New goodies!

I don't really buy new scrapbooking goodies unless I have a project in mind, however I splurged a little while shopping for my advent calendars the other day. I purchased a clearance paper pack from American Crafts and a border punch from Fiskars with a 50% coupon - I still like a deal even when I'm splurging. :) Last night I got to play with my goodies and boy was it fun, it is like a whole new burst of inspiration! I also tried my hand at making paper roses based on a wonderful tutorial. Since I was on a trend of doing all things new, I also did a page that had no time frame correlation except 'the present' and that was completely about me. I journal a lot about feelings, people, places in my normal layouts but this particular layout was more of a reflection of the past year and where I am in my life. Good stuff.

Slow & steady wins the game, 10.03.09: Ma purchased a ping pong table and we came swarming; even with missing parts we made the table work for an impromptu ping pong competition. The players: Ma, Amy, Marcus, Andrew, Sean & Andrea. Penelope was our not so happy cheerleader shaking in the corner because flying objects terrify her. We started out the competition with some hearty pizza while we reviewed the official rules of the game so there would be no weaseling out of winning-losing. Then it was on; singles, doubles, matches, rematches, tennis grunting, egging on, happy feet but I think what we all learned by the end of the evening: playing nice is the best way to win. At first Sean and Amy were the pong masters, but I snuck up with my fair play at the end of the evening turning out to be unbeatable. Ahh, and they say good guys finish last – I think not! To prove my point further; after hearing Sean’s taunting and calls for a rematch that following week I finally complied and met him at ma’s after work for a few rounds. When I say ‘a few’, it means we probably topped out at about 20…poor Sean only managed to pull off one game. He claims it was that he needed his glasses, a prescription that improves his eyes from 20/20 to 15/20 - clearing throat - but really, I think it is because his approach is to slam while mine is to rally…like the title says: slow and steady wins the game. I think this ping pong table will be our rainy day retreat though which means lots of family time. I couldn’t be more thrilled. I love my family and I only hope we remain close as life goes on and becomes busier.

Listen: Listen, and I have a lot to say. Wait, and I’ll say it. Many people who know me only as an acquaintance might think of me as rather shy but those who listen and wait would say otherwise. I am: full of giggles, enthralled by tax, a complete and utter chocoholic, LOVE Penelope’s cuddles and peculiar dog quirks, can spend hours crafting and trying new techniques, fell in love with Bella & Edward’s love, enjoy silent walks in the fresh air, yearn for strong knees and courage to take up soccer again, terrified of the thought of a ‘career’ – afraid of getting ‘stuck’, would rather spend money on traveling than food, long for a quaint little home to decorate and create memories in, laugh & smile with Sean even when I think I am mad at him, love to be cozy, especially if it involves a scarf, can reminisce like none other, cherish my family more than anything in the world, inspired by great photographs and hope to master the art someday, can cry on the drop of a dime if something is too sweet or too heartbreaking, a ping pong goddess, far too competitive for my own good, admire my Papa, I LOVE TO LOVE. This past year I: Witnessed Sean at his lowest, being pushed in a wheelchair and needing help getting into bed – it made our relationship stronger knowing we can depend on each other even in the toughest of times. I graduated from college, I am starting my job with Moss Adams in their Not for Profit Audit department in less than three weeks and taking the first of four CPA exams - doing such adult things astounds me, I feel like I’ve pushed those away for so long it feels odd to begin accepting them. Sean & I married - another adult obstacle that I feared, having parents who’ve divorced multiple times I wasn’t sure how I felt about marriage, but here I am with no regrets, just happiness in my heart. Lost a childhood friend to suicide – made me reflect on what I love about life and let me tell you, I LOVE LIFE. In the future: I might like to go back to law school and study tax law. I want to find a home, a city we love, with jobs we love, in a house we love, surrounded by people we love. I want to continue seeing different parts of the world and experiencing different cultures. I want to start a family, a little destructive tater tot to run around and torture Sean & I. I want to adopt when the time is right and share my good fortune with others. I want to greet the world with arms wide open ready to conquer whatever may come and create cherished memories out of it. I WANT TO LIVE.

I've also been up to a bit of baking and made some delightful, what I would call, banana chocolate chip muffin tops. Mmm. I adapted this recipe from For the Love of Cooking. Adaptations: 2 small bananas & 1/4 cup of soy milk instead of 1 cup of mashed bananas, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, no coconut and no walnuts. Delish, I keep having to tell myself no as I go back to the cookie jar. hehe