Lewis Story

Retaliation

2012-01-18T00:46:00.000-08:00

I have decided on a way to get back at the universe for faking me out with that potential pregnancy situation that seemed implied, but not said (apparently with good reason).

I did the P90X Chest & Back workout yesterday, complete with Ab Ripper X, and followed it with Insanity's Plyometric Cardio Circuit today. Bad idea? I'll let you know tomorrow when I inevitably will not be able to move my limbs.

But for now, TAKE THAT UNIVERSE.

Rude.

I don't know what I'm trying to accomplish with this, but something had to be done.

After my workout I woofed down a giant bowl of health.

Why yes, this girnorm salad is all for me AND I ate it straight from this mixing bowl. (without dressing!)

Seriously so missed!

2012-01-14T13:15:00.000-08:00

I've been missing Seriously So Blessed, seriously so much lately. So I decided to go into the blog archive and relive some laughs from TAMN's day's passed.
This blog was my comic relief during our years in Provo, or "spirit prison" as I came to think of it. Haha, I mean that in an endearing sort of way of course... :) I was able to relate to everything she wrote! Sometimes I saw bits of myself in TAMN and I was able to laugh at myself & my silly "Utah mormon" quirks that I've acquired out here, and other times she helped me stay sane and able to deal with others who seemed far more quirky than me.
Whatever the case, I have had entirely too much fun re-reading all the posts that made me laugh myself to tears! If you like witty, lets-make-fun-of-ourselves satire, you should check it out and laugh along with me!
seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com

10% Smile

2012-01-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

The New Year means new beginnings.

I made a few resolutions to share and a few not to share :)

Today's resolution, the 10% smile.

During that awkward phase in middle school, I made some interesting self discoveries. With my high cheekbones and sharp features, my parents were quick and kind to point out that when I didn't smile at least a little, I looked pretty ticked off. That was when Dad came up with my 10% smile. The idea behind it was to practice smiling always, even when I was just by myself, so that I would never be caught unintentionally scowling.

It may sound silly, but I tell ya what, it worked. I even ended up receiving the vote for "Best Smile" from my senior high school class a few years later. Oddly enough there's no "Best Frown" or "Best Scowl" category... I may have been a candidate for one of those if not for my 100% effort to remember my 10% smile.

The 10% smile is making a comeback on my resolutions list, because I have definitely slipped up a little and let the scowl creep in. You know what they say:

No one likes a frowny face, trade it for a smile. Make the world a better place by smiling all the while!

I dare you to try it. Your cheeks will hurt a bit at first, but its one of those good hurts. Like a Cafe Rio belly, or that muscle tightness you get the day after a great workout.

What are some resolutions you're excited about?

Tears for... what?

2012-01-07T17:11:00.000-08:00

Been on the verge of tears all day... but I'm not sad!! I'm pretty happy! Its really weird. Anyone else ever feel like that?

I've been pinning, crocheting, planning my next couple quilts, taking care of my doggie & wearing my new coat around the house so I can pose with it in front of the mirror. (Haha no modeling potential here, PROMISE. Its like singing to yourself even if you "can't".)

Anyway, everything is a tear-trigger! I watched a few shows on Hulu Plus while crocheting only to end up in tears 4 separate times over things like a kid getting picked on at school, a baby (no specific action, there was just a baby there), and a wife getting cancer. Sad things, but tears? Seriously?

It's like that time I cried while watching Beauty and the Beast. Random.
Except it KEEPS HAPPENING. As soon as I'm done leaking all over, I'm totally fine and thrilled to death to be crocheting!

I have got to be the weirdest non-crazy person ever.

One of the things I've been making today!

Scrappy quilt

2012-01-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

Right after Christmas, Cory set me to work on another quilt. This one was to be a belated Christmas gift. I immediately consulted my stash. Since the intended recipient was a guy, I needed to find the least feminine fabric I could, which at this point meant my scraps. I was actually really excited to make this one. It would be my first scrappy quilt! I buy 90% of my fabric from the discount bin, so I get really random amounts. 1/2 yard here, 1/4 yard there, sometimes even a whole yard! So my scraps are extremely plentiful and varied.

I had enough of each fabric to cut bunches of 2 & 1/2 inch wide strips of varying length. I sewed my strips together in 3's & then cut them into 6 & 1/2 inch long blocks. (I loosely followed this pattern).

Bunches of 3 strips wide x 6 & 1/2 in long blocks.

The arrangement to the lower left of the picture is a completed block.

Then I arranged the little blocks into 4's to make the complete blocks. It's important to arrange all your completed blocks the same. So if you start with vertical facing strips in the upper left as I have, you must start all subsequent blocks the same way.
I sewed my arranged blocks together, trued them to 12 & 1/2 inches, and then arranged them on the floor as I wanted them to appear in the quilt (below) before sewing them all together.

My little helper

Completed quilt face with border attached.

Quality testing :)

Done!

Quilted & bound.

Close up :)

Super soft minky on the back!

I love how it turned out! Cor and I are pretty sure this is one of my best yet! :) It was fun to see what all my scraps could turn into! Luckily I have plenty more scraps, so who knows, maybe the best is still yet to come. :)

M is for...

2012-01-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

I'm not a fan of the DMV. Not a bit. Actually, I don't know of anyone that enjoys their DMV visits. Even though nothing bad has ever happened to me there, I get a little panicked when I have to go. It's kind of a weird, random phenomenon.
I was completely relieved when I walked out the DMV doors last month, Utah driver's license documents in hand. They send the actual card through the mail about a month later. When my license arrived, I stressed about the picture just like any self-critiquing girl would, then resolved to deal with it, and set it aside.
Something was nagging at me though...
I picked my license up again for a more thorough inspection. Name spelled correctly, DOB correct, Height, Weight, Hair...etc.
Then I saw it. There at the bottom. A teeny little letter that should not have been there, that I have never before seen associated with any profile describing me. "M"
The horror set in. M. It laughed at me. It mocked me. It suggested unspeakable evils of the most gruesome kind.

M = MALE

Speechless.

Dad's Christmas Quilt

2011-12-29T09:07:00.000-08:00

The embroidery reads, "Merry Christmas 2011"

Now that Christmas Day has passed, I'm free and clear to post pics of a quilt I made specifically for my dad. I gave it to him for Christmas this year :)
I must say, Cory and I have grown to love celebrating Christmas as just the 2 of us (+Cruze) since we've had to the past few years (our employment has stunted our options), but this year my one regret would be that I wasn't able to see my dad open his quilt for the first time.

Quilts are interesting. So much time and effort and planning and work go into them. As a quilter, I've learned that its much harder than one might think to part with each quilt. I've grown up with a very sentimental family, and I knew if anyone would like something I've made it would be my dad. Because of this, It was far from a chore to create his quilt, but I still felt very anxious about his receiving reaction. Especially since he had no idea I was doing anything like this!

I was only able to speak with my family briefly on Christmas Day. They're attention was diverted elsewhere, particularly because they spent a fair amount of time talking to my brother Spencer, who is finishing out his mission in Oaxaca, Mexico, (Feel free to visit his blog of which I am the creator and administrator!) and my grandparents were also over for most of the day. Good distractions, but still. :)

From the words that we did exchange, my dad specifically praised and thanked me for the quilt, which just put me on cloud 9. :)
Tuesday, while Dad was at work, I called up my mom and sister, who told me that the quilt was a hit. They said Dad loved it, was very impressed with it, and showed it off to Nana & Papa once they arrived.

Crazy-cut front

Minky backing

This is why I quilt. This is why I spend hours and hours and hours on each one. To me, it's worth the effort when the recipient really appreciates the finished product. :)

Merry Christmas!

Commissioned Quilt

2011-12-20T18:28:00.000-08:00

It was the first quilt that I've ever been paid to make, and it was a beast. Cory's coworker heard in passing that I make quilts, and once she heard that she kept after it until Cory decided she was serious and showed her pictures of my projects past.

(Molly's green quilt)

She picked this green quilt I'd made for my BFF Molly and said she'd like one just like it in blue & white, but also much bigger. So we negotiated a price (I gave her a screamin' good deal), she paid Cory and I got to work.

Going to the fabric store to select all the fabric for a quilt like this was daunting. I don't know this lady, or her daughter's boyfriend (who the quilt is going to be a gift for), nor have I even met her, and she's paying me to do this! No pressure right? :)

I asked Cory plenty of questions before-hand, and gathered as much information as I could about what she wanted. It was easy enough. Like she said at the get-go, she wanted it to be twin-sized, blue & white with blue fabric, preferably minky, on the back. That was all the direction I was given.

(Fabric selection)

I'm pretty sure that if you all could see me shop at Jo-Ann's you would think I was neurotic. I have a system. When it comes to selecting all the fabric for a quilt at once instead of piecing a quilt face together from remnants, it gets weird. I seriously do about 4 laps through every fabric isle grabbing everything with potential. Then I find an empty shelf (there always is one) where I set up all of my potentials and begin arranging, adding, subtracting and eliminating. When I think I have it, I step back and take a pic. If the pic is good, I head to the cutting counter.

So this is what I came up with!

(First set of blocks laid out as a test)

I can always tell that a "crazy cut" quilt is going to look good if I get nervous as I make the first set of blocks. It's a weird feeling. First, I start second-guessing myself and doubting if my fabric choices were off, then I realize that every time I feel this way at the beginning, it always looks great. The real litmus test is to lay out the first set of blocks once they're pieced and trued. That kind of foreshadows the rest of the project.

(before I ripped it apart)

I hit a road-block of sorts with the backing. I use minky all the time, and it usually puts up a fight, but this time it brought out the big guns. Lets just say after a lot of stress and a lot of work for nothing I pulled my nearly finished quilt apart and put super soft navy blue flannel on the back like I probably should have in the first place.

In the end, it turned out just how I'd hoped. I cleaned it up, folded it up and put it in a bag ready for Cory to take it away. Then I remembered I needed to take some pictures since I'd never see it again! So it's a bit wrinkly, but here's my finished product!! (some pics in daylight, some at night... I pulled an all-nighter and finished it between 4 & 5 this morning!)

She asked me to embroider "A mother's heart is a patchwork of love" and "Jeremy 2011" onto the quilt. So I made a strip to go across the back and added the message there.

My Ruffled Tree Skirt

2011-12-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

Finished the tree skirt! And just in time too. One of Cory's co-workers just commissioned me to make a quilt by Christmas! I've never been paid to be crafty! Well, cutting & coloring hair is definitely an art, but this is different. I'm excited!
On facebook I asked my friends what kind of tree skirt I should make, and the vote was unanimously "ruffles"! I'm glad too, it turned out SO CUTE. (patting myself on the back, which is still a little sore from all the crafting) :)

It's made of burlap & muslin. (And the little bows are lace ribbon)
I wasn't excited to work with the burlap at first, I've never used it before and it frays like a beast. Once I Mod Podged the raw edges (which was a little tedious, but it had to be done) all was well & the beast was tamed.
I used this tutorial I found on Pinterest for inspiration, but I did a few things differently. They left all their muslin edges raw, which seemed like a nice way for this tree skirt to self-destruct over time, so I hemmed the outer edges of my fabric before ruffling it. Also, they applied Mod Podge to seal the brulap at the end of the project, which seemed like the messiest way it could be done. I did it as I went along so I didn't get it all over my finished project.

Apply Mod Podge row by row to all raw burlap edges.

Hem raw muslin edges for a stronger end result.

To give my skirt a finished look, (the edges looked like a mess before this step) I sewed my ribbon on first, and then bound the raw edges with muslin, similar to how a quilt is bound.

Doesn't that look so much more polished? I did like their use of lace in the original tutorial, but for Cory's sake I kept the floofy level down a bit since the ruffles are already pretty feminine :)

I'm in love with it!

Easy DIY fabric ornaments

2011-12-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

With Cory home for the past couple days I didn't bother to make time for any big projects (like the ruffled tree skirt I will soon create!) because its much more fun to spend time with him when he actually is home! However, during a Halo moment he had the other day, I decided to whip up these little beauties!
I have accumulated a little-big pile of fabric scraps after making the Christmas quilt and the stockings, and some throw pillows -that we'll talk about later- out of the same collection of fabric. :) So I fished a package of Styrofoam balls out of my craft bin, and went to town!

I'm in the spirit of giving lately, so I decided to try making a tutorial for anyone interested in throwing together some darling, super easy, no sew, no glue, DIY Christmas cheer! :) This is my first try at making a tutorial, so let me know how I do, okay?

Supplies:

Styrofoam balls

leftover fabric scraps

straight pins

ribbon/lace (for hanging them on the tree!)

First, cut out thin (less than 1in wide) strips of scrap fabric long enough to wrap completely around your Styrofoam ball. (As you can see, the strips don't need to be cut very meticulously) :)

Wrap a strip of fabric around the Styrofoam ball so that the ends overlap & secure with a straight pin. (trim excess overhang)

Continue wrapping strips around the ball until it is completely covered, make sure all strips are secured at the original starting point with straight pins.

Now use your ribbon or lace to make a bow.

My bow & hanging loop are all one piece of lace/ribbon.
Cute, easy & hassle-free.

Secure the bow, loop & ornament together with a straight pin.
*edit: I also recommend adding a dab of hot glue to stabilize the final straight pin. Wouldn't want that coming loose!

Ta-DA! That was easy :)

Now enjoy the gratification that comes from making your own decor!

Thanks to all who have given me feedback on my craftiness lately :)

I really appreciate all the kind words!

Stockings

2011-12-07T10:12:00.001-08:00

To steal a phrase from The Nightmare Before Christmas, my "Making Christmas" rampage continues!

The past couple days I've spent a significant amount of time designing and assembling Christmas stockings for Cory and I. My inspiration for the look of the stockings came from pictures I found on Pinterest (surprise, surprise) but the only tutorial I actually followed was for the nice thick cuff at the top of each. The rest I can chalk up to my own invention. (beaming with pride!) Since they are quilted, (with batting even) lined, and cuffed, it honestly was a lot of work, but well worth it! (and the second was easier than the first since I had the hang of it)

I also want to point out that these stockings are made entirely of remnant pile fabric (bolt ends sold at a huge discount) and muslin ($2-$3/yd). Which is pretty cool. That's called creative crafting! All the fabric I use is inexpensive.

Cory hubby LOVES the Christmas throw-blanket-quilt I made last month and requested that his stocking look "just like the quilt"....

How did I do? :)

Close up of the quilting

And, of course, if you'll excuse my "photography"... the pics don't do them justice :)

We need a little CHRISTMAS!!

2011-12-05T07:13:00.001-08:00

This year we're pretty much starting over as far as Christmas decor goes. Basically, our Christmas stuff is stored in Idaho, we can't go get it in time, so we decided to heck with it & well, started over.
On Black Friday we bought a new tree, (which I actually like way better than the old one) and since then I've been crafting up a storm! So this is a close up of my Christmas tree in its current state of merriment.
Crocheting the snow flakes and stars was so fun, but the best part is that gratifying sensation you get when you stand back & survey your work. SO much better than buying ornaments :)
See the fluffy/fuzzy looking white tulle garland? I MADE IT too! Skills.
Hahaha....hello?
In fact the only thing I didn't make on this tree was the ribbon. (and the beads) I bought that at... Target I think. Just a heads up, 25 feet of ribbon will wind fairly well around a 6 foot tree, but if you're like me and you don't like to be bothered with making due or running out, buy more even though hubby laughs and tells you 100 feet of ribbon is too much... He just doesn't get it.

I have plans and supplies for even more lovely craftiness to grace my tree, but this is it as of now. I'm in love! I'm thinking about maybe posting some tutorials so others can join me in my craftiness. That might be fun!

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

2011-12-01T18:14:00.001-08:00

Hey y'all!

You may have noticed the EPLS badge here on my blog, but I think its time I share the wealth! My friend Kelsey is a very talented cook, and she happens to be into Scentsy too. Go to her foodie blog Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy now where you'll find delicious recipes (Why do I always miss-spell recipes on the first try?) and a chance to win a plug-in Scentsy warmer! YAY!

You're welcome!

That's a wrap!

2011-11-29T15:09:00.001-08:00

I love Christmas.

Seriously. I. LOVE. IT.

So does Cory. We are Christmas fanatics.

This year, I have been blessed with a rare gift called time.

As in time to do things. Things that I WANT to do!

Because of this gift of time,

I finished my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving,

-AND-

I have already wrapped all the presents!

So I decided to take it one step further and rather than buy a bag of gift bows at Walmart as per usual, I MADE my own present toppers!

For EVERY single gift under our tree!

I'll be honest, my hands were a little sore after cutting out all the felt!

I think my scissors are a bit dull too :)

The rosettes are the same as the ones I made for my wreath in my last post, and I just free-handed a bunch of felt leaves to compliment them. I decided against trying to write on the felt with my Sharpie, and cut some extra leaves out of scrapbook paper I had on hand for the tags!

Yay Christmas time!!!

Winter wreath!

2011-11-22T10:51:00.001-08:00

During my last visit to Boise, my momma bought be a darling over-the-door wreath hanger from Tai Pan. Before I was finished unpacking, the hanger was on my front door, ready for action! And there it stayed for a few weeks, wreath-less and sad. :(

The sadness is over now!

Last night, I busted out my glue gun, put on Tangled (I like noise when I'm home alone... it makes me feel like I have friends) and whipped up this little beauty!

Like many others I've been captivated by the wonderful world of Pinterest, and have found plenty of inspiration on there. So I just combined a few ideas I snagged from my boards and made it my own! It was ridiculously fun to make.

I started with a styrofoam wreath, and wound shiny silver ribbon all the way around (and apparently 12 yards of ribbon isn't enough to make it all the way around. Hence the random white yarn wrapped around one section!).

Then I made some felt rosettes, like the tutorial here. I even tried doubling up on colors like in the tutorial, but in the end I wasn't a fan. I liked my solid rosettes better this time. :) Also, in the tutorial she uses double stick tape... I just put a couple dabs of hot glue on the backs of my rosettes to hold them together.

I arranged the rosettes on the wreath, and once I was happy with the look, I hot-glued those bad boys on there, and voilà! I love my wreath. LOVE IT.

PS. Sorry the lighting isn't pro-photog-esque. The lighting in my apartment is akin to a hotel room at night without all the natural light streaming in from my ginorm windows. Which is actually awesome as long as you're not trying to take pictures!

EmbarrASSment

2011-11-16T16:43:00.001-08:00

Today I decided to get off my lazy buns & run. Of course being a multitask-er (or at least someone who attempts multitasking and usually only partially succeeds) I realized that the most efficient way to go about it was to combine my run with Cruze's morning potty-walk. Not sure if I'll repeat this activity. I probably will even though I shouldn't.

On our way to the lake at the beginning of the run, I cut through a dirt lot littered with short, dead weeds that Cruze apparently didn't approve of. He dug his feet into the ground and refused to follow me further. Instead of dragging him, I decided to try picking him up and carrying him the rest of the way to the trail. So this is already not great because I've discovered that as a dog owner, I want people who see us to think to themselves: Wow, look at how well behaved and obedient her dog is. She's got it all figured out! (because obviously people think things like this all the time) So you can see how having my dog fight me over where we were walking was not in harmony with this goal. Anyway, we were still in a populated area and I was still holding him when he went a little spastic and ended up pulling my jogging pants down with his foot. The neighborhood got to see a full cheek view of my delightful pink exercise undies. YAY.

Things like this are super funny when you have a friend with you, but when you're alone (As I hinted at before, when I'm out and about solo-style I like people to think I'm awesome) its just embarrassing. To add insult to injury, I had one of my more epic songs playing in my headphones to get me pumped for the run, and after flashing my neighbors the same song felt like it was mocking me.

I've got to find a better way to work out!

Being 25

2011-11-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

I have this persistent tendency to start every single blog post with "So..."

Its seriously something I have to consciously avoid, and I think that is super weird.

SO... Now that I'm 25, I feel like I've earned a little bit of legitimacy in life. You know, like I've been around long enough to matter or something. If that doesn't make sense, then nevermind. Anyway, I wasn't sure what to expect from this year of life, but it felt like it would be significant. The 2nd day I spent as a 25 year old, I was asked TWO SEPARATE TIMES if I was a teenager.

AWESOME. False.

Context: A girl asked if I was over 18 at a retail store, first time I've been asked that since turning 20 and FAR WORSE even was a lady we ran into who I'd known as a child, who asked if I had graduated high school yet. Yes. Yes I have. Almost 7 years ago thanks. That was bad, but then she looked like she pooped her pants when I told her I'd been married for 5 years, so I added that I was 25, so she didn't think I got knocked up or something but that seemed to shock her too. There was no way I could have saved the encounter from the impending awkwardness anyway. You guess a 25 year old is just out of high school... well, there's no recovering from that.

I guess this should make me happy. I'd be just depressed if people guessed I was 7 years older than I am rather than 7 years younger, so I'd better be glad they think I'm 17 rather than 32.

I'm going to blame it on the bangs. Which I love by the way. Bangs rock.

So thank you life, for that super back-handed compliment of sorts. It was... interesting.

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins

2011-11-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

Howdy! I had a few recipe requests when I posted a pic of my Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins (Its a long and redundant name, but there's no mistaking what we're talking about!) so I thought instead of messaging everyone the recipe, I'd just post it so all can enjoy! Yay!

I'll first point out that this recipe is the result of a few different inspirations. I pinned a pic on Pinterest that I found of super cute pumpkin shaped rice krispie treats. Then I thought it would be awesome if they tasted like pumpkin pie spice too! So I found a rice krispie treat recipe that called for pumpkin pie spice, and I merged the idea with the recipe and a little creativity and BAM. Awesomeness! So here's MY merged, adapted and tweaked recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins:

4 tablespoons butter
6 cups mini marshmallows
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
6 cups rice krispies
orange food coloring
frosting (I made my own, store bought tubs or tubes work too)
tootsie rolls

*I had to double the recipe because it doesn't make many as is.

Lightly grease 9×13 pan. Set aside.
Melt butter in large pot. Add marshmallows and stir until melted and smooth. Add pumpkin pie spice & orange food coloring to desired color and stir to combine. Remove from heat and add rice krispies. Mix until cereal is coated with marshmallow mixture. Press into prepared pan. (I recommend doing this before shaping your pumpkins by hand so the rice krispie treat mix doesn't stick to the pot as you make your pumpkins.) Shape into pumpkin-like ball-ish shapes and set on wax paper to cool.
Add tootsie roll to the top middle of each pumpkin for a stem.

Butter Cream Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
milk to reach desired consistency
green food coloring

Combine (mix or beat) powdered sugar, butter and vanilla till smooth. Add milk to thin to desired consistency. Add green food coloring to desired color.

I used a leaf decorator tip & bag to make my leaves.

And there you go! Cute and yummy = double awesome :)

ABC = Autumn, Boise, Christmas

2011-10-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

A few things:

First, the cleanse is going great! I'm through the feel-yucky part & even past the 3 days of lemon juice/syrup mixture loveliness, and am just on the supplements right now, so yay for that :) Toxins, you get outta my body!

Second, I am now 25 years old. That's a quarter-century! Which is kind of cool, except now people's eyebrows get lost in their hair when they find out I have no children. Do they think I can't see their face when they do that?

Third, I have acquired what I affectionately refer to as my "Chewbacca Vest" {My spell-check is very upset about the word Chewbacca} and am wearing the warmth as we speak. Mmmm. When asked his opinion, Hubby Cory called it fancy, and then asked if it was "real" so naturally my response went something like, "Yes. I shot the beast myself." Hubby thought that was funny.

Fourth, since Hubby is working lots of overtime, I've been in Boise a while & had a tremendous time. Saw a BSU game, got my hair did, made pumpkin spice rice krispie treats, started my Christmas shopping... that's right CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.

Boise is a peach. :)

Yummy! These were so fun to make!

This pic is an insult to photography, but this is my Chewbacca vest! {borrowed Ali's mirror for this} :)

My new hair! I added the second pic to show the colors a little better.

Cruzer's been up to something again. He's a sly one! Meanwhile Yoda showed up to help celebrate Mom & Dad's anniversary. {My idea! Nothing says "Happy Anniversary" quite like Yoda}

Detox

2011-10-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

So cleanses are kind of "in" right now.

But I'm doing this one because my Dr Dad decided I should,
and lets face it, I trust him 100%.

Today was day 1, which is only a prep day, so I took the supplements and drank a small lake. {Here I'll unnecessarily point out that I also peed about 42 times today}

I decided cleanses are super hard. Detoxing your body makes all the nasty toxins mess with you till they get the heck outta there. So you get headaches & nausea... normal symptoms, but knowing that doesn't make you feel better in the moment! {grrr}

My system is pretty pissed. Get it?? "pissed"! Haha. OkI'mdone.

So some things to do on prep days:

Wean off caffeine. {Naturally, I did this by drinking 20oz of Coke}
Stop eating meat. {In "Jamie" this meant go to Cafe Rio and hork down a pork salad}
No dairy. {Say "yes please" to cheese on the pork salad}

Basically I'm awesome at following instructions.

Hopefully tomorrow will be more ~~successful~~ pleasant :)

Loves!

PS. On an unrelated note, I want these shoes for my birthday next week. Aren't they cute?!

Claire De Lune

2011-10-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

{View from our balcony}

Today was super windy here in South Jordan, but it was warm-ish despite the menacing cumulonimbus clouds blanketing the sky. I took Cruze for an extra long walk on the trails around Oquirrah Lake, {the pond-like "lake" here in Daybreak} which he loved.

The wind whipping through my hair & chopping up the lake was enough to keep the trails pretty clear of bugs & peeps alike, so it was fairly quiet out. {aside from the geese & ducks who always seem to have loads to gab about}So I got this genius idea to pull out my phone and use the ipod feature as a mini-boombox, because who thinks to bring headphones on walks right? I pulled it out and found the perfect jam... Claire De Lune. We floated along, strolling down the cattail lined boardwalk, under the stone bridges, across the sandy lakefront and past the docks to our own theme music.

SO AWESOME.

I felt like Cruze and I were something out of a Nicholas Sparks-inspired movie. Minus the ocean, and without a dramatic, romantic, tragic conflict because Cor isn't in the military, I don't have cancer, our parents are alive...etc. Also Cruze killed the vibe when he pooped in the snooty area and the puppy poop bag dispenser was empty. I switched off the music and marched him home, looking over my shoulder for witnesses. Awkward! I would've gone back too, but its a 2 mile walk from home to the poop site. So now, super guilty, I'm procrastinating the laundry & blogging about it with every intention to pick the poop up tomorrow.

Epiphany

2011-10-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

Just now (like right now) realized I'm super wordy when I post.

SNORE-FEST.

Sorry dudes. I'll work on that :)

{YAWN}

In other news... I worked out yesterday. PAIN. Apparently my need for exercise is dire.

Fall shows... 'n stuff

2011-10-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

Fall is here. I thought it was before, but now its here for reals.
Its stormin outside, so Cruze's walk was about 2 minutes long, and now I've nestled into my couch with my fluffy sweatpants, (it feels wrong to turn on the heater) and I just made myself a steaming cup of Stephen's peppermint candy cane hot cocoa! (I have the ginorm barrel of it from Costco. Booyah.) So of course, I decided I didn't do "Fall" justice yesterday in my post.
I left out TV Shows. gasp.
So here we go.

FAVS

The Office. They really stepped up with the season premier. It was hilarious! Which somewhat makes it ok that Steve Carell left. I guess I'll keep watching.
Parks and Rec. Possibly my fav of favs.
Modern Family. Funny as always.
How I Met Your Mother. Sometimes I feel like these people are MY friends. I. Am. Awesome.

NEW FAVS {Just trust me on these k}

Up All Night
New Girl

Yay for too much TV time! :) Let the cool-weather hibernation begin!
*Also on an unrelated note, I am DYING to find the perfect navy blue blazer. Not too dressy, but not too casual... Any ideas where to find this would be fantastic.

Fall

2011-10-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

Its FALL!!

Fall means a few things:

BOOTS
Scarves
Jackets
Beautiful colors
Somebody's birthday... who could it be? ME of course!
Football (Go Boise State!)
Pumpkin flavored treats
Apple cider
Hot cocoa
Shedding season

If you can't tell, fall is my favorite time of year :) I've never had a bad thing to say about it!
And this year is the same, thanks to the Furminator.

Cruze is a Shiba Inu, and according to my research they shed twice a year. Fall & Spring.
Since he's only been a part of our family since August, this is my first encounter with puppy hair in my home. (not a fan)
I don't think any dog owner enjoys the shedding factor, and I'm definitely in favor of having a dog without the evidence. The silver lining, for which I am enormously grateful, is that Cruze's cream colored fur is an exact color match to my carpet, walls & couch! (WIN) Despite this major win, I wanted to be sure I wouldn't find his hair floating around our home in free-range tumbleweed-like tufts, so I ordered a Furminator from Amazon. (for a fraction of the retail price)
Today we gave it a true test run after his walk!
It seems every day is made up of equal parts awkward & awesome, and this has been no exception :)
The awkward part: A couple touring our apartment community got to have me, Cruze & a pile of fluffy dog fur as part of their first impression of the place. I just smiled, said "Hi" and proceeded to rake clumps of loose fur from Cruze's coat. Lovely.
The awesome part: The Furminator works! I was able to remove gobs of loose, shedding hair from his coat, preventing it from falling out at will indoors!
I'll still spend extra time vacuuming this season just to be sure my home remains dander free, but its nothing I can't handle. :)

A Year of Menu Planning

2011-09-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

I need a wee break(hence this post). The past couple weeks I've been overly excited about Pinterest. Its fun and addicting, and there's just SO MUCH on there to get excited about that it can overwhelm you fast.

I've spent the time since we moved doing super fun family & friends stuff, when Cory is home, and putting my new place together when he's not. (Also taking care of my pooch daily) :)
So I'm getting anxious to settle into some kind of routine. Luckily I've got my pup on a schedule, so that helps me plan my days more consistently, but otherwise I've been just running around trying to get things done!

So we've hit a pause in our home improvement (decorating/organizing) due to a recent car repair that set us back a wee bit financially (there's that word again, what's with me saying "wee" ?). So the rest of that will have to wait for now.

I guess its good in a way, because I've actually taken on the task of planning out an entire year of dinners! What up.
I can't take credit for the idea, since I snagged it off of Pinterest, but I can take credit for all the work I've put into it! I should post a step-by-step or something for anyone else who may be feeling extra ambitious too, once I've finished & perfected my project. For now I'll just share the original idea: Putting together your Meal Plan binder for the year.
Its pretty cool. She walks you through it, but leaves lots up to your personal preferences. AND she gives you free printables to help with the labeling & calendars & listing! I didn't use hers. I actually made my own, because I'm a nut like that, but I did pattern them after her ideas.

It may be a bit easier for some, I have been making the same 5 dishes for 5 years, and Cory and I have spent more than our fair share of nights woofin down Cafe Rio takeout. That's what happens when wifey works full time to support full time student hubby through school. The homemaker side of me was definitely put on hold. So even though I am more than capable of cooking, I have not yet amassed a large collection of delicious recipes and have actually made even fewer. Its tragic, but that's about to change.

So MY year-of-meal-planning-binder is chuck-full of recipes to try, rather than tried & true dishes we love. (it does have the 5 in there, just spread out because we've had them too often)
Because of that, I'm thinking I'll start by planning maybe a few months in advance at a time to find out what we like & want to keep having, and then I'll plan farther ahead from there. But, my binder is set up for the whole year, as it should be. So this is going to be LEGEN-wait for it...-DARY. (HIMYIM anyone?)
I'm so excited about it.

That all being said, if anyone has any delicious recipes they are willing to share... PUH-LEASE post them in my comments box!
Hooray for planning & cooking :)

Getting organized

2011-09-19T10:26:00.001-07:00

Now that I'm all moved in, its time to settle in & possibly get a routine going.
So here's some things that need to happen:

I need to organize some awesome recipes into a monthly meal plan
Gotta start a workout routine so I don't get flabby - I'm thinking P90X + Insanity. Like a hybrid. Yes, I shoot for the stars... hopefully I don't miss!
Need to set some goals (this should actually be first on the list)
Probably should buy a table so I can finish all those quilts I started.
I need to finish putting my new apartment together (ongoing project when Cory is around, but we're getting close!)
It's probably about time to give my blog a face-lift too, but first Cory and I need to take some legit family pictures. So I'm waiting on that. Know any stellar photographers??

Not sure where to begin. Sometimes it seems a little overwhelming.
I definitely need to eat and walk my dog... I guess that's a place to start!
We'll see how far I get.

Blog neglecting ends today!

2011-09-13T14:36:00.001-07:00

So lots has been happening since my last post in, what was it? Oh yeah, just JULY. That's fine.
Rude, I know.
Well, hopefully I can redeem myself with a to-the-point update that wont leave you snoring :)

SO.
Cory started his job, and I quit mine :)
We moved to South Jordan, Utah where we are renting a one bed one bath apartment in the brand new complex in Daybreak. (click on "Daybreak" to see where we live)
Why a one bed, one bath apartment? Well, there's only 2 of us and its more $pendy up here in South Jordan, and we needed to simplify anyway, and we're probably only going to be in Utah another year or two before grad school, so we don't want to invest in a house just to leave it... and and and. :)

Also we got a dog!
We rescued him from the Humane Society. His name is Cruze. He's a 2 year old, 25 pound white/cream Shiba Inu. He is very calm, quiet and relaxed. He's potty trained, knows "sit", "lay-down", "speak", "talk soft" (Ali taught him that one), and "come" but he responds best to commands if treats are involved. He doesn't lick, bark, bite, whine, chew or jump and he stays off the furniture unless invited! :) He always has to be in the room we're in, and will follow me everywhere. He's always interested in what I'm doing, and loves to lay at my feet even when I'm cooking or cleaning. He'd rather sit in your lap while you're driving than have a seat to himself, and he loves other dogs and kids. He can fetch, catch and loves to play chase (in an enclosed area, because he also loves his freedom!)
Basically he's AWESOME. And we love him so much!

So definitely lots going on. I have not had any internet connection for the past couple weeks, so that's my excuse for being lame and getting behind this time :)
I'm finally starting to settle in, but it will be another week or two till Cory is off orientation and we're able to get into some kind of routine.
I'd like to get another job, because I like to be productive and I like to feel like I'm contributing, but it would have to be the right one. Right now I'm not even sure what that means! I'm sure things will work out the way they're supposed to. For now I'm enjoying cooking, cleaning, organizing and taking care of my boys. (Cory and Cruze) Its a big job in itself sometimes! But I'm happy to do it.

Anyway, those are the most important events as of late. Hopefully I'll start doing some more interesting things here in the near future!

HARRY POTTER

2011-07-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter.... 'nuff said. :D
I starting reading the books when I was about 13, and have been a long time fan.
I've seen all the movies within the first week of their premiering, but never dressed up for any of them.
I figured this was my last chance! So I designed a robe pattern with no knowledge of clothing construction, and sewed costumes for both Cory and I. I even lined them with Gryffindor red inside for extra awesomeness. The hardest part was figuring out how to put the sleeves in and how to attach the hood in a non-ugly way. Everything else was pretty easy. They turned out really well for my first try with no legitimate pattern to go off of, and we got a positive reaction at the theater! I was nervous about people giving us a hard time, but when I saw the guy who dressed up like Voldemort complete with painted face, I knew we were golden. It was really fun!

My little sis & her bff came down to celebrate the awesomeness with us!

Cor and I sportin' our new, handmade by yours truly,
Harry Potter Gryffindor house robes!

In our seats!

I really liked the movie. Of course, after the first few came out I stopped re-reading the books right before seeing the movies and found that I enjoy the movies better that way. :)

Rusty as I was on the details, there were a few differences I did notice - one thing that bugged me from the get-go was that in the movies Voldemort can feel it when they destroy a horcrux, where in the book he had no idea. Not a deal breaker, but noteworthy. We assumed they did it that way to make it more dramatic, and to help the lesser Potter fans (who haven't read the books) to keep up with it all and to understand the gravity of destroying the horcruxes.

Also, that part we've all seen on the preview where Harry puts his arms around Voldy and they fall off that cliff... I don't think so. But it wasn't as bad as that added scene from the Half-Blood Prince where the death eaters torched the Weasley's house for no reason, so that was fine.

And my biggest complaint: the lack of fanfare at Voldemort's destruction- the fact that Harry took him down with no audience, and relatively no celebration of his victory. A teeny bit anti-climatic. BUT, that being said, overall it was super awesome. LOVED it. Saw it twice this weekend. Cried both times, and I gotta say that scene where Snape was killed - that will stick with me a while. Hard to watch.

Also - I'm so glad they added the "19 years later" epilogue, and used the original characters instead of trying to find older look-a-likes for everyone. It was fun/humorous/cool. A good way to end it :)
If you haven't seen it, grab your wand and get your booty to the theater!

THE JOB

2011-07-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for kind of falling off the map there again. I guess I was keeping in line with the old philosophy: "If you can't say something nice, don't say nuthin' at all." which I learned from Disney's Bambi. Haha :)
SO I am very pleased to announce that 6 months after graduating, 3&1/2 months after acing the NCLEX (National Counsel Licensure EXamination) and about 2 weeks after I developed a nervous ulcer (ok, that is not confirmed... just speculation on account of many stress-related stomach aches), Cory was interviewed and shortly thereafter offered a full time Registered Nurse position in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah!! (Had to be all official there ;)
He'll start in a few weeks, and our lives will change forever! Haha.
We will be moving north, not sure exactly how far north yet, but further north here in the next short while and starting our "real life" :) Haha its funny how people say that, but now I understand how it feels so it seems to make more sense.
I know that life will still be imperfect occasionally, but man am I excited to get to it!
Cory seriously could not be happier. This is the exact position he wanted all along, and we are so grateful to have conquered this milestone.
Although, it still doesn't feel quite real. I think it will feel that way until he gets to work his first shift. I guess when you wait so long, and work so hard for one goal, its probably not uncommon for it to feel surreal at first once you reach it :)
Regardless, we are so happy.
To celebrate, we went to Park City for a whole day! We shopped, I got 3 pairs of shoes, Cory got some shirts and shorts, and we saw Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 3D. Awesome :)

Bathroom makeover

2011-06-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

Never thought I'd want to look for reasons to hang out in my bathroom...

When you get married, and your mom isn't keen on registering at stores for gifts you'd like, you get a lot of randomness. (and about 6 sets of mixing bowls)
So right after the blessed event (and the honeymoon too) we set to work sorting out our gifts into things we needed/had room to store and totally unnecessary objects and started in on returning things to get money for the stuff we really needed (like a toaster! Didn't get a single one.)
I guess we could have just taken all of it back & purchased things we picked out (haha so thats why people register!) but the thought to take it that far never occurred to us I guess. So we ended up with a hodgepodge of uncoordinated decor & towels & appliances. (Some of which we really liked by the way, like our huge "Lewis & Co." clock. I LOVE that thing.)
Anyway, I never had more than a dorm room to do with as I wished before, so decorating a home... I just used what I had the best I could. (And to my credit, I haven't done half bad considering.) :)
Over the years, not a lot has changed. My mom has made sure to provide me with their excess decor, giving me some cool new things to replace less adequate options with. So that's been really nice, however, I haven't had the chance to really plan out any of my spaces and make decor choices and purchases accordingly. (More like, so this is our new apartment...where are we going to put our random stuff so it looks intentional this time?)
I'm clearly no designer, but what girl doesn't hope to personalize her space(s) with her own style & taste? (or with help from hgtv.com inspiration) :)

With all that in mind, I decided the time had come to makeover my upstairs bathroom. (because I hated it and my shower curtain screeched every morning and it was bland and mismatched and and and)

While on hgtv.com I checked out a few links to articles and videos like: "how to update your space for <$100", "Our fav DIY tips on a budget" ...things like that.
They all said the same thing, PAINT PAINT PAINT.
Newsflash. We're still renting. Wish I owned a home, but just can't quite yet. So that means asylum-white walls in EVERY room.
So that option was out.
But I still ventured to TJMaxx & Ross anyhow to see what could be done.
What wonderful stores those are :)
(Side note: Bed, Bath & Beyond is a magical wonderland full of possibility and inspiration. How sad I was to be there for the soul purpose of finding new shower hooks.)
Basically all I did for my bathroom makeover was buy new stuff and put it in there.

I wasn't planning on doing before/after pics,
so this is the ONLY pic I could find
...ignore the shirtless husband.

And the "after" !!!

I love that missing bulb in the light fixture :) So classy!

Green shower curtain + white liner = Ross, pic = TJMaxx

Cor always leaves books and magazines strewn throughout the bathroom,
so I got this little organizer at TJMaxx for $9 to stash them in.
The big sea shell is also from TJ Maxx

My bathmats came in a set of 2 at Ross for $9,
and my silver starfish soap dish thing was another TJMaxx purchase.

(You can see one of the bathmats better in this one.
Our apartment/townhome layout made camera angles difficult to work with.)

So that's that! I'm very happy with the results, and I ended up spending less than $100 after all. Of course, when we do buy a place, I'll paint the walls too!

Positive vibes!

2011-06-03T23:23:00.001-07:00

(potential)Job status: Things are looking good presently... at least to the point that we're actually holding our breath for once!
I don't want to say too much and jinx anything, but feel free to send extra positive vibes our way if you know what I mean :)

Oh I hope I hope I hope!!!

Side note: I bought a skirt pattern and some lovely fabric & can not wait to get to it! Still battling with my sewing machine... its winning. But not for much longer, I assure you.

Side note 2: I am working on a new organizational system for my recipes. It should revolutionize the way Cory and I plan meals and eat.
Actually, lets talk about that. Cor and I suffer from newlyweditis, specifically the "unhealthy diet" strain. Fun fact about us, we've been married 4.5 years and still have no structured diet or even a regular/consistent eating schedule. (Don't judge me!)
Many factors contribute to the contraction of this ailment. Origins can be traced back to our first year of marriage when I attempted to whip up a batch of blueberry pancakes (the easy from-a-box) kind and ended up with a short stack of evenly blackened discs that more closely resembled Frisbees than breakfast food. Which Cory then thanked me for as he proceeded to eat every bite of charred blueberry matter. Mortified at my husband's determination to poison himself and embarrassed at my extreme domestic inadequacy, I cried and cried and implored him not to eat them. He ate them all with me crying and begging to the last bite. As a heart-felt attempt to console me, he took to the stove and immediately produced the most flawless blueberry pancake I've ever seen. Evenly golden-brown, fluffy and delicious. He lovingly placed it on a plate and presented it to me. It was too much to bear. Tears>sobs>soggy tear-logged pancake.
Of course, irregularity of schedule has proved to be a significant detriment to hopes of healthy eating and consistency in meal times. I'm sure more wholehearted efforts have been made, but its pretty tough to compete with convenience when everything else on your plate is so sporadic and irregular. School, and a varying work schedule will eventually, if not easily undermine even the best intentions.
So to be more correct, I should say this new organizational scheme of mine will get me to actually plan meals for maybe the second time in my married life, and slash our tendency to eat out despite my meal-time un-friendly work schedule. It probably won't work perfectly, but any improvement is worth it in my eyes. You gotta start somewhere! :)

So that's about it for now. Once I've implemented my recipe-system I'll share the wealth. But I've gotta try it myself first!
As for the sewing machine... it's met its match.
And the job; positive vibes!
Prayers are also welcomed and appreciated :)

Not a lot to say.

2011-06-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Dear World,

Please tip your hair stylists well so we can buy things with the $. (Like a Clarisonic cleansing brush for my face! I gotta get in on that goodness asap.)
Please don't drive like a jerk so I don't get fed up & intentionally ram my car into yours someday. (Chances are you've got more to lose in your shiny SUV than I do in my 11 year old sedan... just sayin'. )
Please give Cory a job so we can get on with it. (you know what "it" is) ... don't be gross. it= LIFE.
Please magically fix my broken sewing machine so I can make awesome things.
Please arrange for a sinkhole to appear magically beneath my work so I can have the summer off like back in high school... just kidding! ...or am i? :)

Also thank you for inventing apple pie.
Yummmmmmm.

Love,
Jamie

Still at it.

2011-05-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

Well, still no job.
BUT. We're not giving up.

I think the biggest disappointments have been the few connections we do have not coming through for us so far. Other than those, we have been looking EVERYWHERE. Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, Hawaii, the Dakotas..etc. even east coast.

We're definitely open-minded... I just wish the recruiters would be.

Say a prayer for us if you can... we'd appreciate it :)

Catch 22

2011-04-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

So now that I'm back in the blogging zone after an unplanned and inexplicable absence, I guess its time for a real life update.

SO. Cory is a licensed RN. Not a AAS RN, or even a BSN, no. He is a full on, Bachelor of Nursing degree carrying Licensed Registered Nurse.
Legit.
Here's the thing about Nursing. Everyone keeps saying, "Oh it will be easy to get a job", "There's a shortage isn't there?", "Nurses are so in demand!"

...are they?

Sure maybe if you've got 15 years of intensive care experience and you happen to be buds with the pres of the hospital.

They don't realize that the job postings say, "No new grads." or "Minimum _years licensed nursing experience required."
I'm sure they have all the best reasons in the world for complaining about a shortage and then turning away hopeful new grads, but I think its RI-FREAKING-DICULOUS.
The whole nursing profession is a catch 22. You have to have experience to get experience. And they only hire within.
FANTASTIC.
5 years of being put through the ringer, getting raked across the coals & thousands of hard earned dollars later... Congratulations! You've graduated at the top of your class with amazing grades, fantastic letters of recommendation, clinical ICU experience, AND you already have ACED the NCLEX and have your license in-hand! ...Now go rot in a ditch because we turn our noses up at those with no "experience".
Gee thanks! We really appreciate that!

Sorry to rant, and I know we're not the first ones to ever face this kind of thing - but when something has seriously consumed your entire life the way this has for as long as this has, and you've got things on the line, and you really want to have a baby and get on with life - its hard to not feel a tsunami-sized wave of rage swell within your chest whenever you get a "thanks but no thanks" email, or a wishy-washy "you're not special" response from a recruiter or even when you see a job posting with "no new grads" or the words: EXPERIENCE, QUALIFIED, MINIMUM 80 YEARS RECENT EXPERIENCE TO EVEN BE CONSIDERED-ALSO MUST BE ABLE TO RIDE A UNICYCLE AND KEEP EYES OPEN WHILE SNEEZING!!!

....(deep breath)....

I had to get that off my chest.
So if anyone is a nurse, is related to or friends with or even distantly connected with a hospital employee... you know where to find us :)

Bad idea cowboy-hat man!

2011-04-03T22:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks guys! I'm glad I was missed in the blog-o-sphere :)

Since my last post we've switched internet providers, so I was again out of touch with the online world. It was a rough week.
BUT now I'm back with new tales of awesomeness from the life of me.

I guess I need to provide a bit of back-story to help the true... weight... of this event really sink in. So we'll start with my job: I work at a sports-themed barber shop where instead of scheduling appointments with our clients, we only take walk-ins. Because of this policy, mornings can be a little slow - and there's usually just 2 stylists working at that time of day seeing as how that's typically all that are needed to fill the demand. So we fill our down-time creatively. (no need to clean up the store or work... no, lets just stare creepy-style at passers-by. That's fine.)

SO. A couple weeks ago, my coworker Lisa and I opened together, and after a couple cuts each we were client-less for a while. This gave us time to notice that a portly gentleman in a leather coat & cowboy hat had parked his silver sedan in our lot & gone into the neighboring Verizon store. Not unusual, except that he forgot to do something normal people rarely forget to. He parked his car (I should say RE-parked his car because originally he parked in the front row, changed his mind, backed out, circled the lot & re-parked in a different row much farther back. Oh yeah - totally makes sense. Especially when the lot is 98% empty. Probably should park out in the middle of the lot instead of in the front.) opened his driver's side door, exited the car, and walked into the store.
What's wrong with this sequence of events? Something's missing... hmm... oh that's right, HE DID NOT CLOSE HIS CAR DOOR before abandoning the vehicle & making his way into Verizon.

To make sure the whole truth is adequately represented here, I need to emphasize that it wasn't a quick in & out trip. This open-doored car was left vulnerable & unattended for at least 45 minutes.
I'm sure you can imagine the entertainment this singular event provided two desperately bored hairstylists on a Thursday morning. We were in near-hysterics in the windows of our store, watching, laughing, speculating as to the complete loss of brain function (maybe like a mini-non-life-threatening stroke?) that must occur in a person who leaves such a second nature deed undone, and even taking pictures of this situation.

So in the heat of the moment, when it seems like the situation can't get more funny or more bizarre, Lisa decides to say, "I'll give you all my tips for the day if you go sit in his car!"

I thought about this for a minute, (my thoughts were more like daydream flashes of me sitting in this strange man's car and the total absurdity of the idea & how unlikely it was that I'd ever do such a thing) and next thing I knew I was actually walking out the door, across the sidewalk and into the lot (and didn't look suspicious AT ALL) :)
It's like my feet decided that this would be done. My brain had no say in the matter.
I'll just let you see for yourself from here... (you may need to hold your laptop on its side, unless you have a desktop computer, in that case you'll have to watch it sideways) :)

There you have it. You can't see well, but I definitely party-boy'd in that car, and seriously thought about honking the horn (probably should have just gone ahead and honked it) before I vacated the driver's seat & returned to the safety of my place of employment. (I ran a little bit... Napoleon Dynamite's run comes to mind)

"Bad idea"

We laughed so hard our faces hurt.
& We laughed all over again when cowboy-hat-man came back to find his car door wide open. The best part was that he looked a little confused, but otherwise it barely phased him at all that he'd left it like that! (No. I did not close his door after leaving the vehicle. Why? Well, I didn't want to leave evidence that I'd been there in case he remembered leaving it open of course! Leave it how you found it right? Makes sense.)
...And yes, Lisa did actually give me all her tips at the end of the day!
Totally worth it.

Long time no blog!

2011-03-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

Um... I don't have a great excuse for my absence.
Ok there has been A LOT going on.

So in December, Cory completed his BYU bachelor degree in Nursing! In January, the physical degree arrived in the mail. In February, Cory got a part time job in Salt Lake selling things on ebay, and he submitted all his licensure/nursing paperwork to DOPL (Utah Department of Professional Licensure) and registered for the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination), which is a mandatory test all nurses must pass to be licensed and allowed to practice.
This month, he studied extensively, took the NCLEX, and PASSED!!!
We received his RN license in the mail TODAY, as a matter of fact.

While all this has been going on, I've been tirelessly working at Sport Clips - busting out thousands of haircuts, wishing I knew what was coming next, and in my "free time" I've been... QUILTING!!

I don't think anyone saw that coming.

Yes quilting. I'm quite the domesticated little wife-aroo these days. Aside from the fact that I have no kids and I work full time :)
ANYWAY. I will post pics of these quilts soon! But here's the cool thing, most of the fabric I use, I find in the remnant pile at Joann Fabrics. Its awesome. I never thought this would actually be a hobby of mine - it just seemed so intimidating! But I just took a plunge - dove right in, and I LOVE IT.

So there's the basic update- quick style.

I've gotta run because tonight we're going to eat out to celebrate the arrival of Cory's RN License in the mail! (Not to be confused with the celebration we had for his completion of the NCLEX, or the celebration we had after finding out that he passed... all which took place since Monday. Too much? Nah. Not when you consider that its taken over 4 years to get that little piece of paper in the mail!!) :)
Ciao-ciao all!

O Christmas Tree

2010-11-30T09:34:00.000-08:00

The other day our friends came over and at the sight of our tree Molly exclaimed, "Its a freakin Christmas miracle!!"
Probably because there's a ginorm pile of presents under it already.
Here's the thing; Each year, Cory insists that we wrap EVERYTHING we buy after Halloween. This year, that ended up being everything we've purchased since my birthday! (October 23)
So yes, we look like crazy people that buy way too much for Christmas... which may still be true, we do have a tendency to overdo things a bit. (At least when Christmas is involved.) Seriously though, there are packs of socks and all the presents we got for our friends & family under that tree - which we've wrapped but not given yet, and last year I'm pretty sure we wrapped up a pack of AA batteries.
Anyway, I think we'll be ok as long as we don't start wrapping up boxes of cereal or packs of toilet paper. (Best to not give Cory any ideas though.)
:)

Coal

2010-11-17T20:10:00.000-08:00

Cory keeps almost ruining Christmas by peeking at the packages that come for me in the mail! (OBVIOUSLY they are presents for him - so if he peeks, its all over!) So I was just thinking, what if I wrap & then hide ALL of his presents & on Christmas morning I just put one of those little black gift bags that says "Coal" on it under the tree (with a real piece of coal in it or some black licorice or something) & pretend like that's all I actually got for him!
That sounds super mean now that its actually written down...
It was supposed to be funny.
:(
Funny-Fail.

Christmas music on the radio

2010-11-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

So today I overheard this lady, who brought her fussy little boy in for a hair cut, talking to my coworker about Christmas music on the radio. In Utah its tradition, for at least one radio station I know of, to start playing Christmas music on November 1st. Anyway, this lady was talking about it, and said its too early to be thinking about Christmas, and that people shouldn't listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. I wouldn't have thought much of it, but I feel like there are a lot of people each year that seem to have problems with Christmas being celebrated too early. I for one happen to love listening to the Christmas music on the radio. It helps me feel bright & cheerful on my way to work. So, to the presently dubbed "Christmas complainers" (it was either that, or the "Bah-Humbug's") I have two points to make:

#1. I just have a hard time understanding how its a bad thing to listen to a few extra weeks of music with messages that predominantly focus on our Savior's birth, joy, family and giving. (Especially in a city full of Mormon people who are supposed to be big into these kinds of things).
#2. If it bothers you that much, just listen to a different radio station and let those who like it enjoy it.

And yes, I'm aware that some Christmas music is about Santa Claus & what not, but I don't feel like that is a bad thing either. If you have children and you're worried about focusing on the true meaning of Christmas - wonderful. Your children will pick up on that :) But they're still going to get excited enough to pee their little pants over Santa Claus, flying reindeer & presents - and I think its precious.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

BFFS...?

2010-10-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

I haven't "ranted" in a while. I suppose I'm overdue. Ok so lets talk about facebook.
I've got a lot to say when it comes to facebook things... but more specifically I want to address this thing that I keep seeing... its like a tiny little high-pitched screech goes off in my head each time I see it - and I swear my right eyelid starts twitching a bit.
You know when you're creepin someone's wall posts & comments & such and you see something like this, "I love you best friend!" or "Happy birthday, best friend." or "I miss you, best friend." .... basically "___ANYTHING___ , best friend." Na'mean?? We're all on the same page here right?

OK. HERE'S THE THING:
If you feel it necessary to announce & re announce that someone is your best friend by inserting "best friend" into your comments where their name would go - you need to ask yourself who you are trying to convince.

>Oh I wish Bobby/Betty was my best friend because he's/she's cute & awesome & blah blah blah & it would make other people jealous if they knew that we were WAY close and that my friendship with Bobby/Betty was that much more significant than theirs... I think I'll try to brain wash Bobby/Betty by replacing his/her name, "Bobby/Betty" with "Best Friend" in every single thing I post to his/her facebook!!!!
BRILLIANT!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Don't do it guys.
You know who your best friend is, and they should know too. No need to relentlessly drop the title on facebook. It's not some kind of creepy best friend competition!
*If they need convincing just buy them one of those plastic BEST FRIENDS FOREVER heart necklaces where you each keep half. Then they'd know.

"Spying" on our neighbor

2010-10-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I was not an eye-witness to this development from our schitzo-neighbor.
(no, we haven't called the cops on her ...yet.)
It was Cory who witnessed the randomness.
I was at work, and Cory was studying at home the other day, when he noticed our schitzo neighbor outside wandering around OUR parking lot! As I've explained a bit before, our town-home-like apartments are arranged a semi-circle shape, and she lives in a small house behind our section of the "complex" - so basically, there's no reason she (or anyone who doesn't live in our apartments) should be in our parking lot, ever!
He said she wandered around our lot 2 separate times that day, and concluded his story with, "and that is why we always lock our door!"
Yay.
SO the LATEST on the whole thing happened today in daylight! We were in our room taking a little nap, when I heard her unmistakable voice from our cracked-open window. (yes, it woke me up from my nap) :(
This time, she was actually talking to a legit SOMEONE!!
I peeked outside to see a car behind hers in her side yard, and there were actually multiple people out by the shed!
She sounded upset (not unusual) but she was yelling in a normal-upset-person voice, (instead of that tormented holler that she's accustomed to) and addressed the other lady as "Mom". The only full phrase I caught was, "You never pick out the good stuff I do!"
Shortly after that her mom drove off, and she went back inside.
Cory turned to me & said, "I bet tonight she's going to be out there hollering about how she's never good enough."

So now we've actually seen her interact with another human being!
Also I noticed there is an old, neglected bathtub sitting out in her yard by the shed, partially full of fallen leaves. :(
WHY THE CREEPINESS? Na'mean?

FAVORITE

2010-10-18T05:12:00.000-07:00

Fall is the best.
I love the colors, the temperature, the rain, the smell of it...
Football season, my birthday, pumpkins and falling leaves...
My fav shows start back up, Costco sells pumpkin pies, and Cor starts insisting we turn all non-food purchases into Christmas presents before Halloween has even passed... which reminds me, I need to buy some Christmas present wrapping supplies - its begun!
I just LOVE fall :)

Enticing, but...

2010-10-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

So I guess those of you who read my model behavior post may be interested to know what came of it all.
I decided I wasn't going to do it.
Then I told Cory my decision, and he turned around and encouraged me to go and check it out. I started stressing & he told me it was just another opportunity to experience things outside of my comfort zone, and he reminded me that the worst that could happen was for them to tell me I wasn't what they were looking for after all, which wouldn't be a big deal.
I decided he was right about going out of my comfort zone, so I scheduled the appointment.
I felt silly driving there, and then filling out the info sheet, and then waiting in the lobby. Thinking, I don't even know what I'm doing here...

Then the agent came out and called me back into an office. After I was seated, he walked around behind a glass desk and looked at me contemplatively. I sat straight, but comfortably with a half-smile on my face and without a clue as to what to expect.
He asked me why I was there. I told him about being approached and deciding to see what it was all about, and about having no idea what to expect from this meeting.
From there we talked about different things, but he seemed more interested in the acting side of things than modeling. He had me read a script animatedly a few times & applauded my performance. Then he talked about photoshoots and acting classes and told me he liked my look, that I was 'pretty' and 'different' (haha not to be confused with 'pretty different' :)) and that he wanted me to sign up with him (he's a 'new face' agent) & this talent management company, and subsequently come to an audition in November for the upcoming "Lionsgate movie" as he called it, holding up a packet of paper detailing the specifics of a casting call for The Hunger Games. This whole meeting was a lot to absorb, but even then I couldn't believe we were talking about auditioning for THAT movie.

So the way this whole thing works from what I understand, is you pay them $1500 total (spread over 13 months) for classes, photoshoots & all the up-front work they do with you, and in return you get exposure & representation (& classes & photos). While there's no guarantees (because its not up to them if you get selected for various "gigs"), there are possibilities of booking actual acting jobs & modeling work through them. He explained pretty well that you're more likely to get more out of the industry if you're willing to put a lot into it.
He finished his spiel & told me if he could have his way, he'd have me sign with him right then, but that he understood I needed to consult with my husband first.

When I got home later I researched the whole thing online & discovered that it is legit, but that the company wanting me to sign with them had a bad BBB score. I read some reviews to find out why & learned that people weren't happy that they had signed up & made a few payments & not been booked for anything (which really isn't the company's fault). But that's the way that industry is. Breaking into it isn't a piece of cake, and there's no guarantees. Companies like that feed on people's emotions with flattery, and implications of potential fame. Possible to achieve, yes. Likely, maybe not so much.

And quite honestly, as tempted as I was by the sheer possibility of that Hunger Games audition, suppose I did land a role... It would be fun for a while, just like its fun to think about 'what if', but I don't think I would want the life that comes with that industry. Call me crazy, but as glamorous and enticing as it is, most people don't realize what you'd have to sacrifice to chase and or eventually live that "dream".
I realize that most people don't succeed, but I likewise understand that success would mean your life wouldn't be your own anymore. The industry would own you.

I decided not to call back. And that brings us to now.

Tantalizing isn't it? ...

A whole 'notha level

2010-10-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

I actually saw our Schitzo neighbor in daylight last week. She is legit white trash looking. Mean? Maybe. Honest? Yes.
I heard her having a little outburst, so I decided to pause my cleaning & sneak a peek to see what her issue was.
I was peering out through my kitchen window this time, so I was close enough to see some details.
Like nappy hair, the old sweats, the lack-luster face... you know what I'm sayin'. So I watched her mull about in her yard, and then she bent down and hollered at her cat (in the crazy voice), then she kicked the cat so it promptly ran off. Not horribly unusual I guess. (Shrug) It was weird to put a face to the outbursts we hear in the wee hours of the morning though.

The next night she upped the ante a bit when she came raging outside again (at her usual hours between midnight & sun-up) yelling at... whomever.
It was the actual words that came out of her mouth that freaked me out.
"YOU KILLED MY BABY!" she bellowed into the night. She followed this horrific accusation with "WHERE IS SHE?!" and then a thorough search of her yard armed with only a flashlight as she repeated "Where is she?!" at varying decibels. (like in a scary movie when the creepy person-thing whatever repeats the same thing over & over ... you know?!)
This went on for a while before she went back inside. She left the flashlight on & took it inside with her. The house remained dark, but it looked like the search continued inside as we watched the flashlight beam (now indoors) bounce from window to window.
So she thinks someone/something killed 'her baby'.
AWESOME :(

Model Behavior

2010-10-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

Ok so FOREVER ago I was a model for this hair show thing in Vegas which I'm sure everyone who has known me a while or creeped my facebook has heard about and/or seen a picture from (just think platinum blond hair - kind of hard to miss). Anyway - to get to my point, modeling frightens me.

I wouldn't ever say to someone, "Oh yeah, I'm a model" because its false and I think its a form of misrepresentation. ESPECIALLY if you haven't been PAID to do so - which I have never been. Come to think of it, I'd probably only ever say that if I was Tyra Banks. So yeah.
I have modeled briefly for small, insignificant things when asked to (like twice in my life...) but I'm not the type of girl that would try to get into the business, or advertise, or even brag about being asked to (If you're not convinced, we must not be friends).

So the other day my little sister Ali & I were shopping at Forever 21 (awesome store ps) in the mall (here in Utah). We weren't like browsing around either, we were on the hunt. Heavy laden with armloads of items, fitting room bound - basically pretty engrossed in our venture (I bought too many things I shouldn't have, but it was so fun). Suddenly there's two girls in front of us (I'd say women, but they were young) asking where we got our boots. (We were both wearing boots). So we stopped to answer their questions and after resolving the boot mystery they asked if we had ever modeled. A few seconds later they revealed that they were talent scouts for an agency. They gave us their cards & got our phone numbers (what do you say in that situation? No, you can't have my phone number...?) and a few days later (yesterday) I got a call from this modeling agency wanting to schedule an appointment with me.

I'm super flattered they want me to even come in, but I swear just listening to my voicemail I started to sweat a little. I don't know why! I guess just because I never asked for this..? (just like the platinum hair) Its not that I'm not confident - totally am (maybe), just not cocky - and I feel like modeling is kind of the ultimate "I think I'm better than others" activity. (No offense to anyone who models...) So what if I went in there, & they thought "Oh this girl thinks she's a big deal" & then they laughed at me?! I would die. I mean, I'm curious to see what would happen if I went in for this "appointment" or whatever, but modeling just makes me nervous! Its way too scary. (I think my heart is beating a bit faster as I write this... fight or flight...fight or flight) I feel so bad ignoring the phone, but I'm too scared to answer. You know??!
Does anyone know how I feel? :(
Help.

YOU PIG

2010-10-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

Let me just say first, that we love our apartment.

Second, our neighbor, who lives in the house behind us, is almost definitely deranged.

Here's the thing, normally when people "complain" about their neighbors (ie: take time to blog about them) its because of some awkwardness or disagreement - basically its triggered by some degree of "normal" hostility.

A few nights ago (actually a couple weeks ago) Cory & I were just settling in for the night, and almost asleep when we heard this unnatural yelling. I've heard plenty of people & neighbors of mine argue/ yell at each other, and I've yelled enough myself to be well enough versed in the range of sounds people normally make when upset, to know that this was different.
The sound of this girls' voice was almost theatrical - I don't mean that it was comical, no, but outside of Hollywood people just don't sound like that.

She sounded hoarse & tormented. I couldn't make out many words at first because she was indoors, but what I did hear sounded so desperate and unsettling that Cor & I couldn't help but snoop a little.
We got out of bed & crept into our dark bathroom, shutting the door to keep the light from revealing us. The bathroom window faces her side-yard where one can easily see the back corner of the older, run-down looking little house, the shed in the back yard & the car parked in the driveway that extends into the side-yard along the house, as there was no garage.
We peered silently into the night to assess the situation.
Despite her growling demands (which we could now catch fragments of) of "GET AWAY FROM ME" .... & "YOU PIG" she was alone.
She even came out of the house & walked through the yard to the shed where she continued to hoarsely holler insults and demands to be left alone.

It was eerie. No actually eerie doesn't quite cover it. Lets just say I jumped right to possessed as the reasoning.
After watching her mill about in the yard & then return to her house, only to emerge again & get into the car in the side yard where she sat for a while as she continued to yell at the invisible antagonist with the doors closed, but without turning the vehicle on and then finally going inside for the last time; Cory's more likely diagnosis was Schizophrenia.

I watched his face curiously in the moonlit bathroom where we still stood at our perch as he explained that her behavior was identical to the schizophrenic patients he worked with during his clinical rotations at the University Neuro-Psychiatry Institute last winter.
I then asked a stupid question: "So why is she so angry?" He explained that the voices usually are pretty mean. (Guess I wouldn't know right) He then explained that its a treatable condition.

After arriving at this plausible conclusion, I suggested we call the cops (another drastic conclusion I normally wouldn't arrive at). I figured we had seen & heard enough for it to be at least an issue of disturbing the peace, but more urgently a matter of safety. Because of the nature of mental illness as serious as schizophrenia, she could be a danger to herself & others if left untreated!

Well, we decided not to. Partly because it was 2 am at this point, partly because she had gone back inside, and partly because Cory didn't want to talk to the cops forever.
We probably should have though, because its happened a few times since, although the episodes (or what we heard of them) seemed shorter & less intense - but it's still enough to scare the holy fudge out of us when we're on the verge of sleeping & she starts up. (Its always abrupt). Just imagine drifting off to sleep only to hear a guttural screech (you heard me. Guttural screech) spewing "YOU'RE A PIG!" from just a few yards away outside.

So yeah. AWESOME. We LITERALLY have a crazy neighbor. Fun fun...
I seriously might call the cops though next time she starts up again. I'll let you know. Lock your doors at night everyone!

Mysterious beeping noise

2010-09-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

So since moving into our current apartment (which we love by the way) we've spent several nights with our bedroom window open to air out the place & keep it cool.

Every night, after our heads hit the pillows but before giving way to dreamland, we've heard this faint, but definitely audible beeping noise coming from somewhere outside.
Some nights we hardly notice it, while other nights its so annoying that we can't sleep until we've closed the window or turned a fan on full blast to drown it out.

For months we've been plagued by the inexplicable beeping from outside and while we concluded that since both of us could hear it, it wasn't a figment of imagination, but an actual nuisance caused by SOMETHING, we could never place it's source.

So the other night, we lay there, on the verge of sleep as the beeping drifted in the window from out in the night.
Suddenly Cory announced into the dark, "I know what that beeping noise is."
"What is it?" I asked stupidly.
"It's the crosswalk at the stoplight down the road."

Of course.

Why didn't we think of it before?
I'll tell you why. Because no one uses that stupid crosswalk ever! Let alone after midnight! Worthless. Worthless beeping noise!

One-liners

2010-09-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

I know I know, my last post was a yawner.
Too much lovey dovey-ness for the internet.
Well, I have a little snack for ya.

Our friends the Taylors just got us hooked on a TV series called How I Met Your Mother. (Hilarious btw)
And my little sis & I communicate in one-liners mostly. Either stolen from movies, shows or other media, or made up by someone in our immediate family.

We were driving out to a friend's house last night, (Cor, me & Alipants) and I kept deliberately trying to get Cory's attention (he rocks back & forth incessantly and tends to add little to conversations while in driving mode) but he just kept rocking & squinting out into traffic. So in a final attempt I turned to him & said (mystically): "I want to know your soul. What makes you cry?"

Ali about died laughing :) Mission Accomplished.
(and Cor always says I should let him handle the jokes. pshh!)

Take home message: The best part about remembering & appreciating one-liners, is future application.

:)

Happy 4 years to us!

2010-09-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

Today is Cory & my 4th wedding anniversary!

Now I know its some kind of tradition among the Mormon marrieds to post mushy gushy stuff on the "family" blog to commemorate the occasion and all; so I'd feel left out if I didn't join in with some flowery nonsense of my own... occasionally... I guess. Whatever :)

4 years ago today, I married my best friend. He's fun, funny & keeps me lighthearted. He drives me absolutely crazy, but I return the favor just as frequently :)

Our life together isn't a breeze, a fairytale or a bowl of cherries like other couples who blog about the immense perfection that just oozes out of their relationship-sebaceous glands want you to think, but it is ours, and it is wonderful.

Life is about learning, and I've learned, grown & laughed so much in these past 4 years. I'm so grateful to have Cory with me to help me always find joy in our journey.
He never fails to keep me smiling :)

Happy 'Versary babe!
(its always important to give shout outs on the internet to celebrate personal events!) ;)

Katniss

2010-09-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

If they cast someone stupid like Kristin Stewart to play Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games movie, I might light myself on fire.

Do not read this.

2010-09-14T22:56:00.000-07:00

Hooray.

LAST:
1. Last beverage - water
2. Last phone call - my mom
3. Last text message - Cory
4. Last song you listened to - Billy Jean (in the car, on the way home from work).
5. Last time you cried - Sunday

HAVE YOU EVER:
1. Dated someone twice? - um, no... pretty sure.
2. Been cheated on? - not to my knowledge
3. Kissed someone & regretted it? - um YES/gross.
4. Lost someone special? - I’ve lost touch with some really great friends... but they’re alive :)
5. Been depressed? - I’ve had my moments I guess. I’d chalk it up to stress though, not depression. depression+stress= Distress! Ha!
6. Liked a friend as more than a friend? - here's the thing; this question is meant to inform said "friend" of your secret feelings without actually professing them directly... I have no use for this question.

LIST FOUR FAVORITE COLORS:
1. yellow
2. pink
3. orange
4. green

HAVE YOU:
1. Made new friends - like, ever? DUH.
2. Fallen out of love - Ha ha well I’ve had crushes I’ve changed my mind about.
3. Laughed until you cried - Are you kidding? I’m married to Cory. ‘Nuff said.
4. Met someone who changed you - Cory. & then I married his A.
5. Found out who your true friends were - :) It’s called graduating high school & moving away.
6. Found out someone was talking about you - Try my whole floor. Awesome.
7. Kissed anyone on your friend's list - Doubt it.
9. How many kids do you want to have - 3. or 2.
10. Do you have any pets - Well there’s this large bug living on my bathroom wall. He’s been there a few days, and I heard he eats mosquitoes so ...
11. Do you want to change your name - Wtf, no. Well, once when I was little I wished my name was Britney - like on the Chipettes - because she’s awesome.
12. What did you do for your last birthday - I went to the homeland. (BOISE)
13. What time did you wake up today - lol. Late.
14. What were you doing at midnight last night - believe it or not, I was waiting in line at GameStop for Halo Reach. I even got my picture taken with Master Chief. I am THAT awesome.
15. Name something you CANNOT wait for - Cory to finish school & get a job. My whole life will change. (cheesy, but true!)
What is one thing you wish you could change about your life - I really wish coach would have put me in... I bet I could throw a football over them mountains... we’d have been state champions, no doubt in my mind. ...I’d have gone pro... soakin’ it up in a hot tub with my soul mate.
17. What are you listening to right now - Halo sounds. (Cory is playing Reach next to me)
18. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom - at work I cut Tom Holmoe’s hair & of course we chatted. (he is the BYU Athletic Director + he has 3 Superbowl rings = kind of a big deal = I’m awesome.)
19. What's getting on your nerves right now - Long list starting with people who don’t control their children in public.

1. What's your name - Jamie (in case anyone that bothered to read this far didn't know)
2. Nicknames - Jam, Jam Jam, Jaim, Jamers
3. Relationship Status - MAWADGE..ed
4. Zodiac sign - Libra/Scorpio
5. Male or female or transgendered - female (these questions are stupid)
6. Elementary - Fillmore, Truman, Lake Hazel, Chief Joseph, Amity
7. Middle School - Meridian Middle, West Jr High
8. High school - Borah
10. Hair color - medium brown
Long or short - long
16. Height - 5’ 6 &1/2”
Do you have a crush on someone - hehe (gigglefest!) his name starts with a C!!! ...
18: What do you like about yourself - hmm... everything I guess. I really like that I am in control of my life.
19. Piercings - ears (just one in each)
20. Tattoos - no way jose.
21. Righty or lefty - right. (what a yawner!)

FIRSTS :
22. First surgery - yet to happen.
23. First piercing - & last: my ears!
24. First best friend - probably Mindy from 1st grade.
First sport you joined - Track, on a whim even. (I know, the awesomeness is unbearable!)
27. First pet - Bam Bam the naughty dog that pooped on everything. (We didn’t have him long)
28. First vacation - Disneyland. That was the first legit one anyway.
29. First concert - gah I don’t do concerts. I don’t even know.
30. First crush - that I actually admitted to? Enoch in 6th grade. We "went out" for like a week & then my mom got mad. It was the cutest thing ever though.

RIGHT NOW:
49. Eating - ate. I just ate a cookie. Chocolate chip.
50. Drinking - not. but I’m going to get some more water soon. (so exciting!)
52. I'm about to - read my book. I’m quite the little reader lately. (finishing Catching Fire right now in case you wanted to know)
53. Listening to - Halo sounds. Yep - still!
55. Waiting for - many things, most of which lead up to Cory being done with school FOREVER!!!

YOUR FUTURE :
58. Want kids - Most days I do.
59. Want to get married - Goodness I sure hope so. (I’m starting to think this questionnaire was not targeting me specifically) :/
60. Careers in mind - Well gosh, I’ve always wanted to be a peon at a ginorm corporation... or maybe a ceiling-less, oober talented hairstylist!!! So many options...

WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
68. Lips or eyes - Ok here’s the weird thing... I only look at my husband these days. So...
69. Hugs or kisses - hugs are for friends, kisses are... awkward because when you unknowingly run into these people in the future (post-marriage & what not) its not pleasant.
70. Shorter or taller - I prefer taller. I know, I’m one of a kind. (sometimes I laugh when I see couples where the guy is considerably shorter... especially if it looks like his woman could kick his butt.)
71. Older or Younger - I like that my husband is older than me.
72. Romantic or spontaneous - ugh. if I have to pick one, spontaneous.
74. Sensitive or loud - gross.
75. Hook-up or relationship - I like this whole eternal marriage thing I’m doing right now. It works.

HAVE YOU EVER :
78. Kissed a stranger - These questions are re-awakening a sleeping beast of awkward feelings in me.
80. Lost glasses/contacts - Ha never had either. I did sit on Cory’s glasses when we were dating. So I guess I lost those for him in a way.
81. Skinny Dipped - never. I’m classy. ;)
82. Broken someone's heart - I wasn’t always so classy.
83. Had your own heart broken - Who hasn’t. We were all teens once.
85. Been arrested - definitely not!
86. Turned someone down - yes. I didn’t like pity dates/dances/ncmos/boyfriends. I know, I’m SO MEAN!
87. Cried when someone died - yes/no questions are super boring. but yes.
88. Liked a friend of the opposite sex - I feel like I’ve answered this one already.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
89. Yourself - YES
90. Miracles - YES
91. Love at first sight - I believe in, "Wow I like the way he looks!" at first sight.
92. Heaven - YES
93. Santa Claus - I believe in making my kids believe in him.
95. Kiss on the first date - If you don't care about the "relationship" lasting or meaning anything - sure.
96. Angels - YES

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
97. Is there one person you want to be with right now - CORY. and I AM with him RIGHT NOW!!! Awesome!
98. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time - Not really. But kind of.
99. Will you re-post this - meh.
100. Did you lie at any of these questions - RETARDED.

*************************
I dare you all to fill this silly thing out.
In fact, I'm going to make my own questionnaire. & It's going to be epic. & then I'll take it personally if you don't fill it out.
Stay tuned.

Surprise

2010-09-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Today (monday) is my day off of work this week. So you can imagine how bummed I was when Cory told me that he had a 12 hour clinical rotation scheduled for today.
We went to bed early last night so he could wake up at 5am & drive an hour out to the VA in Salt Lake - which he did.
And I went back to sleep. What else was I going to do all day?
Well next thing I knew, I was being woken by Cory! Startled me to death - I thought something was wrong, or maybe I was having some kind of stress-dream. So I responded in confusion by demanding an explanation. He explained that the hospital was overstaffed today & there wouldn't have been anything for him to do, so his proctor suggested he just go home & get other things done.
Satisfied, I finally smiled in understanding & reached my sleepy arms up around his neck to let him know I was happy to have him home :)
He scooped me up out of bed & carried me downstairs, promising he had a surprise for me.
He gently set me on the couch in front of a little breakfast spread he'd laid out. Orange juice, a sausage McMuffin & a hash brown from McDonalds.
:)
I love him so much.

Go Go BSU!

2010-09-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

Ok so I have seriously been slacking lately with the blogging action. SO SORRY. Life has been wild - in a good way - but not in an epic way. If it was more of the latter, then I probably would have found more time to throw up a few quick posts! :)

ANYHOO - I 'll probably play some catch up in the next little while, but for now I wanted to post really quick about HOW MUCH I LOVE BOISE STATE.

First of all, speaking of the program generally: Coach Peterson is just a class act. I adore that man. What a stand-up guy. Secondly, Kellen Moore never ceases to amaze me with how cool he is under pressure! It's like it doesn't even phase him! Rare & admirable.
& I HAVE to mention Austin Pettis & his flawless execution during Monday's game. I'm just beaming with pride!
I desperately want to just be my windbag self & go on & on about each player & dissect the game into my favorite plays, but I'm going to resist the urge & just quietly appreciate the epic nature of their program as a whole. (If you want to join me, there's a link at the bottom of this post to the game highlights by quarter) :)

Anyone who spent Labor Day as I did - watching every second of that game - had to have been on the edge of their seats & hopefully just elated through the final seconds (as was I).
It was amazing!! Start-to-finish amazing. But I have to say, I hardly expect less from Boise State in a well matched game. And NO, I was NOT surprised that they pulled a victory out of it. Absolutely thrilled, yes. Surprised, no. Just like I wasn't surprised during the Fiesta Bowl last year - thanks very much.

Forgive the defensive tone - Living in Utah isn't ideal for Boise State fans. I'm constantly defending my/their honor against all the haters out here. I understand the spirit of competition & all, and I understand that not everyone likes the same teams, but people shouldn't be ignorant & go flinging prejudiced comments around like monkey's hurling their own poo at each other & then act like in so-doing they're doing the world a favor. You're not fooling anyone you know! :(
**But don't take MY word for it, just listen to Jim Rome spell it out on his ESPN show: Jim Rome is Burning (9/7/10).**

SO didn't mean to turn this into a rant! I have a lot to say on that subject, but I'll save it for later when I'm feeling more contentious :)
This is a tribute post!

I love Boise State Football!
I'm SO PROUD to be from Boise, & SO PROUD of Boise State & all that they have accomplished the last few years! Can't wait for the rest of the season!
Lets go BRONCOS!

For those of you who missed it, here's a 5 min-or so quick-version of the Boise State/Virginia Tech game!

PS. It's no accident that my blog colors are orange & blue.
Just fyi. ;)

Hide your husbands!

2010-08-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

I had to post this too - I've been watching it over & over the last couple days - hysterical. Its one of those that gets funnier every time!

If you've never seen this before, watch this video first:

And then watch this one - the "song" :)

lol.

2010-08-19T14:19:00.001-07:00

The other night we were laughing so hard, I almost cried.
I think Cory is hilarious.
He got on facebook & lol'd everything.

Double Rainbow

2010-08-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

Just in case you need a little pick-me-up... Go ahead & watch this!

(I seriously laughed for 3 minutes straight. Cross my heart!)

Adversity

2010-08-02T23:13:00.000-07:00

SO. We have been super busy since getting home from Cascade. A lot of that has to do with Cory's injury; since having him out of commission has left me with a lot more on my plate than usual. For instance, I had to unload the car (by myself), unpack our stuff (by myself) & get it all situated again, clean, cook, write to Spencer ...etc. and of course I have a job too/ I'm currently the bread-winner. So its been a lot to handle. Well, on top of that, we were called a couple days after we got home and asked to speak in church that Sunday (leaving us 3 days to prepare). We "accepted the invitation" to speak, and I was kicking myself wondering how on earth I would prepare an adequate talk amidst all I had to do.

Well, somehow it worked out (as these things just seem to) and Cory & I found ourselves sitting at our respective laptops intently preparing our remarks for Sunday. Ironically our topic was "adversity" - (I laughed aloud when Cory announced our topic after hanging up with the ward). I figured we were pretty much exhibit-A in the adversity department, so from there it was pretty easy to dream up some things to say.

When Sunday morning came, we were all set. My talk had come together in a way I was happy with, and Cory's was primed to be super awesome. I was really excited to hear his - he had worked in some pretty sweet elements including a quote from Gandalf - the wizard in Lord of the Rings, and a legit General Authority phrase that had something to do with his mind being recalled to a time when he was a youth in southern Idaho... (Johnny Biscuit anyone?) as well as his physical example of overcoming adversity (axe wound & crutches!!).

WELL. The way they do it in our ward, is they call 2 couples to speak, & give each person 5 to 10 minutes. There's always some kind of musical number in between the 2 couples too. SO the meeting is usually pretty well filled.

Cory and I were the last couple to speak. The first couple took 10 & 15 minutes respectively (longer than their fair share... seriously, the husband took 15 minutes, most of which were spent grasping for things to say), and then the musical number was by the choir - so we waited for them to gather on the stand, sing & dissemble. By the time it was our turn - there was literally 5 minutes left in the meeting. AWESOME. :(

As the choir returned to their seats in the congregation, the bishop came over to Cor & I and told us he'd give us 5 minutes each. So, I skipped our introduction & dove right in. I omitted the first couple paragraphs in my talk, and spoke fast but clearly, at one point nonchalantly mentioning Cory's "unfortunate experience involving an axe and the emergency room" as an example of adversity; and when I'd finished, I sat down right before my 5 minute mark.

(This is the best part)

Cory set his crutches aside and limped up to the stand, talk in one hand, scriptures in the other, wearing only one shoe.

*(It is important to note that only half of the chapel lights were on, and that at the start of the meeting, the bishop explained that one of the lights had been sparking & smoking, so they decided to keep them off until it could be fixed.)

Cory said "Well, I chopped my leg with an axe, but it didn't get me out of speaking today." Laughter broke out, Cory paused & before the laughter died he added, "I even tried to sabotage the lights and I'm still up here!" The room exploded. I think half of his 5 minutes was spent in laughter. He hurriedly made his major points & sat down right as his 5 minutes were up.

Anyway, we didn't get to hear the rest of Cory's talk - which would have been just as awesome as the first 5 minutes (come on, he was able to work Gandalf into it!!) but we were a hit. We got lots of compliments & lots of well wishes for Cory's recovery.

The next Sunday (which was yesterday) we were asked to teach Sunday School next week. I guess we're on the map now. Ha ha :)

Cascade/The Incident

2010-07-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

I know I've been away FOR-EV-ER (Sandlot) & my blogging regularity has definitely suffered. Cor & I just got home from a week+ long camping trip on Monday, and since then I've been hard at work unpacking & handling all the various issues that have been piling onto my plate since we left. Don't get me wrong, I still have tons to do, but this post is kind of a priority!

Every year the Lewis family (immediate & extended) meets at Cascade Lake in Idaho (in the same camping ground btw) for a week-long family-reunion-camping-trip (this trip, the location & activities will be henceforth referred to as "Cascade" in true Lewis style).

Cascade was a blast this year. Sleeping in tents, boating, waterskiing, tubing, wake boarding, s'mores, fire-roasted hotdogs, "showering" in the lake, late night chats 'round the fire, loud & heated card games, swimming, reading, & even crafting!

I was way into crocheting this year once I learned to crochet flowers. I learned a basic chain pattern & started creating all kinds of headbands & even beanies! I got my mom-in-law involved & between the 2 of us & our stellar teamwork, we had to have busted out at least 20 headbands during the week. It was so exciting as we became increasingly creative with the color combinations & different flowers & buttons. So fun!

Ok so there's the basic rundown of our Cascade experience prior to "The Incident".

On Wednesday morning, I was hard at work crocheting a beanie for Cory by the smoldering remains of our campfire. Cory and my father-in-law were within earshot, but about 100ft away from me & blocked from my view by our tent. They had been chopping firewood with axes over there for the better part of the morning. It sounded like quite the spectacle. Some cousins had gathered & were shouting "I believe!!" which was followed each time with the the sound of axes meeting wood. I even had the passing thought of heading over there to watch & take a few pics... but I dismissed the thought & kept crocheting, determined to finish the beanie before lunch.

Minutes later, the chopping area went quiet. The eerie quiet was brief, and broken abruptly by my name shouted firmly by my father-in-law. I perked up immediately, & hesitated only a second as I tried to compute & then interpret the unfamiliar severity of his voice. He shouted again, "JAMIE! FAYANN!" I dropped my crochet project. "WE'RE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL!" In a confused daze, I automatically flew out of my chair & dashed to the Lewis' Excursion.

Within seconds I had flung myself into the back seat. My eyes frantically darted around trying to understand. "DON'T SCREAM!" my father in law was craned around in the driver's seat, wide eyed & frenzied as he shouted orders to me. "DON'T LOOK AT IT!"

I couldn't help but blurt out desperately, "WHA - WHO? WHO IS IT?"

"CORY." My heart dropped immediately into my stomach. Just then I became aware of Bran, Lana & Fayann (mom-in-law) in the car with us. I didn't have time to panic because suddenly Cory came into view. Two men from camp (I honestly can't remember who) had either side of him hoisted off the ground and were rushing him to the car, his left leg was wrapped in a tee shirt spotted with bloodstains the size of silver-dollars. I flung open the door and Cory was slid inside.

*Apparently, Cory was chopping at an angle he wasn't used to in an attempt to split the wood without a wedge when the freshly sharpened axe glanced off the wood & sliced right into his leg. (below= the culprit)

Seconds later we were flying down the road toward McCall faster than I think my father in law has ever driven. I had a hold of Cory's leg, and I was gripping the corners of his tee-shirt bandage so tight my fingers were going numb trying to keep enough pressure on the wound I wasn't aloud to look at. I was crying and shaking hard, but trying my best to breathe deeply so I wouldn't start hyperventilating. Cory's face was stressed, but tearless and much calmer than mine. The drive to McCall felt endless. No one spoke hardly at all, and it felt like we were all holding our breath as though any action or even sound would worsen the wound or send Cory into some kind of shock.

We made it to the ER in McCall where Cory was laid on a hospital bed. We were all still frantic as the staff unwrapped and examined the wound. Cory asked me not to look, so I buried my face in Lana's shoulder, shuddering, crying, worrying and trying to compose myself.

They took him away for X-Rays, which revealed that he had not hit bone. After wheeling him back to the exam room the doctor numbed him up and began examining & cleaning it. She eased our minds further still as she explained that he had hit his leg in just the right spot. He missed his shin & his calf, he severed a vein, but no arteries (which would have been worse) and though he sliced through a little muscle, he had missed the tendons.

While she prepared to stitch it up, I positioned my chair next to Cory so that we were face to face. I grabbed his hand & ran my fingers through his hair. He was so calm! I was the train wreck yet he was the one on the hospital bed! She began stitching, starting with the deepest point and working her way out.

Cory started squeezing my hand a little, but his face was completely calm still. In response, I started quoting lines to him from our favorite TV show, The Office - specifically the season 2 episode, "The Injury" where Michael stepped on his George Foreman grill before work & acted like he was seriously wounded all day. We laughed & joked back & forth enough to keep things light, and later Cory thanked me for keeping his mind off of it as the doctor sewed him up.

12 internal stitches, 17 outer for a total of 29 stitches. She wrapped it up, wrote a couple prescriptions and gave Cory instructions. With that, we helped Cory back into the car and headed first to the pharmacy and later back to camp.

Cor spent the rest of the trip icing his wound & reading "Hunger Games", which his cousin Shayla was sweet enough to lend to him. Grandpa Lewis brought a pair of crutches up the next day, so Cor didn't have to be carried around anymore. (He tried hopping, but that proved to be a bad idea when blood started streaming out of his dressing.)

Cascade was definitely memorable this year... crazy, scary, expensive... but memorable! (& also a lot of fun!) Cory is healing up well. I'm forcing him to take it easy - he was mad that I wouldn't let him try to do P90X yesterday. I know - I'm SO unreasonable! Ha. He'll be whole again in no time :)

WOW! Check out our sweet matchy-matchy-ness!

(I made both my headband & his beanie. It's actually the very same beanie I was making when he chopped himself! yikes.)

Stadium of Fire

2010-07-05T19:36:00.001-07:00

This year was our (Cory, me & my family) first time ever at the annual BYU Stadium of Fire show. It was... grandiose! We had an amazing time from start to finish. Carrie Underwood was the headlining act, but at the start of the show she came out and performed the national anthem (perfectly, I might add). At "the rocket's red glare" red fireworks shot up from either side of the stadium, and at the exact moment she finished, "home of the brave", 4 Hill Air Force Base fighter jets flew over the stadium! It was breathtaking. I felt slightly overcome with patriotism right then :) ...(how could you not?!)

In the interest of not making this post too lengthy, I'll skip the detailed descriptions of each part of the show & get right to it: Our seats were fantastic, Carrie Underwood is an incredible performer, and the whole Stadium of Fire experience is one of those things you just have to do at least once (especially if Carrie Underwood comes again someday). We laughed, we (almost) cried, we clapped & swayed & sang along. We honored the armed forces, current & vets; we saluted the flag, participated in the largest Eagle Scout court of honor ever, and were awed with the best fireworks display I've ever seen. I know I speak for Cor & I both when I say we loved every minute of it & are so grateful we were able to go this year!

GOD BLESS THE USA!

Eclipsed.

2010-07-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so I doubt many of you know this, but I have read all the Twilight books.

Even less of you know this: Cory has read Eclipse.

And maybe just as surprising; we own both Twilight & New Moon... on Blu-ray. (who wouldn't want to experience sketchy acting, awkward romance, special effects that fizzled rather than sizzled & left me embarrassed to have paid full price to go on opening week, over and over again in super high-def? That's a booyah. Obviously!)

See, a couple months before Breaking Dawn broke into stores everywhere, my little sis all but forced me to read the series. I'm glad I did - they're good books, but I never was obsessed. Just really entertained :)

So when the first Twilight movie made its appearance on the big screen, of course we went to see it! It was... fine. And kind of horrible. But Cory liked it. And that's how it became a big deal.

So we've seen each in turn on opening week since then.

TODAY we saw Eclipse. I have to say - I really liked it! I read a couple harsh reviews beforehand, but after seeing it for myself I've come to the conclusion that most of those self-appointed critics just like to hear themselves ramble in writing. They over-exaggerate any negativity & painfully dissect tiny details; As though they're attempting to wow readers with their overzealous thesaurus usage and ability to oversaturate their assessment with witty metaphorical attacks. (They LOVE run-on sentences too.) Its super obnoxious. Should you trust them? Nah. I didn't.

Here's a plain & honest opinion for ya:

It was leaps & bounds better than the first two on all fronts. The acting was actually convincing, The special effects have improved, and Edward actually seemed more attractive than in the previous two. ALSO - There's more funnies throughout. I'm always appreciative of well-placed bits of comedy :)

SO... will we be adding Eclipse to our collection?

Definitely.

The end.

Blana... Brana... Landon... MAWIDGE!

2010-06-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

"MAWIDGE." (The Princess Bride p. 298)

Mawidge is what brought us to St. George... today. (Well, last weekend)

It's official - Cory's "little" brother is all grown up & married.

Brandon Lewis & Lana Holt sealed the deal once & for all in the St. George temple on Saturday June 26, 2010.

It was a crazy weekend!

We all know that all weddings are doomed to some kind of disaster right? (Oh, wait, I forgot that everyone from Utah that isn't me had the most picture perfect wedding imaginable where absolutely everything went exactly according to plan) Or so they'd like you to think ;)

Everything went remarkably well, actually. There were a few little hiccups here & there, like the absentee Bran+Lana tribute video at the luncheon (they set it up great, but when they went to push play, alas - no disk!) and I guess at the beginning of the day when the lovebirds were so twitter-pated that they misplaced their marriage certificate & were late to their sealing would also count as a minor blip in the agenda...

(These are the memory-making-moments... nah'mean?)

Seriously though - it was a great day. (Here's a little shout out to everyone from the "Lewis" clan who sacrificed & contributed so much to add to the general splendor of the event... Booyah!) The luncheon was awesome, and the reception was lovely! I posted tons of pics on facebook, but I'll include a few favs here for fun. (I sincerely apologize for the lack of "professional" quality. I tried my best! ... actually I mostly just experimented & fiddled with the lighting features on my little point & shoot Olympus. At least I like them!)

*And then there's US.*

Jamers & Cor... comin' up on 4 years!

I know, we're such a great example. So wise & righteous.

Paving the way for our sibs is what we do best!

(Don't worry - Bran & Lana are both older than me.)

(Also, I'm officially the only Lewis in our immediate fam that has not served a mission. Awesome.)

BAh. : P

My beauty fails

2010-06-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

So maybe its just my (.) but I've been a little over the top recently.

I am completely sick of my long, natural-tastic hair & desperately want to change it, and I'm ready to burn my closet to the ground on account of lack of cute flattering clothes.

Ugh its so sick. All of it.

I'm pretty sure P90X has changed my body enough to ruin my wardrobe - it all fits terribly now. I look like I'm trying to squeeze my muscular shoulders & biceps into little girl shirts. My jeans are mostly fine, but my new Miss Me's shrunk up in length a bit because I dried them, so now instead of being completely amazing, they are just fine - meaning they skim the floor now, rather than drag. (I have a "high-waters" complex due to a few awkward growth spurts during my pre-teen phase.)

And as for my natural-tastic hair, it has been growing out for over a year. I haven't color-treated it since May 2009, and though I've kept it trimmed, its in dire need of a clean-up trim. It's not a pretty sight.

Speaking of beauty-fails, Victoria's Secret stopped carrying my fav eyeshadow color!

And on top of it all, I wanted to get acrylic nails so I would feel more polished, but that hasn't happened.

Its just not fair. It's not like me to be such a frump! :*(

Bangs...

2010-06-19T23:45:00.000-07:00

I think I'm going to get bangs. Like not a super thick chunk of bangs, and not a few wispy pieces, but substantial bangs.

Straight across.

Bad idea??

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

2010-06-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

What?! A recipe post from Jamers?!

Ok we all know that cooking is not especially a strength of mine - I attribute my lack of skill to lack of practice. At least when I do put the effort in and try to cook, it mostly turns out well.

So that being said, I definitely can't take credit for this recipe. I got it from a good friend recently and made it the other day, and just had to share the wealth.

Now understand that I'm admittedly a picky eater. I'm really picky about textures and have an over-active gag reflex, so I promise you, I will never share something that isn't super duper awesome even if it sounds sketchy. Just trust me! If you try something I suggest and hate it, you can let me know and I will feel bad for you and mourn your bad taste in food. :)

Ok back to the recipe!

Its simple, flavorful, summery and just GOOD.

I'm going to call it;

Chicken Salad Sandwiches: Nicole Style.

*I'm going to explain the process and ingredients in more detail than necessary for fun and because this is my blog & I can do what I want!! :)

Ok they're pretty easy to make.

All you need is:

- 1 can of chicken breast (like a can of tuna, but chicken breast, not chicken parts)

- 2 tsp Ranch dressing mix (from the little packets)

- 1 cucumber (diced / chopped up well, but not mushed)

- cashews (put a small handful into a plastic bag & crush them up with the back of a spoon)

- a handful of grapes chopped into halves (although I love green grapes, I like to use red grapes)

- and of course, mayo or miracle whip to liking.

Mix it all together in a bowl.

Now, to really make this good, you've got to toast the bread like you're making grilled cheese.

Butter each piece of bread (only one side each), stick each slice butter side-down in a skillet or on a grill or whatever and toast to perfection.

Spread the chicken salad mix between your toasted bread slices & serve immediately!

Try it out & let me know what you think!

Happy summer!

P90X update

2010-06-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

I just realized I never followed up with my P90X posts! Bad idea.

Well, I'm happy to announce that we completed all 3 phases about a month ago! BOOYAH Son.

So now we're re-doing/re-adapting the workouts into a little different routine. Like starting over, but we're doing some doubles and adding running to the regime instead of following the program with exactness this time.

This is not because we think we know better than Tony. You can't beat a man who "gets airborne" during clap push-ups. Nah we're just trying out some different stuff as we try to get more and more buff & cut this summer. I'll let you know how it goes!

We still 100% completely and totally love & swear by P90X & would recommend it to all yall. Booyah. It's been a blast & our results have been stellar! I almost posted pics, but I haven't decided if I want a pic of me in a bikini on the internet or not... maybe.

Stay tuned.

Summer bummer

2010-06-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

Fun fact about married people (especially the young, college-student ones with no kids) we usually have a set of shows we watch each week. I don’t mean I watch like Desperate Housewives & he watches Nitro Circus - no no (we don’t watch either of those actually) no I mean shows that we watch together.
The bummer part of summertime is that all the good shows end & you have to change your show-schedule.
BTW - SO sad that LOST is over - but its for the best.
Anyway.
Our winter-time line up is as follows:
M - HIMYM (How I met your mother)
T - LOST (but its over now)
W - Modern Family
TH - The Office / Parks & Recreation
F, S, S - Nothing

Summertime looks like this:
Mon - The Bachelorette
Sun - HGTV Design Star

A little sparse right? I know.
I tried to find a new show for us - but no luck. The ones we've tried watching are all either dumb, or we just don’t care about the characters at all.
Its so sad.

Crafty Crochet

2010-06-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yay for wife-things! My mother-in-law is a crafty-lady so when I decided I wanted to learn to crochet flowers, of course she's the one I went to! I learned the basics & then just tried different things on my own & these are the results. They're so cute! (I think so anyway) :)

Crocheting is the best! Thanks mom-lew!

Car update

2010-06-06T01:07:00.000-07:00

So we replaced the alternator yesterday.

And then we jumped the car.

And then we drove it around Provo for an hour or so.

And then we went home.

And then we turned the car off.

And then it wouldn't turn back on...

Batteried.

We tried to jump start it again - no go.

So our neighbor swooped in to save the day (he rocks).

He drove us back to AutoZone where we purchased a new battery, then he helped us install it.

Booyah!

A huge hassle & a lot of help & a lot of $$$ later = Our car is fully functional again.

Car trouble

2010-06-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

SOOOO

I was on my way home from work, when the alternator in my car decided it was done.

Luckily, I made it home just before it sputtered out... but it was a pretty creep-tastic adventure.

It was a pretty toasty day here in Provo, so when I started up my car after work I turned my A/C on low, turned on 97.1 FM, and headed out of the parking lot.

I made it to State street before I started noticing the strangeness.

It was the radio that went first. It just turned off - like super creepy-movie style. So I tried to turn it back on (obviously that didn't work), and realized something was up. So I turned off the A/C as an experiment... as soon as it was off, the radio came back on. To avoid being cooked to death in my car, I rolled down my window & kept driving. I was getting close to home when I started using my turn-signals (henceforth referred to as "blinkers") which blinked slowly & seemed to be struggling to manage it. As I evaluated the state of my blinkers, I noticed the clock in my dash wasn't there - in fact, none of my dash-lights were on. At this point, the light-bulb in my head flicked on. Something's wrong with my battery.

I tried one more time to use my blinkers for a right-turn indication, and - nothing. It didn't even come on. Red Flagged.

So I turned everything off (except the engine) and carefully pulled into my parking spot at home. Without killing the engine, I flung open the door & ran inside to alert Cory of our sudden and immediate need to get to AutoZone. Once we both were in the car again (a few minutes later - apparently some people don't think it necessary to act with haste in emergencies), we buckled up & I shifted into reverse... and then the car gave up the alternator-ghost. (sac-religious much?)

So Bran came over to jump it.

Thank goodness AutoZone is like 3 blocks from our place - because I pretty much rolled in there on momentum alone.

They found out it was the alternator.

Apparently you have to swap your old one out when you buy the new one or else it costs 2 arms & a leg instead of just one. Awesome.

So Bran jumped us again - & we rolled home.

Almost made it all the way home - but needed jumped again about 50 yards from the parking lot. Thanks Bran.

Hopefully we can get it fixed this Saturday - thats the plan...

Its somebody's BIRTHDAY!!

2010-05-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

Birthday Cakes from WiddlyTinks.com

Freaking Ross!

2010-05-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

I am an addict.

I am addicted to shopping at Ross (actually, TJ MAXX too). It is wonderful and horrible!

I mean, it could be worse... I could be addicted to shopping somewhere expensive...

But maybe that's what makes it so bad. Since everything is SO well priced, I justify (without even realizing I'm doing it) buying MORE STUFF because its all so cheap & there are so many great finds! Like a treasure hunt! And they're right next to each other just down the street from my work! .... :(

It really is bad.

I need to stop.

But look at the great stuff I found there today!

The nude pumps (from Piperlime) & purple Archaic shirt are for me (obviously) :) & the Quiksilver flip-flops & Affliction tee are for Cory. I can't believe some of the great brand-name stuff you can find at discount stores! Its so awesome. At this rate, my Buckle shopping days may be over... dun dun dun!

I really do need to put an end to this shopping-rampage. Either that or magically make more money somehow. Its so addicting.

The Princess and the Frog

2010-05-11T21:44:00.000-07:00

I've watched Disney's The Princess and the Frog twice today. Seriously! Its such a fun movie. Here's a couple of my favorite scenes :)

First of all - I LOVE Charlotte. She's hilarious. This is definitely one of my favorite parts of the show.

And this is Cory's favorite part - specifically when (Big Daddy) Mr. LaBouff says, "What just happened?" :)

And this one is just really really cute. It makes me smile so big! Love it.

If you haven't seen it yet - you really should! I'm probably going to watch it again... right now! :)

Unheeded Counsel: Career

2010-05-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

Ok so I realized its been a while since I ranted about anything via this venue. I'm actually quite proud of my lessened desire to do so of late. However (here it comes) there is one thing I'd like to address as I try to tire myself out enough to sleep through my last husband-less night. *(Cory is in Washington D.C. doing a brief "study abroad" program with a group of fellow nursing students & teachers and has been for a full week.)*
So a while back, I posted all about Cory & my apparent "inadequacies" as a couple stemming from our failure to reproduce immediately following our marriage.
Well - turns out there's a flip-side (as there often is). Now that I'm all but numb to any criticism on that front, I've begun to notice that everyone who doesn't think I've procured a one-way ticket to Hell for not making babies yet, is convinced I'm headed there in a hand basket due to my lack of extensive collegiate education and/or lack of frighteningly ambitious career aspirations.
Umm... Okay.
They're absolutely right. I mean, its not like cosmetology is an actual profession of any true worth or anything. I mean sure you have a legitimate, tradable, profitable skill for life that will enable you to be your own boss, set your own hours, work from home, work in a salon or spa, manage or own a salon or spa, specialize however you want, work around having a family (or not), save your little family hundreds of dollars in haircuts every year, or even just make a little money on the side for fun... but that's not a REAL career.
Besides, its completely reasonable to expect that every wife & mother should hold (and somehow pay for) at least a bachelor degree they don't intend to use in the work-force EVER, and/or even more ideally be an over-worked, under-paid, high-ranking career woman (while popping out a baby every other year or so, since that seems to make you more righteous & procure your celestial mansion). I mean, that is what they really mean when they give you the "motherhood is your most important calling" song & dance, right?
It really is a tragedy that I'm so lazily spending my days at work to fund my husband's education; when I could be going into debt pursuing a 4 year degree in a general subject of little interest to me that would be rendered useless without the graduate schooling required to qualify for a fiscally profitable job. Yay! A job = a life-long opportunity to have other people raise my children while I slave away at the mercy of a boss to pay endless taxes & take home a little extra income. Now that's a dream come true.
Another thought - If I was engaged in that kind of educational commitment, having children would be even less appealing, but "putting off" your family for "selfish" reasons is unrighteous, so I guess I'd be on my way to Hell anyway. Wow. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Don't for a second think that I'm discrediting the importance of education - or that I'm disrespecting the college degree-carrying women of the church. Not at all. I admire them for the work they did in school, I know how intense university study can be, and I personally place a lot of value in education. People don't graduate from college by accident.
HOWEVER.
I'm pretty sure I'd get along fine without the judgmental comments, expressions & advice concerning MY educational decisions. I feel like I made the best choice for me & for my family and that should be enough for everyone.

So once again to all the haters - Thanks, but no thanks.

...Wow, I feel better already!

We're actually cousins...

2010-04-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

So last week at church, Cory & I were in Sunday School. The new teachers were there, teaching for their first time, and consequently they decided to do a "get-to-know-you" exercise where each couple took a turn to stand up & introduce themselves. They wanted us to tell the class our names & something interesting about ourselves/about us as a couple. Because of the starting point, Cory and I ended up being one of the last couples to stand up. As our turn approached, we chatted animatedly about which interesting detail of our relationship to share with the group. (Side note: Cory and I aren't particularly fond of "married student wards" or "single-married wards" as my cousin calls them. We've been in several now & found that they all have the same "problems" I guess you could say. I'd be happy to elaborate on that in a later post- but for the sake of the story, that small background tidbit should suffice). So of course, those of you that are familiar with Cory & my "style" of group-socializing will see the humor here...

So Cor & I were sitting there excitedly shooting off ideas between the 2 of us as to what we should say to jazz up the situation, and as the wave of standing couples reached our far corner, I told Cory that I would go along with whatever he said.

Seconds later, the couple in front of us sat back down & we rose to meet the blank, yet attentive faces of the class. I was already grinning as Cory began to introduce us, but keeping a straight face from there on would have been impossible anyway...

"I'm Cory, this is my wife, Jamie. We're the Lewis'... we've been married 3 & 1/2 years, and recently found out that we're actually cousins." (insert "Cory" face)

I was about to burst, but stood there smiling as I softly nodded in agreement. The room was still for what felt like a full minute, & just as Cory had intended - they had no idea how to react. It was a priceless few seconds full of some of the most genuinely awkward looks I've ever seen before Cory added (to the relief of the class), "...just kidding!" and we abruptly sat down amidst a raucous room of laughter. It was hysterical. A guy from the row ahead of us commented to the class that our (Cory & my) family tree was more like a "family bush" which drew even more laughter. Cor & I were both red-in-the-face of course & I could hardly breathe through the fits of laughter I was having at our combined cleverness. (I know - its lame to laugh at your own jokes.... unless they really are hilarious)

* PS. In case anyone is still confused - Cory and I are not even remotely related. Unless you count the fact that we both came from Adam & Eve.

Being Wife-ish

2010-03-25T22:32:00.000-07:00

So tonight I got my act together, went grocery shopping, and made an amazing home-made dinner! Yay me!
Ha ha ha I feel so pathetic. There you go universe! I've just announced on blogger that even after 3 years of marriage, I'm still bad at doing "wife-things" !! :)
Of course, in my defense, I am sort of in a bread-winning role right now. Bringin home the bacon with my killer hairdresser skills! Its awesome that I have the skills I have & that I contribute so substantially, but playing this role sure makes doing "wife-things" unappealing after a long day on my feet! Oh the joys of college. I quite honestly have little to no energy for basics like cooking & cleaning, let alone investing in potential hobbies! It'll be nice to try out the next phase of life - I know I'm going to love cooking once it becomes a higher priority :)
SOOOO Anyhoo - back to my dinner story!
If you've ever had Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden, then you know what we had for dinner! It was SO good! I just love Italian sausage & potato soup. & I even made garlic bread! Fancy! :) It's hard to hide how pleased I am with my cooking abilities. I didn't do anything amazing (following a recipe is hard to mess up usually), but for me it was kind of a big deal. So I feel really proud of myself & of my creation! Yay for cooking!

Spencer's Mission Farewell

2010-03-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

Wow what a crazy couple of weeks! My little brother Spencer went into the MTC on Wednesday (St. Patrick's Day), and it was pretty intense. I felt so proud and excited, and still really nervous, stressed & sad. I come from a pretty tight-knit little family, Spence & I are really close. Its hard to say goodbye to someone you love so much for such a long time. I'm sure lots of you have been through this, things like this, or even things you may feel were harder than this - but for me this was extremely difficult... I've never sent a missionary off before. It was wonderful & awful. I miss him already. Poor Cory had to coddle me through my melt-down the night before we dropped Spence off. I slept for maybe an hour, and spent the rest of that night in hysterics. I don't want anyone to feel bad for me or anything - its just hard to talk about, so I hope blogging about it will help me cope. :)

Shoot, I'm getting choked up! I put on my best brave face that day though - I only let Spence see me tear-up just before the end, and I managed to keep it to a minimum. I didn't want to make it any harder on him, that can't have been an easy moment.

So here I am in the aftermath - I've already gone a little bezerk gathering little mission-related things to send to him in the MTC (he'll be there for 2 months before heading to Oaxaca, Mexico) and I'm working on my first letter to him too! I've got his blog going, but I'm frustrated with it too - sometimes its hard to make everything happen just how you want it to when technology is involved. I'll figure it out - I just wish I had more time to sit down & bang it out till I get it right. :)

Anyway - other than that all is well. Just a little strange. I think it will take a while for me to settle into missionary-brother-mode.

Here's a few pics from the farewell & drop off & a special little treat from Elder Henze & Cory (see bottom of post) ;)

The last time we saw him.

I miss him so much!

Following in his father's footsteps :)

Last couple laughs :)

Mommy took it harder than anyone - but there were still smiles to be had at the farewell!

Spence & Cor doing a little musical number just before the drop off ;)

To keep up with Spence on his mission - visit his mission-blog (Of course, I am the mastermind behind it!) http://hisbest2years.blogspot.com

P90X Phase 2 Day 1

2010-03-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

Today we started week 5 of P90X, the beginning of Phase 2. The workout is called Chest, Shoulders & Triceps (of course with Ab Ripper X at the end too). It was a BEAST. Definitely the hardest workout yet.
Cory & Bran agree... "This workout is BRUTAL!" - Cory exclaimed midway through the workout. A few minutes later he added, "I really like this workout."
Think of every kind of pushup you can imagine, then imagine yourself doing a set of each at max reps. Its insane.
Oh yeah & a ton of tricep exercises too.
Did I mention its an hour long just like all the others too? Because it is.
P90X is crazy!! We hate it, but we LOVE it!

Bring it!

2010-03-04T23:17:00.000-08:00

Ok I know everyone is probably a teeny bit sick of hearing about P90X, but I forgot some crucial stuff in my last post and it's important enough that I throw it up there with the other info.

The key to achieving success & results through P90X = you have to stick to the schedule. No cheating, no slacking & no skipping workouts/days. Especially if its your first time through the routine.

I think a lot of people don't get where they want to be because they pick & choose workouts instead of following the schedule & documenting their progress with the worksheets that come with the system. You have to be consistent & you have to keep track of your progress or it won't work the way its meant to.
It sounds like a hassle, but they know what they're doing & they did it that way because it works.
Cory & I aren't getting results just because we throw in a workout a few times a week, we're getting results because we are totally consistent. 6 days a week, every week. Our schedules are pretty hectic & inconsistent, but we always make time for P90X, and throughout our workouts we chart our progress. (He tells you what to do & when to do it during the workouts - its pretty fool-proof.)

If you do the workouts correctly, they will always be hard & push you to the max. When you start feeling like it's getting easier you need to do more reps, add more weight, try the more difficult options they demonstrate in the video. P90X is all about goal-setting & max reps. Don't settle for last week's #'s, always push yourself harder, faster & farther. It's very difficult, but its fun, it works, and you feel like a million bucks after working that hard each day.

Sometimes the moves are hard to get used to at first, I know some of them were for me, but don't give up & don't get discouraged. Just pause the workout & figure it out. Rewind it till you get it right & then continue. Another thing I discovered is that if a particular move seems too easy, I'm probably doing it wrong. I check myself often during my workouts to make sure my form is correct, because its pretty important to get it right. And don't be afraid to make noise. I grunt & groan & growl every time I do resistance workouts. When you're pushing yourself that hard, its hard not to!

So the take home message is this: Do it right, follow the schedule & be consistent.
& of course in the famous words of Tony Horton: "BRING IT."

Power 90 Extreme

2010-02-24T20:19:00.000-08:00

Since Cory and I started P90X about 2 &1/2 weeks ago, we've been getting a lot of questions from our peers about it. It seems like most people have heard of it, but don't know much about it &/or even have misconceptions about it. So this is the P90X post - my response to any curiosity y'all may have. (If anyone wants to know more just ask!!)

Now, for the record, I am no personal trainer wanna-be & I'm certainly not a fitness expert by any stretch of the imagination. I'm just sharing whatever P90X-related knowledge I've acquired. :)

P90X is the shortened name for Tony Horton's Power 90 Extreme home fitness program.
Essentially, it is a 90 day exercise system that is broken into three 30 day "Phases" of interval training.
Each phase changes the order of exercises and incorporates new movements to create "muscle confusion" which is the reason why you get better results fast without plateauing.

Before starting P90X you need to watch the short intro that comes with the set so that you know what you're getting into. That being said, it is strongly recommended that you take a fitness test (found at beachbody.com) to find out where you stand physically before beginning. P90X emphasizes full-body fitness and implements cardio, strength training & stretching exercises to help you achieve your full-body fitness goal.

* (For the girls) Doing P90X won't give you extra bulk you don't want. I promise, the bulky, built people on the dvd's did not get that big on accident, and neither will you :)

Ok just for fun, & so you have an idea what it's like, here's the Phase 1 workout schedule:
The first 3 weeks =
Day 1 Chest & Back + Ab Ripper X (approx: 75 min of continuous exercise)
Day 2 Plyometrics (approx: 60 min of continuous exercise)
Day 3 Shoulders & Arms + Ab Ripper X (approx: 75 min of continuous exercise)
Day 4 Yoga X (approx 90 min of continuous exercise)
Day 5 Legs & Back + Ab Ripper X (approx: 75 min of continuous exercise)
Day 6 Kenpo X (approx 50 min of continous exercise)
Day 7 Rest

Each workout contains three or four 30 second water-breaks, but other than that they are continuous & the weight training exercises are all max reps.
Ab Ripper X is 16 minutes of constant core exercises with no breaks.

Week 4 is a "resting" week, (I hear its not much of a rest...) so the schedule will change. I'll keep y'all posted when we get to it :)

The Most Important Question Of All:
Does It Work?

We are 1/2 way through week 3 and I already can clearly see visible definition in my arms, abs and legs. I look & feel better all over! I love the workouts & I want everyone to experience the intensity and awesomeness of this exercise program. Everyday after my hour of P90X I feel exhausted, but AMAZING. I love love LOVE it! Even when I hate it, I love it!
The conclusion: P90X is AWESOME!!

Here's more good news: P90X costs a lot right? False!

I have 3 words for you:

Ebay, Craigslist, KSL.

'Nuff said.

This is for Cory & Bran! :)

(From the Ab Ripper X intro)

This and That

2010-02-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

Life is settling back into the groove again. My family just left yesterday after spending the weekend with us! I miss them a lot, but its nice to spend time with Cor :)
Well, we're on to week 2 of P90X, and so far it's even harder than week 1 even though the workout schedule is the same! As Tony says, "I hate it, but I love it."
Everything is killer, even Yoga X. Neither of us have ever done Yoga so we weren't sure what to expect. It was a beast. I mean, it is Yoga X though.
Anyway, yesterday we started the cycle over with Chest & Back followed immediately of course by Ab Ripper X (just like my last post). So during that workout, I did over 100 pushups. ME. I've never really had the upper-body strength to get me through a respectable number of push-ups - or so I thought :) So I was pretty impressed with myself!
So today we're back to Plyometrics; for those who are unfamiliar with that term, here is the dictionary definition for plyometrics - a type of exercise using explosive movements to develop muscular power, esp. bounding, hopping and jumping.
It's intense.
Other than that, we found a cute little sofa bed at IKEA for our second bedroom! (the office/home gym/guest room) It was pretty cheap & its super cute! I love it.
While my family was here my mom & dad helped me solve some decorating dilemmas (mom came up with the ideas & dad did the handy work). We also went bowling, frosted sugar cookies, went to the second half of the BYU basketball game & went to our friend's young ambassadors performance! It was a great weekend. (& it was nice to rest from P90X on Sunday too) :)

P90X

2010-02-08T22:34:00.000-08:00

So here's the quick version:
Cory found a great deal on ebay for the P90X dvd set :hence: our 2nd bedroom is now part home-gym (on top of being part office and part guest room) :hence: we had to invest in weights, yoga mats & a second (smaller) TV. (Quite the little snowball effect eh?) :)
SO on Saturday (after I put in 7 hours on my feet at work mind you) Cory, Brandon & I decided it would be a good idea to try P90X out. Since the Cardio workout isn't on the schedule for the first few weeks, we did Cardio followed by the full Ab Ripper X workout. (thats about an hour & 15 minutes of continuous INTENSE exercise) Awesome.
Sunday we rested of course (And had a Super Bowl party at the Poll's house - which was fantastic by the way).
TODAY we began the Phase 1 schedule. Chest & Back was about 50 minutes, followed immediately by 16 minutes of Ab Ripper X.
HOLY MERCY SON.
All 3 of us nearly blacked out halfway through Chest & Back, and 5 minutes into Ab Ripper X we were screaming (Literally. Our neighbors probably hate us.)
Immediately after the workout, Bran (groaning) hobbled off to hydrate, I full-on collapsed trying to push myself up off the floor with my hands, and Cory threw up.
Tomorrow is Plyometrics.
Bring it on.

A comment on your comments :)

2010-01-29T23:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much you guys. Rant or no rant, its nice to know others feel the same way!
Bridget - good advice! I've been toying with some ideas like that & I like the approach you take... I love how it's vague & still truthful. I'll have to try that one out next time :)
Kelsey - I totally feel ya. There's more to married life than popping out a bunch of kids immediately, and I'm glad to have helped you! After reading your comment I felt like I'd done some good in the world, which is more than I could have hoped for by putting that last post out to the universe.
Carlie- I totally read that post of yours - well put. Sometimes a good vent session is the best self-perscribed medicine. Especially in this state. (No offense to all native Utahns)
Rylie - I can't even imagine what that must have been like for you, way to stay strong. & thank you, I really hope I'm a decent mom someday - I wasn't just blowing steam when I said it was my ultimate goal to become a mother :) (I know you know that though!)
Loves to all of you!

Unheeded "counsel"

2010-01-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

So this next bit most likely doesn't apply to anyone who may read this post, but I feel the need to put it out to the universe...
I'm just a little fed up with folks offering unwelcome, unnecessary and (believe it or not) unheeded advice/counsel/what-have-you concerning my life, my choices and the path I'm on.
Thanks, but no thanks.
Mostly (in fact, entirely) I'm referring to the myriad of young to not-so-young men I come in contact with on a daily basis as I cut my way through the day, one head of hair after another.
When people find out I 'm a hair stylist they often ask me if I end up playing therapist to my clients. Sometimes that's the case, but more often than not I actually find myself being extensively questioned. I prefer to not converse with my clients about my life, but many of them force me to endure episode after episode of the "get to know you" conversation. When they start in on me, I try to cut them off at the pass with a quick query about their schooling, or job. Sometimes if you can turn it around & get them talking about themselves you can make it through the service without any new "insight" into your life.
Unfortunately not all are so easily convinced that you actually prefer for them to be disinterested in you & your life, and they continue to quiz, question & give feedback (cringe).
Now I could take this post several different directions from here, but I'll stick with my originally intended subject.
Now that I've been married for 3 years +, people seem to think it is their job, or prerogative if you will, to essentially harass me in one way or another concerning my lack of children, lack of pregnant state, and lack of immediate intent to become such. I think this situation would evade me if I were practicing my craft anywhere other than Provo, Utah (or Orem... where I actually work). Granted, I'm curious what people must be thinking when they criticize, chastise, and otherwise "advise" me on this point. WHAT?! YOU'VE BEEN MARRIED 3 WHOLE YEARS & HAVE NO KIDS? YOU'RE NOT FOLLOWING THE PROPHET!
There it is. I think its safe to say that those are the big yellow words scrolling across the marquee in the collective brain of my clientele (particularly the men who out-age me).
Keep in mind, a haircut service including shampoo lasts only between 15 and 20 minutes, and then I'm on to the next one. I simply don't have time, or more importantly, desire to explain to these guys the complexities of my existence. Shouldn't my personal life be personal? I think so.
Sometimes when they're a little more aggressive about it, its hard for me to not shoot back at them with very sound reasoning for my actions, but why should I have to justify myself to strangers? Let alone anyone? Besides, when I was younger, more impressionable, and more stupid I tried that very thing and it didn't have the effect I was going for. They're always right, you know, ALWAYS. And I am always wrong, ALWAYS. (That topic will be discussed another time though) :)
So I usually just smile and shrug and make "agreement comments" such as "That makes sense.", "I see", and "You're right." I let them believe they've made an impression, saved me in my apparent disobedience and disregard for church council. Secretly I want to jab them in the occipital with my comb. Violent, I know.
Seriously though! Who do they think they are? I have my own parents, in fact, I even have 2 sets of them now! Pretty sure I'm covered when it comes to advice. If I wanted it, that's where I'd go to get it. But who said I wanted it anyway? What if Cory and I are capable of making our own decisions like grown-ups and what if (GASP) we actually are doing what we should be doing, actually have a plan, and are well on our way down the path we have prayerfully chosen for our little family?! Can you believe we thought to involve God in our plan? Yep, we thought of that all by ourselves. And according to Him, we're not disobeying any prophetic counsel so far. How's that for justification?
I'm sittin' pretty on my little soap box right about now :)
I'm sure many other couples have "been there" and/or are going through this same "experience" as we are.
I'd rather not dive into the details here; but at the risk of the following statement being taken lightly, I think its sufficient to point out that everything I have done, everything I have accomplished thus far including all the big, life-altering choices I've made (especially in the last 4 years) that have led me to my current situation have been in the spirit of preparation, with the single goal of becoming a mother.
One more thing worth pointing out, I believe that I am on the Lord's timetable. Cory and I will have a child when the timing is right according to Him. That should be good enough for everyone else, because it's good enough for Him.
That's all. Thanks for listening. :)

The Brink

2010-01-05T13:02:00.000-08:00

So here we are beginning a new semester. I have yet to sign up for classes though. I want to first find out if I'm eligible for any type of financial aid, I figure that's a good thing to know before you fork out a bunch of money you may not have just sitting around waiting to be spent. So that's why I'm on hold at the moment.
Cory on the other hand is at school today, his first day back. He's warned me that this semester is going to be especially challenging, and although I know he can do anything I worry that plowing through with very few breaks is going to be a little soul-crushing, for us both.
On the bright side, Cory only has classes on Tuesdays, and clinical on Thursdays. So that means lots of study time (hopefully) and possibly some free time now & then to spend with his adoring wifey (me in case I lost anyone there). :)
It's also nice because our moving adventure that ended 2009 with us ready for a fresh new start, did in fact take us farther from campus. We're still within comfortable bike-riding range, but walking would be a chore & we still only have one car to our name. (One die-hard, kick-butt awesome car... but none-the-less, just one). So we're quite pleased with the less-frequent campus-going schedule Cor has been dealt.
For anyone wondering where Cory stands as far as graduating, this coming fall 2010 semester will be his last at BYU. He just started his last real "classroom-semester" which of course will end in April. At which point he will work through the summer & then take his capstone course in the fall. I don't know exactly what his capstone course will entail, but he has informed me that it is more hands-on & will be similar to the clinical rotations he's been doing throughout the course of the nursing program thus far.
So come next Christmas Cory will be an RN, & I will still be taking online classes. Yay!
As for today, I'm off to work. There are bunches of Utah men out there with grown-out hair just waiting for me to show up & chippity chop it all off :) (and I'm a little excited to gloat since BSU beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl last night & all these dang Utah people have been giving me crap for being a Boise State fan & assuring me that though it would be a good game, TCU would win, ever since the two were matched up. WELCOME TO BRONCO NATION FOLKS.)
Boise State Football is AWESOME! I'm so proud of my Broncos! (insert image of me jumping up & down in front of the TV last night decked out in my BSU garb).
Ok I'm done. :)

The post-Christmas post

2009-12-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

Cold sore vanquished.
Furniture moved in.
Decorations up, even!
All in time for Christmas.
Now I just need to apologize to my chiropractor for completely spacing my last appointment. I'm accidentally so rude sometimes. :(
Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Sigh of RELIEF!

2009-12-17T18:52:00.000-08:00

Done & DONE!
WHEW.
(that was one major sigh of relief)
We signed our old contract over tonight. It's FINALLY OVER.
(So are Cory's finals) :)
I can't even tell you how good it feels to get that weight off!
My cold sore is healing up too!
Everything is starting to fall into place again, just in time for Christmas.
We even got a new couch! A microfiber sectional that fits right into our tight little living room. It is PERFECT. I am SO grateful & relieved.
My sincere thanks to any and all who offered up a prayer in our behalf. REALLY, Thank You!
I'll post some pics of the new place soon... gotta get the rest of the furniture in first... :)
It's been a rough couple of months, but we made it through & it's been worth it.
Gotta go snuggle my hubby now :)

Big Ugly Cold Sore

2009-12-13T22:16:00.000-08:00

So, when I get excessively stressed, my body reacts in ugly ways. I just got over my mystery illness (swine flu) that I was dealing with through all the intensity of selling our apartment, getting the new one & moving, and with things working out so perfectly this past weekend, I finally started to relax! And then I developed a big nasty cold sore thing on my lip! :(
Its one of those things where you feel like everyone is staring at it & thinking "Gross!" "Dirty kid!" "Do you even wash your face?!"
Yes I do.
& I'm no dirty kid.
I get so mad when I get these. Luckily they don't show up too often, but when they do I get so annoyed! I did everything I could to stop it from "growing" but it came all the same.
I'm glad my body felt it was necessary to alert me to the fact that I've been stressed by distorting my face. I may not have known otherwise. Now I get to wear it around for a week or two. YUM. :(
Feel bad for me. That's all I ask. Pity my disgusting lip-growth. My puffy little tumor of nastiness.
And if you've never had one, count your blessings.

We need your prayers!

2009-12-10T20:25:00.000-08:00

Please pray for us! Cory & I really need to find someone to fill our apartment vacancy. It's a great place and has EVERYTHING a young married couple needs, it just wasn't meeting our needs now that we're marriage-veterans :) (ha ha only in Provo)
But for some reason (or maybe more than one reason) we're having trouble selling it! We're pretty sure we just need some diligent prayers & possibly some fasting (which we'll do ourselves), so it can't hurt to have others pray for us too right? :)

Sick with frustration.

2009-12-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

I just want everything to work out!
We've been on the biggest roller coaster lately, and I don't think my nerves can take many more climbs and plunges.
Cory and I have been trying to move, and the part that was supposed to be easy has become the hard part, and now we're stuck in limbo.
Here's the situation: Our place was too small to fit any of our furniture, so we fit what we could & stored the rest of our stuff in a building of my uncle's that he was gracious enough to let us use. We told him it would only be a year before we retrieved our stuff, and it's already been longer. So now we're just taking advantage of him (which makes me sick inside, even though he hasn't complained or even brought it up) and we couldn't let it go on any longer. (There are other reasons, but its sufficient to say we needed to move).
So my cousin has a bigger, cheaper place a little farther from campus, and in October, we found out a unit in their complex was going to be available in December. Cory and I jumped on the opportunity right away. We contacted the tenants that were moving and tried to secure the apartment. A series of miscommunications and injustices ensued throughout the next several weeks, wherein we were told both that we could have it, and then that we couldn't, and finally that it had been taken by a friend of the landlord's.
At this point we had already promised takeover of our contract to another couple while under the impression that we were going to takeover that apartment. So we diligently apartment hunted, almost settled a couple times for less-than-ideal places, and then took my dad's advice to wait till the right place came along. AND THEN IT DID. We found exactly what we needed. So we called up the couple that was going to take over our place to make sure they were still on board to move in around December 5th like we'd talked about. They said they were & that they'd send in the application & deposit, so we contacted our landlord & told her what was going on. Everything was all set. So we moved into our new place.
Then our prospective couple stopped answering our calls. We tried for a week to get in touch with them, and our landlord told us she never received their contract or deposit. They obviously backed out, but didn't care to let us know.
So we re-listed the apartment immediately & had another couple that wanted it & then backed out yesterday. And we can't get our landlord to answer our calls. She emails us when she feels like it, but she won't just get on the phone with Cory to work things out. We are sick with frustration. Everything came together so perfectly one minute, and then it crumbled the next.
We really need prayers right now. If you can or want to help, please pray for us! We really need it right now!
Also - I think it was Swine Flu that we had through all of this. I'm pretty sure my self-diagnosis is correct :)

Attack of the voice!

2009-12-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

So much for "on the downhill" with that last post!! It just got worse!
Friday morning I could barely speak! I seriously sounded like a dying chicken that had been smoking for about 40 years (Yeah, gross). Then I coughed up part of my left lung started throwing up (TMI, I know). That went on for a couple hours before I called my work & managed to squawk out that I wouldn't be able to come in before having another coughing fit. (I was impressed that they could understand me!)
Saturday was an even more extreme version of Friday, so they let me stay home again. Good thing too because believe it or not, besides constantly coughing & feeling nauseous, its hard to communicate with clients when you're voice decides to stop working every other syllable or so.
This morning I'm happy to say that I'm FINALLY getting better. I only sound like I've been smoking for about 20 years as opposed to 40. Low, raspy, squawky voice = GROSS.
I'll probably be ok for the most part at work tomorrow too. It'll be hard to not cough on anyone, it creeps up on me pretty unexpectedly & uncontrollably... I'll do my best though! Hopefully I'm a lot better tomorrow than today even. That would be awesome.

So yeah, its been an interesting weekend.

(Oh yeah, Cory has it too. He's getting a little better too though. Not to worry. AND he didn't have to go through the voice thing. He sounds normal. Lucky!)

Possible Swine Flu Victim

2009-12-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

So I'm pretty sure I have Swine Flu.
Of course, since the symptoms are about the same as regular flu, and since its self-diagnosed, it's not a sure thing.
I started feeling yucky last Saturday at work. (It's in my post)
So a day or two later when my symptoms hadn't let up and I started coughing my throat raw and then threw up, I decided to look up H1N1 on WebMD. All my symptoms match up. So do I have the Swine Flu? Not necessarily. But its possible. Whatever I have, it sucks. And I haven't missed a day of work.
My throat hurts more than you wanna know from the soreness & of course the constant coughing. My voice is deep & hoarse (and sometimes gone altogether). My neck is sore, my lymph nodes are inflamed & they ache. At night I can't breathe so I sleep a couple hours, wake up, wait till I get some airflow, and then go back to sleep for another couple hours... etc. It's an ugly cycle. Headaches, fatigue and of course that awesome fever that started it all...
And then around 3pm each day I go to work and cut people's hair. Direct contact.
Not my fault. They won't let me miss without a doctor's note (what am I, 5?) and since I don't have a medical doctor, and don't care to pay a ton of money for someone to tell me what I already know (that I'm sick and that I'll get better soon) I get to endure & spread the love.
I've gotta be on the downhill now though - its been almost a week! Cross your fingers/ maybe even pray for me to get over it quick! I really would appreciate it :)

Thanksgimmie

2009-11-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes life is a tiny bit of a bummer, but ends up being awesome anyway.

The lemons: This year, my dad's family all went down to my aunt & uncle's home in Mesa for a big family Thanksgiving. All except for Cory & I. We had to stay in Utah because I had to work a couple days over Thanksgiving weekend. It wouldn't have been a big deal, but I LOVE my family & HATE being left out.

The lemonade: Cory's parents drove down from Idaho to spend Thanksgiving here with us. We went to Cory's aunt's house & spent the day eating turkey and pie, and watching movies. We're so glad they came!

Black Friday & The Blind Side

We woke up around 6am (well, I should say we stayed in bed till 6, Cory was awake all night anyway for some reason, which kept me awake too) to go shopping. We tried Walmart, but the place was mostly cleaned out. Not surprising for more seasoned Black Friday shoppers I suppose. Cor & I made it out of there with some cheap movies, and my father-in-law got a terabyte hard drive for a good deal. We bought some food while we were there (the food section was a ghost town. I wouldn't have been surprised to see a tumbleweed or two bounce across our path) to cook at home, and then headed out.

After eating & napping we went to Target and then to the theater to see The Blind Side. We got there 45 minutes early to wait in line, which was worth it. We got good seats in a sold out theater :) That movie is AMAZING. I laughed, I cried... it moved me. In fact during about half of it I was fighting back tears! Wonderful movie. We'll be seeing it again, and buying it when it comes out for sure! After the movie we ate dinner at Mi Ranchito (yummy Mexican food) and watched Christmas Vacation before calling it a night.

Saturday & In-N-Out

I had to work most of the day, but the store was completely dead, and I was sent on a long lunch. So I wandered over to In-N-Out (just across the parking lot) and got in line. The Lewis fam met me there & we enjoyed a fun lunch together. Yep, I finally caved and ate at In-N-Out. I've been avoiding it because of the ridiculous lines. As soon as that place opened people just freaked out.

During our 3 month stay in CA back in 2007 we ate at In-N-Out all the time, and got sick of it. So yes, I have eaten there before, just not at the new Orem store (which is right next to my work). It's good, but I'd never wait longer than 10 minutes in line to eat there. Kind of defeats the purpose of the "In N Out" concept right? Anyway, It was fun.

By the time I got home I had a terrible sore throat, fever, chills and a little headache. I checked my throat a little later & found a bunch of nasty white-ish spots back there. Yum. Pretty sure I passed it on to Cory too, poor guy.

We watched Christmas movies, ate Ham and played Settlers of Catan all evening, which was perfect seeing as how I wasn't really fit to go anywhere.

Today

Lewis parents went home this morning. Sad to see them go. Cor and I are sick sick sick though so its probably best to not have anyone around for now :) We're so glad they spent the weekend with us. It was a lot of fun!

Things as they really REALLY are

2009-11-20T22:06:00.000-08:00

This post is a tribute to a friend of mine who will remain anonymous.

W.O.W. = bad idea

No, but seriously...
Things As They Really Are

I raise lambs

2009-11-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

"It's really hard! I love my lambs! I love them so much!"

Don't miss the forest because of the trees

2009-11-02T11:44:00.001-08:00

So this past year or so I've been kind of a roller coaster of emotions.

Oh dear, here it comes right?

Well, Cory and I are doing great all-around. We're happy, we're healthy, we're still debt-free... but we're also still in school.

Don't get me wrong, there's no-where I'd rather be at this time in my life than working at a chain salon supporting my hubby (and myself) through school. This is where we need to be.

I just get a little (or a lot) frustrated at life now and then.

I'm the kind of person that lets things build & build, like mercury rising in a thermometer. I keep it to myself until the thermometer bursts. Then the process repeats.

"I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels." That's how I describe the frustration when I burst.

I can't help but feel a little sorry for myself when I see people I know who are out of school, have houses, more than one car, a baby or two, a puppy. They have time & I'm assuming $ to invest in hobbies, interests, cooking, vacations...etc. And I hate reading about it on bragbook. (but I still faithfully logon & scan through my "news feed" to find new things to compare myself to daily) Not a healthy habit, I assure you. It provides me with info about other people's lives that I use as ammo to shoot myself down with. It's like "keeping up with the Jones's" on a whole-nother level. If I'm constantly trying to keep up with every good thing, advancement or accomplishment of all of my 800+ facebook friends, I'll never be happy. That's a standard that no one can live up to! And shouldn't!

I don't feel like this all the time, but it creeps up on me more often than I'd like.

That's when I go home to Idaho and vent to my parents about it. My dad always reminds me to "Enjoy here because there's no here there."

Sometimes I take the advice to heart, and sometimes I put it on the back-burner and sulk.

We all know deep down that life's not about comparing, competing and caring about what other people think. It's not about racing to the end either. But that doesn't mean that we're not all guilty of buying into any or all of that at some time or another.

With only one year left of undergraduate school for Cory, I've decided that I better start enjoying this experience even more fully than I have, because like they say, I'll never be here again! So next time you feel like you're just "spinning your wheels" remember: "Don't miss the forest because of the trees!"

Cory's Fav Geico Commercial

2009-10-27T20:54:00.001-07:00

My Burfday!

2009-10-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

So I just got back from visiting my very favorite people ever!

Cor & I visited our families in Boise in celebration of my 23rd birthday this past weekend. I'm TWENTY THREE. That seems so weird. Especially since while there I spent a fair amount of time watching home videos from 1993-1994... 6 - 7 year old Jamie never would have been able to imagine getting this OLD :)

Seeing tan, skinny little me running around in a homemade 101 Dalmatians costume with my awkward new teeth, big girly hair bow and long honey blonde hair was kind of surreal. I remember that time of life well considering the 15 years or so that have passed since. Those were some of the happiest days of my life!

From a different angle, seeing our little family so young and new introduced other thoughts and feelings. My dad was in school then, much as Cory is now... & it was easy to relate to the circumstances. As I watched my young, student dad teach little 2 year-old Ali to sing "I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home" I started to long for precious little ones of my own... (I'm tearing up just writing about it!)

I guess I better start preparing myself right away! All I've ever really wanted in life is a family of my own, to be a mommy. Its funny how "someday" always comes. It may be sooner, or later, but whatever the case may be, it does come. I hope I'm ready when it does :)

Twilight Jamie

2009-10-15T23:27:00.001-07:00

Jamie Cullen?

Ha ha ha ha. Don't worry, I'm not a Twilight fanatic. I liked the books, but I'm not crazy about 'em. I was just messing around with some photo editing & this is the result.

Cool & creepy simultaneously right?

The Office

2009-10-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

I LOVE THE OFFICE. I think I can speak for both Cory & myself on this one.

I have seen every episode several times & I own all 5 seasons. (We even got the 5th on Blu-ray... oh yeah, we're big time). Whenever I'm home alone I watch past episodes to keep me company. It makes me laugh while I do the laundry, and who wouldn't want that!

Here's one of my favorite Jim/Dwight moments from season 3:

Friday

2009-10-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

Friday has come again. It's the best day of the week because Cory is home & I usually have it off!

Love Fridays.

So, I really wish I had a lot of super interesting things to say... I actually used to cause drama occasionally when I was a teen so I would have something interesting to say, do, talk about, write in my journal about.... yeah very mature, I know.

Nowadays the drama is more or less actual life issues & I definitely don't wish it upon myself.

Oh no. No no no.

But it leaves little to entertain!

The update is this... Cory is still in school, & its still really stressful, & his grades are still stellar. He's still working more than he should in his free-time, and I'm still grateful that he's such a responsible, hardworking husband - who happens to be hell-bent on taking care of me :)

I'm still working at my chain salon & still frustrated with guys that talk down to me, & still glad to be making money & still working on that BYU management degree, & still desperately looking for a way out (of my holiday dilemma), & still trying to manage my ridiculous stress-levels & keep my 'cup' half full!

We did however participate in General Conference last weekend, which was awesome. I had to work through the Saturday morning session, so I'm still catching up on all those talks I missed. Just glad I saw the rest!

Here's a cool link to all of the video, audio & written Conference talks!

http://lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,23-1-1117,00.html

On that note, I wanna quickly quote a primary song that I love:

"I belong to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! I know who I am, I know God's plan and I'll follow him in faith."

(I thought the end was 'I'll follow him in vain' when I was little, but I always knew that wasn't right!) Ha ha.