China 2011

Walt Disney World, June 2011

Spanksgiving!!

Two years later and I'm still crying with laughter!! The Real Housewives of Late Night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is genius.

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs/2009/11/real-housewives-of-late-night-giving-thanks/

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

I did something dumb... What else is new

Millie and Fiona have 2 speeds: comatose and speed demond. As I was making my way to the kitchen, Mille raced down the hall at lightning speed, I stepped on her which made me trip and crash into the kitchen counter (catching myself with my chest. Ouch!!) pushing our stacks of mail and Tupperware meant to be returned to people off the counter and falling to the floor in a huge mess. I broke the gorgeous peacock serving dish my grandmother gave me and twisted my ankle. The crash must have been loud as it woke Lesley up and she was an angel to clean up the mess as I was balling my eyes out in pain.
People at work today keep asking why I'm limping and I'm embarrassed to say "My cat did it" but it's true.

Saturday Seething (part 38 of a 444 part series)

Smells and Memories

 

It is amazing to me how powerful scents can be in recalling memories.

When I smell VS Love Spell, I am transported back to my freshman year apartment.

When I smell Lubriderm lotion, I instantly turn into a little girl saying good night to my mother.

When I smell Maple and Brown Sugar instant Quaker Oatmeal, I am back in my graduate school apartments. (I ate oatmeal EVERY morning for 2 years and the smell would permeate the entire apartment. Lesley says I ate so much of it that my natural smell started to be maple syrup.)

When I smell mayo and liquid smoke, I am making fry sauce at Eat-a-Burger.

 

Scents and smells are also powerful elements in sentimentality and traditions.

The smell of roasting turkey = Thanksgiving

Cinnamon scented pinecones = Christmas

Camp Fires = Summer

 

It is almost as if scents become symbols that we interact with that signal the event taking place. Much like the Christmas Tree and twinkling lights, it just would not feel like Christmas without the smells of delicious food and baked goods being prepared in the kitchen. It is wonderful that smells and memories can be so varied and individual for each person.

 

I am finding this correlation between smells and memory recollection to be quite fascinating!!

 

What smells trigger memories in you?

 

 

 

The Bright Lights of Shanghai

I really am trying to blog about my trip to China... I promise.
Until I'm really able to sit down and write, and upload photos, quick little posts will have to do.
Btw: Happy 11/11/11 everyone!!!
I love Veterans Day (I've blogged about it before back in 2008), but I also love that today marks the opening of the first H&M clothing store in the great state of Utah- hooray!!!

Saturday Seething (part 37 of a 444 part series)

Quote from this week’s episode of the Big Bang Theory:

 

Amy Farrah Fowler to Sheldon:

Sometimes you forget, I’m a lady. And with that come an estrogen-fueled need to page through thick glossy magazines that make me hate my body.

 

 

So true Amy.

 

Another great way to also make you hate your body is traveling in Asia. All the women are fashionable and thin.

One of us, who I shall not name (but it was Jenny), kept saying she was going to become anorexic when we got home b/c the women in China were so gorgeous and skinny and I couldn’t help but agree with her.*

The truly sad thing is, the men in China are not even in the same league as their women.

*Warning: Sweeping generalizations ahead* - All the men were hawking leugies and/or smoking all of the time, no matter where we went. I would be very happy never having to hear a man clear his throat and watch him spit ever, ever again. It is the stuff of nightmares!!!!

 

It sums up to this- in China, the men are disgusting and the women are fabulous.

 

 

 

 

* Eating disorders are very dangerous mental illnesses. Art History Alli does not condon or support such self-destructive behavior even though she frequently jokes about them as effective weight-loss techniques. We appologize for any offense that may have been taken by our readers.

 

 

 

 

China 2011

This is just a preview and I'll share more as soon as I can.
What an adventure we had!! China is a gorgeous country with a rich, 5,000 year old culture. The Li River, Terracotta Warriors, and the Bright Lights of Shanghai were my highlights (everyone has their own highlights) but it was all fantastic!!!

Orient Bound

No time to blog but just wanted to get a post in for October.
Finally got all packed and ready to leave in the morning for China!!
Knock-Off designer bags, here I come!!!!!!!

Sent from my iPhone