Sew Lately...

My title isn't super original but you will see why it is in just a bit.  Today officially marked the day that work resumed.  I am thoroughly excited for this school year and to be back to work.  Leading up to today I have been trying to accomplish a lot and savor the time that I had to myself and others. 

Friday night was date night. We went to this great European bar in Pacific Beach.  It completely reminded me of Costa Rica because of the cool environment and outside patio.  We munched on tapas and relaxed to some great jazz music.  I can not wait to go back to this place with others, I loved it so much!

The past couple mornings have been amazing sweat sessions, which finally motivated me to start some new projects yesterday.

So sweaty after bootcamp!

I finally started cleaning out our second bedroom and figuring out how to move the furniture around to make it feel complete.  Right now it is basically our "throw it in there and shut the door" room.  We have a pull-out couch, bookshelves, and desk in there.  Plus, the walls are pretty dark due to my color choice a couple of years ago.  I had always had stark white walls in all of my homes growing up, so when I got to choose the color for this room I wanted something rich and pretty.  However, my lovely taupe turned out darker than expected and made the room feel much smaller.  Now that I have finally de-cluttered the room as much as I can, I can finally start attempting to decorate and make it much brighter.  Pictures to come soon!

My last project was curtains for my classroom, and I finished in a day and a half  :)   I have never really used a sewing machine, so my mom came over yesterday to give me a little run through and help me get everything measured.  I LOVE sewing!  I felt so accomplished when I finished them and can't wait to hang them up tomorrow.

I have become obsessed with blogs!  Through mine and others I have found so many on things I love, like cooking, exercising, and (attempting) crafts.  One in particular has completely motivated me to try some new recipes and I have already tried two and loved them both!  I got some fresh zucchini from my friend's garden and they are enormous!  Luckily I am cooking a dish tomorrow night for bible study that will use one whole one, or else I would be trying everything with zucchini.  Tonight I made a polenta pizza.  I know that this does not sound appetizing at all at first, but the taste completely surprised me.  Really, the only reason I decided to include it in my blog was because of the magnificent aroma that was coming from my oven tonight as it baked and the delicious taste that went with it.  I made mine with arugula, onions, zucchini, chicken, parmesan, and gruyere cheese.

Can't wait to try more recipes and finish our room!

Sweat Does a Body Good

Do you know when your body definitely needs a good kick in the bum?  I have been feeling so lazy and sluggish lazy, and I felt like my body has been screaming "Give me one amazing workout!".  Sometimes we just get into these routines with our workouts and daily habits, and it gets pretty boring...so needless to say, I was definitely ready for a challenge today!
This morning I tried my friend Jessica's class with Fit2Wed. It was amazing!  Constant movement for the entire hour, and the repetition really gave my body a challenge.  It was one of the workouts that I definitely had to hang my clothes out to dry afterward.

Plus, I had so much energy afterward.  I was a little bummed I had to hurry home to get cleaned up and head to Ramona because all of the house cleaning I keep putting off was actually appealing to me.  I guess it will have to wait until tomorrow.  Between my Total Fitness class at Fitness Quest 10 yesterday and my workout today, my arms are feeling strong.
This afternoon I had a little "Mommy and Me" date and saw "Eat, Pray, Love".  A great workout, time with my lovely mom, and a fun movie made for an amazing first half of the day!  When I came home I was craving something sweet and remembered I had these delicious fruit choices:

My brother-in-law brought home some plums and nectarines from his friends' farm up in northern CA.  They are the most amazing plums and nectarines I have ever had!  Sweet, juicy, and amazingly fresh and organic. :)

I am currently trying to look into a CSA in San Diego for great organic produce, and after eating these I was even more motivated to do more research!  I have heard great things from others that get their produce through them, and can't wait to find out more.

Connections

Last night we were able to help our friend Josh celebrate his 28th birthday.  We met his wife, Heather, and him back in March when we started going to the Young Married Cafe at the Rock.  Do you know the feeling that you know someone from somewhere but can't place your finger on it?  We had it with them, and we found out that they were very close friends with Daniel's cousin and his wife. 

Well, at dinner we found even more connections between our lovely friends and their friends!  We saw someone we had gone to high school with and met a girl that was in the exact same credential program that I was in, just one year later.  We had a wonderful time seeing all of our friends, including this beautiful couple!

Tonight, Daniel and I soaked in the warmth by going for a walk and turning on the grill for dinner.  Since we have come home from D.C. all Daniel has been wanting are homemade jalepeno turkey burgers.  Our friend, Nathan, made some while we were visiting.  So, we went to the store and made it happen!

They are super easy!  We used 3 jalapenos for one pound of ground turkey breast, fresh garlic, and other seasonings.  I topped mine with avocado and lettuce, and indulged with a delicious whole wheat bun.  While Daniel was grilling, I made my new favorite zucchini hummus!  I got the recipe from my friend Jessica with Fit2Wed.  It is delicious and so easy!  My raw veggies and hummus were the perfect side to the delicious burger.

Wanted: Normalcy

So, as I was thinking about my next post all I could think about was how badly I wanted life to calm down.  This summer has been great having the chance to see so many friends and family, but now I am ready for life to wind down...work to start...and a normal schedule to kick in.  This past week I was up in Ramona babysitting for my long-time family friends, the Barretts. 

Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me while I was there so this is the most recent picture I have of 2 of the 5 kids.  Every year the parents go to Vegas in August, and i step in as the babysitter and "chauffeur".  The five kids range from 5-16, and I love each and every one of them.  They are basically like my younger siblings because I have known them all since birth.  I made sure we had fun, we went swimming, to Balboa Park, the beach, and roasted s'mores!  But, it added onto the numerous nights away from home.  I don't know how all my world-traveling friends do it?!?!

I have just a couple more days left of my summer until I return back to work and begin my master's program, but much of my time has gone towards my classroom. 

My Goal:  Next Monday is a "Jamie" day!  No phones, no e-mails, just me, the beach, and relaxation!

Mr. & Mrs. Garrett Colburn

We ended our "Summer of Weddings" with Terra and Garrett's up in beautiful San Luis Obispo.  This wedding was so beautiful, simple, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!  Plus, neither one of us was in the wedding so we got to really soak it all in and enjoy everything.  We got into San Luis Obispo Friday afternoon after a horrible trek of traffic.  I was doing Terra's make-up for the wedding so I did a trail run with her before her rehearsal.  The Again family graciously opened up their home to us this weekend.  They were camping at Lake Lopez so we went up and visited, sat by the bonfire, roasted marshmallows, and played some new card games.

It made us want to go camping SO bad!  We're looking for couples...so any takers???

Terra was my roommate in college.  Andrea, my best friend, is her little sister and they all belong to the amazing Lucio Family.  Each of the Lucio girls are astonishingly beautiful inside and out, and I grew so much spiritually and mentally when I lived with Andrea and Terra.  Terra was like a big sister to me in college, and being a part of her wedding was very humbling.  Her and Garrett are incredibly cute together, and their wedding was beautiful.

Their ceremony was at the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.  It was our first Catholic wedding and we loved it.  After the ceremony we moved South to the Sea Canyon Fruit Ranch in Avila where their reception was help.  All of the details were perfect...from the beautiful wild flowers, homemade jam, and antique family photos.

Erin, me, and Andrea.  My beautiful friends I traveled to Costa Rica with.

Going to San Luis Obispo this time made me think a lot about who I am and where I have come.  SLO was where I attended college and I truly found myself here.  All of the insecurities and fears of live kind of fade away here with the simple perception of life.  I remember being in love with nature, finding creative things to do with my time, and love who I was.  It made me sad a little to see how those things have faded since moving back to San Diego.  I feel like there is more pressure here to be thin and fit, have trendy clothes, and always be the "Stepford Wife".  After our weekend I was inspired to find that inner beauty in me again and focus less on my outer beauty.  I bought some super cute fabric to make place mats with as well as some curtains for my classroom.  I want to try and make more things for our house rather than obsess over everything we can't afford and feel like it will never be just right.

Remember to always love yourself!  Think about all of the things that make you feel beautiful and live your life doing those things.  I love running, but have lost why I fell in love with running.  Running in SLO was an adventure and gave me a way to explore nature.  I need to go running in new places and focus less on losing weight and more on finding myself.  Looking back at a project that I have accomplished gives me great satisfaction so I am eager to start sewing.  I will keep you all posted on how though turn out (even if they fail miserably!) 

Family Fun

Dad and all his girls.

Have you ever had one of those moments when you look back at life and are just in awe of everything that has happened?  I don't know why, but my mind starts going and before I know it I am overwhelmed with joy by certain events.  Our trip to North Carolina was one of these events.  Being able to spend so much time with my Dad, step-mom, and sisters was beyond words.  Daniel and I had a wonderful time and came home in such an uplifting mood.  Sometimes we take a vacation or weekend getaway and end up bickering over nothing on the way home or upon entering the front door...either I'm overwhelmed by laundry and cleaning, or we can't find something we packed.  This vacation never saw this.  We came home with such a sense of peace about each other and life.

Our last night in NC was a blast!  My family's neighbors came over for some amazing home made pizza my Dad made and a little bonfire on the front lawn.  They are a hoot and loads of fun!  Saturday came too soon...but we got some relaxing time by the pool and then said good-bye.

Sitting by the fire.

Before we left we had to stop at the border station and have one foot in NC and the other in VA.

Today was filled with even more family.  We started the day having breakfast with my mom, grandma, and cousin.  Then, we headed up to Ramona for a bbq.  My nephew is in town and we got to see him!  He is SOOO cute, and getting very big.  His teeth are what get to me...he has a full mouth and chomps away at his food so cute. 

His personality cracks me up...strike a pose Jaden!

This is a face my sister would totally make!

The "Godfather" with our nephew (and godson :) )

What would a trip to Ramona be without seeing my fantastic in-laws?  We shared all the details of our trip with them and saw our nieces...miss Allison was a mess with her face paint.  I think a cold is creeping up on me because I am exhausted and sniffly :(