similar, no?

have a looksie:

Chair #1: Pottery Barn. $179

_____________________________________________________

Chair #2: Our dumpster. $0

Yep. We got 4 of these badboys. Here's to new seats and a fresh coat of paint... DIY project, here we come! :)

the great weekend

As I mentioned in my previous post, I went to the tiny town of Demotte, Indiana, for some Midwestern fun with Katie (my SLP program buddy) and her awesome family.

We ate a lot of yummy food. And I learned about sassafras trees. Also, I learned that the Midwest makes up for its great lack of hills by having an abundance of good people: welcoming, generous, church-going, animal-loving, hard-working, family-oriented, steaks-on-the-grill people.

We did a lot of sitting around this:And I watched the sunset across the cornfield and behind the trees. And it was peaceful.

When I came home, there was a clean sink, a package of peanut M&M's, and 2 bright yellow daffodils waiting for me. Guess he missed me :)

good morning.

disclaimer: I am writing this in the midst of a Nyquil hangover fog, with a piece of tissue twisted and stuck in one nostril. darn cold/flu AGAIN. maybe its just because the seasons are changing (yay spring!) or maybe i've been sick so much because there's intense amounts of mold growing everywhere in our apartment walls and floors thanks to this fiasco....? maybe. never can be sure.

anyway, i apologize for any rambling, length and/or incoherency (is that a word?). now that that is over with....here are some thoughts. completely random.

• first, i love avacados. i've always loved them for making my own guac. but recently i've been using them to dress up lots of things. like sandwiches, quesadillas, or plain old boring salads. add avacado and its like...zing! instant party. love them.

• speaking of food. did anyone catch this last night? (i didnt. unfortunately i was working at the dumb Bee. still don't like it. at least i have a job.) well maybe i can watch it online. but i've been thinking a lot about food lately. in our church, we know its important to take care of our bodies. they are a gift from God. what to do to/with them, and what we put into them really do matter. the 'word of wisdom' teaches us what we should and shouldnt put into our bodies. unfortunately, we often focus only on the 'shouldnt' part. i've been reading it lots and trying to decide about the 'should' part. we recently watched a video from some friends who are new/recently converted vegans. that's right people. vegans. they are hard-core. they don't eat (or use) any types of animal products. that includes eggs, honey, and leather. and probably a whole list of other things i can't think of right now. but the video was so compelling and gave such a long and convincing list of reasons why to be vegan....i was pretty much convinced. (hint: save the environment, save your health, save money, save the animals, save the world!) jonny and i tossed around the idea and decided that maybe we should try being vegetarians first. so we did. and it wasnt half bad. we like eating healthy, we like eating from-scratch (which is pretty much what you have to do if you want to eat healthy in this country, because so many preservatives/lard/nastiness is used in pretty much all restaurants out there.) but, its not as easy as it sounds. you think 'all natural' or 'organic' sounds so good for your body, but you factor 'life' into the equation and it gets complicated.

• but for the moment we were still trying. so i decided to check out the local food co-op and natural foods store over on the hippie side of town. (champaign is known for the schmooziness, and urbana for its earthies) i was so excited that i rushed out the door not even minding what i was wearing (big mistake!) and forgot to bring my all-natural, made from recycled materials cloth grocery bag (even bigger mistake). now this is important, i would never say i was excited to go grocery shopping. because i HATE grocery shopping at those huge stores like superwalmarts. but that is another post in itself. so, i was excited to try my hand at being a 'naturalist'. and when i got there, it was tiny! which was nice because i could skirt through all of the aisles with the two cashiers lazer-eyeing my back the whole time (or, more accurately...my old Ugg boots i've had since high school. my old LEATHER Ugg boots. it was snowing, alright? pretty sure i could hear them judging me out their ears. excuse me, for leaving my 93$ vegan sandals at home.) after browsing all 5 tiny aisles, twice, i was convinced: a. they had some really neat stuff. and i always love changing up our same-old grocery list. b. everything was way too expensive. eating natural sure is hard on the wallets of cheap grad students. and c. i could not leave the store without buying something, for fear that the hippie host at the register would strangle me with her beaded stone necklace (which i'm sure she carved/strung/sewed herself). so, i settled on a couple of small (but still too expensive) items-thai curry mix and some jasmine rice from the 'bulk' section. of course, more judging came when i had to confess that i didnt have my own grocery bag. (gasp!) at least they gave me a paper one (which is more than what the next place would do...i ended up putting an acorn squash in my purse).

• all in all, i felt like a kid getting caught coming home well after curfew through the front door, after sneaking out their bedroom window to go to a party (not that i ever did that, mom). 'how dare you! don't you know its bad for your health and for the environment! you heathen.' give me a break, ok? i'm an amateur. at least i'm trying. i'm new at this stuff. i'm trying to figure out whats worth spending those precious pennies on. and at the moment, i might take some extra preservatives and save my dollars for a trip! or student loan payments...

• speaking of being an amateur...even after the lame day 'natural grocery shopping', i was still determined to help us find more ways to reduce our impact on the environment and feed our family healthy food. i'm preparing to be a mother, after all. everyone knows mothers have superpowers. i was not going to let one nasty cashier knock me down from my burgeoning pedestal/quest of 'green/eco/hippie/healthy' living for my family! (note: that was not an announcement. don't get too excited. also, i just used the word burgeoning! maybe i'm not as dumb as grad school makes me think i am.) when i found out that a very sweet woman at our church is a master gardener and was holding a seminar on a friday night, i was there. my friend katie came along with me and we were definitely the only people under 45 yrs old spending their friday night learning about seed packets. it was actually very interesting and it totally made me want to grow a garden! unfortunately, the only time i piped up to ask a question amidst the comments and suggestions from seasoned gardeners, i made myself sound like an idiot who had definitely never held a trowel in her dirt-free-fingernail-ed hand. but i am still excited about it and i still want to try. our new place will have a tiny yard, and at least a patio to house some potted veggie plants. i just hope something grows out of there. i'm gonna try my darndest to fight away the bugs and weeds. even if its one tiny tomato, i'm sure i'll make an entire dinner around it and savor the flavor as jonny and i split it in half to share. jonny teases me, but i'll show him. just you wait! henry higgins. (my fair lady, anyone?)

• in totally unrelated news. one of our favorite shows to watch online is Modern Family. its hilarious. and usually not too offensive either. an amazing feat for our era of TV. anyway, i'm in love with Gloria. she is hilarious, gorgeous, so sweet, and has that thick Columbian accent (and hair!) that is to die for. i wish i was her. not really, but you know. kinda. just like i always wanted to be Catherine Zeta-Jones in Zorro. what is it with my latin-woman fantasies? just jealous i guess. too bad my skin is paler than the soymilk in our fridge right now. (thats right, soymilk. twice the price of the hormone-infested, watered down, 'exploited' from a cow regular milk. and kinda weird-tasting.)

• summer, please hurry up and get here! my latinesque tan needs to start ASAP if i'm ever going to look like Gloria.

• today, i am going with Katie to DeMotte, Indiana. everyone says if you've seen Illinois, you've seen Indiana... and Iowa too, for that matter. but i'm still excited. woohoo for another midwest adventure! have fun sitting on the couch watching college basketball and throwing your socks anywhere you please, jonny, my love. and eat some sunflower seeds for a snack, too. those are organic, right?<3

nothing too crazy...

just life.

What we've been up to lately:

-applying for random summer jobs (me)

-picking out our sweet new apartment! (apparently we love moving)

-adding new foods to our grocery list, like Edamame!

-enjoying our 'spring break' (not a real break, but a somewhat lighter load)

-going to funky local bands/bar/pizza places with friends

-reading! a huge thanks to his parents for an amazing Easter package w/ fun books and candy

-relishing the sunny days

and here's the CRAZY part!........

Emilee AND Jeffery

(Jonny's younger sis and bro)

are choosing to take a break in their college studies and....

serve full-time missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

They recently found out where they are going.

Emilee is going to Paraguay!

and

Jeffery is going to the Dominican Republic!

We are SO proud of you both and so happy for you! We'll write, promise.

Just look at those good lookers.

today, i am....

content.

Today, I have lots to look forward to.

But I also have many blessings in my life, right at this very moment....and I'm counting them.

Happy Monday everyone!

i feel so legit

I came home yesterday to this setup! Thanks to my thoughtful husband, a sweet site called Musician's Friend, and a little reorganizing on my part, we now have a 'recording studio' in the corner of our office. I love this little spot. Hopefully many great songs will emerge from this corner. I feel like singing this song now. I'll say 'corner' once again, for good measure. Corner.

yay!

happy st. patty's day!

Go ahead, put on your best green item of clothing (preferably one that resembles shiny wrapping paper...which might cause you to seriously question your fashion judgement upon looking back 2 years later), grab your favorite person, and....

Party!

(and include some corned beef and cabbage, if you are so inclined. or some rainbows/gold/shamrocks/bagpipes, or a leprechaun or two. )

St. Patrick's Day.

colorful craft night

I spy:

3 hearts

2 kissing pictures

1 healthy snack

1 yummmmmy snack

2 cell phones

1 silver car

1 glue stick

2 block letter 'D's

FUN!

for a rainy afternoon...

CHILI.

Like mother like daughter… I often cook like she does. A little bit of fresh, a little bit of frozen. Part home-made, part convenience. Sometimes recipes, sometimes creations. Here's something we enjoyed yesterday.

Saute:

• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1 tbs. garlic (pressed, or fresh jarred)
• ½ c. chopped onion

Add:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 tbs. dried pepper (or more, if you like it HOT. we do.)
• Cook until browned.

Then, the cans!:

• 1 can red kidney beans (drained)
• 1 can black olives, sliced
• 1 can sweet corn
• 2 cans ‘canned chili’ any brand (with or without beans… i like beans. the more the better)
• 1 can chicken broth (or 1 bullion cube and 2 cups water, if you are cheap like us)
• 1 can roasted tomatoes

Then, the spices (to taste):

• cumin
• garlic salt
• coarse ground black pepper
• AND for some extra pizzazz- cinnamon!
• Mix everything and bring to a boil. Then let it simmer....the longer the better.

Top with (optional):

• sour cream
• avacados
• cheese

Yum.

BREAD.

Also, a great way to give new life to that day-old bread that may be getting a little too dry!

This time we used a small crispy white loaf with multi-grain crust…

• Slice into ¼- ½ inch thick pieces
• Heat 2 tbs. olive oil in a skillet.
• Using tongs, quickly ‘toast’ the bread in the hot olive oil, turning once.
• While still warm, top with a few crumbles of your favorite cheese, or a sprinkle of garlic salt.
• Perfect to dip in our chunky chili!

(we also added a little balsamic vinegar when we made this to pair the bread with Italian dishes.)

thoughts of the week

1. I've been re-falling in love with swing/'big band' music.

Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Louie Armstrong,Duke Ellington...

you get the idea.

2. I've been very emotional. Last night in my car I was listening to Delilah. A little boy (11 yrs old) came on to request a song for his mom, who passed away from breast cancer 4 years ago. She played "brown eyed girl" for him. And I cried all the way home.

3. I've been very productive. We got a group project done that isn't due for a whole week! With the help of my resourceful Jonny, I also found all 12 research articles online that I need to read for another class.

4. I've been feeling the 'organization bug'. This weekend= throw out/give away tons of junk and simplify our lives/apartment.

5. I've been thinking a lot about change and constants. I think there's something to be said for people like us who get married young. We are still changing, still figuring out lots about who we are and who we want to be...shifting the most intriguing, complicated parts of ourselves. But the most important things- the values, the core, the principles, are constant. Maybe thats why it works.

6. I've been super in love with my husband. We can do this life thing together, babe.

Have a Happy Weekend!

more honda love

This morning I rolled out of bed, and took our baby in for a check-up. We are all about saving and shopping clearance, buying generic brands and using coupons. However, when it comes to the Fit, we spare no expense! (ok, not really, but at least when it comes to important maintenance things). Its an investment, after all. We are planning on having our kids drive that car when they are in high school. Seriously. So I took it to the dealer. Its been getting oil changes and tire rotations, etc at Honda Dealers ever since I got it June of 2006.

Since its our only car, I had to wait an hour and a half for them to work their magic instead of being dropped off somewhere and stranded, or having someone pick me up. No problem, I told the jokester mechanic who checked me in that I brought my homework and I'd be fine in their waiting room for an hour or two. He laughed and said "thats what they all say and then they watch TV and text and flip through magazines". He said he'd come check on me to make sure I was really doing homework.

And he actually did! And I actually was. He was impressed. He made some comment about how I was "changing his opinion of U of I students". Then he asked if I got drunk on Friday (during the huge campus party for "Unofficial St. Patrick's Day"). Of course (because I'm LDS) I said nope, I don't even drink. Wow. Boy, did he think I was responsible. He laughed and said that I was 'stacking them up' (what, I'm not sure), "you drive a honda fit, you're doing homework, you don't drink"...I laughed and asked if I could get a discount, then, if he was so impressed. Then he said "No way! You don't get a discount for agreeing with me! I'm feeling like Flo."

• Little did he know, I was only forced to actually write a paper in a car dealership because I procrastinated the project and it was due at noon today....I should have done it last night but we were too busy playing with this. (thought we were kidding about this? nope.)

In the end, he actually took 25 bucks off my total. Which was way nice, since it was a pretty pricey ordeal.

It pays every once in a while...to be semi-responsible. Thanks, Reggie.

I love my honda.

PS. For those of you who are wondering, I was writing a paper about Stroke and TBI. And yes, I got it turned in... 1.5 hrs before the deadline. :)

sometimes, we fantasize about...

Home Ownership

There are so many beautiful and unique older homes in this area. We took a long bike ride on Saturday, oogling at all of the different houses, thinking about where we think we want to live. When the time comes, in a million few more years, for us to give up our renting ways and pay the mortgage... I think we'll be checking out these cool sites:

• Young House Love
• DIY Ideas
• Knock Off Wood

my parents in india

jealous

hallelujah

A few things to be thankful for today:

(not in any particular order)

- SUN!!!! Its 40 degrees and it feels like summer

-A husband who folds the laundry so I can study

-A loving Heavenly Father who is watching out for us

-A good grade on a quiz

-The wonders of telephone/email/internet

-Supportive parents and in-laws

-Best friends with good advice

-A car that runs well

-Clothes/accessories to wear

-Fresh green grapes for a snack

-A school placement that I love

-Eternal perspective

-Family prayer every day

-Safety and security

-Neighbors who let us borrow their folding chairs

-Giving & receiving service

-Good music

-Feeling alive again. Its like spring inside of me. The little wheels are turning in my brain....I have lots of ideas for warm weather fun!

(i borrowed all of these images from google. no, we are not in any of them. but i hope to reenact them soon.)

stories for you.

One summer night, a boy I was totally crushing on but barely knew, decided to teach me to skateboard. On a hill. I pretended to be brave and adventurous. He held the board still. I stepped on, he counted to three, let go, and I freaked. I jumped/flailed off. On the way off, I smacked him, hard. In the face. Whoops. He was tearing up from the hit in the nose but trying to act cool. I felt like an idiot and was blubbering apologies.
Totally awkward.

We were inseparable from that night on.
My mom jokes that I 'fell' in love, and he was 'smitten'.
That night was the beginning of our life together.

____________________________________________

I did eventually learn to longboard. I miss it.

I miss hills.

This place is way. too. f-l-a-t flat.

What's the point of snow if you cant snowboard, or at the very least, sled?

Be gone snow.

Be gone.

____________________________________________

I must have been a very weird child. From time to time I would "run away". I always left a note saying I 'just felt I had to go' (what?), but not to worry, because I would be home in time for dinner (I always had my priorities straight).

Then I would pack a little backpack and "run away". Usually just across the street, to the park with the huge trees where I spent most of my afternoons anyway. Or to the beach behind our house, walking my way around the point to the pavilion. Or I'd hop on the golf cart and drive aalllll the way to the edge of camp (a whole 2 minute drive). I'd find a quiet place, hang out for a while, dream of adventure, and always come back in time for dinner.

Its time. I'm ready to run away again.

We need an escape.

Somewhere quiet, where life can't catch us.

i dont normally do this, but...

...I am in major need of some cheerfulness right now.

I'm really not a fan of busy, colorful blog backgrounds (mine has been plain white for the past year and a half). But last night I thought, yellow is my favorite color, it reminds me of summer and sunshine and happiness. Why not brighten someone's day (and mine too)?

We'll see how long this lasts.

Enjoy!

i LOVE bread.

somehow, a wonderful lady at our church has an agreement with a bakery (panera), and gets a bunch of their day-old breads. every monday morning there are boxes full of this flaky, chewy goodness at the church building.

this week was the first time i actually went to pick up some carbs. and i was amazed. a huge, fresh selection awaited us, and there was only 1 other woman there.

what can i say? i got a little greedy. i filled three huge ziplock bags to the brim and ran outta there as fast as i could, excited to get home and down the first sesameseed bagel.

i ended up with 5 bagels, one huge soft cheesy loaf, one small crispy sourdough loaf, and a whole bag full 'o sweet ones. (like the lemon-poppyseed moist minibundt i had for breakfast this morning.)

all of this, for.......

$0.00

free bread?! now thats what we like. don't judge. we're starving students after all.

happy march to yer

For some reason March always seems to drag on. And on. And oooooonn.

Maybe its because its that time of the semester when everyone gets burned out.

Or maybe its because you think winter is about done, and spring is fiiiiinally moving in, but then winter surprises you and comes back with a one-two punch.

Also, due to circumstances beyond our control, we won't get a spring break this year.

So, I decided to look up fun things to look forward to in March, (besides St. Patty's day, which is basically an excuse to wear green, get pinched, and watch everyone around get way too drunk), and came across this little website:

March Holidays

Who knew that March 3rd was Alexander Graham Bell's birthday? Or that Uranus was discovered on March 13, 1781?

Wow.

I guess the best thing about March is that February is OVER. One month closer to Spring! One month closer to the end of this semester! One month closer to our trip!

Hurray for March!

Welcome. We like you.

ps. this weekend we: did homework, had friends/missionaries over for dinner, ate at a greasy little diner, went to a birthday party here, went running outside!, 'babysat' a child and a dog, made brownies, went to church and ward choir, watched a documentary, watched this, went grocery shopping, and went to a waterpolo game! so fun.

pss. today i had an interview at Carle Hospital here in urbana for my full time 10 week internship that will happen Summer of 2011 (i know, we do things earrrly around here), and i GOT IT! which is excellent. because there are so many people competing for the few 'in town' positions. and i really wanted to stay here to be close to Jonny (rather than pay big $$$ for a lonely apartment in Chicago or something). hurray! it was a much-needed success after a nasty school week.