Christmas Shoes 2011

This is the type of thing

that deserves it's own post.

This tradition has become a very popular

and widely known story.

I received texts, Facebook posts

and e-mails about the

story of 

The Christmas Shoes.

For the first time since it has started,

I had people begging for pictures

of the newest creations.

Thank you!

If you are new to the Christmas Shoes tradition,

you can read about it origins here!

You will not regret this.

So, without further adieu...

I give you

CHRISTMAS SHOES 2011

My mom's creation on the left, and mine on the right

My theme this year was

"A Jolly Holly Christmas"

I took some of my favorite things and 

and put them on another one of my favorite things,

FLIP-FLOPS!!!

Mom took a daring but intriguing route

with the theme of

"Christmas Shoes...on Shoes"

Yes, they are smaller shoes added

to the already glorious shoe base.

I went with pink as the main color

and added a pink poinsettia flower

with a feather boa 

and glitter

and smiley face stickers

OH, and rhinestone

trimming around the edge of the flip-flop

I could almost see this as another

Kardashian sister accessory.

The search for this year's Christmas Shoe

inspiration has already begun.

And...

If you are interested...

Once we have completed 

Christmas Shoes 2012...

We will be putting a calendar together

with pictures of all the shoes

that have been created thus far. 

Details will come later this year,

but we are considering

selling them for a very small price

so that you can have the spirit

of the Christmas Shoes

all year round.

What a great Christmas or birthday present this could make...

Just sayin!

Happy 2012!!!

Yeah...so...it's been a while. I'm sorry. Can we still be friends? 

Really?! 

Thanks!

Whew! Ok. Now that that part is done,

it's time to recap the holiday season.

NOVEMBER:

November came and went so quickly. And the sad part is

that it wasn't really eventful until

Thanksgiving. 

So here is a few pictures to show how things

went down

I finally perfected the crust. 

Boo-yaw!

Here is the completed work of art. My hubby really

outdid himself with this one.

Only a minor injury was sustained.

Here is a little tidbit of advice...

DON'T cut cold butter with a dull steak knife.

It hurts.

You will swear.

No really...you will.

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun!

We spent it at my parent's house and enjoyed 

all the fun and food.

It wasn't so cold this year

which made it very nice.

DECEMBER:

December was a little strange this year.

It didn't really snow.

It didn't really get cold.

It was kind of bizarre.

But, we made do.

I received a wonderful early 

present my SOL Jenn.

It has become my motto

I love it! I drink my green tea out of it

everyday!

We got around to putting up the tree

and, as always, it was fun!

Putting the tree together is an adventure every year

One of these years I will find

a way to make it easier

Christmas on Center Street 2011

can now begin!

I am sure that for everyone,

December is a very

stressful month.

I had a few naughty moments

but I didn't care.

For example,

this was my breakfast 

for a couple mornings

No, not the healthiest. The hubby

did pack me a breakfast,

but it was gone by 8 am and

I was still hungry.

Here is what saved me a couple times.

Try the Vanilla Coke Zero.

It's yummy.

My iPod is pretty much what

gets me through the day

at work.

On Christmas Eve,

my parents treated us to a wonderful

dinner at The Grand America Hotel

in  downtown SLC.

It was AMAZING!!!

There was so many different types

of yummy food.

And crab.

LOTS of crab.

King crab

Snow crab

all pre-cut and ready to eat.

The butter sauce was off the chain.

Seriously! 

Here are some pictures we took after dinner

while walking around.

Me and the hubby outside the toy shop

I can be a flying princess too!

The beautiful tree outside in the courtyard with my mom and sister Gina in front

Such a cool star!

My mom and Gina again

The Gates ladies after dinner
L-R: Jill, Wendi, Gina, Mom, Andrea and ME!!!

I want this tree!

Christmas Day was wonderful!

I got some sweet pink Bear Paw slippers

and the Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 game.

That came in handy when I got

the stomach flu and was down for a few days 

following Christmas.

Not cool. Once again, I hurt.

I swore...a lot.

In my stocking,

the hubby gave me a cute little monkey 

to add to my collection of decorations at work

Our nephew, K, gave me the flower

on our first Valentines Day together.

And, of course, our engagement picture.

It's nice to have these on my desk.

The monkey kind of looks like the hubby.

I love it!

So that was our holiday season. 

I don't have any resolutions this year.

I think it will take some time to come up with some.

Maybe...

Turning 30

Wow! What a wild ride it has been lately. And when I say lately, I mean the past 30 years!

I was a very spoiled girl on my birthday. I can honestly say this was one of the best birthdays I have had in a very long time. My sweet husband tried is very best to make it special. Here's how it went down:

 - Sleeping in and waking up to breakfast in bed

 - Opening up my cards and presents...in bed

 - A nice clean bathroom with candles, my iPod playing Josh Groban and 

some Diet Dr Pepper while I relaxed in the bathtub for an hour!

 - My husband and in-laws getting me a gorgeous new bed set

 - A homemade dinner from my hubby

 - A WILD costume party/dance bonanza

with 101.9 The End and Chunga!

 - Getting pulled over at 1 am because our headlight had just burned out

Here are some pictures from Chunga's Haunted House and Dance Party

The man of the evening...Jimmy Chunga

The set up at Club Halo

My friend Jessica and her husband, Mike

Mike as Shawn of the Dead and me as a pin-up girl

Chunga and the Go-Go dancers

It was so much fun! Mike was a little scarred by it all,

but I promised I wouldn't take him next year!

Not only was it my birthday weekend, but Monday

was also Halloween!

This is my 2nd favorite holiday of the year and it

was great to spend another Halloween

on Center Street.

Candy for the kids

Mike worked hard at decorating the porch

 

Mike getting the pumpkins ready

That's right! I live next to Elm Street...

The finished product

Our awesome pumpkins

The view of Center Street from our front door

Our happy pumpkin seed Jack-o-Lantern

It was been a very fun past week. I am so lucky to have
a great family, a wonderful husband and awesome friends
that have made my life great.

Next adventure?

THANKSGIVING!!!!

25 Reasons...

Guess who's birthday it is???

No, not Wolverine...

Nope, not Jack Sparrow...

No, not The Joker either...

It's this guy!

My sweet husband, Mike, is turning 25 and in honor of

this milestone, I would like to list the

Top 25 Reason Why I Love Him

1. He loves me more than words can say...even when he doesn't know how to express it.
2. He is kind and thoughtful of my needs and feelings...when he's not picking on me.
3. I can talk to him about anything and he will pretend to listen and care.
4. I know he will make me laugh everyday.
5. I can totally be myself around him and he doesn't get grossed out or think I am repulsive.
6. He reminds me that I am beautiful and sexy no matter what.
7. He'll eat any dinner I put in front of him, even if it's nasty.
8. I get e-mails and text messages everyday from him telling me he loves me.
9. He will go shopping with me and hold my purse too.
10. He is willing to work hard for our family and do his best to provide, even when it's hard.
11. He puts up with my mood swings and tries to calm me when I am freaking out.
12. If I ask him nicely, he will do the dishes, take out the garbage and even clean the bathroom.
13. He would rather do any of the above chores than go grocery shopping with me, and that's ok.
14. He is willing to apologize and genuinely feel bad if he has made me upset.
15. He will make an awesome dad someday. He interacts so well with the nieces and nephews. 
16. He encourages me to keep writing and to really pursue my dreams.
17. He tucks me in to bed every night, since I go to bed before he does.
18. He kisses me, tells me he loves me and hugs me everyday.
19. He thinks I'm pretty without any makeup on
20. He thinks I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong... sorry. No more Katy Perry.
21. He supports my shoe and purse fetish.
22. He worries so much about making sure that my birthday and Christmas are very special times for me.
23. His ability to work with kids and teach others is amazing. He is going to be a great teacher someday.
24. He always takes care of Sunday dinner and lets me sleep in.

And the last reason I love me husband...

He married me for time and all eternity 

and wants to be with me forever.

I love you baby!!!

It's Coming! It's Coming!

Can you feel it???

Autumn is coming to the Salt Lake Valley!!!

Yesterday I took a drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon

and took pictures of the changing leaves.

You could see it from the tops of the mountains

and it's working it's way down.

PS - There is NO PARKING here...I guess.

This is my favorite time of year and I am

very excited to celebrate another

Autumn on Center Street.

Over the next few weeks

I am hoping to go out and take a lot more pictures

of fall in the Valley.

You can check out more pictures on my Facebook page.

In other news...

Mike is moving down to the Miller Campus for SLCC.

This means more hours and different people.

It will be good for him.

As for me,

I am looking forward to the World Series,

Hockey starting,

Halloween,

my birthday (the BIG 3-0!)

More pictures of come....

and coming up?

25 Reasons I love my husband

in honor of his 25th birthday.

No words

It was a Tuesday in September, 2001. I was a sophmore at the College of Eastern Utah. I had woken up very suddenly at 7 am. There was no reason, or at least I thought, the I would wake up that early. I didn't have my first class until 9. I went back to sleep, having no idea what was happening back east.

By 8:50, I was on my way to Theater Make-up. As I got to the theatre building, my professor, and now dear friend, came and grabbed my arm and told me to come with him. A fellow student followed him and told me that the Pentagon and the World Trade Center had been hit by planes and we were under attack. We made it to the student center and I looked over at the big screen tv in the cafeteria just in time to see a replay of the 2nd plane hitting the 2nd tower. My heart sank. It was very quiet in the student center. We stood in front of the tv and watched as the towers came down. It seemed like something out of a Hollywood action film. There were no words.

Slowly, we found chairs and sat down. I sat next to Corey and tried to wrap my head around what was happening. I had been to New York only two years before. I had seen the WTC and I had seen the towers. My photo album was full of pictures of the city. I love New York. It was then that Corey turned to me and asked if I knew how to get a hold of a mutual friend of ours, who lived just blocks away from the towers. I panicked. I had several friends who were going to NYU and lived not far from were thousands of fellow Americans were now trying to run for their lives. I thought to leave to try and contact them, but Corey put his hand on my arm and said "Please stay." I looked at him and saw the bewilderment in is eyes. I can only guess that I had that same look in mine.

We watched the footage again and again of the towers being hit and the towers coming down. Then we saw the pictures of people jumping from the higher floors. I cannot say that I wouldn't have done the same thing. So many scenarios ran through my head about what the people may be thinking. Then, we heard about United 93 crashing in the fields of Pennsylvania.  When was it going to stop? How many more planes were going to crash?

I don't remember how long we sat there. But I felt comforted in knowing that he was there too. Corey Ewan became another father to me and so I felt safe. I got various e-mails from family members that day. It was nice to know that everyone was ok.  I finally got up and decided to head back to my dorm. The campus was eerily quiet. I made my way over to the journalism room first. It was a crazy hurricane of typing and the other editors trying to put together a special edition paper. Since I was the Feature Editor, I sat down and started to work.

Eventually, I went back to my dorm, showered, and felt a little lost. My classes had been canceled for the rest of the day, and I didn't want to just sit in my room. For some reason, I decided to go to the Institute building. My class was canceled for the afternoon, but I didn't know where else to go. When I got there, I found that many others had the same feeling I did. There were several couple missionaries assigned to the college, and they were all there. One of the sisters came up to me, gave me a hug and a piece of homemade sourdough bread with fresh raspberry jam. She told me that everyone could use a little comfort food on a day like this.

Here were these people, who only 60 years before, had experience another kind of attack. That year was the 60th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. This was the 2nd time in their lives that the county had been attacked. And what were they doing? Talking to the other lost college kids and handing out fresh bread and jam. Comforting them any way they could. And yes, the bread was just what I needed.

As the days past by, the feeling of patriotism was at a point I have never seen before. Everyone was proud to be an American and no one had an issue with singing "God Bless America." It was something that hadn't been seen in this country since the 1980 hockey team beat the Russians. Candle light vigils and hope that more survivors would be found was prevalent. Unfortunately, as the hope for finding survivors dwindled, so did the feeling of comradeship. There were some heroes that emerged from that day. Firefighters and policemen were respected once again.  

And, as in all things, time has passed. The country has moved on. The pride and patriotism has diminished. We have been at war for 8 years. Our politicians have made some crappy choices that have hurt the average American. Recession and joblessness is everywhere. But...I will always remember those few days in September 2001, when there were feelings of hope and friendship among everyone who calls this nation home. That was special. And for that...there are no words.

Post Edit - My deepest sympathies to everyone who lost someone that day. I have and will continue to pray for you and your family. Your loved one died a hero, and that is something to be proud of.

Food-gasim!

WARNING!!!

THIS POST IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART...

OR VEGETARIANS.

SOME PHOTOS MAY BE A LITTLE GRAPHIC

PARENTAL SUPERVISION

AND A NAPKIN IS ADVISED

AS THERE MAY BE EXCESSIVE DROOLING! 

Ok...are the kids and Vegans out of the room? 

Good!

 Mike introduced me to this amazing place over the weekend. He and his mother have been on the search for the best burger in Utah...and they found it! Welcome to Lucky 13. It's a bar and grill just west of the Spring Mobile Ballpark, home of the Salt Lake Bees. It's a clean place and the staff is awesome! Everyone is so nice and will keep that Diet Coke glass filled.

Because they are a bar, there is plenty of greasy food to choose from. But if you want a treat, order the fried pickles as your appetizer. SWEET MOTHER OF PEARL!!!! (Side note - I have always wanted to name my little girl Pearl so that I could be the SWEET MOTHER OF PEARL!) But I digress. You will not regret this. It is not just a ball of fried grease. The pickle is still crunchy. AMAZING!

Now, here comes the good part. The burgers. OH THE BURGERS! I am ruined because I will not be able to eat a burger from another place for a very long time. I had the Stinky Cheese Bacon Burger. It's a huge patty with melted blue cheese and the most mind boggling smoked bacon ever. It is crunchy and chewy at the same time. It defies the laws of food physics. 

This is what my burger looked like, accept with blue cheese instead of cheddar. And yes, that is pepper and coarse salt on the fries. The fries stayed crunchy the whole time and weren't soggy. While I was eating this little piece of heaven, I had no words. I couldn't talk. It was really that good. 

So, next time you want a real burger, GO TO LUCKY 13! And yes, they also have salads and sandwiches, and they look just as good. They also have been voted to have the Best Man vs Food Challenge. Just go, really. You will thank me later.