The Plunge

As I enter deep and deeper into this blogging world I am discovering that good pictures help make a good blog.  Though tricky editing can make almost any picture look good, the camera also plays a big role.  I believe the iPhone can pretty much do anything I ask of it, the camera on the iPhone seems to fail me from time to time.
So, I took the plunge. I am now the proud owner of a Nikon D5100.  After much research, discussion and consideration (by Kev) we made the big purchase.  I still don't know how to use this thing but I have full intention of taking a few classes... or maybe spending some good time reading the owner's manual!

Check out a some of the pictures I just uploaded from my new toy!

Sketch Feature

Color Effect- can you see the purple in my sock?

Snowy drive to Bend- can you see the car in front of us?  We couldn't either...

Pip and I working on our blogs, and my crazy night hairdo.

Sun and snow.  Typical Bend winter.

My face after stopping at Jack in the Box for tacos.

Kev's face after stopping at Jack in the Box for tacos.  It took a lot of convincing to get this guy to stop for a little greasy grub.

This is the start.  Hopefully I can learn a thing or two about taking pictures!

Check out Insta-Friday.  Happy Friday!!Happy Friday! 

Food for Thursday- Scottsdale Style

Every few months I am in Scottsdale on business and when I am there I make sure I gorge myself with a few things!  Some people go to Scottsdale for the sun, I go to Scottsdale for the food!

Let's take at a look at my MUST EAT list when I am in Scottsdale!

I have told you all before about this one, Coffee Bean Tea Leaf.  This place seriously has THE BEST tea!  Everything I have tried I have loved! My all time favorite is the Vanilla Ceylon, yumm-o!!

Coffee Bean Tea Leaf, please come to Oregon!

I would rather eat a huge bowl of cheese popcorn than eat any kind of dessert but when I am in Arizona my boss always takes me to a gelato place and this gelato is good!! They have tons of flavors and even import ingredients straight from Italy and the owners are even from Italy, you can't beat that!

Oh Gelato place, you are so good.  Why can't I ever remember your name?

RnR is a restaurant I tried for the first time on my most recent trip.  I was drawn to this place because it has a two story patio with open seating! I LOVE eating outside.  Here I found a new favorite snack!  Sweet Potato tots, on the deliciousness!

Don't you want to try one?!

Oh man, this next place, I seriously think I could eat this meal everyday for every meal for the rest of my life.  It is that good!!  Ocean Prime.  I don't even have to look at the menu anymore.  I get the Petite 7oz Filet with the maytag blue cheese crumble and a side of their truffle mac and cheese.  My mouth is watering as I write!

Have you even seen a more beautiful piece of meat?  Well, except for Kev.

The Mac and Cheese with big beautiful truffle shavings inside!

Oh, and the truffle deviled eggs.  The best.

I just thought you might want to see my steak one more time.

And last but not least we ALWAYS visit Donna and Stacey at GoodyTwo's Toffee Company. You haven't had good toffee until you have had their toffee.  Donna and Stacey are a mother-daughter team who have mastered a family recipe in toffee. Everything that I have eaten at their shop has been to.die.for.  Crazy good! My personal favorite, Twozels.  They also have a chocolate dipped homemade marshmallow...this candy could turn me into a dessert person!

This stuff is so good we used them as welcome bags for the conference.  Now the whole company is addicted.

I am glad I have these pictures to tide me over until my next trip! Until we meet again, Arizona food!

WIWW- Snow Day!

Happy Wednesday! I landed last night in Portland to be greeted by soft snowflakes falling to the ground.  Kev and I rushed home, and turned off all the lights to watch the snowflakes falling in the street light!  It was beautiful!  Amazing that God makes each snowflake different and he still has time for us!  This morning to my surprise the snow was still on the ground... but it was raining!  This snow won't stay long!  I snapped a quick picture of my snow day outfit!  Enjoy the snow Northwesterns!

Umbrella- BIOLA Alumni Association

Sweater- Tilly's

Tank Top- Target

Necklace- Gift from Aunt Sue

Pants- Old Navy

Rain Boots- Zappos

Dorm Life

This week, while in Arizona, I have felt like I have been in college all over again. There are a few reasons but the main reason is Heidi, Amber and myself are all sharing a hotel room during our work conference. This is good and bad for several reasons:
1. I haven't been to bed before 12am each night. (good)
2. Early mornings to make it to classes. (bad)
3. Ice Cream, candy and snack foods have been my meals. (very bad)
4. Several wardrobes to choose from. (good)
5. One bathroom for three girls (bad)
6. Sharing a bed with Heidi. (good for me, bad for Heidi)
7. Girl talk at night. ( very good)
8. Room smells of Bath and Body Works. (good)
9. Always someone around. (good)
10. Pregnant Amber eating Grapes at 4am in bed. (not good)
It's been fun but it time to break up the bachelor pad at home!

(We missed you Mak!)

Arizona + Heidi = Work Trip

Heidi + her funny jokes= perfect co-worker

Coffee Bean + Ocean Prime + In N Out= Fuel to get started

Nordstrom Rack + Manicure + Fashion Mall = A Good Long Break

Pool + computers + sun= perfect day in the office

8 Cases of Water + 70 bags of GoodyTwo's + Several Trips to Kinkos= One Full Car

Dinner + Movie = Perfect Work Day

Arizona+ Perfect Co-Worker + Needed Fuel + Long Breaks + 1 Full Car + A Good Day at the Office= One Perfefectly Planned Meeting.

I know, we work so hard.

The Art of Friendship

Hi all! I took a little break from blogging but I am back, for now. With every year that the Lord blesses me with I am finding the value in good friends. I am learning that a good friend is more valuable than any material item. But, I am also learning that having a good friendship takes a lot of effort especially being a woman.

There are so many good traits about women. We smell good, our skin is soft, we are gentle, we can multi task and we are made up of sugar and spice and all things nice. However, we woman are a strange gender. We laugh loud, talk over each other, go to the bathroom in groups, cry when we are happy, cry when we are sad, cry when we are mad, tired or hungry. We encourage one another and then compete. We are best friends and then worst enemies.

What would it be like if women lived in a world where we never wanted to be anyone but ourselves? What would it be like if we followed the rule of, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"? What if we rejoiced in each others victory instead of relishing in the failures. What if we were better friends to one another?

The picture below is me with all my bridesmaids right before I walked down the aisle. Each of my girls praying over my marriage. I am blessed. But, I have to admit I have not been an AllStar friend 100% of the time. Somehow, even with my bad behavior, the Lord has given me friends of Gold, Silver and Precious Stones. Some of my besties I have know since almost birth, others are new found treasures but I am finding that my life is richer because of each of these woman. I have laughed, cried, grown and fought with each one of them.

Elbert Hubbard said it best, "The friend is he man who knows all about you, and still likes you." Thank you girls for knowing all about me and still liking me.

Trendy WIWW

Funny how fashion changes.  Hunter boots for example, super cute right?  When I told my dad about them he was shocked anyone would pay over $100 for a pair of irrigation boots.  "You can't fight in those," as Kev-0 says about Skinny Jeans and I am pretty sure every girl in Portland owns a pair of skinny jeans, and at least 50% of the guys, not that we are all fighting around here, but they are TIGHT! Do you know what Tom's are?  Noah, Kev-0's cousin, exclaimed, "what are those socks you're wearing?!" When he looked at mine and Kev's shoes. Ya, they kind of do look like socks, but we all wear them anyways. The muse for slouchy hats was probably a Lumber Jack.  Do you think my kids will look at the picture below like I look at my mom's mullet and windshield sized glasses in the 80's?

Slouchy Hat and Boots- Nordstrom

Long Sleeved Shirt- Rack

Purple Tank and Purple Socks- Target

Jeans- Old Navy

Check out other trendy styles on: Pleated Poppy, and Rae Gun Ramblings!

Nasty Budgets

I love traditions.  It may partly be because I am a control freak and having traditions mean I know when, where and how something is going to happen.  I like route and do best in a structured environment.  I would like to think of myself as a relaxed, go with the flow person, but who am I trying to fool?

Every year when Kev and I receive our work bonus and raises we we have a tradition of heading to dinner at the Macaroni Grill.  And by every year I mean the last three years.  The first year we chose the Macaroni grill because we had a gift certificate from our wedding, little did we know that this would be the perfect spot.

Macaroni grill covers their tables with paper and gives you crayons.  A perfect environment to scribble it all out!  We write down dreams, buying a house, going on vacation, buying Kev his Rock Warrior Tundra.  Anything we can dream of buying we write it down on our table.  Then when we have all that out of our systems we get serious and write our budget.  How much a month do we tithe? How much a month is rent? How much a month goes to food?  How much a month goes to utilities? Once we write out all the necessities all the rest goes to our dreams!  Something about Italian food, cheesy waiters and crayons makes adjusting our budget a blast!

A Good Start

        

                      

                

Rob, Pip, Kev-0 and I. Sleeping in. Pancake and bacon breakfast. 90 Clay Pigeons. Boyd Caves. Pip and Tiff cave photo shoot. Chili. SunRiver Village. Ice Skating. Goodies Ice Cream. Late Night Movie. A Good way to start 2012.

2011

Happy New Year!  

Thanks for all the fun memories, 2011!

• I became an Aunt to my little bug and my little Lucy Lu. 

• I visited Hawaii, three times.

• I ran my 2nd half marathon. 

• I am still happily married to my bestie.

• My relationship with the Lord is the strongest it has ever been.

• I learned to make home made jam.

• I started my blog.

I know, pretty impressive!  Let's see if I can top that in 2012!

Accountability

It is almost the New Year!  Every year I make a New Years Resolution and ever year I have great intentions keep them... I try. Last year I made two New Years Resolutions and I actually followed through on one!

1. To read through the entire bible in a year.
2. Go to the gym three times a week.
Maybe, I will try the gym thing again next year...

This year I going to get serious about my resolutions.  I mean it, I am going to follow through on my resolutions, this year will be different, right? First things first, I know I need a little accountability,  so I convinced my girls at work, Mak and Heidi, to not only keep me accountable but to join in on my quest!  Heidi, being the creative genius she is made us a resolution form, that we must fill out and display as a reminder!  I got her permission to share her awesome form!  Click Here to download one for yourself! I am still contemplating what my resolutions will be this year and Kev gets to chose one for my list as well, me having veto power, of course! I'll let you know what I come up with.
Resolutions, accountability, and my word, I mean business this year!  What are your New Years Resolutions?

PS- Since Kev and I have been married we have spent every New Years with Robbie and Pip, this year is no exception.  We are Bend bound and expecting great Adventures!

New Years 2009.  Spelunking in Bend.  Yes, my eyes are closed and I am next to Robbie and Pip is next to Kev, strange.

2010 New Years, in a smokey cabin in the snowy woods.