I Love My Dad

My car is getting to an age where things are starting to...oh, I don't know...die. It's a 2003 so, I guess it has a right to be wanting repairs. My cars recent episode has been with my anti-lock break system. One of my ABS sensors has started to slowly go out so the dealership told me I had to get a new one. The sensor, alone, cost me $110. The Mazda dealership quoted me $400 for parts and labor to have the new one put on. $400!! No thank you Mazda.

So, I ordered the part from them (only because it was a dealer-only part) and called my Dad to see if this was something he could handle. Since my Dad has been a mechanic for over 30 years I figured it probably was. I was right. My Dad was more than willing to save me the extra $290 by putting it on for me FOR FREE. I don't know what I would do without my Dad. He is so nice to sacrifice his time for me on a Saturday and fix my failing car. Love you Dad.

The Organ Loft

My Mother-In-Law invited me to come along with her to a theater off of 3300 S. and State Street called The Organ Loft. They play old, black and white, silent films. The cool thing they add to it though is a guy that plays the organ all the way through the movie! It was really neat if you ask me! We saw Charlie Chaplin's The Kid. Here's a picture of the screen. You'll see down below the screen is an organ that a guy comes out to play on. And below is a picture I took during the film that shows the lights on the organ.
The Kid was a cute movie! It wasn't one of Charlie Chaplin's hilarious movies. It was a little more serious and tender, but very good. We went to dinner before the movie at a little place called Cafe Med. It's a Mediterranean food restaurant that i've been wanting to try again. I went there once a long time ago and wasn't impressed. I wanted to give it a second chance and I'm glad I did. It was yummy. Fun night out.

Launch of Bead Boulevard Creations

Today I officially launched my jewelry store online! I'm so excited for this venture. Please check out my store at:

www.beadblvdcreations.etsy.com

There are only a few things on there right now, but more is to come!

New Years Resolutions? Nah.

I don't like to make new years resolutions because 1) I never keep them and 2) they are overrated. No sense in getting my hopes up, right? However, I find that a change is coming on. Is it coincidently at the start of the new year? Maybe. I didn't intentionally make any resolutions or set any goals. It just appears that opportunities and plans have been presented and I've felt very inclined to do them! "Why not?" I tell myself. (It may have something to do with it being the beginning of the year, but humor me and we'll pretend that isn't a factor.) I have some things coming up this year that i'm excited about and I felt the need to share them so, here it goes!

Exciting Item 1: Guitar LessonsI was pondering what other kind of fun hobbies I could get in to that didn't cost as much as jewelry making and a sudden idea came to mind. Learning to play the guitar. I've always wanted to learn! I originally thought that maybe there was a class I could sign up for at SLCC. To my surprise, two days later, I get a catalog in my mailbox from Granite Peaks Lifelong Learning. They offer a number of continuing education classes that you can take including Beginning and Intermediate Guitar! Today I registered for their Beginning Guitar classes and I start on January 21st. I thought I was going to have to rent a guitar from a music store, but a co-worker of mine offered up her guitar for me to borrow. Score! I get 9 class sessions and it only cost me $40. Is that a deal or what?

Exciting Item 2: Sending Survivor an audition tapeYou may laugh at me, but I am a huge Survivor fan. I haven't watched every season that has ever aired, but pretty close. If you recall back to one of my earlier posts(back in April), I put up a little thing called My Bucket List. Item number 13 on that list is "Audition to be on a TV show". (In looking back to said list I realized that item number 8 is "Learn to play the guitar"! Haha. Must be a bucket list fulfillment year.) Anyway, I checked the CBS website and they are going to be accepting video submissions on January 18th and if you're one of the lucky ones that is picked you'll get to fly to L.A. for an audition. Now, some people that have made it on the show have said that they applied for it several times before making it on the show. I seriously doubt I'll make it, but at least I can say that I tried. Now I just have to ponder what my video will be like. Yikes.

Exciting Item 3: Europe, May 2010I will get to return to the UK! Howie has always wanted to visit Scotland and I've wanted to go back ever since I went in 2006. So, in May of this year we are going to spend 2 weeks traveling around the UK. We're going to do a whole week in London and visiting the surrounding areas of London and then another full week in Scotland. I would also like to stay in a Bed & Breakfast in York, England. We'll see. We've booked our airfare, but we've still got to iron out the details. After the week in Scotland we're going to spend two nights in...wait for it...I can't tell you how excited I truely am about this...this is a dream come true...Paris, France! We will only get to be there for two nights, but I'll take it. I've always wanted to go and if I'm able to go for two days, I will not complain. Who knows? Maybe I'll be totally unimpressed with it and never want to go back again. At least I can say I went.

Exciting Item 4: Baby maybe?Howie and I have always said that we wanted to wait at least two years before we started trying to have children. This June will mark our two year anniversary. If Survivor doesn't work out for me (haha) we may try to start a family. I have reservations. The more I try to imagine myself as a parent, the harder it is. I've always thought that I wanted to wait until I was absolutely sure I was ready. My Dad has said to me "If you wait until you're ready, you'll never have them". He's probably right. It's something that is in the back of my mind. It's something that will require some more thought and prayer. But I am excited about the idea of having children.

Exciting Item 5: Staying FitI plan to be more fit this year. For my sanity, I need it. I went to the gym last night and it felt SO good to do something good for my body. I really need to start going regularly. I have a membership at 24 Hour Fitness and I WILL be using it. I won't say how I'm so motivated(because I don't know), but I really think I mean it this time!

Exciting Item 6: Maui, Hawaii, September 2010We will also be traveling to Maui, Hawaii in September. Howie's parents have a timeshare and they are allowed a week of travel every year. Fortunately for us, they have an extra week! We were more than happy to take it off their hands! We will be spending a week on the west shore of Maui. I can't believe we're going. This is another place that i've been dying to visit and I can't wait! We're going to save any funds we have left over from Europe to use in Hawaii. The only reason why we're able to go is because of my in-laws and frequent flier miles. Otherwise, two big trips in one year probably wouldn't happen. We like to try to do one per year.

Anyway, thanks for letting me share my new years resol..wait, not resolutions, just plans. They are my plans for 2010.

Graceling - by Kristin Cashore

I had Howie buy me this book for Christmas and I finished all 471 pages of it in four days! This book was really good and reminded me a bit of The Hunger Games. Mostly because it's another book that centers on a strong, independent girl that is very strong willed. Her name is Katsa and she is a Graceling. A Graceling is a person with two different colored eyes and they each have their own "Grace". Some can have a mind reading grace, a running fast grace, etc. It just depends on what you're graced with. Katsa happens to be graced with a strong ability to survive. Her grace comes in handy when she takes on the task of rescuing a young Princess that is being hunted by her evil father, Leck, the Kind of Monsea. I simply couldn't put this one down. Ever read a book that is so descriptive that it almost feels like you've been watching a really cool, action packed movie? I love it when a book makes me feel that way. This is definitely one of those books! I just started on Kristin Cashore's second book entitled Fire. So far, so good. I'll let you know what I think of that one when I'm all finished.