The Golden Year

This is...

2012-01-29T19:17:00.000-08:00

This is...

Coffe cake & coffee

this is your funny Monday joke:

This is a cake made for James and I on TLC! Just kidding, they did have our same names though!

this is a funny real life moment as seen on ellen...

This is how my grandma keeps track of what she's read...

This is me, and a cupcake

This is Z waiting for a cupcake

This is funny toilet paper... it says thetp... duh haha

This is Kri & my piano

and that is all!

xoxo,

Jenna

Glitter Key

2012-01-24T17:24:00.000-08:00

I was bored today. I seriously considered glittering my lips to take a picture, but I didn't want to eat glitter today so I passed on that. Instead I wore red lipstick...

& gave my little Krios a little kiss. He didn't mind, and don't worry, it came off with a little dish soap.

Now for the real reason for this post, glitter keys. As seen on Pinterest, and Steph Tobler's keychain, most people use glue, glitter and top coat. I tried that, got really impatient, wiped it off and tried my own thing. Let me tell you, nail polish does the same exact thing in half the time. Plus, by using nail polish you can have any color you want, and it's not messy at all.

Here's a pile of glitter I created that didn't need to be created next to my freshly painted key.

Two coats of polish on each side followed by a layer of topcoat, and I get this pretty, simple key.

This is...

2012-01-23T14:20:00.000-08:00

This is Zoey, waking me up.

This is James & Krios

This is a picture of my sparkle heels, I just realized they match the headband the 5gf made me!

This is the road leaving Brian Head

This is the start of Jessie & I's adventure

This is the FJ, not long after Jess got it stuck on ice . Gotta love 4wd & good suspension.

This is Jess & I

This is Cass & Sara, long story, but funny picture

This is my Aunt's and Cuncle's old house in Cedar City. My grandma planned the house and my grandpa helped to build it.

This is, snow.

This is a fj mirror

This is me, trying to ignore the fact that I'm sick, enjoying the snow.

This is a rainbow in Cedar

This is the first part of our drive home.

This is the last 30 minutes of our drive, it rained until we got to apex.

This is my mom with a potato head mouth.

This is Everlee's expression after we gave her a lime.

This is not really important but super cool... you can unlock doors from your cell phone! Only problem is its $295!

This is candy

This is Cooper enjoying today's rain.

This is my momma and Krios

This is a very grainy picture of Moose and I. Moose moves fast.

Today.

2012-01-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

Today was a day full of grilled cheese sandwiches, Rachel Ray, preparing my camera for this weekend's adventures (picture from the beach) and honey nut cheerios & oj (as an attempt to get rid of my cold).

Tomorrow, snowboarding and sister-ly adventures.

Have a great weekend!

Trash the dress

2012-01-18T19:28:00.000-08:00

I know it may be early, but I love trashing my dress so it's time to start brainstorming.

The date, end of Feb or early March.

Current ideas:

Source

Source

Either park myself on the beach or cover myself in mud at the lake... icky messy mud.

I have done a "swamp" (the only trash the dress session James was "willing" to go to) and I've done color. I think it may be time for some mud.

Wedding:

1 year Anniversary:

2 year Anniversary:

3 year Anniversary:
?

Side note: I didn't feel very pretty on my wedding day, I was stressed and didn't allow for many pictures, which is why I love trash the dress so much... a chance for me to feel pretty in my wedding gown.

Extra side note: I found my little veil and want to include it in this years trash the dress.

So are you all with me on the mud?

A day of ick and omg

2012-01-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

Today is bill paying/organizing/budgeting day. I'll spare you the horrible stressful details of my finances and just explain with one word. Ick.

Warning: the following content involves details about dog barf:

My morning started out with Zoey in my face with her tennis ball, followed by the sound of a barfing dog. Not such a great morning, Krios was fine, so I started the icky bills. Once again, downstairs I heard Krios (throwing up). I felt so bad for him. I went to clean it up and o-m-g you're never going to guess what he threw up... a spread bag, from in-n-out! He had plastic in his belly! (We are SO lucky he threw it up and didn't need surgery!)

A few days ago Krios and Zoey were naughty dogs and got into the kitchen trash (which they have never done before, seriously). They shredded everything but they acted fine so we weren't concerned. Guess Krios wasn't so fine. I'll spare you the gory picture details, but I didn't spare James. I was mad that the dogs only throw up and get sick when I'm home, so I sent James a picture of Krios' barf. Haha, I couldn't help it, I mean how many times do your dogs throw up something weird like that.

Poor James.

This is...

2012-01-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

This is...

A house in my neighborhood

This is a cup with a hole in the bottom

This is the beginning of a fun & funny night

This is Z, covered in powdered sugar

This is Jess & I as Santa & an elf

This is the warning label on a book Jessie got me for Christmas

This is the inside of the book, made me laugh.

This is my hammock

This is my very best friend helping me find a "letter box"

This is the disgusting-ness that happens when you try and copy pinterest and put oil pastels in your hair.

This is part of the 5gf and I's glitter party

This is a happy picture:

This is Sara and I on the way to CA, gotta love having a Mac.

This is Sara in a no parking zone

This is self explanatory

This is starbucks

This is a sunset at the beach

This is Cassidy's cute hair-do I gave her:

These are two girls pretending to be golf cart bags

This is grandpa, using his new golf cart bags

This is Cassidy and grandpa, digging change out of the couch

This is Sara's room key, oh my gosh, I have a child!

This is my amazing grandma and I in Disneyland

This is Sara in James' jacket, hers was soaked.

This is Cassidy & I in Toy Story

This is Ty Stone, tired at the table like usual

This is me, begging James to be in a picture with me

This is for Kels, totally reminded me of her

This is my family, pretending that they live in Disneyland

This is the end :)

Bloopers & weekend

2012-01-11T09:48:00.000-08:00

I just got back from family vacation and it was SO wonderful. Going away with family really helps you to remember how amazing and inspiring your family is. Here are a few bloopers (and a few of my favorites) to explain my time in California:

Sara is silly

Flannel shirts look weird in shadow pictures

Fighting sisters (Cass & Sara)

I'm eating that man

This is one of my favorites of Sara

I love these

One of my favs of my momma :)

I saw these surfers and couldn't resist. I'm going to hang this on my wall!

Blooper- but I love how long my hair looks!

I like this one of Cass, just being herself

Cass being herself, once again

My fav. picture of Cassidy

I took a picture of a random man taking a picture. I couldn't help it.

These people are strangers but they are adorable. I really wanted to take their picture and email it to them, but I am not sure how creeped out someone would be if I asked them ;)

James carried Sara everywhere

Handstand blooper

Not only did my grandpa take a crazy picture, but he told the book he wanted to eat nice people for lunch, gotta love him!

Kri & E

2012-01-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

I get excited when things get re-pinned on pinterest. The other day, someone re-pinned Krios & the caption makes me giggle. I can't tell you how many times people have said "wow what a huge dalmation."

On to other news, the picture above was re-pinned 76 times. Can you believe a picture I took has been re-pinned that many times?!

Krios is at 64 repins. I'm still in shock when people repin my pictures, but I LOVE it!

Happy weekend y'all!

Red Velvet

2012-01-03T16:18:00.000-08:00

I started my day off right, with a pretty glass of orange juice.

Then I cleaned, started laundry, blasted music and got a random craving for cupcakes (I always have the ingredients on hand).

I hope your new year has started off great!

-xoxo-

Jenna

Feeling better :)

2011-12-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling much better today. I got bored, and decided to learn how to make stop motion "movies". Way easier that I thought. I got it on the first try, the only problem is I don't know how to save a gif copy on repeat, so click the picture to see my stop motion "movie" so I can further prove I am sometimes a dork.

Have a wonderful Friday :)

Happy Birthday, Kels!

2011-12-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

Dear most beautiful smart 5gf,

I have compiled information (and some pictures) to ~~help you~~ complete your list of 23 things to do before you're 24. Here we go!

(side note: I crossed off 6, 11, 12, 14, 21 and 23 for you. You wore your backpack somewhere, so that counts and I know you saw live music)

1. run a 1/2 marathon
2. go tubing at Zion
3. HIKE Angel's Landing
4. get another tattoo

5. train Bella
~~6. learn to play g-u-i-t-a-r~~
~~7. cabin in Utah (this summer)~~
8. grow a garden (and not let it die)
9. grow my hair out!
10. PAINT at least 23 paintings
~~11. go BACKPACKING again!~~
~~12. CA roadtrip!~~
13. kayaking trip
14. Volunteer once a month
15. pass NCLEX
16. collect more b-u-t-t-e-r-f-l-i-e-s
17. Become a butterflyologist
18. Go to Sedona!
19. take a WINO class
~~20. get my first nursing J-O-B~~
~~21. Coachella/more live music~~
~~22. learn how to two-step~~
23. live, love, and laugh more

1. I'm pretty sure you ran a half marathon in your dream. Yep, you did. I know it. Cross it off.

2. Oh my gosh, that's you in that tube!

(Don't click the picture to make it bigger)

3. Hike Angels Landing. You hiked Turtle Head Peak in January, that counts. I mean who says you can't change the name of something?! We are angels, and we landed on Turtle Head. The end.

4. Get another tattoo. Holy cow, when did you get that butterfly tattoo? hehe

8. Grow a garden, and not let it die. Done. You bought fake plants from IKEA, you grew them with your wallet. They haven't died. Done.

10. Paint 23 paintings. Done, you painted crazy pictures in my mind way more than 23 times.

13. Kayaking trip. You did it, I had a dream about it. Done.

16. Collect more butterflies. You have one on your foot now so I think you've got a good start. I'll help you. Done.

17. Become a butterfly-ologist. There is no such thing, so done! Technically it's called a lepidopterist, which is totally dumb. You should have seen me yelling at google for not telling me how to become a butterfly-ologist. If you still want to be one, here are some butterfly fun facts.

18. Go to Sedona. Done, you even sent me a picture of you there, in rain boots!

19. Take a wino class. Here you go, wine101. Done.

Taaahh dahhh! You have completed your list. Happy Happy Birthday most beautiful best friend! May 24 be even better than 23!

xoxo
-J-

Hey Hey Blog World!

2011-12-28T19:42:00.000-08:00

Howdy everyone! I am home stuck in bed (been here since Christmas, so miserable) and I'm pretty sure (98% positive) I've got tonsillitis. It's bad news, and James and I can't find the right insurance cards to go to the doctor (he hasn't called insurance, erg), so I'm stuck at home using old school remedies (which has happened before, so don't panic). James keeps making jokes about my immune system, calling me sicky, and wants me to sleep my life away until I'm better. The house is only clean when I get enough energy to clean it (laundry piles are practically almost to space!) then I konk (my dad used to use that word, it just came out, just go with it) out again.

Don't worry about the no doctor thing. I've conquered these swollen tonsils on my own before, it just takes a little more patience than just running off to the doctor. Lots of tea, nyquil is my friend, sleep and hot showers are practically all I do... all day. I promise, I'll be ok!

Anyways, since I've been home stuck in bed I thought of a pretty funny idea. Tomorrow is my very best friend in the entire planet's birthday. I'm assuming (even though I am doing better) that I won't be ready to go celebrate by tomorrow (erg) plus she works, so I had to improvise.

Tomorrow on this here blog, you'll find a few things just for the 5gf.

I'll give you a hint. She has this list of things to do before she's 24, and not everything got crossed off.

I assure you, tomorrow she will be able to cross everything off :)

Ho-Ho-Holidays!

2011-12-23T12:31:00.000-08:00

I DIY-ed my Christmas this year.

More twine letters (I still don't like the letter "S", or "R")

I got so sick of twine that I decided to paint. I kind of like the rustic look of twine on paint:

I also made a cork "E"

And a cork "A"

This is me sitting on the counter taking pictures of letters haha

Here's how I wrap presents. My grandparents used to do this all the time, so they save me comics and that's how I wrap! Saves me a bit of money for sure!

This is...

2011-12-19T20:03:00.000-08:00

This is an amazing dinner the 5gf made me. Thanks Kels!

This is how we feel about these cookies:

This is Z, hanging out in the bath tub.

This is how the 5gf and I start an adventurous night:

This is a dirty disgusting air filter:

This is me:

This is my Christmas tree:

This is an important milestone for the gogo car:

This is James and I, happy about our Christmas presents from his grandma. I forced him to smile, he was really actually very cranky about it. Totally fake picture:

This is the dinner I made for the 5gf since she made me dinner:

This is Kels, with long hair. What a funny night:

This is James and Krios cuddling on the couch:

This is Sara Rose, performing at the mall with Santa!

This is B & Santa

Santa telling B secrets, so stinkin' cute. After he was done talking, B ran back to me all excited and hugged me. Seriously cutest moment ever. His momma did a good job with him :)

This is me and Santa

This is the group and Santa

This is Zoey and Khloe (Jessie's pup) hanging out in the kitchen with me:

That is the end :)

xoxo,

-J-

Cork, twine, cookies, wine & Martha

2011-12-15T22:30:00.000-08:00

That was a pretty long blog title. I crafted today. A little piece of the Christmas presents I've put together.

First, I stained a few pieces of wood. I glued wine corks together in the shape of an "A" for the gift receivers last name. It's easy and simple, and you can post note to it. I even put a hook on the back so it can hang on a wall.

Then, for another receiver I covered a letter ($3 from Joanne's) with twine ($2 at Home Depot) All you need to do is wrap the letter in twine, and occasionally use a hot glue gun to keep things in place.

The first time I did this I completely ruined the edges. I tried to cut and glue too much. Instead I just kept on wrapping. 100x easier and much prettier. You can see how I dressed up my own twine letter HERE.

I made some pretty awesome sugar cookies and delicious brownies.

I added a little Christmas spirit to wine bottles (Kels pretend like you didn't see this, one of those might possibly be yours). The stick on labels are Martha Stewart (that's my home girl, haha)

My DIY Christmas ins't totally killing me. But, I haven't gotten to the sewing yet. Fingers crossed!

This is...

2011-12-10T23:05:00.000-08:00

First, would someone like to explain to me why James' cat hates me. I mean I let the freaking cat live inside, why does he always pee on my stuff and never James' crap? Erg.

I got home from my mini vaca today, it's bittersweet. Actually, I didn't want to leave at all but I figured I had to go home at some point.

James did the dishes when I was gone... but the second I walked in the door it smelt like candles and ferret (not a great combination) and there were clean (piles that I left to see if he'd do) and dirty (piles that weren't there when I left) laundry piles everywhere, literally everywhere in my room and no sheets on the bed. So, 10 at night and I get to cleaning (because James decided to go to game night instead of happily greet his wife that's been gone for three days). Anyways, enough about stupid housework and lazy husbands, let's do something a little more fun.

This is...

This is my friend Erin on top of Turtle Head Peak in Red Rock

These are our "letters"

This is my dads dog Kobe in front of a tree, I love him.

This is Cass & Sara, being crazy

This is our little road trip on Kri's birthday

This is Krios, enjoying his birthday treat

This is a flying shark & Cassidy

These are my road trip essentials:

This is me, on my way to CA

This is a song I avoid listening to

This is my grandpa and I being dorks in Disney

This is Cass and I in Disney

This is Knockout Pizza

This is me on the beach

This is me sitting where I have a zillion "baby" pictures of me

This is me on my way home

This was my sunset view

This is what I came home to, poor Tink.

And that is all :)

Quotes

2011-12-07T19:55:00.001-08:00

I'm about to post some quotes, some relate to me, some don't. Either way I love them all. Some were said by friends, some by celebs, some I'm not going to say who said them. Last post of the week, I promise :)

"I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love." -Marilyn Monroe

"Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will move mountains"

"Live in the sunshine swim in the sea, drink the wild air" -Emerson

"A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets"

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them." -Emerson

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself. And sometimes, good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

"I may have your heart, but I don't have you"

"I'm a man of actions, not promises"

Now, with my quotes (that happen to be no-so-uplifting) on a page and not in my mind... the end of the semester finished tonight, and James cursing at video games, I bid you goodnight (I don't know why I wanted to write that sentence so bad) I am in need of a hot bubble bath and a glass of wine before starting my adventures tomorrow. A 5 hour drive alone is exactly what I need!

Have a good weekend y'all!

xoxo,

Fair warning - documented.

2011-12-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

me: You know after today I'm on break, which means I'm going to read more, and be mad at you because you aren't like a fictional character. You have been warned.

James: ugh

lol

Christmas Blues

2011-12-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas blues. I picked blue lights this year, James told me the amount I needed. He was wrong.

The front of our house is SO dull. I don't think it helps that our front porch lights are so bright but either way I'm a little disappointed with our lights. James wouldn't help, my sister lives farther away, and I was all alone. This is all I've got.

Even though I'm bummed about the front of my house, I love the FJ. Last year James put the lights on the FJ, this year he was less than thrilled, so once again I was on my own. The FJ does look pretty though. Totally worth it.

Update on my little random act of kindness for the neighbor: He came over and personally thanked us today and was really nice. Apparently he decorates his mom's and grandma's house the same way (in their neighborhoods). Totally sweet, I wish someone wanted to decorate my house!

Acts of kindness...

2011-12-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

Over the Thanksgiving break I was in the Starbucks drive-thru when the person in front of me decided to pay for my drink as a Thanksgiving treat. Naturally, I paid for the person's behind me. It felt good to have a stranger do something nice for me. I hope the person behind me felt the same. It was a great day from then on.

Today I decided to get my neighbor a Starbucks gift card. I was going to bake for them, but then I realized most people are terrified to eat something a stranger baked, and I would feel horrible if they threw it away (even the thought makes me sad). So I went for the gift card. My bank account doesn't allow for much, but $10 to make someone else's day is totally worth it to me.

The people in my neighborhood with the lights covering their entire house (seriously, ENTIRE HOUSE!) now have a thank you note - christmas card - gift card, waiting for them on their doorstep. I love random acts of kindness, and I love doing nice things for people who make me so happy, even if they are strangers. I hope it makes them smile and I hope they continue their Christmas lights tradition for years to come!

On another random note:
I've been talking about monkey bread lately, and Pillsbury sent me an email with exactly what I was looking for.

And Krios has been repinned 38 times on Pinterest! (36 in this picture) That's not even including pins re-pinned from those that pinned from my board. (if that makes any sense at all) I feel like he's famous.

My $5 hair

2011-12-05T16:44:00.000-08:00

Everyone that knows me knows how much I love to change my hair. Lately, it hasn't changed much, especially the cut. So I decided it's time for something new.

My sister recently went dark:

I wanted to go back (dark that is), so no better time than now. Now we will actually look related.

I didn't want to look exactly the same, so I cut my bangs to make them chunkier (they can be normal too) and I added a few more layers. I bought 2 boxes of hair dye, the cheap stuff (a total of 2.50 each). My hair feels healthier, and I feel happier (since I know I have to dye it less).

22 things

2011-12-01T15:48:00.000-08:00

While cleaning my office I came across a list of 22 things I learned before I turned 23 (which was in August)

I really like the list, so before I throw it away (because I hate clutter and it's written crazy) I decided to put it on the blog.

22 things I learned before I turned 23

1. "Hiking is good for the soul" -Kelsey

2. Marriage isn't always perfect, and that's ok

3. Best friends are hard to come by, so never let anyone get in the way of your friendship

4. Sisters are the best, no matter how many outfits (or shoes) go missing from your closet.

5. Everything happens for a reason

6. Animals are a LOT of work, but totally worth it

7. Timelines are horrible, don't make them.

8. Take life as it comes

9. When your glass is "half empty", refill it

10. Use your past as a learning experience. Don't forget it.

11. Live like there's no tomorrow. Carpe diem

12. Just because everyone you know seems to be having a baby, you don't need one. Don't rush. Be happy NOW

13. A glass of wine, a pretty sunset, and your best friend can cure just about anything.

14. It's ok for others to judge you (and be honest about it) but that doesn't mean you need to listen. Don't judge yourself.

15. Trust your own advice.

16. Be patient.

17. Think before you speak. A childhood lesson, but it never gets old.

18. Forgive <3

19. Keep secrets a secret

20. If you don't love what you do, do something about it.

21. Be grateful - for everything

22. Believe in yourself and your dreams

Not bad. Wonder what I'll learn before I'm 24.

Cold weather & Rose

2011-12-01T07:58:00.000-08:00

Today I woke up feeling refreshed. I happen to love the cold weather.

I also love coffee (hot white mocha, mmm), running around the house with the dogs, and listening to Sara Rose sing via youtube.

For your listening pleasure, here's Rose singing her heart out :)

Brownies & Glowing

2011-11-28T21:35:00.000-08:00

First off, my brownies are bomb.

Second, I love black-light parties with the 5gf.

Highlighter arm with special yellow highlighter drawings from your best friend = fabulous night

Happy Monday

Christmas & Business cards

2011-11-27T16:54:00.000-08:00

Today I took pictures of the animals for our Christmas card. James was cranky about all pictures, the one I made him take with me, and the ones of the animals (I tried to wrangle him in for help, didn't work out so well) Either way, I love the way they turned out.

I'd show you a screen shot of them, but I want them to be a surprise. I will however, show you the cost.

You can see a tiny preview of the card! I ordered 40 cards, orig. at 1.49 each.

Totaled at 59.60 (yikes!) Entered a discount code and tada! 17.88 for 40 custom made cards

Last year I spent $30 on cards & envelopes, so I feel good with my 17.88 + free shipping + free envelopes & 40 cards instead of the 25 I got last year.

Since they had such a great deal going on, I decided to get some business cards. I know, I do not officially have a business, but I thought it would be neat for my family and friends to have my card, so any time they need pictures they remember to call ME! Plus, I've always wanted to put a card into those "free lunch if we draw your business card" buckets.

Here it is... my very first business card:

Which of course, was bought with a coupon as well.

25 isn't bad for cards, but I wouldn't have bought them at this price.

Here's after the coupon code:

Pretty successful day of "shopping"

One of those days

2011-11-26T18:05:00.000-08:00

Today is one of those days. A feel nothing, in between, unsure day.

So, here's to movies, bubble baths, steam, serenity, & hope that tomorrow will bring a little bit of adventure and a whole lot of inspiration.

xoxo,

This is...

2011-11-23T23:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my first blog post titled "This is". You know how you take a zillion pictures on your phone but don't do anything with them? (Ok well maybe it's just me) I've decided to show you all my collection of phone pictures with tiny descriptions. Here we go... picture overload!

This is: Krios getting in my way while I'm cleaning.

This is, the gogo car's highest average MPG yet

This is James, as a grinch. He wouldn't let me post to facebook, so here he is on the blog!

This is dessert made by the famous Ann Dickson!

This is the 5gf and I's Twilight adventure

This is the bridge that means "you're almost to the beach"

This is Knockout Pizza

This is Kelsey, sitting on a lamp. The sign said sit on me... we were scared.

This is a pig puppet from Ikea... Kels wouldn't let me buy him.

This is me... in my happy place.

This is a sunset. (dur)

This is the take 1 of 100

This is happy people

This is a car full of Ikea supplies, fruit, and baggage.

This is the gogo car at the beach

This is a fireplace the in-laws got us for xmas

This is Z showing it off

This is a lot of hot peppers

This is the salsa I turned those hot peppers into, for my 5gf

This is my cute puppy covered in cocoa powder

This is my turkey day contribution... desserts.

And on that note... Happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo

Bloopers & weekend

2011-11-21T13:54:00.000-08:00

This weekend was 100% amazing! Kels & I laughed so hard our stomachs hurt, shopped, danced in the rain, rode in the back of a golf cart, ate a ton of pizza, packed the car full of Ikea products and huge bags of random fruit, made letters with our bodies, and sat our pretty little bottoms (lol) on the beach all day long.

You can see our pictures on my facebook page, and I'm sure I'll upload to let it shine, but for now here's a ton of bloopers.

Kelsey "You want me to lay in the sand? No." and then she does it, but hesitates.

This is my uh.... power ranger pose?

Lol, she looks at me like I'm crazy or something

Kels is a vampire, and the sun is killing her in this picture.

Mid jump, take 20 lol

Dancing, and I'm serious about it.

Attempt 7 at sunset friends... it looks like we are staring at each other like lovers LOL

That's all for now... thanks for a fun filled weekend 5gf!

For the record (breadsticks)

2011-11-16T18:15:00.000-08:00

Just for the record, not everything on pinterest is wonderful. For example, I tried to make "olive garden breadsticks" and they turned out pretty yeasty. Pretty plain too... which is not the right kind of taste at all. Later I found a recipe for a version of the breadstick as done on ABC's Good Morning America, maybe next time I'll try that one. The main difference, two hours worth of waiting for the dough to rise (on the new recipe) instead of 45 minutes.

I made spaghetti today too, pretty delish'. I also made apple pie. I like to call it apple pie 1-2-3.

Here's how you make it.

1. Go shopping, buy apple pie filling & pie crust

2. Put the pie crust in cupcake holders after greasing of course, fill with apple filling, add a little cinnamon, decorate the top. Bake.

3. Eat.

So what? I'm an apple pie cheater, who cares. They still taste good, and they're pretty, and bite size.

Happy baking this holiday season!

xoxo,

Mistletoe & Snowflakes

2011-11-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

I love the way Christmas feels. Decorations, baking, wrapping presents (even though our tree will be very empty this year) and cards make me one happy girl.

I changed my front door wreath. Last year it was pink. This year I loved my fall "wreath" so much that I didn't want to take it down. I ripped off the "wreath's" fall parts and added winter.

Find out how we made the twine letter HERE

Before:

Ripped apart, added velcro (for easy changes later) and new ribbon

After:

It ties in with my snowflakes on the rocking chair, and the flower pots

I also added mistletoe (Thanks Steph!)

I know, kind of cheesy hanging it from twine but that's what happens when you have stucco.

Have you ever read about mistletoe? It's pretty interesting (google it). These days we use it as an excuse to kiss before walking into someone's home (that's usually where I see it). Back in the day they used it for the same concept, just a little different, and possibly for the whole year.

I also found this little guy while decorating. I hope he eats all of the spiders on my porch!

This weekend...

2011-11-13T22:24:00.001-08:00

For photo's sake!

2011-11-12T22:29:00.000-08:00

Proceed with Caution: Photo overload!

Steph asked me to take some pictures of her and Jake for the holidays. Since we are all so busy we had to do them a little early. Plus, Steph is crazy (crazily creative) and makes her cards, like, from scratch so she needs pictures done early. She was nice enough to take some of James and I. I have to say, for James hating pictures as much as he does, Steph sure did get a few cute pictures.

I realized I need to dye my hair dark again, I look much prettier. So I'm sure by next week I'll be pure brunette, so who knows what our Christmas cards will look like. Anyway, here we go.

Here's my attempt at a picture I saw on Pinterest. Let me just tell you, it's harder than it looks. I still haven't figured it out yet, but here's my lame attempt. Jake and Steph were very patient with my "I want to try this" moments. Such good sports!

Here's after our little photo shoot. Steph and I were happy as could be!

We also finally have a picture of us (steph and I) with our stand in husband, Ryan. He's always there for me when James doesn't want to come on adventures, or when I need a helping hand. Thanks Ryan!

Next, my photo, that has been deemed "strange" by a commenter on facebook. I deleted the comment because my real friends already know I'm strange (and bored). Here's Krios' first comic strip. A few friends told me they wanted me to make Kri a comic, so I did.

Lastly, here's Everlee. My photoshopping is horrible in this picture (totally blurred) but I still like it. Her real Christmas photo shoot is tomorrow so I'm sure I'll have something even cuter to post!

Hope y'all have a great Sunday!

This weekend...

2011-11-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

I didn't make a pretty board for the weekend festivities. I did a whole lot of nothing. I was sick, then I was overly tired, you know how all that goes. I did go shopping, even though my budget said "WTF are you thinking?" James needed a suit for an interview (which also does NOT fit in our budget) so we went to Kohl's. He kind of had a suit jacket, but it didn't match his pants, and this is an important interview so we had to splurge. Since he got something that made him look fancy (he does look good all spiffed up) I wanted something to make me feel pretty. Lauren Conrad sure knows what she's doing:

The back of this sweater is fabulous. I paired it with black leggings (or tights) and black boots. My favorite outfit. It fits loosely so it doesn't show my chunky love handles, and it isn't revealing, but is still classy and pretty. My style for sure.

I also made Jessie's Halloween costume (or lack of costume) for a party she went to. She wanted to be a little goddess (gotta love the toga's).

Jessie is on the left... I also instructed Kylee (far right) on how to make her tutu.

On to other news, I took pictures yesterday of a super adorable baby. You can check them out on my other blog. Let it shine

This weekend...

2011-10-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend: Jessie got a puppy, I wrote out all of my homework and organized my life a bit, I watched Pan Am, I made a chocolate cake, I made a tutu and went to a baby shower, Cass & I spiderwebbed my house, and Ryan carved pumpkins with me.

Trying to figure out how to fix my car.

2011-10-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

hmm ill help you

ok, but i dont even know where it's located

the exhaust gasket i mean.  I just know it makes a bad noise in my car

and someone was under it once and said "you need a new exhaust gasket" and I said ya I know.

well so far ive read blah bla blahhh blah blah

ya that's what I got out of it

ooonce upon a time

ooonce upon a time, there were two girls trying to fix an exhaust gasket.  They tried and tried and tried.... but just couldn't find the part.

all of the car pieces were scattered on the ground, when all of the sudden a man came up in a brand new toyota tacoma...

and he fixed the girls car and took her away in the new pretty truck.

the end

and gave it to the neighbor!

and they lived happily ever after.

the neighbor did

no i did

in the new truck, with the man

we are still stuck staring at the car. then a really hot guy comes up with a black f350 and says here you go!

the end!

7:55pm

lol

Ya... this is what happens when you have a sister. 

This weekend...

2011-10-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend. Jess and I took a road trip to Zion National Park. We were celebrating my mother's 40th birthday. Jess and I splurged to make sure our mom had a special birthday, she got her first piece of Tiffany Jewelry. It was chilly in the mountains, which explains my favorite Levi's hoodie. We drank wine, relaxed, listened to guitar and sang our hearts out. Upon return, I went to see Footloose with James, Steph & Jake. I made coffee cake. I also went to a talent show to watch my 12 year old cousin, Sara, sing in a talent show (she rocked it!).

Pets & tutus

2011-10-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

I made a tutu for my (how do I even explain this) soon to be kind of step baby sister?

I even put her name on her shirt.

I also got her white leggings. Easiest baby present ever. And hand made, so that gives me brownie points.

The best of me...

2011-10-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

Im reading Nicholas Sparks new book today.

I had to warn James before I started reading. Usually I read one of his books and hate James for not ever being sweet. At least I gave him a fair warning this time. haha

This weekend...

2011-10-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend: I used my glue gun & staple gun to make a cork letter or two. Did you know there's glitter glue for glue guns? I totally got some. I also just LOVE glitter. My mom bought me silver glitter shoes, my gold ones needed friends. I rocked out to music, did some crafting, drank some coffee, watched Halloween Town High (yes, I am that weird adult that watches kid shows all the time) and I bought a little picture frame for a future project (thinking DIY wreath for Christmas).

2011-10-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

Today Jessie decided she wanted to craft. Halloween decor for her very first Halloween as a grown up!

It's her wreath, we just put it on my door to demonstrate.

I decided to get a head start on my DIY Christmas list.

First I assembled the letter.

Then I glued it all together, and staple gunned it.

It needs a bigger bow.

And I still have a lot of corks left:

Here's a sneak peak of the project the 5gf inspired, who was inspired by Pinterest.

This weekend...

2011-10-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

Here's the info: Kels and I went dancing (cowboy hat), Jess and I went to the lake (map of lake), I watched the movie pictures, and took a nice bubble bath. I had two maternity photo shoots planned and delivered photo cd's to the gorgeous soon to be mothers. I also walked my dogs (the leash).

Making messes, as usual

2011-09-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

My "office" has been a mess lately. I have a good excuse, I really do. I know someone that had bed bugs, they needed a bed since their was infested (totally icky btw) and I had an extra bed so I gave it away. Well, turns out some animal peed on the bed we were going to give away. Obviously I wasn't going to give that bed away. So then I gave the bed away from my office. Yes, that was our cozy guest bed, but we never have guests so who cares. Anyway, to the point of the post, my upstairs has been a disaster. We (as in me... I just say we since technically it's James' house/bed too, but I do all the work around here) gave a bed away, moved the twin bed from the garage (the clean bed) to my office, and the peed on bed has moved to the garage until further notice.

Here's my office "after" although I still have a few changes to make.

Please ignore the mess on the desk and the edge of the bed... I'm in the middle of planning a photo shoot for today!

The TV moved out of the closet, my desk now faces a wall instead of the middle of the room, the queen bed was switched for a twin, and the book case moved.

No big deal... but I need to move the silver frames above the bed again. The picture below is a crappy photoshopped (kind of) example.

On a totally random note... my dogs are cute. I've finally mastered my camera & can now get the right color eyes to show up without photoshopping. (I was having a problem with eyes coming out too dark)

On another random note: My eyes match my hair today.

Lots of love,

Jenna

This weekend...

2011-09-25T16:44:00.001-07:00

The info:

Kels and I found 4 bulldog puppies on the side of the road near her house, we found the owners but in the meantime, we had 4 dogs in my car, followed by 3 hours of puppy wrangling until the owners came to get them from us.

Because we found puppies, we didn't get to do the craft we planned (which explains the wood & craft paint).

I got pretty new shoes. They may even be my favorite shoes ever.

Kels and I went out and drank Washington Apples and our night Saturday night could only be described as the Twilight Zone.

That's it, my weekend in a nutshell!

Crafting with Mrs. Crafty

2011-09-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last night I crafted with Steph, good times, and good laughs!

We started with these letter blocks: (T for Tobler, S for Scott)

Here I am, happy about the way things are going, so far:

What we didn't capture in between was my new hate for the letter "s", but that's not that important, so we shall go on.

We finished our letters, after I ran into some problems with lack of twine (Steph saved the day) and Steph had a great idea to add fabric flowers to them. Now, I've never made fabric flowers, so don't judge. Let's just say I am a horrible flower maker.

For example: My flower is on the left, Steph's is on the right:

Here's Steph with her pretty finished "T"

Here's my "S"

What a fun night!

Update: Steph found one of these letters on etsy for $30, plus $12 for shipping! $42 for something that cost us under $10 to make?! That's just crazy talk!

I feel as if Steph and I recreated the letter perfectly, and much cheaper.

DIY win!
(and I guess I don't hate the letter "S" that much now)

This weekend...

2011-09-18T19:53:00.001-07:00

The fishtail braid

2011-09-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

I've been on a braid kick lately. Simple and Easy.

I sucked at braiding my own hair, but I finally learned how to do it.

(thanks to thebeautydepartment.com)

Today, I finally mastered the fishtail braid.

I have lots of layers, so sometimes braiding can be a pain. The fishtail braid was probably the easiest one I've done so far. Layers don't matter, and it can be messy. Need I say more?

Happy Friday!

House update

2011-09-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've updated my house on the blog, so here we go.

Living room:

I made pillows.

Lets play "i-spy"... I spy a mason jar filled with orange juice (totally my favorite thing to drink out of in the morning)

I love martha stewart fabric paint!

I finally put the original picture Jessie took with the painting Jessie made:

I love the media center still... but I have a major problem with it. All those wine bottles, are empty.

Current room layout. I'm pretty sure my furniture is too big for the room, but it was free, and from family so I'm keeping it.

Chapter 23

2011-08-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

Today is August 23rd, my 23rd birthday!

Since this is my golden year (23 on 23) my blog is temporarily named "The Golden Year".

Thank you to everyone who made "chapter 22" so wonderful.

Year 23:

And just for fun, a picture of my pretty pink sparkly nails.

(sticker nail polish is fabulous)

Laundry Soap DIY

2011-08-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

I've been talking about making my own laundry soap for months, and it's finally done!

DIY Laundry Soap link

I'm not going to go into details about the ingredients, you can click the link above if you're interested.

I'll be able to do 500 loads of laundry with this soap (not like I want to, but still, money saver)!

The website spent a bit more than I did (I had coupons and the home depot bucket was $2, not $4). My total for this project: $7

I'll be sending some off with my sister, mom, and aunt, because honestly, I don't do THAT much laundry. Plus, I always share when I make something useful.

I took the time to "can" the soap, because my laundry room is boring and I don't want to make it even more "ugly" with a giant orange bucket. You'll save time if you store it in the bucket.

I also took the time to make those jars I'm handing out pretty jars. I know, I'm a nut.

Happy Wednesday and happy crafting!

Jenna

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again where I get to thank all of the women in my life who have been there for me and who have inspired me.

Mom, I'm so proud to call you my mother. Thank you for being such a strong person, even when things get rough. Thank you for listening to me vent and cry, and for giving me words of encouragement when I need them. Thank you for teaching me about what is important in life. I am lucky to have not just a mother, but a best friend. Someone I can always count on, trust with my secrets, and make me laugh when I am feeling down. I love you mom!

Lucy, you have not only inspired me with your decorating tips, but your love for adventure in life. You have always been the one to make me look at life from a different point of view. You have been not only an amazing friend to me, but to my mother, and that means the world to me. You have inspired me to keep my marriage strong. Usually high school relationships fall apart, but you have taught me that with a little work, and a lot of communication, that true love does exist and a young relationship can last through just about anything. Thank you!

Dawn, not only do I thank you for feeding me when my mom was out of town, but I thank you for always being there for me, Jessie, and my mom, it means more to me than words can describe. I thank you for your amazing family who has supported me though everything I have ever decided to do. Thank you for never judging me.

Aunt Stacey, this year you have inspired me in so many ways. You have gotten me addicted to juicers, fruit, chicken eggs straight from the chicken, goats, taco tuesday, and gardening. I think you are such an amazing person. Not only have you successfully raised three children, but you have taken me in for "Jenna Wednesday's" and have made a weekly contribution to my happiness. Thank you for everything.

Gloria, you are such an amazing person. I thank you for sharing your love stories with me, and your life adventures. Thank you for keeping me on your mind when it comes to things like random love letters in the mail and beautiful candy bowls. I feel so lucky to have you in my life.

Of course I am thankful for all of my grandmothers, who have done so much for me not only in the past year, but in my entire life. If I were to write each of them a thank you letter, it would be pages long.

If you don't see your name on this little list it's not because I am not thankful, I just didn't have the time to write out a novel (although I wish I had the time). I love you all and I am so thankful for each of you.

Happy Mothers Day

With love,

Jenna

Home ownership-overlooked

2011-03-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

There are a few things about being a new homeowner that you accidentally overlook.

Association fees, association rules, and all the what if's (like, what if your dog chews through linoleum?, what if a pipe bursts and gives you a $500 water bill?, what if your great dane's a** puts a hole in your wall during play time?) just to name a few.

Yes, we have run into all of the above problems. Those problems could not really be avoided, but the one I'm about to mention is a little embarrassing.

Check this out:

Yep, that would be our air filter. I told you it was embarrassing. But I'm sharing our "oops we forgot to change the air filters" story and disgusting-ness in hopes to remind you to check yours. They need to be changed every three months. That picture, is 9 months worth of dust! (Can you believe it's been that long already?!) So, for those of you in apartments, you better call your landlords and get new filters, or spend the whole $6 it costs to get a new one. (seriously, they are that cheap, did I say "oops" yet?)

Lesson learned: When you buy a new home and they give you a giant manual to read, you should probably read it. It's full of important information. And, when your husband says, "we need to change the filters" you should probably not put it on the back burner.

This is what your filter is supposed to look like:

I'm thinking that we will be able to breathe easier now.

Welcome Wreath

2011-01-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

I think adding a wreath to the door really gives your house a homey feeling.

Today, I made my own simple little wreath, since the only other door decor I have is for the holidays.

I used a pre-made $2 wreath (made out of twigs) used a little bunch of flowers (that were on sale for .50, the same flowers that were used in my little front yard garden) printed mine and hubby's initials (they happen to be the exact same) and used an exacto knife to cut them out on card stock paper.

Simple, and cheap.

Total amount: $2.50

We also got a new entry rug for Christmas... everything ties together perfectly!

Front yard flowers

2011-01-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

To view my horrible gardening progress, click: Garden-to-date

I really wanted to have a green thumb, but I don't.

I'm sure if I had the time every day, or the will power to remember that I have flowers that need to be taken care of that a garden would work out for me, but for now, it's not happening.

The first attempt: Grow my own flowers/herbs. Caterpillars ate them.

Attempt 2: Grow the herbs inside. Cat ate them.

Attempt 3: Keep flowers planted. They froze.

This is what happened to my precious flowers:

Ugly and zero color.

Now this is what replaces them, at least until Spring:

Fake, fake, fake, but hey, at least they look better than the dead ones!

Oh, Glitter Tree

2010-12-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

Oh, glitter tree, how I love thee.

The 5gf and I set out on a mission to Michaels.

She thought of foam cones, I thought of the glitter isle.

Together, we created one big glitter mess, got glitter in our pants, turned my dogs into glitter dogs, and created 5 pretty trees that we never want to take down.

Supply list: a good friend who's willing to sit in piles of glitter, a foam cone, glitter leaves, and wire. (I also used a glue gun, but Kels got away with mostly wire)

Glitter leaves

Foam cones

A best friend

All you have to do is wrap a glitter leaf around the cone and use the wire to "sew" it in. There are many different techniques, so just go for whatever you feel looks best. Kels wired hers tight, I did mine loose, they both turned out amazing.

My glitter tree

My mini glitter tree

The 5gf's amazing trees

Best tree toppers ever

Guess what, even the men in my house like them, see, you can't go wrong!

Oh how we love Christmas. Good luck with your Christmas decor... we hope it has as much glitter as ours does.

Beet the nutrition into me!

2010-10-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

Now read the title again. I didn't make a mistake, I said "beet", you know like the vegetable.

Cuzaunt (aunt Stac) has me on the juice kick still, and I'm quickly learning the types of fruits and vegetables that really help my body. I can feel the difference when I drink fresh juice.

Wednesday Cuzaunt made me try her newest creation. Beet juice, strawberries, vanilla soy milk, a banana, and apple juice smoothie. You juice the beet and apple then combine the rest of the ingredients in a blender.

Cuzaunt makes hers perfect, but today was my first attempt at it on my own.

These are beets:

This is me trying to figure out how to get them ready for the juicer. I have to admit, I kind of just looked at them for a few minutes trying to decide what to do.

After asking google, I quickly found out that beets are really easy to work with. However, I made the mistake of using too much of a beet, making my smoothie taste a little bit like dirt, and making it WAY to pink. I'm sure next time I'll get it right, but check out the picture below, my smoothie is pinker than my kindle!

Let's take a closer look at the benefits of drinking beet juice:

The first thing I found out was that the longer you cook a beet, the fewer the health benefits. So, don't cook your beets, just juice them, unless you don't have a juicer, then just come over. Beets are known to clear up skin, help bladder problems, strengthen the kidneys, help headaches and toothaches, and are supposed to be really healthy for pregnant women. (No, I'm not pregnant, I'm just sayin') I happen to love clear skin, and in Cuzaunt's smoothies, you can't taste the beet (well, the dirt since that's what a beet tastes like). I just added way too much. I feel like a health freak, but in all honesty, I really like eating (and drinking) healthfully.

Of course, I'm not really a health freak, I can't resist in-n-out sometimes, but hey, at least I'm eating healthier at home!

Totally Vintage

2010-09-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

What do you love about this picture:

I guess that's not a good question since I love everything about this picture. The view I get driving from my parents house to mine is pretty, and I love my car, but my favorite thing about this picture is this:

That's right, I have a new ring.

My grandpa gave me a ring today, a very special ring. It's his graduation "class" ring! (Have I mentioned that I'm spoiled?) His graduation year, 1962 (wasn't that the year you were born grandpa? haha) School, Valley High School. It's even got his initals on it, which happen to be the initals I was born with, JR. (James "Mike" Richards, aka grandpa, and my name was Jenna Richards at birth)

Thanks grandpa, it means the world to me :)

Car-Problem Solved

2010-08-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

I got home from work and went straight to work on my poor little car.

You see, when I was 16 my parents gave me a Jeep wrangler (1994). I could keep it, but I had to learn how to fix it first.

My dad got to work fixing the Jeep, and I watched. I even helped do some of the work.

Not long after, I was given a brand new 2006 Toyota Corolla, which I still have to this day. It has just under 97,000 miles on it. (yes, I know, that's a lot) I hit 97,000 miles, and this is my first problem so far.

Anyways, that's not really important. The important thing is that if I wanted to drive, I had to learn how to change tires, batteries, and learn the parts of my car.

Today, I fixed my car.

I took out the battery, after yelling at it to let go of my precious car, and took it to Auto Zone. (where I was hit on by some guy who loved my mom's mustang that I happened to be driving today) The guys at Auto Zone were great. (there were only guy customers in there, and when they saw me walking in with a battery in hand, it was like the sea parted for me. I went straight to the counter)

Yep, it was just the battery.

I came home, put the new one in, and problem solved!

Thank goodness it was only a battery problem!

*Thank you parents for letting me drive the 'stang today

*Thank you grandpa for driving me home!

Car problems

2010-08-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

This morning my car wouldn't start.

I don't really feel like complaining about it, but I think it's pretty funny so I decided to share my morning story.

Woke up late, like usual, rushed to get ready. Made yogurt and granola for breakfast, grabbed a spoon, put the dogs away, got in the car. Forgot cell phone, ran back in to get it, dogs go crazy. Got them to stop barking (roomie ryan was still sleeping) headed out the door for round 2.

Turned the key. Radio came on, car wouldn't start. I sat there for a second. "I must be crazy, there's nothing wrong with my car, maybe I started it wrong." Ya, because you know, people start cars wrong all the time. Put my foot on the break, they were tight. (hmmm) Car still wouldn't start. First thought, it's not the battery.

I was not willing to give up. A few tries later, the car finally started. Woo hoo! Not. It was idling really high, like unsafe, sounds a little crazy high. Called my dad, he said don't drive it. Stubbornly started it again, wouldn't start at all. Mom came to get me, I dropped her off, and used her car for today.

I'm so glad my parents have an extra car, but am so sad that my poor little corolla is broken. Who knows what's wrong, my dad is coming to check tonight.

The best part, I was going to get it serviced today. Erg.

Spaghetti, the best ever!

2010-08-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

My dad makes this spaghetti, and it's the best I've ever had.

I was watching "The best thing I ever ate" on Food Network. It inspired me to share the best spaghetti ever.

Here's the orig. recipe

You can start there. I've made some changes, but how ever you make it, it's still the best spaghetti ever.

I don't use onion. I've found that it doesn't really make that big of a difference, plus if my husband sees onion in anything, he wont eat it. He's a picky eater, and that's the only thing I leave out.

I add a little more brown sugar, and I use HOT sausage. Depending on the smell, I use more wine than it calls for as well. I've made it so many times that I don't even measure things, so I can't give you exact amounts.

My advice: Make this spaghetti and experiment with it. You can't go wrong.

Bake your own!

2010-08-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

Hello blog world. After being featured (so exciting) on HEALTHY LIVING yesterday, I've decided to post something not so healthy.

A cake recipe!

(Compliments-Bonnie Empey)

What you'll need:

A box of cake mix (any kind)

2 small boxes of pudding (in complimentary flavor)

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix all the ingredients together. ~~Taste it!~~ Don't taste it, you'll die from salmonella, or so they say. Make sure you grease your pan really well so the cake lifts easily after baking. Pour the cake mix in two separate pans if you're planning on making pretty cakes, or one pan for a regular cake, whatever floats your boat!

Follow the baking time instructions on the box, make sure you watch your cake though, with out opening the oven! (or you'll have a volcano cake instead of a flat one)

Need some inspiration? Bonnie makes strawberry banana cake, which I like to call banana split. She uses strawberry boxed cake, and banana pudding. Then for frosting (for all over the cake, even if you're using fondant) she uses cream cheese frosting and mixes in banana extract. It's one of my favorite cake flavors now.

Thanks for sharing Bonnie, you've made my cake life so much better!

To make fondant CLICK HERE

Tip for coloring fondant: Use actual fondant color, found next to cake decorations in most stores.

When adding color, add it to your marshmallow mixture before sifting the sugar in. Use small amounts of color, a drop goes a long way!

I've been featured!

2010-08-26T16:20:00.001-07:00

I have a huge announcement!

I've been featured at neverhomemaker.com

Can you believe it?!

Hurry, CHECK IT OUT NOW.

Media Center (Complete!)

2010-08-23T06:30:00.000-07:00

Finally, THE PLAN has come to life!

Not literally of course.

When I first decided to build a media center (because I could not find one that fit in the spot) my wonderful husband laughed at me. His exact words? "You're not going to build that." Yes, everyone thought I was crazy. I don't work with wood much, and have never built anything at all.

I didn't care what they thought. I drew up some plans and headed to Home Depot with Jessie, we picked wood, they cut it for us, and we started to build.

Jessie getting legs at Home Depot

When we came home, once again James just started laughing. Don't worry, we showed him!

Jessie and I started the first section right away, while James stood there laughing and watching. Jessie amazingly finished the main parts of the center while James and I were at the in-laws.

We finished the frame up pretty quickly when I got back. Next, we used a little wood glue to secure everything. (We also added small decorative wood to the front & legs) We painted, and ta-dah!

Media center!

Here's the before picture:

And an after picture, a little closer:

The set up will be re-done this week (glass bottles will make an appearance, and the guitar is getting a new home)

Not bad for two girls huh?

Oh, yes. We can pack.

2010-08-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

Before we left on our mini vacation, I posted about packing.

We ended up not bringing the surfboards, thank goodness!

So what's in the FJ?

5 people (3 kids)

7 Large bags (The girls were at horse camp)

Sleeping bags and pillows (4 pillows, 4 blankets, 2 sleeping bags)

Golf clubs (a full set, in the golf bag)

Random shoes jammed into the tiny open spaces (cowgirl boots galore)

and lastly, 5 boogie boards!

Can you believe we fit all that in such a small space? Jessie and I were pretty impressed with ourselves.

And the prize for packing goes to: Jenna & Jessie!

Cake-tacular

2010-08-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

Birthday cakes for Martha & Halie.

Adorable right?

I made it, with a little bit of help from Bonnie & Jessie, and my mom. She let me destroy her kitchen.

So here's the secret.

The fondant is made of marshmallows, making it 100 times easier to make.

Want to make your own cake? I am always available to assist if you need me, but if you want to learn on your own follow these simple steps:

First bake your cake, however you please. Bonnie taught me to use sour cream and pudding, strange, but tasty. I'll share that with you in a day or two. Freeze your cake once it's baked and out of the pan.

Once it's super cool, cut the edges off and level the top so it's flat.

Frost the top of cake one, then put cake 2 on top and frost the entire thing. Ready for fondant? Not yet, freeze the cake again for 20 minutes while you prepare your fondant.

1 bag small marshmallows

& a splash of water

in 30 second intervals microwave the marshmallows and tiny bit of water until they are fully melted. Next, use an entire bag of powdered sugar and sift it into the melted mallows in small portions.

Taaa Daa! You now have fondant. Now all you have to do is spray pam on your counter (or some other flat surface... tiled counters don't work out so well with fondant) and roll the fondant out to the largest possible size. To pick up your fondant use the rolling pin and lightly roll the fondant on the pin then carefully put the fondant on the cake. Cut the edges off and your cake is covered! There are special tools to help with fondant, but if you are like me, you make do with what you have.

Fondant!

2010-08-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

First comes first:

BONNIE ROCKS

Seriously, she does.

First she did this:

Which is the most wonderful (strawberry-banana) cake in the world.

Then she did this:

But she cleaned it all up, before I even got my hands near it.

Then she taught me to do this:

Then she made this:

(imagine drumroll here)

(ohhh glitter!)

I now know how to make pretty (tasty, wonderful, melt in your mouth, can't get enough) cakes, all thanks to Bonnie!

Want to know the best part? The fondant is super easy. It's a combination of powdered sugar, marshmallows, and a drop of water.

Come back tomorrow for the "how to" make a pretty cake blog.

Want to see what else Bizonnie can do?

They taste as good as they look!

I'll get around to it!

2010-08-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever used the phrase "I'll do it when I get around to it"?

Next time you do, rethink.

I actually have gotten around to it.

That doesn't make sense, let me start over. In my family a little object has been passed on through generations. It's a round tuit. Sounds strange right? It is. But I love the idea that I have something that belonged to my great-great grandma and was handed down.

"Here is your 'Round Tuit'. Please save it. By special arrangement we have been able to get one for you. This tuit has been hard to come by, so guard it! Don't lose it, don't lend it, for now that you have one, you can expect many changes. For you see, so many times you have said, 'I will get started as soon as I get a round tuit', or 'There has been so much to do and I've been so busy that I just haven't gotten a round tuit". Well, that problem is solved because you now have your own "ROUND TUIT". From now on we will expect great things from you."

My "Round Tuit" hangs in my kitchen, just as it has in generations before me.

Special thanks to Grandma Barb, she shared the round tuit with me before it was even my turn!

The plan - getting closer!

2010-08-04T13:52:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted THE PLAN for the media center. I'm sure you remember, I attempted to use paint (the program) to explain how annoying my media center is.

Anyways, after many attempts of searching for that perfect media center, I just couldn't find it.

Here's a picture to prove that it just doesn't work:

See what I mean, the brown makes everything look, strange & messy.

Here's the real plan:

I can't get it to flip the right way, so please tilt your head to view.

(sorry for the annoyance!)

I'm also planning in making a DIY console table at the same time, because I've always wanted one and don't have the space to buy one. (one that will fit anyway) I do, however, have the space to create my own version of one.

Projects happen Saturday, so check back next week to see how it all went. It should be entertaining since I am horrible at making things with wood. I may enlist in some help, so keep your phones on ya!

DIY FJ Mirrors

2010-08-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

Remeber my post about James painting the brand new FJ crusier?

If not, Click here

Well, he's at it again!

This time, it's those silver side mirrors.

I'm sure you can imagine the terror I felt when I walked outside and saw this:

Don't worry though, James and Nate put everything back together and now we have this:

Please ignore the green tint, my camera flash did it.

Happy Birthday!

2010-07-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today, James is 23!

We have known eachother since age 10, but I have no embarrassing pictures to share with you. Instead I will share a picture from when we first started dating, I was 14.

Here we are at our first homecoming together, when he finally snagged me as a date ;)

And here is James, in all his 15 year old glory.

That last one was taken on one of our many lake days, thanks mom!

We've shared hundreds of memories, even a few bad ones, but each year we grow older seems to make us even more in love. Sappy right? I know, it totally is!

Happy Birthday J. Landon.

I love you with all my heart, and if I could, I'd give you the world.

The Plan

2010-07-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

I love that I got a media center (type thing?) for free from my grandparents, but I hate that it doesn't match anything, or fill the space that I want it to.

Yes, I am using paint to demonstrate my plan, but I think you get the idea.

My wall is gray, and everything else is either black or white, so you can see that this small media center doesn't work here.

My plan is to take everything out of it and donate it... thinking that once everything is just laying on the floor that the boys will build me something.

This is what I want:

You can't really tell from the picture, but I want a shelving unit that crosses the entire media area. I need organization, and a place to make things look pretty.

Cross your fingers that the boys make it!

Ann Dickson's Pretzel Pudding

2010-07-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

You all remember Ann Dickson right?

She made me this awesome cook book a while ago.

For the 4th, I made her famous pretzel pudding.

Pretzel pudding sounds a little crazy, but it's really good. Just think of it as chocolate pudding, whip cream, and a crunch.

If you want some, just come over, I love to make it.

4th of July, end result:

Three of these... gone!

Big thanks to Ann Dickson, for recipe's that people just can't get enough of!

And another big thanks to my mom, for letting me and Jessie destroy your kitchen.
Mom even cleaned up while we cooked, we are spoiled!

Jessie cooks naked

2010-07-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, not really, but it sure does look like it!

Since it's Monday morning, I thought I'd share something sweet, you know, to go with your coffee.

Jessie is learning to cook, and surprisingly she's good.

She's come a long way, just last year, she couldn't even make brownies, in a box!

If you want the recipe just ask, I'll get it to ya, but here's her coffee cake.

Well, part of it anyways. It was all gone before we took a finished picture.

Nice job Tate!

Have a "sweet" day everyone!

FJ (DIY) door handles

2010-07-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

About a week after we got our new car, James decided that he hated that some of it was silver. He wanted an all white and black car. At first, I had no concern, there was no way he could get new parts, they were way to expensive.

Little did I know, he had other plans.

He already ordered new door handles, and put them on himself. I have to admit that I freaked out that he was taking our brand new *expensive* car apart, but at the same time, I do think it looks much better.

Before:

After:

Pretty spiffy, huh?

Blinds

2010-07-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

First, let me start by giving a GIANT, thanks to my Cuzaunt and Cuncle... as a housewarming gift, this is what they gave us.

Blinds! Oh they are so wonderful!

Second, let's talk about installation.

James and I have never installed blinds, nor seen anyone do it, so this was a whole new experience for us. As I loaded them into the car, I couldn't help but wonder how I was going to get these blinds on windows.

To kill some time, hoping one of the guys would come home before I started, I started organizing the blinds by window. 12 blinds, all different measurements, but everything was labeled with the measurements, making my job much easier. I love Sunshield <3

To my luck, James got home early from work and he was ready to put them up!

(after a quick call to Cuncle because I had no clue where to even start)

Yes, that is his cranky face. The way you have to stand in order to get in the corner of the window is a little awkward, plus, I just HAD to take pictures of our first DIY Blind installation experience, and he doesn't like pictures. He was ready to throw the screw driver, but was determined to finish. Within less than an hour, all the blinds in the house were up. Don't let him fool you, I did a few things too! I figured out how to put the boarder thing up, I'm sure it has a word, but I don't know what it is, and I organized everything so all he had to do was go to each window and install. (and I accomplished my small task as boarder putter upper)

I'm thrilled to have all of the sheets off my windows.

We love you Cuncle and Cuzaunt (and Ty, Cass, and Sara!)

Having blinds is SO nice! I'm one happy girl.

Let there be light

2010-07-02T06:30:00.001-07:00

In our master bathroom, I didn't want to get blinds. I think that blinds in bathrooms are a horrible idea, with all the steam and water moving around it would just make more of a mess for me to clean. This is what was covering our window.

Towel for blinds = lame

So, James and I headed off to home depot for a few things and found this:

Which, after a few minutes of measuring and trimming edges, turned into this:

The sun was hitting it unevenly, but I love it. I can now shower in peace :)

D-d-d-d... Dyson!

2010-06-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

Last week, our trusty little vacuum blew up.

We have fixed it a dozen times.

The poor little guy hit the end of the road, he couldn't take what we were putting him through.

He started to smoke, and then it was goodbye.

We sadly said goodbye to him and headed to the store for a new vacuum.

Results: All cheapo vacuums that would only last us a few months.

After realizing we were not going to get something to last us unless we spent a decent amount on it, we headed to Home Depot.

To our luck, they were having a sale!

I broke the bank, but we now have our very own (uhh-mazing!) Dyson.

Meet D-d-d-d... Dyson!

Our new and improved, especially for animals, vacuum.

DIY-Front porch numbers!

2010-06-30T06:00:00.001-07:00

So Kelsey @ jamesandkelsey.com is a good friend of mine, and she saw the picture of my porch. She texted me, and a few hours later we got together and created a masterpiece!

Kelsey choose the color on the right, and I fell in love with it once I saw her pot.

She's so nice she shared her paint with me, and now my front porch looks even better!

Once we finished painting, it was time to plant our flowers in our newly painted pots.

Adorable right? It was all Kelsey's idea.

We also painted little bird houses to match our pots, you can see it behind on the end table.

I love it! It makes our new house feel so classy.

Best Kitchen Ever!

2010-06-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

James picked out everything in our kitchen, and I am sure glad, because I cook and was planning on getting just the basic stuff. (No upgrades)

In all honesty, James really did good. I had no idea he knew what I needed, and what looked well together.

Our kitchen turned out pretty awesome.

We also finally have a pantry, a very organized (just grocery shopped) pantry.

Please, remember, I have 3 "men" that are 22 & 23 years old living and eating here.

And, I love my pull outs in the kitchen as well. It makes life so much easier!

My grandparents, Mike & Barb put the entire kitchen together for me. Everything is organized thanks to them. My grandparents are so nice :)

Painting White Walls

2010-06-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

Nate (one of James' best friends) and I started painting about 2 hours after I got the keys. James was at his baseball game, and Jessie was helping with DIY tile at my parents. After we painted our names (on what is our living room wall) we decided Jessie and James (who were a huge help in the painting process) deserved a spot with their names on the walls as well.

(Landon is James' middle name, and I love it)

Once Jess arrived, she started painting my stripes. I just had to have them, and Jessie is a perfectionist, so she was perfect for the job.

All of this was finished on night one in the house.

Thank you Nate, for starting the long process with me, and Jessie for painting perfect stripes. A big things goes out to James, who stayed up until 3 a.m. painting the edges, because I'm horrible at painting and just couldn't do the edges!

Another big giant thanks goes out to my grandparents, Mike and Barb. On day two, they set up the entire kitchen for us! Their blogging debut will be made tomorrow.

(Part of the dining room and staircase, compliments of Jessie Kay!)

Home Sweet Home

2010-06-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

We are finally into our new house. Saying we are settled would be a lie, after all, it's only been exactly one week since we got the keys. I must say though, having a house that is OUR house is amazing. We have already painted, and James has proven to be pretty handy. You learn a lot when you move.

I have learned:

James is handy, and he can paint

James has an eye for decorating

Unpacking takes forever

New houses aren't fully ready for you (no fans, lights, etc.)

Having a home takes a lot of time

I really love that James is my husband.

Yes, that last one is a given. I mean I married him, I must love him. But, after all this moving, and me not helping as much as I'd like, I have to say he's really proven himself. (not that he had to) Moving is stressful, and all the things I wanted done in such a short period of time was a little insane. Buying a house has made me realize that he will always be by my side, no matter how crazy or stressed I am, he's there to help. Thanks James, for being so wonderful!

I'm sure throughout the next few years I will learn much more about owning a home. So far it's been difficult getting everything ready. James has installed a lighting fan, and his dad helped him install surround sound speakers (which was our first major holes in the wall, pretty scary). Nate installed a lighting fixture for me, and him and Ryan put together my dining room table (from IKEA San Diego). The guys have 1 more fan to put up, and the garage door opener. Jessie (on top of helping my dad finish up the DIY tile) came over just about every night last week, painting, organizing, and measuring everything for me since I'm measuring retarded. I love my sister!

I have so many things to show and share with you all, so check back to see what I've been up to!

A Love, Never Forgotten.

2010-06-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

Spring 1961, Balboa

At the young age of 14, Gloria went on a spring break vacation to Balboa. What Gloria didn't know was that this small vacation would lead to a life time of wonder and romance.

That spring, Gloria met Cecil. Cecil was a 17 year old who lived with three roommates, happily, in Balboa. Love at first sight. Their romance started immediately and when it came time for Gloria to leave, they made a vow to make their relationship work long distance.

Cecil eagerly called Gloria's exchange, Kimberly 9-2065, to hear Gloria's voice any chance he got. Unfortunately, their romance was rocky and faced a fast ending just two years later.

In 1963 Gloria met John, and they decided to elope. They had a very uneasy start to their relationship and separated. Gloria could not get Cecil off her mind. Where was he, why hadn't he contacted her? Did he still love her? Endless amounts of questions rushed through her mind as she contemplated her relationship with John. Was marrying John a mistake if she could only think about another man?

Gloria could not keep thinking about Cecil with out getting any answers, it was driving her mad. She wrote a letter to Cecil and left it in his mother's mailbox.

Gloria did not get a reply.

Duck Creek = Relaxation

2010-06-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day.

Smores are the best.

And moments like these make everything ok.

Green with Envy?

2010-06-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I decided that I wanted to put all of my animals paw prints on a blank canvas so I could hang it on a wall. The dogs were a piece of cake. I got a little paint on them, but other than that, it was pie.

The cat, well he was a little harder. At first I thought it would be easy, he's a lot lighter to move around than the dogs, but then the trouble started. He smeared his paw across the canvas, making it plop down straight on the floor, wet paint galore. Then, he decided he didn't like the color green and started to throw his paws in every direction. I had paint on my cell phone, in my hair, on my jeans, shirt, and all over the kitchen. Immediately I headed towards the sink with the cat still flinging around in my arms. A few seconds later the paint was not only smeared across the sink and counter, but it spread out on the poor cat. If only he would have just cooperated.

You should have seen James' face when he walked in. The cat, well, he's still green.

Stuck.

2010-05-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jess and I pulled all the dead branches off the tree in the front yard. We left the mess for the boys to clean up.

The boys loaded the truck and were going to take the branches to the desert. 20 minutes after they left I got a phone call. It was James and Nate, "come get us, we're stuck." Luckily Nate has a Toyota FJ (the car we are getting next month) and since he lives with us now, it was waiting for me in the front yard. Off I went to save the boys. It makes me laugh that they had to call me to get them out of a little patch of dirt.

Yep, they were definitely stuck. It didn't help their mood much that I thought it was funny and started taking pictures of the truck stuck in that tiny patch of dirt.

Once I got there they hooked up a dinky little tow strap (that I don't think was actually a tow strap) and it snapped. Silly boys. So Nate tied a knot and they tried it again. Pretty quickly the FJ pulled James out of the dirt. As we were getting ready to leave, truck got stuck again. FYI, never buy a ford with 2 wheel drive, because not even your two wheels will want to drive. So, they hooked up the truck again and Nate pulled James out. I was on the side lines guiding and laughing the whole time.

FJ to the rescue... but I like to say "Jenna to the rescue" since I had to drive it there. Good thing I can drive a stick, every one should learn... just in case.

When the rope snapped I told Nate to just pull it out. For the camera's sake, he tried it. What a good sport.

Finally the truck was out and James could take a moment and admire the FJ.

He will have one of his own, very soon :)

That was our adventure last night. Have you ever gotten a car stuck? When did you decide you wanted a new car? I think last nights adventure kind of put us into the "can't wait till we get our new FJ with 4wd!" mode.

Funny thing is, Nate had to be to work within an hour of my arrival with the FJ. It was a race against time! James was stressing, Nate was rushing, and I was laughing. Great combination. (seriously, it was)

To the Mom's...

2010-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of you that are mothers. I have had a lot of influential women in my life and would like to take a moment to thank them for all that they do.

First, my mom. Tina Faller. I think you are wonderful, and always there for me and I couldn't ask for a better mother. You already know how much I love and appreciate you.

To my Grandmothers. I am lucky enough to have three grandma's and each of them has taught me something very different. Together they have taught me that family means everything, and I want them to know that the lesson has been learned. I would be no where with out the family that they created. Thank you Barb, Donna, and Betty, for all that you do.

To the aunties: Our family is very close and I have spent plenty of time with all of my aunts. My great aunts, Aunt Barbie, and Aunt Tiona have always been there to support me and show me new life experiences. Other aunts are Aunt Stac, and Aunt Marcia, and I have learned lots from you both.

To my in-laws: None of them read this blog, but if one day they do I would like to thank them for James. (Thank you Tina S., Darla, and Grandma Sherry)

To my extra mothers: Yes, that's right I do have some extra mothers, even some extra grandmothers. These select few have always been there for me or taught me something I consider to be very valuable. Lucy, Dawn, Martha, and Erin, I consider you all to be my extra mothers. You have each taught me something very different, and even though I don't call you mom, I sure look up to you like you're mine. As for the grandmothers, I consider myself their unadopted grandchild. Ann Dickson and Gloria (to many last names). You can find out more about them by reading previous blogs.

To the young mothers: Amber and Sammie... I think you are both doing amazing raising your little ones. Those girls will thank you in a few years for all of the time and effort you put into making their lives as wonderful as you possibly can.

If you don't see your name on this blog, it doesn't mean I don't think of you as a wonderful mother. Today's blog is dedicated to the women that I think of every day. I do have more women in my life that mean the world to me, but today I'm sending a reminder to those who have made an impact on my life. Thank you all, and Happy Mother's Day!

Lots of love from your daughter, granddaughter, friend, neice or extra (pretend) child :)
Jenna

Strawberry Jam

2010-05-05T16:18:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a dream about my great grandma (who has passed away) and my Aunt Barbie making strawberry jam. I woke up with an urge to make my own. I've never made it before.

What you need:

Strawberries

Pectin

Sugar

Simple enough right? Actually, with out those amazing little jam making tools you see on the Internet, making jam is pretty dangerous. First, you have to remember to get enough strawberries to feed your great Dane, if you don't he will attack the table. Second, you have to cut all the strawberries up, hull them, and clean them. Third, you mash them. I'm sure a masher would be great right now, but I don't have one so I used zip lock baggies. Fourth, pour four cups of mashed strawberries and 7 cups of sugar into a pot and bring to a boil. Keep mixing. After it's at a hard boil, add the pectin. All the recipes I've read say do it fast, or else something bad will happen? So pour and mix at the same time, and only mix for one minute, exactly. Then remove from heat. Then you have to pour the boiling lava berries into jars.

Sounds simple, sure anyone can pour things into jars. But, you have to sanitize the jars first (read the pectin box for better instructions) sanitize and prepare the lids, jar lava berries, throw on lids (2 parts) and then throw them into a bigger pot of boiling water. Danger! There is some special tool that grabs the lids of the jars for you while they are hot as you take them out of the boiling water. I didn't have that either so I used a pair of tongs and a towel to catch the jars. I know, dangerous, but I don't have any burn marks so we're OK! Then you just let them sit over night, and this is what you end up with...

Trash that Dress!

2010-03-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

I recently trashed my dress. James and I have been married for a year, and it was time to part with my dress. After all I'm not going to wear it again!

A big thanks goes out to Keith and Kendra at http://www.kcsquareddesign.com/