Art for Free!

While browsing blogs, I found this really cool site that has a bunch of art prints that are free to download. It's called Feed your Soul: the free art project. It's a really cool concept and there are tons of really beautiful prints that you can, well, print off, and frame or hang on the wall or whatever. There are so many great ones I had a hard time picking a few to show here. Check them out! You'll be very happy. 

Girls in White Dresses with Blue Satin Sashes

I've been on a "let's watch movies from my childhood" kick. Sound of Music was one of the top contenders on this list. Everyone knows about the dresses made from the curtains, but I was really inspired by the rest of the costumes in the movie. 

And for the most part, they seemed pretty simple to recreate and since I have so much free time on my hands, I might whip out the sewing machine and make a dress fit for a Von Trapp! 

pictures from here

happy birthday disneyland

I think its so cool that in conjunction with all the anniversaries Disneyland has, they've released vintage-themed merchandise. This picture is a huge paper sculpture thingy. It's from this really talented artist, Kevin Kidney (he is the one that did those Mary Poppins ornaments I really liked a while back). This piece looks so cool! I really hope I get to go see it in person!!

picture from here

I'm on a QUEST!!

So while my mom was in town visiting, we swapped a ton of stories about my childhood. It was a very nostalgic time.

I was trying to remind my mom about a book that I loved as a child. It was from the 60s (big surprise, I know) and in it a little girl and her mom went downtown to buy a party dress. I remembered that it was yellow on the cover and that there were other short stories in the volume. For the life of me I couldn't remember the name of this book.

I searched on the internet, trying to figure out what this book was! I thought that the internet had all the answers but apparently it didn't have this one for me. By this point, I wasn't sure if I had made up this memory -- it was driving me crazy!

Finally, I called my sister, Elise. I described the book to her and she said she knew what I was talking about (hooray! I'm not imagining this!) But she was unsure on the title of the book too. Being the sweet younger sister she is (and me being the persistant older sister I am) I asked her to look through the box of kids books to finally solve this mystery.

A few minutes later, she found it. "City Days and City Ways" she told me on the other end of the line. And for the record, they were going party shoe shopping, not party dress shopping.

After I found out the name and author, I was able to discover that there are four books in this collection and so now I am on a QUEST! to find all of them. The problem is, I have no idea where this book came from and I don't know how to get the others. So wish me luck!

Beatlemania hits again!

So, the Paul McCartney Concert was amazing. We got to the stadium a little before the show was supposed to start, but like most concerts, this one didn't start on time. We were waiting for Paul to come out and it still hadn't really sunk in that we were going to see a BEATLE perform.

Then around  8:00, smoke started to come on stage, the lights turned on, and then I saw him. Sir. Paul McCartney. An overwhelming wave of Beatlemania swept over me. I let out a blood-curdling scream. It seemed like the only appropriate response to seeing a Beatle run out on stage with a guitar. It was such an emotional experience that I think I teared up a bit. I have heard about Beatlemania and how girls were complete basket cases at Beatles concerts. Word is that in 1964, when they came to America the first time, their songs couldn't even be heard over the shrieks of the crowd.

Highlights of the Concert:

• During "All My Loving" he did the little "head bob" that he did when he performed the song on the Ed Sullivan Show in '64. (Yes, I did notice this)
• Tributes -- He dedicated songs to Linda, John and George. It was touching. It kinda made me sad.
• When he pulled out a mandolin and performed "Dance Tonight"
• "Something" on the Ukulele. Charming rendition. 
• "Give Peace a Chance" the whole crowd stood up and waved their arms and sang along. You could really feel the emotion of that song when there were hundreds of thousands of people singing it. 
• "LIVE AND LET DIE"!! Dan and I totally called that this song would be a show-stopper. I heard the opening line and lost it. I kept telling Dan and Jenny that there would be crazy strobe lights and there were! There were fireworks too. Gosh, writing this down doesn't even do it justice. It was fantastical. My new favorite Paul McCartney song.
• "Hey Jude" It was so loud, with everybody singing along! Everyone knows this song, and then to get everyone out there singing at the top of their lungs - wow. Plus he performed it on a really cool psychedelic piano which was awesome.  

It was surreal seeing someone perform that you'd only heard about. It was almost like I didn't believe that he really existed. But he does, and he puts on a really great show. I'm super glad that he came to Utah. Once in  a lifetime experience. Thanks Dan!

Picture from Here.

Today is a Lucky Day

Just look at the date -- 7 and 13. Aren't those lucky numbers? I say yes!

I took that as a sign that July 13th is the very best day of the year. 

Here is the evidence to prove it.

July 13, 2009 -- Club 33

July 13, 2010 -- Paul McCartney Concert

picture from here

I hope you all have a lucky day!

drivers licenses

Today I'm heading over to the DMV to finally change my drivers license to a Utah one.

I know, it's been a year but I was so hesitant to give up my cool green and blue holographic Massachusetts one. 

So wish me luck, I hope my hair looks good...

UPDATE: Success! After waiting two hours at the Driver License Division I passed my open book test and took a pretty decent picture. Also, on the way home I got a Springville Library card. It was a productive day.

hip hip hooray!

We've hit the one-year mark! That was such a happy day. You can see it in our eyes!

It kind of stinks having your anniversary on a Sunday, but we're gonna celebrate in style by seeing the one and only Sir Paul McCartney on Tuesday.

I love you Dan! Here's to many more happy years together!

Denver here we come!

We're leaving tomorrow to visit Jason, Ellen and their little boy Gavin in Denver. Dan and Jason are pretty close and really good friends. Jason usually says that Dan is his "Brother from another Mother". We are so excited to see them!We hope to  someday move to Denver so we can always hang out with them.

I'm also really excited because I'll get to go to Panera for the first time in about a year - Hip Hip Hooray for the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad!

So needless to say, I won't be posting till we get back, so have a Happy 4th of July! We will!

(Ellen! I totally stole the picture from your blog! Hope you don't mind!)

This is Beautiful

Ok, so Dan has had this fascination with "underground hip-hop" over the last couple of years. Normally, I'm not a huge fan, but there are some songs that I find myself humming later. This is one of those songs. The music video is just beautiful. Sage Francis was the first person in this genre that Dan got interested in, so I guess he's his favorite. It's kinda long, but watch it all the way to the end, that's where my favorite part is! Enjoy!