Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Junk?

Before you toss your stuff into the trash or give it to D.I. think of your local school or favorite teacher. You would be surprised what they can use.


For example ...
*Cookie cutters and rolling pins -- ceramics teacher ;)

*File folders

*Old books -- check with the library first. It is also a very popular project in art classes to make altered books. Students take old books and paint, draw, college etc in them creating a personal portfolio.

*containers -- anything from yogurt containers to storage boxes. Any teacher can use these.

*Fabric

*Soda cans -- don't just toss them ... let a teacher or club take them in and recycle them for $$

*Magazines -- great for colleges and scrap

*Old ... out of date digital camera

One mans junk is another mans treasure! Or teachers and schools are poor so anything they can get donated is gold!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

To do before I die ....

.... hike Timp ... check!

I have lived in Utah my entire life and I have never hiked Timp. It is something that has been on my "To Do Before I Die List" (you all have a to do before you die list ...right?) for years. My Dad agreed to hike to the summit with me one last time. So we picked the perfect date ...

Today is my Dad's 67th birthday!

He is pretty impressive don't you think.



I was extra determined to do this hike this year. Because of my heart procedure I had to drop out of the Alcatraz race and out of doing a triathlon. I just wanted to do one "event" ... to accomplish something. So five days after my two month mark I did a 14 mile hike to over 11,100 feet!

Our good friend Mark did the hike with us. Mark has known me since I was 3 years old and has done this hike with my Dad a couple of times. I will always remember Mark calling me
Sari-Maria. Mark made me do it!
From start to finish the hike was so beautiful. The leaves are just starting to change which made the scenery breathtaking. The view from the saddle and from the summit was amazing. I couldn't believe I was actually up there! I had made it. I could officially cross 'hiking Timp' off my list. It was a great day!

Thanks Dad for taking me up! by the way.... my new and improved heart did great! I love the thing!



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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Houston we have a problem.

In the midst of my canning frenzy I never took into consideration that I live in a town house .. with very little storage space. After each bottling session I would bring the bottles home and put them on my counter to admire (it is part of the joy of canning). After a few days .. ok weeks I was ready to have those bottles off my counter. Big problem! I have NO where to put them!
Problem solved!
I have one small storage space under my stairs which needed some organizing. I went to the Home Depot and purchased this little shelving unit. Doesn't it look nice? I officially have storage ... food storage! I love it!(I admit that this is before I put some of the stuff back. It still looks nice, just with a little more stuff.)



Thursday, September 17, 2009

Domestic Goddess!


There is something about this time of year that makes me turn very domestic ... well as domestic as I ever get. For the second year in a row (does that make it a tradition?) my sisters and I gather at my mom's house to spend a day, an entire day to bottle spaghetti sauce. Almost everything is garden fresh. They both grew the most impressive gardens this year.

It is a lot of work but so worth it. It is the most delicious spaghetti sauce you have tasted. We thoroughly enjoy our day together. Chatting and laughing and discussing life. How I love my sisters and these times we spend together.
(what a cheerful caner I am)
Our good friend and neighbor Laura Ann joined us this year.



I have also bottled salsa ... and some more salsa ...what else do you do with lugs and bushels of tomatoes?
My mom and I bottled her famous dill pickles.
Aren't they pretty. They are the best dill pickles you will ever taste!
I also made Spicy Peach jam and Strawberry Rhubarb jam. I am on a caning frenzy I tell ya!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Summer 2009

St. Thomas
Labor Day has come and gone ... which means summer is officially over. This summer recap post is long past due. I have gotten sucked into the beginning of another school year and it seems to be flying by.
Summer sleepover with Aunt Sari
(that shelf is now complete with pictures IN frames)
It seems like I was just writing my end of school year/beginning of summer post. Once again I can't believe how fast my summer went by! The first day of my summer break I sat out on my patio and made my "What I Want To Accomplish" list (of course I made a list .. right). I did a pretty good job this year in checking off most of the the items on my list.One of my projects -- hand towels with ribbon on them
It was an interesting summer. Summer pre-heart procedure and summer post-heart procedure. People ask me all the time what I do with myself when I am not working. I manage to keep myself very busy and I love it! I am SO good at not working! My pre-heart procedure days went something like this ... Get up around 6:30 or 7:00 and depending on the day swim, bike or run. I got into a great schedule of working out. It is the best way start the day. Tuesdays and Fridays were our bike rides and my dad, Hun, mom, and Laura often joined me. We had such fun! After working out I had a little routine. I would do a little work on my patio (watering and dead heading) and then read my scriptures. My patio is one of my favorite things about my house. It was exceptionally nice this year. I then would pick an item off my "summer list". Pick up around the house and get ready for the day. I often had lunch plans with a friend. I love getting to go to lunch, something I never get to do during the school year. My afternoons were spent at the pool, running errands (I play a lot of catch up during the summer) doing projects, reading, playing with my sisters (Emily comes to town for about month in June -4th of July), riding my bike, Pilates, and well some school stuff. I seriously felt so busy.

In there we had the 4th of July which was bigger and better than EVER! Fire Girls 550 South
4th of July
Oh it was so much fun. One of the best parts of my summer. The 4th of July truly is my favorite day of the entire year (yep even more than my birthday!) Just after the 4th I took off and went on a 9 day Caribbean cruise with 3 great friends. It was my one and only trip of the summer. Can you believe I only went on ONE trip this summer. At least I did use my passport! It was 9 days of bliss and relaxation. Just three days after returning ... I went in for my heart procedure.

Summer post-heart procedure. This part of my summer was not quite as ... well ... dreamy. I was pretty much down and out for about two weeks. Gone were the days of getting up and working out, riding my bike and pilates. After about a week I was able to lounge at the pool, so I did do that almost every day. I was pretty wiped out so I slept a lot. I finished up a few projects, did a big deep cleaning of my house before heading back to school, read, and leaned how to "chill". I had spent the first part of my summer going and doing, so the contrast was hard for me. My dad did get a litho done for me to paint and that was nice to have something to work on. The last weekend before going back to school was spent at the cabin. A great way to end my summer. Before I knew it .... I was back at school!

It was not my most exciting summer as far adventure goes. But it will be a summer that I will remember as life changing. I had a lot of time to think and ponder and count my blessings. I discovered some new interest and in just a short time feel like I did a lot of growing as a person. So all and all it was a very successful summer!

Summer 2009 List
Deep Cleaning my house! All summer long I work on deep cleaning my house. I pick a different choir off the list each day to work on.
*Vacuum -- hose work, anywhere the hose can go -- I go!
*couches, mattress, floor boards, behind the fridge, washer and dryer, under and over anything and everything.
*Curtains (take them all down and wash them)
*Blinds and windows
*All cupboards -- every cupboard in the house gets emptied and cleaned
*Dust and polish all wood
*Fridge and pantry clean out
*Garage clean out
*Clean out closets

*Projects
/ *Organize (re-do) file drawers
/ *Baby blankets/burp cloths
/ *Bind a book
*Finish Quilt
/ *Back up computers
/ *Recycle cans
/ *Recycle phone books
/ * DI run
*Paint front door
/ *Picture shelf

*Goals
/ (except when I was on my cruise or the week of my surgery) *Temple once a week
*Read Book of Mormom (I almost did it ... I will finish in the next week)
/ *Lots of Reading
* Remember Me, The Alchemist, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Austinland, Undomestic Goddess, 1776,
*Alcatraz (nope .. had to drop out because it was after my procedure)
*Triathlon (same as above .. next year!)

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Stuff Stuff Stuff!

For Sale!
My friend Staci is having a GARAGE SALE and I am throwing some stuff in too.
Saturday September 12
8:00 am - Noon
2960 N 1350 West, Lehi.
come on by and check it out!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

happy 09.09.09
it must be your lucky day!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Just What the Doctor Ordered!

Happy Labor Day!
We had a most fabulous Labor Day weekend at the cabin!
Friday after work Peter, Jennie, Clementine, Anchor, Dad and I headed up the mountain (mom joined us Saturday). I was the first one there and started my weekend with a brief run/walk in my new Keens (love them!)
It was a weekend of relaxing (I did manage to shower but was in sweat pants, pj's, or shorts the entire time), reading, walks, hikes, and lots and lots of eating!
The Barney's came up on Sunday evening for dinner and some craft'in and gaming.
All of you know how clever/crafty/creative my sister's are! Hun was making these felt flowers for a pillow she is making. I love them and think they would be so fun for a book cover. Then I had (I do have a little .. just a little of that cleverness) the idea to attach these felt flowers to a hairband. Isn't that fun!
Just a little craft'in and visiting. Outside on the deck the rest of the group were making their boats to float down the river.
Dan and Jennie playing "tap tap"
Clementine and I had a great time exploring, walking and talking. We found a couple caterpillars (one dead and had to bury it). The weather was perfect and we loved being outside.
Love this Anchor boy!
It was a MUCH needed weekend of NO stress! and Lots of RELAXING!
oh and I even got some painting done.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Bookbinding Workshop!

A couple week ago Staci and I took a bookbinding workshop from my cute friend Paige. Paige was my student teacher a couple years ago. She is amazingly creative, so cute, and a great teacher. I was so excited when she decided to put together this workshop.
Check out Paige's bookbinding website.

I took bookbinding in college and LOVE making books. It is one of my favorite things to do ... there is just something about a handmade book. Even more fun is to get together with fun friends to get new ideas and have an excuse to make books!
Staci was a natural!
She made a cover out of Plexiglas ... so cool!
Our finished products! We both love how our books turned out.
Thanks Paige for this great workshop! It was so fun.

Tour of Utah!


Last weekend I went up to the Jordanelle Tri to watch my friend Laura Ann compete (she did awesome!). Just as I was getting back to my car the peloton of the Tour of Utah went right past me. It was SO cool. One of the guys threw his water bottle right next to me so of course I ran and picked it up. It will be my inspiration! (don't worry .. I will run it through the sanitize wash in the dishwasher)