Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!!!!!!!
Friday, December 24, 2010
The Snowshoeing Gals
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Kate Birch
Lesley and I had the fun opportunity to purchase originals of Kate's work back in September at the Utah Fine Art Market at the Hardware Building in downtown Salt Lake. We got 2 small, hand painted birds on old book pages.
My framer at work loves these prints and asked if I would do some research on Kate Birch (he wants to commission her to paint a wren for his daughter Wren) and I found out that she is not just another local artist. I am really digging her fresh take on florals and I can't believe she is on art.com- that's way cool. Her work is in collections and shown nationally in galleries.
So let's add Kate to the list:
1. Cassandra Barney
2. Kate Birch
3. Amy Butler (sorry about the demotion Amy- it was bound to happen sooner or later- but at least you're still in the top 3)
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
I'm Dreaming of a Wet Christmas
Wait... That didn't come out right.
It's been unseasonably warm here in Salt Lake- it's in the 40s- which means instead of snow we have rain. Rain that has melted all the snow we got dumped with on Thanksgiving weekend and the ground is mushy instead of frozen.
Usually I would not be complaining, I love not having to brush snow off my car or scrape the windshield in the mornings, but Christmas is the 1 time of year when we all want massive amounts of white fluffy snow.
Sing it, Bing Crosby!!!
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday, December 18, 2010
More Owl Chorale
Owl Chorale Christmas
Great Job Guys- Auntie Alli is SO proud of you!!!
Saturday Seething (part 11 of a 444 part series)
Thing that must go: girls that bring babies/kids to Singles Ward activities.
Sent from my iPhone
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Hope
There is some sort of metaphor here but after my day, I'm too exhausted to figure it out.
Saturday Seething (part 10 of a 444 part series)
I am easily having The Worst Day EVER. Long story short- I have been on the clock since 8:45 this morning, I have only had a bowl of oatmeal, 4 cutie oranges, a fist-full of potato chips and Coke Zero it eat all day, and my car has a flat tire and I'll have to purchase not only a new tire but a new rim as well. Now I'm sitting in a dark, empty parking lot waiting for someone to arrive to open the building b/c the items I drove to pick up were stolen after they were placed in a hidden spot. FANTASTIC
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday Seething (Part 9 of a 444 part series)
2 Weeks ‘Till Christmas!!!!! (Which means only 2 weeks from a mini-vacation at the cabin!!!! YAY!!!!!!)
But this IS Saturday Seething so I guess my rant for this week shall be: people that commit to attending an event and then do not show up, even thought the host did something extra special for each one of those individuals.
When you say you are going to be somewhere, you should be there!!!*
*This is probably why they have stand-by tickets for General Conference.
Allison Dawson
Gallery Manager/ Art Consultant
Repartee Gallery at
Midvale, UT 84047
(801) 352-2569
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Saturday Seething (part 8 of a 444 part series)
Today's lesson, kids, is waiting patiently in lines.
Apparently this is a very, extremely difficult concept for people to grasp.
This was no more evidenced than on our cruise (reference back to my post on Florence). Now during the holiday shopping season, it seems that manners and patience are completely forgotten by the young and the old. This is supposedly the most wonderful time of the year when people are charitable and loving and yet we can treat each other SO horribly at the stores/mall (usually while waiting in long lines).
Furthermore, why do people cut in line or even worse, think the line doesn't apply to them? Do they think we are all just standing in a relatively strait path as a performance art piece? If we were all patient and courteous to others, then we wouldn't have angry mobs at stores.
On that note- Happy Christmas!!!!!
Sent from my iPhone
Joy to the World
Velvet and burlap- pinecones and silk- felt and pearl
Fantastic!!!!!!
Mom, you're brilliant.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude- By Lesley
A few days ago, the night before Thanksgiving, I was driving home and thinking that I didn’t have lots to be grateful for. I have a job that drives me crazy, my car needs new tiers, I don’t have money to buy christmas presents, and my apartment has a weird, funky, smell. I clearly did not have an attitude of gratitude. So when I learned that my topic for today was gratitude, I knew that Heavenly Father was humbling me and teaching me a lesson.
From Doctrine and Covenants 59:21 we learn, with whom is the Lord displeased? “Those who do not confess his hand in all things.” That is, those who are not grateful for all that they have and all that they are. I felt guilty about my un-thankful-ness after reading this. And then in Alma 34:38 it reads, “Humble yourselves and live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which He doth bestow upon you.” Ok so far I have learned that I need to be grateful and humble so that the Lord will be pleased with me and if He is happy with me then I’ll be happy with me too.
An article I read in the Deseret News said, “Regular expressions of gratitude not only brighten the day of the recipient, but improve the happiness of the giver. Studies find that people who report feeling and acting more grateful are far less prone to depression.” If we are more grateful we are less depressed!
All right, I think I learned my lesson. We can cultivate an attitude of gratitude and live in thanksgiving daily by savoring the small things, serving others, and sharing our gratitude.
Pres, Hinckley says in his book “Way to Be” that, “Your very attitude toward life can be evidence for wether or not you are truly grateful for life, for the blessings you have, for the comforts and privileges and opportunities you enjoy, for the talents you have been given, for everything.”
Take time to savor the small things and blessings of life. By honing increased appreciation for the small wonders in our daily lives, we become more grateful people. Stop to smell the roses and ignore the thorns! Find joy in the journey! Drink in life! And all that good stuff.
Some of the little things I savor are: a good hug, the sour-ness of a green apple, a well timed text of love, support or funny joke, the beautiful mountains that are around us, getting lost in a great book, a purring kitty, being able to travel around the world, and my favorite song on the radio after a long work day.
When we serve, we step outside of ourselves and strengthen human relationships. We also begin to put any of our own concerns into proper perspective. As I was preparing this talk and came to this part about service I got a call from my sister asking if I could come watch her kids so she could take her husband to the Doctor. I dropped everything to go serve my sister. She was so grateful for my help and I was so happy to give it. I have been very lucky to travel with my family for humanitarian service. I have found that the saying is true that when you get lost in service your own problems fall into their proper place and you realize how great your life is and how happy you truly are.
Mosiah 2:17 says “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God.” On one of our trips, my family was helping put together a dozen wheel chairs in Cebu, Philippines. Now these were not the typical wheel chair, but more like a plastic lawn chair with bicycle wheels. Hey they worked great but boy were they hard to put together. Not two chairs could be assembled the same way so there was no learning curve and no instructions. We all did the back breaking and mentally exhausting work for hours. It was hot and the sun was beating down on us. I was getting frustrated. It was like putting together the world worst jig-saw puzzle ever. As soon as the first young girl was placed in her chair and started giggling my heart totally melted. She was so happy to have the freedom to be independent, no one had to carry her anymore. She could go anywhere she wanted. Hearing her laugh and seeing her mother cry, made me feel ecstatic. This little family was transformed by this one chair. We took a polaroid of her and her family with the new wheel chair all looking so proud and grateful. Suddenly my fingers didn’t hurt from being pinched by the wrench and my sore back felt fine. All I felt was how much God loved this little girl and all the other people receiving wheel chairs. I was thankful to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord that day to help this young girl.
Because of my humanitarian experiences in remote parts of the world I am very grateful for flushing toilets, modern medicine, more food than I could ever eat, freedom to go where I like and say what I like and believe what I like, a safe and warm place to live (even if it smells weird and funky) but most of all I have become grateful for God’s love for all his children. I have witnessed it. I believe it. I know it to be true.
Counting our blessings can improve mood but sharing sincere expressions of thanks has an even more powerful and lasting mood boosting effect.
Pres. Hinckley told us to, “Say thank you to your mother and father, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, and neighbors. Express appreciation to everyone who does you a favor or assists you in any way. You will be surprised how often you find yourself saying simply, “Thank you”.
When I was a little girl I would always thank my mom at the checkout at the grocery store for buying food for our family. She never told me to do it but she did teach me to always say thank you to someone who helps you or does something nice for you. I guess that the workers thought that it was cute or crazy because I remember getting the weirdest looks but I still do it today when I shop with my mom.
Pres. Hinckley goes on to say, “If you do this [say “thank you”] you will find people responding to you differently than they have before. And interestingly, you will find that you are happier than you have ever been.”
Just expressing gratitude to our fellow men in not enough. We need to thank the Lord for His goodness too. In “Way to Be” it says, “Thanks Him for His great example, for His tremendous teachings, for His outreached hand. Thank Him for friends and family, for a strong body and a sound mind, for living in a land of freedom, for relative prosperity, advanced communication and the ease of travel. Pour out your heart to your Father in Heaven with gratitude for the gift of His Beloved Son.”
This reminds me of Elder David A. Bednar’s story about expressing heartfelt gratitude in a conference talk from October 2008.
At BYU-Idaho, a member of the Twelve Apostles graciously suggested that when the Bednar family prayed, they should express only appreciation for blessings received and ask for nothing. The family learned a great lesson about the power of thankfulness. They were blessed with inspiration, provided needed reassurance, had strengthened confidence, and received insights concerning the things about which they should pray and appropriately ask in faith. At the end of his story Elder Bednar said:
“Let me recommend that periodically you and I offer a prayer in which we only give thanks and express gratitude. Ask for nothing; simply let our souls rejoice and strive to communicate appreciation with all the energy of our hearts.”
At the time I heard this talk, my life was some what gray. I was under employed and I’m pretty sure that my boss didn’t like me, the boy I had a crush on wasn’t talking to me and I just felt blah about everything. I was taking a lot of things for granted, but I liked what Elder Bednar said so I made the goal to only express appreciation in my prays for a whole month. What a difference a month can make! Sure my boss still didn’t like me and the boy never texted back but I was happier. My relationship with things changed. I enjoyed every bite of food I put in my mouth. I liked exercise because I was grateful that I had a body that could move. I treasured my family and friends because I was thanking God for them everyday. As I look back at that time, it was a best of times and a worst of time scenario. I liked how I felt. I decided to keep only expressing gratitude in my prayers. So, when I finally did loose my job right after Thanksgiving it didn’t hurt too much, ok it did hurt but I was at least grateful for the experience.
When we savor the little blessings of life, find joy in the service of other, and share our expressions of heart felt thanks, we are cultivating an attitude of gratitude. President Hinckley said, “Gratitude creates the most wonderful feeling. It can resolve disputes. It can strengthen friendships. And it makes us better men and women. Walk with gratitude in your hearts. Be thankful for the wonderful blessings that are yours. Be grateful for the tremendous opportunities that you have. Work at it . You will find that it will yield wonderful results.”
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Glee - Marry You Full Video EXCLUSIVE!
This might be my favorite part of Glee EVER!!!
Check out this video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtTIvePHGBw&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sent from my iPhone
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Wishing you a Happy Spanksgiving* and other ramblings...
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
I am trying SO hard to be good on my Weight Watchers, but I fully plan on eating myself into oblivion- so much that my spanks will snap the next day at work.
Is that bad?
NO, don’t answer that!!!
It’s mainly the mashed potatoes and gravy that will be my down fall. Oh and pie, I can’t resist pie.
Luckily I’m not really a stuffing/dressing person, nor am I a candied yam person so I can abstain from those.
I was planning on doing a Turkey Trot (a 5K the morning of Thanksgiving) and invited my family, but the weather is going to be horrendous and below freezing so maybe now I will have to watch what I eat that day- dang it!!
By the way- what is the origin of the phrase “going cold turkey”?
I am wondering how cold turkey turned into meaning quitting/stopping something (usually a bad habit) all of a sudden.
Therefore- does the phrase imply that cold turkey has a negative connotation? I for one love cold turkey! It’s a satisfying snack just out of the fridge.
Anywho- Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!! This truly is the most wonderful time of the year and I am so very grateful for my loyal blog readers and for this very forum of self-expression. I am grateful for free speech and the right to voice our thoughts and opinions.
*if you can correctly state where I got my “Happy Spanksgiving” reference from, then you are most likely K or Lesley (or a fan of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon). LOL
PS: K has a new blog and you should totally check it out: www.strokedtolife.wordpress.com
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Saturday Seething (part 7 of a 444 part series)
Today’s List of Things that Must Go:
- Pre-Lit Christmas Trees that have random strands out!! I have been trying to get the whole tree to be lit for the past hour with no luck whatsoever!!!
- My hair falling out must go!! I already have thin hair and it hurts to see even more of it falling out. I can just blame the weather, right? The other part of this issue is that I wear black almost exclusively in the winter so even though I have a lint roller tape at my desk and use it about 3 times a day, I am still always covered in strands of hair (and a little bit of cat hair- that stuff is sticky!!).
- Food Poisoning MUST GO!!! I have been sick (again) this week. I was just sick the last week of September, but I am pretty sure that was a 24 hour flu bug because I felt practically back to normal within 2 days. I got sick Tuesday morning exactly at 7:30 AM- I was reading the DTWS recap on EW.com, and I instantly got up and puked. Luckily (or it really depends on how you view it) I didn’t have much in my stomach to come up, but then I would violently wretch and dry-heave for the rest of the day and was insanely nauseated all the way until yesterday afternoon. I am still a little sick to my stomach but at least I no longer feel the need to carry around a bucket with me.
One more thing I need to vent about- I was planning on working only occasional Saturdays but now it is looking like the only Saturday I will be having off is December 4th. I do have 3 Fridays off including Christmas Eve and the 2 days after Christmas; twill be an excellent Christmas holiday.
ps: Fake It ‘til I make It really is working!!
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Saturday Seething (part 6 of a 444 part series)
It’s only the 6th day of November and yet Christmas is almost in full swing here at the Gallery.
I received my Christmas Tree, Wreath, and
I have not made the full jump to Christmas music yet, only 1 CD so far of carols mixed in with my regular music. But come Monday morning, it will be totally reversed with only 1 non-Christmas CD in the player. Plus, as I was driving home yesterday FM 100 was already playing ALL Christmas music.
The following is a text message conversation I had with K earlier this week:
Me- Is it bad I’m already sick of Christmas music?
K- Nope, that music gets old (and annoying) quickly.
Me- Too bad I still have 2 months to listen L
K- L Well I guess the only thing left to do is start making up your own lyrics to the music and they can be as cynical as needed J
Me- I’m already singing, “It’s the worst wonderful time of the year”!!! LOL
K- LOL- that’s awesome
Me- Surprisingly it does bring a smile to my face J
K- See keep it up and you’ll be all smiles during the holiday season
Can you all tell why I have the greatest BFF in the entire world?!!
Well after that conversation, I have decided to be positive about the Holidays (Fake it ‘till I Make it). I am going to embrace all the cheer and the nostalgic music- I am definitely making new CDs of my own holiday music because I don’t think I can make it much further with Gladys Knight and MoTab and Peter Brineholt Christmas CDs. I want to hear Wham! “Last Christmas” and lots of Mr. Bing Crosby (he will blend so well with my Frank Sinatra and Fred Astair CDs!!). I might even throw in some Mariah Carey “All I want for Christmas” and Andy Williams.
Along with Faking It- I bought a Christmas charm necklace at a Boutique my cousin Amy was a part of. I plan on wearing it almost every day to remind myself to be cheerful and happy about the CRAZY
I have never been a huge Christmas fan- it was always so stressful because of finals and such. Then last year, I worked 12 hours days Monday through Saturday the entire month of December then 3 days before Christmas I got Strep Throat and the Flu (double whammy) and I honestly have little recollection of Christmas other than wearing an itchy mask and lying on the couch at the cabin with my Snuggie from K.
But this year will be different- I am working 9-5 Monday through Friday mostly with a few Saturdays thrown in. I for sure have Christmas Eve off and the 2 days after Christmas- YAY!!!!!!
See… Faking it until I Make It is a genius plan and I’m already feeling better about the holidays, even working in retail.
ps: My mom’s Festival of Trees tree is going to amazing this year!! I am SO excited about it.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Toulon and Barcelona
October 23, 2010
Toulon, France
- forgot my camera :( see Jenny's blog for pics.
- took water taxi to Toulon from Le Seyne Sur Mer.
- walked up Provenciale Market
- spent some time in a fabric shop. The two owners were adorable ladies that help us pick out true Provenciale patterns and Tissue. Got the coolest large table cloth in laminated cotton and gift pouches for family. We also got a placemat with a 17-18th century pattern based on an Indian design.
- walked to a Shopping Mall (rare to find one in France/ Europe). Toulon is an industrial town and a little poor/ run down. Went to Sephora, Zara, and Carrefour- the French WalMart.
- walked back to pier and ate our lunch in a closed down restaurant patio (sitting was free!) and looked at the yachts and all the pregnant mummies go by. I was shocked at how many pregnant women we saw and many of them already has several children.
- took taxi back to Le Seyne. Walked along harbor front to old town. Most shops and bakeries were closed (Saturday afternoon) but we did find a charming one open and Jenny bought a macaroon in Citron.
- walked back to ship and went hot tubing.
- got ready for our last dinner.
- listened to big band music in promenade, took a back stage tour of La Scala theater.
- went to dinner: Steak with Bernaise sauce and key lime pie for dessert. Said goodbye to Ali and Razvan.
- packed my bag- it had to be out in the hall by 11:00 pm
- went to Farewell Show. Les talked to Steve the hot drummer :)
- went to our spot in Aquarium Bar. Mik gave us free drinks- Super sweet!!
- went to go dancing at The Vault but no one was there so we danced for 3 songs by ourselves and left.
- rode the elevator up and down :) I love glass elevators.
- back to room to finish packing and sleep.
10/24/10
Barcelona
- got off boat at 9:00 AM
- took a shuttle to port entrance instead of walking there like we did to get on the boat.
- walked up La Rambla and when we got to the top, the Barcelona marathon for breast cancer awareness started but we couldn't cross the street to enter Place de Catalunya so we stayed and cheered on the runners. There were a group of young guys doing football cheers and making the runners smile. It was so great to see so many women running to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month!!
- we got to our hostel and the scaffolding had come down and I hardly recognized the place :)
- we took a nap! We were all so tired and we slept until around 1:30 pm
- we wanted to go shopping to H&M and buy some Spanish souvenirs but apparently the city shuts down on Sundays and yet the streets are FULL of people. They all go out and people watch b/c there is nothing left to do. So we walked around the city (mainly around La Rambla) and took random side streets and wandered. It was fun!!
- took water taxi to Toulon from Le Seyne Sur Mer.
- walked up Provenciale Market
- spent some time in a fabric shop. The two owners were adorable ladies that help us pick out true Provenciale patterns and Tissue. Got the coolest large table cloth in laminated cotton and gift pouches for family. We also got a placemat with a 17-18th century pattern based on an Indian design.
- walked to a Shopping Mall (rare to find one in France/ Europe). Toulon is an industrial town and a little poor/ run down. Went to Sephora, Zara, and Carrefour- the French WalMart.
- walked back to pier and ate our lunch in a closed down restaurant patio (sitting was free!) and looked at the yachts and all the pregnant mummies go by. I was shocked at how many pregnant women we saw and many of them already has several children.
- took taxi back to Le Seyne. Walked along harbor front to old town. Most shops and bakeries were closed (Saturday afternoon) but we did find a charming one open and Jenny bought a macaroon in Citron.
- walked back to ship and went hot tubing.
- got ready for our last dinner.
- listened to big band music in promenade, took a back stage tour of La Scala theater.
- went to dinner: Steak with Bernaise sauce and key lime pie for dessert. Said goodbye to Ali and Razvan.
- packed my bag- it had to be out in the hall by 11:00 pm
- went to Farewell Show. Les talked to Steve the hot drummer :)
- went to our spot in Aquarium Bar. Mik gave us free drinks- Super sweet!!
- went to go dancing at The Vault but no one was there so we danced for 3 songs by ourselves and left.
- rode the elevator up and down :) I love glass elevators.
- back to room to finish packing and sleep.
10/24/10
Barcelona
- got off boat at 9:00 AM
- took a shuttle to port entrance instead of walking there like we did to get on the boat.
- walked up La Rambla and when we got to the top, the Barcelona marathon for breast cancer awareness started but we couldn't cross the street to enter Place de Catalunya so we stayed and cheered on the runners. There were a group of young guys doing football cheers and making the runners smile. It was so great to see so many women running to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month!!
- we got to our hostel and the scaffolding had come down and I hardly recognized the place :)
- we took a nap! We were all so tired and we slept until around 1:30 pm
- we wanted to go shopping to H&M and buy some Spanish souvenirs but apparently the city shuts down on Sundays and yet the streets are FULL of people. They all go out and people watch b/c there is nothing left to do. So we walked around the city (mainly around La Rambla) and took random side streets and wandered. It was fun!!
Christopher Columbus Monument
Statue in Place de Catalunya- Good Night Barcelona- Goodbye Europe. My coin in the Trevi Fountain better be brining my back :)
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