SURPRISE ~MASH Style! (Blog Catch Up from March)

Ladies and Gentlemen...please allow me to introduce you to one of my most favorite people in the world:  Renata Hodl! 

 Seriously, I just adore her.  She's very talented, crazy hard working, and way too humble and I feel so honored that she's my friend. 

I met Renata just about six years ago... she was working at Seville as a server and I had just started as the Membership Coordinator.  We hit it off right away...chatting about all the fun things in life.... one of my first memories of her is one day she brought in photos of her and her hubby and their hot air balloon adventure, complete with all the romantic touches...that's when I knew we could be great friends~Renata really appreciates the beauty in life....fresh florals, fine wine, new ideas, and she loves her desserts and coffee!

  Throughout my time at Seville my role and Renata's role changed several times, along with GMs, new ownerships, and several office location changes.  Ultimately we both ended up as directors of our departments ~Me: Private Events....Renata: Banquets... and what a great team we made together!  Although I don't get to see her on an everyday basis anymore, I'm so thrilled that we've managed to keep in touch:) 

So over a year and a half ago...Renata told me that she wanted to throw her husband Marc a Surprise 40th Birthday Party~ and she wanted to do a M.A.S.H theme.  M.A.S.H. was Marc's favorite show of all time and she was certain of two things:  the theme had to be M.A.S.H. and the party had to be a surprise!  Although I didn't get to see Renata put together all the fun final details of this event.... I was so happy that her dream for her husband's most special day came true.  And she did such a great job pulling it off! 

 I brought along a professional camera and did my best to take some decent shots...Justin had given me a ten minute lesson prior to me leaving the house that day....I later found out that I had made some critical photo taking mistakes, but luckily Renata knew that I was just practicing...none-the-less...here are some fun shots from this day...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARC!

Check out the army swagged ceiling.....

Custom shirts for all the party guests......

Signage around the room.............

Best part was of course....THE SURPRISE! Renata had told Marc that he was scheduled for a bartending shift that day..Marc was kind of bummed about having to work... Renata had caught up with him as soon as he was on propery and asked him to carry a bottle of wine over to the meeting rooms.... so in walks Marc with the heavy box (see his look of surprise?)..and Renata (grinning from ear to ear)....

Marc was so touched....it was so sweet............

The food was even set up to match the theme, complete with trays and all!

The cake was outstanding!!!!  And oh so Yummy!!!

Adorable family moment......Renata and Marc has a precious little one named Sebastian.

And Sabastian had to have the first taste!

The girls of Seville...past and present....

And the party continues........

My precious little Stinkerbell was my date (although this photo is somewhat scary looking)....it was one of those days when Justin had so much studying to do he just couldn't swing attending the party with me (that's the life of a grad student)...so I was so happy when Chase at the last minute said come pick me up Sis, gotta luv little brothers. 

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Our Megadate (Blog Catch Up from March)

Spring break, Spring break, Spring break?  Is it weird that we're still talking about Spring Breaks?  Ha, not around here!  So we just had a one week break from Justin's program and really wanted to do something fun, exciting, adventurous... but with my work schedule, his wedding shooting schedule and life in general it just didn't seem possible to pull off a trip right now.

So what did we do instead? Well we had a mega date.... which really was a ton of fun!  Starting with me coming home to roses on the dining room table.....xoxoxo

Justin took me for an oh so fancy dinner at the Ocean Club in Scottsdale (a place I've always wanted to go)!  We had an amazing dinner truly... the food just melted in your mouth... and the drinks were over the top too... I think I had this one: The Smoking Cosmo....

and although we didn't order one, the seafood towers were just so luxorious looking~Next time for sure!

Justin did surprise me with a pre-arranged dessert with my name....(although Chef misspelled my name) it was very sweet ~does he know how to romance me or what??

The next morning, we spent with the pups... a quick trip through Starbucks and then off to the "dog park" (well at least Sammy & Olive's dog park)...

Sammy met a boyfriend at the park....

The relationship didn't last long... she said he was kind of dumb....

Followed by an afternoon matinee of Tim Burton's "Alice and Wonderland" in 3D, which was really fantastic.

 I get REALLY annoyed when I hear people say they didn't like it.  I just have such appreciation for the amount of design that went into that movie, it just blows my mind!  And seeing it in 3D was really cool ~ at first I was kind of tripped out, like am I going to enjoy this in 3D the whole time????.... but once I let my mind go... I was just mesmerized! 

( We had a "Down the Rabbit Hole" Halloween Party a few years ago~probably the best Halloween Party we've had so far... seeing this movie made me realize... I'm not done with this theme yet..I'm going to HAVE to revisit again soon...perhaps "Through the Looking Glass Style"??)

Then, the most random party of our staycation/megadate was the Ostrich Festival.  Now, we've lived in Chandler now for about 6 1/2 years... and I always felt kind of like a bad Chandler chick for not attending the city's overly promoted event~ so I decided we must go see what all the fuss if about.

Gross....

More gross....

Now, I have to tell you I honestly thought the Ostrich races were totally weird... I didn't like watching those jockeys grab on to the birds neck and just yank on them... it kind of grossed me out ~ but I guess I'm weird like that.

.....these two little cuddlers reminded me of our pups....

.....Well hello there......

  But, none the less... we had fun, walking about... petting the baby goats and sheep, watching the monkey show and dog water races. 

I laugh looking at this photo~I'm wondering if this is what Olive will look like in her old age???

Love this~I'm going to do this one day... I have to...

Piggy races are so stinkin cute.....

How cool is this shot, Justin got?

And this one...kind of reminds of the movie... BIG FISH, I have no idea why..the lighting I guess...

Justin's favorite part the Dock Dogs... so cool. 

And this was probably my most favorite part of the festival, convincing Justin to take a photo with this little ostrich lady~and I laugh when I look at this because all I can think of is what Justin told me after the photo was snapped...

Oh, AND another favorite part was running into my sassy little friend Kimmy and her adorable family.....

All in all it was a super fun megadate weekend.....

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Back into Action....

We're home!  We even stayed an extra night and day because we were having sooo much fun!!  So, I'm thrilled I'll be able to check one more item off my 101 in 1001 list... but I wont check it off just yet...I'll wait until I have a chance to blog about it and include fun photos.....now I have so much to catch up on... I left so many calls and emails unanswered and projects hanging.... but sometimes in life.....I guess that's just what you have to do.....in order to cause trouble with the man you love in Sin City! 

I wanted to send a shout out to my blog followers who've been so supportive of my 101 in 1001 list, I've gotten such awesome feedback and responses (mainly through email, because my blog wont allow you post a comment..unless you have a google account or blog..grr..)  But seriously, thank you friends and family, this SO INSPIRES ME more to keep going....and I love how you've made mention of ways (Especially Meliss!) you can help me complete my goals ( I'd love to be able to do the same for you!) 

Okay so far I've completed three of my 101s... and I still have a few more I need to add to complete my list to total in 101...so I think it's time for me to kick it into to HIGH GEAR and add a goal that I know is sure to shake me...plus this goal will help me to complete other goals....

So today I'm officially announcing my newly added, latest and greatest:  # 95.... Work Out Consecutively for 5 WEEKS in a row, at least 5 times a week for 1.5 hours EACH time {starting Monday July 26th through Monday August 30th}.....wow, do I really let these words hit the internet??  I think I have to, if I want a rockin beach bod by the time we go to San Diego at the end of August!  So let's do this, I know I can, it's easy.... I just have to plan ahead and make this a priority! 

But wait, this is just part one of this goal...the second part is.... Log all my meals into to My Food Diary Daily to monitor my calorie in-take EVERY DAY FOR 5 WEEKS.  Again, this is easy too, I've done it before I will just have to make it more of a priority... 

So my friends, I may be a little obnoxious to make social plans with (even more than usual ;) ~ around my workouts and meal planning, but bare with me... this is SUCH an important goal of mine... I've been wanting/needing to make exercise a priorty for years~and nows the time...
especially before Mommyhood;) Okay, here we go!

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2 Years Down, One to Go!!!!

So, today officially begins a SIX WEEK break from school for Justin....this is the longest break he has ever had from his D.P.T. program.  What does that mean?  He has sucessfully finished his SECOND YEAR (or should I say 8th??).  Which is really awesome because next year will be a full year of clinical rotations and terminal project~meaning it will feel like a "real" job and not feel so much like Graduate School......So, it's time to party......Let's do this, no seriously...if I don't get moving this morning Justin may leave without me...better run!!!

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# 52 Done!

# 52: Cook dinner consecutively for 7 days in a row on my 101 in 1001 is officially checked off! 

I often question how much personal information about myself do I want to reveal on my blog?... hmm when blogging about something I'm confident in... hey no problem... but when I'm blogging about something I'm unconfident/uncomfortable with... I wonder if some things are better left unsaid...

This is a task that may seem easy for some people, but for me it was one of my most challenging...

Okay, well...let's get real here,... forget my pride, (I'm mean how many people will really be reading this blog anyways..hmmm??).  Here's one of my biggest secrets.... I'm super uncomfortable in the kitchen... super uncomfortable.  And as the years go on I've become more and more intimidated but this room full of burners, pots, pans, measuring spoons, fancy knives, etc. 

It really makes no sense to me that I was a Catering Director for nearly five years, responsible for selling over a million dollars in catering for private events... and yet I was (I am) clueless in the kitchen.  My clients would ask me food specific questions about our many dishes.... and I would somehow answer them back using "sizzle" words to make these dishes sound irresistible... then later I would break out my Food Lover's Companion Guide and look up the term to see what the heck I was "sizzling" (dare I say... lying?) about.

With my passion in the Wedding Industry as an Event Designer I've come to realize that I have to force myself into the world of cooking so I can learn and grow!  And now's the time... I love throwing parties but every time I throw one (which is quite often) I always end up spending a ton on catering... so in order for me to host more fabulous events, I need to become better friends with my kitchen. 

Plus I have this great fantasy when I grow up that I'll have a big home with friends and family filtering in and out all week... and I know the quickest way to fill a home is to....have homemade FOOD cooking...

So, enough with my mini drama, back to my 101 List... cooking dinner 7 days in a row, with the hope that this challenge will make my relationship with my kitchen a little closer. 

BIG RULE:  I had one big rule during this challenge... Justin was not allowed in the kitchen when I was cooking.... because I wanted to complete this task 100% on my own without any help at all..... nor did I want to hear any of his "helpful hints" for fear I would get discouraged and allow him to take over :)

So, all on the recipes I used for this challenge came from my new favorite book:  Cook This Not That, a gift from Justin's Aunt Carol (thank you again Aunt Carol~you're awesome).... and I LOVE it!!! 

Here's proof that I completed my task: 

Day One:  Monday July 5th, 2010

Chicken Potstickers compared to the T.G.I Friday's Potstickers
By cooking this at home (rather than eating at the restaurant) I saved 630 calories and $3.57 per person

Overall this meal turned out okay.  Next time I will need a much bigger pan to cook out of, or I'll need to use 2 pans at the same time.... also although the recipe said "in the last minute of cooking, toss in the snap peas and warm through."  I would preheat the snap peas in the microwave first to soften them a little.

Day Two: Tuesday July 6th, 2010

Honey-Mustard Salmon compared to the Outback's Salmon Griller
By cooking this at home (again rather than eating at the restaurant) I saved 756 calories and $11.18 per person ~very impressive.

So my presentation needs some improvement here~hey pan searing is a bit challenging... but so far Justin says this dish is his favorite dish of all time that I've ever made him :)

Day Three:  Wednesday July 7th, 2010

Mushroom Melts compared to the Ruby Tuesday Veggie Burger
By cooking this at home I saved 582 calories and $5.52 per person

This meal was fairly easy, pretty tasty...I'm losing my cooking momentum today though... I need to start planning my meals a few days in advance~this going to the grocery store daily is getting kind of old. Plus it takes too much time when I add in the cooking~geesh, do people really cook every night... I hope I get into the swing of things better.

Day Four:  Thursday July 8th, 2010

Chicken Marsala compared to Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Marsala
By cooking this at home I saved 260 calories and $7.79 per person

This meal was okay...kind of a tease.  When I bite into it I was expected "Chicken Marsala" like that kind I've tasted in the restaurants...instead it just kind of tasted like "fancy chicken".  I'm not sure if it was my cooking or the low calorie recipe~it just didn't have that fullness in the flavor.  I may try this one again in the future with a stronger sauce.

Day Five:  Friday July 9th, 2010

Seared Scallops with White Beans and Spinach compared to P.F. Chang's Cantonese Scallops
By cooking this at home I saved 314 calories and $6.67 per person

This photo didn't necessarily present the prettiest~but it was pretty yummy~I love scallops. 

Day Six: Saturday July 10th, 2010

Spinach Salmon Salad (slightly modified from the Spinach Salad w/ warm bacon dressing recipe)
Compared to Applebee's Grilled Shrimp n' Spinach Salad
By cooking this at home I saved 820 calories and $5.51 per person

I had to modify and mix up the recipes slightly tonight for two reasons 1.) I just didn't have the energy to make it to the grocery store today and 2.) My fridge is full of leftover ingredients I need to use up.  But this salad was the perfect light and tasty summer meal!

Day Seven:  Sunday July 11th, 2010

TIME TO CELEBRATE, THIS IS THE LAST NIGHT OF MY CHALLENGE!!

Also, tonight we had a very special dinner guest dining with us: Mr. Shannon Starr, therefore tonight was extra special so I created not only a main dish but also an Appetizer and Dessert..ohhh la la

Appetizer: Teriyaki Scallops
Compared to Red Lobster Peach-Bourbon BBQ Scallops
By cooking this at home I saved 470 calories and $5.71 per person

Main Dish:  Chicken Parmesan
Compared to Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Parmigiana
By cooking this at home I saved 510 calories and $9.46 per person

Dessert: Banana Rum Splits
Compared to Baskin-Robbins Classic Banana Split
By cooking at home I saved 660 calories per person and $5.20

Overall the meal tonight went well, and the guys seemed to like it too.... I was a little worried about the chicken getting too crispy....but I guess anything covered in cheese tastes pretty great....

RECAP: By cooking at home we saved a total of 5,002 Calories per person!!! (had we eaten all these meals out this past week) and we saved a total of $60.61 per person.

And to be honest I was quite shocked at well I did, I guess the kitchen's not that intimidating after all...... come on over~I'll cook you a dish:)

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So....today was weird....

This morning I woke up and kept saying..."I gotta get up, I gotta get up, I gotta get up".  I knew I had to get moving early because I had so many fun things planned for the day....

Brunch at Cafe Crumba with some of my very favorite girlfriends and former roomies: Andrea & Melissa..... A Baby Shower this afternoon to attend of my former co-worker and uber darling friend, Jessica... and then perhaps catching a Belly Dancing Performance later this evening with my hubby.. of my buddy Bridget's belly dancing troop at Memos in Tempe....

So after Justin gets back from walking "the girls" (the famous duo....Sammy & Olive Starr) this morning he tells me in a concerned voice.."Baby, I want you to be extra careful on the road today, I have a weird feeling".  I say "umm okay".. as I'm running around the house trying to find matching heels, a certain purse, my mac lip gloss, and my camera.... you know the drill.

Okay, so I'm on route to my first destination and I'm way excited because we haven't had any "girl time" in quite awhile and had many many things to discuss and get caught up on.  So I'm driving North on the 101 in the far left side (the fast lane of course) when all of a sudden I feel this huge "jolt" as if I had just slammed on my breaks (but I hadn't) and my car starts slowing very rapidly and becomes hard to steer... so luckily I throw on my blinker and my hazards... and travel five lanes to the right trying to get off on the nearest exit.... thankfully, there weren't too many cars on the road.....I exit off and pull over immeadiatley... my heart is about to jump out of my body....

I turn off my car and call Justin...he tells me to try starting the car again and .....nothing.  Long story short... my dear hubby comes and rescues me.... ( remember people it's JULY in ARIZONA!!) and we end up needing to tow the car because the problem is most likely electrical.....I never made it to meet my girls for brunch.

Okay, so you would think the story would end there right? Nope.  After cooling off at home, I gear up to go out again to attend Jessica's baby shower... this time I take Justin's car (well my old car...that Justin drives because he's the best hubby in the world).. and as turn the key I realize our 2nd car..WILL NOT START!!  With one car in the shop, and the other completely dead I then have to make another phone to cancel my plans.... I never made it to the baby shower....

By the time Justin was able to get the battery replaced in our second car... it was late in the evening....So we never made it to the Belly Dancing Show either ~Sorry Bridge.

All in all, I guess I just wasn't suppose to be driving today...I'm thinking we have a pretty amazing guardian angel looking over us these days...... just thought I'd share.

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# 39 Done!

In an effort to get my first task fully completed on my 101 in 1001....I'm proud to say I can cross # 39 off!  Not necessarily the most exciting or shall we say "fun" of tasks.... but today I'm happy I've completed

# 39. Completely organize and revamp the SLS (Still Life Studios) office!!!

It wasn't exactly the best way to spend the 4th of July... but seens how my hubby was shooting a wedding today/tonight and the rest of the SLS crew was away for the weekend I figured it was the best time to jump in get dirty and shake things around a bit.....

AFTER:

Okay, not really but I had to add some kind of eye candy because otherwise this post would be oh so boring....and the funny thing is that I did actually take photos today of my project, but they didn't really turn out ~ironic huh???

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101 Things in a 1001 Days...

Start Date: June 21st, 2010
End Date: March 18th, 2013

Life is precious and time goes by too quickly soooo...

I've decided to rev up my engines to follow the pack of creative professionals I admire and create "my list" of 101 Things I want to accomplish in 1001 Days.... starting today!  I will do my best to blog about each action item as my task is completed.  My list is not necessarily in order and I've also left some blank goals ~simply because I know how much I can change, therefore I will want to add more goals as time goes on.  I've decided to post my list to my blog because I think this will help to keep me on track and more accountable if anyone in world can see this list ;) So here we go...

Also, if you have a list of your own, let me know so we can help to keep each other on track:.. it will be a fun and very rewarding journey, who's with me?

FAMILY:
1. Attend a floral workshop/conference with my mom
2. Make a Buried Treasured Pie on a Special Holiday
3. Go camping with my dad
4. Visit Grandma & Grandpa up a Forrest Lakes
5. Develop a way to honor my mother in law in a positive way that creates awareness
6. Have all the Starr family home videos transferred digitally
7. Have all the Norris videos transferred digitally
8. Go on a road trip with my little brother
9. Make an entire Thanksgiving meal with my mom
10. Create a special gift for my brother in law, Trevor
11. Interview and video tape my Granny telling stories about her life
12. Send out a disc of images & slideshow to the Norris family (from Grams & Gramps 50th)
13. Send out disc of images & slideshow to Starr family (from the Celebration of Life)
14. Create a special gift for my brother in law, Shannon
15. Convince my Granny to travel back to her home state of Nashville,Tennessee and go with her!
16. Put together my "family" photo section in our home
17.Visit Trevor in Berkeley

FRIENDS:
18. Visit Aimee in Georgia
19. Spend the day at the pool with a girlfriend drinking cocktails
20. Put together my "friend" photo section in our home
21. Put together a disc off all the photos Aimee's been asking for... for the past 10 years and send
22. Spend the weekend with my best girlfriends
23. Host our 8th Annual Halloween Party
24. Host our 9th Annual Halloween Party
25. Host our 10th Annual Halloween Party~this one will be off the charts

MY HEART:
26. Get pregnant, god willing...
27. Have a Baby
28. Spend the entire day doing something nice for someone I love [Completed August 5th, 2010]

29. Take dance lessons w/ Justin
30. Have a "getting dirty wedding" photo session prior to our 5 Year Wedding Anniversary
31. Take my dogs to the beach
32. Throw Justin Starr, Doctor of Physical Therapy an awesome party when he graduates!!


HEALTH:
33. Achieve first ideal weight goal prior to getting pregnant
34. Hike Camelback Mt.
35. Read three pregnancy books and blog about each
36. Lose 10 more lbs to achieve second super ideal weight goal prior to getting pregnant
37. Take a yoga class
38. Participate in a "run" of some kind

PASSION/PROFESSIONAL:
39. Completely organize and revamp the SLS office [Completed July 4th, 2010]
40. Redesign the layout of my personal blog~incorporating more of my personality
41. Spend at least 30 days (or more) and log it, training along side a professional florist
42. Read three books to improve my business and blog about them
43. Finalize my company logo
44. Finalize my company name and structure
45. Attend an out of town wedding/design related conference
46. Join ABC (Association of Bridal Consultants)
47. Get my OWN awesome website launched!
48. Have one of my future client's wedding/event featured in a local magazine (for coordination & design)
SPECIAL INTEREST:
49. Decorating: Re-decorate our guest bathroom
50. Dog Training: Enroll Olive and Sammy into doggie training classes
51. Cooking: Take cooking classes
52. Cooking: Cook dinner consecutively for 7 days in a row [Completed July 11th, 2010]
53. Cooking: Throw an elegant dinner party ~entire meal cooked by me
54. Cooking: Attend or create a "traditional" clambake party
55. Photography: Shadow a professional photographer on at least 3 wedding shoots
56. Photo Journaling: Make a decision on how to move forward w/ my photo album making and blog about the process
57. Photo Journaling: Learn how to edit professional photos starting w/ the raw file
58. Photo Journaling: Finish a full photo album of the year we got married: 2006 (incorporating all the wedding related stuff)
59. Photo Journaling: Finish a full photo album of 2007
60. Photo Journaling: Finish a full photo album of 2008
61. Photo Journaling: Finish a full photo album of 2009
62. Video Preservation: Have all of our home videos transferred digitally
63. Blogging: Get caught up on my blog posts from (March of 2010 until July of 2010) [Completed July 16th ~20th 2010]64. Travel: Travel to another country



65. Travel: Go to Disney Land again
66. Travel: Take a road trip to a place in AZ I've never been
67. Travel: Go to Vegas again [Completed October 2nd, 2010]
68. Travel: Put together my "travel" section in our home
69. Music: Take Guitar Lessons
70. Music: Watch Pink Floyd's "The Wall" all the way through
71. Music: Buy a new No Doubt album...hello, it's been forever since the last one, I can't wait!
RANDOM/CHEAP THRILLS:
72. Make someone a birthday cake
73. Watch the sunrise
74. Have a baby shower
75. Go fishing
76. Have a maternity photo session
77. Go for a bike ride
78. Do something with that 4O1 K of mine!
79. Dress up one year as Gwen Stefani for Halloween... because she's awesome
80. Rollerblade
81. Have all my tee shirts from high school (maybe college) transformed into a quilt
82. Have a picnic
83. Spend the entire day watching movies
84. Own another LAMB bag
85. Go golfing
86. Spend a night out at the Improv, in Tempe
87. Allow Justin to do a fashion photo shoot with me as his model
88. Take the Myers Briggs test
89. Ride in a hot air balloon
90. Try to surf, whether this be on my own or with an instructor (or cousin:)
91. Attend a high-end fashion show
92.Learn how to apply faux lashes without the help of anyone else.. and wear them out, confidently!
93. Buy a piece of art that I love
MORE TO COME:
94.  Move out of our Condo and into a Home!!! (newly added)
95. Work Out Consecutively for 5 WEEKS in a row, at least 5 times a week for 1.5 hours EACH time  and Log all my meals into to My Food Diary Daily to monitor my calorie in-take EVERY DAY FOR 5 WEEKS~Chart my challenge and share on my blog
96.  Clean out my hotmail inbox
97.  Get pregnant again with Baby # 2
98.
99.
100.
101.

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Stuck....

AGGG,  I need someone to SHAKE ME!  I still can't get out of this rut!  I've lost my spark, my spirit, my enthusiasm, my spunk! 

I can't seem to get any of my several projects off the ground and running... Dare I make these goals public??  Will this help me to hold myself more accountable??  Hmm....

On a side note.... the one amazing thing that has been happening in my life that I need to appreciate is... the amazing conversations I've been having lately with my family and close friends... I feel like I've been pouring my heart out, over and over again.... and I'm sure this has been helping my heart to heal and helping to get me back to me "old self"....thank you to you "listeners".

Also, the cruise was amazing, very therapeutic in many ways.... I so enjoyed the time with my amazing family.  (More the the cruise to follow)

Until next blog... LET'S GET READY TO "ROLL"!!

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Coming Soon... to Bowling Alley Near You!

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Dirty Thirty...

Can I just tell you... how happy it makes me feel that my husband turns 30 way before I do!!  I'm so stuck on as what to do for this very special occasion.... typically I'm so full of ideas... it's hard just to chose one... but this one I'm struggling with..

Of course Justin tells me "not to make a big deal out of it" and "not to spend a fortune" ~but seriously... doesn't he know me better than that by now???  It's especially cool because Trevor Starr (one of Justin's older brothers will be flying in from Berkeley, CA just to celebrate with us, so this must be super fun, afterall we're trying on convince Trevor to move back to Arizona)

 It's a bit of challenge simply because we are going to be out of town in the near future which means I wont have much time to work on it... sooo... in the mean time my friends and family... SAVE the DATE:  Friday June 18th!!  Ideas... send them my way... my creative juices need some stimulating..

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Creative Pick Me Up?

Blah, I've been in a funk the past two days...  I need to feel inspired to get me going again...

~shopping? new make up?, new clothes?, maybe
~redesigning an area in my home?, perhaps too much of a chore?
~catching up in my blogging and photo editting?..,  ugg I usually love doing this, but I'm so behind
~working out?.., only if I can put new music on my ipod first
~traveling?.... I have to wait another couple weeks...
~planning a new event?... my sexy husband is turning 30 in less than a month...I need to get this going
~driving around and rockin to No Doubt?, always a winner!

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The "New Normal"

Losing a loved one, especially tragically certainly just derails your life completely.  When you are forced to deal with such unexpected big decisions to be made... you stop and realize.... I'm a grown up now.  My sweet husband and his two brothers are doing well.  Although I feel it's important for me to keep many details of the past 45 days private ~as a respect to my family... I did want to say again ..............

THANK YOU!  To everyone that showered us with love.....it was nearly overwhelming... so much that I've almost lost track of the individual wonderful things that people have done for our family. 

I'm currently working on getting my overdue thank you cards out.  I know how important it is to send thank yous, even though it seems so small of a gesture when thinking of some of the amazing things people did for us. 

I've learned more in the past 45 days then I have in the past 4 years... and I hope all the things I've learned will always stay with me.....and make me a better person.  

Much love to my blog readers, and stay tuned as I have a lot of catching up to do with my blogging.  Through this journey we have had some special, happy times, and it's important for me to blog about them and appreciate them.

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Dear Mom...

Dear Mom,
Happy Happy Birthday to you!  I woke up this morning feeling so happy and so grateful that I could pick up the phone~call you, and say happy birthday, say I love you, and say I'm so happy I get to see you tonight for dinner.

Can't wait to celebrate the amazing person you are. 

Love Your Daughter,
Jennifer


P.S. The photo above is your birthday present from me.  I bought a venue for you to run your floral business and for me to hold weddings and events at ~hope you like it:)

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Sailing Away....

I'm so thankful for my amazing parents.  This last month has been the hardest month of our lives... truly.  It's really weird how sadness can really weigh you down, making even normal day things such a difficult challenge.  But mom and dad researched and researched and finally ended up selecting a vacation for us five, Justin, Me, Mom, Dad, and Stinkerbell to go on. 

In a few weeks we will be going on a 7 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera!!!  Making stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas!!  It will be mine and Justin's first time on a cruise.  It will be so wonderful just to escape and be together in the middle of the ocean.  Can't wait!

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And... Life Continues...?

What a weekend.  What had such a beautiful day celebrating such a beautiful life.  I feel so happy that we were able to create a day that was so perfect, so sweet, so Barbara.  I was so touched by our family and friends who attended, truly.......the gift of just simply "being there" is so meaningful and so powerful especially to the broken hearted.

In memory of Barbara Louise Starr

Barbara Louise Starr, daughter of Theodore and Ruth Conley, was born on March 26, 1951, in Newark Ohio. She passed away on April 9, 2010, at the age of 59.
The youngest of four daughters, Barbara had lots of blond hair and an impish smile. She loved making tents with blankets and chairs, outside or inside, she and her sister would hide away for hours. Her favorite time was Christmas when she and the other girls shared a five pound box of chocolates under the tree on Christmas Eve and a pile of presents on Christmas morning. When young she always wanted to do what her big sisters did, so she was the Brownie troop mascot before actually being a Brownie and always kept up with her pack of older sisters.


But by the time she became a teenager, she became fiercely independent and refused to follow anyone’s path. She was fun loving and popular, but also broke the mold for what a girl should do. She was dubbed “the beautiful blond behind the big bass drum” as she was the first girl to play that instrument for the Anthony Wayne High School Marching Generals Band. But Barbara had life interests beyond the bass drum; she also had a part time job at the Sunshine School, a residential facility for severely disabled children. It was there that she developed the kindness, patience, and skill needed to become a nurse.

She earned her Licensed Practical Nurse degree from the Nursing School of Bowling Green and went to work at Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay, Ohio. She worked there for a decade becoming highly respected for her medical and administrative skills as well as her careful and humane treatment of patients. During this time she married and had three sons, Shannon, Trevor and Justin, who became the center of her life.

For the past 15 years has she called Scottsdale, AZ home, where she enjoyed hikes in the desert and Sunday afternoons by the pool. She loved Italian food, wine spritzers, smooth jazz, and traveling, often in the company of her companion and partner-in-crime Mr. William Gaillard. In addition to enjoying the simple pleasures of life she also took great pride and joy in helping others, making a name for herself in the valley as an excellent, caring, and dedicated nurse. For years she worked at Phoenix Mountain Nursing Center as a floor nurse and eventually as a nurse manager, before moving to Arizona Hospice, where she continued her work with those in need until her untimely passing. One of her recent achievements of which she and her family were most proud was completion of an Associate of Science degree in nursing. A goal for which she spent countless nights studying at home and which allowed her to achieve her dream of becoming a Registered Nurse.


Without a doubt, the role she most relished was that of mother. She never failed to let her children know how much she loved them, and gave to them unceasingly. Sad to be away from them and overjoyed to be with them, the happiest times of her life were when all three of her boys and daughter-in-law Jennifer came together to be with her. Christmas by far was her favorite time of year, for it was her excuse to give without limit, to set out candies and cookies, to decorate, to wrap presents, and to cook. In short, to make her children feel as loved as anyone possibly could.

Her premature departure from this world deprives a great many people of her love and compassion, of her silliness and her smile, of her soothing voice and her reassuring embrace. She will be forever missed by those whom she touched, especially her children, who can never replace the love they have lost, but most definitely will honor it by following her example to be the best people and most loving parents they can be.

In addition to those mentioned above, her passing is mourned by her sister, Linda Hicks; sister and brother in law, Sheila and Bill Tompos; sister and brother in law, Carol and Tim Evans; nephew, David Daily, nephew and wife, Stephen and Lori Tompos; grand nieces, Laurel, Stephenie, and Lily Ann Tompos; and all her many friends and colleagues.

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I don't like feeling sad....

I'm so hesitant to blog...... it just seems so.... surface to me right now and my feelings are so personal... I'm sad that I never had the opportunity to throw my amazing mom in-law a wonderful celebration when she was alive..... I just feel as if no matter how much heart I put into her special day this Saturday, it just can never be enough to honor her.... I so wished I would have asked her a million more questions~

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I'm quite convinced....

Doggies help the heart to heal....everyone should have a dog, or two.

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