The Adventures of Jules

Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T23:04:00.001-07:00

Well, today we visited the Oakley/Heber area. It snowed last night, so on the drive we got to see snow AND flooded rivers! Personally I love the weather but I suspect I'm the only one in the state enjoying this end of May snow! :) Oh well, what can you do.

Well I think it looks beautiful, but admittedly, cold.

Memorial Day Weekend - Saturday Trip

2011-05-30T11:08:00.001-07:00

Well, for Memorial Day weekend we're traveling around the State visiting cemeteries. Saturday we visited Springville, Provo, Delta, and Richfield. We're also seeing all the overflowing rivers and lakes! Maybe we'll have another State Street River!

So, I got a new app on my iPhone that makes it easier to post to my blog! I love my smarty pants phone! In honor of my new app I will post a random picture of me with a big flower I found Saturday.

Cheese...

Blog...What? I have one of those?

2011-05-27T21:30:00.001-07:00

Well, hello! Look I have a blog... That is all for now! :)

Dear Mother Nature

2010-04-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Mother Nature,
I'm sure you've had a lot of complaints today about the snow here in Utah, but let me be the first to say... THANK YOU!!! I sure do love snow! There was great rejoicing at my house when I saw the great white snow. But the only thing that would have been better was if it snowed so much that I had to stay home from work to enjoy it!! Let's try that next time!
Sincerely, Julia

I'd love a new toy...Please?

2010-04-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I just have to say that I would love to get a new awesome toy, but I don't think I can right now. But I'll take a moment of silence for the new toy that I can't have...right now. (...maybe I'll get one later! :) It looks so great!! Oh the things I'd use it for!)

Thanks you! (...sigh...)

March Madness!!! (TV Style)

2010-03-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

All you TV fans out there, Hulu.com has created a March Madness bracket system to vote for the best show! They've paired off some TV shows for the first round of votes and the winners move to the next round. Two of my favorite shows are up for the vote, USA's White Collar and Psych! But they are both currently losing. You should check it and vote for your favorites! (And mine! :P Save White Collar in the Bracket!) The first round ends March 7th and the second round starts March 8th.

Vote HULU.com: Best In Show

The Race is On...

2010-01-27T17:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm working on a project here at work to create a manual. There is a bit of a tight (maybe unrealistic deadline), but I'm trying to get as much done as I can by the deadline. Ready or not, here I come! But the sad part is that I officially have 63 days (and counting) to design, edit, format, finalize, and print 7 old manuals (that currently reside in 14 inches of binders) into a ONE inch book. Yay....? :( Hopefully I'm still standing in 63 days! Wish me luck.

Missing Person Alert

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

Help Us Find Steve!!
Steve Koecher has been reported missing for almost three weeks. He was a member of my LDS ward a few years ago. I want to help spread the word so hopefully he can be found safe and very soon! If you have seen him or have any information please contact the police and help Steve's family bring him home. There are more details and contact info below.

More Information:

Official Missing Poster (PDF)

Facebook Group: Help Us Find Steven Koecher

Salt Lake Tribune: Ex-Tribune employee reported missing

Las Vegas Sun: Police seek missing St. George, Utah, man last seen in Henderson

Fox News: Utah Man Missing In Henderson

KCSG: St. George Man; Steven T. Koecher Still Missing

Welcome January!!

2010-01-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome January!!

Here's my new Welcome Sign from the 2009 Advent Calendar. So fun!!

It's hard to believe it's now 2010!

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!!

Advent Day 24

2009-12-24T19:47:00.000-08:00

On the 24th day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Welcome Sign with a Different Center Every Month!!!

I LOVE this!!!!!! I've been wanting something similar to this that I could change for the different holidays. And the different pieces for each month are Sooo cute!!

GREAT FIND Mom and Ruth!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday To ME!!

2009-12-23T21:42:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

I'm now a year older and wiser too! My birthday was on the 23rd of December and I had a great day! Let's recap on the fun things I was able to do!

I decided that I didn't want to work on my Birthday, so I saved my Floating Holiday all year long so I could take it on my Birthday and make my day a true holiday!! My sister Elizabeth was in town for Christmas so we decided to hit the town for my Birthday! Thanks Elizabeth!!! I had a great time!!

First we went to the Cheesecake Factory in Salt Lake. I haven't been before because it's always such a long wait!! We went for an early lunch so we were seated right away.

I got the BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad and it was so good!

We got cheesecake for dessert and they wrote a Happy Birthday message for me in chocolate!! And they didn't even sing!! That's my kind of Birthday celebration! ;) And the cheesecake was Delicious!

The we went to The Nutcracker by Ballet West!! I haven't seen it for so long, so it was really fun to see it again!! They did a fantastic job!

One hilarious thing that happened at the ballet is that they didn't have a first chair clarinet player. They started the overture and there was no clarinet for the flute and clarinet duet. We thought maybe they missed their cue or was late or something, but as we continued on during the first half of the show there was still no clarinet! It's interesting to hear the Nutcracker without a clarinet, you realize how much it's featured in the music. Now if you're familiar with the second half of the Nutcracker, the clarinet has several very prominent solos, so we wondered how they would continue on after intermission without them. As intermission was almost over we heard a very loud and enthusiastic warming up run from the clarinet. Sure enough they tracked down a clarinet player for the second half. It was much better with the clarinet, and we didn't have to find out what the rest of The Nutcracker would sound like without a clarinet!

Elizabeth and I with the large Nutcracker.

After the Ballet, we walked by the Salt Lake Temple and took a few pictures.

Then it was off to Roy where we had a family party. I opened presents and we ate Birthday cake in the form of homemade no-bake cheesecake! Yummy! My favorite kind! Here's me and Mom enjoying the cake.

I had a fantastic Birthday! Thanks everyone to helped me celebrate!!

Advent Day 23

2009-12-23T19:46:00.000-08:00

On the 23rd day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Beautiful Wall Shelf & Hook
PLUS A Box to Store The New Holiday Decorations!

The 23rd is a Special day because it's my Birthday!! So there was a little extra for me today! :) I'm so excited to have a new hanging shelf and hook! And this one was finished and painted by my Mom! Thanks Mom!!! It looks beautiful! And the box will be ever so helpful in keeping my new holiday decorations stored out of the way.

By the way, if you noticed that the shelf is a little too close to the edge of the wall, not to worry, this is not where it will live. I wanted to hang it quick for the picture, but I'll hang it officially in the kitchen later.

Advent Day 22

2009-12-22T19:46:00.000-08:00

On the 22nd day of December my Advent gave to me...

A St. Patrick's Day Sign!!

This is a perfect addition to my holiday decoration collection!! Now I'm excited for St. Patrick's Day!!

Advent Day 21

2009-12-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

On the 21st day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Disney Coloring Book!!

I love great coloring books that bring me back to the joys of my childhood! Who doesn't love Disney Princesses? Perfect use for those crayons from Day 8!

Advent Day 20

2009-12-20T19:45:00.000-08:00

On the 20th day of December my Advent gave to me...

Two Winter Door hangers for me to paint!!

I really do love crafts!! And these are really cute. I should set up a painting area in my house to keep working on all my craft projects. Now that sounds really fun.

Advent Day 19

2009-12-19T19:45:00.000-08:00

On the 19th day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Joy Door Wreath Hanger!

This will be perfect to hang my wreath! Although I was thinking it could be a funny coat hanger for my work cubicle. :)

Advent Day 18

2009-12-18T19:45:00.000-08:00

the 18th day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Beautiful Nativity!!

I love all the colors and textures of this Nativity!

A "Mormon" Christmas Song

2009-12-17T17:05:00.000-08:00

I guess I'm making my rounds of funny songs from the late night shows, but I had to share this funny "Mormon" video.

So apparently Orrin Hatch co-wrote a Hanukkah song. So on the Conon O'Brien show, the drummer decided that it was great that a Mormon wrote a Jewish song and so he would return the favor and he, as a Jew, wrote a Mormon song....

It's really very random, and they admittedly know nothing about the LDS Church, but here is a "Mormon" Christmas song, with the "Mormon TAPPER-nacle Choir" and all!

"Have a Merry Mormon Christmas,
from the Tonight Shows only .... Jew!"
- Max Weinberg

(Straight from Hulu.com)

Advent Day 17

2009-12-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

On the 17th day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Puzzle Map!!

This will be great!! I currently have a puzzle set up on my coffee table in my 2nd room. I love it because I just leave it there until I decide I want to work on it. I'm excited to have another puzzle to do on my "puzzle table!" :)

Advent Day 16

2009-12-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

On the 16th day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Halloween Bear!!!

Soooo Cute!!! That's the greatest Halloween decoration for my house! So fun!

Year End Letter... Hilarious Song!!

2009-12-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

I saw this hilarious song performed on Jay Leno the other night! SOOO funny!!! I do like year end letters, but you have to admit you've read a letter like this...

Year End Letter by Garfunkel and Oates

Looks like the YouTube link may not work. Here it is on Hulu!

A Few Christmas Decorations

2009-12-15T17:01:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my Christmas decorations this year...

I got this wreath at the end of last year from Michaels Arts & Craft! Very discounted! Very gorgeous!! Now it's on the inside of my front door! (I would hate to have someone take it and I get to see it more on the inside!)

The Peanuts Christmas Pageant! What a cute nativity set!

This is the Nativity Set I got from Deseret Book. You know the type, spend so much and you get a gift. My gift was this cute Nativity for my desk! :) I love their bubble heads and no mouth.

Advent Day 15

2009-12-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

On the 15th day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Little Santa Hat!!

So Perfect!!!

So this may need a little explanation. So, when I moved into my new apartment everyone asked me if I was getting a dog or cat. I'm not a huge animal person, so I wasn't going to get an animal. When my sisters and I were rearranging my living room, my sister said the big empty space under my papasan chair (the big bowl) needed....something. So we decided I should have a hidden surprise that most people wouldn't notice unless they were sitting on the couch. I have a little stuffed dog that I put under there just peaking out. So now I have a little dog with my new apartment. As I decorated for Christmas I thought it would be funny to dress him up too. So today I got a little Santa that fits perfectly on his head.

So funny!!!

Maybe I should give him a name... :)

Advent Day 14

2009-12-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

On the 14th day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Floor Mat!

Perfect!!! With all this snow I was actually thinking I needed one of these!

Advent Day 13

2009-12-13T19:43:00.000-08:00

On the 13th day of December my Advent gave to me...

Spring Flower Garland!

This will be fun to add to the house decorations!!

Advent Day 12

2009-12-12T19:42:00.000-08:00

On the 12th day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Fun Puffy Ball!

It's kind of like a stress relief ball! Nice!!

Advent Day 11

2009-12-11T19:42:00.000-08:00

On the eleventh day of December my Advent gave to me...

BUBBLES!!

I think I should blow bubbles off my balcony! :)

Advent Day 10

2009-12-10T19:41:00.000-08:00

On the tenth day of December my Advent gave to me...

Wood Hearts and Paint!

Look! Perfect! A painting project to use my paint brushes with.

Advent Day 9

2009-12-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

On the ninth day of December my Advent gave to me...

Paint Brushes!

I LOVE painting so this will come in handy!

Advent Day 8

2009-12-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

On the eight day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Box of Crayola Crayons!

This makes me want to start a new coloring project!

Funny T-shirt

2009-12-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

I wont say more, but I thought this T-shirt and Facebook group was hilarious!!

Front

Back

For those who don't live in Utah or just don't know the story, here is a KSL link or two.

Advent Day 7

2009-12-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

On the 7th day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Patriotic Bow!!

4th of July: Here I come!!! Perfect decoration for a patriotic holiday!

Advent Day 6

2009-12-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

On the 6th day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Pinwheel!!

I love pinwheels! I think I'll put it on my deck to catch some wind. :) And it was wrapped in a Harmons bag. I like the reusable bags.

Adven Day 5

2009-12-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

On the 5th day of December my Advent gave to me...

Happy Easter Decorations!!!

So CUTE!!!! Yay for Easter!!

Advent Day 4

2009-12-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

On the 4th day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Turkey Thanksgiving Decorations!

So, this year I decided that I have sooo many Christmas decorations that I needed to start collecting other holiday decorations. So far so good! Yay!!

PhD Comics

2009-12-04T05:30:00.000-08:00

My sister introduced me to the PhD Comics. So now I get them straight to my google reader for my enjoyment! Here are a few of my favorites for you to enjoy. What are yours?

Phd Comics

All You Can Jet - The Final Trip

2009-12-03T22:00:00.001-08:00

Well, this is a bit slow, but here is the update on our last All You Can Jet trip. What can I say? I forgot my camera on the trip... and bought a disposable one... and turns out I'm terrible at developing film! But to finish the travel story, here is our final trip!

The weekend of October 2-4, we were off on our final trip and to:

California!

First on our agenda was going to the Jet Blue "Jetters Party!" Jet Blue hosted two big parties. One in New York JFK airport and one in the Long Beach, CA airport. We headed to the Cali party. Here is part of the group at the party. It was a mixture of employees and Jetters, but we decided we were all now apart of the Jet Blue family.

(And this is why I like digital cameras!)

After a month of traveling, we decided to do a little bit of everything. We spent a little time hanging out with family, watching LDS General Conference, driving part of the Pacific Coast Highway, relaxing at the beach, playing at Disneyland, etc. It was a great weekend.

Driving the PCH! One day I'll make the entire trek!

Relaxing on the Beach! Always fun and Beautiful!

THANK YOU JET BLUE!!!!

We LOVED being apart of the Jet Blue Family for a month as offical Jetters!

The Biggest Loser

2009-12-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

Typically I don't really like reality TV shows. I think they're really over the top and nothing but drama. However, I really love the NBC show:

The Biggest Loser!

I watched last season and was very disappointed at the finals when Tara lost. Here is her before and after pictures!
Amazing!! Half the person she once was! Go Tara Green!!

Tuesday I looked forward to seeing how the current final four contestants would do. They each went home for 60 days, returned to run a marathon, and then had a final weigh in. At this particular weigh in, they determined the 2 contestants who were guaranteed a place in the final 3, then the other 2 contestants are up for elimination by the viewers from an online vote. Who do I want to win overall? That's a hard one!!

Final 4: Rudy, Danny, Amanda, Liz

The guaranteed spots go to: Rudy and Danny. Which means the 2 fighting against elimination are Amanda and Liz.

So now this season we have a similar scenario as last year. You have the older (and slightly annoying) Liz against the young (19 year old) and determined Amanda. The difference this time is that they're fighting for the bottom spot. Who knows who will win overall, but I really hope Amanda wins the 3rd spot in the finals!!

Who would you vote for?
Amanda or Liz?

Overall I wonder who will win on Tuesday, but I love seeing the before and after pictures. Here are the before pictures for the final four.

Amanda	Liz
Rudy	Danny

Advent Day 3

2009-12-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

On the 3rd day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Snowman Box with All My Favorite Candy!!!

Yummy!!!!! :

Advent Day 2

2009-12-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

On the 2nd day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Snowman Bell with My Name!!

I put the fun ornament on my big tree until I can put it on the Advent Tree. I LOVE snowmen!

Advent Day 1

2009-12-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

On the 1st day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Craft Wreath!!

Looks like lots of fun!! And so many possibilities! :)

It's that time again!! Advent 2009

2009-12-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

2009 Advent Calendar

It's that time of year again! I LOVE December and I had so much fun last year with my Advent Calendar Tree! This year I've been a bit behind. I put up my regular tree, but I haven't put up my Advent tree yet. Hopefully this weekend! For now, I have the first 5 days of Christmas and we'll start there.

I'd like to give a shout out to my Mom & Ruth for going shopping again this year for my Advent gifts! And now on to the first day of Christmas....

Gift Cards... So Great!

2009-11-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have recently decided that Gift Cards are so great! Especially when they're FREE!!!!!

I have been looking to buy a Wii and Wii Fit Plus as a Housewarming gift to myself. I've held off because I've wanted to get a great deal! Then yesterday I saw a deal with Amazon! When you by a Wii and a Wii Fit Plus together you get a FREE Amazon $50 Gift Card!

So I made the plunge and ordered my Wii!!! I'm really excited! And I'm really excited about the Gift Card!

Then I sat back to think of the different Gift Cards I have randomly received lately!

iTunes: I redeemed my points from my checking account rewards program
FYE: For participating in my work Wellness program
Target: I redeemed my points from my credit card rewards program
Amazon: For ordering my Wii in a promotional with a free card.

I LOVE free Gift Cards!!!! I'm ready for my Wii and maybe to start Christmas shopping!

Everyone Needs a Little Gilmore-isms in Their Life!

2009-10-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well... I still have one more trip to update you on, but alas I don't have the pictures yet. Turns out it's very difficult to get pictures when you forget your camera on the trip, have to buy a disposal camera, and then remember to drop off AND pick up the pictures!! Hopefully I'll remember soon and I'll post about the All You Can Jet trip!!

However, I am determined to not wait to post something simply because I haven't finished posting something else! So here we go...

GILMORE-ISMS

My exciting news for the week is that my Gilmore Girls DVDs came!!!!! Hurray!!! So one day my sister told me that the Amazon.com Gold Box was having a sale on the Complete Series of Gilmore Girls! I thought, what luck!! I LOVE Gilmore Girls AND it was about 60% off!!! Amazing deal!! So I bought it and it game this week!

The packaging is a little different, but hey, what can you do when it's sooo much cheaper than normal! But it does have two exclusive books: a great Episode Guide filled with fun pictures & details, and then a little book called "Gilmore-isms" that has all the inside lingo, movie references, and much more!

I'm currently watching Season 1 of my new fantastic DVDs and I'm loving it! Yay for Gilmore Girls and thanks Jana for the heads up!! :)

CANCUN!!!!

2009-10-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend of September 25-27 we went to...

CANCUN

It was INSANELY BEAUTIFUL!!!! The water is soooo BLUE!!! I had heard that it was very blue, but who knew it was THAT blue!! These are all pictures that we took! It truly looks like this!

We had a gorgeous view from our hotel room!

Ruth enjoyed sitting out on our balcony!

One of the awesome things in our hotel was the Infinity Pool!
Here is Ruth relaxing in the pool and looking out to the ocean!
AWESOME PICTURE!!!

I wondered how the Infinity Pool worked exactly, but it turns out it's just an illusion that the pool merges with the ocean. It's a good illusion, but there is a little beach below.

Me in the Infinity Pool!

Ruth in the pool

Here we both are in the pool.

So beautiful!!

Our feet in the sand!

A look up the coast of Cancun.

Shots of Cancun from the air.

Me on the plane all ready to sleep. With my neck pillow and pashmina shawls, too bad I couldn't actually sleep on the plane! Although I think I finally slept an hour or so.

Ruth on the plane.

Cancun was SOOOO gorgeous!!! It was fun!! If it wasn't for Jet Blue, I'm not sure I would have gone to Cancun anytime soon, but it was a fantastic place to visit!! Plus, I got a new stamp in my passport!

The Beach

2009-10-11T20:00:00.001-07:00

The same weekend of Disneyland we also made it over to...

The Beach!

Here I am at the beach!

My sand tribute to Jet Blue All You Can Jet!!!!

The Wonderful World of Disney!

2009-10-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

The weekend of September 18, we were off to California again! We didn't take many pictures this trip, but we enjoyed going to...

Disneyland

& California Adventures!

We always have a good time at these fantastic parks! It's hard to say what my favorite rides are, but here are a few of my favs!

Disneyland

Splash Mountain (Love to get wet!!)
Buzz Lightyear (Fun game!)
Matterhorn Bobsleds
Big Thunder Mountain
Indiana Jones
Pirates of the Caribbean
Space Mountain
Tea Cups

California Adventures

Grizzly River Run (Love to get wet!!)
Soarin' Over California (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! See the sites of Cali!)
Toy Story Mania (So many fun games!)
Tower of Terror (with my eyes closed)
California Screamin' (with my eyes closed)
Disney Animation (They show a bunch of movies clips in a big-air conditioned-room

So FUN!!

New York, New York, it's a wonderful town!

2009-10-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

The month of travels may be over, but I still want to recap all the adventurous trips, one trip at a time!

First up...

New York City!!

We decided to take a 24 hour run to New York City to see the sites and see a show! We left Tuesday (Sept 15th) after work, flew to Long Beach and then on to New York. We had a long layover in Long Beach so we decided to visit our cousin and her husband who live close to the airport. We had a great time! Best layover I've ever had! Of course, my layovers have always consisted of me sitting in the airport... waiting. This was my first adventurous layover when I left the airport. We had taco night at their place, watched a movie, and went for frozen yogurt before heading back to the airport. We had a great time. Then we took the red eye flight to New York!

This was the big test... can I sleep on a plane? Answer... NO!! I was possibly the only person not sleeping, but that was not from a lack of trying! I had a pillow, eye mask, pashmina shawl as a blanket, Advil PM, fantastic earphones that block out all sound, and my iPod playing ocean sounds. But alas, I couldn't sleep. But thanks for all the great suggestions on how to sleep on planes!!

We arrived in New York around 6:00 am and were off! We took the train into the city and went to...

The Today Show!

Here is the Today Show crew outside with the fans.
We got a close up on TV for about a second, or at least the camera was on us!
Left to Right: Al Roker, Meredith Vieira, Matt Lauer, Natalie Morales

Matt Lauer talking to the fans.

It's always so fun and interesting to see the behind the scenes!

Next up...

Backstage with Hugh

We also went to the backstage door of the new show Hugh Jackman is doing. I've never actually seen it, but thought it would be exciting to see Hugh Jackman! And yes, we saw him up close and personal!!

Daniel Craig came first; he came in a fancy car and was escorted in. Just in the way I would expect a famous person to arrive.

Then Hugh came. He actually came walking across the street, so it was a little unexpected, I was waiting for a similar car to pull up. He walked right past me. I was going to take another picture beyond this one, but then I realized I was like inches away and didn't want to take a picture of his nose, plus it all happened so fast! But it was fun to see him!

Then the main event...

Shrek the Musical

Next up we went to see Shrek the Musical! Now, I'm not a huge fan of Shrek the Movie, but Shrek the Musical is hilarious!!! The music is fun and catchy! SO fun!!!

Me at Shrek!

And I got to see Sutton Foster in person!! Who I love!! And she's FANTASTIC!!!
Amazing voice, great dancer, and hilarious!

Shrek (Brian d'Arcy James), Donkey (Daniel Breaker), and Princess Fiona (Sutton Foster)

Plus I got to see a new favorite! Christopher Sieber who played Lord Farquaad... AMAZING!!!!! Imagine playing a role in a Broadway musical, singing and dancing, completely on your KNEES! That's what he did! Fantastic!!

We went backstage to see some of the fantastic cast!
Christopher Sieber in person...

Also, Robb Sapp who played Pinocchio was very funny!

We saw Sutton Foster (Fiona) really briefly backstage, but we didn't get to see Brian d'Arcy James (Shrek) because it takes awhile to get in and out of costume! (Understandable so!) The rest of the cast was also Incredible!

It was a fun trip to New York!! Recommend it all!

A Day at Disneyland!

2009-09-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Disneyland! We made a quick day trip to California and it was so FUN!!! Here are a few pictures that I took.

My view from the plane.

I was getting creative with how I watch the movies on my iPod Touch! I stuck it in the seat table in front of me. Worked very well! If I do say so myself. (By the way, have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE my iPod Touch? I do!!) Can you guess what movie I was watching??

Here I am after we landed in Long Beach. This trip was the lightest packing job I've ever done! All I took was my purse!
No luggage needed...

Here is what they call the Long Beach Airport. Really?!?
Does it look like a double wide trailer to anyone else?? Interesting!
In California Adventures, we saw Mickey and Minnie in their vacation clothes! Don't they look so cute!

Ruth and I had a lot of fun!!! We rode a bunch of rides and using the Single Rider passes we were able to go multiple times. That is the greatest thing! You get to go to the front of the line and they just seat you in the empty spots. And really, Ruth and I don't need to sit right next to each other, so it works perfectly for us! And I really love going on Splash Mountain in Disneyland and Grizzly Rapids in California Adventures several times in a row! But you do get SOAKED!! (Which I did!) And then it gives you time to try off.

I do have to report that I started getting a few blisters... which I'm not surprised. I think I have the most sensitive feet! But I have to figure something out so I can keep walking on all of my upcoming trips! I've also been trying to learn the art of sleeping on the flights. The big test will be the red eye trips when we go to New York and Cancun. What do you do to sleep on the plane? I need all the ideas I can get!

Well, we'll be back to California for a longer stay next weekend, but we have another trip before that.

Next up....

We're going to
New York City!!

We fly out Tuesday night and get to the city at 5:30 am. Then we'll see some sites and go to the Matinee showing of Shrek the Musical!!!

I'm really excited to see it! I've never seen it, but I've listened to the music. Hilarious!!

Here is a sneak peek for you:

Let the Fun Begin!! ...Disney Style!

2009-09-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

It's official!! The month of traveling is about to begin!! Ruth and I are off in the morning to...

Disneyland!!

Have you ever just wanted to go and spend the day with the Disney gang? Well, that's what we were thinking! So we fly out in the morning and back that same night! Just a quick Disney Day Trip!! Next week we'll spend more time in California, but while we can, we thought we would do a fun day trip. I'll tell Mickey hello from you while I'm there.

All You Can Fly?? Who does that? ... ME!

2009-09-03T19:01:00.001-07:00

Have you heard? Jet Blue offered a pass, all you can fly in a month!! My sister and I took them up on it! Amazing Deal!! I'm excited to report, that we're planning lots of exciting trips between September 8th and October 8th.

So far we're going to California, New York, and Cancun!!!

This will be SOOO fun!!! The only draw back is that I only have a few days off saved up, too bad I can't just travel the world for a month! That would be awesome!! But we're planning fantastic weekend getaways. I like to think of it like a potpourri month, it's not the length we spend in each place but the amount of fun places we can go. It will be a fun month!

A Nanny Named Fran!

2009-09-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

So lately I've enjoyed a blast from the past while watching a classic TV show, The Nanny!

Turns out, if you put several episodes of a hilarious show in a row, I'll end up staying awake until 1:00 in the morning day after day. Luckily, my sister owns the first three seasons!! Now I can watch them when I'd like to and I actually get to bed before 1:00 am. The only problem is that soon I'll be out of DVDs to watch. Hopefully soon they'll come out with seasons 4-6!!

What were some of your old favorite shows?

Here is one of the most classic clips from The Nanny for you to enjoy! Niles dancing while he was home alone!

What's in a Name?

2009-08-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

As Shakespeare wrote, "What's in a name?"

Now, when it comes to the name of a blog, the answer is: A LOT!

Lately, I've become disenchanted with the name/title of my blog, so it's time to come up with a new name. What do you think? What should the new and improved name be? There are so many creative blog titles out there, surely there is one more out there for mine! I'll keep thinking, but let me know if you have any ideas!

Also know, I'm keeping the address the same, I'd just like to spice up the name and title. Not to worry! My blog is not moving to a more creative domain at this point.

A Blog's Mid Life Crisis...

2009-08-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

It's official. My blog is going through a mid life crisis! It needs change, spice, excitement... wait is that me? No it's the blog! ... It needs attention, new meaning, color, and some good old TLC!! I'll work on that! In the meantime, I gave it the easiest thing possible: COLOR!! But I'll be back soon for more blog CPR!

Oh, and many have asked... No, I have not done anything exciting with my hair yet... but I have an appointment on Saturday. Let's see... trim or drastic...

My Hair Needs... Something...

2009-04-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been watching the TLC What Not to Wear whenever I see it on. I have decided that I LOVE watching the transformation that occurs when you find 1) the right clothes for your body shape and personality, 2) a hairstyle that really makes all the difference, and 3) the art of makeup that makes you look GORGEOUS!!!! I have officially decided that I need a makeover, although I'm not sure I could endure the emotional drama that usually ensues when Stacy and Clinton start ripping on how terrible the "before" looks. But today I decided that I especially need a new hairstyle!

For a little while I decided that I was going to grow my hair out because I really wanted my hair to look like Ally Walker in If You Believe. It turns out, this is nothing like what my hair does when it gets longer! I wish!!

So, now I think. Maybe this one? What do you think? Or maybe I should just resign myself to the fact that my hair can't do this either. But I don't know maybe it can! *Cross my fingers* This is like the "after" picture I would like to aspire to.

Here is my favorite curly short haircut that I have had! I got this hair cut and I loved it, but then as I got my hair trimmed over time it continually drifted away from this style to something I was significantly less pleased with!!!

And now my hair is in this weird stage that just needs help! So, what do you think. What should I do to my hair to give me a great makeover?

And while we're on the topic, does anyone have any great makeup tips for me? I know Mary has some magic up her sleeve! What do you think? I need a What Not to Wear makeover without the Stacy and Clinton harshness!

Confessions of a Perfectionist

2009-04-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

So I must confess, I have had ideas for blog posts lately, but the perfectionist side of me doesn't want to post anything until I finish posting my advent images. So I decided even though I didn't actually take pictures on every day, I would post them on a slide show anyway! I hope you enjoy it, and now I can move on! :)

Okay, let's do a quick recap, my news in 60 seconds (or maybe a little more) so the perfectionist side of my can be content that I have caught up and can now move on...

Things that have changed since 2008:

One of my biggest pieces of news is that: I GOT A JOB!!!! I was offered and accepted a full time, full benefited position with the LDS Church doing web design and other technical, special projects in the Welfare department. I have really enjoyed my work these past 3 or 4 months. This is the same place I was working before as an intern, but after a year they were finally able to open a position to give me. YAY!

In January, I was able to go on a big road trip with my sister, Elizabeth! As she was preparing to move to New York, I fly down to Texas to help her pack up and move out. We drove from Austin, Texas to Albany, New York. It was a fun trip with Elizabeth and I was excited to be able to go. Also, a side note of the trip is that I realized that I have now driven across the county, from coast to coast! Here is a map of my driving paths:

I finally made a purchase that I have been dreaming of making! I bought an iPod Touch!! I have been in love with it since I got it!! I got the 32 gb so I have lots of room for movies, audio books, mp3s, games, and other apps! I've had fun picking all the fun toys that I put on it! Love it!

2008 Christmas Advent Calendar

2009-04-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

On the days of December my Advent gave to me...

Lots of fun gifts that I would like to show you!!

Advent Day 7

2008-12-07T17:00:00.000-08:00

On the seventh day of December my Advent gave to me...

A special plate with an inspirational scripture, a tasty Mr. Goodbar, and some more legos just for fun!

Today I got a great plate with the scripture that says:

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

I really love it!! I'm trying to decide where I would like to put it. Thanks Mom!

Advent Day 6

2008-12-06T17:00:00.000-08:00

On the sixth day of December my Advent gave to me...

Four mini puzzles, a small bag of chocolate almonds,

and more legos just for fun!

I got to put together my 4 little puzzles while I ate my chocolate almonds!!

Mmmm... my favorite!!!

Here are the puzzles that I put together:

Advent Day 5

2008-12-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

On the fifth day of December my Advent gave to me...

A Fairy Pot Pal Craft!

This time I was smart and used super glue

NOT hot glue!! Worked much better! :)

Advent Day 4

2008-12-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

On the fourth day of December my Advent gave to me...

An adorable Snowman Cowboy Ornament!!!

How cute is he!!!! Have I mentioned that I love snowmen? I do!!! :)

Advent Day 3

2008-12-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

On the third day of December my Advent gave to me...

A little Santa Craft!

Memo to self... little foam Santa may start to melt if the hot glue gun is too hot...

What a fun 3D Santa craft. I got to glue all the little pieces together to make a Santa. I think I'm going to turn him into an ornament! The only problem was that it did start to smell funny when the foam pieces started to melt a little from the hot glue. Not bad, just a little smelly... :) I've noted it for the future.

Advent Day 2

2008-12-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

On the second day of December my Advent gave to me...

Four puzzle place mats, four mini Reese's cups, and some little legos just for fun!

Who ever invented puzzle place mats that you can use a dry erase marker on them was a GENIUS!!! :)

Advent Day 1

2008-12-01T17:00:00.001-08:00

On the first day of December my Advent gave to me...

A tree skirt for my advent tree!!!

Love it!!! Fits so perfect around the tree!!

Advent Calendar Tree

2008-12-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

The Christmas count down is on
and the Christmas Advent Tree is up!

I'm very excited for Christmas to come. As most of you may know, Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the holiday cheer, the snow, the lights, and everything about the season!

This year I wanted to do something really exciting for Christmas! I bought some mini stockings last year, during a killer after Christmas sell, so I could make an advent calendar. I thought about sewing a lovely wall hanging, but after much brainstorming I decided that an artistic Christmas tree would do just the trick! I wanted to fill the stockings last year so it would be a surprise this year, but I never got around to it! I still really wanted it to be a surprise, so I convinced my Mom and my sister, Ruth, to go out and buy some socking stuffers with a small budget. So they prepared the stockings and I put up the advent tree. So far it's been great fun!!!

A Special shout out to Mom and Ruth for helping with the stockings! THANKS!!

I will keep you updated with what exciting gifts I get in my advent tree.

The Winds of Change

2008-08-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

Well, at first I thought it was just me, but I'm discovering that many around me are starting to feel the effects of the winds of change!

Granted I have had a lot of changes this year with graduating, looking for a job, deciding what I want to do when I grow up, and a few other changes. But recently I've had a lot of friends get married, friends move out of the ward, the Bishopric being reorganized, and many other changes in my life. It's always hard when things change, but especially when it changes all at once! Maybe it's just me but it seems like life always moves in phases, some last a few years while others a little longer or shorter, but just the same everything changes and starts a new phase. I suppose these winds of change are telling me that I'm entering into a new phase because everything is sure changing to make room for all the new. At this point I have no idea what the new phase will entail! But I guess that just means that I either wait and see or take control and decide what I want.

Well, I guess over all it will be a new adventure whatever the phase entails! But it is not without sadness that I see the previous phase go!

Any ideas of exciting phases to try out? :)

The Land of Enchantment (aka New Mexico)

2008-08-10T14:16:00.001-07:00

This weekend I was able to go to my old roommate Haley's wedding in New Mexico. I think it's funny, yet intriguing, that New Mexico has the slogan or theme of "Land of Enchantment". Over all I really liked New Mexico! I didn't get to see a lot of the sites and I was only in Albuquerque and the neighboring villages. I rented a car and drove myself around. Other than getting slightly lost once, driving was great! The streets were easy to follow and the other drivers were nice and stayed out of the way.

The wedding was fantastic! I was very glad that I went! Haley is one of my best friends so I was excited to be there to share such an exciting day in her life. I was able to hang out with her family and friends while we got everything ready for the wedding reception. She looked gorgeous! Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

Haley and Charlie!!

Here is Haley with her pointy shoes!

(It wouldn't be a Haley outfit without pointy shoes and big bows!)

Here is me and Haley!

The girls friends at the wedding!

Haley and Charlie (They looked so Happy!!)

Congratulations Haley and Charlie!!! I'm very happy for both of you! In honor of Haley...
KIT!!! :)

London Baby!!!

2008-07-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday we were off again, this time to London! What a great city!

Me in front of Westminster Abbey. We were able to attend an organ recital. That was a great experience.

Around the city

We found these peanuts that were scrumptious!!

Like all classic tourist... in the phone booth.

Fountains in Hyde Park

Buckingham Palace, sadly I'll never live here!

We went to see wicked!!! Yay!! So fantastic! I LOVE Wicked!

More Exciting Scotish Travels!

2008-07-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

So I have been home for a little bit, but I wanted to catch up the last week of my trip to Europe!

Next up on our trip we went to Stirling! We took another bus tour around the city and then up to the castle. I must admit that I was really glad we didn't have to hike UP the hill to the castle! Although we did walk down the hill, but that was a nice walk DOWN hill.

What a view!!!!!

They also had the Wallace Memorial

Does anyone else think it looks like Old Main at Utah State? Let's compare!

The scene is so amazing! I would love to paint this!

I loved Stirling! I thought it was so gorgeous!!!

We were going to go to Ireland by Ferry, but unfortunately the ferry tickets were sold out! So we decided to travel up to Loch Lomond Thursday instead! It was a very fun trip!

Bulloch Castle off Loch Lomond.

Next we were off to Edinburgh

Mary and I at Edinburgh Castle

Such a beautiful Castle and view!

For those BBC North and South fans out there, I was greatly amused by the Thortonhall stop on the train on the way to Mary's house! For those that are not fans... I highly recommend it!

Oh yes, I did forget one adventure we had! Elizabeth decided she wanted to try Haggis... why I'm not sure. But just the same, we decided to create a movie about it. Check it out on her blog! The Ultimate Adventure (Haggis)

I think of all the places we went, Scotland was my favorite! I love the views! I love the long train rides! I loved the sites! So Gorgeous!

We were so lucky to be able to stay with Mary and Luis!! They have a great flat and we loved staying with them!!! Thanks Mary and Luis!!! We had fun with you!

Online Portfolio

2008-07-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

As I have been searching recently for my exciting new career, I have decided that it is time to stop thinking about getting server space for an online portfolio but actually get it!! I’ve looked into all the many web host companies out there, but something I need to decide on is what my domain will be. I’ve thought about a lot of options, but anything to this point that I’ve liked has been taken. I have two thoughts that I haven’t quite decided on, but they are available! (And it seems that the DotCom World has overtaken all the short URLs!)

Media Design by Julia.com
Project Design by Julia.com
*(No spaces obviously)

What do you think? Any other suggestions of a good domain names for an online portfolio that will be exhibiting skills in web design, graphic design, photography, and video production (etc)? Your feedback would be much appreciated! Thanks!!

~Oh! And more pictures from my exciting trip will come!

Touring Scotland!!!

2008-07-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

Good old Scotland! Such a wonderful place! We have been able to see so many sites while we were in Scotland.

Elizabeth and I were able to ride up to Loch Ness on Monday! It was a great trip! I had been wanting to see the landscape by train, so I loved the trip up to Inverness. We took a bus and cruise around Loch Ness and we saw the castle there as well! It was great!

The town of Inverness had some beautiful sites! I decided I love landscape when it has rivers, oceans, and other bodies of water in it! Gorgeous!

Tuesday we were able to go see Bothwell castle, which is a castle near Luis and Mary's flat.

An added excitement to my trip is that while I was at the Apple store I found a good price for an iPod Shuffle! It has made my travels SOOO nice! I especially loved having it on the long train rides!!

Welcome to Scotland!

2008-07-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

We officially made it to Scotland! We've had some exciting adventures already! The flights between Spain and Scotland were all delayed which made all the layovers very tight! We were able to make all the connections, with a little running through the airport. But all was well. Scotland was so beautiful from the sky! It was exciting to fly over and see it. I think of all the places in the world, Scotland is one of the most beautiful.

We arrived to Scotland, but unfortunately our luggage didn't make it at the same time. After some investigation we discovered that although we made the tight connection, our bags didn't. Luckily the airlines knew this and put our bags on the next flight to Scotland. After this we tried to find Mary and Luis, who we discovered were having adventures of their own! We all met up fine and were on our way to their flat. As we drove they told us about how the car started having problems and apparently the screw on the accelerator pedal split in half. On the side of the road, and with Luis in a reflective jacket, he tried a few methods to jimmy rig the pedal. He was able to rig up a genius fix involving his shoelace!

Now that it was working well they were able to pick us up and take us safely to their apartment. Since we still didn't have our bags Mary lent us a few things that we didn't have! Our bags arrived the next morning!

We have been able to explore some of the beautiful areas of Scotland!

Saturday we went to Glasgow and did some exploring.

We were also able to go to the apple store and figure things out for my laptop cord! YAY for International Apple Stores and Apple Care!!!!

Being in Europe I am coming to especially like public transportation! We have been able to get around very easily and we are having great adventures with it!

And my burn is starting to turn to a tan! I love when I tans and don't blister!!

We are having a fabulous time with Mary and Luis!! Mary even made tacos Sunday nigh for dinnert!! YUM!!!! I love tacos!!! Thanks Mary! You're the best!

The Sites of Spain!

2008-07-05T02:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the great sites that we saw in Spain!

We saw a large group of people excitedly standing around a little shop taking pictures, so we figured someone exciting was inside! We waited around a little bit to see who it was and we're thinking it's Jennifer Lopez! What do you think?

While Elizabeth was in meetings I was able to do a little exploring. I found a lift tour that takes you up to a high castle. It had a gorgeous view!!

I was also able to go to the aquarium to see the port veil. It was really neat to see the sharks and other animals living in the Mediterranean Sea!

Touring the City

2008-07-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

Things are going well here in Spain! Since I haven't been able to update my blog too much due to technical difficulties, I'll do a quick recap! We arrived Saturday and did some adventuring and went to see the fountain! Sunday, Elizabeth and I found a church. Luckily we found it because it was kind of hidden and behind a locked gate! But we followed some missionaries and a guy that looked like they knew where they were going!

We are starting to figure out the public transportation and it is working fantastic for us to get around.

Monday we went with the people from the conference up to have dinner at the observatory. We got to take several buses up the mountain! Turns out it was my bus!! :)

Although some of the streets were tight, the turns were a little tricky, and we had a few close encounters, we made it with no problems. And the view of the city was gorgious!

Tuesday I went to listen to Elizabeth give her talk at the conference! She did fantastic! Then I went back to the hotel to relax at the pool!

Today Elizabeth and I toured around the city of Barcelona! It was very fun. During our adventures over the weekend we saw a tour bus driving around so we did some investigating! Turns out it is a fantastic way to see the sites! It is a "get on, get off" tour, like the one we are planning on doing in England! It covered almost the entire city!

Elizabeth and I seeing the sites!

And we found some great places to eat! Yum!

We took an adventure to the beach! So gorgeous!!

And here I am at the end of the day, evaluating the sunburn damage! YIKES!

Such is the Life of Me...

2008-07-01T01:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it´s official! It wouldn´t be one of my vacations if something electronic didn´t go wrong! Sorry to all those I have promised to keep my blog updated! My computer has been experiencing some technical difficulties! Well, not so much the computer as the power cord...which has offically decided to go on strike, which in turn made my computer go on strike! :( Very sad! All power has finally drained out of the computer now. Elizabeth is speaking today in the conference so I have come to hear her talk. I brought my laptop with me in hopes that some nice mac user will let me use their power supply while I´m here. I did go exploring on campus and found a computer store! I found a very nice English speaking computer geek (all very important attributes) that I was able to talk to. Although he doesn´t carry mac power cords, he looked up some options for me. It looks like there are 2 stores that may carry them. And they are both close to a metro stop. I´m still trying to decide what to do, it will be expensive in the US, but it will be ever so expensive in Spain! Hmmm, what to do, what to do! I found a computer lab that people from the conference can use, and that´s why I can blog to you today! Computers are a funny thing...I think I´m going to change my major! Do you think it´s too late since I just graduated?!

Barcelona!

2008-06-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

We have arrived to Barcelona! Elizabeth and I arrive in Spain on Saturday morning and we began by adjusting to the city and the new time zone. Barcelona is a beautiful city!

We went to a really cool fountain show, Font Magica.

We also did some other exploring and visited a lot of really amazing architecture buildings! They were really great to see! This was the Sagrada Familia. (above)

Personally, I think it is extremely hot! I´m surviving well, but I did really enjoy this lime popsicle!!! Mmmm!!!

Starting the Adventures!

2008-06-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

So I'm not sure what has come first, the blog or the adventure! I've thought about starting a blog for a bit, but I'm about to embark on an adventure so I figured it's a perfect time to start! I must admit I was a little held up by coming up with a super creative name, but then I had a realization:

When creating a blog, your title can be cleaver, but your domain should be memorable. Thus, a simple domain and a somewhat clever title.

First up on my adventure itinerary I have come to Austin, TX and tomorrow I fly out for Europe! Yes, I'm going to Europe! This will be my first time out of the country, except for a short trip to Vancouver, Canada of which I have very few memories. I will be off on this adventure for three weeks. I'll keep you posted as to how they go.