Brant and Jessie

Disneyland!!!

2011-07-24T14:31:00.001-07:00

It's a Small World After All....

Brant and I got to spend a week in Disneyland with his family in June and I had the best time of my life. I haven't been since I turned 16 in Disneyland 10 years ago. SO much had changed and brought back some memories. It was amazing! Most of the photos are out of order but wonderful just the same.

Here we have Peter Pan talking with my nieces and nephews. My youngest nephew got to high-five with Peter. Cool!

Here we have Snow White, Rapunzel and Aurora

Aurora, Cinderella and Rapunzel are my faves ^_^

LaWayne's coworkers kept insisting they needed a photo of her wearing mouse ears so she decided to wear my nieces Princess ears ^_^ I like this set a lot

Just outside the park, or rather between the parks.

Jessie and Woody! When Toy Story 2 came out, and I found out about Jessie and that her name was spelled the same way as mine, I had an instant attachment. I even have a Jessie doll ^_^

My niece modeling her new sunglasses (gift from me).

My nieces and nephews trading pins with a Disney Cast member.

They REALLY got into it ^_^

Breakfast at Ariel's Grotto!
My youngest niece was SO excited. She wore her Cinderella Dress so she could be in of the princesses. I was pretty excited too. I loved watching the princess movies growing up.

2 of my nieces being VERY silly. We were at an eatery at New Orleans Square.

Matterhorn Bob Sled Run!
This was closed when I came with my family 10 years ago. I was SO happy to find it was open this time. It closed a couple days after we arrived at the park but I did get to ride it once during our trip. I loved it but my youngest niece was scared of the Yetti inside the ride. She was the BEST sport throughout the trip because she agreed the ride the scary rides even though she didn't want to.

I HAD to get mouse ears this trip (I got the traditional ears 10 years ago) and they HAD to be pirate ears ^_^

My SIL husband being the goofball he is. Always ready to make us laugh ^_^

LaWayne celebrated her birthday during our trip so we insisted she at least wear this birthday had and get a photo ^_^

Brant and Morrisa

To our delight, Brant and I got to see a show with the Mad Hatter, Alice and Peter Pan. They were playing musical chairs with the children and, of course, being silly and absolutely 'mad' during the game. There was even a Rag Time piano player playing with them. It was just delightful.

Breakfast at the Plaza Inn. It's one of the restaurants that have Characters walking about, meeting guests. I was enthralled to see The Fairy Godmother walking about. I had to get a photo with her.

Addy had to talk to her, being Cinderella herself ^_^
It was adorable!

Eeyore!

Tigger! Two of a pair, wouldn't you say?

The Mad Hatter at Goofy's Kitchen. Another character restaurant. He is probably the BEST Mad Hatter I have ever met. He amazed Addy. I couldn't stop laughing.

The whole Fam Damily

Wearing our bug goggles to see It's Hard to be a Bug

Me and Morrisa about to get on Tower of Terror. I LOVED it.

This is our first day in the park. I couldn't decide what I wanted to see or do first

Sleeping Beauty's Castle (Formerly known as King Stephan's Castle)

We're buying a Townhouse!

2011-04-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

Wow. I can't believe I haven't written anything since Thanksgiving! I am really bad at this.

Well, until recently, not much has been going on in our nick-of-the-woods. Brant and I have decided to buy a townhouse! We love the one we picked because:

1) It is brand new

2)It is energystar rated

3) Everything from the studs out is covered and taken care of by HOA

4) We have an end unit

5)It has a 2 car garage

6) 3 Bedrooms

7) A GORGEOUS kitchen

8) Walk-in closet

9) LOFT ^_^

10) 1500 sq ft (vs the 900 sq ft we have now, so room to grow)

I have put several pictures below so you can see what it looks like! I'll post pictures after we've moved in and settled in a bit.

We'll be moving at the end of April or early May. We're hoping for the end of April.

The Master Bedroom

The Exterior Front View

(There is a sliding back door as well, onto a cement pad that we'll have fenced in next year)

The Loft! How COOL is that?!

The Walk-in Closet

The Living Room

The Kitchen and Eating Area (I LOVE this kitchen!)

That bright light on the kitchen floor is light coming through the Sliding Door

Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T03:10:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving with Brant's family. I'm still not accustomed to such large family gatherings, so it feels pretty chaotic to me. When Brant and I got married, I instantly became an Aunt. 3 boys and 3 girls. WOW. Being the oldest, and having only 1 sibling, and cousins similar in age, I'm not used to little kids. The youngest I ever babysat was probably 5 or 6 years old (old enough to be potty trained anyway). So when my youngest niece was potty-training and asked me to help her (all she said was "Jessie... poop!") I was instantly terrified!! I looked to LaWayne (my mother-in-law) and said "what do I do?!" She just laughed and took care of it.

Thanksgiving was so much fun. The kids were having a blast with Brant. They were all outside having a snowball fight and other snow-related activities. I talked with the rest of the fam, met the man one sis-in-law was dating (VERY nice guy, by the way) and I was spoiled by LaWayne. She is the dream mother-in-law. I know most women dread their mother-in-law, or having a mother-in-law, because of that awful stereotype going around. I couldn't be more blessed. It's also new getting used to having sisters. I grew up around mostly boys. Never had a girl cousin to play with. Granted I had my barbie dolls, but I also had ninja turtles, gargoyles, war trolls, and the like. I love them though. They're all so sweet to me.

Now, don't think I'm forgetting my side of the family! I called my family before we arrived at LaWayne's house and spoke with them for a bit. My brother dove down for Thanksgiving break, and I found out my Uncle and recently-arrived home RM cousin were also there! I loved the Thanksgivings when I had my uncle and cousins there. More food and more fun! Anyway, my mom was busy with all the food prep, dad kept asking her questions, my cousin was chatting away with my brother, while my uncle listened and chatted with them. I can't wait to drive down for Christmas. It'll be different in my parents' new place, but where there is love, there is a home. I honestly love their new place (besides the tenant living downstairs) because it's mostly all on one level. My brothers room and all the storage are downstairs.

Being married and on-my-own makes me think back more to the Christmas's when I was a kid, and all the magic that was there. Having nieces and nephews helps renew that magic. That and getting to be the ones sneaking presents around, keeping them guessing and snickering because they can never guess ^_^

I love family holidays. It's a perfect chance to get to know Brant' family, and Brant to get to know mine. I just love it!

My Etsy Shop

2010-11-12T01:47:00.000-08:00

My Etsy shop has been doing well lately. My most popular items are my Teddy Bear beanie and Dino Beanie. I'm trying to add things for everyone in the family, but when it comes to men, it's hard to figure out what they will wear. Brant barely wears beanies, and I cannot find or figure out a pattern for a mans head that will lay flat as I expand the base of the beanie. It's hard to explain if you're not familiar with crochet. Anyway, I have figured out some super cute things for kids, and am working on things for adult women. I have all these ideas and not enough time to try them all out! Gah!

Here are several pictures of some popular items and new items:

First we have the Punkie Pom-Pom beanie! Full of spunk and attitude.

Mini Daisy Headbands, simple but sweet

My personal Favorite: The Queen Anne Lace Scarf

Trying to Catch Up....

2010-11-12T01:29:00.000-08:00

I've been awful with the blog lately, I know. Since starting at Gossner Foods, I have been flat-out exhausted. I work 4-midnight, like Brant. Working the same shift helps us save on gas and such.

During this time, I worked my tail off to get ready for the HOPE Festival, and working on my Etsy shop.

The HOPE Festival was SO much better this year. First off, I had better crocheted items, picture books (like a catalog) of things I crocheted, my digital cards and diagrams of all the colors I have available. Everything I crochet is made to order. I figure this allows the purchaser to get exactly what they want. Win-win. ANYWAYS. Back to the HOPE Festival. My two neighbors and I were able to get 3 tables together (in a 'U' shape) in a fantastic spot. We got a LOT of traffic. Granted I only made $68 this year, but that's $68 more than last year. My one neighbor and I decided to do a drawing for one custom-crocheted item (one from each of our shops). We had a LOT of entries. It was great. Here are some pictures of our awesome setup:

As I said, it was a LOT of fun. I had 2 custom orders, and a few people bought some things I had already made. It made me feel much better about my crochet style and ability. Since starting work at Gossners, crocheting is my only creative outlet. It really helps me relax and enjoy myself. I can experiment, try out different colors and materials. This makes for a happy Jessie.

My shop is slowly building up sales, which is fine. I'm trying to adjust to my new work schedule, so slow is kinda good. I'm hoping things pick up since Christmas is coming up. I know,

CHRISTMAS is already here! I can't believe it! However, I am super excited. I can't wait to break out the Christmas decor and go wild! I'm already listening to my Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music. It's instrumental, and a lot of it is more traditional Christmas songs, ones that actually focus on Christ. I don't feel bad listening to it before Thanksgiving because the music keeps my frame of mind in the right place. Being thankful for all my Savior has done for me, as well as being grateful for the people I love in my life, for what I have, what I can do, and what i have been able to accomplish. For example, right now I am extremely grateful for my new job. The work isn't always easy, nor enjoyable, but the pay is greatly appreciated. It's definitely not my dream job, but it's taking care of Brant and I as we strive for financial freedom (of a sort) so we can start putting money back for a car (if one of ours should break down *knock on wood*) or a down-payment for a house.

H.O.P.E Festival and USU SAAVI

2010-08-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

Last year I had the opportunity to participate in the University SAAVI (Sexual Abuse & Anti-Violence Info) 1st Annual H.O.P.E. Festival (Healing Outreach Passion Effort). Its an event held in the University Sunburst Lounge where local businesses and artisans sell their goods and donate 25% of their proceeds to CAPSA (Community Abuse Prevention Services Agency).

I wasn't able to sell anything last year because, for one, I didn't have enough time to get things ready and I hadn't done any research into what people like to buy (as far as crocheted items go) nor did I have enough experience in perfecting my patterns.

This year, I was excited to hear the SAAVI office was putting on the HOPE Festival again. My friend (who has a friend in the SAAVI office) told her, so she told me. I'm hoping to contribute more this year.

I'll be selling my crocheted things and my digital cards again. I can't think of anything else to sell.

Oh well, Hopefully I can get a lot more things made to sell, and maybe put together a picture portfolio or something. We'll see.

This link is for last years Festival Info, but explains the details of the event. I'm waiting for this years info to come up.

http://www.usu.edu/saavi/events/hopefestival.cfm

Early Anniversary Present

2010-07-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

Our second anniversary is coming up so Brant and I are obviously makes plans to go do something. Well, on Friday, Brant said he was going to make me dinner and that he had a big surprise for me. I was totally clueless as to what the surprise was. I didn't really have any guesses either. Brant went crazy over the fact I wasn't guessing.

Well, when I got home from work, Brant was finishing preparations for dinner. We had fettucine already with chicken, salad and Martinelli's Sparkling Cider. It was SO good. I swear, I want Brant to move to day shifts and do all of our cooking. He's so much better at it than I am.

Now for my surprise: I got to see my surprise when I got home because I had to go upstairs and change out of work clothes. I walked into our bedroom and this is what I saw...

Can I say that I absolutely LOVE my new bedspread!? I've been watching to see if the price would go down at all on this set. Well, Brant said he'd been saving a little at a time to get it for me. It is SO much better than the coverlett we bought when we got married. Now all I have to do is save up for the throw pillows. Yes, the throw pillows. They look really nice. Oh and we need King pillows, lol. That's why the shams look half-filled.
He's the best husband. He notices things I like, helps me with work around the house, makes me dinner and so much more. Love you sweetie!!

Crocheted bags!

2010-07-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

So I've been working for some time on developing a crocheted bag that is colorful, simple in design and looks great. Well, I came up with one based around granny squares. I made one for myself (not lined - The green and brown one), then a larger one (blue and brown - with lining) and then one for a friend of mine (pink - will be a diaper bag). I'm currently working on my fourth. It's been a pretty long process. So far, each bag is taking about two weeks to make. I really like how they have turned out though:

The fourth one I'm making is made of the same pinks and brown as the bag shown above as well as a pastel limey green. I LOVE it. I can't wait til I'm finished.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks - Vacation with Brant's Family

2010-06-17T23:12:00.001-07:00

June 4-8 Brant and I went on a trip to Jackon, Wyoming; Yellowstone National Park: and Grand Teton National Park.... With his enitre family ... 15 people in all: 9 adults and 6 kids ranging from 3-11 years of age. I know most people think that is perfectly normal. HOWEVER, I'm used to family vacations consisting of 4 people: Me, My parents and my brother. No cousins, or other family. Needless to say it was hard to adjust to. I'm not acustomed to kids fighting (other than my brother and I when we were little) or figuring out seating in three vehicles. It was total chaos to me ^_^ I just went with the flow of things and I had a GREAT time. I got to know Brant's family SO much better, espcially my three sister's.

We stayed in Jackson Wyoming at a condo that Brant's Uncle David rented for us. It was nice, except for the kitchen. We had to eat dinner in shifts, lol. We also got to eat at a great steak house called the Gun & Barrel Game and Steak. BEST steak house I've eaten at outside of Utah. It was also REALLY expensive. But, Uncle David being the selfless and generous person he is, bought dinner for us all. One day we'll all pay him back for it all.
First day, after we got settled in and all, we went to Grand Teton Nt'l Park. We saw Jenny Lake and part of the Teton's. It rained everyday (with exception to the day we left, Murphy's Law there) so we couldn't see the tips of the Tetons.

The rest of the days we drove all over Yellowstone. I wanted to see mammoth because I remember going when I was little. I LOVED the gysers, hot pots and all the wildlife we saw. But time was limited and it would have taken us all day just to get there. There were several road closes the further north we went because of mudslides andd stuff. Note to self, go to Yellowstone is late July or august. It might be warmer, lol.
Anyways, we saw LOTS of wildlife. Lots of Elk and buffalo, one coyote, antelope, a couple of moose. Some of the family saw an eagle, bear and wolf fight over a carcass (SO jealous. I wanted to see a bear). We got to see the Mud Volcano too. It was a mud type geyser that one day totally blew up and covered everything around it, including the treetops. It was really stinky because of the sulphur, but still really neat.

My favorite phrase during the trip was "it's a miracle!" because with the group being predominantly female, we needed to stop a lot to use the restroom (well and kids too, everyone knows kids need to use the restroom a lot on trips). The guys used the chance to stretch their legs.

Well, below are several of the possibly 3 hundred pictures I took. I'm like my mom. Take lots of pictures and you'll get several really good pictures.

Can't remember the name of this fall, but this was my favorite view.
These are the 20+ buffalo we 'stumbled' upon on the boardwalk by Old Faithful. We were burning time waiting for Old faithful to go off, when we turned a corner and there were all the adult and several BABIES! They were so cute! This one was fairly curious about us, but stuck pretty close to mom.

Above: Antler Square in Jackson. There is an Elk preserve where thousands of elk spend the winter. They then shed their antlers, so Jacksonians gathered them and put together 4 of these arches. SO cool! I don't evern know (nor could I accurately guess) how many 'sheds' were assembled in each arch.

Dragon's Mouth Spring. Next the Mud Volcano.
Aptly named in 1912 because of the growling sounds (caused by steam and othr gasses exploding through the water) and the constant steam coming out.

The HUGE fireplace at the Old Faithful Lodge. It wasn't lit though and it was COLD outside. Not to mention WET. They hadn't see one sunny day there all summer.

Brant and I at Jenny Lake

ALL of the nieces and nephews: Mosers and Blackwells.

Can;t you just tell that when they're all together that you can see the gears turning in their mischievious heads? I mean, that's what kids and their cousins do, right?

Of COURSE they do, lol!

Projects, etc.

2010-05-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

Lately I've really been trying my luck at different crochet projects and I've had a lot of fun. It's neat what you can do if you rally put your mind to it. No pun intended, honestly!

A few weeks ago, one of Brant's coworkers commented on my headwraps. He told her I could crochet a lot of things (not THAT much in my opinion) and she asked about my crocheting a scripture bag for her 12 year-old daughter. I heartily agreed.
I didn't have a pattern or anything, so I measured Brant's scriptures (Mine are so fat and full of inserts from seminary and institute that they make a poor model), made adjustments to allow for stretch, and had at it.
I think it turned out rather well, so did Brant's coworker, and her daughter LOVED it. I'm estatic that she's so happy with it. She's taking it to her first year of Girl's Camp. Yay!

Her mother reqeusted that I embroider her daughter's initials on the bag.

I have also been working on Purses and Bags made from Granny Squares.

This first one was one inspired by a blog I discovered on day while browsing patterns and ideas online. It's a great bag, and when filled, is like a satchel. It doesn't keep it's square shape, but it cute regardless.

These two bags aree made from several little granny squares. Pattern is totally my own. I designed its construction as i went along (take about flying by the seat of your pants!)

I created the green one first. I currently use it as my purse.

I just finished this one a few days ago. It's larger and a big deeper. I want to find some cute matching fabric and line it. The size is great for just about anything. I'm going to make a similar bag in pastel green, lilac and brown for a pregnant friend as a diaper bag. It's her first!

I also have a new blog for my crocheted items:

jessikireevecrochet.blogspot.com

It's kind of like an unofficial catalog page or portfolio of what I currently can make.

I welcome any thoughts or ideas!

Mom's visit

2010-04-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

I love it when my mom comes to visit. I love spending time with her window shopping, crocheting, running errands and just simply talking. She works for the local school district where I grew up and they had Springbreak this week. She took the opportunity to come up and visit. She also took on the task of bringing up boxes and totes so my brother can pack up his stuff to go home for the summer. I was feeling kinda bummed because I normally work 10-6 most days. Well, as luck would have it, my co-worker who normally opens the copy center needed to trade shifts with me, I got done with work at four, yay! I promptly came home, changed and my mom called to see where we wanted to eat. FOOD! We went to Sizzler, which normally is great but they overcooked my steak, YUCK. Afterwards we walked off our meal at Wal-mart, picked up a few movies, talked then walked around Borders. We found a good book for my mom and another for my dad. Mom had been looking for a good book on Irish history, lore and the like. We have ancestors who, for whatever reason, moved the Americas 100 years before the Potato Famine. We have no idea why. Could have been a local unruly nobleman, living conditions, or simply a strong feeling to need to move on. Hopefully she can find something that will shed some light on it. My dad is big on science fiction books from authors like Terry Brooks and Terry Goodkind. I told my mom to get him one by Brandon Sanderson. Sanderson helped write and finish Robert Jordan's last book and I know my Dad enjoyed Robert Jordan. I got my love for books and reading from my parents.
We wrapped up the night by watching Van Helsing. Karl (the friar) is our favorite character.

Growing up I never thought I would have such a close relationship and friendship with my mom. But she's become my best friend (besides brant of course) and I always have such a wonderful time with her. I get the ultimate girl time with her because I can tell her anything and I always learn something.

St. Patricks Day legends, myths and fun facts

2010-03-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

I've got Irish heritage way back in my family history and I was going over old legends and such. I thought it would be fun to share a few with some websites I've found.

I love the story of the Banshee. I can't remember her origins, but she always signaled someone's death by her wails and crying. It is said that the person destined to die never hear's her and is sparred the fright of it all. In other legends, it's said that there are many. In some depictions she is combing her hair because of her fair hair.

From Wikipedia:

"In later versions the banshee might appear before the death and warn the family by wailing. [1] When several banshees appeared at once, it indicated the death of someone great or holy.[2] The tales sometimes recounted that the woman, though called a fairy, was a ghost, often of a specific murdered woman, or a woman who died in childbirth.[3] "

(Another legend I heard of was she announces the death of a child - she had lost her own children in a horrific way and thus arrived to take dying children, almost as though taking her own)

"Banshees are frequently described as dressed in white or grey, and often having long, fair hair which they brush with a silver comb, a detail scholar Patricia Lysaght attributes to confusion with local mermaid myths. This comb detail is also related to the centuries-old traditional romantic Irish story that, if you ever see a comb lying on the ground in Ireland, you must never pick it up, or the banshees (or mermaids — stories vary), having placed it there to lure unsuspecting humans, will spirit such gullible humans away. Other stories portray banshees as dressed in green, red or black with a grey cloak.

Another is the Coiste Bodhar (chost de bower) - The Death Coach. It is particularly strong in Irish culture, but can be found in others. The coiste bodhar warns of imminent death to either oneself or to a close relative. In Ireland in particular the Death Coach is seen as a signifier of the inevitability of death, as the belief goes once it has come to Earth it can never return empty. I don't know what would happen if it did return empty. The coach is driven by a headless coachman named Dullahan - cool, no?

Of course, there are the Leprechauns, also known as the Little People are immortals who love mischief. They were originally known to wear red, whereas trooping fairies wore green. They stad about 2 feet tall, and always dressed to impress in their dress coat, cocked hat, shoes and buckles. It is said if you were to catch a leprechaun, he would grant you three wishes, but no more. They are also quite devious and always looking for new tricks. One legend says if you take your eyes away from the Leprechaun, he will make a break for it. My trade, leprechauns are cobblers, or shoemakers, which is why you can always hear a tapping of a hammer if one is near.

A lesser known one is the Pooka (puca). It is a shape-shifter which can take on pleasant or terrifying forms. Usually seen as a horse, goat, rabbit, goblin or dog. No matter what form it takes, it always has dark fur. It's ost common form is a sleek black horse with golden eyes - spooky, no?

From Wikipedia:

If a human is enticed onto a púca's back, it has been known to give them a wild ride, though unlike a kelpie, which will take its rider and dive into the nearest stream or lake to drown and devour him/her, the púca will do its rider no real harm. The púca has the power of human speech, and has been known to give advice and lead people away from harm. Though the púca enjoys confusing and often terrifying humans, it is considered to be benevolent.

If you have ever seen Disney's Darby O'Gill and the Little People, you'll know what I'm talking about. I really wish I could find out more about the legends. I think it would be AMAZING to go to Ireland and find out for myself.

History of St. Patrick's Day

"Little is known of Patrick's early life, though it is known that he was born in Roman Britain in the fifth century, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father and grandfather were deacons in the Church. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave.[1] It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown. According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest.
In 432, he again says that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop, to save the Irish, and indeed he was successful at this, focusing on converting royalty and aristocracy as well as the poor. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) to the Irish people. After nearly thirty years of teaching and spreading God's Word he died on 17 March 461, and was buried at Downpatrick, so tradition says. Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish Church.

Wearing of green
"Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. However, over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew.[2] Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century.[3] He is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day.[4][5] Then in the 1798 rebellion in hopes of making a political statement Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching attention with their unusual fashion gimmick.[2] The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from the song of the same name."

USU is #1 in the WAC!!

2010-03-06T22:28:00.000-08:00

Okay, so since I work at Staples, I've had the opporunity to go to the last two home games for the USU basketball team. We do copy center stuff for the athletic dept. so they give us Credential tickets to get in. Now, I've been to games in high school, and at CEU, but NONE of them compare in the level of energy, dedication, loudness and fun than a USU basketball game. I've even been to BYU basketball games when I was younger and they are horrible in comparison to my beloved Aggies.

Here are some picture from the game. Final score was 81 to 63. This was Brant's first time to a USU game, and he got the surprise of his life when he saw the level of energy there was. He told he normally gets bored in the first ten minutes of a game, but he's never had this much fun.

GO AGGIES!!!

I didn't reaelize it til we got home that there was a goofy idiot who "snuck" into our picture. What a doof.

Anyways, on the way home, we stopped at the gas station for a drink and we encountered New Mexico State University's team with their heads hung low. One of the team kind of flinched at seeing my garb. I know they're disappointed, but second isn't something to sneeze at. But first feels REALLY good ^_^

Are you living Forward or Backward?

2010-01-27T21:26:00.000-08:00

This was posted on the blog of a family member, and I thought it was really good to share:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA

Are you living Forward or Backward? I agree with my Stacey, I will live backward.

Feel free to share with your friends and family!

So much going on...

2010-01-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

It has been quite some time since my last entry! Where to begin?

Let's start with Christmas. As I mentioned in my last post, I was making Christmas presents for my neices, nephews and a few of my cousins' children. I made scarves and hats, with what time I had between two jobs and trying to keep my house somewhat clean.

Christmas a lot of fun this year because Brant and I got to spend it with both of our families. Christmas Eve and Morning were with Brants' family at his sisters' house. We opened up presents, enjoyed a great dinner and awesome breakfast, played with the kids, and enjoyed being able to relax from work. Later, Christmas Day, we drove to my parents' house where we had another nice dinner and relaxed watching tv, my mom and I crocheting, and enjoying each others' company. I love going to my parents house because it means I can totally relax and not have to worry about anything.

Right after Christmas, we bought Brant a laptop so he can start school this summer. We missed enrollment for the police academy, but we both want him to start some general classes to get him used to it again. I took a semester off after I finished my Associate degree fron CEU and it just about killed me. We're hoping he can get right in next January so he can be finished the following year.

Last week, at my new job (eFurnitureShowroom) I was approached by my boss and asked how I felt about taking a few days off. I didn't like it, but said "okay, I guess...." in a very unhappy tone. Of course, who am I to argue with my bosses' will? So I did and immediately started looking for other jobs. Come this past monday, he still couldn't afford to have me come in and type all day, so I quit. My boss at Staples took me back for full-time hours, working a mid-shift Monday - Friday. I'm much happier there because it's a more comfortable atmosphere and he's the best manager I have ever had. Brant has noticed that after 3 days, I'm much happier and it's easier for me to sleep. I get paid less, but sometimes your sanity and happiness is not worth it. We both felt that if my boss at the other job would send me home once, it was likely to happen again. I figure then next time that happens, he'll be going out of business.

I wish I had pictures of Christmas, but I can't find my camera anywhere. I'm wondering if I left it at my parents' house or my sister-in-laws' house. I'll post them as soon as I find it. I had to post an update though, I didn't want it to seem like we had disappeared!

New Job, Projects, Christmas, etc.

2009-11-22T01:08:00.000-08:00

I recently started a new job. Brant and I were trying to figure out how to pay for coming-due student loans and I was fretting, to put it lightly. I hadn't been getting the amount of hours I needed at Staples, nor was the pay enough to help make due. So, Brant pushed to have me look on the Utah Jobs website to look around for something, regardless of whether or not it was in my field. I found a listing for a Technical Writer, and found it was for a business called EFurnitureShowroom.com. It's an online furniture retailer. It was also a place where two friends of mine had applied and were hired. I had heard the manager wasn't hiring anymore, but put in my application and resume anyways. Well, I heard back a day or two later and Wah-la! I had an interview. I had the interview, and again Wah-la! I had a new job! I had to work two weeks of 60 hours each to switch over from the job at Staples to the new job. It was hard, but it's been worth it. I'm doing pretty well at the job, still lost on a lot of things, but getting the hang of how things work. I got my first paycheck and I can say I am relieved.

Amongst all this chaos, I've been working on Christmas presents. This is the year of the hand-made gifts and family books. I can't make a lot, but I can at least give to some family members. I've been making scarves and hats and working on little projects for me. I like making things to put in my house. Such as my Harvest sign:

I had seen several signs at craft stores and decor stores, but they were vinyl lettering and cost more than I could afford. So, I bought fall-ish type paper, printed the letters reversed from the computer on the backside of the paper, cut them out, and Mod Podged them to the stained wood. I'm rather pleased with myself. I think I spent a total of eight dollars or so. My neighbor let me use a little of her wood stain. Bless her!

With Christmas coming up, I'm getting excited to start decorating. Brant and I are having our first Christmas in our own place and there is so much room to put up decor! Day after Thanksigiving, I am decking the house! I already know how I'm rearranging the furniture to fit the tree and everything. Now if only I can get Brant to help me put up all the lights.

I'm sure I'll have more projects soon enough. Once I start decorating for Christmas, I'll get ideas for things to make.

The Long Awaited Day I Thought Would Never Come...

2009-10-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

For some time now, my Rodeo has needed new tires. My mechanic, during my inspection over the summer, told me my tires wouldn't make it to see winter. Naturally, this had me a little nervous. Since receiving this nerve-wracking news, Brant and I have been saving up frantically. Last week, my parents called and said the tire place they've been going to for years was having a great sale on tires. This caught my immediate interest. Come to find out, Johnson Tires was selling my tire size for $99 a tire along with a 60,000 mile warranty. I AM STOKED!! They look so nice on my Rodeo. Brant was pretty excited too. We still didn't have the last $100 but that'll be paid Thursday. I'll have pictures up along with some little changes we've made to our place. I know we haven't put up any pictures of it all yet, but that's because I'm embarassed of all the boxes.

Target Shooting Togetherness

2009-09-27T01:06:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I may not have considered target shooting as a 'fun' activity. Ever since meeting Brant, I have learned that having a gun isn't necessarily a bad thing. I used to think they were dangerous and idiotic to have.

Well, I sing a different tune now.

Brant and I both had a day off together (and we didn't even plan it! wow!!)

and after running miscellaneous errands,

decided to go target shooting up against a mountain, on the outskirts of Smithfield.

It's a nice place to shoot. Brant had his 30-06 and

I had my 17HMR bolt action rifle

(mine is better! and only because it doesn't kick when I fire and

because it sounds more impressive when I say it)

Below is the area where we shot. The picture turned out rather disappointing. It was an absolutely gorgeous fall day.

These are our casings. the bigger casing is one of Brant's.

Obviously, mine are the smaller, faster casings

A closeup that really doesn't seem to help..... hmm...

Here is me and my awesome rifle.

I don't care if it has synthetic stock on it, I prefer a smaller-kick to looks.

Here I am lining up my shot

" See Brant lay prone on the ground.

See Brant envision an elk on the distant horizon.

See Brant drool over monster elk.

See Brant line up the shot. "

Lining up that perfect shot.

Here is a better shot of what a B-E-A-Utiful day it was.

More creativity!

2009-09-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

Yet another installment of stuff I've been making. It's been fabulous having this wonderful thing called 'time' and being able to use it to create! Homework is entirely overrated.

This is a set of frames I painted like my previous set. I found this color scheme in some scrapbook paper as well. Brant doesn't seem to like it, but then again, when do men appreciate pinks and red?

This is what I created for my first comission job. I ensure that personal info is changed if I reuse and display the card. I had a lot of fun with this. I found I have a lot of skill with Adobe Illustrator, yay!
I love this one. It is simple and yet, elegant. It is visited a lot on my etsy shop.

This one is a lot of fun. It is lighthearted and speaks volumes of personality

This one was inspired by and older movie, That Touch of Mink with Carry Grant and Doris Day.

Odd, isn't it?

I have to say that Brant has been a great support for me. He encouraged me to pursue this because it lets me release my creative energy. I don't get so antsy and it cheers me up when I'm alone while he is at work. The other upside is it very well may help me buy new tires for my car. We've been tight on money and my tires are going VERY bald. Meaning I'll need new ones before another nasty Logan Winter. Wish me luck!!
Thanks to my friend next door, too. She's great at helping me critique my work.

My First Commision Job on Etsy.com!

2009-08-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

So, I got the idea from my friend next door to start selling wedding, birthday and other invitations on this website called etsy.com It is where vintage and handmade things are sold. I decided (after much research) to just sell digital copies of my invites until I can afford to print them myself (which will be a while). I format them at 5x7 and sold for between $13-15. I think its a good deal considering you can print the entire thing for the price of a photo house print. PRETTY CHEAP and great for a BUDGET!

So I had been signed up for about a week when I get a message from a mom who wants to comission a custom invitation for her two boys' birthdays. Turns out she has a HUGE fall festival bash for her boys who are both under the age of 4! So, after about a week and ahalf of working with her, we finally have the perfect announcement for her. My custom designs are $30, so I was pretty excited. I have made wedding announcements/invites for a friend or two (as wedding gifts) as well as my own so I figured I have experience enough for this.

The mom LOVED what I came up with so I'm feeling even more confident in my abilities. She was great to work with too.

I can proudly say I have positive feedback on my little etsy shop. I have a little more confidence in my shop now and I think it'll turn out better for making a little extra money for bills versus selling my stuff on ebay

(stuff I no longer use, of course)

www.serendipitidesign.etsy.com

My Shop Web Address!

Happy Birthday Brant

2009-08-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

For Brant's Birthday, he wanted to go to Cabela's down in Lehi. He'd been wanting to g for months, just to go and drool a bit over the pretty guns, pretty compound bows, tents, funny hunting shirts, etc. Brant decided to get himself a new hunting shirt that has a beatuiful clearing, a single elk and words RUSH HOUR in big bold letters. He also got a Team RealTree hat that has 1986 on it (his birth year). He was pretty excited about that. He also got the string on his compound bow tightened a bit and got some wax for it. He had a hayday.

We were going to eat there too, but I wasn't too keen on the idea of paying $4.50 for a 6-inch chili dog. I don't care HOW good it is. Brant was a little bummed but I told him it was either eating mediocre food there or eating at Cheesecake Factory. Needless to say, He had his heart set on cheesecake factory. The food there is a bit more worth the cost.

HAPPY 23RD BIRTHDAY BRANT

Nature Outings

2009-08-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Brant and I had the chance to go for a walk on the Logan River Trail and go fishing.

We sort went when it was a little too dark, so by the time we reached the end, it was really dark.

It was nice just talking, no distractions, and just saying hello to others we passed along the way.

This is what was at the end of the trail. We thought it was kind of cute. It also felt nice knowing we had walked that far and that it was a total of two miles since we had to turn around and go back.

This was a tree near the beginning of the trail. I really liked how the setting sun colors lit it up. I love random photos like that. They're fun and unique.

This was about the time we started the trail. These mountains are why I love living in Utah.

On Saturday, after I got off work, Brant took me up Black Fork Canyon to go fishing. I just sat and read while he fished. He caught a small one, but it was too small to keep. We plan on fishing together on our first anniversary camping trip this weekend.

This is the spot he had chosen earlier while I was at work. It was nice and shady

And me chilaxing in a camp chair, reading the time away.

We'll be taking off early Saturday to get a camping spot. It's probably going to be a busy weekend there because the Bear Lake area is celebrating Raspberry Days. They have the BEST fresh fruit shakes there. Hopefully we can get a good spot.

Recent Projects and Fun

2009-08-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

So, I got some inspiration for some creative projects from my friend two doors down, and here are the fruits of my labor! I'm so excited!

These are a set of frames I painted and wrapped in color-coordinating ribbon. I got the color scheme from a piece of scrapbook paper I really like. I especially like the green color. I LOVE green and natural colors, but moreso brighter, more vibrant greens

Here are some closeups so you can see the ribbon.

Here is another project I started. Since Brant and I are on a tighter budget, I thought crocheting an afghan for my niece's birthday would be appropriate. I had leftover yarn so I also made her a scarf. She'll be three. Her birthday is also Brant's birthday.

I have three more frames to paint with a different color scheme. I'm excited to see how they turn out. I'm kind of using the same idea, but I'm going to try something else.

I'm also going to try my luck at designing and printing Wedding Announcements/Invitations for some extra income and so my design and computer skills don't dwindle away. I have a few designs already, it's just getting the rest of the material to sell with it.

My project stuff is all over the living room and it's driving Brant nuts,

but I'm having so much fun!

How does your garden grow....

2009-07-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

Brant and I were fortunate enough to get some veggie plants from our friends next door. I had been talking about starting our own little garden since we don't buy a lot of veggies (thank Brant for that one). He seems to be more enthusiastic about eatting FRESH vegetables.

So far we have:

3 green onion plants, 1 bell pepper plant (not sure if its green, yellow, or what) and

1 tomato plant. It's HUGE!!!

Here is a shot of the flowers. I can't wait!! I LOVE fresh tomatoes!

These are the flowers I got for my birthday from Brant's Mom and sisters. Brant told them I wanted to have some flowers to take care of because it was something I always did with my Mom during the summer. She and I would find new creative ways to landscape the yard. It was our "thing". The biggest start was when we landscaped around the two evergreen trees in the front yard. we planted some roses and a juniper-type looking tree (I'll be darned if I can't remember what it's called) in the center. If you were to look down at it, it would look wavy, instead of being in a straight line. Doesn't make much sense to anyone but me, oh well.

Hopefully I can keep everything alive!! Hopefully my green thumb makes itself known.

Some pictures I found.....

2009-07-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

I was going through a lot of my pictures, putting them in my scrapbook pile or putting them into photo albums, and I found the pictures from my black belt test on April 18, 2009. I was really excited to find them because I have been wanting to put them in my scrapbook, as well as enlarge one with Master Hall (my teachers' teacher). I scanned them in and I picked out a few of my favorites.

I'm lining up my boards here.Here I am in the process of breaking them. I had to break 8 boards in 10 seconds. I managed to break them all in about 14 because my last break was a little difficult. It was a 360 degree jump back kick. I realize that only means something to me, but its a neat kick.

Here, Jessica and I are sparring. It's like a play-fight without full-on contact. It takes a lot of control to attack without making contact. Light contact is acceptable.

Here I am during a poomse

(a fighting dance trainees practiced to learn how to combine techniques)

My brother Matt, Me, Kathy, (behind her) Master Hall, Lance, and Jessica

Here I am shaking hands with Kathy (My teacher)

Here I am receiving my black belt certificate from Master Hall

And last but not least, I am receiving my black belt, Yahoo!

The Long Awaited Graduation Pictures

2009-07-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from my graduation, May 2, 2009. I had to get some good scans because I never got digital copies from my mom. Enjoy!

JoAnn Wilson and I, as I receive my degree (actually its just the cover for it, they mail the real thing out later, and I have yet to receive it) I finally earned by Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design!!

Darrin Brooks, Me and Steven Mansfield. Two of my professors
(Don't tell, but Steve is my favorite)

My Hubby and I afterwards (Isn't he cute!?)

Steve and I, just before my name was announced

And here I am walking to my seat before the ceremony began. The white sash is the Stole of Gratitude. It's given by the graduate to the person they feel helped them the most throughout their education. I gave mine to my mom, but she insisted I keep it with my graduation cap and everything.

The lights were REALLY yellow, so no, I did not color my hair or anything. It was great having my and Brant's families there to support me and celebrate with me.

Afterwards we went to Olive Garden to have a nice lunch. There are two parts to the actualy graduation ceremony. The first is a general for all the colleges, and they award honored staff and dignitaries, etc, etc. The Second part is when each college separates for their own ceremony. Luckily, my college (Humanities, Art and Social Science - H.A.S.S) was in that same building and started directly after the first portion. However, they were both long enough that EVERYone was really hungry. I have now been graduated just over 2 months. It's been great. the job market is awful, so I'm staying at Staples. It doesn't pay as much as I would like, but every little bit helps.

Thank you to everyone who came to support me, to those who sent me cards because of the distance, and those who wrote to me.

One Week and Three Days later....

2009-06-18T23:57:00.000-07:00

Fair warning: This is a little bit lengthy, be prepared

Brant and I have been moved in for a week and three days now, and boy are we glad to have ALL our stuff (junk and useless items included) in our new place. Moving day could have gone much better, but we're glad it happened and was not put off again. To start, I was disappointed I had to work that day, but I got off at four. I proceeded to head to our old place to change into appropriate moving clothes and join-up with Brant and my family, who were so gracious as to help us move stuff. I don't know how we woud have accomplished that day without them.

Anyway, so I change my clothes and call Brant only to find out there was a new lock on our storage unit door. Apparently, the bookkeeping division of our storage provider is AWFUL. In May, we were checking our bank account to see which checks had cleared and which had not. This was on May 13th, our rent was due the 7th. Normally it is taken out by then. So we call, the storage unit person tells us it probably got lost and to then cancel the lost check, and send a new one. We would not be charged the late fee - we also included a written note with the new check explaining the situation and who we spoke with. So we figure everything is hunky-dory only to find out the storage unit people think we have NOT paid and claim the check we sent won't let them use it - they really DID have the first "lost" check, and were too stupid to realize it, and THEN claiming they never received the other check. To add to our luck, the owner was on VACATION and they hired a TEMP to replace him. She had no idea how to run things, and we SHOWED her bank documents to prove we had sent the check and that our two days (june 8th and 9th) were to be prorated. She didn't believe us andtold us we had to pay her $70 to remove the lock. My parents AND Brant were all yelling at her that she was wrong, that it was the company's fault and error, and to remove the lock. My dad went so far as to call a lawyer about it.

This all happened while I was at work. my family had been sitting around for 2 and a half hours waiting for this dippy girl to show up. She kept saying "I'll be there n 20 minutes" and never show. She finally gets there and thats when the fighting began. Well, my parents paid the $70 because she was being so stupid, stubborn, and unreasonabl; Brant and I are penny-pinching right now, so we couldn't afford the money, otherwise we'd be delinquent on on of our bills. Brant has been calling every other day since to speak with the owner and chew him up for the distress and delay he caused us because he can't do his own book-keeping.

Next, it was raining all day and the day after, and the day after, etc, etc. It's been raining a LOT this year, more than normal. So we're moving everything in the rain, and getting somewhat wet. It made it difficult, but then again, the rain is a blessing.

So, here we are, still with several unpacked boxes. We've made three trips to D.I. and gotten rid of a lot, for a newly-wed couple. I still have many more boxes, like child-hood stuff and holiday decorations, but it's hard to let go when it reminds me of childhood memories. I'm very sentimental. Our married friends two doors down helped us dejunk, moreso the wife than the husband. She helped me get in a 'let go' mood and filled my car. It's looking more and more like a home, but it will take time to get it all the way we want it to be. Just another task on the to-do list.

Spreading the music - Jon Schmidt

2009-06-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

Found this posted on a friends blog, and she said to share it. After I listened to it, I coudn't help NOT sharing it. It is absolutely amazing. I think it is songs like this that remind me why I like music so much. Most of the people who know me fairly well know that I always have music playing when I am able. Otherwise I hum little tunes or sing parts of songs I know the tunes and words. Take the time to listen to it, and I mean LISTEN to it. Ignore any distractions and FEEL the emotion and passion and joy that was put into this song.

Crochet Fun

2009-06-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

I have known how to crochet for about 8 years now.
However, during the last 5 years I haven't been able to fervently on a project

(namely I haven't been able to finish anything I start).
It has been quite frustrating because I learned all these different crochet stitches and now I don't remember anything past a slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet, chain stitch, and a front post double crochet stitch. I used to know all these neat, decorative stitches and I've lost them all. My friend and I decided to start crocheting together, with me relearning and she learning altogether. It was a hilarious experience. Imagine two women sitting on a sofa, with yarn and hook in hand. In front of them, sitting on the coffee table, is a laptop. On the screen is the youtube.com main screen. The two women are searching for self-help videos to learn how to do these stitches.

Yeah, that was us. We started and finished winter hats together that same night. We felt very accomplished. Actually it was more like we started that night and worked into the early hours of morning. It was 5 a.m. before I finally looked at my watch. We have a great time together. It's nice having more estrogen around. The testosterone is killing me.

Below are two small afaghans I've made, once is still being made. The hat is the one mentioned above. The unused skeins of yarn are for a new project for my neice. I hope she likes it! The afaghan I'm currently making is kind of skee-whomp-us. I wasn't paying much attention to the number of stitches I had so it's not my best work. It's one I can look back at and laugh about because I am so clueless sometimes. Ask my mom. She can tell you stories....

Moving Day Looming Overhead

2009-06-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

So far, Brant and I have not heard from the weird lady living in our soon-to-be new home. We're fervently, yet exhaustedly packing more boxes and I think it shows. We're getting excited again too. Right now, we are down to 5 days til the morning of Moving Day.

We're going to be tight for a while, which means we'll be relearning frugality. We're setting new rules, and I'm tempted to turn it into a household 'constitution' Hee hee.
Anyway, I took some pictures of us packing so you can see how many boxes we are living around and out of. It's crazy how much stuff and junk we have. I am going to have a hayday dejunking as we move. I'm sure brant will too. He's excited to take boxes of stuff to the local D.I. As this day has crept ever closer, I've been jumping ahead of things and looking at the curtains I want, rugs, wall decor, side tables, etc. Its torture! Don't ask me why I do it. I can't help myself. I'm so excited for a place to call my own.

Moving Day complications... GAHH!!!

2009-05-28T14:55:00.001-07:00

Alright, so Brant and I are supposed to be moving into our new place by the fifth of June, as I have aforementioned. WELL.... Brant called the lady who is the current tenant of our new place to see if she still needs help moving (she had knee surgery recently). Come to find out, she still hasn't found a place to live and is telling us to find another place to live.

Um, I DON'T THINK SO!!

Needless to say, Brant was over at the new place in a flash, without saying a word to me, only telling me "he'll call me later" to explain things. He also went to Coldwell Banker (who rent these particular townhomes out) to tell them what this lady is trying to do to us. She has already signed her 30-day notice to vacate and we have already signed OUR contract to be moved in by the fifth. Well, Coldwell is trying to cater to both of us, even though this lady is totally taking advantage of us and giving us ONE WEEK notice of her current plans.

She told us to move into low-income housing, which Brant explained, we don't qualify to move into them. We make a little too much. Then has the gall to tell Brant he's taking advantage of a jobless women with a child (who is 17 and should be working to support his mother, not sitting around doing nothing) and is getting TONS of money from the government.

We're both really bitter about this and Coldwell says we can't move in til the ninth. If she isn't out, she's getting all her stuff tossed out on the street.

She is a grown adult, whom I assumed was responsible to enough to find a place to live BEFORE filling out a vacate-notice. Apparently not. So, now we have to pay an extra month on the storage unit we should be rid of by the seventh of June.

I hope she doesn't get caterred to anymore. Granted she has been through a divorce and all, but Brants' mother has been through two knee surgeries involving several blood clots, two divorces and responsible to for raising FOUR children. She had it way worse than this lady. If Brants' mom can do it, so can this lady.

2009-05-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

Moving Day??

Today was an exciting day for Brant and I. We went to check out a few places in a complex in Southern Logan and we put in an application for a place!! They are Fourplex-Townhomes and there are only like 12 buildings. They're mostly young familes (no drunk college kids) so it will be MUCH quieter than where we live now. Plus no more people running up and down the stairs, causing the stairs to rattle like crazy. It's right by a golf course, two parks, a small zoo, the fair grounds and further away from fast food places, so it's not so tempting to eat out. It is right along a VERY quiet street with lots of shade trees. We can BBQ and there is a small deck (6' X 4' or so) so I can have a small planter for tomatoes and and flowers. We're hoping the current tenant in this place (a single girl) isn't a messy person. So far we're sure she doesn't smoke, so that is a plus. Hopefully we'll be moving in June 1 or so. YAY! moving pictures soon to follow.

One Week Left To Go....

2009-04-24T21:49:00.001-07:00

As of today, I have one week left of school - which is FINALS WEEK

I was able to take one final early because it was on the same day as another. I love my professor! She's the greatest! Now, I only have two to worry about.

I am so excited to be graduating! I was a little disappointed that graduation was going to be longer than I thought, but then I thought,

'What is a couple hours compared to FIVE years of college??'

Yeah, I think I can handle it.

I have already sent out all of my announcements and am enjoying feeling the stress lift from my shoulders. Brant may be more excited than I am. He's been with me through two of those five years, and after many 'Jessie-freak out sessions' and many sleepless nights, he is definitely ready.

Now we just need to get ready to move. We found a place across town away from noisy, drunk, obnoxious students. It's a rental townhome with two bedrooms on the second floor and an open first floor. It's really well-sized. I can't wait to move in and decorate.

We'll definitely need to buy a lot of things. We need at least 4 sets of curtains and lots of little things to make it feel like our home. We're excited because we currently have a roommate. She's been my friend since I started school here in Logan, and we got an apartment together because we got tired of our living conditions at the time. We thought everything would work well, but it has been awkward. Having a friend live with a newly-wedded couple isn't a good pairing. I know it's been tough on her, just as much as us.

I'll be sure to have moving pictures up when moving day comes.

H.A.S.S. Award Ceremony

2009-04-05T21:51:00.000-07:00

It was a Tuesday afternoon, say 2 p.m., and I was sorting the mail. Lo and behold, there was a small envelope for me. It was from my college within the University and apparently, I had been named Student of the Year in Interior Design Sales and Marketing! However, the ceremony was to be held THAT FRIDAY! ACK! I was freaking out, wondering if I could get anyone to come and then noticed that I was supposed to RSVP three days previous to my receiving the invite. I called, the lady at the other end apologized like crazy, then called my mom wondering if she could get off work early, THEN I had to call a girl I work with to see if she would take part of my shift friday so I could go.

Well, then my mom calls back, says she and my dad are taking the day off and coming up! Yay! But wait! I still have to work part of that night! AHH!! So I call up my coworker again and ask her to take the whole shift since my family was coming. She agreed which I am ETERNALLY grateful for.

It was a stressful two days for that. The ceremony was great. They awarded awesome staff, faculty and students. I was amazed at the achievements of some students. For my section of the awards, I was awarded by my department head, Joann Wilson. She is a really neat lady. She wants to entirely revamp my emphasis within the major because she feels it doesn't receive the attention it deserves.

To reiterate for you, this is how it kind of works: During your sophomore year, you're with 50-60 other people doing studio work. Then you have to go through Sophomore review, the most stressful week of your LIFE because what projects you have completed determine whether you get into Design Studio, Design Sales & Marketing or neither. Well, I got Sales and Marketing. I cried and got over it. During your Junior year, you have two design related classes and then all business classes. Lastly, by the time you reach your Senior year, you feel like you practically belong to the Business College because you live in the Business Building. However, they won't claim you and you never see anyone from your department besides the 8 little Seminars throughout each semester. You feel like you have been orphaned or abandoned and you feel like your classes are repetitive and redundant. It sucks. But, this is the good part, Joann wants to meet with me if I'm still around next year to possibly help out! I would love nothing more than to revamp my emphasis. It would be awesome!

Joann and I (with my totally awesome award)

My totally wonderful family who got time off to come up and support me

Needless to say I am excited about this, but I am much more excited about graduating and being done with homework for good. Unless I go crazy and decide to go to Grad school later on...

2009-03-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

IT HAS HAPPENED.................. THE UNTHINKABLE HAS OCCURRED

...................I HAVE CUT MY HAIR

This is before.............

Drum Roll..........

More Drum Roll.............

GAHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh!

I LOVE IT!!!!!

It took me five months to get to this point. Brant was there through the whole thing in case I cried, which I didn't. I was totally excited. I think it looks great, so does Brant.

Stacey, you helped me do it. You were my inspiration!

I figured it was finally time. I need a new hair style. Especially since I am graduating and entering the workforce as soon as I find a decent job.
When the stylist was done, I looked at the floor. It looked like a dead shi-tzuh. Brant heartily agreed.

So I must say that I am so excited to graduate. I have everything bought or ordered, so that part is out of the way. It cost enough $140! I know I probaly spent more when I graduated from high school, but things seemed less expensive back then. Back then?! What am I saying? I graduated from high school only six years ago! Good grief.

2009-02-26T22:58:00.000-08:00

FINALLY! I GOT MY COFFEE TABLE!

I am immensely proud of myself for this one. I found this coffee table sitting at

Shopko for 50% OFF!!

It was the last day of their randome 3-day sale that I happened to walk in on! yay!

I am also roud of myself for putting the whole thing together without the help of a man *ahem, Brant*

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This is one of the GORGEOUS wreaths that Shalice and Delene (two of my sisters-in-law) made of my wedding bouquet. Thank You Both!!

Here is the other wreath. Aren't they just beautiful?? I LOVE them. I hung them up as soon as Brant and I got home. I can't believe I haven't put these on here already!

So, hopefully next on the list of things to spruce up the apartment will be my slipcover, pillows, and a rug. Brant is still stuck on getting a new TV, however, I support him on this one. his current tv had a big problem a few months ago and pretended to be dead, so we're aiming for something nice that will last for a long time, like a 32" LCD. Yes, I know. Lofty aspirations

Brant's Recliner

2009-02-17T21:56:00.000-08:00

Okay World, Here it is: Brant's Desirable Recliner in all its glory and comfort.

Yes, I have sat in it and found it rather comfortable.

Luckily, I had the joy of being at work while he put it together.

I told him to look excited considering how much he has wanted this thing, but he said he was so tired after initially trying to get it home, then putting it together. I expect to find him asleep on the thing for several evenings in a row while he "molds his butt" to it.

Now we have to find that coffee table. I'm thinking a dark brown coffee table and a darker cream-colored slip cover for the sofa, then blue pillows, with hints of green, cream and brown in them. I want a rug too, did I alrady mention that??

2009-02-16T15:20:00.000-08:00

Well world, It has finally happened.

Brant finally has his comfy recliner. **Hallelujah!!**

He has been wanting one for quite some time. A chair to call his own. I will be sure to post a picture of him being lazy on it. He gets to pick it up tomorrow.

Because he got his chair, I told him that I get to pick out our coffee table when we head down to salt lake city this friday. He argued that he gets to have a little say in it, so he will get as little say possible. HA HA! Okay, I know that was mean, but he knows I love him. I'm excited to get the coffee table. The one we inherited from my family was the one I grew up with and let's just say that it has seen better days. He donated it to DI several months ago because it just wasn't working and it looked awful. It definitely showed the signs of child-wear. My brother and I really beat it up growing up.

Our next goal after that is to buy a slipcover for his hand-me-down sofa. Don't get me wrong, it's nice, but it is a nice pastel green and I like colors to be a bit darker on furniture to give a little more substance and presence in a room. (Confessions of an interior designer here, lol)

Maybe if I am lucky he will let me get a rug too. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Now, how do I convince him to get his gunsafe out of the bedroom???

Miscellaneous thoughts on life

2009-02-10T20:34:00.000-08:00

Can I start out by saying that I wish someone would tell the younger generations that life gets more and more hectic. I know life gets harder, but good grief!

Okay, that was my little vent for the day. School has been pretty busy, as usual. I'm looking at buying some graduation announcements, but as usual, I don't have everyones' addresses. I really need to get on top of that. Brant seems to think it is too expensive to get them, but you only graduate once with a bachelor's. I'm excited for that. I'm ready to just work and get paid for it versus working, taking it home and paying someone to give the project to you. It'll also be nice to go to bed at a decent hour versus 3 in the morning. ICK
It's strange, once you get married, at least for me, I felt obligated to write a Christmas letter to everyone and their dog, plus their dog's cousin. I feel obligated to be something close to a perfect housewife, which is a laugh to me. I've always been miss independent, just ask my mother. Being married, I feel like it is my duty to keep in contact with family and friends because I know Brant will never do it. He is too busy playing video games or shooting his guns at empty mountain dew bottles.

So, for anyone who ever finds this little blog in the wide world of blogging, Brant and I will be moving in May. It's just to the southern area of Logan, which will be nice. We're looking at renting a town home. I don't want to buy anything because we're only staying here for about 2 years, then moving who knows where. I'm way excited to move because our apartment building and manager are AWFUL. We unfortunately live in an apartment building full of single college students who like drugs and beer. We get cigarette butts and beer cans on our porch all the time. Brant finally got sick of it and yelled at particular apartment full of people and scared the crap out of them! It was hilarious! I never knew a half-drunk could be so scared! I figured they were just clueless and in a state of stupor.

Oh, on an exciting note, I have two new baby cousins! One from cousin Brett and his wife Stacey, and another from my cousin Adam and his soon-to-be wife Ashley. Both of these women are absolutely wonderful! I'm happy to have them in the family. The two babies, both boys, are so adorable and sweet. I'm probably going to consider them more as nephews than cousins. Past, first cousins, children are like nieces and nephews. That just means more little ones to spoil!!

The Wedding, The Honeymoon, The Wife dying to graduate from school...

2009-01-29T23:10:00.000-08:00

So, Brant and I were married in August of 2008 in the GORGEOUS Mount Timpanogos Temple. We had a few little fiascos the morning of, but they worked themselves. The day progressed well, but not quickly enough for some. *hint*hint*

The reception went rather well, we got lots of nice things and got to see a lot of new and familiar faces.

We went to Las Vegas for our Honeymoon, and we had a wonderful time. However, I do NOT suggest to ANYONE to travel to Vegas during the month of August. It was horribly hot outside (no brainer there) and terribly cold inside. You would think that is a good thing, but the A/C was turned on so high in every building that I nearly froze!!

Here are the two of us standing in front the GORGEOUS fountain at the Forum Shops, where everything cost more than my entire WEDDING!

I am, alas, still in school, but fortunately, I am graduating this semester. I am SO ready for this.

So is Brant. He has been so helpful and diligent in putting up with my freak-out sessions when I have a big assignment due or a scary exam. He is just wonderful.