Toddlers and Tiaras for Halloween!

By far one of my most favorite Halloween Costumes to execute. How hilarious is this? AND you get to be pretty. Pretty and funny at the same time. I'll take it!

Dress from Deseret Industries for $6, Underskirt and Socks from Pibs Exchange, Homemade Sash, Tiara and Binki from Dollar store...and WAM! I'm a Sexy Baby

ten years later

No words. I just pray. Help them. Bless them. Please help those who haven't already to find peace and comfort.

http://lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/unto-all-the-world/heavenly-father-is-with-us-in-every-season?lang=eng

Oh snap! 5 Appointments to go until surgery

So my Nose surgery for my septum, nasal valve and Sinuses is in.... 11 days 9 hours, 22 minutes. Ya... there's an app for that.

And the biggin in is 13 weeks,5 days, 8 hours...

I have 5 more appointments 3 weeks apart until the big day. December 14th! I am now in stainless steel wires and my orthodontist Brian Graf is making artistic arts bends to get my teeth where they need to be to fit together. Next time i go in and from here on out they'll be making study models of my teeth to observe where my teeth need to go! Here's another photo update!

Side where you can see how far back my jaw is when i chew

Open bite when my jaw is aligned where it is supposed to be. My first orthodontist told me that my bite would eventually close and that chewing gum would help! wack job..

Side profile with my jaw back where I chew

Side profile with my jaw forward...about what i estimate I'll look like after surgery.

Nerves...Freaking out 4 months in advance

In less than a month I will begin my sojourn of the corrective reconstruction of my FACE! I would say i'm being dramatic, but that is quite literally what's happening. And naturally the nerves are starting to sink in. And my poor orthodontist gets the brunt of it. I've already had this unnatural automatic reaction to cry any time someone hits my nose. Not because it hurts but because I have had 3 nasal surgeries! WTF is going to happen when now my whole bottom 3/4ths of my face is eligible for this reaction.

I guess i'm just so terrified that something will screw up and I'll go back to the way I am now. I could care less about the pain or the discomfort. I can take it. I just want it to look good, i want it to be even, and I don't want to get hit in the face a month later and screw the whole thing up! I was climbing into bed the other day and hit MYSELF in the face...oh heaven help me.

It's so hard after the first orthodontist I had to just trust these incredibly qualified specialist with the result of my most complimented feature. oh my gosh i need to calm down. But wouldn't you be worried if your were forking our like 10K and your face?! And it was all in the hands of two men...whom, i don't know! Are they good people?? Do they like me as a person? If I wine too much, will they do the equivalent of spitting in my burger by screwing up my face?!

Dear Dr. Graff, Dear. Dr. Stosich...i love you guys...please do me well.

Update of my face!

I think it's been a year...?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlsBObg-1BQ

I just wanted to take a little moment to celebrate about a year after the fact. Probably the hardest, most relieving and best things I've ever done!

I would have put "Since You've Been Gone" but i thought it was too cliche ;)

Brace for the Plunge

After month and months of stressing i found out that my $30K surgery was...wait for it..APPROVED by the insurance. This means not being in debt for 30 years. This was the biggest stresser about the idea of surgery and braces. But don't worry, the surgical coordinator at Dr. Stosich's office saved the day!

So then after waiting a couple months to hear back from the New Testament project with slowest casting job I've even seen in my life, I go myself some braces!!

The night before the big plunge, I threw a little "Say Goodbye to Alice's ability to eat corn" party. What a hit! People brought all the foods I wouldn't be able to eat for a long time: Apples, candy, caramel, chips and, of course, corn on the cob. A ton of people showed up and there was plenty of corn for everyone.

And then, at 2:45pm I had my appointment. I got in the chair, they sat me back and glued on my cage! It was crazy how quickly i got used to them. I've had braces before so that might account for it. I've said it many times before but if anyone's personality can pull off braces, it's mine. Braces have in NO WAY negatively impacted my life...except that I can't eat drumsticks as easily, but now I just use a spoon. :)

With adjustments every 3 weeks and my amazing orthodontist Brian Graf and I'll be ready for Jaw Surgery in December. Before that, however, it appears that my constricted airways is one of the causes of my screwed up jaw/teeth. I'm guessing that mid August I'll be going in for surgery to make it so I can breathe.

Corn Party!

Let the fun begin. Braces, surgery, and more surgery!!

I'm on the quest to fix my face. Now you might be think, "oh geesh, Alice, you're face is fine, great to stunning even , I'd say." I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, my friends, underneath this polished shell, i have a osteo-dysfunctional interior.

The Jaw...dun nuh nuh nuh...Come along and hear my tale

Somewhere in my development...or perhaps because my mother punched her stomach whilst I resided in her womb (which I'm sure was deserved)...my bottom jaw decided not to grow in sync with its superior, yet still dysfunctional upper jaw. As a result my mouth does not fit together in the form of an open and overbite.

But why now, Alice? Why when you're 23? That's a good question, I'm glad you asked. Because, my avid reader (who most likely looks and acts identical to an invisible person), I was blessed to have orthodontics in small town called Price, Utah with some idiot city-jumping Dentist who decided to try his hand at fixing my jagged teeth. And when I say jagged, i mean jagged. He did well enough but left me unfinished, yet told me I was finished.

But then a miracle happened...my top permanent retainer broke off. I went into Dr. Brian Graf's office for a consultation (to hopefully just get a new retainer)...oh wait.

He informed me that needed Jaw surgery with abt a year of braces...waaa waa...

This must needs be fixed. I'm going to post the rest of the journey in several posts so that it's not a novel

But here is a big fat before picture...me in my ignorance. You can kind of see how my jaw is back a bit...and how i'm sinning by slot machine

I LOVE Easter.

The candy. The colors. The Artistic Food. And most of all, the affirmation that Jesus lives. He lives. He loves. He actively pleads and fights for my salvation. I'm so grateful for the knowledge that Jesus will always be there for me. Spring is the most perfect time for easter. Everything just feels right and lovely. My knowledge of Christ gives me this same happy, sunny disposition; Everything is at rest.

March Madness

I've got the Madness...got my bracket all filled out, my shoes tied tight, i hope i don't get in a fight...(name that movie!) anyways..i do enjoy the madness of march. mostly because it makes it fun for me... I don't really care when i don't have anything on the line but make it a competition and you have yourself a basketball fan! And I just like to say "Jimmuh Jimmuh." I love BYU.

Weekend Movie

How many times do movies have to tell you?? Love conquers all! Well, just in case you forgot...again....Matt Damon exclaims it to you in his adorable and surprisingly hilarious dialogue in "The Adjustment Bureau." And you know, even more surprisingly, I sauntered out of this movie with extreme gratitude. I now know (with confidence, mind you) how to spell the word "Bureau." Matt Damon, if i could only count the things you've taught me.

Unfortunately improved spelling proficiency is the main remnant this film left me with. So the truth is I approached this movie with expectations that it would carry a certain feeling. I was hoping for a big brother, totalitarian hopeful darkness plot twist. The idea of a secret non-human work force that controls the use of free will intrigued me. Especially considering Jason Bourne as the main character I thought to myself, "Hot Digity Dog!" However, I am disappointed to report that Matt Damon, who plays a New York Senate Hopeful David Norris, is, well, normal. Very adorable, but normal. In this case Big Brother is God and not a very menacing one. And no matter how many times men in hats flicked their fingers to magically make things moved, I felt safe and coincidentally that one word easily summed up the film.

I was taken with the chemistry between Damon and Blunt, but as the plot actually started to move I was dissapointed by its normalcy. What?! This is a show about God's Angels in identity denial and I just found myself saying, "Of course that's what's happening...Of course the Angels need a magical Fedora to travel quickly through downtown Manhattan." As soon as there was opposition and suspense everything feel into place and the conflicts in the plot seemed more to be easily overcome side plots.

The idea was there, the casting worked, but the film as a whole skidded along the surface. I did love the unexpected comedy. Blunt and Damon shared some of the most natural and believable romantic exchanges. But once again, too easy! The lack of depth as whole left me feeling sad for "Adjustment Bureau's" unreached potential. Entertaining for sure. Even more, Damon's devoutness to his soulmate leaves women floating from the movie even more distanced from reality than a Jane Austin story. In fact the film can more easily be categorized as a chick flick disguised as a Conspiracy thriller. When you use a cast as talented as Damon and Blunt in this day of extreme film making go big or go home! Leave safe to the Fast and the Furious. Give us something that can go all the way!

St. Patty's Day

A day where we can all join together in releasing our pent up tension by punishing those who are not wearing green.

In fact, i would submit Sir Patrick, who's association with Ireland began as a captured slave, would have been quite surprised to see the evolution of his holiday. More so to say...What the...?

Let's begin:

Shamrock. We look and say "Hey! Lucky Plant! Worn by Leprachans! Lucky Charms...I'm hungry...go to the store...oh i need milk. A Lucky plant indeed. This was St. Patrick's visual aid in teaching the Holy Trinity.

Wearing Green. St. Patrick says, "Well at first it was blue...but ok. Green's cool i guess."

Association with the Irish. St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain. Hmm... ok but he, like, loved Ireland right? Well... close...He was captured by Irish raiders and sold into slavery in Ireland. Who doesn't love that? He loved it so much that he fled...that's right, fled back to his homeland. He then returned to teach the pagan Irish about Christianity.

Leprechauns. A mischievous magical (pagan) man who runs around, pinching people, and hides his treasures away. Adding to wonderful ideals, if ever caught this child-like man must submit to the human and grant three wishes. However, if the leprechaun is ever allowed to escape, bye bye wishes...Correlation? Both Saint Patrick and Leprechauns are easily slavable. That's right, Slavable. able to be made a slave. In truth, these little men have NOTHING to do with dear Patty. They just give little kids something to do. When i was little i did indeed set a trap with fools's gold to catch a Leprechaun. I swear on my life i caught one. I just forgot to look in the other half of my basket trap. A leprechaun also stole my ring when i was little. Dirt bag.

Evolution from celebrating a Christian saint's death day, to one huge stereotypical celebration of the irish, any thing green and social reticule for faux pas choices of clothing color. BAHA!

I love St. Patrick's Day, but it's just kind of sad that St. Patrick, on his own day, would most likely not be tempted to participate in its most common practices. Drinking. Pinching women. Seeking riches by dominineering over those of equal age but questionable height. Hey i'm 5' 6"...I wear green...although i don't drink, i will most likely partake in green food. I will in enjoy St. Patrick's Day. Thanks for living. I'm just feel like sticking up for St. Patrick...Ireland's most popular slave.

FHE Trailer

The Sundance Film Festival

Baseball might have been America's Favorite pass time way back when, but then America realized that baseball isn't nearly as exciting as it was before steroids were invented and talent was alnatual! Let's just say we've wised up. Film, movies, flickers, the big screen! America is driven by the latest movies. Film drives the latest fashion, topics of conversation, and culture. Long story short, everyone loves movies. And these people aren't just the main stream lovers of mindless robotic transforming and superhero film making. These are lovers, touched for the very first time, everytime. This love drives thousands of people to travel across the country and (as I learned from an Austrian man who's voice grew four octaves higher at the thought of meeting "de' Obi Van Ken o' bee") intreats even world travelers to Park City's Sundance Film Festival.

It wasn't long after I rode the shuttle up and down the "Theater Loop" when suddenly I felt if I was running with my people, barefooted and pants-less. This means a great deal because I hate pants. Ideally I would be wearing mocasins, let's just face it, they're in! But ANYWAY, this place was friendlier than happy valley! In the past two days of Sundance I've had the easiest and most stimulating conversation since I've graduated or even before that. I bonded with the bus riders, the volunteers (who so happily gave us directions to where the cute boys from the bus were eating) and countless film enthusiasts. It was my first year at Sundance and by 9:30pm on my first night I was gutting buffalo and smoking peace pipes like a native. Wingapo, Robert Redford. Solid work.

As lovely as it would have been to join the well prepared ticket-holders in the heated tent, my Sundance experience would not have been complete without the connections (which I imagine to be little strips of film) I made with the lesser mortals out in the 25 degree weather, huddling for warmth and forming strategic game plans. Wait-listers are required to arrive approximately 2 hours before show time to receive a waitlist number. However, the die hard fans who value the rush of winning admission and, coincidentally, the affections of parents, arrive at least 3 hours early to stand...and wait...and of course bond...and wait. My first waitlist line was so happy to move from the unofficial waitlist line to the officially roped off indoor waistlist line a Congo-dance style high five trail sporadically emerged. Then the wait began. At two hours to the show we received our bright green Southwest Wait List Number. This was in no way a guarantee that we would be accepted into a premiere, but merely our place in line when we would return a half hour before the show.

Well The Sundance Gods have treated me well of late. My numbers have been 5 and 13 for both world premieres I've attended. For "The Devil's Double" the beautiful volunteers in Sundance blue vests let in 10 (winner). For "Perfect Sense" the lucky number-well my number was the lucky number,but that fell within the 20 wait listers the blue vest beauties allowed in the Eccles Theater.

I love this. I win. I get to spend one more day making friends with complete strangers I'll never see again. Hopefully once again we'll smile as we're insanely running in to the theater to get seats to the next premiere on which only a few people's tingly, symbolically minded, cathartic craving eyes have laid.