Merry Christmas Tag!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper for sure. So much more fun to rip paper off of a gift.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Fake. The idea of real is nice, but not worth the needles and bugs that come with it.
3. When do you put it up? Usually the first weekend in December, I don't like decorating in November, it doesn't feel right.
4. Favorite Christmas theme? Snow men. Don't know what this means, really.
5. Do you like eggnog? Absolutely I do.
6. Favorite gift received? Last year Cody made me a picture frame to put a picture of the temple in. He made it by hand. I cried. Also, 2 years ago Cody proposed on Christmas. That was a pretty amazing gift.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad for sure. He's so old fashioned and particular.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My husband, Cody.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope. Someday maybe.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail!
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Last year at a white elephant party I ended up with an ugly crappy ring that would barley fit a 5 year olds fingers.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Three way tie between Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I start thinking of gifts about September. I start buying in November. I'm usually done by the beginning of December.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My mom's Chex Party Mix.
16. Lights on the tree? White lights. Unless the tree is white, then I think blue lights look good.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Silver Bells and Carol of the Bells.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen. And Rudolph.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. Open the presents? Christmas morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? St. George weather is crappy this time of year. Freezing but no snow.
23. Favorite ornament or color? Red and green usually. Last year I did a peacock theme with blue and green though.
24. Favorite for Christmas Dinner? Honey baked ham.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Pentax K200d. It's not going to happen though.
26. TAG - Elisa Garn, Carie Lilga. Whoever else. I don't know who reads my blog.

What's Your Secret?

PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death and God from Frank Warren on Vimeo.

This video is on this weeks post secret page. I usually don't watch videos on blogs but for some reason I was intrigued and it turned out to be very worth it. Take a look. :) Oh, and my secret is... I can't resist opening the dish washer while its running and taking deep breaths of the clean steaminess. hehe.

Cloudy Day at the Duck Pond

Photos from an afternoon walk to the duck pond above our house. We saw a water turtle on a log there... slightly odd for St. George.

Handmade Christmas Gifts!

This year for Christmas I have my brother. (My siblings and I switch off every year so we don't have to get gifts for a million people) His youngest 2 daughters are 8 and 14 and I decided to make them dolls that look like them... sort of. The blonde one is my niece Emilee. I do not sew and I am not sure why I decided to do a sewing project like this, so I got help from my amazing crafty cousin, Lindy. It took us 9 hours. Lots of fun to make though. My nieces better appreciate!
The one with black hair is my niece Angel. She likes to dress more on the dark side. We made them little wing backpacks that are removable. There were some serious misleading pattern problems but overall I think they turned out really cute.

Pumpkins!

Yes, there's more.

Spooky Shelves

This is a little witch my mom gave me. She has had it since the 1960's and it is definitely my most favorite decoration. These shelves are covered in leaves I gathered last fall. They give the shelf a nice touch, I think.

Witchy Poo Stationary Project

This is a fun little crafty thing I made this year to go next to my "Halloween Tree" which is manzanita branches filled with little ghosts I made. I found a really creepy vintage picture of a woman dressed as a witch. (Or maybe she is a witch!) And pretty much used her as inspiration for the rest of it. The background is made of a picture of a dead willow tree covered in velum paper that has a "Witches Brew" that I made up printed on it with silly ingredients such as spider legs and lemon zest. Then I printed a famous picture of a thought-to-be real ghost, and drawings of a spider and a skeleton. I drew pictures of spiders on a doily and burned things to give them that vintage effect. I think it turned out pretty neat looking.

Crows are Creepy

For some reason this year I've decided that I like crows. They are becoming the main theme throughout my house for the creepy and best part of the year.

Button Creatures

These were pretty easy to make and so fun.

Halloween with the Blacks

Table Decor

Gina Update

Hello! It's been a while! I apologize in advance for the complaining I'm about to do. So for the past week I have been in serious, SERIOUS pain. Last Friday Cody, my dearest love, tried to pop my back as he always does, but something in my back got really screwed up. Two days later I tried to have him squeeze my back to get it to pop and I pretty much fell down from the pain. I went to a chiropractor the next day and it seemed to only get worse after I saw him, so a couple days later I went back and OMG, the pain! I left his house and moving in any direction at all was excruciating. To the point of tears. I’ve tried ice, cold packs, heat packs, Ibuprofen, nothing works. So I’ve had to stay lying flat in bed for the last couple of days and I also went to this physical therapy place. I made Cody some cool mix tapes though. It seems to be slowly getting better and I am now thankfully able to be back to work. Oh yeah, the other day I received my new camera! I’m loving it so far. It’s just a point and shoot, but it is so nice. Far, far better from that sad excuse for a camera we had before which couldn’t take a non-blurry photo to save it’s worthless little life. Ahhh, anyway, that’s what’s up. And it's now October!!!! My favorite time of year. This means that I now get to do what satisfies me the very most in life. Decorate for the Holidays!!!! YES. Pictures shall be posted.

The Ten Cannots

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.
And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.

- William J. H. Boetcker

Eventful Day at the Office

Bored? Perhaps. But from boredom comes camera phone pictures. Many many pictures of random things at my office on Main Street.

My feet hurt. We have a lot of stairs here.
Thus, my shoes on the floor.














My messy desk! It has been a hectic week. Thats how I like it though. Makes things go faster.





This is the coolest alley way. The door to the left leads to our bottom floor. Eating lunch in here is a nice getaway. When there arent naked photo shoots going on. Yeah. Photographers like to come here and take pictures. Sometimes naked ones.

















Outside my lovely window. That sign hangs over our entrance. It says "Main Street Ballroom and Theater." This building used to be a big theater in the old days. I believe it was built in the 1930's? Not sure. Now, however, it is an office. Lots of people wander in because of this deceptive sign and we have to shew them out.






This is a very long hallway in the basement. Its a new edition. That door way down there used to be really small. Maybe 4 feet high. It was funny to see people walk out of it. But they made it regular sized. This area used to be under the stage. Its a very creepy basement when you are down there alone. I think the womens bathroom is haunted. Probably just wishful thinking though.

ABC's About Me.

This was on my good friend Carie's blog so I decided to do it.

A - Age: 21.
B - Bed size: King
C - Chore you hate: Any Chore.
D - Dog: Chihuahua
E - Essential start your day item: Bagel!
F - Favorite color(s): Turquoise and Sea Green
G - Gold or Silver: Silver
H - Height: 5'10
I - Instruments you play: Piano - Only a bit
J- Job: Marketing Assistant
K - Kids: Not yet. Only 14 neices and nephews. Oh, and my kitty and doggie.
L - Living arrangements: Cute apartment overlooking St George with my hubby!
M - Mom's name: Cindy
N - Nicknames: Kiku, G-Dogg, Gene.
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: No
P - Pet Peeve: Movie Theater Seat Kicking
Q - Quote from a movie: "Oh Baxter, you are my little gentleman."
R - Right or left handed: Right
S - Siblings: Seven, 5 sisters and 2 brothers
T - Time you wake up: 7:30 ish
U - Underwear: What? Yes?
V - Vegetable you dislike: Is a mushroom a vegetable? Mushroom.
W - Workout style: Long walks with no hills.
X - X-rays you've had: my knee and teeth
Y - Yesterday's best moment: Going to bed.
Z - Zoo favorite: Reptile House.

Cody is Waaaay too cute.

I just got a call on my office phone saying I had a "Special Delivery" downstairs waiting for me. Cody sent these beautiful flowers to my work! Flowers make me happy, especially surprise ones that are sent to my work. I am SO lucky! I really don't deserve such a sweet guy. He puts up with all of my complaining and non-sense and annoying wife behavior, takes me on amazing trips for our anniversary and sends me gorgeous flowers for no reason. I am truly blessed to have my Cody.

Around the Apt.

Summer Table Setting

1 Year Anniversary

I finally got a card reader so I can post the pictures I have been waiting to post since June. Cody's and my anniversary was back in June and I have got to tell you what he did for me. So get ready, because I am about to blow your mind.
Cody told me we would be doing something special the next weekend. So on Friday morning my alarm went off at 7 for me to get ready for work. On my alarm clock was an envelope with a letter and a card inside from Cody that said he had requested the day off and that we would be leaving on a trip and here is what I need to pack. It said he would be back (from some unknown place) soon. So I packed and an little while later he pulled up in a 2009 Dodge Charger. That was confusing. He explained that he rented a car and that was the coolest one St George has to offer. (CUUUTE!) He had already thought of everything too, he made plans for my mom to pick up lulu, and we had ordered a carpet cleaner which was supposed to arrive over the weekend. He had already put a key outside so his mom could come over and put the carpet cleaner inside. He already had all the drinks and snacks and anything else I would probably forget if I were the coordinator. We drove. and drove and drove and drove and 10 hours later we arrived in Carmel, CA.
He booked us a room in this way way cute place called Normandy Inn. It was all cottagey and had pots of flowers everywhere and it was built in 1902 or something. The next day we got up and he had the whole day planned. After our delightful continental breakfast we went down to the beach (so pretty.) Then we drove up the coast to all these cool places like this gorgeous beach with these huuuge cliffs (which turned out to be either a nudist beach or there were a few foreigners there.) And we went to Santa Cruz board walk and we went on a roller coaster and a sky ride like at lagoon that goes along the beach. And then we went to an old old lighthouse and this road that went through a forest with all these cool giant trees and old barns and stuff, and then we went to have sushi for dinner at this way cool authentic place. Oh my gosh, he must have taken so long to plan all of this stuff.
As if all of this wasn't enough (just giving me the day off work was a good enough surprise for me) when I wanted to keep something for the scrap book like some leaves or sand, he brought zip lock bags JUST for that specific purpose, and he even brought a folder which he had labled the "Memory Folder" which was to hold all of the tickets and little things we wanted to keep. It was so cute. The next day we drove back home. Anyway, sorry that was really long but I just had to tell you how lucky I am! (The drive was VERY long, so these pictures are mostly from on the way because I was so bored, and then the battery ran out.)







Outside of our room. Carmel Beach

Passive Aggressive

Hello. I haven't been posting much stuff because I have lost my camera's usb cord! It angers me. And my computer also got a dumb virus. But hey! I found a way funny website. http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/ It is Hil-arious. It's all about funny notes people find and send in. Check it out!

Postsecret

I found this lovely little image on postsecret today. Most likely not meant for me but it brightened my day. :)

B&W Photos

Random pic of my apartment and my baby Lu-lu Belle!

Roses

I took these a little while ago. I love my close up setting!