the end of one, the start of another

as the semester begins to come to a close, i am busy studying and outlining final essays, making sure i don't have any outstanding assignements that i might have overlooked and forgotten to turn in. i am looking forward to a break over the christmas holiday - a break however that will be filled with work. i will most likely be working more hours at nordstrom, as this is the bussiest time of year.

today was extremely busy, i helped one woman go through the whole store and find the gifts for all those on her list, i gift wrapped all her packages and then i took them all out to her car for her - which by the way i wish i had put my coat on before exiting the building in my less than warm blouse...it was quite cold in the green garage this afternoon.

i have 3 finals left, so i hope those go well! good luck to all art and non art students on their finals!

also, props to the studio majors, i have seen the work displayed in the light well as well as the cora stafford and the work is very impressive!!!

merry end of the semester!

only one week after this and then i am one more semester closer to graduating! i have one of my final papers completed - that was on Camera Lucida by Roland Barthes, i have one paper to write on the social history of Diego Rivera, i have a special project to finish, one history unit and 4 exams - then i am finished! i am so excited for christmas this year, it is the first year i am gainfully employed with an employer who acctually pays above minimum (and i mean minimum) wage! so i can afford to buy thoughtful, lovely gifts for my loved ones. i have all of my christmas shopping selected - and on hold at nordstrom ( my place of employment) because wednesday is an employee shop day which means 30% off!!!!! which helps a great deal - and what a coincidence that nordstrom scheduled an employee shop day on the same day as pay day?!? hmmm....

i love the cooler weather, it is lovely, i just hope it lasts! i have been eagerly waiting for it to arrive. all of my house is decorated, even the outside - i am pleased with the result this year - it looks awesom.

well back to the social history of Rivera!

first day on the floor

yesterday was my first official day on the floor at nordstrom. i made a slot of sales, i thought that my total net sales was at around $700 or $800, but when i looked it up on the computer before i punched out for the night it was at $1,390. so that was a nice surprise, especially since we work on commission! so that was a happy saturday! i have a lot of course work to get done today, i have 2 papers in history oh photography as well as the rest of my honors contract that i am doing for that class. i have a paper i need to start working on for latin american topics - it is on diego rivera and the social aspects of his life that attributed themselves to his art. then i also have a paper i need to work on for survey, but before i can do that i have to go to the kimball. then i have 3 more units of history homework i should get done...i have to work tomorrow after class, but then i have the rest of the week off until black friday. oh, the hustled pass of my life!

me in 'real life'

this semester is almost over and i can't believe it! i have had a busy weekend, going to dallas, going to highland village, i went to dinner tonight and then i went to see 'dan in real life' it was such an amazing film - the best i have seen all year. steve carrell was so awesome in his delivery and the supporting cast (diane weist, john mahoney, juliette binoche) were stellar. it is a must see, i higly suggest this film to everyone!!!

on friday i went to the first session of the 'medieval art symposium' it was pretty interesting, however, the session i went to was all english majors, not art history, so their papers didn't cover visual culture - only the geographic side of medieval studies. so, interesting, but not my area of study.

this week is going to be busy, i just got a new job and i have training tuesday, wednesday, and thursday - i have an exam on friday, a project due in history of photography, and a project i am working on for the president's council dinner that is on saturday. but the prize at the end of the road is thanksgiving - i am not a 'big eater' but i am looking forward to the holiday, family time, rest, and macy's parade! who doesn't love the parade?
this is me in real life.

home stretch

i cannot believe that the semester is almost over. it is now november and there are only a few weeks until finals - that is simply hard for me to grasp. i believe that i only have one paper left in each of my courses, one exam and two finals, so that is nice that the work load i have is almost complete. i am currently going through the interview process for a new job and i am really looking forward to that opportunity. i need to sit down and work on some of my internship applications this week, because due dates are coming up before you know it. there are now only 51 days until christmas...wow that is even harder to believe.

well, the home stretch is being made.

autumnal state of being

today was beautiful, cool, crisp, perfect!
that's all

order of the weekend

this weekend has been busy but good. yesterday i went to campus for the theater department's costume sale - i picked up a gold column dress that i can utilize for something for my halloween costume, then went grocery shopping, made dinner and went to a play - "a shayna maidel", which was quite good. today, i got up early and did some house cleaning, planned the decorations for the halloween party i'm throwing, did homework, and then i went down to addison for an event that UNT was involved in with the texas muslim women's association, it was for UNT to receive a scholarship endowment for graduate studies in islamic art history - which is a great advancement for UNT. i don't know that much about muslim culture, but it was really interesting to be apart of what went on. when i got home i finished making out my class schedule for spring and registered as of about 51 minutes ago. i think that next semester will be rewarding but challenging. 17 hours isn't too many, but it is enough to keep me busy, that along with being a member of the art staff for the north texas review and possibly taking on a part time job - keeping busy is always good!

the fall

today was so beautiful - the rainy morning and the cooler temperatures, so lovely. i love the fall, it is so marvelous, there is nothing better than a crisp fall day. midterms are fast approaching and i have a lot of work to do this week and not enough time to do it in, but i will get by. i am still trying to decide on which persona i am going to inhabit on the 31st - halloween is one of my favorite holidays and i am trying to figure out who i want to be. . .who knows, i will have to throw something together last minute no doubt with how busy i am right now. i love being busy though.

submit

i am now a proud member of the north texas review : a journal of art and literature and i think it is going to be a great experience! we are looking for submissions in the categories of art, fiction, non-fiction, poetry and other forms of creative writing (i.e. song lyrics, plays, screenplays ect.) there is a limit of 5 submissions per person and a 15 page limit on written entries. there will be more information on the ntr website soon.
if you have any questions email me or leave a message on my blog.
efj0004@unt.edu

reign rain

this weekend was a nice break from classes - i feel refreshed and ready for the upcoming week. it was so nice to get a little rain over the weekend, i love the rain - it fills me with so many nostalgic emotions and wonderful memories from my childhood. memories of sitting in my living room, the rain pouring down, reading a book and having a cup of tea. it is the memory of moments like that, that are worth holding on to.

this week i have a lot of work to do, but i really don't mind - i am enjoying my classes and all the other work i am doing right now. there is a great deal of satisfaction i feel when i push myself to accomplish everything i set out to do. i try not to listen to people when they tell me it isn't possible, or there isn't enough time. i think anyone can accomplish whatever they wish if they wish for it hard enough and do the work to make it happen! there are no limits, just edges.

mellow

tomorrow i have my first exam for the semester, i am not worried about the exam however - i think it will go smoothly. i cannot believe how rapidly the semester is progressing, it is flying passed me so quickly i feel like i going a hundred mile an hour. even though i am busy, i am enjoying every moment of my life right now. it goes to prove all you need to be happy is to be surrounded by great people, and keep busy - the rest is irrelevant and superfluous to happiness. my advice to anyone feeling overwhelmed with things in their life right now is simply to step back, take a deep breath and evaluate what is really important to you, and what isn't move it down on your to do list.

london calling

tonight i am taking some much needed rest from work. today has been very busy, i just got a new car (my first new car!) and i had to go purchase a parking permit. first i went to the bookstore, and was informed that they no longer sell them there, so i had to go over to campus police and buy one there. after that i had a meeting with one of my professors to discuss the work i am doing for my honors contract. the meeting went really well, i am extremely excited about the project. following my meeting a had some time to kill before going to my 3:30 class, so i got some reading done and filled out my application for the london study abroad trip that is taking place over the summer. the trip is sponsored by COVAD and is led by dr. way and dr. stark. i think this trip would be a great experience for me would also allow me to receive 6 advanced credits towards my degree. after going to class, i ran by the super market and then came home and made dinner, did the dishes, got some homework done, did some yoga, and now i am sitting reading and relaxing. it is the calm i have been waiting for all day.

night on the town

today was so enjoyable. for starters i was up until 5:30 this morning and as such i slept until 11:45am. i got a little house work done, and then i went down to the amon carter museum and saw the frank gohlke exhibit that they have on display. i thought his work was quite interesting and the exhibition was huge, i think there were probably around 60-70 pieces in the show as a whole. after that i went to dinner with some friends and family - which was nice as i don't get a chance to do that very often, and then i went to a classical concert at TCU. it was a piano trio and i greatly enjoyed the opportunity to hear them play. so today was lovely. tomorrow is going to be busy, i have two classes, i have to work on a project for a class, i have errands to run, and i'm sure there will be other little surprises that will pop up as the day progresses.

no class

so i was wrong, i didn't have class today - they were both canceled. i did, however get another paper back. i got an 'a', which makes me happy going into my weekend.

today was so lovely - i went to campus this morning to make my tuition payment and then picked up my paper, then i went to the park and had lunch. it was just such a beautiful day out, with the breeze and the clouds moving in and out - it was sublime. i love picnics, well basically anything that gets me outside. i love to be outside and enjoy the day, i think this is mostly due to my upbringing. being raised in a bohemian- home school environment in the gorgeous location of sedona, az, it has fueled a desire in my life to have a strong connection to nature.

i feel so happy and at ease with my life right now, i have adjusted to my environment (denton) and i feel really strongly about the course work i am undertaking. i am looking for some sort of a part-time job, but if one doesn't turn up i am not going to sweat it - what will be will be, i cannot control what happens in life, i can just enjoy the ride.

one more class

i have class tomorrow, and then i am free for weekend fun! i'm going down to the photography exhibitions at the amon carter on saturday, the purpose of going does fulfill a requirement for a class, but i am excited to see the shows.

i need to get some things done around my house this weekend as well, i need to organize some things, do laundry, get grocery shopping done, ect. i don't, however, have a lot of homework this weekend, so that is a nice breather. i think the bulk of work i need to do for class is reading.

lately i have been trying to decide what i want to make my official minor. currently i am a french minor, however i am really interested in international studies - focusing on regional studies of europe. i think that, coupled with art history, would be a really great combination. i have to think about it...

the birds

tonight outside of the art building they were shooting off canons to scare away the massive amount of birds that have taken up residence there. it was creepy...i was walking to my car and there were hundreds of black birds swarming and scattering about with each blast of the canon. it was defiantly a hitchcock moment.

i was at the art building tonight after dinner, a salad at subway (that was quite good by the way) to work on a project for history of photography. the assignment was to find an image, historical or contemporary, that plays with the notion of trickery in photography. it was an interesting assignment, it got me thinking about photographs represent in mass media, and how more often than not, what is shown to the consumer is not reality, which, i suppose i already knew on a subconscious level, but i am more aware of it after this assignment.

in topics in latin american art we got our formal analysis papers back - i must admit i was quite nervous to see how i did on the assignment, but i got 100, so now i have a little bit of a high off of that, now i just have to control the butterflies about the other two papers i have floating out there waiting to be graded.

paris

slowly the day to day life that i am leading is beginning to make more sense. my efforts to organize things that are going on around me and that i am directly involved with are starting to pay off. i am really thrilled with some of the prospects i have on my horizon in regards to future study opportunities, such as the chance to study at parsons paris as a visiting student. i mean, the chance to study art and fashion history in one of the world's most beautiful and culturally significant metropolitan cities is the experience of a life time. through the program i would be able to enroll in courses that would be taught through a combination of lecture and site and museum visits. there is that tangible element of actually being given the access to the works being learned about that i find so appealing. what more could a girl ask for? there is a hinge in funding, but if i were to be awarded a scholarship i would back my bag in ten minutes and head out to the city of lights.

wanting more

i was sitting in my topics class this morning, and was looking at the catalogue for spring '08 classes, and i am a little unhappy about the small number of art history classes be offered. i wish that there was a more diverse range being taught next semester, i think there are only five different courses, two of which are being taught this semester...it just doesn't make any sense to me, i really want to be able to take more advanced art history. i will keep my fingers crossed and perhaps they will add more classes.

more sleep needed

i have had a very tiring weekend, ending with staying up extremely late last night finishing up my homework. i am sleepy and it makes me even more tired to think about all the work i still have left to do. i am taking the art history entrance exam this friday which i am not worried about per say, simply nervous...i think that it will be alright, i just need to study and get some rest. i am wanting also to pursue either study abroad or to do this visiting student program offered through columbia university. i will have to see which program will benefit me more. well...back to work

i need some sleep

i have an abundance of work to accomplish this weekend. i have three small papers to write, several substantial readings to peruse, and a large section of history homework to complete. i am glad that i am not just sitting around without anything to occupy my days, however, i am simply exhausted. i feel as though my days are spent running around and my head is still spinning when it hits the pillow at night. in addition to the regular course work i have to get done, i really need to start work on some other projects. i am doing a honors contract this fall with one of my 4000 level art history courses, which i am really excited about. the project i am doing for the contract is a catalogue that will be a mock-up of a fictitious photography exhibition dealing with native american portraiture, past and present. so i think that the work will be interesting...i just need to find the time to get it all done. and oh yes, i forgot, the art history entrance event is a week from today, so i need to find time to study for that as well. so rest and relaxation are not so much on the horizon for at least the next week-week and a half...i really need a vacation.

socratic cafe

tonight i went to digital photography: beautiful or sublime - it was a great lecture. i thought that dr. waligore's work was very interesting. i always find it interesting to hear a fellow artist explain his/her work, and what has inspired them to create in the first place. i highly recommend attending lectures when they are offered, because they give such an unique avenue of perspective that you would other wise be void of.

in history of photography today we met in our small groups to discuss the sontag text in plato's cave. i think that the discussion that we had was really stimulating and i think all that contributed to the conversation gave really thought provoking points of view. i much prefer when a class is run in a socratic type atmosphere, with in depth discussion as apposed to lecture format. i mean, i do enjoy a good lecture, when the subject matter is captivating and the instructor keeps things moving...but it is nice to have that interaction with fellow students in the classroom atmosphere.

procrastination nation

procrastination is the name of the game...a game that i often find my self playing. there has never been an assignment that i have missed, turned in late, or failed to complete...but for some reason i procrastinate until the last minute on almost everything, there are very few exceptions. perhaps it is some sort subconscious reflex that i revert to because there is a part of me that likes to work under pressure. i think for me, working under pressure produces higher quality work.

tonight i am plowing through in plato's cave by susan sontag, so far it is excellent reading - it is for history of photogrpahy, which by the way is turning out to be a great class.

also, tomorrow night there is a lecture in CHEM 109 - digital photography: beautiful or sublime. the lecture is being given by marilyn waligore, associate professor of aesthetic studies and photography at university of texas, dallas. the lecture beings at 5pm. it should be very interesting.

that day

today, as i woke up and got ready for class, i could not help but stop to take a moment to reflect upon what happened on this day six years ago. i remembered what i had done that morning, when i turned on the television and saw what was happening. i had gotten up, just like any other morning, had my breakfast, and gotten ready for school...the television was on in the living room, and at that point everyone was still thinking that is was an accident...that is was a plane crash and not terrorism. i went to school, i was a freshman in high school, and the school i was going to was a very small private school - only about 86 students total, so they gathered us all up and we went into the student lounge where we all sat in horror as the second plane hit. it was such an awful thing, so hard for everyone to accept as reality. even today, it is hard to accept that the events of that day were a reality and not a movie, or a television drama...my thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost loved ones that day, i am sure that their wounds are far from healed even now.

bob makes me smile

tonight i was sitting watching a little tv, something that i don't do very often, and the bob newhart show was on. there is no one as funny as bob newhart, i mean he just has this unbelievable ability to make a joke out of something mundane without making it inane. so watch bob newhart if you want to smile...because he is brilliant.

these are the days

its sunday night, and i cannot seem to be able to accept that it is the beginning of the third week of classes. the fall term always seems to go by so quickly, i mean yes, it is shorter in actual length than the spring semester...but it does seem to pass at a faster rate. i am really looking forward to the weather cooling off, i love cold weather, and whereas it doesn't get 'cold' here, i am in anticipation of 'cooler' days.

is it just me or is the fall simply the best time of the year? i mean, i love going back to school, and then there is halloween, and thanksgiving and then it has the grand finale of Christmas! i mean, the fall is simply my favorite season...the changing light and the way it effects my mood, the crisp breezes, the grey days, the crunchy leaves in the sidewalk...there is no better time than the fall.

western landscapes

the photography show tonight was really great. the work was so interesting, it all was focused on the concept of western landscapes. i just find it so interesting to see the way certain individuals interpret the same subject matter. i defiantly recommend going down to the UNT artspace in ft. worth and checking it out. it is worth the trip!

artspace

saturday night there is a photography exhibition opening at the UNT Artspace in ft. worth. the exhibit is a collaborative show with work by unt photography faculty - dornith doherty, and tcu faculty - luther smith. the reception is free and starts at 5pm and should last until around 8pm. the show should be really excellent...i highly recommend attending. the show will be up through the 21st of october, but the reception is a great time to see it because you have the opportunity to meet with the artists.

the UNT artspace is in ft.worth across from the kimball art museum on camp bowie blv.

peace of mind

today has been a wonderful day. last night was my birthday and i had a wonderful time, and today i finally made up my mind about my fall term course load. i am taking history of photography, topics in latin american art, topics in gender and sexuality in art, art survey I, and us history. so, i will be busy, but i have cut my course load from 18 to 15 hours which i think will make my life a little more manageable. also, as a member of the honors college i am converting one of my 4000 level art history courses into a contract honors course, which mean that i will have an additional project that constitutes a minimum of 25 hours of work to fulfil the contract. so that gives me one more thing.

yesterday was so great, not only my birthday, but i found out that i was selected to be an Ambassador for the honors college! i am so excited about this, not only will it be a great experience, and be a wonderful addition to my resume, it enables me to apply for the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship for Study Abroad, which, if granted allows the scholar $23,000 for foreign study.

i am so thrilled, so far this semester is shaping up even better then i had hoped for!

what to do?

today i went to two more classes; history of photography, and metals and jewelry making. they were both awesome and i have really have high hopes for the semester. however, now i am tyring to decide if i want to keep jewelry making or if i want to keep topics in latin american art, which i added today. i mean, i really long for the creative outlet that jewelry making can give me this semester, but i also feel drawn to the latin american topics class. they don't meet at the same time, but i am at my maximum course load right now, and i have to drop something now that i have added history of photography. i haven't been to a class meeting for the topics class yet, it meets tomorrow at 11am, so i will go and see how i feel about it after that.

its a mad, mad, mad, mad world.

just when i thought that things were going well, that my schedule was flowing nicely and not feel frantic about the rest of this week, i learn that the foreign language department has canceled the accelerated french class i am enrolled in, and then changed their mind, back and forth, back and forth. i do not know what my schedule is now...i will have to see how things pan out in the morning. so...i hope that life as a college student is going better than mine as of late.

i know, you walk
i walk so often, late, along the streets, lower my gaze, and hurry, full of dread, suddenly, silently, you still might rise and i would have to gaze on all your grief with my own eyes, while you demand your happiness, that's dead. i know, you walk beyond me, every night, with a coy footfall, in a wretched dress and walk for money, looking miserable! your shoes gather God knows what ugly mess, the wind plays in your hair with lewd delight---you walk, and walk, and find no home at all.
-hermann hesse

day one

well, first day of fall classes is officially over for me...and so far so good. i am so excited about the classes i am taking, both art and non. yes, i will be running around like a chicken with its head cut off as soon as homework commences and i realize just how much work i am in for with a 19 hour course load, but it is worth it. i dislike waisting time, and i find that the busier i am the more productive and high quality my work is. it is like my momentum starts and then i can keep in perpetual state of motion.

everyone in my house has bronchitis and i am hoping that i remain unaffected...i have been popping vitamins and drinking extra green tea to build up my immune system to ensure that i don't get sick, that is the last thing i need right now. what with classes, work and my birthday this week i would greatly prefer not to come down with the viral plague!

i have been researching graduate programs in art history and the ones that peak my intrest as of now are University of Washington, Sotheby's Institute of Art, Parsons: The New School for Design and Yale. bassically the program is the most important factor to me, but the location of said program plays a roll in my descion making. i mean i do miss living on the east coast, however i love the pacific northwest, and seattle is such a wonderful town. well, i have time to think about it, we'll see what happens.

academic state of mind

only four more days until classes start, and i am so excited! yes, the summer break from academia has been nice, but i am completely ready for it to resume. i think i have always been this way, been a person who preferred school and work to free time...i just hate the feeling of having nothing to do, i like to keep busy and moving on projects. stagnation drives me insane! true, there are those moments where i enjoy sitting down and mindlessly surf the internet or read a book, or try to find something on television to rot my mind with...but for the most part i would rather be doing something more worthwhile.

i am looking forward to the autumn weathers arrival as well. i think that the autumn is my favorite season. the cool air that just seems to have that crisp magic about it, the way the light changes and the days grow a little bit shorter. the leaves that fall from their branches and dance in the air on their way toward the earth until a fast traveling school bus makes them kick up their heels and fly about again. i don't know, it just all seems to hold very special meaning in my life.

well, good luck with the commencement of fall course work on monday!

once upon a time : again

summer is almost over, and the start of classes grows ever closer. i am looking forward to fall term. the courses i am taking are all subjects that i find interesting. the art history classes that COVAD is offering this fall are all stellar. oh, and that is something new as well, SOVA has now officially changed it's name to COVAD - the College of Visual Arts and Design...i know, it is a mouthful, but i feel it better represents what the school, college, can offer.

the art gallery will be opening the new faculty and staff exhibition on the 27th of august. the show will be up in the main gallery through the 29th of september. i am greatly anticipating its opening, the faculty and staff at COVAD are luminous, and filled with talent.