Viewer Discretion Advised

Reason 4,578 Why I Loved Being Married....

Naked Chef Cooking Me Dinner. Need I say more? I think not. ;)

Sew Let It Be!

I'm dead-set on learning how to sew. And I'm going to make the first step in that direction. So, local gals...I'm giving an open invitation. :) If anyone is interested, I've found some classes at JoAnn Fabrics. They have a Sewing 101 class in Concord on July 19 from 9:30-12 for only $25.00! I'm making a e-proclamation!! This way you know & now I have more positive pressure of following through with it. Make sure to ask me how it went :D

Yippie! Annie's coming with me! Thanks, girl. I'm excited. Anyone else?

Dear Complex Pool

I must admit that I was so skeptical of you when we first moved in. It looks as though you've been around for awhile and not kept in the top condition. However, after spending so much time with you, I have come to appreciate all that you are. Thank you so much for your lovely temperatures, calm atmosphere, and refreshing waters. William & I enjoy it so much! Thanks again for another great dip today. I'm sure we'll be back again real soon. They say it's suppose to get really hot this week. We are so glad we can rely on you for fun times & a cool break. We whole-heartedly pay our HOA dues, we want you to stick around!

Sincerely Your Waterlogged Couple,
William & Jessica

PS Thanks for the chairs in the shade too!

Oakland, CA

Is an awesome city. It has such potential to be cool & happening, but it's so run down. It seems like some areas may be cleaning up their acts. I'd definitely love to spend more time there, checking all the hidden pockets of fun. Oakland definitely has culture either way you look at it. We decided to get cultured. William & I went to the Oakland Museum yesterday afternoon, after church. It has an exhibit entitled, "The Birth of Cool".
The exhibit revisited the 1950s with its clean, square look coupled with the emerging jazz movement. Let me say, very cool. I loved the photography & the furniture (I know where Ikea gets ideas!)

Some of the displays dissected the 1950s-2000s in cultural vocabulary, images and musical tastes. It was really fascinating to see those time periods pieced apart then compared. There really isn't anything new under the sun, just slightly modified.

We also checked out the natural history part too. We loved it. It shows every California habitat & everything living in it. Gotta love taxidermy! How else would one see a mountain lion or a still hummingbird up close? Watch out for those super giant sting rays!


He's got the whole world in his hand:

Bags!

No, not under your eyes...although I did have them today when forced to get up again at early hours this morning to book it to summer school. I have found this awesome handmade sell & buy website. Now those of you savy bloggers may have already come across this little gem, but this is great! So many talented women who make things! I love it. So I posted the onesies already & now I've come across some bags. This woman also has a blog (of course, what fun & hip lady does not?!?) Here's some of the fun products she makes:



Here's the Etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5121442
And her blog: http://pinklemonadeboutique.typepad.com/

Tagged Again!

I didn't realize that I was tagged before. Thanks, Jill. :)This one is hard for me, not William's.

Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.

1. Love brushing my teeth. I do it at least 2-3 times a day
2. Compulsively fix my bangs, gives me something to do & I have a mean widow's peak that I fight with
3. Make eggs in the microwave when I'm by myself...too lazy to do the whole stove & pan thing
4. Roll all my undies up & store them in a basket in my drawer
5. Still wear my 8th grade retainer almost every night--straight teeth :D
6. Love to walk everywhere, try to do it as much as possible

William
1. Meticulous about any sort of preparation (camping, cooking, etc) It'll take forever!
2. Really sensitive teeth, so always orders little to no ice & our Brita is never in the fridge
3. Loves to pop pimples, even his wife's...just like for monkeys, it's a comfort/bonding thing
4. Puts seasoning on everything (he's a chef and I appreciate it)
5. Always carrying a knife with him (Kershaw switch-blade, of course)
6. Carries maxi-pads/tampons in his truck with his first aid kit...so prepared! (apparently, they've been appreciated from past co-workers in need, even for a bloody nose)

I tag Tara, Sarah, and & um, well.. I'm not sure who else reads my blog :D

So Cute!

I found these cute onesies online through a friend's blog. Check out how cute these are! And definitely within price ranges I like. I totally want to learn how to sew so I can do this. For those of you, who are prego or with little ones...(excluding me)



Here's the website:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12433247

Happy Independence Day!

We had a wonderful 4th of July. William didn't have to work so we enjoyed it together. After getting back from the Danville Parade & visiting with AV, William & I exerted our independence by napping! :) Then we went roller-blading, swam in our amazingly warm pool, and dined at our backyard BBQ with my parents. We even played a rousing game of Scattegories. It is hilarious to play with my dad: so competitive! We were too tired to drive anywhere to see fire-works, so we just stayed home. Just a classical 4th day without the fireworks.

Here's the men cleaning after our dinner:

Family portrait, including Kitty Witty:

William won with "joules" as a form of temperature measurement! Go Chemistry last semester!

How Bad Do You Want It?

Here's me right when I got into line for it...

Can you find me? I'm the last one. My friend, AV, and I went to the Danville Parade yesterday for the morning. We arrived & barely found a parking spot a good walk away. We then wanted our Starbucks so we waited in line for 1 Hour! 30 minutes to order & another to make it. Apparently, we wanted it pretty badly. I've never waited that long for an caffeinated beverage, nor do I think it'll happen again. I'm a pretty impatient gal, but we were just chatting it up in line.

Can you believe it? Would you wait that long?! I've heard that they're closing 600 stores, but that's not because people don't want their Starbucks. It's because people pick one store & don't go to the one across the street: over-saturation of the market. Classic economics.

The Parade was fun, very similar to Pleasanton's. I went to hang out with AV & enjoy some good people-watching. A great time had by all... even the very first hour there!

When Things Don't Make Sense

Most of us really struggle with the question of why bad things happen. I found this post & loved it's poetic response. It was originally posted on The Purple Cellar Blog--if you have never been there...go. It's under favorites.

One of the hardest experiences in the Christian life is trusting that God is good when things seem to the contrary. We pray and pray about a difficulty or perplexing situation, and sometimes it seems that, as a direct result of our prayers, things only get worse. What is God doing at such times? This poem by John Newton, called These Inward Trials," explains a lot:

I ask'd the Lord, that I might grow
In faith, and love, and ev'ry grace,
Might more of his salvation know,
And seek more earnestly his face.

'Twas he who taught me thus to pray,
And he, I trust has answer'd pray'r;
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.

I hop'd that in some favour'd hour,
At once he'd answer my request:
And by his love's constraining pow'r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this. he made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow'rs of hell
Assault my soul in ev'ry part.

Yea more, with his own hand he seem'd
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Cross'd all the fair designs I schem'd,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this, I trembling cry'd,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
"'Tis in this way," the Lord reply'd,
"I answer pray'r for grace and faith.

"These inward trials I employ,
From self and pride to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou mayst seek thy all in me."