One Day at a Time

I am human after all

2012-02-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

This morning started out pretty much like any other morning. I got up, got ready, and headed to work (I even had time to get coffee with my gift card of course and still be early). About a mile from work, I was driving in the middle lane, when BAM, the truck next to me, swerved into my lane and hit me. At the time of impact, I was probably going 40-ish mph and the dude was going probably 25-30 mph. Two cars in front of him were slowing down to turn, and he decided not to wait.

It happened so fast (everyone says it because it's true) that I'm not sure how much my car moved after impact. I remember flying forward in my seat, luckily I was wearing my seat belt, so I didn't fly through the windshield. The dude pulled into a nearby parking lot, and I followed him. As my hands were shaking, I managed to unbuckle my seat belt, turn off the car, and open my door. He seemed rather distraught, asked me if I was ok. I replied (with tears starting to form in my eyes), "No, not really." After looking at the damage to my car and muttering an expletive, he proceeded to inform me this was his first accident and that he wasn't sure what we should do. I told him he should call the police, and that while he did that I was going to call my principal. He walked toward his truck, appearing to be on his phone, got in his truck, and proceeded to drive away. Yes, a hit and run! I was on the phone with my principal when he drove away, and I was absolutely shocked! I didn't think fast enough to get his license plate, but I did think about running down the street after him! Yes, only me!

Suddenly, I was dealing with this all alone. Sure, my husband was on his way, as were the police, but there was not another person who had experienced this with me. No one else felt the force of 40 mph, flying forward in the seat, panic of realizing an accident had just occurred. Nope, I was all alone on that one. What a strange feeling for someone to check if you are ok, but then to just drive off as if nothing had happened. This accident is interrupting my life, not just my day, my life. While waiting for the police (yes only 10 minutes after the accident), I could already feel the soreness setting in. And with that came a feeling of dread at the long road to recovery ahead. I know healing takes time, and I don't necessarily want to be patient. I wanted to run in Pat's Run this year (after the accident preventing it last year). I wanted to be able to do push-ups and crunches at the end of the day. I wanted to be able to clean the kitchen, go to the grocery store, stand in the kitchen and cook dinner. Yet in spite of all the things it hurts to do, I am so incredibly grateful that I was able to walk away from the accident. I'm grateful I was wearing my seatbelt. I'm grateful for everyone around me who is incredibly supportive and encouraging.

So - what has gone through my mind after being involved in a hit and run? Anger, sympathy, anger, wondering, anger. I know that hit and runs happen, but I've always believed in a sort of decency in most people to stop and do the right thing after an accident. Even if it's inconvenient or scary, there is a certain expectation that as a driver, you will be responsible in dealing with accidents (big or small). As a result, I've been angry at this dude for abandoning that responsibility. Who is he to masquerade around as a driver yet feel he is above the law? Who is he to run away from hitting me and the inconvenience he is causing me? I've moved through feeling sorry for him. Maybe he didn't have insurance, maybe he really was freaking out, maybe he knew he couldn't be late for work under any circumstances. Yes, there is a side of me that is sympathizing with how he felt. And yet, he still had a responsibility to do the right thing. So I'm back to anger at his choice to run away. I'm angry that he wasn't practicing good citizenship or integrity. Will he ever get caught? Will he feel guilty for running from the scene of an accident? Did anyone else happen to get his license plate number? Are there cameras anywhere that can get his license plate number? There are so many questions to be contemplated. The valley is a big area - driving 10 minutes gets you into a new city to get lost in a new crowd. Chances are, I'll never see or hear from this dude again. And, that makes me angry. That someone can do such a horrible thing and probably will get away with it. That's really frustrating. And it's frustrating that I could've reacted quicker to get his license plate number. I know that I can't put myself through that, but it is still a thought that has crossed my mind.

This is the car I've had the longest (almost 6 years), and it's been a great car. This is how it looks now.

Crock-Pot Love

2012-01-25T17:18:00.007-07:00

I love my Crock-Pot. No joke. Like, really really love it. I'm not sure sure what I would do without it. Maybe starve? Just kidding - well sort of. So imagine my reaction when I received Real Simple in the mail and the cover promised of delicious slow cooker recipes. If you are imagining something like this reaction, you're pretty much spot on.

So I've been making delicious dishes like this

via Real Simple

And this

via Real Simple

And this one's up later in the week

via Real Simple

I just love the feeling of putting raw ingredients in and knowing that by the time I get home the house will be filled with delectable aromas of something delicious. It's especially perfect for those days that are tiring and long. Does anyone else share my deep love, borderline obsession, with the Crock-Pot? What are your favorite slow cooker recipes?

January Wreath

2012-01-02T18:42:00.001-07:00

As part of our plan for 2012, Jon and I decided to go on a cash only system for January, cutting down to basics and trying to save money. This means, no trips to Jo-Ann or Michael's or spending money on unnecessary things. I was reminded that this meant I couldn't buy anything for a wreath for January.

Oh no!

Granted, my Christmas wreath could've been holiday neutral (since it was gold and silver), but what fun would that be? So, as I was drifting into la-la-land one night, I came up with a free wreath! Yes, completely free. I had everything for this wreath already - go me!

Here's what I used:
1 wire hanger
Approximately 40-44 book pages
Wooden letter B
Blue yarn
Cream muslin
Burlap
A piece of cardboard (I cut it into a circle using a salad plate)

Here's how I did it:
First, I ripped pages out of an old book. It's my designated craft book. Then, I straightened the torn edge with a paper trimmer. Then, I rolled them into little cones. I found it was easiest to use a bit of glue on both sides of the paper to secure the cone. Once, I finished all my cones, I found a wire hanger and bent it to be a round "wreath-like" shape. Then, I started gluing my paper cones on.

And I glued some more, and some more. Then, I got so excited about the rest of the wreath, I forgot to take any pictures. Basically, I dug a piece of cardboard out of the recycling pile, traced a salad plate, covered it with cream muslin, then glued a 3 inch wide piece of burlap as a ruffle around the edge.

Then, I found a little wooden B I had bought for an ornament and wrapped it with blue yarn. This was the hardest and most time consuming part. All those little curves and rounded edges almost made me crazy. But, after persevering, I finished wrapping the B. Then, I glued it onto the cream circle, and glued that whole piece onto the circle of paper cones. It ended up looking like this:

Isn't it adorable?

Seriously, I really like it.

I also like how the color of the yarn ties in with the color of our front door. Matchy-matchy. That's how I ~~roll~~ wrap.

Kitchen Makeover

2011-12-31T00:14:00.002-07:00

Ta-da!

I'm pleased to introduce our new kitchen. Whew - it was definitely a push to get it done in a week, but it's done! Of course, I have to show you what I started with (or close to it - I always forget to take real before pictures).

Ready to sand

Other side before

Starting to see some progress

Seriously loving the choice of white at this point (and this is only after priming)

After!

Other side after

The knobs! (I love them. Love. Love. Love.)

Here's how it all went down:
Last Friday, we painted the walls a lovely shade of sunshine yellow (read more here). Sunday evening and Monday - we worked on recovering our dining room chairs (nothing like throwing an extra project in the makeover). Tuesday, we started taking off the cabinet doors, detaching hinges and handles. (At this point, I was convinced none of this had ever been done prior to painting in our kitchen before.) Wednesday, I spent the entire day in the kitchen: taping plastic in the cabinets, sanding, priming, painting and painting some more. Last night while watching an IU basketball game with Jon I filled in a hole on each cabinet door (the new knobs only use one hole, the previous handles used two). Oh, and mopped up the (approximately) 14 gallons of water that spewed from the water line to the fridge. About 9:30pm, the hose broke off and water sprayed everywhere. My wonderful husband turned off the water to the house and to the fridge and helped me mop up the water. Thursday, sanded, primed, and painted cabinet doors and drawers. And the plumber came and fixed our fridge. Friday, finished stripping the hinges, spray painted them, and got everything put back together. Hooray!

So - what did it all cost?
Yellow paint - $7.00
Primer and white paint - free, we had it on hand
Painting supplies - $6.68
Stripper (to reuse the old hinges) - $5.47
Spray paint (to paint the hinges) - $5.84
Spackling (to fill in the cracks) - $1.68
New knobs - $31.29 (score!)
Grand Total: $51.28

*Note: I did buy new screws for the hinges (since the others had been painted over, they were a pain to get out and we ended up stripping a few), but that only adds another $7.00. Still under $60 for the whole shebang!

Here's one more look of the transformation. I love what a difference a few coats of paint can make!

Spreadin' a little kitchen cheer

2011-12-23T20:07:00.001-07:00

Guess who's majorly pooped tonight? That's right, this girl. Guess why??? The hubby and I painted our kitchen today! Wahooo!

Yes, two days before Christmas I decided to tape and paint our kitchen. Did I mention we are hosting Christmas day festivities? But when the productive bug bites, you gotta respond! So I did. About two weeks ago, I scored a great sunshine-y, yellow color of paint for $7.00! It's so happy and just makes me want to smile all the time. I love colors like that!

So, the wheels started turning... It's been no secret that I dislike the pink color my kitchen was and the tacky antiquing technique on all our cabinets. Oh, and the boring (with a capital B) cabinet pulls. After purchasing a paint color, I started considering all the possibilities for changing up the kitchen. Of course, it's Christmas season, I'm a teacher, and I'm frugal. So I wanted to make a big change for not a lot of change (See what I did there? I told you, I'm wiped out). I've always loved Anthropologie for it's classic, funky, vintage, eclectic, modern feel. They always have the cutest knobs and drawer pulls, so I started searching on their site...and I came across these beauties:

Aren't they adorable?! Plus, they were on sale. Down to $2.95 from $8.00. I only need 19 (20 once I replace the missing cabinet door), so $60 wouldn't be terrible to pay, but somehow I just couldn't bring myself to order them. This week, I got an email that Anthropologie was having an extra 50% off sale items, and my heart started to sing. Could it be that I could get the adorable knobs to outfit my entire kitchen for less than $30??? Oh, yes, yes it could be. I found 14 blue, 5 yellow, and 5 sage (really light green) colored knobs at an area Anthro. Oh, I was in love! I brought them home, cleared them with hubby, and got excited about starting on the kitchen.

So, with my husband getting the day off today, the great kitchen makeover of 2011 was born. And the kitchen is now painted. So, here's the to-do list for the rest of the kitchen:

remove all the cabinet doors
soak the hinges in stripper (they were painted over)
fill in one of the knob holes (the current knobs have two holes, the new ones have only one)
sand, prime, and paint the cabinets (they will be white)
install the new knobs

That's it. Think I can do it all in the next week before starting school again? Let's hope. Can't wait to show off the new kitchen once it's all done!

Felt Garland

2011-12-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to make a garland, and knew I had all the materials. So I jumped right in! Start to finish - including inspiration time (and the fact that I slept last night), we're talking 24 hours. Not bad, eh?

So, here it is complete with directions.

I used felted sweaters for this project, but I'm sure you could use any kind of felt. Start with a pile of cut out circles. I did not bother to count or keep track of how many I was cutting. Mine are about 1-2 inches in diameter (again, didn't measure), and they aren't perfectly round.

Next step, start sewing. I left about 10 inches of thread on either end and just started sewing down the middle of a circle.

Keep sewing. I just lined up the next one and fed it in. I found it was easiest to stop every so often and line up my next 20 or so circles, so I could just grab and keep sewing. Also, that way I could sorta line up according to color. Although, I wasn't super picky about the colors and how they lined up.

That's it! Seriously, super easy and super cute. About three-fourths through my first strand of garland, I got the brilliant idea to decorate our lion out front. So I cut some more circles and made a strand for Mr. Lion. Doesn't he just look adorable?!

There's just enough time left before Christmas that you could make yourself some cheery felt garland too!

Home Tour - Living Room

2011-12-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

Finally, I was able to get myself in gear and write up the next room. Seriously, it took me long enough. But without further ado, I present the ~~challenge room~~, I mean living room. Overall, this room is great for its size, but the dimensions present a little bit of a challenge in the decorating realm. It's approximately 14 feet wide and 22 feet long. Originally, I think it was meant to be a combination living and dining room. Since Jon nor I wanted two eating areas, it will be all living room in our home.

A few things I love about this room:

The floors - they are gorgeous
All the natural light - between a skylight, big windows, and the entryway skylight, we don't have to turn lights on until it's dark outside
The space - it lends itself to some really inventive furniture arrangements

A few things left to be desired about the room:

The space - so far I'm challenged with exactly how to arrange this room (I'll explain more later)

The couches are from Craigslist (hooray Craigslist!), coffee table from a clearance center, the round side table came from Jon's house, the other two came from thrift stores, the two sitting chairs came from Goodwill, the rolling hostess cart from Goodwill, and the mini fridge was mine.

When we bought the couches, they had an atrocious and obnoxious set of pillows for the back cushions. I found some fabric at SAS that I loved, and my grandma agreed to re-cover the pillows for me. The toned down version fits our style much better.

Here is the view from the entry way. Yes, my living room is a mess in all these pictures, and I've decided I'm ok with that. I chose to go ahead and finally get this post up over waiting until I cleaned it completely.

The bar is quite possibly my favorite part of the room. It just fits so perfect and is such a great piece! Especially since it came from ReStore for only $21!

Part of my challenge with the room is the placement of the coffee table. I can't very well put it in the middle of the room, but then that leaves one couch or the other without access to it.

Another view of the bar.

From the far corner of the living room, the view to the front door.

Christmas tree :)

Living room leads into the dining room.

I've started looking at rugs for the living room to help define the space better. We are currently trying to decide whether we are keeping the chair pictured in the first picture (it came from Ikea, great deal, and I like where it is now), but I don't want the room to look to full.

Also, the yellow chairs will probably be replaced at some point. They aren't comfortable for long periods of time, and they have wheels, so we could have chair races across our living room right now. But, there's where the living room is right now. I really do like this room, and it's a very comfortable room. What else do you think would help define the space? Do you have any challenge rooms in your house? How have you handled them?

Holiday Wreath

2011-12-04T15:20:00.001-07:00

I have a confession - I actually started working on this wreath the week of Thanksgiving. (collective gasp) I know, I know. I'm a one-holiday-at-a-time person too. But there were so many crafts I wanted to complete for Christmas decorations, that I knew I needed to get a little bit of a head start. And, I didn't hang the wreath until the day after Thanksgiving.

So, here it is.

And a closer view.

So, here's how it all came together. I used 5 boxes of clear glass ornaments from Michael's (on sale, plus an additional 25% off). Then I used two bottles each of gold, silver, and white paint. After removing all the tops from the ornaments, I proceeded to swirl either gold or silver and white paint inside. If you've never done this, it's super fun and easy! You just squeeze some paint inside the ornament, swirl it around and watch the magic happen.

I let them dry overnight. Meanwhile, I painted a coat of paint on my green foam wreath. The next day, I started placing my ornaments on the wreath. Once I figured out where I wanted them, I pressed them into the wreath a little, to make an indent, then added hot glue, and glued the ornament in place. It wasn't a difficult project, just took a while since I needed to let the ornaments dry for about 24 hours before arranging them on the wreath.

You might notice there was some leftover paint in my ornaments that has puddled in the bottom. I might take my wreath off the door for a day and try to re-swirl the paint to re-distribute it inside the ornament. Overall, I'm really pleased with how it turned out and it looks great against my new blue front door!

Fluffy and Thankful

2011-11-09T18:32:00.003-07:00

I promise that an update is coming on another room in the house. But for now, I have two projects to share!

First up, the most amazing thing you will ever sink your teeth into. Sweet mother of all things light, fluffy and heavenly, it's homemade marshmallows! Let me start by saying, I'm definitely ~~not~~ wasn't a marshmallow person...until I made my own. It's kind of a process, and involves some waiting, but it's totally worth it! I promise!

I used this recipe from Smitten Kitchen, with a few slight modifications. 1) I don't own a metal baking pan, so I used glass. I sprayed it with cooking spray and the marshmallows came out super easy! 2) I don't own a candy thermometer, so I had to experiment with this part. I waited until the middle of the pan was starting to boil, and then continued with the recipe. They came out totally fine! 3) Rather than shake my marshmallows in the pan I had let them set in, I put the confectioners' sugar in a Ziploc baggie and shook them. So easy and definitely kept the mess in my kitchen to a minimum. 4) I didn't discard the trimmed edges, I threw them right in the bag to shake! I really don't need these to look a certain way, so the practical and frugal gal in me came out.

Final product = amazing! They even look like the ones from Smitten Kitchen (albeit the photography is a bit better in the latter). And taste = fabulous! I am pretty sure I just ruined store bought marshmallows for myself, even more than they already were.

Second, a thankful tree. Jon is convinced that I'm just trying to sneak a Christmas tree into the house early, but this definitely is not what our Christmas tree is going to look like.

I decopauged a terra cotta pot (from the dollar store) with some fabric I bought a few years ago. I loved the fabric, didn't have a project for it, but bought it just because I loved it. Once I saw these lovelies on Pinterest, I could totally envision a project of my own.

I didn't really read the directions, just cut my fabric into strips, mixed equal parts glue and water, and went to work. About a fourth of the way in, I wasn't totally sure I was loving in, but I got through it, and love it in the end. My mom found a tree branch for me, I stripped the leaves, and bought some glass marbles and river rock at the dollar store to keep the branch upright. I used an old book and cardstock to make the tags. Every day, my husband and I are writing something we are thankful for and hanging it on the tree. At the end of the month, we'll go back and read them all.

It's been really neat so far to physically write out something I'm thankful for every day. It's a good reminder that even the little things matter. Like marshmallows, and finally cooler weather, and good coffee.

Weekend Ahead

2011-10-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

It's almost the second weekend of fall break, and I am chomping at the bit to get lots done around the house. I even started my to do list while Jon and I were in the Indy airport.

Jon and I had a great trip to Indiana, enjoyed meeting some new friends and seeing some again. The weather was beautiful - as was the scenery.

It looked sorta like this...

So pretty! We also paid a visit to this building

To watch the Colts take on the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a fun game, but it had a disappointing ending. We also visited Conner Prairie, an interactive history park which includes a look at life in 1836 and an area about the involvement of Indiana in the Civil War. Come on, I'm a history teacher, we had to do something historical on our vacation.

We also visited Midland Arts and Antiques. I spotted this building on our way to Jon's parent's house from the airport and made a mental note to check it out.

So Tuesday evening, Jon and I embarked on our journey of epic proportions. Seriously, I'm not kidding or exaggerating. Two floors full of antiques = amazing! I was looking for a tea towel with a map of Indiana, and instead I found a 1950s Cosco stool for $14. I remember my Grandma Helblig's Cosco stool in the lovely shade of avocado green and sitting with her in her kitchen. I've always wanted one, but have never seen them in Arizona. Immediately, I started calculating and figuring. Jon and I talked about a way to get it home, we checked USPS, FedEx, and UPS. We even looked at shipping with Greyhound. Ultimately, we decided to just get it and then figure out a way to get it home. So Wednesday afternoon, Jon's dad and I took apart the stool and packed it in a box. Then we measured the box and figured out we could check it as a piece of luggage on our flight and get it home for only $25! I put it back together Wednesday after getting home, and it has found it's place in my kitchen.

Some things to look for this weekend: another room in our home post, some update on the outside of the house, a few DIY projects, and some MAJOR organization! Happy Friday everyone!

Pearly Whites

2011-10-02T09:01:00.003-07:00

Yes - I really am talking about teeth.

My grandma is amazing. She is the most consistent and diligent person about her teeth. She flosses them every single day, without fail. I, in contrast, am the worst about flossing my teeth. Every time I go to the dentist, I hear the same refrain, "You really should start flossing your teeth. You really should be flossing your teeth." I like to follow rules, I like to generally take good care of myself, but flossing is the one thing that I can't seem to make into a habit.

(Insert, brilliant flash of wisdom here) So, I decided that October would be my Flossing Challenge Month. Every day in October, I'm going to floss my teeth once a day - just like Dudley tells me to! Regardless of whether I floss in the morning or right before I crash into bed, I'm determined to make flossing a habit. I might even start dancing about it too...

Ready for a Home Tour?

2011-09-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

This morning, the most brilliant idea struck me. What better way to keep track of what we've accomplished and what's still to be desired in each room than to write a room-by-room house tour??? So over the next few weeks, I'll take you through each room in our house to showcase the improvements we've made and to highlight what I'm still looking for to make the room complete.

Ready? Go!

I decided to start with the family room for a few reasons: 1) It's nearly complete. 2) It's probably where we spend the majority of our waking hours. 3) We host a small group in our home once a week. 4) It's also nicely picked up right now.

Walking into the family room from the hallway

(Picture tile laid and cute sitting chair with adorable table)

Looking at the family room from the other direction

I've mentioned this before, but our house had huge built-ins on two of the walls in the family room when we moved in. When we first looked at the house, I wanted them gone. Once I moved in, I started thinking maybe they could stay and be of use. The week of the wedding, Jon, his parents, and his brother tore down the cabinets and took them out. Decision made. After living with this decision and seeing the room come to completion, I'm so so so glad that the cabinets are gone. It opens up the room so much, and gives us more space to work with! We also moved in with a $5 Craigslist table, $20 Ikea rug, and Ikea Kivik sofa (found in the As-Is section with no damage!)

Pretty early change - Adding the Kivik loveseat to our furniture line up for the room. We were planning to add the chaise lounge at the same time, but the cover we wanted was out of stock. We decided to go ahead an put the loveseat together, so we could have that seating space. The loveseat went along the west side of the room, the sofa along the south side, and the round table (wedding present!) in between the two.

First permanent change in this room - paint. It's amazing, what a little paint can do (or in this case, a lot of paint). We primed and painted the family room and adjoining dining area in a light grey (which I accidentally bought 3 gallons of instead of 2 - so I'm thinking about where else I can put this color). I was really pleased with the color, even though it's a bit lighter than I anticipated. I thought I had purchased the next shade darker for the fireplace, but when I got the paint out I discovered I bought an extra gallon of the wall color. So off to Home Depot I went. Picking out paint is such a painful process for me. It seems like such a permanent decision, and with the price of paint, it kind of is! But after lots of time in the aisle debating with myself, pro-con lists, and the opinions of Home Depot employees, I bought a gallon of paint and was ready to take on the fireplace.

Painting the fireplace was a much larger job than I anticipated. It took nearly a week and was grueling work. But seeing the fireplace completed made me forget all about the soreness! The color is perfect and I realize now that only going one shade darker would've been a huge mistake! The contrast is so much better than I could've dreamed. I also made the fireplace cushions for additional seating.

Chaise cover finally came in - Yippee! After building the chaise, covering it, and attaching it to the loveseat, we did a little rearranging to the current layout. I'm still on the fence about the chaise, but it's working well and it provides good seating. I just don't LOVE it yet.

Another change - found these lamps (sorta). When we bought these lamps at our local ReStore, they were brassy and gold-ish. They had ivory lampshades with burnt orange trim. A couple coats of glossy navy blue spray paint and some white muslin fabric later and this is how they look.

Be-a-u-tiful!

So what's still to do?

Sand and re-paint the coffee table. I love the shabby chic look, but the current state of the coffee table is a little sad. I would like to sand it and re-paint it the same color (white).
Sitting chair in the corner. I really want a sitting chair to make the room more about conversation than the TV. The size and scale of such a piece are going to have to be spot on...so I'm still diligently scouting this piece out.
Place to put the lamp. As you can see in the pictures, one lamp is sitting on the fireplace - which means if someone sits on the fireplace, it becomes a little precarious or that the light is at a really low level. Point is: we need something to put the lamp on!
Finish tiling. After the cabinets came out, we were left with bare concrete. We have matching tile, we just need to learn how to tile and make the time to get it done.
Curtains or blinds - maybe. Currently, there are no window decorations, but I'm good with that for now (I think).
DVD storage. We are still working on how to store DVDs, so this is another maybe item.
Some more fireplace decoration. Ultimately, I can see a collage above the fireplace or maybe a mantle built. But since I'm still not totally sure what I want, it's going to have to be lower on the priority list.

Over Facebooking

2011-09-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if the title of this post is a foreshadowing of my future with Facebook or my conclusion about the amount of social networking currently happening. In the last few days, the updates of Facebook have been quite the hot topic in my Senior Government class during "Current Events." Today, one of my students raised his hand and summarized a blog he had read about how we can be consumers of a computer, but we are products of Facebook. This created quite the firestorm of comments ranging from "the Facebook updates are stupid" to "Facebook = drama, the end."

So I posed the question to my students, "Has Facebook taken away our ability to interact with people in a face to face setting?" Quickly, the consensus was that no, they still prefer hanging out with people. But the caveat was Facebook is available as an app, meaning someone isn't tied to their computer in order to "facebook"(as a verb). This brought me to my next point (I always like to make them go beyond their initial answer and refine their opinions). The other night, while I was out to dinner with my husband, I noticed a table full of women who were obviously close friends and excited to see each other. However, I was disturbed by the amount of time each woman was spending on her own phone, essentially excluding herself from that moment with her friends. I've tried to tell myself that I'm a good multi-tasker, but the truth is I'm terrible at it. And watching these women, I realized that most people can't exist in two realities either (digital and physical).

Facebook has obviously changed the world we live in. Local events become international news almost instantaneously. I can now show and tell (electronically speaking) all of my "friends" what I'm eating for lunch or baking at home or currently crafting. Every relationship has a sounding board and a forum from which to sprout. But what else has Facebook done? I heard a story on NPR today about how terrorist groups have used social networking sites to spread false rumors to incite chaos and to create opportunities for themselves. I wonder how many accidents have been caused or nearly caused by someone trying to update their status while driving. I wonder how many friendships have been ruined by passive aggressive statuses being misinterpreted.

How would our world be different without Facebook? I don't necessarily have an answer, but simply am posing a question. Am I over Facebooking right now? Maybe. Maybe not. I'm certainly not sure how I feel about being classified as a product of Facebook. But it is a valid point that we have been shaped by Facebook and the world view each of us holds has been influenced by some sort of social networking. So is the world over Facebooking (in the sense of using too much)? Maybe. Maybe not. But it is something we should consider.

Back at it again

2011-07-25T16:23:00.003-07:00

Hi ho, hi ho...it's back to work I go!

Today I started back to work after a wonderful 7 week break and can officially call myself a second year teacher! Wahoooo! Year one was challenging, stretching, amazing, and a great experience. I learned on a steep learning curve and threw together some last minute lesson plans. It is amazing how quickly time flies (after all, the summer certainly did), and it's unbelievable that I'm preparing my classroom for a second year of teaching.

I'm very excited to welcome this year's geniuses into my classroom. I'm ready to open minds and help students look at their world in an inquisitive way. I love this quote from Albert Einstein, "Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid."As a history teacher, I've been asked how I teach history and how I decide what to cover. Well - the state of Arizona tells me what to cover, but within that, I actually have a lot of freedom. I've determined that I'm more concerned with whether students understand the concepts behind an event than whether they memorize every minute detail of that event. Of course, there are certain big dates I think they should know, but overall, I'm more concerned with whether they understand what the Bill of Rights does for them than whether they know the exact date Bill of Rights was ratified (December 15, 1791 in case you were wondering, a while after the Constitution was written in 1787).

I've seen incredible growth in myself as a teacher over the last year. I find myself looking for teaching moments everywhere I go and in whatever book I'm reading. Truthie Ruthie: I even took my World History book on vacation with us last weekend. But, I don't ever want to get complacent. I want to continue to challenge myself and continue to refine my teaching. I would love for my last year teaching to notably be my best.

Being the list maker and goal setter I am, I've been working on some goals for this year. Some of these won't mean anything to you, but I figured this was a good place to document them.

Work on classroom management. Refine my policies and procedures, and stick to them!
Increase the number of projects I have my students do. This one is bit more tough because I only have my classes for a semester and there is so much material to cover. But, I know they will remember it much better if we do a project!
Work on differentiation within my classes.
Don't be afraid to skip sections in the book - with only a limited amount of time, I need to realize it's ok to skip sections that don't pertain to the standards or offer pertinent knowledge.

Is anyone else making career goals for themselves? Or have advice on any of my goals? I'd love to hear them!

One Year Later

2011-07-18T10:15:00.004-07:00

Yesterday, Jon and I marked an important milestone. One year ago, we had our first official date.

July 17, 2010 - Jon picked me up right on time. I had been so nervous getting ready (I really wanted it to go well!). We had been joking during the week about NCAA 2011 coming out and playing that for our date. First, he took me downtown Mesa to Sweet Cakes, a very cute little place and we got dessert (yes, before dinner). You know it's going to be a good date when you get dessert first! Then we went to dinner at Macaroni Grill (the way to this girls heart is definitely through carbs!). Then we went to As You Wish - Jon knew I was a crafty chica and thought it would be perfect! It definitely was. Jon painted a helmet bank, one side IU, the other Indianapolis Colts. All through football season last year, he turned it so the team that was playing was facing out - I think he thought it would help them win. And I painted a little flowerpot that reads, "So many seeds, so little time." After As You Wish, I definitely wasn't ready for the date to end, so we went to Jon's house and watched Tommy Boy. Rather...we attempted to watch Tommy Boy. We started it, and it stopped. So Jon cleaned the disk and we tried again. About an hour into the movie, it wouldn't go any further. So Jon took me home, vowing that we would finish the movie at some point. (We finished the movie on our last surprise date before getting married - Jon recreated our first date for our last date as a non-married couple)

One year later, we've been married for 44 days, bought a house together, traveled to a foreign country together, flown across the country for me to meet his family for the first time, and had plenty of adventures along the way. One year ago, I had just graduated college, was eagerly searching for a job, and just starting to date Jon. It's been a busy year (first year teacher, buying a bank-owned home, planning a wedding), but I wouldn't trade a moment of it for anything! It's amazing to look back and see all that I've experienced and accomplished over the last year.

A great big thank you to my family and friends who watched all this happen, experienced it with me, encouraged me, and cheered me on. I am so blessed to have such a fabulous support system and feel grateful to the people in my life who enhance it on a daily basis.

Our happy little family

2011-07-14T08:12:00.003-07:00

If you ask my husband if he's a dog or a cat person, he'll reply no (or neither, or some response to let you know he doesn't do pets). It's not that he doesn't like them, he just doesn't see the logic in them. And there really isn't. They are just cute, fluffy, fun additions to the family. So, when we were dating, I made it very clear that I had a cat who was coming with me. If you want Allison, you get Precious too. And he slowly accepted that and came to terms with it.

The day after we got back from our honeymoon, we drove to my mom's house and picked up Precious and her few possessions. Precious rode on my lap all the way to the new house (a whole mile!) and meowed pretty much the whole way. She kept looking back trying to figure out what was going on. The first day, Precious went to work dusting, I mean hiding in every nook and cranny of our home. She discovered she could fit behind the washing machine, then hid behind the dryer when I started to do laundry. That night I'm fairly certain she didn't move an inch.

Slowly, Precious has adjusted to Jon and Jon has adjusted to Precious. I knew we would be good the day I came around the corner to find Jon cradling Precious and petting her. It was further confirmed when I found her laying on Jon's stomach, not letting him up to do anything. She usually jumps into my lap when given the choice, but these days it's taking her longer and longer to decide whether to pick Jon's lap or mine. And of course, she's finding favorite spots around the house as well. Like this one.

And now that the bean bag chair is in its permanent location (right by the window with the sun coming in, I think Precious loves it even more! We probably won't be the family with more than one dog running around or pets in every child's room, but for now, we have our cat. And we are happy with that!

To cut or not to cut

2011-07-08T13:24:00.002-07:00

That is THE question. I have a very back and forth relationship with my hair. My philosophy is: It always grows. So I often cut it short, only to decide I want to be able to wear it long, grow it out, only to get sick of it, then cut it short. And the cycle runs over and over. Last May, right before graduating college, I cut it short. And loved it! Then Jon and I started dating, and it became apparent that it was heading somewhere. So I started growing my hair out because well, I'd always known I wanted it long for my wedding.

Fast forward to 2 weeks before the wedding. I was at my mom's house, and caught a glimpse of a picture with my hair short. And I kinda wanted to cut my hair again. I put the thought out of my mind, because it was 2 weeks before the wedding, and quite frankly, I wasn't about to do anything drastic like cut 7 inches off my hair!

But now...it's a month after the wedding...and I'm kinda thinking about cutting my hair again. I've even found a style I like.

Sorry that picture is ginormous - I couldn't figure out how to make it any smaller. So for the past week, I've been engaging in a debate with myself: to cut or not to cut. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a compulsive pro-con list maker. So naturally I've been coming up with pros and cons for cutting or not cutting my hair. Normally, I'm not quite this indecisive, and I know that within a year, my hair could grow out to the length it is now. But I still can't quite make up my mind. Does anyone else have crazy hair debates with themselves and go to extremes when figuring out a style?! Or am I the only crazy one?

Fireplace Finale - and shower curtain surprises!

2011-07-06T13:10:00.003-07:00

Well after a week, it's done! Hooray - the fireplace is finished and it looks great! It's a great shade of grey, called Anonymous. If you are thinking about painting anything block or brick, be prepared it will take much longer than you anticipate and you will be much more sore than you ever thought possible.

The fireplace grate was previously black with gold handles. With the magic of high heat spray paint, it's now white and contrasts nicely with the fireplace. I used high heat spray paint so it can stand up to the heat of all the fires we'll have in our fireplace...or not. I am still thinking through the actual function of the fireplace. There are a couple candles in there now (from the previous owners) and a whole lot of ash. Next time I'm feeling super adventurous, I'll get out the shopvac and clean that out. Until then, the fireplace cover can hide that mess.

I also finished the fireplace cushions. I only got enough fabric for 3 cushions, even though I bought 4 pillows. As I was making the cushions, I had the brilliant idea of making a shower curtain for our hall bathroom with the same fabric. (Plus that would allow me to get a little extra to make the fourth fireplace cushion.)

Close up of the fabric

After hunting around in the red tag fabrics, (and nearly panicking thinking someone had bought the rest of the fabric) I fount it! And it was still an extra 50% off. This morning, I made my shower curtains, extra long shower curtains. The tile in the hall bath goes higher than usual, and the tension rod was situated above the tile. Rather than simply move it down, I kind of liked the idea of adding drama by having an extra long shower curtain.

There are still plenty of projects to last me the rest of the summer, but I'm feeling accomplished and the house is looking quite lovely!

One month in

2011-07-04T10:32:00.005-07:00

As of today, it's been a month since Jon and I got married. I can't really say since we said, "I do...." since well, we didn't actually say it. I'm sure by now, everyone knows that something goes wrong at every wedding. We were fortunate, thanks to the very diligent planning of our wedding coordinator (my mom wrote an ode to her here) and lots of hardworking individuals, there were approximately two things that didn't go according to plan. I can't really say they went wrong because I don't consider it that way. I think it's pretty funny, and it didn't stress me out or take away from our wedding celebration in any way.

First, hot sauce got added to the queso. We had a burrito bar for dinner. In the process of making queso (which sounds cooler than Velveeta and Rotel), two bottles of hot sauce got added to the mix. Ooops! I heard it was a little on the spicy side, but still delish.

Yum! Burritos!

Second, we didn't actually say, "I do...." That part got forgotten...probably in the excitement of adding the poem Jon wrote for me to the ceremony. Yes, Jon had our Pastor read the poem he wrote for me a few months back during the ceremony. It was a total surprise - a totally GREAT surprise!

We're still officially married - even without saying, "I do!"

So, what have I learned from being married for a month? A lot. Most important thing? I like my husband, a ton. Like, I really really really like him. He makes me laugh, smile, and enjoy life! I love my husband, and I love learning new things about him and having him by my side. Marriage is definitely an adventure...and an adjustment. Learning to live with another person has been interesting, but we like each other which totally helps! During premarital counseling, we were told that we should really like each other. Not just love, but really really like. I couldn't agree with this bit of advice more. It has been so important for Jon and I to like each other and to just enjoy spending time together. I can think all those little quirks that might otherwise get on my nerves are just plain cute because I really like him. I can make a lunch (and enjoy it) every day and remember to put in a treat because I like Jon. Jon can remember to lock the door (I might have a slight case of door locking neurosis) because he likes me. And in taking time to do those little things for each other, we know that we are loved as well.

Just in time for another weekend

2011-07-01T19:40:00.006-07:00

Just in time to start another weekend, I thought maybe I should post updates from last weekend's projects. We started in the family room and eating area. You can see where the cabinets had been before they were taken down and out by Jon and his family.

And the other side (and my wonderful husband doing a share of the sanding)

So there was the business of spackling, sanding, chipping away at the glue residue, and me realizing we needed to add some texture back on the walls before we even got to the good stuff. I went to the paint store bright and early Saturday morning to start on this project. After Jon got up, we went to work taping...and taping...and taping some more. Then we started priming...and priming...and priming some more. We rewarded ourselves with a trip to Ikea after all the priming was done, which turned out to be a reward indeed! Saturday night while Jon was playing in a cornhole tournament (Midwest beanbag toss basically, pretty fun stuff!), I decided to start painting the color on the walls: a light grey ('Porpoise' to be exact). By the time Jon got home, I was nearly done with the entire area!

Then there was the business of the fireplace. Monday, I taped and primed the fireplace. It took almost all day, and I was exhausted at the end of the day! The next morning, I went to get the gallon of paint for the fireplace to discover that I had accidentally ordered an extra gallon of the wall color, and not actually ordered the fireplace color. So I went to Home Depot and found a color that I liked even better for the fireplace. And I started painting it after dinner Tuesday night...and that's as far as I got. I promise we aren't trying to be super modern and cool, I just haven't finished it. This fireplace is kicking my butt! I'm loving the color and I'm really excited to finish it (it's on this weekend's to do list), but it's HARD WORK.

I also painted the trim around the windows to match the freshly painted, crisp white baseboards. The pictures aren't great because of the time of day, but trust me, they look great! I'm hoping to get the trim around the door painted this weekend to match.

And lest you think the family room got all the attention, here's my husband's handiwork in the Indiana Room. As a proud Hoosier, my husband had to get a large IU logo on the wall. We ordered some vinyl tape to put the court lines on the floor this week, so the Indiana Room is coming along quite nicely as well.

I'll leave you with the IU fight song in honor of my husband, the Indiana Room, and of course, the Hoosiers.

Antiquing - very thriftily

2011-06-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

While the dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer are simultaneously running in the background, I'm taking a quick moment to blog about today's adventures. Mom and I took some time to go antiquing (am I making up words again?). It's always an adventure and loads of fun whenever my mom and I do anything together. And today was no different! I started the morning by making my "looking list" - that list of items for which I am currently hunting. What was on my looking list you ask? I'll tell you!

Some metal baskets, vintage style - I'm thinking these will be great for storing DVD and PS3 under my coffee table. I'm also thinking about getting a couple for the bookcase I'm using as a vanity.
Globes for two milkglass lamps I have - these will be going in my craft room
A side table or wooden crate - again for the craft room. I already have a chair in there, and this will be a great little reading (or blogging) spot when I find a table to go next to the chair and globes so I can have light.

After 8 or so stops, getting in and out of the hot car and nearly getting m

y toe stabbed by a metal bird cutout (I made that sound way more dramatic than it actually

was), I walked away with some great finds. Although none of them were on my looking list, I'm very pleased!

First up, this adorable vintage hamper. I'm not a fan of the avocado green color (which I'm sure my husband finds shocking), but it has these cute little daisies on the lid and the front. With a good cleaning and a coat (or two) or paint, it will be great as a trash can in the craft room. It was actually in the bathroom of a store we stopped at (Charlie's House on 7th Ave. next to Qcumberz), and it begged to come home with me.

Next up, this great metal "b" from Modern Manor. Jon and I went to Modern Manor on Sunday, and quite frankly the prices scared me. But with the 20% off Fourth of July sale, I was brave enough to venture back in with my mom. They have a whole room of metal letters - different sizes, styles, and colors! And, I brought home this treasure with me. The little wheels in my mind are spinning with where to put this beauty. The front runner currently is in the backyard once I create my garden area. But of course, as I wander through our house, I'm sure other ideas will come into my head.

I also managed to find the metal part to fit on these lamps (that I already had). I made lampshades this week using this tutorial. It was a pretty easy project, but be forewarned adhesive spray never stays exactly where you want it to!

And those are the adventures of the day. Not bad for a Thursday!

A trip to the fabric store

2011-06-28T06:58:00.003-07:00

Weekend plans are coming along...I'm hoping to have an update with pictures to post later today. In the meantime, I'll tell you about my very successful trip to the fabric store last night.

JoAnn's can be a frustrating place for me. On one hand, I love all the different fabrics. On the other, sometimes I get lost in the amount of fabric. Sometimes, there's just too much stuff in their store. Last night, Jon and I set out to pick up some more stars and stripes fabric. Over the weekend, I made 6 napkins to go inside baskets for cookie deliveries for his company. Turns out they were well liked, and the owner wants four more. I'll be making the rest today, and I'll post pictures as soon as I'm done.

We also ventured to look at fabric for our new lounge chairs. Back story: Saturday, Jon and I went to Ikea (in the middle of our epic painting event) to pick up the cover for the chaise part of our couch. We always walk through As-Is furniture (just in case, you know). Jon looked at me and pointed to somewhere behind me. As I turned around, I spotted the lounge chairs we had been longing for...and they were 40% off...and they were already put together! I'm convinced buying As-Is furniture is almost worth paying more since it's already put together. I have quite a few projects around the house for now and not putting together a new piece of furniture sounds quite lovely, thank you. So Jon and I left with big smiles on our faces, managed to fit both chairs in his car, and set off towards home. Yes, we did find the cover we originally went for, it had been very elusive on our previous visits over the past few months. But finally, SUCCESS! After deciding we would like cushions for our new lounge chairs, I decided I could make them. Yes, I like to be crafty and ambitious! I spotted some outdoor living fabric in the Red Tag section that I liked. And Jon concurred, it would work. :) Then I saw all Red Tag fabric was an additional 50% off! WAHHOOO! That made the fabric for our lounge chair cushions only $3 a yard, and made me a very happy lady.

While at JoAnn's, we also found some home dec fabric in the Red Tag section to make floor cushions/fireplace cushions. Sometimes when we have people over, they end up sitting on our fireplace, and to make it a little more comfy, we decided we should have cushions. So another project for the summer will be making the fireplace cushions!

Back to painting the fireplace this morning and really hoping I can finish it today!

Weekend Plans!

2011-06-24T18:02:00.002-07:00

I'm fairly certain I've declared my love of lists before, but just in case: I love lists! And I'm ambitious, once in a while, it's a fault. But mostly, it drives me to want to complete lots of projects in a smallish time frame. This weekend is no different.

First on the list is the family room. When we moved in, large oak cabinets covered the better part of two walls. I don't have a picture handy, so use your imagination. They surrounded our fireplace and the adjacent wall. We are guessing they had a collection of some sort or else really like showcasing their entertainment (due to the track lighting along the ceiling about 6 inches from the wall). Immediately, Jon and I wanted the cabinets to come down. Then I decided maybe I liked them, they did offer a fair amount of storage after all. And then I changed my mind again, I wanted them down. Before I could change my mind again, my in-laws took them out. I walked in the door to find Jon's brother on top of the cabinets helping their dad take the cabinets down and out. And now the cabinets are down. So painting is a must. My husband is currently sanding the spackled spots (more of the necessity of this in a later post). Tomorrow I'll spray texture on the walls where the cabinets ripped the drywall away. Then priming and painting!

Next on the list, the Indiana Room. Being the wonderful wife that I am, I graciously agreed to let my husband have an Indiana Room for all his IU and Colts memorabilia. Truth be told, I'm about as excited about this room as he is. The walls have been painted, with help from my fabulous best friend, Stephanie. While Jon's parents were here the week before the wedding, his mom laid the wood floor in the room, and it looks fabulous! This weekend, we'll be hanging a shelf, painting an IU logo on the wall, and mounting a TV if all goes as planned. Next step in that room is to paint the court lines of Assembly Hall on the floor, and me making the NCAA Championship banners for the curtains.

Third, if I'm lucky, we'll get to hit some garage sales and estate sales. Even though it's heating up quite nicely (read: getting hotter than heck!), there are a plethora of garage sale signs out. I'm looking for a neat piece for DVD/game storage and a cool piece for in our guest bathroom. I'll be sure to share our painting experience since it will involve painting a fireplace too. I'm super excited to see it all come together!

Bread Baking Bonanza!

2011-06-14T14:34:00.002-07:00

As Jon and I began discussing which items to register for, Jon expressed a lot of interest in a bread machine. As a carb-o-holic, I readily agreed. My previous experience with a bread maker (detailed here) resulted in some frantic phone calls to my momma and some great takeaways about making bread.

Yesterday, I broke out the bread machine to make some beer bread. I gathered all my ingredients and set them all out (so they could get to room temperature before I tried to make the bread). After a couple hours, I put all the ingredients in the machine and hit start. It immediately sprang to life and began whirring and mixing.

An hour into the bread making cycle, I anxiously peered into the window. To my delight, the bread was rising! I excitedly proceeded to make sure Jon knew how pleased I was in my ability. Our house began to fill with the smells of bread being freshly made.

About an hour later, Jon cautiously approached me, "Honey, the bread maker smells like it's burning." I confidently replied, "Oh no, it's fine! The instructions say that it might even smoke the first time, but that's totally normal and nothing to worry about." Precisely 3 hours and 18 minutes after I hit start, the bread machine began beeping at me to signal it was done. I proudly took out my pot holders and transfered the bread pan to a cooling rack. After a few minutes, Jon and I decided it was time for a taste test.

And....

The results were unanimous - it was a success! Spurred on by my success, I decided to try my hand at pretzel making today. After a brief bit of juggling with my too big cookie sheet and my too small oven, from which I emerged the victor, my pretzels emerged cooked to perfection from the oven! And now...there's another loaf of bread rising away in the bread machine. 24 hours, 2 loafs of bread, and 12 pretzels in, I'm loving this machine a lot!

House Lesson of the Day

2011-05-10T16:40:00.003-07:00

Two house lessons rolled into one today.

First, before calling the garage repair guy, make sure there isn't a lock on the garage door. True story. Our garage door was only going about 6 inches up, would get stuck and would go back down. We really wanted to use our garage door, so I called the friendly folks at Anytime Garage Door. True to their word, they came out about an hour and a half later to look at my garage door to figure out why it wouldn't go up all the way. And the technician found...a master lock on the roller bar. It ended up being a really good thing they had come out because the rollers were flattening under the weight of the door and we needed new rollers, but Jon and I definitely felt smart at that moment!

Second, before calling the air conditioning repair guy, make sure the breaker isn't off. True story, again. This one is all me and I'll take full credit...errr, blame...for it. I replaced the batteries in our thermostat and the screen appeared for a few seconds, but then promptly turned off again. I re-tightened the screws, same thing. I flipped the air conditioner to on, nothing happened. Thankfully we invested in the home warranty when buying our home (I would definitely recommend it!), so I called the warranty company and got an appointment set up. After looking at the thermostat, the technician asked if the breaker box was in the backyard. After showing him where it was, opening the cover, looking at the air conditioning breaker...it hit me. It was off. Another high five moment for me!

Alright, lesson(s) learned: make sure to check out all the options before calling in the professionals and paying someone else to do what I easily could've done myself. Definitely feel like this (Could've done that myself!)

Home Sweet Home

2011-05-08T15:15:00.001-07:00

Well it's official, I'm a homeowner. Jon and I have bought a house in Tempe that we will call home (hopefully) until our teeth fall out and all our hair is grey. That is to say unless we are really, really old! Like this cute old couple:

Cute old couples are the best! Anyway, back to the house. I love it. I am sitting in my living room now tearing up just thinking how much will transpire in this house, how many memories will be made here, and how much I just enjoy being in our home.

Getting to this point has been a little bit of a crazy journey, but it has been worth every moment of stress and every phone call I've had to make (for those of you who don't know, I really don't like making phone calls). I've learned so much about myself and my future husband and our relationship throughout this process. I feel our relationship is ten times stronger having gone through the process of buying a home together.

It has been an interesting experience flying from the nest after 22 years, but I am so thankful to my mom for equipping me to leave the nest in a gracious and capable manner. I think it's fitting to honor my mom for her contributions to my life on this day. My mom has taught me so much about being a woman, being gracious, and being kind. A few things that I will always remember:

"Normal is a setting on a dryer...you are not meant to be normal." One day when I was having a particularly difficult day of junior high, my mom imparted these words of wisdom to me via a note left in my bathroom. What she meant was I don't have to be like everyone else, and I shouldn't want to be like everyone else. That's boring. She was right, I'm glad I'm not like everyone else!
How to put on makeup. I've come a long way from the first days of wearing blue eyeshadow (there's no way I'm ever bringing these pictures out of the vault!), and I am thankful that my mom taught me how to present myself in a natural and appealing way.
Be comfortable in yourself. I think this one flowed naturally out of her telling me I'm not normal. I am so grateful for the lessons my mom taught me about appreciating who I am and how I was made. I am God's creation, and I was created exactly as He wanted me to be.
There is nothing more important than a well written thank you note. This one is self-explanatory, and so true. Everyone appreciates a handwritten note to acknowledge that you appreciate them.

Thank you mom for helping me become the woman I am today!

Owl Love You Forever

2011-04-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

Pardon the totally corny title for a minute, but allow me to indulge myself in my obsession with owls. Like this totally adorable lunch bag - which happens to hold my lunch on a daily basis...

From Amazon

Or this super cute guy to hold yummy cookies...

From Anthropologie

Unfortunately, Jon doesn't share my utter obsession and love of owls. He says the winking owl is a little creepy. I reminded him that the owl will hold homemade cookies, and I think we have come to an understanding about the owl now.

And I was completely smitten when I spotted this table lamp on West Elm's website. Can you say ah-dor-da-ble?! I've already told Jon he doesn't have to worry I won't try to bring this guy home with me one day.

I can't quite place where my love of owls sprouted, but I believe it was the day I received my great-grandmother's owl pendant. It's about 4" tall, gold, somewhat filigree style, and completely vintage fabulous. From that day forward, I've started noticing owls wherever I go and I oooh and ahhhh with a big smile on my face whenever I see one.

See? Even the real ones are cute too!

Current Favorite: Rope Bed

2011-04-04T00:04:00.003-07:00

I tend to get stuck on one design element that I absolutely love. Then I look for ways to make it happen and a place to put it. I can totally see it in my mind where it will go and how it will be functional. My current favorite is a rope bed. I'm not sure what they are really called, but that's what I named it. Here it is:

Don't you just LOVE it?! It makes me just want to curl up with an excellent book and a cup of coffee (though I'm not sure how well a hot liquid and a moving bed would work for me). About a year ago, I saw a picture of one in an issue of Phoenix Home and Garden. I turned down the page then, and as I've recently started looking back through home magazines I came across it again. I just love how relaxed and chill it looks.

Stressors

2011-04-03T23:33:00.000-07:00

A stressor is defined as, "An agent, condition, or other stimulus that causes stress to an organism." From the very definition of the word, we glean that stressors can be different stimuli for different people. While that may be true, there are certain common stress factors. I came across a list here that lists the results of a survey detailing the most stressful life events.

Death of a spouse
Divorce
Marital separation
In jail
Death of close family member
Personal injury or illness
Marriage
Fired at work
Marital reconciliation
Retirement

I've not experienced much at all on that list, so I can't speak to the level of stress each causes. However, I think I have my own list (in no particular order).

Buying a house.
Buying a bank-owned house.
The first year of a new career.
Planning a wedding.

While I have made it one of my resolutions to choose less stress, I've taken on some pretty huge things all within a short time span. And with any big life changes, there is a certain amount of stress that comes along with that. I've found myself a few times in the midst of a particularly stressful moment getting frustrated and short with those around me. In those times, I have to stop myself and just be grateful that I get to have these experiences. I am so blessed to be able to buy a home with Jon to make our own. I am so blessed to be in a career that I absolutely love. I am blessed to be marrying a wonderful man and that we get to join our lives together forever.

I have so much for which to be grateful. While it might seem odd, I am grateful for the stress that comes with buying a home because it means that I'm in a position to buy a home in the first place. I am thankful for the quirks of our new house because it's our house. The green countertops in the laundry room are going to be OUR green countertops. The stinky storage shed is going to be OUR stinky storage shed. The broken door to the fourth bedroom is OUR broken door to OUR fourth bedroom. All of these little things should be celebrated because ultimately they are a sign of blessing.

I'm still resolved to choose the least stressful option when available. But I'm also resolved to be grateful in the stressful situations for the opportunities I've been given and the doors that have been opened.

February Flew By

2011-03-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Well, February is over...and without so much as a blog post to show for it. Although, I must say it's not as if I've been sitting idly and twiddling my thumbs. With the wedding only 78 days away now, Jon and I have also been looking for a home. There are so many options available right now and with prices so low, it is a great time to be looking.

I've always dreamed about my first house. What it will look like, the floorplan, the kitchen (my favorite thing to dream about), and all of the wonderful memories that will be made at the house. I am an idealist, an optimist, and a dreamer. Each time I look at a house, I see what furniture can go where, the possibility of knocking down this wall, the sun shining in as I cook dinner in the kitchen. This can be a great quality. It means I can look past the cosmetics of a house and truly see its potential. But it can also be a not so great quality. It means I can overlook potential flaws or get wrapped up in possibility and not see the cost of achieving my dream. Overall, house hunting has been an amazing adventure. Jon and I have learned more about each other and are learning how to better communicate and love each other through this process. It's also been an entertaining process, and while I'm sure I can never top Jon's house hunting story (you'll have to ask him about that one), here are a few stories from our adventure.

One: the never ending house. Jon and I found a great deal on a foreclosure in Tempe, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, with a garage...it sounded great! Then we went inside. At some point, a coat closet had been built in the living room, taking out a giant chunk of the living room. To one side of the kitchen, a den with a fireplace had been added. At this point, I looked down and saw the dead cockroach...and my hopes for the house diminished. Just to be on the safe side, we explored a little further. Behind the kitchen another room and bathroom had been built, and off the additional living space was...how shall I describe it...a mail sorting facility? One wall had cubies all along it...either the mail sorting facility for the house or an extra shoe closet. Either way, it was just too weird! We breezed through the rest of the house and knew it was not for us, no matter how great of a deal it was!

Two: the 4 front door house. Another greatly priced home in Tempe that held lots of potential based on the pictures. We drove up and started counting the front doors...one, two, three...oh and on the other side, four. Getting in was a challenge, as there was no lock box, but rather an electronic keypad on the door. Our realtor double checked the MLS listing and found the code, so we cautiously punched it in and the door unlocked. No doorknob, just the keypad. So we somewhat timidly pushed the door open and walked in. After looking at the house and deciding it wasn't for us, we attempted to leave. Leaving requires shutting and locking a door...only one problem, this door didn't have a doorknob to pull it shut. After Jon figured out how to grasp the door with his finger tips grabbing on to the slight grooves of the door, the realtor quickly hit the lock button the keypad without pushing the door back open, and we quickly walked away.

Three: couldn't even make it past the front door house. I'm quickly learning two things during this house search. One - pictures can be deceiving. Two - if the house is priced to sell, there is probably a reason. With this house, there definitely was. Jon and I had seen the pictures of this house on our MLS search and we both had been intrigued by it. It was super open, possibly too open, but an open floorplan is something I really want. It seemed decently move-in ready, and it was priced to sell. So we decided to look at it. The realtor opened the house up and walked in, Jon followed her, then I started to walk in. BAM! A wave of the worst possible smell hit me and I couldn't go any further. I let out a small guttural cry, Jon took one look at me, knew I was done, and I just walked back out.

This process has been lots of fun, excitement, hope, scrambling, and yes, some disappointment and frustration. I am so excited to be on this journey though, and am hopeful that soon I will have some joyful news to share.

Resolution Update

2011-01-23T16:52:00.005-07:00

So - how am I doing on the resolutions? Not great. Let's be honest, getting engaged and moving up to practically full time teaching combined take a lot of time. Number of recipes I've cooked in the last month (not counting Fresh and Easy microwave meals): 2. The first was banana bread for Missional Community, and the second was flatbread pizza for Jon and I one night before MC. (A missional community is basically a group of people who live close to each other who live life together. It's through our church, Redemption. We get together on a regular basis, eat delicious snacks, and study the Bible together.) However, I will not be deterred from my cooking resolution. No matter how tired I am or how little time I think I have, I will find a way to crack open the cookbooks I already own.

And the stress resolution? Umm, I'm doing a pretty good job I'd say. Considering that the number of things demanding my time has increased drastically and I'm still smiling and laughing and loving life, then I'd say that I'm dealing with stress pretty well. I have decided not to attend certain events in order to avoid causing myself more stress. So I think if nothing else, resolving to stress less is going to cause me to be more intentional about how I do choose to spend my time.

And the blogging resolution? Great! This is my fourth blog in January, so I've met and exceeded my goal! Considering that in all, I've blogged 7 times now this month (Jon and I have a wedding website which includes a blog, www.baugues.com), I'm feeling pretty good about this resolution.

January has been a productive way to start 2011! Let's keep this productivity train rollin' on in to February and beyond!

Engaged!

2011-01-11T02:14:00.005-07:00

Little did I know I picked the perfect time to blog about New Year's Resolutions and specifically about not being stressed. Well, I sorta had some idea that I might need to declare my intentions to not be stressed sometime in the future...but here's the story!

Every month, Jon is allowed to plan one surprise date. It was our compromise between his love of planning surprises and my completely type A, have-to-know personality. I've come to really look forward to these surprise dates, and I know Jon has great fun planning them. I'll take you back a few months...November, Jon and I went to a Straight No Chaser concert. They are an A Capella group that started at Indiana University (Jon's alma mater). Great fun! December, Jon hinted that while November's surprise date may have been my favorite so far, he was planning something that just might top it. We went to the Nutcracker! It was wonderful and lots of fun! January rolls around and Jon claims his surprise date day early...January 8th! Jon tells me it will be an early morning, probably around 7:00 (later became 6:15) and we will be back around 3ish, and that we will be outside.

Jon and I have been very intentional about our relationship, and we made it clear that our intentions were to get married. Jon worked very hard to keep the timeline of his proposal a secret and to keep me guessing. It worked! (but still I kept wondering...)

Saturday morning, Jon picked me up at 6:15am and we headed north! We got to the Deer Valley airport, and I sort of had a feeling we were going on a hot air balloon ride! We were! And it was wonderful! It was a great view, great weather, and a great time to just relax and enjoy hanging out with Jon!

After the hot air balloon ride, we decided to go to a park and just hang out before deciding what we would do for lunch. On the 101 as we were about to Broadway, I said, "Oh, we passed Tempe Town Lake, the park there." Jon said, "Yeah, I just thought we'd go to Kiwanis." I obliviously go along with it. When we get to Kiwanis, we start walking around the lake. I noticed that Jon was holding my hand a little tighter and his breathing was a little nervous. But I instantly dismissed any thoughts he might be planning to propose since he had basically dismissed all notions of the possibility himself (a week before he said, there are numerous steps that still need to happen, which at that point, there were). On our way around the lake, I noticed a girl sitting on a blanket and reading. I almost pointed her out and said I really liked that idea and thought that Jon and I should do that sometime. But I kept my mouth shut...she comes back into the story shortly!

After almost rounding the lake, Jon suggested turning around and going back. I wondered aloud why we didn't just go around. Jon said he just wanted to walk back the same way. I said, we could sit in the sun for a little bit, so we sat down. Right after we sat down, Jon told me that he loved me and that he wanted to walk again, not sit down. So we stood up, but we didn't start walking right away. He again told me he loved me and that he always would. I responded, "That's good! I'll always love you too!" To which Jon said, "with that (gets down on one knee) will you marry me?" I reached for the ring while saying yes and mentally pinching myself!

After a couple minutes of celebration, I turned to notice our friend, and wonderful photographer, Stacy (here's her website) was snapping pictures! Stacy had been the girl hiding behind the tree, reading! Jon had truly thought of everything as Stacy approached me and handed me a couple gifts from my future husband: a Bible with my future name engraved, a journal with my future name engraved, and a tote bag embroidered with my future initials.

It has been a busy couple of days as we've shared the exciting news with family and friends, but I could not feel more blessed to be engaged to such a wonderful man! I think this shot perfectly captures how I feel: giddy. My best friend used that word to describe me in this picture, and I thought that is exactly it!

New Year's (Resolutions?)

2011-01-07T16:14:00.002-07:00

I am a list person. I am a goal person. It makes sense that I would be a resolution person. And I guess I am. While I'm not sure I like the label of "resolutions," I do like looking at the year past and setting some goals for myself for the year to come. So as this new year is barely a week old, I've done some thinking and decided to share my resolutions.

First, I want to blog more. Once a week seems a little daunting, and every other week seems too lackadaisical. So I'm going to aim for 3 times a month. 36 times in the year 2011, I'm going to write and publish a blog. I find that blogging has been a great way to document my first year of teaching, craft projects I complete and other life happenings. I enjoy it, and it's a good way to express myself. Therefore, I'm going to do it more.

Second, I'm going to stress less. I can't say I'm going to have fewer potentially stressful situations in 2011, but I'm going to make a conscious decision to confront potentially stressful situations with a deep breath and an attitude of patience. I'm starting to realize I don't accomplish anything by getting stressed except for maybe lashing out at the people closest to me.

Third, I'm going to make a meal from a cookbook I own at least once a week. I have some amazing cookbooks, and some great vintage ones especially. (I feel a blog tour of my cookbook collection coming on, stay tuned!) Therefore at least once a week, I'm going to get more acquainted with my collection of fabulous cookbooks.

Done. Yes, just three. I don't plan on overwhelming myself (see resolution #2) with my resolutions, but I do enjoy the process of reflection and dreaming that making resolutions involves. Here we go, 2011!

Goodbye 2010, It's been great!

2011-01-01T10:11:00.003-07:00

I can safely say 2010 has been one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) years of my life. I feel incredibly blessed to be where I am in my life and am loving every moment of this adventure!

In May, I graduated college. what an accomplishment! Four years, countless papers, many books (I can't even calculate the costs, it would be too disheartening), and lots of hard work. But I did it! I can't even describe the feelings I felt knowing that somehow I'd made it through and still had my mind, despite my advisor's warnings. I look back now and wonder how in the world I handled so much at one time. My last semester, I had a total of 22 credit hours, 18 at ASU and 4 at Rio Salado. Nuts?! Absolutely! My advisor warned me she had a previous student who had gone insane and totally stopped speaking after trying to take on too much. Insane, schminsane is what I said. I knew I had to finish by May since my scholarship was over in 4 years, and I definitely did not want any more loans than I absolutely had to take. But I did it. With lots of support and encouragement, I walked across those 3 stages (in 2 days) with the greatest sense of accomplishment I've known. I feel blessed to have such a great work ethic that propelled me forward even when I wanted to give up. I feel blessed that I have a desire to learn and constantly know more.

In July, I started dating Jon. My mom and I had gone to dinner on June 23rd (don't worry, I don't have this memorized, I just checked Facebook) to Burrito Company. After which, I updated my Facebook status to: "Mmmm...burrito company! Best tortillas ever!" Jon texted me somewhat out of the blue challenging me on my love of Burrito Co. tortillas and informing me he thought Panchero's tortillas were superior. So we decided we needed to do a taste test. The first Thursday of July we went to Burrito Co. The next week (I think it was Tuesday) we went to Panchero's. Neither of us has thrown in the towel yet and we are both still convinced our place is better, but that was how it all started! I was amazed how easily conversation came with Jon. Jon has a great sense of humor (even if we do disagree on movies), kind (he left flowers on my car after church the first week we were dating), encouraging (he leaves me notes telling me why he likes me), and many other qualities I absolutely adore!

In August, I started teaching (you can read the whole story here). I feel so blessed with how the whole situation worked out, and I absolutely love what I do and the people I work with. I have such a great supportive and encouraging staff to work with and my students are wonderful. I look forward to teaching for many, many years.

In October, I got to go with Jon back to Indiana to meet his family and some of his friends. It was a great trip and I loved it! The weather was gorgeous, the trees were changing, it was definitely fall!

2010 has been good to me. On Thanksgiving this year, surrounded by my family (including Jon), I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for where I am in my life. Sure, 2010 has had struggles as well, but when I look back, I feel so thankful for everything that has happened and brought me to where I am today. I can't wait to see 2011 unfold and all of the wonderful things in store!

Happy New Year!

I'm a Survivor

2010-12-17T21:41:00.002-07:00

Well, the end of my first semester of teaching has come. For a while, it felt like Christmas break was eternally just out of reach. But alas, I am now experiencing the bliss that is my first Christmas break as a teacher. I will echo the sentiments I've heard already, 'I'm not sure who looks forward to Christmas break more, the teachers or the students.' My first semester of teaching has been incredibly rewarding, frustrating (at times), challenging (always), and a blast! And I've picked up on a few things over this semester.

First, it's ok to demand respect. My job is not to be my students' friend, it's to make sure they leave my classroom informed young people and with a little more knowledge than they previously possessed. While I've greatly enjoyed my first semester students, they have been very chatty. I've learned that it's ok for me to wait for them to stop talking. The lesson they learn by me waiting for them is more important than whatever aspect of history I was going to teach them.

Second, teachers have the best stories! Whether it's a demerit being ripped behind my back, a student falling asleep, or just the everyday quirks of my class - all yield some of the best and most entertaining stories ever. I think the funniest conclusion was me slamming the history textbook down on the sleeping student's desk. I seriously thought I was going to have to clean up after the student because of how fair in the air the student seemed to fly! I had the hardest time keeping a straight face, but the student hasn't fallen asleep again in my class. Mission accomplished!

Third, I truly understand that teachers have one of the most difficult jobs and are vastly underappreciated. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying teachers should have multi-million dollar contracts while professional athletes barely scrape by. Most of the time when I heard from parents this semester it was negative. The one time I got an email from a parent just thanking me for what I did, it made my week. After that every time I felt discouraged, I could go back and read the email and instantly know that I truly am making a difference. Being a teacher has made me reflect on my own educational career. I am so thankful for each and every one of my teachers that invested in my education and my ultimate success in life. Lesson here for everyone else: tell a teacher how much you appreciate them, it will make their day!

Fourth, my patience has been tested to within an inch of its life. There were days I was ready to scream, but since that is usually frowned upon, I had to keep it together. My students shouldn't be able to tell when I'm having a less than perfect day, and I must hold myself together when those days come. My whistle has been sounded numerous times when I thought I was about to lose my mind. My fellow teachers have guided me through the tricky subject of classroom management. I am not even going to claim to have a grasp on this subject, but my classroom isn't total chaos, so at least I'm not failing at it!

Fifth, I love what I do! I left college slightly unsure of where my life was headed. On one hand, I considered taking the LSAT and aspiring to law school. On the other, I considered pursuing a Master's of Education to secure a high school teaching job. And on the third, I considered finding an office job until I was sure what I wanted to do. I never could've dreamt up the job I have now. I truly enjoy teaching history, and I get excited by history being made or rediscovered. I turn into a total nerd when I get to talk about the American Revolution and the sheer guts and determination our forefathers had. I love debating whether America was an experiment and whether that experiment is a success. I love stretching my students' minds to see the connections between time periods and other knowledge in their brains. I am so blessed to be where I am right now. I am thoroughly enjoying every minute of this adventure called: first year of teaching.

Gettin' in the Christmas Spirit

2010-12-01T20:08:00.005-07:00

I love the Christmas season. I love the music, the deals, the lights, the weather and bundling up, the peppermint lattes. I get very excited when Thanksgiving rolls around because that means I can officially start listening to Christmas music. **Confession time: I listened to the Nutcracker suite way back in October this year.** I know, I know, a horrible offense. I just couldn't help myself. The music of the Nutcracker ballet is some of my favorite of all time!

This year, though, I find myself becoming a little more like this green guy...

Yes, with his heart 3 sizes too small and all, I'm identifying a little more with the Grinch. Even as I admit this it pains me a little bit to say it. So I'll attempt to explain why I might classify myself as a Grinch.

First, the holiday season is so busy. Everyone has parties, functions, gifts to buy, things to gather up, plans to make, etc. At the beginning of December, I updated Google Calendar as I do every couple weeks, and I noticed something markedly different about December. Before the month even began, most days were already full. One of the reasons I love the Christmas season is because I enjoy taking it slow and just spending time with the people that are most important to me. If I'm rushing from event to event, I can't take time to stop and appreciate the people in my life. I can't say that I'll do much to fix the busy-ness this year as the calendar is already set for the most part, but I hope by reflecting on this now, I'll remember in future years to schedule time just for sitting.

Second, the constant, "I want" attitude is really bothering me this year moreso than normal. Most kids have a wish list a mile long and it grows every time they see another commercial. I don't want it sound like I'm anti-presents. I enjoy giving gifts and I'll admit, I enjoy receiving them. However, I think it's also important to take a step back sometimes and just be thankful for what I do have. That doesn't need to just be material possessions either. On Thanksgiving, as I sat around the table with my mom, brother, grandparents, and Jon, I couldn't help but feel incredibly grateful for where I am at this point in my life. I am surrounded by wonderful people whom I love and who love me, I have an absolutely fantastic job, I have great friends, and I'm healthy (if a little accident prone sometimes).

Even as I sit here lamenting how busy the season has become, I'm making my list and checking it twice. So how do I simplify Christmas for myself? I'm not entirely sure, but I do know there are a couple things I can do to remind myself why this season is important and why I love this season. One, take a night off. My nature is to want to help people and say yes to everything. I need to remind myself it's ok to take a night off, stay in, curl up with a good book and just enjoy life. Two, treasure the time I get to spend with my friends and family. Rather than think about it as just another function to attend, I should think of it as an opportunity to spend time with great people and treasure the time! Three, put extra thought into the gifts I give. Four, take advantage of opportunities to be generous.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to get back to enjoying this season and cherishing every minute of it! I think I feel my heart growing back to normal size :) just like the Grinch's!

My Christmas List...of Projects

2010-11-18T15:37:00.004-07:00

Since my days are now filled with students, papers to grade, tests to make, and the like, I haven't had a whole lot of time for crafting. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, but I am looking forward to Christmas break and having time to get a couple projects done. Christmas break is just about a month away, so I decided it was time to compile a list of some of the projects I'm hoping to get done over my break.

First up, is this adorable wreath! Seriously, go look, you won't be sorry. But in case you don't have time to look now, here's a sneak peak of the finished product.

Second up, a re-creation of a fabulous piece from Anthropologie! I love the look and the idea, but I don't love the price tag. So I'm going to hunt for pieces with a similar feel and create my own. I'll be sure to blog about the process and show the final product!

I just can't get over how adorable it is!

Third up is less of a craft project and more of a baking endeavor. Upside-down Cranberry Cake! Ummm, can you say "yum-O!"? I'm thinking I might have to make this one soon, since I just bought a 3 lb. bag of cranberries at Sam's Club today.

And last, but certainly not least, I'm going to attempt to make my own gingerbread house...again. Yes, again. I tried this last year, and the gingerbread came out way too heavy and impossible to put together. So, I'm going to make a few modifications, count on trusty Martha for the recipe, and give it another go.

I think two weeks is plenty of time to get all this done! Thinking about these projects makes me look forward to Christmas break just a little bit more. :)

A Woman and Her Fantasy (Football, that is)

2010-09-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

It's officially football season! Which means it's also officially fantasy football season. How to explain fantasy football? Hmmm, well it will drive you crazy. It will change how you watch the wonderful game of football. It will make you second guess yourself and your team's composition. Basically, you build a team from all NFL players, hense the fantasy part and football collide!

I had heard of Fantasy Football and hype surrounding it before, but until this fateful year I had never decided to embark on the journey myself. I am dating a guy who was playing in 3 different fantasy football leagues (now 4, but more on that later). When I found that out, I responded with "Well, you play enough fantasy football for both of us!" About a week later, I was approached at work and asked about my football knowledge and invited to play in their fantasy football league. I very reluctantly agreed to consider it. After receiving the email invitation to play, I officially signed up and became part of the league. I was playing fantasy football! It took about two seconds of looking at the ESPN Fantasy page to realize I was going to need some serious help. So, I swallowed my pride and asked Jon for help understanding fantasy football...

Very kindly, Jon agreed to give me some helpful hints and walk me through the process of fantasy football. I made a list of all my newfound knowledge and was more than ready to tackle (no pun intended) the draft! As the draft date neared, it became apparent tat we didn't have enough players to fill our league up. So Jon was invited to play in our league as well (so now he is in 4 fantasy football leagues, in case you lost count). So draft day came and I had my list and was all ready to scoop up some amazing NFL players! Being first and foremost a Cowboys fan, I was pleased that Tony Romo was ranked as a Top 5 Quarterback. I was fearful of his constant inconsistency, but how could I resist?!

Seriously, look at those dimples! I will spare you a description and picture of every player I drafted, but I was pretty pleased with my team! I didn't realize how pleased until the season started. Three weeks in, and I am 3-0! I even played Jon this last week and somehow pulled off the win, and I scored over 200 points!

I must admit, I am kind of hooked. I already loved football, but I love it even more now. Don't expect me to be playing in 4 leagues next year, but I might be able to get my family into a little healthy competition...

Testing and review

2010-09-29T12:19:00.003-07:00

Life is full of tests. Some are more formal, like the one I will give my students tomorrow. And some are informal, like the one my students gave me today.

Before tests, I like to give my students a study guide and an opportunity to review the material. This usually results in a review game. Yesterday during peer tutoring I asked a few of my students what game we should play and they overwhelmingly chose Jeopardy. My concern with Jeopardy had been students who aren't engaged, so being the on-my-toes teacher I strive to be, I came up with a brilliant solution. At least, I thought it was brilliant.

I made my Jeopardy and Double Jeopardy powerpoints and hooked my computer up to the now-mounted projector (isn't technology great?) and proceeded to divide my students into three teams. I directed them to place their backpacks on one side of the room and move the desks so they could sit in a group with their team to encourage participation. It worked for a while, until I realized every time there was a pause every student began their own conversation. After multiple warnings and whistle-blowings, I ended the game. Students ended the day studying silently at their own desks.

Most of my attempts at review games have ended in frustration and a headache for me. I want to help my students succeed, but they make it so difficult. So now I wonder, what review games are actually helpful? As a student (or teacher, if that is your profession) what review games helped you to grasp material? How do I get my students to focus and be respectful without losing my voice or bursting their ear drums?

Back in the Classroom

2010-08-11T23:32:00.003-07:00

It's been a while since I was last in a high school classroom, 4 years, 2 months, 1 week and 3 days to be exact...until last Tuesday that is. A week ago Friday, I got a call about an open teaching position at Leading Edge Academy, and sent my resume that evening. Saturday evening, I got a call from the principal to schedule the interview for Monday, August 2. Since I had decided teaching was what I really wanted to do, I was a nervous wreck. Yet through the whole thing I remained calm knowing that what was supposed to happen would happen. After my interview I went home to bake cookies (which turned out great by the way!) and wait. Around 4pm, I got a call from the principal that they wanted to hire me and I should be at school the next morning at 8:45 for meetings.

Tuesday morning, the gravity of the whole situation hit and I realized the huge-ness of getting a teaching position straight out of college with limited experience. I felt blessed and challenged to perform at the same time. After 3 hours of meetings and introductions and filling out paperwork, my head was spinning. I went home to collect my thoughts and look over my curriculum. At 6:00, I headed back to school for "Back to School" night. Parents were very nice and I started to feel a little more acclimated to the idea that I'd be teaching in 2 days.

Wednesday morning held more meetings, this time with the whole district of LEAD Charter Schools. Following the morning meetings, everyone headed to lunch as a campus. So the Gilbert campus (the one I work at) headed to Joe's Real BBQ for lunch. It was a great opportunity to sit down with the staff in a no stress environment, get some food in my system and laugh. The people I work with are great and funny! Wednesday afternoon, I frantically set up my gradebooks, finished syllabi, and planned for the first two days of school. As the clock approached 5:00pm, I headed home, with still more work to do and about as nervous as I could be.

Thursday, school started and the whirlwind began. It has been a crazy adventure, but I have already learned so much about myself and my students. I've learned that no matter what, I will get the job done. Even if I stay up until 2:30am, like I did last night, my students will leave my classroom and understand history. I've learned that students respond well to positive feedback. At my school, we have merits and demerits. Merits = you did something good, let me recognize you for it. Demerits = you were disrespectful, please watch it. I gave out a few merits in my World History class and it instantly changed how those kids acted toward me. They have been kinder, more appreciative, and very focused.

I've also learned that some things take students a lot less than I anticipate, and some things take a lot longer than I anticipate. The first day of school, I ended up letting my World History students ask questions to get to know me because we finished everything super fast. Today, we ran out of time to watch Schoolhouse Rock because they were so chatty during notes. I've also learned I can't take their scores personally. Last night after grading a take home quiz, I started crying because so many students had missed a question I had gone over in class. Someone told me, the first year of teaching will hands down be the hardest, but it will also be the most rewarding. So far, I've only really cried twice (once was before students even came), and have only pulled a near all-nighter. Tuesday morning, one of my students brought me a piece of her birthday cake from over the weekend. It instantly brightened my morning and put me in a better mood. Small things really do mean a lot.

So, as I continue to plan lessons, I find I am grateful for the opportunity to be back in the classroom and am looking forward to one adventure of a year (and more!).

10 Ways I Know I'm Turning Into My Mother

2010-07-07T12:04:00.002-07:00

I suppose the real title of this post should be "10 Ways I Know I'm Turning into My Mother, and how I'm really ok with that." I love my mom and in light of her birthday and me realizing some of my behaviors mirror hers, I thought it fitting to honor her and humor us all with this list.

10. I really dislike talking on the phone unless absolutely necessary. I would much rather send an email or text and have it done that much quicker - or get together in person if it's a long discussion. Plus I really hate having the phone pressed up against my ear for long periods of time.

9. I take a sweater into the doctor's office in the middle of summer because I'm afraid I might get cold. True story, I did it just last week.

8. I run back to check the door multiple times because I'm afraid I haven't locked it. I have made countless trips back to my mom's office with her at all hours of the night "just so she can check the door."

7. I walk up the stairs to get something...and I can't remember what it was by the time I get to the top of the stairs.

6. I love adventures. Especially those that involve deciding to randomly go thrifting in Sun City!

5. I laugh...a lot...and at random things. My mom and I both love to laugh...put us together and we may not get anything done because we laugh so much when we are together.

4. Per number 9, I know it won't be long before I start taking a pair of socks to the movie theater. Sometimes being comfortable really does win out.

3. "I'm going to read" means "I'm going to read for a few minutes before taking a nap."

2. I love the drill...make that any power tool.

1. I celebrate my birthday for an entire month, which works out perfect because my birthday month ends, just as my mom's begins!

Happy Birthday, Mom! I am so proud and blessed to call you my mom!

Field of Flowers

2010-06-19T08:23:00.003-07:00

I couldn't blog about this project until it had been given to it's intended recipient, but now that it has, I can't wait to show this one off! I made a dress out of an adorable pillow case! I loved the pattern and bought the pillow case with the intention of who knows what. In my spur of recent productivity and desire to get things done, I set out to use up some of the fabric stash I've accumulated!

I knew I wanted to make a dress for a certain little girl and I knew the style I wanted it to have, so I started cutting. I basically cut the pillow case in half, set aside the opening half and ripped out all the seams in the second half. I cut 2 matching rectangles and sewed them together up the sides, leaving 5 inches for arm holes. Then I hemmed the bottom and finished the sides and turned down the front and back leaving enough space to get a cord through (I think I left about an inch). I wasn't totally sure whether I wanted to smock the waist or put pockets on (I thought both might be a little much for the dress). After I put the cord through the top and saw it, I decided pockets was the way to go!

So I fashioned my own little pocket pattern, cut the pockets and positioned them, sewed them one and got one totally adorable dress!

And of course, I have to thank my loveable sewing partner, Precious...actually she was in one of those moods where she didn't want my attention going to anything or anyone but her. So we had to take a little play break with the extra cord!

The bathroom update

2010-06-14T15:27:00.005-07:00

I'm not sure how my redo the bathroom kick got started...but it did. I decided my first project was to frame the bathroom mirror. I found a perfect frame at Goodwill for $5.

My favorite part was the detail in the corners. I think it gives it that perfect vintage feel.

I painted it white and sanded it a little to give it a shabby chic look.

I decided to go look at Lowe's for paint just for the heck of it this week. And of course, I found a 5 gallon bucket of the perfect color...for the bathroom. Yes, it's a bit of overkill. But then I decided that when I move out I'll want the color for my own house (I love it that much!). So I walked out of Lowe's with my 5 gallon bucket of paint feeling rather pleased with myself. I got home that night to discover it's flat paint. (Silent groan) My grandma used to work at a paint store, so we called her to see if there was a way we could convert it to semi-gloss or put a gloss coat over it. She wasn't sure it would work, but since I'm not one to be discouraged I decided to give it a go anyway. My reasoning was, "you put a top coat on your nails, why can't you put one on your walls?"

Saturday morning, my mom and I decided to go to Sun City to go thrifting. But we thought we should get something done before we headed out there, so we got the mirror ready to take off the bathroom wall. We carried it downstairs and attempted to cut it down to size ourselves. We had all the proper equipment, but it was a little to thick or my line wasn't exactly straight. Long story short, we ended up breaking off more of the mirror than we intended. Oops! It just gave us another thing to scout in Sun City. We finally found a mirror big enough (once we were back on this side of town and stopped by Goodwill). We decided to leave this cutting to the professionals, so we called the helpful, friendly people at Ace Hardware. We came home and I used epoxy putty to put the mirror in the frame. I loved it, but it wasn't quite right. I really wished the frame had a little gloss to it.

I decided yesterday was the perfect day to start painting the bathroom. I taped off three walls (still waiting for plumber to finish the repair on the last wall). And got to work. As soon as we had two coats on the walls, I knew it was the perfect color. I was totally in love! My mom and I decided to go to Lowe's to see if we could get any type of a glaze to mix with some paint or something similar. What we found was even better! We found a clear protective paint with a gloss finish. I used it first on the mirror frame and I just finished putting the gloss on the bathroom walls. I am so pleased with how this is turning out! I will post more updates as I get more done.

I'm hoping to decopauge the cabinet I had in the bathroom before and stencil on it, find a chandelier to replace the light fixture currently in there, sew a new shower curtain, and if I'm adventurous do the drywall repair myself then finish the painting!

Like Martha

2010-06-08T22:48:00.006-07:00

I want to be like Martha. No, not the whole insider trading and ankle accessory thing.

No, I aspire to be the homemaker, cook, crafter, businesswoman and creator Martha Stewart is. Martha represents both a challenge and a goal for me. Sometimes she seems so gosh darn perfect, I just want to say, "Whatever Martha." (Oh wait, someone already has!)

The first thing I look at when I open a fresh issue of Martha Stewart Living is Martha's Calendar. I love the organization and simplicity of Martha's daily to do list. And yet there is an amazing ambitious quality to her to do lists. For example, harvesting new potatoes, planning when to plant her basil so it's ready in time for her tomato crop, inspecting beehives and harvesting her own honey. It inspires me, that although as of yet every plant I've attempted to garden has died a slow painful death, I too might one day be planning my basil crops with my tomato crops. I know what you're thinking....Martha Stewart probably doesn't do these things herself, she hires them to be done. But I choose to believe Martha not only can do all of these task, but that she does.

I admire the way Martha has turned her name and her humble beginnings into a multi-billion dollar corporation. She has expanded her line to include linens and cookware at Macy's; she publishes Whole Living Magazine (formerly Body + Soul), Everyday Food, and I'm sure others that I don't know of. She has a TV show, which is being expanded on Lifetime (I think that's what I heard). She manages a farm. And yet she still takes the time to make her bread from scratch. Amazing! What I want to know is...how early does she get up in the morning to get all of this done? And I suppose it helps her cause that she doesn't have to deal with 110 degree heat for 4 months ouf of the year.

Today is a perfect example of my aspirations to be like Martha. I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (more like drug my sleepy self out of bed) at 6:00am ready to take on the day. I had a whole laundry list of things I wanted to get done: clean up the kitchen, write thank you notes, take mail to the post office, exchange movie at Blockbuster, paint a frame for my bathroom mirror, organize my file cabinet, hose off the back porch, water the flowers and deadhead them, and make a dress (if there is time). If I'm honest with myself, I probably won't get everything checked off my list since my day is already more than half over. But I had the ambition part down, and I'd like to think that makes me a little like Martha. ;)

So tomorrow, I'll wake up and again attempt to execute the secrets of a good housekeeper, cook, creator, and businesswoman.

Playing Catch up!

2010-06-07T21:58:00.002-07:00

I have embarked on quite a few projects the last couple weeks….this comes after I have accumulated the supplies for lots of projects and got too busy to do them. I am now out of school, so I am getting down to business and working on the projects. First up, the bejeweled mirror!

I mixed a little purple and silver paint and brushed it on with a foam brush. Once it had dried I hot glued on the jewels that I picked up from SAS for $0.99/bag! When I bought the frame, it was just a plain wood frame…nothing inside. So I went on the hunt for mirror tiles. After checking Lowe's and Home Depot, I decided to hit up Goodwill. Oh how I love Goodwill! I found a box of 6 tiles for $4.99, but WAIT, they were 50% off! So I bought a glass cutter, covered my work space, got gloves, measured the mirror and cut the mirror down to size. Then I just used epoxy to glue it into the frame. I screwed in a couple eye hooks, attached some wire, and it's done!

Next up, the jewelry organization courtesy of Real Simple. I found the frame at Savers on Memorial Day and I wish I would have taken a picture of the whole thing before because the picture in it was, in the nicest way possible, tacky. So I went to work deconstructing the picture, peeling off the paper backing, taking out all the staples, removing the picture and glass. I got lucky and the cardboard in the picture was still usable, so I cut cork board to fit. I actually did two layers of cork which I think worked best. Then I covered it with velvet and used the glue gun to affix it to the back. I put the velvet covered cork in the frame and one of my all-time favorite tools (the staple gun) finished the job!

I used straight pins and hung some of my necklaces and bracelets and it's good to go!

I also found a towel holder at Goodwill on Memorial Day. A coat of paint and it has been repurposed into a jewelry holder as well!

It works for now, but I'm still on the hunt for a vintage looking bust that I could stack on some old books to hold a few special necklaces. I've been searching shopgoodwill.com and Craigslist as well as searching in store at Goodwill and Savers. But for now, this does the job and is rather cute if I do say so myself.

There are quite a few other projects that have been accumulating that I hope to get to over the summer. Next up, framing the bathroom mirror (hopefully)!

Senior Photo Shoot

2010-04-29T11:08:00.004-07:00

Two weeks ago, my mom and I headed out for a fabulous photo shoot with the amazingly talented Stacy Kokes! It was so much fun, and Stacy has such a passion for photography and capturing memories that is so evident in her work. She truly is wonderful! Stacy was so high energy and did whatever it took to get the shot she envisioned, she even climbed on a piller. Here are a few of my favorites from the day!

I felt so weird getting into this pose, but I'm so glad I trusted Stacy! It's my mom's favorite!

I really love the angle and the setting of this one!

This is the shot Stacy saw when she climbed on a wall

Gotta love a great pair of shoes!

I love the contrast here between the industrial, natural, and the crispness of my white shirt!

This I Believe...

2010-04-22T07:10:00.002-07:00

Baked goods hold a mysterious power that can't quite be explained. Perhaps some of their beauty is in their mystery. Whatever that power is, I believe in the power of baked goods. Not the power to make round what was once flat when too many cookies are consumed. Nor the power to provide turmoil to an otherwise normal and calm stomach if eaten in excess. I mean the power that comes from creating something delicious and homemade from just a few kitchen staples.

An old saying declares, "The fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach." I must say that I agree with the statement. Although, I prefer Rachael Ray's version, "The fastest way to anybody's anything is through their stomach." I believe, like Rachael Ray, that baked goods can open all sorts of doors. Baking something is a small gesture that demonstrates a big heart. To smell the banana and molasses (grandma's not-so-secret, secret ingredient) combining to make perfectly tempting whiffs of banana bread is a simple pleasure.

Baking for me is a therapy of sorts. When I find myself stressed or overwhelmed with life, I turn to my trusty recipes. Most often I turn to a family recipe; my favorites include banana bread and oatmeal raisin cookies. Being in the kitchen makes me feel like everything is not falling apart. When I stand in the kitchen and manipulate ingredients (mixing, stirring, and molding) I am able to see my labors start to finish. When I put a batch of oatmeal cookies in the oven, I know that 14 minutes later, they will emerge crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside - the perfect cookie if you ask me!

Being in the kitchen helps me feel connected to relatives that have passed on. I feel like somehow my great-grandma can see me making her recipes and smiles thinking of the legacy she left. For Christmas, all that my grandpa asked for was a batch of great-grandma's oatmeal raisin cookies (his mother). As he opened his present Christmas morning, I could see the sheer joy on his face. As we sat around after all the presents had been opened, my grandpa started to share stories of his childhood. He reminisced about coming home from school smelling the fresh baked cookies. He remembered, with a smile, shoving as many cookies as he could into his pockets as he left to go do his chores on the farm. I enjoyed hearing him remember the happy memories associated with the cookies from his childhood.

Baked goods hold the power to elicit memories of times passed, the power to open doors, and for me, the power to calm my mind in my hectic day. Now, if you'll excuse me the timer on my cookies just went off.

How I’m Learning to Live with my Dad…

2010-04-04T16:27:00.001-07:00

I got a "Happy Easter" email yesterday morning from my dad, and it caused me to reflect on my relationship with him. Over the years, my relationship with my dad has been rocky. I have only a couple good memories with my dad. Once I remember a weekend my mom was away, and my dad made fried shrimp for dinner. We got out the pot and actually fried the shrimp; it was fun and my only memory of my dad cooking. I also remember "Daddy-Daughter Dates;" well more specifically, I remember one. By the way, the fact that this is one of the memories that survives proves that it can be a wonderful time for a father and daughter to share.

Ten years ago, my dad was in an accident. He was rear-ended by a semi on his way to El Paso, TX. The thing that probably saved his life was pulling a trailer, and giving the force an extra 35 feet to travel before reaching his truck. After the accident, a lot changed in my life. My dad couldn't work anymore (while he had no visible injuries, a lot of nerve damage was done) and he basically withdrew from the family. Over the next 4 years, I watched a slow but steady progression. My dad withdrew from the family and slowly became a stranger in our home. I watched my parent's marriage disintegrate right in front of my eyes. And I watched myself become more and more angry that I didn't have a father I could count on.

I've gone through the gamut of emotions in regards to my father, but I have also learned some helpful lessons along the way. This isn't a laundry list of lessons or ways to get over having an absent father. Rather, this is my working through how I've arrived at being the woman I am today.

My dad was always very exacting and demanded perfection. If I cleaned my room, he would walk in, find something out of place, and I would spend another hour cleaning. I wanted it to be spic and span. I never spoke out if this upset me, rather I internalized those feelings. I thought it was inappropriate that I would ever be mad at my dad; after all, I was supposed to honor him. I also earned straight A's in school (the first time I got a B was after my parents separated). I didn't want to tell him if I had ever messed up in school, and this pattern continues today. If he asks about my grades and I haven't gotten all A's, his first question is "Well, what happened?" As I grew up, I started to demand perfection from myself, in everything. If everything was not exactly right, I blamed myself and have on occasion made myself sick, trying to achieve the impossible standards I've held myself to. I even brought this to my relationship with God. I don't want to give the impression that this battle is behind me; it is definitely something that still affects me and something I still struggle with. However, my pastor said something in a sermon a few years back that really stuck with me. He said, "Jesus doesn't want you to have life figured out before you come to him. You come to Jesus and he transforms your heart." That wasn't an exact quote, but as close as I can remember. This hasn't been a way for me to dodge responsibility when I do mess up, rather it serves as a comfort that I don't have to have everything figured out. If I did, I wouldn't need Jesus. Jesus lived a perfect life; no one ever did before, and no one has since. I certainly am not going to be the exception to this rule, and I should stop making myself suffer because of it.

Growing up in the church, I knew the commandment, "Honor thy father and mother." This is a tricky one, and I'm not going to attempt to explain the history or theological musings behind it. But this has been a lesson I've struggled to learn. Honor as a verb means, "to hold in honor or high respect; revere." I always struggled with how to do this if my father wasn't acting as a man of honor ("honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions"). I have come to respect my father for giving life to me, and I have come to respect his position as my father. I have realized I don't have to like everything he does (or has done). I am my own person and that's not only ok, it's good for me to be me!

The past 21 years have been a struggle at times, and I don't have it all figured out now. But I do know that I am blessed with amazing people in my life who offer guidance and wisdom in working through these challenges. I am amazed by the grace of God each and every day, and I am in awe of him making me into the woman I am.

As the countdown begins...a look at the last four years

2010-03-11T13:25:00.003-07:00

There are officially, nine weeks until I graduate. First thought: Yikes! Second thought: shout Hallelujah! It seems like the past four years have gone by in a whirlwind, and yet I definitely feel like a different person than I was four years ago. Not totally different, but I do feel like I've changed.

My first impression of ASU four years ago (Fall 2006) was walking into PGS 101 (Intro to psychology) and a massive lecture hall full of people. Scared? Yes, that could describe how I was feeling. It was incredibly overwhelming and there were people everywhere. People I was sure could tell that I was freshman who had know idea what she was doing. In reality, I was pretty confident in what I was doing at ASU. I was pursuing a degree in political science, and afterwards, I'd pursue a career in politics. My other classes first semester included: Intro to Asian Pacific American Studies (at 7:40am), Women and Society, Religious of the World, and Women in Western European Democracies. Suddenly, I was surrounded by so many people who knew so much! I was immersed in classes with professors who were experts in their fields. It was amazing! I've always enjoyed learning and going to school, but this was beyond cool even for me.

By the time Fall 2008 rolled around, I was finishing up the requirements for my political science degree. But I still had 3 semesters left...not being one to waste time, I decided to pursue a minor. About this time, I decided I would like to teach after graduation, so I added a minor in English Literature. I really do have a passion for education, and I believe a solid English education is a great foundation. Communication skills are needed so badly by so many, that I thought I could make a difference in that way.

After I registered for Fall 2009 semester, it became apparent that I only had one more English class I needed in Spring 2010 (this semester). Being on scholarship, I have to remain full time to maintain my scholarship (among other requirements). So I decided to add another minor. I looked over my Degree Audit Report (DARS) and saw I already had two classes towards a Women and Gender Studies minor. Off to my advisor I went! After meetings with my political science advisor and the women and gender studies advisor, I was all set to get the second minor. I had enjoyed the women's studies classes I'd taken before, and thought the minor would be interesting. It definitely has been!

College has opened my eyes to different experiences and different types of people around every corner. I remember walking on campus one day and hearing people around me speaking in different languages, and I thought "This is what college is supposed to be." A meshing together of different cultures and backgrounds all in the name of education. But it's been so much more. My degree plans have changed from a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science to a Bachelor of Science in Political Science, an English minor and a Women and Gender Studies minor. I've greatly enjoyed getting a well-rounded education, but also all of the real world learning that has occurred for me.

So, where do I go from here? I've decided to study for the LSAT, take it in October, see how I do, and apply to Law School. Back in high school, I was convinced I wanted to be a lawyer, and now I've come full circle. It will be an adventure for sure, but one that I am excited about and feel ready for. And anyone that wants to volunteer to help me study is gladly welcomed!

Apple Crisp

2010-02-11T01:39:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I set out to make an apple pie for my mom to take to work. I follow the recipe in the New Cookbook published by Better Homes and Gardens. Well at least the first time I made an apple pie at Christmas I did. After that, I started to modify it and change it, and now I don't even look at the recipe any more. So I've pretty much come up with a new recipe for apple crisp, which I will share with you because it is, in a word, AMAZING.

Apple Crisp

Apple mixture

4 medium sized Granny Smith apples

1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar

Approx. 1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves (trust me, you're tastebuds will thank you, even if you aren't sure it's in there)

1 Tbsp. flour

Crumb/Crispy part

Handful of oats (1/2 cup)

Half a handful of brown sugar (1/3 cup)

A couple throws of flour (1/4 cup)

A shake of cinammon (1/2 tsp)

4-5 Tbsp. butter (my favorite ingredient!)

Peel, core, slice your apples. It doesn't really matter how you slice them, but make sure they are approximately the same size. I find it easiest to quarter them, then remove the core. Then cut each quarter in half and peel it. Then slice each eighth into four slices. It sounds complicated, but it goes really fast.

I find it's super easy to coat the apples in a gallon baggie. So throw all the ingredients for the apple part in a baggie, seal it and shake away! As you are cutting your apples, you can throw them in the baggie which helps release their juice I find. The baggie also makes clean up a breeze!

Put your apples in a dish. The size of your dish really depends on how deep you want your apples to go in the dish.

In a separate bowl, throw together all the crisp ingredients. Using a pastry blender, or fork and knife, mash it all up. Don't worry if all the flour or brown sugar doesn't get mixed in, your apple crisp will still be delicious! Put the crisp mixture over the top of the apples, and put it in a 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes. Again, this will slightly depend on the dish you are using, but at least 25 minutes is a pretty safe bet. Do not, I repeat, Do not under any circumstances cover your apple crisp while you are baking it. The crispy part needs access to the oven elements in order to crisp up!

This is definitely not a precise dessert, and not for the compulsive measure-er. I never measure the ingredients for this recipe! Part of the fun is experimenting with different spices, amounts, etc. I think I'll try less sugar next time. Although without the bottom crust, this isn't a terrible dessert for your waistline! I find baking is extremely therapeutic for me, and this recipe in particular because it involves shaking and mashing + butter and Granny Smiths.

Enjoy!

Diary of a College Girl

2010-02-02T19:59:00.002-07:00

I realize the last few weeks have been quiet, once again, on the blog front. I assure you I am still alive and well, but I started my last semester of college. Wow. I'm not sure that has sunk in yet. I am taking 21 credit hours total this semester, but am rather interesting in the majority of them, so it's not terrible! I decided that there are certain things that get dropped when I go back to school, and I tend to feel guilty about them. I am choosing to air them, and hopefully acknowledge that I am not perfect and give myself a little patience.

I am terrible about getting back to people! I feel awful when I receive a text, email, phone call, etc. and it takes me two weeks to actually get back to them. I stress about it for the two weeks it takes me to get back to them, and then when I do make the call, I have to spend 5 minutes apologizing and justifying myself. I think it would be better to take the 5 minutes to respond initially, or to simply say, "I'm really busy with school, can I call you this weekend?" Rather than cause myself added stress, this is an easy remedy. I've gotten better about my response time, but because I am studious, this is still something I struggle with.
My clothes don't always get hung up and my books don't always get put back on the shelf. I've noticed that when I get busy, my room is one of the quickest things to get neglected. I start to leave things wherever they land because I am always rushing about. I've decided I need to make a conscious effort to take 15 minutes before bed to tidy up a little. I am convinced that I sleep better, that all humans do really, when they are in a more calm environment. Meaning, if things are a mess, I don't sleep that great! I need all the rest I can manage when I'm in school, so it really is a no brainer. My room doesn't need to be spotless before I go to bed, but I should take a few minutes to tidy up some.
I stop doing things for joy. I love to bake, sew, craft, create, knit, crochet...etc. When I am in school, I find I don't have time for these things. But I wonder if I don't have time for them, or if I'm not responsible enough with my time to create the opportunity to work on my projects. I am more organized this semester than I ever have been in school. And it only took me 21 years to figure it out (at least I figured it out now!). Because of this, I am hoping that I will have more time to continue doing the things I truly enjoy. I think it will make for a much better semester and overall life!

It's nice to take a step back and realize that I'm not perfect. As someone who constantly strives for top marks, I have to remind myself that I am human once in a while. I'm sure I could write all night, but I do have homework to do! And unfortunately, books don't read themselves. I'm looking forward to all of the wonderful things I will learn this semester and how I can disseminate that information in my life.

Potato Soup

2010-01-06T14:17:00.001-07:00

The first time I made this soup, I did not use a recipe, thus this culinary creation was born! I also sliced my knuckle while slicing potatoes. Don't worry, I was able to act quick enough to avoid getting any blood anywhere near the food! Feel free to adapt this recipe to your personal desires. I will actually be trying it with kale in it at some point! If you are going to add kale, do it as the very last thing you add to the soup.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp butter

3 (or so) green onions

Diced garlic, roasted or fresh, as much or as little as you like

3 rounded Tbsp flour, or however much you need to achieve the thickness you like

Milk, cream, or half&half - I used about a cup

7 potatoes, peeled and diced

Shredded cheese for on top, optional

1. Put potatoes in a large pot of water, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring them to a boil and cook for roughly 10 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart. Drain and return to the large pot (turn the heat off).

2. While the potatoes are cooking, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the green onions and garlic, and cook them for a few minutes. Add the flour, stir constantly until dissolved. It will become a thick, paste looking mixture - this is good! Add the milk, cream, or half&half while stirring constantly. Keep stirring until the flour mixture has been completely broken up and absorbed into the liquid.

3. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and stir. If you don't have the consistency you like, you can always add more milk to thin it out. Season with salt and pepper. When you dish it up, you can add cheddar cheese on top.

Enjoy!

Bread Adventures

2010-01-04T12:57:00.002-07:00

Let me start by saying that I love bread! It's said that man cannot live by bread alone, but let me tell you that as a woman, I sure could make a go of it! I remember when my mom used to make bread in the bread machine and this delightful smell would waft through the house. I could hardly wait for it to cool enough to get a bite. Alas, I am my mother's daughter, and there came a day when I would have to try making bread myself. Bread seems like such a complicated and scientific food endeavor. I approached this feat by pulling up my bootstraps (figuratively, as I'm not wearing boots today), doning my cutest apron (from Anthropologie of course), and pulling out the step stool to look for the Bread Machine Cookbook.

Reading through the helpful tips, I started to get a little more freaked out, so I moved on to the actual recipes. The first used dry milk, something I don't have on hand. So I frantically kept flipping....and then I found one! Italian bread.

Simple.

Straight-forward.

No dry milk.

Perfect!

I stopped by the grocery store this morning knowing that I was going to be making bread this afternoon. I wasn't sure whether we had bread flour on hand, so I picked a bag up. The only sized bag they had was 5 lbs. I discovered while gathering my ingredients that we, in fact, had a partially used 5 lb. bag at home. My little slip up will lead to lots of doughy, yummy goodness in the weeks to come!

Armed with my ingredients, I called my mom at work. I knew I needed to put the liquid in first, and the yeast in last. I also found out that you have to make a little well into which you put the yeast. Fascinating! I am a woman with a plan. So I boldly declared I'd put the ingredients in and call my mom back. I measured them perfectly, put them in precisely, and dialed the phone.

No answer.

Dial again.

No answer.

Dial again.

Busy signal.

AAAAAAAAHHH! And then, incoming call. Sigh of relief. I shut the lid, plugged the machine in, and turned it on. Now, the bread is rising in the machine. Soon, I will take it out forming it into clover rolls, and bake it in my own oven. And I will be a happy happy camper.

Do Something

2010-01-04T00:35:00.002-07:00

*****I've had this post as a draft for a while. I realize it is now after Christmas, so it may not make sense why I mention Christmas gifts. However, I decided the thoughts were still good enough to publish. Here it is...

Yesterday, my mom and I were driving during our Goodwill marathon, and I declared, "I've been thinking..." Very dangerous words sometimes, but it really was something I've been thinking a lot about. I went on to describe my hesitation with Christmas gifts this year, and the struggle I am having coming up with whether to ask for actual gifts or whether to ask that volunteering be done or a donation be made to an organization in lieu of a gift. I have recently been overwhelmingly struck by the notion that I am so incredibly blessed even in my "tough" times. My mom and I discussed that we have never been without food, clean water, shelter, or sanitation. Even now, I am typing this blog from a laptop personal computer, in the comfort of my own home, with electricity.

Today, my mom came home from church and was telling me about the message on the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:13-26, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 18-23). The preacher then talked about how wealthy we are in the United States. If you have a mattress on your bed, you are wealthy. If you have clean water, you are wealthy. If you have food, then you are wealthy. Please don't misunderstand me, I believe there is so much more to the story than the fact that Jesus tells the young man to sell all his belongings. In fact, I will touch on that in a minute. But, that doesn't diminish that in today's society most of us are truly blessed and we may not realize how much so. Ok, so my side note about the depth of the story beyond material possessions. Jesus realized that the young man had made his money and possessions his idols. So truly for him to follow Jesus would mean that he needed to sell everything, in order for God to be his God, rather than money. My short interpretation and attempt at explanation pales in comparison to Praxis pastor Justin Anderson's sermon from October 11, 2009.

But I digress. My main point is to illustrate the disparity felt in much of the world. I understand that poor people exist in the United States as well, but even being poor in the United States means you are light years ahead of much of the rest of the world. So tonight, I saw this quote/prayer:

Grant us grace, O Father, not to pass by suffering or joy without eyes to see; give us understanding and sumpathy; and guard us from selfishness that we may enter into the joys and sufferings of others; use us to gladden and strengthen those who are weak and suffering; that by our lives we may help others who believe and serve you, and project your light which is the light of life.

- H.R.L. Sheppard

For me this was the perfect expression of my heart. I was struck by the fact that I can do something every day that will positively impact the lives of others, specifically those who have less. So, my encouragement to all of you, is to do something. In the words of Nike, "Just Do It." It can be large or small, but everyday try to do something that reaches out. Something very simple would be visiting The Hunger Site. If you are like me and have trouble remembering to visit a specific site other than your email, make it your homepage. That way when you access the internet you will have an automatic reminder! I want to be clear that I don't believe every single one of us is called to sacrifice to the extent the rich young man was for others. But I do believe that every one of us is called to do what we can.

My New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-03T23:55:00.002-07:00

I, like my mom, enjoy making New Year's Resolutions. You can read her take on it here. However, I am a very driven person, so I tend to be very commited to them. I'm not overwhelming myself this year with a laundry list of to-do items. Rather, I am seeking ways to improve my life and do things I enjoy.

Bake more. Seriously, I realized how much I love it! And there are so many sources of great inspiration, that I have no excuses! I got a cupcake book/decorating kit for Christmas and a book entitled Cakes Galore, which will provide plenty of recipes. This week, I'm planning to make my own rolls to serve with potato soup (taking to an event), an apple pie, and a loaf of bread for at home.
Finish crafting/sewing/knitting/crocheting/upholstering projects in a timely matter. I did not define a timeline on purpose. Each project is different, so it will take a different amount of focus and work. For example, finishing a knitted scarf will take far less time than figuring out how to make my vintage record/radio cabinet work again. I have plenty of materials, which need to be organized, and plenty of ideas, so now I just need to get some projects done!
Use my blog to chronicle my adventures in baking and crafting. Sometimes things turn out like I intend and sometimes they don't. Either way, it will make for an entertaining read for you all. And it will be a chance for me to laugh at myself! Maybe I will have to share my potato soup recipe or my pumpkin puff mini pies one of these days!
Run a 5k. My mom and I did it a couple years ago, and it felt wonderful! I bought running shoes a couple months ago, and unfortunately, I have not taken them out of the box yet. I'm open to suggestions if anyone has a favorite cause that will be hosting a 5k run.
Oh, and the obvious one: graduate!

Looking forward to a year of inspiration and doing things I love, meanwhile sharing it all!

Annual Examination of the Eyes

2009-09-11T00:04:00.004-07:00

Every year one day comes around that I look forward to almost more than any other. I could let you guess, but we might still be sitting here by the time it rolls around next year. I'll just save us both the headache and tell you...it's my visit to the eye doctor! I know, I know, you never would've guessed!

Two years ago, I was told I had to get glasses for the first time in my life. I almost hugged my optometrist! After years and years of waiting and begging, I was finally being invited (coerced) into the exclusive society known as "glasses wearers." To say I was ecstactic would be somewhat of an understatement. As I sat there, trying on all the different frames being brought to me, I saw a world of possibilities in front of me. I could be sophisticated chic, fashionably cool, or anything else I wanted! Seeing myself in glasses brought back memories of begging to have glasses as a child. I don't know why I always wanted to wear glasses so badly, but I have. In elementary school, I asked my aunt (who works in the optometrist's office - still does to this day) whether I could get glasses. After explaining that I didn't need them, she went to a drawer, pulled out a pair of former season's frames that would otherwise be discarded, and handed them to me. I proudly put them on my face, carefully slipping them over my ears and on top of the bridge of my nose. Then I looked in the mirror and smiled a wide, toothy grin from ear to ear. I was on top of the world! Through the years there are other examples of my desperation to be invited into this exclusive club, but always my efforts were futile.

But I am now officially part of this club! Some days the need for glasses becomes a hindrance. For example, walking to the gym without my glasses being unable to recognize any faces coming at me; or driving down the road, suddenly realizing I forgot my glasses at home and that is why everything is so fuzzy. But truth be told, none of these pitfalls outweigh my excitement over having glasses. After my appointment was scheduled for this year, I started to give contacts some thought. I decided I could wear contacts some days and glasses others, depending on how I felt. This consideration has since been discarded! Last Sunday, a lady at the Aveda store was putting make up under my eyes, and I could hardly keep them open as her brush came up to my eye lids. It's obvious I can't handle my eyes being touched! So now, I am awake with anticipation with what tomorrow will bring. What new frames will they have in? What frames will I choose? What will they say about me and my personality? One thing I know for sure: I will pick frames that I truly like. Before I look at the price tag to see how much of the cost my insurance will cover, I will first ask myself whether I actually like the frame! After all, life is too short to have ugly glasses!

School's back in Session

2009-09-08T21:55:00.002-07:00

Well, it's finally here! After 17 years of school (including preschool and Kindergarten), I am starting my senior year of college. It is such a strange feeling to know that I've been in school for so long, and that I am so close to the end (well sort of). I will be graduating with a degree in Political Science and two minors: English literature and Women/Gender Studies. I recently added the Women and Gender Studies minor because I already had two classes towards it, and I have the time to finish it!

This semester, I'm taking:

ENH 311 - Steve Jobs
ENH 311 - Thomas Edison
ENH 311 - Carly Fiorina
ENH 311 - General Electric
ENG 200 - Reading and Writing about Literature
ENG 394 - Jewish American Literature 1916-present
FAS 331 - Marriage and Family Relationships
WST 377 - History of American Feminist Thought

It looks like a lot, but it's really not too taxing! The first four classes are one credit, online classes which only last 5 weeks and are staggered throughout the semester. Two have started so far, and they are very interesting! I'm learning much more about Steve Jobs and Thomas Edison than I ever thought possible! The Marriage and Family Relationships class is also online and has been very interesting so far. I'm really enjoying it, and I'm hoping to glean a lot of knowledge from it! The History of American Feminist Thought has been the most challenging personally thus far. I will update more on classes as I get into the swing of things, but for now, I have homework to turn in (in less than 1.5 hours!).

Finally...An update!

2009-07-22T09:19:00.003-07:00

Well, I know it has been a while, but here it is! The long awaited update! It has been a busy summer so far, so I may need to break this into a few posts, but I will get everything up here!

I'm taking two summer classes through Rio Salado, and they are going well. I'm taking ENH241, Literature of the US before 1860, and SPA102. Although it has taken me some time, I am settled into the classes and working on them throughout the week rather than all on the day assignments are due. :) Speaking of classes, I'm meeting with my ASU adviser today to officially declare a second minor, Women and Gender Studies.

I've also been busy scouring Savers, Goodwill and any other resale shop I find for whatever bargains come my way! Some of my favorite finds:

bags of ties (average 8) - scored them on Monday at Savers for a dollar a bag! I ended up with 31 ties for $4.00 (32 if you count the clip-on tie in one of them)
brand new skirt from Urban Outfitters - also picked it up on Monday for a dollar! It still had the tags on it from Urban Outfitters, retail $38.00
wooden chair - got it for a dollar at Goodwill one Thursday. Structurally it was in pretty good shape, except for the foam in the chair pad. I have recovered a couple chairs with napkins that I found at Savers for 2.00 for 4. I will post pictures of the chairs soon.
Men's dress shirts - I pretty much refuse to pay more than a dollar for them, since Dollar day at Savers is Monday and at Goodwill it's Thursday.
Twin headboard and foot board - one dollar at Goodwill! It's wooden and in great shape, and it only cost a dollar!
J. Crew jeans - 6 dollars at My Sister's Closet!

I've had so much fun searching racks and racks for that perfect bargain! I think part of the fun has come from seeing a great piece or fabric and knowing the potential it has! So in honor of bargain shopping, here are my tips for scoring a great deal!

Go regularly! Saver's and Goodwill are systematic about what tags are a dollar on any given week. If you see a great piece one week, you can figure out when it will be on sale. Goodwill also has 50% off the entire store every other week. Also, you will get to know the cashiers and there will be a friendly, helpful face amongst the madness!
Be patient! There will be lots of people, there will be screaming kids, and you will probably get run into at least twice. Know this going in, and prepare yourself to deal with it.
Browse craft/home decorating websites and magazines to see the raw materials for a project you would like to try. That way if you see something that could work, you already know how you will use it! This is a good strategy for clothing as well. (if you need a list of craft websites, there are some on the left hand side of the blog - the library is also a good source of crafty books)
Inspect pieces thoroughly - often little rips can be repaired and furniture can be cleaned up, but you want to know what you are getting yourself into. Also, I know for a fact Goodwill and Savers both have return policies. I don't know the details, so I would hate to spread false information, but check them out so you know whether you have a back up.
Look through the jewelry counters - a lot of times you can find a great piece that you can tailor to fit your tastes. For example, I found a pair of earrings Monday that I loved the dangly part of, but I wouldn't wear them as earrings. I can take that part off and make 2 custom necklaces!

Happy thrifting everyone!

Commencement - and my reflections

2009-05-15T10:00:00.005-07:00

I could sum up commencement in 2 words: HOT and AMAZING! But I'm not going to! If you only had 2 seconds to read this entry, then that would be the short version. However, I am not a woman of only two words.

Mom and I arrived at 2:30pm (like our tickets said). Thanks to the Alumni Association we were able to enter in the staff entrance and didn't have to wait in line at all! We found our seats, luckily on the west side of the stadium and sat down. We had taken books and sudoku, but it was much more fun to watch people! Within about an hour and a half of sitting down, we were in the shade and the entertainment portion began. There were very diverse groups, from a gospel choir to a fraternity doing a battle-like dance/something (it was very different, hard to describe!). It was almost surreal to actually be there. I loved watching the Secret Service walk around and check things out. Even in 100+ degree weather they still had their regulation dark suits on! It was obvious they were hot though!!

I personally thought Obama's speech (link to the full text of the speech) was wonderful! It was obvious that he was speaking to a group of students, and that he had tailored his message for the situation. It was very encouraging as he urged students to pursue more than a paycheck. One of my personal favorite moments of the speech was when he highlighted that politicians need to be concerned with doing the right things, even if they are unpopular, rather than the next election. This has been one of my biggest peeves for so long! Perhaps that was what has driven me to stay involved and motivated in the direction of politics. There was a time when I started to get disenchanted with the process (thank you Prof. Simon and National Security, Intelligence, & Terrorism), but I have been reminded since then that I can do something. Wednesday night was another reminder that I can do something, and that something will make a difference. So my challenge to myself is to find ways to make a little difference. Maybe it means an hour spent talking to a family member, or a note of appreciation; maybe it's on a larger scale and involves joining the fight for a cause in which I believe. Whatever it is, I am challenging myself to do a little more every day.

I am looking into my options for Spring semester and beyond. It is nerve-wracking to think about being done with my undergraduate degree in one year from now. At the same time it is super exciting! I feel as if I have the whole world before me! In times like these, I feel truly blessed. I am blessed to be where I am in life and to be born exactly how I was. I am blessed to have a wonderful family and support network. I am blessed to have all the opportunities I do, and to have been able to take advantage of previous opportunities.

One final note, as my mom and I were leaving Wednesday night we noticed people standing on the sidewalk, like they were waiting for something, along Veteran's Way. When we looked to see what they were watching, we saw roughly 10 motorcycles cops lined up. My mom figured this was the motorcade, but I wasn't convinced (yet!). Pretty soon, two Secret Service men come out, get in a car, and the motorcycle cops turn their lights on! It was the motorcade! As fast as I could, I tried to get my camera out, but I wasn't fast enough! We got to watch the entire motorcade leaving! And the best part, people were waving at the Presidential Limo, and Barack waved back!!! I was in a group getting waved at by Barack Obama! Seeing the motorcade was the icing on the cake after a great night!

Pictures will come later, when the computer decides to cooperate with me! :)

School's end and other updates

2009-05-13T08:40:00.004-07:00

Well it's been a while, since I updated, but lots of things have been happening! I started moving home last Thursday after my 7:30 am final (YUCK!). It's been pretty warm and very sunny here, so I was very tired each night. I tried to do as much as I could in my car, and borrowed my grandparents van once. It took me Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (with mom's help), but it got done! I've taken over my mom's house and everything (with the exception of what's at my grandparents) is back home. The first night I spent at home was last Thursday, and it was nice to be home. I got up and made pancakes Friday morning, and it was so much fun to be able to do something like that!

I had my last two finals on Monday, but only had to take one! I got to my Shakespeare final, and she announced that if we were happy with our grade we could get up and leave and wouldn't have to take the final. That was actually the one class I was really pleased with, so I took my grade and left! It gave me extra time to check out of my room, which went smooth, and then to study for my Spanish test. I took the Spanish final Monday night and kicked it in the butt! I'm officially going to be a senior...wow! It seems like time has flown. Well, it kind of has! :) I have two classes (at least) to take this summer and I will be completely on track then to graduate in May 2010. As of now, I'm considering studying abroad next Spring, and I need to start investigating that possibility! It would be a truly exceptional experience. Everyone I've talked to is very excited about that, and everyone who's done it never regrets it.

With moving home and finals, I haven't run since last Wednesday. I need to get back in a routine, but it will come.

Mom and I will be attending ASU commencement today! I am so excited to hear Obama and excited about this opportunity for ASU. I believe this is the first time a sitting President will ever speak at a graduation ceremony at ASU! I will definitely share an update tomorrow!

Running Update

2009-05-05T20:27:00.001-07:00

I started the Couch to 5k plan yesterday. It was truly a wonderful feeling to be back in the gym again! While I've been somewhat sore today, it is a good sore. I will be going back to the gym in the morning to do the second day of Couch to 5k!

Freeze Frame

2009-05-03T15:20:00.004-07:00

Sunday, I took a break from homework and studying for finals to have a cup of coffee and eat a muffin, so I decided to start watching Fried Green Tomatoes which I rented from Blockbuster. When it was time to get back to work, I paused the movie. When I looked at the frozen frame, it didn't represent the movie well at all. It looked like one character was trying to take a bite out of another's shoulder. In reality, the scene was a surprise party! The scene was filled with smiles and laughs. However, just looking at the frozen frame wouldn't have represented the scene or the whole movie well at all. It's the same with life. Individual frames of our life may seem unpleasant or crazy or just plain bad. But those individual moments contribute to an entire life. Things aren't bad forever; wait for the next frame.

At the same time, a movie wouldn't be any good if it were entirely happy-go-lucky either. It would have no plot, and probably not even make it past production. The same is true of life, each and every moment of life, good or bad, contributes to our movie. It adds interest, knowledge, and contributes to the entire story. So take the good moments and the bad moments in stride, knowing they are adding to one wonderful movie!

The Biggest Loser

2009-04-30T10:10:00.003-07:00

Almost every Tuesday night at 7:00pm, you can find me in front of the TV watching The Biggest Loser (link to the show). I've never really been a faithful watcher before, but this season I got hooked! And every week, without fail, I tear up at some point during the show. One week, it was watching Mike go back and help his dad, Ron, to finish the challenge. One week, it was watching Mike donate his prize (a year's worth of free groceries) to Mandy, a mother of four or five. Through the weeks, I've seen this show bring out the best in people as I watch their lives being changed. This week, I watched Tara fit into a little black dress she had bought in London hoping to fit into someday. It was amazing to see how far she's come from her first day on the ranch. In 16 weeks, these people have all lost over 100 pounds! Yes they had access to world-class trainers and didn't have the concerns of work or family weighing them down, but that's remarkable! They have run a half marathon, and will be running a full marathon this week! That is truly inspirational to me.

After this week's show, I got to thinking, if they can do it, what's stopping me from being my healthiest? It was amazing to see the improvements in their health after 16 weeks. I came to the declaration Tuesday night that I'm going to start running again. It's amazing how much better I feel when I'm working out and eating like I should! I will be working from the Couch to 5K plan. Feel free to join me and comment with your progress!

Crafty Me!

2009-04-28T18:24:00.005-07:00

Here are the latest craft projects I've been working on!

I found this one on craftstylish. I scored the shirt at Savers for $0.99 and had a blast making it with my grandma! I did modify the pattern a bit. First, I wanted the pocket on my skirt, so we had to cut a bit higher and then stitch the sides to create a little bit of an A-line effect. Second, my belt and waistband aren't as wide as the pattern says, but it works!

This I found on Joann's website. I think my gauge was a bit off, and I used double crochets on the base rather than singles, but I love the way it turned out! I found the button at Wal-mart of all places! I was on the hunt for something vintage looking, and think the button is perfect!

My mom, grandma (probably), and I are planning to do a craft project this weekend, so I'm sure there will be more pictures come Monday!! :)

How Grateful I am

2009-04-22T19:39:00.002-07:00

I had an experience yesterday that made me realize how blessed I am, and I am truly grateful for that. I went to apply at In-n-Out's open interviews (along with 1000 other people). As I was standing in line, there was a cameraman from Fox 10 interviewing some of the people in line. I heard people talk about how they had been looking for jobs for so long. I heard people talk about how they've decided to go back to school because jobs are so hard to find. I heard people talk about getting up at 5:00am to go to other open interviews, just to be able to get in the door. I realized what a blessing it is that I've been given the opportunity and privilege of going to college. In the college system, higher education has become just a regular thing, and most students think that everyone goes to college after high school. Standing in line at the open interview was a reality check for me, and one that I'm grateful to have had. Now as I start to write yet another paper, I might consider it a privilege to get to write 10 pages on Mary Wollstonecraft...Well, maybe I can't go that far, but I am definitely grateful for the opportunity of college!

For the rest of the In-n-Out part: I left line yesterday after a woman came out telling how she had been there since 9:00am (it was now almost 1:00pm). I went back today, and the line was super short compared to yesterday. I still waited some, but it went much quicker than I thought it would! I also got a second interview, which went very well! I am staying positive and will know either way by Friday. :)

Top Ten Freshmen Year Survival Tips

2009-04-20T13:24:00.003-07:00

As the year is coming to a close, I'd like to offer my top ten college freshmen survival tips. Not only have I survived a freshmen year, but I've also worked for two years with freshmen.

10. If you live on campus, get to know your Resident Assistant (at ASU Community Assistant) and any other staff on your floor.

9. If you live at home or off campus, investigate the resources available to commuter students (at ASU, here's the website).

8. Think of a few of your interests and search for a club along the lines of one or more of your interests.

7. If you are tired, go to sleep. I promise you will do much better work if you aren't completely sleep deprived. (I must give credit to one of the Peer Mentors I oversaw this year for this insightful advice; it's pure genius!)

6. Don't procrastinate, so you don't have to stay up all night before the assignment is due. I am just as guilty of this as anyone else. I promise your life will be so much easier if you start the assignment early.

5. Go to class. It sounds trivial, but you really will do much better if you go to class and pay attention.

4. While in class, don't email, im, facebook, watch sports, play games, etc. It's tempting, yes, but all the people sitting behind you will thank you if your computer screen isn't distracting them too.

3. Keep looking for scholarships throughout school. Sometimes there are scholarships specifically for upperclassmen; sometimes scholarships are available through your department. It pays to check out where the money is!

2. Go to your professor's office hours, at least once during the semester. With the impending budget cuts, class sizes are again increasing (didn't know they could get any bigger). You will thank yourself if you get to know your professors a little bit. They can provide help on upcoming papers, study suggestions for tests, and potentially letters of recommendation.

1. HAVE FUN! Most importantly, remember to relax and take a little time for yourself. College should be fun; it's kind of a transition between childhood and the real world. Take advantage of having this time!

My Favorite Day

2009-04-19T14:47:00.003-07:00

I realized yesterday that Saturdays are by far, my favorite days of the week. It's not just because I don't have school those days, or any of the typical reasons. It's because I get to spend time with my family on those days. My grandparents spend half the year in Kansas (their home) and half the year in Arizona. We have started a tradition of meeting for a meal every Saturday they are here. Of course, I often see them throughout the week, but Saturdays are the special days devoted to that meal with my grandparents. It's come to be one of the things I most look forward to during my week.

Yesterday for example, I was up early and got my oil changed (a big accomplishment). So I dropped by my mom's house and asked her if we should call grandma and grandpa to meet for breakfast. We did and it was wonderful! I showed my grandma a clutch I had crocheted, and she just marveled and oohed and aahed. My heart swelled because I could see that my grandma was proud of me. She also had show and tell! She has gotten heavily into beading, and made bracelets for my mom and I. It's so special to wear something and get a compliment on it and say, "Thanks, my grandma made it for me!" After breakfast, my mom, grandma, and I went downtown Mesa. For anyone looking for a neat outing, this would be one! As we perused a few stores and gawked at the unlimited options of yarn in The Fiber Factory, we had the most fun! After downtown, we went a couple other craft places and it was nearly 1:30pm before we went to drop my grandma off at her house. We were all hungry again, and so we had lunch with my grandparents! It was such a treat to get to spend so much time with them and just be able to enjoy the time.

My grandparents know so much about life, about my family, and about our ancestry. I am so lucky to have them close for half of the year, and to be able to email and call them the other half. I feel blessed by the love and knowledge they pour into my life.

Welcome!

2009-04-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

I've officially decided to join the blogging world. I know, I know, I'm a bit behind, but better late than never!

I'm a student at Arizona State University studying Political Science and English Literature. Eventually I want to teach high school English and government, but at the rate jobs are being cut, I think I'll pursue a Master's first! I love life and I love living my life to the fullest! Blogs will include current happenings, current craft projects and my thoughts about life.

Enjoy!