I’m headed out to Boise, Idaho tomorrow for my Great Grandma White’s funeral. She died at 98 years old and finally got her wish to be united with her loved ones who passed long ago. I’m going to support my Grandma who turned 75 years old last week. I just adore her! It’s a quick trip but I’m so grateful to be able to go and support my Grandma during this time.

After being cooped up in my home for 3 months straight, a girls weekend was a must! My sister, Melissa, and I planned what we wanted to do and I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to it.

Well. Keeping in mind that I have the worst luck on the planet; Melissa’s husbands grandfather died. Therefore, Melissa wasn’t able to come and party with us. {{massive bummer}}

Take this as a warning to any of you who plan an event with me in the future. You never know what my bad juju will bring into your life! Consider yourself warned. {{wink}}

Even though Melissa couldn’t make it, we decided to go ahead with our plans anyway. “The show must go on!”

Since, I’m still not able to sit in a car for very long, so we decided to stay local and check out the city. Lisa and I saw some movies, went shopping, and ate at the new 560 restaurant owned by Wolfgang Puck.

It’s an Asian themed restaurant that slowly rotates around so you get a 360 view of the city 560 feet in the air. It was so nice to dress up and eat at a swanky place with my Sis.

The food was delicious but a bit too hoity toity for my taste. I felt like I had to be on my best behavior. {{which takes a lot of discipline}} Lisa and I chatted, enjoyed the food, the view, and were entertained by the gay men sitting across from us.

We used the restroom before we left and the Lady in front of us didn’t know how to flush the toilet. It was really funny!! Since we did, Lisa and I felt a little less W.T. after that experience. 😉

We ended our weekend with pedi’s. Which was much needed since I hadn’t been able to touch my feet in months. Jason tried to help a girl out and trimmed my toe nails. Needless to say that was a 1 time occurrence. Geeze.

Lisa went fun with blue and I went bold with blood red. {{I’ve been watching way too much Twilight.}}

Thanks Lisa for such an amazing weekend!! I just adore my sister. She makes me laugh and gets me to let loose and kick back. I love myself when I’m around her.

I’m terribly embarrassed. I am just now delivering my Thank You cookies for people who helped me and my family out during the back trauma of ’09.

Now that physical therapy is behind me and I’m caught up on to-do’s; I can finally take the time to properly thank those amazing women who had my back when mine stabbed me in the back. {{literally}}

It took me 3 batches before I perfected my friend Lisa’s cookies. I know, it’s seriously so sad. I can not cook for the life of me. I’ll admit {{only to you}} that I burn the break-and-bake cookies. It’s terrible.

However, I’m now the proud baker of melt-in-your-mouth homemade cookies. Thanks to Lisa for her amazing recipe! The secret ingredient, real butter. I won’t even admit how many packages of butter I had to read to find “real butter”. {{Geeze, I hate to cook.}}

At any rate, I wanted these women to know how much I appreciate their service and so it was worth all the effort in the kitchen.

My mom made these darling flower tags with a pearl butterfly. Thanks Mom! They’ve already been copied by a friend in my Ward (church). Maybe one day they’ll be famous. 😉

I’ve had a pretty exciting week as far as blogland goes. I finally got through all my e-mails (again) and I had some treats awaiting inside.

Usually my e-mail is a lot like snail mail but instead of bills it’s “please do this for me”, or “I want”, or a ton of “to dos“. However this week was completely different.

First, I was asked to participate in a survey about blogging for Maren’s thesis. It was really cool and I can’t wait to see the results of all the women who participated.

Next, I was “spotted” as one of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM’S DIY Moms. I’ll be featured on Julie Mulligan’s blog, the lifestyle expert for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, the week of April 6th. I’ll receive a free bouquet of flowers as well as a promo code for my readers to receive 15% off of flowers from 1-800-FLOWERS.COM.

Lastly, I was asked if I would be willing to be interviewed by Mary Kaye, a Media Specialist for LDS Stake Public Affairs for Carrollton Stake. We met today and had such a great time chatting about one of my favorite subjects, blogging. It just might be featured in a local paper.

I actually think I made it through the interview without saying one “switch word”. Talk about a relief! {{holy crap it was hard – ha!}}

What a great calling Mary Kaye has. I bet she gets to meet some crazy cool people every month. I’m so glad she decided to slum it and interview me instead. {{teehee}}

Too bad she lives so far away, she was a ton of fun and would fit right in with the rest of my friends. She was so easy to talk to and simply delightful!

I’ve been feeling a bit burnt out and over-worked lately and this was exactly what I needed to get re-energized and excited about what I love to do.

So my Visiting Teachers gave me a bag of dark chocolate with this story. I thought it was pretty great. Apparently, so did Drake.

Giving Up Chocolate

“I was walking down the street when I was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless woman who asked me for a couple of dollars for dinner.

I took out my wallet, got out ten dollars and asked, ‘If I give you this money, will you buy chocolate with it instead of dinner?’

‘No, I had to stop eating chocolate years ago’, the homeless woman told me.

‘Will you use it to go shopping instead of buying food?’ I asked.

‘No, I don’t waste time shopping,’ the homeless woman said. ‘I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive.’

‘Will you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?’ I asked

‘Are you NUTS!’ replied the homeless woman. I haven’t had my hair done in 20 years’

Well, I said, ‘I’m not going to give you the money. Instead I’m going to take you out for dinner with my husband and me tonight.’

The homeless woman was shocked. ‘Won’t your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I’m dirty and I probably smell pretty disgusting.’

I said, ‘That’s okay. It’s important for him to see what a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments, and chocolate.”

HA!! Isn’t that funny? I just had to share it.

It seems like everyone around me is trying to eat better. There’s the no sugar diet, Weight Watchers, or a point system of one kind or another.

Dude.

Don’t get me wrong I am so proud of my friends and the commitment that they’ve made. It’s just makes me pay more attention to what I put in my body. Talk about a drag. 😉

I’m not one to give up things I love all together ‘cuz I am an emotional eater and icing brings me great joy. However, I have found a couple things the past month that are good substitutions. Such as:

• I’ve replaced Diet Cokes with 1 small can and water with a splash of cranberry juice.
• I’ve replaced honey buns with one 100 Calorie Carrot cake snacks. They’re REALLY yummy.
• I’ve started eating breakfast. Usually I’ll have grapefruit with a handful of blue berries, almonds and a banana. Easy.
• If I have a craving I’ll grab a cheese stick or cut up some cucumbers and sprinkle with Italian dressing.
• I’ll also grab another handful of blueberries and an apple around 2pm.
• Normal lunch & dinner of course.

It’s not a diet. I wouldn’t have the will power to actually follow a diet. I don’t have that kind of self control. I self medicate with icing and baked goods and I kinda like that about myself. {{giggle}}

However, I’ve lost a little weight do to my surgery and people keep commenting about it. In the beginning it was something light like, “Oh that’s what you gotta do to loose weight.” To be honest, I don’t see the weight loss as a perk of 9 weeks of agony. I see it as a reminder.

I realize that I need to take better care of my body. Especially now that I’m so over-the-top grateful I have my life back. Loosing 3 months just sucks and I don’t want to go through that again. I also don’t want to loose my “reminder” and I feel that with a little more effort I can take better care of myself.

My sister said this to me this morning, “Craving something sweet means you’re wanting something sweet in life.” Touche ‘Lil Sis.

Lisa came into town for Drake’s birthday party and we had so much fun together! Because it was my dear friend Wendy’s anniversary I offered to watch her kiddos for the weekend.

It worked out perfectly being Drakes birthday. So we partied hard and had a great time.

The next morning, I decided to do something new to Emily’s hair. I mean, it’s the only time I get to pretend I actually have a daughter. 🙁

I showed her the hair blog and asked her to pick one. She picked out the Basket Weave hair style.

I was seriously SO excited about it! Finally, I would get to put my skills to use and create a darling never-before-seen hairstyle on cutie patootie Emily.

Dude. This one’s a doozy! As I was making all the little pony tails all I could think about was my poor friend having to take them out. I thought I was going to be in serious trouble.

Although how on earth could you be mad after seeing something so beautiful! (And of course she wasn’t. She LOVED it!)

6 suckers, who knows how long, or how many rubber bands later, she’s even more adorable that normal. If you can even imagine such a thing to be possible.

Add some ribbon and it’s absolutely fabulous! She’s such a darling girl. Thanks ‘lil Emmy.

After playing with Emily’s hair, Lisa and I took the older kids to the Skating Rink.

We reminisced about our days in Jr. High and our local rink.

In that moment I felt like life had come full “circle”. Get it? {{heehee}}

We had so much fun with these little cuties. Our first slumber party was a BLAST!

When Wendy came to pick up her kiddos she had the most wonderful surprise for me! We had gone shopping together a week or so ago and I really wanted this wool flower. Needless to say it was a bit pricey and I opted not to get it. Leave it to Wendy to buy it for me as thanks for watching her kiddos so she could celebrate her anniversary.

Wendy’s kids, Lisa in town, and a new flower for my hair equals a great weekend! Too bad it had to end.

Check out this video called “Mormons Made Simple“. Really cute idea. So if you want to know more about what I do on Sunday, consider yourself hooked up.

Pews are unassigned!?! What?

I was shopping online a couple weeks ago for a Valentine’s dress when I found these shoes. I ordered them and have been awaiting their arrival ever since.

When I opened them up, they were even more beautiful then I had expected. However, now I have another problem, they show toe cleavage. Ugh! Usually I have a strict policy against such a fashion no-no but I just adore them. Yes, leave it to something sexy to challenge my moral standards. {{snicker}}

(I’m not even going to be able to wear them for Valentine’s Day due to my surgery.) So should I keep them or take them back? What’s your take on toe cleavage?

If you need me, better send a text. This is after I deleted all the newsletters and junk mail. {{Geeze Louise!}}