My Life, Artist Style

Just a few wedding pics

2011-12-28T10:05:00.000-08:00

These are for any of you that so longingly desired to attend this blessed event. I wish you were there too. Hopefully this smattering of pictures will give you a little taste of the day.
My internet is terrible at my apartment, otherwise I would post a buttload more.
Givin' it to my husband good.

Cake on a stump.

Centerpieces

The lovely Katie Brandeburg on acoustic guitar. She did beautifully.

Polaroids and note tags instead of a sign-in book

My freezing friends.

I like this shot of John's boutineer (sp?) I hand picked all of the flowers and my mother arranged them. Not bad eh?
Yes there was a blizzard on the wedding day of the one who desperately wanted to be married in warm weather...

Honeymooners

2011-11-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of our honeymoon. We got sick on the boat from all the rocking and rolling. All we did was eat and sleep the whole time we were on the boat. Then for the meager few hours we had on land we loved the beach and wandered around. Then I convinced John to go to Disneyland. YAY. It was all decorated for Christmas and the Haunted House was remodeled to be the Nightmare Before Christmas. We really like the Buzz Lightyear ride too. John said Disneyland was the highlight of the honeymoon. I liked it too.

6 Weeks

2011-10-02T13:18:00.001-07:00

johnhayley.com

November 12, 2011
Salt Lake Temple

There are a mere 6 weeks left before John and I tie the knot.
Things are progressively busier busier busier.
We've made all the major decisions though.... save flowers.

Centerpieces

Noah's for the reception

Cake-a-licious lace cake

Bridesmaid Dresses

DIY crepe backdrop. I'm going to make this backdrop. We've already got the polaroid camera.

The invitations are being designed by my brother in a twenties style with natural papers.

The luncheon will be at the Joseph Smith Memorial building. Chances are, if you are reading this, you will be invited to that.

The reception is being catered by Kneaders.

My photographer is Jonnie Hartman. Check out her blog. My engagement pictures are supposed to be ready to view online on Friday.

My dress is currently being altered from 12 to a 0....:) pray that it turns out.

John and the men are probably wearing a darker khaki suit with a jade green tie.

Anything else?

summer fun

2011-08-22T20:52:00.001-07:00

A Seattle 4th. Again

2011-07-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

HIIIIIII!!!!!!
SO I went to Seattle for the fourth of July. I was there 2 years ago for THE FOURTH also. It's a pretty great place. I had loads of fun.
Here I am making a sailboat

Here I am seeing the Seattle underground city

Here I am sailing with some sailors in a sailboat. We ran over a kayak with two people in it.

Here I am quenching my severe thirst with a gallon of distilled water.

Here I am with some street art. I love street art. Note the baby.

Here I am with some Dale Chihuly Foundry creations.

Here I am with some parachuting army men, 'cause guess what? I'm going skydiving for my birthday.

Here I am KRUMPIN'

In other news, I painted a mural for the "Extreme Makeoever: Home Edition" house they just built in Daybreak. I did the preliminary sketch, drew the name on the wall and painted the girl. Don't worry, just took ten hours.

In other other news: They asked me to be a lead teacher at my preschool, so currently I am in a 3-5 year-old class with another lead teacher because I must learn their "hways." Come fall I will begin my own classroom of 2 and 3 year-old children. Should be interesting.

If you would like details about the more intimate parts of my life, please do call or email. I'd love to hear from you!

LA again!

2011-06-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

Go East

2011-04-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

My trip East.

Hershey, PA

Chocolate Factory

Electric Factory, Pittsburgh, PA

Downtown Pittsburgh, PA

Atlantic City, NJ

Outlet Mall, Atlantic City, NJ

House my dad lived in, Burlington, NJ

Atlantic City, NJ

Philadelphia, PA

Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA

Awesome Tour Guide, Philadelphia PA

Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA

First Supreme Court, Philadelphia PA

Seeking Ranck Ancestors, Lancaster, PA

Joseph Smith's Home Above N. K. Whitney's Store, Kirtland, OH

Newel K. Whitney's Store, Kirtland, OH

Kirtland Temple, Kirtland, OH

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA

Roberto Capucci Special Exhibition, Philidelphia, PA

Roberto Capucci Special Exhibition, Philadelphia, PA

Carnegie Art Museum, Pittsburgh, PA

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA

Lisa and Chris Rogers (My cuz,) Heinz Chapel, Pittsburgh, PA

Heinz Chapel, Pittsburgh, PA

Heinz Chapel, Pittsburgh, PA

Chris (cousin) and Barbara Rogers (aunt,) Pittsburgh, PA

Jazz vs Suns

2011-03-05T09:24:00.001-08:00

I went to a Jazz vs Suns game a while back and got to be in a suite and eat nachos and sit by the prophet. I felt pretty cool.

So.... You Think You Can Dance?

2011-02-24T20:53:00.001-08:00

I went to the tryouts in Salt Lake. Took my only day off since last August and headed downtown to Capitol Theater.
The folks above are famous in the SYTYCD world.
The folks below soon will be. Note the plane ticket to Vegas in hand... I'm not supposed to be showing those pictures to anyone.... I think.

February 18

2011-01-29T12:06:00.001-08:00

I'd love to see all of your faces at Art Access Gallery on February 18, 2011, anywhere from 6-9 PM.

We BIG EYED WOMEN are having a show opening and the two pieces below will be exhibited.

Art Access website: http://www.accessart.org/gupcoming.html

Big Eyed Women blog: http://bigeyedwomen.blogspot.com/

Two Paintings and a near-death experience

2011-01-03T21:45:00.000-08:00

These are two paintings I'm hoping to put in a show coming up in February.

Guys I almost died a week ago. But I actually didn't really come close.

On my way home from babysitting at my brother's and sister in-law's I was traveling South in the left lane on Legacy Hwy, about to enter I-215. My boot slipped and kinda caught between the gas and brake. I looked down to figure what was going on. When I looked up I was in the gravel of the left shoulder. I freaked out and turned the real to the right, the gravel spun me and I ended up catapulting off the right side of the road at 60 MPH whilst doing a 180 degree turn and flying down a hill. I landed in a marsh. Somehow I hit nothing on the way there. No other cars (which were prevalent,) no mile markers or signs, no rocks, I just landed safely in the mud. I managed to get out of the deep part, but got stuck. My brother came to my rescue. He called a tow truck. I spent 80 of the dollars I had just earned for three days of babysitting. I washed my car and went home. I had gotten really scared. I cried. I was embarrassed too. Who does that? ME.

A Dream Fulfilled

2010-12-10T23:19:00.001-08:00

Guess who this black man is:

Presidency

2010-10-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

8

2010-10-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

1. What's one thing you're really glad happened in the past week?
I spent some quality time with my grandmother, in which we embraced and told each other we love each other and I almost cried.
2. What are you favorite things to wear?
Skinny Jeans and baggy t-shirt.
3. Where do you want to be in 5 years?
Making lots of dough as a creative talent. Married. One or two children. Living in a lovely house in a warm climate.
4. What's your most relaxing pastime?
Painting.
5. Have you read any good books lately that you wish to share?
The Mastery of Love. Okay so i've only read the first few chapters, but it's good so far.
6. What's one of your favorite dinners to make?
Eggplant Parmesan.
7. Where do you wish you were right now (time or place) or why are you happy where you're at?
I wish I was in Europe experiencing art, culture and food, sharing the gospel and learning about people different from me.
8. When are you going to call me next?
Good question. Have I ever called you? In fact, I don't think I ver emailed you back...I'd like to just come visit you.

The beat goes on.

2010-10-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends and associates.

You may be wondering what is going on with me? Well, some of you know the details of my life, but some of you don't. And you still won't. I'm not going to put the details of my life on the internet.
For a more general idea of what is going on with me, read the following.
I'm still a 2 year-olds preschool teacher. I still teach an art class after school once a week. I still live with my parents. I still want to get a masters degree and I still want to live my life out as a creative genius. In other news, the significant other, that I have been dating for the past year+, and I are no longer dating, and no that does not mean we are engaged. But, as I said previously, I am not about to discuss the sensitive inner-workings of my life on the world wide web.
I am also considering a move. Perhaps to Houston, TX.
I am also considering various professional fields, including, but not limited to: Textile Design, Graphic Design, Pediatrics, Custom card-making. One of these things is not like the other...
I have a severe and deep-rooted love for art and creating stuff, but I also think I could be good at something like healing sick children. That idea suddenly sprouted in my head one day and I really haven't thought too much about it since. ???

Now for a spiritual tangent.
I have learned a lot in the past... year or so. Mostly about the world and people in it. It has been a very trying year for me. I have been trying to figure out where my life is going. I feel that it has been remarkably unstable and even out of control. I'm not married, I don't have children, I don't have a career, and I feel like I am ambling along, unsure of any certain path I should take. Getting married, birthing and rearing babies and having a career are undoubtedly goals that I hold in high regard in my life, but I am learning that trusting in the arm of God and not the arm of flesh sometimes means waiting... sometimes means not getting what you want right away.. sometimes means going through a lot to get where you want to be.
I am by no means intending this to sound like a complaint, I don't feel that way at all. I am very grateful for the opportunities God has given me, that He knows I needed to grow in the ways I have. I trust Him now more than I did a year ago. I sense His presence in my life now more than I did a year ago. I feel His wisdom and divine purposes at work in my life more now than I did a year ago. I am grateful for His Son more than I was a year ago.
I trust Him in everything, and I expect that trust to grow exponentially for the rest of my life.

It all hinges on the day-to-day.
It has been a necessity for me to fill my life with good things, and believe me, it matters.
I need to know that I will feel the Spirit consistently in my life, therefore attending my church meetings, institute and the temple on a regular basis have become necessary staples of my regular spiritual diet. There is no replacement also for the power of personal prayer and scripture study. I also read my patriarchal blessing often. I can tell you straight up, without these blessings in my life ALL THE TIME, I would be a mess ALL THE TIME, I would've cracked long ago, particularly prayer and scripture study. How do people live their lives WITHOUT the gospel??? I have no idea.

General Conference.
President Monson's talk on gratitude opened my eyes.
Last night when I got home from work I was exhausted. I laid on my bed with pain in the nerves of my neck and aches littering my muscles. I whined in my head until I started looking around my room at all the crap I have. Then thought about the comfortable temperature of my home and the cold rain outside. How many people in the world are too hot, too cold, don't have dinner to eat and don't have a job to be tired from? I felt so sheepish at that moment and my heart opened. I was humbled and promised the Lord I would feel more gratitude and express it for the ridiculous amount of blessings I have, spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.

These are some of the feelings of my heart in the past little while. Share some of yours too. Wow, I'm turning into a sentimental loony-bin, I'm sounding like MEG!

Believe it or not

2010-09-19T17:46:00.001-07:00

Take a wild guess at who this baby is:

LA

2010-09-04T15:29:00.001-07:00

I went to Los Angeles last week for a few days.

This is the Getty Center. BEAUTIFUL architecture, landscaping, artwork.

I tried Korean food for the first time. Ate lots of kimchi (I have no idea how to spell that.)

This is Beverly Hills. No big deal.

This is Donald Trump's golf course.

This is Wayfarer's Chapel. It's pretty much glass.

SD

2010-07-13T18:37:00.001-07:00

Here are just a few snapshots of San Diego.
It was windy, overcast and 65 degrees most of the time we were there.

The above dolphins are at Sea World

Fishing Boats at Fisherman's Landing (note downtown San Diego in the background.)

A lovely Monarch on Coronado Island.

A lovely sand dollar on Coronado Beach.

Jets flying overhead at Coronado Beach.

An unidentified jelly object at Coronado Beach. Does anyone know what this is?

The folks under an awesome tree on Coronado Island.
Fishing boats and the city.

This is the really weaird DJ they had at my cousin's wedding reception. He played several soothing tunes along the lines of "Baby Got Back," "Hump De Hump" and "Ice Ice Baby."

I loved this gaggle of young men waiting to catch the garter. The one on the left asked me to dance for the last slow song of the night. I felt like I was in high school again, and I might as well have been, as I think he was 18 or 19. I think he had no idea how old I am. The one on the right should be nominated human of the year. Look at that kid. Awesome.

This is my cousin Kristy and her parents and siblings. Beautiful location.

This is my sister Claudia and myself at the wedding.

This is mutant Claudia. Tide pools at Point Loma.

The small version of my family, Point Loma.

Ma and I at "Rockies Yogurt," a frozen yogurt shop my uncle has been going to for six years. Lots of flavors and huge portions for really cheap. My cousin and uncle are in the background.

I Finished the Book of Mormon Again.

2010-06-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

I went to LAGOON for the first time in seven years. or so. It was time.

I've been called as the second counselor in the Relief Society Presidency.

I'm going to San Diego in a couple weeks.

I finished the Book of Mormon again. I think that was at least the 7th time. I haven't kept good count. Do people usually keep count? How many times have you read it?

Insight into my daily life

2010-06-06T20:19:00.001-07:00

So, my job is pretty much the center of my universe these days. It's absurd. My coteacher Tara went to Colorado yesterday for two months, so I may die. In the next to months there may come a point in time where you will never see my fresh face, hear my biting sarcasm or operatic Beyonce singing again. The two year-olds will eat me... they will.
Enough drama. Here are pictures.
I had the art show for my two painting classes last week. I think it went pretty well. Here are a few of my favorite paintings and some pics of the show.

On my sickbed.

2010-04-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

Hello again.
I actually have time to write a blog as I am ill. Bedridden. Well, not quite bedridden. I have some weird virus that the doctor told me the name of but I can't remember. So far it has involved headaches, a fever (and a few hours later a temp of 96.4,) swelling of my throat to 14 times its size, waterfalls (mucusfalls?) of mucus, muffled hearing, and foggyheadedness. Could be worse. You should hear my voice though. I sound really funny. I missed work today, and since the doctor said I'll be contagious for five more days, I'm missing work again tomorrow. Thanks to Spring Break I'll have a paycheck of $4.88 this pay period. Not to mention the $100.00 I dropped on the doc and meds today. OK venting complete.

Last weekend was a fun one, aside from the mounting illness. I don't have a ton of goood pics like usual :), there was just too much fun to be had.

On Friday Russell and I went shopping at the Gateway for a while, I didn't buy anything, surprisingly, and took a couple things back (including my purchase from The Gap the other day [it was too big;)]). wow funky punctuation. Then we went to dinner at Cafe Trio, one of my all-time faves. It was deelish. Then we went to my house and got suckered into watching a PBS Anne Frank show. It was one of those where we'd periodically say "WHY are we watching this?" but keep watching it.
These are the only two pics I have from Trio, I told Russell he looked forlorn in the first one. He didn't agree.
On Saturday we mustered up the courage to take my dad's canoe out. We aimed high and struck low, that is, we originally said we'd go to antelope island for the day and ended up at the Daybreak lake. What's even funnier, now that I think about it, is that I started with hopes of going to Cali over Spring Break, then LV, then St. George, then Antelope Island, then it came to Daybreak. Just me and Russell canoeing along. We packed a lunch and ate it in the canoe. Russell's sister and hubby and child came for a visit too. Then Russell and I managed to make it to the Jordan Parkway with our bikes for a bike ride. It was rather enjoyable, what with the weather and all. Then we went to a BBQ/Jazz party at a friend's. The Jazz lost but the food was great. You'll notice Russell sitting in his stroller sucking on his bahbah of ginger ale. The adorable baby is Russell's nephew, Alexander. In the first pic you'll see one of Russell's many classic "Russell face(s)"

Status: Working Class Citizen

2010-04-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

So.
My life has drastically changed in the last two months.
As you may recall, I got a job at Dancing Moose Montessori in February. They started me off subbing here and there, then offered me part-time hours. Then, about 2 1/2 weeks ago they offered me a full-time position as an assistant teacher (I teach a pre-school class of 2 year-olds 8:30-3:30, then an aftercare class 3:30-5:30.) THEN, today they asked me to be the art teacher... which means I will teach two art classes after school!
As you can imagine, for an art bum like me, this has caused my life to be altered drastically. Gone are the days of laying, sleeping, eating fresh avacado and tomato sandwiches, reading, painting with my windows open, bike rides, pondering for hours and going to the temple whenever I felt like it. I also get sick a lot more. And am utterly exhausted at the end of every day.
It is very nice to feel so useful though.
I DO miss painting.
I am stressed a lot.
Sometimes the kids say things or make weird faces that just crack me to pieces though. Like when little aged 2 Pace tried a salt & vinegar potato chip HA HA! He shuttered uncontrollably and closed his eyes. Then he tried it again. SO funny.
I'm excited to teach art, but still a bit out of my element, as kid art can be a bit different than... artist art. But it should be fun to see what they come up with.
Anyhow, next week is Spring Break for me. I have every day off but Wednesday. So, I should come hang with ya'll. Nikki I could look at your office, Dani I could help you with your show (we'll have it all figured out in a matter of a couple hours;), Missy I'll help you with finals, Steph we'll go snowshoeing or on a bike ride, Debbie I'll sit on your new furniture and watch that wannabe bachelor show. I'm down for anything else. Also, I'd like to know who's leaving the state after April?

a COUPLE pics from Nik's birth date

2010-03-07T22:10:00.001-08:00

Chickn Chicken Brown Cow

2010-02-24T22:38:00.000-08:00

Hello lovely people.

Please direct your attention here:

hayley.labrum.org

Goings-on

2010-02-16T17:12:00.001-08:00

Hi guys!
I miss you all so very much, to start.

And... I got a job... kinda!
Well, I was hired at Dancing Moose Montessori last Thursday. They are trying me out as a substitute first with the potential of becoming an assistant teacher. There are two teachers per classroom, one lead and one assistant. They teach ages 1-10 in about 6 or so classes, I haven't counted. I know I said I'd never teach back in the day... but the tides have turned. I had my first day today. It consisted of me floating around to 5 of the classes throughout the day. I even watched a class out to recess. Children are just so very cute and funny. The older class (which was the recess one) couldn't comprehend how skinny I am. Another little girl in a different class suddenly yelled at me "um, how did you get so tall???" The school also had a Chinese New Year parade that was oh so adorable, I loved it. It was a fun/crazy first day!

Things with Russell are going well. We had a delightful weekend together. We went to our friends' (Drew and Emily) on Friday night and ate Canadian food while watching the Olympic opening ceremonies. Saturday he came over with a dozen red roses in arm and we made a Valentine's breakfast, went to Barnes and Noble and played the new Mario game on the Wii while inhaling countless Pepperidge Farm cookies and giant glasses of milk. We just loved it.

Sunday we had some family parties.

Then on Monday, we, Drew and Emily went to the Park City outlets. I'm still broke of course, but Russell kindly bought me a flannel shirt from American Eagle.

Russell goes delirious around funky shoes.

Emily, Drew, Russell and I, braving the sleet storm in Park City.

Later we cleaned up, and he and I drove downtown and.... guess where we went.... THE ROOF! HOMENA HOMENA HOMENA!!! It was soooo delicious. It was the nicest restaurant I've ever been to.

Ha ha ha, look at Russell's face....

For my appetizers and main dishes I had delicious mushrooms, pasta, potatoes, salmon, shrimp cocktail, mahi mahi with an orange crusted sauce, ham and honey mustard and more. mMMMm

That's my plate AFTER I ate dessert. I tried at least 6 or 7 desserts. They were all sooo delicious. The creme brulee and this other chocolate version of creme brulee were so remarkable. The texture was the most delectable smoothness in the world.
And just so you know HOW full I was, look at my stomach in that pic, I know you might not think it looks very big, but remember, I'm thin as a rail, most times my stomach is concave, yet here we see it very convex, and I was even probably trying to hold it in so the food didn't splinter the walls of my abdomen and burst forth in a never-ending avalanche of delectable ingested and partially digested foods. Truly I emerged from the Joseph Smith Memorial Building impregnated... with a food baby.

The View. It was glorious. Breathtaking.

Russell. My favorite. I was in heaven gorging myself on amazing food, staring at the temple, with him by my side.

I'm also getting very close to finishing this crazy painting I'm working on:

Senior Year.... oF High School

2010-02-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

I thought, for your viewing pleasure, I'd post some old-er pictures.

2004, Graduation at E-Center
Look, I'm at the pinnacle, crazy hair, braces and all.

I painted this "Daniel in the Lion's Den" for my seminary building. Note that "Daniel" has some updated attire...

The usual superstar/right-angled hand pose after graduation:

Senior dinner dance. These are the only two people I still talk to from high school. Seriously.

AND for the heck of it, I thought I'd throw in some really old pictures of me and Russell. This is probably the spring of 2005.

I think Russell's wearing K-Swiss in this picture:

Ah, so young and free, uninhibited by the pains of love or having to make a living...
Russell had to ride the donkey. I don't remember if that was a volunteer choice by him or if it was simply his lot to sit spread-legged on a funnier version of a horse.

Wow, we look sooooo young, my complexion was incredible, pores small, virtually no blemishes, why do we have to grow old!!!! Plus, Russell is wearing my sister's jacket,

Did I Mention My 1959 Cerulean Blue Vintage Bike?

2010-01-17T23:14:00.000-08:00

New Stuff

2010-01-11T13:30:00.001-08:00

I painted these circle things last week. Very enjoyable to paint, I tell you what. I like them, I don't know what their point is yet, other than that I like how they look. They're bigger watercolors than what I normally do. The one above is a full sheet of Mohawk superfine (Dani's probably the only one that knows what that means, and thank you Dani, you gave this paper to me!) Anyway, tell me what you think, if they're boring, lame, display ideas, etc.!

A JAZZy Affair

2010-01-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

Well I did it folks...
I won the first contest of my life.
And guess what it was?
A movie night with 3 JAZZ players, and no, I don't mean musicians, I mean BALLAS!

I was hanging at the hospital with my mom when it glimmered across the television. Mom had been watching the "Bonnie Hunt Show" or whatever, so the station was set to KJAZZ. I heard the words "AVATAR" and "RONNIE BREWER" and I was sold. All I had to do was text "3D" to some random number. I thought to myself at that very moment, "maybe this will be the contest I win, sometimes I have feelings about things like this right before it happens, maybe I'll really win.... NAAAAAAH."

A few weeks later I received a phone call informing me that I, Hayley Labrum had been one of the 50 selected out of 6,100 that entered to see "Avatar" at IMAX 3D at Jordan Commons with Ronnie Brewer, Ronnie Price and Paul Millsap. I was astonished. WHO WINS THIS KIND OF STUFF??? Not me, usually.

Anyway, I promptly informed Russell of our good fortune and the following Tuesday we found ourselves in the midst of 3 relatively famous black men.

Plus, we got free hot dogs, drinks and popcorn.

I couldn't stop smiling.

They signachus

That;s Russell's hat they're signing...
They're not as tall as I thought they'd be. look at Brewer's face, up close...
Stylin' the 3-D glasses...
They couldn't wait to it down to shove the popcorn in their faces...

My sister had a class with Ronnie Price at UVU. Weird.
Millsap kept giving me the eye when I would take pics, for real, maybe he was trying to warn me about Satan...

FOUR new watercolors

2009-11-12T23:30:00.000-08:00

I painted these guys the other day. I miss my blob days (I used to produce quite a few of these biomorphic creations back in my college years.) Everyone always tries to guess what their "supposed" to be. I see circles and colors my friends, I leave it utterly open to interpretation... have at it.

Dirty Projectors

2009-11-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

I saw Dirty Projectors on Saturday-----------------------

Mostly this blog is for someone who will never see it: Megan Duffy, Sister Megan Duffy that is. But, this happens to be a real treat for the rest of you as well.
You see, Dirty Projectors are indeed amazing, and well-worth your blogging time. Not only is their musical knowledge advanced lightyears beyond any Beyonce or Chris Brown (peace to both artists who each have a place in my heart) but they are so ADORABLE!
I had seen them in concert previously on July 3, 2009, my 23rd birthday, in Seattle, Washington at Chop Suey. They blew my socks off, they were phenomenal, so very talented and impressive. What boggles my mind most is that they are doing music that sounds very in line with contemporary indie electronic trends, without synthesizers! Their complex arrangements and layers are all done manually, if I can say that. It's really quite remarkable.

They have a lot of fun on stage and dance around and stuff.
After taking about four pictures with my flash, a member of the band said into her mic "we don't mind pictures, but please turn your flash OFF." No one else had taken any pictures. It was all my fault. I love this guy, he's their frontman, lead vocals, lead guitar, he's awesome.

This is their newest song, "When the world comes to an end." LOVE IT!

Farewell-Girls' Night

2009-10-19T11:35:00.001-07:00

Well girls, this is it, GOODBYE MEG!
She's leaving WEDnesday for the MTC. Nuts. Really nuts.

Look at Dani's floating body:

Tim and Danielle Photo

2009-10-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

Here you go Tim:

My Photography Portfolio

2009-10-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I saw listing for a photoshop/photo editing job for a photography company on Craig'slist. They said they wanted a photography portfolio and a photoshop portfolio, so I spent all afternoon (a few hours) getting this and my resume and cover letter together. I sent the email, and boing, it came right back at me, boomerang action and all. Sent it again, same thing happened. In the morning I went back to Craig'slist and it said that the listing had been flagged for removal, for whatever reason. Which means not only do I not get the job, I wasted several hours of my day yesterday.
So, to get something out of it, I thought I'd at least post the pictures I included in my photography portfolio on my infrequently visited blog. You may notice that a couple of you are in these pictures, I hope that doesn't offend you. As I have mentioned before, the colors and clarity shown here are hardly representative of the actual photgraphs. I'm such a snob.

BOYZ II MEN ABC BBD!

2009-09-19T11:47:00.001-07:00

IF you think you know Boyz II Men, you are dead wrong.

I had been looking forward to this Friday night in September for... oh... about 15 years. Boyz II Men were coming to the Utah State Fair, and by jove, I was not going to miss it. My dreams were shattered at 1:30 PM, the afternoon prior to the event. My dear friend Missy sent me a gloomy text saying that the free tickets that the fair handed out at noon had already been depleted. I was stunned. HOW. How could fate allow such a blast of pain to pierce my body in such a cruel way?

Nonetheless, I carried on. I knew that I had to at least attempt to hear an echo of the sweet New Jack Swing so reminiscent of my childhood and tween years.

We arrived at the fair in high spirits, anticipating foot long hot dogs, funnel cakes, tiny women, giant alligators and guinea pigs. We were met with all but the guinea pigs. I was devastated about that, but that's another story for another time.

The calm, balmy night drew nigh upon 7:30, which to ticketholders meant Boyz II Men time. We allowed our bodies to be reeled to the stadium, like a siren luring us to its rocky shores. As we approached the stadium the sweet soulfilled lyrics of "On Bended Knee" swirled through the atmosphere and suckerpunched my heart. The previously irresistable cinnamon roasted almonds couldn't even compete at that point.

The gang and I (all in all there were about 15 of us) peered through slats in the chain link fence, boosted ourselves onto garbage cans, and gazed jealously upon the lucky ticketholders as they streamed through the heavily guarded gates.

We had almost become content with our situation. Every now and then we could catch a glimpse of the 90's motown champions and the sound wasn't half bad either, but then....

A miracle began. Compassionate strangers had pity on us, and almost one by one, we received tickets, each of us, to enter the throne of R&B mania.

I was psyched. Believe you me, my friend Jason and I jumped up and down screaming like giddy school girls for a good three seconds. It seemed almost too good to be true. But it only got better from there.

Missy, Meg and Hayley. Content with their long distance relationship with Boyz II Men...

Meg staring at a fence... or is she?

Our view from outside the fence...

Meg giving the mean guard her best "I'm just a cute little innocent muffin" face...

Jason pondering ways he could bust a cap for entrance...

AND WE'RE IN!
Boyz II Men were sure lookin like fine MEN in their suits... I knew they'd wear suits and they did not dissapoint!
Freak, they even had several, several synchronized dance moves...
At the end, for an encore, Wanya, the "emotional" one, serenaded us, unbuttoned.Perhaps one of my favorite moments of the concert was during "I'll Make Love To You." All the girls rushed the stage as the delicious I'll Make Love To You chords fired up. I wasn't going to miss out on that action, so I flew toward the stage, hands straight up in the air, waving wildly, screaming at the top of my lungs in a frenzy. My friend Megan and I nudged our way into the throng of wildly obsessed women grasping their fingers at the long-stemmed red roses the Boyz II Men were graciously flinging. We couldn't see over all the arms and big hair, so Megan said to me "Hayley, step on my knee for a boost!!" so, I did. I stepped on her knee for a boost and for one fleeting moment I was on top of the world, THIS close to the BOYZ II MEN!!! Then I hear this "GET DOWN!" and this girl behind me shoves me as hard as she could. I of course, weighing the few pounds I do, was hurled into several other bossy bratty b****y women before I found a chair to seek refuge on. I thought for a moment "I could'v been severely hurt, and that was that girl's intention!" I was horrified. But that chair of refuge soon became my platform of poetic peace and love as Megan and I ourselves reached in desparation for a petal, a thorn, anything from these giants of soul!

Though I failed to recover a rose from this sesspool of unbridled fanaticism, I came away thoroughly satisfied, right after a girl standing on the floor in front of me (while I still stood on the chair) glared up at me and said in a baby-mama accent "STEP OFF!" hands on her hips and errything. I guess that meant "get down off my chair please." I'm still not sure, I don't speak ghetto in its entirety. I tried to upload my video of "I'll Make Love To You" but it was too large.

My heart exploded at various other points in the concert. I LOVED when they sang "End of the Road" and they had the audience sing it... see the following clip.

Oh, AND, they sang Motownphilly. I went NUTS! I was out of control. In heaven. That's why the camera was so shaky and the clip is so short, I had to move my hips.

Their music, it's just... it's real music, it transcends the boundaries of time and opens the hearts of all. As Wanya Morris said last night. It's music "to dance to, sing to, clean your house to, and music to MAKE LOVE TO."

I'm A Sucker For Clouds And Skies

2009-09-17T22:31:00.001-07:00

Well heck, these pictures did not upload nearly as vibrantly and saturated as the actual pictures. I took them earlier tonight. It was a feast for the eyes... Dang Blogger/internet poor quality doesn't do it justice. Just pretend....

ODE TO MEG

2009-09-09T11:54:00.001-07:00

MEG + OQUIRRH MOUNTAIN TEMPLE = HAPPINESS

Well, our dear little Meg is growing older. She has reached the point of maturity enabling her to head out into the world as a servant of the Lord, and, today, she will make promises that will enable her to move forward on the path back to her Heavenly Father. Yay Meg! It's fitting that this picture loaded at this location, right after I talked about serious stuff and Meg's maturity:
None of this on your mission MEG! Lock your heart!!

Its your turn to be in the front seat Meg... finally!!!!!!!
I don't remember her name, but she's important to you...
Darn it all Meg, lock your heart!

You've always been so kind, even when people didn't deserve it....

You can drive like the Dickens too, what does that even mean?

You're the animated one of the bunch...
Very animated one of the bunch....

Well, dear Meg, you are going to be closer to God after today, closer to the ultimate prize. You are a fantastic lady and I'm happy for the choice your making today. There's nothing better than feeling worthy to be in the temple. And to make covenants!!
Love you dear.

Back 2 School Reunion

2009-09-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

The things life is made of

2009-09-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

recent events in my life have caused me to force myself to remember things I like about life. So, I thought I would share them in an attempt to focus on the positive instead of the negative.
this list is by no means all-encompassing in any fashion of any kind whatsoever:

things I like

Sunsets & Clouds.
Patterns and fabrics.
Indie Music.
Shaving my legs and putting on shorts and getting into bed and whipping my legs around under the covers.
Awkward eye contact with really normal looking people. Like people that would be named Bob or Susan.
Looking at art and listening to music at the same time.
Familiarity.
Making people who think they are really cool feel awkward.
Knowing I still have a lot of my life to live.
Hot baths during rainstorms, with Lykke Li as soundtrack.
Concerts.
Beating M. Bison on Street Fighter II.
Buying people clothes, so wear 'em.
Old pen drawings.
Feeling myself be moved by the Spirit.
Contradiction.
Being an artist; as much as I try to bottle it in, I can't.
Curling up in a ball.
Reminiscing.
Doing things my parents would never do.
How funny I am. I love it. I love being funny.
Watching people breakdance.
laying on the grass and staring at the sky, not caring if bugs get in my hair or ears.
Feeling the desire to be a better person.
Ace of Cakes.
Giving people music, so take it.
Eating fruits and vegetables out of my mother's garden.
Listening to my grandmother tell me stories about her days of glory, and how I can learn from her life.
Exploiting the awkwardness of my gangly body by dancing really nuts.
Education.

We Belong To The Light

2009-08-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

We Belong - Pat Benatar

Leprechaun in Alabama

2009-08-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

The Night Before...

2009-08-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

BRIDAL SHOWER

Stephanie's classic disbelief face

Studious Nikki is now a geology major. Or was it geography?

Bridezilla

Cute little Maid of Honor (MoH) Missy

A giant person made of two weirdies

Nikki and I shopped for swimming suits for two hours so we could walk around Becca's apartment complex for twenty minutes looking for the pool and sit in the hot tub for fifteen minutes. Luckily Dani notified us of the swimming pool at Teton Springs, which we took full advantage of the following day prior to the reception. It was fabulous. We even showered there and used their shampoo and conditioner and blowdryer.

Dan's Weddin'

2009-08-24T10:57:00.001-07:00

THE NEWLY WEDS

Nikki thought about reenacting their showmanship...Danielle was a burning bright light of bridalness

Wannabe a Rockstar

2009-08-19T11:00:00.001-07:00

We had a Rock Band (the video game) competition for Family Home Evening. I sang for my band "The Meridian." And guess who won!?!?! That's right dearies, my band. Look at that hard core face. Nothing can break that. Except maybe Steve's face on the far left. HA HA HA!

KARAooooooooKE

2009-08-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

Wednesday nights are karaoke nights at Applebees, your neighborhood grill. I, along with like 19 people from the ward, decided to embark upon this journey.
I, naturally, sang Say My Name by the ever glorious Destiny's Child. I had a couple back up singers to help me out. I rocked the place.

They loved me up in there. The MC even made me write down my personal info so he could get me in a karaoke competition.

2 Aspirations

2009-07-25T11:30:00.001-07:00

I discovered this week that I have two aspirations... I'm thinking for the next ten years or so.

First: Anthropologie Store Designer

And Second: Ace of Cakes Designer and Sculptor

Couldn't you totally see me doing these things? Well I can.

My ward's better than your ward

2009-07-22T11:55:00.001-07:00

So my ward FHE on Monday was at our stake president's house on the upper East side. His house is amazing obviously, and the pool and the view were marvelous. I LOVED it. The sunset was killer. The stake president barbecued steaks, made baked potatoes, salad, watermelon and rolls. Yes I'm bragging.

Birthday Celebrations. MY birthday.

2009-07-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

So, I found out if you go out of town on your birthday, not only do you get to spend your date of birth in a different, interesting place, but when you com back people make more of an effort to see you and celebrate. It was an intentional experience on my part. Not that I was testing everyone's love for me or anything. It goes like this: I haven't had too many memorable birthdays. The only ones I remember are when i was about 8 or 9 and my mom did an Aladdin themed party for me and she told me we could get Silly Sacks from Hardee's but when I came home from school she was making sloppy joes cause it was more affordable. I don't even like sloppy joes. The next birthday I can remember was... two years ago. Russell took me to a hill in Draper overlooking the valley (ON my birthday, that is, July 3rd, for you oblivious folk) and we had a picnic whilst the sun set. Then afterward his friends came up and gave me a birthday cake and sang to me and Russell's friend Danny smashed my face in the cake and we watched fireworks. I remember last year's birthday because I cleaned the conference center with my parents. WOOP WOOP!
So, this year I was determined to have plans for my birthday. So I went to Seattle. We ate at Blue C Sushi then went to a Dirty Projectors concert. The sushi was okay, the concert was FanTAStic.

Nikki, Meg and Ali took me to Red Iguana for a birthday dinner. The food was de-lish and the and the company swanky. I was really glad to see them. We had fun. And saw a lesbian couple on a date.

Christie K Sowby invited me to a get together at her parents house, which she transformed into a birthday party for me. Her mom made enchiladas--soooo good--and a birthday cake for me. Then we watched "Taken." Ha.

Then. lastly, my family got around to celebratin'. My brother Clifton's birthday is on July 3rd also, and my sister Stephanie's birthday is July 1st, so they kindly waited for my return home and we celebrated at Salt Lake Pizza and Pasta. I included a lot of pics of this event. All of my siblings, nieces and nephews and grandparents attended. I love them.

7-11

2009-07-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a glorious day for slurpee lovers. That's right, it was 7-11. The day when mankind can enjoy cool refreshment at no cost.
Try it. Next year.

Seattle

2009-07-08T01:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics to get you started.

I went to Seattle with my good friend Karina to visit another good friend, Deborah, June 30th and got home July 6th.
We had a crazy fun time.
Here we are at the big whale fountain thing, Puget Sound, the Space Needle and inside the Experience Music Project Museum.
More to come!

Father's Day Talk

2009-06-21T22:20:00.000-07:00

Here's the talk I gave today in church:

Hello everyone, I’m Hayley Labrum, I’m 5’ 10 1/2”. I’m the youngest of five children, I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in painting from BYU. I am also a cancer.
Now let’s get down to the nitty gritty.
No better way to do that than to discuss some seemingly useless trivia: The first Father’s Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington in 1910. Mother’s Day had been instituted 2 years prior. A Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd was the primary proponent of the idea, as her father had been a single-parent to her and her five brothers. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge made it a national event to "establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations." (About.com)
It’s interesting...not replete with intrigue or anything, but interesting. I like the idea of how the world seemed to view fatherhood as something to be respected as well as an obligation. I think obligation has a positive connotation in this light.
As I speak today, think about not only your fathers, but your grandfathers, brothers, friends, boyfriends, priesthood leaders, etc., and boys, think of yourselves, and what you will become.

The prophet Brigham Young said to parents at the time:
“We should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do. We should set them an example that we wish them to imitate.”
With that in mind I’m going to talk about my dad now. After all, that’s what Father’s Day talks are for, right? I inherited my dad’s knack for sarcasm and cheesy puns. I’m sarcastic like 75% of the time. It’s helped and hindered me, what can I say. While I do enjoy being remarkably quick-witted, there is another attribute my father possesses that I hope to inherit, and it’s a good one: his willingness to serve his fellow human beings. He may not always enjoy the drudgery of the task at hand, but he sees service as his duty, which in actuality, it is. It is every person’s moral obligation and every priesthood holder’s duty to care for those around us as Christ did.
I also inherited my dad’s conscience. I have a pretty hefty one. In tenth grade I snuck into a movie at Jordan Landing. I’m not even going to tell you what movie it was, cause it was ridiculous. Let’s just say it involved Rob Schnieder. Anyway, I felt awful about it through the entire movie, and through the rest of the night, and into the next day. I believe it was the following Sunday, maybe like two days after I saw the movie, that I went to my dad about it. I told him the story and expressed my deep feelings of regret. He asked me why I did it and we talked through it. In the end I asked him how I should repent. He told me that ideally I should repair any misdeed that I could, as though it hadn’t happened at all. He said I could either pay for a movie and just not view it, or I could go the extra mile and apologize to the manager and pay him for the viewing. Since I’m an overachiever, I decided to speak to the manager. You can imagine his reaction. He was like “what? you’re joking me.” He couldn’t believe someone would actually ask to speak to the manager to apologize for sneaking into a movie. Looking back on it, yeah that’s crazy, but my dad had helped me understand how to repair something that had meant a lot to me at that time. He told me that he was glad that I had felt such remorse, and helped me realize that it was the Holy Ghost I was feeling.
Though I’ve only given you a smattering of what my dad has been to me, I can easily tell you that I would not be the person I am today without him. His presence in times of need and his ability to administer priesthood authority worthily have meant a great deal to me. His example has been paramount in my growth, and my mom’s not too shabby either.
In addition to helping me become a better person, he has helped me want to be the kind of parent he has been for me. After seeing some things that my mom and dad have had to go through as parents, I think that teaching my children principles and watching them overcome adversity and succeed is one of the experiences I look forward to most as a parent.
Feeling gratitude for what our fathers or father-figures have done for us may be hard to fully comprehend until we are actually in that phase of life. As we take parental rolls upon ourselves we will better understand what our parents have offered us, how they have buoyed us up and given us opportunities to succeed.
President Hinckley said:
I am aware that Jesus said that they who had seen Him had seen the Father (see John 14:9). Could not the same be said by many a son who resembles his parent?

Becoming more like our earthly father can prepare us to become more like our Heavenly Father. It is important to know that we are His spiritual children and that we have divinity within us. Boyd K. Packer puts it beautifully:
“...It brings a feeling of self-worth, dignity, self-respect. Then self-pity and depression fade away. We then can yield to the discipline of a loving Father and accept even the very hard lessons of life.
“We may now be young in our progression—juvenile, even infantile, compared with Him. Nevertheless, in the eternities to come, if we are worthy, we may be like unto Him, enter His presence, “see as [we] are seen, and know as [we] are known,” and receive a “fulness.”
“What could inspire one to purity and worthiness more than to possess a spiritual confirmation that we are the children of God? What could inspire a more lofty regard for oneself, or engender more love for mankind?
“This thought does not fill me with arrogance. It fills me with overwhelming humility.”

In high school I had a lot of friends who were making stupid choices with their lives. Naturally I was having a difficult time with it. I didn’t want to follow their lead, but I didn’t want to wind up friendless either. Eventually it got to the point where I had to make a decision. I remember standing in the shower thinking to myself that I was meant for more than all of this high school drama and that I was a daughter of God. I made a choice then and there to live righteously, and because of it I had no friends for a while. They were all off doing things that I didn’t want to participate in. Even my friends from church were struggling. I realize the source of my strength to get through it came from the knowledge of my Heavenly Father and the power of His Son’s atonement.
I have had similar experiences since then, where a conscious decision was necessary to keep myself on the path of righteousness and happiness, which is what I know Heavenly Father wants for me. I have endured heartbreak and pain, and I’m sure there’s more where that came from, but I know Heavenly Father hears my prayers. He knows my thoughts and desires and through faith in his Son power will be given to me to accomplish all things that are expedient unto Him.
President Hinckley said:
“I look to Him as my strength. I pray to Him for wisdom beyond my own. I seek to love Him with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. His wisdom is greater than the wisdom of all men. His power is greater than the power of nature, for He is the Creator Omnipotent. His love is greater than the love of any other, for His love encompasses all of His children, and it is His work and His glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters of all generations.”

I couldn’t agree more with President Hinckley’s testimony of God the Father. I know this because Prayer has been one of the most powerful influences in my life. I have cried unto Heavenly Father in desperation and need and felt His loving comfort. I have come to Him in confusion and depression and felt solace and peace in return. I know that He is aware of me and wants nothing but my sincere and eternal happiness.
The greatest expression of His love for me was the sacrifice of His Son. As it says in John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

It is also by learning about Jesus Christ that we come to know the Father. His entire existence was a testament to the Father. In John 14: 6-7 it says: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

The Father and the Son are one in purpose, all that Christ did was in order to represent and glorify the Father. Christ came to this earth to carry our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness.

Bear Testimony

Resources:
Scriptures
Boyd K. Packer, “The Pattern of Our Parentage,” Ensign, Nov 1984, 66
Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,” Ensign, Mar 1998, 2
"True to the Faith"

Koo Cheetah Rainbow Piece

2009-06-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

AKA my latest watercolor...

I think I liked it better before I added some of the stuff... But I think it's a cool concept... to paint a watercolor that looks like a crazy collage, and believe you me it wasn't easy, it was rather tricky in fact. Danielle can attest to that fact.
This piece is currently at "Jo-Anne" being framed; my grandmother is going to purchase it. You'll never guess how much the framing cost. Just take a stab at it and I'll give the person closest a high five. Not that anyone even reads my blog anymore... but it'll be fun for me anyway.

My Nephy and Niecy

2009-06-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest pic of me and my nephew, Luke. His twin sister, Ella, wasn't awake during this photo, so he was lovin' life. They have a bit of a sibling rivalry.
She woke a bit later and showed off her cute self.

aks me, I teya

2009-06-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

A- Attached or single: SINGLE. I'm the last one standing, besides Missy I guess, but she's still young and thriving. Meg and Hana don't count. They're otherwise engaged.
B- Best Friend: I agree with Missy. I've never felt that I had the quintessential "best friend," but I've had some peeps that have been real good to me. Russell's been a really spectacular friend. Christie's been there for me through some doosies. Jamee's my childhood best. And all ya'll I met at Glenhood and through Glenhood are pretty great too.
C- Cake or Pie: This is the toughest question on the roster. I love all desserts. I mean desserts, not candy. I think pie might be in the lead by the slightest margin. I just love crust so much. Especially my mother's crust. That sounded kind of weird. But there are some cakes on the otherhand that make me want to eat my heart out. You know who you are (note the satirical reference to Danielle's post.)
D- Day of choice: uh... Friday... if I have ronchy plans. If not, Sunday. I feel renewed and spiritualized on Sunday. Note the polarity of my answer.
E- Essential Item: The Pill. If you know what I mean.
F- Favorite Color: This is like asking a mathematician which algebraic expression he prefers. Okay, not it's not. It's much more ridiculous than that. I like ultramarine and yellow ochre quite a bit. A good opaque cerulean is fabulous. OH and i musn't forget burnt sienna. All are great accent colors. I like accent colors. I like vivid, saturated colors in general. I like analogous neutrals as well.
G- Gummi Bears or Gummi Worms: Worms. Red and white ones.
H- Hometown: The big WJ. West Jordan, UT. Yes, it is West of the Jordan River. THE Jordan river. You know, the only river in the world to mimic the River Jordan in Israel that runs North from the Dead Sea to the Sea of Galilee. The Jordan river runs North from the Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake. Or something like that.
I- Indulgence(s): BUYING TONS OF CLOTHES with LITTLE MONEY.
J- January or July: I love JULY. After all, it is my birth month. And the birth month of my state, blessed Utah. And the birth month of our nation, the greatest nation on Earth, the US of A!
K- Kids: 3-4.
L- Life is Incomplete Without: art. More importantly, okay MUCH more importantly, Jesus.
M- Marriage Date: Sep
N- Number of Siblings: 2 bro 2 sis.
O- Oranges or Apples: I'd rather have a fresh pineapple. Or a beer.
P- Phobias or Fears: getting stuck at a job I hate, thereby not being able to live the carazy life I envision for myself.
Q- Quotes: My whole existence has been an output of worthwhile and memorable quotes. I can't simply choose willy-nilly.
R- Reason To Smile: Summertime. And I'm young. And Jesus Loves me.
S- Season: SUMMER. I love Summer soo much. It brings me a great deal of happiness.
T- Tag Three: whatever, I don't even know how to do that and I don't care.
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I make violent punching motions when I run up the stairs really fast to my room. I think Debbie's the only one I've ever told about that.
V- Vegetarian or Meat Eater: I'm pretty VEG. I like Salmon a great deal. A fine, well-prepared steak here and there. I despise poultry. oh, I like hot dogs.
W- Worst Habit: mimicking people, but what's most annoying is that I don't just repeat exactly what they say, I make it sound 425 times more annoying or insolent. I do it ALL the time, it's pretty much the main source of my comedy. Sometimes I wonder if people notice and think A: she's a jerk, B: make you're own jokes lamewad, don't just repeat other people's.
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Strangely enough, I DO have a preference. After my car accident December 07, I had an X-ray of my neck. I hated holding still. Then I had physical therapy where they administered an "ultrasound" at each of my visits. Now, this ultrasound didn't involve any babies, it was in fact a deep heating mechanism which aided in easing the tension and gigantic knots located within my back, shoulders and neck. So, I prefer ultrasounds. Thank you car crash of December, 07, you allowed me to answer the stupidest question on the list with some sort of partiality.
Y- Your Favorite Food: Pretzel Time pretzels with honey mustard. Salmon with homemade mango salsa. Sweet potato french fries with special sauce. Deliciously crafted desserts.
Z- Zodiac: Cancer!!!!

16-hour VEGAS

2009-05-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it was my first time to Vegas since... I don't know, middle school? and I was there for a total of 16 hours, all because of these guys.
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
at House of Blues...

and this girl, dear Meg.

We did some roaming and site-seeing in our scant spare time also. Including viewing the lions at MGM, the gorgeous lobby of the Bellagio (note the Dale Chihuly glass ceiling,) as well as a couple fountain shows. The strip itself was of course... stimulating, to say the least. It was awesome!

Cowgirls and boys

2009-05-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

Riding horses in Driggs, Idaho!
Special thanks to Missy (bottom pic, also note Meg running for Benedryl due to festering/ignored horse allergies.)

I LOVE Gnarls Barkley

2009-05-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

This music video of "Going On" makes me want throw up it is so amazing.

I'm getting a little desparate

2009-05-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for a job online for a while now. There's pretty much just nothing there. At least, not for a Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate with an emphasis in painting, and in UTAH!
In the beginning I was doing mural painting right? I was in the mindset "this isn't quite what I want to do with my life, but it will be good for me to earn some money for my masters degree, it's just temporary." That "temporary-ness" became a quick reality when I lost my job last December. Nobody needed us artists anymore!! I guess people would rather pay for their homes and food than commission custom murals, weird.
So then, earlier this year I started thinking that graphic design would be a good option for me, mostly because those are the only relatively creative jobs they have listed online for UT, and you can make some pretty good money. I discussed this option with my brother, who is a professional freelance web designer. He was very excited and willing to help me along the way, he even gave me a small project to do for a company. It was a logo. I had to duplicate it. It took me nine hours in illustrator. That's not an exaggeration. I'm okay in photoshop, but I had never used illustrator before, and it showed. It probably would've taken my bro 30 minutes. Anyway, it's clear that I don't know much about graphic design and to hope for a decent job with my level of training is crazy talk.
So I've been searching in many other areas, hoping still for some association with the arts in my everyday life... and I've gotten so desparate that I considered joining the NAVY today! THE NAVY! I don't know... they just make its sound so good, everything's taken care of and you're free to travel the world and cultivate your talents... It even says "Creative professionals in the Navy Reserve have the chance to see the world from an exciting new perspective — and the opportunity to gain experience that extends far beyond the moment." http://jobview.monster.com/getjob.aspx?JobID=79189107&pg=1&dv=1&pp=25&indid=42&cy=us&where=State%3aUT&rad=20&rad_units=miles&lid=629&re=95&AVSDM=2009-05-15+00%3a44%3a00&seq=3&fseo=1&isjs=1&re=1000
Doesn't that sound dreamy?? Yeah..... dreamy... I CAN'T! IT'S THE NAVY!!!

I Made A Collage Today

2009-05-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

I really really like it. I think I'm going to make some more here in the near future. I'm toying with the idea of trying to reproduce it as an oil painting.

Sisters Three

2009-05-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

If any of you have ever wondered if I have sisters, let alone what they look like, I have posted pictures on your behalf.

We have Claudia, 27, Hayley, 22, Stephanie 33.

My mom gave us each a pack of analogous-colored towels for Mother's Day, perhaps to inspire us to become mothers.

Behind The Wedding Scenes

2009-05-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

The photos that Meg missed.....

Curios

2009-04-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

My grandparents are amazing. They've lived long, rich, interesting lives. My grandmother loves to travel, and I see this little cabinet of curiosities as a symbol of how she has lived her life. I love all of the little objects she collects and cherishes. As a child my eyes would bulge three inches from my head as I longed to tickle my fingers across the various knickknacks locked safely behind glass. Once she let me play with a tiny gold heart-shaped music box from some Asian country, which i promptly destroyed.

Nikki, The Angel

2009-04-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

For some reason Nikki is the only person I got a picture of last night. It's not like I'm not going to see any of you for three months or anything...

I like the picture though, so here it is.

Photography Collage

2009-04-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

I've always loved juxtaposing varying textures, patterns, colors, etc. I had some fun with this idea through photography today. I love my camera, entertains me for hours.

The Portrait That Almost Took My Life

2009-04-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

It all started with this picture....

My grandmother loved that it fit me and decided that I needed to do a portrait of her in the dress at my age, and then a portrait of me in the dress. So, I started her portrait first, based solely on this picture above and a couple of pics that I had of her face from around the time she was my age.

For composition ideas I turned to Jan Vermeer, a Dutch painter from the 17th century. He is noted for his paintings of women in domestic settings and raking light originating always from the upper left corner, which, in sacred geometry is reserved for heavenly matters (and therefore the bottom left for earthly.)

To assist me with the lighting I took picture of myself in a similar setting. The only problem was that because both of my reference photos were of me, the figure in the portrait began to look rather emaciated...

So, I got my sister to model for me, as her body type is much more normal and reminiscent of my grandmother's...
The Love seat also seemed to compliment the composition better than the chair...

When it came time to paint the face... well, let's just say I almost committed suicide multiple times. I literally painted and repainted the face at least 12 times. These are just a few examples.

As for the dress, I painted that a few hundred times also... here are a few examples...

I started off with a smooth texture, then went nuts with the wrinkles, then scaled it back again.

I'm sick of posting pictures and trying to arrange them correctly, so here's the final product. All-in-all I worked on it over the course of three months, not consistently of course. It was probably my toughest portrait, mostly due to my lack of proper reference material, photos and the like. Let my pain be a lesson to all of you!

If You Are Going To San Francisco

2009-03-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Be sure to wear flowers in your hair...

To celebrate celebrating my never before celebrated spring break (thank you BYU), Jamee and I went to SAN FRANCISCO

Here are some tidbits. Just so we're clear, the bunnies are wild and live on an old naval/air base. So cute! Also, Jamee's parents appear in various pics. The temple is the Oakland temple, completed 1963. The crazy machine with the lady in it and the shrimp are at fisherman's wharf. The greenery is Golden Gate Park. The Pixar stuff is Pixar studios. The Yves Saint Laurent thing is at the de Young Museum of Art. There are a few pics taken in Alameda, where Jamee's parents live. Also, the VW van is where I slept every night, as well as a tour mobile on occasion, which Jamee's parents operate with pride. ENJOY!

Nikki's Birth, Celebrated

2009-03-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, I made the Pocahontas cake.

OH MY GOSH IT'S RED ROBIN!

2009-03-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

Ha ha ha. I'm still reeling with laughter from Saturday's encounter with Red Robin at, Red Robin.

I only discovered Red Robin's presence when Deborah Sorensen suddenly gasped: "Oh my gosh it's Red Robin" in a high-pitched, hurried way, as though Red Robin were Brad Pitt or Hugh Jackman.
Later my laughter resumed at Old Navy. I pointed out a funny dog toy that was a bird at the cash register to Nikki, who replied "reminds me of Red Robin," like he was just one of our buddies from school or something. HA HA HA
I tried to find a picture of the toy online, but this was the best thing I found:

Debbie kept her cool when Red Robin came to our table:

Nikki Couldn't care less what was happening once her birthday ice cream came:

Ha ha, Nikki....

A Candid Nikki Birthday

2009-03-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

What I been Doin

2009-02-24T15:23:00.000-08:00

Here's what I been doin. I've painted lots of t-shirts lately, here's only a couple of my faves. I'm working on a portrait for my grandmother as well. It's not my fave.

You might have seen some of this stuff:

Missy's Belated Birthday Tribute

2009-02-16T00:12:00.001-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY darling Missy. You sure are darling.

The Notorious B.I.G.

2009-01-14T20:34:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. NOTORIOUS B.I.G.

Twelve years after his passing, the new movie entitled "Notorious," chronicling the one and only Notorious B.I.G.'s life, is coming to theaters Friday, January 16, 2009. Due to its R-rating I cannot view the delicious Biggie Smalls biography at this time. Instead, I'm blogging.
I'm bringing the BIG life of Biggie Smalls to the attention of my lil, white female friends. It's the least that I can do in honor of a glorious life lived and ended in the name of NOTORIOUS.

The following is a collection of photos I have carefully gathered since the passing of Biggie on March 4, 1997.

Here Biggie is, doin' what Biggie do bestBiggie, so articulate
Here Biggie can be seen dwelling in the hip-hop heavens with some other Rap giants you may or may not have heard of. 2 Pac for example

Biggie was lux. Ultra lux. Don't mess with Biggie lux.
Jamaican Biggie
Action Figure biggie. As you can see, Biggie get much action. Take that how you will

Biggie speaks the stories of the heart.

Nik's Big Day

2009-01-04T23:25:00.001-08:00

Starting backwards:

Christie K Sowby at the upright piano...
What's this??? Oh, that's right it's the group picture everyone decided to take on my camera without ME!!

Meg gets around...
Ha, look at Dani...ha...
I love Shaylee (sp?) in the background...
Beauty...

Ha! How awkward is that?
Dollface Deb freezin her *&%$ off.
Awesome Christmas Couple at the temple:
Nik's pre-gown ensemble...
Geez, Dani, You're clobbering her! Let her breathe...
Hot
Hotter

Prom Night

2009-01-04T23:12:00.001-08:00

Who Do YOU Think I Look Like?

2009-01-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

As long as I can remember people have told me I look like someone else, famous or no. Once, while I was attending BYU I met a young man who insisted that I was currently in a class with him that I had never heard of. It happens all the time, at the mall, at school and at church.
Upon my transition to the University 16th ward of Salt Lake City I found it common and almost inevitable that each person I met would relate me to a famous person.
For example, Nick Boyer insists that I look exactly like Feist.
Brother Wonderly, of the bishopric, says I look like Liv Tyler.And another girl, who's name escapes me, told me I looked like someone on The Gilmore Girls, like maybe a friend of Rory's of something.
You get the idea.
So now I want to know....
Who do you think I look like?

Guess Who Has DSL!!!

2009-01-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

That's right, ladies and gents.
Hayley Labrum has rejoined the world of the internet middle-class.
Mummy ordered DSL for the new year and since I have a wireless router I now have internet on my laptop once again. No more extended trips to the library or crying when I spent seven hours writing a blog only to have the page time out or disappear altogether.
There's a word for what I feel...
HALELUJAH!

snow. Christmas.

2008-12-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

Christmastimeishere

Isn't it great? Cold?
So I really like Christmas time, I really do. I hate snow, I hate being cold, and I hate driving in nasty weather (witness: accident Dec. 8, 2008.) Those things are completely separate from Christmas, some would argue snow is inseparable, but they are wrong.
Why, you might ask? Because I said so.
I'm always right.
And, I think Christmas is more than all the glam (yes, snow IS beautiful, but If I was swearing woman I would say "snow is a B____." And Christmas is more than all the gifts and the bling bling and the what not.
I'm wishing everyone a Merry Christmas through my blog, 'cause it's the only way you'll take me seriously...actually....I just realized that no one will take this seriously either...but it's like the time when we were all talking about homosexual marriage and I said "but it's such a beautiful thing to find someone you want to be with, marry them, and be with them for the rest of your life, knowing that they'll be with you on everything, sharing in everything, and I can't wait to have that," and we all just sat there quietly for a moment until I burst out laughing and Stephanie said "I was like 'yeah, that is nice..." until you started laughing, then I didn't know if you were serious anymore."
It's like that, see, I'm serious, but I have to laugh at myself because of how cheesy it sounds, and that I'm the least cheesy person I know. I hate cheesiness. But, as my friend Karina once told said, "you taught me that you can make fun of something and still like it at the same time."
What I'm trying to say is,
Merry Christmas My darlings, I love you all dearly.
If you want to know how I feel about Christmas and Jesus, you will have to refer to your video library. Mr. Krueger's Christmas, therein lies the heart of Christmas. Jimmy Stewart breaks my heart as he approaches the baby Jesus. His intensity and love are exactly how I feel. It's real, you know? those kinds of feelings.... and I love it.

Goings-on, if you will

2008-11-10T16:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry Nikki, Missy, Meg, etc., you just were not there (in reference to the above photo)
I have many, many photographs I wish to post.
I am limited on time and patience, so I will see what I can do.
It has been a busy fall my friends, what with the election of the next president of the U.S. of A., Hallowizzeen, trips and the like. My life seems to be spiraling more and more out of control with each passing week. Luckily I have some work for the next couple of weeks, so that should be good.
Look at Dani's stoic gaze, she's probably thinking about an Arby's melt.
You know, fun in a grocery cart.
Sexy lady, right? More like Ghettogeekgirl
Talk about Cuddlycurvaciouscutie
Dani and Deb could pass for twins sometimes. I'm the black sheep, obviously.
Heyo
My Pumpkin
My pumpkin pimped out
aww
awwwww
awwwwwwwwww
look at that nice curve nik got
painting I'm working on
painting I'm working on
painting i'm working
painting I'm not working on. Oh wait, yes i am.
Nik and meg. Faces as window-washing english man tells deaf movie story
luvbugs
ha
satan's palace, aka alpine village halloween party.
Deb and I scared at satan's palace
deb bustin macarana moves like there ain't no tomorrow.
Chicka chicka Wut? truckas!
MOOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!
This is my friend Jamee and me. Mostly for Dani, who always asks who she is. We've known eachother since I was six months and she was five months.
This is me after I voted. That smile is because I voted for the lesser of the two evils knowing all too well he had no chance in H-E-double hockeysticks of winning.

K bye