TX correspondent

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, at least to some that is.

A form of beauty, a form of art, makeup can be so much more than what you watched your mom put on before she'd go out for the day. And is it a skill? Is it a talent? Or is it the mind?

The face is a blank canvas. The makeup is your paint, and you are the artist. Now to create the works of art, do you have to be Michelangelo or can you be a child with a dream? To me, makeup -- special effects makeup -- can show a new world to those who see it.

"Now, easier than ever before!"

How many times have you heard that phrase? What about, "Come on, it's easy," or "There's never been anything easier!"

And it's true, in today's society many things are easier than ever before. People are continually inventing new products and technologies to make our lives "easier," nifty inventions like pre-shredded cheese, retractable Sharpie markers, smart boards and the express lane on the freeway.

My parents had to check out books in the library to write research papers. I flip on the computer and plug in a search word.

The Cinco de Mayo Concert at the Great Saltair featured two stages, one indoors and one outside, so at almost any point in the concert you could walk in or out of Saltair and hear a different band.

The stage inside featured Drowning Men, Middle Class Rut and Flogging Molly, while the outdoor stage featured Brogan Kelby, New Medicine, Drive A, 10 years and -- the band I came to see -- Hollywood Undead.

As a concert venue, the Great Saltair has an interesting past, opening its doors for the first time in 1893.

Brows furrowed in concentration, pencils poised to fill in bubble sheets, test booklets open to the first page.

Is this your typical high school pop quiz? You wish. It's actually the ACT, the standardized test most colleges and universities in the western United States require of potential students.

Most kids take the ACT their junior or senior year of high school, and the great thing is you can take this test as many times as you want till you get the score you're aiming for.

But you could take the ACT 20 times and get the same score, right?

After months of training, the day of my half marathon had arrived.

I'm not quite sure how to describe my exact emotions but I was beyond excited. A long time ago, I wrote a goal list of things to do with my life like graduate from college, get married, watch all the Harry Potter movies without a break -- and run a half marathon.

Yet I never really thought I could do the race. I didn't think I was brave enough, strong enough or determined enough. Well, I guess it's safe to say I proved myself wrong.

The April morning dawned dreary and rainy.

Prom: Annual high school dance big on tradition

When many teenagers hear the word "tradition," Thanksgiving at Grandma's or history class comes to mind, not prom. However, the one-night dance party has a surprisingly cultural past.

Originating in the early 19th century, prom was a form of a debutante ball. Wealthy families would host extravagant parties for their young as a way of introducing them to society, a coming of age of sorts. Guests would arrive by carriage, dressed in their finest apparel, eager to partake in the buzzing atmosphere of the social gathering.

When is a restaurant not a restaurant? If you're a "foodie," it's when your next meal is part of the food-truck revolution.

Let's differentiate the various types of street-food vendors; there are your small mobile carts -- think taco or hot dog cart; there are seasonal stands, like snow cones, chestnuts or fruit stands; there are booths, like at farmer's markets; and, finally, up the proverbial food chain, there is a food truck.