TEENY SHOES

baby baby

2008-02-25T18:10:00.000-08:00

So... Probably going to keep posting here for my own stuff... Crafts & etc that are non-baby-related. So don't give up on it altogether. But you can always visit us here if this blog gets too lonely: Baby on the Way!

Ta-da!

2008-02-21T19:40:00.001-08:00

Okay, a little early then...

CLICK!

Unveiling...!

2008-02-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

...Tomorrow. Hehe. Sorry.

So the project that has been taking up so much of my time? You'll be seeing it here tomorrow, should you be interested. :-)

Em & Rick's Wedding

2008-02-11T19:10:00.001-08:00

Photos from their photographer; sooo cute:

http://www.atjphoto.com/ramptonwedding/

homemade video "Slipper"

2008-02-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

Calm down, loyal (and new) readers. I haven't deserted you completely. I am still working on that "something" I promised to share with you soon, and Steve & I are busy busy and tired tired, so here is something to satiate your rabid craving for blog posts.

I made this little stop-motion video my sophomore year of college, at like 9 or 10 at night, probably as a wildly creative way to avoid studying. I hope you enjoy it:

Note on Post Frequency

2008-01-23T19:32:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't been posting very much lately... I'm working on another project (which I hope to be able to share soon-ish) that takes up a lot more time. So, not so much with the blogging here right now.

Though since Krystle started dating her new gentleman, I'm not sure if anyone reads this anyway? So there might not be anyone to disappoint. :-)

Ok. Peace out. Back in... a while. :-)

Emily + Rick = Luv 4evr

2008-01-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

They did it! Em & Rick got married Saturday in the Mesa, AZ temple. It was a very sweet sealing, followed by a VERY fun party (even though it rained!)

ohmigosh she's marrrrriiiiied!

are they too cute? and i love rick's tie--bold, daring, very rick.

a little GQ for the groom

emily's adoring fans

traditional girls-kissing-dad photo

:-)

2007-12-26T16:38:00.000-08:00

Here's why Steve is great:

Last night Steve's roomie Eric flew in to stay with us for a week.

Eric asked what I do for a living. I explained that I'm in marketing--newsletters, blogs, etc. And Steve told him he should go read my work blog, that its really good. I didn't even know he'd read it until last week. :-) It just made me feel good. He's awesome.

(Sorry there are still no photos. We're working on getting a new camera!)

making a list

2007-12-26T10:14:00.000-08:00

I thought this looked fun...

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments.. what is it?

1. Produce: asian pear (aka "apple-pear")
2. Bakery: croissant (we're assuming these calories don't count)
3. Meat: steak.
4. Frozen: TGI Friday's loaded potato skins
5. Dry goods: cereal? I don't know what my favorite "dry good" is

Let's say we're heading out for a weekend getaway. You're only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you. So, what's in your bag?

1. jeans
2. T-shirt
3. bathing suit (I've now learned that once you become a Walton, you MUST take a swimsuit on all vacations, even if you are going to Antarctica)

If I was to listen in on one of your conversations throughout the day, what 5 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?

1. Did you turn off the oven?
2. Okay, I'm ready to go home now.
3. But did you think so?
4. I don't know, you choose.
5. Where's my phone?

So, what 3 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn't get to do, you probably wouldn't be in the best mood?

1. cuddling Steve & watching a movie
2. eating cereal for breakfast (even at work)
3. checking my email

You're driving down the road, and suddenly you're hit with this sense of road rage. What 3 factors probably contributed to it?

1. People who cut you off and don't give the "thank you" wave (for real)
2. A car in front of you slowing WAAAAAAAAAY down to turn right even when they have a green light
3. People swerving into your lane because they're talking on their cell phone

Sweet, you just scored a whole afternoon to yourself. We're talking a 3 hour block with nobody around. What 5 activities might we find you doing?

1. Sewing
2. Sneaking off to a girly movie
3. Shopping
4. Baking
5. Reading a book in the sunshine & eating something yummy

We're going to the zoo. But, it looks like it could start storming, so it'll have to be a quick visit. What 3 exhibits do we have to get to?

1. elephants
2. bears
3. gorillas

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on t.v. of your choice. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?

1. Heroes
2. Ace of Cakes
3. LOST (Hawaii!)
4. The Office

You're hungry for ice cream. I'll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?

1. Phish Food (B&J)
2. SNAFU (B&J)
3. The chocolate peanut butter swirl with chocolate peanut-butter-filled footballs that comes out at Super Bowl time. Mmm.

Somebody stole your purse…in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what's in there?

1. Small blue-flowered journal
2. Book to read (Currently A New Song by Jan Karon)
3. Aleve
4. Unopened mail
5. Wallet

You are at a job fair, and asked what areas you are interested in pursuing a career in. Let's pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what 4 careers would be fun for you?

1. Wedding Photographer
2. Novelist
3. Graphic Designer
4. Singer (respectable Nora Jones type, not scary Britney Spears type)

If you could go back and talk to the old you, when you were in high school, and inform yourself of 4 things, what would you say?

1. Freshman year of college is going to be hard, but it gets SO MUCH better.
2. You are going to get married. Really. Stop freaking out.
3. It really will be worth all the work you're putting in now.
4. People change in college--that can be a good thing.

merry little Christmas

2007-12-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't written for almost a full month... It's been busy! I still haven't gotten all my Christmas cards out, so some people will just be enjoying those as New Years cards. :-) Sorry!

I don't like forwards, but someone sent me this and I loved it!

Merry Christmas!

This Thanksgiving we...

2007-11-27T18:03:00.000-08:00

Fit 13 people around a kitchen table
Slipped and dropped Steve's camera in a tidepool (that was just me, not "we")
Visited the "haunted" Whaley House in Downtown
Had steak, potatoes, grilled zucchini, salad, bread, and Curt's delectable salsa
Had actual Thanksgiving dinner (with turkey & etc.) on Friday
Attended Emily's endowment (hooray! congrats!)
Made my mom's homemade applesauce for the Walton clan
Watched Elf and had a sleepover at Em's (two people cannot sleep on a regular couch comfortably)
Went to the beach multiple times
Made a mass group field trip to visit Jessie working at Starbucks
Listened to Rachel, Curt, Kelly, Steve, Jessie, and Kevin display their various musical talents
Saw Jessie give her first "grown up" talk in the singles ward

Guess why there is no picture on this post?

:-)

Photography Skillz...

2007-11-11T12:15:00.001-08:00

Still working on my photography skills... Poor Steve... He didn't really want to be my model. He was a good sport about it, though. :)

Emily & Rick's Engagement Photoshoot

2007-11-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

How cute are Emily and Rick's engagement pix? So cute. See for yourself:

Emily + Rick = <3

5 Things You Don't Know About Me

2007-11-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

While reading through my old blog (from the college days) I came across a list of "20 facts about me" that someone had tagged me to do. So, since Krystle requested an update, I thought maybe I'd tag myself in for that again. But I'm not up for 20, so how about 10 5?

Tag, I'm it!

I won something. I scrapbook, but not with photos cut into the shapes of hearts and dogs and stuff. Because of this, I recently won a pre-release copy of this book (which I loved, plus how cool is it to win something?!?):
I can lick my elbow. Apparently, this is impressive. My high school physiology teacher told us he would give a free A to anyone who could do it. He didn't follow through.
I do not like talking on the phone. Really. I don't know why, but I have this weird phobia of the phone. Even if my best friend of all life calls, I have a panic attack about answering it. I'm way more comfortable with face-to-face, chatting, or emailing. Weird.
I love ketchup (a lot). During my lifetime I have put ketchup on/in apples, doritos, apple sauce, quesidillas, pretty much every kind of meat, and cheese sandwiches. Sorry.
I am mortally afraid of squirrels. Or "Ratons del Diablo" as my brother and I call them. My brother and I are both scared of them, because our mom thought it would be a good idea to tell us that they carry the Black Plague. Poor Steve didn't understand my fear until he had to piggyback me past a group (swarm!) of them on our honeymoon.

I was going to write 10, but I wore out. Sorry. Maybe I'll write 5 more tomorrow. Or on a day that isn't tomorrow.

the marvelous something

2007-10-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a couple pics of my first "fantastic piece of mail" (see goal #7), and the marvelous something I made to put in it. You saw that I was sewing the "something" a couple posts ago. Here it is partially constructed...

It's an elephant! I also drew an autumn silhouette on the CD to make it more fun to receive. Whats more fun than an autumn silhouette, after all?

So our little friend the elephant was shipped out last Saturday to my mama, as a Happy Fall! gift. She sent me some really good care packages during college, so I figured I owe her quite a few. She was really happy, too, so it was pretty cute. She left me a voice mail, texted me, and called me on my lunch break.

If you are interested in being a future recipient of a marvelous something or a fantastic piece of mail (though I can't promise anything on the LEVEL of fantasticness) you should drop me an email with your address. You could receive a little package in the mail sometime...

Blogaholic

2007-10-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

So, um, did you guys know that I blog for a living? Like, part of my job at work is literally to write and market for two blogs. TWO. And I'm not going to share those with you because... Basically because I don't want to. If you're that curious you can ask and I'll probably tell you and then feel embarrassed.

But the thing that makes me a "blogaholic" as it were, is that I write two blogs at work, write my own blog, and then read like a bajillion other blogs. Most of them are written by people I don't know. But they're just so darn interesting.

Does this seem healthy?

(No. No it doesn't.)

But don't worry. I can seriously quit any time I want.

What I Do When Steve is Gone at Basketball

2007-10-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

Do the dishes because I feel bad that I haven't in a few days
Check facebook, see there's nothing new, and maybe post a wall comment to someone
Read a bajillion blogs, including blogs that I have already read like two or three times today
Write on my blog, but nothing too exciting
Put laundry in the washer and then forget it until a long time after its washed
Worry if Steve locked the door when he left (he did)
Worry that the blender of doom will turn on again
Read up on all the RSS feeds in my Google feed reader
Get tempted to check the site hit readings of the blogs I write for work (yes, I blog at work) but resist because I'm supposed to be relaxing
Turn on a lot of lights because that obviously protects me when I'm home alone
Get bored
Watch girlie movies that Steve won't watch with me unless its my birthday
Watch TV shows on nbc.com
Listen to music that I don't really even like because I need to have noise so I don't think that every creak is someone breaking in to the apartment
Finally stop being lethargic, and get off the computer and do something I actually want to do something I want to like maybe scrapbook or something
Also possibly eat a brownie. More likely than not.

Goal Update (Busy Weekend!)

2007-10-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

So. Long time, no blog.

We had a pretty eventful weekend. It started with me taking Friday off. I needed a day to recharge, and luckily, I still have some paid vacation days left. It was, I think, a very good idea. I'm feeling much better, physically and emotionally.

I got up at 8:30 (sleeping in for me since I'm usually at work before 8), got a bunch of house stuff done (some cleaning, some finances, etc.), and then I got to sew! I'm working on a cute little something to send off in an attempt to fulfill goal #7. Send some fantastic mail.

The cute little something (its finished but I don't want to ruin the surprise) will be mailed off to its new home accompanied by a mix tape (CD). Because I do believe nothing says "I love you!" quite like a mix tape. Or CD. Or whatever. I am feeling pretty excited about goal #7, so some (or maybe all) of you will get a turn to receive a marvelous something (and a mix tape, if you're lucky). I am a firm believer in the power of mail to make a day infinitely better.

Saturday we got up early, listened to the first session of General Conference while my pop-overs baked, and then munched them down with some bacon. Delicious. Then we changed out of our PJs and started in on goal #11. Recover the couches!

Though its probably hard to figure out why we're not SO fond of this early nineties fabric, we tore it ALL off on Saturday and started recovering it with a cream chenille.

Excitement:

When we pulled off the old fabric, there were a LOT of staples that came off with it. We were trying to wrangle them all, but alas, we stupidly barefoot newbies didn't get them all under control. And of course I stepped right on one, squarely in the middle of my heel, and screamed. Loudly. It looked like I had a vampire bite in my heel and it hurt "like the Dickens" as Steve puts it.

No photos of that. Too graphic.

a very true love

2007-09-26T22:35:00.000-07:00

We lost our little Maggie dog tonight, after 11 wonderful years. I feel like my heart will break, I love and miss her so much. I don't know that I can say anything to sum up who she was, so I will have to say simply that she was happy even when she was sick and hurting, and always loving. She has one the biggest hearts I have ever encountered. Love to you, Mags. See you again someday.

Fall Fall Fall

2007-09-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted in a while... Things are busy at the Walton residence... Hmm...

I'm ready for fall:

cozy sweaters and soft soft warm scarves
cold weather and sometimes rain and lightning
pumpkin decorations
little kid trick-or-treaters
scary movies
back to school supplies in every aisle at Target
hot cocoa and PJs with Steven
winter on its way

THIRTY FOUR!!!

2007-09-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

I'm at work so I can't call everybody in the world, but...

Steve got a
34
on his MCAT!!!!

(that's really good!!!)

One Year

2007-09-12T21:54:00.001-07:00

That was us one year ago. Or a little over a year ago, now. A year ago we were on our honeymoon, exploring San Luis Obispo and eating fried zucchini at this quirky little restaurant with a waiter who sounded like Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove.

We've had our bumps in the road, but I feel like everything we have been through is worth it. Being with him is the best thing in my world--he gives me a reason to get up and go to work every day, and hope for a beautiful future. It's nice to know we have an eternity to come--we face things better together than we ever could have alone.

Hey baby? Thanks.

Listography

2007-09-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hello.

So I just found out about this, which is a website where you can document your life with lists. Like an autobiography. With lists. A listography. It is also a book.

I found the website boring (just not aesthetically pleasing, really) but I like the idea. I am going to add it to my goals. Goal number ten. And here comes my first list.

Things I Need to Stop Doing

Eating so very much chocolate
Chewing on the inside of my lip
Procrastinating about renters insurance, returning phone calls, exercising, and organizing the pile of bills that is currently sitting beside my left elbow (maybe this should be a list)
Whining
Freaking out about life every single Sunday morning (except last week... one down!)
Buying things that I really really want but never never use (or use only once ever)
Slouching
Sitting cross-legged all the time, including in my office chair at work
Leaving clean laundry on the floor instead of folding it
Sulking
Leaving hairpins on the coffee table, and in various other locations

Was that interesting?

Like Hiro on Heroes

2007-09-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

"You know who's a real hero? Hiro from 'Heroes.' That's a real hero." - Dwight, The Office

Hi. So, Steve and I accidentally rented disk one of Heroes because there was nothing else interesting at Blockbuster, and guess what? We are addicted to it like a yuppie to Starbucks. (No offense).

We got disk two in the mail today and have already watched three out of the four episodes. I can almost guarantee that we'll swap it out tomorrow for disk three.

Least Favorite: The blonde chick who makes us fast forward scenes because she runs a... ahem... questionable website. Awkward.

VERY VERY Favorite: Hiro, from Heroes, who really is a true Hero. I hope he doesn't get "cool" as the show goes forward. I love him for who he is.

In response to Peter's concern...

2007-09-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Peter commented with immense concern over my bookcase organizing system, by color. You can read the comment on that post, which I think is two entries down. There he writes that organizing by color is "barbaric" and wonders how on earth I can find any books at all and ever.

Peter, calm yourself. Let me quiet your fears by explaining.

I am a Literature major, therefore I love books. I have purchased hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of books in my lifetime. If I were to keep them all around, my whole apartment would be a library. So I only keep books around that I like, and since I've read them a couple times, I tend to know the colors of them, and usually search for them by color because who on earth has time to organize alphabetically?

For example, a sampling of my books, and, without looking, their colors:

The Undomestic Goddess - Yellow
Calico Palace - White
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Blue
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Green
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Orangish
The Holy Temple - White
The Five Love Languages - Purple
Dictionary - one Red, one Blue
Harry Potter books in French - Black
The Secret Garden - Green

Is everyone feeling a little more peaceful about my decision? ;-)

The Big Scary List

2007-09-02T22:52:00.000-07:00

So I was looking through my computer for a cute/interesting photo to post for y'all, and stumbled across the "Wedding" folder on my C: drive. (Which I have named, like the cute little geek that I am, but I think that is another story altogether.)

In said folder was a document intriguingly titled "The Big Scary List." Our 1 year anniversary is coming up, and I thought that it was appropriate to check it out. Kind of a "What I Was Doing Last Year at This Time." So I scanned it, briefly, and concluded yet again that planning a wedding is the most stressful thing ever. I much prefer the being married part.

Seriously. The list is two pages long, two columns, single spaced, size ten font. I had to close it immediately as it made me feel an ulcer coming on. Thank goodness that's over. I want to give you an excerpt, but I don't know if I'm strong enough to handle opening that list. Possibly not ever again.

There are actually several photos of me in wedding garb. Enjoy this one for now. (I am totally wearing blue shorts under my "wedding dress").

Colorbatize Your Bookshelf

2007-08-31T19:07:00.001-07:00

There is a whole flickr group dedicated to arranging bookshelves by color. I saw it done on some random indie-creative blog, and I thought it looked really cool. Better, at least, than the random mish-mosh of non-organization that I had going before. So I did it to ours:

Looks kind of cool...

What Makes Me WANT to Cry in the Fetal Position

2007-08-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

Hi. Here is something you can make fun of me for at the next waffle night or whatever:

So yesterday I'm sitting at the computer, scouring the internet for ways to refashion clothes, because that's what I'm about right now. Steve is at the grocery store, and its dark out, but I'm fine. Not scared. I'm used to this routine.

Then, out of nowhere, this earsplitting shrieky-grindy noise--like a vacuum cleaner with a grudge--starts screaming from the kitchen. Throwing my chair back from the computer, I jump up into the air and just stand, petrified, staring at the kitchen. The blender is on.

BY ITSELF. OF ITS OWN DESIRE. THE BLENDER TURNED ON.

It doesn't stop, either, and my brain isn't really functioning, I am just freaking out in total panic mode with so much adrenaline running through me that I can barely move. So how to I handle this?

I scream back at it.

...and that doesn't work. So then I run into the kitchen, almost crying, and sort of bat at the thing so I can reach past it to pull the plug out (if it had kept going I would have probably passed out) and all I'm thinking is

IT'S SET ON LIQUIFY. IT WANTS TO LIQUIFY ME. ITS A GHOST THAT WANTS TO LIQUIFY ME.

Once its unplugged I run out into the hall, fumbling for my phone on the way, and shut the door firmly behind me. I dial Steve's number. No answer. I dial about ten more times, and send two text messages. No answer.

For a second I'm wondering if something happened to him, and turning on the blender is his way of sending me a message (because the blender is Steve's thing, not mine), but then I call again and finally he answers and I'm all almost crying and freaking out and refusing to go back in the apartment.

Finally he calms me down enough to go back in (luckily no other appliances have turned on) and he tells me he'll be home soon, and once I've situated myself in front of Jeopardy with some frozen cookie dough and a spoon we decide its safe to hang up.

I'm still not so keen on that blender. Okay?

Better Laundry Rooms and Gardens

2007-08-28T17:12:00.000-07:00

I usually spend my lunch break either talking to Steve, or, if he is too busy, reading a book or a magazine. Usually a magazine lately, because they have more pictures and require less brain power.

My magazines of choice lately are Better Homes & Gardens (used to be pretty frumpy, but I really like it now) and Simple Scrapbooks. They're both pretty fun and creative.

The only problem with working, of course, is that you don't get to do whatever you want. And I want to reorganize our apartment, and decorate it. So I spend lunchtime drooling over photos of organized laundry rooms and really adorable living rooms with a tasteful number of starfish.

Yesterday I came home and surprise! Better Homes & Gardens had arrived. I read it on the couch while Steve unwound from work with a video game, and came across this picture of a cute, organized laundry space.

Steve and I do not like to do laundry, so I thought maybe livening up and organizing our laundry closet would make it a little more bearable. They said to organize AND add cheery photos/color, so I put up two pillowcases my mom made for me when I started college--she put my dogs on them. We don't really have a space for the pillows around the house, but they look very cheery and they friendly-up our laundry room:

Its at least a step in the right direction. I made myself a little clothesline, too. Oh, I felt so very creative and organized. It still looks like a laundry closet, but at least now its not so depressing.

Steve Has a Blog!

2007-08-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

Feeling pressured by how everybody else in the world has a blog (I think this is probably my 10th... really...), Steve started his very first blog last night. You can check it out here:

http://greenwaterfishbowl.blogspot.com/

Hooray! Blogging!

I <3 <3 <3 Fried Zucchini

2007-08-22T18:38:00.001-07:00

I made my fried zucchini last night!!! It was so yummy! I dip them in Ranch dressing... Divine.

The recipe is as follows (found on Cooks.com):

FRIED ZUCCHINI

3-4 lg. zucchini
3 c. flavored bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 c. grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Oil - vegetable for frying
2 eggs
1/8 c. milk

Wash (do not peel) zucchini. Slice in circles or lengthwise approximately 1/4 inch thick. Beat eggs and milk together in bowl. Dip zucchini in egg mixture, add crushed garlic, cheese, salt, and pepper to bread crumbs in large bowl. After egg mixture dip zucchini in bread crumb mixture coating both sides well. In large frying pan, place oil and fry zucchini until golden brown. Lay on paper towels to absorb oil.

Recipe for Deliciousness (Fried Zucchini) + Goal Update

2007-08-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

I love the internet. So much free information, and so easy to find. So I guess I also love google.

Driving home after an EXTREMELY LONG day during which I was increasingly tired and grumpy, I had a sudden urge to sit on the couch and eat fried zucchini, which is one of my all time favorite comfort foods.

We just happen to have one in the fridge, so I googled a recipe and came up with one from Cooks.com (which I think is also the place I found out how to make chocolate waffle syrup).

Goal Update

Since Krystle is adorable and has started her own goal list, I thought I'd give you an update on my own progress.

First of all, there are two new list items:

8. Read 22 books (one for each year I've been alive... I swiped this idea from a friend)
9. Learn to play piano

I have been doing pretty good at my blogging goal (6) and have made more of an effort to take a camera with me so I can practice taking photos (1). I'm working on making some neat envelopes (7) in which to send mail. The other goals... not so much. Except that I am practicing my sewing. Hooray!

Also, I think I have read about 4 books already. I will try to think of which ones.

Games

2007-08-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy, crazy, exhausting week. It seemed like everything that could go wrong did, and I have to say I am happy to be able to start a new week. Hooray for the weekend.

My brother Tyler came down to visit Friday night, so we hung out with him at Balboa Park and chatted at home until he hopped on the train Saturday afternoon. Then I went to the temple, which was lovely, and Steve did the shopping (sooo sweet of him, he has pretty much taken over the groceries now), and we invited the Sorenson's over. We (ok, Steve) cooked them hamburgers--including grilled pineapple for the burgers, which is DELICIOUS--and they brought over some games so we played after dinner.

The Sorenson's always have really cool, unique games (like Allana!!!), so they have become our source for finding new ones. Last night we played a game called "BANG!" which is Italian, but they have also introduced us to Carcasonne (we've already bought this one, plus an expansion for it), St. Petersburg, and Bonanza, which I think are German. They are here (except I couldn't find Bonanza... I might have spelled it wrong):

Steve and I woke up late this morning and then just lazed around reading books. It was supremely nice. Now its time for church, and then of course Waffle Night. :-)

MmmmmCAT

2007-08-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

Steve had his MCAT today. I can't believe it is finally over, after 5 months of studying, worrying, preparing, it's DONE! YAY!

I dropped him off before work today, and picked him up at my lunch break to drop him at home. He was exhausted but felt okay about it, so that was nice. I wanted to eat lunch with him, but today also happened to be the day that I had to cope with my first big disaster at work. So needless to say it was an exhausting day for the Waltons.

I'm home now (after a brief stop at UTC to buy Steve some celebratory See's Candies), and he's playing a video game. I think he'll have to play a couple full days worth of those to make up for all the brain power he expended today.

It's over... HOORAY!!!!

Em's Engagement Ring

2007-08-14T14:51:00.001-07:00

I was looking through some pics on our desktop and realized we have a picture of Emily's engagement ring! I thought I'd post it for your viewing pleasure. :-)

Rick designed it himself, and had it made for her. I think the cutest part is that he told her that the two diamonds on the sides represent her and him, and the one in the middle represents Christ. Is that too sweet?

It's definitely original, and she was just ecstatic about it. I am seriously so excited for them to get married. It just keeps washing over me in these happiness waves. :-)

Swing on a Star

2007-08-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

There was a meteor shower last night. And I saw it.

Steve and I took a nap at like 10pm so we could get up and watch it without throwing off our sleep schedules too badly (I need 8 hours or I am grumpy), and at about 11 got up and piled into the car, laden with a plate of brownies and Steve's fancy binoculars.

We tried to go up to Mt Soledad, but it was all foggy up there, so we ended up driving to our church parking lot. Its right by a canyon so it was dark enough. We layed on the back of the car and waited.

I always forget how cool shooting stars look. That long streak of light across the sky. I saw 4 and Steve saw 3, but we never saw one at the same time. It was really nice though, to actually relax and sit still long enough to notice the stars. I highly recommend it.

Subversive Sewing

2007-08-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Steve bought me this book for my birthday called "Sewing Subversively." It is really cool, because it is mostly about a process called "Refashioning," meaning you make new things out of old things. Its perfect for me for two reasons:

1. We are on a budget
2. It means less difficult sewing

Basically the idea is to take something you already have (or something you buy secondhand) and make it into something you will wear. I have a lot of clothes with cute patterns or almost-perfect fits, and this has cool ideas about how to make them cute and fun to wear.

Yesterday I finally got up my courage to sew something real on the machine. I took a sweater that didn't fit quite perfectly, cut the sleeves off just so, and made it into a cute sweater vest. I know that sounds geeky, but I think it came out kind of cute. I figure I can wear it to work over a blouse. I'm also planning to cinch it in the back with a ribbon. I'll post pictures when it's finished.

The coolest thing about getting my sewing machine is that I just realized that I don't really dress the way I actually want to dress, but obviously we don't have the money for me to go out and redo my wardrobe. This gives me the chance to use what I have to make what I want.

Raincloud Day

2007-08-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just feel unaccountably grumpy. And then I feel bad about feeling grumpy, so that makes it worse.

It's a vicious cycle.

Couple Dating

2007-08-10T17:48:00.001-07:00

Just a thought...

Making friends as a couple is a lot like dating, only you both have to like both the other people. Sometimes you luck out and two of your friends start dating or get married. Other times, its just plain difficult.

Seriously, we get so excited/nervous about new couple friends that we dress up to go on a double date, we get nervous "asking them out," we even worry if we are being broken up with. Seriously. You'd think that kind of thing would end once you got married.

:-)

On a tired note, thank goodness for Fridays. I'm exhausted.

Sometimes I Wish...

2007-08-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

I could afford to send random packages of very neat gifts off to random friends for no reason at all, except that

"I saw these and I had to get them for you! Enjoy!"

or

"Happy Tuesday! You are the cutest thing in the world!"

or

"Oh my gosh I wanted this so much that I thought you would probably want it too!"

or something else adorable that ends in an exclamation mark. (!) or three, if it's really good (!!!).

Maybe care packages will go on my twenty-two list. Or really any type of USPS correspondence requiring packing tape or stamps.

Em & Rick are Engaged!!!

2007-08-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

I finally get what it's like to be so excited for someone else that it makes you glow inside. They got engaged yesterday and are so cute and so happy. It has made my week.

So happy!!!!

In other news, my cute husband went out to run errands when I brought the car home from work today, and called me a while ago to let me know he'd spent some of his play money to buy us our new latest food-craving for a special dinner: watermelon & pork chops. With his play money!

You've got to hand it to him--that man's got class.

One More Year of Home

2007-08-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

Steve & I went into the leasing office at CV yesterday and signed on for another 12 months. We were able to talk them down from the $115/mo increase they sprung on us to a $50/mo increase--which we figure we would break even with because of the cost of moving & what a new security deposit would be.

So that means we get another entire year in our home! I was really having to get myself geared up to leave, because it has been such an important place to us. Our first home. And I just finally felt like we'd gotten really settled in (read: there is finally stuff on the walls) and thought we were going to have to start over again.

Plus Steve is finally on my lease. Which means he can call the leasing office if we need a light bulb changed or something. Haha. That will be nice, not to be totally in charge of the apartment stuff. I much prefer to share. :-)

P.S.

2007-08-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite picture from our SLC trip. We were the last people in The Garden, so when we got down to the lobby of the Joseph Smith Memorial building, it was completely empty. I thought it was beautiful, so I asked Steve to take a picture, and this is what he told me to do:

the GREAT Salt Lake!

2007-08-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

Has anybody ever actually seen the Great Salt Lake? I've now been to SLC twice (can you believe, that? Only twice!) and have never seen the lake. Steve has been considerably more times, and has also never seen it.

Since I haven't been to SLC since I was 7 (I remember it being pre-baptism) Steve and I trekked up there to tourist around a few hours after Kevin's wedding. We had a great time!!! I couldn't believe how fun it was.

AND, everyone was nice. Instead of the usual rather inadvertently rude comments about my height, people said adorable things about how tiny I am. For example, when our tour guide at the Conference Center came up to us, she saw me stand on tip-toe to give Steve a kiss, and she said, "You have to work hard for those kisses, don't you?!"

Precious! Yay cute Mormons.

Photo op:

We took a tour of the Conference Center. It was gorgeous. Apparently it can hold 21,000 people... That is 7 Manti's. (The whole city population!) Plus the roof has a great view of the temple.

Me at the top of the fountain that runs down all the stories of the Conference Center. So pretty.

Since we were both still in a really festive mood from the wedding, and since Manti had like the least real-tasting food ever (diners... and not particularly good ones), and since we spent ten hours in the car the day before and planned another ten on the day to come, Steve and I treated ourselves to a yummy dinner.

We went to The Garden, a delicious restaurant on the very top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. We sat right by a window with a view of the temple. It was all lit up, with city lights stretching out behind it.

But I have to say, the best part was the food.

Steve got a steak with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Is that the most beautiful version of steak and potatoes you've ever seen? DELICIOUS, too.

I got a delicious salad with grilled chicken, feta cheese, fresh raspberries, sugar-glazed pecans, and a raspberry vinaigrette. There was even a sugared plantain on top of it as a garnish. FANTASTIC. So so so yummy.

I love him. <3

Kevin & Rachel's Wedding (part deux)

2007-08-01T16:59:00.001-07:00

Since this was really my first wedding in a long time (besides my own) that I was going to be a part of from start to finish, and since my sweetie was the best man (meaning no time to sit around and chat with me that day), I dubbed myself unofficial photographer/videographer of these new Walton nuptials.

Here are a few choice photos of the cuteness that ensued on July 27, 2007. (Also please notice that my photography skills appear to be improving slightly, per goal #1 of 22.)

Kev & Rach burst out of the Manti temple doors!

Obligatory kiss for the cameras (poor things).

Must've been a good kiss... Rachel's veil came off!

Isn't her hair/veil combo gorgeous?

I just think this is adorable (of both of them).

Rick (Steve's sister Emily's bf) became Grandma Walton's unofficial chauffeur for the day.

Steve... :-)

Jessie being beautiful and sun-drenched.

Emily and Rick bringing sexy back.

...me!

I think Rick took this for us... Thanks Rick!

Ems & Jess giving their Daddy a kiss.

Kevin & Rachel's Wedding

2007-07-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a little preview for those of you wondering about Steve's brother's wedding. I took quite a few pictures, but I have to go pick up Steve from school so we can go enjoy eating Chinese food at the beach for FHE.

Anyway, here's the newest set of Waltons, right after they came through the temple doors. Cute huh?

Look at those smiles. These two are radiant.

C'est Amusant...

2007-07-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

Two things:

1. I finished Harry Potter 7 last night. I am surprisingly sad that the series is over, but I did think the book was really well done. I feel like part of my childhood is over, though, or teenagehood, which is a weird feeling. I won't say any more than that because a lot of people are still reading it (and I LOVE seeing people all over carrying it around! I feel SUCH a sense of comradery... I want to ask people, "So, what page are you on?")

2. I found this during a short break at work, and it amused me:
How To Make Homer Simpson's Donut Trophy

Reading Harry Potter

2007-07-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

Well I'm on page 565, so I guess I won't be writing until I've finished. :-)

DOORBUSTERS!

2007-07-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

Steve and I were "DOORBUSTERS" this morning. Meaning we got up to go to the 8am-1pm sale at Penney's, because Steve needed a new suit, and Jenna's Steve had gotten a fantastic one from there. I was a little skeptical about Penneys, having had a less than fantastic experience with it as a child/young teen, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Steve of course, found a fantastic suit (which looks very nice on him). It is a tan wool/cashmere blend, retailed at over $400, he got it for $198 because of the sale. Sweet!

I got not one, but TWO dresses (both at 50% off--woo!), both of which I really like. Now I will only have trouble deciding which one to wear to Kevin & Rachel's wedding on Friday.

We also went to the fabric store, to stock up on stuff for my new (new-to-me) sewing machine. I bought thread it different colors (including hot pink and aqua!), a seam ripper, and a measuring tape.

I made this little guy (below) as a warm up. It's been a long time since I've used a machine, so he was fun. He appears to be a seal, though he was originally intended to be a porcupine. Obviously he had other plans. Even though he isn't the best looking thing, I love him, and I'm proud because he's the first thing I made myself on the machine. Steve named him Frederick.

This is my "sewing area" a.k.a. our kitchen table:

AND... to top off an already fantastic (I've used that word like 3 times, sorry) day, my copy of HARRY POTTER came in the mail today!

I am such a geek that I sat right down and immediately started reading it. Steve was very nice about it. Though as I sat down to post, he started in on it as well...

We might have to battle it out...

Simple Things

2007-07-20T17:52:00.001-07:00

Things about today that I enjoyed:

Reading a magazine in the courtyard on my lunch break
Egg sandwich for lunch (that probably sounds gross... but its a childhood favorite)
A big hug from Steve after work
My co-worker, Jennifer, had saved me a bunch of boxes to pack up (we're moving soon)
Apple Cinnamon Cheerios for breakfast
Thinking about getting my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows tomorrow
My bosses dog taking a nap under my desk while I worked. (Hard to tell, but that is his tail-end up against my computer tower as he snoozes).

Wedding Dresses

2007-07-19T20:01:00.001-07:00

So, reading my post below makes me realize, I totally want to wear my wedding dress again. I mean, come on, its gorgeous. It fits perfectly. You accessorize it with a tiara.

I'm trying to come up with a reason that would warrant wearing a wedding dress (besides a wedding).

Miracles

2007-07-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

Kevin (Steve's brother) and Rachel's wedding is coming up in less than two weeks now, and it is pretty easy to fall under the spell of it all. I've been thinking, isn't it a miracle that two people can find each other, and fall in love, and be perfect for each other? I'm not saying that it's easy, or that marriage is simple, but isn't it just a miracle that you can love someone so much, and then they love you back, so much, and you work together towards this new life that belongs to both of you?

I think that is just one of the most incredible miracles of all.

I love weddings. I'm beginning to see why other people love them so much, too, even after they are married. It makes you reevaluate; it makes you remember.

Weekend

2007-07-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a nice, busy weekend. James went to the temple for the first time yesterday, so Allana and Jenna drove down from UCLA and Davis respectively. It was beautiful to see so many friends all in such a gorgeous place. We went to Islands for lunch afterwards, and everyone talked a mile a minute.

Steve kind of gave notice at The Melting Pot, too, and that feels good for both of us. He has been so unhappy working there, that I don't mind having a little extra income for a bit while he finds something he actually likes. We're of the mind that you should like what you do, or don't do it. Anyway, with MCATs coming up, he has enough on his plate. Just a month left and he will be done with them!

We' re up visiting my family right now. We went to a movie & dinner last night to celebrate my mom's and my birthdays, and today my parents gave me my birthday gift--a sewing machine. I am bubbling over with enthusiasm. I want to sew everything in the world. :-)

Dad and Steve are in the other room watching a movie. Cute to see them getting comfortable with each other. I think Steve and I are really beginning to feel a part of one another's families, and that is wonderful. I love having a bigger family!

Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix

2007-07-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * * * (4/5 stars)

So... We saw Harry Potter 5 last night. My rating might be unfair, because I love Harry Potter. Yes, it's true. I am eagerly awaiting next Saturday, when book 7 will arrive on my doorstep. But anyways, I may have liked this movie best of the Potter films thus far. The new director was very creative. There is a lot of plot to tackle from the book in not a lot of time, but I felt (finally) that enough of the important parts were left in (the others cut out a LOT of good information). He also used newspaper clippings to tell a lot of story in a very little time, and I thought that was clever. The cast (except for Harry, who--lets face it--is just not a good actor) was even better this year. They are all shaping up to be pretty good little actors. And Alan Rickman was awesome as Snape--as usual. Also really liked Imelda Stanton as Professor Umbridge. She is the most evil woman, but hides it so well (sometimes). Perfect.

Goal #6

2007-07-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

So much for posting 7 times yesterday. But I did go to the gym!!! YES!!! That's a pretty big deal for me. I think my goal is going to be 3 times a week, plus really good stretching every day. I am like the least limber person ever, for the following reasons:

I do not like to work out, and that is pretty much hand in hand with stretching
Stretching hurts (duh because I'm not limber)
I am short, so my feet don't touch the ground, so I sit cross-legged all the time, which means no stretching happens all day

Yep. So stretching, too.

New goal (#6): Blog 5 times a week!

We Can Work It Out

2007-07-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

Goal #5: Go to the gym. No, really.

Is there any such thing as good looking gym clothes, I wonder? At least what I have on now is better than what we wore for PE in middle school (small consolation). But yeah, there is no giant cartoon Viking on my shirt right now. So I guess I will be grateful for the small things.

I might post like 7 times today. I'm in a blogging mood.

OFF TO THE GYM!!! NOW!!!

I'm Just a Little Black Raincloud

2007-07-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

Today my computer at work was grumpy. I tried to reason with it. I restarted, waited for it's hourglass, ctrl+alt+delete-ed, and nothing would satisfy it. Nothing! My supervisor likes to stand behind me whenever I do anything significant to my computer. Like uninstall. Or reinstall. Anything. He wasn't there today, so instead he sat on the phone with me for 1/2 hour while I uninstalled and reinstalled a program. Yep.

A bird almost flew in my car window at lunch and it scared me to death. I screamed. For real.

Grumpy grumpy grumpy. But at least I'm home now. Reading craft blogs and dreaming about what I will scrapbook or sew... when I learn how to do one of those things... :-)

Is it rain cloud one word or two? Raincloud? Rain cloud? I like one better, so I guess I'll stick with that.

Twenty-Two Goals: Photolog

2007-07-02T17:31:00.001-07:00

I am making a list of goals in my head (and on the sidebar of this blog) for year twenty-two. It seems like a big deal to be twenty -two... Somehow 21 sounds still safely closer to childhood than adulthood. But 22 sounds closer to adulthood.

I've decided now that I'm done with school, I should finally start doing all those things I "want to do with my life." Steve is so fun because he's always supportive and excited when I come up with a new project, and sometimes he'll even want to do it with me.

He is a very gifted photographer. Really. His photos are beautiful. I aspire to be like him in so many ways, and I really admire his "eye" for composition. Anyway, here is the first goal I am going to share with you: I want to be able to take beautiful photos. Should be easy, right? Haha.

Here are some I took this weekend, that I think came out well.

Twenty-Two

2007-07-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

I had a great 22nd birthday. Here is how it went....

Steve presented me with a beautiful birthday cake at 12:02am, the exact minute I was born.

He had made it entirely by himself, and it was beautiful. Two layers of fluffy vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. It tasted just as good as it looked. And he did all that detail using just a ziploc bag with a little hole cut in the tip!!!

We wanted to take a lot of photos of it before we ate it, because of its prettiness. YAY CAKE!

We got up early (for us) on Saturday morning and went over to the movie theater to watch Ratatouille! It was so cute! And as always with Pixar, brilliant and beautiful. We got lunch at Jack in the Box (that's what I wanted) and then headed over to the mall for some shopping. That wore us out, so we came home and watched a couple of episodes of "Planet Earth" (so neat!) before heading out again for another adventure...

We drove up the 101 in search of fun & food.

We passed the Del Mar Fairgrounds...

...and ended up at Grandview Beach, the beach we went to for our wedding photos. Those are my birthday-toes in the water. The tide was so high that the water was almost touching the cliffs behind us.

Steve started frolicking in the water.

It was so warm that he decided to go for a spontaneous swim.

Only problem with that was that he ended up soaking wet, and with no change of clothes.

He tried to wring out his pantlegs, but that wasn't too successful.

I gave him a kiss, even though it was MY birthday. (So he should have given me one, right?)

We had dinner at this delicious bakery on the 101 called St. Tropez Bakery. We sat outside and munched on sandwiches. There was a lot of good people watching there, and also a live jazz band out in the plaza, so we had a really nice time. We were going to head down to ColdStone, but got sidetracked by how dirty the car was and headed to...

The CAR WASH!!! (We're in it. See the windows?)

It terrified Steve.

After the car wash we did make it over to ColdStone, where I cashed in my coupon for a free "Love It" size (medium) chocolate icecream with gummy bears & brownies mixed in. We shared it. Speaking of, you can sign up for a FREE COLDSTONE BIRTHDAY ICE CREAM at their website!!! YAY!

Also, enjoy this video of us in the car wash:

A New Experiment

2007-06-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

Well, we've lived in our little apartment home for almost 10 months now, and I thought it was time for some greenery. I this article in Better Homes & Gardens, and I thought I'd give it a shot. I planted this little maidenhair fern in a hurricane, and it came out really pretty. The gravel at the base is to let the plant drain. Pretty?

Monday

2007-06-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

I went to the bookstore the other day and felt like a hungry person in a grocery store. I wanted to buy everything. I'm dying for something good to read. I finally had to force myself to leave because I knew I was going to buy something just for the sake of having a book, and it would have subsequently disappointed me for sure.

Graduation is coming this weekend. I'm excited to see my family, and Steve's family is pulling an all-nighter to drive down after his sister Jessie's graduation the day before. It will be so fun to see them. We get to see my family a lot but the Waltons live a lot further away.

I'm trying to get things in order. Like our whole life. Steve will be starting med school applications after finals, so I'm on the look out for anything that will help him get in. Tips, tricks, scholarship opportunities, everything. I think I'm beginning to understand what being a mom must be like. I'm learning to juggle things, but also to prioritize. I want to do anything I can to support Steve, because I'm so proud of him for working so hard and taking such big steps. He's so brave.

Birthdays Birthdays Birthdays!

2007-06-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was both my Dad's and Steve's brother Kevin's birthday. I am still in the process of making my Dad's gift, so I'll post pictures of that later. Steve and I made a music video for Kevin's birthday, using a song he really likes called "Snails" by The Format. So here it is for your enjoyment:

Buns (hehe)

2007-06-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

Sooo... what's up with me? Well I recently joined a neat little website called goodreads.com (click there and you can add yourself as my friend and join me!) which is fantastic. You basically review books and see what your friends are reading & etc. Very neat, especially for a bibliophile like myself. Steve got on it too, but so far all he's done is rated all the books he was forced to read in high school as 1 star. He makes me giggle. I love that husband.

What else? I baked!!!! And I mean SUCCESSFULLY!!! Last time I tried to bake something, I messed up the breadmaker and it just baked a pile of ingredients without mixing them. AT ALL. Like so:

So I'm pretty proud that I found a recipe and actually baked these beautiful cinnamon rolls!

Check out the hi-tech cup-turned-rolling-pin I'm using!

Cut the long roll into mini-rolls using floss (you're supposed to!) and then placed them gently into their 8" pan.

Mmmm. Ready to bake. The brown sugar + butter on the bottom of the pan caramelizes deliciously.

They turned out! Steve has a very discriminating tongue, and he ate like three of them the second they came out of the oven, and then five more the next day. So all in all, I felt pretty successful.

Origami Night - Puppies & Birds

2007-05-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

So for FHE last week Steve & I had Origami Night. My mom gave us a book of origami stuff and some paper, and, as you can see in the entry below (flower) Steve already knows his origami. So we made these animals while we watched a movie:

Cute birds. Mine is the green one.

Cute dogs. Mine is the orange one trying to snuggle with Steve's rather aloof green one.

Paper Flowers

2007-05-21T17:33:00.001-07:00

I came home from work today with a massive headache, and Steve, cute thing that he is, met me at the car and left to do all our grocery shopping for me, because he is an angel. When I got into the apartment, I found this on the table.

I think it's pretty obvious that I have the most adorable husband in the entire world.

I want to blog, but I feel like I have so much to say and not even enough energy to say it... :-)

We went up to LA this weekend for Allana's endowment session, which I was honored to escort her through. I've never been to the LA temple before, but it was neat because it was so different than San Diego. And it's where my parents got married, so that was very special, too. Steve and I think we found the room they were married in (there were four, but we only saw two).

Comments

2007-05-14T16:28:00.001-07:00

I fixed my comments so anyone can leave one. And you should because I like feedback. It's fun. :)

Confession #1

2007-05-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

I secretly like country music.

There. I said it.

Elephants!

2007-05-08T17:32:00.000-07:00

There's something about the air getting warmer that makes me feel better--it's that promise of summer that always got me through the last weeks of school. So the weird thing right now is not having school. Ever again.

It's been strange (but cool) to sometimes have free time... I still kind of don't know what to do when Steve has to study, but I'm figuring it out.

Also, suddenly, I'm on a huge saving kick. (That may be the product of working at a financial planning company). Seriously, though. I'm suddenly really having thoughts--and often--like "I wonder how much we can afford to put in a Roth IRA per month?" and "How much would we have to save per month to have a 10% down payment for a house by the time we're 30?" It's kind of sick. But at least we'll be sort of prepared. I hope. I think that's a big concern for me right now, with grad school approaching for Steve and not knowing where we'll live, and how much it will cost to get through those years.

I'm figuring out other ways to make money, too, besides my job. I'm working full time, still editing for Steve's dad's magazine, and now I'm taking on a small tutoring job for a local family. I think I need to just relax, but I'm not very good at that sometimes.

BUT! I am taking on some hobbies, now, and it's pretty fun. I decided to try some baking, but so far all I've gotten to is brownies and these cupcakes:

They came out really well, by the way. And were iced with chocolate frosting.

I've also started (trying) to get in to scrapbooking. I've bought a lot of supplies, but as of yet I have no pictures to start with. I should really get on that. But I did make this super-cute envelope to send to my friend Kari. It was a business envelope but I embellished it with hand-cut...

PAPER ELEPHANTS!

:-)

Valen Times

2007-02-15T15:09:00.000-08:00

Steve & I had a mini-Valentine's day yesterday. He had to work (we now "affectionately" refer to the restaurant as "The Pot") at 4:45, so we didn't do anything big. That turned out to be good, because of course everybody in North County went out to eat last night, and I'm not big on waiting for a table.

Steve gave me my gifts before he went to work--I got home from school and Steve had strung a single ribbon all along the perimeter of the apartment. When the ribbon crossed over something meaningful--a book we read together, our fishbowl, etc.--it had paper hearts taped to it that said things he loved about me or the apartment. It was adorable. So I got to walk through the whole apartment and see all the things that remind Steve of me. It made me so happy, especially because so many of them were just about goofy things we do together, like making "speed brownies"--we jump up, usually during a commercial, and run to the kitchen to make a batch of brownies as fast as we can. We divide up the steps so we are very efficient. We're getting our time down considerably with each round, too.

He also gave me a DVD set I really wanted of a Korean movie called Il Mare. It's the movie 'The Lake House' was based on, but it is way better. Anyway, I was pretty excited about that.

Then Steve went to work and I got to work on a bunch of homework. Ick. But I'm almost done with midterms, and I'm officially done with school for this week, so I'm feeling a lot better. I watched LOST with James, Mike, & Krystle. Steve got home about 10 minutes before that ended.

When we got home he called his mom to say happy Valentine's, and then I gave him my gifts. I bought him a copy of Gray's Anatomy (the actual anatomy book, not a DVD of the show) because he was ogling it in Barnes & Noble. He was really happy about it. I also made him a DVD of all his mission videos, complete with animated intro & menu. I was really proud of how well it turned out, and he kept saying "No way!" as he watched the menu I made, so that was pretty gratifying. Nice to get the effect you're going for.

It was pretty late, but since we didn't get a romantic dinner we cuddled up with some Martinelli's sparkling cider in champagne flutes and watched part of Pride & Prejudice (the A&E one; I'm a purist), so all in all, it was a very cute day. We're going to go to Ruby's for dinner on Friday for our special dinner, so that will be a nice carrot.

Oh midterms

2007-02-13T12:10:00.000-08:00

It's kind of hard to think of a way to make midterms seem interesting without whining about them. So I'll just say that I have them like a kindergartener has chickenpox. Simile! (That says similie, not smile).

And just in case that doesn't quite show how gone my brain is:
1. I took two wrong turns driving home yesterday. TWO. And I've been driving there since September.
2. I typed "egg" instead of "fish" when I was texting and then found it hilarious.
3. I almost (accidentally!) walked into a Men's room.

Yep. Sad.

I'll post soon... (maybe)

2007-02-12T15:23:00.000-08:00