So the mocktails are brewing...Well I guess chilling is a more correct term.

Morgs and I are about to work on the red carpet backdrop.

We might or Might not have OSCAR FEVER!!!

Think you know the nominees?

Then play along with with the 2011 Oscar Smile match found {HERE}

If you can't get them all, don't worry there is a key.

How about Orange revamped the bingo card for 2011!

& we might or might not be taking bets on everyone's predictions. Have you made yours yet?

♥ the MRS.


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...winter....really?

I think I was fooled by the legitimately nice weather we have been experiencing for the last few weeks. I even beginning to think that good ol’ Punxsutawney Phil had {FINALLY} gotten a prediction right. The I woke up. Saw that the entire IRS building parking lot next door was an ice skating rink and there appeared to be a foot of snow on my car.

I am NOT a morning person. I have been known to be a little bit grumpy.

This was not the best thing to wake up to.

Ok I know…ITS not spring yet or even close to summer. But around these part when it hits the high 40’s people start dawning their spring best. I had gotten accustomed to a cardigan working for warmth rather than a jacket. So SPRING I await your coming.

Which I googled and it seems there are differing opinions on when the start of spring is Officially…seems like we would have THAT one figured out by now.

Until then all I can say is

& I am glad I have a husband who scraped the side walk…and my car in the mornings.

Thanks Adeye!

If you are like me and HATE the cold here are  a few last minute tips to making it through the end of winter. I know some of you have a longer stretch ahead of you!

♥ the MRS.

• Sometimes when its winter I plan fake vacations for the summer. It makes happy just to think of all the amazing things I COULD be doing. How do you cope?
• Are you a winter activity person?
• I am in the market for a warmer climate, where should I live?

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Chucky Cheeses {OR} Chuck E. Cheese ?

My ENTIRE LIFE, I swear to you. 

I thought it was Chucky Cheeses.

I was WRONG. 

My Brother, his lovely wife and girls were in town a few weekends ago. They survived a day at Primary Children's hospital being allergy tested...talking to specialists and I can only imagine being bored out of their minds. 

 They were rewarded handsomely.

It was a lot of fun. Can  you tell?

I was glad that:

1. All games are just one tocken. That rocks
2. we ate before we got there. The pizza looked nasty
3. That I am not a parent yet. It looks really hard.

Other things I learned about Mr. Cheese- 

• His little place has the faint smell of urine that parents seem to be oblivious to.
• His rocking show entertains children of all ages
• It appears to be ok for children to stand on stage with the dancing robot things. 
• I want to have my next B day party at his establishment.

We did get lovely little picture of Adam & I.

and this one that Ashie was VERY excited to take.

Probably becuase when the game drew  Adam it colored in his entire face and then just erased his features. Taht seemed to entertain the girls quite a bit.


♥ the MRS.

• Who wants to go next weekend???
• huh????

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I like eating with my hands

Who would have thought? 

Not me. 

I am generally a pretty neat and clean eater. I have had [friend/people/coworkers]comment on how neatly I eat. How I cover my mouth and so on. 

& then I moved across the world to a land where forks are almost taboo. 

Want to see an Ethiopian fork?  

Hold up your right hand & look.

I love ETHIOPIAN food. It is so [delightful/delicious].

I grew an affinity for it while living overseas.

I crave it.

& Love that my husband will cook on Ethiopian nights. *BONUS*

A few weeks back I bought some pizza pan at the Dollar Store that we use to eat out Ethiopian food on. Traditionally Ethiopian food is served on a large circular platter much like a pizza pan. The injera there is huge and an injera family could eat off one injera tray.

Adam LOVED the pans.

& was excited I was so excited to show him my find.

We eat off our own trays when we have dinner. Our eating styles are different (I pile all my stuff on at once then pick through. Sometimes a bite of meat with veggies & salad mixed in. Adam will eat meat then his veggies/salad).

So I made Bfast Ethio style a little while back.

Adameye' loved it and the surprise...

1. That I could cook eggs fir fir....

2.  how BAD my "bites" are.

YEP that is my sloppy bite (bottom right)

I am learning...but after a solid year, I don't think I have made much improvement.

& lets be honest I probably won't get any better.

♥ the MRS. 

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I feel like an old person [becuase I don't understand this technology at all]

I signed up for twitter, to try to figure out what it was all about.

I am confused as all get out.

Mostly because I can't find the real Justin Bieber..,

{OR} figure out the allure of twitter in general.

♥ the MRS.

• Do you tweet?
• WHY?
• should I stick it out and figure out how to tweet?

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my high tech WORLD

There are SO many things I love about our high tech world. This Kindle was my BFF while living overseas. It was about the only way I could take "BOOKS" with me. I loved it dearly. IT entertained me. Kept me company.

Since being home I have powered it up a few times. Charged it. Read through a book. I went to start reading THE Help, which I wanted to read for an online book club. So I went to read and alas my battery looked low. So I plugged it in. Started checking in on the rest of my high tech endeavors- Facebook, blog, internet stalking of sorts. You know, the usual (I don't know how to abbreviate usua in a way that makes since as to who I say it, NOTE TO SELF: work on that)

Then This....

I googled it.

sounds like the black lines = strike of death. 

it was a gift and my parents are out of town until the Sunday. 

So we will make the call to Kindle support then. 

I assume its dead. That way I can prepare myself for the worst, and hope for the best. 

ANY TIPS????

Its times like these I think, man books really have something going for them don't they?

♥ the MRS.



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a {DOZEN} things I Love about a long weekend

on happiness.

{HERE}

1. sleeping with the widow open & hearing the rain.
2. laying in bed [talking/laughing/giggling/telling stories/snuggeling] with Adam
3. Not leaving the house so we could finish Arrested Development Season II...Now I just need to get my hands on season III. (I am so GLAD Adam loves it as much as I do!)
4. Worshiping together at church
5. Watching infomercials... my guilty pleasure. 
6. Finding a documentary on Ethiopia on public television. Oh how I miss it there. I kind of want this print.....anyone have a spare $400 they want to give me???
7.  Meeting up with friends we met in Ethiopia who were in town for the long weekend! It was SO fun to catch up. Talk about Ethiopia. Eat the fake Ethiopian food of SLC.
8. REAL BREAKFAST!
9. Catching a dollar movie!
10.  Only YOU being on TV
11. the BRIGHT sunny PERFECT MONDAY!- and being able to keep all the windows open!
12. Relaxing....

♥ the MRS

.

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Dear Ashley please have a baby and move back before may 6th,

because if you don't....WHO will I go see this movie with?

That will really appreciate it.

Who LOVES the real story?

'Something Borrowed' Theatrical Trailer @ Yahoo! Video

Riddle me that Ash!

♥ the MRS.

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my new fav.

It's TOTALLY classy

& courtesy of Chuck E. Cheese*

1 Token 

and my nieces. 

♥ the MRS.

* More on that latter...

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just a little happy thought for the weekend.

Listen all the way through...its worth it!




Did you love that? I do...
and i also LOVE where I work.

 ♥ the MRS.

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NOW & Then.

Have you guys seen this awesome series? (via) They are recreating pictures from the past and I think they are lovely.

If I had the chance I think I would recreate this bad boy.....Brooke, Michael what do you think???

♥ the MRS.
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• What picture would you recreate?
• Seriously, I want to see them!

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IT is time for a change around these parts

While living in Ethiopia I walked everywhere. The food was hit or miss and I dropped weight. When we first arrived it was so fun to see Adam try new things, experiment with food and eat whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. Now that this who Living in the US things is getting to be more permanent. It’s time for a change.

We haven’t invested in gym memberships because  you get a better deal if you pay for a year up front, I hate the closest gold’s gym and we are trying to decide if we want to make a run at 12 hour fitness. Even though I hear its so crowed you always have to wait for a machine. So in the mean time, I am following tons of weightless blogs & trying to motivate myself to start with my work out DVD’s in the morning before work. Its harder than it sounds to get into a routine of such things.

So when Skinny Emmie posted about this give away I thought: I have blog stalked her long enough, time to comment.

So I did….

And I WON!

I was soooo EXCITED! Mostly because I love ROCCO! The first time I went to NYC was right after he opened his restaurant on the NBC reality show THE Restaurant. It was so star struck when I met Mama! It was glorious and the gnocchi was amazing.

So I figured, If I can’t convince myself to wake up 30 minutes earlier to start the 30 day shred JUST yet, I can at least start trying these recipes out.

So thank you Rocco & Skinny Emmie.

I am looking forward to trying these bad boys out! I already have Adam looking at the things he wants to try.

♥ the MRS. 

•  Want to join me? Buy EAT this now {HERE}
• How are you making 2011 helthier?

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I will take any reason to throw a party.

I'm getting OSCAR FEVER!

I love awards show season. 

Even though I didnt really like all the winners at the golden globes. 

Social Network best drama? Me Thinks not. 

I was QUITE glad for my old friend Melissa Leo. 

Remember when the biggest thing she had done were a few Law & Order episodes and then the AMAZING Frozen River?

I do. I saw it at Sundance.

Listened to Melissa speak. 

Then Met her.

Don't belive me.....

yes it was magical

There you go! Dont minde my fat face. I get fatter in the winter. 

So I am pretty excied for this years oscars.

[ENTER]

Oscar bingo

Mocktails

hour'dourves

Red carpet welcome & all. 

I like to have things to look forward to. Plus Caitlyn loves a reason for a good party. So HERE we go. 

Count down to the OSCARS!

♥ the MRS.

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conversations,

 I admit.

that at times...

on occasion.

I can get a bit easily distracted while I am at church.

yeah we buy mento's in bulk to take as "Church Candy". 

I might as well be 6. 

♥ the MRS.

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{Virtual Valentine}

Hey Husband,

I love you lots & thought you should know.

It's Silly.

Yes.

But isn't that why you love me too?

{VALENTINE} from the MRS. on Vimeo.



♥ the MRS.

• I told you I was going to make {this}.
• It was WAY easier than I thought it would be!

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Dilemma- RIP: Diet Coke Addiction?

Did anyone else shed some real tears. 

Like UGLY tears. 

When you [read/watched/saw] these reports.

Except, maybe it's not all from the diet soda. 

but probably DC is a part of it...

ARE you going off soda?

I've been on and off....right now I am headed off again.

♥ the MRS.

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What is a family?

Lately I have been wondering, what really defines a family? 

The more I snoop around the Internet, the more I find being married doesn't seem to fit the definition of a family. On discussion boards under "FAMILY" most topic relate to rearing children. 

That doesn't seem good enough to me. 

While I was single, I defiantly felt family-less. Not because my parents disowned me or anything but my traditional family seemed to have changed so much. My siblings were getting married, having children of their own. My little brother was off to Iraq and even Morgitu, the baby was becoming a grown up. All that made it feel like I have been left homeless. 

I found solace in my friends. My social life. My job. I filled my life with entrainment to fill the void where belonging once was.

and then I found my home. In Adam.

He is my family now.

& yet there are many who do not think you are a family, unless there children involved. Even a dog would push me over that edge to being a family.

Just the two of us.

Is enough. We are working to become a family.

We are creating traditions.

Defining our roles.

Blending our lives.

Learning to depend on each other.

Loving.

Laughing

Struggling and learning together.

If that doesn’t make a family, I don’t know what does.

 I found this article and clip about the expanding definition of a family. Though morally I don't agree with all the lifestyles that are mention in this clip I am glad that the idea of family is growing. There are so many people out there living in less than ideal situations, who still belong to amazing families. Parents who are divorced who work hard to keep the family together. Grandparents who raise grandchildren as their own. OR families who take in distance cousins or friends so that they have a safe place to live. Friends who ban together through the hardest of times to support on another.

While living in Ethiopia I learned that their definition of family was so broad and far reaching. Many times you would meet a family with a mom, and grandmother, some cousins, a friend from the neighborhood, and some children. 

When looking for housing situations for at risk children, most were taken in by neighbors who considered these village children "family". They had a responsibility to take care of them. As a family would.

In this world where we are becoming more and more harsh. 

Where we judge our worst against others best. 

In a time where the media could convince you in a moment you have no worth or no value at all. 

We all need a safe place to land. 

a refuge from the world. 

A loving family, who will help build you up. 

Keep you sane

and let you know that there are a few people in this big world who love you unconditionally. 

& that kind of a family, no matter how it looks is a treasure.

♥ the MRS. 

• Who do you consider to be your family?
• Did your family growing up look the "traditional" American family?

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Twirling kiss

I might be working on one of these. 

(via)

as a little something for my lover.



♥ the MRS.

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I have one less friend after this weekend

sad I know right.

It's not like something tragic happened, unless you count my friend officially moving to Denver. And by officially I mean we helped pack up her stuff, load it into a van and pretty much watch her drive away.

We would have actually watched them drive away, except we were at the dump. So there went those plans.

Adam & I helped Ashley and Ryan move. We now have a few more reasons to visit Denver in the future and look for a way to move there.

& until then, I might be in the market for new friends.

Which at this point in my life seems like a lot of work. It's like a flash back to this.

and I struggle. To find the balance between putting myself out there and loving the comfortableness of where I am at. I love having good friends. The kind that you can show up in your house clothes and talk with. friends that you don't need plans with. Where the conversation isn't forced. No awkward pauses, because you have spent enough time in silence to be ok with pauses.

Maybe I will just wait until we have kids to make new friends. Then you can just be friends with people who have kids the same age.

♥ the MRS.

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conversations.

This morning theMR. and I were laying in bed. Mostly because he woke me up a little too energetically at 9am. Sundays are about the only day I can sleep in legitimately.

And I went to bed early last night. I wasn't feeling well at all. I couldn't get warm no matter what I did. So I decided it was better to load up on vitamins, bundle up and call it a night.

So to ease me into consciousness, Adam snuggled me for a while, then read few chapters of Scripture out loud.

Then I giggled.
& listened to my sweet husband read to me. 

♥ the MRS.

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FRIDAY favorites

Its been a [long/busy/weird/rough] week. So I am a BIT behind on posting. 

Here are  few favorites. 

Picture on Facebook: My mother in law preparing a feast when a family member came to visit. That little boy Is Baby Grant, Adam’s cousin.

HULU Video- about my dream city of {PORTLAND} 

Courtesy of Vanessa who already lives there….lucky

Flikr: Cool self portrait series (via Katie) 

APP- The only reason I want an I [Pod/phone/pad]

HAIR- Should probably learn this braid before I have children. 

CRAFT- A Tent/Fort I will covet from now on. Like forever, until Adam builds it for me.  

Blog toy-  A new way to follow.... bloglovin? Are you loving it...if so find me here.

Decor-  Six million OTHER things I could do with a mason jar. I am obsessed with them.

Holiday find- SUPER cute printable valentine's day cards. For big people or little people.

Random little etsy shop. A co-worker is moving to NOLA. I think his wife could use some of these little beauties. 

comment of the week:

From this little post.

♥ the MRS.

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Living with a boy IV

I have learned that WHEN my husband is/wants to be helpful,  not to criticize his work.

Or re-due it.

I am appreciative of all he has done to help, and praise him for it. 

If I choose to complain, then why would he want to continue to help?

Especially when it comes to how we fold towels. There will come a day when I am home and can organize it however I want.

Today is not that day.

& I am glad I have a husband who does laundry.

♥ the MRS.

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My interracial marriage: We aren't as different as you may think

 I read THIS report on interracial marriage. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. 

 

One-in-Seven New U.S. Marriages is Interracial or Interethnic

• Most Americans say they approve interracial or interethnic marriage – and not just in theory, but in their own families. More than six-in-ten (63%) say it ―would be fine with them.
• Interracial Marriage More Widely Accepted than Marriage to an Atheist
• Adam & I should move to Hawaii:

{CLICK to make big}

I thought UT would be a little higher. Maybe my perception is skewed a little. Of the 6 people on the Management team at work, 3 of us are in interracial marriages. And there are lots of people who serve on humanitarian or proselyting missions in foreign countries.

• Whites are becoming more accepting of interracial marriage. {Good for me!}

 

{CLICK to make big}

Thank you google alerts!

♥ the MRS.

•  Interested? download the entire thing here

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Lost Art = how to write a love letter

I guess because I didn't have lots of practice in junior/high school or college for that matter the art of writing a love letter is lost on me. I once bore my 14 year old feelings in a "note" to Senior baseball star Andy Avila (a name I haven't thought about in ages). It was a traumatic experience all around. Mostly out of the horror it caused my brother Michael and the backlash I received. Andy was nothing but a gracious hunk of an 18 year old man. He would smile and say hi to me, I even got a few high fives. Which is the best possible outcome considering how awful high school can be.

So while we were on the plan to Denver this weekend Kristen found me this little beauty:

Ripped straight put of the pages of Glamour Magazine for our enjoyment (we like to indulge in glossies when we travel. Think US weekly, People, Cosmo...)

It has some GREAT ideas on how to Write a love letter.

Adam didn't need any help when he wrote me one for my birthday. It was SO sweet.

It might have made me a little teary.

Oh how my husband is a secretive sensitive man & I love him for it.

I on the other hand struggle. hard to believe? I know because I am oh, so eloquent on my little URL. So with Valentines day fast approaching. Working to expand my talents...which at time seem minimal. I figures writing a love letter might be a good change of pace. I think writing letters in general is a lost art, and expressing our feelings has become even less accessible.

So here it is broken down.

 I started by reading one of the greatest love letters of all time.

Sonnet XVII

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Pablo Neruda

Oh how these words totally embrace the way Pablo felt. Deeply expressed his love. How could anyone not know this man loved them? Love them fully. Completely. Without hesitation or reason.

Mine did not sound so nice. So I went the easy way, I looked for a few options for love letter generators... HOW would he know the difference?

With a few quick clicks.

minor edits to remove profanity. 

Here it is lovers. My first love letter:

NOT exactly what I was going for. So I might have to just throw away a few drafts, put on my big girl panties and just do it from scratch. 

or at the very least, just read him the sonnet. 

Great writers came before. 

Nothing wrong with honoring them.

Other options might include-

Love letters of Great Men: which I SWEAR was compiled after Sex & the City movie hit theaters. 

Or What I Love About You: a book and love letter you write as you go about all the things that make your heart swoon for you lover.

I guess we will just see what time, a little patience and creativity drum up. 

♥ the MRS. 

• Have you received a real love letter?
• Do you have love notes from your younger years you cherish?
• Are you/your significant other the type to express your feelings this way?

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In case you didn't know how-

THIS is how you block someone. 

I got a few people who have asked how to do it once you already unfriended a person. So simply search for them and click on their profile and see below:

Click to make it bigger!

Happy un-friending!

♥ the MRS.

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