....

Finding myself

2010-07-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

So I quit my job last week with no plan B...or A for that matter. I've been spending the last few months thinking about what it is I really want to be doing with my life.

I am just graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. Now that I've got the "practical" thing done for the Big MK (and a little bit for myself...for bragging rights), I guess it's time to be impractical.

Everything these days says, "It's your life. Live it how you want!"

I took a class a couple of semesters ago called Entrepreneur Lecture Series. As the name suggests, various entrepreneurs came and lecture to students about how they got to be where they are today. Most of their stories included guts, hard work, wit, expertise, but above all, doing what they love. That was the clear resounding message I gathered. Do what you love, and the money will come.

So in the coming months, perhaps not right away, I intend to find out what I love. But where do I start?

I guess first thing to do according to Jessica Winter in the June 2010 edition of The Oprah Magazine (Yes, I know. I read Oprah Magazine.)is to get my bearings by listing five things that make me thrive:

1. My dog
2. Food
3. Beauty
4. Reading
5. Designing

Let's see where this gets me...

2010-03-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

This is what I aspire to be...

(Again, image from the Satorialist)

The looks for spring

2010-02-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

Images from The Satorialist

Recipe of the Day from Epicurious

2009-03-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled ginger
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup organic peanut butter
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)*
1 cup water
1 13 1/2-to 14-ounce can organic light coconut milk
3 kaffir lime leaves or 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel
1 tablespoon (firmly packed) golden brown sugar
2 14-ounce packages organic firm tofu, drained, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 1/2 cups 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick slices peeled carrots (about 3 medium)
1 1/2 cups 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick slices peeled carrots (about 3 medium)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Directions:
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots, ginger, and garlic; cook until shallots are tender, about 6 minutes. Add peanut butter, turmeric, cumin, and chili paste; stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup water, then coconut milk, lime leaves, and brown sugar; bring to simmer. Season sauce with salt. Add tofu, carrots, and bell pepper; simmer over medium heat until carrots are tender, adjusting heat to medium-low if beginning to boil and occasionally stirring gently, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.

* Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.

My dream has come true at last!

2009-02-11T18:32:00.000-08:00

After years and years and years of wanting, needing, yearning for a dog, I have finally gotten one.

Meet Midgley Puh Kawasaki.

New Camera

2009-02-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

I bought a new camera off of woot.com for a good deal. I got the orange one.

To celebrate getting my new camera, I brought it out on my little adventure with my latina friends. We went to a club specifically for Hispanics. I got a lot of surprised faces when people first found out I don't speak Spanish and then found out I was Japanese, but it was a lot of fun.

Joyeux Noel

2008-11-26T14:35:00.000-08:00

Highly recommend this dynamic movie. It gives me hope, in time of war, that people can still be human.

Quantum of Solace

2008-11-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

Daniel Craig? Yes, please.

Although I think Casino Royal was better than Quantum of Solace, there were two things that did not lack in the least in this movie: Daniel Craig in a tux and Daniel Craig with no shirt. I am a fan

TWILIGHT

2008-11-26T12:20:00.000-08:00

Four words: Two hours of smoldering.

Spotlight

2008-11-14T07:50:00.000-08:00

This is a spotlight thing I filled out for my work.

Personal Information: I'm short. I've been short all my life. You know those pictures we take in elementary school with our class? Well, I was always at the very end of the very short end of the line. Hard truth to swallow, but there it is.

But let's get down to the nitty-gritty. I was born and raised in Provo, Utah, and I'm still there...*sigh*. I graduated from Provo High School where I was a cheerleader for 3 out of the 4 years there. I also participated a little in student government. I attended BYU for a couple of years, but didn't really enjoy it. After I took time off of school for my husband to graduate, I decided to go to UVU instead, and I love it! I plan to graduate by Fall '09.

E.O.W. Questions:

1. What talent would you like to develop?

Not talking so loud on the teller line. Sorry, Jan Lucas.

2. What’s your theme song?

You know the Darth Vadar song—(the Emperial March as Jen A. has informed me)? Dumdumdum dum dadum dum dadum...etc. Yeah, that one.

3. What are people surprised to learn about you?

Several things actually:
1. No, I don't speak Spanish. (Except for basic Spanish from my Spanish 1 college class.)
2. No, I'm not a Latina.
3. Yes, I'm sure.
4. I'm half-Japanese.
5. Yes, I'm sure.
6. No, my mom was Caucasian. My dad is Japanese...hence Kawasaki.
7. Yes, my last name is Kawasaki
8. Yes, my grandpa owns Kawasaki Motorcycle Company
9. Just kidding.
10. 4'10". and a smidge.
Usually in that order.

4. What’s your favorite season?

The spring because it is so full of hope for me.

5. What makes you laugh?

When Melissa does her massage move with her hands going in small circles above her head. It helps if she's wearing that dress that makes her look like a little girl. Funny stuff.

6. What are you like first thing in the morning?

Calculating: I usually have to calculate how many times I can hit the 9-minute snooze button before I have to start cutting things out of my “Getting-ready” routine--ex. Showering, fixing my hair, make-up, etc.

7. What two items do you always have with you?

Besides the necessities like chap stick and gum, I have my wallet and my phone with me always.

8. What’s a story other people like to tell about you?

When I first started, I mispronounced a member's name infront of Ben W. I thought it was a spanish person's name and said, “Bobiho?” instead of “Bobby Jo.” The tellers like that story. (In my defense, it was spelled funny, okay?)

9. What was your first car?

A '97 champagne-colored Honda Accord. (I was fortunate to have a father who was both Japanese and a car snob because he only purchased newer Japanese cars even for his kids.) I actually wrecked that car 4 times. Two of those four accidents happened on the same street. One year I hit a curb on one side of the street because I couldn't see over the dashboard very well. I got a pillow to sit on and didn't hit curbs (or anything else for that matter) for a year and half. The second, I hit a patch of ice and slid into the curb directly across from the curb I hit before. My height was not to blame in this situation. The poor car...my poor dad.

10. What are three things people remember about you?

You know those things from question #3. Well, hopefully they remember a few of those things.

2008-11-10T14:11:00.001-08:00

Book Club Night at SPARK in Provo.

Sue

Melissa

Me

Us and Jan

Good food, good company, good books. Can't ask for much more than that.

(Looking at these pictures with my Latina friends, can you tell why I'm having an identity crisis lately. I have a white guy's last name, I look like a Latina, I'm learning to speak Spanish instead of Japanese, and show more emotions than a good Japanese girl should. I'm hanging on to Kawasaki, my last bit of proof that I am Japanese, for dear life.)

A site to see

2008-08-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

My sisters, Emily and Kristin, have made some skirts for little girls, and they are selling them on the internet. They also make the shirts the girls are wearing and sell them with the skirts. Eventually they plan to expand the sight and add other things, but you should definitely check out how great the skirts look! Most of the models on the page are my cute nieces.)

The sight is: emzedesign.blogspot.com

Here is a preview of the skirts:

Flowers

2008-05-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

This is a vase we got for our wedding from Rob's parents.

Food, Glorious Food

2008-05-22T20:48:00.001-07:00

Food, Glorious Food

2008-04-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

"Green" is the New Black

2008-04-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

Experiment Conclusions

2008-03-12T08:38:00.001-07:00

I'm done with my experiment, and I do not ever want to do that again! It was such an inconvenience not to be able to contact someone anytime I needed.

Since I couldn't read my work email, I had to ask for a regular update from my co-workers, which I'm sure got annoying. I often didn't find out about the important things until it was too late. I never realized how much correspondence was through email. A few times I had to have one of my fellow tellers send an email for me to get a problem resolved for a member. This morning when I checked my email, I had over 200 emails over the last week!

As far as not being able to text, this may have been the hardest part. Ethan doesn't like to communicate through anything but text and when I called him the first time, he wouldn't answer and just responded with a test asking me why I was calling. Also, I usually text Jacob during the day just about anything. It was hard not to be able to text him or chat with him on gmail. I didn't know how his day was going until both of us were home at night.

I don't think I could ever live without my cell phone. Treating it as a landline was so difficult. If there was someone I needed to call, I would have to drive home to call them. It was so time consuming!

What did we do before cell phones and email?!

Experiment

2008-03-05T07:36:00.000-08:00

Hello blogging world,

I am doing an experiment for my english class research paper for the next week. I will be giving up email, chatting, texting, and reading blogs for seven days to see the effects of technology with regards to communication in my life. I will also only be able to use my cell phone at home as if it were a land line. I'm not quite sure what the outcome will be. I think my planning skills will improve because I will no longer be able to use my cell phone away from home and will have to plan everything ahead. With not being able to look at blogs, I may become more detached from what is happening with everyone. Something that I am not looking forward to loosing for the next week is chatting with Jacob. During the day while he and I are at work, we are able to chat through gmail. It will be unfortunate to not have that. Without being able to text or email, I will have to actually call people if I have a question for them. This could be either good or bad. Sometimes people talk a lot and sometimes I don't have a lot of time. So...we'll see if I just decide to forego getting my question answered or if I will actually call and have a pleasant conversation.

Anyway, if you need to contact me, give me a call and we will have a chat or if you would rather not, email my husband and he can pass a long the message.

Good-bye for seven days. I will let you know my conclusions.

Back in Business

2008-01-29T10:16:00.001-08:00

So I'm back in the blogging world, but I don't know for how long. This blogging stuff takes longer than my homework. I've been pretty busy with school, work, and being a wife. But here I am.

Winter Formal 2008

2008-01-29T08:40:00.000-08:00

Every year, our friends get together in their formal wear, and Ethan prepares a
gourmet meal. This is our Winter Formal for 2008:

Sarah decorated the table. There were 26 people in total that attended.

Ethan and Sarah worked so hard last night. Sarah brought the food out while Ethan and Emily were busy in the kitchen.

Jacob and I in our fancy clothes. I decided to make my dress for this event. (This is another reason why I haven't had time to blog.)

The Guests:(Some of them)

Ryan and Becky Neely

Pete Paulos, Stephen Stewart, Ben Knudsen

Ben and Kristy Anderson

Jared and Erin Malan

Us

The Food

Amusé bouche

Foie gras with squab and Asian pears.

Fresh homemade spinach noodles with spicy sprouts, beets, cucumbers, radishes, and asparagus

I failed to get one picture. It was of the intermezzo which was a homemade pomegranate ice.

Miso braised short ribs with brocollini, creamy risotto, and caramelized pearl onions

Puff pastries filled with homemade pumpkin ice cream on a chocolate glaze

Presents:

Normally this event is in December right before Christmas so it is tradition to do a gift exchange.

Pete Paulos had Jacob this year and gave him 90 ounces of peanut M&M's along with Dr. Mario, a nintendo game Pete had borrowed from Jacob years ago.

Becky Neely had me. She gave me a really cute shirt and a green rose ring from Mode Boutique.

It was a really great night. The food was amazing and the company was a lot of fun.

Here are some details of my dress.

Embellishment on Jacket

2007-12-04T17:44:00.000-08:00

In the last week, I decided to make a few changes to my jacket for the state competition tomorrow. I got marked down for not having embellishments such as buttons, so I thought I would add some to avoid that at state.

Originally, the sleeve just hung loose with a slight flare.

The sash was not attached to the jacket before. I debated whether I should do belt loops or use buttons to secure it (an idea I got from a different coat I own). As you can see I opted to use buttons with a successful outcome, in my opinion.

I just added this little top stitching above the pleat because I thought it looked nice.

Christmas time is here...

2007-12-01T23:02:00.000-08:00

Make it Yourself With Wool

2007-11-27T19:57:00.001-08:00

Make it Yourself With Wool 2001: Second Place in the state competition

Make it Yourself With Wool 2002: President's Choice in the state competition

Make it Yourself With Wool 2007: Best of Show in Regional Competition. Now, on to the State. (Please don't pay any attention to the pained look on my face in the certificate photo. There were two teenage girls on the other end of the camera telling me to "Smile!! No, smile with your teeth, silly!!")

Pie, Pie, Me Oh My, I Love Pie

2007-11-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful for pie.

Cherry

Pumpkin

Apple

Blueberry

Where's Waldo on the Spanish steps:

2007-11-13T17:04:00.001-08:00

(Hint: I'm wearing a white shirt and my hair is dark, I mean really dark.)

Halloween at Family First:

2007-10-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

I'm an iPod commercial, FYI. (no one understands. I know.) Or I can be a Paul Mitchell girl or a MAC counter girl. whatever you want.

The others:

Three for the price of one

2007-10-29T15:18:00.001-07:00

I'm having a surplus of blog opportunities today. So you guys get these for special price.

But check this out! Emily carved this pumpkin for Jacob and I and it has started to mold in the cracks! Sadly, I think it's time for it to go. Emily, we enjoyed it while it lasted.

This is what I did:

2007-10-29T14:50:00.001-07:00

You think this looks bad?

How about a better look?

You can actually see the part of my car that ripped off twisted around the screw.

The missing piece.

I don't know how I did so much damage. I know I shouldn't be proud of this. I just felt so liberated when the only person who should be upset about this is me and I feel fine.

Warm the House Party Pics!

2007-10-23T14:00:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all who came to warm our house and who participated in the competition.

Our winners were:

First Place: Ethan Kawasaki, who was awarded a mini flashlight from Jacob's work. Ethan masterfully created his pumpkin by hacking away at the pumpkin to forge a jagged facial features-very unique.

Second Place: A tie between Kurt Knudsen and Jared Malan. They both did wonderfully. Jared chose a flashlight as his prize and Kurt chose Rook cards (Was anyone surprised? I guess it's time for a fresh deck.) Kurt created a 3-D monster complete with a tongue sticking out of the mouth, horns, and eyebrows. You can view his here. Kurt never ceases to amaze me when it comes to his creations. Jared carved hair and a nose just on the surface of the pumpkin flesh and colored it with food coloring. The mouth was carved all the way through--Great job, Jared.

Third Place: Gabe Womble who was awarded a Cold Stone Ice Cream gift card. Gabe created Mrs. Pumpkin by gluing on a mask made of orange and black paper. Mrs. Pumpkin was then fancied up with a white feather boa. Gabe certainly came prepared!

Fourth Place: Ann Knudsen who was also awarded a Cold Stone gift card. Ann's pumpkin was a favorite of my nephew's. Her pumpkin was of the more traditional nature with the eyes and the scary mouth, but with added flare. She added additional cuts here and there to create a very animated expression of "sad eyes" (as it was referred to during the awards ceremony).

Congratulations to all the winners!
Here is a picture of most of the pumpkins, provided by Emily. The picture doesn't have Glen and Gabe's pumpkins.

Our party was a great success! It was complete with good company, yummy chili, fabulous bread sticks (complements of Becky), and superbly carved (and decorated--thank you Wombles) pumpkins.

Meant to be, but can never be..

2007-10-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

He was the last kitty left and just the one I wanted and best of all--FREE! Sadly, it can never be...at least while we are renting.

He meowed relentlessly at night, pured audibly when he was happy, clawed ferociously at a shoe lace when it was time to play. Yes, he may have been just a cat to anyone else, but he was my Moe. Despite the allergies Moe aroused from Jacob: all the itching, the sneezing, the welts, Jacob loved Moe and Moe loved Jacob.

Moe is now gone to a better home where he is not a stowaway. Morag's sister, Becca, has invited Moe into her home to now be her Moe, though she said the name would not stay. (She didn't like it too much.)

He was my Moe for six days. I wonder if he remembers me.

The end is here and we made it.

2007-09-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

My pseudo-single life is coming to a close. I leave tomorrow morning for the Netherlands to see my husband where he will be waiting at the airport in Amsterdam. I'm so excited but I'm also absolutely nervous to travel. I'm not sure what I'm worried about most...the plane crashing, missing the plane, forgetting something, getting lost, losing my itinerary that maps out our whole trip, or getting sick. Weird, I know. Cross your fingers for me that I will make it there without incident.

Home Sweet Home

2007-09-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

Let me take you on a tour of our new place:

The house: This house had been turned into 4 different appartments. Ours is on the bottom level.

Yes, it is a Utah Historic Site.

I keep my small herb garden on our front porch for now.

My lovely ficas tree from Catus and Tropicals. It adds a nice homey touch to the alcove.

Our door. (Sorry it's a little crooked. I'm not the best with cameras.)

This is looking out from our peephole.

Front room window.

Jacob's clock.

This is the fabulous fireplace which sold me on the place.

Lighting fixture in the front room.

"Holiness to the Lord" plaque created by Kurt W Knudsen. Such a fabulous addition to our home!

The laundry room is in our kitchen. Isn't that nice?! Our last one was outside, down the stairs and into the dark dungeon.

Hope your excited to come home to your new place, Jacob! See you in 16 days!

Bionic Assessment Test

2007-08-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

Well, it took a couple of days and couple of wasted hours, but I am now 81% bionic!! I have finally been able to unlock the unlockable content and boy was it worth it!

See What You're Made Of - Visit The Official Site

Yes, I know. It's pretty great!

Intro to Fashion FINALE

2007-08-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

The assignment:

Create an article of clothing without sewing. (The details were a little hazy about what she meant by sewing because in one class she said hand stitching is fine just no machine and then in another class, she used an example of a girl taking an old dress she had in her closet and cutting off the bottom to make it shorter and hemming it with her sewing machine.)

The dilemma:

For a little while it seemed all of my creativity had been sucked out of me after a long semester. The only things I could think of were things that had been done before. I visited Savers, DI, and other thrift stores to find articles of clothing to alter. My problem is, I'm not good at working under command. At any other time, I thought, I would be able to find something without any trouble but because I had to do this I found the control debilitating. (Sad truth, but I'm admitting I have a problem and that's the first step.)

The Solution:

It came to me in a dream. I had planned to do a saran wrap dress (I know. It's been done before. But at the time, I felt quite confident that I could do it like it's never been done before.) In reality, I had been stressing about asking her for any left over saran wrap from her move last year so naturally it showed up in my dream, right? In my dream I was at my sister's house stumbling around looking for her. I finally found her in her closet surrounded by stuffed animals of all sorts. Upon finding her, the memory of a chair that was made of stuffed animals that Jacob showed me months ago came to my mind. In a frenzy, I started gathering all of the stuffed animals in sight to make a dress out of them.

Once I woke up, I was a little dazed by the sound of my alarm blaring relentlessly but thought doing a dress of stuffed animals was still a great idea.

The inspiration:

Campana stuffed animal chairs by Fernando and Humberto Campana (These chairs cost about $13,000 each!)

Teddy Bear Chair

Banquette chair with alligators

Sharks and Dolphins Chair (The main inspiration)

Variety Pack

The hunt:

The hunt was then on to find the perfect stuffed animals to go with my dress. I knew I wanted a theme for it but couldn't find anywhere cheap that sold all the same stuffed animals. Then, by divine inspiration, I hit up the only dollar store I hadn't been to yet. And there they were-a pile of aquatic stuffed animals. I went to the cash register with my arms full of sharks, killer whales, dolphins, and gray whales as envying eyes of children in the store followed me.

The results:

Upon entering class, I received several giggles, a few "Alright!"s, and a new nickname-"Sea World" (I know, original). I made a few jokes at my own expense to hide my embarrassment for not doing something more "normal" and cute like the other girls. Lesson learned.
Emily offered several self-esteem boosting remarks toward my outfit and I'm glad for that. She was like the cool kid in class that sticks up for the kid that has toilet paper on her shoe and green gunk in her teeth. Thanks, Em.

I do have to admit though, I went out with a bang and my teacher, who I am secretly desparate to impress, will probably not be forgetting me soon! (That is if she can remember whether I'm Emily or Megan...)

Plus, if those chairs are worth thousands of dollars, maybe there is hope for my little dress...

This one's for Jacob.

The pink skirt Emily is wearing is her final project. You can check out the details of it here.

Fashion Sketching final

2007-07-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

For our final project, our assignment was to design a small collection of whatever we wanted. The conditions were that we had to have flats (the garment drawn without a fashion figure to show details such as darts, zippers, etc.) and fabric swatches.

On Wednesday of this week, Emily and I took the afternoon to go to Fashion Affair, a fabulous clothing store in Salt Lake, to find our fabric swatches. We had so much fun discussing what we could design with what fabrics that I almost couldn't decide what I wanted to do. In the end, I decided to sketcha collection of formal dresses--one for each season, mainly because I couldn't pass up on using the wool houndstooth fabric. Emily chose to do bridal wear which has turned out beautifully.

I have always loved formal wear. It is too bad there really isn't a time and place to wear such formal gowns unless you're the rich and famous going to awards shows.

So here is my final collection for Fashion Sketching 1210. It has been a good but difficult semester and I have learned so much about drawing and garment construction.

(You can't really see on the fabric swatches for winter and fall but the bottom half is cream tulle.)

Winter

Fall

Spring

Summer

20 Questions Ball

2007-07-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

Game: Ready? (This doesn't count as a question)

Me: Yes

Game: (Q1) Is it animal, vegetable, mineral, or other?

Me: Animal

Game: (Q2) Is it larger than a microwave oven?

Me: Yes

Game: (Q3) Is it dangerous?

Me: Yes

Game: (Q4) Is it brown?

Me: Yes

Game: (Q5) Does it live in the forest?

Me: No

Game: (Q6) Can you see it in a zoo?

Me: Yes (I think he already knows what it is.)

Game: (Q7) Does it have a long tail?

Me: No (maybe not)

Game: (Q8) Can it growl?

Me: Yes (I think it does at least.)

Game: (Q9) Does it live in groups?

Me: Yes (According to a movie I once saw)

Game: You can't beat me!!
(Q10) Does it have claws?

Me: Unknown (I really don't know if you can believe that.)

Game: (Q11) Is it an herbivore?

Me: Yes

Game: (Q12) Is it involved in movies?

Me: Yes!

Game: (Q13) Does it have have four legs?

Me: Yes

Game: (Q14) Is it a vegetarian?

Me: Yes (Didn't I just answer this?)

Game: (Q15) Can you eat it?

Me: No (At least not in my culture)

Game: (Q16) Does it help accomplish tasks?

Me: No

Game: (Q17) Does it bring joy to people?

Me: Yes

Game: (Q18) Are there many different sorts of it?

Me: Yes

Game: I know what your thinking!
(Q19) Does it come in many varieties?

Me: Yes (This guy doesn't listen)

Game: (Q20) Would you find it on a farm?

Me: No

Game: I'm thinking... You can do better than that!
Are you thinking of an ape?

Me: Well, technically, I was thinking of a gorilla but close enough, game.

Game: That was easy! You want to try again?

(This guy has so much attitude.)

Christian Dior by John Galliano 2007

2007-07-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

John Galliano, born in Gibraltar in 1960, became chief designer for the fashion house of Dior in 1997.

This collection incorporates a beautiful mixture of vibrant colors, kimonos, obis, origami and geisha makeup to create this spectacular array of gowns.

Detail shot for above dress.

I love this one for the shoes! You can see how they mimic traditional Japanese shoes.

This is my favorite couture line for Spring 2007. To see the rest of the collection, click here. You can also check out his prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) line for fall 2007 which is also fantastic!

One Whole Year...

2007-07-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

It has been one whole year since we said our "Yes's" and stepped into the life of being one eternally. It has definitely been a year of growth and change for both of us. To quote Brother Balif (or, rather, paraphrase), "You become more married or less married depending on the work you put into it." This journey to becoming completely married, I believe, is an endless one but one of great reward and joy for the eternities. Yes, the first year has been hard but I am happy to say, we know each other a little better and are that much more married than before.

As promised, pictures of my dress which I labored over for the two months before our wedding and finished 10 minutes before I was supposed to be out the door for early pictures of just the two of us.

Jacob has always treated me so tenderly. I love him for it.

I love that he is so stinking handsome. I don't think a day goes by that I don't look at him and giggle to myself at how lucky I am to have married such a wonderful handsome man.

2007-06-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

My wonderful sister, Emily, has joined us in the blogging world!! You can check her blog out here.

My sisters at my wedding: Kara, Emily, Megan, Kristin.

Echoing Emily's first blog post, my sisters are my best friends and I love them. They are a huge blessing and comfort in my life.

Lovely, lovely women.

Fragrant memories...

2007-06-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

I am often thrown back in time by the smell of something. My perfume that Jacob gave me for Valentine's Day last year always brings back memories of the spring. When I get into his car, I distinctly remember the night we first hung out and went up to Salt Lake to see Ashley's show on Pierpont Avenue. I remember how nervous I felt that night but also, and most of all, I remember how excited I was to be with him.

The smell of fall reminds me of my elementary school days when it was time to buy new clothes for the new school year--and notebooks with pencils and crayons. I almost loved the notebooks and accessories better than I loved the new clothes.

The smell of rain reminds me of my study abroad in London. For the first four weeks we were there, it rained mercilessly and I had only packed light skirts and shirts. I had to buy a new wardrobe while I was out there which didn't really bother me too much.

My umbrella was my constant companion for those first few weeks.

The other day, as I was rummaging through my purse, the aroma of mint gum, lipstick, and leather filled me with such strong memories of my youth, playing in my mom's purse. I sat captivated by the smell, drinking in those few moments. It has been 18 years this month since she past away--June 30th to be exact to the day. It seems in the last three months, I have felt the loss, the hurt, and the sorrow more than I ever have before. That four year old girl who didn't quite understand what it meant to die is pouring her sorrow out of me stronger than I think I like.

My memories of her are few. I don't remember her laugh but have been told it was wonderful and that you could hear it in the next room. I don't remember her face exactly except from pictures. Funny to forget a face that was more familiar to me than my own at one point. Two years ago, I had the first dream I can remember having about her in a long time. I was in a room that looked like a chapel. I was very young, probably four or five. Ethan was there too. He was young as well. She called us over to her and the three of us sat with her arms around us and our arms around her. When I told my dad this the next day, he said, "I'm sure that's what she wishes she were doing." Probably. But not as badly as I do.

My magnificent mother.

Beauty by faith

2007-06-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

After months of watching our poppies grow from seeds that look like Oreo crumbs, we have blossoms! The only problem is...these aren't poppies. My first reaction was, "Hooray! Our poppies are blooming!" Followed by, "Wait...these aren't poppies." Looking back, I wonder what led me to believe these were poppies. The leaves and stems look absolutely nothing like those of poppies. I should have noticed we were dealing with some other kind of flower from that mere fact. Not even a shred of doubt crossed my mind until this morning. Why? Because Jacob told me that was what was going to grow. I had two profound realizations from this. I realized just how absolute and undoubting my faith in Jacob is and the same for Jacob's faith in his father who gave us the seeds for these mystery flowers. It is a wonderful thing to have such faith in another human being. I have often felt that I'm the only person who can be trusted. I have also often believed the saying, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." But with this realization, I find that it is okay to trust someone else and you will still get something beautiful even if it wasn't something you pictured.

The second realization is on a more spiritual level since it is Sunday after all. In Moroni, a list of gifts of the Spirit is given. A gift I have always yearned for is "exceedingly great faith." (Moroni 10:11 is the specific verse in which it states this but 8-17 are all wonderful verses as well.) The faith I have in Jacob is much like the faith I need to have in Heavenly Father. Though things do not turn out to be how I expected or wanted, if I have faith and nurture my testimony and diligently feed my life with the gospel, it will nonetheless turn out beautiful and glorious.

Our beautiful not-poppy flowers.

The leaves and stems that clearly do not belong to poppies.

Sorry, Ann and Brendon, there will not be poppies when you move in, but there will be flowers!

Summer Fest

2007-06-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

The annual Summer Fest in Orem has come and gone. Having never been myself (that I can remember) and really craving cotton candy, I thought I would take my nieces to see the parade. As I drove up to their house to pick them up, both Josie and Eva were waiting patiently for my arrival on the front porch. They both excitedly said to me, "Auntie Meg! We're going to the parade with you!" The youngest sister, Chloe, did not come with us to parade but instead had a night with her parents all to herself.

We parked in my work parking lot which is just by Center Street where the parade was. As we walked through the parking lot behind Smith's to get to the street, we took turns playing follow-the-leader. Upon arriving to the street, Eva said, "There are a lot of people here, Auntie Meg." There were a lot of people! Who know Summer Fest was so big? I didn't.

Before the parade started, we hurried to buy cotton candy but got a little distracted on the way with all the wonderful things they have at carnivals. After stopping several times, we finally made it to the cotton candy booth. Eva and Josie ended up getting snow cones-one pink/red and one blue--while I got some cotton candy--blue cotton candy. We had to run back through the crowds to get to the parade which was slow going. It's tough trying to enjoy your snow cone while walking. But, we made it just in time to get a good spot up front and see the beginning of the parade. My favorite part was the army trucks. The men fired their guns and bullet shells littered the ground. I had the girls run out to get one. Josie was quick enough to get one but sadly, right as Eva was grabbing one another little girl got it first. Josie was a nice sister and shared with Eva though.

The parade went on and on and on. Just when I had had enough, it seemed the girls had to. Josie turned around and said, "This is a long long parade!" She held her arms out showing me how long she thought it was. So we decided to go get more treats for Chloe. While we were grabbing treats, we got princess crowns for them and glow necklaces. I remember as a kid I always wanted to get these but my parents smartly did not want to spend the money on it. But I'm the aunt! I decided to spoil them with the little knick-knacks that will be lost or forgotten within a couple of days. It was fun to see their excitement and how they delicately touched their crowns to make sure it were just right.

We headed home reluctantly. We had wanted to go on the Ferris wheel but the line was too long. It was getting late and I had Jacob waiting at home for me. As we drove home, Josie kept saying, "I want to go fast! I want to go fast!" Once we did start going fast, she and Eva both were saying, "Whoa! We're going fast!" (I swear I was going the speed limit--maybe just a little over.)

Once we arrived home, we gave Chloe her treats and prizes to which she responded, "Whoa, this is awesome!"

It was a lot of fun to take them. I hope they remember it as a fun time. I think maybe I do want to be a mom after all...eventually.

Josie (left) and Eva (right) enjoying their snow cones.

The army trucks

The bullet shell which was sadly left behind when we were running to get treats.

Home alone . . .

2007-06-08T19:45:00.000-07:00

As much as I love Jacob and miss him while he is gone, I have secretly been excited for my weekend alone. Being alone gives me the chance to watch which ever chick-flick I want, laugh extra loud at the funny parts and cry extra hard at the sad parts. It gives me the chance to laugh out loud at myself when I think of something funny and not feel guilty when I have 6 otterpops in a row. I can crank up my music as loud as I like and dance and dance and dance...

Yes, I'm a regular party animal when no one is watching.

Croquis, Croquis, and Croqui

2007-06-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

This is my homework for my fashion sketching class. I have learned so much already. My sketches aren't professional yet but I've definitely improved!

For this assignment, we were supposed to choose a picture out of a magazine and try to sketch the fashion figure of it. These are the results:

Chicken Noodle Soup for the Cold

2007-06-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

After spending this last weekend babysitting my three darling nieces overnight, I'm sad to say both Jacob and I caught a cough/cold from the youngest child. With both of us sniffing, wheezing, and sneezing, I figured the best remedy would be some hot soup, just like when I was growing up. Although it was a hot night, the soup really hit the spot. Williams Sonoma recipes have not let me down yet. My favorite is still the Creamy Asparagus Soup and I think Jacob will definitely agree.

This picture speaks volumes of our personalities. You can see Jacob gripping the pepper shaker--Jacob LOVES pepper. Also, if you zoom in, you can see the print on Jacob's shirt which consists of brown airplanes and blue and yellow clouds--a favorite in his wardrobe purchased from his second home: DI. I'm in my regular work atire. The medallion around my neck was a gift from my oldest sister for my high school graduation. It was a gift to her from my first mom who had it from her youth. The roses on the table are from the bushes in front of Sarah and Ethan's house. I love roses and have recently decided they are among my favorite flowers. (I actually decided this about 10 minutes ago while reminiscing about the rose bushes in my parent's front yard that were planted by my first mom years and years ago and are still growing strong.) The vase the flowers are in is from our recent trip to IKEA with Glen and Gabe during which Jacob lifted me up with his hands to reach something on the very very very top shelf--we're made for each other, right?

Take a good look Anne and Brendon! This is a beautiful house to live in and I'm glad you two decided to move into it when we leave! We'll have the poppies in the garden blooming by the time you move in!

Until next time blogger friends...

Recipe time...

2007-05-25T23:29:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of a cook yet, but I am working hard at it and am always looking for good recipes. While searching Epicurious.com, I came across this yummy recipe: Angel-hair pasta with fresh tomato sauce, but instead of serving it as a tomato sauce over pasta, I found it delicious as a dip with either pita chips, flat bread, or garlic bread. Perfect for parties (I would have assume because I have never actually taken it to a party before.)

Here's the recipe:

2 small garlic cloves
3 lbs tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1/4 tsp chopped fresh thyme and rosemary
Feta Cheese (this is a must sprinkled on top!)

Mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife.

Core and coarsley chop two thirds of tomatoes. Halve remaining tomatoes crosswise, then rub cut sides of tomatoes against large holes of a box grater set in a large bowl, reserving pulp and discarding skin. Toss pulp with chopped tomatoes, garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, sugar (if using), and pepper. Let stand unil ready to use, at least 10 minutes. Can stand at room temperature up to 2 hours.

First Fashion Outing of Emily and Megan

2007-05-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

This is Emily's daughter, Mila, messy with carrots. Isn't she cute in her little chair?!

She was really tall!

I just love free samples!

We were really far back and I was having a really hard time working the camera!!

See what I mean with the camera. 2 great shots of the Salt Palace floor!