More Birthday!

So many people I know just hate having birthdays and I just don't understand it. Why would you hate a day that is all about you? I could do without the getting older part - I haven't come to terms with that yet - the whole, "wrinkles are the beauty marks of life experiences..." is lost on me but having everyone I know tell me how wonderful I am for an entire day (or week, ahem) I TOTALLY get!

It has become a birthday tradition to travel to Portland and stay at Chez Danelli's and hang out with the girls. We always try to book my trip around the Tulip festival. This year I came up earlier that usual which meant that it was a little cooler than in years past and the tulips were not as open as they usually are - but that was ok - there were still Tulips as far as the eyes can see (sorta) and the cow train was running! This is Sophie riding Lilly - she looks much cuter in her cow than I do in mine...

Here I am in Elsie. If I thought anyone was actually still reading my blog I would have never posted this picture - despite the fact that the ride is so bumpy that you suffer from whiplash for a few days and that you are sitting in a cow, it really is a fun little tradition. Dani informed me that I was on my own next year - she will not be sitting in a cow ever again...

Here I am in 2008 riding the wooden shoe - it hadn't been brought out yet this year so I had to settle for Elsie.

And here are the Tulips! That little speck of red in the distance that is not a Tulip is actually Sophie - Yes, she is picking a Tulip. No, you are not supposed to pick the Tulips. Yes, we weren't paying attention and didn't realize said flower was being picked until we got home and I took a look at the pictures. See how it is all about me around my birthday - celebrating me even prevented Dani from keeping an eye on her child. And here is one of at least 100 reasons why I love visiting Chez Danelli on my birthday (or anytime of year). She always makes sure there are soft pink Tulips in the guest room and she always makes sure we visit our favorite boutiques - this bag is from My Mother Knows - I KNOW my mother would have loved this place, as well as loved Danelli.

As always, it was a fabulous trip to Portland - I actually get to go back in June to make the cake for Sophie's Princess Party!

Birthday!

Look what my cute dad brought me for my birthday Monday. Keep in mind that my office is at the exact opposite end of the valley from his home. There are probably 2 dozen pink tulips here. From this angle you can't see how many. On Monday when he delivered them they were still closed. I took this picture on Tuesday and they are SO BEAUTIFUL!

Thanks Dad! I love you!

p.s. yes, that is a McDonald's cup in the background and yes, it does contain Diet Coke. Don't judge me.

Kittens: Inspired by Kittens

I saw this for the first time a couple of years ago and laughed so hard I was weeping.

Perhaps it is because it is so late but it was even funnier the second time. And I even hate cats.

Enjoy.

Life is so short

I attended a funeral today of a girl - a woman actually - who I didn't really know personally. Back in the days when I would baby sit, one of the girls I sat for was good friends with Bunny. These girls I would baby sit had A LOT of friends - while I couldn't name most of them I always remembered Bunny - she was one of the nice ones (girls can be so mean to each other - I don't remember Bunny ever being one of them). My memories of Bunny were of her humor and her funny faces - I didn't spend a great deal of time with her but she did leave an impression. Over the years I would get updates on what Bunny was up to - when she got married - when she had babies. It broke my heart when I figured out that it was Bunny that had been hit while bicycling in Draper last week. She left behind two little girls (3 yrs and 4 months) and a husband that adored her.

Sitting in the funeral hearing more about the life this girl had lead was so bitter sweet. She became just as nice and funny as she was when she was just a girl. She had accomplished so much in the 29 years she was given on this earth. I left that funeral wanting to be a better person - I think many left feeling that way.

My thoughts and prayers surround her little family...

Seriously?

I know the temperature reading in my car reads a little high - but seriously?

A good day

(This is me except I would never wear those earrings and my hair isn't that long and I think my teeth are whiter)

It appears that my 2009 year in review is not going to happen - at least not right now anyway... it is already April after all. It was a pretty big year for me and I do want to document some of the bigger events - like the trip I took my super-cool nephew on last June and the fact that I got a dog - the cutest dog in the WORLD! One pretty big thing that happened was loosing my job and getting a new one and that leads to this being a good day.

Today I was innocently sitting at my desk working away when the VP over my department sat down and began to complement me on how well I did on a conference call we were both on earlier (yes, I am finally back in a working space where people can actually come in and sit down to talk to me). She went on to explain that thanks to my work and my excellent communication skills the project that was being proposed was going to move forward - it is a project slated to cost a pretty penny- it is a pretty big deal. I wasn't expecting any praise. I had spent the last month gathering the necessary information, identifying the risks and then presented my findings in conjunction with my recommended action plan. If you know me, you know that I am a talker and getting my point across comes naturally.

My previous work experience would have never generated a conversation like that. ever. Today I finally felt smart again. I finally felt like the capable intelligent person I know that I am. I was praised as a result of my efforts - not because the VP thought I was cool or because I had really cute purses (which I do, by the way).

Just that little bit of positive feedback made all the difference.

It was a really good day.

the year 2009 in review: 1st Installment

Looking back at 2009 I have lots and lots to report on that I never posted about. In hind site it would have been far less work to post about these reportable events shortly after they took place rather than try and do a cram-reporting-session at the end of the year - never mind the fact that those posts would have been better with more pictures.

but I digress...

I will attempt to work my way through the year month by month starting with January. Luckily for you there were a couple of months that nothing of significance happened so this won't take long.

The first week of January I left for a cruise with 4 of my high school girlfriends. This was the year we all turned 40 and we decided to celebrate. I had no business wearing a swimsuit in January (or any other month for that matter) so I took to the tanning salon and pulled a Ross. (just so you know, the color does get darker as the post spray-tan-experience progresses) Luckily, there were a boat-load of other people from all over the world who also had no business wearing a swimsuit in January so I blended right in.

Here we all are after a day in the sun at dinner. - Sherie and I are standing in the back and Tiffany, Stacey and Jill are sitting.
At one of the ports, Sherie and I took an excursion to a private beach for a yummy lunch and an afternoon hanging out in the sand. I even braved the open ocean and ventured out on a sea kayak.

This was our waiter, Benji. He rocked - always had our drinks of choice ready and waiting for us and on lobster night started us out with two entrees a piece. We LOVED Benji.

This was our morning waiter - His name was Edgar and we loved him too. (yes there is a pattern here, don't judge us.) He always remembered who drank Diet Coke and who drank it straight up and didn't bring us our drinks in the sissy medium glasses like everyone else - he knew his audience well.
Just a little mosaic detailing some of our fun

Seriously, this was a great trip - I would totally go on a cruise with these girls again - the girls who 'sissied'-out were missed but we will make sure they will be there in 4 years when we go again.

Not Paris

So today was the big day for the favorite Nephew's Mission call. Although I prayed mightily for a call to Paris, France it was not in the cards for KJ. Taichung, Taiwan is a lucky place to have this kid for 2 years.

I am so incredibly proud of this boy - who is actually taller than me and is technically considered a man now. It is going to be so much fun getting him all ready to go!

This time next year this is where he will be:

Just look at all of the shopping potential!!!

Congratulations Kage!

How can you not LOVE this

My favorites are North Korea and India...

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

The passing of Summer

I love the seasons - all four of them. Some more than others and some aspects of some seasons I really do not care for - like when it crosses into triple digit temperatures in the summer. But, if it never got hotter than 99 I would have to wonder if those lazy summer evenings hanging out on the patio eating good barbecue and drinking the famous Fresca-Grape-Juice-concentrate drink would be as near as enjoyable and relaxing - nothing feels better than the chill of the evening after a scorching summer afternoon.

I could do without snow as well but I do think it is really pretty while it is snowing and after a good storm has blown through and there isn't a cloud in the sky and the sun is shining bright. And it makes Christmas that much better. If I just didn't have to drive in it I think it would only be a good thing.

I always look forward to each season so eagerly. I get so excited when I see the Talbots Fall catalog in my mailbox and it is only the end of July. Thinking about Christmas stirs up so much anticipation - I know it is only Labor day weekend but I want to call my Sister-in-Law and start planning the Christmas Eve menu (which will include those blasted mushroom pop-overs that I always swear I will never make again)

I do try to enjoy the seasons while they are actually happening around me - this summer, although it started off with a bang when I lost my job, actually turned out to be a really good one. I spent a lot of time with friends and family, made a trip to LA that included an amazing day at the beach and I made the conscious decision last winter that this was the summer I would read Gone with the Wind - and I did and loved all 1,042 pages of it.

Seriously, this book was so captivating. I have heard others say that they just couldn't make it through the first one or two hundred pages - what is wrong with you? I bet that if I read it aloud to you your experience would be very different. And that Rhett Butler fellow... all I have to say is, "Edward who?" This book solidified the fact that I want a real man, not some pasty pretty boy with messy hair.

I felt it only fitting to watch the movie as an appropriate tribute to the end of summer. Good bye Scarlet and your 18.5" waist. So long Mammy and your red taffeta petticoat. And a tearful farewell to Mr. Butler - your memory will help keep those chilly Fall and frigid Winter nights nice and warm.

Oh, and good bye summer - until next year....

Of course I had to buy it

I saw the movie and La, La, LOVED it and tried to buy the cook book right away, just like everybody else. I had to order it on Amazon and it came today! I am so excited to start learning how to cook like they do in France! Ooh - la - la!

I certainly won't be cooking from this book everyday but I promise to post my attempts --

I'm in Love

I am sure that many of you are letting out a sigh of relief that I have finally found love - I certainly am letting out a great big sigh

Through my nose!!!!

I have discovered the netti pot!!!

It was mentioned on Oprah and my brother has used one for quite some time - I purchased one awhile ago and decided to dig it out last night. My hay-fever was in rare form and I knew that I needed to try something before I went to bed.

I followed the instructions and was impressed with what my sinuses had been hiding.

If you would like to see a demonstration of how to use said Netti pot, click here. Don't be frightened, I promise it is easy and it really works!

Favorite Nights

Now that I am not working, I no longer look towards Friday and the light at the end of the tunnel of the week. Now it is Wednesday and Thursday nights that I live for.

A couple of years ago, Jennifer-june turned me onto So You Think You Can Dance and I never really looked back. I did protest at first complaining that I already had too many shows I was watching and I didn't need another one. Silly me.

This season has been GREAT so far - So Much Talent! And my favorites are still in the running.

Evan is my #1 favorite guy. I fell in love with him last year but he didn't make it to the top 20. He is more of a Broadway style dancer - he reminds me of a Gene Kelly or a Fred Astaire.

This year he auditioned with his brother (who choreographs for him) and they both made it to the final cut and, for drama sake I'm sure, it came down to the two of them but Evan prevailed! (if you were worried about what became of his brother, never fear, he auditioned for the fall season and made it pretty much straight through to Vegas week. Hopefully we will see him in the top 20 in the next go around).

I wouldn't say that Evan is the best dancer of all the guys but I just love his style and hope that he sticks around for a few more weeks.

Choosing my #1 girl pick is much more tricky - so far all of my favorites are still in the running. I should give a shout out to Randi who just happens to be from Utah and was Evan's partner up to this point in the season. She is adorable and a great dancer.

Kayla is just amazing - a completely flawless dancer but I must admit that I like some sass to my dancers and she doesn't come across as very sassy. She can still prove me wrong however.

I am loving Janette but I am trying to decide if it is her I love or the numbers she has been given to dance - she completely nails everything they throw at her which has to say something.

Jeanine is also very strong and I have loved watching her and Philip together. (Philip, not surprisingly went home this week - he is an amazing popper but wasn't near as strong in the other styles. He will be going on tour and I can't wait to see him again)

Just a thought

So I was reading my blog roll this morning and on Michelle's blog she had her Sunday thought - that being,

"I know Heavenly Father loves me by the people He puts into my life."

This really hit home for me today. This last couple of weeks has been hard - losing your job at any time is hard but losing it while the economy is so 'stellar' is just the sugar on top. I can easily say that I am doing as well as I am as a result of the people in my life. I am so incredibly blessed with amazing friends and family. I am very grateful.

Bitter Sweet

Well, just to keep all of my readers up to date on my life, I must let you know that I am unemployed - not by choice - a fabulous time to loose my job, isn't it? As I had mentioned in a previous post, there was some serious stress I was dealing with so I can't say that it is an entirely bad thing. I did like my job - I really liked what I did and I didn't mind the stress that accompanied the tasks and if you were to ask my clients they would tell you that I did my job well - one of my clients (the one with a reputation for being difficult to work with) asked one of my coworkers... past coworkers that is.... for my home address so they could send me something.

I am trying REALLY, REALLY hard not to beat myself up - I wasn't the only person severenced this week and I get the feeling I won't be the last.

Lucky for all of you, now I will have the time and the desire to update more often - HOORAY! I know you just can't wait for what I have to share with you. Actually, I have lots to share. I never posted the pictures from the cruise I took in January and a couple of weeks ago I took my studly nephew to New York for his Graduation trip - there are some great pictures from that trip.

Stay tuned dear readers and if you happen to know of anyone looking for an amazing Project/Account manager tell them that I'm their girl!

Birthday week: day two

With the rate I'm going I may be writing about my infamous 'Birthday Week' through the end of the summer!

On Wednesday I stopped to get my mail and when I popped open my little box look what I found?!?!?! (I'm not talking about the American Express bill) The minute I spotted that lovely loopy text I knew I had recieved a treasure from Marta!


She is such a doll and created the most delightful birthday package! Here is the envelope the card came in - delightful, no?

She sent me some of her darling tags, a mix CD she entitled "Quelly Tunes" and it is fabulous and I would take a picture of that but it is downstairs in my car so you will have to take my word on it.

She also included one of her mini-diaries. I had bought one of these at a boutique in Fall of '07 and have LOVED it - it has been fun to fill in. I pull it out on especially good days - to capture the magic you know. She uses the greatest paper for the covers - you can't go wrong purchasing anything from her store.

So that wraps up day 2 - Thanks to Marta is was WONDERFUL!!!

Birthday week

I am a firm believer in birthdays and that an entire week should be taken to adequately celebrate them. When it is a BIG birthday, the festivities can last up to 2 weeks if necessary.

This year my birthday celebrations began the Tuesday before my Saturday birthday.

As I drove up my drive way I noticed a small brown box on my porch. After retrieving the package and ripping it open, this is what I found:

Can you stand it?!?!?! Danelli lets each of her girlfriends pick out a Tiffany's ring to help celebrate their 40th birthdays. I have to admit, knowing that I was going to be spoiled with a beautiful blue box with a white satin bow has made the impending day a little less dreaded.

Until last week I would say that I wasn't really a 'ring' person. I have chubby fingers and tend to try and avoid drawing attention to them - but now I wear my ring and it reminds me that I one classy chick!

Thanks Danelli!!!

Stay tuned for day 2 of the week of Raquel!

Callie's Blessing

On March 29 Callie was blessed wearing the same dress that her mom, aunt, sister and cousin wore.

This is a picture of all of the girls who wore this dress.

Thinking out loud

I love to blog. Really, I do. I get a certain satisfaction out of seeing my posts stack up on top of each other like a pile of hot pancakes – or for a better analogy, I get the same feeling of satisfaction when I frequently post as I do when I flip back through a once empty journal that is now full of my thoughts and random ephemera pasted throughout.

So why don’t I blog more?

I have been thinking about this question over the past couple of weeks and I think part of it has to do with depression and stress – or the stress that has created a depressing situation.

My job is stressful and normally I would feel like I could express my frustration on my blog but I am too paranoid that my manager would read my blog and hold something I would share against me in some way. I have been very careful to not mention the name of the company I work for or to go into any sort of detail about what I do but now I don’t think even that is enough. I do enjoy my job, don’t get me wrong. It is challenging and it allows me to engage with many different people all of over the country. It has taken me some time to get to the point where I can safely say that I enjoy what I do and I feel like I am good at it – my frustration and stress is coming from other entities/people. I never know from day to day whether or not I am going to have a job and that creates the stress that makes me want to come home from work each day and lose myself in all of the shows just waiting to be watched on my DVR.

I am getting ready to turn 40 this week and I have been doing a great deal of soul searching as a result of this milestone birthday. Sometimes I feel like I don’t have anything to show for the 40 years I have lived so far – I feel like if I were married and had children, then, perhaps I would feel like I have left some sort of mark. I know this is dangerous thinking – just as quickly as I let my thoughts take me there I am able to re-focus and I can start naming numerous opportunities/things/people that have blessed the last 40 years of my life - I am a VERY, VERY lucky girl. I just want to make sure the next 40 are even better.

I have things I want to do and I want to make sure that I am chronicling my progress somewhere – whether it be on-line for all the world to see and hold me accountable to or within the pages of my own journal that sits in the middle drawer of my nightstand.

I frequent other blogs of individuals that chronicle their comings and goings, successes and trials and other tidbits of their lives and I walk away from my computer so inspired to start creating and writing it all down. I want to be that blog. I want to have the blog that readers look forward to my posts and reading about my progress. I know that this doesn’t mean I have to do great and wonderful things – I just have to be myself and know that is enough.

Thank you for reading through the little conversation I am having with myself.

My 1st Photo shoot

Last year I purchased a digital SLR in the form of a Canon digital Rebel and in an effort to justify my purchase I took a photography class from the ubber talented Nicole of A Little Sussy.

I know I have a ways to go with regards to my lack of expertise but I was so excited with how these pictures of my sweet little nieces turned out.

These were taken in my bedroom on my bed with morning light from the north.

The blessing dress Callie is wearing is the same dress I was blessed in as well as my sister, Cathryn (Callie and Courtney's mom), Shelby and Courtney. That dress is 40 years old this year - which would mean that I am 40 years old this year...

Callie wouldn't keep her feet down in this shot - she is such a character but a good little model.

Look at that red hair! Her hair isn't really that red - natural light really shows it off.