Chris & Blaire Nelson

Happy Day After Halloween

2011-11-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

This year was the first year we actually had trick-or-treaters. It was AWESOME!!!! There were some great costumes and super cute toddlers :)

Here's our jack-o-lantern, a cooperative effort for sure :)

We bought a house!

2011-10-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

I have been super bad at updating for the longest while, i know, I am a horrible person.

But we bought a townhouse in Smithfield in September, so that has been pretty exciting!

We're still in the process of putting everything away, but once I have a room complete, I will definitely post some super sweet pics :)

So I am still alive

2011-05-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, boot camp day one went alright. I ran the mile - mostly sort of. I cheated and skipped part of the course. I was the last one and I knew everyone would be waiting for me, so i turned around a headed back a little before the mid point where I was supposed to. I know, I am a dirty cheater who is only cheating herself, yeah yeah.

The rest of the jumping, lifting, crunching, etc didn't go so bad. I totally had spaghetti legs by the end and my hear was beating like crazy. I'm a little afraid of the pain i may feel tomorrow.

I'm also starting to keep a food journal. WOW! No wonder i've packed on the weight. New goal: eat at least 3 fruits and 3 veggies every day. That ought to keep me full and away from my chocolate easter bunny - i hope.

Here's my starting stats:

Weight: 184

# of sit ups/min: 16

# of pull ups: 7 - using the wall for leverage

# of push ups: 8 - the girly kind with bent knees

Here's hoping i see some improvement in a few weeks!

I am scared

2011-05-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Last week I got an email alert for a local deals service that lets you know about promotions run by local businesses. Usually I'm not really that interested in what's being promoted, but this time they caught my attention.

I am going to boot camp.

Yes, exercise boot camp and let the record show, I am afraid, very afraid.

In six weeks I'm hoping to go from zero to hero, but the more i look into the type of stuff we'll be doing, the more nervous I get. You see, I'm not really a runner. Imagine if you will an goose with a broken foot trying to run away from a predator. Do you see it, that kind of desperate waddling skip-hop run? Now put my face on the goose's body and that's what it looks like when I'm running.

Also, having been blessed with Houdini level "trick" knees, I'm worried about hurting myself as well. I'm planning on being VERY challenged through out this class, but dang it, I want to LIVE through it too.

Here's hoping I make it. Pray for me.

Stuff has happened

2011-03-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

A lot has been happening and i have photographic evidence and I will show it to you eventually :)

In February:

It was my birthday - the big 28

It was Valentines day - ahhh love day

I hired new VISTA members for my site

It snowed, a lot - booo!!!

Went to a USU b-ball game with the 'rents & saw the backboards break

In March so far:

I made a super fancy cake - gum paste flowers & butterflies

I went to a baby blessing - yay Emily Brooks

Bought seeds & planted seedlings for my garden - the broccoli sprouted!

My friends moved away :(

We temporarily inherited their 50 million games

Spent a girls weekend with my mommy - IKEA!

I'll post the details soon - i hope :)

Time to get going again

2011-01-27T13:24:00.000-08:00

I really, really HATE wintertime. Recently i biffed it on some stairs and totally tweaked my knee. Although painful, this is not a new occurrence and wonky knees have been a constant companion ever since I started getting tall.

I've decided (finally) that enough is enough and I'm going to do something about it. So my resolution for the year is to get those knees back in shape. This means going to the gym and lifting weights and using the giant rubber band thingy to do exercises called a "grapevine" and other weird stuff like that.

If you know any knee strengthening exercises I can do, pass em along. Hopefully i'll soon have quadriceps that can crush a walnut. I'll keep you updated :)

Christmas & New Years 2010

2011-01-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

I know, I'm supposed to be looking to the future, but there was lots of fun stuff I didn't post about the most recent holidays.

Like . . .Chris' parents were able to come to Utah the week after Christmas. We got to got to temple square with them as well as Chris' brother Justin & his fam.

Then, later that week they came up to our house and had New Years dinner with us. Too bad we had to wait all day! We grossly underestimated how long it would take the turkey to cook :( It was worth the wait though :)

Mmmmm, it was delicious!

Toasting the new year with sparkling cider!

Year in review

2011-01-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

Another year gone by. It's amazing how quick it goes. We definitley saw some great challenges and also some great rewards. Here are the highlights:

-We purchased a flat screen TV - blessing!

-Blaire got to go to OK to train a whole staff of C/S reps - blessing

-Blaire got laid off - challenge

-Blaire got a new job as AmeriCorps VISTA- blessing

-Chris was made head of the Food Program - blessing/challenge

-We celebrated out 4th wedding anniversary - blessing

-The transmission went out in the Saturn - challenge

-Blaire sold her beater car - blessing

-We paid off the Saturn - blessing

-We purchased a 09 Sonata - blessing/challenge

-We drove to Kansas for Thanksgiving - blessing

-We got to spend quality time with the Saunders clan over Christmas - blessing

-Blaire lost 10 lbs - blessing

-Chris lost 17 lbs - blessing

-We got to see Brittany & Dan again in December - blessing

-Chris was voted "Favorite Health Department Employee" - blessing

-We got to have Mom & Dad Nelson for New Years Eve - blessing

Overall the blessings outweighed the challenges and I'm so grateful. Hopefully 2011 will be even better!

This is why you shouldn't pick on old ladies

2010-12-20T11:31:00.000-08:00

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson police say a 71-year-old woman knocked a man who attacked her unconscious with her frying pan.

Police Sgt. John Moore said 25-year-old Kevin Funderburk talked his way into the woman's home on Saturday, claiming he was homeless and had nowhere to go.

Moore said that when he tried to attack the woman, she fought back and "beat him down with a frying pan."

"When we arrived, he was unconscious and lying in his own vomit in the back of the house," Moore told The Hutchinson News. "He was in the hospital in Wichita over the weekend and they stapled his scalp."

The Hutchinson News reported that the woman was injured, but Moore did not release how serious her injuries were.Funderburk was jailed on $55,200 bond on suspicion of attempted rape, aggravated battery, criminal restraint and criminal damage to property. He was wearing a neck brace when he made his first appearance Tuesday in court.

Here's the damage she did to this guy:

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-10T15:57:00.001-08:00

Hooray, this was my first year with a Christmas tree over 4 ft tall :) We got this beauty from one of those guys that goes into the mountains and cuts down trees and sells them from his RV. Whoah that sounded totally shady - but it wasn't!

We also had to tie it to my houseplants in the window sill because the trunk was so small it kept tilting out of the stand. So my tree is a little wonkey, but i still love it :)

Spooky Punkin

2010-11-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

Chris and I either go all out or do nothing for Halloween. Since I was in charge of making a scene for my work for the local Pumpkin Walk, I wasn't really into planning a party or even thinking of a costume.

We did carve a pumpkin though. We like to each do one side of the face. Usually I carve first while Chris prepares the seeds for toasting. Then i cover my half and he carves his half. Then we have the reveal and see how we did. Somehow it always turns out pretty good. We carved the pumpkin Friday night.

For halloween this is what we did:

We ate dinner

Got some awesome Fro-Yo from this new place - Twizzle Berry

Watched TV shows all night

And guess what . . . It was awesome!

Birthday Cake!

2010-10-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

So a while ago it was my grandpa's birthday. I decided to make him a cake since it was the big 8-5 and all. I also made his 80th birthday cake so there was appropriate symmetry :)

I also wanted to try using modeling chocolate. It turned out to be super easy to make and moderately easy to use. You just need strong hands to warm it up and roll it out. If you have a pasta roller outer, that would make it waaaaay easier.

If you want to give it a try use this recipe from cake decorator extrodinaire Colette Peters. I

recommend melting the chocolate in the microwave 30 sec at a time. No need to bother with the double boiler thing. Also, buy high quality chocolate, things turn out better that way. It ends up tasting like really dark tootsie rolls. Yum!

And here is the finished result:

A month goes by in the blink of an eye!

2010-10-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Despite my lack of posts, there has been a lot going on in the last couple of weeks.

I finished a project for the Cache Foster Care Resource Center. I was raising money and collecting donations of clothes and furniture for local foster families. We also had a comedy night featuring a really funny improv group called Out of the Blue Entertainment. All in all we raised $1900 in goods and cash. I feel pretty good about that :)

Also I sold this:

And bought this:

Yes, I finally upgraded from the '94 Ford Escort to an '09 Hyundai Sonata. It's nice to have 4 doors instead of 2. I like having air conditioning again after 4 HOT summers. The windows go up and down with the push of a button. And I'm pretty sure the door handles/locks won't freeze this winter.

Coming up in October is the Pumpkin Walk in North Logan. My boss signed me up and the theme is the Magic of Animation. So cartoons from TV, animated movies, that kind of stuff. The theme for our scene is the movie "Corpse Bride." I only have a week and a half to gather all the necessary stuff, so hopefully I can pull it off.

Also, a personal victory, I got my visiting teaching done for the first time in 2010. All the credit must go to my VT partner Maevis, but hopefully I can establish a good pattern in my life from now on :)

Sad then happy

2010-08-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

So last saturday I was in charge of a mini golf tournament to benefit the Cache Valley Foster Care Resource Center. Everything was all planned out and set up and the day was gorgeous. Then Mother Nature decided I had been left in peace too long and send 20 mph winds with 40 mph gusts.

It was insane! All our bake sale items blew off the table, the shade canopies almost flew away, all our signs went all over the place - unbelievable. We ended up having to pack up and go home, which was a major bummer for me. I had been working on planning this all month long.

The good news is that I've got a back up plan. Karrie, a gal I work with, knows some fellas who have an improv comedy troupe called Out of the Blue Entertainment. They're going to do an improv show for us at the TSC Auditorium(USU Campus) on the 24th of September.

It was really hard for me to accept defeat when the mini golf tournament didn't turn out how it was supposed to. I've been trying to see what the lesson was in that situation and it's been a struggle. With things going so well for this comedy night, i'm starting to get a clearer picture.

Anyway, you should come if you'll be in the area. It's $3 with current student ID (USU or High School) or $5 without ID. It'll be lots of fun and we're having a prize drawing too. Come check it out!

Bacon Sprinkles?

2010-08-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

Friday the local newspaper held a cupcake competition at a recently opened cupcake shop in town. When i was in there a few days before to ask them to help with a project i'm doing, my co worker Karrie and I saw the fliers and she told me I should do it. So i decided I would :)

When i went to Seattle in April for work training, my friend Cheryl told me about a cupcake shop that had something like an eggs and bacon cupcake and that got me thinking about my entry for the competition.

So here they are: Pancake Cupcakes with Butter Maple Icing and Bacon Sprinkles - Ta da! I know it sounds weird, but the sweet and salty think really works. Plus a pancake cupcakes is awesome-er than regular pancakes because it's portable :)

So there were 50 entires into the competition and the winning categories were:

Best Icing

Best Presentation

Best Cake

Most Unusual Ingredients

Best Overall

I thought i might have a shot at the most unusual, but the winner of that category was a chili chocolate cupcake. I thought for sure i wouldn't win anything then, BUT I did win. I won the "Best Cake" category instead :) The overall winner was a Creme Brulee cupcake and it had the caramelized sugar on top even. It was probably the best choice for the store since they were going to sell the winning cupcake.

I was really happy with the outcome of my first food competition, so maybe I'll have to do it again sometime. Don't ask about the recipe - it's top secret!

Some goings on

2010-08-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, It's been a long time since I posted anything. I wish I could say it was because I was doing really exciting things and didn't have time to post an update. The real reason is I haven't wanted to bore anyone to tears with my lack of activities :)

The only thing of note to happen was Chris' car started acting funny, so we took it to the shop and we got the great news that we're going to need a new transmission. Oh joy :) Thank goodness for the emergency fund or else we'd be paying for that repair for-ever!

At work I'm coordinating a service project for the Cache Valley Foster Care Resource Center. They help foster families get extra stuff like clothes, beds, dressers, and baby stuff when they're transitioning between the different ages and needs of the foster kids placed with them.

It's been a ton of work and we haven't got a lot of help from the community. I know we're in a recession, but all I'm asking for is that people donate the clothes their kids have grown out of or to pick up an extra shirt when they're school shopping for their own kids.

I'm also doing a miniature golf tournament on Aug 28 to raise money and hopefully we can get a lot of people to come out and play.

So that's it - bored now?

Happy Anniversary to US!

2010-07-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

We did it, we made it 4 years of wedded bliss. A lot of couples don't make it this far, so sometimes I like to think of married years in terms of dog years :) On one hand it seems like we've been married for a really long time and on the other hand it feels like it wasn't that long ago.

Big plans to celebrate the occasion include:

Me leaving work early and Chris having the day off

Eating lunch together - i wish we could do this every day :)

Going out to a nice dinner - We picked Iron Gate Grill

Going to see a play - The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Abridged

Maybe getting some ice cream or treats after

Also since Pioneer Day is the 24th, we like to pretend the entire time from our anniversary on the 21st through the 25th is our own holiday. It's great to spend extra time with each other away from the usual day to day routine. Plus, everyone lights fireworks for us! :)

Summer Movie Review

2010-07-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

Now that the summer is half over, here are some movie reviews so you can know what's good when you're looking to spend some time out of the heat in a dark, air-conditioned place :)

A-Team

This one came out early in the summer, you could probably still see it at the cheap theater in your town. Chris and I both liked it for the mix of comedy, one liners, explosions, and the possibility of a sequel. 2Thumbs UP!

Karate Kid

Jaden Smith is the new karate kid with Jackie Chan as Mr Miyagi. The duo worked together pretty good and the studio did a great job of making a classic feel brand new. A lot of the cheesy things I expected in this movie were avoided and the over all product was really fun. The only criticism we had was that we wished the karate kid would have been cast a little older. 1 1/2 Thumbs Up!

Knight & Day

A rom-com about a gal who's in the wrong place at the wrong time entangled with a stranger where situations get more action packed and out of control. Cameron Diaz was pretty good, but sometimes she played it a little too silly. Tom Cruise was awesome. Lately in the media he's seemed a little crazy and maybe imbalanced. In this movie he gets to take his usual spy persona and play it a little crazy and imbalanced :) 2 Thumbs Up.

The Last Airbender

If you are a fan of the Avatar: The Last Airbender series from Nickelodeon, you will be disappointed in this movie. I like M. Night Shamalyan, but he should not have written, produced and directed this movie himself. If he had taken only one, maybe 2 of these jobs, i think the end product would have been a lot better.

In the cartoon, the characters are more vibrant, funny and relate-able than they were in the film. It seemed like the actors were kind of phoning it in with the exception of the kid who played the Avatar. I'd save this one for a matinee or wait until the cheap theater. It's an entertaining show, but not the blockbuster I was expecting.We both gave it a "meh".

Despicable Me

Chris and I LOVED this animated film which follows the evil villain Gru as he tries to steal the moon. The voice acting is pretty good and so is the animation. Although this movie is offered in 3-D I wouldn't go for it. There really isn't anything special in the 3rd dimension that would add to your appreciation for the film.

The story is great, it feels original and the best part are Gru's minions. They look like cold pills in overalls and although there are hundreds of them, they each look a little different from each other. I laughed till I cried at some of the gags they did. A great movie for the whole family. 2 Thumbs waaaay up!

Twilight Saga Eclipse

The third part of a now to be 5 part series, these movies keep building in quality, direction, styling, tempo and action. Edward and Jasper now have their hair under control, so that's one major distraction out of the way :) The dialog was less cheesy and more likely to be said by a person from Earth. As much as I hate to say it, i believe they've pushed Jacob's Abs to the limit. I think he only had a shirt on like 3 times in the whole show!

All in all, pretty good and I'm looking forward to the big wedding in Breaking Dawn part 1. One thumb up :)

Sorcerer's Apprentice

Chris and I just saw this and it was pretty good. Rated PG, it was still full of action, explosions, love, revenge, magic, and maybe a costume designer with too much of a penchant for gaudy jewelry.

That aside, the story was really great. Nic Cage is a wizard- Balthazaar-who trained with Merlin and is looking for the Prime Merlinian who will have the power to stop the evil witch Morgana LeFey from back in King Arthur times. He find the PM in New York in 2000 and things go a little wrong. Fast forward to 2010 and things come to a head. This is a great flick for the family, although i'd recommend it for kids 7 and older. 2 Thumbs Up!

Well that's what we've seen so far this summer and it's been lots of fun! Have you seen any of these shows? What did you think?

Happy Birthday America!!!

2010-07-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

I think the first time I really understood the difficulties in establishing this great nation was when, as a high schooler, I went to Valley Forge. This was the winter camp of General Washington and his armies. At the time, it was a forest of trees far from any settlements, supplies or comforts. The soldiers cut down almost every tree to build drafty barracks as quickly as possible and the fires necessary to warm themselves. They slept on plank bunk beds as Washington and other generals tried to obtain cooperation from the Continental Congress to get supplies and carry forward in his battle plans.

It was these brave and enduring soldiers that made our country free. Those that survived the war for independence returned home and farmed the land, built families and instilled in their children the importance of a free nation governed by citizens who lived in it.

Many generations would pass and those original soldiers descendants would fight in many more wars to protect this land from threats both within and without our borders. They would fight to free slaves, to keep Mexico at bay, to slow the growth of communism, halt the reign of dictators and remove the threat of nuclear destruction.

I'm grateful that righteous men, influenced by the Spirit of God, had the courage to make the tough decisions to establish this great nation. That humble men, many farmers, were willing to fight and even die to ensure that all men would be able to live, worship, work, assemble, own, eat, love, sleep, have families, build, write, and speak in the manner each one saw fit.

Today we enjoy the freedom to elect our officials, question their decisions, agree or disagree, elect, re-elect, not elect them and pray that they will have soft hearts that remain open to the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. That mistakes can be avoided and decisions made that are in harmony with the Lord and keep us favored in His sight.

Happy Birthday America, thanks for the 234 years of freedom, peace, war, harmony, discontent, growth, knowledge, development, strength, hope, courage and the years to come filled with much more of the same.

I almost made it

2010-07-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

So earlier this year I made a New Years Resolution with two parts. First I wanted to loose 20 pounds in 6 months and second, I wanted to keep the weight off through the end of December - at least.

The end date of part one was yesterday and I almost made it. My Goal weight was 164 lbs and I weighed in yesterday at 167 lbs. So that leaves 3 more to go!

I'll admit, I prolly could have made it on time, but for about 8 weeks I was not exercising or sticking to my eating plan or anything of the sort. So I know why I didn't make it and what I'm supposed to do to finish my goal.

I'll post a before and after pic soon so you can see my amazing transformation :)

A little of topic, but Happy Birthday to my sis-in-law Britany and my bro-in-law Kyle!

I wanna be like her!!!!

2010-06-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

I was reading on the MSN Smart Spending blog about this cool gal who is making old, saggy, baggy out of date clothes look great and and she's only spending $365 for the whole year. She was inspired by being out of work and needing to look good on no money to apply for new jobs. Then things went from there. Her site is called A New Dress A Day and I LOVE it!!

I am amazed at some of the things she's come up with and this lady has mad skills! She turns some pretty craptastic stuff into expensive looking dresses and tops. So take a look and maybe you'll get inspired to make over some of the stuff in your closet, or your mom's or your grandma's :)

Here's one for the Papas

2010-06-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

I found this cute video on youtube and it pretty much says what i think about father's day. I'm so thankful for my father and now that i'm older i understand even more the sacrifices he made for me and my family and that everything he did was to try to make a better life for all of us.

Took a trip down south . . .

2010-06-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

So Chris had a conference to go to for NEHA - National Environmental Health Association - in Albuquerque, NM over this past week. Since airplane tickets were a pretty good deal, we thought it would be fun if i went too :)

Let me tell you something - Albuquerque is one thing - HOT!!!! It's also not the metropolis I imagined it might be. They do have some fun things though. Chris and I hit the Aquarium and the botanical gardens. The best part was the butterfly pavilion where there were tons of butterflies flying all over the place. You even had to check yourself before you went out so that none of them escaped.

It was also really nice to get to spend some extra time together. We gotta find a way to hang out all day together and get paid for doing that. :)

It's all ours now

2010-06-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

A momentous occasion happened today . . . Chris and I paid off the Saturn! What's even better is that we did it 6 months sooner than scheduled - yay us!

Chris bought the car 6 months before we got married and it's been a great vehicle so far. It's taken us to Washington, St. George and around town all with very good gas mileage :)

Hopefully we'll get another great 4 years at least!

Vegetables

2010-05-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

So I've always been a big fan of fruits and veggies. Over the years I've been introduced to new ones - Chris taught me about the tastiness of brussels sprouts - and I've shared the magic of swiss chard with him :)

I LOVE watermelon and corn and with summer just around the corner, I get excited about farmers markets and fresh produce not trucked all the way from the other side of the globe. It just tastes better when is was picked that morning and then you eat it that afternoon.

If i had a patch of dirt of my own, i would totally grow tons of veggies. But alas, i am stuck with container gardening and that just doesn't satisfy me completely.

Anyway, the reason I'm telling you all this is because I've discovered a cool new way to get farm fresh produce. It's called click2pick.com and is a co-op of family farmers across California,Nevada and Utah. It's great because you can get fruits and veggies that are at the peak of freshness. It's a great deal too, usually about 40% off of what you'd pay at the grocery store. In my first basket i got:
4 grapefruit
4 oranges
5 lemons
2 lg avacados
4 baby zuccini
1 bunch spinach
1 head lettuce
1 bunch beets
1 bunch celery
1/2 pint strawberries

You should totally check out the website and see if they have a location in your area. They have the small basket - what i got - and a large basket that's supposed to feed 4-5 people for a week. So far i love it!

Buffy Vs Edward Cullen

2010-04-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what would happen if the Twilight Universe collided with Sunnydale California? Something tells me things don't go so good for Edward when he meets a free thinking woman with attitude. It's about 6 mins - sorry the timer is cut off :)

April is almost gone

2010-04-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since i've been on here, so here's a round up of what's been going on.

EASTER

Easter was lots of fun. Chris and i dyed some eggs and made easter bowls for eachother because the store was out of baskets :) We stayed the night at my mom's house and watched conference with mom and dad on Sunday. Easter dinner was the traditional ham and funeral potatoes and i had a ton of laughs with my brothers.

AMERICORPS TRAINING

This last week I've been in Seattle at a training conference for my Americorps position at USU's Center for the School of the Future. I had a great week learning all about Americorps, it's mission and what part of my role will be over the next year. A lot of people who join this program are at a crossroads in life. Students finishing their bachelors, seniors entering retirement and those people like me who are looking for experience to help them get from one job to another.

I met people from all over the country and it made me think. Israel requires all youth to enter into military service from the ages of 18 - 20 years of age. What if our country required enlistment in a service oriented force, dedicated to ending poverty, cleaning up our parks and neighborhoods, and educating the youth of this nation. How great would our country be? In reality there'd have to be some kind of constitutional amendment to actually have this happen, but i think it would make our country truely great.

Not only did i philosophize, i also got to visit my friends Cheryl and Dana who were great friends through college and i was friends with Cheryl in High School too. We went out to dinner at a super nice place called the Dahlia and the food was amazing!! We also stopped at a cupcake store and got a dozen interesting cupcakes. They had traditional stuff like chocolate and red velvet, but they also had pistachio and lavender. We tried some of all dozen we bought and boy did i feel sick after! I had a super great time though and it was great to see them.

BABY ANIMAL DAYS

Saturday was Baby Animal days at the American West Historical farm. I LOVE baby animals, especially petting, holding and cuddling them. I have learned to hang back a little and give the kids a chance first :)

The bugs were starting to come out too and Chris had one thing to say about that. I got a bug in my eye and he responded by saying, "Yeah, stupid nature."

Good morning!!!!!

2010-03-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen the TV show Community, you need to! Then you can be awesome like the rest of us and laugh at great clips like this one all the time :)

Jury Duty

2010-03-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

I had a super fun weekend that kicked off with a Jury summons for Friday - YAY! This was my second summons in two months, i think i got 2 because the first one didn't go to trial.

I got picked to be in the first group of 10 to be questioned. The judge, prosecutor and defending lawyer asked us tons of questions about potential biases. I think my ship was sunk when i said i had a cousin who is a Cache County Sherriff, who even pulled me over once :) It was for a busted tail light that we had already ordered a replacement for.

Anyway, they didn't end up picking me and actually they only chose a jury of 4 people for the trial. I thought that was kind of weird, but the judge said that's how many they used for that type of case.

So in the end, i only was there about 2 hours. Good thing, because the daily pay for jury duty is only $18.50 in Utah. No wonder it's called civil service and they have to force you to come under penalty of jail time :)

What a Handsome Pair

2010-03-11T09:03:00.001-08:00

Aren't these two some good lookin' men? It's Chris with his Grandpa Nelson last saturday. We went down to Sandy to visit his grandparents who moved there a few months ago from St. George. We hadn't been able to see them for a while since they were living so far away, but now that they're in Sandy, we should be able to visit a lot more. YAY!

Horribly Awesome

2010-03-08T16:31:00.000-08:00

Warning! Watching this video may get you totally hooked and singing along, even when you don't want to be :) I have experienced this side effect, but i think it was because i over dosed.

What the heck am i talking about? It's Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, starring Neal Patrick Harris(Doogie Houser/How I Met Your Mother) and Nathan Fillion (the movie Serenity is a favorite). It was created by Joss Wheadon(TV: Firefly, Angel) along with his bro Jed. It tells the tale of a potential evil genius as he tries to take over the world, while also working up the courage to talk to his dream girl.

If you have netflix, you can watch it all at once through their instant streaming service. If you don't, you have to watch it a chunk at a time on youtube. It's pretty short(45 mins) but packed with great music and a suprise ending. Also there may be a sequel in the works :)

Here's the first bit (6 mins-ish), then you'll have to go get the rest. So take a look and laugh your pants off!

Lookie What I Made

2010-03-03T12:03:00.001-08:00

I just finished this quilt. I started it before Chris and I got married, maybe even before we were dating. Then with moving and stuff I totally forgot about it. About 3 weeks ago when i was going through all my sewing stuff, I found it and decided to finish it.

This quilt has 60 hand appliqued hearts on it in a harlequin diamond pattern. I Hand quilted the diamonds and then decided to add squares for more visual interest. The lines aren't perfectly straight, but I'm kind of do the best you can gal. :) I just got done last night hand sewing on the red binding.

This was a lot of fun to work on and i never would have been able to finish it if Chris hadn't gotten me a quilting hoop for my birthday :)

Today is the Relief Society Birthday party and talent show and I'm going to display this quilt as my talent, which is why I was trying so hard to finish it. Now the only question is, what will my next project be?

I'm Hired!!!

2010-02-26T10:07:00.000-08:00

Everything went great at my interview and they hired me for a position, although not the one i applied for. While i was talking with the interviewer she kinda switched directions and told me about a position in their office at USU. She said my skills would really fit better in this other position and as we talked I was able to tell her about more experience I have with the work they do. At the end she said i could have the position if i wanted it and of course i said YES.

What I'll be doing is coordinating the things with the other VISTA(volunteers in service to america) people and their respective school administrators, helping to compile data on VISTA projects, presenting that information, talking to a lot of people and helping others at the office with whatever they need. It's a little all over the place, but I really like the people I'll be working with and I think I'll fit in well personality wise.

I'm really excited to get started and as a bonus - at least I think it is - I'll get to go to a couple day training seminar "somewhere in the western US" but i won't know until April. That should be lots of fun, although i do miss Chris when i'm gone :)

So more on this as it develops, but for now I'm really happy and excited and I know i wouldn't have this opportunity without divine intervention.

- 12

2010-02-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

No this is not a report of the temperature today, although it might be accurate :)

This is an update on my weight loss progress and I'm happy to say I've lost 12 pounds since January 1st! Who'd have thought those crazy dieticians and doctors would be right when they said you need to watch both diet AND exercise. How wacky is that? I also have to give mad props to Weight Watchers Online. It's helped me stay on track without having to go to a meeting every week - YAY!

Only 8 more lbs to go and i'll reach my target weight, which is close to what i weighed when i got married. I wouldn't say i'll be running around in a bikini anytime soon, but i definately feel healthier and i have more energy.

In other news, I finally got a job interview for tomorrow. Eventhough Februrary is the shortest month, as far as the job hunt has gone, it feels like the longest. I really, really, really, really want to get this position because it sounds like a great challenge, but also fun and interesting. I'll give more deets if i get it.

Lastly, I finally made my etsy shop pay off. I used the proceeds from the last year and a half to buy myself a Cricut machine! YAY!!!!!! You can get brand new ones for a steal on ebay and the same goes for cartriges too. I'm still waiting to get my font cartridge, but when i do, it'll be scrabook city!

Did you know they are making a Critcut machine for cake decorating? There's a demo online and it blew my mind :) If people get a hold of this machine, professional cake makers will be out of business for sure. It's that cool :)

Do NOT See This Movie!

2010-02-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

Remember how a couple of days ago I wrote about a book series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians? Remember how I mentioned a movie adaptation was going to be made? Well it is out in theatres and Chris and I went to see is last night. It was HORRIBLE!!!

I looked at some reviews before i went to see what the critics had thought. Usually i read what they say and dismiss it entirely. Most of my favorite movies have been hated by critics. In this case, they were right! Don't worry, this post has no spoilers :)

If you have read The Lightning Thief, you will HATE the movie. I understand that usually the book is better than the movie, but in this case the movie was NOTHING like the book. Everything that was clever, interesting, funny, or historical has been completely stripped out. They even changed the story line and relationship between ALL the characters. All the fun tools the protagonists use to deal with the bad guys have been taken away. I mean, did they consult the author at all when writing the screenplay? We left the theatre kinda mad actually.

If you haven't read the book, you will probably think it's an ok movie. The acting is average, the special effects are ok, and the action sequences are pretty good. It might be too scary for kids under the age of 8 or 9 though. Purely from a cinematic standpoint, i'd wait to see it until it goes to the cheap theatre or on DVD.

Chris said he would be willing to see the next one if the director is changed and i am willing to give the franchise another chance too if they change just about everyone who worked on this film. Hopefully the studio will listen to all the bad reviews out there and make some changes so the next one can be awesome :)

If you go and see it, let me know what you think. It's possible I'm wrong, but not likely :)

Happy Birthday to Me!!!!!!!

2010-02-10T19:49:00.001-08:00

Ah, another year has come and i find myself to be the ripe old age of 27. It's kind of weird to be 27 i think. It's one of those non-milestone years that makes you realize you one year closer to an actual milestone year, like 30. I don't think i've ever really had an issue with getting older. Especially since people say i don't look it. It's a little vain, but it helps :)

Anyway, my super fun birthday started out on Sunday. Chris and I went to my parent's house and had a birthday/valentines/superbowl party. We had lots of yummy snacks and ice cream cake and it was great to spent time with the family.

On Tuesday, my actual b-day, Chris took the day off and we had a fun time together. For breakfast we went to IHOP. I haven't had pancakes in a long time, and man were they delicious! That afternoon we went to the Sherlock Holmes movie which was super fun - it's so nice to go to a movie in the middle of the day when no one else can :) That night we went to dinner at Kamin, a Thai restaurant and pigged out. Dumplings, springrolls and curry - oh my! And then to top it off we got a box full of treats from Sweetly Divine, which is a great pastry shop. When we got home we put candles in an eclair and that's what i made my wish on. Hooray for birthdays!!!!

I am having a hard time dealing with the fallout though. Since i've been on weight watchers I've lost 10 pounds and have been eating a healthier diet. So today i felt a little sick from all that rich food, but i must say, totally WORTH IT :) I just love having one day a year where it's all about me, and Chris is so good to indulge me.

I'd also like to give a shout out to my birthday partner in crime - Janelle in Pampa, TX. Happy b-day on the 12th!!

Hit the Books

2010-02-08T10:54:00.000-08:00

I don't know why, but i LOVE young adult literature. I think it's because the stories are so imaginative and free of the typical cares that adults experience. The characters in YA Lit don't care about martgage payments, who they'll marry, if they'll have a successful career and all that stuff that grown ups have to think about every day. I like being able to escape and, YA lit does that for me.

So, I have another fun recommendation. It's a series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. There is a movie coming out soon about the first book, The Lightning Thief. Basically the main character - Percy- has grown up without knowing who his real father is. As he's gotten older, wierd things have started happening: explosions, fires, injuries, etc and Percy always gets blamed. One night he and his mom go to the beach for the weekend and are chased by a monster of greek mythic proportions. This all leads up to Percy finding out who he really is and what's been going on his whole life. I won't ruin it for you, but it's an action packed adventure :)

Chris says he likes this series because the story is original. Most adult sci-fi or fantasy is all the same old stuff. This series captures something new.

In this series there are 5 books, each one a new adventure of Percy and his group of close friends. Because the stories are based on Greek gods and mythology, you also learn a little bit about the different subtexts of Greek culture, but not in a way that makes tou feel like you're learning :) The 5th book is my favorite and is totally awesome because there is tons of action, destruction and mayhem.

They're all quick reads and a good vacation for the brain :)

What's goin' on?

2010-01-23T16:03:00.001-08:00

Wow, i can't believe it's been so long since i posted. Here's the highlights from January.

New years day was a great day for shopping :) Chris and I have been talking for a long time about upgrading our TV. The one we had was HUGE as in it weighed a ton and was 2 ft thick. We had to balance out tv stand so the tv wouldn't tip it over. So we went out looking and found a super deal on a new Hi-Def Plasma screen tv. I didn't think it would be much of an improvement, but it is!

My new year's resolution was of course to drop some weight. So I joined Weight Watchers on January 1st. I realized that i gained 30 pounds since i've been married and I haven't really liked the way i look or feel. Since I've tried wacky diets and also trying to follow what my idea of a good regime would be and failed on both accounts- it was time to get "professional" help.

I'm trying to lose 20 lbs by June 30 and so far things are going pretty well. I've lost 6 lbs so far and i can feel my tastes change towards more healthy things. I don't crave fatty or sugary foods as much, but if i need a little, i have the flexibility to go for it :)

So far , so good. I've lost 6 pounds this month and hopefully the rest will go just as good :) It hasn't been diet alone, Chris and I have been working out 4 mornings each week since October.

The next big item has been that i was sent to Paul's Valley, Oklahoma to do product training for Covercraft Industries. Covercraft bought Global Accessories, which was the company i was laid off from last April. I was in OK for a week all by myself and had to be a big girl - rented my own car and drove myself around - it was kinda wierd. Thank goodness for GPS, cuz i got lost a ton :)

This trip was also my last days of work. I have been laid off again. Oh goody. They're giving me a sort of severance package which will help a lot until i find a job. The downside is that i checked out the job board today and it wasn't looking so hot :) I'm sure i'll find something, but man i hate looking for work!

And on the 21st, Chris and I were married for 3 1/2 years! Yay!! It goes by so fast, I'm sure i'll wake up one day and think - sheesh, where has the last 30 years gone :)

So if you're not doing anything during the day and you want to hang out, i am available. Also if you know of any job openings, send those my way too!

And now the details

2010-01-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

I know you've been waiting and straining to hear how my Christmas and New Years went. I'm so sorry to have tormented you, this really was the soonest i could get to it :)

Chris and I started Christmas off early. We opened our presents the sunday before we left on our trip. We did stockings before church and the rest of the presents after. Chris was really happy to get his PS3, I love to see that youthfuk joy on his face when he gets presents like that! He got me clothes and some sewing books I was hoping for. Someday i will post my latest fashio creation - or something like that :)

For the real Christmas, Chris and I went to Kansas to spend about 10 days with his family. It was cool that we were first to get there and the last to leave. We got to have some quality time with Chris' mom and dad, which was really nice.

While we were there we went to see Avatar in 3-D at Warren's Old Town Theatre. If you haven't heard me sing the praises of this theatre before, email me and I'll give you all the details. Suffice it to say, you order your awesome food from your theatre seat and eat it during the movie - it's AWESOME!! We also saw Sherlock Holmes on Christmas day, which was really good too :)

For Christmas Eve, the sister missionaries came over for dinner and we had a German dinner of sausage, potato pancakes, and a cabbage dish called schmokole (it's spelled phonetically - sorry). It was really good and my favorite Christmas quote of 2009 came from Justin(my bro-in-law) as we were passing the food around the table. He said, " Are you prepared to recieve the schmokole?" Which i though was hilarious :)

After dinner we dashed around the house for scarves, towels and sheets to make our costumes for the nativity. Justin, Melissa and baby Camryn, a girl, played Joseph, Mary and Jesus and the sister missionaries were shepherds. My niece Elliette was a sheep and nephew Elijah was a donkey complete with "he-haw" sound effects :) It was the first time I'd ever acted out the nativity, but it was really fun and also funny - eventhough it wasn't supposed to be :)

The day after Christmas we had a baby blessing for Camryn and took our family photo. We did a nice one and a silly one. I guess you can tell which one I liked the best.

We came back on the 29th and only had to work two days before new years. After all that time off, I thought it would be nice to get back to work. Now I just want to be off again :) Hope ya'll had a great Christmas and a happy New Year!

Here's a show of the holidays!

We're Baaaaaack!

2009-12-30T11:15:00.000-08:00

Chris and I have just returned from a super fun 10 days in Haysville, KS with his family. Things were a little crowded at times with 12 adults, 3 kids and 3 dogs, but it was a lot of fun too. I'll post some pics of the good times once i get all the laundry started and stuff put away :)

Hope you had a super great Christmas and have a fantastic New Year!!!!

Oh Christmas Troy

2009-12-13T16:59:00.000-08:00

Need a laugh?

2009-12-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

If you want to see more awesome and hilarious stuff, go to icanhascheezburger.com :)

Hungry for a good read?

2009-12-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

I've recently been totally enthralled with a new series of books by author Suzanne Collins. You may have heard of it, The Hunger Games. Run, do not walk to the library or bookstore and pick these books up!

These books follow a girl names Katniss who lives in a sort of post apocalyptic world where her country has been divided into districts to serve a powerful capitol. All those who live in the districts are terribly poor and the capitol citizens are very wealthy. In the past the districts rebelled which was put down forcefully by the military, and one district - 13, was blown off the map.

As a show of their power, the Capitol puts on the Hunger Games each year where each district must give tribute of one boy and one girl, chosen at random to compete to the death in survivor/gladiator style combat.

I love this story because it's about so many themes: adolescence, survival, love, strength, injustice, tragedy, friendship, family and lots more. The characters are realistic and have depth and the writing is descriptive without getting too bogged down. The author does a great job of creating a new world that is believable and the action propels the story at a great pace. I read the sequel, Catching Fire in one evening, but i had to take breaks because my heart was beating so fast :)So if you have some time off coming up over the Christmas break, check these books out, they're fantastic. But just to warn you, the 3rd book doesn't come out until next fall and for me the wait is going to be a hard one!

Happy Birthday - Baby!

2009-11-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

Today is the day, when forever in history we can be grateful for the birth of one man. A man who has been influential in the lives of tens maybe even a hundred people. Yes, that great man, Christopher Nelson.

It's you day and I just wanted to tell you and the whole world - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! And as the first of many gifts to be showered upon you today, I would like to start with the Top Ten Things That Make Chris Totally Awesome:

10. He brings me breakfast and picks up my pre-ordered book so i can read in bed.
9. He doesn't get mad when i avoid doing the dishes for a couple days.
8. He tries to help me when he knows i need help, but refuse to say i need help.
7. He does funny voices.
6. He laughs at my jokes.
5. He makes really awesome beef ribs.
4. He's a kid at heart.
3. He likes my family :)
2. He's a very manly man.
1. He likes to try new things, including my crazy recipes :)

So if you see him today, tell him Happy Birthday and why you think he's awesome!

We're a Modern Stone-Age Family

2009-11-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

This year I really wanted to dress up because Chris and I have never really gone all out for Halloween since we've been married. I thought it would be fun to go as Wilma and Fred Flintstone and it turns out it was a great idea because the costumes were easy to make and they turned out great!

We invited the neighbors and a few friends to drop by for a open house type party. We had lots of good treats like "Hair Balls" that were chocolate truffles, "witch fingers" that were almond cookies complete with sliced almond fingernail, as well as "blood" punch with dry ice and pop corn balls! I just love how my table turned out. It was spooktacular - Ha ha, oh i'm the only one laughing :)

My brother Derek was a Tuskan Raider from Star Wars. His costume took a month and a half to make, but it was totally amazing!!! He almost won a costume contest, so that makes me wonder what the winner was dressed up as :) Derek's girlfriend Jen came as a dead hunter.

My friends Crystal and Craig brought their kids by. Here we have a super cute Indiana Jones, Woody and Harry Potter.

Here me and my friends Hilary and AJ are playing the Halloween

classic - Eat the Doughnut off the String - game. Hilary was a witch, hence the green face, and her husband was dressed as a character from the movie "The Hangover". Hilary totally beat me and AJ, but all together it was pretty funny :)

So thanks everyone for coming and we'll invite you over for our next party, in about 3 more years :)

Happy Pre- Halloween

2009-10-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

We each carved half the face of out pumpkin and then covered it so the other couldn't see. Then at the end we had a big reveal. Somehow the mouth and nose always match up :) Hooray for jack o' lanterns!

And We're Back !

2009-10-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

On Carbs that is. Chris and I both got to the point where we would rather not eat at all than eat the food we were allowed on the Atkins plan. We've decided to instead make healthier choices and we joined the gym. The plan is to work out 3 times a week with an optional Saturday. Oh, and we're exercising at 5am! I didn't think i could do it, especially since i can barely wake up at 7:30, but i was suprisingly alert :)

I think we both feel a lot better now that we're eating a more balanced diet and variety really is the spice of life. But i know i learned a lot of important lessons while on Atkins that I will remember:

1. Don't be lazy. There are a lot of hidden sugars and carbs in prepared foods. I want to take the time to prepare meals using ingredients in their more "natural" state.

2. Read the labels. This goes along with no being lazy. I was just grabbing things off the shelf based on price or if it was a brand i liked. Now i take the time to read the labels and choose items that will be of the best benefit to our bodies.

3. Planning out all the meals for the week leaves less options for eating out. By having something on hand for all 3 meals a day, and listing them out so they're easily accessible makes it easier to avoid the "we don't have anything, let's order something" trap.

4. Jello is your friend. Sugar free and a variety of flavors is the perfect treat. Also Reddi Whip in the can is only 15 calories a squirt and is made of real cream. Hello! Whip cream makes all desserts better :)

It's been a lot more work for me, but making sure we get a balanced menu makes me feel good both as a wife and as a person who is just looking to be healthier :)

You'll never get away with it

2009-10-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

Chris and I were watching one of our favorite TV shows, Castle. This show is about a writer that follows around a homicide detective as "research" for his books. It's totally hilarious BTW. In the most recent episode, we find out at the end that the lead suspect killed a woman because she threatened to expose a secret about his family and of course, he thought he could get away with it. When his wife found out, she was understandably shocked and outraged. For some mysterious reason this triggered the following conversation:

Blaire: Chris, if you're ever going to kill someone, don't do it cuz' you'll never get away with it.

Chris: I'll just tell you first if i'm going to kill someone.

Blaire: Don't tell me, just don't do it, you won't get away with it.

Chris: Really? Shouldn't you say 'that's bad Chris! you shouldn't kill people.' "

Chris: (mockinly in a blaire voice)No chris don't do it you'll never get away with it!

Blaire:(laughing) Oh I guess the morality of the situation didn't really occur to me.

Sometimes I don't know what makes me say the things I say :)

Inconcievable!

2009-10-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

Today is only Wednesday - day 3 of our Atkins diet and already we're seeing results. I've lost 3 pounds and even though it's been a struggle, I'm starting to think this is totally going to be worth it.

To be honest, Chris is doing better than me at facing reality and not cheating. That's one thing I really admire about him. I told him the rules of the diet and that it would only work if we followed the rules. He has been sooooo good about being committed and if he's not sure if something is allowed, he'll ask. I on the other hand feel like I'm barely holding on sometimes. I really want to cheat (But i haven't!) and my desire for cake, cookies, bread and SUGAR are at times almost overwhelming. I'm hoping that will fade as time goes on and I'm making due with an Atkins approved treat - almond balls. Here's the recipe if you want to try it. Only 2 carbs per serving, which i think is 2 :)

2 T shredded coconut
1/4 t almond extract
3 T almond butter (like peanut butter except with almonds)
1 T marscapone or cream cheese - which ever you can find
2 T artificial sweetener

Mix the coconut, almond extract and 1 T of the sweetener in a bowl
In another bowl, mix almond butter and cheese and other 1 T of sweetener to make a dough.
Form the dough into small balls (approx 1/4") and then roll in coconut mixture
Place on wax or parchment paper and put in freezer for 10 mins to firm up
Enjoy 1 or 2 if on Atkins diet. If not, eat as many as you want :)

Farewell to Carbs

2009-10-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

Although I've never taken much stock in diets that promote anything other than a balanced diet which includes items from all the food groups, the time has come. What I mean is that the whole balanced diet thing hasn't really gotten me anywhere. I've tried writing everything i eat down in a journal. I've tried counting calories. I've tried diet & exercise and guess what? Nothing, acutally i guess it's more like almost nothing.

Earlier in the year i made a goal to slim down, and i did. I lost 6 lbs, but recently i found them again :( I just can seem to keep momentum and get to that goal - and in the mean time i found a couple of extra pounds too.

So Chris and I decided that we would diet together. My dad talked us into doing the Atkins diet which has recently helped him to lose 25 pounds. That sounded pretty good to us, so we made a goal of doing the Atkins diet for 30 days. If it's not working for us, at that time we'll re-evaluate what we want to do. If it is working, then we'll keep on going.

Coupled with walks around the neighborhood, we're hoping to drop those stubborn pounds and get a jump start on a healthier life style while also reaping the benefits of having looser pants :)

And so, this weekend we bid farewell to some of our favorite high carb foods. A last supper if you will. Goodbye pizza. Goodbye pasta, Sniff. Goodbye mashed potatoes. Sniff, sniff. Goodbye Bread, I'll miss you most of all. Au Revoir, Auf Viedersen, Adios, Farewell to my dear sweet carbs.

You'll never see spanish the same

2009-09-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a clip from a really funny new show called Community. Enjoy!

Domestic Diva

2009-09-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know what's happened this week, but I've launched into the wonderful world of domesticity. I've gone food storage shopping and Tuesday night I made peach freezer jam.

I know - I can't believe it either :) But suprisingly, freezer jam is really easy. The hardest part may be getting the fruit. Lucky for me, my Grandma Perkins had a bumper crop of peaches and forced them upon us when we went over for grandpa's b-day on Sunday. I thought, we will never be able to eat all these, they'll just go bad. I KNOW, I'll make JAM!!!

If you want to know how to make freezer jam, buy a box of fruit pectin and read the directions. All you need is fruit, sugar, lemon juice, pectin and jars to put it in. No major boiling and super sanitizing or you'll kill someone steps :) So if your grandma gives you a bushel of fruit,

you can turn this . . .

Into This!

Just call me "Ant"

2009-09-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

You've probably heard the fable about the grasshopper and the ant, where the grashopper plays all summer and makes fun of the ant who works all summer putting food away for the winter. Then winter comes and the grasshopper doesn't have any food.

Today you can definatly call me the ant because Chris and I went to Macey's case lot sale and we stocked up. It was great!!! Eventhough we spent a goodly ammount of money, all the cans in the pantry really do give me peace of mind, especially in these tricky economic times.

Granted, we wouldn't eat the most exciting things if we had to break into the storage, but at least we would eat. Luckily, my stake is putting out a food storage cookbook, so I should get lots of ideas on how to use this stuff and ideas on what to get next.

Before and after.

All together . . .

ooh . . . ahhh

So if the mountains fall down and the power goes out and you're hungry, come on over and you can share some vegetable soup and pancake with us. But it'll cost ya some firewood :)

Also, Macey's case lot run through tomorrow - Sept 22 - so you can still stock up too. They have great deals on everyday stuff like TP, paper towels, and Campbells soup. Check out the ad here.

Tasty Trailer

2009-09-13T20:31:00.001-07:00

I know, I have a problem, but this movie looks so much better than the first. Squeal!

It's Fun to the 3rd Power!!!

2009-09-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Chris' Elder's Quorm had an activity at the park. It was supposed to be a volleyball tournament and i was thinking to myself, oh goodie, more forced athleticism in the name of fellowship. Fortunately we played this fun game instead :)

Behold! The super fun Sweedish game that's sweeping the nation, it's Kubb (Koob). I know it doesn't look like much, but if you like throwing sticks at blocks you LOVE this :)

Each team has a row of 5 blocks in front of them. Each team also gets 6 sticks. The goal of the game is to knock down the other team's 5 blocks and then hit the big one in the center, which is called the king.

Things get interesting when you knock down an opposing team's block. It remains in play and when the the round is over they toss it over to your side as close to the center as possible. They still have to knock it down, but it's closer and easier. However, if they fail to knock it down, you get to come up to that point on the field so you're in a better position to knock down their blocks on the other side.

It's a little complicated but really fun once you start to play. Chris was super good at it and earned the nickname "Tomahawk" from one of the opposing players who i called "Viper" because of her throwing style. She knocked those blocks down like crazy, even when she was holding her baby!

I'm totally into this game and when we build our own set you'll have to come over and play! We'll have a super fun time² i mean kubbed :)

Good News!!

2009-08-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Maybe no one cares about this as much as me, but i am super excited that Project Runway switched from Bravo to Lifetime because now i can watch it online - YES!!!!

I'm a HUGE fan of reality TV, but i prefer shows where you have to be able to do something besides fight with your roommates, get drunk, and hook up with people in the communal hot tub. Shows like Project Runway showcase people with talent and they have to perform at a professional level every week. Occasionally there's a little castmate drama, but mostly it's about the clothes. And as a seamstress myself, i can identify with all the sewing and the gratification of seeing people enjoy the things you make.

Anyhoo, the season premire is posted and it's a great one. If you love fashion and sewing as much as me, check it out!

CRAZY August

2009-08-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, things have been super busy this month, which is weird. Considering i was out of work at the end of July, i thought i would have all the free time in the world to do whatever i felt like.

What actually happened was I got my old job back at Global Accessories, except they have been purchased by another company called Covercraft, so technically i work for Covercraft now:) This has been pretty good because it's full time, although i'm not sure how long it'll last because Covercraft is eventually moving customer service to their headquarters. So I'm still on the job hunt while I'm working so i can have all my bases covered.

Also i had a booth at the Cache County Fair with my group Made For Cache.We got some pretty good traffic and everyone sold something . . . except me :( I'm hoping the Box Elder County Fair coming up next weekend will go lots better.

Last weekend we had a mini vacation at my Mom's house in Layton. We puppy-sat her dog while my parents went to Lake Powell with my Uncle Mark and Aunt Marianne. Chris and I had a great time - we went to movies, ate at Red Lobster and got to enjoy the Air Conditioning and Cable TV, which we don't have.

So, only 2 weeks left and I'm kind of looking forward to August being over.

My First Harvest!

2009-07-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

I know they may not seem like much, but i am VERY proud of my two cherry tomatoes :) I got this plant and one other for mothers day in my ward and it's taken until now just to get these two beauties.

Thankfully there are a bunch more on the vine, which is great because these tasted super delicious and I can't wait until I can pick some more.

On a completely unrelated note, I belong to this group of people who are all makers of handmade items. Our group is called Made For Cache and right now there's a giveaway going on. So if you want to win some free stuff, head over there and get yourself entered!

Still Crazy After All These Years . . .

2009-07-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's only been 3 years since Chris and I were married, but it feels like longer - in a GOOD way :)

Last year after planning a wonderful 2nd anniversary all by himself, Chris said he never wanted to have to do it again. I guess the pressure of planning a "perfect" weekend was just too much. So this year we planned it together and it was a lot of fun!

To start things off on friday(17th) we had a yummy lunch at the Training Table in Layton. I have 2 words for you: Cheese Fries :) Then we went to the Little America Hotel and checked in for a night. We went deluxe and stayed in a Tower King Suite, which is basically a big room with a King size bed in their high rise building. We got the room as part of a package that included breakfast in bed Saturday morning, which was AWESOME!

These are just some of the condiments that came with our in-room breakfast. Just for size reference there's a coke can on the left. I know what you're thinking, that IS the smallest bottle of tabasco ever created :) It's actually 1/8 of an ounce! The people at the Little America aren't messing around. There's nothing like teeny bottles of ketchup and jam to make you feel special.

Also on Friday we went to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It was pretty good, but for once i felt the movie didn't capture all the inner turmoil and drama of the book. Especially the end, it liked the book version better. Harry seemed like he was ready to kick butt and take names.

Saturday was fun too! After our luxurious breakfast :) we went to Hoagle Zoo. This just shows how much Chris loves me because he knows i LOVE the zoo and he only sorta tolerates it. For a Saturday things weren't too crowded and I had A LOT of fun. I just love animals, especially the monkeys, they have the greatest hairdos :)

After the zoo, we headed over to my mom and dad's in Layton to cool off and wait for Tepanyaki to open. It's one of those cool Bennihana type restaurants where they flip spatulas and light your food on fire for your dining amusement. The food was pretty good and so was the show. Sorry no photos of the flaming food, i didn't want to break the cooks, concentration - someone could have lost an eyebrow :)

And then there was today, our actual anniversary. We exchanged gifts at lunchtime which follow the traditional schedule. Anniversary 3 is supposed to be leather, and before you start thinking naughty thoughts, here's what we got eachother:

Chris suprised me with these CUTE sandals. I didn't know he had such an eye for shoes, but I'm glad he does. I got him this leather notebook for writing his recipies and doodling.

It's been a great three years, and I know I'm lucky to have a man who makes me so happy.

You Have to Read This!

2009-07-15T09:35:00.001-07:00

This book, City of Bones is the first in a super awesome fantasy series by author Cassandra Clare. I was perusing the YA section at my library, when i saw the last book , City of Glass and it looked so intriguing I put in a hold for this one.

It was worth waiting for! This book sora reminds me of the twilight series, but ony sorta. I would say the romance factor is about %20 of the story, humor is another 20% and totally awesome action and butt kicking is the last 60%. In these books there are vampires, werewolves, faeries, etc, but not everyone can see them. And when the main charachter Clary starts to see them all sorts of crazy stuff goes down. There are tons of great plot twists and it was so good, i stayed up all night to finish it - i couldn't put it down. Chris liked it too, but not as much as me. I think it was because he's read a lot fantasy books and had higher expectations than i did.

I've put in a hold for the second book, City of Ashes, but it looks like all of Cache Valley is in line to get that one, so I might cave and buy it online. If you're patient and have a library card, you should check it out. Otherwise you can pick them up at Amazon.com for about $10 each :)

I Win!!

2009-07-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

I won( meaning my shop Elliette Baby) the Best in Show award for last week on this fun blog called Cafe Handmade. Basically it's like summerfest but without the walking around. There are lots of "booths" on different "aisles" and you can find anything from jewelry to soaps, clothes and even make up. Take a look, there's bound to be something you want and find you can't live without :)

I just had to brag - but i guess that's what blogs are for, right?

Oh say, can you see?

2009-07-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

As any good, red-blooded American will tell you, a barbeque is an essential part of any celebration relating to the founding of this great nation. And so, on the 4th of July we did our part by cranking up the propane and grilling beef and pork ribs using Chris' secret sauce recipie and some new Ultra Top Secret preparation methods. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

Mmmmm, don't they look delicious? Lucky for Chris and I, almost all of my family was in town, so we didn't have to try and eat all these ourselves. Dad was up taking care of grandma, Derek was visiting his girlfriend and Brooks didn't have to work, so we were able to eat, chat and later, to blow crap up :)

Chris and I seem to have accumulated a lot of fireworks in the almost 3 years since we've been married. We had a fun time digging through the remnants of 4th of July's past and finding all sorts of stuff. My dad and bro had a fun time picking stuff out to set off.

God Bless America!!!!

Jam Packed Texas Trip

2009-06-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

I've only been to Texas once before and that was a quick trip through the panhandle to see Chris' home town of Pampa and to eat a steak at The Big Texan. We went again last week for his sister Lianne's wedding and boy was it a jam packed 5 days!!

We left Wednesday afternoon and i thought i had planned so good because i got us a non-stop from Salt Lake to Dallas. It seems fate takes great pleasure in ruining my plans. We ended up having to land in Ft. Worth because the Dallas airport was closed "due to weather" and we had been circling so long we were out of gas :( We waited 2 hours at this other airport for clearance and then flew 10 more minues to Dallas. I felt so bad because Chris' sister Jill was waiting for us that whole time.

We christened our trip with dinner at a steak house and got to spend a lot of time chatting with the fam and getting caught up on life.

We had a lot of wedding related activities to attend and it was pretty fun to get to know Lianne's in-law's at her bridal shower. We played wedding "memory" and a bridal shower bingo. Which by the way you can download cards for this game at bachelorette.com and they're free!

We also had a great groom's dinner at a yummy place called Brio. Their food is a little more italian than the Olive Garden and the portions were HUGE. The best was the dessert though. The creme brulee was soooooo yummy and came in a cute little espresso cup. After that it was time for the bachelorette party. We kept it pretty tame and went to a chick flick.

Lianne got married on Saturday the 6th at the Dallas Temple which was pretty and kind of gothic cathedral looking. It also has huge spires that make it very hard to photograph, so this was the best I could do.

Lianne and her hubby Derek are so cute and i am so happy we could go and be there for thier big day! Now everyone in Chris' family is married until it's time for the grandkids. So I guess we've got about 20 years to relax :)

And here's the happy couple. Congrats to Derek and Lianne Clements!

I'm as giddy as a schoolgirl

2009-06-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

This has not been posted with Chris' consent and I don't want my schoolgirl silliness to reflect poorly on him but eeeek, this is so awesome. I can't wait for November to get here!!!!!

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON trailer in HD

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-25T21:37:00.001-07:00

So usually i think of Memorial Day as the first BBQ day of the season. I consider myself a fairly patriotic and family oriented person, but I don't really spend a lot of time contemplating Memorial Day or what it means.

Anyway, today my dad came up to Logan as he always does for this holiday and I decided that i would go too. First we went to the Logan Cemetary to "see" Grandpa Saunders (my dad's dad) and Uncle Randy (who was killed in Vietnam at age 21). While we were there, we saw a few of my dad's Aunts and cousins and they caught up a little. My dad said in his day, Memorial Day was like a family reunion and everybody got together at the cemetary- kind of like a party, sort of. We also saw my cousins Brady and Matthew while we were in the neighborhood.

Next we went to Providence Cemetary to visit my Great Grandpa and Grandma Olsen. I don't remember them at all, they died when I was little, but they were born around the turn of the century. Cemetaries make me wonder about all the things these people must have seen - the history, the advances in science and medicine, what their families were like.

As we were leaving my dad said it was too bad that more people don't remember what Memorial Day is about. It's an impportant tradition, he said because you can't know what will be if you don't know what has been. Or in other words, you can't know who you are without knowing who you came from. I agree.

I found one!

2009-05-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

Well my prayers have been answered, i hope. I recently got a job working as a server in a new restaurant here in Logan. The place is called Elements and it's being advertised as a fine dining place, so hopefully the tips will be good.

It's not my first choice of work, but they were the only ones who called me back for an interview, which is pretty sad. So instead of holding out for something else, i went for it. I hope i'm not sorry later :) One really good thing about working in a restaurant is it's very slimming. All that walking back and forth to the kitchen and lifitng heavy trays makes for a good work out. Hopefully I'll drop another couple of pounds in the process. YAY!

So if you're in town in the next couple of weeks ( it opens in June) stop by for some great food and you can leave me a big tip :)

It's ALIVE!!!!

2009-04-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

I never thought it would happen, but finally Cache Valley has broken into Spring. My hopes are high that winter is finally behind us, but at the same time i'm trying to remain realistic as there always seems to be a late snowfall sometime in May. We did have a little snow last Saturday, so hopefully that'll count as the last snow of the season :)

I went to the temple this morning because it's a good place to go and because i still don't have a job, so why not do some work for the Lord? The flowers there are so pretty and there are a ton of hyacinths so it smells incredible too. Those groundskeepers really put a lot of work in to make the temple grounds a little slice of heaven on earth.

Unemployed . . . Again

2009-04-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

I hoped for the best but ended up with ...uh... not the best? Anyway I'm on the job hunt again and there are a few prospects that sound interesting. I've already sent in my resume to be the Shelter Manager for the Cache Humane Society. They were looking for someone with PR and fundraising skills and so I thought it would be perfect for me. The job closes in a few days so I won't have to wait too long (hopefully) before I find out if they're considering me or not.

Right now i'm pretty optimistic, we'll be ok money wise for a couple of weeks, but I'm hoping it'll only take me a week or two to find something. When we got the bad news at work, they said the deal to buy the company might still go through and they may be calling us to come back to work. Right now i'm not sure if i would go back, but we'll see if I'm singing a different tune in a week or two.

On the up side I've had time to get my living room set up complete with things on the walls and nothing on the dining room table :). And when we moved i found a Bed, Bath and Beyond gift card so i got a new bath mat and towels for the bathroom. The apartment is really starting to feel like a home. Yay!

Super Depressing

2009-04-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

I just did the saddest thing of my life. I spent an hour applying online to work at . . . WalMart. We've got another one opening in Cache Valley at the south end of town soon. Yes it's true, the current state of the economy is driving me to "keep my options open" in case things at my current job go south.

Why would things go bad at my current job? Well it's an automotive accessories company and when the major automotive companies aren't doing so hot, guess who else isn't doing so hot. The company is in negotiaions for a merger or buy out which means i could be getting a raise and a t- shirt with a new company logo, or i could be kicked out on my ear and looking for any job i can find. I'm hoping for scenario 1, but keeping an eye out in case of scenario 2.

Blah, blah, blah, woe is me. Ok i'm done pouting :) See a smile. If anyone knows of a job that pays more than 7.50/hour and doesn't involve me wearing a blue vest with a happy face on it, let me know.

In other totally awesome news, i have a new sofa and loveseat combo in microfiber. Everybody now -Ooooo, ahhhh! I'll get some pictures up soon, but it's a little dark now for photography. My apartment is starting to feel like a real place now and we own 3 pieces of nice furniture that feature us as their only owners :). As Martha would say, "it's a good thing." Btw, if you know anyone that needs a loveseat, check out craigslist for my listing. You might be able to get a better deal than the listed price ;).

When pocket-protectors and salesmen mix

2009-04-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

Or, Presenting for Government Grants

Wedding Buffet

2009-03-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is a story mostly about this happy couple. Chris' youngest sister Britany got married to a great guy named Dan in the Bountiful temple on March 18th. They came all the way here from school at K State (Kansas that is) to be married close to both their families. Dan is from Provo and the Nelson/Bennett clan mostly lives in the Salt Lake Valley. I'm so happy for them and the new adventure they can embark on together. It's great to have a partner to share your triumphs and disappointments with, especially one who you know is committed to your relationship beyond just this life.

So enough of that mushy stuff. Here's where me and Chris come in. When Britany got engaged, she asked us if we could help with her reception food. Knowing us for the awesome cooks we are and that we catered our own wedding, she made an excellent choice :)

We were also itching to give the catering business a try since we may want to do it for a living someday. So we started to plan and this is what we came up with.

The menu consisted of chicken salad sandwiches on french bread,pork egg rolls with sweet & sour sauce as well as sweet chilli sauce,
chocolate covered strawberries in milk and white chocolate, a meat and cheese tray with a variety of rolls and mini cheese cakes in 3 flavors. I know, kind of a weird combo, but that's what they wanted.

It was A LOT of food and we planned on everyone being a lot hungrier than they turned out to be so we ended up having to send a lot of food home with extended family members.

These little jewels were the best and hardest thing we made. I spent the better part of the day dipping these and then trying to find places to put them all. Thank goodness for our new pantry or we would have had strawberries all over the place!

Here is the cake. I wish i could take credit for it, but this piece of art was created by my sister-in-law Melissa. She is amazing as you can see. She even made all the calla lilly flowers - OUT OF SUGAR!

Too bad she's moving to California or she could make you some sugar flowers :) The woman even makes her own fondant and the cake inside was great too. I'm working on a slice right now - yum, chocolatly . . . .

And here is the happy couple feeding the cake to eachother. It was very disappointing, no cake smashing at all. They just laughed the whole time like it was the funniest thing in the world.

I'm so happy for you two, enjoy eachother!

Welcome to Our New Home!

2009-03-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here' s the home tour for our new apartment. Try not to judge too much, i haven't unpacked everything or hung anything up yet. Someday when you come to visit us, you will be amazed at the awesomeness of the decorating :)

This is out living room as seen from the kitchen. The door in the back is technically supposed to be our front door, but the way the apartment building is set up has people coming in through our kitchen. The laptop is set up as our TV at the moment. Cable is so expensive, we're experimenting with not having regular tv.

This is our laundry area and my pride and joy Washer and Dryer. I've run several loads and it's been a dream come true. The cabinets above are super great too because it holds all our laundry and cleaning supplies

Here is our fabulous pantry. Now we have a place to put all our weird kitchen appliances like the food processor and pop corn maker that were cluttering up our counter at our last place. There's also room for the food storage- it's out of the way but easy to access :)

This is the kitchen. We've got lots of cupboards and and drawers, but out fridge is a little old school. As in it needs to be defrosted every so often because ice builds up. Oh goody, i can hardly wait to do it.

This is our master bedroom. We got creative with our "dresser" and used two cheap-o bookshelves with baskets to hold all out non-hang up clothes. So basically we got a 6 drawer dresser for $50 which was a better price than actual dressers at the D.I.

The closets here are huge compared to our last place. I finally have a place for my shoes other than in a big 'ol pile on the floor.

And finally here is our second bedroom. You probably can't tell, but I've actually put some of this stuff away. Once it all gets put away, thrown away or set aside for a yard sale, this will be our craft/computer/guest room. I'm hoping this will become a reality by April - here's hoping :)

We have a bathroom too, but it's not super photogenic. We did make an upgrade to the shower though. We have really low water pressure and it kind of just dribbled on our heads, so we installed a low flow head like they have in hotels and now the water shoots all the way to the back of the shower :)

Come and visit us some day, but call first so i can get things tidied up! We can play dance dance revolution untill our ankles fall off :)

Moving day, moving day, hey baby hey

2009-03-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

The title references an old episode of Full House when Uncle Jesse moves from the main house to the newly finished attic. Michelle sings this little song as the whole family helps him move his stuff upstairs. I kept singing it to myself all last week while I was packing stuff. Anyway . . .

Whew! What a weekend it's been. We moved from our old, tiny one bedroom apartment to our new spacious 2 bedroom apartment this weekend. I never would have thought we could fit so much stuff into such a small place, but i guess all the cupboards and drawers helped us stash a lot of junk.

During the week last week i packed up a lot of the loose stuff and emptied out all the closets and furniture i could. I made a small dent and then i reached maximum packing burnout. It's where you see stuff that needs to get packed into boxes, but all you do is wander around looking at everything and wondering what to do next. Thankfully my mom and dad came Friday morning to help, or we never would have got it all done. We also had the help of our very buff home teacher who helped with all the heavy lifting - Thanks Patrick!

Saturday we spent cleaning the old place - again the apartment was like 600 square feet and it took about 8 hours to clean it. Chris had to leave part way through to wait for the cable guy at our new place, so my good friend Hilary came to save the day. Chris came back to help finish up and finally about 5:30 we were done. We had a $495 deposit and we better get every cent of that back because that place was SPOTLESS!

Sunday was interesting getting ready for church. I chose my outfit based on the most comfortable shoes i could wear with it and then i had to try to find said shoes, the dress and my shirt in all the bags of clothes we hadn't unpacked yet. Eventually i found everything i needed and we actually made it to church on time :) Sunday dinner was less than wonderful because i hadn't been grocery shopping because i was so tired Saturday so we had frozen burritos, left over fried chicken and other random things. My mom used to call that the Sunday Lunch Buffet. On the up side, Chris and I got the kitchen stuff put away so we can have better food to eat this week, once i buy some :)

I think living in this new place is going to be super great. I like it a lot so far and I think I'll like it even more once the unpacking is totally complete. I've set a goal to have it all done by the end of march. I think that's totally doable as long as I unpack 3 or 4 boxes a night. I'll put up some pics as soon as I find my camera :)

No more

2009-03-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

Last night was a milestone in my life. I did something that I'll hopefully never have to do again. I went to the laundromat for the final time. Hooooorrrrrrraaaaayyyyyyy!!!!!!!!

Chris and I are moving into our new apartment this weekend and I will be the proud owner of a new washer and a new to me dryer. Now instead of taking a whole evening lugging big bags full of clothes back and forth to the laundromat where i can be stared at and chatted up by weirdos, I can now wash clothes in privacy of my own home whenever i want. And there are a minimum number of weirdos living with me :)

Totally Awesome!

2009-02-25T13:50:00.000-08:00

A guy in London wanted to cheer people up in the face of the current economic crisis so he made happy face balloons out of soap, helium and vegetable dye. Basically these are giant soap bubble clouds that will pop and biodegrade when their cheering up is done. To read the full article click here.

I think this is the coolest idea and it was very thoughtful of the artist to try and make his fellow Londoners a little happier. It would be nice if everyone could do a little something to cheer up their friends and neighbors during these hard times in the world.

Have a great day, you're fantastic! ( That's me trying to cheer you up)

I'm Confused

2009-02-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

So it's been 4 weeks since i blogged about trying to shed a few pounds. I've been keeping track of my exercise and what I've been eating and I'm not quite sure what happened.

I started out at 183, then after a couple days i went up to 186, then a couple days after that i was up to 187. I stayed at 187 for probably two weeks and then last Saturday I went back down to 185 and I've been holding steady there. I know you're weight is supposed to fluctuate due to a variety of factors, but the bottom line is i gained weight over the last month

I'll admit that i pigged out the week of Valentines and my Birthday. I'll also admit that the 5 days of exercise per week still hasn't quite materialized, but i am consistently getting 3 days a week in. So i guess I'll just keep plugging along with the DDR and my exercise DVDs. If you have any suggestions besides eat less, exercise more - I'd love to hear them.

We'll see what happens in another 4 weeks.

Happy Love Day!

2009-02-11T08:35:00.000-08:00

I was surfing the web today and i found this article about celebrity couples who have stayed together for a really long time. Some of the couples were surprising and it just goes to show that if people are really committed to each other then they will be able to stick by each other through all sorts of circumstances. I think more people would stick together if they could learn to be supportive of their spouses through the successes and the failures and learn to strike a balance in their relationships.

Yay for love and commitment!

oopsie

2009-02-10T12:32:00.001-08:00

Funny story. So last night Chris and I went to bed a little early - 10:30. I guess we were so exhausted from the birthday extravaganza. BTW, my super secret present was Dance Dance Revolution, the ultimate in tricking yourself into exercising because it's so much fun! I am totally going to play tonight, even if my downstairs neighbors complain about it sounding like elephants jumping around.

Anyway we went to bed and were sleeping soundly when i was awakened by the flashing time on the alarm clock. Power outage. So i got up and checked the time on my cell phone, re-set the time and the alarm and went back to sleep. Time goes by and the alarm goes off. Chris is late for work, so he gets ready first. Chris leaves and while I'm getting dressed i get a call from Chris. He tells me to look at the clock in the living room which runs on batteries. Guess what, it's only 5:30 am! The power must have gone out again after i fixed the clock the first time.

Chris decided to just stay at work , but i went back to bed for an hour. I hate it when the power goes out!

Happy Birthday tooooooo meeeeee!

2009-02-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

Today is when we celebrate a momentous day in human history - the day when I, Blaire, came forth into the world.

Ok, so maybe it's not quite that important, but I am celebrating the big 2-6. I can't believe it, i never really imagined what my life would be like in between 21 and 30. I always figured the years would be filled with marriage and kids, so i guess i'm partway there :)

Friday we got my mom and dad moved into their new condo in Layton and then we went back on Sunday for my family b-day get together. A nacho party and cake - it was awesome!! My family is really funny when we're all together so i got a special gift of laughing so hard i cried, i love that!

Tonight Chris and I are going to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Kamin, which is a Thai place. Then i'll finally get to open my super secret present from Chris. I have no idea what it could be, so i'm pretty excited to find out.

In other awesome news, Chris and I are moving to a new apartment in 3 weeks. It's a two bedroom and when we went to look at it we found out the landlord is the bishop from the singles ward where Chris and I first met - talk about a small world. And the best part about this new apartment is . . . WASHER & DRYER HOOKUPS!!!!! I can't even fully express my complete happiness and bliss at the thought of no longer having to go to the laundromat :) It seemed like every time i went to wash the clothes I was getting chatted up by weirdos.

Don't judge a DVD by it's cover

2009-02-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

Well the first week of my get healthy campaigns went ok i guess. I only exercised twice last week, but i did pretty good at the eating part. So far this week is going much better. I know it's only tuesday, but there aren't any evening activities to distract me this week from my exercise.

There's just one thing i have a beef with, deceptive cover art. When you buy a work out DVD, there's a smiling lady on the cover doing a simple exercise move in a super cute spandex outfit and you think to yourself, hmmm she looks pretty nice i bet this work out is going to be so much fun. WRONG!

You have been tricked! This lady is your taskmaster in the equivalent of your own personal work out hell. Ok maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but the nice smiling picture on the cover is definitely a ploy to lull you into a sense of security. I've only done 3 of the 4 DVD's I've purchased, but here's the lowdown so far.

Lift Weights to Loose Weight has a picture of the blonde Kathy Smith, a nice looking woman who appears to be in her early 40's. Well, I'm 26(almost) and she totally kicked my butt. After 40 minutes with her i could barely lift my water glass. Boost Your Metabolism features a perky brunette and she's very encouraging until she's got you running around and jumping and lunging until your legs shake. Finally, 10 Minute Pilates seems like it would be relaxing and spiritual on some level, oops wrong again. After falling down a lot, I guess i'll need more balance to make this work.

Who knows, maybe in two or three months i will recant all these ravings and sing the praises of these "mean ladies." Tough love may be exactly what i need. If not, would anyone like to purchase a slightly used work out DVD?

New Goal

2009-01-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

I know that just about everybody sets a weight loss goal when a new year rolls around. Well I guess I'm not any different in that regard. I knew a couple of pounds have crept on in the last year, but i was not prepared for the number I saw on the scale that fateful morning.

I know the days of my high school and wedding weights are far behind me (155 lbs). Maybe if i had a personal trainer and no job other than working out, i could probably get back there. But i don't want to dwell in the past, I'm looking towards the future now.

My goal is to get those pants to not feel quite so tight and to take a little of the jiggle out :) I'm hoping by confessing my desire to be healthier will help me feel more accountable and motivated to work hard.

I've purchased 4 exercise DVD's from amazon, and some light weights and resistance bands using my corporate christmas gift, a Walmart giftcard. I've planned out my meals and DVD rotation for the next 4 weeks. I'm know how i am so i put in a few "free" spaces in case i want to take a night off or eat grilled fast food. I plan to exercise 5 times per week for 40 mins per session. I hope by choosing healthier foods and staying away from the junk i can reach my goal of losing 3 pounds in the next 4 weeks or .75 pounds per week.

I think I'm being realistic, but we'll see if i can endure and then keep going past these initial weeks. Right now all i want is a raspberry filled powdered donut. mmmm raspberry . .

Stuck

2009-01-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

I guess snow and ice in January are not anomalies in Cache Valley. What drives me crazy is being trapped in my own home because the locks on my STUPID car are completely FROZEN!

Ugh. I can't wait to get a garage some day because the scraping and stuggling to clear off my car is getting pretty old. On the up side, Chris did try to scrape some of the ice off, but without the aid of heated defrost, he wasn't able to get too far :(

And i guess there is a bright side - I have an excuse not to go to work today :)

Update: 1:15pm - I have escaped. It "warmed up" enough for my locks to thaw and i was able to get my car de-iced and i went to work. Tempting to stay home, but every dollar counts :)

I can't remember last year, so here's last month. (by Chris)

2009-01-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

Here's 10 things I've noticed, observed, or experienced lately. That's all.

1.Noticed the air pollution sediment on my car and how it created a special slush that couldn't be scraped off this morning. Cool.
2.Arby's version of a value menu is still a great deal. Love the Arby's!
3.There is now a show on some design channel about Man Caves. FINALLY!
4.Velcro, duct tape, and gorilla glue can fix anything.
5.In high school I tried to be a lifeguard for a summer. I couldn't even blow the whistle at people. Now I inspect restaurants and run a mosquito abatement program. Ticking people off is becoming a hobby.
6.Post-it-notes. I don't need no planner!
7.Still trying to figure out why I do my hair in the morning when I'm just going to end up wearing a hat.
8.Cheating rules. Cheat engine + pc games = fun fun fun for me.
9.I married the coolest girl ever.
10.I am truly an incurable cynic with a stone heart. I realized this today when I saw a poster at wal-mart for a video about space puppies. I threw up in my mouth. I'm ok with this.

Only 53 more to go . . .

2009-01-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

I stole this from my friend Robin's blog. It's interesting when you look at your life this way, where you've been and what you've seen and what you haven't. The bolded items are ones I've done and it looks like i need to do some more traveling and some more service. It's fun to do, so feel free to try it yourself!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury - almost, I was called for jury duty but not picked
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Copied a post from another blog.

Dream Job

2009-01-19T09:43:00.001-08:00

I came across this article today and i couldn't believe it! Talk about a dream job. The Australian travel council is advertising a position for a person to live near the Great Barrier Reef and get paid $100,000 to suntan, snorkel, swim and extol the benefits of Australian living on a blog. Yup, that's it - play and write about it.

All you have to do is submit a video about why you're perfect for the job and they might pick you. So far there have been 200 videos submitted, so there's still a chance you could win. Warm up those video cameras and get your submissions in by the Feb 22 deadline.

Good Luck!

Here's the article if you want to take a look.

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-01T17:22:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe it, 2009 is here. As a kid i think i saw the 2000's as the years of flying cars and space travel and all that other crazy sci-fi stuff. Now that i'm here in 2009 i wonder what the new year and the future will bring.

As Chris and i were waiting for the countdown, i asked him what he loved about 2008. He said that for him it was all about passing his Environmental Health Scientist test. Then i asked him what he hated about 2008 and he said one word, uncertainty. I can definately agree with him on both accounts. What i loved about 2008 was being able to spend time with my family - my mom and dad moved back to Utah from Washington this year and I got to see Chris' family 3 times. The thing i hated was getting laid off from Digital Slant.

Yes, in 2008 we had our victories, like paying off our high interest credit card, and our defeats, when we had to get the car fixed and charged the card up again :) I didn't loose the 10 pounds i was shooting for, but i gained a lot of love and happiness instead.

I know 2009 may be a little sketchy right now, but there's a lot of year ahead that could be filled with a lot of wonderful things. At this point, I'm just looking forward to Spring :)

Our itty bitty tree

2008-12-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

We actually got our Christmas tree a while ago, but things have been really busy with my etsy shop and stuff, that i haven't gotten around to putting up a picture yet.

Here it is, it may be small, but i think it's beautiful :)

Thanksgiving trip . . . the saga continues

2008-12-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

Well, i have some free time at work today, so i thought I'd finish my Thanksgiving trip highlights. I'll put some pictures in later on when i get home.

On thanksgiving day things were overall pretty chill. We had all chipped in to prepare a lot of the food the night before, so all that was left was Mr. Turkey. I helped Chris get it ready and we put it in the roaster. That thing was inherited from Chris' great grandma or something, and was on the fritz a little, but after fixing the breaker and stuff the roaster worked long enough to get the turkey to the proper temperature.

The table was really pretty and Chris' mom collects salt cellars and little salt spoons so everyone got their own at each setting. I think some day I'll want to do that too- It looks super fancy. The food was all over the place, which was good because there were 11 family members and 2 sister missionaries to feed. The food was yummy and the leftovers fit into a few tupperware containers.

Friday we went back to Warren Old Town - TWICE. In the afternoon to see Transporter 3 (action packed if overall totally unrealistic) and that evening to see Madagascar 2 (funny, as good as the original). We PIGGED out at the movies, but it was our last supper i suppose :)

Saturday we got ready to head home and things started out ok. We made it to denver just fine. Sunday was another issue though. We his two Interstate closures, one in Ft. Collins, CO and the other in Cheyenne, WY. The road opened at Cheyenne, but the wind was blowing snow everywhere, so it took us 90 minutes to go 30 miles.

We made it home about 9 pm and i was pretty grateful to be back. Nothing feels as good as sleeping in your own bed. It was a great Thanksgiving and I can't wait for next year!

idaho...IDAHO!!

2008-12-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

As with anyone, I am not free of all prejudice. In fact I have one that I hold dear and use in a theraputic sense. Idaho is my scapegoat. This is something I enjoy, not because I have something to heap all my woes upon, but life seems to have made a game out of my dislike by providing me with weight to support my position. Mostly I refer to drivers with Idaho license plates. Often while I am out and about I will witness, and participate in, the stupidity of inept drivers, and more often than not these drivers have Idaho plates.

When I started uttering the phrase that is the title of this rant in place of normal cussing Blaire thought I was paranoid and prejudiced. Now after being married for two years she has had enough practical experience with me to admit that I am a magnet for stupid people everywhere, and unfortunately I live close to the Idaho border.

Take my most recent, and by far my most memorable, experience so far. Driving home from Kansas we had decided in advance to stay the night in Denver. I happen to be driving when we arrived in Denver, and we arrived at rush hour. Remember, this was Denver, CO, and we were driving from Kansas to Utah.

Well, like I said, it was rush hour and the freeway was getting clogged, but still moving at a brisk pace. I was feeling good about this big city experience till up ahead I noticed a beat up truck, not in the right lane, but in the middle lane right in front of me, and I was approaching at an alarming rate. To a driver this means that the vehicle you're approaching is going slower than you. This truck was going WAY slower, at least 15mph below the speed limit. Well, with it being rush hour I couldn't swerve around it but had to brake and wait for an opening to appear. At this point my driver's rage was minimal as this had been a good trip so far, and even though the liklihood of a rear-end hit was increasing, I was handling this well enough. Then I noticed this truck had Idaho plates. There, in Colorado, while I was driving from Kansas, this inept driver from Idaho, managed to find me. What were the chances!

Have you ever had the experience of blowing all your neural synapses at once? I doubt anyone can say yes to this honestly since remembering such a thing would be difficult, but I think it happened to me. As the improbability, and yet the reality, of the situation I was facing began to sink in, the mantra of idaho...idaho...Idaho! started coming out of my mouth. Really I don't remember the next few moments. When reason began again to reassert itself I found myself having to apologize for waking the baby in the back (apparently Elliette doesn't sleep well to 'IDAHO!...IDAHO!'), and for a bit of raceway driving. I guess I was desperate to make my way as far as possible, as quickly as possible, from that nexus of unfortunate impossibility.

Catching up . . . a little

2008-12-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness! Things have been more riculously busy than I ever could have imagined. Since I've been home, I've gotten a ton of orders from my Etsy shop and have been stuggling to keep up.

I'll start back in November and hopefully chronology will help me keep my place. No i haven't lost my mind yet, but you never know when it might happen :)

We left for Thanksgiving on Nov 22 and drove the first leg to Denver with Justin, Melissa and Elliette. Things went pretty smooth. Elliette is the bestest travel baby in the whole world. She slept a lot of the way and smiled a lot when she was awake.

Once we got to Denver we checked into our hotel and went to Casa Bonita which is a lot like the Mayan in SLC with the cheap-o Mexican food and cliff diving, but Casa Bonita is a lot cooler. They have a live mariachi band and if you start walking around, there are tons of levels and areas to see- you can get lost in there, it's pretty cool.

The next morning we finished our drive without weather or other incident and arrived happy but tired in loveley Haysville, KS. At this point only Chris' sister Jill and her family had arrived, so we weren't too squished yet.

Monday the 24th was Chris' 3* birthday(the age has been omitted to protect the young at heart:) We went to the zoo in Salina which was really fun despite the wind. We got to feed the animals, who by the way were very agressive to get those little pellets. (Yes that's me in the coat under all the hair)We also got to see the Elephants up close and hear lots of cool things about them from the keepers. Elijah kept his hands over his ears the whole time because he thought the elephants were going to trumpet- they never did though.

That evening we went to Warren Old Town Theatre in Wichita to see Chris' birthday movie choice- Quantum of Solace (James Bond). I think i've told just about everyone i've ever met about the awesomeness that is Warren Old Town. At this theatre you get a MENU when you go in and once you've picked what you want to eat, they BRING it to you once the movie starts. HELLO- isn' t that the most awesome thing you've heard(read) today!! The aisles there are super wide and the seats are more like recliners. The food is great too, i especially like their Thai Spicy Wings and the Chicken Nachos. Yummy!!

Tuesday night the main events were the arrival of Chris' sisters Britany and Lianne. We also cooked Chris' special recipe for ribs and he taught Jill how to make them too. We cooked 6 racks of beef ribs and just about finished them off, but i guess with 13 people in the house, that's not too hard to do :)

Wednesday it was back to Warren Old Town for TWILIGHT!!! I won't dissolve into girly screams and so forth right now, but sufficeth to say i REALLY liked the movie. Was it better than the book - no. Was it as good as the book - no. Was it still totally awesome - Heck YES!

Thursday was turkey day, but I'll have to finish this post in another installment. Tune in next time for the conclusion of our show. Hopefully the brain will still be intact :)

I know I'm ready to be a mom because . . .

2008-11-27T11:24:00.000-08:00

No, this is not an announcement, just a reflection on the last couple of days.

I've been in Kansas observing Thanksgiving with Chris' family. It's been great speding time with everyone since we only get to see them once or twice a year. A few events have passed and i've been impressed with my ability to cope with them.

I've helped take care of baby Elliette and whenever i feed her, she always falls asleep. I like that. She also smiles at me and giggles, it's so sweet to see. I used to think crying babies were annoying, but i've learned that there's only so much you can do to comfort them, but they just might need to cry it out.

The biggest thing though was a super fun episode with my nephew Elijah. His parents left to go to town to get something and I was keeping an eye on him. Next thing i know he comes out of the bathroon stark naked and says, i pooped. I thought he was looking for a "good job" but when i went in the bathroom there was poop all over the wall.

You see Eli is a little person, as in a dwarf, and it's hard for him to reach the potty. I think he got up on his stool to reach the potty, tripped and ended up pooping on the wall.

Well i switched into action mode, plunked him in the bath and attacked the poopy wall with paper towels and cleaner. I only gagged a little bit, so i'm calling it a success.

Maybe i'm not totally ready to be a mom, but i think i'm a little bit better prepared for it. I mean i still love the kid, so that's a good sign-right?

Friend Filled Weekend

2008-11-16T17:32:00.000-08:00

It's always nice to see people you haven't seen in a while. Our friends Adam and Robin and their son Corban were visiting Utah from Pampa, TX this weekend. We were able to meet up with them as well as Justin, Melissa and Elliette for some dinner at Bajio then we hung out at our house and got caught up on the last couple of months.

Elliette, Justin, Melissa, Chris, Blaire, Adam, Robin & Corban

I know we can

2008-11-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

Generally I am not a super political person, but reflecting on the recent election and how the candidates have really polarized US citizens, I was inspired by President Elect- Barak Obama's speech last night. The excerpt from his speech below shows how the great USA has come though troubles and triumphs alike and although we may be facing hard times now, we as a nation and a people will prevail.

"This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing -- Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time -- to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth -- that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."

I am an optimist in every way and I hope that the country can come together in this difficult time and that our new president can make the adjustments needed to help our country, it's government and it's citizens. I pray that the Lord's inspiration with be with him and Congress as they make choices that will lead us in a new and better direction. For me Obama's message of hope, no matter how naive it may seem, brings me some comfort for the future because sometimes all we can do is hope for a better tomorrow.

This is Halloween

2008-11-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

For Halloween we stayed home and carved this lovely two-faced pumpkin. I did the right side and Chris did the left side. We each took turns and then covered our work up with newspaper so that neither of us saw the finished product until the end.

We also toasted the pumkin seeds and they were yummy! I think it might have been the first time pumpkin seeds turned out tasty. I think I've either burned or undercooked them every time previously.

And here we are with our finished work of art! Hooray for Halloween - BOO!!

Election Helps

2008-10-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

With the Presidential election just a few days away, I'm still a little on the fence about which candidate I should choose. Both McCain and Obama have good ideas on how to fix problems and I've always thought of myself as more of an independent than a Republican or Democrat. I just want whoever will do the best job to be elected.

To help me decide who will do the best job, i found a really great comparison of the candidates policies, their voting records and whether or not analysts think their plans will work or not. I really like how i got the whole picture about each topic/plan and what the ramifications of each would be. If you have some time, take a look and decide for yourself at http://elections.msn.com/WhereTheyStand.aspx

Whatever you do, make sure you get out and vote on November 4th!

Remember too that there are more choices than just the two big candidates (I think there might be 8 or so). Most everyone has a favorite when thinking of McCain or Obama, and it's normal to think that one you like the least must be crazy for espousing the positions that he does.

This poses a problem when considering any other candidates. Going on the assumption that the majority of America is sane, and that the majority of America is going to vote for either McCain or Obama, and that the majority of America thinks the other half of that duo is crazy (making them both crazy), then I think I can assume that any other candidates must be certifiably insane. Since I don't feel like voting for crazy or insane, here are my top choices for a write-in candidate:

Whoever this is, he's got the right attitude.

2. SUPERMAN Wouldn't that be awsome?

3. The number 53. It's prime.

YAY for Chris, the smartest man alive!!!

2008-10-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

This is Chris, and that nasty picture is now gone.
It took 6 tries before I passed that stupid test btw.

As some of you may know, Chris has been working towards obtaining his certification as an Environmental Health Scientist so he could do food inspections, hazmat stuff, air quality oversight, swimming pools, onsite wastewater, meth houses inspection & containment and a whole lotta other stuff. We really needed him to pass this test so he could stay with the Health Department in Logan, as things with mosquito abatement are coming to an end. However, this certification is recognized nationally as well, so we would be able to move and he could stay in the same career.

Well today we got a call from one of Chris' bosses that an envelope from NEHA had come to the office and we were super nervous to check it out. We just got back and the news. . . is. . . AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

Chris passed the test and our future is looking bright - hooray! He only needs to pass the test on Utah codes and laws, but compared to what he has just gone through, it is supposed to be a walk in the park.

I am sure that Heavenly Father answered our prayers and responded to our failthfulness. He knows the struggles we face and will stretch us only as far as we can go to grow and then comes the reward for our efforts. We are so thankful and blessed.

I am employed!

2008-10-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hooray for me, I have a new job. Well actually it's the same job that I had in college taking in bound calls for an automotive accessory company. It's not super exciting or glamorous but it's full time and i get the weekends off, so i think it'll be ok.

I had training this week and I also had the most horrible flu in recorded history. I won't give you all the lovely details, but i will say that Chris took very good care of me thorugh the chills and the fever and even the yucky things. He is soooo good to me and now I get to take care of him becasue he has a cold :) Good thing it's conference weekend so we can recuperate together.

New Elliette Blog

2008-09-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Hooray!!!!!!! I've been working on a blog for all my Elliette stuff and the day has arrived - it's ready :)

My friend Hilary Frisby is the total shiz for helping me with the design and template. She's an awesome designer and a totally rad friend. I never would have been able to make it as cool as it is without her help.

So check it out. I've got a new feature called Learn to Make Mondays so there'll be a fun new project posted on the Elliette site along with all the new merchandise I come up with.

For some reason the comments are disabled on the elliette site, so you'll have to tell me what you think about it here. If you know how to turn the comments back on, please let me know :)

Unemployment = More Etsy Stuff

2008-09-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm almost through my first week of unemployment and although I don't have a new job yet, I've been staying very busy working on new things for my etsy shop. I've added 3 Halloween onesies and I'm working on some Halloween costumes for babies that should be ready soon.

I've also created a new system for baby boys to wear a tie or bowtie to church. I added a collar to a onesie and then made a tie and bowtie that attach with hooks under the collar so the tie doesn't have to go around the neck, which could be a choking hazard. I've got a showcase spot coming up this Saturday, so hopefully I'll get some new sales with these new products.

If you want to take a quick look, scroll down to my etsy mini shop in the right sidebar. If you know anyone who would like one of my items, send them to my shop or buy it for them :)

I never thought it would happen to me . . .

2008-09-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

Well it looks like I am out of a job. Just when things are going so well - I have a nice boss, I like the people I work with, the work is interesting, etc - we all get laid off. Yup, I mean everyone. Granted there were only 5 people in the whole company, but we call got canned last Friday.

So now I'm looking for a new job and I tell you what, the pickings are slim. Don't get me wrong, I could always work at Gossners making cheese, or Icon making treadmills, or any of the plethora of manufacturing jobs in Cache Valley, but I went that route once and since I was able to use my PR degree at Digital Slant(my former job)I'd kind of like to stick with that.

So i'll apply for a few secretarial positions this week and hopefully I can find the right mix of hours and benefits. On the upside, if I only get part time work I'll have more time to work on my Etsy shop. Mabe that's the route i should take. I'm not sure, but I'm going to the temple today, so hopefully that will help me figure it out.

So i guess if anyone knows of a good PR job around Logan, or even around wherever you are, let me know. I'm open to anything at this point.