We FINALLY heard back from the apartment we were interested in and are officially moving into our new home in a little over two weeks.
I am soooooo relieved to move out of our current apartment of 2 1/2 years. It may not seem that long but I have been counting down the days for our lease to be up for the last 11 months.

It's a little sad since this was my first place and then our first place, but we are excited to move on!

Now for the "white glove" cleaning of our current place.... ughhh.

I'll post pictures and details soon.

here are my top favorite things about our new place:

granite counter tops
garbage disposal in the sink
our own master bathroom
his and hers closets in master bathroom
internet and cable included
gated community so that my husband will sleep in peace.
much closer to Nathan's job
24 hr fitness room
year round hot tub

nerves.
There's the good kind because of something fun and exciting and then the not so good kind. you know, the "this is getting on my nerves..." kind.

I'm experiencing a little bit of both lately:

waiting to hear back from different apartments with openings because our lease is almost up so it's all about the timing. One we really liked- failed to mention we were second on a waiting list AFTER we toured the place, fell in love with it, and filled out the application.

packing for our move. I wanted to get a head start instead of doing it all in a couple days. Oh my word- can two people really have that much junk??? And by junk I dont mean in any way -insert sarcasm- Nathan's "memorabilia",papers from his first college semester, books, texbooks, and I can't possibly throw away an admission ticket to BYU-Idaho's Guitars unplugged from 2007. It could have sentimental value.
It's a good thing we have dumpsters outside. I love my pack-rat. uh hem...I mean my loving, caring, kind, hard-working husband.

nathan getting a new, great job promotion but a new, not so great paying period. Instead of getting paid every night, it's twice a month. It's been really fun switching all of our budgeting around that we've been used to for the last year and a half...not.

not being able to find my checkbook after looking EVERYWHERE and then finding where I had orignally left it and could have sworn i put it somewhere else.

having to manualy delete what seemed like 90 out of 100 random episodes on our dvr (aka TiVo) recording because the space was full and i could not figure out how to delete in bulk minus 5 or 6 shows.

our electric bill being the highest it has EVER been in the last 2+ years because we have a crappy air conditioner and I'll die if its too hot. It's almost October though- Thank God!!! (not in vain, no really, I am so thankful fall in winter are coming-my favorite time of the year).

Flies. Aren't they the most annoying thing in the world??? They are EVERYWHERE in our apartment. hmm...Maybe its the garbage, nope i threw it out. Maybe the diry plates- nope, I washed them. Maybe we stink?-nope, we showered.
For every two I kill with the fly swatter, twenty come in with every opening of our door. I even found a fly come out the the freezer this morning!

it's a good thing i have a nice temperment...I just thought i should document this because I ALMOST could have had a nervous breakdown like that one time when I was engaged and was on birth control for the first and ONLY time in my life and went a little bananas on two people. But lets not go there... Sorry LuLu and Nathan for having to experience my one and only crazy nervous melt down.

an answer to our tv show prayers...


We love Glee.
Especially when they do a cover of Jazmine Sullivan, one of my top under-appreciated artists of today.


anyone else loving Glee?

I spent the morning baking 40 chocolate ganache cupcakes.

(p.s. once you go ganache, you don't go back)

One of Nathan's fellow manager's birthday was today and she loves chocolate.

what better way to say happy birthday to a chocolate lover than with chocolate, right?

Here's a little advice from me to you.

Next time you make chocolate (or any other flavor) cupcakes or cake, try it with ganache instead of the traditional store bought chocolate frosting (you know, the ones that taste like chocolate shortening....). It only takes a couple minutes to make. While you are waiting for the cake/cupcakes to bake try this:

2 cups of heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, & a pinch of salt. pour in a medium sauce pan. bring to a slight boil (takes about 6-8 minutes) stirring with a whisk every few minutes. pour in 1lb ( 2 bags) of chocolate chips* and immediately remove from heat. wait a minute or two and then with a whisk stir the chocolate & cream together. YUM YUM! Transfer into a bowl.Then set it in the fridge until the cake/cupcakes are cooled. Stir it a couple times** and spread it on just like frosting. ENJOY!

(you can run a hot knife over the top of the frosted cake/cupcake to get the glossy look like mine above.)

*my favorite is ghirardelli bittersweet chips, but you can use any kind you like.

** if the ganache is a little too firm set it in the oven that is still warm from the cake/cupcakes for about 2 minutes and stir.

If you peeked into our bedroom window tonight around 10 or 11pm (depending on when Nathan's gets off) this is what you'll see:

Two best friends giggling like school girls from the excitement of Project Runway FINALLY coming back.

snacking on yummy homemade blackbean corn and avacado salsa w/ baked Tostitos scoops- compliments of me.

We go waaaay back with Project Runway and America's Next Top Model (yea, we don't watch that one anymore. Tyra is a little...ok A LOT too annoying now.) I wish Camille was here with us to watch this season. I have the fondest college memories of three best friends reserving the apartment's lounge and watching this show every Thursday night.

So tonight, two marriages, two years, a couple states away, and a baby later.... we'll be watching Project Runway apart, but remembering some of the best times of our lives .

Today Nathan and I went on a little lunch date before he headed off to work for the evening. After stopping by a local bagel shop for brunch and enjoying fresh bagels and homemade cream cheese spread we caught the afternoon showing of Julie & Julia. ( I think just about every date we have been on together has included going to the theater!)
I loved every part of this movie and i found myself laughing, tearing up, and drooling over the food. I could relate to both characters unlike any other movie I've seen before and really had a good time. I was reminded to embrace my love for culinary arts and not to give up on my goal to attend cooking school in the near future.
I thought it was so funny how nathan and I were probably the youngest people/couple there. It was filled with cute little old ladies and older husbands and wives.

If you have a love for cooking or even just love to eat food, I would reccomend this movie to you.

I have had this clock on my bathroom counter for the last two years. Before that, it sat on my end table while living in Rexburg. I bought it at an antique shop in Rexburg for $10. Some time after moving back home to Washington I remember the hands stopping and it was time to replace the battery in the back. For some reason since that day, I never got around to replacing the battery and this little clock seemed to serve no purpose on my bathroom counter.

As I was washing my hands i happened to turn over and catch a glimpse of that clock. I got to thinking. I wonder what I was doing the moment those hands stopped on that clock? And even though the hands of time for that little clock have stopped, Time sure hasn't waited up for me to change the battery. Time has been tick tock ticking away whether I replaced the battery or not.

Lately, time has seemed to be flying by and I'm sure its not going to be slowing down anytime soon. Many things have happened and many changes have been made. I've made some goals, Some decisions, and spent a lot of time wondering about things.
Some of these things have been monumental and some not so much.
I visited California for the first time.
I went to my first family reunion.
My little sister moved in with us to start on the road of the rest of her life and the first place she'll be "hanging her hat" at the end of the day will be with us in our little home. How wonderful.
I bought bare minerals for the second time and wondered why I ever went back to the other stuff.
I left my job and lost all of my free makeup, good pay, and medical benefits. I'll take having Sundays back to take the sacrament, hold my husband's hand, and spend evenings with family over makeup.
I have an interview with an LDS bookstore next week. Regardless if i get the job or not, it's nice to have a good interview and the knowledge that I'm interviewing for a job that I won't ever have to work on Sundays without a second thought of it.
I got to see my sister and brother-in- law this month. It's always nice to reunite with family who lives hours and hours away.
We're having a yummy BBQ this weekend to celebrate the August/September Birthdays and taking family pictures.
Next weekend I'll be in Boise for another Family reunion. Nathan and I are excited to spend time with some family that we haven't seen in a while. :)
I registered for classes for the fall. That's one step closer to finishing my Associates Degree. (I'm so close!)
Before I know it, I'll be 22 in 24 days. The craziest thing is that it feels like yesterday that Nathan and I were just 19/20 yrs. old attending BYUI, stopping at Snoasis Snowcone shack everyday in August before our summer evening classes. Now we're married!

Lots has happened and lots more is happening and even though my little clock in still frozen in time, life is still ticking away...Its a good thing i took my best friend on my life's journey to pass my life's time with.

Happy Summer. Enjoy the last month or two that's left of it. :)

Here's a little song I've loved for some time. This post reminds me of it.

There are six BILLION people in the world
More or less
and it makes me feel quite small
But you're the one I love the most of all

[INTERLUDE]
We're high on the wire
With the world in our sight
And I'll never tire,
Of the love that you give me every night

DECORATING ON A DIME:
There's only so much you can do to decorate an apartment to feel like home and I think little by little the cozy feeling is sinking in. When we have a house I want to be all about it feeling "home-y" a and welcoming. I love rich and warm colors. Reds, black, browns, tans, and white are my favorite colors for a home. Cinnamon, fresh bread, apples, anything lemon or citrus scented are my favorite smells. I hope to always include thse factors in my home.
Every now and then I like to add a few things "cozy"up the place. I'm missing some candles I got at Bath and Body Works but below are a few of my recent additions.

baskets for incomging/outgoing mail & other important papers- $7 @ Walgreens.
Pretty lamp- compliments of my mother. $0 AMAZING Quote on Eternal Marriage Printed from home printer- $0 Frame- $5 (on sale @ target a while ago)


vinyl lettering- $8.99 @ a craft store (clearance)

-"grow old along with me; the best is yet to be..."


* NOTE: I do not claim to be a savvy shopper/ penny-pincher, but I hate spending more on something when I know I can get it cheaper somewhere else. One day I'll be really good at saving money in every single way haha...

What do you do to cozy up your home/ apartment? What are your favorite scents in a home?

This last weekend Nathan and I celebrated our 1st anniversary. It was about time! I felt like the one year mark took F O R E V E R. Does it feel like that for anyone else or does it seem like it flew by?

I really love to cook and since our anniversary was on Sunday, this was a perfect opportunity to make something instead of go out to eat. Plus, not to toot my own horn, but Nathan prefers my cooking over going out to eat. So dinner at home it was!

I wanted to go out with a big band and make something incredible, make a menu, have fancy-schmancy music playing in the background, etc. but I wasn't feeling very well that evening and so we decided to just go with the flow of everything. It all turned out well and we had such a good time talking and eating and relaxing. I made rosemary and garlic roasted red potatoes, sauted sugar snap peas, and lemon butter and rosemary chicken. I tried out this recipe for a lemon cream sauce that would be good for the chicken but it was a little to sour for me. I'll have to try my own version of it another time.
Oh and BTW- I picked up something to drink for this dinner while I was at Target last week and it was so good!! It was a blood orange italian soda ( you can see the bottle below) from A--- Farms. (I cant remember the first word!!) Its a Target brand. You must try it. It was less than $2 for that big bottle. There are different flavors too if you're not much of an orange raspberry fan.
All in all, it was such a good night to spend together.

Then yesterday we drove almost 3 hours to the University of Idaho. Why? Because Frank Warren was hosting a Postsecret event!!!! I have been a huge fan of Postsecret since the beginning. I found out that he was coming and got so excited but kind of forgot about it because I didnt't know if it would work out with what I had going on at work. Nathan remembered as it got closer and surprised me with getting time off from work. So I took a mini vacation from work so we could enjoy our anniversary since we never got to go on a honeymoon, we wanted to really enjoy ourselves on our anniversary.

The trip there was sooooooooo boring so i pulled out my camera and got picture crazy. I told Nathan to smile and he kept making silly gestures with his mouth. Silly boy!

This is what we stared at for almost 3 hours. We were so happy when we would pass by a tree or a house or a small town! It's a good thing we had Nathan's Nintendo DS to keep up occupied or I would have died from boredom!


Every photoshoot need a "silly face" shot.

When we got there we had a little over an hour until the doors opened to be seated. We didnt want to cut it too close if we went to a sit down place to eat so we saw this little shack called Patty's Kitchen. I was cute and it looked like a "poppin' '" place with the locals around, so Nathan and I stopped by. Wow....this "kitchen" took 40 minutes to get us our food. We ordered it and paid up front and the guy took our name. It LOOKED like a fast place to get something by the way you order and the items you could get. We were so wrong. After waiting a half hour we got it to-go so that we could scarf whatever we could stuff in our mouths in 2 minutes and then we would eat the rest later. ten minutes later we got our food.

This is what I waited 45 + minutes for.... a disgusting taco salad. DISGUSTING. It even looks gross doesn't it?

We finally made it 15 minutes before it started and still managed to get good seats. It was an amazing heart-felt experience to be there.( Except it was so HOT in there! Where's the ventilations with 500 people in one room??) Frank spoke,people got up and shared their own secrets. Some were hilarious and some were so sad. Frank showed us postcards that didnt get published in the new book, showed us some neat videos, and shared his own secret. I think I laughed and cried more than any other time in 2 hours. Affterwards he had a book signing. I had Nathan run to the line since it was on the other side of where we were.

He autographed one of my books (AAHHHH!!! how cool?!) and I asked him if we could take a picture with him. Naturally, he said yes ( he is such a NICE person.) and so there it is. I didn't care if i had been in a car all day or if my face had melted off from the heat in that building. This was a once in a lifetime chance.I'm so glad I have this picture. This man is so inspirational. I hope one day I can do something as moving aswhat he has created.

I'm so happy to have shared a year with Nathan and look forward to what this next year has to offer. :) We'll see!

this video gives me comfort. I love visiting blogs and websites and seeing all of the crafty things that other women create. I want to have the time and resources to showcase all of the creations and ideas i have stored away in my head. I see all of the young children, the babies being born, and pictures of delicious recipes. I have so many ideas for home decor all while I am in an apartment. I just want to jump on the first train to Mother/home-makerville, but I know my turn will come. In the meantime, I can still create wonderful things and share my talents with those around me.
What an inspiring video. It excites me for General Conference.

"remember you are spirit daughters of the most creative being in the universe. Isnt it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate god? "

I've been needing some time away from work since the holiday madness started back in November. As soon as I got the green light to request my vacation days I started thinking of all the wonderful things I could do with some time away from work and make up. It's true, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. What girl doesn't like lipgloss and mascara? Me.
The moment I realized I was starting to hate cosmetics and dreaded putting it on myself, was the moment I realized it was time to take a break.
Every relationship needs a break when it starts to turn sour and I consider 35+ hrs a week spent with eyeshadows, matching lipsticks, washing brushes , shaping the "perfect" brow, a very serious relationship. What better way to take a break from this "relationship" than to spend a few days in Seattle with Nathan, LuLu , and my mama?

Today will be filled with cleaning, packing, getting car drive treats, and a very special trip to Walmart to pick up the perfect 2 1/2 hour long drive-are we there yet?- i gotta pee- my ears are popping remedy, Kelly Clarkson.

her album is out today and Nathan and I couldnt be more happier with the timing!




Here are a just a few of the things on the agenda:

















Don't mind me, I'll just be in heaven the next few days...

I have the next two days off . I anticipate these days like a kid on Christmas Eve eagerly waits for the morning to come.


A couple of things on my list o' thing to do:


1. Clean up because our place looks like one of these passed through-







2. Go on a date with my bestest friend and movie guru, Nathan and watch this movie-







3. Pay these before they pile up-









4. and get plenty of this, with my favorite snuggle buddy-

(warning: this post probably contains a lot of type-o's. I'm too lazy to go through it.)

If you know me well, you know that I have a tendancy of losing/missplacing/forgetting things...a lot. Usually, when I lose something I hardly ever get sad or upset. When something has been stolen from me, I forget about it rather quickly and in fact, I don't really care as much as I should.

Here a SMALL list of the things that have been stolen from me in the past that I should have freaked out about but didn't really care as much as I should have:

* about $300.00 from my wallet in beauty school
* Puma & Dr. Martins shoes from a locker room (my favorite shoes)
* i pod nano (eventually was returned to me)
* a pair of really nice Guess jeans retailed over $100
* make up, perfume, clothing, money, from a roommate ( i didn't know which one did it and didnt have the time or desire to investigate it)

there is much more but you get the picture. Basically, I just don't get attatched to material items or my belongings for some reason.

Why am I sharing this with you? Well, last night was the first time I ever freaked out or became emotional about losing something.

Here is my story. (below my beautiful, meaningful, precious wedding ring) It's long but worth it.


Yesterday I had to work and it was a Sunday. Usually, I am not in the happiest moods when I have to work those 2 Sundays a month. I was sad that it was a new year and I was stuck at work while my husband was alone at church. It's a family ward and everybody has their partner/parents/ SOMEBODY. So it always makes me a little sad when I know that I am working and not with him to enjoy churc. It was such a sloooooooooooow day in the Cosmetics department, in Macy's, and all over the mall. It's the day after all the holiday bliss or madness, in my case, is over with. Plenty of people were around, but it was obvious that all of the hoiday spending money was, well... spent. There were just a bunch of people walking around all day.

I needed to use the restroom around 5:00 pm because one- i had to go. and two- i needed to clean my wedding ring because i just got done matching this lady for foundation and when i was finished my ring was dirty.

Usually I will go right away but i kept getting this feeling to just wait. I have a really weak bladder (too much information?) and have to go right when i feel the need to.

It was odd because after i felt the impression to just wait, it wasn't until 6:40pm when the feeling to go again came back. I decided to go since the store would be closing in twenty minutes and there weren't any people in the store anymore.

So I went to the ladies room, took care of business, cleaned my ring, washed my hands and left.

Finally, I got to go home and was very excited to see Nathan! We were driving home when I reached in my bag to get something and looked at my hand. I gasped. My ring was not on my finger. My heart started beating and all i could think was "oh my gosh its gone!" I took a deep breath and called my co worker who was still closing and asked her to run to the restroom and look for it and i would meet her back at the store. We turned to car around and once we got to Macy's I dashed out of the car and ran...ok walked fast to the eployee entrance, keyed in my password and went inside. the store was already closed and so when I met up with my co worker, she told me she couldn't look because the automatic lights were off in the restroom and she couldn't see anything and so a manager was on the way. I dashed to the restroon turned my cellphone light on and looked where it left it. It was gone. just when i was about to lose it and burst into tears, I stopped my self. I said a prayer asking for my Heavenly Father to help me get my ring back. I told me this ring was so important to me and it meant so much to my life. Yes, it's just a piece of shiny (expensive) metal from this world, but it is something that my best friend, and eternal companion gifted to me as a token to be his forever. I needed it back.

I opened my eyes and walked out of the pitch black restroom. My eyes were filled tears and ready to burst when i was greated by another manager. She turned on the light and i told her i already looked where i left it but would looke again. It wasn't there.

She said she was really sorry and shrugged and walked away. As I walked away a huge feeling of doubt came over me. "This is Macy's!", I thought. " A department store filled with people coming in and out of public restrooms all night. Somebody found the ring and put it in her pocket! I better just give up get back home". I quckly realized this kind of attitude wouldn't help and so i took another deep breath, clenched my fists and started to think.... "What do I do? Where do I go? What would i do if I found a pretty ring?" " I WOULD RETURN IT!".

I kept telling my self as I walked down to gift wrap, " Have Hope. Have Hope. Have Hope..."
I finally got down there and asked a lady desperately, " Has anyone returned a ring, I left my wedding ring in the ladies restroom?". Her eyes widened and she said, " Actually, YES! Just a few minutes ago."
I couldn't believe it. One of the housekeeping employees went to clean up right after I left and saw it and returned it to gift wrap.
She said that the lady who returned it is a nice, older woman that worked at Macy's and gave me her name. I thanked them took the lady's name and went back to the car a very happy person.

If I would have went to the restroom the first time, it would have been almost 2 hours before closing when it was busy. I listened to the impression I had to wait just a little bit before the store closed. Because I waited, the only other person who came after me would be this nice woman to clean up the restroom before the store was closed for the night. My prayer was answered before I even prayed for the answer.

Have Hope and listen to promptings, even the smallest ones.

(If you read this whole story, wow. It was a long one, but worth it.)

it's five in the morning and i have to be at work in a little over an hour. I needed to do something to wake me up. enjoy!

my "if-i-had-a-thousand-dollars" Christmas list:

dear santa,

Escada ocean lounge ( i work next to the frangrance department... i love perfume.)

kenra platinum hair care collection. IT SMELLS LIKE HEAVEN!

who would have thought a bed frame would be a luxury item??

my life would be complete with this beauty. (in orange!)

oh the things I would create with my very own Cricut...

chinese laundry handbags in both colors please.

red is one of my favorite colors. and i do love those polka dots.

sincerly,

Paloma

Tomorrow I am scheduled to work at 6:45am ( at least it's not 3-midnight). Its snowing outside. There is currently a storm watch and expected to be 8 inches of snow.

so here is a little equation:
(remember, math is NOT my forte so this could very well make no sense at all to all you math geeks- that's a compliment.)

a lot of snow + early morning + i don't do mornings very well + it's Sunday+ who buys make up at 6:45 in th morning?? (would this be a minus?) +nathan and I plan on being up late wrapping gifts, watching Seven Pounds, and eating our sorrows away from our hectic work schedule, and talking all night like 14 year old girls at a sleep over + chelsea lately re-runs+ did i mention i don't do mornings well( i consider 10am early)?= A fat chance of making it to work tomorrow.

...but still possible.

Any bets?

Oops.

see more pwn and owned pictures


see more pwn and owned pictures

It's getting cold outside...

In February 2004, as his wife Marjorie lay dying, [President Gordon B.] Hinckley's secretary called homeless advocate Pamela Atkinson to say the president "was very concerned with the very cold weather we were having." He wondered how they were managing and wanted to give some of his own money to Atkinson to help them, Atkinson said. "That was the third time Hinckley did this," she recalled. "Here's a man who is a leader of a worldwide church, his wife is not well, and he thinks about homeless people and how he can help. I was taken aback and in awe."


Happy Holidays. Stay warm and live in gratitude.

Seattle: Jason Mraz, Chowder, and the Best Memories made everytime.

Last week Nathan and I made our way back to Seattle for yet another perfect getaway (minus the "occasional" disagreements due to lack of sleep the night before).


We stopped by my favorite spot to eat for lunch ( Pike's Place Chowder),





looked around the mall and drooled over the clothing and selection of stores compared to that of The Columbia Center Mall here in the good ol' Tri-cities (insert sarcasm).
Don't get me wrong, I loved growing up in a small town (kind of...) but anyone from the Columbia Basin knows that the Tri-cities is just a big brother of my hometown of Othello. Nothing too special but 100 times more of an upgrade.

Each time I visit Seattle it reminds me of bigger and brighter days ahead.(This is were I want to FINALLY start my Culinary Arts degree). Ok, back to the perfect day...



After walking around the mall and downtown Seattle, the chowder was long digested and it was time to eat again. We enjoyed some delicious food from The Cheesecake Factory. We went there last year (when I was proposed to!! oh la la!) and oddly enough got the same server. What are the odds? So after our faces were stuffed, we walked a few blocks to The Paramount to get the Party started!!


Can I just say that Jason Mraz is A MA Z I N G??!!! His performance was pefect. He is so good live!!! Nathan and I had so much fun. The concert was sold out so every single seat was filled. He got the crowd involved and 3 1/2 hours flew by!

(proof that he is one talented guy. here are some of my favorite parts of the conert)
1:50-2:19 is my favorite part. It's a song called Lucky. If you look up the lyrics you'll know why i was teary-eyed at that part of the concert. Seriously, look up the song/lyrics and it will probably become a favorite. :)


here, I made it easy. Just click on the link below:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNjeB76AVwc



It never fails, Seattle always leaves a sweet feeling in my soul everytime I visit. I think maybe it's the fact that each time I've been there, it's been with my favorite person (that's you, Nathan).