Basket Bed

Bronson found a new bed.... I think he might out grow it quickly.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas- enjoy this wonderful video!

GRRRRRR

Ok- just a warningm this is a venting post-
I HATE having my job depend on someone else's performance- or atleast part of it. I have certain things that I need to do, and can not get them done because an incompetent person can not get them done in a timely manner. So does that make him look bad? NO, it makes it look like I am not doing the job properly. And who gets the praise for the job well done? NOT ME. Seriously- take a second and think it over. If I have to do my job, plus someone else's- there is something seriously wrong with that- not to mention going and correcting everything that they have already done wrong after waiting for 40 mins for them to finish thier crap job.
I need a new job.

Why don't you just go Elf Yourself

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

So I did not actually elf myself- I elfed others...

ABC's of Me- The Jolly J's

So it has been a really long time since I have done this. Truthfully- I was not inspired with the letter J. I think J in cursive is very pretty and flowy- but nothing came to mind when I thought of J.
So finally I thought of something... and drum roll pleases...

J is for Jack-o-Lanterns.
This would have been great for a Halloween post huh? I love carving pumpkins. Each year I try to come up with a new idea for a pumpkin. I think I might have peaked to early in life in my pumpkin achievements in the year that I did my Darth Pumpkin. I don't think I will ever be able to top that one...
So here are some selections of pumpkins I have done over the years- at least ones I have access to pictures to right now.

I miss my Monkey

Jen, Tim and Bronson have been out of town for almost two weeks now. They went to spend Thanksgiving with Tim's family. Having them gone is hard. I will admit that the main reason I love having them close by is because of Bronson - Sorry Jen- you are a close second, and then Tim.
It has be great having them living with us, and it is nice always waking up to Bronson's happy face. I love coming home and hearing Bronson say "Hi Ahyi, Hi" Ahyi is Bronsonian for Andrea pronounced like eye-eye. Also when ever he says Hi to somone he states it twice. Sometimes he will throw in a Hi Ahyi, Hey.
I have also been able to convince Bronson that he is a monkey. If you ask him if he is a doggie, he will answer back- (with some attitude) "Monkey"
Anyways- I have loved having them so close. If they move away it will be hard not seeing them (and now I mean all three of them) as often. Tim has quickly become like a big brother I never had.
So I miss my Monkey- and it has not even been two weeks. I just saw this picture on my phone and thought I would share... it is my life.

The Healing Power of the "D"

A "D" is a blanket- according to Bronson. Bronson's particular choice in blankets is a fleece blanket with the fringe (to chew on).
Bronson has his "D" and his doggie. He currently has three different D's and one very beat up doggie- the nose is gong cause he would chew on it. I always find it interesting to see what children will focus on for their comfort item.
For my little sister Tara it was her silkies- these were my mom's silk nightgowns that she had that she would sleep with. Eventually my mom made her a silkie blanket out of one of her old nightgowns cause she was sick of Tara taking her night gowns. I am not sure but I think she still might have a silky.
My Jack, the boy I nannied for, it was his blue blankie. It was silk on one side, and a fluffy flannel on the other.
For my brother, it was his bobbies. A bobby is a clothe diaper (clean ones. He loved these things. Where the name bobby came from I don't know.
For me it was my yellow blanket. It was a patch work yellow cotton blanket. It was old and tattered, but I loved it. We use to have this old ditch in our backyard that had grown over with grass. I would take my blanket out back, sit in the shade of an apricot tree, and lay in the ditch by myself hours. It was a great escape. (That blanket got thrown away when I was 8, right about the time we moved to Orem. Talk about devastating- you get your blanket taken away at the same time you move from the only place you have known as home- what were my parents thinking?)
So the point of this is- that we all have or had something that we use to comfort us. These items have magic healing powers- unlike any other item. Example- the only thing that can comfort Bronson when he hurts himself- bonks his head or something, runs into a wall (he did that the other day)- is his D. He will cry until he finds, gets a D, and once he has one he rubs it on wherever is hurt, and it magically is all better. "Owie all Gone" as he says. He a D is not available, the doggie will do, but it might take a little more rubbing.
These items are like a special friend- they can take you to another world. They can be your secret get-away.
Did you have your own comfort item? What was it? What magical powers did yours contain?

LOVE IT

So I totally stole this from Kim- but I loved it! Love the muppets (Beaker is my Fav)

Watch this...

Funny...
Also if you do not watch Community you should- especially the Halloween episode.
Abed is awesome! If you watch Community already then you know the relation between the show and this clip.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Six Degrees of Seperation

So I am a bit of a movie buff. Me and Meghann use to play the game Six degrees of separation- which if you don't know this idea, it is basically that everyone is connected to everyone else with in 6 degrees- or connections. There is actually a board game called 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon- which is basically saying that everyone has a connections to Kevin Bacon cause he has done like a million movies.
Well, me and Megh would play this game trying to connect random actors to each other within 6 degrees. MY brother-in-law Tim would try and stump us, it was hard, but we did not get stumped. (because we are awesome!) Tim would not make easy connections- we are talking Kirby Heyborne from the RM to someone like John Wayne.
Well the other day- we were watching Monk where there was an episode where Tim Daly was on the show- he was on another show with Tony Shaloub called Wings. They had a funny moment with that... anywho-- so my Dad did a challenge of instead of connecting on actor to another, you circle the actor back around... a little easier, but still fun. He started with Tony Shaloub- he said that cartoons don't count though- since Tony was the voice of Luigi in Cars... which I could have easily done. But I figured it out another way- very simple. This is the kind of thing my brain does all the time.
So here is the Tony to Tony connection
Tony Shaloub was in Wings with Thomas Hayden Church, who was is All About Steve with Sandra Bullock, who was in Hope Floats with Harry Conick Jr., who was in Independence day with Will Smith, who was in Men in Black with Tony Shaloub... Got that?
So this is my special talent. You up for the challenge?

Where is the dang mute button?

You know the movie Click? Not the best movie- but an interesting concept. What would it be like to have a remote control to stop, play or rewind parts of your life? (or people?)
I seriously wish I had one of those. I think might MUTE button would be so worn out.
Especially today! I have a lack of sleep, which leads to a lack of patience and a shortened fuse.... This is when sarcastic, mean Andrea comes out.
There is this guy in one of my classes, I seriously question if he has an form of social skills... if he does he certainly does not use them. Apparently it is ok to blurt our whatever you want (especially the stupid ignorant stuff that makes you look like an ass) at anytime, no matter who is previously talking, or what the circumstance is. I Hear myself thinking "NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR YOU TALK!!!"
Another great example- there is a particular lady- according to some people she is my BFF- that I associate with on a daily basis. She apparently can not read social cues very well. If I have am not listening to you as you talk- I don't want to talk to you. This does not mean that you should continue talking about your sad little life, it means I do not want to hear you talk at all. Especially if I have my earphones in and am listening to Music.
Seriously MUTE MUTE MUTE!!! Is that too much to ask for?

Hey this was my idea

Don't you love it when you have a great idea, and then years later- or how ever long- someone else uses the idea?
Yeah-- this was my idea- Meghann will vouch for me!


Megh- remember when we were planning our Toy themed Halloween party back in Connecticut?
Yeah- that was 5 years ago- I totally came up with this idea... just so you know. I thought it would be awesome to have a whole army of toy soldiers, and all of them in different positions just like the actual toy soldiers.
We had this idea of doing a themed Halloween party- which we did a Movie theme once- but our original idea was for everyone to come dressed as a toy from their childhood. We had lots of great ideas for this one- including the toy soldiers.
So- just so you know... it was my idea first!

Just a hint....

This a picture of the hat, umbrella, gloves and shoes for my Mary Poppins costume.. it is going to be awesome!

The most wonderful time of the year...

is Halloween.
Yes, I know most people think it is Christmas, but they would be wrong.
I love the Halloween season, and I love FALL!
I usually start planning the day after Halloween for next years Halloween costume.
For years I have been wanting to be Medusa, but it just has not come together yet.
So this year, as I was looking at various costume ideas - which I very rarely go with a store bought costume. Such a waste of money. You pay through the nose for this cheaply made costume which if you are lucky is not a slutified something or another, which is next to impossible to find now-a-days. Plus, those store bought costumes are not going to win an costume contest. Everybody has them. There is NO originality anywhere. That is why I always go with my own costume.
So, you ask, what is Andrea going to be this year for Halloween?
Well I will tell you- Mary Poppins.
You know that you are on to the right idea when it hits you like "Why have I never thought of that before?"
So I decided to be the Mary Poppins as she comes in to London to the Banks' house.
You also know when it is perfect costume when everything falls into place, and you do not have to struggle to pull it together.
So the first thing I looked for was the hat. It took a little while, but I found the perfect hat. I will show you pictures later. In the process of looking for the hat, I found a perfect shirt at Savers, as well as a pair of black ankle boots that were perfect. When I found the boots, I knew that I was destined to be Mary Poppins this year.
Then well searching for the hat, I was at this antique store (love antique stores) and was looking at old hats. I saw this black one, tried on, and it was not quite right, and then as I put it back it fell to the ground, and landed on top of this other hat that I did not see. I picked up both hats, and guess what- the hat that it landed on, was the most perfect Mary Poppins hats!!!! See what I mean by destiny?
I found a skirt at Savers as well, and got a coat from my sis that she was getting rid of. So thus far, I had spent a total of $20.00 for total outfit. All that I needed now was the umbrella, white gloves, and carpet bag.
Since Disney now has Mary Poppins on Broadway, the have a souvenir umbrella they sell- this is the most expensive thing I bought for the costume, but well worth it since it had the PARROT head on the umbrella.
I found some white gloves at a costume shop, and now I am probably going to make a carpet bag.
I am so excited for Halloween!!!! How about you? What are you going to be?
Stayed tuned- I will be sure to post pics.

ugh...

You ever have one of those days? That is today. After these weekend of going and going, I am just spent. Last Friday, was Kevin's wedding rehearsal dinner(which is it technically a rehearsal dinner since we don't actually rehearse anything? Just another excuse to eat yummy food right?) Well all day I had been working on two different cakes- the wedding cake and then my Nephew's birthday cake. I decided to give fondant a try- I must say I like using fondant. I made four batches of marshmallow fondant- which tastes way better then the store bought kind- and used it on all the "cakes". The reason for the quoatation marks on cake, is because of the four cakes that I covered in fondant, only one was an actual cake (the birthday cake- which tasted delicious! and normally I don't like the cakes that I make but this one was awesome!) For Kevin's wedding cake, we had two layers of styrofoam, and then the top layer was of rice krispy treats- Nutella rice kripy treats my own invention and they are YUMMY.
So both cake turned out awesome- not perfect but for never having any experience with fondant, and basically figuring it out all on my own, I think I did a pretty good job. I will eventually post pics, I forgot to take one of the i-pod cake for Jesse, but I think my sis might have some.
The wedding was fun. It was a good time. Bronson was a doll in his little tux, and was such a trooper with his cold that decieded to hit him that morning.
Everything went off really well, and we all had a great time.
It was a long weekend, and I now getting sick- not fun. I think it is because I was running around so much, and it just wore me out, now I am paying for it (Seriously, sore muscle three days later)
So for now this will do as a post.

Let down your Golden Locks

For years I have been saying that Disney needs to make Rapunzel. Looks like they finally listened to me! (about time)
Here are some images of the movie... I am excited.

He is Two!

My Nephew- who is just the smartest, cutest, most amazing little boy in the world (there is no point arguing it with me, I am totally biased) turns 2 today! Happy Birthday Bronson.

It just make my day when I see him smile, and then say my name. He is such an adventurous little boy. He loves to play outside, jump on the trampoline, go for walks, and draw with the sidewalk chalk.
When he is not outside, you can bet that he will be inside playing with his trucks.
He loves the movie Cars. It is the cutest thing. At the part where Mater and Lightning go tractor tipping, he is genuinely concerned with the the tractors that fell over. We now actually have to skip that part because it makes him very upset- he jumps when Lightning revs his engine to scare the tractors, also he does not like Frank.
The other day, Tara and I were playing The Beatles Rockband, and my Mom called us up for dinner. We were just finishing up a song, and down comes Bronson retrieving us for dinner. He keeps telling me "Ahyia, mamon. Eat" That is Bronson speak for Andrea, C'mon. Let's eat". And he is so persistent in trying to get us upstairs to eat. It was funny.
I am so happy that he is in my life. I love this boy!

A New kind of online Dating for the low-self esteem??

So this is hillarious, and yet scary in how true it can be with some people.


And this one is just WRONG (but so funny it is wrong)

Flickr Friday- Cooking

I have caught the bug. I have always loved to cook, but it is really hitting me more lately-- like on Sunday, I made a cherry pie from scratch, a pumpkin pie (not so much from scratch at least not the crust), and Nutella Rice Krispie Treat-which are HEAVEN!
So what's next you ask? I am going to make Creme Bruele Tonight. Me and Monica decided to become more culinary, and to study (not sure how much of that we will do) We both wanted to learn new recipes and skills- so that is what we are doing.
I will let you know how it goes...
So anyone have any other ideas on what we can make next?
PS- I found a really dangerous store for me. It is a cooking supply store... oh man not good.


1. BW Cooking, 2. Cooking Reference, 3. Cooking Light (Explored), 4. Lighting Assignment - "Cooking Light", 5. IMG_1460.JPG, 6. Three Chefs, 7. 070/366 Cooking, 8. Hope Your 2009 Really 'Cooks', 9. Cooking Knifes

30 down, 20 more to go

So one of my goals in life is to go to all fifty United States. Originally this goal was to do this before leaving the country- but that did not happen (when you get a chance to go to Tahiti for basically free you take it no matter what)
So I have gone to 30 out of 50 states- this was easy when you lived back east and the states are really small. Now all that I am missing is most of the south and the mid-west states, and Alaska.
Now there are certain rules that are established in order to count the state. Meghs and me came up with the rule that you have to have photographic proof that you are in the state or you have to add to their economy by buying something. The second part of this rule allows for you to count when you have a lay over in a state.
So with all this- I have been two 28 states, had lay overs in 2 states, and add 1 more if you count Washington DC as a separate state (which it kind of is since they have a separate representative for the Miss America pageants)
Anywho- so what is the point of all this? I am looking at Master Programs and where I want to go, and I am going to be a little bit honest- Florida State is looking really tempting right now just because if I do go out there, not only will I be adding a new state, but if I drive out there then I could easily knock out 8 new states just on the drive. Plus ROAD TRIPS to the other nearby states.
So do you think I should take this into consideration when choosing a school to go to? I still have time to think about this, but I am liking this idea.
How many states have you covered?
PS- Have you ever tried to name all 50 states without looking at a map in less then 5 minutes? I got 49. I forgot Arkansas. You should try it- no cheating

Name for my car

Yes- I am that type of person who names in-animate objects.- Mostly just my cars. I bought a new car in March, and have yet to name it. I have been trying to feel out a name for the car. My sister Tara says that I buy boring cars, and that they do not have enough personality for a name... whatever.
So I need some help with potential names. My car is a Silver Hyundai Elantra. It is a fun car to drive- and the most distinctive feature for my car is the sound it make when you lock the doors with the remote. It makes this little chirp sound.
So I am looking for a name- I have been thinking that it sounds like a smallish bird chirping- so I have been trying to thinking of bird names other then Big bird or Tweety. Also- I am pretty sure my car is a girl...
Any ideas?

Wedding shoes

These are the shoes that I am going to get for my bro's wedding- they are a dark eggplant color. What do you think? Do you think it will go with this dress? (By the way- I found a dress too- pretty close to what I wanted too.)

The Shoes!

I found the shoes- a while ago I posted a blog about these shoes that I saw that I wanted. NOW I found something close to them, if not identical. Now to find the right size. I hate having the same general size as the majority of woman.

Because Druggies always respect their Elders

So I work for a Security Alarm Company- we get all sorts of stories as to why customer feel that they need a system, but do not feel that they need to pay for it. I thought I had heard some great ones- but nothing beats this one.
This customer called to cancel her account- these are the direct notes
""Customer wants to cancel because she has no use for the system, I asked why she got it in the first place, she told me because there is some young people selling dope in her neighborhood but she realized that they wouldn't mess with her because she is a senior citizen and they respect her"

That is right-if you are all doped up you will still respect your elders...

I would join this Protest

Any others want to join me?

Flickr Friday- Sleep

This is all I want right now. Have not been getting very much sleep lately. Not really sure why. I am an extremely light sleeper, and just cannot get a good night sleep. Guess I need to start using my ear plugs again!


1. Sleeping Handsome, 2. Sleep, 3. August 1999 Heligan - the green giant sleeps, 4. Leave me to sleep, 5. Sleep, 6. Celeste Yawning, 7. 153|365 ||| sleep, 8. Sleeping Angel, 9. I'm only sleeping...

The Only People in thier Right Minds

Yes- that is Left handed people.
Today is International Left Hander's Day! So to celebrate being a leftie myself- I give you famous lefties, and some fascinating facts.
Facts-
-Most left-handers draw figures facing to the right.
-4 of the 5 original designers of the Macintosh computer were left-handed
-Left-handers are generally more intelligent, better looking, imaginative and multi-talented than right handers - based on discussions among members of the Left-Handers Club! :)
-Stuttering and dyslexia occur more often in left-handers (particularly if they are forced to change their writing hand as a child, like King of England George VI). (that just goes to show it is not a good thing to force someone to be a rightie!)
-Most left-handed people exhibit some degree of ambidexterity
Now famous Lefties- - I got this list from this site there are a TON more if you want to see them. These were just some of my favorites-starting with my Favorite
- Paul McCartney
-Michelangelo
-Leonardo De Vinci
-Fred Astaire
-Jason Bateman - for you Arrested Fans
-Howard Keel
-Clark Gable
-Carol Burnett
-Judy Garland
-Shirley MacLaine
-Hans Christian Anderson
-David Bowie
-Kurt Cobain
-Jimi Hendrix
-Ludwig Van Beethoven
-Jim Henson- which in turn made Kermit the Frog a leftie
-Julius Ceasar
-Napolean Bonaparte
-Aristotle
-Thomas Jefferson- who I happen to has the same birthday as too.
-John F. Kennedy
-Helen Keller
-Pele- the soccer player
So in celebartion of Left Handed-ness- give someone a left handed high-five, or try being a leftie for a day (if you are not already a leftie)

New time waster

I found a new time waster... I love this site.
Here are some of my fav pics from the site




(the under captions says "We're almost there and still we don't have flying cars")

Flickr Friday-Antiques

So I was a slacker last week... But it is back
Tomorrow I am going antiquing with my sister Jen. I love going to antique stores. This is something I picked up back east. I spent an entire day in Cape Cod going around to antique stores... I really have nothing particular I am looking for, I just love looking at old stuff. ( I must say, I created quite the collage this week. I think it looks awesome. I am patting myself on the back now)



1. Antique, 2. antique shop **, 3. Antique Shop, 4. Antique baby stroller, 5. Lakewood Antiques Market - 1950's Yellow, 6. Antique Book Collection, 7. Antique Chevrolet Truck Detail, 8. Antique ABC Blocks, 9. Elvis Lives (at an antique store)

How hard it is

Don't you hate it when you have this perfect vision of an outfit and yet you are unable to fulfill the vision. Yes I do have putfit visions. Currently my outfit vision is a brown wrap dress, with some cute burnt orange heels, or something ( the shoes vary with my outfit vision) The dress is always the same- I particularly LOVE this dress from Shabby Apple- and of course it is no longer available.
I am sure you are asking yourself why I am seeking after a brown wrap dress like this. Well I will answer you- because my bro is getting married- and this is one of their colors. I figure I would rather get a brown dress and then use the other colors as highlights since I would where the brown dress more often- I like the orange, but there are just not many oppurtunities that call for a burnt orange dress if you know what I mean.
So my search begins for this unfindable dress. Maybe I will just have to resort to making it myself. I am also being picky about the fabric. I don't want the nasty polyester then suck to your body so unforgivingly.
I find that I have this problem often when it comes to clothes- particularly dress. A few months ago, I watched the movie Chocolat. This movie has some AWESOME clothes in it.(If you have not seen it fo watch it. It is a great movie. Plus a really sexy looking Johhny Depp in it never hurts) I would love to have Juliette Binoche's entire wardrobe from this movie- particularlly the dress she wears when she is standing on the dock by the river. That is a great black dress with some beautiful red heels. I love this. I tried to find the dress like this, came close- but not quite.
Anywho- so that is my plight right now- I need a dress. Anyone know where I can look to find a brown wrap dress?

We're All Mad Here

I can not tell you how excited I am to see this movie.
When I heard that Tim Burton- whom I love- was going to do Alice in Wonderland and that Johnny Depp would be in it, I knew that this would become a must see, and most likely an ultimate favorite of mine.
I Love the story of Alice in Wonderland. I know that everyone thinks that it is this psycho drug induced story- but I do not think that is the case at all.
I think that it is just a child's imagination put in story. Children has the most amazing imaginations, and that is something that most adults loose when they grow up.
How has not dreamed as a child a place that was their own?
To me that is what Wonderland is. It is Alice's place to escape her actual world as a child.
Any who- can't wait for this movie

Flickr Friday- Wedding Cakes

My bro is engaged- they have asked me to do the wedding cake.
First problem- Bride is allergic to basically everything on earth- wheat, gluten, eggs... and more. So initially they wanted to go with cheesecake- not really easy to decorate a cheesecake.
2nd problem- they have not exactly told me what they want- just a general idea
3rd and potentially worst problem- I HAVE NEVER DONE A WEDDING CAKE. So I am a little nervous. Once they finally decide on what they want- then I will have alot of practicing to do. Anyone want to sample a wedding cake?
So here are some pics of wedding cakes I like (and a cool Beatles cake)

1. Topsy Turvy Wedding Cake, 2. Art Nouveau Wedding Cake Tower, 3. Rouv's Wedding Cake, 4. Bird Silhouette Wedding Cake, 5. Starburst Brooch Wedding Cake, 6. Cake, 7. Frangipani Wedding Cupcakes, 8. liverpool•beatles-cake.jpg, 9. Dogwood Blossom Wedding Cake with Cupcakes

Gee I'm Glad it's raining

You ever just have one of those days? Not that today is one of them- today is acutally a great day- I am going to see Harry Potter.
But I am listening to my Ipod at work and I have this song on here.
And it just reminds me of those days when I feel exactly like Ernest.
Everyone just has a down day- and on those down days, sometimes all that you want is just to hide away from things for an hour, or a day.
The way that Ernest puts it explains everything.
So even on your happy days- be thankful for the day, and that it is not a down day.
On your down days- be thankful for kindred spirits like Ernest that understand that some days you just want to have a down day.


Again- not a down day. Just thought I would post this for everyone so when they have a down day, you can remember that everyone has one- and I understand how it feels.

Flickr Friday- Scottish Festival

I think this is what I will be doing Saturday- Payson Scottish Festival.
You know you are Scottish if the sound of bagpipes gives you goosebumps.



1. Bushmill's Pipers at the Scottish Festival, 2. Pre-Fight Meditation - Rural Hill Scottish Festival - 221, 3. Armor - Rural Hill Scottish Festival - 270, 4. Scottish Festival, 5. bagpiper, 6. Clan Macpherson Museum, 7. Orillia Scottish Festival '07, 8. a man and his caber, 9. Arkansas Scottish Festival

Marriage... isn't it about time?

Saw this- loved it.
First of all it is NYC. Second.. so funny.

Flickr Friday- Life,Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

It is a great time of year! A Time to remember all the blessings we have. I love the Declaration of Independence.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "
I truly believe the the founders of this country were blessed and directed by God.
I Love being an American!

PS- I know it is not Firday- but I won't have computer access on Friday... so here it is instead.

The Creepy Saran Wrap People are watchin you

So along time ago, I was at Wolf Creek Middle school with my sister Brenda- who teaches there. It was a Saturday afternoon, and we were there decorating her room for the Elizabeathan day that she does. We were getting a little loopy from decorating, and we went up to the library to get some colored paper to decorate.
Well we were in there we saw these scary saran wrap people. ( I acutally had noticed them as we were walking into the school- but thought I was seeing things) Apparently this was some student art project.



Well to be alone in a school, where it is starting to get dark, and you are already going a little crazy from decorating all day- your mind starts to have fun.
Tara, my little sister- made a tomahawk and an indian head-dress from some scrap paper. She became my indian protector and guide. At one point she was guiding me around the halls to find the bathroom- which she lead me to the furthest one away from where we were. She got down on the ground to listen if any one was coming, snuck around the corners to make sure the way was clear. She was a great guide and protector from the Saran wrap people.
It was really weird- because about a year or so later- these crazy saran wrap people showed up that the Orem Public Library.- (which is where this picture was taken at)
At the time of the original Saran-wrap people attack- I did not have my camera, but I had my indian guide.
Next time, no guide- but yes to a camera. I chuckled to myself remembering the good old times of my indian guide. This is why I love my sister Tara- she is great at making me laugh, and let go of my self.
So moral of the story- make sure that you have an indian guide if you are going to be in a library at night- they can protect you from the saran wrap people.

Flickr Friday

This is a new thing I am going to start doing- one a week- on Friday- hence the name, I am creating this mosaic of pictures from Flickr- maybe toss in a few of my own pictures. These pictures will all have a theme of some sort- something that is on my mind, or how I am feeling- whatever floats my boat.
For the first Flickr Friday- ROAD TRIPS.
I need a road trip desperately right now!


1. Road trip Companion, 2. Road Trip, 3. Road Trip Map, 4. Road Trip Then - Laws, California, 5. Road trip, 6. Gallery Space Finalist #51: Road Trip!, 7. Mr. D's Route 66 Diner : Kingman, AZ, 8. route 66. seligman, az. 2007., 9. "nothing is certain, everything is imagined"

12 Things about me!

I saw this on a blog I follow- I am copying- so there.
The rules are as follows
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into big huge labs mosaic maker

The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Andrea
2. What is your favorite food? banana split
3. What high school did you go to? Orem High School
4. What is your favorite color? Purple
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Zachary Quinto
6. Favorite drink? Pina Colada- virgin of course
7. Dream vacation? Santorini, Greece
8. Favorite dessert? to make- cupcake- since my favorite food is a dessert- I am changing this one a little bit
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Marriage and Family Therapist- but no pics for that so I always wanted to be a Pastry Chef
10. What do you love most in life? my family (not sure how the picture matches)
11. One Word to describe you- creative
12. Your flickr name. pele's treats


1. Levanto - Sant' Andrea church, 2. Cafe Lago @ Caesars Palace in Vegas - banana split, 3. boring hallway, 4. My purple all star for the first time at the park, 5. Zachary Quinto - Filmink (May 2009), 6. Pina Colada Cupcakes, 7. Oia - Santorini, 8. Bikini Beach Bear Cupcakes, 9. pastry brush chef, 10. Colorado Balloon Classic - Day 1, 11. (0530) Equilibrium (9.950 views, 633 comments, THANKS!!!!), 12. Lava Blast and Electric Lightning Bolt Within a Lava Plume ~ Island of Hawaii

I'm So Mad when Daddy Comes Home

So you know how on every Father's day, (and Mother's day) in church the little kids get up and sing the various primary songs to pay tribute to thier Fathers. I really do not like this. With my little bit of musical experience that I have, it just kills my ears to hear this- and there is always that one little kid who is screaming above everyone else.
The only time that I am potentially excited for this is on Father's day- and this is because of something my Dad taught me. Although- if you ask him, he will deny it completely.
Well- when the little primary kids get up on Father's day I just pray that they will sing the song- I am so Glad when Daddy comes home.
For those of you who don't know the words- they go like this (sorry no tune, could not find it to add. Although there are some You Tube videos- of course- if you really need the tune)

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home.
Glad as I can be!
Clap my hands and shout for Joy
And Climb up on his knee
Put my arms around his neck,
Hug him tight like this.
Pay his cheek and give him what?
A Great big kiss.

So you can imagine that since it is a Primary song, the have actions that go with it.
Well when I hear this song I giggle- and it is even worse if any of my siblings are around because this is the version that my dad taught us.- sung with some emotion.

I'm so Mad when Daddy come home.
Mad as I could be.
Stomp my feet, and pull his hair.
And kick him in the knee
Put my hands around his neck,
Squeeze him tight like this.
Smack his cheek, and give him what?
A big FAT lip.

Now imagine the actions that would go along with that one. And imagine the confusion in Primary when we finally learned the REAL words to the song.
Another reason that I love my Dad.

Could not ask for a better one!

So since Father's day is coming up, and I probably won't have a chance to blog before then, I am posting one now about my Dad.
My Dad is a unique and amazing person. When you first meet him he seem shy, and reserved. To a certain point he is this way, he has always been content to spend time at home with his family. Once you get to know him, and once he warms up to you- he is the funniest man alive. He has a very sarcastic sense of humor- which is where I get mine from. He is also the king of puns- but not the bad puns that make you go ugh- the good ones. He is a big teaser too. Again- I get that from my Dad. You learn really quickly not to sit by dad unless you want him poking and teasing you.

Some of my favorite memories of my dad are
1- Sitting in the front room reading the Newspaper with him.
2- Playing Games with him- he cheats. But he is very sly at it so it is hard to catch him cheating. He does not call it cheating, it is "bending the circumstance to his benefit"
3- When we watch a movie (usually for the one millionth time) or when we get home for the night- he will ask "Who won?" He particularly like this question when we come home from an activity where there is not particular competition- like a play.
I have almost come to expect this questions as I walk in the door (if he is not asleep on the couch)

4- When were were little, if we fell and hurt ourselves on something like a table or the desk, or the ground, if we went crying to our dad, he would ask us (after making sure that we were not truly hurt) if we apologized to the desk for hurting it. Now, as a little girl, this was a little infuriating since I was the one hurt not the desk. But he would make us go over and say sorry to the desk. By the end of the ordeal, we were giggling and had completely forgotten about being hurt.
5- If we asked to go somewhere, or if we had started a question with "Can I" my dad always said "I am sure you can, I have seen you do it before" So you quickly learned to phrase your words carefully with Dad- It is May I not Can I.
6- When we call our house- or even sometimes when our friends called the house- if our Dad answered the phone, it turned into a long process of trying to get to talk to who we wanted too. We would call and ask for mom, he would say he did not know who we were. You would identify yourself, then he would pretend like he did not know you- so then you had to identify yourself in with your FULL name. Then he would continue this for a long time, with various acts, If you asked for mom, he would say his mom was not there.... and so much more. Again- very frustrating, but typical dad.

Through all of his teasing though- I always knew that he was there for me when I needed him. He is an amazing man. I LOVE YOU DAD!

The Social Experiment

So maybe it is just the sociologist in me- but I find this show really intriguing. It is on ABC- check it out.
They basically pose real life situations, and kind of sit back and wait to see how people respond. Some of them are meant to be a little comical- like sending the "American" stereotype to Paris. Others are very interesting social experiments. These are the ones that intrigue me. The first one that I watched was an experiment that was done with someone asking for a little help paying for gas. This experiment was done at the height of the gas prices- so asking for a couple of gallons of gas from someone is asking for 20 bucks.
They started with a guy doing it, and he was fairly successful. Then they sent in a girl to see what difference it would make. Initially, they both started out with a clunker car. Then the sent the girl in with a luxury SUV. Still- people were more willing to help the girl out, more then they did the guy. There was one guy, a Hispanic man, who spoke little English,helped her out. They later used him in the experiment. They used the old clunker car. It was really interesting- the men were willing to help him out, but women did not.
The experiment was really an eye opener. This Hispanic young man- who works at a restaurant, barely makes any money, and he was willing to give his money to help this lady out. But when the tables were turned, the women were not willing to help him out. He was a little discouraged at first, but after it all he still said that he has faith in people- that they would still do the right thing in the end.
So many social experiments- go watch

PS- I now love the name Esperanza- he used the word Esperanza- which I did not know that it meant Hope. I love that name now...

Thunderstorms

So I am sitting here at work- it is 4:30- (yes I blog at work...) And well the second set of storm clouds are rolling in for the day. These ones are very darker and ominous. Which normally I would be all "Heck YES! We are going to get an awesome Thunder storm" See I am all about a great Summer Thunder storm, (more on that in a bit)but this is like the 100th storm this month. I may be exaggerating just a tad... those of you in Utah can testify though it is only by a tad. I am thinking that some higher power is messing with the weather systems of Utah and Seattle- because according to my brother's girl friend- who is from Seattle- her family has reports that they have not had rain for 21 days and that was a week ago. So we are getting Seattle rain, and they are getting our summer weather...
So like I said, I am all about a great summer storm, but when you have had about one a day for the last 20+ days they get kind of old.
I grew up loving summer storms- one of my favorite things about summer. Many a memory I have of sitting out on our front "porch" (we don't really have a porch so much as a cement slab, we did have one in my old house in Provo though) with my dad and watch the thunder clouds come rolling in. We would watch for the lightning and then count the thunder. Occasionally we would play out in the rain- at least until the lighting got too close.
When I was living back east- this is one thing that I missed about Utah. Yeah the east is beautiful, and green- but nothing compares to the Thunderstorms in Utah where you can see for miles and see the intricate details of the lightning strike.
So what am I saying- Too much of a good thing is not good- Love Lightning- just not a storm everyday...
How's your weather?

Is this seriously English?

I guess it is-because according to my sister- the Beauty of the English language is that it is continually evolving and new words always come into existence... blah blah blah.
Ok- I agree with her that there are always new words that come up- but since when did shortening- or altering- an old word make it a new word?
Random I know- here is where my thought comes from-
1- I hate the word Chillax- if that is how you spell it. You notice how people are using this "Chillax, man." or "Just Chillaxing by the pool" NOT A WORD! Say Relax or Chill. Do not tell me to Chillax
2- Obvs and Nach- when did it become so hard to finish an entire word? Obviously it is impossible. Oh wait not it is not I just did it and it only took me a millisecond longer to type the WHOLE word.
Seriously- don't talk like this- you sounds stupid.

Time for Zack Attack

How awesome is this!When Jimmy Fallon took for the Late Night Show- he said that his #1 goal was to have a Saved by the Bell reunion. I love Saved by the Bell- how cool of Mark Paul to do this. And anyone else as excited for the potential reunion? Oh the memories...


Ok- I know have done a ton of videos lately... but there are some good ones out there...

Stop! Hammertime!

How awesome is the old guy in the suit and hammer pants?
Apparently MC Hammer has a reality show now...

My Random thoughts for the Day

So yesterday I had three really random thought right in a row.
They are in no way connected to each other- which is weird cause usually I can connect the dots and figure out how I got to that train of thought- but not this time.
Anywho- so here are my random thoughts- I am sharing these because I do not know the answer to the ponderings...
Thought #1-
Have you ever noticed that when to people on motorcycles pass each other on the road, that they kind of wave at each other? Why is this? Is there some secret motorcycle club that they have, and this is the secret code? Does this include scooters?(I am thinking not- sense scooters are wimpy)

Thought #2
When do you use I am vs I'm? anyone know?

Thought #3
Why do people wear sweat band looking things on their knees when they are running or playing sports?(or just below the knees) Are their knees particularly sweaty? Or are these there for support like if you have bad knees? If that is the case- I would consider looking into that since I need better knee support. Is it like the same kind of thing people wear for tennis elbow, but it is for the knees- is it called tennis knee?

Anyone know the answer to my questions?

My new Celebrity Crush

Wow- 3 posts in three days- I am on a roll
Ok so I have a new celebrity crush- I don't get them very often. For some reason, when I was little I never really had a crush on any celebrity- sure I thought several of them were pretty cute- but no serious crush.
Anywho- so this new crush is totally going to certify me as a complete Nerd. (As if I was not already one)
This is him- Zachary Quinto
So if you know who he is then you have probably watch either Heroes or have seen the new Star Trek Movie- I have seen both.
I love him as Sylar on Heroes- he plays a very convincing, and creepy bad guy. It is so intriguing. And yes- Star Trek is totally Nerdy- but seriously it is awesome- I was almost ready to become a trekkie after seeing it- Zachary plays Spock in the movie. Even with the funky shaped eyebrows and the pointy ears- he still looked hot.
What can I say- it was weird. but seriously- even if you do not like Star Trek- you should still see this movie- If you do like Star Trek they have references to the old series. Honestly this movie was funny. I loved it- it had some action, but was really great at relieving the stress with laughter- Plus other then Zachary Quinto as Spock you have Chris Pine- who is also extremely good looking- as Captain Kirk.
Anywho back to the point- I have now found myself Googling Zachary Quinto- and checking out everything I can find on him... what can I say I am a little obsessed... I mean look that this smile--- How could I not be? (That is what always wins me over is a fantastic smile-and his is Fantastic!)

So- who are some of your celebrity crushes? Who was your childhood celebrity crush?

Do not watch this at work

So- I saw this video on someone Else's blog- hilarious. Let's just say- I am stifling my laugh- not a good idea to watch it at work.


Also- another thing that is not good to watch at work- Wipeout. If you have not seen this show- you should.

I am buying a Wii just for this reason...

When I discovered what Rock Band and Guitar Hero was- I thought it was cool- and I thought- "Man- this would be the most awesome game if it had Beatles music. Then I would actualy buy a system, and the everything"
Well- thanks to the great minds of Rockband, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney (I am sure that John Lennon and George Harrison would have been helping too- but the credit goes to thier widows- not a fan of Yoko...) I am now looking to by a Wii System by 09-09-09 becasue BEATLES ROCKBAND IS COMING!!!!!
Check out the trailer for it (and by the way since when did they have/need trailers for a computer game?)

If you love the Beatles- Like me- then you probably already know about this- I am just spreading the love to the few of you who may not know... and don't tell me you don't like the Beatles- because I would have to reconsider our friendship... I have done it before... hehe

ABC's of ME-The Inconceivable I's

is for Indian.
Ok- so I was a really hard one. How many words can you think of that start with I that describe you? I just kept thinking of Ice cream, and though I do love I cream- it really does not describe me...
So I came up with Indians!- I am 1/32 Native American- I have Cherokee and a little bit of another tribe that I can never remember the name of (it is a really obscure one)
I have always loved the fact that I am the slightest bit Native American. I may not look it- but my sister and my brother sure do. We have also always been really involved with the culture of Native Americans. My little brother and sister both did Native American Dancing- and Kevin has even competed in Pow-wow's doing his dancing. He was also in a movie that the Disney Channel made for like a Milli-second. All of this thanks to our 1/32 drops of Native American blood.
Here are some pictures I took of my bro in his dance costume... you can't really see the costume, but the pictures kind of looks like he is a native hunting through the brush.(which they would not do with full on dance regale because it is meant to be flashy. And flashy just does not go with hunting)




Bonus- any body know the reference for the Title of this post?

I'm a sparker

So my sister's introduced me to this site
www.sparkpeople.com
It is very interesting. It is a weight lost tracker kind of site. It helps you track your meals/calorie in take, and the calories you burn, and lot's of interesting stuff to help maintain a healthy lifestyle.
I have struggle for years with being healthy. I have always made an excuse about it. I am done making excuses! Check it out- it is a great way to help you in your healthy goals. If anything- it helps you to atleast think about being healthy.
What I like most about it is that you can customize the meals. They give you planned meals- but if it is not something that you like- or not something that you have at the house, you can change your meal- and they have every day meals like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. They are simple. There are some fancier recipes, but most of them are not really outrageous things that you would not normally eat.
Everything about this is realistic. That is what I need- realism
Check it out- let me know what you think- and if you join- it is FREE- become a friend of mine- my user name is AMEASOM.

I've come to step on your chickens! And soil your quilts

So to give fair warning- this is a totally random, strange post. But totally me.
We have Vikings that live across the street from us. Yes- real life Vikings in Orem, Utah. But to look at them, you would never guess they were vikings.

Ok so this is a really bad picture. But you can see four vikings- three children vikings, and an adult viking on the phone.
Are you completely confused now? Good- let me un-confuse you.
The vikings are our neghibors across the street. Their last name is Gray. Not a dead give away for a viking, but when you find out the dad's name is Ivan, then that makes it very viking-ish. We call him Ivan the Gray. (see viking-ish) Well add in the sons of Ivan the Gray- you have Bijorn the Gray (I really wish I was joking. But the oldest boy of the Gray's is named Bijorn- pronounced BEE-yorn) then there is Archer the Gray, and finally Magnus the Gray. (Magnus is more Scottish- but still works for a viking)
So why are they vikings? Well one day my little sister was set to babysit the Grays- she told me thier names- I stiffled a laugh when I heard that the oldest was named Bijorn. We started making fun of the name- giving everyone Swedish souding names- Tara became Biara, Kevin- Bievin, etc... Well then she told me the Dad's name was Ivan. I called him Ivan the Gray, and decieded that it sounded very Viking like Eric the Red (a very famous Viking) Thus was born the Vikings across the street. Whenever we see them outside, we talk about how they are planning their attack on our house.
Then add to it that we tend to get a little silly and a little carried away- we added the inspriation from this veggie tales song.

Yes- I know it is Veggie Tales- But when the Viking comes to soil the Quilts-- it is too hillarious.
Well yesterday- I am sitting at home, and suddenly I hear these little Viking voices in our house- The Vikings had began their attack- I texted my sister Tara, and told her they had come to soil our quilts- and step on our chickens. Well luckily we don't have chickens- and we hid our quilts.
So this is what comes from one Sunday afternoon when you and your little sister are really bored. We get really silly. Maybe some day I will tell you about the Pickle Cobra's and Pickleitius...
This is why I love my sister Tara- she helps me to be silly- which I need sometimes.

Shaking things up

So I have this really weird new fear- well I guess it has really always been there but more recently it has come more forward. I am scared of Earthquakes. I know it is dangerous, and very potential- and I have done the drills since I was 5 of hiding under your desk, or in a door frame, and then filing out in an orderly fashion to a safe place. But this is all occuring during the day- my fear is of an eathquake happening at night, and me not waking up (which is ridicuoulous because I am the lightest sleeper I know even with ear plugs in)
I am not sure why this fear has suddenly come up- but I have my guesses. Last semester I took a geology class, and the whole semster the teacher said how we were due for the "big one" any day now. Also, for some reason I have been watchin alot of tv shows on Yellowstone- which is also long over due for a big cataclismic erruption.(which when this happens it will destroy yellowstone, and cover all of the surrounding states with ash including Utah- wahoo)
For whatever reason this fear has surfaced- it is not fun. The first time I experienced this was about four months ago, I was asleep in bed, and felt a shake or a jolt(this was most likely cause by my movement or something) but in the wee hours of the morning, it made it feel like more, plus I swear that I heard some sort of rattling or banging outside. This first time it occured, I was so petrified that I literally was laying in bed awake for 30 mins scared that there would be an aftershock, so I did not want to go back to sleep. It also felt so real that the first thing I did that morning was turn on the news and check to see if there had indeed been an earthquake. Nothing.
I have had this same basic thing happen three times since then- It is not as dramatic as it was the first time, and I can convince myself that it was just my imagination. But it is getting annoying.
So what am I saying? I really truly hope that when the "big one" acutally does finally come, that it happens during the day, and not at night. Is that a weird thing to wish for?

How fun...

How cool would this be to see- or heck to even be a part of?



They also did something like this in New York- at Grand Central. There is a group that does it called Improve Everywhere.
Here is the one that they did in Grand Central-

8 Things

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:
1. Vacation- possibly to Denver, and Cedar City. Big time this summer
2. Thursdays- cause I get to play with Bronson
3. Weekends- who does not look forward to the weekend?
4. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince movie- this is my favorite book- so I sure that this will be my favorite movie...
5. To go boating- Kelli and nate got their boat fixed! It is only a matter of days now.
6. Being done with school- years off still
7. Traveling to Europe
8. Just life in general!

8 Things I did yesterday
1. Went to work
2. Went on a walk with Jen
3. Consoled Monica- after I delivered her some bad news... sorry Monica.
4. Served old people on our Service Scavenger hunt for FHE
5. Meet some really cool people on the scavenger hunt
6. Started to clean my room after two months of not cleaning it- it is bad.
7. Texted Tara about the Viking invasion that was occuring at our house- funny story- I will have to tell you some time...
8. Felt releaved that I got paid a day early...it helped.

8 Things I Wish I could do
1. Not have to worry about money
2. Stop procrastinating.
3. Bake every day :)
4. Have more time to practice my cello and piano
5. Run- I guess I need the desire to run first
6. Speak up more often
7. Keep organized
8. Paint my toe nails neatly - I always make a mess of it.

8 Shows I Watch
1. Lost
2. Cupid
3. House
4. Frasier
5. Food Network Challenge- when it is cake or pastry type challenges
6. Ugly Betty
7. The Office
8. America's Next Top Model

8 People Tagged---
1. Monica
2. Meghann
3. Cassie
4. Elaine
5. Tara
6. Jane
7. Jared- cause I know you are checking up on me...
8. Nicole

I would rather sit at home Thank you.

So my little sister has her Prom this weekend. She is excited. But that is not why I am writing about a high school prom ten years after I am out of High school.
My sister has this friend who, to put it nicely, has absolutely no social skills. She is completely oblivious to this fact too, and does not understand why only "creepy" guys are interested in her. (hmmm, maybe your slightly slutty looking pics of yourself on facebook are the first give away?) But I digress- So this girl- we will call her Kay- (not her real name- you just never know) She did not get asked to Prom. Now, I can sympathize with this. I did not get asked to Prom. But I did not sit around and stuff myself with ice cream that night either. I was proactive, and I asked a good friend of my to go with me- which actually ended up being lame, and one of my worst dates, but not for the fact of who I took. (again I digress)
Well, Kay's mother, feeling sorry for her daughter's lack of date, decides to find Kay a date. This all occurs a week before said prom is to occur- pickings are slim.
Well mother succeeds- who does she get I hear you asking? No one other then Kay's Brother-in-Law. Can we say MAJOR Pity date? Yes- said brother-in-law is WAY to old to be going to high school prom- at least 23.
So how awkward would this be? "No I am hanging out with a bunch of teenagers for the night. No I am not a chaperon, I am a date. Yes, I do realize that is utterly pathetic."
And how said for Kay- she is going to have to introduce her date- Yeah this is my brother-in-law. Yeah, it is a total pity date. I rock.
Well meant gesture by Brother-in-law and Mother- but SERIOUSLY- I would rather sit at home.

Post New York Syndrom

I have discovered I have a new "disease". I have Post New York Syndrom. It is kind of like post traumatic stress syndrom, but not traumatic or stressful.
I have noticed that some times, when my mind starts to wonder, or really when I am just doing a monotonous task (like what I do almost every day at work), my mind will suddenly flash to someplace in New York or Connecticut. Or it flashes to a memory from an activity while I was living back east.
These are always totally random thoughts- it has been five years since I have moved back to Utah, but these flashes always happen.
Like today for example, I flashed to this place in New Rochelle- I think. It is by a Costco. I remember one time I went to this little restruant for lunch with Meghann.(as often was the case- most of my flashes have Meghann in them, or are somewhere I went with Meghann...)
The other day I flashed to this Starbucks that I would get hot chocolate from, that was by this movie theatre...
When these flashes happen I try to remember where I flashed to, and what was in the area, and how to get around there. I am findind it harder to navigate my way around ( in my mind) This is sad to me. I spent so many hours driving around and exploring. Especially when I first got there. That is one of the most exciting things for me. And one of the proudest facts about my living back east. I felt like I had mastered it. I knew the area better then my employers did- I was awesome.
And now it is fading- which is hard. I need to go back- I think I could still find my way from the airport to my house in New Canaan.