When I Grow Up

happy thanksgiving

2011-11-26T16:44:00.000-08:00

I would like to begin by saying, although I failed to take any photos that were not of food, the number one thing I am grateful for this Thanksgiving weekend is my family. In fact, this afternoon, my mom, sis, and I helped with a casual wedding luncheon for one of my mother's friends from her ward, whom she also grew up with. The friend's parents were there, who were dear friends of my grandparents in St. Louis, and it was so lovely to talk about my mom's parents and hear their memories of them. I wish they were still here to celebrate holidays with us, I miss them.
I was in charge of setting the table. This picture kind of drives me crazy, because I didn't realize how crookedly I had lined up those candles. Oh well, I'm still happy with the way the table turned out. Also, our decision to start with butternut squash soup this year was such a great idea!

We had briefly discussed simplifying the menu this year, but then decided to go ahead and make every single thing that sounded delicious to us. Good call.

One the menu: butternut squash soup, roast turkey, stuffing, sweet potato soufle, roasted brussel sprouts, green beans wrapped in bacon, mashed potatoes and gravy, green salad, fresh cranberry sauce, pumpkin chiffon pie, and pecan pie.

The bacon wrapped green beans were a new recipe this year, courteuosy of Our Best Bites. I'm never disappointed in their recipes, and this was no exception. I thought they were delicious and beautiful, and really very easy to make.

We often try to make one new thing alongside our old favorites, and sometimes the new dish becomes a staple (cue sweet potato soufle from a few years ago that hasn't left our Thanksgiving bounty since). I hope these green beans come back next year.

Also, I love putting seasonal fruit in water. The options are endless, it's totally beautiful, and totally easy. And totally has fewer calories than punch (we did have bubbly as well, it's just more festive to have something fizzy to drink).

happy halloween (careful, i have rabies)

2011-11-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

Well the best day of the year has come and gone again. I took inspiration for this year's costume from all the ravers at the Kaskade show I attended in the Gorge this summer. Had I known I could dress like an animal to listen to house music, I most certainly would have. But Halloween worked just as well.
I ran into the store on my way home from work to look for a tunic top or something similar to go over my leggings, and found this tank dress. I originally grabbed a bigger size, but the sales girl assured me I would need a size or two smaller. So I grabbed the next size down, and ended up as a mildly trampy raccoon in a too tight dress. Oops. Probably no one was surprised by this.

You can tell this hat is homemade, but I think the lumpiness and crooked seams add character. :) The faux fur wasn't crazy easy to work with, and I had to modify the pattern a bit, which I obviously chose to do free hand to "save time." Also, the likelihood of me wearing this hat more this winter is high.

mother-daughter weekend

2011-10-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

My mom came to visit this weekend and it was just what I needed. We had tons of fun, and mostly alternated between running errands and going out to eat. I'm finally all the way out of my old place, and the new house is most of the way there. All the stress of the past couple weeks has vanished and I'm looking forward to putting fun and exercise back into my daily routine. :) Amazing how much you can get done with mom's help!
Also, we wore matching outfits to church on Sunday. I'm seriously low on people who want to wear matching outfits with me, but I know my mom is always willing, because I inherited my love of matching from her!

i'm a problem solver

2011-10-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes your beautiful new bedroom has this for a closet.

Attic closets are totally the new thing!

27

2011-10-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

This year I opted for ice cream in lieu of birthday cake. And no, it's not the camera angle, that double scoop waffle cone was seriously as big as my head, and I ate it all. Come to Portland and I'll take you to Ruby Jewel for a delicious treat.
Just this weekend my roommate asked me if I got to blow out any candles during my birthday weekend (she was out of town). And it suddenly dawned on me that I had not made a birthday wish and blown out any candles. And I totally didn't even care. This a sign of growing up, right? That I could have a fun, low-key (minus the part where we went to a drag show following by dancing at a club) birthday weekend, lacking some key traditions, and not even miss the candles?

portland fashion week

2011-10-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

On Friday my friend D and I went to a runway show at Portland Fashion Week. There were four womenswear designers, and one menswear designer. It all felt very chic and glamorous, and I loved getting to see the work of some local Portland designers. The runway shows were held in a warehouse in the industrial shipyards on Swan Island, adding to the cool factor.
We were only willing (able) to pay for the standing room only tickets, but we got a pretty good view of the runway. I was jealous of all the people sitting in the front row, which was (not) shockingly lacking celebrities.

Models have such fierce walks. I wonder what kind of reactions I would get if I worked on developing a runway walk for my everyday life?

The menswear collection was to die for. I had a very strong urge to drag my non-existent husband to his store and dress him head to toe in Collier. The models didn't hurt the look of the collection any either.

Always love an excuse to dress up! D even got asked to pose for a photograph by a fashion blogger!

Also, is this street light outside the warehouse not the most flattering light ever? I thought these pics made us look great!

party hard

2011-10-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

Celebrated my 27th birthday with these ladies of Darcelle's XV last night. Such a good idea!

on birthdays, and twinning

2011-09-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

One time, during a discussion of friends, the topic of what you think about when there's nothing to think about came up. I felt more than a little panicked at the thought of answering that question, as I was afraid it would reveal a very vapid person. The things I think about when there's nothing to think about are largely ridiculous. For example, my hair washing schedule gets a lot thought. For another example, this text convo with my sister (which was preceded by updates on her bus ride from DC to NYC which I insisted she give me every 30 minutes during my work day):

Me: So fall conference tends to line up with our birthday weekends. Do you have memories of that being the case as a child? Because I don’t.
She: No. Do you have memories of watching anything more than Sunday morning as a child?
Me: No, but still. Doesn’t it feel like we were usually celebrating our birthday through Sunday?
She: Yeah. But after this year conference won’t be on our birthday weekend for another 5 years.
Me: But won’t it be on the weekend close to our birthday?
She: Next year our birthday will be on Sunday so conference won’t be until the weekend after.
Me: Oh ok. Are you like looking at a calendar?
She: I just know.
Me: No you don’t! No one just knows these things!
She: A few weeks ago upon discovering our birthday would be shared with conference I looked into how much longer this would be the case.
Me: YES. And it’s totally been on my mind too. Twinners! Twinning!

dear new house

2011-09-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

I think we're going to be very happy together. I'm excited about your wood floors, your original 1901 molding, and your open cabinets in the kitchen.
See you next month!

pyramids and camels

2011-08-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

We just got back from five days in Jordan and Egypt, wherein we saw Petra, the Red Sea, and Cairo (pyramids et all). More details to come, but for now I'll leave you with this beauty:
Our camel guides also doubled as photo-taking geniuses. I mean, these guys were effing professionals-- this pose wasn't even my idea!

ashkelon

2011-08-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

still traveling

2011-08-08T23:13:00.000-07:00

We're just hanging out in our hotel in Istanbul, waiting to fly to Tel Aviv and connect with our dad this afternoon.

Flying yesterday was uneventful. Delta had a pretty fantastic selection of movies so I watched 4 1/2 movies in lieu of getting any sleep on the way to Amsterdam. Then the next flight to Istanbul was too cold for me to be able to fall asleep. This resulted in a short nap upon hotel check-in, that maybe extended to three hours. By the time we were a little awake, it was 8pm and we didn't feel like navigating our way downtown anymore. Kind of lame, but we're coming back in two weeks with several days to explore the city.
I've got my maxi dress and keens: my uniform for the next three weeks. I'm happy to be here safely, and so excited for the upcoming adventures! Kirst and I will stay in Israel with our dad for just a day(beach, anyone?), then the three of us will drive to Petra and meet up with mom and Daniel, who are flying into Jordan. We have a whirlwind tour of Jordan and Egypt planned, then the five of us will head back to Israel. My mom and brother leave before Kirst and I do, so we'll get some extra days in Israel, then a few days in Istanbul before flying home.

so not worth it

2011-08-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever spent $100 on a pair of shoes and felt so meh.

But they're going to be perfect for my trip. Plus? Everyone third person on the streets of Portland is wearing a pair of Keens, so I can continue to wear them when I get home and fit right in.

shark week

2011-08-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

What do you bring to a pot luck shark week kick-off party?

A fruit tray, of course.

bad people

2011-07-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

This very real and very sincere text conversation just occured between my sister and me:

K: We went on a hike and grandpa fell off the trail. It was amazing.

C: What?? No!!!! I can't believe I had to miss that!!! How many people got to see? Was he bleeding at all?

K: Dad, Maren, and I got to see him clinging to the side of the mountain, but none of us witnessed the actual fall. His elblow had a gash in it. Needless to say, we ended the hike early.

C: Of course he was off by himself doing something against the rules. Did Dad have to go save him? I'm guessing there's no chance you took video footage or else I'd already be watching it?

K: I was cursing myself that I didn't bring my phone with me to snap a picture of Dad helping him back up. It would have made a great blog post.

Normally I'd try to explain how you wouldn't be so horrified if only you knew Grandpa Dick. But this conversation looks pretty awful, so I'm just throwing in the towel and admitting we're going to hell. Meh.

Update: Mom's response: Wow, sounds that almost worth going on a hike with him.

lunch break

2011-07-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

New client sites often mean new food carts to try. Here is today's adventure:
I'm missing the company BBQ this afternoon, so I treated myself to a brisket burger for lunch. Amazing. Next time I'm trying the pizza.

This little wood pile next to the cart let you know this guy is so not kidding about the wood fired part of the sign.

coasty

2011-07-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

I really love living within an easy day trip distance to the coast. Despite all the responsible things I should have done this weekend after a week out of town (and a general lifestyle of negligence to chores) I cleared my entire Saturday to head to the beach with some friends.
It was perfectly sunny and mid 70s all day. There was quite a bit of wind, but that just allowed the kite boarders and wind surfers to come out and it was a delight to watch them. I'd never seen either of those sports peformed in the ocean before, just on rivers and lakes!

We spent the day in Manzanita, stopped for dinner in Rockaway, then drove home through Tillamook so we could visit the cheese factory. A childhood favorite that was long overdue for a re-visit.

Learning about the cheese-making process and observing the machinery was *almost* as impressive as the cheese samples at the end of the self-guided tour.

original gangsta

2011-07-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

You know I planned this photo the minute I got word I'd be heading to Detroit.

imported from detroit

2011-07-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

I must say I've been pleasantly surprised with Detroit. I've been having a nice little business trip, and last night finally checked out downtown. Atrocious humidity aside (for real though, how do people even function in this weather) the Motor City is kind of nice.
GM building, isn't it cool-looking? Also, this statue commemorates the underground railroad. Did you know Detroit was a major stop on the underground railroad? I sure didn't.

Oh hey. This is the closest I would get to the camera-- I'm a sweaty mess. Downtown Deroit is really quite big and quite spread out.

We had dinner in Greek town at Pegasus. So delicious.

We also took the People Mover around, which was fun. Think Disney monorail meets public transit.

there are so few things i love more

2011-07-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

Than a hot afternoon spent boating.

Kirstin, me, Whitney.

kayla and courtney do the rose gardens

2011-07-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

My childhood friend Kayla and I had one day of overlap in pdx with me not working before I headed to UT for the holiday weekend. We chatted, brunched, and took photos of ourselves. It was lovely.
The Portland International Rose Test Garden is so close to my apartment, I'm not sure why I don't go there more often. Like every week. I don't even have to get on the highway (and anywhere you can get to without driving on a highway is naturally very close).

It was sunny and warm, and a little breezy. Every time the wind picked up we got a whiff of delicious flowers. Such a perfect place to spend an afternoon.

at peace with my restless heart

2011-06-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

This week my visiting teacher came over, and shared the following scripture with me:

D&C 53:93

And, verily, I say unto you, that it is my will that you should hasten to translate my scriptures, and to obtain a knowledge of history, and of countries, and of kingdoms, of laws of God and man, and all this for the salvation of Zion. Amen.

Do you love this as much as I do? I have never had this scripture stand out to me before (and maybe I’ve never read it). It’s so full of meaning and the applications to my life are limitless. Here is encouragement for world travel, for continuous learning about all cultures. This verse has really been on my mind since she shared it with me.

My first thoughts relate to the benefits I receive when I travel:

· I find different cultures are filled with people who are not, in fact, so different from myself. While cultural norms may vary greatly, human nature really doesn’t.
· I learn to appreciate the different ways people live, and the different ways they view the world. And I hope this appreciation leads me to a more clear view of the world, and a more effective approach to the challenges I face in my life and in my community.
· I put my problems into perspective. It’s so refreshing to go some place where no one knows about your problems, and no one cares. Not because you aren’t individually important, but because the challenges you face aren’t important, and aren’t unique or worse than the problems other people face. Sometimes, I even come to the realization that I’ve created the problems in my head, and they aren’t actually real.
· I have increased confidence in my capacity to figure things out and get stuff done.
· I am more comfortable in my own head, more comfortable being alone, and more comfortable with silence.

Some of the lessons learned while traveling are hard, and there are some dark moments, but the memories of trips tend to be wonderful. I have long believed that people are at their worst at airports, and I think that’s largely because travel pushes us out of our comfort zones, where our best learning can then occur. When I wait too long between trips to new places, I begin to feel restless. Maybe this isn't a a reflection of my inability to be happy in the moment, maybe it's just my soul telling me I'm ready to learn something new.

The last thoughts I have are related to a recent blog post by my friend Jon. In fact, I’m just going to quote him, and leave it at that. He said it better than I could have. Go read his whole post, but here is an excerpt of what he had to say:

What if our salvation is an all or nothing deal? Not in a you-have-to-be-perfect-in-order-to-be-saved kind of way. More like either we're all saved together or none of us is saved. And not because we're all perfect, but because we learn how to love and accept everyone in all our necessary differences. What if we can't be saved without those with whom we vehemently disagree? What if the tension that exists between two opposing points of view is completely necessary and the solution is to simply listen to each other and seek to understand what it means to be in another's shoes. Who are we to decide that what we perceive as another person's sins are any worse or better than our own? Maybe it's more about loving unconditionally instead of categorizing and ranking sins.

Yes, yes, and yes!

instagram how i love thee

2011-06-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

I've been very slow in adding apps to my iPhone. I mean, I feel like I have a lot, and I'm constantly playing with my phone, but I know there is so much more goodness out there. Today I downloaded Instagram, and I'm not sure how I was ever happy without it. I've gone back through previous photos, and made them look much better. Here are a couple examples from my somewhat recent trip to Hogle Zoo:
This baby elephant was to die for. Seriously adorable and so playful. But the angle was hard (not to mention my lack of skill) and the pics I took were poorly centered and too far away. But now it's cropped, zoomed, and given a new finish. So much better.

In the monkey house this huge gorilla came right up to the glass. Super cool. Also a little depressing, because he looked kind of bored and unhappy. The same listless gaze all zoo animals have. But the fuzzy pic I took through the glass wall didn't do his fierceness justice. Until I added this finish, making the fuzziness work for the pic, and darkening the colors so he looks way intense.

Gosh, these pics are so artistic, I think I'm going to create a separate photography blog to display all of my work. JK! Seriously though, I love this app.

farm to table

2011-06-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

And by farm I mean my own (and Di's, obv) community garden plot.

Last night I made a salad with our first harvest from the garden. We have so. much. lettuce. Nothing else is ready yet, but it's coming along, and we keep weeding and watering. Sort of. It rains a lot, and I don't really like weeding.
And for organic gardening at its best, this little slug had crawled out of the bowl of lettuce when I went to put it in the fridge last night. Gross. But just a necessary hazard of being a committed, semi-professional, organic gardener. :)

I'm seriously loving having a garden, and cannot wait to eat more food I've grown myself. Best summer activity ever!

cold meds, cough drops, to-do lists, late nights at the office

2011-05-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that pretty much sums up my life right now. But, press release is next week, and then busy season will for real begin to wind down. Just in time for some lovely spring weather (fingers crossed).

do you ever forget that you love something, then get to fall back in love when you are reminded?

2011-05-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

Something like beef jerky.

dear kirstin:

2011-04-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

I am very proud of you for graduating from law school last week. I think about how much your extensive studying ruined my own fun over the past three years, and I cannot even imagine how hard it would have been had I been the one spending all of those hours in the law school. :)
I know great things are ahead of you, Ms Esq. I know you will totally pass the Bar exam. I know you will totally find an awesome job for this fall.

my name is courtney, and i have a problem

2011-04-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

Last week I got a seriously funny email from my friend Diana. She took a screenshot of my facebook page, noting there were three posts with a comment about hot dogs in four days (one by me, two by friends, referencing other times when I ate hot dogs). It's no secret that I love hot dogs. But this seemed a bit excessive to Di, and I had to agree with her. She posed the question: What would Freud have to say about this? But I think we all know. :)
So naturally, last Friday, when my brother and I popped into J Dawg's for a quick and delicious meal before Kirst's graduation, I had to snap a photo and post it to facebook to add to the collection. I guess it's now just a waiting game to see how long I will keep consuming hot dogs as a replacement for a boyfriend. :)

silent warriors

2011-04-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

Saw this beautiful sight on the way to the drinking fountain at a client today: As an auditor, I get to visit many companies. I enjoy observing the different dynamics between companies of varying size and industry. However, sometimes I wish I could actually be part of the culture, and better know and understand its members. Like, if I worked here, I bet I'd know who exactly wrote that on the cup to the right, and who wrote the response on the cup to the left. And then I'd find this passive agressive exchange even more hilarious than I already do.

keeping it classy, all weekend long

2011-04-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

I'd like to thank Chopsticks III for providing another fabulous evening of karaoke. How so many people know about this seedy bar slash Chinese restaurant in ghetto northeast Portland is a mystery to me. Seriously, this place is always crowded. Probably as much of a mystery as why I continue to get up and sing, even though I'm really awful.

How Can Be Lounge? For heaven's sake, your sign is nonsense. Glorious nonsense.

Then, to keep the weekend excitement going through Sunday morning:
To be fair, these did not come from someone's yard. And I saw someone else doing it first. :)

this can't be good for my chi

2011-04-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry, bamboo, for the neglect.

However, having my Saturdays back (even if just temporarily) is good for my soul, and the many unfinished projects and laundry piling up around my apartment.

snacks

2011-04-05T16:03:00.001-07:00

This is both the best and the worst part of my current work situation. Good luck taking off that busy season chub, lady.

gaga-oh-la-la

2011-03-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I flew to SLC to attend Gaga's Monster Ball Tour with these lovely ladies.

L to R: Me, Adrien, Kirstin, Lindsay, Katie. We met for dinner beforehand at the Wild Grape, then rushed off to the concert. We had to push dinner back an hour as my flight was late, so we missed the opening band, The Scissor Sisters. I'm sure they were great. But, Lady Gaga was absolutely amazing. She puts on such a good show, and sings and dances her heart out. Plus, she's all about loving yourself and accepting people for who they are-- a platform I can definitely get behind!
I have never had so much fun at a show. We were dancing and singing along the entire time. Gaga is amazingly fabulous and weird and outrageous. One of the best parts of the show was seeing what everyone else wore. Gaga has some fiercely stylish and devoted fans. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of twenty-somethings in attendance, I thought for sure we'd be some of the oldest attendees, but that was definitely not the case. Also, how much do you love this unicorn t-shirt I bought? This is definitely going to become a wardrobe staple. What a great night!

forcing it

2011-03-16T19:10:00.001-07:00

Do you ever want an outfit to work so badly that you just go ahead and wear it anyways? Maybe because by this point in the morning you're 3 skirts and 2 pairs of tights and 2 tops and 1 other jacket into picking an outfit and at some point you just really need to put on some shoes and leave? And then you spend the entire day debating whether or not you love your outfit or are horrified that you would wear those pieces together? Or is that just me?
The truth of the matter is, however, that this top contains marigold, plum, periwinkle, leaf green, white, and black. But nowhere does it indicate it should be covered in a red jacket. Even if you love your jacket, and the shape goes spendidly with the top and charcoal pencil skirt. I'm even wearing red flats with my black tights, in an effort to make the jacket belong. But it doesn't. But maybe this outfit is working because I'm willing it to? Maybe I love it? Maybe I'm crazy? It's weird though, because it's so unlike me to try to force something that simply isn't working. :)

sunday dinner

2011-03-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

I rarely have time to cook during the week this time of year, so rather than making a number of small meals throughout the week, I put all of my energy into one big meal, usually on Sunday.

This time the cooking was for my visiting teachees, and we had such a lovely time. Today's dinner option was maybe overly ambitious, as I spent about five hours making chipotle chicken tortilla soup (not all active involvement, but that's still a loooong process). But Oh. My. Gosh. this soup was delicious. Seriously go look up that recipe and try it yourself. I can always count on Epicurious to come through with some good recipes.
Here I am boiling a whole chicken (who needs the convenience of frozen chicken breasts-- not me) and making my own chicken stock for the base of the soup, obv. I thought it might be fun to make my own stock because I've never tried it before. I had no idea how much better it would taste. I've been missing out, and will most certainly be trying to do this more often (in that other life where I magically have more free time). The soup was delicious dressed with tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, and a lime wedge. I didn't do avocado tonight, but think it would be a lovely addition next time. One friend brought gluten-free rolls and another brought kale. It was a perfectly healthy, perfectly delicious, perfectly Portland dinner party.

community garden plot

2011-03-06T22:24:00.000-08:00

After two years on a waiting list, Diana finally got the notice she (we) finally have a spot in a community garden! We went to check it out this morning, and I am so excited.

There was quite a lot of plant life and other items left behind from the previous gardeners. Just getting the plot ready for planting is going to be quite a project. I have a feeling working in our garden is going to become one of my favorite weekend traditions this spring and summer.

We've discussed growing flowers, tomatoes, peas, green beans, herbs, brussel sprouts, and lettuce. What do you think we should grow? The dinner parties we're planning for the summer with produce we've grown ourselves are going to be glorious.

bacon pop?

2011-03-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

Why thank you, I think I will. Mmmm bacon...

jimmered

2011-02-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

I had to spend the day in the ofiice. Because it's a Saturday in February and I work in public accounting. But, I was not going to miss the BYU game-- there is too much excitement right now to not be a part of it.
Cue temporary workspace in the lunchroom. Best idea I've had all week. Go Cougs!

you're going to ruin your dinner

2011-02-23T20:55:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about being an adult is getting to decide when I follow "the rules" and when I don't, without the fear of someone monitoring/catching/judging/lecturing me.

Big thanks to Jamie and the city of Seattle for making my last two weeks on the road before finally getting to be home way more bearable than the previous few weeks, and actually downright fabulous!

i had only two goals for the weekend

2011-02-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

1. Interact with friends, face to face.
2. Do something domestic.
Mission accomplished. Happy Valentine's Day!

How long will my blog posts continue to consist of a single, poor quality photo, taken on my camera phone? It's hard to say. There are so many factors involved here. If only I could find my camera battery charger, I could start using a real camera again (it's already the second charger I bought for this camera, and I refuse to purchase a third). If only I had an iPhone, I could download that Hipstamatic app. If only I had more leisure time, I could spend more effort on post content.

b.b.q.

2011-02-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

Once it finally warmed up to a balmy 25 degrees during the day in Kansas City, my coworker and I finally ventured out after work, rather than keeping ourselves entertained in the hotel (gym, restaurants, room service, TV-- what more does a weeknight need?).

We'd heard that Arthur Bryant was a midwest BBQ classic that we had to try. A man at work (also from out of town) told us he'd been there, and said it was pretty dirty and probably not our scene, and suggested another BBQ place for us to try. The thing is, the more he described the dirtiness of this restaurant and its location, the more convinced I was that it was the only real option for dinner.
This place was amazing. The ribs, fries, and copious amounts of BBQ sauce I consumed were all delicious. They definitely put all of their focus on producing delicious food, and zero on ambience. Seriously all of their focus. From the ghetto white bread they served my "short end rib sandwich" on to the bossy, sassy worker who ordered for us after she decided we were staring at the menu too long, I loved every minute of this dining experience. And I brought home a bottle of their Sweet Hot BBQ sauce, which I am excited to cook with someday when I am actually living in Portland again!

superbowl party for one

2011-02-06T16:49:00.000-08:00

may we please discuss this?

2011-02-04T08:37:00.000-08:00

So late Sunday night I arrived at the Denver airport and took a shuttle to the rental car place. Once I was all checked in and found my assigned parking spot, this beauty was waiting for me: Seriously? This aptly named "Cube" is literally a cube. I like a lot of the boxy cars coming out these days, but I do not care for this one. It's so bad, right? It makes me wish rental cars had a special rental sign in the windows, so no one passing by would think I maybe actually purchased this vehicle.

The weather in Colorado Springs has been totally nuts, alongside the rest of the country. We spent two days without temperatures above zero degrees. Then one day, a pipe burst at the client site. There was water gushing from the ceiling, and we could smell gas. We packed up our things and headed to lunch. After lunch it had become clear the busted pipe was going to be an all day project, so we decided to work from the hotel. Within an hour of being back at the hotel, a pipe burst there! This time I left my computer in my room at the sound of the fire alarm, so we couldn't do any work for the afternoon. I called my manager to keep her in the loop, then set off on an adventure.

We checked out the visitors center and cadet chapel at the Airforce Academy. This campus is gorgeous and huge, and it made me homesick for BYU's campus, also nestled in the foothills of the Rockies. The security guard at the entrance to the campus was very intimidating and all business. The visitors center had a lot of cool things to look at, an informational video which I enjoyed thoroughly, and some great displays on falconry. I am very impressed by the commitment each of the students must make to graduate from the academy.

Am I crazy to be hopeful for better weather next week in Kansas City??

the top ten of the second half of twenty ten

2011-01-31T20:24:00.000-08:00

So remember when I used to blog? Me neither. Although the documentation has stopped, the fun certainly hasn't. I'm going to breeze over the months of Aug-Dec 2010, then jump right back in. So here, in no particular order (like I needed to make the post any harder to complete than it already was) are the top ten activities of the second half of 2010, or in other words, what on earth I've been up to:

1. Rachel married Ken!

It was a beautiful wedding, and now maybe I believe in happy endings afterall.

Photo of Rachel and Ken by Jonathon Canlas. He's amazing, although their wedding was, in fact, this beautiful.

L to R: Meg, Kirst, Lauren, me, Kristen. It was awesome to see these girls and catch up-- sometimes I feel like too much of my heart is spread too far apart, and I don't know what to do about it, except keep growing the size of my heart I guess.

Another highlight of the wedding was giving an impromptu wedding speech. I am always ready at a moment's notice to commemorate any of my friends in a toast, I just want you all to know that.

2. Whistler Break 2010 with Jamie

A bunch of the Seattle YSAs go to Whistler the first weekend in December every year. Jamie got me on the list this year, and we had an amazing time. I loved the slopes, the town, and the company.

Upon arrival (about 2am after a very long week at work), I met up with Jamie, then we headed to our condo. All sleeping arrangements had been made, so Jamie and I were left to divide the couch and one spot in a half occupied queen bed. I had already begged Jamie to get us anywhere but a couch spot, so she took the couch (thanks lovely) and I took the spot next to a guy I hadn't met, but was assured he was both attractive and a fireman. When we got into the condo, everyone was asleep, and there was a note written on a ripped off pizza box lid that said, "Courtney, your bed ------->. (You're the small spoon.)" YES. I don't know you note writer, but I already love you. There was clearly nothing for me to do but out on my p.j.s and climb into bed. That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the weekend-- I didn't behave much better on the dance floor!

Jamie and me, olympic rings, obv.

3. Skydiving!

My brother loves to skydive, and goes all the time (he's even certified to jump by himself-- intense). I have never had any desire to go skydiving. So when my mother decided she wanted to go for her 50th birthday, you can imagine my unhappiness. But I was not about to let her show me up!

I spent the morning quiet, grumpy, and largely in denial. I stood where they told me to stand, wore what they told me to wear, moved when they told me to move, etc. After all preparations were made, we were shuffled onto the airplane. At this point I was still very much in denial: my game plan was to close my eyes, survive the experience, then get to brag about actually doing it.

As soon as we reached altitude and they whipped open the door, I suddenly, and very involuntarily, processed what was happening. I was about to die. I started screaming, a scream I couldn't reproduce on command for a million dollars. Once people started jumping out the door, my screams turned into shouts of, "I don't want to go! I don't want to go!" My brother turns to look at me, laughing and smiling (bastard) then falls out the plane door. Then it's Kirstin's turn. I begin clutching the walls of the plane as my tandem instructor pushes me forward. He tells me to put my hands on my harness, and I do. We stand up, I shut my eyes, and we're out the door. One, two, three, I can feel us do a flip. Then I open my eyes, and begin having one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

You guys, I loved skydiving. It wasn't anything like I expected. I had been told it wouldn't be, but like I could take the word of a bunch of hateful, lying, adrenaline junkies (kidding, you guys were awesome). I've been wondering ever since how many other experiences in my life could be like that, if I could just get out of my own way and put my fear aside long enough to try something new. Great material for a church talk, which I've already used once, of course.

Feeling like rockstars, because we are.

4. Hawaii

Tropical vacay with mom, sis, bro, in early October. We missed dad like crazy, who's been working in Israel since the fall.

In the dream world in my head, where I own as many pretty things as I can dream of, there will be a serenity pool in the backyard of at least half of the houses.

5. Halloween

This holiday, being my favorite, is a highlight of every year. In 2010 I sewed my own costume (skirt). I was the cutest 26-year-old Minnie Mouse ever, and it was so worth the hours I spent drowning in tulle trying to make the petticoat for this thing.

Re-using my Minnie Mouse ears from Tokyo Disney was definitely the inspiration for this costume. I didn't dare attempt an entire dress (I need less time working and more time at home sewing), so I found a pattern for a short poodle skirt and used it for Minnie. Perfection.

6. Joint 59th birthday party with Jon Jon

We went to Big Al's for bowling and arcade games. It was delightfully fun, and 26 is feeling great!

Lucky for Jon, maybe I have already planned our next birthday too. He will probably have to move to get out of this annual obligation. Kidding, my friends can tell me no, and I promise to quit pouting in ten minutes or less. Maybe fifteen.

7. Sabbatical

I didn't show up to work, everyday, for an entire month. It was so fun and revitalizing, and I didn't accomplish a single thing I told myself I would. My firm has a sabbatical program where you can take a month (or more, but good luck finding room in your schedule for that) off, in addition to your allotted PTO. You get 20% pay, which covers taxes, health insurance, 401(k), etc. I spent most of the time visiting my family in UT. I can't believe how quickly the weeks went by, and using this program at work was definitely one of my best decisions of the year.

8. Thanksgiving w/ siblings

My mom spent Thanksgiving week visiting my poor, lonely dad who couldn't get away from work. So I flew to SLC and spent the week with Kirstin and Daniel. We had a lovely time, and I am so happy that my siblings and I are such good friends that a week of just us could be so enjoyable. Kirst and I have always been besties, but my brother and I needed a few more years of growing up and settling down (can you guess who needed which?) so now we can be besties too.

We had many kind offers to spend Thursday with family andf friends in the area. We politely and graciously declined all offers and ate Thanksgiving dinner at The Grand America. And grand it was. I ate way more crab legs and artisan cheese than any traditional foods, but didn't feel disappointed in the least. Every time we came back with a new plate we decided we had to share three things we were grateful for. There was a lot of gratitude expressed, to say the least.

9. Christmas w/ fam bam

Everytime I visit my family, I think about how nice it would be if I lived closer and could see them more often. If that didn't involve me living in UT, I would more seriously consider it. For now, a short flight will have to suffice. We spent the holidays playing, relaxing, cooking, eating, skiing, gifting. With only five of us, I can't believe how hard it still is for all of us to gather in one place. But I'm always glad we make the effort.

10. Drivers license suspended

Apparently the last time I moved I never updated my address with the DMV. And apparently I got a photo speeding ticket. And apparently it went unpaid for like six months (you know, because I didn't know about it). I got a call from my dad, who said they had gotten a letter for me from the OR Dept of Rev. I told him to go ahead and open it, thinking it couldn't be anything important. Then he told me it looks like I owe the state several hundred dollars and my drivers license is suspended. Eff. I try so hard to prove to my dad that I'm not mismanaging my life, and that moment right there put me back several steps, and out way more money than I cared to spend on a ticket.

You may be wondering why this is a hightligt of the second half of 2010. I think it's because it makes a good story, and one more go-to fact for two truths and a lie, which is always a weirdly hard game to play. Have you ever had your license suspended? Yeah, I didn't think so.

So that's it for 2010. Now I can move all my energy into enjoying 2011 (ha, like I haven't been already). Work is nuts, but I'm also traveling a lot, so I know I'll have stories to share between the long days auditing away!

when did july end?

2010-08-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

And where did my background go?? I guess I will look into that later.

I feel like the summer is just blowing by, but I have definitely been enjoying myself in the sunshine. For now, I will share some highlights of my week in Alaska (for work). I love these opportunities that pop up now and again (I was told a week in advance I was working in Alaska-- what a nice surprise) for me to travel and explore a new place. I hope I am always able to enjoy my own company, and to make an adventure of the opportunities that come my way.
The Seward Highway that heads south out of Anchorage is really beautiful. I loved the drive about a year and a half ago when I was here, and I can confirm it's gorgeous in both winter and summer. But I personally preferred the long sunlight hours of the summer months.

There were people fishing everywhere. Obviously, because it's July in Alaska. I did not go fishing but used my one free day for a glacier cruise. A kind coworker who is an avid fisherman sent me home with some salmon from his freezer-- it was so nice of him!

This is the tunnel to the town of Whittier. It's 2.5 miles long and only one lane, so they alternate turns for traffic coming in and out (both cars and trains). There wasn't much to the town, but driving through the tunnel was so cool. It's carved right into the rock, and the speed limit is 25 mph, so you get a fair amount of time in there.

Here I am on my day cruise through the Kenai Fjords. The cruise left from Seward, which was a darling town. This was such an amazing day. The mountains and glaciers surrounding the bays and along the coast were gorgeous. I saw five different hump back whales flipping around in the water throughout the afternoon. I saw a family of orcas swim up towards the boat, and then swim under the boat. One did a full body breach, right there in front of me. I watched a group of dolphins (who have the same coloring as orcas-- gorgeous) swim along our boat and then swing alongside a smaller fishing boat next to ours for 10-15 minutes. I loved how playful the orcas and dolphins were with the boats.

Up on the steep cliffs I saw a mountain goat and it's baby. And (in a different spot, thank heavens) I saw a huge black bear. It was a full grown male and it was amazing. I had wanted to see a bear so badly, and it was every bit as cool as I had hoped it would be, although maybe a little far away.

I also saw puffins, sea otters, sea lions, jellyfish, and lots of birds on the cruise. My friend Chris took me on a drive one night around Anchorage, and I saw a few moose too. Really close to the side of the road. One was so close we could hear him chewing. Totally awesome.

Watching this calving glacier was so spectacular. It was massive, and the ice was the most electric blue color. The sound of the ice groaning and cracking (while moving forward into the ocean at a rate of 3 feet per day) was as loud as thunder. It was such an impressive sight to see the huge chunks of ice break off and fall into the ocean. I spent a solid half hour watching ice move, and it was fascinating!

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by how beautiful the earth is??

drug of choice: pcp

2010-07-12T21:59:00.000-07:00

I still love the Portland Cello Project. And Portland's local music scene is just generally amazing. Thanks Christina for letting me follow you around to experience it.

Last year we went to their first attempt at a dance party, all in 80s covers, and it was AMAZING. I was worried they couldn't pull off something so fantastic again this year, but oh did they. The selections were varied across genres and decades, but consistently fabulous. I really can't believe how many different arrangements they wrote for this show.

My friends are so cute. And yes, I'm wearing leggings as pants (with cowboy boots I might add). So take that BYU honor code office-- they are too pants and should totally be allowed under short dresses and skirts!
Waiting for the show.
He was such a great sport to indulge us and take so many photos.
Still waiting, will the show start already??
Now don't bother me please, I'm dancing.
I really love this shadow picture. I'm feeling many repeats in the future (when I need something besides a good jumping pic to mix things up).

it's a known fact people prefer the sound of their own name to any other sound in the world

2010-07-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

I spent the last couple weeks working from this cubicle:

Sigh.
And here I am, about three years ago, signing my offer letter at the end of the internship during summer 2007. That feels like a really long time ago.

this did not work

2010-07-12T21:36:00.000-07:00

But I am determined for the two of us to wakeboard together before summer's end. Immediate crash complete with rope burn and bruises. Luckily no bloody noses, anger, or photographic evidence.

Future boating excursions will definitely involve the longer (real) surfboard that can surely balance two people at the same time.
Next time Daniel, next time.
And as always, a real pleasure to see Emily while in UT!

hotlanta

2010-06-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to training in Atlanta and had a blast! Training is always a huge party, and this year was no exception, despite class 'til six and class on Saturday (summer blast nothing). Everyone is out 'til all hours of the night. I myself made it to bed before midnight only once during the week-- a far cry from my usual work week routine!

A coworker and I flew down early to explore the city. Unfortunately, it was so hot and humid, we lost motivation to do anything but lay by the pool. Or I lost motivation, and she was stuck at the pool with me, hard to know exactly how things went down... Not that I would ever consider pool time a waste of a weekend, especially when someone is there to bring you drinks. I enjoyed pina coladas for breakfast and mojitos and sliders for lunch.
This view is from the pool at night. The hotel was right downtown, and it was definitely an unusual feeling to gaze at skyscrapers from my pool chair.

We ventured to Gladys Knight's chicken and waffle house (one of many amazing meals shared that week).

Chicken and waffles are a surprisingly delicious and natural combination.

Standard frozen custard for dinner anytime I venture eastward.

Training Saturday allowed us to enjoy a Braves game Friday night. (Delicious chili cheese dog. Per the usual, I'm just there for the food.) Participating in the tomahawk chop was quite thrilling, albeit borderline offensive.

Then the Braves ended the night with a fireworks display that much exceeded expectations. I always forget how much I love fireworks until I see them. Luckily there will be more coming next weekend!

In Atlanta I also went to my first concert solo. Being out of town always makes me braver for trying things alone (and the long list of friends back home I could text to look busy didn't hurt either). I felt a little awkward there alone at first, but eventually got over that, and really enjoyed myself. I was glad I didn't let the lack of companions keep me from attending a show I wanted to see, because Matt Pond PA was excellent. And the opening bands, What Laura Says and Wintersleep, were both fantastic as well.

i love visitors

2010-06-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

This post is long overdue-- but I couldn't let it slip through the cracks. A few weeks ago Jamie surprised me with a phone call Friday night saying she was coming down to Portland the following day. I was so excited to see her, and it was just the motivation I needed to finalize my post busy season ritual cleansing (of my bedroom).
We went boating with some of her friends, and it was really awesome. We also went to the starlight parade, hit up two happy hours in one day (that made a total of three for the weekend) and had an all around fantastic sleepover.

Jamie also got to see my ward building. It's definitely a unique experience, and this room is one of my favs. What is with all of those stones in the floor, and why is there a fireplace in the church? We also found a closet in this room full of firewood. This building has so many different rooms, hallways, and secret passageways throughout its two levels. My favorite spot is the stairway from the downstairs banquet hall up to the stage. Anyone who comes to visit can have a tour!

text of the day

2010-06-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

This afternoon at work I received the following completely real and completely serious text message from my sister:

"What is the name of the store where you and Mom bought those magical rocks?"

Because yes on my last trip to UT my mother and I purchased crystals with specific powers applicable to current life situations for ourselves and for Kirst. And apparently she needs some more or wants to get some for someone else. So I told her where to find Turiya's in Sugar House and on her way she went.

duck 2010

2010-05-31T07:14:00.000-07:00

Base Tan Weekend year 3 has been fantastic. Having Duck Beach as the back drop to a girls' beach weekend was really fun and I'm glad we could all experience Duck Beach together for the first time.
What is it about the salt water/ sand/ wind combo that makes your hair look so awesome? I love beach hair! (P.S. I have like a hundred takes on this photo trying to minimize the cleavage-- this is not a pornographic blog!)

Have you ever seen 26 YSAs get caught in a rip tide then need rescuing from 6 lifeguards? It's quite spectacular. It was probably their punishment for beaching on the Sabbath. Lol.

Few things beat a beach picnic.

I make every effort to enjoy my firm's swag whenever possible.

I really love this hat I purchased for my trip. It also saved my face from repeating the sun burn disaster from April.

There were these creepy white crabs all over the place. They're called ghost crabs and they're really really fast. Sometimes we'd see one during the day, but apparently there are a ton of them out at night. And apparently if you drop several in a cooler together things quickly deteriorate into a cage match.

A perfect six-person jumping pic. Tell me you're impressed. Our friend James was taking the pic and shared with us his theory that only mormon girls like jumping pics. I'm still deciding how true I think that is.

"OBX" for the Outer Banks. Well, actually it's "ObX" in this photo.

Kirst, RZ, me. So glad we could all get together. Although K-Hill was dearly missed.

Twin jumping pic.

We spent a lot of time taking photos. Clearly.

Strolling the three blocks to the beach.

There was a lot of food in the kitchen. I mostly lived off Nutella, pictured.

RZ serving. The volleyball tournament brought everyone together to the same beach. It was so crowded and so fun. And RZ's a fantastic volleyball player.

Beach time is perfect for self reflection.

And people watching. And gossiping. And tanning. And napping. And swimming.

welcome to 929 corolla drive

2010-05-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

With 21 men and women staying in this beach house, things could get a little crazy. Let's hope they do. :)

sometimes

2010-05-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

We have alternative FHE, in my hot tub.

new high, or new low?

2010-05-22T10:30:00.001-07:00

New high or new low: buying Lady Gaga tickets ten months in advance for a show out of town during busy season? It's on a Saturday, I'm sure I'll be able to swing it. :) Besides, how could I 1) not see her in concert, and 2) not see her with Kirst and Linds? I couldn't. Clearly.

Ga-ga-ooh-la-la.

that's senior associate, to you

2010-05-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

I got the official partner call Friday afternoon letting me know I would indeed be promoted to senior associate, official July 1. But who wants to wait until July to reward herself for a promotion at work? Certainly not me, especially with the AmEx gift card from a few posts ago burning a hole in my pocket.

I'm not really a watch person, but have been loving the white ceramic watches all over. Now, thanks to Michael Kors and Nordy's, I can check one more item off the list of accessories every girl should own. It's beautiful, right?

i have my saturdays back

2010-05-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

I didn't have to work this Saturday, and I did so many things instead. Mostly running errands and cleaning, but that is my fav way to spend a Saturday. Here I am at the farmer's market with Jon after step. My game plan for Saturday AM for oh the next 8 months or so.

Breakfast was hash browns with eggs and thick cut bacon from Northwest Heritage Farms. Best bacon ever. I bought some of their sausage to eat at home this week. My breakfast beverage was unpasteurized cherry-apple cider. Umm, what?

i heart mom

2010-05-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

I have a really great mother. And, my mom is one of my best girlfriends. It's a killer combination. She always knows what to say, and she never tires of having to say it. I have learned so many things from my mom, and will highlight some of the best lessons right now.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of my mother is compassion. She has taught me to love, to forgive, and to have compassion for others. This lesson has been taught again and again through example.
My mother taught me to be kind. Once, I was having a really hard time getting along with a girl in my second grade class. I was friends with everyone in the class, but this one girl really got on my nerves. I was venting to my mom, and she pointed out some things that made this girl's life very difficult. She suggested that maybe I had known this girl before this life, and we knew her life was going to be really hard, and I had promised her that I would find her and be her friend. And wouldn't I feel awful if I didn't end up keeping that promise? That casual, after-school conversation has really affected me.
My mother taught me to love reading and to love learning-- in and out of school. She would read to us every night before bed, and help us with all of our school assignments. I can neither confirm nor deny that homework help continued into grad school.
My mother taught me how to cook, clean, properly set a table, and host a lovely party. Our home was always clean, neat, welcoming, and open. We have always had room for visitors, regardless of the size of our home or budget. I can remember one of her young women who got kicked out of her house when she got pregnant living with us. Giving her a room involved my brother, sister, and I sharing one bedroom in our tiny little home. I have so many memories of random people at our house for holidays. Sometimes I really hated it and didn't want to entertain weird so and so instead of just having fun with my family. Sometimes I still do hate it, but my mother would never let inconvenience or a tantrum from me keep her from making a lonely someone feel welcome and loved in our home.
Last of all, the most important thing my mother has taught me is to love my savior, Jesus Christ. She has taught me to listen to the spirit, and seek after the truths of the gospel. I have watched my mother perform hours and hours of church service. I have discussed gospel principles with her over and over again. She has taught me the importance of faith and obedience.

There are many other women who have played a mothering role in my life. I appreciate them, and I aspire to be like them. Happy Mothers' Day to them all!

new high, or new low?

2010-05-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

I find myself asking this question quite often. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing one should find herself confused about, but I'm suspicious I'm not alone in this type of quandary. So why not post these questions to my blog as they present themselves in my life? Here is phase one, with many more to follow I'm sure.

New high or new low: setting the table (plates, napkins, forks, etc. all in place like mother taught you) for my audit team as we take a break for dinner and gather in a conference room to eat? It's just like family dinner, except totally not.

my right eye has developed a twitch

2010-04-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

I'm susppicious there's a correlation with the 70-hour work weeks of busy season numero dos. (Numero dos for the year, that is. Although I did judt finish my second career busy season as well.) Heavens.

life is full of difficult decisions

2010-04-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

At work they hace these "Encore Awards" to recognize people who they feel have worked extra hard on a certain project. This busy season I was the in-charge on several jobs, a responsibility usually reserved for your third year. It was such a great experience and I cannot believe how much I learned, and how amazing my coworkers were in helping me get through it.

An additional bonus of this great experience was an encore award. I've received these before at the $20 level, and get to log into the online system and pick out either a gift card or other gift. It's really fun and they have all kinds of stuff. This time, however, I have more cash money to work with.
I can get a $200 AmEx card, which is the jumping off point for evaluating the coolness of my other options. My fav choices are listed below:

I definitely need a new bike (I haven't had one since college). This bike is pink, which is awesome. I'd have to get my dad's opinion before making this choice, because I have no basis for evaluating a bike beyond its color. A quick google search revealed this baby to retail around $190, which would not be maximizing my prize. But, I would have a pink mountain bike, just in time for spring.

There is also a variety of meat packages from Omaha steaks. Several cuts of beef, lobster tails, and crab legs. So delicious, and so tempting. I could save them for a special occasion dinner party, or simply treat myself to a series of delicious meals. I did not google a price for these.

I've been wanting a medium sized suitcase, and this multiple piece collection could certainly meet all of my traveling needs. I did not google a price for these.

A navigation unit would solve many of my life's difficulties. Many. This one is a handheld one, but hopefully there'd be a way to plug it into my car so it didn't run on batteries. A quick google search revealed this baby to retail around $160.

Sigh. I've been plotting my slow and steady collection of Le Creuset cookware for my kitchen for years. I want the spring green ones to match my Kitchenaid. A quick google search revealed this baby to retail around $270. Definitely a steal for my level of prize money. Isn't it beautiful? This is a definite contender for my new gift.

Lastly, I'm not really a watch person. But it would be a great thing for any career woman to have. I've been loving all the white watched I've been seeing, and this Michael Kors one is lovely. A quick google search revealed this baby to retail around $220-250.

What would YOU choose if you had this excruciatingly difficult in front of you? Anyone who says something about getting the cash card, using it to buy groceries, and throwing extra cash money into savings, is no longer my friend. :)

it's a vuarney day

2010-04-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

There's nothing quite like a day of spring skiing. Especially considering the 8ft+ dump on Snowbird last week, and 14inches ealier this week. It was super sunny and the perfect opportunity for me to wear the Vuarneys I snagged from my parents (I can't believe they still had them from their college days). Luckily my mom and dad both had a pair, so Kirst and I didn't have to fight over them.
Lots and lots of bodies on the tram. With Daniel making a face, the usual.

It was so fun to get to spend the day with Emily. Hopefully she didn't mind waiting for me to finish each run too much. :)

Seriously though, what does it take to get this kid to take a normal photo??

The view from the top is seriously amazing.

I had an amazing day, with only one tragic event: I forgot to wear sunscreen.

You guys, the grossness of this photo does not do justice to the real grossness of my situation. I know I burn easily and I know the sun is so much worse reflecting off the snow, yet somehow I didn't manage to slather on any spf before heading out. After three days of recovery (pictured) my face is still bright red, peeling, itchy, and aching. I am in so much pain. Two days ago my face was swollen and blistered everywhere. I feel really bad for Brian and Andrew who had to eat lunch with me looking that sick. I have been on a steady dose of aloe, benadryl, and advil. I can't wait to show up to work tomorrow looking this ridiculous. I just want the pain to end soon. :(

beautiful girls, all over the world, i could be chasin'

2010-04-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

I had to do an inventory observation in Fremont, CA the other week. I had to be there early Monday morning, which required me to fly out Sunday night. That particular SUnday was Easter, so I was less than thrilled. Until I realized I'd be close to Whitney and could visit her! It was so great to see Whit and Nate, and I highly recommend a visit to anyone as they live in such a fun place right in San Fran.
Here we are with our Easter baskets. Nate was such a good sport to take our photos and hide eggs for us. He filled the eggs with love, and in true single girl fashion, I thought chocolate would have tasted better. :) We baked many delicious things and spent the entire day in our pajamas; sometimes it's comforting to realize that no matter how many things have changed since college, some things never will.

After a fabulous dinner party with some of their good friends, we stopped for a quick photo in front of the golden gate bridge. It was the perfect end to my whirlwind San Francisco weekend visit.

I was then able to take a week off work between busy season one and busy season two (I will be disappearing again tomorrow for another month-- oh the joys). I got to see Amy and her super cute daughter Emi. She's getting so big and has so much personality! Plus, they'll be moving to the northwest next month, so I'm hoping it will mean more frequent visits.

Kirst, Linds, and I went to The Chocolate in Orem. Darling and delicious-- two of my favorite things. The threee of us never run 0ut of things to talk about, maybe because we don't mind rehashing some of our fav subjects again and again. Oh the things we've experienced together since middle school.

All in all I had a lovely week off, although not as heavy on sleep as I would have liked. I had to stop taking photos after this night as I got a terrible sunburn (post to come) so I don't have photos of everything I did and everyone I saw. Oh well, next time.

sometimes it's the little things

2010-03-11T18:22:00.000-08:00

This was definitely the highlight of my afternoon.
The highlight of my morning was waking up and realizing it was Thursday. I spent all of yesterday thinking it was Tuesday. Seriously all day. Who needs Wednesdays anyways?

The highlight of my evening will be a dead tie between this, this, this, and this.

charge hours, what?

2010-03-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

When you end the week with fewer chargeable hours than you need by Monday, the responsible thing to do is get your few more needed hours of work done first thing Saturday before you play. But sometimes, it is sunny and 65 degrees in early March, and it makes much more sense to play first, while the sun is out, and fit that work in later. Busy season means nothing to me when the weather is unusually nice. :)

Di, Christina, Jess (not pictured) and I enjoyed the SE Artwalk. Many artists opened their homes and many galleries opened their doors all over southeast Portland to display their local art. It's hard to say whether I enjoyed the art, the walk through cute neighborhoods, or the company the most!

Here we are waiting at a crosswalk for a cookie and limonata break.
I don't care where you live, there is no way you have as many beautiful trees, flowers, and shrubs currently surrounding you as we do in Portland. No way. I think this Magnolia builds my case beautifully.

lovely times in seattle

2010-02-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

Working in Seattle for two weeks allowed me to spend some badly needed quality time with Jamie! I do not get to see her nearly enough, considering the mere 3 hour drive between us. Jamie is so cute and fun and we had so many good times together in Provo. She was seriously THE reason I survived the accounting program at BYU!

We decided our dinner needed a substantial amount of greens. Here is Jamie prepping the asparagus.
I'm working on the roasted broccoli-- I'm totally obsessed. It was so nice to get a chance to cook at home after my many weeks of traveling.
All so we could justify eating cupcakes and ice cream for dinner! Dinner for winners right here. I can't remember the name of the cupcake shop, but it was darling and they were seriously delicious. Somewhere in the Queen Anne area of Seattle-- ask Jamie about it. :)
Are you as impressed as I am at the damage we did?? So delicious.

d.i.r.t.y.

2010-02-23T17:02:00.000-08:00

This morning I opted not to wash my hair and threw on one of the large crocheted headbands I picked up in UT over the holidays. This happens all the time, as I am fairly religious about not washing my hair everyday, NBD. (I do, however, shower regularly. I find the distinction great and important.)

But, this afternoon, I sat here trying to think of the last time I did wash my hair. I'm pretty sure it was Thursday or Friday, but I can't remember exactly and I pray it wasn't earlier in the week than that (I know for sure it wasn't later on Sat/Sun/Mon). It's most definitely Tuesday. Umm, wow. Not cool. Not cool at all, Courtney Kay.

Is this something I can blame on living in Oregon??

a valentine's day how-to

2010-02-14T17:26:00.000-08:00

I really love Valentine's Day. Pink and red together, plus candy, plus celebrating all the people you love-- fabulous! After seeing this post on Design Mom, I decided to make flower pins for some of my pdx girlfriends.

I started with 2 pieces of ribbon, each a yard long, and sewed them together with two lines of basting stitches along one side (shiny sides out). I used hot pink/brown and light pink/grey as my color combos. But my imagination is already running wild for the next time I do this craft project.
Then I scrunched the ribbon up really tight.

The next step was to wind and glue the ribbon together in a little circle (flower). The directions suggested sewing or gluing the flower, so I of course chose the hot glue gun method over the hand-sewing method. After that (not pictured) I glued a circle of felt on the bottome to cover all the messiness, then glued the flower onto a clip. You could glue them onto a clip or headband or anything you want!

Then you have super cute flower pin Valentines to deliver to your friends and girls you visit teach and what not.

They can wear them in their hair as shown, or clip it onto a necklace or purse or shirt. (Or politely say "thank you" and never wear it anywhere, there are no rules here.)

I also made giant chocolate chip cookies for the boys, because I knew for sure they would not like the flower pins. I think the rubber stamp I found to make the Valentine's cards is so darling, there will probably be many repeats of this design in the future.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

dear spring:

2010-02-11T21:59:00.000-08:00

Feel free to come anytime now, because I am ready for you. In the meantime, these delightful spring-colored cardigans will hang in my closet as motivation, and beacons of hope for a brighter (literally) day.
Tonight I finally experienced the Nordstrom flagship store in downtown Seattle. It was fabulous.

I found so many cute things, which has restored my faith in Nordstrom. After the big flop of an Anniversary Sale last summer, I am ready for us to rekindle our flame. :)

weekending in wisconsin

2010-02-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I decided to visit Anna and Tim in Milwaukie! I was already in the middle of the country working in Kansas, so seeing them was the perfect thing to do before heading back to the west coast.

They took me on a tour of Marquette. It was such a beautifel campus. Here are Anna and I in front of the large chapel on campus:
This is the Joan of Arc chapel. It was originally built in France a long time ago, then shipped to Wisconsin.

Inside the Joan of Arc chapel.

Seeing this watermelon shack made me want to come back in the summer, and visit this shack, in the nicest area of Milwaukie.

Waiting for our tour at Sprecher Brewery-- a Wisconsin must-do.

All you can drink soda tasting. We liked the rootbeer, cream soda, orange cream, and kind of the cherry cola. We did not like so much the ginger ale, puma cola, and red. All their sodas are made with honey as the primary sweetener, which is kind of cool.

Lake Michigan is enormous. You can't see the other side. It's like staring at the ocean. There were some really beautiful old houses along the river-- it was such a cool area.

Here is the Wisconsin cheese I brought home with me. I'll cook something with it, someday when I am living in Portland again.

Anna and Tim-- thanks for such a fun weekend! It was so nice to see you, and get a tour of Wisconsin from locals!

hello, old friend

2010-02-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

While visitng relatives in St. Louis, we always grab some pizza at Imo's. Always, no excpetions. It's so delicious with their thin crust and mystery cheese. (Well, it may not be a mystery. I just know it doesn't taste like mozarella and I'm too lazy to google and see if someone else know what kind of cheese they use.) So imagine my delight when I realized they have Imo's in Kansas City!
I love that they put sizeable slices of bacon on their deluxe combo pizza. It was so good, just as good as I remembered it. I just wish the Colemans were all there eating with me. :(

"Courtney, how much of this pizza did you eat by yourself?"

Uhh, err, I can really remember. Shifty eyes...

i don't think we're in kansas anymore

2010-02-05T14:50:00.001-08:00

Ideal weekday evening: the perfect combo of room service and "30 Rock." I wish this option were available when I'm not traveling for work! BTW, this is like meal 7 in a row with red meat. There's some really delicious beef to be eaten in the midwest!
Kansas is flat and cold. But actually a little bit pretty with the snow dusting.

If you walked out of work to this sight before your 50 mile drive to the airport, would you feel panicky? Because I sure did. Luckily, the roads were totally clear. I miss the days when I could enjoy snow, rather than worrying about it interrupting my travel plans.

CO to UT to OR in 48 hours or less

2010-01-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

After finishing work Friday in CO Springs, I flew into SLC for Matt's funeral. It was great to listen to memories of him, honor his life, and see Emily. She really is an amazing person.

Saturday night, I went to the mogul competition at Deer Valley with Kirstin, Lindsay, and Daniel. There were a lot of high school stories shared. Afterwards we met up with Mark for hot cocoa at the Salt Lake Roasting Company-- it was great.

Balancing cute and warm can be difficult, but we are all pros. Clearly.
Just one more fantastic sibling pic.

Change of subject

I had the longest 70 minute flight EVER Friday night. I was in the aisle, a 50-something man from Texas was at the window, then a really attractive 30-something man sat down in the middle. I asked him a question, and he answered in a British accent-- oh yes! Then, Mr. Texas, who is completely drunk, takes control of convo with hot, single, British man for the entirety of the flight. Ignoring the fact that politically Texas man and I do not share the same views, everything that came out of his mouth was totally offensive or stupid or both. His favorite topics were the Mayans prediction about the world ending in 2012 and the fact that our President was clearly not born in America because where is his birth certificate? Turn off the Fox News, dude. He also had derogatory things to say about the following groups: women, blacks, Chinese, democrats, Muslims, his wife, and generally all non-US citizens. At one point he leaned over and asked me to put in ear plugs (he was going to use the f word) and I said, "Oh I have been for an hour." He was too drunk to catch the snotty tone in my voice. I was so not amused.

god be with you til we meet again

2010-01-10T21:17:00.000-08:00

I love these two.

Matt, we will miss you dearly.

The tragedy of ending a life so young is hard to process. I still can't believe he's gone. The hardest part of this is knowing how much Emily's life will change in comparison to everyone else's. I wish I could take some of that from her, so I could hurt more, and she could hurt less. But I guess that's exactly what our older brother Jesus Christ will do for her, isn't it? Today I am very grateful for The Atonement.

The other night, we watched YouTube videos in Matt's honor. We saw him shoot guns, skydive, and play the harp. It was delightful. Here's a link to his YouTube page.

It made me wonder what people would do in my memory. I hope it would involve eating cupcakes, and it would probably (unfortunately) involve throwing a fit. :)

failed home project

2010-01-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight, Meg and I tried to hang some curtains. Something I have already successfully done in this apartment, twice. But for tonight's efforts all I have to show are these three large holes in the wall. For heaven's sake. I either need a man or a power drill, or best of all, a man with a power drill!
Then Meg and I enjoyed some cookies and milk.

I take my Sunday night wind down very seriously. If don't start my Monday morning correctly, the whole week is shot.

some very happy holidays

2010-01-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

This year I took two whole weeks off of work, and it was a fantastic break. I've never had that much time off since I started working, and I think I could really get used to it. :) The fam bam on Christmas Eve, celebrating with some extended family.

Everytime you take a picture with my brother, there will be like 20 shots with him making a ridiculous face. Then he will suddenly get upset it is taking so long, and you are left with little to no normal pictures.

Christmas twins, and our Christmas stockings.

I failed to take a pic when having lunch with Meg, but I did take a pic with her baby, Cal, whom I quite like.

Gorgeous (frigid) day on the slopes at Park City.

All of my dad's siblings, the two sons wives, and some of the grandchildren gathered for Grandpa Dick's 80th birthday. With the exception of the panic attack I had before everyone came, it was the most pleasant, care-free Hansen family gathering I've ever attended. I think it will turn out to be very good for me.

I saw these headbands (just mine, Kirst is wearing a full hat) all over the place in Utah. I love them, and I now own it in two colors.

my bishop is so current

2010-01-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

Today I had tithing settlement via text message. Amazing. Also maybe a sign I've been away from Portland for way too long?

are you three triplets?

2009-12-26T23:16:00.000-08:00

Favorite line of salesmen, but also asked by many other people over the years who did not want our money. I guess I can see the resemblance... :)

i'll take the corner office with the view, please

2009-12-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

God's country, aka Colorado Springs. This is the view of the Rockies from our audit room here. The weather has been gorgeous and sunny, and we've reached temperatures of a balmy 55 degrees. Simply lovely.

pot pie sunday

2009-12-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday. Merry Christmas. You need to buy your own flight home for the holidays.

That was the deal made so I could get my very own sewing machine. The beautiful Bernina Activa 230 Patchwork Edition showed up awhile ago, and this weekend I finally made my first project. I stayed up 'til 3am making the apron pictured below. There are now two things I'm willing to stay up that late for: sewing, and making out, of course.
The power was out at church today so we ended early after a cold, dark Sacrament Meeting. Break the Fast was also cancelled, so we decided to make dinner at Diana's.

Jon and Patrick, looking good in their aprons, and copying my pose. Cute, guys.

Sheri always goes for the fresh fruits and veggies.

Tracee came late, and contributed to the dinner-making mostly with comic relief and interesting science facts.

Diana checking on our pie. I can't remember the last time I had chicken pot pie. Good idea, Di. We made it completely from scratch too!

Despite some apparent struggles with the crust, I think the leaf-shaped cut-outs give it a little something extra, don't you think? It was delicious, and packed full of nutritious vegetables.

We missed Matt (not pictured), who ended up getting called into work for some emergency financial analysis. Seriously though.

is this a joke?

2009-12-01T17:39:00.000-08:00

I have a head cold, and after a stop by Jamba Juice for a Coldbuster smoothie for dinner, I was planning to go straight to bed. Like, seriously, I want to be under the covers by 6pm.

Unfortunately, this beast was waiting for me in my in my bedroom:

It's drying my carpet and pad, which is helpful, but does it have to be so loud in the process? And it smells bad. And, I want to know how much electricity it's wasting, and how much it's going to cost. A note from maintenance said it needs to run until at last tomorrow. I am not pleased.

welcome home

2009-11-29T21:15:00.000-08:00

So Saturday night after arriving home in Portland, my roommate warns me not to drink the tap water. Apparently there's an E. coli scare for the water in the west side of Portland. Lovely.

Luckily it only lasted a couple days as avoiding tap water is a huge pain. I still brushed my teeth with tap water during the scare, though. I figured if brushing with tap water in Vietnam and China (oops) didn't make me sick, it certainly wouldn't in Portland either.
Just before going to bed the night I got home, my room smelled all mildewy. I washed the towels and bath mats and cleaned my bathroom in case that was the problem. Then I noticed that if I stepped on my carpet in one area, a huge wet spot would appear. Gross. After discussion with maintenance, apparently water is leaking through the retaining wall and into my bedroom. Thank heavens I rent and this does not have to be my problem (other than the smell, avoiding stepping in the growing wet spot, and hoping I am not breathing in poisonous mold spores). Good luck with that, guys.

congratulations, you're our 100th customer

2009-11-29T21:07:00.000-08:00

This is my one hundredth post. For such a special occasion, I will simply give a Thanksgiving shout-out for the top two things I am grateful for.

Number one: I am grateful for an amazing family!
Number two: I am grateful for fantastic friends! (Some, not all, pictured here.)
If I had to pick a third place something I am grateful for, it would be silliness or headlocks or awkward moments or some other thing symbolized by this photo.

what keeps me company on the weekends

2009-11-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

How many weekends have ended like this for you? Evidence on our wrists of an attempt at doing something fun and out of the ordinary (several failed attempts, in fact) yet still with piles of candy on the floor, indicative of renting a movie to watch at home. Luckily, I have amazing girlfriends, and although MY ENTIRE LIFE IS ONE BIG GIRLS' WEEKEND, I never really get sick of the time we spend together.

This coming Saturday, my sister and I are going to the LDS temple for the first time. I am really excited to go and express my commitment to and my love for God.

As I am not currently spending money on a mission or a wedding (when many women traditionally choose to go to the temple) I decided a new dress was in order for the occasion. Naturally. Thank you Anthro for this beauty:

rite of passage

2009-11-15T20:07:00.000-08:00

Last week I worked my very first late night techincally the next morning. There's something so unsettling about leaving the office and knowing you have to be back there in less than eight hours. It's kind of awesome that I never had a night that late in my whole first year. I seriously doubt it will be my last.

While I was really tired, and didn't have time for much else than work, I felt really great at the end of it. Working hard on something and accomplishing it feels so satisfying. As long as I don't have to work that hard every week. :)

yes, this is my real life

2009-11-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

So last Friday at work, someone from the client told us there was a cake in the basement in the employee kitchen and we were welcome to have some. So I drag my coworkers down to get some cake and we see it's a birthday cake with three people's names on it, and no one has cut it yet. So we trudge back upstairs with no cake. I was so unhappy.

We later mention something to the same person at the client and he tells us it's totally OK to just cut it. I don't need anymore encouragement than that, so I drag one of my coworkers back downstairs with me. (Disclaimer: he is really not the kind of person you should be taking social cues from.) After all, it was like 3:30pm, and they were clearly not getting around to it.

This is a picture of us cutting the cake that does not have our names on it because it is not our birthday month and we do not work there.

We are back in the audit room, enjoying our cake, when we hear the ladies outside the room say, "Let's go down and do the birthdays now." Panic. Total panic. The entire office is now heading downstairs for a birthday celebration, and when they open the cake box they will see there are two pieces missing.

I tried to convince myself they wouldn't know it was me as I licked the blue frosting that used to be someone's name off my fork, but it was no use. They would know, they had to know. Then the VP walks by and says, "I was going to see if you wanted to come down and have some cake, but I see you've already got some." Someone please just kill me now and end this misery. No one else said anything to us after the fact, but I'm sure they were judging us.

So here are my questions for you, my friends:

1) Have you ever been that desperate for a piece of cake or treat of some kind?

2) When is the last time you behaved that badly?

august: osage county

2009-11-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

So the other week I went to see this play because my friend Megan was sick and couldn't use her ticket. I went with Diana and Rachel, and they both hated it. But I didn't, and I've been thinking about why that is ever since. The play followed a dysfunctional family as they gather during the father's brief disappearance and then suicide. The entire play is about the family fighting. The entire thing.

I think the first thing I liked about the play was the quality of the acting. The actors were so passionate and it was electrifying to watch. I don't think I would have felt more uncomfortable if I had actually been in the room watching a real family fight than I did sitting in the audience.

I often like dark movies and books. I find it inspirational to see people be happy in their imperfect lives, much more so than story lines where everything wraps up perfectly. Fairy tales can be a fun escape from reality, but I don't believe in happily ever after endings real life. This play, however, was not one of those stories. Every character ended up alone and miserable, and the writer of the play did not hand us a take away lesson.

I don't know if there's ever been such an unhappy family, although I know there are some very dysfunctional families in the world. Between the yelling, hurt feelings, abandonment, depression, marital problems, addictions, affairs, incest, child molestation, lying and cheating, there was some element of tragedy everyone could relate to. Unless of course you have a perfect family and don't know anyone who struggles in life, and then I am very happy for you that that is your situation. I kept wondering what it is that makes some families rise above these problems (or even avoid them in the first place) and why other families fall apart. I know the gospel of Jesus Christ helps my family, and I would imagine the same principles of love, mercy, and forgiveness are in place in all happy families.

There was one scene in particular where a young girl was sitting on the stairs listening to her separated parents fight. I started to cry real tears as I was overwhelmed with how hard and heart breaking life can be. It was kind of cathartic to watch the play. And kind of exhausting. I remember convincing my family to see a pretty dark movie over the holidays one year. My mom hates dark movies, and I think she is still a little upset about that one Christmas. :) So I know plenty of people hate dark stories with unhappy endings. But I simply don't. I find human nature fascinating, even in desperate situations. And at the very least, the take-away is, be nice or you will die alone.

What do you think of unhappy movies/books/plays? Do you love them or hate them? Or maybe some of each? Do you have rules for what makes it go one way or the other?

happy halloween

2009-11-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

opening night

2009-10-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

Blazers 96, Rockets 87.

Grant, Casey, Me, Megan. Big thanks to Meg for hooking us up with her Moss discount.

Sporting our new (free) baseball hats.

Holy. Hell.

have you ever seen a cider press?

2009-10-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend Diana planned a cider-making and home-cooked dinner night at her parents' cute house down in Corvallis. It was such a great idea and we all had a good time. When do you ever get the chance to make cider?

Don't these apples look beautiful? I think the water droplets look quite artistic. :) There is no end to the fabulous produce available to Oregon residents.
Some of the apples we actually picked from Diana's parents' yard, and the rest her dad bought from an orchard.
The cider we made was so delicious. Also, I wore my plaid shirt which was perfect for a fall-themed activity in the country! Megan and I have some in our fridge, but if you come over we probably won't offer any to you.
Christina, Jon, and I were in charge of transferring the finished cider into containers. We got a little sticky in the process, and by the end of the night I think everyone was a little sticky. Jon could really uncomfortably explain to you other ways to get kind of sticky.
Jessie and Di posing with the cider press. It's really such a cool toy, and at the top of the list of things I want if I ever end up living in the country. Although, I guess you could plant apple trees in your backyard even in the suburbs, right?
I like walking through nature with Christina because every time I see some plant life I like, she can tell me exactly what it is. Every. Single. Time. This Euonymus alatus could very well have been the burning bush Moses saw in the bible.

All in all, another successful weekend!

sister sister

2009-10-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Kirstin came for a visit and we had such a fun weekend. All my pictures, though, come from our Friday night adventure.

Waiting in line outside the warehouse at the north Portland ship yards on Swan Island. They were not very well organized and took FOREVER to get us all in. I seriously thought we were missing the show, we waited so long. But don't worry, I was really patient about it. Ask anyone there. :)
Diana, me, and Kirst inside. Jon, Christina, and her friend shuffled over to another area to stand, and ended up getting seats in the second row. Total score for them.
The show featured three Portland designers and two Seattle designers and I thought it was all quite fabulous. Every time I am exposed to an event like this I feel a twinge of regret that I chose not to study fashion merchandising and went for accounting. But then Monday morning rolls around, and I realize 1) I am employed, 2) I have enough money to go shopping, and 3) I really enjoy my job, and my regrets fade away.
We then went to Andina for dinner and it was as delightful as I'd remembered. Nuevo Latino Peruvian food-- so delicious. And, we had dinner reservations at 10:30pm, which I thought was quite posh of us. Of course I failed to get a picture of the whole group. Next time maybe. I wish my life were this glamorous every weekend!

Note> You may have looked at these pictures and thought, "Gosh, that's really some unflattering light from the flash." But actually, I am that pale, and my skin does glow in the dark.

just indulge me for a minute

2009-10-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today I want to blog about some of my closest girlfriends because I have been feeling especially grateful for my friends lately. I have some really amazing friends and have had an opportunity to develop close friendships during the past six years since moving out of my parents’ house. My friends have really served as my family at times (and still do). Sometimes many things in my life seem to be going well, and at other times nothing does. But I have never had a period of time since middle school (gosh, those were some awful years) that I felt like I didn’t have a really great group of friends I could depend on. Today’s post features my best girlfriends from BYU, and I will do another installment at a later date to capture Portland.

Lindsay

She gets to go first, because she inspired me to do this with a post on her blog. I have never once felt the need to make an excuse for my behavior or opinions or who I am to Lindsay, and this is really rare for me. (And I understand that sometimes I should apologize for those things out of pure human decency, but it’s still nice that I have never had to for Lindsay.) When I was younger I developed a strong desire to be more outgoing, more confident, and to like myself more. Lindsay has been someone I can watch to see how those things are done. Lindsay has been my friend for a long time, and making a toast at her wedding was one of the funnest things I have ever done. She and I make a scene everywhere we go and can be so silly, but I also have really deep, insightful conversations with Lindsay. Often on gmail chat. Rather than choose a favorite memory of Lindsay (impossible) I will mention one she didn’t bring up: singing like men at youth conference and then tailgating in the parking lot once it became too much to handle being inside.

Whitney

She is more service-oriented and upbeat than anyone I know. I can remember a few times being surprised to learn that Whitney was stressed out, because she is so positive about life you would never know something was bothering her. Whitney is better at keeping in touch than any other friend I have, and I admire her ability to care about and keep track of so many people at once. I admire Whitney’s dedication in maintaining her spiritual and physical health. There aren’t many times when I’ve been as excited as the time I received an invitation to be one of Whitney’s bridesmaids in the mail. It was such a beautiful, classy card (as was the wedding that followed) and such an honor. Whitney and I have co-hosted many parties and events, and she is a fabulous hostess. One time when I felt really stressed about a party I was throwing Whitney dropped everything she was doing and came over to help bake, clean, decorate, and plant wheat grass. She was there for hours helping me, even though she wasn’t involved in the event at all. I will also always remember that time I was in class and couldn’t get to the free hot dogs on campus so she got me one and delivered it to me during the class!

Megan

I could actually bear my testimony of the freshman dorm assignments at BYU and how they couldn’t be random. But that seems a little inappropriate. People are drawn to Megan because she is so warm and bubbly. She has the most varied group of friends (I feel honored to be in the inner circle—her mom says I am) and such varied interests. I love that Megan is so musical and she has helped me better appreciate music in my life. Megan is so well read, so articulate, and so funny. She is compassionate and full of feeling. We have had some really fun road trips to CA. It’s amazing to see her with a baby (I am still getting used to it) and I cannot think of anyone who better deserves the world’s best baby, whose name is Cal. I will forever treasure the moments we sat on the blue shag carpet in the Shire studying, watching a solid five hours of Law & Order, and eating El Azteca. Oh we have experienced some amazing dating moments at BYU, and even creepily stalked some of them from a dark car parked down the street. Megan is always willing to be real, and I think I love that most about her.

Rachel

Rachel gives good advice, and has been my go-to girl for years. Seriously, the stuff she knows is limitless. Rachel is very good at understanding human nature, and has helped me better understand myself. She is genuinely interested in talking to anyone and always chats with the person in the room no one else is talking to. She behaves beautifully in social settings, and I will spend the rest of my life trying to emulate that. Rachel is all about quality, taste, and class. I could not talk about Rachel without discussing the fun travels we have had. Study abroad in Asia was amazing, as were our trips to Spain, Texas, several to California, and others. Her attitude of “of course we can make that happen” mixed with my attitude of “sure I’ll try that” has made for some wonderful traveling experiences for me. I don’t doubt we have more fabulous adventures ahead. Also, someday I will buckle down and train to run a half marathon (maybe a full too?) and she will be the sole inspiration for that.

Kristen

She and I met our freshmen year (again, those dorm assignments) and our paths continued to cross throughout college (largely in the Tanner building and at those classic Provo parties). After our study abroad to Asia we became more committed to regular interactions and she has become one of my favorite traveling companions in addition to one of my closest friends. Kristen is always having a good time, and I cannot imagine spending even five minutes speaking to her before I am laughing so hard tears come to my eyes. I hang up the phone after our conversations energized and elated. I am kind of intimidated by Kristen’s popularity everywhere she goes (she is just so fun) and by her drive and determination. She is for sure going places in life and I will be forever happy I can tell people I know her. J I will always remember our evening spent at Billy Bob’s, and am so glad I have the garter to remember it by.

Kirstin

Kirstin is my best friend and always has been. We didn’t meet in college (you know, because we shared a womb) but she was certainly a significant part of that experience. I don’t think I ever experienced true loneliness for an extended period of time until she went on study abroad to Spain, and I didn’t have my built-in best friend nearby. Even family vacations were a different experience than they are for most people because I always had a friend along. Although sometimes I’m sure Kirstin wished she weren’t there to play peacemaker between Daniel and me. J Kirstin is the person you want to always be sitting next to because she will have the funniest commentary, but it will all be said under her breath. We’ve been slowly preparing for life apart and were thus roommates for only the first two years of college. Because we have never pictured ourselves 80, living together, with matching outfits and lots of cats. Although, I can tell you I am seriously considering moving to DC in 2011 when she graduates from law school and heads east. There’s something so comforting about someone who has seen you change over the years, and has liked you at every stage. I can remember how desperately we wanted a kitten when we were little (our mom is allergic to cats) and laugh now at how desperately neither of us wants any animals in the house ever. I remember when she made cheer in high school, and even though she had worked so hard and should have been so excited, she couldn’t enjoy even a minute of celebration because she knew how upset I was that I didn’t make it too. We have so many things is common, and so many differences. Don’t ask me to explain how that works. I can (and do) talk to Kirstin about anything and she knows more about me than anyone else. I can admit things to her that I wouldn’t dare tell another soul. I love her so much and don’t even resent her when people repeatedly label her the “good twin” and me the “bad twin” even though I think we’re both equally good and bad. She is just sneakier about it! I could not be more excited for her visit this weekend!

stay-cation birthday week day five

2009-10-02T17:29:00.001-07:00

Diana volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House and they needed extra volunteers for their annual gala. Dress up for charity? I'm in! It was the perfect occasion to end my week of fun.

Jessica, me, and Diana helping during the live auction. We had to help collect signatures of the bid winners. Some people have a lot of money to play with.
Diana and I rockin' it in the coat check room. There was a lovely fur I was eyeing and had almost convinced myself to take a picture in it before the woman came to collect it. :)
The whole event looked lovely, and I really liked these centerpieces. The food was delicious too. Some man had bought a table for his company last minute and he was the only person who could make it, so he invited us and some of the other volunteers to join him. I never turn down free prime rib.
In the morning I went to visit Bob's Red Mill. I didn't make it to the factory for a tour, but thoroughly enjoyed the visitors center, restaurant, and store. And I came home with many packages of whole grain goodness-- there will be some healthy and delicious cooking in my kitchen this fall!

stay-cation birthday week day four

2009-10-01T23:04:00.001-07:00

This morning I made the drive to the coast for a nice long walk on Cannon Beach. It was delightful. Although typically a fan of lots of color, I can't help but love the Oregon coast, even (especially) on overcast days. The sky is grey, the water is grey, the sand is grey, and the houses are grey. I think it's gorgeous.

I love walks on the beach. And Haystack Rock makes for some of the most beautiful coastline in the world. If I went to Cannon Beach every time and never visited another Oregon coastal town for the rest of my life I wouldn't even care.
Some of you might think this is too many layers for a successful day at the beach, but growing up in Oregon gives you a different expectation for beach trips.
Here are some of my wonderful gifts: flowers, dishes, gift cards, books, earrings, hair clips, and oh yes, a bump it. Which I am planning to wear tomorrow, and many other days. My parents bought me this, and it should be arriving at my apartment sometime next week. I am really excited for it to come, and I am taking suggestions for my first project. And yes, the irony of getting a sewing machine for the birthday that now rounds my age up to 30 rather than down to 20 has been pointed out to me.
Tonight my roommate Megan and I went to the opera. We saw "La Boheme" by Puccini, which originally premiered in 1896. It was fabulous, and I can officially say I am a fan of the opera. Also, I did not know until I got there tonight, that this opera was the inspiration for "Rent," which I saw for the second time earlier this year. The plots are very similar, and it's fun to see the different takes on the same story line. Meg and I were definitely some of the youngest people there, again, not doing myself much of a service in seeming young. :)

P.S. I am not for real having a panic attack about being "old" at 25, but I think 25 does sound much older than any age I've been before. Like, if someone were to ask me if I consider myself an adult, I might say yes now. But then I'd probably have to think of another name for my blog. Hmmm.

stay-cation birthday week day three

2009-09-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

I find birthdays are a great time to reflect as you measure the distance travelled in the last year.

Last night as I chatted with an old friend, she mentioned trying to calculate how many times she has wished me a happy birthday. We met in the 4th grade. I immediately started to tear up as I thought back over the years of our friendship, and of my many other friendships. I have really amazing friends, more than I can count, and more than I deserve. The phone calls, e-mails, text messages, and facebook wall posts today served as a reminder of how loved and blessed I am. I wouldn't trade any of the people I have met or the experiences we have shared for anything in the world, not for some really expensive shoes, a raise, or even a boyfriend (none of which are currently pending)! I could not be happier with where I have come in the past year since moving to Portland, and I look forward to more discovery, adventure and growth in the coming year(s).

Now, to keep this from getting too serious, because I like to keep things light, I will share a line from a birthday card I received from Kristine and Kristen tonight: "Love your amazing ability to keep it classy, keep it inappropriate, and keep it real, all at the same time!" Best. Compliment. Ever.

Well I am 25 today. Let's have a toast! For my cupcake tasting party, we had 5 different kinds of cupcakes. 3 from bakeries and 2 homemade, big thanks to Di and Meg for staying up late on a work night to meet my demands.

On the day's menu:

Dark chocolate cupcake and chocolate frosting from a Sprinkles mix (made by Diana)
White chocolate raspberry cupcakes from the Cupcakes Galore cookbook (made by Megan)
Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and vanilla bean filling from Cupcake Jones
Pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting from Saint Cupcake
White cupcakes with chocolate ganache from Helen Bernhard bakery

You're so jealous. Unless of course you were there, then you're a little bit sick. :)
Making a wish and trying to extinguish the very spread out candles in one breath.
Laughing after my very sad attempt at blowing them out in one try. Don't worry though, I still have every intention of getting everything I wished for in the next year!
Beautiful birthday flowers from RZ. I really made out in the gift department, but I will blog about that tomorrow because I am sleepy. Must have been that afternoon nap that really tired me out... xoxo

stay-cation birthday week day two

2009-09-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

On a recent audit that require me to drive about an hour into the country, I passed many cute, small towns that I wanted to go back and visit for lunch and antique shopping. I decided Dundee was going to be the best spot and headed out today. I ate lunch at Farm to Fork restaurant and really enjoyed it. There were not as many antique shops as I had remembered from my drive, and many of them were closed (in the middle of the day on Tuesday?) but I did get to do some fun wandering.

I thought this flannel shirt especially appropriate for a day trip into the country. In Dundee and along Highway 99 there are many vineyards and wine tasting rooms, so it's really a charming area of the state. It was so nice to have a chance to stop and go in the places I'd driven past so many days in a row. And, I'm always proud of myself when I'm brave enough to go out to eat alone!
Here are the day's spoils: local, fresh figs and hazelnuts from a roadside farm stand.

stay-cation birthday week day one

2009-09-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

So I am turning 25 this week. I feel like it's such a monumental birthday, and I am expecting really great things for the next year of my life! :)

My first day involved sleeping in, running errands, and getting free food at Il Piatto for a work dinner and at Yakuza due to some anniversary celebration the owner was putting on at all of his restaurants. Both were very good, and something I would actually come back and pay money for sometime.

I also began putting together my kitchen table and chairs. This particular chair was screwed together almost in its entirety two separate times tonight. Nice. My goal for the end of the week is to have everything in my apartment finally settled. I bought new picture hangers, curtains, and even a new painting recently, so now I just have to start hammering stuff into the walls.

i really love my dad

2009-09-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

I take a lot of pride in being able to run my life without a man. Girl power and all that. Typically, my approach involves saving my pennies so I may hire the help I need. But what happens when you fall in love with a table at a great price at a store without delivery services? It's easy: wait for Daddy to come into town for work and have him take care of the problem!

Tying this baby to the top of his rental car and carrying it into my apartment was nbd for him. I will be putting it together by myself to maintain some semblance of independence and feminism. Unless of course my home teachers come by for a visit before I get around to doing it. :)

yet another great find at tj maxx

2009-09-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Cute cake plate + Halloween theme = L.O.V.E. I also found pumpkin spice and candy corn flavored kisses to go on top. Hershey does lovely things with holidays.

i volunteer with the girl scouts

2009-09-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

I now have a brown skort and coordinating sash on the way to my apartment. Hello, Halloween. I had to order a girls plus-size large and an extra long sash; I would make a porky 6 to 8-year-old. I haven't decided if I'm going to scour for real badges to sew on, or if I'll make up my own. Either way it's going to be fantastic.

I had to register on the website, and they asked me about my affiliation with the Girl Scouts. That's where it got a bit awkward. So if anyone asks, I help a family friend's daughter attend her troop functions, and I am not in fact the chunky Brownie eagerly awaiting her new uniform.