Sassy Sidenote: I'm Big In Mexico!

When Jon, Frank and I were in Tahoe a few weeks ago we went to a taqueria and I noticed this ad for calling cards. Does she look familiar to you?

Apparently Sensibly Sassy is big in Mexico!

Oh Boy!

In high school there was a girl, Jenny, that was a year older than me. When I was a little freshman she was a sophomore and she took me and my little group of friends under her wing. She invited us over to her house on Friday nights to spend the night (sometimes her mom was home, often times she wasn't-which I thought was SO COOL), she introduced me to Mark Wahlberg in The Big Chill, told me the "back story" to the most popular upper class men and giggled with me over homemade nachos. When I think back to the best moments of high school she is right there with her bright smile and sweet laugh.

Fast forward nearly ten years and sweet Jenny is having a baby boy! I am thrilled for her and I have zero doubt that she is going to be a wonderful mom. A couple weeks ago Jon, my friend Erin, her boyfriend Kevin and myself went to a park for a co-ed, bbq, sports themed baby shower for Jenny.

Me, Jenny and Erin posing it up.

I thought I would show some of my favorite details from the baby shower since I know so many of us are always looking for new ways make baby showers unique.

Look at how cute! A Wheaties box with a picture of Mommy and Daddy to be!

And of course, a scoreboard!

And hello, a diaper cake to end all diaper cakes-well technically it is a onesie cake But wow!

I don't have a picture of it but there was a whole bunch of sports equipment placed all over so that guests could feel free to play some games. We actually ended up playing basketball for a bit. What a fun idea huh?

It s That Time Of Year Again

Today marks 4 years of blogging for me. Four years. Wow. I never imagined I would be blogging for this long. I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into and for what reason when I started blogging but I just started and I haven't stopped since. I know a lot of people stop blogging when there is too much of a lull in their writing, and I have those lulls too. But I can't imagine not coming back to this little slice of the Internet when I have something to say.

So here I am four years later and thankfully you are here too. I always say that I don't blog for the comments, which is very true. But I can't tell you how much it means to me that there are people out there reading what I write and occasionally commenting on what I have to say. I so appreciate that. I love it. Thank you.

In four years I have moved from home, made Franklin part of our family, graduated from graduate school, said goodbye to my dear Rosie , got engaged, and moved to San Francisco! I can only imagine what I will blog about here in the future.

We will have to wait and see!

Back To School

My work schedule is closely tied to the school schedule so that means this week is back to school, er, work for me. This time of year always gives me the same "feeling". The "feeling" I speak of is that urge to go out and buy some clothes, shoes and pens-back to school preparation. I am now no longer in school myself, but that feeling still makes me want to buy a 10 pack of ball point pens even though if you were to look in my desk you would see I have enough ink to last me until 2015.

Summer coming to an end also gives me this urge to go do something super exciting! and fun! and preferably outside! WEE!! As I realize that summer is coming to an end I have visions of block parties, sunset baseball games, and swimming in the sunshine-that all must be done tomorrow, in five minutes, yesterday. But sadly, I realize that those visions might have to take a bit of a back seat until next year. Until then I am back to school, erm, work.

Does this time of the year have a "back to school" feel to you?

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

Last week was pretty silent around these parts eh? Well that is because Me, Jon and Frank took the entire week off and spent it in Tahoe at Jon's family cabin. I don't like to post on the blog ahead of time that we are going out of town because I worry that robbers are casing the joint via blog and are waiting for us to leave so they can steal our stuff and watch our tv and possibly take a big drooly nap on our bed. Blegh.

Anyway.

We have been doing these late summer trips to the cabin for years. Jon's family has been going to the cabin since his mom was a little girl. Jon's would spend a week or two there with his family and now we go there too. It makes me smile to think of a sun kissed Jon running around the property around the cabin, letting his imagination run wild.

During the week we play many a card game, read voraciously, and have long conversations that prove once again that after 12 years we still haven't run out of things to talk about.

We took a hike. Frank couldn't be bothered to walk the whole way so his daddy carried him home.

We spent time in the sunshine and swam around a bit.

We dug holes. Well, WE didn't, but Frank sure did.

We did so much and so little at the same time. Somehow a whole week slipped by in no time flat. Even though it went by way too fast it seems as though all three of us have our batteries recharged.

How do you recharge?

What is Considered Unique? And What Is Just Weird?

I saw the above picture on Style Me Pretty a while ago and really fell in love with the whole idea of having succulents in my wedding bouquet-how cool right?! Well I shared this idea with my mom (I swear I am talking her ear off with ideas) and my brother Richard happened to be listening too. Well weeks later I was talking to my mom about, what else, wedding stuffs when Richard piped up and said: "uhh I think you should talk with the wedding planner about what is normal to do in a wedding"

me: why do you say that?

Richard: Well mainly because the other day you told mom you wanted to have avocados in your bouquet-I don't think that is done.

-Avocados, so not the same as succulents. Well I guess for a 21 year old guy they might as well be.

Friday Night

Its Friday everyone, how did we do?

I have realized that there are really two ways to make it to Friday.

1. A strong sprint to the finish:

Bam! You took Monday on like a champ. You started the week with a cute outfit and ended it with a spring in your step and a job well done. You are ready for the weekend, what a perfect ending to a pretty darn good week.

2. Dragging your body across the finish line with with two bloody stumps for feet:

Monday wasn't kind and you could have sworn that Wednesday happened like, three times in a row. You had a caffeine IV and tooth pics holding your wittle (not a typo-I'm talking babytalk) eyelids open. This week was rough and a two day weekend does not seem like it will be enough, but you'll take it anyway.

This week? This week has been a #2 for sure. I'm so tired, Jon's sick, and our apartment is disheveled. Oh well. How was your week?

I'm Still Just An Awkward Little Gal

As I took Frank for a walk yesterday this girl, couldn't have been more than 13. She slumped by me. I'm not totally sure "slumped" is a real way to describe someone walking*. She had her feet shoved in her low top converse all stars (stepping on the heels), head down, her glasses perched precariously on the end of her nose, a lap top bag slung over her shoulder and slammed defiantly on her hip-she slumped.

I wanted to hug her. That might seem like an odd thing for me to want to do to a perfect stranger but I could tell that she could use it. I knew she did because it wasn't so long ago that I was her. My long brown hair tangled in my back pack that easily weighed a third of my weight, head down, I slumped. What a hard time adolescence is even on a good day. You want to grow up so badly but at the pace you are at isn't nearly fast enough. And even if you wanted to stay a kid for a little while longer you can't because your body is telling you that is not an option. You are expected to grow up. But not too much. Hurry up. And then wait some more. Ahh the conflicting messages!

So if you are at the age I speak of and feel like you are doomed to adolescence forever just hear me out. One day you will drive a car and graduate from high school and heck, even college. You will make it through all of the pre-requisites and entrance exams. You will one day be able to dress however you skanky you want (although, I would advise against this-turns out mom is right about some things). If you want to have breakfast for dinner you can do that too!

But the best part? Is that if you are lucky, you will still hang onto that person you are today. Yes, the awkward person that only laughs at the dirty jokes just so people don't see that you didn't totally get it, or the girl that that really enjoys time with her family-only now you won't be embarrassed to admit it. One day these things you try so hard to hide and change will be part of your strengths. So hang tight, the time will pass faster than you realize-and as you get older it will go faster than you are comfortable with-but it is all part of the process. I speak form experience. I'm still that silly, awkward girl inside-but I love it!

What were you like as an adolescent? Do you still have part of your adolescent self inside of you an adult?

*This just in, slumped is a totally real and appropriate way to describe what I saw, look!

Wedding Traditions

Yes, another wedding post wee!! I am truly trying not to inundate you all with WEDDING THIS, WEDDING THAT! Yes, really I am trying. That being said, LET'S TALK WEDDING! Ok so we are all familiar with the "games" that are played, garter and bouquet toss and even the money dance

So the thing is I 'm not totally jazzed on the bouquet/garter toss. Jon and I have enjoyed playing those games at weddings we have been to but if I really think about it it seems kinda weird to have all the single ladies vie for a chance to catch the bouquet and thus get married next. It seems a little bit mean to do to all those single ladies, no?

And for the garter toss? I just feel all weird about Jon reaching up my dress to get my garter in front of my family...I know it makes me sound juvenile I know. But hey that's how I feel.

Did you do the garter/bouquet toss? What are your thoughts?

Home Tour Part Two

Last time I showed you our office and living room. Next up is the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen!

I think I mentioned that the apartment was built in 1929 but this point has become more and more prominent as we settle in-in 1929 they didn't have a lot of electronics (there are hardly any outlets) or "stuff" (there are hardly any storage areas). We have plenty of both of those things so we have had to make a few adjustments.

We had our own closets at our old apartment so learning to share a closet has become quite a puzzle to put together. We have purged our clothes three times since moving in and it is finally not too cramped in there.

I may sound like a little complainer but it is actually pretty nice to finally make a decision about stuff I have been hanging onto for ages. It feels really cleansing to break free of the clutter!

Our bathroom doesn't have any counters so I had to move my makeup application/jewelry area-the prep station if you will-to the bedroom

Speaking of the bathroom, here she is in all her glory.

Ok onto the kitchen! As you walk into the kitchen there is a place where the paint is pealing (which is getting fixed this week) and you can see the original wall paper. I totally geeked out on that!

Here is the view when you walk into the kitchen. I plan to get some type of large painting/print to hang on that wall.

When you turn to the right you see this cute little built in storage shelves for our glasses and dishes. In this picture my apron is hanging on a little door and when you open the little door an ironing board folds down.

Here is the view from the other side of the kitchen.

Check out this cute bulldog bottle opener. It was one of the first things that we put up in the apartment. Priorities right?

Our stove is what I believe to be the original or somewhere close to it. It is so petite, I just wonder how a Thanksgiving dinner could be cooked in this little baby.

Look at the cooking instructions that are on the oven door. I love these little touches.

Well that's all for now, I will keep you posted as we decorate.