Lunch Break

I have been chatting with Mother Nature lately. See, in moving out here, I expected to escape the awful Kansas winters. And so what happens my first winter away? Kansas doesn't have a winter! So I have been considering asking for a refund.

But Mother Nature, you saucey vixen you, you finally gave Kansas a taste of winter. So while my mom spent her lunch doing this:

I spent mine here:

Jacob & I are trying to bring our lunches to work with us while still being able to get out of the office for the hour. Today we spent our lunch hour here. And we saw dolphins! Thank you, Mother Nature.

Playing Hookie

Jacob & I had Friday off from work so we took the opportunity to cross something off my bucket list. Visiting the San Diego Zoo! We felt like we were playing hookie the whole day...it was great!

We took a lot of pictures, so I'll try to post some in the next few days.

Oh My Darlin' Clementine...

We are lucky enough to have a wonderful, year-round Farmer's Market nearby. Walking through the stands, tasting free samples, and buying fresh produce for the week is part of our typical Sunday routine...when are aren't too terribly lazy.

These clementines are our newest addiction. Jacob will come home from work and eat four of them in the first half hour of being home!

Happy 2012

A new year has begun! (which means I now have to get used to naming all of my work files '12...wish me luck)

The past year was full of some huge changes & opportunities & challenges for us. Seaton had surgery. I had sewing weekends with two of my best girls. We traveled to Florida for another best friend's wedding. Warren (my perfect 'nephew') was born. Jacob graduated. I left my job. We packed up our things & cats & said goodbye to Manhattan. We drove half way across the country to take a shot at a life in California. I met more of Jacob's wonderful family. He started a new job. My grandpa had a stroke. I started a new job...working four feet away from Jacob. We made some new friends. We saw the Dodgers & LA Kings play. We spent holidays at the beach. We missed the family & friends we left.

In all, 2011 was a great year. I hope that while 2012 continues to surprise, challenge, & reward us, we are able to smile at the end of the day & be thankful for everything we have. I hope that we continue to take advantage of all that this new life has to offer us...starting with going to the Rose Bowl! Look for us...45 yard line...4th row!

Happy New Year!

Christmas in Long Beach

Santa Katie's workshop was a busy place leading up to Christmas. Sadly, Santa Katie isn't nearly as skilled as the real good ol' St. Nick. Maybe it's his hundreds of years' experience...maybe it's his hundreds of elves...but somehow he manages to get all his gifts made & delivered on time. Not me!

Despite what I thought was an early start, & a bit of assistance from Elf Jacob, I still failed to finish & mail out all my gifts on time. One gift (or part of a gift...she also requested placemats) that did get to its recipient on time was a tree skirt for my sister & brother-in-law.

I've had the fabric for this project for months. It took me so long to decide on a pattern. I would make up my mind & start to lay everything out just to change my mind again & again & again. But I'm really happy with how it finally turned out.

One of my favorite little details is the snowflakes in the quilting. Thanks to my new sewing machine (the best Christmas gift from the best boyfriend) I have all these fun decorative stitches.

The fabric is super cute & this was one of my favorites.

And of course I had to get a picture of my tag on the finished project.

Karie got the tree skirt on Friday...barely in time! But it was under her tree for the big day & looked great!

Jacob & I spent Christmas day cooking (ham balls, vegetable casserole, party potatoes) & baking (pizzelles, sugar cookies). My mom safely made it to California (all by herself...I'm so proud) & we walked around Naples looking at the houses decorated for Christmas. Apparently the neighborhood theme was "Movies."

Mom has a bit of a thing for Snoopy.

This was the winner in my mind though! Talk about a Griswold house!

After we'd had our fill of Christmas lights we came home to have dinner & open presents. All in all, it was a wonderful, relaxing day.

I hope that you all had a Merry Christmas as well...full of family, friends, love, & laughter. We missed all of you terribly & wished you could have been here...because it's 70 here & most likely a lot colder where you are. :)

How To: Winning a White Elephant Gift Exchange

Deck the halls with boughs of holly...fa la la la la, la la la la.

'Tis the season to be jolly...fa la la la la, la la la la.

Don we now our gay apparel...also known as tacky Christmas sweaters.

It's that time of the year again...Tacky Christmas Sweater parties, fruit cake jokes, mistletoe hung in inappropriate places, & White Elephant gift exchanges.

Jacob & I have always considered ourselves a fairly skilled team when it comes to White Elephants parties. Somehow we always seem to walk away feeling satisfied with the gifts we have received: suggestively shaped cacti, old school Christmas CDs, a gingerbread house kit, a balloon architecture kit, etc. We didn't just get lucky to get those gifts though, no, we strategized. The keys to winning at a White Elephant party are teamwork, predicting the number of steals, showing no interest in the gift you want, and ultimately, the steal. Under normal rules, we are almost always able to end up with at least one gift we have our hearts set on. This year was a bit different though.

We attended two White Elephant parties. The first was for our job site. We had a wonderful dinner at The Grove followed by the customary 'select gift,'have gift stolen,' 'steal someone else's gift,' repeat. I walked away with a couple of DVDs (Dumb & Dumber and A Christmas Story) & a desk-size bean bag toss game (aka Washers). A few days earlier I had mentioned to Jacob that we should pick up a copy of A Christmas Story, so I was quite happy with my loot. Jacob came out the big winner: a 750 ml bottle of Crown. Teamwork people! Since technically I won the gift, I'm re-gifting it to him & it's wrapped under the tree now. You're welcome, Jacob.

The second party was a bit more challenging. Tiffany & her roommate, Alex, throw a Tacky Christmas Sweater/White Elephant gift exchange party every year. (How cute are we dressed in our matching turtle necks?) As we all settled into our seats, Alex started to tell us the rules. And wouldn't you know it, she changed them on us! Everyone knows the rules of a White Elephant gift exchange, right? No immediate steal-backs & only two steals per gift. Apparently I've taken for granted that those rules are not ones that everyone lives by. Apparently you can decide that you want no immediate steal-backs, that there is no limit on the number of times a gift is stolen (gasp), and that after a gift is stolen, the gift-less party goer can't steal another person's gift (the horror)!

Some great gifts (a 'Hunger Games' picnic bag & a 'Lord of the Rings' Pez dispenser set) & some awful gifts ('Paulie' on laser disk & awful cheap perfume) circulated through the group.While we REALLY REALLY wanted the Hunger Games picnic bag, we walked away with an Egyptian mummy night light, a frisbee promoting "The Room" (apparently one of the worst movies ever made), and a circus character waffle iron. (Can you tell that everyone else at the party works in the film industry?)

Maybe I should add another key component to winning a White Elephant: perspective. Um...my mom is visiting for Christmas & I'll plug in the nightlight so she doesn't get scared in the dark...so...score? Jacob & I love to play frisbee at the beach...so...score. And we had waffles for breakfast the morning after the party...SCORE! We win!

Movember has come & gone...

Some of you may fondly (or not so fondly) remember Jacob's "No Shave November" a couple of years ago. That was the first year we were dating so a lot of my family & friends first met him with that Abe Lincoln beard. Naively, I thought that after college, & now in the real world, he would stick with the well manicured beard that I love so much...oh boy was I wrong.

Our job site observes "Movember." This year, our co-workers showed their support through donations & growing mustaches. So this is what I lived with for an entire month...a creeper stache.

This picture was taken at the company's Christmas party. What are the odds that the year we move from Kansas to California, the company hosts a Western-themed Christmas party?

Jacob was well prepared already having the boots & jacket & obvious mustache. After borrowing a bolo from my grandpa, he was set. Thanks, Papa! I had a bit more difficulty getting into character but thankfully Tiffany let me borrow a shirt & a belt buckle so I could pull off the look.

We had a great time at the party! Jacob finally two-stepped with me. I was able to meet his co-workers from last summer & several peoples' spouses. And I met the mechanical bull! Sadly/Happily/Luckily there's no big story to tell...but I can now say that I've ridden a mechanical bull.

While the mustache worked for the party, don't worry, it was gone the next day. And now, a couple of weeks into December, I am happy to say that the beard is back!

Holiday Weekend

We had a great Thanksgiving!

Wonderful food, wonderful company.

Everyone said Tiffany made a delicious turkey.

And apparently Seaton liked my pumpkin pie!

Jacob & I had today off from work & will be enjoying a relaxing weekend.

I'll be sewing; he'll be working on a few projects around the apartment.

Maybe we'll decorate for Christmas...now that Thanksgiving has officially passed.

Sunday's high is supposed to be around 80 so we may have to spend the afternoon at the beach.

Happy Thanksgiving

(Apparently we do get some fall leaves in SoCal!)

There is so much to be thankful for today: the new adventure Jacob & I started this summer, our jobs, our wonderful families back home & the technology that helps keep us connected, our family out here who is spending the day with us, & the Coco Bolo's recipe we smuggled out of Manhattan!

We're spending the day cooking with Jake & Tiffany, calling family & friends back home, watching football, watching Harry Potter, drinking sangria, & hopefully we'll get a few good games of Farkle in, too!

I hope you all are spending the holiday with loved ones & eating lots of yummy food!

Lack of Protein

Jacob was talking to his dad on the phone as we were pulling onto the 405 this evening. Because we ride together we're able to use the carpool lane that allows us to zoom past all the other single drivers who have to wait at the light that restricts the number of cars entering the freeway. We love how we're able to do that!

Now we're no experts, but my guess is that a semi can't just hop into the car pool lane to enter the freeway & cut us off, but that's exactly what happened today. As my tendency to get a little worked up while driving is well known, you won't be surprised to hear that my reaction was immediate, passionate, & consisted of one or two words that I can't say in front of Warren.

Rob then made some comment about the hand gestures that must accompany my vocal outbursts. I explained that while I'm quick to verbally insult the other driver, I'm never quick enough to honk or give the bird.

"Must be the lack of protein...it affects your ability to react."

Rob's always one to find a circumstance to ridicule me for being a tree-hugging vegetarian. :)

Trip to San Diego

Last weekend Jacob & I took a little trip down to San Diego!

We were able to tour a new building the company built...an awesome new building. Now that Jacob is officially in the construction business...& I guess I am, too...I'm trying to see beyond a building's "cover" & appreciate all the work behind the walls. So I have to mention all the great finished concrete walls, the polished concrete floors, the stainless steel staircases, & the office pods on cantilevered concrete decks that stuck out from the side of the building. The thought behind the design of the building was impressive, too. The offices, labs, break rooms, hallways, & staircases were all laid out with the intent of increasing interaction among all of the scientists in the building. Also impressive is that upon completion, the company will be applying for LEED Gold certification for the building. But I also have to mention the VIEW! To the North is the Torrey Pines Golf Course (just let the intro play for a bit) & to the West is the ocean. The building sits on a cliff that adrenaline junkies use as a jumping off point for hang gliding!

While we didn't do any hang gliding (maybe next time), we did hit the open water for a bit of sea kayaking to check out the La Jolla caves. A friend of mine from High School lives in the area & we were excited she could come along! Here are some pictures & videos from the day.

We've been kayaking before, but never on the open water. We were out past the point where the waves break & it was so much fun riding the swells as they came in. One surprised us though & Nikki got a close view of the fish she & Jacob were checking out!

You should all be proud of me for being as far from land as I was. Every once in a while I panicked imagining Jaws jumping up out of the water...but thankfully, we didn't see any great whites. We did see a leopard shark though! It was in really shallow water & looked to be about 5 feet long!! There were also a few seals out that afternoon. Yay!

Another thing to note: Jacob was rather obsessed with the birds that were perched on the cliffs. Apparently they're racists. There were very distinct groups of white & black birds...too bad they haven't yet learned that we're all created equal.

Difference between Kansas & California #241

In Kansas, I kept a blanket in my car because Mom worried that I would get stranded in a snow storm...who am I kidding, we don't have snow storms in Kansas...I should say stranded in an ICE storm.

In California, I keep a blanket in my car so Jacob & I can have impromptu lunch picnics.

This is the beach/picnic blanket I started MONTHS ago & just finished recently. Sadly I didn't have it done in time for Jacob's family's visit or Mom & Bear's visit...& this is the only time it's actually been to the beach. But, lucky for us, another difference between Kansas & California is that now we can go to the beach whenever we want so we have lots of opportunities to take this new quilt with us.

Dear Kitties,

I have loved spending my days with you three the past several months. You may have noticed the past week that I wasn't home with you though. Well maybe you noticed, Seaton. Avey & Jackson probably didn't...too busy spooning all day.

As much as I have enjoyed your helping me sew, fill out job applications, play on the computer, and make dinner...and as hard as it may be to get up at 4:30 every morning...I am so happy to tell you that Momma's got a job now!

I'll miss you, but I was not meant to be a house-girlfriend. Getting ready for work on my first day, I was simply giddy. And I think you (and Jacob) will be so happy to have a happy Katie around!

Love,

Momma

*edited to add:

This also explains the recent neglect of the poor blog. So sorry. But rest assured, Loved Ones, that we are happy, healthy, & BOTH employed! I'm now working (temporarily) for HP at Jacob's job site. I help with the billing (which is quite a task on a project this large) so I get to play in Excel all day again! Jacob & I have enjoyed the extra time it allows us to spend together: on the commute & having lunch. Our desks are even super close. Keep your fingers crossed that we don't get sick of each other anytime soon!

Weekend Away!

It seems like I haven't visited here in a LONG time. Sorry!

Jacob & I are taking advantage of the long weekend & are hitting the road for the first time since The Trip. We're heading to the desert where the forecasted high is 106! Silly Jacob opted to play golf...while I'll be at the spa. I think I win!

I'll try to take lots of pictures to show you next week.xxz (Apparently Jackson wanted to say hello, too!)

I hope everyone has a great Labor Day Weekend & GOOOOOO CATS!

This weekend we...

This weekend we...

...went to 2nd Street. It was a lot like Mass Street in Lawrence: lots of restaurants, bars, and shops. One major bonus was the lack of those jerky bird fans. I have to remember to take Sam & Karie there the next time they visit.

...ate cupcakes! (Jacob: something chocolatey - nutella-y. Katie: orange cream cheese.)

...made ourselves a little more at home. Jacob hung several things on the wall to make my mom happy - she said we needed a few things on the walls before she came to visit again. Well, things are on the wall, Mom, come visit!

My dad gave me this printer's drawer & it perfectly houses all my thread - both new & vintage. The print was a housewarming gift from my mom. We have ordered the matting for the print but it hasn't come in yet. I was just too excited to wait & nicely asked Jacob to hang it for me NOW!

...enjoyed Avey's help. This is actually a good angle for her! She doesn't look nearly as pudgey as she really is.

...went to the Farmer's Market. I have been craving blackberries so I was excited to find several great berry stands where we picked up several containers of blackberries, strawberries, & raspberries. We also brought home a bag of little petite potatoes (the "gourmet" variety - yellow, red, & purple potatoes) & jalapenos. We're going to eat WELL this week!

...and started a new project...Sunday evening...that did NOT get finished.

Jacob was less than thrilled...

Paddle On!

Last summer Jacob discovered Groupon (angels singing in the background..."Aaahhhhh"). One of his first purchases was a kayak tour with a local company. He knew how much I love kayaking & surprised me with it when I visited. The tour took us through the aquatic backyards of some amazing neighborhoods & part of the Anaheim Bay National Wildlilfe Refuge.

I knew we had to take my mom & sister when they visited because they love driving around & looking at houses (as do I). You can even hear them talking about which houses & boats they would like to have (pretty much any of them!).

I love how Bear starts to show off her kayaking skills...with her paddles backwards! She said she was a pro because she & Zac kayaked on their honeymoon...apparently not.

Jacob thought he was too good to kayak with us...he preferred to try his hand at paddle-boarding. He did a great job & kept his balance the entire time...despite our constant attempts to try to knock him off into the cold water. (Mom was chasing him in the previous video so she could surprise him & make him fall off his board.)

Please do not think more into Mom's comment about her "babysitting house." To clarify, she's talking about when Bear & Zac start giving me nieces & nephews.

The video was taken with our new waterproof camera. Maybe not the best quality but hey, it's waterproof!

Where I didn't respond like my mother would have...

Walking into the Ralph's near our apartment, Jacob & I are constantly asked to sign this petition against online sales tax, sign that petition to help save the oceans, save the tigers, etc. I'm all about political activism & saving the environment...but please leave me be when I'm grocery shopping....I'm already in a bad mood. We've tried being nice & tried ignoring the pair of people (always in pairs) guarding the entrance but I'm still not exactly comfortable with how I want to respond. They are just THERE in your FACE when you leave the grocery store DEMANDING your attention.

Tonight we had to return a Redbox movie & as we left Ralph's we were again asked to sign the sales tax petition. I politely declined & expected to be able to just walk away without any other response as is what normally happens. Nope...not this time...

"I HOPE YOU GET TAXED OUT THE ASS!"

Ugh...I hope you have a nice evening, too, sir. Bless your heart.

Mom & Bear visit

My mom & sister were here for the weekend! We had so much fun at the beach, kayaking, & visiting. It was hard Monday when they both left...especially because Mom was supposed to stay through this week so she could "really see where we live." Two full days was not enough time with them but family calls & we jump into action.

Sunday night, after a whole day on the water, we went out to dinner at the Pike (downtown area). While we waited for a table at the restaurant, Mom, Bear, & I wandered around the boats & all the little shops. We found a hat shop, funnel cake stand, & a pirate store. Mom took lots of pictures (like she did all weekend: "ooh, look, surfers!" "ooh, I need a picture of that bird of paradise, canna, palm tree, etc.") of the people & boats. She also got some pictures of the Queen Mary (to be explored next time).

Dinner was great. We sat outside & because we were all little lobsters it was a bit chilly. Those two had such a hard time believing that the outdoors wasn't air conditioned!

After dinner we HAD to go back to the hat shop. I'm not really a hat person but I found a great beach hat at that store. No, I didn't get the Dr. Quinn hat...

I told you...all day on the water. I'm actually glad my brother-in-law wasn't there to make fun of my raccoon eyes!

And now you don't feel so bad for "Poor Jacob"

Jacob had to wear a suit to work today. Before you start feeling bad for him for trading in a cushy student job* (where he could wear whatever he wanted so long as it wasn't red & blue) for a stuffy big boy job...check out the suit he wore.

Yep, it's Surf Day today! Gotta love working in California...guess those commercials are true..."board" meetings & all. He says the waves are great & I hope to post pictures of him in action as soon as we get them.

*Come on Greg, I wouldn't exactly use "hard ass" to describe your management style. :)

And I hear a collective "Poor Jacob" from the crowd

Every year Long Beach plays host to an amazing quilt show: the Long Beach International Quilt Festival. For some reason I thought the show was in the spring & was bummed that by moving here in June I just missed it. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it's actually the last weekend of July!

So last Saturday Jacob & I went downtown to the Convention Center & stepped into the craziness that is a quilt show! Jacob was one of four men we saw under the age of 35...& he thought he would be the only one. Ha! Women were EVERYWHERE. I was elbowed & bumped into & stepped on. I'm telling you, fabric hunting is a viscous sport to some people!

After visiting all the vendors (some more than once) we walked through the quilts on display. Here are some pictures of ones I was drawn to:

for their colors (this quilter was inspired by Yellowstone for this quilt),

for their messages (this one addressed society's tendency to fix all problems with pills even though there are possible side affects - the quilting is taken from warning messages on pill bottles),

and because they remind me of home (the 'seeds' are actually little beads & we guess the middle of the quilt must weight several pounds). I thought it was interesting how many of the quilts I was drawn to were so different from what I would think to make myself.

We didn't look at all the quilts because I was exhausted & wanted nothing other than to take a nap! But overall, the quilt show was a success. I got some new patterns that I'm SUPER excited about, some great fabric (for some planned & some unplanned projects), & a magazine I had been hunting for. The highlight of the day was getting to use a long arm quilter for the first time. I was in a bit of a daze after that. It was just simply amazing...I won't continue because only a few of you out there will understand. :)

But just so you know, Jacob did survive. He didn't get lost in the crowds or trampled. In fact, he was praised for being such a wonderful boyfriend & tagging along. I'm pretty lucky!