2011's motto was Be Brave it was something that stayed with me throughout the entire year.

Here's what I did with it:

* I followed promptings to make a major change in my life: apply to grad school. It took a lot of bravery to go back to my Alma Mater and ask for support and help to make that happen. It turned out to be a wonderful experience and exactly what I needed.

* I stopped saying, "well I don't know...IF I get accepted I'll be going back to school..." Instead I started saying, "I'll be going to George Washington University in the fall." 

A specific moment prompted that change of mind and I'll share it briefly here so I don't forget: I was attending Sacrament meeting at my sister's ward in Lehi, Utah. Someone shared a story of their pioneer ancestors and if I remember correctly it was about a family who was stuck in Winter Quarters for some time and were nearly starving to death. A daughter named Maggie was caring for her mother who was ill and could die from starvation if they didn't find food. The mother said her dying wish was that she could taste peaches one last time. Maggie had faith that without a doubt she would find peaches that day for her mother. They had been without food for some time and knew there was nothing in the house, but Maggie had such great faith and prayed so hard that when she went to the attic she found a box of canned peaches. I might have parts of this story wrong, but that's how I remember it. Basically there was a girl named Maggie who had faith enough to produce a miracle. From that moment on I started stating what my future would be instead of approaching it with doubt.

* I thought, "Be Brave," anytime I wanted to text a boy or invite a guy out to something.

* I got accepted to every school I applied to, with heart-wrenching opportunities at each school, but I went with what I felt was the best decision for me and my career.

* I was also brave when I started applying to jobs again. I knew I could only go to GW if I got a full-time job here. So I applied to two and got one! It was a miracle I tell you. And it has been a great blessing. While it doesn't enrich my museum career path that much, it is allowing me to focus on my school work. And the people I work with are really wonderful.

* "Be Brave" got me through my first few weeks of classes and assignments.

* The scariest thing I did this year was present a paper topic idea that I was passionate about and I thought was creative, but it was a DISASTER. Like after I finished my rambling there were crickets chirping in the room. There was some rude feedback, some pity feedback, some direct feedback, and some avoiding glances. It was my worst nightmare come true. I cried myself to sleep over it. And was especially upset because I asked my grandpa to give me a blessing of comfort before the presentation. It was a wonderful blessing and I went into the presentation feeling confident just as the blessing had promised, but that's kind of where the blessing ended and reality took over. It didn't shake my faith though because the blessing really was about helping me feel calm and confident before the presentation. It didn't mention anything about afterwards...so I suppose that was fair game for disaster. But the feedback I got was good and helped me write a better paper. It was just a hit to my ego, that's all. In fact, I really enjoyed writing the paper, learned so much about a topic I am passionate about, and HEL-LO got an A on the paper and an A in the class.

* I also felt very brave and successful when I interviewed 3 museum directors for my Museum Management paper. One was through email. He is the director of the university museum at Northwestern University and chair of a national organization for museum directors. He is very involved in museum policy. The other two were museum directors at BYU. I felt very prepared, audio recorded the interviews and everything, and felt very profession. It was fun! I love museum work and I'm passionate about every aspect of it. I will be the best employee any museum could ever have.

* There are a lot of other things that have required bravery: moving into DC, car issues, money, dealing with relationship issues. And there will be so many more I'm sure.

Now I'm thinking of a new motto for 2012, so I'll be on the lookout for anything that really speaks to me. I hope you all did lots of brave things in 2011 too!

I'm back!

Guys.

All I can say right now is that I survived my first semester of grad school. I enjoyed my two classes and learned SO MUCH. I feel like I am on the right track and am constantly amazed at the blessings that have come into my life in 2011. I'm excited for my two classes for next semester: Museums and Technology and an art history seminar on major art exhibitions in modern American Art. Gonna be AWESOME.

I'm TOTALLY in the Christmas Spirit now. Just downloaded some amazing free Christmas playlists, got candles and hot chocolate to warm me, finished trimming the tree, caught up on Gossip Girl and watched a Christmas movie, now polishing the nails and planning tomorrow's Relief Society lesson.

Got BIG plans for the semester break which includes but is not limited to: getting some art framed/ hung on the walls, trip to NYC to see the 5th Ave windows and do some shopping, mending/dry cleaning my wardrobe, cooking/eating, cleaning/decorating my house, enjoying a simple Christmas with Bremen, working out, and going to New Orleans for work

Guess what. I couldn't get my car to start all day and my friend Matt and I tried everything we could think of and then finally he asked me if I had gas in it...uh....I didn't know, probably not, I haven't driven it much lately, mind has been on complete finals overload, can't explain it. So I put some in and voila. it started. I am ridiculous.

stuff I've been up to lately

Shoes You This Day: Guest Post

I invited my best friend from Kansas City, Lacey, to contribute a Shoes You post.

If any of you have had a past few days like I have, then this may put our little lives in perspective.

Another reason why I love this post is because of all the memories I have with Lacey at the same ice rink!

There aren’t many joys that compare to the simple joys of spending time with loved ones, even if you don’t see eye to eye regularly. Somehow your eyes can align on one rudimentary task or goal: trying not to fall on your behinds or break a leg on the glassy ice of an ice rink. It may resemble a calm lake, but the only semblance it may mirror is, invariably, cement upon contact with ze derriere.

I took my father’s hand as we glided across the recently watered ice with holiday music wafting through the crisp autumn air. Children secured themselves tightly to their parents’ hands or the skid marked up wall for better support.  I could see in my father’s face the look of intense concentration not to lose his footing before I made the mistake of asking him a question that distracted him from his ice skating zone. Wobble, wobble, arms began to jerk--one could slowly see what might happen next, but for once, I was my father’s support. I grabbed his arm tightly and stood solid as a rock until he regained his balance. We lightened the air by laughing at how graceful we must have looked, and began sliding over the ice once more. Sometimes we need a loved one to catch us from falling on the ice and sometimes we need to be the support that does the catching.

Packing for Thanksgiving holiday! Whoops :) my closet could be a Jcrew catalog. Happy Holidays everyone! Watch out for more Shoes Yous during my upcoming travels.

Shoes You This Day: At the Barre

Just visited The Phillips Collection to see the Degas Dancers at the Barre exhibition. Here I am at the barre in first position. Just kidding I didn't get that far in ballet to know the positions.

I've held it in too long

I hope not to offend anyone, but every girl is entitled to her opinion, right? Hopefully if you disagree with me you can just laugh off my intense feelings I am about to share.

5 trends that need to go away:

1) Toms in general. But especially the wedding day Toms extravaganza. There is nothing cute about wearing hospital booties. (I'm still debating if I even want to tarnish my blog by putting this picture on here. A. It is a horrible composition, frumpy, and sloppy. B. It has Toms in it) 

 2) Child-Abuse infant photography. This and so many others are just wrong, wrong, wrong. Have you seen the one of the infant propped up in Grandpa's smelly old cowboy boot? Don't do this to your innocent, darling baby! It's not even cute.

 3) Boot Socks. My feelings aren't QUITE as strong about this, but still. I don't think it's cute. Especially the pics I've seen of tall boots, layered with over the top tall socks (far above the knee, people), with only about 2 inches of your skinny jeans showing, before your mid-thigh peacoat takes over. Why wear jeans? The boot socks shorten the look of your boots and your legs in general. 

4) Weird pregnancy announcements. There are too many examples to share, but this one has been bothering me. All it makes me think of is, she probably shouldn't be wearing that skirt, and on 12.24.11 everything is going to drop out of her.

5) Weird Save the Date announcements that try to be clever but make it hard to see the couple and understand what information they are trying to convey.

Guys. I truly respect if any of you have differing opinions and would be open to hearing about them. Please don't be offended if I don't like these certain things.

Love,

mags

How do you get through your workout?

This is me:
Don't stop till you get to the next minute.
Once I get there:
Don't stop till this song is over
Then don't stop till you reached 2 miles.
Don't stop till you reach 300 calories.
Don't stop till those boys are done getting water.
Don't stop until the commercials are over.
Don't stop till you're done reading this article.
Don't stop till the person next to you stops.
Then start all over.

I think I've tried everything. What do you guys do?

I babysat with Becky over the weekend. Those kids are OBSESSED with The Little Mermaid (still?). I used to be obsessed with it too. I think we watched the movie twice and sang "Under the Sea" 5 million times. But guess what I took away from my weekend?

Ariel had a Georges de la Tour. Who knew? She really was a curator and had a great little gallery, didn't she? 

Thank goodness once Ariel became human she relocated this gem to the Louvre where it currently hangs.

Shoes You This Day: Donuts or Doughnuts?

My friend Caranine had the awesome job of running the gallery at GW. She has curated a few shows and this was her last before she graduates. It was called the Donut Show and was all about donuts. Here's a Shoes You with the curator herself. :)

You know what's awesome about this installation? It's an homage to Sol LeWitt, an American contemporary artist linked to conceptualism and minimalism. He has always been one of my favorites because his work is so recognizable (and all over dc... NGA!, Hirshhorn!, SAAM!, Holocaust! whaa?). He was really into repetition and the process forming the final product. I myself have labored for hours while installing a Sol LeWitt piece at the BYU Museum of Art. I remember painstakingly checking every detail to make sure the correct piece was placed in the absolute perfect spot and everything was done in order. The final product is an innumerable amount of perspectives as the viewer takes in the piece from every angle. 

So, donut artist- I get it. I bet you painstakingly placed every donut in an exact manner Sol LeWitt would have been proud of.

Thanks for bringing back cool memories.

 49 Three-Part Variations on Three Different Kinds of Cubes, 1967-71 

49 enamel-on-steel-box constructions

Shoes You This Day: Happy 1st Anniversary!

Hey friends! Today I'm celebrating the 1st anniversary of Shoes You This Day. The sun is brilliant outside (though a little chilly), I made fabulous pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, and I just checked my oil wearing a frilly skirt and heels- so many Shoes You photo opps. But instead of a Shoes You post, I celebrated the project being 1 year older and wiser by creating a new My Maggie header. Out: the 3 year old photo of me (looking young, a little disheveled, and with a completely different hairstyle). In: an older, wiser, and more glamourous me. You look at so many pics of my feet and shoes, I thought I'd couple it with an updated pic of my face! What do you think? Is it a bit much? It might be a little big so I might take it down few notches in size. But for now, I think if captures the feel of what My Maggie is about.

So in honor of the 1st Shoes You This Day anniversary, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites.

The first Shoes You post here.
My aesthetical favorite here.
Best memories posts here, here, here, and here
Most "DC" post here

I counted 13 cities represented and about 40 friends and family.

Do you have a fav? Please share!

Shoes You This Day: 3 little pumpkins

It's almost the 1st year anniversary of Shoes You This Day. 

I love this project. Look out for a special 1st year anniversary Shoes You a week from today!

If anyone has any ideas, suggestions, or requests to be featured let me know!

I want this project to reflect my life and everyone who is a part of it.

Where Fabulous Lives

These are some of my favorite pictures from my little trip to Hillwood Estates last weekend. The best part is the mixture of old world grandeur with state of the art 1950s kitchens, appliances, home movie theatre, and lawn furniture. This lady was indeed fabulous. Her pink bathroom reminded me of my grandma's in Holliday, Utah.

 

The next best thing? The autographed photo of John and Jackie on the piano.

Thanks Lindsey!

Shoes You This Day: Saturday Adventures

Are you one of my lucky friends who has been featured in "Shoes You?" I love it when my friends get excited about it.

Below are pics from the last two Saturdays. I was the lucky one who got to spend time with two great friends. Yesterday Becs and I strolled along the Potomac together and basked in the gloriosity that is October in Washington. We went to Taste of Georgetown and bought tasting tickets to try dishes from 5 different Georgetown restaurants. It was amazing. And the money went to charity.

And here's Linds and me, hopping stepping stones across the beautiful Japanese Garden at the Hillwood Estate, the mansion and grounds of Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress of the Post cereal empire, and collector of all things fabulous. More pics to come.

That's it guys. That's about all I'm doing in terms of living a balanced life right now. I'm a completely different person during the week. I'm trying to still be me and be happy and find the beautiful in life and reach out to others, but honestly, during the week I am struggling to get by. Every Sunday I am rejuvenated at church and think, "I have to keep this feeling all week. There is so much I need to work on." And then I get sucked back into the rat race and I forget until I go to church again next Sunday. I know what I need to do. I just need to do it. 

patience

I've stopped job searching for the time being because I am in a good place and I know what I'm doing.

BUT

Today I nonchalantly checked my old email account that has all the museum vacancy postings. I found two of my dream jobs IN A ROW right at the top of my email account, begging to be opened..

An Assistant Registrar position at the Met

and

An Associate Registrar position at the Church Museum of History and Art

and it makes me think, "What am I doing?!"

Neither position requires a Master's Degree and I know I'm qualified.

It makes me feel like I'm sitting back and slowly gaining an MA in Museum Studies while positions are getting snatched up left and right.

What I'm doing is worth it, right? Maybe I'll make more money in the long run? Positions like those have a quick turn around, right? I'll enter the work force with more responsibility? Who knows.

This is a time to be patient.

totally copying Cassandra Lavalle but this is exactly how I feel today after staying up so late and waking up so early studying this and this image to prepare for my Paris class tonight. Still have lots to do. The next few weeks are gonna be hard for me with presentations and papers due. I think Renoir would approve of my studying apparel.

Shoes You this Day: On the Potomac

300 LDS YSAs cruised the Potomac on a charming steam boat called the Cherry Blossom.

It was chilly that night and the sights from the river were beautiful, especially the monuments.

You know me, I love any chance to get dressed up, but truth be told, I couldn't wait to get off that boat. I was feeling claustrophobic.

Interested in Sis U?

I've gotten some seriously interested ladies knocking at my door about Sis U. This is your chance to win free tickets! -maggie   The Hot Mommas Project is running a contest for free tickets to their Sis U seminar on October 15th. Here's how to get in on it: Sign up through Thursday September 22 for a chance to win two free tickets to the launch of our Sis U seminar in Washington, D.C. on October 15th—a value of $300. Can't make it to DC? No worries, you'll get our full digital package.   Click here to enter or enter a woman in your life.  Sis U is our proven half-day seminar that combines groundbreaking research with the best practices in women’s leadership education. In a world of promises and fluff, it delivers actual measurable results.  Winners will receive two tickets—one for themselves and a friend. Those who cannot make it to D.C. in October will win the online equivalent of Sis U with the launch of our digital classroom. Winners will be announced on The Hot Mommas Project blog and Twitter account at noon EST on Friday, September 23rd. Enter now, or forward this information to a woman in your life. She’ll thank you. It's a half-day that she'll never forget. Sincerely, Team HMP   P.S. Not a gambler? Click here to buy your tickets to Sis U now.

The Hot Mommas® Project is the confidence 101 for young women and their champions. We're an award-winning venture that pairs the world's largest women's digital case study library of role models with award-winning teaching tools to increase confidence up to 200%.  Contact us to impact women in your life.

Remember how about a week ago I mentioned I wanted to debrief, self-critique, take a deeper look into and share some behind the scenes of the lesson I taught in Relief Society last Sunday, my birthday?


Debrief: I taught the Law of Chastity. I kept the mood light by turning it into a birthday party for myself. A princess party, really. We ate candy, talked about how we are daughters of God--princesses in his eyes. Instead of using the manual I got inspiration from President Uchtdorf's talk "Your Happily Ever After." I took the fairytale theme of his talk, about Once Upon A Times and Happily Ever Afters, and applied that to our princess party theme, the paths of our lives, and the Law of Chastity. We talked about Trials, Opportunities for Greatness, Courage, and Love...all in terms of the Law of Chastity.


Self-Critique: It was a crazy idea. I'm trying to forget it ever happened. I didn't even use the manual I was supposed to, which in my eyes is such a big no-no. I painted myself as being this princessy, pink and purple, sparkly, little girly who can't take a serious topic seriously. I'm embarrassed about that. I didn't teach the principles. I DIDN'T TEACH THE PRINCIPLES. I just fostered a discussion ABOUT the principle. We had investigators there that day, and I didn't even teach them what the Law of Chastity was about (just like I'm not going to do here on this blog either.) It was the perfect opportunity to be a woman and talk about something deep, profound, and important. Instead I feel like I glossed over the surface and tried to have a party instead. I didn't want to look our Relief Society presidency in the eye because I felt like they were so horrified at what I was doing. I truly had this attitude of, well it's my birthday and I'm going to do this MY way. I try to remember this phrase "Don't let the voices of critics paralyze you," from President Uchtdorf, but I know a lot of the girls in my Relief Society and I can only imagine the conversations they had about me and the lesson afterwards.


A Deeper Look: I've gotten nothing but positive feedback. I'm talking GLOWING reports, heartfelt thank yous. Someone I look up to SO MUCH said, "It was...  ...  ...MAGICAL." She couldn't even find the right word for a few seconds. And I was told something that meant a lot to me: that I can be SURE that what I taught made a difference in a lot of people's lives. I'm sure there was a lot of eye rolling and confusion and maybe even disgust, but those people haven't said anything to me at least, and I think I'd like to keep it that way.


Behind the Scenes: I did NOT want to teach this lesson. I've been assigned some hard topics lately and I wanted a break. I deliberately did not sign up to teach that lesson. Plus I knew it would fall on my birthday and I knew I was already going to be performing a musical number at church that day, so I didn't want to overload myself. But, a scheduling conflict surfaced for the day I had originally signed up for, and it only made sense that I switch to teach this lesson. I still tried to get out of it. But basically they wouldn't take no for an answer and I felt incredibly guilty saying flat out no I won't teach it. As soon as that phone conversation was over (I was driving) I pulled over and cried. A lot. I was so mad. Mostly at myself because I felt like I wasn't sticking up for myself. I felt stressed and too busy and not spiritual or confident enough or worthy enough to teach the Law of Chastity. It's a hard principle for me. It wasn't until about 2 am that Sunday morning that an idea finally came to me. I fell asleep and when I woke up I thought, "That was the worst idea ever. You can't do that." But I was out of time, so I continued with the plan. And that's what they got.

Suffering from a Nasty Case of “The Shoulds?”

Dear readers: I want to introduce you to an organization I've gotten to know since I've begun working in the School of Business at The George Washington University:

ABOUT THE HOT MOMMAS PROJECT: Founded in 2002 by Kathy Korman Frey, Harvard Business School MBA and professor of Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership at the George Washington School of Business. The Hot Mommas® Project is "Confidence 101" for young women and their champions. The award-winning social venture pairs the world's largest digital case library of female role models with teaching tools to increase women's confidence up to 200%. Through exposure to online role models and leadership education, the venture's mission is to increase confidence of women and girls across the globe, in turn opening their opportunities. Research for The Hot Mommas Project is housed at the George Washington School of Business, Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence. For more information on The Hot Mommas Project visit: www.hotmommasproject.org.

I stand by this mission 100%. What young woman wouldn't benefit from female mentorship, role models, and an increase in confidence while navigating this world? I can't say enough good things about HMP's masterminds, motivations, and projects.

Thus,

I'd like to spread word about an HMP event called Sis U being held in October.

 

 Ask yourself: Are you suffering from a nasty case of “the shoulds?”

Symptoms include: Habitual doing of what you think you SHOULD do versus what you WANT to do, feeling detached from your job, wondering what happened to that life or career dream, a general angst for doing the dishes...

Sound familiar?

Several, major bodies of research actually focus on the cause and impact of that nasty case of “the shoulds”: Confidence.

The Hot Mommas Project has cracked the code on women’s confidence, and has packaged it up in a half-day seminar. Until now, these teachings were only available inside the classroom of an exclusive, nationally ranked Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership course. Today, The Hot Mommas Project brings you groundbreaking research and the best practices in leadership education. The result:  To help YOU solve, improve, and reach higher; a real world toolkit with the guidance to use it.

WHEN:       Saturday, October 15th, 2011: 10 am to 1 pm

WHERE:     The George Washington University School of Business, CFEE

COST:          $99 with a discount code made exclusively for MY FRIENDS! gwsbdm until September 30^th (30% off original ticket price)

WITH:         Kathy Korman Frey, The Hot Mommas® Project Founder, Harvard MBA, Entrepreneur in Residence and Professor of the award-winning Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership class at The George Washington University School of Business, Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

What You’ll Learn at Sis U:

·         Understand the hard-hitting facts behind the value of women and girls in society. We raise GDPs and company profitability. There's a reason. Here's what we can do to bring it to the forefront.

·         Learn about the "confidence crisis" and how to neutralize it. It's rampant among women and girls, but we're so well educated and awesome, we've been excelling in spite of it.

·         Master the Sisterhood of Success Equation: GRIP, GOAL, GET and see how you can replicate this in your career in any situation ranging from work life balance to salary negotiation to running for office.

·         Experience one of the most addictive mentorship exercises ever, and walk out with "Your 5" - what our research shows is the make-or-break between mediocrity or pursuing your true potential.

·         End strong with a pay it forward plan - because that's how the Sisterhood of Success rolls.

  

Thanks for reading this info! This is truly exciting stuff for women entrepreneurs, those of us who are navigating the work force, and all women who are interested in empowering the upcoming generations. Please let me know if you are interested in attending, and I will come to the seminar with you! Go here to purchase tickets with my special discount code. gwsbdm

I will be adding more info about Sis U over the next few weeks so stay tuned!

Shoes You This Day: Birthday Extravaganza!

I can't say thank you enough to
Caitlin Magidson
Jayci Carlson
Sunni Mumford
Ruth Ostler
Perla Antoniak
my office
and so many others!

Last weekend involved a trip to the Newseum, breakfast at the perfect Gilmore Girls look-alike diner on Capitol Hill, studying in the Library of Congress, watching some cougars football, playing my violin, teaching, partying, eating deliciousness, getting showered with gifts, spending time with great friends, and listening to a message from an apostle! 

Goodness to come

Lots of goodness coming your way soon on mm (my maggie)

here's a sneak peak of what I've been up to lately.

guys. I've been all over the place. Here are some things to look for soon:

*shoes you this day goodness

*birthday extravaganzas

*weekend shenanigans 

*sincere thank yous

*a debriefing, self-criticism, deeper look and behind the scenes of the lesson I taught in Relief Society last Sunday. I have a lot I want to express.

*sharing with you all an exciting opportunity coming up in October and a concept I truly support and want to share with my friends (not General Conference, though all those same things apply there)

*one mortifying experience, followed by a slightly redeeming experience.

feel free to share mm with your friends and family who might want to take a peak at what I share here.

This is the earthquake miracle mirror! This is the antique mirror I bought in Baltimore and it fell off this shelf during the earthquake but miraculously landed on a the pile of pillows right below it. This shelf is on the wall beside my bed. This vignette matches my style perfectly and it is the only little bit of decor I've put together in my room so far. I love bright white walls and fixtures that let the items pop. I love a mixture of antique and modern. I bought the Royal Wedding souvenir from The House That Lars Built and showcased it with a pop of green floral (stationary!) ha ha. Then there's the mirror accompanying my two Eiffel Towers. They are offset by a POP of hot pink and beautiful words to live by, by Kate Spade. The card is contrasted with the beautiful muted colors and graphic punch of the candle Bremen surprised me with on Christmas morning from Notre-Dame. I've always had a thing for images of Mary. She is not only a role model of mine, but the graphic quality is usually stunning. Vignettes are totally my thing. It's because I don't have too many bigger decorative items, so I love to style with the smaller things I have.

School's back in session

I'm studying away today and definitely throwing in some fun stuff throughout the weekend. Last night was Free For All Shakespeare with Ruth!: Julius Caeser. Cougars are regaling the big screen of ESPN and I'll be all over that! Love my cougs! Tonight a birthday party for one of my Favs: Beck Bee. Happy Labor Day weekend! Happy September! Best month of the year. Hold on to it as long as you can.

Shoes You This Day: work stuff

Shoes You This Day: Pro/Con

Guys. So far grad school rocks. Here's the dilemma though. I'm enrolled in two art history courses and I can only take one. So I have to decide between them. Here's my pro/con list.

Histories and Theories of "New Media" Art, 1960s–Present

Pros:

*Taught by a former colleague and curator at the National Portrait Gallery. A sweet and WONDERFUL woman who has always gone out of her way to show interest and support in me and my goals. A mentor, if you will.

*Small class with a diverse mix of students: gender, race, ethnicity, academic programs, career goals

*VERY attractive man in class

*fascinating subject matter that is up to the minute in contemporary art, a lot of which I am familiar with after working at NPG...This stuff is GOING places and is the future. So much opportunity for growth.

*opportunity to meet some renowned contemporary artists

*opportunities to mingle with NPG peeps again.

*If I drop I will throw off the assignments already given

*Seminar will not be taught in its entirety again.

Cons:

* A lot of reading and a paper due every Saturday by 5pm

*Monday night

*Some touchy subject matter that makes me have to take some deep breaths sometimes.

Paris: Capital of the 19th Century

Pros:

*um my favorite subject matter of all time

*taught by curator of photographs at the National Gallery of Art, who is currently preparing an exhibition on this topic

*fits perfectly with my undergrad emphases

*Tuesday night, gets out earlier than the New Media Class

*easier subject matter, for the most part

*I know French and can do research in French

*I can build upon my past studies for papers, class discussions

*No weekly papers but a lot of readings

* Prof went out of her way to add me late to the course

***BFF Lindsey is in the class!

Cons:

*ALL white girls, story of my life...WHY???

*slightly bigger class, crowded

*already had a conflict with another girl over signing up for a subject to lead class discussion- we wanted the same week. She conceded. I feel bad, but at the same time I'm glad I got what I wanted!

*I'd have to drop the New Media class and risk hurting my relationship with the teacher there.

I think what it comes down to, is which would I regret missing out on the most. I know the answer is Paris. A wise friend of mine, many know her as LC, or, you know, Lauren Conrad, once said, "Always Choose Paris." So long story short. As of tonight I've decided I'll take the Paris class. I'll turn in paperwork tomorrow. I hope everything will work out for the best!

(MTV my future lies in your hands)

Shoes You This Day: Museum Studies opening reception

At the Sewell-Belmont Museum. Great new friends. So excited for my studies and career!

update

Fiascos update:

oh did you hear we had an earthquake? My first ever and I was OUTSIDE when it happened. FREAKY.

oh and a hurricane is coming. My first. RUINING all my plans for a girls' beach getaway at my friend's family beach house.

I got my bag back! And for some reason there was a Sports Illustrated magazine stuffed in there. Cool.

My violin never ACTUALLY left the building. Just some sketchy moving around and putting in other places. NOT COOL. String is still broken. Gotta get it fixed SOON!

Got my car back! I hate paying for car maintenance but I always feel good when I know my car is in tiptop shape. The mechanic shared all of his conspiracy theories about how it wasn't actually an earthquake but some CIA/nuclear power plant top secret initiatives.

************************************************************************************

Today was kind of my first day of school! We had orientation today. I feel good about that! CLASSES START ON MONDAY! My life as I know it will change. Not as much free time.

I bought some new shoes! To be featured soon on Shoes You This Day!