.

Christmas Joy

2012-01-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

*2011*

Christmas morning with Brian, Chantell, Tony, Zack, Hailey and Baby Charlie.

Fun times being with the kids as they opened their gifts!

Charlie's 1st Christmas!

2012-01-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

Here's cute little Charlie on his first Christmas Day~

- December 25, 2011 - 4 1/2 months old -

Although he's way too young to understand what was going on, he still had a good time watching all of the excitement, and had fun with his new toys!

Next year's gonna be really fun!!!

Prep Day is here!

2011-11-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for the big feast tomorrow.....I am so grateful that I have the day off today!!!

Sweet Sean ~ First Basketball Game of the Season @ USU

2011-11-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Here's Seanee at the USU basketball game ~ they're playing a big game against BYU tonight (hence the t-shirt message)

She's showing her Aggie pride!

Inside the Spectrum tonight before the game.

A lot of students have been 'occupying' the Spectrum the last couple of days. Sean told me today that her tent was close to where these are!

What a fun freshman year she's having!!!

11/11/11

2011-11-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

~Happy Veterans Day~

A big THANK YOU to all of the men and women who are serving, or have served our country...including my husband, Eric, and many of our family members.

4 Monrhs Old Today!

2011-11-09T21:15:00.000-07:00

Our precious little Charlie is already four months old today. It's hard to believe that much time has passed since the night he was born...can it really be four months???
He's getting to be such a big boy, and oh so cute!!!

He's eating cereal now and loves it!
(He's definitely a well-fed little guy)

Oh, hello again, Winter.

2011-11-05T22:01:00.000-06:00

*Time to make snow angels*break out the boots*dust off the sled*stoke up the fireplace*

We knew it was coming, but we weren't really expecting this much S-N-O-W.

This is what we woke up to this morning

Poor lil punkin!

Our 'tropical' papyrus just doesn't know what to think!!!

Our sweet little Baby Charlie

2011-11-04T15:59:00.000-06:00

Is there anything on God's green earth sweeter than a soft cuddly baby asleep in your arms???

I think not.

It's Kathy Reichs!

2011-10-30T20:17:00.001-06:00

On Tuesday night I got a chance to meet one of my favorite authors, Kathy Reichs. So awesome!!!

(I get kinda giddy over seeing authors in person)

These cell phone pics are pretty awful, but oh well...

Love the SLC library ~ it is so amazing.

This is her son, Brendan, who is co-writing her new 'Virals' series with her. How cool is that to have a mother-son writing team??

So Long, Scotty!

2011-10-27T21:41:00.001-06:00

A fun business lunch today ~ wishing a fond farewell to our co-worker Scott, who's moving on to another position at our company's corporate office in SLC after being in our department for 19 years!!

Our fantastic team (starting next to moi) - Debbie, Tim, Amy, Jodie, Anita, Troy, Darrell, Ned, Scott, Colleen.

*A great group to work with*

We also celebrated my 25-year anniversary with Intermountain Healthcare/McKay-Dee Hospital. (Yikes!! I can't believe it's been that long!)

We've all shared a lot of life together...good times, bad times, births, deaths, weddings, funerals - a whole lotta blood, sweat & tears, and an incredible amount of LAUGHS. It's been a wonderful ride!

Good day, Sunshine!

2011-10-27T20:48:00.000-06:00

at work this morning

Kneaders!

2011-10-25T21:44:00.000-06:00

Lots of yummy holiday offerings seen at Kneaders today. The hubs and I stopped by to share a French Dip sandwich and a cup of hot orange-spice tea.

There's a chill in the air

2011-10-25T21:19:00.000-06:00

It's 37 degrees right now, at 8:45 pm.

After spending the last 10 days in the glorious Arizona sunshine, enjoying 75-degree evening weather, this is quite the change!

Yesterday afternoon in Michelle's neighborhood.

We had just left her house to head to the airport to come back home.

This morning in Layton. Oh my dreary.

I'm just not ready for this.

Charlie's 1st Day of DayCare

2011-10-03T22:26:00.000-06:00

Today was the first day our sweet baby Charlie went to day care.

The good news is that Chantell got to be home with him for 12 weeks.

The bad news is that it's just not long enough.

I must admit that I couldn't stop thinking about him all day, wondering how it was going and if he was ok.

Does he know what's going on and who these new people are? Does he understand that he's in a good place? I hope that he somehow sensed that he was in good hands and that Mommy would be coming back to get him.

Chantell told me tonight that he was asleep when she dropped him off this morning, so she was concerned about what he was going to think when he woke up!

The caregivers told her that he had been pretty good all day until the last little while. He was not a happy camper when she came in to get him! But he was fine and happy once he was back with Mommy.

Chantell told me it was really hard for her this morning.....I can only imagine just how hard it was. Simply hearing about it makes my heart hurt.

Flashback!

2011-10-02T17:15:00.000-06:00

On Friday night, Melissa & Michelle went to the Duran Duran concert at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas. Michelle drove from Phoenix to LV with two of her co-workers and it sounds like they all had a great time!

The next day, M & M met Jim and Christian at the Grand Luxe for lunch

Then they headed to the District for some serious 'girls only' aka 'no husbands in tow' shopping! They called me to say hi...I think they were trying to make me feel jealous that I wasn't there with them!!!

Go Cards!!

2011-10-02T17:10:00.000-06:00

The Cardinals welcome the New York Giants to U of Phoenix Stadium. GO CARDS!!!

Matt & Michelle are at the game today, along with Bruce & Janet, who are in town visiting this week.

Enjoying a little lunch & libation at the Yardhouse before the game

The score right now, in 4th quarter:

New York Giants 17 - Arizona Cardinals 27 in progress

www.azcardinals.com

4th Qtr - 3:52

2011-09-30T19:56:00.002-06:00

Charlie watching Blues Clues on tv. Chantell said he was glued to it - too funny!

2011-09-30T19:52:00.002-06:00

Look at what I came home to tonight after work.....mandarin martini time!!

Charlie in his 'shark' towel

2011-09-25T21:35:00.000-06:00

Auntie Michelle gave Charlie this awesome shark towel!

Football Fun

2011-09-25T11:56:00.001-06:00

My Sweet Sean and I ~ half-time at the USU game in Logan last night.

I still just can't believe our baby girl is in COLLEGE!!!

Look at that CUTE FACE!!!

2011-09-23T21:31:00.000-06:00

Here's our cute little Charlie Boy!

His koala bear shirt says I'm WILD for my DADDY!

Hangin out in the Hammock

2011-09-23T21:26:00.000-06:00

September 11th * 2011

2011-09-23T21:19:00.000-06:00

Hailey and her friends, Bailey & Tanielle, putting up our flag in the backyard on September 11th

We had a Pledge of Allegiance ceremony

The three of them made a big paper flag and poster to commemorate 9/11

An AWESOME tribute!

They decided to go the the bottom of the hill and wave to cars driving by

Ready to roll!

Heading down the street

Lots of people waved & honked as they passed

~ God Bless America ~

iHeart Radio Music Festival

2011-09-23T20:32:00.007-06:00

from Christian on facebook on Friday, September 23rd ~Just found out im working iheart radio music festival tomorrow!

What a lucky kid!

#1 Grandson has a really neat 'extra' job doing stage set-up for concerts and shows in Las Vegas.

Oh how I LOVE this boy!!!

Such a sweet boy!

2011-09-23T20:07:00.000-06:00

Charlie on 9-11-2011

Chantell & Hailey in the background

Nobody knows...

2011-09-23T19:42:00.000-06:00

More Charlie room ideas

2011-09-23T19:35:00.000-06:00

There are so many cute baby decor items available now!!

On the road again...

2011-09-23T19:01:00.000-06:00

Hubs was heading out on yet another business trip - this time going to the exciting destinations of Soda Springs, Idaho and then on to Kemmerer, Wyoming.
Wow, this is definitely life in the fast lane!
(I chose not to accompany him on this trip)

A Hailey Hairdo

2011-09-23T18:36:00.000-06:00

I found this hairstyle online this evening. It would be so darn cute on Hailey!

We'll have to try this the next time she comes over.

Charlie's 1st visit to Sesame Street

2011-09-23T18:21:00.002-06:00

from fb:

Chantell Martin-Carlson...

Charlie is watching his first episode of Sesame Street =o)

Janelle Carlson... THAT'S SO CUTE!!!!! ♥♥♥

Happy Autumnal Equinox!

2011-09-23T18:09:00.000-06:00

First day of Fall...2011

Moab Road Trip with Hailey

2011-07-29T18:07:00.001-06:00

Customize your own digital scrapbook

The Charlie Room

2011-07-24T22:55:00.000-06:00

This is a cute little virtual nursery I put together for Charlie's bedroom.

OlioBoard is so much fun to play around with!

2 weeks old already!

2011-07-23T23:01:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe that Charlie is celebrating his 2-weeks-old birthday today.

It seems like it took forever for him to get here, and now that he is, the time is just flying by ~

You got the way to move me, Cherry

2011-07-23T22:40:00.000-06:00

Cherry Baby!

Tonight's dessert.....yum.

Too cute for words!!!

2011-07-20T21:24:00.000-06:00

Super Slug!

2011-07-20T21:19:00.000-06:00

We get some pretty unusual critters in our back yard, but this one takes the prize for grossest!! At first hubby thought it might be a snake crawling up our pine tree, but then realized it was the world's longest slug!

As disgusting as it was, I couldn't help taking a picture of it. Hard to tell from the photos, but it was about 8-10 inches long. Seriously slimy and gross!!!

So long, clunky orange brick -

2011-07-20T20:46:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow I'm trading in my old orange stupid phone
for a sleek white smart phone!

Crab & Cucumbers - sounds good to me!

2011-07-20T18:11:00.000-06:00

Summer Fest: Cucumbers Stuffed With Crab-Mango Salad

by Michelle Buffardi posted at 12:00 pm | Comments (1)

Week three of our season-long garden party Summer Fest 2011 welcomes food and garden bloggers to feature garden-to-table recipes and tips. We’ll help you to enjoy all that this season has to offer. So far, we’ve delved into eggplant and peaches. This week we’re getting creative with cucumbers.

Summer appetizers should be fresh, light and they should take advantage of the bounty of the season. Ideally, they’d be great-tasting, and wouldn’t take a lot of time to make (you’ll need that time to waste by the pool or in a hammock somewhere) and summer apps should not heat up the kitchen. This is not the time for spinach-artichoke dip, folks.

It is time for bite-sized chunks of cool cucumber, stuffed with mango and jalapeno-studded crab salad. It tastes like the crab walked out of the sea and into your garden.

I was inspired by Daisy Martinez’s Avocado Stuffed With Crab-Mango Salad, but since it’s not avocado week of Summer Fest, I wanted to use cucumbers instead. Plus, cucumbers are lighter, so you can pop a couple of these in your mouth without needing a nap afterward. The end result is a no-cook snack or appetizer that looks pretty fancy but is done in a half-hour, and you won’t have to heat up the kitchen at all.

Cucumbers Stuffed With Crab-Mango Salad

(adapted from Daisy Martinez’s recipe)

1 lime, zest finely grated

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 mango, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup diced (1/4-inch) red bell peppers
1/3 cup diced (1/4-inch) red onion
1/2 jalapeno, stemmed and cut into small dice (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
2 English cucumbers
cilantro, for garnishing

Squeeze the juice from the lime into a bowl. Add the olive oil and cilantro and whisk well. Add the mango, red pepper, onion, jalapeno, and lime zest and toss to coat. Gently stir in the crabmeat to keep it from breaking up. Set aside while preparing the cucumbers.

Wash the cucumbers and peel evenly-spaced strips around the cucumber. Cut the cucumbers into 1-inch-thick rounds, discarding the ends. Using a small spoon, scoop the seeds and some of the flesh out of each round to form a small cup. (Don’t scoop all the way through the cucumber round.)

Fill the cucumber cups with crab salad and garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Serve right away.

CHARLIE, week 1

2011-07-19T22:09:00.000-06:00

I'm in love.....

Grandchild #6 is fantastic - just like the first five! I'm one proud Grandma!!!

CHARLIE IS HERE!!!

2011-07-19T20:51:00.000-06:00

Our sweet Baby Charlie was born on Saturday July 9, 2011 at 12:24am.

He weighed 8lbs, 3oz and was 21" long. He has lots of blonde hair, dimples on both cheeks and is so stinkin' cute!!!!!

These are photos of Charlie taken in the hospital on Sunday morning with his Mama & Daddy, Chantell & Brian, when he was only about 9 hours old.

Cute little fawn

2011-07-06T22:39:00.000-06:00

The most recent visitor from our back yard deer family.

Good Grillin'

2011-07-06T21:58:00.001-06:00

Our 4th of July barbecue included these incredible peppers that turned out oh-so-delish. We also grilled portobello mushrooms for the vegetarians among us, and juicy rib eyes for the carnivores.

freshly sliced ~

marinating in evoo ~

the finished product ~

(Im)patiently waiting.....

2011-07-06T20:27:00.000-06:00

Are you coming tonight, Charlie?? I'm so anxious to meet you and hold you! We're all ready for you to come - especially your Mommy & Daddy! Today is your 'official' due date but so far you don't seem to want to make your first appearance yet. So I guess you're just not ready.

That's OK, I can be patient.....

'Tis the Season

2011-06-12T19:55:00.000-06:00

Mmmm, iced tea season officially started this weekend.

TWINS - Zach's girlfriend, Emily!

2011-06-11T15:51:00.000-06:00

This is a neat story about my nephew Zach's girlfriend, Emily Mathison, which appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. There are 9 sets of twins graduating from the same high school!

Photo Gallery: Valhalla’s doubly special graduates - SignOnSanDiego.com

Emily and Sarah Mathison are among nine sets of twins set to graduate from Valhalla High School this year.

Seeing double

Graduation at Valhalla High School will be extra special this year when nine sets of twins take to the stage to receive their diplomas. The twins — four sets of which are identical — are among the 500 seniors graduating from the high school in El Cajon next week. Sisters Emily and Sarah Mathison are the salutatorians. They delivered a tongue-in-cheek speech at Senior Awards Night on May 26, each taking a contrary position on the trials and triumphs of high school. Among the duos going to identical colleges are Caitlin and Courtney Dorner, headed to the University of California Irvine; Anthony and Nicholas Marino, future Aztecs at San Diego State University; the Mathisons, bound for the University of California Los Angeles; and Giovanni and Diego Vaiasuso, staying local at Cuyamaca College.

View Gallery

SAVE THE DATE

2011-05-17T20:45:00.000-06:00

This is the 'Save the Date' e-mail message we've sent out for Chantell's shower. I'm so excited for the June 18th-19th weekend! Baby Shower on Saturday and then Seanee's graduation party on Sunday. It will be a crazy, fun, partying weekend with lots of family and friends!!

Punchbowl - for a **BABY SHOWER**

Trip to Willey's

2011-03-27T20:33:00.000-06:00

Hubby & I spotted this awesome sofa at RC Willey's the other day. It was super soft and we really liked the dark taupe color.

I'm absolutely loving gray & yellow right now!!! (Is it gray or grey?? I'm never sure) This is a sweet gray velvet sofa with some yellow patent leather pillows! So cool.

This piece is not usually my style, but for some reason I like it. Maybe the stripes?? Probably the *French* script on the pillows!

Great chair and fantastic, industrial-looking clock. At the time, I didn't dare check the price tag on it, but now I'm really curious ;)

More goodies - I'm attracted to anything animal print!


This tall silver vase is gorgeous! (To say nothing of the stud muffin in the chair.)


Ohhhh, how much do I love this chair!?! Looks perfect for curling up with a good book! Plus, it has stripes!! And I'm really loving that rug. May consider purchasing it for my front living room. I've been on the hunt for some gray & yellow to incorporate with my chocolate brown furniture. (Sure beats the $ of a new sofa....or the chair!)

My striped chair....along with a gorgeous gray linen sofa.

Really liked this little storage unit, but actually have no use for it! However, I'm sure I could find a spot for that yellow beauty!!

Another shot of the taupe sofa. Very cool arms on it. Well, we walked out empty handed, but with our bank account in tact!!!

It must be spring!

2011-03-22T21:07:00.008-06:00

Driving to work this morning was slushy & snowy, but coming back home this evening was clear & dry!!

Dinner at Christopher's

2011-03-21T21:08:00.000-06:00

Tonight the hubs and I had a delicioso filet mignon dinner at Christopher's in Salt Lake.

The interior is beautiful. They're in a new location on Pierpont Ave that was originally Bacci Italian Restaurant.

Then it was Ruth's Chris. They invested quite a bit of moolah to renovate the place and add all of this incredible woodwork and lighting.

Then it was taken over by Donovan's, of Chicago. They had a fabulous Happy Hour w/live music & fantastic appetizers!!


This was tonight's dessert, yummy bread pudding (my fav!) w/vanilla bean bourbon sauce. I thought the fresh orchid was an extra nice touch.

Driving into the downtown area this evening. It's so nice having it stay lighter at night!

The capitol building in SLC.

Announcing ~

2011-03-20T14:50:00.000-06:00

Baby Charlie is on his way!!

Photos of CHARLIE!!!

2011-03-20T13:06:00.000-06:00


Amazing photos of my sweet Baby Grandson, CHARLIE at 24 weeks. I'm so excited for him to get here so I can hold him in my arms and spoil him!!

These are 3-D Ultrasound images - awesome technology.

Yep, it's a boy! Cute little leg and foot.

All scrunched up!

What a perfect profile!

Sucking his thumb...how cute!!!

Nighty-night, sweet angel

Light a candle for the people in Japan

2011-03-20T11:56:00.000-06:00

Celebrating St Patty's Day 2011

2011-03-17T22:09:00.000-06:00

Green Beer Bread...yummy!

'The Girls' at HugHes for lunch today.


Green Beer, of course (though not at our lunch).

OMG, are you kidding me?!?

Happy St Patrick's Day everyone!!!

Maison de Provence

2011-03-17T21:42:00.000-06:00

A cute little shop located next door to the cafe where we had lunch today. It's actually a lot of overpriced shi-shi things (IMHO) but their sign is quite fetching!

A Hiking We Will Go

2011-03-13T09:09:00.029-06:00

One afternoon while I was in Phoenix, Matt and I went on a really nice hike in the Ahwatukee foothills. The weather was perfect, in the mid-70s. Unfortunately it was too early for cactus blooms, but still a cool landscape. The uphill climb left me huffing & puffing a bit, but it was a fantastic panoramic view at the top. We could see uptown, downtown and clear up to the Cardinals stadium. There were also more green fields

of crops than I ever would have expected!

Mexican at Macayo's

2011-03-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

We had a delicious dinner and great margaritas here. There were Girl Scouts selling cookies out front, so we picked up a couple of boxes to take home.

The Girls at the Ghetto Spa

2011-03-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

Michelle and I had purchased Groupons for a treatment at a Phoenix spa, so all four of us decided to go get a massage together. It sounded really good online, but...

in reality, it turned out to be not quite what we had expected.

They were totally disorganized, the place needing cleaning, we were left waiting for way too long and Melissa got royally jipped on her pedicure!! In an effort to make up for the long wait, they offered a 'free' sauna to Michelle & I. We were pretty excited about going into the sauna room, until we got stuffed into a portable, stand-alone sauna built for one, stashed way in the back of the salon, with a folding screen for the dressing area! There was barely room for us to squeeze into the little sauna - it was hilarious! We cracked up over it. In fact, Michelle had trouble controlling herself in there...(water spitting incident on my side of the sauna?!)

And poor Meliss had her pedi done in an open area like a hallway, rather than a room, with a student sitting next to her the whole time, observing. And it was clear in the back too...right next to the beauty sauna!!

Not exactly the relaxing experience she had in mind.

But on the bright side, Seanee got a really good facial, and my massage was wonderful. Michelle's massage was pretty good too, but didn't include all of the features that mine did (hot towels on back, hands & feet...ahhh!)!

The owner was really nice and was trying very hard to make it a good time for us. She even served us champagne and chocolate for heaven's sake, so in all fairness, I have to give her points for that.
All in all it was OK, and at least makes for a funny memory if nothing else!

Seanee, Melissa and Michelle in the 'Relaxation Room' waiting for our massages/pedis. It was more like being stuffed in a closet!

Unfortunately, there were only 3 chairs in there, but luckily there was a tuffett...

just right, for Little Miss ~~Muffett~~ Michelle!!

Home Goods in Chandler

2011-03-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

While we were in Phoenix, Melissa, Sean, Michelle, Matt and I stopped in at the Home Goods store. As expected, all kinds of goodies were found!

Of course I had to check out the BABY stuff. I was very tempted to p/u this cute little hat - which just happened to have a 'C' for Charlie on it! But then decided not to because I thought maybe it was kinda girly-looking. What I really loved was that awesome little green stool!! (If only I could've figured a way to fit it in my suitcase!)

Awesome ottomans...the turquoise ones were beautiful and so fresh looking. The ones on the bottom shelf were covered in a gray/taupe lizard material. Very cool. I really liked all of these!

This wall sculpture would have been perfect in M&M's guest bathroom (my bathroom!) The colors were just right, but Michelle didn't care for the flowers. So at the store it stayed.

Poor Matt had taken as much shopping as he could, and then conveniently found a sofa to crash on. He was an excellent chauffeur for us!!!

Bye-Bye Boots!

2011-03-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

Thank you for keeping my footsies nice & toasty warm this winter.
See you again next year!!

The Weird Keyboard

2011-03-10T21:30:00.001-07:00

My poor ergonomic keyboard is the subject of much ridicule at work, but I LOVE IT! The old one had become completely worn out and some of the letters were totally rubbed off, so I got a new one, and I'm breaking it in this week.

Let them call it weird......we don't care!!

My laptop also got upgraded. What a relief to be rid of the other one - it was posessed!!! I swear it did all kinds of crazy things on its own!
(There's no way it could be pilot error)

Hmmm, looks like I need to do something about that smudgy monitor.

Ash Wednesday

2011-03-10T21:10:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Catholics attend Mass on this day and 'receive' ashes on their forhead in the shape of a cross. Being marked with ashes at the beginning of Lent indicates our recognition of the need for deeper conversion of our lives during this season of renewal. Always room for improvement, right??

The season of Lent is also a time of fasting. Fasting is more than a means of developing self-control. It is often an aid to prayer, as the pangs of hunger remind us of our hunger for God. The first reading on the Friday after Ash Wednesday points out another important dimension of fasting. The prophet Isaiah insists that fasting without changing our behavior is not pleasing to God. "This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own" (Is 58:6-7).

Fasting should be linked to our concern for those who are forced to fast by their poverty, those who suffer from the injustices of our economic and political structures, and those who are in need for any reason.

Through Baptism, we are charged with the responsibility of showing Christ's love to the world, especially to those in need. Fasting can help us be aware of the suffering that so many people in our world experience every day, and it should lead us to greater efforts to alleviate that suffering.

It's also a sign of our care for those in need and an expression of our gratitude for all that God has given to us.
Another thing that we do during Lent is not eat meat on certain days. Abstaining from meat traditionally also linked us to the poor, who could seldom afford meat for their meals. It can do the same today if we remember the purpose of abstinence, and embrace it as a spiritual link to those whose diets are sparse and simple. That should be the goal we set for ourselves—a sparse and simple meal. Avoiding meat but then eating lobster misses the whole point!!

Eric and I have seen true hunger first-hand in Mexico & Peru, and it's something that leaves an indelible mark on your memory. Seeing young children starving is especially heartbreaking. We'll forever be sincerely grateful for the privilege & pure luck of being born here in the United States...
there but for the grace of God go I...

Another aspect of Lent is doing works of charity and the promotion of justice. These are positive actions that we should take on. They are integral elements of the Christian way of life we began when we were baptized. So Lent is not just a time of 'giving up treats' which is the popular notion - it's a time to be proactive!

Cute Kaya

2011-02-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

One of my awesome granddogs, Kaya

Sweet Sadie

2011-02-27T22:04:00.000-07:00

My youngest granddog, Sadie

Morning Coffee

2011-02-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

This morning (while on vacation) I got up, went downstairs for a cup of fresh, hot coffee, and then proceeded to go back to bed. Back to bed!!

I never do that!!!

What an indulgent luxury....deliciously dark coffee, a good book, a down comforter.

I may never want to get up ;)

True Confessions

2011-02-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

Today I came to the realization that I have a BOX fetish. Good grief!

For some reason, I am attracted to boxes of all shapes, sizes, colors and textures. I guess (like Amy's Mom, Linda) I like to organize things in them, so they satisfy my longing to be *always* neat & tidy ;)

But there's also just something about boxes, even empty, that I can't resist!!

These are some of my most recent aquisitions...

...green suede, pure white glossy, brown lizard, and the woven box was a Christmas gift from Brian & Chantell, filled with an incredible assortment of teas!! LOVE!!!

In honor of Peppermint Patty Day

2011-02-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

February 11, 2011 is Peppermint Patty Day!

A peppermint patty is a chocolatey piece of perfection: peppermint confectionery candy covered in dark chocolate. Though these candies were made for some time before the York Peppermint Patty came onto the market, it was Hersey Foods Corporation who made them famous in 1940 with the candies bearing the York name.

The York Peppermint Patty has a firm, crisp chocolate shell that doesn't leave a mess as peppermint candies had done in the past. For this reason, peppermint patties gained nationwide popularity. People fell in love with their strongly contrasting flavors - bitter chocolate around a sweet, sugary center.

Peppermint patties also gained notoriety after the debut of Charles M. Schultz's famous comic strip Peanuts in 1966. They were chosen as the nickname for Peanuts character Patricia "Peppermint Patty" Reichardt.

Happy Peppermint Patty Day!

Another cupboard completed!

2011-02-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, now it will be much easier to access the things I need.

Kitchen Re-Org...continued

2011-02-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

Re-organization of the kitchen is still going on. A few more drawers & cabinets have been completed this weekend. (YAY!)

All the essentials - assorted chargers/plugs, different types of scissors,

cocktail napkins, and a collection of wine stoppers.

Baggies, foil, etc.

Glass bowls. Oh my goodness, there's actually

room to spare in here!!

Harvest Gold, anyone??

2011-02-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

While purging kitchen cabinets, I've unearthed a few old relics that I've decided to part with. This Pyrex baking dish is among the soon to be dearly departed. After several house moves and many a casserole dinner when the kids were little, it's still actually looking pretty good! It was a wedding gift we received, in 1970. Harvest Gold was in it's prime, baby!!

These white dishes were also a wedding gift, and have served us very well over the years. Rather than recycle these, I'm going to keep them and add to the collection because I really like the versatility of white plates. They're Corelle and are still on the market! The new updated design is just slightly different than these.

It's in Lakeside!?!

2011-02-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

Are you kidding me???? This auspicious event is being held in my hometown of Lakeside, California. Wow, nothing says 'hometown pride' more that the annual beer belly contest. Kinda makes me all misty-eyed just thinking about it...

Yep, he looks like a Lakesider all right!

via Eventful: Beer Belly Contest!
If you're the competitive type and prefer Pabst Blue Ribbon over soda water, this could be your moment: A Lakeside bar will stage a novel competition - a beer belly contest.

Why beer bellies? Why Lakeside? New to the area, are you??
As a co-owner of the establishment, Eastbound Bar & Grill, likes to say: "East County and beer bellies go hand-in-hand."

The contest will be held Feb 12th from 1 pm to 2 pm at the business on 10053 Main Street as part of a day-long, all-age celebration marking the bar's first anniversary, recently named the best burger joint in East County.

Co-owner Marco Rodriguez said he's not sure yet how the bar will determine the winner, but said audience feedback will likely be a factor, along with belly size.
The winner will be crowned on the spot and hold the title "Mr. Beer Belly 2011."

The eatery has booked two bands to play after the contest - Cold Shower and Love Handles.

I have no further comment.

Giving credit where credit is due

2011-02-12T10:57:00.003-07:00

I should've mentioned on my post below, that I found this wonderful quote on Lynda Quintero Davids' fb post. She has an incredible home decor blog that I love!!
http://nyclq-focalpoint.blogspot.com/

Full disclosure ~
The last part about the wine? I made it up. (It seemed only fitting that it should be added!)
And I copied the cute little party mice from Google images.

No second chance on these...

2011-02-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

There are five things that you cannot recover in life:

(1) The Stone...........after it's thrown,

(2) The Word...............after it's said,

(3) The Occasion......after it's missed,

(4) The Time.............after it's gone,

(5) A person...............after they die.

(And the Wine................after it's drunk.)

ONE HOT MAMA!

2011-02-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

Well, at least the coffee's hot!

Freezer Purge 1

2011-01-29T22:51:00.000-07:00


Stripped bare and scrubbed

Part Uno of the Freezer/Fridge Purge was completed this morning.

Now on to Part Dos!

Midway through the process

All clean and organized!

Ugh.....now on to the other side

Paris on my mind...

2011-01-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

Been thinking about Paris lately, a lot. I really, really want to go back again.
J'adore Paris!

Waxed at last!

2011-01-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I finally got my much-needed and overdue brow wax.

Definitely feels much better!!

While I was at it, got a much-needed and overdue manicure too.

Reminds me of one of my all-time favorite movie scenes.....

'Gawd, I should've stopped in all my evil planning to get that manicure!'

LOVE Rupert Everett!!!

(like most devastatingly handsome men of his age are...)

Seeing purple!

2011-01-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

What up with the purple appliances popping up everywhere??

I LOVE IT!

On display at Sam's

Just following my own path.....

2011-01-24T22:13:00.000-07:00

Wine drinkers 'follow their own path in life,' a survey says

January 12, 2006|By Cyril Penn

Women buy more wine in the United States than men, and a recent survey shows they prefer to drink it in small, intimate gatherings. Chronicle photo by Craig Lee

Credit: Craig Lee

Wine drinkers are confident, savvy adventure seekers, according to a new study commissioned by San Francisco's Wine Institute.

The national survey of 2,442 consumers by Yankelovich and the Segmentation Co. also found that California wine ranks first in favorability and familiarity with U.S. wine consumers by a wide margin. The survey asked wine consumers about their familiarity and consumption of wines from 12 different U.S. and foreign regions.

The research showed that wine consumers stand out from the U.S. population in several ways and, in general, are more likely to:

Be open to new experiences

Follow their own path in life

Be confident and information-savvy consumers

Desire intangibles, experiences and emotions

Have their life priorities in order

On SIMPLICITY...

2011-01-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

The less you have, the more organized you are. When you have eight wine glasses and five cashmere sweaters and four pairs of jeans, you have more free time in life.

And time is the most valuable thing for all of us.

— Jennifer Post (as quoted in New York Social Diary, 1.7.11)

Words of Wisdom indeed! I've been in 'shedding' mode for a while now, so this quote hit home with me. Makes me feel even better about simplifying my life - clearing the clutter - paring down to what's necessary - donating the unused in my closets - organizing what I have - freeing my time to do the things I really want to spend my time on.

Time is definitely the most valuable thing we have in our lives!

2011-01-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I’m heading to work this morning in ‘positive attitude’ mode, ready for a fresh start to the week.
Last night’s rain has washed away the oppressive smog in the valley, and it’s a balmy 44˚(really warm for January in Utah!) Then I start seeing rather ominous signs along the way. This cannot be good.

First off, about a mile away from the house, I get my 1st glimmer of recognition that I am in fact wearing navy blue pants, not the black ones I thought I was wearing. But I am wearing black shoes and a black sweater. Oh, great. How embarrassing. How could I have not noticed this in all the time I was getting ready at home??

Then I passed a little Bambi on the side of the highway, who had himself passed, to that great forest in the sky. For a flash of a second, he looked just like a German Shepherd, like my sweet granddog, Kaya. Oh, no!!

Then as I headed closer to Ogden, I noticed that our (otherwise clear) sky was completely grey and ugly, right over the hospital, right where I was going! This can’t be happening.

But fortunately, everything was just fine once I got there. The sun came out to play, and nobody even noticed my mismatched pants. (Or at least they were kind enough to not mention it!) Michelle called and said that Kaya is swimming in the pool today and happy as a clam. I had a very nice chat with my wonderful boss, and enjoyed a soothing cup of delicious hot tea.

I can already tell it’s going to be a good week. Oh man, what a relief!

Cute Kaya

The Wicked Weeks

2011-01-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

Well, the last two work weeks have been w-i-c-k-e-d! (and not in a good way) Here's hoping that today is not only the start of a new work week, but a much
more positive one.

...it's all about attitude, it's all about attitude, it's all about attitude

Deep Breath. Here I go.

Kitchen cupboard organization-Part 1

2011-01-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

The quest has begun to get every cupboard in my kitchen and laundry room completely organized, once and for all. I got this section cleaned out and re-stocked last weekend, and plan to tackle one a week till I'm all done. Or maybe one a month...

Spa Day in LV

2011-01-07T16:10:00.001-07:00

On a trip to Las Vegas last April - Melissa, Seanee and I went to the spa for a very relaxing afternoon and a luxurious massage. Ahhhh!!!

Sean, me, Melissa - spending quality time together

Jacuzzi at the spa - really warm and soothing

Seanee in the waiting room, ready for her massage

Mmmm - tea service!

So silly...

2011-01-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

and so cute!!!

2011 - Bring it on!!!

2011-01-01T20:20:00.002-07:00

Remembering my 1st Phoenix Trip - February 2008

2010-12-31T18:21:00.001-07:00

When Matt and Michelle were considering a move from Salt Lake to Phoenix, they went down there on a couple of trips to check out the place. On one of those trips I flew down to meet them, and Melissa and Sean flew in from Las Vegas. Tiffany was already living there, going to school at USU, and then Joni and Zach came from San Diego to visit too! So we got to have a bit of a family reunion that week-end.

It was so nice to be there in February - everything was absolutely beautiful.....palm trees, colorful flowers, green grass!!

We all got together one night for a Mexican dinner at the Tortilla Factory in Scottsdale *yum* and another night we all met up with Joni's brother and sister-in-law, John and Susan, for another fantastic dinner at Charleston's in Chandler.

We also did some house hunting, shopping at the Chandler mall, swimming in the hotel pool and late-night hot tubbing. Lots of fun.

Little did we know at the time, Matt and Michelle would ultimately end up buying a house just a few miles away from the hotel where we stayed!

Notre Dame Game Party

2010-12-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Matt & Michelle had a Notre Dame party to watch the opening game of football season. Melissa, Jim and Sean were in town from Las Vegas, and Eric and I were also there on vacation. Michelle's friends Stephanie and Mike and their kids, Madison and Gunner came over for the party too.

The party turned out great!! Everybody had a really fun day and the Irish won the game: 35-0. It was a total wipeout! So the good news is that they won; the bad news is that it made for a very boring game.

By the end of the second quarter, we had all jumped in the pool - including Gunner, who is only 5 month old!

And including both dogs, Kaya and Lilah!!!

Around the house at Christmas

2010-12-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-30T21:58:00.000-07:00

There's a Kitty in our Nativity!

2010-12-30T18:53:00.000-07:00

We have an additional (much larger) member of our Nativity set under the tree. Bella loves to lay there! We don't know if she goes there because it's warm, or if she likes the lights, or maybe she just wants to bond with other animal friends...

Christmas Images

2010-12-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

The GRANDKIDS - all together!

2010-12-27T19:38:00.002-07:00

My Sweeties on Christmas Day 2010
Zack, Sean, Hailey, Christian, Tony

CHARGE! San Diego 29, Houston 23

2010-11-07T17:34:00.003-07:00

*Philip Rivers*

The NFL's leading passer threw four touchdowns against the league's worst pass defense, and the San Diego Chargers earned their first road win of the season in beating the Houston Texans 29-23.

Rivers completed 17 of 23 passes for 295 yards. He came in with 2,649 yards passing, an NFL record through the first eight games.

The Chargers (4-5) head into their bye week on their first two-game winning streak of the season.

Twinners!!

2010-11-06T12:32:00.000-06:00

At work, it's amazing how frequently a few of us will show up wearing the same color on any given day. But Manja and I must have really been channeling each other as we got ready for work this particular day!

We not only wore the same exact "Imaging Services" red vest, we also donned black pants, a long-sleeved white shirt and black shoes. The funniest thing was when we discovered we had both brought similar mustard-colored purses!!!

What are the odds???
(Maybe we've been working together a little too long?!)

Boss's Day

2010-11-05T20:30:00.000-06:00

I work with some of the nicest people!! They provided a really fun day for Boss's Day. The three guys were gone that day, so it was an all-girls Friday in the office! A gift from Colleen...LOVE the zebra bag! It's an argyle pumpkin! Yummy goodies to snack on. Breakfast of champions!

Brian and Caly

2010-11-05T20:13:00.000-06:00

USU Homecoming

2010-11-05T20:08:00.000-06:00

Eric and I went with Marty and Nyla to the Utah State-University of Hawaii game on Saturday. We had nice weather heading to Logan, but the skies opened up at half-time and we all got drenched! So we were forced to leave and head to the Beehive Grille for yummy dinner and "Witch's Brew Margaritas"!

Green chile-chicken chili

2010-10-31T21:44:00.000-06:00

The perfect dish for a chilly, fall weekend.

Attitude is Everything!

2010-10-31T20:32:00.006-06:00

Attitude is one of the only things that matters in this life.

We can choose to rejoice in our circumstances, or become bitter about them.

We cannot control what happens to us,

we can only control our response.

.

Christmas Joy

Charlie's 1st Christmas!

Prep Day is here!

Sweet Sean ~ First Basketball Game of the Season @ USU

11/11/11

4 Monrhs Old Today!

Oh, hello again, Winter.

Our sweet little Baby Charlie

It's Kathy Reichs!

So Long, Scotty!

Good day, Sunshine!

Kneaders!

There's a chill in the air

Charlie's 1st Day of DayCare

Flashback!

Go Cards!!

The Cardinals welcome the New York Giants to U of Phoenix Stadium. GO CARDS!!!

New York Giants 17 - Arizona Cardinals 27 in progress

Charlie in his 'shark' towel

Football Fun

Look at that CUTE FACE!!!

Hangin out in the Hammock

September 11th * 2011

iHeart Radio Music Festival

from Christian on facebook on Friday, September 23rd ~Just found out im working iheart radio music festival tomorrow!

What a lucky kid!

#1 Grandson has a really neat 'extra' job doing stage set-up for concerts and shows in Las Vegas.

Oh how I LOVE this boy!!!

Such a sweet boy!

Nobody knows...

More Charlie room ideas

On the road again...

A Hailey Hairdo

Charlie's 1st visit to Sesame Street

Happy Autumnal Equinox!

Moab Road Trip with Hailey

The Charlie Room

2 weeks old already!

You got the way to move me, Cherry

Too cute for words!!!

Super Slug!

So long, clunky orange brick -

Crab & Cucumbers - sounds good to me!

Summer Fest: Cucumbers Stuffed With Crab-Mango Salad

CHARLIE, week 1

CHARLIE IS HERE!!!

Cute little fawn

Good Grillin'

(Im)patiently waiting.....

'Tis the Season

TWINS - Zach's girlfriend, Emily!

Seeing double

**SAVE THE DATE**

Trip to Willey's

It must be spring!

Dinner at Christopher's

Announcing ~

Photos of CHARLIE!!!

Light a candle for the people in Japan

Celebrating St Patty's Day 2011

Maison de Provence

A Hiking We Will Go

Mexican at Macayo's

The Girls at the Ghetto Spa

Home Goods in Chandler

Bye-Bye Boots!

The Weird Keyboard

Ash Wednesday

Cute Kaya

Sweet Sadie

Morning Coffee

True Confessions

In honor of Peppermint Patty Day

Another cupboard completed!

Kitchen Re-Org...continued

Harvest Gold, anyone??

It's in Lakeside!?!

Giving credit where credit is due

No second chance on these...

SAVE THE DATE