Lady Libby

Please Follow My Journey in Alaska!

2009-07-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have moved to Alaska! Please join me in my adventures at www.littlehouseonthetundra.com. Thank you so much for reading Lady Libby.

Jimmy Fallon, I Love You!

2009-06-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

With one short interview, Jimmy Fallen has won my heart as the BEST late night show host ever! He is a genius! And I know I'm not the only one feeling girlish and giddy because of Jimmy's show. So how did Late Night with Jimmy Fallon manage to excite and so quickly and assuredly capture the loyalty of women everywhere (and even some men - like Jimmy!) around 25 to 35 years old?...

An interview with Zack Morris & a Saved by the Bell Reunion!!!

Jimmy, on behalf of all the women who grew up watching that wholesome, beloved show on Saturday mornings and in syndication for the past ~15 years, thank you for making one of our lifelong dreams come true!

Zack, where have you been?! It's been way too long since we've seen those knowing looks, twinkling eyes and winning smile. Cute and charming as ever, you haven't changed a bit and neither has our love for you! We've missed you! Although we are thrilled that your acting career is flourishing, we miss your blonde hair and are deeply saddened to learn of your divorce from Kelly. Give love a second chance! Maybe at the reunion...? And thank you for agreeing to come to the reunion!

I have a few closing questions:

1. Is there anything we fans can do to help get Screech and Kelly to commit to the reunion so that the whole gang will be there?

2. Can non-Bayside graduates attend the reunion too? PLEASE!!!

3. Peter Engel, did you see this?! And can you get me tickets?!

Scarves & Pashminas All Year Long

2009-06-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

It could just be a California thing...but I love wearing scarves and pashminas all year long. In fact, I'm wearing a coral, lightweight cotton scarf from H&M today. Scarves and pashminas are perfect accessories:

You can wear them dressed up or casual

They can add a substantial punch of color or ethnic flair to any outfit without being gaudy like big jewelry and sunglasses

They are stylish and functional (they keep you warm)

I confess I am always wondering how I can wear my scarves and pashminas in new ways. I still remember learning how to do the basic loop-and-through method (the last one in the video) from an engineering classmate in undergrad. She was Italian and she is the one who inspired my love for pashminas. She always looked chic and pulled-together when she wore a pashmina to class. Of course, she didn't have much competition.

In my opinion, Rachel Bilson is the celebrity who wears scarves best - or at least the most. I love the look on the far right-like she just threw the scarf around her neck and knotted it indiscriminately as she rushed out the door. Genius!

Even Jennifer Aniston compliments her look with scarves. So for those of you who were still riding the fence, now you know it's safe and it's not just a silly California trend.

But it is not enough to simply look at photos of these stylish celebs - who were probably dressed by stylists! Okay, Rachel Bilson is now a bonafide contributor to In Style but nevertheless...I needed a visual demonstration or instructions! Once again, Google and then YouTube came to my rescue.

The following video demonstrates at least 5 ways to wear a scarf or pashmina. I like them all and can't wait to try them! I'll be keeping this video on standby for my morning primp. Now go wear your scarves and pashminas with style and confidence ladies!

Camping in Los Angeles Crest National Forest

2009-06-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, Dave and I joined our friends Becca and Tim for a camping weekend extraordinaire at Buckhorn Campground in Los Angeles Crest National Forest! Here is my photo journal of our relaxing and rejuvenating trip.

I grew up tent camping in campgrounds with showers and toilets. Dave grew up camping with whatever you could carry on a backpack - next to nothing! Dave fought me every step of the way as far as packing went. And in the end he won because we waited until the last minute and I went to work while he worked and packed for the both of us.

I was a little embarrassed when we placed our small banker box and snack cooler next to Tim and Becca's family-size cooler and large Tupperware box full of snacks, food for a "sit-down" dinner, and all the necessary cleaning and cooking supplies. Not to mention our Bunsen burner versus their Coleman stove complete with a coffee peculator. For breakfast Tim and Becca whipped up pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and OJ. Dave and I made oatmeal with some raisins, walnuts and brown sugar mixed in.

BECCA & TIM'S BREAKFAST
Saturday morning, we went hiking. Our final destination was Cooper Falls. It was only supposed to be a 3 mile hike, but we took a little trip-extending detour thanks to the helpful instructions of some Boy Scouts - or, more accurately, their Scout Leaders! You know who you are.

HIKING
Early on in our hike we came across a small waterfall and swimming hole. A family with three young kids had been jumping off the rocks and rope swing into the pool. The father even showed us how to do it. Not to be outdone by a father of three, Tim eagerly jumped on the rope swing and plunged into the water. None of us felt the temperature of the water before going in - which was a very good thing. As you can see from Tim's expression/reaction, the water was frigid!

COLD TIM
Dave went next. I needed more prep time - but not too much. Dave ate this stuff up! He was having a great time.

DAVE BEFORE SWINGING
Here Dave is swinging. It was hard to get him in focus!

DAVE SWINGING
Look closely at his face - he can't believe how cold the water is!

DAVE COLD
Caught up in the excitement of the moment and because I could NOT let my adoring audience down (Dave, Tim, Becca and the family of five who's 3 small boys including a baby all went in!), I peeled off my shirt and climbed the rocks to the rope swing. After pausing for some photos, I jumped on the swing and squealed as I pushed off the rocks. I've always loved swinging. And I was not in a hurry to jump in the water. But I could only stall for so long.

LIBBY SWINGING
I did a perfect back flop into the water - I'm the only one that didn't touch the bottom. As soon as my head popped out of the water I started screaming. IT WAS SO COLD! Dave took about 10 photos of me looking as if I'm about to cry. I screamed, "It's so cold! It's so cold!" The oldest little boy from the family of five who had been shy and quiet up until that point started to scream with me, "It's so cold! It's so cold! I know I did it myself!" That made me smile...in a few minutes.

COLD LIBBY
It took the rest of the hike for me to dry off. Good thing I brought my new Patagonia long underwear with me (Sierra Trading Post). Despite being soaking wet, the hike really was beautiful. And it was much better being cold than too hot. (Note: Becca did jump in the water at the end of our hike - but before I could get out my camera!)

LIBBY AND DAVE ON HIKE
I love these flowers. I believe they are Lupine.

PURPLE FLOWERS
With the giant trees, this area really begins to look like Yosemite and Sequoia National Park.

BIG TREES
Once we climbed down to the bottom of the valley, we were amidst dense green foliage and a rocky creek. The diversity in the landscape was fascinating and beautiful. This is Dave and Tim posing like "Abercrombie models" - according to Tim.

ABERCROMBIE MODELS
When we finally reached Cooper falls, we sat down and had a snack. We opted not to bring lunches since it was a "short" hike - minus the Boy Scout detour of course. I tried not to stare at the 5-inch thick sandwiches and bags of chips being enjoyed by the couple near us. Although they didn't offer to share their sandwiches, they did take a photo of the four of us.

COOPER FALLS
It felt good to relax and enjoy our beautiful surroundings. I was quite happy. As a side note, these are the first pair of sunglasses I've ever owned of which Dave approves (Buy at Old Navy). He know longer calls me "bug" or some version of "alien." Part of this pair's appeal to Dave is that he considers them kind of nerdy. Whatever it takes...Just another reason for me to be happy!

HAPPY LIBBY
Near the beginning of our trek back to the campsite, Dave's 15-year-old hiking boot broke! Just like that. Hilarious!

BROKEN SHOE
Thankfully, a sweet little Asian lady (aka The Shoe Fairy) came to his rescue! She cleverly tied his shoelaces around the bottom of his boot to secure the flapping bottom. Ironically, she had done the same thing for one of the other ladies in her hiking party!

THE SHOE FAIRY
After our hike we ate some lunch and immediately started on the fire - rather, the MEN got started on the fire. We sat around the fire from about 3pm to midnight. It was fantastic!

MY MAN CHOPPING WOOD!
For dinner that night, Tim and Becca put our canned chili (which we at on Friday night) to shame! However, it did take 4 of us to prepare the meal which were salad and Silver Turtles, an Owens-family original tradition. The Silver Turtles, which you can see roasting on the campfire coals, consisted of 2 ground beef patties, potatoes, carrots and onions all wrapped in 2 layers of aluminum foil and roasted for about an hour. We garnished the Silver Turtles with pepper jack cheese, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. They were hearty and delicious! But, I made sure to save room for S'mores - which we (and by we, I mean mostly Becca and I) indulged in on both Friday and Saturday night! I found that a 3-1 ratio was perfect: 3 marshmallows to 1 S'more!

SILVER TURTLES ON THE CAMPFIRE
Although I was looking forward to a shower, I didn't want the weekend to end. I felt invigorated by my cellphone and internet-free 40 hours in the woods. I didn't even mind sleeping in Dave's truck - a tent is on our shopping list. But not just any tent - an extreme conditions "I can handle Mt. Everest" tent - hence, why it's still on our shopping list. Of course, I did get to sleep in Dave's 0-degree sleeping bag and he slept wrapped in blankets because he got lost looking for REI on Friday before we left - hence, why a sleeping bag for me is also still on our shopping list. But, there's plenty of time for shopping and plenty more camping trips. I hope they're all as good as this one.

THE SELLES & OWENS

Faith Like Indy

2009-06-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was talking to my friend Autumn about Dave and I moving to Alaska. Um, did I mention that we're probably about to move there? We've been experiencing the fears and worries common to moving and big life changes. Will we make it? Will God provide? Will God provide enough so that Libby doesn't need a job and we can have children sooner rather than later? Are we sure this is God's will?

The other night, Dave read to me this section from Leviticus 25 which proclaims God's faithfulness as the Great Provider:

1 The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the LORD. 3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. 4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. 5 Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. 6 Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you—for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, 7 as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

20 You may ask, "What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?" 21 I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. 22 While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.

It is so helpful to be reminded that God not only blesses his people, but he requires our utter dependence on him. God WANTS us to be dependent on him - for that which physically sustains our life (food!). That is why Christ said he is the bread of life.

Autumn said our decision to trust God and move to Alaska without definite future provision in terms of work and finances reminded her of this scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade .

Did you notice how the bridge appeared only after Indy stepped out with not one but BOTH feet? What a great picture of faith!

Thank you, Autumn!

Really Satisfying Mint Dark Chocolate

2009-05-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

I've come a long way since my friend Karly introduced me to mint chocolate chip ice cream at Friendly's. I have faithfully nurtured my love for mint chocolate since that fateful day in the late 80s. Somewhere in grad school, I think, I ditched milk chocolate for it's darker sibling and I never looked back. It wasn't long before I had my first taste of dark mint chocolate - whoa. For a time, I bought "Endangered Species" (that was the brand name - or something like that) dark mint chocolate squares from Target and they were fantastic. My Target no longer carries that brand, so this week I picked up a Lindt Excellence Intense Mint dark chocolate bar and I fell in love. And since I never keep a good thing to myself, I wanted to tell all of you! Oh and, Target, you better keep this in stock!

"The Little Prince" - A Fable Worth a Thousand Pages

2009-05-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

"The Little Prince," written and illustrated by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, is little only in length (113 pages including pictures on almost every other page). The classic fable's succinct message is utterly true, convicting, and inspiring - or at least, thought-provoking. As is the nature of fables, one sentence could be expanded into a volume of thought or story. Not to get carried away, but it's sort of like reading the Bible - you can think about one sentence or a short chapter for days, moths, even years! It's no wonder the book has been translated into more than 180 languages and sold more than 80 million copies making it one of the best-selling books ever.

For instance, in 6.5 pages (of which 3 pages are illustrations) detailing the rise and fall of the love story between the Little Prince and his flower, the author accurately captures the essence of men, women and their greatest obstacles to love: pride and miscommunication. This chapter would have been great to read aloud and discuss with my husband.

This delightful little book is probably even more relevant today than it was in 1943 when it was first published. Saint-Exupéry delivers a powerful commentary on children vs. adults. The author's tale effectively underlines that children - and even animals - know what's truly important in life whereas adults tragically waste their time and effort on that which is ultimately meaningless. It will truly make you rethink your approach to life.

I don't want to give any more away. "The Little Prince" is a must read for adults and children. Children will love the illustrations, laugh at the silly adults and understand the Little Prince. Adults will take a cue from the Little Prince and realize how much they could and should relearn from children. Even though we'll never be able to regain the full wonder and clarity of childhood, we can definitely get a lot closer!

Lastly, please don't just read the book. Discuss it with someone! I am definitely going to reread it aloud with Dave.

Spago, Beverly Hills

2009-05-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the pleasure of dining with my best friends in LA in one of the city's best restaurants. Lucky me! Only one thing could have made the evening better - my husband!

Spago, Beverly Hills, is the flagship restaurant of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group. Before last night, the closest I'd ever gotten to Wolfgang Puck cuisine was an express station at the airport. Needless to say, it was a special occassion. In less than two days, Walt and Gretchen were moving across the country, so this dinner was our last hurrah.

The elegant restaurant is nestled right around the corner from Rodeo Drive. The 90210 zip code and menu prices alone were enough to intimidate me, but to top it off, the waitress exuded condescension. I could barely ask her about the sea bass dish. I wasn't about to attempt ordering a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, so I echoed the guys' Pinot Noir. As I am a notoriously bad at ordering, I copied Gretchen's choice of the Alaskan halibut. Walt got veal schnitzel and Eric selected the red snapper.

Unlike our waitress, Wolfgang himself was charming! Not that any of us actually recognized him. Tan, smiling and dressed in his crisp white chef coat, Mr. Puck came up to our table and reached for my hand as I was digging in my purse for my lipgloss (of course). Ditching the gloss, I smiled in return at the nice white-haired man who then shook hands with my three friends. "School's out?" he jestingly asked. We all smiled and away he went. With our four deductive powers combined, we quickly realized that was Wolfgang! I had assumed every man up until that point was him. How ironic. I'm pretty sure I was imagining Emeril.

I guess Walt was the most disappointed over our missed opportunity. He urged Eric to knock on the glass window between our booth and the kitchen and flag Wolfgang back over to our table so we could ask him for a dessert recommendation. Thank goodness Eric didn't!

Our meals were delicious. I was actually surprised how good the halibut was. And it came with peas and pea flan - whatever that is! I convinced everyone to skip the appetizer and get dessert instead, which they may or may not have thanked me for later. We opted to split 2 desserts, because Eric forewarned us of their "gigantic" portion size. Clearly, we forgot that Eric doesn't eat much!

Fortunately for Gretchen and me, the guys claimed to be "really full" after a few tastes of the 12 layer flourless chocolate cake (1 guess who picked that) and chocolate raspberry souffle.

Maybe Wolfgang was hungry and ate a few layers first. Good thing it had 12!

Both desserts were delicious. They were a sweet ending to a fantastic meal and treasured memory of this brief and happy chapter of our lives. Thank you, my friends!

A Simple Pleasure

2009-05-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

In the midst of stressful circumstances, I reminded myself this morning to take comfort in life's simple pleasures such as body lotion that makes you sparkle and smell delicious! Last spring I bought Bath & Body Work's Hello Sugar body lotion for myself after buying it for a friend.

Although the lotion's divine lemon meringue smell makes this lotion a standout, it's gold sparkle makes it a KNOCKOUT! Unlike other lotions which claim to be shimmering, this lotion actually makes you SPARKLE. When I stepped into the sunshine this morning, I felt like a Cullen - beautiful in all my golden sparkling radiance!

Unfortunately for all of us, Hello Sugar! was a limited edition lotion. The closest thing I found at bathandbodyworks.com was Ed Hardy Women by Christian Audigier Shimmering Body Lotion with a "hint of glitter." I'm guessing since this lotion is pink, the "hint of glitter" will be silvery instead of a more skin tone flattering gold. I will probably skip this one - especially since it's $25! I don't care WHO designed the lotion. It's okay, I enjoy a good hunt! Isn't that why we ladies are always searching for that perfect product or pair of jeans?

I will enjoy my Hello Sugar! lotion to the last delightful dollop. Especially when I'm stressed, I will remember to stop and smell the lemon meringue and step out into the sun and be dazzled and dazzling. I can't help but smile when wearing this lotion.

Simple pleasures bring relativity and elevation to life.

"Being happy isn't having everything in your life be perfect. Maybe it's about stringing together all the little things like wearing these pants or getting to a new level of Dragon's Lair - making those count for more than the bad stuff." -Bailey, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

"The Shack" - To Read or Not To Read

2009-03-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

It's hard not to be curious about "The Shack" given its extended stay at the top of the New York Times and Amazon Best Seller Lists and reviews like this:

"This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress' did for his. It's that good!" -Eugene Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, B.C.

Not to mention the fact that I work at a seminary where the author, Paul Young, came and spoke about the book at a well-publicized event. All this hoopla for the little novel that could and did by the power of word-of-mouth advertising.

Author Paul Young

I didn't have any concrete intentions to read the book - although I did give it to my Mom for Christmas, along with a copy of "The Host" for balance. I only read it because someone picked it for our March book club. So I had my mom mail me her copy as I would have been #805 on the library waiting list and felt embarrassed to ask a coworker for a loaner.

For the most part, our book club generally agreed that "The Shack" was mostly average with some good/interesting/cool parts. It wouldn't be at the top of our recommendation list, but that also significantly depends on the potential reader.

Here's what I liked and didn't like.

The message on the reconciliation of a world in which bad/evil things happen/exist with a completely good God. For me, this is the strongest message for readers who are already believers.

The portrayal of a relational God with each part of the Trinity (Father, Son and Spirit) portrayed as a unique persona within their union. In the book, the main character Mack develops a relationship with each part of the Trinity - he spends time individually with the Father, Son and Spirit in which he learns about their love for him, their nature, their will, and their relation to one another. This is a powerful picture and message for those who aren't believers or have never known God within a personal relationship.

The author blatantly pushes his political, social, economical, environmental, "religious" and theological agendas. I disagreed with 100% of these agenda-pushing passages, which always took me out of the moment and made me cynical and mad. Whole passages are abruptly inserted mid-conversation which have no relevance to the actual story. One of his most damaging agenda messages is the utter condemnation and nullification of the Church. His whole argument is invalid as he declares that people are broken and not served well by the Church; therefore, the Church is a broken, bad, worthless institution - obviously if people are the Church. I guess he would say Christians should not associate with other Christians then. The cost-benefit analysis is tricky and I'm not sure I can say it comes out in the positive. Does the cost of bashing the Church outweigh the benefit of portraying a loving, relational God? Again, it depends on the audience.

I'll leave it to you to decide.

Dancing Queen/Blame It On Gretchen!

2009-03-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

My friend Gretchen is an amazing ballerina. She is a prized and featured member of the Media City Ballet Company. She is poised, elegant, graceful, beautiful and strong both on and off the dance floor. I admire her and naturally want to be like her. The little dancer in me lives vicariously through Gretchen and always dreams of taking dance lessons - any type will do! This last Sunday, my little dancer, whom we'll call Tink, may have gotten pigeonholed as a Flash Dance wannabe. Blame Gretchen for letting both me and Tink out like this!

Although, I did feel like a dancer in my colorful get up - and a bit like a clown. Gretchen lent me her pretty fushia leotard - it's there somewhere I promise! I think the tights were what really did it for me though. And I'd be at a loss as to wear those fushia tights! Yes, my leotard and tights were almost matching shades!

Dance class was really fun! We took 30 minutes of Salsa and 30 minutes of ballet. I know it was humbling for Gretchen to go to Salsa - but she was the best in the class. And ballet was quite the workout, but peaceful at the same time - I loved it! Gretchen was a great teacher. Some day, I will take ballet classes regularly!

After ballet, I begged Gretchen to take a spin around downtown Burbank in search of Girl Scouts selling cookies as we had seen people with cookies in the parking garage. I forgot about my outfit...I received compliments from at least one admirer, though! My desire for more thin mints was much stronger than my "embarrassment" over my outfit (Tink and I thought we looked good!). And to my credit, we found cookies and bought enough between the two of us - Gretchen and me - to fill a box. Yes!

All in all, a very successful afternoon!

Happy Birthay St. Daddy!

2009-03-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

To the one who taught me to love holidays - especially birthdays!

To the one who taught me to enjoy melted cheese with cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning - or whenever.

To the one who is ever curious and learning.

To the one who always puts others before himself.

To the one whose memory puts the rest of us to shame!

To the one who had the smartest, greatest cat that ever lived! (Did I mention something about memory?)

To the one who gives me bragging rights to a dad that played football for the Florida Gators.

To the one who can explain any rocket inside and out.

To the one taught me the meaning of perfectionist.

To the one who gave me the travel bug.

To the one who is always thinking about his wife.

To the one who loves to fish - but only when certain others are not talking!

To the one who taught me how to travel: 30% sightseeing, 30% shopping, 10% eating, 30% traveling and sleeping.

To the one who first taught me genuine generosity.

To the one who taught me that a family that plays together stays together.

To my very own amazing Dad! Happy Birthday. Love you.

Best Pizza in Pasadena: Luciano's Ristorante

2009-03-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

Pizza is my favorite food - besides sushi. As much as I like Papa John's, I prefer local pizza joints with New York style greasy, good pizza! The very best pizza I've ever had is at the Mineral Diner, one of the two restaurants in Mineral, Virginia near my parents' lake house. Usually one to value atmosphere over cuisine, good tasting pizza always trumps decor - hence my love for Mineral Diner, the stereotypical small town diner.

I'm ashamed to admit that after two and a half years living in Pasadena, Dave's and my pizza testing had not expanded beyond the walls of Papa John's and our apartment! I'd asked people where the best pizza in the area was, but to no avail. It was as if no one even cared about finding good pizza! We were all content to order from one of the big chains or from the overpriced, highly visible pizzerias downtown. Where was the thrill of the chase for that little hole in the wall that only the privileged locals knew about and enjoyed? Where was the love of pizza?!

Dave and I love supporting the little hole-in-the-wall restaurants in our local Vons "neighborhood." It's home to our favorite sushi restaurant (Zushi) and Thai restaurant (Suriya Thai). We are fiercely loyal and a little biased - but we challenge you to find better sushi and Thai in Pasadena.

The only neighborhood restaurant we hadn't tried was Luciano's Ristorante, a little Italian joint. Surely someone would've told me about it if it had great pizza, right? With all the surveying I did. However, one night as Dave and I were strolling through our little neighborhood we stopped to peak inside the window of Luciano's. As we were standing there a customer on his way in gave a glowing recommendation of the restaurant and encouraged us to eat there. We were definitely interested.

Dave and I typically don't eat out - especially by ourselves - in order to save money. And when we do eat with others, whether at a restaurant or at home, Dave prefers not to experiment on new places and/or foods. I guess the scar tissue from our first year of marriage is still healing. So it was a rare treat on Saturday night when we threw caution to the wind and decided to get a takeout pizza from Luciano's!

It's amazing how much your perspective can change between "window shopping" and actually going in the restaurant. I'd glanced inside Luciano's several times, but was never tempted to go inside until I heard the customer's outstanding review. But the moment I stepped into Luciano's, I knew we had found our pizza place.

It was warm and cozy and smelled terrific. Smiling families and groups of friends were gathered close around small tables. It was comfortable and familiar. Conversation and wine flowed over delicious pizzas, pastas and salads. The walls were painted and decorated with Italian themes and family photographs. The waiter, who was likely the owner, was attentive, kind and definitely Italian.

Twenty minutes after we ordered our large pepperoni pizza with half pineapple and half mushrooms, Dave and I raced home to eat picnic style on the floor. We opened the lid of the pizza box as if we were opening a treasure chest - so many hopes were riding on this pizza! Did they even give us the right pizza? I wouldn't let Dave open the box to check for fear that the pizza would get cold and Dave would try to eat a piece before we walked the block back to our home! At fist I thought they left off the cheese (and we got some ultra-healthy Californian's pizza), which would've been a catastrophe! But upon closer examination I saw the cheese under the dense layer of pepperoni, mushrooms and pineapple and breathed a sigh of relief and delight.

In no less than 15 minutes, we had devoured the entire large pizza (Dave-6 slices, Libby-2). It was flavorful, greasy and steaming hot! We both wish we could have eaten more and we can't wait to go back and dine in with friends to get the full Luciano's experience!

Luciano's Ristorante
117 W California Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 440-0637‎

Tip: Saturday night is a big night for Luciano's, so come early because they "close" at 8:00pm.

Weekday Night Knitting Club

2009-03-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

I confess, I knit to hangout. At least, that's the primary reason. Sure, I like to make stuff with my own hands - it's quite the novelty these days. Yet, the real reason I bought needles and yarn was not to make batches of imperfect scarves for wearing around Los Angeles, but to have the opportunity to spend quality time with some really cool ladies - especially those busy, elusive moms of young kids.

The first knitting night invitation I received had a lengthy guest list. This wasn't a small get-together - it was an event! And it was on a weekday. However, as these things typically go (and I speak from hosting experience), knitting night premiered with a part of 3: the hostess, myself and another guest. I can't say that I was disappointed either. Although it would've been nice to see and meet some of the other ladies invited, our intimate gathering gave us the chance to really get to know each other better. Whoever said two's company and three's a crowd was wrong - at least when knitting. I'll concede that a group of 5 or more is a crowd as it naturally splits into multiple conversations which never progress beyond small talk. A circle of three, on the other hand, provides coziness, variety and only one conversation.

As both of my knitting companions have young children, I was thrilled to have their full attention - a rare opportunity indeed. They too were glad for the chance to have some "adult-only" time and conversation. While knitting, we've talked about everything from Target clothes, celebrities, bargain shopping, birthday cakes, photography, kids, accountability, friendships and sharing the Gospel.

That first night and ever since then, we've knitted and chatted until the wee hours of the morning. Each time, I tire around my usual bedtime of 10:00pm but push through it and get my second wind, energized by being with my friends. 'If these gals, whose children will be bouncing into their bedrooms before daybreak, can stay up late, so can I!' tell myself. 'Besides, it's not like I do this every night.' When we finally call it quits and dare to peak at our cell phones to check the time, I feel a rare mix of exhilaration and guilt over being so "irresponsible!" After all, I have to work the next day! As I tip toe back into my apartment between 1:00 and 2:00am, I feel like a carefree college student with a great secret I want to share with my sleeping husband. It kills me to have to wait over 16 hours to tell him about my night!

I haven't read "The Friday Night Knitting Club" nor its sequel "Knit Two," but I have a good idea why those books hit home with so many women. Like them, I have discovered a true joy in friends brought together by knitting.

Hair Cut Dos and Don'ts

2009-03-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I went to yet another new hair stylist (aka Candie) & salon. I went to Candie because my previous hair stylist - who I had gone to once - had literally disappeared without a trace! So after watching my friend come back to work with great haircuts form Candie for about 5 months, I was finally convinced and booked an appointment with Candie. However, I was still skeptical that the same hair stylist could give two customers great cuts - and consistently! The jury is still out on that.

I have have amassed information on what to say and what not to say to hair stylists from years of personal experience experimenting with different stylists and salons. Although I still struggle with following many (if not most) of these tips, I do know that they are true. There's just something about sitting in barber's chair in front of a stylist in a salon - especially if they're all new to me - that makes all my hard earned knowledge go out the window. Sometimes it almost feels like an out-of-body experience. I see myself saying all these things and the stylist doing all these things that I don't want, but I just can't stop myself or her! My extroverted, outspoken self transforms into a timid mouse! Or I go into sensory overload and relaxation and am completely oblivious to what the stylist is actually doing to my hair.

So as I like to say on this blog, please follow my advice and not my example!

How to Get the Haircut You Want:

1. Bring in photos! Preferably photos of people with your hair type (e.g. wavy, thick, thin, straight) or a photo of yourself with the haircut you want.

2. Choose 1-3 words/phrases to describe the type of haircut you want. No more than 3!!! Try to hit these 3 categories:

a. Type of hair cut: bob, layered, short, long (I asked for an angled bob this past time and I ended up with a medium length layered do - because when the stylist said "with some layers?" I consented. You can't have a bob and layers - I got layers.)

b. Length of haircut/layers. More often than not, stylists are scissor happy, so tell them 1-2 inches longer than you actually want. Have your hair stylist show you where she plans to cut when your hair is dry. Don't assume you both have the same interpretation of short layers or shoulder-length, for example. (I ended up with very short layers!)

c. How you style your hair at home. What tools do you use? How long do you spend?

3. Avoid vague words (this applies to you and your stylist!): some, light brown..."whatever you think!"

4. Stick to your guns. No matter how soothing or intimidating the stylist is, don't back down or be shy!

5. Only ask the stylist for her opinion if you don't have one! Otherwise, you will not get what you want and will be displeased. Trust me on this one.

We All Want to Be Hip Hop Stars

2009-02-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

I thought I was the only one, but it seems I've got company in hip hop exercise world. Admittedly, my exercise patterns tend towards flavor of the week. I've been running pretty consistently since I was a junior in high school - but I often have stretches of no motivation/hibernation. For about 2 years, I was really into yoga. And I still like it - but since quitting my gym membership, I've been unable to find an intermediate level yoga dvd that meets my needs and tastes and makes me want to actually do it! So my frugality coupled with my short interest span and lack of discipline has for the meantime squashed my commitment to yoga.

It takes a lot of discipline to exercise at home - so I really need something that motivates and excites me! I'm not going to run every day. I need variety - hence, flavor of the week.

Recently I'd read about Gwyneth Paltrow "getting her pre-baby body back!" by doing dance aerobics with Tracy Anderson, a petite blond who seemingly wants to be Britney Spears rather than a fitness instructor (see more photos & DVD covers on her website). I haven't seen the DVD, but on the cover Tracy is posing in her underwear and combat boots! Maybe she does strip dance "aerobics."

But who doesn't want to look like slim, fit Britney? I was definitely interested. However, I couldn't find the DVD on Netflix and I was not going to drop $30 plus shipping and handling for yet another exercise video since my batting average with those is around .100. So I decided to look for alternatives starting with something from my very own DVD collection: Carmen Electra's "Lap Dance and Hip Hop" DVD, disc 4 and 5 in her Aerobic Striptease series - at least she's honest.

Despite never watching the DVD since buying it 2 years ago from a Barnes & Noble in Alaska with my mother-in-law, I still had high hopes that Carmen Electra would come through for me. I popped in the hip hop DVD ready to dance up a sweat! Admittedly, Carmen's 16 seconds of hip hop moves were aerobic and if repeated 100 times without stopping, would provide a good 26 minutes of aerobic activity. Unfortunately, for the hopeful hip hop wannabe, Carmen and/or her producers were more interested in including sexy shots of Carmen stretching and talking about the benefits of her Aerobic Striptease series. And did I mention the gallery of still photos of Carmen? In short, if the DVD had more of Carmen's dance moves and less of her it would be a good buy. As it is, all you get is 2 well-directed and shot eight counts of dance and a lot of useless airtime for $10 (I think I payed more!).

Still, learning Carmen's 2 eight counts did inspire me to find more hip hop moves for getting fit and having fun.

I delved into the world of YouTube and found a bounty of hip hop dancers who wanted to teach me how to dance - and for free! I briefly wondered why they did it: out of the goodness of their heart or, more likely, out of the desire to become rich and famous (i.e. land a choreography agent, job, DVD series). In any case, I did find about 8 good eight counts from the same instructor which I saved as a YouTube playlist. I really liked the teacher,her dance moves, the level of difficulty, and most of all the price. However, there were a lot of drawbacks to YouTube fitness: wading through all the junk to find the good stuff, learning how to "use" YouTube, poor image and sound quality, constantly having to rewind and pause the computer to learn the moves as the teacher only does them once or twice, and not being able to see the entire dance put together. The number of people I told about my YouTube hip hop venture easily exceeded the number of eight counts I actually learned (2). I was at least trying the same flavor - just different brands.

Moving onto the biggest video library of all - Netflix. Surely, there had to be something on Netflix. I added several different types of exercise DVDs to my queue feeling less than optimistic about hip hop. But I decided to give hip hop the first - and likely my last - shot. What DVD garnered that special honor? None other than one of Madonna's top picks: Jamie King in "Rock Your Body." Two lines of the Netflix DVD description and I was sold: "Jamie King - a noted choreographer and video director who's developed routines for pop superstars including Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Ricky Martin..." What more did I need to know? I don't want to just look like Britney and J LO - I want to dance like them! Why? Not so I can go show off or even in front of an audience. That's the beauty of this whole quest - girls just wanna dance and hip hop is sexy, upbeat and you can do it by yourself! Here's to all the women out there who don't have spouses/boyfriends who like to dance! Dancing with my husband is a workout for my patience and gentleness - not my body!

So did Jamie King rock my body? Not quite. But he did get my blood pumping, entertain me, and make me have fun! I really like his dance moves and he teaches you a good 8 or 10 eight counts and puts them all together in the end. The dance is a lot of fun - I felt like I was back in high school at cheerleading practice. I didn't feel like I was exercising - that was key. Sure, I would be more motivated to do this routine over and over if there was going to be a performance. And the video did give me the urge to go out and buy sexy dance clothes, but I overcame it! As far as good hip hop exercise videos go, I'm betting this is about as good as it gets.

Follow my advice, not my example.
Tips for making hip hop dance a successful exercise method:

1. Dress the part. I'm sure you have something in your wardrobe - be creative! It's hip hop - you don't have to match! And if you have some extra cash, go to American Apparel or H&M for affordable clothes that look good on the dance floor and the street.

2. Do it with a friend. I never took my friend Gretchen up on the offer to do hip hop together and I think I should have. If you have a friend that lives nearby and you can get together to exercise - do hip hop together. It's so much harder to stop or be sluggish when someone is with you. You'll feed off each other's energy.

3. Perform for someone. Performing the dance routine for my husband Dave gave me a great adrenaline boost. You'll definitely try harder if someone is watching you. They say dancing leads to other good things.

4. Make it part of your weekly routine. I thrive on routine - I love it. I need it. I crave it. So set aside 30 minutes on 2 week nights to perform your hip hop dance. After you make it part of your routine, you won't have to depend as much on #1-3. But in a perfect world, I would do them all.

Lived to Tell About It

2009-02-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

Yes...he lived. Hooray!

Although, if you watch the video he does eerily resemble a corpse. Enough talk of death. My baby 'slapped death in the face!' Hoorah!

And he's ready to do it again! As soon as possible! If it only cost $100, instead of $200, he'd do it over and over again - because it'd be a 'good deal.' "The company can't do it for $100," I reason, "They have hefty insurance and equipment upkeep to pay for."

"No, they don't have insurance," Dave informs me nonchalantly. "The video said so. And if we try to sue the company, they'll sue us back even worse - it was in the contract." Wow. You're right, Dave. $200 is not a deal. Wait for the semiannual sale.

Maybe by then, you'll be less nervous and you'll be able to tell your wife that you love her when the videographer asks if you have any last words for your friends and loved ones. Not Dave. According to his partners in suicide (Walt & Eric), Dave was too nervous! I suppose he looks sort of nervous in this pic as he heads toward his death-I mean, the plane.

I always imagined jumping out the plane part to go a little something like this:

Sky Diver Pro: "Okay, you ready?"
Man: "Yeah. I think so."
Sky Diver Pro: "Alright, let's walk up to the door."
Man cautiously tip toes toward the open door. The Sky Diver Pro is strapped behind him prodding him on.
Sky Diver Pro: "On the count of 3 we'll jump, okay? Are you ready?"
Man: "Uh...no! No! I'm not ready. Give me a second!"
Man's breath is quick and shallow. He begins to turn a shade of green.
Man leans imperceptibly forward to look out the door. He quickly leans back and closes his eyes.

The scene plays out until FINALLY Man is ready to jump at least a minute later.

Man: "Okay, dude. I think I'm ready."
Man closes his eyes and screams bloody murder. Sky Diver Pro jumps for both of them.

Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly as dramatic in real life. Sigh. Dave's Sky Diver Pro, Piya, just started walking towards the open back of the plane and they simply walked off the edge.

Note Eric's smile on the left and Dave's tensed face. Not 1 oz of me can comprehend Eric's carefree mood in that situation.

Look at my husband having so much fun! Best $200 he ever spent!

He claims he really enjoyed the fall - in spite of the fact that he and Piya went rocketing past their videographer as their preliminary parachute, which is used to slow down the free fall, didn't open. That explains Dave's insane cheek ripples in the video. Thanks be to God, however, Dave's main parachute did deploy properly - to everyone's relief! Dave said he was aware that something was wrong, yet he wasn't concerned that his parachute wouldn't open! Does any of this make sense to rational people out there?!

To see all the excitement for yourself, watch the video below.

For at least a couple of days, my husband gained a new appreciation for his life, which is a wonderful thing indeed...as well as a lot of pent of stress in his body! I'm just not convinced he needed to jump out of a plane to get the former. The end always justifies the means when it's a good end. And I'm very glad it was. Welcome back, sweetheart!

Bravery & Foolishness: Before

2009-02-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

This morning my love left to face Death. I believe the exact words were "slap death in the face." Apparently, it's what men need to do-especially when one turns 30. Funny that my brave man reached for our little black princess for his last photo before confronting Death.

He wore his favorite Green Lantern shirt for "luck." Hmm...does one really want to be banking on luck when jumping out of a plane? Oh, did I forget to mention? He's sky diving today. It's actually a birthday gift from his younger buddies. He's already sentimental. Well, maybe this will make him appreciate me and our life more. I can only hope.

There he goes. Lord, please keep him safe.

I Got Gipped!...Or At Least I Thought I Did

2009-01-25T16:46:00.000-08:00

In January, I went to the Hallmark store near my home and was thrilled to see the 75% off sign hanging temptingly over all the remaining Christmas inventory. I had held my own against the 50% off sales, but how could any reasonable female who has any fondness for Christmas resist 75% off at Hallmark?! Not to mention, the Pasadena Hallmark had so many more ornaments than the Midlothian store. I probably spent almost an hour selecting 2 ornaments and some Christmas cards. To my credit, I had a major handicap in shopping for ornaments. All of the display/sample ornaments were gone, which meant I had to go by the photo on the box or open the box and unwrap the ornament to see what it really looked like. So I chose a Norman Rockwell ornament and this Candy Claus. I was particularly attracted to Candy Claus because of his pink sparkly hat, pants and peppermint stand and arms. On the box, Candy Claus glows with color and sparkle. No need to open this box. Candy Claus is obviously the cutest Santa Claus ornament this year. It's not like they Photoshop the picture on the box.

There is no pink in my Candy Claus. I can't believe I paid 25% of the original $15.00 price tag for this transparent piece of plastic!

I think I should've taken these photos with my point-and-shoot camera instead. My camera makes this ornament look better than it actually is! Add a little lighting and some digital touchups and wa la! I can work for Hallmark.

Clearly, I'm going to have to strategically position Candy Claus in front of some lights.

I wasn't that impressed with my Norman Rockwell ornament either, although, I didn't have as high of hopes for it. Has the quality and cuteness of Hallmark ornaments regressed? Or did I simply choose poorly among the picked over leftovers? Any thoughts?

"Mad Men" Quickie

2009-01-23T13:05:00.000-08:00

This is my quick review of AMC's hit drama "Mad Men" based on the first 3 episodes of season 1.

I was hooked from episode 1 thanks to the intriguing main characters: Don and Betty Draper. Don (Jon Hamm) is an executive for one of New York's premiere advertising agencies. He is handsome, wealthy, powerful, and talented. He has a beautiful house in the country complete with a gorgeous wife and two rosy-cheeked children. He also has a lengthening list of mistresses. Everyone believes Don Draper has everything a man could ever want. Everyone but Don Draper. He has everything the world tells him he needs to be happy, but he's not. The problem is, Don doesn't know what he wants nor what women, including his wife, want.

Like her husband, Betty Draper (January Jones) seems to have everything a woman could want: a handsome husband, a large house, plenty of money, no job, two pretty children and a part-time maid. But for some reason she isn't happy either. In fact, she's suffering from some sort of nervous disorder.

On the outside, the Drapers appear to have a happy, normal marriage. He brings home the bacon while she cooks and takes care of the children. Dinner is waiting for him in the oven when he comes home at night. They have sex frequently. They dine with other couples and host neighborhood parties from time to time. But they don't talk much. They don't really know each other or themselves for that matter.

What does Don Draper want? What do men want? Are they the same?
What does Betty want? What do women want? And are they the same?
Those are the overarching questions/themes of this series set in the picture-perfect 1950s.

The show's exposition of the treatment of women in the working world is mildly interesting. Chauvinistic, impolite men existed in the 1950s and they still exist today. Women used their whiles to get farther in the 1950s and they still do it today. Yes, of course, I sympathize with the women-but that's not what draws me to the show. Although, I do like Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks), the head secretary.

What really draws me are the psyches of the Mr. and Mrs. Draper and the possibility that this show (unlike all the other "Gray's Anatomy" shows currently on television)will portray an ultimately triumphant love story between a husband and wife. That's what I'm hoping for at least.

The other interesting character in the show so far is Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), a 26-year-old cocky, womanizing Jr. Executive who turns an unexpected new leaf upon getting married. He is seemingly transformed overnight by marriage. I am eager to watch the development of Pete's character as well as his relationships with his conformist friends and Don Draper, his desired mentor.

It would be very interesting to compare this series to "Revolutionary Road." I'm guessing they strike many of the same notes. I plan to watch both, so I'll let you know.

Other Quick Facts:
STARS: *** (out of 4) - I might bump this up to ***1/2 with more episodes.
Great cast
Beautiful cinematography
Superb production and costume design

Nobody Does New Year's Better Than Pasadena

2009-01-19T16:05:00.000-08:00

I'll hand it to you, New York, your ball is cool. Part of me really wants to see it drop in person some day. The other part of me-the smarter part-realizes how grueling that experience would actually be: no bathrooms, millions of drunk people pressing against you like sardines, standing for 12+ hours. So I'm sorry, New York, but I'm sticking with Pasadena.

This year we hosted our 2nd Annual New Year's Eve Rose Parade Sleepover! We doubled our guest list from 2 (the Irbys) to 4 (the Irbys + the Holmes). We don't mess around on New Year's. We started the evening off with a banging round of In a Pickle-such a fun board game! Dave and I can't understand why nobody likes this game as much as we do! If you like to argue, this game is for you!

After the game, we headed out to Orange Grove Blvd. to ooh and ah over the floats. It was just a tiny bit fun.

We skipped Old Town Pasadena this year, as most of our friends have graduated to more docile functions, and went home to watch the ball drop-that's right, New York, we tuned in! I felt sad for Dick Clark, but everyone else seemed to think it was nice that he was still broadcasting. I'm still not sure.

Even though Dave and I were approaching 24 hours without sleep, we finished off the night with an exciting round of Dance Dance Revolution. I had 3 things working against me: never having played before, sleep deprivation, and a little bubbly. And how can anyone compete with Gretchen, the professional ballerina? I squared off with Kevin-guess I wasn't too tired to want to win!

Six hours later we were up and 4 out of the 6 of us headed down to Colorado Blvd. to see the parade. The been-there-done-that Irbys stayed behind to eat and watch the parade on TV.

The Oompa-Loompas were out in full force and glory that morning. Apparently, there's a really long waiting list to be chosen for The Force.

I'm not sure if Kevin and Char had more fun watching the parade or the crowd.

It's hard to believe the first Rose Parade was held on January 1, 1890, nearly 120 years ago! The first "floats" were horse-drawn carriages adorned with flowers. Today, most of the floats are made in the course of a year by float making companies-did anyone else know these existed?

This year's parade showcased 46 floats including the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau's "Celebrating Alaska–Spirit of the Wild" float (which had to be started before the Sarah Palin national phenomenon) and Vera Bradley's "Hope Grows" float, my personal favorite.

This year's Grand Marshal was Cloris Leachman. To the chagrin of the USC-clad couple next to me, most of the crowd including myself only recognized Cloris from "Dancing With the Stars." And I only knew she was on "Dancing With the Stars" because of "Entertainment Tonight!" What are 9 Emmys and an Academy Award compared to one of the decade's most popular reality TV shows?! I know my mom and in-laws would've been very excited to a "Dancing With the Stars" celeb!

God bless America and the USOs who built this float.

I'm not sure who was more excited-the crowd or the Rose Queen. Probably the Queen.

We stayed our compulsory hour-although I could've stayed longer the weather was so nice-and went home for breakfast sandwiches. Eggs, cheddar, fried roast beef and a splash of Tabasco between 2 pieces of toast makes for one delicious New Year's Day breakfast. Oh happy day and happy new year! Top that, New York!

She's Just Not That Into You

2009-01-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

So I haven't actually read "He's Just Not That Into You," but I have some theories about why a man or woman would be "just not that into you." To my credit, I did endeavor to get an honest consensus from my readers but to no avail. Most of you didn't vote and of those that did, all but two weren't honest or, more likely, are in denial. The fact that kindness received the most votes (40%) as the #1 quality (excluding faith) one looks for in a love interest nullifies my poll. So either my single friends have never met a kind member of the opposite sex or members of the opposite sex are only kind to each other when there's another chip in the pot. Based on my own experience and my observations of single friends, I've come to the conclusion that 95% of the time that game-changing chip is physical attraction.

Nobody really believes that Dorothy (Renee Zellweger) was initially interested in Jerry Maguire because of his intelligent manifesto-because of the man he almost was. No, she was interested in Jerry because he was hot! Now, I'm certainly not trying to argue that physical attraction is the only necessary ingredient for love and marriage. It took an adorable child to hook and sink Jerry. I'm just saying that it's the first and, possibly, only nonnegotiable ingredient.

In "The Last of the Mohicans," Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Cora were not drawn together over their mutual sense of adventure.

Life isn't like the movies, you might say. Really? Is it really so hard to believe Jack and Rose's instant attraction in "Titanic?" Sure Jack was kind and adventurous, unlike Rose's fiance, but so were a lot of other rugrats on the ship and Rose wasn't sneaking off with them. Jack and Rose were physically attracted to each other.

Many of my friends like to mask physical attraction-or, more appropriately, the lack thereof-with nondescript terms like "chemistry" or "clicking." There wasn't any chemistry or We just didn't click. As if the lack of chemistry or clicking could be indiscriminately attributed to any number of things: bad jokes, awkwardness, annoying mannerisms, stupid laugh, boring personality, lack of athleticism or political views.

I too used to be fooled by others' true motives, not my own. I've always admitted I was first interested in my husband because I was physically attracted to him. I thought he was cute the moment I first saw him and that's all it took for me to want to get to know him. I wasn't scoping the field in graduate school for kind guys-right or wrong, I expected kindness. With the exception of a few jerks, every guy at my grad school would qualify as kind. And as far as a sense of adventure is concerned, all of us who get married and have children have one! As for intelligence...only a turn on when you're already physically attracted. Beauty and the Beast is the only exception I know of-or at least Belle's attraction to the Beast-which is why they call it a fairytale.

Recently, my experience has been validated by several of my girlfriends' constant and nonsensical fickleness and disinterest in every guy they've dated with a very few exceptions. I'll bet you'll never guess what quality those exceptional men shared-that's right, they were hot-at least, to my girlfriends they were.

Since breaking up with her boyfriend a couple of year ago, my friend has been really interested in only one guy-a very good looking "pretty boy." A guy that knew he was good looking. I'm always wary of those guys-the ones that are obviously aware of their good looks-usually, because girls are falling all over themselves in front of them. My friend got right in line with the rest of the girls. And the guy played the field because he could. Here is where I have realized one very important factor in increasing physical attraction-acting uninterested. It drives the opposite sex crazy! So while I still believe physical attraction is the hook-the sinker many times-if not most-is playing hard to get. There's truth behind stereotypes.

Since dating pretty boy-or "hanging out" with pretty boy I should say (since he never wanted to "date" until he was really "serious")-my friend has gone out with funny guys, intelligent guys, talented guys, financially-secure guys and kind guys. Yet there's always something "missing"-some unknown reason they don't have "chemistry" or "click." It's not like pretty boy had every quality on my friend's resume for her future husband. But he did have the foremost thing-good looks. With pretty player boy my friend was a giddy little school girl. With all the others, she's counting down the seconds before she gives them the "I'm just not that into you" talk and goes back to tell "pretty boy," who's remained her friend, what happened.

My Husband Turns 30

2009-01-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

My dear Dave turns 30 today. Happy birthday, sweetheart! It's funny that 30 sounds old when we both know it's not. However, the decade mile markers do have a bigger impact on one's psyche than say 19, 27, 32. Changing decades seems big, important-life altering. For my dear Hamletesque husband, reaching a new decade triggers atypically deep self-reflection and assessment. I can't say I blame him though. Outside of Hollywood, 30-something and 20-something have significantly different connotations.

20-SOMETHING:

-Young
-The rest of your life is ahead of you. You can do anything!
-Carefree
-Fun!
-Healthy
-Health insurance, what?
-Retirement, what?
-Marriage-hopefully
-Kids-not yet, we have plenty of time!

And in just one birthday, my husband has seemingly crossed over to the dark side.

30-SOMETHING:

-Older
-This is the rest of your life. What have you done?
-Careful
-Work, work, work
-Aches and pains pop up in places you didn't know could hurt!
-Deductibles vs. premiums
-401K
-If I'm not married by now, I'll probably be single for the rest of my life!
-2.5 Kids or bust-the clock is ticking!

While there IS truth to these changes occurring, they obviously don't all happen overnight when you turn 30. Dave may not feel like he's far enough along with his life to be 30, but is that really measurable or at all objective?

To me, my husband has much of which to be proud and, more importantly, grateful. Here is a short list:

1. He knows the love and salvation of Jesus Christ.
2. He has a good, noble heart.
3. He has always been a generous, loyal, accepting friend.
4. He helps anyone in need.
5. He works hard (believe me!) to be the best husband he can be.
6. His wife thinks the world of him and then some.
7. He has some amazing friends and family who love and support him.
8. He lives in a beautiful apartment near Millionaires' Row in Pasadena.
9. He has two little kitties who vie for his attention and affection.
10. He travels all over the country working as a Director of Photography on feature films.
11. He gets to work with his friends.
12. He is also a commercial/music video director.
13. His mentors in production say he has a "real talent."
14. He is a member of a great church, which is like a family.
15. Despite his sometimes gimpy walk, he is healthy.
16. He has shot a moose.
17. He is an Alaskan.

Happy 30th Birthday, Dave!

Making Dave's 30th Birthday Cake

2009-01-10T16:07:00.000-08:00

For Dave's super special 30th birthday I wanted to make his favorite cake-carrot cake. But not a plain jane carrot cake-a gourmet one. Fancy in taste and appearance. I got the recipe off of www.epicurious.com, my favorite cooking site, because I like fancy food, not because I am a particularly adept chef.

Rather than explain with a lot of words, let me illustrate with some photos. I give Lucille Ball a run for her money.

I chopped the carrots. Easy enough. Onto the cake part.

I made the 1st layer. I didn't have round cake pans, so I used an 8x8 brownie pan instead. I thought I was so clever and chic! Unfortunately, I forgot that my oven is not level. How come round cakes rise more evenly (flat) than square cakes anyways? The bottom (i.e. flat side) didn't come out so good so I decided to use the other layer for the top of the cake.

The 2nd layer was bigger because I didn't split the batter equally.

Oops. I guess it hadn't cooled completely when I flipped it over onto a plate.

My plan was to put the two sloping sides together-like putting together 2 triangles to make a rectangle. I ended up having to flip the layers, putting my 1st layer on top because it's "imperfect" bottom (and hence top) side was much prettier than the other layer's which left much more cake behind in the pan.

I had to use a lot of icing to doctor up this cake and make those layers fit together! I will never be a brick layer. It looks okay from the outside at least. We'll see what happens when we cut into it.

I didn't even follow the recipe for the icing. Rather, I used an approximation of a recipe left in a comment by some anonymous cook who said she'd made the cake 10 times and every time made a different icing and this year was the best icing by far....I ended up practically doubling the sugar she called for!

Dave couldn't tell if the icing tasted good without having cake with it. But this is as far as I would let him get to having a piece...

Until tonight when he blows out the candles and makes a wish.

Love you, Dave!

Twilight Frenzy

2009-01-07T11:00:00.001-08:00

**SPOILER ALERT: ALL 4 TWILIGHT BOOKS ARE SEQUENTIALLY DISCUSSED BELOW.**

While Stephanie Meyer doesn't have the same literary cred or as broad a fan base as J.K. Rowling, she has created a frenzy among girls age 10-55 over her Twilight saga that even Ms. Rowling can't compete with. Can anything compete with teenage love-at-first-sight forbidden vampire romance? Not since Titanic have girls swooned so much-myself included! And Titanic only offered 3 hours of swoon material compared to the Twilight series' 2560 pages which if you read 1 page a minute equates to 43 hours of pure swooning heaven.

At first I was dubious. A love story about teenage vampires? No, thanks. I'm not really into vampire stories. My husband is. But I reached an extended stretch between book club meetings and my friend Gretchen (she is the culprit - blame her!) had left "Twilight" (book 1) at my apartment over a month ago, so my husband (blame him too!) prompted me to give the book a try. Fine. What do I have to lose?...My desire to do anything other than read "Twilight." My awareness of the world around me-including my husband. My sanity.

I was "lucky" to have Thanksgiving break right as I decided to read "Twilight." I finished it after 2 solid days of reading. The telltale sign of my obsession was on Black Friday when I got up eager to score great deals at the stores, got on the road by 9:30am, drove to Kohl's where I circled the parking lot then circled the store, drove to Target where I circled the store, and raced home to lounge on the couch and read "Twilight" all day.

Meyer creates her own perfectly girly version of the vampire world that encompasses danger, mystery, eternal youth and sparkling beauty nestled in the quaint town of Forks, Washington. I loved the mystery and sexual tension. Is Edward a vampire or isn't he? (I'm actually disappointed the film didn't try to keep that a secret-but I guess it was impossible with the books being so popular). Does he like Bella or hate her? I do wish they hadn't fallen in love so fast. This isn't Shakespeare-must use willing suspension of disbelief. Meyer actually alludes to "Romeo and Juliet" in the first book in hopes that the readers project everything from Shakespeare's famous characters onto Edward and Bella. Love at first whiff? I buy it!

As soon as I could get "New Moon" from Gretchen (I had to wait like 5 days!), I put it down in 3 work nights (Wed-Fri), when my husband was conveniently out of town. However, he did want to talk on the phone. Strangely, whenever he called I suddenly became very sleepy until I hung up and started reading again which perked me right back up! It took all my willpower just to go to work on Thursday and Friday. All I could think about was the book, which is all about Bella and Jacob, the third point in Meyer's tantalizing love triangle. Amazingly, I was able to love Jacob as much as Edward-or almost as much. I loved him in a different way-he's the funny, heart-of-gold best friend who teaches Bella to have fun and would do anything to make her happy. And I loved him even more because he loves the girl who can't love him back-at least not fully. You feel for Jacob. He's a fighter-not a quitter like Edward appears to be in this 2nd book. And did I mention, he's a werewolf-okay, technically a shape-shifting wolf?

After "New Moon" a mini-disaster struck: I was unable to borrow book 3 "Eclipse" from Gretchen because she had lent it to a coworker who was unabashedly paused somewhere in the middle-probably 20 pages in! Ga! I can't remember if I was unabashed enough to ask Gretchen to ask for the book back-I probably did-but nevertheless, she couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't. Desperate times called for desperate measures. I signed up for a free trial of Amazon Prime so that I could get 2 day shipping on the Twilight books-I went ahead and bought all of them. They were an early Christmas present I reasoned-never mind that pesky little "budget" my husband and I had discussed. I also told myself I wouldn't see "Twilight" the movie in the theater to make up for buying the books. I mean it's not like it was going to be an amazing film or anything, right? I could wait for the dvd to come out-or at least for the $3 theater to show the film.

My husband had returned home by the time "Eclipse" arrived at my door. I liked "Eclipse" very much but my obsession was waning slightly by this point which gave me free time to go see the film! Of course, I righteously and half-heatedly turned down my husband's offer to take me to see "Twilight," but was quickly persuaded to do otherwise. My husband-he's a charmer! (Check back for a separate blog post on the movie.) The film fanned my Twilight flame and I got even more into "Eclipse." "Eclipse" is the final showdown in the love triangle. Who will Bella pick - Edward the vampire or Jacob the wolf? I knew she would end up picking Edward-again, you can't top love at first whiff/sight-but I was hoping her decision would've been a little harder-that is, the competition closer. Instead, Bella's foremost devotion to Edward never wavers; Jacob never graduates from a satisfactory backup plan. Bella chooses Edward from the beginning of book 1 and drags Jacob through the mud and blood behind her until the end of the 3rd book.

In this book, Meyer tries to draw another literary parallel between the relationships between Bella, Edward and Jacob to that of Cathy, Heathcliff & Edgar (I think) in "Wuthering Heights." Again, Meyer is banking that readers will be familiar with the classic "Wuthering Heights" and thus project the feelings, emotions, and internal conflicts of its characters onto hers in "Eclipse." Meyer is definitely a fan of working smarter not harder.

"Breaking Dawn" is essentially every 13-year-old girl's fairytale. Again, completely enjoyable and enthralling. I read half of it on the flight from LA to Virginia and the other half at my parents' house over Christmas break. And boy was it frustrating not to be able to read all day long like I can at home! You fly across country to visit people and they won't leave you alone-go figure.

I held out hope until the moment Bella became a vampire...and Jacob happily imprinted on her daughter. I thought, 'Maybe, just maybe, Stephanie Meyer is going to come up with a really compelling and conflicting choice with a surprising, bittersweet ending-one that would both give hope to its readers and yet teach them something about a painful and imperfect world.' But no, everything turns out nice and neat in "Breaking Dawn." Nobody loses anything. But at least Meyer throws the word "fairytale" into the book numerous times to get her point across.

Okay. It is fun to read about Bella's experience as a newborn vampire and of course to revel in her perfect marriage (with perfect endless married sex) to her perfect husband and her perfect child. And Jacob provides some comic relief and develops an interesting relationship with the only female wolf, which unfortunately ends up going nowhere. The book does build up to what promises to be an exciting, violent ending with hopefully some deaths but instead ends in a cease and desist with Bella as the super-power hero-yay! And they all live happily ever after forever with their true loves. What more can one ask for?

The Twilight saga made me feel like a girl again. Despite my critiques, I loved every minute of reading Meyer's indulgent story about an average, clumsy girl who moved to a small town to live with her dad and fell in love with a gorgeous, intense vampire who changed her life forever. I can't wait to read it again.

I'll Be Home For Christmas

2009-01-05T21:53:00.000-08:00

When Dave and I arrived in Midlothian, the tree was trimmed and the stockings hung with care. As you can see, my dad put the angel on top of the tree. I'm partly glad I wasn't there to witness that! But I'm so proud of him.

As usual, there were too many gifts; however, this year many were handmade or family heirlooms passed down for new generations to enjoy. My grandma bought this Santa (with mini Santas inside) in Russia. She traveled the world after my grandpa died. She was one adventurous, sharp lady. Everytime I look at Santa I will think of her. I'm leaving him out all year, nestled inside my grandma's bookcase. It is such a joy to have things in my home that belonged to my parents and grandparents.

My mom crocheted this blanket for my sister. It looks like something from Anthropologie. Again, why did my mom not pass along her incredible sewing expertise to me?! For all moms out there, please teach your domestic skills to your daughters. A couple of semesters of Home Ec in middle school does not come close to what mom can teach you.

Although my mom didn't pass along her specific crafty knowledge to my sister and me, she did give us the crafty gene - or at least the desire to be crafty gene. I knit so many hours over the holiday break, I felt like I developed carpal tunnel syndrome. My sister's forte is puff paint greeting cards. Note that the card and my scarf are sitting atop my grandma's side table which my dad refinished for me. I'm sad I couldn't bring it home with me on the plane!

Old habits never die in my family. This was my sister's present to me: a beautiful tapestry coat, which she bought for herself too. Sister coats! (That's what we call it when we the same thing for sister and self.)

Ah...Christmas breakfast. Melted cheese and Christmas tree sweetrolls from Ukrops. Don't knock it till you've tried it. You eat sweets with ice cream all the time. Besides, it's American - watch "Thank You For Smoking" and you'll know what I mean.

Do you think my dad was excited about this meal?

On Christmas Day, my mom's sister and her family joined us for dinner and a good old-fashioned family Christmas!

And lest we forget our place, my mom made us pose by the Christmas tree for the annual Christmas picture that will go on the bookshelf in the family room - I guess this makes #27.

It's at times like these that my desire for children is the strongest.

Okay okay. I love posing for the camera, who am I kidding!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas in Pasadena

2009-01-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...If I could have a Christmas tree year-round, I'd be a happy woman. Sure, maybe I'd appreciate it less, but wouldn't my cumulative happiness outweigh my slightly diminished daily pleasure? It's a subjective matter I suppose. In keeping with tradition, Dave strung the lights on the tree and I did - well, everything else. Don't worry, he makes up for it in the clean-up while I'm packing for our trip to Virginia.

Our Christmas spirit was quickly caught by Elphie and Eliot. The day before we left for Virginia (Saturday), we had our own Selle family Christmas morning in Pasadena.

Phenomenal. I bought this on cyber Monday and got a record low price. I do relish a good bargain. Watch this film!

My sweetheart went to Anthropologie all by himself and picked out these beautiful earrings, an apron and matching hot mitts for me. The fact that he went to Anthropologie meant as much to me as the gifts!

I took a risk. I went all out and bought the best brand. But in the end, I guess my husband's not a vest man. My sister said, "Doesn't it look like a sleeping bag?" She will pay. Vengeance is mine. Did I mention she's still single? What do you all think of the vest? Positive comments only please!

Dave made sourdough pancakes for Pasadena Christmas breakfast. Yummy!

Love was all around. What a great morning.

That night, we had a small gathering to watch "Christmas Vacation" - a Jones family tradition that has now become a Selle family tradition. I made lots of cookies including red peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies (red cookies are becoming my own weird tradition because it's the only food coloring I own) because I thought the red food coloring was the vanilla. Sigh. They still tasted fine, but not as good as normal as the wrong coloring played tricks with one's mind. So we ate cookies, pop corn, Gretchen's delectable desserts and drank lots of eggnog and apple cider - mmm! Williams & Sonoma mulling spices are a fantastic purchase! They taste amazing and last forever.

Oh yeah. And I asked everyone to wear an ugly Christmas sweater as a tribute to Cousin Eddy.

The thrift store was all out so I had to improvise. I was going for the Colin Firth sweater in "Bridget Jones' Diary" for Dave.

Walt joined in on the sweater making fun. Although, his was a little small; however, he did use a nice amount of glitter. Gretchen was the only person at the party who have never seen even a scene of "Christmas Vacation." Dave and I almost had more fun watching her reactions than we did watching the movie. Actually, Dave probably had more fun watching Gretchen - she barely cracked a smile the entire time! I'm not even sure she did crack one! It was unbelievable! Without a doubt, the film is funnier if you saw and loved it as a child.

But the winner of the ugly Christmas sweater contest was hands down Becca Owens. Her sweater even had shoulder pads! She won her very own gently-used copy of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and "Eat More Chikin." Nothing says Christmas like Chick-fil-a! And the star perched on top of Becca's head was a happy accident. Tim got points for wearing a Christmas sweater, but only Dave thought it was supposed to be "ugly," which he pointed out several times during the night. How embarrassing!

Overall, Christmas in Pasadena was a great success which I look forward to repeating next year!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T10:40:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful that Thanksgiving Day reminds us to be thankful.

Yet, this morning I was reading A.W. Tozer's "The Pursuit of God" in which he maintains that every day is holy and meant for worship, sanctity and thanksgiving - that there ought not be special "holy days" such as lent, Good Friday - or even Thanksgiving. I admit, I was surprised. Tozer's real desire was not to condemn Church or social traditions, but to call people to a fullness of relationship/living with God each and every day in each and every act. Tozer reaffirms the teaching in Scripture that every act of daily life can and should be an act unto the glory of God - from eating, cleaning, working in the office to prayer and worship. Every act is important and can be pleasing to God.

So today I offer thanksgiving as I will tomorrow and the next day and the next day after that.

I am thankful for a Savior.

I am thankful for a loving, self-sacrificing, husband who loves the Lord.

I am thankful for a dad that calls me at 6:30am and every half hour after that on Thanksgiving morning until I answer.

I am thankful for extra sleep.

I am thankful for friends to share Thanksgiving with.

I am thankful for traditions. :)

I am thankful for coffee in the morning.

I am thankful for "needy" kittens.

I am thankful for having no needs that aren't met.

I am thankful to be truly known.

I am thankful for games.

I am thankful for no rain on Thanksgiving Day!

I am thankful for God working in the lives of his lost sheep.

I am thankful that I get to witness that (above) and be a part of it.

I am thankful for photos and the happy memories they capture.

I am thankful for all of you who read this blog because you care about me.

I am thankful to live in the safest nation on earth.

I am thankful for the troops fighting to protect us and defend freedom and liberty. I am thankful for their and their families' sacrifice.

I am thankful for a God whose mission is to to reveal himself to the world, for which he gave his one and only son.

Deck the Halls...Already?

2008-11-17T09:03:00.000-08:00

I've ventured into autumn, but not Christmas...yet. Soon. The second Thanksgiving is over. But really, can you blame retailers for stretching the Christmas shopping season? I did learn one important lesson last year about celebrating Christmas too soon - listening to Christmas music for over a month is too much for even the most fervent Christmas lover.

Moral of the Story: Wait until December to start listening to 24/7 Christmas radio.

A Martha Stewart Touch

2008-11-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've been quite consumed by my job leaving little time or energy for much else. However, there are a few things which always seem to energize me: shopping and nesting. I love to nest. Why I don't subscribe to "The Nest" I do not know - perhaps because I don't need the motivation or inspiration.

For those of you ladies who think 'I simply don't have time for that - maybe someday when I don't have a full-time job,' you are missing out on one of the greatest simple pleasures God has given women.

Let me be sure to clarify that nesting does not require shopping. Not at all. The most ardent nesters, myself included, will happily spend many an hour rearranging the counted precious belongings in their possession. It is quite the creative challenge to take what you already have an make it new, prettier and/or more interesting. And the satisfaction that comes from overcoming that challenge can only be described as small slice of near perfect feminine pleasure. Sigh.

So, while Dave was gone for six weeks in Virginia Beach shooting a film, I was in desperate need for some nesting. Feeling a strong desire to make the bright, 90-degree Southern California November feel more like autumn, I went to my #1 source for inexpensive, chic home decor - Target!

Usually by November all I can about is Christmas, but this time I was really craving the warm reds and golds of autumn - perhaps because my husband was enjoying the crisp fall air and brightly colored leaves in Virginia. Wanting to get the most autumnal bang for my buck, I purchased two stems of red berries and a box of gold plated pine cones with a sprinkling of gold glitter.

A quick drive home and let the games begin!!!

First...let me fix the berries before my kittens eat them for they look so real! Darn, I can't cut through the wire. I wish I could find Dave's wire cutters - that's the name, right? Oh wait - I really can break it off without any tools! Yes!!! Let me arrange them just so...at different heights...A real florist couldn't have done it better.

Now to rearrange my pumpkins. I'm tired of seeing them in a line on the table. I need to spread the pumpkin cheer.

This looks nice. Domino should be featuring this in their magazine! (I am quite the confident nester needless-to-say.)

I know Twilight shouldn't be on top of the smaller book - but it was just Halloween...so I was featuring the vampire story.

Okay, I put the small book back on the book shelf! Where was I....

One more pumpkin...It would be nice to have something on the table still. What haven't I used in a while? Oooh! My brown pottery bowl would be nice and autumny....Let's see...there!

And now for the most fun of all...sparkly gold pine cones! I'm going to need some fishing wire. A little here. A little there. Pottery Barn are you watching?

By the way, later I went into the Pottery Barn store and they're selling gold pine cones just like these!

I'm a little fickle when it comes to my own photography...which one would appear in the Pottery Barn catalogue?

That little bit of nesting really did my heart, mind and body good! It provided just the boost I needed to get me ready for another week on the job...during which I'd daydream about my golden autumn nest. Happy sigh.

Moral of the Story: NEST!!!

My New Job

2008-09-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

Seriously,though...I'm really happy about it! I am the new Director of Process Improvement for Fuller Theological Seminary. What's not to like? I have my own office and I'm waging an uphill battle. I've always liked a good challenge.

Happy Birthday Mom and Ali!

2008-09-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today is my mom's and my sister's birthday! I've always thought it was kinda cool that they had the same birthday; however, I wasn't too sad I never had to share my special day! Hey, at least it's better than being a twin, right? Usually it just meant multiple celebrations very close together. No such thing as too much of a good thing - especially when it comes to a great family! I am very blessed by these two women.

My mom is a die-hard server and helper. It positively makes her day to help you in some way big or small. Even though I live across the country now, my mom is always asking me what she can do for me. She is my dad's best friend, constant companion and patient helper. Her industriousness in and outside the home would make most of us blush for shame. And yet, she adeptly balances work with quality time with family and friends. She has so many intimate and dear friendships, I am left wondering as to how she maintains them! It's truly a gift, which I aspire to emulate.

My sister Alison has also inherited this gift. She forms lasting friendships with gals wherever she goes: high school, college, Washington D.C. This does not come as much of a surprise, given Alison's caring, fun and easy-going personality. She has always known the value of friendship. I am blessed to call her my best friend. She's one smart cookie and can hang with the best of the best in a math quiz, Dr. Mario, Scrabble or puff-paint contest! She is the most well-rounded therapist you'll ever meet! Did I mention that she's going to grad school for a degree in counseling? The perks of being her friend just keep getting better and better! I am so proud of her.

So happy birthday, my lovely mom and sister! You deserve it.

Afternoon Delight

2008-09-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

Who says have to get out of the city to see the great outdoors? Not when you live in Los Angeles! We have a whole mountain dedicated to park land. That's right. Give me Griffith Park over Central Park any day! It's hard to imagine why Dave and I hadn't gone to the LA Zoo until today...Oh yeah, we don't like to leave Pasadena. It's kind of a pain, you know? Well, fortunately for us, the zoo is only about 5 miles from our home, so we didn't have to drive far. A good start to a good date with my husband!

At the start of our zoostravaganza, I dutifully read with gusto ever word of every sign to Dave. "Dave! Come hear! Did you read this? Did you know that sea lions can out run a human on land?!" By the end of the day, I relied upon Dave to alert me of any noteworthy facts. Has anyone else noticed that zoos always put flamingos close to the entrance? I suppose they are a real crowd pleaser.

Speaking of crowd pleasers...I wore my patriotic Grand Ole Party bag and even received a compliment! I'm a walking billboard in LA! I've actually received many compliments on my bag...which started my entrepreneurial wheels a spinnin!

While most of the animals were sleeping - I don't know why zoo hours are 10-5, I want to see the action! - at least the seals and sea lions were up and swimming about - or at least bobbing, which is far more entertaining that sleeping curled up in a ball on the dirt. Although, it was much harder to get the awake animals in focus with my little camera!

In first grade, I picked koalas for a class project and they've been "my favorite" animal since. In a book on the laziest animals on earth, I read that the koala is the second most lazy. They sleep 23 hours out of the day. So this is the most action you will ever see from a koala! With only an hour of active time, there's not much time for a social life - they have to eat! We really hit the jackpot with this little guy.

Continuing on with the Australia theme...there were several varieties of kangaroo. This big guy is a grey kangaroo.

I don't think I've ever seen a double humped camel before. Do you ride in between the humps or on top?

The zebras were super cool as Dave would say. Did you know the stripes on their body continue/line up perfectly with the stripes on their mane? Seriously, only God could've done that! What is up with evolutionists?!

Dave just doesn't have the same intellectual stamina as I do. On that note, I learned that the zebras' stripes actually help to confuse predators by making the herd appear as one continuous blur of black and white. Again, ingenious!

I was particularly fond of the baby animals on this visit...

...meanwhile Dave busied himself with the map.

When Dave and I first saw the tiger, we were scared! Who wouldn't be?!

But then we realized he was just like our kitties - only bigger.

And he even likes the water!

Dave and I would go to the zoo and end up likening all the exotic animals to our shorthair domestic kittens! And at the end of the day, we were rather excited to go home and see them. All in all, the zoo was a great date place - something different is nice every now and then.

Thank You Bethany for Introducing Me to Wordle!

2008-09-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE this! Bethany Baird always knows the latest tricks. I can't wait to make more. Go to www.wordle.net to create your own! Have fun!

Elated with my 2 E's

2008-09-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

I have two new reasons to be extremely happy:

1. Elphaba
Named after: the "Wicked" witch from Wicked (by me)
Nicknames: Elphie, Elf, Squirt, QueenE
Theme song: "Defying Gravity" - she doesn't know it yet, but she'll grow to love it as much as I do!
Age: 3 months
Weight: 3 lbs
Distinguishing Characteristics: likes to be held, more independent, intense toy player, good jumper, boundless energy, doesn't eat much, stinky

2. Eliot
Named after: T.S. Eliot (by Dave)
Nicknames: El...i...ot, ET, Biggie/BigE, Prufrock, Tiger
Theme Song: the theme song from ET?
Age: 3 months
Weight: 4 lbs
Distinguishing Characteristics: likes to wrestle and chase Elphie, very social, more laid back, eats and drinks a lot, stinky

After many weeks of Dave's pleading to get a new cat, I finally conceded...much to my complete joy! When we went to the pound all the cats were sleeping with the exception of a very few including Eliot who stuck his arm out of the cage to touch Dave. That's all it took to know he was the one.

I had already decided, however, that this time around I wanted to get 2 cats so one was never left alone. I wanted to get one kitten and one older cat, but when we saw Eliot and his sister Elphie together we knew we had to get both of them! How cool is it that the siblings get to live together?!

We really lucked out with these two. They're both extremely friendly, loving, social and well-behaved. I can't wait for you to meet them!

Pride for Palin!!!

2008-08-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

Three cheers for John McCain taking a chance for greatness and CHANGE for our country!!! Move over Obama and Biden, McCain and Palin are coming to town!

McCain couldn't hide his excitement over Palin and neither can I!

I am so proud to be a conservative American WOMAN! Let's shatter that glass ceiling which Hillary Clinton helped to crack.

Wife of 20 years; mother of 5, including a baby with Downs Syndrome and a son in the army about to be deployed to Iraq; former commercial fisherwoman; and Governor of Alaska with an approval rating that has always exceeded 80%. This woman knows how to make the most of life and get things done!

She's a maverick and your everyday woman. Someone to be proud of and trust to take our country in the right direction. God bless John McCain and Sarah Palin! They are the team to beat!

Lions and Tigers and Bears?

2008-08-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

In Alaska, I'm like Dorothy in Oz - plunked down in the middle of an unfamiliar, bizarre and sometimes frightening land whose inhabitants are equally as strange. Although I arrive by plane and not tornado, I can feel as out of place as Dorothy did in the land of emeralds and the yellow brick road. While Dorothy encountered munchkins, witches, and flying monkeys, I find myself face to face with peculiar pets and wild, beautiful beasts, which seem simultaneously gentle and dangerous.

As the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Toto and the Cowardly Lion protected Dorothy, my aboriginal husband guards me - when he remembers that is. To be fair, the Alaskan wildlife is spectacular and exhilarating, so it is "easy" to forget your sometimes timid, Dorothyesque wife. Another reason why I should get a dog or children - I need a posse.

Like Dorothy, I grow braver with every trip back to Alaska - or more brazen. You either sink or swim, right? And if you want to win the prize - for Dorothy it was reaching the Wizard so he could help her get back home, for me it's winning the respect and approval of my husband and in-laws - you've got to swim. Just remember a wetsuit in Alaska.

The first Alaskan animal I encountered was the notorious and merciless hunter - Fat Cat. Fat Cat's girth alone invokes fear in his foes. Without the aid of front or back claws, the large tuxedo cat easily and indiscriminately tracks and kills his prey. No animal is too big nor too small for the merciless Fat Cat. Like his black and white coat, Fat Cat's badness and goodness are mixed and inseparable. He is neither all bad nor all good.

Like his counterpart in Oz, this intimidating beast does have one weakness...

water.

Alright, maybe he has two weaknesses: water and petting. But only the water makes him disappear.

Fat Cat isn't the only peculiar pet in the Selle clan, as I discovered this past trip. Little did I know, my brother and sister-in-law run the Selle Plant and Animal Adventure Park out of their backyard! With the right wardrobes and marketing, these two could really go places.

As they are only in the beginning phases of their Adventure Park, Jonathan and Sarah are starting small with ducks. These ducks are probably the most well-attended ducks that ever lived. Every day, Jonathan and Sarah give the ducks fresh water and grass and plenty of love and affection.

The larger ducks are Magpies, whose size makes them good eating and natural leaders. Jonathan and Sarah have raised the ducks since they were babies and are preparing to let them leave the "nest" and fly away - a very hard thing for parents to do. Thankfully, Jonathan has relinquished the idea of shooting and eating his own Magpies. Duck is my favorite meat, but even I wouldn't want to do that!

As with most beasts - or a good man - you find them when you're not looking or least expect them. Case in point - the first moose we saw up close was "swimming" in a small pond next to the road during a violent rain storm! At the water's highest point, only a small speck of the moose's backbone peeked out of the water. Not even the native had seen anything like it!

Who would've thought it would be water that separates the boys from men in Alaska? Strangely, I saw more moose on my trip than Dorothy saw flying monkeys. We saw eight in one hour as we drove up the Chena Highway in the middle of the day! Clearly, authorities have been wrong all this time. Moose do like people and the bright sun!

Or like this calf, they could've just been really hungry. I mean, who wouldn't be famished after a winter's diet of brittle twigs and dead grass? (I saw the goat nuggets - I know!)

All in all, I demonstrated admirable fortitude as I petted the domineering Fat Cat, enjoyed a birds-eye view of the ducks from the second-story deck, and sneaked a few steps closer to the moose for a better photo. It may not compare to unveiling the identity of the Wizard, but I'm pretty satisfied. I've got plenty of time - I couldn't loose those slippers if I wanted to.

Frolicking in and around Fairbanks

2008-08-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

The city of Fairbanks is a mix of small town charm geared towards tourism and increasingly prevalent big box stores like Home Depot, Fred Meyers and Barnes and Noble. I prefer the look and feel of the small town downtown; however, the appeal of the big box stores can't be denied - especially during 30 below winters! Despite Dave's heroic efforts and wistful dreams, I am always a tourist in Fairbanks - at least, as much as he'll permit me to be.

I don't get to go to all the touristy museums and attractions, for some would cause unrepairable damage to Dave's Alaskan image, but I do get to go to all the shops (mind you, not buy all I want!) and take as many photos as I want - as long as I can keep up with my husband! And admittedly, some of those tourist attractions are quite spendy! Although, my sister-in-law does have connections. I usually tell myself there's always next time.

This trip I took a lot of photos with my new camera! Dave tried to stay a safe distance away and sometimes had to start dragging me along! Here's a photo of Dave and I in the new shiny courthouse. Don't tell him I told you, but even Dave has his goofy moments.

I loved this bar - from the outside!

This statue is of the "First Family" of Fairbanks - a Native family. It is the hub of Fairbanks' "revival" if you will. The city has taken large strides in making the downtown area more appealing to locals and tourists alike by cleaning up the area and highlighting the city's history and beauty.

Here I am sitting by the Chena River which runs through downtown. One afternoon, John, Dave and I joined Nanook, his wife Roxy and their son Steven for a canoe trip down the Chena through town. The plan had been to leisurely float down the river.

Mother Nature, however, had different plans and treated us to gray skies followed by pelting rain and frightening cracks of thunder. Thus, the men rowed as swiftly as possible to reach our destination point while the women ducked our heads into our rain coats. Of course, I chose to wear shorts that day!

There were a few moments where the rain lightened and we were able to munch on our sandwhiches and admire a mother duck and her babies. I really can't complain, though, since that was the only time on the trip that we were really thwarted by the rain (unlike the previous two weeks we spent in Alaska during the summer when bad weather was our constant compainion!).

Across the river from the First Family statue, is an old church from the early 1900s. I think old churches are one of the most beautiful things in the world. That would be my coffee table book. I'll have to give that more thought.

I asked my father-in-law if he used to go to this Card Room but for some reason he acted like he didn't know what I was talking about. He's lived in Fairbanks since he was 18, so I knew better than to accept his innocence. Come on, who wouldn't have wanted to go to the Card Room during its heyday?!

While better known for its animal life, Fairbanks boasts some beautiful plants as well. Below is a photo of foxtail, which most probably disregard as a weed, but catches the clear summer sunlight in its dazzling splendor.

More fireweed and bumblebees...

Although, I have gotten used to my in-laws' large, bountiful garden, I was quite surprised when Sarah told me the city has its own botanical gardens. Images of the botanical gardens in Quebec, Richmond, Norfolk and the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena flashed through my mind. Those images seemed incongruous with Fairbanks. Who knew Fairbanks was so metropolitan?

Thankfully, my bucolic image of Fairbanks was not destroyed by the university's botanical gardens - meerly reinforced. I love the barn.

My favorite plant at the botanical gardens was the giant cabbage! I'd heard of the legendary giant cabbages, but never had the pleasure of seeing them. They did not disappoint.

In case you don't believe me or think I pulled off some amazing optical effect, I took a picture of the sign to prove how big these monster veggies are!

The gardens were both enchanting and educational. I learned that heavy snowfall actually protects (insulates) the roots of perennials and enables them to survive the harsh Alaskan winters. So in winters with unusually little snowfall (less than 12 inches), many of the weaker perennials, such as roses, die. I like to be educated while I'm being entertained!

Although the botanical gardens were lovely, Gwen's own garden boasted the most beautiful peonies! Their lovely colors were matched in divineness only by their scent. I wish I could've had these for my wedding!

And of course, the in-laws grow some amazing veggies. Even more, they let other people garden at their house - hospitality and generosity (for people and moose) abound at the Selle home.

More about the moose and other animals next time...

Food in Fairbanks

2008-08-02T16:23:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Alaska wasn't only about doing outdoorsy things - it was also about eating. One night Gwen, my mother-in-law (or MIL as I've just learned from the texting generation!), made one of Dave's favorite meals: biscuits and gravy. I had never had more than a bite of biscuits and gravy before - and that was at Dave's prodding. I had always just thought gross, right? I'm a disgrace to my southern heritage - I don't like biscuits and gravy or sweet tea!...Did I say don't like? I mean didn't. I didn't like biscuits and gravy and now I do. I just needed a good northerner to set me right! And it was good!

Dave and I also feasted on Fairbank's legendary Hot Licks ice cream 3 times! I had blueberry (although I think it was mixed berry), Prudoe Bay (double double double dark chocolate - I couldn't even finish it was sooooo rich!), and blueberry again. Although normally a choc-o-holic, my fave was the mixed berry - smooth and creamy with a delicious berry flavor. Heaven! Of course it was overcast and cool when we got the ice cream!

On Wednesday, Dave, Sarah (my SIL) and I went to the renowned Tanana Valley farmers market. We taste tested multiple moosetards before buying some for ourselves and our parents. They even had a blueberry moosetard that pairs well with game meat! (We gave that one to my PILs. He he.) The moosestard peddlar had a really cute wooden moose statuette that I wanted, but she had bought it in Homer - drat! My fondness surprised even myself!

The farmers market offered a host of local produce, sweets, breads, art, crafts and lunch food. I also bought some goat milk vanilla almond lotion that has the texture of whipped butter and the smell of vanilla cherries. The name of the lotion company was "Far Above Rubies" which was the name of their first goat and refers to Proverbs 31.

John, my FIL, should totally sell his honey and jams there. He'd be perfect because he'd provide a great story along with your purchase. The tourists would eat him up - and his honey!!! It is the best honey I've ever tasted. He's ruined grocery store honey for me forever.

We also did our fair share of cooking while in Fairbanks. Excuse me, Dave did his fair share! Dave wowed his parents, Jonathan (his brother) and Sarah with his gourmet champagne sauce served over angel hair pasta with shrimp. Magnifico! He learned the recipe from another DP in Williamsburg, VA, who's friend or brother (minor detail) was a gourmet chef in New York City and created the recipe. It definitely tops Rachel Ray's "You Won't Be Single for Long Vodka Cream Pasta." Dave's recipe ought to be called "You Won't Be Single Tomorrow Champagne Sauce!"

And then again, Dave made his famous New Mexican Chili for Jonathan and Sarah at their place. He learned this recipe from a different sort of gourmet cooks - New Mexican cowboys, relatives of our pal Ben Chavda. It was one great meal after the next! We basically followed the advice a wise friend once told me, "Plan your vacation around good food and the rest will fall into place."

Four Wheeling - Round 2

2008-08-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

Besides our great expedition hiking in the mountains, there were many other adventures and good times to be had while Dave and I were in Alaska this summer, like four wheeling! If you haven't heard, four wheeling is fun and it's not just for rednecks! Dave's dad took Dave and I four wheeling up on the Fairbanks to Circle trail - new territory for everyone, which was nice. I am such the explorer! I don't know why Dave thinks I would've stayed in England rather than joining him on the boat to America!

Seriously, look at me! Could I be anymore adventurous?! (Hats cover up bad hair and protect you from the beating sun, but they don't make for a good photo.)

Being the ever-consciously considerate woman that I am, I graciously let Dave and his dad "lead" the way. And they say women take a long time making up their minds!

Or maybe it just felt like a long time. I gave the four wheeler a tuneup while I waited. See my dad's old camera bag on the back? I'm green because I use vintage!

Finally we got going. Dave was so excited for me to drive. He loves it when I'm...what's the word...Alaskan? rednecky? tomboyish? outdoorsy? all of the above?

I drove as fast and hard as I thought Dave could handle. He only squealed once. The wind in my hair, the sun on my shoulders...all we needed was a little Bruce Springstein. I can't believe Dave didn't think of that!

There weren't many mud puddles this time - unfortunately! They sure are fun to ride through! But I still managed to get plenty of mud on my shoes, pants, hoodie, and camera bag while I fought the large dust cloud left behind from John's machine. He was like Pig Pen!We saw lots of fireweed along the way. Fireweed is a beautiful purple flower (technically an herb) and is the first thing to grow back after a burn. You see it all over Alaska.

Being the great explorers that we are, we discovered an emergency shelter complete with an outhouse, horseshoes, and moose skull to boot! Dave and his dad played a short round of horseshoes - no sand pit - and I used the horseshoe pit to put a big bruise on my shin.

Clearly, men had "decorated" the cabin. It needed a woman's touch: a little punch of color, some food, a carpet and broom would go a long way there. But, alas, there was no time to be my Martha Stewart self. We had much more play to do!

Stay tuned for my next installment of Adventures in Alaska.

Mittens the Cat Selle (January 2006 - July 2008)

2008-07-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

Mittens the Cat Selle was the most special, endearing cat I’ve ever known. Granted he was my very first pet, but I know and have been told that he was unique. Mittens was more than a pet, he was a beloved friend and child. Words cannot do justice to one's love for a pet.

Dave and I waited 3 months for Mittens. I was supposed to get a kitten for Christmas; instead, I got a trip to the spa. Every other day for 3 months Dave and I – but usually just Dave because I quickly lost hope – went to the animal rescue shelter to look for a kitten. Dave was insistent we wait for a male kitten less than 12 weeks old. Under God’s sovereignty, the first kitten less than 12 weeks old that we found at the shelter was Mittens. At that time they were calling him Pauli (for polydactyl as he had thumbs). He had just come out of the shelter’s hospital and had pinkeye. A shelter employee took Mittens out of his cage and allowed us to spend time with him in a small little closet of a room. The closet had just been cleaned from top to bottom with Windex and Mittens slipped out of our arms and all over the floor, walls, and bench. He was spunky, playful and adorable. It was love at first sight.

From beginning to end, Mittens enchanted us. Our first day at home with the little guy, who was all head and hands, we snapped numerous photos of him exploring and playing with string, sneakers and whatever else he could find.

Being first time parents, we put a neon Velcro collar with a bell on him. That night, Mittens walked all over us, jingling and purring nonstop, like a little motor. ‘Is this what it’s going to be like every night?’ I thought. ‘What have I gotten myself into?!’

Mittens was part of our family from the start. He was our constant companion as both Dave and I were freelance production workers back in Virginia and worked from home much of the time. He spent much of the day sleeping on or near our computers or on a sunny patch of carpet. Frequently, he’d lure Dave and/or I into a nap next to him. I tried my hardest to spoon with him without waking him up.

If I was working on set for the day, I would eagerly anticipate seeing Mittens when I came home. When Mittens was little, Dave would meet me at the door with Mittens sitting on his right hand. When Mittens got bigger, he continued greeting us on his own. In our apartment in Pasadena, I would see Mittens’ shadow in the narrow window next to the door as I climbed up the steps to the apartment door. When I opened the door he’d be there at my feet and rub up against the wall and wait for me to pick him up – he knew how much I loved to pick him up and thus was patient with me.

In Pasadena, Mittens “ate” dinner with us almost every night, perched or lying (depending on what we were eating) on the end seat between Dave and me. All Mittens had to do was look at the food with interest and Dave, the softie, fed him off his plate.

Mittens hung out with me every morning while I got ready for work. I tell myself he enjoyed this time with me and he wasn’t just using me to get water out of the bathroom sink. I’m still not sure if it was wrong to let Mittens drink out of the sink.

I will always remember the time I got a call with bad news about my dad’s cancer and I was home alone with Mittens. I sat on the futon and cried and Mittens came over and sat next to me. His presence was the best comfort.

Dave and I were the quintessential proud parents. When friends were over at the house, we all ooohed and awed (led by Dave and me) over how cute Mittens was or what cute thing he was doing – like climbing into a small box or sniffing newcomers. As he grew, Mittens became an outstanding athlete. Living up to the Jones legacy, he would’ve made a great football player (wide receiver). Mittens would jump and flip 4 feet in the air for a soft toy on a string or small plastic balls Dave and I would throw between us. I’m not sure who had more fun playing “Mittens in the Middle” – Dave and I or Mittens, but I’m willing to bet Dave and I. Ever the dutiful son, Mittens always performed for an audience and our friends would clap and exclaim in wonder at his athletic prowess.

Our pride for Mittens extended beyond the home into our every day life. Usually, we had to restrain ourselves from telling numerous stories about Mittens. We didn’t want to be “those people.” But most of the time, we couldn’t resist sharing at least a small tidbit about what Mittens did the other day (like how he walked back and forth between the shower curtain and liner while I took a shower and poked his head out to check out the water) or a cute photo I got of him. I literally bonded with my cousin’s wife over photos of Mittens. Dave and I loved hanging out with our “childless” cat friends because we could talk all we wanted about our darling baby Mittens. (Thank you Walt and Gretchen!)

Even though we tried to teach Mittens a lot of things, it was he who taught us mostly.

Lessons I learned from my wise little buddy:

1. Relax wherever you are.
2. Don’t worry.
3. Curiosity is a beautiful thing and will keep you young.

4. Naps always make you feel better – especially naps with a fuzzy little friend.
5. Be comfortable in your own skin.
6. Many times words aren’t needed.
7. Love is the universal language.
8. Cherish every moment with loved ones.
9. Complaining isn’t worth the energy.
10. Everyone needs companionship.

11. Make time to play every day.
12. God displayed his glory through creation.

As I’ve described, Mittens had a strong personality. He had definite likes and dislikes, which he made clear.

A Few of Mittens Favorite Things:

1. Bags
2. Boxes
3. Hiding in small, hard-to-reach places (such as the chimney)
4. Soy milk (pull tab) caps - hiding them under the couches
5. Dairy - especially yogurt and ice cream
6. Fish
7. Sitting at the table while we ate dinner
8. Dead plants
9. Kitty skat (an herb that's supposed to repel cats!)
10. Bathrooms (especially the smell!)
11. Bathtub
12. Sitting on the back of the toilet when you were sitting on the toilet seat
13. Water from the sink faucet
14. Naps on our bed
15. Lying in the sun

16. Sitting on top of the TV
17. Louis
18. Super Mario Brothers

19. Lying on the kitchen table
20. Knocking over (and breaking) glasses of water
21. Christmas (all of my children will love Christmas!)

22. Christmas ball ornaments - batting them off the tree and hiding them under the couches
23. Eating or playing with yarn
24. Chasing the red catnip-filled mitten on a string

25. Fighting and biting Dave at night

26. Bugs
27. Cleaning himself

28. Mice (chasing them around our Va Beach apt.)
29. Wooden rocking chair

30. Knocking stuff off the table, desk, rack, etc.
31. Lying on a pile of clean clothes
32. Head-butting us in the morning
33. Eating and destroying indoor plants and flowers
34. Licking Dave’s armpits (gross!)

35. Snuggling in bed in the morning (sometimes)

36. Rubbing himself all over the computer
37. Printer

38. Old brown Lazy Boy rocking chair - especially climbing inside it
39. Gretchen, Lynn Kenny, Audra, Sarah, Uncle Chav
40. Keeping Dave company during late night movies (especially scary ones!)

A Few of Mittens Least Favorite Things:

(Mittens was not hurt in the following circumstances!)

1. Baths (I WISH I had a picture of this!)
2. Being held like a baby (all the time!)

3. Someone touching his hands (me)
4. Blue Hawaiian shirt (he did not get this from his dad!)

5. Driving across the country
6. The lake house

7. Hotels
8. Loud dogs
9. Marie
10. Having his picture taken

11. Dancing (with me)
12. Jackson and Steven Walker (Love-hate relationships?)

13. Having his secret hiding places discovered by Dave

These lists represent some of my fondest memories of Mittens. There are so many more memories Dave and I wanted to make with Mittens that we never will: taking him to Alaska, spending Christmas at our home with him, having him play with our children. Sadly, Mittens got an incurable disease (FIP), and there was nothing we could do for him. His body had been shutting down for months and we hadn’t known because he never let on that he was sick.

For cat owners out there, there is an FIP vaccine that is 50-75% effective, but most cats get the virus when they’re 4-6 weeks old and the vaccine isn’t recommended until they’re 16 weeks old. FIP is a mutation of a common upper respiratory virus, which most cats get. It was simply bad luck that Mittens’ body mutated the cold virus into FIP.

We decided to put Mittens to sleep the day we got the second and final confirmation that Mittens had FIP and that his body was close to shutting down completely. We took him home from the animal hospital one last time to spend a precious few hours with him. On the way home in the car, he let me hold him and rub him and he held Dave’s right hand and sniffed it. I rolled down my window and let Mittens stick his head into the wind. Dave let Mittens drive for a bit.

At home, we took some photos as Mittens mostly slept in the sun and walked around the patio. He was still beautiful even though the animal hospitals had shaved him in 4 places and he was very skinny. Despite being in a lot of pain and walking with difficulty, he didn’t complain. He just wanted to lie in the sun close to Dave and me. Dave and I cried a lot.

That evening, we took Mittens to the Humane Society to be put to sleep. I can’t describe it. Suffice it to say, it was the hardest, most traumatic thing I’ve ever done/experienced in my life. I questioned if it was the right thing to do. I believe it was. I’ve never experienced more painful loss. It sounds a little ridiculous even to me, but it’s true. Mittens was a part of our family, a part of our everyday lives.

Before and after Mittens died, Dave and I prayed for him to go to heaven. There are descriptions of animals in heaven in Scripture (e.g., Isaiah 65). I believe that since God loves Dave and me, he will bring Mittens to heaven. Plus, creation (excluding men) never rebelled against God.

“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Romans 8:19-21)

Mittens the Cat Selle was a beloved friend and child. He had a big heart and a big personality. He was sweet, loving, and sensitive. He was also mischievous, inquisitive, and playful. He was adored and/or admired by everyone who met him. He had amazing thumbs and he knew how to use them! He had beautiful, soft orange and white fur. He was spectacular in every way. He will be missed dearly and his place in our hearts will never be refilled.

I hope that our reunion with Mittens will be similar to the YouTube clip below. This clip perfectly demonstrates how powerful and lasting the love between animals and people can be.

Shake shake shake!

2008-07-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

I just experienced my first notorious California earthquake! Yippee! And yes, I did check with a coworker afterwards that the rumbling and shaking was indeed from an earthquake - it was my first one after all.

Picture this: it was 12:00pm on a Tuesday, July 29, 2008. I was sitting at my desk eating my peanut butter and banana sandwich (and celery) when all of a sudden rickety Slessor Hall began to sway back and forth. The swaying turned into shaking accompanied by a low rumble coming from the bowels of the earth. I looked around - no one was in my office - then ducked under my durable plywood desk for safety. 'Should I go to a door frame?' I thought. 'No!' I couldn't risk going back out there - into the danger zone. I had to stick with my gut reaction, which by the way my coworker Krystin informed me was the best choice as door frames are not recommended anymore for earthquake protection.

As soon as the swaying and shaking ceased, I called to my coworker downstairs, "Darlene?" No answer. Mustering up my courage, I tentatively crawled out from beneath my desk and headed down the stairs. I saw Darlene as she was coming back from a large door frame. She confirmed the earthquake and asked if I was alright.
'Alright? I had just experienced my first earthquake - I was great!' "Yeah. I'm okay," I assured Darlene.Just then, the CIO of Fuller came out of his office and asked if Krystin (my coworker, the assistant to the Provost, Sherwood) was there. "No," I answered. "Rich or Sherwood?" he asked. I shook my head no. Of course, all the people in charge in time of emergency were not there. (I promise I'm not making this up.) So the CIO took it upon himself to make sure everyone around campus was alright.

I hurried back up the steps to my desk. I needed to blog about this! First I called Dave on his cell. No answer. Figuring he was fine, I eagerly looked online to find the earthquake's magnitude and location but I couldn't find anything but predictions. Darn! Luckily, the CIO called me to inform me that everyone was alright (phew!) and that the earthquake registered a magnitude of 5.8 located near Chino Hills (about 33 miles from Pasadena). 'Sweet! Just what I needed!' I thanked him for the information and got back to my blog.

Moments later, as I was happily searching for earthquake cartoons on google, Krystin returned to the office. She immediately began to check the floor for damage or fallen items. 'Huh. Hadn't thought to do that. My desk was alright. The only thing that fell over was the stapler, and it could've already been that way.' I sat feeling slightly guilty as Krystin examined each of the rooms and closets - apparently she'd done this before. Not able to bear the shame as she check my bosses' offices, I got up and joined her. Just a few books tipped over. 'I got up for that?'

When I returned to my desk, friends g-chatted me to make sure I was alright and I called Dave again and spoke to him. He had been in the garage in the basement of our apartment - scary! But, thankfully, he was just fine. There was a small aftershock (a second earthquake) that lasted a second and then the excitement was over.

My final thoughts on the earthquake:

1. I'm glad I wasn't doing yoga at the time like I planned to during the 12-1p hour. I'd decided to wait until after lunch.
2. I wish a little more damage had been done - just for excitement's sake.
3. I'm glad no one got hurt.
4. Earthquakes aren't that bad.
5. What happened to the people driving?
6. I'm grateful for friends who checked in on me.

Click here for Fox News Update!

Alaska Part 1: The Great Expedition

2008-07-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

Dave and I's most recent trip to Alaska began spontaneously, compliments of Dave. If we're not more careful, people might start to think us rash.

Wednesday morning, July 2, Dave was checking the weather in Alaska for the umpteenth time and the forecast once again called for rain the week we were to be in Alaska (July 7-15). Were Dave's eyes glistening? It was 7:45am and I was once again going to be late for work. Mock sigh.

"Why don't you see if you can change our tickets?" I offered - the ever gracious wife. Moments later, my bright-eyed husband bounced into the bedroom phone to ear, "She says she can change them to tomorrow for $75!" Inside sigh. I weighed my options quickly: grumpy boss or grumpy/sad husband. "It's up to you," I responded, conveniently noncommittal. He bounced away.

Half and hour later I ran through my customary routine for apologizing for being late, and informed my boss that I would not be showing up for work tomorrow. My apologies were met with "Well it's done now. What can we do about it?" My stock fell that day - with my boss and coworkers.

Two days later, as Dave, Dave's brother Jonathan and his wife Sarah, and I began our all-day hike up the mountains near Bear Creek, my stock was climbing towards a record high - with Dave and his entire family. I was back in Alaska (for the 3rd time) and in "prove myself" mode. Oh for the good old days, when you stopped having to prove yourself after the wedding...

"Let's see, did we have everything?" Hand gun - check. Revolver - check. Rifle - check. Machine gun - check. Doesn't even phase me anymore! Besides, real men carry guns, right?

Bug dope (don't ask me) - check. Sandwiches, apples and granola bars - check. Water? 4 small bottles for Dave and me - no check. On my prodding we had bought an entire case of water. Did I mention the hike would last all day and that it was 90 degrees outside! So I threw an extra bottle in my camera case and we left the other 20 bottles in the car. After 3 years of marriage to Dave I still can't decide if his lack of preparation for such trips (the water case in point) is due to ignorance or arrogance. My experiences lead me to believe the former.

We began our hike Crocodile Dundee style - minus the big knife and hot blonde guy (Dave's hair wasn't blonde until the end of the hike) with a steep ascent up the thickly forested mountainside. Five minutes later, my heart was thumping and the fun had begun!

Thankfully, my camera gave me a good excuse to stop frequently for the sake of capturing the beauty around me. Sometimes, those in front - usually Sarah - would turn around to see if I was indeed coming. I must admit, I was quite picture happy.

Despite good photo ops, we had numerous, biting motivations to get out of the lower terrain - mosquitoes like you wouldn't believe. It's a little known fact that Alaska's state bird is the mosquito. I did not make that up. It would seem a photo of a mosquito would be the likely choice here, but I can't resist showing you the beautiful Alaskan wild rose.

If you didn't know, Alaska is known for its bears and other human-threatening wildlife. Ah! The great outdoors! Danger makes me feel alive! So, in order for me to join the other on the great expedition, I went through basic training the day before. Notice how well I hold my rifle. I am read to shoot a charging grizzly, black bear, Dall sheep or moose at a moment's notice! Hoo rah! (Young children may not want to view the next photo.)

And yes, those are my cargos from my Mount Baldy experience! They got lots of use in Alaska!
We took lots of breaks to explore, look for danger, and so that I could rest. I'm just not used to the altitude is all. Sarah was always the model image of a boyscout - always prepared whether it be with a gun or the binoculars. She has set a high bar for me to live up to! Sister-in-laws!!!

The closest we came to seeing a moose (in the wilderness with no one else around - apparently the like to be where people are!) was a few strands of moose hair caught in tree bark. I can't remember what animal gnawed away the bark...You may need your reading glasses. I promise there's hair there!

Getting higher and higher. The vastness and color of the sky was breathtaking! Dave wanted to try flying, but I wouldn't let him.

The first break where I actually rested was over an hour into the trip. During the other breaks, the others waited for me to catch up. So, as you can imagine, I was delighted when I caught up with the gang and saw that they were just settling down to a much-deserved rest. I eagerly cast my backpack to the ground and gracefully fell down next to my husband. Meanwhile, Sarah could not get comfortable. She sat up abruptly and touched her hair. "Oh, no! Did I lie down in moose poop?" she groaned. I checked the back of her hair, but before I could tell her it was fine, Dave interjected nonchalantly, "No, Libby did." I bolted upright with as much energy as I could muster - "What?" I looked at the pile of moose nuggets where my back had been. At least, only one was really crushed. I wasn't even upset. That incidence was pure Libby. And besides, the poop nuggets "are just twigs and grass anyways - doesn't really count (as poop)."

The sun was bright and strong. Dave's red neck got even redder. Jonathan turned even more Eskimo brown. I burned baby burned, but it turned into a tropical dark tan - who needs Hawaii when you can get this close to the sun?! And fair-skinned Sarah managed to escape mostly unharmed by the sun!

As we neared the top, we had to stop for some posed family photo ops. And, yes, even in Alaska, I fix my hair before I smile for the camera.

And Sarah just watched and laughed at me like she couldn't believe I was actually fixing my hair! (Can you spot me in her glasses?)

Aren't we cute? (Minus the forehead vein - why do I always get that?!)

I even persuaded the boys to pose together. Gwen, you owe me! I promise they are brothers!

I think this photo is my favorite. What a great portrait of marriage - a perfect example why a picture really is worth a thousand words!

After the boys and girls finished photo time, the boys felt a need to interject more adventure and death into the expedition, so they hunted and killed a mean, lean ground squirrel! They shot it from afar and then closed in the ground squirrel's hole for the final kill and catch. Men in Alaska take care of their women! They protect and put food on the table!

BEFORE:

AFTER:
After the excitement of the kill wore off, I caught up with Dave.
"Hey, Dave! Imagine you are an explorer 100 years-"
"I'm already there," he said, lost in his thoughts, as he strode past me.
I guess explorers weren't big on talking - otherwise, they wouldn't have gotten to the exploring part.

Did I mention that this was an all day hike? It's a good thing I'm in such good shape. I'm thinking about starting a mountain climbing exercise video series - I just need some more spandexy outfits and I'll be set!

After some mutual encouragement, we all agreed to reach the rocky tip top of one of the mountains before turning around. The view as we approached the top was amazing!

We did end up spotting 2 Dall sheep. One was across the valley - along with a large band of people wearing funny safari hats. And the other was on a nearby mountain peak, but we weren't going to walk that far just to see a sheep! I mean I would have, but...
The tip top was nothing more than a random pile of rocks. I climbed to the highest point I could. You proud, Dad? Then Sarah and I hiked all over the peak in search of the guys who went sheep hunting. We finally found them back at the top - my legs were grumpily groaning by then.

Although we didn't see any animals up close, Jonathan and Sarah did get a good a scare. As we neared the bottom of the mountain, Dave let out a low grizzly grumble. Jonathan and Sarah froze and aimed their guns - at us! It's all fun and games until somebody gets shot!

Thankfully, Jonathan and Sarah kept their cool and we all lived to tell of our great expedition!

2008-07-18T14:33:00.001-07:00

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Bonkers for Book Club

2008-06-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

The latest book I read for my book club was A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (who also wrote The Kite Runner). You can probably guess that this is not a book I would typically pick to read. The cover alone screamed BORING to me. I confess I am not very attracted to "culturally aware" books. I've always been a very slow reader and thus not a prolific one either. A book really had to interest me to entice me into devoting hours upon hours - days even - to read it. In the age of movies and efficiency, why
would I read a book when I can watch the film? I'm not saying I don't like to read...it's just the chances of me not liking a book always seemed better than the opposite. I'm not a risk taker and I like to be productive. Although, I think many would argue that reading a book is much more productive than watching 10 movies...but I won't get into that argument here. After all, my husband makes movies for a living. Long live movies!

It was because I'd had such a limited reading experience since graduating from high school (I was an engineering major in undergrad and then studied film in grad school) that I decided to start a book club - as motivation to read more books of greater diversity. Okay that's not completely true. I also started a book club because I wanted regularly scheduled girl time and book clubs are the craze now so I wanted to be a part of that craze! Does it really matter which motivation was the strongest? It's all about the end justifying the means anyways.

So from high school until this past year, my reading repertoire was severely limited to Gone with the Wind and Philippa Gregory with a scattering of books in between, mostly unfinished (Doctor Zhivago, War and Peace, My Name is Asher Lev...) It would appear I did not like to read. But I didn't have the attention span nor the time to continue reading a book I wasn't really into. But, alas, after I read my fifth and final Gregory novel, even I needed a change of scenery in the literary world. I was almost embarrassed. Almost.

Since starting the book club, not only have I read an excellent list of novels: A Separate Peace, The Devil Wears Prada (we are chicks!), Madame Bovary, Their Eyes Were Watching God and A Thousand Splendid Suns, but I have also (and more importantly) strengthened and made new friendships. True, reading a broader range of novels has made me feel like a more educated, more socially aware, more well-rounded, and sophisticated woman - who enjoys reading! I honestly think I'm becoming a better person because of it. But the books can't take all the credit for that. It's the women I share a couple of hours with every month who inspire, enlighten and entertain me that make me a better person. Those woman are why starting or joining a book club is so worth it.

Helpful Hint: Food and wine go hand-in-hand with excellent book discussions.

The Camping Crusade

2008-06-28T16:35:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, Dave and I went on an "adventure!" Or so I called it. After our morning coffee and lounging on the couch (we were not on the patio as it was going to be 106 degrees that day), we decided to throw caution to the wind and drive north for the beach and camping. Nevermind the maps of hiking trails and beaches I had printed off the day before - we were living on the edge without plans! Holla!

In no time, we were packed and ready to go. I packed the beach bag and lots of games and food while Dave gathered the camping gear and his machete. And I remembered the flashlight! In case you haven't heard any of our "adventure" stories, despite Dave being from Alaska and my dad being Mr. Prepared, Dave and I ironically never seem to be prepared. I much prefer to make plans and be prepared, but Dave likes to fly by the seat of his pants in these matters. And letting Dave lead without firm plans makes me feel like a daredevil! What a high!

We brashly drove up the 101, letting our passions guide us. After the 101 turned east and away from the coast, we succumbed to pulling out a map. Yes, I was given the more difficult job of being the navigator - not that it gave me much control, mind you. We quickly turned back around and headed back for Route 1 which on our map traversed a large brown patch next to the ocean. Hmmm....

Whereas there had been a beach exit every mile or less on the 101, Route 1 showed no signs of the ocean for miles and miles. After many worrisome minutes, I spotted a sign for a county beach. County didn't sound too appealing but we didn't really have many other choices. Not wiling to take the risk of not passing any more beaches, I assumed my full navigational powers and told Dave to "Turn left there!"

We drove and drove and drove. It was like being in a giant magic trick. There was no way the road could go on for endless miles without reaching the ocean! But it did. After a lengthy conversation about how no one was going to be at this beach and if, on the off chance, it had a campground we'd definitely get a campsite, we caught our first sight of the beach - or what we could see of it between the large concrete parking lot full of RVs, cars, a store, bathrooms and hundreds of people...Oops we did it again?

As you can probably guess, we didn't get a campsite. But, we climbed over a rocky stretch of beach to reach a less populated - almost private - sandy spot.

It was after 3:00pm and we lathered on the sunblock to let the roast fest begin. It was at least 100 degrees. The breeze felt like a high temperature hair dryer blowing on you. Thank goodness for the refreshing water!

Ah...the Pacific. Gone are the days of frolicking in the ocean and riding waves in until completely pruney. Not in California. In and out!!! The heat isn't so bad after all.

After a couple of popsicles and the sacrifice of my sunglasses to the public restroom, we decided to head on and find a campsite before dark.

We reevaluated our trusty map and decided to backtrack for the second - but not last - time. Sorry, Dad. We headed back to the 101 and decided to take the 101N and stop at the first campground. We drove until we ran out of gas. At the gas station I asked where the nearest campground was. Then I explained that a campground was not a candy store but a place where people slept in tents. No one could help me.

Back to the map. Let's turn around, we passed so many campgrounds and at least our drive back home will be shorter tomorrow. As the sun lowered on the horizon we began making our stops at consecutive campgrounds.

I wasn't even allowed to use the restroom! There are some tough state park rangers out there! They all directed me to go use the public restroom at the "resort!" And I did.

Accepting our fate of not finding a campsite that night, we stopped at a turnout off the 101 to eat some dinner. Yes, there were side roads, but they were hard to spot at the speed of light! So we had a picnic in the back of Dave's truck. In the last moments of twilight, I feasted on a peanut butter and apple sandwich. I held the flashlight in the dark, as Dave attempted to cook his freeze-dried beef stragonoff (a Christmas gift from moi) over his Bunsen burner of a stove. As my darling husband took his first bite of steaming stragonoff, a UFO descended upon us, blinding us with its bright lights.

Once our eyes semi-adjusted to the bright light, a policeman materialized in front of us with yet another bright light which he proceeded to shine in our faces, on our food, and all over the outside and inside of the truck while he simultaneously interrogated us.

What's going on here? You the only ones here?
I saw you when I was going the other direction and you were still here on my way back.
This is a weird place to stop for dinner. On the side of a highway?
Campgrounds are filled up on reservations three months in advance.
This is California.

Having done his civic duty, the officer got back in his car and zipped off. And we, having reached a more than satisfactory ending to our adventure, hopped back in our truck and drove home - safe and sound.

One for the History Books

2008-06-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

I have to post this in honor of my husband, who is on cloud 9 today...lots of celebrating. :)

Today, the Supreme Court ruled that Americans have a constitutional right to keep guns in their homes for self-defense, the justices' first major pronouncement on gun control in U.S. history. It's hard to believe this is the first time the 2nd amendment has been examined as such in the Supreme Court. By a victory of 5-4, the people's right to bear arms for individual use has been affirmed! God bless America! I think our founding fathers are proud of us.

I'm Wicked!

2008-06-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

As of 8:01pm last night, I am a all-out, hooked-to-the-core, die-hard Wicked fan to the nth degree! Listening to the music at work today, I am ready to see the show again tonight! I'm smiling from ear to ear as I sing along imagining myself beside Elphaba - as Glinda of course.

Top 10 reasons you should see Wicked:

10.Dazzling costumes
9. A fantastical set/animatronics
8. Sweet choreography
7. To be transported to Oz

6. To find out the truth
5. Great characters
4. Phenomenal, award-winning music that you'll be singing for the next week
3. It will make you laugh out loud
2. It will make you cry
1. PURE JOY

This musical will warm you heart and send it soaring. Even the greatest films of all time would have trouble competing with the Wicked experience.

In short: Wicked is a must see!

I can't believe it's so good!

2008-04-22T18:49:00.001-07:00

If you haven't tried Jessica Seinfield's cookbook Deceptively Delicious, what are you waiting for?!! I gave the cookbook to my parents for Christmas for the obvious reason of good, healthy eating. It looked fun and simple enough to tempt even my let's-make-meals-as-simple-as-possible parents. This kid-friendly - and, therefore, husband-friendly - cookbook is full of recipes containing "hidden" vegetables in an effort to increase our daily intake of these mineral and vitamin-packed foods which don't always tempt the eyes or the tastebuds. Even better, you can't taste the "vegetables" in the recipes - you just taste delicious!

Tonight, I had my first taste of Mrs. Seinfield's ingenious recipes. My parents, husband (Dave) and I feasted on Deceptively Delicious' lasagna. We did not reveal the hidden healthy ingredients - bison, cauliflower puree and sweet potato puree - until Dave was going back for seconds. He was wondering why my mom and I kept exclaiming we couldn't believe how good it was! It had the best flavor!

Don't just take my word for it - try and judge for yourself!

LASAGNA

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
1 Tb olive oil
1 1b lean ground turkey or sirloin (or bison!)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tb all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tb reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup sweet potato puree (bake then puree)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 (26 oz.) or 2 (15 oz.) cans whole, peeled tomatoes, with their juice
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup lowfat (1%) cottage cheese
1 large egg white
1/2 cup cauliflower puree(steam then puree)
1 (8 oz) box no-boil lasagna noodles (no-boil not necessary)
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coast an 8x12 in baking dish with cooking spray.

2. For the meat filling, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Add the turkey or beef, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and half of the garlic, stir, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Off the heat, stir in the sour cream, sweet potato puree, and half (1/4 cup) of the Parmesan; set aside.

3. For the sauce, combine the tomatoes and juice, the onion, and the remaining garlic and Parmesan (1/4 cup) in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a bowl or large measuring cup. Or use jarred sauce and just add Parmesan.

4. In the same blender or food processor; blend the cottage cheese, egg white, and cauliflower puree until smooth; set aside.

5. To assemble the lasagna, spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Layer about 1/3 of the noodles on top, covering the sauce completely. Spread the meat filling over them. (If you are going meatless, just add a first layer of cottage cheese.) Cover with another 1/3 of the noodles and then spread all of the cottage cheese mixture over them. Make another layer with the rest of the noodles and spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the top. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella.

6. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake until the cheese has melted and the noodles are cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the top is bubbly and browned.

*A tried-and-true tip from my mom: make the lasagna the night before so that the juices can sink into the lasagna and reheat the next day. Yum!

Gerald

2008-03-29T23:39:00.001-07:00

Louis Mandylor as Gerald

Here is your sneak peak into the indie film Gerald, that's sure to garner a cult following. Currently in production, Gerald tells the dark, comedic story of a childlike man - Gerald - who loses his mother and proceeds to carry her ashes around in an expensive doll. And somewhere in the mix of things some bad guys steal the precious doll. Starring Louis Mandylor and shot by Dave Selle, the film is expected to do well at the box office worldwide. Look for it at your local theater. And remember where you heard it first.

DP Dave Selle with the actors

Director Mark Clebonoff, 1st AD Kara and DP Dave Selle

DP Dave Selle checks the shot in the monitor

Gerald has bad luck

I Got a New Camera!

2008-03-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't heard, my wonderful husband bought me a new digital camera for my birthday -the Nikon D300 for those of you who care. I love it! It's amazing! So for now, I may be posting more photos than writing, but my goal is to become a great freelance writer/photographer. You'll be the first to know when I get published. :)

This is my favorite pic of Preston Smith - he was an easy subject to photograph. So much energy and delight!

My mom liked this one. Would that be considered drool?
Krista and Dustin have one cute kid - how often do you capture a smile like that?

Taken at Nicole Baird's baby shower. My first attempts at doing something "artistic" in post to save a picture that I didn't expose correctly! :)

Courtney Boomsma and Bethany's daughter Adelee. I love her face!

The one thing about taking so many pictures is you end up being more of an observer than a participant.

Still working on framing...Bethany and Krista made little bouquets out of flowers from Krista's yard and baby food jars - adorable!

Yesterday, I accompanied Bethany on a photo shoot for senior portraits. Bethany is the best teacher - I'm not going to let her get rid of me! It was such a treat to be back in "production" again - I miss that. Back to the office...but my heart will be thinking of other things. :)

Less is More

2008-01-31T13:35:00.000-08:00

I don't know why it's taken me almost 27 years to learn this lesson, but it has. Quality over quantity. Less is more.

I was raised a bargain shopper - a very good one I might add. I've always preferred quantity over quality - chalk it up to me impatience and need for instant gratification. The year after I got married, the only clothes I bought were from Target - cheap, but didn't last long.

I finally had my last straw/epiphany last night when I got yet another BAD haircut - because I wanted a "cheap" haircut, I ended up with someone who didn't even know how to cut layers and now I'm paying the price. I think I may have written something like this before but it wasn't as much as an epiphany as this experience. This one haircut has changed my whole attitude regarding EVERYTHING I buy and consume.

Hold me to it, friends. Do NOT entice me with lots of cheap goodies. Shopping can no longer be a daily or even weekly extracurricular activity for me.

This is a whole new chapter in my life. The journey begins...

From now on, I will pay the extra money for a good haircut (we hope) and skip the loads of inexpensive earrings, clothing, makeup, etc. It's not you Target, it's me. :)

Lost Season 4 Premiere!

2008-01-30T18:05:00.000-08:00

This is the best show on television. I'm hooked. Lost gets better with each season unlike most shows--cough, cough, Grey's Anatomy. I will not be waiting for the dvds to come out to watch season 4 - I can't wait that long. I must see Lost!

P.S. I Love You - Why You Shouldn't Always Listen to Critics

2008-01-21T19:54:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed that at least 80% of the films reviewed on www.rottentomatoes.com get a rotten rating? Even more, there's a very large discrepancy between the critics' ratings and that of the "regular" audience members. For example, P.S. I Love You got a 20% rating by the critics and a 78% rating by the Rotten Tomatoes community - i.e. the "regular" moviegoers. Maybe many of you don't consider yourself a "regular" viewer, but I'd much rather fall into that category than that of the cynical, jaded critics.

P.S. I Love You is a film I would recommend to my friends - especially anyone in their 20s and 30s. If this film doesn't speak to you in some way, you have bigger problems than not liking the movie.

P.S. I Love You is a story about a 30-year-old woman (Holly played by Hilary Swank) whose husband (Gerry played by Gerard Butler) dies prematurely at the age of 35 from a brain tumor. That is the "simple" plot. Despite what the critics might say, the film is so much more than learning to let go and love again. The message that really resonated with me was revealed at the end of the film as Gerry's ultimate purpose in writing the letters to his wife: it was not to help her remember him (he knew she would do that), but to help her remember who she used to be - the amazing woman who believed anything was possible and loved life - the woman Gerry fell in love with upon meeting her. That is a message I think most adults need to hear. I know I did.

Gerry was the type of man who enjoyed every moment of life to the fullest. He knew what life was about. Instead of waiting for life to begin once they reached a certain level of success like his wife Holly did, Gerry lived. He had the love of his life and hope, what else did he need?

Holly was the type of woman I know all too well. She was waiting for the perfect job with the six-figure income and perfect apartment in New York City so that she could then start living the life she wanted and maybe even have a kid or two. She was letting life pass her by. And, of course, like many of us, she didn't realize how blessed she was to love and be loved by Gerry.

Is this story new? Of course not. Need I even reiterate that Shakespeare never wrote anything original? Thus, is there not a need to hear these messages again? Is anyone beyond a reminder to be grateful for the blessings in their life, to live life to the fullest in the present and to recognize what is truly important in life? If you think you are, I don't believe you. And if you truly are, then teach others to do the same.

I hope P.S. I Love You will inspire you whether you see it or not.

Why I Want to Be a Kid Again - Reason 1

2007-12-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

Wanting to be a kid again is not a new sentiment in adulthood, I know. In fact, my husband and I frequently fantasize about having the life of our cat - let alone a kid! I think it's safe to assume that most adults long for the carefree, innocent days of their youth - or of youth in general. I will not defend that all children are innocent and carefree. That would be foolish. But in general, let that be a given to my argument.

This Christmas, I decided to play it safe and smart. I told my husband and parents exactly what I wanted: an ipod nano with speakers. My husband was given free reign to choose the color - after I told him I liked blue - and my parents were allowed to pick out any speakers - as long as they were of good quality like Bose. If it were up to my mom alone, I would've had to be more specific, but I trust my dad's judgement on this one.

Now, before you jump to any conclusions or judgments, let me just say that I've never done this before. I've always offered general ideas for stuff that I'd like: clothes, jewelry, movies, books. But I've never picked out a specific item that I had to have and that would be my only present - at least from my husband.

As a first-time surprise buster, I have to say I feel a little guilty. However, having been "slightly" disappointed in years past when my husband had no idea what to get me, I wanted to make sure that didn't happen again!

I'm terrible, I know!

Or am I?

Maybe I'm just wise and have learned from past mistakes. Isn't that what being a grownup is all about? That and the accumulation of stuff.

Why do grownups care about having so much stuff anyways? And why does a higher price tag usually make stuff more desirable - especially around Christmas?

When I was a kid, I could've bought my sister anything for Christmas - that is as long as my Mom let me. But since my Mom was buying, I pretty much had free reign to choose anything I wanted. Anything.

But at the age of eight, big screen TVs, video games, ipods, cameras, fancy clothes and the latest greatest toy meant nothing to me - unless it was a Barbie, which in those days cost $10. I remember walking through the Hallmark store with my mom shopping for my sister when I saw the Perfect Gift. It was on a high shelf above my head and it was beautiful. It was a plastic snow globe with a little bear and birds inside the winter wonderland. I think the bear was carrying a gift.
"Mommy, Mommy! Please let me get that for Alison! I love it!" I jumped up and down and waited for my mom to appease me. Surely she would agree to buy the snow globe for my sister. It was the Perfect Gift.

To my unmeasurable disappointment, my mom told me no. I think her explanation was that I already had enough presents for my sister. I thought she didn't like the snow globe. How could she not like it? I was quite upset I couldn't give my sister the Perfect Gift that year. I knew she would've loved it as much as I did!

Obediently relinquishing my dream gift, I followed my mom out of the store. I may have been pouting on the inside for a few moments, but I didn't put up a fight. Sure, I was disappointed, but it was only a snow globe - something else to give my sister, who didn't want for anything. Who wouldn't care what I gave her. It wasn't a competition back then. My pride wasn't wrapped up into the gifts I gave. I wasn't trying to be a people pleaser. I just really loved that snow globe and my sister. There would always be another occasion to buy her a snow globe, if I remembered.

I can't remember what I gave my sister that Christmas, nor what anyone gave me - save one beautiful plastic snow globe with a bear and some birds from my sister. I was astonished! How did this happen? With a smile, my mom explained that my sister had already picked out the perfect snow globe for me when I spotted it in the store. We had both picked out the same gift for each other! I was so happy!

Almost 20 years later, my sister and I still shop at the same stores - now it's Anthropologie not Hallmark. And we buy each other similar gifts as we have similar tastes. I love shopping for my sister because I know exactly what she'll like. Actually, we buy each other something we want for ourselves and frequently end up gifting one to ourselves and one to the other. But now the gift giving is always tainted with worry that my sister will spend more money on me or buy me something better than what I give her.

So as I remembered that little plastic snow globe - which I regrettably gave to Good Will a few years ago - I longed for the simplicity of childhood - for the days when a plastic snow globe from Hallmark was the Perfect Gift for my little sister and that's all there was to it.

My Would-Be Favorite New Show

2007-10-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

Even I think it's a little premature to judge a show as my new favorite after watching only six episodes of the first season - but that's all I get! I really am devastated and thinking of buying a European DVD player - or going to Europe - that might be my only choice. What else can I do? I'm hooked and I'm starting to go into withdrawal! I want more Ally McBeal!

My guess is due to music rights, the full 5 seasons of Ally McBeal have never been syndicated or released on DVD in the United States. Come on David E Kelly, cough up the money already! Sigh. Maybe I'll start a petition.

So here's the deal. Ally McBeal is smart, funny and has a heart. It creates a neurotic, fantastical world supported by idiosyncratic characters - and it's totally believable once you surrender to the power of imagination. I know that sounds kind of hokey, but there's a reason why we have an actual term for this in the movie biz - willing suspension of disbelief. Oh, yeah!

Calista Flockhart plays Ally McBeal who follows her boyfriend to law school and he ends up breaking up with her. Flash forward a year or two and here's this neurotic 27-year-old practicing law in Boston when she never wanted to be a lawyer at all. It's like Felicity goes to law school. Oh, yeah!

But unlike Felicity - minus the final six episodes - Ally McBeal does not take itself seriously, which makes it so fun! Ally's serious moments are off set by her vivid world inside her head - which the audience gets to see too! From the Pips singing backup behind her to the dancing babies that taunt and torment her, Ally's wild imagination keeps you laughing out loud!

John Cage is one of the best characters! When he first appears on the show, they call him the "Biscuit." I'm still not sure what that means, but I do know he's the closer in court. When he starts to stutter he wanes off into an unrecognizable song - hilarious! He's the incredibly smart, socially awkward yet endearing boy that we've all known and come to love. John even gets Ally to go to his "mental health specialist" who is crazier than her patients. She plays a laugh soundtrack during her sessions, brutally criticizes her patients and advises Ally to get a life theme song and sing it, backed up by the Pips, whenever she feels down. Again, laugh-out-loud funny!

Richard Fisch, one of the founding partners of the law firm, has a fetish with women's "waddles" - the underside of their chin to their neck. His girlfriend Whipper, played by Dyan Cannon - who was supposed to play Naomi (but backed out last minute) in The Book of Ruth which Dave is filming right now in Arkansas (I'm visiting him presently)! - breaks up with him after discovering he fondled Janet Reno's waddle.

That's really all I can tell you about the show as I've only seen the six episodes released in the U.S. I hope I've piqued your interest enough to get you to sign my petition. Ooga chucka ooga chucka!

Pride and Prejudice: Colin vs. Keira

2007-08-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

I first discovered the "Pride and Prejudice" BBC miniseries the summer of 1999. I was 18 years old and spending a week at the beach with my girlfriends. In six short hours, Mr. Darcy (a.k.a. Colin Firth) went from "okay" to "so sexy I would marry him!!!"--the original Mr. McDreamy. I was hooked - and not just on Mr. Darcy. I would be forevermore an ardent lover of the film. A few months later when I arrived at the University of Virginia, I had another discovery: I wasn't alone. It seemed the majority of freshmen girls rivaled me in their love for Mr. Darcy and the film! While I came to accept this competition, I never expected rivalry of another sort--a new version of my beloved movie.

To my astonishment and instant disapproval, a new Pride & Prejudice starring Keira Knightley was released in 2005. Why in the world would you want to mess with perfection? The BBC miniseries was essentially the book on tape. How presumptuous to think a remake of Pride and Prejudice was even necessary!Despite my prejudice, however, my love of the novel and my sheer curiousity drove me to the theatre to see the Keira Knightley version. Of course, I went bound and determined not to like it. To ensure my disatisfaction and vindicate my own pride and prejudice, I brought my husband along to a dumpy theatre for the 10:00pm showing of Focus Features' Pride & Prejudice. And sure enough, we both hated it!

These were my initial reactions to the film:

CONS:
1. It was like a book report on speed.
2. Whoever that guy was who played Mr. Darcy sucked - not to mention, he was ugly!
3. I didn't care a thing about the characters. I wasn't invested or engaged.

PROS:
1. It looked nice.

Almost two years and several viewings of Colin Firth's Pride and Prejudice later, I figured it was time to give Keira Knightley and the gang a second shot. I kept hearing people say how much they loved the movie and every time I watched the miniseries it seemed to get longer. (Deep dark secret: Dave has never seen the entire miniseries! GASP! He has only seen the first three hours--and I still said "I do!" I am so ashamed!)

The second time around, I watched the remake on my own. Here are my unprejudiced-as-possible opinions and comparisons regarding the BBC miniseries vs. the Focus Features film.

Points for the BBC Minieries starring Colin Firth:

1. Colin Firth absolutely nailed the difficult role of Mr. Darcy. He was born to play that role. As Mr. Darcy, Firth was pefectly reserved, standoffish, brooding, proud, refined, charming, loveable, passionate and sexy. Nobody can ever surpass his portrayal of that character - especially a no-name actor like Matthew Macfadyen. Macfadyen simply did not have the acting chops to take even a small bite out of this character. His performance was flat, unengaging and unconvincing. Compared to Firth's well-developed, smooth character arc, Macfadyen's arc was more like a sharp angle as he long jumped from drab and condescending and to besotted with Lizzie. Casting Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy was Focus Feature's biggest downfall. They banked on Keira carrying the film, but the film is most importantly a love story - not a coming of age story - and that requires two good actors. Unfortunately, director Joe Wright sacrificed the well known love story, via casting and screentime, for his interest in the Bennet family and their life behind closed doors.

2. As a result of #1, Jennifer Ehle (Lizzy) and Colin Firth had intensely better chemistry in the BBC version. You could taste the tension and unspoken desires between them. Their love story left the audience begging for more! The scenes between Knightley and MacFadyen, on the other hand, appeared forced, lackluster and painfully aware of the script.

3. Bingly was better in the miniseries. They made him a complete doof in the Focus Features version.

4. Although better looking in the feature, Wickham was a more satisfying villian in the miniseries: more slimy, two-faced and downright despicable.

Points for the Focus Features Film starring Keira Knightley:

1. The film was beautifully shot. It's naturalistic aesthetic marked by frequent steadycam shots with lots of movement and closeups appealed more to me than the stiff, stagey, quintessential BBC aesthetic of the miniseries. The Focus Features film felt fresh and alive.

2. Keira shined as Lizzy Bennet. She was beautiful, spirited, strong-willed, playful and sharp. I liked that she was younger (19) than Jennifer Ehle (25), truer to the novel ("I am not yet one and twenty, ma'am.")

3. Kudos to the delightful Bennet family! A much better cast. A more realistic portrayal of what happens behind closed doors. I believed those girls were sisters. The parents were fantastic (hello, Donald Sutherland!) and never strayed towards annoying or ridiculous like the mother in the miniseries.

4. Judy Dench.
5. And give it up for Mr. Collins who was splendid in the feature! (Between you and me, Mr. Collins in the miniseries was rather creepy.)

Please note that all points aren't weighted equally. In the end, you have to be your own judge. But as for me, my heart will always beat true for Colin Firth and the BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice.

Party Diary 1: Who You Gonna Call?

2007-08-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are in search of how to host the perfect party. Scratch that - Dave wants to have lots of people over all the time and I want to turn these "hangout times" into themed events. I mean, if I have to go to all the trouble of cleaning and cooking for guests, I might as well have a little fun while I'm at it! After all, I don't have a subscription to Domino magazine for nothing! Besides, themed parties are more fun for everyone, right? I want people to be excited about coming over to our home. I want to be nothing short of the hostess with the mostess.

Potluck/Ghostbusters Night

Our most recent "party" started off as a movie night for a group of young 20-somethings. I picked Ghostbusters, a classic favorite of any 80s child. Sadly, I later discovered many of our guests considered themselves children of the 90s when a few girls asked me if I remembered the 80s!! Sigh. Is 26 really the age you start feeling old? (Note to self: be sure to hangout with people older than you too.)

Sympathetic to the plight of poor, starving single guys everywhere, my husband upgraded movie night to dinner and a movie. One of our brightest ideas was then turning dinner into a potluck, as we could count on the ladies to bring side dishes if we supplied the main course. (Point for the Selles.)

I told people to show up "anytime after 7:00pm" allowing time for my husband and I to clean and prep and for the guests to navigate traffic, pick up food, etc. I have learned that it's always best to air on the side of too much prep time to avoid stress. Since Dave was working from home that day, the apartment was spic and span and dinner was warming by 5:00pm. Nice!

But we were still missing the most important ingredient of the night: Ghostbusters! Dave didn't have time to get it. To my chagrin, not only had the Blockbuster near our apartment closed, but the Hollywood Video had too. (Point subtracted). I didn't even know where the next closest video store was. And what was the chance that the one video store still opened for business in Pasadena would even have the movie? Luckily for my husband, the first Blockbuster I went to had the movie.

I got home around 6:00pm and still had an hour to get myself ready. With so much time on my hands, I decided to have a little fun and deck myself out 80s style: side ponytail, purple and silver eye shadow, blue eyeliner, bright pink lipstick, one-shoulder top, jean skirt, mismatched guitar pick earrings and black patent leather heels. Dressing for a theme party is such a fun, creative challenge. When I emerged from my bedroom, my husband's friend was bummed I hadn't told him that it was 80s night, because he would've dressed up! (Note to self: just because Dave doesn't like to dress up and have theme parties, doesn't mean everyone else doesn't.)

Most of the guests arrived around 8:00pm. I forgot the young-ins like to get the party started late! The potluck was a success. Plenty of food for everyone. The crockpot is the way to go - low effort with high output.

Ghostbusters was the perfect movie to watch with a group. It had comedy and action, a killer 80s soundtrack and Bill Murray. Plus, most of the group had seen it before, so we could talk during the movie and sing along.

All in all, the party was a success! The 80s always make for a good time. And next time with throw an 80s movie night - because there will be more (Princess Bride, Ferris Bueller, Karate Kid...)- I'll have a better outfit, the food will go along with the theme, and everyone else will know to dress up too.

The Mint Julep ~ My Southern Delight

2007-07-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

I first heard of the mint julep four years ago while reading my all-time favorite novel, Gone with the Wind. It was Gerald O'Hara's favorite drink. I believe he drank one every night to help him relax. I remember looking up mint julep to find out the contents of this special drink, but my interest stopped there.

That is until I saw Orlando Bloom on Oprah two years later, promoting his film Elizabethtown. Having shot on location in Kentucky and attended the Kentucky Derby, Bloom had become quite the mint julep enthusiast. So much so, he surprised Oprah with mint juleps which they drank during the show. If it's good enough for Oprah...

And yet still, I quickly forgot the mint julep.

That is until I got married and began experimenting with cocktails. Occassionally, I'd see mint juleps on a menu, but they always lost out to a candylike martini. I have a major sweet tooth.

Since moving to Los Angeles from Virginia, I've really wanted to embrace my Southern-especially Virginian-roots. I like to be different. And it's rather impossible to really feel like a Los Angelean. In L.A., everyone is from somewhere else.

So last night, my husband and I dined out at The Cheesecake Factory boasting quite the amalgam of cuisines. When I saw the mint julep on the menu, I thought twice but was quickly drawn to the martinis. My husband, however, encouraged me to order the mint julep since I'm always saying I want to try one. So I obliged my dear husband and ordered the mint julep. To go along with my julep, I decided to go fully Southern and ordered the barbecue beef ribs with french fries and onion strings. I felt like such the Southern belle! Everything was delicious. Especially the mint julep. I daintily sipped it through the course of the meal. I do believe my husband was jealous, although he'd never admit it. I didn't finish my entire meal, but I did finish my julep.

I can promise that I will be having many more mint juleps in the future at restaurants and at home. As luck would have it, I have a thriving mint plant. My guests will also love mint juleps, I'm sure! And appreciate a refreshing taste of the South.

Some Interesting Facts about Mint Juleps (from Cocktail Times)

1. Mint Julep first appeared in print in 1803 described as a 'dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it, taken by Virginians in the morning.'
2. The drink's popularity came to rest in the agricultural regions of the east and southeast, where farmers awakened at dawn...The julep was originally a morning drink as the spirited equivalent of coffee in today's society.
3. The main ingredient of the Mint Julep is Bourbon Whiskey. 'The biggest change for the julep was the addition of American whiskey to the recipe. The julep was quickly transformed into a mixture of water, sugar, mint leaves, and good American whiskey.'

Early Times Mint Julep (as served at the Kentucky Derby)

* 2 cups sugar
* 2 cups water
* Sprigs of fresh mint
* Crushed ice
* Early Times Kentucky Whisky
* Silver Julep Cups

Chasing the Big Dream

2007-07-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

Dream is a funny word. It means something different to almost everyone. I think it becomes most confusing when we try to narrow our lives' focus down to one big dream. THE dream. But that's what we do, isn't it?

According to my survey, 58% percent of you have a dream and are pursuing it. That's great! At least, I think it is. It's supposed to be, right? And then I'm not sure which is sadder-if it is sad at all-the 25% of you that have a dream but aren't pursuing it OR the 16% that simply don't have a dream.

Which brings me back to the meaning of dream. What is this "thing" that 83% of us claim to have, but not all are pursuing? And why do 16% of us not have one at all?

Dave and I just read The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson. I'm honestly not sure if this book clarified or confused things for me. In the first half of the book, Bruce tells a parable about a man named Ordinary who leaves the Land of Familiar to pursue his Big Dream given to him by the Dream Giver. Ordinary must overcome Border Bullies, The Wasteland and Giants in his quest for his dream. He meets the Dream Giver in the Sanctuary and has to relinquish his Big Dream to the Dream Giver. Ultimately, Ordinary reaches a City full of Anybodies where he eventually recognizes his Big Dream, which looks different than he thought it would.

Don't get me wrong, I really liked this parable. But it confused as much as it enlightened me. As we read the descriptions of each phase of pursuing your dream, I thought for sure that was the phase we were in. I wanted so badly to be able to "fit" each step we've taken into one of the parable's nice, neat phases. But in the end, Dave and I were like, "Is LA the Wasteland or the land of the Giants?" What phase are we in? Of course, I tried much harder to make everything "fit" than Dave. In the end, the real value of the parable comes from recognizing what the common obstacles and events are in a dreamer's life - not their exclusive, sequential order. In real life, I believe these obstacles and events overlap, repeat and occur in differing orders.

The easiest way to identify your dream according to Wilkinson is to answer this question: What would you do if you had all the money and time in the world? I'm not sure if this is the best way to identify one's true dream, but it's a good start. My holdup is that this question typically steers us towards career-centered answers. Who said your dream had to be associated with a job? Is that really how we define ourselves?

Wilkinson believes everyone has a big dream. And all of his examples were career/works centered. What if my dream is simply to be the best wife, mother and woman I can be? Is that not enough? What happened to God caring more about who we are than what we do? Why all this emphasis on what we do?

So what are your dreams, those of you who said you had one? And if you have a dream and aren't pursuing it, why not? What's stopping you? Money? Time? Location? For those of you who said you don't have a dream, what do you aspire to be or do? That is your dream.

For me, if money and time were no option, these are my dreams:
1. To be a godly woman
2. To be the best possible wife to Dave
3. To have children
4. To be the best possible mother to my children
5. To have a beautiful, inviting house
6. To write and produce independent films with Dave (mostly because that is his dream)
7. To create and publish my own magazine (about home decor, fashion, beauty, cooking, travel, entertaining and entertainment)

According to Beth Moore, every woman has four dreams from the time she is a little girl:
1. To be beautiful
2. To be a bride
3. To be fruitful
4. To live happily ever after

I agree with her. I like how her dreams are not career centric. In that case, all women have the same dreams. And, presumably, all men have the same dreams. It's that simple and that complex.

Now share your thoughts with me!