Rosmund,

This is Rosmund Pike and me (in which I look like a little cherub: chubby and blushing like crazy).

We met in the summer of 2007 when you were playing Paula Alquist in Gaslight. This afternoon for the Film Noir Festival at the Castro theatre, I saw Ingrid Bergmen’s Oscar-winning performance of that same role (little surprise, Angela Lansbury played Paula's maid). That was the kind of scary movie I could handle... the kind where nothing bad really happens.

Wish you could have been there,
britt

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

Hello heart,

No I know, the other four chambers are “useful” but I like that fifth one. The one where I keep the London park bench, the Scarlet Letter, my family’s canoes, and a few quality people. Today I realized I keep other stuff in there too. I spent the entire day going through discovery, trying to piece together documents. At the end of the day, all the exhibits were labeled, copies were made, originals were filed, and I felt an Einstein quote come through that fifth chamber: Out of clutter, find simplicity. Now I'ma go watch Obama's first State of the Union and play Mormon drinking games.

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

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.
   

Thanksgiving details

As far as Thanksgivings go, this one felt a little dark and twisty. Whatever. As I drove from Roy to Sandy, I was thinking about the things I am most grateful for. Around Woods Cross I remembered that almost everything I love right now an accident of geography.

• My parents moved to Idaho Falls once.
• I came to Brigham Young University.
• I happened to be living in the London center in summer 2007.
• Last fall, I registered for a religion class and wanted to rebound my scriptures.

Now, I’m not going to call it “fate.” I’ve never been one to believe that events in my life were “destined” to happen. But those were the best accidents ever. I’m grateful for those.

past details

In London, every Saturday night, me and Katie and Whitney and Page would walk down to Marks and Spencer's and get 510s. We don't remember what they were actually called, but these teeny cups of brownie and chocolate goodness had 510 calories - so that's what we called them. I love tradition. I love consistency. I love routine. And after two years of reflection, I've decided that those eight Saturday nights make up one of the best traditions of my life.

I tell you this because I just drove to Chilis and picked up a Molten Chocolate Whatever. Ladies and gentlemen, it was a 1270 - and it didn't even come close to filling the 510 void.

time£y detai£

Ever since I lived with my freshman roommate, Kat, I wanted to be one of those people who wore watches like they meant something. And now I have Josh in my life who has exceptionally good taste in watches (including, but not limited to, a Shrek watch that I'm pretty sure came from a cereal box) and I feel inspired to be better. You know.

I own one watch, a graduation present from my dad that I absolutely love, but I can't bring myself to change it from London time. So it really is just something I wear to remind myself I used to live there, as opposed to a device that serves an actual, practical, non-sentimental purpose.

So for my crazy GBP shopping spree, I'm going to start by buying one of these watches. Who am I kidding. I'm going to buy several of these watches. This ultra violet one first.

detai£s

I'm not sure what it is, but the last couple weeks I have won easily £500 million in drawings, lotteries, and give-aways. I have also won package deals to the world cup in South Africa at least four times. And I'm usually annoyed by spam emails. But for whatever reason, I absolutely love getting these. Maybe it's because they're always in pounds and I miss London. Maybe it's because I can't believe people would actually respond to stuff like this. Maybe I just like anything that tells me I'm not a poor college student - even if it's a blatant lie from a stranger who wants to steal my money.

Whatever the reason, I've decided I'm going to use this blog as an outlet for all the stuff I'm planning on buying with my newfound winnings, that keep coming every week. I know what you're thinking, "Britt, that's so shallow. Write about real stuff. Make a difference." Well, you know what? No. I just "won £500,000.00 GBP in Google Online Give-away promotion," and if you don't like my plan, I'll buy new friends.

societal, legal details

One of my favorite blogs is Stuff White People Like. They've actually come out with a book (I bought it for Courtney's birthday) and the subtitle basically sums up the whole philosophy: The Unique Taste of Millions. I subscribed to this blog after browsing through the archives and repeatedly thinking, "Oh my gosh I LOVE ___________!" Be it

• Asian girls - who doesn't love having friends like Sarah and Whitney
  
• Study abroad - have I mentioned I did that in London?...
• Recycling - totally in line with my hippie belief system!
  
• The Ivy League - I went to a meeting with the Dean of Admissions at Harvard Law yesterday...

And in addition to having some great insights into white culture, I really enjoy the writing. I tell ya, Christian Lander really is a funny guy. And as I looked through the list, I realized that as much as I'd like to believe I am a unique individual, I still share the "unique taste of millions."

Anyway, this is all coming up because a few weeks ago, Lander brought to light how much we love unpaid internships. "In most of the world when a person works long hours without pay, it is referred to as 'slavery' or 'forced labor.' For white people this process is referred to as an internship and is considered an essential stage in white development." Well, in white person fashion, I started my unpaid internship last week. I work at Dexter & Dexter and I love it. Right now I'm working with an attorney on getting a blog started for the firm! How great is that? I've already found some really cool legal blogs that I'll have to share with you all later.

personal details

A year ago today, my school term began in London. I had no idea how much fun was coming. Nor could I have guessed that my time there would change me so profoundly. I wish I could explain or describe London, but instead... I just sit here and cry out of gratitude and love for those two months at 27 Palace Court. It was an absolutely singular adventure that I have thought about and missed every day since. To those of you who were so wonderful as to let me be part of your life there, thank you. I love you. I miss you all.

I saw Rod Stewart and his wife at Harrods. I saw Stonehenge. I saw Rosemund Pike after her performance in Gaslight. I'm pretty sure I saw Ashley Simpson at the Topshop on High Street and Kensington. And I saw the only known sample of John Milton's handwriting. I saw so much in London. But more important than everything I saw was the way everyone saw me. Every Sunday afternoon, I would go to a bench in Hyde Park and read Dickens, or Keats, or Austen, or Shakespeare and just let a few hours pass. At 4:00 a priest from the Greek Orthodox Church down the street would walk with his wife past my bench. By mid July, they would smile and wave as they passed. The photo guy at Boots knew my name and always asked what we were reading. Most of the time, he could quote something out of our readings (he had studied English Literature in India before he came to London). The Greek grocer on Moscow road always laughed when I said "Efcharisto" for my yogurt. And I felt like I was part of something. Like I had, of my own volition and desire, made myself a part of their community - and they liked having me there. But even more dear than the wider community was the group of people I came to love as my family. The people in my program saw me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 2 months. They saw it all (and no thanks to the shower doors, some people really saw it all). If I was happy, sad, lonely, or excentric, those beautiful people took all of me and loved me. So more than anything I saw, I was grateful to be seen for who I was. I could be myself, and I was enough.

royal details

This was a street poster in London during World War II. The whole site is great. But, I love this poster for three reasons 1. What a great message 2. It's British 3. It's very pretty. This version comes from England, but I found some others that can be shipped from California.