Thanksgiving!

This is all of us at Thanksgiving!!

My first thanksgiving away from home! how sad! But it actually turned out really nice! The whole week and weekend I've had the suite to myself, which is sooo nice because I've been able to layout all of my projects and not have to worry about them getting ruined. And its nice not having to clean then up every night.
For thanksgiving day I ended up going to Sister Lee's house with Laura and Jessie Ransom, the sister missionaries, Mary the first counselor for young women's and Susie the secretary. Also there was Sister Lee's niece, and her nieces friend they all are from Taiwan, and then two of sister lee's friends. One was from Taiwan and the other is from Peru!
Before we headed over there I went to Laura's place and helped make the rolls and the stuffing! We made corn bread stuffing! It was sooo good!!! Once we got to sister Lee's house she had everything ready! The food was amazing! It was funny though because all of the people that cooked are from Taiwan and didn't know exactly what they were doing, so they sounded like they had a fun time making the food! The girls were telling me how they made like two different batches of sweet potatoes because the first ones were unsuccessful! They don't speak that much English, but that's why sister lee's niece came to live with her so that she could go to college and learn English! The food at dinner was amazing though! We had turkey mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, souffled corn, carrots and peas, fruit salad with pomegranate seeds! i love pomegranate seeds! and there was rolls and stuffing that we brought, and green beans with bacon, and gravy, and for dessert i had a piece of pumpkin pie! It was delicious!
It was really nice because we ate dinner at 3pm and i was home by 6:30pm so it was short and sweet! and i still had time to come home and get some homework done!!

This whole weekend i have been working on all of my homework projects, but i keep working on just little bits at a time and i feel like I'm getting nothing done. Especially when i keep having interruptions cause of having to cheer at games, or this morning i went to canal street to go to pearl paints and when i got there they were out of everything. so i had to then go all the way to Utrecht and buy the stuff and i got like 5 things and walked out paying 50 bucks, man art supplies is expensive. But I'm almost done, i keep saying that but with every little piece of homework that i do i get closer and closer to the end!! and then i get to come home and see all of my friends and family!! yay cant wait!

Me and Sister Frosham

Me and the two girls from Tawain!Me and The sister missionaries! Sister Frodsham and Sister B? her name is long, she's from London, England!

SOOO CLOSE

To being done! I only have a few more project left to finish and then Im done with my first semester being away from home! First semeseter at St.Johns and first semester living in NEW YORK CITY!!!

Last Sunday I got to go listen to Elder L. Tom Perry. He is such a sweet guy! It was really cool to listen to him! He told us that he and one other person started the Rego park ward. Which was the first ward ever in Queens! Its because of him that there is now a mormon population in queens! isnt that cool! My ward wouldnt exist without his work! He is so connected with the leaders of the church since he was little. Prophet Grant stayed at his house when he was little! Also His grandpa used to watch over Joseph F Smiths cows! He is a really cool guy!!

Today I had a game. My shoulders are killing me. Since i am a base now and im huge because i cant run. My shoulders and neck kill from holding brittany for so long! Now dont get me wrong brittany is a great flyer i just cant hold her up for that long. i hate cheer. Practice is so frustrating. Coach doesnt know what she is talking about and pushes us until we get injured. Since the beginning 13 people have been injured enough to where they had to actually sit out of more than one practice. I really dont feel like were going to nationals at all. Coach doesnt know what she's doing. And i hate going and getting injured every practice. There has not been one practice where I havent gotten hit in the head. Its horrible. I hate it.

So this will be my first thanksgiving with out being with family! Im really not that sad about it because i have so much work to do that its all good! im excited for some of my suitmates to get the heck out of here!! YAY!! i love it when my roomate gone!!

I cant wait to come home!!! except im having a hard time finding a place to take my dress to :( I dont know who to trust and i hate going somewhere where i cant understand them. oh well Im praying that i will find a place that can get it done in time! well see!

Tonight

Last night I went and saw the much anticipated TWILIGHT!! It was fun! I went with some friends from class, Katherine, James, Martin, Christina and one of Christina's friends! We went in James, H3. He must be rich to have a hummer in New York! But it was awesome! We went to a theather in, i forgot, somewhere, but it was like in an actual neighborhood. It looked like the beach at home. We passed lots of little shops! and I even saw a Micheals craft store. Random. but anyways the movie was alright. I think they did a good job of cutting out things that werent necessary from the book. But there were a lot of differences too. The way they shot some stuff was like what? all of the cullens did a really good job except Edward sucked and Jasper looked like Edward Scissor hands the whole time. he was really awkward. Edward, didnt play his character well at all, he sucked. You could tell he was fighting back his accent and he didnt look at Bella the way he was supposed to. Oh well it was really nice to see home a little bit through the movie! I cant wait to come home! Bella did a good job, I like how the actress played her suprisingly. The teenagers in high were really good too! jake and bella acted really close, when in the book it wasnt like that. And in every scene they have together there touching in some way its weird they should be like that yet. But whatever. I Love the books so much better and edward was so bad in the movie the books will never get ruined!!! Stephenie Meyer has a little camio in her movie which i thought was cool!

This is me at MOMA. they have a wierd new thing thats a video projected onto three huge walls. and the walls are bigger than movie theater size walls! (thats why im red it was projecting Tulips getting smashed by a tractor tire)

Today I went to my internship and did tears all day! it took like 7 hours which is ridiculous. But at least I got them done. and then I got to leave early, and go to MOMA. Today I found out that I dont have to go to my internship at all next week which is amazing because I have so much homework to do. and i also found out that I wont see Jessica for two weeks cause she's going to Ireland! Oh yeah also today, I got a christmas card from Rodale and they gave me a gift certificate to the amish market! isnt that the best!! I love the amish market and RODALE AND PREVENTION!!!

Since i got out early I walked around in the city a little bit looking for something to eat! I was thinking of buying food on the street but then i was thinking i would get some new york pizza but then i came across a Chipotle and I grabbed a burrito instead! but as i was walking around i took some pictures!!
There was a random Elmo hanging out! it was really wierd!

This is the city for you!!

SAKS FIFTH AVENUE WAS ALL LIT UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!And of course the beautiful Rockefellar Center!

Life

Today as I left my dorm to walk to class, it was snowing! Not hard just white little flakes swirling around in the air. They melted as soon as they touched the ground. Its getting colder as the days go by! I only have like two weeks left of school left and I still have so much to get done. And I find it hard to find the time to do everything I need to do. 

Yesterday the Sister missionaries came to eat lunch with me. Mondays are their P days so they were able to hang out for a little while. Sister Frodsham has a degree in architectural landscape, so she was telling us all of the trees and shrubby we have on campus, she also took like 20 pictures of all the stuff around. It was nice to show them around and have some company during the day! Coach cancelled practice yesterday!! which made my day so much more relaxing! I ended up getting some milk from the store and then taking a nap before I went and worked out and did homework.

I had such a good weekend this last weekend, because Maia my roommate was in nevada for her aunts funeral so I had the whole room to myself!! It was so nice! 

Twilight is coming out on Thursday and I'm so excited to see the movie! I'm rereading the book again, in between my homework, and everything else I do! Its such a good book! I LOVE ALL OF THEM!!

Obama

Today Obama won, The first African American President. Pretty crazy huh! I honestly didnt know if that would ever happen. Its going to be so different having a democratic president. Well see what "Changes" he puts into effect. I just hope it doesnt have to do with taxing lots of small business, so they get rid of part time jobs. I also hope he doesnt end up screwing over Iraq for pulling us out before we get our job done over there. It will be a crazy four years. Good luck getting us out of the recession and back to the economic power we are supposed to be. well see if he can do it!

So once obama was announced as the winner people on campus started going crazy, They were all cheering, OBAMA OBAMA, it was crazy, they were so loud. There was like a dance party going on outside it was ridiculous. New York is such a democratic state. Its so wierd. Well it seems like a lot of people are happy that obama won. Lets just see how happy they are in four years!

WEEKEND!!

This weekend I ended up going to the Museum of modern art, and then saturday I went to Ikea in brooklyn!

Modern art is so wierd, but It was cool to see some of the famous artists I always hear about, up close! I saw lots of Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, Jackson Pollack and some other really cool things.

This is by Albert Giacometti. I thought it looked really cool!

THis is a Jackson Pollack!!

This is by Vincent Van Gogh!
Those were just some of my favorite ones that I saw!

So on my way back to campus I walked down 5th avenue and went to the NBC store to look at all the fun stuff! And I saw the ice skating rink in rockefellar center! I felt like such a tourist! lol

So Saturday I ventured into Brooklyn to find Ikea! It took me a little longer to find it but I got to see a little bit of brooklyn! I love it there, there were dogs, and people biking and running, and just enjoying life! It was nice! It reminded me of Rhode Island, Seattle and Manhattan! I finally asked someone how to get to IKEA, they told me which bus to take and I rode it all the way there! It was really cool, it was right next to the water! Take a look at this view!!

So my first Halloween in New York was pretty uneventful, we had a game and instead of cheering I got to sell food at the bake sale! But after that I went home and read Breaking Dawn! That Saturday though the cheer girls had a party at the cheer house! We had to dress up with our Bigs, so me and caroline went as M&M's!! It wasnt slutty or anything! I loved it! heres a pic!

I look like im 12, i hate me braces. I wish I could get them taken off. Im turning 21 in december and everyone thinks, Im a freshmen and that im like 17. I hate it. I dont want to have braces ANYMORE.

Church

Today I taught for the first time ever in my life, in Young Women's! We had four girls! I was afraid there was only going to be one. But it went over really well! The lesson was on Recognizing your individual worth! Teaching was really fun because the girls are great and they participate so willingly! I love the Jamaica ward! They are so nice, and friendly and welcoming! Nobody sits down until they have said hi to everyone! the bishop is so open and available to everyone! People are very forgiving for their imperfection and the talks they give come from the heart and personal experience. Since 99% of the ward is converts ( I'm exaggerating but its over half the ward) their testimonies are real and new and their knowledge is so built into them because they have studied it for themselves and soaked in as much as they can every lesson they are taught. Its really amazing! Today the stake president gave a talk! President Duffy! the first thing he did was whipped out his phone and read scripture from it! How Manhattan is that! lol and then went on to give a talk about how the church doesn't go into recessions and we need to keep faith in the lord that although the economy is bad the church isn't going anywhere its the one thing we can look to and keep with us as a constant. He was pretty cool! I got to sit next to Sister Frodsham, she's from Utah I like her shes really cool! And white and more like me! lol! So I have an assignment to write three of the young singles that don't come to church. There are only three people that are around my age in the ward, including me. And one of them is leaving for BYU Idaho. She is in for such a great change for her! Her name is Jennifer too! She is from Jamaica and she converted three years ago. For her to go to BYU Idaho I just know she is going to take advantage of everything they have to offer her! I'm really excited for her to go. But then again that just leaves me and Nikita. But were trying to get more people to come so we can have our a Young Single adults Sunday school class! I love Nikita thought shes awesome! She gave a talk today about the book of Mormon is was amazing! She really love it and wants everyone to get a chance to enjoy it! Shes awesome!

Oh I love Rodale, I just want to stay there forever! But I have a feeling there are a few more journeys to go through until I get my dream job!

At Rodale on Wed I got to start making some headlines for the beauty feature that's going into the Feb issue of the magazine! I also got to layout all of the text and do two sidebars. They are really letting me do a lot! I love it! Its been really interesting going through the process of coming in as one issue is coming out, and then being there the whole entire process to another issue! They just officially finished January! And I cant wait for it to come out so I can see some of the work I did in print. It definitely isn't all my work, but a very collaborated effort! Today at Rodale I got to go to my first design meeting!!! Soo cool! They never usually have them on the days that I'm there so this opportunity was amazing! We had it in one of the conference rooms where there are speakers built into the table! and one of the ladies attended the conference through speaker phone! it was cool! Today I finally got to see the Editor In Chief!! I wasn't formally introduced but I got to meet her from a distance you could say! Shes really high energy and seems really nice, smart, very forward and on top of things! A few times she even multi tasked half with us half on her blackberry. She also came in with a venti sized something from Starbucks! I guess that's what it takes to be so efficient. The meeting was interesting, before the meeting Jessica had me read all the stories for the March issue which I then came up with ideas for! In the meeting I didn't say any of my ideas, because one having no idea how a design meeting was going to work there was no way i was going to go in there thinking that i had the best idea and two i had ideas but the people there had print outs of illustrators, draw pictures, not thumbnail like me so staying quiet was a good idea! But on one of the stories, the idea that i had drawn the writer described it to a T! It was reassuring that I was able to interpret the same concept that the writer of the piece was going for! After the meeting I got to start working on the new Cook section again. I got to layout a 10 page section! Ten pages!!! isn't that awesome! It is a definite ruff copy but I got to attempt it which is awesome! The pages were harder than normal because the art shot for it wasn't the best, the recipes were all way to long and the cook it was highlighting wrote like a five page novel when we only have one page of prevention size space to put her stuff in. So major editing will be going on for that one.
But today getting to read all of the March issues stories was really interesting. I learned about compounded prescriptions. Very scary and controversial stuff! I also read this story about a dad with Alzheimer's disease, it almost made me cry! I really love being in an atmosphere where I'm surrounded by pictures of healthy food, and people who live healthy lifestyles. Its a nice influence compared to my peers who order, Chinese food, pizza and whatever else they can have delivered every day. I have never wish to have a kitchen of my own so badly ever in my life. Reading the magazine makes me want to cook the delicious meals they present!!
In the Rodale kitchen area they have lots of free stuff! Anything to keep their workers happy! Its amazing though because its all organic and its all healthy! They have oatmeal, raisans, cereal, bananas, pears, WASHINGTON APPLES, which taste amazing, compared to these crap grown, new york ones in Mongoris. You just cant beat an apple grown from home! but anyways they have like ten different kinds of tea and ten different kinds of coffee, and cookies and crackers, and today they had packaged popcorn, but usually its chips. And they have a never ending supply of fresh water! I love it i drink so much water there! The only thing I've taken advantage of in the kitchen while at rodale is the apples and the water! I always buy my meals at the AMAZING Amish market down the street! truly amazing! Its really unique about living in new york is that a lot of companies have made their restaurants healthier, which cater to the fast paced new york worker, so eating out in the city is so delicious and healthy. I hate having to come back to queens and eat the stuff they serve here. And the closest restaurants being pizza coldstone, or Chinese. Its frustrating. I'm getting rid of a meal plan, instead a weekly trip to the city and so I can buy healthy food for the week!

Wednesday night I went to my first Mutual as the second counselor! It was fun and we actually had girls there! We made frosting from scratch and frosted sugar cookies, we made warm apple cider from scratch, it didn't taste very good, but i don't like apple cider so that might have been why it tasted bad! lol others enjoyed it though! I was excited because I got to see for the first time a whole nutmeg! lol I never knew what they looked like. We also carved pumpkins it was fun! the sister missionaries were there! And I found out that a year before heath ledger died they got a feeling that they needed to share the gospel with him, so they tracked him and they have a teaching record from him. crazy huh! imagine being those missionaries! But he turned us down, unfortunately other wise I bet he'd still be here today! I also learned that in serving in the new york city mission, it includes Bermuda!! Cool huh, except only guys are allowed to go. And only guys are allowed to go to Staton Island too. There are definite reasons though, one there aren't enough girl missionaries to make it a regular place for them and second the area is so small there's only two guy there anyways!
Laura our president is in cali right now, where she is from, so i teaching the lesson on Sunday. I haven't looked at it yet, so I'll probably do that tomorrow and then go buy a treat for which ever girl shows up! Hopefully at least one or two! Last Sunday I had to miss church to cheer at the last women's soccer game, but I made it at the end just in time to see that we had like 6 girls show up! its was so good to meet all the girls! After church we went and heart attacked one of the inactive girls! it was fun, except it is a little scary being in their neighborhood late at night. I found an new way to get back to St.Johns so that I'm not standing how ever long it takes for the bus to come, in a sketching alley like way street. Its more sketch the higher up in street numbers, and chilling on 170th at 9:30 on a weekday just isn't safe. Oh yeah i learned that 50 cent was shot like really close to the church lol it was like right outside where the male missionaries Used to live. Interesting! I wonder why they have the church in such a unsafe place. Maybe its to try and influence it a little! With the new building there going to start next year it will definitely make a statement! build it and they will come! Jamaica ward building will be the nicest building around outside of the city, so everyone will have to come to dances there, and group activities, It will be really good for the area!

So midterms are over and its definitely not feeling like it. I only have like 20 days left of school and I have soooo much work to do. Its so not safe sleeping 2-4 hours a night and then going to cheer practice after being up for so long, I don't know how i get through it, but its definitely not with out a cost. I'm slowly getting injured and we were doing basket tosses two days in a row which just aggravates my hand even more, thankfully it didn't hurt my ability to move my fingers, but I'm pretty sure my hands going to have a permanent bruise its never going to get a chance to heal. It sucks worse because its my right hand and I'm right handed, major damage to that and there goes my career, i wouldn't be able to do very much in drawing class, or at least make decent stuff, i guess i would get really good with using my left hand. oh well after January and maybe a trip to Florida I'll be done with cheer for good! I cant wait!
Speaking of cant wait i cant wait to go home! I cant wait to have a nice couch to lay on and watch TV, its weird not having a TV Not that i have time to watch it, I'm just so used to it being background noise though. I cant wait to see my family and my puppy dogs and watch my brother get married and see my friend go through the process of getting married and holding a wedding shower for her! Its so much fun! I love getting to catch up with all the girls! I really don't have much in common with them seeing as they all go to BYU's and don't do much outside of school and church but I like their presence and hearing how things are going! All of them are getting married, its so crazy! first Monica, then Haley and then Channing and now Courtney, I'm guessing it will be Shauna or Katherine next! lol oh well we shall see! one wedding at a time right! I cant wait for the next 20 days of Hell to get over with! Its all worth it though! People here just don't understand what being an art student means, its a lot of work and knowledge they have to stuff down our throats! Oh if your ganna go through it why not do it in new york! Its awesome having so many museums close by! Finding a time to go to them is a challenge though!

Cheer and Midterms

So basically I sleep in four hour or two hour increment and in between those times, I'm either a cheering, whether it be practice or a game, or I'm in class or doing homework or going to my internship or going to church or church activities. I have scheduled workouts for cheer but I haven't been able to make it to them recently because of midterms. I have so much work to do and it just keeps piling on. I also have to register for next semester which means i have to schedule a meeting with the dean and go through all the hoops just to get a stupid priority number.
So I hate going to cheer practice, coach is horrible, she's so rude to us and yet she expects us to treat her like she a goddess. Its ridiculous, i like want to get injured just so that i can sit on the side and do homework. But no i only get small injuries, like today I'm typing with a semi swollen hand, both forearms have skin burns as well as my left bicep. I have a skin/clothing burn on my knee and my neck is starting to hurt for some reason, I'm not sure what i did to it. So as well as being exhausted I'm beat up too. I cant wait to come home and be away from cheer! I love going to Rodale every week! Its the highlight of my week!
I got my history midterm back and I got a B+ so that was good news, especially considering only four people got A's. I had to write a paper for that class as well, and I definitely didn't do as good with that. I'm definitely gaining weight from being in New York. i always imagined that when i was out on my own I'd stop eating out like we always did with mom and id exercise and just be healthier. Yeah I'm definitely not to that stage yet. i need my own kitchen to be like that because right now I eat crappy food, and I order take out because they close the kitchens before I'm done with cheer. I eat when I'm stressed so that doesn't help especially during midterms. So I'm in this never ending weight gain. I feel like every year ill just keep getting bigger and bigger. for about the past five years that's how its been. And i don't know how to change it because I'm too busy to change my habits.
So i don't ever have time to go out with any of the girls here. I'm always busy doing homework, I haven't made any friends outside of cheer and my suite mates. I always go into the city alone, so I really haven't had a chance to explore any fun things to do in the city cause i only go if i have a purpose. I'm worried i wont be able to find a job next semester because so many people are getting laid off. I would love to intern for Rodale again! Maybe for Women's health! although they changed everything and i found out that the editor in chief of Men's health is over seeing women's health and that's why it looks different. But maybe i could get in there when they get a new editor and chief and help them fix/change it again!! that would be awesome!! I feel like I'm going to pass out if i don't eat something, so I'm ganna go find a bar or something to eat!

Cosmo Girl

Today I heard news while at Rodale that death has come to Cosmo Girl. I remeber the first time that magazine came out. It had sabrina on the cover in an orange shirt with a yellow background. Katelyn bought it while we were in Utah. Crazy how the economy is starting to show its colors. Jessica Sokol my head girl, said that Seventeen and Cosmo Girl were competing for advertisements and Seventeen won.

Well today was my second friday at Rodale!! I love it there! Today I got to reflow some text, and I got to help Mallory out by getting the Threads ready to ship. So basically they send every photographer, illustrator and makeup artist a copy of the pages they have done! So the magazine comes in these long bundles called threads and we sort them and mail them off to everyone! might i say what a waste of paper, but oh well it was fun! Also today I got to do the board in all the high up peoples offices! Wed. at Prevention I got to look up illustrators for stories, it was so cool! I had fun looking at all of the illustrators they use and whay illustrators do! And I even recognized some of the illustrators that have illustrated for womens health before! So cool! I absolutely Love my internship!! YAY!!!