July was busy, busy, busy! I
opened and
closed 1776, celebrated two holidays, attended quite a few plays, and still had time to spare for friends and family.
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In case you have ever wondered what it looks like when I brush my hair.
This is what I imagine J.K. Rowling means when she talks about Hermione's "bushy, brown hair." |
Independence Day
The celebration of America coincides with my grandmother's birthday, and we had extended family over to my parents' house for a party. I think my favorite part was having a lot of little kids and a few teenagers running around. Our family is growing and it's wonderful. I love hanging out with these people.
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Gram says she doesn't feel "a day over 93." ;)
I hope, if I live that long, that I'm as sassy and spry as she! |
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| My family knows how to cook and eat |
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| For years to come, my 1776 show shirt will likely be my go-to for 4th of July festivities |
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| My dad is adorable |
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Cookies by Mom.
I have yet to find a better sugar cookie. |
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| Mom's eyes are closed, as usual. I'm starting to think that she does it on purpose to keep from posting photos of her. |
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| Propelling a bottle in the air with water and air pressure -- entertaining for hours! |
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| Cousins make the best friends |
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Credit for this photo goes to my niece Zonks.
She delights in photography and has a pretty good eye! |
Show-going
I found some time to support a lot of my friends in their shows this summer. It's a daunting feat, especially since 1) my own show ate up so much time, and 2) a lot of the runs overlapped.
The Little Mermaid - Hale Centre Theatre
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Ursala and the eels were my favorite. The roller-skating was just so cool!
Shout-out to Jeremy on the left who remembers me even though it's been 5 years! |
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| Ames was brilliant as Chef Louis. He was definitely a show highlight! |
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Taylorsville
Every time I go to see Joseph I think, "Ugh, Joseph again?" But this production surprised and delighted me. I loved the modern costumes and characters, Larissa's choreography and that of her assistants was awesome and well-executed (particularly the Pharoah's "Uptown Funk"-inspired number), and there were a lot of just plain fun moments. I missed most of "Go, Go, Go Joseph" because I could not take my eyes off the Baker eating her cupcake in despair (she was sentenced to death, after all). I'm a little sad that I went closing night, because it meant I couldn't tell the wide world they needed to go.
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| Jamie and the cupcake - hilarious! |
Beauty and the Beast in Herriman
I've never really cared to play a role in this play, but after this production, I really want to! It was visually gorgeous -- Herriman spared no expense -- and I loved a lot of the characters, particularly Gaston, the Silly Girls, and the enchanted objects in the castle. The Beast was hindered by his bulky costume, but his acting was darling and sincere nevertheless. I'm glad that I could support Theresa in her biggest role yet -- Silly Girl #1. She keeps growing in confidence and skill, and she's so fun to watch!
Dad's birthday
My dad is adorable. He and I went out to eat earlier in the month to celebrate one-on-one, and it was great to see him in his element as patriarch of the family. I get much of my work ethic and sense of humor from him. I'm grateful his is my dad and I'm excited to see what adventures he creates for himself and the rest of us this year.
Changes at work
We're implementing a new method of tracking and releasing our software this year. This month, my development team started the new program. It means we have a LOT more meetings (and the meetings we had already have been significantly shortened). While getting used to all the team time, I doodled just a little. Change is hard, but I think it will be worth it. I'm already seeing pluses with the way we work together - hooray!
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| Martha Jefferson and Abigail Adams |
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| Captain America and River Song |
I enjoyed this movie so much that I saw it twice! It had a different vibe from the other Marvel movies, and was silly, and funny, and fun. The first time I saw it, I went on a Tuesday and got a recliner seat for only $5. I decided my mom needed to see it, so Aaron and I took her a week later, and they liked it, too (though, having missed the last couple of films, Mom didn't know who Falcon was).
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| Can you see my feel propped up at the bottom of this photo? Obviously I didn't want to use a flash :P |
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| A few days later, a couple told me they hadn't caught up on the Marvel movies, so I sketched them out, in order, from memory. Because I am that nerdy and awesome. |
Random merriment
While at
Ant-Man, my mom mentioned that she'd seen something about the Share a Coke campaign, but had never actually seen names. She'd only seen things like "Superstar", "Mom", and the like. The next day I found some displays at my local grocery store and a lot of our family member's names were there. I enjoyed putting together this
Brady Bunch-inspired collage, and putting myself as Alice :D
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My Instagram caption:
"Pretty excited to #shareacoke with my parents and siblings. Too bad they spelled Dad's, Lindsey's, Aaron's, and Jordyn's names wrong :P Sorry, guys!"
(FYI, Dad is "Reginald", and Aaron is "Edward.") |
While viewing the photos taken during
1776, I found the one on the bottom right. I proceeded to post this picture with the following caption:
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| "I see this face in photos and always wonder, "When the heck do I do THAT?!" I've finally figured it out: This is my "I'm singing and acting and my character is having a great time" face. Consequently, I'll only be playing sad people or non-singing roles from now on." #whytheface #scrunchednose |
Looking at my plethora of books and bookshelves, I pulled a bunch that I'd like to read ASAP (you know, 'cause I have so much free time). It's an impressive stack, especially when you take in to account that most of them are part of series and I only included a few books, and that I have at least 15 more on my Kindle.
I was stuck for a while on how to choose, and then the decision was made for me when Harry Potter's birthday came up on the 31st. I'd wanted to read the actual novels instead of listening to them on tape as I do every year, but after the first I devolved onto the tapes so I could start Laura Ingalls Wilder's
Little House books, too.
And now it's August. Looks like I'll get a little bit of a breather schedule-wise, so I hope I make the most of it and spend boatloads of time with the people I like best. I have the most terrific family and friends in the world. I'd also like to spend some time outside, and see some more plays, and go to the Shakespeare Festival. And if another show opportunity comes up for me, I won't slap it away. Just want to enjoy summer as much as I can before autumn comes and my allergies ruin everything!
