Thursday, October 27, 2011

Tis the Season

We've hit 80 degrees in Phoenix, so by all accounts we've successfully welcomed fall. I still don't actually have any fall decorations, but I am doing everything I can to get my *Girl Scout "Martha Stewart" Badge.

Bloggie, meet Ben Starr's Carrot Pumpkin Cake. I wish I could tell you that I cooked this tower of goodness all by myself. Instead I will simply remain content in my role of sous chef to my husband's role of master chef in our house.



You can find the recipe for this super dreamy dish here.




We decided to tackle another one of our fall favorites by making homemade butternut squash ravioli in a brown butter sage sauce. It was calorie free AND amazing. Go figure.



I did make ONE fall purchase this year... too bad they won't last to see another season. For now they keep me from being the only autumn Grinch on the culdesac.



Watch out world, I started using a hot glue gun. Although I no longer have prints on two of my fingers, I am proud to say that I MADE something. I looked up several tutorials for making a cork wreath and then modified it for my level of skill and patience.



And no. We did not consume all of those bottles of wine! If you ask tasting rooms for extra corks most will happily oblige for free.



I felt guilty that all my decor was on the outside of our home... so I did the only thing I know to do. I lit a candle and made it smell like fall.


Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

(*I do not believe I can actually earn this badge... even though I am a card carrying lifetime member of the Girl Scouts. You betcha.)


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

And Then She Got Married

This past weekend I had the honor, the privelege, and the delight of attending my cousin Hilary's wedding in Houston.

It was SO much fun, full of laughter, cousin time, and then also some more laughter.

Hilary is the closest relative in age to me (even closer than my sister), and I can recall many special memories of just the two of us, including times spent singing "Barbara Ann" at the top of our lungs in the shower at Grandma's house!

It was also SO wonderful to spend time with Grant, who is still recovering but basically kicking this whole medical speed bump in the rear.



I'm so glad everyone was able to go, and that the entire weekend went so smoothly and so fun-ly. Hurray and Huzzah!

Congratulations, Hilary!!!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

So this one time...


I might have thrown my flip phone on the ground and snapped it in half the summer of 2009. Even though I couldn't see the screen or hear the other side of the conversation, I could still dial and make calls. I broke my phone around 9:00pm on a Saturday night. I was working at the church the next morning and planned to head straight to the Verizon store once I was off. It seemed like a great plan until...

Sometime around 6:15am on Sunday morning my alarm went off. I was tired and still half asleep when I tried to turn off the noise by hacking at my cell phone instead of my alarm clock. Apparently I hit the 2... and somehow made a call to speed dial #2 - my parents house.

Two minutes later the little bottom half of my phone started ringing. I was confused as to why someone would be calling me so early in the morning, so I answered. I had no way of telling who was on the other side or how much they could hear from my end of the conversation. I think it went a little something like this...

(ME SHOUTING)

Hi! This is Ginger but something happened to my phone and I can't hear you. I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING YOU SAY. So if you are talking, I can't hear anything you are saying to me. I don't know who this is. I don't have a way to figure that out. I guess if you have my e-mail address you can try and send me a message. If not... uh, sorry! That's all. Uh... bye."

I hung up and made some coffee and started up my computer. That's when the messages started coming...

From: Mom
To: Ginger
Date: Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 6:27am
Subject: can you get this?

WE are at home. I'm worried about you. Is it your phone that is having the problem or is it you?


From: Ginger
To: Mom
Date: Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 6:33am
Subject: Re: can you get this?


I threw my phone last night and the screen broke from the keys. Therefore I cannot read messages or hear anything other than the phone ringing. Beautiful, right? I can try and call you back as soon as I get to work. You can write me back here in the meantime. I'm here for the next hour.

From: Mom
To: Ginger
Date: Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 6:42am
Subject: Re: can you get this?

Dare I ask why you threw your phone??? My guess is that you are very much due for a new one. Dad's last phone cost us $0. You may need to stop on your way home from church. This doesn't sound good. We're going to Bible class and will leave here at 9:30 our time - 7:30 yours, which is probably when you'll be leaving. We can communicate like this until then. SO sorry. -m.


From: Ginger
To: Mom
Date: Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 6:59am
Subject: Re: can you get this?


I threw my phone after someone made a sarcastic comment. Stupid on my part. I can hear it ring or hear that it receives a text, but cannot see the screen or hear the person talking. Did I accidentally call you this morning? I couldn't figure out why someone would be calling me that early... unless it was an emergency. That's not the case, right?


From: Mom
To: Ginger
Date: Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 7:14am
Subject: Re: can you get this?


Yes, our home phone rang and I picked it up and saw it was you but you had hung up...then, I called you back on my cell...strange conversation...was wondering if you had been afflicted with instant deafness but knew things would be okay.. after all, Marlee Matlin has done pretty good as a deaf actress but though it might be a problem if you couldn't hear your musical accompaniment in 'Camelot'...I am relieved since I purchased our air tickets yesterday

I am sorry you inherited that gene from me...many a tool including weed eaters have been tossed by your father.

I only wish I coulda been there. -Dad


From: Ginger
To: Mom
Date: Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 7:21am
Subject: Re: can you get this?


HAH. Whew. I will try and call after work.

- - - - -
I TRIED to call after work, but had some problems.
1. Even though I paid for my own phone it was actually part of a family plan under my mom’s name. The store required my mom’s social security number in order for me to get a new phone.
2. I called home but my mom uses caller ID and didn’t recognize the store number. I hung up instead of leaving a message.
3. I could only remember one other phone number and my grandmother did not answer.
I drove to another Verizon store across town because let’s face it, it seems like there are different policies for each store. Again I was denied but given the option that I could bring in a phone and have my account transferred to it. I wasn’t up for a free new phone for a few months and frankly, I couldn’t afford one at the moment. Luckily a friend had offered up her husband’s reject phone that morning at work. I still had the option to drive to their house and pick up a phone. But I decided to check in at home first.

I didn’t have a land line so I hopped back on-line and tried to catch my sister on G-chat. Success.

Here was the set up: I had her on google video chat and she had my mom on the phone. She was our go-between. Only there was one small problem: her mic didn’t seem to be working… thus the typing.


Good news: I borrowed a phone for 3 months until my contract was up and then finally got my “new every two.” I still have that same phone phone. THIS PHONE with the sliding keyboard. I’m up for a new one this month.

Yes, please.

Monday, October 3, 2011

If It's The Beaches

Hey, remember that one time I peaced out and headed to the beach, and totally abandoned this blog?

Well, here is a video of that time:

Song: "Artists Are Boring" by the Kingdom Flying Club

But hey! I was at the very beach that indirectly gave this blog it's name, so... it all comes full circle? Or something? Hmm. Anyway, I'm sure this TOTES AMAZING video made up for said abandonment.

Hope you enjoyed!