Summer Highlights, vol. 08

Hoooooo- boy.....

So this is my last weekday before school starts on Monday. Reality is trying its best to sink in, but this beautiful, sunny 85-degree day certainly is not helping. I just don't know how my summer can be over already. But the fact remains that it is, so I've been reflecting on the past three months and the delightful bits that have made this summer special.

Here, my friends, is the 2008 summer highlight reel:

. The first highlight came before my books were even unpacked from last semester. I can't even tell you how much fun it was to surprise every one of my family members and show up at Mom and Dad's at 5 o'clock in the morning on the weekend of Ben's graduation. And this moment made the whole weekend... and of course brought me to tears:

What a moment, to see a whole gymnasium stand and cheer a young man whose strength and perseverance has been inspiring. Go Ben!

. Then there was the race, that day that made me feel really in shape and strong and totally exhausted all at once. Dang, that was fun!


. And the garden! We planted a few pots on our patio with VERY little expectations, and a few months later we ate our first home-grown veggie! That was the BEST little yellow squash I've ever eaten. The best. Sadly, it's not looking so good for our tomatoes...


. The whirlwind family week! Wow, talk about the best 10 days of over stimulation... bonfires, thunderstorms, a trip to the zoo, witnessing an entire combine crushed into a pancake, more bonfires, a stop in Fargo/NDSU, lunch with old friends and a huge family reunion. Phil and I were thoroughly exhausted and thoroughly recharged with family goodness after that little road trip.

(www.lifeneedsicing.com - my sister rocks!)


. Just a few short weeks after our return from the reunion, we got to take part in a wedding that didn't require driving or flying across the country! That is the first time in three years that we could drive home after the celebration and sleep in our own bed... it was quite a milestone. And I just have to say that Phil's best man toast was a winner. He really is the best dude (but I might be biased).


. And then there was the date-night at the Shakespeare Festival, and the dessert at the Melting Pot, and the Saturday morning bike ride to the market downtown, and the floats down the river...

Yes, it has been a delightful summer. I couldn't have asked for a better one. But I think I'm ready to move on, to start the next great adventure.
So round two of art school? BRING IT ON.

I wish these two all of life's happiness...

Meet Jeremy and Katie. Jeremy was one of the first people Phil and I met when we moved to Boise three years ago. A year later when Katie entered his life, we knew instantly that they were one of those couples that is just meant-to-last. They both have such wonderful spirit, strong faith and "joie de vivre." In five weeks they will be getting married, and we could not be happier for them.

This summer I have had the pleasure of designing and making their invitations and taking their engagement pictures. So pretty much their relationship has single-handedly kept me busy all summer!

My prayer for them as they get ready to begin their marriage is that they always carry with them the happiness, laughter and love that they share right now.

Grow little garden, grow!

Yeah, baby! See those little pots in the corner of the patio? That is our garden - all four square feet of it. Kind of cute, no?

I'm breaking into the green thumb business slowly, but gosh darn I was not going another summer without having fresh grown tomatoes. To be honest, the peppers and yellow squash plants were just bonus. All I really cared about were the tomato plants (just don't tell the others...), but now that the peppers have little flowers on them... let's just say I didn't know one could feel any sort of pride for a plant. I might be hooked on this gardening thing...

Happy today because...

- my house is clean.
- my yard is full of life and growth.
- I have a refrigerator full of fruits and vegetables.
- I got a visit from a friend this morning.
- the weather is perfect for sitting on the patio and sketching.



I've been really enjoying just 'being' lately. Soaking in these beautiful early-summer days, brainstorming, bike-riding, laying in the grass. One of my goals for the summer was to be present and in-the-moment, to live and not just survive. To not just talk about doing something, but to do it. And I am happy to say I feel like I am succeeding.

This weekend Phil and I rode our bikes downtown for the city market. We stopped in the park on the way home and listened to a jazz concert. We drank lemonade and grilled burgers in our backyard. It was everything summer should be.

So I guess I will just end this post by saying that I feel grateful; for the husband I have, for friends that brighten my day, and for the opportunity to embrace it all.

ALMOST THERE...

I have one beastly project left to complete before I can officially say I made it through my FIRST YEAR of graphic design school! What a weird feeling... one whole year done with. And what a year it has been. There was a point just a few short weeks ago where I really didn't know if I would make it to this point, but I'm happy to report things are going well.

Just this afternoon I handed in my last drawing portfolio for the year. It was all about color and seeing things "differently." Here is a small sampling:

This one's for you, Maria...

and Mom. I'm killing two birds with one stone. Maria, enjoy the new internet scenery I hear you are in need of. And Mom, here's what I've been doing with my camera lately.

I present: Photos of a Friend of a Friend and His Wife.

Whoa... what happened?

Surprise! I'm back... not that anyone is even still watching for updates after SIX MONTHS of nothing. Six months! Where, oh where, did this year go?

Let me see if I can give the synopsis:
1. lots of work
2. lots of teaching classes, once to two ungrateful little.... ahem...
3. lots (150 +) of scrapbook pages for hire
4. 375 wedding invitations designed and produced
5. trips to Phoenix, Vancouver, Portland, North Dakota and Maryland
6. 12 credits of art school

And that brings us to today. I have a day off. No work, no school. It's a beautiful thing. So I thought I would take this occasion to share a little bit of what I have been doing in the past 2 months. Here are just a few of the drawings I have done in my Drawing I class:

And that's my story. I have to say I am LOVING that I took the leap and went back to school. Every once in a while I will have one of those "moments of clarity" when I just know, I mean really KNOW, that I am where I am supposed to be, doing what I am supposed to be doing. And that is truly a wonderful feeling.

It's a great day to be alive...

So much to be happy about today. Here's just a few things going on in my world this week:

This is what I see outside my living room window every morning. That in itself is enough to make for a great day. And the smell... oh, the smell! It is glorious.



Then there is this: June 3. John Mayer. Ben Folds. Hot date. Can't wait.



And to top it all off:



It's happening! It is really happening. I'm going back to school, baby!

Look what i found in our front yard today!!

Happy Spring!

Here goes nothin'!

Ok, so here is the straight-up truth: I suck at blogging. Once a month up-dates just don't cut it, do they. Ahhhh, such is life.

In any case, this is what my world looks like today. What we see here is the makings of my first ever custom invitations order! With these 100 wedding invitations, I am kicking off my small business venture in the design world. SO, if you or anyone you know is looking for clean, custom and personalized announcements/invitations/stationary for weddings, new arrivals, social events, etc., SEND THEM MY WAY!



An official web site is in the works (as soon as I can wrangle the web-building forces of dear husband), but until then we're going to be working out details and getting everything in place.

I'm so excited to see where this leads me. Love creating, love sharing, love new adventures. Here goes nothin'!

Almost there

2:15 a.m.

I am just finishing up the last little bit of my display for my submission to the Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Hall of Fame contest. At this point, all I can say is I will be so, so relieved to stick this thing in the mail tomorrow and be done with it. My creative energy is both exhausted and renewed after this entire process. I have pushed my design capabilities to the max, and yet I feel like I have found new ways to keep this hobby exciting for myself. Ah, creativity baby.

Oh BLEEP! I forgot to put photo paper into the printer.... must be time to call it a night....

Peace.

Mac & cheese, anyone?

So this weekend - after months of holiday and work distractions - we finally got back to our long to-do list of house projects. This week's project: start creating a warm, cozy paradise in our master bedroom.

After many sore muscles and paint fumes, we are on our way. We are going for a "Far East - meets - tropical" fusion type look... Trust me, it will make much more sense when it all comes together. Let's just say the picture in my head looks awesome. :)

Anyway, here is a sneak peek as the project progresses.

BOO-YAH!

Ha! It does exist!

For the past four months, Phil and I have been looking for furniture to fill our home. I had been picturing for our living room a clean, modern-looking kidney-shaped coffee table with two levels. After four months of not finding anything even remotely close I gave up and re-shifted my "vision." Of course, the very next furniture shopping trip we made - poof! - there it was, sitting right at the top of the showroom stairs just waiting for me to whisk it away.

I give you: "Our Coffee Table"

You are right, Vicki, it's not fall anymore...

and hopefully that means things will slow down a bit around here. With more than 2500 miles, four loads of laundry, much unpacking and a little bit of rest behind us, we are ready to be back in the real world.

Phil and I absolutely loved seeing every member of our immediate family over the past week. The time we got to spend with our friends and family over Christmas TOTALLY made the horrendous driving conditions worth it. Thank you all for a very Merry Christmas.

And now we move onto a new year... that means new promises of staying on top of things, conquering house projects and - God willing - more time for scrapbooking and blogging. Ha!

Cheers to you and yours! Happy New Year!

It's official...

I love fall! Not as much as spring, mind you. But how can you beat warm cozy crockpot dinners, cinnamon - vanilla - nutmeg - clove scents saturating the air and yummy, gooey caramel apples! Only in fall, baby. Only in fall.

YEEEEOWWWW!

Yikes. I'm so embarassed. I have absolutely neglected this blog for far too long. It has been a ridiculously busy summer, and I just haven't had the energy to up-date here. My apologies.

Here is just a glimpse of what we've been up to:

First of all, I must share this gem - I learned how to KAYAK!! It has been terrifying, yes. But such an adventure. I have SO much learning to do, but we've gotten a good start with rolling lessons, river lessons and a trip down the river on our own now.

In June we made it back to Minnesota for a wedding. I can't even tell you how much fun it was to see all of our college friends. Ahhh. Good times.

A week after that, Mom, Dad, Daniel and Ben spent a week with us. Even MORE good times.


My little brother got married in July! Geez. The summer just keeps getting better and better... It was a gorgeous wedding, and I don't think I have to tell you that it was just SUCH a blast. LOVED spending a long weekend with my family.


Two weeks later was ANOTHER wedding (are we sensing a pattern here?). This one was in Minnesota, too. By this point our travel funds for the next several years are pretty much spent. Ha!


And the big finale..............

I still can't believe this news.......





That's right! See that little sign out front? It says SOLD because.............. It was SOLD to US! Yeay!

It isn't official yet. We still have to make it through the appraisal. But if all goes well, in two weeks we will be moving into our very own home! AAAACCKK! I still can't believe it. I'm trying to remember that it is not a sure thing yet - that two weeks is plenty of time for something to go wrong with this deal - but I can't help but be out of my mind excited! Our OWN HOME. Whew.

Yes, that means our moving count is up to five now since we got married a little more than two years ago. FIVE moves. Yuck. But moving to a house that we own? Totally worth it, right?

Anyway, so that is the overview. In a nutshell: this has been one ridiculously busy summer. But so much fun, I wouldn't trade the stress and craziness for a second.

It comes with the rent...

FINALLY...

I have photos to post! It took my parents coming to visit for us to whip our place into shape enough to take pictures. Ha! What motivation, eh?

In any case, without further adieu.... The Abode:


The comfy couch...


The purple dining room...


The "green room" (hee hee!)...

The sink...

And the rest of the photos we have just aren't all that spectacular, so I think that is enough for today.

In other news, we are recovering after a fantastic week with Mom, Dad and the brothers. It was so great having them here. Loved showing them where we live.

Have a great weekend!

Two years ago...

I became a wife. Two years. Two whole years.

I've been going over in my head today all that has changed since then, and all that hasn't. In two years, we have lived in three different cities. We have trained for and finished a half-marathon. We have moved 1600 miles from our families.

We've hiked, parasailed and rafted. We've walked sandy beaches and strolled through famous vineyards. We've danced, dined and dreamed. We've fought. We've made up. We've laughed together and cried together. We've learned together. We've grown together.

After two years, I am more sure than ever that I made the best decision of my life when I told my husband, "I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

Here's to two wonderful years. And to many, many more.

Beyond warm

I love Spring. May is absolutely by far my favorite month of the year. The flowers, the fresh temperatures, the beginning of summer (I know, I know... summer doesn't "technically" start until June, but to that I say "whatever").

But I'm feeling this year like I got a little ripped off! Yesterday was a record-setting 96 degrees. 96! We seem to have skipped over May and gone right to August.

I know we've lived here for a year now, but I can't help but still make some comparisons to North Dakota. One year ago, Phil and I ran a half-marathon in rainy/slushy/windy 45 degrees. That's 50 degrees, people!

In any case, I am pulling out the skirts and tank tops. Summer came early.

In other too warm news, I took a bite of cereal this morning to find that the milk soaking my shredded wheat was room temperature. Not a good way to start the day. This is the third time in a year that we have had refrigerator problems. Does anyone know how to break bad refrigerator luck? Wait a second..... it all started when I cracked an ice tray. Does that mean I have 6 more years of room-temperature milk?