The Dress that just kept on giving

Remember earlier this year when I was worrying about finding a good bridesmaid's dress for the Milkmaid's wedding? This year was my year of being a bridesmaid as it has turned out. I wore it three times, for three different weddings.

We'll start with the most recent wedding, PZ's, in late December. Exhibit A:

And then there was Autumn's wedding in November. Exhibit B:

And here I am with the Milkmaid, Daddy Long Legs, and
the architect this past August in Nauvoo.

I don't have any friends who are currently engaged since most of them got married this past year, but thank you to those who have requested that I wear a black dress with some or no ribbon attached to your wedding. Let it be known that it would be fantastic if this tradition could continue. With the new movie 27 Dresses coming out in a few weeks, it's made me reflect on all the times that I've been a bridesmaid. With the PZ's wedding, I've been a bridesmaid at least 6 times. And Hallelujah that I got to wear the same dress for half of them.

Geography Wizard

A few months ago I posted a video of my friend's daughter, Lilly. The other night I got to see her in action for myself. Its actually quite amazing when she can tell you where the Ivory Coast is in Africa when I wasn't even really sure that it was a country. AND she's pretty darn cute, to boot.

A little while after she had shown us where the most obscure countries in the world are on her map, we noticed that she got a little quiet and this is what we found:

Dead asleep, finger pointed and all. I think this is what you call Geography Burnout.

Crazy Blind Date

During my time at home, I've been blog surfing a bit. I came across this website a few minutes ago and I am extremely intrigued by it. What do you think about just singing up on a website to go on a blind date tonight or tomorrow night? If the thought of that interests you, check this out.

Crazy Blind Date!

Who Does That?

Last night I fell asleep at 9:30pm. The last time I went to bed that early on Christmas Eve, I was probably 4. Seriously. I was completely exhausted from the past 3-4 days even though I had taken the entire week off previous to that. I must be getting old, eh?

Ok so even though I have been promising pictures for days, I am missing some from Silvia's bachelorette night on Thursday and from the night before her wedding when I karaoked with friends until 2am. I'll just have to save those for another day because I have some wedding pictures in my paws and boy am I excited to post them for you! {By the way, thanks for taking some of these Gladys.}

Doesn't Silvia look amazing?

One of the neatest things about being one of Silvia's bridesmaids was that all of us girls knew each other really well, so it was so much fun to spend time together. If the day comes that I ever have bridesmaids, I'm sorry to say that they probably won't know each other very well. If you think that that statement may apply to you, prepare to get over it now. ha!

Here is the San Francisco Fab Four. Oh my gosh I love this picture. It does strike a strong resemblance to a picture from last year.

Please take note of my crying face. I was saying goodbye to my Brazilian friends (Silvia's family) and though I hope to see them again one day and I'm fairly sure that this will happen, it was really sad! I cried through most of the reception just knowing that it would all be coming to a quick end. The only thing that kept me sane was knowing that as soon as I got home to Utah, one of my bff's would be picking me up from the airport.

Every Christmas Eve, I go skiing with my Dad, Matt, and Scott. Over the years some other people have gone with us, but the 4 of us are always there no matter what. Since Matt and I hadn't gone skiing since last Christmas Eve, we decided to do a little warm-up yoga before heading out to the slopes.

While we were in line to go up the lift, these two kids were attempting snow angels with their ski gear on. A little less effective, but I give it an A for effort.

Since Matt and I are more about the whole skiing experience, we like to stop to get hot cocoa after a few runs down the mountain. This is all while my Dad and Scott were stuck on the lift for over an hour.

Nearly every year that we've gone to Solitude, which is 5 years and counting, Santa has been up on the mountain with us. I didn't see him this year, but when we were about to leave the lodge, he walked in with a big bag of candy for all the kids. How awesome is that?!

And just because we always take a group picture, here's the group one from this year...and this random lady and her son decided to join us.

And because Scott and Matt are in the picture, they get sillier...

and sillier....

I hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas. Just being with so many friends at this time of year has been an incredible gift. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

So Blessed

I don't have a whole lot of time to post right now but I really felt like I should before I head home, because things will be a little hectic for a few days and I wanted to write this while it was on my mind.
Yesterday was Silvia's wedding (pictures will come shortly). It was really one of the most beautiful weddings that I've been to and I was so honored to be such a special part of it. Last night I rode home alone from the reception and I just cried and cried and cried. Not because I was sad that Silvia got married, but I was just so sad that this week had to end. Though my Portuguese is pretty much non-existent, I grew to love Silvia's family so much. SO much. I'm even crying right now writing about it. I also cried on the way home because I realized how much I really miss having Kristy in my life. No one laughs at my jokes or understands me the way that she does and I didn't realize how much I missed that until we were together all day yesterday. It was like we'd never been apart. I have had some amazing friends during the time that I've been in San Francisco and I feel so blessed.

Heck; it wasn't even my wedding yesterday and I would give everything I have to relive it again and again and again.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Be safe!

The War...oh, and new bedroom furniture!

Since I've been at home every day this week, I've been in the kitchen much more than usual. I noticed yesterday that my roommates and I have some friends who won't go home. About 1,000 of them to be exact and they are all over the place. I've been doing everything I can to clean the kitchen and I've wiped out the cupboards a dozen times and sprayed oven off all over the ants more times than I can count. Seriously, why don't they get the idea??

I'd take some pictures of the mass homicides that have been happening in my kitchen every few hours, but I'm sure that you can imagine something just as gruesome in your head without the effort on my part. :) Tiffany bought some ant traps that don't really work and I think that the ants are building an immunity to windex that they didn't have a few months ago. Blast!

Other than waging a battle against the ants in the kitchen, today was pretty cool. My dad and mom bought me new bedroom furniture as my Christmas present and since my dad travels so much during most of the year, he drove it out for me from Utah yesterday and he arrived at about 10am today.

Check it out. I LOVE IT!

I finally finished hanging the pictures on my wall and I think it turned out very well.

And please excuse my lack of skillz using Paint, but here's a shot of what my room looks like from the side. Isn't she beautiful?

Ok so now that most of my room is clean and put away, I am running off to Silvia's bachelorette party. Pictures from that to come tomorrow.

Arts and Crafts with Stephanie

A few days ago, I saw this post on Heather's blog. Seriously, it cracked me up. So tonight after everyone left the party and I saw some leftover rolls from some wrapping paper in the garbage, I couldn't resist. Enjoy.

Merry Christmas!

Cookies with Santa

Quite a while ago, Tiffany and I started brainstorming for our Christmas Party this year. Well, all of our planning turned out splendidly when about 30 of our friends showed up at our house tonight to sit on Santa's lap and eat the cookies that I spent all day making. Ok ok, I can't take all the credit. Someone at Safeway made some of them too.

While I won't share the recipe to my mom's awesome Peanut Butter Blossom cookies (that were a hit, by the way, Mom), I will share the recipe to having a good Christmas Party.

1. Ask one of your really funny friends to dress up like Santa Claus and greet the guests as they come to the party. (please notice the roaring fireplace)


2. Tell Santa how naughty or nice you were this year so that he'll give you a good present.




3. Stir in a little project for the men to show off their skillz.



4. Release the twins (despite how freaky they are, they always turn out to be a hit).


5. Toss in some good friends on the big red couch.

And now, with pictures

I really thought that I left my camera in Utah, but tonight when I was cleaning casually looking through some stuff in my room, I found it. Which means that you get the pleasure of looking at some of the pictures from the last week of my life. You lucky dog!

My coworker just emailed this to me the other day; its a pic of me at my holiday party at work. I wish you could see my tights instead of my dinner. Tiffany was my fashion consultant and I think I looked pretty darn cute if I do say so myself, so thanks Tiff!


I was in Atlanta for 3 days, which was previously mentioned, and while there, I looked at hotel ballrooms. And I got paid for it, thankyouverymuch.

This is no small model of a Christmas tree, people. This was HUGE and if you want to see it for yourself, go to the Ritz in downtown Atlanta. Beautiful and aMAZing.

So, enough about work-related stuff.

On Friday, all of my appointments ended earlier than expected, and I didn't have to fly out until later that evening, so I went to the Georgia Aquarium. Since it is the largest aquarium in the world, I figured that I should check it out and boy was I ever glad that I did! Seriously cool. I'd heard a lot about the beluga whale exhibit, so it was my first stop. I only got 1 of the 3 whales in this shot, but pretty neat, huh?

I took this next picture in the "Deep Sea" exhibit and though it appears as though this whale shark is swimming close to the glass, its farther away than you think. The whale shark is the largest fish in the ocean, and "Alice" was shipped UPS all the way from Taiwan. You think I'm kidding, but I'm not.

This picture is specifically for anyone who loves the "Fresh Water" chapter in the Planet Earth series. Or maybe its for Tommy. You choose. I thought that the cichlids would be bigger, but they're still pretty cool fish. Anything that protects its young by hiding them in their mouth is OK by me.

I was actually hoping to get a pic of this little guy's razor sharp teeth, but he just wouldn't smile for the camera.

On Friday evening, I flew to Utah for my dad's 60th birthday party. A lot of people were there that I hadn't seen in years, so it was nice to see them and laugh with people who have known me most of my life. My favorite niece Hannah was loving the party. So much actually, that she let me hold her for a while during it. She's getting so big!

I wasn't sure that I'd ever really get a picture like the one below. Growing up I had some women in my life that though they weren't really my mother, they influenced me in profound ways and always treated me as if I was their own. Marla is on the left and her three sons taught me everything I know when it comes to playing hide-and-seek in the dark, break dancing, playing football, and boxing. Blythe is behind me and if you know me well, I'm sure I've talked about her. She frequently refers to me as her oldest daughter and she always makes me feel loved. And then there's my cute and ever-stylish mother. I love this picture. I'm going to frame it.

Pretty classic eh? Arnold Friberg hanging out with my Dad on the couch and his wife giving my Dad gifts that she bought for him in Jerusalem. Oh wait. That isn't so classic. My favorite part of the night was when Arnold's German wife walked in wearing about 10 stars of David around her neck proclaiming that she no longer wanted to be Catholic. Pretty sure she was kidding, but it was funny nonetheless.

Then I came home and I've been at home for the past two days maxin' and relaxin'. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to work by Thursday. Until then, have a continued happy holiday season.

Under the Weather...

I got back from a few succesful trips on Sunday night only to find myself at the doctor yesterday morning. I left with a note that says "Stephanie deserves a raise!". Well, not really. The note said something more along the lines of "Stephanie should not go to work all week." Seriously. I'm no job-hater. I like my coworkers and I kinda like going to work every day. I mean...on my way home from the doctor, I had to go to the store because really, when is the last time I ate a meal at home? ...yeah, I can't remember either.

I'm doing ok though, so don't worry. Last night Silvia came over with her family and though we definitely don't speak the same language, it was wonderful spending time with them. Some exciting things are happening for Sil this week, so I'm grateful for the time that I have to be a part of it.

On another note, spending all this time at home is kinda turning me into a cleanaholic. Which is a good thing. And I'm off to clean the bathroom floor before getting ready for the day.

Hmmm...maybe working from home isn't that bad of an idea after all...

I'm Back!

And I'll have pictures for you probably by Monday evening. This is going to be a very busy week for me outside of work so hopefully I'll be able to keep you up to date on the latest happenings in my life.

I just got back from Utah tonight after my flight was delayed for 2 hours; good thing I really like playing Minesweeper, eh?

Hope everyone was/is well while I've been away. Be back with more soon.

Greetings from Atlanta

Hello there! I arrived in Atlanta a few hours ago and so far the day has proven to be pretty interesting. I sat next to a young Brazilian guy (I say young since he's my age) on my flight and impressed him with my Portuguese. He said that if the days of the week were all I needed, I'd be good to go. :) We talked for a good portion of the flight and he practically slept on my shoulder for a good hour. What is it with me and Brazilians?? I love them, I tell you. As soon as I checked into the hotel and received my luggage, I headed to the CNN Center to get some Chick-Fil-A. Oh yummy. Then when I got back to my room, I had chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. Oh yummy again.

While I was in the cab driving up to the hotel I was looking out the window thinking about how much Atlanta is like Charlotte which made me feel all homey and happy. Then the cab driver looked at me in the mirror and said "Atlanta is very ugly city, compared to San Francisco, no?" I just smiled at him and said "San Francisco is very beautiful, but its still beautiful here." I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

Have a good rest of the week everyone!

Where My Time is Going

Last year it was the Gilmore Girls. Now its Felicity. Tiffany owns the first season and so far I'm loving it. I'm not sure how I missed this show when it was on TV, but I did sit by one of the actors on a flight to London once. Remember that, Bev?? Maybe if you're lucky I'll post that picture tomorrow as its quite funny.

After watching a few episodes of Felicity last night, I went on a run. I was in a relay race on Saturday and although I haven't really run since the half marathon in May, I really enjoyed it. Somehow running this 5k got me in the mood to run again. I ran down Lake Street and a by the time I got to 18th Ave, I realized that I could see in the windows of everyone's homes and I could see tons of Christmas trees! I put a good song on repeat and enjoyed the scenery. I even said "Merry Christmas!" to the people that I ran past. In a city that is so often afraid to offend others, I was touched to see so many people openly displaying their Christmas decor. Who knows why they decorate or if they realize the true meaning behind the season, but it made me grateful for everything I have. The city I live in, that I can go running outside at night in December and not freeze to death, that I have incredible friends and family. I shouldn't worry so much about stuff that doesn't really matter.

I leave tomorrow for Atlanta, so I'll probably be light on posting while I'm gone. On Friday I'm flying to Utah for my Dad's 60th birthday party which should be a blast. There are a few people whose presence will make my canceled trip to North Carolina OK. That doesn't mean that I don't plan on going to North Carolina sometime in the near future; just that it is going to be OK this weekend. Have a nice week everyone!

What's the Difference??

Although I know that plenty of people out there read my blog, I rarely get comments. I'm not sure why. But my friends, I'm looking for a response here, so help a sister out, would ya?

Pray tell, can you please tell me what the difference is between two friends (meaning a boy and a girl) meeting up for lunch and a "date"?

k thanks. I'm looking forward to your comments.

Brian Regan

Last night I went to see Brian Regan at the Masonic Center. This isn't from last night, but in case you haven't seen him, here's a clip:

Where are you?

Today while I was addressing some of my Christmas cards, I noticed that my friends are all over the nation. So I made a map to show you were those who are nearest and dearest to me live. Its crazy sometimes to think that I lived in the same town as all of these people at one point, and look where we all are now! By the way, if you're upset that your town isn't dotted on my map, it might be because I don't have your address to send you a card. :) So send it to me and you might be lucky enough to receive one.

Taking my own advice...

This morning my coworker looked at me and said "What do you have to lose?" So I took my own advice and took a chance. Things so far are turning out swimmingly. yay.

Creches & Kershisnik

Try saying that three times fast. I couldn't even say it once without messing it up. Anyway; tonight I went with some girlfriends down to Palo Alto to check out the Annual Christmas Creche exhibit where over 500 nativities are displayed in the local church. Along with this amazing exhibit, this year an artist named Brian Kershisnik was able to show a piece of his art.

The angels seen here are all life size, so this small image doesn't even show the tiniest bit of detail that we were able to see tonight. What a beautiful portrayal of the birth of Jesus Christ. I've heard a lot of people say lately that they just aren't in the Christmas spirit. Well, guess what? I am in the Christmas spirit and I have been for over a week now. I've been saying Merry Christmas to people on the phone at work even. Hooray! Merry Christmas everyone!

Sweepers

Someone I was with tonight made a very interesting comment that I'd like to talk about briefly. This friend of mine was telling me that he was giving his roommate relationship advice and the advice he gave was to be a "Sweeper." What he meant by that is just this: If you like a girl, don't spend so much time questioning yourself. Just jump in and sweep her off her feet. Better to put your whole heart in it and take the risk.

Seeing the movie "Enchanted" this past weekend has made me think a lot about this as well. I can only really speak for myself, but as a little girl, I was taught (from movies and fairy tales) that one day a "prince" will ride up on his horse and sweep me off my feet and carry me off into the sunset. At the age of 21, I was swept off my feet. I thought I'd live forever with my handsome prince, but somehow there was a mixup and we didn't go riding off into the sunset together like I thought we would. I try to tell myself though that the magic that I once felt when this happened can happen again. I can still meet someone else who can sweet me off my feet, turn my life around and make me feel like a deer in the headlights like I did those years ago.

My point is this. I wish that guys would just take more initiative and more of a chance on relationships. If a guy likes a girl, then he should jump in with both feet. If you do it, what do you have to lose? Everything. If you don't do it, what do you have to lose? Everything. So you might as well give it a shot, right?

The Rumors Are True

Yesterday I went and saw the movie "Enchanted." It's as good as everyone says it is. I loved it.

I Think I'm Touchy.... and Reviews Anyone?

Sometimes I wonder if I'm being overly sensitive. I'm an planner, for goodness sakes. When plans don't go the way I am thinking they will go, I get a little touchy. When my roommate told me tonight that she was going to a birthday party, I told her that I hadn't heard anything about this said birthday party. I mean...she said that she was sure I could go if I wanted (which I'm fairly sure is true), but I decided that I'd rather spend time with someone who I thought could use my friendship more. Then I was shot down again. So I opted for option 4 (I didn't mention option 1) which consisted of eating too much chocolate and playing video games with my neighbors.

I've decided that from now on, I'm going to stick with plan A. I should have just gone to Sacramento as I had planned earlier this week.

In other news, I found out some good news about a guy I used to date. If anything, its been making me think a lot. I also went to the gym 4 times this week. My gym attendance has been lacking a bit lately with all of my travel and laziness, so I was proud of myself. I signed up today to participate in a 7 mile relay race next Saturday, so I'd better get running big time this week or I'm going to be in big trouble come next weekend.

And last but not least, I did read two books while I was out of town over the past month, which I guess is only possible due to the amount of time that I've spent in the airport and in route to my destinations lately.

The first, "The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club" by Laurie Notaro. I thought that based on the looks of this book, that it would be hilarious and that I would relate well to the topic at hand. {I often think that my autobiography will have a similar title one day}. However, I just found Laurie to be crass and not very funny at all, actually. I have to admit that I finished the book solely out of obligation and the hope that it would maybe be funny as I got closer to the last page. I was wrong. I mean; telling stories about that time that you were drunk is one thing and can be very funny and amusing; but telling stories about how you're a raging alcoholic and making it seem like that's ok? Not ok. Not worth the read my friends.

The second book I read was actually inspired by an ex of mine. One of the things he enjoyed doing as a couple was reading together. While we were dating he would bring options and I could choose what we were going to read. I always chose the same book, but Peter Pan by J M Barrie was in the stack every time. He told me that it was his favorite book and I was curious. So when I had the chance to read it over Thanksgiving break, I jumped at it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I even watched "Hook", you know, the movie you know you watched in the 90's with Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman. It was a lot of fun actually to watch the movie after just having read the book. (I didn't have quite the same reaction after reading Anne of Green Gables and then watching the movie).

Very interesting stuff here if you want to read more about Peter Pan and its background.