Masked.

So I got a new camera in December. Consider it my baby because I love and care for it a little too much. I have not been able to put it down. I just have so much to learn and do. I have had the one and only India Earl showing me the ropes. She is one of the most talented photographers I know. Most photographs of me on my blog are done by her.

I decided last minute that I am going to put a portfolio together for the Art Program here at Utah State. So I wanted to go take some creative original photos. Me and India wracked out minds for awhile and came up with a creepy, odd, yet high fashion idea for a shoot. We headed to Hastings (maybe the greatest store ever) and found ourselves some masks. I got a sheep and she got a giraffe and our shoot started to come together. The sheep head may have been the best purchase I have ever made, lets just say in the last two days we have made lots of funny memories with sherrie the sheep head.

Anyways... We headed down to Second Dam to take some photos. It involved me falling in the river, stripping naked to switch outfits, and hiking some mountains. India and I just traded off photographing each other, trying to make the most of the light that was left. I won't lie, it was hard to not laugh while photographing these.

Backcountry Sledding

 Over the whole break I didn't go boarding, sledding, snowball fighting, nothing snow related whatsoever. How lame right? I live with the state with the best snow on earth and I don't do anything with it!? I was so excited when we finally decided to go sledding. We headed up to donut falls to hits some hills and make some steak. Wesley had a cabin up there so it was bring your own meat, kaytee was feeling manly and wanted herself a steak, so steak it was. When we finally got up there and went sledding for maybe an hour. And then spent the next three hours backcountry exploring. And can I tell you, it was the funnest thing I have done in awhile!
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A little Party Never Killed Nobody

My Obsession with Gatsby started my junior year when we had to read the book. I was enveloped by it and read it in three days, that was maybe the easiest assignment I was given my whole high school career. So when the new movie came out and everyone became obsessed, I was a bit bitter because I was the one that liked it first... haha how school girl of me right? Well now that I got over that I was beyond excited to hear that Arvo was throwing a Great Gatsby new years party. Arvo is a watch company that some kids that I went to high school with started. They have grown so much and they are like the dopest watches ever, if you don't know what they are, check them out because you will want one instantly.

They also had upcoming artist from Utah playing at this party as well. Westward the Tide played, they are also a bunch of people from Alta, I swear the most talented people come out of my high school. And Luna Lune played as well. If you haven't heard of either, your life is not complete. If you want a new obsession and new great music, go check them out!

Anyways... sorry for the ramblings, we went, and it may have been the funnest time ever. I just went with a bunch of my girlfriends and my lil sis came along as well. I am so grateful for her and how crazy we can be together. Best part of my night was when some 25 year old hit on her and then kissed her at midnight... what he didn't know was that she was 16! hahahahahahah could you imagine how much of a creep he would feel like if he ever figured out? He asked for her number but she gave him the wrong one. Poor guy became a cradle robber and dissed with the wrong number in one night, happy new year to him haha

I couldn't have asked for a better way to end a year and start a new one. I may or may not have whip lash from whipping my head back and forth a bit too much, BUT I hope you all had a good New Year Eve, and I wish you the best year to come yet!

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An Ode to 2013

2013 brought a lot of change to my life. I think more happened to me this year than in my whole lifetime. I hate those cheesy sappy wrap ups of a year in a blog post. Maybe because I hate anything serious, I am one of those people where I can't keep any conversation serious because once it hits a deep emotion telling note I get awkward and make a funny joke or sarcasm takes its toll. But I really wanted to express how grateful I am to 2013.

My gratitude is towards all the horrible things that happened this year. Being grateful for bad things? Yeah I know now I am sounding like a nut case. But all the bad was brought for a reason and made me become someone I needed to be.  My theory is that you can feel bad for yourself all you want, and sure people will feel bad for you at first but then they forget and you are on your own, and when that time comes, that is when you make the choice. You can choose to let it consume you and continue on with self pity, or you can realize that this trial is given to you for a reason and you can learn from it. When my parents got divorced this year, at first all I wanted was pity. Not only was divorce thrown at me but secrets, lies and deceptions. How was this fair, how was I supposed to just get up and go like nothing happened. My heart was broken my life was changed, and I am supposed to just move on? Just sitting in the corner of my bed filled with self pity and streaming tears seemed to me, to be the best solution. But when it wasn't helping, that was when I made the choice. From this trial, I gained a true testimony of the gospel. No one and nothing was making me feel better, I would run, watch movies, eat, don't eat, talk to friends, avoid my parents, nothing worked. Once I turned my faith towards Heavenly Father everything started to change. And I sincerely mean that.

I would always hear of these stories where people would say they prayed about it, and God really helped. For some reason I had a hard time believing that the biggest solution through a trial was Heavenly father, like I thought they were just being dramatic, and I thought sure praying helped but I am sure time just healed. But after I put full faith into the situation I realized that he did help. There is a change in heart, a change in the type of happiness and joy you feel when you let the gospel in your life. I promise you will never understand it, until you try it, and I mean fully trying it with full effort and faith in your heart. So I did, and my life changed for the better.

While the divorce and other things went down, my testimony grew stronger and so did I. Though my family life was falling apart, the rest of my life seemed to start getting pieced together. I gained a best friend, or more like a twin considering she is my other half. She understood everything I was going through and was put in my life for a purpose. I was able to go on a spring break trip with the most aspiring people, it was like the knew how to make you forget anything bad in your life. I had not only amazing roommates my spring semester, but this fall semester my roommates are my family, I don't know who I would be without them. I had the best summer, one for the books. And I was finally able to sorta let a guy into my life, still working on that but hey it was a start. My life really was bringing me so much joy. The trial I was going through started to seem like a little spec in the grand scheme of things. And sure sometimes it still bites me in the butt but I am able to push through it.

This wasn't meant to spill out my feelings and turn into some testimony. But I just want to say that we all have control over our lives. Things will hit us and hit us hard, but I, I have 100% control on how I feel and how I am going to react. No one else can control that. So I am grateful, For the most amazing year filled with the most amazing people, and the most amazing experiences. I would say it was the best year I have ever lived yet. And so I leave a big fat HAH! to the trials that hit me, because you ain't got nothin on me.