Weddings

I do love a good wedding and in the past 3 weeks I have had the opportunity to attend 2!

First my dear friend and former NY roommate, Wendy Christian, married our lovely home teacher, Bryan Dunn!

This is their "non-professional" pictures taken by Bryan's sister. They had an amazing photographer that took some really cool photos but due to copyright issues I could not post them here.

Bryan and Wendy were so happy and beautiful! It was such a wonderful day and Dereck and I were sooo lucky to be a part of it!

The second wedding was for for my dear friends Danette and Eric who live in DC. Danette and I used to work together about 5 years ago and remained friends along with Keysia and Gloria. We had some fun times with the 4 of us.

I have no pictures from the wedding yet (which was perfect with a capital P), but here are 2 pictures of Keysia, Danette, Gloria, and I.

I can't even tell you how many pictures I have just like this of the 4 of us!

Aahh the good times.

Congrats Danette and Eric!!! Thanks for letting us be a part of your fabulous event!

School News

I survived my first week of school!

I have classes Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 6-9.

Tuesday: Tailoring – My teacher is really old school, but he knows his stuff. We are going to be making a tailored jacket, which I will make for Dereck, so he is excited that I am actually making something for him for once. This work for this class is going to be really tedious and my teacher expects near perfection, so I am going to be spending a lot of time on this jacket, which is great!

Wednesday: Textiles – This should be a great class. We’re going to be learning about all the different types of textiles available and some on the history of fabrics.

Thursday: Fashion Industry Design: Marketing –I don’t think this will be my favorite, but my teacher is smart, and has been a top executive in the industry for years, so I think she’ll be able to teach us quite a bit. Marketing is such a necessity, I need to have a better attitude about it. Sometimes I wish that you could just create and then get paid for it…so not reality. I learned last semester when putting together my business plan that in fact this is a business and therefore, I have to treat it as such.

And on to other news, I got an internship! I will start next Tuesday and I am really excited about it! It’s with designer, Mara Hoffman. I think this will be a really great opportunity because it’s a small office, so I will be able to get tons of hands-on experience (instead of getting coffee for the head designers). She creates her own textiles and most of her production is done in New York, so I will get to go to the production factories and see how textiles are made and also be a part of the day to day operations. I will now be working 4 days a week instead of 5 and interning every Tuesday from 10-5. I am really excited for this opportunity!

So, the fun of a new semester begins!!

TWINS

I honestly don't know how Cathy and Chad do it? Their life is crazy!Kelly and I went to visit them in Dallas over Labor Day weekend and wow! My hat goes off to the two of you. There is so much love and sacrifice that is extended by parents to newborns and then to magnify that by 2 at once is honestly and truly amazing. They take everything in stride and are seriously amazing parents. It is so fun to see your best friend in such a different role as a provider of life, parent, and wife. I am truly grateful to have them as friends and to have had the opportunity to spend a weekend immersed in their life. I can’t wait to come back!

Virginia to Phoenix...and back!

Talk about a journey!

Start time: August 10, 2007 0700 hours

End time: August 13, 2007 0200 hours

Kijuana and I drove approximately 3600 miles in 3 days! It seems like a lifetime ago now that we're back, however at the time, it seemed like we'd never be done! I am sort of what you might call an "expert" if you will at driving cross country...:)

It was sort of a full circle moment because as most of you know, I moved to DC after BYU in August of 2000. When Kijuana moved to DC in December of 2000 I flew back to SLC and we drove back to DC together in her crammed Jetta along the snowpacked roads of I-80 where we stopped in Denver for some delicious baklahva (thanks Janice!) and somewhere in Illinois or Indiana for literally the grossest pizza I have ever had in my life. It was worst than the worst frozen pizza.

I digress.

This time was a little easier, we had great weather, a great Volvo that wasn't AS packed, (but we still couldn't lay the seats back), and unfortunatley the same CD's as in 2000. But, I couldn't have asked for better company either time.

(kijuana jammin while driving)

The day started on Friday the 10th with me taking the Chinatown bus from New York to DC. It left at 7am. I got in to DC around noon and got some lunch for the drive, walked around as much as I could while I waited for Kijuana. We got on the road around 1:30.

When we started the drive, we told ourselves that we would try not to go to chain restaurants the whole way…little did we know that chains are overtaking the entire USA! It was pretty ridiculous.

The first few hours were uneventful. Mostly spent on the phone with my office, dealing with the temp who covered for me who apparently didn't know how to book a rental car, and breezing through Harrisonburg, Roanoke, and Greenville, Virginia - it was green, but uneventful.

We finally got to Knoxville, TN around 11pm which was the first major city in Tenessee. We had planned on stopping there, but the University of Tennessee was having a graduation and there were NO hotel rooms. So, we continued on and tried again in Nashville...but to no avail. Finally we found a spot in Dickson, TN at this Baymont.

It wasn't the best, but we were tired so it didn't matter too much and it was cheap. They had a fairly sick continental breakfast that consisted of these saucer-shaped sausage patties and eggs the same shape. It did not look normal.
I had cereal and a boiled egg.

On Saturday morning, we continued on until we got to Memphis. Neither of us had phone chargers so we tried stopping in Memphis at a Sprint store. Well, we got some bad directions and rather than back track we continued on and tried not to talk tooo much.

A bridge in Memphis where you cross over into Arkansas.

One interesting sidenote in Memphis. We pulled up to a gas station and there was a woman about my age with a baby and she saw our car all loaded up and asked, "y'all movin' here?" in a thick accent.
I told her no, that we were just passing through on our way west. We started chatting as we were pumping gas and I asked her how she liked living here and she said it was alright, but that people who came to visit always thought the prices were cheap, but she thought they were expensive. For example, Air Force Ones you can get there for $50 at certain places, but her friend from California said they are $200 in the store…

Huh? Tell me again how this place is expensive? I think she wanted to be friends with us if we were in fact moving there, but since we weren’t I guess we’re out of luck. Oh well.

So, we continued on to Little Rock where we found a radio shack who not only hooked us up with a great charger, but told us of a great local restaurant – Smokey Joes.

Here we are to prove it. It was pretty good bar-b-que and we definitely wouldn’t have found it without our radio shack helper.

On we continued. From Little Rock we veered south so we could stop in Dallas. It was a long stretch through Texarkana. (What kind of name is Texarkana anyway?)

The highlight was stopping to get a blizzard at Dairy Queen. (a chain) When's the last time you've been there? Soooo good!
We made it to Dallas around 5:30p and only stayed for about an hour and a half. We were greeted with 2 precious babes, 2 tired parents, 1 tired sister and one very energized Dresden. He put on a performance for us while we all sat and watched. It was such a great break and we only wanted to stay longer, but we had to keep on trucking.

We drove for another hour or so, then stopped at IHOP (another chain). We tried to make it to El Paso where my Aunt Mildred lives, but we got too tired and had to stop in Abilene around 2am.
After checking the rates on several hotels we decided to stay in luxury. Ok, not really (Hampton inn) but it was the only new hotel on the block, so that is a good sign. (We encountered some really sick motels) We pulled up and the first thing we noticed was these crazy black crickets that were overtaking the parking lot. I had to drop Kijuana off at the front with our suitcases and then go and park. I literally sprinted like Carl Lewis to the entrance. I honestly hadn’t run that fast since the 4 x 100 meter relay race during the State Track meet in 1996.

Anyway, when we were checking in around 2am, we talked to the front desk manager and asked him if the crickets ever come to the rooms and he assured us that they would never, ever come upstairs, etc.
Wouldn’t you guess, we walked into our room and there was one right there hanging on the curtain!!!
It was so sick. So we called downstairs and the guy came up and got it for us after it jumped all over the room.

We slept great despite the drama.
In the morning we went downstairs, ate a continental breakfast – much better than the baymont – loaded up our purses with fruit and muffins and headed on our way.
We drove through tons of nothingness, through midland and other non-descript towns. We were so burned out at this point, we couldn’t wait to get home!

At one such non-descript “town” or more like a gas station in the middle of nowhere, we talked to the worker who told us that one of the perks of his job is that he gets 4 gallons of free gas everyday! When we asked what in the world he does for fun around here, he said that they go to the pool. Or to the bar/restaurant in “town”. He lived 30 miles away from the gas station.
Such a different life – it seems difficult to imagine.

After driving 20 minutes out of the way due to a misunderstanding on how to say Alameda, (apparently Alma-getter to some) we finally made it to Aunt Mildred’s house who let us rest our weary bones, eat some fresh corn, pea salad, chicken parmesan, and candy. It had been years since I’d been to her house in Texas and way too long since we’d seen her. It was fun to catch up and we just wish that we could have stayed longer.
She had a few things she wanted us to take on to Phoenix to my Aunt Betty and to my dad – one of them being a “Yellow Meat”.

What is a yellow meat you might ask? Well, it’s basically a watermelon that is yellow inside. Apparently they don't grow them like that in Phoenix (or anywhere else that I know of) and my Aunt Betty had been craving them…right.
So here is a picture of our packed car after retrieving the yellow meat.
Kijuana was sooo bugged. It was hilarious.

The last 8 hours were brutal. We went through Las Cruces, Tucson and finally Phoenix!!! We had to amuse ourselves by doing some phone pranks and having mini dance parties, but we made it!!!

We stopped by my Aunt Betty's house to drop off the blessed "yellow meat" and we were dying to take a peak inside, so here she is performing the procedure.

Once we dropped off the precious goods, we had to unpack the car at Kijuana's new apartment and then we could finally sleep!
It was such a crazy drive and then I had to fly out the next afternoon (after getting delicious Mexican food of course!)

Ever hear your husband scream?

I have.

On Thursday night Dereck and I wanted to try this famous pizzeria in Coney Island, so after work we drove there only to find out that it was closed. (Who closes at 8pm?)
BUT no drive to Coney Island would be complete without a ride on the famous Cyclone.

Sidenote: The summer I moved to New York (2005) to start school Sara and I didnt' have jobs yet and so were able to roam about the city at our leisure. We took a whirl on the cyclone but I hadn't been back since and Dereck hadn't been before. We haven't gone to an amusement park together, so I asked him if he usually screamed or raised his hands in the air or what and said he remained cool, calm, and collected....sure.

It's super old and doesn't look very intimidating, but it is SO deceiving. We bought our tickets and got in line. Soon enough we took our seats in the very back and as we started that first climb all the feelings came back and I immediately wanted to climb out or throw up. But, they don't stop the ride for scaredy cats, so I was locked in! That first rapid decline is sooo intense and that's when I heard it - Dereck actually got scared on a rollercoaster! It was so classic!

Like a lot of places, they take a picture of you at the scariest moment. All you can see is the look of pure terror in both of our eyes. (Although Dereck's eyes were closed.)

If I hadn't been gripping the bar and screaming myself I may have even laughed. The rest of the ride is just as intense and for being such a small and old roller coaster the twist and turns are ridiculous. The only problem is that it jerks you around so much that we both had headaches afterwards!

But, it was great and most importantly I finally have something on him for all the times I do ridiculous things!

Anyway, the bottom line is, go to Coney Island for the best thrill in New York.

Not to mention the crazy fashion! If only I had brought my camera, I saw some ridiculous outfits. I will have to do a post at some point about Coney Island fashion (or lack thereof.)

Nothing is ever EASY!

Not even going to work sometimes.

On Tuesday night we were woken up by a crazy rain storm with thunder and lightning, but by Wednesday morning it was gone and the sun was coming out. I left for work and was actually going to be on time (for once) except when I got to the subway it was closed.

Strange.

So, I talked to a few people who were standing around and they said it was due to flooding...

Well, I could understand if there was water on the ground, but there wasn't, it was all dried up!

I went back home and called my work to let them know and everyone was having the same problem I was. Dereck was kind enough to drive me to the nearest open subway stop in Brooklyn which should have taken 10 minutes, but instead took 40 due to everyone else thinking the same thing.


I finally got on and had just hit the first stop in Manhattan when the conductor instructed everyone to exit the train because this was the last stop...huh? How is this the last stop when I still have to continue to go uptown?


So, I got out and proceeded to wait for the bus with all the rest of the masses. Bus after bus went by completely jam packed. No way I was getting on. So, I started to walk. It was soooo hot and humid. I kept asking myself why I didn't have Dereck drive me all the way in and why I even tried to come to work...


So, as I was walking I kept looking for cabs. None. All full.

My mind kept flashing back to the subway strike in December of 2005 when I had to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge the coldest day of the year during Finals....

I finally caught a bus when I was nearly at work. Anyway, I made it to work, extremely sweaty, tired, hot, annoyed, and 3 hours late. Oh well. Luckily on the way home the subways were working again.

Gotta love New York.

Great Vintage Prints

I came across this website through another website...can't remember which one but it has some amazing vintage fabrics!
Enjoy!

REPO DEPOT

Ignoring...Rude or a Necessity?

I have gotten pretty good at ignoring all the crazy people in New York, however sometimes I get really annoyed at their antics! It seems as though people feel that it's their business to speak to strangers. Dereck and I went to dinner with Alysha and Tom on Wednesday and she was sharing how people just loved to predict her due date when she was pregnant. Like, "Were you due last week?" I think people need to understand boundaries a little better.

Some more examples.

Me walking to the subway in the morning. Still tired.
"Good morning, ma"
Maybe I don't feel like saying good morning. Maybe I am not your mother. Not sure.
"Oh so you aren't going to speak?" "You too good?"
To myself - No I am not, I am going to mind my business. And yes maybe I am too good.
"Ok, you have a good day anyway sweetie."
Oh FIRST you get mad I won't speak NOW you call me sweetie. Figures.

Or the people in midtown who try to get the tourists to spend money...
"Do you like to laugh?"
At you perhaps, but not in a general sense. I mean what kind of question is that? (They are trying to get you to buy tickets to a comedy club.)

"No donation is EVER to small to donate to the homeless"
I donate a few pennies...
"That's all you have?"
Right...

or

When Sara was pregnant she used to get some really disgusting comments such as:
"I'll be your baby's daddy."
Excuse yourself, sir, but the baby obviously has a daddy already...

Sometimes they think that if you stand directly in front of you then you'll donate to their cause. Word to the wise, don't EVER step in front of a pregnant woman like that. Or be prepared for the backlash!

Earlier this week Sara and I went to lunch and little Clark was in the Bjorn and someone came and stood directly in front of her, yet again...
"Do you want to save a child's life?"
Um, if you don't step away from my baby, you'll want someone to save YOUR life!

That same day we saw a man approximately 60 years old wearing a shirt that said "Show me your boobs" Sick! As he walked by he said, "Hello ladies..."

Pervert.

Even on the subway there is no respite.

We have the young kids who "aren't raising money for NO basketball or baseball team, I'm just trying to make a few bucks to keep me off the street and out of trouble"
They then try and sell you m&m's and starbursts for $1.

I have seen breakdancing, magic, even comedy shows all happen in the time it takes to get from one stop to the next.

I just I have to admit, they are pretty ingenious schemes out there that are probably fairly lucrative.

I usually read on the train. It's nice to have the 20-25 minutes of semi-interrupted reading time, so when people come asking for money I don't look up, don't acknowledge, just read.

One night during finals I was coming home really late and was reading to try and stay awake and someone was asking for money and when I didn't look up he snatched the paper out of my hand so that I would pay attention.
Yeah, that's going to work buddy.

Also, I forgot to blog on my 1 year anniversary of my Nubbing. In case you forgot, read here.

Even with all of it's craziness, I do love being in New York. Feeling the energy here and living life in this city! I am lucky to be able to follow my dream!

MIDNIGHT MADNESS

Dereck and I went to see THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM last night at midnight. It was really fun, however, I am so tired and apparently too old to be doing that kind of thing...
The movie was great, my favorite "bourne" yet in fact!

Go see it. It will make you want to drive really fast and crazy and then yell "I am the bourne ultimatum" (like my husband).

I'll give YOU an ultimatum...

an Explosion, Asbestos, Chocolate, and a Celebrity Sighting

So much to blog about, so little time! It was a busy week. On Wednesday, there was a steam explosion right outside my work building. Luckily I had just left for the day and was safely on the subway heading home. My co-workers, didn't fare so well...

It was about 6pm and they heard a loud rumble. We are on the 30th floor, so they looked out the windows and saw only steam. They then looked at the building across the street from us and saw people leaving. They grabbed their belongings and ran out the door, down the 30 flights of stairs and started running West (away from the blast). Nobody could tell them at this point what happened. Luckily other than sore legs, everyone in my office made it out fine.

Click here for the news story.

The next day, the subway wasn't stopping at 42nd street, my stop, so I had to take a different line and walk the rest of the way to work. The streets surrounding my office were all blocked off, tourists were crowding the area, and I was just trying to get to work. We were there for a few hours and then we were given the option to go home. Apparently, when the steam pipes were built (the one that exploded) they used asbestos and with the explosion it was all pumped into the air. Since my office is literally right there, we were probably breathing that air...nice.

So we got to work from home for the rest of the day.
I thought that work from home meant go directly to friend Sara's house, eat a delicious dessert, get a pedicure, take a stroll around the city, and THEN go home and do some work...

On Saturday morning as a continuation of Dereck's birthday celebration, I woke him up super early and took him to Max Brenner's for "the best hot chocolate he's ever had" and some more delicious treats. There is something so right about eating inordinate amounts of chocolate for breakfast!

Yesterday, Sunday, Dereck and I took a trip to St. Luke's to go see Clark Kimball. He is so cute and perfect and I am so happy for Sara and Scott. More details on him later.

After we visited the hospital, we were on Columbus between 68th and 69th and I saw Chris Rock!

He was just strolling along the street, minding his business. Totally caughte me off guard, yet it was kind of cool.

And then, last night, Dereck and I made dinner for my former roommate Wendy and her new fiance! It was sooo much fun and I am so glad they made the trek all the way to Brooklyn from the Upper East Side...:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DERECK!

Just wanted to give a shout out to my darling hubby today. I can't believe I have known him for over 6 years already. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering what life was like before I met him. I am a lucky woman!
(Sorry, apparently I don't have great pictures of him saved on this computer.)

Anyway, I wish you a great upcoming year filled with fun, good food, and more happiness than ever!

Updates

Dereck and I have been somewhat of weekend warriors. We went to Boston the weekend of the 7th and had a great time. We went to a cookout at Dereck’s grandmother’s house in Cambridge. There was delicious food, great company and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day weather-wise. On Sunday, thanks to Tiffany, we went to Kimball Farm. It was a beautiful drive about 40 minutes outside of Boston into the rolling hills. Unfortunately no pictures were taken, of course. However, we got there expecting a little ice cream shop and it was this huge, crowded farm with mini-golf and lobster rolls…
WHO KNEW??
Apparently, a lot of people except us. It was a bit extreme however, their portion sizes were astronomical! But a lot of fun and delicious is an understatement. Anyway, we had a great visit.

Last weekend, I took a whirlwind trip to DC. I left on Friday after work and got home Sunday morning at about 4am. I got to hang out with Devon and Nate who were so cute. I woke up to Nate poking my forehead, saying, Meela with a HUGE GRIN on his face! He was my little friend all day, it was so cute. Kijuana and Devon went to the grocery store and Nate opted to stay with MEELA! They were being soo funny.

I also went to my dear friend Danette’s bridal shower. I am sooo excited for her to marry her longtime boyfriend Eric. They are a perfect pair and I whole-heartedly support their upcoming nuptials. Not that they need my approval, I am just so happy to see them so happy.

After the shower, I unfortunately headed to the hospital. Kijuana had another blood transfusion to prepare her for her Rituxan treatments that started on Monday. It is a weekly treatment that she will do for 6 weeks every Monday. We hung out, ate some Cheesecake Factory and watched America's Got Talent. And then I had to go home on the Chinatown bus so that I could teach Sunbeams on Sunday. Dereck had a class so I battled the 3 year olds alone.

It’s fun being able to go places on the weekends, since I am not in school, but I am exhausted.
This upcoming weekend is Dereck’s birthday, so I am looking forward to hanging out and having some downtime!

Run do not walk

to Max Brenner. My boss took us there for breakfast this morning. (I will now snake around the office the rest of the day.) Wow! It's an amazing concept. The purpose of the outing was to show how this company is amazing at what they do. How they have developed their concept into such a unique brand. It’s better than willy wonka in my opinion. Next time you are in New York, I will be more than glad to take you!
YUM!!!

Happy Independence Day!

It was so nice having a day off work in the middle of the week to celebrate our nation’s independence, however, it didn’t feel much like July because it was kind of a dreary, rainy day here in New York.

Dereck and I mostly spent the day sleeping and eating. Which incidentally are my two favorite things. We slept in a bit, went to brunch at a Brooklyn diner, where I embarrassed Dereck by playing “What’s love got to do with it” on the jukebox when he wasn’t looking. Then went to the fish market and picked up a lobster and some scallops for dinner. Then, we came home, fell asleep, then woke up, made our delicious dinner and watched Pan’s Labrynith. We could see most of the Macy’s fireworks out of our kitchen window (albeit from afar). We had planned to watch them from the roof of our building, but it was kind of chilly, so we opted to stay in.

I was thinking back to the memories I had of fireworks in particular and I remember a certain apartment in college that we called the cereal box because that is exactly the shape of the building. 6 of lived there - it was 3 levels high with 3 rooms on each floor. We would shoot bottle rockets up (or down, depending on the mood) the spiral staircase to startle those who came to visit our home. We would also shoot them underneath a certain roommate’s door while she was making out - not to name names, of course. There was also an occasion that we put some firecrackers in a bucket to scare our neighbors and even managed to get them to swear at us. (Yes, this was BYU).

Aahhh, gotta love the 4th of July. Hope everyone had a great one!

Anemia is the Enemy

My poor darling sister was hospitalized again! She developed anemia while pregnant with Nate and it hasn't ever fully gone away. On Tuesday she got her blood results back and the doctors told her she should come in right away because her hematacrit was so low. So, after cleaning the house, making sure the kids were all packed up, she drove herself to the hospital. This woman seriously does it all. She received a blood transfusion (2 units) and was home by about 3pm the next day. She is still taking prednizone and has to get her blood monitored weekly. The next step is probably to get her spleen removed. However, the recovery time is about 2 weeks. It kills me that I can't be there with her right now. I am leaving after work tomorrow to head to DC, but it's just not soon enough! Please keep her in your prayers right now, she is dealing with a lot and could use all the divine strength that she can get!

Summer Walk

Last night Dereck and I went for a walk after work. It was such a beautiful evening. We did things a little backward, because we went for a walk, got some ice cream and then went to dinner. Oh well. I love that it doesn't get dark until like 9pm.

We just walked a few blocks to a park near the Brooklyn Museum (the museum was closed unfortunately) but we watched the chess players for a bit. Dereck read an article in the ny times (can’t find it now) that said that apparently this park is famous for it’s players. These chess masters will bring their own chess boards and timers and have serious competitions in the park. It was like stepping back in time.
I love that there are always ice cream trucks that ride around in the summer and that they serve soft ice cream.
We went to dinner at Stan’s Place which was so delish. We also found out that Stan lives in our building! It was New Orleans cuisine and I got the most delicious shrimp and grits. We are definitely going back.

I saw this monument at the park that had a really cool quote that I memorized last night, but now I can’t exactly remember what it said, but it was something close to: “Ignore or completely disregard any obstacles that will inevitably come in your way as you pursue your goal.”
Ok, so now it sounds lame, but I liked it at the time. If you are pursuing your goals, concentrate on accomplishing them instead of all the potential obstacles you may face as you are working towards them.

The Brethren

Last weekend, my brother aka “the brethren” came to visit on a last minute trip to NYC. [Not sure how we got started calling him the brethren, but it has stuck for the last few years.] Last minute as in, we got a call at noon saying, I am landing at La Guardia airport at 4pm.

I am sure you are thinking, wow that is so nice of him to come and visit his favorite sister, lest you be fooled, he actual came to hang out with his friend MC.

Luckily, I got to see him for dinner that night. We went to this yummy Argentinian restaurant in the lower east side: AZUL

Anyway, I was glad to see him even thought it was brief.

A pic of one handsome and apparently sleepy gent along with myself, Cameron, and Mary Claire. (Thanks MC for taking and sending these!)

Every good thing deserves a good home

Imagine my good fortune.
This morning, I was heading to the subway when I saw this old, (but still nice) mirror just sitting by the side of the road, waiting for a home...er the trash. I immediately looked around and then called Dereck to ask him, “Can I bring it home?” His response, Are you sure it’s trash? And if it’s trash, then why do we want it?

Being the loving, supporting husband that he is (and knowing that if he didn't agree, I would probably still bring it upstairs anyway), he agreed to meet me at the entrance to the building in his pajamas.
So I began the trek (less than a half of a block) back the apartment. But it was sooo heavy. I must have looked ridiculous, because this guy helped me along the way claiming, “I don’t need seven years bad luck and neither do you.” So funny. Dereck met us at the door and carried our new mirror upstairs to safety and I went on to work. Can’t wait to go home and decide what to do with it. I want to do something really cool with the frame. Perhaps some sort of decoupage, or broken glass, or marbles or something. Let me know if you have any cool ideas.

Love dumpster diving.

Will You Marry Me?

I forgot to blog about this funny story that happened while Dereck's mother was visiting. We were heading out on Saturday early evening and waiting for the subway. It was a pretty warm evening and I was standing in the shade and Dereck and his mother were standing about 15 feet away from me in the sun so they could sit down. As we were waiting a train pulled up, this random fool got off the train and stood directly in front of my face.
Here is our conversation:

Fool: "Will you marry me?"
Me: “Excuse me?”
Fool: "Will you marry me?"
Me: “I am already married.”
Fool: Ah man, why are all the good ones taken?
Me: “Not sure, you can ask my husband if you would like.”
Fool:…(no words just gaping mouth)
Then he walks away. (quickly) because Dereck stood up at that point.

At least both Dereck (and his mom) got to see how desirable I am and just how lucky he is! …haha

When I asked Dereck why he didn’t come running over to me, he said – well, did you see him? Apparently he’s quite confident.

Sore Loser

I guess I am a sore loser. On Sunday Dereck and I played a riveting game of Scrabble. Apparently he had his game face on because he was getting some really good words on the board. I only lost by a few points, but I was pretty bitter for at least a whole day. I hate to lose and for some reason I really hate losing to Dereck.

Another example: Mancala.
I was given this game as a gift and had gotten really good at it. When Dereck and I first started dating we would play all the time and I would school him in it.
Everytime.
He barely even had a chance. After studying my expert moves, he soon became really good. We decided to have a "tournament". (I know we are nerds.) Well, through the course of this alleged tournament I let him get into my head somehow and I couldn't win. Or really he was cheating. So naturally I quit the tournament and refused to play him ever again.
So, I am real mature.

No sleep till...Brooklyn

I have been off the blogging path for quite some time now. But, I am back! Here’s what I have been up to:

First and foremost: Dereck got a new job! He moved from being the Loss Prevention Manager at Home Depot (in charge of one large store) to now being the Loss Prevention Manager at Radio Shack (in charge of 39 stores). He’s based at home and just has to travel to his stores as problems arise. He’s really liking his job and the hours are a million times better than at HD. Did I also mention that he’s given a company car? So many great perks. I am so happy for him, had to brag a bit.


Next most importantly: I FINISHED FINALS! After too many sleepless nights, I finally completed my 4th semester on May 14th. I kind of can't believe it's over. I was happy overall with my projects, but again, would have benefited from more time... My mom took some pictures of a few of the pieces that I created for my final collection from my design studio class, however they didn’t turn out the best. This is a rain jacket.And a jumperAnd a dress, with one very HOT model (Kijuana)




I will try to get some better ones, but in the meantime these will have to do.

I also had to present my business idea to a group of panelists (for my business/ent class). Basically the entire semester centered around all the steps required to starting your own business. At the end of a semester we presented our idea to a panelist that included: 2 designers, a wall street financial exec, a small business owner, and 2 design professors. Needless to say it was nervewrecking presenting this powerpoint presentation that had to capture their attention and persuade them to want to invest. It was great experience and I got some good feedback which I will definitely be using in a few years when I start KGrace Designs!

And finally for my technical drawing class, I created a collection for Benetton using Adobe Illustrator. It is an amazing program, but so time consuming, at least for me! These wouldn't upload, so sorry.



I think I only have 2 more semesters (maybe 3 left). I will be glad to be actually working in the field.

Once finals were over, I treated myself to a massage. I went to Silk Day Spa and oh was it dreamy. I would highly recommend it to anyone needing a getaway. I came out feeling very relaxed and stress-free.

The very next day, Dereck and I went to DC to watch Devon and Nate.

They look so sweet and innocent, yet we were sooo exhausted by the time the weekend was over. It was insane. I truly don’t know how mother’s do it. It was a good weekend and a sad weekend. We went down there because my sister was hospitalized for her anemia again. She received 3 units of blood and I actually took her to the hospital right after we drove in while Dereck stayed with the kids who were sleeping. That woman takes on so much and definitely needed a little break, I just wished I could stay longer to help her out!

For Memorial Day weekend, Dereck’s mother came to visit. It was the first time we had hosted her since we’ve been married, so it was fun for her to see our apartment and show her around the city a bit. We really tired her out by attending a summer street fair, went to a delicious lobster roll spot, saw Radio Golf, and did some vintage clothing shopping, and of course more shopping and eating at home and various other favorites.
She had to take a day off work when she got back to recover from her vacation…

I also went back to DC to the week of Memorial weekend to hang out with my sis again.

My mother was also visiting and so we did Devon's hair...ok not really, she was insistent that all of those hair clips go in that spot. Apparently she felt extremely glam.This is our cute friend Jenna who visited from Bermuda. I missed seeing her by ONE day! But, it was great to see my mom and sister and the kids. I just wish we could see each other more often!

Dereck and I also went to a Red Sox v. Yankees game. It was the first time that I had been to Yankee stadium, so it was pretty fun. Unfortunately (according to Dereck) the Red Sox lost. Apparently when you marry someone from Boston you are obligated to hate the Yankees. I just went there for the cotton candy and the people watching so I wasn’t disappointed.

Just this past weekend we went to Boston. We decided to go on Saturday afternoon, so we got a last minute hotel deal on hotwire.com we found a 4.5 star hotel for $125. We had to call to find someone to teach our Primary class, but it was sort of fun to get away. We got there around 6 and of course Dereck had to go straight to his favorite sub shop. Then, we went to his sister’s hung out for a bit, checked into our hotel and then went with his sister, Alexia and his cousin John to a late dinner at Masa. It was delish. We were going to go back and play scrabble, but it got too late and we are old.

The next morning, we got up and were heading to his mother’s house and got sort of turned around. Well, I knew that Amberli might be at church and said to Dereck, what if we ran into Amberli? Lo and behold, I spotted her!!! She was out chit-chatting after church and I literally jumped out of the moving vehicle and ran towards her. It was as though she was the only person in the room. Hilarious. We caused such a scene dancing and hugging. Anyway, we got to go to breakfast at the new IHOP in Cambridge. YUM! It was so much fun catching up with her.

YOu can check out pictures of us here: http://bostonmccoys.blogspot.com/

After that, we got to spend some time with Dereck’s grandmother. She is so cute and has some amazing stories since she has lived in the same house in Boston for over 40 years. We finally got home late on Sunday night.

Also, we watched the tivo'd very last Sopranos...so disappointed.

And last but not least, I survived the dentist. My dentist is this tall pretty blond woman who one might think to be she was very sweet. However, she is a no-nonsense woman and had no patience for my antics. I just blasted my IPOD so I couldn’t hear the drill and I must say it didn’t even hurt and she was really fast. However, I thought her work was really sloppy and I still don’t think my bite is even.

I really thought that once school was out, life would be all layed back and easy, but Dereck and I were talking yesterday how we were so tired because we haven’t been home after work in the evening all week. Maybe this weekend we’ll stick around. Although, Sarah presented us with an invite to the hamptoms…

Beware: sensitive information contained

I have the longest blog in history to update my life from the past month or so that I have been meaning to post, but something happened today that just had to put up for discussion. It’s really one of the most disturbing things that I have ever encountered and if I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I probably wouldn’t have believed it myself.

This morning I got off the train and was heading to work as usual at the 42nd street (grand central) stop which is a very busy station. As I was walking, this guy was also getting off in front me says, “Watch your step” and put his arm out. I looked down and saw a red pile of blood or something on the ground. I looked closer and realized that it was a mini baby fetus on the ground. It was still wrapped inside the placenta and the umbilical cord was lying next to it.

I am still in shock. Nobody should almost step on a baby on they’re way off a train! What kind of person either has an abortion on the train platform or miscarries and then heads uptown. I immediately broke down seeing that lifeless helpless little soul. He/she wasn’t even given a chance! It breaks my heart to know that there are so many that would give anything to be a mother and another person just leaves their baby on the train platform. The fetus was only about 3 inches long, but you could clearly tell what it was through the placenta.

I guess it can take these types of things to just really make you think. I have so much to be grateful for!

We don't do that here...

Apparently I am still the wussiest dentist goer ever. Dereck and I went to the dentist last week and I proceeded to cry during the cleaning. I swear that it really does hurt me. I told the hygienist that I had EXTREMELY sensitive teeth and to be gentle. Apparently she didn’t believe me. I think it’s a combination of the noise from the electric pointy thing they put in your mouth and the idea of not having control of the pointy thing while in my mouth. It all stems from the time that I went to the dentist as a child, he said to let him know if it hurt. I told him that I could feel it and that it hurt and he proceeded to drill!?! I screamed and cry and he kept on going (“Oh, it doesn’t hurt,” he said - Are you in the chair, sir?????) From that day forward, if I had to get a cavity filled, they would just knock me out.
Anyway, to make a tortuous day into a bloggable event, basically I asked if they would put me under while they filled my cavity. The response was, “We don’t do that here”…
WHAT is THAT supposed to mean??!?! Does that mean that they don’t allow grown ups with real childlike fears go to the dentist? Does that mean that just because I am a wuss that I am supposed to act like an adult and just get my cavity filled like a normal human without going under? I don’t understand. Anyway, after I cried the hygienist felt really bad and gave me a hug and said sorry a million times, she was really sweet. My dentist only looked at my mouth briefly, but she seemed really nice, and I told her that I was afraid and that she would have to be gentle, so we’ll see. Anyway, Wish me luck next week!!!!

http://www.hopstop.com/

This is the coolest website! You put in your address and where you want to go and it will tell you what subway trains to take. It's like mapquest for walkers in new york. I will never get lost again. Try it, it's fun!

Guess who?

Dereck and I got called to teach the Sunbeams (children age 3) class at church. One of the other teachers gave a lesson that required us to turn in baby pictures and the kids had to guess who everyone was. It was so funny looking through our old pictures. It goes to show you that things don't really change that much...

Dr. Ben Carson

Kijuana had the good fortune to meet Dr. Carson during her trip to San Diego earlier this month. He spoke at the conference that she helped put together. I have always loved his miraculous story and was especially inspired reading his book, Gifted Hands, growing up. I was worried when she told me that she shook his hand, because his hands are truly a magical part of the surgical work that he does. I advised her not to squeeze too tightly!

One quote from his website that I liked was this -

"'Thinking big" means opening our horizons, reaching for new possibilities in our lives, being open to whatever God has in store for us on the road ahead. "

Anyway, he is someone that I have always admired and so I was very jealous that she got to meet him and thought I would share.

My trickster husband

Dereck thinks he's sooo funny. He has scared me twice in the last week. The first one was really good.
It was Sunday afternoon. We were both in our lounge clothes, aka pajamas, and we hear a knock at the door. I bolted upstairs, but I hear Dereck open the door and talking to someone. Then he came upstairs and whispered, you gotta come downstairs, it's someone from church, but I can' t remember their names! I was mortified, not only did I look a fright, but our apartment was a wreck. I had sewing stuff everywhere, Dereck had been reading the paper and it was scattered about, we hadn't cleaned up our dinner dishes, you get the idea. So, I throw on a pair of jeans and a normal shirt (I can hear him, she'll be down in a minute) and go downstairs to find him laughing hysterically because nobody is there. Apparently a delivery person got the wrong address....
I got punked.

Number 2 -
I got home from work and he was home and could apparently hear me come and decided to hide behind the door. So, when I closed the door he was there. He didn't jump or anything, but I literally almost peed my pants. I was mad at him for the whole night. Seriously, who does that?

The Blind Leading the Blind...literally

Yesterday I saw the coolest thing. There was a man and woman, they looked like they could have been a couple. Probably in their 50's or 60's. The interesting thing was that were both blind! They had walking sticks in one hand and were holding hands with their other hands. I am so amazed at how blind people navigate this city. Truly incredible to watch!

The purse war

I do love to blog, but sometimes my posts may seem trite. For example: This morning on the train, I had a purse war with this lady. Here is the scene, we were both standing up with our backs to eachother in the middle of the isle hanging onto the poles above where people are sitting, so in front of both of us are people sitting down. My purse is swung forward a little bit so it was under my arm and her arm was by herside and her purse was positioned so that everytime she would shift, move or otherwise her purse was like ramming into my back, so I adjusted mine so it would alert her that there is a person there who does NOT enjoy having a purse rammed into her back first thing in the morning. I mean, the space is small people. Be aware that you are not alone in the train. Give me a break. Of couse we never spoke, just kept adjusting our purses and pretending to read....
Just think, I could be writing about IMUS, Darfur, or global warming. oh well.

TOPSHOP

I finally got my topshop order!!!! So cute! Highly recommend shopping there. Just beware of the exchange rate... :)

Lunch at the Shake Shack

Today my husband met me for lunch and we decided to go to the Shake Shack! It was fun, but way too cold for that nonsense. After standing in line for about 30 min, we brought the shack back to my office because there was no way we could have sat outside and ate. In the sun, it's kind of warm, but there is still a cool breeze. But, nonetheless, it was a fun way to break up the day. I have been getting home super late these past few nights, so it was nice being able to see him during daylight hours. Sorry, no pictures to prove it actually happened. :)

Happy Easter!

Planet Earth

Did anyone else watch the documentary on planet earth on the discovery channel on Sunday night? It's an 11 part series, so if you missed the first week, you still have some time to catch it. It is an amazing documentary! You can check out the website here. Or if you are really lucky you can buy it! I was so excited to watch it and was hooked once I saw it. The images are truly fascinating and really made me grateful to live in such an amazing world. It is even more evidence that our earth was created by our Heavenly Father. There is no other explanation for the beauty and craftmanship and design. So set your tivos because it should be required viewing for everyone. Just an added incentive to preserve what we have and not to waste what we have. Apparently it took over five years to film it. Such patience those filmmakers had. It's a beautiful work of art! Can't wait till next week!

Dress up

For one of my classes we "get" to play dress up. Normally I would relish in this type of assignment, but it gets tricky because I have to wear my "costume" to work. Last time our theme was Punk Rock. I chose to do more of a corporate punk. I wore a bright green button down, some black pants and black boots and a black faux leather belt worn high around my waist and my hair in a side pony. Pretty lame, but what can I do? Next week it's hip hop week. Any suggestions?

I HAVE BEEN CLONED!!!

Yesterday I got my cell phone bill and the amount was $900! After reviewing why it was so high, I realized that someone had used my phone to call various people in the Dominican Republic at 99 cents/min. The strangest part is that the calls originated from New Jersey, while I was at work…. Right….
After being on the phone for exactly 66 minutes and 42 seconds they finally reversed the charges and told me that my phone had been cloned!!! So crazy! I personally think that it happened when I took my phone in to get it fixed. Some shady worker who thinks its cool to clone phones so he could call DR. Anyway it was quite a scare to think that I had racked up a $900 bill. I didn’t even know these types of tricks were possible. Identity theft is everywhere nowadays!!!!!!!!

Technical Drawing Midterm

WIC

So, the title of this post is kind of an inside joke from long ago. But basically it means Worst in Company...long story. But, I am definitely WIC at blogging. So busy and overwhelmed, however, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it's called Spring Break! Just wish I was going somewhere. Spring Break just isn't what it used to be. Instead of going to Vegas or a tropical destination with friends I will be using this break to prepare our taxes, catch up on much needed rest, and try to get ahead on home and school projects.
Gotta love being an adult.
I have been working on some fun projects these past few weeks that I can post later on.

Fun with Friends

I was so lucky to get a chance to see Leah, Amy, and Jen for a few hours on a trip through Salt Lake City (last month). Here are the pictures to prove it! Apparently all restaurants close prior to 9pm, but we did find that CPK was open until 10.



Apparently we are very vain



All of us together. Thanks again ladies - it was wonderful to see you! Thanks for staying up late for me :)