Double Takes.

Okay, can I say, "Hilarious?"

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Post-Valentine's Day Wrap-up.

So it seems that many of you don't like it when a story is started and never finished. Am I right? Well, I can completely relate, so I thought I'd finish off my Valentine's Day "story" and let you know that M was in fact my Valentine. However, when I asked him to be my Valentine, his reply was, "That doesn't count; I already asked you to be mine." :)

M requested that I be ready at 11am on Valentine's Day, when he would come over and together, decide what matinee we wanted to see. But, I was so excited to sleep in on Saturday, that I was behind in getting ready. I texted M at about 1045 am to tell him I was running late. He replied, "No worries. I'll come over 1130 am." That was the perfect thing to hear. I love feeling un-rushed.

I was ready right at 1130 am when M arrived with these in hand.

I love stargazer lilies. They are so deliciously fragrant! And even better, M remembered how much I love them. Then, as we sat down in front of the computer checking out all of our movie options, the doorbell rang. Katie was in the kitchen making herself some lunch and had tuna-covered hands, so she asked, "Will you get that?" Then M said, "Yeah, why don't you get it." A little suspiciously, I walked to the front door to find these tuxedo-clad men.

Yes, they are a barbershop quartet. (M's dad is the tall one in the center.) My jaw dropped as I let them in. They began to sing to me from M. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but I smiled the whole time. I was truly shocked. Happy, but also a little nervous that these four singing men were staring at me and only me for a full five minutes! But SO fun! When M told me I had a few surprises for Valentine's Day, I never would have guessed this one. :)

After my serenaders left, M and I decided on a movie. Confessions of a Shopaholic. We wanted something light and romantically comedic. On our way to the theatre, we stopped off at a new healthy fast food restaurant called Au Naturale. I've been wanting to try it and am happy to report that they do not disappoint! Take a look at their delectable menu here and stop by sometime and check them out. I would love to see them do well and be successful in changing the nature of fast food.

Being that it was Valentine's Day, I decided to wear these all day. (Okay, so I only made it from my house, to lunch, to window shopping, and to the theatre, but it was fun.)

After our movie, M dropped me off at home and I took a nap. How great is that?! He planned a nap for me into our day. Like it or not, I've learned that a woman needs her sleep.

Then dressed up and ready for a night out, M picked me up again at 6 pm and we headed down to this restaurant, where we ate on our first date. It was freezing and very windy outside. I was wearing a cute red and black dress with tall black sassy boots, which coupled with my car-length black wool coat, provided little protection from the cold as we waited to be seated. Good thing I had an "M" with me. They keep you pretty warm. ;)

But just before our food arrived, M disappeared for twenty minutes in the bathroom. I was pretty certain that he was getting my final Valentine's surprise ready to give me. But then he came back and just went about eating. No surprise, yet, I guess. Finally, he sighed saying, "It's not working." "What's not working?" "Your last surprise isn't working the way I had planned." I don't really remember exactly what he said at that point, but he finally asked me to listen to his coat pocket. (I was cold, so he'd given me his coat to put over my legs.) I listened, and heard his recorded voice coming from the pocket. Following the voice's request, I reached into the pocket and pulled out this:

Yes. You saw that right. He bought me a new phone! (Apparently, he and many of my other friends felt it was high time I had a new phone. I thought my little blue Samsung was just fine... I guess I was wrong. haha.) I was in a little bit of shock. I'm not always good with "big" gifts. I got a little overwhelmed, especially when I first started using it. Sensory overload. But isn't it beautiful?! I love it! One of my favorite features, which I'm sure many of you will roll your eyes at, is a four-level Sudoku application! M has me hooked on Challenge Sudoku on Facebook, so he was especially pleased to find out that the phone had my new favorite pastime as well. :) Thank you M!

Valentine's Day was grand. Not necessarily because it was Valentine's Day, but because M planned out the whole day. I generally don't do the whole commercial Valentine trip. You know, buying a lot of stuff that has hearts on it, or is full of tons of sugar, or stuffed animals holding fake velvet hearts. But I DO love sharing love with the people who matter most. And let's be honest, a designated day especially for loving isn't so bad. After all, I love love. Remember?

Thanks for a great day, M!

Golden Birthdays.

I've been remiss in documenting my life lately. So I'm going to backtrack slightly over the next couple of days. At the end of January, Derrick and M celebrated their "golden" birthdays.

Naturally, we had a party. "Golden Birthdays"

The night started with dinner at Buca di Beppo (Look how they're making at eyes at each other!),

followed by ice skating,

and culminated in all kinds of cake and ice cream. M had requested angel food cake with strawberry topping, which was delish, if I do say so myself. I  also made chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. And Katie made a favorite: funfetti cupcakes. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of our creations. The birthday boys seemed to have a good time, as did we all.

For his birthday, M received a 72-Hour Emergency Backpack from me, 

as well as dinner at The Mandarin, 

where the inside decor really makes you feel like you're in the middle of China,

eating this yummy food: Chicken Soong Imperial Lettuce Wraps,

Char Shu Wonton Soup,

and Five Taste Shrimp.

He also had his first professional massage at Sanctuary. Ah, bliss.

Happy (now, belated) birthday M!

Ridiculously charming! Can I have one of her?

Isn't she delightful!


Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.

M, will you be my Valentine?

A bit sappy sometimes, I am.

"I've been feeling all romantic lately," I say to M the other night. He chuckles, (you know that laugh that says, "I just think you're funny, but totally cute and I like when you feel all lovey because I know that you love me.") and says, "You're cute." Then he continues on suggesting that maybe I feel "all romantic lately because Valentine's Day is coming up and you know, you're supposed to feel all romantic this month."

Maybe he's right. But, whatever the reason, I like it. I AM a romantic. Sure, I stay am true to my pragmatic self, but when it comes to love... I admit... I love love. I'm a bit sappy sometimes. To love and be loved is like feeling the sun from both sides. Ah, let me bask in it. :)

"Love is the most powerful force in the world." ~Dallin H. Oaks

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Saturday, we had our annual Chinese New Year party at the end of the traditional two week-long New Year celebration. As I explained to our 14 guests, celebrating Chinese New Year brings a little comfort and piece of home for me, here in a "foreign land." It's probably my tenth or eleventh party. Fun fun. I loved being surrounded by good friends and yummy comfort food reminding me of home. For dinner, we ate potstickers, cashew chicken, orange chicken, and rice with delicious gai may baus for dessert! The gai may baus (coconut buns) were especially delicious. I need to try making them sometime. I remember when I first moved away from home, asking my mom to FedEx overnight me a dozen fresh gai may baus from Imperial Bakery. De-lish!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Running Monoblogue.

Do you ever find yourself blogging in your head throughout the day? You know, where you start thinking of all these great things to post? I call that a monoblogue. I do it a lot. Kind of obsessive-like, at times.

I'm sure that there are scientists and doctors right this very minute researching a cure for Blog-nesia. It's sort of like amnesia, where you forget (or in many cases ignore) other things in your life so you can blog or read blogs. It's a serious problem, people. I must get control of myself. Look at the time!

Did you know?

*Did you know that there is a sack of shoes in my closet that has been waiting to be taken to the shoe repair since October 2007? Yes, that's over a year.

*Did you know that in my basement food storage you will find 19 boxes of cereal and couscous? I clearly have a things with sales and double coupons. Is there a support group for addicted coupon users?

*Did you know that M brought me lunch today because I was a sick girl? (Or a sickie, as he calls it.) He's nice to me. I kinda like that man. It doesn't take much to make my day.

*Did you know that I have boxes of stationery and cards from my days working at "the paper shop," as my friend Kevin used to call it.

*Did you know that I was so sick and out of it that I nearly put the orange juice away in the cupboard the other day? My fever is finally gone today. Phew.

*Did you know that I've gotten 100% on all my tests so far in my math class?

*Did you know my favorite colors are red and blue? Okay, and black.

*Did you know Katie and I are going to Berlin for a week in March to visit these fun peeps? Yup, bought the tickets tonight.

That's all I got, folks.

God's got me covered.

You know that scratchy sore throat, which tells you that getting really sick is imminent? Yeah, well he arrived mid-day on Thursday. By Friday, I sounded like a man (and was in fact mistaken for M when I answered my own phone! Thanks Brian. :)) It got progressively worse Friday and into Saturday recruiting its friends congestion, cough, and fever. All the while, we were celebrating M's golden birthday. With my loins girded, fresh courage I took and ice skated with a fever of 101. Courage or stupidity? I'm not sure. My arm was by no means being twisted. I wanted M to have a terrific birthday celebration. Plus, I own my very own figure skates. How could I pass up the opportunity to don those beauties? And it was fun! Today, however, I stayed home from Church, still nursing my fever (along with a host of other awful symptoms that no meds or herbal remedies seem to touch). And I'm contemplating not going into work tomorrow. Ugh. I hate being sick. I do have to count my many blessings because I haven't been really sick for long time. So I can't really complain.

But can't I complain a little? Being sick as an adult is no fun. You don't really have anyone to take care of you and bring you chicken broth or tea or just wait on you like Mom would. No sick girl presents. No refills on your bedside glass of water. No wet washcloth to break your fever. But why should I mourn or think my lot is hard? When the coughing rages high, I feel no arm around me thrust. But every storm goes rolling by, when I repose in Him my trust. I may not have anyone to physically take care of me when I'm sick, but at least I know Heavenly Father's got me covered. All is well! All is well!