Thursday, November 3, 2011

Easy Christmas Ornament: Wedding Invitation

After strolling around one fine day on Pinterest I came across this project. Now, after all the wedding planning we did, and the stress of the invitation wording, I was excited to pull the extra invitations out and test this project out. (Lord knows I can't throw them away)
All you need is a clear Christmas Ornament, Scissors, and your extra wedding invitation.

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Cut your invitation into strips, select the most important parts, ie names, date, time. If you have fun scissors, don't be afraid to use those too! I used that on the design portion for a little filler!

I also had some left over Baby's Breath from our centerpieces that I let dry, just for crafts like this, so I threw that in there as well!

Voila! Here is the finished product!


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I am so looking forward to hanging this on our Christmas tree this year, our first year as a married couple and exactly 6 months into our marriage!

This can be adapted to anything you would like to remember on Christmas day, baby announcements, graduations, engagements, first homes, or heck, just put some ribbon in!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

DIY Laundry Suds

My sister/assistant found this easy Laundry detergent on Yellow Brick Home, a SUPER awesome blog. We thought we would give it a go.

Ingredients:
1 Assistant
1 Cup of Borax
1 Cup of Arm & Hammer All Natural Super Washing Soda
1 Bar of Fels-Naptha Soap (Some use Dove or Ivory soap too)
1 Cute Jar to put it in

My assistant (pictured below) and I got all the ingredients at ACE Hardware. Crazy right? Apparently, this joint has everything you could ever want! I see stocking stuffer shopping there in my future.

First, line up all your ingredients, and put your assistant to work on grating the Bar of Soap
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My assistant was bright enough to bring her antique cheese grater. I can't imagine grating this on the janky plastic grater I have. This took no time at all.

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Measure your powdered ingredients

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Mix well and put in your cute jar.

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This maybe took us 30 minutes and only cost about $10 for all the ingredients. But there is enough Borax and Arm & Hammer for many more batches of this easy, at-home, laundry detergent.

It only takes about a tablespoon per laundry load.

Try it out and let me know how you like it!

Monday, August 1, 2011

For the love of Raisins

When I was young I was fortunate enough to have joint custody with my parents. I love both sets of parents, but in my youth I thought they were surely trying to torture me, as I am sure most children do. They would make me comb out my curly mop which would dread lock itself immediately after I put my clothes on. They would make me take baths and brush my teeth, They gave me a strict bed time and made me read instead of watch TV. It was a tough childhood I must tell you.

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When I would spend my two weeks at my dad's he would take it a step further. He made me eat a sack lunch made with love instead of the "Hot Lunch" that all my friends got to eat. Man I longed for those toxic cherries and chicken fried steak covered in mystery gravy. But no, my parents insisted that a whole wheat (not white bread) PB&JR sandwich was the proper meal for me, along with a string cheese, carrots and a juice box, and 3 Chunky Chips Ahoy! if I was lucky. Now, you might be saying to yourself that I made a typo above. No... it really was a PB&JR.


PB&JR = Peanut Butter and Jelly Raisin Sandwich.

After years, and I really do mean years, of consuming this sandwich, I finally persueded my father to stop putting raisins in between the slices of wheat bread. I was a bright girl though, I knew my dad well. Sometimes he would "forget" that I didn't enjoy this "delicacy" so I checked my sandwich daily. He finally grew tired of my complaining and put nary a raisin in my lunch bag.

Until one day. It was an abnormally cloudy day in the 6th grade, and I should have know something was wrong in the universe. I sat on the orange bench at the bleach scented lunch table and munched on my PB&J, when all of the sudden there was a texture out of place. My father had place a single raisin in the middle of my sandwich. I raised my fist to the sky hollering "Noooooooooooooooooooooooo" for he had truly tricked this little girl. When he picked me up from school that day I let him have it. How could he dupe his little girl in such a cruel way?

If I had known then that this would be one of my favorite memories of my dad, well I wouldn't have changed a thing, but maybe I would have cherished those healthy lunches a little more.

Now my husband makes me my daily PB&Js. He is trying to perfect them to meet my picky standards, set by my father. PFunk also bought me little boxes of raisins for a little snack... so one day, just for old time's sake, I put one in my sammie and sent the pic to my dad.

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My lunch isn't as healthy as it once was, but that is the joy of being an adult

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Today I am very grateful for the way I was raised, even if I thought it was torture at the time.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Put a cork in it!

What do you do when you were born and raised by winos, when all your friends are winos, and your in-laws are winos? Well, you collect corks to do crafts!

My cork board process...

First I grabbed my huge collection of corks from a few years of drinking too much wine. Also, my glue gun and a plethora of glue sticks.

Then I decide which part of the cork I like the best and ensure it will be visible

Glue two corks together and then glue 4 sets together in a parquet pattern

Then glue the parquet piece together to the desired width and height and voila! You have a new fancy cork board!

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This may be my most expensive craft to date, but it is going to be AWESOME when I get it on my wall in my new fancy craft room! This is going to hold onto all the things that inspire me!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Daily Dose...

Not too long ago my sister talked me into meeting her in Old Town Scottsdale for a little Saturday brunch. If you know me at all, I rarely never pass up a brunch invitation. I love brunch. We went to a new hip joint called "Daily Dose." Outside of this restaurant there are adirondack chairs sitting out front under some misters. You are sure to get a little sun if you are waiting, which we did. But, I think this is a nice touch. You get to people watch and in Old Town, that is always a treat! Tourists, people on the walk of shame, etc...

Once we were sat our server was a little quiet and not outgoing at all, but we will let it slide. I ordered my signature brunch drink, a Bloody Mary, and Tel ordered hers, the Mimosa. (Very telling of our personalities) My Bloody Mary came with an extra large straw, perhaps to allow the bacon to flow freely. We also decided to split our brunch and we ordered the Southwest Wrap. It was delicious, but the chorizo was a little too salty. Had I been hungover I may be singing a different tune about the salt content. Splitting the dish was a good choice because it would have surely been too much for just me!
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I think I would go back again to try a different dish and different serve should I be in Old Town for brunch another day. Maybe to enjoy the patio. ..

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Finally... It is done-ish!

Well, tonight was an interesting one to say the least. As I mentioned in my last post, the heat of the AZ summer puts me in fight or flight mode, which also puts me in a constant state of anxiousness. When I arrived home P Funk wanted to chat about my current goings ons... but that seemed like a large order, so we went to sushi instead. Going out to eat always seems to ease my mind, or at least distract me for a bit.

When we got home I decided it was time to get my craft room put together. So I did.
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This is going to be my new zen space. I have space to do yoga, I have my ergonomic chair and I am really digging it so far. I need another lamp, preferably a floor lamp, some shelves, a small cabinet and a plant. I am also going to re-screen my shoji screen for a little privacy. P Funk has his man cave, and I have this... I am grateful. He can also sit in here with me on my reading chairs, just to enjoy music or each others company.

Do you have a zen space? What makes it so?

Monday, July 25, 2011

Cabin Fever... for the fourth year

Painting by John McClusky
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.  ~Albert Camus

When it gets this hot out, and the monsoons and haboobs come rolling in, I truly believe my body goes into fight or flight mode. Anxiety rises, the heat stifles  and I move slower than normal and things just seem so much more difficult. At this point in the year, I stand in my closet in the mornings and start to think of my jackets and layering, open windows and eating outside. I long for fall.

But, until that time, I will dream of the golden colors and turn my A/C way up so I can cuddle under my snuggie.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

My autumn goal...

 After visiting Idaho and my BFF's house I found my garden envy strengthening. Not only does she have a thriving garden, but my neighbor has a THRIVING garden in AZ, and I may have developed a near obsession like love for Aura Joon's garden.  So, to take care of this envy, I am going to be tearing out my ugly backyard lantanas (my front yard lantanas are beautiful and brilliant) and planting a vegetable garden!

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I plan on having the husband build a raised garden bed, as the soil in AZ is garbage, this fall.I will be starting some seedlings indoors this January and then will be transplanting everything as required to have myself a thriving, sustainable garden.

I will hopefully be growing the following veggies and herbs:
  • Cucumbers
  • Various Lettuce Varieties
  • Bell Peppers
  • Tomatoes
  • Jalapenos
  • Lavender
  • Basil
  • Mint
I am starting my pumpkin seedlings soon so I might have a little pumpkin by fall?

Share any expertise you may have on desert gardening please!

Friday, July 15, 2011

My dark, dirty secret...

I unabashedly admit that I am embarrassed to share this post... but, I believe it will keep me in check... at least for a little while.


This weekend I took a good hard look at my closet... after the wedding it was in worse shape than ever. So... here it is...The door won't even open all the way.


I have a denim and hoodie addiction... cripes...
And, after 6+ hours of folding, organizing, donating, color coordinating, etc... I could see my carpet and feel like I have a whole new wardrobe!!


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I got rid of quite a bit... even some hoodies, which, if you would have told me 2 years ago I would part with any of my collection I would have called you a liar.

(I apologize for the blurry pics... I was shakin' in my boots looking at this mess...)

So, what are your plans for the weekend??

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Just where I want to be...

26 now, well, tomorrow.
I am exactly where I want to be.
I am married to the man of my dreams, I live in an amazing home, I have a pool to relax in, and I have my family.

I feel very blessed to be where I am. My whole life I thought I would be married at 22, maybe 23 and have a baby on the way by 25. I am so grateful that is not the case. It isn't a bad plan for anyone, but as time has gone by, I have realized, had I gone down that path, I wouldn't be here.

I have developed new friendships, a new family, and new traditions.

Now, hanging Christmas lights in 90 degree weather isn't my favorite thing to do, and spending holidays and birthdays away from my immediate family, well that wasn't in the plans either. But having a place for all my friends and family to stay when they need a break from the cool, gloomy weather... that makes up for it all.


Now, I am looking toward the future. From here on out I am going to be a better wife, better daughter, better sister and better family member. Here is to 26, and the best life I could have ever dreamed of.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

I am byaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

I have returned, and I have a new last name! Our wedding was outstanding and I couldn't have asked for a sweeter day. My husband and I didn't see each other for over 12 hours prior to the ceremony, and I can't say I have ever wanted to see him more than I did at 6 pm on June 25th, 2011.

I am waiting for my photographer to get her AWESOME pro pics to us, but I am so glad I had some friends sharing this day with us to snap a few candids! Here are some of my faves!


  As soon as the music started playing, I lost it. My dad tried to get me to focus on my steps instead of the music, and my man of my dreams at the end of the aisle. But when you are listening to this song, and it is singing every truth I have ever felt towards my love, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed. I collected myself and managed to smile the smile I have been waiting to smile for the past year!


I made it up to my sweetest of hearts and we immediately held hands. Everything I felt for the entire day escaped through my fingertips and the electricity between us was palpable.


Our first kiss was the best first kiss of my entire life. I have never kissed a boy in front of my family, and man I did it right! Ha! There was more passion in that kiss than any other kiss... what is the Princess Bride saying? "Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind."


And now, I am the happiest I have ever been in my entire life!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Fast approaching

The wedding date is fast approaching, and rather than feel guilty about not blogging (because I do have a TON of things to blog about, but I have no time to do it!) I have decided to go on a blogging holiday. I will not be posting until after the wedding because my life is filled with work, scouring emails, following up with vendors, etc... I just can't do it.

I will be back in July to fill the blogosphere with my wedding adventures and everything leading up to it.

Here is a photog of Pfunk and me when we first met in 2009...seems like a million years ago... (who drinks out of aluminum bottles???)


And this is us now, days away from taking our vows... I would be lying if I said I didn't have some idea we would be at this point the first night we met. I knew there would be an "us" and a "forever."

I will catch you on the flip side!
Hasta!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Best part of my night...

Just when I didn't think I could recover from my stressful night (25 days until the wedding day for crying out loud!) Pfunk made me this heart out of an envelope and delivered me a glass of wine. No wonder I am marrying him. He is the sweetest man on Earth.
Now if you are saying, "I thought you weren't drinking until the wedding." Plans have changed... that is all I am doing... to keep some sort of sanity... Well, maybe just a glass or two a night.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial weekend...

It is that time of year again. The smell of sunscreen permeates the air, my sister is going cherry wild, and PFunk is starting to drink Miller Chill. Summer is upon us, but somehow, God has blessed us with a GLORIOUS 85 degree day in late May.

Today I am sitting poolside, watching PFunk pumice the side of the pool, while I blog, read my book and drink cucumber water... in an attempt to make up for the massive amounts of wine and beer that was consumed over the long weekend. We have determined that living in the heat has justified our "vacation" lifestyle.
We lounge around in bed all day...

Take naps morning noon and night....

Blog by the pool in my LARGE hat...

Read books, eat cucumbers, drink cucumber water

and just hang by the pool in general.

Who could ask for a better life? If only it were really a vacation and we didn't have to go back to work tomorrow.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Wedding wine box!





Mustang Man's dad offered to build us the wine box for our wedding ceremony.
The wine box will hold a bottle of wine, two wine glasses and love letters that Mustang Man and I have written to each other. The wine box will be opened annually on our anniversary. Each year we will replace the wine and the love letters for the next year.
When we received the package from the mail man I was so excited! Once it was opened, the water works started flowing!
Less than a month away... I am so excited!
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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Piggy Backing for a good Cause...

... and in all honesty, I have been wanting to do this post for a few weeks now. If you follow Mrs. B. Kim's blog at all you will see a few posts  (most recent included) about her BFF Sasha traveling to Uganda, you may remember this one... you know, the one about the Royal Wedding? Well, she gave a little plug at the end of it requesting folks help her BFF get to Uganda to help with Krochet Kids Intl.  by clicking on this link and buying some dope stuff that Sasha's creative chums donated for her cause! So, buy dope stuff I did... well a painting... and when I came home to this box,


well, I was muy excited! 
As quick as I could I opened the box to find loads of goodies! 


Stickers galore!!! (I might need too go buy a new Nalgene bottle just for this collection).


And, last but not least, the painting I ordered. I knew I needed it the moment I saw it! I was so glad it hadn't already sold! Sasha's friend recreated the painting Miss Dior by artist Rene Gruau.


There are still several items left to purchase on Sasha's  tumbler here and here if you want to help her help others! It is a pretty amazing cause.

Or, follow Mrs. B. Kim's advice.

A Life time Juxtaposition

The last few weeks I have been feeling very nostalgic. Everything seems to remind me of home, or a moment in time. Whether it is someone wearing my mother’s perfume, or the dairy cows I can smell in the morning, even the moisture in the air can take me back several years to a camping trip or something. It all takes me back and gives me a funny feeling in my tummy. I don’t know that it makes me miss home, but it makes me want to create that same important feeling, the feeling that I will remember later in my life.


Last night, CatMT posted about a Bonnie Raitt cover, sang by Bon Iver. I was trying in vain to play it on my Android. As I put my head on my pillow, I was hoping it was I Can’t Make You Love Me. When I arrived at work I remembered that I REALLY wanted to hear the cover, so again, I went to CatMT’s blog and pulled it up. Sho’ enough, it was I Can’t Make You Love Me! Although Bon Iver certainly doesn’t belt it out the way Bonnie does, it took my heart back to my first year in high school when my darling sister sang that song in voice lessons. Man she could have given Bonnie a run for her money! And like everything she does, it was amazing. I still try to get her to sing it every once in a while…

Bon Iver’s version reminded me of (although possibly quite cheesy) Maxwell’s This Woman’s Work. The sentiment in his voice, connecting to the memories I have with the song made me feel overly emotional and nearly on the verge of tears.


It also took me back to those weekend mornings when we would be rallied out of bed, breakfast was scarfed and then it was on to chores. Bonnie Raitt would be be blasting though the speakers of our old stereo and I can still remember the warm sun spots on the carpet where I would lay down just listening to her sing… procrastinating.



Now that I am older, wiser, and quite possibly hipper, this Bon Iver cover fits perfectly into my life. The “Skinny Love” singer melts my soul with his breathy vocals, and this song in particular has created a new memory in my heart and created a new stamp in my life to reflect back to. Perhaps I will remember the wedding planning, or the chill in the air this morning… who is to know until I hear it again a few years down the road.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Trying to get it right… again.

In my past life, I was very physically active and very healthy. I was at the gym every day… well, nearly every day. But I was never a beefcake, In fact, even when I was able to curl 20 lb dumbbells my muscles were never bigger than they are now. “Ligament strength” they say. Truth be told, I don’t know if large muscles are ever a girl’s motive to work out. It is usually weight loss, a flat stomach and nice bum. For me, it is health. I don’t want to lose weight, or get those six pack abs (well that isn’t a “goal” per say, would I be upset about it? No.) I just want to be healthy, live a happy life and feel good in the process.

The last 6 months have REALLY slipped for me. I have been eating processed foods, meat occasionally, drinking lots of red wine and haven’t looked at my tennis shoes for… about 6 months. They are collecting dust under my desk at work.


 The way things have been going I feel weighed down, depressed, VERY low on motivation & self esteem, and tired 100% of the day. I even feel like my social skills have been suffering. How could they not be? Today I read this article on Yahoo! about food myths. I read things I already knew, and it DID encourage me to get my rear in gear, we all need reminders! Health is one of the most important things to me and I am so frustrated I let myself get this far out of control.

 Tonight my fiancĂ© and I will be heading to Lifetime Fitness to start up our memberships again. We have one month and one day until the wedding, and neither of us are where we want to be. Processed foods are a way of the past, starting today! If food doesn’t have nutritional value, it is not going into this body. The most difficult part of this? I am giving up Dr. Pepper again. Being healthy takes a lot of work, more work than most know... it isn't a diet, it is a life style change... and I need to get back to it!

My Health Goals: (whether extended or immediate)

  1. Eat more whole foods (80% of daily diet)- need to create meal plans
  2. Increase Energy- Increase Motivation
  3. Attend yoga classes for physical/spiritual/mental health
  4. Correct Body Fat : Muscle Ratio
  5. Run 3-5 miles without stopping
  6. Work out in the morning twice a week 5:30 AM with neighbor Jackie
  7. Build shoulder muscles (for wedding pictures!)
  8. Increase core strength (reduces visible food baby)
  9. Buy Vibram 5 Fingers for barefoot running initiative
If anyone has tips on how to get back on track, and stay on track I would love to hear them! I am begging for all the encouragement and motivation I can get!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Surviving the Weekend

Well, we literally survived the weekend! Not only did the rapture not happen, but we also survived our engagement picture session in the heat, dog sitting my sister's pup Abby, and another trip to the PHX Food Trucks! Also, Cricket gave me a nice suicide scratch down my forearm. Glad it didn't go deeper!

Friday night, after a bout of shopping, The Kims, Mustang Man and I hit the road to 3rd Friday. I didn't even know that PHX Downtown did 3rd Friday, and apparently, not a lot of other folks do either. It was a low key night compared to what 1st Friday is... I am told. Still, there were men in skirts and people moseying about. We didn't stay for long.

Mrs. B. Kim just picked up a new camera and she has been wanting to test it out, so we decided to spend another day together to do some e-pics... in the heat... not as devastating as when I did my sister's though. It was a lot of fun, and I am so proud that Mustang Man was such a good sport in doing all the silly poses that Mrs. B. Kim and I wanted to do. Her hubby TK was using another awesome camera to catch some candid moments, and those turned out amazing as well!
Here are a few shots that I had the opportunity to edit:



Bri has posted some of her faves too

After this little shoot I took a 2 hour nap, and then slept for 10 hours that night. the heat totally took it out of me. But, after seeing the pics, it was totally worth it!

HAPPY MONDAY!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Phx food truck lunch


This morning Mrs. B. Kim sent me an email letting me know that Short Leash Hot Dogs, along with several other food trucks, was going to be in our hood.. and I mean where we work together... not our neighborhood. Attending the truckstravaganza in the Whole Foods parking lot was the best decision I have made all day. 

We stood in line for about 10 mins. When I walked away from the truck, I realized I had forgotten to order my coleslaw, BUT, let's continue with the story. I got my "Weekly Hot Dog" which is a wiener of choice, add caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, bleu cheese and bacon. *drool* Mrs. B. Kim got the Moji Hot Dog... Veggie Wiener, beans, cheese and green chilies... 
We parked our rears on a curb by the Carte Blanche Gourmet where we had been considering a second course, but were too full... But then, the voice of an angel called from her heavenly cart and offered a FREE portabella taco... this intense taco had AMAZING chunks of mushroom, pumpkin seeds and cheese. I believe it was in a sun dried tomato tortilla... and it was OUTSTANDING! I was still so full from my Hot Dog I ended up just eating the innards... which was totally satisfying.
My lunch date and I scurried over to the garbage and were met with coupons for FREE sunblock from Whole Foods! So, since we were already in the parking lot, we traipsed over to get our sunblock... We entered the store and were met by a kind woman who offered us a FREE sample of Potenshaa... a Energizing Face Oil! Oh what a glorious day!
We left Whole Foods with full bellies, a free oil sample, facial sunblock, and I picked up a magazine, and my Bach's Rescue Remedy... as I am sure the next month is going to be quite stressful.
This lunch was a success! (Sorry for the lack of photos, I left my phone at home today... trust me, the food was outstanding, and I have a feeling you will be able to see some pics at Mrs. B Kim's blog soon)