Diet Coke, Lite Ice

Dear Gap...

2010-08-25T12:34:00.003-06:00

Please start making your children's line in my size...
I swear this happens to me constantly I always want the clothing they are selling at the Gap Kids ~why?!?

All Alone...

2010-08-23T15:17:00.004-06:00

A couple of years ago I took a quick road trip home for the weekend and as I drive that familiar strip of highway I like to get caught up on my This American Life podcast it keeps me company and is usually a good idea. Here is the problem though ~This American Life has a way of staying with you and on this particular drive I listened to the episode called Home Alone and it has stayed with me ever since.
The exact story from Home Alone is Act I. Plot Without A Story that was too much for me. It is the story of the unclaimed dead of L.A. County. It is heart breaking to hear about these people who die not only alone but that no one notices that they are gone so they become the unclaimed dead. L.A. County has about 3000 people a year who end up this way. The county investigates who the next of kin is and they say the thing that come up time and time again when they go to the homes of these people is the amount of stuff they own. They will have so many things in thier home you can't tell where there is furniture or find anything more than a small path from the door to the place where they like to hang out in the house. They fill their lives with things because they don't have people in their lives. Most of these cases go unsolved the individuals are cremated and buried in a group plot designated by the year they died. I cried when I heard this for the first time and freaked out so badly that my father had to convice me that this would not be my fate that I had family and there is no way this would be me, I would be taken care of.
I moved this last weekend and everything I own is in boxes spread around my new apartment I am surrounded by things and am living there all alone. I am debilitated by fear ~I am so depressed. I have cried more this weekend than I care to admit to. I can't even face the idea of unpacking which oddly enough is the one thing I know would fix the problem.
So this week I will remind myself I am not alone I have family and friends I am okay. I have plans almost every night this week to hang out with people, I am busy, I am loved and I am looked after. Also if I die someone will take care of me and most likely begrudging would go through my things and take care of them too. So starting tonight I will unpack my things and purge as much as possible but I will not let it take away from time spent with people because even though I have way too much stuff I have just the right amount of friends and family in my life.

Breton Update

2010-07-16T10:50:00.002-06:00

Okay because I know you are dying to know~

I went with the LL Bean Brenton Striped Shirt ~did you know they were referred to as Brenton Striped Shirts ~I didn't until now that I am sporting mine but really not so much because it is a little warm for the thick 3/4 length sleeve shirt right now.
I purchased both the land's end one and ll bean one invited my friend marce over and had her give me her two cents worth. ~i liked the stitching better on the land's end but the ll bean had a much more flattering fit ~so i went with it.

Expect to see me on a cool summer morning sporting my brenton look that will be awesome sort of like this...

World Cup it's a big drink right?

2010-07-08T23:20:00.004-06:00

Okay so if the Netherlands wins on Sunday I will win the office pool!!!
I am so excited about this possibility I am taking no chances~
I will be wearing orange everyday until we win the game~
On Sunday I will be eating dutch babies for breakfast~
And most importantly I have a good luck charm ~my favorite Dutch baby Mac-a-doodle!

Isn't she a good sport to play along with her aunt!
If you want to play along too you can make Dutch Babies for breakfast too~

A little French

2010-06-22T22:48:00.005-06:00

Okay I want one of those shirts that looks like a french sailor shirt of sorts ~which one should I get?

This one is from the Land's End Canvas collection.

This one is from the LL Bean Signature line ~the also have some really cute madras stuff.

This one is from LL Bean the regular line not the fancy signature line.

This one is from the regular Land's End line ~too.

Okay does anyone want to weigh in on this one for me?

in case you aren't coming along...

2010-05-04T09:35:00.004-06:00

So in prepping for my trip (nine days yeah!) I picked up tickets to see the Lady Liberty last night ~I have been to the NYC several times and have never made it out to see her (does the staten island ferry count?) Just so you don't feel left out I found this video that will show you exactly what it will be like...

Also I made reservations for this place...

coming along...

2010-05-03T00:02:00.004-06:00

Okay so last April I did a couple of posts on unfinished project hoping it would inspire me to finish them and it helped a little.

So the sixth project I shared was a dress for Fi.

And some how I was blessed enough that yeah it still fit her last year at the end of the summer when I got around to finishing it and sending it to her.

The question is... will it fit this summer?

I just don't get it...

2010-05-02T00:23:00.004-06:00

I have tried ~more than once so it really does count. How on earth do people like cucumbers? I was blog surfing today and came along a post with the pretties picture of a cucumber sandwich you can imagine and part of me thought for five seconds "wouldn't that be lovely" and then I remembered cucumbers are evil. I have friends who love them, they enjoy them in sandwiches, salads, sushi I have one friend that loves them in water and I will admit that it does give the water a fresh coolness to it ~but i'm not one for water either so the cucumbers don't help. On study abroad every week for our field trip they were packed in our lunch along with a tomato and all I could think was if the world was good and right cucumbers would be bacon. I don't even like them in my lotion ~and that is only a sent and not a flavor. Only in the last year have I finally admitted defeat and now will eat the cucumbers that sneak their way into my salad or wasatch roll at sushi. I hope you're happy cucumber ~evil spawn vegetable.

Gut lover...

2010-04-19T22:40:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I was hanging out with one of my nephews trying to trick, him into bed.
When I was tucking him in I asked my standard aunt question, "who loves you?"
He told me his Uncle Patrick.
"What about me?"
I was informed that "You only love my guts."
~it's kind of true I do always tell him I love his guts.

Oh and sometimes your sandwich is a mustache!

planing plans...

2010-04-06T00:17:00.004-06:00

I miss traveling ~don't feel too bad for me i have been to some amazing places and I have some lovely trips planed that I may get around to taking. Plus most of the time when i get out of town I get to go to my favorite place ~which isn't rome it's boise, i am a homebody and no where is better home. I have plans though and I am a huge fan of a little something that keeps those plans in my head ~so to remind me to get out of town and get traveling this last christmas with a little help from my mom and little something i got myself I wear this necklace in hopes that it works for me...

It's a little globe and a st. christophers medal ~he's the patron saint of travelers and I have high hopes that I will need a map to get around and little something extra looking out for me.

I guess we'll see...

Because it's all about the Irish today...

2010-03-17T13:03:00.002-06:00

you know a girl can dream & sometimes it is kind of like this...

A lovely place to be...

2010-02-08T00:33:00.002-07:00

Okay so my house looks like some sort of terrorism might have taken place ~maybe a robbery that somehow included a lot of baking ~it's hard to say at this point. This of course is what happens after on a whim last weekend I decide to work on a sewing project then have to literally drop it on my sofa when I come to the realization that I have one of my busiest weeks of the year at work this week and I am short on yardage ~argh. I then spend the entire week neglecting the house then on Thursday I realize laundry can only be ignored for so long before it become more of a do or die situation but who has time to put it all away (i'm just so grateful it's clean.) So when I survive Friday what do I do on Saturday ~hang out with friends that have been neglected instead of my house and then today what do I do to unwind ~I baked three key lime pies, a batch of rolls, bacon wrapped water chestnut and made chicken kiev for dinner.
You know what I don't even care about the mess though I love the way garlic and butter baking in my oven for 40 minutes has made my house smell lovely as I am headed to bed with dishes in the sink.

Sunday in the sun...

2010-01-10T22:51:00.002-07:00

I am currently on my computer checking my e-mails and finishing up some Sunday business before I head into the week and I have currently playing on my itunes my "classical" mix which really should be categorized as orchestral ~some of it is isn't very classic but it is all orchestral. I love listening to classical music on Sundays it is an odd habit that my dad lovingly bestowed upon us children. "Sundays are for classical music" and that is what played on the stereo system in the house on Sunday ~mainly it was Minnesota Public Radio Sunday Music Concert Hall and sometimes it was an album. I have a love of orchestral music ~something I thought all people had until I was 17 when I was totally gobsmacked to find out my friend Joel thought it was total rubbish and never listened to it ~my response was "What do you listen to on Sunday?"
I can't name a single composer listening to their work outside of Aaron Copland my favorite ~I know I really enjoy Russian composers. I miss not going to the symphony every month like I did all through High School ~it was where I volunteered to have perfectly lovely college applications. And just like my sister Noellie I miss that sunny spot on the carpet that had its own smell and was lovely and warm where the sun shone down on it every Sunday afternoon where you would read the funnies and listen to classical music because that's what Sundays were for.

a new decade you have got to be kidding me...

2010-01-02T11:40:00.002-07:00

Okay in all honesty the last couple of weeks when the radio or internet was talking about something or other of the last decade I thought they were mistaken. I can't believe it has been ten years since Y2K ~oh i loved Y2K. I rang the new year in that year down on the nations mall with some random friends I couldn't name beyond my roommate Becky if my life depended on it.
I can tell you this though~ If you had told me what the next ten years would bring I would have laid down and let the crowd trample me to death. So what have I learned in the last ten year ~you can live through things you never wanted to, you are often more prepared than you think for life's challenges and yes you are stronger and smarter in your thirties than you twenties, but with that come more cynicism and fiercer independence, life is full of opportunities and failures. Ten years ago what mattered to me most is gone and I am grateful that what matters most to me now is much more real.
I can't even let myself ponder about what the next ten years might bring for fear that I will wonder into the mountains and let myself freeze to death before I even think about facing it. I will remind myself that ~I can live through things I never wanted to, I am often more prepared than I think I am, I have so much more to learn and strength to gain, cynicism to loose and independence to shed, opportunities to embrace and failures to learn from and most of all one thing that makes it all worthwhile ~love to give.

Dinner Party

2009-12-11T23:22:00.002-07:00

Last night I had a couple of people over for dinner ~
I never cook anymore so this was a huge treat for me to get to spend some quality time in the kitchen doing something I love. ~Plus I used my new Christmas china which was totally the icing.
Here is the menu for those of you who couldn't make it ~just so you know I wish you had been here.

Baby Spinach with, Honey Almonds, Pomegranate and Orange Slivers served with poppy seed dressing.
Pork Medallions with Orange Sauce
Balsamic Roasted Asparagus
Potatoes Au Gratin with Gruyere

I also made the worlds worst Pot du Creme for dessert ~I had to throw them out. So one of the guests saved my bacon a brought a pie ~pie is my favorite.

Only 35 days left...

2009-11-19T21:55:00.002-07:00

I know all of my ten blog readers have been dying for me to finally get around to writing my annual Christmas list post so I will ask you to wait no longer...

I love this bird ornament from the CB2 ~it is just so chubby and silver and it would look great on a red tinsel tree (you know the one I have.)

I also am requesting quite a few pieces to add to my jewelry collection. I really want a 1mm ball chain 24" long they are just so darn tooten cute. Then to hang on said chain I need things like this little number from dogeared ~I am a huge fan of their stuff in general and this little world specifically.

Also I need this ~I was always told that you can never have too many friends and well diamonds are a girls best friend so I will need a ring that looks just like this.

Oh and I really think this is a good idea too if you are also looking to fill my high end needs. I have my mothers original kitchenaid that I love love love love love. It is avocado green ~it went perfectly in her kitchen 30 years ago when it was purchased. ~Now that I have seen this I can't help but want it all for my very own. I know that glass bowl will be ridiculous to work with heavy beyond belief and having two kitchenaids is just silly ~it isn't like having two stove burners ~but i can't help it

I also want a book on making bread called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. A giant maglite that I could use as a weapon and as a tool to light up a dark night. The OPI I'm wishing for Red mini nail color set from the holiday line.
Oh yeah and world peace too.

10,000 Hours

2009-11-13T23:07:00.002-07:00

My Mom is extremely helpful ~she can't help herself and it is appreciated. So I am grateful when she passes along talents or words of wisdom. This week she e-mailed me an essay she had come across in the Fall '09 Humanities at BYU it's called "The Entitlement of Easiness" by John R. Rosenberg. The really interesting part is this, described by neurologist Daniel Levitan:
In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice-skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals . . . this number comes up again and again. Ten thousand hours is equivalent to roughly three hours a day, or 20 hours a week, of practice over 10 years. . . . No one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery.
I can't help but wonder what I have spent that kind of time on, sleep, watching tv? I may be there with a couple of other things, sewing (although I am far from mastering it,) I think consistency must play some sort of roll.
It made me think of something else I have had rolling around in my head all month. How much I love my little brother ~which I know may seem odd but hear me out. The Rayger had a crummy month and it truly broke my heart to see him go through this. For the record it should be known that I hated him for so long ~he was a pest, he was a little brother. He didn't do anything extraordinarily awful outside of the realm of little brothers, he touched my stuff, I had to share a room, treats, tv time, the bench seat in the van, and my parents attention with him ~major annoyances like that. The reasons for hating him were nothing special and I have racked my brain and the reasons I love him are much the same, he shares my eclectic taste in music, food, driving, doing things our way (the right way,) he loves home too (who couldn't,) and he lets me mess with his squishy ears even though it makes him crazy ~nothing earth shattering.
So when mom sent that article and it talked about those 10,000 hours I can't help but think time was what it was about. All those dinners we ate together, family nights we complained about, movies watched, the road trips we fought on, all of that time I resisted and thought was wasted made all of the difference and I am so grateful.
So thanks mom I am grateful for the article and more importantly I appreciate the time you sacrificed making me hang out with the family so I could love them so much more than I ever thought was possible.

My worst nightmare...

2009-11-11T10:34:00.002-07:00

Okay when I was six years old I some how talked my way into my brother Jason Jon taking me along with him to the Idaho Statesman carriers movie. This was the easily one of the worst decisions of my entire life. I spent the next month having the worst nightmares imaginable I was getting eaten by sea monsters I was fighting off skeletons ~I panicked about snake creatures all the time. What could have done this to a six year old ...

So you can only imagine how I felt when I bumped into this yesterday...

Argonauts ~ Titans they are all the same scary Greek legends.

Nerdy Quilt Vacation...

2009-10-29T23:07:00.003-06:00

Okay so this year for my birthday I tricked my mom into going on an adventure with me. I have total and utter quilting crush on Denyse Schmidt I love her fabric and her designs I have been slowly and surely working my way through her book of designs since I picked it up four years ago. I am currently working on my seventh project from her book and will try to post it when I finish it up this weekend.

For now here are the photos I took of the class.

The first thing we did was work on a block where we would just grab scraps of fabric from a bad and add them to the block it was all about moving quickly and not over thinking it. Mine is the block in the upper left hand corner.After that first run we talked about what we did and didn't like about the technique and then tried it again. My block is in the upper right hand corner.

~then we had lunch I had a lovely sandwich with cheese, pesto and roasted peppers, an apple and very crispy potato chips.After lunch we worked with a piece of fabric we brought cutting it up into strips to see what adding a continuous theme to the squares could bring the project together.
These are mine. I like things in a small scale and I decided to finish on time so I could chat up Denyse, she signed my book and we talked about her patterns and the book.These are moms. I like the way the stripe works with this technique.
Here is what the felt wall looked like with every ones up there to be discussed.

I loved this trip I love hanging out with Denyse working with her assistant Richard seeing her studio and understanding her design process a little more. Also there were 11 of us in the class and everyone was really great really smart and talented there were a couple of teacher, a running coach, a girl who works for etsy, a child psychologist and some professional moms ~one of my favorite careers. I really like the idea of more free form quilting and can't wait to use it a little more.

The trip had more to it than just the quilting class Mom and I hit the summer cottages in New Port ~in the freezing cold. Then we met up with dad and visited West Point ~easily one of the prettiest places on earth they filmed the wedding scene from Hello Dolly there ~I love that movie. Then I made a quick trip into the city before heading home ~mom & dad drove home hitting their last two states ~congratulations on visiting all 50!

I have to admit ~I am thinking of the advanced improve for next year...

Halloween '09

2009-10-29T22:51:00.004-06:00

Okay so I am posting this a little early here is the costume I made to wear to work this year. I took the pictures myself so you really can't see the costume but that's fine, you get the general idea.

I got the idea from this blog and well I love the book too~

I don't work on 34th Street...

2009-09-28T13:47:00.003-06:00

I know better that to talk about work on my blog but I am just going to say this one little thing...
I wish more than anything my job was more like the movie Miracle on 34th Street (i love both versions.) You know that scene were Kris Kringle tells the mom where she can find the gift at the best price. That's what I wish I could do with my job... "We aren't the right fit for you but if you go to this employer they will give you a job and you will love it."
~This is just one of the many ways I wish real life was movie life.

Ride the Wind

2009-09-01T22:23:00.005-06:00

Okay so for book club this month we are reading Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson. On Lucia St. Clair Robson website it is described as This is the story of Cynthia Ann Parker's life after she was captured during the Comanche raid on her family's fort. It earned The Western Writers' Golden Spur Award for best historical western in 1982. It also made the NY Times and Washington Post best seller lists that year. In its 24th printing. it is still popular today. Ride the Wind has garnered more than 100 5-star reviews on Amazon!
On the blog the book group uses Hannah who picked this months book posted a the following picture of the book cover...
I have to admit I did coment on the blog how rediculous I thought the cover was ~but I didn't want to judge the book by the cover. Also at our last book club Hannah said the tittle and described the book a bit by saying that it took place in Texas and that there was a kidnapping and some Indians ~and I wasn't really paying attention beyond that I think was talking to someone about the food ~which is my favorite part of book club.

Okay this last weekend I decided I would go to the library and get the book because I didn't have a lot going on and I thought this would be a good opportunity to get started on the book. I typed in the tittle on the library search option and went right to where it was to be found in the romance section of the library ~odd I thought but I had never been over there and didn't really take note of what was there. I grabbed the book and the only thought that went through my head was that they had updated the ridiculous cover that Hannah had posted with an even more ridiculous cover. Here is what the book I grabbed at the library looked like...

Okay so as I said I didn't want to judge the book by the cover and clearly I didn't pay any attention to who the author of the book was suppose to be.
So this weekend I read the book with this synopsis found on the Leisure Historical Romance website that published this fine literature It is a race against time. In a desperate bid to rescue his best friend's bride-to-be, Reese Starrett thunders across the dusty plains, praying for a miracle. Because it will take a miracle to save the beautiful and pampered Saber Vincente from death, or worse, at the hands of her kidnappers. Dealing with a lowdown snake like Graham Felton, Reese expects hardship, expects bloodshed. The only thing he doesn't expect is to fall in love with the innocent girl entrusted to his care. But beneath the endless, starry Texas skies her sweet warmth beckons him, her soft lips smile an inescapable seduction, and he knows that no matter what the consequences, together they must...ride the wind.
It was a rather mild trashy novel and the whole time I am reading it two things kept crossing my mind ~odd that this is one of Hannah's favorite books and she admits it and ~this is going to be quite the discussion at book group. It never crossed my mind that it was the wrong book ~you see it takes place in Texas, the main girl gets kidnapped in the first chapter, they run into some Comanche Indians and it is historical ~hello it is published by a group with historical in the tittle.
Okay this book was a really quick read so I called Diana up from the book club and told her I would drop it by her house on Monday night so she could read it to without the hassle of having to run to the library to pick it up.
Luckly I went to dinner that night with Lori & Kelly and we talked about the book where I discovered I read the wrong book ~LoKell couldn't believe that I never once questioned the fact that we were reading a romance novel for book club. After a good laugh ~hell I am still laughing about it. I called Diana up and let her know I would not be dropping the book by.
I took it back to the library and then found out they don't have the Lucia St. Clair Robson version of Ride the Wind so when I got home I ordered it from half.com ~and this time did the search by author.

Mother's Day..

2009-05-10T23:26:00.010-06:00

The summer I was six my older sister reduced me to tears by telling me the gypsies had left me on the doorstep and that mom & dad had only taken me in because they had to. I didn't belong in the family and no one loved me because I was just a gypsy.

When I was sixteen I desperately hoped that I had been left on the doorstep by gypsies and that I didn't belong to the family.About ten years ago my father showed me this picture of my mother and said that it might be hard to deny that I belonged to the family...

On a day like today when I think of how lucky I am to belong to my mother, how I wish I was more like her, how much I love her. I am so grateful the gypsies left me on her doorstep.

three or thirty and three...

2009-04-13T21:54:00.004-06:00

So I love to peek into blogs and see what people are up to so when I saw this at the Pink Picket Fence I wanted it, I had to have it, nothing else would do for my Easter skirt...

So here is what I wore on Sunday after a couple of late nights.

It was too silly for words and only really went with my cowboy boots because it doesn't go with anything ~the whole thing was frighteningly unflattering but too much fun for words ~oodles of complements accompanied the skirt ~and no one noticed the new hair color. I am not too sure I will ever wear it again but I loved it for the occasion.
Oh and you will be glad to know ~I didn't have a stitch of this in my stash ~all purchased, i am a project disaster ~oh well.

project six ~to pick up sticks...

2009-04-07T23:48:00.001-06:00

This really cute fabric was going to be a reversible dress for my sweet neice Fi for her Birthday last year ~she has an early summer Birthday so nothing works better than a summer dress for such an occasion ~plus the reversible part of this dress makes it perfect for those days that the popcicle gets away from you but you still need to look clean ~easy enough you just turn the dress inside out and you are good to go, your skin just gets a little sticky maybe. The really sad thing about this dress ~oh it has the seams sewn ~it has about a half hours worth of sewing and pressing that needs to be done to have it ready to wear. But the real tragedy is my sweet neice had a total growth spurt as children tend to do and there is no way it is going to fit this next summer ~oh so crappy.

project five & dime...

2009-04-06T23:34:00.001-06:00

If you look under my work table you will find a couple of really cute tins that I carry projects in while I am working on them. This cute little tin is holding my collection of green fat quarters that I am going to use to make my new duvet cover that is going to match my room here in my new apartment (or two year old apartment, new when I started.)

So the pattern for these is random green fabrics is called summer something or the other ~I don't know for sure because I have looked online and can't find ~but I don't really need the pattern because all you do is cut out a bunch of white squares and applique the green circles on to them and then sew them all together ~really I am not sure why someone would need a pattern for such a quilt.
I clearly don't need the pattern because I have no idea when I will actually attempt making this quilt ~but oh I do love all those green fabrics.

project four...

2009-04-05T23:21:00.001-06:00

Ahhhh, homemade Christmas ~it sounds so nice and I love planing all the projects ~well here is one that didn't even get started before Christmas and well as you can see it has taken an odd direction...
Okay what you are looking at in this pictures is one gauntlet finished and the second one almost done ~and they both have issues so I will be making a third one to see if it works for the gift I am trying to make. My friend Erin once again has a pair of these and they are beautiful and I want a pair for myself ~the ones you see above are my attempt to make a pair for my Granny. Pair number one are huge ~they are too long for even me and Granny is tiny so I know they won't work for her ~so at some point I will make the second one and gift them to a much taller friend that will have long enough arms to work in them. Pair two ~I hate the way the colors look once they are knit up in this project which is impossible to see when you are looking at variegated yarn. So it looks like this might be more of a next Christmas present and it will be interesting to see if the second one ever get's knit up on these.

project three...

2009-04-02T23:09:00.002-06:00

This is one of those really sad projects I have several of ~oh yeah it's all cut out I just need to sit down at my machine for about the time it takes to watch a movie and I will have a new skirt ~but I haven't which is really sad because I really want this skirt ~plus the other fabric in the back is to make a second skirt out of this pattern for my niece, I wanted to be nice but now it's just sad.
The pattern is the Amy Butler Barcelona Skirt ~I am making the teared skirt my friends Erin & Kara made the A-line version of it and the one time I got to meet Amy she was wearing the apron version over jeans ~and totally pulled it off, but would you expect anything less of the girl who designed it?

project two...

2009-04-01T23:19:00.001-06:00

Alright the road to hell is paved with good intentions... and I am traveling.
So for Christmas I got this great bag pattern that went perfectly with this bag pattern that I already had. I knew exactly what fabric I wanted to make this out of and searched high and low for it all over Boise at over the holiday and finally found it on etsy at a great price. I then got all the parts I need for it and it was more that I wanted to spend on luggage but I was going to look so great when I got off that plane with my matchy matchy carry on bags it was going to be a fabulouse homage to bygone earas of when people travled in style.
I really wanted these bags to go with me to the Crazy AZ for presidents weekend ~but as you can see I haven't quite made it there just yet. Well I made it to Arizona and had a great time that I didn't blog about even though I made myself take photos so I could but you can read about the trip here if you want to.

project one...

2009-03-31T23:58:00.002-06:00

I have several squares of flannel cut out and binding all made to make these great super quick baby blankets for friends having babies...

The really sad part is I have about 10" of hand sewing left to go on one of them and it has just been sitting there for six or so months.
If you would like to make this project you can find it in this great book that is oh so inspiring Patchwork & Quilted Gifts.

projects on parade...

2009-03-31T00:07:00.002-06:00

Okay I am no Molly Brown but I hate admitting when I am licked ~but I have to do I have to say it. Uncle!
I so admire all those blogs of busy moms who manage to get all of these lovely projects done and meals on the table and they take these amazing photos of them and give you all of this helpful information about it so you are equally inspired and can learn from them, because mom's are amazing teachers ~I know I have a mom.
Anywho I have decided to blog about the project that I have meant to get done ~because there are plenty of those lying about my place ~and well to be honest (don't read this dad) some of them are even hidden at my parents house. What can I say I am inspired by you, moved by you, convinced by you, that I too can sit down one weekend and make a quilt, a skirt, a knitting project, upgrade something so it looks like it came from anthropologie instead of target, make a meal and take photos of every little step... but I can't so I won't.
I will however continue on with what I do best ~collect projects and I will share them with you yeah! So now you have something to look forward to on my blog ~well until I get tired of this too because well that's clearly how I roll as you are soon to find out.

my tiny apartment...

2009-03-30T13:53:00.003-06:00

All I can think is my apartment has got to be too small because, as much as I would like these people to come in ~they won't.

I mean sometimes they will throw a little help my way and a call will come through while I am at home and I am always able to call out ~they are thoughtful about my emergency needs like that. So if my phone goes straight to voice mail or you are tired of playing phone tag with me on a Saturday ~it's not me it's my people, sorry.

my oh my a little pie...

2009-03-25T16:37:00.003-06:00

When the Pie Ferries come to your house they leave a note on the pie so you know it is for you and that they aren't just storing pie in your fridge for other people... I love the pie ferries especially when they bring you one of your favorite pies that you have been thinking about and craving a little bit.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie ~a favorite of mine from eating Sunday dinners at my friend Bonnie's house, her grandmother use to bring this for dessert every once and a while.

Sixes...

2009-02-22T23:55:00.004-07:00

I got tagged. This is how it works: go to the pictures folder on your computer, go to the sixth file, go to the sixth picture, post it, then tag 6 people.

This is a picture I took of a batch of chewies I made and the posted about it ~I think.

I tag Dad, Nollie, Murial, Erin, Hannah and Aimes. Good luck!

Chains of Love...

2009-02-12T17:49:00.002-07:00

Okay this is my favorite trick for Valentines Day...Heart Paper Chains... you either use card stock that holds it shape or two staples to make the shape ~its oh so much fun and easy peasy to boot.

Merry Christmas...

2009-02-05T22:35:00.004-07:00

Here is a little something to keep you reading the blog...

Okay I like to get myself Birthday and Christmas presents ~I consider it my due because I don't have a significant other that buys me things or that I have to buy things for ~so it all evens out in the wash. Also it is always what I want ~none of that thanks for trying awkward returning to do.
This is what I got for Christmas this year ~I resisted every being in my body and waited for the after Christmas sale ~and then got to go on wild goose chase to get the ten place settings that I wanted. The photo above is of the bowl and salad plate and Salt & Pepper that are being stored in Boise. I have the dinner plates down here in Utah with me. They look like this...

I stole this photo off of someone's blog ~but so cute huh?

So much to do I can't sleep...

2009-01-23T11:59:00.002-07:00

Okay I rarely dream ~but the other night I had the oddest dream. I was at Costco in Seattle with my sister Nollie ~which is plausible I guess, I have been to Costco with her in Seattle. Now this is where the dream gets weird I had two carts and I was trying to push both of them around ~this is silly because don't you think my sister would have been pushing one of them ~she is extremely helpful and capable. Anyways so I am trying to get both of the carts around and I would sort of leave one and put stuff in the other cart and then go back and get the one I had left and push it till I put something in it and this is how I was getting around Costco ~okay I never use a cart in Costco because I am single and I don't buy that much stuff. Anywho I had left my purse in the seat of one of the carts ~now this I do. To my surprise it got stolen. I totally got stressed out about what I was going to do and how I was going to be able to catch my flight back home because I didn't have any ID. Well in this crazy panicked state I woke up ~at 5:02 am.
I wasn't able to get back to sleep because every time I tried I just started to freak out about what I was going to do about my stole wallet ~I could not for the life of me reconcile in my little head that it was just a dream and my wallet was safe in my purse in my living room in Provo ~and I didn't have to catch a flight.

I did look up on Dream Moods to see what this might mean and here is what it said...

To dream that you lost your purse, denotes loss of power and control of possessions. It also suggests that you may have lost touch with your real identity.
or,
To dream that you are a witness to a theft or a victim of theft, indicates that others are wasting your time and stealing energy and ideas. Perhaps you feel robbed in some way.

I am not sure if the interpretation is helpful ~but man I am going to do a better job of keeping tabs on my wallet ~the dream was so bothersome I can't imagine what it would be like in real life.

I little more Christmas...

2009-01-20T00:14:00.003-07:00

Somebody loves her pink tutu...

Actually I am pretty sure this cutie will get exited about anything that is pink ~it is her signature color, one of the many things that makes her belong to our family ~we take our favorite colors very seriously.

What if...

2009-01-13T15:42:00.003-07:00

I took everything out from under my bed out of my cupboards and my closets and then piled it in the middle of my living room on top of the furniture ~it would probably look something like this...

The exterminators came on Monday and they said they would only spray where they could get to, so I move some stuff around and vacuumed and did a little bit of dejunking this weekend.
Right now I am playing a giant game of tetris trying to get it all back where it belongs in the best way possible. ~I love tetris.

State Dinner here I come...

2009-01-08T12:31:00.004-07:00

You know you need to get a life when you think this the best news ever...

I am so excited about the new White House china.
My favorite set is the Regan set...

It had to be ordered when Nancy planed her first State Dinner and didn't have enough place settings of any of the other White House sets to accommodate her guest list
~clearly she knew how to throw a party.

The oddest of all the White House sets ~hands down no contest...
The Hayes China ~it has well this lovely snow shoe platter and plates with crayfish and turkey motifs, and it even has an oyster plate that has oysters on it that the oysters you are serving can sit in them ~it seams so confusing to me but really you should check it out.

Making plans...

2008-12-30T13:46:00.003-07:00

One thing you should know about me is that I hate New Year's ~never have can't imagine that I ever will. January just isn't a time of renewal if you ask me. That being said for some reason I feel really compelled this year to make a plan ~decided on a couple of things I really want to do this year and make a plan to see them accomplished and also to make a resolution or two ~I have some stuff I would like to be better at.
I don't usually do this sort of thing because I find it overwhelming but I found this list and decided to share it and thought maybe it could be an interesting starting point for me.

Things you've already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font

1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more than you can afford to charity
7. been to disneyland/world
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis
10. sang a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited paris
13. watched a lightning storm at sea
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the mona lisa in france
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping
27. run a marathon
28. ridden a gondola in venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or sunset
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen niagara falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. seen an amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen michelangelo's david in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen old faithful geyser erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. visited africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the sistene chapel in person
50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris
51. gone scuba diving or snorkelling
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theatre
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies.
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood
65. gone sky diving
66. visited a nazi concentration camp
67. bounced a cheque
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in times square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in london
77. broken a bone
78. been on a speeding motorcycle
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the vatican
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. read the entire bible
86. visited the white house
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club
93. lost a loved one
94. had a baby
95. seen the alamo in person.
96. swum in the great salt lake.
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee

The best part of this list though was as unaccomplished as I feel ~I have done a thing or two.

what i've been up to...

2008-12-28T18:29:00.003-07:00

So it was homemade Christmas this year... I made a stichy for my mom, a skirt for my sister in-law, a tutu for my niece and then for my brother and nephew I made matchy matchy ski caps so when they are hitting the slopes together this winter everyone will know they belong together.

the matchy matchy ski caps were the only thing I got a photo of ~and well with E. it is only sort of photo...

What gets me through the holidays...

2008-12-17T08:48:00.002-07:00

Okay I always find the holidays to be a bit crazy, I try to do about 33% more stuff than is humanly possible, parties, project, gifting in general ~I bite off a little more than I can chew. Oh and that doesn't include work which gets very crazy this time of year in my department ~but let's not talk about work. So any who, I have no idea where to get my hands on some good meth, and well rehab is pricey so I have to find other motivators for the holiday.

Music is what gets me through ~if my posts haven't given you the heads up on that yet. So here I am sharing a song that I listen to all the time right now to keep me moving ~it is a winter song in stead of a Christmas song ~but I love it just the same.

Oh the real video is a million times more fun than this and can be seen here along with all the others tracks on the album ~which is fun...

Not my idea, but a good idea...

2008-12-10T11:09:00.002-07:00

Okay so last night I had this party thing that I was at (aka enrichment) and there were all these desserts and I am sure lots of them were really lovely ~but I didn't eat any of them, but I had one bite of Amy Williams dessert because the table was full of pushers making me taste it. Okay is was really lovely ~but I stopped at one bite because I am a grown up and I can do that (at least I try to tell myself that over and over every day.)

Eggnog Pie ~can you stand it. So I asked her how she made it, oh it's just vanilla jell-o pudding with eggnog instead of milk, a little whipped cream topping it of with a sprinkle of nutmeg to make it seem festive. ~how smart is that, all the loveliness of eggnog without the creepy texture issue ~really is something that thick meant to be drunk?

If you need a more official recipe than that the Jell-o website has one ~but they gussied it up and made it a little more tricky in my opinion

More Holiday Music?

2008-12-05T08:45:00.003-07:00

Okay so now that it officially the holiday season ~which I would like to brag I didn't gain any weight over the Thanksgiving break ~even though I ate more pumpkin pie then could be considered good for you, but I have decided that pumpkin pie is a vegetable so it was all about getting five servings a day. I am totally behind on my gift projects and now listening to Christmas music 24/7 okay not really because some times I watch TV ~30 rock was good last night. Part of the fun of the holiday music is I go old style and listen to it on CD ~instead of my usual MP3 mode of music listening. So when I open holiday music box I get these little treasures that only come out once a year ~plus I am really bad at organizing my MP3 in a usable way.
Anywho... here is an other little music favorite for you from me ~listen to the lyrics they are not happy which is sort of why I love this song ~the holiday sometimes are about letting your self feel sad, but hopeful.

Oh and I love this musical too ~

Please return...

2008-12-03T00:45:00.004-07:00

The winter winds are blowing and even though I probably own six or seven Cherry Ice Chapsticks ~ I can't find any of them, except the one in my desk at work ~I am sure they have gotten left in pockets of jackets and jeans, put in church bags and switching out of purses. I need them to come home to me. My poor unkissed lips need something to look forward to this long winter and with out my cherry ice there is no fun in there pathetic life... I guess I will have to try to stop by Target when the pharmacy is open ~they keep it behind the counter for reasons I can't fathom and am afraid to ask why ~I don't want to know my favorite lip treatment is evil in any way that might make me rethink using it ~do you think you could use it to make meth? ~who knows. If you have seen it it might be hard to recognize ~I take the wraper off so it is just a white tube but please give me a shout out so I can come and pick it up from you. ~Thanks for your help.

It's about getting...

2008-11-26T08:47:00.005-07:00

No it isn't really about getting this holiday it is about giving and I have some fun projects I have been whittling away on for the last couple of months ~this year the family is doing mostly homemade Christmas which has turned out to be a bigger challenge then just shopping at amazon ~go figure.
So what ever I get this year will most likely be something all wrapped up in lovie homemadeness ~but Santa can't make something homemade, that's just crazy and well mom doesn't have time to make something homemade for everyone so I thougth I would just throw a couple of helpful hints out here on the internet for Santa & my Mom to find...

Amy Butler has this really cute bag pattern that I could make ~

My pretty knife block needs the empty holes filled up and I think this might really help ~

Oh and because I have had oh so much fun the last couple of years sewing from her pattern book I think it is about high time I make the treck to Conneticut and hang out with Denyse Schmidt ~Mom you could come too~

For reasons I can't explain...

2008-11-23T21:57:00.002-07:00

Alright the holidays are upon us and I am busy working on projects and making plans and don't tell my dad but I have been listening to Christmas something strictly forbidden before Thanksgiving in our house.
So do you want to know what one my favorite Christmas songs is ~and this is really embarrassing but there is something about the holidays that just make us do odd things like love this song...

3am...

2008-11-21T20:01:00.004-07:00

This photo was snapped for me by some stranger at the movie theater at ~3am as Keera and I were headed out of the theater ~I wanted a photo to commemorate the moment, wait no I didn't I took it for my friend Money who dared me to wear the pin she gave me. She said if you go to see the movie at 12:30am on opening night you have to wear this ~and well because how much lame can you get than going to a movie at 12:30am ~so I wore it. You know what? I have never been so popular in my entire life ~I almost gave the pin to the girl in the bathroom that was almost in tears she was gushing over how much she liked it and wanted it and thought I had the best friend in the whole world that would give me such a gift and really wanted to know where it was from ~I didn't know because it was gift.
Any ways the movie was fun and Keera was a trooper for coming along with me ~go see it enjoy it's fun. ~and if you feel like talking about every detail of the movie from the opening with the dear to the last look down the staircase call me ~I can talk about a two hour movie for week straight and not have to repeat myself.

this takes the cake...

2008-11-08T20:43:00.004-07:00

So if you were wonder what I was up to most of the week ~here you go...

What I did was nothing special ~but when Anne worked on it ended up looking rather pretty...

19 is where it is at...

2008-10-31T11:21:00.003-06:00

So yesterday I went and spent about a half hour in line ~a small sacrifice so I can do one little thing that maters because, 19 matters.
The 19th Amendment... the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Was ratified in August of 1920 a mere 72 years after the Seneca Falls Convention ~the beginning of the Woman's Suffrage movement.
So for Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott who never got to vote and for my favorite future voters Mac, Magee, Bottsie & Fi I can spend the time to read my ballot, cast my vote and know that even though my voice is one tiny squeek in a great corus ~it is still heard.

Just add rocks...

2008-10-27T09:29:00.002-06:00

Okay so last week on Thursday my office was 66' ~in other words cold unbearably cold, I wore my coat the whole day ~except when I went home for lunch I got to take if off then.
So the company sprang for a space heater ~my teeth chattering must have been slowing everyone's work down. The space heater they got for me has a thermostat on it so I can set the temperature for my office now.
~it is set to 80' and I love it!!! my office mate came in stayed for about five seconds and asked if i was going to invest in some cedar benches and rocks for my sauna ~if it wouldn't be so distracting for actual work I totally would.

Seriously starting to go mad...

2008-10-12T22:25:00.002-06:00

Okay so life is a little crazy right now and I am one of those lazy people who loves to sleep in till the last possible moment ~this proved to be a little awkward today...
So I was interrupted with a couple of phone calls this morning as I tried to run out the door. ~so half way through my meeting this morning one of the guys in the meeting asked me what was going on with the back of my hair so I put my hand up there ~um yeah I forgot to comb my hair this morning.
AWESOME!!!

Cooking Hot Hot Hot...

2008-10-07T20:33:00.003-06:00

Okay when I was making dinner tonight ~and I shouldn't tell you this but I was wearing my towel because it gym night and I need shower and I needed to eat so anyways I was cooking while wearing cotton.
Cotton on fire has a very distinctive smell ~yeah I caught my self on fire while stirring the pot tonight ~so exciting!
No worries though I kept the towel on ~I don't put on those kind of shows ~at least I don't blog about it.

I have decided to have a baby...

2008-10-01T08:34:00.002-06:00

okay that tittle of my post is a little misleading ~mainly because I don't want a baby, but I do want someone to bring meals over to my house all week long. Janelle just had a baby and she loved the food that was brought over ~and well I stole some of it while pretending to visit. The thing is I didn't get to try the meal she raved over ~I mean it was all good and lovely she didn't have a favorite ~this one was just different and that's why she mentioned it...

Bethany's Worlds Most Refreshing Bowtie Pasta Salad

2 Tbls. Green onion, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 tsp. Black pepper (Bethany goes for closer to 1/2)
8oz. Kraft Coleslaw dressing
1 c. Mayo
Dash of thyme
Pinch of Ginger
Heap of Love (okay i just added that for good measure)
3 c. (uncooked) bowtie pasta, cooked & drained ~follow direction for aldente
2 c. cubed, cooked chicken ~grilled, roasted ~what every is easiest (Bethany grills)

Mix all of the above ingredients & refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours (which ever is longer ~just kidding, all though if you have a new baby it is a toss up)

Add
1 c. chopped celery
2 c. red grapes ~halved
20oz can of pineapple tidbits (drained)
2 c. diced apples

~Mix it up and enjoy.

Bethany did bring me some over when I told her I had to have the recipe and it really is lovely ~and I didn't even have to have a baby to get it.

It's just so hard to decide...

2008-09-29T10:25:00.003-06:00

So on Friday night I was hanging out with my friend Janelle and we were watching Sweet Home Alabama and we had to agree that it would be a really hard decision between Andrew Hennings and Jake Perry. I think Janelle with her obvious preference for dark hair and light eyes would most likely go for Andrew. I on the other hand find Jake just so overwhelmingly charming that as much as dark hair and light eyes is my favorite I would pick the blondie with southern charm every time ~I love the way he talks. ~which is funny because most of the time I prefer my conversation to be more like ripping off a bandaid and it takes every ounce of pacients in my soul to not yell out every time I talk with someone at work "Get to the Point Already, Geepers!!!" So I just have to ask ~who would you choose... Andrew future presiential material with a Tiffany dimond and those light eyes that look at your soul, or Jake the slow talking glass boy who you could mess with his hair every time you walked by him because you know you could get away with it?

I mean decisions are hard ~don't even get me started on Palin vs. Obama...

in all my spare time...

2008-09-17T21:27:00.002-06:00

I finally got around to painting my bedroom mirror ~it went from odd yellowing cream to a cute robins egg blue ...
I have high hopes for the rest of the room at some point I am going for a robins egg blue and lime green ~if it ever happens I promise it will be cute, or at least I will pretend it is.

PP11 goodness

2008-09-17T08:50:00.005-06:00

So an important part of being the RSPres is welcoming new members into the ward ~most of the time I am not as on top of this as I would like to be ~but yesterday I showed up about four hours after the new ward member moved in...
Please welcome Cash into the ward, he is healthy and sweet and weighs about 7lbs 11oz and is so cool he gives me the chills.

Here is a quick photo of the new family...

oh and mom is doing fine ~all seven layers of her that she is a little too aware of at the moment are fine.

2008-09-14T19:02:00.002-06:00

So Last month I ran home for a quick weekend with the sisters and thought that the early morning flight on Monday would be the best way to get back to Utah ~so just as a heads up the only thing I do at 6am is sleep ~ and while walking through the Boise airport I slipped on the freshly waxed floor and ended up doing my best Mary Katherine Gallagher Superstar move and got this in return...

~the upside I didn't spill a drop of my Diet Coke ~yeah I drink it at 6am...

Hi~Lite

2008-09-11T22:42:00.002-06:00

Hands down easiest highlight
1. hot Josh ~oh my hot Josh
and for the rest of the week...
2. fabric shopping on Saturday ~I just like to look sometimes and that is easy to do when someone else buys.
3. new cake plate ~it's Halloween themed
4. early church = Sunday nap, thank you regional conference
5. Lolo's birthday with mixed tap ~so much fun to listen to at work this week
6. tomato sandwiches ~you have to love the harvest
7. fabric softener ~my jeans are so comfy

What now?

2008-09-09T21:59:00.002-06:00

So I love my netflix account. I enjoy watching weird and obscure movies, but I really enjoy watching my TV on DVD. I just finished watching all seven season of West Wing ~I love that show I love, love Bradley Whitford! ~and now I am feeling the void so ~what should I toss into the que ~what show am I missing out on that will become my new boyfriend something to look forward to something that will cheer me up when I see the red envelope, you know something to hang out with on a Wednesday night when you rather have a night in.

Highlites

2008-09-02T22:57:00.003-06:00

So little time so much going on this last couple of weeks.
~ this is a little back handed but I am so glad the company party is over, I love it but... it is just so stressful and so much work.
~ the GAME!!! I make the company play one game and I love it, oh so much fun.
~fifth Sunday = sleeping in!
~flip flops & hoodies ~perfect transition weather where i can wear flip flops & hoddies together perfectly (when i get to heaven it had better be weather meant for flip flops & hoodies or I am not sticking around ~as if i could get in in the first place)
~enrichment ~I am so excited for the caramel apples coming my way this october.
~fried chicken ~wholly crap $ that was good stuff
~mixed tapes ~aimes little dance mix has me missing dance party USA so much

the highest of the lights ~SPEND the NIGHTS ~because no one does a better version of a thirteen year old then me (not even macadoodle and she is thirteen.)

Hilights...

2008-08-21T08:46:00.002-06:00

This week was busy and the weekend was great but these are the things that stood out...
1. Home, I love Boise and Family and tomato sandwiches and wish more time could be spent on those things.
2. Team Craig, Part of going to Boise this weekend was to have a reunion with Team Craig and it was a lot of fun to see people I hadn't seen since leaving that job six years ago. I worked with a lot of really great people and so many of them made that little extra effort to be there.
3. Dish Fairies, So this weekend while I was gone my dishes magically washed themselves (thanks Sanfords.)
4. Book Club, I love my book club and am so grateful they let me come even though I never read the book and am always interrupting ~because if i don't say it i will forget it.

The Highlight of my week...

2008-08-13T10:51:00.002-06:00

Okay growing up we always got to say what the highlight of our day was at the dinner table ~as a middle child this was my five seconds everyday when the whole family actually listened to what I had to say ~so of coarse it was highlight of my day as I would hum and haw just to make sure I got all five glorious seconds out of it. I should say as a teenager when I rather not acknowledge the fact that I had a family this was as much fun to me as having bamboo shoved under my nails and I usually gave helpful answers like "being done with my math test."

In college when all of the roommates took turns making dinner for the apartment on Tuesday nights ~my night to cook I would make everyone say what the highlight of their week was ~oh I miss Skyler when I think of how her answers always had to do with a cute boy noticing her.

Okay so here is the point to help my blog move a long I am going to "try" to post the highlight of my week ~or as the case may be this time the highlights of the last couple of weeks.

Okay so last week on the first Sunday I got to give a lesson in RS and because I got to choose the topic I gave it on my favorite gospel topics Charity.
Getting to go to Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 ~with three of my most favorite people and calling that I get to be Tibby on our trip to Greece next year because I will most likely fall of a donkey if that is our mode of transportation.
Being compared to Alice in the Twilight Series by a friend that just started reading it ~who was my favorite in the series.
Making a new mixed tape with my new favorite summer song on it ~because nine in the afternoon is just about how my summer days run.

Alright now I want you to do me a favor and let me know what the highlight of your week was ~because in college I realized the best part of the highlight of the week was not me gushing to my roommates but hearing them gush about all that was good and right in the world.

The Boys of Summer...

2008-08-10T21:41:00.002-06:00

So one of the best things about Summer ~now that I no longer get some sort of mandatory non thinking vacation ~is My Boys. Okay so for the last couple of summer I get hang out with P.J. and the gang. This season did not disappoint. It was at least as good as a Thursday night game at Camden with pistachios, a dog and two diet cokes. I enjoyed Brando's man crush, Brando's inability to distinguish Switzerland from Sweden, Mike's McKlintock, Mike's shirt ~so icky, Bobby's dimples ~i swear they could just show bobby sitting there smiling for a half hour and I would would watch, Kenny's hook up ~way to call that Aimes, Andy's "hold for laughs". I could go on forever but I do have to give one last shout out to the name of the last episode "John, Cougar, Newman Camp." Oh Betsy thanks for giving me a little vacation every summer~

A fill in...

2008-08-03T22:38:00.002-06:00

Okay because I am over this ~ I get to be way Geeked Up about this ~

All Geeked Up & then Over It...

2008-08-02T22:04:00.002-06:00

Okay so I have about ten things I absolutely hate about my personality ~they aren't huge things they are just those little annoying things you know about yourself and wish you could change but don't really bother to even though you know you would be much more awesome without them ~but they are you quirks the things that make you.
So I get Geeked Up! I means seriously Geeked Up about stuff ~lame stuff. I hate to mention this but the first time I really understood how Geeked Up I got about stuff was the Blair Witch Project ~that's three weeks of my life that I wish I could have back ~I knew everything about that movie I would talk about it all the time ~I hate scary movies ~but the marketing oh the marketing of it. I was Geeked Up about it. ~I actually saw this movie (i use that term loosely a better word would be heard) and I rarely ever see anything with that sort of rating and I never see scary movies ~I mean seriously I had to be really Geeked Up about this thing to commit my self to it on this level. But... besides using as an example of when I first noticed the Geeked Up ~I have never thought about that film, I really could careless about it, what can I say but I'm Over It.
So here is the deal about when I get all Geeked Up ~when it's over it is over for me ~like oh so Over It. So when I know I am getting all Geeked Up and I can't hide it and things become all consuming for me I start to long for the day I will be Over It.
That day has come for Twilight ~and I knew it would that is why the fourth book was a huge deal for me ~huge! I was way Geeked Up about that book series and it wasn't even that cool but I couldn't get away from it ~because I have no power once the Geeked Up status starts but to hope for some sort of end. Today just fifteen minutes ago with only 4.5 hours of sleep in my system along with three diet cokes and two brownies one glass of water and five interruptions to work on my calling ~the only thing powerful enough to get through the Geeked Up. I am Over It. It feels good it feels really good ~I knew when I started the final book I would take what ever it had to offer ~I would enjoy it and not judge (the fashion was so much better in this one, but not perfect ~really a pale gray suite I don't get it) and I did just that.
So now that I am Over It. ~oh yeah I am starving I am exhausted I have a killer headache, and I have a million things to work on for tomorrow and next week in general ~but I am feeling good because what can I say ~I'm Over It.

Luky Me...

2008-07-24T00:47:00.006-06:00

So last fall at the Beehive Bazaar I saw some pieces by this fabulous artist Jennifer Calderon and I knew exactly what I wanted. I had an idea for necklace a while ago but never got around to figuring it out exactly ~I did have my mom pick up a couple of pieces, she bought the clover in Ireland for me and she had Purple Pansy make the annzy medallion for me at Christmas. I had the scarab from a pair of earrings that I had picked up in Egypt years ago and the crystal and peals are something Jennifer added in for me. So now I have this...

I love it, I looooovie it. They say you have to make your own luck ~and I did sort of~

A Tame Weekend...

2008-07-20T21:16:00.004-06:00

Oh so much fun traveling to Cedar City this weekend. The Utah Shakespeare festival did my favorite play this year so I tricked Aimes into a road trip and those Utah Shakespearians done good.
The setting was post war Italy and the comic delivery was amazing ~it doesn't get any funnier than that.

Sew What...

2008-07-13T23:26:00.002-06:00

This weekend was suppose to be a "sew what" weekend or a "sew whatever I want to" weekend. It ended up however being a "cut what" weekend I did very little sewing ~so little in fact I have no finished project to show off.
I do how ever have...
12 receiving blankets
three skirts
two dresses
and one huge pile of bias binding
So this week can now be a "sew what" week with out any cutting out at all.
I'm so happy...

Because there is this Secret thing...

2008-07-07T22:37:00.003-06:00

Okay so this weekend I went up to Seattle to hang out with LVP it was her birthday and well if you know anything about Robertson kids you know one day of every year is somehow all about them.
Here is the deal though I dragged Aimes up there with me, she had never visited the emerald city before and we thought this might be a good time. Little did we know about the Secret...
So when we reached LVP's place she asked us what we wanted to do with the weekend (the 4th was planed) she gave us a few options and when we picked the Olympic National Park we were told we made that decision because ~you guessed it LVP used the Secret on us. So then BIL used it so the weather for the game was nice so I got a sunburn. Well if they were going to use it I was going to try too so when we got on the road on Saturday I used the Secret so we would go here ~yeah we are in Forks, WA the town Stephanie Myers found on a google search to use as a setting for her now big deal book. Oh my gosh the town was small and well rainy ~so kind of what was described in the books.
Much cooler than that was the why we drove through Forks ~you have to, to get to the Hall of Mosses TrailWe also went to Rialto Beach and Hurricane Ridge both absolutely beautiful. I have never been to a park that has so much to offer and I have been to a lot of National Parks ~but more on that later.

A photo of me?

2008-06-17T22:59:00.002-06:00

Because Amy did it and it was so much fun to see~

Here is how you can play too

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name. (kid version: favorite animal?)

In case you wanted to see the place where they belong...

1. Doreen Ann with Joe's unique car, 2. popsicles for 2, 3. Capital Spiral Stairs, 4. My first strawberries of this season..., 5. the_fall_3, 6. white gold coca cola, 7. Windmills, Oia, Greece, 8. Key Lime Pie, 9. suggestion?, 10. Patio Shadows (6235_c), 11. gregarious, 12. Dizy - Beee-zy ???....

for the record...

2008-06-09T23:27:00.002-06:00

A couple of months ago in book club Lucy said how much she disliked reading her old journals and was thinking about getting rid of them ~they were silly and embarrassing, you know they were from her teenage years and early twenties. I absolutely balked at this idea ~how could anyone think of getting rid of such treasures. I have changed my mind. Lucy if during your move this summer the box of journals gets caught in a mysterious fire ~I won't judge. I opened my box labeled journals a couple of weeks ago and I have never been quite so humiliated in the privacy of my own home. The long drawn out drama of journal entry is still a little to raw to read. Luckily for me I kept several different styles of journals and a couple of them are great. My study abroad journal consists of 2" squares for each day so the entries are concise and still interesting with silly travel logs and silly quotes.
My favorite journal though is my Happy Journal, Tatum the best roommate a girl could ever have convinced me to keep a silly little journal where you just right five things that made you happy that day ~she got the idea from Oprah. How can you not love an entry that consists of this...

Sept 17th
1. Ben Hubbard
2. Mackenzie is not a baby
3. 16th Hole
4. VW is organized
5. Batting Cages

Went to work. Got VW all organized and am now starting to sort through the 2nd ~this should take forever. Tonight I went mini golfing with Ben & to the Malt Shoppe ~he is a QT let me tell you. I won by the way.

I have no idea what VW is I do know I had about five dates with Ben and have no idea what happened after that. I don't know what happened on the 16th hole or why on that day of all days Mackenzie wasn't a baby. I do know though that this odd little entry still makes me happy.

It's all about me...

2008-05-20T22:41:00.003-06:00

Really it is always about me but once a year I can get away with it.
So I had a fabulous Birthday week (because really a day isn't enough.)
What made it such a great week well let me tell you about it.
Rager and his family grilled for me.
Goo went to the movies with me.
The Ladies in the ward ate pie with me.
Work had cupcakes for breakfast with me.
The Girls ate take out and crafted with me.
Most importantly the family spoiled me.
an because I was having so much fun with all of this, yeah I don't have any photos except for this one with the girls and me...

to market to market...

2008-05-12T20:29:00.002-06:00

I came home for lunch today like most days, but today i had to eat leftover jello salad for lunch because i was out of both ramen and mac & cheese and had no left over because i got alisa cheeseburgers yesterday ~paint me green and call me lucky.
I have no idea how i survived years of college on real meals and now single and in my thirties i am eating like a starved college student with no clue how cook outside of boiling water.
So now it's 8:30 and I am off to the market to get some groceries (mac & cheese) because the jello salad for dinner (yeah two meals in a row) isn't cutting it all of a sudden.

~Mom i am so excited for real food this weekend i can taste it already, i will eat anything except upsidedown hamburger pie because that is for people you don't love.

Sitting Pretty ~ Pretty Awesome

2008-04-29T20:12:00.002-06:00

Yeah I got it together a scant 14 months after I began the project ~I finished it. I like it, I think it turned out nice. In my very neutral apartment the neutral couch isn't exactly what I would like ~but it cleans up nice and that's what I really wanted.

Um yeah about that blogging thing...

2008-04-20T22:43:00.003-06:00

Okay so I have had a lifestyle change. Amies set up a google home page for me with a RSS reader ~so I never go to my blog anymore to link to the blogs I read and so I totally forgot about the blog and updating it ~oops.
So what have I been up to ~not a lot. I set a goal for my self last month, a sewing project a week, so I wouldn't feel guilty about the ridiculous amount of fabric that I am storing in my tiny little apartment. So far I have finished two quilts that were partly done, a skirt for the spring, and well this weekend I worked on the cushions for my sofa and was making really good progress until I cut one strip oh yeah two inches to short and now I have lost my mojo ~argh I hate that measure twice cut once rule when I forget to follow it.

A Young Men's Christian Association

2008-03-29T14:12:00.002-06:00

So while I was home in Boise this weekend the nieces and nephews were all over at Grammy & Pops place playing with toys, and Bottsie came out of the play room with the "play people" stuck on her fingers thinking she was very funny having no idea how funny it was...

She actually had the mom from the yellow house on her thumb but I changed it out with the Indian so I could make my very own "village people." I had no idea my upbringing was so p.c.

To avoid is to live...

2008-03-23T21:54:00.002-06:00

So here is a picture of my fridge ~random i know but the point that i am trying to make is that the four containers on the upper shelf aren't really holding leftovers they are just dirty dishes that i don't want to wash so instead i just keep them in the fridge with a little bit of leftover food in them that i pretend i might eat at some point ~but i know the truth i am just avoiding doing the dishes in a more than average way these days.

Heaping helping of Guilt...

2008-03-04T21:33:00.004-07:00

Okay so yesterday I made a huge mistake and I felt horibly guilty about it. My friend Aimes came down to Provo to try to distract me. We went to dinner at one of my favorite joints and then we decided to watch a video ~my pick. So thanks to netflix I had Shakespear REtold at my house so we decided to watch the episode I hadn't seen.

Okay so what could be hotter than James McAvoy as chef Joe Macbeth.

Never, ever, ever, watch Macbeth when you are on a huge guilt trip it is not okay. People going crazy about guilt is not something that helps you put it behind you. James was beautiful though.

In like a lion...

2008-03-02T00:21:00.002-07:00

March first and it is living up to its name. The day started off surprisingly warm but by this evening a storm to be reckoned with rolled in. Luckily it didn't last long but what it did do is clean out the red air quality we have had of late. When I drove around the point of the mountain tonight I could see every light in the valley, Eagle Mountain to Cedar Hills, Lehi to Elk Ridge it was absolutely lovely.

Some times I am sweet...

2008-02-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

Well not really but I did make a cake last night while I taught a class on cake decorating ~

Change isn't in always in the pocket...

2008-01-27T20:59:00.001-07:00

So what happens when you do this... This...

Ashton the adorable girl who cut it was horribly worried that I would hate the fact that I was loosing 12" but I am so glad to be rid of it and very much enjoying the short hair.

because i said i would...

2008-01-23T02:10:00.001-07:00

So often I will write a post in my head and never get around to putting it down in my blog. This really should have been two post but I am putting it down into one.
So I got a new pair of jeans at Target a couple of months ago and one night after work I had to run a couple of errands so I tore the tags off put on the jeans and headed out the door. On my third errand as I was standing in the Provo library ~a place that I love~ A stranger came up to me and let me know I had a sticker on my jeans. ~oh yeah this isn't a cute sticker this is the sticker that is about a foot long that tells you what size my jeans are ~if it had said 8 I would have left it there needless to say it didn't and I now wonder exactly how many people know my exact size.
That incident alone should have been enough to embarrass me for at least six months but no... A couple of weeks ago I went to the gym ~shocker I know. Anyways when I work out I just wear my pj's maybe I am hoping they will some how morph my love of bed into a love of the gym ~it isn't working. I was wearing my blue pj bottoms ~my favorite when I noticed at the gym that I had completely torn out one of the back sides ~but this is where it gets good I still when and grabed a bite to eat with my friends while wearing them because ~who cares at that point really what do I have to loose.
Okay so one of my new goals for 2008 ~I have got to watch out for my backside just a titch more. I will let you know next year how I do.

Twelve is a memory I can't remember...

2007-12-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest traditions that we have at Christmas is one that was started by Granny. My mother keeps a journal that is just about our Christmas gifts. Every year she writes down all the gifts that everyone gets. It is so much fun to read through the book and remember the doll I got when I was six or the book that Noelle gave me twelve years ago (cold mountain.) It is lovely to have something that remembers the things I no longer can.

Eleven makes music...

2007-12-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

My favorite Christmas album of all times is Soulful Strings... I love this thing it instantly takes me back to my childhood and watching the lights on the tree. It is one of those funny things that unless you grew up with it you can't really understand how a jazz flute version of a Christmas standard can be so great.

ten is the tree and we did have a lord leap...

2007-12-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

Okay I know I have said it before but I loved the Christmas trees we had in Virginia. Only a thousand or so lights to decorate it. Ten feet is about how tall we managed to get and well the lord a leaping ~that would be Neal-Paul that kid is crazy when it comes picking out a tree at a farm.

Nine is for dancing...

2007-12-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

When I was a Junior in High School I desperately wanted to go to the school dance with Bryon so much so that I dropped a huge hint in front the entire seminary class about how much I wanted to go. So Chris quickly asked me... That dance was a lot of fun even if I didn't get to dance with Bryon. Maybe I didn't mind so much because a month later Bryon and I did get our act together and make it to a school dance.

Eight is for staying up late...

2007-12-23T00:18:00.000-07:00

In my dad's house growing up Santa always came to visit on Christmas Eve ~as kids we would beg to have this tradition continued but our mom would have nothing to do with it. There was one exception. One year when I came home for the holidays from DC only the singles were coming home, the weather was horrible and my flight coming from Minneapolis was late ~I was worried that I wouldn't make it home. Jason who was only coming from Seattle had even more weather trouble than I did and although he was suppose to arrive a couple of hours before me even with my flight being late he arrived after me. Mom and Dad sent Noelle and I to the airport to pick him because of the lateness of the hour. When we arrived back at home Santa had visited and although technically it was Christmas morning we got to see what Santa got us and open all of our presents before heading to bed for the night. I loved it ~ It only happened the one time ~Mom still refuses to let Santa in the house until after we all head to bed for the night...

Seven is not for swiming...

2007-12-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

My Junior year of high school the last two days of school before Christmas break were canceled for snow! When the big storm hit I was at a friends house in the foothills and to this day I am not quite sure how I made it home safely but that snow was the best present a girl could ask for that year ~snow days mean the world to you when you are in high school.
~funny side note about those snow days there was a huge term paper due in english just before the break and Tobias Reed got in trouble for turning it in late when his family returned from Christmas vacation a week into January. Mrs Yarnot thought he should have been more responsible and given it one of his fellow student to hand in for him.

Six Geese a Lay’n and eggs mean baking

2007-12-20T00:25:00.000-07:00

At our house growing up there was a whole array of baking that only occurred around the holidays and one of those things were water chestnuts in bacon. My mom would take this appetizers that took hours to make to at least two parties a season and if you were lucky enough to be standing right there when she was plating them she would give you one ~this means that every December I would eat two of these ~I was always right there. A couple of years ago I made these and sat down and ate as many as I wanted to ~I just had to get it out of my system. So if you are up for it and want something so lovely it deservers a snowy backdrop whip up a batch of these and be sure to share.

Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts.

1 can whole water chestnuts
1 pound bacon
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
Cut chestnuts and bacon strips into thirds. (If some of the chestnuts are tiny just cut them in half). Wrap each piece of chestnut with a bacon piece and secure with a toothpick which goes through the water chestnut. Stand these in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Bake for 1 hour at 250°. Remove from oven and drain off as much of the grease as possible.
Mix the sugar and ketchup together and spoon over the bacon wrapped water chestnuts. Put back in 250° oven for 1 more hour. Serve hot.

Ringing is only something I hear not wear...

2007-12-19T00:30:00.000-07:00

This is a bit more embarrassing than the last entry about how I can ruin a holiday. I am sure you are wondering how anything can be worse than slitting tape ~thinking you will get engaged. When I was 20 and a junior in college and thought all the world was mine I was dating a boy I loved ~maybe the only boy that I have ever said that to and meant it.
So shortly after thanksgiving we were in the bookstore and he bought me a snowman ring ~it was really cute and I wore it everyday on my ring finger ~when he gave it to me he called it a place holder. I being insane insisted that we give each other gifts "that showed our love" ~don't worry I won't puke on my computer but still to this day I hate that those words came out of my mouth. So with crazy schedules involving finals and separating for the holiday we decided to exchange gifts when we got back to school. I got him this dumb 12 days of Christmas thing I came up with. He got me several gift one of which I still use to this day. He handed me one gift then another ~one was one of those awful posters of the kids with the roses (I did not think that fit the rule.) The last gift he gave me was a little black velvet box ~just what I wanted, until I opened it. I was presented with a small crystal turtle in a ring box. I was told it was like our love slow and precious ~or I am not ready to propose but I will break up with you in six weeks just before valentines day.
I hold this memory dear because it was a lesson learned. I no longer come up with crazy expectations for the holidays. Holidays are what they are and I have learned that with this attitude they are almost always perfect ~at least in memory.

Four calling birds can't lie...

2007-12-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

When I was eleven I slit the tape on all of my packages under the tree and knew what I was getting. That Christmas morning was the worst ever it even beat out the year I had my wisdom teeth taken out three days before. I am no actress and I could not pull off pretending I was surprised or excited about any of my gifts. I now won't even so much as shake or pick up and feel a gift in case I can recognize something from my list and ruin the surprise for Christmas morning.

Day three and not a french hen in sight...

2007-12-16T23:32:00.000-07:00

FELT SWITCH PLATE COVERS!!!

I am sorry but I had to get really excited about this memory. At our house growing up my mom had made Christmas switch plate covers that went on all of the light switches. They were made by Bucilla. One looked like a Christmas tree, one was a giant ornament, there were bells and other crazy Christmas stuff. Nothing says Christmas to me like sequined switch plate covers...

Day two, and not a turtle dove to be had...

2007-12-15T23:22:00.000-07:00

I love advent. From the paper chains we would make in school to our families advent calendar. A million years ago when the Boise North Stake had to raise money for the building fund they use to have a Ward Bazaar and my mom bought an advent calendar for the family. It has 24 pockets 12 on the top and 12 on the bottom with this crazy felt Santa and tree on it. I loved every morning reading the note that was left in the pocket. Some days it would let us know we would have a treat, or we would put up some of the decorations or bake. Advent was always the best all the kids in the family have their own version of the calendar ~but me, maybe I am holding out for the original...

12 Christmas Memories...

2007-12-14T23:15:00.000-07:00

So for the twelve days of Christmas you get twelve Christmas memories...

Growing up our big holiday meal was always eaten on Christmas Eve on the good dishes ~by candle light. I love how special I always felt at that meal, it's silly I know but I loved it.

Ann of Green Gables...

2007-12-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

Alright take a good look because you are seeing the only sweater I may ever knit...

Pattern: Green Gables by Zephyr Style
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece ~Salmon Berry
Made for: Selfishly for me
Needle Size: US 6 circular
Date Started: February 2007
Date Completed: October 2007
Number of Mistakes: 100's

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas...

2007-12-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

If it all goes well these will be Christmas gifts.
If things go wrong these will be birthday presents... in July, September & November.

It's about Pie Time...

2007-12-06T21:58:00.001-07:00

Okay so I love Pumpkin Pie ~I use to trick Tate into sitting down and eating a whole pie with me. I miss those days. Well I know this is going to sound silly but I made my first successful pumpkin pie this November ~I have made them before but they have been a little under cooked ~oops. As they say the proof is in the pudding so here you go...

Alright already...

2007-12-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

Okay so I was told that all I had to do today was post something ~anything. so here you go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCwSz1jwumU

because everyone has feelings.