The Phillips

32 Miles

2011-10-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

We knew we had a problem when the transmission fluid in our Buick was poured from the bottle, to the transmission, to the floor. I kept getting the impression that I needed to take the car in. The individuals who had lived in our apartment before us got a coupon in the mail from a local car repair shop that was a discount on transmission repair. So I called them up and took our car in a week later.

The repair cost turned out not to be too expensive and we just needed a new pan. What was startling was when they were going through the check list of things that were wrong with our car.

Manifold Gasket.

WAIT!! This same gasket cost us 1,400 in repairs last year and we had to fix our radiator fluid and hoses because of it. I was furious. (I had even taken the car back to the repair shop because the oil change place said the radiator fluid was dirty. They assured me nothing was wrong.)

The repair man at the new place started pointing out the leak and one that was adjoining it.

So we went home and checked our warranty. Bryce was sure that we had surpassed it with driving to and from Rexburg to Idaho Falls. But we checked the odometer and pulled out the paper work. The repair was guaranteed 12,00o miles. We pulled out the calculator and found that we were at 11,968. 32 miles.

We called up the new repair shop, they were both NAPA certified, and said we were still under warranty. There were other needed repairs and because everything was being taken apart they could cover the labor under the warranty. What would have been over a thousand dollars in repairs we paid only $230 in parts.

It was one of those moments that left me with an assurance that the Lord knows who I am, my struggles, and that he is aware that we pay our tithing even though we are struggling to get by. A non believer may think it was luck, but it was providence in my eyes. Those 32 miles were a miracle.

Bryce's Chicago Trip

2011-08-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

Kristen asked me if I wanted to post on the blog about my trip and I quickly said no, but this morning I got up and decided to go for it.

The trip to Chicago was for a program called Chicago Urban Studes: Inner City Youth. This is a fund that is set up through LDS church members in Chicago in coordination with BYU-Idaho. Grover Wray, one of the teachers from BYUI, is over the counselors every year and hand picks about 10-12 counselors who meet together and plan out everything for the camp as far as activities go. We started planning this camp last November and didn't leave until the 6th of August.

Our group having breakfast together
Left to Right: Grover, Spencer, my empty chair, Brittany, Neil, Jack, Juan,
(right side) Micah, Rachel, Joy, Eric, Mike, and Gina

My group going out to explore Chicago for the day (I'm wearing the cow shirt)

What an adventure. We left Salt Lake City at noon on Saturday the 6th and got to our Hostel in Chicago around 8 that night. It was kind of crazy going out at night because Lollapalooza, a huge music festival with like 100 or so bands over three days, was happening and only like 3 blocks away from where we were staying. I don't think I've ever seen that many drunk people flooding a street and chanting U - S - A at midnight in the streets below us since...well, ever. Chicago is pretty humid, you don't have to try to sweat when you walk outside, it just all happens for you. I don't know if I would give up mild weather in Idaho or Washington for never having to use lotion in a place like Chicago, not worth it.

We all got to go to a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley field and wait for two hours in the rain so that the game could get rained out. Still a great experience, a little wet actually really wet, but really fun just getting to go with the whole group.

Yeah for free hat and T-shirt night at Wrigley field.

Most of the group, all getting soaked for two hours before the game was cancelled. All of the girls ended up wearing ponchos by the time we left (yeah, guys don't wear rain ponchos, we're tough, we work out and stuff!), but as soon as they called the game, it stopped raining for the rest of the night.

We had some good fun in Chicago for four days before taking 32 12-15-year old boys from in and around Chicago back with us to Victor, ID for the summer camp. We had to be up at 4:30 on Wed. morning of the 10th and take the Orange line to the Midway airport, that was also a fun experience. The kids started showing up around 6am and then we started our, what turned out to be almost 16 hour long, trip to Victor. We took two flight to SLC, then took a bus that started breaking down on us to BYU-Idaho, then drove another hour to Victor. What a relief to be done traveling at that point.

Mike, Brittany, Joy, and I ended up having the middle group that was mostly 13-14 yrs. old. What incredible people to be able to spend 10 days with getting to know and have fun with during the camp. We did some really cool things with the boys like a ropes course, tons of activities and classes about a lot of different things, nightly firesides/testimony meetings, devotionals, and we took all of the boys to see the movie "17 Miracles," about the Mormon Pioneers. This was an absolutely rewarding experience to be able to have a part in the lives of these boys and to see their goodness and to get to learn about a lot of the trials that they have to deal with on a daily basis in Chicago (drugs, gangs, shootings, family life, girls, school, etc.). A few more pictures from this trip will some this up and it was amazing.

Our group name, "Not in da Face"

Our group at Eric's class, learning how to make water
rockets out of two liter bottles.

Some of the boys at the BYUI Badger Creek Ropes Course
learning about one of the challenge activities

All 32 boys learning about how to work as a team.

Some of the counselors and boys riding on top of the trailer we loaded with
hay that we all moved for a service project.

At the ropes course, one of the activities is getting to the top of a 30-foot high telephone pole and standing on top, this was a little intense and I didn't think that I would be doing it myself, but all the boys and other counselors said, 'Bryce, you're next.' I thought to myself, "self, don't freak out," not because it's very high, but it is high when you get to the top and it's just a telephone pole sticking out of the ground.

After a minute of holding on to the top, I braved it.

Well, I made it, without falling off and I realize that once you get to the top you have to say a goal you have, but once I got up there, I thought that I should have already thought of a goal, because that's a little terrifying on top trying to think of a goal.

This was a wonderful camp and I feel privileged to have gone and get to know all of those boys. Maybe next time they'll go to bed before 2:00 every morning when we have to wake up at 6:30.

Not a writer.

2011-08-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

I think everyone can honestly agree I lack in the skill of writing.

Now that that was stated we can move on.

The summer is almost over and I think I spent the majority of it at work. Our annual convention was held in Minneapolis at the beginning of the month and most of my time the months before were spent sitting at my desk producing labels, forms, and booklets to be handed out for those three short days. My first experience at convention was quite exciting.

I stayed on the 18th floor of a hotel with an awesome view.
I was almost trampled on by people running through doors.
I got to help make the logo. (Ryan deserves the credit)
I was proposed to by the most creepy man in the world.
I was yelled at by a Mennonite woman. (I thought they were supposed to be nice)
I got to see my products in use by the actual customers.
I got a contact for freelance work.
and... I got to see a magic show.

The biggest bummer about convention, other then my tacky green vest, was that I missed the window to see Bryce a day or two before he went to camp. He went to Washington to help his Dad out with a cabinetry job the week school ended, and then left while I was at the convention to help out at an inner city youth camp.

Let me tell you...three weeks is a long time. I don't know how my Dad was able to go on two month business trips when I was a kid.

I was so excited for Bryce to return. If absence makes the heart grow fonder, my heart was fonded. It is amazing how I used to be so independent and had a hard time in the first year of our marriage having to spend so much time with someone else. Now it is the opposite, I have the need to be around people all the time. I was grateful I was able to spend a week while he was gone with my parents in Washington while we were apart. (I'll write about that later)

end.

Gypsy

2011-06-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

I think I found a new favorite show the other day. My big fat gypsy wedding. (Note: these are Irish Travelers not Romanians.) And before you judge me hear me out. First I'll argue the negatives...Yes it has little and adult women dancing skanky every once and a while, and there are boys grabbing girls and running off with them, but...the culture is insanely interesting. It is fun to step inside (or sit on my couch and watch) another culture for me. Especially one built up on so much tradition.

First, everyone or most everyone lives in a traveling trailer. They usually do not achieve higher then an eighth grade education and they marry at like 16. Woman don't work and clean the trailer all day, while the males usually work in labor jobs. The wedding dresses are extreme. It is as if an eight year old planned her dream wedding with the puffiest dress and a castle cake.

I think the social commentary on the show is what fasinates me the most. How they deal with the ignorance of others and the fact that they are ignorant themselves. In Mormon society I find we do the same...not the skankiness or trailers, but that we have traditional behavior and it is sometimes hard to accept other "normal" cultures. I personally feel that like them I am often leary of others stepping inside my culture and seeing the oddities and the fact we think honestly really weird and how much I know it. It is kind of nice to know that others have the same problem of balancing and loving what they believe to be a really nice "traditional" lifestyle that is outside the mainstream. I am proud of my background, and like them love participating in the weird traditions.

Also note Bryce hates this show.

Moving

2011-06-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

I've decided I've had enough of Rexburg.

I know 26 is not old, but I feel old in this town. I walk into restaurants and if the average age is 20 I have this immediate feeling like I should leave. Mostly because pure feelings of disgruntled anger usually follow after an 18-year-old girl yells out something idiotic to catch another 18-year-old boys attention, and will follow by literally jumping him in a tackle of flirtation. I think I am over that. I think I was over that at 21. I am like a grouchy old man who married a grouchy old man (who is also over crazy teenagers).

With all of this pent up anger we came to the decision to move. We found a place in the large city of Idaho Falls (pop. 56,813) where there are a whopping two Super Walmarts. Rexburg doesn't even qualify for that large of a mega store.

I am excited to move on from Rexburg and college life. I know Bryce has a lot more schooling and we will still be "in school" for at least 3 more years but the thought of not having to live where I went to school will be nice.

The downside of moving will be the difficulty of finding new friends. Rexburg has a plethora of young married couples to befriend. It will be hard to leave the friends we have made here. But like us, I know eventually those we have become friends with will move on too. So here's to new adventures!

Macaroons

2011-06-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

I have this dream that I can make delicious French Macaroons. So far it has been 2-0...with me on the losing side. Any bakery I go to the first thing I do is check for macaroons. It is the one thing I CRAVE but can't find anywhere in town. I braved the attempt to try again after looking at my cousins facebook pictures. She said to follow Martha Stewart and I wouldn't go wrong. CURSE you Martha. I thought you were supposed to make the difficult things easy for the everyday run-of-the-mill woman. They tasted awful and wouldn't come off the pan. I think it is maybe a mixture of the almonds, oven, and paper...or maybe it is just the cook.

I swear, I can make anything but cookies. It is as if God knew I shouldn't be eating them. I even tell people I hate cookies. Mostly because I can't make them myself and don't want to feel jealous of how they can succeed at something so simple.

Ah curses. I'll stick to bread.

Planting Season

2011-05-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

We finally got around to planting our seedlings today. This year we planted squash, onions, cabbage, and a tomato. Last year our tomatoes didn't do so hot so we thought we would try just one this year.

Gardening in an apartment can be difficult because obviously everything needs to be in a planter. Bryce and I were talking about how we can't wait to be home owners someday and have a giant garden in our backyard. For now our little planters will do! And I can't wait to see how everything grows.

I did a pot of annuals this year. We got a flyer in the mail for four free annuals and four vegetables. I figured we shouldn't pass that up and we bought a few more flowers to go with it. Lets hope I didn't plant everything too close together. I'm new at this and am learning from every years mistakes.

Savings

2011-05-19T20:11:00.001-07:00

I have had this weird obsession with checking the KIDK news website lately and they have a section called Buy it for Half. I finally found something useful to buy. My in laws are coming at the beginning of June for our birthdays and had mentioned they were going to be staying at a hotel in town...low and behold...it was on the Buy it for Half section at a whooping 70% off! Hurray for good deals. $50 for $15!

Sometimes I see pictures and blogs of people who do extreme couponing and I get jealous! I totally wish I was capable of saving money like that. It takes a lot of work for them, and they can get some random crap they'll never eat practically for free. But I think it is admirable they can plan like that.

For now I'll glory in my savings and that sometimes Albertsons has buy-one-get-one-free meat.

http://kifitv.buyitforhalf.com/

26

2011-05-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

Today I turned 26. Amazing feat, I know. It took little effort and a small amount of street smarts. Bryce told me how my Mom talked with him about how as a child I would plan my birthday for months.

When you are the fourth of five children and your parents weren't wealthy it was a big deal when you got something and no one else did. I have some good memories of planning my birthdays as a child. They usually involved elaborate plans and impractical presents. Which I almost never got, and didn't really care about anyways as long as I got a Barbie or some clothes I was happy.

One birthday that sticks out was my eighth birthday. It was barbie themed and I had all the little girls from church and school over. My Mom did a fantastic job of decorating and planning games. One was musical chairs. It is one of my very few vivid memories of a child, racing around the living room fighting for the last seat. I inherited the table and chairs that we played that game on...maybe someday I'll do the same with my kids.

Another birthday I remember was when I was in College. Bryce and I had been dating about two months and he and my roommates planned an awesome party. There was even a pinata. We made a fire pit and roasted kebabs.

Today was a quiet birthday, and it was just as nice as any I had before. I went to work, came home to a homemade dinner by Bryce and opened a few cards and presents. Just Bryce and I. I think it will be a memorable one. Because of all the dreams and plans I had as a child none involved being with the person I love more than anything in this world. And I am so lucky that he is the perfect gift from heaven for me.

Jackson!

2011-05-15T13:43:00.001-07:00

I know...It's about time I updated our blog. I really do come on here like everyday...and everyday I have nothing exciting going on or something I should complain about publicly so nothing is ever updated. But, I made it a goal to write about my amazing birthday weekend.

Life has been a little stressful for me and it's been a month of me coming home and complaining about my inadequacy and far to many silly tears. Bryce and I made a list of things that make me happy and one of them is car trips. Since my birthday is coming up we thought it would be a great time to get out of town and relax...so we went to Yellowstone and Jackson, WY. We headed out midmorning and drove north through Montana and West Yellowstone. The park only recently opened up from the winter. We were astonished how much snow was still there.

Obligatory car photo! See ya Rexburg!

The first animal we spotted! A Buffalo on the side of the road!

Elk!

Bryce took this shot through the trees...my little photographer!

The stinky sulfur pools

A gushing geyser.

Us in front of a fore mentioned Gushing Geyser...

The snow on the side of the road.

About half our trip through the park looked like this. I guess they had a lot of snow this winter and just opened some parts of the road last week. Good thing it was clear for our drive to Jackson because we really didn't check the road status.

Jackson Lake and the Tetons. They were amazingly beautiful.

I feel so blessed that we got the chance to get out of town for the weekend. My husband made everything special. I am lucky to have him.

We stayed over in Jackson on Saturday and walked around the town. It was fun to just get away from everything. It was an amazing birthday weekend...now I have to think of a way to top that for Bryce next month.

One Year

2010-12-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow marks one year of marriage for Bryce and I. I never realized how much life changes when you say "I do". I can't imagine my life without my sweet husband by my side. We have had an awesome year together.
It took a while for us to both be comfortable with ourselves and the changes that living together brings. We've had our little trials and have met them with prayer and faith. I am one lucky girl to have such a mellow husband who deals with a girl who is way over-dramatic.

Here's to fifty more anniversary's!
...and 50 kitties.

They call this Work

2010-10-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing time at work on Friday handing out candy and treating our trick or treaters. The whole building goes all out in decorating for the big day. I thought I would show some pics of what the creative department did. As well as a video staring mine truly, Bryce. He came for the last hour of the day and helped with clean up.

Bryce and I snuggling in the TeePee

The graveyard I made

Ryan and Brandon at the Bank

The outside of the TeePee

Kelly the Blacksmith

Kelly the Buffalo

Chris in his general store

Cowboys and Indians

2010-10-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

At work I found out that they take Halloween really seriously. They go all out with decorating the departments in different themes. This year Marketing decided to do the Wild West. Since I am way to uptight to be a saloon girl and find that a pioneer women costume would be lame, I went with an Indian. During General Conference I decided I would spend the many hours sitting around to good use and sewed my costume.

For creating something without a pattern I thought I did really well. The hair was inspired by project runway which I had spent all Saturday watching.

Bryce wanted to be the cowboy to my indian and came up with his costume. A new pearl snap shirt and some bullets polished off his costume. Funny thing was we met at a Halloween dance... and he was dressed up as a cowboy then. I think the little boy inside him always wanted to be a cowboy...or he just owns a hat.

Disclaimer:Bryce knows his skull mask is off center and demands new pictures.

Blessing Day!

2010-08-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

My new nephew Sawyer Anthony Kahmann, was blessed by his Dad on the 22nd. We decided that it would be a good reason to finally visit my sister Cherie and her little family who live on the East Coast.

It was a sweet blessing and Sawyer looked so cute in his vintage blessing outfit. It was his Dad's (Keith) when he was blessed. My favorite part of the outfit was the embroidered pistols on the front. I thought it was classic.

During the blessing Sawyer looked around and cooed at all the guys holding him. He is such a peaceful baby.

Start Spreading the News...

2010-08-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

Bryce and I decided to take a day trip to New York City while on our trip to Connecticut. Let me tell you my legs have never been so tired! Because we had so little time for such a big city we did our best to get a peek at what this city has to offer.

We enjoyed the train ride from Connecticut and loved snuggling next to each other as we traveled. Little did we know this would be the only time we would feel relaxed the whole trip.

Our arrival in Grand Central Station was a preview of what laid ahead for our day. It was like we were herded cattle and we followed the crowd. Bryce was a little nervous to ride the subway. I had to convince him I knew what I was doing, having spent a lot of time on Public transportation on my mission. He eased up after the first ride. Grand Central Station was beautiful and impressive.

Our first stop was the Staten Island Ferry, it was a fun boat ride that gave us a beautiful view of the city. Plus, it was FREE! We had fun talking with the locals.

We then stopped at Times Square, There were so many people it was a little overwhelming. While taking a few pictures we were ushered out by Police Barricading the block. So it wasn't so exciting. Then we went to the MOMA, saw some art, beat the crowds (It was free day). We were so tired from walking that we saw one floor and went to the gift shop. We bought a I (hear) New York magnet and rolling pin and then headed to Grand Central for lunch.

We had an exhausting day but enjoyed the experience and the right to say, "I visited New York once."

A Photoshoot by Lily Kahmann

2010-08-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ms. Lily had a good ole' time taking pictures of her family...too bad the majority of the time the camera was facing her and she got a whole lotta' flash in her eyes.

The Grandparents Kahmann

My favorite image was her little poodle blanket because that was the first thing she wanted to take pictures of. Oh! the love of toys.

Koeven Family Reunion

2010-08-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

As a child we would get an annual invitation to the Koeven Family Reunion. I would gaze at it and ponder how exciting it would be, I think I even tried to convince my Mom to take us. Since we lived so far from Utah we never went. Well when I got a personal invite mailed to Mrs. Kristen Phillips I couldn't resist. I had to attend. So we marked it on our calendars and set some cash aside to drive down.
This year they honored my beloved Grandma Theone. I thought it was precious they would dedicate the reunion to her. I read a little ditty about Grandma's life and there were images around of her life. My great Aunts Sheila and Mary were there. I love my Aunt Mary, she is such a sweetheart. Seeing her makes me miss my Grandma. Mary has a similar voice and it makes me melt. I love it!

My brothers joined us there, It was nice to see Jon, Janilee and Kent again. I have a great family. I forget how much I miss spending time with them.

I can't wait for my invite for next year!

Lions and tigers and dingos.

2010-06-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

The company I work for had free zoo day at the Tautphas park zoo in Idaho Falls. So as a treat to Bryce we went for his birthday. I must say I was impressed. For a town of 50,000 I was expecting far less. Like when my sister said she went to the zoo in Connecticut with Lily and there was a house cat in a cage. This was impressive. They had lots of birds... which we skipped over mostly, but also a variety of asian, african, and south american animals.
They had a real tiger.
And a gorgeous lion and lioness. He had an amazing mane.

The animals were up close and the enclosures were great at giving a variety of views. We saw maybe 100 animals and it was so awesome we might go again!

A Pharm

2010-04-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

Bryce and I officially celebrated spring by planting a garden. We got our seeds, pots, and dirt and threw them together to create something hopefully magical. While at the garden store we found some magical seed start kit. It included little wafers which grew huge with water. We just placed our seed in and supposedly it should germinate.

This is much more fun and productive then farmville.

Rainman

2010-04-07T03:06:00.000-07:00

(begin rant)

So, I official hate Snow. I know I speak of my hatred for Snow often... but I want it down in writing. I HATE SNOW!!!! In my last will and testament, I want it to be stated that I enjoyed my life except for the parts with Snow in it.

Now, Snow has caused no damage to me other then making me cold, uncomfortable, irritated and worrisome. But if you look at those attributes and apply them to a person; that person would not be a friend. In fact it would be the kind of thing you would have to repent and forgive about. But since Snow is only a form of water I feel that these feelings can be openly expressed without offense.

Now, Rain. Rain is my friend. I love Rain. Rain can put me to sleep, allow me to use my windshield wipers and makes everything green. Rain can be bothersome but it doesn't stick around for weeks on end, it leaves rather quickly.

I guess what the point to all this is is that Snow should get the heck out of my life so I can be warm again because heck, it is SPRING!

(end rant)

Blessings

2010-03-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I started a new job on Monday at Melaleuca as a Graphic Artist. It seems to be enjoyable thus far. I feel like I am in my element with the work they have assigned me. The fact I am familiar with all the programs is a huge bonus. The people seem young and fun and we are working on a multitude of new projects. It is fast paced and I like that. It eliminates the moments where you sit and try and think of work, which I hate.

I sit next to a girl I had a few classes with when I was a freshman. I enjoyed spending time with her in classes and I am looking forward to becoming co-workers. The management is super nice which makes the work day easier.

I just feel so blessed to get this job in what is a tough market. I really think God has been looking out for Bryce and I and just pouring on blessing after blessing. We started out in Rexburg with both of us getting jobs in the first week of being here. We hope to find ways to bless others as much as God is blessing us!

A tour of our new Apartment

2010-03-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

So one of the benefits of being married is that you get to come home every night to the one you love... and you get to decorate that home for the one you love and make it yours. When we got married we got a ton of stuff, and a good amount of gift cards... I thank those for making our first apartment cute and warm.

We live in a nice complex here in Rexburg and we love our ward. We choose to go to the family ward instead of the student ward and I must say... I LOVE IT! I think this is one of the best wards I have ever been in. There is such a great variation in ages and experience. About a fourth of the ward are newly weds which allows us to make friends and have dinner parties. I feel really blessed to be here. Bryce and I were called as the activities commitee chairs and we look forward to getting to know even more people and plan some fun events.

So on to the tour, it isn't much but I am sure proud of it!

We decided on a Texas theme living room in honor of Bryce's mission We have the longhorns and everything!

We got our wedding pictures developed and they offer a little warmth and friendliness to our new place.
Our couch, bookcase, and dining room table were donate by my parents... my sister Cherie so elegently stated, that our couch is well used, "and has been farted on by everyone in our family." Well at least we don't have to worry about it getting dirty. :) It is suprisingly in great condition for how long my family had owned it.

The Kitchen.. not so exciting, but it does offer a lot of space.

The Bathroom, It has a subtle lighthouse theme. My Mom and I took a trip up the oregon coast and stopped at all the lighthouses along the way. I used the pictures I took for the images on the walls. I love the colors in here, anyone who knows a little about my pet peeves knows my obsession over nice bathrooms. So making this room inviting was important to me. Our washer and dryer are also in the bathroom and we have linen closets on both sides!

The entryway/hallway

The Bedroom! Thanks Ikea and Bed Bath and Beyond for making things easy!

This is one of my favorite things in the house. Bryce made this dresser as a wedding present to me. I love it! He made it out of Black Walnut, Alder, and Curly Maple. I have quite the talented husband! He also made it extra big so I could cram all my clothes inside.

So my life has gotten a little busy

2010-03-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

So I thought I would start this entry with a cruise ship... it explains everything, you see I got married, and it turned my life into a nonstop honeymoon cruise.

Bryce and I were married December 12th in the Portland, OR LDS temple. We had a wonderful and quick 3 month engagement and are now living in the cold climate of Rexburg, ID. Marriage is wonderful if I do say so myself and I enjoy the new blessings and challenges it brings. I love our little family and the addition of my in-laws. Bryce has such a great family and I am so blessed to call them mine now! I love that are parents live close and get along. That is so important to me. Bryce loves having a little niece who adores him and he fits in well with my siblings.

Our wedding turned out beautiful. Everything was perfect and lovely. I worked so hard at making everything from my vision of the day become a reality. I was so grateful for all the people who made it possible.

I am so excited to start my new life with Bryce... thus I am changing up the name of the Blog and hopefully I won't wait so long to update it again!

Balloon Festival

2009-07-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

The city of Driggs, about half an hour from Jackson, WY and about 50 minutes from Rexburg where I live had a balloon festival the 4th of July. My roommate Dorthy mentioned that she wanted to go, and I thought it would be a fun activity to go to... the only downside was we had to leave around 4am to get there on time.
Our intentions for going were just to see the balloons but soon we were recruited to be the balloon chasing crew for a man named Greg Ashton. At first we were a little concerned over the fact we knew nothing about hot air balloons except that they land in crazy spots and that our job was to follow the balloon and pick it up where it landed. Greg handed us the keys to his car and some gloves... he was really trusting.

There were about 12 balloons there that day, not as many as some balloon shows but enough to make it spectacular. Bryce and Dorthy held the balloon open so it could fill with air, while I had the all important job of watching, taking pictures, and turning off the fan. It was a cool process to watch. Then we carried the balloon further into the field for lift off and bid adieu to our balloon. We hopped into the suburban and followed them.

Greg landed in some family's front yard. Thankfully the kids were uber excited to have a hot air balloon land in their front yard, it doesn't happen that often. The whole neighborhood helped us back the balloon up and we drove back to the fairgrounds where we were treated to a "Wine and Cheese" meet and greet, where we had some cider and delicious cheese snacks.

It was a super fun experience. I loved how fun it was to actually be apart of the show instead of just watching. It made it all the more fun.

After we went to Victor, ID and watched a parade. It was full of candy and I thought it was good. My Design and Color teacher drove his old restored truck and it helped me to finally remember his name... Tim Tanner. I couldn't remember it for the life of me.

We visited a antique show and looked at some nice stuff. I think I want to collect porcelain dog figurines. I already have one.

We went to Idaho Falls for the Fireworks. We went with our friends Johnny & Danielle, and Andy & Holly and a few others. The wait was fun and I enjoyed socializing. It was a nice end to our extended weekend.

We also went to American Falls to visit Bryce's cousins Pat and Marshall. It was a fun visit and I loved sleeping in and just relaxing. We had some good food and great conversation.

Pigeon

2009-07-01T15:10:00.001-07:00

Today I saw a skinny pigeon I think it was a baby. It scared me at first it was so weird looking. I looked at it for a good thirty seconds to figure out what it was. For some reason it never occurred to me that pigeons laid eggs. I know that would be completely natural. But I never have heard of a pigeon nest before.

I wonder what their eggs look like... Sewer Green? Smog Black? Brick Red? Perhaps they are covered in poo... just because those birds poo everywhere... why not on their own young.

I didn't see a baby monkey. I just thought it hugging the pigeon was cute.

Graduation

2009-07-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

The end is coming... a lot faster then I would like. In the next few weeks I will finish up my education at BYU-Idaho and move on into the wide world of commerce. I don't know what I am going to do sadly. I thought it would all get easier once I got out of school for some reason.

I'm graduating with no job, no money, and no career prospects. Ugh.

I am realizing quickly that I need like three more years of experience before I can get any job at all. My work is improving, which gives me hope, but until I have a job secured I am sure I'll live in a constant state of anxiety. I have worked my butt off at school and can't figure out where I went wrong. I always put in insane hours to make my designs a step above, but I think I missed the how to get a job part.

The economy is a little in the dumps and a lot of design firms are downsizing. They don't have the work for the lowly junior designers to do because they have fewer contracts. I am debating going on to school, but as all my teachers have said, "Graphic Designers who go to grad school... go because they don't know how to design." So... if I did go back to school I have no idea what I would study.

I've been thinking of starting my own small business and have brainstorming ideas. Nothing seems like it would make money and finding investors would scare me to death. I'm not a bold individual.

So, with the end coming, and Idaho disappearing from my sights I am in a tight spot and am not looking forward to the future.

San Francisco-Picture log

2009-06-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

I went to San Francisco for my Art Travel class. We visited a variety of museums and got to see some famous works of art. It was a super fun trip. I loved getting out of Rexburg and seeing the world again.

We had some cool adventures. I got to ride on a fishing boat through the bay and we traveled on, and under the Golden Gate Bridge. I ate some delicious clam chowder in a sourdough bowl! We toured China Town and saw some cool sites. I bought some souvenirs, one was an engraved stamp of an ox, another the first sword in the world...

We made a stop in Reno and ate dinner at a Casino.

I also lost my cell phone at the Muir Woods. Thankfully someone found and turned it in. But now I can't call anyone because I am waiting for it to arrive. My roommate gave me her old phone and I got a new SIM card so at least I can be contacted.

Hidden Treasures

2009-06-15T13:05:00.001-07:00

My roommate made a magical discovery underneath our hearth. Little did I know that underneath all of the ledges in the Greenbriar Apt. living rooms is a signature wall!
It was fun exploring and reading. There are names on it that date back to the early 90's.

I had to include myself so I drew a little Cloud 9 and wrote our apartment slogan, "Elitism, Zionism." We know they are oxymorons but within Cloud 9 is Zionism... and for anyone on the outside... sadly it is just Elitism.

A trip to Mesa Falls... kinda

2009-06-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

We (Bryce and I) decided to take a weekend trip to Mesa Falls in Idaho. It isn't to far from Yellowstone. Sadly we started our trip with hope and were met with fear, anxiety, flesh wounds, and no waterfall. Basically our map sucked and didn't have the right directions.

At one point we were driving along this dirt road in my Buick century and I thought we were going to scratch up the sides and get stuck in the mud. I was thrilled when Bryce finally found a place to turn around. If we were in my brother Jon's jeep it would be a different story... but my little Grandma car couldn't take it, and to quote Pride and Prejudice... "Neither could my poor nerves."

We decided to stop along the way and explore near the river... on a safer road. After an hour of searching for the right turn off we gave up. This is where we ended up:

Bjorn on a rock

I was picking flowers when the guys decided to pee in the river. So out of courtesy I turned my back and refused to look down... I was on the hill. Well bad judgement because I slipped and slide down some rocks. Cutting my hand. Thus a flesh wound.

I like this picture. It's like a Madonna from a catholic painting.

Bryce and I cheesing it up for the camera! I love this picture of us.

Washington DC

2009-06-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

So I am going to start my post by making excuses as to why I haven't been updating... to put it simply I haven't had anytime because I was having too much fun. So I'll start with the beginning of my travels.
BYU-Idaho offers a internship expedition to major cities in the US. On of the cities was Washington DC. I had never been there so I thought, Why not? It was $200 for air and boarding and it was worth every penny.
I was amazed at how clean Washington was. I was expecting typical big city crime, graffiti and homelessness... but Washington can sure put on an act if those things exsist. It was easy to get around and I felt comfortable traveling alone. The one plus of the city is everything is free! All the national monuments and museums are free to enter and it was amazing the collections they had.

Jefferson Memorial
Washington Monument

Union Square: Christopher Columbus Statue

Arlington National Cemetery

I would love to travel here again. It was so fun... but next time, I'm bringing friends.

Crab Rangoon

2009-06-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

Look Mom I can cook!
Honestly Bryce is the better cook in the relationship. I feel like I am constantly making him things that are frozen and come from a bag. Poor guy. I have to assure him over in over that I can cook for my own sanity!
I absolutly love Crab Rangoon. I buy it every time I go to my favorite Thai food place her in Rexburg. I thought I would try and make some of my own delicious bites of heaven, not to be confused with the snowballs. So Bryce and I found a recipe and fried them up. They were rediculously easy to make, so if you are ever in the mood! Make a batch.

Crab Rangoon Recipe
50 -60 individual appitizers

Ingredients
1/4 cup sour cream
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temp
3/4-1 cup crabmeat, picked
2 green onions, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced (large clove)
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
wonton wrapper
oil (for frying)

Directions
1. Whip together the sour cream, cream cheese and soy sauce and sugar until smooth.
2. Fold in remaining ingredients (except wrappers) Heat oil to med-high and you want it around 1 1/2-2 inches deep.
3. Place a small bowl of water on your work surface and lay out 6 wrappers, and place around 1 1 1/2 t's in the center of each wrapper.
4. Moisten edges, bring up corners and pinch together, along with sides-you dont want filling to float away.
5. Place all 6 in the hot oil and repeat process.
6. By the time you have the next set of 6 ready to crimp it should be time to turn the rangoon's.
7. You want them a nice golden color.
8. When done remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towells.
9. Repeat until done.
10. Try to share.

Swissmiss

2009-03-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Swissmiss, a non-traditional festive occasion to commemorate all things Swiss. To celebrate we made fondue, from Scratch! I used a crockpot instead of a Fondue pot since we don't own one.

The Recipe:

12 oz. Chicken Broth, (as a replacement for beer)
8 oz. Sharp Chedder Cheese
8 oz. Aged Swiss Cheese
1 tsp. of Salt
1/4 Tsp Pepper
2 tbls. Flour
Dash of Garlic Powder

Shred all the cheese and throw everything into the crockpot. Let it simmer for about and hour and a half. Stir often.

I used slices of polish sausages and sourdough bread to dip in the Fondue. It was delicious! The Chicken Broth was a delicious alternative for Beer. Which we felt guilty buying.

I also made Chicken Divan. Which is a great meal that I always requested as a child. The boys really like this. It makes for a simple and yummy casserole.

Ingrediants:

3 lbs Boneless Chicken Breast
2 cans Cream of Chicken
1 cup Mayonaise
2 TBLS. Curry Powder
1 Bag of Frozen Broccoli
2 cups shredded Chedder Cheese
1 cup bread crumbs

Heat oven to 375. Mix Cream of Chicken, Mayo, and Curry together to create sauce. Cube and place thawed chicken into a 9x13 oven safe pan. Mix Sauce, Chicken and Broccoli together in pan. When mixed, place a layer of cheese and bread crumbs on top for "crust." Bake for 1 hour. Then eat!

For more wonderful recipes check out my Mom's cooking blog!

Tribute

2009-03-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

This isn't the worst fight scene in the world. It is only a tribute.

Greenbrier had a talent show. We thought we were talented enough to participate. My roommate Melissa is the Narrator, Megan is Capt. Kirk, and I am the lizard. We based it off of our love for a Youtube video of the same title, minus the tribute... because we tributed the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1eFdUSnaQM

THIS TAKES THE CAKE

2009-03-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

lol. I love my bunny cake. I forgot to get a shot of the snowball tail... but you get the picture.

We had our weekly Sunday dinner with another apartment. This week we invited our FHE brothers. We had taco salad. It was probably our best dinner yet. The guys stayed for a few hours and we played twister, I went and talked on the phone for a half hour, came back and then we had the cake. They thought it was kinda creepy. Especially when I divided the head in half.

I am pretty proud of myself.

Weekend

2009-03-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

I decided to make a bunny cake for myself. I'll tell you how it goes.

Life has been flying by for me. It's like I haven't had a break in a while. Before I know it the weekend is here again. Then the weekend flies by and it is school again. I think what I need is a day when I sleep in. Like until noon. Who knows when that will happen.

Snowball Effect

2009-03-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

[ Snowball effect ] : is a figurative term for a process that starts from an initial state of small significance and builds upon itself, becoming larger (graver, more serious), and perhaps potentially dangerous or disastrous (a vicious circle, a "spiral of decline"), though it might be beneficial instead (a virtuous circle).

[ Snowball effect on Kristen] : is a "figurative" term for a process that starts from an initial state of smallness and builds upon herself becoming larger.

Let me begin with Walmart is evil. Why on earth would they tempt me with the dessert of the Gods all wrapped up in a package of 12 for $3? Serious. The temptation was too much. Now I have eaten 6 in two days. My innards are screaming for more. They can't help it. The thought of delicious cream filled chocolate cake, enveloped in a marshmallow shell and topped with pink coconut. Heavenly.

I am grateful my wonderful, fabulous and awesome roommate Natalie bought some too. I'm at least not alone in this conquest of deliciousness.

Half my family is utterly disgusted by coconut. It makes me sad. I see no reason why they can't enjoy it. As a child I had to listen to complaint after complaint of "why someone would put coconut in dessert?" I was the child in the baking cabinet eating the shredded coconut by the handful. I loved it.

My love of pink snowballs began at an early age. My Mom used to take us to the Hostess/Wonderbread discount store. A reward for us acting properly was that she would allow us to choose one hostess snack to take home. I loved the Hostess Store. It has so many good memories. I can picture it now. The wall of bread, the cart section as you enter the store.... and the metal crates, filled with pies, ho hos, cupcakes, and my beloved Snowballs. I always got the snowballs, without fail. I couldn't wait till my Mom "finally" approached the cash register. The woman would slide my snowballs across the scanner and I would be in heaven.

My first recollection of pink snowballs occurred when I was about 4 or 5. My Mom, who is very creative, had made this birthday cake. It was a pink bunny with green grass around it... and a pink snowball tail. That was my first taste, and that is what has driven my love of snowballs my whole life. Whenever I look at snowballs I remember that cake. How delicious it was and how that tail was a changing point in my life.

I think I'm addicted.

Silly Me

2009-03-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

Background to my odd situation: Yesterday Grandpa Olsen came to visit with Marva. They had been in Island Park visiting with my Uncle Alan. I saw my Aunt at the career fair and knew that Grandpa and Marva were probably in town also so I expected a call from them that day. Low and behold while I was at work in the computer lab my cell phone started buzzing. The Lab was unusually busy that day so I had to wait to call them back.

We arranged to go out to dinner before my night class. Craigos and Pizza were on my mind... so we went there. Well as we were walking into Craigos I looked at the sign. Memphis. I didn't see the words, I saw the typeface. The angled t, the slab serif, the geometric modernist design. The A with a serif on the point.

A weird thing has occured in my life recently. I have become obsessed with type. Fonts, fonts fonts. 26 letters, glyphs, punctuation. It fasinates me.

Well we sat down and enjoyed a nice meal... me thinking about how much I was in love with Memphis.

Grandpa and Marva invited me to go hot tubbing that night and I met them after my class and their concert. Well I showed up after the concert and then they invited me to stay the night at the hotel with them. It was fun. I miss having a huge bed to stretch out in. Plus I couldn't pass up spending more time with them or a free breakfast in the morning.

Well I enjoyed my bagel, muffin, cereal, orange juice, and danish... then they drove me to work. The funny thing about my job is that I don't do much. I sit around most the time running updates on the computer and telling people they can't do something because they are in the wrong program or they haven't even selected the right layer. But at 7 in the morning there is no one. So I sit alone. I have a lot of time to browse the internet. Well as I sat there thinking of things to look up I remembered... Memphis.

I started looking up the price to purchase Memphis. $135.99. That is what stands in my way of true font love. I then sat reasoning that if I was willing to spend that much for one type face... why not $99 more for Helvetica.

Why all of a sudden have I become totally irrational? 26 letters for $135.99. That is $5 something per letter. I need help. I do not need Memphis... even if he is beautiful.

Tribute to 2008

2009-01-19T19:54:00.000-08:00

I thought I would make a video of my life this past year. I've had some amazing changes and firsts. I had my first kiss, I know it took long enough. I also came home from the mission.

It was a difficult transition for me. I spent many a night dreaming of returning to Norway, crying over not being there and wishing I never left. The dreams stopped about four months ago. I think the last one was the worst. It ended with me dreaming of driving down the freeway in Bodo Norway, looking at the people in the car telling them, "I was so happy here." I woke up crying. I am finally leaving that stage in my life and trying to find happiness where I am.

Returning to school was a challenge at first. I had to drop a class because I couldn't take the work load. It was the first time I took under 16 credits. I was physically and mentally exhausted. I didn't have time for church activities, and it was the first time I never attended even one ward social in a semester. I loved living with Meagan. It was good to have a close friend I could trust in and just dance and be myself with. She is a spiritual giant, I love going to the temple with her and listening to her philosophy of life. She is so deep.

My internship was great this summer. I learned a whole bunch about business, design, and how to work with clients and senior designers. I think it gave me a taste of what to expect when I graduate. (Which is in July!)

I finally started dating this year. I had gone on a handful of dates before my mission. Dating has proven to be difficult for me. I am super sensitive and have anxiety about how others think. I really want to find someone to love, but I still have a lot of growing to do first. I just need to settle on a boy and not get scared when they come after me.

My family has been good to me this year. They are still my biggest source of anxiety, but that's what family is for. You can get frustrated enough to forgive them. My Mom got me a cat. It stressed me out at first, but I love the little thing. I really wish I had her with me. Both my Mom and the Cat. :)

This next year hopefully will be better then the last. I hope there are some more positive changes in my life

My New Apartment

2009-01-05T11:27:00.000-08:00

So I am pretty impressed with my new apartment's decorations. I worked really hard to make them look semi nice. I am living in Greenbriar Apts, which is a weird coincidence because I grew up on Greenbriar Dr. They are pretty ghetto, but have been remodeled in the last four years so they are presentable. Plus they got new couches and flooring. New couches up the condition of student housing by like 50%. I made half the stuff on the shelf myself. I am quite proud of it.

Most of the decorations were purchased at Ikea. I love Ikea. I would live there if I could. They have enough model rooms I probably could... and eat meatballs all day at the cafe. That would be the life.

This is my room. I sleep on the left. My Mom sewed my quilt for me three Christmas's ago. It is a cute safari theme. I love the colors on it. I put one of my dad's posters he got on his mission on my wall. I hope he doesn't mind. They've been sitting in the garage for years and I think they look retro and cool.

This is my room-roommate. Her name is Melissa Ewing. She is wicked awesome. I couldn't ask for anyone better. She is 19 and from Orem. I think we are going to have a great semester.

I am like 90% sure I got my old job at the Spori Computer lab back. Which is fantastic. I called the guy today and he was like, I'll talk with you in a week, but I remember you were a good lab assistant and that means you pretty much can get the job back. Wahoo.

It's over

2008-12-28T10:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas is done. Now I just have to deal with cleaning up. I hate packing everything back into boxes. It takes so much work. Especially the artificial tree hauling that thing back up into the attic takes so much work and I feel it literally could become the death of me.

I am leaving for school in a week. It is crazy how fast it is going to come. I really like school. It causes me too much anxiety though, I am the kind of person who refuses to fail at anything, which makes assignments and classes difficult. Maybe I should just relax these last two semesters and settle for B's. That would make life easier. I have this natural impulse to be the best and when I recognize some one is better it makes me angry. It shouldn't be like that. I should be excited for them, that they have been given far more talent in that particular area. But I want to be on top, which causes me to make overly worked projects that don't seem to work.

I need a job at school. I will probably go back to my janitor job. I just wish it was at a more reasonable hour then 4 in the morning. I enjoy cleaning so that isn't the issue... it's just the dread feeling of living months on end with no energy.

All of this I think has contributed to the fact I can't get a boyfriend. I just don't have the energy or time to look for one. And if i got one could I even care for him? I have to go to bed at a early hour. I am in classes all day from 9 to 9, except now I have almost all of Tuesday and Thursdays off! Wahoo. Plus the tension, oh my heck, the tension that surrounds my life at school.

I don't want to be crazy anxiety girl.

Firsts

2008-12-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I will experience a first. A white Christmas. Yes. I have never seen snow on Christmas before. I thought I would on my mission, but sadly not even in Norway did God grant me that honor. But finally my prayers and dreams were heard.

Unless there is a freak warm spell, which isn't going to happen.

Settlers from Catan

2008-12-24T00:10:00.000-08:00

On my mission I was introduced to a little danish game called the Settlers from Catan. We played this almost every night during my last three transfers. It's a fun strategy game that can bring out the worst in people, and sometimes the best, but is now a classic in the Miles home. Sunday night is Settlers night. Dad won is very first game this past Sunday, but my victory crown was returned on Monday.

The game is pretty simple. The board changes every time you play. The hexagons in the center are called Resources. There are 5 resources, ore, brick, wheat, wood, and sheep. There is also one desert that no one gets any resources from, it is where the robber begins. Each has a number placed on top of it. When the dice is rolled if your number comes up, you are allowed to take the resource, if you have a settlement or a city built on it. Everyone starts with two Houses, and two roads.

As you play the game you trade in your resources to buy stuff and expand. The first person to 10 points wins.

The game gets dangerous when the robber starts moving. If you roll a 7 you get to take the little bugger and put it on a number... thus when the number is rolled they get no resource card. And you steal a card.

So, that is the Miles family favorite game. Competitive, Brutal, and Enjoyable. Just like a Miles.

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-20T18:43:00.000-08:00

Quick update on my cat. Because you know I love it. Here are little Sofie and Romeo eating. Everytime you walk into the kitchen they come running. Like you are in there to feed them. It is getting kind of annoying. Then if you do feed them they lick the gravy and run.

I made a Norwegian snowman. He's saying Merry Christmas. It melted the next day. I was really bored waiting for Jenessa to come home from work so I shoveled the driveway and then made this out of the excess snow. It was really ackward making it alone, especially given how old I am so I put my hood on. Out of shame.

Jenessa came home from work and we had a little trouble getting the car up the driveway. I had to push. We made it up and felt pretty dang proud of ourselves.

With all this cold weather we have had I thought I would try and enjoy it. I really hate snow. I hate how it closes everything down. So I thought I would savor the time and go sledding with my buddy Cameron. He liked the Norwegian mittens. Speaking of those some kid saw me wearing them at work and was all loud yelling, "Look at her funny gloves." His dad was like "shh..." It made me laugh.

Cameron and I! We had a blast going down the hills.

UPS

2008-12-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

I started at UPS this week. I am working with a guy named Steve. He is super. We have a good time everyday. I run and deliver packages to people and businesses. The other day I saw the missionaries and wasn't going to wave... shame, I know. But Steve did! So I waved too. He is alright in my book now. :) I wear the ugliest outfit on the planet. It is like two times my size and the zipper on the pants is like 12 inches long. It goes up to my chest. It totally reminds me of the Mom's jeans skit on SNL. I fold it over just for my own sanity. People love me in Brown. Everyone is so friendly to me. If only as a missionary I got that kind of response. People feel open to talk with me and chat about anything. It is crazy how an outfit can change perseptions.

I went to the temple last night with my friend Kathleen. We did rock, paper, scissors to see who would drive. Luckily the lot fell on her because Jenessa had Missionary prep and I would have driven off with out her having a car. It was a good temple trip. We decided to go earlier and skip baptisms with the other members of the ward. 8 o'clock baptisms meant I would be up past midnight.

I am so excited for Christmas. My Dad put up the lights this weekend. It was magical.

In the car the other day I was driving a tired Ashlyn (3) to get a happy meal... telling her she couldn't be grumpy if I got her one.... well as we were driving down the street she kept looking around and was like,

"Oh how beautiful!"
"What's beautiful?"
"The diamonds."
"What Diamonds?"
"On the houses! Look at all the diamonds!"

She meant the Christmas lights. It was so cute. Then I was talking to her later and I asked what she wanted for Christmas... "lights on her house." What a cutie.

Christmas

2008-12-02T22:30:00.000-08:00

I was pretending to be all anti-Christmas spirit this year. Then I put up the tree. Can I tell you, I love Christmas? My sister said that these past two years that I've been away they woke up at ten to open presents... not even a reasonable time like 6. I wanted to cry. It turns out I was the one who forced everyone out of bed. Who made sure to blow dry their hair as loud as possible to awake every last one of them out of slumber. How dare I be anti-Christmas.

We decorated the inside of the house. We puts some garland on the stair case... I sewed pine cones to it and wrapped them in cranberry garland left over from Cherie's wedding. It looks fantastic.

I finished my shopping today. I got Jenessa all tussled over the fact I didn't know my way around the mall. I have only gone there like twice since I got back from my mission. It was embarrassing.

I'll post pictures of our yuletide decorations later.

Painting

2008-11-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

My Grandfather Olsen called me up with a request about three months ago... a painting of tulips. I am not madly skilled with painting, but I thought I'd give it a shot. So I browsed online for an idea... and then I went from there. I am pretty impressed with myself. My Grandpa liked it! It is actually pretty large. Maybe 32 x 60.

My Cousins came over while I was finishing it up. They wanted to join in on the fun and painted on some canvas themselves for Grandpa's birthday. Cameron did a painting of the Columbia River Gorge. He did a great job with painting in the lines. He is an awesome artist. Jayden helped a little too.

Jayden did something of her own design. A whole bunch of G's in different colors. It was really well balanced with the colors and I thought it was pretty.

Cameron went to Utah for Thanksgiving to drop the paintings off.

I wish this was a joke.

2008-11-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

What? Redesign! How fun... unless you are redesigning to totally destroy your company. WHAT THE HECK PEPSI? Coming to a grocery store near you in the next few months is Pepsi's redesigned logo and packaging. As a 'future' package designer I think I vomited a little in my mouth when I saw what this national brand decided to do to itself. Not only does it look cheap and poorly designed it is as if the quality of the soda itself degraded in less then a second.

The frosted bottle looks cool and refreshing. I'll give them that. But look at it. hideous. The two dimensional logo looks as if a first year design student sat down at a computer and moved the the lines a little and turned it in hoping for a C.

All I am asking is Who allowed this... and who is the mastermind that talked this thing up?

Uglies

2008-11-18T12:57:00.000-08:00

These past two weeks I read the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld. They are science fiction teen novels. My Mom recommended them to me, and since they were on the bookshelf next to my bed I decided to give them a shot.

The books are based on a town that is in the future and feature a girl named Tally. She is 16 and awaiting an operation that will make her Pretty. When a person turns 16 they become pretty, all thier flaws are taken away and they become the ideal in both mind and body. As her birthday approaches Tally, who is a mischevious Ugly, meets Shay, who shares a birthday. Shay teaches Tally about a underground society who runs away from Ugly town before the operation to a place called the Smoke. Well the day before the operation Shay runs away... and to become a Pretty, Tally must find her. That's where the journey begins.

I wouldn't say these are the greatest books I ever read but they have a great plot and were enjoyable. The reasoning behind the operation and the world Tally lives in causes you to reflect on our own society and why we do, say, and act the way we do... and what happens when the right to freely think is taken away from us, or when we take that right from someone else.

Busy!

2008-11-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

So I got a seasonal job at UPS. I think I'll look awesome in a brown uniform. If only I could pull of a mullet and mustache like this guy I would be set. I'll be a drivers helper. Cherie did this around Christmas one year and made good money. It should be fun.

Jenessa my youngest sister got her mission call. Italy, Rome! Another to Europe. She is the fifth and last of my siblings to go on a mission. We used to joke when we were little that one day if we all went on missions we could sit around the table and speak a different language! Now it is true. Jon my oldest brother went to Germany, Cherie to Uruguay, Kent to the Philippines, and I went to Norway. Craziness, eh? We are so excited for Jenessa. She is going to be an awesome missionary! She was just in Italy a month ago but her experience there was super positive so she is thrilled to return.

My Mom bought a new car for Jenessa and I to drive. A blue VW bug. It's super cute. I had a scary experience with our little golf. I was getting on the freeway and the steering went out and I did a complete 180. Staring at traffic coming towards you is never fun. I luckily got it on the side of the road with out to much trouble. Well Jenessa and I decided to never drive the car again and we protested for a new car. So we got this cute bugger.

I have a new design Blog. It is meant to be a portfolio of my work. Check it out and tell me what you think:

http://kristenmilesdesign.blogspot.com/

Vote

2008-11-04T16:45:00.001-08:00

I did my civic duty. Did you do yours?

I decided to keep who I voted for a secret. I told Jenessa but that'll be all.

Blog title

2008-10-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

A few people have asked where I got the Princess on the Steeple name for my blog. It actually comes from my favorite Bob Dylan song "Like a Rolling Stone". The songs words struck a cord with me about how sometimes you are on top of your game and then it all falls apart, and you look back seeing how great you had it. How conceit and pride comes back to bite you... so enjoy things while you have them, remember the good times, and don't make enemies on your climb.

Like A Rolling Stone

Once upon a time you dressed so fine

You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?

People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"

You thought they were all kiddin' youYou used to laugh about

Everybody that was hangin' out

Now you don't talk so loud

Now you don't seem so proud

About having to be scrounging for your next meal.

You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely

But you know you only used to get juiced in it

And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street

And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it

You said you'd never compromise

With the mystery tramp, but now you realize

He's not selling any alibis

As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes

And ask him do you want to make a deal?

You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns

When they all come down and did tricks for you

You never understood that it ain't no good

You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you

You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat

Ain't it hard when you discover that

He really wasn't where it's at

After he took from you everything he could steal.

Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people

They're drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made

Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things

But you'd better lift your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe

You used to be so amused

At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used

Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse

When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose

You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.

How does it feel

To be on your own

With no direction home

Like a complete unknown

Like a rolling stone?

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Jenessa and I went to the YSA FHE on Monday and participated in some good ole' fashioned pumpkin carving. We decided to actually put some thought into it this year and planned out our designs before we came. It made us look obsessive. We came with our own tools and cool designs. People kept commenting on how artistic we were. I mean come on people, Plan ahead! We were planning on doing a skull with an eyeball poping out but I got lazy and didn't want to alter the drawing, and carving took was a lot more difficult then I thought it would be.

At the Shell station they were giving pumpkins away for 6 gallons of gas. So we got some lowering gas priced pumpkins. It made me a little happy for once to fill up the car. Jenessa carved the eyeball that was supposed to fall out of my pumpkins face.

Here is me giving a little love to the pumpkin.

The final product. Not to fancy... it could use some work.

Voting

2008-10-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

I am a nervous wreck this time with voting. Serious. I had to hide my ballot because I am so hung up on who to vote for President. Like it actually matters in Washington. Obama will win. Last time I was so strong in my vote for Bush and I don't regret that action and am still in the 29 percent who support him. I think my "moral" code for myself doesn't allow me to choose something important without having a strong conviction that that decision is the one that I really want. I really like Joe Biden. That is the only thing that is drawing me towards Obama.

Jenessa and I even tried eni-meani-minee-mo. I then retracted that idea because women and men fought for the right to vote and abusing it like that would be pathetic.

I filled out the rest of my ballot with relative ease. Like usual it's mostly republican.

I guess this is a request for people to post five "real" reasons I should vote for their candidate, with no negatives about the opponent.

Trunk-or-treating

2008-10-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

I went to trunk-or-treating at the church this Friday with Cameron, Jayden and Ashlyn. We had such a blast. There was bingo, carnival games, a chili dinner. I was totally impressed with whoever planned it. If I was a kid it would have been the time of my life. Ashlyn went as a princess, Cameron was a vampire, and Jayden was a 50's poodle skirt girl. Jayden won best costume. I dressed up as a cat and Jenessa was a cheerleader. My Mom went as an athlete.

As we were leaving Jenessa and I both admitted to wanting a bag of candy ourselves and were plotting on how we could go trick or treating for Halloween. We thought masks might work. DANG BEING A GROWNUP! Is it wrong that I am 23 and still want to participate in activities for children. My Mom was totally against the idea. She said she would buy us the candy. But that just isn't as fun.

My favorite moment of the night was with Ashlyn. It didn't dawn on me she was 3 and probably had no clue what we were doing. I thought she would just know! She is so smart for her age I forget how little she actually is. So we get to the first car, and I was like, "What do you say?" and she looked at me a little confused and was like, "thank you." It took us a good five minutes to get the "trick or treat" going. But she was totally amazed at the fact she just held out her little ghost bag and got candy!

She "shared" her candy with us the rest of the night.

After we had a sleepover and read scriptures and watched Annie. Poor Jayden was so tired she fell right to sleep. The kitten slept right next to her the whole night.

Speaking of the kitten. Since I was dressed up as the cat I came in the room and was talking to the kids and then I look down and the kitten is totally freaking out and hissing and puffing herself up. Her little teeth showing. I forgot I had my costume on... the little thing ran away and it took us three hours to find where she was hiding.

Where is the Dam square?

2008-10-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

When we were little we had this trivial pursuit genius edition game that none of us knew the answers to any of the questions. We would spend minutes trying to find something we thought the other person "might" know. Unless you grew up in the seventies, when the game was made, you were totally out of luck. Our favorite question was... Where is the Dam Square? It caused a lot of ruckus the first time asked. But just so you know... it's in Amsterdam.

Weird...

2008-10-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

Carrie is that you? I was stalking on Facebook and I came across this picture. The girl in the right hand corner looks like you but I don't remember you ever saying you worked at Tomasito's. Do you have a twin...

In other randomness. I got another part time job to help me pay for school this winter. I am thinking I am going to take out loans. I am working as a Mother's Assistant to this sweet woman with three kids. I help with chores and cleaning, watching the kids, helping with school work. Let's hope it works out. I really don't want to be scrubbing toilets at 4 in the morning in Rexburg.

oh! Jenessa is home. Hooray!

South Fork Skokomish Trail

2008-10-22T00:02:00.000-07:00

So we began our journey after searching for unmarked roads on roads that randomly switched from paved to unpaved and were a little challanging for my friend Crystal's, she is in the blue, little four door Kia. There was only one other car parked there, and we saw a whole bunch of hunters driving past us. Along the trail we saw only two other men the whole time. It was a little late in the season to be hiking but we had some fantastic weather. It was literally the perfect day to go for a hike. The leaves were falling and shifting color. It made for a fun crunchy sound as we walked. Along for the adventure was my friend Lisa. She is getting ready to serve a mission in Spain.
These were some awesome fungus we found. They were in the shape of lilies. There was some other cool things we found along the way too, like a hidden waterfall, a velvet purple mushroom, and some bright orange coral fungus.
Neat little bridge. Bridge to no where?
Me hanging out by the river. Bad hair day? Yes... I think I am having a bad hair decade. We went off the trail and walked about 200 ft down to the river to enjoy the scenery.
My trusty boots. In these boots I feel confident walking through anything. I don't even think twice! I would say my boots are one of my most favorite pairs of shoes.

It was decided that we should cross the river. Why? Who knows. It was only hypothermic temperatures and a little chilly out. So why the heck not? What you don't see is how sharp the bottom of this stream bed is. It felt like knifes cutting into the bottom of my feet. The water was really shallow thankfully and I stayed the most dry of the three of us.

So that was my Adventure. I had a really great time and would recommend this trail to anyone in the Olympia area. It is about 30 minutes from Olympia. It was relativily easy and was flat most of the way It would be easy with children. The worst was at the beginning. We only went about three miles in but the trail spans about 10 miles, 20 back and forth and it had a lot of areas to overnight if you wanted to go backpacking.

For more pictures you can check out my facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71320&l=40588&id=1063307519

A New Addition

2008-10-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

So I came home around noon from work to Mom saying... "Don't be mad." I've heard those words a few times before and usually recognize she has done something that will make me mad... like put sea shells on a beloved painting or sponge paint hours of my work. Well she led me to the laundry room and was like... it's behind the washer. I was really hopeing for a dead mouse.

Well I saw something black and furry... it was another cat.

So, may I present, Sofie:

In other non-cat related news... I am working on a painting.

I've still have to paint the village and boat. I haven't painted much, so I know it isn't steller. But it is my first attempt since I got home from my mission. It is of a fishing village in the Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway. I really love old wood boats.

And today after ten days... my Mom finally beat me at Settlers of Catan. I guess I got a little too cocky and helpful. Now all I have to do is beat my Uncle Al to make myself feel better.

The Work! Pussy Puss.

2008-10-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

So I decided to let the cat sleep in my room. I was hesitant because lately he has taken to pooing on the comforters. Like yesterday I smelled something raunchy in his room and so I cleaned out his litter box, but then my mom saw him on the bed and he was trying to hide the nasty deed. Weird cat, he was standing in front of it and I swear he was trying to put the pillow on top of it. Last night I left the Jack and Jill doors open between our bedrooms, yes he has his own room, and then showed him that he could go back and forth with no trouble. So around 10 I put him on my bed and for the first time he actually stayed. So we slept until about 4, then he decided to wake up and wanted to be pet, and since this cat never lets me really pet him I relented and gave him a good klappe until about 4:30. Then he crawled under my comforter and slept another half hour. He proceeded to attack my toes after. I turned on some X-files and threw him out of the room. I finally fell back to sleep around 5:30.

Now the question is why on earth did I do that. I think I am a reasonable person. But why did I choose to allow the cat to wake me so early, give him attention when he makes it a point not to give me any, and then make me lose sleep. If he had been a child or another adult I would have totally woken in a sleepy stupor and yelled.

I need to find better use of my time.

Halloween

2008-10-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

Halloween is one of my favorite Holidays. I think it may be my actual favorite. It used to be St. Patricks day, but then I found it had no real enjoyment or premise with Leprechauns not being real and all. I love Halloween because it really is all about giving and enjoyment. What could be better for a child then getting to play after dark in a fun costume and getting candy. It may have been the Hallmark people and retail stores invention, but it was so kind of them. The whole concept of Halloween kind of goes over the head of Norwegians. They think it is all about being scary and tricking people and wearing goulish costumes. No people. Be princess's!

Halloween is the one day you can legally pretend to being something silly without getting weird looks. And you get to do a community service project. Little kids knock, you give them candy or something to that effect and they say thank you and you feel good about yourself and that you added to that childs enjoyment. Now honestly they aren't going to send you a thank you card, but in the cup of excitement you added a drop to the whole.

I was going to be Pippi for Halloween, but the costume required work. So I bought some black cat ears for four bucks. I am going to try to make myself into a skunk. Put a white streak in my hair. I put the ears on a few days ago and walked up to the cat. He totally freaked out. He hunched his back and puffed himself out. Now I put them on and run after him, it makes for great fun. I saw him attacking the ears during the middle of the night two nights ago.

I can't wait for the 31st!

Her? Observations...

2008-10-02T17:46:00.001-07:00

This is my view from my window. If you look really well you can see a whole bunch of white wooden crosses in my neighbors backyard. This has always creeped me out. What have they buried? Children, Grandparents? If they are animals, some one has a serious problem. Even in Of Mice and Men they wouldn't let the crazy strong guy have a puppy because they knew he would kill it, which he did anyway and the girl right along with it. I know they have a puppy. Maybe I sould call the Animal Cops. I love that show btw, animal cops, ha. Who would take them seriously at the precinct.

I dyed my hair. I think it looks pretty nice. A little dark but it should lighten up.

Does anyone watch Project Runway? That is like one of the only shows I still watch. This season has been a little lame. No one really has stood out as a great designer. Kenley has the biggest mouth in the world. Serious. I think she managed to tick off all the judges in one swipe. I was furious that they let her even continue to try for the finale. I really hope Leanne wins. She is a Portland native. Plus she seems to be the nicest and talented of the bunch.

Greatest Product

2008-10-01T17:05:00.001-07:00

Nice package.

I once read about a man who made millions by being paid by dairy farmers to buy manure from them and then processed it and sold it as fertilizer. Making money both ways. Brilliant. Then today I found the next greatest business idea. Selling tap water. Not just any type of tap water. New York City tap water. I came across this while looking through my favorite packaging design blog, thedieline.com. I wish I could come up with something this clever and stupid. Can you use clever and stupid at the same time? I guess, I would call Adam Sandler clever and stupid. Whatever. Buy tap water from one of the dirtiest cities on the planet.

http://www.tapdny.com/

Updated Blog

2008-10-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to making a blog background. It took me long enough. I totally stole a girls idea for a top background image. She made one on Copenhagen that looked pretty awesome so I just took some of her elements, replaced all the buildings and the boat and put things in the exact same spot. Denmark... psssh. I had to add all my friends again on the side. It took forever, and if I left you off tell me. I didn't mean too.

On Monday I went to Powells books with my friend Lydia from High School. It was a blast. I drove downtown Portland for the first time. I only went the wrong way on a one way road once. I think that is some semi-form of an accomplishment. I will honestly admit I am a poor driver. I have given up on the fact I will ever be good.

Lydia and I went to a book reading by this Catholic woman. The book was all about Acedia. A word meaning a feeling of darkeness and lazyness. It was a sin. Pretty much she wrote a whole book about one word. She could have just called it depression and got on with it because that's what from the description of the word and her readings it meant. She really hated her dead husband. She kept ragging on him. Lydia said she does it in all her books. It was really annoying her. If my husband, if I ever get one, died I would at least try and say nice things about him instead of writing books about how he gave me "Acedia".

Lydia and I are going to start practicing violin together. She is going to help me out and she is going to get her fingers moving again. Lydia was in Poland this past year studying violin at a university in Krakow. The girl has some amazing talent.

My Art before Graphic Design

2008-09-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I would show off some of my art work. My friend Carrie has an awesome blog where she shows off pictures of her life. I thought I would take some images of the things have have done. It took a while for me to decide what I wanted to do with my life. So, I'll show the things that brought me, or distracted me until I found, what I wanted to do. Long before I choose my career choice. I wanted to be a yodaler. Or not I just found the hat in my closet.

This was a pencil drawing I did in Art 111. Basic Drawing. This was around the point in my life when I was choosing between music or art. I put a lot of music themes in my art, but eventually gave music up. Sad choice. I should have done both.
In High school I wanted to pursue a career as a printmaker. I loved wood carving. My first few semesters at school I took printmaking. These two have religious themes. SLC temple and Elijah. Both are a form of printmaking called etching. You scratch on a metal plate and then place it in acid which eats further into the metal. Then you plave ink on top of that and clean the plate until the ink is only in the cracks. You then set it on a press and run it through. The paper catches the ink...

This was my first painting. It's of boats. I love marina's and Think old wood boats are so rustic and quiant. My Mom put a whole bunch of seashells on the frame. It made me cry. I left the frame out for that very purpose.

This is a mixture of my pottery and book making projects. I was studying my first three years at school to be a high school art teacher. I loved my pottery classes and loved the wood fire kiln technique. A lot of my early work had an aboriginal theme. I loved aboriginal art. I felt like I was Paul Simon, exploring another culture and taking elements and combining it into my own. Think Graceland when he went to South Africa, or Rythem of the Saints in Brazil. I loved how the aboriginees had a way of taking a line or a dot and creating a story. I wanted to infuse my work with that simplicity.

This is my bed. I think it is pretty cool. My Mom made the quilt. It has these awesome flannel flowers on it.

This is my cat. Romeo. I call him pussy-puss.

I made the picture frame in the back. I think I did a pretty awesome job. The other two pictures are of my Grandma's. They both passed away about a year before my Mission. It helped with the grief to have pictures of them.

Life in the slow lane

2008-09-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

Jenessa is getting her papers in for her mission. We thought she could start by teaching the cat. He wasn't interested.

So I apologize for not updating. I always look at other peoples blogs and they have cute stories about their babies or trips with there spouse. It makes me realize how boring my life is so I never update. But someone will read, so I will write.

I went to see "Ghost town" this week and last. I went with some new friends last Saturday. I met them at church and invited them to dinner at my place, Norwegian Pancakes yum, and then we went to the movie. It was hilarious. Ricky Gervais is a comic god. The script was awesome. It had the same smart humor as Arrested Development. I went to see it twice I liked it so much, my Mom and I went yesterday while someone was looking at the house. Tea Leoni does a great job too. She really adds to making Gervais's character funny. Plot: Man is a bitter dentist who hates people. He likes his job because people are forced not to talk to him. He dies while getting a colonoscopy, comes back to life and can see dead people. The dead people want him to do stuff for them, but he hates them just as much as living people. One guy wants him to break off the engagement of his widow. He agrees to make all the dead go away.
Favorite line: "I don't mind crowds, it's the people in them I don't like."

What else.

Look at the children Jenessa! Going to school. Haha. we made lego children out of the round pieces because they looked like heads.

I played with Lego's. My cousins wanted to come over for a play date and I thought getting out my favorite toy as a child would entertain them. Wrong. In a world of video games, legos are almost uncool. I had a huge breakthrough when playing though. With legos everything is on a grid, placement of each lego on the grid is calculated and needs to be planned as to assure the structure will hold, and all the pieces fit. Since I was a child this sort of analysis has haunted me. I was obsessed with order. Maps were my favorite because they showed where things are in relation to another in the exact spot on earth. I read atlases all the time. I also had a weird love of home plan books and blueprints.

We were obsessive compulsive Lego players. We started by dividing all the pieces by color. Because multi-colored homes are unacceptable in the land of lego, each of us got a color to build with and we combined the colors that didn't have a lot of legos. In art everything for me is divided into pieces. That's why I love design. because I get to create pieces and then place them. I get to find the exact spot where something should be in relation to another. I thank Legos for my career choice.

Family Beach Trip

2008-08-23T20:20:00.001-07:00

Top row: Keith, Cherie, Lily, Mom, Dad

Bottom Row: Kent, Jenessa, Me, Jon

This is my lovely family. We had to take a new family photo due to the addition of two wonderful people. My Brother-in-law Keith and baby Lily. We had a family reunion of sorts this weekend. It was the first time we had all been together since my sister's wedding like 2 and a half years ago. I am the second to the youngest. My oldest sibling is Jon, who I call by his real name Jonathan... but am the only one who still does that. Then comes Cherie, Kent, Me and Jenessa.

We decided to visit Long Beach, WA because it was having a kite festival. We got yelled at by some kid for stepping on his kite string. WELL EXCUSE US FOR WALKING UNDER THE RESTRICTIVE ROPE! Haha. It was unusually sunny for a Northwest Beach trip and I enjoyed wading in the water. I love the feeling as the water pulls back and it feels like you are being rushed into the ocean... but in reality you are just standing in the same place.

The Board walk. You can kinda see all the kites in the background.

The Obama Kite! I pretty much have decided to vote for Obama this year. It's still up in the air though. Which I think a lot of people might find funny given I am still a strong Bush supporter. I guess I like Obama's ideas of change. I think this country needs some positive thinking and Obama gives me the optimistic jive that everything is going to work out. I vote republican the majority of the time, but feel McCain isn't for me. I got pretty upset during the preliminaries how my religion was treated by the party and press. It was mocked, defamed and cruelly criticized by the American population and more directly in the south. It was sad to read how so many still believe that we practice polygomy and believe we worship Joseph Smith. The Republican party and the south pretty much said we weren't welcome. Um, Hello, some of your strongest support comes in the Mountain States which have a huge Mormon population. I don't see how so many members are willing to support the party as strongly as they do. I saw the door they slammed in our face.

I will be voting for Dino Rossi (R) for govenor. His ideas are what I think the state of Washington needs. He should have won four years ago, and did (before three recounts where ballots started disappearing), governor of Washington State. I thought slimy politics won the current gov. power.

Lily

2008-08-19T14:31:00.001-07:00

So I finally met my little niece Lily this past week. She is so precious! My sister Cherie came last Wednesday and my Brother-in-Law Keith came on Friday along with my Grandpa Miles. We are having a family reunion of sorts and it's been fun relaxing with the family. Jon and Kent come on Wednesday. My Grandpa Miles came for the weekend and it was great to see him again. He took us out to Rose's Deli for lunch yesterday. It was delicious. If you are ever in Vancouver you have to stop there for lunch or dinner, the food is great and the desserts are to die for.

Lily started scooting for the first time the other day and I was there to watch, it was beyond cool to watch her make such a huge step.

The Olympics have been so fun to watch. I don't think I'll spend much more time watching now that the Gymnastics and swimming are done. None of the other sports are really intriguing to me. That Michael Phelps was unbelievable. Jenessa and I were debating if we like him or not. There is a hint of possible cockiness that holds me back.

Oh. I beat everyone at the families favorite game. Flarkle.

New Beginnings

2008-08-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

So, I should have introduced my roommates while I still lived with them. These are my buddies from La Jolla 213. Natalie, Megan, and Meagan! We also had two other roommates... but they hated us so they didn't get to be in the picture. My first semester back at school was tough for me. I am an underachieving overachiever which means I am pretty dang tough on myself. I spent most of the semester, like usual in my bedroom working on my computer or wasting my time on facebook. I took some classes that I liked, and some that I hated. I've gotten so picky about my teachers since I got back from the mission. I guess all the interaction with humans on my mission made it so I find qualities that I like or drive me mad!

I did well grade wise this last semester which was comforting. I am going to push through this last year and hope for the best. I finally landed an internship for this fall.

I am interning for a guy in my parents' ward (church congregation) named Ben. He owns a small baby company that specializes in fancy baby stuff. It's called pujbaby. They have a website at www.pujbaby.com. The stuff for pujbaby is super cute. It has a hip modern feel and reminds me of the stuff I would see in the baby boutiques in Norway. He is going to have me do the package design for some of their new and old products. I am so excited for that. They are going to look so fresh in my portfolio. Ben and his wife are industrial designers who come up with some really cool things. His style and mine match well and I think I'll be able to add to his business. I'll also being doing some design work for other projects he has.

I am looking forward to these next few months. Moving isn't on my list of things I want to do, but it will be fun to experience it.

You are living in the Monkey House

2008-07-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

I was watching Project Runway the other day with Kent marveling at how Tim Gunn reminded me of my teacher Brother Burgener. It was weird how the use almost all the same phrases like... "(insert name), I am worried about this. Are you going to have time to finish?"

Well Tim said something that made me laugh and think. He was like, "You know when you enter the Monkey house, it smells really bad and you're like, "What's that smell?" Then after 10 minutes you don't really notice it anymore... then after an hour you are wondering why the people coming in are making such weird faces and gagging? Well, for the past month you've been living in the Monkey House..." He was referring to the weird outfits made of Human Hair collection, but I think we can apply that to ourselves.

How often do we sit and watch or do something, that we don't feel good about or know we shouldn't be doing... then after it starts to be a habit, those feelings don't really come anymore, and we live in the Monkey House and see nothing wrong. Complacency is a dangerous thing.

Pippi

2008-07-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

I dedicate this posting to my favorite Scandinavian book character Pippi Longstocking. Hun er saa nydelig! I fell in love with Pippi on my mission. Pippi is just so dang cool. She is the epitomy of everything fantastic in the world. She doesn't care what others think, she is a super strong and independant women. She can take care of a small family, a horse and monkey. She cooks and cleans! She also is very considerate of others. She uses her gold coins to buy candy for her friends Tommy and Annika all the time.
Pippi is like the female Peter Pan. But instead of flying she can lift stuff over her head. Peter lives in Neverland,somewhere out in space. She lives in a little Swedish Village! Her dad is a Pirate, and a African King. So She pretty much has it made. FY FABIAN!

Wall-E Review

2008-07-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, I think this is the first Animated Disney Movie aimed to discuss social problems. It was a mix of 2001 Space Odyssey, Soylent Green, and 1984. I was waiting for the robot on the ship to start singing, "Daisy!"

Definitely a man vs. the machine movie, and what will happen if we entertain ourselves to death.

I am not a fan of animated movies. Not in the least. So I was super hesitant to see this one. I had no idea what it was going to be about. I was actually impressed. And no talking animals. I loved how all Wall-e wanted to do was hold hands. SO CUTE!

The most interesting part of the movie was the end how they showed the progression of man through Art. I thought it was so cool from cave drawings, to Abstract (Van Gogh-like) they showed the development of man. Or chubby man.

HEY CUPCAKE GIRL!

2008-07-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

So this morning I did Jenessa a favor and helped her roommate distribute cupcakes to people in the annual Rexburg Freedom Parade. I got a really cute t-shirt out of it. It says I *Heart* Cupcakes. I'll have to wear it when I get home and make some cupcakes with my Mom and sisters. We could have a really fun FHE! Jenessa's roommate Megan works for a place called Cupcake Cafe, the obviously sell cupcakes. They also sell Coffee like drinks without the coffee made from chocolate or milk.

We were walking around giving cupcakes out and some angry man yelled at me and was like "Hey Cupcake Girl, you missed me!" Well there were no more cupcakes so, sad for him.

I think this could be called the year of the cupcakes for me. My birthday was cupcakeriffic! I got tons of stuff to make cupcakes from my Mom.

I went to Idaho falls today for the fireworks show. It was a lot of fun. My companion from the mission Dorthy and her roommates went to the movie Wall-e first, stopped by Ross to get some clothes for Dorthy and then had a little picnic and played a game called Bohnaenza or something. It had to do with gold coins and bean cards.

The fireworks were great. Some little kids in front of us cried the whole time and spoiled it a little. But I was impressed with the show.

My obsessions

2008-07-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

As you know I have oh so many obsessions. I think the one that has carried out the longest is my X-files one. I love that show! It is so weird! Because I hate movies that have to do with sci-fi. I hate all action movies. And it doesn't really make me laugh. So why on earth did I choose to like the show? I guess that will remain a mystery.

Can I say I am soooo excited for the new movie. I check the Facebook group like twice a day for news and spoilers. I've seen both versions of the trailer like 6 times. It better be good. I am pretty sure that I'll have to take Kent with me to see it because no one else in the family even cares. I couldn't pay Jenessa to sit through it with me. But I am ok with that. Everything is a count down to July 25th.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

2008-07-02T16:38:00.001-07:00

It's interesting how when the apartment is dirty it is so difficult for me to study and feel the spirit. I think it is disgusting! What is really upsetting is when people come over and the apartment looks gross. I get so embarrassed because they don't know it isn't my stuff!

How you keep your house is a reflection of yourself. If you want to present yourself as a put together, normal person, you have to demonstrate that in more then just how you speak or do your hair. Housekeeping also shows the boys what kind of wife you are going to be. Guys want a wife who can manage the home and want to make it a place of refuge.

Talk by Ezra Taft Bensen

2008-06-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6780&x=40&y=1

I was listening to this talk today on my ipod and thought it was amazing. We really do live in times spoken of in the scriptures. It is amazing to think that Christ could come in our day. Are we prepared?

I think as we see the world around us and watch the news we can see the signs and wonders happening. The world has always had tragedies. I am not blind or dumb to that. And I know that wars have happened for thousands of years and they will rage on still. But I think the wide spread wickedness, the plague of pornography and the evidence that nature is showing her power is evidence enough that the time will come soon. In the Lords time of course.

When the Lord comes, will I be ready? I have been thinking a lot about that lately. What do I need to do in order to have the spirit be my guide, to be firm in my testimony of Christ? I think the answers lie in building a stronger relationship with my father in heaven, by reading my scriptures more and through diligent prayer.

I love the assurance that if we are prepared, we shall not fear. I was thinking in Sunday School how when you watch a movie where you know the ending and have read the book, you still are anxious and can be frightened. We will still watch as things happen as the time draws near and feel strong emotions of sadness, anxiousness, and fear. But we now Christ will come and be victorious. I love the ending.

The beginning of a new blog

2008-06-30T17:23:00.001-07:00

So how many times have I done this? Started a new bl0g and then never written in it? Well, I will admit I was pretty fervent about my LiveJournal. I was on that all the time, but mostly for the art.

The semester is coming to an end. It wasn't an easy one either. I feel like there were supposed to be so many lessons to learn, and that I was incapable of obtaining them all. Its all over in two weeks and then I am back home to Vancouver. I usually await the end of the school year with excitement and plans, but this time... nada. I need an internship really bad!

I was finally able to send my graphic design portfolio to someone for the first time. It's so funny how ashamed I am of the artwork I have done. I have this weird obsession with being below average and am afraid that I will be put on the butchers block and torn apart for not being great. The stem of this I feel comes from how we are critiqued in art classes. Everyone sets thier work on the board, a type of offering to the Art Gods. Then you watch and listen as you are told your offering is like Cain's. And then you are banished to the depths of walking the earth for eternity with the sad realization what you did, just didn't make the cut. It is all about my fears. NO ART GOD SHOULD CONTROL ME! I can overcome my fears and give up the silly notion that takes me to the same sorrowful spots over and over again. I usually am willing to do everything to get myself to the point where I need to be and then when I stand there, I want a new direction. I have dreams for plans. What I really need is some plans for my dreams. I need to decide what I need to do to get me there. I am an adult for goodness sakes! I should have decided this a few years ago.