Remember that time we decided to raft the Provo River?
In September?
At 10am?
Remember there was a chilly wind blowing, but we thought we could tough it out?
Remember how my fingers actually turned purple?
Remember how I kept running into the trees on the riverbanks and bugs kept showering down onto me?
Remember how we turned into popsicles and kept having to get out of the water?
Remember how we built a fort out of our tubes to hide from the wind?
Remember the nice family invited us to their campground for hot chocolate, blankets, and a warm campfire, then gave us a ride to our car?
Remember how cold we were?
That's kind of what I feel like right now. Freezing my tail off in the library. Maybe that's what made me think of it. Just thought I'd remind you of one of our fabulous adventures. Let's ditch this dreary old town and go on another. Preferably somewhere warm. Now. OK? K, thanks.
Today is the 117th Birthday of a truly amazing person. Although she is not, her work is still very much alive. Martha Graham was the mother of modern dance, and her influence on dance has been compared to Picasso's influence on art. She was trained as a ballet dancer because that was really the only dance form they had then. She felt that ballet was too restrictive for the human body, so she left to explore brand new pathways and themes within dance. She danced barefoot (extremely scandalous at the time), and wore loose draped clothing and scarfs. Her exploration ultimately led to many of the dance forms we have today.
The Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest dance company in America, and is still performing Graham's original choreography. Her work is still applicable today. I've danced a few of her pieces myself in my dance career, including the Maple Leaf Rag.
Now for the fun part, go to Google.com and look at the doodle. In honor of Martha, Google has a dancing doodle today, animated by BYU's own Ryan Woodward. You might remember, I featured him here. His dance animation is amazing.
Also, check out this cool photo spread dedicated to Martha Graham, from Eliza Magazine's Winter 2009 Dance issue. (See pages 30-37... although the whole thing is good.)
Yes, Martha was incredible. She has obviously had a huge impact on me as a dancer, but also as a creator in any creative field, she was a prime example of breaking boundaries. Her famous quote still rings true today.
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ... No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others."
My little sister Alyse needed a headshot for her school dance company, so last Tuesday I drove up to her house a took some pictures with my fancy new camera. We here hoping for some nice sunshine to brighten up the pictures- instead we got grey skies, wind that wouldn't let her hair stay down, and then it started raining. We didn't get quite as many options as we'd hoped, but we did end up getting a few around the neighborhood.
Here are a few of our favorites from the shoot.
{this was my favorite, and ended up being the final headshot. isn't she so pretty??}
{big brown doe eyes}
{holy stunning!!!}
{demure reflection}
{crouching tiger, hidden dragon :)}
{beautiful blooms}
{flowers in her hair}
{angelic}
I can't believe how quickly she's growing up and what a lovely young woman she has become. I love you Alyse! I can't wait for our Summer adventures.
Back again with my current (as in the last two days) obsession with tulips!
I've always loved to see how flowers inspire fashion. Of course, there are a bajillion pretty floral prints out there, and flowers are used to accessorize all kinds of fashion. However, I love it when designers take flowers a bit more literally, creating clothes that mimic the shape, form, or color patterns of the flower itself.
Here is some tulip inspired goodness for you.
{I just love this photo}
First up is the lovely "tulip skirt". This is the most obvious tulip-inspired piece, and it's been around forever. Inspired by the shape of the flower, these skirts are slender like a pencil skirt, but have more body in the hip region. Some even have an overlay that mimics the overlapping petals.
{tulip skirt}
These skirts are some of my favorites because they are slimming, but not skin-tight. They are a total classic.
However, sometimes it's fun when designers take the floral inspiration one step further. That's what happened in John Galliano's "Tulip Line" for Christian Dior Haute Cotoure. The results are vibrant and exquisite.
Galliano took his tulip inspiration to the next level, and I would say it paid off. The textures, layers, colors, and shapes are perfect. This collection is a true artistic masterpiece. I can't get over it.
This weekend, we went up to my mom's house to help her get her flower beds ready for planting. We treated the soil, and dug up all the existing bulbs to relocate. When we were digging up the tulip bulbs, I realized how much I love tulips! It's not that I didn't like them before, but something clicked inside me and now I can't get enough of these cheerful flowers! Most of the stems broke off while we were digging them up, so we put them in a vase inside.
I just love the way the stems gracefully arch, the breathtakingly vibrant colors, and the way fields full of tulips make you feel so alive. Maybe I should go to Holland?
Unfortunately, this recent obsession is starting a bit late, as tulip season is coming to an end. Oh well, at least now I know want a Spring garden FULL of tulips. And I will cut a fresh vase-full every week for my dining room table. *sigh*
Happy Monday! I hope your day is full of flowers and sunshine!
Audrey Hepburn's birthday was two days ago. She would have been turning 82 this year. I love Audrey. She is both my favorite actress, and biggest fashion inspiration of all time. I love everything about her, from her natural playful elegance to her wonderful heart and humanitarian work. She was such an amazing lady.
We've been watching a lot of her movies lately because I keep discovering new ones I'd never heard of. My obsession just keeps growing. Today, I was looking at some photos of Audrey through the years, and stumbled upon this jewel.
Audrey Hepburn had a pet fawn!!! My favorite woman ever... had my favorite animal as a pet! How did I not know this before??!!
Her name was Pippin. She was given to Audrey by Mel Ferrer after a miscarriage, to cheer her up.
Sweet Pippin followed Audrey everywhere, gave her sweet little deer kisses, and even took naps with her.
I am so in love with this right now. New life goal: get a pet fawn. Is that possible? I'll find a way. Thank you Audrey, for even more life inspiration.
