Let it Snow...Let it Snow...

Hello All! Well, welcome winter..not like we had much of a choice. This past weekend we got our first snow! About 6 inches...today we've gotten another 3. Thursday it's suppose to snow again and again this weekend!!!

I got all excited this weekend. My whole plan was to run outside once night came and take a picture of our home, since my dreamboat of a husband decorated our house as my birthday gift (which was ALL that I wanted). Unfortunelty, Jamie is in Texas (BOOOO) and he took the camera with him to the grand opening. SO...come friday when he gets home I will take a picture first thing.

The good news is that it's gotten us into the spirit of the season! How do you all get into the spirit of the season?

WELCOME HOME!

Hello All! Okay, so this past weekend was sooo super busy! Friday we closed on our NEW HOME! We bought a super cute townhome in Chaska, Minnesota (8TH BEST CITY TO LIVE IN THE ENTIRE USA, BY THE WAY) We love this area, and we've been here long enough to know that we're here to stay for quite a while...SO! I will upload pictures soon...first I have to clear out all the boxes!

I thought this was going to be a super easy move...since we were moving right down the street and I got to hire a moving team ( I have a bad habit of buying BIG furniture that Jamie and I could in NO way lift. I go to the gym, but seriously, i would need to be Mighty Mouse! So back on subject, we closed Friday morning, movers showed up Saturday. Luckily, I had a stroke of brilliance and booked Brandi & Bailey into Doggie Day Care for the Day. So as of Saturday at around 4 we were moved in. Then Sunday Jamie and I headed back over to the rental to clean...and man did we! 12 hours later!!!! I was ready for bed! Needless to say that rental is as clean as it's ever been...and thats saying something! We even dusted the ceiling....

So, thats it from us for now. Hope you all have a great Turkey Day!! We are going out to Seattle to visit Dad and Elizabeth. Jamies excited because he's never been!! So we'll let you know!

Closet Baker

Ever since I was a little girl I use to love to bake. I remember sitting in the family room of my grandmothers house, looking into the kitchen and watching her bake. She'd make cakes or candies...all sorts of stuff. I love to bake. It's not really a secret....I don't think I'm super great at it, I probably do it more often than most....but I'm about average.

Last christmas I made all sorts of goodies and would bring them into work or keep them around the house. I already have people asking me for my peanut butter snowballs, fudge and triple chocolate chip cookies....sometimes I wish I could just take some time off of work for like 3 weeks and just stay home and bake. I just love seeing peoples faces when they eat the stuff that I bake (assuming they like it..hehe). I just wish that I had the time to bake all the time.

Jamie's boss at Life Time asks for my cookies for her meetings. Which I'm not sure if she's really that in love with them or just super nice to me...but i makes me so happy when jamie will come back and tell me how much everyone loves them. Last time, in the middle of their meeting, they actually made me a thank you card..which was super sweet.

So question for the readers: What is your secret thing that you wish you had enough confidence over to quit your job to do...just walk away and feel confident that if you ever had the guts to do it, you would be super happy and might not make a bad living off of it?

My answer: BAKING.

Whats new in Minnesooota?!?

Hey all! So it turns out I stink at blogging. I was half convinced that no one reads this silly thing (minus my mom and MUM)! But as per Jessica's lovely request demanding something new i'll give it my best shot! So new news...Jamie and I have been enjoying the Fall up here in Minnesoota, it's almost over up here, i think we get into highs of the low 60's. But none the less, i love it! I got a new winter coat this year, so thus far i'm enjoying being able to wear it...i'm sure when i'm knee deep in snow i'll be regretting my wish for winter!

Jessica my best friend ever is engaged! I'm so happy for her!! And she's asked me to be a bridesmaid, which I am of course so honored by. We've been friends since like forever....well, not forever, since high school, but thats like almost 10 years now! Wow...i feel old. But i'm sorta impressed that someone has actually put up with me that long. She was suppose to come up and visit but because she's a loser she canceled for the sake of the wedding...i'm not bitter...or am i?? No, i'm totally happy for her! I just wish we were closer so I could totally be there for her to do all the bridesmaids duties and help make her day as special as it will be.

My goal this winter is to get out and really embrace a minnesota winter. Last year we did what most normal people would do in a MN winter: STAYED INSIDE! But I think this year i'm really going to try to get out and walk on a frozen lake or two, maybe ice fishing is in the cards...hmm, maybe i'm pushing it...I'm having flash back to the state fair...My mom is coming up for Christmas and I think she's a bit nervous by all the outdoor activities I have planned. But Minnesota is different, they actually have a Winter Carnival, in January where the average high is 10F!

Let see...what else is new...OH, i was recently asked to be a co-chair of the Minnesota AIGA Design Show. This is a really great opportunity for me! I've been helping to get the show off the ground and it should be a lot of fun!Heres a link is anyone is bored and would like to wonder: http://minnesota.aiga.org/designshow/
Thats from last years show that I helped out with....best of minnesota design!

Anywho, thats it from me now, hope to hear from ya'll soon...HINT HINT: leave a comment or two!

The following was sent to me via email...I'm assuming a true story, but if not it's darn funny!! Hope no one finds it inappropriate, I found it HILARIOUS!!!


All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy, painless removal - The Epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and now ... the wax.

My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, and play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours: "Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet." So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom.

It was one of those "cold wax" kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off. No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out. YA THINK!?!)
So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees. ("Cold wax,"yeah...right!)

I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull. It works!

OK, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I can do this!

Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire.

With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure, I apply the one strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my *hoo-hoo* and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek (yes, it was a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself..... RRRRIIIPPP!!!!

I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. OH NO! What have I done???!!! Another deep breath and RRRIIPPP!! Everything is swirly and spotted. I think I may pass out..... must stay conscious.....Do I hear crashing drums??? Breathe, breathe..... OK, back to normal.

I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip! There's no hair on it. Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX???

Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair. The hair that should be on the strip. I touch. I am touching wax. WHAT?! I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair.

Then I make the next BIG mistake..... remember my foot is still propped up on the toilet? I know I need to do something. So I put my foot down.

My LIFE FLASHES BEFORE ME!!!!!! I hear the slamming of a cell door. *Hoo-hoo*? Sealed shut! Butt?? Sealed shut!

I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do and think to myself "Please don't let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!" What can I do to melt the wax? Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!!!

I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right??? WRONG!!!!!!!

I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit.

Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub.....in scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax.

So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cement-epoxied myself to the porcelain!!

God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!!

I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter - "So, my butt and hoo-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!"

There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know exactly where the wax is located, "Are we talking cheeks or hoo-ha?"

She's laughing out loud by now..... I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box. YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night.

While we go through various solutions. I resort to scraping the wax off with a razor. Nothing feels better then to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!!

By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event.

My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace.....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!!

The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend.

It's sooo painful, but I really don't care. "IT WORKS!! It works!!" I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up.

I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair..... THE HAIR IS STILL THERE..... ALL OF IT!!!!!!!!!!

So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. I could have amputated my own leg at this point.

Next week I'm going to try hair color..... Now that's funny.....
Notttttttttt!!!

Gotta Keep it up!!

Ok Folks, So I'm trying to make an effort to keep up the blogging. Is blogging a real word? I keep trying to think about all these interesting things to write about. But they usually involve taking pictures or something like that....maybe I'm lazy. I guess I ought to work on that. We really need to get a new digital camera, so thats the hold up. So..topic for tonight. Since it's starting to get cold and the leaves are turning I fig. I could do my

TOP 10 FAV. SUMMER THINGS FROM 2007:

#1: Getting to go over to England and visit family; we haden't been able to see some family since Jamie moved over here..over 4 years ago! So being able to see everyone and just feel like a normal family (even if for 10 days) was really nice! Jamie showed me where he use to vacation as a kid (Sauntersfoot), which was gorgeous! Pics below.








#2: Getting my new car!! For those of you who don't know me SUPER WELL...my last car was a 1996 VW Jetta with almost 200,000 miles on it. It was sad to say goodbye to my car that was filled with so many great memories, roadtrips, days from highschool, road trips up to college, etc....but now we have a subaru outback that is rockin' and will have plenty of new trips and memories to log into it. I know...i'm the only 24 year old that drives a stationwagon...but you know what, I can pull it off!:) hahaha!

#3: Discovering this really great dog park that is 29 ACRES!!! It's ginormeous!! Which is BIG! Where we are now able to work with Brandi on a heel without a leash (even with other dogs around)...you laugh, but it's impressive!!:)

#4: Getting my first group of freelance jobs, which HOPEFULLY will put me on the track of running my own shop one day

#5: Getting to go out and ride our bikes more often. We weren't out as much as we wanted to be, but a VAST improvement from last year!

#6: Going to the Minnesota state fair. Just when I think I'm starting to fit in up here we go the Minnesota State Fair...and BOY WAS I WRONG! HAHA. Nothing against Minnesotians, they are GREAT people, but I do NOT understand the state fair habits. The MAIN thing to do there is to stare at cows or other livestock or eat....anything fried, on a stick and with at least 1,000 calories is fully available. Our favorite items were the deep fried sniker bar on a stick or the kool aid flavored pickle (i think it was on a stick). No, we did not eat these things...I have my limits. People stay at this thing for days....we were there an hour and a half and decided to go home.

#7: Training for the breast cancer 3 day. This was the most amazing experience of my life! I didn't end up donig the walk because of an injury, which was probably one of the worst things to happen this summer, but I helped to raise a good amount of money for a great cause and met some truly amazing women (and men) through this experience. Plus, the fact that I would go out and walk 10 miles/day on the weekends...taught me a lot about myself.

#8...#9...#10.....

Okay, so I only got to 7....well, I never pretended to be super interesting or accomplished. I guess I'll just have to try harder so that when I'm ready for a recap for fall, I can actually have something interesting to tell ya'll. Until the next post....talk to ya'll later!

My first post

Ok, so Lauren finally convinced me to post something on our new (and first) blog. I'm not so sure about it, but hey, we'll see. There's something scary about the fact that anything I post here could be kept floating around in cyber-space for ever more...

Well, this weekend was a little odd; over the last week its been getting closer and closer to autumn, and then all of a sudden we get an eighty-degree high humidity weekend...not that I'm complaining or anything, but we just got out the winter clothes and started dressing for the season.

I've been really busy with work lately; travelling all over the country for all sorts of cool events ... from grand openings and job fairs, to facilitating training sessions on interview skills. It was really fun getting to travel so much (and building up loads of air miles for a free trip over to the UK) but at the same time, its hard being away from home, Lauren, and of course, the dogs! The travelling also makes it hard for me to pick up the phone and call home ...

Brandi

Speaking of the dogs, Brandi and Bailey, here's a couple of pics...







Bailey















Well, that's enough for now ... until next time ... be safe.

Lets give it a try...

Hello Everyone! Ok. So I decided to give this whole blogging a shot, figuring it would be a great way to keep in touch with family and friends. Considering that our nearest family member is a two hour plane ride and half of them live across the pond:)

So I guess I ought to catch everyone up: Jamie and I are living up in MN now. He was offered a promotion up here with his company, Lifetime Fitness and I JUMPED (literally) at the opportunity to work in a design city. I'm working for a small firm here in Minneapolis, which is really nice. We've got two little ones: Brandi, our 65 pound rotti and Bailey our 15 pound poodle mix...i'm sure we'll have pictures to come. They are quite the pair! They are also our "practice kids" my motto is if i screw them up they can't go blame their issues on me to their shrink. And lets face it I can be a little bit of a perfectionist so...practice makes perfect as mom would always say.

Most weekends we spend trying to chill out or going to the dog park. Autumns here which means I'm trying to steal some time to pick back up my knitting and baking (it's a seasonal thing, i guess). Other than that we're pretty boring! I know I've got you hooked now:) hahah. Ok. well thats it for now, talk to ya'll soon!