Bloody and Gory

Last fall semester, I took a theatrical makeup class. It was SO cool! We learned how to apply stage makeup and how to make people look older and--my favorite part--we learned how to make people look like they have legit wounds on their bodies!!! Let's just say that when Halloween rolls around, I'm the coolest person on the block! Gang fight, zombie wounds, good ol' black eye... Seriously. Let me practice exercising my talents!

Anyways, this has also really come in handy when I watch movies. Because now I understand that everything is fake, I can sit there during some really brutal fight scenes and be thinking, "Hmmm... I wonder what technique they used..." instead of going crazy and yelling,  "OH MY GOSH! THAT'S THE NASTIEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN!!!" I laugh at myself every time I do it. Even more so, I laugh at all my friends next to me who have to cover their eyes so they won't be scarred for life. (No offense if you do. People can make things look REALLY realistic!)

JumpStart 2nd Grade

Was I the only one who played this game when I was little?

My coworker and I were talking today about how much computer games for kids have changed. We both played JumpStart 2nd Grade (this game) and noticed that we learned SO much! (Not only the song La Cucaracha but also how to put coins in a jukebox!!! Essential life skill. Definitely.) Today, it seems like most of the iPod games are just meant for entertainment that's soul purpose is to waste time. Maybe I'm wrong but, I have to say that I'm pretty sure this was the best game of my childhood! The kids of today are missing out...

A little African soul...

Have you ever played any of the Civilization games? Well, I never have... But my roommate did last year. Coincidentally, my brother was a big stud in his high school choir at the same time. (This ties in! I promise!) They were singing the Civ theme song for their group number and he got a solo. I listened to it and instantly fell in love! It's one of those songs that makes me feel like I can change the world; it's the background music in a movie when soldiers are going to battle... or for that moment when Joseph Smith gets the gold plates and has flashbacks to the Stripling Warriors... Who knew a song could say that?!? :) Anyways, I love it. So, you should listen, too...

2-year-old Hoodie

I'm in Intermediate Sewing right now (love it! You should take it if you get the chance!!!) and we just finished our first project: a jacket. Zipper down the front, hood, pockets, the works. The point of this project was that we would learn how to sew with fleece. (Yes, there IS a different method. Crazy, right?) I went to the fabric store and didn't find any fabric that I really liked. And then... I found it. This giraffe print fleece fabric. Super soft. Super warm. Super cute! Well, I finished it today and I honestly am in love with it. But, I got some interesting reviews about it beforehand.

When I told people what I was doing, I received many mixed responses. Most people said, "Oh my gosh! I wish I had that fabric! It's adorable!" Yay. They like my idea. Awesome. On the other hand, however, other people said, "Why would you wear that? You're going to look like a 2-year-old..." Um, thanks. Way to make me feel self-conscious. But, I got to thinking about it and I had to wonder if advertising had anything to do with these different attitudes. Is it not okay for me, a 20-year-old developed woman, to wear an animal print jacket because that style is usually marketed to 2-year-olds? I don't think so... But, hopefully I'm not mistaken for a 5'3" baby when I wear it... Embarrassing!

Hitchety, Hatchety

I had a lot of favorite books as a kid... There was all of the Kevin Henkes books, Monster Mamma, Piggy Pie, and so many more. My MOST favorite, however, was a book called, Hitchety, Hatchey, Up I Go! It's the story of a tiny boy (he's probably the size of a mouse) who wants to make some pancakes one morning. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any of the ingredients to make said pancakes and so he steals some of the supplies from the old woman (who is normal sized) who lives next door. She sees him and tries to sweep him up with her broom. However, the little boy is always too fast for her (which, looking back, doesn't really make sense...) and he gets away every time. One time, though, he is stuffed to the brim with stolen delicacies and he starts to get a stomach ache. He needs medicine but, guess what? He doesn't have any. So, he goes over to the old woman's house to steal AGAIN. This time, though, he is too slow and she catches him. Instead of sweeping him up with the rest of the dust on the floor, she nurses him back to health.

Honestly, I have no idea why I liked this book so much but every time we went to the library, I just HAD to check it out! After a few years, I finally got my parents to buy the book for me for my birthday. I was basically a teenager by then but, lo and behold, I still have it. It's sitting on my shelf in my apartment. And, it's still one of my favorite books. :)

Beauty

Lately, I've been thinking to myself, "What a coincidence!" A few days before we watched the movie in class, I signed up for the 10-day Beauty challenge put on by the BYU Women's Services. The challenge for Thursday was to look at photoshopped images of celebrities online to see that the perception of beauty portrayed in the media isn't always as it appears. (What a coincidence that we had just watched that movie in class!) It's just amazing to me to think that our society has this image of perfection that is literally unattainable... I'm glad I got to learn about all of this so that I have the opportunity to share this lesson with my daughters one day.

BTW, here are some of the photoshopped pictures. Take a look!
http://www.beautyredefined.net/photoshop-phoniness-hall-of-shame/

How to: Find a Job

I work at the Hinckley building on campus for Alumni Career Services. Everyday, I find lots of jobs and post them onto our job board for current students and alumni to search through. I thought it would be kind of nice to get the word out there about how to find a job on a company's website because sometimes they think it's appropriate to hide the link from you. How nice of them. Anyways, here it goes:

Most often, there will be a link to the company's career page at the top or bottom of their home page. It will either be titled "Careers", "Employment", "Jobs", or I've even seen one that says, "Join our Family"... Companies will also put a link under the tabs titled "About" or something of the like where you can get more information about their company. From there, you can find their job board by performing a search or clicking on "Search for current openings". This is a comprehensive list of all the company's available positions. It's a nice thing to utilize so you're not just applying to companies randomly without knowing if they have any positions open.

Another tool that's helpful is external job boards (like the one that I post to!). Companies will send jobs that they need filled quickly to external companies in hopes that they'll get the word out to multiples places and they'll have a better chance of filling the position. I like this route best because you at least know the company is looking to fill this spot and that you'll--hopefully--get a response soon!

I know it's kind of silly to be posting about this because you guys probably all have jobs, but I wish somebody would've told me about all this stuff when I started searching for a job! :) So, now you know... Enjoy!

Night Owl

For the past few months, I've had so much trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. And it's frustrating because, instead of getting 8 hours of sleep, I'll only end up getting like 5 or 6. So, during the music lecture that Dr. Coyne gave last week, she talked about how listening to classical music 20-30 minutes before you go to bed helps you sleep better. I'm happy to report that I have noticed a change in my sleeping pattern. It's amazing how much that music just settles my mind and allows me to fall asleep easier. LOVE the suggestion!

Also, the guy at devotional yesterday talked about keeping a gratitude journal will help you sleep better, too. Worth a shot, right?