insomniac tendencies

This blog.....Over

2011-01-07T11:19:00.000-08:00

I have a brand, spanking new blog. It's not here. I moved houses, so I figured it was time for me to move my blogging identity to a new home, too.

You can follow me over to my awesome new blog by clicking this link:

www.mainlymandy.wordpress.com

Over, and out.

Win a hair accessory from The Redheaded Actress!

2010-02-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

I just entered to win a hair flower from The Redheaded Actress on Etsy. The giveaway is happening over at That Wife's Blog. Go on over and check it out!

(source)

Best of '09 -- Album of the Year

2009-12-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

This month I'm participating in a fun challenge thought up by Gwen Bell. Read more about the challenge here.

I can't think of my favorite album of the whole year. So I'm just going to talk about my favorite at the moment. I love the tv show Glee. It makes me so happy, in the middle of the week. It's like a sanity pill to help me get through to Friday! The music on the show is amazing. For my birthday, I got this:

I've been listening to it practically non stop in my car to and from destinations. A couple days ago, this came out:

I can't wait to pick this up! What was your favorite album of this year?

Best of '09 -- Challenge

2009-12-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

I had plans last year. Plans for how my life would be like in the next couple years. I was working part time at a financial advising firm. One I had been with for about 3 years, while I was going to college. They had told me when I was hired on that it was very likely I would have a full time job waiting for me when I graduated college. So I planned. I would graduate in June 2010 and get married in June 2010 and it would be perfect timing! Everything would be wonderful!

But the economy didn't play nice. The financial industry was hit hard, and my firm suffered a great deal. I was laid off in November 2008. I figured, no worries. It can't be that hard to find another part time job! I'll just apply for unemployment until I get back on my feet. Until I was denied benefits because I was going to school full time. I've had a couple of seasonal positions this past year, but other than that I have been without work. I've even had to borrow money from the 'rents to make due. (Which is something I promised myself I would never do.)

I have been at my wits end with this job search. I'll take anything. Except there is nothing to take. The unemployment rate is close to 12% in my valley. That's a lot of people competing with me for jobs. People who have more open schedules than I do. So this year, I have been challenged to not lose hope. I know there is something out there for me. And I need to believe I will find it soon.

Wedding Dream #2

2009-09-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

I don't remember my dreams very often. So when, I do remember something, it is somewhat exciting! The other night I had my second wedding dream ever. . . (well, at least that I remember)

I came home to find my mom sitting at the kitchen table with bags and BAGS of floating candles. Not pretty flower shaped ones, just plain round floating candles. For the wedding. She had bought it all without talking to me about it. I totally freaked! They didn't go with the theme I was working on for the centerpieces. Not to mention the no-fire/burning at the reception location. So they were useless. And then she told me she couldn't return them. Hundreds of dollars wasted on ugly candles. The horrors. Yeah, I was kinda a bridezilla in my dream. I swear I'm not like that in real life. Although I did get sort of upset with my mom, sister, and dad when they all said they liked round tables and they were superior (et cetera) when I said I wanted rectangular tables. . .

What's a crazy dream you've had lately?

Oh how easy it was....

2009-09-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I watched my niecefews for the afternoon. I picked up Pierce from the baby-sitters house at noon, and hung out at the park across the street until it was time to pick up Alissa.

I let Pierce just go have fun on the playground, and I have to say, it's astonishing how easily children make friends. Within 5 minutes he was playing with a boy about his age. Then, after that boy had to leave he made two other friends, a boy and a girl. Sometimes, as an adult, I wish it was that easy.Pierce and his new friends

What do you miss about your childhood?

Textbook Murder

2009-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

My fall term at SOU is fast approaching and I realized that I hadn't ordered my books yet! I quickly went to the SOU bookstore website to find out what books I need. The website is not set up the greatest, making it difficult to buy the books somewhere else. They do tell you what books you need, but with an abbreviated title, and if there are multiple authors it only lists one last name. It's really an art to find the ISBN #. I usually do a google search which (99% of the time) leads me to Amazon who has the ISBN #. Once I have the ISBN it is sooo much easier to search for the best price on the net.

(Sidenote: I cannot believe that SOU cannot trouble themselves with putting the ISBN on the website with the title of the book. My theory is that they want to make it as difficult as possible to shop anywhere else, but the overpriced SOU bookstore.)

After an afternoon of searching half.com (eliminates the middleman, school bookstore), ichapters.com (sells e-chapters & books so that you aren't paying for the manufacturing), ebay (cheap!), and chegg.com (rents textbooks for a fraction of the price) I ended up doing e-chapters for one book, ebay for one, and renting for 4! I'm amazed at the savings, while still expensive, which where incredible compared to the school bookstore.

SOU bookstore price $550
Actual cost from OTHER sources $280
TOTAL SAVINGS $270

It is astonishing to me that college students are still stupid enough to actually continue to shop at the overpriced bookstore. (ok, part of it is probably sheer laziness, but I can't afford to be lazy.)

Glee and The Office

2009-09-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Fall TV is here! Tonight marks the third episode of Glee on Fox (Wednesdays at 9:00). Glee Club is one of the most awesome tv shows this fall. I watched the preview from May, as well as first episode of the season last week, and I'm so excited to see where this show goes this season. It is seriously one of the most uplifting and happy shows I've seen in a long time. Seriously, go watch it. I'll wait...

Also, I'm super duper excited about the premier of season 6 of The Office. Hi-larious show and I'm really excited about the JAM baby.
Yayyyy! I'm also looking forward to the season premieres of Private Practice, Bones, Big Bang Theory, and NCIS.

Sleep...

2009-09-15T04:47:00.000-07:00

oh how I miss thee. To everyone else I know, sleep is just something you do. You don't have to think about it, for the most part. Sure, people have their nights when they can't sleep, but for the most part, you wash your face, brush your teeth, and go to bed. Simple, isn't it?

Unfortunately, for reasons unknown to me, I have had insomnia problems since I was a kid. I remember being sent to bed at 8:00 and still being awake when my parents went to bed at 11:30 on more than one occasion as a child. I wish I knew why. Many people say that insomnia plagues those who are stressed, but I have no idea what could have distraught my nine year old self. Instead it has become a normal pattern for me throughout my life.

In high school when I was juggling early bird and honors classes, an after school job and a lot of homework I would usually get up at 6am and not turn my light out til 1 am. But lights out doesn't necessarily mean sleep for me. I could spend hours tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable or put my mind at rest. I remember looking over at the clock as the minutes ticked by, counting down the amount of time I would actually get to sleep that night.

1:30 am -- 4-1/2 hours of sleep

2:15 am -- 3-3/4 hours of sleep

2:30 am -- 3-1/2 hours of sleep

And so my sleep dwindled. Through high school I was able to manage though. I slept in on Saturdays and developed a need for coffee in the morning. College was a different story though. My schedule with work and school varied so much that sometimes I got to sleep in during the week! This messed up my sleep schedule even more and often I cannot even THINK of sleep until after 1:30.

My biggest frustration, is not with my lack of sleep, amazingly. Rather, it is with those around me. Because my chronic insomnia is not something that most people suffer from they have trouble grasping the idea. My parents are constantly giving me "pointers" on how I could sleep better. "Maybe if you walked in the evening" or "have you tried a glass of warm milk before bed?" And on and on. Yes, I've tried everything and, no none of it always works.

So here I am, at 5 in the am. Not able to sleep. Frustrated and wide, wide awake.

Vacation

2009-09-04T09:27:00.001-07:00

So, I'm on a short vacation with family today down in Sacramento. My (future) sister-in-law, Stacy, has a birthday this Saturday so we came down for the weekend. Unfortunately, my sister's birthday party is this Saturday, so I will be missing that. Bummer!

I'm a retard, and forgot to schedule some posts while I'm away. . .and of course now, here I am writing about who knows what.

Back in the beginning of July, I got a free pint of paint from Glidden during their free paint giveaway. I picked

and decided I would paint an old chair from my childhood. I plan on finding 3 more mismatched wooden chairs and painting them all Spanish Olive to make a set. Here's my before & after:
Did you get any projects done over the summer?

Curbing the Cravings

2009-09-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been trying to reform my eating habits. Soon, I hope to acquire a bike so I can start riding in the mornings and get in some cardio. But for now, I'm concentrating on cutting out junk food. It's sooo hard. Especially at night, when I'm really craving some chocolate or ice cream (Umpqua's Espresso Madness, anyone?) but I've been trying to replace artificial sweet with fruit sweet. I've been making fruit smooties lately and they really help with the cravings. Mandy's Easy Peasy Fruit Smoothie
(makes about 20 oz., or enough for 2 good sized smoothies)
1 to 1.5 cups (no sugar added) frozen berries (strawberries, blackberries, whatever you have on hand)
1 slightly over-ripe banana
1 cup natural orange juice

Blend for about 30 seconds, or until the berries are completely broken up. Yummmm. You can also experiment with other juices (grape is pretty good as well) or other berries (blueberries or huckleberries maybe?) The possibilites are endless!

What do you eat to kick your cravings to the curb?

I want these

2009-09-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Martha Stewart has done it again. Amazing! (I seriously hate the woman for her takeover of the craft industry, but it's hard to hate her amazing inventions.) I have no idea what I would use it for, specifically, but I know I WANT one. For a limited time, you can get 20% off Punch Around The Page punches at MarthaStewartCrafts.Com. Just enter code PUNCH20 upon checkout! (via DIY Bride )

Inconsistencies of the Book Variety

2009-08-31T15:10:00.000-07:00

(What? It's been 2 months since my last post, you say? I hadn't realized. I'm just going to post, and pretend like I last posted yesterday, if that's ok....OK?)

I'm an avid reader. Sometimes more than others, and I'll tell you right now, I don't just read amazing non-fiction novels about despair and wars and biographies about famous people (though those do strike my fancy every once in a great while) or the classics. At any rate, I have a big gripe when writers change publishers to make more money. Not because they are making more money, but because of the lack of consistency in sizing of books. When they switch publishers all of the old books are re-released in the new publishers' size as well as future books. Apparently James Patterson has changed publishers more than once during the writing of the Women' Murder Club series. Behold, my collection of books one through six:And, just in case you were wondering, this drives me crazy when I have them all lined up on the bookshelf.

What's one of your (everyday) type gripes?

I....

2009-06-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

Idea stolen from Brooke

I can't handle the way hospitals smell. It will always make me sick.
I can't fall asleep on my back.
I can't handle having my hair in my face.
I can't stand people who chew their gum with their mouth open.
I can't whistle. I know, that makes me pretty pathetic.
I can't drive a stick shift. Even though Zach promised to teach me 2 years ago.

I can write with both of my hands.
I can remember the phone number of my best friend in the first grade.
I can bake great cakes, which is unappreciated in my house because calories matter to my mom & dad.
I can give myself a french manicure without guides.
I can bargain hunt when I need to.
I can french braid my own hair, but am bad at french braiding other people's hair.

I won't ever cut my own bangs again.
I won't give up on my dream of having a stationary business.
I won't quit college.
I won't ever hate living in the valley.
I won't ever do all the reading required for my classes.
I won't buy tabloid magazines.

I will devote more time to designing.
I will get a job again. Someday...SOON, (I hope).
I will pay every last cent back to my parents.
I will always, always freak out at the sight of a yellow jacket, wasp, or other flying, stinging thing.
I will always be afraid of black widows.
I will buy a Mac.

I shouldn't bite my nails.
I shouldn't worry so much about the guest list for the wedding.
I shouldn't pop my neck.
I shouldn't drink so much soda.
I shouldn't eat fast food.
I shouldn't pull at my hang nails.

I should wash my face every night before I go to bed.
I should save more of my money.
I should stop being so stressed.
I should learn Spanish.
I should make an effort to be more friendly to strangers.
I should be a better student.

Free Printer!

2009-06-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

I Heart Faces is giving away a $299 Kodak All-In-One Printer this week. This would make launching Daisy Designs Paperie that much easier! Crossing my fingers I'll win.

I'm increasing my chances by entering all 4 possible ways. Wish me luck!

Incompetence

2009-04-28T00:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight while at work I had a customer call in wanting delivery confirmation for a bouquet he was sending to his mother on her Birthday. I put him on hold and called the florist and explained that I wanted to find out the status of an order that was supposed to go out today. Usually anyone in the shop can look things up for me and give me a status, but the girl who answered the phone promptly told me to hold on while she gets a manager.

Eventually I was transferred to a manager, who, just my luck, did NOT speak English as his first language. He made me spell the first/last names of the customer and the recipient FIVE times. FIVE! And then he put me on hold for over 5 minutes while he looked for the order. (Meanwhile the customer was still on hold on the other line)

Seriously you either have it or you don't.

He finally came back on the line to ask what the delivery address was. I told him and he said he would need to call us back because he couldn't find the order. Yeah, like the customer is going to accept that answer. And then he made me give him FTD's phone number 3 times before he was satisfied he had it correct. I think he needs hearing aids.

Yeah, getting back on the phone with the customer after putting them on hold for 10 minutes only to tell them that we don't have a definitive answer for them because the flower shop is incompetent, and likely lost your order is not fun.

I seriously hate my job sometimes.

Photo Challenge - april

2009-04-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

This month, over at That Wife's Blog we are being challenged just to post our favorite photo of the month. This month, being Easter, along with all of the spiritual meaning I feel for the holiday, we also had a chance to celebrate with an Easter egg hunt for the little kids (my cousins and niecephews). I snapped this picture just as my nephew, Pierce, was about to have a meltdown because "all the other kids have more eggs than him." I love this picture, not because he is upset, but because of how well it managed to capture his emotion, and the fact that it reminds me that kids aren't all smiles all the time. Plus, he's a cutie, even when he isn't smiling!

lifestyle challenge - april

2009-04-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

This month That Wife challenged us to do one thing that we love that is free. I love being able to lay out on my lawn with a book on a sunny day. At the beginning of April I was unsure if this would be plausible since we hadn't seen too many sunny, warm days, but this past week has been beautiful and I had the pleasure of enjoying the sunshine, and my book, today!

Food Challenge - April

2009-04-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

This month, I'm participating in a few challenges over at That Wife's Blog. The food challenge this month is "favorite recipe." Sounds easy enough. I baked up a batch of my Darn Good Chocolate Cake batter and made it into cupcakes (although usually I make a 2-layer cake with it). I absolutely love how moist this cake is!

The best part about this cake is how easy it is! It is actually a cake mix cake with extras added in, and no one has believed me when I've said that I didn't make it from scratch! The recipe is as follows (for a two-layer cake):

Ingredients:

1 package plain devil's food or dark chocolate fudge cake mix (I always use devil's food)

1 package (3.9 oz) chocolate instant pudding mix

4 large eggs

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. warm water

1/2 c. vegetable oil (I use canola)

1-1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips (although I left them out this time because I didn't have any)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist pans with vegetable oil or spray, then dust with flour.

2. Place cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, warm water, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 to 3 minutes more, scraping down the sides if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, smoothing the batter out with the rubber spatula.

3. Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pan form the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto the rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

***

I also made homemade ganache frosting:

Ingredients:

3/4 c. heavy whipping cream

8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Place the cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring. Meanwhile, place the chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted.

2. To use this ganache as a glaze, let it stand at room temp. for 10 minutes before spooning over a cooled cake. To use it as a frosting or filling, let it stand at room temperature for 4 hours, or chill until it thickens and is spreadable.

Tuition Hikes

2009-04-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

SOU released it's prospective tuition hikes for this fall last week. The normal rate increase is between 3 and 5 %. This year, tuition will go up a whopping 7.5%! Frankly, that sucks! In the article in The Siskiyou SOU explained that there was a lot of confusion with the current plateau system (rates are higher for people taking less than 12 credits, and are discounted for credits over 12) and how to calculate just how much tuition would be. So, SOU decided to go to a flat rate for credits (every credit will cost the same amount, it doesn't matter how many classes you are taking per term). I say BOO! I think that is their excuse to raise tuition more.

Grace, Take 31

2009-04-20T23:51:00.000-07:00

1. NOT having to go through training at FTD again

2. Finding OUT I would not have to go through training again

3. Meeting a cool girl at work tonight

4. Finding out I have more money than I thought

5. Pretty flowers at work

Grace, Take 30

2009-04-20T23:49:00.001-07:00

(Hrm...let's pretend it hasn't been over a month since my last post, shall we?)

1. I have a job again (even if it is at FTD)

2. Photography class

3. embroidered a baby shower gift for a friend this weekend. Made me want to embroider more!

4. The sunshine today (even if it was a little hot for my taste!)

5. Free ice cream cones at school today

Grace, Take 29

2009-03-07T17:52:00.000-08:00

1. Hand-cutting scallops

2. Getting an Alchemy request on Etsy

3. The Friends theme song by The Rembrandts

4. Making a felt flower hairpin....pictures soon if I ever find my card reader

5. Kung Fu Panda

Grace, Take 28

2009-03-06T23:41:00.002-08:00

1. felt flowers

2. brown zebra print towels

3. wrapping presents

4. embroidering

5. making cards

Grace, Take 27

2009-03-05T16:29:00.000-08:00

1. Maui Madness smoothie from Extreme Juice

2. Papercrafts magazine...so many cute card ideas!

3. Turkey Pesto panini..also from Extreme Juice

4. brightly colored ink for stamping

5. Daisies

Grace, Take 26

2009-03-04T17:21:00.000-08:00

1. Cranberry Juice

2. Working on invitations

3. Making pretty cards

4. Watching reruns of Sister, Sister on the ABC Family channel

5. our new laundry detergent smells spring fresh!

Aagh!

2009-03-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

So I just found out that...the weekend we scheduled our wedding for is the same weekend as the HUGE car show that is in town every year. I wouldn't be worried, except all of the hotels in our area are known to book up completely while people are in town for the show. I'm worried that our family won't be able to book rooms if they wait too long. Now I'm not sure what to do. Should we change the date? Or barrel on through and book hotel blocks and encourage guests to book as early as possible if they are planning on staying in a hotel. Eek!

My cousin is Pregnant!

2009-02-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

Not that exciting for everyone else....but my cousin is pregnant (rather, his wife is) and we are all uber excited! They have been trying for almost a year and she is 39 so the clock was definitely ticking. Right now she is at 7 weeks. We are praying for a healthy pregnancy and a bouncing baby in about 7 months!

Grace, Take 25

2009-02-28T14:06:00.000-08:00

1. Martha Stewart crafts

2. glitter

3. new letter stamps

4. dark brown cardstock

5. designing a logo for my business

Grace, Take 24

2009-02-28T14:03:00.001-08:00

1. Taking pictures with bridesmaids and groomsmen for wedding website

2. my outfit totally contradicted itself the other day: flip-flops and a scarf

3. Father of the bride: Part II

4. making rehearsal dinner invitations for my future sister in law [Stacy]

5. clear printable labels

Addicted

2009-02-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

I hear admittance is the first stage of recovery. Well, "My name is Mandy and I am addicted to The West Wing" We have been borrowing it on DVD from Zach's mom and I just love the witty banter, interrelationships, and the character development. My favorite relationship by far is Josh and Donna!

Have you unintentionally gotten sucked into something?

Grace, Take 23

2009-02-26T00:43:00.000-08:00

1. Leftovers...same great meal with 1/4 of the work

2. Late night runs to Taco Bell for nachos

3. making Rehearsal Dinner invitation mock-ups for Florin & Stacy

4. bird themed cards I'm working on to *possibly* be sold at Ashland Springs Hotel

5. The color yellow

The Twilight Craze

2009-02-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, I read them. I read them quickly. I was expecting nothing short of amazing. After all it seems to have swept the nation's girls (preteen up through middle age). But somehow the series has disappointed me. I was definitely expecting better writing. Stephanie Meyers leaves something to be desired. After I finished New Moon I felt like it took Stephanie Meyers about 400-pages to say something that a better writer could have said in 100. But this post wasn't written to bash on Meyers' way with words.

Rather, the biggest bone I have to pick with the series is that even though it drew me in while I was reading it, after I was done it still felt like something was missing. I'm not even sure what it was, maybe just that the series is entirely predictable and I absolutely hated the Edward-leaving-to-save-Bella-from-herself plot. It has been done before. Many, many times before.

I hated that after he left Bella became a shell of herself. She barely even managed to do the minimal things to get through the day. I know that post break-up people can get depressed. They can withdraw a little from friends and family. Maybe not want to be around people as much or have as much to say to people. But I resent the idea that a girl cannot live without a guy.

Have you ever read a book or seen a movie that was highly regarded and been less than enthused with it?

Grace, Take 22

2009-02-24T22:51:00.000-08:00

1. Steamed broccoli

2. Facebook meme's

3. Thinking up memories from High School for a Facebook Meme

4. Listening to TobyMac with the bass up in my car

5. Sprinkles instead of rain

Grace, Take 21

2009-02-24T22:47:00.000-08:00

1. Free subs from Quizno's via their 1 Million Subs giveaway

2. Homemade alfredo sauce ( I know, it is so bad for me, but I don't care tonight)

3. Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips

4. Amy Adams

5. Diet Pepsi with lime

My first Wedding-related dream

2009-02-24T22:08:00.000-08:00

Dream should probably read freak-out. I dreamed that I woke up the morning of the wedding to realize that I didn't have a dress yet! I quickly grabbed my brother and we raced to the mall (YES, the Rogue Valley Mall, because lets face it, the RVM is the place to go for wedding dresses). We impatiently waited outside for the mall to open, and I rushed in to visit Maurice's. I tried on several dresses, but nothing seemed quite right. At this point in the dream, my brother disappeared (like he was just no longer in the dream, if you get what I'm saying) and I rushed downstairs to Old Navy (which was in the RVM in my dream) and found the perfect dress after trying on about 10. I was still freaking out about not being ready in time because the dress still needed to be altered (oh the horror)! And then I woke up!

Zach says according to Wish Fulfillment Theory (we just learned about it in Behavioral Neuroscience last week) this means that I'm not ready to get married, haha!

Grace, Take 20

2009-02-23T17:10:00.000-08:00

1. Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips

2. Safari...I made the switch from FireFox to Safari today. I love the clean lines. I don't know if I'll be keeping it. Just trying it out.

3. Kid type lunch: carrots with ranch; celery with peanut butter; Club crackers with Laughing cow cheese

4. New cozy for iPod that Cindi made me

5. Thin Mints via girl scouts

Grace, Take 19

2009-02-22T14:02:00.000-08:00

1. Sunshine
2. Sparkly lip gloss
3. A & W Root Beer Float drink
4. Good smelling candles
5. Chicken Pad Thai w/1 egg roll from Natalee's

Grace, Take 18

2009-02-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

1. Little kids in church--not being able to sit still
2. Editing pictures
3. Wendy's Chocolate Frosties
4. Mac-type dock that I downloaded to make my PC look prettier until I can afford to replace it with the real thing
5. Bass in my car

Grace, Take 17

2009-02-21T00:24:00.000-08:00

1. The occasional non-diet soda
2. Sunshine
3. Passed my monitored calls today at work
4. Old Navy's spring line...I've already bought flip-flops this season even though I'm still scraping my windshield in the morning to go to work
5. Reruns of NCIS

Grace, Take 16

2009-02-21T00:22:00.000-08:00

1. Chimichangas
2. Hand & Foot
3. West Wing Season 3
4. Girl Scout Cookies (Thin Mints to be specific)
5. Conan giving away parts of the set on Late Night

Grace, Take 15

2009-02-18T20:17:00.000-08:00

1. Alexis Grace making it into Top 12 on Idol
2. Kit Kat bars
3. Slow @ work today===time to actually breath between calls
4. Embroidering
5. Jean Luc

Grace, Take 14

2009-02-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

1. Cranberry Juice
2. Sunshine
3. Laying in bed with comfy covers
4. New supplies to try out on test run of invitations
5. Catching up on my google reader

In other news:
I think I caught that "black plague" that's been going around at work. Which is dumb, because we work in such close quarters that you aren't even supposed to come to work if you are sick because you could get some one else sick! At any rate, I'm feeling kind of under the weather today. But Jean Luc is keeping me company, so all is not lost.

Grace, Take 13

2009-02-16T16:51:00.000-08:00

1. The gray skies have been making me a little down, but listening to Jack Johnson did plenty to turn my day around
2. Finishing my midterm rewrite hours before I needed to. (Hey this is progress for a procrastinator!)
3. sparkly scarfs
4. Polka dot cardigans
5. I named my sock monkey Jean Luc. He's french. In case you were wondering (I can't remember if I already blogged about that or not....Hmm. At any rate, he has kept me company all day.)

Grace, Take 12

2009-02-16T00:19:00.001-08:00

1. Fireproof Great movie, with a great message
2. The Cosby Show
3. Singing in an octet
4. Homemade nachos with all the fixings
5. Mexican Coke with lime

Grace, Take 11

2009-02-14T16:08:00.000-08:00

1. Daisy bouquets
2. Cards addressed to, "my future wife"
3. felt heart cut outs
4. York Peppermint patties
5. hot pink flip flops even though the weather wasn't great today...I wore them.

Grace, Take 10

2009-02-13T22:12:00.000-08:00

1. Friday. Friday. FRIDAY!
2. light blue polka dot sheets from Target on clearance, clearance, clearance for $8! I love me a good deal!
3. Old movies: they rent from Blockbuster for 99 cents! Currently I'm in love with Breakfast at Tiffany's and How to Steal a Million
4. Grace Kelly
5. The Fray's self-titled new album [It's about time!]

Grace, Take 9

2009-02-12T18:59:00.000-08:00

1. surviving day 2 of work
2. embroidering
3. New episode of The Office tonight
4. Free lunch at work from Rosario's (Amazing italian!)
5. Comfy sweatshirts that smell like Boy

In other news:
I ~~hate~~ love my job! I ~~hate~~ love my job! I ~~hate~~ love my job! I ~~hate~~ love my job! I ~~hate~~ love my job! I ~~hate~~ love my job!

Well, you get the idea...

Grace, Take 8

2009-02-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

1. Embroidering a scarf
2. Gilmore Girls, Season 2
3. Razzles (from 13 Going on 30, I didn't know they were actually a real candy!)
4. Making felt heart pockets for Valentine's Day
5. Arby's Melts

Grace, Take 7

2009-02-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

1. Playing around with my new phone
2. Starting Twilight saga 3: Eclipse
3. Registering for china
4. Cardmaking
5. Big comfy sweatshirts (of Zach's) :D

Grace, Take 6

2009-02-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

1. my new touch screen red LG Vu phone
2. Leftovers (easy meals)
3. Cranberry juice
4. First day at work is OVER
5. I got to see Cindi (and she delivered the 3rd Twilight book!)

Grace, Take 5

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

1. Baby dedications @ church
2. Borrowing clothes
3. Sweats
4. WeddingBee
5. West Wing season 2

Grace, Take 4

2009-02-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

1. Facebook Chat
2. Ikea
3. Old Audrey & Katherine Hepburn movies
4. DIY blog: www.oneprettything.com
5. Federal Tax Refund

Grace, Take 3

2009-02-06T18:42:00.000-08:00

Grace in Small things

1. Being done with training for work. Finally
2. Baked potatoes with cheese
3. Looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow
4. Dried mango
5. Tazo Passion Tea

New Diet

2009-02-05T19:18:00.000-08:00

Eek! The dreaded four-letter "D" word! Today is actually day 4 of my new diet and I am feeling great! I did break down the other night and have a cheeseburger for dinner (Oops!) but overall I am happy with how I am doing. The diet isn't majorly life changing, it's more about eating healthier! I've been trying to eat more frequently (5 to 7 times a day) with smaller helpings and drink plenty of H2O!

For example today

Breakfast-- 12 oz. hot Passion Tazo tea combined with Tazo Awake Black Tea & String Cheese
Mid Morning Snack--1 apple
Lunch--Half Organic Peanut Butter Sandwich on Whole Wheat Berry bread
Mid Afternoon Snack--Cut veggies (1 whole carrot, 1 stalk celery and a couple of slices red bell pepper) with 2 T. light ranch dressing (Hidden Valley is my favorite)
Late Afternoon Snack-- 1/2 cup dried mangoes
Dinner-- 3/4 c. cooked eggnoodles (whole wheat, no yoke) with 1/2 c. chicken stroganoff
Evening Snack--2 slices pineapple (canned, only because fresh pineapple is crazy expensive this time of year!)

Other: I also drank tons of water today. I think about 24 oz. throughout the day so far, though I'd like it to be a little more than that. I feel so much better. I haven't had soda in a week!

Grace, Take 2

2009-02-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

Grace in Small Things

1. Not having to scrape my windshield this morning before work
2. Dried Mango slices
3. Getting a compliment for my phone demeanor at training today from the instructor
4. "Canned Heat" by Jamiroquai
5. New episode of The Office tonight! Squee!

Grace in Small things Take 1

2009-02-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

Grace

1. Actually having some time to catch up on my ever growing google reader
2. Jack Johnson. He seriously sings happy music! (Amazon)
3. Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine (Seriously. I hate how she is going to take over the world. However, her magazine is so drool worthy, I couldn't help buying it. It's not my fault!)
4. French Onion Sunchips
5. The Office theme song as my alarm.

Words to live by

2009-01-28T00:51:00.000-08:00

Changes for the Creative College Student

2009-01-24T02:21:00.000-08:00

Yup...I changed the name of my blog! I felt it was time for a change, since I lost my card reader and haven't been updating my blog much with pictures for the last 6 months or so. At any rate, I think this title suits me much better.

You'll also notice I have a new header and footer. The old blog design was a freebie I picked up from somewhere, and while it was beautiful, it just wasn't quite me so the other night I decided to fiddle around in Illustrator and see what I could come up with. thirty-six hours later I'm done!

...Okay, Okay, not really. Even though I have taken html basics, when I went in to change my header and footer, I basically cheated and just inserted links to my images over the links to their images. As you can see, I missed one. The icon next to each post. I'm obviously not a code genious, be even the "find" feature in firefox could not find another picture. I am beyond lost on that one. Any code masters out there willing to give me a hand? **cricket, cricket** Okay then, guess it'll have to live with it for the time being. I'm still making little adjustments to the code, but I think I'm set with the header and footer for now. What do you think?

Have you ever taken on a project and then ended up in over your head halfway through? Did you ask for help or just scrap the project?

2009-01-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

So I've been a little neglectful of the blogosphere as of late. I've just been, you know making life altering decisions. Yeah....I'm taking a break from school. More on that later. Oh, and I still can't find a job, even though all I've been doing is applying left and right. Woe is me. Also, I've been working on the design for Zach's and my wedding invitations. Since I want to be all crafty, and crafty takes, well, a buttload of time, I figured I should get started on what I want them to look like.

Anyway, that's what has been sucking the life out of me as of late. Oops, I mean...taking up all my time. On another note, I've seen this pretty sweet meme going around the blogging world lately, recently on Gretch-A-Sketch lately and just had to participate. Seriously, if you don't read her blog religiously, you should head over there asap! Especially if you watch The Office or Battlestar Gallactica or want to learn about fab new bands/books/movies. Anyway, on to the interview:

The Rules of the Interview

1. Leave me a comment saying you want to be interviewed.
2. I'll email you five questions, of my determination not yours!
3. You update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

1. What song would play during the opening credits of a movie about your life?

Oh that's a toughy. Based on my mood today I'm going to go with "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall. Mainly because my work/school life has kind of gone to, well, crap. Why do I get up in the morning? Sometimes I need a reminder of why I live my life and also, that I have a wonderful life outside of school and work. I have family and friends who love me, a fiance, and a wedding to plan! Everything else, I'm sure will work out in due time.

2. What's been your favorite Halloween costume?

Do I have to pick my own? I'd say I'd have to pick the time I dressed up as a nerd because I had the most fun finding items, and getting ready. Adding tape to dollar store reading glasses with the lenses popped out, pigtails, plaid skirt. The works. However, my favorite costume ever was when I helped my brother become Zoolander. Absolute greatness.

3. When did you first get into photography?

My parents bought a Kodak easy share 5 mp about 5 years ago. At the time, that was about the best you could get without going the DSLR route. I loved it. I basically "stole" it from them and carried it with me everywhere. I love being able to capture a moment in time with my eye. And then being able to look at that image 5 years from now and remember that moment. About a year ago, I upgraded and finally got the Canon Rebel XT. I'm in love with it. While I'm still learning how to use it, I love being able to have more control over the exposure and lighting.

4. If you were the star in the newest romantic comedy, which actor would you choose to play the male lead?

The correct answer is John Krasinski. And that's all there is to it.

5. What's something about yourself that you rarely tell other people?

Oh this is so hard because I think I'm a pretty open person. Let's see, I'm a secret agent, haha. I guess my one fear is not succeeding. I know, everyone is worried about not succeeding, but my parents are so judgemental of me, it's just really hard. Especially since I'm working on getting through school. My one fear is to waste 4 years of schooling on a subject that won't end up working out in real life. Eek!

This concludes my interview. Let me know if you want me to interview you!

I'm changing my profession!

2009-01-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

Yup. I still haven't found a job. My account at WaMu is severely dwindling down to nothing. To top it off, I was denied unemployment insurance by the ~~evil~~ nice and unhelpful people at Oregon Unemployment. You see, apparently you can't go to school while collecting unemployment. So, I am considering something that I thought I would never do.

Yup, I'm joining the circus. I'm not sure what my talent will be, but I'm thinking that before you know it, I will be the most famous ~~elephant rider~~ ~~trapezist~~ ~~lion tamer~~ ticket collector you've seen on this side of the Mississippi. Wish me luck as I embark on my new journey!

The Obligatory Watch-Bling Post

2009-01-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

Jess recently commented on my post about my engagement wanting me to take a picture of the watch that Zach gave me for our engagement! I totally would......except in all the excitement of the holidays I seem to have misplaced my card reader! Which is a complete bummer because I spent at least a half an hour taking nifty pictures of my watch!

Until I can figure out where the heck I placed it...this will have to do:

source

I'm so glad that he didn't get me one that had a rhinestone explosion. That is just not me. This one is so perfect--it even has wooden inlays! I love the darn thing, and he couldn't have done any better!

Lazy Bum

2009-01-02T22:38:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I've been so absent lately on my blog. I've been incredibly ~~lazy~~ busy. Zach's sister, Stacy and her boyfriend have been in town and I've not had as much time on the computer as I usually do.

In addition, there of course, has been a lot of wedding talk a buzz around my house, Zach's house, and generally in all circles of friends. I'm going to attempt to keep myself from boring you all with the gory details of my chaotic wedding planning, but that's not to say that a few things may not get through the cracks of the wall I have put up.

For now, I leave you with a picture from Christmas with Zach's dad last Saturday. Hope you all had a fantabulous Christmas (or holiday) season!

Five-Hundred and Thirty-Seven Days

2008-12-29T03:47:00.000-08:00

Eeks thats a lot. First, lets get my apology out of the way for falling off of the planet in the last couple weeks. I've been uber busy what with finishing my shopping and my sister's shopping (more on that later), and then wrapping all aforementioned presents, I have had no time to breathe, let alone get around to blogging.

Christmas came and went, and this year, I enjoyed the company of my sister and her two youngest children (aged 4 and 7) and her eldest over Christmas Eve night. It was great fun to have them there on Christmas morn (Especially when they woke us up at FIVE THIRTY!) All in all I had a wonderful Christmas Eve and the early part of Christmas Day with Zach's mom and her parents.

We didn't actually open presents with Zach's family until late the following day, because his sister and her boyfriend didn't get into town until sometime after 11:30. After we got them settled in and took some pictures, we started opening presents.

We were all pretty much done, when Zach left the room, and came back a second later saying, "I forgot one present." And it happened to be an engagement watch! He got on one knee as I fumbled with the stupid box trying to get it unwrapped as quickly as known to mankind. I almost dropped it. Thank goodness he didn't draw it out. If he had said more than those four words, "Will you marry me?" I think I wouldn't have been able to hold it together!

At any rate, we're engaged! I'm so excited... even though our wedding rather far away. We have set a date: June 19, 2010. Which is exactly Five-hundred and Thirty-seven days from now.

**Bliss**

My Brother, Zoolander

2008-12-19T01:16:00.000-08:00

Back in October, my brother went to a costume party as the infamous Derek Zoolander. I can't seem to find the specific screenshot for the scene we were going for, but I swear it's there (The one above is very close to what we were going for). I take credit for the hair--hey, it was pretty hard to get it to stand up on end when it was less than an inch long!--and the make up...when he then smudged on one side when he put on the black sweater so I had to do it all over again. Agh! The things we do for people!

Actually, in all honesty, I had a lot of fun doing it. Especially when my brother remarked how weird it felt to be having silver eyeliner put on....ahhh, good times. If only I had pictures of that part of the process. Alas, the after photos will have to do.

PS--He won the best costume award at the party!

I should be studying to become a....

2008-12-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

Pharmacist. Tonight I was looking on southern oregon help wanted and came across some unfortunate news. I am studying the wrong subject. Behold:
Were you ever worried that your major wouldn't help you when you got into the "real world"?

"Art" Snob

2008-12-13T08:02:00.000-08:00

I have a friend. We'll not name names, she's what I like to call an art snob. She good at drawing, painting, pastels, charcoal. You name it. Everything in conventional art; she's good at it.

However, her one "downfall" is her inability to see the art in other medias. We've gotten in more than one argument about whether photography is or isn't an art. Is it less of an art if you shoot digital versus film? Is it less of an art if you digitally enhance it? (I say it is as long as you aren't pretending you didn't enhance it). There are other mediums that she doesn't see as "art", but you get the idea.

I say if it takes creativity and skill and effort, it's art. Maybe that's me. Maybe I want to widen a term because I'm not necessarily an "artist" by her terms.

Have you ever gotten in arguments with your friends about something and neither of you would budge? How did you get past that?

Thankful Thursday

2008-12-11T14:46:00.000-08:00

First, sorry for the lapse in posts! I was feverishly studying for my fall term finals. I had them both today, and Oh! What a relief!

Other things I'm thankful for today:

3 weeks off from school!
A bed with 3 comforters on it
The Office
Diet Coke with Lime
Time to make Christmas cards

What are you thankful for today?

Not Quite Meeko

2008-12-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

source

Last night as I was driving home from Zach's house, a small animal darted out in front of me. I slammed on my breaks thinking it was a cat or dog...only to realize that it was a disgusting, icky, racoon. Back in the day, when my only source of "credible information" was Disney movies, I thought racoons were cute and wished I could see one in real life. That is, until my dad told me the "truth" about them. He may have embellished a little (as he is known for doing), but one thing is for certain. Racoons are mean.

In our surburbanite neighborhood we have a family of racoons that live in the sewer under our curb. You can frequently find them if you venture outside around 11 pm - 12 am. And they are mean. Especially if you come across the "mother" with one of her children. Then, she's just fiesty. At any rate, the racoons in our neighborhood are well known for terrorizing the sissy cats in our neighborhood (who think they are too good for chasing mice and rats). They even raided our Coy pond two summers ago.

Tonight, for a split second, I wished I ran over that racoon. But then, the thought of having racoon blood---yuck---made me change my mind.

Did your parents "embellish" the truth when you were a kid to keep you from doing stupid stuff? ("If you try and get close to one it will bite your hand and give you rabies and you'll die")

College Friends?

2008-12-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

I'm curious for all of you current or past college students if you made new friends in college. I'm not talking about the people you talk to in class, or wave at on campus.

I was thinking today as I was leaving school that I haven't really made any friends while I've been at school. Sure, I've become buddies with people in my class and maybe get together for a study group but I never hang out with them outside of school. I suppose I could make an effort if I really wanted to, but to me it seems like a lost cause. I already have more friends than I have time to see. Why should I add more to the list?

Did you make friends in college? Did you keep them separate from your old pals?

The Budgeter's Christmas

2008-12-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

source

Here is my attempt at giving money advice. Hee hee, haw haw! Now I'm definitely not the model of perfection when it comes to saving money and paying off my credit cards all the time. However, this Christmas season I am determined to not use my credit card once. Which is made extra difficult by the fact that I'm jobless at the moment. Here are my tips at creating an affordable Christmas (at least for me):

Figure out how many people you definitely need to buy for (read family and extremely close friends) For me, this was 17 people...I know, I have a lot of family! This only includes my parents, siblings, my niecephews, and Zach and his family.
Figure out a secondary list in case you end up having money left over (as if that would happen) For me, this was only 2 people, though I'm sure it could be larger if I thought about it long enough
Set a budget within your means. This is the hardest part. Take into account how much spending money you usually have each month after you pay all your bills. For me, this is around $200.
Now, Divide the number from #3 by the answer from #1. For me, this was just under $12. Not much, huh. Therefore, my spending cap per person is $12. Of course, some people you may get away with spending less on. With the extra money you can either apply it to other gifts which may cost a little more than your spending cap, or better yet, save it! There is no rule that you must spend every penny of your budget!

What are some budgeting tips you have? Do you have any tips on how to stay on budget?

Rant #546

2008-12-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

Dutch Bros:
I love your Iced Kahlua Kickers...but the fact that you put them in your paper cups instead of the clear plastic that is made for the sweating cold coffees. I hate that the paper gets all mooshy feeling half-way through my drink (Yes, "mooshy" is a word, thankyouverymuch). It is incredibly annoying and stupid. That is all.

Sincerely,
Unsatisfied Customer with a Mooshy Cup

Mixed Plate

2008-12-03T01:32:00.000-08:00

Today at lunch I was feeling rather indecisive as I decided what to make/eat for lunch. I was feeling so indecisive that by the time I was finished fixing my plate I had a bunch of little snacks:

Carrots with Light Ranch dressing
Celery with Peanut Butter
Laughing Cow cheese and crackers

It was delicious (although a rather strange combination as I look at it in retrospect). I also relate my inability to choose in other aspects of my life. For instance, I am so busy (okay, not as much now that I'm without employment) that I rarely have time for all of my different groups of friends. It is not unusual for Zach and I to get invited to multiple parties or gettogethers for the same night. Instead of just committing to one and declining the other, I seem to have the need to be Super Woman and see everyone! In the mean time I am probably not having a good time if I keep looking at the clock to see if it is time to leave yet.

This realization led me to wonder if I'm the only one who feels like they need to juggle 5 or 6 apples at once, or if they know that the apple will be much better if you give it a little of your one-on-one attention.

What do you think? Are you constantly finding yourself trying to keep up with your "good time"?

Yup...I fell off the Bandwagon

2008-11-30T20:38:00.000-08:00

So much for 3o posts in 30 days. This last week I have even thought about it multiple times, but once I missed once it was easier to not pull through and actually post something because I knew it was already too late to make up for my mistake. At any rate, this whole experience has definitely been a ride. I've learned a lot about being more creative with my posts and incorporating my readers into my post.

Moving on to other things, thanks to everyone for all of the support for me after I was laid off from my job. And thanks for all the ideas for Christmas presents! I hope to make several more scarves before Christmas for my niecephews and then maybe some cookie mixes for the families as a whole. As for my parents...I haven't a clue (not that that is something new...)

MFEO

2008-11-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

To tag onto my previous post about favorite movies....Can you tell me what this quote is from?

You sound neat...We're very excited to meet you..and think we are MFEO.

Ten bonus points to whoever gets it right!

Unemployed

2008-11-23T02:15:00.000-08:00

Yup....I'm laid off as of next Friday. It couldn't come at a better time. Right before Christmas...Now I really don't know how I'm going to afford all those Christmas presents. In reality my family will totally understand if I can't afford to buy presents for everyone this year, but still. I feel like I'm letting them all down. My family has always been incredibly generous, and I'll feel terrible if I can't afford to at least get them a little something...but as I said before, I have a big family!

In other news, I can't sleep. Maybe its the fact that I took NyQuil last night and slept until noon, or just the prospect of not having a job and being worried about bills. Or maybe its just my insomniatic tendencies rearing its ugly head again but its 230 in the morning, and here I am. I have to get up in the morning for church...ahem, later this morning.

Girl, Get Your Scarf On!

2008-11-22T15:58:00.000-08:00

Awesome scarf swap going on this year! It is a must! I'm uber excited to be participating in this, and I am already debating whether I want to buy or make a scarf! yay!

"You've Got Mail"

2008-11-20T23:40:00.000-08:00

So Zach and I watched this movie again tonight (for about the 500th time) and I can't get over how much I love it! There is something so timeless about this movie. Lately, I've been meaning to rent the original Shop around the Corner...but I keep forgetting.

We've watched it so many times that I was saying tonight that if we ever watched it with someone who has never seen it, we would probably drive them mad because we are constantly reciting the lines of the movie as we are watching it!

We watched it tonigiht because Zach is sick and it's one of his "comfort" movies. Do you have old favorite movies that you'll watch over and over again and never get tired of them? What are they?

WHY!?!?!?

2008-11-19T23:43:00.000-08:00

How does American Idol affect you?

Comfort Foods/Drinks

2008-11-18T21:33:00.000-08:00

Tonight I enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa (I was freezing!) and homemade biscotti. Hot cocoa always makes me cheer up (or warm up!). What is one of your favorite comfort foods or drinks? Or one of each!

Sicky

2008-11-16T10:53:00.000-08:00

As I lay in bed, feeling like crap, I'm wondering what you do to keep yourself occupied when you are sick. Me? I watch old tv show reruns or movies. That gets old. Quick.

When you are sick do you just sleep and drink seven-up? Knit (here's looking at you, Mindy)? I'm fresh out of ideas.

Christmas Shopping

2008-11-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

So it is that time of year. Time to spend tons of money on gifts for people. I don't know how I am going to afford it this year. Even narrowing it down to just my immediate family and Zach's I have about 20 people to buy for. Sometimes it really sucks having a big family! giving myself even a $10 limit is $200! I guess money isn't really my main issue though. I am fresh out of ideas. I hate giving gift cards but for the last 3 years I have just given my dad a home depot gift card. This year though, I have an idea for him, its everyone else that is giving me trouble!

What do you get for people who have everything they want?

The "List"

2008-11-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

You know, that list that everybody rights when they are a young adolescent or teenager? The one about all the things that a person is supposed to do in their lifetime before they die? I've been thinking about mine lately.

Is your life any less meaningful if you don't complete these things in your life time? Does that make it worthless? I don't think so. I could probably live my life just fine without completing any of those things. I don't think that would make me less of a person. Furthermore, who's to say which experiences are the most meaningful. It's almost as if, if it isn't on the list, it must not be important.

And yet, they would still be awesome experiences! Hmm, I guess i didn't make much headway with this post. If you had to choose just one thing from your list, what would it be? Why?

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-13T22:24:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for:

My good online friends at twitter that keep me sane throughout the day of school and work. If you have twitter follow me now!
Homemade quesadillas (pronounced kay-suh-dill-uhs, thankyouverymuch)
Being done with school for the weekend
Pretty, pretty craft supplies, and having a creative outlet. (Did you know I etsy?)
My car--I made my first car payment on Wednesday!

What are you thankful for today?

Taking a Break

2008-11-12T22:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight I am cramming for my Lifespan test, so I am taking a break from blogging
I didn't get as good of a score as I wanted on the first test in this class. What are some study methods that work for you?

To these guys...

2008-11-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

Even through all of the horrible things that have happened in their short lives that I can't even begin to understand, they are still so innocent. It's hard to remember a time when I was like that.

If you could have one thing back from your childhood, what would it be?

MeMe...

2008-11-10T11:27:00.001-08:00

I've been tagged. AND, since I'm lacking inspiration today in the blog department, I decided that I'll take the easy way out for the day.

10 years ago I...1. Was only 11 2. Was still in Elementary School (Lone Pine Wildcats!) 3. Was in the Orchestra and Choir (music overload!) 4. Had a crush on Jeff Osterhout 5. Was so engrossed in books that I didn't even know the tv existed (Holla to "The Giver" "Bridge to Terebithia" "Where the Red Fern Grows" and "Summer of the Monkeys" just to name a few) 6. Competed in the Battle of the Books (nerdy, I know!) 7. Favorite store was Mervyn's 8. Had only ONE cd 9. It was the Spice Girls (Don't HATE!) 10. Had Dial-Up internet and did not think it was slow!

Things on my to-do list (for tomorrow): Return Camera Bag, Take Accounting Quiz, Drive out to Ashland, Make First Car Payment, Go to Patriotic Concert at Armory, Study for Lifespan Test, Go to class :D, Buy birthday present for Mom...I know I know, my life is incredibly boring!

Things I would do if I were a millionaire:1. Help people. I'm surrounded by people in tough situations who could use a little help. 2. Move. Living with my parents? Not the greatest thing in the world. 3. Go on vacation. And bring my family. 5. By Zach a new car because his is a piece of crap! 6. Get manicures & pedicures. Often. 7. Be able to just craft all day since it doesn't make enough money for me to be able to stay home as of yet!

Places I have lived: 1. Santa Clara, CA 2. Medford, OR (I know it is incredibly excited)

Jobs I've had:1. Baby Sitting (fun!) 2. Cleaning Crew (not so fun) 3. File Clerk (eh...really monotonous) 4. Computer Operator/Administrative Assistant (It really varies from week to week)

Ok, this was a really boring Meme...I'm not going to tag anyone.

"Album Only"

2008-11-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

One of my biggest irks about iTunes is that I thought the whole "draw" of it was that you didn't have to purchase a whole CD and you could just buy a few songs if you didn't want the rest of the songs on the CD and save yourself $10. Well, it seems that often with soundtracks and compilations, they will only allow you to purchase a couple of songs individually, and the rest you must purchase the entire CD to actually get. This frustrates me to no end!

Tonight while Zach and I were watching Just Like Heaven there was a song by Amos Lee titled "Colors" but it was a different version than what is on his cd. Come to find out it is his acoustic version and can only be found on the soundtrack to the movie, and the song is album only!

Have you experienced this frustration with iTunes? Do you know why they do this? Or do you think it is simply to try to get you to buy the whole cd?

Red light, Green light

2008-11-08T23:40:00.000-08:00

Tonight as I was leaving the Youth Center, I got stopped at the intersection of Riverside and Manzanita. As I was driving towards the intersection it was green, but changed as I was coming up to the intersection, for no one. So I had to sit at a deserted intersection until it gave me the right to go. I seriously considered running the red light...but ultimately waited.

If you could break any law, and knew you wouldn't get caught (not taking into account the morality of breaking the law) what would you do?

Friends

2008-11-07T23:56:00.000-08:00

Friends is the best show ever. Hands down. Here is one of my favorite clips:

Another episode has to be "The One Where No One's Ready".

What is your all time favorite Friends episode?

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for getting out and VOTING! I'm not going to go into the debate about the turnout of the election (I really hate talking politics on my blog!)

However, on MSNBC there are already preliminary reports that the youth, in fact, DID get out and vote in record numbers.

An estimated 24 million Americans ages 18 to 29 voted in this election, an increase in youth turnout by at least 2.2 million over 2004, reports CIRCLE, a non-partisan organization that promotes research on the political engagement of young Americans. That puts youth turnout somewhere between 49.3 and 54.5 percent, meaning 19 percent more young people voted this year than in 2004.

Sooo...Thanks!!

This marks my first (hopefully not last) weekly Thankful Thursday post. I will be doing at least 3 more through the end of November. If I like how its going, it may become a permanent feature on through a photographer's eye.

This week I am also thankful for:

a car that is reliable
Shoes that don't get soaked through and leave you with wet socks

What are you thankful for today?

Talking 'n Stuff

2008-11-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have certain phrases that when I think of them, or when I say them, it instantly reminds me of a specific character or movie. Today, I'll share two of mine. First, is from Winnie the Pooh.
Every single time I hear or think the phrase, "Oh bother!" It always, always, always makes me think of Winnie the Pooh. Anyone else? Or is that just me?

Moving along, similarly, when I hear the phrase "Nigh impossible" it always makes me think of Pirates of the Caribbean.

What are some phrases that make you think of specific movies or characters?

I'm Crazy!

2008-11-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

I think I'm probably clinically insane for attempting this, but I just signed up for NaBloPoMo. If you don't know what that is, their website is www.nablopomo.com

The idea behind NaBloPoMo is that it is for people trying to become established bloggers. What better way than a challenge? Essentially to get the badge you must first sign up to become part of their site. Then you must blog for 30 consecutive days at least once. I started yesterday, and will attempt to see you at least once every day for the next month.

Wish me luck!

It Matters!

2008-11-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

Now, I don't like to get political on my blog, but I do want to tell everyone to VOTE today. I know that most of my readers are from Oregon so we've all had the opportunity to mail our ballots in for the last couple of weeks.

Make this year historic and make the Youth Vote COUNT! I'm so tired of year after year people saying college kids don't vote. Our vote matters and a Politician won't care about the issues we care about as long as we don't actually VOTE on Election Day.

This concludes my Public Service Announcement! Please, carry on.

My Pet's Name is Peeve

2008-10-28T01:07:00.001-07:00

After the huge input I got after my last post, I thought I'd do another similar post. Make it a series of sorts.

This week, we're talking about pet peeves (PPs). While Zach talked about his OCD moment on his blog, I would classify that as more of a PP (if there are classes).

One of my biggest PPs, is when people slurp while eating soup! It drives me bonkers. I think this stems from the fact that as a child I was constantly getting in trouble for doing that very thing by my father. So now, naturally, it bugs me when others do it.

What are some of your pet peeves?

My Obsessive Compulsive Issues

2008-10-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

Calm down everyone, I don't really have OCD (**I don't think**). But I have noticed that I am incredibly obsessive about certain things. And in my humble opinion, I think most people probably have it effect something in their lives.

In my case, I have a thing. About wrapping paper. Wrapping ribbons. The whole NO TAPE SHOWING. Creasing the edges and corners. Folding edges under. Such a perfectionist that it takes me 30 to 45 minute to wrap one present. Yes, THAT obsessed. For something that a person will destroy within 20 seconds. I know, it's crazy.

I am constantly buying new paper even though I already have 20 at home. I don't use the sub-par plastic-y ribbon that curls oh-so-well. I must have the fabric ribbon. and I have so much of it, it is overflowing the box I have alotted for such trimmings. If I use a bow, it can't be lop-sided or have creases. (without a spot or wrinkle haha I crack myself up!)

Now that I've told you about my obsession, what are some of yours? Does it bug you that something that is seemingly unimportant to everyone else has to be "just-so" for you? Or do you think that everyone else is crazy for not being like you?

Getting back to the Heart of Worship

2008-09-20T03:38:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it. Lately I haven't exactly been the best at giving the big things in my life to God and letting them go. I know that I need to give them to Him. I do know. In the past it had never really been an issue. In high school, even when I was first learning to be a Christian, I had no problem giving my problems to God. I know they are far better in His hands than in mine.

Lately though, I've just had so much going on, especially with my sister's divorce & custody trial mess, and it's sooo important to me, that I guess I've been afraid to let go of them. I've been holding on to these things so tightly that I'm surprised that I didn't squeeze all of the blood out of my fingers.

Now that's not the only thing that I've been holding onto, but it is the biggest. I still did all the other things you are supposed to do when something comes up. I took it to prayer, and asked others to pray about it. I sent out a mass text to all of my Christian friends last night asking for they're prayers and thoughts.

Today, though, my faith was really shaken because things didn't turn out well at all. I won't get into the specifics, but the main issue is that my sister is going to be forced to sell her house to pay half of the equity to her ex. It really hit me hard. I had a good feeling going into it, and it was completely shattered this afternoon.

Tonight, I'll admit, I was a bit of a wreck. I was completely--physically and emotionally-exhausted from a full day in court. I cried. I thought tons of thoughts about her low-life ex that probably weren't very Christian of me. On my way home from my boyfriend's house though, I turned on the radio, and Air1 was playing Praise You in this Storm by Casting Crowns (find lyrics here) and I realized two things:
1)I need to give God the glory in all situations and not blame Him for the outcome of the trial
2)God hears all prayers, and even though He doesn't always answer them in the way that I expect or want him to (or in my timeframe) doesn't mean he won't answer them. God's plan for the situation is far better than mine could ever be.

In addition, it was really a wake-up call for me to step up and really work on letting go of my problems and giving them to God because they are holding back my walk with Him.

Sassy Apron Giveaway!

2008-09-12T13:43:00.001-07:00

So I'm absolutely in luurrve with this week's giveaway at Oh! how Lovely!. She is giving away an apron from the etsy shop, Sassy Aprons. Too Cute. To enter before tonight, head over and leave a comment on her post:
etsy adore: sassy apron

Age, Wisdom & Tattoos

2008-09-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

So today, I was on myspace and I commented on a bulletin that my 17-year old niece had written. She said that she was considering getting a tattoo (she will be 18 in a couple of weeks)and wanted input and feedback about whether she should get one and if we had any advice for her. Now I admit, I probably should have explained myself better, but all I said was, "don't get one, you'll regret it when you are 50."

I guess I probably have a negative stigma associated with tattoos, and generally speaking, think it is stupid to brand yourself with something that you will essentially be stuck with for the rest of your life. The only time I think it is remotely acceptable is when it is to commemorate a specific time in your life (like when a loved one passed away or like stumble, survive & smile). I know, that's probably kinda judgmental, but I have a hard time understanding why it is necessary to brand your body with something.

I wasn't raised this way, believing it's not okay. I never really understood what the appeal was, but I wasn't judgmental about them. And then I was talking with a friend about beliefs and such, and she said that we should think of our bodies as temples of God. If He wanted us to have a drawing on our bodies for the rest of time, wouldn't He have put it there in the first place? God shoots for perfection when He creates us, and it doesn't make sense to mess that up by putting our own mark on it.

At any rate, my comment on my niece's bulletin wasn't exactly well received. Another one of her friend's posted his own comment, "Don't listen to a twenty-year-old about what happens when one turns fifty." The funny thing is, her friend isn't much closer than I am to 50. The guy is 27, and seemingly all the much wiser. I find it really demeaning when I get put down due to my age. Yes, I know, I only graduated from high school 3 years ago and I still have 2 years before I graduate from college. I still live with my folks, and I'm still technically a minor.

But seriously, to me, when someone judges someone simply by their age, I don't see them as any wiser than I am. Without knowing anything about me, he immediately judged my by the age listed on my profile. He wouldn't know that I have held a job since I was 16 years old, or that I'm even a college student. He doesn't know anything about me. I don't know if the guy has his own tattoo or not, defending himself even though he has no more room to talk than I do, but all I see is someone hiding behind their age. He doesn't even know that I'm her aunt.

He probably doesn't know that according to some studies, almost 80% of people regret their tattoo's later in life, and at least 50% of them wish they could get them removed.

6 boring facts about me

2008-08-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

My first meme.

Da rules:

Link back to Jess, who tagged you (What, she didn't tag you? Well link to whoever did)
Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of your own
Tag 6 bloggers to complete the meme.

--I don't even know what a meme is! I suppose it means something like a chain, at least that is the meaning I have interpreted it to be. At any rate, here are 6 facts that either you probably already know, or don't really care to know, but I was tagged and I feel I must complete my task because I hate it when I ask people to do something and then they don't do it. So. Here it is:

1. When I was little, I did gymnastics. I did it for a long time. I was tiny. That does not mean I was good at it. I mean, I did take it for like 7 or 8 years, but I don't think that really made a difference. By the time I decided to quit I couldn't even do a flip or a back handspring. And yet, while I still took lessons, I dreamed of being an Olympian. Nevertheless, there is no gain without pain, and when I got bored of lessons 4 days a week, 3 hours a day, I decided to give it up.

2. I (unofficially) changed my major in college about 5 times before settling on my current (and hopefully last) major. I started out with architecture, moved to elementary school teacher, then to child care, then to college math professor, then to elementary school teacher again, and finally I landed on Psychology. I do NOT plan on being a clinical psychologist someday. I do not plan on going for my doctorate or my masters. So please do not ask me if I am going to psychoanalyze you or make jokes about Freud. There is MUCH more to psychology than this. My official program is Psychology with an emphasis on Human Resources with a minor in Business Administration.

3. I've been told I am incredibly strong-willed. My friend, Cindi, tells me she envies my ability to not care what people think. Well, I don't know about that because I do care, I just don't let it get in the way of standing up for my beliefs no matter what. Because I believe if you can't even stand up for what you believe in, then you don't stand for anything.

4. I LOVE photography. I love how light affects a shot. It always blows me away how much the amount of light versus shadows in the shot change the feeling of the picture. I bought a Canon Rebel XT a few months back, and I love experimenting with it. I'm definitely a novice, but don't be surprised if you see me throwing up some photography every now and then asking for a critique.

5. I hate my freckles about 75% of the time. Mainly because people underjudge my age all the time. I am told that I will appreciate this someday when I'm older, but for now, I don't appreciate being told I look like a 15 year old (haven't been for almost 6 years!)

6. I love to get my creativity juices flowing. I don't claim to be an artist, it's more like I'm kinda artistic. I love to dabble in different mediums, mainly colored pencils and chalk pastels. I also love to do things with my hands and enjoy scrapbooking, and making cards , jewelry, knitting and sewing.

I tag:
Brooke, Mindy, Zach, Juanita, Stacy, and Bryan