my dashboard is deceiving.

when i log onto blogger it tells me that "slippers and sperrys has 6 posts".  but...what you don't know is that 5 of them are drafts.  had i actually finished any of those posts, i would have been averaging a decent post every couple of weeks. but alas, i have not. my busy life of doing nothing all by myself in LA has really detained me.

i frequently have "i should blog about this" moments. but they fade really fast...like when i realize that they are dumb. or there's cake. or really anything else going on. 

a bit of our recent ongoings:

 i purchased a dust buster.

when you're a clean freak, this is a lifesaver. i was bouncing off the walls with excitement when it arrived and was finally all charged up and ready to use. like i said, i don't have much going on...

 in march we went to las vegas to spend easter weekend with family.  it was really nice outside, perfect pool, easter egg hunting and croqueting weather.

valentina gave this little set to me at my bridal shower and it has become one of our most used gifts.  we play as much as we can. jared loves to teach and so all the littles round up and attempt to play with him coaching them along the way. i also had my first experience in the walker lawn business. oh i blew those leaves and trimmed those bushes. but i left the heavy lifting to kimber. vegas people have "yard work" so easy. because their yards are smaller than their driveways. sooo if you're in vegas and don't want to mow your patch of grass, the walkers will do it for a small fee.

i was sick on easter sunday and so we were only able to make it to sacrament meeting but it was a really great meeting and a wonderful reminder of what the easter holiday is all about.  

 with jared as the scout master, he gets to have a lot of boy time.  this time i was able to help too. we went to the stake pinewood derby.  it was pretty legit. and some of those parents are really competitive. yes, the parents. one kid lost a race and his mom came charging up to the judges table with an official "pinewood derby alignment measuring stick" and insisted that something was wrong...good luck to that kid.

 we returned to las vegas for jared's birthday.  we got tickets to see band of horses and he wanted to have his birthday dinner with his family.  

now here's the thing. i do not like las vegas. i will not sugar coat that for anyone. it's dead, brown, sinful and hotter than hades.  but i do love that we have family there.  i learn patience with children, i learn to cook new things and best of all, i am surrounded by supportive parents, new traditions, and examples of strong marriages and happy parenting. and for that, i am always very grateful and happy to return to.  it's a weekend long party when we come to town. this time the party kicked off with a trip to the emergency room when jared's dad tore the bejeezus out of his elbow.

 but he lived. and survived surgery. it was almost worse for jared because he passes out at the sight/sound of bodily mishaps. they don't phase me at all... but i can't even mention it without him turning ashen.

 the concert was great. the music was fantastic and the venue was cool. the crowd was questionable and really rather unenthusiastic but we enjoyed ourselves, nonetheless.

did i mention that while we were there half the family was dropping like flies one by one from a stomach flu? well it hit us like a ton of bricks about 24 hours later. so we spent jared's birthday with fevers and running for the bathroom. ick. the day i was over that i thought "this was just a 48 hour kinda thing..i'm good as new". so yes, my first meal was in n' out. and yes..it didn't go well 15 minutes later. back to toast. blah.

but why is jared such a great husband? he knew i would throw up in n' out but i wanted it so bad and so without complaining, he went and got it for me anyway. such a sweetheart.

now i am well, weighing in at just over 100 lbs, and bored to hell. but i really do like the idea of part time work so we will see how things turn out. 

oh ps there was an earthquake the other day. it was just a little one, but i have officially experienced (-ed because i survived it) my first earthquake.

forgot to post this a couple months ago...

(written on 03/01)
after my first family blog post, it became very apparent that we need to do more things. so we have been doing stuff. 

the other week we went out to dinner and a movie with some friends.  the best part was that it was a restaurant none of us had ever been to and we tried foods that we had never had. they somehow managed to make the best spinach that i have ever had. afterwards we walked over to this historic theatre in santa monica.  they were showing a remastered version of the original "Lawrence of Arabia".  none of us had ever seen it but knew of its impressive reputation. both jared and i love old classic movies, so we were completely down for the 4 hour experience.  if you spend time in santa monica, you should try out this theatre.  it is old, slightly run down, but very nostaligic.  and it was jam packed! a full house. lots of film major types (scarves, fedoras, vests...you know the type) but really, just an entire theatre full of all different kinds of movie goers.  the theatre holds several events a month and we are excited to go to another one soon.  we just wish that we had heard of it sooner...like when ben affleck came to talk about argo at the premiere. ugghhh 

is anyone else a popcornaholic?  i love popcorn. and no matter how full i am, what time of day it is, where i am, if there is popcorn- i want it.  46% of the time i go into the theatre and think "naa, i'm good." but inevitably. one of us ends up going to the concession stands for a big ol bag of buttery kernels of fluffy goodness. the smell gets me every time. makes me miss hillary- we ALWAYS share a popcorn when we go to target together. eating while shopping helps me to not overspend (well at least not on groceries...).

but not to worry, i have become somewhat obsessed with eating raw fruits and vegetables.  i don't necessarily insist on organic (because that's such a sales ploy 67% of the time) but i do prefer local.  last week i made sure to eat tons of raw foods and drink extra water and i felt so good. cleanses are all the rage, but i am not really interested in a liquid diet of grass water or spending 10 days on the toilet. trader joes is just up the street and i love their produce.  they have great prices, from local farmers, their grocers know everything you need to know about shopping, they validate your parking and are within walking distance of target. plus, i admit, i find myself feeling so "california" walking around the town, sun shining on my face, as i carry my fresh groceries in my trader joe's reusable shopping bag.. it's the one time a week i fit in here...

and when i am not distracting my cupcake cravings with carrots, i sometimes craft.  i thought that it would be easy to sew rope onto fabric and make a pillowcase. and maybe for normal crafters it is- but that was not the case for me. finally after using 2 chairs, duct tape and chip clips to hold it steady, i was able to get it all put together. and even though i will have to make another one that i actually like- it was not fun.

 i also thought that it would be fun to get a little kitchen greenhouse to grow my own herbs.  buying all the stuff was fun. but 5 days after i transferred them, they all died... so that part was not fun. i need to read a book. or move. our apartment doesn't get much sunlight...

  

last weekend we drove down to irvine for the BYU volleyball game.  it was thrilling. and always good to see scotteroo and his family.  i had my first yogurtland experience, saw a couple old friends, and learned that white men really can jump.  that is the farthest south that i have ever been in CA, hopefully we will go back soon and explore newport, san diego, etc.

the weather here has been nothing short of fantastic.  on saturday we had a beach day. i cannot remember the last time i was able to wear just a t-shirt on march 1st, let alone a swimsuit.   it really was the perfect day. we packed up our books, towels and spf.  stopped to support some girl scouts/stock up on snacks and spent the rest of the morning in the sea breeze and sunshine.

sunday i was home sick all day and actually really sad about it. i hadn't gone out and done anything saturday night because i needed to stay home and work on my primary lesson. i spent forever making their handouts, game and treats. but i know that they missed me.

that's it for now...

diyers.

here are the pics from our little DIY project.

  not the most advanced blueprint, but it worked.

i headed off to home depot for supplies.  it was a successful trip and reminded me of how much i love that place. also, if you want to feel good about yourself, go to a home depot.  lot's of men stop and kindly compliment. they are also more than willing to drop everything to help load and push your cart around.  i also did not wear my wedding ring for this purpose (not the compliments, but the help. and jared is aware of and approves this method)...

started off with the 2x4s and put together the frame.

 jared loves any excuse to use his power tools. he also has much more patience for accuracy and perfection than i do.

then we nailed the piece of plywood to the frame.

and i would like to say, that i did help with all of this... i was just the one taking pictures too...

then a layer of foam board (we used a 2" thick insulation foam board) and padding

 

covered it with some red, quilted material and there ya go.

nothing fancy, i am pretty sure a 9 year old could successfully complete this project.  but for less money and an opportunity to work on something together- it turned out just great. 

oh and in the front room, i also tried to do some shelf styling.. i am not very good at it. but i really like that i have had so many more places to put all of my books.