Friday!

I was going to write a post about how much I love tacos from Jack in the Box, but then I realized that would make 2 out of the 4 posts I have made since I returned to blogging about tacos. I guess I am okay with that. I seriously love tacos! I think I feel about tacos how most people feel about pizza. I love them so much!


Also, thank you to my GPS for cracking me up today while I was driving around between schools for work. The sexy British man (okay, I imagine him as sexy at least) turned the name of my destination school from Kalihi Waena Elementary to Cah-lee-hee Wiener Elementary. It was so unexpected to hear my GPS say wiener. Thank you for the laugh, you hunky GPS!

http://www.swell.com/Southwest-Style/BILLABONG-COSTA-TANK?cs=TA

I am painfully obsessed with this shirt, and buying it today!

Finally, complement of the season: Someone told me today that I look like Kate Middleton. I realize that's not actually true, but I'll take it! Who doesn't like to be compared with royalty!

Wonderful Wednesdays

Even though Nate hasn't really been home long enough for anything to become routine, it seems Wednesdays are becoming our date night. My work, although not stressful, is time consuming and has me awake around 5:15 every morning and out the door by 6:40. Okay, I am awake by 5:15 but don't usually drag myself out of bed until around 5:45. I get home from work around 3:20 most days, which doesn't leave as much time as I would like to relax, get important things done and also have time to do fun things while still getting to bed early enough to get my 8 hours. Fortunately I work at an elementary school with early release on Wednesdays, which allows me to get home by 2:00 on those days. Hooray for having time to relax- keeping up with a bunch of 3-4 year olds all day can be quite tiring, despite "nap time"- and also fit in something fun!


Wednesday of last week we went to Waikiki and rented stand up paddle boards for about an hour, then we grabbed a quick dinner at Panda Express. (Gross. But it was actually pretty good. We got a big combo so there were a lot of different things to try.) Then we saw the movie "Just Go With It" which was hilarious! It was way better than I had imagined it would be! Much unlike "No Strings Attached" which I had been dying to see and it turned out to be a total disappointment. Seriously, Nate and I ranked it near "All About Steve" and "Fool's Gold". That bad. Anyways, we were pretty proud of ourselves for doing so much on a week night.



Side note: It's really only my work schedule we have to work around as Nate currently works pretty much 9-2. Thankfully, that little angle usually gets up with me in the mornings even though he could sleep in another 2+ hours.




Yesterday, Wednesday, was an amazingly rainy day. There was an incredible thunder and lightening storm, which is pretty rare for Hawaii. I loved that it reminded me so much of home, Arizona, and also the fact that it encouraged us to do something indoors. I had gotten off work exceptionally early, and had already watched "Pretty Little Liars" from Monday and cleaned for well over 2 hours before Nate got home from work. We decided to go out to dinner at this Italian restaurant in Kailua, and we both got a little extra ready to make it special. Nate looked very handsome in his button up and cute gray pants, and I wore a black tube maxi dress (Nate is obsessed with maxi dresses) with bangles, a little extra makeup, and half of my hair pulled back. We looked pretty cute, if I do say so myself. Dinner was fantastic, then we came home, had a bottle of champagne (we had really wanted wine, but when we opened the bottle of my favorite any day wine that we had, it was bad), and watched some tv we had recorded on DVR. Fantastic!



We had a random little beach trip after work today, which was nice, We snorkeled a bit and saw a bunch of fish, but it made me yearn for the weekend, with our days full of doing whatever we want to do. Thank God tomorrow is Friday! I know the weekend will go by quickly, but luckily I will know I have Wednesday to look forward to!


Countdown to Arizona: 16 days!




I realize this is more of an excuse for a survey than it is an actual award, but thank you Caton

http://catonann.blogspot.com/ for passing it on. This is like a throwback to the days of AOL and sending these surveys to all of your friends. I remember spending countless hours filling out 100 questions with certain numbers missing from where people weren't brave enough to answer the question so they would just delete it. Here we go!

1. Why did you create your blog?
I created my blog to stay connected with my friends after I moved away, and also to give me something productive to focus on.

2. What kind of blogs do you follow?
Random ones. Friends, friends of friends. Some fashion/lifestyle. Also PostSecret, and this caringbridge of a girl who just died after a 17 month battle following a car accident leaving her with a brain injury. That one keeps me grounded.

3. Favorite brand of make-up?
Probably Mac except for mascara. That's probably Maybelline or CoverGirl.

4. Favorite brand of clothing?
I love Free People, but I mostly wear Gap and brands such as Hurley, Volcom, RVCA, Billabong, and Roxy. Yes, I know. I grew out of those brands when I was like 18, but now at 25 it is practically all I wear. In my defense I live in Hawaii where pretty much everyone has a pair of flip-flops they consider their dress up shoes.

5. Indispensable make-up product?
I don't always wear make-up, but my faves are eyelash curler and mascara.

6. Favorite color?
In general probably purple and blue. To wear, gray. To decorate with, white.

7. Favorite perfume?
Ralph Lauren Romance, and Coach.

8. Favorite movie?
Not really sure. Used to be "The Upside of Anger" and "In Her Shoes". Recently I loved "Just Go With It", but I can't say I have an absolute favorite.

9. What country would you love to visit and why?
I would love to go to India, France, Australia, Spain, or South Africa, all for different reasons, but in general to experience different cultures. That being said, I would gladly return to any country that I have already traveled to!

10. Would you rather forget to put mascara on one eye, or blush on one side of your face?
Definitely blush, it would be much easier to remedy.

There are rules about passing this on, but I don't have any one to pass it to that hasn't already been "tagged". :-) If you are curious about the rules, go to Caton's page, see link above.

The Weekend Is Finally Here!

What started off as a small gardening experiment has quickly grown into a full blown obsession. About 2 weeks ago, Nate and I planted a few potted plants in our backyard, including a tomato Topsy Turvy. After today's Home Depot run, we now have a ridiculous number of potted plants growing, and both a strawberry and hot pepper Topsy Turvy to add to our collection. Plant types and pictures to follow in up coming days.

Our adventure today included more than just a Home Depot run. We also went to this store called Pacific Homes in search of a new couch and a dining room table. We found a table we love, and a super comfy chaise, but we left empty handed and decided to think about it. The store is having a 20% sale all weekend, which makes the pieces almost reasonably priced. Almost. We have a little time to consider it.

Then we went to Ala Moana mall and shopped around a little bit. I scored an AMAZING deal (as usual)! Seriously, I have become a great deal hunter! I bought 5 new pairs of undies at Gap, originally priced at $60.50 before tax, but they were all on sale, plus there was an additional sale of 44% off all underwear. So that brought the total down to like $11. Great deal, right? There's more! I have a Gap credit card which earns me rewards, and I had a $10 coupon, so I paid $0.62. For 5 pairs of underwear!

On a similar note I scored an adorable pair of shorts at PacSun (I know) for less that $7.50 last week, but that's another story for another day. Well, that's pretty much the whole story, but the shorts are definitely picture post worthy!

Lastly, today my hair was dirty, but I didn't feel like washing it because I knew I would want to shower later after gardening, and it was a little kinky, but I didn't feel like straightening it or curling it, so I made 2 little braids and wore it as is. Cute and simple!

And Then Arnold Says "I'll Be Bach"

I am back by popular demand. Okay, it was one person, but that was enough to persuade me. I have been following more and more blogs lately, which I love doing, and have been thinking about getting back to keeping mine.

The only problem is, I don't know what direction to take it. With Nate being home, I have less time to craft, and I feel like I am constantly at work during sunny hours, so I haven't been able to do much out doors. On top of busy work weeks, we have had busy weekends lately, but I think things are finally beginning to smooth out and we will have more time to do the things we love. Granted, I love watching tv with Nathan, all snuggled up on the couch in the evening, but that doesn't give me much interesting stuff to blog about. Either way, I am back, and I will probably be all over the place as far as topics go, but that should make it all the more interesting.








First up- our killer fish tacos! Tacos have become a staple for us and we have 2 very different award worthy types we usually make. I am going to share the newer edition with you. So good!

Meat: We like to use this frozen crusted tilapia that has a tortilla/lime/jalapeno crust. We have used another flavor too, but this is our favorite. Just follow directions on package and flake with a fork. We have also used tuna steaks, which we cooked on the stove top. Any fish would do. Just season the fish with 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, and a little salt. Cook over medium-high heat until it is cooked thoroughly and flake it with a fork.

Filling: Chop 1 small white onion, a big handful of cilantro, about 1/2 of a jalapeno (remember the seeds and white part are the spiciest, so we leave most of them out), and add the juice of 1/2 - 1 lime and a little salt, and mix.

Shell: The very best tortillas are the ones you buy uncooked so they are nice and fresh. This recipe is good with corn tortillas, or what I prefer, flour tortillas.


Toppings: Lettuce, tomato, avocado, and sour cream.



Assemble and enjoy!!! (Champagne optional.)

Oh, wondering what the title of this entry was about? If you know me at all, I have probably told you this joke, that has stuck with me since I first heard it over a decade ago:

Film producers wanted to make a movie about classical music composers starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Hugh Grant, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. They ask Leonardo who he wants to be and he answers "I want to be Beethoven because I've always liked him." Hugh says "I want to be Mozart because I've always liked him." Finally they ask Arnold and he says "I'll be Bach."

Happy

Following a fantastic weekend with my friend family (see above photo), I figured I would be less than thrilled to return to work on Monday. This was worsened by the fact that I didn't get enough sleep once last week, slept on a plane Thursday night, and got even less sleep all weekend. Fortunately I gained 3 hours from the flight back home, and was asleep by 9 o'clock last night.

This morning I woke up at 5:30 feeling quite refreshed. Then, on my way out the driveway, I realized that not only was I not dreading my hour drive each direction and work day, I was actually looking forward to it! This is an exciting feeling because I used to think a good job was one you could tolerate and liked the people you work with. Now I realize it is, in fact, possible to have a job you actually enjoy. Yay! (It doesn't hurt that it's the 2nd highest paying job I have ever had, and also possibly the least stressful.) I have only been working at this assignment for 6 shifts, but each day seems to get better instead worse.

On a side note, one of the kids in the class is leaving for a month to Samoa. When I was leaving today he kept grabbing my hand and telling me not to leave. It was really cute and sweet, and even better because he usually has the attention span of a 3 year old (totally kidding, he is 3), but he kept at it for a few minutes. I heart him!

PS I will post my pictures on Facebook by the end of the weekend. :-D So many silly ones!

PostSecret

I love PostSecret. I love reading them, and I love the fact that there is an outlet for people to share their secrets and not have to worry about consequences. Until about a month ago it had been a while since I read any, and thanks to Lani and her blog, I am reminded to read new ones every week. Thank you!

It's amazing how powerful some of them are. With a post card, and only a few words, people share so much. I love how you will read one that is so sad that you wish you knew how to find that person and give them a hug, a $20 bill, advice, or whatever it is they might need. And then you read one that makes you laugh. Some of them you are able to identify with, and others make you glad that you do not know the person who wrote it, and even more glad that the person who wrote it wasn't you.

Needless to say, I was looking at PostSecret.com prior to writing this, and I came upon a postcard that made me crack up! There was just something about this one that is so wrong and so right all at the same time. The best part is that when I saved the picture to my computer, the title came up as "Potluck".

I started thinking about who wrote this. Was it a dad? Mom? Son? Daughter? Grandparent? Great-grandparent? Ha ha. Also, is it random, or is the person thinking "Gosh, everyone is just on edge today. I think I know the cure." Or is it "I hate these people, but I could never hurt them. Instead, I will unknowingly feed them drugs." Also, I love that the family in the picture has kids. Does the person who wrote this's family have kids? Or are they adult children? Who even knows (besides the person that send the postcard), and that is the best part.

My Latest Project

As soon as I finished my flower end table I was ready to start another project. I went to Goodwill and found this cool piece. (I don't know what to call it.) It has such a neat shape, and I wanted to paint it with a distressed/antique look. To start, I sanded it, painted it a base color, and then researched ways to accomplish the look I wanted. I couldn't find a good instruction guide, and ended up pulling directions from like 3 different places. Needless to say, it did not turn out how I wanted at all. Instead of sanding it down and trying again, I just painted it charcoal gray and used a stencil to paint bronze colored flowers on it. I know that I need to move away from the flower thing, but Ben Franklin's (art store) only had a few stencils, and this was my favorite one. I think eventually I may end up sanding it down and doing something else with it, but for now I will just keep it how it is. Here are a few before and after pictures. Enjoy!