I'm missing my mom tonight. To be able to crawl on her bed and snuggle down to watch an episode of Bones or Supernatural with her would make everything better right now.

Sometimes going to school out of state sucks. Just saying.

Happenings as of Late

I just thought that I'd post some of the adventures that I've had in the last few weeks.
First, I attempted to make homemade mozzarella sticks. They actually turned out pretty good!


Then I tried to recreate the sleep mask that Audrey Hepburn wears in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's, and it's cute but I made the eyebrows kind of wonky...
Next, I tried a new recipe, Balsamic Brown Butter Tortellini. It was good, but I would prob cut down the amount of balsamic vinegar if I make it again.
Lastly, there's been a box of scone mix sitting on our shelf in the pantry for months taunting me! I finally purchased some yeast and whipped me up a batch, and home made cream cheese icing. They were tasty!

Boomer

It's Father's Day again, and I am so thankful for my pops. He's a great guy. Funny, generous, and spiritual.

We've had somewhat of a tumultuous relationship in the past, but we've grown closer since I've been at school.

I want to share some of my favorite memories of my dad that showcase what kind of man that he is.

1. When I was about 14 or 15, our family was going out to dinner at Outback, and Katie and I went to the bank with my dad while my mom went and got us a table. While standing in line at the ATM, a man approached my dad begging for help. I think he needed money for a plane ticket or something. He said that he could sell us some of his Armani leather jackets in exchange. I think it was 2/$200 or something like that. At first my dad politely declined, as we didn't have $200 just hanging around to spend on leather jackets. But this man was persistent, and sensing his genuine distress, my dad agreed and we walked a way with 2 lama skin Armani leather jackets.

Katie and I couldn't wait to tell my my mom, who was both distressed and resigned having known my dad most of her life. When we got home my dad had Katie look up online how much her could sell the jackets for, and through her searching she found a question forum all responding to the question. " Has anyone else been tricked by the lama leather guy?" or something of that nature. We laughed for hours after that, and any time he wore one of those jackets we would fake distress and yell, " Dad, you've killed Tina!" As in Tina, the lama from Napoleon Dynamite.

While this story is in the vault as a family favorite, it really taught me about helping others. My father has always extended that hand to the less fortunate and has always given more than he's received. He's said in the past something to the tune of, " You'll never regret helping someone, but you'll regret not doing so."

2. One time when I working with my dad in San Jose, we went to Chili's for dinner. After our food arrived and we started to eat I noticed that my dad was bringing his napkin up to his mouth. I wasn't alarmed because I thought he was just wiping, that changed when I saw him put it in his mouth and start to chew. I should say that my dad is blind if you don't know my family. He thought his napkin was part of his meal.

I died. I couldn't help it. There are few times that I have laughed harder. And instead of getting hurt and huffy, my dad laughed too. Great belly laughs and snorts ensued. Immediately following I called Katie, who was up at school, and told her the story. She laughed as well.

My dad taught me to laugh. He always said growing up, "Kristi, why are you so tense? You'll be dead at 25. Relax!" I take myself less seriously because of him, and I am appreciative of that.

He's an example in sacrifice and doing what needs to be done. I love him even though we don't always agree on everything. He's nothing but supportive in all the choices that I make and tells me when I'm being retarded. I love him and am more than grateful that he is my dad.

Happy Father's Day Pap-smear (family nickname)!!

Rain Down...

When I was a little girl I used to sit in the corner of the shower, legs crossed, and let the spray of the water pelt my back. It made me feel safe. The warm liquid, the patter of droplets against the tile drowning out any outside noise. It was a time I used to reflect on my life.

Then all I thought about was the latest Barbie universe I'd created and the movie I watched on tv that day. Times have changed and I've only recently returned to my tiled sanctuary. I think about my life. What am I doing? What does my future hold? Why do I feel this way?

This semester has been one of my hardest yet. It's a pivotal time in my life. I can feel it. I feel a pull, to go this way or that way. The choices I'm making now can determine where I end up.

It's always scared me to think about how the littlest thing can have astounding results, either good or bad.

So I'm pondering, ladies and gentlemen, about my life and what it means to be alive during this time of the world. I'll let you know what I figure out.

Just as a side note, I know the whole chillin in the shower thing might seem kind of weird and creepy, but I just wanted to clarify that I don't run to the shower every time I need to think about things. It's just an occasional sit under the spray. If that makes me weird then so be it.

Word.

The Last Airbender

This weekend I put my newly acquired cake decorating skills to use and made some cakes for my roommate Channing's 20th B-day Bash! She's obsessed with Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is some Asian cartoon, not the one with naked blue people. So I made a cake for each of the nations in the story: Earth, Water, Wind and Fire. I knew nothing about this show when I started making the cakes.
I had help baking the cakes and icing them, but I decorated them by myself. I made a happy birthday sign with one of the main (or so I'm told) characters from the show and attached dowels to the back. I then stuck it in some mini bundt cakes. It turned out pretty cute! Channing kept it and hung it up on her wall.
The party was a blast, and Channing loved her cakes. She's a really great girl, and we're all glad she moved in with us. We have a lot in common! She's an English major as well and we like a lot of the same books. Hope you had an awesome birthday Channing!

Photos courtesy of Blake Jackson

200!!

This is my 200th post! Where the crap does all the time go? One minute it's September and all you want to do is get back to school, and now it's close to being time to head home for the summer. I can't wait! Thanks, peeps, for kicking it with me in the blogosphere. I know that I'm not always the best pen pal, but it's something I'm working on!

Channeling My Innner Martha... Stewart that is.

Today I wanted to make something. So I made this shirt. I used heat bond and some of the material I had left over after making that adorable camera strap you see there last week.
I printed out a picture of a bow, ironed the fabric to the heat bond, traced the bow on the back of the heat bond, cut it out, and ironed it on my shirt. It was super easy and way cheap!! I think it was like $2 for a yard of heat bond and I got my shirt on clearance at Old Navy for $6! I already had the fabric so that was nice!

I'm addicted o crafting! I just want to make everything!!!!

Today is Not that Day

I watched Aragorn's speech from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King for a class and it got me thinking.

The speech itself is kind of amazing. Aragorn and his army are about to enter a battle with terrible odds, and he is trying to raise morale. I've posted it below.

Hold your ground! Hold your ground!

Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers,

I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.

A day may come when the courage of men fails,

when we forsake our friends

and break all bonds of fellowship,

but it is not this day.

An hour of wolves and shattered shields,

when the age of men comes crashing down,

but it is not this day!

This day we fight!!

By all that you hold dear on this good Earth,

I bid you stand, Men of the West!!!

It just made me think about the world that we live in today. Everyday I hear more about men who have forsaken their friends and the bonds of fellowship that have been broken. It scares me sometimes. The way I was raised seems to be a foreign concept to today's society.

Sometimes I feel like I've reached the end, that there is no hope and that I am going nowhere. Then I think about this speech and how today is not that day. The world may suck and be on the decline, but there is still hope. Today is not that day. I still have hope. I still have things I need to accomplish. I'm standing. I'm choosing to fight.

It's a scary world, but the battle rages on, and I am a part of it.

Today is not that day.

****Here's the link to the speech on youtube.