JaimeBlogers

Soothing Green Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sun, 05 May 2013 17:25:00 PDT

So April has come and gone and you've probably realized I still haven't wrapped up our bathroom remodel story with a celebratory completion post. That's because we aren't quite done. Hang in there! We had a little bit of a delay when we realized that the sink we purchased was a bit too big. I had to take it back, re-order a smaller one and wait about a week to get back on track.

The good news is that the colors we chose came together perfectly. The "heavy cream" looked yellowish at first, but we now realize that was only because it was directly next to stark white primer. After we finished two walls and the ceiling with the heavy cream, we knew we made the right choice. The whole bathroom is bright, inviting, and soothing.

Our vanity is exactly what I envisioned in my head. I love the color and drawer detail. We chose birch wood with an espresso finish, in a "shaker" type of design. The drawers are maple with dove-tail construction, much nicer quality than the plywood and veneer finishing on some of the vanities you might see at Home Depot.

Steve had to make the base top and install the new sink before the concrete guy could come measure for the actual countertop.

He also installed the new light fixture (which arrived with a cracked shade, argh!!)

This weekend Steve has been putting up the tile trim (crown molding and side trim) in the shower while we wait for our concrete countertop to arrive. It should be here sometime this week! Then we finally seal the tile in the shower, install baseboards, install toilet, hang the mirror, install fixtures and accessories, and put in a new door. Shit, that sounds like a lot.

I've learned my lesson and I am not going to say when I think we will be completely done. But, I will say that a bath with candles and champagne would be the best anniversary gift ever! ;)

Sufjan Loves Potato Chips

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:38:00 PDT

Before the Sufjan Stevens show in LA, Steve and I met up with Kara for dinner and drinks. We headed across the street from the Walt Disney Center to Blue Cow Kitchen. We settled into our seats, ordered a beer, and I got up to use the bathroom. I am walking down the hall towards the bathroom when my eyes are drawn to this bright green hat, and in an instant I recognize who this green hat belongs to. None other than SUFJAN STEVENS himself!! There he is, just sitting with his friends having dinner, too!

I will be honest and tell you that I am incredibly entertained by celebrity sightings, but this was much more than that.

My mind is blown that he is there. I am a firm believer in fate - that certain things in life are just meant to be. It is truly amazing to me that my very favorite musician is just a few feet away from me in this restaurant! It is real life. It is our life!

And I think back to when I first heard Sufjan. Steve and I were on one of our first weekend getaways to Big Sur when I was flipping through his CD book trying to pick out music for the drive. I saw Sufjan Stevens and had no idea what or who it was, let alone how to pronounce it. But, I decided to take a chance at the unknown and that decision changed everything. The album and title song, "Come on Feel the Illinoise" really got me hooked. The music was incredible. It was creative and fun, lovely and joyful. Music you could really sing and shake to. From that day forward, I couldn't get enough. I downloaded every album available and wanted more.

Fast forward 3 years and "The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders" welcomes us into wedded bliss. Those horns and hand claps just scream celebration! And now every time we hear it, we think of our wedding day and how happy we are. Sufjan made the soundtrack to our love story.

And now I am stumbling into a bathroom, bewildered that he is here. I run back to Steve and Kara and all I can say is "you guys...guess who is here?!" I don't even remember if I let them guess before blurting out, "SUFJAN IS OVER THERE". They were just as stoked as I was but all we could do was continue our conversation while sneaking peeks at Sufjan and his buds.

A few minutes later, the fire alarm goes off. The kitchen is full of smoke and everyone is looking around but no one is budging. We look over to see Sufjan's reaction and he is just plugging his ears, waiting for it to stop like the rest of us. Well, it didn't stop and our server comes to apologize for both the alarm and our delayed dinner. The alarm still doesn't stop and Sufjan and his friends head out to the patio and I am so bummed that he is gone. Steve asks our server if she knows who she just forced to leave and she says she has no idea. We tell her that he is a musician who is performing across the street tonight, and that we played his music at our wedding. She is freaking out now and asks what band he is in (haha) and what kind of music he plays when all of a sudden, here comes Sufjan. I am not even kidding he is walking right over towards us. He keeps coming and I pray the waitress stays with us at the table so that he has to come even closer, but now that she knows he is "somebody", she steps away to talk to him. In the most sweet, shy voice ever, he says to her, "Excuse me, I ordered some potato chips and haven't gotten them yet". She explains and apologizes for the delay and they seem to be talking forever, all the while we are trying to listen and that's when we noticed the funniest part of the whole ordeal. A few moments prior when he was enjoying his meal and conversation with his friends, we could only see him from the shoulders up. He looked like the most normal, well composed person, wearing an average tank top and green ball cap.....one would never know he was a famous musician. But now we could see the whole package - unlaced combat boots, denim jacket, tight jeans - and the stature he assumed while talking to the waitress was quite striking! Picture a cross between a confident Steve Urkle and an awkward rock star. It blatantly revealed a very eccentric man. He was the enigma I always dreamt him to be.

The waitress eventually came back with a free beer for Steve and his freshly re-made food - yes it was Steve's sammy that caused the fire alarm and all of this craziness!! She told us to go say hi to Sufjan and tell him about our wedding song, but we couldn't. We soaked in the memory of this night, laughed some more about that crazy stance and compared notes on how hot we all thought he was. Steve, included.

And then, for the second time that night, a gigantic cockroach ran across the dining room floor and we got the hell out of there.

photo credit

They will see us waving from such great heights

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:25:00 PDT

Three shows. Two weeks. That's a record for me and I have enjoyed every moment to the core of my being. Although, I must say, I am completely exhausted!! Late nights, alcohol and dancing are outside of my normal routine and this old lady just can't hang!

They say that variety is the spice of life, and oh boy, our earbuds are on fire! All three shows were very, very, different. We went from an indoor expo center in the middle of SLO, to a remote countryside outdoor oasis, to downtown LA at a fancy classical concert hall. Each event brought with it a unique crowd, choice of footwear, and ambiance. But, all of them filled my soul with glee (and my tummy with beer!)

The Postal Service was all about college nostalgia. I danced and bounced around to each song, letting the music fill me up with sweet memories of a road trip to Las Vegas with my best girlfriends for Heather's bachelorette party. And how Clark Gable got me through so many long, late night work shifts. This is my go-to music - the kind of music where you can't help but get up and dance or at least bend your knees to the beat. The Postal Service rocked and it was a privilege to see them live, ten years later.

Passion Pit played at the Pozo Saloon about 20 (curvy and narrow) miles off of the 101 from Atascadero. Quiet little Pozo is absolutely gorgeous and the warmth of the sunshine mixed with comfy sneakers, relaxing lounge chairs, and ice cold beer made the afternoon a delight. The opening band, Capital Cities, put on a great show (even better than Passion Pit!) They all wore matching neon green blazers, syncing perfectly with the intensity and crispness of their sound. If you haven't heard of them before, look them up. Their music will lift you up. (Safe and Sound is my fave).

And lastly, it's difficult to describe Sufjan Stevens' performance in LA at the Walt Disney Center, so I will copy the excerpt from the website because it describes the show so beautifully:

With the West Coast premiere of Planetarium, The National’s Bryce Dessner, singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens, and composer Nico Muhly come together to consider the cosmos. For the first half, a string quartet performs each artist’s classically informed compositions. In the second half, Stevens’ voice anchors a planet-by-planet song cycle that melds the collaborators’ distinct creative contributions into a harmonic whole. The cycle unfolds against the backdrop of a giant orb that morphs to reflect the characteristics of the sphere being celebrated.

The string quartet was simply breathtaking - I literally held my breath as they moved those bows so rapidly you could barely see their hands! The musicians were insanely talented and brought some of Sufjan's songs to life in a brilliant way.

Planetarium was a mix between strange and lovely. Sufjan sang each piece, but switched from using a strange robotic microphone to his regular singing voice. I preferred the songs with his normal "angelic" voice (as Steve put it) to the synthesized version. But, the fun part of the show was trying to guess which planet they were "celebrating". Between the lights, lasers, orb, and lyrics, it was like putting together clues until after each song when they revealed that yes, we know Pluto is not considered a part of our solar system but dwarf planets are planets too.

The best part of the Sufjan show happened BEFORE the show which deserves its own post, so stay tuned for a story about cockroaches, fire alarms, and potato chips!

Hoppy

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:26:00 PDT

We' ve really expanded our garden this year, but one thing of note is the incredible hops planter and trellis that Steve built. A friend if ours is a home brew extraordinaire, so we will grow the hops, and he will use them to make beer (and then share!) :)

The trellis is my favorite part because it stands out like a pagoda at the entrance of our yard. It's artistic and functional..my favorite combination.

The hops just poked their little hoppy heads up through the soil, and will soon be stretching their arms up the trellis and if all goes as planned will provide shade for our water tank. That's Steve's thoughtful planning for you.

Apron's aren't just for the kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:11:00 PDT

Steve finished the tile work on the front of the tub, also called the apron of the tub. We seriously had JUST enough tiles to do the apron, so he only had one chance to get it right, and after only a few cusses, he did it! And it looks amazing!! We decided to wait to do the apron until after the floor was in, so that the entire tub unit appears as if it is sitting on top of the floor, rather than behind it.

Originally, we were going to use the same surface for the top of the apron as the vanity top, but since we decided to go with concrete (rather than granite or marble) we decided not to do that after all, and filled in the top with the travertine tile as well. I think this was a good choice so that the entire bath/shower area looks cohesive and simple. There are countless decisions to be made during a remodel and as you can tell, we learned as we went, changed our minds a thousand times, 'slept on it' many nights and I think so far all of our patience and thoughtfulness is proving worthwhile!

After all of the work Steve did up to this point, he decided to let a professional tackle the drywall repair and prep for painting. We are so happy we hired help because it was done so quickly, and through conversations with the contractor we decided to re-texture the walls to a more modern look. So the entire bathroom was re-textured to a smooth finish with a rustic flair.

You know you are getting close to the end of a project when you can start picking out paint colors!! Here is what we decided for our color palette. The wood sample is the actual wood and stain of our new vanity (arriving any day now!!) It is a birch wood with an "espresso" finish. I think it will give a nice modern look, while keeping with the outdoor, ranch feel. The dark swatch is representative of our concrete vanity top. So the paint colors we chose are soothing green tea and heavy cream. We with with green because through the extra large window, you can see trees, plants and rose bushes, so the green will really bring the outdoor element in. The wall behind the vanity will be the light green, and the other walls and ceiling will be heavy cream.

Last night we slapped on one coat of green and it looks gorgeous!! It is bright, cheerful, and it really is soothing! The heavy cream may have more yellow in it than we hoped for, so we are testing it out tonight and will see how it goes from there.

The light fixture should be in any day now too and you should look forward to seeing it because it is divine (for a light fixture!) Once the vanity gets installed, the concrete guy will come make his template and it should take about 2 weeks to finish. In the meantime we will be busy putting up last minute touches to the bathroom...the tile trim/molding around the shower, re-installing the toilet, installing our fixtures in the shower, and picking out towel racks, towels, and accessories!

I am still hopeful for a Dwight Hotel reveal at the end of the month!!! Fingers crossed!

Passion Pit!

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:42:00 PDT

Passion Pit at Pozo Saloon?? Strange, but I'll take it! That's three shows in April!!

Spectacular Succulents

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 07:00:00 PDT

A few weeks ago, we helped our good friend Michael celebrate his 40th birthday at his mexican fiesta! It was such a rad party complete with a Mariachi band, two piñatas, a lucha libre server, and a bicycle-powered margarita machine!! To see some photos from the party (including me working for my margarita) check out Michael and Maren's blog! To thank him for being born (because we are all so lucky he was!), I made him a succulent terrarium straight from our garden.

I also plucked some of my very favorites from our yard and put them into this lovely flower dish that I got for Christmas. It has spikes in the bottom, so you push the stems into the spikes, fill the bottom with water and without much effort the flowers, or in this case succulents, can simply soak up the sunlight and and brighten up the living room.

In the spirit of spring cleaning, I recently repotted a bunch of succulents in the backyard to give them more room to breathe. I rearranged all of the pots, cleaned them up a bit, and added some dimension with some pot stands, tree stumps, and painted crates (from our wedding!). Also, you can see the bottles on sticks with yellow flowers in the background - these are also from our wedding. They lined the aisles at the ceremony and I have finally dusted them off from the garage and put them to good use outside! They really give the backyard a cheerful feel.

Family Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:03:00 PDT

Last Fall, I harvested our green apples, peeled, sliced, and combined them with some brown sugar and cinnamon, bagged up a few batches and and put them in the freezer. A couple of months ago I tried making an apple pie using a Pilsbury crust and a crumble topping but the pie turned out like apple sauce with a mushy crust. Bleh! Steve told me that his mom makes the best pie crust, so she emailed it to me, and I tried the recipe last weekend. This pie turned out divine!!! It was the perfect consistency, gooey in the middle, flakey on the top and crispy at the edges. Add a little fancy vanilla ice cream to create a party!

Here's Steve's mom's pie crust recipe:

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
6 - 7 tablespoons ice water
1 tsp sugar
1 pinch of baking powder

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Cut shortening into mixture with pastry blender (I didn't have a pastry blender so I improvised and used a bowl scraper thingy) until pieces are about bean to pea size. Add water one tablespoon at a time and gently mix with a fork. When the dough is all moistened, gather it up with your hands into a ball. Divide in half.....roll to about 1/8" thick. If I have time, I sometimes divide the dough into two balls, wrap in saran wrap and put in fridge for a while. (Not necessary, though).

I use unbleached flour, Crisco yellow butter-flavored shortening, and ice water. The flour, be it unbleached or regular really isn't important, but I think the other two things are. The one time I didn't use the yellow Crisco, I was disappointed, so I always use it.

Side Note: I've never used shortening before and I bought mine before I read this carefully. I am not sure the difference between yellow and not yellow...is this the container color or the actual color of the shortening? Anyway, I bought a blue container of Crisco and the shortening was white, so I guess I used the wrong one, but it was still yummy!

Okay, back to recipe! I put ice cubes in a cup with the water before I start so the water gets very cold. Salt is important taste.

This makes a large amount for a double crust pie, but I like to be sure I have enough....hate coming up short. I just throw away any extra pieces. If you want just a single crust, just cut the recipe in half.

With a double crust, I always brush the top crust with a little milk and then sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on it.

Bake for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees, or bake until its golden brown!

Enjoy!!

Sparkle

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:03:00 PST

Got this beauty today:

And this sink yesterday:

Weeeee!

Food Allergy Strikes Again

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 06:00:00 PST

I haven't had a food allergy incident for an entire year and I was beginning to think it was because I've avoided Reisling, my self-diagnosed culprit. Well, that all changed last night. I made dinner which consisted of:

Roast turkey (breasts and thighs baked in the oven) - seasoned with salt, pepper, olive oil, and fresh sage, with a Knorr vegetable bouillon cube and a cup of water.
Mashed potatoes with salt, pepper, butter, and whole milk.
Gravy - made from pan drippings from turkey, whole milk, and corn starch.
Salad - mixed greens, tomato, Gala apple, kidney beans, soy-ginger wonton strips, avocado
whole milk to drink

All of this food is completely normal for me to eat. The only ingredient listed that I don't consume on a regular basis is the fresh sage. But, I have had it before and didn't get a reaction. I haven't had a glass of any type of wine in about a week.

My reaction started as it usually does 30-60 minutes after I eat with a bad stomach ache. Piercing stomach pain and diarreah along with nausea. Followed by an itchy throat, runny nose, hives on my chest and stomach (only three this time!), and a barely-swollen bottom lip.

I took one Bendryl and symptoms went away almost immediately. Then, sleep.

What gives?!

Music is Love

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:29:00 PST

Last May, as part of my Happiness Project, my goal was to plan to go to a concert. A few months later Steve's buddy from SB called and invited us to see Wilco in Avila Beach. The sunshine, ice cold beer, ocean view venue, good friends, and amazing music reinvigorated my love for live shows. I often search for acts as far as LA, San Francisco and everywhere in between to check off the shows that are on my "must see before I die" list. Some of my fondest life memories involve live music.

Like when my fellow Muir Hall girls and I acted like teenagers in San Jose at the N'SYNC show.

Or when RachO and I made matching t-shirts to witness the glory that is Coldplay.

Or how about the power of John Mayer, bringing my mom and I together two summers in a row.

I remember belting out "just a day, just an ordinary day" alongside my new friend Helya during the Vanessa Carlton show at Cal Poly...and that time we saw Jason Mraz before he was anyone.

Like our first date to see Mountain Goats at the Steynberg Gallery, sitting cross-legged on the floor with Steve's arms wrapped around me and being completely shocked that this cool guy wanted to show me affection in public!

And when Death Cab's energy filled our souls and Steve finally understood my obsession.

Or that time Steve and I got "tore" in San Francisco at the wacky of Montreal show.

Or that time Steve and I ate the worst pizza in the world before a Blonde Redhead show in Anaheim.

And drinking in the sweet sound of Nickel Creek as it mirrored my feelings of young love.

Like when we fell in love in Chicago while bouncing from Yo La Tengo to Snow Patrol to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and My Morning Jacket. Not knowing at the time that the sounds, beats, words, and rhythms would make a permanent impression in our minds and our hearts.

There are more, but all of that is to say that in this life, I want to do the things that truly make me happy and going to see shows is one of those things!

So, it started with my friend Kara (who has exquisite musical taste) when she was visiting last year and asked, "if you could see any artist live, who would it be?" My first reaction was Sufjan Stevens of course. Second came Mumford and Sons who I think would be SO MUCH FUN to see live. Like really, really fun! I want to dance to that banjo! Well fast forward 6 months and I get an email from Kara linking me to Bonnaroo. If you haven't already looked, Bonnaroos's line up is insanely good this year and guess who it includes? MUMFORD! Among so many other amazing artists - Passion Pit, The Lumineers, Beach House, Glen Hansard, I can go on and on and on and on and on. AND ON! I was this close <> to buying plane tickets to Tennessee. But, after much deliberation, Steve and I felt like we should stick to our already planned vacation plans and save the money and vacation days for Alaska. So that night, as I sat around like a lump, super sad about not going on this adventure with Music-Master Kara, no Mumford, and no dancing to that banjo, we found out that Sufjan Stevens was playing in LA! Not his regular stuff, but still Sufjan Stevens LIVE, only a few hours away. So we got tickets immediately and my heart felt a little better. And then learned that Kara works near the venue, so DRINKS with KARA before SUFJAN! My Heart!

And then, the other day I was browsing around on Instagram and came across a picture of a ticket stub to The Postal Service at Madonna Inn in SLO. WHAT THE HECK! How did I not know about this?! (For those of you who don't know, Ben Gibbard is the brains and voice behind Death Cab For Cutie AND The Postal Service, so this is SERIOUS). I immediately went online to find tickets, and they were SOLD OUT. My heart burst. So I googled some more and found some on Stub Hub. Completely over-priced, but hey, we don't even have to leave town or take time off work, so I had no choice...and lookie!

And guess what else? John Mayer is going to be at the Mid State Fair in July so you know where my mom and I and two very giant margaritas will be!!

I have to say that Kara's question and email really sparked something in me to get back in touch with this wonderful, wonderful art form. And my cute mom is constantly looking at shows, so keep it up, Mom, because you are really good at planning things like "John Mayer Week" :)

Live music is like medicine. Have you ever not smiled while watching live music? And remember, with music comes dancing, and you can't be mad when you are dancing!!! Thank you, Kara, and I promise one day we will see a show together!

Just Because

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 21:33:00 PST

My sweet husband surprised me with flowers today when I got home from work. This is the first time Steve has bought me flowers, and I am not saying that so that you feel sorry for me, or think badly of him. I am posting about it so that I never ever forget how it felt when I saw this miracle on the kitchen counter. Today is a special day! No reason. No "holiday". Flowers just because he loves me. Today we are really celebrating love. And I love that!

I think the best part about getting these flowers is imagining the process. Bashful, sweet Steve wandering around the flower section, choosing a flower, then a color, paying for them, searching for a vase, trimming the stems, arranging them, and putting them on display. All for me. Crazy. It is such a small, wonderful thing, but so huge at the same time.

And as I smelled every single rose my eyes welled up and my cheeks hurt from smiling so big and I couldn't explain in words how happy such a simple gesture made me. Thank you, my LOVE!!!!!

Shiny and New

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 13:31:00 PST

The bathroom floor is in! The tiles are 12' by 24' gray porcelain. It turned out so lovely thanks to Steve's hard work and attention to detail.

We picked out a vanity style, wood, and stain at a local cabinet and design store, so if all goes as planned, we'll order it next week and it will arrive in about 3-4 weeks.

And we've finally settled on using concrete for the vanity top with a rectangular under-mount porcelain sink. We visited the concrete shop today in Oceano and the shop owner gave us a tour of the process, which is simply amazing. There are so many different things you can do with concrete including adding little bits of phosphorescent rock for a glow-in-the-dark effect! The rocks are mixed in with the concrete and the finished product looks similar to pieces of recycled glass that you see in counter tops these days. Then, just like solar, you charge up the stone with light, and then it glows in the dark! We tried out a few samples of blue, green, and teal glow colors. Awesome! The shop owner said he put some of the pieces in his kids bathroom countertop. What a great idea for kids! I don't think we'll go the glow-in-the-dark route for our bathroom, but we are thinking about getting a leaf stencil in the concrete. Stay tuned!

We still have to tile the face of the tub as you can see in the photo above, but that's it for the tiling. Steve will install a fan and vent, new lighting, and new fixtures, then we're good to go! I am hoping for a grand re-opening of Dwight Hotel sometime late April.

Happy Ending

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:04:00 PST

What was supposed to be a girls spa weekend turned into something entirely different. My friend Joanna suggested we try a Korean spa treatment at one of the local spots in LA. Not knowing anything about Korean spas, I gladly accepted her invitation and looked forward to a nice, relaxing weekend away with my best girls. Let's just say that Korea and I don't see eye to eye on relaxing spa weekends.

Helya: Read the Yelp reviews on Wilshire. Apparently no clothes are allowed. Should be interesting!

Joanna: They have robes I think but yea it'll be an experience. It is like an old fashioned Korean spa.

Jaime: Nakey!!!?

Helya: Yea, I am getting anxiety!

Jaime: Haha me too!

Joanna: They give you robes!

Helya: And all your treatments are done in front of people with you being butt naked! But if you guys are down, I'll be fine. :)

Shannon: Reviews said someone was told they had to be naked or leave....and they left..haha!

Joanna: It was just an idea...

Jaime: It could be an adventure!

Tylia: I am a little shy about getting nake too! Is this the start of nudist getaway weekends??

Helya: We can just get drunk before we go.

Joanna: How about champagne brunch first?

Helya: Oh boy, giving me champagne would definitely do it.

Joanna: I don't think any of us are used to hanging out naked.

Helya: Let the champagne flow and the clothes fall off! That should do the trick!

Tylia: I might need a few glasses.

Jaime: I need a whole bottle.

Helya: Ditto.

Shannon: I need shots!!

And a week later after I still hadn't gotten around to reading the reviews. This really boosted my confidence:

Tylia: Yelp reviews of Wilshire scared me due to lack of cleanliness. Olympic reviews made it seem clean(er) than Wilshire.

So I read the reviews.

Jaime: Anxiety attack! They want to scrub my lady parts??? Alcohol is a definite must before the spa, but I will also need an ice cold bev afterwards to help me get over the shock of it all.

Joanna: I think it is better to go out afterwards. Usually alcohol and hot tubs aren't recommended together.

Jaime: I know for certain I cannot go to that spa without alcohol beforehand!

Helya: I'm gonna have to bail. Sorry ladies!

Everyone else: ME TOO! Phew!

So needless to say, we didn't go to the Korean Spa, but we did go to an asian massage place where they give you a full body massage for $25 (fully clothed!!!) It was an awesome way to end a 4? mile hike to the Hollywood sign! (We only got lost once!) So worth it!

And we finally all got our ice cold bevs at the Penthouse, a fancy hotel top bar in Santa Monica where we met some interesting characters, sipped on expensive Mules, and chit-chatted just like old times.

The weekend was a blast and many, many thanks to Joanna and Shane for hosting. And a special shout out to Shane for being our DD and the greatest puppy daddy! (And for telling me about Property Brothers - I am hooked!)

Anyway, after being around these lovely women who I call my best friends, I started thinking about who we are and what we like and how we are so different. And how that is exactly what makes us friends. Some of us like dogs while others are missing that gene. Some of us grew up enjoying and watching sports, and others just enjoy making fun of sports. ;) Some can hike to the Hollywood sign without losing a drop of sweat while others can barely get up the hill without cussing. Some of us don't eat dairy and others don't eat beef. Some of us are tall and some of us are short. Most of us like country music, while others prefer just to live in the country. We have our own shape, style, shoe preference, hair color, bad habits, fears, joys, and goals in life. We can all choose what we do, but we can't choose what we like to do, and that's the beauty of it - we are all different. If we were all the same, what would we talk about?

On the flip side, there are definitely things that have threaded us together over time. Certain things that led us to this place we call friendship. We all went to Cal Poly and studied science. We are all smart, hard-working, healthy, loving, beautiful, giving, silly, and nurturing women. And we all want the best for each other. I am so glad that Joanna finally got the puppy of her dreams. I can see the joy little Kona brings to her life. I am thankful that Shannon found such a good man to marry and I feel lucky to share in their wedding day this year. I am so proud of Tylia for finishing her Masters and constantly setting new and impressive goals for her career. I feel comfort in the fact that Helya has a husband who takes such good care of her and fills her heart with love every day.

At the end of a Skype date with my best Italian friend, Franci, last weekend, she asked me, "Jaime, are you happy?" And I said "Yes, I am very happy." And she said, "Are you fine?" and I said "I am absolutely fine." And she said, "Ok. Good. I just want to make sure." That question really hit me and my friend taught me something right then...the questions "are you happy" and "are you fine" are such sincere, loving questions. So much more meaningful, more emotional than "how are you". Don't you agree? When is the last time someone asked you, "are you happy?"?

I am so happy. So happy that I didn't have to get nakey at a Korean spa in Los Angeles with four of my best girls. ;)

Rectangles

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:47:00 PST

The bathroom floor is coming together nicely! Just a few more rectangles and we're there! Next up after the floor: finish tiling the front of the tub, seal tub, grout and seal floor, texture the new wall, order vanity and sink, install fan, paint, install vanity and sink, install fixtures, and I think that's it!

Girly

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 09:47:00 PST

I had a group of girls over to watch the premier of The Bachelor. My favorite part about hosting is coming up with unique, yummy, and fun treats! I chose a few different recipes for small, appetizer foods that were girl friendly.

Spinach Artichoke dip cups

I found this recipe on Pinterest but it's originally from a blog called What's Gaby Cooking. The basic recipe is below but I encourage you to check out her post to get the best tips and tricks (and pictures!) for making these come out just right. I changed this recipe up a little bit by adding in Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix, which is what I generally use to make spinach dip. I used about half of the package in this recipe.

I made the dip the day before and refrigerated overnight. I also baked the wonton wrappers the day before and stored them in a zip lock for the next day. This made it easy to just fill and bake right before the party.

Ingredients:

24 wonton wrappers
1 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and chopped
1 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
6 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
4 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

- I added half a package of Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray miniature muffin pan cups lightly with cooking spray. Press 1 wonton wrapper into each cup and lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake about 10 minutes until light golden brown. Remove shells from pan; place on a cooling rack and repeat with remaining wonton wrappers.

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, sour cream, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. You can also add 4 tbsp of shredded mozzarella cheese if you’re craving some addition goodness. Mix this together with a fork and transfer to a piping bag or a large zip lock bag.

If using a zip lock bag, trim a medium hole on one of the bottom corners. Pipe the mixture into the cooled wonton cups until the mixture almost reaches the top.

Transfer the spinach artichoke cups back into the mini muffin tin and bake for 8-10 minutes until the wonton wrappers turn a darker golden brown and the spinach artichoke dip is warmed. Remove from oven and repeat with remaining cups. Serve immediately.

Twice baked potatoes
I used The Pioneer Woman's recipe for twice baked potatoes. Her recipes have not yet failed me and she always has good tricks. I learned how to hold a hot potato and cut it in half easily without burning my fingers or mangling the potato!

These are pretty basic and super easy. I used her recipe exactly except for two things: I didn't add bacon bits and I didn't have any Lawry's seasoning so I made my own seasoning with a combination of paprika, red pepper, and cumin. I suggest going to her site to check out the recipe because she has some great pictures to make it easy to follow.

I also made these two nights before the party. I had them stuffed and on a tray ready to pop in the oven before the party. You can do this too, but don't make them more than a couple days ahead.

Tortilla Rollup "Sushi"
I used another Pioneer Woman recipe for these. I thought they were so cute and the perfect idea for a group of girls. And any leftovers I had made for a great addition to our lunches.

The Pioneer Woman taught me how to cut perfect julienned vegetables in this recipe using a Japanese Mandolin. So I went to Bed Bath and Beyond to get one, and purchased a Mandolin. When I started using it, I realized I got the wrong one - there really is a JAPANESE style mandolin where it actually cuts the sticks. A regular mandolin only cuts thin slices. Argh!

I cut up all of the veggies and made the spread the night before. This made it easy to grab all of the ingredients before the party, stuff the rolls and cut them up. Be sure to leave some time to refrigerate the rolls after they are assembled and cut!

8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened
1 Tablespoon Chopped Green Onions Or Chives
1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Parsley
8 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped (or Chiffonade)
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
6 whole Taco Sized Flour Tortillas
1/2 pound Shaved Turkey
3 whole Carrots, Peeled And Jullienned
1 whole Cucumber, Seeds Scraped Out And Julienned
3 leaves Green Leaf Lettuce, Spine Removed
2 whole Avocados, SlicedPreparation Instructions:

Make the herbed cream cheese by combining the softened cream cheese with the chives, parsley, basil, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.

Spread cream cheese in a thin layer over the tortillas. Lay ingredients down the middle of the tortilla: for the turkey rollup, use turkey, carrots, and cucumber. For a "salad" rollup, use lettuce, carrots, cucumber, and avocado. Let the veggies extend past the edges on either side.

Roll up the tortillas as tightly as they'll go, then wrap each rollup in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

To slice, cut each rollup exactly in half, then line up the two halves and cut them in half again. Stand the end pieces up so that the veggies stick out the top.

Mini Cheesecakes
And lastly, I found these delightful mini cheesecakes on Pinterest from a blog called The Italian Dish.

I saw the cute tiny mason jars for this recipe and knew I had to have them! I found them at the regular grocery store near the baking aisle. I bought 12 jars and cut this recipe in half (recipe makes 24).

I made these the night before. Be sure to keep them in the refrigerator up until serving!

Ingredients:

for the cheesecake:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (16 whole graham crackers, ground)
2 tablespoons sugar
8 tablespoons butter, melted
4 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste)
zest of 1 lemon

- I also added in some of the lemon juice from my lemon. The lemon was so insanely fragrant, I knew it couldn't hurt.

for the Raspberry Topping:2 pints of fresh raspberries
strawberry or raspberry jelly

Other toppings: You can also use mini chocolate chips. You can really do anything you like for the toppings. All kinds of fruit would work, caramel sauce, meringue, etc.

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Spray the jelly jars with non-stick cooking spray, making sure to spray the bottoms so the crust doesn't stick.

Blend the graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons of sugar and melted butter in a bowl. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the crumbs into each jelly jar and tamp down to make the crust (I used a wine cork).

In a large mixer bowl, mix the room temperature cream cheese with the 3/4 cup of sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Add the sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest and mix until well incorporated. Fill each jelly jar with about 1/3 cup of the filling, leaving room at the top for your topping.

Place the jars in a large roasting pan or two deep baking dishes. Fill the pan with hot water halfway up the jelly jars. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove jars with tongs and place on a wire rack to cool.

For the raspberry topping: pick over the raspberries and discard any that are moldy or bruised. Place 7 raspberries on top of each cheesecake. Heat about 1/3 cup of the jelly in a microwave and stir so that the jelly is spreadable. Brush the tops of the raspberries gently with the jelly to glaze them. Refrigerate cheesecakes until ready to serve.

Can be made the day before.

2012

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:58:00 PST

Jaime's Top Moments of 2012:

New York City.
Picking strawberries from our garden.
Getting surprise birthday earrings from my love.
Jumping in the waves in Myrtle Beach.
Leadership Retreat at Wonder Valley.
Moscow mules in Seattle.
Seeing my man in a tuxedo for the first time at the Kimball wedding.

Steve's Top Moments of 2012:

Shooting the rifle on the Prairie in Idaho.
Going on a hunting trip in South Carolina.
Hanging out in the garden.
Raising bees!
Getting a surprise drill press for Christmas from his love.
The congo line at Tylia's wedding.
Learning how to tile.

Some 2013 Resolutions:

Finish the bathroom remodel - going on Year #2!
Finish our Times Square puzzle. ;)
Travel to Alaska or Iowa.
More Skype dates with my lovelies.

And some Happiness goals that I didn't quite get to in 2012 that I hope to accomplish this year!

Throw a real party - you're invited!
Go to a concert
Check in on my 401k
Take that Excel training class
Learn more about photography

And always to be bold and bright.

Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for. My annual slideshow! Enjoy!

2012 from Jaime Dwight on Vimeo.
Soundtrack: Moth's Wings by the Passion Pit followed by Hallelujah by The Helio Sequence

Family Heritage

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 11:31:00 PST

Steve and I traveled to Idaho for Thanksgiving this year. We spent three days visiting with my grandma and all of the Martin relatives. What made this trip special was a visit up to the Prairie where my grandma was raised. The prairie is a place that is often talked about amongst my family and I can't believe it took this long for me to see it with my own eyes.

The prairie itself was just as I envisioned, but getting there is a different story. We climbed through the mountains on windy dirt roads, just wide enough for one car to pass - the same route my grandma took as a child when they made the grueling drive into town. Back then, there were portions of the road that were so dangerous my grandma's dad made the family get out of the car while he drove across, for fear that the car wouldn't make it. There are only a few homes up at the prairie, and it is hours from stores, restaurants, hospitals, and other modern day comforts that we take for granted today.

Along the drive, I couldn't help but wonder how my family ended up in such a desolate, far away place. The story goes that a long, long, time ago, my relatives robbed a Wells Fargo horse-drawn wagon and fled deep into the Idaho mountains to the prairie. They wanted to find a place so difficult to get to that they wouldn't get caught. It is thought that someone in the family still has the Wells Fargo trunk!

When we arrived at the Prairie, we pulled into the same house that my grandma grew up in. A tiny house where her brother Elmer and his wife Barb still live today. My grandma often talks about riding her horses to school in the snow and having to run outside in the cold, dark night to use the bathroom. And although the house has been retrofitted with an indoor bathroom, the old hut still stands to this day. And the cellar, right across from the house, my grandma says, is where her mother would store all of the canned foods.

The land is owned by my grandmother's relatives and for miles and miles, all you can see is open land, property that will stay in the family forever. And all of that private land means a safe place to shoot guns whenever and wherever. And my step-dad came prepared! He brought his brand new rifle to try out and we all gave it a go. The gun boomed and echoed so loud, but it was fun and easy to shoot.

And during my turn, I managed to hit the barbed wire fence across the street, dead on.

See the bullet flying back in the air by my mom's cheek??

The prairie is such a beautiful and peaceful place. An ideal homestead for cowboys, cowgirls, and those who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

And I am thankful to have seen this part of my family history and learn a little bit more about my grandma's fascinating life.

Music Night!

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 18:32:00 PST

My new Leadership friend, Wendy, organized a get together at her house centered around music. Our leadership class is full of talented musicians so the night was full of promise. I certainly cannot hold a note, and my only experience with an instrument is a short stint in 5th grade with the violin. So, needless to say, I contributed as band photographer. Wendy often has family music nights so she had every musical instrument under the sun! Fun and easy instruments like bongo drums, maracas, hand cymbals, a harmonica, tambourine, recorder, and rain stick, to name a few! Michael rented a drum set for the weekend, and with Josh's bass, Wendy's piano, and Melody's voice, we had a full blown band! And it sounded like we've all played together for years! :)

Everyone had a chance to try out an instrument and we all sang together at the top of our lungs. We played every song we all knew the words to, and when we didn't know the words we googled them and sang anyway!

It was seriously one of the most entertaining, silly, awesome, and wonderful Friday nights ever and hope to do it again soon!!!

And the cast of characters:

Josh on bass

Alexandra and Josh rockin' out!

Michael, our drum expert

Wendy shows Danielle a bongo beat!

Liz chimes in on the maracas

Alexandra had a great time on the drums!

All of those nights playing Rock Band with my little brother paid off!

Rachel and Wendy Lucas - such wonderful hosts!

Melody, Brian and Alexandra

Alexandra and Danielle

The whole gang!

We made great strides!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 16:05:00 PST

This year, I volunteered on the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of San Luis Obispo committee. We spent months planning a fun, heartfelt, and successful event! My girls came to SLO to join me on the walk, which made it all the more memorable. I am so thankful for all of their help. We got to the Mission Plaza bright and early to help set up and it wouldn't have happened without them!

My dear friend Michael from Applemoon Photography graciously agreed to photograph the event, and his lovely little family joined in the fun! It all came together seamlessly and I am humbled and honored to have been a part of an amazing group of women who poured their time, love, and energy into this local event.

And thank you to all of the donors and supporters out there! My team, Breast Friends, raised $1,335! And overall, the event raised more than $60,000! Amazing!

My Heart is Content INDEED!

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:47:00 PST

During the month of November, I really tried to focus back in on my happiness project and with much success! I think the holidays are the perfect time to reflect on your behavior and attitude towards others and the small things you can do to be a better person and to enjoy life to the fullest!

Be polite

You guys - I held so many dang doors open for people. I will admit, there were a couple of instances where the tricky 'who goes through first' thing came up, but I did my best to get to that door first and hold it open rather than slipping awkwardly on through. I had to consciously think of this every day, and it's still a work in progress, but with enough practice and focus, I have high hopes for a successful door opening future!

Use good manners

Well, I don't have a bathroom door, so I still pee with the "door" wide open - but I did manage to shut every bathroom door at Grandma's house! SUCCESS! Ha! I am also guilty of shoving food in my face at Thanksgiving...way too much food. I had a turkey baby and a potato coma and went to bed at like 8pm. Ooops. Better luck next year!

Don't get too hungry

My Costco pack of granola bars is gone - so I think this went over pretty well. Plus, I was only mean once, and all I will say is that it had more to do with vodka than not eating. ;)

Dance more often

I am known to cut a rug from time to time.

The Heart of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:56:00 PST

Top Ten NYC moments:

10. Our final meal together at the quaint Italian restaurant, Da Marino, across the street from our hotel. We were treated like queens with celebratory lemon cello, tiramisu for the entire table, and amazing pasta. And Franci tried her very first meatball!

9. The moment I made it on the air of the Today Show for a split second, after waking up before dawn, waiting in line, staking our spot, holding onto my beloved birthday sign, and trying to stay warm and positive! Totally worth it!

8. Chinese food takeout on our first night...like real New Yorkers.

7. Speaking Italian with Franci. Burro cacao! Buona notte!

6. Our "fancy" NYC dinner at Pigalle, wherein I had the best Tilapia of my entire life and learned that basil mashed potatoes are the key to happiness.

5. A relaxing break towards the end of our jam packed last day at the Tribeca Tap House where we rested our feet and laughed together over ice cold bevs and popcorn.

4. Window shopping and touring the neighborhood (and Carrie's house!!) in Greenwich Village. Quiet, cute, lush. The New York I dreamt about.

3. Roaming around Times Square, blissfully overwhelmed by all of the lights, sounds, and colorful people. I can still feel the energy.

2. The limo ride to greet my guests at the airport was the perfect way to start a trip! Random pee stops, champagne runs, and bricks!! Looots of bricks!

1. The way my heart swelled while watching Once, the musical. It's truly special when music can go beyond the ears and seep into the soul.

My Heart Beats for NYC! from Jaime Dwight on Vimeo.
Celebrating my 30th Birthday in New York City.

Music: "When Your Mind's Made Up" and "Gold" from the Once soundtrack

So Tiled

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 14:49:00 PST

A few weeks ago, my dad came for the weekend to help us tile the shower in the guest bathroom. He used to have his own tiling business and still had all the tools and tile saw. I was relieved when Steve accepted the help (this was no easy task!!), and I think in the end was so happy to have an expert in there for his first tiling experience. We could not have done it without him!

It took us 10 months to get prepped for tiling, but you'll see soon, all of the hard work was worth it. Steve's meticulous measuring and leveling made the tiles go up easily. The best way to avoid overcomplicating a tile job is to get everything squared up beforehand.

Not an hour after my dad walked through the door and we were on our way. The first step was coming up with a game plan for setting the tiles. We chose the windowsill as the starting place, but soon realized we needed to get the bench in first. Some tiles overlap the other to give a smooth edge so you have to be sure to set the right piece first to get the look you want. We must have changed the order 10 times before we were finally able to just get moving.

Steve installed all of the hardee backer.

And then tore out the left wall in order to square things up, installed new dry wall, and coated the hardee backer with waterproof sealant.

I laid out the design of the two major shower walls before beginning. This made it easy to know which piece was next. It also helped with mixing up the dark and light tiles, to achieve a more random, natural look. If you pull one by one from the tile boxes, you might get half of a wall all light pieces, and the other half dark pieces. Not good.

Dirty boot proof walkway from the tile saw to the bathroom.

Mixing up the thin set

Our first row done! We started on a Saturday afternoon, probably around 2:00.

We set the first column next to the window, then realized we forgot to leave space for the shelves. Luckily, you do have some time with the thin set, and you can remove tiles before they stick permanently.

The diamond cuts were not easy.

Giving the shelves a nice face

And the (semi)finished product!! My dad left Monday at noon and we still had to finish some grout work, but overall only about 2 whole days worth of work! Not bad!

See what a difference it makes?! Here's a shot of our old shower.

Next up:

Remove toilet and fix the gasket and replace the wax ring
Remove vanity
Texturize the new wall
Paint entire bathroom
Install new floor tiles (you're going to love these!)
Finish front tiling on tub and trim pieces
Install new vanity and sink
Install new mirror, lighting, and other fixtures and accessories
DONE!

Meanwhile at the Ranch

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 19:31:00 PST

On keeping a contented heart

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 06:00:00 PST

November is all about getting rid of anxiety and doing the right thing. You know how when you get anxiety, you can feel it in your heart? At least I do. My heart starts beating fast and I feel physical pain in my chest. And I heart my heart so I will try wholeheartedly to keep it hearty! ;)

Luckily, I don't get anxiety often, but this month, I am going to try to take a deep breath, relax, and keep that heart as content as possible and here are a few ways I will do that:

Be polite

Being polite is a sure way to keep that anxiety level down. Not just for you, but for those you're around. Think about holding doors open for people. I have the worst luck with doors. I always seem to approach them at the same time as someone else. Do I slow down, and let them open the door for me? Or do I speed up and open it for them? Usually, we end up there at the same time and there is a huge awkward dance in front of the door and one of us opens it and then sorta pushes it open further for the other person to slip in. Argh, there are so many doors at my work, this happens to me all day, every day. So this month, I am going to try to get to that damn door first and open it, step back, and let the other person through. Easy, right?!

Use good manners

This is similar to being polite, but sometimes you get too comfortable with people you're close to and your manners fly out the window! Am I right? Like, leaving the bathroom door open while you pee? Guilty! Or, shoving food into my face at dinnertime? Guilty! How about at Thanksgiving coming up - help with the dishes! Set the table! Take off your shoes! Wipe up all of that hair in the bathroom. Lots of things to make sure your hosts invite you back.

Don't get too hungry

When I get too hungry, I get mean. Enough said. How to cope? I plan on carrying granola bars with me wherever I go.

Dance more often

I plan on dancing in my living room. Right after I publish this post.

Boo ya!