Cookie Swap

Over the holiday break, a good family friend invited us to a cookie swap. My sister and I joked that we should bring no-bake cookies and my poor mom thought we were serious. Mortified, because this was supposed to be a more "gourmet" event, she suggested that I make my killer oreo truffles. Oreo truffles are basically pieces of chocolate heaven. They will instantly give you the reputation of a professional and successful baker. The best part? You don't actually have to bake anything. 

Here's the recipe:
1 bag of Oreo cookies (normal, no double stuff or any other variation)
8 oz cream cheese (you can do low-fat if it makes you feel better--no one will notice the difference)
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
whatever other toppings you would like (almond bits, coconut, white chocolate, etc)

Crush the entire bag of oreos to smithereens. fold in cream cheese until the entire mixture is brown again. roll into balls and dip into melted chocolate chips. Top with whatever else you'd like. 

It's that simple.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Earrings

Back in 2010, I invested in earring tools and parts so I could make my own earrings. It's been an economical way to give unique gifts over the past two years, and is a hobby I enjoy. Earrings have always been my favorite type of jewelry (and really the only jewelry I wear) and I enjoy making them because they require much less time to design and make than a necklace or bracelet. 20 minutes and I can finish a batch like this: 
(zoom in on your computer screen to see better)
























If you have any other earring ideas, send them my way!

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Once upon a time in my high school days I thought it would be neat to write an elemental book, so I started out with four protectors of the various elements: water, wind, earth and fire. Eventually the fire protector took over the world and the only one who could stop him was the one who had the surprise element--aka could control all of the elements at the same time. As I was telling this story to my roommate, she asked, "are you sure you haven't seen this series?" Now that the semester is over, I finally got to see the first season. They did a way better job than I ever could. This is probably the fifth story idea I've come up with where it's actually already been written. I'm sure I'll come up with something actually original someday, though...

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Christmas Movies

I've seen two new Christmas movies this month: Rise of the Guardians and Arthur Christmas. (Yes, I realize I'm a year behind for the latter.) Of the two, I'd have to say I liked Rise of the Guardians best. I could just relate more to Jack better than I could relate to any of the characters in Arthur. Speaking of, have you ever noticed that Jack is usually the name of a mischievous character who usually only looks out for themselves? There's Jack Sparrow from Pirates, Jack the Giant Killer, Jack-O-Lanterns, etc. 

Oh, and the best part of Rise of the Guardians? The bunny (He's so cute and fluffy I think I'm gonna die!!!):

Anyway, in the spirit of the season I thought I'd include my Christmas movie 'must sees':

1. While You Were Sleeping
2. Elf
3. Home Alone 1
4. Prep and Landing

I could go on, and I'm sure many would argue that other movies should be on the list, but I never claimed it was the ultimate list. Besides, this way you might actually be able to see all of them before Christmas. 

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Keep Holding On

In lieu of finals, I knew that the most important part of studying would be finding the right song to listen to. It had to be inspirational, encouraging, and not too distracting so I can concentrate on reading. 

 The winner: "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne (although I've been listening to the GLEE version). My favorite lines: 
"You're not alone, 
Together we stand,
I'll be by your side you know I'll take your hand...
Keep holding on 
Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through 
Just stay strong 
Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you"

I always heard finals were cutthroat in Law School, but I'm happy to report that I haven't experienced that this semester. As I've gone to study groups and prepped for exams, it's been great to have others teach me concepts and give me study tips. One final down and I hope we can make it through the next two.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

The Attic

One of the few remnants of torture chambers are attics above garages. Think of all the hazards: first, there's the rickety ladder you pull down from the ceiling that folds into itself. Once you get on it, you start to hear all these tell-tale snaps and cracks as you make your way up. 

Then there's the attic itself. No light, except the flashlight you bring with you, or the cracks through a vent in the wall. The attic doesn't technically have a floor (unless you've installed one), so you have to watch your step. Then there's the rusty nails protruding from the ceiling and the layers of dust accumulating on each boxed item. In the summer, it's unbearably hot, and in the winter it's...surprisingly temperate. Must be all that insulation. 

And all the boxes look the same, so you end up checking the same one three times in a row. I will say, I found some random relics. The most useful were the sleds, although I'm sure a doll crib could come in handy at some point. I found my sister's old stuffed animal collection, a bunch of binders from my jr. high and high school years, old VHS tapes that aren't labeled, etc.

My advice to all attic adventurers: be prepared to work muscles that you usually don't use. I found myself in an awkward half standing/ half on my stomach position trying to reach various items. Lunges might been a good warm up to reach things, if you don't think you can trust an uncharted shaky floor. 

Happy History Hunting!
Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Regrets and Resolutions

I regret giving away some of my favorite books back in 2010, when I was sure that I would never read them again after getting back from my mission. WRONG. I miss them. Thankfully I kept my three favorite series (Harry Potter, Chronicles and Narnia, O'Malley) and my sister salvaged several other books. 

But that wasn't all of them. The dumb thing was, I kept some textbooks. WHO DOES THAT? Apparently my parents. I was snooping up in the attic wondering if I could find any of my missing books and lo and behold I find textbooks from the '80s. 

Lesson learned. Save children's books, not textbooks. In light of this revelation, I decided to use Christmas to get my good library back (along with some new additions). So far I've replaced "That's Our Cleo!" and added books by Beverly Cleary and Emily Rhodda. I still have to find "the BFG" and "the Book of Enchantments" but I'm waiting to find a killer deal. Amazon is a good place to go, but usually the price of the book is in the shipping, and I might be so frugal that I want to spend less than $4 a book. We'll see. Deseret Industries has proven to have hidden classics if you're willing to look long enough.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Forgiveness

One of the best speakers we had at the Law School this semester was Darryl Burton. We were given a flyer that explained his situation: "in 1985, in St. louis, MO, Darryl Burton, age 22, was arrested and convicted of Capital Murder and Armed Criminal Action. Darryl spent 24 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. On August 29, 2008 Darryl was exonerated and released." 

What impressed me about Darryl is that his message was one of forgiveness. He talked about the years he spent angry for being wrongfully convicted and how through the Atonement and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, a man who was also wrongfully convicted, Darryl was able to forgive those who were responsible for sending him to prison. 

This lecture has stuck with me through the rest of the semester. Forgiveness isn't easy, but it isn't impossible. I'm grateful for those who set an example and testify of the peace they feel after they forgive. 

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Love Surreal

So there's this movie called "Everything You Want" (aka Love Surreal) that is one of my favorites. Number one, it was filmed in Utah (although they never mention it). Number two, it's got one of the quirkiest side characters ever named Cal (who is also Eric from Boy Meets World). Number three, it discusses how most people have an idealized standard of their 'soul mate' and how it never really works out like that. 

My favorite quotes:

Cal (sidekick)- "Take it from somebody who's been committed. You gotta let love take care of itself."

Quinn (male lead)- "That makes about as much sense as a kamakazi pilot wearing a helmet"

Cal- "Just because someone is a practicing kamakazi pilot does not mean that they shouldn't follow basic safety measures"

Quinn- "Kamakazis commit suicide, Cal"

Cal- "Yeah, they understand commitment!"

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Killer UNO

One of our family favorites is a little game called "Killer UNO." Here's how it goes:

1. you get a stack of normal UNO cards
2. read the directions
3. add the following exceptions:
1. cheating is allowed if you can get away with it
2. you may stack draw 2's on draw 2's, adding up until someone runs out
3. you may stack draw 4's under the same rule
4. a zero means that you can trade hands with anyone you want
5. if you have the same color and number card in your hand that was just played, you may "match" out of turn
6. if someone forgets to say "UNO" when they have one card left, you can say "UNO" for them and they have to draw 2 extra cards
7. victory dances are encouraged at the end of each round
8. to keep family unity, remember that all relationships end at the table and after the game you can pick them up where you left off with no hard feelings

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Famous Counterparts

I was recently asked about my opinion on a book titled "Rebecca." My friend indicated that a five paragraph response was acceptable. Below is my answer:

Dear Cameo,
If you are referring to the novel "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier, I was informed by several fellow English students my senior year of high school that it was one of the most horrible books they've ever read, and that I should never read it. This, of course, prompted me to read the wikipedia plot synopsis. I heartily agree with my esteemed peers—it is an awful story. Mostly because Rebecca is the antagonist.

I was hoping, however, that when you wrote “Rebecca” you were merely shortening the title “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” a story that I enjoy very much, mostly because it later became a movie starring Shirley Temple. If you like Anne of Green Gables, you’ll like Rebecca of Sunnybrook. Also, Rebecca possesses similar qualities to myself (imaginative, loves to write, etc).

Of course, you could also have been referring to Rebecca from the American Girl doll series. She is described as “a lively girl with a dramatic flair” who, being part of the above mentioned franchise, is naturally inclined to raise money for the poor and needy and support her family, despite her age. While I believe that I would be good friends with this Rebecca were she a real person, we are not at all similar: she is a 9 year old Jewish immigrant from Russia living in New York City in 1914.

One of the greatest battles of my life has been helping people spell my name correctly. On this assumption, you are referring to the fictional rendition of the biblical story, Rebekah, by Orson Scott Card. Although I haven’t read the book, I already know the ending, and I am pleased that it is a happy one. This was the Rebekah I was named after, mostly because my parents said I was energetic as a child, and I could probably fetch enough water for a dozen camels (incidentally, have you ever thought about how long that would take with a measly pitcher? Those camels have hump water storage and everything!!)

While there are many characters and books titled "Rebecca", I am relieved to know that I do not have to live up to or live down the reputation of any of them. However, if I had to pick, it would be the REAL Rebekah-who actually lived thousands of years ago, and chose to follow God.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Welcome

Once upon a time, in 2010, I started a blog. I think I put up about 3 posts. Mostly, I hated it. Why, you ask? The domain name. In a moment of pure insanity, I decided the IP address should be "defy labels". Then, if that wasn't confusing enough, the actual title of the blog was "i dream in fairytales". I was supposed to post various short stories or excerpts from chapters I was writing, but I always felt pressured to have each post defy some sort of label. And who needs that extra stress? 

So, in preparation for 2013, I created a new blog. I hope you like it. You can expect book reviews, movie reviews, my various musings, and anything else I feel like posting. While there may be some journal-like posts, it won't necessarily track my day to day life. I'll try my best to post visual aides, due to the fact that I strongly belief in the idiom "a picture says 1000 words."

In the interest of introducing the blog properly, I offer the following background information:

• I hope to publish at least one book in my lifetime. I wouldn't mind if I won an award for that book. So far, I have several options in mind, none actually written.
• I am a First Year Law Student.
• I served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to the Dominican Republic, which might be the topic of several posts in the future.

Other information will come with time, but I write these in particular so I don't have to repeat them later on. 

Rhetorically,
Rebekah