Do you dig?

I just finished "To Kill A Mockingbird," and I am just zooming through "The Hunger Games". A great suggestion from Katie Jensen. Go read it NOW.

In other news, life is wonder-full. Last week, Ingrid and I went on a little trip to Antelope Island. I hadn't been there since elementary school. We had to good fortune to go on a slightly overcast day, so the sky was beautiful!





You must go out there soon. I love it.

And just because I still LOVE Inception. I found this that I thought was pretty cool.



AAAAH! We have all been INCEPTED.

You may say that I'm a dreamer...

First off, find of the day!!!

I think the twilight concert series is a good place to go if you want to act like you're at an Urban Outfitters photo shoot . Surprisingly, I was admitted entrance even though I wasn't sportingRay-Ban Wayfarers. How have I gone halfway through the summer without them? I am supposed to like them! Lucia mercifully let me borrow her "version" of wayfarers that she got in Spain so I didn't look too conspicuous. I became accustomed to wearing them everywhere, which is a good thing because Mireille Guiliano says they keep you from getting crows feet prematurely and they make you look French. Yesterday I gave Lucia her glasses back, and wondered if I would ever be french looking again. Mom to the rescue! She has an actual pair of Ray-bans from BEFORE I WAS BORN. So now I have the real thing. And I didn't have to pay $150.

Now to the topic at hand. By now, half the world has seen Incpetion, right? What a great movie; I was thoroughly entertained. But things got creepy when I got in the car to drive back to Salt Lake. I had put in a mix that I made in highschool, "Soft and Mashed Up - Uber Crazy" it was called. It seemed as though all the songs touched on themes from the movie AND mentioned dreams. It was a trippy ride. So here is a Post-Incepetion-Soundtrack-Mini-Mix for you:

1. Better Together - Jack Johnson
2. I'm Only Sleeping - The Beatles
3. Sway - The Perishers
4. The Kids Aren't Alright - The Offspring
5. Non, je ne regrette rien - Edith Piaf
6. So Real - Jeff Buckley
7. Boulevard of Broken Songs (Mashup of Oasis, Greenday, Travis, Aerosmith, and Eminem) - Party Ben

Note: This mix is under constant editing. If you feel a song needs to be included, please tell me.


Sweet dreams...

July Mix: Junebugs and Jujubees

This one took a bit longer to put together. But now I think the flow is just right. As always, they are best listened to in order. Enjoy.

1. Weak Week - Les Mange-Tout
2. All Summer - Kid Cudi, Best Coast and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend
3. What Part of Forever - Cee-Lo Green
4. The Bridge - Bramble
5. Baby (Justin Bieber cover) - Neon Trees
6. Azul - Natalia Lafourcade
7. Boat Behind - Kings Of Convenience
8. Kissin & Cussin - Carolina Chocolate Drops
9. Garden - Karen Elson
10. Heavy in your Arms - Florence & The Machine
11. You and I - Washed Out feat. Caroline Polachek
12. Wasted Daylight - Stars
13. Heartbreaker ft. John Legend - MSTRKRFT
14. I Want To - Best Coast
15. 20 Miles - Deer Tick
16. England - The National
17. Summer 78 (instrumental) - Yann Tiersen
18. I'll Try Anything Once - Julian Casablancas

Translation:
4. These are they guys that I found at the farmers market,, but I haven't seen them since.
5. do you remember Neon Trees? I saw them at Velour the winter before I left on my mission. Well now they are big shots, apparently, with tracks used on The Hills. Good for them! I love their take on j-beibs.
6. Thanks to Jade for this one.
8. I heard a thing on NPR about this band, and they are a jem. Check them out for sure.
9. This is the wife of JACK WHITE. She is actually a model, but her singing is pretty sharp! (Thank you June issue of Vogue for the photo shoot and info.)
13. Did you know I love John Legend? I do.
14. Make sure to listen to the Julian Casablancas, not the Strokes. This song was used in a preview for Sofia Coppola's Somewhere. She has excellent taste in music. the soundtracks to her films are always en pointe.

Update Schmupdate

A packed two weeks, back in action. I don't know why I feel a need to report my comings and goings, but, here we are.

It has been a blur. First, Tommy Emmanuel at the AIS banquet, Kimberlee's wedding the next night, Gina Baccheur competition finals, and a killer Real game WITH fireworks. Who could ask for anything more.
Our family was a little sore after the Uruguay loss, to Holland, but it was a good game. I went to the Peru festival with Hermana Holmes and ate CEVICHE and drank CHICHA MORADA, and they even had a Bolivian booth with SALTENAS! mmhmm. My parents went out of town to visit Jeremy, and I stayed to see the Maynes at their homecoming. It is weird to see the Elders and Hermanas again. It feels like they are out of context. But I was so happy to see presidente and hermana Maynes and hear news from Bolivia. I posted a few of the pics on my facebook if you want to take a peek.
Enjoy the sun.

Reading List

Tis the season to read and read and read. A few weeks ago, RadioWest has their Summer Book Show. Many of the recommendations sound really great. I especially want to read Isabel Allende's Island Beneath the Sea, maybe even in Spanish if I'm feeling ambitious. I always love book recommendations, even if I don't end up liking the book that was recommended. I think the books people like says more about them than the tv shows or movies they watch, or the music they listen to. They require more effort to enjoy. So, here is what I've been reading since the semester ended:

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 1-3 - Ann Brashares

Bet you didn't expect those on my list, did you? But they are there. I think these are great, and the perfect way to rest your mind after ariting stacks of anthropology papers.

Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

Wah wah wah. Oh, Elizabeth. Thank goodness you had a $200,000 book deal so that you could travel to three countries and do absolutely whatever you want, while eating, AND praying, AND loving. Otherwise you NEVER would have found yourself. :) This book is so silly. She is a good writer, but her protagonist (i.e. herself) is so self-absorbed. I actually kind of liked the Italy section, to be honest, but it was all downhill from there. Not recommended. I imagine you will be better off watching the Julia Roberts adaptation that will be in theaters soon.

Committed- Elizabeth Gilbert

Same author, totally different book. It is written more like a textbook than a novel, which is probably why I liked it more than the above. The book isn't totally about the author, it's more of an examination on marriage, culture, etc.

Hmmm. Now that I have it written down, my list thus far seems pretty pathetic. But I have big plans for the rest of the summer! Hopefully I will get to read these books!

To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee

July 10th is the 50th anniversary 50th of this novel. So I will be reading it again for the first time since 6th grade.

I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

This is the perfect summer book. It is just lovely. "Dreamy", "funny", and an "utter delight". I've read it a few times. "I Capture the Castle is the classic tale, told in diary form, of six months in the life of Cassandra Mortmain, a perceptive young lady who lives with her poor, socially outcast family in a crumbling castle in the English countryside.By the time she pens her final entry, she has captured the castle-- and the heart of the reader-- in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments." - Powells

Special Topics in Calamity Physics - Marisha Pessl.

Picked this up on a whim several years ago, and I am so glad I did. A grown up Nancy Drew with a great/horrible end.

"What begins as an innocent (if quirky) adolescent tale swiftly transforms into an absorbing high school whodunit. If I had to compare it to a few recent films, it manages to come across both as gritty as Brick and as refreshing as Juno, but with a healthy amount of vintage Gothic inspiration threading its way through the story as well. That tightrope walk of pathos and preciousness has never been navigated so confidently." - Powells.com

The Kingdom of Ohio - Matthew Flaming

I really just want to read this one because I like the look of the cover. :)

The Prince of Mist - Ruiz Zafon

I always gravitate towards young adult fiction. I guess I just don't want to be a grown-up yet. It is always better to be a kid.

So, there is my list so far. I found this that looks like a great resource; I haven't even begun to look through it. Please tell me if you have any suggestions!

Happy Reading!

Uruguay wins: 1-0 :)

Sun Stand Still

It's the summer solstice! The trip to the spiral jetty was not realized, but surely will be at a later date. In honor of the beginning of summer, I attempted to get a tan. Attempt being the operative word. I am too impatient and fussy to lay out for long. I will have to work on it little by little. I hope you enjoyed the sun.