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.