shout-out

I need to give a shout-out to Kelly, of the amazing Crawford Clan. Kelly and I have been friends for a long time and even though we are a country apart now, she has left quite an impression on my life, along with her awesome hubby and two adorable boys. I owe her a ton for many many things, but her most recent act of kindness was designing my blog. do you love it?? I do! she did a great job. I have always been and continue to be amazed at her creativity. you should all check out her etsy store. you really do have to see it to believe it. yes, she makes everything! home decor, clothes, furniture, you name it, and she will find a way to make it. and it is always beautiful. good luck picking out just one thing to buy at The Peek Boutique where she sells a small sample of her handiwork. and on top of it all, she is the wife and mother I hope to become one day. give it up for Kelly everybody! luv ya!

pink lemonade cupcakes

I made these for my boss's birthday a little while ago and just had to share. aren't they adorable?? and they taste even better than they look! do you want the recipe? well, maybe I will post it on my new blog, Girls' Bite Out, some day soon. keep watching, we will get it up and running and irresistible in no time!

nightcrawlers

it has been raining a lot the past couple weeks and I have loved every minute of it! cloudy, rainy days are my absolute favorite. I'm sure you all know how badly I want to live in Seattle. however, yesterday as I was walking down the sidewalk at work I noticed that a few worms had crawled up out of the grass and onto the sidewalk where they, of course, didn't survive. I had flashbacks of college because there were almost always dead worms on the sidewalks on campus and at my apartment. but, then I had a memory that I hadn't thought of in years and years and I decided that I should share it on my blog, and that I would make my childhood memories a recurring topic. I was also thinking just yesterday about how my childhood and teenage years seem like a totally different lifetime, and sometimes I don't feel like they are really my memories. so much has happened in the past 10 years or so and it has moved me farther and farther from the life I knew up until I was 18 years old. but, no matter how distant it seems, it is a huge part of who I am and it molded me into what I have become. even the very small things like the memory I am going to share with you today, and I think remembering them will help me embrace that part of me instead of feeling like a stranger to it. so, without further ado, here is my nightcrawler memory.


"my grandparents had a huge window in their living room that looked out into the front yard. it was a death trap for many birds, but that is a different story for a different time. I remember spending what felt like hours sitting in front of that window staring at the grass in the front yard waiting for the sun to go down after a rain storm. my grandpa loved to fish, and the best bait for him was the nightcrawlers that came out of his very own lawn. I was so excited to help him on this adventure that I couldn't focus on anything else. we had our styrofoam cups all ready, with just enough moist soil. our flashlights were lined up just waiting to be turned on and my jacket was waiting quietly by the front door. I remember staring intently at the grass, just waiting to see a nightcrawler get brave enough to poke up out of the dirt. they thought they were safe at night time, but my grandpa and I had a surprise for them! My grandpa kept looking over and saying, "Christa, do you see any yet?" "have you seen one yet?" I hadn't, but my nose got closer and closer to the window until the steam starting blocking my view.

all right, I think it's time!" and then I grabbed the cup, flashlight and bolted to the door. we quietly walked along the sidewalk while moving the flashlights slowly along the edges of the grass waiting for the nightcrawlers to show. when none appeared we would move a few few in and keep looking. when they appeared we had to quickly grab them and put them safely in our styrofoam cups. they were slimy and fast. it was all very exciting. I loved being involved in something so closely with my grandfather. no matter what I did with him, it was always an adventure. I miss him a lot...

yes, I am a Dork

with a capital D. and I am proud. why be ashamed? I embrace my dorkiness. what makes me a Dork you ask? here are just a few reasons:

- I LOVE puzzles. in fact, I am working on this Disney Fine Art puzzle right now. which brings me to my second point

- I LOVE Mary Poppins. I hope to be practically perfect in every way some day, and I know how to spell supercalifragilisticexpialadocious. I actually love almost all musicals and would choose a musical production over a movie any day.

- I read. a LOT. I always have a book with me, and half of my moving boxes are heavy with books. I get lost in them and sometimes spend my day longing to get home and get back into my book. I have a list 20 pages long of books I want to buy at Barnes & Noble where, yes, I have a membership, and yes I worked there part time for a while just because I loved being there so much.

- I am way into politics. and I'm not just into it, I'm emotional about it. I can lose my emotions in a debate, and I have been known to cry during speeches. Barack Obama, JFK and Dick Gephardt know how to pull at my heart strings for sure. I get emotional on election days too, at the end of the night when the winners and losers give speeches. it brings back so many memories, and makes me get all patriotic.

- I love word games. Text Twist is one of my favorites. I can play that game for hours on end.

- I don't like clubs or big parties. I would rather be at home with just a few friends, or just my best friend. or if I go out, I prefer it to be an intimate setting. there are exceptions like concerts or Jazz games, but I usually only go with a few of my closest friends. I'm an introvert for sure.

- I have a thing for museums, national monuments, and historical sites. I like to take detours to these things on road trips and living in DC was SO exciting! there was always too much to do and even after living there for two years I still haven't seen or done everything I wanted to.

- I'm crafty. I like to make my own things like pillows, curtains, chair covers, etc. I've been known to whip out a mean cross stitch and you have all seen my adventures in cardmaking and scrapbooking. and yes, I started my own card swap club and we meet every other month.

I may be a Dork, but I'm a cool one and you all seem to like me anyway.