Awww the life

I live a charmed life. Not a perfect life, but a charmed one. I just got home from my spring break southern Caribbean cruise. I went with my school friends for a week of sun, sand, food, pampering, and relaxing! We had a fantastic time!
A brief itinerary of our trip ....

San Juan Porto Rico -- old town San Juan and forts
St Thomas/St Johns -- Trunk Bay, Snorkeling Dominica -- scuba diving (cave dive & wreck dive)
Barbados -- beach day!
St Lucia -- diving (for any of you divers, you need to put St Lucia on the top of your list. amazing dives! The best I have ever been on!)


Antigua -- rain forest zip line and challenge course. I could totally do the Amazing Race after this adventure!
St Kits -- beach day!

We are all suffering from severe PTD (post trip depression)! It was so hard to come back to real life ... a cold real life! Why can't we just live on a cruise ship?

I will post more pictures when I get them. I only took about 20 pictures the whole trip because everyone else was always taking them.

nice mask face! :)

"Are you an artist too?" .....

.... is a question I am asked all the time. I usually hesitate, ho and hum and then end up saying, "No, I am just an art teacher." Why is that how I respond? This is something I have been thinking about and want to change.

As most of you know I come from a family of artist. So when people ask me that question I assume they are asking if I paint like my dad and sisters and the answer is no. But just because I don't paint does not mean that I am not an artist! I am an artist! I create ... just my like dad and sisters create ... just not the same way. (take that BYU magazine!) At the very least I spend eight hours a day, five days a week creating art, teaching art, talking/discussing art, studying art. Not only do I create art, I am creating artist.

I am not in any galleries. I don't do any art shows with my dad. I do not make a living selling my art. Being an artist is not my identity. I am an artist because I love making things. I love creating a bowl out of a lump of clay. I love writing in a hand bound book that I have made with my own hands. I love giving and sharing something that I have created. I love coming up with a new idea. I love making something that is useful and beautiful. I love teaching my students to not only to make art but to love art.

I may not paint but that doesn't mean I am not an artist. I like that I don't do the same thing as my sisters and my dad. I love that I am a teacher and I love that I am doing my own thing. So the next time I am asked, "Are you an artist too?" With confidence I am going to say, "Yes, I am an artist!"

This is a water pitcher I made recently.