His 30th Birthday

Last week my hubby turned the big 3-0.  Chris was not as excited about it as I was. Possibly because he had to go to school all day, or maybe just because turning 30 isn't as much fun as it sounds. Either way, he was out of the house most of the day which gave me the perfect opportunity to bake him a cake!

My friend Crystal is an excellent baker and agreed to help me with the adventure, and Clare let us bake at her house so Chris wouldn't find out. Plus, she lives right near the restaurant we were going to eat at so I didn't have to attempt to walk this baby across town! There is no way I could have pulled this off without the two of them.

It took nearly the whole day, but we ended up making a heavenly chocolate 3 layer cake with peanut butter whipped cream frosting and Godiva chocolate ganache on top. It tasted even better than it sounds!

P.S. I made him a "30 for Your 30th" card like a few people suggested!  He Loved It.

P.P.S.  And now I get to officially cross something off my 12 by 12 list!

Typography

After about 15 minutes of staring at these fonts, it dawned on me that any normal person would have just picked one by now. Can you see the differences?

I'm taking my time with the new Priceless Design site. It will be the first (real) Wordpress blog I've done, and I want to get it right.  The typeface will have to compliment my all-time-favorite HoneyScript. Which would you pick?

90% natural, 10% fresh

This Thanksgiving was the best yet. Mr. Turkey was cooked in a turkey-bag this year. Although I was a bit skeptical at first, now that I've tried a turkey-bag I don't think I will ever go back! You don't have to baste the turkey, and there is practically no mess. He came out totally moist and practically falling off the bone. Tracy and I (well, Tracy mostly) stuffed him with garlic butter, salt and pepper, thyme and parsley, and carrots, onions, and celery.

Sunday Afternoon Adventure

Yesterday helped to remind me of a couple of awesome things about living on a small island.

- It's November, and I'm still able to go to the pool any time I want.
- Instead of graffiti, bright fruits are painted on walls.
- You can stand in the middle of the {only} highway for several minutes without any cars passing.
- I can hand someone off the street my dSLR without worrying they will run off with it.
- The one and only street light on the island is activated by pushing a button.
- Sunday afternoons with friends and a camera can be just as much fun as movie theaters or malls.

 

 

It's in my blood...

I realize that I don't talk too much about my family here on my blog, other than mentioning Chris every now and then. This is probably because they all live so far away this year. I miss them.

I have a wonderful mother, Diane, who is so generous and kind. She is hilarious, and I get my laugh-till-I-cry gene from her. My mom is a kindergarden teacher, agility dog trainer, and is quite crafty when she wants to be. She taught me to love books and reading by always being half way through one herself.

My sister Julie is the most tender-hearted girl you will ever meet. She instantly makes you feel welcome and like you are the center of her attention. Julie is super compassionate to everyone she meets. She is a graphic designer by profession {check out her work here} and amazing artist.

I am lucky to have my step-father Peter in my life. He is kind hearted and always has good advice in tough situations. He has a keen sense of intuition, which is difficult to describe but incredible to see in action. Peter is a minister as well, and married Chris and I back in 2007.


My father, Ted, is a man of many hats. He is a drummer, engineer, Harley-rider, and also where my computer and technology geekiness comes from. He is a computer programmer and made sure I was way ahead of the other kids in mathematics. We even had an original Apple desktop computer, way back when.


It's fun to look at the bits and pieces of my family that I carry with me. I am a teacher like my mom and computer nerd like my dad. My sister and I are so very different in some ways, and so alike in others.

Although I dislike the two day trip to get back to California, I will be glad to see everyone at Christmas this year.  We will be in California for about 3 weeks in various places.  Let me know if you'd like to get in touch!