimm")
+
+    user.save.should be true
+    user.person.should_not be nil
+    user.person.profile.should_not be nil
+  end
+
   describe 'friend requesting' do
      it "should be able to accept a pending friend request" do
       friend = Factory.create(:person)