"behind the scenes with chemistry!!!"

Wouldn't you know, this week is National Chemistry Week. 

If you're interested in celebrating with us nerds, why don't you stop by for a chemistry magic show running twice a night, every night this week? Tickets can be found here (they're free!). Y Chem will be selling liquid nitrogen ice cream (only $1 a cup!) before and after every show. And...if you're scientifically minded (or just like movies), Y Chem's sponsoring a professor lecture series: four twenty minute lectures each focusing on movie chemistry versus real chemistry.

3:00 -  Dr. Bates -  DNA, Dinosaurs, and Dolly the Sheep: Biochemistry
in Jurassic Park
3:35 - Dr. Patterson - Something for Nothing: Energy Sources in the
Movies and Real Life
4:00- Dr. Austin - Chemists Catching Crooks: CSI vs. Real Forensics
4:35 - Dr. Asplund - "Why no Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!":  Lasers
in the Movies

I mean, look at how cute we are. How can you resist?

(photo from last May's National Lab Day event)

be my escape

Yes, this post is another blatant plug for another event in The Valley.

BUT.

I've been having one of those rediscovering Relient K moments recently, because every morning I attempt to "work out" in my little room at the youth hostel here, and their songs are really great tempos for doing crunches and running around in little circles as you do "cardio". Anyway, so just about five minutes ago I was like, hey, I wonder if they have any shows coming up, because I swear like every summer they're here and I go to their concert and it's so awesome. I checked their website, and what do you know, their very next show is at Thanksgiving Point.

And! It's not only them, they're playing for the Candlelight Serenade Acoustic Festival which is also featuring a ton of other artists, including two I've been obsessed with lately, namely
Priscilla Ahn and Chris Carrabba (of Dashboard Confessional fame)

August 21st, from 10 AM to 11 PM, with people playing all day.
Only downside is cheapest tickets are $40 ($35 with a Costa Vida/Spoon Me discount card)...
and I already have plans to go boating that day.... (Priscilla's playing at 4:00)

AHhhhhh...I am so freaking tempted to go!

I mean, look how cute they are.

Click for more info!

i just keep happening upon awesome [free] local events:

Maybe you know Meg Fee from her awesome blog, The Wild and Wily Ways of a Brunette Bombshell. If you don't, I do believe it is about time you became acquainted.

She's here in Utah, and she'll be playing Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" as part of Utah Shakespeare in the Park. There are a bunch of showings, all outside, all free, all through August and and half of September.

So maybe we could do another picnic dinner party and feel cultured some more?

(After a month and a half of scouting out every single fun thing you could possibly do in Toulouse, I have a feeling that I won't easily let that tendency go when I return home.)

More info here!

i forgot to mention:

The concert mentioned below is


FREE.

yessssssssss.

why do you let me stay here?

Ecoutez, mes amis.

Je vous propose:

She & Him concert

+ picnic dinner

August 26th, 7:00, Pioneer Park.
(I promise you want to come. Everyone brings a dish to share, we dress all indie, it'll be a blast!)

Because, really, who can say no to Zooey Deschanel?

edit

Dang, I always mix up dates and days of the week.
Correction to last post:

Pre-Tour Show is Friday, May 14th.

Thanks Kim :)

purple, black, and blue for you

This started out as a post about the p90x I've been doing every morning at 6 AM with a bunch of chemistry friends and Shannon from dance, but it somehow morphed into a long plug for:

Blackpool Pre Tour Show! Next Saturday, May 14th!

Tickets are $12.00 and yesterday the box office released all of the really good reserved seats that the dancers' families didn't buy, SO you should all run over to the HFAC and purchase some tickets because this show is going to be incredible. The latin medley rocks because we have giant shiny discs for skirts and feathers up the front and back of our dresses, the music is incredible (thank you Mr. Kurt Bestor) and Cirque de Soleil-esque, and we have absolutely amazing choreography (thank you Eugene and Maria!). Also, I am a bookend, and by bookend I mean I get lifted way up in the air at the very beginning and very end of the routine, waving my arms around and looking intense and exotic. So, if for nothing else, please come and watch me in my two moments of glory.

Seriously guys, the medley will never look this good again. And this is probably the peak of the peak of my dancing ability (am planning on being done with individuals after Blackpool) so...if you are my friend...and are still around for the summer...it would really mean a lot if you could come watch.

Anyway.
I hurt from the lethal combo of p90x and 3-6 hours of dance every day.
But it is all worth it, right?
I just wish you all could see the bruises on my legs (I am in serious pain from the preparation for the Pre Tour Show! Look at the sacrifice I'm making for you to see some rad dancing! Do not make me suffer in vain!). They are everywhere, and it is really funny.

And...that's all I have to say about that.

I slept through the afternoon session of conference and got 6 tattoos today.*

This is me encouraging all of you who are in the area to attend the ballroom dance concert this weekend as we celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the program!



Dates: April 9th and 10th
Time: 7:30 both nights, 2:00 Saturday matinee
Cost: $12 (which is more than worth it to see the 27 consecutive times national formation team champions)
Place: Marriott Center


If you're interested and want tickets, post a comment, give me a text, call, email, or facebook message. You can buy them online or on the phone, but you'll get charged an extra few bucks as a service fee. The way to avoid that is to go to the Marriott Center in person, but if you contact me, I'll go do that for you. :)

There you have it! Come and support the arts, feel cultured, and be highly entertained!

*I really wanted to use this as a facebook status because I found it highly amusing, but needed to use that space to advertise for concert as well, so there you go. The 6 tats are temporary Easter ones from my girl's night out relief society activity this evening. Oh, and I've been sleep deprived for a month, (3 almost all nighters this week alone) so that's my excuse for the first half.

It's a Jimmy Eat World Song*

New idea for life direction:

1. Marry a scientist.

2. Go to Berkeley.

The order is fairly flexible on this, just as long as they both happen.

Oh, and seeing "Wicked" from the center second row...most definitely awesome. Almost as awesome as touring the above school, buying two Jhumpa Lahiri books for less than $10 a piece at the used bookstore next to Zachery's Pizza, and seeing the amazing lab of a Nobel laureate at UCSF.

I swear I never want to go home.

Next up: Genentech, shopping, cream puffs.
We know how to have fun.

*"Futures" which is currently stuck in my head

mortal kombat...and by mortal kombat I mean arguing your way into a dollar off your laser tag game

Oh my gosh, I am so lucky to have a live-in photographer to document my life. Here are some photos Natalie took from my laser double birthday bash last night. (Guess who got 2nd place at laser tag? BAM.)

Can I just say that I am a huge believer in extravagant birthdays? I love throwing parties, I love decorating for them, I love presents, I love going out to eat, etc. etc. When I'm a mom, my kids are going to have the most awesome birthdays ever. Just throwing that out there as one of my qualifications as a future wife.*

Anyway...hope you all are having great weekends!

*I feel like this would make for a highly entertaining post. My other qualifications include: curry making and knowing how to use a torque wrench. How these might come in handy, I'm not sure, but I would love to see the situation that would require them both.

agni kai!

Is there a job where I can just get paid for watching "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and blogging? Because that's pretty much all I feel like doing anymore.

There's not? Alas.
Guess I'll stick to chemistry then.

I have a question to pose to you, readers. I'm planning my 21st birthday extravaganza, and have a couple of ideas for what to do.

Option 1:
Playing laser tag.

Option 2:
Eating chicken tikka masala and naan bread at India Palace.

Option 3:
Seeing "Alice in Wonderland" (celebration of my un-unbirthday! how appropriate!) and maybe having a "tea" party.

Option 4:
Mocktails in test tubes à la classy scientist party.

Option 5:
All/some combination of the above.

What say ye?

IKEA follow up

If you would like to join me for another IKEA run (I went with my mom, sisters, and Amanda yesterday and managed to shatter the frame I got, so I've got to go back), here is the plan:

Be at my apartment (if you need my address, facebook message me) at 3:00 on Friday to carpool up there, or meet us at IKEA by 3:30-3:45 ish.

I'm thinking we could skip the showroom and go straight for the marketplace.

Thoughts?

Latest Obsession

All of a sudden I'm really into etsy and super cute homemade trinkets. I think it all started with the Rockstar Diaries blog and then was further nourished by my visits to the farmer's market.
Check out my latest purchase:

beyond adorable, n'est-ce pas? Anyway, there's this event going on on June 27th in Orem where a TON of awesome handmade jewelry, clothing, hair accessories, etc. I think...that if you're in the area...you should come with me...

More info (it's also all on the flag photo to the right):
What: Bijou Market aka amazing homemade items for your purchase!
When: June 27th, 2-8 pm
Where: 202 E 1800 S Orem
See you there!