Monday, June 29, 2009

Katie Shannon Hunt

After a lot of planning and preparation, Katie and Brandon were married yesterday!
My camera battery died in the limo on the way to the ceremony, so I'll post other pictures as they are sent around.
Me, Ryanne and Courtney {Katie's sister}
Katie and her mom...we call her DiShannon.
I had requested, months ago, to be paired with Katie's brother, Tyler {T-Shan}, for the processional. My second request was that he and I be allowed to skateboard in to the reception together. Katie said "done!"

I'm not sure there's a photo of this, but it happened...two long boards and a lot of balance to make it up for a high-five on the dance floor...I love that Katie was up for this...and I love that DiShannon became okay with it as time went on.

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Hunt!
I love you both and can't wait to have dinner in the Hunt House when you return!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Barracuda

I am baffled by the heart.

I've had a few conversations in the last week or so, along with some various books or magazine articles I've come across all revolving around the idea of a person's inability to control their heart.

"The heart wants what it wants" so they say...

It is so interesting to think about...the idea that we make thousands of decisions in a day; we possess the ability to think and reason in rational and logical ways, but when it comes down to it, we can not help whom we love. And we can't logic our way out of loving.

As smart as we are...the heart really does have reasons that reason does not understand.
Which is so interesting to me.

{I had planned to end this post here, but then...}
It just occurred to me that this phenomenon does not seem to apply to our love for God...
I wonder why that is?

Monday, June 22, 2009

Where My Girls At?*

This morning I'm realizing that I have an aversion to women.
Not that I hate them, I just have a tough time with Girl things...which also sounds misleading...

It's the terminology that changes things:

I love getting my nails done. (I hate calling it a mani/pedi)
I love going shopping. (I hate when someone calls it "retail therapy")
I love high heels. (I hate the term "peep-toe")

Though, I really can't stand when things become a "Girl's Event"...

Tell me we're all going to the pool and then watching a movie...I'm in.
As soon as it becomes "Girl's Day!"...I'm going to tell you I'm busy.

I can't explain it...It's just the way it is.
*I wish I could articulate my feelings about that line...

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Benja...



I talked to Chris today...he in Kenya, under a mosquito net, fan-blazing (more than likely). I in the church office, in a clean outfit, drinking a coffee...

He told me that Benja asked about me.
"Wapi Alice?" (Where's Alice?)

I started to cry.

He said Patricia had told Chris that ever since the day Benja went to the pool, he's been a totally different kid: happier, smiley, more talkative.

More tears.

I love, love that kid. I hope he feels that.

Friday, June 19, 2009

30 Things To Do Before I'm 30...An Update

On my 26th birthday, I made a list of 30 Things I'd Like To Do Before I'm 30.
Here's a progress report.

1. Read over 100 books {13 so far}
2. Get a giant tattoo
3. Perform somewhere (in a club, bar, coffee shop)
4. Go on another vacation with Katie Edwards
5. Fit in my old jeans
6. Read through the entire Bible
7. Buy a Louis Vuitton overnight bag
8. Watch at least 75 of the 100 Best Films of All Time {11 so far}
9. Throw two giant costume parties
10. Visit:
a. Japan
b. China
c. Australia
d. Ireland
e. Sweden
f. Ukraine
g. Costa Rica
h. Italy
11. Score over 160 in a game of bowling
12. Take a ballet class {done!}
13. Go golfing with my Papa
14. Fluently speak a second language
15. Make a mosaic table for my house
16. Run a 5k
17. Invite at least 20 people to church {3 so far}
18. Write a book (even if it's never published)
19. Own some sweet high-heeled boots
20. Bring at least 10 students to Kitale, Kenya
21. Learn to read music
22. Dress up and have dinner at a fancy restaurant
23. Watch 9 new series of TV on DVD {5 so far}
24. Skydive
25. Live in New York
26. Kiss someone (a really good kiss)
27. Make a delicious--from scratch--dinner for friends
28. Spend an evening in a room lit by dozens of candles
29. Buy a dress from Bottega Veneta
30. Learn to play an instrument

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Meet You By the Handball Wall

A few weeks ago I went to see my friend, Abby, perform in her class musical about the state of CA...I walked on to the school grounds and had a weird mix of feelings.

Remember, as a kid, when you would walk on to the playground alone {like to go to the bathroom or the office} and it would feel so intimidating and scary?

And now, as an adult, walking on to the playground by myself {waiting to meet Ryanne and Katie}, I felt so creepy...I almost wanted to say {to the custodian, to the passing teacher}, "I'm here for the performance...other adults are coming here to meet me...I'm not just a creep-fest lurking around the playground alone."

Funny how perspective changes things.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

I Love Post-It Notes

So I'm already a little biased toward loving this video simply because of all of the Post-It Notes involved. {The "making of" claims more than 6000 Post-Its were used.}



It should be noted that I will be packing some post-its for my Kenya trip...I missed having them in those seven months.

Found on The girl in the green dress.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Personality...Personality...

I took the Enneagram Personality test tonight. {You can take it here. Once you take your test, visit this site to read the description of your type.}

I am a One: The Reformer

I was pretty amazed at some of the descriptions of my "type" because they are actually pretty right-on:
  • Although Ones have a strong sense of purpose, they also typically feel that they have to justify their actions to themselves, and often to others as well. This orientation causes Ones to spend a lot of time thinking about the consequences of their actions, as well as about how to keep from acting contrary to their convictions. Because of this, Ones often persuade themselves that they are “head” types, rationalists who proceed only on logic and objective truth. But, the real picture is somewhat different: Ones are actually activists who are searching for an acceptable rationale for what they feel they must do. They are people of instinct and passion who use convictions and judgments to control and direct themselves and their actions. History is full of Ones who have left comfortable lives to do something extraordinary because they felt that something higher was calling them.

I kept reading through and flashing to conversations I've had with Katie or McGill...laughing at how well they know me and have helped to shape me in to a better version of myself.

What number are you?
Do you think it's a pretty accurate assessment?

Take A Picture, It'll Last Longer

This is my friend, Sam.
Sam has set-aside his written blog and taken-up a photo blog.

You can view it HERE.
This is my favorite post {so far}.

If I Had A Little Money...It's A Rich Man's World

If I were going to spend $700 today, I would have to choose from

This camera: This net gun:
Or this nativity set:


I think I'd go with the camera...though the other two would be so fun to own.

Happy Bearthday, Logan {Boo}

A few years ago, my cousin Logan and I found a super old picture of Nana and Grandpa {our great-grandparents} from their honeymoon. The picture is of the two of them standing on either side of a grizzly bear. The bear is wearing a giant collar and chain and Nana is wearing heels and a fur coat. Clearly, they traveled through Canada in style.

The best part of the story is that, for a year or so, nobody believed that such picture existed...until one day...we found it. And Logan and I were quick to say, "Told you so!"

On Saturday, when we were digging through the storage, I found this picture and asked if I could please give it to Logan as a birthday gift.Despite the protests from Bum, Gina and my mother, Logan and I are choosing to believe that this is the same bear.

It should be noted that Bum said I could only have it if I cleaned up the frame...I didn't. I gave it to him very, very storage-y and dirty. And that made it so much better.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Two More Classics

Once again, in effort to watch the AFI Top 100 movies {and with more help from Brian Hurst}, I watched The Maltese Falcon.I have to say, this movie falls more under "glad I saw it" than "I totally loved it". Interesting, though not super captivating. But I will say Bogart has a classy voice...

Humphrey Bogart and the Maltese Falcon: "this is the stuff dreams are made of".
After the falcon was found and the proper felons imprisoned--it was time for Roman Holiday.
I loved this movie. Audrey and Gregory...Holly and Atticus...So good. {And, what a surprise! Oliver Wendell Douglass, too!}
Their familiarity was so well-written: I love saying "hi" after having spent a lot of time together. I love mind-reading eye contact. I'm so impressed at the way this was depicted in the movie.
Rent The Maltese Falcon.
Buy Roman Holiday.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Whose Teeth Are These?

My grandparents are the best. {As I mentioned before.}
This morning, Amanda and I went scavenging* through Bum's storage unit. {I'd like to say that it belongs to Bum and Papa, but as you can see from this picture, it's filled with decorations, quilts, dolls and rocking chairs...not much of the stuff belongs to Papa.}

You can hardly see Amanda in this picture because she was so excited to search through the boxes... I looked around a bit, knowing that soon I will have a place that needs to be furnished and decorated. In my hunting, I found this jewelry box.
I was looking at the pins and the assortment of buttons, when I came across these teeth! I said, "Oh, Bum! Whose teeth are these?" {Thinking, there must be a story behind these disgusting, old, teeth...} Bum's response: "Well, I don't know who those teeth belong to!"
If you are storing someone's old teeth, you have too much stuff in storage.

Amanda made a huge dent in the abundance of stored stuff; she took an old cabinet, a bedside table, a magazine basket, a lamp, a framed needlepoint, an old Holly Hobbie-esque place-mat, three old windows and two old shelves. I had to curl-up in a ball behind her seat for the drive home.
I walked out with this frame
The incredible old 8mm video camera, which was Bum's high school graduation gift from her parents.
And this beautiful book, The Confessions of Saint Augustine.
I also found a few more frames and a great desk/bookshelf that will go in my new home {hopefully pre-Kenya rather than post}...

Oh, and the best birthday present for my cousin Logan.

*Did you know that trolling does not mean searching? I'm glad I looked it up. {but now I can't stop singing, "While trolling through the park one day..." which are not the correct words...okay, now I'm singing "trolling with the homies"...stupid!}

Rockreaction

I spent my Friday night at Rockreation in Costa Mesa at a birthday party for a 5-year-old.
The place smelled like feet and was filled with some real dudes, but was {secretly} pretty awesome.

I held Molly most of the evening and took some pictures of Dylan climbing...sat and talked with Amanda...you know, typical grown-ups at a kid party stuff.
Sweet Dylan and his buddy, Tate.
Tate is totally adventurous and made it all the way to the top of this {overhang?} multiple times.
Molly was given these purple wristbands as her party favor, but Fat Scotty and Buddy wore them for most of the night...
By the end of the night, Dylan preferred to spin around by the rope...notice the huge smile?
I know little-to-nothing about rock climbing, so I looked up a few terms on wikipedia...and found this picture. Now, this guy wasn't there last night, but I really wish he had been. He just seems so prepared.After climbing, it was time for "cake and affirmations". Evidently, it's a family tradition to go around and say something you love about the birthday boy or girl {there must be a better term for that person, but I'm at a loss.} It was sweet to hear these 5- and 6-year-olds share what they love about their friend...then each of the parents and grandparents shared...really, really cute. I'm fairly certain I don't want children, but if I do, we're adopting this tradition.

Friday, June 12, 2009

This Week In Pictures...

Last Thursday morning, I joined Ryanne and Katie for Abby's "We Love California" play...
I have a few videos, but my computer is running really, really slowly, so I'll have to owe you.Ryanne cried during the performance thinking about the three of us watching a school performance in Kitale, Kenya.
Check out Abby's awesome costume...dang, I wish I could post some of the videos...It was such a memorable show!
Katie bought this jacket for Dylan...but Molly wore it during alley karaoke last Friday...I also have some videos of that, I owe you twice.

She's a cute kid.
So is this fat baby, Scotty...especially with cereal stuck to his chin.
Molly and I wore our headbands today...Molly's was made by Just Like Audrey, she does have good style...
Which is more than I can say for her mother, Amanda...since this is what she wore to the grocery store today...
I love my friends.
I hate crocs.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

My Sweet Grandparents

My grandparents are better than your grandparents.

This is my Grandma. We call her Bum. Today is Bum's birthday!
Bum has an email address {finally!} and a facebook...this is her profile picture:

This is my Grandpa. We call him Papa.
Papa is super technologically-savvy...he had has email for years, and even has a blog. Oh, and he texts me all the time, which I love.
He also has a facebook. This is his profile picture:
I totally love Bum and Papa...I love their willingness to communicate through any means available!

{It should be noted that I did not think these technological adaptations were such a big deal because Papa's been on-it for years, but as I talked about it the other day, my friend was so amazed that my grandparents could text, since her father can not text...so, good on you Papa! You've even beat the younger generation!}

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

So, What Are You Reading?

I have been carrying around, and working through, the American Film Institute's Top 100 Films of All-Time.

I'm also carrying around, and working through, Fahrenheit 451, which I read in school, but don't really remember. I'm loving it--almost too much--yesterday I had trouble concentrating at work because I could only think about reading my book.

So, today I thought I'd look up the Random House Publishing's Top 100 Novels of All-Time to see how I fare...with plans of making a few purchases for Kenya. There are quite a few books on this list that are of no interest to me, so I am not making the commitment to read all of these books, I'm merely taking suggestions from this list.

Those in RED, I have read. {oh, homonyms}
Those in BLUE, I was supposed to have read in school, but did not finish {which means I own them and they have one or two bookmarks stuck in them.}


  1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
  3. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
  4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  6. Ulysses by James Joyce
  7. Beloved by Toni Morrison
  8. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
  9. 1984 by George Orwell
  10. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
  11. Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov
  12. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
  13. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
  14. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
  15. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
  16. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  17. Animal Farm by George Orwell
  18. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
  19. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
  20. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
  21. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
  22. Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
  23. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
  24. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
  25. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
  26. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
  27. Native Son by Richard Wright
  28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
  29. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
  30. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
  31. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
  32. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
  33. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
  34. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
  35. Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
  36. Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin
  37. The World According to Garp by John Irving
  38. All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
  39. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
  40. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
  41. Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally
  42. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
  43. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
  44. Finnegans Wake by James Joyce
  45. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
  46. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
  47. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
  48. Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
  49. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
  50. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
  51. My Antonia by Willa Cather
  52. Howards End by E.M. Forster
  53. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
  54. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
  55. The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
  56. Jazz by Toni Morrison
  57. Sophie's Choice by William Styron
  58. Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
  59. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
  60. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
  61. A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor
  62. Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  63. Orlando by Virginia Woolf
  64. Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence
  65. Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
  66. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
  67. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
  68. Light in August by William Faulkner
  69. The Wings of the Dove by Henry James
  70. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
  71. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
  72. A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
  73. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
  74. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
  75. Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence
  76. Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe
  77. In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway
  78. The Autobiography of Alice B. Tokias by Gertrude Stein
  79. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
  80. The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
  81. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
  82. White Noise by Don DeLillo
  83. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
  84. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
  85. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
  86. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
  87. The Bostonians by Henry James
  88. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
  89. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
  90. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
  91. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  92. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
  93. The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles
  94. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
  95. Kim by Rudyard Kipling
  96. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  97. Rabbit, Run by John Updike
  98. Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster
  99. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
  100. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

On the Waterfront

Marlon Brando...all young and tough...and in that thick plaid jacket.
Seriously.
It's no wonder Eva Marie Saint kisses him...
If you haven't seen it, make it happen.
Thanks, again, to Brian Hurst for the trade.

The list again, in case.

Alexander Girard

Jaime just brought me the best gift ever...TWO new House Industries Font Collections...and a House Industries Catalog.
So I spent about twenty minutes looking at the House Industries website...signing up for the free catalog
{which comes with free font downloads}...
And then stumbled upon this man:Alexander Girard
I didn't read his biography...because I was too distracted by this page that will allow you to TRY his beautiful fonts.
And then found the page of his objects.
I know my birthday is not until October, but if you are looking to purchase something that will ease the pain as you tell me a loved one has died, or for the perfect substitute for an engagement ring...here are some options:
This beautiful Memory Game: $320

These incredible blocks: $120



This Nativity Set: $410...which I would happily display year-round {minus baby Jesus until Christmas Eve, in case that would be otherwise sacrilegious}
I mean...look at this wise-man...he'd be great to have in my living room in the summertime...

I know, I know...these are over-priced, unnecessary decorations...but, honestly, I'd rather have these things in my home than fine china or even a dining room table.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Get Ready To Be Offended

Ladies and Gentlemen,
May I have your attention, please...

I won an award today.
I was given the honor of a spot in Blythe's list of blogs that she enjoys.
I'm actually quite flattered.
I feel my blog is on a decline these days.

The rule is, as a recipient, I am to name and list 15 blogs that I love. However, I chose to honor ten. I subscribe to over 100 blogs {180 to be exact...Yikes! I really didn't know it was that many!} And, to add on to from ten makes it difficult to stay below 40.

It's like having a party and you can either have a small crowd or a million because "once you invite Erica, then you have to invite Marie..."

I made my list based solely on the blogs that make me think "oh, a new post!"

Rockstar Diaries
I don't know her, but I am very envious of her creativity, her photography, and her ability to successfully wear red lipstick on a day-to-day basis.


Pastor Steve's Relief Journey
I simultaneously love and hate when he posts. I am so excited to hear stories of how God is changing lives, but I know that the pictures he posts, and some of the stories are going to break my heart and rattle me a bit.


Gecko Luke
He doesn't post much, but when he does, it typically makes me chuckle.


Cupcakes and Cashmere
Also a stranger, but she's so pretty...and she loves dressing up and being pretty...I'm super jealous of that...and she loves cheeseburgers, but still has nice legs...I'm jealous of that, too.


Blythe Hill
I know, I shouldn't re-gift the award, but I do love reading her blog...it's not a lie.


The Brierleys
My friends, Pete and Becca, are spending one year traveling around the world, learning to be more like Jesus. I love to read about their successes, their struggles, their thoughts...it's challenging and refreshing...and a bit convicting.


Mary Rosenbaum Photography
Mary, and her husband Adam, photograph weddings, engagements {and babies, families, etc} in California and Tennessee...I love to look at the beautiful moments they have captured.


Daily Dose of Imagery
I don't know who this photographer is, but I'll tell you, everyday the picture is captivating. The colors, the framing, the location...I have never had a desire to go to Toronto, but the list of "Toronto sites to see" is growing as I view this blog.


Post Secret
It's only new on Sunday...but, I always save it until last so I can take my time reading each new secret.
And, of course, my very favorite: The Sartorialist
I love, love when he has a new post {or two}...I always hope it's someone whose style I can envy or mimic.


I hope you choose to subscribe to a few of these...they're worth your time.