making it count...

2008 Latah County Fair

2008-09-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Some photos of the fair- before my camera died. You know, the same thing happened last year...you think I would have learned my lesson. We had a great time...stayed a lot later than expected, but M was good the whole time!

2008-09-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite pictures from today...downtown Moscow.

2008-09-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share some pictures I took around the nursery the other day. I'm getting back into photography...currently saving for a nice camera. Things have been super busy...it doesn't seem to slow down. I've started doing some landscape maintenance in addition to working at the nursery...my days seem to be filled to the brim! I must say, nature is pretty amazing sometimes. Hope all is well...

The Return is Near...

2008-08-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

Sorry I've been away for so long. Hopefully things over the next few weeks will slow down and I'll be able to keep up with blogging! I think Christian is holding my camera hostage in his car somewhere...
Well, I've done the deed. I'm officially married...pictures should be coming this week! Married life isn't much different from non-married life other than the sparkly ring I get to wear. Now I'll be stuck with Christian driving me nuts for-EVER. Just kidding! He's my best friend and I feel so lucky to have him in my life. More to come soon! I promise...:)

2008-07-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends.
It seems like my head has been so full of "stuff to do" lately, I can't decide which to do first!

We went camping at Laird Park over the 4th with our friend Joseph and his girls Rachel and Adriana. I'll post pictures as soon as I can get them off his camera...I packed my camera without the memory card (go figure). It was a fun trip and a good break from wedding planning, working, etc...I haven't been camping in a long time. I wish I could camp every weekend! The only bad part was that we were in a campsite next to the most rednecky rednecks ever. Their dogs were constantly barking (everyone had a dog) and we could hear them beating their dogs at 6:30 in the morning. Needless to say, I'd rather be somewhere a little more isolated. Other than the first night, Maia did great and keeps talking about "campin'." Hopefully we'll be able to do it again soon!

2008-06-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,
It's been a rough few days. On Friday I had to go to the ER...I was having breathing problems and kept having episodic hyperventilation. Luckily they didn't find anything wrong with my heart or the blood tests, but since then I've been having to spend all day on the couch. Every time I get up I struggle with breathing. Luckily Christian and my family have been helpful and understanding. I'm lucky to have them! Tomorrow I go to the doctor...I'll keep you updated. Hope all is well...

Yard Sale!

2008-06-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

Cute pics from our yard sale last weekend. Maia stuffed cherries in her mouth and held them in her cheeks like a little chipmunk. I realized I should have taken more pics...it was such a beautiful day. We had doughnuts and cherries for breakfast and tried to manage the herds of yard-salers tromping through the yard. It seems like they all came within a one hour span. I sold my scale that I found last year at an estate sale... :(. It made me sad to see it go, but we have so much stuff crammed into our house some of it had to go.
Check out the box of stuff I have for the Paper Pals yard sale this weekend (8-12)! Hope to see you there!

Wedding Bells...

2008-06-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Our florist, Sweet Peas and Sage...I hope she can get peonies in!

The Churchyard Inn, Uniontown

Paper Pals wedding invites!

Cowgirl Chocolate wedding favors...mmm!

Wine from Camas Prairie...

Sorry it's been so long...
We're ALMOST done planning the wedding. We're trying to support local vendors with our business, and so far, I'm really happy with everything! Going local is always a good opportunity to support small community businesses and get personalized service.

I'm really looking forward to the day of, but I'll be happy when the wedding planning is finished. It's a lot of work! More to come soon...:)

Little Creations

2008-05-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

Spent today scrapping and doing many little things. I think I may slowly but surely be getting better at designing 12 x 12 pages ...either way, I actually like the way this layout came out! However, the notecards are my favorite. Tiny clusters of flowers and ribbon...what could be better? :) These papers are from the Making Memories "Noteworthy" collection available at Paper Pals. Further details at Paper Pals Design Team website!

Planting Day!

2008-05-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

We've been at it all day! 80-some degrees and perfect weather for planting up all of my pots. TT came over bright and early this morning, and I kept Maia home so we could spend some quality time together. We went out to breakfast, played on the equipment downtown and came home to plant up the three flats of annuals I got at Crossroads. They turned out great! I think altogether we finished eight different planters. Though it didn't help my sunburn, it was a fantastically relaxing day.

2008-05-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Just finished this collage of Maia's second trip to Seattle. I found this jumbo 16-piece puzzle at the thrift store and it worked great for all of these cute pics of Maia in her pink coat! All I need to do is mount it on foamcore and frame it! It was time consuming, but definitely worth it... check out the Paper Pals Design Team website for details on its creation!

2008-05-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy busy week. Lots of little miscellaneous happenings piled in a heap. Finally got this Wendy Addison "M" at the nursery for Maia's door. I've been wanting it forever and you can't beat 50% off! Leftover Christmas makes for limited selection but good bargains. Since I haven't gotten to do much crafting since last week, this little sparkly makes me feel better.

Flowers are finally blooming in the backyard. It is our first spring here so strange plants keep popping up all over. I love it! It keeps me in suspense...

Hope everyone's week is going well. :)

Treasure Hunting...

2008-04-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a find from Friday...vintage crepe (feels like satin!) and a vintage Pyrex.
Yesterday I woke up at 6:30 to make it over to the big yard sale at Beasley...I was one of the first ones there, but it sure filled up fast! I think all of the good stuff was gone in the first 15 minutes. I managed to grab a few goodies before I had to go...
1. A picture of a line of women in their flapper dresses...it's hanging in my kitchen!2. Juice pitcher and glasses...I love the color.3. Vintage aprons...$2 ea! My favorite blue bib...
Then Mom, TT and I went to Spokane to look for a dress for mom for the wedding. On the way up we stopped by "Two Old Hammers," an antique store in Oakesdale that I've always wanted to check out. I found the vintage apron on the left for $4 and these cute pigs for $3. We were eventually successful and found two dresses for mom and one each for TT and I. It was a great day, but I was beat when we returned home...I fell asleep at about 8:30 on the couch and can't remember anything after that!

Visions of Sugarplums...

2008-04-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

I love the magazine "Cottage Living!" I'm always so inspired by their articles. I've finally decided to take the plunge and just subscribe rather than repeatedly buying it off the stand at the markup price. Big decisions. :) This morning I went onto their online site and they had these pictures of "backyard retreats." I'd love to do something like this in the huge empty space in our backyard where there's enough room for three gardens...

This picture was a zoom from our back porch...wouldn't a retreat be perfect right where that big, ugly birdhouse is?

2008-04-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

So. One of my reality shows in this year's lineup is "The Bachelor: London Calling." In the beginning I thought he was supercute- tall, dark and handsome with an accent...what could be better?
Well, this was until I started noticing his hands in a few of his makeout shots with the girls...OMG, he has the whitest, softest, girliest hands I've ever seen, complete with tapered fingers and buffed nails. Not what I was expecting. Now, I'm not saying this is necessarily bad if you're into those kinds of hands, but for me (and I happen to be a "hands" girl), I like rugged, knobby, working hands that look like they've seen some sunshine and air in the last decade.
So, as my opinion of the Bachelor was dropping, I got to thinking about hands and what they say about a person. Thus my reason for taking pictures of my own left hand in consideration of what it says about me. Enjoy. :)

2008-04-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

Check out my new place of employment...so far I love it! I think Christian and I are going to have some of our engagement photos taken in the greenhouse. So many new plants are making their way to the nursery...we just received a batch of peonies and Jacob's Ladder...my favorites are the herbs and the hanging baskets. I'm just itching to buy one...:)=

2008-04-16T23:16:00.001-07:00

I just added this link to my Favorite Places. These caramels are to die for! I am normally a dark chocolate fan, but the milk chocolate with the smoked salt is definitely my favorite! I have her cookbook (Pure Chocolate) and this lady is the queen of all things chocolate. Even though they're a little spendy, these treats are worth the indulgence. Trust me.

Love it!

2008-04-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share some of our Seattle pics. Maia loved her first airplane ride. We visited with old friends, did some shopping and took care of business. Pike Place is one of my favorite places...we also got to go to the Seattle Aquarium-I've never been before (or at least not for a very long time!) where Maia got to touch starfish, anenomes and other strange creatures. I visited Antioch as a prospect for grad school and Christian had meetings with TDM people...it was super busy and our "vacation" didn't last long enough!

2008-04-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Maia got this trampoline for Easter. She had trouble at first because she's so light...she barely made a dent in the middle! Somehow she's managed to figure it out and she's been "jrumping" everywhere- on the trampoline, around the house, on the bed, on the couch...I can't seem to make her stop! What a goofball...

Treasures for Sale!

2008-03-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

Spring cleaning and the time has come for me to get rid of some of my treasures. :( Some of these are great for artist/crafting projects! Let me know if you're interested in any of the above items, and/or if you have any questions...

Green Shutters: $16

Shower Curtain Hooks: $8

Vintage Velvet Roses: $4

Blue Glass Shell Bottle: $2

Vintage Red Wrapping Paper: $3

Vintage Recipe Book: $4

Beatrix Potter Puzzle (jumbo): $3

Little Green Birdies: $4
Shabby Wire Tiered Baskets: $10

Thanks for looking!

2008-03-24T21:17:00.001-07:00

I thought I would share a few of my favorite pictures from the last few days. Christian and Maia doing the "helicopter" on Saturday. Maia took the one of me...taking pictures at age 2...start 'em young! Maia in her new raincoat and boots sent over from Grandma Maggie...and a few pictures of Easter...I love the ones of Grandpa, Grandma and Maia!!

Easter was fun...we had about 15 people over to our house including all of the family. The best part was watching the kids do the egg hunt. There were 5 participating and they had a great time finding eggs...our backyard worked great! I know I've said it a million times, but I love our backyard! I can't wait to do the garden this year...good thing I'll be surrounded by plants all summer...it will keep me motivated!

2008-03-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Mom and I met Harmony in Lewiston and ordered the rest of the bridesmaids dresses. Check. We went to St. Vincent's Thrift (not my favorite) and then to The Hangar (always my favorite). I found two little owl salt and pepper shakers that I contemplated giving to Karen, but love too much to give away (sorry Karen! :)). On our way to lunch the hail storm hit and we ran for cover into an antique shop downtown which turned out to be a great find...two floors of booths!

Today I started my new job at Crossroads Nursery. Second only to scrapbooking, I love gardening and am so excited to be working with, and learning more about, plants. Though it was cold, my first day was great. I learned the ropes, moved some plants and tried to retain all of the information thrown my way. Not easy with the loads of common and scientific names, register procedures, closing duties, watering schedules, etc. Starting a new job is never easy, and it will probably get super hot and miserable, but I look forward to the summer ahead.

2008-03-11T00:22:00.000-07:00

It's Monday already. I feel like I have so many loose little ends flying about...sometimes it makes my head hurt. I think I am in desperate need of a vacation. Any vacation. I've been watching a lot of "Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations" in lieu of driving away at 3 in the morning. I wish it were my job to travel, eat and write. Preferably somewhere nice and warm.

Also, Daylight Savings has thrown my whole schedule off, and now I can't sleep until 1, but still have to wake up at 7-ish. And I'm a must-sleep-eight-hours-a-night kind of girl. This makes me tired midday, so I nap when Maia naps and then I toss and turn at night. It's a vicious cycle.

Highlight of my day- Maia drew a CIRCLE on her doodle thingermajig on purpose! Ah, the little things...:)

2008-03-04T14:22:00.000-08:00

On Sunday Mom, T and I went to Lewiston/Clarkston to pick up (additional) flower girl material. It was so nice down there! Sunny and at least halfway warm. After we stopped at JoAnn's we went to Albertson's for bread for the ducks and a snack for us....where I found my primroses for a $1!!! We went for a walk along the river and fed the ducks...or three geese as it turned out and then went to lunch at Tomato Bros.

Today I worked on some Paper Pals projects...so therapeutic!!! Check out our new design team blog (http://paperpalsdesignteam.blogspot.com/). I am now gearing up for a long afternoon of crabby two-year-old.

2008-02-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, check out the American Idol site (or this link) to hear David Archuleta's version of "Imagine." He's the best!! The other contestants this year are kind of bad...

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/?vid=966&pcs=499

2008-02-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

1. Too pretty to be my daughter...
2. Maia fell asleep in the throw-up bowl (clean at the time).

2008-02-20T09:27:00.001-08:00

I have these tulips I got from C on V-Day...I've been wanting to begin drawing again and I thought they would make a great study, glowing with the afternoon light from the kitchen. I had this thought and now, here I am three days later with a kitchen floor littered with petals, drooping stems and shedding greenery.

2008-02-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

Ah, Valentine's Day. Probably the least significant holiday on my entire holiday list, but the chocolate always makes up for the slight nausea I feel when I am inundated by the piles of red roses, mylar balloons, and frilly heart boxes adorning the entrances to every grocery store.

Today Maia and I went to the mall and bought a disgustingly glittery card for Christian and acquired a pink balloon along the way. We ate lunch at Lefty's and then went to drop off Grandpa's valentine at work where Maia snuggled for a good five minutes before we headed home. I'm pretty sure Maia is my perfect Valentine, though Christian comes a close second. ;)

2008-02-11T08:55:00.000-08:00

It all started with Maia getting sick...she woke up at about 3:30 am screaming bloody murder and we ran in to find throw up everywhere. Everywhere. Recovery involved a full bath, new set of sheets and blankets and a load (or 5) loads of laundry. Throw up continued into the next 2-3 days. It feels like all I've been doing is laundry. I was so looking forward to the weekend...Saturday rolled around and I came down with a bug that kept me bedridden all weekend long. I am just now feeling better, though my stomach still protests at anything stronger than applesauce and water. Talk about a diet plan. Poor Christian was kept busy between Maia and I.

Now the weekend is over, and I have too much to do this week, though no more sicknesses!

2008-02-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

2008-02-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

I just got in a great workout...I've finally started walking/jogging on the treadmill regularly and it feels good. Especially since it feels like my life is fraying at the ends a little. All of those endorphins keep me optimistic, at least for a little while. It's been hard to stay motivated in a lot of different ways lately...working out is a great way to keep it all together.

2008-01-31T10:01:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the last week or so. Lukas, Marci and Maia, Ona and Maia, and our snow day from the front and back windows of the house.

Ergh. It took Christian almost an hour to shovel the sidewalk and his car out this morning. He deserves a vacation. Maia is home with me today because a parent got stuck in the driveway at her school. My mom issued a self-proclaimed snow day and is baking muffins on the mountain.

I think Maia and I will make valentines for her friends and teachers and bake some cookies...I hope Christian will be safe to and from Pullman. Hope everyone stays warm...hot chocolate cures everything.

2008-01-27T17:07:00.000-08:00

So it's only been about a month since I last posted....hm. ;) So much snow is making me want to burrow under the blankets and never come out...

Things are going well. Yesterday MOM (I love you Mom!) Trisha, Tanya and I went to Lewiston to check out bridesmaid's dresses. Tanya ended up with a pink one and Trisha has hers on order in the tea length in pink. I love them and they'll be perfect for a garden style wedding. The bridesmaids will be a mix of pink and sage in different styles...two of the other girls already picked sage, so it should be pretty. I hope.

Other than that, I've started work with a 17-year-old completing a homestudy program. It's been fun thinking of new ways to teach the material he needs to learn. We get along well, and the job is super flexible, so I'm feeling pretty lucky.

Hopefully more blogging to come...

2008-01-01T22:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Today was super laid back...lots of family time at home. Maia is still off from last night...she stayed up until 11:45! We spent New Year's at the Thornquist's...it was tons of fun-pizza making party! We finally called it quits right before midnight and went home to watch the ball drop. Maia wouldn't fall asleep in her crib this afternoon for nap and finally passed out around 5 in the middle of the living room floor on top of her pink blankie with her diaper bum in the air. It will probably take a couple of days to get back on track. I love the holidays, but in some ways, I'm relieved they're over and it's the beginning of a new year. I feel like the upcoming year holds a lot of potential.

Christmas and New Year's

2008-01-01T22:31:00.000-08:00

2007-12-26T23:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight I got to see one of my best friends from high school, Kate, and her family. Kate is a sweetie and her mom always makes the best food. I LOVE when Kate comes to visit! She tells me all sorts of exciting stories about her life- most of which revolve around her winemaking adventures. She will be moving to New Zealand in January to work the vineyard of her Kiwi boyfriend, Luc. Christian and I are talking about spending some time there learning the winemaking trade (2 summers away?). I think it would be a great experience for Maia and we would get to (finally) spend some time traveling. Either way, in the next year or so, some big decisions will have to be made- Art Therapy program or winemaking? Deciding which dream to pursue is difficult but I'm excited about the prospects.

Tired

2007-12-20T21:53:00.000-08:00

So tonight we finally put up our tree...better late than never. It's beautiful (and prickly).

I've been so tired lately- I'm not sure if it's because of my lack of exercise, stress, oncoming sickness or my less-than-perfect eating habits but I've been dragging for the last couple of days. Maia's been a little more than a handful lately...she's been waking up in the middle of the night regularly and Christian and I are having to alternate getting up with her in the wee hours of the morning. Her mannerisms of late (thanks to being a two-year-old, I'm sure) have been super-demanding, whiny, and bossy which wears me down more than I realize on a daily basis...my patience wears thin more easily these days. I know this is just a temporary slump, but sometimes the lows seem to last so much longer than the highs.

2007-12-16T23:25:00.001-08:00

This was one of the first weekends I've had off in a REALLY long time. It started off with the Paper Pals Christmas party which was SO much fun...I've been so caught up in everything else-finals, Christmas, Maia, wedding planning- that I haven't had much time to scrapbook lately. I miss hanging out with the Pal Gals, even if I didn't get anything done. :)

Saturday my parents came into town to cut the Christmas tree(s), (one for our house, one for theirs) from our backyard. Christian, Maia and I got to go on a walk together which we haven't done in a really long time, and Harmony came for a visit (she always spoils us when she comes!) Then Maia and I went up the mountain to spend a "girls night" with my mom and sister. We made a cheese fondue and a chocolate fondue (super delicious) and watched Ocean's Thirteen and Surf's Up.

This morning we made beignets, went sledding and I got to take a nice long nap...what a perfect weekend. Oh, and to top it off, Harmony made dinner (chicken parmesan) for us tonight and bought tiramisu for dessert. I'm so full of delicious holiday food! And I love my friends and family! I'll have to look forward to starting a serious workout plan after the holidays, but eating well during the holidays is totally worth it.

Friendship

2007-12-04T10:46:00.001-08:00

What the heck is with this weather? It feels like spring! Cruel, cruel world.

I love being home though sometimes (especially around Christmas) it brings back memories I'd rather forget. There's something to be said for moving on both physically and emotionally.

I've been thinking a lot about friends lately. I'm recently back in contact with a few friends from college whom I've missed...I hope we'll be able to keep up communication. Something about the Christmas season makes me think about everyone I've known and loved. I've made so many good friends at every stage in my life- high school, college, post-college- that it's hard to keep up sometimes. However it does NOT mean I've forgotten about how truly special and important all of my friends are/have been to me. Though our lives move forward, it's always necessary to take a moment and appreciate the people who have helped us along the way. Love to you all.

2007-11-29T12:47:00.000-08:00

I decorated the house! Hooray for Christmas!

A slow day day today...all of the snow outside just makes me want to stay indoors and appreciate the beauty of winter from inside my heated living room. Last night I went to my final class at Joy's house (prof). It was a blast! More like a party than a class. I hadn't realized how much I'll miss being surrounded by such creative, diverse people every Wednesday night. We had pizza, lots of cookies and brownies and plenty of beer and wine. Some of us had more beer than others.

I have really appreciated being able to write again. Sometimes all you need is a little pushing to rediscover love for something you hadn't even realized you missed. I love immersing myself in a creative environment, whether it be art class or a creative writing group. I hope I'll be able to do more in the future.

I just found out I'll be pursuing something else I love (community service) as leader of a junior Girl Scout troop. Apparently they have been wanting to get off the ground as a troop but haven't had the leadership to do so. I remember the good times I had as a Girl Scout and hope I can live up to the position and be a positive role model for these girls. I'm so excited to be a part of their development as young adults.

This year I want to work on living up to my potential- my lifestyle, my body, my goals...everything I want to be that I feel I've fallen short on . I know (and hope) I will have to push myself into working harder than I have before, but I feel it will be worth it in the end. I want to look back next year and be proud of what I've done.

2007-11-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it feels like the hours in a day run together in one big blur. I think back to the moment I woke up this morning and it seems like it was much more than 12 hours ago. The best parts are the moments that drift by slowly, clear bits of time in full color that get filed away in my mind for a rainy day. Today's filed memory was time spent with Maia, TT and Mom at the mall, just us girls. Mom spoiled all of us- she bought me two new sweaters, TT one dress shirt, Maia 3 new outfits and all of us coffee at Starbucks. The Orange Julius guys gave us free popcorn and we sat at Starbucks and talked. I don't feel spoiled very often any more, but I definitely felt spoiled this afternoon.
Everyone needs to feel spoiled once in awhile. I think all too often being "spoiled" has a bad reputation. For me, it is about feeling special and feeling important to someone else. As we get older, have children and additional responsibilities, those moments of feeling important become less frequent, and it often seems as if we are fading into the background, slowly but surely. Thank God for family and friends that keep us from fading away completely.

2007-11-15T18:32:00.001-08:00

There are some days where life just seems as if it's fraying at the ends. No patience left for anyone or anything and you just feel like you want to cry. Sometimes I wish it were easy for life to do a complete 180...flip it over and everything's the opposite...or just different. It would be summer, I'd be single, not fighting the motherhood battle, and traveling in another country. I often wonder what single mothers do when they don't have extended family to support them; when they reach that moment of complete frustration, that moment when they want to give up and can't. My cure these days is to shut myself in the bedroom with chocolate or McDonalds and watch T.V. Which sounds really good right about now...

2007-11-14T14:06:00.001-08:00

After reading and being inspired by everyone else's blogs, I'd really like to figure out this blog stuff for good.
What better way than to dive right in? And it's about time I make the leap from MySpace to blogging because, as Karen says, "you're too grown up for MySpace."
Slow day today, Christian is home sick and I am in a card-making frenzy. Here I thought it would slow down after the craft fair, but we seem to keep getting orders in. If anyone you know needs cards for any occasion, give me a call! I love being able to make $$ (though little) doing what I love, though Trisha and I have mainly been supported by our families this year. Oh well, you have to start somewhere. Thank God for parents who support their starving artist children. I've been ignoring my homework and building up a neck cramp from bending over the scrapbooking/dining room table. Oh, for the day when I have my own scrapbooking room! One step at a time I guess...

Tonight I go out to celebrate one of my friend's 21st birthday. I remember when 21 was such a landmark...hard to believe it's 5 years later already. I met Kate on our service trip to New Orleans as one of my teammates. It's these little things that remind me how important it is to participate in service and volunteering activities. I hope to be volunteering with a Junior Girl Scout troop soon and am always looking for other projects to support a good cause...this will be especially important to remember as we head into the holiday season. Whenever I think we never have enough money I try and remember those who have nothing for Christmas.

Coming Events to Support:

-Moscow Building Supply Food Drive (December 1)
-Annual Giving Tree (Palouse Mall and Eastside Market Place)
-Coats for Kids