I want to go to there

Just posted on BYU Paris blog! We had to do a post on something we want to do in Paris. Then when we get to Paris we are actually going to go do it and write another post on our reactions. My post is on the Sacre Coeur Basilica. For some reason the font kept acting up on me, but you can see it and you can read it, so I refuse to mess with it anymore.

Currently listening to: Phoenix

It's a boat!

So I had a fabulous weekend full of dancing, ribbons, mocktails, Easter colors, glowsticks, and little origami animals. I went to a No Room for Wallflowers party, pennyroyal cafe, made invitations, saw some movies, and sewed part of a shirt collar. All in all it was a very productive weekend. Anyways today in church Sadie showed me the cutest little post it notes (wait, wait for it...) that had origami instructions printed on them so that you could make little origami swans, snakes, boats, cups, etc. out of them. We couldn't stop making them. Eventually we started writing names on them and gave them away via our ward's brownie note box. I hope people like getting tiny anonymous origami creations delivered to their doorstep.

Now I am baking, and hopefully my cooking adventures will go much better than last week's misguided attempts to make snicker doodles with the wrong amount of baking soda. They turned out rock hard, and I was so frustrated that I just left them there in big pile of sad misshaped cookies on the counter. Later Sadie labeled it "a cookie tower of shame". However I am feeling much more hopeful about this week's baking attempts ( I usually am a fairly decent cook!).

It's nice to have a lazy day. I am going to read, make more invitations, and perhaps watch a movie. Maybe if I am feeling crazy later I will take a nap.

Currently baking: Lemon Squares
Currently excited about: Jamie feeling better and Megan coming back to Provo
Current song stuck in my head: 1,2,3,4... by Feist

All the King's Men

I finally finished All the King's Men and, well, I loved it. I know that All the King's Men is supposed to be THE novel about American politics, but that is not what attracted me to the story. There is just something about Jack Burden. I know it is not just Jack's story, in fact some might argue that it is more of Willie's story (I have heard that is how the most recent film adaptation portrays it), but I found myself most interested in what Jack had to say. The way he splits himself into different identities. The great sleep. The great twitch. The way he describes people around him: Lois, his mother, the scholarly attorney. Now I am babbling, but it really is a great book. And now I really want to see the movie (the older one, I've heard the Jude Law version is a let down).

Obsessed with: sunny days

Mesa

So first order of business, last weekend I went on an amazing road trip with some friends ( I haven't had time to post anything so I am starting with last weekend). We drove from Utah to Mesa, Arizona and back in two days. For those of you who have not done this let me just inform you that this means your trip is about 80% driving. But it was worth it. We were celebrating Pasha's Birthday, and we were celebrating in style. We also got her a Snuggie, so basically there was nothing else left in the world that she could want. We passed all these cute little towns,at least 3 Lotsa Motsa pizza places, and just plain gorgeous nature. We also fell in love with the Manti Temple. I had seen it before, but no one else had so we gushed over it for a good 15 minutes.

We also stopped at this canyon, which was breathtaking ( we never made it out to the Grand Canyon). Everyone jumped out of the car and we had an impromptu photo session (ok maybe not impromptu seeing as the cameras started clicking whenever we left the car, but honestly everything was so pretty...)and then we all good scream into the canyon (and it screamed back).



We eventually made it there, where we discovered that the Mesa motel industry is controlled by a small Indian faction ( and no I do not mean Native Americans, if that it was I meant I would have said it). Mesa has an unhealthy amount of hotels and motels to chose from, but we ended up at the Starlite motel. It's most persuasive feature was probably the flashing neon sign of a girl diving; apparently Pasha has always seen that sign and wanted to go in, lol. As wonderfully classy as the Starlite motel sign was I actually never slept there. I ended up going to my cousins' apartment and spending the night at their place. I hadn't seen them in forever, so it was nice to see them even if I was half asleep the whole time.



The next morning we were back on the road. We ended up listening to country music, even though none of us are really big country music fans; it just seemed to fit. Granted alot of it was more on the pop crossover side, but it was country none the less. We also listened to Harry Potter on tape. I kept falling asleep so I only heard one chapter; I am not very good with audio books. Lara however loves them. One summer she listened to 2 or 3 of the Harry Potter books in a row. She now claims that Jim Dale narrates her life.


Anyways we finally made it back to Provo, safe and sound. It was basically amazing. There was so much more: picnics, jumping photo shoots, McFlurrys, failed surprises, High School Musical Fruit Snacks, the disease game, In-N-Out Burger, citrus trees, mash, and QT. I wish I could have told every little detail of this trip, but then this post would have been twice as long.

Currently reading: All the King's Men
Currently listening to: Love Story, Taylor Swift

Lie to Me

So I was watching Lie to Me while I was cleaning my room and it just so happens that the show corresponded perfectly with a conversation my roommate and I had the other day. This week's episode talked about the idea of passive racism, the idea that people are racist without realizing it. My roommate and I actually had a really in depth conversation about this recently. We basically talked about how racism and being a racist are such charged words now that very few people will admit to being racist or that they benefit from a racist system. However, this does not mean that racism is being eliminated. Some people theorize that racism is just going to get worse because people are afraid to talk about. Anyways didn't mean to get so serious, but it's interesting to think about, no?

Wind in the Face

All right kids it's time for your daily injection of pop culture. Tonight was the kick off of ANTM's 12th cycle. And Top Model did not hold back the crazy. Be warned, if you haven't watched it yet, this is half opinion, half recap. Also if you do not want to know who was eliminated tonight do not read the last paragraph :)

The night started out in Vegas where they revealed the theme of the cycle, "Goddesses". This meant angelic white dresses, little gold laurels, and Tyra as the Goddess of Fierce complete with her own entourage of Greek soldiers. You would think by now the contestants of top model would recognize when Tyra is making her first grand entrance, yet every cycle they are surprised, confused, and then, of course, extremely excited. One of the girls even called Tyra extraterrestrial. Know I don't know if that is true, but I will give it to Tyra for putting on a new show every cycle, she's never boring and she never disappoints.

After they narrowed down the choices, they took the girls to New York. This was a two hour episode so we got to see the girls through their first photo shoot. It was based on the idea that girls grow up to fast. The models had to portray innocent childhood games, while mean girl model extras stood glaring at them in the background. I loved all the little girl high fashion outfits.

Anyways, down to business: The Girls

First off, Aminat. She is my favorite so far. I can't help it, I love a girl who is not afraid to rock 3 inch heels even though she already towers over 6 feet. She also some how manages to work the 'fro. Another memorable face was Thalia. She is a burn survivor and is trying to be a role model for other girls who suffer from the same thing. Kortnie is the only plus size model this cycle, and Sandra seems determined to play the drama queen. The deceiving thing about Sandra is she says everything with this huge, gorgeous smile. Even when she is mad and confessing to the cameras she is smiling. There was also Allison, a more timid girl with big eyes that seems a little odd. But odd in the adorable way, not the stay away from me way (although she does have some strange ideas, google Allison, top model, and blood and you'll see what I mean). Then of course there is Celia. A sweet little blond who reminds me of Kyra Sedgwick. The more obvious look alike matches (and I have already heard other people say this as well so I know I'm not crazy on this one) was Isabella ( a model who suffers from epilepsy) and Kerrington from the last season of So You Think You Can Dance.


These pictures of Kyra and Celia aren't the best examples. You can see it better when Celia isn't trying to be so modelesque; but you can at least see where I am coming from, right? Oh and I almost forgot Teyona the girl who kind of looks like an alien according to the judges. Finally at the end they decided to call her look "Wind in the Face." Well I seem to be rambling so I'll reduce the rest of the girls to random stereotypes and titles. There was Jessica, the pretty girl, Natalie, a rich girl, Fo, the interesting, yet lovable one, Nijah, the girl I don't remember and London, the street preacher who likes to wear skinny headbands across her forehead.

All in all it was a fun night and a good premiere even if they did decide to keep Sandra, and not Isabella. I can't wait for next week. It looks like there will be makeover tears.


Pictures came from:
http://www.poptower.com/images/db/6049/420/300/celia-ammerman.jpg, http://images.askmen.com/photos/kyra-sedgwick/25466.jpg, http://www.cwtv.com/shows/americas-next-top-model12/cast/images/c/0009/cw-at12-prt-isabella_027032-34070b-281x374.jpg, http://www.cwtv.com/shows/americas-next-top-model12/cast/images/c/0009/cw-at12-prt-isabella_027032-34070b-281x374.jpg