Provo Tabernacle

When my roommate sent me a text with a photo of the Provo Tabernacle smoking my heart broke. We'd had stake conference there just a month before and that building has such a spirit by itself. That building was the work of the pioneers built between 1883 and 1898, but then remodeled in 1917. The wood work and architecture was beautiful. Inside there was a balcony and a gorgeous organ. Hopefully they'll rebuild it. It was the most beautiful building in Provo.

The tabernacle burning at night: click here

The day after, still smoking: click here

a little bite of the big apple

R.U.D.E.

Saw this posted on a friend's facebook that she overheard on our reading day.
Two girls were walking into the library next to a guy.

He says,"I don't hold the door for girls wearing sweatpants. If you're not going to try, neither am I."

Well rude guy, I'm not going to hold the door for guys with basketball shorts and sneakers or a five o'clock shadow. If you're not going to try, neither am I.

Then I found this comic, which applies perfectly:

Sweatpants don't usually complement the butt.

BUT WAIT... isn't holding the door just a common courtesy and not a decision based on how put together someone looks? A little bit of a selfish attitude there my friend. Only doing a little service if something is in it for him.

I liked one of the comments under my friend's original post. Something along the lines of how he's going to get stuck with a really high maintenance wife and a couple years down the road will hate his life. He'd deserve it.

Seriously, give the girls a break! It's finals week. I think sweatpants are a good sign right now. Don't you want a potential girlfriend/wife to care more about her education, during a time when it really matters like finals week, than looking good to try and impress whoever she might see in the library. I'm not saying you can't look cute and be studious, but don't hate on girls who just want to be comfortable.

After relaying this experience to guy friends I was surprised to see that any of them were on the rude guy's side.
What the?
But after explaining our reasoning they understood the situation and sided against him. Majority were already on our side, just fyi.

Then I said I was going to wear sweatpants for a month and they asked if I thought I'd get asked on any dates. HA! Every day I head to campus it's not just to try and get asked on dates.
Mrs. degree? No, I want a real one.

When a girl looks nice it's not just for you boys. It is partly for you, but it's majority for herself.
For example, if I feel like I spent time getting ready it makes me feel more confident to tackle my day, feel like my life is put together, and do things with more lady-like grace.

What's up with this BYU expectation that girls should look their best everyday?

That's it. I hope I run into that tool on campus sometime. Good luck with the ladies my friend.

warming winter

P is soon leaving for London and this weekend we went on 2 dates. First was just all over town trying on onesies, to The Chocolate and we got sugared out so we ended up at Sammy's to balance it out. Then the next night we went to our ward christmas party, which was a party up at the Aspen lodge and then I took her on a tour around Sundance. It's pretty chilly up there, but the lights are beautiful and so we took some pics. We really do love hanging out together, but it would've been 10x better to be on real dates after being surrounded by couples at the christmas party. Oh well...

I was just tagged in these photos from a fun date night for my birthday! S baked a caked cause there were actually 2 birthdays to celebrate. We carved ice cream (crazy right?) and it was so fun! You can see the JEEP we carved in the front right out of vanilla ice cream. It had the top down, seats, and even people, so it was no surprise we won first place. If you use your fingers to carve though they'll go numb....careful.

TMA 273 Video

Embedding test from vimeo for TMA 273:

The Festival of Lights from Lauren Merkley on Vimeo.

date night

So P and I really wanted to see the lights at Temple Square, so we decided to double it up one night. So it ended up being me, C, P, and J cruisin up for a little date night fun.
On our way there we stopped at a yummy falafal place P knew about just like 10 minutes out. It was so so good and we reminisced about Jerusalem and tried to remember our Arabic we'd learned while we were over there. I remembered a lot more than J, but they were all random phrases, like 'I'm not married'(I remembered that one).
The girl who ran the register was being really funny and didn't let J pay for dinner when he was trying to shove his card in front of P's. She was like "Oh no, I'm all about having the girl pay. I know how it goes." That made me wonder..."Wait, how what goes?" I don't know what she was talking about, I'm all about letting the boys pay if they offer. P and I were planning on paying since we initiated this and I think that's how it should go, for the record. She was nice though besides that weird comment.
So, weather conditions were not prime. Cold (always expected), but it was drizzly and wet wet wet too! It made me not want to take pictures out, but then I did and it was great.

We got there kind of late, so we snuck in one Visitor's Center, but then the others were closed right before we got to them.
They have the big nativity out on the lawn, with different parts lighting up as the biblical account is read and it's really cool. Then they have an excerpt from Pres. Monson at the end about remembering Christ and the real reason for celebration being the Savior's birth.

The lights and the temple are so beautiful and it makes everything seem so magical. This year I felt like we passed by TONS of teenagers on group dates too, which was really funny.
We finally found the best picture spot(see below):

P & J


Me & C

Post light-seeing we ran over to Gateway to look for mittens/gloves and get some yummy drinks at Starbucks. We parked by Urban Outfitters and ran in, but no luck on mittens. Starbucks was success though and we all got something different. P and J both got vanilla steamers with different flavored shots. I got peppermint hot choc and C got salted caramel hot choc. It hit the spot after the cold and wet.
Then we headed on home to P-town after a successful trip to the big city :)

Donde esta Santa Claus?

I love November and December.
There is just a good feeling around the holidays.
I especially love christmas lights.
Our house is the coolest on the block now and the brightest.

November is great.
The Sunday before my birthday I honestly forgot my birthday was coming up.
Good thing someone asked me about it.
We had a little shindig, so fun!

OH and HP #7 (first half) was SO GREAT! I loved it.
Went to see Inception for the 4th time. I'm writing a paper about it.

Thanksgiving is great too.
We didn't have a huge blizzard like they said we would.
Major let down. I just wanted to get my snowpants on. That's right.
Since then it just switched and now it's that nose nipping cold all day and night.
Our sprinklers weren't turned off yet though, so our whole lawn was frozen in the AM.
At first i was confused when it was only our lawn and then I connected the dots.

So since there was no blizzard we, some 192nd buddies, hit up a mexican restaurant.
This wasn't just any mexican restaurant.
It's one we've driven by a billion times, but never gone too because it screams "you'll have the runs for days".
It turned out to be quite good though.
We reminisced about Freshman year.
Oh those were fun times!
It's weird having the boys back, but so good.
It was so colorful inside. I loved it!

"Beans be with you 'til we meat again"(hopefully not)

Big plans for some onesies action, so we went on an adventure to purchase one.
Some were more excited than others:



I just wish it'd snow more.
I wanna get my snowpants on.

Take a chance on me....

I'm glad someone took a chance on me.
Things are going well and I feel so blessed to have so many opportunities in my life and to have the people around me that I do.
So it's no secret I love film and photography.
I had this amazing opportunity to be DP on one of the commercials for the directing commercials class. It was kind of trial by fire because you know I fool around doing my own stuff, but I've never been DP for any legitimate project.
My original mentor ended up not being able to be there on set at all, but I did have help to start from one my sister's best friends who is really talented. I don't know what I would've done if she hadn't been there to get me started.
Anyway, I always say I don't know all the technical things. I spent the days leading up to it researching everything I could find and calling all my resources to make sure I was doing things the right way.
Nothing was perfect, but I thought the majority of what we got looked beautiful. Check out this one shot below:

That was the director's favorite.
Then we built a bathroom in the dining room and it worked out so well. Movie magic. I love it. I think what I learned yesterday was that the technical things come second to m=being intuitive and having an eye for what looks good. I did learn lots of good tips and tricks. I'm creating a separate part of my brain strictly for DP/lighting tips. That space will probably end up being half my brain.
When I got home yesterday I was just high on life. Not only that it all looked pretty good, but also that I survived because I was so nervous going into it.
Getting a good shot and good lighting totally floored(sp?) me, so I'll take it as a sign that I'm doing the right thing.

On another note. The leaves randomly all just started falling last Sunday. They had all turned, but weren't really falling. Now after a week most of the trees are bare.


We went to the Festival of Lights at the Krishna Temple. I had to film an event for my documentary class and it was pretty fun. I love this picture.


And then... the sunset was beautiful and the temple itself is gorgeous.


Then a bridal shower for this beautiful girl!

Here is the set up, it was so so cute! Props to the host for a good time!


I love fall. All I want to do now is stay in bed and read and snuggle under the covers.

chunky applesauce

one of my favorite things about winter - homemade applesauce. don't be fooled by the name though cause it's not really apple sauce. it's like softer small chunks of apple warm with cinnamon and other goodness. i remember it being so hot sometimes it would burn my tongue, but i couldn't wait to eat it.
i have to call my parents and see how they make it because parents know best, but i came across this recipe from google. maybe i'll try that one too and compare.
only 5 more weeks until i get to just snuggle under covers with a book by the fire at home sweet home with my family and some applesauce. nothing like the holiday season.

Click here: Chunky Applesauce

TMA 273 Post #3

"Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord?" Alma 26:16

Service will open up so many opportunities and people to you. Ammon's service to King Lamoni resulted in the opportunity and conversion of a nation that would be an example to those who fought against them. I finished reading the block of scriptures this week and so service was on my mind throughout fast Sunday. Then it turns out our Relief Society lesson was on service. A quote was shared from President Monson that went something like this
"We often sit side by side, but we don't speak heart to heart."
By serving King Lamoni first, Ammon was able to speak heart to heart with him later. The story would've turned out very differently if Ammon hadn't done that because that time allowed King Lamoni to see the power of God through Ammon's service.

I also love the discourse between Aaron and Ammon, when Aaron is afraid that Ammon is boasting, but Ammon corrects him. He tells Aaron that is joy is so full in God that he is not boasting in his own strength, but the strength of God. I think that's a beautiful expression of faith and humility. He knew that in God he could do all things and that alone he was nothing. It's a good reminder to be grateful to the real source of your success because without God we are nothing.

I have a lot of good girl friends on missions right now and I love writing and hearing from them. Their letters are always so focused on the right things, in the right perspective. They know that they need the Spirit with them to be able to touch the hearts and teach those they meet. People aren't converted because of the missionaries, they're converted through the Spirit. You need to invite the Spirit and also you need to receive it. I think it was one of Utchdorf's talks where he mentioned the word 'receive', which denotes being active on your part. You have to receive and listen and act!

TMA 273 Post #2

Harvard beats Yale 29-29 - I was at first intrigued by the title of this film. Two competitive ivy league schools competing in football, something outside of their highly respected academic reputations.
I kept watching, waiting for something more until the very end of the film. The whole film was cut between all of the sit down interviews with some old footage of the original football game.
Since we'd talked about lighting and things like that, I noticed all of the sit down interviews. All of the backgrounds were really boring. The colors were neutral and usually it seemed to be random settings and just a wall behind. Even when they showed more of a room, it didn't feel like it had to do with the story.
The film felt like you had to have been involved in the actual event in some way to get something about of the film. No emotion was created through the interviews or old footage. The interviewees weren't really animated, there was no music added, there wasn't any b-roll of Harvard or Yale, or their current teams, or anything. They did use a few old pictures to supplement, but that's about it.
I think it is good to have all of those interviews from the players because it was such a monumental game. I didn't have any background on the story, so I thought it was interesting to hear the story for the first time, but I had to struggle to stay focused on it. The story could've been told in a half hour and a faster pace would've made it a lot more engaging. I want to feel like I was in that stadium. Football games aren't boring.
The dynamics were set up interestingly between the two teams. The backgrounds of many of the Harvard players were more working class and I think that was a conscious decision to include that in the beginning. Also, there was the story of how the Vietnam War split the players when they weren't in their football uniforms, but on the field those differences in opinion went away. I liked the inclusion of the one player's story about getting back from the war and thought that that added a nice segway into how the war and current events played into team dynamics. The story structure was good and basic. It started before the game and ended with the end of the game and the win for Harvard.
It takes a lot more than a lot of interviews with the right people and some old footage to make a film engaging though.

TMA 273 post #1

An Inconvenient Truth - I care about the environment and I wish everyone did. I try to do my part because I know we have pollution issues. Al Gore's film though was so heavy on advocacy and obviously had an agenda.
This film is as much about Al Gore's life and political career as it is about climate change.
The very opening is set up in a casual, generic way, so that you feel comfortable and Al Gore's voice over speaks to something that everyone can relate to. Who doesn't love those moments when you can sit and just observe the beauty of creation and nature.
Then your emotion carries over when it jumps into his presentation about global climate change.
The other part that is supposed to pull at your emotions is when Al Gore refers back to his childhood. They use old footage and photos with his voice over telling personal stories. Both, in combination with the music that they add, are supposed to help you make a personal connection with Al Gore, showing he's a real person.
The structure of the film didn't work for me though. They set up these emotional parts with the photos and music and Al Gore's softer tone of voice, but then it would just cut to the huge lecture hall and was very impersonal. Some of the more personal stories and things that were shared didn't seem very relevant to me.
I think they used the lecture to show that many people are interested in this subject and Al Gore's ideas. The lecture put him in an authoritative position to speak about climate change even though he's not a scientist.
Overall, I think there were some good points made, but the film didn't convince me of the weight of the issue and the consequences that would occur in the near future if the we don't change our actions now. I think it would've been more effective to have him provide all the same information from the lecture clips, but not in the lecture setting.
Lastly, he tried to spin the subject through this too and disconnect it from his political career in this comment:
"Really this is not so much a political issue as it is a moral issue." -Al Gore

“We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving” — Friedrich Nietzsche

(from smartprettyandawkward.com)

so busy

This weekend we finished shooting and like last weekend it was nuts and here I am at Sunday realizing all the things I haven't done yet homework wise that I need to do. Like how I've just missed doing two stats hw assignments due at 11:15pm the past Friday nights because I get home from set and do everything for the next day. I've been trying not to do homework on Sunday, but...
I'm crazy and thought I'd be able to study astronomy on set yesterday. Yeah, no, didn't happen. Didn't even pull out my laptop. This week will be catch up for everything.
I've decided I'm no good at multitasking things in my life and having them balanced. While I've been doing the film I've neglected work and school. While I was working and doing school before I didn't think I had time for any extra film things. I almost can't wait to have just a job so that can be my sole focus from start to finish instead of a constant balancing act that I can't do.

Movie Magic right here below: We joked that this is what they were going to do with when we saw them cutting those branches and then they really did it. They're running past the windows of the bus to make it seem like it's moving.

Then we shot the classroom scenes at this really cool alternative-ish school and the one classroom we were in had quotes all painted like this around the room, but this one was the best by far. How sweet to go to a school where Q-Tip is quoted.

I brought my blonde wig on set to try it out for halloween. It's perfect. Now I just need to get the right outfit. We look good right? We tried to be sneaky about it and confuse people, but there was only one instance where someone really talked to me as if I was Morgan.

Caleb Blood playing at Muse. There was a little group of us from freshman year at this show. Just like the good ol' days. Of course every time I looked across the room, Blake was singing along to every word.


This post helped me procrastinate studying astronomy for 15 more minutes.

a friday night date with my camera

it's the best way anyone could spend a friday night.





this one above... a car drove past in the middle of the picture, but i love how cool it turned out. those sweet orange and red stripes


this picture above....halloween baby. i'm going to be my dear friend Morgan who has exactly this same style of hair and she's tall too. skinnier than me, but i'll try and work on that before halloween :)

AND... once upon a walk home

Did anyone read that letter to the editor about texting and walking? How people don't notice the people or beautiful nature around them? I am guilty of that sometimes, but I do look up and I do notice. This is evidence. Take that!
I had my new camera with me on Monday (good choice) and was in no rush to get home and the light was beautiful! So....

Oh GET SOME

Tonight Paige and I hit up Border's to do some homework. Paige introduced me to this earlier in the semester and I love it. It's what we're missing at BYU, the coffee shop culture. Where there's soft music playing and a nice environment, some tea or hot chocolate (for us mormons) and you're able to focus or talk a little bit. It's less stiff than the library. Sometimes I can't study in that place because it's so stale. At least paint some of the walls bright colors!

ANWAY -- back to the point. Tonight it was like a party over there. I already didn't want to study.

We show up and there's this little knitting group going on with the cutest little baby, which was fine until they started sharing birthing stories.
Then, (preface...Paige and I had both invited guys to join our shindig and both couldn't make it)

The best part comes when this older couple comes in, sits at the high table in the middle of the room and the wife is just doting on her husband. Like brushing his hair back, etc totally involved in it and oblivious to any of us facing them. Then they get their hot chocolate, which they were sharing and like feeding each other and then she would wipe his mouth with her finger. Then they started kissing. Still oblivious to Paige and I facing them trying to hold it in. We were seriously dying! It just kept going and I got laughing. I'm happy their still in that stage of love at that age, I mean I hope I'm like that with my husband at that stage, but save some of it for when you get home.

So... Paige and I were already disappointed that the boys didn't come and then the PDA couple comes in and then an engaged couple comes and sits next to us and starts looking through wedding magazines. What's up with that? We were surrounded on all sides. Engaged to the right. PDA straight ahead. Babies to the left.

It was an experience though and we ended the night eating our feelings by going to SpoonMe and finally trying the pumpkin pie froyo (which is delicious and creamy!!)

for the visual learner

see blog post below this. these pics go with this weekend.(sorry they're a little out of order.)

life love and what have you

I took at least a thousand pictures this weekend.

I've felt like I've needed to write something for the past week or so, but haven't gotten around to it. Now I find myself in a quiet house (no roomies around this weekend...fall break), on a lazy Sunday morning with a developing sore throat. You know when you wake up and can feel it. I just woke up and felt gross. It could be due to the fact that the first time I went to bed before 2am was 2 nights ago. Not to mention my room is horrendous and at some point this last week I gave up and since then have thrown everything on the floor. I'm not a fan of that habit, but sometimes there aren't enough hours in the day. This week I'm resolved to do better.

Dear BYU, I deserve a fall break. I think you could work one three day weekend into the schedule and during a time when you need a break. Not like winter semester where we have two 3 day weekends within the first month pretty much! Take care of your students better, I'm running ragged.

I've been working on a student film this weekend and we're shooting more next Fri/Sat. The film kids become your family real fast. Yesterday we were at a park with about 25 little kids running around. Has anyone else thought this weather is weird for October? I was hot for much of yesterday, rockin' short sleeves and I even got some color on my face, which I'm happy about. Anything to fend off the pasty whiteness that comes on for winter is fine by me.

I made pumpkin cheesecake muffins to relieve my stress/just do something I wanted to do. They are so delicious I'm thinking of making more. Not to mention pumpkin spice frozen yogurt at YoZone.... mmhm.... I love fall.

Things I love. This weekend I've felt overwhelmed by not having time to do things I need to do because of all this film stuff and being on set, plus agreeing to things both nights (fri/sat) after film. Looking ahead to them I almost backed out and even up until I got there I was in a bit of a funk with no attitude of gratitude for the people I love who I'd see soon. It's amazing though how once I got there and got in the moment it all melted away. I forgot about everything on my to do list (even though it is important) and had a wonderful time taking pictures both nights! I'm so grateful for the good friends I've made since being out here and the different things that connect us.

Some things I discovered this week while working on the film...
Old Navy is open at 9:45 - why would anyone want to casually shop that early? I think it's weird, but it was lucky they were with my deadline. AND when i was there I saw some couple with their baby playing with one of the kickball type balls in the store. They weren't even shopping!
I've never been to Target right after it opened either. 9:10 baby!
DI is not very good at judging sizes. Two pairs of pants we bought for the one kid didn't fit even though they were his size.
Little kids are cute and say funny things. I just love all the personalities.

Love... currently got none. Things seem good and then nothing comes of it. I'm not about to chase things down and pursue, so... so be it.

Let's talk also about how I have 3 midterms this week. How do they all land on the same day? And because of the film I spaced doing my online stats homework until just after it was due. If I had had a minute to just guess and at least get some credit. And the best moment of film theory from this last week.... (note that in film theory you have to read the essays like 5 times before any comprehension sinks in) We were trying to review for the midterm so our prof had us each right down a question and then we'd go through them that way. My good friend's mom is taking the class with us and they both sit in front of me. During our 5 minute breaks we always talk about how we're confused with all these theories. So after our prof told us to do this during Wednesdays class, people start chatting, and hmy friend's mom immediately goes "what about 'What the H is going on?'" (just the letter H, of course implying another noun) It was the greatest moment of my life. She wrote it down too, but didn't turn it in. That's how I feel sometimes, most times, in that class or even about my life.

What H is going on?

Film theory. Monday morning. 9am. Midterm. First of the three. Rock on. Not.

This may seem like a negative post, but I love what I'm doing. I just don't like when everything lands on the same week.

Let me riddle you a ditty....

"so many people enter and leave your life. hundreds of thousands of people. you have to keep the door open so they can come in. but it also means you have to let them go."
- jonathan safran foer

the weekend

So far this weekend has been just fabulous! I love live music. It's so so much better than anything else. BYU football is fun too. Here are some pics of the sundae night at the cabin, which turned out to be pretty fun and an acoustic session. All the best people were there, family and friends. The guitar just kept going around and around and every time it stopped it was a music to the ears. And the old Wilton Ward crew is the best crew ever, it's too bad the ward is now non-existent. Well, here are some pics...




babetta finally played at the end and it was the best thing that has ever graced my ears.

p.s. i think you should take a listen to Isaac Russell here

H is for House, P is for Provo

Well, I'm back at school for the '10-'11 school year. I remember when I was little thinking 2007 and high school graduation was so so far away and now it feels so far behind me!
Where to start....
I moved into my house almost two weeks ago.
I'm moving up in the world.
No more apartments.
Supposedly it's called the candy shoppe. That just made me think of that dirty rap song, I couldn't help it, it's really dirty, don't think about it. My roommate thought of the same thing.
We can't have that name. It grosses me out. No thank you.
People know the house too. I had no idea when I signed the contract it was such a sought after habitation. Now I know I'm really lucky.
It was funny though because none of my roommates have lived in a house either and we didn't read the contract very carefully, so we realized quickly that we had to set up our own internet. That's been the one bummer this week. Hopefully the comcast guys will be over real soon tomorrow to get that all set up.
Then I found out my tub faucet drips, constantly. Then when i turned it tighter it just dripped faster.
My blinds don't really close either. I think someone put them on backwards. I've abandoned trying to close them in case I break them. I only change clothes in the bathroom. Believe it or not there are huge creepers in Provo and I'm not about to have one at my window.
Houses are fun though. It's an old one. The floor creeks and the entry way is arched.
I LOVE being back in Provo.
Provo may not be the ideal destination for good times, but I love all the people I know here. Seriously, they are so cool!
Running into people you love on campus and getting a huge hug or high five or smile is the best mood booster in the world.
I'm not taking French. Not after the placement test put me in 102 and only 202 will count for the GE. So, sadly I'm taking Stats get that done this semester. No bueno.
I forgot how much my major rocks. My assignment for theory class this weekend is to write an analysis paper on Beyonce's If I Were a Boy music video. Or in my doc class how we had to observe the world around us. Have you ever noticed the movement and pattern in a traffic jam? Probably not right? Because you're too busy trying to move faster. Next time, take a breather and sit and watch.
Looking forward to the weekend. Labor Day. A relaxing day?
First weekend of the semester. Party On. It'll be filled with good music, sunshine, dry weather, fun people, old friends, good food, football, family, church, some mountain air, and of course the Subie and the sunroof.
And there's that one astronomy class I have to take. It's a winner. The planetarium is way cool. And the freshman boy making moves on the girl next to him when the lights were down low and the stars were up made that whole class. It'll be an entertaining semester.

the good times...