Girl be Cuh-Razy!

Last night, my husband opened for a band here in Salt Lake that he has opened for many times since I moved to Utah in 2007.  (We'll call them RB and they are great).  Being at this show reminded my husband and I of a story that happened back when I FIRST moved to Utah and I felt the urge to write it down.  I had almost completely forgotten about this incident and I feel it is worthy to have in my blog so that I can go back and read it in five years and remember just what happened... So here it goes:

When I moved to Utah, I had already had a couple phone interviews to work as a marketing liaison for a Home-Health/Hospice company in SLC.  J and I decided that if I got an in-person interview, I would move.  Well the interview was offered so I told all my friends/family I was moving to Utah in just over a week.  J flew out and we drove my car (all my crap) to my new home: Utah.  The afternoon before my interview (which was basically just a formality as they told me I was a shoe-in), the company called me and said the lady who was retiring decided to stay on for a few more years, thus... the position was no longer available.  Damn.

I needed a job!  BAD!  At the same time, one of J's exes had been calling/texting him religiously saying that she had a job opportunity for me that would be perfect for my background.  (Let's refer to her as CT for the sake of the blog).  He kept not responding to her, explaining that she was a little crazy and that he doesn't trust her as far as he could throw her.  Being the new girlfriend, and desperate for a job, I told him I would go meet with her.  Because who knows, maybe she actually did have a job opportunity for me! And if not, at least I could then have a reason to be like QUIT CALLING MY BOYFRIEND.  :)

So CT and I scheduled a time and date to meet at her home and discuss this amazing marketing opportunity.  I dressed nice, not interview nice, but still business casual.  When I showed up, there was no house to match the address she gave me.  I gave her a quick call to discover that she had given me a completely wrong address.  No big deal I thought.  CT must have been confused by giving me the wrong city, street and house number.   

*note to self: that should have been a HUGE red flag.

 When I finally arrived at her home, she opened the door in sweats, no make-up, hair unwashed and in a knot on top of her head.  Interesting.  CT must have just finished working out, I assumed. 

*note to self: Another HUGE Red Flag.

She invited me in and proceeded to give me a long-winded intro about how she had my job solution.  She wanted me to do marketing for bands with her company.  She claimed she had already been in talks with her first band, RB, and that her marketing plan was going to blow the music biz out of the water!  What was this plan, you ask? 


Construction paper.  Colored construction paper.  Not just by itself.  No, colored construction paper folded into small, tight squares with inspirational words written on them in marker.  These inspirational words were things like "Money" ... "Success" ... "Passion"  ....  Then... she brought in a lighter (oh, heck no... CT and fire seemed like a bad idea) and proceeded to lightly burn the corners of said construction paper.  I somehow convinced her that tape was a better option and thus we then covered each square with tape.  Oh yes, these square construction paper concoctions were going to change the world! 

Somehow during this construction paper chaos where I SERIOUSLY thought I was being Punk'd and Ashton's annoying self was going to appear at any moment, I noticed that she had picked out a rather LARGE knife and was now keeping it near her.  Yes, KNIFE.  LARGE one.  In her hand.  I started to panic.  I obviously already realized that this girl was bat-shit crazy so I started noting all the exits and paying more attention to our spacing around the kitchen. 

Luckily, a random guy came to the door to pick up his ice-chest so she forgot about all the construction paper and changed into a whirl-wind of other ideas about energies within her house.  She invited me downstairs to go over something to do with a computer, and noting that the knife was in the kitchen still, I went with her.  In the basement, she explained that in order to do our job properly we will need to clear our energies and open them to inspiration.  How do we get that inspiration, you ask?

Printer Paper.  Oh yes, White Printer Paper.  Not just as is... no, no,no.  You must wad this printer paper into a ball.  And then, you must throw this printer paper ball at the wall.  Not just any spot on the wall, a specific spot on a specific wall.  Did I see this "spot"?  Heck no.  But I went along with it to keep her calm and thus hurry the process along so I could get out of there ASAP! 

After a good ten minutes of throwing the beloved printer paper, we went back up stairs where I explained I had a lunch meeting and needed to leave.  NOW.  She proceeded to go into a long, AWKWARD rant about how much she loves J and how amazing he is and all these things that really should not have been said because they were outright CREEPY.  She opened one of our beloved construction paper creations and wrote "Green Light"... she said it was her love letter to J and asked if I would deliver it to him.  With that, she let me know she would be ready to hire me whenever I wanted to start work and gave me a long, weird hug.

....

The moment I got in my car, I called J.... I was in shock.  Was there really a person THAT crazy?!  He said he heard she had gotten into "some stuff" and was probably high as a kite.  Indeed, that was DEFINITELY true.  She was a complete nutcase and I immediately felt bad for RB for having to put up with whatever rants she had been giving them.  I told J every detail of my weird 2-hour twilight-zone morning and how I had tried to leave several times.  AND... about how I seriously thought she might attack me with the knife. 

We laugh about it now and she is still crazy every time we run into her at a RB show.  She seriously thinks my name is Migo... as in Mee-go.   Which has become a long-time inside joke between J, me and two of our other friends :)  

So that is the story.  The story of how I survived the crazyness that is CT.  I will close this post with some advice.... Drugs are bad. 

That is all.

Embrace it

A sorority sister of mine (and dear friend) recently had a post about "Girl-on-Girl Hate" and the unfortunate reality that women like to hate on each other for no reason at all.  I highly recommend going to read her post and the article she sites. 

Girl-on girl hatred is unfortunate and sad but it's also inevitable.  Many times over the course of my life, especially in college, I dressed for females.  Sure, I wanted the guys to think I looked hot... but mostly I didn't want to be ridiculed by the girls.  This became ever apparent with my college boyfriend. He was the jealous type and thus restricted my clothing options... no skirts too short, no noticeable cleavage, etc.  But when I went out, I wasn't worried about the guys... I dressed for the girls.  I wanted them to think I was cute... that I was worthy to date that guy... and on and on.  Ridiculous. 

I have never been into fashion and have always just worn what I feel good in.  Which usually means anything sleeveless.  I have a long way to go before my arms are where I won't take every picture with my hand on my hip, but sleeveless is comfortable.  Sleeveless is me.   

Where is this going, you ask?  While on Pinterest today I saw a really cute way to take an over-sized flannel shirt and turn it into a cute SLEEVELESS option. 

via

The pin (random stranger's) had the description that this was a cute idea but kind of slutty.   OK.  REALLY?!  Slutty?  I don't know why but it just kind of pissed me off.   If I saw a girl wearing this in public I would think... "Creative" .... "Cute" .... "Fun"  .... Not Slutty.  I was annoyed. 

Since being married, I quit dressing for the girls and started dressing for me.  I wear what makes me feel sexy.  Because I know if I feel like I look good, that attitude will come across.  And my husband takes notice.  Whenever I wear something I am excited about, he always comments about how good I look.  Thus, him loving the outfit makes me want to wear it even more so he likes what he sees ;) 

I am lucky in that I chose a guy who doesn't care how I dress.  I want to rock the cleavage shirt? Great!  I want the flannel and silly hat?  Awesome!  I want the super short dress with the high heels? Do it!  Now when I see girls hate on my outfits, I brush it off because I don't care what they think when my husband thinks I look beautiful :) 

Funny thing is, I met my husband wearing a very scandalous shirt.  You can't really tell from this photo because I cropped off the bottom many years ago... but let's just say it was all boob.

 And to this day, I ENJOY wearing cleavage shirts.  Why?  Because one day soon I won't be able to.  And on that day, I'll look back and know I rocked the shit out of those shirts/dresses.  :)

So I guess the moral of this post is... go with what makes you feel the best.  Every woman out there... EVERY woman out there should feel like a million bucks each time she walks into a room.  Whether it be in your favorite black dress or your most comfortable jeans and T.  We should dress for us.  And all the girls that are "hating" on you are only doing so because they are insecure and unsure about themselves.  Don't take it personally because it is actually just a reflection of their own insecurities. 

The medicine man my husband and I visit said something that stuck with me.  He said that once a woman is married, it shouldn't mean she becomes the perfect image of modesty.  If she wants to rock the "slutty" outfit, then by all means, rock it.  But rock it with all of that energy directed toward her husband and her husband alone.  I love that idea and I embrace it.  :) 

End Rant. 

This is your Brain on the Flu

Well my wonderful husband has been in LA all week doing some recording which means I had the house to myself (and Cleo) for 7 days!  I was ecstatic to buckle down and do some much needed cleaning, organizing, and work.  But alas, the flu reared its ugly head on Tuesday night.  Which means I have been holed up at home while fighting off a fever and feeling completely miserable!  The most I have moved the last few days is to refill my water, pee and take Cleo to pee. 

With that being said, I feel like I have had total Flu Head.  And for the first time in a VERY long time (12 years), all I have wanted is to go to the gym and do a little working out.  This is very unlike me as I generally use the excuse, it's too early/late/cold/hot/annoying to go to the gym.  But I have been restricted by doctors since January 4th from doing ANY type of physical activity due to my asthma and now my flu.  It's driving me crazy.  I HATE being told that I can't do something.  It gets under my skin and makes me obsess over it in a way to prove them wrong.  This is a health thing.  I understand that.  I understand that I have asthma.  I understand that Utah makes it worse due to the pollution.  But golly gee, it's driving me insane!  I have a cruise to prepare for people!  And I am the first to know that I have to do something when the motivation is there before it gets piled into a box titled "one day soon."  But let's get realistic, if I actually made it to the gym then I would last probably 3 minutes before deciding I was too ill to do any good and would whimper back to my car while thinking that my 3 minutes might have prolonged my sickness another 24 hours.  So...

I started loading up on extra vitamin D and now have eye drops from the doc which will hopefully help.  Tomorrow is also the first day I am not contagious! Yay! And I get to see my lovely husband sometime between now and tomorrow morning.. Double Yay!

With all this flu head going around I would like to leave you with this little bit of joy:

Taboo or Truth?

I get tired of the radio playing the same tunes over and over and over and over.... so I like to listen to podcasts when I travel for work.  My favorite podcast is called "Stuff Mom Never Told You" by the How Stuff Works crew.   I find their discussion hilarious and their topics interesting.  I usually end up sitting in the car and just giggling for the entire thing.

Recently they had a podcast that discussed Sexual Education in schools.  I recommend going to iTunes and downloading them because I am just touching on my personal opinion :)

I think Sex Ed is a VERY important part of school curriculum.  It's crazy to me when I hear friends say that it was NEVER discussed in school!  That they never had a day dedicated to it or a class discussion.  It irritates me when I find out that they were taught Abstinence only.  First off - there's no proof that abstinence only education delays sexual activity.  And if you aren't teaching your kids about sex then I guarantee you they are learning about it from someone else, the tv or the internet.

My school in Oklahoma had the puberty talk in 5th grade, the condom and sexual safety talk in 6th grade, then finally the birthing video and sex education course in HighSchool. My senior year in high school all the girls and guys were divided and bussed to a "Sex Ed Field Trip" ... it was a full day event where they discussed/showed-scary-pictures-of STD's, pregnancies, genitalia, etc.  They talked about the different kinds of sex and the risks associated with each one.  They also had an anonymous question and answer session where girls asked everything from menstrual questions to sex toy options.  Believe it.  Being the prude little 18 year old I was, I was horrified.  But it gave me knowledge that I think was crucial to being a female and knowing what to expect from here on out. 

Virginity pledges generally delay sexual activity for about 18 months if it is a tight group such as a youth group but the pledge does not have ANY effect statistically on contracting STD's.  That's right folks ANY effect.  That means that although you may delay your kids from starting their sexual revolution, you're not saving them any of the woes that come with the territory.  When I was a kid, I took a virginity pledge with my church.  I wore that ring on my finger until it split in half my freshman year of college... that's right ... it just randomly split in half.  Maybe that was God's little message?  Maybe. 

Did you know 1 in 4 college students will contract an STI by the time they graduate? That is some scary stuff right there.  Especially with all the booze floating around during that time.    I think when it comes to Sex Ed, health and safety should be identified and discussed rather than just scare tactics about pregnancy and STDs.  Not only the likelihood of how often condoms work but also about various options of female contraceptive.  I didn't have the "sex talk" with my parents (other than the virginity pledge) until I was 18!  18!  Seriously.  I had heard about things at school since I was 12.  A little delayed there but nice attempt.

The Kaiser Family Foundation found that 98% of parents they polled want HIV and AIDS discussed and 85% say they want condoms discussed.  The US has one of the highest pregnancy rates in the developed world!  Sex should not be taboo.  It should be discussed maturely and honestly.

Well those are my two cents.  End Rant ;)

This little video from Disney was a standard puberty education tool from the mid 40's through 1960.  Besides being hilarious, please take notes of the topics addressed around 7 minutes.  As in, showering, exercising and making yourself beautiful.  Hilarious.

Tell them Often...

Tonight was the viewing for my friend who passed away this week.  Saturday morning is the funeral.  I really wish I could be there...

I just wanted to do a quick post to remind whoever might read it that you need to tell those who are dear to you that you love them.  Tell them often! Tell them now.  Even if you think they already know, tell them again anyways.  You never know when it could be the last time you get a chance. 

The most important people in my life... my wonderful family :)

Gone too soon...

wow.  I am so at a loss for words but I feel I need to write something down regardless.  I woke this morning to find a text message from one of my longtime friends telling me that a friend of ours passed away last night.  I was shocked.  And speechless.  And sad.

I haven't talked to him since I left Oklahoma but that doesn't mean I didn't think of him often.  We were "friends" on facebook and I always enjoyed seeing his silly posts come across my feed.  He was a good friend and a GREAT guy. 

Seeing all the posts about him flood my facebook just reinforce what an amazing guy he was.  He touched every person he met with his infectious sense of humor, his silly zest for life and his caring nature.  I think most people would agree that JT was like a big teddybear.  He was big and tall and gave you the kind of hug that made you feel safe.  It was the ultimate bear hug. 

Jt was the the funny guy.  The guy who would treat you like you were his best friend after knowing him for half an hour.  Always going the extra mile to make sure everyone in the room was laughing and enjoying themselves.  I remember the first time I drove him around when I turned 16.  I had a celica convertible and he was too tall to fit in it.  So after I took the top down he was able to sit in the seat but his head went above the top of the windshield.  We thought it was the funniest thing and joked about forcing him to ride in my car all the time.  It became our own little inside joke.  And all the times in high school when he would just pick me up out of nowhere as if I was just some ragdoll.  Or the silly senior skit we got paired up for.  When I left for college, I would occasionally see him out and about in Norman.  It was like time hadn't skipped a beat.  No matter how long it had been since I had seen him, he'd always greet you with a big ol' smile and a huge bear hug.  That was Jt.  I will miss him dearly but am honored I knew him at all. 

My thoughts and prayers go out to your family, your girlfriend and your beautiful little girl.  Sorry for not being a better friend and staying in touch these past few years.  May you rest in peace.

Why I like Ska Shows... or Random Thoughts by Meg

Today's post is short and sweet :)  So one of J's friends, Matt, plays in the band Reel Big Fish.  Every time they come anywhere near Salt Lake, we make time to hang with Matt and go see his show.  So far that has been in Vegas, St. George and Salt Lake.

I have to tell you, I am kind of a music snob.  I am very opinionated about what I like and what I don't.  Don't get me wrong, I love all sorts of artists and genres but I can be turned off by a band very easily as well.  With that being said....

I LOVE SKA SHOWS!  

Do I listen to ska regularly? No. It's slim to none that you'll find me bumping it in my lil Civic, but the shows are incredible!

There is some sort of honesty that you see at the Reel Big Fish shows that is rare among musicians today.  Of course they have their silly choreography (which is a total hoot in my opinion) but the freshness of them just having a good time on stage is priceless.

Too often these days, musicians go through the motions.  They're jaded, tired, or have their head too far up their own bum to have a good time.  Every time I have seen Reel Big Fish live, there is this weird sense of joy.  No ego to hide behind.  Just a group of guys doing what they love for their living and being appreciative that so many people stand behind their music.

Other bands should take note.  When you're in the business of creative emotion, the crowd feels it.  And if it's fake, I can't help but assume that you are too.

So go see Reel Big Fish next time they come to a town near you.  And bring your dancing shoes ;)

I Am. Was. Always Will Be. a Gymnast

Every time I go home to Oklahoma, my mom has a new box of stuff for me to go through.  I am a VERY sentimental person which often leads into being a total pack rat!   

While going through one of the boxes I found my old gymnastics journal that I had toward the end of my gym career.  The journal was something my coaches gave us to document our workouts.  We had to say what we learned on each event, what we wanted to improve on and rank our attitude, etc.  At the beginning of each workout we had to turn in the previous workout's journal entry for our coaches to review and sign off on.  It was like gymnastics homework if that makes sense.

While reading through this little thing, I got SUPER emotional.  I was shocked to see that I mentioned some sort of nagging pain or injury during EVERY workout.  I mean, I did gymnastics for 14 years!  Half of my life.  I remember the big injuries like breaking bones and the surgeries I had on both elbows to remove the bone/cartilage pieces.  But I forgot about all the physical therapy I had to do for my knees, all the doctors visits for my wrists, chiropractor visits for my back, acupuncture for my hips and the annoyance of having my shoulder pop out of socket all the time.

If you aren't in the gymnast world then you probably don't know that most gymnasts quit by the time they reach 7th grade. Puberty changes your center of balance and you have to kind of reconfigure how you do skills due to muscle changes.  That paired with more school activities/curiosity means that most girls quit.

By the time I was 16, I had reached a burnout stage.  I was the oldest in the gym and the highest level.  Being the oldest and most advanced meant that I was pretty much the team captain.  I started getting yelled at for my younger teammates misbehaving or cheating during their conditioning.  I was at fault because if they were cheating, then I must not have been providing a good example.  It was frustrating to be constantly in trouble because a girl 8 years younger than me wasn't doing her assigned number of pull-ups.

I was hurt and tired but I felt I owed it to myself to see it through college if my body could hold out.  Also, I was bored.  I discussed doing JV Cheer with my gym coaches which would mean I would miss about 8 workouts for the year.  We discussed scheduling private workouts on Saturdays to make up for those 8 days if needed.  They agreed to let me do cheer as long as I kept it "under wraps."   

Fast forward 4 months to the night before school started my sophomore year in High School. My coaches informed me that they had a parent complain that I was getting to be involved in a school activity so to be fair, I either needed to quit cheer or quit gymnastics.  Talk about BLINDSIDED!  I was pissed! I had already signed the contract and cheer was considered one of my academic courses so I couldn't drop it.  Thus, gymnastics was over.  Just like that.  After 14 years, half of which was with these coaches, I was done.  I can't explain the anger I had.  The utter disgust that they went back on their word.  I was horrified and devastated. 

My coaches were like my parents.  I spent at least 20 hours a week with them, traveled with them, was at the hospital with them when they had their daughter, even discussed puberty with them.  They were my parents.  They were my heroes.  And they let me down.  I didn't know who I was.  I was a gymnast.  That was my life.  My identity.  And it was gone due to one parent complaint by a younger teammate who wanted to take violin.  I understand their predicament but then I thought it was Ridiculous.

My senior year in college, I went back to the gym to visit my coaches.  My male coach took me to the back and started crying.  I stood there in shock as he apologized for everything.  For handling things the way they did and for taking everything away from me for a ridiculous reason.  He admitted that they constantly regret the way things happened.  He asked for my forgiveness and I cried. 

I have a lot of amazing memories, stories of triumphs, friendships, etc. from Gymnastics.  But when I read that journal, the devastation and frustration is what poured over me.  I am so very lucky to have had such a great opportunity and I am thankful that it shaped me into who I am today.  Shaped my beliefs, my identity, my spirit.  

My coaches are amazing people and honestly the best pseudo-parents I could have ever hoped for!  They are caring in ways many gymnastics coaches are not.  I was honored to see them for 20 minutes when they were driving through Utah with their daughter.  I miss them and love them.  Overall, I am thankful for them and the way they have shaped who I am today. 

If Awolnation and Sinead O'Conner had a baby....

My husband has been talking about how he has wanted to do a mash-up of Sinead O'Conner (Prince's) "Nothing Compares 2 U" and Awolnation "Sail" .... well tonight he set his iPhone up in his studio and jammed out this little gem.....

So EnjoY :)



And please feel free to share it with anyone who enjoys a good tune ;)

Oh Baby, Baby!

I have only been to two baby shower's in my entire life!  My sister's and my cousin Jaime's.  With that being said, I have a friend who has been blessed (and surprised) with Twins!  A boy and a girl!  She has two boys already but has never had a baby shower so you better believe I rushed to offer to throw her one!  She needs double of everything so she was thrilled to think she would be helped with all those necessities. 

As part of her baby shower, I want to make her a diaper cake.  If you have never heard of a diaper cake, it's basically diapers rolled to resemble a three-tiered cake.  It's a staple at most baby showers in Oklahoma and a cute way to give the mom-to-be as many poop pads as you can.

Well, my good friend is throwing her sister a baby shower this weekend for her third little kiddo and her FIRST baby girl!  I was thrilled to be invited and jumped at the thought of what I should get her.  My friend said she really needs diapers so with pure anticipation I verified whether a diaper cake was already being done.  It wasn't.  YAY!  Add an hour at the dollar store, several youtube videos and a peruse (2 hours) at Hobby Lobby ... and you've got one SUPER excited girl (me)! What better way to practice on Whitney's Diaper Cake then by doing one for Laura this weekend?!  Oh the joy!

I started with a 50 pack of diapers and some goodies I picked up at the dollar store.

I rolled each diaper from bottom to waist and secured with a rubber band. 

A lot of people will recommend unfolding the diaper before rolling but I kept them folded to try to keep them more sanitary for the baby.

After they were all rolled, I started to place them in a circle with the waist edge turned inward so they would not unroll as easily.  I secured them with a large rubber band to replace the individual rubber bands.

Once each tier was done, I placed stir sticks down the center to try to keep the layers from disconnecting.  (If you put force on it vertically it would crumble but horizontally it will stay together, if that makes sense).  I also measured out my ribbon and then prepared the hot glue gun.

I placed a folded piece of paper inside the rubber band on each layer to try to reduce the amount of hot glue that gets on the actual diapers.

I hot glued the ribbons one at a time over the paper to create layers. 

After putting the ribbons on, I took the fun dollar store items and secured them around the "cake" to make it a little more fun.  I also put some heavy stickers on the ribbon to add some pizzazz ... yes I said pizzazz. 

I finished by adding a curly ribbon bow tucked into the top tier and a sparkly pink butterfly...

A Diaper Cake! Yay!  So proud of myself.  It was super easy and I promise, if I can do it - YOU CAN TOO! :)

#OccupyYourMind

"Oh, get a job? Just get a job? Why don't I strap on my job helmet, and squeeze down into a job cannon and fire off into job land, where jobs grow on jobbies!" - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

So I never get political on my blog.  Mostly because my views are the exact opposite of my family's, J's family and several of our friends'.  I just don't want to get into it.  I know what I research but being able to regurgitate said research is NOT my strong-suit.  With that being said, I think it is important to pay attention to what is going on in the world.  I stay up on the Euro crisis and the various countries running to China for help but I won't pretend to know more than the articles I read each day.  All I can say is that the world is changing. 

I read a quote the other day that basically said most families are one illness away from poverty.  The quote struck me... hard.  As in, had nightmares and trouble sleeping for several days.  Our country is in shambles and it's not healthy to pretend like that doesn't exist.  Sure, we are living our lives the same way we always do but we are lucky. 

J and I talk about it a lot.  I think it's hard to have a movement with no defined leader.  No MLK Jr. out there showing the way to reform.  I also think that the importance of the Occupy movement has been overshadowed by the "Wandering Moochers" ...  I am calling them that because they are lost and are desperate for some spark of excitement and something to believe in.  They have leeched on to the cause as a way to make a statement rather than being part of the statement that already existed. 

I remember reading one of the articles where the Occupy movement had been forced out of the park they had been living in.  One of the main contenders in the movement was interviewed and expressed his gratitude for being forced to start over.  He said that the movement wasn't supposed to be a camp out with tents and sleeping bags, it was supposed to be about their concerns and reforms getting acknowledged by the powers at be.  This man said the people with all the tents had distracted from the true meaning of the movement and the 99%. 

Sure, I thought the same thing at first.... Why are all these people out here protesting?! What the heck are they thinking they are protesting with all their disorganization?  Why don't they just get a job or go to work?

It's silly to think about now and I feel a little remorse about the thoughts I had.  I have a job.  I am one of the lucky  ones.   I survived being laid off and we were able to make it work until I got hired.  Many people are not that lucky.  They don't have the survival net I had of friends and family willing to chip in at every moment. 

Before I ramble into Never-Never Land.... please watch this video.  And keep your eyes and ears open... we are the 99%.

Tofurkey Nonsense

Well folks, we did it!  We survived our first Vegan Thanksgiving.  I'm not going to lie, I was pretty dang nervous about staying strong with our new eating style for the holidays.  And... so far, so good.

I am a holiday nut!  I love them!  From Thanksgiving through Christmas Day, I am in complete bliss!  Christmas is my favorite holiday and I love the traditions I had growing up for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Well, living away from my family has always been hard on me for Thanksgiving.  I miss the traditional Thanksgiving routine...

• Watch the parade while mom finishes up the cooking
• The moment Santa does his wave, head to the kitchen and start the pies
• Prepare the table and greet the family as they arrive
• EAT to my hearts content
• Eat pies to my hearts content
• Play games in the dining room like Rummikub and sequence
• Watch a girly movie in the den while the men watch footbal (AKA Nap) in the living room
• Eat a quick dinner (usually another piece of pie) then head out to see a new holiday movie

 I know it sounds ridiculous but I miss my mom's food!  I miss the traditional dishes that were a staple every year.  I had some major preplanning for our holiday experience this season. 

A local store that sells ONLY local produce had a Vegan Thanksgiving Package on sale for $15!  It came with mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, 2 rolls and seitan.  Now, I have heard A LOT about seitan but had never been interested in really eating it.  I mean wheat gluten does not sound appetizing.  But I knew this year would be tough so I figured the reinforcements were necessary.  They only had a single serving item of each thing so I also made my own mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy for leftovers.  It was my first attempt at making gravy EVER but I love it and all its mushroom goodness :)

I was also able to make my favorite side dish (Spinach Souffle) and my favorite dessert (Chocolate Layer Pie) by substituting it with almond milk and vegan cream cheese.  Normally, I don't like to count on foods that need substitutions but I was THRILLED!  Overall it was a wonderful Thanksgiving and I really enjoyed spending the afternoon at J's Sister's house with his family.  They are such pleasant people to be around and I always feel completely welcomed. 

Looking back at yesterday though, it was amazing how dumb it seemed to be eating the seitan.  I am big on eating being an experience.  Everything about it should be an experience.  The atmosphere, the company and the tastes.  But eating some fake meat with gravy  just so I could feel like I was having a "Thanksgiving Meal" was just dumb.  Actually ABSURD.  It's been 8 months with no meat except fish and it was weird not only not wanting the turkey but not wanting anything that resembled it. 

His brother-in-law asked us whether our dietary changes were one of "addition" or "depletion"  .... we hesitated for a split second and said "both" at the exact same time.  It's the depletion of dairy and most meat but it's the addition of so many wonderful foods that I had never given a chance before.  Despite the changes, it was the perfect Thanksgiving!  I couldn't be more thankful for my loving husband, family, in-laws and friends! 

Hope everyone had a blessed holiday!

PS> only one month 'til Christmas!  Oh the joy! :)

Advice to the Happy Couple

At my friend's wedding recently they did a really cute thing for their RSVP cards.  With the RSVP, they had people fill out a fun little card that had numerous blanks and advice for the couple.  I thought it was a really fun idea and thought I would share what I decided to write. 

My advice was to never forget the feeling you had when you met that person or realized they were the "one."   Now, I've only been married a few years so I know I am a bit of a newb but this is what holds true to me and where I stand today. 

I'm an extreme romantic so most people will probably think this advice is silly but for me it holds true.  When you're married, you tend to fall into a routine and things can become complacent.  When all the excitement from the "newness" of the relationship wore off, I started constantly reminding myself of the butterflies I had the first night I met J.

I remind myself of the nervousness that involved me flying to see him the first time. 

And I remind myself of the complete joy I felt from being around him finally rather than over the phone. 

In a weird way, doing this regularly has helped me find those little moments in everyday actions that I would otherwise pass by without acknowledging.  It is a constant reminder of why I fell in love with him in the first place and why I fall more in love with him every year that passes.   

So silly as it may be, it is the only newlywed advice I had to offer.  Well that, and talk about everything and anything :)

Gift-a-holic

So, I love giving gifts!  Like LOVE IT!  If I could make professional gift giving into a full time job, I would be in heaven.  Sometimes I wish I could be a bazillionaire just so I could give cool things to people all the time!  Friends, family and complete strangers. 

With that being said, my lovely husband found a piano on the internet that he has been salivating over since I first visited him in 2006.  The piano was a complete steal and the best deal he's ever seen.  Halloween night he shows me the piano on our local classifieds site called KSL.  I was surprised how good of a deal it was and sneakily put the seller's info into my phone.  Throughout Halloween night, I took Cleo out to do "her business" several times so I could speak with the seller.  And wouldn't ya know, it was STILL available.  Not to mention the guy selling it actually knows and LOVES J!  The next afternoon I faked some important errands and paid for the piano.  I coordinated some covert, spy-like action with our friends Ryan and Jessie to bring the van up on Thursday to haul it away for me. 

After much debate with Jessie on the phone and serious stressing over whether or not I would be able to find somewhere to store the monstrous thing for 3 months, I decided to give it to him Thursday when we picked it up.  I bought a card that basically said HAPPY BIRTHDAY 3 MONTHS EARLY and had my timeline in stone. 

Fast forward to last night.... the band my husband has been recording paid him up so they were even.  He comes home from the studio and with a twinkle in his eye says "Guess what?! Now I can buy that piano off KSL."  Me, being in complete and utter shock, awkwardly tried to convince him not to do it that night.  Finally, I just grabbed the card and said "Happy Birthday! You already own it."    He was FLOORED!  He was so excited he danced around the house with a grin on his face for the next 2 hours and then proceeded to watch videos of people playing the same type of piano all morning. 

It's a beaut and I am so thrilled to see how excited he is!  The piano was purchased from The Music Garage here in Salt Lake.  It is a really neat venue that has a ton of functions and is really inspiring to see.  I recommend if you have kids or are in a band here in SLC, that you check into their website.  They offer a little bit of everything.  I loved that the cost of the piano went to such a great cause at the same time.

So here's to my awesome husband! Happy Early Birthday J! :)

Gobblins, Ghouls and Booze... Oh My!

That's right folks, we have officially passed Halloween Weekend!  Back in Oklahoma, my fam was holding down the fort in some cute costumes of their own...

My sweet Niece as Dorothy....

My AWESOME Mom as a Margarita Swirl.... *believe it*

And my sister representing at home.... 

Here is Utah, we did a pretty chill Halloween weekend.  Friday, J played piano at a local venue with a good friend.  The friend was "Elliot Smith" for Halloween which means he played all Elliot Smith songs all night which was pretty amazing!

Saturday, we went to our good friends' Dan and Garity's place for their annual party! Garity is my creative idol and she sent us this cute invitation:

When we showed up at their house, I was as giddy as a school girl looking at all her decorations.  Anyone who reads this blog probably already knows that I love to be the Hostess with the Mostest.  I love themes, festive food, and fancy decor... oh my! She had the WHOLE house decked out!  From front door to back yard and it was awesome!   Here are some cute pics of her food area:

Garity really went all out and we had a terrific time!  (Even if a certain drunk friend thought I was a fancy indian..... FLAPPER Jake, Flapper!) 

Oh well, all is forgiven :)  But I look like a Flapper ..... right?!  Just say yes. ;)

Hope everyone had a fantastic Holiday Weekend!