BJ 805, BJ 825, BJ 840

Peeps, we need your help picking paint. We've decided to paint one wall in our bedroom. Neither of us have ever painted anything so we have a lot to learn. We went to Ace Hardware and they had this nifty little machine that mixes paint for you. Ingenious really. 

We bought three paint samples from Benjamin Moore. The problem is we're having a hard time picking one. 

 This is the space we want to paint.

 Here are the three colors. From left to right - New York State of Mind (805), Blue Nova (825), and Kensington Blue (840).  

 A bit closer.

 And maybe some inspiration for you.

I've changed the reactions below to the paint colors so you can vote. Please pick your favorite and help us make a decision*! 

*We call overriding power. 

A Bridal Shower

I think I've mentioned that my sister is also getting married this year. Haven't I? It's a year of celebrations and parties. =) I've been waiting and waiting to show you her church shower invitations but I couldn't since she hadn't gotten hers yet. But since she received her's today...tada! Aren't they delightfully beautimous? They're from Minted, the same place I bought my wedding invitations. I thought they looked like her, simple but well done with a bit of typography and a stripe kick for the finale.

And to top it off, found these stamps to go with. Each person got a different stamp that kinda reminded me of them. Of course, I doubt they'll know that - but I do and now you do too. :p

 Okay, for reals now I'll stop bothering you so the weekend can commence. =) 

This and That

This past weekend my salon girl at Queen Bee was telling me her and her hubby have been married for 15 years. About 7 years ago they went through a rough patch. But now, after working on their communication, they've made a comeback and are celebrating their anniversary by taking the family to Hawaii next week. Then during one of my meetings, one of the members of the committee told me that you always have to give 100%, especially when you don't feel like you're receiving anything back - and that's what has made it work for them. Another lady from my church said that she's been married almost 30 years and that it really just gets better and better. It's amazing to me, a married newbie, that it can get better and better.

On a less reflective note, I ran across this yesterday and was laughing out loud by myself. Hope it brings a smile to your face too. Have a great weekend everyone!

A Smidge of Ink?

That dark rebellious part deep deep down in me has always wanted a tattoo. Okay, maybe not so dark and maybe not so deep. A few things holding me back:

1. The inevitable crust of aging and skin that is no longer tight. Tattoo + Saggy Skin = O So Yucky.
2. The issue of permanence. What would be so worth it that you would have it FOREVER? And what would rank as the most important thing in your life? eeeiii - too much for me to decide.
3. Placement - somewhere not visible to the masses, not shown when wearing a dress or short sleeve, and nothing in the obvious places. Pretty much leaves...nothing. 
4. Typicallessness. Personally (and it's fine if you are) I'm not interested in the normal Kanji, Indian arm band thingy, an R.I.P. for a loved one, something "pretty" i.e. bird, butterfly, or flower. I tend toward something unique to you.

The blog world is currently trending these temporary tattoos. I can't help but get on the bandwagon. The only temporary tattoos I can think of were the kiddy ones in the cracker jack box and the trashy bachelorette ones from your local party store. I've never worked up the nerve and, knowing my chicken self, probably never will bo in the temporary tattoo world I pick this one:

Isn't that cheeky? Sure to be a turn on for all those designers out there. I thought of people I know when looking through them. Kats Aimee Leah Blane Brandon Davy Melissa Luke Mom Josh and Kevin.

But my favorite real ones are these fine point pretties.

(A CUP OF JO)

Do you have a tattoo? What's its story?

Check Number 1,348

This past weekend mom and Aimee went with me to get that o-so-necessary marriage paper from LA County so I could finally get to upgrading my social security card. Took care of that yesterday. Check! New one coming in 10 days. A little hint for you, don't lose that precious little paper. The Social Security Administration is not the best well run (insert Josh sarcasm here). 

Onward and upward to the passport and then my driver's license!

So Many Babies

This breaks my heart. And that is why we should be supporting these guys from here.

Blueberry Goodness

Trying this tonight in lieu of working out.

Wish me luck!

The Real Answer

One of my married friends asked recently how I was handling the inevitable question, "How's married life?" It's amazing how many people ask you that. I suppose it is the natural curiosity when you run into someone who is newly married.

This past weekend I saw a lot of people whom I haven't seen in a while. So of course I got that question a lot. I don't mind really. My standard response has been, "it's been fun figuring it out". Married people just get that answer. And that is true, but my real answer, the one that swirls around in my mind, always goes to my little cousins wedding a few years ago. His older brother was his best man and during his toast he said, "Remember to always be a husband that breathes life into your wife, instead of taking it from her." I have a terrible memory but that sound advice has stuck with me.

I often wonder at the end of the day if this day I breathed life into Josh or if I took a little bit from him. You know, you just know the answer to that question even before it hits your lips..

City of Angels

I'm headed to L.A. tonight for work and Josh is flying in tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing family and friends.

P.S. Ain't she a beauty?

Moving On

Thank you, I am feeling much better. I was able to get those errands done today and prepare dinner and lunch.  Effectively wiping away that nasty wife guilt disease. Nasty little thing.

Found this in a decorating magazine - temporary wallpaper! How awesome is that?! It's perfect for the apartment-ers who are still making an effort to make that rental seem like a home (like us...well, maybe just me. Josh doesn't really care). We have this small space that connects the bathroom and the bedroom. It's been driving me a bit crazy how bland it looks. I think it would be perfect for one of these lovely designs. Such a small space is crying out for something that stands out.  Don't you think?

That small space

Maybe this one

 Or this one

 Or this one

Which one do you like?

Wife Guilt

I haven't been feeling well since I've been home. I'm one of those people who always gets sick after an event. I'm pretty sure it's because I push it too much so when I get home my body reminds me I should have gone to bed earlier, ate more regularly, dealt with that issue sooner, and/or took a break more often.

Usually it's not a big deal if I'm sick. It doesn't affect anyone besides me. Pre-marriage, I didn't have to worry about making dinner, putting the house back together, providing company for your husband, preparing lunches, making sure he's got some sweets available to munch on and his wash all clean and folded - ready to go. But now that I have Josh I have these responsibilities. Actually, I like having those responsibilities. 

But since I've been sick I can't muster enough energy to do these things and I can't help but feel guilty. To be fair, Josh doesn't have any expectations for me to do any of those wifey things. If you know him you know he's just not that type of guy. I put those expectations on myself. I kept thinking yesterday that I was gone for 4 days and then was feeling bad for 2 more. That means 6 days of him having to take care of his own dinners and lunches. I have a growing list in my head of everything that I should be taking care of - the laundry, dusting, Target runs, weekly errands, and grocery shopping.

I feel bad because he happily picked up dinner last night for us after working all day. GUILT. No one ever told me about wife guilt. Is this normal? I didn't learn about this in our pre-marital counseling. I wonder if other wives go through this. Do you?

A Dinner Party

Home, happy, and sick. 

On another note, did you read about this? 

Crazy fools. Kinda jealous I didn't think of it. =)

A JFK Kind of Layover

I'm headed home today (woohoo! I missed Josh!) and have a 5 hour layover at JFK. I found out yesterday that my friends, Kats and Val were scheduled for a similar wait time so they let me tag along.

Actually what I thought would be an incredibly boring wait time has turned out to be so fun. There is some pretty good food in here. We had an awesome lunch (airports can have good food? Thanks LAX for keeping me in the dark.) with some great frank conversation filled with secrets galore and then Kats discovered an Illy station! =) Val and I splurged and bought some coffees and yummy pastries. Afterwards, while charging our stuff and using the free wifi (go US!), Kats taught me some strategy behind playing Scrabble (I'm playing Josh for the first time).

If this is what it's like to wait around in an airport, I wouldn't mind it so much.

Here I'm making sure Val sees how awesome those bran muffins look over there. :p

Soooo gooood.

Here's to great friends, great food, and great coffee!

GC: 2011

A resounding re-election of the three Bishops of North America.

 And the support of the conference leaders. 

"With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all..." Acts 4:33

GC: 2011

A little bit of that business this morning.

The FM denomination of North America has three Bishops. They preside over Superintendents. Superintendents preside over conferences. Each conference is different and made up of churches in an area. The Bishop who presides over my conference is the man seated on the far right, Bishop Matt Thomas. 

GC 2011

I'm attending the General Conference for the Free Methodist Church this weekend. It happens every four years and is meant to bring the leaders, delegates, and lay people together for some business and some future casting. I must apologize because I was expecting it to be mostly boring and maybe a bit stodgy? Tonight I attended my first night session and it was great. It is so encouraging to see that the leaders in the Free Methodist church are filled with the Holy Spirit. Some generalities is that they seem to love to laugh, are lighthearted but focused, excited to do God's work, and love to praise Jesus. During one of the songs the words said something about lifting your hands - I looked around and everyone was raising their hands. Nice.

We're in good hands. I am encouraged. Jesus Christ, our God and Father, is the head of the church and the entire world. Trust that He has a plan and is in charge of our future.

Car-Mageddon

Going to Rochester, NY on the red-eye tonight to attend General Conference. Looking forward to seeing where the future of the church is going.  While I'm headed to the opposite side of the U.S. my fellow friends in So Cal have to deal with this (published in the NYTimes no less!).

That's my hood right there. In talking with my So Cal family and friends they don't seem to think it's going to be a big deal. Say what? That sentiment is exactly why it is going to be a big deal. If everyone doesn't think they are going to be stuck for two hours in the same spot right a block away from their homes - then they will be. They're even warning people up in Nor Cal. This was on the freeway yesterday. Sorry about the quality, I was going 75 when I took this. 

And this offer from Jet Blue!

Anywho, for the sake of my friends and family back home I hope the 405 shutdown is a big over-exaggeration. Stay safe everyone and I'll try and do the same. See you on the East Coast!

Kitchen's Galore

I have a not-so-secret obsession with houses. Looking at all kinds makes me happy. When in Barnes and Nobles I'm the one who grabs all the home magazines. Sometimes when we're driving around in a nice neighborhood Josh will indulge me and take a few detours through the streets. Exterior, interior...i love them all. I saw this kitchen yesterday and fell in love. It's Kerri Russell's. Remember Felicity? If you love this too, you can see more of her house here.

I've always dreamed of having a fireplace in my kitchen. Not so practical probably. It is a dream after all.

Some other beauties. 

Love the white walls and the contrast of modern and traditional.

 I heart Subway tile. I might possibly put it floor to ceiling in our house one day. Just because.

 Love the floor, stationary nook, black trimmed doors, and the contrast of the wood table.

Maybe one day I'll show you my bathrooms. Hm, that sounded a little bit intimate didn't it? =) 

Julie and Julia: Naomi's Broccoli Chicken Casserole

Did you ever see that movie "Julie and Julia"? It's about a young cook who decides to work her way through Julia Child's cookbook. Don't worry, I'm not attempting the infamous beef bourguignon but I did want to try some new recipes. One of the best presents I received from my wedding shower was a book of favorite recipes from all these talented cooks! =) I'm going to attempt to work my way through the book and I'll tell you a little bit about the person behind the recipe.

On the menu tonight, Naomi's Broccoli Chicken Casserole. Naomi is my best friend's mom. She's been around since Day 1 with me. Often I'd be over there for dinner and was always excited when she cooked this dish. I think I must have told her that one too many times because that's the recipe she gave me! I was so excited! 

These are our two families. Naomi is the one in the middle. Every year for my birthday she always gives me the best homemade mochi from this shop in Torrance that I LOVE. And in my entire life I can think of only one time that I didn't receive a card for any special occasion, from a birthday to Christmas.  She has the gift of helps and is generous, caring, a bit nosy (:p), faithful, and accepting. I love her so much.

I didn't want to let her down with the casserole. The problem I found is I need very specific instruction. There's no room for error that way. I wasn't sure which size cream of mushroom I was supposed to buy or how/if I was supposed to combine the bread crumbs and butter. But I kinda cheated and texted Melissa for a bit of help. Here's the end result. 

Even though it wasn't quite like Naomi's, it was still good. I liked it. Josh liked it. Thumb's up. Naomi, thanks for passing along your love through this fan favorite! 

Dun Dun, Dun Dun

If you couldn't tell, that's the iconic lurker song from the movie Jaws. Did anyone catch that?

Just got around to developing our underwater camera from Bora Bora. Before you ask, yes those rays were larger than Josh and yes those sharks were swimming that close to us. Thinking about it I still can't believe we got in the water. Trip-Of-A-Lifetime.