slkjfeigodjgld

okay, it's been a while...

My nose just stopped bleeding and my head feels a little strange... but since I have time before my next class, I thought I would jot something down to update my dears.

I've been waking up to blood running down my face for the last couple of days now. It didn't happen this morning, but instead it greeted me when I was on the pot here at school. That is some RED blood. Though I don't exactly enjoy the experience of a bloody nose any and it makes a "bloody mess" of my face, I am inspired. I hope to recreate that same color in this semesters work. I'm working with a lot of primary colors these days, and that red is exactly what I need.

Money:... uh... next topic.

School: lots of traveling. wasting time. good challenge. gives me purpose. Great!

Church: new ward (again). balanced ages. vedy good!

Love: The best!!

Food: Taco stand on State and 8th (Sears parking lot - on south end) is the best. Taco's al pastor con LIME. lots and lots of Lime! Finger lickin good! MMM!!! I want some now.

New House: still got bugs... but bigger!!!! what!?! yes - 2 in one day found in my front room at different times - a mix between a bald rat and a queen bee!! When I put them in a cup to take them far from my home to live, they were sooo dramatic - rolling on their backs as if gasping for it's last breath... am I so unfeeling? maybe. but they have made me dread getting out of bed and walking around barefooted in the dark. I can just imagine the splatter those things would make.

I was listening to the radio this morning, and though many times I think the environmentalists are quite over the top and rarely do I enjoy listening to them, this time I, give or take a statement or so, quite enjoyed it and very much agreed. They were talking about time and conserving it. Being aware of what we are doing with our time and finding the most important things in our lives and connecting with time in a way that fulfills us daily. This subject is like my baby - I have a planner and a daily checklist that keeps me constantly aware of my time (some days that's good, while others it's not so good). When I think about it, people are inevitably a product of how they spend their time. What do you do most? How is your day spent? House wives are easily and naturally called "mothers", while ironically, mothers in the work force are often called "working-mothers", someone who paints from the soul every day may be called an artist, while someone who just paints stuff each day is really just a crafter. Days that I spend time doing something with my husband in mind, at the end of the day I feel like a wife, and those days I spend doing things for myself I feel like an independent (not necessarily good or bad). Days that I take time to talk to my neighbors or do something for them I become a neighbor, and not a moment sooner. I am what I do. A relief Society President or Primary teacher is just another someone if they don't do their best and take some TIME to do what is required and needed of them in their callings. So who are you? Heck... who am I? What do I want to be? How do I want to be perceived? Am I balancing my time in order to become what I desire? Part II: Time off work. The U.S. work force is not required to alot their employees any paid time off. They went into great depth on this subject, and it was one that intrigued me greatly, but I wont go into detail about the facts, just my thoughts. "Time" is a value that creates a healthy home. As it is, it is not always possible to give time - but with the help of the workforce it is possible to give that time. Time for better health, more energy, higher spirits, better relationships with friends and FAMILY, well rounding ones self with hobbies and interests, religious devotion, etc. When your husband comes home from work, you want a husband; but, when required to work long strenuous hours often you get a child or a patient to whom you must hastily attend to. When a father is home, a child wants a father... but is often shewed away. Non of which is because the husband/father is bad or mean, but because he is tired. Who wouldn't give up money for love? How about money for memories?.... I could go on. All I am saying is that this world of bigger better faster, more, more, more is driving me crazy. I am beginning to loath money... and, while still being reasonable and smart about it, I would take less money in order to have more richness of life. The workforce of America is sucking us dry. We talk about the divorce rate gaining such velocity and accredit it to woman working or pornography, etc... but I just believe that it is a simple lack of sufficient QUALITY TIME spent with your lover, with your children, and in bettering oneself (work not being that defining element). We are working almost twice as much as people were in the 1950's and 1960's where family values still flourished. Anyway, food for thought.

why saturdays are fun:

FREE STUFF!!!

On Saturday evenings, if a person finds themselves driving through residential neighborhoods, one might find the remnants of those things that didn't sell earlier on at a yard sale, and is now posted as "free" for the lucky person who may come across it. Well, usually free stuff is pretty janky, but we scored big this time. See for yourself:


good records - LOTS of them (see all in front)


Chine, that is somewhat ugly, but was of definite good quality. I'm missing some cups, so keep your eyes open for me!


And canisters, that would have cost me at least 50 bucks at Bed Bath and Beyond. AT LEAST. They are perfect. good condition, the color I was looking for, and the quantity is perfect.

I personally think that the guy got into some ugly fight with his girl or had some ugly breakup and was selling all of her stuff - eeps! There was a lot of nice stuff (we didn't have room for anything else than what we took). It was like he took the house and emptied it out on his lawn. Much of it was girly. Maybe I just have an overactive imagination.... but he seemed incredibly bummed/ticked about something...

i did it all for the nookie

This is my 'nook' are of my kitchen. I LOVE the exposed brick, the light, our FREE table, and the glass brick window. This has become a favorite place to sit and read, since it always stays cool there (being brick and all), the light is great, and it feels so secluded being a little covey.

I was using my only small chair in the house, and a crooked stool at the table (as seen up above), but Mo and I hit a yard sale on Saturday that turned out some great seemingly brand new cafe style red vinyl chairs....

working girl

I slept in a little today. And it felt great. I plan on looking for a job today - in some gallery would be nice, but I bet every little artist out here in SLC has already taken anything available. Waiters are needed all over the place, but I've never done that kind of work, and would rather not learn now. Of course secretarial work would be an obvious good decision, but it can get so mundane. As disgusting as it may be, I was actually thinking that cleaning homes would be the way to go. If you get into the rich places if could be worth it. I was thinking that I could clean houses within only a 1/2 mile radius, and in an area like this I would have regular work. BUT I would have to do quite a bit of advertising. Maybe I can work for people in my ward or friends of theirs - that would be a lot easier to target. I've NEVER wanted to do something like this before, but I'd much rather work for myself, being active, and doing what I am good at than some corporation or whatnot - my husband already has full benefits for the both of us... why hate life, right?

Anyway... I've got my own house to clean, and errands to run on my bike in the hot sun today (I'm getting a phone!!!!), so off I go.

If you have any suggestions for part time jobs, I'm open to suggestions.

pictures of yours truly

When I went to L.A. to visit Julie, she took SO MANY PICS of me. She insisted on some posed ones, and put lots of dark eyeliner on me and a wig (because if you didn't remember, I was a blond at that time) and I wore this red wrap that I found at the Salvation Army. The first one is a little too dramatic, but the others were pretty fun. It was the post editing that made the difference. These, of course, are only 4 of many others:

yikes!

.... oooh dear ....

I've really got big cheeks, no?

Me not being able to pose, and getting a shot out of it (look at my ring!!)

home sweet home

This is where I live. I live on the main level of this historic home downtown SLC. The neighborhood is to die for - which reminds me, I need to take some pictures from my front window so you can see what I see each day. The area is filled with trees, a creek, flowers, and joggers. My only complaint is that amount of pollen everywhere.

Our next door neighbor comes over the fence and waters and trims our yard just because she likes to (and because it was a disaster from the renters previous and she couldn't stand to look out her window at it). We attend church at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, which is incredibly and almost overwhelmingly distracting during all meetings. It's one of those newly weds and nearly deads wards. I wonder what a ward like this does for ward activities.....?






This is the back of that house, where I spend most of my time. I lay out a large drop cloth and paint furniture all the time... soon I will run out of furniture to paint and then maybe I'll start painting pictures. I sometimes wonder though if Mo gets even a wee bit annoyed that everything in the house is pretty much mine (OURS now, I know, I know - but for the sake of making a point, I say Mine)- all decorations I've accumulated, paintings I've painted, sculptures... his contribution is a nice one, but a meager one - the television and all that goes with it (dvd, N-64)... and I don't exaggerate.






This is own entry way. yes, we keep our bikes in our front room, but there's plenty of space, and it beats having to lock them up constantly. Though I spend little time in this area, I love it! It feels so cozy and quaint. That door to the side is a coat closet that we don't use - there is tons of storage space in this house surprisingly.







This is the living room - the furnishings are sparse, and I have yet to drape the walls in paintings, pictures, or whatever I have laying around the house, and to get curtains up, but I haven't had nails, and curtains just have to wait until the day that I can afford them.





My parents gave us these chairs - they were sitting in the garage for a long time, and frankly, completely disgusted me. BUT, we needed chairs, so I repainted them with paint left by the former tenants and used some red canvas that I had stuffed away. I'm still in the process... that process has been going on for 3 days now... I'm just really good at getting distracted. But I love the way the red pops against the stark white. All in all, what the room lacks, the immense amount of sunshine it collects makes up for it.

I think that will be it for today. I have yet to show you our kitchen, bedroom (hahah... yeah right, we don't even have a bed - we sleep on foam padding or on the futon in the family room), and my work room!! This house rocks!!! How did we get so lucky??

a'hem...

today is the day that you have been waiting for... I finally have SOME pics from the wedding. I had to take digi pics of my own few prints I had, so the quality isn't that great, but I just couldn't wait any longer.

Julie Um and her friend Eric flew in and took our pics - they worked as a team just shooting away. Julie rendered her services for free of course, and Eric did it at the cost of a plane ticket. So I think I claim bragging rights when I say that my pictures are better than any other wedding photos I've seen and all under $200 dollars, thank you very much.

taco salad for dinner followed by left over cake!!!

afternoon y'all...

I finally couldn't take it any longer today and got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed the kitchen floor clean with those Mr. Clean magic erasers - those things are impressive... I intentionally left some areas untouched so I could show Mo later on... it was really disgusting the difference... and to think I was walking on that every day.

I have to say that I love being married. It's funny how when you are single, though you seem to be only obligated to yourself and to your life and it should therefore be simpler, I have actually found that life has become far simpler... that is, for now anyway being married (or is that just naivety talking, being that I am only 2 weeks married?). I am no longer obligated to family or friends- not that I don't love them and like to be there for them, of course, but I feel like I am now living for Mo and myself. I am now making "big kid" decisions each day; I have Better sleeping habits, better eating habits, a cleaner house, a simpler social circle to keep up with (I know, I make it sound like having friends is a total drag - but that is not the what I mean)... all in all, I am feeling freer than ever and far more fulfilled, though very little has taken place to change my state from before June 6th to today... just a ceremony and a license, and of course intimacy. At this point, thus far (hehe) I will have to say that married is better than single.

As for my "life"... have I sacrificed "me"? The answer is a very big NO. I am reading more, I get to decorate, clean (yes, I actually enjoy that), paint, paint furniture, shop for the house, and for food that gives me joy (as well as that which gives me gas). I haven't done much crafting since my things are still packed up, but I can't wait! I also want to post pictures, but I have no batteries for my camera... so here I go, I'm heading out now to get them. So stand by- you will thus see my house.

After planning and executing a wedding, I've finally admitted to myself that I am just not good at remember things... or people for that matter. I'll have you know there were many people whom I love that I straight up forgot to send out invites to. I remembered them, then forgot them over and over until it was simply too late. So I have decided that anything that can be done in bulk should be embraced heartily. I'd do a weekly email, but I don't have everyone's email, nor does it make quite the impression as a decorated page... so here we are, you and me at this blog spot - me, exposing myself for the nitwit that I am, and you passing judgment (good or bad or maybe just neutral), and possibly wasting your time reading what may often just be nonsense.

So 5 days into marriage and I've got the living room almost put together, all my personals from my private bridal shower finally stowed away from out in the open, still boxes of gifts strewed about in every which corner, plenty of trash bags ready to go out (since we've not been cooking much [yet] and have just been eating out. But I did paint the deserted entertainment center that we dragged up from the junk pile down the street (which totally turned out hideous so I'll have to try another color tomorrow).

Mahonrri will be home soon, wherewith we will go buy groceries together and hopefully pig out on spaghetti and watch some romantic drama (if i have it my way, because heaven knows I can't do another slapstick comedy for at least a good week or so), and maybe drink the sparkling grape juice Julie gave me which will most likely end up giving us the bubbly-guts.

I relish the small moments of the day... moments that I never thought could be mine because there was never enough time in the day to just sit back. But in marriage I have found simplicity. Last night after soaking in a hot bath reading Jane Eyre (to help sooth the ever so irritating bladder infection that has found me), I got out to find Mo fast asleep on the futon... He seemed to be dreaming - tossing and turning; Where, between tosses I rested my back against him and continued reading. I found utter peace in that moment - my back warmed by his body, yet he roamed another land and I another.

This is the first post of many to come I hope... if I can seem to keep up with the rest of the world. I feel disconnected to people that I love (everyone really) since I began to plan for this silly wedding thing... what an ordeal, no? Don't get me wrong - I'm having fun, my mom is pleasant to work with, and so many things have really just been fitting into place. BUT I am no super woman, and some things slip through the cracks, only to be discovered a little late - like sending Amy, my own sister, an invitation to my wedding... [I'm sorry Amy!!! I did make one for you, and you will get it], and we have yet to get our marriage license (but I swear it's on the schedule for tomorrow!... now). But all in all, life is good. Quite thrilling actually... I long for stability. I feared it at one point - you know, one city, one job, one man, one person to spend my time with, one.... That made me incredibly nervous inside, but since I made the decision to go forward with all this, it's like something inside just transformed and now suddenly everything is okay. Now stability is all I want out of life. I despise living with my junk in this trailer, that house, this house, and having my craft room be my living room and my living room be my kitchen... my new house is so cute!!!! I'll post pictures next time!