Fashion Remix...

I walk construction sites by day and runways by night...

Not really. But kinda. Every other year one of the professional design organizations, IIDA, hosts what's called Fashion Remix. It's an extremely fun and creative competition where teams of designers are paired with a vendor of architectural materials at random and then required to make an ensemble out of material the vendor supplies. Think dresses made out of wood, metal, wallpaper, etc. 

This year was my first year participating :-) We got paired with a vendor that supplies an architectural film - it's a vinyl kind of like wallpaper but for more surfaces. This is what we created... 

Pretty incredible huh? It took hours and hours of work but it was so fun working with girls from my office in this creative outlet and then being on stage to present our hard work (I was only chosen as the model because I was out of town when the team decided :-P But it was honestly a lot of fun). And to top it off... we won in our category! Most Innovative Use of Soft Material! Way to go girls!

Take a look at some of these other impressive designs...

wood veneer and carpet

Tile and chair parts (no joke)

 And this only give you a glimpse of a quarter of the ensembles! It is definitely one of my favorite design events of the year..

A National Security Crisis

My mom told me this the other day and I was so...excited (probably not the right word) that I had to go look it up. Apparently Childhood obesity has become a National Security Crisis.

Disclaimer: If you don't already know, I have a very strong opinion about obesity so it may be in your best interest to cease reading this post to not risk the possibility of being offended. However, if you choose to continue, be aware that my comments may be a little harsh.

(source: New York Times) A panel of retired military officers said that, "Weight problems are now the leading medical reason that recruits are rejected and thus jeopardizing the military's ability to fill its ranks." Apparently 9 million American youth (27% of youth 17-25) are too fat to fight. That's over a quarter of the youth in our nation! However, a nutrition bill is in progress that is suppose to improve school lunches. But get this! In 1946 the exact opposite happened. It was a "national security issue" that many recruits to the military had inadequate nutrition - that's when school lunches became a national focus and were changed to get kids healthier! Apparently it's NOT working! Honestly, I don't think changing school lunches will change anything. Look at all the people in this country. It's not just the kids that are fat, its their parents too. So changing school lunches will not change a thing when the kids get their eating habits from home.

Does anyone remember the State of the Union address? Michelle Obama said that her goal (for the year I guess) is to focus on, and find a solution for, the childhood obesity epidemic. So far.... I haven't seen anything come of that....

Whatever happened to the idea of Exercise?? I GUARANTEE that aerobic exercise 30 minutes a day will make you lose weight and be healthier. It's a proven fact! And health experts have been saying that for hundreds of years! (okay, maybe not hundreds, I'm getting carried away)

Okay, so some people have health issues that make it difficult to stay in shape. But give me a break! 9 million youth, at the age that the human species is suppose to be at the PRIME OF THEIR LIVES, are clinically obese?!? (I don't think the writers of Wally were too far off). It makes me sick to look around and see how obese people are. Now, I do realize that I'm blessed. I have a good metabolism and have grown up in a home where I can choose to eat healthier. But I still think that healthy living habits are a choice. Guess what? A bag of maybe 6 apples, is 2 dollars cheaper than a bag of chips. (Found that out while grocery shopping in college). Fills you up more too. Exercise usually causes you to eat healthier too. That's why I do both. It's not that hard - people are just too lazy to get up and do anything and it's easier to be obese.

I guess it all comes down to the fact that I believe our bodies are gifts from a loving Heavenly Father. We should take care of them. And being healthy allows us to do more and feel better. So I apologize for offending anyone... that's just my opinion on the matter.

Tender Mercies

"Provo may seem like a safe haven, but a young woman's experience last week proved otherwise. The Provo Police Department dispatch center received a call from a young woman who had been assaulted while running on the Provo River Trail. She said a man attacked her from behind as she was running on the trail, forced her to the ground and thrust a piece of cloth with an unidentified chemical substances over her mouth. After the young woman screamed, the suspect let her go. Following the attack, a man was at the scene and assisted the young woman. He indicated he chased the suspect away.

The police took both the young woman and the witness to the police station for interviewing and found out that Micheal Workman, the purported witness, was in fact the alleged suspect. He told police he intended to sexually assult the victim, but desisted. Police arrested him and charged Workman with one count aggrivated kidnapping, as well as one count of attempted rape."

I read this in the newspaper today and was absolutely shocked. Before I left for BYU my dad made sure I knew that just because I was at a "mormon school" surrounded by "good mormon kids" didn't mean it was a safe place. He told me it was the perfect place for preditors to attack girls because they got too comfortable with their environment. I've always made sure I'm safe though. When I'm walking on campus after dark I always call Tanner and make sure I stay on main sidewalks.

The scariest part of this story is that I often contemplated running on Provo River Trail. When it was warmer I would go running a couple times a week and that trail was right next to my apartment. It seems like a beautiful trail, but for some reason every time I went running I felt like I should just stay on University Avenue... So I did.

I'm so grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord and the guidance of the Spirit and that this time I was willing to listen. I just pray that I will be in tune more often...