Christmas Crafts

I love crafting, I am new to the art but within the last 1-2 years I started sewing, jewelry making, and others. I will try to update as I make new crafts but here are a few that I made over the Holidays. Martha Stewart is of course my inspiration and I find many of my other craft ideas online and occasionally I just make them up.



I made this wreath using faux berry branches that you can find at a craft store, such as Michaels. It took about 6-7 branches to make it look full enough. All you need is green gardening wire (also found at craft stores), a small wreath to use as a guide, and a long ribbon of desired color. You do not need to cut any of the berry branches just bend them and follow the wreath as a guide. Do not attach berry branches to wreath because you will need a lot more to cover up the wreath. Keep adding more berry branches as you go around. Add and attach new berry branches about 1/3-1/2 up previous branch. If you find at the end that your wreath is not as full as you like, don't worry, just cut off smaller branches from full sized berry branch using a wire cutter and attach the smaller branches to wreath wherever you need extra foliage. Attach ribbon with a hot glue gun.



First apron, yay!

Mexican Madness

Happy New Year!

Here is an old update from November 2008

We escaped the cold, wet winters of the Pacific Northwest by travleing to the Maya Riviera. Our resort in the city of Playa del Carmen overlooked the beautiful Caribbean.



Above is the ruins of Chichen Itza , one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, filled with indescribably amazing history.



The beautiful Carbibean in all it's glory. The water was exactly what I expected: clear, turquoise blue, salty, white sand, and clean. My favorite color has always been turquoise, can you blame me when you see the beauty of this water?



And here we have Tulum, which is a Mayan Ruin built as a seaport during a later period then Chichen Itza. This was smaller but just as impressive. We saw iguanas, paint still present on the walls, and learned about how the Mayans lived.

This was our second trip to Mexico and our first time on the Eastern Coast. I love the Mexican people, the culture, the food, and its proximity to the U.S.

Player in Playa

Everyone is always so excited for Friday's. Personally, I dread them. They are my absolute busiest day of the week and when I get home I don't have any energy to do anything except veg on the couch and watch TV. Today, like all Friday's before it,was an extremely busy day. However, I have something to look forward to because in one week I will be in Playa del Carmen Mexico sucking up the sweet Caribbean sun and relaxing on the beach. I am so excited for this vacation!

Summer 2008 Highlights

Now that it's already part way through fall, I thought I would highlight some of the best  of Summer 2008

1) Sequim Lavendar Farms with Parents in Law and Husband. I stayed in my first bed & breakfast which had some of the most amazing breakfast's I have ever had. An authentic Eggs Goldenrod, fresh grape juice, and blueberry buckle. 

This is me trying to blend into the beautiful scenery. Did you ever know there is white lavender?

2) Hiking and exploring the beautiful Glacier Peak Region of WA state. We walked on ice circling a crystal clear lake and hiked through crisp snow in the middle of July. 
3) We celebrated our Two Year Anniversary In La Conner, WA. It was a very rainy weekend but we stayed cozy in our B&B with a gas fireplace and hot tub.

 

Stay tuned for craft blogs and maybe some recipe blogs.

Black and White

As a Registered Dietitian I always seem to get asked the same two questions: #1 "Is this food bad for me?" or #2 " What exactly do you do?". Question #1 is my least favorite question to answer,... Why? .. because there really is not right answer for this. " Should I eat popsicles?... Can I eat tuna late at night?...Are carbs bad for me? No and Yes, it's all a gray matter!! What I generally tell people is that there is really nothing that you can't have but the amount that you eat of some foods should be limited. For example, there are some foods that are considered more nutritionally beneficial and these foods are often termed as functional foods. An example of a functional food are fruits and veggies because they provide lots of vitamins and minerals and they may help prevent cancer, constipation, etc. All foods can be included in your diet if you just keep in mind this one important tip - All Foods in Moderation!!

To answer #2, look it up online, jk. Registered Dietitian's do a lot of different things and work in a lot of different fields but our main function is to teach nutrition to the public, analyze diets, help plan and assist with weight loss/weight gain, sometimes we plan menus, and sometimes we do food management. You might find us working in a hospital, nursing facility, school district, healhty clinic, or a gym.

There you go, a quick nutrition lesson! For more information, go to www.eatright.org.

Now its time to go celebrate my two-year wedding anniversary in a the cute little town of La Conner, WA. My husband and I will be staying in a Bed & Breakfast. If you have never been to La Conner, you must see it someday. It kind of reminds me of my home town because it has a cute downtown with lots of shops, lots of neat old houses, and the town surrounds water. Ok, so if you want more information, go here: http://www.laconnerchamber.com/. I will let you know how it goes and maybe post some pictures, that is if I can figure out how to post pictures. :)

Starting Anew...

"In a new or different way, form, or manner"

It's been over a year since I got married to my husband, Matt. We met ironically at college after spending most of our lives only miles apart and while crossing paths throughout junior high and high school. I remember the first time I met him, a good friend in college informed me his roommate was to be someone from my hometown. I was shocked to hear this as not very many people from my hometown went to my university.  I immediately recognized Matt as I entered saying "Hello Poulsbo Boy"!

Nearly, four years later and two bachelor's degrees,  Matt and I got married in our hometown overlooking the beautiful scenery we grew up with. Within the past year, we have been overtaken by so many changes: Our first home, my first "real" job, work changes for Matt, a new furry friend, and a grown up sense of being. To me, these changes have been both wonderful and overwhelming. What ever happened to no worries?

In my upcoming blogs, I hope