to the universe:

picture from my aunt cari 

I am most thankful for:

• my family. 
• a flight back to san francisco with a travel buddy (for the first time in like seven years).
• the best travel buddy ever.
• pie.
• the people I go to school with.
• the little girl playing the ukulele in the Oakland airport this week.
• being half-way finished with law school in three weeks.
• Caltrain.
• Birthdays and birthday parties.
• the internet.

to Winter-

today's favorite rain music, though Norah has been my favorite since I was 14.

You are different in San Francisco than you were in Utah and Idaho. For the last few days it's been 50 degrees, and it has rained almost constantly. I've been trying to think positively about a lot of things (I'm looking at you, new workout plan), and these are some things I've liked about you this year:

• Soup - Amy's Kitchen and the soups on campus
• The sunny days
• Waking up/falling asleep to the sound of rain against my windows
• Thunder
• Good "oh, it's raining" music
• Nestling in bed
• Rain boots
• Goals
• Layers
• Hot chocolate
• Dark nights
• Coming home
• Going home
• Visitors

britt

Dear 2010

picture of my brother lighting New Years bottle rockets.

You and I, we took on a lot.

Wounds I thought had healed, reopened.
Scars I'd hoped were permanent, faded.
Then some new scrapes
and band aids.

Law school.

A Kafkaesque romantic history in which we discovered that I
was actually the author of the (senseless)(menacing) complexity
And I felt like a lady.

We called six cities across the country "home."

Sometimes I got what I wanted/needed/deserved.

So many republicans.
So much (but not enough)
about contract law.

And thank you for all of that.
Here's to fresh starts
moving on
clean hands
blank slates
And taking root
settling down
staying put.

miss you already

britt

Professor Dumbledore,

This is me and Whitney on my bed in London reading the last Harry Potter book (which came out while we were there) oh SO many memories just came rushing back to me! We had a really strict Code of Silence policy where nobody was allowed to talk about the book anywhere in the Center. And reading in St. James park. And crying when (spoiler) Doby died. Best Summer Ever.

Last year my friends from London put together a little book of things that made us happy, I've been reading through that book this week because I'm in the middle of my exams, and I still really love law school, but woah this is hard. And still have not seen the Harry Potter movie... but I've been thinking of something you said in the Prizoner of Azkaban: Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light. So here's a list of things that always make me happy, without fail, no matter how dark things feel.

1. Rainstorms, a friend, and nowhere to go
2. A good book and time to read it
3. LARPers in the Medieval Club
4. That silence between kisses
5. Something to dress up for
6. Live music and theatre
7. Eating together
8. Anticipation
   
9. My family
10. Prayer

love you, miss you,
britt

little Brittney,

We don't really get "the fall" in the Bay Area, so I loved this text that my mom sent me of the Aspens (my favorite tree) in front of our house.

One of my favorite Mark Twain quotes is, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." You'll read it next semester in Dr. Hickman's class. And while we're on the subject of your Sophomore year, I might as well tell you: it will not be awesome. Anyway, I just started law school, and my life "rhymes" with yours in the following (internet appropriate) ways:

• Homework all the time: 21 credits of a new major then, first year law student now
• Ross, Joey, Chandler, Phoebe, Rachel, and Monica are my best friends.
• Love my classes – even though I’m working way too hard
• A roommate obsessed with Korean soap operas
• Another brother about to go on a mission
• A frighteningly similar dating pattern
• A close friend from Sunnyvale
• Video chats and g-chat
• Accutane
• No car

Those things (and a few others) create an interesting rhyme scheme. It's kind of eerie, like Poe's "Telltale Heart," or Spears' "Baby One More Time." I think the similarities would freak me out if I wasn't so happy here. The good news is, and hear this on every level, as not awesome as your life is now, I'm doing it better this time around. It's awesome.

britt

contracts class -

This weekend I read my Contracts homework at the beach because it seemed like an awesome idea. As it turns out, reading your Contracts homework at the beach IS an awesome idea.

These are the reasons I love you:

• You are so easy to understand.
• Your rules make sense.
• My professor is hilarious.
• He reminds me of someone who made me happy before law school.
• My book is brand new, so everything in it is mine: no crazy, drunken, color-coded highlighting, no odd comments or phone numbers in the margins. It's just mine.
• Everyday in class there's a metaphor for the way we should interact/communicate in non-contractual contexts.
• no cold calling
• He gave us the way to brief, so "surprise" questions actually help me feel like I'm getting into substantive law.
  
• iClicker questions
• Classes are only an hour.
• It's the best hour of my week.

love,
britt

to all airlines everywhere -

New Zealand Air has a new cuddle class for couples and families with with small children.

I’m flying back to DC this weekend, and I've realized that our family vacation to Hawaii in August 2005 was the last time I flew with someone else. Since that flight, I think I’ve flown sixteen times – by myself.

SLC-Portland, Idaho Falls-London, London-Greece, Greece-London, London-Idaho Falls, SLC-Spokane, Spokane-SLC, SLC-Vancouver, Vancouver-SLC, SLC-LA, LA-SLC,Idaho Falls-DC, DC-SLC, SLC-DC, DC-Idaho Falls, SLC-DC, DC-???

Some people like flying solo, but not me. Would I rather stay home? No. I’m glad I took every single one of those flights, and I know I've been lucky to do all that traveling. But the next time I fly, whenever that is, or wherever I’m going, if it’s all right, I’d like someone to come along.

see what you can do,
britt

Becca -

My favorite list in the exhibit: 12 things Eero Saarinen noticed about his wife, Alice. Sorry for the crappy "Archives of American Art" stamp. Try to read around it...

I'm glad we share a love of compulsive list writing, and I’ve been meaning to go to that List exhibit – it was on my “too see” sheet of paper. In the exhibit, apart from the prosaic grocery and to-do lists, I liked the lists that showed the artists’ humanity. I loved Hans Hofmann’s lecture notes, H.L. Mencken’s biography suggestions to Charles Green Shaw, and Janice Lowry’s “50 people I need to forgive.” Apparently, I make millions of lists because it creates the illusion of control and triumph in what otherwise feels like a chaotic and unaccomplished life. But a list of scriptures about loving my neighbor, a list of volunteer programs for Thursday nights, a list of important addresses, those lists really mean something to me – but I hadn’t realized it until I spent an hour in the teeny exhibit room, so, Becca, thanks for the suggestion.

love,
britt

to March Ninth,

blurry picture of the space right next to my bed. a magnet of the cherry blossoms, a Max Wagner postcard from Whitney, a quote I found in the bookstore my freshman year, and a calendar where I cross out the days until I am back home. 42.

Things I loved about you:

• You are not March Eighth, or any of the previous days in March for that matter.
• The perfectly warm and sunny weather
• My family
• General Tsao’s Chicken
• My fortune cookie promised that my "life will be happy and peaceful."
• Having a book I love so much that I get excited about free time
• Running into Eric in the Dirksen Senate Office Building and having him say, "this badge is cool, see?" and then getting into a random hippie reception for... something about mountains...?
  
• There was free food.
• Going to a briefing with a senator who believes in the practicality of being a businessman
• Jen Lee
• Getting a letter, emails, and a voice mail that all say, “Britt, I love you."
• My big red blanket from Esther
  

Brigham Young University -

to spare you all another self portrait, I'm supplying the only picture on my computer where I am wearing BYU paraphernalia. we're playing volleyball over at Helaman, summer 2009.

Most of my fellow interns are mailing you their ecclesiastical endorsements this week. I got to thinking about how I don’t have to fill those out anymore, and how next fall, incredibly, classes in Provo will resume without me. Then I got to thinking about classes I loved so much I would take them over again. For example (in order of appearance):

1. Social Problems with Dr. Kim Holland, Sociology 112
2. Philosophy of Food with Dr. James Faulcner, Philosophy 4something
3. Literary Theory and Criticism with Master Raj Chetty, English 291
4. Nick Mason's British literature class in London, English 3something
5. Latino/a American Literature with Dr. Trent Hickman, English 384

Thanks for those,
britt

to self:

on a completely unrelated note, I wish this was my bedroom right now. especially those sheets. I wish those were mine. I am convinced that I would spend more time sleeping if this was my bed.

1. Get to bed progressively earlier - For example, Sunday was 7:00, Monday was 4:00, Tuesday was 3:45, tonight will be BEFORE 3:45. And that pattern should continue until you have established a respectable, reasonable, normal, healthy bedtime.
2. Be kind
3. Start letting it go - Whatever it is, whenever it comes up, think about it, figure it out, and then stop thinking about it. You can't possibly worry about everything all at once, so stop trying. law school? summer job? uncertainty? fear? perfection? disappointment? anxiety? deal with it and let it go.
   

Dear Brittney,

I was a teeny bit late to church today, so I had to take the metro by myself... in lieu of the regular commuting-to-church conversation, I snapped this picture of my shoes.

You weren’t really at the top of your game last week. I get it. You start the week feeling like you’d been hit by a train (sore throat, snot face, and achy all the time), and by Friday, even though you were starting to feel conscious and presentable, the week was already ruined. It’s fine; I let you have that. But, you know, “on such a full sea” and all that. In addition to your work responsibilities, your research design, and making dinner for twelve, I need you to do a couple other things.

Take the current:

1. Shave daily.
2. Lights off before 1:00.
3. Finish reading Luke.
4. Quit talking smack.
5. Invade Philippi

take care,
Brutus

to self:

magical salted caramel cupcake that IS ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH JANUARY. I am very upset by this news.

Maybe it was a little crazy of you to return to Georgetown Cupcakes less than 24 hours after your inaugural visit. Maybe it was irresponsible to go out and buy postcards instead of food during your lunch break. Maybe you have some stuff to work on...

Goals for the next seven days:

1. stop being so negative. be positive.
2. OMG GO TO SLEEP BEFORE 2:00 at least ONCE
3. read the front page of the Washington Post every day this week

do your best,
britt

Dear Ashley, Hilary, Sean, and especially Whitney and Coryn,

Thank you for sharing ten things that make you extremely, ecstatically happy. The photographs are stunning, the book is beautifully crafted, and the Professor Dumbledore quote is perfection. Oh, and then there were your lists; I laughed, cried, felt the spirit, and wanted to be a better person. Then I wanted to slightly revise my original list. I tried to think of things that made me happy even on the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.

1. People in the Medieval Club
2. Summer 2007
3. A blanket, a few good books, and time to read them
4. Eating together
5. Prayer
6. Traveling with friends
7. Thunder
8. My family
9. Live music and theatre
10. That silence between kisses

ashley, hilary, sean, whitney, coryn, and all my other "Pepys," I wouldn't be the same without you. Thank you.

britt

Dear Santa,

(rad vintage postcard)

I know it's kind of last minute, but I was thinking about "the perfect gift" you could bring me for Christmas. Writing these kinds of letters was easier when all I wanted was my very own copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Now I want other, more complicated things.

• Could you do my law school applications?
• Could you unpack all my college stuff and then repack the right stuff into a suitcase?
• Could you give a few key people weekend flights to DC? Beginning with a California-DC flight for New Years?
• Could you make my morning insecurities go away?
• Could you bring me the way Christmas Eve used to feel? Magical. Restless. Innocent.

I supposed in the absence of all that, I would really love a pair of fancy shoes.

Thanks for everything,

britt

One time I went to London for the summer, and I wrote home a grand total of four times (including emails) and I can only remember calling twice. That may be one of my only regrets from that summer... it was selfish, and inconsiderate, and I'm sorry I did it.

Now I'm spending four months in DC for a legal internship. Anyway, this time around I'm going to be better. I'll be sending emails and calling to keep in touch. But I'm also going to use this blog as a place to upload photos for my friends and family to see (If you're not my friends or family, this may become a less meaningful experience for you, but whatever). Changes:

1. The concept behind each post will be a postcard. I'll include a picture and a letter that would fit on the back of a postcard (max 150 words). I'm doing this because I think it will be a creative challenge, moderately low maintenance, and vaguely interesting.
2. I'm not changing my .com, but I'm changing the title of my blog from "in the details" to "p.s. please send candies." Because the Beatles, Hilary Swank, and Bath and Body Works already took, "p.s. I love you."
   
3. I'm going to post everyday. I'm slightly concerned that you will become overwhelmed or bored with that. That you'll say, "Do I really want to hear from you everyday? No..." I'm also slightly concerned that I'm all talk, and I'll only post semi-regularly. But it's a good goal for me.
4. oh, and the page looks different. I am especially excited about the header.
   

5:00 details

On Tuesdays at 5:00 I am registered to be in three classes:

1. Student Advisory Council
2. International Politics
3. and my Washington Seminar class.

On Thursdays at 5:00 I am registered to be in four classes:

1. Student Advisory Council
2. International Politics
3. my Washington Seminar class
4. and my Political Inquiry lab.

I am like Hermione Granger, but without the Time Turner, or Emma Watson's insane good looks.

wordless details

let yourself feel. from Esteban Diácono on Vimeo.

Amazing animation by Esteban Diacono, and how much do we absolutely adore the title, "Let Yourself Feel"? The music is by Olafur Arnalds. Obviously, the English major loves pretty words, and I have a soft spot for ingenious lyrics, but 9 out of my top 25 most played on iTunes are instrumental songs:

• Theme from Schindler's List - John Williams
• Stella's Theme - William Joseph
  
• Remember - from You've Got Mail
  
• The Secret Life of Daydreams - from Pride and Prejudice
  
• Sabrina Remembers/La Vie en Rose - from Sabrina
  
• Nocturne in C# Minor - Chopin
  
• Grant Me an Interview- from Sense and Sensibility
• Dawn - still Pride and Prejudice
  
• Stars and Butterflies - also from Pride and Prejudice
  

{via my favorite blog: swissmiss}

non-creepy, non-awful, non-scary details

Anyone who has lived with me, or has been around me in "nature," already knows I'm afraid of any living thing with antenna, more than five legs, or flying abilities - and I'm not talking about any conventional kind of "fear" here. For example, one Sunday morning there was a spider in my bed, and I screamed like there was a crazy killer in my room, and frantically flipped over my king-size mattress, crying, sweating, and shaking, looking for what eventually came to be known as the Godfather Spider. When I did find him, my roommates had already left for church, and I couldn't squish him by myself. So I covered him with a cup and ran to the bathroom and threw up. That, my friends, is just one sad sad story. Similar stories can be told about ants and flies. But I'm trying to not let fear control my life... and in my attempts to be better I decided to make a list of bugs that don't fill me with anxiety. So here is a complete and accurate list of little crawly things I am not afraid of:

• those little rolly polly bugs
• ladybugs
  
• monarch butterflies
• grasshoppers

spring details

image via {frolic}

things I love this spring:

• the smell of lilacs
• playing frisbee
• canoeing with my dad
• vintage stamps
• omg.  the star trek movie
• broadway musicals
• reading whatever I want
• reading whatever I want in a hammock

yes, I really am quite happy.