Looking Through the Lens

Fighting to Breathe

2009-11-03T12:31:00.001-08:00

Let's start this by saying that asthma sucks. I don't get it very often, it's usually illness induced, occasionally weather changes are the cause and one time it was stress induced. But when I feel my lungs constrict and feel like bricks are being placed upon them, when I start wheezing and coughing so bad I get horrible headaches and my throat starts hurting, I know it's time to pull out my trusty inhaler. One or two puffs from a non-expired inhaler brings nearly instant relief with air rushing back into my chest. Only now it's not such a trusty inhaler. Not since the environmental...enthusiasts...got ahold of it. Now it sucks. The relief is no longer forthcoming, and I have to turn to my nebulizer for a breathing treatment, just to get the medicine into my lungs. And according to the doctor I just saw, apparently this mediocre inhaler is going away too, and is going to turn to the powder type. Now, I've had powder inhalers, and they're great for their purpose...which functions as a long term solution for treating and preventing asthma symptoms. It is not fast acting. It is not an emergency inhaler.

I am mad. I am furious. I may not need my inhaler very frequently, but it's reassuring to know that it's there when I need it, waiting to send a burst of medicine in to free my constricted airways. And I usually do not have it so bad initially that I need the absolute emergency feature of the rescue inhaler. But lots of people do. My brother and two of my cousins for instance. My little brother has had to deal with asthma his whole life, and sometimes that rescue inhaler is vital. Same for my cousins...and multiple other members of my family.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for saving the environment. But really. In the grand scheme of things, I don't think a few rescue inhaler are going to do too much damage. Why don't they focus on the big things that hurt the environment like cars, chemical plants, deforestation? I would be willing to bet that the people who started attacking rescue inhalers and similar medical technology have never relied on one before. I'm sorry that my desire to breathe is so awful to you. To those who initiated these changes, leave us the hell alone and go "fix" something else. Your "input" is not wanted nor is it welcome. Now I'm going to go to a breathing treatment so that I might have a few minutes without coughing and feeling like I can't breathe. And when I finally get this under control and can breathe again, I'm going to go to my cupboard and take my old expired rescue inhaler outside somewhere, and I'm going to puff it until it's empty.

Happy Days

2009-10-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

I was trying to pull my words together for a post when I remembered one I'd read earlier. Heather posted about things that make her happy, it was really a great list. I decided that I wanted to make one of my own. So in no particular order, here is a list of some of the things that make me happy:

my fiance
my family
long talks with my mom
the sparkly ring on my finger (and everything it symbolizes)
rain (especially thunderstorms)
a steaming cup of soy chai (but not too steaming, or I can't drink it for a while!)
a wonderful book
hearing music that intrigues me
listening to old favorites
reading hilarious stories on notalwaysright.com (seriously, helps relieve stress at work)
riding my quad with the fiance
talking to my little brothers in the morning
thinking and dreaming about my wedding
girl weekends with my cousin Ariel
taking pictures
the first day of school smell
pumpkins and cool weather
roaring fires with hot chocolate
cuddling with my fiance
playing with my puppy
art projects
making things for family and friends
designing and baking cakes
fireworks
sunshine
Christmas lights
wrapping gifts
smiling
laughing
being silly
long summer days
fall colors
strawberries

Ready to Ride

2009-10-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to head out. This weekend marks the first desert trip of the season. I cannot express how excited I am to get back out there. It's so relaxing and fun being out there with our friends, away from the city. We're approaching the season with a new tactic of inexpensive and easy. We're pre-making just about all the food, keeping it simple. It saves time and energy on prep and cleanup, and gives us more time to ride. Keeping things simple also means that we have more money that can go towards our wedding.

Just gotta get through the work day and then we're outta here! Can't wait to get back on my quad, it's actually mine now. The fiance traded his 400 that our friends crashed for their 250 plus a little extra to make it an equal trade. The 250 is now officially ours :) I can't wait to go riding! (and I promise to be very careful)

He's Awake!!!!

2009-10-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

I know it's been quite some time, but I have some wonderful news to share. You may remember my dad's friend who was in that really bad accident quite a few months ago.

My mom just imed me to give me the wonderful news that Dave is awake and has been awake for about a week!! He is talking and sleeping and waking up, and he even took a few steps today! He still has a long road ahead of him, but he is awake and healing, this is incredible! Thank you so much for all of your prayers, I know that they have made a big difference for Dave and his family. Please pray that he continues to heal and recover.

Do it right the first time

2009-10-20T17:56:00.001-07:00

Haha, typical me to post that I'm engaged, throw up a couple pictures of the absolutely gorgeous (and VERY sparkly) ring on my finger and then disappear.

I would rent the first apartment I ever looked at because it was absolutely perfect, and then not too long after start the first real and serious relationship I've ever had.

And then, 18 months later, would become engaged to the first guy I was ever in a real and serious relationship with and fell madly, head over heels in love with.

Because that's how I roll. I guess that when it comes to things that truly matter, I just know how to pick 'em right the first time.

All I can do is smile. I'm getting married! :)

Disclaimer - I promise some regular posts will come soon, but I'm still walking on a cloud and I'm finding it incredibly difficult to focus on anything but smiling.

The Ring

2009-10-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are a couple shots of my amazingly gorgeous and sparkly engagement ring. I cannot stop looking
at it!!! It's just so sparkly and shiny. I absolutely love it. The fiance did good, very good. It was the most perfect, romantic proposal ever. We've already started planning.

The One Where She Says Yes

2009-10-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely ecstatic to share something, especially following the more melancholy post yesterday. Thank you to everyone for your kind wishes, I really appreciate it. I am officially changing the bf's nickname. He is now the fiance!!! We got engaged last night!!!! =D

It was so perfect! Yesterday was our 18 month anniversary since we started dating. He took me to the Italian restaurant that he took me to for our one month and one year anniversaries. :) After dinner he came over to my side of the table with this wine carrier, which he'd said earlier had presents in it for me but there wasn't wine. When he opened it, there was wine...he gestured to it and I pulled out one of the bottles. It was inscribed with the verse: "There are three things that last faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love." Below that it has a Celtic cross with Celtic knots and whatnot. Below that it says "will you marry me and love me always and forever" and then has the date, October 8, 2009. And then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! =D =D =D

I am SO excited!!!!! It was even more significant since yesterday was exactly one year to the day that he took me to Julien for our 6 month anniversary, after which we stopped at the winery where we work sometimes. It's also the day that I first tasted the tawny port wine there that was and is still in the barrel. I've been waiting for them to bottle it for the past year. I now have the first and only two bottles currently in existence. He let the fiance bottle it and cork it and everything himself. :) We're friends with another winery couple up there that also does bottle etching. He etched the bottles for the fiance!!

I am so absolutely ecstatic. I am floating on a cloud and I can't stop smiling! =D

Dancing with Angels

2009-10-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

I didn't get the chance to know you long, but I'm glad for the time we had. I liked you from the moment I met you, the twinkle in your eye, the feisty nature of your spirit and your sharp wit. I loved to see your smile light your eyes. I understood that you didn't always get along with everyone, that you were often critical and cross, but you were always nice to me. I was sad as your health and mind deteriorated. I'm sad that I didn't get to know you better, to see you more, especially as things sped rapidly downhill. You were always in my prayers though, which was as close as I was able to be.

I know it is for the best. I know you're in a better place, out of pain, no longer debilitated by the degeneration of your earthly mind. But I'll still miss you. I never told anyone, but I had this picture of dancing with you someday at my wedding to your grandson. I think you would have liked that, I think he would have too. But I now won't get to, because now you are dancing with the angels. Rest in peace, I will miss you.*

*Please keep the bf and his family in your prayers. His grandfather passed away late Tuesday night.

The Birthday Barrette

2009-09-23T07:26:00.001-07:00

I have this lovely little barrette, I've had it for nearly as long as I can remember. It's a rather pretty little thing, slightly dulled with age but still beautiful. It has bright, bold beads attached to a silver barrette, and strung through those beads are heart shaped beads that clickety clack when I move or shake my head. Now, I'm sure I wore it more often than this, but since I was little, I remember always wearing it on my birthday. I fondly call it my birthday barrette, I look forward to clipping it into my hair every year.

Today I snapped it into my hair and smiled at the familiar clickety clack of the heart beads bumping into each other. Today my barrette makes a trip to Disneyland to celebrate 24. It's going to be a great day. :)

Tricks 'n things

2009-09-19T23:49:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to finally be posting again and sharing some great pictures of the puppy that I forgot to share all her commands and tricks that she knows!! Of course there are the standard commands - sit, down (lie down), shake, come, stay. She has also learned leave it, take it and drop it. The really cool ones are high five (taught by our trainer), play dead (the bf turned this natural behavior into a command), kisses (yours truly) and crawling...sometimes. We will probably work on getting her to wave, our trainer showed us how to teach it, we just haven't worked on it much yet.

The three of us (the bf, puppy and I) had a fabulous day that started with breakfast at our favorite local coffee shop, followed by a day working in the tasting room at the winery, and then a BaaaaaaaarBQ at a friend's house. (it's International Talk Like a Pirate Day) We were going to have the bbq regardless, but it made a great reason and theme for the evening. Hung out with some friends and made some nice new ones, it was a lovely evening. Tomorrow we're hanging out down at the bf's place. His mom recently had a surgery and is recovering but still sore. We're having a bit of a birthday celebration since she and I share a birthday on Wednesday (the 23rd), and the bf's birthday is 6 days after. It should be a lovely relaxed day. We're up at my parents' next weekend for my brother's birthday party (he turned 13!!!) It will be a happy birthday to me and the bf as well, but the focus will be my brother. I'm making his cakes. I'm making two just to make sure we have enough. I'll tell you more about it later, complete with pictures.

Photostory Friday: Graduation Day

2009-09-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

You might recall that the bf and I recently got a puppy. She has been an absolute delight and we absolutely adore her. We've been taking training classes at our local Petsmart with a fantastic trainer. We've all learned a lot and had a great time in the process. Sunday was her test to see if she would graduate. The bulk of the test was with me, since we already knew that her commands were great with the bf...she lives with him and sees him more often than me, so sometimes it was a little bit hard getting her to listen to me. She still listens to the bf better, but she's doing really great with me too, and did wonderfully on her test last weekend.

At first she tried to shake the cap off. It was rather cute, because everytime she did it fell down over her eyes.

Finally she just resigned herself to the fact that this was one of a very few number of times her crazy owners would ever subject her to wearing something so utterly ridiculous. Besides, she looked absolutely adorable!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

A Moment of Silence

2009-09-11T15:01:00.001-07:00

I thought long and hard about the right words for today, to commemorate and honor those who lost their lives that tragic day 8 years ago. Hard to imagine it's been 8 years. I finally realized that I don't have words for this, they simply don't exist. I offer instead, a moment of silence in remembrance of all the brave men and women, our countrymen, who lost their lives that day. We will never forget.

Bring It On

2009-09-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Summer lingers, it warmth still kissing the air. But Fall is coming, breathing a cool crispness in its approach. I've been incredibly aware and appreciative of the seasons this year, since the birth of Spring. While I've loved Summer and the warmth and sunshine it brought, I'm ready for Fall. For the crisp freshness and the beautiful leaves. I'm ready for desert season and learning to ride the 400 with a clutch. I'm ready for pumpkins and Pilgrims, followed by colorful lights and good cheer. The bf and I have already nearly worked out the holiday situation, which is pleasant and enjoyable. Still working on the particulars, but we are on the same page, cordial and thoughtful. I'm gathering my supplies to begin all my Christmas projects. The goal is to have things done before December so that I can soak in the joy of the season instead of pulling all-nighters to finish gift projects. Bring on Fall. I'm ready.

Relaxed Weekend

2009-08-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

The goal for this weekend was to relax. The bf and I have been running around like crazy, and this was the first weekend in a while that we didn't really have to do anything. It was glorious. We headed up to the wineries with the Manager to pick up the bf's wine club shipments. I discovered a new favorite wine...I like this one even better than ice wine! (and it's about $10 cheaper and double the volume too, which is nice) We followed up the wine trips with a delicious bbq lunch at Famous Dave's. It's not super close to us, so it's always a treat when we get to stop there. The evening was spent relaxing and hanging out down at the bf's house, getting the mini fence up for our puppy so she can be in the main part of the backyard.

Today was early to mass and delicious homemade breakfast burritos when we got home. It was a beautiful start to the morning. We finished up the other fencing bit so that the yard is puppy friendly. After, the bf took me and his mom to our favorite store, where I proceeded to NOT buy every item I put in the basket, which was nice. Kara had her puppy class. She was being stubborn today, and it's always a little discouraging for me when she refuses to listen to me. I can't blame her, she's around the bf a lot more than me. But I know we'll work it out, because I can out-stubborn her any day. That said, she's doing really well. She sits, shakes, lays down, gives high fives (this one is REALLY cool), and the bf taught her to play dead. It's super cute. We're working on rolling over and crawling. Coming on call just depends on the number of things distracting her. She's definitely my dog...shiny things are awesome :) The bf VOLUNTARILY wanted to watch Twilight last night, but we didn't have time. So he put it on tonight. I will never say no to watching that, especially when it's his idea.

All in all it was a lovely and relaxed weekend. We definitely needed that. Especially considering we're working for 12 days straight beginning tomorrow. It'll be fun, but definitely tiring. I'm hoping I'll have time to fit in at least a few posts. I also have pictures of my cousin's ring to share...we did a mini photo shoot when she was down here last weekend. Her ring is gorgeous!

Happiest Birthday Wishes

2009-08-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Wishing a very special and wonderful day to the fabulously talented Kim. I hope you have a wonderful day with your little girls and your husband, I hope he found the perfect gift for you. I can't wait to hear what it is. :) Happy birthday my friend.

Defying Gravity

2009-08-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

I've loved the music from Wicked since I first heard it through friends in college. I sang along and dreamed of seeing it on stage one day. That day was Saturday with the bf, my newly engaged cousin Ariel, the Manager, my boss Lily and her friend. I expected it to be amazing, but WOW. I have never seen anything so incredible in my life. Every minute detail, from the sets to the costumers, the lyrics to the musicians, the actors, oh the actors. It was absolutely breathtaking. I had to bite my cheek to ward of tears at multiple points, the music was so incredibly powerful. The attention to every detail was phenomenal. The cast was incredible, what wonderful actors and singers, I absolutely loved each one of them. My best friend Ani's parents have seen Wicked in 4 different productions, and said that this was hands down THE best cast they've ever seen. I don't personally have anything to compare it to, but I can definitely believe them.

It was such an incredible experience that I got to share with such special people. We had amazing seats in the lower mezzanine. The tickets were a little pricey, but well worth it. It was absolutely perfect. I could not have asked for a better performance, it was absolutely flawless. I only wish I could go see it again each and every night while it's here. (I don't think my bank account would appreciate that though) It's so wonderful to finally know and understand the entire story, where before I only knew bits and pieces. I've really been wanting to read the book, as well as Son of a Witch, I want to read it even more now. Hopefully I'll be able to pick those up and get them read.

Wow, I'm STILL gushing over this performance. I really have loved all the musicals I've ever been to. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway in high school, it was my first large scale theatre experience, though I'd seen and been in other shows. Phantom of the Opera was phenomenal last summer, and Rent was really neat earlier this year. But Wicked, there is just something, well, magical, about the whole thing. If you haven't seen Wicked yet, do yourself a favor and get to a performance anytime it happens to be near you. Or go out of your way to see it. It's magical, simply magical! My words are not capable of doing this musical justice. You just have to see it for yourself, and then treasure the memories.

Wedding-zillas

2009-08-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

In only a few short days I've found myself already stepping into my role as Maid of Honor. I know a lot of my wonderful readers are married and have already been through the wedding planning experiences. What I'd really like to know, is what do you think about the whole process? Is the day about family, or is it spotlight on the bride and groom? How much say should the parentals have? Who gets to make the final decisions? How do you balance everyone's ideas without hurting feelings and without making people mad? How do you deal with the 'zillas, whether they're parents, brides or grooms? Does anyone have stories to share about the wedding planning process? Wedding pitfalls and faux pas to watch out for? Great advice or wedding secrets?

I'd really love as much input as you can offer, go ahead and write post-length comments if you want, I know you will have all kinds of things to share with me. I'd love to get some real world advice, opinions, views and stories to help draw from as I fulfill my role as my cousin's Maid of Honor. And hey, it's never to early to start learning for when it's my turn, right? C'mon, help a girl out. :)

Great News

2009-08-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

I went to bed around 9 or so last night (cause I'm old like that) Put my phone on vibrate so that any "late" night callers wouldn't necessarily wake me up. Naturally, my phone started vibrating not too long after I'd settled into bed. It was my aunt...not one who usually calls me. It was unusual enough that I answered, curious as to the reason for the call. I was greeted not by my aunt's voice, but by my cousin, Ariel*.

"So you are officially my Maid of Honor!"

Me (sits straight up in bed): WHAT?!!!!!!!

My cousin got engaged last night :) I am SO excited. It's going to be absolutely fabulous. What wonderful news to get, I was SO excited. I couldn't contain myself. I'm so honored to be her Maid of Honor, she will be mine when my time comes**, we've discussed and planned this for ages, especially the past few months/year since we've actually been seriously dating and these topics have come up. I'm so incredibly giddy right now! It's perfect timing that she's coming down for the weekend because we're going to see Wicked. It's going to be AMAZING!

*Note: I use nicknames here in blogland. If you click the snazzy new "Who's Who" link up top I have a short little guide explaining each nickname. :)

**Incidentally, I've been with the bf to the jewelry stores several times. :) I don't mind browsing around and getting sized and stuff, but he knows that I don't want to know which one, price, or anything like that. There are lots of shiny and sparkly things in the jewelry stores. :)

Morning Rituals

2009-08-07T21:42:00.001-07:00

I've always been incredibly close with my grandparents and absolutely love spending time with them. One of my favorite things was our morning wake up routine when I would stay at their house. (and quite clever on their part, I must say) When I was little I would wake up at the crack of dawn. Every. Single. Day. At my grandparents house I would stay in bed even after I woke up, listening very carefully for my grandpa's special morning whistle. Once I heard his whistle I would run down the hallway and jump into bed between my Papa and Grama for some early morning visiting. Papa's whistle still makes me smile, all these years later.

I won't get the special whistle in the morning, but I will get a lovely breakfast and day two of a fabulous weekend with my grandparents, kicked off with a fabulous jazz concert in the park tonight.

Fabulous Redesign

2009-08-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

I've already gotten quite a few wonderful compliments about my new blog design (thank you for all of those), but I wanted to write about the whole process as well. I have been lucky enough to work with the fabulous Jessica of This That and Your Blog on my new design. I found Jessica after I won a blog makeover from the eternally classy OHmommy, and what a wonderful experience it has been.

I'd definitely been wanting a makeover, but just couldn't decide what I wanted. I gave Jessica a few ideas and some insight to me, and she instantly went to work. She flawlessly pulled together the many different aspects I described (or rather, attempted to describe) She worked with me down to the tiniest details to customize everything exactly the way I wanted it, no detail was too small for her attention. As she said, she's not satisfied until her customers are in love with their new design. I definitely am. She was incredibly professional, really efficient and just plain fabulous. (wow, I sound like quite the advertisement...but hey, incredible happy customer here, and I rave about what I love) I definitely recommend that you check her out, even just to see how amazing her work is. If you've been thinking about a blog makeover, I'd definitely go with Jessica.

The Many Reasons

2009-07-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

... I've been so remiss in posting:

Lots of baking, cupcakes to be decorated. Wouldn't those baby ones be cute for a shower? I had a lot of fun piping the clown bodies into different poses.

My first ice cream cake for the bf's dad's birthday. (full post on the making of this cake will come soon)

Had to hang around with these guys for a bit and see the new routines.

And then this cutie just begged for some fish. The bf, his nephew and I obliged.

And of course we had to go visit the mouse and help save the galaxy from the Evil Emperor Zurg. I hit L-4 with a score of 264,800. I love that game. :)

And of course I have this beautiful little
girl to keep me and the bf quite busy.

Time out for a post of irritation

2009-07-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

For the most part I try to steer clear of politics and such on here, but sometimes even I can stay silent. Feel free to skip this post, I know that it's probably been written before by more eloquent bloggers than myself. I'm sure by now you've probably heard about this incident that has been blown completely out of proportion all the way up to an executive level. I'm so dumbfounded by the situation that I hardly know where to start.

First off, yes, racism and discrimination, unfortunately, does still exist in many places and in many forms throughout our world. I am not naive enough to think otherwise. Yes, this is a big problem that needs to be continually addressed, corrected and counteracted to the fullest extent possible. I have no problem with the "race card" when it is actually a race/religion/ethnicity related issue. More power to legitimate uses. However, the use of the race card in a completely unrelated situation just plain pisses me off. It distracts from the true issue at hand and has absolutely nothing to do with resolving the issue. It is misleading, and in my humble opinion, perpetuates racism and discrimination. It's a sad thing that many people have been conditioned through experience and teaching to expect racism, but to qualify every possible question as a race issue, is just plain ignorant. While not wholly related to this issue, I do feel the need to point out that racism and discrimination is not just reserved for people of color. I have seen and have personal encounters with incidents of reverse racism and discrimination. I don't recall the source, but I recently read a statement that tolerism is a two way street. I couldn't agree more with the sentiment.

This whole incident had nothing to do with race, and the cries of racism from this well-educated man are ridiculous and completely unfounded. Dr. Gates' behavior was absolutely unwarranted and unacceptable. Sergeant Crowley was doing his job responding to a possible break in attempt. How this has anything to do with racial profiling is beyond me. Sergeant Crowley's presence that night had nothing to do with racial profiling. Dr. Gates' behavior had nothing to do with racial profiling. Yes, racial profiling exists and unfortunately there are incidents where African Americans and others are stopped simply for being colored. That is not okay on ANY level in any situation. However, this is not such a situation.

Okay, so you happen to see a guy trying to get into a house without using a key. I could care less if he was green with purple polka dots, I would call the police and describe them as best I could, because like it or not, physical characteristics, be it skin color, eye color, facial shape, hair color, height, etc are physical descriptors that can help identify a person, criminal or otherwise. For Dr. Gates' response to and office responding to a legitimate call about the potential security issue to be uncooperative, belligerent behavior, is completely unreasonable and I would even go so far to call it irrational. After all, we know I have about zero tolerance for irrational, illogical behavior, which is probably why this incident has me so irritated. Sergeant Crowley's presence at Dr. Gates' house that night had nothing to do with the color of his skin, his religious beliefs or anything else. It had to do with a legitimate report of a possible crime. I would have expected Dr. Gates' response to have been one of cooperation and thankfulness, not outrage, belligerence and racial accusations. The police report is available and details the entire encounter. Dr. Gates was warned to calm down multiple times with the expressed consequence of legal arrest for belligerent behavior. He walked himself right into that one. It's a legitimate arrest of which he was warned. It had absolutely nothing to do with the color of his skin. It had everything to do with his outrageous and unnecessary behavior. To try and make it into a racial incident is to refuse to take responsibility for your own actions and behavior. The color of your skin does not give you license to act in this manner. I would have expected far better behavior from such a respected scholar. Heck, I'd have expected better behavior from anyone.

For President Obama to say that the police acted stupidly? First, why don't you read the report and get all of the facts before you make a statement. Period. People will respect you more if you admit that you are not fully briefed on the details of the situation and would like to refrain from comment until such time as you do have all the details. I understand that Dr. Gates is a friend of the President's. This does not give him license for poor behavior. If anything, it calls for even better behavior than one might reasonably expect. Dr. Gates, NOT President Obama, NOT Sergeant Crowley, Dr. Gates is responsible for his own actions. His actions have nothing to do with the color of his skin. He simply chose to make it an issue of his race. Now, I do not know Dr. Gates. I have no knowledge of his history with legitimate discrimination. I can certainly understand that he probably faced a great deal of challenges in working to achieve his current educational level and status. But past incidents do not give one license to behave in such a poor manner. The unwarranted use of the race card, in my opinion, weakens his position in this entire incident, which wasn't all that great to begin with. Incidents like this detract from true incidents of racism and intolerance. It's completely counterproductive and weakens the progress towards true tolerance for everyone.

5 Words

2009-07-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

Preston had a really fun meme over on his blog Me and the Blue Skies. It's pretty cool. Basically, you read through this post and then comment, and I'll reply with 5 words that remind me of you. Once you get your words, go ahead and think about them and then write your own post about your 5 words. As Preston quoted Linh over at Girl in Georgia:

Reply to this post… and I’ll give you 5 words that remind me of you. Then post to your own blog with your meditations on those words, inviting others to ask you for words.

I really liked this meme idea so I asked Preston to give me 5 words so I could play along. Without further ado, here are the words he sent me and my meditations on each of them...

Creativity - this is of course one of my favorite words. I live and breathe creativity, it's one of my passions (which, incidentally, is one of my other 4 words!) I love creating things and trying out new ideas. I have a pretty well stocked art supply caddy and several overflow containers of materials. I am constantly coming up with new projects to try. (and often spending too much time and money at the art supply store) The only problem is finding time to turn all of my ideas into finished products. I like to think that my creativity stems partly from my overly developed imagination. As I revealed in my last post, I've recently started learning the techniques for a new tasty, edible creative outlet. I also find creative activities incredibly relaxing and therapeutic. There is so much stress and ugliness in this world, it's so relaxing to use my imagination to create beautiful things to brighten the world around me. I also think that handmade gifts are often more personal and meaningful and love making things for my friends and family. Creativity also helps with unique solutions to various challenges that I come across.

Determination - Some people may also call it headstrong or stubborn. (but never in reference to me, of course...umm...just don't ask the bf about that one, mmkay?) I'm pretty mellow and easy going the majority of the time, but when I get an idea or a goal in my head a fiery determination ignites inside of me and pushes me towards my goals. Determination can sometimes get you into trouble, but it's often what gives you the extra push you need to succeed. Life is often hard, but determination and occasionally some good old fashioned stubbornness will get you over some of the toughest hurdles.

Independence - Independence. So many things come to mind when I head this word applied to myself. It nearly caused the bf and I to break up on several occasions. On the flip side, we didn't break up, but actually got stronger. I treasure my independence like a rare jewel. I like to be free and I hate feeling caged or trapped. I think that independence fits nicely with determination. Both things have brought me to where I am today. The important thing to remember that I think so many people forget is that independence does not equate to isolation. Part of being independent is knowing when to ask for help and that it is okay, even good to ask. We cannot do everything on our own and it's foolish to even try. Independence. One of my favorite words, particularly being an American. Independence. Beautiful.

Passion - "Passion...it lies in all of us. Sleeping, waiting, and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir, open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us, guides us...passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments; the joy of love, the clarity of hatred, and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts, sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace, but we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank...without passion, we'd be truly dead."

I keep trying to formulate words to describe the word passion, but I keep coming back to this quote. Angelus narrates this over the powerful episode Passion in Season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's such a beautiful, poetic description of the power and nuances of passion. It describes the depth of passion in the human soul. Passion is part of what makes us uniquely human. Without passion, we'd be truly dead.

Photography - The beauty of capturing moments on film. (well, in my case on a digital memory card) There is so much beauty in this world, I love to capture as much as I can. The world looks different through the lens of a camera. You can make even the most seemingly insignificant details the focus and show the true innate beauty of the world around us. You can capture joy and laughter of friends and family, showing the true beauty of the human soul. Photography can express emotion in a way words cannot always capture. Photography is a form of art and creativity. It's a means of expression and artistry. I long to learn more about the wide world of photography.

If you want to play along, leave me a comment here and I'll give you 5 words that make me think of you. (I'll cross comment to let you know when your words are ready) Thank you Preston for these fabulous thought-provoking words.

Photostory Friday: Let Them Eat Cake

2009-07-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I know I've been rather scarce of late, but I have an excellent reason. (aside from just being way too busy for my own good) I've started taking Wilton cake decorating classes at our local Michaels. I've always wanted to do this, and with classes 50% off this month I just could pass it up. Here is my first cake that we did in class on Wednesday.

I brought it to work on Thursday and it was devoured rather quickly. It was a white cake with strawberry pie filling and extra almondy flavored frosting. And I do mean extra almond. See, that can happen when a certain girl (me) misreads a recipe. Teaspoon and tablespoon are two very different measurements, in case you were wondering. It still tasted delicious, just extra almondy. Almond extract reminds me of Christmas, so I love the flavor and scent. Here's a picture of the filling before I layered the cake.

I was up till 12:30 icing this and getting all my class buttercream prepped, but it was so much fun! The next day we found out that one of our guys was leaving today because he got a job to pen a screenplay for a major motion picture. Totally random, but really exciting. I immediately decided I wanted to practice my new cake skills. I knew I wanted to do a film reel and found some great ideas online. I was thinking about a few other things, and the bf suggested a screenplay sheet cake. It all turned out really well. I came home from class around 8:30 and worked until about 2 am. I finished everything up last night and got to bed by about 11:30. Later than planned but much earlier than the previous nights. (I'm still in need of sleep though)
The screenplay turned out pretty well...that was the first one they cut into. Dave was very surprised and very thankful that I'd taken the time to do this. The bf helped me carry them over to their office. They were all really excited to see two cakes. The film reel is still my favorite, I'm thrilled with how it came out.
Both cakes are devil's food with colored vanilla icing. The black circles on the film reel are colored chocolate icing (started as vanilla). The "film" is fruit-by-the-foot. I got the idea to use that from one of the websites I found when looking for ideas to help me out. The best part is that I made both cakes using just the things that we have learned in our first two classes. Everyone really enjoyed them, both visually and tastily. (shut up, I'm tired and allowed to make up words if I want) And Dave was really excited, which was the best part. I would really love to design and make cakes as a business someday, and I already have people at work commenting about it. So much fun, I'm so glad I finally decided to do this. I will definitely post more pictures as I make more cakes! I'm slowly building a portfolio. Three cakes already in about as many days. I'm ready for a good long nap!

Today's Photostory Friday brought to you with inspiration from the lovely ladies below. Check it out and play along!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I'm Still Here

2009-07-10T14:17:00.001-07:00

Don't worry, I haven't run away to San Francisco again. I've just gotten unexpectedly crazy busy this week. I still have one more day to recap from San Francisco, lots of wonderful stories (and pictures) of our beautiful new puppy (seriously, that initial picture did NOT do this baby girl justice), tales of our day working at the winery last weekend, pictures from the Sailboat race and shots from our day trip up to Temecula.

The bf and I are headed up to my parents' house tonight after work to add a few things to the patio and just relax for a bit. I'm really excited. I'll be back next week with pictures and updates and lots of fun. Have a great weekend everyone!