12.29.2006

Tradition


Wednesday night Scott and I went to the Mission Inn to see the lights, a yearly tradition. This year was different though, Scott took me on a carriage ride, something we've wanted to do every year, this year he made good on his promise. It was so much fun! After the carriage ride, we walked around downtown, took pictures, and sat in the Taft chair (another yearly tradition.) I also found my subject for the next Anthem art show, keeping in mind the theme: the Human Struggle. (Just kidding!)

Around the Mission Inn there's a lot of creepy elves, and we found one that was holding a baby doll in a plastic zippered bag. It was a little disturbing. Poor baby.


On a lighter note, I visited Scott yesterday after work. I noticed two pretty blue bags from Robbins Brothers next to his dresser. :] I think I proposal could be coming up, who knows...

12.11.2006

Job, adult decisions and art

I got a wonderful phone call today from my new boss at David's Bridal! She offered me a position as the lead non-bridal consultant. This is AWESOME! I start on Monday. I'm so excited!
Today I had to go get tires for my car. I felt very adult. Every time one of our cars needs a new tire, I'm the one that has to go to Goodyear and take car of it, even though once I get there I have to call my dad and double check what he wants done. He always gets mad at me when I'm at Goodyear and call him to ask what to do with the car. So for once, I made the decision on my own. Instead of just fixing/changing the two tires, I got new ones for all four. Of course, I'm feeling great because I made the decision and bartered my way into a lower price per tire ($130 vs. $95), so I go to Starbucks for a delicious passion tea lemonade while I waited for my car. I return and the service rep. comes out to tell me that my car also needs rear shocks and brakes. I know how to change brakes, so with Scott's or my dad's help, that could easily be done, but I know nothing about shocks. I don't even know what they do. For all I know, they could be useless like your appendix. So I call my dad and ask, but not without telling him that I put 4 new tires on. He got mad, but oh well, it was my choice, and I was paying for half of it, even though my parents were going to pay for it. Dad said to go ahead and the the shocks and brakes, but not without sounding angry. When it was all done, my total services came out much higher than we originally intended on paying, but it was okay because my car really needed it, especially with our little road trip coming up this weekend.
School's almost over, I just have my art history final tomorrow, and a math final Wednesday. This semester's been pretty easy and really fun! I feel like I'm really going somewhere, really making progress toward a goal. It'll be nice to have a little break from school while I go through training at my new job too. Plus in between finals and new job training I'm going to Las Vegas with my parents and Scott to celebrate my parents' wedding anniversary. We're all going to see the Cirque Du Soleil show, "Love", and I can hardly wait! Scott and I are also going to the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum at the Venetian and the Bellagio Fine Arts Gallery which is running an Ansel Adams exhibition. What better way to humble yourself after participating in an art show than to go see a master's works?

12.05.2006

Sacred obligation

I have a friend named Gabe, who I think is a very insightful man and a great thinker of sorts. He posted a blog recently and I loved what he had to say and just wanted to "spread the love," I suppose. I'll just cut and paste my favorite parts.

"When a man becomes a writer, I think he takes on a sacred obligation to produce beauty and enlightenment and comfort at top speed." Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.

"I'd like to add that V's statement not only applies to writers and men, but to all artists from both genders. If you have that itch to make something out of the thin air that is in your head, you are responsible for acting on scratching that itch. If you don't act on a creative impulse you are not only dishonoring yourself, but all the beauty that has been sculpted, painted, and written around you which you see on a daily basis.

Go make something!"

It's so true, I just have one but to add. I really do feel that if you don't act on your creative impulses, you're insulting the beauty of the world that inspires you, and also insult the Lord from which your creativity stems. I don't know where it says it, but I'm sure somewhere God tells us to use our talents or we should have them taken away. I'm so disgusted when I see super talented people squander that talent. I'm nowhere near what I'd consider "super talented," but I don't want to ever become one of those people.

So once again...go make something!

Maybe?

I had an interview at David's Bridal today. I had to interview with two managers, both of which really liked me, so it went really well. Let's hope I get a phone call within the next few days saying I got the job.

11.28.2006

Cookies!


I've baked quite a bit today. Well, and yesterday. I baked two delicious pumpkin pies last night (one for my best buddy Zackary & one for my family + Scott.) Today, I baked 35 beautiful, little peanut butter cup cookies (see the photo on the left) and 3.5 dozen gingersnaps. I don't really care for gingersnaps that much, but Scott loves 'em, so it'll be a nice little surprise for him. They aren't all for him, some are going to my lifegroup too!
I think that if for some reason I don't get into UCR or UCI, I'm going into the Cordon Bleu Academy. Seriously.

11.27.2006

November Love


November's been an interesting month. I'm relieved that school's almost over, but I'm looking still looking forward to the winter intersession. Thanksgiving was awesome, but maybe a bit too much football was involved. Just kidding! I feel so blessed to have a great family and "in-laws" to spend it with. Thanks for friends and USC football too!
Scott and I are going to Las Vegas next month with my parents to celebrate their wedding anniversary. We're all going to see the new Cirqué du Soleil show, "Love." It's based on the Beatles' music, how sweet is that? In case you didn't know, I'm like the biggest Beatles fan born in 1985! I think they definitely had it right when they said, "All you need is love, love is all you need." If people learned how to love, this world would be a much better place, don't you think?

11.19.2006

Cones and crazy faces















I read Casey's blog about Caleb's first cone
from Dairy Queen and it made me want one too! I love vanilla cones dipped in rainbow sprinkles! I remember as a little girl, my daddy would pick me up from school and every once in a while, he'd treat me to Diary Queen on the way home from school. When I was nine, my grandpa died and instead of having to stay at the funeral home for hours, my cousin Ryan took me to Dairy Queen. I don't think he really knew how to deal with my grandpa being gone, so he needed to get out of there, but couldn't leave without a reason. I'm glad I could be of service!
Scott and I got to spend all day together. We got ice cream, played video games, and even watched football. GO CHARGERS!!! Some how the camera was busted out again. We do need to take a picture for our Christmas cards, why couldn't we just send something like these out? We're just so weird! These are faces only a mother could love...and Jesus. He loves everyone!
The third photo is how the little boys would smile for me when I took their birthday pictures at the studios. It's either, "Look how many teeth I have!" or "Under bite like a bulldog!" Hardly ever just normal smiles. Even my little "nephew," Isaiah smiles like this occasionally, but I'd like to blame it on him having a bulldog.

11.16.2006

Citrus Fresh




























I went to the Citrus park yesterday to take some pictures. It was kind of nice to have time to spend alone just taking pictures of whatever I felt like. They're not masterpieces or anything, but it wasn't a place/subject I normally do. I don't normally like taking "nature photos" but it was fun!

11.14.2006

Interview...


This weekend was awesome! Scott's brother MacKenzie was in "The Secret Garden." He was fantastic! That kid's seriously going to win a Tony someday!
We had a baby shower for my cousin Sheila and the baby girl, name still to be determined, but her big brother decided on "Soda". It was amazing, there were over 40 people in our house showing their love and support for Sheila, Sam, Isaiah and "Soda."
Yesterday I went by myself to see "Running With Scissors," it's a beautiful film! Everyone should see it! It's funny, and sad, and just a great movie. A new favorite for me!
I have a job interview today at 1:15pm. If you get a chance, say a little prayer for me. I really, really want this job. Plus I kinda need it...heehee!
Wow, this post was kinda journally. Sorry.

11.10.2006

Charging, I'm a robot.

My favorite movie is Garden State. Today, I got to watch it and I loved it even more today than the previous 115,647 times I've watched it.

11.08.2006

John. Crash. Grace.

How funny that just last night we were talking about how we need to remember that grace that God has shown us and reflect that in our daily lives.

I drive on Washington at least twice a day, normally at 55-60 mph, despite the speed limit being 45.

Tonight I was driving down Washington Street to meet Scott at Islands. Tonight was different though. I was being tailgated by a truck, which would normally bother me, but I had the windows down, breeze blowing through my hair, John Mayer comin' through the speakers, I'm singin' along and everything's alright.

All of a sudden a van turns across my lane from the opposing lane into a driveway on my right. I slam on my brakes and barely miss the van, but in the process, I'm hit from behind by that tailin' truck.The three cars involved (the turning van, the tailin' truck and me) pull over. We all get out, glance at each other and the damage.

The van driver apologized to me and asked if I was ok. I tell him it's ok and I'm fine. The truck driver looks at me and yells, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? YOU CAN'T JUST STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE!" I apologize to him and just ask if he is ok. He says, "YA, I'M FINE, BUT YOU CAN'T JUST STOP LIKE THAT!" I said, "I realize that, I'm sorry, but if I didn't I would have hit the van." He yelled, "WELL WHEN YOU SLAM ON YOUR BRAKES THE PERSON BEHIND YOU CAN'T STOP IN TIME." The van driver yells at him, "WELL MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN TAILIN' HER!" I said, "Guys, none of us are injured, our cars aren't damaged. Shouldn't we be thankful that it wasn't more serious?" The truck driver says, "Screw you, just write down your insurance info." So I do. We all exchange info and he takes off. The van driver says to me, "I'm really sorry." I tell him again that it's ok and wish him a safe drive home.

This is how I can tell that I'm a work in progress. Three years ago if this would've happened I would have reacted so differently. I probably would've told the van driver, "If you can't see traffic coming, maybe you shouldn't be driving!" Or something along those lines. And I probably would've yelled at the driver of the truck for tailgating me and then hitting me.

I know I'm not perfect, and I know that others aren't either. We're all works in progress.

I like tonight's reaction a lot better than the one I would've given a few years ago.

Drive gracefully!

11.07.2006

Love.


I love my lifegroup! They are such an awesome group of people. I think it's amazing that we can get together people at different stages in life and develop friendships. I've learned so much from everyone and grow a little bit more each time. With life being as chaotic as it can be at times, it's such a great blessing to have time with other people to get some much needed perspective.
Plus the food's good too. :]

Election Day!

I love going and putting in my two cents on the ballot. Plus you get a sticker! Who doesn't love a free sticker?

11.06.2006

Overwhelmed...

You know those people that seem to be able to balance ten million things on their plate? I'm not one of them, but I wish I were. If there were just a few more hours in the day, I'd be fine. But unfortunately there isn't and I always feel like I have to give up something to make things work, usually time with my family, Scott or God. And that really sucks.
I'm almost done filling out my applications for the UC's I've chosen (Riverside, Irvine & San Diego.) Once they're in it's just a waiting game.
In the mean time, I still have the winter and spring semesters at the beautifully overcrowded RCC. I don't really have that much more to take, just 16 units. I just wish that I could not have to work while I was going to school during the winter semester so I could go all day Monday-Thursday and not have to find time to work. Or, if I could just work on the weekends, but then again, this goes back to having to sacrifice time.
Just a few more years and I'll be done...

11.05.2006

Random bits

I miss photographing. I don't get to do it as often as I'd like. Here's an oldie, but one of my favorites of my beautiful friend, Melissa.
I really like the new Better Than Ezra cd.
"The Prestige" wasn't as good as I thought it would be.
I'm on the job hunt again. The drive to Brea was killing me and so were the people I was working with...oh and the paycut didn't help much either. Say a little prayer for me please.
Have a great Sunday!