What The!

I was just reading my friend Sarah Allers blog and came across the following. I am seriously just going to quote her blog verbatim:

God Bless America.....we need it.

Well, that does it - America is going down the tubes. No thanks to you Mario Lopez.

Miss Teen South Carolina

I bet she can't find South Africa on a map!

Thanks Sarah for that highly entertaining bit of info.

Countdown

In only two weeks we will be winging our way to South Africa. I am so excited I nearly pee myself daily.

Organizational Skills

Just look at the divineness I like to call my organizational skills. Before this bookshelf was an eyesore, littered with anything and everything I didn't feel like finding a spot for. It totally bugged me until - tada - I fixed it. Okay so the bookshelf Mack made in our first few months of marriage. I didn't know where to put in in the new place, so it ended up in the passage(hall). The books were his grandmothers and the titles range from Hippocrates, Tolstoy, Darwin, Freud to Shakespeare, Gallileo, Chaucer and the American State Papers. Heavy reading I know. The little chatchkies on the shelf are old cameras and african curios. And it all comes together to create - Voila!

All Gone

Mack walked out of the Library (this is what we like to call our study, our main bedroom is the East wing), with this look on his face that only meant one thing - something very not good just happened. And...he was right. Our darling little Mac computer had bootcamp running on it, meaning it could run both as a Mac and as a PC. Well Mack (my husband this time) switched over to the PC side of the computer and when he tried to get back to the Mac (the computer) side, it wasn't registering anymore. Mack (husband) tried (valiantly I might add) to get back to the Mac (computer), but to no avail. It was gone. I cried large tears (the kind that makes the thick snot with it) and had to blow my nose a couple of times. A years worth of family photos had just been deleted. I still have this lump in the bottom of my stomach. I just can't think about it.

Just the Cutest Husband Ever

I arrived home in the early hours of Sunday morning to find a trail of socks leading into the kitchen. I followed them and, well just look...









Isn't he just about the most adorable husband? He professes his love with food. sigh!

Night Out

Saturday night was the bridal shower of one of my close friends from BYU. She actually knew Mack before I did and he had a huge crush on her (then I came along and you know the rest). We went to a Lebanese restaurant for dinner that features a belly dancer on the weekends. Sacey the bachelorette was pulled up to do a bit of dancing of her own - hilarious. But, the music proved too much for some of the other girls who felt the need to join in. I tried to capture the moment but my poor little point and shoot was having a few issues - too bad.

Bigger Sizes?

Saturday morning I attended a double baby shower. Both of Allyson's sisters-in-law are due in the next couple of months and so we celebrated. Actually one of them has the same due date as I was supposed to have. It was funny watching her with her little belly. Everybody was asking me how I felt - I just couldn't bring myself to tell them the truth - I felt relieved that I wasn't, um, well, fat (I kept sucking my stomach in - it felt good).

One of the girls was given this onesie (baby grow). Both Allyson and I wondered if it came in any bigger sizes?

Bear Lake II

Mack really didn't get as much time at the lake (and especially on Darren's Hobie Cat) as he would have liked this summer. We realized that this last weekend was most probably the last time this summer we would be able to go up to the lake, so even though I had gotten really sick again (which seems to be the story of my life right now), we spent the weekend up at Bear Lake. Mack had a blast. We spent Friday on the water, then Allyson and I went back to Logan for two baby showers and Darren and Mack stayed up at the lake to play.



Just look at this naughty little face.


Mack having way too much fun.


Isn't this just the cutest father son bonding you've ever seen?

My Wee Little Habitat

I just realized that my first couple of postings on this blog were about my redecorating my living room/lounge area. Well, it was done ages ago and I figured I should probably post a photo of how it turned out(especially since I'm changing it pretty soon and at least now I'll have a before photo). So this is how it turned out. The yellow isn't as bright, its more a subdued light mustard. But, I was pretty happy with the results (at least for a while).

Addiction

So I found this game at work one day, and realized very quickly that if I started to play it, there was no stopping me till I had conquered it. The game is Jewel Quest Solitaire, and you can play it free. Its really fun cause its like two games in one.

So Comfy

Today I am wearing my new Alice Crocs. They are so cute and comfy. AND best thing is, they don't make me look and feel like a man. My mom and I both bought a pair. I really like them and thought you all should know.

The Wedding

Nicole's wedding was Saturday afternoon. Knowing how flamboyant Nicole is, we were expecting something just a little different and weren't disappointed. The wedding was held in a charming house in South Riding, VA. It started out with three young girls singing a really nice rendition of "Fly me to the moon". Nicole walked down the stairs (rather stiff and nervous) in a beige satin gown and henna tattooed hands. Her groom walked down a flight of stairs on the opposite side of the house, where the two met in the middle on a landing.
The ceremony was short and sweet and exactly how I like them. When Nicole was asked if she took this man, her reply was a resounding "hell yes!".

After the ceremony the guests were treated to a high tea, complete with rooibos tea, scones, jam and clotted cream. Hmmmm, yummy. Mom and I ate far too much - also just the way I like receptions to be.





I fell in love with the quaint little houses in South Riding and wanted to take a picture of them, but I didn't want the owners to get freaked out that I was taking a picture of their house (you know how people can be sometimes), so I faked like I was taking a picture of my mom. But, just look at these cute little houses.

The Wonderful Weekend

My Mom and I had an absolutely fabulous time in D.C. We met up with a friend from South Africa who now lives there. I had forgotten how funny Gavin is, which made the tour so much better. Naturally he took us to the sights we needed to see - Capitol Hill, The Washington Memorial, The Iwo Jima sculpture, The White House, The Lincoln Memorial,











This was our view of the White House - lovely isn't it?





and then he also took us to Hains Point to see the "The Awakening" sculpture. It was so fun to clamber over the huge hands and feet. I tried to fit in his mouth for a picture, but he had really sharp teeth and I didn't enjoy feeling like I was being bitten on the butt by an inanimate object.









The next morning we took a tour of Arlington Cemetery. I couldn't believe how huge the place was. My Mom told me that no matter which way you looked, the 200lb white marble tomb stones were in a straight line. Fascinating.



Our last morning there we drove to see the temple. It was the perfect end to a really great Girls weekend away.

Capital Weekend

I am going to Washington DC with my mom tomorrow for a friends wedding. I've never been there, so am excited to take in a few of the sights around "Our nations capital".
I'll be back on Monday. This is going to be a fun trip.

Back in Action

I worked my first freelance photoshoot today. It felt so good to be on set again. For this shoot I was hired on as the stylist by photographer Erik Isakson (check out his website). It was a lifestyle tennis shoot, and I had to shop and style 8 people (two changes of clothing for each), and get all the props etc. We shot at a private court in someones backyard. What a beautiful setting, right up against the mountain. Man it feels good to be doing what I do well again.

Here are a couple of pictures on the shoot:

Mack Deprivation

My Mack is gone. Well perhaps thats taking it a bit far. Mack is doing another Army course for the next three weeks. He gets to jump out of planes and do all kinds of fun stuff - except sleep at home. See where I'm going with this? I don't enjoy him being away, but understand the reality of life. I just think its adding insult to injury when he's sleeping less than a five minute drive away. You see Mack's course is at Camp Williams, the base we live kitty corner to. Unfortunately the course instructors want all their men accounted for on base - especially at night.

The reason I'm whining is cause I don't sleep well when he's away. At least I'll still get to see him a couple of hours each day. Whew!

A Sacred Secret of the East Revealed

Gillian introduced me to Goji berries. She bought me a small Himalania snack bag. I throw a few in my mouth everytime I start to fell peckish. I actually like them, and if they're all they're cracked up to be, then they're doing me a whole bunch of age-defying good.

The blurb on the website reads as follows:
Discovered in the Himalayas 3,000 years ago, Goji berries are considered to be one of the world’s most nutrient rich fruit. For centuries, the Goji berry has been honored among Asian cultures that believed in its strength building and properties associated with longevity.
The legend says that this sacred fruit has been harvested with care by monks for thousands of years. This berry of pure vitality is also widely used in Chinese and Tibetan medicines. Virtually unknown to the West until recently, Goji berries are rich age-defying anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Try some - They're really not bad.

Two Whole Years

Today is my second wedding anniversary. It seems like only yesterday I was running around picking up flowers, double checking arrangements and just completely stressing out. Oh how time flies. The last two years have been very good for me. Mack is an absolute gem. Look how cute we were.

Home Again

California with Gillian was so much fun. I really didn't want to leave, except I really missed Mack and don't sleep very well when I'm away from him. And would you believe I forgot to take my camera. I am so mad with myself.

I arrived on Tuesday morning and Gill picked me up from the airport. We went to this little cafe and had wholewheat oatmeal pancakes - hmmmm, very yummy. Then we walked along the 3rd street promenade a bit (Gill lives about three blocks away). We decided to take the afternoon easy and went to the Point Dume Beach, where I read magazines and Gillian started on the 7th Harry Potter book. It was such a relaxing afternoon. I was amazed at how relaxed just the sound and smell of the sea makes me. Its the one thing I still really miss from home. I got a bit sun burnt on my chest, but nothing too bad thank goodness.



That evening was absolutely gorgeous so we walked about two miles to the famous Santa Monica Stairs and partook in a bit of vigorous butt and thigh toning. Let me tell you these stairs are no joke. But, if Mathew McConaughey exercises on those stairs, then by golly so would I.



Wednesday morning we slept in, then took a casual stroll to the farmers market. Now I really wish there was a market like this one close to my house. I could have spent sooooooooo much money. The fruit and veg were amazing. I wanted to buy everything I saw. Gill and I bought a bunch of fresh veggies and some fresh dill to bake for supper. We also bought a few of the sweetest peaches and then I saw a punnet of fresh figs. I hadn't had a fresh fig in like ten years so I had to buy them. they weren't the best I've ever had, but they still tasted like memories and that made them delicious.



Then we went to the little British bakery to get meat pies for lunch, which we took to the beach with us that afternoon - we decided we needed to get a little sun on our backs this time.

Thursday morning we woke up bright and early, washed a few strawberries that we had bought at the market the previous day and went to do a short hike in Runyon Canyon Park . What a lovely park, especially for dog lovers. There were so many people and their dogs exercising. It was really quite fun.



At one of the entrances to the park there was a grassy patch where an instructor was teaching a free yoga class. I was so enthused after our excursion up there.

We drove back to Gill's place through a few of the uber wealthy neighbourhoods. Sometimes its just fun to see how the rest of the world live don't you think? After that, there was just enough time for me to shower and get to the airport.

Sigh, what a relaxing, perfect three days.

Hollywood Baby

I am going to L.A. tomorrow for a couple of days to visit with my friend Gillian. We haven't spent much time together in recent years and its going to be so much fun just to hang out and relax, not to mention reminisce about living in London together and the crazy bats we used to look after. Oh the memories.