paper cuts

Last Sunday I got a paper cut on my left hand thumb.  It was pretty deep and hurt like the dickens.  I was supposed to play at the Grand America today, but I had to get a sub because I can't play with my left hand thumb because it has a paper cut and makes me cringe anytime I put pressure on it.  How pathetic.  One measly little annoying paper cut is keeping me from performing.  The other day someone asked me if my hands were insured haha.  I'm not sure if that would cover a paper cut though!

Paper cuts are seriously so dumb.  Dustin said that we should get rid of all the paper in the world, and just use iPads for everything.  Maybe, but I still like paper.  As much as I love my iPhone, I like to write in pretty journals, send hand-written notes, and feel paper in books.  When we were dating, sometimes I would leave little folded up love notes for him in random places, like under the windshield wipers of his car.  I still like writing him love notes.  Texts are fine, but there's something special about a hand written love note.

a little happy time

Freezing rain.  Nasty inversion air.  Slow day at work.

Anyone else need a little pick-me-up?  Enjoy.  Also - tomorrow is Friday!

hello 2013

I can't believe we're already well into the new year!  2012 was a good year for us - we had lots of adventures, and lots of changes.  I'm excited to see what this new year has in store for us; it feels like a lot of things are still up in the air right now, but I'm not going to worry about it, and just focus on enjoying the ride.

Some of my resolutions for 2013:
-Get to work on time.  (I live literally 4 minutes away from work, and yet every day I struggle getting there by 9am.  It's pathetic really haha.)
-Create a harp business website.
-Eat more whole foods and at least one piece of fruit a day.
-Pray more.
-Get a cat.  We got a hedgehog instead!
-Be less casual about visiting teaching.
-Save money.
-Take a trip to Hawaii.

"And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been." - Rainer Maria Rilke

nail polish love

Just thought I'd share this!  Zoya is a brand of salon quality nail polish, and right now you can buy three for free!  You just have to pay shipping which is $10.  Normally, each polish is $8 so this is a steal if you're a nail polish lover like me.  Just enter code ZOYA2013 when you check out - going on until January 13th.

I bought these three colors:

Wednesday

Reagan

Melanie
(yes that is the name! basically the only
reason i picked it haha)

les miserables

We saw Les Miserables in theaters a few weeks ago and the music has been playing in my head ever since!  I have always loved the music and I love love loved the movie.  Definitely my favorite movie of 2012.  I thought the actors all did a brilliant job of portraying the raw and stirring emotion that the story tells and the music evokes.  

If you haven't seen it, and aren't familiar with the musical, here's a disclosure: Mr. Harper saw it with me, and he didn't know beforehand that the whole thing is music - hardly any dialogue, which is what I love about it!  But it was a little exhausting for him.  He said that "it felt like every song was the climax of the movie."  Which is kind of true, but seriously that is what makes it so amazing!

FYI all of the vocals were recorded live on set, with just a live piano accompaniment playing in their ear.  And Anne Hathaway's hair was cut live on set when they were doing "I Dreamed a Dream."  I think she should win an academy award just for that performance.  Also, you might not have noticed but there was a ton of harp in the soundtrack!  On about half of the songs, it was the vocalist, and then just harp accompanying them.  The soundtrack was recorded and mixed at Abbey Road Studio in London, and Skaila Kanga was the harpist.  She has done harp on lots of major movies including:  all of the Harry Potter's, Skyfall, The Hobbit, etc.

I have a harp arrangement of "On My Own" that I always play at the Grand America, but the other day I picked up a book of Les Mis piano arrangements, which actually transfer nicely to the harp.  So excited to play all of them at the Grand this week!

do we perceive beauty?

I came across this on my friend Julia's blog and had to share it.  Thinking about all the beauty in this world, that I might just be passing by...

"A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, and continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?" By: Josh Nonnenmoc. ART

back to december

Whew December came and went!  I can't believe we are already into the new year.  Well we were so busy being busy and busy just enjoying ourselves and the holidays and our families that I didn't write a single blog post.  So here's a quick recap. :)

a few girls nights with these beauties!  

lots of harp playing

Hung out with our favorite vivint friends - TJ & Emily!  The girls crafted while the boys played Xbox.

Christmas harp recital with my four students!  I gave them dusting brushes for their harps.  Teaching is such a joy!  Someday when I'm not working full time, I plan on expanding my studio...

Bowling & pizza for Tanner's 16th birthday party! Look at my crazy parents haha.

Our Christmas tree.  My parents got a new fake tree this year, and gave us their old one.  We love free stuff!  It fit perfectly in the corner of our front room.

After one of my gigs.  I accompanied a Methodist choir at their Christmas concert.  Mr. Harper was the ultimate harp mover!  Snow, ice, rain, multiple flights of stairs...nothing he can't handle.  

I finally made it to Trader Joe's!  Let me just tell you that milk chocolate toffee popcorn is DANGEROUS!  I'm restraining myself from going back and buying five more bags.  We're going to try out the mandarin orange chicken tonight.  

A Christmas party I played at - this house had 31 decorated Christmas trees and 19 nativity scenes. After that, I felt fine about not going to the festival of trees.

My old roommate/traveling companion/good friend Michelle got married!  So happy for her - they make a gorgeous couple.

Santa came to {my grandma} Noma's house!  It's hard to recognize him behind the beard and glasses but it's my hubby!  Santa baby!

We had our own little Christmas a few days before the 24th.  We wrapped presents, got some fish tacos from Rubio's, opened our gifts to each other, and watched Home Alone.  Dustin surprised me with a STUNNING sapphire necklace I had been admiring at the mall.  He is the best.  I love spending Christmas with him. We have way too much fun. 

We did Christmas with my family on Christmas Adam because my mom had to fly on the 25th.  We spent Christmas Eve at Dustin's parents.  Such a lovely Christmas and it was fun having both of our brothers home from their missions this year.  

We spent a lot of time at Dustin's parents house between Christmas and New Year's when his family from California was in town.  The Harpers are serious about settlers of cataan and I finally won after being a part of the family for over a year.  So this was a big deal and I definitely did a victory dance.  Dustin was so proud.  :)

We went tubing twice in one weekend!  Once with all of my Hunt cousins, and once with the Harpers.  It was a "kick in the pants" as Dustin would say.  And also freeeezing cold.  

Hope you all had a fantastic December and a lovely Christmas!