My Log of a Blog

Random Photos

2012-01-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Today was a momentous occasion. I finally uploaded the pictures from my camera... a task uncompleted for the last 3 months (give or take)... until now!

People have asked me to blog so blog I will! And by blogging, I mean I will share some of those random photos from the last 3 months.

Here is a thrift store treasure. I still haven't taken an after picture but it isn't that exciting (looking) anyway. But it sure is useful for storage in my craft room.

I've started painting my fingernails. And look at how awesome I am at it. Hahaha. I'm gifted.

One of my favorite Christmas presents. Isn't it so so so cute (it is a kitchen timer)!?! AND, it was a total surprise. Brad did good.

Brad pulling himself up a three-pulley system at the free COSI After Dark night. He is so manly with his beard and muscles.

Here I am as a smartie-mouse.

This last picture wasn't actually on my camera but I scanned it onto my computer from my fancy new printer (my other favorite Christmas present). It is our first caricature together (also from the COSI event). The original is a bit bigger than this but my scanner can only scan so much. But you get the idea. Also, please note how awesome Brad's eyebrows look.

The end.

My Favorites

2011-12-11T15:50:00.001-07:00

So... I like funny videos. And I bet some other people I know like funny videos, too. So I share...

I'll be honest... I didn't know Jimmy Kimmel was funny until these videos. I also didn't know that Josh Groban had a sense of humor (in his defense I pretty much don't know a thing about him besides that fact that he sings).

Ok, I LOVE this one. It kills me. Seriously... it makes me want to dance. Plus, a little Mariah Carey Christmas never hurt anyone.

Another Jimmy Kimmel special. This video is even more hilarious if you've watched the real Toddler and Tiaras... which I have.

This one appeals to the 12-year-old-boy-humor in me. Yes, I am immature.

I can't make a list of funny videos and not include one with a baby, amiright?

October Adventures

2011-11-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

So some fun stuff happened in October... but I've been horrible with taking pictures and remembering things.

But, we did go to a Matt Nathanson concert with our friends, the Prices and Addie took one picture and put it on her blog... so I'ma gonna steal it.

Me and my cute friend, Addie

Also, we went to the Pumpkin Festival again this year. This time we were social and went with our friends, the McKeans. I wish I would have gotten a group shot, but here is 1 of 2 photos I took of Brad eating the very delicious mini pumpkin donuts. Other pumpkin things we tried this year: fried pumpkin blossoms and a shredded chicken pumpkin sandwich (barf).

We also went to some Halloween parties and even dressed up for one! Here is what we came up with last minute and on the cheap: little kid super heroes. Some people didn't catch on to what we were but others knew right off the bat (those that probably dressed up as super heroes as a kid). I think we look pretty good for only spending $1. Plus, we won the cheapest Halloween costume. I think that counts as a success.

Blurry, but you get the idea... and yes, Brad is wearing a colander on his head.

Amish Paradise

2011-10-02T17:35:00.002-06:00

This past week we (finally) celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary (over a month late... ). Earlier this year we found a great deal (through Livingsocial) at a bed and breakfast (the White Oak Inn) in Amish country that we finally used.

We arrived Wednesday afternoon, went to our tiny room and enjoyed a fruit and cheese platter with sparkling cider while watching Bulletproof Monk (we are true romantics here). We spent the rest of the evening exploring the grounds (and the sheep that completely freaked me out), playing Phase 10 in the common room, and reading a book together.

I'm a shark!

Thursday morning we enjoyed our first breakfast at the inn (which was way better than those "continental" breakfasts a lot of dinky motels serve) with a bunch of older couples. Yeah. We found out that we were the only young couple in sight. Oh well, it was still awesome.

We spent that day exploring Amish country. I found two spots I wanted to visit, so visit we did. Our first stop was a fabric store (surprise?) where we found the most glorious of glorious things: a button bin. It was a-freakin-mazing. $3 for a big scoop of buttons. You better believe we spent at least 20 minutes in front of that bin alone. Brad sure loves me.

So happy! Buttons!

After the buttons we headed to Yoder farms - an old Amish farm that is now open to the public for tours. No one currently lives in the houses but they are still decorated in the Amish style and the kitchen in one of the houses is still used to produce food available to purchase in the gift shop. It was fun to explore more of their culture and find out more about their lifestyle.

I didn't get a picture of the houses - but here are the buggies and a playground.

Oh, I should also mention that for lunch we stopped off at a little bistro where we had the best grilled cheese sandwich of our lives. It was on a cranberry walnut bread, with pepper-jack and provolone cheese, and a cherry butter. Goodness gracious that was quite the sandwich.

Then we headed back to the inn and enjoyed a 4-course meal (again with the old people - who were all getting happily drunk) and then played more Phase 10.

The next morning we enjoyed our last delicious breakfast (nutella-stuffed french toast, anyone?) and then headed home. It was a fun little getaway. We got to spend lots of time together and enjoy all the beautiful changing leaves and the countryside. Happy anniversary to us! :)

I'm really good at making lists

2011-09-25T19:04:00.000-06:00

What's new?

This made me laugh. Remember the last time he visited my blog? If not, check it out here.

Also...I had 3 doctor appointments this past week. THREE. For reals. I think that might be a record (for me at least).
Contrary to popular belief (meaning mine and Brad's), I do NOT have carpal tunnel. What?! (Yeah... doctor appointments are good for something... like learning you don't have something you thought you did. Yay!?)
I got shocked and poked (with needles) this week. I cried. But not like a baby, don't worry.
We upgraded from a folding table to a real TV stand. We are officially adults. I'll prolly post pictures later.
Bradley had a birthday. I don't remember what we did... but hopefully it was awesome.
President Uchtdorf is amazing. Seriously.
Last month we had an anniversary! FOUR years suckas! It has been awesome.
We are spending two nights in Amish country this week to belatedly celebrate our anniversary. So excited.
I hosted book club at my house. I made these cookies. Brad was excited he got to eat the leftovers.
I got a new (to me) laptop! And Brad got a new (brand spankin') laptop. I feel rich (kidding).
I really want these boots. Not kidding. I look at them at least 3 times a week just hoping they'll be mine soon.

Brad started his 2nd year of med school (a while ago, but still). He rocks.
I got a part-time job (like a month ago)... that I'm in the process of quitting. Lame much? Hahaha.

I think that's about all that has been going on lately.

You Guessed It

2011-07-20T17:24:00.000-06:00

Guess who is pretty much my favorite person, ever?

click to enlarge (you won't regret it)

Happy Things This Week

2011-07-09T21:07:00.000-06:00

Brad is hot and awesome. And he basically ran all of my errands this week because I'm a little sickie face... gotta love head colds... I guess.
He's also been doing my chores. Love him and that free time that summer affords.
Finding more cute fashion/lifestyle bloggers to follow. I'm still kinda obsessed.
Netflix.
This dinner. Loved it. So easy (probably because Brad did most of the chopping) and quick. It has now been added to our dinnertime rotation.
This dinner was also awesome and even easier (and faster!) than previously mentioned dinner. Also added to the rotation.
Finding giveaways to enter (of things I'd actually like to win!).
Otterpops (or whatever the cheap store brand is called). I love 'em.
I bought my first boxes of Rit dye today. I'm pretty excited. I only have one project in mind but I couldn't decide between 2 different colors... so I bought both!
I made a belt. Random? Maybe. Cute? Maybe.

Oh and because (almost) every post deserves a picture... here is one. So maybe once upon a time I was obsessed with the idea of photobombing... and also maybe my sweet husband helped make my dreams come true... love him!

And the road trip begins...

2011-07-08T16:15:00.000-06:00

On Monday, we headed out (minus Jordan, he left the day before) to Amish Country... not much happened there besides an awesome lunch (including amazing pie) at Der Dutchmen. Yum....

Then we made our way to Kirtland. We took a tour of the temple... side note about that. They said throughout the tour to not take pictures inside the temple but some old lady kept on taking 'em (ok... she took like 2) and the guide kept on having to reprimand...er remind her of the rule. Only something an old lady could get away with, amiright?

Showing off the lovely stickers they made us wear for the tour.

We also saw the N.K. Whitney store. Pretty neat.

Tuesday we saw Lake Erie (for like 2 seconds) and then we went to Niagara Falls. And guess what? We totally rode the Maid of the Mist boat. It was awesome. Also, the falls are really, really windy. On our way out from Niagara, we dropped off Kelli in Buffalo. :(

Afters, we went to Palmyra and caught the last tour of the day at the Smith farm and Sacred Grove.

Like how ticked I look (I wasn't looking at Brad, btw... I'm looking beyond him)? And how sheepish Brad looks? Well... funny story... the sister missionary might have had a little wee thing for my husband. We both noticed. It was kinda awkward.

If you zoom in closer you can better understand what I was feeling at the time... :)

Wednesday, we did more Sacred Grove viewing, saw the Palmyra temple, went on the Grandin Print shop tour, and went to the Hill Cumorah.

We also made our way to the Peter Whitmer farm.

Then onwards we went to State College, PA (to hang out at Brad's uncles house).

Thursday we hung out. I don't really remember what happened this day, I'll be honest. We may have gone to some cave's gift shop, more Amish country, and the park.

Friday we went to a yummers bbq restaurant. After that Brad and I headed back to Ohio while his parents and sister hung out for one more day in PA.

Waiting for our food.

They made it back to our place Saturday... and then left Sunday.

It sure was fun to have visitors and to tag along on their vacation. Thanks for everything Mom and Dad Prestwich!!

We Had VISITORS!!!

2011-07-03T19:32:00.000-06:00

So guess what? Brad's family came to visit (well, some of them anyway)!

On Friday, June 24th, his parents and youngest sister flew into Cbus and his sister Kelli and husband drove in from PA.

On Saturday we made our way to Hocking Hills (love that place).

I had a super bad headache, but I still had fun.

Brad took lots of pictures of fungus. Seriously. Love that guy.

That night we treated his family to Chick-fil-A (cuz we're awesome and stuff... and because it was FREEEEE). Sorry, no pictures of us eating... BUT here is a picture of Brad (taken the next day) wearing his I <3 Chick-fil-A shirt.

He's so excited. And cute.

Sunday, we went to church and did other regular Sunday activities (I think a few naps were had...). Then we took his family on a driving tour of the medical part of OSU campus and then headed over to the Park of Roses.

At the Park of Roses, standing in front of... not roses. Go figure.

On Monday we headed out on a little road trip... which was awesome. But I'll blog about that laters.

2011-07-02T18:40:00.000-06:00

This was a blog post I wrote awhile ago and accidentally left in the drafts. It happened at the end of March, the day before Brad and I left on a road trip to Utah (in my car). I thought it warranted being posted, because his service really meant a lot to me.

Thanks Bart, the traveling musician in the ugly Ford gray van. You rescued me and my dead car battery in the library parking lot today. Thanks for making it possible for Brad to stay on campus and study. I really appreciate the jump and the cleaning off of the corrosion on my battery and for checking my alternator. You really went above and beyond. Thanks for helping a girl out and for being a nice guy. Also, thanks for not being a creeper.

Sincerely, Jess

Superficial Wish List

2011-06-22T21:09:00.000-06:00

Wanna know what superficial and trendy things I want right now? You don't? Oh, well, too bad...

These shoes. They might be a little grandma retro, but I think I might need some grandma in my style. Maybe. Not sure. I don't know if I'd actually wear these... but I'd give it a shot. But it doesn't matter anyway because they are out of my size (at least they are at endless.com).

I'm a little more likely to wear these oxford flats but they might be a little out of my fashion comfort zone. But I still like 'em. There is an even cuter pair of oxford ballet flats at J.Crew, but those are definitely out of my price range.

Feather earrings anyone? They don't have to be these exact feather earrings, but I do want feather earrings. Yes, yes I do. So far, this is the item I'd most likely get from my wish list (it is the cheapest... and I'm cheap... and poor).

Lastly, I want bright and perhaps neonesque nail polish colors. But not yellow. Yellow nail polish kinda grosses me out (especially when used on toes... blech). I guess nail polish is cheap, too, so maybe I'll get some.

Anything else I should add to my superficial wish list?

Everytime I turn around...

2011-06-10T09:25:00.000-06:00

With the spare time that comes from being unemployed, I've spent some time reviewing the gems of sitcom TV from my past. Super awesome (and a little bit lame) right?! And what's even awesomer is that I'm going to share some of these gems with you... sorry, no Full House (which I totally loved) or Who's the Boss, or Family Matters. You can look those ones up yourselves.

Small Wonder- I didn't remember much about this series except that my older brother at one point used to call me small wonder and that the show was about a little girl robot named Vicki.

Today's Special - I don't think this really counts as a sitcom as it is a children's show but it is still from my past and pretty awesome. Also, I couldn't find a lot of episodes on youtube but here is the opening theme song.

Punky Brewster - Punky gets abandoned by her mother and an old guy adopts her (sounds kinda sad and creepy when put like that...). I wanted to be like Punky growing up - probably because in part she reminded me of my older sister, Jeanette.

Ghostwriter - This show used to be one of my favorites. Seriously. Teenagers solved mysteries and crimes with the help of Ghostwriter (a ghost... who, get this, writes! Of all the crazy things...)

Well, there you have it. Some of the TV sitcoms of years past. They just don't make TV shows like they used to. What TV shows did you watch growing up?

Honorable mentions: Blossom, Mr. Belvedere, Saved by the Bell, The Golden Girls (you bet I watched this show. all. the. time.), Fresh Prince, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Step by Step.

You're welcome.

give me some shoulders

2011-05-31T14:42:00.000-06:00

It is a double dream come true! First the hands and now the feet!

Memorial Weekend

2011-05-31T10:46:00.000-06:00

This last weekend was a great one! It started out on Saturday morning with a ward breakfast. We all went to a park, ate yummy food, and hung out for hours. The weather was perfect. No rain. Not too hot. Perfect.

Afterwards, Brad and I made our way to the Asian Festival going on at the Franklin Park Conservatory (same place that Med Prom took place). Asian Festival is an annual event that is apparently a bigger deal than we realized. Performers came all the way from Japan to dance at it (among other long-distance travelers, I'm sure). There is free entertainment, games, activities, exhibits, booths to shop for souvenirs from any and all the different Asian countries, and our favorite part: lots and lots of food to choose from. We got some yummy Filipino bbq and noodles. Stupidly, I didn't take any pictures but here is a link to the one-armed martial arts performer we saw.

Sunday night, we finally made it to the Park of Roses in Clintonville. It was beautiful but not all of the roses had bloomed yet. And we happened to show up during a free concert and got to listen to the bandstand music while looking at all the varieties of roses. Nice.

Monday morning we made our way down to Hocking Hills State Park. We met up with some friends and went hiking to Old Man's Cave and the lower falls. Holy crap that place is pretty. It was a hot day but we almost didn't notice because the trails were very well shaded and near streams. After the hikes we had a yummy Korean bbq dinner and headed back to Columbus.

part of Old Man's Cave

a part of the trail (a bridge over the stream)

in the cave (covered in sunscreen and sweat... nice)

Brad playing in the falls

Once we got back to Columbus we finally tried Jeni's ice cream. We have heard a lot about Jeni's since we moved here and have meant to try it for a while now and we finally did it. Jeni's ice cream is different than your regular ice cream. I guess it is meant to be more flavorful than sweet. Some of the weirder sounding flavors include: Queen City Cayenne, Wildberry Lavender, and Gravel Road. I stuck with something more normal and got the Lemon and Blueberries yogurt and Brad got the Dark Chocolate. Yum yum!

And that, my friends, was our Memorial Day weekend. It was fun to experience more of Ohio and get to know the lovely state we live in.

Chalkboard and Chicken

2011-05-25T14:48:00.001-06:00

I'm not very good at decorating my house... a lot of my walls are still empty even though we have lived here for almost a year (holy crap?! has it really been that long?).

Because I am bad at decorating, I feel like I have to celebrate the little things. Like, recently, I finally put something on my kitchen/dining room wall. Be proud. I even made it.

It is a chalkboard. I really crappy one but I still like it nonetheless. Here is what it used to look like before it became purple-y and chalkboard-y. It sure makes me happy to have something on that big ol' wall. Plus, I like that it is imperfect. It has character.

Here is what the rest of that room looks like:

And a slightly better view of my green chairs, which I don't think I ever blogged about but which I also dearly love.

I don't even care if no one else likes the room because I do. It is simple but colorful and happy. Sure, the other wall still needs something on it and Brad has a pile of school papers on the floor near the wall, but STILL. I have to celebrate the little things.

Speaking of Brad, he is camping out in the new Chick Fil A parking lot as we speak (er... as I type). I guess whenever there is a grand opening of a new store they offer 100 people a year of free meals (one meal a week). And guess what? He is part of that 100... he just has to stay in their parking lot for 24 hours to get the coupons. Pretty sweet if you ask me. Good thing he can share those coupons with me. :)

Oh, and aren't the roses I picked from a nearby bush purdy? Me likey.

Quick(ish) Recap

2011-05-15T13:58:00.000-06:00

Blogging hasn't really happened the last couple of months, despite the fact that I have oodles of free time (that's what happens when you're unemployed... just so you know). But, I decided to recap what has happened over the last few months.

Towards the end of March, Brad and I went to MedProm with our friends. It was "Great Gatsby" themed but most did not dress up accordingly. It was at the Franklin Park Conservatory (beautiful!) and it was fun to dress up and go dancing (but, boy howdy, 97% of those attending got crazy drunk).

Around the 28th of March we roadtripped it out to Utah to visit family (the only reason we drove is because we had left a lot of stuff in Utah and we wanted to finish moving it out to Ohio). It was a glorious 2 week vacation where I spent most of my time just hanging out with my sisters. It was the best. And here is pretty much the only picture I took the entire time. Pretty, no?

Sorry about your head being chopped off, Maren...

Oh, for my birthday Brad got me a serger. Dream come true. No joke. I've been wanting one for years and years and years and it finally happened. We we we so excited.

Once we got back to Ohio I got my hairs chopped off. Here is how it looked the day of. I don't like the haircut but life goes on and hair grows back and it was definitely time for a change.

For Mother's Day, Brad got me stuff to have a mini herb garden (chives, basil, and rosemary). I'm so excited. The basil is starting to sprout!

basil!

This past Friday, Brad's sister and her husband drove through Columbus on their way to Pennsylvania (they are moving there for the summer) so we got to hang out with them for a glorious 24 hours. It was tons of fun to have visitors. Who wants to come visit next?

Other than that, Brad has been busy studying and taking tests and hanging out with an old lady named Judith, shadowing a thoracic surgeon, and taking tests. I've been watching netflix, sewing (yay serger!), and working on projects (maybe someday I'll take pictures of them to show). Maybe I'll start seriously looking for a job soon... once I run out of things to make.

a shirt I made

Vain Much?

2011-03-27T20:01:00.000-06:00

Lately I've become slightly obsessed with fashion blogs. It started when I had nothing to do at work but blog surf (speaking of work: my temp job is over and done with) and I happened upon The Daybook. Well, it has slightly escalated from there and I have now added a bajillion fashion blogs to my google reader. So sue me if I want to look cute and I need help and inspiration from those who are cuter and more fashionable than me.

Just in case you need help too, or you just like to look at pretty clothes, here is what I've found over the last little bit:

C&C - this girl is gorgeous and super skinny (aren't they all?!). She also has some great tips on how to alter clothes and tutorials on how to make cute skirts.
i believe in unicorns - this girl is adorable. And on a side note, she is sister-in-law to nienie... not that it matters.
The Pretty Life Anonymous - this is the blog of two sisters who never show their face. And oddly enough it doesn't bug me. They are cheap and like to get good deals on their clothes (which is nice, because some fashion bloggers spend the big bucks). Plus, I would actually wear most of what they post.
Good Life For Less - now, I don't love everything I've seen from this blog but a lot of it is still super cute and helps me figure out how to dress more age appropriate while still being fashionable. I'm not in my early twenties anymore kids and I need help dressing my age.
Kristine. Or Polly. - this blog definitely won't help me stay age appropriate (she's pretty young) but she is super cute and I love how random some of her outfits look. It's helping me be ok if things don't "match."
Uber Chic for Cheap - this blog will tell you how to get certain looks for cheaper. I like cheap.

Oh, and because this blog made me laugh, check out Hello, Monkeyface! Also, she really does have super pretty clothes, but most seem wayyy out of my price range.

how many boxes?

2011-03-14T14:59:00.000-06:00

How many boxes does it take to ship a Kitchenaid Mixer? You got it! 3!

After years of not having a decent mixer (or one at all), we finally took the plunge and bought a Kitchenaid. Yay for me and my new toy (which I totally bought just to make these cookies). Worth it? Well... the glaze was sure delicious (if I had to make the cookies again, I'd add more zest and lemon juice to the mix).

My Testimony

2011-03-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

I'm getting out of my comfort zone and posting something I wrote down this morning before church: my testimony. I didn't share it at church but still wanted to, in essence, bear my testimony today.

I know that Jesus is my Savior. I know that He lived and died for us. I know that through Him, I can be with my family forever; that I can be with my Heavenly Father again; that I can find eternal peace and happiness.

I know that this life isn’t meant to be easy. It is meant to challenge us, to help us grow, to stretch our spirits until we can become more like our Savior.

While this life isn’t easy (most of the time), I know that Christ is there for us. He is there to help us in our trials; to comfort our hearts, to send peace to our souls, to guide our lives. If we listen and submit our wills to the will of the Father, we can reach our full potentials as heavenly beings. We may not always get what we want in this life, even if what we want is good and righteous. That doesn’t mean we aren’t loved by our Heavenly Father and our Savior. It just means we have some more growing to do. It means our plans for this life aren’t necessarily what God has planned for us, or at least planned for us right now. Maybe we need to learn patience; or to rely more on our Savior; or perhaps we need these trials so that we can help and succor others who may be experiencing the same things.

We may not always know why we face the challenges and trials that we do, but I know that we are not alone in this journey. We have a Father who loves us and wants us to reach our full potential as exalted beings. We have a Brother who is helping us in every way imaginable; we just have to let Him help us.

To learn more about what I believe, click here.

bored at work?

2011-03-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

Lately my job has been super boring (read: I have nothing to do at work). Seriously. Yesterday, I did 5 whole evaluations (back when there were files to evaluate I would get between 30-40 done a day). Woo...

So, what to do while at work with no work to be done? You can be like me and read this blog. The whole thing. Yeah. I read it, archives and all. In one day. She's super cute. But then I came home from work feeling frumpy and wanting to go shopping. But it did inspire me to try and look cute today (don't tell me if it didn't work and yes, I know, my hair needs brushed).

my best attempt of taking a pic of my outfit

You could also gchat with your husband all.day.long. and distract him from his studious endeavors. Why, I did that, too!

Another trick to keep yourself somewhat entertained: drink lots of water. It sure is nice to go for a small walk to go fill up your water bottle once it is empty. And drinking lots of water requires small walks for other related trips (if you know what I mean.... and I think you do).

I've also resorted to writing this blog post, with which I will fill in with a picture or two once I get home from work and happily publish. Oh yeah!

If nothing else works, try reading cooking blogs. That was what I did this morning. The only catch: it makes the salad you brought for lunch sound boring.

But! This having nothing to do at work thing might mean that my job is almost over with (remember how it is a temp/seasonal job?). That might be nice. Sure... I don't have another job lined up yet but it'll be nice to have some time to recover from craptastic carpal tunnel. And then I might be able to sew and craft again! How nice. Just in time for sunshine and nice weather (crossing my fingers).

yay weekends!

2011-02-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a pretty good one and I'm sad I have to go back to work tomorrow.

On Thursday night, I attended a RS activity where we made Bento (Japanese lunch boxes). It was a lot of fun to make and to try new foods. Here is what mine ended up looking like (well, after I ate a few things...).

Not the prettiest Hello Kitty rice ball (also known as onigiri [the rice ball, not Hello Kitty]). It looks more like Warrior Kitty but it was still yummy (it had salted salmon in the middle). We also made origami chopstick holders that night.

Friday I took off work. Just for fun. It was nice to hang out with Brad all day and get stuff done around the house. That night we met up with friends for dinner at a yummy restaurant called Piada. After that I ditched Brad and went to a friend's house for a girls only dance party.

Saturday morning a few girls got together to make St. Patrick's Day wreaths. I haven't made anything in so long so it was fun to craft again. The only reason why I was able to even make my wreath was because my friend Lisa was wonderful enough to cut out all the circles for me (without her I wouldn't have been able to make it because of my carpal tunnel).

Yay crafting!

Oh, something else that happened on Saturday that was momentous: I had my first smoothie of the year!

It was delicious! I just threw some greek yogurt, a banana, milk, frozen strawberries, and frozen spinach in my blender and whammy - a healthy and yummy treat!

things that made me happy this week

2011-02-19T06:35:00.002-07:00

It has been a good week. Here's why:

Sunshine and warmer weather!!!
Brad surprised me with this cd and I have been listening to it over and over again.
I finished an incredible book, The Kite Runner!
Everyone's nice comments on my Valentine's posts.
This video (so funny!):

I got to babysit my friend's adorable little boy.
We set the dates for our Utah trip!!! YAY!!!
Brad took me on a lunch date yesterday (perfect way to break up a boring day at work!).
Last night we went to a chocolate and chili cook-off and it was so fun and yummy! We entered a black bean chili that people seemed to enjoy (it didn't win but it was still tasty... unfortunately we don't have any leftovers).

Oh, and speaking of funny (to me) videos... here's another one (for Liz...):

In Honor of Lover's Day, Continued...

2011-02-14T10:30:00.001-07:00

Here's the rest of the story. Enjoy and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Back in the early stages of true love and romance.

Fri., Oct. 27, 2006: "My date with Brad got canceled [apparently he did ask me out again...] because of scheduling conflicts. But I called him like a half an hour after my date [with another guy] to tell him something and we talked for a little bit and now I can't help but think how much more fun tonight would have been if I had gone with him. I don't have a crush on Brad or anything but he is just so much fun to be around and I can be myself around him..."

Sun., Nov. 5, 2006: "The lamest thing happened on Thursday - Brad asked me out on a date through Facebook. I said yes but I thought it was super lame - but it did make me laugh."

Thurs., Dec. 14, 2006: "Brad asked me out today for Friday but I said I couldn't go. If I really had wanted to, I probably could have canceled my plans but I didn't want to. I've really tried to reconsider my feelings for him but I really don't want to be more than just his friend. I think he's amazing and wonderful and will make someone very happy - but I don't want that someone to be me. Which is actually sad because he's a really good friend and odds are we won't stay friends when one or both of us get married."

Sun., Jan. 14, 2007: "I got a blessing from Dad tonight... it said I need to keep my heart, mind, and eyes open and come to the Lord open and willing to listen. It said that I need to listen A LOT!!" **What I didn't write down but remember very clearly was that as soon as this blessing ended, I asked my dad if that meant I needed to date Brad... :) Oh how I fought it.

Unfortunately this is where I suddenly stopped writing in my journal. But I do remember that towards the end of January/beginning of February, I invited Brad over one Sunday to hang out with the intention of having an open mind (once again). This time it ended very differently and by the end of the evening I had a big ol' crush on my Bradley.

Also, the Devotional we attended on Tuesday, February 13th made me feel super awkward. It was by Bonnie D. Parkin and she started her talk by saying: "I guess you are wondering why I wore this red jacket. My hope is that it will remind you that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. So, on this day before Valentine’s Day, I’ve been wondering: “How’s your heart?” If your heart hasn’t already been promised to someone, think about doing it. And remember, your mother doesn’t count!" HELLO! I have a big crush on my really good friend. Here we are, the day before Valentine's Day. Sitting next to each other with our arms touching. I like him (FINALLY) and I don't know if he currently likes me. But I can't say anything because I don't want to be cliche and have him think I just want a Valentine.

I do manage to say "we should hang out more" after the devotional is over. He takes the (barely there) hint and asks me out that weekend to watch The Prestige at the dollar theater. About 3/4ths of the way through the movie, he asks to hold my hand (I'll admit that I giggled) (oh, and he had to ask because my hand wasn't on my knee or the arm rest because it hadn't even occurred to me that we might hold hands that night)! Yesssss!!

A week later, we are officially dating and all the "I told you so"'s start rolling in from our mutual friends who knew we should date while I was in denial (for months and months). Ahhhh! And 6 months later(ish) we were married! Yay love!

In Honor of Lover's Day

2011-02-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was desperately searching for an important document that I had misplaced when I came across an old journal of mine. I flipped through it (for nostalgia's sake) and discovered it was the journal I had kept right before Brad and I started dating. Some of the entries made me laugh. I had a hard time with the idea of liking Brad. We were just friends. I wouldn't allow it to be anything more for the longest time. Even though he was such a great guy. *sigh*

Because it is Valentine's Day, I thought I'd document the beginning of our relationship for you. With personal journal entries and everything... just so you can see how much I gushed about my dear Bradley... bah haha.

Our relationship time-line (from my perspective):

May 2006 - I transferred to BYU from the UofU. I see his picture in my new ward directory and make a comment about his eyebrows.

May 2006 - meet him at a FHE ward activity (involving hitting each other with a rolled up newspaper).

Summer 2006 - hang out with Brad and his roommate Robbie (with my roommate of course). A lot.

Brad and Robbie when we went fishing as a ward

August-September 2006 - Brad moves out of the ward. I see him less.

Fall 2006 - we decide we still want to hang out so we decide to go to the weekly Tuesday Devotionals on campus together.

Tues., Sept. 19, 2006: [I was taking a Marriage Prep class and one of my assignments was to ask someone on a date.] "The date hasn't happened yet but I'm glad I didn't do an easy ask - like Bryce or Brad. It would have been fun to go with either of them but I'm not interested in them at all."

Mon., Oct. 9, 2006: "I think Brad asked me out on a date yesterday... but I couldn't go because I was feeding my cousins ... so I just invited him to that. I honestly don't know what I'd do if Brad started liking me. He is an amazing guy and a really great friend and I think he is incredible and whatnot - but I just don't think I could date him. ... I just don't think I would want to be more than just friends with him - which really doesn't make sense."

One of the many times we ate dinner together as friends.

Fri., Oct. 13, 2006: "I think it's a little strange Brad keeps on asking me out - but I probably should give him a chance because he really is an amazing guy."

Thurs., Oct. 19, 2006: "On Tuesday when I watched Devotional with Brad, I tried to keep an open mind and I just wasn't feeling it. And I don't think he was either so I doubt he'll be asking me out again - which I'm 100% cool with."

CLIFFHANGER! How will it end? Check back tomorrow to find out!

ice ice baby

2011-02-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

Most, it seems, are super excited that January is over. I didn't mind January this year. I was happy. It was good.
Now that February has appeared, I've already experienced my first ice storm (or at least the results of one). (Click pictures to enlarge.)

I wonder what the rest of February will hold. I bet it'll be good! :)

what to do... what to do...

2011-01-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

Since it is January this may seem like a post about New Year's Resolutions... but it isn't really. I've just been thinking about things I want to accomplish in the near future and decided I needed to write them down so I have more accountability... and so I remember (because I'm really good at forgetting).

Make a profile on Mormon.org
Find the happiness in each day
Use media and technology less (I don't know how to quantify this... yet)
Give out a pass along card or two
Go on adventures
Be thrifty
Take better care of my body (more vegetables, less sweets; more exercise, less couch potato-ing)
Invite someone to meet with the missionaries (this is big for me - I am a HUGE scaredy cat).
Expect miracles

So there it is. These (obviously) aren't the only aspirations I have, but these are ones I want to focus on for now.

Mustache Madness

2011-01-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

We like it when friend's have themed parties... because it gives us a reason to look awesome. The end.

On a Happier Note, Part 2

2011-01-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

So... here is how the rest of last year went.

July: I quit my job. We moved across the country and bought a couch (among other things). We flew back to Utah (stand-by) for Brad's sister's wedding. While there I think we also went to Lagoon (it's what fun is).

August: we went to Brad's white coat ceremony. He started medical school. I hung out. We went to the zoo. We celebrated 3 years of marriage (heck yeah!). I went thrift store shopping like crazy and blogged a lot on my craft blog.

September: I took a picture every day. We celebrated Bradley's birth. We went to Alum Beach with a couple of friends. I picked apples with some girls in my ward. We experienced our first tornado warning.

Beeeea-utiful Amish country

October: I got a job. We went to the Pumpkin Festival AND Amish Country (not at the same time). Went to a Halloween party. We became temple laundry workers.

November: We went to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving. This was a slow month. Oh, went sent out our first ever Christmas card to a select few family members and friends.

We celebrate the right way!

December: Had some time off from work but I also worked a lot of overtime! I got sick DURING Christmas break. We spent our first Christmas by ourselves but luckily we were able to skype with our families. We spent New Year's Eve with friends from our ward.

On a Happier Note, Part 1

2011-01-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

Here are the things (that I can remember) that happened last year.

January: we babysat the triplets (my oldest sister's kids) and went to the BYU Bean Museum. It was awesome. I also unexpectedly got a job in Salt Lake so we quickly moved in with the in-laws for a few months. For a week or so during the moving phase we lived like squatters. It was actually quite fun.

February: I worked... and made some work-related crafties (lunch sack {which I still use, by the way} and button push pins {so these were technically made in March... I don't really care}).

March: We played in the park on St. Patrick's day. We decided we'd move to Ohio in July. I worked...

click on picture to enlarge so Brad's eyes don't look crazy

April: I worked. Brad gave me the best birthday gift ever (singing Forever in Blue Jeans WHILE playing the piano... it was awesome! Unfortunately he wouldn't allow me to record it). We had family pictures taken by Mandy. Brad shaved off his head and became a baldy.

May: I finally hiked the Y. Had a girl's night out with some of my oldest friends (meaning I've known them for a long time and not that they are senior citizens... just to clarify). Went on a hot date to the Sandy Aquarium. House sat for my sister while her family went on vacation.

I've known these girls since elementary school. Love them!

June:Worked... Packed... Got rid of a lot of stuff. Had some goodbye parties and visits with friends.

To Be Continued... (because this has been sitting in my drafts for 3 days and I don't really want to finish it right now).

Bye bye 2010

2011-01-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

So most people talk about how awesome their last year was once a new one has started... but I'll do that later (in this post? maybe...). I just wanted to be honest and say last year kinda sucked. Sorry if you don't like the word suck... you can pretend I said stunk instead.

2010 wasn't all bad. Good things did happen but I was grumpy. It wasn't my best year. Poor Brad had to deal with me. He is basically ready for Saint-hood (if only we were Catholic).

I know I sound ungrateful for saying my year sucked but it was mostly my attitude that sucked (I fully admit that). I wasn't happy about our living situation at the beginning of the year or about a long commute to work. I was sad to move away from my sisters and their cute kids. It was hard for me giving up most of our belongings to start over in a new state (except I was SUPER happy to give up our green/brown laminate kitchen table and velour yellow love-seat). I was heartbroken when it felt like everyone I knew was having a baby and I wasn't. It was hard not being with my family when my mom was hospitalized for 3 weeks... etc.

BUT, guess what? Last year made me stronger. And over the last month I feel like I have finally come out of my 2010 funk and am ready to make 2011 a MUCH happier year. So that's good right?

So yes, 2010 wasn't my favorite year and I'm glad to see it go... but I'm grateful for how it helped me grow and for the lessons I've learned. I learned that while sacrifice can be super hard, it is totally worth it in the end. I learned that adversity can make us stronger... if we let it. I learned that I can be happy even if I don't get the thing I want most. So thanks 2010 for the lessons you taught me. And thanks for ending! :)

Question

2010-12-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

Why do some private blogs have word verification on their comments? I don't understand... unless perhaps the private blog owner is afraid of getting spam comments from the people they have invited to read their blog.

That is all.

I want...

2010-11-14T14:50:00.001-07:00

Sorry if this sounds like a super selfish blog post (and it kinda is...) but I thought I'd make it easier for our family in Utah to buy me presents, for Christmas, if they so desire. It is called Amazon Wish List.

Did you know that you can look up someone's wish list on Amazon by their email address? It's true. You can also buy wish list items for them directly through Amazon and they'll remove it off the wish list or if you purchase items elsewhere you can reserve the item on the wish list so multiple people don't buy me season one of 30 Rock. BUT it'll hide from the owner of the wish list that someone bought them the item (depending on their wish list settings). How awesome is that?

Did you also know you can add an Amazon wish list option to your toolbar and add items to your wish list that aren't from Amazon? I haven't tried that yet but I may...

Anyway, if you'd like to see my wish list, go here and enter this email address into the "find someone's list" box: jb_tribar {at} yahoo {dot} com (don't judge, I've had this email address since the internet began... basically).

Also, I highly recommend/wish that anyone who wants a present from me this year to make a wish list so I know what they actually want (hint hint Mandy & Paul).

Thanks for reading.

2010-11-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

Guess what I discovered today? BLUE potatoes (which actually look purple). Neat.

Adios Octubre

2010-11-02T19:38:00.000-06:00

I didn't mean to go MIA last month. Working full-time and blogging don't really mesh in my world, apparently...

Here's a list (of the things I can remember) of what happened last month:

I painted 2 of our kitchen chairs. I currently don't have any pictures of the finished product but I'm sure I'll get around to taking some sooner or later.

My carpal tunnel came back with a vengeance (probably due to holding down the nozzle of numerous spray paint cans)... so I made Brad shave his own hair.

I started my job.

We went to the Circleville Pumpkin Festival. (Brad blogged about that here.) I tried pumpkin chili and Brad had a pumpkin sloppy joe.

Oh, and we also saw a really huge pumpkin pie.

And had delicious mini pumpkin donuts.

We went to Amish Country with friends.

While there we went to a cheese factory (among other things).

And saw lots of horses and buggies.

On the way home from Amish Country, we stopped at the longest covered bridge in Ohio.

And Brad spit over the edge of the bridge.

I read Dune. And loved it. So much.

We had 2 weekend shifts of doing laundry at the temple (our stake callings).

Spent time with friends.

Went to a Halloween party at a friends house (no costumes) and sadly missed our ward Halloween party (because of temple laundry)... so no awesome costume pics to share.

Got to try an authentic Japanese dish: Shabu-shabu.It was super delicious.

October, thanks for being mostly awesome. This song is for you...

J-O-B

2010-10-01T20:12:00.000-06:00

So you know how I've been looking for a job? Well, I guess I can put that off for another 6 months because I found myself a temporary one. Yep. Surprised? Well, I've only really told people who have asked or who I felt obligated to tell. Why? I'm not super pumped. Sure, it'll be nice to have money but (and this is kinda big): I don't get any extra days off for Christmas. Boo. That means I'll probably be stuck in Columbus and away from my family for the holidays for the first time. In my life. :( Let's not talk about it and pretend it isn't happening. Sound good? Mmkay.

Oh, I guess I should tell you what the job is... drum roll... freshman evaluator in the Admissions Office (deja vu?) at OSU. Yeah. I'll pretty much be doing the exact same thing I was doing a few months ago (which isn't a bad thing). Why is it temporary you may ask? Well, OSU is the biggest public university in the nation (don't check this statistic, I'm not 100% it is true... but it probably is) and therefore has a boat-load of undergraduate applications to process and they need the extra help during the busy season. I'm the extra help (along with a few others).

So there you have it. I have a job. Which means money. Which means I might be able to buy more furniture (bookshelves and curtains would be lovely). And to celebrate? I got myself a pair of jeggings. Seriously. I'm not joking. And I like them. A lot.

Done and Done!

2010-10-01T11:30:00.000-06:00

So I totally rocked my picture a day challenge (and by rocked, I mean completed). Here is the complete album of pictures but here are a few of my favorites:

I may not be the best photographer but it was still fun to do!

Tornado Warning

2010-09-16T18:32:00.000-06:00

This is what it looks like outside when there is a tornado warning:

(I took these before I knew I was supposed to be hanging out in the basement. Fortunately everything turned out ok.)

Apple Pickin'

2010-09-16T08:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I went apple picking (for my first time!) with some girls from my ward. It was fun, cheap, and so pretty!

the group


pretty pond near the orchard

red delicious tree

golden delicious

Interview

2010-09-08T15:22:00.000-06:00

I had my first Ohio job interview this morning. It was for OSU's Registrar's Office and I think the interview went pretty well. Out of 200 applications they interviewed only 9 people (I was the first to be interviewed). I won't hear back for a few days but I really hope I get the job... but with my track record I'll probably have to interview for a few more jobs before I finally get one. Either way it was great for my motivation to finally have an interview.

What I wore to my interview and my "photo a day" picture

Also, if you are wondering how my picture a day goal is coming, things are going great. I've been posting the photos on my flickr account here.

Alum Beach

2010-09-08T15:10:00.000-06:00

On Monday we were lucky enough to be invited by some friends to go to Alum Beach (an inland beach only 30 minutes away). It was a great way to celebrate Labor Day and the perfect weather to hang out and have a barbecue.


My bearded Bradley

beautiful sky

I didn't take many pictures but we sure had fun just chatting and relaxing (most of us didn't go swimming). Even though it was a little overcast (for the most part) we still got sunburns. Hopefully we'll make it back before it gets too cold.

Skein Skeleton

2010-09-01T15:09:00.000-06:00

To give myself a creative challenge this month I have decided to take at least one picture everyday. It doesn't matter of what. It may be of something I'm working on. It may be of Brad. It may be of something I found. It may be of my shoes. I may post them here... I may not. I still haven't completely thought through my idea but here is the picture I took today.

Wedded Bliss

2010-08-29T19:24:00.000-06:00

On Monday we celebrated 3 years of wedded bliss. Everyone should be jealous of how much happier we are than them. Seriously... :)

Why I love my Bradley:

He makes me laugh. A lot. That guy of mine sure is funny.
He is short. I think it's cute. So stinkin' cute. I wouldn't want him any taller.
He is a little chatterbox. It is so cute to see him chat up random strangers. Love it.
He is patient with me when I'm an ornery-face. (It happens more than I like to admit...)
He can help get me out of my ornery-face moods.
His butt is A. Dor. Able. (tmi?)
He is a nerdy-nerd.
He is just as cheap as I am (in the frugal sense... not in the moral sense).
He helps keep me on the right track. If it weren't for him I'd probably have a hard time going to church every week (I'm really good at coming up with excuses).
He is so so so smart. Whenever I have a question (be it spiritual, grammar or random fact related, etc) 9 times out of 10 he has the right answer.
He supports me and my desire to be creative.
He gives the best hugs. I want one right now.
He is great at communicating. Sometimes I talk too much about how I am "feeling" and he is great at helping me think things through.
He is a sweetheart.
He is my bff. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I love you my Bradley. Thanks for being mine!!

2010-08-29T18:57:00.000-06:00

So a few weekends ago we were invited to an awesome 80s birthday party. The reason I share this information is so I can show my sisters how good we looked.

We didn't go for the typical 80s look. We are a classier breed at our house and wanted to reflect our country club status. Enjoy.

Oh and you should have seen my bangs before they went flat. They were a work of art.

Zooooooooo

2010-08-18T07:51:00.000-06:00

Sometime last week (Thursday maybe?) Brad and I had the opportunity to go to the Columbus Zoo (for FREEEEE). It was pretty fun.

The photographic highlights:

Polar bear excrement (gross ey? It was a complete random happenstance that she started defecating while my shot was being taken... but I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised since she pooped several times in the 10ish minutes we were there [it happened pretty much whenever she tried to catch a fish])

Brad loves manatees (I love that he'll pose however I tell him too -- I love that guy)

Bats just hanging out and doing their bat thing

I'm on a shark!

Brad's on an alligator/crocodile/animal statue (looks real, huh?)

And because I don't want you to remember the polar bear as a pooping machine, here is a better portrayal of how cute she was. She kept on playing a game where she would try to get a piece of bone through that metal loop. She was very persistent and got the bone through a couple of times while we were there. So cute.

Craptastic

2010-08-17T18:26:00.001-06:00

Today has been a crummy day and because I don't want it to end on a bad note, I want to find the things to be grateful for in my day. Here goes:

I didn't start a fire
The melted plastic was easy to clean up
There was (barely) enough homemade wheat bread for my avocado toast
I got 2 chairs (and therefore a new project) for FREEEE (thank you Freecycle)
Brad went and picked up the chairs for me
Dinner was yummy and really pretty (stuffed zucchini)
Brad did dishes
I finally got a vacuum (so so so exciting)

Olentangy River Trail

2010-07-23T22:37:00.000-06:00

After living in Ohio for more than a week, we finally ventured out of our house for something other than errands and church. Hooray!

For our grand adventure we decided to walk along part of the Olentangy River trail. Olentangy is a river in Columbus. There is a trail that follows the river. And we walked along it. Neat, huh?

From the parking lot leading to the trail. So green.

Oh, look. Someone's house (seriously... there was a cooking set up and some storage in a tree and a bunch of socks lying around).

Just around the river bend...

We have matchy matchy shoes. The only way to travel.

Things That Make Me Feel Like An Adult...

2010-07-22T21:09:00.000-06:00

Linen closets

This picture was taken before I happily filled it with towels and bedding.

Being a member of Costco
A real couch (vs. a fake couch?)

Can you tell I love my couch?

Area rugs (I've got one now and it is purdy)
Washer and dryer

I made Brad pretend to be a robot...

Having more than 1 bathroom
Having more than 1 floor
Living in Ohio
Bills :(

For Liz...

2010-07-19T20:37:00.000-06:00

My sister Liz really wants to see pictures of our townhouse... but all I've taken pictures of so far are the main floor. So hopefully these will satiate her for now.

The kitchen:

The dining area:

The living room (with my brand new couch that I looooove):

So... that's it. I know it isn't much and we hardly have any furniture (and some of what we do have needs to be refinished) but I still love it and can't believe how much space we have all to ourselves! And someday, hopefully sometime soonish, it'll be all cute and decorated! :)

31 Hours

2010-07-19T15:53:00.000-06:00

Just in case you were wondering how our cross-country move went... here ya go!

Monday: We set out to Denver. Spent the night with Mandy and Paul (Brad's sister and her husband).

Tuesday: Hung out with Mandy and Paul again. Also, Brad's awesome mom and sister Kate showed up as a last minute addition to our cross-country caravan (bringing our mattress and kitchen chairs with them - so happy we didn't have to replace those!!). Mandy (who is also awesome) decided to come along for the rest of the drive (and it was so nice to have an extra driver during those times when I just needed a break).

Wednesday: Completed the longest stretch of our drive... I'm pretty sure we made it to St. Louis and spent the night in a nasty hotel (there were blood stains on the blankets and a foot print on a pillow... you better believe we complained and got a nice discount).

Thursday: Arrived in hot and humid Columbus Ohio. After trying to navigate our way through the crazy and unexpected construction we finally made it to our cute town house and officially became Ohio residents.

Fireworks

2010-07-04T18:53:00.000-06:00

Last night we watched these:

From here (the roof):

No traffic + No crowds = Best idea ever.

Heights + Slanted roof + Shaky ladders = Anxiety.

Unemployed

2010-07-04T18:39:00.000-06:00

There is where I have pretty much spent the majority of my time over the last 5 months. And now it is officially over.

Crazy.

I wasn't really excited to work full-time (what can I say? I love free-time) but knew it was likely to be temporary and would really help us out financially (seriously, the job offer couldn't have come at a better time). I thought the next few months would drag (and at times they did) but now it feels they are suddenly over. Where did the time go?

So while I didn't always enjoy the commute or the hours, I really do appreciate the opportunity I had to help my little family financially. It has really been a HUGE blessing for us (we can actually afford to move now - hooray!) and I'm grateful for it. Plus, I was lucky enough to have lunch with my sister on a regular basis. (I love you Maren! I'm gonna miss our daily chats!)

Now I just have to start the job search all over again and in a new city. Wish me luck!

2 weeks to go...

2010-06-28T21:22:00.000-06:00

In two weeks Brad and I are hitting the long road to Ohio. And I am starting to freak out. I'm excited but not all at the same time. Is that normal?

I'm excited to finally move on and get started in this new phase of our lives. I'm excited for adventure. I'm excited to be able to share my testimony of the Gospel to a wider audience. I'm excited to see how peculiar Mormon's really are. I'm excited to have 1500 sq. ft. all to ourselves. I'm excited to not have a job (at least until I can find a new one). I'm excited to be in charge of cooking and grocery shopping again. I'm excited to have more time to craft and sew. I'm excited to have "decorating on a budget" projects.

But I'm not excited that I won't be able to hang out with these ladies as much anymore.

I'm not excited to leave behind the beautiful mountains I've always taken for granted.

I'm not excited to drive across the country in a car by myself. I'm not excited about all the money we'll have to spend to replace all the furniture we've had to sell or get rid of. I'm not excited to be responsible and pay real bills. I'm not excited about student loans and unimaginable amounts of debt.

I'm not excited to miss out on my nieces and nephews growing up. Especially this little guy that will be born in October.

So while there are good/great things about this move, it is also hard. So hard. I'm not even gone yet and I'm already getting home sick.

(Jean, sorry I stole 2 of your pictures... love you!)

Faster Than the Speed of Penguins...

2010-05-30T09:00:00.001-06:00

I had Friday off (hello 4 day weekend!) so Brad and I decided to head to the Living Planet Aquarium and visit all the fishes and whatnot. It was a lot of fun and I'm so glad we were able to go (although it was a bit pricey).

Here are the posing with the frog pictures... aren't they lovely (I didn't want to sit on it because it looked gross)?

Brad makes a mighty fine boat driver.

And here are all the fishes and sea creatures. Aren't they cool?

2010-05-29T11:26:00.000-06:00

image found here

Things that make me happy this week:

Fresh cherries (YUM!)
Sex on Fire (don't judge me... it's just a song by Kings of Leon)
House/dog sitting for my sister with Brad
Long weekends
The Living Planet Aquarium
Photo booth photos
Curry in a Hurry (minus the part were the guy coughed and then touched my pita)
Netflix

Classifieds

2010-05-23T18:45:00.000-06:00

Sorry if anyone is getting sick of me blogging about moving to Ohio... but maybe you should get used to it because that is my life at the moment. Anyway...

Yesterday I decided we should start listing our furniture on craigslist and KSL. I figured it might take a while to sell everything off... we only have about a month and a half left in Utah so we better get started, right? Well, within an hour our dresser sold. Great. Now we don't have a dresser for 7 weeks and our unmentionables are now being stored in plastic totes. Awesome. I was laughing for the rest of the evening at the predicament I caused. Oh well. At least we are $40 richer.

I decided I really like it when people give us money for our things. I know it is shameless but it is my blog so I'm gonna do it anyway... Anyone want to buy our stuff? If you know of something of ours that you want, let me know. Anything is for sale at the right price. :)

Starting Over

2010-05-17T20:26:00.001-06:00

So, ya know how Brad and I are moving to Ohio in July? Well, we pretty much decided that we are only going to take what fits in our 2 cars. That means no more super comfy bed or cute kitchen chairs. No more laminate kitchen table or pastel yellow love seat. No more Target-gift-card-bought bookshelves or hand-me-down drawers.

Despite the sadness of getting rid of our awesome bed (which both Brad and I are HIGHLY attached to) and kitchen chairs and having absolutely no furniture once we get to Ohio, I'm pretty excited. If I'm patient and thrifty, I might just get furniture I actually love instead of hand-me-downs (which are/were highly appreciated). I've already scoped out where the local thrift stores are in Columbus and have checked out their craigslist. I might be jumping the gun since we have some time left in Utah but I just can't wait to get started!

Been There, Done That... FINALLY!

2010-05-11T19:43:00.000-06:00

As of Saturday, I can finally say that I hiked the Y!! It only took 2 years of being an alum and an impending cross-country move to make it happen.

It was the perfect day for a hike: lots of cloud coverage and just the right breezy temperature. Too bad I'm a wimp and Brad had to pep talk me the whole way up (love that man!). But we made it!!

The lovely gate at the trail head.

Sitting on the chalky, antacid-looking paint job. Awesome. (I just realized I don't ever wear shoes that I can't slip on... interesting...)

Pretty view!

The most recent BYU alum of our little family!! Congratulations Bradley!

Brad is a Baldy

2010-04-26T21:15:00.000-06:00

Guess what Brad did tonight (with my support... because I'm a supportive wife):

For more details, check his blog.

My Cute Family

2010-04-26T18:59:00.001-06:00

A little over a week ago my awesome sister-in-law of deMand Photography was kind enough to take family pictures of me and my cute Brad. Here are a few of my favorites.

Thanks again Mandy!!

Can I Please?

2010-04-22T21:44:00.000-06:00

Lately, I have a wee obsession. With a girl. That sounds weird huh? It probably is... but I can't help it. I just want to be as cute as she is:

Seriously. Isn't she so cute? If you don't believe me, watch this (this song was stuck in my head basically alllll day long and whenever I happened to walk down a hall I almost broke out in dance... seriously. Don't make fun ok?):

And speaking of She & Him, I highly suggest both volumes. Even Brad loves it!

Forever in Blue Jeans

2010-04-03T09:16:00.000-06:00

Last night a dream came true.

Brad gave me (an early) birthday surprise.

He serenaded me.

While playing the piano.

What song did he play/sing?

Ok, so it was more like this but with the piano instead:

Best birthday present.

Ever.

Revolution

2010-03-27T20:27:00.000-06:00

About a month ago I had a biometrics screening done at work (it is a blood test that checks various levels to see if you are healthy... it checks cholesterol, triglycerides, etc). My test came back fine and dandy except for my exceptionally high glucose levels. I'm not gonna lie, it shocked me how high it was. Yes, I love my treats and candy and chocolate but I didn't think I loved them that much. It was an eye opener and has made me more self-aware about what I eat.

Since then I have been on self-imposed low sugar diet. I haven't tried to cut it out completely (I'm not sure I could even if I wanted too) but I have cut back significantly. I've also increased how much I exercise. And you know what? I feel a lot better. Interesting how that works, ey?

With this new awareness I have also become a little obsessed (like my mother) with my vegetables. So when I ran across this blog with her beautiful pictures and fresh and healthy recipes, I became hooked. Plus, she is adorable. I want to be her friend.

Which leads me to Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (if you read her blog you'll find that she is a fan and it is actually where I heard about the show). If you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you do. Check it out on hulu. It is fuel to my healthy eating fire.

2010-03-25T21:09:00.001-06:00

so this might not seem blog worthy to some but it is for me... it means flip flop season is on its way!

(I painted my toenails)

The Ohio

2010-03-21T21:46:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure if everyone has heard (but pretty sure most have) but Brad and I are moving this summer (probably in July) to Columbus, Ohio (most likely anyway). For the past couple of months I have been dreading moving away from my family (I'm not sure what I'm gonna do without my sisters) but suddenly I am really excited. Like super excited. I can't wait to leave.

I can't wait to have our own space again. I can't wait to start the next phase of our lives. I can't wait to try something new. I can't wait until I hopefully have more time to craft. I can't wait. Yes, I am going to miss my sisters and our families... but I try not to think about that part.

I've already started looking for a job and housing in Columbus, in the hopes that if I find either one sooner we could move before July. But maybe I should wait until Brad finishes at BYU... I think I might be getting a little ahead of myself.

I just hope this excitement lasts so that moving away from the only state I have ever lived in doesn't feel so tragic.

St Patrick's Day Fun

2010-03-17T21:48:00.000-06:00

Tonight after work Bradley and I went on a little date to the park/playground. It wasn't incredibly warm but it was fun!

Action shot (and although I look pregnant I am not).

I love this man!

We took lots of silly pictures and played with the camera settings.

We look a little green, don't we? Bah ha ha.

My shirt is no longer green!

Avatars!

I'm the Incredible Hulk!

I promise I wasn't being a camera hog... I took plenty of pictures of Brad but most of them were of his backside and I didn't think anyone else would enjoy them as much as I do... :)

Miracle of Miracles

2010-03-17T21:10:00.000-06:00

I have a favorite pair of earrings. I've had them for years and just love them. I haven't always been a big fan of jewelry but these earrings I would wear. And wearing them I was, about 2 weeks ago. On this occasion my earlobes just weren't feeling it and so I took them out. Guess where I put them? In my coat pocket. The same coat pocket were I put my car keys. And I forgot allllll about them. Until about 3 days later when I went to put them away and only one remained in my pocket.

I was heart broken (well... as heart broken as losing a pair of beloved earrings can make a girl). I searched everywhere I would normally pull out my car keys (driveway... train station...) and nothing. My earring was lost and gone forever.

Or so I thought...

Until yesterday after work. I was walking to my car thinking (of all things) about how that stupid florescent plastic bead has been in the parking lot for over a week and MY earring is nowhere to be found... and whammie. There it is. With the beautiful sun sparkling right on it. I was/am so excited.

It may be a little worse for the wear... but being driven on and exposed to the elements does that to an earring. After a little cleaning and some bending it'll be as good as new (or good enough...). Yay for small miracles!

I Got a Cookie

2010-02-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

My Valentine's Weekend was super (besides the fact that Brad and I {but mostly Brad} got sick). Brad surprised me with a giant homemade heart-shaped frosted sprinkled sugar cookie (say that in one breath) with a sweet card and poem. I sure love that man.

I do feel a bit bad, though. When I saw the cookie I asked him if his mom had made it. But nope, he made the entire delicious thing by himself. I love it when he makes things for me - so cute!!

Sugar Mama

2010-01-31T18:12:00.000-07:00

I have officially been Brad's sugar mama for a whole week now. Things with my new job have been going great. The people I work with are fun, the job itself (so far) is very doable and I've been picking up on things pretty quickly, and it is awesome to see my sister everyday for lunch!

The things I haven't liked so much: waking up early (ugggh) and less time to craft. Luckily, this too shall pass and come August/September things will be changing again (hello med school).

Squatters?

2010-01-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

On Monday Brad and I (with the help of our awesome family) moved all of our furniture and some of our belongings to Murray... but we stayed in our Provo apartment for a few more days (until Friday)... living like squatters.

Seriously, this is what we slept on (a feather-bed on the floor).

And sat on.

And where we put the remainder of our unpacked belongings.

I promise we aren't this messy in real life.

Friday was my last day in Provo. I've got major mixed feelings (still). On the one hand, I get to sleep in my awesome bed from now on and be closer to my wonderful family. Plus, I'll have an awesome full-time job. But then I won't get to see these mountains as much anymore.

Squaw Peak. Taken on my last morning in Provo.

Or be near friends and have enough time to craft to my hearts content.

Although change is hard, it is still good. Overall, I'm pretty excited about things and can't wait to start my job tomorrow!

Moving On...

2010-01-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

And out...

It's true. Brad and I are leaving Provo. By the end of next week, in fact. Last Friday I was offered a full-time position at the University of Utah that I just couldn't pass up. At first I was planning on commuting from Provo (by bus) but then some sense was talked into me and now we are moving to Murray (in my in-law's basement so we can save $ for med school and because we can't sign a lease anywhere until we know where we are going in the fall). Unfortunately we both have to commute now but Brad finishes his undergraduate in April so luckily he'll only have a few months of busing it to Provo.

I start the job on the 25th and so by the end of next week we'll be packed and gone. Sad day. We both love Provo (hello mountains!!) and are sad to go but we feel it is the right thing to do. Maybe we'll be back one day... who knows.

Since our leaving this soon was unexpected we have lots of places to visit within the next week and a half. Our first stop: Rooster Dumpling and Noodle Bar. I had been wanting to try it for months and we finally did it! Of course I had to document the occasion (plus, this picture proves I wear the clothes I refashion).

And doesn't my meal look pretty? Brad said it was smiling at me.

Bean Museum

2010-01-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Brad and I had the opportunity to babysit my sister's triplets (who are 9 yrs old). We don't get to hang out with these kids enough so it was a lot of fun. For part of the evening we took them to the Bean Museum on campus (yay for free activities!) and had a lot of fun. Here are a few of my favorite pictures:

They were a hoot and we're glad we got to spend time with them. (And I promise in that last picture we aren't posing with the elephant's behind on purpose... it just happened to be next to the ostrich...)

Any Suggestions?

2010-01-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

So... I've had my new craft blog for about 3 weeks now and I've been playing around with the template off and on and I think I finally came up with something that I like. To me it is simple, fun, and happy. But I want to know what other people think about it. Did you like what I had before (if you know what it looked like before...) or do you like what I have now? Is it too simple/plain? How is readability/visibility (do you notice anything clashing or hard to look at)? Please check it out and let me know. Thanks!!

Goals

2010-01-03T17:10:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my cute sister-in-law Mandy, I've been inspired to make some goals and to write them down!

Here they are:

Finish the Old Testament this year
Go to the temple more (hopefully at least once a month or more)
Start exercising regularly (I need to start being consistent and then I'll worry about losing weight...)
Go on a vacation with Brad before he starts medical school
Find an affordable apartment bigger than our current 340 sq. ft.
Start making a quiet book
Keep crafting and giving homemade gifts as much as possible
Finish our kitchen chairs (hopefully before April)
Find another piece of wood furniture to refinish
Finish my granny square blanket
Love others more genuinely

2009 Picture Recap

2010-01-02T00:16:00.000-07:00

Got glasses.

Went to a benefit concert for Nie Nie.

Got a flat tire on the freeway.

Started making whole wheat bread on a weekly basis.

Got a bike.

Started a craft blog with my cute friend, Anne.

Went to a lake.

Car got totaled by a fork lift.

Had some serious neck issues (sorry, no picture).

Brad went to Guatemala during our anniversary (not his choice) but brought me back some sweet earrings.

Bought kitchen chairs.

Went to lots of BYU home football games.

Became lumberjacks.

Finished 2 of the kitchen chairs.

Got bangs.

Got a new car.

Started another craft blog.

Made lots of things (lots and lots and lots of things).

Christmas Present Idea

2009-12-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Brad hates glitter. He believes that glitter is the herpes of craft supplies (don't pay attention to the video, just the audio). He might be right but I still can't help but want it. It's so pretty.And sparkly. I'm pretty sure Mandy would agree.

Brad calls it a mess but I call it a beautiful mess.

2 weeks in the making

2009-12-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

So remember how a few months back my car got totaled by a fork lift? Well, we finally replaced that with this:

Isn't it cute? I love my new rav4 (well, new to us... it is actually a 1998). We bought it about 2 weeks ago and we had some problems getting the title and long story short it took us 2 whole weeks to get everything taken care of. I am giddy with excitement that I now have my freedom back (I didn't like driving Brad's car so I didn't... I have issues).

Oh and remember to check out my new craft blog... :)

Brad has been a good boy this year....

2009-12-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

Santa sent Brad a message. To view it click here.

Blog Title

2009-12-12T20:25:00.003-07:00

So... I need a new title for this blog as All For This Penny has now been taken over (maybe temporarily... maybe not) by my new craft blog. Yes, that's right. I have now started my very own personal craft blog. Don't worry, nothing happened with FloralShowers, it is still there and Anne will still be posting but I have decided (I'm not sure how permanently) that I want to branch off and have a craft blog of my very own.

So now I need a new title for this, my personal blog. What should it be? Any suggestions?

Oh, and if you wouldn't mind, visit and subscribe to my new craft blog. :)

BIG Announcement

2009-11-28T22:52:00.003-07:00

Some of you may not know, but I am pretty anti-country music (no offense to country music lovers). I have been for years and years and I don't plan on changing my music preferences anytime soon. BUT (did you feel that but coming?) I have finally succumbed to the cuteness of Taylor Swift *gasp*. It started with this:

And then I watched this... And then my sister gave me a copy of her cds and now I am hooked. Am I the only late Taylor Swift bloomer?

thankful for...

2009-11-25T12:26:00.003-07:00

brad - a supportive, smart, and very attractive husband. cute and comfy shoes. that i didn't cry over my new haircut. my family. my sisters (yes, technically included in "my family" but i am especially grateful for them). brad's family. friends. crafts. yarn. funny people. good doctors. food. the mormon channel. my savior. the gospel. my testimony. heaters. soft, warm, and fuzzy blankets. new kitchen chairs. moving next year. being happy. the library. books. movies. the internet. temples. having a bachelors degree. being creative. owning a glue gun (seriously, i don't know how i lived without one). super cozy and soft beds. nieces and nephews. accepting the lord's will. cars. good drivers. eating out. music. felt. buttons. sewing machines. craft blogs. google reader. my camera. sweaters. cold water. chocolate (but i'm probably not as grateful for chocolate as brad is). that brad is the perfect height for me (seriously, perfect height... i could have a whole blog post about how perfect his height is for me. i love it!!). toaster oven. christmas. giving homemade gifts.

Promises Broken

2009-11-25T11:59:00.003-07:00

For about, oh, 15 years now I've sworn left and right that I would never have bangs again. As a child I had bangs, against my will, and as soon as my mom let me make my own hair style decisions I grew those bangs right out and never looked back. Until now. On Monday (while Brad was in Ohio - med school interview) I asked my mom and sister for a haircut and... on a whim, I asked for bangs. And I got them.

What do you think? I actually like them.

the votes are in

2009-11-25T11:48:00.003-07:00

and I think it is safe to say that hatchbacks are hideous (or somewhat hideous at least).

The Great Debate

2009-11-17T20:38:00.003-07:00

Brad and I usually agree on most things. But time and again we have hit a snag in our agreeableness towards each other. I know I shouldn't air dirty laundry but I need some validation here.

What do we disagree about? One word: hatchbacks.

I think 90% (or more) of hatchback vehicles are the most hideous cars ever designed. Brad likes them. Who is wrong? Please cast your votes now. Poll is on my sidebar. Thank you.

thanks for playing!!

2009-11-09T10:26:00.002-07:00

you are all great! thanks for humoring me. and congratulations catherine (gourdon is the perfect name for my friend). you win... something awesome... :)

i'm gourd out of my mind...

2009-11-06T22:36:00.004-07:00

so i made a new friend to play with!

i'll give something (probably homemade) to the person who gives him the best name...

new love

2009-11-03T11:07:00.004-07:00

The past 3-4 days I have been ecstatic. Why? Because we finally finished 2 of our kitchen chairs.

Aren't they purdy? You can read more about them here.

Grosgrain Giveaway

2009-11-03T10:57:00.002-07:00

You've all heard of the amazing blog Grosgrain right? If not, it is about time you have. Well, there is a giveaway for this amazing dress and I totally want to win it. Wish me luck. Shabby Apple Dare to Design Lawn Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

I'm a Lumberjack...

2009-11-01T16:45:00.002-07:00

Just a couple of lumberjacks, hanging out and being manly.

things that make me happy

2009-10-21T22:02:00.008-06:00

Here are some things that are making me happy right now:

This curly beard I just made. It is ridiculously awesome. Think of the bearded costume possibilities: the bearded lady, Moses, lumberjack, dwarf, homeless guy, etc. Blogged about here.

Since I had some extra pillows that didn't sell at the craft fair, I added them into my etsy shop (yeah, I still have one even though I haven't used it in a realllly long time) and one already sold! Yay!

Chocolate chip cookies. So good.

Catching Fire. So far, soooo good.

1 lb skeins of yarn. They were on sale a few weekends ago and I got three of 'em. Red, black, and blue. I'm SO excited.Christmas. Especially this advent calendar (found here). Isn't it amazing?

These earrings. Aren't they beautiful? I made them from buttons that Brad's grandma gave me. I LOVE them. A lot.

2009-10-19T11:10:00.004-06:00

My October has been... thrilling. First off, I got to meet President Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd. They look pretty good for being dead, right?
A few weekends ago I also got to participate in an awesome girls night out. It was tons of fun and I just love my sisters to pieces. We went to Buca di Beppo and Oh. My. Word. Their food is amazing (expensive but amazing)! I highly recommend going there, especially if someone else wants to foot the bill (thanks sis!).

I also get to enjoy the beautiful changing colors on a daily basis. I love Autumn. I just wish it would last longer.

I also got to hang out with my delightful sister-in-law Mandy over the weekend. She is adorable and is one of my favorites right now. Brad and I slept over at her place in Brigham Friday night and it was so fun to just hang out with her (her husband was deer hunting). She even put mints on our pillows. Love her.

The craft fair wasn't a huge success (mostly lookers and hardly any buyers) but it was still fun. Plus, now I have plenty of ready-made gifts. Hopefully people like button earrings... :)

Monster Giveaway

2009-10-02T13:16:00.002-06:00

If you haven't noticed yet, Anne is doing a giveaway on Floralshowers. It is pretty much the cutest giveaway. Ever. If it weren't my craft blog I would totally enter. Isn't she amazing at crocheting? I'm basically jealous. Go. Enter now. You won't be disappointed.

September

2009-09-23T10:42:00.007-06:00

I haven't felt like blogging much, so I haven't. But I am kinda somewhat almost in the mood so I thought I'd better go ahead and post.

September has been a pretty good month so far. I helped plan a surprise birthday party for my wonderful sister Jeanette. I was in charge of decorations and the cake (I made cake balls... so good). It turned out great and Jeanette was completely surprised. Here are a few of the decorations I made:

The bunting

The table center pieces (tutorial HERE).

Speaking of Jeanette's birthday, I made her a ruffle pillow out of a t-shirt, that inspired this tutorial on Floralshowers. The awesome part? It has been our biggest traffic booster. I'm pretty proud of it.

Brad's birthday was also this month. It was pretty low-key because he had class all day. But once he was done we headed to Carl's Jr (that's what he wanted for his birthday dinner... probably because I never want to go there normally) and then we went and saw Star Trek. It was a fun night. Plus, he also got some amazing cake balls (dark chocolate cake dipped in semi-sweet chocolate... mmmm) and some awesome presents.

This month we've also (finally) started working on our new kitchen chairs (that we got from the DI months ago or what seems like months ago). We haven't gotten very far but at least we've started. I'm pretty excited.

BYU football also started this month, which has kept me busy at work... but surprisingly enough I was able to attend my first ever full BYU football game with Brad (unfortunately we lost).

(I know this picture is blurry but it still makes me happy)

So September has been treating me good so far. Hopefully I'll feel like blogging more regularly soon. We'll see.

New Nephew

2009-09-03T16:06:00.002-06:00

My sister had her baby this morning and I simply cannot wait to meet the little guy. For pics go here.

Brad is Back!

2009-08-31T15:35:00.003-06:00

Brad got back on Wednesday from his trip to Guatemala (a work related trip) and life has never felt so wonderful! Being the great husband that he is, Brad brought me back a souvenir, these beautiful jade earrings:

I'll be honest, it was hard having Brad gone (he was gone for 10 days, or basically an eternity to a newlywed). Thanks to all of my wonderful friends and family members who helped me out and kept me company while he was gone!!

2009-08-23T14:04:00.003-06:00

Look what I just got for my anniversary (plus 5 lbs of delicious fudge):
Not bad for someone who is out of the country, huh? I just love my sweet husband. He is making this day special even though we can't be together.

To Brad

2009-08-23T09:23:00.000-06:00

Happy Anniversary my love. I can't wait until you get home!

Peanuts peanuts peanuts...

2009-08-20T23:37:00.003-06:00

Brad is out of town (and the country) for work. He left on Monday. This is the stuff loneliness and crying episodes are made of (for me anyway). But I have found the silver lining... and have eaten it, over and over again. That silver lining is actually more of a tan-ish brown color and it is oh-so-delicious (and Brad is oh-so-allergic to it). My delicious lining: peanuts.

So far I have had:

peanut M&Ms
peanut butter M&Ms
no-bake cookies
Reese's peanut butter cup ice cream (thanks again Angelica!!!)

Still to come:

peanut butter toast (and lots of it!!)
more peanut butter cup ice cream
possibly more no-bake cookies
anything else peanut related I can get my hands on

So while I am terribly sad Brad is gone, I am also grateful I can pig-out on peanut butter to console myself.

2009-08-13T20:46:00.005-06:00

We are officially a one car family, as of Tuesday, when we took our bright blue Forester rental back. (So what if driving the Forester got me funny looks from passersby, I still liked driving it... I mean, it had ac AND a radio - luxuries my car did not.) We should be receiving our check from the insurance company soon (because, yes, the car was totaled), and let me tell you, we were happily surprised by the amount they offered (no blue book value for us - they gave us the market value! yay! which, um, is actually more than I originally paid for the car...). With the money we won't be purchasing another car. Not yet anyway. We figure it would be better for us right now to save it. Plus, we live so close to campus where we both work and where Brad goes to school, so we can just suck it up and carpool - live like the poor college students we are.

In other news, as an experiment I've gone off my muscle relaxers (maybe I should have consulted my doctor first... oh well). I hate being medicated and I am wanting to see if I actually still need to be taking them. I'm on day 2 and so far I only have a mildly stiff neck (which is a major improvement over what I was experiencing pre-muscle relaxers). Hopefully things won't get worse and that I won't feel the need to start taking them again. I can already feel the side effects of the medication wearing off (I'm not as moody, nauseous, groggy, out-of-it, etc) and it is wonderful!!

I love where I live

2009-08-10T11:40:00.003-06:00

Because sometimes I get to see this outside of my window. It may not be the best picture, but you take what you can get when they are so easily startled. (There were actually 2 deer, but you may not be able to see it from this shot.)

Fork Lifts Happen

2009-07-31T20:45:00.003-06:00

While I was at work today, my car was in a fight with a fork lift and the fork lift won. Or, in other words, my car was hit by a fork lift driven by a not so observant fork lift operator (there is a lot of construction going at work). He felt pretty bad, but we aren't that worried about it because my car is old anyway. The damage doesn't look like much but it is probably totaled. Oh well.

My new back window. Ain't it purdy? And so white trash?