Beard Cap

I could go for one of these about now! It is SO COLD!!

clipped from www.tigerprint.typepad.com

Prehistoric Christmas

Every year my sister Emily and I make a non traditional gingerbread house. Our first year it was, "Christmas at the Nile" with baby Moses in a basket, three pyramids decked out in lights and wreathes, along with guards which had mini candy canes crossed in front of their chest. Last year was entitled, "O Christmas Peach" and as you can see, featured James and all of his friends. Notice the fine Christmas sweaters Emily and I are sporting...yes I know you wish you had one. And well, here is this years creation in all it's splendor.

Littlefoot and Ducky in the great valley

Sadie's santa caveman with club/rambo gun and loin cloth

Another Rainy Day

Yesterday My sister and I field tripped to Seattle for her Art 101 class. She was required to visit two small galleries in Pioneer Square. Sadly only one was open. This piece was my personal favorite, "Grasshopper drive #1" by Gaylen Hansen.


With that out of the way we still had a few hours on the meter to kill and decided to wander around. It did not take long before we found something of interest, a shop selling men’s punk rocker style kilts (I think that’s what you could term them as anyway). Finding the manikin in the window pretty funny, I told Anna to pose next to it. Then just as I was about to take the shot, a man sporting the same outfit as the manikin ran out of the store yelling, “halt!” Anna and I both thought for sure that we were in some sort of trouble. Surprisingly he threw his arm around Anna and cheesed it up for the photo before retuning to the store. Highly entertaining!

The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering in and out of shops, eating the best sandwiches ever, getting drenched in the wonderful Seattle rain, and then driving through the flooded street near our house at least five times. It was a good day!

Still Thankful

OK, ok, I know it's been a little while since Thanksgiving. However I am at last ready to blog about it. Thanksgiving and the few days before were wonderful! I was blessed to celebrate in St. George with some of my extended family. I got to spend time with my mom and dad’s parents, my great aunt and uncle, and my mom’s sister and family. There was much fun game playing, delicious food, and some slightly out of hand napkin folding. I loved it!

(A sample of some of Sydney and my fine work)

Then if this was not enough, the day after Thanksgiving two of my good friends from school, Nick and Stephanie came down and we left on a weekend whirlwind trip to California. I don’t even know how to express how great it was. I just have to sum it up as simply AMAZING!

Our log (which Nick claims is not funny anymore) included items such as our gas tank overflowing and running down the side of the car, Steph getting hit on by multiple strange men/promising to return for them some day, and much more. The real highlights though were probably all of Saturday: going to the beach with our wonderful hosts

where there were swings on the beach! So great!

Where we "gifted mussels back to the sea" (Nick is making his wish)

And where a local fisherman insisted that I pose with his buddy's pole so it looked like I caught a fish. After the beach it was on to eating tasty Thai food,

visiting the Getty Museum,

and of course going to see Wicked!! I think all three of us agree that we need to travel together again very soon. It was like I said, AMAZING!

Golden

I just got back from THE MOST AMAZING weekend! However, I am too tired tonight to do it any justice through blogging. So I am posting this picture from a couple of weeks ago instead. I found it tonight while I was looking for something else and decided I that I like it. It has that pretty golden light that I love so much.

Smiley-Cam

How cool is this pinhole camera? I think I need to make one! Although that means I will need access to a darkroom to develop the film. I guess it will just have to wait, but still SO AMAZING!!

clipped from mail.google.com Take Photos From Inside Your Mouth … with the Smiley-Cam! There’s nothing like a big “Say cheese!” to bring out the pearly whites. But all this talk of grinning reminds us of one of our life-long curiosities — what about our teeth’s perspective? What it’s like looking out from inside our mouths? At long last, we’ve found an answer: the Smiley-Cam! Pinhole photography enthusiast Justin Quinnell has perfected the art of using bite-size pinhole cameras to get those difficult but illuminating inside-your-mouth-looking-out perspective shots. Even better, Justin’s selling his pinhole ’smiley-cam’ cameras for cheap. Finally, you can turn the tables on Uncle Herman the next time he shouts, “Say cheese!” The Smiley-Cam — The In-Mouth Pinhole Camera Check out Justin Quinnel’s Smiley-Cam pics or get your own from Justin for $23 bucks.

Local Art

Today I had a day off and decided to go exploring. As I wandered, I came across several acts of vandalism that intrigued me. Naturally I documented them. Then before I knew it, I had given myself a series assignment. When I got home I was playing around with some actions in Photoshop that I have never actually used, and decided that this Lomoize look was kind of fun. I don't know though...what do you think? More fun than properly exposed non saturated color?

Confused

I think the weather here is confused. I had the day off yesterday and decided to go take fall photos in the cottonwood canyons. However, after getting out of the car it started to SNOW! Not yet! It's not even Halloween! Regardless of what I thought, it continued to snow. So after taking some pictures I got to test out the 4 wheel drive on the Rav.

Yee Haw!

Monday was a big day at work, the boss' birthday. Everyone was required to dress up - hence my adorable pigtails. There was lunch and cake, cowboy poetry, hysterical songs, superimposed pin the tail posters, and yes even a mechanical bull. I bet you are all considering quitting your current jobs to work where I do now...

Alive

Today I spent the day in downtown Salt Lake with my friend Stephanie. We had delicious lunch in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, snuck into a choir practice, went to the Clark Planetarium, and even got lost on some trucker road. Needless to say, I had a really fun time! While Stephanie and I were out she mentioned that I had not posted anything on here recently. So here I am now to say that I am in fact, still alive. The Utah drivers have not gotten me yet. I have been blessed since my last post to have done everything I listed as needing to do. I bought a vehicle. I found a place other than the church history museum to live – which I must say was a good suggestion, so thanks whomever it was that suggested it :), and I am liking my new job more and more.

While Stephanie and I were in the planetarium today I feel like I learned so much!! We got to watch a super cool 3D IMAX too. I left with this desire to google everything when I got home. You can all call me a nerd if you want, but this is for you Stephanie. Answers to some of our most pressing questions:

Q: What is the average age of a star?

A: “Many stars are between 1 billion and 10 billion years old. Some stars may even be close to 13.7 billion years old — the observed age of the universe. The oldest star yet discovered, HE 1523-0901, is an estimated 13.2 billion years old.” - Wikipedia

Q: Which parts of the space shuttle actually make it back to the earth, and which parts fall off where?

A: A yummy way to learn or if you prefer a slightly more advanced explanation

Q: Is Pluto techincally still considered by scientists to be a planet?

A: The word is "no" as of August 2006. However, for New Mexico, the fight for Pluto is not over. Yay! You fight! I don't know how kids will remember the planet names now...My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine... Nine what? I guess maybe, Just Served Us Nothing...?!!?!

Q: 3D movies are the best!! how exactly do they work?

A: “The technique usually involves filming two images simultaneously, with two cameras positioned side by side, generally facing each other and filming at a 90 degree angle via mirrors, in perfect synchronization and with identical technical characteristics. When viewed in such a way that each eye sees its photographed counterpart, the viewer's visual cortex will interpret the pair of images as a single three-dimensional image. Modern computer technology also allows for the production of 3D films without dual cameras.” - Wikipedia

Update

Although it’s only been a little over two weeks since I last posted, quite a bit has happened. I had some wonderful friends from school visit and we got to play Seattle tourist.

(this is made out of sand!)

I turned 22 and my mom and I went to the glass museum where: I learned all about Chihuly, determined that I must blow glass at some point in my life, and came away with a great t-shirt that says “nice glass” on the back…

(Ok, so this picture is out of focus. However, it was the the best I could do considering that I snapped it right before the security guy was coming around the corner. You can't take pictures in there and this giant glass web took up the entire room. It was too amazing not to capture!)

Shortly after my birthday I traveled with my dad to Rockland, Idaho where we started framing the family summer home. It was quite the interesting ride there. 12 hours in 90 degree plus weather with a squirt bottle for AC and only just enough radio reception for Dr. Laura.

Besides slave labor I also traveled to Salt Lake for some job interviews. I interviewed at several ad agencies and even got to catch up with a good friend. So big news…drum roll please… I am no longer just a poor college graduate bumming around my parent’s house! I am now a poor, homeless, college graduate with earning potential. I was offered a position with ThomasArts and this morning I accepted. I start on the 17^th! So a week from today!! Things are out of control around here. I have only a week to pack, find an apartment, buy a vehicle, and get settled.

Unbelievably, I only took five pictures the whole time I was in Utah and Idaho. And it was only at my dad’s insistence that I should. So here is one of register rock where all of the Oregon Trail pioneers etched their names right before the Indian’s attacked. I personally think it’s amazing that they went to such lengths as including serifs in their writing. They obviously valued beautiful type.

Emy

I took Emy out to test out my new birthday lens yesterday evening. We were just in time for that beautiful golden light. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get this kid to smile, but in the end we managed a few that Mom really likes. Some (like the second and fourth picture) that show off a bit of her quirkiness.

Fun with Dick and Jane

Today I got to visit with one of my favorite people from school and finally meet her fiancée. We met in Ellensburg and wandered around catching up. It was fun! Probably more for my friend and me than it was for her fiancée, but he was a great sport.

While we were wandering around the unfamiliar town, we were drawn to this interesting house. Apparently the artists that live there have been working on it for 27 years. There are over 10,000 bottle caps, thousands of reflectors, and tons of so-weird-its-fascinating art. It was what we termed to be, “out of control.”

as was this mural...