I little bit about JJ

My good friend Ashley has tagged me. What does that mean? I need to fill out a survey on my blog that she filled out on hers, and I need to tag a few new people. So, Chelsea, Naina and Erin, you've been tagged!

I Am...
a woman on a mission to travel far and wide.

I Want...
to explore the entire world. I want to see and meet people and expand my horizons. I also want to be a Mom one day.

I Have...
the most wonderful caring husband ever.

I Wish...
I could work less and travel more.

I Hate...
when I'm trying to lose weight and I'm starving (like right now, I'm dreaming of gnocchi)

I Fear...
cancer. Yep, I'm one of those people that am always worried I'm going to be struck down by some horrid illness that will kill me, or the ones I love.

I Hear...
my husband humming, singing, or snoring ;) (sorry baby)

I Search...
eBay for new things I've never knew existed. My newest find is a Japanese toy company that makes tiny tiny toys, they are called Re-ment

I Wonder...
why the world is so beautiful. It constantly surprises me at the sheer beauty of it all.

I Regret...
Not getting my mom a Jamba Juice after a surgery. This was about ten years ago, but I still feel bad about it.

I Love...
my three kitties and my dolls.

I Ache...
after a hard workout. My butt is still feeling the spinning class I did the other day.

I Always...
think about how lucky I am. I have everything anybody could ever ask for (one day I'll add a baby to this list)

I Usually...
am found daydreaming about my dolls.

I Am Not...
one to take other's hardships lightly.

I Dance...
to commercials and jingles in the morning while getting dressed.

I Sing...
in the car on the way home from work to the oldies station

I Never...
take life for granted

I Rarely...
am excited about going to the gym (but I do like to hike, bike, and exercise outdoors though)

I Cry...
when I finish a good book. I always ball like a baby.

I Am Not Always...
clean.... LOL! (Sorry, I don't like to wash my hair much!)

I Lose...
thing often. Usually I have to call on my "Finder Man" (E) to help me locate what I've lost.

I'm Confused...
when I look at my statement from my financial planner. I wish I was better at finances.

I Need...
water, shelter, food, and love. Humans don't "need" much else. I try to remember that when I'm longing for my next doll purchase.

I Should...
wash my hair tonight.

Another weekend post

Weekends always go by too quickly. On Friday E and I went over to his family's house for a Halloween Party. We were instructed to dress in costume, so I dressed as a Japanese Lady and E dressed as a butler (surprise surprise!). The house looked awesome and Chelsea had gone all out with games, food, prizes, and decorations. E and I had a great time being silly and eating.

As the night wore on I kept saying that I was not just any Asian woman, I was very skilled in martial arts, and even decided to sport a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle type mask as I did my moves. Everyone was laughing, and from the photo I'm sure you can see why. Oh, and my hands are not in gang signs, those are ninja moves- duh!
Saturday started with the second annual doll show in Utah (here is my blog post about the doll show last spring). Each year in spring and fall there is a doll show at the Utah Fairgrounds, and it is a huge highlight for me! I went down there with Connie and Chelsea (E's mom and sister) and we had a wonderful time looking and buying things for our dolls. None of us came home with a new doll, however, we got many American Girl doll outfits, tiny stuffed animals (remember this), and had a great time overall.

After the show we met E and the Beehive Tearoom. I can't imagine a better way to spend a Saturday than buying doll stuff and having lunch at a tea house. Afterwards E and I headed to a downtown park to do some geochacing and enjoying the autumn weather.

Yesterday was a slow Sunday. I woke up early to go to a spinning class at my gym. Afterwards E and I made a big Sunday breakfast. I took a nap for most of the afternoon (I love naps!), cooked cupcakes for my bro, and then we went to my Dad's for dinner to celebrate Brandon's birthday.Oh, and one more thing, I'm hosting another traveling doll! This girl is named Nora, and she has a blog! I've been updating it to show what we've been up to, if you'd like to view it, check it out here.

I have some work to do:

I better get busy, 4% is dismally low.

My funny Moose

Moose is our big fat grumpy cat. He pretty much is always ornery, but we love him anyway. What he loves is simple: getting petted and playing dolls with me. He loves my doll items and is always interested in what I'm doing. Well last night I finally finished Violet's bedroom in a small corner of our loft. Moose has decided it is now his room.

Spook-tacular weekend

Lame name for a blog post? I don't think so! This weekend has been absolutely spook-tacualr! And, it was just what I needed after last week, a long stressful week at work, where I managed three rush jobs, got my feeling hurt by my boss, got a promotion, and conducted my very first interview. Needless to say, last week was a bit stressful.

On Saturday night E and I went over to Logan's house for a Murder Mystery party. Neither of us had done one of these, so we weren't really sure what to expect. E was instructed to dress as a butler, and I could choose a costume. I decided to where a Kimono a friend gave me, so I came as a Japanese lady.

Logan has never hosted a party like this before, and we were blown away by how much effort he and Brooke put into this. The table was set with draped black cloth, there were hands and arms strewn about. Rats were holding each place card, and black candles set the mood when the lights were dimmed.

Dinner of severed heads (with tomato brains in tact) and black pasta was served. Luckily the heads and pasta were delish. The game started with E (the butler named Stretch) introduced himself and told us we were in Jack Ular's castle. Quickly we found out that Jack had been murdered with a steak through the heart! Who was it? Logan the Vampire Slayer? Landon the horror actor from Hollywood? Me, the ex-lover? We had a great time trying to solve the mystery (it was Jeremy, the local coffin maker that killed Mr. Ular by the way) but the best part was E's mysteries Dr. Evil accent that he had whenever reading his portion of the script. Needless to say, we had a great time.

Today we had another Halloween event that E and I had been looking forward to for some time. My Grandma wanted to host a "Carve-off" contest where we would each carve pumpkins for a prize. In addition, we were all asked to bring a harvest inspired dish. E and I showed up with a Famous Connie Corn Casserole (very yummy indeed!) and our tools to win the competition. E and I were on a team, and we got started right away. We had all our squash and pumpkins that we needed, and even a MONSTER mushroom we had found in the woods earlier in the day.

Everyone got really creative, and we carved and carved, ate snacks and drank margaritas. Soon our deadline approached and we all set our masterpieces outside. It was time for the judging! Each of us got to vote for the three categories, funniest, scariest, and best of show. Also, there were a couple impartial judges, my Grandma didn't carve, and her friend Morrice helped out.

The votes were counted...

Chandler won scariest with an awesome huge pumpkin eating smaller pumpkins! Pumpkin guts and broken pumpkins were scattered everywhere.

Kendra and Theo won funniest with their "When Pigs Fly" painted pink pumpkin.

And E and I won best of show for our cats! We did two cats, one made out of squash, the other made out of the HUGE round mushroom. We won a gift certificate to one of our favorite local restaurants, so, of course, we'll invite my Grandma to share in our winning dinner!

After the competition we sat down to a great harvest inspired dinner and laughed, talked, and spoke of how much my Grandpa would have loved this. We all miss him.

Our winning entry, two cats. Some of the other entries.

And one of the best parts of the night was when Chuck and my Mom showed off their interactive pumpkin, from The Exorcist (remember the girl thats head could spin while she barfed?) Well, here she is:

Change of plans

Last weekend E and I had big plans to go to Moab for biking. Remember last spring when we went and all it did was rain? Well we were excited to give it another try. Friday came and the forecast threatened rain. Well shit. On Friday night we had a quick change of plans and decided to head to the farmhouse for the weekend instead of Moab. One day we will go back to Moab for biking, right?

Anyway, on Saturday I woke up early at home, went to the gym, packed my farmhouse stuff and headed down there around lunch time with E, Connie and Chelsea (E's Mom and sister). We got there in the middle of a rain storm, and it was cold. I realized how happy I was that I canceled on Moab, I didn't want to be in a tent in this weather.

Sunday rolled around and turned out to be beautiful. The air was cool and crisp, the sky was deep blue, and autumn was in full swing.

And, I worked on a doll album while down there! Traveling Lily visited the train yard, went through a haunted house, had a Halloween party, carved pumpkins, baked cookies, the list goes on and on.

Oh, and for those of you who don't know, Violet is is Calgary right now. Sometimes I wish I could turn into a traveling doll.

A few more wedding photos

This has been a weddingy fall. Back in September E and I went to California for my cousin Gordon's wedding (my blog post is here). Today I got an email with all the professional photographer's photos. I thought some of them were awesome, so they were worth sharing.

Bride and groom stroll along the Santa Barbara beach, where they got married.

I love this fish lense photo of the ceremony. It was so beautiful there.

This is some of my Dad's family (my Jewish half!). Back row: E, me, Jeremy (holding Adam), Uncle Bob, Aunt Muri, Megan, Gordon, Jessica, Aaron, Craig (my dad in white). Front row: Hilliary with Sophia, Grandma Florence, Aunt Carolyn

E and I. Yes my hair is frizzy, damn humidity.

"Glorious" is not trademarked

The word "glorious" is not trademarked to me. Although I like to say it often, even scream it with glee, please feel free to use the term at your will. Yes, today is a glorious day in Utah. The mountains are white caped, the sky is deep blue, the leaves are red and yellow, and puffy white clouds float lazily by my office window. It is truly glorious.

Naina's wedding day

Last week was a wedding blur, my high school friend Annapurna (Naina) came into town to get married to her college sweet heart Jeff. I was a bridesmaid, so therefore was quite busy. On Wednesday Kati and I hosted a bridal shower. On Thursday we had the rehearsal dinner and a party up the canyon, and Friday was the wedding day!

Friday turned out to be cold and rainy. Naina was getting married up in the mountains, and I was sure the rain would quickly turn to snow. E and I got there early to help out. Soon it was time. The ceremony and reception location was beautiful, a rustic cabin with a huge fireplace and an Indian feel due to the beautiful decorations. The ceremony was splendid, very romantic and true to the heart. It was fun to walk down the aisle and be part of the wedding, I have never been a bridesmaid.

Afterwards we laughed, talked, took photos and ate the most amazing Indian food. We danced, sang and even played in snow that was now coming down quite heavily. Naina looked beautiful, as did her new husband. Her Indian family was so warm and welcoming, and it was fun to reconnect with some old friends from high school. All in all it was a good three days.

Congradulations Naina!

Beautiful and traditional mandap or wedding canopy and the henna inspired wedding cake.

The beautiful bride
E and I. No, E does not have a bad case of dandruff, he was out in the snow.

The night before the wedding all the bridesmaids got Henna, the traditional wedding decoration. Henna is a temporary tattoo that is usually done on the hands. Mine is still dark and clear, Naina said it might last until December.

The bride and groom with the bride's extended family.

Happy second birthday!

Today is my blog's second birthday, I've been blogging for two years! Other than when I'm on vacation, I think I've been pretty good at updating my blog on a regular basis, which I am really proud of. It is so fun to look back and see what was happening last January, or even two Januarys ago. I think my blog has been a pretty accurate window into my life. Nothing much has been skipped over or sugar coated.

So, here is a list of some of the things that have happened to me in the last two years:
1. Began to plan my wedding
2. Had a depression relapse, that luckily I climbed out of quickly
3. Struggled through my parent's divorce
4. Began collecting dolls again in earnest
5. Got married
6. Helped my dad sell my childhood home
7. Honeymooned in Italy
8. Lost my Grandpa to bladder cancer
9. Met my Dad's new girlfriend (now fiancée) and my Mom's new boyfriend (now husband of sorts)
10. Fulfilled one of E's life long dreams, to travel transatlantic on a ship

So, in honor of this birthday, I changed the formatting of my blog just a little bit. Now on the right side, under the previous posts list, you'll see a list of "favorite posts". If you haven't read these yet, you should, I think you'll like them!

I want to brag about my husband

My husband is fantastic. I could have never asked for a more wonderful, caring, loving person. I just want a chance to brag about him.

Right now I'm hosting a traveling doll, traveling Lily. (Don't know about travel dolls? Read this). Anyway, Lily is a doll with dark blond curly hair, brown eyes and freckles. She is a real cutie. Well last night while I was getting ready to go to Naina's bridal shower, E came over to me and said "you know what's cute?" I guessed and guessed. I guessed the cats, each other, my Grandma's dog, etc. He finally said "no, Lily! You should get that doll, she is cute!" Maybe one day he will pick a doll he likes and give it to me, that would be really special.

Well today we were chatting, and I mentioned I wanted a small doll on eBay, he responded (and I quote) "she is awfully cute, and not very expensive!" I said that I might not have for the money for her, and he responded "I am sure you still have some money for cute little dollies."

Yep, he's a keeper. I hope this post didn't give you cavities, because it was so sticky sweet.

Harvest Cook-off

My Aunt Laura is so funny, she decided last weekend that we needed to have a harvest cook-off. All the veggies are in season and the farmer's markets are exploding with produce. Also, since my Grandma was widowed almost a year ago she has become accustom to eating very little in the evenings, so my Aunt wanted to rectify that by making many tasty dinners that could be frozen.

On Saturday we got an urgent call, "bring pans, we need your help!". E and I ran up to my Aunt's house to see the entire kitchen and living room in a state of organized chaos. Boxes of potatoes and apples lined the floor. Bags of spinach and onions peeked from corners. Mushrooms and chicken bubbled on the stove, while lasagna was being prepped in the next room.

E and I jumped right in, and before we knew it we had diced 25 chicken breasted, sauted 13 pounds of onions, made 6 gallons of homemade spaghetti sauce, diced dozens of tomatoes, and made 10 huge pans of eggplant parmesan.

It began to rain outside, then snow. Inside we were hot, with all the ovens, boiling water, and hot frying pans made for a steamy kitchen. We opened all the windows and continued to work. Soon E had to run to the store for more sauce while I finished my 16th huge pan of veggie lasagna.

Our cook-off really felt like the beginning of the holidays, we were all laughing, and cooking, and working, all while it was storming outside.

Soon we had lunch (some of the best eggplant parmesan I've ever had) and started on the chicken pot pies. Kendra and Mike were in charge of the homemade pie crusts while Taylor looked on trying to convince Kendra he was a "pie expert." Sixteen pies later, numerous loads of dish washing and telling the dogs over and over again to get out of the kitchen, E and I headed home with our pans full.

We brought home two lasagnas, two chicken pot pies, an eggplant parmesan and two huge dishes of chicken enchiladas. Now we are set for the winter, our freezer is full of tasty things, so on cold winter nights we can have a hot dinner.

Oh, and you read it correctly, this was Saturday. It was snowing! Sunday turned out to be clear and warm, so it was perfect for Frightmares. What a great weekend!

All photos are from Google Images

Frightmares at Lagoon

I love family traditions. E's family loves Halloween, and one of their traditions is to go to Frightmares each year. What is Frightmares, you ask? Frightmares is when our local amusement park, Lagoon, opens again for the Halloween season. All the rides are open, plus there are three small haunted houses.

The haunted houses are not really scary, but having the entire day at the amusement park, without the lines or the heat, works out wonderfully!

In actuality, I'm not much of an amusement park fan, I get nauseous easily, and get bored of the outing, but for some reason, yesterday was perfect. I took a motion sick pill first thing, and decided I wanted a slow pace. In years past, we've run around from ride to ride, and before I know it, I'm tired and nauseous.

Yesterday we took a slow pace, and took lots of breaks. Plus, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day, weather wise. The sky was clear, the air crisp, and the rides fast. The motion sickness pill must have helped, because I didn't feel barf-a-licious at all.

We rode the new high speed roller coaster, Wicked. We had the bumper car area to ourselves, and we ate yummy fat-filled amusement park food. All in all it was a good day.

Track of the Jet StarFarris Wheel

Carousel

Entrance to the Spider Roller Coaster