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.

On Saturday I had the opportunity to go see the artist Wayne Thiebaud speak at the Springville Museum of Art. Thiebaud is a famous artist most often associated with the Pop art movement. It was very interesting to hear him speak. He told stories about working with artist like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. So cool! I liked how he seemed like a normal guy who was really grateful to get to do art. I personally enjoy his work.

Hun, Dad, Me, Dan
eating cupcakes in front of a Thiebaud

HAPPY EASTER!

decorating Easter eggs with my
sweet Clementine

She is the joy of my life!
Nothing can brighten my day like she can!

This a picture of my Dad's front lawn. He planted crocus' in his grass.
I do love spring!

A touch of Spring!

Thanks sister for the paper flowers. A nice touch of spring!

Deer in the headlights!

I had a first for me this weekend. My friend Jennie was in town visiting for the weekend. We were on our way to the cabin for a sleepover and of course snowshoeing! We were driving up on Friday night and just after we turned off the main highway on the Sundance road ... we hit a deer! For how many times I have driven that canyon between the cabin and working at Sundance I had never hit a deer! It was crazy! It happened to so fast. Lucky for us the deer hit the front right bumper and not head on. I guess we were pretty lucky that not only did nothing happen to us but nothing happened to Jennie's rental car. Hopefully this first will be my last and only! Very exciting!

Missy tagged me a while ago. I think she is starting to take it personally that I have not done it ... so here it is

10 years ago: I was at BYU and getting ready to go on a study abroad to Europe
5 things on my to do list today:
1. Walk 10,000 steps
2. Grade one of the stacks of projects sitting on my desk
3. Get my art history lesson ready for Monday
4. Go to the grocery store
5. Post my car for sale
5 Snacks I enjoy:
1. Chocolate covered raisins
2. Diet coke
3. Pringles
4. Cereal
5. Chips & Salsa
5 Places I have lived:
1. Orem
2. Pleasant Grove
3. Rexburg Id
4. Italy (for a summer ... does that count?)
5.
What would I do if I were suddenly made a Billionaire:
A billionaire??? Oh man. I would travel, go back to school, buy a BMW, travel, pay my families houses off, travel, get a maid and a cook, travel, teach community art classes for underprivileged kids, travel! I have said before that I would be a very good trust fund child! Some people would get bored .. not me!
5 jobs I have had:
1. Sundance Resort
2. Teacher
3. Educator for SWAP
4. Sears
5. Brainstorm
5 Things you didn't know about me:
I don't know that there are five things that you don't know about me ... let me think ...
I have a fear of being hungry
I LOVE to scuba dive
I am a candy person not a chocolate person
When it is not light but not dark in a room it gives me anxiety! Anxiety lighting
I really can't stand mouth sounds.