This CHICKen is toast!

Recipe: 4 hrs on high in slow cooker
Emily thought you can't burn in a slow cooker so she did 8 hrs on high. It was really cool how it was in one piece and flat on one side. You could have hung it on the wall as a piece of artwork. For other culinary artists out there, just so you know: you can burn using a slow cooker. Emily's not a bad cook though, since we've been married (a year and a half) this is her first charcoal rendering.

Unpublished

This may come as a surprise to some but here is our baby that emily has been growing inside of her for some 13 weeks now. It's sort of a funny picture because the baby seems to have its tongue sticking out. I guess he/she takes after his/her parents. He/She also appears to be waving. Pretty cool kid. We are excited. The cost of growing the baby has taken a toll on Emily though, she has been pretty sick, often the worst at night. Nausea, sour stomach, and a lot of discomfort. Hopefully things will get better for her at the start of the second trimester.

Published.

So sometimes I get to work a few minutes early so I can browse the stacks and stacks of free books. I've been here a little over three months now so I often keep an eye out for books I may have worked on or designed. Today I found the first one I actually did with my name on it. Cover design by: me. Egocentric ? Perhaps. Feels cool? MosDef. And hey, it may not be my best work yet, but it's my first so I can go from there.

This is great

I'm glad there are people like this.

Ego-Boost

Melanie tagged me so here's my post on Seven Interesting Things about Me:

1. I served in two missions. I was originally called to Venezuela Maracaibo and was sent to the Texas Ft. Worth Mission to wait for my visa. I ended up staying there for four months serving in an English-speaking singles ward in the college town of Denton. When the time came for me to finally leave for Venezuela, my mission president, along with Missionary Medical, decided that, becuase of anxiety/depression issues I had developed in the field, I wasn't fit to leave the country, or some BS like that. (Yes, I am still bitter about it.) So I was given the choice to stay in Texas as an English-speaking missionary (as I was the last Hermana in the Mission) or I could continue with my Spanish in the Flordia Tampa Mission. I eagerly said goodbye to Texas, though I left behind some great friends, and spent the next year in the beautiful gulf coast of Florida.
2. I've been healed three different times in what I consider to be miraculous ways by priesthood blessings. The first was when I was just an infant. (Correct me if I get it wrong, Mom.) It was a Sunday and my family was at church. Earlier that day, I had had a high fever. All of a sudden, in the middle of Sacrament Meeting, I started to convulse, eyes rolled back and everything. My mom grabbed Dad and Brother Birrell (a good family friend to this day) and they gave me a blessing in the foyer. I stopped immediately and was fine after that. The second happened a week before I was to leave for study abroad in London in the fall of 2001 (where I, too, was a resident of Notting Hill :). I had developed a sudden case of Mono and my doctor warned me that it could make traveling out of the country impossible. My father, again, gave me a blessing and a week later, I was up on my feet and feeling great. I went to England as planned and never experienced any symptoms like fatigue after that. The third time, most recently, was when I found out I was pregnant and just a week later started to bleed. The ob/gyn gave us a 50/50 chance of loosing the baby, but Adam had more faith than that. He and our home teacher gave me a blessing and not too long after that the bleeding stopped and the baby/fetus has been fine since. (Twelve weeks!)
3. I was, at one time, a hard-core X-Files fan. I bought magazines; I clipped newspaper articles; I even went to an X-Files convention in downtown Los Angeles (thanks, Dad!). Much of this, of course, is attributable to my infatuation with David Duchovney. But I couldn't get enough of the show. I would record every episode onto VHS tapes until I had shelves full. For one season premier, I made an X-Files shrine that I proudly showed to the Elders who came for dinner. They must have thought I was such a weirdo. Or a pagan. I would also imagine elaborate plots (before the show used my idea) in which I was abducted by aliens and Mulder had to meet some DeepThroat late at night to exchange me for some precious piece of evidence. When the show switched to Sundays, I still watched it, trekking from my dorm in Helaman to the basement of DT to watch with my friend Sarah and other apostate Philes. Of course, when Duchovney left the show, I lost all interest. And I haven't ever bought the episodes on DVD, though that would be a fun birthday gift...
4. I know the entire Thriller dance. In fact, dancing it at a ward hoe down is what snagged me a husband.
5. I once scared off a gang of gypsies from jumping my friend, Jonathon, on the streets of Paris. All with the sheer force of my voice.
6. I was a finalist for the Hinckley Scholarship at BYU, which is the presidential scholarship they award to 25 freshman girls and 25 freshman boys. They brought 50 of us finalist girls to BYU for a week of torture where I ate bitter herbs, answered endless questions from a panel of college professors, and fell asleep during my first Forum (and subsequently failed the questions on the Diplomat's speech). I didn't get the scholarship, which I accredit to never getting my Young Women's medalion, so I never got to meet President Hinckley. But I made a great friend--the fellow X-Phile in DT.
7. I have a terrible memory. I attribute it to my mild case of epilipsy, but I don't know if that argument holds any water. I'm terrible with short-term stuff like where I put things and what appointments I have and what I told Adam yesterday. But I'm also sadly unable to recall a lot of long-term stuff. I was going to write about my job at Six Flags Magic Mountain but I couldn't remember if I'd worked there one summer or two. I've already lost details of my wedding day and my ex-companion is always mentioning stuff that happened to us on the mission that I don't remember. Pregnancy has, of course, made it worse and I assume that motherhood will just completely annihilate whatever memory I have left. Good argument for keeping a journal, huh?

So that's me. Adam, Lindsay, Sarah K--tag, you're it.

California Dreaming...A few hundred miles north-east, that is...

So the night before last, I had a dream that I was walking down the street and I magically appeared on BYU campus. I remember exactly where I stood--on the sidewalk in front of the Tanner Building and across the street from the JKHB (or what once was the JKHB). The sky was blue but not bright, like the sun had just begun to set. When I realized where I was, tears came to my eyes and I literally got down on my knees and kissed the ground. Pathetic? You be the judge. But it really made me stop and think. And the more I thought, the more I realized I need help. So here's my thoughts. Then you can help.

After lying awake a few moments after the dream ended, I realized that I had kissed the ground partly out of sheer joy that it was CLEAN. For those of you not familiar with either Provo, Utah or Sunset Park, Brooklyn, these hyperlinks will show you what I saw/see on a daily basis. I couldn't describe better than these pictures illustrate the glaring and depressing difference. Walking home from the subway yesterday, (on that same road in the Google Map), I was pondering my sidewalk smooch and I realized that, when I walk around Brooklyn, all I look at is the ground--the dirty, grimy, litter-strewn, tattooed w/ gum ground. Maybe it's the bitter winter wind that keeps my shoulders srunched up and my head down. But maybe not. So I decided to try an experiment: I'd look up. Not just out at the garish storefronts, but UP to the old brick buildings that make up the muted skyline. I really tried to focus. "Hey, I've never noticed that building before." "Are those cell phone towers?" "How on earth did they get graffiti way up there?" It was a nice change.

Later that night, Adam and I listened to a part of the Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting in which Elder Holland, Elder Oaks, Sister Beck, and a few other sister axillary leaders talked about marriage and family. At one point, they were giving advice to newlyweds and I couldn't help but feel my conscience pricked as they talked about obeying the first law given to Adam and Eve: to leave their mother and father and cleave unto each other. Is my pining for Provo a failure to stand by my man? I keep telling myself that we're here for Adam's career which is fundamental to our family's future. But somehow, when I'm looking at the sidewalk, it just doesn't matter. Occasionally, I'll be running by the cemetery near our house and I'll get the faintest whiff of...nature. It almost brings me to tears.

So after all these thoughts (with few pictures, which Adam HATES), I'm asking for your help/comments/advice. Please. Before I loose it completely and run screaming like a madwoman down 4th Avenue. Or kiss the sidewalk.

Munday Everyday

So I came across the work of Oliver Munday. I had seen his work in Typography 28, for a bit of his student work, but his other stuff really inspires me. I love how graphic, thoughtful and simple his work is, yet how powerful it is. He has a great understanding of color and creating interest quickly. Enjoy. www.olivermunday.com

CS3 Magic

I had a training the other day on the new creative suite(more like creative sweet) and was enamored by the photomerge. It automatically aligns the pictures and blends them. Look mom no hands. I had to try it out. I took a very famous spot which I pass every day to work. I am truly blessed.
I also took one while waiting for the train coming back from 3 Guys from Brooklyn.

Smart Vandals

Man, I love this.

MTA: What's up with that?

So besides the fact that everyone especially ignores this sticker, what is up with the the type? The O's are bold and the a or e is leaning. Such a hodgepodge of type for a well branded MTA that is slowly loosing its savor. I mean the metro card is hideous and you see it everywhere discarded on the ground (especially in Brooklyn). Soon the memorable letters even will be all replaced by the digital screen versions. What a shame.

Ok, we know we're nerds, but we've become hopelessly addicted to American Idol this season and it's mostly this little guy's fault. If anyone isn't watching, his name is David Archuleta and he's from Murray, UT. (!) He's super nice, polite, clean cut, uber-talented...so, yeah, he's Mormon. And he'll just charm your socks off. And he pretty much makes all the other guys look like amateurs. So watch next week and VOTE FOR DAVID!

P&P, BBC 2 PBS

Last summer I agreed to read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It took me a false start or so to get into it, but once I had, it was an enjoyable read. Last night Emily and I finally finished the third and final installment of the BBC series showing on PBS . I absolutely loved it. Very engaging and well acted out. Slimy Mr Collins was a particular favorite. You gotta love Mr Darcy's gaze of sly affection and Mrs Bennet's nit-wit fits. It is particularly enjoyable to get to know Emily better by reading and watching some of her favorites.

HAL™ is a pal

The other night we checked out 2001: A Space Odessey from the library. I hadn't ever seen it. Despite that we watched it on our crummy tv, it was a great film. I guess at times I was bored and complained about the music trying to carry everything, but I assume the experience would have been more impressive in the theatre. The best part of the story for me was the part with HAL. Emily felt a lot of sympathy for him, but I had other opinions. After that part it got a little too freaky, but again, a good film.

President's day sitings

Just a few photos from this past holiday's outing in the lower east side. Also a few photos in our neighborhood. The last being our place.

---,-,-'-<@

What says love more than Pizza? We celebrated V-day with a little pizza from the best in Brooklyn.

watchPES

I was reminded of some of the very creative and charming work of EatPES today, who had posted some new videos I hadn't seen since my last visit. One of the videos was a free download on iTunes of the Pepper Heart. I really enjoyed the Orange ad with socks playing hide and seek. The 'More Than' Ad as well as the Bacardi one are really smart.

New York Moment

So every once in a while, I have these moments where I stop and think, "Whoa! I'm in New York!" These moments are usually surreal but always happy; for a few brief moments, I feel really excited about living here. One of these moments occurred last Saturday when a friend from church invited me to attend an Afro-Caribbean dance class at the Mark Morris Dance School in downtown Brooklyn. I was scared to death to go, but my friend assured me that I would see people of all shapes and sizes (and colors and skill levels, which was what I was worried about). And she was right. I was, by far, the least-flexible dancer there, but that was really the only way in which I stood out. And, after a while, even this stopped bothering me. As we started to move our bodies to the rhythm of the music, it was like coming home.

The class was accompanied by a group of drummers and led by a woman that looked like she'd just stepped down from the throne of some African kingdom. Her posture, her tone of voice, everything about her was regal and powerful. After almost an hour of warming up, we started to move across the floor in small groups, building on our steps as we went. The movements were unlike any I'd done before, but they felt more and more comfortable as the second hour wore on. My pale, bare, high-arched feet took a beating as we bounced and shimmied and jumped our way down the line to the often frenetic beating of the hand drums, but I didn't care (until the next day).

The NY Moment came as the afternoon sun was sending its last rays through the high windows and I looked at the eclectic group of people around me, with nothing in common except for this love of moving to music, and I realized that I was taking a community dance class in New York City! Me! For many days after, I was incredibly sore--I'd moved body parts I hadn't moved in months, maybe years. But I earned every achy muscle and rediscovered that I am, in fact, a dancer.

Small Inspiration

These are some great matchbook covers that really inspire. I especially am drawn to the one with the Badger on it because it reminds me of the children books we used to read of Wind in the Willows.

Eternal reminders

I love this exhibit work by Rankin of 'eyescapes'. They instantly call to mind vast galaxies and endless space; to me an everyday reminder that we are eternal. Such beautiful variety and exquisite detail, reminds us of the supreme creator.

In a fresh air interview on npr Jack White from the White Stripes said this when asked about religion: "I appreciate it, I like looking at life through it. I like being in touch with God. I think that's sort of important. I think when you're a creative person in any kind of art form, once you finally admit to yourself that you can't create like God creates, it humbles you, and then you can be free to explore the beauty of that creativity. When you look at it with God in the picture as well it sort of frees you up."

When asked about his talent: "I see it as an Opportunity. What you do with it is out of respect for those who came before, and God who came before everybody. Look at the creation of the world or the universe . . . anything a human being can create seems to pale in comparison. It feels like out of respect you have to be humble."

Job Update

A Friend's Passing

We love you very much president Hinckley. Thank you for your smile, faith, and service.

Poppin Perks

Probably my favorite part of the show was when the huge curtain came down with this on it.

New Sights

These photos were taken on New Years Eve at the Brooklyn Promenade. What a great view. Just got off at Court Street and walk a few blocks. It was so cold that night though.

Emily got to see her first Broadway show. Before the show we ate out at Ellen's Stardust Diner, the entertainment was grand, but the food was nothing great. Mary Poppins had some great effects but it wasn't the best show ever. It was a great time though with our friends Steven and David.

Job Covered

So God is good.

I had my second interview at HarperCollins last Friday and it went really well. I met with Mary Schuck, who helped design the 2 covers posted here. They gave me a few books to tide me over. Then this week I was offered the job at HarperCollins, we thought and prayed about it, and I accepted.

NYC here we be

So yeah, we haven't posted in ages. If you were thinking maybe they fell off the edge of the earth, nope just the edge of the Verrazano bridge. It's been quite the tale since we kicked off from Provo, and the Lord's hand has guided us along the way. When we left Provo I didn't even have a job in the bag, just a good lead. We packed up the Sentre to the gills and headed off, took a week to drive across the country, visiting family along the way, and when we ended up in Brooklyn, with a few days to find an apartment I had a job at the Moderns.

A slightly condensed version of the story: After a few days of frantic apartment searching that was looking bleak, we miraculously found a place to sub-let for a month while we continued searching. At the end of september, we were offered a place in Sunset Park in Brooklyn (at a very convenient location next to the express N + D) from a LDS guy who was moving to Vegas and sold us his furniture. Em continued to look for work, eventually working through a temp agency. A week or so into Novermber the Moderns let me go. Em got a formal offer for a position at a non-profit mental health clinic, but just this week they called to tell her the funding was canceled. Meanwhile, I am working my heinie off looking for a new job and free lance work while em temps.

Some of Emily's thoughts on the Big Apple: The truth is that I never could have anticipated how hard it would be to move here. I was a little nervous, having never been to the city, but i figured i like LA, i did study-abroad in London, i can do the big apple. i had no idea... And i can't even tell you exactly why it's been so hard. It's not just how big and busy it is here, or how it's stinky and the ppl can be really rude, or being so far from friends and family, or the stress of trying to find work and housing, or adam being gone so much or any one thing. It's like everything put together plus this constant feeling of panic and very little peace of mind. It totally blindsighted me.

In my recent job hunting. I was really excited this week after an interview with a few designers from HarperCollins Publishers. I have a deep love for books, but the great people I interviewed with: Robin Bilardello and Milan Bozic made it all the better. Robin designed the perennial mark and Milan a few books that are in the AIGA gallery (even currently, I stopped by this week). I was really excited after I was leaving of the possibilities of working there. I really think it is what I would love to do seeing how I have a very illustrative style to my design. We will keep you posted.

Summer Livin'

Well just a quick update. Been interning at R[E]D design in Provo. It's been way rad because I have been working with John Petersen and Tyler Bingham. I have learned a bunch. It's helped us save, and in the meantime I have been on a job hunt.

This past week I took a trip to NYC to find work. I had 3 interviews and the rest of my time I spent looking for a place to live. It was fun, and I traveled all over. I hopefully will land a job with one of them, and if not, hopefully will land a job through the connections I have made. NYC here we come.

A tribute

A new day has come and a leaf has been turned. Well it just goes to show you how one day you could be doing great, the next the winds change and you are headed down a new undiscovered road. A very big fan of Templin Brink Design, perhaps even a vocational dream to work there, but plans change. Your work was great Templin, you will live on in 2 color graphics. This is just a tribute.

WARNING! Political diatribe ahead.
Today's NPR headline about Senator McCain's Speech in VA reads, "McCain's Stance on Iraq Weighs Down Campaign." Hmm...Let's just take a look at what he said about the Mess in Iraq:
In speaking about those Democrats who advocate immediate troop withdrawal, McCain said, "They are following a cynical strategy that accepts defeat with no responsiblity for the consequences... It may appear to be the easier course of action, but it is a much more reckless one and it does no credit even if it gives them an advantage in the next election. The judgement of history should be the approval we seek, not the temporary favor of the latest public opinion poll."
Couldn't have said it better myself.
I'm not openly declaring my support for McCain here—in fact, I'd appreciate any posts on opinions about him pro or con—but if this kind of clarity and honesty "weighs" a campaign down, then Heaven help our representative democracy.
—Emily

Adam on the web . . . dun Dun DUN

adammichaeljohnson.com
My new website is finally up. Now people can check out my work. Finally. It could use a bit of usability work, but I will get to that in time. Let me know what you think.