Merry Christmas

Love,

Cardy & Jenn

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Not until this week did it start to feel like Christmas to me. Maybe it was the 2 day snow storm or it could have been the fact I've finally started to make a dent in my Christmas shopping or maybe it's because there are only 4 days until the BIG day? Who knows. What I do know is that I love, love, love Christmas! It's by far my favorite holiday! I decorated my house and I just love it. I'm always sad when it's time for it all to come down. Cardy and I bought a real tree and he's super cute (my tree's a he)! I love the look of Christmas lights, they're so romantic.

I feel like we have been so busy this month. Fortunately our December has been filled with lots of fun and hysterical events. A couple of our friends had what I now consider my favorite themed party: Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Don't get offended...lots of women still wear these infamous sweaters (and apparently some men do too, who knew?) but to be quite honest...they're terrible. I had some good laughs in Thrift town while scouring the Christmas clothing racks. It was a riot to show up at these parties just to see what everyone else was wearing. There are some truly ugly Christmas sweaters out there.

Last week I hosted Bunco. I was excited when I was given December as my month to host. What better time to have a party than when your house is all decorated and party ready? Typically on Bunco nights the 12 of us have dinner and play Bunco but I thought for the holidays we would have a holiday party and ornament exchange instead. I made a really nice dinner and the most adorable cupcakes for the group. After dinner we exchanged ornaments using "white elephant rules." It was a lot of fun and there were so many cute ornaments for each person to take home.

We missed: Heather, Caprice, Jenny & Megan

To All My Friends: Merry Christmas!

Do you ever feel like this???

Dying to blog

I am dying to blog. I seriously have not had one stinkin' chance to sit down and post anything . I just barely uploaded new pictures to our computer the other night but alas, it was way past my bedtime and I didn't have the energy to post anything...but I'm dying to!
I'm hoping in the next day or two I will have some time to sit and blog about all of fun December activities.

thankful

There is so much I love about Thanksgiving: time spent with my family, turkey, mashed potatoes and all the fixins, pumpkin pie, the long weekend, football...It's all of my favorite things wrapped into one amazing day that I sometimes forget it's a holiday.

I love all of the personal reflection that happens on Thanksgiving, we all can't wait to list our "thankful fors."

Here are a few of mine:

-my family. I have the best mom & dad in the world! They truly are amazing people. (Dustin- holla atcha boy! You're amazing too.)

-my husband. He is cutest, goofiest, funniest, wise crackinist, smartest person I know. Love ya baby!

-my in-laws. Who could have better in-laws? I am the luckiest wife to have married into such a wonderful family.

-my nieces & nephews. You all keep me laughing non stop. I miss my little Reno buddies.

-my friends. Don't know what I'd do without ya.

-my health. Enough said.

-my job. I'm grateful to be in a field that continues to thrive even in this bad economy.

Just a little side note...the turkey in the picture is the very first turkey I have ever cooked! His name is Tom (or should I say was???)

Twinkle Twinkle Little House

let there be light!

When Cardy and I were building our townhouse last year, one of items we chose not to upgrade was the lighting. It seemed pretty expensive and I wanted to put our money else where. We did however wire our kitchen for pendants and our bedrooms for ceiling fans. Hallelujah! Yesterday we installed all of our new lighting. We installed a chandelier for our dining area, pendants over the island, a ceiling fan in our bedroom & the computer room. I couldn't be happier. Our kitchen is so much brighter and I think the lighting completes the room (except for the window coverings, which will be my next & last item for the kitchen).

Funny, the things that make you happy when you own a house.

Sweet Victory #2

Utah 13 - TCU 10Thanks Ash for inviting me to one of the most exciting games of the season. Love ya! GO UTES!!!

Sweet Victory = Sweet Treats

For Marcus' Election Night Party I thought I would put together a fun little treat to help celebrate the evening. I must admit, I didn't come up with the idea all on my own, I had a little help from a cute food blog, even so, they turned out great and I they were a fun addition to the party. Recipe:

1 dash of love

1 hint of freedom

1 pinch of hope

A whole lotta change

Mix together. Wah-la, Obama cookies! A sweet treat for a sweet victory!

Don't forget....

Vote Today

(it's kind of a big deal)

Made With Love ♥

I have one more Halloween treasure to share before I move on to any other posts. This Halloween, my Aunt Ruth made me the cutest quilt ever! It's a Halloween quilt, and it has the most adorable witches you've ever seen. The quilting is all spider webs (I hope you can tell from the pictures) and the colors are perfect. It's such an amazing piece and the craftsmanship behind it is unimaginable. My Aunt is extremely talented and amazingly generous. I am so lucky to receive such kind of gifts from her, made with such love. Thanks Aunt Ruthie, I love you!!!

HaPpY hAlLoWeEn!

One of my favorite things to do at Halloween (besides eat all the candy) is carve pumpkins. I am very methodical when it comes to picking out my pumpkin. It has to be the perfect color and shape, either perfectly round or tall and skinny, it has to sit right (no tipping), and last but not least, it must have a good stem (curly q's are a plus).

This year Ashley and the kids met at my mom & dad's for pizza and pumpkin carving. I did most of the gutting...I'm weird, but I love this part. The kids drew faces and Ashley and Cardy helped them cut 'em out. Hailey's pumpkin had to have been 40 lbs. My dad measured the inside and it was 3 inches thick, not an easy task! Sam wanted a mouse cut into his so we put Cardy's creative skills to the test.

Our Jack O Lanterns turned out super cute. Between all of us, we carved 6 pumpkins. After carving we put them on the front porch and lit them. Ta-da! Well Carved!

The next day, Cardy and I took our nieces, Chile & Sage to pick out a couple pumpkins. Once again, I did most of the gutting while the girls debated on what kinds of faces to carve. Chile went with a two faced theme and Sage decided on a happier Jack. Cardy always likes scary faces!

Halloween just wouldn't be the same without some good ol' Jack O Lanterns to set the mood!

New York Trip- Part II

Although upstate New York was beautiful, I was not going to miss an opportunity to see and explore Manhattan. I have always wanted to go to New York City so when the Murphy wedding came along, Cardy and I jumped on the chance.

Cardy's cousins, Teresa & Rich, live in Jersey City and we were so awesome to let us stay with them. Rich was born in New York and was an excellent tour guide during our stay. Without him, there is no way we would have seen as much as we did in 1 day. Here is a list of the things we did and saw on Day 1 of our trip to NYC:

-took the subway to Ground Zero (basically just a construction site. best view is from the subway down below)

-toured a memorial/tribute to the 9/11 victims and volunteers in the church across the street from the WTC site. (quite amazing & astonishing at the same time)

-ate a Grey's Papaya hot dog (the original, just like in Fool's Rush In)

-walked through Central Park (I was ready to put on my work out clothes and go for a jog just like in the movies!)

-Wall Street & Trump Tower

-saw a McDonald's on 5th Avenue with an actual grand piano (who knows??? don't ask.)

-5th Avenue (the boys were surprised I didn't want to stop in every designer store along the way. Why would I? Don't get me wrong, I love designer shops but I only really like to shop for things I can afford...take me to Canal street so I can strike a bargain with the best of em!)

-St. Patrick's Church (truly amazing.)

-Rockefeller Plaza (think Today Show, Good Morning America, SNL...)

-Nintendo World (of course! No trip would be complete without a video game stop.)

-ate New York style pizza at Little Italy

-Grand Central Station (was apparently going to be torn down but was saved by Jackie Kennedy)

-New York City library (probably one of my favorite things I saw. built in the late 1800's, the entire building is made of marble with grand staircases and chandeliers. incredible.)

-Time Square (unfortunately, no Naked Cowboy)

We walked from 72nd ave to 33rd with many stops and detours along the way. Around 11:00 p.m. we finally caught the train back to Jersey City!

DAY 2:

Our 2nd day in the city, Teresa was our tour guide and she took us to Ellis Island where we took a boat ride to the Statue of Liberty. After, she took us to Canal Street and through Soho to do a little shopping (Cardy finally made it to a B-APE store).

We did not rest for one minute during our time in the city but it was well worth it. I loved NYC and was not at all intimidated by the amount of people or the fast pace, in fact...I can't wait to go back!

New York Trip- Part 1

On October 18th, our friends, Kelly & Jennica were married in Chautauqua, New York. Chautauqua is located in the eastern part of the state about 90 minutes south west of Buffalo. It is a tiny town, but for what it lacks in population, it definitely makes up for in beauty! I have never been so amazed by such beautiful colors. It was the peak of the fall season and the leaves were incredible shades of red, orange, and yellow. I don't think our pictures do any justice as to how beautiful the area was. While in Chautauqua we visited nearby Jamestown, walked around the local farmer's market, and ate at some quaint diners.

Kelly & Jennica had a wonderful, intimate wedding. We were so happy to be part of it and excited for the opportunity to finally visit New York.

Coming soon.....

I will soon be posting....
- trip to New York: Part I & Part II
- best Halloween gift ever!
- pumpkin carving

I've missed blogging...but blogging about a week long trip with countless adventures is hard. I'm trying to muster up some energy and creativity first.

Cardy keeps teasing me about the blog. Every picture I take, he'll ask, "is this for the blog?" and every time I get on the computer at home, he'll yell from the other room, "are you blogging?"

Halloween Idea of the Day

Halloween is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays to decorate for. Check out Martha Stewart's website for her Halloween Idea of the Day. Each day she posts a new idea with the instructions or recipe on how to create her wonderful craft. There is an idea posted for each day for the month of October.

Enjoy & Happy Halloween!

New York, New York

Cardy & I are heading off to New York to attend Kelly & Jennica's wedding. We will be in upstate for the first part of our trip and then we're heading down to see the Big Apple.

Agree to Disagree?

With Election Day just around the corner there is an electricity in the air. People are fired up about this election, probably one of the most important elections in history. I have heard a lot of political talk and political jargon being thrown around but one of the most interesting phrases I have heard several people say is, "I fear Obama." Hmmmm....I fear....Well, I'm quite taken by this phrase and I'm not quite sure if I understand what people mean by this. Let me guess...1)you actually fear Obama (as a man/human/person/whatever); 2)you fear for our country under the leadership of Barack Obama; or 3)you fear a black man in office (which is what you should actually say if that's what you mean, it's not kosher or politically correct, but come on, for some of you, it's your underlying opinion). I'm still not sure by breaking down the phrase or its intent, I have any understanding as to why someone would say this and I certainly hope that in the 21st century we are not basing choices on one's race or ethnicity.

I would like to think of myself as an informed voter. I take pride in my right as a citizen and as a women to vote in this country. I have educated myself to the best of my abilities on both candidates policies and backgrounds. And although I give my full support to the Obama campaign I have enough respect for Senator McCain to not slander or insult him as a person. I may not agree with his plans or future policies (which I will not go into) for our country but fear him??? No, I do not fear him. Fear for our country and the continuing turmoil, yes, I fear that.

Educate yourself. Vote. Make a difference.

To Be or Not To Be?

Cute Cardy checked on our compatibility as mates based on our astrological signs. He's a Taurus & I'm a Pisces. Now I don't know much about astrology but what I do know is that for as long as Cardy and I have been together, if we're not compatible at this point in our relationship then we're in trouble. just kidding. Cardy and I are very different in many ways, there's not denying that, but I think our differences compliment each other and balance us out. No matter what our astrology or our horoscopes may say, I know we were meant to be together.

Here's what Cardy found...

Taurus vs. Pisces

They get along perfectly! The poetic, sensitive Fish seeks ways to make the Taurean happy, in exchange for the tenderness and security he needs. They enjoy going out together as well as the intimacy of their home. Their physical love is alchemical, spiritual, and intense. The Bull's practical side helps the Pisces to accomplish the projects bubbling up in his or her imagination; a quality which the stolid Taurus needs to lighten his sometimes monotonous life. The outlook for love is promising.

Looks like we're a match!

What happens in Vegas...

Last weekend we made a quick jaunt to $Las Vegas$ for a little vaycay (oh yeah...& a bachelor party). Vegas is one of our favorite getaways and we couldn't beat the great price on the flight and hotel we found. The weekend was supposed to be a boys trip for Kelly's bachelor party, but lucky me...Cardy asked me to tag along (not to the actual bachelor part, but for a little "us" time too). I'm not too sure what his friends thought of me coming along but I over heard Cardy telling a couple of them, "dude, it's Jenn." Low and behold I was the only girl, but like Cardy said...it's me. I have no problem entertaining myself, in fact I can't think of anyone I'd rather shop with than me. So while the boys had "guy time" on Saturday, I had some "me time" with a little R&R, a little shop therapy, and I found myself increasing my funds with some winnings from the blackjack table. Cardy and I did have quite a bit of time to ourselves (much needed after his daunting work schedule). One thing we made sure to do was visit the Four Kegs restaurant for some world famous stromboli. Four Kegs was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives (a fave on the Food Network) a while back and we've wanted to go ever since. Man-O-Man was it good, so good in fact, we carried our left overs with us on the plane ride back home.


while the guys were off doing this.....
i was off doing this.....
but always came home to this.....

Back in August...

late post...oh well. One of the benefits we've enjoyed since having our wedding at Red Butte is that it came with a membership to the gardens and all things associated. This was perfect come concert time, as members we were given priority to purchase tickets. Red Butte always has great musicians lined up for their summer series and it's one of the best venues in town. What could be better than a quaint venue nestled right up against the mountains? Plus the big bonus is being able to bring in your own food and drinks (yes, this includes beer & wine!)

In August we saw both Bonnie Raitt & Al Green. I have loved Bonnie Raitt since I was a kid and was so excited to finally see her in concert...what a treat! Al Green was hysterical. Women were throwing themselves at him, jumping up on stage and begging for a kiss. He had a full crew of security just to battle the craziness. He was as smooth as I expected, not bad for an old guy.

Oh yeah...and the best part about the Al Green concert...Cardy came! He is finally working normal hours. Game Over!

What's in a name???

If Sarah Palin were my mother.....
my name would be: Flag Cobra Palin
God Bless America!

What would your name be? Check out the Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator

1st Anniversary

Cardy and I celebrated our 1st anniversary on Monday. I was feeling reminiscent all week thinking of all of the details of our wedding day, even getting teary eyed a time or two. I truly remember every minute leading up to our ceremony. I loved planning our wedding and all of the hard work we put into it definitely paid off. This has been quite a year for the both of us, one we will never forget. We have known each other for so long that it seems strange and almost unreal that the first year of our marriage has brought us even closer together. Cardy is such a part of me and I am truly blessed to be married to such an incredible person.

On Monday, when I got home from work Cardy had left a trail of rose petals from my parking spot in the garage, up the stairs & into the kitchen where there were a dozen red roses on the table. The rose petals then led from the kitchen all the way into our bedroom. His card and gift were on the bed. Later that night we had reservations to have dinner at the New Yorker downtown. We had a great night!

Jennifer in Photos

I got this idea from Lisa Richardson's blog. I thought it was so cute and it made me curious what my life would look like in photos. I tried it & so should you.

a)Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search
b)Using only the first page, pick an image
c)Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker
d)Copy the mosaic image (right click, save image as) to your computer

The Questions:

1. What is your first name? Jennifer

2. What is your favorite food? Pizza

3. What high school did you go to? East High

4. What is your favorite color? Green

5. Who is your celebrity crush? Justin Timberlake

6. Favorite drink? Water

7. Dream vacation? Bali, Indonesia

8. Favorite dessert? Cheesecake

9. What you want to be when you grow up? A Mom

10. What do you love most in life? My family

11. One word to describe yourself? Blessed

12. Your flickr name? Synga

Battle Royal

What can I say??? We're off to a beautiful start.

FINISHED. Loved it. Ended perfectly.