Happiness in a Nutshell.

One of the most important things my mom taught me is that it is our choice to be happy. No one has the power to take our happiness away from us. They can try all they like, but ultimately we are the ones who decide.

Too often people blame others for their "predicaments". The government, the economy, my ex-boyfriend, my family, my boss, the school, President Obama, even God: apparently they're all at blame.

Sure, people will do things to you.

People will hurt you.

They'll let you down.

But the real tragedy comes when we let those things eat us apart.

I saw this quote on Pinterest the other day, it said "Forgiveness doesn't excuse their behavior. Forgiveness prevents their behavior from destroying your heart." I just loved that. So many people dwell solely on the bad things that have happened, and forget all the wonderful things they have in their lives.

We've been learning about agency and opposition in my Book of Mormon class. Again it was reiterated that trials and tragedy come so we can see the beauty in our blessings.

Instead of saying "why me" we should be asking "what can this do for me?".

 

This week has been crazy hectic. Cleaning check on Monday, a little girl broke her arm at gymnastics yesterday, I'm teaching the Sunday School lesson this week, had a Book of Mormon test yesterday, mixed in with lots of little bumps and stumbles.

But that's okay. I'm still having a blast :)

Haha, today I was walking through campus and had to pass through EFY territory.

Let me tell you, the EFY boys have way too much confidence :P

I got a lot of stares, and a few tried to flirt with me...

it was interesting :P

Maybe looking younger than I really am will come in handy later in life ;)

haha..

 

So anyways, I'm really excited about my project this week! This first picture below is my first real experience with photoshop :) and I gotta say, I'm pretty proud of it :) the rest are just fun!

 

These two are Chase and Elizabeth, probably the cutest couple ever ;)

Chase is leaving on his mission to Guatemala pretty soon, Elizabeth is planning on putting her papers in the next few months. I'm rooting for them ;)

 

 

so yeah.

 

things are interesting.

 

miss maren lee

 

 

Being a Showoff

I've had a lot of chances to share my talents in the last week. I just love it :) Sometimes I feel cautious whenever I share my talents with other because way too often people accuse me of being a "showoff". I just hate that.

I mean, the Lord has told us to share our talents in order to uplift others, hasn't he? And that's what I try to do. I love the look on peoples faces when I show them one of my drawings or a piece of art, play them a song on the piano, or do a little gymnastics exhibition. I have these talents, what would you rather me do with them??

At least I try not to do it boastfully.

Its sad really, how oppressive people are when it comes to others "showing off". I think a lot of talents get smothered because of it. Also because of the fear of others casting harsh judgment..

Anyways. I had the chance to play my arrangement of Come Thou Fount and Homeward Bound in sacrament meeting on Sunday. (I've decided I'm going to all the arrangement Come Thou Home. :)

It went SO well! The chapel was just vibrating with my music, it was an amazing feeling.

That night I also played my compilation of my favorite songs for the talent at ward prayer. I didn't have the chance to practice, so I made a couple mistakes, but that was alright, people still loved it.

I also have devoted a wall in my apartment for my drawings. It lights up the kitchen :) Tyler likes to claim that he drew most of them haha.

When I was at work yesterday some of the optional girls were doing run throughs of their floor routines. Hearing the music really made me want to get out there and choreograph again! I watched a couple of their routines, and they could definitely use some Marenizing ;)

ha.

 

Here is my lovely roommate Elizabeth. We took a trip to the temple last night to see what we could find :) Interestingly enough, we hit a lucky night! The groundsman told us that we'll never see the temple lit up quite like this again since all the curtains were taken down for cleaning during the renovation. I love this picture of her and I holding hands!! the lighting is just so cool...

For the flower ones I'm playing with color and hopefully can use them for my theme project for my photography class :) Other than that it was a nice trip. We spent about an hour there, and you could still feel the spirit of the house of the Lord even though its currently closed and we were only on the outside. 

 

 

 

 

As for the life of Maren things are pretty simple right now. Three of my favorite people leave on missions in the next few months.. None have their calls yet, but all should come soon!! I admire them and their willingness to serve :)

 

 

simply happy.

 

miss maren lee

Little Taste of Provo

I just watched a guy unicycle through campus..

Then a 15 year old efy kid gave me a flower...

I officially feel special. ;)

This afternoon I spent some time with a girl I knew from the Air Force base :) it was cool to catch up with some friends from my childhood. 

Below are pictures from a photoshoot from downtown provo! We went on a "photography feild trip" :) while it wasn't an extremely interesting area, it still had its quirks, and I was able to get some pretty cool shots. 

Also, I've now decided that I want to be a graffiti artist. I mean, if it wasn't illegal and all.. 

Now that I'm not painting my mural any more I keep having spontaneous urges to paint something! Now that I'm in an apartment, I'm not allowed to paint the walls....

I saw these cool street tags downtown and had to take a picture :)

We also talked about street art in art history, I just think it's so neat :)

So here's a little of Provo's downtown flavor. 

What a life!

miss maren lee

Chase Just Tied My Shoes Together

 

The title has nothing to do with this post, but it really did just happen..

 

Its been a crazy week.

Monday I had staff training for work where we learned the new routines that USGA put out, and I finally got my staff T-Shirt! I feel so much more official now :)

Tuesday I went to work and one of the little kids "turned into a snake". this resulted in him biting me 3 times as well as sucking my blood. Because apparently snakes now suck blood.. When I got home me and three guys ended up going on a field trip to Barnes and Nobles which was SO MUCH FUN. We spent 2 hours just reminiscing all the books we'd read as kids, talking about our favorite authors. I love when boys can break down their walls and stop with the "I'm too cool for everything façade".....

Wednesday I visited my sister at her tennis camp, and got to sit and watch her for a little while. That night I was sitting outside reading my book and a guy walked up and gave me free ice cream :)

On Thursday I took my first college test! it was for my Book of Mormon class and I ended up getting a 96% :) That made me happy :) That night I went to dinner with Anna :)

Friday was probably the craziest. In the morning I watched Anna play tennis again then we got to hang out the rest of the morning. We went to the BYU bookstore and I bought some super cute boots!! (mini girl freak out moment, they're pictured below) In the evening there was a luau party for all of Wyview and I won the chalk drawing contest :P

After that we were watching a movie in our apartment and the boys barged in with silly string. There is now silly string everywhere, and we have a cleaning check in a couple days... And that's not the end of it. We locked the boys out and were holding their stuff hostage, but one of them was determined to get his laptop. So he BROKE INTO OUR WINDOW.

Which was not only creepy, strange, and against the honor code, but it was midnight.

Sooooo.. the guys RA gave us full permission to prank their apartment and said the boys had to buy us ice cream :)

But I'm honestly tired of their antics. They also Saran Wrapped our door and graffitiied my car with window paint..

so yeah. 

 

 

 

These are just some fun pictures throughout the course of the week. Edison blowing bubbles, my new boots, my final product for my cropping project in photography, and a photo that shows the idiocy of mankind.. [you had one job...]

oh, and my shoes are still tied together.

 

a little frazzled..

miss maren lee

All Of The Lights

 

remember that one time...

 

My sister is spending the weekend with me, and we've been reminiscing since she got here :)

Also in recent news, I got a calling today! I'm Relief Society Compassionate Service Leader. When they went to set all the new relief society callings apart, they did it all together. I ended up being the last one out of all the girls so I had the opportunity to listen to each blessing. It amazed me how individualized each blessing was.

What also amazed me was how many callings are devoted to or entail meeting the needs of others.

That's solely what my calling was created for.

It's incredible, the Lord has set up such an extensive support system for us as members of his church. We just need to be willing to accept service when it comes to us, as well as willing to serve when we are called upon to do so.

 

Below are some pictures of me experimenting with lights and exposures. The first was while it was raining right outside my apartment.

The second was at the BYU tennis courts while some of our friends were playing.

 

 

 

having a blast!

miss maren lee

The Black Sheep

It feels good to pick up my colored pencils again and just do some coloring.
These pencils have got to be my favorite medium EVER.
It's funny, some of the boys around have been commissioning me to make some art for their own apartments :) the drawings are nothing too spectacular, but it's still fun to share my talents with others.
Anyways, I was a little inspired by my favorite set of pencils, so I set them up to incorporate them into this weeks project: pre-edit cropping. The idea is to get rid of "the useless junk" that distracts from the core of the picture.
At first I had set up the typical rainbow, then I pulled out my black colored pencil (the shortest one from all it's usage...) but I wanted to incorporate it.

 

 

 

One of the issues with being at BYU is that its almost impossible to stand out. Before I was an LDS girl in a sea of nonmembers, now I'm an LDS girl in a sea of LDS girls. And each of them are exceptional in their own way. I've always prided myself with a sense of individuality, but now its difficult to even be noticed.

It makes me a little nervous, I'm afraid I'm going to lose myself amidst it all.

I'm a people pleaser, I tend to bend to those around me.

I just have to make sure I stay Maren.

 

miss maren lee