Mr. & Mrs. Mouse

Let me explain my new header photo. Last Halloween I wanted to dress up as something creative instead of being a ninja for the upteenth time. One day the two cheeseheads decorating our entertainment center in our old Utah apartment caught my eye. Justin had already owned one before we met and he bought me one for Christmas when we were boyfriend and girlfriend (don't worry, he bought me normal presents too). I HATED those cheeseheads! He was lucky I let him display them in the living room for lack of space (here in AZ they are nicely hidden in the office). He made me wear my cheesehead once, thankfully in the privacy of our home, while we watched a Packer game for FHE, for which I only stayed 15 minutes. (Sometimes I still can't believe I married a jock! haha) Justin wears his cheesehead faithfully whenever the Packers play on a Monday night and he uses mine as his snack bowl (if you turn a cheesehead upside down, the head part serves as a chip bowl holder and three more holes serve as beer can holders). Justin also loves to boast how a cheesehead saved a man in an airplane crash.

Anyway, I decided to put them to better use: they could be part of a mouse costume! I bought paper and headbands at the dollar store to make ears, used my old clown makeup for our noses and whiskers, and blew up twisty balloons for tails--Justin's brilliant idea. We wore all gray clothes and gloves for paws. Justin was such a trooper for going along with the costume. And he made such a cute mouse! I still can't get over how cute and creative we were, which is why I chose this picture as my new header.

p.s. We also made a baby mouse carved pumpkin at the ward party and won second place.

Daddy

Although it's the end of Father's Day, it's never too late to honor Dad. I love you, Daddy! And even your corny jokes and puns. Thanks for playing with me when I was little, for peeling oranges for me, for taking me to Sea World and to Padres games just so I could eat ice cream and wear your baseball hat, for giving me a love for music, for teaching me about my Italian heritage and family history, and most important, for loving me!

And a tribute to Justin's dad: I love how we can joke around and also talk about serious things. I appreciate all the help you give Justin and me. Thanks for being so great!

Recycle Queen

I've noticed that lately my eHow articles have been about reusing random stuff. Others write about how to do cute crafts and make things for the home and garden, things I don't know how to do. What can I say? It's how I grew up; blame my mother. We always found ways to reuse and recycle things. Almost everything I write about, we did: we had a craft box full of junk, we had a pile of scrap paper for coloring, we used plastic cups and bottles as bath toys, and we used old socks for cleaning. My mom's not crafty, and neither am I--except when it comes to junk, apparently. Sometimes I get jealous of you women out there who can sew your own things, make creative stuff to sell on Etsy, and decorate your homes with homemade crafts. And all I can brag about is "Look! I made [insert object] out of recycled [insert object]!" or "Ninety-nine percent of my decorations come from the thrift store!" Ok, so obviously I'm a little embarrassed that I know how to save money on toys by giving my kids recycled things to play with. (That's what my mom did, and I loved it! But times are different, and I'm afraid my kids will think I'm a cheap loser.) But, honestly, I think there is so much potential with everyday things. Maybe if I were more craftsy and knew how to do cooler things than make games out of recyclable junk then I would feel better. Coming up with my own ideas is very hard for me, though; I can only copycat. How do you women do it?

The Iron Giant

Justin and I watched The Iron Giant today before he went to work. I balled my eyes out during the ending. Yeah, I feel like the biggest dork.

It is such a sweet story. If you haven't seen it, I definitely recommend it. Vin Diesel does an amazing job conveying emotions through his voice as the robot.

One aspect reminded me of the Atonement: although the evil man, not the giant, made the mistake, the giant had to pay for it in order to rescue all mankind. (This is where I started crying like a baby.) But also, like Christ, the giant lived again.

Justin's Birthday

Yesterday was Justin's 24th birthday. We got up at 5 a.m. to go golfing at 6 and played a full 18 holes. Justin played ok and I didn't do too bad. My drives were horrible (because I never practice with my driver), but my short game and putting were pretty good (because that's all I ever practice!). I even got par on a par 3. I hit my 6 iron a little short of the green and chipped the ball two feet from the hole for an easy putt. But enough about me...


We went to the PGA superstore for Justin to return the 3 hybrids he tried out. He found another one he likes better and is probably going to buy with his birthday money. He used to have a hybrid because he hated his 3 iron, but then he traded it in because he hated the hybrid. Now he hates his 3 iron again and wants a new hybrid!


Finally we got home and relaxed before going out to lunch at P.F. Chang's. Justin opened up his presents: a golf book from his parents and a movie (Get Smart), ice shaver, and strawberry flavoring from me. After lunch, we watched half of Get Smart before poor Justin had to go to work. That night I invited some friends over for German chocolate cake (his favorite) when Justin got home. It wasn't a surprise party, but he didn't know anyone was coming. Until I ruined it. I got the place ready and set out plates, napkins, and forks. Justin looked at the table and asked, "How many forks do we need?" Oops. He started looking around, opening doors, expecting people to jump out and surprise him. I tried to not laugh, which made him more suspicious. He wouldn't believe me that no one was there but us (he even looked under our bed!), so I gave in and told him that some friends would be coming later. The first couple came shortly thereafter and we sang to Justin. They left right after the second couple came, who stayed late playing Imaginiff with us. We had such a great time! When they left, we tried watching the rest of Get Smart but fell asleep instead. It was quite the long but fun day.

The Birthday

I'm so glad I had my birthday surprise from my wonderful friends! Justin had a low-grade fever the night before my birthday (May 27) and spent half of my birthday sleeping. I went running, worked on some projects on campus, and then read in the park. Justin was feeling good enough to go out by 3 p.m., so we went shopping. I bought a couple of cute shirts at Ann Taylor Loft (my new favorite store) and a hat at a store called Hottie. Since our plans started much later, we went out to eat at our favorite Japanese restaurant and Justin cooked dinner for me the next day. We did more shopping that day too at another Ann Taylor Loft, where I bought 3 more shirts, and browsed for a couple hours at Barnes & Noble. I got a package from my in-laws of gifts I wanted: a yoga kit, Mamma Mia! movie and soundtrack, and little piggy magnets. Overall, with all the surprises and fun and phone calls from family, it was definitely a most memorable and awesome birthday!

You know, usually birthdays don't feel any different for me, but this year I actually felt older. I was ready to be 22. I think it's because so much has happened in the last year: getting a new job at BYU, graduating, moving, getting and quitting my dance job, making new friends, and having family and friends visit.