Crazy Little Thing Called

Looks like we'll probably be packing or moving*, not really clear on which stage of the process, on Valentine's Day this year. But we'll be listening to love songs of all shapes and sizes, playing loud for all to hear, incase we feel like dancing. If things get really jiggy we might also wear our beautiful sequin glasses I picked up at Kroger. I heard the local German restaurant has a special Valentine's hazelnut macaroon—that might just put Valentine's Day of 2013 right over the top!

You Make Me Feel Like Dancing—Bee Gees

Feels Like the First Time—Foreigner

Just What I Needed—The Cars

*we get the "all clear" to relocate on 2/12/13, so we can't say anything definite until then. but our apt has been rented to new tenants after us, so regardless we will be moving.

An update, it's Valentine's time, and I've made you a bouquet.

An update: Jason is doing better. After quite the bumpy road with stomach problems since the Nissen Wrap, he had a crazy turnaround right after the new year and has been gaining weight and getting stronger. During our appointment with the specialist we learned (from biopsies from his bronchoscopy on last Tues) that he has no rejection and no antibodies. His lung function tests are trending upward too with a 73% on the latest! This is great news! 
With this type of behavior we looking at moving back to the westcoast mid–late February. BUT! we are well aware that we are not the ones in charge and our plans have had a habit of changing... so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

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I like Valentine's Day. It's a favorite.

Sure it's full of love and chocolate and stuff—but I like it mostly because it breaks up the sad, dead rest-of-winter months and makes life a little bit brighter and bearable amid the brown grass and leafless trees. And that makes me happy.

For some reason unbeknownst to myself, I also get the urge to create something around Valentine's time. Preferably something bright and preferably something cheerful (here, here). Maybe two weeks ago my sister Cassie sent me an email with this little project idea, largely because she knew of my affinity to pompoms as of late.

She was correct in assuming I would fall in love and start collecting twigs straight away.

So pompoms. They're ridiculously easy to make.
You can buy pompom makers if you would like, or you can cut up cardboard and create your own pompom maker... while those things have their place in pompom-making, you can make it real easy on yourself and just use your fingers because they're just hanging out, doing nothin anyway.

You Make Me Happy—Lindsey Ray, for getting your pompom on or whatever

Wrap yarn around three fingers 90 times for smaller pompoms.

Wrap around four fingers 115 times for a little larger pompoms.

Slip from fingers and place wound yarn on string.

Tie string nice and tight.

Slip scissors through yarn loops, and snip snip.

Give it a haircut.

 Mullet.

 Until nice and round and pompomie.

For a bouquet collect some awesome twigs outside. Dab some hot glue on the tip of the twigs and insert into the pompom. Let set for a couple of minutes and ta–da!

So easy.

So happy.

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mistletoe hung where you can see

J was feeling like a lonely little elf under the mistletoe... but I could fix that.

Rockin Around the Christmas Tree—classic Brenda Lee version

Thanks Steve and Steph for the super fancy headband.

A little reminiscent of last year, yeah?

Consider this our 2012 Christmas card.

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Merry Christmas ya filthy animals.

love, the egheads

Lately:

I have had a little problem with high levels of stress.

I guess you could say I needed to blow off some steam or something.

And this was the only idea in my head that made any sort of sense.

My Sharona—The Knack

p.s. worked like a charm.

Jolly ol Mistletoe

Winter Wonderland—Jason Mraz (one of my very very merry Christmas faves)

Jas told me he wanted me to take these turtlenecks right back to where they came from. I told him I wanted to wear them to every Christmas party we go to this year. So he settled for a good, old fashioned, family Christmas photo instead.

They have posted boy scouts at the doors of almost every grocery store within a 10 mile radius to sell mistletoe and holiday cheer to all shoppers... I successfully avoided eye contact at all of my stops until I came out of Albies and saw the little guy with the freckles and the boy-scout shirt that was sort of too small. I have a problem with the word "no". Or even the combo "no thanks".

Oh well, at least that meant Jas got a little mistletoe action. Win-win really.

It's December and I bought a 15 ft garland.

It's real and it gave my hands a stingy rash.

But I like it because it's pretty and I put a sparkly strand of ornaments in it. Now we are going to pretend it's our Christmas tree, turn on our string of lights around our curtains and soak up some happy Christmas spirit.

Happy December 1—go put up that tree!!!!

Required listening: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Jack Johnson

Over the weekend

I put on my apron and made minestrone, closely followed by a pumpkin roll. It is fall up in heeeea!!! (in here, outside it's still pretty much summer)

I just posed my minestrone-soup-that-will-rock-your-socks-off recipe here.

And for just about the tastiest pumpkin roll ever go here.

I was pleasantly surprised by how simple pumpkin rolls are to make! And WOW so delish.

So hurry up out of here and get to the store for supplies for these perfect fall dishes.

Your peeps will give you high fives I swear.

So into this song right now (You and Me—Dave Matthews Band). Been singing along all day.

and my seat hurts from sitting

I decided I like me a good ol roadtrip every once in a while. In fact the drive to Idaho was downright fun (aside from the whole going to sleep at 3:30 and waking up at 5:30 thing, but whatev). The drive from Idaho to Cali was a bit more unpleasant, even though we went to sleep muuuuch earlier (like 12:30). I think it's because of all that hard partying...... At any rate, my knees are aching from bending and my booty might be numb for the next few days—both are tale tale signs of a righteous roadtrip dude. Awesome. (I said that in a stoner-voice)

Now it's back to work work work work work!!! Cannot tell you how excited I am to share the awesomeness that's cookin up in heeee-aa (this awesomeness may or may not include a super adorable sesh with my gal Syd and her man and a llama—that's right)!!!

Here are a few selected songs from our roadtrip; and yes, I did do a solo number to Macy Gray with my cell phone doubling as a pretend mic:

p.s. I cannot even begin to tell you all how grateful I am for your words of encouragement!!!! Holy moly! Thank you thank you X 5,000,000—that's the stuff that keeps a girl goin!

Road Trip!!!

We are headed to Ideeho—driving all the live long day today and we're verrrry excited about all fourteen hours of it. Yippeee!!!!

I have packed enough healthy-snick-snackity-goodness for an army. I guess fourteen hours meant the end of the world and I'm packin.

So if ya don't hear from me for a little while—I'll be eating watermellon, shooting mini sessions, going to a wedding, watching fire works, more photo sessions and hanging out with family plus a sissie I haven't seen in over a year. This is going to be one happy little trip!

And we'll be listening to some of this on our way...

Modern Love—Matt Nathanson

You make me happy.

The crazy peeps in charge of Optometry School decided to put finals week right on Valentine's—or was it the crazy peeps in charge of Valentine's Day who decided to put Valentine's right in the middle of finals? Either way, Jas has been M I A lately and has warned that he will continue to be until next Friday.


Bummer dude.


But don't think for a second this got me down! I've been pumped about this little lover's holiday since January was still in its early twenties. There was no WAY I was about to let those pesky finals get in the way of a little celebration! I snagged my boy right after his morning test and we found our way to the Corner Bakery for lunch and it was deee-lectable.


Jas even wore his red "Valentine's shirt" (he made that one up himself) to get in the V-Day spirit—and so I painted my fingernails red and wore a pink shirt to one-up him, because that's how we roll. But he thinks he wins because he's got red hair. Dang those genetics!  But I wore the coziest pumps in the wooooorld (seriously. Urban Outfitters, on sale, GO!) so I still felt like a winner.


Then Jas went back to school to study, came home for a very quick dinner and scurried right back to the school again. So I popped pop-corn and invited myself over to Stephanie's (the one who introduced me to the good cupcakes) for a Lonely Girl's Valentine's/Bachelor party. It was fun and we laughed and made snarky comments to the TV like, boy! that fella sweats a LOT on his forehead. And what the.... ? Did she just lay down on the limo seat and rock back and forth. Caaaa-raaaay-cray!


OH! and here is my newest most very favorite song these days............ Love it or hate it, it'll probably just get stuck in your head anyway. It's happy and it makes me happy and I really like happy songs. So push play and dance in your chair a little bit and have a Happy Taco Tuesday!!!!!

♥

lots of reasons on a string

I told you how pumped I was for Valentine's riiiiiiiiiight? Well I didn't tell you that I had this little number up my sleeve! Not because I don't like you, it's just that I know a special little buddy of mine checks up on me on here (makes sure I don't say dumb stuff) and it was sort of a surprise for him. So now he's seen it and opened the first 3 days already (and totally dug it, can't you see it in his happy little face?) and I get to let all of you guys in on the little surprise! Plus I wouldn't be the quintessential blogger that I am if I didn't share a little DIY now and then........

I've been feeling pretty crafty this Valentine's and I wanted to do something cute for my boy which naturally led me to making lovely little Valentines out of craft paper and paper doily hearts. On each I wrote my reasons of why I love that red headed man of mine and he gets to open one every day until they run out (not because I don't have any more reasons, because hey! I got lots. but because I made 14 in honor of Valentine's. sappy I know, but roll with it).

AND it doubles as a cute little Valentine's banner. Score!

Now let's send us off with a good old happy sappy love song.

Oh alright! How about two....

K! I'm done! I'm done! Promise. Unlessssssss....no you're right. I'm done.

somebody's looking for some attention

The sink was empty, the counters were sparkly clean...... I decided it was a good time to take advantage of our Clorox Wipes fetish. So I turned on my tunes (Bubble Toes/Express Yourself - Jack Johnson actually. it's an old fave) and started setting up shots for some more photos of our pad for the apartment tour (you did remember we were in the middle of an apartment tour, didn't you? you didn't? well. maybe that's because it's been going on for about five months now! sheesh lady pull yourself together!)


Well! After setting up a particularly difficult shot of the kitchen sink somebody grabbed me and decided it was time for a dance number in the kitchen (thus the photo of the cereal boxes above). See, we've been learning some pretty rad duets from Just Dance. After that number was finished some little fella just kept on partying without me and popping into my photos. And when I say "popping" I mean popping. Like literally popping.


I think he might have been begging for some attention or something. I like him.

Annnnyway, here's some Jack because I really like him and because I like dancing to this song and because we're wearing our matching shoes and because I think it's fun to get a little jiggy wid it once in a while.

(more apt photos coming soon—like tomorrow.)

let's settle this right here, right now.

So I shared my latest fave song with you guys like a week ago.

(still love, still try to listen to it at least twice daily.)


Whenever I decide on a favorite song I almost always have a
favorite part of the favorite song—because we all know that
sometimes there are parts in songs that are extra awesome.


Well, Jason doesn't agree that my fave part of my fave song is
filled with extra awesomeness, in fact he thinks it's extra cheesy.
So every time I rewind that part (because the first time is never
enough to fully appreciate it) he says it's cheesy and I say it's not.


And naturally it has turned into an ongoing debate.
"I love it! LOVE!"  "Super cheesy, lamest part of the song!"


So I came up with a bright idea.

With it being election season and all (go vote! woo–hoo!) I thought
that it would only be proper to open up the polls on this one!


Take another listen to this song (I know you'll like it even better the
second time because I've been listening to it lots and lots) and pay
special attention around 0:55 where he says "my heart beats like a
drum" and the drums come in like a heartbeat and then you notice
the guitar and he keeps singing and it's total musical magic.


Be sure to have the volume up nice and high for the full effect.

Now cast your vote in the poll on the left side of the page!

Whoever loses has to make the other breakfast in bed.

Poll closes Friday at noon.

(and if you say it rocks you're allowed to vote as much as you want!)

upside-down ice cream cake desert for breakfast

and it was delicious.

Today is very Monday and I'm not such a fan of very Monday Mondays.

(or Mondays in general.)

But yesterday was soooo good. I'm excited to share the details,
but that little story will come later. I will however share one
of the reasons that yesterday rocked and that was this
amazing little beauty called upside-down ice cream cake desert.

(acutally, I'm pretty positive it's just called ice cream cake desert, but

the first time I ate it my long-time-partner-in-crime, aka Maggie, told

me it was called upside-down ice cream cake desert and now I am

totally incapable of calling it anything else.)


Anyway, here's a little something that'll take us right into Tuesday:

(and this has nothing to do with yesterday, or today, or upside-down

ice cream cake desert. I just really love this song right now and I
really really really LOVE this music video. love it. like love it love it.)