John & Melinda LeSueur

Hot Springs

2012-02-13T07:32:00.001-07:00

To bathe or not to bathe in warm but sketchy looking waters? My wellies lived up to their full potential as they survived mucking about in ankle deep slime, keeping my feet dry. I think John needs a pair for our adventures. He was wearing a pair of Asics! Not so cool.

My Dad and John's mom both mentioned that there used to be a Saratoga swimming resort built around other hot springs in the area. With the help of some internet research, all signs seem to point to the original resort now being privately owned.

The Merchant of Venice

2012-02-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

As a part of the youth program at my church, Young Women leaders are encouraged to pass off Personal Progress experiences at the same time as the girls. Personal Progress is comprised of spiritual and intellectual experiences and projects. Under the Knowledge category, one the the experiences was to attend a live performance of dance or music. I started checking out the Hale Theater and Abrevanel Hall for opera, ballet, musicals, and symphony, but as we are no longer students, the prices were a little steep. John reminded me that Brigham Young University has a wonderful arts program, so we ended up purchasing tickets for two performances because they were so reasonably priced.

Performance one was The Merchant of Venice. We learned too late that it was actually a version aimed at introducing Shakespeare to children. At first I was a bit disappointed about that, but it turned out that it was perfect! People were invited to sit on the ground as the actors weaved in and out of the audience. The original Shakespearean language of the play was still used, they just shortened some of the acts (perfect for John who gets antsy at long performances). They also invited children to play side roles in the play. They really made the show! The little girl and boy who played Nerissa and Gratiano were adorable! They were the perfect combination of reluctant and enthusiastic.

English Tea

2012-02-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

These are the earrings I photographed to go along with Shabby Apple's Mad Hatter dresses. It was a lot of fun thinking of the backgrounds! Since I had been watching a ton of Downton Abbey, I used the Edwardian Era as inspiration: lace, pastels, biscuits, loose leaf tea, and salmon pink roses. I ate all of the cookies afterward and put the roses in a modern vase to beautify our home. Turns out the roses were also handy to use in a flower dissection I did with my students once they wilted a little. Science and art combine!

The Great Salt Lake in the Winter

2012-02-08T17:48:00.001-07:00

It's a little stinky, very hazy, and bitter cold, but a nice place to visit when one has nowhere else to go on a sunny winter day.

From Paper and Ink: Elegance

2012-02-07T07:00:00.003-07:00

"This is the first time I have met someone who cares about me when he is talking: he's not looking for approval or disagreement, he looks at me as if to say, 'Who are you? Do you want to talk to me? How nice it is to be here with you!' That is what I meant by saying he is polite - this attitude that gives the other person the impression of really being there."

- The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery

Photo by Simon Filip

Sarataoga Springs

2012-02-06T07:24:00.002-07:00

I've driven through the community of Saratoga Springs over the years while living in Utah, but didn't put the connection together that there would actually be a spring there. It clicked suddenly while we were discussing hot spots, Old Faithful, and plate tectonics in the faculty lunch room last year. Since that time I have been a little consumed with the idea of bathing in said hot springs. On the weekend we took a little trip to scout out the area. Final report: it's muddy, there was a duck in one of the pools, but the it sure felt good when I dipped my hand in the steaming water.

A Very Important Date

2012-02-05T17:02:00.002-07:00

John's good friend Steve Francia was in town with his wife Winter for the weekend. We met up at the Antique Mall in Sugar House because one of Winter's friends was shopping for wedding decorations. That place was so cool! Over priced, but very cool. There were a lot of pretty colored glass items, tea cups, old broken cameras, a leather corn husker, and other nicknacks.

I got a set of red dessert plates because, in my mind, socializing will one day be like a Jane Austen novel where you pop over to your well-dressed friend's house for tea and cake. And everyone will just happen to have some good cake on hand. So in preparation for this time I thought it best to have some nice plates ready.

Somehow John managed to not get any pictures of Steve and Winter. I guess that means we'll just have to get some by visiting them back East!

* The puzzle picture had to come off just in case any students or parents stopped by. I can just see the district accusations now.

Published!

2012-02-02T13:29:00.001-07:00

Some of my jewelry photography for Shabby Apple was published in a Valentine's Gift Guide (pg.25 and 26) for fashionmaniac.com. I was looking through the guide, and I really like the idea of the vintage shave kit for a guy. Too bad John doesn't care about things like that. I recently shot some earring's for Shabby Apple's new Matter Hatter dress line. I be sharing those soon!

Wanderlust

2012-02-01T10:39:00.002-07:00

Winter in Utah really hasn't been too bad this year. There's been very little snow and the temperatures during the day average in the lower 40's and on a good day warm up to the 50's. Being a California girl at heart, this all sits well with me, although my Utah counter parts may be bemoaning the lack of skiing opportunities and feeling the stress of possible upcoming drought conditions. I do know a thing or two about droughts though. I remember well the days when the whole sky was black from smoke and the freeways were closed during the San Diego fires.

Despite this relatively mild winter I, just as everyone during the cold months, have been mentally planning out vacations and trips that I could take. Not all of these are feasible in the immediate future but sometimes planning, no matter how vague, can bring encouragement into the winter doldrums.

The Azores - islands in the middle of the North Atlantic where they speak Portuguese. A plus since John will know the native language. There are volcanic hot springs, cow path hikes through quaint villages, and hydrangea covered hills!
Japan - tickets are supposedly cheap right now since people are scared from the nuclear disaster last year. I am honestly a little hesitant for the same reason, but my dad keeps citing studies that the levels of radiation in Tokyo and the areas south are less than in Denver and New York. I don't know if that's comforting or not.
Roatan, Honduras - where we went on our honeymoon. I didn't enjoy it to the fullest because I was sick most of the time. We stayed in a house that was cheap, much too big for our needs, and right on the beach. We're thinking of doing that again. There are mangoes, snorkling, Italian pizza (yes, there's an Italian ex-pat there that runs an amazing restaurant), and rain forests.
Washington State - and Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver. My dad went to the University of Washington for grad school so the state holds a special place in my family's heart. John has never been. I also have an obsession with visiting the Olympic National forest (not Twilight related at all, promise) and seeing the tide pools of the north west.
The Philippines - Manilla and Quezon City where I served my mission. The Philippines are full of so many amazing things that I couldn't possibly describe it in a few sentences. I would be in heaven with the food and seeing old friends.
Portugal (again) - I'm convinced that Portugal is the secret pearl of Europe for vacations. This time I'd narrow our destinations to Lisbon, Sintra, and Salema - a beach town.
An East Coast run around - D.C./Virginia to visit Jen and Dave if they're still living there this summer, NYC to see the new babies in the family, Connecticut to see Steve Francia, and Maine to rendezvous with the Jensens.
Italy - especially Sicily. John has been. I have not. We need to even this out.
Belize - they speak English there and there are manatees. I repeat, there are manatees.

Black and White and Grain

2012-01-31T07:00:00.003-07:00

Remember that old roll of film I mentioned? Well, here's the rest of it. I was playing around with some Ilford Delta 3200 for the first time. I don't know if I like the amount of grain it gives but it was liberating not having to lug my flash around.

Nohea and Jed at Brick Oven for a get-together to see Tony, Adrianna, and Oliver.

Jed listens raptly to Rick's story about a tribe that hunts whales by launching men with spears at them.

Amanda and Branden at the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at in Jackson Hole.

John in a vest.

Memorial Day flags, Sandy.

Pomegranate I ate after using it as a prop for jewelry shots.

Aunty Meg's 90th birthday at Cafe Trio.

Those divine bread sticks they have at the Pizza Factory that are actually on sticks.

From Paper & Ink: Dominic Palazzolo

2012-01-30T12:38:00.001-07:00

"On our corner, in our group, Dominic Palazzolo didn't join in conversations about baseball or busing, because he could speak only a few words of English, but every now and then he would tilt his head back so that his sunglasses reflected sky, and would say, 'I love her.' Every time he said it he seemed delivered of a profundity that amazed him, as though he had coughed up a pearl."

Photo from here. Still from Sofia Coppolla's The Virgin Suicides.

Short Story

2012-01-25T10:37:00.002-07:00

John wrote a story about me and bunnies and being a bad A. He also wrote it during church . . .

Boxer

2012-01-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

This is John's big dog of choice, but I may have influenced him a little bit. One day we will have pets again.

From Paper & Ink: Dandy

2012-01-23T19:08:00.002-07:00

'I wish I could love,' cried Dorian Gray, with a deep note of pathos in his voice. 'But I seem to have lost the passion, and forgotten the desire. I am too much concentrated on myself. My own personality has become a burden to me.'

- The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

Photo from here. Photography by Wakabayashi Kuniharu.

Winter Survival 2012

2012-01-19T08:16:00.011-07:00

There have been a lack of product posts on here for a long while because when I find something that I like, I stick with it (Nars velvet lip gloss pencils and blush, anything Laura Mercier, drugstore mascara). Despite this, I still haven't quite adapted to the mountain west winters and am constantly on the look out for products that prevent death by dessication during the cold months.

I like trying new lotions. Usually it's for fragrance, but during the winter I could smell like cough drops and I wouldn't care as long as whatever I'm using makes it so I don't scratch my back until it bleeds. John got me a giant bottle of this for Christmas. It's like custard, but with no real fragrance. So far it's the only thing I've found that moisturizes enough to prevent itchiness.

My mom used to get the whole Clinique 3-step kit and I'd always bum off her free gift with purchase. I still have a lipstick or two that I scavenged out of her trash can when I was a teenager. Anyway, the superbalm isn't sticky and unlike most shiny formulas, it actually does keep your lips hydrated. I like the black honey color the best.

My winter shampoo of choice is still Bumble and Bumble Quench, but I like to use a once a week switch to act as a sort of deep cleanser and to change things up. I love this smell of this shampoo. It reminds me of Thai coconut sticky rice which is one of my favorite desserts. I've read before that if you're going to skimp somewhere, shampoo is the product to do it on and conditioner is the place to splurge. Is that true?

So, this is a bit of a splurge, but so much better than split ends, broken hair shafts, and static flyaways. I used to have Bumble's Creme de Coco, but this new line is a lot lighter and doesn't weigh hair down once it's dried.

I just found this at Hip and Humble up in Sugar House. The initial attraction was due to the rabbit on the packaging, but it was the scent, which is like a buttery marshmallow, that hooked me. Actually, on the box it says it's supposed to smell like a mixture of lavender and mint julep. Is that what people think a rabbit smells like? I was using some Johnson's baby lotion for my hands at night and in the morning and I think it was making John sick. I guess he doesn't like the smell of babies. I switched to this and we're both a little happier. The whole Farm House Fresh line has lots of yummy scents - blueberry milk bath, caramel cream lotion, and whoopie pie hand cream!

Salty

2012-01-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

This is another of our efforts to play outside more this year. After stopping for a nutritious lunch of french fries and a raspberry cheesecake shake, we made our way to the Great Salt Lake.

One thing we discovered while wandering is that people entertain themselves with some interesting hobbies. There were a few groups of hunters shooting seagulls at the shore. There was another large group parked around a remote rock outcropping. We were very confused about why there were so many cars there, and where all the people were. We found them on the other side of the rock, driving remote controlled cars up large rocks. There were courses outlined with mini cones and several judges hovering with clip boards. There were no girls.

The trip wasn't as lovely as I had hoped. Salt Lake suffers from a murky layer of pollution during this time of year. Without any snow, the landscape is a rather uniform brown. The shoreline was littered with dead birds. We speculated about the source of the birds. John first said that they might be from the airport. Then we thought it might have been from the hunters. We later found out that the carcasses are from an outbreak of avian cholera in 2007.

Dinner afterwards consisted of hot chocolate to warm up and cinnamon waffles with creme fraiche and strawberries at Bruges.

Finally, we headed home, and curled up under blankets to watch "The Grocer's Son", a french film, mostly set in the French countryside. It confounded the often romanticized view of France: Paris, baguettes, striped boat-necks, and romantic trysts. Instead it focused on working class characters and dying towns filled with the elderly. We appreciated the honest view, and enjoyed the story of family conflicts and their simple life.

New Year

2012-01-11T07:00:00.016-07:00

I think we covered all the bases this year: good food, good friends, and family.

We started the night with dinner at Spicy Korea with John and Mary and their darling twins. There was luscious bulgolgi and bim bim bap.

We ended it with a visit to the Nashes and new baby Vaughn.

The next day we were invited to my cousin's house for Japanese food. New Year's day is a bigger celebration than New Year's Eve in a lot of Asian cultures. I loved the sashimi! I'm standing next to my Aunty Meg (in purple). She is amazing! She's turning 91 this year and she walks faster than I can and has flawless skin. She also bowls a 150. I hope I age as gracefully as she has.

Short Term Goodbyes

2012-01-10T08:26:00.001-07:00

A few group pictures in Denver before leaving to go back home.

Hans Brinker Style

2012-01-09T13:20:00.002-07:00

I'm working backwards with photos again. We went skating with the nephews and Sarah while we were in Denver. Correction, I went ice skating. John refuses to do anything that has the word skate in it, so he sat on the side lines and read a book. Mary was skating fast like a pro. I was slower, but still steady.

Nowadays they have these ingenious contraptions of bent metal so that the younger children can skate and not fall. I wish they had them when I was growing up. My mom made us take skating lessons so falling wasn't ever a problem, but still, it's scary on the ice when you're little. It's also scary if you're big according to John.

Fresh Air

2012-01-08T17:14:00.001-07:00

One of my constant yearnings is to be outside in nature. There is something so soothing to the soul to be surrounded by nothing but the quiet of plants and animals.

Saturday we finally got snow in Utah. It felt fresh and clean. We headed up the mountains on the east side of the valley and enjoyed the icy river, pine trees, and putting the first tracks down in the white terrain.

After the snowy tromp we headed to Trolley Square to check out the new Sam Weller's location and ran into the long lines for the Sundance film festival box office (totally forgot that was coming up). It was tempting to get some tickets, but neither of us really were motivated to queue up with the crowds. So, we pet the dogs that were there for adoption and browsed books instead. Dinner was a mixed kebab and shawarma at O'Falafel.

Later that night we watched Deeply, an old Kirsten Dunst movie that my sister and I had watched on TV once. The Nova Scotia setting was pretty, but that was about it. Neither of us could stomach the terrible accents. Overall we'll say it was indie before indie could be done well.

Pup Pup

2012-01-05T19:06:00.003-07:00

Last Day

2012-01-04T07:00:00.013-07:00

This was the day before I had to go back to work after the shortest public school winter vacation known on Earth. 6 days! Really?

Morning - Slept in until 10 and went out for bagels and yogurt at Einstein's. After we ate we took a short walk around the wetlands and met a mutt named Theodore that I was hoping we could steal.

Afternoon - unpacking from our trip, a little laundry, and organizing. John had a few hours of work to do. Our soundtrack consisted of the songs we downloaded from Sub pop as well as Molly's masterfully mixed CD.

Evening - we took a wooded walk (see how quickly I get stir crazy?) along a stream. There was a chestnut tree that dropped it's nuts all over the ground. I threw them at John. They were next to a fire that had been put out. I got a kick out of that for some reason. In the end we went to Maxwell's for some cheesy NY style pizza to warm up.

Trip to Little Tokyo

2012-01-03T07:00:00.002-07:00

This should really be called, What We Saw and All that We Ate There. My posts are going to be a little out of order as I have rolls of film half finished.

Back in November my parents planned a trip to J-town. The main point was that my mom wanted us and the nieces and nephews to learn more about our heritage through visiting the newly redone Japanese American History Museum in Los Angeles. The exhibit was super interesting and focused on the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United States, the years of internment during WWII, and the period afterward. Fortunately, (unfortunately?) some of us were intercepted in the very beginning of the museum by an elderly docent who had served in the U.S. 442nd Infantry Regiment. We heard stories, lots of stories that were fascinating, but in the end started to blend and weave through time. Our minds got a little clouded and we started running out of positions to shift our feet in so they wouldn't ache. I saw my dad look over out the of the corner of my eye. He paused to see who we were talking to and then hurried onto the next section, leaving us as prey for further story telling. Ah! I sound so terrible and ungrateful! It was good, really good! It just would have been better at the end of the exhibit rather than at the beginning. I kept telling Thaddy that this was an excellent primary source if any of the kids ever wrote a report on the events. We learned a lot and I will always remember those stories of sacrifice and service.

Hunkering Down

2012-01-01T18:45:00.001-07:00

One of the things I've been looking forward to the most after the holidays is nestling down in some blankets and not emerging until winter is over. That's not completely true because I get anxious if I'm inside for too long so I'm sure I'll punctuate the winter months with outdoor ramblings through sage brush and wooded glens. Also, this winter has been exceptionally mild so I may survive it better than I have in the past. For the down times though . . .

I would like to wear this top

and maybe these pants.

In this relaxed ensemble I would like to do the following:

1. Finish reading the last Harry Potter book and start a new book. I don't know exactly what to read next. I try to do a classic every other book I read, but that HP series has had me occupied for awhile. Suggestions have been Alloy of Law and Hunger Games (John), Girl with a Dragon Tattoo (Michelle), Sarah's Key (Mom), Far from the Madding Crowd, The Sound and the Fury, Jude the Obscure, Anna Karenina, and The Brother Karamazov. The last ones are books I have started but have not finished or have been on the to-read list for awhile.

2. Drink tea - It will be steaming cinnamon or mint herbal in the giant white mug that my sister got me for my wedding. I would be willing to venture out for a date at the Tea Grotto or the Beehive Tea Room. Sitting in a dark corner with Chinese lanterns hanging overhead, sipping water out of ruby colored Moroccan glassware, and leaning against silk pillows wouldn't be too strenuous.

3. Bake cinnamon sugar or gingerbread cookies and have them with my tea.

4. Watch some movies - we just finished season 2 of Downton Abbey so I need some thing to replace that until September.

5. Take long baths. I like my bathwater hot, as in practically burning the skin hot. I usually don't like candy sweet smelling bath soaks and prefer herbal concoctions. Give me some rosemary mint salts and a wash cloth to cover my face and it will be euphoric.

6. Gaze out of large windows onto a snowy forest scene. I dream of having a yard that bleeds into a pine forest with foxes and rabbits that peak out. This will not be fulfilled from the view of our own windows, but I had a taste of it visiting my in-laws in Colorado. I think we spent the better part of an hour watching a family of deer from the kitchen.

7. Sit down with my sketch book. I want to draw and color. I've been wanting some Prisma colored pencils. I also plan on rewriting my ornithology notes on birds of prey and illustrating them for birding adventures. We have an excellent area nearby for spotting hawks and kestrels.

8. Book a massage. Just because it would be awesome.

*Images from TOAST and J. Crew.

Dango

2011-12-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

A Japanese snack, introduced to me by my niece Lauren, made of rice flour and covered in a wonderfully savory sauce. I'm craving this right now!

Night Before Christmas

2011-12-30T12:35:00.001-07:00

Before I say anything, I want to mention that I do see all those horrid stripes on my photos. I think there's a annual curse at Walgreens where I get my Christmas pictures screwed up by their fickle machine. It's partly my fault because I get excited to see my photos and go to the fastest, cheapest place possible for processing. Next time, all the time, pro lab, PRO LAB MELINDA!!! Maybe I need to make that my New Year's resolution.

Back to happier things: Christmas Eve day was a shuffle of cooking (me - orange glaze for the yams and John eggnog), setting up, and wrapping presents. The LeSueur tradition is to have the major holiday festivities on Christmas eve. We had a delicious dinner, talent show where the nephews played piano pieces they have been working on, and the traditional carols that we play on Mary's set of custom made chimes. We were so good we almost rivaled the BYU bell tower! At least until the end.

Also, I've been binging so much on Downton Abbey lately that I got really excited to set the table for Christmas dinner. I started pretending to be Carson and tried to line the forks and spoons up at the proper distance from the table. Ha! Well, we had chargers and a lot of people, so it didn't quite have the same effect.

Music for your Merriment

2011-12-24T07:00:00.010-07:00

Are all your presents wrapped yet? We'll be wrapping like mad today since we had all our gifts shipped to Denver. Anyway, for us there's nothing better to wrap to than This American Life and some good tunes. Subpop Records (label for Mister Heavenly, Fleet Foxes, Low, Dum Dum Girls, and Papecuts to name a few) posted a playlist of 50 free downloads from some of their artists. Not all of them are favorites but there are some good ones. So far I'm liking things from track #16 and below as well as Papercuts above. You can get them all at once and start chillin' like a villain. Merry Christmas!

The last from Thanksgiving

2011-12-23T07:00:00.011-07:00

Wrong holiday, I know! I wanted to put the last few up before moving on to Christmas. And sometimes I think I would like to be a college student again, because our school district keeps making our vacations shorter and shorter, which makes it difficult when you have to travel. I am happy we'll be able to be with family for Christmas though. Let the vacation begin! Well, as soon as I teach a full day and grade that stack of late work papers.

Apple Pie

2011-12-22T07:00:00.004-07:00

My niece Claire learned how to make apple pie at a church activity so she shared her skills with the family at Thanksgiving.

Half of John's Life

2011-12-21T07:00:00.017-07:00

has been spent with his nose in a book.

Teen Spirit

2011-12-21T07:00:00.016-07:00

We went to a high school basketball game to support one of the former Young Women in our ward. She was one of the cheerleaders. In the last picture I was trying to peer pressure John like a cool kid. "Dude, everyone's doing it!"

Bird's Nest

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Mochilato

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Mochi stuffed with gelato? Heaven in a glutinous rice ball! They have a place in Little Tokyo that sells these and they are so good!

The Fat Spoon

2011-12-17T10:55:00.004-07:00

This is my niece Leah and me in L.A.'s J-town. We didn't eat here, but we both have an affinity toward rabbits. We tried to eat at the famed Daikokuya noodle shop, but it was super crowded. So, we had Mr. Ramen instead. It was still pretty good. During the meal Claire took pictures with her ugly meter app and I scored a 8.6 which is bad. John got near perfect (2.2). Hm. The prettiest of the bunch was my 15 year old nephew who got a .2 rating.

BCBG Dress

2011-12-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

Another example of one of those barely long enough purchases that turned into a fail when I tried to sit in it at church. I loved the origami-like pleats and subtle folding of this dress, but now it will get use from my niece Lauren.

Mori Family Pictures - offshoot

2011-12-15T07:00:00.002-07:00

My mom had a friend take family pictures while we were in San Diego. Funny thing is, a lot of people in my family like to take pictures, so everyone also brought their own cameras. While the photographer was doing her thing with various groupings, we did some impromptu shooting as well, just for fun and to pass the time. Beth took the one of me and John together.

Dusty Paperbacks

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've been swamped lately and I can tell it's definitely taken a toll on my photography. I realized I need to get out and shoot for me more often. I need to make time for it, like setting some Saturdays aside just for shooting, or weeks will go by I won't have picked up a camera. Then it starts to feel like part of me has been amputated. Anyway, I sent in some film (some of it shot back in February!) and got it back today. So, Valentines Day 2011. . .

Sam Weller's

1930's pulp fiction.

John looking bored, which is strange because bookstores are his happy place.

Savory rack of lamb at Em's.

Shades of Red

2011-12-13T07:00:00.006-07:00

All reds are not the same! Who ever thought the search for the perfect red coat would be so hard. Sometimes I think the universe is against me when it comes to finding the perfect one. Red, specifically true red or blue-red, has been a difficult color to come by these last few years. It also doesn't help that I'm very particular about coats in general. I like a nice quality wool that will actually keep me warm. I'm willing to invest, but the recent style are all the wrong color for me. There is a lot of poppy, orange red, coral, and cherry red out there right now, all of which I find a little too garish for myself.

Example: The J. Crew stadium cloth wool trench. Lovely style, great wool, but I ordered a petite size (my regular size sold out quickly!) and the arms were too short and the front barely buttoned. Also, the maraschino cherry color was too bright for me. This went back immediately.

Some better looks:

Kirsten Dunst in Chloe. This color is lovely on blonds. P.S. Have you seen the clip of Lars Von Trier's Nazi moment at Cannes? Kirsten Dunst looked like she wanted to disappear!

Kate Middleton. A lovely deep shade that's more up my alley.

Taylor Swift in crimson.

The Cherry Blossom Girl in a vintage number.

Visit to the Nash Home

2011-12-11T22:32:00.001-07:00

We stopped by for a short visit to see Angelica and her sweet new baby Vaughn. That boy is a bundle of sweetness and has a fabulous head of hair!

The Christmas Table

2011-12-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

Some festive linens I shot for Shabby Apple. Maybe it's the science teacher in me, but those atomic symbol cloth napkins are calling my name.

For the love of food

2011-12-09T09:48:00.004-07:00

I relate to this so much. Call it pride, perfectionism, a love of food, whatever:

"I am looking forward to going to parties where you have to bring food. Then you show up, and food destroy everyone. What does food destroy mean you ask? It means your food tastes better and looks better than what everyone else brought. You know it, and they all know it. The girl that brought the gross orange looking dip will stare you down because her casserole dish of nastiness is still in tact while your stuff is gone. This may seem childish and stupid, but whatever. Its my thing, and yes, I secretly judge you as a person for whatever food you bring to a party. So I encourage you all to go to parties with the intent to food destroy everyone." - Teri Lyn Fisher from Bacon Fork Spoon

By the way, food I am craving and hoping to eat this weekend:

Pad Priaw Waan from Bangkok Grill
Spicy pork bulgolgi from Spicy Corea, along with all those delicious sides (kimchi cucumbers, sprouts, the potatoes, THE POTATOES!!)
Blue Bunny cookies and cream ice cream - my Organic Chem professor, who was a retired chemist for Dupont, always told us that the best and creamiest ice creams were the slightly cheaper brands. None of this Breyers, Dreyers, Ben and Jerry's stuff.

Here's to food and cooking and eating well!

Partying Partying Yeah!

2011-12-06T10:35:00.001-07:00

I was highly amused by Garance's little comparison about parties today. I think I'm definitely more in the Parisienne category. How about you? I much prefer private little celebrations with close friends and bigger parties are alright if I have a gang with me. When I think of New York parties images of Holly Golightly and Mag Wildwood immediately pop up. A little loud, a little crazy with a bit of an aggressive shuffle to talk to millionaire Rusty Trawler. But, what do I know? I have never lived in either city, I've only visited. But one thing is for sure "ain't not party like a west coast party 'cause a west coast party don't stop" especially the Filipino parties . . . they are crazy.

Mori, The Gathering

2011-12-03T22:04:00.001-07:00

If you don't get that reference, that's probably a good thing. As I wait for my pictures to be developed and scanned, I thought I would post some from John's camera. And yes, it was magical.

Pie in the Sky Oh My!

2011-11-30T15:37:00.001-07:00

When you have seventeen people attending your family feast, all of whom have the ability to cook, you get an awesome variety of food! We had quite the dessert spread this year. There were two apple pies, a pumpkin, cherry cream cheese, buttermilk, and 7 layer bars all made from scratch and by hand (including all those incredible leaves on Beth's apple pie)! I was in dessert heaven. The downside is that when you have those same seventeen people to share with, the goods go fast and it can turn into a competition to get the last piece of your favorite pie. I gave John the buttermilk pie recipe I used earlier this month, and because it was a new pie to our family, it went quickly and John got all the praise. Maybe I was just a little jealous!

2011-11-28T22:27:00.002-07:00

We're back from visiting family in San Diego for Thanksgiving break . I finally took some pictures! They'll be sent off to the lab tomorrow. It was so gorgeous back home! 75 degree weather, green grass, ocean breezes, and hydrangeas in bloom. Each time I go back I realize how much I took all this for granted while growing up.

John will soon be leaving for a week long trip to Denver. He'll be staying with his dad while his mom flies to New York to be with my two sisters-in-law who are expecting soon (and due with in a week of one another!). I hate HATE being alone, partly because I get bored, but mostly because I get easily frightened at night when I'm by myself. No doubt I will take the kitchen knife set up to the bedroom with me each night. I wish I had our family's old wooden kendo sword. That would work too. I am thankful that John's work is so flexible and that it allows him to be with family. I just need to take some self defense classes, get an alarm system, and a firearms permit.

Primary Sources

2011-11-27T22:55:00.008-07:00

According to my interviews with several teenagers over the Thanksgiving break, the following things are not cool to the younger crowd:

Turtle Necks. Apparently wearing one to school is social suicide because it means you're either a weird nerd, weird Asian, or will "look like an old person".
Big Time Rush. A Nickelodeon show about the lives of some teens. They also have a band that is so terrible that even kids hate it.
Cos play. Short for costume play where people dress up as anime characters and hang out in costume. You have the option of either going all out or going "casual" The sample group was actually divided on this one.
Justin Bieber. I was surprised how much he was hated, even by the younger ones. Faces of pure disgust showed up as soon as his name was mentioned and some strongly believed that he did impregnate some lady.

On the flip side, some things that were heartily approved of included:

Bruno Mars, Selena Gomez, and the new stuff by *Maroon 5. These were mostly appreciated by the younger ones.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. If you don't play this you may not reach full manhood.
Japanese candy, Boba drinks, and ramen. This may be just because it is my family, but teenagers at my middle school and church also rave about Japanese candy (Hi-chew and Pocky).
Converse Chuck Taylors, low and hi tops. I think almost everyone at every age in my family has a pair. I almost packed my nieces because we have the same exact black low-tops that are severely worn-in. Also approved across the ages: Lord of the Rings. We watched Two Towers and Return of the King and played our tradition round of LTR Monopoly.

*Any time Maroon 5 is mentioned, all I can think of is this SNL skit which incidentally features Natalie Portman. Click here to download.

Snaps

2011-11-23T09:04:00.003-07:00

Random, and obviously poor quality, pictures we pulled off of John's I-pod.

Christmas 2010. The dress I loved but didn't keep.

Skirt that didn't win John's approval.

Haircut I liked off an H&M Poster at the mall.

A book John thought of reading.

Cholo John.

Bed and linens I liked at the Emporium. And . . .

Christmas 2010 My Melody dance with Leah's hat and fur vest.

Looking through these we noticed that apple gadgets seem to be most useful to us when shopping, especially in dressing rooms. Or in John's case, waiting outside the dressing room for reading to assuage boredom.

YW in Excellence

2011-11-22T22:30:00.001-07:00

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt."

I can't say enough how much I love working with the Young Women in my ward. I was in charge of putting together the Evening in Excellence program this year and it went so smoothly thanks to help from very supportive members of the presidency as well as girls that are willing to read parts and dress up as Dorcas, Esther, Ruth, and Abish.

Yesterday

2011-11-18T09:32:00.001-07:00

Nay:

Fire Drill and lost teaching time
Standing outside in 40 degree weather with crazy wind and thousands of kids while the drill finishes
Feces of the canine kind. In the classroom. The stench and the chaos. Gross.
Seeing the horror on women's faces after I dropped and cracked open a nice bottle of OPI at the nail salon.
Seeing some of that nail polish splash on my jeans and the rest splatter all over the floor.

Yea:

Being able to pay kids in Jolly Ranchers to clean up poo
A sparkly aubergine color on my toes
Being dipped in paraffin wax on a cold day
Delicious red curry, roasted coconut juice, and mango sticky rice at Bangkok Grill
Happy and uplifting conversations with Angelica and Laura

J. Crew Holiday Catalog 2011

2011-11-16T12:23:00.005-07:00

Lately I've been trying to create Christmas gift lists for others. Not only is this helpful to avoid the end of December shopping rush, but it's also good so I don't get into the selfish/materialistic me, me, me mode when it comes to presents. Funny how that's a weakness for all ages. I do love Christmas, family time and the warm feelings it brings, but it makes me a little sick to see all the reckless spending. I sometimes wish for a simpler holiday where everyone gets just a few thoughtful things. John and I have been musing with the idea of giving our future children 3 gifts only: a book, an item of clothing, a toy, and then stocking stuffers of candy and other kitsch.

Ah, anyway, I digress. In juxtaposition to the above sentiments, I also wrote this to confess I always get super excited when the J.Crew Holiday catalog comes out. I save them every year because, growing up in Southern California, I struggle with putting together winter outfits and the catalog gives me some good inspiration. So, I indulged myself a little and made a list of favorites.

Still looking for the perfect red coat. Maybe this will be it?

I need some long sleeved shirts for work. I'm liking the polka dots, tartan, and the gingham, but in black.

These are my colors! Yay! I'm talking about black, white, red, navy, and grey. I'm also trying to like shocking pink, but I haven't found much in that color. It's one of the few pinks that are supposed to look good on cool tones.

These are pretty!

LeSueur Family Pictures

2011-11-10T07:00:00.006-07:00

John's Dad just sent us a copy of the family pictures we had taken back in July while we were in Jackson Hole. Carrie Patterson was our photographer.

Toys

2011-11-09T07:00:00.013-07:00

"Candy apple" red laquer, sleek and sexy: the limited edition Pentax 645D Japan. This camera is hot stuff, at least in the looks category. I haven't found a reviewer that's actually tested it yet. It's also supposed to be a relative bargin ($9,995).

I think these Lomography La Sardina toy cameras are cute and would be a perfect niece, nephew, or friend gift. They take 35mm film which can be developed at your local Walgreens. Here's a review.

The SoCal mantra they taught us in elementary school: reduce, reuse, recycle. Film USB drives.

Jed, Tanei, and Nohea

2011-11-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

John took all of these pictures. I took three. Things got started late and it got too dark for my film. Blast! Must buy some Portra 800. Jed, Tanei, and Nohea were so cute though and fall was at its peak down by the lake. There was a halo of gold over everything.

After pictures we had the most awesome dinner together at Spicy Corea. Soo good! Food coma just thinking about this meal! Then it was back to the Henry home where we got to see Jed's chocosaurus collection, borrow some good anime DVDs, and corrupt Nohea with the Japanese 80's version of the little mermaid. That was my doing. It was one of my favorites as a kid. Nope, no sea shells.

My New Hair, A Bird's Nest

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Although I do like long hair sometimes, I don't have long hair pride. When it gets unhealthy or I get bored, I'm pretty willing to go for the chop. I was growing my hair out for the Queen of Hearts costume so I could put it up fancy like, but that didn't work out. So, off it went.

Son of a Preacher Man

2011-11-06T07:00:00.006-07:00

JP's gift to Angelica at her baby shower. I think you can only find those in Utah!

Parisian Pinks

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

A surprise gift from my mom a few weeks ago. It made me feel loved. My mother loves flowers and is super picky about arrangements and filler (e.g. she hates generics like fern and baby's breath). My siblings and I are thinking of sending her to do a flower design course here. I wish I lived closer so I could take it with her!

The Wind in the Willows

2011-11-03T07:00:00.009-06:00

John on a walk along the Draper Willow Creek Trail.
I have a nephew named Thaddeus inspired by the name of the main character in the title book.

Queen of Hearts

2011-11-01T07:00:00.018-06:00

So, like I said, nothing too fancy for Halloween this year. I mostly really wanted the Ban.do headband and thought it would be great for Valentine's day as well! I used clothing and make-up I already owned, made a tiny heart scepter with paint and glitter from the local craft store, and bought cheap accessories at Claire's Boutique. I did try to get my hair up in some kind of a sophisticated updo, but I failed. My hair is obnoxiously thick and often breaks pony tail holders. I'm lucky if I can get it to stay in a ponytail.

Frosting

2011-10-31T10:46:00.000-06:00

John has been cooking a lot lately. I know I don't give him enough credit for his efforts. Last week he made the cinnamon cream cheese frosting for the pumpkin cake we took to the Whipple's Halloween get together. Here is the recipe. The cake was a success and John said it was good, even though he normally hates all things pumpkin.

Have a happy Halloween! My costume was pretty low key since I had to be able to teach in it. In otherwords, it couldn't be too crazy because I had to maintain my status as authority figure in the classroom and the kids get hyped up as it is today. There's a Halloween dance after school and it's my 7th graders first dance ever. They're anxious and excited. These years are so awkward! NPR did a recent episode on Middle School and I'll be listening to it today.

Sparkles

2011-10-30T07:00:00.009-06:00

Some dressy earrings I shot for Shabby Apple. They should be up for purchase soon and would probably look great with Shabby Apple's new holiday dress line, Tinsel Town, that will be unveiled at the beginning of November. I tried to make these backgrounds a little richer in tone to match the upcoming festive season.

Also, if you live in Utah, Shabby Apple is having a trunk show where you can try on the holiday dresses and also purchase imperfect dresses at a steal!

Shabby Apple Trunk Show:

When: Thursday November 3, 2011, 11am-7pm
Where: Holliday City Building, Little Cottonwood Room
4580 South 2300 East, Holiday Utah

Halloween Countdown: Activities

2011-10-28T07:00:00.009-06:00

If you're not feeling it, you've got just a couple days left. Here are a few things to do to put you in the Halloween spirit:

The Traditional:

Hayride - I just like the horses.
Corn maze - I've never really enjoyed these.
Haunted houses
Apple picking
Buy or make a costume - here are some of my ideas. I decided to stop fighting the color wheel (I looked terrible one year with as Alice with a blond wig!) and went with things that could meld well with raven tresses and my skin tone.
Pumpkin or apple foods and desserts - I always go for a Pumpkin Smash Jamba Juice and have been trying some of these recipes.
Drive to take in the fall leaves

The Adventurous:

Tell ghost stories in a creepy place - a graveyard at night, in the forest, castle park. Include candles and hot chocolate.
Visit haunted places - old houses, caves, etc. Bring a flashlight or lantern, fingerless gloves, and a hoodie. In Portugal we visited an old manor in Sintra (Quinta de Regaliera) that has creepy underground semi-aquatic caves that are related to Masonry. In San Diego you can find writing from Satanist cults in the large sewer tunnels. Sewer tunnels are unsafe though and too scary for me.
Star gaze while reading the myths behind the constellations. Hot chocolate, cider, blanket.
Fall picnic - thermos of soup, crusty bread, cheese, apples, and cinnamon cookies. Wear cozy sweaters and boots.Take some pictures that look like these by one of my favorite commercial photographers.

LASTLY:

For the whole shebang: Go trick-of-treating with some kids! But don't join a group of kids you don't know. It is likely you will induce stranger danger fear and you may end up getting chased out by angry parents. Also, don't ask for candy at doorsteps (the wrong kind of nerd) and don't dress up in a white sheet with eye holes and a pointy top . That happened at a Utah high school last year.

* I was hoping to put up a more artistic photo, but since I wasn't feeling very well last week, we never made it out to the forests, orchards, fields, etc. So, this picture from last year's pumpkin patch will have to suffice.

Baby Nash

2011-10-26T21:12:00.001-06:00

We had an intimate little baby shower dinner for Angelica at La Dolce Vita in Provo. We used to eat there a lot when we were all single college girls and the restaurant is owned by a cute little Italian lady who calls us bella and smiles sweetly. Angelica is looking lovely and we're all getting excited to meet this little boy!

I have some more pictures on the BW roll, but couldn't resist putting a few up for now.

October Snows

2011-10-24T07:00:00.002-06:00

We went looking for fall leaves this month and ran into snow instead. The mist and clouds were shifting around like crazy and I swear Saruman was sending out storms to get us. Many spies have many eyes.

Days Off

2011-10-23T12:28:00.004-06:00

This fall break wasn't the most fun. We didn't travel anywhere or do anything adventurous, but that ended up being for the best. I did get to spend time with John, eat some good food, and rest a lot which are some things that are comforting and for which I can be grateful.

Sunday Walks

2011-10-22T12:07:00.000-06:00

For when I get restless from being inside all day and just need a breath of fresh air, alfalfa fields, horses, and Canada geese. Sometimes when we walk we also come across big houses. I wonder what life is like for those families: how the parents interact with their children, what they talk about, and what they had for Sunday dinner.

Halloween Countdown: Music

2011-10-19T07:00:00.001-06:00

Some October feeling music. Click on the titles to see videos.

1. Ghost Town - The Specials

2. Dead Man's Bones. Many of their songs will do the trick. Try Name in Stone and Dead Hearts (thanks Molly for the introduction!)

3. Mongrel Heart - Broken Bells

4. Crooked Teeth - Death Cab for Cutie

5. The Dark of the Mantinee - Franz Ferdinand

6. Cemetery Gates - The Smiths

Halloween Countdown: Movies

2011-10-16T12:41:00.001-06:00

I'm not good at watching really scary movies. I think it's because my imagination runs wild, especially when I'm alone. I tend to steer towards movies with a Gothic feel rather than a terrifying one for Halloween. Here are some that I like:

Sleepy Hollow

A favorite.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Cute and I like the dieselpunk theme.

The Crucible

High school English memories.

The Craft

Teen angst.

The Woman in Black

This one isn't out yet, but I'm curious to see how Daniel Radcliffe does in a role other than Harry Potter. But, it might be too scary for me.

I also think I need to watch some Hitchcock. I haven't seen any. I know that is lame. Any movie suggestions for a whimp like myself?

Lindseth Family

2011-10-14T07:00:00.003-06:00

John knows Whitney back from his days at BYU. After our first few dates, John would head over to talk to Whitney at the Fish Bowl to do some post date analysis. I'm guessing the conclusion was good because we were engaged a few months later. Whitney is now married to Shawn and they have a super cute family with two pretty much perfectly behaved children. I think I need to go to Whitney for wardrobe consultation when my own family gets their pictures taken. I loved the color palette she created for her family's outfits!

Berkley and Sovie

2011-10-13T08:50:00.001-06:00

My scans came in today! I need to go through them, but I wanted to put this little preview up. Whitney and Shawn have some superbly cute kids!

*I am loving the colors of Kodak 400 VC when processed and scanned professionally. Too bad it has been discontinued! I'll be saving my last 3 rolls for our next session.

Halloween Countdown: Books

2011-10-12T13:36:00.004-06:00

I really like Halloween. I used to think it was because of the costumes, but honestly I never had a really good one since my ballerina fairy get-up in kindergarten. So, I don't really know why I like it. Maybe it's just the time of year. I've always liked fall. In honor of the upcoming holiday I thought I'd do a few themed posts.

First, The Gates, by John Connolly. A great young adult fiction book that ties in quantum mechanics with Halloween, precocious children, and a loyal dachshund. As we were talking about atomic theory today in my science class, I had to bring up this book.

As John has written in his review, "The Gates has a very light tone. The author uses the well known British humo(u)r to keep a story about Hell, demons, and the end of the world, appropriate to younger kids. The same humo(u)r might make you laugh out loud."

Other favorite Halloween books: The Collected Workds of Edgar Allan Poe and the second chapter of The Last of the Very Great Whangdoodles, by Julie Andrews.

Success

2011-10-10T10:46:00.002-06:00

Good news! We busted out our cameras this weekend. Hallelujah! It's been too long! I am also expecting files of the family pictures we took for Whitney a couple weeks ago.

I think one way to solve my shooting dilemma is to get a purse that can hold my flash and film. Since we both work, we don't get out much during the day. Most of our activities are at night and having a place to store the hunk of plastic when we go out would be encouraging. I am really loving the looks of *this bag and think it would do the job nicely.

The second problem is that I can never make up my mind about which camera to take with me. The 35mm Pentax with color film? The 35mm Pentax with BW film? The Mamiya with medium format film? Ahhh!

*Update: took a look at this in person at the store and it was pretty ugly. First, it was too big for me. The elastic top looked cheap, and the leather made it look like an elephant's foot. I can cross this item off my wish list.

Sukiyaki and Cupcakes

2011-10-08T15:18:00.001-06:00

Living in a different state than the rest of my family, I often find myself missing my mom's homemade cooking, especially her Japanese food. On Friday, my food dreams were fulfilled when we went over to have Sukiyaki (Japanese hot pot) at the Henry's home with Jed, Tanei, and Bryce. The broth was "aged" and delicious as it marinated the leeks, beef, tofu, and cabbage. It was the perfect dinner for the cold weather and snow flurries we've had recently. I was so into my food and the conversations, that I neglected to take any pictures, but here is a poorly exposed one of the cupcakes I brought. These were the ones I baked for a church activity back in August, but I made the same Cake Doctor Strawberry Cream Cheese recipe for that night. Nohea loved the cream cheese frosting and ate off the tops. She is darling!

Tilt Your Head

2011-10-03T15:34:00.000-06:00

Photo by Aaron Ruell for T-Mobile.

Remember the days when you used to get school pictures? Everyone was so excited and then when they passed out the packets everyone had to say how much they hated theirs. "Oh, I look so gross!" and "Yours are good, mine are ugly!" Today it was my job to distribute those paper envelopes with the crispy plastic windows to my two hundred 7th graders. Unfortunately, as a teacher, they make you take a picture too! I love how I'm not even centered. And someone tell me, why don't they use those awesome backgrounds anymore? Laser beams behind the head!

A need to shoot

2011-10-01T09:40:00.001-06:00

Ever since school started I haven't really picked up my cameras. It's kind of driving me crazy and invokes feelings of guilt and longing. I have been gathering some foggy ideas of things I'd like to try, but have lacked the time, energy, and circumstances to carry them out. I am hoping to shoot more often.

The thing taking me away from my cameras is teaching. In a way, I don't really mind this and it kind of lessens the remorse of not shooting. I am truly and honestly loving teaching this year. My students are incredibly smart, funny, and hard working. Their respect and love has made me want to work hard for them, even when I am grading all their late work on a Saturday. I come home from school these days and declare to John that I am enamoured with my kids and I can't stop talking about them. I don't think I've ever had a year quite like this in my career. I feel so blessed and grateful for the opportunity to teach.

Weekends

2011-09-30T11:33:00.002-06:00

Last weekend was super busy, but one of the best I've had.

The busy part - I had a three day conference in Salt Lake for school. I had to prepare sub plans for two days. One day was Saturday. It's always a bit disappointing to work a full week and have to go in on the weekend, and then grade papers when you get home.

On a positive note, it was a very uplifting conference! The whole thing focused on PLC's - Professional Learning Communities. It's the new movement in education right now that focuses on the belief that every student can learn. The steps to achieve this are a lot more complicated than it sounds, but I won't go into it now. My school has been doing a lot with implementing this through for the last several years.

The best part - My parents came to town and stayed with us! It was my dad's 50th high school reunion for Jordan High. As you may know, the original school is now a movie theater. He had a lot of fun and was called up to give a surprise speech because he was senior class president. Afterward we all met up at Cafe Trio for dinner.

My mom and I also were able to attend the General Relief Society Meeting together at the conference center down town. It was wonderful and so fun to be there with my mother! While we were at the meeting, John and my Dad went to see Money Ball. Brad Pitt's character is an alumni of my old high school in San Diego.

The best part of the weekend though was that John and I were able to go to the Oquirrh Mountain temple with my parents to perform sealings for my mother's side of the family. My mother was also able to be sealed to her deceased parents. I cannot accurately describe the warm and joyful feelings in the room at the time, but it was one of the most special experiences of my life. I loved my grandparents and am so happy that we will be with them forever.

As you can see, I didn't take any pictures.

This weekend I'm going to try to take it easy, watch General Conference, grade like crazy to get my gradebook updated for parent teacher conferences next week, eat some wings (I don't know why I'm craving this lately!), and watch old episodes of *The Secret Life of the American Teenager on netflix.

*This had a little to do with the dress code post. Teenage pregnancies worry me. There was a discussion in one of the episodes about how dressing sexy as a teen is asking for sex and John and I spent an evening talking about setting rules, teaching, and approaching teenagers about such things.

Bikinis, Beards, and Leggings

2011-09-29T07:52:00.010-06:00

Since I am a teacher and leader of the youth in my church and a middle school teacher by profession, questions of modesty probably pop up in my head more often than most people.

At school, as teachers, we are required to enforce a dress code. I am not the best at this, not because I don't think it's important but because my mind if usually occupied by the behavior and learning of the students. Also, my science tables are long and tall and have solid fronts so I can't really see what kids are wearing below the waist when they're sitting in my class. I need to be better at catching these things. I also wonder sometimes how parents let their children come to school dressed the way they are. John thinks that some parents don't understand the line between dressing their middle school aged student as a child and a tween/teen.

At church on the other hand, I have often been in charge of lessons on modesty and reminding the girls of the standards our church has in place. From a young age, youth in our church are given pretty specific guidelines.

At BYU, which is a private school owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, there is also a dress code. It includes similar dress and appearance standards to those I have linked to above, but there are some others. Bikinis are prohibited as well as facial hair for men. Last winter, when John and I were visiting the campus with family, they also had a new rule emblazoned on a 52" flat screen TV hanging from the ceiling of the Wilkinson center: "Leggings are NOT pants!" I think this means that if the top you're wearing wouldn't be OK (long enough) without the leggings then it's not alright? I'm not sure.

As I am no longer a student, I hadn't thought about the college dress code in awhile. I've compared it to the other two modestly guidelines and it occasionally creates questions in my mind when the topic comes up in church lessons.

If you went to BYU, how important do you feel the dress standards of the honor code are for you now that you've graduated? Were they only for that specific time and place of college? Do you still follow them? Should these same standards apply to the youth of the church?

If you didn't go to BYU, what do you think about dress and appearance rules?

Bees Game

2011-09-26T21:19:00.002-06:00

Back in August we participated in the traditional summer event of attending a ball game. I miss attending San Diego Padre games with my Dad and other family members. Watching the Bees, Salt Lake's minor team, was interesting. It was definitely a different type of game, but being with friends and eating smothered hot dogs made it memorable. JP loves minor league games because she used to hawk for Fresno's team when she was a teenager. Now she brings her little guy and husband.

More Denver Trip

2011-09-23T07:00:00.003-06:00

I'm craving that apple pancake at this very minute.

German Pancake for One

2011-09-22T07:00:00.002-06:00

Sometimes, during the summers and on the weekends, I make breakfast just for me.

JP's belated Birthday celebration

2011-09-21T07:00:00.008-06:00

Angelica and I celebrated with JP for her belated birthday party at The Bayou in downtown Salt Lake. With the three of us scattered in different cities and in slightly different phases of life it's difficult to coordinate our schedules these days, but we made it work finally! I had blackened catfish and the three of us shared deep friend Twinkies with raspberry sauce and ice cream for dessert. I've never had that before. Someone told us they now sell fried butter at state fairs. Gross.

*These are some very flashy pictures (dim lighting+high ceilings + bounce flash)

Pilgrimage to Provo

2011-09-20T07:00:00.007-06:00

Weekend drive down to Provo for a haircut with Pat at Shep's Studio. I've been going to the same place since my Junior year in college.

Afterward we had dinner at Mountain West Burrito, as suggested by Pat. They use all fresh local grown and organic ingredients. Best quality beef I've ever had in Mexican food. It was so tender that the chimichanga practically melted in my mouth.

Lazy Saturday

2011-09-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

At least it was for John. I had one of those days when it feels like the world is against me. It ended on a good note though as we went to visit with the Ridge family in Provo for a barbeque and homemade strawberry ice cream. I think we always leave gatherings with Uncle Bobby a little more intelligent as we get lessons on dark matter, twin stars with planets, and the size of the sun.

September 11th Memorial at Sandy City

2011-09-17T16:21:00.002-06:00

Last Sunday, John and I visited the special September 11th Memorial that is put up each year in Sandy. My friend Camille had mentioned taking her family as part of a boy scout project and we thought it would be a fitting way for us to commemorate the day. The field in front of the Sandy City offices is covered with flags which each represent at life that was lost on 9/11. Tied to each flag is a name and short life story about the person. It was a very touching experience and helped make the event more personal for both of us.

How to Be A Hipster

2011-09-16T13:28:00.000-06:00

I'm thoroughly enjoying these posts found via Jonathan Canlas on facebook.

Colorful Things

2011-09-14T10:03:00.003-06:00

Pictures of some cheerful headbands I photographed for Shabby Apple. You can get them here!
I just ordered some dresses from their site for my sister and myself. I can't wait to get them!

Abstract Expressionism

2011-09-12T07:00:00.004-06:00

Two prints scanned from a project done when I was taking my photography class. The directions were to use the work of Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind, and Minor White as inspiration, shoot digital files, and then convert them to black and white using only Adobe Light room. Needless to say, I was way out of my comfort zone with this one. I don't have much practice with seeing things with an abstract eye, but it was good to be challenged. I also didn't get all my files off the school computers after finals and only have a couple prints and the unedited files left from this set of pictures.

Happy Trees

2011-09-09T07:00:00.005-06:00

Bob Ross Stencil. Goshen, Utah.

Academia!

2011-09-08T07:00:00.028-06:00

Shabby Apple's new fall line of dresses, skirts, and blouses came out yesterday! I have my eye on a good number of them that I think are darling and will work well for teaching, church, dates, and everyday wear. The campus photo shoot creates the perfect mood for the season and the green house pictures remind me of the Harry Potter mandrake scene. Speaking of which, my friend Jen found a recipe for Butterbeer!You bet I'll be trying that soon!

Quick question: Can I pull off that apple green color? I wonder if the yellow-ish tones of that particular shade of green would make my yellow-ish toned skin look sallow. Opinions? Usually I try and stick with blue-greens.

Surprise Trip to Denver

2011-09-07T07:00:00.032-06:00

For Labor Day weekend John and I took a spur of the moment trip to Denver as a surprise to John's parents for their 40th wedding anniversary. It was fun to have the whole family together again. We ate a lot of delicious food (probably too much!), I combed and braided a lot of Barbie hair, and we got to talk and relax with some of the people we love the most.Unfortunately, our trip was short and we didn't get as many pictures as we would have liked. These are the few that John managed to take.

We stayed at John's older sister, Stephanie' house the night we flew in. In the morning everyone met at the *Original Pancake House for the big surprise. John's mom was so happily shocked she ran across the parking lot when she first glimpsed Carl and CK.

Then we ate a lot of good breakfast food! Apple pancakes, eggs Benedict, bacon, lemon poppy seed blueberry compote Belgian waffles.

And omelets. I could eat breakfast food for every meal.

I played with my niece Sarah and did a new hairstyle for each of her Barbies. She seems to think I'm good at this (kids have that way of making you feel cool) when in reality I can't even do my own hair any other way besides straight. I had short hair my whole life until I was 21. .

John taught our nephew, Matthew how to download Linux and other computer science geek stuff.

Other things which we didn't capture: More hanging out time and the wonderful anniversary celebration dinner at a steak house down town.

I've realized that since my photo class ended, and teaching started again, I haven't picked up my cameras very much. I've been creating lesson schedules and writing worksheets, memorizing 200 + names and faces, and trying to fit in exercise and homemade dinners in between. Then I've been passing out at night with Harry Potter clutched in my hands. This is no excuse though! Maybe I just need to start bringing my littlest camera to school and somehow avoid taking pictures of any of the kids' faces.

*It was not IHOP. After the recent shooting and recalling the opening scene of Pulp Fiction I'm starting to wonder about the safety of such places. But then again, just the words pancake house bring golden buttery rays of warmth to my soul.

Proud Flesh

2011-09-05T18:18:00.000-06:00

During my photography class I was researching contemporary photographers to imitate for an assignment and came across Sally Mann's recent project. The intimacy and tone in all her pictures is amazing, but I am especially fascinated by the wet plate collodion process that she used for these images. When I asked my teacher if any of the photo major classes at SLCC taught this process, she informed me that certain steps were combustible and that the school doesn't do it. I find the dark room and working with negatives, liquid chemical trays, and paper so relaxing. I wish very much that I had my own little studio to make prints and get lost in for a little while each day.

*Click image for source.

The Westover Family

2011-08-30T07:00:00.007-06:00

Earlier in the summer, John and I took some pictures at the Westover family reunion. There were a lot of people and everyone was super friendly, even when we had to shout and pantomime over a raucous Battle of the Bands that was playing at the park that day. I work with Camille (3rd and 6th picture) in our church's Young Women program and she is such a strong, sweet, and amazing woman. We had a blast riding the bus up together up to camp and we were even bunk mates in the cabins. The families pictured are her husband's parents and siblings.

In case you are interested, we had to change our prices since photo lab and film prices have increased. BUT, we have also created a new economy option. See the photography site for more details.

Tahoe: Huge Family Dinners

2011-08-29T07:00:00.002-06:00

This is the last of the vacation pictures. Since this was a reunion with the extended family, we got together at night for food and games. It was a BIG crowd. My Dad is the youngest of eight. All these pictures are a bit noisy since John used ISO 1600 on all of them with no flash. I am wishing I took them on BW film.

Auntie Meg. It was her 90th birthday this year and the reunion was held in her honor as she is the oldest living member of the Mori family. She is amazingly spry and can walk faster than me!

The older generation.

One of the nights the kids made homemade ice cream.

James let me taste some

The second night we had a program that honored Auntie Meg.

My father with some of my aunts and uncles who came.

We played a mean game of Disney Apples to Apples. Hannah Montana was the trump card.

Andre with his "adoptive" daughters. We were trying to make the kids choose between us and the Soto family. Andre started promising things like large weapons, puppies, and hefty allowances and John was not paying attention to the bids, so I think we lost.

Shooting at Sunset

2011-08-26T07:00:00.010-06:00

The fields near our house. I can't say this enough, but I love the natural contrast that film captures as well as the subtle values of color.

On the Water

2011-08-25T06:46:00.001-06:00

A few more from this shoot from my final project of Rachel Baker dancing in the Great Salt Lake.

Goodbye Summer!

2011-08-24T07:00:00.019-06:00

I had a really good summer vacation this year - photography class, two family reunions, hiking, Girl's Camp, picnics, reading, outdoor adventures, and lots of good food. Today is the official end for me as I head back for teacher meetings and classroom prep. I want to try really hard to stay positive this year. Last year was difficult for a number of reasons but I'm excited to make this the best year I've had so far. Since I started reading Harry Potter (I'm on the 3rd book now), I decided I want to be Professor McGonagal, stern but concerned, and find myself wishing my school was a prep school with dormitories, common rooms, main halls for dinning and the whole deal.

Picnic at Big Springs

2011-08-23T07:00:00.006-06:00

As I've mentioned before, I love Big Springs! I love that there is water everywhere there that keeps the vegetation along the trail super lush. Jp, Brian, their baby Izzy, Angelica, and John joined us for lunch from Harmon's deli. Angelica brought her famous Mexican chair. After eating we enjoyed a hike and caught a ton of butterflies which I hope to spread, pin, and put into shadow boxes.

The Hills are Alive . . . with something

2011-08-22T07:00:00.002-06:00

These are out of focus and blurry, but I promised to put them up for some laughs.

Tahoe: Lounging at The North Star Resort

2011-08-19T07:00:00.036-06:00

The cabin my family stayed in was part of a series of houses that had access to a nearby resort.

James and Dave played tennis.

Andre made everyone under the umbrella read aloud to him. Here Thaddeus reads the first chapter of Harry Potter with much gusto. I've finally started reading the series. I've rebelled all these years.

Pentax ZX-5, f1.4 lens,Kodak Ektar 100. Developed at Nichols and scanned at Walgreens.

Tahoe: Day at the Lake

2011-08-18T07:00:00.056-06:00

Now on to the next event. During the Mori family reunion we spent a day down by the lake. The water was a lovely shade of blue, albeit freezing cold. Most of us wadded around waist deep until everyone decided jet skiing would make things a lot more fun. My mom, of all people, decided to join in the fun. If you know my mom at all, she doesn't like the water and doesn't own a bathing suit despite growing up in Hawaii. John took her out and said he heard her giggle!

The beach front in Tahoe is small because most of the shoreline is privately owned by various residences and resorts. We liked Sandy beach because it had a lot of shady pine trees.

I think every Latter Day Saint girl on the continental US must have seen or have owned this suit from Down East. I do love it though because 1) It's a modest tankini - I have a very long torso and one pieces give me constant hunch back and wedgies 2) The straps are attached to the top, not detachable - having a small chest actually makes it so swim tops fall down easily. I have many an embarrassing beach story to prove it 3) This specific color combo reminded me of Blues Clues.

I had to wear my converse in the water and sand to avoid pain from the uneven ground.

My sweet nieces: Claire, Lauren, and Leah.

During the lake activities, I was a little left out because I couldn't really get all the way in the water or ride the jet ski comfortably because of my broken toe. I mostly snacked, read my nephew's book, and chatted to anyone who happened to stay on the shore with me. In better news, I'm finally able to take off the ugly boot! I wore pointed flats on Sunday. I tried shoving my foot into some heels but pain soon followed. John thinks I'm vain, but in my defense, a shorter girl like me could use the extra height and some items of clothing, namely pencil skirts just don't look good with flats.

Shot on my Pentax ZX-5 with a f1.4 lens on Kodak Ektar 100. I had the film developed with the batch I took into Nichols for my final. I took the final negatives and scanned them on SLCC machines and they turned out OK. I then took these negatives home and scanned them on our home scanner and they turned out horrible! So, today I took them into Walgreens and they turned out a lot better. Now, I just wish they would up their scanning resolution and I'd be on my way!

Jackson on Film: Barbeque on the Fourth

2011-08-17T07:00:00.046-06:00

The innkeepers put on a delicious barbeque for everyone staying at the Bentwood on the Fourth. It was such a beautiful setting. Afterward only Stephanie's family ended up going to see the fireworks. I think everyone else was too wasted from the intense Yellowstone Excursion the day before to go out.

Random side story of how I'm a bad aunt. The reason why Sarah had to change out of her cute flag skirt was my fault. Being the nature lover that I am, while wandering around the house with Sarah we found a robin's egg that I thought we could clean off and save. I had Matthew (my nephew) grab us some Q-tips. I filled a cup with soapy water so that we could get the yolk material off the inside of the shell. The Q-tip ended up being pretty nasty, so I asked Sarah to pick up a napkin that looked like it had blown onto the grass. The egg crumbled so we threw it away, but a few minutes later Matthew and I noticed Sarah had brown goo on her hands and skirt. Turns out someone was too lazy to pick up after their dog and threw the napkin on it instead. Sarah ended up changing, and we put another napkin on the soiled grass in case the person decided to go back and clean up. Another person was fooled soon after and ended up with a hand full of dog poo napkin. That, my friends, is why you should pick up after your dogs and also why you probably shouldn't trust me with your children.