Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Check this out
I like to make stuff, so click here to see my latest efforts in "craftiness". I'd love it if you'd take a look!
Soon...
How do you make your cluttered-up little college student bathroom look neater... and homey-er? I found the answer :) Pictures/explanation to come soon
It's no secret
that I like to make things. So this little blog is dedicated to the stuff I like to make and to get ideas for other things. I'd love it to get more links of good craft/sewing blogs and websites--I'm always up for something new, and I plan on this summer being a creative one!
Easter table runner
Take a little bit of this...
Add this,
and voila!
PS: I kind of stole this idea from some random blog. But hey, if they post a tutorial it's cause they want people to copy it!
Add this,
and voila!
PS: I kind of stole this idea from some random blog. But hey, if they post a tutorial it's cause they want people to copy it!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Lydia the accordionist
Here's something you may not know about me:
I've always had a fascination for... unconventional instruments. This may not be anything out of ordinary except that first you need to realize where I come from.
My father is a flutist turned professional opera singer and my mother a classical flutist. My second sister is a cellist, the third one plays piano, the fourth one is learning the flute. Also, my paternal grandmother was a concert pianist with a gold medal from the conservatory of Rome, one of my dad's sisters is a pianist/organist/harpsichordist (bet you didn't know people still play the harpsichord eh?) and the other one is a harpist/musical theory teacher. And my dad's two brothers are respectively a base and baritone (and my dad's a tenor) but they don't sing for a living (although the have the skill level to do so if they wanted to).
Moral of the story, you can imagine the kind of music we listened to growing up.
I had my phase with the harp (with my harpist aunt as teacher), and later the piano (with my pianist aunt as teacher), but never really got very involved in music. It's not that I hated music or anything, I just did NOT want to go the way everybody else had gone (I credit that to teenage rebellion...). Nor did I want the lifestyle and especially the paycheck of a musician. I'm sure I'll regret it someday. Actually, what I regret most is that my father never taught me how to sing.
But you know what they say: "les enfants du cordonnier sont toujours les plus mal chausses" (the shoemaker's children are always the worst shod).
ANYWAY
My whole family made fun of me when I decided I wanted to play the trumpet (my best friend played the clarinet in the village orchestra and it sounded like fun). But at least it was a somewhat classical instrument since you can play it in an orchestra. It ended up only lasting a year since we moved the next year and there was no more village orchestra for me to play in. Mind you, I did very well for a first-year trumpeter--I even got high honors from the "jury" which consisted of my best friend's dad (who happened to be the music school director) and some other music teacher. Ha.
Then there was the time I wanted to play the mandolin. Somewhat classical I'd say, but it was too "folksy" for my parents. Oh and then there was the accordion. I LOVE the accordion! It's such a happy instrument. But of course, if the mandolin was too folksy, the accordion was downright... "It's for peasants Lydia! You're not going to join a gypsy troupe now are you? What are you going to do with that... play in the streets and put out a hat for coins?" (It was mostly my dad just poking fun at me, but still.)
I just thought it was a cool instrument, I wasn't going to make a profession of it...
Oh, and classical guitar. I LOVE classical guitar (so did my dad's dad by the way). But nope. It was too risky. I might accidentally start playing...
::GASP::
Pop music.
Or heaven forbid... Rock music. I mean that's the sons of perdition right there.
But hey, at least I never wanted to try the recorder...
According to the Defranchi hierarchy of music, the recorder belongs a little bit below the triangle and somewhere above the bongo drums...
I've always had a fascination for... unconventional instruments. This may not be anything out of ordinary except that first you need to realize where I come from.
My father is a flutist turned professional opera singer and my mother a classical flutist. My second sister is a cellist, the third one plays piano, the fourth one is learning the flute. Also, my paternal grandmother was a concert pianist with a gold medal from the conservatory of Rome, one of my dad's sisters is a pianist/organist/harpsichordist (bet you didn't know people still play the harpsichord eh?) and the other one is a harpist/musical theory teacher. And my dad's two brothers are respectively a base and baritone (and my dad's a tenor) but they don't sing for a living (although the have the skill level to do so if they wanted to).
Moral of the story, you can imagine the kind of music we listened to growing up.
I had my phase with the harp (with my harpist aunt as teacher), and later the piano (with my pianist aunt as teacher), but never really got very involved in music. It's not that I hated music or anything, I just did NOT want to go the way everybody else had gone (I credit that to teenage rebellion...). Nor did I want the lifestyle and especially the paycheck of a musician. I'm sure I'll regret it someday. Actually, what I regret most is that my father never taught me how to sing.
But you know what they say: "les enfants du cordonnier sont toujours les plus mal chausses" (the shoemaker's children are always the worst shod).
ANYWAY
My whole family made fun of me when I decided I wanted to play the trumpet (my best friend played the clarinet in the village orchestra and it sounded like fun). But at least it was a somewhat classical instrument since you can play it in an orchestra. It ended up only lasting a year since we moved the next year and there was no more village orchestra for me to play in. Mind you, I did very well for a first-year trumpeter--I even got high honors from the "jury" which consisted of my best friend's dad (who happened to be the music school director) and some other music teacher. Ha.
Then there was the time I wanted to play the mandolin. Somewhat classical I'd say, but it was too "folksy" for my parents. Oh and then there was the accordion. I LOVE the accordion! It's such a happy instrument. But of course, if the mandolin was too folksy, the accordion was downright... "It's for peasants Lydia! You're not going to join a gypsy troupe now are you? What are you going to do with that... play in the streets and put out a hat for coins?" (It was mostly my dad just poking fun at me, but still.)
I just thought it was a cool instrument, I wasn't going to make a profession of it...
Oh, and classical guitar. I LOVE classical guitar (so did my dad's dad by the way). But nope. It was too risky. I might accidentally start playing...
::GASP::
Pop music.
Or heaven forbid... Rock music. I mean that's the sons of perdition right there.
But hey, at least I never wanted to try the recorder...
According to the Defranchi hierarchy of music, the recorder belongs a little bit below the triangle and somewhere above the bongo drums...
Saturday, June 26, 2010
THERE'S A LASER IN YOUR EYE!!!
The creative juices just aren't flowing, so I'll just post some pictures with explanations.
Oh and by the way, I just tried pilates, and hated it. Yoga is definitely better. Of course it could have been the annoying instructor too.
Andrew had Lasik surgery on Thursday... which he has talked about pretty much ever since I met him. I am a failure as a wife because I don't have my driver's license yet, so we had to ask people to drive us up there (since technically he's not supposed to drive after the surgery. the whole getting your eyes sliced up doesn't fare too well on the roads...)
So thank you very very much Jen! And Annie for driving him up to the post-op.
He was very excited but as time got closer, he got pretty nervous.
Essentially what they do is suction-cup a flap of the top of your cornea and then push the flap open and scrape off cells from underneath and shoot with lasers until your cornea is the right "curve" to correct your vision. So yes, there's topical anesthesia but that does sound pretty freaky. (By the way, we have a DVD of the procedure... gross eh?)
Here's our patient with his mushroom cap (I'm no doctor but I'm pretty sure a hair falling into your peeled-open eye during surgery would be bad.)
In between the flap-cutting and the actual laser intervention, you have to wait a little... but in style! Notice the vibrating massage chair he's reclining on below. Oh by the way, the place is SUPER nice. They even have a lady whose sole job is to bake cookies and walk around offering them to people... and those were some good cookies too!
I have to tell this part because it's kind of funny. During the laser portion, they have to pry your eye open to keep it open while they operate. Understandable. While Andrew was waiting there was another lady getting it done and I was in the waiting area so I watched a little. The drawing below is what her eye looked like with the greyish circle being the thing that keeps your eyelids open, nice and wide.
I guess Andrew REALLY didn't like getting his eyes touched because they couldn't get the grey circle thing in his eye, so this is how it looked:
The grey things are soft hooks they had to use to pry those eyelids apart... Poor thing!
The operation was a success however. He got sent home with a lot of different eye drops to take. And these funny little discs to wear while sleeping. (So he won't accidentally rub his eyes during the night)
(And no, he doesn't typically look like a dead rat when he's sleeping. Somebody may be a little dramatic on the edges...)
No eye-rubbing for TWO MONTHS now. But here's the best part:
The next day at the post-op checkup, his vision was already 20/15 (which in layman's terms (I didn't know this before either) is better than 20/20 (which is perfect vision)). It's incredible what technological advances have made possible these days.
Speaking of which, here's my plug for the surgeon. They asked Andrew to be an "ambassador" for them and tell people about it. Hoopes vision is where we went and it was incredible-- amazing service, and of course, the results are already incredible two days later. (Not to mention those melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies... :) Andrew says the worst "pain" he's felt so far was the sensation of having something in his eye, but that's it.
Look them up if you're considering it. Not to mention they were voted among the "10 Most Dependable LASIK Surgeons in the U.S." two years in a row.
Finally, a word from the man himself: "I looked out the window and I could actually see Y mountain AND I can count all the trees on top! This is amazing!"
Oh and by the way, I just tried pilates, and hated it. Yoga is definitely better. Of course it could have been the annoying instructor too.
Andrew had Lasik surgery on Thursday... which he has talked about pretty much ever since I met him. I am a failure as a wife because I don't have my driver's license yet, so we had to ask people to drive us up there (since technically he's not supposed to drive after the surgery. the whole getting your eyes sliced up doesn't fare too well on the roads...)
So thank you very very much Jen! And Annie for driving him up to the post-op.
He was very excited but as time got closer, he got pretty nervous.
Essentially what they do is suction-cup a flap of the top of your cornea and then push the flap open and scrape off cells from underneath and shoot with lasers until your cornea is the right "curve" to correct your vision. So yes, there's topical anesthesia but that does sound pretty freaky. (By the way, we have a DVD of the procedure... gross eh?)
Here's our patient with his mushroom cap (I'm no doctor but I'm pretty sure a hair falling into your peeled-open eye during surgery would be bad.)
In between the flap-cutting and the actual laser intervention, you have to wait a little... but in style! Notice the vibrating massage chair he's reclining on below. Oh by the way, the place is SUPER nice. They even have a lady whose sole job is to bake cookies and walk around offering them to people... and those were some good cookies too!
I have to tell this part because it's kind of funny. During the laser portion, they have to pry your eye open to keep it open while they operate. Understandable. While Andrew was waiting there was another lady getting it done and I was in the waiting area so I watched a little. The drawing below is what her eye looked like with the greyish circle being the thing that keeps your eyelids open, nice and wide.
I guess Andrew REALLY didn't like getting his eyes touched because they couldn't get the grey circle thing in his eye, so this is how it looked:
The grey things are soft hooks they had to use to pry those eyelids apart... Poor thing!The operation was a success however. He got sent home with a lot of different eye drops to take. And these funny little discs to wear while sleeping. (So he won't accidentally rub his eyes during the night)
(And no, he doesn't typically look like a dead rat when he's sleeping. Somebody may be a little dramatic on the edges...)
No eye-rubbing for TWO MONTHS now. But here's the best part:
The next day at the post-op checkup, his vision was already 20/15 (which in layman's terms (I didn't know this before either) is better than 20/20 (which is perfect vision)). It's incredible what technological advances have made possible these days.
Speaking of which, here's my plug for the surgeon. They asked Andrew to be an "ambassador" for them and tell people about it. Hoopes vision is where we went and it was incredible-- amazing service, and of course, the results are already incredible two days later. (Not to mention those melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies... :) Andrew says the worst "pain" he's felt so far was the sensation of having something in his eye, but that's it.
Look them up if you're considering it. Not to mention they were voted among the "10 Most Dependable LASIK Surgeons in the U.S." two years in a row.
Finally, a word from the man himself: "I looked out the window and I could actually see Y mountain AND I can count all the trees on top! This is amazing!"
Monday, June 21, 2010
New Student Orientation
Well, I did it. And I quite enjoyed myself (minus the freshman girl incident)- it's nice to go on campus not for classes. It gave me a refreshing perspective of our beautiful campus and I was glad to share the love with new students. By the second day, the only two girls in our group had decided to go to other groups with their friends so we had a big bunch of boys-- a future film director, heart surgeon and mechanical engineer, among other. Oh, and we had quadruplets. (well only two of them were in my group. But cool huh?)
Some of the parts of orientation were a bit long, but there was a fantastic devotional the second day on following promptings of the spirit. The speaker told an incredible story that I will try to rewrite before I forget it. And it was fun to see the new students with all their dreams and goals; we had a great group. Ha, I already know which ones are going to be the ladies' men...
It was the first time in quite a while that I had actually given up time to serve others. Let's just say I've been pretty self-centered lately.
So the verdict: it's a LOT of time to give up, but definitely worth it.
Look at all those sweet preemies!
Some of the parts of orientation were a bit long, but there was a fantastic devotional the second day on following promptings of the spirit. The speaker told an incredible story that I will try to rewrite before I forget it. And it was fun to see the new students with all their dreams and goals; we had a great group. Ha, I already know which ones are going to be the ladies' men...
It was the first time in quite a while that I had actually given up time to serve others. Let's just say I've been pretty self-centered lately.
So the verdict: it's a LOT of time to give up, but definitely worth it.
Look at all those sweet preemies!
Did I mention
We went to Las Vegas/St George a few weeks ago?
Well we did. And We got our first (dusty) taste of four-wheeling which I loved. (after I got used to feeling like we were about to die every two seconds)
Las Vegas is really starting to grow on me--I like it more and more every time I go. Of course it doesn't hurt that my in-laws live there!
Well we did. And We got our first (dusty) taste of four-wheeling which I loved. (after I got used to feeling like we were about to die every two seconds)
Las Vegas is really starting to grow on me--I like it more and more every time I go. Of course it doesn't hurt that my in-laws live there!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
The Amazing Race : Provo
A fun Pioneer Day advertisement from Andrew. Click the title to take you to the facebook page.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Awkward...
I am in the midst of New student orientation right now, which is fun (it is also hot outside). Our group has 10 guys and two girls, one of which (yikes. Is that correct? one of which?) is a big flirt so that kind of cracks me up.. Anyway.
The following conversation is an exchange between me and one of the girls in our group. We're greeting the students, making small talk, get-to-know you type stuff.
Me: So where are you from
Girl: I'm from Las Vegas
Me: Oh, that's where my husband's from!
Girl: What? You're MARRIED? (look of disbelief on her face)
Me: yes, yes I am...
Girl: you look like you're eighteen! How OLD are you???
Me: ... um I'm going on 22... (In my head: that would be four years older than you to begin with...)
Girl: I just can't believe you're married. You look like eighteen!
Me: polite smile (In my head: yeah, we went over that part already)
So, I get it that I look young, I really do. I also realize I married young.
But really? Is it not just a teeny bit rude to act so shocked? And to essentially tell someone they look like a child bride? And to demand proof of their age?
And really? Do I look like a freshman? I mean I was wearing a big goofy Y-group leader t-shirt, I guess that does look very "teenager-ish". I know I have big round cheeks. And yes, I know, I'll look young when I'm a middle-aged woman. yippee.
Sometimes this worries me though. I hope people don't see me and think "oh look a dumb blond teenager" and then skip over me for opportunities I am MORE than qualified for.
I'll simply let them know I just set the curve in my tv news producing class.
When I turned in my first paper at BYU, my professor thought it was so good that he ran it through plagiarism detection software to make sure I had actually written it. And promptly gave it 100%. I work as a translator alongside people who have masters degrees. I'm on the way to graduating without debt because I've been WORKING my way through college. I've made it to the back-up ballroom team because I saw them perform on BYUTV and said to myself: "I want to be on that stage." Last year, I danced on that stage. And again this year. And I will next year.
Oh, and I met the best man on earth and married him. Why wait if it's the right decision?! I can't stand arguments like "marriage will prevent you from fulfilling your academic dreams." Actually, my husband is pushing me towards them.
And you know what? I'm GLAD I married young. I know what direction my life is going and I'm glad I can start planning for the future with my husband.
Sorry about the brag fest. But sometimes you have to remind yourself that you are capable of things. I know what I'm worth.
Doesn't that deserve a little respect from little miss freshman?
What are you proud of?
PS: THIS is what a real child bride looks like.
(Yep, that's me with my mom's veil)
Oh and by the way, I've decided to give twitter a try, but it's not much fun without friends. Come check it out!
The following conversation is an exchange between me and one of the girls in our group. We're greeting the students, making small talk, get-to-know you type stuff.
Me: So where are you from
Girl: I'm from Las Vegas
Me: Oh, that's where my husband's from!
Girl: What? You're MARRIED? (look of disbelief on her face)
Me: yes, yes I am...
Girl: you look like you're eighteen! How OLD are you???
Me: ... um I'm going on 22... (In my head: that would be four years older than you to begin with...)
Girl: I just can't believe you're married. You look like eighteen!
Me: polite smile (In my head: yeah, we went over that part already)
So, I get it that I look young, I really do. I also realize I married young.
But really? Is it not just a teeny bit rude to act so shocked? And to essentially tell someone they look like a child bride? And to demand proof of their age?
And really? Do I look like a freshman? I mean I was wearing a big goofy Y-group leader t-shirt, I guess that does look very "teenager-ish". I know I have big round cheeks. And yes, I know, I'll look young when I'm a middle-aged woman. yippee.
Sometimes this worries me though. I hope people don't see me and think "oh look a dumb blond teenager" and then skip over me for opportunities I am MORE than qualified for.
I'll simply let them know I just set the curve in my tv news producing class.
When I turned in my first paper at BYU, my professor thought it was so good that he ran it through plagiarism detection software to make sure I had actually written it. And promptly gave it 100%. I work as a translator alongside people who have masters degrees. I'm on the way to graduating without debt because I've been WORKING my way through college. I've made it to the back-up ballroom team because I saw them perform on BYUTV and said to myself: "I want to be on that stage." Last year, I danced on that stage. And again this year. And I will next year.
Oh, and I met the best man on earth and married him. Why wait if it's the right decision?! I can't stand arguments like "marriage will prevent you from fulfilling your academic dreams." Actually, my husband is pushing me towards them.
And you know what? I'm GLAD I married young. I know what direction my life is going and I'm glad I can start planning for the future with my husband.
Sorry about the brag fest. But sometimes you have to remind yourself that you are capable of things. I know what I'm worth.
Doesn't that deserve a little respect from little miss freshman?
What are you proud of?
PS: THIS is what a real child bride looks like.
(Yep, that's me with my mom's veil)
Oh and by the way, I've decided to give twitter a try, but it's not much fun without friends. Come check it out!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
My new favorite thing:
Going to the hairdresser's and telling her that my color she was just admiring...
was from a box dye.
EVERY TIME!
was from a box dye.
EVERY TIME!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Bad Dreams
I have a lot of bad dreams. Some of them are very scary and very detailed. Sometimes they involve me saving people, or really bad guys, or forces of evil and what have you... Sometimes my dreams are neutral, but I rarely have very happy dreams. I guess you could say that's a good thing, since maybe my life is wonderful when I'm awake that my brain needs to balance it out at night? haha
Anyway.
Last night was so real, it was worse than the acid-spitting dinosaur invasion of 2005.
(Oh yes, I remember that one vividly...)
I'm helping Linda Wakefield (That would be the co-director of the BYU Ballroom Dance Company) with tour team applications. I'm pretty sure an applicant helping with admissions is unethical in several ways, but hey. It's a dream.
We go through all the sheets and she gets to mine and says "oh you marked that you wanted to be on tour team? I hadn't realized that..."
Ouch
(At this point in the dream, I realize that they have already pretty much made up their list and are just finalizing details.)
I begin to panic and say
"Oh no, I very much want to be considered for tour team. I assure you I marked "please consider me for tour team" on my form." (Hoping it's not entirely shot yet)
And then she makes a little note on the paper and says
"Yeah well you were just barely off of beginning team anyway so it's not that big a deal that we didn't notice your application" and laughs
OUCH.
I guess I really am doomed.
I already didn't have hope in real life, that was just UNCALLED for, Mr. dream maker!
Anyway.
Last night was so real, it was worse than the acid-spitting dinosaur invasion of 2005.
(Oh yes, I remember that one vividly...)
I'm helping Linda Wakefield (That would be the co-director of the BYU Ballroom Dance Company) with tour team applications. I'm pretty sure an applicant helping with admissions is unethical in several ways, but hey. It's a dream.
We go through all the sheets and she gets to mine and says "oh you marked that you wanted to be on tour team? I hadn't realized that..."
Ouch
(At this point in the dream, I realize that they have already pretty much made up their list and are just finalizing details.)
I begin to panic and say
"Oh no, I very much want to be considered for tour team. I assure you I marked "please consider me for tour team" on my form." (Hoping it's not entirely shot yet)
And then she makes a little note on the paper and says
"Yeah well you were just barely off of beginning team anyway so it's not that big a deal that we didn't notice your application" and laughs
OUCH.
I guess I really am doomed.
I already didn't have hope in real life, that was just UNCALLED for, Mr. dream maker!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Heads and necks and such
You know an expression I strongly dislike?
"He may be the head of the family, but I'm the neck that turns it!"
Several things make me cringe when wives say this about their husbands.
1) This is usually a not-so-subtle way of putting down your husband in public. Nice. It's good to see you have no respect for the man you married and that you think he can't make decisions without you whispering his lines to him. Real classy.
2) What happened to husband and wife making decisions together? How about "we're each one eye in the head" (certainly not as catchy, but I'd hope more accurate) Personally, I'd like to think we work together and I'm not pulling strings to get him to do what I want.
3) You're also reinforcing the stereotype of women as manipulative, seductive temptresses, which brings me to fact that the expression sounds pretty
4) bratty! (One small step from pretending to cry in front of Daddy to withholding sex from your husband)
5) Way to assert your supposed superiority... while at the same time asserting that he's still the head. You're essentially upholding his power/authority/leadership that you're supposedly protesting because you're stating that you resort to a backstage role.
6) Besides, without a brain the neck ain't moving nothing. So the metaphor is incorrect in the first place.
"He may be the head of the family, but I'm the neck that turns it!"
Several things make me cringe when wives say this about their husbands.
1) This is usually a not-so-subtle way of putting down your husband in public. Nice. It's good to see you have no respect for the man you married and that you think he can't make decisions without you whispering his lines to him. Real classy.
2) What happened to husband and wife making decisions together? How about "we're each one eye in the head" (certainly not as catchy, but I'd hope more accurate) Personally, I'd like to think we work together and I'm not pulling strings to get him to do what I want.
3) You're also reinforcing the stereotype of women as manipulative, seductive temptresses, which brings me to fact that the expression sounds pretty
4) bratty! (One small step from pretending to cry in front of Daddy to withholding sex from your husband)
5) Way to assert your supposed superiority... while at the same time asserting that he's still the head. You're essentially upholding his power/authority/leadership that you're supposedly protesting because you're stating that you resort to a backstage role.
6) Besides, without a brain the neck ain't moving nothing. So the metaphor is incorrect in the first place.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
They say that weather is always a safe conversation subject...
Oh no.
Not with my husband at least. You just DON'T want to go there if the weather is bad. As a matter of fact, even if the weather is good, it might be risky because it might dig back up past bad weather...
Just a warning for all you innocent conversationalists :)
Oh no.
Not with my husband at least. You just DON'T want to go there if the weather is bad. As a matter of fact, even if the weather is good, it might be risky because it might dig back up past bad weather...
Just a warning for all you innocent conversationalists :)
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