facebook update

Okay. On Facebook, there are now the following albums:

Harry Potter 5 midnight showing

Washington, D.C. trip

Riggs babysitting.

If you are interested, go and see!

Love,
Lizzy

how I got my grades: part 2

This is another actual assignment that was indeed turned in and received a score of 100%. It was supposed to be an in-depth literary analysis on an AP-approved book read in addition to our classroom reading. I chose to "read" Emma by Jane Austen.

Emma: A Really, Really Good Response

I'm going to be very frank here and say that I was not exactly reading Emma for literary analysis. I was reading Emma because it is fun. I believe in reading for fun, and while the public school system is very much against me on this, I'm trying to find ways to evade its evil clutches. So I read something that was on the precious AP list, but also fun to read, and thus satisfied everyone. Except you, because this response isn't actually an analysis.

Why am I writing this, anyways? Is it to prove I've read the book? Because no offense, but a response is a very poor way to assess that fact. I could quite easily read Spark Notes, come to some conclusion involving the words "social commentary", "Jane Austen", and "Victorian", and call it good. I would be right, and I wouldn't be plagarizing, but I wouldn't have proved that I'd read the book, either. Just that I'm really good at reading Spark Notes.

Because my ethics do not allow me to spend time engaging in anything that is irrefutably pointless, I belive I've given you a good deal more information in this response than any of my wonderful classmates, who, while possessing a great deal of intelligence, are woefully inadequate at individuality. They are, in fact, quite content to be prodded in any which way, like cattle. But I am not a member of the heifer species, and thus, you are smiply going to have to trust me when I say I read Emma. As you would have if I'd written an in-depth literary response that was entirely faked. As, I assure you, are many of the responses you receive. I trust this response was just as thought-provoking as the deepest of those so-called literary analyses you get. I, personally, believe my way of responding to be a good deal more...educational. :)

Note: The way this response started was that I sat down to write it at least five times, but couldn't come up with anything at all to write. So I just starting spouting off, and ended up turning it in. My teacher wrote "50/50 100%" on it in enormous letters, and included a very large and sadly misshapen smiley face.

It was the weirdest day of my life.

Love,
Lizzy

how I got my grades

I have noticed that some of you are under the impression I got my grades by hard work or actual intelligence. I am here to tell you that is not the case, at least for the whole of my senior year. I got my grades mostly by my hair-flip, but I also possess an unusual gift for writing.

Here is actual, original paper I turned in to prove it. And yes, it got me an A.

A is for Alarmingly Astoudingly Amazing

Dear Mrs. Alison Verr Corgan*,

I strongly believe that I deserve an "A" in your fabulous journalism class. I know that I have not actually completed my newspaper reading in...well, ever, but I assure you, I make up for my negligence in this area in my reliability and excellence in many others. My articles have always been thorough and on time. I have spent countless hours running random errands for editors in the journalism lab, indeed, enough to warrant the special title of "J-Lab Minion" (see Jenna). I am the go-to gal for nearly any journalism need, and am forever being assigned more and more stories, and then having them taken away half the time, because I have too many to begin with. I am quite commonly found in the journalism lab at 5 in the afternoon, coming up with original headlines for a wide range of editors, including Jenna Ritz*, Millie Coquette*, Marie Bunboy*, Casey Queen*, Janelle Poosli*, Bo Elizabeth*, and Hilary Salmoner*. I can claim credit for editing work, rewrites, and leads in over twenty stories, have taken at least fifteen photographs, have written headlines for over twenty stories, distributed sixty polls, and sold three ads. I have discovered three exclusive stories and written one cover page story.

In short, I am alarmingly astoundingly amazing, and to give me anything less than an "A" would be blasphemy!

* names have been changed
Note: the role of this paper in the changing of my grade has been exaggerated for the sake of humor. However, it was truly and honestly turned in, and did receive an A.

Love,
Lizzy

red velvet cookie recipe

This cookie recipe is requested by all. So because I'm really, really nice, I'm giving it to all of you. Free of charge :)

Red Velvet Cookies
Ingredients

• 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temp.
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white (granulated) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 3/4 cup sour cream (when I wrote this recipe down, I put "sour scream"...haha)
  
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (whatever floats your boat)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 1-3 cookie sheets (depending on how many you have and how many batches you're doing) with parchment paper.*
2. Melt baking chocolate in the microwave (it takes mine about 90 seconds). Stir until smooth and set aside to cool down a bit.
3. Combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar in the mixer**. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add baking soda and salt, beat on medium until incorporated.
4. Add the egg, beat until smooth (NO lumps!!). Add red food coloring, beat until the batter looks red (about 3o seconds).
5. Scrape the bowl down, add melted baking chocolate and mix well.
6. Scrape the bowl down again, add half the flour (which would be 1 cup). Mix in the sour cream. Then add the rest of the flour.
   
7. Beat it until everything is all nice and mixed up. It will be wet and sticky and heavy.
8. Mix in chocolate chips by hand.
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes, until they rise and are firm. They will not change color because of the food coloring. Be careful not to overbake--they should be very soft when you take them out (they will firm up as they cool). Put them on a rack to cool and then frost them with this...
   

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2.5 cups*** powdered sugar

Mix cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together. If you had to warm them up, stick the mixture in the fridge until cool. Add powdered sugar in half-cup increments. Frost the cooled cookies.

Makes 3 dozen amazing cookies. Both the dough and baked cookies freeze well (but not frosted). Store in the fridge if it is hot, otherwise your frosting will melt. Everyone always loves these, be forewarned you cannot eat "just one", you will end up eating 10.

Notes:
*Do not use wax paper. Whatever anyone says, your cookies will taste waxy.
**Do not eat the butter/sugar/brown sugar mixture. If you eat "just a little bit", you will be like me and eat loads of it, and then you will throw off the ratios of the cookies.
***Sometimes I only use 2 cups of powdered sugar. For some reason it depends on the day. You can stop adding at 2 cups if the frosting tastes good to you and is nice and thick but spreadable...about the consistency of soft butter.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lizzy

fabulous new backpack

Well, yes. I have actually purchased a backpack...my first one since elementary school, actually. I am very excited because this one is adorable and sturdy and had a laptop pocket and a sunglass pocket. I just love buying things, to be honest. I detest actually spending the money, but the buying part is fun. ;)

This is a Dakine Jewel girl's backpack in Windowpane. I got it from EvoGear for $35, which is a remarkable price. Also, they are not making them anymore, so if you want one like this go and buy it now.

EvoGear ought to cut me a check too. Why do people not pay me to blog? They totally should.

Love,
Lizzy

my BYU schedule for Fall 2009

Well, after many late-night laughs, extreme frustration, extensive color-coded and ridiculously researched planning, and threats to at least three department heads, I have a schedule that I am very excited about. And here it is!

Monday

• 8-9:15 am SFL 102 (Intro to Interiors)
  
• 10-10:50 ANTHR 101 (Anthropology)
• 11-11:50 ENGL 150 (Honors University Writing and Rhetoric)
• 3-3:50 FREN 201 (Intermediate French)

Tuesday

• 9-9:50 Rel A 121 (Book of Mormon)
• 1:35-2:30 Dance 190 (Ballet)
• 3-3:50 FREN 201 (Intermediate French)

Wednesday

• 8-9:15 am SFL 102 (Intro to Interiors)
  
• 10-10:50 ANTHR 101 (Anthropology)
• 11-11:50 ENGL 150 (Honors University Writing and Rhetoric)
• 3-3:50 FREN 201 (Intermediate French)

Thursday

• 9-9:50 Rel A 121 (Book of Mormon)
• 11-11:50 PSYCH 101 (Intro to the Psych major)
  
• 1:35-2:30 Dance 190 (Ballet)
• 3-3:50 FREN 201 (Intermediate French)

Friday

• 10-10:50 ANTHR 101 (Anthropology)
• 11-11:50 ENGL 150 (Honors University Writing and Rhetoric)
• 3-3:50 FREN 201 (Intermediate French)

I am super excited. It is remarkable that I actually got in to all the classes that I wanted, it looks well-balanced and fun and the times aren't even bad. Yay!

Love,
Lizzy ;)

my new favorite food

This is my new favorite food. A soft chicken taco Fresco-style from Taco Bell. It costs all of $0.89, tasty, and even good for you. Yes, I am very very excited. You should go and get one now. Also, Taco Bell should cut me a check for advertising them. But they are not paying me to do this, I am serious: I love Taco Bell Fresco Chicken Soft Tacos.

Love,
Lizzy ;)

i crave...

This post is pretty much just for me, because I can. And I suddenly remembered what it was like to feel beautiful. So here's what I'm craving.

Converse One-Star Glitter Shoes from Target. $17.49

Converse One-Star Dance Slip Ons from Target. $7.49

Zebra flats from Target. $12.99

Red Canvas Shoes from Target. $9

UPDATES!!

I'm sorry that it has been forever, all. But I am here now, and letting you know what is going on in my life. :)

Firstly, I went from having ZERO jobs to four. I will describe them in detail as follows:

1. ChaCha. I've had this one for a bit, and I'm still working there. I can work for like half an hour a day and make $100 a month, and it's a pretty good job. I mean, boring as heck, but I can do it whenever I want, wherever, I want, and you can't argue with that!
2. I am officially a BYU art model. This means that I stand/sit/lie in a bikini in front of an art class and be drawn. It is quite challenging, both mentally and physically, because I have to think of dynamic poses that are interesting from every angle and that allow the students to learn from my body. I also have to hold some poses for 20 minutes without moving a muscle, which can be intense and quite painful. It is hilarious to be referred to as "the model" and treated as an object of art, but a pretty fun job. The pay is fair, at $8.20 an hour, and I only have to do about one class (3 hours) a week, so it isn't exhausting. Overall, its a great (and hilarious) little job on the side. Le boyfriend isn't thrilled, but I like it. Plus, I love seeing all the drawings of me. It is weird and kind of awesome.
   
3. I am a Typewell Transcriptionist. Basically I attend class with deaf students and type everything going on in the class in shorthand, which is then transferred to the deaf student's laptop in real time. I am in training for this job until fall semester. The software is very difficult to learn, but I enjoy doing something that stretches me and helps me learn new skills, and the pay is excellent, at $10 an hour during the training and $13 an hour during actual class transcribing, plus an extra paid hour per class transcription for editing.
4. I am an Animal Caretaker in the Widtsoe building. Meaning, I feed lab rats. This job doesn't start until fall semester, so more updates there, but again, the pay is good at $9 an hour and regular raises.

I am so very blessed to have obtained all of these wonderful jobs. All of the jobs are ones I can have all four years of college, too, so I am set. I can modify how many hours I have in each job however I want, I can work on-campus (therefore, close to home), and I am getting to adjust to campus lifestyle before I attend. And, I'm learning a lot about art in the process...sitting (sort of) in in a figure drawing class is a really cool experience.

I am also now attended a singles ward. It is so fun because nearly all of my best friends are in that ward, and there are tons of great activities. We have really, really fun times. :)

Things with le boyfriend are going so great. I am super lucky/blessed. Seriously.

I think that's all for now...more updates to come!

Luuurve,
Lizzy ;)