Southern Wisdom: A Tribute to Scarlett

Gone with the Wind runs in my blood. My great-grandmother, who remembers seeing the movie in the theater, passed her love of the story on to her children and then to my own mother, who then introduced it to me. Over the years, I have come to this conclusion:

Scarlett O'Hara is my hero.

I find that when I am having issues in my life, I am either quoting her, or trying to think of what she would do in a tight situation. Once again, this week she was my rock.

Now, Vivien Leigh played Scarlett O'Hara to perfection. She showed Scarlett's flaws, but she also exeplified her strengths. Scarlett got what she wanted, when she needed it (and we all know Ashley is NOT what she needed). 

She got attention at the barbeque...especially from Rhett (;

 She danced the night of the fundraiser, even when she was in mourning.

But, most importantly, she was able to save Tara. This week I needed the reminder that no matter how bad life gets, Scarlett was able to save Tara. So, obviously, I should be able to pick up the pieces of my life too.

So, if you aren't already, let's just think of Scarlett. She lost her mother, her father, her livelihood and any kind of social standing she ever had in the war. She was struggling to feed her family, and was practically failing. Nothing was working out for her. BUT! She swears, as God as her witness, she will never go hungry again!

We have to be like Scarlett. Remembering what is most important (even at the bitter end) and working as hard as we can to obtain it. Even if we have to dress up in curtains to get a little bit of help.

Tara is the most important. Home is the most important. You have to be strong and smart and maybe do some things you don't want to do, but overall, you have to have gumption.

And guess what? We have time. We can make mistakes. Scarlett did, when she realized, too late, how crazy in love she was with Rhett. But considering her track record, I don't doubt she gets him back. Just remember...it's all going to be okay. After all, tomorrow is another day!

And so, I am an award winning photographer...

This semester I took an excellent class where I learned how to write, shoot and edit video/film and dabbled a bit in photography. On our last day of class we all brought prints of our three best photos and voted on the best in the class. My first photo of this post won first place and I got a $20 gift card to the BYU Bookstore (hello, Rough Stone Rolling)!

Here are some of my favorite photos I took over the last few weeks

xoxo 

My sister-in-law, Jessie, restored a 1968 Mustang with her dad and I took advantage of the beauty.

Jessie also posed in the boots she wore on her wedding day.

Fun Fact: We drove home from Utah to Florida last summer and stopped in Nashville to buy some authentic boots for all us girls. Seriously, what better place to buy cowgirl boots than Nashville??? It was also Buy 2 Pair, Get 1pair free...so, yeah.

My uncle welds. So I had to capture that.

Clapier Farms, my grandparent's farm. That's a little piece of home found in Uncle Nate's "laboratory."

Nate's motorcycle. Of course it's taken apart. 

An engaged couple we got to photograph in a studio. 

Also in the studio, this sweet baby and her family.

I step outside my apartment one day and Cortney and Julia and their little niece and nephew are all playing. This was a sweet face I could capture. Snot and all.

Last of DC: Insta Edition

As soon as Obama won, everyone and their mother ran to the White House. I was there with my friend Carly and everyone was going crazy!

I took a tour of the white house and it was magical. I loved it!

At Ford's Theatre (looking toward the box where Lincoln was killed) I saw A Christmas Carol. Pretty fancy, I know. 

At the LDS Temple Visitor center I met my cousin!

I also saw my favfavfav service couple from my time at the Jerusalem Center! The CHAPMANS!

My favorite Smithsonian museum...Museum of Art. This is the stellar lightway.

Just seeing a ballet at the Kennedy Center.

One of the last nights some friends and I toured all the major monuments!

BYU Washington Seminar students all iceskating at the National Mall (:

The Capitol Christmas Tree in all of its glory!

Goodbye Washington. It's been real. (Dec. 2012)

My Birthday in The Big Apple (Video!)

I become a photographer...and I amaze everyone

National Botanical Gardens

I got a new dslr camera for my upcoming birthday (Oct. 27...nbd) and now I am automatically a professional photographer. 

My first day with my new companion was spent at the Newseum, a fantastic museum about news reporting and communications in the United States (which I am especially interested in). It had a fantastic view of the Capitol building, a touching section about the fall of the Berlin Wall and my favorite, the section about reporters of 9/11. The Newseum even has the mangled communications antenna from the North World Trade Center. 

A chunk of the Berlin Wall

The beautiful Capitol Building during a rainy fall day

Emma and I with the Canadian flag behind us (naturally) as well as the Capitol Building

9/11 exhibit

Comms Antenna from North Tower

News Headlines from around the U.S.

My second outing included a crisp day around the Nat. Mall, the Native American Museum (for the Day of the Dead Celebration) and the beautiful Botanical Gardens!

Statue in front of Native American Museum

Cooking Presentation

At the Botanical Gardens...

I know... beautiful, right?!

Capitol shots

Yeah...I'm good. (: