Words Of A Concrete Girl

Dillon's

2011-09-13T10:36:00.000-06:00

For labor day weekend this year we all packed in the car and headed out to Dillon's beach. It was a little chilly, but worth it.

Arianna was able to come out for the day! Such a lovely surprise :)

Ben spent most of the morning all alone, digging a hole. Pretty cool.

Julia :)

The Aunts

We were really cold.

Kara!

Ben ruining our photoshoot.

Moving

2011-07-02T15:34:00.001-06:00

Ben and I have moved! We lived in Rancho Cordova for about two months with my grandfather and now we are living in Lincoln, CA. I am so glad to be here. Idaho was just to cold.

My Little Lawn

2011-05-25T22:40:00.001-06:00

This is my little lawn that grows on my window sill.

Every few days I have to mow it.

Guy Laramee

2011-03-28T20:05:00.000-06:00

Such an amazing book artist. Someday, I'm going to try this.

Let's have a party ok?

2011-03-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

In two weeks, Ben and I will be back in California! I can't wait to spend the summer there :)

Ten Favorites

2011-02-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

1. Watching The Little Mermaid on a lazy Sunday.
2. Dinner Parties
3. Julie B. Beck's fireside yesterday morning - what a great way to start the weekend :)
4. The Bright Bazaar - Such a great blog all about color, interior design, and finding the pretty things in life! Makes me happy just reading it.
5. Making Cream Puffs - I hope they turn out good!
6. Buying books at Deseret Industries - They are so cheap, I don't feel bad if I end up not liking the book.
7. Moving to California
8. Dressing up for themed Dinner Parties
9. Apartment Therapy - Saving the world, one room at a time!
10. Watching George Lopez with my favorite boy :)

Google

2011-02-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

Love google's logo today! So beautiful.

Oh Pandora...

2011-01-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

My Paula Abdul station is my favorite.

My Show!

2010-12-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

To see the images from my show and read my artist's statement, click Here

Hey everybody! So my Bachelor's of Fine Art Show went up last Thursday. I have been working on it for the past six months and it is such a relief to be done. It looks so good on the wall. A lot of my friends and teachers were able to come and my family will be able to come in about two weeks!

I wanted to create work that was beautiful and educational. I wanted to teach people how simple photography really is and I think I was able to accomplish that. My favorite part of the show was when parents would come in and tell their kids "Look at these images! They came from homemade camera's that you can make! you don't need an expensive camera to make art. We should try this."

Here is the set up, I have my own hallway on the second floor of the Spori building. On the left are some camera's that people can pick up and look at. I felt like that was necessary for people to grasp the concept. Not shown is a video tutorial I made showing the process of making and taking images with a pinhole camera.

Here is me before the show! I was so nervous.

Here is Ben before the show! He was not nervous.

After the show! Not nervous anymore!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful thanksgiving with some friends in the ward and their family. Here is the beautiful turkey. It was so very delicious and not a bit dry.

Less than two weeks!

2010-11-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

13 days until my show opens at the Spori Gallery here on campus! I am so excited but so nervous. Today was spent printing everything. Tomorrow will be spent framing everything. And then I have a photoshoot! Very exciting.

Life here hasn't been all that interesting lately. Ben and I spend most of our days at school and then we eat and go to sleep. Weekends are spent cleaning and doing laundry and doing homework. I cannot wait to get out of school, work on my State Farm license, and finally be a good wife! I can't wait until Ben and I can both go to work all day and then come home and not worry about it until the next day. I can't wait to have a clean house that isn't oozing with bookarts tools and dirty dishes. I can't wait until we move into a more permanent residence so that i won't feel dumb about decorating. Pretty much, I can't wait to move on to the next big adventure :)

Many of you might remember the little car chaos Ben and I had a few weeks ago. The first week of school Ben's car got hit while Ben was sitting at a red light. Dumb? I know. So pretty much it was totalled. And the guy's insurance took forever to contact us and like a week to get us a rental. So after finally getting a rental they decided to take it away. And then it took them another month and a half to get us a check to get a new car. So we had to walk to school. And you know what? It was actually not that bad. Ben and I grew so close on our long walks home from school. We were able to slow down and talk and it was really rather great. We started counting our blessings: We were both safe, we had great friends to take us shopping, we would eventually be getting a better car, we saved so much on gas, and we really started looking out for eachother a lot. A couple weeks ago we bought a new car! And even though I am so glad we have it now that it is snowing, I'm kinda glad we were without it for a little while.

Just so everyone is aware...

2010-11-04T15:29:00.000-06:00

I have a new blog! For by business class we have to show our online portfolio to some potential clients and I wasn't sure I wanted clients reading all about my personal life. It's the perfect time to launch my new blog:

www.rachelbetts.blogspot.com

For now it's just images from my portrait class but expect great things soon...

A Preview...

2010-10-02T17:56:00.000-06:00

Matchbox Pinhole Camera - Color Film

BFA

2010-09-26T19:21:00.000-06:00

Bachelor of Fine Arts Project
That's what I work on all the time. And when I'm in other classes it's what I think about. I'm dying right now because the photo lab is closed on Sundays. My project will be different from other people's. The past few days I was a wreck because of how different my images are from other BFA Student's work. I was worried that people wouldn't appreciate dark, blurry, pinhole images. For some reason I was also very worried that President Clark would hate it...But I talked to my teacher and he said that once people see the process and time that goes into pinhole photography, they will appreciate the images. And that's the whole point of my project anyway, to explain the process of creating an image. It's not just about pointing and clicking a shutter, it's about light, dark, sensors, and pinholes. I can't wait for you to see my project :)

Our Vacation:

2010-08-22T12:53:00.000-06:00

-California
-Boogie Boarding
-Meeting Family
-Beaches
-Rodeo's
-Digging Holes
-Hugging Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents
-The Fair
-Campfires
-Barbeques
-Inception
-Kayaking
-Zoo's
-Baby Zebras
-Bathing Suits
-New Babies
-Old Babies
-Friends!
-Singing
-Playing Nertz, Ticket to Ride, Shanghai Rummy, Monopoly Deal, & Phase 10
-Finally Getting Rid of our Couch
-Sandals
-Working
-Photographing
-Thunderstorms
-Snow Cones
-Farmer's Market Salsa & Tortillas
- And we still have a couple more weeks!

California....

2010-07-19T20:13:00.003-06:00

Can't wait for my summer to start <3

labels are very important, but for bottles of wine, not for artists - Jeanne-Claude

2010-07-12T22:32:00.000-06:00

Today I developed my own prints in my own darkroom. It was our family home evening activity. While rinsing my prints and getting them ready to dry, I shed a little tear. This has been my dream for years. I remember peeking into my grandfather's studio when he wasn't looking and wondering why it was always so dark in there. Later I visited his studio at the university and developed some prints of my own. How incredible! Images appeared on blank pieces of paper. How was it possible? I remember my dad telling my about how he had darkroom supplies growing up. I wanted to go search my grandma's house for them. Then I came to school and I learned how to mix the chemicals and expose the paper. But darkroom's around the country were becoming endangered. Nobody wanted to use film anymore when computers and digital sensors were so much easier. I worried that eventually I would have to leave my school and never find a darkroom ever again. But now I don't have to worry about that. All you need to develope prints are the right chemicals, a dark room, and a timer. And that's what I've got.

It's crazy how in just an hour I've gotten over the fear of the future I had before. I used to be so scared that once I got out of school, I would be stuck doing weddings and senior portraits. Now my art will always be with me. I'll be able to share it with my husband and my children! I can't wait to go home for the break so that I can develope pictures with my brothers! While I was in my darkroom today, I imagined a day when Ben would come home from work, knock on the bathroom door, and I would be in there with all my little youngin's yelling "DON'T OPEN THE DOOR! WE'RE MAKING A PRINT!!" There are a whole new bundle of possibilities coming my way...

A Day on the Farm...

2010-07-11T00:05:00.001-06:00

One of my concept images for my commercial photography class is to photograph an illustration of a "Cash Cow" so today we spent the afternoon at a dairy farm! This is my lovely model "Winter." Images from the photoshoot will be up once they are edited!

Rexburg Sunset

2010-07-08T22:40:00.002-06:00

Lara

2010-07-08T22:32:00.000-06:00

Another List...

2010-07-01T20:59:00.000-06:00

I haven't written a list in a long time, so I better do it now
I feel like when I do this, I'm catching up with all the Twittering I forget to do...
I love my pinhole cameras
They are like my children
I own 5 1/2
Ben is sleeping
I cannot wait for the Fourth of July! It is my favorite!
But I am already way homesick for the part-ay that will be going down in Woodland.
I do not like to photograph people. Or buildings
I like to photograph peppers though. And landscapes
Brother Brown says I don't use enough props in my commercial photography, and I tell him that I am a minimalist.
I think I would rather build cameras that have leaks and contrast issues than use a perfectly new DSLR
is that wrong?
I'm really bored when Ben is sleeping

Tony Chacher's

2010-06-13T22:25:00.000-06:00

Sooo, we bought some pretty sweet Tony Chacher's Creole Seasoning the other day. It comes with a sweet syringe so you can inject it directly into the meat you are cooking. Tastes so good!

Yeah, he's pretty cute.

2010-06-05T11:29:00.000-06:00

Elche, my dog, has been around for a long time. When I was just barely four-years-old, my mom took my sister and I to the animal shelter to look for a dog. There were a lot of cute dogs but Elche was the one we were immediately attracted to. As soon as they opened her cage to let us see her she bolted for the exit. I remember watching her run down the hall and seeing all the shelter workers trying to catch her. My mom decided that's the dog we wanted. The next day my mom sent my dad over to check Elche out. My dad says that as soon as he saw her he knew that she was our dog. So he brought her home.

I loved my dog. We played together. I built her forts and chased her around the yard. I remember one time she chewed up my favorite helmet, that wasn't so fun. When she was little she had this stuffed fish that she loved. She could run so fast. We'd play this game with her were we would stomp our foot and she would take off running around in circles. Then she'd stop and look at us and we'd stomp our foot again and she'd run again. It seems really boring, but she loved that game.

In case you don't know Elche, but a lot of people do, she ran away....all the time. Like once a week at least. For awhile it was everyday. My mom would leave to pick up the kids from school and when she came back Elche would be gone. A few hours later Elche would show up on our porch or the pound would call us and tell us they had our dog. Again. One time we came home to find an Animal Control truck parked outside our house. The officer told us to stand back because the "wild dog" he had been chasing had ran back there. We assured him it was fine, it was OUR dog.

Twice we thought we lost her for good. The first time was in Rancho Cordova. Elche was staying there while we remodeled our house. She was missing for a week in a city that she knew nothing about. A man finally coaxed her into his house with a piece of pizza. The second time was at New Years. Elche was terrified of fireworks so when we got home she had chewed her way out of our fence. She was gone for a week that time too. When we found her, she was 10 miles away, across a river, muddy, skin and bones, and she had lost her voice. My mom told us that someday she would run away and we would never see her again.

Elche lived a long time. Seventeen years! I can't remember a time without her. Over the last few years she turned into this old lady dog that just wanted to sleep all the time. She went blind and practically deaf (Sometimes I think she just pretended to be deaf...) but she still loved to play with us. Whenever Arianna was over, Elche always wanted to be right in the middle of whatever we were doing. She followed my dad everywhere, all over the house and in the yard. She was a good dog. Soon she couldn't recognize my dad or my brothers. She ran into things and got lost in our yard. Yesterday we put her down and she was buried out in the country. She lived a long long long life. And it was fabulous. And even though we will miss her, it's so great to know that she has her playful body back. I know that I will get to see her again :)

Love,
Rachel

Tender Moments...

2010-05-25T00:28:00.001-06:00

-Just ate a delicious bowl of cookies and cream ice cream
-Watching Shakespeare's "Henry V." It's actually pretty good, except for all the parts with the dirty nasty soldiers
-Fiction Family is my favorite today
-LOST Finale was this weekend. I'll admit, I'm a little heartbroken...
-Ben and I debated about the outcome of LOST for like an hour last night...and I won.
-I miss my puppy so very bad...
-I like food photography, if only because I get to eat the deliciously expensive food when I'm done.
-Kenneth Brannagh as Henry V is sooooo romantic!
-I don't understand why Ben won't watch "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" with me after all the Shakespeare I've watched with him...
-Today I didn't really do anything...
-I practically live at the photo lab, but I don't mind
-Poor Benjamin Linus...he didn't get to go with the rest of the LOST people...
-I have a new pinhole camera!
-Photography is as simple as a pinhole in a dark room...who needs photoshop?
-ewww, somebody made a pinhole camera out of a skull...gross!
-I just want to sit at home and make books all day
-We finally bought some furniture for our living room, and it looks fabulous!
-Especially our tv stand
-I haven't watched TLC in like a week, aren't you proud?
-I love my job, I'm kinda sad I won't get to do it forever
-Someday I want to start a commercial photography business.

Book Arts!

2010-05-21T15:02:00.000-06:00

April 27th, 2009

2010-04-27T00:33:00.000-06:00

"Have a nice life!"

It was the classic scenerio. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, girl must leave boy.....akward goodbye scene. A year ago today Ben and I had our goodbye scene. We thought it was the end, but it was just the beginning. Last fall I wrote a paper about our less-than-dramatic farewell. Here you go :)

The Bus

   It was 3:30 in the morning. Any other day I would still be cuddly and warm all snuggled in my bed next to my pink fuzzy rabbit named “Bunny.” This day was different. I was about to get on a bus that would take me to a plane that would take me to the other side of the globe. I was going to spend the next month with 50 other art students travelling around Europe and I was very excited. But first I had to get off of the couch where I had fallen asleep the night before. My phone vibrated next to me on the pillow where my head was resting. I opened my eyes and tried to focus on the name scrolling across the screen. It was Benjamin Salter Betts. Ben was my long-time crush, my best friend, and my ride to the bus stop. He had dark brown hair, clear brown eyes, and towered over my petite stature. He loved 80’s music and High School Musical. We did everything together and that morning was no different. I answered the phone with a lethargic “hello.” He was calling to make sure I got out of bed and to see if I wanted a bagel for breakfast. I told him I would like a plain bagel with plenty of cream cheese please, it’s my favorite food.

   Two weeks before that early morning, Ben and I had had a little discussion. The night was a little frigid for April and I was wearing a light jacket. Ben kept asking me if I was chilly and I pretended to be tough and kept telling him that I was fine. We were sitting on a large, cold boulder near an intersection where we could watch the cars drive by. He was wearing the green jacket that I loved. We sat just close enough that our arms were touching but not too close because we were “just friends.” We both had feelings for each other and had hoped that someday our relationship could turn into something more lasting but there was a giant and unavoidable glitch in our plans. I was leaving for the summer and he was planning on an internship that next fall. There didn’t seem to be any chance that our paths would cross again. We both agreed that long-distance relationships were not a wise decision. If we were lucky enough to meet again in the future, we would try for this whole dating thing again. It was decided that the two weeks before I left would be full of fun but after that we would both move on to whatever life had planned for us.

   I rolled out of bed that early morning and put on my glasses. I rarely wear my glasses. They are out of style and they turn into sunglasses when exposed to UV light. How embarrassing. I didn’t want to wear my contacts because I knew they would just dry out once I fell asleep on the plane. The rest of my outfit was also tailored around napping on the plane. I put on an old t-shirt, some comfortable jeans, and a pair of flip-flops. I didn’t bother washing my hair because it would just get oily and matted by the end of the day anyway. At least I brushed my teeth. There was a knock at the door and I hurried to answer it before my roommates woke up. There stood Ben with my bagel, all handsome in his green jacket. I felt a little bad because I hadn’t showered.

   Nothing really changed after the discussion between Ben and me. We still did everything as a pair but now we pretended there were no romantic intentions. We watched movies, changed the oil in his car, and cooked meals together. One day we made fried chicken strips. They were crispy, delicious, and covered in Creole seasoning. We made enough to last us all day. That night we stayed up late sitting on the couch eating chicken and looking up our hometowns on Google Earth. We talked about our families and friends from back home. We talked about places we want to go someday and things we want to do. I told him about how I planned on traveling the world as a photo journalist and living out of a backpack. He told me about his dream of starting an advertising agency and raising a family in Southern California. I wanted to hold his hand really bad that night, but I knew that would only make things harder when I left, so I didn’t.

   I felt kind of bad when Ben picked me up from my apartment and I looked like I had just rolled out of bed. He looked dashing in his green jacket and blue jeans. He wore his grey and white Adidas. He handed me my breakfast, grabbed my suitcase, and we headed to his car. I immediately started jabbering about how excited but nervous I was to go to Europe. He had to open my car door for me. All the handles had frozen off long before I met Ben and I still hadn’t learned the skill to maneuver the lever correctly to get the door open. It had gotten below freezing that morning so I sat in the car while he wiped the frost off his windshield. I knew this would be the last time I would see Ben for a few months, possibly even forever. I had no idea how I was going to say goodbye.

   Two days before driving me to the bus stop, Ben took me on a final date before I left. We went to see a dance performance on campus and then met up with some friends for ice-cream. Ben got a Gorilla Munch Crunch with banana and I got a flavor that turned out to be disgusting because it had coconut in it. We sat at a table waiting for our friends to join us. We talked and we laughed. I felt so lucky to have such an amazing friend who I could talk to about anything. I never felt awkward or embarrassed and no conversation was ever boring. Ben made me feel special and beautiful and I loved being with him more than anything. After eating we headed over to his apartment to watch a movie. I was exhausted but I didn’t want to leave him. He told me that he didn’t want me to leave. That night when I got home, I broke down and called a friend from back home. I cried and told her that I didn’t want to go to Europe anymore, that I had made a mistake. I was too much in love to want anything else. She told me I was being crazy and that I would get over it once I stepped off the plane.

   The car ride to the bus stop seemed to last just a few seconds. Ben hardly talked and I just rambled on about plans for my trip. When we got to our destination, the bus was already there. I wasn’t ready to leave. I could see my other classmates loading up their luggage and boarding the bus. Ben and I reluctantly headed out into the cold. We dragged my blue, beat up suitcase over to the bus and stood silently next to each other while the driver lifted it into the back. We slowly walked over to the door of the bus, dreading the impending goodbye scene. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, how bad I would miss him, and how long the summer would be without him. Two weeks before none of these feelings seemed all that significant but now they were the most important things in the world to me. Instead, I just thanked him for the bagel and for being such a good friend to me. I told him not to have too much fun without me. We gave each other a hug, not to fast, but not to slow either. We both knew we would miss the other, but neither of us wanted to show any kind of weakness that morning. We wanted to be strong for each other. No tears were shed, no love was pronounced. Only comfort and support was shared in that quick embrace. Then I turned from Ben and walked onto the bus.

We all know what happened next. Ben broke his promise of staying away from me to write me a very adorable "I miss you" letter while I was in Paris and the rest is history :)
Rachel
p.s. Ben will tell you that I barely even hugged him...and I'll admit it...even though I didn't want to leave Ben...I was pretty darn excited to get on that bus.

I Get It Now

2010-04-25T19:47:00.000-06:00

Today I discovered something.

I finally understand why women like to scrapbook so much! And here it is:

-We love to reminisce. I love to talk about back in the day when Ben and I were dating. I like to remember the first time we held hands or that one time he wrote me a poem. I like to talk about our wedding day and how much fun it was. But, boys don't like to talk about that stuff. It's too mushy I suppose. Soooo, scrap booking fulfills my need to reminisce about all those times. I get to read stuff and choose my favorite pictures. I write down my memories and little fun facts without even boring Ben. Haha. It's great fun.

-Reason number two (and I don't know if this applies to everyone) it gives me a place to put all my stuff. I have a box full of stuff from back when Ben and I were dating and when we got married. There are invites and cards and pictures and paper chains :) The box kinda intimidated me and I never looked through it. But now that it's all in an album, it's like art! It's so much fun to look through!

Anyway, I haven't turned into a full blown scrapbooker yet. I've just been putting things into an album, but it is so fun! That's all :)

Rachel Betts

Favorite #2

2010-04-17T23:45:00.000-06:00

Switchfoot's Album Hello Hurricane
"The storms of this life shatter our plans. They tear through our world and destroy our hopes and dreams. They ruin sunny days, flatten the structures we depend on, and shock our world views. Hello Hurricane is an attempt to sing into the storm. Hello Hurricane is a declaration: you can't silence my love. My plans will fail, the storms of this life will come, and chaos will disrupt even my best intentions, but my love will not be destroyed. Beneath the sound and the fury there is a deeper order still- deeper than life itself. An order that cannot be shaken by the storms of this life. There is a love stronger than the chaos, running underneath us- beckoning us to go below the skin-deep externals, beyond the wind, even into the eye of the storm. Hello Hurricane, you're not enough- you can't silence my love." -Jon Foreman

Wow, Just watched the "Making of Hello Hurricane" dvd and it changed my life. I can't even put into words how much passion and intensity was put into this cd. Every song was created with purpose and meaning. Lead singer Jon Foreman said that if his songs aren't in him enough to make him cry, then why is he singing them? It made me wonder if I'm trying my hardest as an artist. So far nothing I have done has made me cry. I want to change the world. I want to create feeling in my images. I want to love them and I want people to feel that love. I need to find the passion in my work.

The Day After Moving Day

2010-04-16T17:45:00.000-06:00

The day after moving day is one of the best days ever. Wednesday and Thursday of this week were spent moving and cleaning. Both days were beautiful and it was kinda tragic that we had to spend most of the days inside packing. Luckily we had plenty of friends come to help us out. Yesterday we spent the whole day cleaning our old apartment so that we could check out. It took, like, seven hours! That's a lot. And now my arms hurt from scrubbing. But it was worth it. Today has been so relaxing. We unpacked the essentials yesterday so I don't have to worry about that. I have been in bed most of the day, just being lazy. Ben and I spent most of the morning just talking and watching What Not To Wear. We like to make fun of Stacie and Clinton's so called "Fashion Sense." We have seven windows in our new apartment. SEVEN! And they are huge, so they are all open. And I've put all the clothes away and did a load of laundry (My goal for the day). And we went to the park and I got to play with my friends adorable little son. So today has been one of the best days ever.

Facts:

2010-04-10T13:05:00.000-06:00

Today is going to be oh so fabulous.
I babysat the cutest little baby this morning...even if she did cry the WHOLE time I was there.
Winger's Original Amazing Sauce is amazing...it's true.
I'm so excited to finally finish all my thank you cards.
It feels so great to be done with last semester.
I thought Documentary was gonna kill me...but it didn't.
I'm watching a guy on tv eat a giant burger.
I still haven't really slept in since I got out of school.
I need a harcut.
Taxes? That's Ben's job today.
I like to watch TLC...do you have a problem with that?
I can't wait to move into my new apartment!
I'm going to miss Melissa so much this summer.
I miss Rome. And Salzburg. And Vienna. And the Underground. And bikes. And postcards.
I love to hold Ben's hand.
I can make some mean chicken and rice...and that's all.

My Favorite Thing Part One:

2010-04-03T18:10:00.000-06:00

I read this blog where this girl writes one favorite thing on her blog every weekend and I thought it was a fabulous idea! Since right now I have been so blessed, there are a lot of favorites. But for today it is General Conference. It is such a blessing to be able to listen and be counseled to the prophets of the world. Their testimonies are so strong, and they help to srengthen mine. The talk that really stood out to me today was the one about teaching your children at home. I can't remember who gave it. But it's something I've been thinking about for awhile. I've always felt that parents should be the teacher's of their children, we shouldn't just depend on the school system or primary. Parents should teach their children how to read, write, and add. They should teach their children gospel principles and how to build a testimony. By having that hand in our children's life, I feel like they will be comfortable coming to us when they have questions or struggles in life. Anyway, that's what I got out of it.

Other things I love about General Conference weekend:
-Making a big breakfast
-Staying in my pajamas all day
-Cuddling with my husband ;)
-Playing Ultimate Frisbee between Saturday sessions (Not this year, since it snowed a foot this morning)
-Watching the cheesy mormon movies on BYUTV
-Game night after Priesthood session
-Sleeping in!

2010-03-29T23:24:00.000-06:00

Ok, I'll admit it, I read Seriously, So Blessed! But can you really blame me? It's hilarious...Anyway...She's doing a drawing for these adorable camera bags from Jo Totes and I want one! This way I can carry around my camera stuff and my school stuff all at once...good plan right?

I Love My Pinhole Camera Part 2

2010-03-27T21:15:00.000-06:00

Step One: Cover all your windows with black paper. Make sure no light gets in!

Step Two: Cut a small hole (Trace a nickle or something to make it round) Out of the black paper

Step Three: Turn off all the lights and enjoy watching the world around you, right on your living room walls!

The images are reversed and upside down...but it's still way cool. It even looks 3D!

We had fun watching our neighbors walk around in the parking lot!

Ben, taking a nap under the trailer park.

Ben and I spent part of the afternoon "car" watching on our ceiling.

This was not projected on our walls...this is Julia. My sister. I took her picture with my new lens! Beautiful? Yes.

I Love My Pinhole Camera

2010-03-26T18:06:00.001-06:00

Here are the images with my pinhole camera. I love how unpredictable they are :)

2010-03-23T22:25:00.001-06:00

I built my first pinhole camera this past week and I think I have fallen in love all over again. First of all, it's made out of an Ovaltine can...my favorite food ever. Second, I missed being in the darkroom. I spent about four hours in there on Saturday and I loved every minute. It almost broke my heart when I had to leave. I loved experimenting with different exposure times and finally discovering what worked. Figuring out how to get the images focused was a problem at first, but in the end, the images are beautiful. They are black and white of course, but who knew you could get such distinct values out of a little hole poked in the the bottom of a can. I'm seriously considering doing this for my BFA...we'll see :) Anyway, I have to scan the images later this week for a presentation...so you will see them soon. Excited?

Having Julia up here with me at school has been one of the best things ever! We had a Sister's Saturday this weekend and it was a blast. We hung out, cut eachother's hair, had a photoshoot, and went to a play. Here are some of Julia's pictures I took. I had her dress up in a dance outfit and took her over to the auditorium. She was so fun to photograph.

p.s...I hope these pictures look ok on here...they look great on Ben's computer but they look terrible on mine.

Sneek Peek

2010-03-11T09:28:00.002-07:00

Here is a sneak peek at the book we have been working on this semester for our Documentary Photography class. The photos are organized chronologically starting with the earliest time of day to the latest.

Pretty much what I have come to realize from this project is that food controls our lives. We make money so that we can feed ourselves, we celebrate by eating food, we blame our problems on things that we eat. Even when we are trying to control our food intake, we still plan meals based on the rules that are set for us. How has food become such a significant part of our lives? Is it because it is so readily available? Is it because it's "fun"? How much food are we wasting by eating because we are bored? Do we take food for granted?

These are just a few of the many questions that have come up while doing this project. It's been a really great experience...but I'll be glad when my whole life doesn't revolve around watching people eat :)

Love,
Rachel Betts

Five Books

2010-02-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

My friend Melissa wrote a blog about five of her favorite books, and it got me thinking about all the books I love. Sooo, I thought I would share :)

1. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
The Best Book Ever. Seriously. Scarlet O'Hara is such a jerk but for some reason, I relate to her a lot. Ever since reading this book, I have found myself saying "I'll think about it tomorrow" a whole lot more. Scarlet is such a strong character who secretly loves Rhett Butler but is to prideful to say it. Rhett Butler is another strong character who secretly loves Scarlett but is to prideful to say it. Even when they are married they cannot admit their love for eachother. It drives me crazy so much that I just can't stop talking about it sometimes. Just ask my husband, I can relate anything back to this O'Hara/Butler relationship.

2. To Destroy You Is No Loss - JoAn D. Criddle
The next best book ever. Seriously. But it will make you cry, and cringe, and be so grateful for this country we live in. It follows the true escape of a upper-class family from communist Cambodia. They do everything to keep themselves safe including playing dumb and swallowing jewels. I have read this book over and over and it never gets boring!

3. Watership Down - Richard Adams
I'll admit, I haven't read this book in years, but it was my favorite book all through high school. I loved reading it when I needed a good cry because it is really emotional. It's about rabbits...yup, rabbits...who find out that everyone in their little rabbit home is going to get killed if they don't leave right away! Their adventure to find a new home is really suspensful actually. There is superstition and plotting. It might seem a little childish, but it's not at all.

4. Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
Such a good book. I read it twice in a row when I had foot surgery. It's about a radical baptist minister who drags his family into the heart of Africa to convert the Africans to christianity. The story is narrated by his four daughters and occasionally his wife.

5. Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa - Katherine Dettwyler
This is actually a documentary about Dettwyler herself. She is an anthropologist working in Mali, Africa studying malnutrition in children and mothers. The book explains her studies and interesting things that she discovers about people's eating habits and traditions. This book has made me realize how grateful I am to live in a country where we have basic sanitary options, a variety of nutritional foods, and vaccinations against deadly diseases. Mothers in Africa are used to losing many children to Malaria, malnutrition, polio, and so many other diseases that we consider to be extremely rare. This book has opened my eyes, but beware, some parts can be pretty graphic when describing cultural traditions or symptoms of disease.

So there you have it...my five books. Enjoy :)

2010-02-11T21:38:00.001-07:00

Ummm, I just feel like posting something to avoid homework. This week has gone by so fast. Which is absolutly fine with me. I cannot wait for the three day weekend. I need this time to relax and rejuvinate myself. These past few weeks have been really hard. I've been dizzy almost everyday. I don't know how I lived before Ben. I remember days last semester when I would walk myself home while I was dizzy and would just pray that I wouldn't slip or accidently walk into the street. Ben is my hero. He takes me home, sets up the tv next to the bed, and tucks me in so that I'm nice and cozy. He brings me his laptop and glasses of water. I am so grateful for him.

While in the temple today, I read this scripture:

2 Nephi 2:2 "...thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain."

I know that the Lord has given me my trials for a reason and that somehow, they are actually a blessing. They have been consecrated for my gain. So, instead of being angry and dissapointed in myself when I get sick, I have decided to spend my time counting my blessings and thanking God for the strengths I have been given through this trial. I think that's a much more productive way to spend my time :)

<3 Rachel Betts p.s. Stevie Wonder is amazing!

Documentary Photography!

2010-02-06T16:40:00.000-07:00

11:00am - Breakfast - Strawberries and Tea

This semester I am working on a documentary project for my wonderful documentary class! We will be working on our projects all semester and then publishing a book of our work. I love the class, but I never realized how hard it was to work on a documentary. I have kinda been put in charge of my group's project. There is so much involved like scheduling appointments, making sure everyone is doing their part, getting people to agree to getting their picture taken, and designing the graphics for our book, and making sure everyone's pictures look unified but not too similar.
Our project is on eating habits. We are photographing what people eat, where they eat, and when they eat. Our book will be in the form of a timeline with all the images placed in chronological order...hopefully it turns out good!
So what kinds of wierd things have you been caught eating? Is there a certain place you just love to eat? What time do you usually eat breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? The other day, I found Ben eating dinner at 9:00pm. He was eating meatballs on a hot dog bun covered in cheddar cheese. Wierd.

Married Life...

2010-01-26T09:43:00.001-07:00

Sooo, life in the past month has been really good. After our wonderfully full month of December, Ben and I headed back to our little home in Rexburg, ID. Getting here was a little scary with all the snow storms and ice that just happened to hit on the weekend we were travelling back. But that just made getting home that much better!

Mom and the boys visited us for a few days while they were dropping off Julia at school. It was so much fun! It was fun to finally have my family as visitors at my house instead of vice versa haha. I miss my little brothers! They should come up here more often...hint hint. Having Julia here at school is really great. We have so much fun watching movies, shopping, and writing thank-you-cards together. Plus she lives with my old roommates so Ben and I have a good excuse to go visit our old apartment complex a lot. I spied Jules walking with a boy on campus yesterday...that was really freaky.

Being married is the awesomest thing ever just FYI. If you are not married and reading this...I highly recomend it. It's so fun to just hang out with my best friend everyday. We have been playing a lot of games like Rumikub (Thanks Aunt Sarah!) and Nertz. Ben is getting really good at Nertz so watch out Jensen Family. He might just woop us all at the upcoming family reunion. Plus, since my social life lives with me, I get a lot more homework done haha.

Ever since getting married, I have been way more of a clean freak then ever before. Like, maybe it's just because now I'm living in my own home and half of the mess is mine, but I love to have a clean apartment. Cleaning isn't a chore or anything anymore, it's fun because I know that in the end, I will have a spottless kitchen or living room to hang out in. Yessss.

Anyway...that's all for now. Ben and I got a Flip for Christmas so maybe I should post some of those videos someday. adios.

6 Days...

2009-12-13T00:54:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to start my happily ever after...

2009-12-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

It seems like I always write a big blog during finals. Awesome

Anyways. Life is crazy sometimes. And sometimes there is so much to do and each day goes by too fast , but still not fast enough. And 16 days seems like an eternity. But then you remember back when you were counting down from 58 days and it's not that bad after all. And then you remember when you were stuck in California a million miles away and you realize that this is such a miracle. I can't wait.

Today I am tired. And all I can think about is how tired I am. But that's okay, only 14 more days of school! And then I can rest. Today was awesome because: first I took a ten minute nap, but my alarm clock didn't go off so it turned into a 20 minute nap and I woke up just as my class was starting on the other side of campus. I got to class and instead of lasting three hours like usual, it was only 40 minutes long. Nice. So I came home and wrote an essay. Which means I will probably get to bed early tonight. Awesome right?

Kay, so. Just FYI, I am marrying the most amazing guy ever. He does so much for me. We are going to have so much fun, like a party every day. I love him so much. I can't wait to be Mrs. Betts.

I just realized that I have been wearing my sweater inside-out all day.

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

2009-10-28T13:08:00.000-06:00

See that guy up there? His name is Ben Betts. And he's great. He proposed to me October 8, 2009 and we are getting married December 19, 2009. I am so excited :)

Ben and I have been friends for a while now. He took me on our first date in September of 2008. And it was so akward. After that we decided that we would just be good friends. So we did. A few months later we started doing everything together. We went grocery shopping, out to eat, and to the movies. But of course, we weren't "dating." Ben was my best friend and I had a huge huge crush on him but I was leaving for Europe and he was leaving for an internship so we didn't want to get into a relationship or anything. We just became really really good friends instead.

Fast forward to Paris, France. I get an email from Ben! It was so exciting! I told everyone in the internet cafe, even strangers. Soon we were emailing everyday and it was great. And when I got back to California we started talking on the phone everyday. For five whole months we talked on the phone for hours and emailed back and forth. It was the longest summer ever. I just wanted to be with him so bad.

And then I came back to Rexburg, ID! And we decided that we wouldn't talk about marriage for awhile because we hadn't even really dated in real life. But then one day we were like "Kay, why are we waiting? We know it's going to happen anyway!" So we started talking about it. And then we realized that it either had to happen in December or in April, and I cannot wait until April. So then we got engaged :)

And now we are getting ready to be sealed for all eternity :) I'm so lucky to be in love with my best friend.

p.s. There are many more details to this story obviously including: A phone call at the airport, becoming official through facebook, and a spontaneous trip to Utah...but those will have to wait for another time.

2009-09-29T11:18:00.000-06:00

My life is fabulous right now. That's all :)

<3 Rachel Marie

I wish my lunchbags were this cool...

2009-08-23T17:43:00.000-06:00

http://lunchbagart.tumblr.com/post/160269434/scarlett-zeroes-in-for-aunt-becky

If I really cared about Twitter then this is what today would look like...

2009-08-21T18:32:00.000-06:00

yah, that's my uncle

-Rocking out in my car...
-Got a voicemail for a man named Michael. His computer is fixed and ready to be picked up.
-Poor guy, his computer is gonna cost him like $179 and they are only holding it until monday...
-Sitting at my desk eating goldfishies. Not really excited to start these phone calls.
-Totally just found a goldfish that looked like a shark. No lie.
-I secretly like it when people don't answer their phones and I get to send them a postcard...
-My uncle is blasting Phantom of the Opera from his office. Haha.
-My uncle just walked over and asked me what I plan on doing when I get back to Rexburg. Oh man.
-How am I supposed to work when I am so excited??
-Spilled water all over my shoe.
-Luncheon at Roundtable next week? Sorry, I'll be busy...
-Suprise lunch for my last day at work! How exciting...
-And I get my own chocolate cake. Today is the best :)
-More phone calls
-Gonna break into the sun chips
-"Hi this is Daren Anderson State Farm! My name is Rachel, how can I help you?"
-Yay, I got to make a payment.
-40 more minutes until I'm done
-20 more minutes until I'm done
-Why does it get busy like, 5 minutes before I leave??
-They let me take my cake home!
-Home home home home, a few days to relax and then I'm off to Utah/Rexburg!
-So excited right now
-Heading to the Fair, can't wait for my corn dog, night y'all.

Olema 2009

2009-08-04T00:08:00.000-06:00

This past week was spent in Olima out near Point Reyes. I love this place. Our family has been gathering here ever since I was a little girl. There are memories at every beach and on every hike. Here is a list of discoveries and memories that were made this summer:

-Cacaw...caCAAAW!
-Max and Tyler falling in love with sand...and sporting some stunner sand mustaches and beards
-Racoons...everywhere
-Courtney getting pinched by a crab
-Playing Nertz like crazy people...and winning $20
-Aunt Marcia becoming one with the ocean...
-Slow Down!
-Everyone watching Elche as she slowly fell off her chair...everyone was to stunned to help haha
-Getting in trouble because our dog's bark was annoying
-"We drive so fast because there are no flowers to look at!"
-Tyler's joke
-Aunt Marcia's skit
-Pelican's diving into the ocean
-Sticky
-Roasting Oreo's
-Girls night in Katie and Ciara's tent
-Finding our true laugh
-Talent shows
-and so much more...can't wait until next year :)

Things I learned while painting...

2009-07-02T20:25:00.000-06:00

So this week was spent cleaning and painting my brothers room. I'm a perfectionist plus I have a hard time sitting and painting for hours on end so it took me awhile to finish...but I'm finally done! At least until my mother gets home and points out all the mistakes ;) Anyways, so here are some things I discovered while inhaling paint fumes for the past week:

-Alex and Samuel's room is like 15 degrees hotter than the rest of the house. Why? No one knows.
-Painter's tape is amazing!
-Getting little boys to clean under their bed is harder than it seems. I should have just done it myself.
-CLEAN OUT YOUR PAINTBRUSH!
-80's Music totally get's me in the painting mood
-Little boys love to paint...take advantage of it.
-I love painting while lying on Alex's bunk bed...I feel like Michelangelo...until paint drips in my eyes and ruins my contacts
-Paint in the morning. That's when the house is quiet and cool.
-Twitter breaks are the best
-Phone call breaks are even better
-Especially if they are from Idaho
-I need one of those cones my mom always talks about...especially when I'm painting behind the door and someone try's to come in.
-Alex and Sam are so entertaining
-They can also be a little annoying...but I can deal with that :)
-Samuel is way good at picking out color combinations.
-Alex is a way good painter...on walls and on canvas

And that's all. Two days until The Fourth of July, be excited :)
Rachel

Summer

2009-06-24T21:43:00.000-06:00

Right now my dad is installing our bright shiny new dishwasher. How exciting. I will miss doing all the dishes though. I used to hate doing dishes but I've come to realize how fun and exciting it can be. Our sink is pretty much in the center of our house. While sitting there with my hands in suds I can hear my family all around me. I can hear my dog going in and out of our screen door, one of her favorite past times. I can hear Julia playing her guitar and my parents playing cards at the table. And plus, who doesn't enjoy have their hands in warm water...it's pretty much one of the best things ever.

Our whole house fan is almost a definition of summer. As soon as it gets cool outside, my mom cranks it on and lets it run all night. It is one of the loudest things I have ever heard. Since it is right outside my (Julia's) bedroom door, I can't hear anything else in the house while I'm in there. It's like I'm in my own little world. Plus, since it's so loud, it puts me right to sleep...wierd I know. It's like sleeping on an airplane or something.

Anyways,
Rachel

California Dreamin....

2009-06-07T01:32:00.000-06:00

Soooo, I'm back....in California....finally. Europe was amazing of course. If you want to hear all about it, give me a call. Forreals you should cause I think my family is way tired of hearing me talk about it....and I can't stop talking about it :)

Here's a few highlights of my vacation so far:
-Sleeping in
-Homework finally being done
-Going to Oregon and seeing my best friend and all my cousins!
-Watching lots and lots of movies
-Eating Happy Cherries!!!!
-"I love magic."
-Cleaning Julia's room
-Washing lots and lots of dishes
-Rocket Mania + Cheerios
-Ovaltine
-Driving to Chico
-Seeing my cousins in Chico
-Zombies!
-Fresh berries everyday
-Feeding my Mr. Tortoise
-Tap Tap Revolution
-My hammock

and that's all.
Rachel :)

Today...

2009-04-29T16:45:00.001-06:00

Just got back from seeing "The Phantom of the Opera"!!!! It was amazing...seriously...we sat right under the chandalere (sp?). When it fell it was so scary! We also went to the British Museum today where I got to see the Rosetta Stone and mummies and stuff...it was great. Wellll....I don't know when I'll have internet access again so consider this a rare gift, haha.
Love you all!
Rachel

London

2009-04-28T16:21:00.000-06:00

Soooooo, I'm here...and it's amazing. The keyboards are wierd here....so sorry in advance for any weird misspellings haha. The flight from Cincinnati was long but I was able to sleep for most of it. We got here around 9am....1am your time lol. Driving into London I was in shock and how different everything was from in the States. Outisde of London, everything looks just like it does in "Babe"...you know the movie about the pig? it's so cute haha. Today we walked around the Parliment Building (the most beautiful building ever!) and saw Buckingham Palace (not really all it's cracked up to be). We walked thorugh St. James Park which is beautiful. There are tons of little parks here that are so cute! Just like the ones in Notting Hill, if you've ever seen that movie. After our walk we checked into the Hostel and then my friends and I headed out for a little adventure. We are staying right near the Victoria Line Station so we went there and bought metro tickets...it was a little intense...but we figured it out after a few tries haha. For dinner I bought a chicken and vegetable pasty...it's like a hand-held chicken pot pie...so good! After eating we got on the metro and headed to St. Paul's cathedral. It's the same cathedral where they sing "Feed the Birds" in Mary Poppins...so we had our own little musical party. The cathedral is huge and you can see it from everywhere! Then we walked to The Globe Theater, a replica of the theater that Shakespear's plays were originally performed in. We had some time before the show started so some of us walked around down random streets to see what we could find. We found this awesome street thing that was lined with cute little restaurants and a huge hat store. Then we went and saw "Romeo and Juliet" at the globe....it was amazing! We were standing right in front of the stage. The actors were way good and the show was really good. I didn't stay for the whole thing because I was exhausted and really gross from being on planes/shuttles for over 24 hours. So my friends and I headed home. Tomorrow we are headed to the British Museum and the Tate Modern! And then I get to see Phantom of the Opera! I'm soso excited. London is a beautiful city and I can't wait to come back again to explore more!
Love you all!
Rachel

Soooo...

2009-04-26T23:52:00.000-06:00

Yup...in three and a half hourse I will be on my way...I'm so excited...and so nervous...but mostly excited...and tired...and hungry...hmmm...this time tomorrow I will be on the other side of the planet...that's really far away...I'll miss you guys soso much!...but don't worry...I have a phone card...and I might check my e-mail like once...we'll see...so if you don't hear from me anytime soon...don't worry...this blog will be updated just for you when I get back...but yah, you guys should leave me comments so i'll be suprised when I get back...anyways...I'm gonna take a little nap...Love you all!
Rach

This one’s for Ben…

2009-04-24T00:36:00.001-06:00

So I've been asked to blog more…as usual. But there isn't really much to say that this person doesn't already know about me Lol. I'm just going to school during the day and having fun all night…as usual. Classes are going very well. I'm in this travel studies class that is so fun! Pretty much all we do is talk to two hours a day about the different works of art we each want to see or travel tips we have for each other. I still feel way unprepared for this trip, but I figure I will never really feel totally prepared until I'm an experienced traveler. There is just so much I want to do while I'm there and not nearly enough time! My friends and I had a meeting yesterday to plan out what museums we wanted to go to and we had to make two lists: a "This Time" list and a "Next Time" list. Sadly, our "Next Time" list kept growing longer and longer….I guess that just means I'm destined to go back!

So if any of you know me…you know I love Anne of Green Gables. She has red hair, what can I say :) There's a couple parts where she acts out the poem The Lady Of Shallot:

Anyway…I'm way excited because I get to see an amazing painting by John William Waterhouse that depicts the Lady of Shallot floating down the river…to her death…how sad. She also has red hair in the painting so that is pretty sweet.

Soooooo…tonight was pretty fun. I got some Taco Bell with this pretty awesome person and then we went to [fake] Disneyland…gah! It was so cute! And then I got to play Fill It! for a little bit, but I wasn't really at the top of my game since I haven't played in awhile. Then we watched HSM2….which was framazing….as usual. And then I got lots of new music! Yay that's always fun! It was great.

Kay, wow long post. now I have lots of hw…wish me luck mi amigos
Luvs
Rach

And the Countdown Begins...

2009-04-20T10:20:00.000-06:00

One more week.

-Rach

p.s.....this is amazing.

I Say Goodbye, and You Say Hello....

2009-04-13T10:09:00.000-06:00

School School School School. Oh man...this weekend was my only break between semesters...but it was way way fun. I went grocery shopping, learned I want to be a mechanic, ate/made lots of good food, learned how to twitter, took multiple naps a day, watched "Taken," flew a helicopter, ate lots and lots of candy, got googled lol, listened to lots of music, watched HSM3, and prolly much more stuff that I just can't think of right now.

So I just had my first meeting of the semester for the European Tour. I can't believe I leave in two weeks! Gah, it's coming to fast...there's to much to do before I leave that I don't wanna do. My classes should be fun though. The teachers are hilariouse! I can't wait to finally be in Europe. I've been waiting so so long!

Kay welllll...I don't really have anything exciting that I want to share with the world right now. So I guess I'll end this here. I hope everyone had a fun Easter, I missed you all!
Love,
Ray

Deja Vu

2009-04-10T13:41:00.000-06:00

Save me. I'm back. In the dorms. This time I'm armed only with a microwave and a teeny-tiny fridge. You can only imagine how excited I was when I saw my bunk bed...I thought I had excaped from those. Other then that though...there's nothing really to complain about. Since I'm the first one here I got to pick out which bed I wanted and which fridge I wanted...haha. Luckily I had this amazing guy here who was able to help me move my stuff...and my fridge :) And being here means I'm just that much closer to Europe! So exciting. Kay, well, I better get back to organizing my new life here at Chapman Hall. Love you all!
Ray

It's That Time Of Year

2009-04-06T13:12:00.000-06:00

Finals week. Here we go. So pretty much this semester has been framazing...and now I'm paying for it in my Spanish class. But whatever...it's all about personal growth right?

This weekend was so fun. I had a date, watched conference, went to Idaho Falls and bought new pants and new shoes. Ate lots and lots of good food. Got to see Norman, Nathan, Adam, and Kyle! That was way exciting. And now the weekend is over...and reality is kicking in. In four days Melissa is leaving me! And I will be leaving Greenbriar...one of the coolest places on this planet. I just found out that I have to get out of here by Friday...not cool...and I'm moving back to the dorms...woot. Luckily I know some amazing people that are letting me crash at their house when I need a kitchen.

Guess who got into the Bachelor of Fine Arts program!! That's right....I did. It was really exciting and so scary at the same time. I was so nervouse to open the letter...I almost didn't open it. And then Lezlie made me. As soon as I saw the word "Congratulations" I did the most amazing happy dance you will ever see...right in the middle of the parking lot. So now I don't have to worry anymore. I have the next few years planned out for me. So exciting!

I leave for Europe in three weeks! I'm so excited...but also so nervouse. What if I get sick in another country, on another continent! I guess I really shouldn't worry about that...but still. Gah, that reminds me of how much I still have to do to get ready.

Anyways...there is so much more I could write about right now...but I have printmaking class in 27 minutes....and yah. If you wanna be awesome you can call me and I'll tell you more about my exciting life.
Luvs
Ray

Digital Painting

2009-03-28T01:23:00.000-06:00

I don't get life sometimes. Like everything's going great and fine and dandy and then finals week comes along. Not only are there finals but there's social life issues....not necessarily bad issues...just stuff that feels more important than school. And I don't wanna lost that either. And then once things start going good there...something else comes up that you used to be waiting for so you feel like you should take advantage of it...but it doesn't seem as important anymore. And then you have your BFA portfolio waiting to be picked up because you're art teachers already reviewed it and are deciding you're fate. And by the time you get home you're roommates are asleep so you just have to stay up until 2am trying to figure everything out on your own.

Thanks for listening to me rant and rave for a second there. Now here's what I really wanted to blog about

For anyone who's taken photo classes or anything, you know how much of a joke filters in photoshop can be. They look cheesy and never really give you the feel you want. But if you can blend them well and figure out how to work then together you can get some really cool images that look digitally painted. Here are a couple pictures that I worked on this morning. The feet one took like an hour and the metal one took about two hours. You might not be able to see them very well here, but if you can click on them and expand them you can see how they look digitally painted.

Photo Illustration

2009-03-13T10:00:00.000-06:00

This past week in my digital photo class we've learned a lot about photo illustration. The photo above is by Jerry Uelsmann. He has hundreds and hundreds of pictures that he likes to arrange in cool ways. Everything he does is created in the dark room. He must have amazing burning and dodging skills. All his images are very dreamlike and sometimes creepy (be careful when you look him up...there are some scary images...I warned you).

What I love about his work is that there is no concept whatsoever. I think that sometimes people get to caught up trying to explain what a piece of artwork means that they miss how beautiful the piece really is. It's very rare that any of my pieces have hidden meanings or back stories. They are usually just an idea that I've had rolling around in my head that finally came out on a page or in a print.

Here is my most recent print. I've had the idea of people standing on books for awhile now...don't ask me why...it's just an image I've had in my head. So I went through all my pictures and looked for images of people standing in cool positions. As soon as I saw this picture of Samuel and Dana that I took out at Sea Ranch I knew I had to use it. Then I photographed a stack of books, trying to mimic the lighting that was on the kids...I wasn't very succesfull at that, but whatever. I originally planned on making the covers of the books look like puddles of water...but that didn't really work so I just extracted the riverbed along with the two kids and placed it on top of the books. The next thing to do was choose an environment to place it all in. Looking through my pictures I found all these images of clouds that I took last semester...so I figured: why not have them floating through the skies? But seriously, wouldn't that be so fun? Floating around on giant books is my new dream. Anyways, after everything was finally put together I decided to take all the color out so it wouldn't be so distracting. It took me 5+ hours to do...but I had so much fun! This is for sure my favorite print I've done. Let me know what you think!

Raymundo

Hola

2009-03-13T08:42:00.001-06:00

Soooo, I've been getting some complaints since I haven't posted a blog/called my family in awhile. But don't worry, I'm not frozen in a gutter somewhere like some people thought :) Be excited because I plan on posting some of my work for this semester in the next couple of days! While you're waiting...watch this awesome video:

Raymundo

When my love is away...my cover is blown...

2009-02-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.maggietaylor.com/
Check out Maggie Taylor. I love how each of her pieces tells it's own little story. The closer you look at each picture, the more you find! She has a really cute collection called "Almost Alice" with images from "Alice In Wonderland." The colors she uses are all very vibrant. I just think everything she does is amazing!

I haven't blogged in a long time! Sorry about that. Life here in Rexburg has been fun. The snow has started melting...wierd huh? This time last year I wouldn't have left my house without a hat, gloves, long johns, and a scarf. Today I hardly even needed my big jacket! The snow is starting to melt so walking down big hills is like walking through a waterslide.

School this semester has been weird. I've missed so much class because of being sick/traveling that I feel like I'm always trying to catch up. I'm dizzy almost constantly now and the ringing in my ears doesn't stop. Luckily, my teachers are amazingly understanding and have helped me out so much!

So you guys wanna know something awesome? For Valentines Day my rommates and I watched all six hours of Pride and Predjudice. No breaks. It was A-maz-za-zing. We laughed, we cried, we cheered. By the end we were all emotional wrecks, we had to watch a manly movie before we could calm down and get some sleep.

Anyways, that's all I'm gonna write for now. If you wanna know more...call me.
Love: Rachel

p.s. I'll be 20-years-old in less then a week. I'm excited :)

Colors

2009-02-12T00:31:00.000-07:00

A sugar crystal magnified by like a million

"Color is my day-long obsession, joy, and torment"

-Claude Monet

Even though the snow is beautiful....I miss colors.

Free Music Video of the week on Itunes

2009-02-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

My 2008/2009 Weekly Academic Planner

2009-01-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

This is how I live! My planner doesn't look that clean though. I take my planner everywhere, even on vacation! It's covered in notes and lists and random locker combinations. I have lyrics to songs taped on the inside and a big picture of Rosie the Riveter telling me "We Can Do It!" taped to the outside. I have a list of favorite songs and songs I have to buy. A list of ideas for photo projects. The back page used to be the plan for the rest of my schooling here, but over time it's just turned into a bunch of illegible scribbles. Near the end is a log of meditation sessions I did las semester and a list of books I need to read. Some pages have "STAY AWAKE!" written across them, obviously those were written during an art history class.

Love You Grandma

2009-01-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

Born September 20, 1934 in Oakland to Nicholas and Helen De Lucia, Diane passed away at home, in Rancho Cordova on Jan 17, 2009 at age 74. She devoted her life to her family, her church, sewing, painting, teaching dance, and directing theatrical productions. Of note, Diane choreographed for the Elk Grove Strauss Festival for many years. Lovingly cared for during her long illness by her husband Willis Boyd Jensen, she also leaves children Marcia Harris, Michael Jensen, Stephen Jensen, Caryn Stapp, Sarah Blair, Rachelle Anderson, Jared Jensen and their spouses, 34 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, her sisters Susan Rosenquist and Marian Brown, and brother Thomas De Lucia. She is preceded in death by her parents and brothers Nicholas and Andrew De Lucia. Services will be held Friday, Jan 23 at 11 am at the LDS Church, 2400 Cordova Lane, Rancho Cordova. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Alzheimer's Association.

Crayon Physics Deluxe

2009-01-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

Sooooo, my roommates and I descovered the coolest game this weekend...Crayon Physics Deluxe. Ummm, I will be downloading the demo shortly. Until then, enjoy this:

http://www.crayonphysics.com/

Bolt

2009-01-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

So I saw Bolt today. It was pretty much fra-mazing. You go see it now.

2009-01-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

This is my amazing sister. I love her!

Winter Break

2009-01-05T00:30:00.000-07:00

First things first: I FINALLY finished "Gone With The Wind." I was dragging it out as long as possible cause it was seriously the best book ever....furrealz. I got to movie for christmas so I'll be watching that next :)

The winter break is almost over. I leave tomorow around noon. This has seriously been the best break ever...I was absolutly, completly, wonderfully lazy the whole time...which is why there are hardly any pictures to post here...but here you go!

Samuel the Lamanite is showing baby Jesus where to take the "donkey" in our annual nativity play on Christmas Eve.

Homemade Almond Roca+Pride and Predjudice=Love!

A giant Cheese Ball.

Christmas Crafts :)

The Boys Are Back! Samuel in his costume for his tap dance recital.

Alex...the teen in our house.

The king of Cheese Balls...lol

Julia taught ballet this year!

Julia, our beautiful dancer

Tough Guys.

I photographed the recital for the Opera House.

Julia's class...they are adorable :)

Anyways...all in all the break was amazing. I watched a lot of movies, ate a lot of food, and bought a lot of clothes. My next post will be from Idaho!

<3 Rachel

More Snow

2008-12-18T01:18:00.000-07:00

Just when I think I've left all that cold fluffy stuff back in Idaho...it decides to "snow" here. It wasn't sticking to the ground or anything and it prolly only lasted about 30 minutes...but it was awesome. It hasn't snowed here in at least 7 years. My little brothers had a blast running around in it and catching it in their hands. They were freaking out.

Anyways...I've been home since Saturday night. Our drive home was pretty crazy. We hit a big snowstorm as we were coming into Rigby, ID so we stopped there to get snow tires. It was hilariouse...it was super early in the morning and we were trying to stay awake but before we knew it we were all sprawled out in the lobby of some auto shop. We were all sleeping and we woke up to a bunch of other customers staring at us. The rest of the drive was still pretty scary. We saw a couple of cars flipped over on the side of the road and one giant truck that had skidded off the road. We had to put chains on going through Donner Pass and we could only drive like 30 mph....not fun. In the end we made it home safe and sound :)

Being home has been amazing! Monday I did absolutly nothing. It was great. I got up around noon, made mom some food (she's been kinda sick), and then watched movies all day. Normally, I would feel guilty about being so lazy, but I figure I worked so hard last week for finals, I deserve it. Alex and Sam and I have been having so much fun, we have been having a Karate Kid marathon...I love those movies. Jules and I will soon be getting our party on. She was still in school she has been working like crazy for her dance recital so we haven't been able to hang out much. She dragged me to see Twilight with her tonight....not my favorite movie...don't see it.

So Elche has been coming up to me like every 5 minutes and putting her nose right in my face. It's like she's checking to make sure I'm still sitting here. She's so adorable :)

<3 Rachel
p.s. 6 days till Christmas!

Last

2008-12-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

My last day of math class was today. Now all I have left is the math final and then I am done with math...forever! Well...at least until my future children need help with their math hw.

Snow

2008-12-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up around 5:30am (an unusual occurance with me) and walked into the living room. The curtains were wide open and all I could see was white. It was on the cars, it was on the trees, it was everywhere! Since I'm done with all my photo projects, Let It Snow!
This is the tree outside my window where the evil squirrel usually sits...not anymore!

Kay this has nothing to do with anything but whatever. I had no idea you could burn pasta until this happened. They were almost on fire...crazy.

We're all buying the same stuff...

2008-12-06T01:02:00.000-07:00

What’s great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coke, Liz Taylor drinks Coke, and just think, you can drink Coke, too. A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the Cokes are the same and all the Cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it.

-Andy Warhol

2008-12-02T23:37:00.000-07:00

AAAAAAAAHHHH! My ears have been ringing for three days straight! It's sosososo loud, I can't even believe. Somebody save me, please.

Sorry I haven't been posting a picture a day this week, finals are coming up and life's kinda crazy right now. I'll be home in 10 days!

7 Things

2008-11-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

7 Things That I Can Do:
1. Make chicken and rice
2. Tie my shoes
3. Relate anything to Harry Potter
4. Take your picture
5. Paint a color wheel
6. Nap anywhere
7. Procrastinate everything

7 Things I Cannot Do:
1. Whistle
2. Finish Gone With The Wind (it is taking me forever)
3. Eat a lot of salt
4. Study Art History without napping in the middle of it
5. Bake something without Julia's help
6. Open jars
7. Do that wierd snappy thing with my hand

7 Things I Say Often:
1. Furrealz
2. For sure
3. Luv and Miss you!
4. Does it have to do with the Jonas Brothers?
5. Kay
6. Is mom there?
7. I lost

7 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die:
1. Finish Gone With The Wind
2. Travel the World
3. Get married
4. Go back to Spain
5. Invent something
6. Spoil my grandkids
7. Go on a spontaneouse road trip

7 Things That Attract Me To My Man:
When I get one, I'll let you know

7 Favorite Foods:
1. Chicken and Rice
2. Rolls
3. Milenesa
4. Ice Cream!
5. Chocolate
6. Bubble Gun
7. Grandma Marie's Chicken and Dumplings

7 People Who I Would Like To Do This:
Anyone!

Days 12-15

2008-11-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

Soooo, in case you didn't know, we totally suprised my dad with a trip to Bodega Bay for his 50th birthday. Here are pictures of our great adventure:

November 23rd, 2008

Dad turns 50. Julia joins a colony of llamas.

November 24th, 2008

We hike the Northern California coast.

November 25th, 2008
Bright red hair at Goat Rock.

November 25th, 2008

On the way home we stopped at Dillon's Beach. This trip was my dog Elche's first time at the beach. She loved it....I think

Day 11

2008-11-23T00:57:00.000-07:00

November 22, 2008

I spent over 12 hours in a car to get home to this! A live concert in my own dining room :)

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I can't wait until tomorow!

Day 10

2008-11-22T00:22:00.001-07:00

November 21st, 2008

My friend Thomas gave me a ride home from school today. I live behind the big white building on the left.

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I leave for California in 6 hours!

Day 9

2008-11-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

November 20th, 2008

I love this window.
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2 more days until California :)

Day 8

2008-11-20T00:54:00.000-07:00

November 19th, 2008

Tonight my friend and I went and saw "She Loves Me" in the Snow building. One lightbulb has burned out.

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So I don't think I ever really explained what I've been doing for the past couple of weeks. We've been given an assignment in our color photo class to post a picture a day for two weeks. They aren't really supposed to be elaborate or perfect, just what we see in a normal day. I've really enjoyed the assignment and will probably continue doing it even after it's over.

So tonight I went and saw "She Loves Me"...it's the musical of "The Shop Around The Corner"...or "You've Got Mail." It was pretty much amazing.

So this week has just been wierd. Lots of random things I wish I had known earlier are all of a sudden right there...so life kinda stinks. Yah that was really confusing.

2008-11-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry I wasn't able to post yesterday's picture...here is today's :)

November 18, 2008

Pretty clouds and one star. Make a wish!

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So Melissa and I went out the other day to take pictures. She just happened to have her guitar so we sang some songs in a random alley way....it just happened to be the most trafficked alley way in Rexburg.

Day 6

2008-11-16T01:12:00.000-07:00

November 15th, 2008

I pass the stadium every day. I have never gone to a game before. Why should I? I already know my school is going to win.

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Today was amazing. Call me. Especially if your name starts with an A and rhymes with Barianna....I hate this phone tag thing we always got goin' on.

Day 5

2008-11-14T23:20:00.000-07:00

November 14th, 2008

This is my front porch.

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Today was pretty much awesome. I got to sleep in, had pretty much no homework, and got to watch The Office. I got A's on both of my math tests (I thought I was gonna do horribly, but it turns out all my random math scribbles were the right answers. Who knew?!). And I went on a fantastic date to Extravadance! Hopefully tomorow will be just as good :)

2008-11-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry I wasn't able to post this picture yesterday. Here is yesterday's picture and I will post todays later tonight :)

November 13, 2008

I took pictures of Main Street for one of my photo projects. My fingers were freezing to my tripod.

2008-11-13T00:42:00.000-07:00

November 12, 2008

We have a fish named Elmo!

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Today was pretty good. I got to sleep in a little and finished most of my math hw. We will see how tomorow goes :)

2008-11-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

November 11, 2008

My drawings for a painting for my design and color class. I painted the first square today while watching Chuck and The Little Mermaid.

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So pretty much I'm super behind in everything. being sick for one day really messed things up. hopefully I will be able to catch up tomorow since I don't have to go to Art History....we will see. I have been sitting in the same spot on the couch for the past, like, 5 hours. All my homework is on my computer so there is no need to move...but I just feel so lazy. Maybe I will move into my bedroom. Night :)

Tagged!

2008-11-11T15:35:00.000-07:00

So I've been tagged by my cousin Megan. Here are a lot of 8's...say 8 say 8! Did you get some 8 today?

8 Places I like to Eat:
1. In-N-Out! Oh how I miss it :)
2. My kitchen...especially when Melissa cooks
3. Applebee's!
4. Gringo's
5. The Taqueria
6. That Salvadorian food place...the one were Al's Drive In is...luv it!
7. Jack in the Box tacos (haha)
8. The Cupcake Cafe (for dessert :)

8 Things that Happened Yesterday:
1. Went to my photo class.
2. Art History was cancelled!
3. Organized my math hw packet.
4. Finished my math test.
5. Painted!
6. Met with my math group.
7. Took a really long and relaxing nap.
8.Took pictures.

8 Things I Love About Fall:
1. Overcast weather: Perfect for picture taking.
2. Cruching leaves.
3. It hasn't really snowed yet.
4. Apple cider :)
5. Thanksgiving Break!
6. Getting all warm in sweatshirts and socks and coats and hats and blankets.
7. Reading
8. School!

8 Things on My wish List:
1. A new ipod!
2. More time to see my familia.
3. Passing my math class.
4. That summer will come faster so I can head off to Europe!
5. A new jacket.
6. The Switchfoot Holiday Package (Hint hint: mom and dad)
7. That I could eat chocolate chips to my hearts content without freaking out.
8. That the new season of Lost would hurry up and start.

8 People That I Am Tagging:
I can't just choose 8 people! Whoever wants to, should do this :)

2008-11-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

November 10 2008

Today I am sick. So I made hot chocolate and took an amazing nap.

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This is my most recent Color Photo project. I will be posting a picture a day for the next 14 days! This weekend was crazy, I pretty did math all day thursday-saturday and now I am mathed out. Now that our big math test is done, I can get on the rest of my hw, yay!

Rachel

p.s. California here I come! In 12 days!

Best Day Ever

2008-10-31T17:42:00.000-06:00

So today has serioiusly been the best day ever. First of all: it's halloween, in case you haven't noticed. I'm wearing yellow pants, a blue shirt, and a bright yellow construction paper sun pinned on my shirt. I am a Sunny Day...which is exactly what Rexburg needs this weekend :)

Today I found a ride home for Thanksgiving! I'm so excited to get home and see all my friends and family...it's gonna be freaking amazing....framazing.

I also got a package today from my grandparents! It had a huge bag of chocolate chips and three huge boxes of Hot Tamales (my favorite candy)...they know me too well ;)

And the best news of all! I got accepted to go on the European Tour this summer! A whole month....in europe...I'm so excited :) We will be going to England, and Italy, and France, and whole lotta other places. I can't wait. This will also be framazing.

Miss you and can't wait to get home for turkey day

<3>

Awesome Christmas Present

2008-10-26T21:29:00.000-06:00

The Boys Are Back!

2008-10-25T11:57:00.000-06:00

So I went and saw High School Musical 3: Senior Year last night with a bunch of friends. It was amazing! Sure it was cheezy and some of the lyrics were a little wierd, but overall I loved it! The dancing was really great and Troy Bolton is really cute...and that's all that matters right?

Mixed Light Photography

2008-10-18T15:59:00.000-06:00

Far away, far away. I wanna go far away...

2008-10-16T14:27:00.000-06:00

Life has been crazy here in the burg but that's how I like it! My classes are going great and I'm not hating any of them yet. Next week is mid-terms but I don't have any :) it's great. The only assignment I'm still having trouble with is the photo assignment I mentioned in an earlier post. We are learning about the colors of light and we have to take pictures before or after sunrise. I've been waking up around 6 am (an amazing feat, I know) to shoot pictures and haven't taken anything really spectacular yet. I talked to my teacher about this and he said that i should just keep getting up that early and trying new things...so that's what I'm doing.

So lately I've been meditating for 5-10 minutes every day. It's amazing how sitting still for that short amount of time can really calm me down and help me focus for the rest of the day. Usually try and just concentrate on my breathing, but sometimes I try and make lists of things I have been blessed with or people who need my help. Sometimes I pick a word and say it over and over (I know: cheesy...but it helps!). Here are some interesting quotes about meditation:

"Let that be something to remember-you do likewise. Take time to meditate. Many times you will be wrestling with problems, the solution of which can be spiritually discerned. Don't get so busy that you don't have time to meditate. Take the time.”
-Harold B. Lee

"I think we pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion. In our worship there are two elements: one is spiritual communion rising from our own meditation; the other instruction from others, particularly from those who have authority to guide and instruct us. Of the two, the more profitable introspectively is meditation. Meditation is the language of the soul. Meditation is a form of prayer. We can say prayers without having any spiritual response. Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord."
-David O. McKay

“Someone asked a Hindu how he was able to maintain the great serenity and peace he had about him, no matter what pressures he faced. His answer: ‘I never leave my place of meditation.’ Every morning he meditated for thirty minutes. Then in his mind and heart he never left that place—he maintained the spirit of that place throughout the day amid his pressures."
-From an article in the April, 1989 Ensign

We've also been learning a lot about the Buddha this week. I never realized that Buddhism really isn't a religion with god's and stuff but more of a spiritual practice. Here are some quotes by the Buddha:

"Work out your own enlightment with dilligence"

"Recognize our delusion that happiness exists outside of ourselves."

Miss you!
Rachel Marie

It's 21 degress outside...

2008-10-14T07:51:00.000-06:00

So this morning I did something that I hate doing more than anything else. I got up at 6:30 a.m. (before the sun rose), put on long underwear, a hat, gloves, long-sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt, and a coat, and went out into the freezing cold to take pictures. We are studying the color of light at the moment so I have to take pictures before sunrise. Even with a thermos full of hot cocoa...my nose was frozen and I couldn't feel my fingers! I don't have those pictures on my computer yet since I just got back, but here are some other assignments I have turned in this semester:

These pictures were taken for an emotion assignment. Lots of the labels I gave them are really cheesy...but whatever. I labeled this as confusion, but my teacher thought it looked more like violence.

So I took this picture as a kind of contrast to the previouse one. I think it looks very calm and organized. I printed this one really big and put a frame on it...I love it!
This is the bottom of an "Employees Only" door at some warehouse. Obviously it's a very busy place...so this was labled busy.

These next few pictures are studies of color harmony, color contrast, and monochromatic color.

monochromatic
Color Harmony
Monochromatic
Color Contrast

Color Contrast

Color Harmony? I don't remember lol
Color Harmony

Monochromatic

So my pictures are starting to all get the same feel and my teacher told me he's noticed that I've started developing my style of photography. He told me to start pushing the boundaries of what I've been doing so that I can develope it even further. I'm finally starting to feel like photography is the right thing! Yay!

<3 Rachel

p.s. I applied for the European Tour yesterday! I find out if I get in on November 4th :)

Prop 8!

2008-10-09T15:29:00.000-06:00

Why am I voting yes on proposition 8? Because I don't think we should have to change our standards to love our neighbor. Becuase I don't believe my future children should be taught that same-sex marriage is normal and acceptable. Because I want religouse freedom without conflict. Because I believe marriage is a sacred event between one man and one woman.

Check out these sites for more information:
http://www.preservingmarriage.org/
http://protectmarriage.com/
http://iprotectmarriage.com/ <-----This one is awesome!

PIe

2008-09-27T13:01:00.000-06:00

So I totally stole this picture from the NorthTemple blog....but whatever. I think it's funny.

Bhagavad Gita Excerpts

2008-09-24T19:03:00.000-06:00

So my world religions class is definently my favorite. It's amazing to see how many other religions have bits and pieces of light and how similar they are to ours! Right now we are learning about Hinduism and while they may have some beliefes that are strange to us, many of their teachings can be applied to our lives. Here are some excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita (The Hindu Bible) that I thought were pretty cool. In this story, Lord Krishna teaches how one might reach salvation:

"Never was there a time when I did not exist, or you, or these kings; nor will there come a time when we cease to be."

"You have the right to your actions, but never to your actions fruits. Act for the actions sake."

"Ignorant men without faith are easily mired in doubt; they can never be truly happy in this world or the world beyond."

"...when desire, fear, and anger have left him, that man is forever free."

"I am the taste in water, the light in the moon and sun...the sound in the air."

"For men whose minds are forever Focused on me, whose love Has grown deep through meditation, I am easy to reach."

"It is better to do your own duty badly, than to perfectly do another's."

"Focused on me at all times, you will overcome obstructions; but if you persist in clinging to the I-sense, then you are lost."

"If you focus your mind on me and revere me with all your heart, you will surley come to me; this I promise because I love you."

Missionary work:
"He who teaches this primal secret to those who love me has acted with the greatest love and will come to me, beyond doubt."

"Do not fear: I will free you..."

"Mere knowledge of right and wrong will not make one fit for salvation."

Design and Color

2008-09-16T18:34:00.000-06:00

So one of my favorite classes this semester is Design and Color. We study different ways to express art and color relationships. I found this site today that is really cool. It's a test to see your Color I.Q. I scored 11 (the lower the score the better!) See if you can score better than me!
http://www.xrite.com/custom_page.aspx?PageID=77

It's another great day at BYU-Idaho

2008-09-13T17:51:00.000-06:00

I'm here in beautiful Rexburg :) One of my favorite places in the world. The trip here was interesting. We planned on leaving California around 6a.m. but I woke up that morning with a pretty strong episode of Meniere's Disease. It's what I got, check it out. After a blessing (Omgosh did it help) and an extra two hours of sleeping, we headed off. The drive was terrible, every movement made me nausouse and I was, like, begging mom to take me back home. But I'm so glad she didn't, I was perfectly fine by the time we got to Idaho Falls :) My family stayed up here a few days to hang out and we had so much fun together. I gave them a tour of campus, Jules checked out the new dance major, and we headed to Yellowstone for a day (check out pictures below). I was so sad to see them leave, but feel very blessed to be here!
The first week of school went pretty good. All of my classes are interesting and I'm pretty sure I'll do well in them all. The only one I'm a little worried about is Math 110: College Algebra....AAAH! I didn't think I would ever have to do math again...yet here I am. Pray for me. I'm also taking: World Religions (My personal favorite. Our teacher is hilariouse. The first day of class I turned around to look at the clock and Anthony DeLucia, my cousin, was sitting right behind me. It was pretty funny.), Color Photo (An all digital class now since the local Walmart stopped developing color film and we don't have the chemicals to develope it ourselves), Art History II (grrness), and Design & Color.
So this semester I'm living in an apartment and I love it! It's a little small (kay, really small), but whatever. The walk to campus is beautiful and really close to the art department. Our whole apartment complex makes up our ward so everyone is really close and I can't wait to meet my family home evening family next week! Anyway, I should prolly get back to homework...yipee. Luv and Miss you all!

Julia and an elk in Yellowstone. It was huge! Don't get to close while wearing ugly purple sweaters and grey hats...the elk don't like it...haha.

A black bear! It was really far away...but I was still freaking out.
Julia and a flock of bison. A real live buffalo!...haha omygosh.
The hot water mixed with wierdo chemicals turn the algea and bacteria in the water amazing colors. I'm using this picture in my Color Photo class.
Bubbly water! It was really "other-worldly" out there with all the hot springs. It's amazing to think that hot water is constantly re-shaping the world out there and that in 100 years it could look totally different.