these are my favorite things

I just got back from spending a week with my sister, her husband, and two adorable kidlets in Seattle. I had an amazing time, and it was heartbreaking to leave. I love my little sister, Stacy, to death and it was a lot of fun getting to know her husband better. they had their new baby boy, Trajan Darys, 5 days before I arrived. he is precious! I was on cloud nine the whole time I was there with two adorable, loving and cuddly kids. my niece, Nynaeve, is the cutest, smartest and sweetest little girl ever born! here are some of the things I love about her:

* how SMART and so very very entertaining she is. check out a few of the videos I took of her (I apologize in advance for the poor lighting):








* how much she loves President Obama! every time she saw me pull out my laptop she would run over yelling, "Christa! can I see President Obama? I want to see him." and when I would pull up a picture of him she would say, "it's President Obama! he loves me! I love him too!" And I would say, "that's right, Nynaeve! President Obama does love you!" how adorable is that??? kids are a great judge of character, right?

* how cuddly and loving she is. I couldn't get enough of her hugs and kisses, and she loves giving them too.



* how well she plays with others. we took her to the slide at the apartment one day, and she made friends quickly with a girl there. she was jumping and happy and running up to the girl (who never spoke, by the way) saying, "come on little girl! let's slide!" And when the girl would take her sweet time climbing up the steps she would say, "what are you doing??" like she was really confused and perturbed. So adorable.

* how much she loves her baby brother. she is constantly hugging and kissing him and running up to him saying, "hi Trajan Darys! I love you my brother!" and she will do anything to help out with him. she is already a great big sister.


* how she says my name. CHWISSA! so cute!

* her big cheesy "happy face". she pulls it every time we try to take a picture. and ten I would have to say, "no, the cute face!" haha!


*her comments during movies. during the most exciting parts she would always look at me with her big wide eyes and say, "wow, Christa! what's happening? what's happening to them?"

* her poses. it's like she knows how cute she can be and wants to show it off.


I love my new nephew too. his name is Trajan Darys. he is so cute! he has adorable smiles, cute girly screams, big hands and feet, big blue eyes and he is a great cuddler too. I couldn't get enough of him. even though he insisted on peeing on me every time I gave him a bath or changed his diaper. boys will be boys, right? here are some good pics of him:





I had an amazing time there. I would have been happy as can be just hanging out in the house all day, but stacy and wayne made sure I got to go up in the mountains and see how much prettier it is there than it is here. another one of their "move to seattle schemes" I'm sure. but, really, look how beautiful it is there!






thanks, McIntosh family for a great week! I miss you guys. can't wait to visit again. wouldn't you want to visit every weekend? look at this adorable family.

The Tortilla Curtain

it took me about 3 months to read this book. I just couldn't get into it. the characters didn't appeal to me or make me feel connected at all. there was nothing in the story line that got me hooked. I could easily read a chapter and be ready to put it away and go right to sleep. the one thing I did enjoy about this book was the insight it gave you to the life of illegal immigrants.

I did finish it though. go me! I always put books away when I am bored and never touch them again. but, I followed through with my commitment. I finished The Tortilla Curtain. and because I did, I can for sure tell you not to read it. just don't. thanks.

my latest obsession

I have always loved TV. ever since I learned how to pull off a timed recording on my VCR I have been obsessed. then came boxed sets of seasons. I have Felicity, Will & Grace, Friends, Lost, and Grey's Anatomy. during college breaks these DVDs were my sanctuary. when I first moved to DC and was scared to death, Marti and I watched Felicity and it comforted me. it was my security blanket during such an unfamiliar time. that hasn't changed. for the past few months I have been in uncharted territory. no job and no for sure plan. it's strange and unsettling. that's where abc.com, Netflix and Comcast On Demand come in. I watched all four seasons of Lost at abc.com, three seasons of Weeds sent to my mailbox from Netflix, and what did Comcast On Demand bring into my life?

Dexter! if you haven't watched it, you must. I can't stop watching. at first I was just intrigued. curious. but now I'm full-on in love! so in love that I have dreams that Dexter is my neighbor and I have a crush on him, but he doesn't have human feelings which you know if you watch the show. I love all the characters. Angel, Rita, Masuka, Dexter, Miguel, and Deb. Deb is played by Jennifer Carpenter who also played Emily Rose. it freaked me out for a while, but now I love her too. they are all fast becoming my favorite imaginary friends. they are on showtime. you must watch.

june playlist - no goodbyes

have I declared my love for music lately? I LOVE MUSIC. couldn't live without it. number one on my list for being wrecked on a deserted island? my iPod. hands down. these past few months have been lonely, with all the goodbyes and everything. so, this playlist has fast become my BFF. it got me through. I'm out of the woods and looking toward a once again bright future. maybe it can be there for you too.

no goodbyes
1. Dreamer. Kari Kimmel
2. Half Acre. Hem
3. Lovely Tonight. Joshua Radin
4. Rise Up. Diane Birch
5. Since You've Been Around. Rosie Thomas
6. Turn To Stone. Ingrid Michaelson
7. Somebody Loved. The Weepies
8. Such Great Heights. Iron & Wine
9. Leaving You. Corey Crowder
10. The Part Where You Let Go. Hem
11. All Love. Ingrid Michaelson
12. Where The Road Meets the Sun. Katie Herzig & Matthew Perryman Jones
13. Avalanche. Marie Digby
14. Yellow Rose. Christopher Jak
15. It Don't Matter to the Sun. Rosie Thomas
16. Someone Else's Life. Joshua Radin
17. Magic. Colbie Caillat
18. I Feel It All. Feist
19. A Case of You. Joni Mitchell
20. I Gotta Feelin. The Black Eyes Peas

all time top 5 Michael Jackson songs

I have always loved, and still do love, Michael Jackson. Honestly, is there anyone else that can compare when it comes to talent? Is there anyone else that made a bigger impact in the world? I don't think so! When I look back over my childhood, all the way through high school, Michael Jackson is the soundtrack. I had cassette tapes and listened to them until they wore out. I used our VCR to record his videos so that me and my friends could watch them over and over until we had every move memorized. Nothing would put me in a better mood than a little bit of MJ.

I'm still in shock that he is dead. It's tragic. He had so much more to give. I was really looking forward to his big come back. I've been obsessed with watching the tribute shows, new developments, and documentaries. I can't wait to see the memorial, but I've decided to do my own little tribute on my blog. Here is my all time top 5 list of Michael Jackson songs:

5. Beat It - I probably sang and danced to this song more as a kid than any other song. Played it in the empty garage with my little red tape player while I danced in circles in my roller skates.

4. Remember the Time - This is my favorite video ever. My little brother is obsessed with Egypt and this video had to have been where it all started. I never realized how many cameos there are in it until a few days ago when I saw it again.

3. Scream - I was on the drill team in high school. We did a dance to this song, and it was my favorite dance ever. Everyone else loved it too, and we took first in the state competition. I love the video too. I remember it being a huge deal that Janet grabbed her breasts. That was way before she let one loose at the super bowl.

2. Black or White - I lived in a tiny town in southern Utah. Race wasn't a part of my life. We were all white. This song and the video, and just Michael Jackson in general, opened my eyes to the world and put me on the path to become the person I am today. I truly believe that his influence, his actions, his music, and his words brought the world together for the first time regardless of race. And he was humble about it, but he deserves all the credit in the world.

1. The Way You Make Me Feel - This song makes me happy. It ends up in a lot of my mixes. I never get tired of it. I'm sure I will listen to it, and every other Michael Jackson song forever and ever.

Michael Jackson more than deserved his title as the King of Pop and I doubt there will ever be anyone that can come close to it. RIP Michael!

online dating horror story #1

as some of you may know, this actually happened a couple months ago, but I couldn't bring myself to write about it until now. although I've been doing the online dating thing for years, I still feel pretty self conscious about it and hesitate to admit it. so, here we go... hi. I'm Christa and I meet guys online. there, I said it.

I have met quite a few great guys this way - just enough to keep me from deleting my profile. but, usually the ones that aren't meant to be, are REALLY not meant to be. take this one for example:

John (not his real name) and I had been talking on the phone and texting for weeks before we actually met. he seemed like a great guy. very intelligent, funny, good looking, motivated, well-read, cultured. all the things I look for. I wasn't worried about anything on my way to the coffee shop that night. in fact, the only thing I could think about was whether I would have a job a week later.

he was late. I sat at the high boy for about 10 minutes, and then he called to say he was in line ordering a drink and would be right there. he didn't offer to buy me one, which never really dawned on me until just now... anyway, he came and sat down and we had great conversation, we laughed, and found we had more in common than we thought. I learned that he had only been divorced for a few months, was raised Catholic but converted to Judaism a couple years ago, and was a self-proclaimed wine expert. then, out of nowhere, he starts asking me about Star Wars. I have never seen the movies, nor do I want to. he is appalled and vows to watch all of them with me. I let him know it isn't necessary, I will continue to be ok having never seen them. he still insists.

I try to change the subject, and he brings up Lord Of The Rings. I have seen them and I enjoyed them. he says, "my ex-wife could speak elvish. it was a huge turn on." I was in shock. what? elvish isn't a real language. how nerdy is that? he continued, "I used to know it pretty well myself. I even have a tattoo." "wow," I say, "what is it of?" he points to his arm and says, "it's a band around my bicep. it has the inscription that is on the ring." I'm pretty sure my face gave everything away at this point. what kind of universe had we just entered? where was the guy I had been talking to the past few weeks? he nervously said, "I don't usually reveal that until the 3rd date at least." I can see why.

I changed the subject again. started talking about skiing. he loves it. I hate it. wanted to make that clear to him right then. and he begins talking about all the strange vacations he has been on and wants to take. he spent a week on a Navy ship in California pretending to be a sailor, and now he wants to go live at the Mars station in southern Utah. "WHAT?" I say. my dad works for them. nobody knows about that place. it's in the middle of nowhere and it's a weird NASA training spot. he can't believe I know about it and that my dad worked there and he says he likes me even more now. all I can do is picture him in a space suit walking around in the desert and converting his urine into drinking water for two weeks. ...not attractive to me. not. at. all.

as we were walking out to our cars he said he couldn't wait to see me again, and that he thinks I'm beautiful, and all that jazz. I smiled and waved. I couldn't wait for it to end! what the......? the next day as I was cleaning out the art room at work I received a text from him that read, "did you have an enjoyable enough time fort night?" I didn't even know how to answer that. what does that mean? who was this guy?? needless to say, I haven't seen this guy again. am I wrong to write him off? I don't think so!

here's to online dating and the great stories it brings into my life. let's all pray I'm not single for much longer, ok?

another one bites the dust

it was a crazy week. I catered a wedding in the SLC on Friday, volunteered for We Make A Difference Now on Saturday morning, and then headed to Cedar City for my brother's wedding that evening. yep, my baby brother got married. and just 3 days before they found out they are having a girl in October! woohoo! another niece! anyway, here area few pics from their wedding.

new beginnings

you know when something catastrophic happens to you, something unexpected that you were unprepared to deal with, and you feel destroyed and irreparable? and everyone around you tries to comfort you by telling you that things will work out, a new door is opening and you just have to have faith. and, at the time, it's really annoying and not comforting at all? yeah, that was my life two months ago. I was defeated. I felt no hope. the life I loved and planned on having forever had been stolen right out from under me. I was devastated. there really wasn't anything anyone could say or do to comfort me and I was sure that feeling would never go away.

well, turns out they were right all along! somehow, over time, the haze that clouded my mood and my thinking has disappeared and all I see now are possibilities. it's true, being laid off really was a blessing in disguise. for years I have talked about owning my own business and doing what I love on my own terms every day, but I never really thought I would be able to do it. well, IT'S HAPPENING! soon I will actually own my own business... ok, so it isn't completely finalized yet, but it is so close to actually happening that I can taste it. thanks to all of the support from my friends and family, and particularly my sister, brother-in-law, and uncle, this is going to happen!

I think this calls for a serious celebration. who's in?

goodbye

I hate goodbyes. I'm sure that is why I have neglected writing this post for such a long time... April and May were full of goodbyes for me. Goodbye to my job and all the great friends I made there. Goodbye to the stability of work I have known my whole life. Goodbye to the life I knew with my sister at my side. Goodbye to my best friend, Jaime. Yes, I know. I already said goodbye to her when she got married in December, but she came back for a while and is now leaving again. We had a great time while she was here. And we took advantage of her last few weeks and said our goodbyes the best way we know how - by going to the best Broadway musical ever, visiting beautiful gardens, eating at amazing restaurants, and watching great movies.

Jaime got us tickets to Wicked for my birthday, and let me tell you, it was the BEST birthday present ever. We had amazing box seats and it was the best musical I have ever seen! Thank you, Jaime!!!



After all the fun it was time to pack Jaime up and ship her out. This is never fun, but when you are doing it so that your best friend can leave, it's much harder. That is why we decided that we aren't saying goodbye! After all, we are still best friends, and that lasts forever. We still have cell phones, internet, airplanes, cars, even snail mail! Jaime will be here to visit very soon, and once she is settled in San Diego, I will make every effort to visit as often as possible. No goodbyes, just different circumstances.

amber's wedding

so... my little sister got married. it was a bitter sweet day for me. she's always been my little sister/best friend/role model. I've been really blessed to have her really close to me my whole life. we were unseparable growing up, and well, our whole lives until her wedding day. sometimes we would pretend we were twins because everyone thought we were anyway. we had the same group of friends growing up, and then in college, and even now. there isn't anything that we've gone through without the other by our side. so, needless to say, escorting her through the temple and handing her over to Gregg was a tough thing. but, I also couldn't be happier for her. she found the perfect guy and I've never seen her happier. the day was beautiful, despite the rain and it was great having the whole family together. the pics can explain it better than I can, so here they are.

free time!

it's been kind of nice having so much free time! I'm not to the point yet where I am ok with the fact that I was laid off, but I can appreciate the opportunities I have because of it. the timing was perfect for Amber, I had about two weeks to devote all of my time to her and her wedding. (don't worry, there will be a big post about this very soon).

I was also able to go to Hanksville in the middle of the week for a funeral. Pam was my BFF growing up. all through elementary, middle, and high school. I loved her to death, and I loved her mom even more than I'm sure any of them knew. Denise owned the grocery store and managed the Sinclair and Piccadilly Pizza. she was my mom's first friend when she moved there newly married, pregnant with me, very young, shy and clueless. she gave her a job at the grocery store, and later at the Sinclair. She gave me a job at the Piccadilly when I was in high school, and gave me a big advances on my pay check for things like cheerleading uniforms, camp, and our senior trip to California. she made SO many things possible for me and my family, and she did it all without recognition and very quietly. I loved her and I'm really grateful I got to attend her funeral.

I've also had time to reorganize my house and deep clean it! I love that feeling. in fact, I'm going to do more cleaning today.

I have been spending a ton less money! no more eating out every day for lunch, no more driving all over the valley every day, and no more seeing friends every day to make plans with. it's kind of sad, but it's good for my finances!

I've been able to go to the dentist as soon as he can get me in every time. yes, I've had a lot more dentist nightmares. over the past 2 months I've had two root canals and 11 fillings. next week I have to go in for another root canal! all the pain in my mouth has kept me from eating my worries away though, and I've lost 6 pounds! I've also had a lot more time to go to the gym, which has helped that along too.

so, even though the job seach is discouraging and days can be long and lonely, I'm trying to look on the bright side. I'm sure the right thing will come along eventually, but until then I'm trying to enjoy all this free time.

i loved my job

one of the many things i loved about working at Stampin' Up! was birthdays. look how cute they made my desk on my birthday:

some of the many other reasons I loved working there was the awesome people I got to talk to and laugh with every day, the fact that I got to do what I LOVE every day and get paid for it, the employee store and discounts, the beautiful building we worked in, the amazing demonstrators, and SO much more.

we had been forewarned about a month before the day of infamy arrived. but, no matter how much time we were given, nothing could have prepared us for the heartache and emotions we felt that day and every day since then. it's been tough. I loved my job!!! I wasn't planning on ever leaving. I wanted to retire from there. I loved it so much that I can't seem to find the motivation to look for a new job.

I'm taking it one step at a time. some days are long and lonely, but other days are full of fun stuff I never found the time for before. but, the best days are the ones where I get to see all my fellow laid-offers. we went to lunch the very next day after our unemployment meeting. aren't we all so cute?! a bunch of us went to lunch again today. it was great! nothing else has proven to cheer me up more than being with all my SU! peeps.

the day before the layoffs happened I took pictures of my latest projects. these items are being shown on stage at the Australia/New Zealand Convention this week.






so, with any luck, I will be able to find a new great job. I better kick it into high gear! or maybe I will just hang out and live on severance for a while. :)