For Japan.

On Friday, March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake measuring 8.9 struck the country of Japan and triggered enormous tsunamis up and down the coast and across the Pacific.

How do you even begin to recover from something like this?

This is no rural area. This is not devastating because it was a country with no defense. This was Japan. This was a country of skyscrapers and technology and world power. Half of it is literally gone; completely washed away by the world's most natural element: water. This is devastating because it shows how utterly fragile we all are, whether we live in Haiti or the United States or Japan. There is no defense. How do you prepare for something like this? How do you survive something like this? How comprehend something like this?

How do you even begin to recover from something like this?

I know this happened days ago and I'm just now saying something...all I can say is that the enormity of this situation is oh, so slowly sinking in as each day goes by and more footage and photos flash across my screen. Suddenly, I'm overwhelmed. How do you even begin to recover from something like this? Where do you start picking up the debris and hauling out the misplaced boats and rebuilding entire cities? It seems beyond my comprehension. Here I sit in my little basement apartment, fat from spaghetti and pie, and on the other side of the world millions of people wonder where their next home will be as they ration out water. How can I possibly extend my heart and my hope to them? What can I say? What can I do? Can I even begin to understand what it must be like?

I feel helpless sitting on the outside looking in.

For Japan: You are in our thoughts, in our hearts, in our prayers. The world weeps with you. We are ready to help you begin again.

If I can feel this much pain and sorrow for a crisis so far away from home, I can't help but shudder in anticipation of what must be headed our way. It seems that this is only the beginning.

Oops.

It's so funny when you keep thinking that your research paper is due in April so you haven't done any research on it but you decide you should probably find out exactly when it is due so you ask your professor when it is due and he says, "The 23rd. Have you started your research yet?" and you sheepishly admit that you haven't but you only admit to that fact because it can't be too embarrassing since it's still not due for a month therefore probably nobody has started their research and the teacher kindly says, "Let me know if you need any help," and you walk away smiling because he was so kind and you wonder if you should drop by the library this weekend and you decide not to because you still have plenty of time to procrastinate and you walk to your next class and decide to check your email and there's an email from the TA in the same class that just came that announces the due date of the research paper is the 23rd and you laugh to yourself because you realize a lot of people must have been asking after class and all of the sudden it hits you that the semester ends before April 23rd and therefore the paper must obviously be due March 23rd and that happens to be next week.

Yep. That's funny. Almost as funny as the fact that the entire paragraph above is one sentence. Funny.

Hey kids!

I'm a slacker. Life has been interesting lately, so full of ups and downs and directions that have no names. BUT I need to post. So here's some randoms of life:

-Five weeks left in the semester. Thank goodness.

-If anyone know an easy way to get $1100.00, please let me know. I'm dying to do this sewing class spring term...

-Six months since I created this blog, and consequently...other anniversaries.

-Letter numero tres.

-Felt like spring a little this week..."HERE COMES THE SUN, DA-DA-DOO-DOO!"

-Extremely grateful to have grown closer to people I consider my true friends. Where have you people been all my life? What? Right there? How did I not notice? Yeah. I feel blessed.

-Making an effort to be more spiritually in tune with my Father in Heaven. I realized I've been a major, major slacker lately, and that's not fair on SO many levels. The Gospel is true and it is a beautiful thing.

And now because I love posting pictures (it makes my blog more colorful) here are some fun pics from my new favorite wintertime adventure: Midway Ice Castles! I went a few weekends ago with Kristin and Nellie and they are absolutely BEAUTIFUL. How is it possible that these things exist?! Much fun. Especially for someone with a fancy camera who misses taking pictures of life. (Clarence is not worth toting around BYU, and what is there to take pictures of anyway?) Enough of my rambling. Enjoy.

Escape Plan

Right now I feel like I could do something drastic - take every stitch of money I have (which is really not much), sell what I can (also not much), pick up my life and just throw myself into the hubbub of the Big Apple and get to design school the hard way, the old-fashioned way...somehow. I could just jump on a plane with no idea where I would live or how I would provide for myself and hand myself over to this:

Granted, let's be reasonable, I know NYC is nowhere near as glamorous as this image I randomly pulled off Google makes it seem. BUT at this precise moment in time I would chance it just to put so much out of my mind and attempt to embrace life and never look back.

Of course in thirty more seconds I'll realize how stupid this sounds, and by tomorrow afternoon I'll probably be back to questioning whether or not fashion design can possibly be my calling in life when so many things are against me and I will be trying to talk myself into studying art history in humble little ho-hum Provo once again.

Such is the agony of one who thinks more than they should and says nowhere near enough.

So...I've been volunteering at the BYU Museum of Art for the Carl Bloch exhibit. Here's my plug - the thing is amazing. Go see it.

Volunteering is an amazing feel-good experience, not only because it's service, I get to meet all sorts of interesting people who love art, and I get to work in the most beautiful and amazing exhibit full of pictures of Christ, but I keep getting the sweetest comments from perfect strangers: "I love your headband." "Your tights are fantastic." "Where did you get those shoes?" Last week this girl walked right up to me and said, "You are so pretty," and walked away. And this week a lady came up to ask me a question and said, "You are so adorable, what's your name?" It makes me feel good about myself. An extra high to add to the high of volunteering to share with people these images of Christ.

Made my day. Had to share.

And It Goes On and On and ON

So...who's heard the debate over what Michelle Obama wore to the state dinner? Probably everyone. That's all anyone is talking about these days. And it keeps going. Click here to check out the most recent.

Personally, I admire Mrs. O's statement about women wearing what they want. But then I'm a firm believer that fashion is whatever you want it to be - it's your style and nobody can tell you it's in or out. Granted, that doesn't mean you should walk around in public wearing a sequined cat sweater with giant shoulder pads and real live working jingle bells - there is still something called taste. But then, if you can work it, work it. Go for it. Don't let someone tell you your style sucks. There's more important things to worry about than whether or not so-an-so wore the right brand name to such-and-such meeting or be shocked and appalled over someone's mismatched shoes on the red carpet.

NEVERTHELESS. I do see this most recent argument by Nanette Lepore. While I do question the way attention is drawn to the struggling fashion industry (she makes it sound so dire), I agree to some extent. Figures in high places, especially someone drawing as much attention as Mrs. O can do A LOT propaganda-wise. She really could have promoted the American fashion industry. And it probably would have been helpful. Probably. On the other hand, wearing brands from other countries can convey an alliance and trust.

The fact of the matter is this: the lady's received enough criticism already. And you try doing as much as she's doing and THEN taking the time to pick the one outfit that won't draw ANY criticism. The fact is, what's done is done. Somebody somewhere probably learned a lesson or two. We've already approached the issue from every angle. Must we keep dragging this out? Give the argument up and give the woman a break. Go feed the homeless or something.

And now, to give the Prez. and his wife some credit, here's an adorable photo I'm slightly obsessed with. Just a tiny bit. I think it's cute. Suck it.

Frigid.

You know it's cold when you are walking to your car and even though you have a migraine you can no longer cry because the tears freeze to your face and those that managed to escape before you left the safety of the warm building you were just in are frozen in the place they fell on the notebook in your arms.

Yeah. It was cold today.