adventures of yard work

my grandpa and aunt Jessica showed up on a few days ago to lay sod in our front yard. I didn't have anything against the beautiful landscaping my Grandma did a few years ago, but apparently the realtor did. so, they spent the day creating a green front yard and preparing the house for spring and the yard work that I can see is now going to become my life. I was taught how to turn the sprinklers on and off, how long to water, how often to mow, what to pull and what not to pull, where the hoses, sprayers and sprinklers are for the backyard (yes, the back yard, which is much bigger, has to be done manually), which plants and bushes need to be sprayed and for how long, how to start the lawnmower, where to put the clippings, how often to weed, and where to connect the hoses.

until now, the most yard work I had ever done was driving my dad's lawnmower around as a teenager, and weeding the back yard of the townhouse we had in DC. when they left, I knew I had gotten myself into more than I had imagined. but, I was determined, and even a little excited! I love responsibility, and I love doing things that have a physical result. I knew I had it in me to keep the yard beautiful! the sprinklers in the front yard were easy - turn them on for 30 minutes every day. it was all good until this past Sunday night when I completely forgot about them until they had been on for 4 hours... oopsie! but, I had faith that we would recover from that mishap.

the weather was amazing on Sunday. I couldn't wait to turn up my ipod and mow the lawn while wearing shorts and a tank top so I could get the tan I have needed for way too long. I pulled the lawnmower out of the work room and the only think I could remember was that my grandpa said the rope had to be pulled. the electric start doesn't work. so I started pulling. I pulled while holding down the handle bars, I pulled while turning the key, I pulled while it was on turtle, I pulled while it was on rabbit, I pulled with nothing else going on. my arm was about to fall off. it was not working. I called my dad, he was no help. I called my grandma, and she informed me of the primer button the the front of the motor. I primed and primed and pulled. still nothing. I finally lifted the blades away from the lawn, primed and pulled. voila! I was up and running! after all that work it took a lot of energy to push that thing around the back yard, but the lawn looked amazing when I was done so I got a blanket and took a nice long nap on my greatest achievement of the day. a freshly cut lawn.

the next night when I went out to start the sprinklers in the front yard I noticed something big and dark pushing one of the squares of sod up like a huge dome. I thought it was an animal burrowing in our yard, which freaked me out so I called for reinforcement. Amber and Holly came to the rescue with flashlights and a bulb for the porch light. they snuck up on it, inspected it and informed me that it was a huge patch of mushrooms! gross! and amazing at the same time. they weren't there 13 hours before when I left for work. I never knew how fast and powerful they could grow. the next day I found out that it was because I overwatered the lawn those few nights before and the only thing I could do was dig them out and hope they didn't grow back. I don't have any gardening tools, so I put on some culinary gloves, grabbed a grocery bag and a metal serving spoon and went to battle with the mushrooms. there were more than I thought. they were stinky and slimy and had killed the sod that was in its way. I think I got them all out, but if they come back for more, I won't be surprised.

baby mama

GO SEE IT! I laughed my tail off, and I'm still laughing. Tina Fey is a genius and you won't believe Steve Martin's character. if you go see it, I will reward you with 5 minutes of uninterupted eye contact.

I'm 27

okay, I'm finally ready to admit it. I'm 27. thanks to my coworkers, family, and awesome friends, I had a great birthday and I am finally going to post about it! I'm not going to lie, I haven't been too busy or too sick to do this. I have just been putting it off. yeah, that's right. I don't happily admit that I am 27. BUT - it was a great day, and it deserves to be praised on my blog.

it all started with extra time in my comfy snuggly bed. I got to sleep in! you should all know by now how much I love that. I then spent some time stamping and made some of those fun magnetic bookmarks for my friends. then I headed to the airport to pick up Kerstin. she was VERY lucky with her American Airlines flight. she actually made it! the sad part was that she ended up being sick and having to leave after lunch. it was a good time while it lasted though, and we thoroughly enjoyed our free lunch at The Pie. we ate too much, of course. but, who could resist that cheesy pizza and warm gooey chocolate chip cookie dough with ice cream?


Amber and I then headed to Park City with Jaime and Erica where we checked in to our free jacuzzi suite at the Landmark Inn. we had SO much fun with the jacuzzi! It was really only made for two people, but three of us scrunched in there and had girl talk all night! I couldn't think of better people to spend the day with! we also went out to dinner that night to Zoom, which is Robert Redford's restaurant. it was delicious! the best part though, was the dessert. Amber and I shared the pumpkin parfait. it was divine! they even put cute candles on it for me. awww! I loved it so much that I licked the glass!





the next day we had breakfast at The Eating Establishment. it was really good too. there's some good food in Park City! after that we did some shopping at the outlets and headed back to Salt Lake early so Amber and I could head to Cedar City for our cousin's wedding. it was good to be able to see all of our family. grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. so much fun!

after being forced to take a couple sick days I headed back to the office and was greeted by these amazing cupcakes and cubicle decorations! these were delicious, I need to know where they were purchased. and I did feel like a princess at my desk, especially with all the attention I was getting. thanks ladies!



well, it all would have been better if I wouldn't have been sick. :) but, I lived. yes, I have lived to be 27. it has been great so far and I'm sure it is going to get better and better. things are lookin up for me. good things are on the horizon. alright, I will stop with the corny lines. :)

what I would rather be doing

I have been stuck in bed with strep throat all week. it has been awful. I would lay there, miserable and bored out of my mind thinking of all the things I would rather be doing. that is when I remembered a post I wrote way back when I started this blog. it gives you a pretty good list of all the things I would have rather been doing this week. take a look!

on top of that, it was my birthday this week and I missed all the festivities that were planned for me at work. I also missed two appreciation meals at work. could it have been a worse week to get sick?? I did have some good times though, and my friends and family made my birthday amazing. they helped me forget that I turned 27! as soon as I have some energy I will fill you all in.

recent obsessions

just an update on the new little things I have become obsessed with and which brighten my days.

Jonagold apples - they are oh so yummy! the funny thing is that I have never really liked apples unless they were covered in dulce de leche. but recently out of nowhere I started craving them (must have been a subliminal message in a movie or something). I just happened to grab a few of these delicious concoctions of nature one day while in the produce section and now I salivate for them. try one before they are out of season. you won't regret it.


Stampin' Writes - these markers make writing fun. I love choosing which colors I am going to use every day. I mean, if you have to write, use color! and I love the tips on the Journaler end. well, I actually love both ends. since I hate highlighters (yes, the ridiculous brightness hurts my eyes) I use the marker end to highlight. it's practically perfect in every way. just like me. ;)

Marie Digby - she is AMAZING! thank you Jaime for introducing me to her. her CD just came out and since I haven't made it to Target to purchase it, I have been watching her videos on youtube over and over. you will be addicted too. she and Sara Bareilles are my favorites right now. l-o-v-e. sometimes all I need is some great music and a piece of chocolate. but, when the music is this good, I don't even need the chocolate. now if that doesn't convince you to check her out, I don't know what will.

Magnetic Bookmarks - I bought one in Bermuda. It has a picture of a beach and hammock on it. beautiful... anyway, I love it. it doesn't slip out and you can use it to mark the line you were on as well. I am going to start creating my own, you know, with all my awesome stamping supplies. go Christa! maybe if you are nice enough to me I will give you one. :)

Patterned Heels - I love heels. I wear them as often as possible. but, a few months ago I got brave and bought some with patterns. since then I can't stop buying and wearing them. somehow they make me feel better about myself. when wearing them I usually prance around while singing in my head. and it usually sounds something like this: "I feel pretty. Oh so pretty!" I'm sure I will get brave enough to start buying more colors very soon.

Jodi Picoult novels - I'm not sure how to do her justice. the Financial Times said, "It's hard to exaggerate how well Picoult writes." dido. thank you Kerstin for recommending her novels. so far I have read My Sister's Keeper, The Pact, and Nineteen Minutes, but I plan to read all of them. they are all pretty lengthy novels, but I finish them pretty quickly. it's hard to put them down. I have never felt cheated any information after reading one of her books. the description she goes into about every character, every event, every scene, is completely satisfying. no character goes unnoticed. and they are more than noticed. you are given intimate details about everyone you come across. you feel connected and involved. the issues discussed are thought-provoking and sometimes heart wrenching. Picoult is masterful at handling each topic. whether you like to read or not, you should read her novels.

shout out to b-rad!

I have to give a shout out to a post that my friend Brad wrote. I pretty much fully agree with every word and want you all to have a read. it's called My Bleeding Heart.....bleeds for everyone .

after reading it, let me know if can you honestly blame me for being a liberal. ;) thanks, Brad, for finding the words that I couldn't seem to.

ship stories

I'm back! the past two weeks have been great. I worked a ton, probably more than I ever have, but still managed to have an amazing time. it started by flying into San Juan. I was with Janiel and Johanna, who are two of the funniest gals out there. so, we had a lot of laughs and ate some amazing food at a Puerto Rican restaurant called Raices. you can see our food here. I got a skirt steak stuffed with the locally grown raices (which means root, or potato), mushroom sauce, and shrimp. it was so so yummy! raices are some of my favorite potatoes now! they served the drinks in tin cups and had the silverware thrown in a tin bucket serving as the centerpiece. the staff were all dressed in old style caribbean clothing and sang at random times. I posted a pic of them as well, but it is kind of blurry. if you are ever in San Juan, you have to stop by for sure.



San Juan is a beautiful city. here are a couple shots I took as we were sailing away:



we then had to sail for two and a half days before we reached New York. I had never been on a ship that was rocking that badly! the swells in the ocean were huge! it was cold and stormy. I could barely stand up, and every time I tried to walk I was practically thrown against a wall. haha! anyway, turns out I do get sea sick. I spent the first day at sea lying on the bathroom floor or running to the nearest bathroom. I think I threw up 5 times. but, Janiel gave me a patch and I was fine by that evening. most of my time was spent organizing boxes and setting up our hospitality desk, but we managed to have some fun together and with the ship staff who were thrilled to have us and our young crowd coming aboard. :D

we got everyone loaded and headed for Bermuda. when we arrived it was cold and rainy, but most people went out anyway. I was able to move to a room with a verandah, so I spent my evenings out there reading my book. the fresh air and sound of the ocean was great. on our third day in Bermuda my boss and I were able to get off the ship for a few hours! we took a ferry to Hamilton to do some shopping, and then back to the Naval Dockyard for some lunch and relaxation at the beach. here are some of the shots I got:


the main shopping streets in Hamilton reminded me of Georgetown in Washington, DC.




and here is the view from my room of the old Naval Dockyard. the clock tower is a mall, and there are tons of fun shops and restaurants hidden in there.
and this is the restaurant that has the BEST lasagna I have ever eaten! I am not exaggerating. I loved it so much that I practically licked the plate and I wasn't even hungry! I could barely move when we left, and I knew it was a mistake when I couldn't hold it down that night. haha! hands down, best lasagna EVER. and the staff was great. they flirted, and gave us free limoncello as we were leaving.
in Bermuda, chickens and roosters roam free. haha! the first one I saw scared the crap out of me.

when we got to New York and got everyone off the ship, we had a few hours to kill so we went shopping on Canal Street. nothing could have made me more happy. I had been dying for a Gucci or Dolce & Gabanna knock-off forever. haha! we first got some lunch at a great Italian restaurant near Little Italy. I will tell you the name as soon as I remember it. I had the best cream of mushroom soup I have ever had. the ricotta gnocci was pretty good as well. then we were off looking for bags.

after several shops, a lady made a secret knock on a wall, yelled a password, the wall opened and I was ushered into a secret back room filled with just what I had been looking for. I got a beautiful white GUCCI knock-off.

I don't think I have ever been this tired, so I am going to take myself another nap now. :)