The Cold Sore

I have a blind date this weekend. No big deal, right? Wrong. It wasn't a big deal until a large growth appeared on my upper lip. Yes folks, I have a cold sore. A fever blister. An annoying, painful manifestation of being a little too stressed. It appeared on Monday and I've been doing anything and everything I can think of to make it go away. I know it's not that big of a problem and it really has no effect whatsoever on my eternal happiness, but it is a little embarrassing. I would preferably choose to have the potential blind date look at my entire face, but hey, when you have something to zero in on, it's hard to help but stare at it. Maybe he won't notice?

Hey look! Even celebrities get them too! Thanks Justin.

Art History

This semester I'm taking an Art History class, American Art History to be exact. It's my minor and I absolutely love it. I love classical art (think ancient Greece and Rome), 18th century European Art (everything from Baroque and Rococo to Impressionism-I love impressionism), and of course the Masters, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, and all the other Ninja Turtles. I truly love art. No matter where or what time period, I can find something I love about it and how it is inherently beautiful, specific to that culture and moment in history. However, my least favorite kind of art is Modern Art. I think a lot of it is beautiful and creative, but I also think a lot of it is ridiculous. So, when I was registering for my last Art History class ever and found that the only one that I hadn't taken that fit my schedule was American Art History, I was a little bummed. "American Art History" doesn't really give me tingles and honestly, all I thought it could be is a bunch of Duchamp stuff (the toilet) and sculptures made of food, which is cool, but definitely different. It isn't really the epitome of the "Art History" I have grown to know and love.

Was I in for a surprise! So far, this class has been great! America is a young country and doesn't have the same rich history as other European countries, but we sure have learned a lot from them. I'll skip the lesson about artist training and and all of the really cool things I have learned this semester and share one of my most favorite lectures-Arts and Crafts. Whenever I have learned about Arts and Crafts before it has seemed like a little blip on the screen that wasn't really a big deal and didn't really have any implications on the future. Well, I had a lot to learn.

The Arts and Crafts Movement came during a time of industrialization-mass production of art and furniture. The workers would make one piece of an item and pass it on to the next person, they would never see the full fruits of their labors. They would be working long hours for poor wages and the artists and craftsmen were out of work. For a short time it was a lot like IKEA, lots of mass-produced furniture that anyone could buy for a really great price. As you could guess, this would be quite popular in the beginning, but people missed the real, hand-made art they were used to. So, out of this artists and craftsmen came together to produce homes and products to make life better. They believed that by surrounding themselves with beautiful things, they would be better people. High-quality homes and furniture were built, after a hard day at work, you wanted to come home to somewhere beautiful. From carpet weavers to wood-carvers to metal-workers to glass-blowers, artisans and craftsmen produced beautiful wares and high-quality items for homes.

A really good example of this is the Louis Comfort Tiffany lamp. It's not something I would actually put in my own home, but it is beautiful. The base of the lamp has been sculpted to look like the base of a tree and the stained-glass lamp shade is organic and colorful. You can see how having this in your home would be relaxing, beautiful, and make you a better person.



This is a Gustav Stickley chair, they were so popular that they're still made today. It was hand-crafted, and he wants you to be able to tell that it's hand-crafted, which is evident by the wooden pegs in the legs of the chair. It is comfortable and meant to be sat in. It is also made from a local oak-a sturdy wood that those in the area would be familiar with. It was built to last, to be passed down, and used. I think I might like something like this when I grow up.

The homes that were built during this time are called Bungalows and are still seen today. I think this is a really charming bungalow, very homey, very personal-I like it.


They are even seen in Provo!



This is a really great example of an Arts and Crafts home. It's called Gamble House and it's in Ponderosa, California. You can see how well-made and hand-crafted it is. It was built by real carpenters who were interested in producing a high-quality product. I think it's really beautiful. Here is the front door, a stained glass "Tree of Life".



This is what it would look like as you are coming home from school-isn't this somewhere you would love to come home to?



Here is a general view of the exterior.


This is one of my favorite examples of the inspiration of the Arts and Crafts Movement. The European version of this movement is called "Art Nouveau", most people are familiar with it on the Metropolitan entrances in Paris. Here is an example of a staircase. The banister was created separately from the staircase itself, the wallpaper was created by another craftsman, and the carpet was designed by yet another person. You can see how all of these pieces put together create something really beautiful. Basically, I think it's gorgeous and wouldn't mind coming home to something like this, wouldn't you? I think that when you live somewhere beautiful and uplifting, it can't help but make you a better person. The saying "you are what you eat" is also true here-you are what you "eat" with your eyes, you become what you surround yourself with, you really are influenced by the world you create around yourself.

Mustard

I really like mustard. I think it's definitely one of the under-appreciated condiments of our time. It's tangy, has a little zip to it, and makes a lot of things taste better. I haven't always appreciated this almost creamy yellow sauce, it is an acquired taste. I like honey mustard, mustard on hot dogs (which I only like at baseball games and the 4th of July), mustard on sandwiches, and a recent finding, mustard and balsamic vinegar on chicken-I know, sounds a little cooky right? It's really good though! I had it on a sandwich today and was so grateful I had it. It's often shadowed by ketchup, overtaken by relish-which is absolutely disgusting, and is always available at any kind of food place from McDonald's to a classy restaurant, like Zupas, just kidding, but seriously, they even have it at Cafe Rio! Anyways, I just wanted to put that out there-I really like mustard.

The Bachelor

The Bachelor. A completely ridiculous show. I have always rolled my eyes when my friends have admitted their obsession out loud and thought "what a waste of time" and "how embarrassing, I would never say that out loud if I was obsessed with something like that". I mean seriously, even the commercials look stupid. One guy and like 25 women that he whittles down to 1 within what, two weeks? And there are women throwing themselves at him, saying the most absurd things, like "I've never felt this way about someone" while choking back tears after a group date with 8 other girls. And they make the dumbest comments, I don't think people that are really in love say things like this, but hey, what do I know? I have now become one of these idiots that waits for Monday nights at 7:00. I still think the premise of the show is ridiculous, it's like half polygamy and when I watch Jake say the same thing to at least three women, I can't help but think it's partly a lie. How can you say you've fallen in love with three women? When you're in love, doesn't that mean there is ONE person you can't stop thinking about, want to spend time with, can't imagine yourself with anyone else? I don't know about this and if these girls really feel for this guy, which I'm sure they could, then I think it's not fair for him to tell them all the same things. In the end he will be with someone, but these girls getting sent home are going to go home possibly squashed. I don't know, I'm not sure how this even started, but yes, I am now a regular watcher of the Bachelor. Yes, I love Tenley and hope she wins. They are the most similar and she has the most depth to her. They even look like a match. And yes, if Vienna stays, well, lets just say Jake is in for a lifetime of dealing with a not-so-classy girl from the ozarks who will not fit in his life and has no substance. I know that's a very judgmental thing to say, but I mean seriously, that girl has issues. I'm ok if Gia wins, she is so sweet and I like her too, just not Vienna. And Ali could have had a definite chance, but she went back to work-bad choice. Go team Tenley!

Valentine's Day

So . . . about Valentines Day. I have mixed feelings.

There are so many people who have negative feelings about it (and strong ones at that) and feel bitter and cynical; they are, of course, the single ones. You know who I'm talking about, the ones who refer to it as "Single Awareness Day" and buy themselves chocolate, close the blinds, and watch sappy movies all day (or their own personal version of this pity party). I understand this to an extent, sometimes being single isn't really a situation by choice, it's not always fun, and in Provo, Utah it's not "socially acceptable". Everyone is always asking if you're dating someone, if you're interested in someone, if you want to be set up, etc. There is an emphasis on your lack of a significant other and how you should probably be getting one. So on a holiday dedicated to celebrating the other person in your life, you don't really get to celebrate and it could feel like you've missed the bus.

However, I've tried to have a positive attitude, regardless of my dating situation. I've never had a "Valentine" per say, but it's ok, I'll have one someday! (wow, that rhymed) I try to think of it like Hanukkah, it's just a holiday I don't celebrate, but it's ok if other people do. (However, unlike Valentine's Day, I probably won't become a Jew to celebrate, but hey-it's not a bad analogy, right dad?) Some of my friends were talking about how pointless it is to have this holiday and when they are married, their husbands shouldn't need a holiday to tell them how much they love them. Ok, valid-ish point. But not really. I don't know what marriage is like and I don't pretend to, but from what I understand, it's a two-way street. If the hubby is expected to treat everyday like Valentine's Day, doesn't that mean the wife-y is too? That seems like an awful lot of effort. The cards, the treats, the special little favors-it's a lot! I think it's nice that we have a holiday dedicated only to love. And everyday doesn't have to be Valentine's Day, but it's the little things we do that show the people around us we love them. It's unloading the dishwasher, making the bed, keeping them in your prayers and knowing their concerns, a phone call, cutting out a newspaper article because you know they would like it, it's those things that we should be doing everyday to show love, not an extravagant holiday bursting with pink, red, and little naked men with bows and arrows. Anyways, back to the point, I think Valentine's Day is a really good idea. There is a really positive message behind the holiday-love. What better thing to celebrate? It's what keeps people happy, keeps families together, something we say at the end of a phone call or when we're walking out the door, it's what we want someone to remember if there is a chance we don't see them again, the reason we work on relationships even when we've been wronged or hurt before, why we forgive, why the Savior sacrificed His life, it's a completely perfect thing to celebrate! According to C.S. Lewis . . .

"Charity means 'Love, in the Christian sense'. But love, in the Christian sense, does not mean an emotion. It is a state not of the feelings but of the will; that state of the will which we have naturally about ourselves, and must learn to have about other people ."

Loving someone isn't about whether or not you like them. It's about wanting good for them, hoping the best for them, and looking out for them. He's saying that if you detach the emotion from the word "love", you're still left with the actions that communicate it. You treat them with respect, you only say good things about them, when there is a miscommunication you apologize, you keep their secrets, you trust them-all these things are communicated by one little word, love. So I think it's ok to have one day a year when we celebrate this, when we are reminded of why we love them and we show them, and the rest of the world sometimes, that we love them.

I think that's a really good reason to celebrate, even if it does make people lovey dovey and cause some to dress in clashing colors. Besides, it makes a lot more sense than a few other holidays we celebrate-St. Patrick's Day? I have no idea what pinching people and making green pancakes is all about, but whatever. And Halloween? Don't get me started on Halloween.