Dang gina

A Short List.

2012-02-16T00:28:00.002-07:00

1. I like making lists
2. I am feeling really happy that I decided to watch Downtown Abbey on Netflix.
3. I love February. I just do.
4. I love my new Victoria's Secret water bottle
5. Candy has gotten me through the day this past little while. Now I am hoping the gym will get me through instead.
6. My husband graduates in less than 70 days.
7. We are going to get a puppy this year. I can feel it in my heart.
8. I am looking forward to future projects to pass the winter time.
9. The kids at my work make me laugh very hard and I am very grateful
10. I'm going to try and blog a little more. I really like it.

2012-01-26T18:01:00.001-07:00

I love this picture. I have it on the back of my phone and it has brightened many a bad moods.

The January Blues

2012-01-26T17:54:00.002-07:00

I've never been a fan of January. Well, I actually like January 1st, simply because it's the new fresh start feeling. But once I feel the rough, dry legs feeling of January 2nd, I know I am in for a doozy.

To pass the ugly January weather, I have been trying to stay busy and creative. I am in love with Pinterest and I thank whoever thought of such a wonderful and time sucking past time.

And I have fallen in love with cooking.

I feel like a better wife when I cook and a more well rounded woman. I wear my aprons and cook to Frank Sinatra soundtracks. And since it's been a really hard month for more reasons than the ugly outside, cooking more has brought me some comfort and fulfillment. It also makes my husband happier. Win win.

These are some of the dinners and treats I have made in the past little while that I am proud of whether the recipe be incredibly simple or not.

Stuttsies. Courtesy of Meagan Downey. Thank you M'lady

Baked Mahi Mahi with a Worcestershire, Lemon juice, Vinegar, Garlic Powder and Lemon Pepper Marinade and Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic

Homemade Wingers Sticky Fingers with Homemade, "Amazing Sauce" and Corn with fresh Cilantro

Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde

It's been good for me to learn cooking skills. It makes me feel better when I feel like I haven't succeeded in other areas of my day. Also I think my husband is attracted to the fact that I can make good dinners. So...theres that :)

Clear.

2012-01-04T02:29:00.000-07:00

With this being the beginning of a brand new, beautiful year to live in, I thought I would share one of my very favorite poems in the whole, wide world.

I shall go back again to the bleak shore

And build a little shanty on the sand,

In such a way that the extremest band

Of brittle seaweed will escape my door

But by a yard or two; and nevermore

Shall I return to take you by the hand;

I shall be gone to what I understand,

And happier than I ever was before.

The love that stood a moment in your eyes,

The words that lay a moment on your tongue,

Are one with all that in a moment dies,

A little under-said and over-sung.

But I shall find the sullen rocks and skies

Unchanged from what they were when I was young.

2011-12-26T19:12:00.001-07:00

This has been an amazing year. Both good and bad.

I am so grateful for all the new experiences and happy to look back and see that I have grown.

I will post more when I get a chance.

Here's to going out of 2011 with a bang!!

A little bird told me.

2011-11-10T11:33:00.002-07:00

Thing's I have heard recently

"People only post the positive things that happen in their life on Facebook so we all can think that their life is perfect."

"I think people just try to say things because they know it will make them look like a better person. It's annoying."

"Yeah well, they're the kind of person that will tell whoever they are around at the time what they want to hear. They just want you to like them"

Why the hell are we like this?

Why can't we just believe someone is a good person? Is it because we've been screwed over a million times?

Why not try one more time? We aren't, beating the system if we choose to be happy for someone or, go against the grain and truly think the world of someone without having to vocalize their imperfections along with what we like about them. Why shouldn't we post the only happy things we encounter during the day? Is it so bad to be happy or grateful about the one good thing that happened to you? Why not post it on Facebook?

These things I heard were not directed towards me. They were things I heard about others from others. If I were having a bad day would I have just assumed all these things were true? The people saying them were, "good friends" with who they were speaking about. How would their friend feel if they knew they were talking about them in this way?

Goes to show,

"Those who gossip with you, will gossip about you"

Thank You

2011-10-25T13:11:00.000-06:00

It's been a doozy of a month.

I wanna say first that my husband is the greatest thing in my life. He knows just when to hug me and just when to turn on my Barbra Streisand movies and make me some Hot Chocolate.

And may I just say,

What. A. Babe.

It's been brought to my attention that life's not fair. I knew this before, and thought I felt it in the past but ohohoho. Wrongo Bongo.

HOWEVER

It has also come to my attention that there is someone in Heaven who cares a lot about me. I also knew this before, and thought I felt it in the past, but nothing came close to the perfect timing of these sweet little reassurances both husband and I have gotten.

In the past week both Ben and I have each won a contest, been visited by our closest friends, gotten to play in the beautiful Utah Fall weather, and have random gift cards, clothes, halloween decorations, and food from family and friends who had no idea how much it meant to us.

It's given us so many incredible things to remember and a lot more courage to face life and all it's garbage dump challenges.

Thank you.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

2011-10-11T12:24:00.000-06:00

My friend Stephanie is a huge inspiration to me.

I first met her last December when we were both cast as Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray. She's delightful and so very funny. Well after the show she made an incredible goal a reality.

She's lost about 70 pounds in about 6 months.

Wowy.

She has such a beautiful and healthy view of herself and her worth and I find that incredibly inspiring and motivating.

I have been following her blog for this entire journey and she has occasionally had "giveaways" of products she loves. Well, I have never really won any sort of contest or giveaway in my life so I thought I would enter.

The prize is some beautiful MAC makeup which I would love to own on a regular basis if I could afford it.

Wish me luck!

Also if you would like to follow her (which I suggest any woman prolly should) click here

The Shrimp that Made My Day

2011-09-22T12:10:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I have weeks that make me feel like a tornado blew threw my life.

That was last week. I felt in need of a serious do over, especially because it sucked more in comparison to my couple of weeks of heavenly not having to go to work.

Last Thursday, I wanted to try and turn the week around and make a fabulous Rachel Ray dinner for my husband. I really just want to get better at cooking. So I thought this recipe would work out great. It was called, "Pumpkin Pasta Zesty" So I got to work. I even found a YouTube video of a step by step process.

Within three minutes I had smoked out the house and almost started a fire.

My ladle melted all the way down to the handle and our house smelt like burnt toast for days.

Needless to say this didn't make my week better.

I think my life is an episode of, "I Love Lucy"

So yesterday I was determined to have better luck. I picked a much easier recipe that looked amazing in my cookbook called, "Shrimp W/ Garlic"

I said a prayer before I made it. I really did. I think my husband probably did too.

I did it! I made something that was not concocted in a crock pot, or microwave or frozen dinner or grilled chicken!

It may not be a big deal to anyone else. But to me it was a pick me up that I really needed to tell me that things are lookin up. All I needed was some shrimp to tell me so. OW OW

Imagine There's No Countries

2011-09-15T13:04:00.000-06:00

My friend showed me this video today and I just can't put into words how touched I was by this person and his family. How inspiring it is to know that there are incredible women out there to take on such a huge and important task, and how incredible these men grew up to be.

I am so grateful for him and his story.

What an incredible gift he is. And what an incredible gift he has