my snow and sunshine

Who says you can't have snow and sunshine all in one weekend? I've had a thousand things to get done...but I also just really like to play. And if it's nice outside? Woof. Good luck getting me to be productive. So, Friday I ignored homework and reality and hit the slopes because I mean come on, you have to go skiing at least a once every winter if you live in Utah. I'm pretty sure it's actually a requirement.

But, here's the thing, there are many things that I am very good at, but skiing is not one of them. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it. I'm just really really bad at it. So should you ever happen to be skiing with my friend Sarah who I was with that day, don't let her decide which way to go. Don't do it. You will find yourself at the top of a black diamond that is far beyond your abilities, and you will have no other way down the mountain. If you are me, than your stubborn side will kick in, you will refuse to go down, you will take off your skis and walk. You may even shout something along the lines of "I am going to stab you with my ski pole once I get down there." That may seem dramatic now, but at the time it felt like the proper sentiment. 

Despite that one snafu, I was pretty happy for most of the day.

Even if I was real real sore the next day. Should I not be in Utah next year, it might be a while before I ski again, so I'm glad I got at least one day in. I'm a busy girl, I've only go so much time, ok!

So after a bundled up day on the slopes, it only felt appropriate that I spend a sunny day at the park. It wasn't actually very sunny by the time we left, but when you live in Utah, your perception of warmth gets pretty skewed. I had very much intended to stay inside and do homework all day, but it's frighteningly easy to convince me to go out and play instead. The result was an afternoon of croquet and football in the park. It's almost like spring is here, but not really cause it's only the beginning of March.

Mama C has always emphasized the importance of looking good, and sometimes this means coordinating your croquet equipment to your outfit. 

We might have lost, but at least we had fun. You think if I'm not gunna be good at regular sports, I should at least be good at obscure sports. But, alas, no.

Ok, now everyone go watch the Oscars for me because I don't have cable, and they are my absolute favorite. I'm not going to let myself look at Oscar dresses until I finish at least half the work that I must have done for tomorrow. 

peace. love. and outdoors. 

my fresh air

It's no secret that I actually like the winter and snow, and I'm almost a little disappointed that it's kind of already over here in Utah. But watch, now it will snow again, and I'll be mad about it or something cause it's also no secret that I'm insane. Oh well. One of the glorious things about it warming up again is that I can once again participate in outdoor activities. Oh boy! This last weekend I went on an adventure up around Upper Falls (above Bridal Veil Falls for anyone familiar with the area). It was a bit icy, but it was still a great hike, and it was incredible to be outside and exploring new things again. Luckily my friend Austin Terry not only takes me on great adventures, but also takes lovely pictures of adventures and was kind enough to share them with me so I could share them on my blog.

Clearly this takes me much more concentration than most.

Shout out to Ben for making sure that I never slipped and died with all the ice and rocks that really brought out my clumsy side. But, let's be honest, I don't think I have a non-clumsy side.

Glad to have great friends, great adventures, and great places to go exploring. 

I guess if warm weather means more adventures like these, I might not be that mad about it. I might even be excited about it. Okay. You caught me; I am excited about it. (Seriously I just jinxed us all. Now it's going to get freezing again. I'm sorry!!)

peace. love. and hikes.

my sundance festivities

One of the wonderful wonderful benefits of living in Utah (that I am going to miss greatly should I be somewhere else next year) is the Sundance film festival. This was my third year going (didn't get to go my Sophomore year because I was on my study abroad in Paris--which is a pretty fair trade off I suppose). Hil and I have made a tradition of going up together and staying at her sisters house. It's perfect that we both love weird indie films and that we don't mind waiting in cold lines to see them.

First of all, I just love the atmosphere at the Sundance film festival. There are so many different and interesting people there, tons of stuff going on, and it's really just a fun environment (interesting, stuff, and fun....I'm really making you feel like your there aren't I...). When we first got there we parked in the free lot, of course. We heard that it was going to take a long time for the bus, so we just figured we would walk because I mean, how far could it be? Well it could be 2 miles. Woops. But, we had fun walking even if it was much much further than expected.

As a fantastic bonus, it actually wasn't that cold this year. It got a little chillier at night, and I was grateful for all my layers, but it was nothing compared to standing outside in below freezing and snow. This was especially nice when we were waiting in lines, which oddly is one of my favorite parts about the Sundance Film Festival. You always wind up chatting with the people in line, and they are usually pretty interesting people that you would never of struck up a conversation with if you had not been forced to patiently wait next to them to see if you were going to be let into the theater. 

You used to have to stand in line for several hours to get on the wait list which was annoying, but if you were dedicated you got to see the movies you wanted to see. Now, they have changed to an e-wait list system. It's great because you don't have to stand in the cold. It's awful because you just have to hope that you click the button faster than anyone else. After several very frustrating attempts when we didn't even make it on wait lists, and one failed attempt at being number 80 in line, we finally got spots number 23 and 24. We actually jumped up and down and cheered in the middle of the road.

The movie that we ended up seeing was God Help the Girl. We knew pretty much nothing about it going in, but were pleasantly surprised. It was a dramady with some musical aspects laced into it (yeah that's the best description I can give you). It was directed by the lead singer of Belle and Sebastian and starred Emily Browning. Since it was the premier of the film, afterwards the director and cast came out and did a Q&A, cool cool cool.

People always ask, did you see any celebrities? Here are my thoughts on celebs. I guess it's cool when you run into them, but I would probably never go out of my way or wait in some sort of incredible crowd to meet one because honestly they are just people. But, there are many directors and actors that I truly admire the work of. I know he's not a huge name, but I was rocking down the street and all the sudden realized I just passed Mark Duplass just standing on the side of the road chatting with some of his friends. So, I really awkwardly stopped, introduced myself to him, and asked him if we could snap a pic together. I loved his films Your Sisters Sister and Safety Not Guaranteed and after our pic chatted with him for a minute about some of his work. He was a super chill guy, especially given that I totally just butt into his conversation with his buddies, woops.

I can't believe this could be the last time I go to Sundance. I really hope it's not!! But, should this be my last time, it was at least a perfect visit. I only made it into one movie, but I have made notes of a bunch more that I suppose I will have to wait for to come out in theaters, or redbox, or download, or something like that. 

peace. love. and film.

my snow days

I am so so stressed out about all of the papers that I have due, but at least one thing in my world is going absolutely right even if everything else is confusing and stressful, and that is that I have caught the Christmas bug. I started listening to Christmas music this week (mostly the She & Him Christmas album on repeat), and I hung up Christmas lights in my room, and it is snowy and beautiful outside, and I just couldn't be feeling the Christmas spirit anymore than I already am (ok maybe I actually could if it weren't for finals). The world just seems to become a slightly more cozy place to live in around Christmas time though, doesn't it?

We've had a lot of snow in Utah this week, and I have heard a lot of people say that they hate the snow. I have to admit, that sentiment has escaped me at times too, but honestly how could I not relish in anything so beautiful. I have been obsessing over the giant icicles hanging outside my window, and I cannot ever get over how gorgeous and peaceful falling snow looks. I may seem a little grumbly when I am walking to school and it is dumping snow on me, but that is only because my face is numb from the cold, and ones ability to have a positive attitude virtually disappears when faced with a numb face.

This is what my walk to school looks like now. I pretty much just slide my way to campus and try not to look like a waddling penguin, but hey I have still yet to completely eat it (knock on wood), so I guess that's an accomplishment. 

Like I said, you cannot deny that snow is absolutely stunning no matter how many times you slip. 

Can't wait to get to the actual Christmas celebrating, but I must make my way through all these papers first. So, here's to just a little bit longer of too much work, feeling overwhelmed, and being utterly confused (no actually I don't think that one is going to end with the semester....I think that's just a young adult thing....or a life thing).

peace. love. and white Christmases. 

my Narnia

Provo was transformed into a Winter Wonderland/Snowy Horror this weekend. Yes, snow is absolutely beautiful, and sparkly, and lovely looking, but it is also really cold, and slippery, and really cold (did I mention that one already? woops.)

I sent pictures and an expression of my dismay to my mum and my siblings and these are the responses I got...

I got zero sympathy. Thanks family. 

Hope the rest of you are in one of those warm places. If not please come snuggle with me to keep me warm?

peace. love. and snow.