I think in pictures ...

"Knowing this one would be beautiful, I thought it wouldn't mind starting in an old can."

Finding the Extraordinary in You

During my morning blog trolling I found this post and it got me thinking because it rang so true to me. The auther says:

"Most people don't think of themselves as beautiful. We don't think of ourselves at all, really. We just get up, splash water on our faces, dress, pull our hair back, throw our clothes on--whether the uniform of mindless choice is yoga pants or your everyday sari. There's no thought in it; we simply prepare for our day and show up as best we can...blind to our beauty, unconscious of how extraordinary it is to play our everyday roles."


I tend to look at my life and think how ordinary and unexciting it because well it's my routine, I do it day in and day out week after week. I tend to look at myself and see the flaws, the mistakes I've made, the things I need to do better. When people ask me to decribe myself I never know what to say. I'm just me. In fact for one of the essays on my college application they asked me decribe me. I coldn't think of a thing. Luckily we had done a young women's activity prior to that where we each discribed what we liked about each other. I pulled out what my peers had written about me and that became my essay. (Lame, I know)

And maybe this is the way it should be. If we all thought we were as extraordinary as we may be, there wouldn't be room for any growth, we'd be content how we are. Not to mention we'd all have egos the size of Texas.

But today I want to challenge myself, and the 3 people who read this, to look at yourself and your life and find the extraordinary person that is you. Cause really, there's no one out there quite like you.

On Broadway

My sister and I share a love of Broadway musicals, when we're in the car together we blare the soundtracks and sing along at the top of our lungs. Last year for Christmas I decided she needed to share her love for Broadway on her walls I started a series of “On Broadway” paintings for her with this:

(8x24 Acrylic)

This year I took a little different approach with this:

(16x20 Acrylic)

9 Broadway posters down … 16 to go. I think I'll be going back to the first format for the rest or I'll be painting musical posters for her forever.

PS Just so you don't think I spoiled a surprise or anything ... she already knew what she was getting for Christmas this year. Sort of.

Picture of the Week



Bear River - Peterson Park Elwood, UT



This made my day ...

It's the little things that make me most happy :)

When I read words ... I see pictures

For example: when I read Invictus by William Ernst Henley and The Soul's Captain (The Answer) by Orson F. Whitney (read them here) I see this:

Composed of Simon Dewey's "Peace Be Still" and
a random picture from the internet but I can't remember where.

Moving ... It's good for the soul

No I'm not moving.

But I have moved around the country ... a lot. I've lived in Tennessee, L.A., Mississippi, Maryland, Utah and finally Texas all before I left elementary school. When we moved to Texas I didn't think we'd stick around as long as we did ... or that I'd come back after college (in Idaho).

As a kid I used to yearn for the stability of living in one spot. I found that stability when we moved to Texas now I find that I miss moving. I miss being able to expereince the different cultures that exist within the US.

Let's face in the East Coast is much different then the West Coast.

And the Texas south is different then the Mississippi south.

And Tennessee and Maryland may as well be different countries.

And Utah ... well, it's just Utah. It's own special brand of ... something.

Sure you can travel all over the country and world for that matter (and I plan to) but until you've lived somewhere you can't really experience it.

I'll be honest, the whole packing and unpacking thing really stinks, I know this, remember I've done it a lot. But there is a bright side to all that packing:
1. It gives you an opportunity to evaluate the things you have and ... (my mom's least favorite word) purge.
and
2. If you keep things simple (I'm very minimalistic - I don't even have a bed, I have a mattress on the floor and am perfectly content) there really isn't a lot to move.

So after years of stability I've decided I'd be okay with the unstable lifestyle of the constantly moving. Possibly every 5-7 years. (every 2.5 years was way to often)

Oh How Things Have Changed... Or not

"Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Douglas Adams

The year was 1992, it was a beautiful fall day at the Charles County Fair. I was estatic for having just won the fair's 'spelling bee' by spelling the word cat C-A-T. The sun was just about to set and everything was glorious. And then someone suggested we ride the Ferris Wheel. WHAT?! That thing? But it goes so high?! "I think I'll stay behind with mommy" Nope, my dad wanted me to go on the Ferris Wheel. So what did I do? Kicked, screemed, dug in my heels and threw a fit. Was forced onto the ride and hung on tight with eyes closed for most of the ride. I was convinced at one point to open them but quickly realized my mistake... we were at the top of the ride and shook like a leaf the whole way down till they let me off.

Fast forward 19ish years, it's another glorious day (a little hot but with a slight breeze) I'm now in the middle of no where Texas, surrounded by dry (very dry) corn feilds ... suiting up to go skydiving. Willingly. I actually payed money for the opportunity to fall to my death (maybe). No kicking. No screaming. Not even butterflies in the stomach. As I'm waiting to board the plane I'm thinking of what I got myself into. Yikes! Then we're boarding the plane and the professioanl skydivers are calling me crazy cause I say I didn't feel any fear and am laughing along with their jokes. Inside I'm thinking - Yep I'm crazy and terrified and I want off this plane ... to bad the only way off is to jump. Then the divers are gone and we're making our way to the door of the plane and I look down ... Holy macaroni that's high -14,000 feet high. And then we're out of the plane, flying through the air with the greatest of ease. My eyes wide open (most of the time) no butterflies, just freedom.

I still won't look when I'm at the top of a Ferris Wheel (or any other high ride). But I will jump out of a plane again. I faced my fear of heights and have found that it's just heights that will hurt me, not kill me, if I fall that scare me. Go figure.

For your viewing pleasure ...

I've decided to start sharing some of my favorite pictures I've taken over the years with you guys. So for your viewing pleasure today here's a few I took in Idaho (certain roommates of mine will recognize the subjects) on my birthday trip back to good ole' Rexburg. Enjoy!

Lest we forget that Freedom isn't Free

"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: 'tis dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated."

— Thomas Paine (The American Crisis)

One year ago today a rocket propelled explosive in Afghanistan hit it's mark and killed one of this countries finest. He's just a number to most people, a statistic, but to those of us who knew Ben Chisholm it was a day that tore at our hearts. Ben was the clown of the group, the one that could always put a smile on your face - even when you didn't want to smile. He gave the best hugs in the world. He loved unconditionally and was fiercely loyal to his friends and his country. Ben left a wife behind - a pregnant wife. He now has a daughter that he never got to hold, a child that will grow up hearing stories about her daddy but never getting to experience his bone crushing hugs, or a late night chat.

Nope, freedom is not free. There are men and women who daily sacrifice themselves for the freedoms of others. Who love their country and mankind more then their lives. There are wives and husbands that raise families alone while spouses are deployed - with lonely nights and Skype where a spouse should be. There are children that grow up without a mother or a father.

So today, my thanks goes to all the men and women who payed the price for the freedom I enjoy. May we never forget how steep a price that was.

Are we not all temples?

When I get frustrated at work I tend to turn on General Conference to help calm me down and give me some perspective. A few months ago this was happening on a daily basis and depending on how early I started I could listen to all 5 sessions before I left for the day. In the midst of all this frustration I found some gems. Sunday morning session became my favorite and I always started with it. Then something unexpected happened. President Monson's talk from this session became my favorite talk. (I say unexpected cause I have never been a big fan of his talks - dodging lighting - I think it's his story telling) So I got past the story telling and fell in love with a phrase from his talk - this phrase: "Temples are more then stone and mortor. They are ...

As I listened one day, Paul's words "know ye not that ye are a temple of God" sprang into my mind along with the thought that 'this applies to you'. 

Do we all need to be filled with faith and fasting in these times of unrest before the Lord comes again? Yes

Do we reach our divine potential through the refiner's fire that are our trials and the peace our testimonies of Divine love and help bring during difficult times? You betcha

Are we santified as we gain charity through sacrificing our needs in the service of others? Yeppers

As I listened to conference over and over agian with this in mind, it seemed to me that that phrase was the central theme to the whole Conference - that most of the talks given could be tied back to one of those attributes (some very loosely but connected nonetheless).

So I guess what I've gotten out of my study of conference these past few months is that becoming a 'temple' for Heavenly Father requires a lot of chiseling (which can be painful) and losing oneself in building up His kingdom (which requires a lot of faith sometimes) and never forgeting what you are becoming and that you are under His watchful care.

Wilted... (this is a pity party- you've been warned)

Yesterday I was described by a friend as looking "wilted" and before anybody thinks that was kind of rude let me say that she described how I was feeling perfectly. Needless to say, I've been kind of down lately - maybe feeling a little bit left behind, another friend recently described it on her blog as taking the 5pm train to the Times Square New Year's Eve bash and realizing that all your friends took an earlier train and are partying without you at that moment. Maybe feeling a bit like there's something I need to be doing but I can't quite figure out what it is and it's frustrating cause I've never had that problem before, I've always known the next step and where I needed to be. Maybe I miss my family. Maybe I'm just being a stupid, emotional girl...

Logically I know my life is great and I've been blessed immensely, I can see Heavenly Father working in my life daily, I have a great job, I have great friends and people who care for me but I just can't seem to get my groove back.

Maybe it's time for a new groove, like the Emperior - minus the whole turning into a llama bit.

Now the only question is ... what should be my new groove? A friend suggested London ... I think I'll look into that. Other suggestions are welcome.

Someday my Beast will come...

I can't take credit for the title of this post - my friend Tara said it and I stole it (not much original sayings floating around in my head).

It won't surprise anyone who knows me well that the Beast is one of my favorite Disney 'heros', (I had the Beauty and the Beast Barbie dolls growing up, probably still have them I wonder where they are?) I kind of have this thing for animal like characters - Chewy is my favorite from Star Wars, Dobby from Harry Potter, Gollum from Lord of the Rings, I think you get the picture.

Moral: You can have whatever Prince Charming you can find but remember the Beast is mine.

Another Friendly Face

I was minding my own business, chatting with my mother on the phone when out of the corner of my eye I saw something brown fall from the counter. I was just going to chalk it up to my imagination but decided to investigate. And what did I find: a new lizard friend. I named him Sam. He likes to jump and doesn't like glass jars. He also can change colors: he went from a muddy sort of brown to bright green in the time it took me to catch him. Sam is really good at the game 'keep away from Sandy' but I finally got him and took him back outside where he could socialize with his buddies (but not before snapping a few pictures, here are my favorites).

Can I go now, please?

Freedom, sweet Freedom!

All you need is a can of spray paint

It's a little known fact about me that I like graffiti. Many people know about my obsession with cool tattoos - this is just an extension of that. While I was on the east coast earlier this year I rode the train from Albany NY to Baltimore MD, and what a feast for the eyes that was - beautiful scenic vistas and graffiti everywhere! Here's a sampling of my favorite from the street artists:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You're lucky I was on a moving train and most of the pictures turned out blurry or there would be a lot more here.

It's the little things that make me happy

Today I decide to see if my cell phone bill have posted online yet (even thought technically the billing period hadn't ended) because I was anxious to see how much 200 texts over my limit was going to cost me. My bill hadn't posted.
BUT I did notice that I could change my plan to unlimited talk + text for the same amount I was paying for 1000 anytime minutes and 300 texts.
AND since my contract was almost up I decided to see if they'd charge me to switch plans for this billing period.
Nope.
Sweet!
Just in time too, my billing period ends today.
So instead of the outrageous bill I was expecting I will pay slightly less then normal.
This makes me happy.
Very, VERY Happy!

What is enough?

Last night I was talking with my daddy on the phone about spiritual experiences we've had recently and he brought up a Priesthood blessing he once gave that has really gotten me thinking. He blessed this man that when he had enough faith he would be healed. This seemed unusal to my dad because this man consitantly demonstrates the faith it usually takes to be healed. After thinking about it for weeks he came to the realization that he didn't say the normal amount of faith required to be healed, he said enough, and maybe the normal amount of faith wasn't enough for this man anymore, Heavenly Father wanted him to develop more faith.

I think of that as I am going through struggles and watch my friends go through hard things. I'm not perfect, neither are my friends, but we are doing the best we can and are striving to live up to our Heavenly Father's expectations and I would normally think our faith was 'enough.' But maybe, just maybe Heavenly Father has raised the 'enough' bar of our faith and is trying to help us grow and rely more fully on Him.

There seems to be some confussion ...

...about what I do for a living. I'd like to take this opportunity to clear it up. I am an INTERIOR DESIGNER.

I am NOT:
    A mediator
    A matchmaker
    A therapist
    A counselor
    OR
    A psychologist

Please take note and if you would like any of these services please contact someone who cares. (hint: not me)

Am I CrAzY?!

Recently I had a friend ask me if I was crazy (and by crazy he meant psychotic, in need of a theropist), he was dealing with some crazy people in his life and wanted to make sure I was 'normal' so we could stay friends. I didn't quite know what to say, I mean, what crazy person truly thinks they're crazy and what sane person doesn't think they are crazy some of the time. And what is normal anyway? So I gave him as straight an answer as I could come up with ... Only occassionally. Which proves I'm sane becasue only a sane person would admit to being crazy, crazy people are in denial right? ... right? ... Please tell me I'm right, I don't think I could go on if I was truly crazy.