My Omaha 'To Do' List

So, this past weekend when I was at home, I finally booked my flights for New Zealand. I am officially leaving the 23rd of January. As excited as I am, I cannot believe how soon that date actually it! Kind of scary.

Well, because I only have roughly 30 more days in Omaha altogether, I decided to make a 'to-do' list for myself. I have lived in Omaha for almost 4 and a half years now and there are still a bunch of things I have NOT done or things I want to make sure I do again before I depart (hopefully not for GOOD, but we'll see...)

Here's my list... let me know if you would like to join me and take part in these activities... I would LOVE some company :)

1. Take night walks downtown and on Creighton's campus... both just turned on their Christmas lights, so I really just want to walk around and look at them!

2. Eat Sushi. I LOVE sushi. Fact. So I have to eat it at least once before I leave. I know, I know, I can always eat it at home, but I always used to go to Blue happy hour with friends last year, so it is sort of reliving those moments.

3. Visit the Kent Bellows exhibition at the Joslyn. Still haven't done so and I hear it's INCREDIBLE.

4. Take a picture of me standing on the Iowa/Nebraska state line on the Pedestrian bridge. Is this one cheesy and super lame? Yes. Yes it is. But I don't care... I want my picture...

5. Take a couple more walks around heartland park and on the Pedestrian bridge. I love this area of downtown... just really relaxing to me even though the river is disgusting and the geese hiss at you.

6. Have a traditional Nebraskan beer at Upstream. I am not the biggest fan of Upstream's food, but they have some legit beer.

7. Go to the Lauritzen Gardens - Omaha's Botanical Center. I know it's winter now, but hopefully when I go, there will be super pretty snow around.

8. Eat at Amsterdam... never been there? Oh man, you are missing out.

9. Spend an entire midnight trip at the Donut Stop... I wanna see how long I last.

10. I don't even know when the Zoo closes, but I would love to go to the zoo one last time... I LOVE the zoo... except for the alligators. I don't like them.

11. Go to the Omaha Public Library and read. I have never been since I have lived here... I always see police cars outside of it and such, but I am just really curious as to what it looks like on the inside.

12. Have dinner and a movie at the Midtown crossing theater... I love that you can dine in. I have only been to this theater once and I didn't eat.

Well, that's my list as of now... I will probably think of more. If you have any ideas for things to do or you would like to join me in my adventures, let me know!

The Bar or The Church?

CHECK THIS OUT.

Awesome.

RELEVANT Magazine: The Drunk and the Hypocrite.

Guilty Pleasures.

Everyone has guilty pleasures... things we love to do/have/eat, but are sometimes too embarrassed to admit most of the time. I am going to admit mine, however... because let's get real, I have an entire blog about the stupid things I do and all the embarrassing and awkward moments in my life... what else do I have to hide?

1. GLEE.

2. Ice cream of ANY kind.

3. Rap Music... more specifically the rap music on the radio.

4. Acoustic Covers.

5. Harry Potter.

6. Taylor Swift.

7. Blue Moon.

8. Trying on horribly ugly prom dresses at department stores.

9. Target.

10. PostSecret.blogspot.com.

11. Telling people I am too tired to go out when I really just stay in and read or watch a movie.

12. Cooking Magazines.

13. VS Sweatpants.

14. Singing really loud in the car.

15. Super cheap take out Chinese food.

16. Boy Bands... mainly NSYNC.

17. Buying new dresses.

18. Candles.

19. Reading blogs... duh.

20. The song "Whip My Hair" by Willow Smith.

21. Any movie with Leonardo DiCaprio.

22. Dying my hair.

23. Christmas Music.

24. Dressing up.

25. Soy Lattes.

26. Disney Movies.

27. Green M&M's.

28. Motorcycles.

29. Tattoos and piercings.

30. Greeting Cards.

31. State Fairs.

32. Love Songs.

33. Chik-fil-a.

34. Miss Me Jeans

35. Themed Parties.

2 months.

It is hard to believe that I leave for New Zealand in two months (well... from yesterday). With my art show consuming most of my time, energy, heart, and mind, I spent little time mentally and emotionally preparing for my departure... and I am just now starting to feel the effects...

I thought I was done being an emotional wreck... Nope. That lasted all of two weeks. I am in a slight panic mode. I am trying to figure out how I am going to see and spend time with all the people I want to before I leave. I am trying to focus on school and actually graduating... yeah, that's a little important at this point in my life. I am trying to pack up my apartment... I can't believe how much STUFF I have accumulated over three years of living off campus. It really is absurd. But most of all, I am trying to refocus my heart on the only thing that actually TRULY matters at the end of the day... My relationship with Christ.

It's easy to push that aside sometimes... putting him lower on my subconscious "to-do" list, taking for granted that loving God is a decision that I have to make EVERYDAY. I have to flee from sin and selfishness, which I am sometimes horrible at doing. If I don't make my relationship with My Creator my priority, there is no way I am going to learn as much as He wants me to learn, love as much as he calls me to love, serve as much and I should serve, and worship as much as he made me too. If I don't live for him and deny myself, New Zealand is going to be merely an experience, merely an internship, merely a trip away from the realities of the United States for half a year.

That is NOT what I want. I want to LIVE for Him in everything I do. Not for my own glory and so the people in New Zealand will see how faithful I am to Him, but so that HIS goodness can shine from even the darkest of pits. And my life is a pit.

I need not only to re-prioritize, but to understand what living truly means... no matter what hemisphere of the world I am in.

Top Ten List

I LOVE top ten lists. There is something about the ranking process that’s truly enjoyable for me… it’s not like I am ranking people or anything, but for me, they are just reasons why I like certain things – you know, just reflecting on how much I enjoy certain life situations. It’s sort of healing. Helps me remember the little things in life and makes me pretty grateful! So, below are a few top ten lists I am pretty passionate about right now… ENJOY!

Top ten reasons I am glad to be done with my art show:

10. I have time to read books for FUN. I don’t really remember the last time I read a book for fun… I am pretty sure it was at the very beginning of the summer. I really like reading (and I wish I did it more), but during the school year, especially with student teaching last semester and then working on my art show most of the summer and the first half of the semester, I have not been able to just sit down and read a book without worrying about finishing a homework assignment or doing research for my thesis. I have a lot of books too, so I am super pumped to just pick one out and start reading. I think I will choose The Hobbit… I find it pretty fitting since I will be moving to New Zealand in January (where Peter Jackson will be starting to film the movie in February).

9. I can paint my nails. When I was preparing for my show, I literally did not go ONE day with completely clean hands. Since I worked with acrylic washes, the paint would splatter and just get all over me. I did not bother to paint my nails since the beginning of summer (until the day of the show), because I knew they would just get ruined the next hour. So now? HELLOOOOO OPI!

8. I have time to clean, organize, and pack up my apartment. Just being honest with you (hope you don’t get too grossed out), but I haven’t done a super good thorough clean of my apartment since probably summertime. I haven’t had a day to dedicate to just clean everything super well. Now, I CAN! Cleaning is actually a really good stress reliever for me, so cleaning, packing and organizing my apartment will help me relax!

7. I won’t cry as much. I am an emotional wreck… For three months straight, I literally cried at least once a day. The record amount? Seven. Pathetic? Yes. Oh well. I get to save money on Kleenex now.

6. I get to blog again! I love blogging. So now, I can blog on a more regular basis and keep all you lovely people entertained… kidding… but really.

5. I can just enjoy the art making process to it’s fullest. Now that my thesis is wrapped up and I am done with my painting independent study, I am only in three classes… two of which are art related. I can go to Life Drawing and printmaking and just enjoy making art without any pressures or feelings of needing to meet some sort of criteria. Being able to draw the figures in life drawing has been great this past week.

4. I can RUN again. I have not enjoyed a good run or workout in… well let’s just say, A LONG TIME. Too long, in fact. I felt like I had hit this huge milestone when I was training for the Lincoln half-marathon and was able to run 8 miles… but when I strained my calf and couldn’t run, I had to start from scratch. Then, horrible timing, my art show comes along and I have no time to run. Now I can… and I can’t wait to just get back into it. It will suck at first, but I know my body will feel so much better than it has for the past few months.

3. I am that much closer to graduating! After 18 years of schooling, I will finally be done (well… for now… graduate school pending). It is crazy to think about. I really like school, especially college, but I am ready for a break. I can’t imagine NOT going to school, but I am excited for the new adventures… and speaking of new adventures…

2. I am moving to NEW ZEALAND! If you can’t tell, I am REALLY excited about this. I have an internship for six months in ChristChurch. I cannot wait to see where God leads me and what he has planned for me there. I know I am going to be really challenged.

1. I get to hang out with my best friends again. Since summer, I have not had a social life. That is not an exaggeration. I have grown accustomed to being by myself… and if not by myself, with Sarah Stormberg, my art exhibition partner. We became really close, which I loved, but at the same time, I was really lonely. I missed my friends and my family. I felt very alone and not being able to hang out or do anything with my friends because I was working on my art bummed me out. I felt like I didn’t even have time to talk on the phone with people. It was miserable. Well, after I was reminded of how much my friends love me by their appearances at my art opening, I cannot WAIT to be able to hang out with them again. YAY FOR SOCIAL LIVES!

Top ten reasons favorite bands/singers/musicians right now:

10. The Spill Canvas

9. Alkaline Trio

8. MuteMath

7. Frou Frou

6. Ben Harper

5. GLEE cast

4. Varnadore

3. Cartel

2. All Time Low

1. The Classic Crime

Top ten reasons I love fall:

10. Fireplaces are being used. If I had to imagine my ideal night, it would involve sitting around a fireplace with friends. I just love fireplaces and fires. Pyro? Mmm hmm.

9. It has great holidays… Thanksgiving and Halloween! Best. Food. EVER at Thanksgiving. And for Halloween? Free Candy, hilarious costumes, and carving pumpkins… sounds like perfection to me.

8. Playing in leaves. Self-explanatory.

7. My favorite months are September and October.

6. The temperature! 50’s-low 70’s… perfection. It means you are not bitterly cold, but it is still chilly enough to get that crispness in the air. ALSO, I hate sweating unintentionally, so the fact that this weather keeps that issue regulated makes me pretty happy.

5. It means Christmas is right around the corner… fresh snow, Christmas trees, decorations, family gatherings, ugly sweaters, the WHOLE she-bang… gosh dang it, I love Christmas.

4. Fall Fashion! I LOVE fall fashion. I love sweaters, coats, jeans, boots, warm socks, you name it. It probably doesn’t help that I work at a clothing store that sells adorable fall clothes so it just makes me want to buy everything. But really, fall fashion is great… and it works well for me because I am known as “the neutral queen”, so it’s a more socially acceptable time to wear neutrals without seeming boring or morose.

3. The smells… pumpkin, spices, apple, caramel, pine, amber, and the other super rich smells that come with it. Thank goodness for candles too… then I can have fall all year round in my apartment.

2. The GORGEOUS colors. Reds, oranges, and yellows. I think the changing leaves and the amazing sunsets and sunrises are just perfect pictures of God’s creativity and His beauty. It’s incredible… photosynthesis.

1. Caramel Apple Cider and Hot Chocolate. Does this really need an explanation for being #1? I think both these delicious drinks are God’s great gift to mankind. Thanks, God, for giving us taste buds to enjoy these spectacular beverages.

RINSE + REPEAT

As most of you already know, I just had my BFA Art Exhibition at Creighton University. Anyone graduating with their BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in studio art is required to have their own art exhibition in the gallery on campus. After months hard work, countless trips to the art and hardware stores, little sleep, and drama, it finally came together.

I was really fortunate to be able to have my show with a really good friend of mine named Sarah Stormberg. Sarah and I met my sophomore year of college in our beginning painting class. We didn’t become great friends right away, but we began talking and became quick acquaintances. From that class on, we have had almost every art class together. The end of my junior year is really when we started to become really close. When I found out she was also going to be getting her BFA, I thought it would be really cool if we were able to have our shows together. She was unsure about when she was actually graduating, so I didn’t bank on the fact that we would actually be graduating at the same time and be able to have our shows together. Well, after finding out we were going to both be graduating this December and after some other crazy drama happened, we found out we WERE going to be having our show together. Since summer, Sarah and I have been sharing a small studio space together and have been in there working almost everyday for hours on end. Although we were stressed out and crazy busy most of the time, I was so glad to be working with her. She has such a great attitude and is so fun and carefree. She was so awesome to work with and honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better person to have my show with. Not to mention, our work looked AWESOME together.

The title of our exhibition is RINSE + REPEAT. We chose this title because it was a good name for how I technically worked and created my art but complimentary for Sarah in terms of her theme of 21^st century pop culture and a look on feminism and fashion.

Starting two weeks before our opening, Sarah and I were lucky to be able to take down the art show before us and begin installing our work. We had almost every installed and set up in the gallery a full week before our show so that the last week was just fixing and putting together minor details like lighting and patching up scratches on the gallery walls.

Our opening was the 29^th of October. Sarah and I were super nervous. For one, we weren’t sure how people would react or feel about our artwork. Secondly, we really were afraid not very many people would come to our show (since the gallery opening before us only had 75 people total in 4 hours show up). The night came, the food was all set up, and the bar was ready… we were ready too… we thought.

Over a three hour period, over 300 people showed up to our opening… which is INCREDIBLE!!! Thank you to everyone who came and supported us, even if it was just for a few moments! It was really fun being able to see old professors, my family, and friends who have moved away! Even some of my coworkers, classmates, a ton of my sorority sisters, and my cooperating teachers from student teaching came to see my work! It was like a giant reunion. I enjoyed being able to go around and tell people about my work and meet art supporters from all over the area. To be honest, my face really hurt after the night was over because of how much I was smiling and talking. Overall, we had really good reactions to our artwork and everything we had done. I was even able to sell four of my pieces, which was great since all that money is going toward my fund for New Zealand.

I am going to be making a separate blog that displays my artwork and gives descriptions of each piece. Also, since most of my thesis research and background came from interviews with influential people in my life, I will also be including the interviews that correspond to each artwork. When I get that blog up and going, I will let you all know so you can look at my work and read through the meanings more thoroughly… oh, and you can buy the pieces too if you want… J