Leap Day

My post has nothing to do about Leap Day, other than, wahoo! It's leap day!

So this week, Caitlin and I have been plotting, er, planning something. Yeah, I can't go into details yet, but hopefully next week...when it's done.

"Just you wait 'Enry 'Iggins! Just you wait!" [shaking fist at the sky and singing]

But I'm excited and Caitlin is GENIUS!  And so... On to my other fun news...


I BOUGHT MY PLANE TICKETS TO CHICAGO!!!!!

I've been planing to go for several years and it just hasn't been working out. The original plan was to go to Chicago to visit my old roommate, Lisa, and her family. Then on to Rochester/Buffalo, New York, to visit another old roommate, Rachel and her family and then jet over to D.C. to see my cousin Christine and her family. Tickets were really expensive and so I've put off the trip. And I was sad.

Then I had the epiphany of just doing one and seeing if I could get cheap tickets that way. And so Chicago happened. I got my tickets yesterday and I am so happy!!! I'm going to stay a week (April 17th-24th) with my dear friend Lisa and her hubby, Adam and their little boy, Matthew--who knows me as Aunt Megan. So cute! :)

I'm sooooooooooooooooooooo excited! My boss is originally from Chicago so he has given me a huge list of things to do and see--He's pretty excited for me too. And yes, Lisa and I talked and we're totally going to Sears Tower and going to stand in the glass box that makes it seem like your floating above the city. ACK! It's going to freak me out. I'm definitely a feet-on-solid-ground type of girl (in so many ways). But it will be fun. And I'm flying into Milwaukee, so I'm going to get to add a few new states to my list of states I've been to. :) Currently I'm at 19.

I'm so giddy. I feel like I'm 10 years old again. I keep randomly smiling.

I love new adventures. I love traveling to new places. And I love coming home when I'm done with my adventuring.

Helpful Tips

I recently came across some helpful tips about caring for babies. Since I am a new auntie and it's been awhile since I've cared for kids (my "babies" are all grown up now. Sad face.)...I found this chart to be very helpful...

and there you have it folks....Take care of your child RESPONSIBLY.    hahahaha:)

Butterfly Chandelier

Once upon a time I saw this beautiful butterfly chandelier on Pintrest.

I don't have a source, because whoever originally pinned it, didn't source it. :(

And I wanted to make it. For my adorable niece, Rachel.

Yeah, buddy. :) That's my girl, mohawk and all.

Ok, back to the chandy...So I did make it....or at least my version of it. Because the pin was broken, there wasn't a tutorial or other close up pictures so I had to figure it out myself.

And Yeah, my version is SPARKILY! (duh!)

Because the pin was broken, there wasn't a tutorial or other close up pictures so I had to figure it out myself. So here is what I came up with.

I started out with a 12" round emboidery hoop and then wrapped a very long strip of white cotton fabric around it. I ended up using a couple of strips to get it to go around. I hot glued the ends down so it would stay.

Then I cut approximately 8"x1.5" strips of white and purple cotton fabric. Then I started tying the stips in double knots around the embroidery hoop. I tied two white stips and then a purple one and repeated the pattern all the way around the hoop. I liked the frayed look that I got with the white strips.

Once the hoop was done, I took some toole that I happened to have lying around, and created a hanger and bow, very similar to the original picture.
Then came the butterflies.

I used a Cricut to cut out the butterflies (I have a program that lets me use any image I want. I got the butterfly pattern from here). I wanted it mostly white with a just a few purple, so I cut more white ones. I used pearlecent paper so the butterflies were sparkily ('cuz that's how I roll). Because I doubled up the butterflies for a 3D effect, I cut twice as many as I needed.

Once the butterflies were cut, I inked the edges for a little more pizzazz. I used pearlecent inks in white and lavender on the opposite paper. When the ink was dry, I used a bit of clear glue on the body of the butterfly to glue them together, leaving the wings free.

I let the glue dry for a few hours and then started stringing the beads and butterflies. I hand sewed the butterflies and then strung the beads, alternating them. I used tiny silver crimp beads to hold the clear beads in place. At the end of each strand, I hung a clear "crystal" bauble. I was looking for chandelier pieces, but none of the stores I went to carried them, then I found (in the wedding section) a box of vase filler baubles that had a hole in them. Perfect!

Once the strands were done, I tied them around the the embroidery hoop. Let's not talk about the "math" I did to figure out how many strands I would need. Let's just say that I was wrong and I made less than I though I would need. :) Then I opened up the butterfly wings for a bit of a 3D effect.

Cait was soooo excited when she saw it when she came over to visit me in my "death bed" (I've had a yucky cold/laryngitis--yeah, I couldn't talk for THREE days! :/ ). She loves it. And Rachel kept looking at it while it was hanging in my room as I was adding strands. I think she loves it too.

Here it is hung up in Rachel's room.

We took it over to Cait's house, re-arranged Rachel's room, again, and then hung it up over the crib. All I have to say is that for a simple looking project, it took a lot longer than I thought (I watched both seasons of Downton Abbey--LOVE!!, and lots of Bones) and so the kid better like it. :)

Once the room is done, I will put up more pictures. Cait and I have ideas.... :) [insert dramatic music here]...

Lovely Day

Guess what I got today?!

So pretty! And they smell amazing! They are from Monica & Jesse. It was so sweet of her to bring them to me. I definitely feel loved.

You know, Jesse took me on a "date" and he gave me flowers on Valentine's Day...I'm starting to think he might have a crush on me. :) ha ha ha!!!

Squishy Face

Cait and Rachel came over tonight. Cait is currently obsessed with Bones, but doesn't have season 6. Well I have netflix and it's on there, so that is the only reason she came over. :) At least she brought me dinner. :)

She watched the show and I played with Rachel. And taught her to stick out her tongue! :) It's true. 6 weeks old and she's already smart enough to stick out her tongue. That's my girl!

And she tried to laugh. She's just figuring out how to smile (which she does when we squish her cheeks together) and she kept making a weird, happy squeal/grunt (told you it was wierd) when I would do it. It was pretty funny.

When Cait did this, Rachel got a big smile on her face. She thinks it's so funny. :) So do we. It kept us entertained for quite awhile! :) ha ha ha!

Date Day/Night with Jesse (& Monica)

Today was a really fun day. I had a little something for Monica as a goodbye present because she is moving back to Alaska in 5 days. :(

This morning Monica went to breakfast with our friend Amanda and when she was done, I was at Winco picking up some groceries (and frolicking down the aisles. Just Kidding. There were too many people there--the aisles were too crowded...). Monica texted me and told me that she needed to pick up a couple of things there too and so we met there. YAY! And then we hung out for the next 10 hours. :)

Neither of us had any particular plans for the day and so we just hung out and played with Jesse and chatted, and watched Christiana model "appropriate Sister Missionary clothes" for us.

I was so glad that it worked out that I had nothing to do the whole day (except prepare my lesson for tomorrow).

Monica got a call that more help was needed at the Temple for the Stake Temple Day. She hesitated because she didn't want to leave Jesse (who is only 5 months old) with strangers and so I gladly volunteered to babysit. She borrowed a skirt from Christiana and we headed up there.

Turns out that there was a YSA activity at 5pm. We got to the Temple about 4:45pm. Jesse and I walked around for awhile and then went in and watched everyone set up for the activity. While we were walking around, I tried to get a picture of Jesse with the temple spire in the background. It took a few tries, but I got it. :)

Personally, I love Moroni popping out the top of Jesse's head. But the second picture is what I was trying to achieve. :)

There were a bunch of people from my ward there and so we chatted and hung out till Monica was done. Then Monica decided to take me on a "Valentine's Day Date" with her and Jesse.

We found this little tiny Chinese food place that had Walnut Chicken! My very favorite (but without the walnuts, of course)! :) So yummy. For dessert, Monica really, really wanted an A&W rootbeer float so we went to A&W.

We discovered that Jesse was not a fan. ha ha ha! Though, it was his first taste of Rootbeer and Ice cream. I'm sure he'll grow into it, given Monica's *slight* obsession with them. :)

OH MY GOSH! He is sooo cute! :)

So, as Monica pointed out, I got a date with a boy that I'm not related to for Valentine's Day! Yay me! :) The food was fabulous and the company was even better! And I got home pretty early so I had plenty of time for my lesson tomorrow. That's my kind of date. :)

Sharing the Love

With Valentine's Day around the corner, I was trying to figure out what to do for my roommates. I wanted to just do a little something special.

Then I found a two pound basket of strawberries on sale. And I knew what I wanted for me, er, them. :)

Ta Da!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries. I did these last night and so my roommates are getting their treats a little early so the strawberries don't go bad. I also did a few marshmellows because I had extra chocolate. Turned out pretty good.

Yeah, I had to sample one. It was amazing. I may have also had one (or two) for breakfast. It's fruit, so it's good. Right?! :) And yes, I really, really need need to work on my white chocolate skills.

Here the strawberries are, all packaged up. They turned out pretty cute! I found the straws at Target. I had a different plan for my roommates, and that's why I bought them, but then I did this so they are randomly stuck in the packaging. :)

Cute and DELICIOUS! :)

What a Day

98% of my day was actually pretty good, but it's amazing how 2% can ruin it--especially when it happens right at the end of the work day.

Because I was a little stressed, I decided to go see my niece, oh, and my sister, and hang out with them. It's amazing how much a little baby can make you feel better.

And it helped that Cait and I traded our Christmas books. That's how we roll. We make sure that we don't buy the same books so that we can trade them. :)

So on my way over there, the sun was setting and as I was driving to Lincoln, I got to see the last, fleeting rays of the sun.

I *may or may not* have been driving when I took these pictures.

That part of the road is very flat and straight and it's cool because you can watch the sun set behind the coastal mountains. :)

Then I got to Cait & Nicks, exchanged books, watched a few episodes of Bones, and I fed Rachel. She is getting so chubby! I saw her 4 days ago and she has definitely gained weight. Soooo cute! And she looks a little drugged. What did Cait put in the milk?! :)

I definitely felt better when I left. :)

Spring has Sprung.

The first trees that that blossom are starting to bloom. I drive this street everyday and the trees that line it were not blossoming yesterday. Now they have blossoms EVERYWHERE! :)

It amazes me that spring arrives so suddenly. (And this year, so early!) YAY! I love it!

Funny

Let's be clear here, I am not an attorney, nor do I aspire to be one...but today I received a report in the mail with this as the address:

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

My boss saw this and showed it to me. "Hey Megan! You just got promoted!"

Yuck. I don't want that promotion.

I have no idea where the doctor got that idea from. EVERYTHING I have that has my name on it, has "Legal Assistant" immediately following.

But it was good for a laugh. Now, "Where's my corner office [trailer]?! I want water! I want to fill my office [trailer] with water!*" (name that movie!)









*Finding Nemo! Dory, during the DVD menu dialogue. :)

Last Thursday Night

Last Thursday Night, Monica, Amanda, Wendy, and I met up for dinner and to catch up. We haven't been able to spend a lot of time together (Monica likes to travel and live far away...) and so it was fun to finally get together. Monica is going to moving back to Alaska in a few weeks (sad day :( ) and so it was pretty much one last chance to get together. 

Couple of notes: Wendy looks soooo cute pregnant! And of course Jesse is so adorable. :)

We met up at the Cheesecake Factory (soooo yummy!) and had a great time. Jesse showed us his new skills of blowing raspberries and enterained us. And Amanda told us a great story about a former co-worker she had.

It was also fun to see a girl that Monica and I grew up with, Lindsey. Apparently she had just started there and so we got to play catch up for a few minutes.

Monica & Jesse

Jesse blowing raspberries. So cute!

Super cute preggo Wendy.

Amanda and Monica

 

There was also a great sunset that night as I ran a couple of errands before dinner.

We had a great time and the food was DELICIOUS. Good food and good company always make for a great evening!

How I Scrapbook

So, if you didn't know, I love scrapbooking. :) (my family is rolling their eyes right this very moment--they think that my love borders on obsession. It's not true. really. i promise; it's just a hobby.) And I was somewhat recently given the opportunity to be on my local scrapbook store's Design Team. Wahoo!

Last week we were given a new "assignment." A page about ourselves. Now, generally, I don't do "me pages." I usually do events or adventures, or pages about my family and friends, so this was a bit of a toughy. Of the options given, I decided to do a "bucket list" page.

Usually I start out with a picture (or 6) and plan the layout around it. But because the theme of the page was assigned, I went out on the store floor and found this paper that I loved:

Pink Paisley: Eau de Parfume

I got some coordinating cardstock, buttons, butcher's twine, and some cream ruffle ribbon.

Here are the things I included on my shortened list, in no particular order:

1. Go to the Galapagos Islands
2. Be in two places at once
3. Graduate from College (BYU-Idaho)
4. Ride in a hot air balloon (even though I'm terrified of heights)
5. Learn another language
6. Adopt Children
7. Write a Book
8. Learn to Fly an Airplane
9. See Egypt
10. Ride a Camel

So I started out by planning my layout. I had seen this great layout on a website. And I wanted to use it as inspiration for my layout.

Below is a picture of the layout with my notes on what I want it to include and look like.

A close up of my sketch:

Then I started cutting and laying it out to see if it was going to look the way I imagined. I discovered that I needed another cream 12x12 for the background. So off to the store I trotted to get more paper. :)

Then after piecing it all together, I decided that I didn't like the cream background (it was to bland) and wanted some color. Off to the store to get more Bazzill. :)

I decided that I wanted to make the hot air balloon and decided to quill it. Here is what I came up with. And yes, I used lots of sparkily ink on it. :)

I inked EVERYTHING, cuz inking makes it better and then glued it all down. I also doodled around the edges of the pictures becuase I thought that was really cute on the inspiration layout.

I used pop dots to give the page some demension. The journaling card lists the 10 things that I have or will do that are on my bucket list. Each number coordinates with the little flower numbers on each picture.

Yeah, I spent WAY too much time on this layout. :) And I kept changing my mind and struggled with it. But in the end it came together and hopefully the store likes it. :)

Beautiful Sunset

I was out running some errands the other evening and snagged a couple of pictures of the sunset. It was so cool against the dark purple clouds! :)