Kelly ... The 2010 Version

It has been a while since I have filled out one of these questionnaires. Periodically one will come around and it is fun too look back to see how my answers have changed over time. This is Kelly, the early 2010 version:

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:30

2. Diamonds or pearls? diamonds

3. What was the last film you saw at the movie theater? Sherlock Holmes

4. What is your favorite TV show? right now I am digging Project Runway and 30 Rock

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar and a cup of English Breakfast tea

6. What is your middle name? Michelle

7. What food do you dislike? seafood, most condiments, hot dogs

8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Wolfgang Amadeus by Phoenix

9. What kind of car do you drive? 2003 Honda Pilot

10. Favorite sandwich? grilled herbed chicken with brie

11. What characteristic do you despise? selfishness

12. Favorite item of clothing? black & ivory Moschino skirt that I got for $25 – never worn with tags!

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Paris!

14. Favorite brand of clothing? lately I have been into French Connection and Banana Republic

15. Where would you retire to? Bend, the Oregon Coast or Ashland (yeah, I can handle the weirdness!)

16. What was your most memorable birthday? For some reason I remember my 5^th birthday really well, I was still an only child at the time … good times!

17. Favorite sport to watch? Civil War game between OSU and the U of O … and that’s the only sports I’ll watch!

18. Furthest place you are sending this? it depends on who reads my blog

19. When is your birthday? January 4th

20. Are you a morning person or a night person? night

21. Favorite Color? blue

22. Pets? one dog and one cat … hey, anybody want a dog and a cat?

23. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? I just got my hair cut ... I think that's exciting!

24. What did you want to be when you were little? a teacher or fashion designer

25. How are you today? meh.

26. What is your favorite candy? English toffee and jelly orange sticks

27. What is your favorite flower? Oriental poppies and Dutch irises

28. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? March 13th

29. What are you listening to right now? my daughter watching Cyberchase, and the dishwasher groaning

30. What was the last thing you ate? a generous slice of chocolate glazed citrus poppy seed cake

31. Do you wish on stars? no

32. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? cornflower

33. How is the weather right now? overcast and chilly

34.The 1st person you spoke to on the phone today? my husband

35. Favorite drink? cappuccino with a hint of coconut … or a nice Pinot Noir

36. Favorite restaurants? The Olive Garden is always a favorite

37. Real hair color? espresso brown

38. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbie and the Rockers Barbie

39. Summer or winter? winter
40. Hugs or kisses? hugs

41. Chocolate or Vanilla? chocolate!

42. Coffee or tea? yes please!

43. When was the last time you cried? two days ago

44. What is under your bed? summer clothes

45. What did you do last night? web design and baked a cake

46. What are you afraid of? spiders, enclosed spaces and heights

47. Salty or sweet? both ... together

48. How many keys on your key ring? five

49. How many years at your current job? nearly six years as a mom and 13 as a graphic designer

50. Favorite day of the week? Saturday, because I get to sleep in!

51. How many towns have you lived in? five

52. Do you make friends easily? no, I wish I did. Will you be my friend? I'm a fun girl!

9.3.99

Today I have been doing a lot of reminiscing. I've been thinking back to ten years ago on this day and remembering what I wore, the butterflies in my stomach, and an overwhelming sense of excitement. Ten years ago today ... I got married.

It was a lovely evening - what I can remember of it - and it has been an even better ten years married to the best man I know. I am truly blessed. I wrote more about the details of the wedding last year for anyone who is interested.

In my nostalgic mood, I pulled out my wedding dress and decided to snap a few photos of it. It is so beautiful! Unfortunately, our wedding photographer didn't take any photos of the dress or the shoes, and the details are well worth capturing. So, since I can't wear the dress around town (and since it doesn't fit anymore due to expanded ribcage and bustline, thanks to the kids!) I hope you will indulge me a little bit.

I am far from being a frou frou kind of a girl, but I couldn't resist this bow! I'm sure it looked stunning as I knelt down for communion with my husband.

My bridesmaid's gowns were certainly not apricot taffeta with matching hats! I chose simple navy blue matte satin dresses.

I wish I had more clothes with such impeccable detailing. The embroidery and pearl accents were so lovely.

Although the dress was quite stunning, I think the details of my life with my husband are even more so. It is my prayer that the next 10 years of marriage will be just as amazing.

To my husband: I love you ... more every day.

Vintage Repro

This may sound strange, but here I am at the age of 33 and I was transported back in time to the age of 10, today. I discovered that Mattel has a "Vintage Repros" collection for Barbie that features dolls from the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Suddenly I was in the fifth grade again as I held a pink box in my hands and I reminisced about one of my favorite toys of all time: Barbie and the Rockers Barbie!

The year was 1986 and I don't remember how expensive a Barbie was back then, but to a 10 year-old it cost beaucoup bucks. I recall admiring this doll on the store shelf many-a-time and what was so cool about this Barbie, was that it came with a microphone and a cassette tape of The Rockers greatest tunes. I still remember the names of the other Rockers: Dana, Dee Dee, Derek and Diva too and I would sing along to their music.

Don't laugh ... I was 10!

Barbie had the coolest purple eyeshadow and blond curly locks. Her clothes were "truly outrageous", oh wait, that's a Jem reference. I'm talking about a metallic top and hot pink tuxedo jacket, so new wave! Of course they look totally ridiculous twenty three years later, but back then they were high fashion.


It was fun to remember. But not enough to fork over the $39.99 for the reproduction.

5 Things I Like About This Town

I have to start off with a confession: my original thought was that I would write the "5 Reasons This Town Drives Me Crazy". But, I feel that I have been complaining a lot lately and so instead I am going to stop being so negative and recognize the good things in where I live.

The truth is I am very grateful for my life. I have two beautiful children, an amazing husband, a lovely home and we don't live too far from most of our family. But my struggles began when we moved here, away from the world I knew. And in many ways I still miss that world I knew, which makes the last five years of living in this small Southern Oregon town a HUGE adjustment. But during this period of adjustment I have found that this place does have it charms.


1. Wildlife

This area is known for its birdwatching opportunities, and I can see why. It is not unusual to see groupings of pelicans floating on the surface of the lake, or loons roaming the wetlands. I find great enjoyment from watching a covey of quail pecking around in our neighborhood, with the babies following their mama in a neat line. There are frequent sitings of deer roaming around and I have even watched an entire heard frolicking around the golf course at my fitness club! Watching them play and scrounge around for food is surely entertaining. We have hawks, vulchers, and even gulls (that seem to particularly like to scavenge around in the Wal-Mart and K-Mart parking lots! Hmmmm.) Dragonflies love this area with midges as a constant source of food and ladybugs are abundant.

2. Locally Owned

When I think of my favorite places in town to shop or eat, I realize that they tend to be locally owned establishments. The bagel shop, the bakery, the delicious Italian restaurant and the yarn store are all not a part of a national conglomerate. They are run and owned by people who have lived here for some time, saw a need and filled it with their expertise, hard work, and personal investments. I respect that, and do what I can to support it.

3. Free Parking

With the downtown being as small as it is, there is free parking! It is rarely difficult to find a place to park and walking down Main street is fairly pleasant. Plus it gives ample opportunity for practicing parallel parking.

4. A Great Place To Raise Kids

That's what everybody told me when I moved here anyway. And I can see that there are a lot of things for little ones to do with the many parks here, the dance studios that offer ballet and tumbling classes, and the city-wide Harvest Party at the fairgrounds every year. There is a really good church community here with various places and opportunities to worship, and church leaders frequently come together to pray for this town. And there are different kinds of schooling choices from private schools, Christian schools, home school, as well as public.

5. Big Blue Sky

I live in "Oregon's City of Sunshine". It is a treat to look out my window and see nothing but blue for most of the year. With the exception of this very unusually wet June, it doesn't rain too much here. We get thunderstorms, snow storms, occasional torrential downpours, and stunning sunsets. I have invested in several pairs of sunglasses, as well as snow boots and heavy coats for the first time in my life. It is fun to go sledding in the winter and camping in the summer. Plus my favorite flowers grow here in abundance. Brilliant poppies grow wild on the hillsides and lilac bushes go crazy in the month of May.

Whew! I admit that I feel better about keeping things positive. Now that I have all of this written down, I'll have to visit it from time to time to remind myself that it really isn't that bad.

You Shouldn't Judge A Book By It's Cover ... But I Often Do!

This probably isn't a good thing, but I am a sucker for packaging. I am much more likely to purchase something because it's pretty than because it is truly a good product. For example, a few years ago I was in Costco moving past the books table and I spotted a book, The Wine Maker's Daughter, and I was so intrigued by the cover that I bought it. The book was okay, but I did have to force myself to finish it to justify the purchase.

This cover is stunning and attention grabbing - I just couldn't pass it by.

Then there are fancy soaps; a REAL problem for me. I can't help myself around handmade soaps that have been wrapped in pink polka dot tissue paper and tied with a ribbon. I have dozens of these sitting, unwrapped in my linen closet. Why would I actually use them? They are so pretty!

To me, this is absolute eye candy!

So, when I ran out of my favorite body lotion, Aveeno Baby (which is about $5 a tube) I scurried to the store to buy more. But I went to the grocery outlet first to see if they had it for a cheaper price. No luck. But, they did have a jar of cocoa butter for $1.29. The price was appealing ... but the packaging was not!

There just isn't anything pretty about this jar. Even the color of yellow is alarming like road construction yellow. But the cocoa butter cream is what I plan to use from now on!

I have to say that trying to get used to the smell of this stuff took a while because I am quite partial to unscented lotions. But as a sufferer of very dry skin, this stuff rocks! I am so glad I ignored my packaging fetish ... uh, but I am thinking a lovely antique jar might be in order to store the cream in ... that yellow just wont do!

25 Things

I got tagged on Facebook to write 25 things about myself and then I was supposed to tag 25 of my "friends" to do the same. I think it is great for getting to know people better, but I'm going to cheat and turn it into blog material instead!

25 Things About Me

1. As a coffee drinker, I am pretty loyal to Starbucks. I feel a little guilty about it considering they are such a conglomerate, but their coffee is soooo good!

2. I attended George Fox University and graduated from Oregon State University. Of the two I think of George Fox as my school.

3. I love clothes but I don't like shopping for jeans. I have a hard time finding ones that fit well and jeans are boring to try on. Shoes and tops, however, are another story!

4. I enjoy TV shows like Project Runway or America's Next Top Model. Anything to do with creativity and fashion piques my interest.

5. My feet seem to always be cold.

6. I always make an effort to get in shape. Then I always fail to get in shape. The truth is I have NEVER liked to exercise.

7. I enjoy being a mom, but do not enjoy being pregnant ... so hopefully no more kids for me.

8. My favorite seasons are fall and spring, but I live in a town that is mostly winter and summer.

9. I love to take photos, but rarely get them developed.

10. I couldn't be more thrilled with the fact that my husband could care less about watching sports.

11. I love the Oregon Coast and wish I lived closer. I don't mind the rain ... really!

12. Politically I am a smidge to the right of center but prefer to live in left wing towns. I currently live in a right wing town and it feels uncomfortable.

13. I long to travel through Europe before I die.

14. I would love to get a short haircut and dye my hair darker, but I'm afraid I don't have the features to pull it off.

15. Red is my signature color, but blue is my favorite color.

16. I love the look of a French manicure, but I'm too cheap and low maintenance to get one professionally done.

17. When I was younger I really wished that I had blue eyes. Now I actually think my eyes are my best feature - even if they are a swampy green color!

18. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2002. And seven years later it still sucks!

19. My craft closet is full of fabric, notebooks, scrapbook supplies and yarns in every color ... and I rarely get around to using any of it. I just like it sitting there in neat piles.

20. While chocolate is amazing, anything with cream in it is my favorite! Cream cheese, sour cream, and whipped cream are all my friends.

21. Wal-Mart is my least favorite place on Earth, but I sometimes shop there.

22. Knitting is my new passion and I am actually pretty good at it. As I am working on a project, I am already thinking about what I will do next.

23. I can't stand the smell of microwave popcorn.

24. My house is never as clean as I would like it to be. Kids make it impossible to keep everything tidy.

25. I don't enjoy writing in a journal by hand, but I love to blog.

Kelly's 2009 To-Do List

I just realized that I have been a blogger for six months! Yup, I started this thing on July 1st and wasn't sure how it was going to go to be perfectly honest. I mean who wants to read all of the silly stuff that I have to say? A few people I guess!

I have enjoyed the journey into the blog world. I am inspired by other blogs. I love to read up on how friends are doing. And I love to fuss around with the graphics on my page. I admit that my favorite is my ever changing "Kelly blog paper doll"; changing her clothes and expression is a complete waste of time and a lot of fun to do.

And now as it is the new year I am thinking about starting fresh and setting goals. Now I am not going to list my resolutions because I don't make them. The way I see it is that it just sets me up for failure ... and then I'll read about my failures because I listed them ... and then I'll feel bad that I failed. I will, however, post a to-do list that I can actually do (I was inspired by the "Reality Check" page in Real Simple Magazine).

Kelly's Totally Accomplishable To-Do List:

• Wake up and immediately grumble something about coffee.
• Do everything in my power to avoid blow-drying my hair .
• Check my e-mail, Facebook and blog at least 15 times a day.
• Call my son "Mr. Handsome" and my daughter "Bear" at least once.
• Procrastinate cleaning the kitchen, but eventually get to it.
• Make some snarky remark about the ridiculously slow driver in front of me.
• Find the only source of chocolate in the house and deplete it.
• Forget to charge my cell phone.
• Wish I was sipping mineral water at a Paris cafe while gnawing on a baguette sandwich.
• Put off doing actual work or anything business related.
• Stare at my cluttered office and think I should organize it, then go check my Facebook.
• Try not to get sucked in to a rerun of CSI.
• Try to solve the crime on CSI.
• Plan to go to the gym after husband gets home.
• Get too involved in something at home to go to the gym ... completely by accident of course!
• Sip a little glass of wine while making dinner.
• Listen to daughter complain that she doesn't like dinner.
• Put kids to bed and give them lots of kisses.
• Decide whether to knit or read until bed.
• Forget to wash my face before bed.
• Try to name all 50 of the state capitals when I can't get to sleep.

See, I know I can look back on this list that I posted and feel really good about my accomplishments!

The Magic is Gone

Me: 4 months old

Well, today is my birthday. I am 33 years old - physically I feel like I'm 90 but mentally I feel about 25. It's been a good day and I have enjoyed spending it with family. However, I do believe that the magic of having a birthday is gone as I have grown older. It just feels like any other day but with some really nice gifts and birthday wishes.

This year I will leave everyone with a gift from me. A gift of cuteness!

This pic is a bit blurry, but for some reason it is one of my favorites. I am guessing I was about a year.

I see my kids faces in this picture. I was probably about 3.

Proof that I was cute at times.

This photo was taken on my 5th birthday and my younger sister was weeks away from being born. Some of my readers may recognize themselves in this shot. I was the blinking one in the front with the scab on my nose ... NICE!

Notice I didn't post any photos from my middle school days? Yeah, that was done on purpose!!

... Years Ago ...

20 years ago...
1. I was just about to turn 13
2. I was went to Highland View Middle School
3. I was into Debbie Gibson, tiered skirts, and flamingos for all of my bedroom decor

10 years ago ...
1. I was attending Oregon State University
2. I was dating the man that would soon become my husband
3. I was still driving my 1986 Honda Accord that I got in high school

5 years ago...
1. I was working as a graphic designer for a roofing material company
2. I was pregnant with my first born, my daughter
3. I was driving a 1999 Toyota Camry ... but looking for something bigger!

3 years ago...
1. I was living in a tiny rental house and slowly going out of my mind with cabin fever
2. I was chasing after a 1 1/2 year old girl
3. I was driving a 1995 Toyota 4Runner with 4WD

1 year ago...
1. I traveled to Colorado for my dad's retirement
2. I started exercising on an almost regular basis
3. I was driving a 2003 Honda Pilot with AWD

This year so far...(it's only January 1st, so there's not too much to tell!)
1. I did some laundry
2. I gave words of encouragement to my son
3. I had dinner at our friends' house

Yesterday...
1. I made cookies with my daughter
2. I blogged about my latest knitting project
3. I stayed up late watching a Michael Moore documentary ... don't ask me why!

Today...
1. I did laundry (we have lots of dirty laundry around here!)
2. I watched the movie The Family Stone
3. I allowed Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin to annoy me into the new year

Tomorrow...
1. I will prepare for a visit with my mom and sister
2. I will probably do more laundry
3. I will remember to bring along the Cars movie for our travels

Next year...
1. The Lord only knows what I will do
2. The Lord only knows where I will go
3. I will turn 34

Happy New Year!

I Hanged My Hair in Shame

Here's a fun little scenario. Imagine it's 6:30 am and as you get out of bed to take a shower, you hear that your husband is already in the shower ... running an hour late! So, since you need to have your daughter at school by 8:30, you decide there is no time for a shower and instead brush through your hair and throw a little makeup on. But your hair doesn't look good and it's obvious you have had a rough morning as you venture out into below freezing temperatures.

Deciding you have to stop at the store to buy a hat for your son and snow mittens for your daughter, you brave the strong winds and stinging snow to get into the dreaded Wal-Mart of all places. Then as if that isn't bad enough ... you run into your hair stylist near electronics ... and your hair is unwashed, unkempt, and you haven't had her cut it since June! Imagine the awkwardness.

In case you haven't guessed, this happened to me.

I wanted to tell her that I haven't been back to her, not because she has done a bad job or because I am going to someone else, but because I keep forgetting to make an appointment. Oh, and I'm lazy. But I didn't tell her this. She's probably thinking to herself that I have moved on ... and whomever is currently cutting my hair is doing a REALLY bad job.

Little Purls of Wisdom

It's official ... I LOVE to knit! I'm a knitter now. I am a knitting fool! Before my sister-in-law showed me how to cast on, do a knit stitch and how to cast off, I had absolutely no idea what to do with a pair of knitting needles. At first the transition from a crochet hook to two needles was strange as I had to train my hands to perform different maneuvers. But now that I have the hang of it I think it is a lot of fun.

I like to crochet, but as I mentioned before I am not very good at it. It is supposed to be a way to relieve stress except I end up getting very frustrated, which causes more stress. For months now my husband and I have been trying to think of something I can do to bring down my anxiety level and keep me sane (if that is possible!) So far knitting is doing the trick.

I now find myself looking at my sweaters or scarves to see what kind of stitch is used. I can proudly say that I know how to knit, purl and combine the two to create the stockinette stitch.

The Stockinette stitch (or also called the Stocking stitch) is the most basic knitted fabric and is achieved by knitting and purling alternate rows.

There are so many other stitches and techniques that I have left to learn - for instance I would love to try cable knits - but I am concentrating to practicing what I already know. What I would really love to do is get skilled enough to buy cashmere yarn and create a scarf out of it. Cashmere is quite expensive and I am not confident enough yet to try my hand at it. Just give me time!

This is a scarf that I have been working on. I figured out how to change colors and it is all done in the Stockinette stitch. Please don't look too close because (and this may be hard for you to believe) I am not perfect. There are many flaws but since this is cheap yarn I am okay with that - I've only been knitting for six days now!

Ladies Night

Getting together with other women is something I value very much in my life. I love my husband; I love my kids. But there are times when I crave that female bonding. A chance to get away, even for a little bit. The opportunity to share common interests and fun stories. Tonight I was able to have a ladies night out with a couple of friends, and I am so grateful.

Sometimes I feel that I have so much to do in a day that I can get overwhelmed. I am an interpreter, a dictionary, a graphic designer, a creative director, a personal chef, a role model, a mediator, a chauffeur, a play mate, a disciplinarian, a maid, a teacher, and a wife. When I go out with the ladies ... I can just be Kelly ... whoever that is!

I: ________________.

I am: incredibly blessed.
I think: two kids are enough for me.
I know: the Lord is in control of my life.
I want: ice cream and peanut butter M & Ms to be fat and calorie free.
I have: an amazing family … and the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.
I wish: my house never got messy.
I hate: mayonnaise, baby talk from grown-ups, and when people don’t return their grocery carts to the cart return.
I miss: living in a town where everything is lush and green.
I fear: heights, falling, and losing loved ones.
I feel: a strange twitching in my left eye.
I hear: giggling kids, barking dogs, and Tina Fey being funny.
I smell: welding metal as my husband works on his car in the garage.
I crave: cheesecake, cappuccinos and friendship.
I search: for inspiration.
I wonder: what my children will be like as adults.
I hope: someday I can drive a Land Rover. I just think they are super cool.
I love: taking baths on Sunday evenings.
I care: about the well-being of my family.
I always: check my blog for comments. I love comments!
I am not: a terribly relaxed person.
I believe: that my life has purpose.
I dance: in the car when I hear that one groovy song.
I sing: lullabies to my kids before bed.
I don't always: remember to charge my cell phone.
I fight: to get my daughter ready for the day.
I write: this blog because it keeps the creative juices flowing.
I lose: my mind over the constant questions from my four year old.
I win: at bowling if I play my husband.
I never: stay awake while watching: Mary Poppins, The Sound Of Music, or Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
I listen: to Big Band and Swing music when I am working on my graphic design.
I am scared: that my kids will grow up too fast.
I need: to have a weekend away with just my husband.
I read: historical novels, French lifestyle books, and magazines … lots and lots of magazines!
I am happy about: the existence of YouTube, Tivo and Netflix. With them I never have to watch anything in real time.

Five Things About Me You Probably Don't Care to Know

1. Going to Sleep

When I take a nap during the day I can only sleep on my right side. But when I go to sleep at night I have to start out on my back. If I can't get to sleep instead of counting sheep I try to name the capitals of all 50 states. I can never remember Missouri (Jefferson City).


2. My Good Side

Photogenic is not how I would generally describe myself in photos. I do like some photos of me, but I think my face looks really asymmetrical. I tend favor the left side of my face because my mouth looks fuller, my teeth look straighter, and that eye is more open; plus I think my nose looks more "stuck-up" on the right side. I know I am being too self-critical; I don't notice such things with other people.


3. Magazine Hording

We recycle big time in our household. I can't help but feel a little guilty anytime I throw something away because it cannot be recycled. We are good at sorting through stuff and giving old clothes to Goodwill. There is, however, one weakness that I have ... magazines. I LOVE magazines! I have piles of them everywhere because I keep buying them but don't get rid of the old ones. For some reason I can't convince myself that I probably won't need that article on how to make my own marbled paper or what jeans Nicole Kidman preferred to wear in 2003. I know, I'm sick.


4. Ironing

I think ironing is enjoyable. I do. I like to starch my shirts and I find a great sense of accomplishment out of ironing my jeans. The problem is that I don't like to set up the ironing board, therefore ironing doesn't get done very often. I know, what is so hard about setting up the ironing board, right? Nothing. I just feel very unmotivated to walk into the laundry room, take the board down off the wall, unfold it and plug in the iron. I have no excuse for my laziness.


5. Coca Cola

It was tough at first to break myself of the habit of having a can of pop everyday. I just stopped buying it and decided to force myself to drink Perrier or Pellegrino instead - it's fizzy without the sickly sweet syrup. There are times when I HAVE to have a good bit of Coca Cola. When I eat Kraft macaroni and cheese Cherry Coke is a must and drinking water with most fast food just doesn't cut it. After consuming the vile liquid I always feel a little guilty for putting it in my body ... but it tastes so good!

Nine Glorious Years

Nine years ago on September 3rd, I married one incredible man. I am so proud and honored to be the wife of a person who lives his life with integrity, intelligence and humor. Since our wedding day we have moved four times, bought two houses, had two children, and have laughed a lot.

Our wedding day. September 3, 1999.

I love to look back on my wedding day. I admit that much of it was a blur as I was so nervous and full of excitement. My wedding was beautiful. It was inspired by Audrey Hepburn and her simple sophisticated style. My hair was up, my dress was ivory with embroidery and pearls, and my flowers were ivory roses and pearled stephanotis. We were married at a bed & breakfast in my hometown of Corvallis, Oregon and the best part of it was God was with us that day, and so were our friends and family.

I can't quite fit into this dress anymore as my shape has changed a little bit since having kids. I would choose this dress if I had to do it over again - just in a size bigger.

There is very little that I would change about that our wedding. If I had to do it all over again I would probably get a more artistic photographer, wear a little more color on my face, and choose more color for my bouquets (they were very beautiful but I think a pop of color would be nice), and I would have insisted more photos be taken outside in the beautiful courtyard.

We were both in college in those days and had to work with a budget. I wouldn't change that because it made us be creative with our resources and money. The result was an elegant and lovely affair (thanks to help from my parents), a very fun honeymoon in Tahiti (thanks to help from my husband's parents) and an amazing marriage (thanks to help from our Lord).

After years of marriage I still love to look at wedding magazines and websites. My favorite things are wedding cakes, stationery and bouquets. I think there need to be more occasions to carry bouquets like going to the grocery store, going to church, taking the kids to school ... it would make life a little more special wouldn't it?

This would be a perfect "everyday" bouquet. I could take it with me to the bank or when taking the dog to the vet.


The muscari (blue flowers) in this nosegay would have been perfect at my wedding since my bridesmaids wore navy. It was late summer however and they weren't in season. This bouquet would be perfect for a dinner out with my husband.

This arrangement demands attention. I would save this for a special occasion like shoe shopping.

Five Silly Things about Myself I Wish I Could Change

1. Snapping

I know the mechanics of snapping. My fingers perform the right motion, but when I snap it doesn’t produce much sound especially with my left hand. I would love to have a sharp, loud snap - one that commands attention. One that says “That’s right, I am one snappy snapper!”

2. Celebrity Gossip

I am not proud of this, but I can remember the dirt on celebrities. I don’t seek it, I don’t read tabloids or watch entertainment news programs, but I just pick up stuff and remember it. It is a useless ability and I wish I was as better at memorizing Bible verses or really profound quotes instead.

I don't know George Clooney. I don't even like George Clooney; but somehow I know he broke up with Sarah Larson at least a month and a half ago.

3. Exotic Cuisine

When it comes to trying an unusual dish I am a sissy! I don’t know why but I can barely muster the courage to try anything that didn’t come from the grocery store that I would normally eat. I do not want to try escargot, rabbit, tripe or even lamb. If I were more adventurous it would make my life easier when I go to France someday, but I guess I’ll just have to be a vegetarian on that trip. Do goldfish crackers count as seafood?

There is nothing about this dish that looks appetizing to me. It may be served with garlic butter, but to me this just looks like snails bathing in algae and oily swamp water.

4. English Accent

I was born in America. I have lived in America my entire life and I am proud of that … but I talk like an American. But I admit that I wish I had a natural English accent. I think no matter what someone says, it sounds better spoken like the Queen of England – smarter, more sophisticated with a little bit of pomposity thrown in.

5. Leaving Messages

Voicemail drives me crazy! I am much better at talking in person or on the phone, and I know I have left some terrible phone messages in my lifetime. I get all flustered when I hear that beep and my mind goes blank. I wish I could be cooler, more suave when talking to a machine.

She's So Unusual

In a recent post, I mentioned that my husband brought home a record player from a garage sale. It was only $5; and I didn't mind the player but he brought home a Harry Chapin record much to my shigrin. Well, I have found that we have been using this record player quite a bit since it's purchase. My husband has quite a collection of records ranging from Ella Fitzgerald and Julie London to Kiddie Songs to the Bangles first album - can anyone say Walk Like an Egyptian?

This evening we were cleaning up after eating dinner when my husband puts a record in the player and let me just say ... I was overcome with giddy nostalgia! The beat of the music, the quirky melody, that unmistakable Betty Boop-like voice instantly took me back to when I was seven years old and buying my first record album with my own money. I was in the local Fred Meyer store perusing the titles, pretending to give everything careful consideration even though I already knew what I was going to get. Then I found my coveted treasure with a girl splashed on the cover wearing layers of thrift store finds and flaming multicolored hair. That's right folks, I picked Cyndi Lauper's She So Unusual. It was 1983, what else would it be?

Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual

Tonight as I listened to my newly rediscovered treasure, I was surprised at how many of the lyrics I remembered. I was also reminded why I used to only listen to side A as it has all of the totally rad, awesome and cool songs on it. The B side - with the exception of She Bop - is forgettable and not nearly as interesting. I also think that this album sounds so much better on LP than a CD. It just doesn't have the same feel if it has been digitally remastered.

Seriously, what’s with all of the Overalls? A Journey through Kelly’s Closet - Part 1

Recently I have been in the mood the clean and organize. Sometimes I just get a bug up my butt to sort, arrange and purge my belongings. My latest venture has been to organize the closet in my office that is overwhelmingly overrun with quilt batting, unused stationery, and several incomplete projects. I have stacks of Rubbermade tubs containing fabric, art supplies, and photos. Tons of photos.

I spent hours pouring through pictures from high school Mexico trips and various college activities. I smiled when I saw old friends … and cringed when I saw myself. Now that I am 32 years old and those days have long passed, I look back and see a simple, naïve, and unsure girl … with a really bad sense of style!

So, journey with me through my fashions of the 90s (I’ll skip high school as this is embarrassing enough!) and see the good, the bad, and those “what were you thinking?” moments.

My wardrobe staples of the decade:
Oversized t-shirts and sweatshirts
Stripes
Overalls
Keds

OVERSIZED

I bought this behemoth of a sweatshirt when I was a freshman at George Fox University. In those days I weighed 115 pounds. For some reason I thought it looked good with cuffed jean shorts and white Keds. I still have the shirt somewhere.

Here I am in jean shorts, white socks and Keds again. This time I am sporting an oversized t-shirt on my tiny frame. At least I think my hair looks pretty.

STRIPES

My collage of stripes. Also pictured: Keds and overalls. Are you detecting a pattern here?

OVERALLS

Ah, what a lovely pair of shortalls. At least my t-shirt is more fitted here. I wish I still had those black t-strap sandals.

More overalls! this photo is from the summer of 1997. These overalls were three years old and I still wore them. I don't know what my style statement was here, but I wish someone would have sat me down and told me how ridiculous I looked!

CHIC

Not everything I wore from that decade was hideous. In fact there are a few moments where I looked pretty good.

Here I am in a church talent show. I still like the fun 60s style shift dresses (both were mine), and my haircut was cute too.

Taken in the late summer of 1997, I was only 21 years old. A simple black wrap top and long straight skirt made me look sophisticated. I admit that I felt pretty in this picture.

Audrey Hepburn. Yes this is a costume I wore to a Halloween party, but you can't go wrong taking a cue from Ms. Hepburn's style.

After seeing me in my Breakfast at Tiffany's ensemble, I was pursued by the man who eventually became my husband. Can you blame him? Who wouldn't fall in love with Audrey?

There you have it. A brief visual display of my fashion choices of the 1990s. I am nothing if not consistent. Why did I display such comical moments you might ask? Why not. I can laugh at myself, embrace my inner dork, and learn from such blunders. What are the good things I have learned from this experience? I really look good in sunglasses; black is always a good choice; and maybe I should start wearing red lipstick again.

Five Things I Don’t Like, But Wish I Did

1. Condiments

I know I’m weird. But I don’t like mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise or anything that is a mixture of these things. I wish I did; I feel like a bit of a freak bringing my own barbecue sauce to grill parties.

2. Leggings

I especially dislike the ones that only go to the mid calf. To me they look like dance wear or make me flash back to the 1980s. I refuse to buy a pair and I just don’t like them. I wish I did; they are everywhere and can be a nice alternative to opaque tights especially in the summer.

Don't these look like they belong at ballet practice?

3. Seafood

I remember eating fish sticks in my elementary school cafeteria. I even ate them with ketchup. Unfortunately as I have grown older, I have grown to dislike the texture, smell and taste of fish. The thought of eating a clam or shrimp is unbearable to me. Basically I don’t like any seafood. I wish I did; fish can be very healthy and it would make my life easier any time it is offered to me.

4. Christian Music Stations

Now, I realize I might get in trouble with this one, but hear me out. Being a believer I like the idea of Christian music stations. It is nice that there is a genre that is positive and doesn’t have any questionable material, and that there are stations that make this music accessible. But I find their content to be monotonous and repetitive. Any time I hear a song on a Christian music station I can’t tell if it is a current song or one recorded in 1998. But then I also find that in general Christian music itself can lack creativity and I don’t like to listen to it very much. I wish I did; there is an abundance of Country, R&B, and Christian music stations where I live, and it is hard to find groovy tunes to listen to.

5. Brad Pitt

I know, what a weird thing to want to like right? Here’s the thing: I think he’s a decent actor, but I actually don’t find him that attractive. At least not as attractive as every other woman on the planet does! He just doesn’t do it for me. I wish he did; Brad Pitt is everywhere! He’s on TV, all over the magazines at the grocery store, and of course in the movies. If I actually cared it might make all the in-your-face hoopla more tolerable.

After nearly two decades of hearing about how hot Mr. Pitt is, I still don't get it!