D.C. Dayz Begin

Hello from Washington D.C.!!! 

Thought I'd drop a line while cruising around the Capital. Yesterday was perfect. Had a tour of the White House, where I got close to the prez ;) (or at least his living quarters), saw the national Christmas tree, and got used to the metro. Later that night Christyn and I got some Chinese take-out and watched Sleepless in Seattle (my 1st time). Great way to end a chilly night with an old friend.  

Today was even better! I love Alexandria, Virginia. Quite a bit. ESPECIALLY the Torpedo Factory.  We explored the town all day pretty much. After that we met up with another old friend, Jacob, over some cupcakes. I really like D.C. thus far. And it doesn't hurt being in such great company. 

More to come soon, with some pics not from my camera phone. Be excited. I am.

Little White Outside

It's the first real (little) snow of the season!

Whenever it snows it seems like the cold isn't so bitter, and the day isn't so dark. I’m glad that the in-between season of Autumn/Winter (Autter) is almost over :)
Friends and family are soon going to be back for Christmas! And I leave for D.C. very soon. I can hardly contain myself!

P.S.- I have a project I'd like to do with postcards soon. I'd love to get a postcard from you from wherever you are...More details to come, but something to keep in mind.

:)

Christmas Count Down

...I should really get busy getting gifts together...

Nice News

I got a little job at a horse ranch.

I also got a new camera and a new bunny.

And now I'm going to spend the rest of the day

painting and being productive. :)

I'm {working/hoping} to {do better/be better} everyday.

It's Official

I'll be on my way to D.C. in a couple weeks to stay will a great friend of mine! Christyn, are you ready for this???

And I'm open to suggestions on the "must do"s of D.C.

What to do with the light shining in:

I caught my nephew making shadow puppets on the floor the other day...

And then I joined him.

<3

My lotion came out, all on its own, as a perfect heart. I feel loved.

...floating in the summer sky...

Time for the thought train!

This morning I was having some Butterfinger ice cream for breakfast. It reminded me of this summer, when I was tutoring some kids. I would bribe them with candy, and one boy would always ask for a Butterfinger. Then I started thinking about this summer and how I had this thing where I thought balloons were elegant almost; childlike, yet classy. I came across this great French film that I really enjoyed. It’s kinda long, but if you’re into this kinda thing it’s really pretty awesome:

Speaking of red balloons, this movie reminds me of this pretty shweet song:



And, just because I AM that big of a nerd: TECHNO REMIX




I don't know if you caught a line in there that said "everyones a Captain Kirk" but that got me thinking. Now, I’m not a trekky, but I will admit to really really enjoying the Star Trek movie this year.


After I saw this with some friends, we went out for ice cream. We had so much fun, and the ice cream was pretty good too…better than the ice cream I was just eating, which brings us to our stop. I’m back to the moment where I’m having ice cream for breakfast.

Happy Tuesday!

Fallin'

I've been waiting for this Fall to come for years. The first Fall of no school, no stress about classes, and to actually enjoy the season. I have to say, I have gotten to enjoy it more than any Fall in the past 4yrs.
...Although it has gone by in a blur...

I'm hoping to start an Etsy account in the next couple months
(among many other things).

Be excited.

Almost THAT Time of Year

I'm trying not to jump the gun on the Christmas scene (since Thanksgiving isn't even here yet) but who cares! Hilary Weeks has her new Christmas album out, and you can get it here or here. I've listened to her music for years, and have seen her perform a couple of times. Remember that? She is amazing.

Thought I'd spread the word on some classy Christmas tunes :)

Kirtland

A group of friends and I road tripped it up to Kirtland, OH Saturday. Talk about a fast trip, but oh-so-much fun. Lot's of good times, and great reminders of the early saints.

And the Mystery Feet ARE….

My dear sweet Jeff; someone I have spent a lot of time with lately, and who is leaving for Russia in a few short days (to teach English for a month). The time away will be bitter/sweet. Probably more bitter than sweet, but I hope the best for him in his travels! We shall see how time treats us. Until then, I hope he is ready for fun this weekend ;)

I know I am!

What to do on a windy day...

... Fly kites, and enjoy the wonderful Fall weather...

...Life if good...

Sweetest Day

It's so sweet to be sweet
(like when someone lifts you up to smell the flowers).
Today is
Sweetest Day.
Do something sweet for someone :)

Do you ever get in moods, where you want to make prints for t-shirts?

...maybe that's just me.

Startings of Fall

So much has happened since fall got here,

and I’m trying to look back and remember.

Last weekend the whole family was in town. Great time. Grandma Nick came over for my nephew’s birthday party, and we got some great stories out of her.

Later that night we found Ella and cake. A little after that, we just found Ella sick. Hmmmm.

This week I got a pedicure for the first time. A close friend I grew up with was in town, so we wanted to do something fun. Can’t wait for her wedding to get close, because we plan on really going all out.
This weekend was wonderful!

We had a church retreat, and I got to know my friends so much more. I learned Amy loves trees.

I learned Ben G. can/will climb anything.

I learned Jeff doesn’t just look good in jeans,

but his awesome coat...and pretty much anything, really.

I also learned that there is NOTHING

I love more, than seeing Ben M. dance/sing in scout shorts. NOTHING.

I learned other things, but those are what stuck out to me the most. You know you had a great time, when you wake up and can barely move, and your voice is gone! (Me)

Life is good.

Happy

Look what I won!

A Cup of Jo had a necklace giveaway from Lisa Leonard Designs!

I feel so special!

And it's just my style.

Squishy the Fishy

Time to clean Squishy’s tank again... I’m a little surprised I haven’t mentioned Squishy before. We go way back, and are probably BFFs. I first met him when a roommate 2yrs ago brought him home in a little bowl. She thought of his name from Finding Nemo. It grew on me, and now I love telling the kids his name. They always wrinkle their faces and reply “Squishy, the fishy??”

I think a couple weeks later my roommate was cleaning the bowl, and it broke. That’s when I busted out my tank (which wouldn’t surprise those closest to me. That is a typical thing for me to have…for many reasons…most unknown to others). He loved his new home. You could see it in his swishing and swashing (what I interpret to be his smile…although bettas are rather aggressive…but that’s just how he shows affection).

He lived in the living room, and that’s when we made a strong connection. I’ve never known a fish to make me laugh out loud, or feel like he is doing something for me. After my roommate moved out, she left Squishy where he was strongly loved. After I moved out, he moved to where he was strongly loved.With me. Now, every morning he looks right at me, and smiles.

That’s my Squishy the Fishy

... Why do people make the strongest connections with the silliest things?...

Reality

Lately I’ve been way distracted from what I really enjoy. So, yesterday I decided to work on getting undistracted. I got my camera, and went for a walk. I enjoyed the last remnants of summer. I worked on a couple projects. I got some things ready for this weekend. I took a warm bubble bath. I drank hot chocolate. I did a little contemplation. I called it a day.

In my un-distraction, I thought about how much time I have in a day. What do I do with that time? Mainly I avoid what I enjoy, because I feel like I need to be job searching. In reality, I need to be creative. I want to love what I do...So I will.

While on my walk I found this great tree stump. There are toadstools all up and down its side. I could just imagine a little person jumping from stair to stair, working their way up…just like me :)

I’ve got tons to post, that I’ve not shared these last few weeks (I’ve been distracted). Expect them to come soon.

Climbing Up

Welp, been really busy these past couple weeks. I'll have to update you on everything as soon as I get a chance. One quick update: Rock Climbing (for the first legit time:)One other update: Jobless...
I turned down so many amazing opportunities this summer to make time for finding a real grown-up job...didn't happen (bad advice). Talk about a bad time to graduate college. And talk about a hard thing to get through. Everyday is a struggle and a beating on the self-worth, but it will pass. I was used to putting in a full 12 hours of solid productivity a day. Now, it's not too fun to put so much time into something (job searching), with no return. SO, if anyone has any ideas, I'm open to them. :)

When I went climbing, I noticed that at each new climb finding a place to start was the hardest part. After that things went a little smoother. So, I guess I just need to find my footing and start climbing up.

Eggie

So, what do you do when your eggplant has a nose?

Exactly!

Or EGGsactly

Mom brought it home, after calling my sister and me to tell us the crazy news (that she had an eggplant with half a face). Wish I had more time to make more fun faces, and give this eggplant the photo shoot it deserves. But this is all I've got time for.

Time to party in Cinci
:)

My Kind of Style

Can I just say... My grandma is awesome.

Cooking Club #2

Cooking last week was awesome! Grilled pizza and stuffed zucchini were our new recipes. We are a little worried we might not be able to top them. The only thing I would change with the stuffed zucchini is it wouldn't be a stuffed zucchini. I would cut up the zucchini and put it in with the stuffing, and then put that on top of angel hair pasta. This time we only had one mishap. We locked the oven to keep the baby out...and then it wouldn't unlock. Steam was billowing out, while we were on our knees trying to pry the door open. Once we got it open, the food was perfectly cooked.

That afternoon I had a left over zucchini, and when I got home this is what I found:The oven is not the only thing that could use a lock.

I'm hoping to soon get links for all the recipes, so you can just click on them and they will be all together. Eventually it will be like a recipe tried and proven cookbook. Fingers crossed.

How You Know a Recipe is GOOD:

3. When you're sad you can't fit more in your stomach.

Dew

Have you ever seen a more perfect blanket of dew?

It was beautiful.

Byes

Surprises:

• I loved Star Trek!
• I loved Sonic's Chocolate Cream Pie Shake

Not a surprise:

• I had the most amazing good-bye get-together with these ladies a couple nights ago!

Why must they go back to college??!!

We are planning a cruise soon, so that makes their parting not so bitter. Adds a little sweet.