Something Like That

Sexual Development (February 11)

2012-02-13T23:13:00.000-08:00

Seriously, that's what I spent the day on. Learning about sexual development and STDs and other such things. I'll leave it to your imagination and only included the title page of my notes as my picture of the day.

Lola (February 10)

2012-02-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

I spent the day with Ludwig's cat, Lola. She is so adorable.

I've never been a cat person, but I have to admit, she is pretty low maintenance.

Finished Product (February 9)

2012-02-13T22:31:00.000-08:00

I only finished one of the chairs, but this is what all of them will look like, much better than the original, don't you think?

ORIGINAL!

Re-finished!

More puppy! (February 8)

2012-02-13T22:24:00.001-08:00

Ludwig and I visited the puppy again! He's all tuckered out! But STILL so cute!!!

New Puppy! (February 7)

2012-02-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

Okay okay, no new puppy for ME! But my friends Megan and Jimmy got a new puppy! His name is Winston, he is a Black Lab and soooo cute!

The picture above was taken when I visited him. He was crawling all over my lap!

Progress! (February 6)

2012-02-06T22:12:00.000-08:00

Gave the man a haircut, isn't he cute!!!

AND!!!!! I painted one of the chairs!

Superbowl and Quelf! (February 5)

2012-02-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

First of all, congratulations to the Giants on a win over the Patriots.

Now on to the hilarity!! Played Quelf with Megan and Jimmy (and of course Ludwig). Glad they had as much fun as I did!

Decorate!!! (February 4)

2012-02-06T22:02:00.000-08:00

Ludwig had the day off, so I finally convinced him to decorate his apartment!! My favorite decoration is pictured below. That will be his family someday too!!!

We also primed 3 of the dining room chairs!!!

I won't pull out my hair! (February 3)

2012-02-06T21:51:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I really hate school! Heck, most of the time I hate school!

Note: While I dislike schoolwork, I'm so glad I'm finishing my degree!

Big Project Time (February 2)

2012-02-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

A while back, Ludwig bought a table and chairs off of Craig's List. While the chairs started out black, they were in awful condition (appearance wise). The seat cushions were all sorts of different colors, my favorites (read: least favorites) being the orange and red combo!! So, it's time to repaint, and re-upholster! I will paint them black and I picked out an adorable patterned fabric for the cushions.

Today I started the sanding process... UGH!

Here is a before picture of one chair!

DIY: Fringe Scarf! (February 1)

2012-02-01T15:31:00.000-08:00

I found a tutorial on Pinterest for making a fringe scarf out of an old t-shirt. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it (I'm still not positive) but I figured, it was a t-shirt I was gonna throw out anyway, so why not!

Here is a link to the tutorial.

Here is my process. (I would suggest ironing the shirt first, I had a lot of trouble with the wrinkles in my shirt.)

I think I'm going to make more alterations to the scarf once I'm done with this post, maybe cut higher up, make the strands smaller, etc. Who knows, I might end up really liking it!

The Mall (January 31)

2012-02-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

Had a fun day hanging out with Megan! She took me to the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood. It was much nicer than the mall in Everett.

I bought some adorable socks for 95 cents a pair, and a wedding present for my friend Dana (I'm so honored to be a bridesmaid in her wedding in March!)

However, there was a problem in JCPenny, someone doesn't know how to do math.

70% off of 10 dollars is NOT 14.96.

Also, I found out that Ludwig can use the accupressure back mat on his feet!! I can't stand on that thing, it hurts too much!!!

Lists (January 30)

2012-02-01T15:12:00.000-08:00

I love lists, if I could make a list for everything in my life, I would. But since that isn't feasible, I stick to lists for certain days. Such as today. I had a lot to do today, errands, cooking, cleaning (I do all of these for my boyfriend since he is helping pay for my school and my food, etc.- but I would probably do them for him anyway, cause let's face it, I'm better at it than he is).

So I made a list of some of the things I needed to do.

Only problem is that the brakes on the car took 4 hours!!! I had to wait in the tiny little lobby for FOUR hours!!! Oh well, I watched a bunch of episodes for property virgins. It made me think about buying a house with Ludwig one day! Can't wait for that day!

Kado's Back! (January 29)

2012-02-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my dad and I traveled down to Portland to get my motorcycle. We didn't think it would be a good idea if I tried to ride it back up to Washington, so we hauled it in the back of my dad's truck. I'm so happy Kado is back!!!

Here is the only picture I could get of it while hauling it, yay Kado!

However, that was all yesterday! So today I rode Kado!! It took some premium gasoline to get it started, but it worked! I went for a LONG ride! So much fun!!! I even stopped in Boeing's parking lot to say hi to my boo while he was working!

Family time (January 28)

2012-01-29T22:43:00.000-08:00

I got a surprise skype from my family! They were all together celebrating Rusty's birthday. Was so happy to get to talk to all of them (and meet my sister's new boyfriend).

Slow Cooking Time!!! (January 27)

2012-01-29T22:41:00.000-08:00

WOOT! Ludwig bought a crock-pot today! I'm so excited to start making all those recipes I find on pinterest!!!

I didn't make anything in the crock-pot today, but I did make peanut butter yogurt dip. I cut up some apples and had dinner.

Brooklyn Brothers (January 26)

2012-01-29T22:37:00.000-08:00

First of all, Happy Birthday Rusty!!!! Today is my step-dad's 25th birthday, and he is looking good for his age!!!

Second of all, I hung out with Megan today. She took her placement tests for school and then headed over to pick me up (still without my own transportation). We decided to head into downtown Everett for pizza. Brooklyn Brothers has some GOOOOOOD pizza.

The boys were upset that we went without them, but we needed some girl time.

Paying off Bills!! (January 25)

2012-01-27T22:29:00.000-08:00

Payed off half of my medical bills!!! YAY!!!!! So glad I have such a loving boyfriend that is willing to help me with this huge burden!!! He is WAY too good to me!!!

Impromptu Date-Day (January 24)

2012-01-27T22:27:00.000-08:00

Ludwig wanted to spend some time with me (we don't really get to spend that much time together - at least not as much as I would like) so he called in sick, legitimately, you know, love-sick. It was a blast!!!!

We went to Famous Dave's for lunch. The BBQ wasn't at all like NC BBQ, but it was the best I have had on this coast. It was pretty decent. The waiter explained the flavors of each sauce while creating a smiley face on the serving plate- I think that's adorable.

I also think the guy holding the plate is pretty adorable!!!

We then spent the rest of the day discovering Everett! It was a lot of fun. A couple (or a lot) of things were purchased, including the 5 dollar sandals pictured below.

AWESOME day!!!!

Trying New Things (January 23)

2012-01-27T22:14:00.000-08:00

I'm trying a new way of cooking... it involves ziploc bags and only 5 minutes of preparation. I was amazed that it turned out as good as it did.

Championship Time (January 22)

2012-01-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

SOOOOO MUCH FOOOOOD! Ludwig and I went over to Jimmy and Megan's place where they fed us and fed us and fed us some more. Megan is a great cook, I'll eat what she makes anytime! The cookies 'n cream cheesecake "cupcakes" are from me. (They were pretty good if I do say so myself.)

Also, there is too much bro-love going on in this picture.

Tulalip Casino (January 21)

2012-01-27T22:04:00.000-08:00

Went to the casino after Ludwig got of work. We met some of his work buddies there and hung out with our new friends Jimmy and Megan. There are pictures somewhere of Ludwig and I in front of the beautiful fountain, but I don't have them, so all you get is this:

What it is, I'm not sure...

Another fabric box (January 20)

2012-01-25T02:59:00.000-08:00

Start with an old skirt (with a cute pattern) and a shoebox.

Then, do this.

And this.

Fun in the Snow (January 19)

2012-01-25T02:55:00.000-08:00

I decided it was time to actually PLAY in the snow that we have, so I jumped out on Ludwig's patio in my bare feet! Yeah... that was pretty much the extent of my playing... it's cold out there. Where is my 75 degree winter from the south?

Oh, I also made this out of a box and an old shirt.

On a Chinese Kick (January 18)

2012-01-25T02:46:00.000-08:00

Bourbon Chicken! I didn't have one ingredient (apple juice) so I replaced it with orange juice... and I think that made it too spicy. At least Ludwig liked it!

Baked Sweet n Sour Chicken (January 17)

2012-01-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

SOOOOO GOOD! Really really good chicken. So good. Did I mention that this chicken is good? Cause it's really good!

You can find the recipe here.

Laser Pointer Fun (January 16)

2012-01-23T15:04:00.000-08:00

We originally went out this morning to get a new driver's license for Ludwig (he STILL has a Colorado one) but it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so the DMV was closed...

On the way back we stopped at a small little store called Lila's Scrapbooking... closed on Sundays and Mondays.

So disappointing, until Ludwig stopped at the Radio Shack. We got a laser pointer! Lola (Ludwig's cat) is gonna go crazy!!! ....and indeed, she did.

As a side note, the car slid out of it's parking space and down a snowy hill (almost out into traffic) while we were inside Radio Shack. I should have taken a picture of that... but I didn't, I know, I fail.

SNOW!!!! (January 15)

2012-01-23T14:56:00.000-08:00

IT'S SNOWING!!!! We got snowed in for a few days, but this was just the start of it.

FLUFFY! (January 14)

2012-01-23T14:54:00.000-08:00

We were celebrating Ludwig's birthday from last week! We bought tickets to see Gabriel Iglesias perform at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma. He did some new material and it was WONDERFUL! It was the Stand Up Revolution Comedy Tour so we got to see a few other comedians as well. My favorite was a guy from South Africa named Trevor Noah, you can follow him on twitter @trevornoah.

Anyway, the only picture of Ludwig and I at the casino is on Ludwig's phone, so I don't have it... but I have a picture of the skyline on the way to Tacoma. See the space needle?

Espanol (January 13)

2012-01-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

I attempted to have a conversation with my boyfriend's father in spanish... I'm not positive I said everything properly, but at least he understood me! Go me!

More Enchiladas? (January 12)

2012-01-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

Not so much. I tried a beef enchilada casserole. It looked like a decent casserole, held together well, etc. But as far as taste goes, lets just say after my dinner that night, I let Ludwig finish all the leftovers.

Mold... Gross! (January 11)

2012-01-21T14:52:00.000-08:00

So Ludwig lives in Everett Washington, where it is VERY wet. VERY VERY VERY WET! He also lives in a rather small one bedroom apartment so when he takes a shower, the WHOLE apartment fills with steam. Another factor that contributes to the problem is that Ludwig is part vampire, so the blinds are always down. Okay, he may not be part vampire but the blinds didn't help.

I discovered this when attempting to decorate.

So gross!

So I spent the next 3 hours scrubbing and spraying and creating an awful ammonia smell in the apartment (yes I opened the windows and the patio door to keep from "dying"). And the end result was this:

Much better. I will be keeping a closer eye on this problem from now on. That mold will NOT come back!!! (Also, it hasn't come back yet... I kicked that mold's butt!)

Winter Term (January 10)

2012-01-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

Classes started yesterday. So today, I needed to buckle down. It's possible that all I did was organize... but either way, it's WINTER TERM! YAY!

These are the two class I'm starting with. The Human Sexuality one is a 10 week class and the Juvenile Delinquency is a 5 week class, man this stuff goes by fast!

Enchiladas! (January 9)

2012-01-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

I made some enchiladas. They may not be the best LOOKING enchiladas, but they sure did taste amazing!!! Ludwig will stand by that, he texted me from work several times telling me just how amazing those enchiladas were. Guess I will be making them again.

Happy Birthday My Love! (January 8)

2012-01-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

It's Ludwig's 28th Birthday!!! So excited for today! While we didn't do a whole lot of stuff, we spent the WHOLE day together!!! Pizza and a movie on the couch, one piece of extremely decadent chocolate torte and lots of birthday kisses for the birthday boy!

I made sure to make breakfast bright and early for the birthday boy as well! Baked bacon, over-easy eggs, quesadillas and a strawberry kiwi smoothie!!!! As a side note, I added a little cumin to the eggs, definitely added a nice touch of flavor!

Happy Birthday my love! So glad you are part of my world!!!

Costco means Cost a lot of money (January 7)

2012-01-20T18:55:00.000-08:00

Ludwig got a Costco membership today (and of course I was the secondary on the account). However... we ended up spending 700 dollars in one shopping trip! However, we did purchase things like King pillows for his bed and Frontline for his cat and a BLENDER for me! We also had to re-stock absolutely everything!!! He had no food in the house!! NONE!

Anyway, I just HAD to make a smoothie after the trip. YAY for smoothies!

K9 (January 6)

2012-01-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

Went home today, saw this in the RDU airport. Who knows, maybe some day I will be a K9 handler.

Nothin' like NC BBQ (January 5)

2012-01-20T18:46:00.000-08:00

THIS is what BBQ should look like AND taste like. I WILL find good BBQ here in Washington but I know it won't compare to NC BBQ, as nothing can!

Packing and picture fail. (January 4)

2012-01-20T18:43:00.000-08:00

I spent the day packing for my trip in two days... and I didn't take a picture... I know, I stink at this.

Chuck Norris (January 3)

2012-01-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

He was here. This picture was only discovered due to the genius of my brother's new girlfriend. Thank you Katie Stanton.

Oops, did I do that? (January 2)

2012-01-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

Today, I went dress shopping and I bought my dress.... ya know, just a dress. So anyway, this is my face when I saw the dress on me.

I can not show the dress here for... reasons.

After Christmas Shopping (January 1)

2012-01-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

This was the only interesting thing I found.... if only ;D

Welcome Maddie Moore! (December 31)

2012-01-19T19:16:00.000-08:00

So excited for the birth of my niece! We threw a fun little get-together in celebration of Maddie's entrance into this world! Can't wait!!! Only a month!

No pictures of the actual event as I was hosting and wasn't able to take pictures.

Isn't it cute? (December 30)

2012-01-19T19:01:00.000-08:00

We spent the day decorating for my sister's baby shower. We even "made" these cute little lollipops and arranged them in a cute little pail. Love this!

Great favors for the guests tomorrow!

Tijuana Flats (December 29)

2012-01-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

Best Mexican Restaurant in Cary. So good, go there!

Also there is a really cool mural on the wall of a robot destroying Cary.

It's winter? (December 28)

2012-01-18T14:46:00.000-08:00

It finally got cold in the south!!! We were so excited that we started a fire and all cuddled up around it.

What an amazing sight!

A prized trophy (December 27)

2012-01-18T14:44:00.000-08:00

This was my most prized trophy. I won the sportsmanship award the same year that I had knee surgery. I could not even attend the championship game in which this was presented to me. I struggled for a while with the idea of giving this trophy up. However in the end, I did the hard thing and got rid of the trophy. If I'm being honest, it has no value other than a reminder.

The fate of children. (December 26)

2012-01-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

This is what children's books have come to... what happened to goodnight moon?

Christmas and Chinese Food (December 25)

2012-01-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Our family got together in the morning and then went out to Chinese food for lunch. I wasn't very hungry, so I took most of mine home. I started to write my name on my take-home box and something happened... my name became so much more, I blame my family.

Then around dinner time, we loaded up the car with presents and headed over to my aunt and uncle's house. Never would have thought we would have to take extra cars just to fit the presents!!!

Christmas Eve!!! (December 24)

2012-01-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Eve!!! We saw more Christmas lights tonight (along with the rest of the world). The house pictured below has tons of Christmas lights and even things like a boat and fire truck in the front yard.

We also saw a synchronized light show that was loads of fun!

Also, this is awesome!

Early Presents! (December 23)

2012-01-17T16:58:00.000-08:00

When we were kids, we would beg our parents to let us open presents early (only about a week). They would usually give in a few days before Christmas. This year was no different (except that it wasn't me that begged but my step-dad).

A picture of me in one of my stocking stuffers! Disregard the face, I sent the picture to my boyfriend and we like to make fun of the duck face that girls do in pictures... anyway, it was meant to be comical, not serious.

Pie Bird (December 22)

2012-01-17T16:45:00.000-08:00

I have a good friend that doesn't have facebook.... I know, it's like he lives under a rock, right? Well since I have been back, all the friends who wanted to see me saw that I was in NC on facebook and contacted me! Of course Ryan (Mr. No Facebook) didn't know I was home! So we only got to see each other once during my two month visit.

It was a great time though! We went to Pie Bird in downtown Raleigh. The tomato pie picture below was excellent! And Ryan's ox-tail on collard greens was excellent as well!

Heaviest present ever. (December 21)

2012-01-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

The present pictured below in gingerbread wrapping paper weighs at least a million pounds. Okay, maybe not a million but we had to pick it up and put it down 4 times from the car to the house. We wrapped everything but the bottom and shoved (and shoved and shoved and heaved and ho-ed) it into that corner.

Too much work for one day.

Side note: It's a side-by-side grill (propane and charcoal) for my step-dad.

Happy Birthday Becker! (December 20)

2012-01-17T16:24:00.000-08:00

So my youngest sibling is now 21. Her birthday was the 19th, but we celebrated today! Dinner at Bahama Breeze and Christmas light viewing afterwards.

Also, my man's man brother was wearing Salmon... I have proof below.

BABIES! (December 19)

2012-01-17T16:17:00.000-08:00

My niece or nephew coming in July!

What a day! (December 17)

2012-01-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I didn't take a picture today. My mom, stepfather and I traveled out to Charlotte NC to see my brother and sister-in-laws new apartment. We went out to a great mexican restaurant and THEN.... I got sick... I spent the rest of the visit sleeping on their new couch. At least I helped christen it right?

So, no picture... whoops!

Like family (December 16)

2012-01-16T20:28:00.000-08:00

Didn't do much today, but I did find something interesting online. Turns out that my boyfriend's father is not that different from my family...

The Perfect Christmas Tree (December 15)

2012-01-16T20:25:00.000-08:00

See what I mean?

The whole tree was filled with NCSU ornaments!

Wrapping paper assembly line (December 14)

2012-01-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

While in NC I'm staying with my parents. The bedroom I'm sleeping in is the only one big enough (with enough floor space) to wrap presents in! So, I gathered all the materials, organized them and set up an assembly line. Love organizing!

A trip down memory lane. (December 13)

2012-01-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

Rusty brought in a trunk that I packed up before I left for the West Coast. I got to go through an trunk-full of memories! I had to make some decisions about what to keep (and ship out west) and what to throw away. It was hard to throw away things like my trophies (from high school) but I figured that once I have kids, the only trophies I will want to display are his/hers. Either way, I took some pictures to help me remember.

This was the start of the adventure. So much stuff!

A few of my game balls, nice memories but no need to keep them around now.

A senior award from Marching Band.

All the items I decided to get rid of, it wasn't nearly as hard to throw this stuff out as I thought it would be.

New Beginnings (December 12).

2012-01-02T18:15:00.000-08:00

I have been working on another project for my future niece and today I finished it. I also gave this to my sister, the mommy-to-be, at her baby shower, so I can post it for you here. Can't wait for baby Maddie to get here!

Christmas Shopping (December 11).

2012-01-02T18:10:00.000-08:00

I, of course, am done with Christmas shopping but my stepfather is not. Him and I embarked on a 3 hour journey to obtain gifts for my mother. It was a successful expedition, as well as a fun one. By NO means did I have anything whatsoever to do with what you see pictured below.

Decorating and Cleaning (December 10).

2012-01-02T18:03:00.000-08:00

My brother-in-law, Jon, called me this morning and asked if I wanted to come over to his place and help him decorate for Christmas. My sister has been working retail as a GM so she works 6-7 days a week and since she has been in her first trimester of pregnancy, her energy level has been nil. She decided to forgo decorating for Christmas but Jon knew better. So him and I decorated while she was at work and she got the surprise upon her arrival home. I also got a cooking lesson on risotto out of it.

Besides the decorating, I helped my parents clean the church. I can't imagine they do that every week with just the two of them working, it took long enough with 4 of us working!

Surprise visit fail (December 9).

2012-01-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

Today I tried to catch a glimpse of my brother's new girlfriend by visiting him at his house in Raleigh. Turns out it was her birthday and she was home visiting family. While the surprise failed in that sense, I still got to see Amber!!!! I missed her so much!! (I also got to see Bryce ;D).

Finished Product (December 8)

2012-01-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

Since I have gotten really behind on my blogging, I have decided to post very short blogs about the past several weeks, mostly pictures, few words. And here we go.

I need one of these, I managed to finagle a ticket back out west from my father (as he benefits a little from me being out there), but I have to make it back out to NC at the end of March for a wedding. So, if you have a spare $100, buy me one of these.

(1) Nature has a paintbrush? (2) Nature's paintbrush has a smell? (3) And it's not very pleasant?

Here is the finished product of the project from December 7th. Turned out pretty well I think. I gave it to Bailey Moore (my sister) at her shower recently, and she loved it. I hope baby Maddie does as well!

A crafty life. (December 7)

2011-12-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

Working on a project for someone I know. I'm giving it to this person as a gift. Since there is a SLIGHT chance that person will read my blog, I'm only posting a picture of part of the project. I will make an edit to this post with the finished project after I present it to my loved one.

If you have any guesses as to what it is, leave a comment!

Freeeeeeedom!!! (December 6)

2011-12-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

One more test til freedom. Today was spent studying for this final exam. If you have any questions about the privatization of prison systems, just ask.

SOOOOOO much fun. Yes, sarcasm.

Things that make me sad. (December 5)

2011-12-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

Two things I found today make me sad, and made me laugh a little.

That is what you think it is.

And THAT, is a Christmas ornament..... seriously.

Somedays I just miss him. (December 4)

2011-12-06T18:02:00.000-08:00

That's all. I miss him. I'm so used to being around him, it's so weird to not see him everyday! It's even worse now that we don't have skype. I miss him, a lot. That's all.

Also, I know this is cheating since this picture wasn't taken today. But today was spent doing nothing other than this, so too bad!

I said I wanted a doggie! (December 3)

2011-12-06T17:53:00.000-08:00

I want a puppy for Christmas. The problem: I don't really have a house to house a puppy. But that doesn't stop me from going "puppy shopping." A lot of shelters are putting pictures of their dogs online, and I found them!!!!

Here is the one I want. There is even a bigger problem with this one however, it's a version of a pit bull terrier and those aren't allowed in my boyfriend's apartment complex. Oh well, I still want her.

Time for a change! (December 2)

2011-12-06T17:42:00.000-08:00

I have recently been wanting to change my look. Since a wardrobe makeover is expensive and cosmetic surgery is a little more permanent than I was thinking (plus, I would never get unnecessary cosmetic surgery), the hair it is!

My boyfriend has a thing for long hair, and a thing for brunettes. Well I'm a natural brunette but I don't like long hair. I told him a few months ago that I was going to grow my hair out so that he could see it long. I did that, well kinda. My hair is definitely longer than I like to keep it. Knowing that I wasn't a fan of my hair length, my boyfriend told me I should get it cut.

With that in mind, my mother and I decided to take a day to dye our hair. I picked a dye color called "medium golden chestnut brown." I assumed that the color would lighten my hair. Nope.
I love it, my boyfriend loves it AND I like it with my long hair! It was an excellent oops!

Before, during and after below:

Advent Season (December 1)

2011-12-05T17:49:00.000-08:00

Since it is the first of December my mom and step-dad decided to bring two advent calendars over to my young cousins. John and Savannah are 5 and 4 years old respectively. The two of them were very excited to receive the chocolate behind door one! Hopefully they will continue to open only a door a day until Christmas!

There is a video uploaded on my facebook of the two dancing later in the evening.

Rusty with Savannah in all her cuteness.

A side note about the day. Don't you hate it when you finish all of the crossword puzzle but one freaking corner stumps you!?!?!?

Just call me Ms. Fix-it! (November 30)

2011-12-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

The Christmas trees have been up in this house since the day after Thanksgiving. However, one of the trees is rather old and has dying lights and a completely dead light string. So, I spent an hour today replacing the dead lights. Yup, that was all I did today. Exciting!

I thought lying on the ground would create a greater dramatic effect. I was right!

Ah, Production! (November 29)

2011-12-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

I don't know what to say about today other than, I'm awesome. The picture says it all.

Also, I very much like making lists.

Tres Leches Cake (November 28)

2011-12-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

I hate cake. I really don't like it. It's dry and sugary and gross. That isn't sarcasm, I'm serious. So when discussing my wedding cake, I didn't really care, all I wanted was cheap (since I wasn't planning on eating it anyway).

But then, my mom saved the day, kinda. She was looking for ways to include my boyfriends heritage in our wedding and discovered the tres leches cake! [Tres leches means three milks]. This cake is moist and sweet and delicious!!!

We discovered a mexican bakery in Cary, not far from the wedding location that makes an amazing tres leches cake! He can do a three-tier verison of the cake for our wedding!!!! YAY! He let me take the sample home with me, soooooooo good!

As a side note, the peach was good too!

Black and White (November 27)

2011-12-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

Ever since I got to North Carolina, I haven't stopped talking about my wedding! I'm not yet engaged, however my boyfriend and I have had several discussions about our future together. It has been decided that Ludwig and I will get married some day down the road. The benefit of knowing about the wedding far ahead of time is that I get all that time to PLAN!

I have to admit that my favorite part of any event is the planning and executing. However I think in the case of this event, I'm going to enjoy the result just as much, probably even more!!!

So in light of all this planning, my mother purchased a wedding planning notebook for me and I have filled it up with all my (and my mother's) wonderful ideas! The thing I have focused on the most is the budget, since I'm not planning on using credit to purchase anything for this wedding, I need to keep the price as low as possible.

Okay, okay, I can't detail all my plans here, plus I want most of you to be surprised!!

So all you get to see is the cover of the wedding planner!

Going Bowlin'!!! (November 26th)

2011-11-30T16:58:00.000-08:00

For anyone who saw the State game this past weekend, you will appreciate the story that unfolds in the pictures below. For those who didn't see the game, I will provide captions.

I honestly thought this was going to be the best picture from the entire game. Can you find my brother Bryce?

This was the sad pathetic score at the half. I seriously wanted to cry. People left yelling obscenities at the field. It was humiliating.

Not sure how it happened, but the WolfPack came out of that locker room with a ferocity that no one had ever seen. This was the team the beat Clemson! This is the team I love!

See how I love them! 5 touchdowns in the 4th quarter. Seriously, if you missed this game, you missed the game of the decade!

Wolfpack for life baby!

TICKETS!!! (November 25th)

2011-11-30T16:46:00.000-08:00

Normally Black Friday is a big day for me. Lots of shopping, lots of waiting in line, lots of running around like a chicken without a head. I found it exciting and even good exercise. My mother, sister and I would write what we wanted on note cards, send one person to hold a place in the line and the others would scour the store for our items. We thought we KNEW how to do it. This year however, I had all of my Christmas shopping done and my sister is the GM of a Gamestop (so of course she had to work). So instead of trying to get doorbusters alone, my mom went to bed and went shopping in the afternoon. As it turns out, NOT going Black Friday shopping is the way to do it! My mom even mentioned how shopping in the afternoon was so much better than fighting the crowds.

So, all that to say that all I did on Black Friday was ride to Apex with my mom to pick up three free tickets for the NCSU/Maryland game on Saturday. WOOOOO WHOOOO!

Read them and weep!

Turkey Day! (November 24th)

2011-11-30T12:36:00.000-08:00

I have always loved Thanksgiving. (1) There is no other day of the year where it is socially accepted to get 5 plates of food. (2) It reminds me how blessed I am! And how thankful I am for this amazing life that I live! (3) It brings my WHOLE family together, and with a family as big as mine, that is hard to do!

I am just going to let the pictures speak for themselves.

We also got a huge announcement on Turkey Day. I am now going to be an aunt x2! Both Bailey AND Brianna are pregnant!

Pre-Thanksgiving Cooking (November 23rd)

2011-11-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

Today I actually learned something (unlike all those days that I do school work on)! I learned how to cook the world's best Macaroni and Cheese as well as two different types of sweet potatoes (sweet and spicy). I took extensive notes on what to do while I watched (and tried to help) Jon Kremer cook like a master! Below are a few prep shots.

Spring Cleaning... a little early? (November 22)

2011-11-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

So I couldn't sleep last night. I'm really not sure why, but I couldn't. After talking to my boyfriend for several hours after he got of work, I just could NOT go to sleep. So, I did a little cleaning. Here are before and after shots of my handi-work in my parents kitchen!

Fridge before:

Fridge after:

Pantry before:

Pantry after:

Bed of Nails (November 21st)

2011-11-30T12:07:00.000-08:00

Nope, I'm not joking. Well maybe just a little. Ever since I got here (that being NC) I have had a lot of back pain. Eventually it got so bad I was willing to try anything to get rid of the pain. Sitting hurt, standing hurt, lying down hurt, bending over REALLY hurt. So while I was talking to my mom about it, she put on her, "ohhhhhh I know what will help, but you aren't gonna like it" look. Yes, she has one of those.

She brought the bed of nails into my bedroom and told me to lay down on it. It felt weird but really wasn't that painful. When I got up, HUGE relief. The pain wasn't gone but it was definitely better. Below is a picture of the "nails," there are over 6,000 of those little spikes on the mat, but totally worth it!

After feeling the relief, I purchased one from Amazon and sent it to my boyfriend. He has a slipped disk in his back and deals with horrible back pain on a daily basis. He never complains about it (he is one tough cookie!) but any possible relief is worth a shot. Just heard that it helped him quite a bit too! So thankful for that little miracle mat!

Is Increased Incarceration Worth the Cost? (November 20th)

2011-11-30T11:54:00.000-08:00

Sunday, the day ALL of my school work is due and of course I don't start until the day it's due, or close to it. This week, a paper on increased incarceration rates; exciting, I know.

I won't post my paper here for two reasons. (1)You never know when someone is going to accuse you of allowing someone to cheat off of you. (2) It's really boring.
If for some reason you would actually like to read the paper (I got a 94% on it!) let me know and I will e-mail it to you.

Love Actually (November 19th)

2011-11-30T11:45:00.000-08:00

Tonight was a Christmas/Romantic movie night at my friend Sarah's. I had never seen the movie Love Actually, so we rented it for only 52 cents at Blockbuster (that's a Friday and Saturday deal through the holidays, might want to check it out!) I enjoyed the movie, but it was not my favorite as it is Sarah's.

Yes, I have Twilight fever. (November 17th-18th)

2011-11-30T11:30:00.000-08:00

It's true. However, I do want to qualify that statement. Not because I want to say I don't have it, I most definitely do, but I do not much enjoy the movies. I saw the first movie in theaters at least 10 times with my sister when my first boyfriend broke up with me. Shortly after seeing it, my sister and I both realized it was a book series and got hooked immediately! I very much enjoy the books and have re-read them a few times (minus the boring parts in New Moon). However, I don't own any of the movies and probably won't watch them again. I will finish the movie series, out of principle.

The best part about this night however is that I got to see the movie with my good friend Sarah Sugg! We cracked jokes and made comments throughout the movie and even went to enjoy a cookout milkshake afterwards. It was definitely worth the 10 bucks for the experience.

I'm honestly not sure what Sarah is doing....

Also, we were NOT the only ones who took a picture with the poster!

My first cook-out run since being back in NC!

In the Belly of the Beast (November 16th)

2011-11-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

While this might sound like a really interesting title for a blog. It really isn't. All I did today was work on school work. Another one of those days. I will note here though that the book I am reading for my American Prisons class is interesting. In the Belly of the Beast by Jack Henry Abbott is not for the faint of heart, but it definitely provides a new perspective on the life inside prison. Jack Henry Abbott is a convict that has spent all but 6 weeks of his adult life in the prison system. He started his criminal career in his youth and hasn't seen much of the American public other than the 6 weeks he escaped from prison.

Like I said, not for the faint of heart, the author does not use a filter in his writing, but if you are looking for an interesting or challenging read, pick this one up.
(I also want to note that Abbott does not speak well of the 'pigs'. He is referring to the prison staff, particularly the guards. I do not subscribe to his beliefs and this book should be read with a discerning eye.)

Happy Birthday Savannah! (November 15)

2011-11-16T04:55:00.000-08:00

Today contained an interesting surprise. Rusty's brother and his wife have two young children who attend a daycare/school during the day till about 3pm. I think that's a pretty normal situation in most families, what was interesting today was that on her way to pick up her children, Amy's (the mother) van had a tire rod break. Obviously she couldn't drive with a broken tire rod, so several missed phone calls later, someone finally got ahold of my mother and I and we jumped to the rescue. Well, I jumped, my mom stood up like a normal person.

Anyway, the added surprise today was that it was the little girl's birthday! She is now 4! Below is a picture of her with her new dolly!

Happy 4th Birthday Savannah!

Don't you love the smell of perm in the morning? (November 14)

2011-11-16T04:50:00.000-08:00

Well it wasn't exactly morning, in fact it was the opposite, but that didn't make for a catchy title. Over the years my mother, sister and I have all gotten perms. All of us have flat, straight, fine and thin hair so it helps to give us a boost. Also, I just love curls. I'm not sure when I first started doing my mom's perms, but I have given her several over the past few years. Obviously, it is difficult to give someone a perm when you live 3000 miles away from them, so on my 2-month stint here, it was a requirement.

The idea was that I would give my mom a perm and she would give me one. The only problem with said plan is that my boyfriend has a thing for straight hair. While he very explicitly told me that it's my hair and I can do what I want with it, I decided to keep it straight. Aren't I a good girlfriend?

Below are the during and post perm pictures, all pre-color (that will come another day).

Champagne colored Sperrys anyone? (November 13)

2011-11-16T04:40:00.000-08:00

Today was an awesome day! I got to spend it with my favorites from college, Dana Miller and Sarah Sugg. Oh how I missed them. I won't confuse you with the details of our day here, but suffice it to say, I love those gals!

Dana is getting married at the end of March 2012. I get the supreme honor of being one of her bridesmaids. Sarah is going to be her maid of honor! So while we were spending time together today, we decided to do a little shoe shopping for the big day! As Dana was laying out the guidelines for our champagne colored shoes, Sarah and I were, let's just say, not being helpful. We made a joke about wearing Uggs as a wedding prank and then another about champagne colored Sperrys (hey! it works under the color guidelines!) We did not realize however that the Sperrys we laughed about actually exist AND they were on clearance (probably because no one bought them).

We exhausted our shoe options and decided to do a little other shopping. Somehow we ended up in a Hallmark looking for earrings? While the Hallmark did not have the jewelry we were looking for, it did have a source of entertainment for us. Below you can see Sarah and Dana turning around all UNC emblazoned decorations as well as a Ram that is no longer with us...
All I have to say is Go Pack! The three of us most definitely bleed red!

Again I shall say, oh how I miss these girls!

In need of a yard sale! (November 12)

2011-11-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you that have never visited my mother's yard sales, you are missing out. She had seven children, none of which live in her house anymore. This means that everything we left behind, is hers to sell. And let me tell you, there is a LOT of it!

I managed to get a before shot:

And a shot of our progress, all those boxes are full of yard sale items!

Organization Extravaganza! (November 11)

2011-11-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

Today might have been lots of work just like yesterday, but this kind of work, I enjoy. I'm really thinking I should be a professional organizer. Whether I'm good at organizing or not, I sure do love it! We started on the mountain of papers that stacks up in everyone's "To Do" pile.
Here is our box system.

After we put a size-able dent in the stack of To Do's, we went to Red Robin and I celebrated with a Mint Brownie milkshake. Insider Tip: Get the gingerbread shake instead... too much brownie in this one. Plus the gingerbread will rock your socks off!

You gotta do what you gotta do. (November 10)

2011-11-13T10:19:00.000-08:00

Some days aren't so much of an adventure. Today, is one of those days. I spent all day and most of the night doing homework. Really, I'm not kidding. That's it. Well, I guess I ate in there to, but probably next to my computer or textbook doing more homework. Here is my exciting picture of today!

Thrilling, huh?

Dancing with the stars! (November 9)

2011-11-09T22:15:00.000-08:00

Today I spent the day with my sister and brother-in-law. They both had the day off, so we thought some time together would be nice. Our adventure for the day was by far one of the funniest I have had (yes, I know I have only been doing this for a few days). We played baseball, tennis, darts and even had a dance competition. I caught quite a bit of this on video, but a certain someone in a few of the videos, won't let me post them here.

Here are a few of the best pictures. (I really need a good camera, my phone can't take a decent picture when light or movement are involved).

Baseball with Jon, tie game due to the world's most amazing fake catch.

Shake it momma!

All work, all play. (November 8)

2011-11-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I mentioned having the un-joyous task of de-mantling my mother's halloween village. Well I don't think I fully explained what halloween is like at her house. My mother and step-dad dream halloween. Their decorations are the envy of the neighborhood. Let me just put it this way, if you haven't been to their house for halloween before... make the trip next year. They are always improving and getting more creative, and they put a lot of time and effort into making it fun for everyone.

Sadly, I only took one picture of one section of their house before I took it all down and boxed it up. The decorations are a lot less fun to look at when they are all shoved into a box...

Here's what I have for you. The mad scientist's bookshelf. Enjoy!

The thing I missed most about NC? (November 7)

2011-11-09T21:41:00.000-08:00

Today my adventure was a goodie. I got the chance to revisit one of my favorite places in North Carolina. I can't tell you how many times I frequented this place while in college, it was truly a source of pure joy. Here it is ladies and gentlemen, my adventure for the day.

I also had the un-joyous task of de-mantling my mother's halloween village. She really did an amazing job, here are a few pictures to give you an idea of the effort she puts in.

Yellow Belt Status (November 6)

2011-11-06T22:16:00.000-08:00

Today my mom, stepdad and I all visited my pregnant sister and her husband. What a fun trip! It was great catching up with those two, haven't gotten to sit and talk with them in a long time! About halfway through the day, Maddie (my sister's unborn daughter) began kicking. I personally have never felt a baby kick before, what a fun experience! It felt like little pulses in my sister's stomach. We decided that Maddie has achieved yellow belt status, can't wait to see what comes next!

Britt

Back in NC (November 5)

2011-11-06T22:10:00.000-08:00

Remember Remember the 5th of November. I will definitely remember this day, although not at all for the same reasons. This was the day of my return to NC, the day my family got together to celebrate me!

Only one thing stood in the way of it being a perfect day. I was greeted at my bedroom door by this....

Dinner with the family was crazy as always but that's why restaurants love us!

(Bryce missing to the left of the picture).

Good Start to the 365 project!

Britt

Aren't I supposed to write stuff on here?

2011-11-06T21:45:00.000-08:00

I have come to the realization that I am the world’s worst blogger. I started this blog when I went on an ‘adventure.’ Kenya was definitely an adventure. I found great joy in blogging about my time there and providing my small base of readers with pictures. I have not however been able to bring myself to write about the everyday mundane things that happen to me. I have never felt that my everyday life was worth reading about… it’s pretty normal.

So now, I’m going to fix that. I am making a new resolution. Yes, I know that’s something you usually wait until the beginning of the year to do, but since I’m making my way back to North Carolina, I think it would be appropriate to start now. The resolution is this: take a picture each day of my adventures.

I’m hoping this resolution with do three things for me. First, I’m hoping it will make me blog more about my life, get my creative juices flowing. Second, I’m hoping that it will help me to find the adventure of everyday life. Third, I’m kind of hoping it will make me a better photographer.

Start looking for my new posts!

Britt

New And Improved

2011-05-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

New Look... Same old content... Hey Britt, you haven't posted on here in over a month...

Anyways... who has two thumbs and updated the look of this blog?

What if I move to Canada?

2011-04-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

Another delayed post about my adventures in the Northwest...

Don't worry, I'm not planning on it any time soon. But I really liked the sights! So, I spent the better part of Friday listening to funny accents and taking lots of pictures in Vancouver, British Columbia (that's Canada in case you didn't know that). Since it's January, most of the sights were closed, but we did get to cross the Capilano Suspension Bridge and walk around the treetops of the forest. We also headed into downtown Vancouver and walked around historic Gastown which is one of the oldest cities in Canada. Since then it has been absorbed into Vancouver and is mostly just a spot for sightseeing and souvenir shopping.

Check out the pictures below and drool...

The Suspension Bridge

On the nature walk

In the trees (but I'm not a treehugger)

Cool View of the river

My stepmom and I

Steam Clock in Gastown

Downtown Vancouver

Waterfront in Vancouver