Life in Color Photo

Well it’s August 21st and you know what that means… It’s Brent’s Birthday. My annoying awesome little brother is 23. August 21st also means something else to me… It’s nine days until my birthday!  Now before you go buying me things I don’t need. I have decided something. I am only going to be 25 and I still have a good 75% of my life left. That’s a long time people. I don’t want to waste all that time being mired down with possessions. And anyone who knows me knows that I have enough stuff already. So in lew of presents I wish for experiences or information.

For example:
Boating, camping, taking a stroll with me, meeting someone cool you know, go on a bike ride, have a great dinner together, taking a class with you, stories or me or you or both, the best paper you have ever written, or some cool tidbit of information you know I would like. You could even just sing me happy birthday and I would be over the moon happy. So no useless stuff for me please. Most of you have just gotten out of school and can’t afford it (well I know I can’t), and this way sounds more fun!

It is so much fun to shop for men! I was supremo nervous about my shopping trip with Bj, since I had only been with him to pick out clothes once before… and it was hell. Well, it was just so unlike shopping with a girl, I was shocked!  He didn’t want to talk while trying on clothes. Like if I said, “how did those ____________ fit?” or “have you tried on ____________ yet?” He got all defensive and said, “why are you bugging me while I’m trying to try on clothes?” What? Hello? I am trying to be helpful. So ya, that was three years ago. And that was about the last time he bought clothes too. For real.

Now that he had this real job he knew he had to get clothes, so know is half the battle. He also knew that he had to shop the sales, and that to use all the coupons his mom found he would have to be done by noon. We got to the shop (Meier and Frank) and got to it. Here is the amazing thing about guys clothes. They size by exact numbers. No vague size 8 which can really mean anything it seems, but actual numbers. He wears a 34×34, like always. It’s so easy, you just say, hey try this on and basically they just do for looks because they know it will fit. Then the shirts, they don’t even try them on! I’m not exaggerating when I say that. They come in little packs all neat and they stay that way until you bring them home. All you have to know is your neck size (I thought this was so funny), and length. Viola! You can pick out any color and they all fit the same. It’s like buying 12×12 patterned paper, you know it’s going to fit in the book. It’s genius. Well really what I think helps the guys out is their lack of boobs. That is what really throws this system off for girls.

After he got all these goodies we came back to his place and his mom painstakingly ironed everything he got and hung it so it would be perfect the first time he wore it. She is just too sweet to do that, especially because the iron was hot and Bj doesn’t have air conditioning. But Bj and I didn’t just sit around. Though we had most everything put together from Ikea we still had some arranging and organizing to do. So we worked on that, watched big brother and I headed home. I had so much fun helping Bj out. I even got him to toss a bunch of old clothes. He had some cool shirts that were too worn to wear any more, or had suffered from the unfortunate pen in the washing machine incident and were written all over. But the fabric was still cool in big enough pieces of these tops that I kept them. I am going to cut rectangles out of them and make a coin quilt like Hillary did over at Wee Wonderfuls. He had a bunch of reds and blues so I might do something patriotic. Phew. Shopping is hard work:

In other news I got my backtack bag and it is way too awesome to just mention in passing so I am going to devote an entry to its wonderfulness hopefully tomorrow. Oh and, have you seen this:

I swear this is the cutest thing I have ever seen. The space shuttle looks so itty bitty and cute!!!  It’s is being piggybacked to home base (Florida) since it couldn’t land there. Bill told me about this, and I was like, “whatever.” These are the things I don’t like to believe until I see because I don’t want to be taken. But it’s real. I read it in the newspaper, saw it on ABC and this image is from Nasa’s website which has lots of cool pictures and articles about the process. Can you believe we can do this stuff? Humans are so smart sometimes.

This is Ariana, my cousin Ryan’s little girl. She is going to be six in October and I met her today for the first time. She came over with my brother to swim. Her eyes and nose could be my cousins. I think she is one of the cutest little girls I’ve ever seen!  She was crazy in the pool, like jumping off our legs and out of our arms. Did I mention she can’t swim (but would like lessons please)? This was the highlight of my day for sure. The rest of it I just spent organizing and cleaning. That was good to though, because I like everything to be in it’s place so I know where to get it. I still have an art cabinet in the garage to figure out and my room needs a little work, but I’m getting settled. Bj is coming down to pick me up so we can go to Ikea tomorrow with his mom. Should be fun, let’s hope I don’t go crazy there, I just love Ikea.

*yes that is Ribbon Jar ribbon in her hair. I asked her if she would like some for her hair and she said, “something pretty with flowers please.” So cute.

Okay yes, for god’s sake I am alive. And that should be the last of that kind a phrase I have to say for a while. I wish I could stop saying, “No, this is not Jorge” (pronounced whore-hey). But that doesn’t seem likely as someone gave out my phone number as theirs. I guess it’s payback for getting my business cards for Ribbon Jar misprinted with another companies phone number (so not my fault by the way, Qwest sucks). I digress:

Lifesaving drills rock. Well they do if you have a cute dancer as your unit leader (and guess who did? that would be me). No silly, this isn’t him, but my brother. I found out later that you can’t bring your camera to these things. Did my curly haired dancer stop me, nope. So ya, we were on a cruise. My whole step-dad’s family (22 strong). From 18 months to like over 80 years. He has a really nice family, and they are pretty funny so that is awesome (I mean like they enjoy a good joke, not like they look weird or something). We saw all the Alaskan things that I was semi-afraid were going to be ploys to get you to come on a cruise. But they are real people!!!  I saw a friggin huge Humpback whale jump completely out of the water. It was just frolicking around. And the killer’s?  Ya I saw a bunch of those, traveling around in packs. Much to Taylor and my disappointment however we did NOT see one kill a caribou. So I guess I will be going back (seriously they gang up and kill big animals like that, Taylor told me and I didn’t believe him so I went and looked it up in the ship’s library. They even eat the tongues out of Humpbacks and other Baleen whales :<).

I did lots of really cool stuff too. Here is my step-cousin, Brice, and me getting ready to risk our lives on a ropes course. Even though I did end up almost doing a complete split twenty feet in the air between the ropes I guess it wasn’t that dangerous. But seriously fun (and the next day I was so, sooooo sore).

I also hiked around the Mendenhall Glacier area (with from bottom: Arron (my step brother who is back from Iraq yeah!!), Brianna (niece, way too cute), Coralia (Arron’s wife and maker of best pico di gala ever -sp?), Brent (brother, and general jokester), Mom, and Bill (step-dad who has not said too much about me taking over the house, and even helped me put stuff up!!!). Hmm, Taylor (another step-brother) must have been racing ahead and is not in the picture.

I even canoed up to a glacier (so it had a little motor, so what). Now how did I get to go on this adventure?  Well Bill’s mom, Mrs. Walters (“not Pat, Amber, that is rude,” said mom) took all her kids:

And their significant others and children. And she included me and my brother, which was so nice of her. I hadn’t been on a family type vacation in a long, long time and this was so nice. Guess who’s getting a cool scrapbook thank you?!?!

Okay so what happened between Memphis and Now besides that week?  Well Sciarrino and I headed down to San Fran for a trade show and drove up the redwoods way which I managed to get super horrible pictures of. After I got back the realization set in that I had exactly three days to move and wasn’t really packed. So I got to work and still didn’t finish it all. Luckily I have the best boyfriend in the entire world (no, I really dare you to find a better one), who moved the rest for me when I was up north. Then we were gone.

Wait I feel like I forgot something? Hmm… Oh ya:

BJ GOT A JOB, A REAL JOB, WITH BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is a grown up people. And the best part? It’s in Oregon. Wait, PORTLAND> that is only an hour away!!! Of course I did get a little teary eyed when I realized it was 54.2 miles to his cool new apartment and that takes 56 minuets in really good traffic, but still, it could have been California! He starts on Monday and I get to go help him pick out new clothes this weekend, as Tex says, I can, “dress him up like a little man doll.” I don’t know about that but he did say he would try on three outfits of my choosing which is really good since he usually doesn’t try anything on.

Yes I am alive.

But I have been seriously busy, and well, gone really. I was in Memphis for a kick butt wedding, be before I get to that I know you all have been waiting patiently for:

I’d like to say we thought of bringing that little Harry Potter kid along with us, but we just found him there. Scott came with us (and we didn’t tell him we were dressing up or anything but he still got in the car, what a good sport). And I just have to say that he is such a wonderful guy. Unfortunately his father passed away last night and if you have any extra prayers send them his way because I know this will be a hard time (though I don’t really know, and can’t imagine what it would be like). In the circle of life here is the newest member of my family:

Five pound elven ounce Adler Cash is my newest second cousin and I think he is the cutest. This was at my cousin’s wedding (the sister of the one who had the baby, we like to try to combine family get togethers). The wedding was little and perfect. It was in a little park, and look I helped with the chairs:

Jenny was trying to describe how they were going to go together and I was like, “whatever I don’t get it.” But when I saw it I got it, and I think they looked awesome. So then it was like mad rush to pack and blah blah blah. Bj drove me to the airport hella early which turned out not to be early enough (you shouldn’t really have to leave before 4am for the airport, ew!!). So I was nearly late but made it. And Bj had hid Harry Potter from me so I would have something to do on the plane so I read it way too fast and spend my layover in Denver bawling like a baby at the end (don’t think I’m giving you the ending, I’m a very emotional person generally). So my next flight was really boring because I didn’t bring enough to do, and I need stuff to do people, because I don’t like to sit still. Then I was in Memphis and Ceara picked me up and we did our little screaming hugging dance that we always do. It was so hot there that, well, I felt like I was swimming in someone else’s sweat, it was gross. But everywhere is air conditioned so even when it’s nice out you don’t go outside. Which I was actually grateful for. I had a couple run ins with some dialect situations “excuse me” “could you repeat that” “WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?!!?” I’ve never had the Burger King lady ask me, “you want a side a WHO?” um, nevermind..  I was horrible and took like ten pictures total including this one:

He he he, sorry Ceara. I can’t help it. It’s funny because she always looks adorable. And she never lets her hair fro (anymore). Exhibit B:

From left: Kristin (bridesmaid), Athena (maid of honor), Ceara (super ultra fantastic bride), Katy (bridesmaid and I probably spelled that wrong). 
The wedding was wonderful and we all looked so cute with our hair done, but especially Ceara. She was such a beautiful bride. And as soon as I get some pictures I will prove it. I made her veil and she loved it (thank god because sewing a million sequins on a veil, time consuming people, but anything for my girl!!). Grant looked very handsome and they just looked so happy together. And these little people made it even better:

“Are we the cutest flower girls ever, are we?” Um yes!! They didn’t really ask that, like they needed to. They were just checking out the pink lip gloss I gave them.

So ok. I haven’t been blogging, and now I have to tell you that I won’t be until Tuesday probably. I am headed down to San Fran for a trade show with the Sciarrinonator and computerless (ack!). So check it: I promise to be better after the 15th of August with only intermittent service until then. I’ve got moving to do and then a family cruise to Alaska. And if you know me and my immenseness of “stuff” and art “stuff” and scrapbooking “stuff” and other “stuff” you know I am in for some fun (NOT) times. Here’s hoping I do pull some kind of muscle.

Just got these wands ready for the new Harry Potter tonight. Pictures of me as Rita Skeeter to come soon!

Okay I know I usually do the free association Wednesday, but I just got such awesome comments last week, that I think you are all ready for something I’ve been wanting to do a while. I hope this works. But my idea was to do a Mad Lib (and before the hate mail starts, yes, the free associations will be coming back people)!

So this is how I want to go about this:
-Pick the number of the thing you would like to fill out
-Check the comments to make sure it is not taken
-Write a comment with one of the numbers followed by the word

1.noun
2.adjective
3.adjective
4.number
5.name of person in room (hmm, well someone I will know, or famous or something, k?)
6.noun
7.adverb
8.noun
9.a food
10.noun
11.noun
12.plural noun
13.noun
14.plural noun
15.plural noun

Okay, I think everyone should only do one number, it will be more fun, don’t you think?  It might take a while, but I know there are lurkers out there. Then I will enter the words into the Mad Lib and we will have a silly little story and for a moment we will think we are all at a slumber party again giggling like a bunch of silly girls (unless you are the boys who read this, :>)

What have I been up to?  Well a tea party, bridal shower, wedding veil, and cantankerous quilt. I’ll start with the tea party that was on Sunday afternoon. It was at the estate of one of my mom’s girlfriends and it was a mother daughter thing, hats and gloves optional!  So much fun to get all dressed up and waited on. We also had a little fashion show to watch, then a huge bunch of mini desserts (which equals up to a lot of sugar even by my standards).

My mom at our table, which was a lot of fun since we had a bunch of her friends at it. After the tea my mom and I went and ran some errands since we had to get chargers for the luncheon we were throwing the next day. It was so funny to go to Target super dressed up, I mean I had a floppy hat on and everything! My mom hemmed my bridesmaid dress that evening, so I have one of about a hundred things done that I have to get done before I leave for Memphis, ahhhhh! The next day it was our turn to host and our set up wasn’t quite as fancy, but perfect for the intimate party that it was:

Jenny loved it anyway, and that’s what we were after. She is my cousin who is tying the knot this Saturday. We had champagne, grapes, scones, then some quiche served with ripe tomatoes and poached asparagus. And it was so good. I just have to interject here that my mom is like the most amazing housewife in the world. She knows how to do all these things, I have to pick that up when I move home in a month. Like I’ll look over and she’ll be whisking an egg to coat the top of a crust, then turn around and she’s handing me the glass bowl to put away because somehow in like ten seconds she managed to finish the egg, wash the bowl, and dry it!!!  How to people learn how to do this stuff. While I was gone for only a half an hour getting ready for the party my mom had the kitchen completely transformed. Someone needs to put a secret camera on that woman, I swear she hides a clone of herself in the pantry or something. Anyway we opened presents and I gave my customary gift (I’ve given the Position of the Day to about half a dozen brides to be). This thing just cracks me up so much, and the playbook is much better than the original because it even gives calories, lol!

After we had cake and the guests left Desiree (my other cousin), Jenny, my mom and I went to run errands for some last minuet things Jenny needed for the wedding. They ended up staying until five thirty when Bill got home. I then coerced Bill into taking my mom and I out for Mexican food for dinner since we had been working so hard all day!  It was so good. And the left overs are sitting my mom’s fridge because I left them, darn it!!! I then turned my attention to Ceara’s veil, which I impulsively said I would make after seeing the ridiculous prices on them at David’s Bridal. It was actually not that hard at all. Especially after we figured out that you only use 3 threads in the serger to get the ends finished right. I had to wear it for a couple of hours of course to make sure it worked right and everything:

Man, I really need to work on that chunk-a-lunk on my sides, ew. But still, isn’t the veil cool. I like it. When I came home I put it on and then rang the doorbell instead of using my key. Bj asked who it was and I said, “mail order bride!” hehehe.
And since I have a picture of me on here looking funny I might as well add one of Sciarrino with her bow tie of ribbon that she just got from the Ribbon Jar: