The Hillary Family

summer part one

2008-09-14T15:35:00.001-07:00

The summer went by too fast! Before I get too deep into school I thought better blog, otherwise it'll never happen. Due to a crashed Hard drive I only have pictures from a few events this summer. I'm very sad about my loss, but I will recover.

Summer Highlights:

Lizzy came to visit for two whole weeks! (More below)

Rilo Kiley Concert

"New Restaurant night" with Dana and Leland.

Walks through Williamsberg and McCarren Park

Running along the Hudson River.

Lizzy got engaged!

Sleeping in Central Park.

Making friends with the Red Mango people. Actually I'm a little ashamed.

Cooking with Jamar.

Tilly and the Wall concert.

I became an official New York resident!

Trip to Boise and Utah. (More in future blog)

I had the Pleasure I having my friend Lizzy come out and visit. She didn't really care to do too much of the touristy stuff because she has been there done that, so we had a pretty open schedule to take advantage of the city as we pleased! We of course took pictures...

We started the fun with these two, Jordan and Patrick. We had a delicious Fourth of July breakfast of German Pancakes. Compliments to the chefs J and P!

We ate the occasional Red Mango.

We spent some time with Dana and Leland. Dana is my friend from school and work and Leland is her boyfriend. We have spent many nights in this park listening to the Piano guy that is always there, and people watching.

We made a stop at Babycakes of course.

We got caught in a down poor when we could not get into a free Avett Brothers concert. We ran into a gazebo, along with half the city. It was raining so hard that we were getting sprayed with rain anyway, so we said "who cares?" and ran around in it. Much more fun that waiting two minutes for it to stop.

That same night we jumped on a train and headed to the Jersey shore. Our friends Aundi and Ted were living right on the beach while Ted was selling security systems for the summer. We arrived around eleven p.m. and went straight to the ocean. This was the best break from the city I could've asked for. We loved it so much that we went back again. A very big thanks to Ted and Aundi for letting us hang with them and crash in their awesome apartment.

Liz reading her favorite book.

We searched for sea glass, and hit the jackpot.

Love the collapsable hat

When we made it back to the city we went to see our friend's band, Someone Still Loves you Borris Yeltsin.

We spent time in Central Park...

Went to an amazing Austrian art gallery featuring Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt to name a few.

lizzy found a new boyfriend but then dumped him before she left so she could get engaged to Seth. Sorry Sherrod.

Chilled with Jamar and wore pink pants.

I could go on but I think its time I stop. Thank you Liz for a wonderful visit. Thank you for my brown bag work lunches, making my apartment cleaner than it ever is, bringing me Utah bread, meeting me after work, helping me shop, and the list goes on... You just being here was enough for me.

To My Dad

2008-06-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

So I have decided to not beat around the bush. Obviously Dad, you are not opening anything up from Hillary today. How do I know this? Because I have not sent it yet. I know, I know I am a horrible daughter. They say its the thought that counts, so I have decided to put that saying to the test. Here are a few things (in the food category) that I thought of while thinking about the things you love. Do I not deserve a few points for at least knowing what your favorite things are?

Sara Lee Pecan Coffee Cake. We have been eating this for as long as I can remember.

Apple Pie. When I think of happy moments in life I think of sitting at the kitchen table peeling apples with you and learning your method for a very delicious apple pie, which does include Mom's killer crust.

Black licorice. I know Mom wont kiss you when you eat this and none of us understand your love for it.

Cadbury Fruit and nut bar. This is your staple. The night before fathers day, "Mom, what should I get Dad for Fathers day?"
"Run to the store a pick up a Cadbury Fruit and Nut Bar."
Do you really even like them that much?

Caramel. Not much to say except that I know you are picky about what you consider good caramel.

Henry Wienhard's Root Beer. I think the men in our family feel more like men when they drink this.

Watermelon!!! Oh the knowledge I have learned from you about watermelon. How to pick the ripe ones, how to slice, the art and method to eating it, etc... Umm, I am starting to think you are OCD. I love that in the summer time I can always count on finishing my day eating a slice of watermelon with my dad.
Moms Strawberry Shortcake.

Mom's Key Lime Pie. Man Mom, you sure figured out the way to dads heart.

Bottom Line. Dad, I love and admire you greatly. So many happy moments in my life revolve around you. I know these things are just food, but I do feel like I know you pretty darn well. I am so thankful for all the little, and big things I have learned about life from you. We have so much fun together and that is something I do not take for granted. Thank you for being my Dad. I love you!

Lightning

2008-06-11T05:48:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favorite New York moments happened last night. I turned out the lights in my apartment, sat in the dark and watched the New York sky glow with constant flashes of lightning. It was one of the best thunderstorms I have ever experienced. The spire of the Empire State Building was lit behind the church out my window. I saw lightning connect with it at least five times. Sometimes I feel so separated from nature in the city but last night brought me back to the times I would sit on my front porch, wrap up in a blanket, and watch the mountains light up in the midst of a thunderstorm. Do I sound corny? Definitely.

View from my window.

In the City and on the Road with the Parentals

2008-05-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

My Parents came to visit and go on a road trip to celebrate the end of the school year. There was never a dull moment! I am so thankful to them to take ten days out of their already busy lives and make this such a wonderful vacation. We sure know how to have a good time!

We took so many pictures so I will just get right to it.

IN THE CITY...

To start off on the right foot we head to Westville for brunch.

We shopped and went to the green market then came home to chill before the evening... I found this picture that must have been taken by my sneaky Mom.

And across the Brooklyn Bridge to Grimaldi's and ice cream per my Dads only request of what we did while in the city. I didn't fight it, I love pizza.

And we were greeted by a very long line. Two hours goes by pretty fast with a good game of twenty questions. I learned my mom is a pretty competitive twenty questions player. I did not know that was possible.

Not the most flattering picture, but I think it captures the moment quite perfectly.

Dinner with Karli, Reagan, and Lexia.

ON THE ROAD...

WATKINS GLEN

Watkins Glen is a village on the southern tip of one of the Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake. It is also home of Watkins Glen State Park, which was the main attraction for us.

And this is Watkins Glen State Park. Parts of Last of the Mohicans were filmed here. You enter through that little cave on the right hand side.

What you see on the other side is amazing. The pictures do not do it justice.

We hiked it in the evening...

And again the following morning.

This is my Mom's happy place.

And this is the above view of the same place.

PALMYRA, NY

Palmyra is a beautiful city. I really appreciated the visit here in that it helped me visualize the restoration of the Gospel.

I thought this understated temple was beautiful tucked away it the trees.

One of the only pictures with all of us not taken by an outstretched arm.

We also went to the publishers house where the first 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon were published.

On the way to Niagara we decided to take the scenic route and drive along Lake Eerie. It was massive. It felt like we had reached the ocean.

NIAGARA FALLS

We saw the falls from both the Canadian side and the U.S. side. Maybe I am naive but I never realized how close civilization was built to the falls. The Canadian side felt like Las Vegas but It had great views. On the U.S. side the area next to the falls, goat island, is a state park. Thank you to the visionaries who saw the area as a place to be protected from civilization.

We decided to do Cave of the Winds. You get in a elevator that takes you to the bottom of the falls. It was quite an experience to get that close. It's pretty amazing how loud the falls are and how insignificant they can make you feel.

Thank goodness they provided us with slickers and sandals. Grandpa is such a good example to the grandkids.

I loved these sandals so much.

Another picture of my Father that I cant help but laugh.

I was so glad to put my slicker to good use!
Love my Moms expression.

LAKE CHAUTAUQUA

In the spirit of spontaneity we decided to stay for a night at a Bed and Breakfast/farm at Lake Chautauqua. It was on our way to Pittsburg and both my parents had been to the lake before because our good friends, the Smails, have a lakehouse there.

The Great Tree Inn and Stables

Side note. On our first night in Watkins Glen we stayed at a B&B as well. I was inspired. I am now very keen on the idea of opening a bed and breakfast. This farm we stayed at in Lake Chautauqua got my mind rolling even more. The couple who ran this place, Louie and Sam, were amazing. They are from South Africa and have made their lives interesting to say the least. They met when he was a captain on a sail boat and she was the chef. Every five years or so the tend to change the direction of their lives and do something different. She got sick of seeing palm trees so they decided to open a B&B in this small city. They have done an amazing job running this place. It had so much character , it was cozy, and the breakfast was amazing. When we drove up a horse and her colt ran right up to us. Later Sam and Louie told us that they had bought the horse, Maggie, from the Amish to save it from the slaughter house. Apparently she was just too stubborn to carry out the tasks she was needed for. To Louie and Sam's surprise Maggie turned out to be pregnant. So they got two for the price of one! We got to watch the nine day old Colt follow Louie around like a puppy. The cult would and nuzzle and hug as if he was a small furry animal. To sum it up this was a place I will remember forever and hopefully be able to model my own B&B after.

The lake. Not exactly lake season.

The Smails Cabin. The yellow one.

CRANBERRY, PENNSYLVANIA

Cranberry is a town outside of Pittsburgh. My Dad had a meeting with a client here who found out about him because he designed the house pictured below. It belongs to the Dick and Lynn Smail, Parents of Rick Smail who lives in Park City. Same Smails who own the lake house. I am so thankful they let us crash with them. They are wonderful people to be around and such gracious hosts. It was also a treat to get to see the house in person. Dad, I love your work.

FALLING WATER

My Dad and Mom taught me about falling water when I was a little girl. Basically every art or design class I've had, Falling Water is mentioned. To actually see it in person was breathtaking, and I am not being dramatic. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright played a key role in my Dad becoming an architect, and this was my Dads first time seeing the house as well. We got an in depth tour and saw everything from the boiler room to the owners bedrooms. It all just confirmed Wright's brilliance and amazing attention to detail.

Its timeless. Walking through, there is nothing design wise that really screams that this house was built in the 1930's.

Entrance from the living room to the waterfall.
Pretty amazing stove. Its interesting how today the Kitchen is the main attraction in many homes. In 1935 it was a place only the servants saw.

Wright promoted organic architecture. The building should grow from its surroundings. The huge boulder in the picture was already there so wright incorporated it into his design.

After Falling Water we bombed it back to New York City. About a five hour drive. When we got back we just kept on going. We went to Better Burger, Shake Shack, Mom and Dad when to the Cloisters while I worked, and we met up for our last New York meal with my friend Dana.

Thank you so much Mom and Dad I enjoyed every minute of this trip. I loved listening and singing along to 96.1, hits your mother used to listen to. I loved the fact that we didn't plan each day out and that just did whatever we felt like. I love that we never ran out of things to talk about. I loved eating dessert after every meal. Really I just loved being with you guys and I am so grateful that you guys made it possible for me to see and experience all those wonderful things.

SCHOOL IS OUT FOR THE SUMMER

2008-05-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

In effort to make my major less of a mystery I thought I would share a few pictures of projects I have worked on this year. The class that is best documented is "studio". I have studio every semester but each class has a different focus. My first semester we worked in small scale windows. This semester we worked with mannequins to prepare us to work in large scale for third semester. I learned more about mannequins than I ever thought there was to know. We covered styling, striking (making a mannequin stand, there is more to it than sticking a rod up its bum), how to best choose a mannequin to sell a garment/product, the process that goes into creating a single mannequin, and much much more but I don't want to bore you. Now some people might call this playing with large dolls... and they might not be too far off.

Assignment 1. We were asked to choose a holiday then expected to style our mannequin according to the holiday. My partner Andy and I chose mothers day. We went with a fifties theme and made her a pregnant housewife.

Sorry about the not so good photos. My professor was taking all the photos and I don't have the disc from her yet.

Assignment 2. Iconic people in history. The challenge of this project is to really make your mannequin become a person it was never meant to be. This assignment is the biggest production of the semester because it is displayed in the main lobby of the school for all to enjoy. I had a lot of fun working on it one because it was really a team effort. After each of us finished styling our mannequins it took a good seven hours to strike about twenty of them on the runways. We had quite an array of icons. Eve (as in Adam and eve), Mr. Rodgers, Amelia Earhart, Audrey Hepburn, Houdini, and Bob Marley just to name a few. I wish I had pictures of the whole show.

My partner Jeaine and I did... any guesses?

Hopefully you can tell by the photos, but we did Pocahontas. The accessory design department gave us two entire suede skins to do with what we want. We sewed a skirt out of one of the skins then made the top out of feather trim and hemp. Most of our Pocahontas inspiration came from the movie A New World. Beautiful movie, you should check it out.

Who wore it best?

Assignment 3. Style a mannequin to sell a perfume. For all the projects we work in partners. Display in the real world is never really a one person job. During the random drawing for who works with who my name was pulled out last making me the odd man out. One girl dropped out so we were uneven. I was excited to be by myself because that meant that I got to call all the shots. During this project I realized one good reason of why she has us double up. Mannequins are extremely hard to handle alone. They are very fragile and are made up of multiple pieces that can fall off and break. Usually one person holds the mannequin as the other dresses, but not this time for Hillary. It was definitely a balancing act but I learned a lot.

So I had Anna Sui Dolly Girl Bonjour l' Amour perfume. I knew I wanted to somehow make a mannequin doll like but had to find the right one. I came across this old shabby all white mannequin that I thought would work, then my professor told me that I could paint it. I researched the Anna Sui image and came up with this.

Here is the before when I had already started painting the lips...
And the after...

My Second Experience With a Bull

2008-05-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

While only a select few of you know about my first run in with a Bull, I will say that this experience was quite different. It was our friend Lyndee's birthday this past week and for the celebration we went to Johnny Utah's. I can only describe it as a fancy place to get in touch with your hick side. It's claim to fame is that it has the only mechanical bull in Manhattan. I wasn't so sure if I was going to ride but when I found out it was free I was pretty much sold. We just had to sign a waiver. It was more fun than I could have anticipated. Lets just say I showed that bull who's boss and I'm thinking about becoming a professional.

Nervous Hillary

Lovin it Hillary
I love this picture of Jordan

Happy Mothers Day

2008-05-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

I Wish a Very Happy Mothers Day to all the Wonderful Mothers in my Life!

To all my sisters I want you to know how much admire and look up to each of you. You have all raised such amazing children and I wish I could always be around them. I am so thankful to have three examples of amazing families so close to me. I love you all!

And to my Mom I would like to give a special shout out.

What I love about you...
-Your drive and passion for life inspires me. You are always getting what you want out of life and encouraging me to do the same. You have never made me feel like I couldn't accomplish something that I really put my heart into.
-You have so many talents. Musical, ability to teach, flawless design taste, artistic, knowledge on many different things, gardening, and cooking just to name a few.
-You have a magnetic personality. I haven't told you this but My friend Dana loves you. You met her for maybe five minutes, but in those five minutes you made a huge impression on her. I think you gave her a hug and told her she was welcome to come to Park City and stay with you and Dad anytime. You were just being yourself but Dana was amazed by your kindness. This is just one example of many where people want to be around you because you make them feel comfortable.
-You have laid a solid foundation for our family and continue to help us all build strong upon that foundation.
-You do so many things to help our whole family get together. And you are always going here and there to visit each of us. This makes the distance between us all seem a little shorter.
-You let Jenni and I just be weird. Not to go into too much detail but you are pretty good at being weird too. I will never forget that night we spent laughing, dancing, singing and talking on my apartment floor here in New York.
-You made five years living at home with you and dad when my siblings were gone and graduated relatively painless. In fact I am thankful for those years. I think we got to know each other really well. Not that we didn't already.
-You are spontaneous. One of my most favorite memories is when You Dad and I went out snowshoeing at night. We couldn't let freshly fallen snow and a full moon go unnoticed.
-Some of the best decisions that I have made in my life, I made because I had the sense to take your advice... thankfully. You are always in tune. I owe my trip to Europe to you. You came to me with the idea of getting out and exploring the world like I always wanted at a time when I could feel my perspective on what life had to offer narrowing. It was the jump start I needed.
I really could go on forever, I am not just saying that. You are an amazing example to me. People already tell me that I am a lot like you. I think that is one of the greatest compliments someone could give me. Thank you for making life truly enjoyable. I love you!

My New Job

2008-05-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

I have started a new job at James Perse on Bleeker street in the West Village. So far it is proving to be a smart move from Anthropologie. Anthropologie was fun and I am thankful that it could be my first job in the city, but the only thing I will miss are the people I got to work with. I did not even use the discount that much. I have now worked five days at this new job and I already feel pretty comfortable. I like the overall atmosphere of James Perse. Very laid back. We do get the occasional customer who acts like they own the store but for the most part people are pretty down to earth. That is if you consider buying a fifty- five dollar t-shirt down to earth... maybe not. Anyway I am very appreciative to my friend Dana who basically got me this job. She trusted that I would not make her look bad and recommended me for the job. I'll do my best to not let her down. All in all it is a great job while I am in school and they are giving me plenty of hours for the summer so I can stay in the city!

I did not take these pictures but it's the front of our store none the less. Our theme right is northern California.

A few fun things about the job.
-Dogs love the store and we love the dogs. I get to give them treats and we always have a bowl of water for them.
-Free clothes and a great discount. If you want gifts from me tell me what you like. We have mens, womens, kids, and baby. Check out the website.
-I get to make a fool out of myself in front of celebrities. Quick story. We were very busy and I was just tidying up the showroom when I noticed that Liv Tyler was in the store. I told myself to be cool. It looked like she needed help so I asked her if I could help her with sizes. She said, "well I am looking for this one scoop neck t-shirt." I replied, "oh it is over here, do you know what size you are looking for? one, two..." (we have one through four in shirt sizes) "Oh no, three." then she said something about being pregnant and motioned to her stomach. I said "how many months do you have left?" She looked at me and said loud enough for all to hear, "What? I'm not pregnant." All eyes were on me looking at me like I was a fool. Whatever, she confused me. She was extremely nice though and bought a lot of t-shirts. And it just so happened that our playlist played two Aerosmith songs back to back while she was in the store. She just sang along.
- Its in one of my favorite parts of the city, the West Village. We are right next to Magnolia Bakery and one my favorite eateries, Westville. I take anyone who comes to visit me to Westville. It's a tiny place, it's not pretentious and it has delicious food.

Boston

2008-05-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

I have so much blogging to do and i do not know where to begin? Mom and Dad asked that I at least post pictures. I can do that. Lets start with Boston. Sadly there are not that many pictures of Boston. Well Richard took some good ones, but I think I only got my camera out once. I get caught up in the moment. We had a wonderful time. It was nice to get out of New York for a few days and just breathe a little. We noticed immediately that Boston moves at a much slower pace. It wasn't too hard to adapt. One of the greatest parts of the trip was being able to spend time with Aunt Leslie. She is a lot of fun. She is a great tour guide, an amazing hostess, and a wonderful Aunt. She has a talent of being able to have a substantial conversation with you on every possible topic. We saw and did a lot in the short time we were there. We visited little Italy, Beacon Hill, Boston Common, Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum, Concord, kind of did the Freedom Trail, Harvard Square, Celebrated Leslie's birthday with Jim and Jen, saw The Counterfeiters (a movie), Ate great food, walked Newbury and Charles streets, saw a little of Michael and Becky, and basically let ourselves get lost. Okay so maybe I looked at the map a few to many times.

Notice the steam? It was laundry steam it smelled good and kept me warm.

Richard loved this scull and crossbones...

And I loved this Donkey.
Make way for Hillary

Wild life flocks to Richard and I. Alright, mainly just squirrels and raccoons, but it does happen alot.

Supporters of Harvey Dent for Gotham City. We got free buttons and and stickers. I wore my button and it confused a lot of people. One guy felt a kinship with me and flashed me a vintage Nixon button.
The one picture I have with Leslie in itAnd the only one with both of us. On the bus headed home

Thank you Richard for a wonderful trip! You are a great travel buddy.

Tagged

2008-02-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

11. 1. Best thing I cooked last week.
I'm having trouble remembering my meals last week. I think I ate a few to many Amy's Indian frozen dinners. Oh yeah Richard and I made a delicious taco salad. While shopping for the ingredients I almost ran into Bobby Flay.

2. If $, time, and babysitting were no object; where would you go and with who?

I would go to Ireland. It has been on the top of my list since I was a little girl. I would go with anyone who's up for an adventure and who likes to eat their way through places. So, really if you want to go, lets go!

3. Last time I cried.

I don't know if I want to admit the exact time. I go through times when I don't cry and I let things build up and then it all comes pouring out.

4. 5 things I was doing 10 years ago.

- Eleven years old, oh man I can hardly remember. I think I blocked a lot of things out of my mind from this stage in my life. I was in middle school, we all know how wonderful middle school is.

-Anticipating my twelfth birthday. The age we could get our ears pierced and graduate from primary.

-Stealing clothes from Jenni. Why do young girls think that when they put on a shirt that goes to their knees, that somehow they can get away with looking like it might belong to them?

-In all seriousness, I can't remember anything. Thus the importance of journal writing.

5. 5 things I was doing 5 years ago.

-Sixteen years old, a junior in highschool.

-Pushing all the limits I could with my parents

-Realizing how many things we could get for free in Park City. Meals at nice restaurants, ice cream, sledding on the ski runs at night, hot-tubbing at the hotels, etc...

-Here is an embarrassing confession that not many know about. We Started a our own version of Jackass for girls... minus all the disgusting stuff they did. We called it Lipstick...lame, I know. Lizzy got a camera for Christmas so Kaelyn, Becky, Melanie, Karen, Lizzy, and I went around the city doing stupid things while filming.

- The infamous valentines date where Hillary found nasty little hairs on her food after she had taken a bite would soon occur.

6. 5 things I was doing 1 year ago.

-I had just completed the application process for FIT, and was waiting anxiously for an answer.

-Working at Ty Loyola Design, and filling in free time with three other jobs.

-Last weekend I would have gone to Ben Kweller, this weekend I would be going to see the Shins

-Re-reading Harry Potter number five then six.

-Sending Melanie off to China, and liz and I were getting ready for our road trip to California.

7. 5 favorite hobbies.

-cooking/eating

-walking/running/hiking

-reading

-messing around on photoshop/illustrator

-Travel

8. 5 places I've been.

-Provo

-Orem

-Salt Lake City

-Bountiful

-Farmington

9. 5 favorite foods.

- Cheese. I'm talking the good stuff

-Bread with olive oil and balsamic

-Chips and guacamole

-Indian

-Kashi Heart to Heart and Autumn Harvest. I can't believe I almost forgot these. Maybe its because I am ashamed. They are not necessarily my favorite, its more to the level of an addiction. What do they put in that stuff?

10. 5 favorite memories.

That is a hard question, there are so many.

- Camping in Capitol Reef years and years ago, with the family. Some of the best hikes, orchards to pick fresh fruit, Butch Cassidy stories, and the usual sibling banter.

- Driving around with friends trying to find trouble, talking, and singing along with good music.

- Being at the hospital when Janelle and Ayden were born.

-Waking up in a cloud in Gimmelwald, Switzerland

-Stocking raccoons with Richard on one of our many walks. Walks with him in general are good memories.

Recap

2008-01-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

I realize that when I don't frequently update by blog, I get overwhelmed and don't even know where to start so I put it off even longer and life just adds up. Vicious circle. I will just do a little review of the last few weeks.

Dec 18th
My Mom and Sister arrive in New York City. The fun began as soon as they showed up at my door. We talked girl talk into all hours of the night. It was the perfect beginning for one exciting week. I was out of school and got work off so it was vacation for me too. I love when people come into town because it gives me a chance to break away from my normal routine and appreciate what the city has to offer. Thank you to all who made this trip possible.

The first picture of the week. We are trying to train Jenni to keep her eyes open when the flash goes off.
West Village
On our way to see Wicked

Most of our pictures were taken at arms length. We took maybe 20 of these. Jenni either has her too closed or too open. Shes getting better.

On the Brooklyn Bridge walking to Grimaldies, my favorite pizza place. This was one of my favorite nights. That might have a little to do with the fact that Richard (on the far left) was with us.
Richard, I put this one on for you.
It would not be Christmas in New York with out seeing the tree at Rockefeller Plaza

Dec. 22nd
Saturday night we fly home to a very full and cozy house. When we arrived everyone was asleep so it was very quiet but when Sunday morning came everyone crept to the kitchen form the various corners of the house. With six grandchildren it was the exact opposite of quiet. Thats when it started to feel like the holidays. When I think of home I immediately think of the kitchen/family room. No matter what time of the day, if you want to be around someone, go to the kitchen. And with my family always expect interesting conversation. I'm not sure what it is but it seems to me that snacking plus being around people will always equal some type of debate. This is one thing I love about home. Now my mind is on a roll thinking of things that I observed this Christmas.

1. Brad and I shared food really well this time around. Jenni claims that Brad and I got in open fight over food in the past, but I am guessing it was more like I was annoyed with Brad but kept it from him and told Jenni, and Brad did the same and confided in Jenni. But I think we have come up with a solution when it comes to both of our appetites. Make a lot of food.
2. The best way to be able to get a nap in the day is to quietly disappear.
3. If you want a grandkid to behave, hand them over to Grandma or Grandpa. You know you love it Mom and Dad.
4. There are so many things that I think of that people would not what me to share.
5. Its so easy for me to get up in the mornings when everyone is around. Even if I am only running on five hours of sleep I have to get up for the fear of missing something. Thats the youngest child in me.
6. If you want to enjoy dinner, put the kids to bed. Thats for the parents, I am totally okay with the kids being around for dinner.
7. If you bring cheese out of the fridge to snack on there is a 75% chance at least two people with join you. If you take out Brads salsa there is a 100% percent chance everyone will show up in the kitchen to take part and It will be gone in one sitting.
8. Jenni and Brad need activities. I am already starting a list of activities for the next visit to guarantee us zero down time. And I will not even think about going to hang out with my friends.
9. We did not play cards this Christmas. Hmmm....We did not really have problems with being competitive. Are these two tied together? Looks like the train game might have to be the only game we are allowed to play when we are together.
10. Why does everybody hate to be the last one up that has to turn off the lights? When we decide to go to bed we always race out of the room so we don't have to get stuck with it.
11. We are learning how to discuss politics a little more rationally, either that or I wasn't around for that fight.

I could probably go on forever. Hope I did not hit any soft spots with anybody. Bottom line is that I love you all. I love the little things that give life to our family. It is so wonderful to watch our family evolve and change as each of our lives take course. As crazy as the holidays can be, I wouldn't want them to be any different. Thank you to everyone for keeping in mind why we are all here together, and working hard to remain close. Thank you to Mom and Dad for helping us understand the value of family, and for laying such a firm foundation. Miss you all and I will see you soon!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-26T19:21:00.000-08:00

Sorry this post is a little late. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My three best friends came to visit, Lizzy, Melanie and Clara. We packed each day with fun and excitement. I hope it was fun enough to convince them to move here! Outside of one of my favorite bakeries, Babycakes. Its a vegan/ allergen free/ no refined sweeteners/ no bad fats bakery. All of the taste minus some of the guilt. Dad probably cringes at the thought of it. Standing in front of Bob Dylan's apt. building in the West Village

In Brooklyn, right next to the Brooklyn Bridge, looking at Manhattan
My favorite pizza place Grimaldies. Cheap and authentic
We like to work it.
Thanksgiving day. Cooks in the Kitchen

Some of the gang, Connor was attending to the turkey. From left to right, Alexis Sumpsion (from the park City ward), Lizzy, Clara, Melanie, Jason (meet him in Italy), Murphy and Fe (Jason's friends from China). They said our meal was their favorite American Ever!

Working up an appetite

Hungry!!!

Some of the feast

Lizzy with the pies. My apple was delicious. Thanks to Mom and Dad for the training. Oh and thank you for answering my many phone calls with cooking questions!

My Apartment

2007-11-06T15:10:00.001-08:00

Jenni wanted to see pictures of my apartment. Here you are... I am guessing she wants to see it so she knows whether or not to be afraid of it.

I got Tagged!

2007-11-05T19:47:00.000-08:00

I am getting thrown right in to this blogging thing!

The rules:
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Problem, I don't know six people with blogs but here it goes.

1. I Love love love Indian and Thai food. Right now its all about the Indian.

2. Ninety percent of my thoughts are about food. Cooking, eating, smelling whatever. I love reading recipes. I am right there with you laura. This may surprise you but I tend to obsess over things and right now it is food. In fact I am worried that the the six things I immediately thought of for this tag all had to do with food. I am not sure if this is a cry for help.

3. I only want to wear dresses for the rest of my life.

4. Alright, I probably think about family more than food. I am always thinking about what each of you are doing. Everyone at school knows that I love my family.

5. I walk around my apartment in bare feet. I am very picky about the floors that my feet touch. I have to feel that they are clean.

6. I miss Sassy and Hendrix. I don't even know if they are still alive. I am afraid to ask.

I tag Jenni for now.

Weekend Fun

2007-11-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful weekend. I was able to get out of the city and see the sights a bit. Kristen Lawrence (Jefra Linn's friend who plays the organ) came here on business. She is also friends with Jordan and Jordan's friend Travis who lives out here. Anyway its a small world, blah blah blah. We took a train to a town called Terrytown near where she was staying. She picked us up at the train station with her rental car and we were free to roam. It was nice to be in a car again. Before I moved out here I was so excited to not have to worry about a car. It still is one less thing I have to worry about, but It would be so wonderful to have one on the weekends. So from there we drove to Lyndhurst castle. We took a tour of the inside and walked the grounds. It was cold and windy but so refreshing! We also drove through Sleepy Hollow, home of Washington Irving the writer of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It was so beautiful. It reminded me of the England country side. Rolling hills and dry stacked stone walls. Oh yeah my hair is brown in the pictures because I dyed it.

My First Window

2007-10-29T19:07:00.001-07:00

Well, I am being brave and showing you my very first window. I promised Mom I would show her. For first semester we work in these small windows. In the semesters to come we will work on a larger scale. For this assignment the we were supposed to sell a product that they sell in our Barnes and Noble bookstore. I chose a Moleskine notebook, because I myself like to use them. I guess I'll just post the picture and then explain.

With the window open...And with the window closed...

And here is my friends window just so you can get a better idea of what we were doing. Its kind of hard to see but can you guess what her product is?
Well there you are. They are kind of dark. I should probably photoshop them, but I don't have photoshop on this computer yet. For our window were were supposed to use different tactics to sell, such as celebrity endorsement, or texture. My friend chose shock value, with the push pins if you didn't guess it, and I chose to use surrealism/telling a story. The idea behind Moleskine notebooks is that you can carry them with you so you can write thoughts, dreams, ideas or just sketch. The words behind are a repeated phrase, beginning to describe a "bizarre" dream. The phrase ends with "there stood a tree...," as if describing the world that is growing out of the book. Bring your ideas to life sort of thing. Anyway a good design shouldn't need an explanation like this, but had I been around all of you during the creation of the project you would have had an ear full.

Five Points

2007-10-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

For photography our professor has taken us to some great places around Manhattan and in the surrounding burrows. Last monday we went to a place in Queens called Five Points. Five points is a factory where graffiti is legal with a permit. It was pretty amazing. I took a lot of photos so it was hard to choose just a few.

We were supposed to do portraits of our classmates. This is my friend Dana. She is from Seattle.

View of Five points from the subway station

AND SO IT BEGINS

2007-10-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

Hello Family and friends. Jenni suggested that I start a blog and I thought that I would give it a try. Anything to help me stay in touch with you all. I also thought it would be a good way to let you all see my the projects that I work on in school.
Here is a little update for you. I am loving New York City. I live in a wonderful little apartment with two fabulous roommates Karli Haglund and Jordan Green. School is keeping me incredibly busy, and I feel like I am connecting well with my Professors and all of the Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design staff. I don't really expect you all to remember that title. I am working at Anthropologie, and feel like I have adjusted quite well to the clothing retail world. Don't worry, I will not get too comfortable. I have not even taken advantage of my employee discount, contrary to what you all might believe. I love getting to know the city. It makes me feel like a true local when people ask me for directions, and it's even better when I can tell them the right way to go! So just a reminder for you, if you choose to come visit me in New York not only will you have a futon to sleep on, but you will have your own personal tour guide. I could write forever, I will save it for future blogs. All in all living here has been a very positive experience. I am thinking of you all the time and pray for each of you every day.