Called....

So, remember how a few weeks ago, I announced I plan on serving an LDS mission? I just thought I would check in with that. Yes, I'm still planning to go, and in fact, I'm more excited than ever.
It's been amazing in the past few weeks as my guy friends have started to receive their calls.  I've got friends going to El Salvador, England, and all over, and the calls keep coming in! And the part that is the most exciting for me is that every week, as someone new gets their call, it means I am that much closer to being able to submit my papers and get my call right as I graduate. I can hardly wait for the next few months to pass so that I can get my call and go!

Top Ten Reasons I Love THIS Version...

A while ago, I promised a post explaining why the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice is quite obviously the best.Well, I've finally found the time to do it. I understand that everyone has their favorite version, but I'm pretty sure that no one will ever be able to change my opinion on this. Fortunately for all of you, I've decided to limit my list to ten reasons I love this particular rendition, though, rest assured that if I chose to, I could go for hours!
10) The soundtrack. Seriously, have you listened to it? Gorgeous! And it uses musical styles that both are true to the period, and a little more modern. It's fantastic. I'll slap you with a salmon if you try to deny it.

9) The sisters. The producers chose to show lots of montages and sequences walking through the house, giving you a glimpse into the sister's everyday. Also, there were lots of liberties taken, such as the scene where they're all slouching and eating on the couch, and the second visitors come, they rush to be prim and proper. However, I can't deny, Lydia will ALWAYS bug the crap out of me, in any version. Seriously, the girl is an idiot. Nuff said.

8) Bingley's hair. Take a good long gander at the stuff. To begin with, it's delightfully ginger. Also, it's ENORMOUS. How they managed to do that, I will never know, but it is FANTASTIC.

Do you see that stuff?

7) Mr. Bennet. For one, he's in The Italian Job. He's also President Snow. So don't mess with Papa. I also love how completely sarcastic he, and how patient and kind he is to his daughters. He's just kind of amazing.

6) Mr. Collins. The guy is four feet tall. And he thinks he's the most important guy there. He's soooo awkward, and never quite realizes just how funny some of his blubbers can be, like in church- definetly not what Austen wrote, but it's kind of how he is.

5) Darcy's awkward smile when he and Elizabeth both are in love, but neither will admit it. Look at that thing. After everything else that's happened, that is the moment where my heart melts completely, and I'm screaming at the television to go on and marry the guy. It shows how patient, forgiving, and devoted he is, and also that he's just a little shy. More than that, it's showing how completely happy he is that Elizabeth is there with him, and he's happy just to know she's happy. It's adorable. 

4) Bingley rehearsing his proposal to Jane. My very favorite part of that is when Darcy is pretending to be Jane, and when Bingley addresses him (as Jane), he replies (as Jane) in his extremely low voice. 

3) The scene in the rain. I love this scene and I hate this scene. They're brutal to each other, but it's one of the few scenes in the movie where all facades are removed, and you're really looking straight at both Darcy and Elizabeth. Also, there's always that moment where he nearly kisses her that just pulls at my heart because I'm crying for both of them.

2) The very last scene after the wedding. I love Jane Austen, but she tends to end the book right at the marriage. I loved getting to see Darcy and Elizabeth completely alone, and happy after the wedding. I'm weird and get attached to characters, and knowing their okay in the end is always a must, so getting to see this scene, I nearly died of happiness.

1) The dawn scene where Darcy proposes to Elizabeth. To begin with, just watch him walk up in the morning mist. Got it? Then there's his conversation with Elizabeth, where at the end, you can see he's terrified, but he manages to stammer out, "I love-I love- I love you." Again, I'm an active movie watcher, so about here, I'm usually shouting to go on and marry him will jumping up and down. And then, they finish it out perfectly, with Lizzie and Darcy just enjoying being with each other as the sun comes up.

And there's just a few of the reasons why I love this version, I can assure there's about 30 million more, I just won't go on forever about them. Toodles!

Changes

Sorry guys, I have completely slacked off in my blogging, and I'm really hoping to change that. FOR REALS THIS TIME. Part of it has been that I am a little bogged down with homework and practicing, so I haven't had time to blog. Part of it is that I have mostly stopped DIY for now (because of reason 1), so I don't have much that's exciting to blog about.
Looking back on my last few entries, I realized that I slacked off right as several big changes happened. For one, I was putting in all of my college applications, and the decisions of where to put them surprised me- but no, I won't say anything until I've made an absolute decision.For two, I worked hard for an audition. I didn't get it, and that's okay, because it's just high school stuff. I decided not to do any music auditions right now because for one, I've been having too many back problems, but for two, for a HUGE reason that would mean I wouldn't get to participate in the School of Music for a while.  And then there were the holidays. However, there has been one big change yet to be mentioned.
I've mentioned several times that I am LDS, and that I love the gospel. In October, the Church came out with the announcement that Young Women could go serve missions for the Church at 19 now. It only took me a few days decide that I would put my ability right on my 19th birthday. So, in a little under a year, I'll be headed off to Heaven-only-knows-where-in-the-United-States. Literally. And until then, I get to use every minute I can to prepare. I'm beyond excited to go, and can't wait!

Just Checking In.....

Well, I'm personally glad to announce that all of my major homework projects before Christmas Break are over. Bring on the hot cocoa, the peppermint, and the wrapping paper! I've got a few projects that I'm hoping to get done over the break (and hopefully share with you guys). Hopefully be back soon!

Updates...

Well, to follow up on my last post, I did not get Sterling Scholar. Was I disappointed? I don't know that I can really explain how disappointed I was, or in what way exactly. Yes, I was very disappointed, but I'm also very happy for the girl who did get it, one of my best friends in the whole world. I know she worked hard for it, and I'm proud of her for it. People have asked me several times now if I was mad. No, I was never mad she got it. The fact that Katie got it and I didn't are completely different events in my mind. I do feel however that being given the opportunity to try was a blessing, and I'm grateful for it.
So, with that out of the way, I'm back! Today, I finally went and viewed my list of my favorite blogs, and I realized, I have been too long away. I fully plan on making a comeback, which shall be amazing, because IT'S CHRISTMAS. Suffice it to say that at this moment, my crafty little fingers are itching to find something to do, whether it be making another pair of cozy slippers (do you think I'm obsessed much?), or making my own gingerbread house, or DIY Christmas presents. Believe me when I say that I fully intend to come back.
Especially now that I'm essentially done applying to Colleges. Pretty much all that I have left for anything is to pay that silly little fee. So now, I will have free time! Yay!

Hillary Hahn and My Own Musical Escapades

Hello, World! I'm ba-ack! Sorry, life kind of exploded ( I will explain at a later date), but I'm hoping that in the next few weeks I can get back into blogging fairly regularly. Oh, gosh, I've seriously missed this, and I hadn't realized it until just now as I started typing.
So, last night, I got the chance to go to an amazing concert with one of my best friends, Delaney. I'm grateful to have Delaney around, she is my fellow extreme music nerd friend, who will just talk auditions and orchestrations with me for hours. So, on my birthday this year, she texted me, wanting to know if I was busy November 16th. I told her no, so she told me that she had two tickets to the Hillary Hahn concert with the Utah Symphony. For those of you who are unaware, Hillary Hahn is one of the best violinists in the world. I've loved listening to her play since I was little, and getting to see her play live always is a highlight of the YEAR. It's that good guys.
So, last night, Delaney and I made the trek out to Abravanel Hall (and nearly got mugged in the alley between the Salt Palace and Abravanel- jk!) to watch the performance. Guys, I was riveted. I could not take my eyes off of her as she sawed at her violin. It was amazing to watch her perform, and to make it seem so effortless and natural. It's one of those dreams of mine that I keep buried at the back of a drawer that maybed someday I could play a piece like that.
Speaking of musical dreams, I went through the first of a series of auditions in the next few months this week. I applied for Sterling Scholar down at the school. For Utah, Sterling Scholar is huge, it's the chance to compete with the best high school musicians from all over the state. Each school can pick only one per department- and at my school, eight applied for the music division. And I gotta say, the people who applied are GOOD. They are also my friends- this is what I get for hanging out with a bunch of music nerds.
So, like everyone else, I'm stuck waiting to find out who got it until Monday at 2:18. And while, I wish that I could say that I obviously won (snobbish, I know), I can't. I heard everyone warming up for auditions, and they're all really good. So all I can do is hope. Until Monday at least!

Oh, So Sorry

Seriously guys, I'll make a comeback. I promise that I have no intentions of continuing blog breaks, but last week, life got exciting.

This has been just a part of my AP English work for the past few weeks. (And guys, I'm taking a break from more AP English just to type this. Seriously, this class is pretty much all of my homework.) Do you see that grey paper? IT'S NOT GREY. I wrote quite possibly the smallest I've ever written so I can write down every thought I could possibly have on a 166 page book. I did not think I had that many thoughts!
    And then there's The Kite Runner. I'm probably annotating it to death, considering every page is crammed full of underlines and thoughts. But I'm really loving this book so much! It is teaching me so much about life from a different perspective, and what I believe in.

And as if I didn't have enough going on, I'm also painting my bedroom, so there's my DIY for the time being. I'll take pictures when it's all done, but for now, do you notice something? Like maybe the bed in the middle of the room? Turns out that everything but my bed can find a home in the basement, so my bed is covered in plastic with all my bedding still on it. This means that I'm sleeping on a foam pad in the living room. Guys, I have to admit, life is fantastic just now. Seriously, I'm living the dream.