In Love

I've been watching Top Chef:Masters this summer, and while not as good as the original, I've found it to be a diverting little summer treat. I've also got a new crush: Chef Hubert Keller. Yes, he's a little old for me, and yes, he's married, and no, I don't like long hair, but I was smitten from the first episode. It was a challenge where the chefs had to cook a meal in a dorm room. While the others were cursing and complaining, merry Hubert was rinsing his pasta in the bathroom shower with a smile on his face. He's a class act and man can he shuck an oyster! Here's hoping Hubert goes all the way.

I Am Losing It!

The average person looking at these shoes would notice a few key differences: This shoe is open on the side, has some nice top stitching, and a pleasantly high heel.

While this shoe is sensible, rather plain, and has a bitsy heel. These are my everyday work boots if you will.

Side by side, please also take note of the rather substantial height difference:

Apparently, I am not as smart as the average person. In my sleepy stupor this morning, I grabbed what I thought were my work boots, and ran out the door to go to work. It wasn't until I got out of my car at the office and started walking that I noticed that my left leg was an inch taller than my right. My left calf and I are now exhausted! It is hard work traipsing around on your tippy toes all day. But at least they were both black, right?

VT Idea

I've been a slacker at visiting teaching lately and was determined to get it done this month. I always like to take something, so even if our ladies aren't home, they get a little treat and message. I was inspired by an idea I saw on another blog for this month's message on temples and made my own version.

The Temple
A Refreshing Break from the World
Qualify for and partake of temple worship.
*Revitalize*Refresh*Renew*Restore*Replenish*

This was a good little reminder for myself too.

Still Love Ed!

I proclaimed it in June, and I still love that Ed. As usual, I was on pins and needles throughout the finale. If Jillian hadn't picked him, me and a few other girls would have been on our way to Chicago to find him . . . stat! After this season, I'm pretty sure that I love him too!

Until next season . . .

Look After You Leap

This morning I was running - haltingly - the final stretch of the Deseret News 10k when I see a news reporter on my left=hand side doing a street report - live! Now, what I should have done, was nothing. Instead I thought it would be a good idea to LEAP behind her with a goofy grin on my face.

Well, when your legs are about to give out anyway from RUNNING A RACE, it's probably not a good idea to try a running leap. I didn't think about the landing. I stumbled down and came thisclose to falling on my face. The good news: I'm pretty sure I was out of camera range by that time.

Things Will Never Be the Same Again

Nick Arrojo is replaced on What Not to Wear!? This does not bode well.

Julie's Love List

Because I love learning about what products and things people love, here are a few of my latest favorite things to share . . .

1. Hair Color - I can't believe that this wasn't on my 100 Things list. I LOVE getting my hair done and colored. I have been "lucky" enough to inherit gray hair that started when I was in my mid-20's. It started with a few stray hairs that I could pluck until now when I need 2 1/2 hours at the salon to completely cover and highlight my hair. I'm totally grateful for the miracle that Laurel at Salon Complete can pull off - first it was every 8 weeks, then 7, 6, now we're down to 5 weeks. Ughhh! Get this . . . I have just spotted my first gray eyebrow hair!

2. Sharpie Pens - Have you tried these yet? Last year I was asked by a friend to address her wedding invitations with my flowy handwriting and was researching different pens to use. I love Sharpie pens, but they often bleed through. These are just like a pen, but write smoothly, are still permanent, but don't leave a mark through the paper. Genius! I'm addicted to them.

3. My new wallet. Melinda can attest that I was in need of a new one for a few years now. It's hard to find a wallet that works well. I discovered this Hobo wallet that is my new favorite. I love the clutch style - so when I don't want to carry my mega bag around (and it's mega!) I can just take this with me. It has two roomy clasped compartments and then the middle is for my cards that close with a strong magnet. I love the design.

4. Smart Cookie - These cookies had me at their sweet, yummy cream cheese frosting! Delicious! I especially like the cookies that they frost to look like flowers and during the year have other seasonal delights. Mine is the American Fork store, but they have just opened one in Ft. Union near the movie theaters that you must try.

I Looked Out the Window and What Did I See

Hail coming down right before me!

Shortly after coming home from Church on Sunday I heard pounding on my patio door. I look out and see this . . . hail . . . in July. Crazy!

My Apologies...

...to everyone who had to see these bright orange babies paired with my career pants after my pedi tonight. Next time, I will remember to bring an appropriate open toed shoe to avoid this sad situation.

How Old Are They? How Old am I?

Do you recognize this man? With his distinguished salt-and-pepper hair, he could be the dad next door. Well guess what? He's a Beastie Boy! And he announced today that he has cancer. This makes me feel old. First of all, a rapper from my youth now looks like my dad, and second, he gets cancer! Rappers aren't supposed to get cancer! Check into rehab, sure - but not get cancer. Best wishes, Adam Yauch. Best wishes.

What are Your Qualifications?

Being a "young single adult" means that people have to plan things like the "Young Adult Summit" for you. This is a weekend full of - and I quote - "inspirational speakers, 3 live bands, luau, carnival, fireside, and much more!"

I'm not sure about The Summit in general (it seems like something that would be about 80% ladies)...but the best part is the list of speakers and their qualifications. Here are two of the most fun. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

BEAUTIFUL DISASTERS: What Do We Do When Life Gives us Trials we Didn't Ask For!!! The speaker? Ashley Jones: Oxtford graduate who has experienced extreme life challenges. How do you like that? When people ask you which speaker you are, you have to answer, "Oh, I'm the Oxford graduate who's experienced extreme life challenges." But she sounds spunky - she puts three exclamation points AND all caps in her title.

Balanced, Motivated and Healthy for Life: The Right Approach to Fitness and Health. The speaker? Marcus Smith: Studied dance and worked in physical therapy. I wouldn't be so concerned if his qualifications weren't all in past tense...

Anyway, I'm sure it'll be a lovely time. I'm just not sure I'll be there for it!

The Best $40 I've Ever Spent

Note of interest to all potential suitors: I have a roaster and I know how to use it! When I was first called to the ward dinner committee (wherein I plan dinners for 200 people once a month) I bought it on a whim, figuring it would come in handy. And boy howdy, has it ever!! Nearly every month I carry my trusty roaster to church and it has never failed me. This baby holds 18 quarts of food! And today at our Bird family reunion, we threw 25 pounds of pork in it and 80 people later, it still had pork to spare. When I was tired and worn out, my dear roaster was still going strong. The next time you wind up cooking for mass amounts of people, I would highly recommend you run out and get yourself a roaster! I'd let you borrow mine, but I'll probably be using it :)

Yuck!

I hate little creatures . . . . bugs of any sort. I am constantly checking around the baseboards in any room I enter to make sure that there are no creatures anywhere. When I go downstairs, I do a quick scan before I make a move. Last year, Saratoga Springs was on the news for having a spider epidemic and I was relieved that I wasn't affected. Until this year. A few weeks ago, I had noticed some nests that had formed up in the eves of my roof and figured they were wasps and was carefully watching them. They were so high up, I definitely couldn't reach them, and after doing a little internet research, figured they would be gone before long. Then, I started noticing little mud cigar-like shapes appearing around my front entry. They started small and then as I would come home each day, I noticed they were getting larger and larger until they were big mud pods. It started to freak me out where I was thinking more and more about them. I called around to schedule someone who could come out and spray and kill them. Today, as soon as I opened the front door, the lovely pest control man said, "You have got a big problem." He already had his nozzled sprayer attached to a big gallon of stuff and was getting to work on the front. I walked him around the house and showed him the other areas and left him to get after it. When he was done I asked him what was in those little mud pods. He said that it was a good thing I wasn't out there. As soon as he knocked the nests down, about 40 spiders came flooding out! YUCK!!! I just got the chills. Disgusting! The pest control man said that one of my nests was the biggest he had ever seen. Not quite the record I wanted to have. This picture is kind of what they looked like - but they were so deceptive - totally blended in with my stucco. I am so relieved that they are gone! I went out and got some special bug lights to put in my outside lights to help repel future creatures from coming around.

Watch It!

Oh how I love to people watch! I seriously think I have a problem because no matter what the situation is, I can console myself by saying, "Oh well, at least there's some good people watching here." I could honestly do it all day. It fascinates me to see what people are wearing, who they are with, why they did their hair that way, and the fact that most of these people have a mirror and thought they looked good before they left the house. Here are some of my favorite people watching venues:

1. The airport! Oh my word, sometimes I want to miss my flight just so I can see all of the interesting people in the airport. It is only here that you will see such a wide selection of hair styles, clothing options and people sleeping in awkward positions. Could this poor woman look any more uncomfortable?

Don't worry, not only did she not budge when I took her picture, but her neck didn't snap off from being so oddly contorted either.

2. Vacations! If you're having a bad self esteem day, pack yourself a bag and go on a vacation, because there will always be tens, if not hundreds of people in other cities who are flying their freak flags higher than you are. This is one of my favorite vacation shots. I made Kristen fake-pose by this wall so I could get a shot of this very old man and his bright pink socks. You go, sir.

3. Concerts and outdoor events. I went to the Bon Iver concert last week at the Gallivan Center, and the people watching was fantastic! I have never seen so many men in skinny jeans, sparkly shirts and keds! There was also an abundance of thrift store tube top/jumpsuits combos:

So, a big thank you to all of the unknowing participants who have and will continue to make my day!

They Serve Food Too

Now, I've talked before about how I don't seem to love IKEA like everyone else. It is sensory overload for sure. Anyplace that has to post special escape routes/exit signs throughout the store as if it were a haunted house, is too large for me. If I do go, I've figured out that I like the housewares stuff on the main level and can skip the labyrinth upstairs. This week, however, I was introduced to the Restaurant and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. Talk about a good meal at a fair price, this is it. Even though I work just 30 seconds away, it has never a draw to go inside for food. I had a work assignment to look for items to include in a "Welcome to Your Home" basket for our new homeowners so three of us went on a mission to search the store for possibilities, and of course, we got hungry and needed some food. Luckily, Shelbi had been there before and showed Cyndi and I the ropes of getting your tray and moving through cafeteria style. Shelbi recommended the meatballs, so we all got those. They were a delight. The meatballs are served with gravy, mashed potatoes and a Swedish ligonberry sauce. Not only were they good, but it filled us up for the whole day . . . and it was just five dollars! Did you know that they have kids meals for 99 cents too? Forget the shopping at IKEA . . . the next time I go it will be to sample more of the food. Does everybody else already know about this?

Time to Go to Bed

It's 2:52 am and I just watched a youtube video titled "Open a Banana Like a Monkey." It's definitely time to go to bed.

Oquirrh Temple Trip

We had a fun family outing to tour the Oquirrh Temple this week. The temple is beautiful!

I think one of the best volunteer jobs at the Open House is the driver of the little carts to help people get to and from the temple to their cars. One guy saw Grace dancing around in the parking lot waiting for our turn to go in and told her to find him after we got done and he would give us a ride. Luckily enough, we found him again and riding on the carts was a big hit. I tried to get a self-picture of Melinda and I on the back . . . it was a sharp turn.

Guilty Pleasure

So I totally have a new guilty pleasure/crush. While we were in Chicago, Kristen and I would come back to the hotel after a long day of walking around, in need of some relaxation time. Well, it was mostly me and my tired bones that needed a break, but I digress. Our hotel didn't have the best selection of channels, so we found ourselves spending a lot of time with the Discovery Channel. And then we stumbled upon Man vs. Wild and it's swarthy host, Bear Grylls!

First of all, his name is Bear! Secondly, he has a foxy accent. And thirdly, the man can escape from many a precarious situation with ease! In one of the shows we watched, Bear's trusty rucksack was used as a toboggan, a shelter, a stove and a pair of water proof pants. It almost made me want to go camping! And now I feel confident that I could survive if I ever fall into an icy river, need to spear a fish with my bare hands, or create a jungle hammock so as to avoid being killed by a poisonous snake.

GIVEAWAY!!!

See that little counter down there on the left? If it says 10,000 when you're on this blog, identify yourself! (even if you're a blog-stalker)

You won't be sorry!

Oh, Julie...

Here you go:

Loving . . .

That Jillian FINALLY wised up! This show always gets me on the edge of my seat wondering what's going to happen in the end. I can't decide . . . Ed, Reid, Kiptyn?!? Good riddance smarmy Wes!

Also loving SYTYCD . . . and my favorite dance from last week was Janette and Brandon's Cha Cha. (Kristen - how do I embed the jazzy video clip?!?!). I have watched it several times and downloaded the "Hush Hush" song from the Pussycat Dolls. Never thought I would have one of their songs . . . but love it.

Question . . . Does Mary think that she is giving out real tickets on the Hot Tamale train? We had not just regular tickets . . . but first class tickets. Hmmm. . .

We Heart Chic-ahh-go!!

Melinda and I got back this week from a fun-filled trip to the Windy City. I must say, it is one of my favorite cities. Here's why:

Skyscrapers and Beaches! One minute you're walking in between skyscrapers on the Magnificent Mile; and the next minute you're on the beach! Look how thrilled Melinda was to feel the sand betwixt her fingers.

Interesting art and architecture. Here I am on an architecture boat tour we took - it was fascinating!


We also enjoyed walking through Millennium Park and seeing the art pieces there - like The Bean





and the two towers that rotate the faces of 1,000 Chicagoans - then shoot water from their open mouths!

Good food. The Taste of Chicago was going on while we were there, meaning we got to try a lot of different restaurants' food for pretty cheap! Here's a picture with Melinda's new BFF, Emeril Lagasse! (really - it's him!)

And check out the turtle cheesecake. There's a good chance we ate this two different times.

In summary, we think everyone should take a trip to Chicago, and we'll be thrilled to go with you whenever you like!

The Difference Between Melinda and Me

Melinda and i went to Chicago this weekend! More on that later, but in the meantime, here's a little insight into a key difference between Melinda and me. Here is our luggage:

And now here's the bathroom sink - can you guess who had which side??


Hint - it may be the same person who's messy both times :)