tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65747930685749916592024-03-13T03:08:14.506-07:00Read, write, dance, paint, liveIn which Sarah LuAnn the incredibly busy chronicles some of her experiences, discusses things mostly only she cares about, and basically does the whole blog thing.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-1254078131739433482015-01-23T14:33:00.000-08:002015-01-23T14:33:01.093-08:00I've moved!<h3>
I blogged here for quite awhile, but felt like blogger wasn't working for me the way I needed it to, and I wanted to consolidate the different blogs and sites I was using. I still blog, but not at this address. Head over to <a href="http://sarahluann.com/blog">sarahluann.com/blog</a> to see what I've been doing lately. </h3>
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See you over there!</h3>
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Sarah LuAnn</h3>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-10585247558572514322014-11-20T19:24:00.001-08:002014-11-20T19:24:06.649-08:00Arts and CraftsGrowing up, it annoyed me to hear "Arts and Crafts" said in the same breath. Like they're the same, if you did one you did the other. It annoyed me because I considered myself an artist, but not a crafter. And I really didn't want to be a crafter. I drew and painted and illustrated and created and experimented. I didn't <i>craft</i>.<br />
<br />
Of course, I had a very specific idea of what crafting was. Crafting was what those moms with the clean houses did in order to make their clean houses all decorated and <i>cute.</i> They'd find some cute thing someone else had already made and follow the step-by-step instructions and end up with the same cute thingy to put on their cute, clean doors or tables or whatever.<br />
<br />
(DISCLAIMER: there is nothing at all wrong with having a cute, clean house.) <br />
<br />
I wasn't interested in cute. Or in cleaning for that matter. Getting paint all over myself, and the canvas--now THAT was something I could handle. And getting ALL the dishes dirty in the creation of a beautifully delicious pie, or leaving bits of paper all over the carpet after a snowflake cutting session. (Those are mandatory every winter. No exceptions.)<br />
<br />
Snowflake cutting was the closest I came to crafting. But snowflakes were kind of brainy and creative, if you know what I mean--making them with six points is a challenge for awhile, but then you do them with five, and then with seven, or three (four or eight points was just too easy). I did it enough to kind of intuitively know what the final snowflake would look like. It always baffled me (still does, actually) that people would <i>follow a pattern</i> to cut a snowflake. I mean, seriously? You follow the directions on how to fold it--that makes sense. And then you <i>make something unique and cool</i>! You know, that whole every-snowflake-is-unique thing? You don't follow a<i> pattern. </i>Seriously?<br />
<br />
So if I was never really interested in crafting, why on earth would I <i>apply for a job</i> at a crafting company?<br />
<br />
Easy answer: I didn't.<br />
<br />
A fellow illustration major did. He was offered the job but didn't feel like it was the right fit for him. He ran into me on campus and mentioned there was an opportunity for a vector-based illustration job, and I was the only one he knew who really liked working in vector, so would I possibly be interested in that? Sure, I said. He told me that if he decided not to accept the job offer, he'd recommend me. They contacted me about a week later and it ended up working out, and there I was, working for Cricut, designing crafts.<br />
<br />
So it wasn't that I applied at a crafting company, it was that someone recommended me for creating vector-based artwork.<br />
<br />
My first project wasn't an easy one, and I can now actually talk about it because it's released for everyone to buy--the 3D Floral Home Decor cartridge (<a href="http://us.cricut.com/Shopping/detail--3D-Floral-Home-D%C3%A9cor-Cartridge-0-12660.aspx">http://us.cricut.com/Shopping/detail--3D-Floral-Home-D%C3%A9cor-Cartridge-0-12660.aspx</a>). So not only was I doing paper art, I was doing fairly complicated 3D paper art for people to decorate their cute clean houses with (I mean, Home Decor is <i>right in the title</i>) for my very first project.<br />
<br />
And I discovered something about myself. I'm still not interested in having a clean, cute, decorated, trendy, etc. house. (I fit the disorganized artist stereotype pretty well.) What I <i>am</i> interested in is visual problem solving--figuring out how to make something work. And then how to make it better.<br />
<br />
Some of the coolest flowers on that cartridge came from seeing something someone else had done and saying, ok, thats cool, but how can I make something <i>even cooler</i>? And some of it I just completely made up.<br />
<br />
And it was so. much. fun.<br />
<br />
And now I can't stop. I've designed and assembled about 5 new Christmas ornaments by this point, cut out on my awesome Cricut Explore machine. Its taken multiple tries to get them right, and my garbage can is full of failed attempts and the carpet is covered in paper confetti.<br />
<br />
And then, when I've finally got something that works, what do I do? I might take a quick snapshot for instagram, and then I stick it on the shelf, along with the other final versions and a bit of dust (I don't clean, remember?)--and start a new experiment. <br />
<br />
It was never really about creating something to display and look cool.<br />
<br />
It's about creating something cool, period.<br />
<br />
<br />
I think back on all the projects and mediums I've gotten really into--ambigrams, stained glass, even oil painting, and a freaking upside-down picture book--they have specific limitations, and then you have to take those limitations and say, ok, what <i>can</i> I do? What <i>will</i> work? To me, thats the most interesting reason to do arts and crafts.<br />
<br />
Yeah, I said them together. Arts and Crafts. Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-45071847987237843282014-01-26T15:48:00.000-08:002014-01-26T15:49:11.623-08:00Lah de dah de dah de dah de dah...I used to write in this blog alot. Well, maybe not alot. But with some frequency. Ish. Lately, I haven't. At least, not very frequently.<br />
<br />
So I'm writing just to write, but I don't really have anything to say. Lah de dah.<br />
<br />
Life is kind of in a weird place right now, because I'm still in Provo, but not taking classes, and not quite graduated yet. So school is over, but not. I'm also in a weird place where I want to stay in Provo but also really want to leave and go somewhere ELSE.<br />
<br />
Also, I'm working full time. With like, a real job. Part of what makes this so weird is that I wasn't even job searching--I feel like, if I had been searching and applying and thinking about getting a job, I would feel more normal about now having one. But I was only planning on doing my internship this semester, so having a job kind of fall in my lap has been extremely strange. And the fact that I have a job doing art that is NOT in a movie or game studio--jobs like that actually exist? Why did nobody tell me this? I make shapes on a computer, and then a machine cuts them out. Its kinda cool. Take a look at cricut.com for more cool stuff to do with that.<br />
<br />
Also, I have a car now. Just a little old 2002 Toyota Corolla. Her name is Martha. I'm still figuring out this whole car-owning thing.<br />
<br />
And I'm tired. I'm going to just post this now, just to have posted, not because I said anything interesting or substantial.<br />
<br />
The end. Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-39970066417790274172014-01-01T20:12:00.000-08:002014-01-01T20:12:13.359-08:00Books I read in 2013Its time for my traditional books-I-read-this-year post! Everyone else is reflecting on things they did and things they will do and making new goals, and all I seem to care about is how many books I read--what they were, how many there are, and how many I'd like to read the next year. Which doesn't seem quite as, you know, deep.<br />
<br />
But on the other hand, it kind of is. I think books can show a lot about how your year went--or at least, how my year went. There is a Lord Peter quote about books being like shells you shed to show previous periods of development, but I'm to lazy to find the exact words right now.<br />
<br />
Anyway. What I read this year.<br />
<br />
These are in reverse order, meaning the book I read most recently is listed first. This isn't a complete list because I'm not nearly as organized or on the ball as I'd like to be, and sometimes I'd go a few weeks or a month or more without remembering to write down titles of what I'd read, so I'm sure there are a few books missing here. Most are novels, mostly YA but some Middle Grade and Adult, and some are graphic novels. My goal was to read 52 books (one per week), a goal which I met by the skin of my teeth--there are 52 titles here. This is less than half of what I've read other years, but this year was very busy in other ways. I think I want to make a goal for 78 books next year--1.5 books a week (since, yanno, I don't have homework anymore). We'll see how that goes.<br />
<br />
<br />
Ok, ok, ok, finally--here they are. The books I read in 2013:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>East, Edith Pattou (again)</li>
<li>Friends With Boys (graphic novel), Faith Erin Hicks</li>
<li>Gilead, Marilynne Robinson</li>
<li>The Maytrees, Anne Dillard</li>
<li>Traveling Mercies, Anne Lamott</li>
<li>Very Far Away from Anywhere Else, Usrula K Le Guin</li>
<li>Clouds of Witness, Dorothy Sayers (again)</li>
<li>A Letter of Mary, Laurie R. King</li>
<li>My Antonia, Willa Cather</li>
<li>Gaudy Night, Dorothy Sayers (again)</li>
<li>A Monsterous Regiment of Women, Laurie R King</li>
<li>Divergent, Veronica Roth</li>
<li>The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R King</li>
<li>North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell (Librivox)</li>
<li>The Search Part 2</li>
<li>The Search Part 1</li>
<li>The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Librivox)</li>
<li>The Princess and the Bear, Mette Ivie Harrison</li>
<li>Passage, Lois McMaster Bujold</li>
<li>Legacy, Lois McMaster Bujold</li>
<li>Beguilement, Lois McMaster Bujold</li>
<li>The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold (again)</li>
<li>The Raven Boys, Maggie Stiefvater</li>
<li>The Doomsday Book, Connie Willis</li>
<li>The Seven Towers, Patricia C. Wrede (again)</li>
<li>The Perilous Gard, Elizabeth Marie Pope (again)</li>
<li>The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Avi</li>
<li>Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin</li>
<li>Crown Duel, Sherwood Smith (again)</li>
<li>A Stranger to Command, Sherwood Smith</li>
<li>The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, Jacqueline Kelly</li>
<li>Memory, Lois McMaster Bujold (again)</li>
<li>Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, Elizabeth Taylor</li>
<li>Well of Ascension, Brandon Sanderson</li>
<li>Shards of Honor, Lois McMaster Bujold (again)</li>
<li>Cryoburn, Lois McMaster Bujold (again)</li>
<li>Brothers in Arms, Lois McMaster Bujold (again)</li>
<li>Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte (Librivox)</li>
<li>Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen (Librivox)</li>
<li>Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began, Art Spiegelman (graphic novel)</li>
<li>Maus I: My Father Bleeds History, Art Spiegelman (graphic novel)</li>
<li>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Audiobook), J.K. Rowling</li>
<li>Mistborn, Brandon Sanderson</li>
<li>Kidnapped, Robert Louis Stevenson (Librivox)</li>
<li>Spellhunter, R.J. Anderson</li>
<li>Tuesdays in the Castle, Jessica Day George</li>
<li>Old Mans War, John Scalzi</li>
<li>The Girl of Fire and Thorns, Rae Carson</li>
<li>A Countess Below Stairs, Eva Ibbotson</li>
<li>The Warrior's Apprentice, Lois McMaster Bujold (again)</li>
<li>Memory, Lois McMaster Bujold (again)</li>
<li>Murder Must Advertise, Dorothy Sayers (again)</li>
</ul>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-88718107148886939932013-10-28T22:11:00.000-07:002013-10-28T22:11:14.547-07:00What does Thumper say?Maybe kids now don't grow up watching Bambi, but I believe that at least most of my generation did, and have therefore had reason to be reminded of Thumper's little saying, "If you can't say somethin' nice, don't say nuthin' at all."<br />
<br />
Seeing the types of comments that come up on almost every blog post or article I've read online recently, I've been thinking about this a lot . There are a whole lot of people saying a whole lot of not-nice things. And this is basically what you expect to see when you scroll down to the comments section.<br />
<br />
And the fact of the matter is, the world isn't black and white, and sometimes there are not-nice things that need saying. <br />
<br />
So I am proposing my own version of Thumper's mantra:<br />
<br />
If you can't say something nicely, don't say it at all.<br />
<br />
By this I do not mean that we should say rude or sarcastic things prettily. What I mean is, if you disagree, feel free to do so. Do it tactfully, intelligently, chivalrously, without mud-slinging or name calling.<br />
<br />
Can you do that for me, internet?Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-85236553155154176972013-09-19T21:26:00.000-07:002013-09-19T21:29:37.454-07:00and then I lost my phoneToday was a happy day.<br />
<br />
Note, I said a happy day, not a good day.<br />
Isn't that the same thing, you ask?<br />
Not really, at least in this case.<br />
<br />
Today was very normal, overall. I went to work, made some progress on my current project. Went to class (Womens Lit), talked about cool stuff. Next class (Senior English Course--wait, you're not an English major, you say. Well, so what, I say. Anyway, I'm just auditing it. I'll have to tell all two of you blog readers about it sometime, its a pretty interesting class.) Talked about cool stuff again.<br />
<br />
Next class was sketchbook. I drew pictures. I tried out my new brush pens, which are awesome. Sketchbook has been a kinda weirdly hard class for me so far.<br />
<br />
Wait, what? Sketchbook, hard? Don't you just go and draw pictures the whole time? Yes. I have... a kind of interesting relationship with my sketchbook, and with sketching, which I've really come to realize more lately since my two illustration classes are Sketchbook and Head Painting--very different.<br />
<br />
TANGENT. I keep meaning to take pictures of my paintings and sketches to post on my art blog. And I keep forgetting when I'm at school, and I remember when I'm at home and my pictures aren't. Blah. END TANGENT.<br />
<br />
Anyway, long story short, in sketchbook class I've been experimenting with different sketching media because pens just aren't fun, and I really am loving the brush pens. I got the idea to use them because I've been having SO MUCH fun in head painting DESPITE the fact that we use no color, or even white paint for that matter. Paint just works so much better with how I think than pen does. Its not as.... stiff. Brush pens unite the convenience of a pen with the looseness and real-estate-covering qualities of a brush. Which makes Sarah happy. <br />
<br />
So while I'm having all this fun with my new brush pens my phone decides that it wants a bit of sunlight so it sneaks out of my pocket and then, not satisfied with just getting some sunshine, decides to play hide-and-seek too. So far, its winning.<br />
<br />
And then class ended early so we could eat before going down to the guest artist lecture by the awesome Jillian Tamaki. I'm really glad I went, it was overall a very interesting and encouraging lecture, and I had maybe a smallish epiphany as a result. Epiphanies of every size are happifying.<br />
<br />
Also, today I wore one of my favorite outfits. Mom/Aunt Allisons old couduroy paisleyish jumper with pockets. I love jumpers with pockets, and paisleyish things. <br />
<br />
So I would call today a happy day, not a good one. Because it really was just a normal day. And I lost my phone, which is very not good, because I actually really need to use it. But... I just felt happy anyway. Despite the fact (or because?) I lost my phone. <br />
<br />
Also, happy talk like a pirate day, world. Despite being made aware of the holiday before even going out the door this morning, I failed to celebrate it in its traditional way. And was happy anyway. Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-83244427488372334662013-09-14T22:38:00.001-07:002013-09-14T22:39:40.863-07:00Grin and Bear ItI haven't really blogged in awhile. I've really fallen out of the habit of blogging.<br />
<br />
The other day something reminded me of an old blog entry I'd written, and I decided to go back and find it. I ended up looking over a bunch of old blog entries. I'd for gotten how often I'd written, and how much. I wrote in more than one blog, too. And, even if I do say it myself--some of my blog posts were really entertaining. I ended up laughing out loud when I read a few of them. <br />
<br />
I made alot of good new habits on my mission, but I think I lost some good ones too. <br />
<br />
I'd like to get back into the habit of blogging. I never really had a schedule before, I just wrote when I had a thought I wanted to throw out of a funny story to share. I'd like to try and see if I can get back into that habit again... if it doesn't work, I may set a more specific schedule for myself.<br />
<br />
This is connected to a thought thats been rolling around in the back of my head (which I just posted as my facebook status). It is this: activities where I've learned to get over my mistakes and have fun are those that I've improved most in and bring me the most joy--art and dancing. Those that I still have a hard time getting over my mistakes in I haven't improved in and tend to avoid--specifically, speaking and writing.<br />
<br />
What started me thinking about this was a little thing, really. In one of my classes I made a comment that didn't make much sense. It was actually a really dumb comment. I got some raised eyebrows and chuckles and the class discussion moved on. Nobody else in the class probably remembers my dumb comment, at least not very specifically. But all day afterward and into the next, I kept remembering the mistake and wincing. Why did I say such a dumb thing?<br />
<br />
In dancing I am very aware of the fact that I'm not great, sometimes I
slip or don't follow an obvious lead or, yes, step on someones toes, and
thats just how the dance goes, and I laugh and keep dancing. After years of participating in art critiques, I'm pretty good at not getting offended at comments, instead just taking them as they're meant, analyzing them, and then applying those that I feel will actually be helpful--all without getting all hurt and offended. <br />
<br />
Actually, I think this was one of the biggest reasons that I chose to major in Art rather than English (which, when it really comes down to it, are the only two majors I really considered--I can't see myself actually majoring an anything else.) I enjoy both. But I knew that I would have a much harder time accepting critiques of my writing than of my art, and would therefore have an easier time in art. Did I choose the easy way out? Maybe in this specific aspect of the choice. Overall, I don't think so. I chose the one where I knew I would be better able to learn from my mistakes. <br />
<br />
Is that strange? It seems like someone should either be good at getting over any mistake, or not. You're either prideful, or not. I guess people aren't that simple.<br />
<br />
Anyway. So I want to get back to writing a blog again, just as a way to do a little low-pressure writing. <br />
<br />
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-91478278633471812622013-07-06T14:57:00.000-07:002013-07-06T14:57:38.175-07:00Farmers MarketThis week was my first time actually going out and selling my artwork in person--I've sold art online, but not really face-to-face with potential buyers. It was a great experience! My main goal first off was just to get the experience, to get an idea of what to expect with this sort of thing in order to do it better in the future. Goal achieved---huzzah!<br />
<br />
I learned some things that are maybe obvious to some people, but are new to me, and hopefully helpful in future. Some of them are:<br />
<br />
<br /><ul>
<li>-People aren't just going to line up to give you their money (duh). You have to catch their interest first. This can be a problem when your art is the you-only-get-it-when-you-look-again (upside-down) kind. </li>
<li>-Clouds are one of those good-or-bad, awesome-or-terrible things when you're selling outside. They either mean rain (no!) or shade (yes!). Fortunately, we had the shade kind of clouds for most of the day.</li>
<li>-People like to buy things when they have a 'thing'. Like, some people have a cat thing, or a book thing, or a dancing thing, or a mustache thing, or something. This is why fanart sells... and also why people get in trouble for selling fanart. I want to figure out some "things" that people like that are NOT trademarked and design things they might like.</li>
<li>-I sell like a missionary, and so does Normandie. We tended to focus alot more on the person than the product. Which lead to some fun conversations, but I have no idea whether things would sell better if we had focused otherwise. So far, I've enjoyed using my missionary conversation skills so I'll stick with that for now :-)</li>
<li>-Sitting/standing around and doing nothing except greet people is tiring. </li>
<li>-You don't know if something will sell well just because <i>you</i> like it. You just have to see how people respond when they see your work, and notice what catches their eye. It might not be what you think.</li>
</ul>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-79859849759687747322013-03-17T17:34:00.001-07:002013-03-21T14:22:51.590-07:00New York--quick and boring write upSo a couple people wanted to hear about my New York trip, and I wanted to tell you all about it. But one of the effects of the New York trip was that I am now VERY behind on my homework, so finding the time to do a good thorough job of it is just not possible. This is the best I can do. Truth be told, no effort has been made to make this report at all interesting. I basically just looked at the itinerary and wrote a couple lines about each place we went.<br />
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The first place we visited after our flight was the National
Portrait Galleries in Washington D.C.. It was here that I started my method of
museum-viewing that I used throughout the trip—don’t worry about running
through the whole museum to see the famous pictures, don’t worry about
appreciating every single piece of art there, just walk around until a piece
catches your eye. Take a closer look, try and figure out why it caught your
eye, maybe take a picture or a sketch, then move on. The portrait gallery was
really fun, it was really interesting to see all the different types of art there.
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Afterward we visited some of the monuments, which was fun,
but I’d already seen most of them at least once on my previous trips there. </div>
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The next morning we went to the Delaware Art museum, where I
got to see lots of Howard Pyle originals. It was SO COOL. Howard Pyle was
amazing. There was also some work by other artists that was fun to see as well.
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Right after that we headed to the Brandywine museum, which
have a lot of the Wyeth’s work (N.C., Andrew, and Jamie). The N.C. Wyeth
gallery was closed at that time, but Bethanne, being Bethanne, talked to the
people in charge and got them to let us in anyway, which was awesome. The N.C.
Wyeth gallery was probably the highlight of the trip for me, I wish I could
have stayed longer but I’m glad that they let us in at all. I also really liked
some of Jamie Wyeth’s paintings, he was a great colorist. Before leaving I
bought a couple postcards for myself of N.C. Wyeths paintings, I chose those
that I thought had the most accurate color reproduction (since I had just barely seen the originals, I thought that that was probably the best time for me to make that kind of call :-). I only realized later
that the two illustrations I had chosen were both from Treasure Island...but that's not surprising, since that's probably N.C.'s most well known work. </div>
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After the Brandywine museum, each of the 3 vans went their
separate ways to get lunch. We decided to get snacks at a grocery store just to
tide us over until we could get real Philly Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia. </div>
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Finally, we headed over to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
My favorite pieces there were probably those I saw by Monet and Cassat—I guess
I just kinda have a thing for impressionists. </div>
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Then, we went to get our real Philly Cheesesteaks. We went
to a place called Genos, which is apparently one of the two places that claims
to be the originators of the Philly Cheesesteak. The sandwiches were delicious
(if a bit expensive). </div>
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Thursday, we drove to New York. Our first visit was to Blue
Sky studios—you know, the people who made Ice Age and Rio. They gave us a tour
and then we got to eat lunch with all the BYU alumni (/Mormons) who work there.
It was really fun and inspiring to see how much art and work (and artwork) goes into making movies. </div>
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Next we visited Bob McGuiness, who was just the nicest guy.
We all crammed into his studio and we talked about art. It felt kinda like we
were visiting someones grandpa or something (which I guess we were, haha).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The next day started with a visit to a certain bakery, the
name of which has slipped my mind. But we got the thickest, richest, creamiest
hot chocolate I have ever tasted or probably ever will taste. It was seriously
amazing. I was surprised at first that one small cup was 6 dollars… then I
understood. </div>
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Our first visit was to Abrams Books. I was pretty sure that
I had walked into heaven. I mean, this was a place filled with books, book
lovers, and book makers. And they gave us cookies and picture books and were
just really nice in general. Yeah. I used to want to be an Editor… I know that
I would have loved that, but illustrating is so much fun. Yeah. Anyway. I guess we've established that as long as books are a big part of my future, I'll be happy.</div>
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We went to the Society of Illustrators for lunch and oh my
do they have a whole lot of awesome art there. Definitely a feast for the eyes,
and they fed our mouths as well. It was basically a buffet style thing and it
was all delicious—my favorite was the cuscus salad. Yum.</div>
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Then we visited an artist’s agent, Richard Solomon. They
talked a lot about what they do and what they look for in artists they
represent, etc.<br />
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Then, the Museum of Modern art. They had some interesting stuff
there, and also stuff I didn’t quite understand… I got to see some famous
paintings in person though, which was cool, including Christina’s World, The
Scream, and Starry Night, among others. Afterward we got street food for dinner
and visited the Strand Bookstore, where I was sorely tempted to by so many
things but I didn’t :D. </div>
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Saturday morning Rebecca and I went and bought tickets to
see The Mystery of Edwin Drood. We were late getting to the box office but it
turned out being a good thing because their servers were down and they weren’t
able to sell tickets yet. We waited around for awhile, and with the help of some
really nice people we were able to give them our names and number, so they could
call when the system was working again. We walked around, saw a cool church
which we explored, and they called Rebecca back and we were able to buy our
Student tickets for 32 dollars. Success all around! </div>
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Then we visited Sam Weber’s studio, which<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was way cool—he was a really nice guy and we
got to look through his originals, which I’d seen in print (both in book covers
and art books) but it was interesting to see what the paintings looked like
before he altered them digitally. </div>
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Next, we headed to Paul Zelinsky’s studio, which may have
been my favorite studio visit of the trip. He was really nice and
accommodating, and we got to look at the originals of his Rapunzel picture
book, which won the Caldecott a few years ago.<br />
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After that, we headed straight back to Broadway to see our
play. We got a delicious torta from a street vendor outside the subway station
which was possibly the most delicious thing I ate on the trip. </div>
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The show was fun. The singing was amazing and there was a
lot of fun comedy in the show. The voting at the end for the
detective/killer/etc. was also fun. So overall, the play was a fun experience
but it wasn’t particularly moving or life changing as other Broadways (or
equivalent) I’ve seen. But it was worth the 32 dollars, so I'm happy :-).</div>
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Sunday was a bit of a rest day, as it should be. We went to
the YSA ward at 11:30 and afterward headed to the Met. By this point in the
trip (actually well before this) my feet were feeling pretty abused and
complaining fairly loudly. Fortunately, the Met is one museum we visited on the
trip where most rooms are well supplied with benches. I continued to use my
wandering method of museum viewing, adding a long sketching period in front of
paintings I liked which also happened to have a bench in front of them. It
turned out to be a very fun and restful way to experience the museum. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterward Bro. Barret took us walking through
some fun sites to see in New York, including some murals by Maxfield Parrish
and Dean Cornwell.</div>
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Monday morning we visited Peter de Seve’s studio, which was
fun. He’d actually forgotten we were coming, but was very friendly and accommodating
anyway. He offered a lot of good thoughts and insights about the industry.<br />
<br />
Afterward we visited Brett Helquist’s studio, which was wonderful. He showed us
a bunch of his original paintings and gave us some really inspiring and sound
advice about how to go through school and get started as an illustrator. </div>
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Then, we had free time until 4, when we would have to head
to the airport. I got Rebecca and Stephanie to come with me to a Filipino
restaurant I’d found by searching online. I got to have Sisig and they tried
Tocsilog and Bangsilog. Then we wandered around Soho, looking at random shops,
my favorite of which sold all kinds of fancy and exotic foods. I got a
pear-almond tart, which was delicious. </div>
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Then, we headed to the airport and home.</div>
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And lived happily ever after. </div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-44003355711907408852013-02-08T16:23:00.001-08:002013-02-08T16:25:23.317-08:00This I Believe essayFor my Writing about Arts and Humanities class, we had to write a "this I believe" essay. These are essays collected and published by http://thisibelieve.org about (of course) peoples beliefs. Here is my essay--though imperfect, I'm mostly happy with how it turned out, and I feel that I was at least able to communicate my belief clearly.<br />
<br />
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Sketchbooks and Stick Figures </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We’ve all experienced hundreds of
getting-to-know-you conversations. We all know the questions you’re supposed to
ask. What’s your name? Where are you from? And for me and most of my peers,
this next one is inescapable:</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What’s your major?</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Illustration, I answer.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oh, Illustration, they say. Is that,
like, art?</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes, I confirm, Illustration is art. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wow, they say. I can’t even draw a
stick figure. You must be really talented.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After participating in variations of
this conversation hundreds of times, it’s really got me thinking. What do they
mean by that last comment—“You must be really talented”? Sometimes it seems
like an explanation, or even an excuse, for being good at something. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I do believe that there is such a thing
as talent—raw natural ability in a certain area. What is strange to me about
the comment “You must be really talented” is that, in the end, I don’t feel
that talent has very much to do with my success as an artist. Talent, or raw
natural ability, is just that—raw, unrefined, and untried. Even a person that
apparently doesn’t have talent can excel beyond someone who does—<i>if</i> they
invest the required time and effort.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, you can’t even draw a stick figure.
This doesn’t prove that you’re not talented and could never do “good” art. It
simply shows that you haven’t spent much time drawing stick figures—yet. You
could, though. And you could get really good at it, given enough time. This is
why artists carry sketchbooks. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I first learned the value of
sketchbooks from my high school art teacher. Every week she would collect our
sketchbooks, not to critique them, but to make sure that we were drawing,
observing, and recording ideas constantly. “You don’t have to show your
sketchbook to anyone if you don’t want to,” she’d say. “This is where you mess
up and make mistakes. It’s where you think. It’s where you learn. It’s not to
show off how talented you are to anyone else.” Through sketchbooking I learned
how much time and effort is required to produce good art. The merely talented
who aren’t constantly sketching get left by the wayside. Artists succeed
because, even when they’re not in front of a canvas with brushes in hand, the
have a sketchbook that they carry everywhere. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Believing in effort over talent is
extremely liberating—just think about it. I really can do, and be, and
accomplish anything I want, provided that I am willing to put in enough time
and effort. And so can you. Your hopes of what you want do and be and
accomplish can be realized, if you are ready to do what it takes. Try it—invest
a little time and effort. I believe in you. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-73633464838133468592013-01-09T19:32:00.000-08:002013-01-09T19:39:01.898-08:00Books read in 2012 (incomplete) In the past I've kept lists of the books (novels) I've read and then posted them online at the end of the year. I wasn't very consistent with keeping track this year so this list isn't complete, but here are most of the books I read this year. If I counted correctly, there are 52 books on this list, averaging only one per week. In past years I've read nearly 3 times this many, but things have gotten in the way this year it seems. Well, one per week ain't too shabby, is it?<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The Spirit Eater, Rachel Aaron</li>
<li>The Spirit Rebellion, Rachel Aaron</li>
<li>The Spirit Thief, Rachel Aaron</li>
<li>Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us</li>
<li>Leadership and Self Deception</li>
<li>The World is Flat</li>
<li>Les Miserables, Victor Hugo (didn't finish, but I got pretty close.)</li>
<li>The Enchanted Glass (didn't finish but I will come back to it) Diana Wynne Jones</li>
<li>Finnikin of the Rock (didn't finish), Melina Marchetta</li>
<li>The Homeward Bounders, Diana Wynne Jones</li>
<li>The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater</li>
<li>Dragonhaven (again), Robin McKinley</li>
<li>the Emerald Thread (again), Mordena Babich</li>
<li>Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold</li>
<li>Fall of a Kingdom, Hillari Bell</li>
<li>Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms; Fumiyo Kouno</li>
<li>Anya's Ghost, Vera Brosgol</li>
<li>Howl's Moving Castle (again), Diana Wynne Jones</li>
<li>The Vor Game (again), Lois McMaster Bujold</li>
<li>The Mountains of Mourning (again), Lois McMaster Bujold</li>
<li>The Warriors Apprentice (again), Lois McMaster Bujold</li>
<li>The Curse of Chalion (again), Lois McMaster Bujold</li>
<li>A Long Way From Chicago, Richard Peck</li>
<li>The Chocolate War, Robert Cormier</li>
<li>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon</li>
<li>White Cat, Holly Black</li>
<li>American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang</li>
<li>The Book Thief, Marcus Zusak</li>
<li>How I Live Now, Meg Rossoff</li>
<li>The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton</li>
<li>Matched, Ally Condie</li>
<li>The Sky is Everywhere, Jandy Nelson</li>
<li>The Braid, Helen Frost</li>
<li>Skin Hunger, Kathleen Duey</li>
<li>The Chosen One, Carol Lynch Williams</li>
<li>Getting Away with Murder, Chris Crowe</li>
<li>Leviathan, Scott Westerfield</li>
<li>Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson</li>
<li>Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein</li>
<li>Out of Sight, Out of Time, Ally Carter</li>
<li>Only the Good Spy Young, Ally Carter</li>
<li>Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover, Ally Carter</li>
<li>Cross My Heart And Hope To Spy</li>
<li>I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You</li>
<li>A Matter of Magic, by Patricia Wrede</li>
<li>The Seven Towers, by Patricia Wrede</li>
<li>Hexwood, by Diana Wynne Jones</li>
<li>The Sherwood Ring, Elizabeth Marie Pope</li>
<li>The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznik</li>
<li>Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine</li>
<li>A Conspiracy of Kings, by Megan Whalen Turner</li>
<li>The King of Attolia, by Megan Whalen Turner</li>
</ul>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-67500932793991870692012-09-11T16:23:00.000-07:002012-09-11T16:25:22.811-07:00Buhay pa ako....Hello everyone who reads my blog! Which is to say nobody, at least lately, because there hasn't been anything for anyone to read.
<br><br>
Sorry.
<br><br>
I really do want to do better. I really enjoyed having a blog before the mish and I've wanted to post here, I just never got back into the habit once I got home... theres always something else to do and all that. Well, I'm breaking that right NOW by postpoing my homework a bit longer, again, to give a quick brief update on my goings-on, which I hope will get the ball rolling for me so I'll start posting things here again like I used to.
<br><br>
I'm really excited for this new semester, all my classes so far are great and I'm learning so much... my only complaint would be how busy I am, but its good busy so its not that bad.
<br><br>
On Mondays and Wednesdays I have History of Graphic Design with Stephen A Hales. So far I'm really really enjoying this class, its been really interesting and thought-provoking, which I can't honestly say about art history classes I've taken in the past--and I'm an art major! It seems that people's question here is, why History of Graphic Design instead of History of Illustration? Well, this is the class that had room and fit in my schedule, and now that it's started I'm glad it worked out that way.
<br><br>
Tuesdays and Thursdays start with Senior Illustration Studio with Brother Barret, which has been fun so far. We're basically just doing different projects we can add to our portfolio and enter in competitions. Our first assignment was on the theme of "buffet", and my concept has evolved quite a bit since I started but I'm having alot of fun with it.
<br><br>
After that I have my Foundations Global Leadership class with Anton Bowden. This fulfills the Social Science general education requirement for graduation which most people fill by taking something like Anthropology or Politics or some such thing. I just saw the course title and thought it sounded cooler than any of the other courses and signed up. I'm really glad I did, everything we've talked about has been really interesting so far--Personality types, Learning Styles, and Team Dynamics are what we've covered so far. We met our groups for the group project today and I think my group has alot of potential to work well together, especially because we can apply what we've learned in class about how teams work effectively.
<br><br>
Then I have Professional Business Practices for Illustrators with Will Terry. This class is really fun and interesting. We've talked alot how the market for illustration is right in the middle of a huge shift because of new technology like e-books and the i-pad, but this doesn't have to be a bad thing for illustrators if we take advantage of the technology available. I'm really excited about what we've been learning in this class.
<br><br>
Then on Friday we have Illustration 4 with Justin Kunz, which is the En Plein Aire painting class. I've only been once so far and it was difficult, but I think with time I'll get better at it.
<br><br>
And on top of all that I need to start/continue work on my BFA project... I turned in my proposal today, I'll probably know on Thursday if the Illustration faculty liked my idea and whether I can go forward with it or if I need to think of something else.
<br><br>
<br><br>
And that is my life recently in a nutshell.
<br><br>
<br><br>
Is anybody reading this? Just out of curiosity...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-16059931356094651082012-02-28T10:20:00.001-08:002012-02-28T10:22:57.767-08:00Awesome movieFor my very first post here after being home, I just have to share this completely awesome short film with everyone. <br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Adzywe9xeIU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-2902506042361281512010-07-23T10:16:00.001-07:002010-07-23T10:16:48.635-07:00mission call video<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SzZGhN4JsUM&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SzZGhN4JsUM&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-81877338044029375672010-07-21T18:23:00.000-07:002010-07-21T18:33:43.311-07:00Skit, scat, scoodle-doot, flip, flop, flee.Take a look at this.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EmQ86f9TFqQ/TEee1A3aWeI/AAAAAAAAALg/L0Nt_B1pslc/s1600/flipflop1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EmQ86f9TFqQ/TEee1A3aWeI/AAAAAAAAALg/L0Nt_B1pslc/s400/flipflop1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496536503831648738" /></a><br /><br /><br />Yep. Those are my feet... in flip-flops. I haven't worn flip-flops in YEARS. This is because flip-flops are flat and can't hold arch supports. <br /><br />But. <br /><br />I made arch supports. Yes indeedy!<br /><br />I used craft foam, really good glue, and scissors. Of course I used my arch supports as a sort of guide.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EmQ86f9TFqQ/TEee1plL9UI/AAAAAAAAALo/nC1YI7VP2Tk/s1600/flipflop2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EmQ86f9TFqQ/TEee1plL9UI/AAAAAAAAALo/nC1YI7VP2Tk/s400/flipflop2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496536514761061698" /></a><br /><br /><br />I'm very happy with my flip-flops. Its so nice to not wear a full shoe in the heat!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EmQ86f9TFqQ/TEee2ckojKI/AAAAAAAAALw/Se3VQKHM9BE/s1600/flipflop3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EmQ86f9TFqQ/TEee2ckojKI/AAAAAAAAALw/Se3VQKHM9BE/s400/flipflop3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496536528448949410" /></a><br /><br /><br />Also: Kudos to the first person who can tell me what book the post subject comes from. (WITHOUT Google/internet help, obviously.)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-21315549714519713152010-07-10T12:00:00.000-07:002010-07-11T19:57:42.170-07:00THAT WAS TOTALLY WICKED.This week was completely awesome in several ways.<br /><br />We drove over to Charlies to get our dental work done. I read two whole books on the ride there, plus bits of other books. I could have read three if I'd read straight through the whole trip, but even I'm not THAT hard core of a reader.<br /><br />I needed the least dentistry stuff done, having only one small cavity--on a biting surface. This was repeated several times, "Yes, its a very very small one--and its just on a biting surface!" which made me think it was somehow important. Apparently cavities on biting surfaces are much easier to deal with. And it was small. <br /><br />I was at the office for a long time anyway, because everyone else (mom sky lynz bre)had more stuff that needed doing. So I watched movies--Les Mis the movie, and then the movie of the musical/opera version. I wouldn't have been able to understand the musical version if I hadn't watched the movie first, but they were both awesome, and now I feel all cultured and actually know the context of the songs that I've heard so often. Plus Charlie and Lanea have the book of the music and the song <i>Bring Him Home</i> has only one flat and isn't too difficult to play, so I got photocopies of that to learn.<br /><br />But the most awesome part of the week was our trip to San Francisco to see Wicked, as a sort of Birthday Gift for mom and a About to Leave thing for me. I've wanted to see it ever since I heard the sountrack in 9th grade... so, like, six years? five? Well, its been awhile anyway. We went early and spent the afternoon walking along Pier 39, Fishermans Wharf, and Ghiradelli Square. We went to the show and... well, I basically just sat there with my jaw wide open for any flys that may have happened to pass the whole time. It was that amazing. Also, you'd think I would be disappointed that the people in our performance didn't have the same voices, etc. as the recording that I have practically memorized, but it wasn't like that at all. After leaving the show I put in the Wicked soundtrack to listed to in the motorhome and... well, after Marcie Dodd's completely amazingly awesome performance as Elphaba, the Elphaba in the recording just didn't sound that great. Seriously, Marcie Dodd was--is--mind-blowingly awesome. <br /><br />One of my favorite quotes--Elphaba has just arrived at school and everyone is staring at her--<br /><br />"What? Have I got something in my teeth? Ok, lets get this over with. NO, I'm not seasick, YES I was born green, NO I didn't eat grass as a child."<br /><br />One small (TINY) disappointment/surprise I had was the fact that, if you've heard the soundtrack you've heard most of the play. There is only a minute or two between most songs, when you've heard the songs you've heard most of the show. Once I realized this, there really wasn't to be disappointed in. <br /><br />Here is a clip of one of the longer gaps between songs, with "our" Elphaba, Marcie Dodd. This isn't "our" Glinda (ours was Alli Mauzey, and I like her better) but its still pretty good. I also thing "our" performance was cleaner/more impressive/BETTER than this, but still.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uiGI5ztbg00&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uiGI5ztbg00&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />THAT WAS THE BEST VACATION EVER.<br />*sigh*<br />I love our family.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-22740275070193824672010-06-29T13:13:00.000-07:002010-06-29T13:46:57.714-07:00mix and matchYesterday was the first time I got really excited about clothes in a long time. <br /><br />Mom and I went shopping yesterday afternoon, and now I have almost all the clothes I'll need for my mission. The shopping itself wasn't all that fun, but afterward when I had all my clothes laid out on my bed and I started putting together different combinations of shirts and skirts (and shoes--should I wear brown, brown, or brown?) Maybe once we have everything together (We're thinking maybe one more skirt, a pair of shoes, and a couple more skarfs--scarves? whatever) we could do, like, a photo shoot with all the different skirt/shirt/scarf/shoes combinations. <br /><br />I've also been getting interested in (simple!) jewelry, for completing these outfits. I've been looking at etsy for some nice clip-on earrings, so I'll have a few of THOSE to choose from as well. (Clip-ons because I'm really not interested in poking holes in myself, and I don't care that everyone else is doing it.)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-19387938199961563682010-05-11T08:46:00.000-07:002010-05-11T09:51:18.364-07:00The storm before the calmSo my last few weeks have been pretty insane, one thing after another on top of another. <br /><br />So first I had finals. The Sunday before finals week (I had two finals left) my roommate Michele told us she was NOT getting married in Brazil in a few weeks as planned, but THAT THURSDAY. Being the awesome roommates we are, we helped her put that together--THAT was quite a week. I had to bother and annoy all the people necessary in order to get my temple recommend so that I could actually BE at the wedding, as well as clean up our house for the reception.<br /><br />This was during the time that I was GOING to be packing up and moving out and finishing up my last project at work.<br /><br />So.<br /><br />I worked until mid-afternoon on Friday and got my last project finished, then I went back to the apartment and started packing up. <br /><br />Then I got a call from mom.<br /><br />Breanna had a special Lagoon day the next day, and she'd only be able to stay until 1 o'clock, unless I could come supervise her and her friends... so could I possibly get all my packing and moving done that night?<br /><br />I drove home at two in the morning.<br /><br />We left Lagoon at four, and I slept.<br /><br />Sunday was Sunday, and Monday morning it was off to CA with Kim, Becky, and Michelle to meet MWT. Who is made of awesome, just by the way. And my mom is awesome, for making it possible for me to go.<br /><br />I got home in time to unpack and re-pack to head off to Florida. This was good practice for the mission, I believe--it was hot, and humid, and we walked and walked and walked and walked (though we didn't really sing much as we did). I can't say I really liked the climate, but I do think I could get used to it. I'll have to. (I'm very glad to be back in my dry mountainous desert, where my hair actually gets dry and I know North from South again.)<br /><br /><br />So this is all one of those hurry-up-and-WAIT scenarios. Because now I'm home, and I do have a few things on my to-do list, and three months to do it all in. The original plan was to have a month to do it all in, because my avalability date for the mission was June 1st. So I have nothing planned for June and July. I'll just... read, and paint, and shop for missionary clothes (etc.) and cook dinner. And go on a couple family vacations I didn't think I'd go on. <br /><br />*yawn*<br /><br />Well, off I go. To do... stuff. Yeah, stuff.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-44517149126850004502010-04-28T13:21:00.000-07:002010-04-28T13:22:55.976-07:00I'm still geeking out about it.You guys.<br /><br />I got to meet Megan Whalen Turner.<br /><br />She Glowed, and floated three inches off the ground.<br /><br />Really.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-79166320844522158902010-04-14T18:06:00.000-07:002010-04-14T18:07:46.495-07:00Mission callIt arrived.<br /><br />I will be serving in the Phillipines, San Pablo Mission. I'll be speaking Tagalog.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-39259909970082434062010-04-14T12:45:00.001-07:002010-04-14T12:45:12.245-07:00YOU GUYS. MOM JUST CHECKEDYOU GUYS.<br>MOM JUST CHECKED THE MAIL. MY CALL IS HERE.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-56405738117753355572010-04-12T12:08:00.000-07:002010-04-12T19:30:06.205-07:00I really should be working on finals right now......but I really want a break. This is the second-to-last day of classes, after which we have reading days, after which comes... finals. Argh. <br /><br />Speaking of reading days, our first reading day is Wednesday. (On a side note: I love that they're called Reading Days. I just wish that they, you know, actually WERE reading days. Ah, well.) And guess what is probably going to arrive on Wednesday.<br /><br />Yep.<br /><br />The call has been made, now the post man just has to DELIVER it. I no longer just HOPE they call me on a mission--it has happened.<br /><br />I have this weird sort of feeling, like my fate has been decided for me and yet I have no access to it. And I'm nervous and excited and... nervous. And excited. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Back to finals. <br />*headdesk*Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-58929195333759632592010-04-07T18:51:00.000-07:002010-04-07T19:43:56.265-07:00I have<br />absolutely no words<br />that can fully express<br />how totally<br />and completely<br />AWESOME<br />my mother is.<br /><br />No really.<br /><br />You all wish you had a mom as cool as mine.<br /><br /><br />When I called yesterday morning, all excited over the possibility of flying to California and meeting my favorite author, Megan Whalen Turner, in the company of (and with some help from) my other Book Friends (who are awesome, just by the way), I was informed that the exact dates of our family trip to Florida had JUST BARELY been definitely set... for the EXACT SAME DAYS as this trip to CA would be.<br /><br />Now, I've really been looking forward to the family trip. I have. But MWT's series has been my favorite since 2007, and my roommies can attest to the extent of my obsession with these books. (As I read KoA just before officially moving down to BYU, my family has only had a watered-down version of this obsession, but knowing me, I think they get an idea of what my roommates go through in dealing with it.)<br /><br />So hearing that I couldn't go meet my FAVORITE AUTHOR before she moves out of the country (and thence to the other end of the country) and I go on my mission and who-knows-what-else happens was kind of... disappointing. Except without the 'kind of'. Actually, maybe we should replace that 'kind of' with 'EXTREMELY'. <br /><br />I'll just swallow my pride, own up to my absolute spoild-ness and admit that a few tears were shed over this. I blame Annie for being so understanding and sympathetic. Aren't you supposed to cry when someone is being understanding and sympathetic? I think that is some kind of rule.<br /><br />Anyway, when I asked mom desperately if there was any way to change it, or maybe I could go to FL from CA, I would even make the phone calls (AND I ABHOR PHONE CALLS WITH A DEEP, DARK LOATHING... well, maybe not that extreme) or, or SOMETHING... she kind of got the idea that this author event, which would seem silly and unimportant to most people, was actually important to me. More important than a family trip to Disney World which I had seemed reasonably excited for. (Yeah, my priorities are completely wacko. Most people would take Disney World over Favorite Author and book Friends any day.)<br /><br />So yesterday I was making stupid suggestions and making phone calls and... well, basically I felt like I was being an absolute pest and being the worst, whiniest, botheringest daughter ever. ("Oh boo-hoo, I have to go to Disney World. Everyone should waste time and energy and money over me. Boo-hoo." Gosh, I sound disgustingly spoiled. Yuk.) I HATE asking people to make changes for me, I'm an "ok, whatever works for you works for me, it doesn't really matter" kind of person. (At least, I think so. Maybe this is only an illusion I have of myself, and I'm actually an absolute pest. Urgh. I hope not.)<br /><br />So by yesterday evening (it somehow seemed a longer time than just from morning-to-evening, but thats as long as it was) I had resigned myself to the fact that require too much bothering-of-other-people and being a self-centered pest, and that I would just content myself with sending my books to be signed and seeing the pictures of everyone else being there. And really, I would have alot of fun with my family, and it was probably for the best. <s>I was still really disappointed though, and went to bed with a headache because I'd worked myself up over the whole thing</s>. I mean, really, what did I have to be disappointed about? I would get over it. Really. It would just... be awhile.<br /><br />But I ascended from the depths of the HFAC after class today and my phone buzzed to deliver me this glorious text message:<br /><br /><blockquote>After all day on the phone and computer, I CHANGED ORLANDO TO MAY 2-6 SO YOU CAN GO TO CALIFORNIA!!!!!!</blockquote><br /><br />I called my mom. The conversation was short, but, well... you know.<br /><br /><br /><br />Oh<br />my<br />goodness.<br /><br />You guys. <br /><br />I've been walking on air ever since. Not even finals stress can bring me down. <br /><br /><br />NOTHING, EVER, CAN TOP THE AWESOMENESS OF MY MOM. <br /><br /><br /><br />Nothing at all.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-73585061456471852882010-02-16T20:16:00.000-08:002010-02-16T20:24:32.582-08:00Hullo-hullo-hullo!Yes, I haven't blogged in awhile. There is a very simple explanation for this--I mean, aside from being busy generally, which is basically my constant state so it isn't really worth commenting on it. <br /><br />The keyboard that I had been using wasn't working. Most of the keys on the bottom letter-row didn't work, and a few others beside that. This made things like typing blog entries difficult. Yes, I could do it in a lab or on a friends computer, but I didn't consider blog entries to be so essential as that. <br /><br />But when I was home this weekend my wonderful mother had found a different keyboard for me to use which works--Glory Glory Alelujah! So now I can actually write blog entries. I've been doing some reading, but I don't think that I'm going to try to catch the book blog up to where I am, I'm just going to pick up from here. I don't have time for a book blog anyway, let alone making up missed book reviews. <br /><br />Life is good, this semester has been a busy but awesome one. I'm basically done with my generals classes, so all the classes I'm taking this semester are classes that I want to take, so even though I have a very full schedule (seventeen credits plus work) I'm enjoying it.<br /><br />I recently discovered that comics/graphic novels are awesome. Where have they been all my life? Hiding behind stupid stereotypes, it seems. Humph.<br /><br />I am very, very close to having the mission papers complete. Speaking of which, I'm going to go work on those right now, so I'll just make a sound like a hoop and roll away.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574793068574991659.post-66822676667521288142010-02-01T22:08:00.001-08:002010-02-01T22:08:38.754-08:00Guess what guys-i have aGuess what guys-i have a phone again!<br>-SarLuSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11982832890376845419noreply@blogger.com0