Cooking Success!

Geoffrey and I had the house to ourselves tonight, so I made (for my first time) Stuffed Bell Peppers!!

They were super awesome (to my surprise,) and Geoff liked them a lot, so I'm pretty much the happiest little girl ever tonight!

Mmm... delicious!

Finals next week! ...and this week! Wish me luck!

Month of November

So, early this November, as some of you know, was Geoff and my official 2 year anniversary.

November the 7th, to be exact. (This is what we've decided anyway.)

Last year, I took Geoff on a glider plane ride in Hemet. Remember?

This year, our dear friend Robyn gave us the keys to her beach house on the water in Newport Beach so we would have a place to stay over the weekend instead of paying for a hotel. (Awesome!) It's the same beach house I lived in the first summer I was out here, and the one we throw parties in with Robyn and friends every so often, so we were quite familiar with the area already. We spent the day lazing around the house, watching movies over the open balcony overlooking the sea, and just enjoying our time off. In the evening, we went to the Melting Pot, which is a very cool looking fondue place. (We'd never had fondue before, so this was a totally new experience for the both of us.) The food was FABULOUS, and was well worth the large hole the bill ate in our bank accounts. It was a very dark, intimate place, (perfect for a special occasion,) and they even gave us complementary champagne and strawberries to celebrate our anniversary. It took about 2 and a half hours for us to finish eating all the food in the 4 course meal. Definitely one of the coolest eating experiences I've had.

Afterwards, we headed home to digest for a few hours, watched a movie, had some of our own champagne, and went to sleep.

This past Saturday, Geoff and I competed in the Redlands Diamond Dash, which is a fundraiser game in Redlands for Diabetes. Couples, or teams of 2 enter to play a sort of treasure hunt game around town, and compete to win a $15,000 Tacori Diamond ring. If you aren't familiar with the Tacori line, I highly suggest you check out their website. They are among my favorite brands, (all hand-made pieces,) and make just the most gorgeous rings (their bands, especially). Anyway, there were tons of people there. How it works, is we all meet at one place to begin, and then we get a text to our cell phone giving us clues about a location in town, and then we ride our bikes (or scooters, or run, or whatever as long as it doesn't have a motor,) to that location, where we receive a trivia question about that location. There is some sort of complicated point system depending on how many questions we get right and wrong, but all in all, it's a lot of running back and forth, and searching for the answers to clues! It was a ton of fun, but needless to say, we did not win the ring. Oh well. It was great exercise.

This week I have faculty critiques, which is where all the senior art students, and all the art faculty dress up and gather together in the Peppers Art Gallery, and critique your work. I've heard it's pretty terrifying, and I'm totally afraid of my work getting torn apart, but we'll see how it goes... I still don't even know what works I'm going to be presenting to them... ahhh!! :(

I've been doing Wardrobe Crew for the play this fall over the past week, so I've been extremely busy every night, and not getting home to start homework until 11pm. So, I'm quite grateful it ended yesterday, even though it's been a lot of fun, and I really loved the cast. (The play was Macbeth by the way, so we had a lot of quick changes, and a lot of blood to clean off costumes every night.) Nick and Robyn, two of my very close friends played the leads! (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth!)

I am so glad that next week we have Thanksgiving Break! (We REALLY need a break...)

Our last day of classes is Tuesday, and then we have the next few days off until Monday. Geoff and I are driving up to Lake Tahoe to stay in his parents' condo in Truckee for the break to have our own Thanksgiving together. We bought some nice tasty red wines, and will be making a mini-sized two-person Thanksgiving dinner up there, which I am very excited for. I can't wait to just get out of Redlands and relax for a while... Also, it will be our first Thanksgiving where we have to cook, so that in itself is also rather exciting... I've got the stuffing and mashed potatoes covered.. (you do just mash them, right?) but the turkey will be an interesting feat. We'll have to see how that works out. I'll be sure to take some photos.

Ciao for now!

Oh, and be sure to tell me what you want for Christmas!!! I expect emails!

Spring Semester Already???

Yikes! It's been ages since I've updated! For starters, I've cut my hair just recently so it's short now... I've got a sort of "bob" thing going now, so it has room to grow over the winter. Here is a before and after! (Sorry my hair is up in the "before", so you can't see its full craziness of length... but you get the idea.)

(BEFORE)

(AFTER!)

Besides that, here are updates on other stuff!

I just registered for my Spring Semester and Mayterm classes!! Can you believe it?? I just finished registering for my LAST college classes EVER. Probably. I mean, isn't that intense? I'm freaking out.

But regardless, I'm sure you all want to know what I'm taking next spring. :)

(By the by, I've been awake for about 38 hours now, so this entry might be a little spacey... I had a huge project for Graphic Design due today...)

I have to take my Senior Project course, (which I have not decided yet what I am going to do, so don't ask me!! I am super stressed about not knowing...) so that is the first one I'm registered for. (I don't have to wake up until 1pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays for it! Woo-hoo!)

Second, I am taking a course called "Environmental Non-Fiction"... which sounds rather boring to me, but it is my last LAF I need in order to graduate. (It's an intensive writing course.) I've heard the professor is really good though, so we'll wish for the best.

Then, I am taking Ceramics! (Which I've wanted to take for some time.) I don't actually need to take ceramics, but I need to take at least 12 credits per semester in order to be considered a full time student, and collect my financial aid, so I needed one more class. If you remember, Geoff brought home beautiful, useful things from his ceramics class last fall, including gorgeous bowls and mugs that we use daily. So, I am VERY excited to finally be able to contribute to the house as well and make pretty art pieces that we can eat and drink from. (Also, the professor who teaches that class is super sweet... I had her for 3D Design.)

Only 3 classes in the spring! Hoorah! It will be quite the relief after this hectic fall semester, let me tell you!

But I've saved the best for last...

For Mayterm, I, (and Geoff, and like 5 or 6 of my good friends,) are taking a class called "Mother Earth Chemistry", which we've greatly been looking forward to. While the name sounds deceiving, we basically brew beer, make cheese and tie dye all during the month of may! And on Fridays, we take the occasional trip down to the Hangar 24 Brewery for a tour and free beers! What could be better to end my college career? Anything? I think not.

I will have to put up photos of my self-promotional package, which was my great big project I've been working on in Advanced Graphic Design. I may even be purchasing a domain name and launching my website in the near future. When that does happen, you will definitely be the first to know, friends and family. :) It looks pretty cute so far, if I do say so myself... I just need to budget my money again so that I can afford to keep it up!

In other news, this weekend is Halloween!

My friend Angelico and I (and Geoff of course,) are throwing a big Halloween party at Angelico's house with lots of music and dancing and lights and people! I am super excited, since Geoff and I are usually not in Redlands for Halloween.

The weekend after this weekend is Geoff and my 2 YEAR Anniversary... Can you believe that? We've been together for-EVER! Hahah.. Anyway, we are planning on going to Newport Beach to spend the day and evening there celebrating together.. nothing huge, just the two of us hanging out. That should be really good for us stressed out college kids.

That's all for now! I need my sleep before I pass out on this computer...

Love to you all! <3

Old Trees, New Lifestyle

This week has been chaos.

But first, let's update everyone.

Geoff and I had a wonderful time in the Sierra Nevadas. It was cooler up in the Giant Forest, and the trees were almost fairy-tale-like in their size and appearance. The Giant Sequoias, (particularly the General Sherman,) are the largest living organisms on the planet. (I think I may have mentioned that before.) And truly, you don't fully understand until you are standing beneath them, trying ever-so-hard to not fall over backwards as you squint to see the top.

(This is one of the smaller ones, I think... just another Sequoia in the Giant Forest.)

We were out in the wilderness for about 4 days, camping at two different campsites, and swimming/bathing in the Kaweah River. (Which was freezing at first, but once you were in, it wasn't all that bad... Better than being smelly! Thank you river water and camp soap!) Despite all the other people who were there to tour the beautiful forest, it was definitely a good time for us to reconnect with nature.

(Geoff particularly enjoyed the naturally made Jacuzzi jets we found in the river, right near our swimming area!)

(Chilly and wet, but happy to be clean!)

(This is a photo I took of the roots of a tree that got overturned... really beautiful roots. I took a little series, actually, but this is just a mini of one of them.)

(And this is our touristy picture in front of the General Sherman! We FINALLY got all the children out of the way, so there wasn't anyone else in the photo.)

Anyway, there are a bunch more photos on Facebook of us on our trip, so feel free to check them out! If you don't have Facebook, or don't know what Facebook is, you are welcome to email me. (I accept special requests for emailed photos, but only if you say "pretty please".) :)

We returned to civilization just in time for school!

...which is why this week has been so chaotic. The first week of school has been super stressful for all of us here in Redlands... at least for us Seniors, anyway. It's funny how in high school, senior year you get to slack off and become lazy, eventually but inevitably contracting a disease they call "Senioritis"...and now that we are Seniors in college, it's almost the opposite. I've never worked so hard in my college career. Granted, much of that is due to the fact that I have taken on far too many activities this year.

Not only am I swamped by my Advanced Design class, (which I had homework for over the summer! Jeeze.) but this year, I am Vice President of the Photography Club, Editor of Photography for the Bulldog Weekly Newspaper, working at Bevmo on the weekend, and at the Costume Shop on Fridays... Bleh. Lots of work and responsibilities for me this year. But don't worry, I will take care of myself... if things get too intense, I'll make the sacrifice of dropping something. (Not a class... I mean an activity.) But at least I am making a few extra bucks here and there to put away for when I leave school... Geoff and I are going to need to save a lot for our move out to L.A. next summer.

As far as classes go, I'm taking Advanced Design, Chinese Calligraphy, Forensic Science, and American National Government & Politics. So far, the government class is the only one that puts me to sleep... I simply hate politics, and I know all the reasons I should want to know about it, but I just can't bring myself to become interested in it. Sigh. Oh well... I'll get through it. I need the class for an LAF requirement. (That's a Liberal Arts Foundation requirement, in case you were wondering.)

Anyway, that's all for now! I'm giving the silver Jetta back to Geoff's parents tonight, so I must bid it farewell. It has been a good partner in crime... and I will miss it. :)

Tree-bound Escape Plan

Well, the summer is coming to a close, and Geoff and I have been feeling like we have done mostly work, and very little play. ...which, I suppose, is how it will be for most of our..adult.. lives, but I don't like it one bit! I need my play time, and summer is the best time for playing. So, we've planned a little vacation for ourselves.

Next week, I've taken 4 days off so that Geoff and I could drive up to King's Canyon/Sequoia National Park. We are going to camp out there Monday - Thursday. Neither of us have been there before, (as far as I can remember anyway...) so I am quite excited. There is a tree there called the "General Sherman" that is supposed to be the largest living thing on the planet! I definitely intend to bring my camera.

Geoff and I bought a big cooler that can hold all our food for 4 days, so we can bring everything with us instead of buying things in the park that will probably cost way more. We are going to try to camp at the campground called "Cold Springs". There are no RVs or trailers allowed, and that is what we like.

I don't know how the climbing is out there, so we probably won't be doing much of that. Most of what I've heard is of large rock faces for Trad Climbing only, and with just the two of us, it's probably safer if we stick to the smaller rocks and just do some Bouldering, if we can find any. I definitely want to check out their Crystal Caves as well..

I can't wait!

Extra Crispy

Sunday, Geoff and I went to Redondo Beach with his parents, and two of his younger brothers. It was a beautiful place, but it was rather windy that particular day, so I was pretty chilly most of the time. But of course, because I was thinking about being chilly, and not feeling the intense heat of the sun, I put on ZERO sunscreen. We were there for a few hours, so needless to say, I came home looking like a lobster. ...or I guess more like a Red Panda, as I seem to have these red and white stripes all over me.

Aloe Vera has become my new best friend for the next couple of days, and while you can't see from that photo that I am burned... you will just have to take my word for it. It's mostly my back.. and the worst of it is on my butt. Which, let me tell you, is the most horrible thing to burn badly. I apologize if this is too much information for you all, but let's just say I am discovering whole new levels of pain when sitting, sleeping, and bending over. Squatting is just completely out of the question. Thank you aloe and advil.

In other news, I have a couple days off this week, so Geoff and I may go camping again in the mountains, or perhaps in the desert where we can get some more climbing in, if my body heals in time. Let's hope so!

Photos and Such

Many apologies for keeping you all waiting on those photos of the apartment here in sunny Redlands. Things have been very busy for us out here, work taking up most of our time. I did manage to save some money to get my hair re-done though, which is awesome, since I was starting to look like a wilting tree.

I've included a photo for full effect of it's chili pepper colored glory.

I've been getting a ton of hours at work lately, (in fact, more hours than some of the other employees that have been working there longer than me!) and although that keeps me busy all the time, I'm glad to be making more money. Geoff and I have started a new fund for the puppy we won't give up on... We've decided to each dedicate $25 from every one of our paychecks to the "puppy fund", where we will save up the money we had before in order to try again next year. We're still hurting from the tragedy, and it's still hard for me to see other people with their dogs, doing the things we'd been planning to do with Tazz, but Geoff doesn't want to give up. After we move again next summer, (into the city... either L.A. or possibly San Francisco,) maybe we'll get another chance to adopt.

In the meantime, I've got some photos of the apartment for you guys!

Here's Geoff's and my room...

And here is our bathroom, (don't mind the messy counters,) with our whimsical saloon doors to the toilet and shower. Partnered with the pirate bath mat, I think it's the most amusing bathroom I've ever had.

This is just the hallway upstairs, with some storage area for my art supplies.

Here is the living room... I'm actually sitting on that couch right now!

And this is the hallway downstairs which leads to the kitchen, and upstairs as well.

Here is Geoff, surprised that I had a camera, in our tiny kitchen! Much smaller than the one we'd gotten used to last year, but it is the perfect size for the three of us now, and I just love it!

Here is our dining room table, which looks out on our patio.

I hope that's enough to satisfy you for now! I've got to go to work in about half an hour or so... and Geoff should be home soon!

If there's anything you'd like to hear more about in this blog, please comment and let me know so that I can get some more ideas of what to say... I never quite know what you will or won't be interested in hearing about. Papa helped me out with this one!

I hope you all are doing well, and I love you very much.

Take care of each other. Hopefully I will hear from you soon! :)