Trust the Chinese calendar.

Lately, that's my only hope. I have been checking out all my compatible years here and am relying on this system from now on to find my FEC.
Also I am listening to this song a lot. Why not? I like me a little Al Stewart

The tallest man on earth.

This Swedish guy is so good at imitating the western accent. I really like his music and think its amazing that he can write such beautiful songs in his second language. wowow.

I have two Valentines.

One is named Art and the other is named Clay. They are both so good to me. I love them both. It's a terrible love triangle. Luckily we all get along. Just like Jules Et Jim.

Here's some of my work from last semester. I don't make things like this anymore really. Now I am making capsule space ships. you shall see.

Happy V-day, ceramic plate, 2008


The Bell Jar, ceramic container, 2008


Containment, ceramic containers, 2008



Discourse of the Drinkers, scrafitto cups, 2008


My Favorite, ceramic bowl, 2008

Rachandom

Someone just said that I was "random". It's funny how an adjective that simply means "made, done, happening or chosen without method or conscious decision" could feel so derogatory. That word's meaning has definitely evolved to entail any type of activity that the observer doesn't care to understand or even attempt to understand. It is frustrating that people would use that cop-out-of-a-word just because they don't comprehend my motives/actions/art/ideas. I don't do things without method. I am anything but random. You can call me names if you want, but please put a little conscious decision into your name-calling. come on. be for real.

blue for you.

This reminds me of some great 80s song. Today I like Chairlift a lot. Good job.

pleasantville.

Life is beautiful. Today I got two free couches and one little suitcase, spent all day with a new friend, took a shower, drove my brother's truck everywhere, listened to Bishop Allen's "Corazon" and now I am getting ready to go to the symphony.
Grad school is still very amazing. This week I met with Skeffington Thomas. He is a famous ceramic artist who came to lecture at BYU. He met with me in my studio for a half hour and critiqued my work and gave me ideas on how to make my work more individual and strong, design-wise. It was wonderful to be able to talk to a potter about my pottery. He was so encouraging and complimentary. Now I feel so excited to just keep making more and more and more work.
I can't say enough times how fun and amazing my life is. Here's some of my unglazed work from this semester:

I am an artist.

I just felt like saying that. It's true. That's what I am.


More blogs to come about my artwork...

Little did she know....

It would be the best Christmas vacation ever!

The sobrinos and I in shadow form.

I didn't plan it. It just happened that way. I planned to go to Nevada City with the DeMartinis. I planned to go to Mexico with my Vegas friends. I planned to go to Salt Lake for New Years. BUT I ended up spending Christmas, snowed in at my parents new house in New Harmony. My parents are so good to me and it was so wonderful to be with them that week. They baby me.

After Christmas day, I made a weekend visit to Las Vegas to visit friends, shop at Savers and H&M and get my haircut.
kirsten and I at Tea Planet in China Town. Get the tapioca balls. You won't be disappointed. At least we weren't.

Here's my new haircut. Thanks Peedle!


Then I headed back up to New Harmony and 2009 came before I noticed. We were too busy playing scrabble, quilting a New Harmony quilt for my mom's Christmas present, cooking, rocking out on Rock Band, riding the inner-tubes down the snow slide and building an igloo. Yep, that's right. We sawed snow bricks and built a full-sized igloo, just like the eskimos. I want to use that word in scrabble....es-ki-mo.

SNOW SLIDE! EMOTICON!

Here's the process


Aaron on the inside putting in the keystone.

In the doorway of our igloo.


Happy 2009. It's looking pretty fine. Prospero ano y felicidad. Loves.

I don't mind the weather, I've got scarves and caps and sweaters. I've got long johns under slacks for blustery days.

But I do mind when my car breaks down.
After loading and starting the kiln last night I went out into the snow to go home. My car struggled to start, and sometimes it doesn't like the cold, so I wasn't surprised. But I didn't know what to do because it would start up for a second and I could drive about a block and then it would die, the anti-lock brake system would turn off and I would have to slam on the emergency break, put it into park and restart the engine. I did this about 4 times as I drove down the street and decided to roll into a gas station to figure things out. The gas needle was on "empty" but the gas light hadn't come on yet, so I figured I was ok. However, when I filled up the tank, that usually takes 16 gallons, I found that my car needed 19 GALLONS! Then it started right up and I haven't had any problems. I was out of gas!!! WOah. I never would have guessed that that is how it reacts if your car is out of gas. That was the first time that has happened to me. Now I know.

A-HA!!!!

I just found this. wow.

this just in.

I am heartbroken, a completely broken heart. I just found out that Kings of Convenience played a show in San Sebastian, Spain on July 26th. I was a short train ride away. I could have gone to see the one band I have wanted to see for 4 years now.....I had no idea. This might be the saddest moment of my life. ok. maybe that's an exaggeration. but still. i love them.

haircutting as an art form.

For some reason, years ago for Christmas, my mom gave me a pair of hair-cutting scissors and thinning shears. I must have thought that was the green light to become a self-proclaimed hairdresser. I love to cut hair and contemplate/consider going to hair school after I get my masters. maybe I will. I know I would really love it.
This week alone, I cut the front of my own hair, my brother's hair, my friend Logan's hair, Chris' hair, Lee's long locks and Emily's bangs!!! Wow. I cut Lee's hair tonight and his was the most fun. It was sooooooo long, past his shoulders, and he let me cut it up to his ears. I have never done such a drastic do....cutting hair is the best.
I have a crush on this haircut. I just want to give every boy the haircut of the boy sitting in the front with the camera. Great hair!!

In addition to the Christmix....

I keep finding wonderful Christmas songs everywhere. There's not a mix long enough....

The First Snowflake from The Boy Least Likely To on Vimeo.

sometimes I do other things when I should be writing a paper.

Haiku by Greg Stuart

Some just fall asleep
Leaves fall, dead, as the wind blows
While some fall in love

I LOVE Platforms Magazine. Such great stuff.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!! Can you believe it's almost 2009????

rachel's best friend.

I have been alive 26 years. Approximately every year I get a new best friend. So, if I have done my math correctly, that would leave me with a grand total of 26 best friends over the course of my life. Sure sometimes it's hard to always be meeting new people and getting close with someone and then having to uproot and start all over, but for me, that's life. I guess I am used to it.
However, lately my roommates and I have different schedules and I have been thinking about a new best friend. Yesterday I wondered why I never considered "man's best friend"
Maybe I should get a dog.
I'm serious.
Seriously breed shopping.
Ideas? Comments? Advice? Jealousy?

Olfaction Satisfaction

Today I was thinking that I am glad to have my sense of smell. Gratefully, it is very acute. I smell a lot and I thought I would share some of my likes and dislikes.

First: I LIKE to smell a small, not life-threatening waft of second hand smoke, popcorn, mint shampoo, the front seat of my sister-in-law's truck, GAIN (the laundry detergent) and pumpkin pie.
Second: I DO NOT LIKE to smell poopy diapers, humid exhaust from a bus, feet, spray adhesive, and mold.

voila! Olisfaction.

Listening Fever.

Today I have been in the mood to listen to some type of music. I am not sure what kind though. It has been bugging me all day. Maybe what I really am craving is silence. Sometimes a media fast is really beneficial.
Then today at Family Home Evening we were making Christmas cards for kids in Mexico and singing "Feliz Navidad" When I got home I felt that maybe I was needing Christmas music....and in particular this song. When it is actually Christmas season (after Thanksgiving) I always feel guilty listening to "That Was The Worst Christmas Ever" because I just like to be more positive than that. But right now, when I really want a break from school and work and alarm clocks, this is a good release. Indulge.

one more ukulele.

this seems a lot like the magnetic fields. and I am not opposed to more of them.

a day in the life....

Today I went to buy an outfit for my sister's wedding on Saturday. Before I went to the mall I bought a little bottle of orange juice from the grocery store and was so happy to be drinking juice. I quickly sipped some and stuck the bottle into my purse before I entered Banana Republic to see if they had any chocolate brown or baby blue articles of clothing. As I went into the dressing room I noticed something was dripping. To my dismay, I opened my purse to see that the whole bottle had drained out into the bottom of my purse. There floating in a small lake of orange juice was my wallet, some pens, a package of gum and some papers. I took out everything and poured all the orange juice back into the bottle from whence it came...then went to Nordstrom's bathroom to wash everything off. Luckily, there wasn't too much OJ damage. (make all the jokes you'd like here)
Driving off in my car this song came on. I remembered watching this video when I was in Spain and just felt, "Hey, life is pretty great. I still like orange juice."