My Costco Obsession

After we got married, Isaac started telling me we needed to go to Costco. I was less than enthused. My family had been members of Sam's Club all growing up, and I didn't understand Isaac's enthusiasm for grocery shopping in bulk. I know publicly apologize for all ignorant statements I have made concerning Costco--forgive me for my misunderstandings. I have let Isaac educate me in the world of Costco shopping, and my life has been all the better for it. Costco is fabulous! A few of our favorite items there: jumbo muffins, rolls, chicken, Otis Spunkmeyer frozen cookie dough, and a new addition--produce. Costco has the most delectable fruits and vegetables I've ever had. Their strawberries and raspberries are to die for. Costco shoppers...UNITE! {Oh, and they have scrapbooking paper in bulk :) }

C to the U to the T to the E

Love love love!!! "I want. I waant. I need. I neeeeed." -What About Bob?

WOOHOO!

Isaac heard officially today that he made the "105" for football, meaning he is one of the 105 guys who are invited to go to Fall Camp and train for the football season. We had a bit of a scare for about a week after Isaac saw that his name was in debate for the group because his 2 surgeries from earlier on this year has kept him from practicing with the team until just 2 weeks ago. Congratulations, Isaac! Dad, you better make sure you've got your Saturday afternoons open because we've got some games to go to!! Here's Isaac's old profile page from last year. The coaches are debating whether to have him as a running back or as an inside receiver. He's moved in between the 2 positions since he's been on the team, so hopefully he'll be at one for good.

Lovebirds

Isaac and I celebrated our 1st anniversary on Saturday! We went to Grandma Ruby's 80th birthday bash that morning for a couple of hours followed by a trip to REI. (I saw these shoes, and I want them.) We went to Ottavio's for dinner and then to the Hale Center Theater to see "Beauty and the Beast." It was cool. The Beast was so intense; he was actually scaring me. And Gaston was as big as a barge!

Anyway we're pretty much in love. One year down.... Keep 'em coming.

Look Who's 25

Happy Birthday Isaac!!! We've had a fun time celebrating so far today with Artic Circle and "Live Free or Die Hard." We'll barbeque some steaks here in a little bit.

she would...

I've always kind of silently protested Martha Stewart. Even before she went to jail. She just seems like one of those ladies that is nice to your face but is really a witch in a sugary disguise. I don't know why I dispise her so much though. I guess it's because I can't fathom that she comes up with all of that stuff on her own. Nonetheless, I've seen a few girls post cool stuff from her website in the last few days. So... I finally went there myself. And I hate her. I hate her because her stuff is so likeable. What girl wouldn't like her site?! Unfortunately on the way to the scrapbooking section, I stumbled across this fabulous idea. I have a beatifully framed 11x13 picture of Isaac and me on our wedding day that I've been wanting to hang on the wall, but because it's a cheap frame, it doesn't have anything on the back of it to hang it with. So I'm mad that I found something useful on her site. I don't approve of taking her interns' ideas and claiming them as her own. That's what she should have gone to jail for. All I have to say is--She would...

french toast

My favorite breakfast food by far is french toast. Ahh, just thinking about it makes me salivate. Good french toast should leave you speechless. Sadly I've been forced to go without the best french toast on the planet now that I live in Utah. Where might you find it? La Madeleine French Bakery and Restaurant. Not in Utah. (This is the actual picture from the website posted above.) BUT I did find another recipe online one day, and it's the only french toast I ever make at home now. Warning: Once you make this, you can't go back to the regular kind. Warning Warning: Don't even think about eating it without the sauce.

Baked Fluffy Orange French Toast Yield: 6 Servings

6 Eggs; separated

3 tb Sugar

2 ts Grated orange peel

1/2 ts Salt

1/2 c Orange juice

2 tb Milk

12 Bread slices ( I like using Texas toast bread)

Powdered sugar

-SAUCE

1/2 c Sour cream

1/4 c Orange marmalade

Heat oven to 450. Grease large cookie sheet. In medium bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form; set aside. Beat egg yolks; stir in orange juice, orange peel, salt and milk. Fold egg yolk mix into beaten egg whites. Dip bread slices into egg mix until evenly coated. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown (do not turn toast). In small saucepan, combine sour cream and marmalade; heat over low heat just until warmed. Serve immediately with sauce.

I love Audrey

I love love love Audrey Hepburn. But I don't even think it's her movies. Granted I love them, but I've only seen 3 of them: Wait Until Dark, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and My Fair Lady. And I have to admit, I didn't really enjoy Breakfast at Tiffany's. Although it had a unique premise, I found it kind of boring. But for some reason, I am drawn to all things Audrey, and I won't hold that movie against her. I think it's the way she talks coupled with her elegant aura and flawless appearance. I think what it comes down to is...I want to be Audrey Hepburn. I found these cool shoes from Kate Spade that seem very Audrey-ish, and it makes me want to wear them while waltzing next to her in My Fair Lady. Or wear them while cleaning out my fridge.

People associate me with a time when movies were pleasant, when women wore pretty dresses in films and you heard beautiful music. I always love it when people write me and say 'I was having a rotten time, and I walked into a cinema and saw one of your movies, and it made such a difference.' —Audrey Hepburn

Isagitarias Inc.

I work for a company called Agemni. Yep--kind of like the zodiac name, Gemini--but tweaked ever so slightly. My boss claims he just made up the name while having to wait in a long line once upon a time. Truth is... I don't know if I really give him credit for it. All he did was take an under-used word, add an insignificant prefix, and subtract an unessential middle letter. Companies who start to feel comfortable talking to our support team sometimes ask, "So your company's name is really Gemini? Does it stand for something, or is there a story behind it?" To which I briefly respond: "Yes. And no." Sometimes I just want to say, "1) You're an idiot. If you could read, you'd see it's been slightly altered to become Agemni. And 2) it's a stupid name, it's embarrassing, let's not talk about it." On a positive note, I do have head phones.

Anyway since the afternoons get pretty slow at the office, here are some of my favorite sites to peruse once I rollerblade into the sands of boredom. In no particular order:

http://www.blueroof.com/

http://www.kraftfoods.com/

http://www.ksl.com/

http://www.imdb.com/

http://www.babyzone.com/ (Back off.)

http://www.dictionary.com/ (Again, back off.)

Judge not, lest ye be judged

Isaac and I love going to Movies 8, one of two dollar theaters in the area. On any Friday or Saturday night, you’ll elbow your way into the parking lot, collecting yourself in order to face the mad chaos of Provo-ians that will be finishing the convoy with you to the front of the ticket line. Watching everyone in this line is so fascinating to me. I never exchange words with any one of them, but their body language says more their than their words would tell me. So Isaac and I get in the back of the line…behind the unbelievably awkward freshman date—marked by silence and quivering hands. And everyone is stuck next to their friends, who are so incredibly all over each other that it leaves you to think almost audibly: That girl may or may not be pregnant once they reach the ticket counter. To your right, there is the typical dissatisfied, overly-dressed 24-year-old girl who is sulking—arms crossed, hip jutted, eyes rolled—because she thought her first date in 4 months wouldn’t be to the dollar theater…like the last time. All of a sudden you get bumped by a diaper bag strapped to an oblivious, frumpy Mormon mom who is trying to corral her 4 kids while squinting at the movie times and trying to keep an eye out for her husband who’s parking the car. Her husband, a stick of a man with thick leg hair and tall ribbed socks, jogs up, barking orders to their kids to “Sit!”, “Stay!” As everyone turns to look at the family, the wife tries to smooth her blouse across her stomach with her hands. After a couple of palm drags, it makes you wonder if she is actually trying to smooth her shirt or trying to smooth out her gut subconsciously.
Isaac hates these 10 minutes. I happen to enjoy them. It’s like the previews to the previews to the movie. You can’t have a movie theater experience without them. I just wonder what people think about us when we walk up.

a $3M penny

This house is absolutely RAD! I love how open it is, and the windows and hardwood floors throughout are to die for. Location: Coronado, CA

There's a New Blogger in Town...

Wait... Can I even call myself a blogger? I think that the title requires you to write ah blog first. I guess this this is that blog then. Thanks to my beautiful co-worker Charlene Styles, (even her name sounds beautiful!) here goes nothin'...