Though your pillow is soft and deep

I have done it! The apartment is painted (again)! We're loving the gray much much more than the blue and beginning to do all those lovely things like put up pictures and hang things on the walls. My next project will be painting my two canvases that are supposed to go up over the fireplace. I'm still having a hard time deciding what to paint exactly, but I'm just going to dive in and hope it'll come to me.

I also got my wedding band back on Monday and had my ring cleaned while I was there. So nice to have that all done. I feel so shiny


Last weekend we had such a wonderful time going up to see Justin and Ashley. It was so nice to just have some time to chat with good friends, watch some modern family, and have a picnic in the park.
















Here are some photos of the fun we had. I promise Justin and Scott really did play frisbee too :]

The other big news of the week is that Scotto finally bit the bullet and bought the parts for his/our new computer! It has taken over our dining table and I have learned many a new term. Sometimes, I'll admit, I get a little distracted while Scott's explaining the gigabyte motherboard processing speed as it pertains to the dual integrated audio codecs, when I start looking at the shiny new parts. It all begins to sound a little like Charlie Brown's teacher to me, but I try really hard. I probably retain more than I let on, but let's not show off now.















I think Cory is coming over tomorrow for a play date so the Mister may be in heaven.

Speaking of tomorrow, I am going with some of the teachers from the preschool to an all day conference tomorrow. I feel very privileged that they invited me to go with them, but it also means that I need to be at the church at 5:30 am. Aka Poopin Early. Therefore I really need to be asleep right now. So I will leave you with this - Scott and I finally put up some shelves that we've been meaning to get to, but then put off due to the impending painting ordeal.

I also wanted to show you this Awesome old camera case that I found at the largest thrift store known to man in downtown. Really cool store barring the old asian man I came across droppin his drawers to try on a pair of pants. In the middle of the book section. Tried not to make eye contact right then and hustle on my way. But I would consider this camera case a steal at $2.95. Super fun.


Of course I'll use it...what are you talking about??

Alright, I'm yawning up a storm here and the thought of 5am is giving me a headache.

Hope you all get to sleep in tomorrow. I will grumpily be thinking of you as I sip my triple shot coffee.

We'll call it "Appreciation of Earth Day"

So I completely blame Aunt Jenn for this nonsense, but I am unabashedly hooked on fabric flowers now. Don't get me wrong, I know they are getting to be all the rage now (in your hair, on your shirt, on a necklace, in your soup, etc) but I am hooked on making them. I have one mum and one rose bud sitting by my sewing things and I am afraid I overheard them talking about breeding much akin to the fashion of rabbits.

In an attempt to find a good How To for said guilty aunt, I stumbled across a few beautiful pictures myself and couldn't resist the urge to attempt one or five. All in the name sake of "helping" of course. Pffff.

Just look at these fun guys:























I love the flowers on the pillow so I think there might be something like that happening...OR I really like the idea of the paper flowers on the wall there...the question is, how to keep our house from becoming too girly. Let's not dip into that please.

You will be proud to hear that we accomplished all that we set out to do yesterday sin the patio table and tiger/lion. My wedding band is being resized and will be ready on Monday (woot!), we found a LOVELY gray paint and painted one wall (trim included) last night. I got all Momma Stokes on that wall and didn't even put down tape. Believe it! I did all kinds of acrobatic/yoga moves to inch my way behind the TV that is too mammoth for me to move for a simple thing like painting the wall behind it. The results are woooonderful and we are so pleased with the color.

I think when we first moved in, we really just needed to get some paint over those lousy existing colors so the blue acted like a pleasant bandaid until the right color came along. At last...the only thing now is to paint the rest of it. Ha.

Today we are making the trek up to La Habra to hang out with the Bakers for the weekend. Long overdue but we're hoping to have a Modern Family sleepover. What could be better?

Speaking of trekking, we really should get going...hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. I am loving ours so far!

xoxo

Pickin a Pick Pic

Today the Mister and I have the day OFF! He had it off since he had worked two extra days over Easter weekend and I just told the preschool that I couldn't work for them today. We slept in to the glorious hour of 9:25, made a fabulous pancake and scrambled egg breakfast, read Jenn's blog post about her Neti Pot experience, laughed hard, and then made plans for our day.

So far our packed schedule looks like taking my wedding band in to be resized, then painting at least one wall of the apartment...just to be able to say we finally did it. Maybe watching a movie at some point, and then making a fabulous dinner. I would also love to go a huntin for a nice little patio table considering my "garden" of pots, jars, and cracked bowls is beginning to take over the existing 5'x5' square we so fondly refer to as "the patio". Could use something to break up the mini union forming out there.

Since tax money came back I think we might giddily plan what to do with that as well. I suggested a pony, but it didn't fly so well with Scott. In truth I don't even want a pony, I wasn't really an "I heart horse-ys" kind of little girl -- ever, so I really shouldn't have even wasted my one voiced wish on that and spoiled my chances. Excitement overcame me, what can I say? If I really had a choice, I would want a tiger. Always wanted one, who knows why. Watch this amazingly cheesy video that I once saw on Ellen and it somehow embodies all the goodness of why everyone should have a pet lion or tiger. This was basically my dream as a little girl.

Speaking of Aerosmith, which we were in case you didn't just click on that link, as I was putting the kids down for nap time yesterday I noticed that the lullaby music that was playing was THIS - how amazing is that? So I just went to Grooveshark and looked up Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions, and you get about 100 songs from The Cure, Coldplay, U2, The Ramones, Pink Floyd, Bjork, and many others. These are some of the lullabys that our kids are going to listen to :) I am currently listening to Desperado by the Eagles. So funny. And yet so soothing.

As you can tell from this post, I am a little scattered today...so many possibilities with a 3 day weekend! What to do first? Well, maybe get off the computer would be a good start...hrm

In that case, there's just one last thing that I wanted to share with you - Erin and her husband Chris so kindly offered to print out one of Chris' AMAZING photos from a project he did taking 100 pictures of picks in 100 days. Scott showed the pictures to me a while back and we were thoroughly awed. I think these might be our top three choices, but what thinks you??

Clearly (as is not so well hidden by our picture arranging here) we are favoring the top picture right now. Gotta love the details of the wooden neck in that shot. Such a fun idea and so many good photos to choose from. If I end up finally caving and dedicating a corner of our little place to all things Scott Instrumental Related, then I might just have to put the chosen pick pic there :]

Ok folks, the sun is shining, the kitchen is tidy, and all laundry is clean and folded. You know what that means....time for a Jackie Chan movie!!

Peace out homies (quote from little Sage - aka one of our favorite little girls ever)

One Misty Moisty Morning

Well, sadly Monday I did not end up getting to slip into my bath. For more than one reason actually but mainly (and to appear more normal) I will blame it on the fact that I was called in to substitute teach shortly after I finished posting my bath time plans on here. The less normal sounding reason is actually because the idea of a bath is always pleasant in my head, but when it really comes down to it, my paranoid half wins and I end up not taking one.

First there's the hassle of cleaning the tub. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I just can't take a bath in my tub if I haven't just cleaned it. Two days ago is just not good enough. Then there's always the lovely initial, "Ahhhh...this is delightful!" feeling that lasts 7 minutes and is followed by, "Well this stinks, I either have to choose having my shoulders in the water and warm, or my knees. Alternating sure is poopish because then one is wet and cold while the other reheats."

Inevitably I resort to a nice warm shower. But the thought of a bubble bath is always pleasant in my mind.

Yesterday I spent the majority of the day over in the shopping center that contains the nearest DMV. I could've sworn I was just there not too long ago, but there I was again! I stood in line patiently so that I could get a paper that would put me in a new line and took a seat next to this kind old chinese woman. Turns out she had also had her license stolen (she thinks...it may also just have fallen between the seats in her car, but this is irrelevant) and her number was the one right after mine. I was G180 and she was G181. Yes, burned into my memory now considering the fact that when she and I sat down the screened showed us at G136. Oi.

She and I chatted as best we could and made (what was in our eyes) funny remarks about people that were taking too long. We did a little "Hoorah!!" when the countdown brought us to 30 more people and made jokes about regretting not bringing a tent and snacks. In short we bonded.

However, we do not have to recount that entire experience, it's still a little too fresh. The good news is though that I am getting my new license...again!

As you can see, it is Wednesday and my fabulous plans to paint have still gone no where due to the scheduling that has occurred. Today was to be my day, but just as Scott and I were rolling out of bed this morning, I got a call from the preschool and I am going in today again from 9-3...SO - painting will have to wait until tomorrow.

On this note, I must go shower so I can grab a bite to eat (eat to bite?) before I run out the door.

Much love to you all....

Come to me, all who are in need of my wallet

It has certainly been a while and for that I apologize. Today is my first day of being back in our house and not teaching so I am going to take advantage of it. Bubble bath, here we come!

Now, while we have loads to talk about - the simultaneously cute/monstrous kids from my class the past 3 weeks, Julie and Brad's loverly wedding (!!), a shout out to Thomas for spending a fun weekend with us -- I'm afraid I need to hone in on one simple occurrence from yesterday. Many of you already know what's coming.


Scott and I went on a beautiful hike up near Escondido in the Elfin Forest. Not even joking. When you say it people often think you are saying the "Elephant Forest" which apparently causes some google search confusion. No, it's really called the Elfin Forest.

Anyway, we went with Cory and Christine and had a wonderful time (it's really quite beautiful there) first taking a scenic waltz down the sewer line path only to turn our map over and over and head back to the starting point to begin again. We hiked up the "Way Up" path (at least they're clear) and the scenery was certainly worth it. However, little did we know what was waiting for us at the bottom of the hill.

We finished our hike and headed toward the cars. As soon as I saw Scott's truck I knew. Someone had broken into his passenger side window and taken my purse from the floor. The funny thing is (yes, really quite hilarious) that as we were locking up the truck and I was tucking the purse under the edge of the seat, I thought to myself, "Hm...should I hide this even more? Maybe throw a jacket over it or something? Nahhhh" - Like I said, I'm just tickled pink to think of this internal exchange now.

Fortunately I had my phone, camera, and KEYS with me (although originally we thought the keys were with Stu, our thief). I called and canceled all cards, we lost some things, but it's just not worth it to cry over. The sheriff that came to take pictures and file a report was a cross between funny in a dry way and mildly PMS-y. He said he had hoped there would have been some blood in the car (at which point I think a few of us looked slightly mortified - my own ridiculous imagination throwing in a bloody hand on the seat too) explaining that then he could get some DNA from the "scene". Suddenly all of my NCIS, CSI, Criminal Intent, and Fringe training nearly leaped out of me. I was ready to start examining the truck for blood drops, stray Stu hairs, hang nails, or eyelashes. Surely the sheriff's glance through with the flashlight had not done my injustice justice!

Most things I had lost he just kind of teased me about. i.e. when he inquired as to "other valuble items in the purse" my answer of, "My favorite chapstick" somehow was not credible in his eyes.

I do get a kick out of the fact that there's a funny picture of Scott in there. I hope that makes Stu feel guilty when he puts together the fact that I have two ID's, one with my maiden name and one with my fancy shiny NEW name, + the picture of Scott would probably help him figure out that I am a newly wed. Somehow that should evoke more pity in my mind. Or just guilt.
Why Stu, why??

Now, once we were driving home and we began letting some people know what had happened, I realized that this is the second, almost third time that this has happened to me. Jana told me that she's never buying me a nice purse since she would basically be buying it for the thief. Good point. In college, I had my passenger window broken into one night when my car was parked on the street. I think only minor things were stolen, but the whole window thing was just rude.

That same year, Robin and I had ALL of our things stolen out of my car that was parked in my garage. We had gone in to say goodbye to a roommate - we had been at the library studying and were going to head back just after saying adios so we had left our backpacks (mine containing my laptop as well) in my car. The car was in the garage but the door was open so the leaving roommate could carry boxes out. We were there for less than 30 minutes before someone came right in, opened my car, and stole both our bags. Curses.

So apparently I have some magnetic force surrounding my things that just say, COME TAKE ME!! The ranger that helped us out told me that he had checked the parking lot when he saw the truck and there were like 4 or 5 other cars there at the time, two of which had either a purse or phone on the seat. I told him I am just that lucky that Stu would choose our car.

You will be happy to know however, that Scott and I are doing ok. It's just stuff and it could have been so much worse. It's frustrating but we're safe, it was only a purse, not the car or someone breaking into our house. We are pretty thankful.

However, before I sign off for the day, I would like to send a brief message out to Stu:

Stu. I am rather dissappointed in you and I am sure your mother would be as well. That was just RUDE. You know, that purse may not have been Gucci, it may in fact have been $12 from Ross, but I really liked it - it went so well with everything and was the perfect size. I also now have to replace a brand new library card because of what you've done. I want you to read this and think about what you did wrong...and then give me back my stuff. That would be the right thing to do.

I think you will all agree now that you have heard my plight, that I am indeed deserving of a nice warm bubble bath . And maybe some hearty dosage of chocolate downed with some Project Runway. Wonderful, I'll get right on that.

Talk to you more soon!

Death and Taxes

WE DID IT!! Our first joint taxes - done, finished, vollendet! (Let's see if I am even using that word correctly. Some of the German is getting a little rusty...need to be more diligent in that area of the brains)

Turbo-Tax, please accept our deepest thanks and displays of affection. If you were our neighbor we would bring you cookies Turbo. If you were in need of a home, I would build you a linkin log cabin. If you are ever sick Turb, you know who to call...In short, we love you.

That being said, I spent a good deal of the day out in the mad mad world of Shopping On A Sunny Saturday. Yes, I hit up the mall. It had to be done. Sister-in-law's wedding is literally just around the corner (WOOHOO!!) and last minute preps had to be made. I believe I am now just about ready, and we all know that's the most important part of their wedding day. Psh.

Speaking of the almost here date, I have some horrible news - I played a game called "Bad News/Good News" with the kids last week. I made a reversible smiley face and tacked it onto a stick so that when I spun it around it either looked happy or sad. Then I told the kids some "Bad News" and they had to help me think of a way that we could find some Good News in the posed situation. i.e. Bad News would be "I'm hungry", Good News is God provides food for us. So friends....Bad News, kids have germs. Worse News, at some point last week, while some 8 teachers and who knows how many kids were out of school growing, cultivating, and simultaneously trying to destroy said germs, one escaped from their host, gave a running start and launched it's little nastiness my way.



I'll give it props for somehow surviving with my "Uhm, I'm in this classroom all day and I haven't washed my hands in like ... 8 minutes?! Don't panic, don't panic, must...reach...soap" attitude. Ok, maybe I'm not that bad, but let's just call me "aware". I noticed the tickle in the back of my throat this morning and promptly downed some airborne with my breakfast. Every part of me is screaming, "IT'S COMING! YOU CAN'T STOP IT!" but my brain is stubbornly plugging it's ears and whistling Row Row Row Your Boat to drown it out. Maybe if I just chug that bottle of OJ in the fridge, things'll turn out okey dokey. Ha.

So now it's time to come up with a plan of action. Give up now and let it just run it's course? Then hope it doesn't hit right at the wedding?? Or utilize the mini personal pharmacy I own and stave off death as long as possible? Now, I did not exactly receive the highest marks when I took Statistics (either time), but I'm pretty sure my odds of actually getting this thing to not do what it's made to do and just wave the white flag are...not good.

So then, what's the Good News? 1. I have a good reason to tell people, "Sorry, we're just going to hang out together at home this weekend." 2. I now have an awesome husband that takes really good care of me. Mushy, yet so true.

Enjoy your weekend everyone! Much TV catching up on, tea drinking, and laundry folding in our near future :]

Hereby Coveting Weekends

So sorry friends, I have been subbing for the past two weeks and have another one (at least) to go so by the time I get home in the evening I am bush whacked. I tear up at the thought of doing anything other than elevating my feet and staring blankly at a wall.

News flash - 4 year old are amazingly tiring. Ten 4 year olds for 8 hours a day...Sweet Moses. My bones actually ache by the end of the day.

Thereby all projects that were lined up have come to a screeching halt. Last weekend I painted a little bit of four walls in the house a lovely gray that I found...haven't touched them since. The 7 minutes a day I get to spend in the kitchen now I look at the painted portion and worry that it looks too lavender-y, but then maybe it's just the blue paint underneath and I need to wait until I can do like a base coat or something. Holly also commented last night that maybe it's our kitchen light bulbs and informed me that there are actually light bulbs that specifically block out blues or reds and such in your rooms. So then the question is do I really want to go out and find some spiffy new blue blocking bulbs?? Or do I just want to find a new shade of gray? I doubt I have the time to actually think about this too hard right now. I could bring in swatches and ask the kids tomorrow...I can just imagine the blank stares and the, "But I don't like gray Miss Heidi, I like PINK!" followed by, "EwwwwwWWWww!! Pink is for GIRLS!" comments I would get :]

The next two weekends are looking a little booked as well, so no projects then either...but maybe I'll be able to get to them sometime this weekend. Well we'll see if I ever wake up Saturday morning.


However, this is the kind of gray that I would LOVE to have in our kitchen/dining room/family room area. Bedroom and bathroom are going to stay the same for now but I do want the rest gray asap. Meaning could someone else come into my house whilst I am busy practicing my comatose pose on my pillow Saturday morning, paint my house and then make me coffee and breakfast? Rad.

Alrighty friends (I've noticed that I utilize the word "friends" a whole lot more these days since that is what we call the kids, i.e."No thank you friends, we are sitting and listening right now", or "Friends, we need to stop killing all the Rollie Pollies [insert child's defense] Yes, but when we put them in our pockets or in our lunch boxes they get squished and can't breathe anymore. Then they DIE") hopefully I'll get to write more in the near future, we have a massive-o coffee table for you to help us evaluate...pictures coming soon.

Hope your weeks are going well. Remember to eat your healthy food first, that we never hit our friends, even when we are angry, and to please use a kleenex for all intended purposes of the product.

xoxo