Shutterfly Has Taken Over My Life!!

Shutterfly has taken over my life!!  And it's not even a little bit, it's full on.

Some of these projects are for Christmas gifts.  And some of the books I'm making is simply because I can't keep putting off making travel and other family books.  Picture files get lost, damage, etc.  So for the last couple weeks I've been sorting through pictures and putting projects together.

My last UK trip alone had over 10,000 pictures I had to sort through.  A part of it is my fault!  I have very bad picture taking habits, which I inherited from my Mom because she does the same thing.  We take several shots of a single item or scene, the camera pointed in micro angles per shot, so I have to go through each micro angle shot to pick the right image with the right framing.  It's so annoying!  I spend most of my time going through pictures being irritated with myself. :P  Ah man.  But I've been reliving so many great times that it's worth it.

And I've just started going through April's Tokyo trip pictures.  When Steven and Ty got their photos to me they were nice enough to pre-sort them.  Very appreciated.  Then I found and transferred my and my Mom's photos . . . over 7,000. -_-;;

I still need to make the books even if I can't order them in the next few months.  Just make them and wait for when I can buy them.  Turn digital photos into physical reminders.  It will all be worth it.  And as a bonus I'm finally going through all the photos! Yay! Heh. I'm just "blah" right now about it.  I enjoy it, but it gets a little dull.  I've been listening to a lot of stuff, mainly working through the Harry Potter books.  I want to revisit the last book before I turn 38, so I can experience the scenes at the same age as Lupin and Snape.  I'm finishing up the 4th book and I'm older, and it's soooo weird.

So my Shutterfly projects is why I haven't blogged this week, but I'm also getting material to write about, so it's not all in vain.  Sorting through photos takes a lot of time.

I'm going to be so happy when I'm all caught up!!

 

Imagination and the World Wide Web

(By Joel Robinson)

About a couple months ago this image was making it's rounds around the Internet.  In short it went viral.  I found it on my brother Steven's Facebook page, who shared it from George Takei's fan page.

I connected to it immediately.  This image represents my life; the inner worlds I live within.  Each World is rich and vibrant, with fun, interesting characters.  My family has learned that when I start laughing to let me laugh and not ask what I find funny.  My Dad learned this the hard way over ten years ago.  He begged me to tell him why I was laughing.  "Trust me, you don't want to know!" "What is it?"  I merely shook my head, "You'll regret it."  "No I won't."  Sure enough, about 10 minutes into my explanation, he exclaimed "Stop!  Stop!  Sorry I asked!"  He's also learned not to ask me about the Circle of 5ths.   

I'm a pretty hardcore introvert, textbook introvert, and I wonder sometimes if extraverts live such interesting inner lives.  Back in High School I learned I was the only one in my group of friends who thought in images, they all thought only in words, and that got me thinking about how different we all are in our procressing, thinking, and daydreaming.  

Anyway, I digress.  

This image was created by Joel Robinson.  I found his blog, a great website where he provides free photography tutorials, where he addresses this creation of his.  The title of the post is "The 'Borrowed' Photographer."  The post is actually really sad, where he addresses the Internet's problem of stolen images where credit is not given.  In some instances images are taken and resold.  It's a huge problem.  He's been mocked and made fun of for the image, and it's come to the point where he's learned to be indifferent to his dragon image.

It's a post worth reading, and it's funny that the image I found was one of the altered photo's with Joel's name removed.  

When Steven and I first started putting music online as Cerulean Jade, he said he wanted to put full audio tracks on Youtube.  His claim was that it would end up on there anyway, and it gives people a chance to listen to the full version.  Still, I understand the reasoning, and as artist it helps people find us and get us out there, but Youtube is notorious for songs getting taken and re-posted, with no need to purchase.  Most of the songs we're doing are cover songs, in which we wont be selling, but even with Dream Maze and my two Christmas Songs, only a couple downloads have been purchased.  It honestly encourages me to work harder, to write songs that people will want to buy, because even though I love Dream Maze, and it will sound awesome in Japanese (Steven's working on a translation; we've decided that all our original songs will have a Japanese version that's we'll sing), it's not the sort of style everyone will like.  It's interesting and artistic.  

It is a risk to put things online for free, but at the same time the Internet is an amazing tool.  As a kid I would never have imagined that such a platform and world stage would exist, and I grew up on Star Trek.  Anyone, from all over the world, can find and listen to our music, and that's amazing.

Sarah       

Pioneer Day/Spanish Fork Fiesta Day Parade

Last month my Dad told my brother Steven and I what he wanted for Father's Day, and that he didn't want anything else; He wanted us to get our Ham radio licenses.  (Of course I already bought his gift, which was a vintage looking Captain America comic themed lunch box.) When I was a kid I wanted a license, but back then you had to learn morse code; no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't learn it.  A few years ago this requirement changed.  My Dad wanted us to get the license so we can help at events.  The local ARES group works the parades, races, and events so everyone can practice communication, so that during an emergency our Ham radios can be used to help with communication.  The ARES and RACES groups proved that all this training they do isn't in vain when they volunteered their time during the fires this past Summer. I was given the opportunity to help with the Spanish Fork Parade and practice my ham radio skills.  Back to the parade!

The group below set the pace of the Spanish Fork Fiesta Parade.  They fired a loud cannon and then fired weapons, giving the kids next to me quite a shock.    

Proof we're in Spanish Fork!!

More fun Parade entries I enjoyed.

All the Utah County Queens showed up for the festivities.  Below, on my most favorite float in the parade, is Miss Pleasant Grove with her attendants.  Also shown below is Miss Payson, Miss Nephi, and Miss Provo. 

Below is Mater!!  Unfortunately he broke down and I had the opportunity to make sure the lawn mower got off the street, and then report to Net Central what had happened.  

Another huge task we had was keeping the kids safe.  A lot of the groups throw candy to the kids, but the candy doesn't always make it to them, so the kids run into the street, which is dangerous.  A year or two ago a boy ran to the middle of the road; thankfully the driver of the float noticed and stopped within 5 feet.

Me in my gear after the parade.  It was awesome!  Steven and my Dad helped find lost children in their sections.  Unfortunately after the parade I found out that my sound mike was too close to my mouth which caused my voice to be muffled.  I would have liked to know this sooner, but that's the point of these exercises.  It's better to learn these problems during an event instead of during an emergency when lives are in danger.

Have a great day!!
Sarah

Sundance

Early last week I went up to Sundance Ski Resort with my Mom and Brother Steven.  Here are some of the pictures I took while there.

The Sundance Film Festival started yesterday, with movies showing at Sundance, Park City, and Salt Lake City.

My brother Steven and I.

Always,

Sarah

365 Day Photo challenge: Days 4-8

 (Day 4 of the 365 day photo challenge 01-06-2012)

This photo was taken at Jordan Commons, a movie theater, and anyone who knows me knows how much I love all things Japanese, skip the sushi, especially if it's cute.  The top Japanese line reads "rirakkuma" which means "relaxing bear."  And the bit under that translates to "gently relaxing everyday."  (Steven translated; I'm still learning).       

   

It costs $2 to play, and Steven actually had a go with it, though he ultimately failed.  We spent a good few minutes debating if it was even possible to win one, which we decided it wasn't.  All the stuffed bears were squished together in just the right way to make it impossible to retrieve any, and we weren't going to spend $10 to see if one can be dislodged, only to spend another $2 to then "try" and get it.  I'm probably being too fair in assuming it would only take $12.  It's impossible to play any game of this sort and remain relaxed in the process, unless you're a ninja, which I'm not.

  (Day 5 of the 365 day photo challenge 01-07-2012)

 I was out on a morning stroll when I took this.  It had snowed the night before, and the ground was dusted in the most wonderful way.  Plus, regardless of the snow, it was warm enough that I didn't need a jacket and could get away with a hoodie.  As I came to the park the most startling, loud, musical sound greeted me.  It seemed like there were hundreds of robin birds, flying about, chattering up a storm.

     (Day 6 of the 365 day photo challenge 01-08-2012)

This is a reprint edition of the 1830's Book of Mormon.  It was sold back in 2007, and just like the first, this edition was limited to only 5000, and was printed, pressed, and bound exactly the same way.  I got this when I graduated from BYU that same year from the bookstore as a momento.  Several times I tried reading through this copy, once getting lost in Alma only to start again, and then switching to a recent edition.  Several months ago I sat down determined to read this edition cover to cover.  Last Sunday I finally finished it.

I highly recommend any Later Day Saint to read an 1830's edition, where it's read without verses and columns.  It's a wonderful experience.  On top of the book rests a small bundle of Lavender I picked at the end of Summer and hung to dry.

(Day 7 of the 365 day photo challenge 01-09-2012)

Another tree photo!  No, this wasn't intentional.  My Mom found this book all about Vinegar at Barnes and Nobles the other day, and she decided that having Apple Cider Vinegar everyday would be greatly beneficial.  So after a bought of studying with myself poring over internet health pages, we hopped in the car to go to the Health store.  But before that I noticed how absolutely exquisite the moon looked and had to capture it.   

(Day 8 of the 365 day photo challenge 01-10-2012)

 

Yes, this was taken this morning, and yes, the Christmas Tree is still up.  I think one of the hardest things about Christmas ending is taking down the tree.  The lights are soothing.  But there is a point when it gets pathetic, so today the tree finally comes down!  And in less then 11 months it goes up again, just before the schedualed end of the World, because we all believe the Mayans.  (Though I personally believe they just got tired of writing out their calender, and realized 2012 was a great place to stop.  Try writing to a trillion; you'd have to be super engaged at the task to not get bored.)

Always,

Sarah

Mater! And the Dreadful Fate of unwanted Christmas trees

Christmas is only a few days away! It feels insane, really, because time just shouldn't be moving this fast.

I found Mater, the tow truck from the Pixar movie Cars, at a local tree lot next to Target. I'm a huge fan of the first movie, and if you haven't seen Tokyo Mater, the animated short, you're missing out. It's simply brilliant. So when I first saw Mater in the flesh, so to speak, I about died and ran home for a camera.

On the way to the "dollar" theater with my Dad and brother to see Puss in Boots, we were on the conversation of what happens to trees that remain unpicked after Christmas, and Steven googled it on his new fancy phone. He found this:

"They spend a very dark and forlorn Christmas eve, already

suffering from the rejection of not having been chosen to help someone

celebrate, even more depressed by knowing that the value on their tag

has been marked down. It is a horrible fate for a big or little tree

that has some growth defect that made it unattractive through no fault

of its own. And Christmas Day is no better, nor the second day of

Christmas: no more lights in the lot, feeling its wounded stump

drying out as it imagines how wonderful it would have been to be in a

family home with real candles and hearing the family joyously singing:
"O Tannenbaum" (even if it were a blue spruce or a Douglas fir)."

Merry Christmas!
Sarah

Sunsets and BYU's shout out on Psych

I took this photo a couple weeks ago, just after one of the first snowfalls here in the valley. This is a view from my front door, and on special occasions we get a sunset like this. It's one of the many reasons why I love living here.

On a different note, one of my favorite TV shows currently on air is Psych. Last year they had a competition on their website called "Campus Wars," and the school that won would get a special "shout out." BYU Provo, my alumni, won in a landslide, and by no small margin. Last night we got the shout out, and it was in a way I didn't see coming.

Three of the lead characters, Henry, Lassiter, and Gus, went to a club like bar, and after they get there two girls walk in wearing a "Y" shirt, and later they are seen at the bar drinking. Anyone who knows anything about BYU, specifically the honor code we must adhere by, and Latter-Day Saints knows we would never be seen in a place like this.

I know why they did it, it's because we've won the "stone cold sober" award from US News several years running, and Psych loves their off the wall humor. It's one of the reasons why I watch the show. But I was a little shocked at this, exclaiming, "After all the things they could have done, they choose this? Those better be virgins!" Virgin alcohols, of course. My whole family (we're all huge fans) were laughing embarrassingly, puzzled, and shocked.

I don't know how I feel. It could have been worse! I wish something different could have been chosen. I read on facebook that BYU, on Psych's Hash Tag Killer website, got a really nice shout out. A short google image search later I found a screen shot showing Vocal Point mentioned, and that there's a lot of Psych O's out here.

Here's my plot theory. These two girls, very ditzy blonds, went to a thrift store wanting to appear more intelligent. They bought BYU shirts thinking they were Yale shirts, because, really, that's not a far stretch at all, and had no idea what would be inferred by the mix up. It could happen.

Have an awesome day!
Sarah