Memories & Roses

Alright, so last week Jessica over @ Lovely Little Things went on a vacation and we missed our chance to stop and smell the roses! So today, whether she posts the link up or not, I am sharing my peek into my memory box (which was the task assigned 2 weeks ago!) 

So technically i do not have a "box" per se, but i do have a handy basket where i put pictures, photo albums, ticket stubs, etc. Here it is: 

It was really fun to look through our photos and remember events that have happened in my lifetime. I found lots of birth announcements (which i save to remember these little munchkins birthdays!) 

But i also had a chance to look at all my photo albums! The one on top that is most visible is the one i made of our honeymoon! I love that book because i really took the time to record what happened on our honeymoon! Other books i looked at include family trips and even a book that was made to remember my dear friend Chuck (See this post for that story). 

 Even Lily wanted to learn a little about the memories i have had in my lifetime! 

This task sure was fun! I am a person who likes to-do lists, a busy schedule, and enjoying the next adventure. So with that, i often do not take the time to look back and reminisce. This is truly something that everyone needs to do. It is the reason why we take snapshots. And nowadays with all the smart phones or whatever electric device you use to capture photos... we take an exorbitant amount of photos! People, myself included, even photograph their meal before they eat it! There are so many memories that are a part of our lives. Sometimes stopping to remember the good times can remind you of the importance of stopping to smell the roses! 

Have a great start to the week! 

PS I am putting together a list of bloggers interested in button swapping. Might i add you? Leave a comment that includes your email addy below and I can add you to the list!

STR: Photo Collage

OK, this week we are back to regularly scheduled programming but peppered with vacation posts! 

I hope you have enjoyed the photos from our vacation thus far! If anything i hope they convince you to go on a trip to Alaska! It is so beautiful! 

So with our regularly scheduled programming we are back to the Smell the Roses tasks! This week was to create a photo collage about yourself! Here's what I came up with! 

And a little explanation to go with it all... 

1. Friendship has been immensely important to me. Here's a shot of my and all my bridesmaids! Love these ladies! 

2. I love being a wife. It has been my most enjoyed and challenging position in life! I have learned so much about myself by sharing my life with an awesome man! 

3. This verse has been a theme for my life. When struggles come my way, i remind myself that His power is made perfect in my weakness! Overall, I love the Lord and my life would not be the same without a faithful Savior that i can know and love! 

4. Baseball is not just a national pastime! It is one of my loves! I enjoy spending time with hubs, friends and family at games! 

5. Family is most definitely important to me. Here's a shot from a few years ago of my sister, mother, my sister's boyfriend, and myself riding a surrey in Coronado, Ca. 

6. An apple for this teacher! I love to teach and never thought i would! I guess all those times that my sister and i played "school" really should have stuck out more! This also represents my love of children! 

7. Here's a shot from our recent vacation to Alaska. This shot was taken of me after a nine mile bike ride, which would represent an active lifestyle and also a love to see new things and places!

8. Lily - my new adventure and love! I think having this little kitty in my life is gonna be a great experience! I love her so much already. (I am currently freaking out that she is under the couch, but she is sleeping soundly!)

9. A wreath i recently made represents my crafty side! I love to craft!

10. A full food processor means i have been cooking! This is one thing you can find me doing OFTEN! 

Well, I think this is a good summary of things that represent me. 

Next week's task is to reminisce by going through my memory box! Can't wait to share a little from my past but mostly to remember some good times! 

Flappy Jack's = YUM!

I live in an area (Orange County, CA) that I have lived in my entire life. I was born in a hospital in this county, have lived in 4 cities, and know the area like the back of my hand. I love to go to the same places over and over. I even realized that my favorite stores are quite the comfort zone for me to shop this week. I love certain parts of this So Cal world and tend to go to the same places to eat. It's comfortable that way. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to try new places, especially if they are close!

So this week the Smell The Roses task was to go somewhere you have never been. I figured this would be pretty difficult for me seeing as how I have lived here for my entire life. I almost contemplated skipping this link up with Jessica over at Lovely Little Things!

 

Well it turns out I did go to a brand new place!

Another couple had invited us to breakfast a few weeks ago and we had to turn them down for one reason or another. They had wanted to introduce us to a new restaurant. Well this week, we took them up on their offer to find a new breakfast spot! Which by the way, is totally right up our alley! I love breakfast! Mmmmmm! But I must admit, I was a bad blogger! I forgot to take photos! Either ay, this as a new place for me! We tried out the delicious and awesome Flappy Jacks! Oh boy was it delicious! I ordered the lemon blueberry pancakes with scrambled eggs and a bit of bacon. Top it off with iced tea that never ran out, a little sugar free syrup, and I was a truly happy girl! (Don't worry, my plan is to keep the weight off. I was careful and did not clean my plate!)

Everything ordered at our table was delicious looking! I tried hubs omelet and though it's pretty fluffy! This is now a restaurant that has been added to our breakfast list!

Here ar a few shots that I found on the net to convince you as well!

{via}

Flappy's Favorite Omelet

Banana Nut Pancakes

Bacon Waffle! It looks so pretty! 

Mine did not look this happy, but this is what my pancakes  looked like! {via}

Doesn't everything look terribly good? 

The best part about these pictures is that they don't have calories....

.... now if you visit Flappy Jack's .... 

it will be a whole other story!

Admittedly Girly

I am not gonna lie, I love a good romantic comedy.

I have several on DVD and prior to being married and in a committed relationship I would choose a movie week that I would just pop into my DVD player and loop endlessly. I used to fall asleep with the television on, but now I quite enjoy the room to be quiet, except for the occasional deep breath or snore from hubs!

 

So when I saw this weeks smell the roses task, I wasn't sure if I could fit it in! Lucky for me I had an upset tummy after dinner on Friday night which

left my hubby to visit his parents alone. This left me on the couch witha nice warm blanky and time to pop in one of my all time favorite movies. Now I, of course, chose a girly one! This is one area where I am stereo-typically a girly girl! I typically do not like pink, tons of make up and frequently like to do my shopping quickly instead of all day! But I do love a good chick flick! And I love many of them! It was tough to choose just one! 

So the movie I decided on was Return to Me! What's not to love? Here are a few elements that you might enjoy too!

- Carroll O'Connor ... Love this man in this movie!

- Minnie Driver AND David Duchovny who make a great couple.

- Sinatra love songs included in the soundtrack.

- A plot that includes a man being devastated after losing his wife only tofindthat his new girlfriend has the donated heart of his deceased wife. How romantic!

- Humor. The older italian family members are hilarious, but so are Bonnie Hunt and James Belushi are quite an addition to the comedy of the movie.

- The movie takes place in Chicago and Italy.

- The Italian restaurant that is the primary setting for the movie. 

- The movie ends on a happy note, but note that it contains a tragedy, humor, a love story, and is all surrounded by a great family to support the entire plot!

Have you seen the movie? Did you enjoy it? 

Do you have any chick flicks you enjoyed watching?

Also don't forget to vote for me! Voting ends today! Thanks to those that have voted for me!

Catching Up & Weekend Review

OK so, I didn't take pictures, but I completed the task for this weeks Smell the Roses! This weeks task was to take someone to dinner that you needed to catch up with and I actually, by chance, scheduled to see an old friend for lunch on Saturday. And let me tell you, I'm so glad we went to lunch with this couple and their adorable little guy! It was nice to relax and just hang out.

It was a great treat for us this weekend. We spent the afternoon outside sitting and chatting in the sun about this and that and life in general. It sure was nice to catch up over a yummy meal from La Sirena Grill. (Side note: if you live in OC. This place is pretty tasty for really fresh Mexican food!)

Anyway, sorry for the lack of photos. Hubs can vouch for us having lunch with friends. Since I am lacking the lunch catch up session, I did take some other shots of our weekend! So here's my weekend in review according to the pictures I took! (Again, there's only a couple.)

My dinner on Friday night at my book club  gathering! What a fun time with great people and delicious food! 

Then after our lunch on Saturday we went and looked at model homes in our area! 

Here are a few shots of one of the places!

Can you see the atrium through the window? So neat! 

Visiting model homes can be so fun! It can also be really draining! I then spent our entire church service trying to not be so tired! 

Also, BTW head on over to vote for me for the 2012 Fascination Award! Jut click the link below! Your votes are appreciated!  Voting will be going on until the 9th! So vote away!

A Rosey Week

Ahhh... just smell the roses! 

(& hopefully you don't have allergies like me!)

So this week's task was to do something to get the creative juices flowing! 

I did a couple of things within the last week or so to get my creative juices flowing. Here they are:

1. I visited Hobby Lobby for the first time! They just put one in that is not more than 2 hours from the city we live in and it was a fun experience. I had trouble figuring out what my next project would be just out of the fact that i was a bit overwhelmed by the enormity of the Hobby Lobby. I did however need to get some fabric for the 100th Post Giveaway. I definitely found what i was looking for!

 

2. I decided that Friday night would be filled with a trip to the local Joann's to purchase items for my next wreath! I definitely want ot make this one quicker than i made the last one so that it is ready to go for 4th of July! Here are my supplies ready to go.... you will have to wait for the finished product!

3. Some of my gal pals really liked my previous wreath and would like to learn to make it! I am so excited to host then over at my place for a crafty afternoon! Can't wait! Get your glue guns ready girls!

So that is my link up with the lovely Jessica over at Lovely Little Things! 

I also thought i would give another Monday link up a try this time around!
(Don't worry i love the smell the roses link up and i don't want to give it up! Keep it going Jessica! The tasks are things i feel i could/should do for myself.) 
Anyway Classy Living is a blog i have followed for a while and thought i would give their the Good, the Bad and the Ugly link up a try! Here goes nothin'! 

The Good - Blog Planning with Jami! I loved our time to chat and sit down to talk about the future of our part of the blogosphere! We made some preliminary plans for some great stuff that i am way excited about! 

The Bad - I spent Friday night alone! I really don't think this was all that bad, but the truth is, I did miss him! (He did seem to be home before i new it tho!) 

The Ugly - Totally needing one more day to do this:

Grab a button and share your good, bad and ugly!

One Bloggers Outlook

This week I have spent time reflecting on what blogging has done for me. My response is definitely a positive one.

Everyday, at least in the recent few weeks, I have felt weary, tired, overworked and desperate for a break. Let's face it finishing out a school year without the hope of a break in between is just making me feel as though I have been kicked while I am already down. (This summer we only get a 2 day break and a weekend before we start summer school. We start summer school today and my two day break is all gone! Ugh.) I don't mean to complain I just wanted to express honestly what I have been feeling. I know I am not alone in feeling this way either.

Regardless of these feelings at the close of one school year, I have felt encouraged to keep going. There are comments that are left that have motivated me to keep on trudging on. I have reached goals as far as followers and posting consistently that I have set for myself. I am completely content with the progress that this little blog of mine has made. I am also excited and thrilled to see where it will take me. I have been blogging now for 6 months and it has been such a neat experience thus far. What does ths future hold? I love the mystery and the anticipation that happens when I think about an answer to that question!

Other side effects of blogging include: being more reflective and also taking time to do things for myself. As I type, I have painted nails (a sign of having treated myself), a blog that I feel proud of, and so much hope for what is to come from blogging! I have learned more about HTML than i ever thought i would learn and feel like more is to come. I have learned from other bloggers and been shaped in these last few months. Its amazing how a GREAT God can lead you even in this technologically advance world. Blogging is such a neat part of my life and I love the potential that it has added to my life and career. I love setting goals and seeing them be achieved as though an answer to prayers i never even knew i prayed. That is terribly rewarding. Does it take up a lot of my time, effort, energy, and sometimes my sleep? Yes, but I feel that it is more than worth it! It is one niche that i feel I am in the complete right place at the right time. 

A quick little side note: to those who have left comments, followed through GFC, encouraged in any way, liked a post on facebook, or even just asked about my blog, THANK YOU! It has added a new dimension to my life and I love it! Thanks bunches! 

Thanks to the lovely Jessica for helping me to stop and smell the roses! 

A Little Polish!

I totally treated myself! I decided I had seen enough Essie nail polishes on pinterest that I needed to buy one for myself! So I had seen them at target - or The Red Arrow Boutique as my mom and her gal pals like to call it- and instantly decided I needed a limit because these little stinkers cost a pretty penny for nail polish! So I invested in the "good to go" quick drying clear top coat and the color I kept coming back to was "merino cool."  That is exactly what I bought! Years ago I really was into painting my nails but I have not painted my own nails in forever!

Well, Friday afternoon I got home somewhat early from work and then painted my finger nails and my toe nails! It had been a long time since I had done this and the good to go polish really made it so that i was good to go pretty quick! I recommend that if you are always rushing off but wish you could have painted your nails really quick! (This is one reason why I have not had my nails painted for so long!)

Anyway, that was my Smell the Roses challenge this week - to treat myself and it has been a treat to have polished finger nails! It really does make a difference! Here's how they turned out!

Hope your weekend went well! 

PS I realize that after writing this post, this may not have been a treat to everyone, but it really was fun for me. It reminded me of when my mother and sister and I would sit in the backyard and paint our nails or each other's nails. We were really into fun decals and designs back then and it just sort of faded away! I love the nail polish trend happening! The new cute litle designed excite me and i can't wait to try more!