Shower Curtain of my Dreams

I could make this, right? 

What do you think, MB? Project? 

This would teach me how to sew, I'm sure! 

So amazingly delicious! 

Bring 'Em Out, Bring 'Em Out

Every Monday night, one delightful group of girls gets together to watch The Bachelor, eat, cut and dye hair, laugh, and just generally enjoy each other's company. We always end up leaving the evening amazed at what happened each night. There really are no limits. Ha!

So, last week, in the middle of a conversation about retainers, we learned that one of the girls named Lindsey wasn't sure that she'd ever told her husband of six months that she had a retainer! We were shocked. Marriage is definitely no place to keep secrets, especially not ones as big as this! How can he NOT know about her retainer! We had to do something!

We declared this week to be Retainer Week, and all girls that still wore their retainers (even if not too faithfully) were to wear them to our weekly get together.

There was some bling goin' on.

We then devised a plan for how to tell Kevin about his wife's retainer secret.

We decided that the song "Bring 'Em Out" Lyrical genius.

I got a packed house yellin'

(Bring 'em out, Bring 'em out)

All my hot girls yellin'

(Bring 'em out, Bring 'em out)

All my Dope Boyz yellin'

(Bring 'em out, Bring 'em out)

From the back they yellin'

(Bring 'em out, Bring 'em out) 

(Unfortunately we didn't know these lyrics at the time. We just kept sayin' Bring 'em Out, Bring 'em Out....over and over and over and over and over...you get the point....again.)

So Deb led the way with "Bring 'em Out" and after a little jiggin' and singing' happened we all started poppin' our retainers out. Me first, then Garrett (yes he got in on the action), then Deb...and then......

Lindsey!

She jumped off the couch, popped her retainer out, and waited with baited breath for Kevin's response!!!

(baited breath)

He knew. 

He knew she had a retainer. 

He'd seen it laying around somewhere, or the case at least, and the secret we thought was such a secret wasn't really quite the secret. 

But man, was it fun while it lasted. 

Wear 'em proudly. 

Other possible song choices were:
Ain't No Holla Back Girl- B-A-N-A-N-A-S    R-E-T-A-I-N-E-R-S
Baby Got Back Retainers

Have no idea what will happen next week, but I sure do look forward to Monday nights! :)

no words necessary

Dig these kicks...

I'm kind of likin' this style of shoe recently. 

I would have to say it's a stretch from my normal, fairly conservative wardrobe. 

But it's a stretch I could learn to love.

Yes, please. 

Technology: The Good and the Bad

Three nights ago, Mr. Suhr and I both ordered the ever-coveted iPhone4, through Verizon. I can honestly say that I've been waiting years for this (if you agree with me that years, though sounding like decades, can actually just mean more than two) :) . Walking hand in hand with all the excitement, however, comes a little friend we'll call trepidation.

I'm nervous.

Why am I nervous?

Ya see, I have this thing about gadgets and computers. I am fascinated by them. I've never been super into television or video games (except for that Donkey Kong stint back in '08- ha!), but when I was first introduced to AOL and Instant Messaging by my dear friend Miss Tiffany Tankersley (Now Mrs. Bowles), I was instantly smitten.

I'm not sure why I couldn't get enough. I think there's some freedom in hiding behind a computer screen. I've noticed that I'm a little bit more quick-witted when I'm not sitting across the table from someone. I have more confidence, for some reason. But I think there's more to my love affair than that.

I'm just utterly fascinated.

My family got our first computer back when I was in, oh....fourth grade? It was OLD SCHOOL. I'm talking the original floppy disks that were the size of nowadays dvds. For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about...

We did finally upgrade a little later, maybe somewhere around 7th grade. I remember the computer coming to the house and sitting in the box for a while 'cause nobody knew what to do with it. Finally, I was so antsy that I just started pulling it out of the box and putting it all together. It was thrilling to look at the ends of cords and see where they fit on the back of the back of the big, black box. When the computer turned on, and everything worked, I was elated. 

These days, I love all things computer, from the social networking and keeping in touch with friends in all corners of the world, to blogging (mostly because of how fun it is to make pictures like the above), to browsing the internet for any sort of random facts (One of my Strengths Finder strengths is Input, meaning I love to gather information, any information, and can do it for hours at a time), to creating various little pieces for an event we have coming up at Biola. I seriously sometimes wish I had studied design in college. I feel a little vulnerable saying that, because I'm afraid people will look at the stuff I do create and think, "Seriously? You're not that good". It's not even that I think I am very good. I just LOVE to do it. 

But what is my point. 

My point is...I am with a computer, near a computer, looking at a computer, on a computer, and wishing I was on a computer several hours a day. Several. Oftentimes, this is the view sweet Garrett sees when he walks through our apartment door...

(ridiculous picture of Beth will be inserted here when Mr. Suhr 

returns home from his road trip with the computer that houses our photos) 

And we just ordered a mini-computer (iphone4), which I will have on my person at all times of the day. It's small enough to fit in my wallet. 

Scary. 

I have already had so many people tell me that I will be ADDICTED to it. 

Am I an addictive person? 

Yes, I do believe so. 

Or at least a creature of habit. 

I've sworn that I won't be the person who, in the middle of conversation, is constantly checking her iphone. I WON'T be the person who never makes eye contact because something more important is going on in my pocket-sized computer world. 

I had a little time to myself tonight, as Garrett is traveling across the country with his bro. I picked up the book "Flicker Pixels" by Shane Hipps. The first chapter is already speaking to me. In it, he talks about technology and it's ability to cripple us without us even realizing it. 

Example. My dad has a memory like you wouldn't believe. He struggles a little with technology, and figuring out all the little nuances of computers and cell phones. So instead of taking the time to put people's numbers into his phone, he just memorizes them. When he wants to call someone, he just punches their number in. It's RIDICULOUS how many numbers he has memorized. 

Me? I know my number. And Garrett's. 

The only other numbers I remember are the numbers I memorized back in the day, before I started plugging them into my cell phone. Dad's work number (15 years old) , Mom's work number (12 years old), the house number (no longer in service), and Rebecca Simmons' home phone number (13 years old). That's it. 

So what's the big deal? Who cares if I don't remember phone numbers. That's why I have the phone, right? The point Shane makes in the book is that it's the typing them in allows us to forget them. It doesn't exercise the brain or force the brain to remember. 

Another example: In the book Shane refers to a friend of his that said, "'I had the most amazing insight about my spiritual life this morning. It was...basically, like...uh...let me get my journal. I wrote it down.' He then read his insight to me, periodically interrupting his own reading to enjoy his discovery all over again- 'Oh yeah, that's what it was!'" He was learning great things, but in writing them down, his brain wasn't being forced to remember any of the things he was learning. He says "The erosion of memory is, in fact, a downside of the invention of writing; however, there is also an upside that Thamus failed to perceive. Reading and writing have an incredible capacity to expand consciousness and advance the common good." Shane goes onto talk about seeing technology with both eyes open. He says "We need both eyes open if we are going to perceive the multitude of subtle forces that shape our lives..." The quote that really got me was the following: 

                   As Postman put it, our culture is teeming with 'throngs of zealous 

                    Theuths, one-eyed prophets who see only what new technologies 

             can do and are incapable of imagining what they will undo.'"

The iPhone obviously has some great benefits. 

But I ask myself,  "What is it that the iphone could possibly undo in my life? 

What is it that may seem like a benefit, that could possibly turn into harm?"

I'm going to weigh them out: 

Benefit: Quick communication via facebook or text messaging to family & friends across the country. 

Harm: Lack of real relationships because of a false sense of closeness gained by constant, surface interactions through social networks and quick texts. 

Benefit: Access to maps of the area to help us find our way. 

Harm: We could start to rely on the maps and no longer learn how to think critically and figure our way around new cities and roads (one of my favorite things to do!)

Benefit: Ability to check work email if needed. 

Harm: Ability to check work email if needed. As someone who already tends to focus too much on work, this could be a very bad thing. 

Benefit: A camera on my phone. Always ready to take pictures. 

Harm: Taking and posting pictures on a regular basis. Not always anything wrong with this, unless I'm posting pictures that I'm proud of, pictures that I think are favorable of myself, and creating an issue with pride. There could also be harm in not enjoying the moment because I always feel the need to have a picture of the moment. 

Benefit: Internet access at my hand. 

Harm: Because of my huge desire and need for information, I'm afraid I will be using the phrase, "I'll google it!" way too often. I don't want to get caught up in always googling something, always figuring out who's right, and not being present with the conversation I am currently in. 

I'm sure there are more, but I think it's obvious that I'm a little concerned about how I'm going to handle our newest purchase. I'm aware of my tendencies going in, and I hope that these concerns, and my desire to be more intentional with my conversation between my husband, as well as others around me, will keep me on guard and un-addicted. 

iPhone... I've got my eye on you. 

Drooling

Am I allowed to be in love with a boot? 

Is that legal? 

Wow.

The Thrift

So much fun today. It's been too long since I spent a couple of solid hours in a thrift store. I joined a friend, Robin, and hit up one of her favorite spots. There were lots of great deals! Just wish more had fit. :) Here are a couple of my finds.

Old Measuring Spoons

4 sets for $2.95

Pretty white vase and steel box. 

Vase- $2.95

Box- $3.95

Leather Belt

$4

2 Clipboards

.95 cents each

5 ball jars with pretty lids

$2.95 for all 

White shirt with ruffles. :) 

$2.50

And probably my favorite. 

A vintage, green, velvety dress. 

$2.95

We had so much fun! Robin found a couple of great items as well, including an old trunk and a big mirror, each for $5. The place was huge and packed with people. I'm sure to make return trips. :) I'd love to find great pieces and sell them to other people. I don't mind doing the finding. :) 

One Hot Mama

My little Sister is adorably pregnant. 

22 weeks pregnant with a sweet baby boy. 
A sweet baby boy with a growing wardrobe.

A sweet baby boy who is an Alabama fan by default. 

And a sweet baby boy that has a Mama and a Dixie Dog that are going to spoil him rotten. 

And maybe an Auntie who will do the same thing. 

Can't wait to meet that sweet little boy!

One week from tomorrow...

One week from tomorrow. 

Am I ready for this?!?!

It feels like such a huge commitment! 

I'll actually have to know where my phone is!

Deep breaths. 

It's going to be a big step up from this sweet little gal: 

Verizon. 

I've waited patiently for this moment. 

You make dreams come true. 

I thank you. 

Even if my sweet little purple phone doesn't. 

Ordinary

I never write here.
I think most of my posts have something in them that say, "Man, I really wish I blogged more!"
I guess I just never feel like there's anything so important to say that it matters to write it down.
That can't be right, though.
I look around me and see people writing very important and meaningful things on their blogs all the time.
How could I be the only one that doesn't have something to say?
I'm not accepting it.
There have been so many times when I thought, "Jeepers, I'm just gonna delete this thing."
It just seems pointless to keep it up.
But wouldn't deleting it be giving in?
Wouldn't deleting it be allowing myself to give up on something I really want to do?
I feel like my whole life has been one of mediocrity.
Everything I do, I do it almost half-heartedly.
Basketball. Volleyball. Running. (Why can I only think of sports right now?)
Piano and Guitar.
My faith.
Friendships.
Exploring my creativity.
I just never feel like I really do something with everything I have.
I can't give up.
I won't.

I was once told that I give up on things because I'm afraid of failing at them.
My level of perfectionism for myself is so high, that I'd rather not do it, sometimes not even start it, because that would mean there's a possibility I will fail.

The other day I wrote a friend, saying I was afraid to commit to meeting with her at a specific time every week. I was afraid I was going to let her down, going to make an unrealistic commitment, and not be the friend she needed me to be. She said, " You're cute :) I think anyone who has high expectations of themselves always kind of feels like they're not always doing or capable of doing what they wish they were." I was totally blown away. I've seen this girl on a handful of occasions, we've had a couple conversations, and she's already got me pegged. It was actually really helpful, though, to know that she understood where I was coming from, and that it's not that I just don't want to do something, it's that I'm afraid of not being able to do it.

How do I break this cycle?

I guess this little note is going to have to end with..."to be continued."

:)

*sigh*

Hmmm...

I think I like redesigning my blog more than I like writing in it.
Interesting.

Saturday = Productivity

Saturday was a busy day in the Southern California Suhr household apartment. We slept in a little. Garrett made a delicious breakfast of eggs, sausage, english muffins with blueberry preserves and even a pot of coffee! We then finished Season 5 of The Office with Jim and Pam expecting a little one, and decided it was time to work on some projects that we've had lying around for a while. 

Garrett was busy sanding a desk that we bought on Biola's Classifieds. It's a little like a roll top desk, but it's more of a flip top desk. I love it because it can hold our messes a bit, and the top can just be flipped down when people come over, instead of constantly trying to keep the place kept up. :)

Here's a picture of the desk with the lid off. Garrett does good work.

I'm working on trying to figure out the best way to make a Magnetic Chalkboard. I realize I could probably buy one, but if I can figure out how to make them, and frame them cute enough, maybe I could sell them. :) And fund MORE crafting projects, eh? I bought a piece of galvanized steel at Home Depot (or maybe it was Lowe's?), some primer, and chalkboard paint. I sanded the steel to make sure it was nice and smooth, added a couple coats of primer, and then started in with the chalkboard paint. 

The only thing I'm not sure about are the lines. They weren't nearly as bad after it dried, but I think the paint brush I used left more lines than I was expecting. The paint has been drying the past couple of days, I think I'm going to try and roll on another layer of paint to see if a roller works better. 

I'll post some pictures once I've gotten the next coat on. 

I still need to find a frame that will fit a large, square piece of metal. :) 

It's fun to be creating, though. :) It's just fun to have a life back after such a crazy fall! 

Yeehaw!

Grilled Pizza. Oh. My. Word.

So, the other night, our dear friend Janae came over for a little hang out time. Garrett and I were talking about what we should make. I've had grilled pizza before, but only once and it's been about 2 1/2 years. Garrett just did a grilled pizza night with his RA's recently but I wasn't able to join because of work. Anyways, I thought it'd be delicious, and super fun, to do grilled pizza. My recent, and probably all time favorite pizza is Chicken BBQ. I am a HUGE fan. I can't even imagine what I would do if Pizza Hut's Stuffed Crust was combined with a Chicken BBQ pizza. Hold the phone. MAYBE THEY DO HAVE IT!!

*Quick break to check Pizza Hut's website*

No dice. They don't have it. Well, shoot. I got super excited there for a minute. Stuffed Crust just makes my mouth water. Well, not really...'cause my mouth doesn't water for some reason. Garrett's does. : )

Anyways. We got a bunch of ingredients, got them all prepared and chopped up and ready to go. Janae decided to make a Pesto Chicken pizza. I did the Chicken BBQ. And Garrett did the Pepperoni. So Janae and I heated our pizza with the sauce, set that aside. I got some cilantro, red onions, and cheese. We rolled out the dough, and then headed for the grill. :)

Chicken BBQ Pizza ingredients ready to go. 

Lucille's BBQ Sauce, red onions, cilantro, chicken and cheese (not pictured). 

We then laid our dough on the grill and let one side cook.

 Suuuuuuper excited! 

Once you flip the dough over, you have to be ready to put on all your toppings. It goes fast from here. Add your sauce, and the toppings you'd like, then shut the lid so that it cooks quickly. 

There may be a little extra time to take a picture or two. :) 

Garrett saved the day by coming through with the loads of cheese! 

The finished product! Seriously, Adios California Pizza Kitchen. 

This BBQ Chicken pizza was just as good! 

This is a whole new way to do Barbecues with friends.
Change it up a little. And let me know what you think. :)

For the love of dishwashing...

Ever since I was little, one of my big chores was always dishwashing. We didn't get a dishwasher in the Harrison household until we were well into high school, and even then didn't use it all that much. Mama still inspects all the dishes before they get put in the dishwasher. She pre-washes all of them. :) Doesn't want any clogs in her pretty little dishwasher. (Love you, Mama.)

Anyways, I've washed a lot of dishes in my day. I actually really love to do it. I love how everything starts out so, so dirty and ends up so sparkly clean. 

In all my years of doing dishes, though...I think this was my favorite turn-out. I have a wonderful dish stacker/dryer by the name of Garrett who made art out of a chore. Thanks, baby. You are my better half. :)

Ideal Morning

This morning was what I think I would consider ideal. I slept in. I had nowhere to be. I took my time getting ready and put on jeans and a favorite shirt. I came in the kitchen, put on some music, made some eggs an english muffin and a cup of coffee. Ideal. Why can't life just be like this all the time? :)

Here's to more of these kinds of mornings. Maybe I could be a morning person?

Sale!

This is just a little follow-up to my most recent post! :)

So we were in Santa Monica yesterday with the wonderful Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Dorothy Keisling, and we stopped in real quick to Banana Republic.

And they had a HUGE sale!
Everything on clearance was an extra 30% off!

Including...














So I dreamed big.

I waited.

And this wonderful little blouse went from $70 to $19.50.

Not. Bad. :)

Browsing Banana

Sometimes I spend, probably too much time, browsing my favorite clothing websites. One of those websites is Banana Republic. Though usually out of my price range (hooray for clearance racks!), it's still fun to dream, right? Here are some of my favorite looks from the current styles.

I guess what I can tell from looking at each of these pieces is that I'm digging the ruffles, the belts, the cardigans, and the tucked in look. It's frustrating to have caviar tastes on an anchovy budget.  I'm constantly looking at clothing, jewelry, and furniture and thinking, "I wonder if I could make that". I've recently been hoping to learn how to sew. Then maybe some of these styles would only be a little bit of fabric and a sewing machine away. :)

Bending and Adjusting

I'm cleaning out my email at work and just found this that I wrote to a newly married friend at some point last year. Thoughts on marriage. :)

It is very much an adjustment. Every part of it, too.

I don't eat on a normal schedule, just when I'm hungry. Garrett likes to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner  when they're supposed to be eaten.
I don't want my bathroom floor wet, but Garrett steps out of the shower without drying off first.
I like to stay up late, but Garrett likes to hit the hay a little earlier.
I like to sleep on the couch. It's not long enough for Garrett to fit on, too.
I like some salt on my food, but it's usually pretty plain. Garrett spices everything.

It's crazy! And I've never been in a relationship with someone (best friend, sister, parent) that so much affected me, ya know?

It's definitely a learning experience. A good one! But a hard one at times. :) It means bending where you're not used to bending and giving where you're not used to giving.

After re-reading this, I'm more and more convinced that marriage is worth every bend and ever adjustment. It just is.

Love you, Garrett.

Alaska Flowers

Just wanted to post a couple of my favorite flower pictures from Alaska. Isn't God amazing?

I need to post....

It's been forever. The same pictures of baking cookies have been staring at me, taunting me, telling me I need to post again.

It's been almost 3 months.

Ridiculous.

So here's a quick post.

What's been going on?

• I went on a pre-vacation vacation with GS1 (Gretchen). We flew the coup and headed to gorgeous Mexico for a week. We slathered on sunscreen, ate to our hearts content, read fictional stories, met some wonderful people, went snorkeling, got burnt, saw cultural dances from each of the states of Mexico, took a taxi ride (my first!), swam in the ocean, saw the Gulf Coast oil spill from the plane (sad face), went on 7 airplanes in 9 days, chatted about life and its ups and downs, haggled for souvenirs (she's got a much more convincing poker face than I do), played beach volleyball, lost a life jacket while kayaking, and just had an all around great time. Here's to 9 years of friendship, and many more to come!
• We're losing an entire Biola class, one that we've grown to love and will seriously miss. 
• That class that we're losing GRADUATED so we're also happy for them. We're happy for them. We're happy for them. We're happy for them. I have to keep repeating it so I don't selfishly fall back into the "I don't want them to leave" phrases. It was so fun standing and cheering for so many incredible students at graduation. We were awfully proud "parents".
• The students have since moved off campus. It's eerily quiet.
• We are babysitting. Four turtles and a handful of fish. Two tanks. 
•  Our humble apartment home is about to be vacated by GS2 (Garrett) & I, and then inhabited by two of our RA's. We've given them strict instructions to be nice to our non-stick pots and pans. :) 
•  G & I are finishing up work this Friday and then off for a 2 month vacation together and with our families. We're totally looking forward to the break, and the time together to be refreshed, learn more about each other, and see more of the country. Our vacation looks like this: June 8-June 21-Time in Roanoke with the Suhrs! Hanging out with Garrett's parents, as well as Jason and Rachel and the four kiddos. It's gonna be awesome to get some quality non-stop time with them. Garrett is so relaxed when he's at home, so I'm glad we're getting to do this first. We're planning on hiking a good bit of the mountains around Roanoke, so we're excited about that. We'll celebrate Father's Day with them, then we're heading up to Harrisonburg to hang out with my family and celebrate with them as well. We'll spend a couple of days in Harrisonburg, head up to Pennsylvania to see some friends we haven't seen in over 2 years (crazy!), head back to Harrisonburg for a night, then head down to Alabama for the annual beach week at the Gulf. It will be a little different this year with the oil spill and all. I'm anxious to see it firsthand and see how it's affecting everyone in that area. But we get to be with family, and that's the purpose of the trip. We'll be there for a week with my extended family, and then we'll head back home and spend a couple of days in Harrisonburg again before flying straight from there to Alaska! This is one of Garrett's dreams, and I'm excited to be going with him as he gets to see this part of the country for the first time. We're going to be doing some hiking and sightseeing, as well as just enjoying the views and wildlife (I'm hoping to finally see a Moose!). We'll spend about 2 weeks there, and then head back to LA. We'll have a couple of days before we start back up again for another year here. It's crazy that we're going on our third year in California. Time really truly flies. 

I'm missing my family more and more. It's hard being so far away. I'm looking forward to the time with them, but wish I got to experience the more day-to-day stuff.

I also get to see BELLA! She's 4 now and it's oh-so-hard hearing about all the wacky stuff she does and not being around her.

Anyways. There's an update. Life is crazy, but it's definitely good. Garrett and I are having a blast and really enjoying each other's company. This marriage thing can be hard at times, but it's so fun to be able to say "I'm looking forward to how much more we're going to grow together as a team this NEXT year!" It's truly a one-of-a-kind relationship.