Project Life Week 3: This Year Needs to Stop Going By So Fast

I have been in a serious funk lately. Scrapbooking has totally not been my thing. I've been avoiding Project Life for weeks. The only thing I have done is I've kept up on my Project Life Planner. Thank goodness.

So we're going to take a little trip down (recent) memory lane. Yup. That's right. Moving right along, here comes week 3 of Project Life 2012. I am seriously rolling my eyes at this right now. Just pathetic. January? Really? Embarrassing.

Anyway...

It was a dry, dry winter around here. The temperatures were really warm and we weren't getting any snow. In fact, our first snow of the season fell in the 3rd week of January. It was strange.

And...of course it snowed while Collin was out of town at the mine, leaving me with the little 2WD Ranger. I had to move the heavy sandbags into the back of the truck to try and get some weight for traction. It doesn't do so hot on icy roads.

On the upside, I got some pictures of the snow before it quickly melted the next day. And that was it...our brief glimpse of winter. Not much snow after that.

We celebrated Miss K's second birthday and I took the pictures at the party so that Patti could actually enjoy herself. Collin was his usual goofy self, wearing the Minnie ears like a good sport.It was really fun. K is so cute with her little friends.  It's been really fun watching her grow up. She's getting to be such a big girl. She calls me Auntie now...asking Patti if it's me on the phone when I send her a text. So cute. I love it.

My fancy recumbent bike showed up and Collin put it together for me. The rheumatologist told me to get one and suggested that I bike at least 10 minutes (preferably 15-20) per day five days a week. She says that it will get the neurotransmitters flowing and may help me get more energy and feel less pain. I honestly thought it was bunk...but guess what? It really does work. I can tell that I do better when I bike. Less fatigue, less pain. It's kind of nice.

I've taken to going downstairs with my iPhone or latest book and reading or playing games for 10-15 minutes while I bike (I do occasionally do 20 minutes). I need to be better about it though...I typically only get it accomplished around three times a week. It's a work in progress. Maybe it can help me get out of this funk. I need to be productive again. All of these partially finished projects floating around are driving me crazy!

Summary Su...Monday: Let's Pretend This Never Happened Edition

Okay...ya...I know it's Monday. Yesterday was crazy. We headed out at 7am to host an EMT National Registry test at Collin's office and by the time we got back home last night I was too pooped to write. I did, however have the privilege of being strapped down to a backboard about...oh...eight to ten times...so that was fun. (Insert sarcasm here.)

This was pretty much the highlight of the week :

Yup...that's right. It showed up on my doorstep last week and I have been loving on it ever since. It also helps add to the excitement that this showed up a few days before :

So now I have Jenny's autograph glued to the inside of the book. Yay!

I'm currently reading it and both Patti and Erin have asked to borrow it. I'm finding that I'm awfully protective of my new little treasure. There will be restrictions and I've told both of them that they must treat it like a newborn baby. This seriously might currently be my most prized possession. (I'm a little obsessed. How obsessed, you ask? I considered telling them that they would have to come over and read it here in my library just so it wouldn't leave the premises. Ya...I know...)

What else happened this week? Well...let's review...

Posts I Posted : It was another book week, with reviews of funny lady Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and other concerns) as well as the super cute and tear-inducing young adult novel The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Amazingly enough, I actually posted a project as well. Not even just a project...a tutorial (sort of). I showed you how I made Abigail's teddy bear from my couch cushions and Collin's pants.

Books I Read : I finished up Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close and Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn. Reviews will be coming shortly. I'm currently reading Let's Pretend this Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson. Let me tell you...awesome. I love her. We should be neighbors. She'd be way more fun than crazy neighbor. Especially since he returned from his secret disappearance (which we assume was rehab) and has been far too quiet and boring.

Recipes I Tried : I made Tuscan Chicken with Tomato Basil Cream. I was really excited to try this one because it sounded so simple. Ya...it was simple...and tasted pretty simple too. I can make something just as easy that tastes better. It's off the list. Bummer. What a let down.

Projects I Finished : We are SO not even going to talk about Project Life. I finished two weeks' worth of journaling. I'm still a boat load behind. Enough said.

I did get a bit of a present this week though. You know the Big Secret Project? Well...it involves some woodworking and remodeling of a furniture item. I managed to see another similar item last week...sitting out on someone's curb for the garbage man. I mentioned it to Collin and he picked it up for me (after asking the people if it was okay, of course). So I now have another similar furniture item that I will be remodeling as well. That should take care of one little girl's birthday present and another one's Christmas gift. Yay! Oh...and thus far, I'm into both gifts a total of $15. I'm just that awesome. And that's all the info you get for now. (I'm doing SO well at keeping this a - kind of - secret.)

Alright, well...I'm done with being indoors for now. I'm going to go see if I can figure out how to get some sun tea brewing on my patio while I continue to read Jenny's book and veg out in the lovely weather. (It's freaking 90 degrees here people! I have to enjoy it before it goes back to 60 on Thursday.)

Project Life Week 2 - Because I'm Always a Few Steps Behind

Because I'm just that awesome, you're getting a nice pile of posts this week. (Really I'm just trying to make up for the fact that I totally crapped out for the last two weeks.)

So...I think I'm going to post some Project Life. Hey...it's April...maybe we should get on with it and post week two. Ugh. I'm seriously lame at keeping up with posting this stuff. Humor me.

I just can't tell you how much I love this system. It makes it really easy to just slide things in and move on. Realistically, I could probably get away with doing a lot less journaling than I do, but as usual...I really like to make sure that someone from the outside would be able to understand why I have chosen the pictures I use and what they mean. So...the downside is that I do a lot of journaling...which you know I hate. Hence the reason I am now currently two months behind on my journaling...ouch. I need to step on it. I guess I know what I'm doing when I finish this post.

Collin began working as an on-scene medic up at a mine about five hours from home last November. He was pulling one seven day shift a month. This was a big change for our family - we're used to being able to see each other every day. Even when Collin is on a 24 hour ambulance shift we usually meet up for a meal or to say hi. At very least we have a phone call. But...the mine is different. There is no cell reception up there and the crazy snow storms make their internet connection very iffy. We typically manage a 10 minute conversation per day at most. At this point in the year we were using Skype, but with our new(ish) iPhones we're now able to use FaceTime as well.

If you've been reading my posts for the past few months then you know I've been dealing with pain of an unknown origin. During the second week in January, I managed to grab an open slot at the rheumatologist's office by luck. I was originally scheduled for the middle of March, but I was having an intense amount of pain and called to see if there was anything earlier. I got in three days later. Crazy enough, I got diagnosed one week after my original appointment date. If I had waited until that date it would've been summer by the time I had any answers. I'm very grateful that I was able to speed up the process.

Oh, how I miss the good old days. Darian came home with his first B on a report card in January. We were hoping that it would help him realize the implications of being lazy and not doing his homework...of course, that hope was dashed this last quarter. Instead, he came home with a B and two C's. Ugh. Patience is a virtue...right?

Darian was also sick this week...an oddity for the kid who had perfect attendance last year. Lucky me...I ended up catching it from him the next week...

And Saturday was my reward for the long week without Collin. Darian was with his mom so I spent some time with Owen & Patti. We went out to take pictures for K's 2nd birthday. She is always so darned cute. She has a cheese face that is hilarious. Afterwards, Patti treated me to a pedicure. It was awesome. And look how pretty my icky toes turned out. Patti gave me crap for picking a "safe" color. Apparently I need to be more adventurous.

And there you have it. Week two. Yay! I am so embarrassed that I am still working on February. Back to work I go...

Summary Sunday : Not Much of a Summary Edition

I've bailed out for the week so there isn't much to share as far as blog progress or blog reading goes. It's been a busy one...

We attended Darian's science fair on Tuesday and then went to dinner with Collin's sister Krista and her daughter Abigail afterwards. It was a good evening and everyone was fairly impressed with Dar's project. I think he did a very good job of explaining to everyone. I was certainly happy to have Mrs. Hahn (a school principal from when I attended Dar's school) tell me how wonderful she thought it was and that he should be a scientist.

Collin got a call from Darian at school on Wednesday. Never a good sign. It turns out that he hasn't learned his lesson and had lied to his teacher twice, as well as to me the night before. Once again, he was not turning in his work and she found it shoved in the back of his desk. The frustration continues and he has been grounded yet again.

Wednesday was also the 4th grade Idaho History Program. Darian did his speaking part quite well and he impressed us with his ability to dance the "Saturday Night Quadrille" with the other members of his class. Too bad his rhythm doesn't extend to clapping...

Thursday we had Abigail's 1st birthday party. She was quite the entertaining birthday girl. She is very talkative and emotive. I worked the majority of the week sewing her a teddy bear and I'm happy to say that she loved her present. (I'll teach you how I made him on another day...)

Friday night I went out with the girls for some wings and The Hunger Games. Though I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed in the way it didn't follow the book quite as closely as the Harry Potter series, it was a good movie and I will most likely be watching it again soon. I told Darian that we would go to the theater if he could finish the book. We will see...I suppose he'll have to get ungrounded again first...

Yesterday, a few of the girls came over for a scrapbooking day. It was nice to relax a bit, but I am apparently out of touch with my scrap skills. I was a little rusty and didn't really accomplish what I normally would have. All well, I suppose we all have off days.

Collin and I spent the afternoon by taking the dogs to the dog park for a much needed run and then managed to have our first date in nearly three months. It was nice to finally have some time together...we don't get that much anymore.

I promised to give a couple of recipes at the beginning of the week and I crapped out on that...so...I'm making up for it now.

I posted these pictures last week :

They were both delicious recipes, so I suppose I'll go ahead and share. I'm sure you won't be surprised to find out that they were both from Pinterest. The Tomato Basil Soup was incredibly easy to make, very healthy and perfect for a rainy day. The Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting were a fantastic use of some of that pureed pumpkin I have at my disposal. I did alter her frosting recipe slightly in order to use up the remainder of the heavy cream from the soup recipe, but I'm sure her frosting tastes just as yummy.

There you have it. I have spent most of today relaxing and managed to finish off all of the How I Met Your Mother episodes available on Netflix. It's killing me that I'm going to have to wait until around November to see season seven. In the meantime, I've watched the first episode of Downton Abbey. It's been having quite a bit of buzz lately, but I'm not sure what I think. I'm heading down to watch the second episode so that I can decide whether I'm going to stick with it.

Summary Sunday : I Suck at Doing This on Sundays Edition

Ah...second Summary Sunday post in a row done on a Monday. I'm just that awesome. Collin finally made it home late Friday night, so we got a couple of days to spend time together. Thus...no blog post from me. But...I'm back. So now you get the fun.

Last week I recovered from the stomach flu, Collin went to the mine for a week and Darian did some more guest blog hosting. We also got to attend Kirsten's second birthday party. So cute! It's always fun hanging out with Owen & Patti. We also enjoyed the fact that Andrew & Laura were in town. Andrew is Owen's younger brother. He's always a good time.

I get to be Auntie to the cutest girls ever. (I may be biased...)

What else happened? Let's break it down...

Posts I Posted : Darian got featured not once, but twice for his book reviews on the Percy Jackson series. (Sidebar - I now have Three Times a Lady playing in my head. You're welcome.) I also managed to finish another book and unwittingly discovered that I yet again chose a book in an incomplete series. I am occasionally a dunce.

Books I Finished : I am sad to say that for the first time in two years I have abandoned a book. I was reading Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island. It was obviously not my cup of tea. I got so bored with it that I just couldn't take anymore. I made it to page 55 before I called it DOA. It gets a 1 star rating since I didn't finish it. It also will not be entered into the 2012 bracket or be counted in the official year's count. Lame. But it does get the honor of being the first book on my "Abandoned" shelf. Ouch. I am now reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern at the recommendation of Patti, who gave it five stars. I am loving it so far.

Projects I Finished : After nearly going hara-kiri on my scanner trying to take pictures of my Project Life layouts, I decided to try something different and built a light box based on Pinterest project I'd seen from Michele at The Scrap Shoppe. I promise...I will eventually actually post some pages.

Recipes I Tried : I forgot to tell you, but a couple of weeks ago I tried the 3 Packet Pot Roast recipe I found on Pinterest. It was amazing! We loved it. Super easy and great tasting. Last week we tried Mini Taco Cups and Chicken Parmesan Bake. Also both fantastic! Two out of the three were Pinterest finds!

Though the Taco Cups are meant to be an appetizer, Darian and I enjoyed them as our main dish. They were fairly simple to make and we both liked them enough to put them in our regular rotation.

Mini Taco Cups :

2 pkg. (30 total) Phyllo Dough mini shells (or fillo...however you want to spell it)
2/3 can refried beans
1/2 can black beans
1/8 c. taco seasoning
Shredded cheese
Salsa (we also used fresh tomato)
Sour cream (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the phyllo cups on a lightly greased baking sheet. Combine the refried beans and the taco seasoning. Fill each cup 2/3 with the mixture. Fill the remaining space with black beans. Top with cheese. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Add salsa and sour cream. Serve while hot.

I'm  not even going to tell you how many of these I ate. It's just this side of astronomical.

Favorite Post of the Week : We all know I have an unhealthy crush on The Bloggess...so it will come as no surprise to you that my favorite post was her video on Sopa...and the dangers it poses to cats. I'll admit...I snorted when I read the folder in her hand. Let's be honest. You can never go wrong with Jenny.

FYI...this post officially took me 2 hours to write. I got sidetracked by Jenny's frickin' blog trying to find that link and ended up naming a metal chicken Zsa Zsa van Schnikelbochens. Ah, my nights are fun...

Summary Sunday - Soiled Carpet Edition

I have returned to the land of the living. Yay! Stupid stomach bug. Nothing I hate more than a good puke. Now that we've dispensed with all the pleasantries, on with the blog...

So it's Monday, but let's all pretend it's not. It's going to go ahead and be Sunday again, 'kay?

Last week was a rough one, so not a lot got done. That means a shortish write for me and an easy read for you. Perhaps both pluses?

Collin is out of town on shift for the week so it's just me and Dar until Friday night. He left on Saturday early in the morning after working three 24 hour shifts during the week. That made for one heck of a crazy Friday before he left. Add to that a sick kid and life gets really fun.

Darian came home from school sick as a dog on Thursday afternoon. I was off getting my nerve testing done on my arms (which - if you've never had electrical impulses shot through your already sore appendages - is a really good time). By the time I got home he had thrown up three times and was white as a ghost on the couch. Off to bed with him, but then he proceeded to vomit on the floor a couple of hours later. Good times. The cat was also apparently appalled by Darin getting all the attention, so he decided to go ahead and poop on the dining room carpet. Once again, good times were had by all.

The offender. Who is currently residing on my lap...and apparently really likes saltines.

Darian stayed home on Friday. Collin was (thankfully) off work at 8:30 that morning so we tag teamed being home in order to get all of the errands done. Dar was feeling well enough by afternoon that he was picked up by his mom as planned. Collin and I were able to go out with our Christmas gift card from Owen & Patti and have a nice dinner...and some drinks. We so needed it.

Saturday I got spoiled even more. Patti was awesome enough to take me for a pedicure after I accompanied them out to take photos of her adorable daughter who is turning two in a few days. It was LOVELY!

Unfortunately, that relaxed and wonderful feeling was ruined about 3 hours later by the appearance of Darian's gift to me...the stomach bug had returned to the house. I spent Saturday night and the wee hours of Sunday morning hurling out what was left of that afternoon's lunch. Not cool. I spent the rest of Sunday in bed and my stomach still hasn't quite returned back to normal. On the bright side, I did discover that Picabo has a penchant for saltines. He practically attacked my hand trying to get one for himself. Weirdo cat.

Alright...so what did I accomplish before the joy of illness struck our home? Not a lot. It's sad...

Posts I Posted : Darian reviewed his second book of 2012, while I showed the scarves I made for Christmas, gave a review on City of Bones and demystified the TLC naming question.

Books I Read : In addition to City of Bones, I finished City of Ashes which I will be reviewing later this week. I also realized a large mistake...yet again. This series has not been fully published either. Criminy! I initially thought that there were only three books in the series. I was wrong. There are six. Drat. I have books 1-3. I need to get book 4. Book 5 will be released later this year and book 6 will be released next year. Seriously, I need to start doing better research before I read.

I have also spent some time over the last week prepping my "to read" list. I've been organizing my e-books and getting things together so I can get an idea of what to read next. There are a lot of good choices.

Darian also informed me earlier today that he has finished his next book, so he will be posting a review this week as well.

Projects I Completed : Well...this week was an utter failure. I attempted to scan my Project Life pages and  the results were dismal. Without a wide format scanner, getting the whole page is quite difficult. So...I tried photographing them. Once again, a big batch of fail. Glare everywhere. So...before I was sidetracked by my stomach's staged coup, I was planning on making a light box this weekend. That project has gotten pushed to this week and I hope to have photos ready of both the Project Life and Smash pages by this upcoming weekend. I'm also keeping my eyes peeled hoping that the Pocket Pages I need will come in soon...it's putting a kink in the works.

As for the rest...well...laziness ensued. I'll admit it right now. I did finally get caught up on reading blog posts though so I will be able to share some great blogs and posts in the upcoming weeks. Yay!

Now...I think it's time for some wine and Netflix...ok, maybe water...I don't need revolt part II.

Projects Past

Well...I've put it off as long as I could in order to try and get the last person her gift before I posted this, BUT she's decided not to come back until Saturday. So...she has been blog banned until she opens her gift.

The rest of you get to see what those 40 projects for the Christmas Project Countdown were all about...

Today I'm just listing each project along with a photo and the name of the person who got it. Individual posts and tutorials for each project type will follow over the next couple of weeks.

Now...here's a small disclaimer. These are not the best photos. I took pictures of the projects right before we wrapped them. I was in the midst of Emily's project and time was ticking down so they don't look awesome. But they work. Also...I majorly failed to take pictures of a nice handful of them before wrapping - so you get a picture of the people with their gifts. Oops.

Now...for the 40 projects of Christmas I ended up with...


Presents 1 & 2 : Emily & ME - Advent Calendars

You saw these back quite early in the game. They were the result of a Pinterest find.

Present 3 : Carole - I Love You Photo Frame

Presents 4 - 9 : Carole, Collin, Krista, Darian, Abigail and ME! - BSU Hats

You've already seen these on my December 10th post. Well...except for Carole...who managed not to get her picture taken.


Presents 10 - 16 : Grandpa, Dad, Tyler, Chad, Jon, Kirsten & Marley - BSU Hats

Kirsten managed to go without getting her picture taken.

Jon was the only one of us on Collin's side that didn't get to go to the game. So he needed a hat too...

These are the true BSU fans on the far left and second from the right.
The far right - Tyler - is actually a Vandal (we won't hold it against him today.)

Present 17 : Mom - Love Shadowbox

Presents 18-26 : Jean, Mom, Dad, Jon, Krista, Patti, Melissa, Erin & Grandma - Scarves

The very first scarf I knitted. I don't think it's half  bad.

I love the colors on my mom's scarf. It should go with just about anything. My dad's should be able to go with his BSU gear fairly well and it's SUPER soft.

I love the diamond pattern that ended up coming out on Jon's. I was a little worried about it when I first started. In our house we all agreed that the one on the right was "Krista colors".

I took Patti with me shopping for supplies for this undertaking. She unknowingly picked out the yarn for her own scarf. Melissa still hasn't opened hers yet, but I think the bright colors fit her personality.

Erin was the first one to jump on and comment that I should make it 41 presents because she needed one too. Ha! She was already on the list.

I really wish I would've photographed this one. This is my first attempt at multiple yarns. I really like how the pattern turned out. Unfortunately, you get a slightly blurry idea. I wanted to give this one to my grandma because I knew she would appreciate the effort - she herself does some wonderful crocheting.

Presents 27 - 29 : Owen, Tyler & Chad - Bottlecap Coasters

(I'll be honest...I don't know who got which set. Pretty sure Chad's are the top ones, the Tyler's, then Owen's. I could be completely wrong.)

Presents 30 & 31 : Krista & Patti - Decoupaged Tile Coasters

These I know! The pink/red set is Krista's.

These funky shapes and colors just seemed more Patti-like.

Project 32 - Carole : Decoupaged Tile Photo Coasters

This photo isn't blurry FYI. I antiqued the photos.

Project 33 : Collin - 52 Things I Love About You Card Deck

Don't worry...this one is at the house. There will be better photos of it in it's own post.

Projects 34-36 : Marley, Kirsten & Abigail - Sock Monkeys

 Projects 37 - 39 : Kirsten, Abigail & Marley - Patchwork Name Quilts

...and...

Project 40 : Emily - Alphabet Soup Quilt

Not a bad haul, right? Now you see why I said my sewing machine was busy. It was fun, but I think next year I'll get a bit of an earlier start. Live and learn.

A Little Post Tag

My cousin and fellow blogger Jenna over at Mom, the Intern has "tagged" me as part of a round robin blogging game. So you all get the pleasure of learning even more about me. Aren't we all excited? 

1. Favorite color?

Most of you know that I am incredibly fickle about this topic. I can never make a permanent choice.

If we're talking clothes, then I have to say black. I almost always wear black or gray. I promise I'm not emo -- the shirts I like most just happen to be that color.

If we're talking say crafting or scrapbooking colors, then I'd have to go with a brown palette. I like the aqua/brown and pink/brown combos. I think they're cute but in a more grown-up way. That probably makes absolutely no sense. 


2. Favorite animal?

Wallabies. I love them. They're cute like kangaroos, but smaller so you don't have to worry about dying if one of them tries to kick you. Kangaroos are angry little buggars.

One of these days I will be able to go to Australia and see them where they really belong, but in the meantime they are my favorite animals to see at the zoo.

See? Don't you just want to snuggle it?

3. Favorite number?

Three. I don't know why, but I've always just been partial to that number. I'm not superstitious or anything like that, but if I were pressed I would choose 3 as my lucky number. 


4. Favorite alcoholic/non-alcoholic drink?

Hmm...there is a lot to choose from here. I'm not too terribly picky and I like to try new things.

Non-alcoholic I would have to say Cherry Coke - but not the Cherry Coke that comes in a can. I like regular Coke with grenadine added. I especially love the places that add maraschino cherries.

Alcoholic...that's a tough one too. I'm not much for hard alcohol, but I do like both beer and wine. If we're talking beer I would go with Blue Moon (with or without an orange). It's my go to standard.

If we're talking wine, then I'd go with Francis Ford Coppola Rosso. It's delicious. I've only had it twice, but it is a standout. Coming in a close second is Little Black Dress Merlot.

The start to a good evening.

5. Facebook or Twitter?

I have to say that Twitter is growing on me. I didn't really understand it at first, but now I'm having fun with it. I still like Facebook better though. I think I get to be more involved with it's format and I like the variation of being able to do chat, post a status, share a page and view pictures.


6. Your passions?

That's a bit of a loaded question. I like a lot of things. I love reading and scrapbooking and photography. Overall, I really just love crafts. I'm learning how to knit and crochet - skills I never thought I could pull off. I also really enjoy writing. I'm quite liking doing this blogging thing and I've thought many times that I wouldn't mind going back to school for an English degree.


7. Your wishlist for this month?

It's going to sound corny, but I'm going to say time with Collin. He is starting up two new jobs this month as well as taking over as president of his volunteer ambulance agency. He probably won't be home much. This week I'll see him for about thirty minutes each night before we go to bed and then I'll hopefully be able to see him Sunday night. He has a nutty schedule.


8. Favorite pattern?

I could never pull it off with regard to fashion, but I love polka dots. I think they're fun and cute.

This just makes me happy.

9. Favorite day of the week?

Saturday. I get to sleep in, typically don't have to do any office work and I get to spend time with my family. All good things.


10. Favorite flowers?

I am so boring and generic on this one. I think there are quite a few girls who share my favorite. I love calla lilies. I think they are sophisticate and subtle...just beautiful.

White ones are the most common, but I love the pink and plum colored ones.

So now I'm passing on the fun. Tag! I'm tagging Jennifer over at Two Frogs and a Grasshopper, Tricia at Tricia's Take, Kalee at babydear and Melissa at S@!T Happens and Life Goes On. Want to play? I still have 1 tag left. Send me a message if you want to jump in the game!

If you're not a blogger, but you are a reader - go check these girls out! They're friends and great ladies with some special talents. You can also find all of them in my blog roll.  And another big thanks to Jenna at Mom, the Intern for including me in the game!

*** Update *** I have given away my last tag. Go check out the Padded Cell Princess over at http://paddedcellconfessions.blogspot.com/. She's hilarous!

Believe It Or Not, It's Just Me.

Ok. So FYI...I'm giggling at my title. That may or may not be a good sign of things to come. Why am I giggling? Because Collin and I had a full blown discussion a couple of weeks ago about the Seinfeld episode where George changes his answering machine to his own version of the theme song from Great American Hero. Crap. I may have just dated myself. But I will tell you...it's hilarious. Don't believe me? Check it out here. (You're welcome Collin.)

Well, I've put it off as long as possible. It's time to talk about myself. Blegh. But I guess being my birthday week and all it timed out pretty well. Yup, that's right. I'm getting a year older this weekend. Not sure I'm thrilled about it, but I do feel better knowing Erin will be the same age in two weeks. Hah! I love having a friend with such a close birthday. Oh ya, and I'm pretty sure Erin has been mentioned on this blog more than Collin. She just has a knack for fitting in to these posts. It's not a girl crush, I swear. Don't get any ideas Erin.

Alrighty, let's get this show on the road. You should already know by now that this is me :

"This is Me. I like myself photographed better in black and white. My hairstyle changes almost as often as the color has in the past few years. I think I have pretty eyes - my best feature. I like my smile too - a good thing since I'm a dentist. I never take my necklace off - it feels weird if it's not there. I'm self-conscious about my chest. I can look good in certain tops, but low necklines make me nervous that I'm showing too much. My upper arms, upper thighs and stomach are never as thin and flat as I'd like them to be, but I can't give up sweets and good food either. I don't like wearing socks or shoes if I can avoid it. I only wear socks in the house if it's really cold and my preferred shoe is a flip-flop."

My hair is a bit longer now - I actually took this picture last fall. I'm trying to grow it back out, but now I'm looking at this picture thinking "Wow, that haircut was cute." Oh, and you can't tell because it's black and white, but my hair is red in this photo. I've thought about going back to that too. Honestly, the only thing keeping me away from both is the maintenance.

These are pictures of me when I was younger and cuter. Proof that at one point in my life I was a natural blonde.

I grew up in the same town I live in now, along with my parents and two younger brothers. I was pretty much a nerd in school. I was drum majorette in the marching band (I also played flute for 7 years) and graduated first in my class. I stayed local for college and got a bachelor's degree in biology - which I can do nothing with unless I want to go work for Fish and Game. Then I moved to San Francisco for a three year stint in dental school. Blah, blah, blah, now I'm a dentist with a gigantic pile of student debt. Yay for fun!

I hate scrapbooking myself (mostly because I hate having my picture taken) but I've made a conscious effort to do some pages about me over the last few years. So, lucky you, I have scrapbook layouts to help me tell my story. You know the drill (FYI...totally not a dentist joke)...

"This picture was taken in Las Vegas in October of 2006, just as I began to discover the real me. Coming out of a failed marriage and learning to be on my own again, I started to realize that I could live for myself rather than for others, as I always had. The result? A more outspoken, confident and happy me. Granted there are still moments of uncertainty and self-doubt, but overall I love the new and improved me."

I was married for six years when I realized that our marriage just wasn't what it should be. He had more or less disconnected. I gave him the chance to save it by getting us scheduled for counseling, but he didn't take me up on the offer. So I filed for divorce. The above picture was taken the week my divorce became final. I started dating Collin three weeks later. Funny how life works out.

"I guess we all have an alter ego hidden somewhere...for me it's online. I started using the handle Elle sometime in 2006 (taking it from the "L" starting Lynde) - something easy to remember, but still useful as a disguise to hide behind. I guess I just always figured that Elle was the more fun version of myself - the way to break out of the goody-goody shell that everyone expected out of me. And so now, even though I'm always Lynde in real life, it's nice to think tha tI'm a bit more outgoing and outrageous than my normal self - that a piece of Elle has rubbed off on me."

So there you go, now you know my secret. My name is really Lynde (pronounced Lynn-dee), but it's too hard for people to pronounce and spell correctly, so online I go by Elle. I just like it better that way.

"This is one of my favorite pictures of me...more specifically, this is my favorite picture of my hair. Ask anyone in my family and they'll tell you how obsessive I am over my hair. I just can't leave it alone. I'm always changing the cut, changing the color, trying a different style. Unfortunately, I'm usually not happy with it...as my family will tell you is usually the case whenever any major event or picture taking is supposed to take place. I'll spend hours in the bathroom fussing with it and grumping about it. But looking back at all the pictures of me over the last few years, this is definitely my favorite. In fact, I've decided that I am working back toward this style. Not too short, not too long, and simple enough to style. That's just the way I want it. Now, the black and white doesn't help me - I'll still have to figure out the color, but at least maybe I've settled on something that I feel is really me. And if I can find the outside that is me, maybe there's still hope for me figuring out the inside that is me..."

"5 Random Facts About My Life. I hate wearing socks. I picked dental school on a whim. I've had 5 dogs...I have 3 of them right now. My favorite color changes all the time. I love to read."

I really do hate wearing socks. In fact, I'll mention it one more time before this post is through. They drive me bonkers. I always go barefoot in our house and generally in our yard. I'll wear flip flops whenever I can. I did pick dental school on a whim. I had originally planned on going to medical school to become a pediatrician. But I decided I didn't want to be in school that long or have a job that I thought would make it too difficult to have a family. I went to my childhood dentist around the time I made this decision. He said I should go into dentistry. So I pretty much did.  I have had five dogs: Loki, Keisha, Piper, Harley and Sadie. Loki was my dog when I was really young and we didn't have him for long. I don't remember him much. We got Keisha when I was twelve. She was an awesome dog and super sweet. She passed away a couple of years ago. I still expect her to come running outside whenever I go to my parents' house. And you've already met the other three.

                                     Loki                                                     Keisha

And now the nitty gritty...

"Being Me. I don't like getting up early. I love Jelly Bellies. I often forget to wash my face before bed. I hate it when my hair won't cooperate. I could spend every day scrapbooking. I only like shirts that go all the way down to my hips. I want to travel to Australia. I love spending time with Collin. I am a perfectionist in nearly everything I do. I like learning. I can change moods in the blink of an eye. I need to live near my family. I love PF Chang's Shrimp with Candied Walnuts. I don't like to wear socks. My favorite color is blue. I would like to go back to college for a degree in English or Creative Writing. I wouldn't mind living in Canada. Fingerprints on stainless steel and rub lines on suede furniture drive me crazy. I have over 10,000 songs on my i-pod. I hate spiders. I have wanted a baby since I was 24. I add Tang to orange Gatorade to make it more orangey. My favorite moves are Love, Actually and Across the Universe. I miss my dog Keisha nearly every day. I have seen every episode of Gilmore Girls at least three times. Fall is my favorite season. I have to have mayonnaise on my hashbrowns. I love to read. I sometimes don't brush my teeth. (I rarely floss.) I love my house, but not my neighborhood. I talk to my cat (all the time). I can never have enough scrapbook paper. I would much rather be a passenger than a driver. My favorite room in my house is the library. I need a vacation about every three months. I like musicals. I would wear flip flops every day if I could. I love to swim. Halloween is my favorite holiday (for the chili). I am very smart, but can be very dumb when it comes to common sense. I hate to run. I like picnics. I never suntan, I only burn and then fade into a suntan. I love photography. I like to watch hockey, rugby...and curling. I am afraid of heights."

Tada. You now know a load about me. The most random group of things you could ever gather. And okay, I may be a little buzzed in this photo, but it was taken at Island Park. Don't judge me. At least I was having a good time. There was also some pretty damning evidence in that one. I put down that my favorite color is blue. Well...if you were paying attention earlier, you noticed that the layout before says that my favorite color changes all the time. As I was typing this stuff in I seriously stopped and went "Blue? No it isn't." So proving my own point. FYI...current favorite color...who the heck knows?

Also, I disclosed that I don't always brush my teeth and I rarely floss. Before my hygienist friends yell at me (Erin) I will elaborate here. There are days when I don't brush my teeth, but it's generally when I'm sick or just over the top lazy. Most of the time it drives me absolutely crazy not to brush my teeth after I shower. The flossing? Okay, ya...I'm not an awesome flosser. But, I do have a Sonicare toothbrush which I say meets me somewhere in the middle...and I'm a dentist so my word is gold here. Oh, and FYI...I have no fillings so I'm doing something right. So there.

"How to Take Care of Me...Tell me that you love me, every day. Cuddle with me on the couch. Keep the kitchen sink clean. Watch a "chick flick" with me. Tell me I look pretty. Clean the dog kennels without being asked. Take me out on a dinner date. Make the bed. Go scrapbook shopping with me. Stop by my office just to tell me hello. Turn off the cell phone once in a while. Surprise me by making dinner. Save some time in your week just for us to be together. Ask me how my day went. Squeegee the shower. Give me a hug. Put your dirty clothes in the hamper. Clean up your coffee spills on the kitchen counter. Stick with the budget. Enjoy a bubble bath with me. Take the trash cans out to the curb. Sleep in with me on weekends. Go grocery shopping with me. Call me in the middle of the day for no reason. Help do the laundry and put clothes away. Go to bed at a decent hour. Leave work at work and let us enjoy our time together. Plan some fun things for us to do on a long weekend. Feed the dogs."

This may seem like a silly list, but it's all the things that Collin does for me (some more than others) that make me happy. These are the things I need to keep me happy through the day. I am neurotic about the kitchen sink. I hate having dirty dishes in it and I like to keep it wiped down. Pretty sure that's my mother rubbing off on me. I hate cleaning the dog kennels so it's always nice when he does it. I like having him call and check on me during the day - usually it's the other way around. It's just nice to know someone's thinking about be. I don't think I'm that high maintenance, but I definitely have a pile of things that can make my day.

"I Forgive Myself...for not being perfect...for sometimes struggling to say the right thing...for taking time to be lazy...for leaving laundry on the counter...for having "hot spots" in the house that need cleaning...for sometimes losing control of my temper...for expecting too much of others...for struggling to like myself...for not walking the dogs as often as I should...for taking the easy way out and making microwavable dinners...for not telling my family often enough that I love them...for not liking my job...for being tired at the end of the day...because at the end of each day I need to realize that I'm doing my best and that's all that I can do. Though I sometimes feel guilty for taking time for myself, I need to recognize that it's okay to regroup, catch my breath and keep myself going on to the next day."

Everyone has faults and no one is perfect. I saw a post done in a magazine done on this topic a few years back and thought it was pretty important. So now you also know the bad things about me. But, they still make me who I am. And I guess I'm okay with that.