MIA

Hey Guys, I know I've been MIA lately -- I've just been feeling a little (or a lot) under the weather. I've missed some time from work too and haven't really done much the past week except try and sleep it off. I hope you'll bear with me for awhile until I'm back at it :-)

Come What May

Something very amazing happened to me a couple of months ago. I stumbled upon a blonde, Canadian version of myself who is living in some parallel universe in Utah with her husband Ben. Say whaaaat? It really is the strangest thing to read something that someone else writes and feel like you wrote it. Almost every single post on Come What May leaves me wondering if she didn't hack into my computer and steal one of my unpublished posts. Basically Cassie and I are the same person, living two different lives. Mine in California and hers in Utah. Let's examine the facts shall we? 

• She was married on the exact same day as me and Brandon. 10.9.10. I mean that alone almost seals the deal for me.

• She confessed that she thinks she looks the best in car mirrors. There is just something about the lighting or the angle in the car. I died when I read this because how true is that?!

• She is obsessed with Diet Coke. Enough said. 

• She shared this recipe that will make you drool all over your keyboard. Whipped cream...crushed oreos... caramel...crushed pecans...chocolate...cheesecake... Okay so this fact actually has nothing to do with me, but I love you guys and wanted to share something so delectable. 

• She's Canadian. Okay, so I might not be Canadian, but this one wins her points because I've yet to meet a Canadian that I didn't like! Wanna know why it's so great to be Canadian? Read on. 

I've now scientifically proven that she is living my life in a parallel universe. 

Bottom line, you will love her.

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Q & A #2 in the orange orchard

On the way back from Julian a couple of weeks ago, 

we pulled over at an Orange Orchard and wandered around taking a couple of pictures. 
I could not justify doing a whole blog post on them but figured I would share them with another Q & A session. 

What are some of your pet peeves?
Where do I start? Traffic, slow drivers, tail gaters, loud chewing, guys with long nails, one long pinky nail, dirt under fingernails, servers that aren't quick with refills, ignorance, the word hella. Is it normal to have so many? I could keep going...

Favorite TV channel?

 We actually just cancelled our cable (gasp). We found that we were paying close to $100 and RARELY watching it. Since we didn't have DVR, I never managed to actually catch my favorite shows when they were on, so I would end up watching them online. Shows like Real Housewives of anywhere, Bethenny Ever After, basically anything on Bravo. We signed up for Netflix though since watching movies is one of my favorite things to do in the world.  

 

One thing you wish you could change about yourself?

 If I could change anything about myself it would my anxious, worry-wart tendencies. One reason that I feel Brandon compliments me so well is because he is always calm, which in turn helps to calm me. I'm always worried about the future, or things that we don't have control over, or things that will probably never happen. I have a hard time shutting my brain off at night because a million things that worry me are going through my head.

Can't stay serious for long

What is the one thing that drives you nuts about Brandon?

ooo, this is such a good question! And I've realized that some of the things that drive me nuts are also things I really love about him too. Talk about being conflicted. I love that he's a man of many hobbies. He's so handy and can fix almost anything. Along with that talent comes a slight obsession with working on things in the garage. He would disappear into the garage for days at a time if I didn't come nagging him once in awhile. For instance, this weekend he has probably spent about 12 hours out there so far. He only left the garage yesterday because we had to meet my parents in Temecula for Mother's Day lunch.

Doesn't it make you want freshly squeeze orange juice?

Global Volunteer Day

Every year the company I work for, Life Technologies, hosts Global Volunteer Day. This is a day that all 10,000 Life Tech employees can step away from their desks or their labs and work together to help out our local communities. They also provide food and entertainment during the breaks from volunteering. I'm talking rock climbing, ice cream trucks and treats!

Be the change you wish to see in the world

Life Technologies works with multiple organizations and gives its employees the choice of which we'd like to work with. I immediately chose Kids Against Hunger an amazing organization dedicated to providing families with food that would otherwise go without. They put together a team of food scientists who developed a specific food formula that meets the specific needs of starving children. The four components are dehydrated vegetables, soy, vitamins and rice and when added to boiling water becomes a nutritious meal. 

Our job was to fill and seal these bags of food -- each one providing six meals. 

We basically worked in an assembly line. Each putting in a scoop of one ingredient, weighing the bags, sealing the bags, and putting the bags in boxes that were to be shipped out to West Africa the next day!

As a group we ended up making enough bags to feed 24,000 people!! There was a second shift that day that produced the same amount. That is close to 50,000 meals we helped to provide. I'm still floored by the numbers!

New Ladies

How has another weekend come and gone? Last week was an exceptionally long feeling one at work and I needed these past few days to sleep in and decompress. Brandon made breakfast (and did the dishes) both mornings, and I basically laid on the couch finishing my final project for school and watching old movies while he worked on his car in the garage. And just like that, the weekend is over. On the bright side, my class is over and I'll have my evenings back for the next few weeks before my summer class starts. On an even brighter side, I'd like you to meet the second half of the lovely and creative ladies who answered my question a couple of weeks ago:  
Which TV character do you relate to and why? 

Gina from Contemplating Beauty

Etsy Shop: The Vintage Violet          Blog          Beautifully Rooted

Melissa from Forever and a Day

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Krista from Crescendo

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Becky from A Becky Blog

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If you don't already know these ladies, you're missing out!

I give you permission to leave my blog and check 'em out ;-)

Jamroc

Brandon and I used to live right across the street from a little Jamaican restaurant named Jamroc which is located on the coast highway in Encinitas. We ate there at least once a week and luckily when we moved it was only a few miles away. The tiny restaurant is filled with vibrant colors, live music on the weekends and the most delicious food. Although I will admit I've only ever ordered one thing. 

In the spirit of island living, Brandon ordered a red stripe and we enjoyed fresh, hot coconut bread while we waited for our food. They actually bring the dough to a local bakery who bakes it for them everyday. 

My rude date reading the paper at the table

The brightly colored walls capture the feel of island life, and for a tiny second we can pretend that it's not a work night.

My absolute favorite dish (and the only one I've ever ordered) is the Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya. Pieces of chicken and slices of sausage with bell peppers, black beans and onions in a spicy sauce made directly in heaven is poured over a bed of rice.

It also comes with a piece of fried plantain bread which is slightly sweet. It's has a slight crunch on the outside and it's light and fluffy inside, almost like a donut. 

The service is always fast and friendly, and they kept my diet coke refilled (a must for me!)

If you're in the Encinitas area I couldn't recommend Jamroc enough.

Not a happy cramper

I was chatting with Lauren via text awhile ago
and somehow the topic of our first period came up.
Her husband calls it "her pyramid". 
Is this a socially acceptable topic for a blog post?
Does it help if I say it was totally Lauren who brought it up?
Well the convo reminded me of the first time I ever had cramps.

I was in middle school, so 11 or 12 years old, 

and my family had dragged me (drug me?) on a camping trip.

I had zero interest in spending a weekend outside with bugs, and dirt and tents.

To be honest, not much has changed in the last 15 years. 

But alas I had no choice,

and being the angst-ridden pre-teen girl I was,

made sure to pout about it. 

In addition to the normal misery that is camping

I felt awful.

My stomach hurt so badly in a way I couldn't describe.

I was walking back to the tent from the disgusting porta-potty

when it really began to ache.

I decided that it made complete sense to lay down on the dirt trail

in.the.middle.of.the.forest. 

I mean, what was weird about that?

It felt so much better.

So there I was laying in the dirt,

thinking nothing of it

{we were in the middle of nowhere!}

When I'm approached by the ranger in his little ranger truck.

"Young lady are you okay?"

Of course I'm okay.
Is it alarming to you Mr. Ranger to find a young girl laying in the dirt in the middle of the forest?
Weird.
He took me back to my horrified parents

{who still give me a hard time about it to this day}

and I told my mom about my "stomachache".

She gave me a pill and I took a nap in the tent.

It was like a miracle drug.

I was healed!

What was this magical medication she had healed my body with?

Midol.

Welcome to womanhood.

The Oxford Trunk

Whenever I find a gem of a shop/store/boutique, I love to share. When I found out that my IRL (in real life) friend Jessica had opened up a handmade jewelry shop with her sister Jen, I was thrilled. These are two of the most stylish, gorgeous sisters I know. 

Jess. Gorgeous. Am I right, or am I right?

I was even more excited when I actually got to peruse their website, The Oxford Trunk. The first thing I saw was their motto, "Young, broke and fabulous" and knew this was going to be right up my alley. ALL of their handmade pieces are under $50, and there are a ton of pieces between $10-$25. I wanted to buy something immediately, so I chose The Stone Necklace in black. Not only was it only $21 but it arrived at my house a few days later! I must have squealed 17 times while unwrapping my necklace -- the packaging alone was gorgeous!

This pretty tote comes free with purchases over $50

The necklace is absolutely gorgeous and I've been able to dress it up and dress it down.

It was surprisingly light which I was relieved about.

No one wants to wear a huge heavy necklace around their neck all day.

This is all to say, if you're a jewelry hoarder like I am,

{who doesn't want to pay a lot}

go visit:

The Oxford Trunk