Dear Readers,

I know it's not customary to have more than one post a day, but I need to say something. PLEASE don't be afraid to leave comments! I want to know what you think about my blog posts. You liked it, you hated it (like that will ever happen), whatever comes to mind when reading. I really want to read your comments... so leave some. It would make me oh so very over the moon happy if you did.

Love,

Wendi

I'm A Little Teapot

(Isn't this just the cutest tea set?!?)

Not really. I finished cleaning the kitchen today. Finally! Part of the job required me to wash the different tea sets that Nana and Mimi have on display. I washed 15 teapots and all the cups, saucers, cream and sugar dishes that went with them. They have even more tea sets that are not on display. They have quite the collection and it was a lot to wash. It was fun though. I washed and Nana and Mimi took turns drying. It was fun to hear all the stories behind them and which distant relatives they came from (the one's they didn't buy themselves). It kind of made me want to buy a beautiful tea set, but I would be spending money [that I don't have] on something that would just sit there. It was a nice thought, but I'm not getting a tea set. At least not any time soon. Maybe when I have my own house I'll buy one and put it on display in my kitchen.

"Any Man Can Be A Father, But It Takes A Special Person To Be A Dad" ~ Author Unknown

(This was on the church program for the ward that Nana and Mimi attend. Mimi read it before dinner and we all agreed that it screams Tevita.)

Today is a day for honoring our father's and all of the wonderful things they do and all of their hard work. Unfortunately, I don't really have a father in the picture and the one's that I did have were not the best examples, to say the least. However, I have excellent examples from the other men in my life, my uncles! All of my uncles who are raising their own children, as well as children that are not their own, are doing a great job. And for you Bilbee, you may not have any children of your own, but you are amazing with all of your nieces and nephews. Thank you guys for showing me what a good father looks like.

Here is a great example of fatherhood. This is a VERY cute video.

Wii Are So Sore!

So my cousin Talanoa and I have been playing the Wii every night for the last few days. We get pretty competitive. I used to suck at baseball, well, I still do. But now I can actually hit the ball. Granted, most are fouls, but a hit is a hit in my book. We even have our own little championship going. We have been playing so much that we're both complaining of sore shoulders and arms. Even though we're in minor pain, we continue to keep playing because of our competitive nature and it's really fun. We've been playing the swordplay showdown game on Wii Resort and trying to complete all the stages before the other person. Tonight, I won! I was behind by three stages and made a comeback and won while he was playing basketball outside. It made me happy, especially since he has way better sword fighting/blocking skills than I do. I'm pretty proud of myself, but I'm sure my arms are going to feel it tomorrow. Now that I've completed all of the stages, I think I'm going to give my arms a well deserved rest.

"I Wish I Had Smoke Bombs For Awkward Situations." ~ George Oakes

I am not a fan of awkward situations. Today, I spent a few hours with a friend [I'm using the term VERY loosely] from my old old high school (Beaverton HS). He moved to Eugene a few weeks ago because he transfered to U of O from Southern Oregon University. NO, it was NOT A DATE. We just hung out. We had kept in touch a bit on facebook and just being nice in conversation I mentioned that maybe we could hang out when he moved. I hope this doesn't portray me in a bad light, but I didn't actually plan on doing it. I couldn't take it back though, so I went. I'm not going to go into details, but I could not wait to go home. I definitely do not plan on doing that again, and I learned my lesson. I'm no longer going to say things to be nice if I don't actually mean it.

And The Great Purge Continues...

(A Louis Vuitton Trash Bag...How cool is that?!?)

So today I did some more cleaning in the kitchen. The job still isn't done, but it's getting there. Slowly, but getting there. Mimi and Nana are so funny when they argue and bicker about little things. Since we were purging the kitchen of unwanted items, they went back and forth a few times about whether we should keep or get rid of some things. They are so comical without even trying and they make the smallest things, like getting rid of a spice rack or a platter, really funny. I told them when I first came home from school that I missed their little bickering sessions. And I did.

As we were discovering lost treasures that haven't seen daylight in quite some time, I acquired a CROCK POT! It's Tanya's old one. We have a new one, but it hardly gets used. I'm so excited about the new addition to my slowly growing collection of items for my kitchen! Sunday dinners at school are going to be nice. I can just plop food in the pot and "fugetaboutit" as they say in New York.

Side Note: I'm watching The Bachelorette while writing this and they traveled to NYC this week. Hence the accent above. Is it just me or was there a plethora of horrible singing in this episode? I am not happy with the outcome for Jesse tonight. I think he deserved to stay at least one more week and that Kasey should have been in his place. I was glad to see Jonathan go home though. I never really liked him. Kasey has some problems, psychologically. I'm a psych major so you know I'm right. I am not pleased he's still around. I really hope he's the next one to go. This week I become fond of Chris L. and Kirk. After last week I wasn't sure if the chemistry Ali and Kirk had was real and wasn't just imagined (I think that's word I want to use) from their scene in the music video, but I like them together. He was sweet walking her back to her room and putting her to bed because she was sick. However, the previews for next week make it seem like he could be the one that has the secret girlfriend. I don't know. I should stop hypothesizing about what's going to happen based on the previews because they really don't show much and I really haven't been right. I hate being wrong. I want to see more of Chris N. He's still around, but not much has happened between him and Ali. Can't wait to see what comes next.

Back to the purge. It's really fun to get rid of things. It gives you this nice cleansing feeling. If only I didn't have a problem getting rid of my own stuff. I hope I continue to find more treasures in my own home.

Party Time!

This weekend was all about partying for the family. Tanya hosted a surprise graduation party for her friend Cyndi's daughter, Erica, on Saturday. She graduated from OSU (Go Beavers!). It was a fancy dinner with eight , yes eight, [mini] courses. There were 12 people all together consisting of Erica's friends and family. The chef from Novak's (THE best restaurant in Albany) came to our house to prepare the food! Yeah, my family has some SERIOUS connections. I wish I had been invited. I heard about all the different courses that were served and they sounded DIVINE! There was even a special ice cream in between courses to cleanse their palate. How classy is that? I tried some that was left over and it had a teeny bit of habanero pepper in it. It was interesting ice cream with a little bit of a kick to it.

Since it was a fancy dinner, the table was set very elegantly and there were place cards. I helped to make them. They were so cute and creative and they looked really nice on the table. They were made from old wine corks, which Novak's was able to supply. Tanya cut the corks and wrote the names (she has nice penmanship); I made the name cards using one of the best inventions ever made...The Cricut. It's an amazing little machine that cuts paper for you. It's very efficient for making cards and scrapbooking.

Here is the finished product, which looks pretty FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC if I do say so myself.

The other party this weekend was a combined birthday party for Sunhee and Meeja.

It took place at Frogs and pollywogs, a toy store downtown. When I heard where the party was, I was skeptical and didn't think I would have any fun at the party. I was wrong. For starters, one of my friends works there and she ran the party. I didn't know so I was surprised when I walked in the door. I ran upstairs and gave her a HUGE hug. I haven't seen her since we graduated last year! The activities and games were fun for all ages. The first thing we did was make our own crown because the party had a princess theme. Everyone participated, including Nana.

Princesses (and 2 Princes) On Parade

We also did a birthday parade where we walked up and down the street (Only once thank goodness!) dressed in costumes and making noise with bells. Some embraced this activity more than others, as you can see by the way everyone is dressed.


Dominique, Zamari and Alina were able to come to the party because I spent the night at their house the night before and then brought them with me. It was a great weekend full of lots of fun, laughs and excitement.

Yay For Productivity

"Productivity is never and accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning and focused effort." ~Paul J. Meyer

Today I cleaned half of the kitchen cabinets inside and out, with help from Mimi. She was more than happy to go through them and get rid of tupperware containers we don't use and other kitchen utensils that never see daylight. Lucky for me, I got to snag some to take back to school.

I also made dinner, poppy seed chicken. I had to have it done early because T.J. had a basketball game. It was good, as usual. I love it because it's so easy to make and it's delicious.

I also did the rest of my weekly chores. Today I was just a little busy bee with a lot of focused effort. Tomorrow is going to be the same story. I have to finish the rest of the cabinets (maybe I'll continue to go shopping in my own kitchen and find more things to snag) and vacuum. We have to get the upstairs ready for Tanya's surprise grad party/dinner for her best friend's daughter who's graduating from OSU.

Thoughts On What I Watched

"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it." ~Greg Anderson

So... the Glee finale. LOVED IT! The medley of Journey songs was AMAZING! This episode was definitely one of my favorites. Everything really came full circle. I was right; New Directions didn't win, but that's okay. It wasn't about winning, it was about doing what they love. However, I do think that they should have won because they did do better than Vocal Adrenaline. I also fell in love with Sue's character even more. She definitely gained some respect when she was the only one that voted for New Directions to win and allowed the glee club to have one more year. I also loved when she had a tear in her eye while watching the glee club sing to Mr. Schuester. It was a new side of Sue and I liked it. The only other time I think I've seen this side is when we met her disabled sister. I don't know how I'm going to be able to wait until September for it to return.

Pretty Little Liars. I don't know how I feel about this show yet. I love the plot, but I wasn't too crazy about some of things that happened in the pilot. This is why I wanted to read the books. I wanted to know what to expect. I don't know if this show is going to make the cut to become part of my Tuesday evening routine.

The Bachelorette --> I really didn't use to watch this show until my uncle was visiting and got me hooked. So thanks Jason! I'm still deciding on which guy(s) I like the best. I guess right now I like Frank and Roberto. They both seem like great guys for Ali. I don't like Jonathan, aka "the weatherman" and I'm still questioning Justin, the wrestler. I think it's dumb that everyone started questioning his motives because he is a professional wrestler. It seems like he's there for Ali, but he could very well be the guy that makes it far and then leaves because he has a girlfriend or something (that's what a preview made it sound like). I am glad that Craig M. is gone. He was crazy and just loved to start drama. I'm kind of wondering if the chemistry between Ali and Kirk is real or just because of the scene they had together for the music video. The preview for next week made Kasey seem like a weirdo. I hate the sound of his voice. From the look of the preview he sings to Ali on their date and she agrees with me. I'm really curious to see what happens.

Just Another Manic Monday...Not Really

Today was pretty uneventful. I cleaned a little, pulled some weeds, made my own calzone for dinner and then went to work. The best part about today was that The Secret Life of the American Teenager is back!

I love that show. It was starting to go downhill a little bit, but I hope this season is better than ever.

Tonight was also The Bachelorette. I recorded it, but I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. I love Ali! She 's so cute and I'm glad Jake didn't let her back on the show and am glad he didn't pick Tenley. They were both too good for him. I hope things work out well for Ali and I can't wait to see who she picks.

Tomorrow is the series premiere of Pretty Little Liars on abc family. The previews looked good and the plot sounded interesting. Being the bookworm that I am, I decided to check out the books from the library. I haven't started reading them yet because I got them out of order. The first one had a lot of holds on it. Everyone had the same idea. So I have the 2nd and 3rd. Just waiting for the first one. I want to read them so badly. Hopefully it comes in soon.

Tomorrow is also the season finale of GLEE! Sad. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this show (can't stress how much). I'm a GLEEK and proud of it!

I love the characters and I love the music, although some songs are awkward and make me want to look away from embarrassment. Well, not so much the songs, but the scenes that go with the songs. Like last week's episode where Will was singing to Sue. MOST AWKWARD FEW MINUTES OF MY LIFE! Okay, maybe a bit of an overstatement but not by much. I couldn't watch. Anyway, tomorrow's episode takes place at regionals. I think it would be nice if New Directions kicked Vocal Adrenaline's butt; however, I think they will just fall short of winning. They need to lose so they have the fire to come back and win next season. If they win now, what would come next? I'm excited to see it, but sad that I'm going to have to wait three months for it to return.

That's all for now. I'm sure I'll have lots to say tomorrow after the Glee finale, premiere of Pretty Little Liars and catching up on The Bachelorette.

And thank you Bilbee for becoming a follower. I'm officially halfway to my goal of ten!

C Is For Cookie

So in the young single adult ward at church we have "break the fast" on Fast Sundays. It's where we eat together after church, potluck style, and there is always a theme. I haven't been to the single's ward in a few weeks so I had no idea what the theme was for this month (it was Father's favorites in honor of Father's Day). I didn't even realize it was Fast Sunday until Nana asked if Iwas going to stay and eat after church. I decided on oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. You can never go wrong with cookies.

Since it was Fast Sunday, I wasn't able to try them before taking them. I was worried that they didn't turn out right. They tasted DELICIOUS!! I brought home an empty tray. Yay for me and my cookie baking skills and recipes online. I was so happy. The last few months I haven't taken anything because I try new recipes that go with the theme, but there is always something wrong with it. I don't want people to get the impression that I can't cook, so I just don't take it if it's flawed. I feel bad eating the food when I don't bring anything. It was nice not to feel bad today.

I Love A Good Deal

This weekend Khol's was having a huge sale and I got a coupon in my email for an extra 15% off. I just HAD to go to Khol's and good thing I did! Since I've been home, every time I've gone shopping I've checked out the dishes. I need them for my apartment when I go back to school. I found one set that I thought I loved at Target, but I decided that I couldn't afford them yet (even though they were pretty cheap). Good thing I didn't buy them because I found some that I REALLY LOVED when I was at Khol's. They were already 50-60% off plus I had my coupon. I just couldn't pass this opportunity up. I loved them more than any other plates I had seen and it was probably the best deal I would ever get so I bought them. My receipt told me I saved $29 (and some cents).

Behold the beauty...

(It looks like I took it from a weird angle because I had the green plate upside down and I rotated the picture to fix it. It doesn't look as good as it would have if I took it the right way.)

If you can't tell, the plate is brown and looks AMAZING with the green and red salad plate. I am so "FREAKIN' EXCITED" (Kristen Wiig as Sue, see video) to use them. Now I just need cups that go well with the plates and silverware. And pots and pans. And cooking utensils. Then I'll be all set. If you see a good deal on the few things I still need, please let me know.

Another thing I love is Velocity by Mary Kay. Best products that I have used for acne. I love love love it! I'm mentioning this because I just got my new supply. I love how it's reasonably priced, gentle on skin and bedding (other products I've tried have stained my pillowcase and changed it from brown to orange), and it has a moisturizer instead of a lotion (which I think works better). Oh and it lasts me like six months, twice as long as Proactive and other products.

I love so many more things, but these are the two I chose to share. Otherwise you'd be at your computer for days (as would I writing them all out).

Here's the video of Sue. Hopefully you find it as funny as I do. Sorry about the stupid commercial. I couldn't find the clip on youtube. Also, it's cut off on the right side a little bit, but you can see Sue, which is the important part.

Oh, there's one more thing that I love, well two. And they're not things. They're people. Karryn and Sarah: Thank you for becoming followers! My number has doubled. I'm almost halfway to my ambitious number of 10!

You Are My Sunshine

Yesterday was Sunhee's 9th birthday. She got exactly what she wanted, a pink iPOD. I love my little sister to DEATH! She is so smart, cute and happy all the time. One of my favorite things about her is that she gets into these really random and long lasting giggle fits, pretty similar to the ones my family refers to as "Wendi Moments" (I think uncle Bilbee coined that term). Half of the time I don't even know what she's laughing at or I know what she's laughing at and I don't see how it's funny. I think that's how my family feels when I have one of my moments.

I am so blessed to have Sunhee as my sister. She definitely brightens up my life and brings a little sunshine to rainy days in Oregon, like today.