2nd Annual Art Therapy party

Sometimes you just need a little therapy, and what better way than to add some art in there.  Let me tell you about my history with art therapy.  Several years back when I lived in Provo, there was a small group of us who would get together and have art therapy parties.  My friend Kira was the inspiration behind the events.  She had all the supplies and we would all go over to her apartment and paint, draw, color, whatever we felt like.  After we were done, we would pass our picture to someone else, and they had to describe what emotions we were feeling while we drew it.  It was of course all for fun and not true, but it started a beautiful activity that would prove to be very popular.  One time, we even tye dyed articles of clothing for art therapy.  I still proudly sport my white spandex pants that I tye dyed.  

So I decided to throw my own art therapy party.  Last year was the first attempt.  It attracted a very small group, but we had a good time.  I still have the canvases hanging on my wall.  This year, I decided to throw another one.  I had very low expectations, but the night proved to be a huge success.  

I decided to paint a picture of a pumpkin for my friend and co-worker Lydia because she calls me pumpkin.  Well, due to not being an artist by nature, it's only natural that I wanted the 2nd opinion of someone who knows what they are doing.  I asked my friend Lauren for her advice.  "Lauren, what do you think of my pumpkin?"  Lauren replies, "Well you  need to add some lines so it looks more real."  I think that's a great idea so proceed to draw lines down the pumpkin.  Proud of my work, I turn to Lauren, "How does this look?"  Lauren's face scrunches with concern, "well your lines are a little harsh. You need to blend more."  "What do you mean 'blend more?'  How do I blend?  I don't know what I'm doing."  Lauren patiently tries to tell me how to blend.  She turns to my other friend Kristi who is sitting right next to and says, "See, like hers.  She's blending."  Kristi, letting this statement immediately go to her head, says, "Yes, like me.  You can always look to me when you need an example of what to do and how to be."  I roll my eyes and finally allow my frustration to surface as I loudly respond, "I don't know how to not be harsh.  Harsh is all I know!"  So, as you can see below, Lydia got her pumpkin canvas, harsh lines and all.

I was pleasantly surprised with how many people showed up, and not only was there a full house, but most people actually wanted to paint!  I anticipated that people would swing by to say hi but not really want to participate in painting.  Boy was I wrong!  I've learned that it's super easy to host a party where people have an activity to do.  They just kinda take care of themselves.

We never got to the point where we traded paintings and talked about feelings, but I still consider the party a success.  The annual art therapy party might have to be renamed to the semi-annual art therapy party!

College throwback night with my besties!

Sometimes life calls for a flashback.  I was talking to my best friend Abby on the phone last week when she suggested we have a college day.  It was music to my ears because it had been a stressful week for me.   We set a date and made it happen.  Abby sent her kids over to her parent's house for the day, and Matt pulled the mattress downstairs in front of the TV.  When I walked into the room, I saw a row of junk food waiting to be devoured.  I had to separate the salts from the sweets.

 We had Swedish fish, animal cookies, hershey's kissed, chocolate twizzlers, sweethearts, twix bars, cheetos, and oreos...the last 2 were direct requests from myself.

Abby, Matt, and I snuggled up just like old times.  I can't tell you how many pictures we have similar to this one form when we were in college.  Abby always had the most comfortable bed!

We started out watching Encino Man because it's a classic!  I fell asleep, as usual.  Then we watched 6 episodes of a TV favorite of ours, Chuck!  Abby wouldn't let me fall asleep this time.  Then we finished the night watching Rat Race, a college favorite.  I fell asleep again.  For those of you who think I can't be lazy, I'll have you know that I watched 9 hours straight of TV/Movies, and only got up to use the restroom!  The only other time I've spent this many hours straight in front of the TV was when I was super addicted to CMT and watched 12 hours straight...not one of my prouder moments, but it is what it is.
As I was with my best friends, I couldn't help but remember all of our fun times and not so fun times growing up.  Abby and I didn't have the most smooth start as friends.  Truth be told, I was scared to death of her growing up.  She was what some would call, a girl with an attitude.  I remember when I was a freshman and she was a sophomore, she rented me for "rent-a-freshman day."  I basically had to do everything she said for a whole day at school.  Her and her friends put me to good use early that morning and made me make breakfast for them.  Joke was on them because I forgot to spray the waffle maker with Pam, and they took away my waffle making privileges.  Then at school, I carried her books to every class.  I was glad when the day was over and I made it out alive.
Then when I was a sophomore and she was a Junior, we both played on the basketball team.  I like to think my mad skills won her over because suddenly she started to be nice to me.  Thus began our friendship.  At the beginning, it started out small.  Most our interaction was on road trips in the back of the bus when she would say words that she knew I didn't know and laugh when I would ask her what they meant.  She, of course, would never tell me, so I resorted to Stephanie, another girl on the team, who would have mercy on me.  It wasn't uncommon for me to be talking with Abby and then say, "Stephanie, what does foreplay mean?"  Stephanie would laugh, tell me the meaning, and then say, "Abby, quit teasing Holly."
Then, as fate would have it, Abby and I went to the same University.  We didn't plan it that way, it just happened.  Abby, Shantell, and I all worked at a telemarketing place called Convergys.  This is where Abby and I would strengthen our friendship.  She taught me how to play phase 10 to make time go by faster.  She taught me what a cat in heat sounds like....haha...that's a day I'll never forget.  We were at work, and I was sitting at my computer, when all the sudden she was making some weird noise and rubbing her butt against my leg.  It was also at this time that I started to see the softer side of Abby.  Behind all that attitude was a girl with an enormous heart.  I jokingly said one day that I was so poor I was going to water down ketchup packets so I could eat tomato soup.  I didn't even have milk for cereal. That same night after work, there was a knock at my apartment door.  When I opened it, no one was there, but there was a carton of milk sitting there with my name written on it.  I knew it was Abby, and I was touched by the small gesture of service.
Abby and I would take small groups of people down to Vegas pretty consistently.  What she loved about that place, I'll never quite understand!  But we had fun walking around the casinos, watching the Bellagio water show, taking pictures at all the chapels of love, etc.  We now try to go to Vegas for birthday trips.
Then came one of the biggest trials Abby would ever go through.  I won't share the specifics, but this experience bonded us more than any other event could have.  I would spend every night with her until things started to get better.  I never realized how much it meant to her until after all was said and done she gave me a picture frame with our picture that had this scripture, "Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands."  Abby moved in with me and met Matt shortly after.  I remember the first night I met Matt, I thought he was cute.  I told Abby that I liked him, but by the end of the night, that crush was over.  Haha.  Good thing because he had his eye on Abby and after many, many months of dating, they got married.  While they were dating, I told Matt he was around too much.  He was there when I went to bed at night and he was already over when I woke up in the morning...everyday!  I loved him for my friend, so for the most part, I didn't mind, but there were some days that I wanted to come out of my room and not have anyone there.  Matt and I had fun with Abby.  She would occasionally take a Lortab for her back, and that's when Matt and I would let the fun begin.  Some people can take pain meds and not be affected too much.  Not Abby.  She got loopy and out of it.  I got to the point that within one second of looking at Abby, I could tell if she was on Lortab or not.  It was the distant look in her eyes.  One time, Matt and I decided to tape record Abby say the random, funny things she was notorious for.  Well, it was going well until she saw the little red light on the recorder.  Next thing we knew, she had ripped the tape out and started pulling the tape apart.  Another time, we told her that her brother was in jail and we had to go bail him out.
It was during this time of Abby living with me that we had the biggest test of our friendship.  The details are foggy but all I remember is that I was supposed to drop her glasses to her at work so she could drive home.  Well, she got off early that night and I hadn't taken her glasses to her yet.  She drove home and we got in a fight over it.  We didn't speak to each other for a couple days, a manifestation of how stubborn we both can be.  Finally, Matt sat us both down and made us talk.  We made up and have been solid ever since.  Thanks Matt.
Abby is one of those friends that cares about me more than I care about myself.  She's the one I call when I'm having a bad day or going through a heart break.  She's the one I know will always be there for me.  Abby also knew how to give me my independence.  Even though we were best friends, she knew how important socializing was to me.  I was known for making "my rounds" every night.  Abby would never get jealous when my social bug would kick in, and I needed to go be around other people.  She knew she was the best friend despite how many new friends I would make.  We now live 2 very different lives.  I am single and living in Salt Lake.  She is  married with 2 kids and living in Nephi.  She knows that anytime I travel I will bring her back a magnet, and every time I visit my family in Nephi, I will also be making a visit to her.  And I know that she will listen to me ramble on about the plethora of different people that come and go in my life, even if she can sense that some of them will be very short term.  The best was when one of her married friends in our home ward asked Abby, "Does Holly always bring groups of strangers over?"  Abby responded, "Yes, that's just Holly."  I love my best friends and I can't wait for the day when I get married, move back to Nephi, and we can finally have our underground tunnel leading to one another's house.

"2011 and I'm in Heaven" comes to an end

Every year deserves to have a theme.  "Looking great in 2008," "Feeling fine in 2009," "Mastering my zen in 2010,"  and "2011 and I'm in heaven."  Although 2011 was a fantastic year, I had zero desire to live the single life for New Year's eve.  We all know the drill as a single person: Spending hours getting ready and making sure you look just right.  Hoping that there will be someone to kiss at New Year's, but then you realize you are in Utah and unless you're dating someone, there will be no new year's kiss.  Party hopping and trying to socialize and meet new people.  It's exhausting!  So this year, I decided to lay low and hang out with my married friends.  I know they love me and accept me even with all my quirks.  Amy was a very gracious host.  She even bought a "kit" so help bring in the new year.   

Amy with her Neon New Year's kit

Aaron and Amy 

Amy and Aaron gave us a tour of their new pad.  Their shower is the master of illusion.  You'd have to see it to know what I'm referring to.

Hailee and I 

Landon and Hailee 

Kristin and myself

Kristin was flying in from California and joined us shortly before midnight.  Aaron took it upon himself to entertain us for the night.  We played Tribond, and naturally, my team won.  Hailee wasn't much of a contributor.  The point of the game is that you get 3 things and you have to come up with the common bond.  Hence, the name "tribond."  Here's an example:  Pie, Earth, and Bread.  What do those 3 things have in common?  They all have crusts.  So, Hailee, Landon, and I are on a team.  The whole time, Hailee was bantering Landon that he wasn't getting much right, but the whole time, Hailee wasn't even attempting to answering.  One round she was feeling brave.  The opposing team was reading the clues one at a time.  Opposing team, "White."  Hailee, "Christmas."  Opposing team continues, "Apple Cider."  Hailee shouts louder, "Christmas!"  Opposing team gives third clue, "Balsamic."  Hailee shouts even more confidently, "Christmas in Italy!!"  I decide to bail her out at this point, "they're all vinegars."  Nice try Hailee!  LOL

My cheeseball

The boys threw out all sorts of tricks to entertain us.  Aaron showed us how to spin a pillow on one finger.  Landon did a toe touch.  He was so quick and amazing that my camera couldn't even catch a picture without being blurry.

The highlight of the night is when Aaron taught how important jaw position is in athletic ability.  Apparenlty, having your jaw positioned in a certain way can increase athleticism.   I was skeptical at first, so like any true skeptic would, I had him prove it to me.  Amy was our first subject.  Holding a pencil between your teeth gets the jaw in just the right position.  

Hailee showed us how far she could, or couldn't stretch, without the pencil

 And....with the pencil.  Look how much closer she is to actually being able to touch her toes.

Now it was my turn.  I was a good sport, even though I knew it was a bunch of hocus pocus.

It was the stretching that truly converted me.  I did it without the pencil.  Got all smug and put the pencil in my mouth while thinking, "yeah, this isn't going to do much at all."  I reached for my toes and went a good 3 inches farther.....this picture doesn't do justice to how truly flexible I became.  Mid stretch, I gasped in unbelief and my eyes got wide.  It worked!  I was ready to tell the world.  I went to work the next day and showed my co workers, who also pretended to be non-believers themselves, until I saw them showing their teams.

We also played some game where you have to build stuff with legos and have your team guess what it is.  Can you tell this is a shoe??  Yeah, neither could my team. 

It came time for the countdown.  Amy and Aaron didn't have a TV, so we tried to find the countdown on the internet.  Every person traded off trying to find a site that would show time square live.  Hailee and I were sitting there and she was making it known that she wanted to see it live.  I have gotten into a habit of taking things people say and trying to throw it back at them in a trash talking kind of way.  Well, it's gotten me into trouble a couple times.  I won't include the inappropriate thing I accidentally said to one of my co-workers, but this next story will give you an idea.  Hailee said, "It's not New Year's unless we see the ball drop."  My immediate response, "I'll drop your....."  I stopped mid sentence as I realized what I was about to say.  Hailee and I busted up laughing for about 10 minutes while everyone just looked at us.  Well, we never saw the ball drop.  Sorry Hailee.  This was the best we could find.  It was super exciting.

Thus ended my low key New Year's Eve, and I must add, it was a good one!!  Love all my married peeps!  2012 needs a theme, and I'm open to suggestions.