Start Spreading the News....

Matt and I are going to New York City. We leave in a week and a half. We've bought a New York City Pass which will get us "in" to 80+ attractions for a full five days (which is perfect because we'll be there for a five full-days, and only two half-days). We're gonna see and experience as much as we can while we're there. Many, many pictures will be taken, many meals consumed, many laughs, maybe even some tears, and it'll be so much fun. I cannot wait to share this experience with this wonderful man who's come into my life. My heart is full and excited! I'm way too excited to concentrate on anything else, to be quite honest. And for those of you who care (and I assume if you're reading this right now, you probably do care) I'm going to keep a little journal while we're there so I don't forget anything and can share it all with you when we get home. Ah! SO EXCITED!!!

It's up to you... New York, New York!

Yes, It's Been A While.

Life is good.

I still don't love my job. But I don't hate it as much as I used to. Perspective and time, feeling appreciated, being given new challenges and opportunities, getting paid a little more when I moved into a new position, the fact that I have a job at all... these things helped me realize it's not so bad.

Bowzer the dog takes a comfy nap

As of this past summer (nearly a year ago, actually) I started dating a ton more than I had in my previous dating years, thanks to a little app called Tinder. Judge if you will, but I find it a very useful tool. Sure, it's used as a "hook up" app. Sure, there is a large number of users who are less-than-savory characters. But not all of them are creeps. If in your profile blurb you state your intentions (i.e. "Looking for dates, serious relationship, eventually marriage"), the likelihood of matching with the "right" type of people increases significantly. I found that if I wasn't quite so picky, I matched with a lot more people, which led to meeting more people (going on actual dates). Dating more people (and a variety of characters), I've learned a lot about myself, and a lot about what I don't want in a relationship/future spouse, which helps to weed out the crap in order to find what I do want. Being on Tinder taught me that I am desirable. I'm a cute girl with a lot to offer. I'm smart and funny. I have good taste without letting it get in the way of enjoying the "bubblegum." (I can love both Breaking Bad and Once Upon a Time, and that's OK.) There are men out there who are attracted to me for my looks and my brains and my personality. Who knew? Through Tinder, I met and went out with some guys only once, went out with a handful of guys more than once, kinda dated one guy for about a month. And then I met this guy in November who, well, we're still dating. He's pretty great and I like him lots. (see photo above) We enjoy being together, laugh a lot, have similar interests and tastes, and expand each other's minds (he's got a lot of smarts in his brain, let me tell you). We have a lot of fun. Yay for being in a caring, fun relationship. Yay for social media and dating apps.

Two of my bestest friends in the whole wide world welcomed their second daughter last month. She's adorable, and I love that I get to go over and hold a tiny human for a while. She's a cuddly little thing. I feel very blessed to be invited into their lives to witness their little family grow up. Those two make cute kids, and those kids are full of sweetness and joy.

I have a group of friends I met through work. We get together about once a month to hang out and catch up on each other's lives. Two of these friends have left the department, so it's great to take the opportunity to see them and keep in touch. They're all wonderful people and I admire them very much.

The Heywoods minus (almost) two!

I'm blessed to be in a family who loves me and is concerned for my well-being. We've had some rocky stuff to tread through recently, and I don't mean that lightly. It's been a tough few months, and we have hard struggles ahead. But they're so important to me and I'm so glad they're mine. I love that I live so close to my sisters, love that I get to spend time with my niece and nephews, love that I have a wonderful brother-in-law. I miss my parents and brothers and sisters-in-law, and always look forward to the next time we get to be together. And I'm SO excited that we're getting two additions to the family later this year. Twins!! Two-for-one! (And then two of everything!) Living so close to my niece and nephews, I know it'll be hard to be so far away from the new additions. But I'm so happy and already so in love with those babies. I can't wait to meet them. And I have to give a shout out to my baby sister. She's been a rock for me the last few months. I know she's gotten tired of listening to me talk incessantly, and I really appreciate her patience.

I rarely get churchy, but I'm going to right now. I love that I have the Gospel in my life. Specifically, I'm so grateful for the Godhead, the Atonement, and my testimony of these things. There are so many things about the Gospel, some of the doctrine that I just can't really figure out and have a lot of questions about. But my testimony of the Atonement is firm. I believe in my Savior, Jesus Christ. I believe in my Heavenly Father. I believe in a Spiritual Guide. These things are so firmly planted in my heart, that even though I have questions about other aspects of the Gospel, these things keep me grounded and bring peace and joy to my soul. Everything will work itself out, as long as I remain faithful and rely on my Father in Heaven.

There are so many other things I'd love to list, but if I write paragraphs about each of them, this blog will be annoyingly too long (like it's dangerously close to becoming even now). Instead, here's a list:

Pizza and Coke Zero

It's getting warmer outside, which means more sunny walks
I love pizza and Coke Zero
My "Fall" shows are ending; my "Summer" shows are starting
I'm gonna have to figure out where I'll be living next Fall
The Valley of Fire
New York City and all of the amazing things we'll do/see there!
The Hollywood Bowl on the 4th of July
Family Reunions
Taking on a new task at work
All of my crochet projects (shark booties! baby blankets! hats!)
I'm gonna make a skirt. My first clothes-sewing project!
Many other family/friends who have great things happening
I've updated my blog (yes, this is blog-worthy news)

"Life moves pretty fast..." And life is good.

Wherein I update the reader on my life, complain a little, and count a few of my blessings.

Things started getting busy at work, and for some reason that pushes things like my blog to the back-burner. I'm even too tired and distracted to do a lot of crocheting when I get home. "But, Sarah! You love to crochet! How can you ever be too tired?" I KNOW!

I won't go in to any kind of detail about the insanity that is my workplace at the moment. Suffice it to say, this Fall was the worst semester start-up I've ever experienced. Thinking about it makes me tired all over again. And not just tired: frustrated, cranky, and on the verge of tears. It was awful. It's over now and we're finally caught up, so I'm starting to feel a little more human at work, so that's good. I'm now able to focus on learning my new responsibilities (oh yeah, I've "moved up" in the world of financial aid to the position of Default Prevention Manager... I may have forgotten to mention that to some of you... Mom and Dad in particular. haha oops). So I'm doing a lot of reading about my new job: things I should know, how to format certain reports, which students to contact and when, etc. It's interesting, believe it or not.

When we were in the "new member" meeting the first week we attended our new ward, the bishopric asked, almost in desperation, if anyone had musical abilities, specifically if anyone played the piano. Jana and Tana pointed at me. I've been called to the music committee. Right now, that just means I'm kind of floating, doing whatever our chairperson asks me to do, whether waiving my arm or playing piano/organ. I actually love being on the music committee in any ward. I love the hymns, I love to sing, I love to play, so bring it on.

As for my what's happening in my personal life, there's not much to report. I've actually been on more dates recently than I have probably in my whole life up to this point. No, I'm not being hyperbolic. It's the truth. I've met some guys and have actually gone on dates with them. I know, hard to believe. This perma-single has been dating. The waters have moved back to stagnant again, but hey, for a couple of months, I was going on dates. As was made somewhat obvious by the paragraph above, I've moved again. Just across town, so still in Provo. And I moved in with Jana and Tana, so that's also new and fun. I've made some new friends recently--trying to be more outgoing and actually talk to people rather than living in my little shell. It's hard for me to put myself out there, but I'm doing it.

Really, what I'm trying to do with this blog post today is fight back the depression that's creeping into my heart right now. I know, not the cheeriest of thoughts. I turned 31 a couple of weeks ago. I usually enjoy my birthday: I love the attention, love celebrating with family and friends. I got to play with an adorable puppy named Coach for a couple of hours, which was pretty much the best thing ever. (Isn't he cute?! See, even though this part of the post is less-than-happy, at least you get to see a cute puppy held up by the cute Tana.) I talked with my parents, received texts and Facebook greetings from lots of wonderful people. And though my birthdays don't usually make me think about my age or how much I'm missing, this year was different. Coach was only a distraction for those couple of hours we played. The rest of the day, as well as the days before and the days after, I kept thinking about the things I don't have. Getting older and still being alone, feeling stuck in this perpetual state of singlehood... Going on dates, getting to know different men, and having it lead to nothing... Don't get me wrong. I'm having fun. I'm single and fancy-free. I love that I'm not tied down: if a friend calls and says, "Hey, let's go do this thing right this minute," I can hop in my car and go do this thing right this minute. I love that I can spend my money how I choose without needing to check with a spouse to make sure it will fit in the budget. I love that if the baby I'm holding starts to cry, I can pass him along to his mother. But when it's over and I go home to an empty bed, it's a giant punctuation mark signaling that I'm alone. Sometimes it's just a comma, and I feel like it's only a pause and soon I'll be moving along. Sometimes it's a period, and if feels final and it's not so bad because life is good. But recently it's been an exclamation mark, yelling at me from every direction that I'm alone and I'll be alone forever!

Also, I'm stuck in a job that, though most of the time is interesting and keeps me busy and makes me stretch my brain muscles, sometimes feels overwhelming and I don't love it, and shouldn't I be doing something I feel more passionate about? Shouldn't I feel good about going to work, instead of sometimes dreading it? (Again, it's not a bad job... maybe it's just not for me?) I keep thinking, in the way back of my mind, that I should go to (shudder) grad school, but I dismiss it because I really didn't like school the first time around (high school) and I didn't like it the second time around (Associate's) and I didn't like it the third time around (Bachelor's), so why put myself through (shudder) grad school? But if I don't, will I be able to find something that pays decently and will be something I enjoy rather than tolerate? I'm stuck.

So, let's count my blessings, yes? Maybe it'll make me feel better?

I'm alive.

I'm healthy.

I have an education and a job and a house and food and clothes and shoes.

My family loves me, no matter what.

My friends think I'm kinda fun to have around.

I have a car--a freedom in and of itself.

I have a smartphone--endless hours of entertainment, plus the ability to communicate.

I have talents that I love to share, and I hope they enrich other lives as well as my own.

While I may sleep alone, I don't live alone--it's nice to have roommates again.

I have a limited understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and through it I believe I have a Heavenly Father and Mother who love me and want the best for me, a Savior who atoned for me, and a Guide to help me.

Really, what more do I need? (Pizza.)

*sigh*

Hanson. Guys, I just can't help myself.

I bought this today:

Yep, my ticket to see Hanson at The Depot on September 20. They seem to know to come to Utah for my birthday. It's so sweet of them, really. This will be my fifth time seeing these guys. And I'm so happy to be going to Mallory and Megan! Yay for friends! :)

I've been listening to Anthem over and over again. Great stuff.

Also, I'm leaving for San Diego on Wednesday morning. I can't wait for the beach! Waves, wind, sand, sun! And, of course, spending some time with my family. It's gonna be awesome, guys. I will be going here:

This is gonna be a great week. I can feel it in my bones!

Family Reunion!

All righty. Here's the plan for Family Reunion. There might be a change to the Temple time (we may decide to go to the 8am session... I'll keep you posted.

Much love, family. Can't wait!

UPDATE: as you can see, the flyer has changed. Please download the new version. Love!

SKYDIVING

Gotta write it out before I forget too much.

Skydiving. Holy crap, it was amazing.

Earlier in the week, I started to get nervous. On the three-hour drive out to Moab with Heather, Jana, and Jacob, I wasn't nervous anymore. Signing my life away, my hand started to shake. Walking to the hanger, I calmed down again. Watching the "safety" video, I got butterflies. Dressing in the overalls, I was excited. Watching other skydivers jump from the little plane up in the sky and then land in the dirt, I was giddy.

The plane. Guys, the plane was... tiny and old. And the interior was really being held together by duct tape. No joke. Not that I thought the plane would fall apart or anything; I really wasn't too nervous about it, except that it looked pretty... haggard. It was dang funny. I mean, here I am, getting into this tiny little ghetto plane that looks like it's gonna fall apart with the slightest touch. I promise, the plane was the scariest part of this experience. So much turbulence. There were a lot of slight drops in altitude and those scared me more than what I was about to do. I kid you not. I had to keep telling myself that if the plane fell apart, at least I was strapped to a professional, experienced, trained skydiver with a (hopefully) working parachute. Now that the scary part has been told, let me tell you about the dive.

I got in the plane with my legs toward the rear and the expert (Ben) climbed in behind me with his legs straddling me. There was a solo skydiver in the plane with us, and he jumped from a lower elevation, so I got that "cold gush of wind" when the door opened for him. Then the pilot tipped the plane sideways to bang the door closed. Holy. Sh*t. (Remember, this plane is scary.) Ben went over the brief jump-training I'd had on the ground (three times by three different people, including the expert to whom I was currently strapped--so yes, this is Round Four). He asked if I was ready. I said, with a little quiver that I hope was covered by the noise of the wind and the plane, "Yes." The pilot pushed the button to open the door, Ben swung out one of his legs, instructed me to swing both of mine out one at a time and to perch on the edge of the plane with my feet resting on this tiny little itty-bitty rod, then he swung out his other leg, yelled in my ear, "Here we go, 1-2-3," as fast as you just now read it, and we were falling. (In the photo below, we're the white dot kind of in the middle.)

Falling...falling...falling. My hands were up in the air, my heart was beating hard, I couldn't catch a breath, and it was a thrill. SO. EXCITING. Way too much fun. We dropped for about twenty seconds, but it felt like five. Then Ben pulled the chute and our decent slowed. He pointed out different sights, let me "control" our direction by pulling each side of the chute so we spun left, then right, then sailed. I couldn't stop grinning and whooping for joy. Woooooohooooo!!!!!! "I can see why you'd want to do this everyday," I said. "Yep, not a bad job," Ben replied. And we landed (on our feet, I'll have you know.)

Jacob came running toward me with a grin on his face (and with missing his two front teeth, let me tell you, that grin is the best thing in this world) and said that he and my sisters could hear me yelling from up high. He then challenged me to run over to Heather and Jana, saying he'd bet he could beat me. I laughed and said, "I know you could. My legs feel like jelly and I can barely walk!"

I bought the video and photos. I'll try to get them posted as soon as I get them.

This experience was amazing. The rush, the sights, even the jelly-legs when we landed. So much fun. And I'm so glad that Heather, Jana, and Jacob went with me. It was good to have them there to support me and cheer me on (if "You're crazy" and "I hope that plane can hold you guys" are considered cheering me on...). It was also super nice to not have to drive all the way to Moab and back by myself, so thank you very much for being my buddies today!

Mom, Dad, Marie, Grandpa and Grandma Chinn: Thank You!!! This was the best Christmas present ever!!!

By the way, Mom found this deal through Groupon. The company is called Skydive Canyonlands. And even though the plane was a little scary (and really, none of those little planes looked a lot better--they're just so small), it was a really great experience. These people know what they're doing, are super friendly, answered all of my questions, were no-nonsense but totally laid-back. I recommend Skydive Canyonlands to anyone. Way fun.


UPDATE: Here are a few more photos. Enjoy!

Scary Tiny Plane

About to Jump

Falling

Back on Solid Ground

In other news...

I bought a car!

His name is James. He's named for all those amazing musicians... Taylor, Mercer, Brown, Morrison. My car is a rock star.



I'm still having a bit of anxiety over this whole buying-a-car thing, but I'm super happy about the freedom it affords. I'm so grateful for family and friends giving me rides everywhere, for a bus system that (until recently) was easy and affordable, and for my own to legs getting me from point A to point B. But I'm SUPER happy about having wheels of my own.

Many thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts and opinions as I searched!

Blogs...Are they dying?

Mine is. How very sad.

I'm not going to make a "New Year's Resolution" to post more. Mostly because I don't really see the necessity. But I will post more... probably.

Things I will do this year:
Look for a new job. Not that I don't like the one I have now. I've actually grown to somewhat enjoy what I do. I don't like the ornery students who yell at me and think I'm doing everything I can to make sure they don't get their money. And I really don't like the start of each term when things get so crazy busy that I can't get one piece of paperwork done during my regular hours, so I have to stay late (with no overtime) to get things accomplished. But I do like getting things done. I like being busy. I like the students who don't feel entitled, who do what they're supposed to do without complaining, who thank me for my help. The main reason for the new job search is that... well... I've got a Bachelor's degree but I'm making about as much as a high school graduate could make. This is not OK. If it were up to my supervisors, we'd all be making more than we are, but it's not up to them. The school has no money. The state has no money. We won't be getting any more money any time soon. Therefore, no one will be getting any kind of raise in the foreseeable future (at least, no one in staff positions from my director and her counterparts in other departments, down to the peons like me--I'm not sure what's happening with faculty and the "higher-ups"). There's a position open at U of U (exactly what I do at UVU) that pays $4000 more than I make currently. I think I'll be applying for that one.

Buy a car. It's time. I've been relying on public transportation, my sisters, and my friends to get me where I need to go for the last... it'll be nine years this coming May. I've done my duty to the environment. I've saved myself thousands of dollars (not that any of it is in my bank account). I will have the money soon (new car projected to be in my possession sometime in March). So, yes. Sarah Heywood will finally own a car again. I know all of you who have been my chauffeur at one point or another are saying, "It's about freakin' time."

I will get in shape. I'm doing a Weight Loss Challenge with my family this year. We all want to get in better shape, but most of us suck at trying to do it on our own. We decided to do a family challenge to help encourage each other to actually get it done this year. We've got money on the line. Whoever does the best by family reunion (in late June) gets the pot. We're talking a pretty large pot, too, so I'd really like to win. I've been doing really well so far, but it's still early in the year. I hope I can keep it up!

I'll look into grad school. I know I said, "It'll never happen." But it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind. I've been thinking (and only thinking, not acting in any way whatsoever) that it might be fun to do a Master's in library studies, and work in a YA/Children's section. Anyone who knows me knows I really love YA literature. I love books in general... the feel, the smell, the weight of them in my hands... and I would love to work in a place where I could be surrounded by them. But if I could be surrounded by YA literature, that'd be heaven. (If you question the validity of YA literature, please see me. We'll chat.)

These are the things I will do. Notice I didn't say I WOULD get a new job. But I'll look. And I didn't say I WOULD go to grad school, but I'll look. I don't like to set my goals too high (haha). I hate disappointing myself and making promises I can't keep. Who knows if I really will be able to find a new job? Who knows if I can really afford grad school? We'll see... We'll see.

Crochet-tastic!

I'm a bad blogger. I haven't posted anything in the longest time, and that's sad.

But I wanted to post some of my recent-ish crochet projects. So, it's a photo blog today. Enjoy!

Star scarf. Yes, a scarf made of stars.

Bearded beanies and a flower! Love these kids. They're the coolest kids in the world.

Super Mario! This rug... it's kinda my pride and joy.

(Giving credit where it's due: I copied this rug.)

Pink bikini and a little flower.

I'm working on some more beanies and another blanket, and I just finished these two gems:

A bag I made for myself. It's to carry my lap top and all of it's stuff. :)

And a coin purse with a bird on it! ("Put a bird on it!")

(Giving credit where it's due: I copied this purse.)

I have to say, I love the fun things I get to make. It's fun. And makes me happy. And hopefully it makes other people happy.

The end.

Yay!

Grandma's home from hospitals and care centers. Yay! I'm so glad she's able to be comfortable in her own home. She's still got some back pain, but we're hoping that will go away as she recovers from the surgery.


I've been listening to 80's music recently. It's been a while since I listened to my 80's collection. This stuff is great. Makes me wanna dance and sing a-long. Problem is, I'm processing loans at work and it might look a little strange.


Also, I'm processing loans at work. This means I don't have to meet with students during the Summer start-up. I don't know if I can express exactly how happy this makes me. I get really annoyed with answering the same question over and over again. I know it's not the student's fault. He/she doesn't know that the student before him/her asked the same question, or that the next student will ask the same question. But I confess, as the days and weeks wear on, I get more and more annoyed. So, really, this is a good thing not only for my stress levels, but for the students. Plus, I get to listen to my 80's music while I process these loans.


These random posts are weird, right? Oh well. It's a kind of journal-keeping. If I were keeping a hand-written journal, these are the kinds of things I'd be writing. You all are getting a glimpse at my journal. Aren't you the luckiest?

Two posts in one week? The mind reels...


I've been praying for Grandma Heywood pretty hard core recently. She's going through some pretty nasty stuff with her back, and she's recently broken her leg as well. So I'm sending out a prayer that you all with pray with me and my family that things will be okay with Grandma.


Also, as always, I'm looking forward to Conference Weekend. I'm sure I will be chastised and taught, that I will learn and hopefully grow. Another prayer for myself, that my heart and mind will be open.

Yep. I'm doing it. My tribute post to the Hunger Games. You don't have to like it, and I'm doing it either way.

I've heard arguments that this story just a rip off of other stories, it's unoriginal, it's teenage dribble, etc. Well, if that's you're opinion, you're entitled to it and I won't judge you (not to your face, anyway). But may I point out that there's no such thing as a completely original idea? I'm just agreeing with your argument. This story isn't completely original because, well, nothing is completely original. Just sayin'.

OK, not that my argument doesn't have it's flaws (which I'm sure smart people will point out, and that's fine), but regardless of how you personally feel about the Hunger Games, I loved it. It got under my skin. I hated the Capitol. I rooted for the oppressed Districts. I cried over the deaths of certain characters and cheered for the deaths of others. Yes, cried and cheered.

And this first movie was a well-done interpretation of the first book. The screenplay stuck close to the story, and while I wish there had been more information about the political stuff, I was pleased with the development of the characters. The casting was good (not perfect, but good), the score was good, the effects were good, everything was good.

So, if you trust my judgement at all, I highly recommend going to see the movie. And then you'll probably want to read the books if you haven't yet. Just ask Marie.

At the risk of sounding redundant...

I just really, really wanna have babies. And all that comes with it. You know, like, a husband. That'd be nice.

Though, I must say, it's been very reassuring to have people in my life who had to wait a long time for these blessings as well. It gives me hope. Family members, church leaders, friends--all people I love and admire, and if they can wait, I suppose I can, too.

But I'm growing extremely impatient. And since my biological clock has been ticking since I was about 19, I think I may just shrivel up and die when I reach 30 and I'm still single and baby-less. 'Cause it's gonna happen, guys. It's only six months away, looming over my head like the countdown ball on New Year's Eve: slowly dropping, ready to squash my dreams.



I have to find something to do to distract me from my despair. Like crocheting "Tetris" scarves and "Mario" rugs and "TMNT" hats and "Pac Man" afghans. Right? Keeps my hands busy.

And reading great books. OK. If you've never read Ender's Game, you probably should. I'm only a bit over half way through it, but it's amazing. Also, The Giver is one to have on your shelf. Also, I've read the Chronicles of Narnia again, and those books are just the best. There is so much to learn from these seemingly simple stories. [Is there a Master's Degree in YA Literature? Because that's what I'd study if I could.]



I'm grateful for the good weekend I had. I was able to do a lot of fun things, and all with pretty awesome people. I'm glad I'm on the 8-5 schedule at work this week, because extra sleep is needed thanks to the stupid time change. I'm looking forward to having Friday off and spending it making pillow covers with Ashley. I'm sad I won't be going home to see my dear friend (another) Ashley get married, but circumstances beyond my control have made it impossible. Sad sad sad. But I hope she and Derek enjoy the gift we're sending. Oh, baby. (Photos will be posted. I'm particularly happy with this one.) I'm grateful for my (right now, extremely messy) apartment and the solitude is affords. It's lovely to hang around with really cool people, but it's great to go to a quite home of my own. And it's nice to be able to leave a mess for me to clean up later because I finished a project so late and was too tired to clean it up. (Maybe I'm not really ready for babies...) I'm grateful for inspired leaders who teach me that I'm not still single because of anything I've done wrong, but because I'm being molded to be the kind of wife and mother I will need to be in the future. (Three talks in two days with the same message. Someone's trying to tell me something.)

"When you are discouraged thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessing..."

And I'm grateful for you, my family and friends (even the ones who don't read this, though I love those of you who do a little bit more than I love those of you who don't...). It'd take pages and pages and pages of internet space to list all of the people I love and the reasons I love them, so I won't bore you. But know that I love you and I'm grateful for you and I wouldn't be me without you. And I like me, so thanks.

Love to you all!

Jewelry Boards

So, as some may know, my Ashley friend and I like to hang out and do stuff. We get together about once a week and just chill. Lunch, shopping, chatting, etc. It's been like this for a long time and we love it. Recently we decided that we could be a little more productive in our afternoons together. We've started a board on Pinterest, titled it "our projects," and have started to make stuff we pin. I'm happy to say that the plan, so far, has worked!

A few weeks ago, we picked a project to work. The next couple of "dates" were spent gathering materials to complete the projects. Last Saturday, we spent pretty much an entire afternoon finishing the project (and my afternoon I mean we worked from about 2 to 8, and ate pizza, and talked a ton, and then we played and talked more the rest of the night). I'm seriously so proud of us! We've actually finished a project!

So, what was this project we worked on? We decided to make jewelry boards. Yay! I don't have any pictures of Ashley's, but her's is super cute. She took an old picture frame, painted it a pretty blue color, and fixed a decorative aluminum sheet into it. Then she took a separate molding board, painted it the same color as the frame, and attached coat hooks. She's gonna hang them together, using the aluminum to hang dangly earrings and the hooks for necklaces and bracelets. Cute, yes? And I think she was gonna use ribbon to hang one or the other or both, and then use the ribbon to store studs. I love it.

For mine, I bought a framed cork board, covered the board with a textured material (and I don't know what it's called, but it's kinda like burlap, though much less abrasive), attached knobs, pulls, and hooks as well as some lace for look. The knobs I've used for necklaces, the hooks for rings, and the pulls for bracelets and dangly earrings, while sticking the studs directly into the cork. Here's the proof:

   

As you can see, I stuck two of the pulls (the black ones) upside down to use sort of like cups. Originally, I was going to use them to store the studs, but changed my mind and used them for hoops and other hard-to-arrange jewelry.

Needless to say, I'm very proud of my board. I love it so so much. And I'm very proud of Ashley and myself. We finally finished an actual project!

We're gonna move on to a new one starting next week. We've decided to work on some throw pillows. The hard part is ahead: choosing the style and design we like best (Ashley and I are known for our indecisiveness). Wish us luck!

Welcome, February!

I'm not sure why I like February so much, but I do. Maybe it's because there are some holidays coming up, and one for which I get a day off work. Maybe it's because it's a short month. Maybe this particular February is fun because it's Leap Year.

Whatever the reason, I wish you all a wonderful February.

This particular month started with sleeping in (yay for still having Wednesday's off--makes the week more bearable), some light cleaning (my sink was FULL of dirty dishes--and it was starting to stink), a fun afternoon chatting and project planning and shopping with Ashley and Teagan (that baby girl is super smart and pretty darn cute--she's got a tooth now which just adds to the cuteness), and then some crocheting (I finished a hat today--one I'm very eager to share but am waiting to do so until the owner has it in his possession), while doing some movie watching (The Chorus--which I hadn't seen before and absolutely loved--and Dear Frankie--one of my all-time favorites). All-in-all, it's been a lovely way to start the month.

Something cool: I ended January with a temple recommend interview with a member of my bishopric, and I'll start February with another interview with a member of (the new) stake presidency. Also, we have Stake Conference this weekend. I enjoy Stake Conference for two reasons: one, it's good to have a bit of change (and I love only being in church for two hours instead of three and getting it done early instead of late) and two, the counsel given is always good and needed, and the Spirit is always strong.

And after conference, I'm gonna be eating delicious food and hanging out with some awesome people know as the Chinn family, and I can't wait. Superbowl Sunday for me equals food and family. I don't give to shakes about the football. I just want the comforts.

See what I mean? February is gonna be good.

hitRECord

I've promised a blog about the amazing show I saw the Sundance Film Festival, at the Eccles Theater in Park City. This is by no means meant to take away from the film I saw at the Broadway in Salt Lake City which was also part of the Sundance Film Festival called Room 237, an entry in the Experimental Documentary category. And because I don't want to take away from Room 237, I'm gonna give a little information on that one first.

Room 237 is about a few different theories on what Stanley Kubrick's The Shining was "really" about. The most popular theory--and I say popular only because I had heard it before--was that the film was really about the Indian (Native American) genocide that took place, pointing to the line about the Overlook Hotel being built on an Indian burial ground and the other little hints and signs referencing Indians throughout the film. Another idea was that it was a statement about the Holocaust. Other ideas noted were things like, "It's meant to be [figuratively and literally] seen forwards and backwards," or it makes reference to the fake film that was televised of the Apollo 11 moon landing (not saying it didn't happen, just that what was on TV wasn't real), etc etc etc. There were so many ideas in this film, and in the Q&A afterward we learned that there were other theories the movie makers researched but didn't use. The awesome thing I found in this documentary was the way it was put together, the actual screen footage we saw. The film was mostly just a ton of strung together clips from other Stanley Kubrick films put together to tell the "story" of these themes and to "narrate" the talking-heads voices. For example, if the talking-head said something like, "I know I'm being watched," shown on the screen was the scene from Eyes Wide Shut where Tom Cruise's character is literally being watched and followed. They also used the actual footage from the film to show exactly what the talking-heads were talking about. So if someone was describing the way the window in the hotel manager's office is in a place in the hotel where there couldn't possibly be a window (emphasizing that things in the hotel are not always what they seem to be, or what you think they should be), what you saw on the screen was the window in the hotel manager's office. This served quite a few purposes, but the one I loved the most about not seeing any of the talking-head's faces was that I wasn't prejudice about what I was hearing based on the way the person looked, or what was their connection to the film, or what they may have previously said but I couldn't remember the particular person who said it because I never saw his/her face. It was awesome. If you have any feelings (good, bad, or in-between) toward Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, or if you have seen it at all (even if only once), you'll find this film insightful and interesting. And then you'll want to see the original again.

Now, I've paid my homage to Room 237, which I really did thoroughly enjoy. But now I can move on to what was seriously one of the coolest "shows" I've ever been attended. Yeah, I may be a little biased because I found the owner/Master of Ceremonies extremely attractive. But seriously, this show rocked.

hitRECord is an online "open-collaborative production company... [for] writers, musicians, filmmakers, video editors, animators, photoshoppers, illustrators..." etc. (see hitrecord.org) owned and run (along with others, though he really does seem to have a hand in pretty much everything that gets produced through this organization, based on the credits at the end of each of the short films we saw) by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. They've put out a collection of videos/music/short films/art in box-set, as well as a collection of tiny stories. Really, seriously, just go to the website and watch the little video that explains what the company is about. Then come back and read the rest.

OK, now that you've seen what the big deal is, let me tell you about the show. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (RegularJOE, but I'll just refer to him as Joe from here on out) comes out and just starts filming and getting the audience pumped. Then he tells us about the organization. Then starts in with some audience participation. The theme for the night is "Independence." What is it? How do we attain it? How do we use it? What's the difference between "Independence" and 'Indie"? He has this dude come up on stage and kinda has a conversation with him about the difference and then he gets into the definition of the word "hipster." Check this out.



Unfortunately, the other audience members who made it to the stage were equally ridiculous. Joe did his best and made the most out of their conversations, which was impressive. He didn't let the idiots ruin the show.

There were a ton of new short films (collaborative efforts made by hitRECord artists) that debuted at the show, all of which were different in style and message and genre. And all of which I enjoyed immensely. There was one that was an animated statement on the right to take pictures in public (though, of course, it was more than just that). The animation had a song also, and at the end, the chorus had the "follow-the-bouncing-ball" kind of sing along. So, after we watched the video, Joe asked for whoever wanted to be part of the "choir" to come on stage and sing along. Marie, Jana, and I ran up there. None of us got a great video of it, but I think Jan's came out best, so here it is: proof we shared a stage with Joseph Gordon-Levitt for about two minutes.



About 3/4 of the way into the show, Joe brought another star to the stage: Parker Posey. They had a chat about what Joe's doing with hitRECord and that kind of thing, and how she's never seen or heard of anything quite like it. They chatted for a bit with another audience member, and then they put on a little show for us. Well, they and Brady Corbett, who starred in another Sundance film called Simon Killer. The three of them acted out chapter two from Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Saywer. I'm in the middle of editing that one, though. It's a long video, as you can imagine. For now, I'll give you a taste.



These are the kinds of things we saw and participated in during the show. It was pretty awesome, as you can see. Joe performed a couple of songs for us as well.





And then it was over.

We had a lovely time. I just can't say enough about it. My biggest qualm with the whole thing was that Joe seemed to feel the need to swear a good deal, and I think that was mostly to get the audience to cheer. Something about the f-bomb makes a crowd get louder for some reason that I just don't understand. I personally don't let myself get offended by cussing. I grew up around it, and I don't want to say that I'm used to it because I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing certain things, the f-bomb being one of them, but I don't really get offended. It's more like a feeling of losing my balance. Anyway, though I'm not offended, it is highly unattractive. But since Joe did sing to us, and dedicated "Baby Mine" to his mom, I'll forgive him.

A long post, I know, but I hope an interesting and entertaining one. Leave me a comment with questions or ideas about how to make these videos awesome (I want to submit some to hitRECord.org--which Joe asked the audience to do--and then hope that something I submit gets collaborated on) or just tell me you read/watched, or just say hi, or whatever. I like having proof that people read my stuff. I need the validation.

Love to you all!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Change is hard. It's a difficult process. It literally gives me anxiety and leaves me short of breath.

But I have to make some changes in my life.

My beautiful and insightful sister shared some of her thoughts and a devotional talk on her private blog earlier this week which I read today. It was eye-opening and comforting, and it helped in motivating me to do what's right not to please anyone else or to "earn" salvation or whatever, but instead to show my appreciation and devotion. And I thank Marie for sharing.

It's time to do a little more growing up. I need to get myself out of rut and figure out what I want (besides the obvious, of course). And I need to be better at the daily things.

Hold on to your hats. It's gonna be a bumpy ride. But it'll be worth it in the end.

Sis. Hyer

I haven't yet put my feelings into words about dear Sister Hyer, who passed away on Christmas day, 2011. I have to do this. It's going to make me cry, I know, but I have to do it to remember her and remember how she made me feel.

I love Sister Hyer. She was my primary teacher. She was my leader. She was my friend. She was a co-leader. She was almost like a third grandma. Though I was never extremely close to her, I always felt like she loved me and cared about me in the same way that my biological grandparents do. She taught me how to spell "family":
Father
And
Mother
I
Love
You
She taught me more than that. She was the most wonderful example of how to be a good visiting teacher, not only by being a good visiting teacher, but by being available to be taught. Marie and I were blessed to be assigned as Sister Hyer's visiting teachers for a while. I loved visiting her. It was always such a warm, comfortable, spiritually uplifting experience being in her home. She welcomed us with a hug and let us go with a kiss. Caroling to Sister Hyer every Christmas was always a joy. She was so happy to have us in her home, and never allowed us to just sing on her door step. We were always invited in for a chat and to warm up, and easily enticed to sing a few more songs inside.

This Christmas was only a little bit different. We planned ahead when we would visit her. We brought some food with us to help feed her family who had gathered to her home for their last Christmas with their mother and grandmother. We were there only a little while because we didn't want to intrude. We sang a few hymns. She requested that we sing "White Christmas" and her favorite Christmas hymn, "Silent Night." She gave each of us a hug and a kiss, with us bending down to reach her warm cheeks and be enfolded in her arms. She whispered, "Thank you" and "I love you" to each of us. We said our goodbyes.

And then she was gone. That was the last time we saw Sister Hyer in this life. She died early on Christmas morning. She was able to spend the day celebrating with her husband, who passed nearly 30 years ago.

She was a wonderful, sweet, kind, generous, humble, Christ-like woman. Full of love, without guile. I love her very much. She will always hold a special place in my heart. I hope she knows how much she means to me, how much I value her love and her example.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Everyone sets goals, New Year Resolutions. I do too. I won't lie.

But that's not what this post is about.

This post is to share a couple of silly videos. That is all.

Jingle Bells!


Deck the Halls!


Oh, and one more thing. Do your best to keep your goals. Follow your heart. Make a plan. Take it one day at a time. And please remind me to do the same.

My love to you all!