Only the Finest Literature for Me

I love Chelsea Handler! She's crude, but a strong, fun, and sassy woman! She says things many of us think. And so...when I need a break from seriousness, but I'm not in the mood to lounge around effortlessly watching E! and Jersey Shore, I read her books. I started off as a fan of her late night show, but now I have read such fine works as "Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea" and most recently "Chelsea, Chelsea, Bang Bang!" A few girlfriends and I made a deal pass her books around--like a really classy book club. I most certainly don't recommend her humor for everyone. But if you can handle male humor coming from a female and just need a good laugh, well then she's your girl.

Knowing my love for Chelsea, Charlie supported me spending $76 on a ticket to see her on tour in Salt Lake City this Summer. It was a highlight for sure, with only one minor disappointment. If you purchased her book from a small, local book store, she would sign it right after. I thought all afternoon about what I would say to her in my one minute of face-to-face interaction. Guess I was a little naive. We waited in line for at least an hour. Once you approached the room she was in, you were given strict instructions. You were aloud to snap a photo only from a distance, and you had to keep walking by her while she signed your book without barely looking up. I don't blame her, really. Who knows how many she signed that night? But I got my book signed. And this was the best shot I got.

Dear Kopy

Let's just pretend I haven't been a pathetic blogger who hasn't shown my face in months. Okay? Great.
This one is for Mr. Jon Kopy, who is likely now my lone reader.

While I was not working on my blog, I was working way too many hours, watering plants (a lot of watering), going on vacations and weekend getaways whenever I could, trying desperately to keep in touch with my distant friends and family, enjoying summer concerts, watching a disgusting amount of fall TV shows, trying to stay active, and "managing" my fantasy football team (which somehow keeps winning even though I have no real managing skill). Mostly, I'd like to think I have been takin' care of business, which brings me to a little list I will leave you with. (Feel sorry for me.)

Lame grown-up things I now get excited about:
1) Having a portable dishwasher (dishwasher--I will never again take you for granted).
2) Buying our own cable modem so that Comcast can't gauge us $7/mth to rent one.
3) Discovering that thawing portions of a $9.95 giant Costco bag of berries for my yogurt is much more. cost effective than buying clamshells for $4+ every week.
4) Hanging hooks for my purses in my closet.
5) Installing a wall-mounted cabinet in our bathroom to replace the grungy rotting one.
6) Finding a stainless steel trash can at Costco that comes with a free mini size one for compost.
7) BestBuy's service plan paying off with a replacement mouse for our broken one (better, wireless version and no charges).

Pretty Little Things

I adore jewelry. If it's old, unique, has a story to tell, conjures memories, comes from a faraway land, or was hand crafted, I adore it even more. It's just fun adding a jewelry accessory to an outfit that in all likelihood no one else has.

Check out these two beauties that came into my life this week. I'd say they cover all of the above-mentioned attributes pretty well.

I picked up this pretty thing at a local outdoor concert and festival. Okay, Charlie and I are really trying to cut back on the impulse buys, but come on! Look how cute it is! My Grandfather passed away in 2005. He loved clocks and watches. This necklace makes me think of him. The bird on the chain is a nice touch. Fitting, too, don't you think? I found it at the booth of an adorable artist with adorable jewelry who goes by MD Sparks. A lot of her stuff is made from antique or "junk" pieces she comes across. I bought three necklaces from this chick (the other two were Christmas gifts, so I can't tell you about them). She's got an Etsy online shop, too.

And this pretty thing? I came home from work to find a package from Charlie's Aunt Deb. Treats for each of us from her trip to Thailand and Vietnam! Hooray! I like imagining how it was made, how far it has traveled, and the sweet thought that Aunt Deb put into selecting it for me. I tried to "decode" the Vietnamese on the packaging without much success.

Slideshow: 27 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health

Finally! Health justification for my pure obsession with animals (from WebMD)! This article is great. Pets are my drug of choice for sure. Now...how can I talk Charlie into letting us get more dogs once we get a house of our own? Hmmm....

27 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health

Uh oh! Look What I Did!

My dear, sweet mama never was much into cooking. Poor thing survived years of teasing from her (unfortunately) ungrateful "little birds" about her burnt cookies, scorched okra, ruined pots and pans, and frequent triggers of the smoke alarms.

Seeing the torment my mom went through, I was determined to buck the trend. When Charlie and I received a super nice 13-piece Calphalon Tri Ply Stainless Steel set (a very generous wedding gift), we were ecstatic (okay, maybe that adjective is a bit of an exaggeration from Charlie's point of view). Anyway, I vowed that I would cherish them, wash them with with care, stow them properly, and cook only beautiful, tasty, non-burnt things with them.

I made good of my vow of pot and pan care until this past Friday.

While boiling water to make rice to ease the upset tummy of THIS...

I managed to do THIS...

  

Oh the horror! I had been tending to my porch plants while waiting for the water to boil, when my neighbor sparked up a conversation (I always knew my chatty-kathy tendencies would get me into trouble). And there you have it.

Fifteen minutes of my little 2.5 quart pot being boiled dry was all it took to bruise my aspiring domestic diva ego. I've been scouring the Web to find some magical solution. I even e-mailed Calphalon to beg for mercy, but it seems I may just have to count my losses. Our 13-piece set is now 12, until someday I find it a worthy expense to buy a pricey open stock replacement.

Tears shed. Another lesson learned. And poor Logan eventually got her rice.

What I Thought About on My Drive Home From Work Yesterday

1) I don't get outside enough. I am noticeably much more pale (especially to be mid-summer) than everyone else, and I don't like it one bit. The weekend outings just aren't cuttin' it. I am gonna have to turn up the heat.

2) I am going through a phase where I want to take on new hobbies (a lot of them!):

• Sewing (would first need a sewing machine). I am tired of having to pay someone to fix my hems and zippers. And I think it would be fun to make my own pillows (is that weird?)
• Canning things (would first need "canning stuff"). Charlie looked at me a little worried when I pondered buying both Better Homes and Gardens and Martha Stewart Living in the airport the other day. We both agreed that my reading material was that of a soccer mom. So I put Martha back and grabbed In Style. But BHG (as I soon learned they are calling themselves) had a wonderfully inspiring article on canning sauces and jams.
• Learning to play the guitar I have owned for years and years but never followed through.
• Gardening (already working on this one, and spending a lot of money on it too!)
• Cooking (too, a work in progress thanks to the Food Network!)
• Making my own jewelry (it's all so beautiful and tempting at the farmer's market, but expensive)
• Home decorating/design projects (need a bigger, more permanent place to live and more cash). But I would like to fix up old furniture, mat and frame weird things, and paint.
• And then there is rock climbing and boxing.
• Read and write more. Definitely wanna do that.

Basically, I have a bit of a problem. I think I need to hone my interests a bit, or at least work on them two at a time. Does anyone know how to do some of these things who can point me in the right direction? I will keep you posted on my progress.

It Felt So Good to Click on "Create New Blog Post"

I don't know which is more embarassing...that the last time I posted an entry was in February, or that the subject matter was creme brulee (way to go fatty). Anyhow, here I am to give a little TLC to my sad little abandoned blog. It's likely all my readers have given up on me, but maybe if I keep it up you'll come back. Maybe.

I think I just stretched myself a little too thin for a while, until the point where finding time to write just for the fun of it was next to impossible. Are you bored with my excuses yet? I am.

So here it is- the past few months of life for me and Charlie in bullet-point format:

• I took on a new role at work. Same company (SelectHealth-insurance). Same industry (Marketing). Lots of work! We also moved into a beautiful new building where I get to look at the gorgeous Wasatch mountains up close.
• Charlie has started searching for what will be his next career move.
• We took a Colorado road trip in April (with Logan in towe) to see our dear friends Lauren and Matt join the married club. Then it was off to Colorado Springs for my little brother's Air Force Academy orientation. We are so proud of that boy turned man!
• Our once tubby little cocker spaniel is down to her "fightin' weight" thanks to a longterm diet I am sure she is so over, plus a little forced physical activity from her human parents.
• We skied/snowboarded into May. SLC weather was nuts this Spring...nuts! The resorts just closed yesterday, but we gave up a while ago.
• We're playing kickball again. It's such a great, childish game. It's also a wonderful opportunity to meet new people.
• I have taken up gardening! My grandmother came to visit and told me it was good stress-relief therapy and taught me the basics. I haven't killed too many things yet. We have lots of pretty flowers, including honeysuckle growing up our fenceline (which I watch obsessively every day), basil, and a few tomato plants.
• We spent 10ish days in France for a college friend's! It was amazing-our first European trip together! Hopefully one of many to come!  
• I was able to squeeze a weekend in with most of my fam in Palm Desert, California earlier this month. Poor Charlie had to work. (If you're wondering-yes, I am out of paid time off, but it was so worth it!)
• My BFF, Sara, is having a baby in October! And I am soooo excited that I thought it deserved a bullet point! Because I can't be there for every moment, I just stalk her blog regularly for updates.
• Inspired by the Food Network and this super woman (http://www.graingirls.com/), my friend Jenn and I have started planning and shopping for meals together. We plan and prep on Saturday or Sunday for the whole week. This equals huge relief for us and our wallets during the busy workweek. Our tummies are pretty stoked too to have home-cooked meals. (I have to be honest here and say we have only been doing this for two weeks. But I am loving it!)
• And...in true gear-loving Dual Income No Kids (DINK) fashion, we have taken up climbing! We needed a summer hobby. With the help of experienced friends and hookups on nice climbing gear, we are on our way.

As for the present, let's just say we are loving these summer days. I am trying to leave work earlier to exercise and prepare my pre-planned meals (wink wink), but mostly, to RELAX! Our landlord finally repaved our patio, so we got it all fixed up with a little firepit, and our patio set complete with cushions and an umbrella (thank you Christy Sports). I have big plans for reading and dining out there, and of course, creating new blog posts!

If you're still reading, thanks! I will try to keep my future posts more brief and more frequent.

Creme Brulee I Love You!

Creme brulee is one of my top three favorite desserts! I have wanted to make it for quite some time. Valentines Day was just the excuse I needed to go for it.

I set out with a creme brulee recipe from the Food Network's Alton Brown. He never leads me astray. Plus, he's kind of nerdy and really into the details of cooking so I figured his recipe would be pretty authentic. I attempted to get the recipe from Charlie's cousin's French boyfriend, Manny (he made it for our wedding shower-ultimate yummy!), but didn't hear back before I gave in to my craving. For now my online recipe would just have to do. I'll admit I was intimidated, but man, it was pretty easy.

I dropped my Mom off at the airport and made a bee line to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to buy a torch and some ramekins ($20). Then it was off to smug Whole Foods where I knew I could find the random ingredients I needed. One vanilla bean ($7)? I didn't even know you could buy one like that, must less how to scrape out its innards. Vanilla sugar ($7)? Plus there was the eggs, the cream.

The whole venture turned out to be a bit of a financial and time commitment. But oh the rewards! It was delightful. Charlie got interested when it came time to sear the sugar on top with the torch. We were both so proud of our creation.

We ate creme brulee for days. Note: Days old soggy sugar topping is still tasty, but I recommend torching the sugary tops just before you eat each serving.

This Place is Pretty and Fun

This view never gets old. The most crisp white snow paired with the most blue skies.

It's a mild winter alright, but it's still quite lovely. We have been busy entertaining visitors just about every weekend lately! It's been a lot of fun sharing this beautiful place where we live with friends and family. We had a visit from our friend Steph from Boston, a surprise birthday visit for Charlie from his sis and BFFs Kopy and Ludy, a visit from my brother's friends, and a visit from my Mom. Whew!

Now we're getting excited for my sister and her boyfriend to visit in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I'll be heading to D.C. to celebrate the bachelorette weekend of my college roommate, Lauren Small. I can't wait. Thank goodness for frequent flyer miles. I've decided I just don't want to miss out on special moments with my loved ones, no matter how far away I may be.

Sometimes It's Tough Being a "Fireball"

For as long as I can remember, people have described me as spunky, feisty, aggressive, intense, and the ever popular...fireball. It happened recently and caused me to reflect a bit on my "image."  I guess it depends on who you ask or when you ask as to whether these adjectives are considered positive personality traits. Either way, I'm pretty sure I'm stuck with 'em.

Most of the time I am okay with this. I like being in the proverbial driver's seat (oddly enough, in a car I like to be chauffeured around). This way I generally get to do what I want (wink wink). And boy are there a lot of things I want.

That's where the trouble comes in. I want a house, I want my career to keep moving forward, I want to move back to the South someday, I want to plan vacations, I want to work on "me" by working out and improving my nutrition starting with cooking more, I want to be better about my blogging, I want to be better dog mommy. The list goes on and on, really. And believe me, I try to do it all. I must always be doing something and moving forward. Last week I vocalized this inner toil to my balancer-the yin to my yang-Charlie, who very sweetly said, "Maybe you should just go put on some PJs? That should help you relax." I did. And it helped me relax for a second. But he's been out of town for a few days so now I am all wound up again :). And I think I need to slow down.

This fireball personality comes with a price. Though my blood pressure passes an exam with flying colors, it feels like it's always boiling. Sometimes I get tired of being the driver's seat and wish things were planned out for me. People who don't know how to handle me can think I am a real you know what (so there's that). Also, I love with ultimate passion, but I can also get mad with ultimate passion, too.

Luckily, I have plenty of "fireball" friends to collaborate with and an understanding husband (well, most of the time). I have also been trying my hand at yoga recently. Working hard to prove Charlie wrong in this assumption that I would stink at it, and so far I am enjoying it. I also took an organization class at work that talked about prioritizing. Anyone else have some advice for me to learn to chill out?

Skiing is Pretty Fun, Too!

Since my first ski trip in 10th grade, I have been a snowboarder. But most of our friends here in Utah are skiers, so I have always wanted to learn. Charlie bought me some ski boots a couple of years ago deeming them a priority item to own. He even added boot heaters for my birthday last year, so I have the ultimate comfort going and no more reasons to complain. Still, I only skied five or six days last year throughout the season and did...alright. It's easy to just stick with what you know.

This year I am taking advantage of my husband's ski instructor experience. I'm determined to get to a point where I can go almost everywhere on the mountain I go on a snowboard. So last weekend we  escaped the nasty smog stuck in the Salt Lake Valley (because of all the mountains surrounding it) and headed up to Snowbird...on skis. First two lessons of the year, we worked on pole plants. Charlie is a good teacher, and an honest one--he gives it to me straight, and I appreciate that. I think I'm getting better, slowly but surely.

Aside from working and playing in our atypically minimal snow pack, we've been enjoying a visit from our friend Stephi-Jo from Boston. We headed up to Deer Valley Resort for the World Cup Moguls Competition at Deer Valley-always a good time. Everyone layers up and packs hot drinks to stand outside to watch the event, followed by fireworks.

A Whole Lot of Me At Once Since I Have Been Blowing It

So far I stink at this. Dec. 5. Yes, Dec. 5 was the last time I found the time to update my poor silly blog. Pathetic! I'm no quitter, and I want to keep my loyal readers happy (thank you "Lauren from Denver" for the reminder...haha. The timing is perfect for me to whip myself into shape--a new year (twenty ten is the cool way to say it). I just keep wondering what happened to the past month and a half!

Here's how I remember it.

Lots and lots of work, the butt-kicking, late-nights kind. Took an Excel class and got all excited about my new budget management skills. Who knew you could link your monthly budgets to get a summary at the end of the year? The 2010 Earl Family Budget is totally awesome by the way--as awesome as a budget spreadsheet can get. (Wow, what kind of boring a** blogger mentions their budget?). My teacher was super stereotypical Mormon (9 kids, unfortunate choice in shoes for his jeans pairing, frequent mentions of "the church" and all) and made me slightly uncomfortable with talks of how he funds his kids' mission trips, but he had the skills to pay the bills for sure. Thinking about saving a significant chunk of my take-home pay for my retirement in 40+ years kind of makes me want barf. But I know it's important, so I'll do it. Charlie and I are excited about better managing our funds and curious about how our first joint tax return will turn out. Comeeee onnnn lots of money so we can go to Europe in May!

I DID NOT work out! As a result, I feel I am turning into more of a butterball every day. A petite butterball, but still. Don't worry, I joined a yoga class and am going to handle this minor hurdle.

Got my season pass to Snowbird just in time for a vist from Sara and Ted Chestnut and the Kolbenschlag gang! Their annual Utah trip is always a treat for us. Made me even more homesick than I have been lately. I am loving my new snowboard, which is good news since it wasn't cheap. We're still waiting on more snow to meet all of our spoiled powder needs. This is a very, very mild year so far. Kinda scary.

We did all of our Christmas shopping in a few days including several 11pm evenings at Target. Had to so we could be sure our gifts would get shipped across the country in time--side effect of living so far away. I think neither of us felt completely settled about all our gift choices. Don't worry fam, we put our hearts into those gifts. We just didn't like being rushed and on a tight budget. I forced myself to spend several evenings in front of the computer immersed in hundreds of photos and layout options to finally complete our Christmas/thank you gifts to our families--wedding photo books. This was a daunting task for a perfectionist personality, but we are happy with the end result. Thank you blurb.com!

Somewhere in all of this we bought a Christmas tree, and decorated it several days later after we grumbled that neither of us enjoyed putting on lights and "boring ornaments". I was determined to have some outdoor lights this year-to add to the festive atmosphere. My sweet and sarcastic husband put them up for me in 4 degree weather. I think he felt bad for making fun of my college dorm room rope light purchase. I like them so much I may keep 'em going through January.

Christmas. I love Christmas, and Charlie does too which makes us an unstoppable goofy, but fun duo during this time of year! We do it all--the Christmas music all month long, the official "family trip" to pick out a tree, the movie watching rituals. Our first official Christmas was no exception. We spent Christmas Eve at Snowbird Resort, had a steak dinner and brought our own Veuve champagne (I splured!), roasted in the hot tub, and then fell asleep watching A Christmas Story. We came back home Christmas morning to be with our pup, and our tree, being the traditional Christmas-loving fools we are. We feasted on blueberry pancakes, quiche, mimosas, Starbucks Christmas Blend coffee, and then we opened lots of presents from our generous families!

Then all of a sudden came January! Every evening after work I swear has been dedicated to "keeping up with life" type stuff, more work, or an appointment or social engagement of sorts (very nice! but very tiring!)We are excited because this is the month for visitors. Stephi-Jo is visiting right now, my sis comes next week, and then as soon as she leaves a friend of my brother's is shackin' up with us for a few days.

Charlie is turning the big 2-9 next Friday. Yikes! We are getting old! The worst part is we aren't quite ready to accept the whole aging thing. We just keep saying: "How did we get this old?" Old is a relative term I know. Anyway, I am very excited for his birthday and the festivities I am planning around it--can hardly wait.

XOXO Readers! I will do my best to never leave you again for so long. JLSE signing out.