|{ Julie & Julia }|

I just watched this movie on TV and no matter how many times I see it I just love it!  It reminds me of when Jonathan and I were Italy because I saw it for the first time on the plane on the way there, then I bought the book (I believe it was in Rome), and read it while we were there.

I came home with a plan to start my own cooking project, which I did for a while until I just stopped, like I always do.

I think I like the movie (and the book) for multiple reasons:
1- I really do LOVE cooking and watching it always gets me in the mood to start cooking again.  I have definitely been in a cooking slump and I think I'm ready to get out of that!
2- I LOVE blogging and I can relate to how she feels about blogging and how exciting it is to get a comment (even if it is from someone you know)! And though my blog never has been nor ever will be as big of a deal as hers turned out to be, I still love my blog!
3- I feel like I can relate to her character a lot, we have a lot of the same temperaments and I feel like I would react in similar ways as she does to things going wrong.
4- And of course you can NEVER go wrong with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams is so adorable (and was in The Office!)

So, I'm feeling the need to try this project again. Yeah, laugh it up, you're probably right, it won't last long.  I need to take the time to figure it out exactly what I want to do and to make it a realistic goal.  No 524 recipes in 365 days. I'm not that motivated.

But first on my list:
Make Boeuf Bourguignon- Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

Because it looks way to delicious to not taste!!

|{ Welcome To Your Nightmare }|

This year for Halloween we actually did something!! Last year we had nothing to do and it was a bummer of a day.  The only downside to this year is that our house is not visited by trick-or-treaters, sad.  At least we don't have to buy candy.

We dressed up as Dwight and Angela from The Office this year! On Friday night we went to a party with some people from our ward.  It was a blast!!! One of the best parties I have ever been too! We had such a good time.    On Saturday we went to a party with some of Jon's classmates but didn't stay too long (not our kind of scene), it was fun while we were there though!

Then on Halloween itself we got together with some friends from the ward, The Miners, and had dinner (Vindaloo!!) and then carved pumpkins and watched the Halloween episode of Modern Family! It's one of my favorite episodes. Gloria- "Welcome to your nightmare! Ah Ah Ah!" HAHA!!!  It was a really good Halloween! :)

Shalay's, The Miner's, Jon's

The back of Shalay's

Jon definitely got into character as Dwight! 

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

So yesterday, Sunday, we invited a bunch of the couples from Jon's M1 class over for game night!! We were so happy when 10 people showed up!! It was a blast!! Everyone brought a snack to share and we played some games!!

We started with Wits and Wagers. Jon loves it, and it can be pretty fun, but I really suck at it and end up feeling REALLY stupid!! I was happy when it was over. After that we played Partini, which is always a blast. We played girls vs. boys and the boys won by 2. Oh well. Still way fun! After that we played Apples to Apples!! GREAT game!! We had a blast!! We ended up playing to 6 green cards because people were winning too quickly. The green cards that Jon won, that were supposed to explain his personality, were all pretty similar, really funny, and totally not him!! It was great!!

When everyone left we sat down and watched the last episode of Design Star. I actually pretty much hated this season. They changed too many things, I didn't love any of the designers, and I was extremely unhappy that in the last episode it was the judges who chose the winner, not america's votes. Not...happy... But out of the last 2 people left the 1 I wanted to win did, so that was good at least. Anyway, Candice Olsen made the funniest face at one point. We kept rewinding it because it was so funny!! I just had to take a picture and show you!!

Haha!! That is quite the face to make on National television!

Then this morning as I was taking Jon to school I saw this...

Which reminded me of this...

So it's not a beam way up in the sky, but it still quite endearing! :)

Have a great week!!

p.s. HAPPY BIRTHDAY yesterday to my amazing friend Mercede!! I love you!!

Color Splash Excitement

Oh my gosh!! I feel pretty awesome right now!! I was watching Color Splash: Miami on HGTV (I love David Bromstad) and I saw the coolest thing!!!

This on the show...

And this on the show...

Wait for it... wait for it....

----------> This in MY house!!!

I am so excited!! We have the same thing!! I feel so designer-y!!! *SQUEAL*!!!! Just thought I should share!! Yay!!

My Life Is Full Of Glee

Once again, I failed to post on Friday... But this time I have an excuse! Jon's parents came to visit last Thursday and I spent all day Friday with them, so I didn't actually have time! I'll make sure I post my hubby this Friday and I'll make it a really good one! :)

We have been having a pretty good time with the Peterson's here. Jon really loves having them here. His little sister can be a little much, but we love her too. We haven't done too much. Both of his parents came to Tennessee on their missions so they have been spending most of the time driving around to see the places they remember and Jon is gone working during that time, so it's been working pretty well. We mostly just hang out and play games in the evening. This morning we sat down to discuss our finances with his parents (my favorite thing to talk about...NOT) but it actually turned out to be okay. We have been making progress to pay off our debt and it feels good to be on the right track. His parents also asked us if they could take Jon's student loan away from us. We were both super grateful! It was a crazy generous thing to do and I am constantly amazed by how much they for us! That's one of our biggest debts and they just wanted to be the ones to pay for it. Of course we said yes, haha! They are amazing people and I love them so much!!

I have been looking for a second job because the one I currently have has not been sending me assignments. I probably haven't had an assignment in about 3 and 1/2 weeks now. It really sucks! I hate looking for another job when I already have one! It's even worse than looking when I don't have one!! But we need the money so I'm trying to do something to help out. I kind of have the feeling that when we get to Michigan I might have to go and find a job outside of the home for a while, but we'll see how it all goes.

I'm really excited but worried too about getting to Michigan. We've always had Pinnacle since we've been married. We've always had plenty of money to get by plus a little extra and when we get to Michigan not only will be making less but Jon won't be working at all and all of it will be put on me and any loans we might be able to get for school. It's a scary thought but I know it all work out in the end. I just hope it doesn't shock us too much...

I have started watching Glee since we got here! I went online and was able to watch all of the first episodes that I missed and we have it set to record every week! I wasn't sure I would like it, which is why it took me so long to start watching it in the first place but I definitely love it now!! Jon really likes it too, which is awesome!!! I love how all of the characters are so different from each other and they all have weird quirks and problems. They aren't the perfect characters we see on so many shows. I love all of them for different reasons, even the bad characters. Haha! I think my top favorites are Emma, Kurt, Sue, and Brittany. They are all such funny and interesting characters! Of course I like all the main characters too, it's really hard to pick a favorite!! They are all great! I love the music they sing, it's fun to watch. I adored the Single Ladies episode!!! That was the best!! HAHA! I love Kurt!! Anyway, it's official, I LOVE GLEE!!

I have been terrible at taking pictures since we got here. I love my camera but I sure miss our little digital camera. It's so much easier to take places. Oh well! I'll try to be better at it so my posts aren't so boring!

Sometimes Bad Guys Make The Best Good Guys

LEVERAGE!! It is only in it's second season (which is almost over) and it is not as popular as I would hope, possibly due to it only being on TNT, at least when I ask if people have seen it the answer is usually no, but I absolutely LOVE this TV show!!! It's about a group of thieves who get together and use their skills to help people, while, of course, stealing and conning the bad guys. A bit like Robin Hood. It is really fun!

In the picture, it is Eliot, Sophie, Nate, Parker, Hardison.

The characters are all absolutely fabulous! There is Nate, who is the Mastermind. He finds the cons and makes all the plans. Sophie is a Grifter, or in other words, a thief who uses aliases to gain the trust of people. She also really wants to be an actress but is absolutely terrible at it, which is funny since she pretty much acts for a living as a grifter. Eliot is the Hitter, he pretty much beats people up. He is really cool! Hardison is the Hacker. He runs all of the technology sort of things and he's really fun! And last, but certainly not least, is my favorite! Her name is Parker. Parker is actually her last name, no one knows her first name. She is a Theif. She is very talented. She once stole the Hope diamond and then put it back because she was bored. She loves stealing (and occasionally does so without meaning to). She loves money but doesn't spend it, she just loves having it. She is terrible with men and even when she has to try to do a bit of grifting, like Sophie, it often ends with her stabbing the guy. It's so great! She is super funny and kind of spacy and crazy. I LOVE her!! I think I might name one of my daughters after her!!

So, Leverage is a fabulous show and I highly suggest watching it! It is my favorite show, only second to The Office, and just barely! It's great!! It's fun to see how the cons work out and most of the episodes have a bit of surprise ending. It's really cool!


Here are some of my favorite quotes, most, if not all, will be from or about Parker.

Nathan: "Parker.. you have Parker?" Dubenich: "Is there someone better?" Nathan: "No.. but Parker is insane?!"
Parker: I put all that money in a Swiss bank account.
Eliot: Millions of dollars, you didn't buy anything?
Parker: I don't like stuff, I like money.

Parker: 42 seconds - Hardison: What? Parker: - to rob this bank. One security guard who never fired his gun before, two closed circuit camera's outside, one inside, and an glenn-reader safe built in the 1950's whose default combination is the birthday of the manager's wife. Get in and get out - 42 seconds. Hardison: Seriously?

Parker (to Sophie): Wait, you did the lift? Why wasn’t I involved?
Hardison: Because somebody decided to jeopardize the mission when a certain somebody shish kabobbed a certain mark.
Parker (smiles): Yeah, that was me.

Cindy: You don’t think it makes me look fat?
Sophie (shakes head no): Uh uh.
Parker: Oh, definitely. I mean, why do you think I had to let out the waist, to make you look less skinny?
Parker: (after making Cindy cry:) What do you weigh anyway? A buck 50?

Parker pretending to be a flight attendant:
"In the event of a water landing, your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device. But let’s face it, if this thing goes down in the water, more than likely the impact will kill you. Please take a moment to locate the nearest emergency exits; if this plane’s on fire, you’re gonna want to get out quick. Jet fuel burns at over 1,000 degrees — that’s hot, folks.”

Sophie: We're going to do a little role play. We're going to start with persuasion techniques. So Eliot has an apple Parker has an orange.
Eliot: I love apples. Apples are my favorite fruit.
Parker: Good for you Sparky.
Eliot: (looks to Sophie) I don't have to sit here and take this, do I?
Sophie: Just do it for me.
Eliot: You have an orange, now convince me that I want the orange not the apple. I'm going to take a bite.
Parker: I PUT A RAZOR BLADE IN THAT APPLE!
Eliot: Are you serious?
Parker: Maybe. But do you know what doesn't have a razor blade in it? This orange! Don't you want it?
Sophie: You fell for that?

Graduation Gifts and The Office Nights

Jon surprised me with a graduation present! He told me a few days before I was going to be done that when I finished school he would buy me a snake!! We ended up getting it a few days before I was done though because we had to work around the crazy summer schedule!

I LOVE SNAKES!! I have always wanted one and it was such a great gift. It does kinda make me feel bad though, I'm terrible at giving gifts and I'm always afraid to spend too much money since it is Jon that is making it. Hopefully I'll get better at giving Jon gifts!

Anyway! My snake!! She is so awesome! She is a Taiwan Beauty Ratsnake! She is yellowish and black. Her pattern changes from her head to her tail, it's really cool!! We had her sexed so that we know she is a girl! We originally wanted a boy but then we found out that the girls get bigger, so we went with a girl instead. Her name is Legion! She is named after the demon in the bible that Christ cast into the swine. "I am Legion, for we are many." It's pretty much awesome. Before we even considered getting a snake we decided that when we eventually got one we wanted a name that had to do with demons or the devil. It makes sense since Eve was beguiled by the 'serpent' to eat the fruit in the Garden of Eden.

Anyways... I really like her! She is awesome! She is about 4 months old so she is pretty small, but she will get to be about 6 to 7 feet long. She won't get as fat as other snakes, but she'll definitely get bigger. We fed her a mouse for the first time the other day! It was the coolest thing ever! She ignored for a while and then started to follow it. She stuck out her tongue and got a little taste and that was all it took. She lunged and grabbed its foot and then wrapped her body around it and suffocated it until it died. After she was sure it was dead she let it go. After that we got a little worried because she didn't eat it for a while. So Jon got out the pliers and picked up the mouse so the movement would get her attention. It worked. She kept striking at it until she grabbed it by the head and then swallowed it! It was funny to see the big lump in her body after she finished with it. We put her back in her cage and in seconds she got herself stuck because the lump wouldn't fit through the small space in her branches that she was trying to get through. It was really funny! She's awesome and I love her so much!! Thanks honey for the fabulous present!!

Jon also got me a new desk and a new chair so I can be happy and comfortable when I start working! This gift was going to be after I got a job, but we decided that we needed a place to put the snake's terrarium, so we got it as a sort of second graduation gift. We had a lot of fun putting it together! Jon just loves to do stuff like that, it's like a special set of Legos, he just adores it! The desk is great, it's really nice to have a better place to work and to sit instead of at the kitchen table, that was getting a bit irritating! Thanks again babe!

Also, me and a few of the wives out here for the summer have decided to start a weekly 'The Office' night! We started today and watched the first few episodes of the first season! The first season is only 6 episodes long, so we'll be done come next week. Today was really fun. Misty, Lindsey, Heidi, and Alison came over and Lindsey brought cookie dough so we could make cookies too!! It was really nice to hang out with so many other people, especially because everyone of them except for Misty and I have babies, and Misty is pregnant. It's was nice to get out of the 'clique' feeling of the two groups. Wives that have babies and wives that don't. I'm glad we got to mix it up! I'm really excited to start this weekly thing! We decided that we'll probably do a potluck sort of dinner on those nights as well! I'm super excited!

The summer is going great! It's great to be done with school and Jon is doing well selling! He has also been training other guys and it seems to be helping them too! I'm really proud of him and I can't wait for my family to come visit me this weekend!!

That's What She Said

THE OFFICE!!

Seeing as this is such a big deal to us, I decided that I needed to spend some time talking about this fabulous TV show!!

The Office is the greatest! I never watched it until I met Jon. He really loved it and watched it all the time. In fact, he used to skip class to watch it with one of his friends on his Ipod! Haha! I remember the first time I saw it. We went over to one of his friends house. The episode was (Women's Appreciation), when Phyllis gets flashed in the parking lot.. It definitely was not the best one for a first impression, but was still willing to give it a shot. I didn't love it at first, probably due to that first impression, but I soon grew to love it!! We watch it EVER week without fail! Sometimes we have to watch it online later, but we ALWAYS watch it!!

It is SO funny!! I love everything about it! One of my favorite characters (besides all the main ones like Dwight and Jim) is Angela! Weird huh?! I don't know what it is about her, but I just think she is so fun to watch. I LOVED the episode with her cats on the webcam (Lecture Circuit: Part 2)! HAHA! That was hilarious!!

Some of my favorite episodes are:
Season 1: The Alliance.
Season 2: Office Olympics, The Client (mostly due to Michael's screeplay), The Injury, Drug Testing, Conflict Resolution.
Season 3: The Merger, Ben Franklin, Business School, Beach Games.
Season 4: Fun Run, Dinner Party, The Chair Model, Did I Stutter, Goodbye Toby.
Season 5: Weight loss, Baby Shower, Customer Survey, The Duel, Prince Family Paper, Golden Ticket, Two Weeks, Heavy Competition.

Our weekly TV show schedule:
Monday: House M.D. Simply fabulous! You gotta love House!! Haha! And Hugh Laurie... very attractive in a rugged, older man kind of way. I mean, he's English who fakes an American accent! Who knew?! Love it! And Chase with his sexy Australian accent! Rawr!!

Tuesday: The Mentalist. Totally amazing! Very creative, a bit different then your normal CSI type show. Patrick Jane is absolutely fantastic to watch! He is so funny, and that smile.... I just can't help but smile back at him! So cute!

Wednesday: Lie To Me. STUNNING! This is such a cool show! I especially like that it is all based on fact, none of the techniques are made up. All of the things they say about people lying is totally true! And again, we have a great main character. Dr. Lightman is just awesome! It's a new show, so we are still getting to know the characters, but I just LOVE it!

Thursday: The Office! Which I have already talked about!

That's it for the week! We love our TV schedule! It's so much fun to be excited about the shows we watch on TV. The Office is our favorite, but we love all our shows!

Until next time... the show must go on!!!