12.30.2010

2010 postscript

So, when I said, "See you next year," I meant after a summation post. Obviously.

2010 was a pretty big year for me.

I
fell in love
mourned my grandmother's passing
graduated from college
interned at the New Era
wrote published and soon-to-be-published articles
went through the temple
wedded
went on a cruise
moved states
celebrated my first holiday season away from Colorado
and
found a full-time job as a quasi-adult.

All in 2010. I had no idea you could do so much in one year!

I'm excited to see what 2011 brings for me (and Josh—because, you know, we're a family now)!

Happy new year!

12.28.2010

what I've been up and will be up to

I opened this package from Josh on Christmas morning.


While the wrapping job left more than a little to be desired, Josh made up for it by hiding this under the wads of wrapping paper.


I am unable to adequately convey my deep, deep, unbridled excitement over this gift.

Now I'm in Colorado for the week (we spent Christmas with all the super fun Wilsons), I'm spending all--or nearly all--of my time reading this book recommended by Miranda


Love it. I'm consumed with crafting elation.

This next week will be full of family-ing, eating, cooking, and sewing. Obviously.

I hope your Christmas was wonderful, and I'll tell you all about my wonderful holiday soon. See you next year!

12.20.2010

weekend project

Last Friday I was wiling away the hours at work until I could go home, and I came across this:


So, naturally, my goal for the weekend was to recreate it.

Friday night I made the gingerbread dough (from scratch).


And the dough chilled overnight.

Saturday I used the templates I printed to cut out the pieces, and I baked them.



Then I melted sugar into caramel so I could make windows.(This is my favorite aspect of the house.)


Sunday I whipped up some royal icing and decorated the pieces. I should have mixed the icing until it was more firm, because my envisioned crisp, intricate designs turned out looking more like a lumpy cartoon.


Today I glued it all together. And you know, it doesn't look like Martha's. But that's okay. (Also, I don't plan on eating this--it was purely a crafting endeavor.) The pieces warped a bit in the drying, and the caramel glue was messy. The royal icing pooled, and the detailing was a little sloppy.


But I love it. And I'm going to do it again next year.

12.19.2010

christmas spirit

"And Jesus came and touched them, and said,
Arise, and be not afraid.
And when they had lifted up their eyes, 
they saw no man, save Jesus only"
{Matthew 17:7-8}

12.15.2010

a post-graduation December

This December I'm not living in the library, completing student ratings, writing 10-page papers, researching theory, completing last-minute cleaning checks, frantically packing, subsisting on Kraft mac and cheese and Diet Pepsi, turning off my phone so I can concentrate, mustering remnants of academic motivation, waking up for 7 a.m. finals, or walking up to campus in the freezing cold.


Instead I'm working a full-time job, figuring out downtown Portland, knitting every night, reading books because I really want to, decorating my small apartment for Christmas, waking up next to Josh every day, watching my favorite TV shows, eating Sunday dinners with my in-laws, making real food for dinner, and Christmas shopping.

I loved school for the most part—but being a college graduate is so worth it.

PS--Where are all the commenters??

12.13.2010

12 on 12: cozy December

01. Speaking in church (on this talk)
02. Playing Super Mario Galaxy
03. YouTube video--simultaneously hilarious and awful
04. Peanut butter=delicious
05. Tithing settlement at the church
06. Dinner with Josh's parents--chili and cornbread
07. New boardgame--Dominion
08. Ward choir practice
09. Best. vanilla. ever.
10. Argyle tights
11. Late-night cocoa
12. Later-night knitting

I can't believe it's the end of the year already! Themes I noticed in my 12 on 12 grids: food, TV/movies, lack of camera. (Next year I'm hoping to have a camera for every 12th.) I will definitely be participating next year. Will you?

12.09.2010

having ourselves a merry little Christmas

Here's what it's been looking like around here.


Sugar cookies. This was Josh's--I think it's positively hilarious. Most of the others were, well, more festive.


Bookshelf Christmas. This is probably my favorite display in the whole apartment.


Christmas tree right next to the fireplace.


Glitter tree-topper.


The first Wilson family stockings. You can't see it, but mine has a fur cuff and silver beaded snowflakes.


Peppermint gelato. I couldn't resist.


Merry Christmas, everyone!

12.07.2010

definition

{I am}

a woman
a daughter
a sister (times three)
a wife
a newlywed
a friend
a reader
a writer
an editor
a cook
a baker
a knitter
a decorator
 a house accountant
an office manager
a friend
a daughter-in-law
a sister-in-law
a granddaughter
a blogger
an American
a BYU grad
a consumer
a bibliophile
an omnivore
a niece
an organizer
 an introvert
 a quasi-adult
a wannabe Hogwarts student
a picky eater
a film critic
a TV junkie
a Coloradan
an Oregonian

12.06.2010

honeymooning philosophy

{Precluding side note: I'm sick of blogging about the honeymoon. It was wonderful, but I'm loving real married life more than cruising. I'd rather blog about that.}

Yes, the official honeymoon is over and has been for a while now. But as is typical with newlyweds, the honeymoon phase continues into the everyday life of early marriage. And yes, I'm loving it. And yes, I do know that marriage isn't all honeymooning, that life will get hard and both Josh and I will have to work harder at our marriage. I know that.


But I also know that I am going to live up every moment of newlywed honeymooning. When marriage gets a little harder, I want to be able to look back at this time and draw strength from it, find courage in the deepening love I feel for Josh every day. I want to have reminders that things really can  be this good.

And really, a marriage worked and honed and refined over years and decades can produce so much more happiness than a week-long honeymoon, or even the newlywed bliss. My grandma said that you fall in and out of love all the time in marriage—she had been steadily in love with my grandpa for the last several years of her life. Her marriage proves to me that the work is worth it.

So here's my honeymooning philosophy: I will revel in the honeymoon phase, soak it up, and love it completely. I will also remember that the happiness I feel now isn't the most I can feel. A well-worn, worked-at marriage will bring a new happiness to me, one more lasting and substantial. Even in newlywed rapture, the "best is yet to be."

Sure, the honeymoon won't last forever, but my marriage will. And that's what matters.

12.05.2010

hot off the presses

Well, folks, it's finished. My grandmother's history that has been in the works for two years now (though most of the work has taken place over the past two months) is finally finished. I wanted to finish in time for the holidays, because I think the copies will make nice Christmas presents, but more importantly, knowing that my grandma isn't around this Christmas has been a little hard for me. Finishing this book I feel is my final Christmas gift to her.


If you'd like you can order it by following the link at the bottom of the preview.You'll want to make sure to order it in time for Christmas (if it's a gift), and because they have to first print it, the time between ordering and shipping the book is a little longer than with typical online ordering.

I loved doing this project and using my editing skills in this way. For those of you who end up reading it, I hope that her life inspires yours, as it has indelibly inspired mine.

some Sunday thoughts

Josh and I were called to work in our ward's Primary (the organization for the little kids), and more specifically, in the nursery (the 18-month-olds to the 3-year-olds). Last week when we were asked if we would accept this calling, my heart sank in disappointment. Yes, I accepted, but I felt so discouraged. All week I've felt that being isolated with the barely toddlers will result in me never making friends now.

I've been thinking about this all week, trying to find an upside. I first decided to be more socially proactive in making friends. I've never been that way, but I think I have to now. We have many young married couples in our ward, so there is so much potential for good friends. I really have no reason to not make friends.

More importantly, however, I realized that I agreed to serve because I have a testimony of the gospel. Not because I like to have friends, and not because I want to pick and choose my callings. I serve because my Savior asks me to. And remembering that changed my whole attitude.

12.03.2010

Operation Superhuman Reader: a nonfiction triumph

{Presenting yet a deeper level of my self-professed word/lexicon obsession/passion. I know fully well how my unbridled excitement over this book adds to my nerd factor.}

The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English DictionaryThe Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester

My rating: 5 of 5 stars






The epitome of nonfiction.

The subject matter of this book (the Oxford English Dictionary) interested me before picking it up, but I had no idea how fascinating nonfiction could be and how quickly I would come to genuinely love this true story and those real men (and few women) involved in the Dictionary's evolution.

Winchester is a masterful storyteller, knowing which bits of information to develop and how to keep the august history of the Dictionary cohesive and relevant. Apart from novel-form nonfiction, I have never read a nonfiction book that was so delightfully engaging as this.

The OED's story is one of national—even global—collaboration all in the name of language. The story and its expert writing affected even my emotions. I found myself increasingly proud of my native English language and bolstered by the enthusiasm of the hundreds upon hundreds of nineteenth-century English-speakers who felt the same. I feel a nerdy thrill of excitement when I think of all the thousands, if not millions, of English words at my disposal.

If you're reluctant to read nonfiction, read this. Even if you're not such a passionate word-lover as I, you can enjoy this book for its engaging, witty writing and its accessible and thoroughly enjoyable telling of a truly remarkable story.

View all my reviews

12.01.2010

employment, adjustment, and a black mamba

Yes, I have a job! One of the temp agencies I'm using set me up with a couple of interviews, and about two weeks ago I was officially hired as the office manager for iDL Worldwide, a company that designs in-store fixtures and displays for their clients. It's a very creative and team-based environment, and I think I'll have a lot of room to grow and even use my writing and editing background. So while it's not a premium editing job, it's the right job for me right now.

Here are some of the things I've been up to the past few days of employment:

:: First days always make me a little nervous.


:: But I did okay. I'm the first office manager they've had, so I'll get to define my role in many ways.
:: I spend my days here now.


:: I think it's pretty cool.
:: I've been slowly getting my desk put together.



:: They stock Mexican Coca-Cola here (made with real sugar cane). Plus every other Coke product imaginable. They're free.


:: I've been taking the bus, but yesterday I couldn't find the stop when I was ready to go home. It was cold, windy, and rainy, and I called Josh crying.
:: He came to pick me up.
:: I found refuge in Powell's in the meantime.
:: I'm having to adjust to working full-time.
:: I feel like I'll never be able to plan and make dinner again with my days cut so short.
:: Today we had a black mamba in the office.


:: It was part of a client presentation.
:: Don't worry--it was de-venomed.
:: I was terrified and simultaneously fascinated.
:: Here's another mamba picture for you.


:: Black mambas can slither up to 14 mph.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...