Too Scared of Bugs

Tonight I went out on the deck to water my plants and there was this huge, beautiful dragonfly on the railing. I ran for the camera, planning to perfectly capture the glitter in its wings, only to realize I was way too terrified to go close enough to use macro-mode. With a flash it was crap, and without a flash, it came out horribly blurry, probably because I was half inside the house, half a step down on the deck, so as to remain safely away from the fly-away zone, and it was hard to keep everything steady.

So I pulled the blurry version into Photoshop, applied a poster edges filter, removed the railing from behind the bug, added a little color, and voila! Cute now, not scary at all!

Before:

Enjoying

Two things I hope you enjoy as much as I did:

1. Ingenious ad for Sony Bravia featuring a lot, no, a LOT of paint.

2. Best of all three: the Pink Prank Project. "Our friend Jacob who is a bit arty went to New York for a week. We got hold of his keys and turned his tiny and messy flat into an art installation." Awesome.

It Was Very Fireworks

Today at the office we received a call from a Japanese business acquaintance:

"Good morning, how was your day off?"

"It was great, thank you! How about yours?"

"Oh yes, it was very fireworks!"

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Steve's grandma lives literally within rock-throwing distance of the BYU football stadium, which becomes "The Stadium of Fire!" on the 4th of July. Every year, the whole family sits on her front lawn where we have a better view of the fireworks than anyone who actually bought tickets.

I've always loved Independence Day. I love fireworks, hot summer nights, and sitting around on the lawn chatting with family. I love watching my nieces and nephews squeal with delight about how this firework went even higher in the air than the last one and had better colors. Oh, how would life be if my only care in the world was making sure I got to hold just as many sparklers as my brother. It makes me wonder where along the line I lost the child-like sparkle in my eye for exciting things like fireworks.



I held Carter in my lap while we watched the fireworks. Surprisingly, I did more jumping at loud booms and pops than he did, and at one point, I looked down at him just as his entire face lit up with fascination for the flashing lights and colors. In that moment I felt just as much delight for those fireworks as I did when I was six years old. He sat and cooed at those lights for an hour, and all the while I realized that because of him, I get to do it all again. Not just fireworks, but hide and seek, coloring books, and blanket forts. Silly songs, Duck, Duck, Goose, swings, stickers, and sand castles. I now get to watch him light up like a sparkler at all of these things, and I can already tell, the second time around will be even more thrilling.

Bridge to Terabithia

Last weekend I finished my first book for the SRT. I remember reading Bridge to Terabithia when I was younger and really liking it, but I didn't remember anything about the story. Because of the movie previews from last year, I expected the book to be about the magical, imaginary kingdom of Terabithia, and was at first disappointed to find that it's not at all about that. In fact nothing in the book talked about anything happening in Terabithia, rather just mentions that the main characters, Jess and Leslie, created it and "went" there every day after school to play.

(spoiler this paragraph) After finishing, I was okay with the fact that this book wasn't about Terabithia, but about the bridge - a bridge that allows Jess to move on with life after the death of a loved one. A bridge to memories that remind him it's okay to imagine...dare...believe.

I give the book 3 stars out of 5 because it was very slow moving and seemed to not have a plot at all until the last several pages when you realize the book is about a child dealing with the loss of a friend, and not about a magical kingdom. If the book was twice as long as it is, I probably wouldn't have finished it. Boring, but soulful... if those two words are allowed to describe the same thing.

I rented the movie and really enjoyed it. The casting was perfect and I feel the movie was everything the book wasn't. It added in a few exciting scenes about what happened in Terabithia and the family dynamics were much more poignant in the movie than in the book. Add in music, cinematography, etc., and the movie was much more powerful than the book. Still, for a movie, it gets 3 out of 5 as well.

My Life Is Now Complete

So I just got tagged. I hate these surveys when they come in the form of an email, but for a blog, I'm all for it. I did the math and if everyone follows through, tagging five legitimate bloggers, and those tagged actually visit the five blogs on the list, your blog will receive 3,125 visits by the time your name falls off the top of the list. If they like you, they might come back regularly to read more. If your readership expands, that's cool. Because you can get, like, money and stuff... and that's cool. So here I go.
______________________________

Remove the blog from the top, move all the blogs up one, and add yourself to the bottom.

Novembrance
The Lyon's Tale
Sundial in the Shade
Inksplasher
ShrekLovesFiona

What were you doing ten years ago?
I was 15 years old, in my first boyfriend's room teaching him how to play the guitar. He thought Stairway to Heaven was so cool so we were listening to it, trying to pick it out. That song was entirely too long and old for me, but I enjoyed it anyway because I was "in love". He's now a famous guitar player. My claim to fame.

What were you doing one year ago?
Working on launching my company, Urban Botanic. It's been an amazing ride and so much fun!

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. Vanilla protein shake mixed with a handful of oats, a pinch of banana creme pudding powder, a spoonful of peanut butter, and ice... swirled around in my Magic Bullet for 15 seconds. Better than icecream and my breakfast every morning I'm in the mood to cheat on my diet.
2. Green apple slices with Laughing Cow cheese on top.
3. Fresh strawberries.
4. Butterdillas (quesadillas, but with butter instead of cheese)
5. Carter's cheeks.

Five songs you know all the lyrics to:
1. Baby Got Back
2. Ice, Ice, Baby
3. Shoop
4. Edelweiss
5. You Are My Sunshine
I know the words to many more, but these are the ones I'm most proud of because 1-3 are particularly difficult and fun to sing, and 4-5 make my son's face light up.

Things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Build my dream house and hire a full time personal chef and housekeeper.
2. Start an insurance fund, providing the best health, car, life, and home insurance money can buy for all my friends and family.
3. Visit all the corners of the world and watch people live in their own unique ways.
4. Grow my money through businesses and investing.
5. Buy my Tokidoki purse... several of them.

Five bad habits:
1. Sleeping in
2. Working too much
3. Swearing
4. Letting the mail pile up
5. Not calling people from church back

Five things you like to do:
1. Create fragrances
2. Watch SYTYCD
3. Create music
4. Talk nonstop
5. Graphic Design

Things you will never wear again:
1. The pair of jeans I just took to goodwill because they're now one size too big.
2. Tapered leg pants
3. A retainer
4. Eyeliner (it's now tattooed on)
5. Acrylic nails

Five favorite toys:
1. Computer
2. Dance, Dance, Revolution
3. My under-counter-mounted radio, DVD, TV, and iPod player, the only thing that keeps me sane while cooking and cleaning.
4. It's really sad that I can only think of three toys.
5. I think it's because I work all the time.

Where will I be in ten years?
In the Bahamas with my UB Fragrance Designers or my family.

Five people to tag:
1. Natasha
2. Steve
3. Chante
4. Ryan - you KNOW you want to!
5. Dooce, since she visits my blog all the time.

Summer Reading Thing!

I decided to join Karlene over at InkSplasher in her Summer Reading Thing Program. You make some reading goals for the summer, link up to her website, and then write at least one review on the books you read. She's giving out prizes, books, and gift certificates for participants. If you want to join, click here, it will be fun!

So, I've chosen my books for the summer:

Bridge to Terabithia
I read this one in about 4th grade. I can't remember anything about it except that I loved it very much. I missed it in theaters, so I thought I'd give it another read before renting the movie.

The 5th Horseman
James Patterson's 5th contribution to his lazily written Women's Murder Club series. I say lazy because clearly the man can do better, but his fame allows him to go for quantity instead of quality. Plot-holes and all, it's still very addictive.

New Moon
My friend, Kristen, turned me on to a book called Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. To be honest I only bought the book for its cover, despite Kristen's warning that it was a poorly-written piece of teen lit. Several hundred pages later, I found myself worrying what I'd do when I reached the end of the story. There would be no more nights with my favorite vampire, Edward Cullen. I later found out this is Stephenie's first book, which is pretty impressive. If you can get through some awkward dialogue, it's a magical tale. New Moon is the sequel. It's saying something when I tell you I'm reading it even though it's only in hardback. I can't hold a hardback book up while lying in my back in bed for more than 5 pages, and it's no use propping on the pillow, because the last 3 lines of text on each page get swallowed in feathers.

The 4-Hour Workweek
Sounds very appealing, doesn't it?

The Four Agreements
This book just makes me happy. It's a book on Toltec wisdom that teaches four agreements you should make with yourself in order to lead a life where you're completely truthful to yourself. I read the first half of it some time ago when it was given to me as a gift, but never finished.

So there they are, my 5 books for Summer reading. Which order I read them in will be played by ear, but I promise to review each of them here.

First Smiles!

Okay, I'm not intending this blog to turn into a Carter gallery, but it just so happens I never have time to write about anything useful and even then, I can only do it one-handed, so that's my lame excuse. Not that it's torture to look at Carter though. Seriously, could you die?

He started smiling several days ago and we just today captured one with the camera. YAY!

5 Weeks Old

Loving his swing.

Loving his sling.

They taste like chicken.

With his buddy Gavin, they were born on the same day.

Hello, Mommy!

3 Weeks Old and He Found a Foot Rest

First Bath

Five Days Old

This is a big mystery... how I found, you found me.

Yeah, Baby!

I don't have time to pour my heart out, which is the only thing I want to do for an announcement like this, so this will have to make do - along with the dishes :)

Yesterday afternoon we brought home our beautiful baby boy. Here he is all bundled up and ready to leave the hospital, showing his first little bit of attitude.

Is it just me?

Or is everyone most thoroughly enjoying Simon's relentless sexual harassment toward Haley Scarnato week after week?

"Unleash The Wild Side of Sanjaya"? Come On!

Sorry, but I just can't handle the first several grueling weeks of American Idol auditioning. It doesn't entertain me in the least bit and although America seems to get her kicks out of those few gems who are exceptionally "special", it's painful for me to watch. Truthfully, I'd rather shave my tongue. Ew. Now that we're in the bottom 12, I can actually bear my way through watching the rest of the season. Tonight's vote-off was no surprise. I felt it was justified. True, Sanjaya shouldn't be here but every season has that one person no one can stand that keeps going through to the next round so can you really be shocked?

Skipping over Chris Richardson, Chris Sly, Stephanie, Gina, and Phil (my next several picks to go home)...

The only reason Haley's not in the "no-comment" list above is because I can't help but point out the double-sided tape holding her shirt on for dear life. Am I the only one who noticed?

I felt Jordin sang fabulously, but needs to gain a little more control over those long notes. I sensed a nervous vibrato.

I'm so sad for that poor little girl crying in the audience. Everyone thought she was crying because she's Sanj's biggest fan, but it looked more like she pooped her pants and didn't know what to do about it. She looked terrified, although she's trying so very hard to keep it together and act natural so no one will notice.

Watch and you'll agree (sorry it's interspersed with lots of Sanj-nastiness):


Melinda Doolittle's "As Long As He Needs Me" was simply amazing. Top 4, I say.

Totally beside the point, every once in a while glimpses of Peter Noone look exactly like a blonde version of my uncle Steve.

A Much Needed Vaca

Steve and I have been married five years this May. We took a honeymoon but didn't travel far - just to Park City. We didn't have any money and knew we'd end up seeing the world together throughout our life anyway, so we figured why rush? It was perfect.

We keep planning vacations...Vegas extravaganzas, Hawaii, Italy, European tours, several cruises... even got SCUBA certified (well half of us...click to read story) we just never would put a date on our vacations, and somehow ended up here five years later without taking a one.

About 8 months ago we finally planned a vacation and promised this time we couldn't back out or postpone. And now it's upon us! We leave this Saturday on a 7 day cruise. I wish it would sink in with me...I can't picture myself on the plane or on the boat or on shore excursions or even packing clothes into a suitcase for that matter. It's so surreal and I'm completely freaking out about leaving my Dino and my Urban Botanic for 8 whole days. Breathe in.... Breathe out... On the other hand I'm totally excited to breathe in and breathe out in Belize and Honduras and Costa Maya and wherever else we're going.

Several of my friends had babies over the last few months and if there's anything I've learned from carefully watching and interviewing them, it's that this vacation of ours is much needed and in perfect timing. Apparently as soon as our baby arrives, vacations will be a no-go for several years. Well, we'll just have to see about that.